#Both I and Pamela are honored you are here. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

coolgirl32 · 1 year

Text

2004 Bruce Wayne x my oc Jacqulyn aka nightmare also I'll be showing all of you what she looks like from 2004 here's what she looks like yes yes I know she is a background character but that's what my OC Jacqulyn aka nightmare really looks like in the 2004 series with red hair she's also Poison Ivy's big sister in that version in other versions of the dc universe she is Poison Ivy's little sister

How they first met.

They first met at a gala in Gotham City. what the gala was about well it was actually about Jacqulyn's success in writing one of her famous books it was a love novel The novel was called.(a burning passion cannot be put out). Bruce was there for a reason he was there because of his favorite Arthur Jacqulyn Isley yep his favorite Arthur was the big sister of poison ivy. So after Jacqulyn was done with her speech about cleaning up Gotham making it better place for people to not fear villains or criminals and get higher security at Arkham asylum. Bruce then walked over to Jacqulyn before he could even talk to her there was glass breaking then he saw her poison ivy. Bruce was wondering why poison ivy was here before he knew it poison ivy grabbed Jacqulyn moved off everyone was freaking out and even Bruce and when he snuck out into the alleyway or nobody was looking he signaled his batmobile to come over that's when he got dressed as Batman and drove off to save Jacqulyn. Meanwhile at Poison Ivy's lair which was at a greenhouse. Poison ivy let go of her big sister the smile on her face she hugged her big sister.(Pamela Lillian Isley what are you doing and why do you look like a salad bar gone wrong 🤨). Poison ivy couldn't lie terrific sister sensing she said her full name so she began to explain everything. It all made sense now so before anything else happened Batman came barging in ivy was about to talk until Jacqulyn stopped her sister from doing anything stupid Jacqulyn told her little sister to stop being a villain and start doing school work so she can get a big education graduate with honors and get an actual job if she wanted to help the world she could at least buy some seeds and plant them to areas that needed plants ivy didn't want to argue with her sister so she did what she asks.(sorry about that Batman my little sister she doesn't know any better she's only a teenager I promised mine and her parents that I take care of her anyway I hope this doesn't cause any trouble) when Batman/Bruce Wayne looked at Jacqulyn his heart was starting to beat very fast he had no idea that poison ivy had a big beautiful sister he then told her he'll let the slide for now and there he grabbed his grappling hook and asked Jacqulyn if she would like a ride back home she agreed and they flew off.

A few hours later.

Jacqulyn and Batman made it to her apartment Jacqulyn think Batman for letting her sister go and for rescuing her she then kissed him on the cheek said her goodbyes and went right inside her apartment. When Bruce went inside the batmobile. he drove off to the batcave after he went inside. Alfred asked him how was his night.(it was good Alfred it was really good I found out that poison ivy has a big sister her name is Jacqulyn Isley I think I want to see her again tomorrow).

The next morning

Bruce knocked on Jacqulyn's apartment door when she opened the door she saw that it was Bruce Wayne she asked him why was he's here. He told her that he wanted to ask her if she would like to go out with him for breakfast she agreed. While at the diner they had a conversation they talked about things mostly about her books but mostly about other stuff too.

Time skip.

Bruce and Jacqulyn begin to date that's when Bruce decided to tell his girlfriend about his secret identity when he did tell her he did not expect her to tell him that she already knew.(His face literally look like this 😳) so when they had a conversation they both agreed that they would work together as partners when Jacqulyn told Bruce that she has a secret as well she then showed him what she could do basically she had the powers of the Scarlet witch. That's when Jacqulyn came up with the hero name nightmare after Bruce came up with a lot of ridiculous names like owl woman or night owl. So as time went on they both fought crime together.

Time skip

Bruce finally proposed to Jacqulyn they had a small wedding of course poison ivy was there as the maid of honor a few friends and family here and there. They went on their honeymoon but it was short because crime does not sleep. So they continue to fight crime that's when Bruce and his wife decided to go to the circus. Tragic struck that's when they met a little boy named dick Grayson he lost his parents so Bruce and his wife decided to take care of the little boy. Dick was a bit shy around both of them but he grew closer to Jacqulyn and start seeing her as a mother figure that's when Dick found out about Bruce and Jacqulyn's secret identities dick asked both of them a lot of questions and they both answered them. After defeating the man who took Dick's family dick decided to call himself Robin.

Years later.

Dick decided to stop being Robin so when he tried to move out of Wayne Manor Jacqulyn pulled his ear and told him that he is still 15 and that he's too young to move out he can be a hero whenever he wants but he will not move on until he's a legal adult dick didn't want to disappoint his adopted mother so he agreed so that's when he became Nightwing. more years went by that's when Jason Todd came into the picture dick thought that he was being replaced but his adopted mom told him that he wasn't being replaced he will always be her baby bird he is just being a big brother. Dick started to understand more so he became a big brother to Jason every single day that's until Jason's death. Jacqulyn was so angry that she found joker and killed him but brought him back to life and showed him what fear really looked like joker never messed with Gotham ever again for about a few months or so. Bruce never knew what happened but he was glad that his wife took care of it he was just glad that she didn't kill him for good . So when Bruce came back home with Tim Jacqulyn was a bit hesitant but welcome Tim with open arms. So when Jason came back he was a little upset to find out there was a new Robin of course Jacqulyn had to give Jason the same talk she gave dick. Jason of course understood a little bit more and was okay with it. So a few years later there was a new arrival at the batcave his name is Damian Wayne of course. Jacqulyn was not happy that she found out that her husband was raped by Talia Al ghul. but she calmed down for a bit I understood that Bruce was a victim. One morning when Jacqulyn was eating her breakfast she heard a loud crash in the living room that's when she saw Tim and Damian arguing she used her powers to stop both of them basically She made them float up and she told both of them to stop it or she won't let them down they stopped and she put them down a little gently. She then asked them what was this all about Tim told her that Damian stepped on his foot on purpose Damian denied it and told her that Tim was using his pen. After hearing their arguments and their stories Jacqulyn had had enough she told both of them to go into the rooms and to think about what they done and to think about that they are brothers and that they need to get along. They both try to protest but they looked into her eyes and knew that what they were going to say was not going to be good so they did what she asked. Hours later they came out apologize to each other and hug their adoptive mother everything was all good

#batfam x nightmare batmom #Bruce Wayne x nightmare

2 notes · View notes

twdmusicboxmystery · 2 years

Text

11x24: Rest in Peace - Daryl, Judith, and Rosita

Okay, so I’m going to do this in parts, so it doesn’t get too long. The title will tell you what I’m discussing today. But there will be more in the next two days as well.

Daryl and Judith:

Okay, let’s talk details. What did we actually see in the episode. So, we start by seeing Daryl take Judith into the hospital and yelling, “Help me.” He puts her down on a gurney and goes to look for help. We see this from Judith’s POV. Her vision is very blurry and everything is echoey, and in slow motion.

Some troopers come through and hit Daryl on the head, knocking him out. Judith then gets up and shuts doors when she sees walkers coming. After that, she passes out again, lying next to Daryl.

Okay, let’s look at this more deeply. First, we’ve already said from last episode that Judith is clearly a Beth proxy. Her getting shot by Pamela was a total replay of Beth being shot at Grady. So, I tried to look at it from that perspective, and how this could be more of Judith being a Beth proxy.

I talked last week too about how Daryl carrying Judith and them being surrounded by walkers suggests what might have happened during the missing 17 days, right?

So, think of it this way. Daryl puts Judith down on the gurney to get help. Even though he only gets a few feet away from her, he still sort of set her down somewhere and left her behind. Then he gets knocked out. So, for the first time, I’m wondering if perhaps Daryl was injured in some way during the missing 17 days. Maybe. Maybe not. It’s always hard to know what to take literally and what might be symbolic. And of course they have to honor the current storylines, so it’s not always going to be exactly the same as the template they’re calling back to.

But I wonder if all the blurry distortion could symbolize what Beth might have observed after being shot.

Judith getting up off the gurney and shutting doors puts me in mind of Beth waking up alone and being surrounded by walkers. The fact that when Judith passes out again by Daryl, there’s a black diamond on the floor and an empty chair is super significant. Like they’re trying to show that this is a Bethyl proxy. Other shave pointed out that, lying on the floor, Daryl’s arm is lying to one side in the same way Beth’s did in Coda.

And in that vein, if Daryl’s injury here is NOT taken literally, I think Daryl is a Beth proxy as well. He gets knocked out and wakes up sometime later in the hospital. He even has a forehead injury, and someone in my group pointed out that, not only did he immediately remove the bandage, but he even pushed back his hair so we could see it clearly.

I even this his black eye (which sort of looked like an eyepatch) is a heavy example of the one-eyed, Sirius symbol.

You could also look at it from the perspective of Judith saving Daryl’s life. He was out cold by then, and if she hadn’t shut the doors, he would have been eaten. Maybe we can tie that into Beth being left in the trunk of a car so the walkers wouldn’t get her.

Like Beth, Judith woke up in the hospital after being shot. And in a very general way, she got shot, and it was touch and go for a while, but she survived. I mean, it’s not like either Judith being shot, or Daryl being knocked out, led to any major plot arc after. Why have Daryl get knocked out, rather than just taking care of Judith until Carol got there, if not to show some sort of template? Otherwise, there wasn’t any major reason in the plot for it.

Moving forward in this scene, we also see Magna’s group trying to save Luke. Both he and Jules were bitten. Jules dies in the horde, but despite them cutting off his leg to try and save him, Luke doesn’t make it. RIP Luke and Jules. But before he passes, he points toward his harmonica. They pull it out and one of them (Yumiko, I think?) says they will keep the music alive. Always. Now, Luke was the music guys, so we compared him to Beth a lot back when his group first arrived on the scene.

But again, I think it’s purposeful that they have all this Daryl/Judith/Beth proxy stuff, and then randomly pull out a musical instrument and talk about keeping the music alive. Like they’re trying to tell us this sequence is how the “music” (Beth) survived.

Daryl then donates blood to Judith. He says he is a universal donor, and Merle used to make him sell his blood as a kid. This was totally random and, again, not completely necessary to the storyline. So, they’re clearly setting something up here. It’s important to understand Daryl’s blood type and that he can donate to anyone. The obvious thing is that we’ll see him donate his blood to others in the future. But I also wonder if this might be a CRM thing. Since they’re studying the walker virus—which inherently means studying the blood—he might be valuable to them in keeping people alive.

I also thought it might have been important that all the doctors, nurses, and medicine were gone. That feels like a significant statement. We already know there was some filming in Atlanta, which we definitely didn’t see on the show, but we speculated about Daryl going back to Grady and finding it deserted. No idea if that will happen. It’s pure conjecture on our part, but this detail of the hospital being empty made me think of that.

I loved Mercer’s reunion with both Max and Princess. Always love the romantic reunions!

Once walkers breached the hospital (coming through the glass was a clear callback to them breaking into the mall in season 1). Daryl left Judith in the room and went to help. He left her in EXACTLY the way Shane left Rick in the hospital in S1. Shutting the door and putting the gurney in front of it. Daryl even takes it a step further by leaning a heavy shelf onto the gurney so no one can move it.

So, I totally didn’t realize he did that at first. I only noticed the shelf when they ran back to get Judith out of the room. Only on rewatching did I realize he put that shelf there to begin with.

The reason it caught my eye is that it was laying at a crooked angle, exactly like the grandfather clock in Still. Seeing Daryl pick it up and set it right was an echo of Still. So, yet another tie to Beth. And to Rick, of course.

@wdway also pointed out that, even in terms of Rick, once Judith survives, there should be a reunion with someone she thinks is dead (because Rick reunited with Lori and Carl) and we didn’t see that in the episode. But we should see that next.

Of course Tomi works on Judith, and when she wakes up later, she finally tells Daryl and Carol about Michonne going to search for Rick.

Also, I love, loved, LOVED the Little Asskicker/Big Asskicker line. So cute and funny and fitting and adorable!

When they’re rushing Judith out of the hospital, we also have a shot where they look to be in a dark tunnel with light on the opposite side. We also saw this with Beth just before she was shot in S5.

Rosita’s Death:

Okay, so if you read most of my posts, you know I wasn’t convinced about Rosita’s death. Mostly, that’s because I feel like they’ve set up some arcs for her that I thought would play out during the CRM storyline, so we obviously haven’t seen yet. I talked about some possibilities. Maybe she would be bitten, but not die. Maybe those foreshadows I saw were meant for someone else and she was a stand in, etc.

Well, she definitely did die. But what Christian Seratos said on the after show was interesting. She said it was her idea for Rosita to die. That she didn’t want her character to survive the show. In other words, this wasn’t something the writers decided to do on their own. It’s something Christian asked for. And we know the writers are always respectful of the actors when they want to leave the show. Christian is clearly in demand for other work, so I don’t begrudge her wanting to do other things.

So, here’s the thing. That, I can almost guarantee, was changed from the original plan. A lot has changed over the years, including technology, which has led to them ending the flagship show and moving to other spinoffs. But if that weren’t the case; if they’d stayed with the flagship show for another five or six seasons, I really don’t think Rosita would have died at this juncture.

I think once they realized they were ending the show and moving to the spinoffs, they probably asked each of the actors what they wanted to do (they would have had to negotiate new contracts for new shows) and whether they wanted to keep working in the TWDU or not. Christian simply decided against it.

And that makes me feel better because it means that what we saw for her was probably real, but just as with MMB pulling out of the Daryl spinoff, things have to change in the show because of things changing outside the show. But it’s not a matter of us misinterpreting things.

Upon rewatching, I did notice a few interesting things. When Rosita is bitten (which they don’t reveal until later) there is a red vehicle she climbs up on and even the pipe and brick exterior of the building she climbs is red. My fellow theorists and I have talked about this a lot lately, but the red always represents something catastrophic happening. Not necessarily a death, but maybe more like a separation. So death definitely counts. So, I think the red in that scene was very purposeful.

There were also callbacks to Glenn’s near death experience in S6, and Rick climbing the tank in S1.

Also, looking back (and they showed some of this during the In Memorium for Rosita), the scene from 11b where there was a huge storm at Alexandria and Rosita ran out into the rain to fight the walkers was a foreshadow of her death. If you look, in that scene, she even has a bruise on the side of her chin, the same place she has one here at her death. So, obviously at least by then, they knew Rosita would die before the end.

I thought Rosita’s end was very poignant. Her scenes with Gabe and Coco and especially Eugene were very sweet and sad. I cried. Which is surprising, because Rosita has never been my favorite character. But they gave her a very beautiful and fitting end.

One other thing I noticed is that Baby Coco is dressed in green and pink. Both Beth colors. I thought about that. In general, it could just be that Coco survives and lives on, even though Rosita does not. But we could also say that Coco almost died. And someone else (Rosita) was bitten and died so Coco could live. And of course we don’t know if that was specifically the case with Beth, since we really still don’t entirely understand what happened at Grady.

Thankfully, both Elijah and Jerry survived. (Yay!) in a broad way, they were both lost in a sea of walkers, but survived, which we could compare to Beth and what we think happened during the missing 17 days. Also, if you remember, we’ve said before that Lydia and Elijah are clearly a Bethyl proxy. So, it’s important that they came back together after being separated. When they hug, Lydia says, “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” Which just sounds like something that could be applied to Beth and Daryl.

I’ll stop there for today. Tomorrow I’ll be discussing more story lines and aspects of this episode.

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #beth is coming #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance #beth is almost here #bethyl

19 notes · View notes

thelivewireoracle · 3 months

Text

Weekly Tarot 3/11/24 - 3/17/24

The High Priestess, The Star, The Empress

“Mix it all together and you know that it's the best of both worlds!” (As quoted by the great Hannah Montana) A new beginning, a fresh start…For many of us recently, there has been a mighty calling to leave an old life behind in pursuit of a better one. This might have left you feeling as if some massive purge needed to take place in order for the change to happen. As some of you may have taken the first steps toward what felt like a new start, there might have been a set back or two or three.

“How can it be that I know deep within that I am meant for so much more, yet I can’t seem to reach the apex?” This is an opportunity to witness your potential and your limits. This is a chance to see how you will create your desired outcome within your current means. The High Priestess is a witness to the knowledge of Source. What steps can you take in order to meet yourself in the middle? Understanding that there is always a balance between light and darkness, where do you stand? How do you use the energies of assertion and receptivity to mold and shape your life? She is the keeper of answers and in order to hear her, you must be willing to feel it all. This week will bring you lessons that will allow you to tune into your true nature and gifts.

As you progress through the week and take notice of your growing awareness, you may find that a flash of inspiration will dawn brightly in your mind’s eye. The Star brings a fine sense of hope and clarity. This feels like it will come unexpectedly when you aren’t trying to think yourself out of your current situation. Be present. Take it all in. With one foot on land and one on water, it’s no wonder you feel the pulling and tugging between energies. But what if you stop fighting it? What if you allow things to be as they are and trust the unfolding? Some of you might realize that you were always meant to travel between worlds. To bring wisdom not only from the spiritual, but also the physical world to convene in the middle. You are here to embrace the fullness of what it means to be a limitless spirit contained in a human body.

In terms of limits, this is something we must accept and honor just as we do with our capability to go forth and succeed. The Empress rules from a comfortable seat in a gown made of bountiful fabric. In some other portrayals, she can also be seen as being pregnant. During that time, a person waiting to give birth must accept that there may be limits to what they can do, but it's temporary in most cases. Some of you may be in situations that require a different side of you. This may have caused a sense of dissonance over time. The oncoming week might bring you opportunities to make peace with where you’re currently at on your journey, while still knowing that it does not impact the overall value of that which you bring to life.

