#and carl’s actions should have continued to effect him

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

the way that debbie receives more hate in season 6 that carl does is wild to me… debbie gets pregnant and finds a way to figure out how to raise a baby all by herself and she’s the devil and carl is a racist drug and weapon dealer and he’s just seen as some cool alpha male type

[woman-of-balnain]

Undone in Sorrow Part 8/10 (Alpha Rick x Omega Reader)

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Pairing: Rick Grimes/Fem!Reader

Summary: Negan's actions make Rick realize that the bond between you has been suffering for longer than he thought.

A/N:

Yeah… I hate this chapter, it’s honestly so shit... I’m sorry 😭

I've extended the amount of chapters to 10

I’ve just decided ‘fuck it’ and I’m doing my own thing with the show’s plot pretty much 100% now

I ended up kinda mixing the POV in this chapter. It’s still 2nd person, but you get an insight into what both the Reader and Rick are feeling without that being separated by different scenes. Let me know if it feels off or too weird or anything

I took inspiration from the effects of snake venom for Reader’s condition in this chapter

TW: Brief description of vomiting and mentions of Reader feeling nauseous

Warnings: Terrible writing, vomiting, reader feeling nauseous

Word Count: 5,046

Dividers by: cafekitsune + newlips

Now all of you folks in heaven not too busy ringin' the bell

Some of us down here aren't doing very well...

Rick’s eyes were still hardened with determination, but there was also a deep and frantic sense of worry building within both his gaze and his scent as your body continued to shake uncontrollably. Your neck was throbbing from the pain and in that one spot there was an uncomfortable and clammy heat. You blinked slowly as your vision blurred and your head swam with both dizziness and nausea.

“Dad,” you heard Carl say from somewhere behind you. “We should get her inside.”

Rick seemed to come back to himself a little, his eyes leaving you and focusing on his son. After a moment, he slowly nodded and moved to pick you up so that he could carry you back into the house. Just that was enough to make you groan in discomfort, as it caused your light-headedness to grow worse.

“Hold on, baby,” Rick murmured to you.

You buried your nose against his mating gland, trying to find comfort in his scent but something was… off about it, causing you to pull your head back abruptly. Rick didn’t seem to notice and just brought you upstairs and gently laid you down on your makeshift bed.

“Rick…” you groaned. “Something’s wrong.”

“I know, baby,” he replied, looking down at your claiming bite with worry.

From the way it ached and throbbed, you knew it must have looked bad. But that wasn’t what you were talking about and there was no way he actually did know what you were referring to.

“No,” you tried to tell him, your voice weak. “Your scent… something’s wrong with it.”

He frowned, returning his gaze to yours.

“What do you mean?”

“It… it’s making me feel sick. What did he do to me?”

You weren’t referring to what Negan did physically, but rather how it was affecting your body and the bond you shared with Rick. Underneath all the nausea you felt, there was fear and concern because his scent had always been irresistibly alluring to you, offering you comfort above everything else.

“I don’t know…” Rick replied despondently.

He went to reach out for your hand but then thought better of it, considering what you had just told him. His jaw clenched and if you weren’t in so much discomfort, you would have tried to offer him some reassurance.

“Just get some rest,” he told you gently. “I... I’ll try to work something out.”

You just nodded, since your body was at its last limits and the idea of sleep sounded like the best thing you could imagine in that moment. So, you let your eyes drift shut, missing the way that Rick ran a hand through his hair in anxious frustration, and you just let your body relax and allowed the darkness of sleep to overcome you. 

Rick paced across the living room, unsure of what to do. The idea that his scent had caused you any kind of irritation left him feeling on edge. Even if he had tried to get you to Hilltop, Carson probably wouldn’t know how to help you. It had been simple before, because all you had needed was his scent and his presence to feel better.

But now, Rick was at a loss since you told him that both of those things were making you feel worse. An inferno of rage was blazing inside of him, all directed at Negan and Rick was itching to kill the other man. He hated that he had to wait and be smart about it.

Carl had put Judith to bed before telling his father that he would go back to Hilltop and inform the others. Rick didn’t like it, but his son had pointed out that there was no reasoning with a man like Negan and they didn’t have time to delay things anymore. Carl had also agreed to go with Aaron, so that he wasn’t alone, which both surprised and relieved Rick. Yet, being left on his own in the house, while also being unable to stay by your side was driving him crazy.

Rick loved you with every fiber of his being and usually there was nothing he could complain about when it came to the anomaly that was your bond. But now, he cursed it because it meant that there were so many uncertainties. Trying to override another alpha’s claiming bite was so wrong and unfathomable to Rick, that while he knew it must have occurred before, he was unsure of how it would affect the omega in question. Let alone you, considering the bond you and Rick shared.

Negan had broken him down into submission that night when Abraham and Glenn died, and the other alpha had likely thought this would do the same. But you meant everything to Rick, so now he was out for blood, and he wouldn’t feel satisfied until he got it. His inner alpha demanded retribution for what had been done to you. All sense of reason and mercy fled his mind the moment Negan’s teeth broke into the claiming bite that both symbolized and maintained the connection between the two of you.

Rick was broken out of his thoughts and inner turmoil when he heard the tell-tale sound of you being sick upstairs. Unable to stay away any longer, he made his way back up there, two steps at a time until he was on the upper floor of the house. He found you in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet and vomiting uncontrollably.

Rick hesitated, unsure if his presence would make you worse. But your stomach settled fairly quickly and then you were just shaking, like you had been ever since Negan showed up again.

“Baby, tell me what I can do,” he begged, feeling helpless.

You pulled away from the toilet and he got a better look at you, noting how your skin was ashen once more, just like it had been at Hilltop.

“Shower,” you croaked out tiredly, unable to say anything else.

“Okay,” he nodded, already moving through the bathroom to turn the water on for you.

Rick noticed how you stood up on shaky legs and had to stop himself from helping you. While he adjusted the water to how you liked it, you brushed your teeth at the basin and sighed, clearly feeling gross - most likely in more ways than one, he figured. Rick didn’t care about you being sick, he just wanted you to get better again.

“It’s ready,” Rick said, stepping away after testing the temperature of the water.

You pulled your shirt off and gave him a quick look before moving your hands down to your pants to get rid of them as well.

“Join me?” You asked quietly, your words brief and to the point as you still struggled to speak from how weak you were feeling.

“You sure?” Rick hesitated, not sure if it would just make you feel worse.

“Please,” you gave him a nod before stepping into the shower.

“Okay, sweetheart,” he agreed, bringing his hands up to unbutton his shirt.

He observed as your body seemed to shake less under the water of the shower, but you were still weak and struggling to stand. You placed your hands against the wall to hold yourself up and Rick moved quickly to get undressed. When he finally joined you, he placed his hands tentatively on your hips, and you relaxed back against him, letting him hold you up.

