#Rayford

[whizpurr]

[nijuukoo]

Forget 2023, let's just party like it's 2009

Happy new year! Hope y'all have your own safehouse shenanigans ♥

Memes used: 1 2

[odinsblog]

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, who had sought to have the conviction overturned, said, “This outcome did not serve the interests of justice.”

“Marcellus Williams should be alive today,” Bell said in a statement. “There were multiple points in the timeline when decisions could have been made that would have spared him the death penalty. If there is even the shadow of a doubt of innocence, the death penalty should never be an option.”

Earlier efforts to halt the execution were denied Monday by the Missouri Supreme Court and Republican Gov. Mike Parson. His execution is the third in Missouri this year, and among five taking place nationwide across a seven-day span if the remaining three are carried out on schedule, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they would have granted the request to halt the execution.

“Tonight, Missouri will execute an innocent man,” said attorney Tricia Rojo Bushnell of the Midwest Innocence Project in a statement after the Supreme Court ruling.

“...The victim's family opposes his execution. Jurors, who originally sentenced him to death, now oppose his execution. The prosecutor's office that convicted and sentenced him to death has now admitted they were wrong and zealously fought to undo the conviction and save Mr. Williams' life.”

“That is not justice. And we must all question any system that would allow this to occur,” Bushnell said.

—Missouri executes Marcellus Williams despite questions over evidence

[ouroboobos]

For anyone who might not have known, Marcellus Williams changed his name to Khaliifa when he converted to Islam. Here's a link to a short potry collection written by him, free to read.

[soon-palestine]

[rockabully]

ok art dump

[bogdanovics]

don’t let op’s trolling distract you from the fact that that’s his son-in-law

[thekylemeredith]

This week's guests on Kyle Meredith With... include AKON, Kyanna Simone, and Sugarray Rayford.

And on 91.9 WFPK, I'll be hanging with Keanu Reeves, the cast of Women In Blue, Samantha Morton, Weird Al Yankovic, & Chrissie Hynde!

pic: Backstage hang with Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard

[3xm-draconic]

Debts to Pay. (werebat Cyris and Astarion story)

Summary: Cyris and the gang fight whimbly in her alchemy emporium…

“Ok we are here…now how do we get in and kill her? (hic)” Astarion hiccuped as he rubbed his painfully full stomach, “There is an open window up there, do you think you can fly or climb up to it and get inside so you can unlock the door?” Wyll turned to Astarion, “I (hic) think so…” he grumbled.

Astarion assumed the form of a little bat and attempted to fly but was…too…heavy.

Astarion came crashing back down where Cyris caught him in his arms “darlin let me do the climbing” he kissed the plump little snowy bat.

 Cyris tried to climb up…but only managed to scratch up his fingers “damn it” he hissed, “let me try” Wyll said as he used the spell “Levitation” to get himself up to the window “no luck guys, the door’s locked from the outside in here” he called back to the others, “let me try” Gale smirked.

Gale cracked his knuckles…and cast “FIREBALL” at the door. 

“Welp the door’s open now” Cyris mumbled as he, Gale and Batstarion hid from the guards who were coming to investigate, “Really Gale?!” Bastarion  chittered angrily, his tiny voice squeaking venomously at the wizard, “ah I’ve always wanted to do that…” he laughed.  

In the ensuing chaos they managed to sneak past the guards and into the store, it was a large open-market style shop full of alchemical and apothecary supplies, no one would ever suspect it to be a front of a large industrialized outpost drug lab.   

Wyll would be up stairs waiting to regroup with them after he lockpicked the door, while they explored the warehouse level of the building they watched the workers create some of Toril’s worst drugs, seeing all the intoxicants being created brought back painful memories to Cyris, even worse it bright back a craving for them.

But he was better now, he didn’t need Traveler’s Dust or Dreammist to escape, he finally had freedom and he wasn’t going back. Halfling-leaf on the other hand is something he enjoyed since his teen years back in the shire, smoking it with his dad and with his brothers after a hard day’s work in the garden, that he didn’t mind indulging in every once and a while.

Seeing the large bushes of the leafy plant artificially growing in magical planters sparked his intrigue “hmmm…maybe I should get some of those for the house…NO,  no focus!” he reprimanded himself “kill the bitch now, smoke a bowl later” he had to admit it though…it smelled good.

A sudden loud shriek and a succession of bangs caught their attention…

“Is that what I think it is…?” Gale hushly said in aw, “Holy…” Astarion and Cyris gawked, a little unicorn foal was stuffed in a cage much too small for it. Whimbly was smacking the cage viciously “SHUT UP!” she venomously hissed at the poor creature, “look!” Cyris pointed to another cage. Inside was another unicorn…

Its horn looked like it had…been amputated… along with two of its legs and its eyes…one of its ears…  

“Gods…” Astarion gasped “is…is this bitch selling unicorn parts as alchemical ingredients?” he snarled, “no” Cyris sadly turned to him “she’s turning them into Vornduir, it’s a drug made of “animal essence” and herbs. The more powerful the animal…”, Astarion and Gale frownd “the more potent the drug…”

“We need to act, I’am not letting her hurt those poor creatures” Astarion growled, “got a soft spot for ponies?” Cyris teased, Astarion rolled his eyes and kissed Cyris “yes…now let’s kill this old crone”.