With all of that in mind, this week lends us several chances to reconcile and make things right within ourselves. Utilize any moment you have to begin reconnecting. Spring is upon us and this is the fresh start you may have been asking for. Mind you, it may not come easily or with a big pretty bow, but it’s a start regardless. Make the most of this time and see where it takes you in the oncoming months. As always, take what resonates and leave the rest. Have a blessed week! :) - Lilith Jane

Decks Used

Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck, Illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith

#weekly tarot #tarot #thelivewireoracle #archive #rider waite smith

0 notes

briankeene · 2 years

Text

Scares That Care’s AuthorCon II Programming Schedule

What follows is the official Programming Schedule for AuthorCon II (a Scares That Care charity event) taking place March 31 through April 2 in Williamsburg, VA. Fans, readers, and attendees can refer to this schedule to help them plan their weekend. Click here to purchase tickets to the convention or the special on-site events, view the Film Festival schedule, our Guests of Honor, hotel information, and more.

FRIDAY

Opening Ceremonies – 4:00pm to 5:00pm (First Floor, Auditorium): Brian Keene, Joe Ripple and the rest of our staff and volunteers welcome all Guests of Honor, vendors, and attendees, give you important information for the weekend, and present the 2023 Charity Award and the first annual Wilburn-Thomas Award. Attendance by all is strongly encouraged.

Vendor Hours (Vendors are located in the main Vendor’s Room and on both the First and Second Floors) – 5:00pm to 9:00pm

Silent Auction (First Floor, Auditorium) – 5:00pm to 9:00pm

An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe – 9:00pm (First Floor, Auditorium): A one-hour program with dramatic performances of “The Tell Tale Heart” and “The Raven”. Actor Campbell Harmon speaks in character as Poe with the audience about the author’s life, his death, and his profound influence on American literature, dispelling the myths that have surrounded his legacy to show how his works continue to influence literature and culture today. Suitable for all ages. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are available for purchase at convention registration.

Workshop: Writing Personal Horror – 9:00pm to 11:00pm (Second Floor, Room 15): In order to write effective and original horror, you have to dig into your own psyche and find out what scares you. By focusing on your own personal fears and giving them shivery life on the page, you’ll be connecting to your audience – guaranteed. In this session, participants will learn techniques from instructor Tim Waggoner for drawing on their past, their presents, hopes, dreams, fears, obsessions, and current observations to create horror that stands out from the pack. Participants should bring something to write with/on. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are available for purchase at convention registration.

Readings:

5:30pm – 6:15pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Sarah Matthews and Jenny Allen

5:45pm – 6:30pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Lucas Milliron and J.P. Behrens

6:00pm – 6:45pm (Second Floor, Room 12): Jason Parent and Joseph Pesavento

6:30pm – 7:15pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Jeff Strand and Max Booth III

6:45pm – 7:30pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Todd Keisling and Kevin Lucia

7:00pm – 7:45pm (Second Floor, Room 12): Tim Lebbon and Rio Youers

7:30pm – 8:15pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Laurel Hightower and Red Lagoe

7:45pm – 8:30pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Anton Cancre and Pamela K. Kinney

8:00pm – 8:45pm (Second Floor, Room 12): L. Marie Wood and Sonora Taylor

8:30pm – 9:30pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Wesley Southard, Lucas Mangum, and John Wayne Comunale

Panels:

5:00pm – 6:00pm (First Floor, Auditorium): Help, I Married A Horror Writer – A mystery panel of six author’s spouses and partners spill the tea on the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of being in a relationship with a horror writer. Moderated by Brian Keene

5:30pm – 6:30pm (Second Floor, Room 16): So You Want To Publish An Anthology? – Kenneth W. Cain (moderator), Rachel A. Brune, Rebecca Rowland, Robert Sargent, and Candace Nola guide you step-by-step through the process of editing and publishing an anthology.

5:45pm – 6:45pm (Second Floor, Room 17): Horror Poetry – Jacob Haddon (moderator), Cynthia Pelayo, John Urbancik, M Ennenbach, and Anton Cancre discuss their creative process and some of their favorite horror poets.

6:00pm – 7:00pm (Second Floor, Room 18): The New Slashers – Crazed killers are making a comeback in both horror fiction and film. Preston Fassel (moderator), Adam Cesare, Kristopher Triana, Kristopher Rufty, Scott Cole, and Jason Myers discuss the new wave of slashers.

6:45pm – 7:45pm (Second Floor, Room 16): Collaborations – Stephen Kozeniewski (moderator), Wile E. Young, Wesley Southard, Ruthanne Jagge, Daron Kappauff, and RJ Roles discuss the ins-and-outs of writing with a partner.

7:00pm – 8:00pm (Second Floor, Room 17): Writing The Badge and The Bus – Joe Ripple, Ronald Malfi, and Amanda Headlee lead this Q&A on the correct way to write law enforcement procedure, tactics, and investigations, and EMT procedures for medical emergencies and trauma.

7:15pm – 8:15pm (Second Floor, Room 18): Body Horror Beyond – Lucas Milliron (Moderator), Hailey Piper, Bitter Karella, Gemma Amor, and Matt Serafini discuss the latest in body horror fiction and film.

8:00pm – 9:00pm (Second Floor, Room 16): Military Ops – Veterans of the United States Armed Forces and Alphabet Agencies discuss their military service, how they’ve utilized it in their fiction, and how you can, too. Scott M. Baker (moderator), Rachel A. Brune, Stephen Kozeniewski, John Lynch, and L.P. Hernandez.

SATURDAY

Vendor Hours (Vendors are located in the main Vendor’s Room and on both the First and Second Floors) – 10:00am to 6:00pm

Silent Auction (First Floor, Auditorium) – 10:00am to 5:00pm (winners will be announced at 5:00pm sharp)

A Tribute To Jay Wilburn – Noon to 1:00pm (Second Floor, Room 18): Friends and peers of author Jay Wilburn, including Armand Rosamilia, Max Booth, Jeff Strand, Daniel J. Volpe, John Urbancik, Stephen Kozeniewski, and Thomas R. Clark, share personal stories and tributes.

Workshop: Writing For Video Games (What You Need To Know) – 6:00pm to 10:00pm (Second Floor, Room 15): Video game industry veteran Richard Dansky (Red Storm, Ubisoft) leads this highly interactive seminar on how to write for video games. Participants should bring something to write with/on. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are available for purchase at convention registration.

An Evening with Psychic and Medium Dakota Lawrence – 7:00pm (Second Floor, Room 17): In this group setting, renowned psychic and medium Dakota Lawrence will conduct live readings regarding loved ones, participant’s lives, and more. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are available for purchase at convention registration. Please note that participants will be chosen at random, and a ticket does not guarantee a reading.

Breast Cancer Walk – 9:00pm (approximately) (First Floor Lobby and Bar area) — Brian Keene, John Anderson, and Grim.

The Gross-Out Contest – 10:30pm (Second Floor, Room 18): A bevy of your favorite horror authors square off once again in the literary world’s most vile, hilarious, and incendiary showdown. Each has five minutes to gross out the crowd and impress host Brian Keene, bouncer Armand Rosamilia, and judges Maurice Broaddus, L. Marie Wood, Mary SanGiovanni, Bridgett Nelson, and Candace Nola. Adults Only. No One Under 18 Permitted. Attendee Discretion Is Strongly Advised.

Readings:

10:15am – 11:00am (Second Floor, Room 8): Carol Gyzander and Rachel A. Brune

10:30am – 11:15am (Second Floor, Room 11): Richard Dansky and P.D. Cacek

11:00am – 11:45am (Second Floor, Room 12): Cynthia Pelayo and Briana Morgan

11:15am – Noon (Second Floor, Room 8): Hailey Piper and Gemma Amor

11:30am – 12:15pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Tim Waggoner and Mason Winfield

Noon – 1:00pm (Second Floor, Room 15): Armin Shimerman (Reading, plus Q&A moderated by John Anderson)

12:15pm – 1:00pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Kenzie Jennings and Bridgett Nelson

12:30pm – 1:15pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Jonathan Janz and Justin Holley

1:15pm – 2:00pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Bitter Karella and Mary SanGiovanni

1:30pm – 2:15pm (Second Floor, Room 15): Maurice Broaddus and John Urbancik

1:30pm – 2:15pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Kenneth W. Cain and Tom Rimer

2:15pm – 3:00pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Katherine Silva and Mike Tyree

2:30pm – 3:15pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Dorian J. Sinnott and Daniel Braum

2:30pm – 3:15pm (Second Floor, Room 12): Tony Evans and Shawn Burgess

3:15pm – 4:00pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Mark Masztal and Nathan D. Ludwig

3:30pm – 4:15pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Joshua MacMillan and Megan Stockton

4:15pm – 5:00pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Ronald Kelly and Stephen Mark Rainey

4:30pm – 5:15pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Douglas Ford and Jeremy Megargee

5:15pm – 6:00pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Chase Will and Jay Bower

5:30pm – 6:15pm (Second Floor, Room 11): R.J. Roles and Jason Myers

6:15pm – 7:00pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Robert Essig and R.J. Benetti

6:30pm – 7:15pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Nathan McCullough and L.P. Hernandez

7:15pm – 8:00pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Preston Fassel and M. Ennenbach

7:30pm – 8:30pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Adam Cesare, Scott Cole, and Clay McLeod Chapman

Panels:

10:15am – 11:15am (Second Floor, Room 16): Agent and Publisher Ethics – Matt Blairstone (moderator) Rio Youers, Laurel Hightower, L. Marie Wood, Kelley Jefferson, and D. Alexander Ward discuss what to look for – and what to run away from – when it comes to agents and publishers.

10:15am – 11:15am (Second Floor, Room 15): Queer Horror 2023 – Sam Richard (moderator), Bitter Karella, Jamie Flanagan, Rebecca Rowland, and Dorian J. Sinnott discuss the latest trends and the hottest books in queer horror.

10:30am – 11:30am (Second Floor, Room 17): Horror Comics – Interested in horror comic books and graphic novels but don’t know where to begin? Nathan McCullough (moderator), Clay McLeod Chapman, Mark Masztal, Scott Cole, and Wile. E. Young discuss some of their favorites.

10:45am – 11:45am (Second Floor, Room 18): The Psychology of Horror – How does human psychology apply to horror fiction? What makes for effective psychological horror? David Simms (moderator), Mona Kabbani, Tommy B. Smith, Daniel Braum, Jenny Allen, and J.P. Behrens discuss all this and more.

1:00pm – 2:00pm (Second Floor, Room 16): Road Dogs – What are some tips for setting up a book signing? How can one plan an economical book signing tour? What are the do’s-and-dont’s of setting up at conventions? Wesley Southard (moderator), Gemma Amor, Ronald Malfi, Joseph Pesavento, John Wayne Comunale.

1:15pm – 2:00pm (Second Floor, Room 12): Sherrilyn Kenyon Q&A (Kelly Jefferson moderator)

1:15pm – 2:15pm (Second Floor, Room 17): The Truth About Paranormal Investigations – What really happens during a paranormal investigation? What kind of tools and skills are used? And what does horror fiction get right and wrong? P.D. Cacek and Mason Winfield answer all your questions.

1:30pm – 2:30pm (Second Floor, Room 18): Self-Publishing 101: Sonora Taylor (moderator) discusses tips and tricks for self-publishing in 2023 with Jessica Eppley, B.C. Lienesch, Caterina Novelliere, John Durgin, Briana Morgan, and Jay Bower

2:15pm – 3:15pm (Second Floor, Room 16): Trauma In Fiction – Candace Nola (moderator), Kristopher Triana, Marian Elaine, Kristopher Rufty, Bridgett Nelson, Sam Richard, and Lucas Milliron discuss how trauma is used in fiction, why it is used, and the benefits of doing so.

2:30pm – 3:30pm (Second Floor, Room 17): Golden Years – Jonathan Janz (moderator) talks with Ronald Kelly and Stephen Mark Rainey – veterans of the late 1980s/early 1990s horror boom, and Sherrilyn Kenyon, Maurice Broaddus, Tim Lebbon, Ronald Malfi, Mary SanGiovanni, and Tim Waggoner – veterans of the 2000s horror resurrection – on those golden years, and what possibly lies ahead for the genre.

2:45pm – 3:45pm (Second Floor, Room 18): Marketing 101 – Now, more than ever, authors are finding themselves responsible for their own marketing and promotion. Red Lagoe (moderator) discusses tip and tricks with Lucy Leitner, Aron Beauregard, Daniel J. Volpe, and Lucas Mangum.

3:30pm – 4:30pm (Second Floor, Room 16): Cryptids – Bigfoot, Mothman, and their kin are experiencing a resurgence in horror fiction. C.W. Briar (moderator), Bitter Karella, Laurel Hightower, Pamela K. Kinney, and Dan Franklin discuss the trend and some of their favorites.

3:45pm – 4:45pm (Second Floor, Room 17): Book Design 101 – Scott Cole (moderator) discusses the ins-and-outs of book design, from cover to bookstore shelves, with Todd Keisling, Lynne Hansen, John G. Hartness, and Kenneth W. Cain.

4:00pm – 5:00pm (Second Floor, Room 18): Screenwriting 101 – Preston Fassel (moderator) talks to screenwriters Jamie Flanagan, Clay McLeod Chapman, James Noll, and Nathan D. Ludwig about everything you need to know to write for movies and television.

4:45pm – 5:45pm (Second Floor, Room 16): Cosmic Horror – Mary SanGiovanni (moderator and “the Queen of Cosmic Horror”) is joined by Robert P. Ottone, Daron Kappauff, Dan Henk, Ben Farthing, and Tommy B. Smith to discuss the evolution of modern cosmic horror and where it might go from here.

5:00pm – 6:00pm (Second Floor, Room 17): Extreme Horror – Thomas R. Clark (moderator) is joined by Kristopher Rufty, Daniel J. Volpe, Carver Pike, Bridgett Nelson, and Eric Butler to discuss the resurgence in popularity of extreme horror and Splatterpunk and what the future may hold for each.

SUNDAY

Vendor Hours (Vendors are located in the main Vendor’s Room and on both the First and Second Floors) – 10:00am to 3:00pm

Readings:

10:15am – 11:00am (Second Floor, Room 8): Daron Kappauff and Nicholas Day

10:30am – 11:15am (Second Floor, Room 11): Shanna Robillard and Amanda Headlee

11:15am – Noon (Second Floor, Room 8): Scott M. Baker and John Lynch

11:30 – 12:30pm (Second Floor, Room 11): Jacob Haddon, D. Alexander Ward, and Chris DiLeo

12:15pm – 1:00pm (Second Floor, Room 8): Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young

Panels:

10:30am – 11:30am (Second Floor, Room 16): Found Footage – Tom Rimer (moderator and cohost of Found Footage Fridays), Matt Blazi, and Chase Will discuss the renewed popularity of found footage films and fiction.

10:30am – 11:30am (Second Floor, Room 17): Folklore and History – How can one accurately portray folk horror? What are some witchcraft tropes that practitioners would love to see put to the stake? How does a writer or researcher gain access to historical archives? Thomas R. Clark (moderator), Ruthann Jagge, Tony Evans, Mason Winfield, and Douglas Ford discuss getting your facts straight when it comes to Folk Horror, Historical Horror, and Witchcraft.

11:00am – Noon (Second Floor, Room 18): Writing Media Tie-Ins: Tim Waggoner, Mary SanGiovanni, and Brian Keene discuss writing for big media properties – how to get the job, what you can get away with, and what you can’t.

1:00pm – 2:00pm (Second Floor, Room 18): The Yell At Brian Keene Panel – Joe Ripple, Jake Lerner, Brian Keene, Sonora Taylor, Angel Hollman, and the rest of the Scares That Care staff welcome your feedback in this open forum, so that we can implement it next year. (Please don’t really yell at Brian, though.)

0 notes

thetalentedmrkashyap · 2 years

Text

B-4 : Oscars 2023 Predictions - A Film fan's perspective (Part - 2)

The 95th Academy Awards, a.k.a. The Oscars®, will take place on March 13 at 5:30 AM IST. The celebrations of the Oscar season are at their peak. Amid the fun and excitement, here's a look at the movies categories and our predictions of the winners:-

Best Animated Film

Nominees:

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio – Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar, and Alex Bulkley

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On – Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan, and Paul Mezey

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – Joel Crawford and Mark Swift

The Sea Beast – Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger

Turning Red – Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins

Prediction: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

del Toro's first attempt at stop-motion animation to present the classic tale of the wooden boy in a different style has received several accolades this year. An Oscar is gonna be another such honor.

Best International Feature Film

Nominees:

All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) – directed by Edward Berger

Argentina, 1985 (Argentina) – directed by Santiago Mitre

Close (Belgium) – directed by Lukas Dhont

EO (Poland) – directed by Jerzy Skolimowski

The Quiet Girl (Ireland) – directed by Colm Bairéad

Prediction(s): All Quiet on The Western Front/Argentina, 1985

While the former is an anti-war film appreciated by critics & audiences, the latter was the Golden Globe winner in the same category this year. Hence, the two are gonna be strong contenders.

Best Documentary Feature

Nominees:

All That Breathes – Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann, and Teddy Leifer

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed – Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin, and Yoni Golijov

Fire of Love – Sara Dosa, Shane Boris, and Ina Fichman

A House Made of Splinters – Simon Lereng Wilmont and Monica Hellström

Navalny – Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, and Shane Boris

Prediction(s): All the Beauty and the Bloodshed/A House Made of Splinters

The former is about the life of photographer and activist Nan Goldin and her efforts to hold Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family, accountable for the opioid epidemic. On the other hand, the latter is about an orphanage with children dealing with the Russia-Ukraine war. Both themes have been a crucial topic of discussion among cinephiles and filmmakers - and the Academy might be a part of it as well.