“I hate this,” you admitted softly.

“What?”

“Being so weak… the fact that your scent is making me feel sick and not better… the fact that he can have any sort of power over me… I hate all of it.”

Rick went to pull away again, not wanting to make things any worse for you, but you stopped him.

“Don’t,” you told him gently, placing one of your hands over his to keep him right where he was. “I don’t want you to leave.”

Rick sighed, feeling like he was walking through a mine field, not knowing what was okay and what might set your body on edge.

“Just tell me if it’s too much,” he requested, not wanting to leave you either.

“I think you need to scent me,” you suggested. “I need you to get rid of him, Rick. It’s like he’s all around me and I can’t stand it.”

The idea that Negan had managed to stake any kind of claim over you, to the point where your body was forced to be constantly reminded of him and Rick’s own presence and scent weren’t doing anything… it filled him with a rage he’d never felt before. But ultimately, Rick couldn’t deny that the idea of scenting you in that moment worried him as well.

“Baby, you’re so sensitive right now,” he pointed out. “I don’t wanna push you. It could make your body react badly.”

The fact that his scent had been rejected by your body suggested to Rick that what Negan did made you hyperaware of everything. Every scent, every little touch… he didn’t want to make it even worse.

“I need you to try,” you begged, your voice sounding breathless now as you struggled to keep yourself upright, even with your alpha’s support. “Because I feel like he’s what’s making it worse. Just that constant reminder of him…”

“Okay,” Rick nodded, relenting. “Just sit down first, you can barely stand.”

You let him set you down onto the floor of the shower, with the water running over both of you. Rick rested his back against the shower wall and held you to his chest. You lifted your knees up and clung to his forearm with one of your hands, trying to keep your breaths even as his scent wrapped around you, mingling unpleasantly with Negan’s like both were battling for dominance.

In reality, that was exactly what was happening. Negan’s forceful bite had set your body on high alert, as his action was essentially suggesting his intention to claim you. Whether that actually was his intention didn’t matter, because you were already irrevocably claimed by Rick. So, your body saw it as an attack, while the bond between you treated it like a threat.

You theorized that the violent way their scents mixed around you when Rick got close was just an extension of that and if you could get through him overpowering Negan in that regard, then maybe it would put your body more at ease.

You decided to focus on the running water of the shower, in an attempt to let the calm trickle of the droplets also soothe your body and mind. Rick bent his head into the crook of your neck and your stomach churned unpleasantly. You strengthened your hold on his arm but didn’t stop him as he rubbed his cheek lightly against your scent gland. It wasn’t enough though, because he was barely touching you there.

“I need you to do it properly,” you breathed out in discomfort.

“Baby, it’s too swollen and irritated,” he argued, pulling back. “I’ll hurt you.”

“I don’t care. Please, Rick…”

He tightened his hold around you and did as you asked, hating how helpless you sounded. Rick gave his undivided attention to your abused mating gland, desperate to erase the traces of Negan that lingered. He forced himself to ignore your involuntary whimpers as he irritated the sore and red skin.

Gradually, your tensed up body softened in his hold and your own scent told him that it was working. But Rick hated that Negan’s scent was still there - fainter, but just as persistent. He brought his lips to the sore and oversensitive spot, sucking down in an attempt to remove any traces of the other alpha completely.

You didn’t seem to mind at first, remaining relaxed in his arms. But when he sucked down harder and his teeth grazed against the recently opened wound, you froze up again.

“Stop!” You whined out in pain. “Rick, stop…”

“Sorry,” he pulled away instantly.

“It’s okay…” you let out a deep breath. “I feel a bit better at least.”

That gave him some slight relief, but Negan’s scent was still there, taunting him.

“Can you pass me the soap?” You asked before he could get lost in his thoughts of hatred for the other alpha again.

Rick reached up, getting the body wash from the shelf but didn’t hand it to you. Instead, he lathered it up and kept you in his arms, letting his own hands do the work for you. You relaxed again, just simply allowing yourself to enjoy his gentle and caring touch now that his scent was no longer making you feel on edge.

“Better?” He asked softly, his chin resting against your shoulder.

“Yeah,” you sighed contently. “Your scent…”

“What about it?”

“It feels like home again,” you admitted shyly.

He smiled at the admission and continued to work his hands along your skin, washing away the feeling you had of being dirty and tainted somehow after Negan touched you. When Rick’s hands fell to your lower belly, you only felt calm and safe, unlike when the other alpha had touched you there. He turned his head to press a soft and loving kiss to your cheek, making your stomach flutter with happiness, rather than the nausea that had been there before.

You felt your mind and body settle as his hands moved over you, his touch familiar and comforting. It reminded you of your first heat with him, right after Rick claimed you. It was strange to think of the doubts he had back then about being able to claim anyone when your bond had become so strong and undeniable.

This wasn’t a moment filled with desire and the aching need for release though. This time, Rick was just trying to soothe you after everything that had happened. His fingertips moved lightly across your skin, only applying the slightest pressure to wash you clean.

When he was finished and the suds had all washed away, Rick helped you stand back up and turned off the shower. He wrapped you up in your towel before leading you back to your bedroom. Some of your strength had returned, now that Negan’s scent was no longer overwhelming you.

It was still there, but at least it was now a little more tolerable and easier to ignore. So, you dried yourself off and got into the most comfortable clothes you could find before Rick was gently pulling you both down onto the cushions which now served as your bed for the time being.

You rested your head against his chest, and he wrapped both his arms and the comforter around you. Tilting your head upwards, you pressed your nose to his scent gland and breathed in deeply, relieved that the action only brought you comfort again, like it always had done and was always supposed to. 

“You still smell like him,” Rick observed, sounding half angry and half concerned by the fact.

You pulled away in shame at the reminder, sitting up to look at him properly.

“I know,” you replied softly. “I still… feel him. Like he’s right here, even though I know he’s not.”

Rick looked away, his jaw clenching and his nose twitching in frustration over the fact.

“Do you think it has something to do with him messing with my claiming bite? Do… do you think it’ll go away?”

When Rick’s gaze met yours again you were left unsettled by the way it conveyed just how lost he was feeling.

“I don’t know…”

It was over a day before Carl returned. You were fast asleep in Rick’s arms, late into the night, when he heard the front door open downstairs. While you seemed to recover after he scented you, your condition quickly deteriorated again, and Rick was at a complete loss. For most of the day, he’d needed to take care of Judith, and while you’d assured him that you were fine resting on your own, things actually seemed to get worse.

Your breaths were labored now, like it was a struggle to do such a simple thing. You had told him that your muscles ached all over and even though you had been asleep for hours, your dreams seemed to leave you restless. So, when Rick heard the signs that Carl had returned, he was quick to gently pull away from you and see if his son had any good news - or even just news in general, that would distract his troubled mind for a while.