They descended into action…

Astarion snipped two guards off the catwalks where he saw Wyll sneaking by to rejoin them, Gale buffed the party with a spell that made their weapons magical, Wyll dropped from the second floor right behind a third guard and took him out on the drop and Cyris bum-rushed Whimbly.

“Didn’t I kill you?” Whimbly drawled, “you did…I got over it” Cyris shrugged.

“Well, looks like I’ll have to make sure I put you in the ground myself this time” Whimbly snapped.

She casted a spell… “mass suggestion”...

Cyris was unaffected, Astarion and Gale made their will saves against it…Wyll though…

“Hey bozo, Kill your friends” Whimbly commanded,  great…now their fighting Wyll…

You see after Cyris made a deal with Mizora, Wyll’s patron, by promising to get her a really powerful magic item in exchange for Wyll to be free of his contract Wyll became a paladin…

A very, VERY powerful paladin…

“SHIT! Wyll, buddy snap out of it!” Cyris cried as Wyll started swinging at him, “Gale you have to break Whimbly’s concentration” Astarion shouted, Gale nodded…but unfortunately he was out of spell-slots… 

However…there was one tactic he had learned from Roger…

Gale ran up to Whimbly…

And bitch-slapped her.

Stunned silence filled the room…

“Ah. yes. I do believe I may have…fucked up..” Gale whimpered, “oh pretty boy~” Whimbly cood “you THINK?!” she snapped as she swung at him.

Gale ,who had been learning a monastic tradition from Roger, dodged her swing and immediately began running around the room like a frightened chicken…

Wyll stumbled out of his daze “what’s…happening?”, “Gale slapped a bitch and now he’s in hot water, we gotta bail him out!” Cyris said as he charged at the hag, “Gale did WHAT?!” Wyll gawked, Astarion was laughing too hard to really answer him.

Cyris tackled Whimbly to the floor and started whaling on her with his claws, Astarion and Wyll handled the guards as Gale regained his breath…

Whimbly knocked Cyris aside but he recovered and took a large metal rod from a box nearby and used it to pin her against a support beam…

“Cyris…doll~” she murmured sweetly “you kill me you’ll kill your mother, I have her Soul contracted to mine~” she hummed, Cyris growled “YOU'RE LYING!” he bent the rod around her, holding her in place “My mother would never come to you!”

Whimbly smiled “oh sunyboy…my sweet baby…she came looking for you a LONG time ago…”

Cyris smiled in return…

“You know something whimbls…when you live with a gambler like you for so long you pick up on their tells…” Cyris picked up a bottle of alchemist’s grease “and I KNOW when you are bluffing…”  

Whimbly frowned and her eyes widened “don’t. YOU. DARE!” she screamed…

Cyris dumped the bottle over her…

Then lit a match…

They freed the unicorns and all the others who were kept prisoner by Whimbly and they even got the stone…too bad now half the dock district is now on fire…

The gange walked back to the mansion bruised up but otherwise unscathed.

“I can’t wait to propose to Fireworks!” Wyll hummed happily “I want to do it in the garden if thats ok with you, she loves the fountain and all the birds that come by to drink from it”, “go for it” Astarion nodded as Cyris gave Wyll a thumbs up.

“Speaking of darling~” Astarion turned to Cyris, “after the brain is dead you have a very important job to do”, “right, planning our wedding” he ginned, “not just that sunshine” Astarion nuzzled him “you have to introduce me to your family”.

[the-ultimate-squish]

[thehopeelias]

Cool tone stills from the Left Behind OP

[asoiafandotherbooks]

TWOIAF/Fire & Blood: The Trial By Seven

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

Visenya has crowned Maegor and proclaimed him King of Westeros. Visenya and Maegor arrived and King’s Landing and laid down the challenge: “Want some? Come get some!”

The Warrior’s Sons picked up the gauntlet. Seven hundred knights, led by Ser Damon “the Devout”, rode to Visenya’s Hill.

Maegor wasn’t in the mood to persuade or pacify his opponents: “Let us not bandy words. Swords will decide this matter.”

Damon the Devout agreed: “Let each side have seven champions, as it was done in Andalos of old. Can you find six men to stand beside you?”

This was the moment Maegor realized he left the Kingsguard at Dragonstone and Visenya isn’t as spry as she used to be. Maegor asked the crowd: “Who will come and stand beside his king?” The crowd played the “sorry, I can’t hear you” game as the Warrior’s Sons were fierce fighters. Dick Bean, a master-at-arms, volunteered to fight with Maegor: “I been a king’s man since I was a boy. I mean to die a king’s man.”

Dick’s courage shamed a knight to step forward: Bernarr Brune, the quire who had slain Harren the Red and had been knighted by King Aenys. Bernarr proclaimed: “This Bean shames us all! Are there no true knights here? No leal men?”

Bernarr’s scorn cased others to come forward: Ser Bramm of Blackhull (a hedge knight), Ser Rayford Rosby, Ser Guy “the Glutton” Lothson, and Ser Lucifer Massey, the Lord of Stonedance.