Best Documentary Short Subject

Nominees:

The Elephant Whisperers – Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga

Haulout – Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev

How Do You Measure a Year? – Jay Rosenblatt

The Martha Mitchell Effect – Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison

Stranger at the Gate – Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones

Prediction(s): The Elephant Whispers/The Martha Mitchell Effect

The Academy can have a split decision between a human-elephant relationship and the whistleblower of the biggest political scandals of the world - Watergate!

Best Live Action Short Film

Nominees:

An Irish Goodbye – Tom Berkely and Ross White

Ivalu – Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan

Le Pupille – Alice Rohrwacher and Alfonso Cuarón

Night Ride – Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen

The Red Suitcase – Cyrus Neshvad

Prediction: An Irish Goodbye

The story of two siblings reuniting after their mother's death - filled with humor & drama would be the ultimate contender.

Best Animated Short Film

Nominees:

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud

The Flying Sailor – Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis

Ice Merchants – João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano

My Year of Dicks – Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It – Lachlan Pendragon

Prediction: My Year of Dicks

A teenage girl's obsession with finding the right partner for sex amid a comedic journey of disappointment and self-discovery can win the golden man for depicting female sexism.

Best Original Score

Nominees:

All Quiet on the Western Front – Volker Bertelmann

Babylon – Justin Hurwitz

The Banshees of Inisherin – Carter Burwell

Everything Everywhere All at Once – Son Lux

The Fabelmans – John Williams

Prediction: The Banshees of Inishrein/Babylon

While John Williams has become the most nominated living person (53 - winning 5), Hurwitz and Burwell would be giving The Fabelmans' score a tough competition. While the former gives the 1920s Silent Hollywood vibe, the latter's Irish folk composition is full of humor and intense tension as the film progresses.

Best Original Song

Nominees:

"Applause" from Tell It Like a Woman – Music and lyrics by Diane Warren

"Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick – Music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop

"Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Göransson; Lyrics by Tems and Ryan Coogler

"Naatu Naatu" from RRR – Music by M. M. Keeravani; Lyrics by Chandrabose

"This Is a Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once – Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski; Lyrics by Ryan Lott and David Byrne

Prediction: Naatu Naatu

Undoubtedly, this "feel good" dance number can make the Academy members shake their legs as well. The audience's love and the Golden Globe for Keeravani are enough to ensure an Oscar for another South Indian composer (first since AR Rahman for Jai Ho).

#oscars #2023 oscars #academy awards #academy award nominations #academy award predictions #95th academy awards #95th oscars

1 note · View note

lia-jones · 3 years

Text

Growing Together - Chapter Twenty-Six - Dura Lex, Sed Lex

Before we start:

This work is unbeta'd and English is not my first language. I apologize for any mistakes you may find. Have fun reading!

They made us pack a suitcase, just in case. So that the child wouldn’t have to go through the pain of being separated at the place he learned to love and call his own. Like leaving the love of his parents in a cold and impersonal courtroom would be any better.

I resentfully grabbed a duffel bag and filled it with some of Owen’s belongings without him knowing. I put inside a toothbrush and a comb, some underwear and some clothes, pajamas. I put in there all the things he would need for a night out, keeping his favorite things in his room. Because he wouldn’t need to go. Because even if he did go, he wouldn’t go for long. But mostly because the things he loved the most belonged with the place he loved the most and with the people that loved him the most.

The morning of the trial, I found myself staring at his room, holding that duffel bag tightly, my nails digging deep in the fabric, almost ripping it. I hated that duffel bag and all it represented. If I could, I would set it on fire.

“Are you ready? It’s time to go.”

Victor was standing in the doorway, impeccably dressed in his charcoal suit with a burgundy shirt. He looked calm and focused, undefeatable. Ready for the battle.

“I don’t want Owen to see this.” I showed him the bag I was holding. “Go ahead and put Owen in the car, I’ll go shortly.”

“Andrea.” My husband held my hand, giving me a determined look.

“I know.” I squeezed his hand. “We got this.”

____________________________________________________________

Something came up. I’ll be home for dinner.

The note was taunting, sitting perfectly on the polished marble surface, sporting her usual perky handwriting.

Andrea was nowhere to be found.

“Are you sure she didn’t tell you where she was going?”

Owen, who was busy cutting his french toast, shrugged yet again.

“No. Only that she had a plane to catch. And that I should behave while she’s gone.”

“It’s not like her to just leave without saying anything.” Victor took his phone from his pocket, wondering if he should try to call an eleventh time.

“Well, she did say something.” The boy replied matter-of-factly, eyes still on his plate. “She left a note.”

Victor wanted to explain to his son that the information on that note amounted to nothing, that even though his mother had been clear enough that she’d be gone, she had also been cryptic enough to worry him. Victor hated to be kept out of the loop like that, it was a habit that came with his job, to always hold every single piece of information about everything. Andrea, however, was well versed in the art of pulling the rug from under his feet, and sometimes could act so randomly it was hard for him to predict her next move. He had to admit he found it alluring, but also annoying.

It wasn’t like he was controlling or domineering, he just felt safer knowing at all times where she was, what she was doing, and who she was doing it wi-

“Eat your toast.” Victor quickly ended the subject, not in the mood to explain anything anymore.

___________________________________________________________

“All rise.” The bailiff announced. “Department One of the Family Court is now in session. Judge Erica Bridges presiding. Please be seated.”

We all got up from our seats, Victor taking Owen’s hand as to motion him to do the same. The judge was a petite woman with bright blue eyes that were framed with dark eyebrows and hair. She looked far too young to be a judge, yet she had this intimidating aura that made everyone around her feel insignificant. It,reminded me of my husband, keeping everyone on their toes with his mere presence.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.” The judge opened a file in front of her. “Calling the case of Cole VS Lee regarding the custody of Owen Cole. Are both sides ready?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” The layers replied.

I couldn’t help but look to my side, to the familiar face that had been giving me grief for so long: Pamela Cole. She sat beside her lawyer with a humble look on her face, wearing a modest black dress like she was in mourning, probably to earn sympathy points from the judge. A heatwave coursed through my body, as anger started to churn inside of me. Anger for her audacity to come into my office and tell me all those lies, wanting to take advantage of my sympathy. Anger towards myself, for being an idiot and believing her.

I hated her for having the same DNA as my child, as I hated DNA for being used for such vile purposes. My mind was running wild with thoughts of revulsion and grievance when I felt a warm hand taking mine. It was my husband, looking intently at me like he could read my thoughts, probably because he was having them too. And with just a little magical squeeze of his fingers, all the fire was gone, being replaced by a sense of confidence. We were ready. She would not win.

“And are you Owen?” I heard the judge addressing my son. “You are a very handsome young man.”

“Thank you, Your Honor.” He answered politely. “My mom tells me the same thing.”

Laughter echoed in the courtroom.

“You know what we are doing here today, Owen?”

“My grandmother wants to be my forever family.”

“Good.” The judge smiled at him. “Now, I have something to ask you. We are going to start talking about very boring grownup things, so it would be better if you go with this gentleman to a special room we have, where you can read, or play a little. Is that ok?”

“Aren’t you going to ask me who I want to be with?” Owen frowned.

“Oh, I definitely want to know what you feel about all this. It won’t take long, I’ll call you after a little while, ok?”

I squeezed Victor’s hand tighter as I watched our son being taken away. This was it, it was about to start. How did he look so cool, so centered, when all I wanted was to just grab the boy and make a run for it? But then he looked at me, and I could see it in his eyes. The glint of worry only a wife’s trained eye would recognize on him.

“Very well, now that the child is away, you can make your first statements.”

__________________________________________________________

“Where on Earth are you?” He answered the phone, ready to scold her.

“Well, you are correct. I am indeed on Planet Earth.” She joked, unfazed by his severe tone. “I have ten missed calls from you, didn’t you see my note?”

“You mean the elaborate itinerary of my wife’s whereabouts and the extensive list of reasons why she suddenly disappeared the day before our son’s custody trial?” He gave her a mocking tone. “No, I must have missed it.”

“Victor…” She sighed.

“If instead, you are referring to the ridiculous piece of crumpled paper you left on our kitchen counter stating you were alive by the time you left the house, then yes, I am holding it as we speak.”

“Something came up.”

“Your note already told me as much, if I can decipher your messy handwriting correctly. What else do you have to say for yourself?”

Another sigh came from the other end of the line. Victor was perfectly aware of how difficult he was being, but he couldn’t be more indifferent to it. A week ago, they were fighting because he had kept her at bay. Now, she was doing the exact same thing. If Victor was a gambler, he would bet his fortune on how he wouldn’t like the reason.

“Look, I’ll be completely honest with you.”

“I’m listening.”

“I had an idea. Something that can help us. And I wanted to give it a try.”

Victor pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to contain his frustration. What was she up to this time? And why wouldn't she give him a straight answer already?

“You can tell me when I get there. Just tell me where you are, and I’ll come to pick you up.”

“Do you trust me?” Her disarming question.

“With my life.” He promptly answered. “However, do I need to remind you that we agreed never to keep things from each other? What happened to “we’re in this together”?”

“You told me I wouldn’t fight hard enough for you and Owen.”

Victor paused. He did say that. He wished he didn’t.

“I don’t think that’s true, and you know that.” His tone softened.

“Maybe it is. Well, it was. The truth is…” She hesitated for a second. “I felt weak. I felt like I was losing. And I was so afraid to lose again that I thought it would be better to just stop fighting. I felt like if I lost, I would never recover from it. Do I make sense?”

Victor remembered her howling in his arms at that clinic in Switzerland, when she was told they couldn’t have a biological baby. And his own desperate moments on that kitchen floor, not long ago.

“What I didn’t realize was that, by giving up, I was letting both of you down. I was letting my family down. So this is my way to show you that I believe in us, I believe in us as a family, I’m fighting for us. That’s why I need to do this alone. I need to prove to you that I’m all in. Will you let me?”

___________________________________________________________

“Your Honor, the adoption was made under extremely odd circumstances, and with no respect for the law.” Pamela’s lawyer argued. “My client was not informed of her daughter’s passing, or that the child was left alone.”

“The late mother left a suicide note stating that she did not intend the grandmother to have any contact with the child.” One of Victor’s lawyers argued back.

“I take it you have such a letter in your possession.” The Judge asked.

I jumped on my seat, surprised that they were even mentioning it. Didn’t we agree we weren’t going to use it? I watched incredulously as the lawyer glanced at Victor, waiting for instructions. Victor squeezed my hand again, nodding to the lawyer. What the hell was happening? The lawyer paused and sighed heavily before addressing the judge again.

“No, Your Honor, we do not. That letter was unfortunately lost with some other papers.”

“Your Honor, with all due respect, this trial is a waste of our time.” The other lawyer spoke again. “Should Victor and Andrea Lee be ordinary people instead of public figures, the orphanage would have contacted the grandmother, as it lawfully should, and we wouldn’t be wasting public time and resources! My client has proved that she is fit to be the child’s guardian, and by law, she should have custody. And despite whatever story Mr. Lee’s lawyers wish you to believe, there is obviously no letter from the daughter. Even if there was, there would still be the matter of the daughter’s mental condition when she wrote it.”

“Do you have anything else to present to us to make your case?” The judge turned to our legal team.

__________________________________________________________

Owen spent most of his day in his bedroom, coming out only when summoned. Things had changed dramatically between Victor and Owen since the panic attack, and Owen was treating him with the same distance he did back when he first started living with them: he started to address him as Sir again and seemed to avoid all kinds of interactions. When they were forced to be together, like when sharing a meal, Owen kept his eyes on his plate, barely saying anything other than some short bitter words.

Victor couldn’t blame him. He had acted cold and distant during the funeral, disregarding his family. Everything one won’t expect from a parent. It was only natural that Owen was suspicious of him now, he had lost his trust in him. Victor’s penance was now to get it back.

“Are you hungry?” Victor entered the boy’s room after a brief knock. “I have some frozen mango, we could make sorbet together.”

“No, thank you.” Owen answered, not caring to lift his eyes from the book he was reading.

“What do you have there?” Victor tried again. “Is that the book Mom bought you?”

“Yes.”

“The Beesy Life.” He read from the cover. “Anything interesting about bees?” Knowing his son, he would surely jump at the opportunity of stating an extensive list of facts.

“They make honey.” He quickly dismissed him. “Can you leave so I can read?”

“Why don’t we go outside and play some football together? It’s sunny today.”

The boy seemed to bury himself even more in his book.

“No, thank you. I’m reading.”

Victor surely had his work cut out for him. With a heavy sigh, he sat on his son’s bed. Diversions wouldn’t work, he would have to stop being a coward and just cut to the chase.

“Owen, we need to talk. Do you think you can put that book down?”

Victor grimaced as his son obediently placed the book on his lap, giving him his undivided attention. It was so hard to find the right words. Andrea usually helped him with these things, making notice little things he couldn’t see, encouraging him to open up a little more. Ironically, when things were hard, Andrea was always nowhere to be found. Or maybe things were hard because she wasn’t around, Victor wasn’t sure anymore. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to imagine how Andrea would do it.

“I need to apologize.” Victor began. “I was callous and cold towards you and your mother, and-”

“Was it because of that letter you got? The day we went to the market?”

Victor turned to his son, astonished.

“Mom cried the day you got that letter. And every day after that.” The boy explained, like he understood Victor’s surprise. “And you began to fight. You never fight.”

“Owen...” Victor looked at his son, not knowing what to say.

“What did it say?”

_______________________________________________________

“Alright Owen, now that the grownups have talked, I want to get to know you better. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?”

My son looked at me with hesitant eyes, and I gave him a small nod of reassurance, mouthing It’s ok.

“Ok.” He nodded, following the bailiff nervously to the witness stand.

“Well done. Are you comfortable there?”

My husband’s hand squeezed mine hard. I ran my thumb over his. Owen would be ok. He was a smart child.

“Do you see this document I’m holding?” The judge showed him a folder. “This is your file, it tells me things about you. So, I know you are five, and you have been living with the Lees for almost a year, and you are doing very well at school… But it doesn’t tell me other important things, like, what are your favorite hobbies, if you have any close friends…”

“My best friend’s name is Mathew, he’s from my class. We play soccer together.” Owen promptly answered. “I like to play soccer, with my friends or with my Dad. I also like insects, I want to be an entomologist. That’s why my Mom calls me Bug. Oh, and we have a pet lobster! His name is Mr. Lobster, my Dad lets me feed him sometimes.”

“A pet lobster? That’s unusual.” She chuckled. “I can see in your file that you are doing well at school, no disciplinary reports… It seems you adjusted very well to that new reality.”

“Miss Dillon says God works in mysterious ways.” The boy looked at the judge in all seriousness. The judge frowned, taken aback by his statement.

“I could say that He does, Owen. But why do you say that?”

“A while ago, we went to have dinner at Gavin and Mia’s, and Mom got sick and threw up all over the floor. And later that night, I woke up and Mom and Dad were talking, and I did something I shouldn’t have.”

I looked at Victor, confused. What on Earth was Owen talking about?

“What did you do, Owen?” The judge asked.

“I eavesdropped.” His head hung in shame. “But I didn’t mean it in a bad way, I was worried about Mom. And then I heard Dad talking about the bad man that hurt Mom, and because of him she can’t get a baby. So…” Owen looked at me, hesitating.

“Yes?” The judge pressed.

“I don’t like that Mom got hurt so badly, but if God works in mysterious ways, maybe He made that bad man hurt Mom so she would adopt me, because He knew my other mom would die.” He shifted nervously in his chair, giving the judge a pleading look. “I know the other lady is my real family, and maybe she is a really nice lady, but I already have a family. I love my Mom and Dad, and I know they love me. Can I please keep them? Can they be my forever family? Please?”

My son’s words pierced my heart, and all the tears of fear and anguish I had been hiding came full force. Despite knowing my background, Owen would never really know how he was an angel in my and Victor’s life, filling our life with color and love. Losing my son was like getting my heart ripped out of my chest, and nothing would ever fill that gap. Victor’s grip on my hand tightened, the brief twitch of his finger making me look up. His eyes were also filled with tears, as he held onto my hand for strength, just like I held his. And as I looked around, wiping my tears with the back of my fingers, I noticed there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Except for Pamela, who looked at us with utter disdain.

“Well, Owen…” The judge cleared her throat. “Thank you so much for talking to me. I will consider your words.”

_________________________________________________________

Victor looked his son in the eyes, trying to formulate the right words to say. There weren’t any. If his wife was there, and not on some kind of wild goose chase, she would tell him to speak from the heart. And it was more and more evident that raw honesty would have to do.

“You have a grandmother. Your biological mother’s mother. She wants to adopt you.”

“I have a grandmother?”

Victor’s eyes fell to the ground.

“Yes.”

Owen jumped from his seat, eyes wide in anger.

“You told me nothing would make you send me back! You told me you were my forever family!” The boy broke down crying. “You were lying!”

“I never lied to you, Owen, you-”

“You told me I was a Lee! That I was your son!” Victor tried to hug his son, but he wouldn’t let him, hitting him with his clenched fists. “You don’t love me, you want to send me back!”

“You are my son!” Victor held his son tight, his voice echoing through the apartment. “You are a Lee, you’ll always be a Lee, and no one will take you away!” Victor felt his eyes sting with emotion, his voice faltering as he spoke. “I will not allow it.”

Victor pulled his son to his arms, tears running freely from his eyes too. He was so brutally inept when it came to expressing his feelings, yet he needed to show his son he loved him above everything.