But when he headed down the stairs and saw Carl with a strange and rugged man, Rick was on high alert once again. He gave his son a questioning look and Carl was quick to try and placate him.

“Dad, this is Siddiq,” he began to explain. “We found him on the way back.”

The vague explanation did little to ease Rick’s mind.

“He can help,” Carl continued. “He’s a doctor.”

Rick continued to eye the stranger with suspicion and the younger man squirmed a little under his hardened gaze.

“Well, I mean, I was doing my residency,” Siddiq began to correct Carl. “Before… well, before you know…”

“You can help her?” Rick asked, since that was his main concern.

“I can check her over,” Siddiq offered. “I… I saw something similar once during my residency. Though, that omega wasn’t bonded in the same way you two are…”

Rick shot Carl a look, realizing that his son had told the stranger about how his bond with you was different to most. But Carl just met his hardened stare with a pointed look of his own, silently asking his father to just trust him.

“What happened to them?” Rick brought his attention back to Siddiq. “The other omega.”

“The effects faded after a day or so,” Siddiq answered. “But considering that you’re true mates… I’d like to take a look at her myself.”

Rick was still guarded, but he didn’t have much choice. It had already been over a day since Negan messed with your claiming bite and your symptoms had only gotten worse, rather than better. So, he nodded and gestured for Siddiq to follow him up the stairs. Once the other man entered the bedroom you shared with Rick, he set to work, kneeling down to check you over.

Rick remained in the doorway, keeping an eye on him while also giving his attention to Carl.

“You cleared him?” He asked his son lowly.

“We all did,” Carl assured him. “He’s fine dad, I promise.”

“What are her symptoms?” Siddiq interrupted, still checking you over.

Rick noticed that you had become more restless in your sleep as the doctor examined you, but he forced himself not to intervene and let the other man do his work. So, he listed off the different things you had mentioned to him, as well as what he had noticed himself. Most of them didn’t get a reaction, but when Rick mentioned that Negan’s scent was persistent and wouldn’t completely go away, Siddiq looked just as concerned as Rick had been feeling about it.

“She keeps muttering a name,” Siddiq told him. “Uh… Negan, I think. Is that him?”

Rick clenched his fists automatically at the mention of the other alpha, before nodding tersely.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Carl confirmed.

“I think she’s been dreaming about him,” Rick explained. “Having nightmares…”

Siddiq nodded but didn’t seem any less perplexed by it all.

“She’s not dreaming right now though,” the doctor revealed gently.

He shifted, sitting back a little so that Rick could see you properly. His heart skipped a beat at the sight. You were still lying there, but your eyes were wide open and staring at an empty corner of the room. Yet, it was as though you were in a waking nightmare, your features twisted into a look of horror over something none of them could see. Rick had never seen you looking so terrified.

“Y/N?” Carl asked from beside him, trying to get your attention. 

Your gaze briefly fell to them, but then it was fixated on the corner again. Rick picked up on your scent and how it was filled with dread but also mixed intrinsically with Negan’s once more. It wasn’t faint anymore, but as powerful and overbearing as it had been right after Negan bit into your mating gland.

“What’s wrong with her?” Rick asked Siddiq, barely containing his anger and frustration.

The younger man stood up, coming over to him and gesturing for Rick to step out into the hall.

“Look, I have no idea,” he tried to explain. “That other omega was nothing like this. I… I think she’s hallucinating. Seeing him even though he’s not there.”

“How is that possible?”

“I’m not sure, but when an alpha claims an omega, they become part of one another, right? And it should be even more intense and complex with you two, since you’re true mates. So, the reaction is more severe.”

His answer didn’t tell Rick much. It was all just stuff he’d already worked out for himself.

“How do we help her?” He grit out, his patience wearing thin.

“I think you need to claim her again,” Siddiq hurried to suggest.

“You think?”

Guesses weren’t good enough for Rick. Not in that moment and not regarding you and your wellbeing.

“Him trying to gain dominance over the bond you have with her has probably caused a biological struggle. Like a conflict over which alpha has the bigger claim.”

Rick ran a hand through his hair, taking a minute to consider it all.

“The only one who has a claim to her is me,” he argued.

“Technically, yes,” Siddiq agreed.

Rick bit back a retort over the fact that there was nothing in doubt about it. You were indisputably his. You always had been, and you always would be. Instead, he focused on how he could help you.

“He’s left her mating gland bruised and swollen,” Rick pointed out. “If I try to claim her again, are you sure it’ll help and not just hurt her even more?”

“No,” Siddiq admitted. “I… I’m not sure about any of this. But I think it’s your best shot.”

Rick’s frustration just kept growing at the uncertainty of it all. He didn’t want to act recklessly and risk doing something that could just make you worse. But he also couldn’t keep standing idly by, doing nothing. He turned to look back in the room at you, seeing that Carl was now by your side and keeping you distracted from whatever image you had been hallucinating. He sighed before looking back at the doctor.

“Let me be alone with her,” was all he said. “But don’t go too far. Stay with Carl, in case something goes wrong.”

Siddiq just nodded, likely understanding that the practice of alphas and omegas claiming one another was supposed to be a very intimate and private experience. Rick walked back into the room, placing a hand on Carl’s shoulder and getting his son’s attention. They exchanged a look before Carl nodded and got up to leave.

“Don’t come in unless I call for you,” Rick told him.

Carl just nodded again, and when he had shut the door behind him, Rick turned all of his attention back onto you. Your own gaze was fixed on the corner again and you began breathing a little more heavily.

“Baby, look at me,” Rick coaxed you gently, cupping your cheek to guide your focus back to him. “I’m here, you’re okay.”

“You really can’t see it?” You asked, referring to whatever it was that you were seeing.

“No, sweetheart,” he tried to calm you. “It’s not real.”

He could tell that you were forcing yourself to keep your eyes on him and not look back at the corner. So, Rick began to stroke your cheek while watching you in concern.

“Y/N, I’m gonna have to claim you again.”

To his surprise, you seemed relieved by the idea and nodded at him.

“You should,” you told him.

“It might make you worse,” he gently pointed out.

“It won’t,” you insisted.

Rick took one of your hands in his, holding onto you tightly.

“It’ll hurt…”

“It can’t be worse than this,” you reasoned.

He nodded, briefly looking down at your joined hands before he turned his gaze to your swollen and bruised mating gland. The skin was clearly agitated and the fact that it had never looked so irritated when he had claimed you, made his worry resurface. But Rick pushed it to the side and gave your hand a squeeze.

You tilted your head to the side, offering yourself to him and Rick was cautious at first, scenting you to see how you would react. But you were fine, and your free hand came up to run your fingers through his hair, gently encouraging him. He then brought his lips to the area around the wounded skin, giving a cautious nip with his teeth to see how you would react. You just gripped his hair a little tighter but made no move to stop him.