Playing for the other team are Ser Damon “the Devout” Morrigen (Grand Captain of the Warrior’s Sons), Ser Lyle Bracken, Ser Harys “Death’s Head Harry” Horpe, Ser Aegon Ambrose, Ser Dickon Flowers (the Bastard of Beesbury), Ser William the Wanderer, and Ser Garibald of the Seven Stars (the septon knight).

Before covering the Trial by Seven, have the opposing sides taken the time to clarify the stakes in the fight? What happens if Maegor wins? He’s recognized as king? The Warrior’s Sons leave King’s Landing? The Faith ceases their rebellion? If the Warrior’s Sons win? What? The Targaryens forfeit their claim to the throne? The Faith chooses the next king? Does Damon have the authority to make these decisions/concessions? Would the High Septon honor the agreements? What is the point of this mortal combat?

Damon the Devout led a prayer before the fight. Visenya gave the command to begin. Fight!

The only agreed version of the fight was that Dick Bean died first, cut down by Lyle Bracken. The rest of the details vary wildly. Some say the fight went on for hours, other say it lasted minutes. No one seems to agree on whether Lord Massey killed Harry Horpe or if Horpe killed Massey. The ending came down to Maegor versus Damon the Devout and William the Wanderer. Maegor slew Damon and dealt William a death blow but William gave the king a terrible blow to the head before dying. The blow cracked Maegor’s helm and left him insensate.

Maegor was declared the victor as he was the only combatant still alive – comatose but alive.

Visenya ordered Maegor to be taken to the maesters. The Swords of the Faith “dropped to their knees in submission” and Visenya ordered the Warrior’s Sons to return to Rhaenys’ Hill.

The trial didn’t resolve a thing – the Warrior’s Sons are still in King’s Landing with no intention of leaving. The Faith is still in rebellion. The only result was the death of thirteen men and a weakened Maegor. So what was the point? This is why you discuss parameters before a fight to the death! The main purpose of the fight seems to be a rationalization for Maegor’s post-coma cruelty.

Up next, Maegor takes a month-long nap.

[dragonwysper]

Hey guys guess what

Huge massive OC refsheet.

Left side is old shit I've made of him that give good reference, and right is a drawing I just did to show a full body pose and flat colors.

Top left: one of the first drawings I did with this specific palette, as part of a few test sketches to figure out where I wanted each color to be. I originally drew his hoodie much lighter so his shoes would be darker than his pants, but I changed that to emphasize his claws!

Top: head turnaround!! Because 3D grasp of a 2D character my beloved. And also I was hyperfixating a bit on animation at the time haha.

Bottom left: style experimentation! This one's fairly recent actually. It's here in his ref to demonstrate that you can really just go wild with him and his colors, you just have to keep him mostly recognizable yk.

Bottom middle: a collection of expressions! Red one has an old design/palette but exhibits a lineless style, blush was to demonstrate the blood guide (right), and other two were made pre-blood guide as an experimentation with his main values for shading.

Bottom right: blood guide! I put. Way too much effort into that thing. It basically tells you not only what color his blush and stuff would be based on his blood color, but also tells you how to get those colors via digital layering and filters, for if you just wanna use his normal greys to draw his mouth and then slap the red over it later or something. The number is the layer opacity, col is color, nor is normal (no filter), and lum is luminance (which is basically the color filter but what would be the color is the one the luminance layer is clipped to). Doodles on the side are to demonstrate all them pretty colors.

I actually did something a little different with the drawing on the right! I roughly sketched out a pose while zoomed way out so I could see the entire positioning from back there, and forced myself to not focus on any details until I was satisfied with the base pose. I should've been doing that ages ago, but at least I'm doing it now!! Plus I colored his lineart, which is something I've been meaning to experiment with for a Long time.

Then we got his palette, with a bonus blood palette for easy reference, and some fonts from Dafont for his name and my @!

Sowwy for rambling about not even my character but stylistic choices for his refsheet 😔😔😔

If y'all wanna hear more about Him or his creation or history or anything though, please tell me because I would love to rant about him to you <3

[abs0luteb4stard]

W A T C H I N G

Gene Hackman always played terrible evil bad guys, but he's such a lovely good dude in real life. He was on Richard Nixon's 'enemy list'. That alone makes him a good guy IRL. Lol

Oliver Reed is in this, his first American movie. Playing an American cowboy. His facial scars play well into it.

Characters with mismatched morals. The seemingly well-dressed rich rancher is a sadist and a gleeful angrymurder.

The gruff unkempt working class guy misunderstood as an outlaw, has the morals of an antihero, but a decent man that seems to respect lives of even the worst of his group.

The woman that willfully marries her rich rancher husband but seems to have learned he has no heat, he's secretly mean and sadistic. The outlaw kidnaps her to learn to read, but even in taking her he's more kind and tender than he disgusting husband. To the point that she'd rather be with and die with a man that's got a soul than her cold controlling hellish husband.

Conundrum. I love it when the balance is turned upside down and inside out. Nobody is innocent. But there's definitely someone guiltier and filthier than the other.