“I am your father, Owen, and there is no law in this world that can change that. And we do want to be your family. Otherwise, why would your mother be crying all this time? Why would I become so insufferable?”

“Please don’t leave me.” Owen begged, his face buried in his father’s chest.

Victor knew that sentiment all too well. To hold a loved one so desperately and still feel her slip away from his fingers, leaving nothing but loneliness, no one to gather and mend the shards of his broken heart. But those days were over for Victor. And they were also over for Owen.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Victor smiled, wiping the tears from his boy’s cheek. “You belong with us.”

Before he was a father, Victor would scorn those romantic fools that told him about how deeply a parent can love his child. He simply found it impossible to be. He has never been loved that deeply, he couldn’t even fathom how that must feel like. But at that moment, with Owen's little arms wrapped around his neck, Victor’s heart felt like a deep wide ocean, filled with love and joyful selflessness, a complete devotion to that little red-haired boy. And a promise, no, a purpose to devote every single day of his life to his happiness.

“So I don’t need to go?” Owen asked, breaking his embrace.

“No, you don’t. You’re a Lee and that’s settled.”

Owen’s bedroom door flung open.

“Mom!” Owen left his father’s arms to run to his mother.

“Bug!” Andrea lifted him in her arms, giving him a tight hug. “I missed you so much, little one!”

“Where have you been?” Victor went to his wife.

“I did it.” She bit her bottom lip in excitement, putting their son down and reaching for her purse.

“And may I know what exactly did you do?”

“We won.” She smiled widely, handing Victor an envelope.

Victor read the document inside, not believing his own eyes. They had never contemplated it, it seemed so impossible…

“What is it, Dad?” Owen looked at both of them, excited. Victor lifted him up in the air with joy, twirling him in his arms.

“What we needed to officially make you a Lee.”

__________________________________________________________

Victor stood quietly at a hidden corner of the main hallway, talking on his phone. An oblivious passerby would think he was having a calm conversation, but I knew better: by the look in his eyes, Victor Lee was making some serious threats at that precise moment. Our legal team was reunited not far behind, deeply engaged in a quiet conversation, the panic very clear in the faces of some of them. Something had gone wrong. Something had gone terribly wrong. And my job was to sit quietly with Owen, trying to distract them the best I could from the gravity of the situation.

“One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war!” Owen chanted excitedly, as I tried my best to discreetly grasp what was happening. “Mom, are you paying attention?”

“Yes, Bug. Go ahead.” I answered distractedly as I noticed my husband look at his phone in silence, poker face in place.

“You may all come in.” The bailiff called us. “The judge has come to a deliberation.”

A bad feeling glued me to my seat, and for the life of me, my legs wouldn’t work. I looked at my son, the sweet five year old that meant the world to me, and I feared this would be the last time I would see them. I slapped myself mentally for being distracted looking at Victor and the lawyers, when I could just have enjoyed this last moment with him and played thumb wars.

“Owen, you come with me to the other room, alright?” The bailiff took his hand and I held his other one, unwilling to let go.

“Lady…” The bailiff pleaded.

Just one second, damn it! I may lose him forever, I just need this extra second!

“Owen…”

“Yes, Mom?” Sweet brown eyes stared at me expectantly.

I wanted to tell him I loved him, and that he would be an honorable man, and that someday I would love to know the kind of person he would grow up to be. I wanted to tell him that I would cry for him every single night, that he wasn’t born out of my mangled body but he was mine, that I would never forget about him, for as long as I should live. I wanted to tell him I would never adopt another child, that no child would ever take his place, and that my heart would belong to him forever. But I couldn’t. If he was going to be with his grandmother, I had to make things as easy as I possibly could for him. Even if they were impossibly hard for me. So, instead, I ruffled his hair.

“You did very well, with the judge.” I smiled. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks!” He smiled confidently. “I love you, Mom!”

As Owen walked away, holding the bailiff’s hand with a smile, a dark shadow ran across my line of vision. It was Victor, taking his son in his arms. And that was when I knew my suspicions weren’t unfounded: we were losing him.

I witnessed the sadness in Victor’s eyes as he smiled at his son, hugging him and tousling his red curls. And then the glint of despair, as his eyes landed on me, his expression telling me he was close to falling apart. I wouldn’t have to be strong just for Owen. I would have to be strong for Victor too. So I summoned the last of my strength and stood up. For better and for worse, we are in this together. I won’t let you fall, handsome.

We never said a word, as Victor took my hand and led me inside the courtroom. I didn’t know what had failed, and it wasn’t important. I took a shot and I missed. We wouldn’t win this one. I thought about the duffel bag in my car and regretted not putting one of Owen’s favorite books in there. He would need something to distract him tonight.

The judge entered the room, and while I could see the hesitant look on everyone’s faces, I couldn’t care less about it. I had no interest in hearing someone say I couldn’t be a mother, I already was. Even if a piece of paper said otherwise. Owen was my son.

“I have to say, this was one of the hardest decisions I had to make in my whole career.” The judge started her deliberation. “Dura lex sed lex. This means, the law is hard, but it is the law. The law speaks of rights and duties, it tells us in which direction to go, but the law does not contemplate feelings. The law does not abide by what makes us feel better. The law is impartial to love and to emotions. It is so by design, so we don’t let our hearts cloud our judgments. The law is correct, but that doesn’t exclude the fact that it can be very painful.”

The sound of heavy wooden doors opening abruptly echoed through the room, making us all jump in surprise. From them, one of our lawyers ran, stopping only in front of the judge.

“Your Honor, I apologize for my audacity towards this court.” The lawyer bowed. “But new evidence has arrived that cannot be ignored.” He handed her an envelope.

I looked at Victor, puzzled. Was it…

“Can you please explain to me and Mrs. Cole’s lawyer, what exactly am I looking at?” The judge opened the envelope.

“Mrs. Lee was able to track down the child’s biological father.” The lawyer explained. “She flew yesterday to Acomb and met him at the hospital where he is working as an intern doctor, and he granted her and Mr. Lee parental rights. We were just waiting for the lab to give us the DNA results.”

“And why am I getting this just now?”

“We couldn’t present the documents without being sure that Mr. Richardson was indeed Owen’s biological father.”

“Your Honor, this is highly inadequate! I contest this man’s right to give parental rights, he was never in the child’s life to begin with!” Pamela’s lawyer argued.

“Neither was your client, Counsellor.” The judge gave the lawyer a frown. “Well, it works for me.” The judge banged her hammer. “The Family Court decides that Mr. and Mrs. Lee will be granted full custody of the child Owen Cole, concluding the adoption process, effective immediately. Congratulations, you can get your son for the next room.”

Victor and I practically crashed against each other in a tight embrace, smiles mixed with tears, emotions running wild. We had won, we had our son. We were officially a family.

We entered the other room with joy in our hearts, laughing as Owen ran into our arms.

“I'm going home with you guys?”

“You are officially a Lee!” Victor laughed as he threw the boy in his arms.

“You adopted me? You are my forever family?” Owen teared up, reaching out to me so he could hug me as well.

“We are a family.” My throat tightened as I hugged the two men I loved the most in this world. “And we are forever.”

Victor pulled me close to them, wrapping both me and our son in a tight hug. And I couldn’t help but think back to our year, so full of adversity. Despite it all, we came through. We fought and found solace in one another. We became stronger and more united, we grew together, as a family, and we would continue to do so.

Love does conquer all.

Author's Note: This project has been going for a year now (it started in February 2020) and it won't be over any time soon, so I would like to ask you, as much as possible, for your support, because we still have a very long way to go. So, if you enjoy the work, don't forget to comment and reblog. It gives it traction and enables other people to learn about it, and for me to get more excited about what I do.

#victor mldd #mlqc victor #love and producer fanfic #li zeyan #Growing Pains - Series #growingtogether #victor x oc #mldd fanfic #dad victor

11 notes · View notes

gunmetal-ring · 3 years

Text

Stream of consciousness

They're rly turning this whole Stephanie Eugene thing into a middle school romantic comedy huh

Hahahahahaha shithead son

See this is why it would have been nice to fucking see the goddamn transition between Alexandria and commonwealth instead of jumping 1 month ahead. But I'm not bitter.

Aaron! Hi! Oo somethings on the dl

Oooooo Daryl "doesn't matter to us"

Oh that's so nice. Honoring deanna. So weird that she and Pamela knew of each other

Awwwwwww zekes getting surgery and he brought Jerry along for support!!! And omfg i keep forgetting about money being a thing "what about his bill" like jfc

Pamela kinda reminds me of Jane lynch in a way

Oh OK so oceanside still exists. Tbh it's kind of fucked up that they didn't help Alexandria when they were starving...? Unless I'm misunderstanding something?

God Lance is a dick. Wild to me that Pamela is completely incapable of killing walkers. Nice to see Daryl got his crossbow back. Also I just realized he's not wearing the armor. Why is everyone so dirty?

Omfg going on a hunt as networking what the actual literal fuck is wrong with these people. Jfc it is WILD how completely capitalistic these people are

Haaaaa calling pam out on her privilege. Nice.

Maggie's accent seems fainter for some reason

"Natural order" Uh nothing about the commonwealth is natural girlfriend that's literally the point

Oh zekes in a shitty apartment too. I hate that. Poor guy. I rly wonder if this is bc of the contention between mercer and zeke

Ha Carol is not subtle in the least "anything... come up?" HA he pieced it together!!!

I rly don't understand WHY there aren't more doctors and shit like it's been 10 years!!

Goddammit I fucking love carol

I am here for Maggie calling out Pamela like holy shit I love her

Alright maybe Pamela isn't totally useless I guess. Altho she definitely sees this as a clit measuring contest and Maggie's like "You go right ahead girl. I got nothing to prove"

Aw rosita and Eugene. Altho coco being so out of sight is making me nervous. Wow so Eugene doesn't trust rosita... interesting. If anything SHE shouldn't trust HIM since he's been all in since day 1

2 turkeys is more than they've had in weeks? What? It's been over a month since commonwealth showed up I thought they already met with them and got food?

HERSHEL JR YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Lil pumpkin head

Mercer is divulging... bonding... advising... ooo

Zeke doesn't like pineapple on pizza. Canceled. I won't hear a word about it. Perfect pizza is Hawaiian + red pepper flakes + parmesean cheese. Read my fic roots if you don't believe me.

Maggie's in over her head? Doubtful. Even before her whole revenge arc. Lance dissing hilltop... yikes. Tbf it is a bad idea breaking up before Alexandria is fully up and running to adequately provide for hilltop but whatever

Mm Lance is pulling on hershel jr... honestly I'd get it. Just for the medical assistance alone. Swarm incoming... yeah no shit you guys are shooting guns!!

Oh hell yeah mercer in close combat that's what I'm talkin about

What the FUCK this is gun safety 101 don't fucking shoot near people?! What the fuck?!?!? Mercer I thought you were better than that!!!

Maggie's pissed that daryls bought in... oohoohoooo

So Eugene essentially is in love with 2 women. What a weird scenario lol. I wish he would cut off that fucking braid jfc

Eugene... yeah... like you're a fuckin idiot. Sorry. I wish we could have SEEN some of those subtle cues in his and fake Stephanie's relationship there's the five hundreth demerit for Kang&Co for skipping the 1st month

OK so... the manuscript... wasn't a memoir? Goddamn she is so fuckin dorky jfc. They're both so. Fuckin. Dorky. I'm caught between cringing and smiling.

Uh oh Daryl hugged maggie!! Ship alert!! (Just kidding)

Diane is leaving. I'm sorry but like this is just not impactful. Aaron and Gracie would have been more impactful. Lydia would have been more impactful. Hell the oceanside girl would have been super duper impactful. Diane is basically a nonentity.

So Pamela doesn't encourage a work life balance. Why am I not surprised. She's like a less shitty Jeff bezos. Ok not that bad but still.

Lance I get that you feel like you have something to prove but guns are so passé and also a bad idea.

NEXT UP:

Kang are you FUCKING kidding me?! MORE people?! What the FUCK god fucking DAMMIT

You know what i am growing increasingly concerned that Daryl is going to kill Leah for the commonwealth. He's either forced to or has to in order to keep his cover or wants to protect them or something. If this happens I'm actually gonna be really angry.

A good episode. One of the better ones of this season. I don't have too many criticisms

#op #twd season 11 #twd s11 #twd spoilers #twd s11 spoilers #review

1 note · View note

claudiosuenaga · 3 years

Text

Who killed Jim Morrison? The mystery of the death of Lizard King and the conspiracy theories around it

Special Report: 50th anniversary of Jim Morrison’s death

On July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison died in the bathtub of this rented apartment on 17 Rue Beautreillis Paris, France 75004. On the night of his death, Morrison had been coughing badly after a night out drinking. He had gone to take a bath after accidentally snorting heroin that he thought was cocaine and vomited blood. Courson said that he appeared to recover and that she then went to sleep. When she awoke sometime later Morrison was unresponsive.

Holmes: "What do you think of my theory?" Watson: "It is all surmise." Holmes: "But at least it covers all the facts."

(Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs Of Sherlock Holmes)

It seems strange, but it’s easy to notice a huge amount of lies in all the stories about the death of Jim Morrison – stories told by those who were the real eye-witnesses of whatever happened. The lies are (or rather, were) being told by Pamela Courson (Morrison’s common-law wife) and Bill Siddons (then-manager of The Doors). What was the purpose of their lies? It’s obvious they were hiding something. What do I mean speaking of ‘lies’? First of all, there are just too many versions of the story about Jim taking a bath. According to Siddons, the idea to take a bath came from Jim himself; according to Pamela, it was her idea and she was the one to draw a hot tub; and describing the events to the police, she also said that Morrison threw up blood three times, and she had to give him a saucepan, and she had to empty and wash out the saucepan three times, but she doesn’t seem to remember that all the other times she tells the story to other people. It’s not very difficult to notice that all these versions sound different, which means that none of the above never actually took place, and Pam just couldn’t remember what exactly she was saying the previous time – possibly because she was taking too much drugs and alcohol. The ridiculous Siddons’ statement – of him not wishing to take a look at the body (allegedly because he “loved and honored Jim too much to want to see him dead”) – seems to be very curious, as well as the fact that the ceremony of the funeral – if you could call that a ceremony at all – was very simple (or, rather, secret) by the request of some mysterious “close friends of his” – of which only Pam in fact could be described as a close friend at all – so, it was Pam’s wish to bury her lover secretly and without service? It’s thought that there are a lot of mysteries surrounding the death of Jim Morrison. But in fact there’s nothing mysterious; once you picture the situation in a correct way, it becomes clear that there was no other way for the following events to happen. To get it correctly, first of all you should pay attention to the words which were said repeatedly by Pam and Siddons both during that period of time: that Jim had died “of natural causes”. Be it asthma, a heart attack, or a “sudden case of pneumonia” (and all these diseases aren’t related to each other in any way) – in fact, anything, if it could be described as a “natural cause”. Here’s an analogy: if a person has a lot of money with him, every once in a while he or she would check that it’s not missing by putting his or her hand in the pocket, etc. The situation’s nearly the same here, and the only difference is that we’re speaking about information, not about money. These people are trying to hide the truth, but psychological reasons make them touch the most important theme every once in a while: they say that Morrison didn’t just die, but insist that he died “of natural causes”. Why is it so important for them to underline this? The answer is as follows: Morrison’s death was violent. You can say – and so what? Why not say this to the public? In my opinion, there was a single very important reason for this. Once you suppose that the one who killed Jim was a relative – a son, most likely – of a then-very important and influential person in France, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit, and everything surrounding the death that seemed strange is now seen as not strange, but the only way the things could happen, logically. Of course, everything was made to cover up the crime – not only because of the love of this important person to his son, but also because he was very afraid of the negative influence the outrage (son of one of the most important people in France kills a rock star!) could cause to his political career. These two things explain all the following events: first of all, that it was a murder (not a death “of natural causes” or mysterious “disappearance”); secondly, it was made by a person who was powerful enough to try to hide everything from the public.

It should be added that most likely Jim was killed by one or two gunshots in the head. Only in this way the gunshots couldn’t be hidden under the clothes, so they had to keep him and bury him in a closed coffin. There were more shots than one – otherwise, they’d call it a suicide, and it’s unlikely there were more than two – or the possibility of Jim not dying immediately is too low (it's likely that one of the bullets only grazed his cheek, or ear, etc. without doing much damage). However, it could be a single gunshot but from such an angle that no one would believe it was a suicide. Also, if they were to present this version to the public, many people would have hear about it, an official expertise would have been made - and it would clearly show that the bullet was fired from such a distance that it couldn't be a suicide. I shall also mention that another and, perhaps, an even more likely version of the events could take place as well – Jim could have been simply beat to death. A large bruise on his chest, blood that dripped from his mouth and nose, as it was said by the doctor and the fire brigade, as well as an attempt to run out of his apartment that Jim’s neighbours from the opposite apartment mentioned – everything fits in perfectly. However, it makes de Breteuil and his friend (we’ll talk about them later) look even worse – in fact, it makes them look like absolute bastards, as well as Pam. If we suppose – and it’s a likely thing to suppose in this situation – that Jim’s face was badly damaged, the events that followed look natural and fit in with everything else.