So, Rick decided to just do it, not wanting to draw out your discomfort. He sunk his teeth into your skin, finding little resistance due to the wound being recently reopened. After that, your reaction was instant and undeniable as a scream of pain tore through your lips and your body tensed. Rick froze, not sure what to do. But as your agonized yell died down into whimpers you pushed his head further against your neck and he took it as your way of telling him to keep going and that you could take it.

He used the hand that wasn’t holding your own to trace soothing patterns along your stomach, trying to give you some reassurance as he dug his teeth deeper into your neck. He wanted to replace every part of you that Negan had touched with traces of himself, your alpha, the only one who would ever have an actual claim to you.

You were crying from the pain now, so Rick licked along the sensitive and irritated skin, trying to do whatever he could to soothe you. But nothing seemed to be helping you to settle and eventually he pulled away, panicking as he realized it hadn’t worked. The raw pain in your eyes as you looked up at him drove Rick crazy with worry.

“Please,” you whimpered.

“What do you need?” He asked you, desperate to help in whatever way he could.

You reached up, tugging at the collar of his shirt until his own claiming bite was exposed and your fingertips brushed against it. That simple touch was enough to tell him what you wanted, because it sent a rush of pure need through him. So, he closed the distance between you once again and offered his own mating gland to you.

You didn’t waste time, sinking your teeth into the old wound and letting out a satisfied moan as you suddenly felt complete again. Rick realized in that moment that he still hadn’t felt fully like himself since that night, when Negan first scented you.

Clearly your mating bond had been suffering the entire time, set off by that and reaching its limits when the other alpha tried to threaten it in the most intimate way he could. Because now, Rick felt whole again, with you both claiming one another and reaffirming that you both belonged to each other.

He felt your body settle again and there was something back in your scent that had been missing recently. It didn’t just remind him of home, but of the intricate and complex nature of the feelings you both held for one another. He could feel you again - not just your touch or your scent, but the part of you which was always with him, no matter the distance between the two of you.

When you relinquished your hold on him, Rick pulled back to look at you, finding you much more at ease and smiling softly up at him. He returned it with a relieved one of his own and stroked your cheek affectionately.

“You okay?” He asked you gently.

You just nodded and Rick decided that was enough of an assurance to set his mind at ease for now.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” he told you after a while.

“For what?” You murmured.

“Everything…” 

“Hey, it’s okay,” you assured him, sitting up slightly. “This wasn’t your fault. It was him who did this to me, not you. All of this has been him.”

You were still weak, not having gained your full strength back yet, but at least your body felt more like how it was supposed to.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Rick promised you once again. “For everything he’s done to you.”

“I know you will,” you replied softly. “But this is bigger than me. Bigger than you and I. I’m not what’s important here, Rick. He’s hurt all of us, you need to remember that.”

“Y/N, you’re everything to me. He… he violated you. I can’t let that go.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

“Then what are you asking?”

“For you to be careful,” you gently requested of him. “Because he will keep trying to get to you through me and you have to stop letting him. I want him dead, but not if it means risking you or… or losing you.”  

“I’ll be careful,” he assured you. “But I’m not going to let him touch you again Y/N. I just can’t.”

“Okay…” you relented, knowing that Negan had pushed your alpha to his breaking point when it came to you. “I just… I want this to all be over.”

“We’re working it out,” Rick promised. “Just leave it with me, okay? I’m not gonna let him win and he’s not going to hurt you again.”

You weren’t sure if it was a promise that he could keep, but you wanted to trust him unyieldingly, so you just nodded. Rick gave you a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. In the back of your mind, you wondered if he had his own doubts about it too.

--

A/N:

So the Siddiq thing is kinda vague, but basically I just imagined it as he was in the area anyway, so the group run into him under different circumstances and when it came up that he was a doctor, the Reader’s condition was brought to his attention. And yeah, this means Carl is not bit…

And again I’m sorry for how bad this chapter is. I just feel like it’s too boring and/or repetitive and just feels pointless somehow. But I didn’t want to stretch out the effects of Negan biting the reader too much because she’s already been pretty sick for a lot of the story so far.

I wanted to focus more on how it impacts Rick, by pushing him over the edge and how it will affect his attitude towards Negan going forward. Anyway, sorry again if this chapter isn’t what you were expecting 😔

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Next Part

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[romancomicsnews]

Who should play Martian Manhunter in the DCU?

Martian Manhunter always felt like one of the most important members of the Justice League to me. He is an alien, making him a sort of mentor and friend to Superman, but he is not an Earthling like most. He is a foreigner, the last of his kind, and must shift his likeness in order to assimilate to a new world. As a person of color, his story always felt the most sad, and all too real.

While the Manhunter from Mars is an original member of the Justice League and a staple member of JLA in Justice League Unlimited, J'onn J'onzz has been largely absent from live action films.

While he was retconned as Calvin Swanwick in Zack Snyder's Justice League, we don't get much of him, and he doesn't really contribute to any fight.

With the DCU reboot already featuring alien/alien adjacent heroes such as Blue Beetle, Hawkgirl, Superman, and Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter's return can fit in nicely real soon.

If that is to be true, I have a couple of picks I think can add something new to the character, and become a very fun recurring character for The Justice League and other DCU movies to come.

First, as always, let's answer some questions:

What depictions are we drawing from?

When it comes to Manhunter, there are quite a few solid iterations in both Live Action and Animation. Let's start with the big one.

Carl Lumbly - Justice League/Justice League Unlimited

It's hard to not talk Martian Manhunter without bringing up Justice League Unlimited.

Carl Lumbly provided the voice for the character, which is often the voice people hear when they think of Manhunter. He brings wisdom, strength, and sorrow to the character that people often try to emulate, but can never truly duplicate.

He also brought an awkward energy to humanity I quite love. I think it has been missing in other versions. I'd love our Manhunter to be unfamiliar with earth customs, and more importantly question them.

David Harewood - Arrowverse

I don't think any show or movie has used Martian Manhunter as effectively as Supergirl.

The initial twist of not being Hank Henshaw and instead being the last son of Mars is still one of my favorite moments in the series. Ever since then, J'onn is used as a mentor to most heroes, sometimes team leader, but always the inspiration of the team.

David Harewood brings a righteous anger to Manhunter at times that I absolutely love. I'd love to carry that over.

This version of J'onn is slightly more optimistic than most, seeing the good in humanity, and believing the world deserves saving.

Overall, he is a fantastic Manhunter, and if you haven't seen Supergirl, you should definitely give it a shot.

Henry Lennix - DCEU

While he is mostly a shut in, there are aspects of this character I quite like.

Manhunter being a reveal in the DC Universe is fun for fans. Trying to figure out what a guy is up to and turning out to be one of the best DC heroes can be a delight if done right.

I also like that this Manhunter is working behind the scenes to help heroes like Superman. Having him starting as a mentor character already and then being a mentor superhero is a fun concept.

While I don't like how much he is on the sidelines for the DCEU, setting him up in multiple movies to finally face his fear and come from the shadows as a person we've already known could've been amazing had Snyder continued on.

And of course, Lennix also has a fantastic voice.

What ethnicity is Martian Manhunter?

Well, he's a martian.

In most depictions, Manhunter is portrayed by black actors. I think continuing this is important, as his story is an immigrant story, and it appears to be a staple aspect of the character.

Any other stipulations?

I'd like our Manhunter to feel older than our other main characters. If Superman is 30, I'd like Manhunter to feel a couple decades older.

I'm looking for someone in the 50-70 range, but I'd say more towards 50 as he has to feel formidable.

This actor should have a great voice, feel like he a mentor, project strength and sadness, and most importantly, be able to be part of an ensemble.

I'm not looking for a leading man technically. Manhunter feels crucial to the League, but I don't necessarily see him leading his own project. More like Vision in the MCU who comes up in key places and is always a delight.

Unlike other heroes, Manhunters build is inconsequential, as he can shape shift into Manhunter using CGI. So really, any build is good.

As always, I don't want an actor widely known for any other superhero role.

Unlike most of my fancasts, I think I found three I like a lot and would be extremely happy with any of them. It was very close and I went real back and forth. Let's get into it:

3. Rick Worthy

While he is known for other roles such as Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica, The Man in the High Castle, or Vampire Diaries, Rick Worthy has caught my attention from his role as Dean Henry Fogg in The Magicians.

As the Dean, Worthy mentors young heroes on how best to use their abilities all while keeping secrets of his own on a looming threat. If that doesn't scream Manhunter, I don't know what does.

Worthy's Manhunter could be a little more fun than the others. I can see him poking fun at the man dressed as the Bat, or shape shifting into the other heroes to mock them.

I think having a character with a background in Sci-Fi could make the Manhunter reveal harder for people to see coming. I also think Worthy is an actor who won't be bigger than the role.

My main concern is I think he could struggle with the mentoring of heroes without being sarcastic. I'm not sure how genuine Worthy can be as Manhunter, which is why I have him third.

I can still see Worthy playing this role for decades to come, and really chew up scenery.

2. Blair Underwood

Known for roles in films like Rules of Engagement, Set it off and shows such as Agents of SHIELD, American Crime Story, and Dear White People, you've probably seen Blair Underwood in a really well acted piece of media.

Underwood has a smoothness the other actors do not. I can absolutely see Underwood's Manhunter gain a high level job based on his skill and charm.

Underwood also has the most experience being a part of great ensembles. It's an often overlooked skill to be great and amplify the skills of other great actors without being overshadowed. Underwood has that skill which is why he has such an incredible career.

He has experience playing FBI, experience playing a shape shifter in Agents of SHIELD, a mentor (although a bad one) in Dear White People, and perfected all of them.

If I had to put money down as to who would get this role, Underwood has my bet. I could see him cast tomorrow for Superman Legacy and fit in perfectly. But I do have one more I really love.

1. Andre Braugher

You see it now don't you?

Known for roles in The Good Fight, Bojack Horseman and Men of a Certain Age, Braugher really launched into the zeitgeist as Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine Nine.

Captain Holt may be the perfect audition tape for Martian Manhunter.

Older experienced mentor who is othered for being different, doesn't always understand social human interactions, extremely smart, kind, but with a righteous anger.

That's Manhunter.

Braugher through his time in Brooklyn Nine Nine also demonstrated how funny and/or dramatically poignant he can be. Both are needed for Manhunter.

Much like Underwood, Braugher has experience being in large ensembles and bringing out some of the best in other actors. Imagine a scene as good and emotional as the final scene between Holt and Jake between Manhunter and Superman.

That's the kind of Manhunter the DCU needs.

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[heauxplesslydevoted]

Green-Eyed Monster (Ethan x MC)

Summary: During a fundraising event for Edenbrook, Ethan’s jealousy gets the better of him.

Warning: NSFW!! 18+

Author’s Note: I wrote this 3 times. I hope you enjoy

2nd Author’s Note: Ethan is canonically rich. And I like reminding y’all of that fact.

Tags: @fanmantrashcan @ao719 @x-kyne-x @colourmeshy @writinghereandthere @paulfwesley @ramseyandrys @a-i-n-a-a-s-h @perriewinklenerdie @aworldoffandoms @thatcatlady0716 @drakewalker04 @canknot @hatescapsicum @lapisreviewsstuff @akacalliope @senseofduties @badchoicesposts @ethandaddyramsey @the-soot-sprite @chasingrobbie @zodiacsign1 @choices-lurker @miyakokurono @trappedinfandoms @my-heart-beats-for-ya @adrian-motherfucking-raines @riverrune @edith-eggs1 @thatysn @bellcat2010 @theeccentricbibliophile @lion-ess24 @contrerascecile @junehiratas @choices-love-affair @openheart12 @kaavyaethanramsey @caseyvalentineramsey

~v~

The ballroom of the Four Seasons is lit beautifully, the Dom Perignon is flowing freely, and he has some sort of fancy crab cake in his hand, but Ethan couldn’t care less about any of it.

He hates parties. That’s not a secret, everyone knows it and he’s always been vocal about it. The board thought getting all of Boston’s elite hoarded into one room was a sure fire way to get them to open their pockets. And by the looks of it, it is working. But Ethan doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about the pomp, the circumstance, the luxury of this ball, or the money that went into it.

He has eyes one one thing, and one thing only. Or, one woman only. Naomi Valentine.

There aren’t enough words in any of the languages he’s fluent in to describe the way she looks. Her normally curly hair is bone straight, falling right down her back, a few strands tucked behind her ears. He likes it like this, his view of her face unobstructed.

And her dress. Scarlet red, downright sinful, the neckline so deep and plunging, it shouldn’t be legal to wear it in public, the material clinging to her like a second skin.

He’s been quietly observing her all evening, watching as various men - and some women - fawned over her, flirted with her, flaunting their wealth, as if she cared about any of it. The only thing Naomi wants is for these people to write checks and save their place of employment.

She danced with politicians, attorneys, trust fund babies, real estate developers, the works. She’s currently swaying on the dance floor with some guy, though he can she’s not into the dance. The mystery man is talking, but he’s not holding her attention, not in the slightest.

But the mystery man makes a mistake. Ethan watches as his hand slides down her back, landing on the swell of her behind. Not wanting to cause a scene, Naomi simply twists out of his grasp.

Naomi has the situation under control. He sees that clearly, but Ethan doesn’t care. He doesn’t like that someone else is touching her, especially so intimately. Anger swells in the pit of his stomach.