Now we can see the way the events must have followed. Pam calls the fire department (perhaps, the first thing she could think of) and asks them to rescue Jim – that means she thought that he was wounded and there still is a chance to rescue him (the words she said to Alain Ronay when she called him to help her that morning also prove this: “Jim is unconscious, and he's bleeding. Can you call an ambulance for me? You know I can't speak French. Oh, please hurry…I think he may be dying.”). Then the police and a doctor arrive, and the most interesting things start to happen. Once the police realize who the murderer is, they inform his parent, and the case becomes secret, and they wait for the decision of those who have power – it’s obviously a political case. Of course there was no autopsy, as the reason of death was absolutely clear. The delay between Jim’s death and the funeral (according to the Christian tradition, Jim should have been buried on the third day of his death, i.e. on the fifth of July, but he was buried on the 7th) could be because of various bureaucratic delays. However, we can think of some other reason. The rumors of Jim’s death have leaked out anyway, and the reporters who tried to call Jim and Pam’s flat were told that Morrison was “not dead but very tired and resting in a hospital”. Maybe there’s truth in it – Jim was unconscious and he was taken to a hospital, where he died on the 5th (most likely under someone else’s name – he had no wide popularity in France and, according to his own words, no one recognized him in Paris) and was buried on the 7th – the third day after his death. Of course, no one could really say if he would die or not, hence the indefinable answers on the phone. At the time they were thinking of various descriptions of death or disappearance of Jim Morrison for the public. Moreover, I think that at the time the operation of covering up the truth about what really happened was up to the French special service. They intentionally launched the disinformation of Jim being not dead – just in case; Jim’s note (fake, I think) which read “Last words, last words, out” also came in handy – or perhaps, really written by Jim, but at a earlier time. There was one difficulty in the situation – they couldn’t bury Jim in an open coffin, or the gunshot wounds on his head would be easily seen, and they couldn’t tell it was a suicide as there were more shots than one.

In case the worst should have happened, they also thought of a version of Jim just disappearing mysteriously. The worst was if someway Jim’s relatives, someone from the American embassy or some other people who might ask to take a look at the body and who are difficult to make a deal with, would receive the information about Jim’s death, and the choice would be as follows: either let them see the corpse as it was, with gunshot wounds, or state that they simply have no body, that this person has disappeared and is likely to be alive, but they have no idea of his whereabouts. But none of these troubles happened, and they managed to make a deal with Pamela and Siddons (perhaps there was a reason to call, of all people, Siddons from America; he was very young (22 at the time) which made him even easier to make a deal with), who began to play the French special service’s game and help them in covering up the truth and hiding the events from the public; for example, Siddons stated that Pam was Morrison’s wife, which, as far as I’m concerned, wasn’t true but put her in the position where it was up to her to decide what to do with Jim’s body (by the way, in his will, written in 1969, Jim bequeathed everything he owned to Pamela, but, nevertheless, noted that he was unmarried and a resident of Los Angeles county, California – where, logically, he should had been buried. In her statement to the police Pam also declares herself “Mr. Morrison’s girlfriend”, and calls Jim her “boyfriend”, or simply “friend”. Moreover, answering the question about her boyfriend’s occupation, she says that he’s a “writer” (pay attention – not a singer, not a musician, not a band member, not even a poet).

Jim's will In his will, Jim states that he's unmarried and is a resident of Los Angeles county, California.

When asked if Pam was really Jim’s wife or not later, Siddons obviously can’t answer clearly and just plays with words. On Pamela’s side, in the death certificate (which she filled as late as the 7th of July) she called Jim in the form which was the most difficult to associate him with Jim Morrison of The Doors; Douglas Morrison. Moreover, this is the only thing written by Pam: all the rest is written by someone else (it’s easy to see that the handwritings are very different), including the name “James” written in small letters below. To make everything safer, even though it was known that Jim’s relationships with his family were terrible, they decided not to inform the family, so no one could ask to show them who’s lying inside the closed coffin. That’s also the reason no one informed other Doors’ members. Then Jim was buried on Pere Lachaise quietly and secretly. The cemetery was chosen not because anybody honored Jim so much, but rather because the famous cemetery is properly guarded, and no vandals could dig up the grave and look what’s inside the coffin. Also, there was no church service which certainly would have included an open coffin – after all, here’s a man who just died because of “natural causes” – and could attract some attention from other people who could just happen to be on the cemetery during that time. I’m not quite sure that the coffin wasn’t empty at all, though – to make it safer in case someone would attempt exhumation, – and Jim wasn’t buried in some other place. In this case, even if someone digs up the grave and the body’s not there, they could say it was stolen by Jim’s crazy fans or something. Who’s the mysterious murderer of Jim Morrison? From what Pam’s mother told we know that there was another person in the apartment that morning – it was Count Jean de Breteuil, Pam’s longtime lover, an aristocrat and a dope dealer. But I don’t think that the murderer was him – the murderer was someone who came to the apartment with him, one of the Count’s buddies and a much more important and influential person than the Count was. You can tell how very powerful in France was this murderer’s father, taking in account that the mentioned junkie of a Count would soon die OD’ing on heroin – the same thing happens with Pam some months later. You could say that it's been too many months before her death, but you should consider that it's quite difficult to solve such problems in the USA from France. It couldn't be explained by the needs of national security, so those who arranged this murder had to search for some other ways, hence they needed more time. Moreover, if the murder happened right after Jim's funeral, it could scare Siddons, so he could have started to tell the truth about what really happened in France in order to make his life safe. So in this case they would have needed to commit two murders, which would be very suspicious right after Morrison's death. I think that's the two reasons why they let Pam live for nearly 3 years. The most interesting thing about her death was the fact that, according to her friend James Riordan, “although Pam had been using heroin, she could not shoot herself up. She always had to have someone else do it. Whoever did it, they claim, knew he or she was injecting her with a lethal” – so you can definitely say Pam was killed. Naturally, there’s an obvious reason for killing de Breteuil and Pam – they both were junkies, and junkies can’t be trusted.

You could also ask, if quite a few people in France knew about it, why no one yet told anything about it? I think that the answer is obvious – they were in this together, so no one could tell about the others without the clear risk to be accused of a crime himself. After all, that wasn’t the first or the last of their crimes – politicians, policemen and medics do so many malfeasances during their career. Also, they were indifferent to Jim Morrison. For them, he was no idol but just a drunk and a junkie – one of many.

In brief, the events were most likely to happen this way: 1. Pam’s description of what they were doing with Jim that evening: walking, going to the cinema, etc. – are most likely to be true. But they came home not alone, or somebody came to them later. 2. There were four people in the apartment: Jim, Pam, Count de Breteuil and the fourth man who was the one to commit a murder. Possibly, there could be even more people, but these four are for sure. 3. A quarrel began around the morning. Considering the fact that the Count was Pamela’s lover, one can suppose that she was the reason for the quarrel. It’s also obvious that all the four were drunk and, possibly, high on drugs. It’s known that Morrison was a very reckless person who knew no fear. Also, the neighbors reported that around 3 AM there was something going on in Morrison’s apartment – a fight, possibly. 4. Defending himself or his friend, or perhaps just insulted by something, the fourth man shot a few times at Morrison. Most likely, there were two gunshot wounds in the head (possibly, one of the bullets only grazed his head and didn't cause any serious damage). If Morrison was wounded, for example, in the chest, there would be no need of a closed coffin; if there was only a single gunshot, they would say it was a suicide. However, a single gunshot is also possible, as it was likely to be from such an angle that no one would believe it was Morrison shooting himself; also, it was likely to be made from such a distance that it couldn't be a suicide, which would be easily noticed by experts, as an official expertise would have to be made in this case. If there were more gunshots than two, it’s unlikely that Morrison would need reanimation. It’s also possible that Jim was beat to death, and his face and head were damaged so badly that the injuries were impossible to hide without the closed coffin. 5. This fourth person was a close relative of one of the most important and powerful people in France. So, everything was done to hide the details of what really happened and make the public believe Jim’s death was due to “natural causes”. Obviously, the scandal which could be caused by this murder could seriously and negatively affect the political career of the said powerful relative. 6. Most likely, Morrison was yet alive. What Pamela said to Alain Ronay whom she called that morning also proves this, “Jim is unconscious, Alain… He's bleeding… Can you call an ambulance for me? You know I can't speak French. Oh, please hurry… I think he may be dying.” It doesn’t describe a person who just suffered a heart attack. He’s lying unconscious and bleeding – this obviously is a description of a heavily wounded person. 7. Most likely, Morrison was rushed to some private hospital. The police and the medics both knew who shot Morrison, so they did everything they could to try to hide this story from the public. Hence, it wasn’t announced about Morrison’s death – there was a possibility he’d stay alive. However, they needed live Morrison even less than dead Morrison, so he was doomed. Most likely, Jim was taken to a hospital before the powerful relative of his murderer was informed, otherwise that wouldn’t have happened at all. 8. Soon (most likely, on the 5th of July, 1971) Jim Morrison died. 9. The French police and, possibly, French special service did a job to make a deal with Pamela and The Doors’ manager Bill Siddons who arrived from USA. Were they given a bribe or intimidated (both, most likely), but they agreed to tell to the public a version of Morrison’s death which had nothing in common with the truth, and was made to cover up the crime. 10. According to Alain Ronay’s evidence, Pamela (which is to say, the people who told Pamela what to do) wanted to cremate Jim’s body and only gave up the idea because she learned that in such case an autopsy would be required, according to the French laws. This indicates that they wanted to get rid of Jim’s body as soon as possible. 11. Bill Siddons has stated that he never looked

inside the closed coffin and never even was curious why it was closed in the first place. But it’s clear, no matter if he looked inside the coffin or not, that he knew the real reason of Jim’s death. Why, then, couldn’t he lie that he saw Morrison’s body without any signs of violent death? He was afraid that the truth could become known in some way later, and he would be accused guilty of giving deliberately false evidence and helping in hiding a crime. 12. Jim’s relatives, friends and band members were not informed to avoid unnecessary problems. Someone of them could ask to take a look at the body – then it would be needed to involve them also in the conspiracy, which was clearly unwanted –it’s not likely that the conspiracy itself could still exist at all if too many people were involved. 13. Morrison was buried as secretly as possible. Prestigious Pere Lachaise was chosen as the cemetery for Jim, which is strange, as few people in Paris knew Morrison at all, and Morrison had no big popularity in France. Obviously, the choice was made because the cemetery is properly guarded – in case someone would try to dig up Jim’s grave (though it’s empty, most likely). 14. Even on the next day after the funeral, Jim’s death wasn’t announced yet. Bill Siddons made his statement right after he arrived from Paris, on the 9th of July. But he could easily set off from Paris right after the funeral, in the morning of the 7th, and arrive to the USA on the same day. What was he doing in Paris for so long? Why couldn’t he tell the news of Jim’s death on the telephone? Obviously, that was the time it took the French special service to complete their job with Siddons – so that he wouldn’t tell the truth even outside of France. 15. Behindhand, the “official version” of Jim Morrison’s death was made, and it’s full of ridiculous contradictions: 1. According to Pam, when she found Jim’s body in the bathtub, the water was cold already, and that was around 6.30 AM. According to the evidence of Dr. Vassille, Morrison died around 5 AM. However, the paramedics, who came to the apartment at exactly 9.24 AM, reported that the water in the bath was still “lukewarm”. 2. In every story about Jim’s death all the details are confused: when exactly did Jim and Pamela come home (from 1 to 2.30 AM); did they come home together or separately; who was the first one to awake – Morrison or Pamela; whose idea it was for Morrison to take a bath – Morrison’s or Pamela’s; did Jim throw up blood or not; was the bathroom door locked or not; Count de Breteuil was present or not; Morrison was buried on the 7th at 9 AM or 11 AM; Bill Siddons didn’t look inside the coffin on his own free will or because he arrived to the funeral so late that the coffin lid was already screwed down. 3. It’s very strange that Alain Ronay, who was present in the apartment after Pamela called him for such a long time, didn’t even bother to take a look at the body of, allegedly, his close friend – moreover, it was for the same reason Siddons didn’t look inside the coffin – because he didn’t want to see his friend dead. What a coincidence. 4. How was the hot bathtub with steam supposed to help Jim, who suffered from asthma (as it’s stated, for example, in the recent “official” book “The Doors by The Doors; with Ben Fong-Torres”, ISBN 1-4013-0303-X; it’s also stated in this book that Pam drew the hot bath to help Jim with his asthma)? The sultriness and steam, on the contrary, are likely to make the problems with asthma worse. 5. Bill Siddons repeatedly makes stress on Jim’s “respiratory problem”, as a proof that Jim died “of natural causes”. How is this problem connected with the heart failure – Jim’s official cause of death? 6. According to Bill Siddons’ words, Jim had complained of the said “respiratory problem” on “Saturday, the day of his death”. When could he manage to do it, if, according to the official version, he died as early as 5 AM? 7. In the death certificate, it’s written in capital letters: “DOUGLAS MORRISON”, and only

below, it’s added in small letters (and seems to be separate), “James”. It indicates that they tried to hide his name and true identity.

Death certificate You can see that Jim was listed as "DOUGLAS MORRISON" with a small "James" added below.

Police report The police report, signed by Pamela.

16. All these reports that contradict each other indicate that none of the described events actually took place, and the eye-witnesses are simply lying – that’s why their reports differ from each other, and that’s why they say different things in different times – they just cannot remember the way they lied before, because in reality that events didn’t take place. 17. The weakest links – junkies Pamela and Count de Breteuil – soon die of OD. In Pamela’s case it’s known that she didn’t shot herself, hence, it’s for sure she was killed. 18. The version about Jim being in fact alive and staging his death is successful in closing public’s eyes on the real reasons why Jim Morrison’s death is surrounded with mysteries.

#jim morrison #the doors #conspiracy theories

10 notes · View notes

sugasgrowl · 5 years

Text

The Positive [Prologue]

Hello all! I am finally back from the dead after literally writing this on a whim. My other wips are sobbing in Google docs rn. But alas, I’m starting my period and am emotional and soft for dad!bts. This is by no means a super original concept whatsoever, but I just *clenches fist* needed to write it. This is the beginning of a drabble series that I assume will show the OC and Tae go from estranged friends/a one night stand to parents. Basically, I just wanted an excuse to write Tae with kids. I have no idea how long this will end up being LMFAO.

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader

Genre: ?? Friends to lovers? Manwhore to upstanding father? Sorta smutty eventually? There will be angst

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, mentions of sex, Taehyung is a fuckboy but at least he owns it, Get it Sandra, mentions of hangovers

Word Count: 1513

+++

Your brain felt like mush. Like when you were a kid and twisted your swing up just to lift your feet off the ground and spin around and around and around and the world was tilting and swaying before your eyes. The sweltering heat of the soft bed you lay on made your mouth feel just as sweaty as underneath your tits.

In your barely-alive state, flashes of the night before flickered in your mind. A beautiful face catching in the glare of neon lights. Thumping bass rattling your lungs as you pressed your body against his. Deep kisses that took your breath away, tongues that slid against each other. A warm, eager mouth desperate to explore every inch of you. Burning, honey skin whose heat relaxed you more than the alcohol. And then...pleasure. Mind blowing, blinding white lights bursting behind your eyelids. A fullness you’d never felt before.

You really regretted drinking tequila last night.

Squirming out from under the heavy down comforter, cool air hit your face. The room around you was dreary gray from the pouring rain--piles of dirty clothes towering in the desk chair and on top of the dresser at the other side of the room barely visible in the overcast veil. Through the blurry grog of sleep, you, unfortunately, could make out the sight of multiple beer and Mountain Dew bottles, as well as an old greasy pizza box. A gaming chair and monitor. Anime posters adorned the walls. You already regretted the decision to choose dick over standards, but it’d just been so long.

The warm body beside you shifted with a throaty groan. You froze, praying to sweet angel baby Jesus that he wasn’t awake.

Taehyung. An old friend from college who never quite...left. Mentally, anyway. The two of you graduated years prior. Both of you felt the tickle of The Big Three-Oh breathing down your necks. Most of your friend group had moved on to have at least semi-decent Grown Up jobs, but somehow Tae was stuck in the same mindset he had when you were powering through classes with weak and tired prayers for graduating.

And somehow, four years later, you thought it would be a good idea to fuck him.

You took a deep breath and slowly, carefully eased out of bed to pull on your clothes. The movement made your lower half ache with memories of the night before. Despite throwing back shots like your life depended on it, you could still remember pretty much everything from the previous night. And what you remembered was...fantastic, to put it frankly. Not that you were surprised. Taehyung was a good lay, based on what you heard from most of the girls in your dorm back in the day.

Tugging your jeans up your legs, you decided that sleeping with your fuckboy friend was not the lowest or most shameful thing that had happened to you. You had been forced to move back home just a few months before, after you quite literally caught your ex in bed with another woman and left his ass in the dream city you’d both run off to to possibly start a life together. This was just a step to climb up from rock bottom.

“You’re not sneaking off, are you?” Taehyung’s deep voice made you jump.

Half closed, chocolate eyes pinned you to the spot. You wished he didn’t look so damn good. If he was less attractive, you’d be less likely to let this happen again in the future.

You sent him a small smile. “I...yeah, I gotta run. I’ve got a lot of work to do before Monday.”

He sat up on his elbow and ran a hand through his tousled, inky black locks. “You don’t have to leave yet, Y/N. You know that, right? We’re friends, we can get breakfast and catch up or something.”

You almost turned him down when you realized the nearest bus station going to the club where the two of you met, where you left your car, was a solid sixteen blocks away. It was raining out, and you had no umbrella. Not to mention, your monster of a debilitating hangover craved food.

Tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, you nodded and sent him a polite smile. “That would be nice, actually. Thanks.”

He drove you to a diner down the street where the food smelled like old grease and thin wallets, and on top of that, there was the lingering aroma of cigarettes despite the no smoking signs plastered and faded all over the smudged glass door. The waitress, Sandra, looked to be about forty. Maybe forty-five. Hell, maybe even fifty. Her pencil thin Pamela Anderson eyebrows and premature aging said that her glory days died in the early 2000s.