He can’t stop him himself, even though he knows he should. He gets up from his seat at the bar, leaving the tiny crab cake, and marches over to where they’re at.

Wanting to make his presence known, Ethan clears his throat. The action garners Naomi’s attention and she stops dancing.

“Ethan!” She exclaims brightly. “How nice to see you.”

“Rookie,” Ethan greets back, purposely ignoring the man she’s standing next to. “Care to dance?”

“She’s a little busy, pal!” Ethan hears the man talking, his shrill voice a nuisance in Ethan’s ear, but still he pays it no mind.

Naomi is nicer than him though. She smiles at the other gentleman politely. “I’ll save a dance for you, Carl! And you can tell me all about your new yacht.”

That seems to do the trick as the man steps aside and walks off.

Ethan holds out a hand for Naomi, which she eagerly accepts. They begin swaying in time to the music. “You looked like you needed a save. That guy was too handsy.”

“I was managing him just fine, but thank you anyway,” Naomi replies. “He was just so dull. Most of these people are.”

“I’d never know it by looking at you. You have a much better poker face than I do.”

“I grew up around people like this. I know how they operate. Give them a few well-placed compliments, and they’re putty in your hands.”

Ethan doesn’t have a reply for her. He just holds her close, vaguely aware of their surroundings. “Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Red looks good on you.”

“It happens to be my boyfriend’s favorite color,” Naomi explains, her hand mindlessly stroking the back of Ethan’s tuxedo jacket. “I wanted something to really wow him tonight. Do you think it’s working?”

“Oh you have no idea how well your plan is working, Rookie.”

She pulls back only slightly, looking at Ethan’s face. His blue eyes have grown darker. “I think I have some idea the effect I have on him.”

Three months. It’s been three months since that fateful night at Ethan’s apartment where he kissed her. After that, the doctors decided to see if their mutual attraction towards one another was worth exploring.

And while no one else knows of the relationship, opting to keep it just between them for as long as they could, Naomi and Ethan had never been happier.

“You look so beautiful tonight, and every guy in here is ogling you.”

“Ogling?” Naomi rolls her eyes. Ethan could be so dramatic when he wanted.

“Yes, ogling. I’m not a fan of it.”

“Well, you’re going to absolutely hate what happens later,” Naomi says with a sigh.

“Why, what happens later?”

“The auction.” Naomi swallows hard. “I’m one of the doctors participating in the people auction.”

“What?”

“My friends all volunteered, and they signed me up as well. I couldn’t say no, they all think I’m single and it’d just raise too many questions.”

Ethan frowns. The thought of these rich scumbags fighting over a chance to take his girlfriend out on a date didn’t sit well with him. It was annoying enough not being the only one she danced with throughout the evening.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” Naomi continues. “But they sprung it on me yesterday, and I knew you would be upset. Please don’t be mad at me.”

He sighs. “I’m not mad at you. I just don’t want anyone else getting a chance to wine and dine you.”

“You worried I’m going to leave you for one of these pretentious bores?” Naomi smiles, teasingly. “You know better than anyone that rich and old happens to be my type.”

Ethan’s hand travels down the small of her back, and he feels her shudder under his featherlight touch. “What did I tell you about calling me old, Naomi?”

“I like seeing you jealous,” Naomi continues.

“Is that right? Was that your plan all along, to make me envious of the other people here tonight?”

She shakes her head. “No, it happens to be an unintended outcome of the evening, but I’m happy nonetheless.”

Without warning, Ethan pulls Naomi flush against him. A quiet groan escapes her upon contact with him. She looks around to see if anyone heard anything. Thankfully, everyone else is too wrapped up in their own dancing.

Ethan lowers his head close to her ear, just to make sure no one else is listening. His breath is warm on her neck and he feels her shift her weight from one foot to the other, squirming. “I’m really tired of sharing you.”

“Oh, really?” Ethan can hear the challenge in her tone. “Well, there’s still a few more hours left in the evening. I think you can be a team player until then.”

“But I don’t want to be a team player.” His hand is on her hip, squeezing so fiercely through her dress, Naomi is sure she’s going to bruise. She likes it. “You, in this god forsaken dress, waltzing around here with men that would kill for even 5 minutes alone with you? How ever will I survive?”

“You’re a patient man,” Naomi says. “You’ll manage.”

Ethan spins Naomi away from him, and she twirls back into his arms. The song that’s playing reaches its crescendo, and he can tell it’ll be over soon. “I won’t. I want you all to myself.”

“Yeah?”

“I want you, all alone with me, in our room,” Ethan whispers.

Naomi surprised him earlier, getting them a suite for the evening. She knew that with all the drinking they’d be doing, driving home was going to be impossible. Plus, it’d be a fun little retreat, a romantic night for just the two of them.

“I want you out of this dress,” Ethan continues. “I want you under me, writhing uncontrollably.”

“Ethan…”

“Saying my name, just like that. Or louder, I’m not a picky man.”

Thank God he’s holding her, because her knees are buckling. Liquid heat pools in the pit of her stomach, and she rests her head on Ethan’s shoulder. She pants hard, trying to keep her composure. They’re in a crowded room, full of colleagues and Boston’s most influential residents, and she’s getting dizzy with desire.

“That sounds fun.”

“You think you can make it upstairs in 10 minutes?” Ethan asks. The song ends and he steps back, letting Naomi go. She wobbles slightly, adjusting to standing on her own two feet.

Once she’s steady, Naomi clears her throat and locks eyes with the man in front of her. “I’ll meet you there in 7.”

~v~

Naomi makes it to their suite in 6 minutes, tops. As soon as she saw him swagger out of the ballroom like the smug jackass that he is, she grabbed another champagne flute and quickly downed it, letting the bubbles coat her tongue. Once she’s done with that, she makes her own exit and heads off to meet Ethan.

Their suite is lovely, with a gorgeous view of Boston Common. On any other day, Naomi would be able to appreciate that, but not now. 

She pushes open the double doors to their bedroom, and she finds Ethan. He’s staring out the window thoughtfully, but her entrance gains his attention.

He checks his watch with a smirk. “You got here sooner than I anticipated.”

“What can I say? You were down there making some pretty hefty claims. I had to see if you were really going to put your money where your mouth is.”

“I plan on putting my mouth on a lot of different places, Rookie.” Ethan shrugs off his tuxedo jacket, tossing it onto a nearby chair and he loosens the cuffs of his shirt. Slowly, he walks over to the large king-sized bed and sits casually. Crooking a finger, he summons Naomi over, and she nearly trips over herself in a rush to be near him.

Neither one of them speaks as Ethan silently appraises his girlfriend, figuring out where to start first.