When she came over to take your order, her voice croaked with decades of smoking. Her exhausted expression lightened when she spoke to Taehyung. “G’morning, sweetie. You look handsome as ever this morning.”

His boxy grin lit up the sagging establishment. “Not as beautiful as you, Sandra. Busy shift?”

“Eh. It was busier around four.” She gave you a quick glance and winked at Taehyung. “Your usual Morning After order?”

He flushed to his hairline and avoided your eyes. “I….um….yeah, thanks.”

Her dark eyes fell on you. “And for you?”

“I’ll take a Morning After order as well.”

As she walked away, you slowly turned to raise your eyebrows at the beet red man across the table from you.

“Listen…”

“Still getting around then, eh?” you teased. You propped your chin in your hand. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

He gave you the finger as Sandra placed cocoas in front of you both. You bit back a snort. He never could drink coffee, even when he was half dead after pulling all nighters--which was rare.

“I’m living my best life. I don’t need your criticism and stank attitude,” he grumbled before taking a sip from the steaming mug. “I’m balls deep in good pussy. You’re just jealous.”

“Of all your pussies?”

“I haven’t seen you in two and a half years, I don’t know your preferences.” His gaze was warm and lingered as you blew the steam from your mug. “What have you been up to? I never expected to see you around here again. I thought you were some hotshot ballbusting editor off in picture perfect Fairyland or something. What happened to Mark?”

Your expression soured. His name made the cocoa taste spoiled. Lowering the drink to the sticky tabletop, you shrugged. “I’m still a hotshot ballbuster. Just…a single one.”

“Yeah, single enough to fuck me,” he sent a pointed look. “What’d he do to send you my way? I never expected you to ask to meet up like this.”

It seemed there was no escaping the questions. You took a deep breath. “Caught him in bed with someone else.”

He crinkled his nose and shook his head in disappointment. “How cliche. What an ass.”

He took offense to the quirk of your brow. “I may be a manwhore, but I’d never cheat. I just don’t commit at all.”

“How considerate of you.”

The food was surprisingly good, considering how questionable the diner looked. Maybe it was just your hangover talking, but you couldn’t complain. Especially when Taehyung offered to pay.

You started to protest, but Taehyung waved you off and placed a twenty on the table with a devilish smile. “Don’t worry about it. In honor of your sorrows.”

He paused.

“Plus, I get discounts.”

“Do I want to know how you managed that?”

His smile widened. “Sandra and I have a special bond.”

You blanched, lowering your voice to a hiss. “My god, you’re disgusting. Do you even have standards?!”

“Hey! Sandra is a lovely lady!” he hissed back, sliding out of the booth. He looked over his shoulder with waggling eyebrows. “Besides, you called me last night. I could ask you the same question.”

You hated that he was right, and you hated yourself for calling him up. As charming and undeniably sexy as he was, you suddenly had the urge to fly to the nearest doctor’s office and get tested for every STI known to man. You thought back to your abandoned tinder profile and imagined the upstanding manwhore you could’ve found that at least had a baseline standard for the hoes he pulled.

When Taehyung drove you back to the club to get your car, an awkward silence fell over the two of you. His run down death trap of a Buick Lesabre slowed to a halt, brakes squeaking mildly.

He cleared his throat. “Well. This was fun.”

You let out a tense half chuckle. “For sure.”

As you opened your door to leave, he called out to you.

“Feel free to call me again sometime. We don’t have to wait two and a half years to see each other again.”

You nodded and plastered a smile on your face. But deep down, you vowed never to call him again. At least, not for this. And not for a long, long time. All you wanted was a nap and to put this moment of weakness behind you.

#bts fanfic #taehyung fic #dad!taehyung #bts smut #taehyung smut #bts angst

155 notes · View notes

curious-minx · 4 years

Text

A ranking of four 200 Hundredth Episodes: Bob’s Burgers’ recent victory lap stands above the rest

The Bicentennial. How many among us get to be a part of something that get’s broadcasted for over 200 episodes? In the world of animated sitcoms it is a small, Fox dominated burrow. Bob’s Burgers is the latest series to become bestowed with this particular honor, and is possibly the best of the Fox line-up to do so. Family Guy’s 200th episode, Season 11 - Episode 12, is the only Fox series to be given a full blown on-air anniversary treatment. The episode is a Valentine themed Brian and Stewie lark and like all of the other entries on this list celebrates it’s 200th episode anniversary in a more casual, blithe fashion. Family Guy is the only show Fox has bothered to air an entire half hour special, but months before the actual airing of the 200th episode in Februrary. I am deliberately skipping over Family Guy and South Park’s 200th episodes. In the former’s stead I chose to watch American Dad’s 200th episode, because McFarlane is such a titan in adult animation that deserves recognition. The South Park episode is too exhausting for me to get into. South Park’s 200th episode, Season 14 - Episode 05, is the one that evoked the wraith of a New York based Radical Muslim organization that would soon be “shut down” (i.e. members arrested) a few months after the episode aired on April, 2010. The 200th episodes of South Park and the Simpsons are the only two series to have received Emmy nominations, and in Simpsons case a win, due to their 200th episodes. Here’s hoping for Bob’s Burgers to get a similar recognition, because I think its 200th episode is pretty special and straight to the point.

///

1.) Bob’s Burgers - “Bob Belcher and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Kids”

Out of all the 200 episodes is episode the most consciously in conversation with itself. The 200th episode has been treated with a reasonable amount of respect with The A.V. Club bringing their Bob’s Burgers coverage out of retirement and Variety and Salon also got into the mix. Gotta be honest a part of me over at The Curious Minx would prefer if the Bob’s Burgers recap lane was kept on the narrower side, but on the other hand this is a fabulous series that should be written about by as many different publications.

In a recent tired and routine zoom Variety interview (https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/bobs-burgers-remote-recording-200th-episode-1234830796/) BB’s creator Loren Bouchard touches upon how this 200th episode is supposed to serve as something of a pilot. An episode so fully realized that even if you are someone with no active bank of knowledge about the Bob’s Burgers minutiae of the Belcher family dynamics and still enjoy this episode as much as a full blown series fan. The episode is written by Steven Davis, a producer and writer with an extensive amount of episode writing and producing credits on Bob’s Burgers. The quality of a Bob’s Burgers script in the pandemic era is becoming more relevant, because of the diminished role of improv, and this episode definitely feels crafted by a creative team fully in touch and aware of their characters and how to put them in satisfying situations.

Compared to any of the other animated sitcom families, the Belchers are noticeably the more lower middle class. There is a pervading sense of an overall struggle for survival and prosperity that is cooked right into the series pilot debut. Season 1 - Episode 01 “Human Flesh” sets the tone of the series, despite the overall writing and characters being sharper, the stakes have not changed much. Bob’s Burger’s like any American restaurant not under the protective aegis of a Big Franchise is in a state of perpetual turmoil. In the pilot episode the difficulties of running a standard American restaurant are made even more complicated by dysfunctional family hijinks.

The 200th episode differs from the pilot in one dramatic way and that is the presence of the extended Belcher family member Teddy. In the original pilot Teddy is completely absent, whereas in the 200th episode Teddy’s role as surrogate family member is made even most distinct by having Teddy being invested above and beyond in helping save his pal’s Bobby’s restaurant. The return of the ornery and quirky Health Inspectors Ron and Hugo are serving as the most obvious form of echoing of the pilot. I highly recommend rewatching the pilot after viewing this episode, because I had completely forgotten that the Belcher’s saving grace is that Hugo and Linda were once in a relationship together. The pilot is noticably very contained setting wise, focusing exclusively in and around the Belcher family restaurant. Whereas, the 200th episode explores more settings with the Belcher children going across town to find a replacement for Bob’s broken oven part, an oven that they feel they are entirely to blame for destroying. A couple of celebrity guests Stephanie Beatriz and SNL’s Kyle Mooney that true to Bob’s Burgers spirits are usually just playing characters of little to no consequence. Unlike the other Fox family in this list that really leans in on having celebrities playing themselves, the best celebrity guest appearances on Bob’s Burgers tend to be the most anonymous, and Kyle Mooney’s put upon hardware store clerk is a great example of this.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t dwell on the satisfying Linda contribution of the episode. Linda makes the critical set piece that ignites the restaurant fire. Linda’s gnarly mermaid sculpture is a great visual metaphor for the series. Especially when the Mermaid Statue is used to build up a very well constructed song-based gag. The whole episode made me feel really good about the state of the series and especially the Movie (And Loren Bouchard backs this up by giving interviewers the impression that the film’s delay has only improved its quality). As far as 200 episodes of long running animated sitcoms go, you certainly can’t go wrong with this one!

////

2. King of the Hill - Hank’s Bully

By all accounts the most unremarkable episode on this list. An episode that also has a trollish spirit that gets a sadistic glee in tormenting the fuddy duddy Hill patriarch. This is the also the 200th episode with the lowest stakes, the least of a spectacle, and most unassuming 200th episode. While trying to research anything of note to include in my review of the episode all I could find was this reddit post (https://www.reddit.com/r/KingOfTheHill/comments/bpl235/hanks_bully_was_near_impossible_to_watch/) where a user is criticizing the way in which Hank it mistreated. When I was rewatching this episode my partner also found this episode hard to watch and sympathized with Hank’s plight against a Clifford-like malicious imp of a hateful child who’s sole purpose is to make the lives of everyone else around him more difficult.

To me what most stands out about this episode is the fantastic direction by longtime King of the Hill animator, former Bob’s Burgers animator, and current Rick and Morty director, Kyoung Hee Lim. A seemingly badass woman working in a field that is not particularly kind to women or to women of color. I am pretty shocked that no one in all of her years as a director on some pretty important shows has brought her up or did an interview piece on her. Maybe this is something the good folks at The Curious Minx can aspire to? I am definitely going to be taking a further dive into the 22 episodes of King of the Hill that she directed and revisit the 15 episodes of Bob’s Burgers to see if I can discern what makes a Kyoung Hee Lim episode.

One major ploy detail that I noticed in this episode, a detail that is also oddly prevalent on the other two 200th episodes, is the trash talk. And by that I do mean literal trash talk. The B-plot of this episode is what makes the episode pop for me in that the pairing of Dale and Peggy is a really successful one. The episode finds Dale frustrated with the Arlington Waste department and how they won’t take his refrigerator full of dead squirrels and his freeze full of dead crow. Dale then takes advantage of this dead blessing in disguise by getting into the world of competitive taxidermy with Peggy’s creative eye complimenting Dale’s gruesome technical prowess. Both of these characters operate on such an oddly similar wave lengths that watching the two of them embark on a taxidermy journey together was strangely touching and fun to watch. And I am a vegan that feels weird about killing animals in video games, but the ending visual gag of the episode is especially inspired. My one complaint is that the episode is severely lacking in Bobby Hill. Probably because I just recently finished watching Better Things and basically want every show to be the Pamela Adlon show all the time.

/////

3.) American Dad - “The Two Hundred”

Visually and conceptually this 200th episode really impressed me. As previously mentioned at the start of the post, I am not someone that is particularly warm to the McFarlane brand of comedy, but American Dad really is where he saves his best work for. This 200th episode got the complete opposite treatment of Family Guy. Airing on a Monday night on TBS this episode was pretty much given a shrug, but that does not tamper down any of its ambitions. The whole episode is basically a pastiche of Apocalyptic Dystopian alternative timeline tropes centering around an alone and traumatized by his past Stan. The episode has one of the most clever ongoing visual gags I have seen on a show where flash backs are teed up by Stan’s ridiculous new post apocalyptic tattoos. The core family and ancillary characters of American Dad are all given terrific moments to shine in this heightened post apocalyptic hellscape, and the key to any enduring series success if whether or not you can tell that the creatives involved respect and enjoy the characters that they are writing for. This being a McFarlane project there are a couple of embarrassing lines of dialogue from the show’s respective gay and Black characters and an over indulgence on Rodger based humor, but overall this 200th episode left me with more appreciation for this series as a whole. I will still always make sure to appreciate whenever a long running creative property takes stylistic swings and risks.While there is nothing particularly fresh or novel about a cannibal laden post apocalyptic wasteland this 200th episode managed to find some find fun character beats to subvert tropes or double down on them. The visual of a consistently on the move runaway train that is also mysteriously always on fire was also especially well executed. This episode could easily have been a series finale if the series hadn’t already played around with alternative timelines like in their Christmas specials.

This episode also features more trash talk! One of Stan’s tattooed regrets revolves around Francine failing to get the trash picked up on trash day because Stan had purposely neglected to take it out. This rather odd pattern is about to make a whole lot of sense with the fourth and my least favorite 200th episode by the Simpsons.

////

4.) The Simpsons - Trash of the Titans

How many more times can I impress upon you that the 200th episode of your animated sitcom is an an occasion for trash talk? One more time. This 200th episode of The Simpsons is by far the most trash centric 200th episode of them all. The first animated adult sitcom to get over the 200th episode hump, the 200th episode “Trash of the Titans” has some fun real-world trivia attached to it, but other than that this is one of the lesser “Golden Era” Simpsons offerings by a long shot.

My primary source on contention with the episode lies in the direction Homer takes in most of the episode. A 2016 Uproxx (https://uproxx.com/media/simpsons-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/) article gained traction and a Wikipedia citation by comparing Homer’s antics to that of possible former rising Dictator Donald Trump. The episode involves Homer acting at his absolute most abhorrent in an election to boot, and his behavior in this episode is some of the most irredeemable Homer has ever been. The article oddly neglects to make note of the fact that Homer in this episode also makes similar slights against Mexico, referring it to an inherently “dirtier” country. The episode ends on a truly groan inducing aged as fine as old socks in the cheese drawer with a crying Native American gag. Ah 1998 when we could pretend that the Crying Native American commercial was just silly social commentary and not racial minstrelsy.

There is also one other instance that didn’t sit well with me and that’s when Homer is seen physically assaulting a woman working the booth at a U2 concert. I could handle the bullish descent into crooked politician, but watching Homer violently push a woman out of the way felt out of place. A retread of all the growth and development we’ve seen him go through over the course of 200 episodes. Of the other three patriarchs discussed on this list a Homer Simpson centric plot tend to not work as well for me especially if you compare him to the other animated TV fathers.

The episode also features two celebrity guest spots. One made by Steve Martin who does a good job becoming more or less unrecognizable as the original Springfield Sanitation Commissioner Ray Patterson. The other celebrity guest appearance is more of an ill-portent of signs to come with U2 playing themselves. Whenever a celebrity is playing themselves on The Simpsons it usually does not work out. Not everyone can be used to advance a plot as seamlessly as Barry White. Although it is funny, funny in a “oh, we were so much simpler” sort of way that this episode garnered controversy and a ban on UK television over U2 and Mister Burns’ use of the word, “wanker.” Flash forward to 2009 and Bono is once again throwing around his favorite cheeky pejorative this time in reference to fellow earnest bland frontman Chris Martin (https://www.music-news.com/news/UK/24741/Read).

Resting Wanker Face

The other fun factoid about this episode once again is not related to the show, but the show’s influence spilling out into the real world. In the late 80s and throughout the 90s, Adams Mine was an abandoned pit located somewhere in Ontario situated in a term I’m learning for the first time, the “Canadian Shield.” An exactly similar proposal is made by Homer Simpson during his reign of Sanitation Commissioner. This sweeping of trash under the rug does culminate into a satisfying visual gag as a climax that feels like a Garbage Pail Kid/Toxic Avenger version of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. More bizarrely and unfortunate, this episode also aired a week after the passing of Linda McCartney. How messed up is that? Couldn’t they just have waited at the end of the season or at least on an episode that doesn’t involve wallowing in filth?

The episode features another developing bad habit in terms of the inclusion of songs and song parodies. There is virtually no connection to Willy Wonka in this episode other than the fact that both “Candy Man” and “Trash Man” have share a similar pronoun. Unlike the use of songs in Bob’s Burgers where they tend to be unique to the character’s reaction to dramatic consequence, on the Simpsons it’s more often than not a a song for the sake of a song. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but why not go for a joke about parodying real musical trash titans, The Cramps, or even trash up a U2 song? On the episode’s Wikipedia entry in the Production section Matt Groening is quoted to saying that the visual gag of a department store sporting the slogan, “Over a Century Without a Slogan,” wasted a lot of man hours. So much effort and reach for a joke with a fraction of a minimal of pay off is essentially the Simpsons ethos in one visual gag.

Once again, it bears repeating that this episode is also rewarded for an Emmy. If you break down the episode as starting off as a satire of Holiday Commercialism with the creation of the cynical Love Day holiday and ending the episode as a foreboding parable about the very real ecological repercussions of improper waste management. This clearly sounds like classic Simpsons reverse engineering management. Instead this is a classic case of an episode of the Simpsons being more interesting to think about than it is to actually watch. This is also the 200th episode that least honors its central cast of characters. Marge and Lisa are both afforded meager moments of wisdom and decency, but Bart is more or less even more irrelevant to the plot than Bobby Hill was on his 200th episode.

As for today it seems like the only Simpsons anniversary that will likely rouse any more attention it’s way will be the 1,000th episode.. Think how much more trash we as a collective species will have made by the time that milestone roils around!

////

In Conclusion:

When you start to make 200 episodes of anything the one feeling that seems to creep up is one of, “taking out the trash,” or you’re making art out of trash. Trash being a metaphor for the entire medium of Television. The TV market is an ever growing landfill, one of America’s Rapiest Dads made a whole cartoon about kids living and learning life lessons in a junk yard. So much of Television is only a means of mass marketing ground up pieces of detritus. Then you’re supposed to be grateful that your detritus gets to be a bumper for advertisements and the occasional merchandising. You’re an adult, you’re not supposed to take cartoons seriously. They are empty calories, brain noise, and at best background noise. Yet they are the only types of shows that can consistently manage to get over well over the 200 episode mark. At least back before the Netflix business model of show’s only deserving 1.5 seasons.

Bob’s Burgers is reaching its 200th episode in an unfathomable media landscape, one that is completely demolished and in the process of being rebuilt from the aftermath of the coronavirus. The 2020s could be a turning point for animation going forward, animation is a severely grueling and technically difficult sector. This newfound interest in the medium may finally be the financial boost and support that it dearly needs in order to properly pay artists for their work. The creators of these series may not think of what they do as art and to keep themselves afloat have to think of the act of bringing an animated sitcom into the world as necessary as taking out the trash. Our trash is a mirror. Inside the landfill we see our own morals and values reflected right back at us. Bringing forth life means a lot of shit. With every year you keep an infant human alive that means (x) amount of disposable diapers piled up. I suggest we make like the Belcher children and try to salvage our trash, put a wig on our trash, put a crop top on our trash, paint some lashes on your trash, because we’re all in the end up going to be put into the ground (beef).

#Bob's Burgers #The Simpsons #American Dad #King Of the Hill #TV #TV Review #TV Series #Animation #Cartoon #Anniversary #200

3 notes · View notes

four-loose-screws · 4 years

Text

FE4 Suzuki Novelization Translation - Chapter 8 Part 3

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations - Ko-fi

———————————

Chapter 8 - The Birth of the Second Generation

Part 3

That night, Sigurd’s army held a strategy meeting at Sailane Castle - though it was more a discussion of the details of Oifey’s plans than a proper strategy meeting.

“We need to claim a decisive victory as quickly as possible, as it’s likely that the Zaxonian Army is also marching towards us right now. They also may have Grannvalian reinforcements bolstering their numbers. At least, that’s what I would arrange if I was their tactician. Those factors will make them a tough fight for the Silessian defense unit. We’ll need to conquer Torve as soon as possible to be able to support Silesse.

“To do so, we should first, of course, leave here and intercept the Torvian Army. I predict we will clash with them in the forest around the village northeast of here. Erinys reported that she only saw mages, but they may deploy pegasus knights in the morning as well. They can fly over water, so I think they may attack the castle directly, meaning we’ll need to leave a solid defense unit here.”

Everyone agreed to his plan, and after they decided who would be in the offense unit and who would be in the defense unit, the meeting was adjourned.

The next day, after breakfast, the offense unit left the castle and marched northeast.

They reached the forest just before noon, and saw a pillar of smoke in the distance.

“They’re pillaging one of the villages! Let’s hurry, everyone!”

At Sigurd’s order, the cavalry unit galloped through the forest at full speed towards the village.

But the wind mages were hiding throughout the trees.

Horses had terrible mobility in forests, so they had to stay put and fight close range.

The enemies’ wind magic was powerful, but Claud’s healing magic covered a wide area, so they were able to fight safely.

Sigurd saw that they weren’t utilizing any effective battle formations, and ordered, “Don’t fight one-on-one! Fight in groups of two or three!”

That strategy proved effective, and they were able to pick off the mages one at a time.

When there were a only a few mages left, the pegasus knights arrived.

And leading them was Deetvar, one of the four pegasus knights.

Maios had ordered her to cause chaos among Sigurd’s army. The goal had been to utilize the pegasus’ advantage of flight, and fly above the sea to assault Sigurd’s army from the rear.

But Sigurd’s army had advanced further than they’d predicted, and when Deetvar saw how much her allies were struggling, she decided to join the fight head-on. “Everyone! Attack the enemies below us!”

At Deetvar’s orders, the pegasus knights began to divebomb Sigurd’s army.

But against Sigurd’s army, who’d infantry unit had caught up to the cavalry at this point, the pegasus knights were like pebbles falling on their heads, and Deetvar’s unit suffered total defeat. Jamke and Brigid contributed the most to their victory, as arrows were particularly lethal against pegasus knights.

The pegasus knights slowly began to drop out of the air.

Deetvar turned towards Sigurd’s archers, and charged towards them. “Die!” She screamed, but her sword just barely missed its mark. Her pegasus tried to fly upwards, but couldn’t make it in time, and took a direct hit from one of Jamke’s arrows.

“Move, everyone! Full speed towards Torve Castle!!” Sigurd yelled.

The cavalry made it through the forest, and traveled quickly down a wide town road.

The enemies they faced along the way proved to be no challenge, and they stopped when they knew they could make it to Torve Castle by afternoon the next day. However, the bridge above the Torve River was raised.

They had no chance but to camp in front of the river.

Dew caught up to them that night.

Dew approached Noish and asked, “What’s the matter? It’s still light out! How can ya be done fightin’ already?”

“Take a good look at the bridge. We’re stuck here.”

“Whoa, it is out! But we ain’t stuck. It’s just been raised!”

“Whatever! It’s all the same to us. We can’t get across either way.”

“Yeah, ya can!! You can operate this kinda drawbridge from both sides!”

“Are you telling me you can lower it?”

“Yeah, ‘proly!”

“Alright then, let’s go talk to Lord Sigurd.”

Sigurd listened to Dew’s explanation, then gathered the cavalry unit in front of the bridge.

“Dismount from your horses, everyone! Don’t line up! We don’t want to send any signs of battle to our enemies! Then scatter your horses, so they all point in different directions!”

Dew walked up to the bridge, looked for the lever, and found a box on one of the support posts. It was locked, but opening the lock was easy work for him. Inside, he found the lever he was looking for.

He turned around and waved his arms in the air to signal to Sigurd.

Sigurd gave him the signal to lower the bridge, then turned to face the cavalry unit. “Now, everyone! Mount your horses, and charge!”

Once they were all ready to cross, Dew yanked on the lever.

With a loud creak, the bridge started to lower.

The moment it was down, Sigurd led the charge, with the cavalier unit right behind him.

The enemy had been so careless, that they hadn’t even lowered the castle gate.

Sigurd broke through the vanguard and rushed into the castle.

Maios had only just gotten on his armor and run out to the courtyard when Sigurd attacked and killed him with one swing of his silver sword.

Later, the village elder learned of what happened and approached Sigurd to thank him.

The elder explained that Maios had increased taxes considerably to maintain and strengthen his army.

“The villagers are so happy to hear he’s gone! We’re sorry to ask for more from you, but would you consider redistributing the tax money to the people who paid it?”

“I understand what you’re asking, but we’re from a foreign country, so we don’t have the right to decide how your tax money is used. For now, return the tax rate to what it was originally. I’ll discuss the issue with Queen Rahna next time I see her. She should be able to reach a conclusion for you.”

“Thank you! We trust that Queen Rahna would never be anything like Maios was! She’s the only person the citizens of Silesse could ever trust!”

“Really? Then it’s settled. I’ll leave this town entirely in your care until Queen Rahna orders otherwise.”

“Understood. We cannot thank you enough for your service. At the very least, we’d like to have a welcome party for you tonight.”

“We are very happy to accept your offer, but we must leave early in the morning, so please make sure no one drinks too much.”

The next morning, Sigurd left a defense unit, comprised mostly of archers, to guard the village, then left Torve Castle.

ー

Maios and Dakkar had agreed to both attack at the same time.

However, Dakkar held off his attack on purpose. He knew how strong Sigurd’s army was, and decided to base his movements on the results of Sigurd’s battle with the Torvian Army.

When his reconnaissance pegasus knight informed him that Torve Castle had fallen, he knew it was time to strike.

‘If I attack Silesse Castle now, reinforcements from Sigurd’s army won’t arrive in time. Once I conquer the castle, I’ll fight together with the Grannvalian Army to destroy Sigurd’s army, then all of Silesse will be mine!’

Dakkar ordered another of the Four Angelic Knights, Pamela's, unit to deploy, and join the rear guard of the Grannvalian arch knights, who had just arrived.

Leading the arch knights was Duke Ring's son, Andorey.

The moment he'd been informed of Prince Kurt's assasination, he'd immediately begged Reptor to spare his life. Greedy and cowardly, Andorey's personality was the complete opposite of Duke Ring's.

Reptor looked at Andorey, trembling in fear that he might be treated guilty of the same crime as his father, and thought of a way to use him. 'He may not be strong, but at the very least, he'll probably do whatever I say.'

In exchange for being allowed to inherit the title of Duke of Jungby, Andorey swore his undying loyalty to Reptor.

Reptor's first order for Andorey was to go to Zackson Castle and aid Dakkar in conquering Silesse Castle.

The moment Dakkar saw Andorey's unit, he was rather impressed.

"Amazing, simply amazing… so this is the power of Jungby's arch knights."

Andorey beamed at the praise.

"So long as the Beige Ritter is mine, even the Silessian pegasus knights will fear me! Or at the very least, I have no reason to fear them." He said, feeling as though the arch knights were his very own power. The thought made him feel much better about his situation.

When Mahnya and received the news that the that pegasus knights from Zackson were coming, she went to Queen Rahna, and announced that she planned to leave to fight them straight away.

“So Duke Dakkar is finally showing his true colors, is he? Pamela is a force to be reckoned with. Please fight carefully.”

“Yes, she certainly should not be underestimated. But I am also one of Silesse’s Four Angelic Knights. I will fight honorably.”

“I’m sorry, Mahnya. I know how you feel… yet I…” Rahna had thought countless times about what if Lewyn and Mahnya married. She started to bring it up, but felt that it was not the time and place to do so, and kept silent about it.

“Queen Rahna, the only way of life I know is that of a knight. ...Try not to worry about that. Now… please excuse me.”

When Pamela saw Mahnya’s unit headed for hers, she gave the signal for her soldiers to lower their altitude. While it was more advantageous for pegasus knights to fight high in the skies, her plan was to bait Mahnya’s unit into the arch knights’ range.

‘What a fool! She knew full well that she would die if she came before me, yet she’s still keeping her loyalty to the queen. Well then, I’ll kill her and take her spot at the top of the Four Angelic Knights! Don’t have any hard feelings about it, Mahnya!’

Mahnya watched Pamela’s unit dive lower in the sky, and decided it was a golden opportunity. She signaled with her right hand to attack, and led her unit in descending.

She attacked a passing enemy pegasus knight along the way. One of the pegasus' wings flapped wildly, then both mount and rider plummeted towards the ground.

'She… was once one of my friends…' She thought, but only for a moment.

Mahnya's unit was still much higher in the air, so the fight was in their favor.

However, it only lasted for a moment. Andorey and the Beige Ritter arrived soon after. They aimed for Mahnya's unit, and shot arrows one after the other into the sky.

Mahnya's unit had their full attention on fighting the pegasus knights, leaving them no chance to dodge the arrows.

Andorey watched the pegasus knights fall out of the sky, and laughed in amusement. "Gah ha ha ha! Oh, how they fall! It's like catching bugs!"

Mahnya searched through the skies for Pamela.

Now that her unit's numbers were at the disadvantage, Mahnya thought to decide things one-on-one. However, when she turned to face Pamela, her pegasus' neck snapped backwards, and shook in the air. Mahnya gasped and pulled the reins, but felt herself begin to fall only a moment later.

'Dammit, was I hit from below?'

Her life flashed before her eyes.

'Ah… Prince Lewyn… please take care… of Erinys…'

The view of the ground beneath her got larger and larger at a terrifying speed.

#fire emblem #fe #fe4 #genealogy of the holy war #nintendo #snes #super nintendo

5 notes · View notes

orionsangel86 · 6 years

Text

Rocky’s Bar - “The Dream”

In my Pamela meta I wrote about how Dean’s actual wants and desires are things that he views are completely unattainable to him, even in a dream, and therefore the bar is the next best thing. I want to build on that point more and tie it in to my Pamela meta, because this bar, this dream scene, it was EVERYTHING.

On my first watch I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Dean, that this bar is his supposed happy place. That this is his “dream” life. But then when Sam and Cas are searching in the dark of Dean’s mind Cas says something that clued me in. He says “contentment”.

We need to discuss the difference between contentment and happiness, because they often get confused. Contentment isn’t a negative thing, but when you apply it to a season driven by want and desire, it’s the opposite of moving forward.

Being content means not having any desire or want for anything more than you currently have. It means being happy with your lot. Which is fine, but in this particular case, in Dean’s case, this is actually really sad.

In Rocky’s bar, Dean has created his own prison (or it was created for him by Michael - we don’t ever actually find out.) He has surrounded himself with memories and mementos from his real life, which hint to all the things he is currently missing out on. Lets take a look:

The name “Rocky” from Rocky and Bullwinkle plus the taxidermy squirrel both represent Dean himself. It could also be a way of honoring Crowley who coined the name for the brothers.

Where there is a squirrel there must be a moose, and Sam is in pride of place up on the wall.

The Impala also has a place of honour on the wall, with it’s original license plate on display.

Death is also given a place. This reminds me of the Tiki bar where Dean killed Death, and it clearly is significant in his mind. It could also be placed here due to Dean’s continuous death and reincarnation.

The cowboy and cowgirl from 13x06 are also lurking in the background, a call back to a time when Dean truly was at his happiest that we’ve seen him for a while. Interestingly these only ever come into shot once Sam and Cas arrive, signifying a rise in Dean’s happiness level perhaps? Also I always love the symbolism of both the cowboy and the cowgirl being a nod to Dean’s bisexuality, but that’s just me. :P

Fred and Daphne appear carved into the bar, to honour another point in Dean’s memories where he was extremely happy. Though you’ll note that its specifically “Daphne loves Fred” and not the other way around. Whilst being a nice memento from a happy experience, it is also reminding Dean of rejection.

Finally, it can’t be Dean’s mind without a nod to Cas, and Cas is not only clearly in view throughout most of the dream scenes, but he is accessible to Dean. Cas is of course the cosmic cowboy. The one item in the bar that Dean specifically calls attention to.

Dean surrounds himself with these things to remind him of happy points in his life and people he loves, but he himself is stuck in a miserable place. There is a storm raging outside, and the bar itself is empty, with one lone drunken patron (who turns out to be a monster hiding in plain sight).

Pamela is his only companion, as Sam and Cas are out on a hunt together and he is separated from them, just waiting for them to return, hoping that they are okay. Pamela is just a friend, she has a hot date with her boyfriend while Dean has no one. He flirts, but he doesn’t actually want her.

The only other character in the bar besides Dean and Pamela (and the vamps that attack every now and again) is the mystery business woman in a grey suit who offers to buy the bar for a generous amount, to which Dean continues to refuse. I was scratching my head over the purpose of this woman for a while. She is stoic and rather uptight, wearing a grey suit that screams angel. She refuses his offer of a drink both times she appears, and is insistent on buying the bar from him.

This woman, coded as an angel, is offering Dean a way out. She is offering him a chance to move on away from the mundane little bar he has settled in, but she isn’t going about it the right way, she isn’t warming him up, she isn’t relaxing, she isn’t accepting his drinks. They aren’t speaking the same language.

He repeats twice that the bar is “the dream” and tells the business woman that “this bar, I’ve never had anything this nice.” He repeats the mantra because his mind is telling him that this is all he can get. It’s nice, it’s a form of contentment, but is it truly what he wants? What he desires?

The woman tells him that the bar “is dead”. Dean doesn’t care. He is hostile towards her and she leaves in a huff.

Where Pamela is Dean’s voice of reason and guidance, the business woman is a potential escape, but one not done in a way Dean can relate to. She is treated as a negative thing in this narrative, when really she could bring Dean something far greater than this mundanity. It is interesting how both Pam and the business woman are coded as aspects of Castiel in the subtext.

Castiel is everywhere in this bar dream hidden in plain sight. Like the cosmic cowboy IPA that Dean clearly loves, or the crate of Texan Star he carried in from the store room which is oh so reminiscent of 8x23 and 9x06.

The most obvious example of want and desire among all these Castiel-coded things is the song playing on repeat over and over again. It is probably the most telling indication of all:

https://youtu.be/-xKvkZnF1MY

Searching for a Rainbow by The Marshall Tucker Band

I rode into town today... in my mind, I said 'Lord I'd like to stay'.. Something in me said boy, move on... Don't know what it is the good lord bred it in my bones..And I'm searchin for a rainbow, and if the wind ever shows me where to go, you'd be waiting at the end and I know, I'd see the hill with that pot of gold. I'd see the hill with that pot of gold

This old mount I'm ridin', she's gettin' kinda' tired, But in my heart she knows there's this one desire...She's gonna' take me to the end of our road.... Then she'll lay down and die and I'll say 'God rest her soul'.......And I'm searchin for a rainbow, and if the wind ever shows me where to go, you'd be waiting at the end and I know, I'd see the hill with that pot of gold. I'd see the hill with that pot of gold

And I'm searchin for a rainbow, and if the wind ever shows me where to go, you'd be waiting at the end and I know, I'd see the hill with that pot of gold. I'd see the hill with that pot of gold And I'm searchin' for a rainbow.. and if the wind ever shows me where to go, I'll see the hill with that pot of gold.....I'll see the hill with that pot of gold...

This song isn’t about a man living the dream, who is happy with what he has got. This is someone looking for something special, or someone. The lyrics talk about searching for a rainbow (which come on, I think the SPN writers would be well aware of the implications of rainbows to their majority queer fandom) and believing that “you’d be waiting at the end” .

I am sure that in my current social media blackout Destiel fandom has had a collective meltdown over this song. I’m shocked myself that they have chosen something so blatantly obviously about LOVE and with RAINBOW METAPHORS.