He picks her feet, and he bends down, his fingers reaching her ankle where the shoes are strapped. “How attached are you to these shoes?”

Of all the things he could’ve said, that wasn’t what she was expecting. “W-what?”

“I’m trying to figure out how much care I should exercise with them,” Ethan explains.

“They’re Aquazzura and they cost me $800. If you break the strap or the heel, I can’t be held responsible for whatever harm comes your way.”

“Even if I replace them?”

“Even then.”

“Fair enough.” Ethan carefully unbuckles her heels and she steps out of them. He trails a finger up and down the back of her calf, reveling in the softness of her skin before looking up at her. “Take off your dress.”

“You don’t want to do the honors?”

“Trust me, I do. But if I get my hands on it, I can’t promise that I won’t rip it off of you.”

Naomi’s very tempted to let him do just that, but she reaches around and unzips it herself. It falls to the floor in one fell swoop, and she steps out of it.

The dress didn’t call for a bra, so Ethan is rewarded with an uninterrupted view of her. He sucks in a deep breath at the sight. Naomi in that dress was a vision, but this is her in his favorite form.

He hooks his fingers into the waistband of her thong and he slides it down. She does the rest of the work and impatiently kicks it away.

And now she’s just standing here, stark naked, subject to his piercing gaze while he’s still fully dressed. The obviousness of the power dynamic makes her shift uncomfortably.

Ethan grabs her hips and pulls her forward, so she can straddle his lap. His hands find her face and he cradles it. “You’re so beautiful.” His mouth crashes against hers, not allowing her the chance to reply to the compliment. 

Naomi grabs hold of his shoulders in order to not fly backwards due to sheer force. Ethan set an undeniable tone. Urgent, hot, demanding. His hands keep her in place, locked in the sensual embrace. Not that she’d ever willingly leave his arms, now or ever.

His tongue invades her mouth, clashing with her own and he groans. He can still taste the champagne on her, something light and bubbly. It’s intoxicating.

All too soon, Ethan breaks the kiss, leaving Naomi breathless and buzzing with energy. His hands leave her face and roam freely, exploring.

“I have a challenge for you,” he says, his lips finding the column of her neck.

He sucks on her pulse, and she finds it hard to concentrate. “Huh?”

“I want you to stay quiet. Absolutely no sounds.”

“I thought you wanted me saying your name.”

“You will,” Ethan assures her, and the promise makes her stomach clench. “But right now I want you to be quiet.”

“And if I don’t keep quiet?” Naomi challenges. Ethan cups one of her breasts in the palm of his hand and squeezes, the pad of his thumb circling her nipple.

“Then you don’t get to cum. I go back downstairs and I leave you here like this.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

With a raised eyebrow, Ethan pulls at her nipple, twisting it between his thumb and index finger. Naomi gasps. “Are you willing to challenge me on that?”

Naomi’s head is fuzzy but she swallows hard. She nods, not willing to test him on this front. “Fine. I’ll be quiet.”

Ethan smiles. “Good.” He kisses her with a renewed energy and his unoccupied hand travels down to her thigh, his nails scraping against the flesh. 

Naomi bucks in his lap. She’s shaking and her fingers are digging into his shoulders. The anticipation of what he’s going to do is killing her and she’s almost afraid to breathe.

His finger slides between her thighs teasingly, and before she gets a chance to respond, Ethan slides a single digit between her folds. It catches her by surprise and she gasps.

Ethan tsks one disapproval. “Silence, Naomi.”

Fuck you, she thinks, but she obeys regardless. Her nails dig deeper into his shoulder blades and she tries her hardest to stay quiet.

He moves at an unnaturally slow pace, not allowing Naomi to settle into a rhythm. Any other time, she’d spur him on. “Harder, deeper, more,” is what she wants to say, but he’s cursed her with silence. Instead she buries her face in the crook of his neck.

Ethan continues his torture, enjoying the view. A hot and bothered Naomi is a sight unrivaled, and he’d keep her like this forever if it was possible. He can feel the tension rolling off of her in waves, all the muscles in her thighs and abdomen tight with the effort it’s taking to keep quiet.

He adds another finger and groans. “Fuck, Rookie. You feel so good. So tight, so wet, and all for me.” 

She needs to breathe. Her lungs are tight, her chest heaving against his, but he has her walking a tightrope right now, and one false move can end it all.

“You’re so beautiful like this,” Ethan continues, the rough pad of his thumb sliding against once, twice, three times. “And you’re all mine. How did I get so lucky?”

Naomi’s skin flushes furiously. He knows she’s has kink for him talking during sex. On their volition her hips rise and fall, rise and fall, trying to keep pace with him. As soon as she does, his fingers slow down, dragging her from the edge of ecstasy, before speeding up again.

He does this repeatedly, the randomness of his movements making her head spin. Every nerve in her body is on fire, and she can feel the pressure building in the pit of her stomach.

So close, so close, don’t stop, plays in her head on a continuous loop as Ethan keeps working against her. The pressure builds, a heat settling in her veins and before she can stop herself a quiet, “Yes,” slips past her lips.

The energy in the room changed instantly. Ethan stills his fingers, then removes them, and Naomi feels the panic bubbling up and she pulls back to look Ethan in the eye.

“Oh, Naomi,” Ethan frowns.

“Don’t stop.”

“You violated the deal, Rookie. You were supposed to be quiet.”

She could cry in this moment, the frustration too much to bear.

“And you were doing so good,” Ethan adds, kissing the side of her head. “You were so close, weren’t you?” He toys with her, his finger sliding up and down her slit, doing nothing more than teasing her entrance.

When she’s back to herself, and not the ridiculous mess of flesh and lust that he’s reduced her to, she’s going to fucking kill him.

A whimper is pulled from her throat when his fingers plunge into her again.

“Come on, Naomi, I’m allowing you to use your words. Tell me how close you are. Let me know how badly you want to cum. You’re right there.”

Naomi really doesn’t not want to give him the satisfaction of begging, stroking his ridiculous ego, but there’s no room for foolish pride when your boyfriend has his hand between your legs.

She moans, broken and terse. Now that she’s finally allowed to talk again, words escape her.

“Please…” is the only speech she’s finally able to muster up. Groundbreaking.

“Please, what? What do you want me to do to you?” His finger thrusts into her again without warning, slow and languid. “Do you want me to do more of this?”

“Yes! Ethan, please dontfuckingstop!” She’s not sure if the words are coherent, but she doesn’t care. She got them out, and that’s what matters.

Ethan smiles, his mission accomplished. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

The teasing doesn’t register because all Naomi can focus on is the pounding of her pulse, the feeling of his hands, the smell of his cologne. She can feel it building again, the fire deep in her core. She’s so close. So cl–

He stops. Again. This time, he wraps an arm around the small of her back and flips them, Naomi’s back hitting the soft down comforter dramatically.