When taking the song, the angel coding and the conversation with Pam about love and want all into consideration, what is Dean’s dream really telling us?

It’s not telling us that he is happy. No matter how much he repeats his mantra that this bar is “the dream”, everything else is at odds with that.

Rocky’s bar is telling us that Dean has wants and desires. He has people, things, feelings, that he wants to experience differently than before, or maybe even for the first time. He wants something more, maybe not marriage, but something, with a hunter or someone who understands the life. He wants to follow his heart because he is pining for someone. But that someone is not Pamela, it’s not Daphne, it’s not some pretty girl (because Dean doesn’t want that, he just likes to flirt).

No. Dean wants a Cosmic Cowboy, and he’s searching for a rainbow.

#Destiel #supernatural #spn meta #dean winchester #castiel #14x10 #spn spoilers #season 14 #spn speculation #my meta #destiel dreaming #want and desire #season what do we want 14 #searching for a rainbow #oh i may add that to the destiel tags #I realise how corny that final sentance was #but i couldn't resist #long post for ts

708 notes · View notes

auxcourant · 4 years

Text

who better to take care of pamela than john ross & lena? ;) @womenfindaway

When Pamela and John Ross began their take over of Ewing Global, they had looked for creative ways to push Christopher and his side of the family’s hands away from the company. They’d flipped over every loose stone, they’d pulled every string they could think of, they’d wiggled into every loop hole in all the contracts, but they were still coming up short. Hours of research led them to finding Lena Luthor, the CEO of a smaller but still significantly large energy company, L-Corp. By their design, Lena had crafted L-Corp as a step into the future, and while John Ross didn’t want to admit that the oil game was running dry, he knew it was true. Seeking renewable energies, and not by using methane gases like Christopher wanted, was going to be the way to take Ewing Global into the future and seize it from the hands of Christopher, Alena, and most importantly, Bobby.

While he couldn’t make the trip to National City to meet with Lena initially, John Ross was more than confident in his wife’s judgment of someone. In fact, he trusted her judgment far more than he even trusted his own. He had come quite a long way in the ways of learning not to flirt his way out of situations. (He’d realized not long after they actually committed to the marriage beyond it being a business transaction that he should respect his mildly possessive wife, and that he should be able to reassure her that they were a solid team rather than cast doubt onto their foundations as a couple.) He’d realized that there was a strong different between finessing a situation and flirting his way towards what he wanted in the game, and the latter was absolutely the wrong way for a married man to go about anything.

[ text : love of my life ] I hope you have a safe flight, darlin. Let me know when you land. May not be able to get to the phone cause Mama wants to have mother/son bonding. [ text : love of my life ] I love you to the moon & back. [ text : love of my life ] Also: the hotel I booked for your stay has an amazing spa & you should definitely check it out while you’re in town! The reviews looked promising. <3

He wasn’t trying to be overbearing in any sense but he was missing Pamela from the moment he’d dropped her off at the airport. However, he was glad that they were moving forward with making moves to take over Ewing Global, together.

Pulling up to his mother’s home, he let out a slow breath as Sue Ellen approached his convertible and smiled. “Ready to have a delicious meal, Mama?”

To say she was a touch nervous was an understatement. While Lena had the utmost confidence in her business, the idea of coming up with any kind of merger with Ewing Global was daunting. They were based out of Dallas, but their reach, especially as they branched into the renewable energy field, was still spread well over the entire country.

The email correspondence she’d had with Pamela Ewing was actually really well. They could converse pretty easily, despite being vague about details considering the lack of actual security in an email these days. (As skeptical as she always was about everyone around her, it was kind of refreshing to find like minds in that sense.) She’d offered to come down to Dallas for a meeting but both Pamela and her husband John Ross had insisted they come to her. Well, it was just going to be Pamela for this initial meeting - John Ross had other things to attend to regarding Ewing Global - but if all went well, she would get to meet the husband duo of the partnership she would be working with as well.

And she was actually quite excited. This was one of her biggest business ventures since she had taken the reigns of L-Corp (formerly Luthor Corp) and begun to push herself far from the evils attached to the Luthor name. While she could never truly escape what it meant to ‘be a Luthor,’ she would do everything in her power to attach good to her given name.

Poking her head out of her office, she smiled over to her assistant. “Jess, when you get word that a Pamela Ewing has arrived, please show her in immediately.”

“Of course,” Jess nodded back. “Waiting until she gets here to place a lunch order or are you skipping out today?”

Letting out a slow exhale, Lena licked her lips. “Mm, we’ll wait to see what Mrs. Ewing is interested in eating. We never really discussed menu options for the meeting,” She chuckled. “Thank you, Jesse. I appreciate everything you do for this company, and for me.” She gave her a bright smile and slid back into her office.

Now, she just had to wait for her honored guest to arrive.

#[pamela rebecca barnes]#[john ross ewing iii]#[lena luthor]#[verse: ot3 for the ages]#[womenfindaway]#{ this is about to be the most legendary ship we've ever written }

1 note · View note

tordenvejr · 5 years

Text

Rosy Glass Shards of Overgiving

“I give everything, I love and I love and I love and in the end I always get hurt. No one has ever cared for me as deeply as I’ve cared for them.” Do you see your own experience here?

This might all true, but it’s important to remember that when a pattern presents itself, it is exactly that: a pattern. You might not be directly attracting people like this, but you could be allowing for things to be like this, and even sometimes to stay in relations when it’s no longer in your best interest to do so.

You might hold onto it being bad luck, and say you just want someone who cares for you the same so there will be no imbalance, in that you both lean in to the same degree, and that is ideal, yes. But you’d have to be nearly handcrafted for each other by godforce for that balance to last, and even then it wouldn’t be certain. This belief that you just need someone to give as much as you so you won’t feel the lack of overgiving, is handing too much personal power to another person. I’m not saying don’t give, do give, but not more than you can afford not to get back.

Make the goal for both (or all) parts to be fundamentally balanced and honoring themselves and their needs, and then come together to compliment each other. That’s the union you actually want. You need to become your first priority. There’s a lot of rosy glass shards around tragically giving out of sheer unconditional, passionate love, but it is not pretty, it is ugly, it is cruel towards yourself (notice here how your neglect of self is mirrored by the people you allow to neglect you as well, as within so without) and you deserve better. A lot of love is admirable certainly, but not when it disregards yourself.

“There is a natural and cosmic law that states: ‘like attracts like’,” — Pamela A. Field.

You cannot have what you cannot be. To find someone to love you the way you wish for them to is hard when you do not love yourself as you want to be loved, and to allow someone to love you the way you wish for them to when you do not allow it from yourself is near impossible.

You are weeding out the hearts of those with devotion to mirror your own by being with those who aren’t able or in a position to give you what you want.

This leads us to some important questions:

• Do you believe you deserve a love like the one you want?

• Are you open to being loved completely?

• Do you find identity in victim mentality?

• Is there hidden pleasure in being let down, does it affirm your own goodness to you?

Bring understanding and kindness with you and sit with that for a while.

Become very clear on the type of love you want. Name at least five for each.

• What feelings do you mostly want to feel in the relationship?

• How are they towards you?

• How do they show their love?

• What are their values?

Take that list to heart, this is what I want; this is what I’ll have.

• What behavior would indicate that they cannot be that person for me?

Then if that behavior presents itself you can confront if you’d like, see if there’s possibility and willingness for compromise from both of you, and if not that’s it. Thank you and goodbye.

Boundaries is the most important in this so being aware of where your line is drawn, and honoring that is very important.

When in a relationship, keep a continuous open dialogue with yourself based on these:

• What do I want from this? And are they able to give me that?

• What do they want from this? And is that something that aligns with my wishes, as well as something I’m willing to give?

• Do I feel X and X (feelings you want to mostly feel)? Why, why not; adress.

If you can have conversations with the other based on these, all the better. This applies to all types of relationships.

38 notes · View notes

mr-lancers-english-class · 5 years

Text

Waiting to Die Part 3

Waiting to Die Part 3!

AO3 isn’t working for me, but I’ll update when it is.

Word Count: 1916

Sam didn’t go to school the next day. She had woken up with a massive headache, and when her mother checked, a perfectly normal temperature of 97° (for Sam that was absurdly high, but Pamela didn’t know that). As a mature and responsible high school junior who was definitely totally worried about getting good enough grades to get into a good college, she spent all day texting Danny and Tucker. She tried using Discord, but after twenty messages with no responses, Sam remembered that first, the school wifi had recently gone on another purge and now blocked any sight deemed “games” or “personal” or “messaging,” and second, Danny had English Literature and Tucker had Statistics and neither teacher was particularly forgiving when it came to phones. After watching half of a movie and knitting a hat, she tried again, this time via text.

SM: Am I missing anything good?

TF: No

DF: Yes

TF: Definitely not

DF: Wes has decided that Tucker’s a ghost

SM: But…

SM: He is. Is that news?

TF: Ha ha

SM: I’m here all week, folks

DF: Lancer gave me your homework. We’re starting presentations next week, and we all need to make an outline for next class

SM: I thought only six people are presenting?

DF: Yeah, but we don’t know which six, and I think Lancer’s gonna pick based on the outlines

Sam groaned. She had not enjoyed reading The Great Gatsby, and did not want to have to think about the book any more, much less give a ten minute presentation.

SM: Well fuck

TF: Lol

TF: That’s what you get for taking Lit honors

DF: Moderately jealous

SM: You did this to yourself, Fenton

He had. Where her parents had made her take the hardest courses, his parents often didn’t even realize he was at school, much less think about his course load.

TF: Sooooo……… how’re you doing?

SM: My head hurts and I have a fever

DF: How high?

SM: 97 F

DF: That’s not good

SM: I know

DF: Aren’t you normally like a 93?????

SM: Yeah

TF: When do you start melting?

DF: Dude!!!

SM: Right under 100

DF: You don’t ask somebody when they start melting!!!!!

DF: But Sam, if you get up to 98, let me know and take an ice bath

DF: I don’t want to have to explain to your parents why you’re missing and there’s a puddle of ectoplasm in your room

SM: That’s fair

TF: Gtg. Tetslaff is yelling at me for not changing out

SM: Good luck! Don’t die!

DF: He should be fine…. Right?

SM: Nope

Suddenly, Sam straightened up. Her hair started to float up around her head and the air smelled a lot cleaner. She sighed, and climbed out of bed.

SM: Ghost. I’ll text you when i’m done

DF: Valerie just “went to the bathroom”

SM: Got it

DF: Be safe! You’re still sick

Sam pulled her hair back into a quick ponytail, stuffed a pillow under her sheets and turned the lights off to keep her mother and father from noticing anything, and shuffled over to the window.

“Well then, guess I’ll die.” As her voice trailed off, the two rings split around her waist, and she transformed. Immediately, she staggered and fell against the wall. “Oh, no no no. Not good. Come on, Sam. Just one ghost. You got this, you got this.” She quickly turned her arm intangible and reached through her wall, grabbing the Fenton Thermos and Fenton Wrist Ray she kept there. Danny had been both building and stealing his parents weapons since the Trio first started fighting ghosts, leading to the rather sizeable hidden collection they now maintained. Aside from the three other guns and extra thermos in her walls, Sam had stuffed an arsenal into the school walls, her locker, Danny and Tucker’s locker, her car, an old oak tree in the park, the library bathroom, and the Nasty Burger.

“Alright, let’s do this.” She attached the Wrist Ray to her left hand and the Thermos to her belt as she phased through the wall. It only took her a minute of meandering up Main Street to find a trail of small craters and broken bricks, and only a few more seconds to find Skulker.

“Ah, Ghost Child! You are here, which means I can-”

“Cutting you short there, buddy. I’m sick. I need to be home sleeping. I don’t have time to deal with your whole ‘Kill the Whelp! Take the Whelp’s pelt and hang it on my wall! Argh! bullshit. Can we just call it a draw and you head back to the Ghost Zone?”

“Never! I shall be victorious in this hunt-”

“Dude, seriously. You never win. Like, never. Not once. I’m giving you one chance to go home. The Red Huntress is gonna be here two minutes ago, and she’s not as nice as I am. Can you please just go away?”

“You are weakened. That means I shall-”

Skulker was cut off and thrown spinning backwards in the air as a missile hit him square in the chest. Sam groaned and dodged to the side as Valerie shot by her. She popped up, and almost went crashing to the ground just as fast, her vision fuzzy and darkening. She watched as Valerie went zipping around, peppering Skulker with rockets and plasma blasts and the occasional sideswipe with her hoverboard. If she hadn’t been on the verge of falling, Sam would have taken a moment to appreciate Valerie’s skill. Sam had never seen her equal. Back when they had dated for a month in freshman year, back before either of them knew what they were doing as ghost and ghost hunter, Danny and Tucker were convinced Sam was better. Having seen Valerie in action (and having been on the receiving end of that action more times than she would have cared for and thankfully not recently) Sam knew that, if it weren’t for her plant powers and preference for negotiation over confrontation, Valerie would have long surpassed her. As it was, most ghosts just needed a few kind words, directions to a natural portal, or a weekly shipment of boxes.

“Take that, ghost!” Valerie’s shout jolted Sam back to the present, right in time to fall into the road. She sat up as Skulker crashed a few feet away.

“I shall have your skin, huntress!” Skulker roared, clawing out of the new crater.

“I already told you, Skulker, go away!” Sam planted her hands on the ground, and let her powers loose. In seconds, vines and roots began to spring from the ground, breaking through the asphalt and wrapping themselves around Skulker’s suit.

“No! I will not be defeated by a tree!”

“It’s poison ivy right now, thank you very much, and yes, you will.” Sam pulled at the vines with her mind, and they brought the metal suit crashing into the ground. Skulker’s head popped off and rolled away, his little feet kicking frantically at nothing.

“And in you go,” Valerie laughed as she pulled out her own thermos and sucked in the head, as well as the rest of the armor. “That wasn’t too bad, eh?”

Sam smiled weakly. “Not too bad.” Valerie nodded back, her mask hiding any emotions. The two girls had come to a tentative truce at the end of sophomore year, and had been getting more comfortable with each other ever since. Sam had even gotten a burner phone so Valerie could call her at any time. She hadn’t yet, but it was the thought that counted.

“Hey, you good?”

“Mostly. Just a little under the weather.”

“Aren’t you dead?” Sam turned abruptly to glare at Valerie “Ack, wait, that came out wrong. Sorry. I just, well, I didn’t think you could get sick.”

“Oh,” Sam’s face relaxed. “Yeah, neither did I. But, here I am.”

“You should go rest.”

“I’m planning on it.”

“Like, right now. Go back to the Ghost Zone. I can take care of things here, at least for a few days. Besides, if I need any help, you have a phone number for a reason.”

Sam sighed. “Okay. Don’t die, Huntress.” She lifted off the ground a little.

“You too, Wraith.” Sam chuckled at the mention of her ghost half’s name as she flew shakily away. Valerie sped off in the other direction with the small hope that maybe she would make it back in time for the end of class.

“Now, back home I go. Slowly, very slowly,” Sam said to nobody. “Very, very slowly. Don’t want to collapse, don’t want to fall.” She faltered above the buildings. “I’m gonna set myself down right there, because falling hurts a lot. That is more power than I’ve used in a while. That was more power than I meant to use.” Sam set herself down in the middle of the road, and glanced back at where the fight had just gone down. Vines were everywhere. A few were still growing, twisting up to the sky. The entire road was blocked, along with half of the sidewalk.

“That is way more power than I thought.” Sam turned away from the destruction and pulled out her burner phone. She wasn’t sure how, but once she clipped it to her belt, the phone was always there when she transformed.

“Where is it… there it is.” She speed dialed the fire department. “Yes, hello?”

“Amity Park Fire Department Non-Emergency line. How can I help?” The operator on the other side of the phone sounded too cheery.

“Hi, yeah, it’s the Wraith.”

“Oh, hi! How are you? It’s been so long!”

“I’m pretty good, Sharon, you?”

“It’s good, it’s good. Nothing’s burned down recently.” Sharon, the operator, laughed.

“That’s good. So, I made a bit of a mess…”

“Just now?”

“Uh huh. Skulker showed up on Main Street.”

“Is everyone okay? Do I need to get an ambulance? A firetruck? The police? Did you burn something down?” Sharon’s voice rose an octave as lots of scrambling and thudding was heard through the phone.

“Nothing’s burned, Sharon, and nobody’s hurt. No police or ambulances necessary. Just a lot of vines in the middle of the road.”

“Can’t you undo them?”

“To be honest, I don’t know how. I was hoping, if there’s some extra people at the station, you could send some to burn them down?”

“You said in the middle of the road?”

“Yeah, they’re growing through the road. And a few on the sidewalk. And they’re poison ivy. Sorry.” Sam winced.

“I’ll send a crew down. Main Street?”

“Yeah, right in front of the mayor’s office.”

“Okie dokie. Sounds good. And thank you!”

Sharon hung up before Sam could respond. The woman was nice, and Sam liked talking to her. She almost never got to, but Sharon didn’t know anything about her other than their phone calls and the news, so when they did talk, Sam enjoyed the outside opinion and caring voice.

“And now, all the way home. You got this Sam. You got this.” She continued walking, slowly and shakily.

It took her another half hour to walk to her house, and then three minutes to muster the strength to fly up to her window and phase through. She wasn’t sure when she had transformed back, but a quick glance in the mirror told her Sam Manson was lying on her bed and not the Wraith. She sighed lightly, and drifted off to sleep.

#danny fenton #sam manson #tucker foley #valerie gray #phic phight #phic phight 19 #inverse trio au #plant core au

11 notes · View notes