Now she wants to scream at him. “Ethan, I seriously cannot–”

Ethan doesn’t give her a chance to chastise him because in a flash, he’s dropped to his knees, his hands on her ankles pulling her forward on the bed with an unexpected roughness.

“Be as loud as you want now, Naomi. I think you’ve more than earned it.”

His beard scrapes against her inner thigh, and god, she’s glad she convinced him to keep it. Slowly his tongue darts out, flattening against her folds.

Her hips fly off the bed against her will, arching to meet his mouth. Grabbing a fistful of his hair, Naomi pulls, keeping him in place. “Fuck!”

The expletive works as encouragement and Ethan continues this work, his tongue alternating between expertly lapping at her folds and flicking against her clit. Naomi grips his hair tighter, earring a deep growl from Ethan. The vibration alone is enough to send her flying.

“Please, right there,” Naomi begs. If he kept it up just a little while longer, she’d finally get to taste the release he’s denied her.

His fingers nudge at her entrance again, sliding in with ease, and lips wrap around her swollen nub and he sucks hard, and that’s all it takes.

Her orgasm is something that’s long and drawn out, a culmination of teasing, anticipation and sheer relief. Her entire body goes tense as the sensation holds her in a vice grip, and then finally, she relaxes, falling back onto the bed.

“You okay?”

She can’t tell if Ethan’s genuinely asking or if he’s being cocky. It doesn’t matter either way. “I’m dead. You killed me. RIP Naomi.”

“Yeah?”

Naomi nods. “Yeah.”

“Good. Because we’re just getting started, Valentine.”

Ethan stands up and quickly unbuttons his shirt, letting it slide to the floor next to her dress. Next are his shoes and pants. Any other time, Naomi would be right there with him, on him liking a second skin, helping him get rid of the clothes, but every bone in her body feels like it’s been replaced with Jell-O. She’s content just watching this time around.

He slides his boxer-briefs off, not intentionally putting on a show, but Naomi can’t help but stare. For all the compliments he pays her, Ethan, naked and painfully hard with arousal for her and her alone, is a masterpiece.

In a flash, he’s all over her, his hands interlocking with hers above her head, pressing her into the mattress. Ethan captures her in a heated kiss the moment he enters her, swallowing whatever guttural sound she was going to make.

His thrusts start out slow and measured, but they quickly grow more frenzied as his control over the situation slips. Naomi arches, desperate to meet his pace, but she’s crushed under him, pretty much immobile.

Needing to do something, Naomi swings her thigh over him, the heel of her foot pressing into his lower back. The pressure forces him deeper, something she didn’t think was possible.

Her head snaps back pressing further into the mattress and Ethan takes advantage, his mouth finding purchase on the exposed skin, planting hot, open-mouthed kisses along the column of her neck before sinking his teeth in, biting down hard before soothing the flesh with his tongue.

That’s going to leave a mark, but that’s nothing Naomi can bring herself to care about because the mix of pain and pleasure is heady and all-consuming.

The obnoxious bite is a sign. He wants to claim her, mark his territory. She knows he has a possessive streak, but this is new.7

“Ethan, oh god.”

She can feel him smirking against her, and his thrusts pick up in tempo once more. “Say it again,” he demands, groaning into her skin.

“Ethan,” Naomi repeats, her voice going up an octave. He’s about to make her cum again, she can feel it.

He frees her hands, and while she enjoyed the intimacy of the position, she’s glad to be free. Her hands roam, one gripping the hair at the nape of his neck, the other digging into his shoulder blade. His hands grip her hips, somehow pulling her even closer. 

“How close are you?” Ethan asks, his voice gruff.

“V-very.”

The thrusts become sloppier as they both chase the inevitable release. Soon the only sounds that can be heard are their shallow breaths and their slick skin colliding against each other.

Fire floods Ethan’s veins and he reaches between them, pinching at her bundle of nerves once more. A pleasant growl settles in his chest at the way she clenches around him.

“Let go, Naomi,” Ethan demands. “Right now.”

The command is more than enough to send her over the edge again, her body tensing, toes curling. She comes undone with a silent cry, her nails piercing into the skin of his back.

Her release triggers his own. It doesn’t take much, one more deep thrust and he moans, spilling inside of her, hot and urgent.

He rolls off of her and Naomi inhales deeply, not realizing just how crushing his weight was. Neither one of them says anything for a while, just trying to catch their breath and get their heart rates back down.

“Fuck,” Naomi says, still shaky and breathless. She turns her head and looks at Ethan with a smirk. “I should get you jealous more often.”

~v~

The couple takes their time getting dressed again, not yet ready to go back downstairs. They lazed around in bed for a while before taking the world’s quickest shower and searching for their clothes that are scattered around the suite.

“How long have we been gone?” Naomi asks, sliding on her shoes.

“Too long.”

“I know my friends are wondering where the hell I am.”

“I’m sure you’ll find an excuse.”

 “Of course. I’m nothing if not quick on my feet.” Naomi turns around and sees Ethan readjusting his bow tie in the mirror. She walks over and leans into his side. “Is it bad that I just want to stay up here with you?”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“What if I want to tempt you?”

Ethan groans and drops a kiss onto the side of Naomi’s head. “You little seductress. Don’t you have an auction to be a part of?”

“About that, I wasn’t thinking. If you’re really uncomfortable, I won’t do it.”

Ethan dismisses the statement with a hand wave. “Nonsense. You’re a big girl, I trust you, and if you want to do it, you should. Besides, I have a feeling you’re going to make this hospital a lot of money.”

“Okay.” She spins around and poses dramatically. “How do I look?

“Like you just got thoroughly ravished by your boyfriend. Absolutely perfect.”

Naomi makes it back down to the ballroom by herself. It’s later in the evening, so more people are out on the dance floor, and the drinks are still flowing.

Sienna is the first one to spot her. “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you. Were you getting any of my texts?”

“Sorry, Si. I haven’t checked my phone all night.”

“Where the heck have you been?” She asks.

Naomi shrugs, noncommittal. “Wandering around mostly. This hotel is huge, I almost got lost.”

“What happened to your hair?”

Naomi touches the crown of her head. While she was getting freshened up, the humidity of the shower made her curls come back, so she decided to throw it in a messy bun.

“I got really warm,” Naomi explains. “It was too much effort to keep it down, and it was making my neck and back hot.”

Sienna seems to believe the excuse because she simply shrugs and nods. “Okay!” She grabs Naomi’s hand and drags her along. “Come one, Dr. Banerji says it’s almost time to start the auction.”

All of the people participating in the people auction line up on stage, as Naveen acts as the emcee.

It wasn’t just people auctioning themselves off for dates. A Celtics player offered up seats in the VIP suite at their arena, restaurants offering certificates to get private dining experiences, Ethan even offered up his box seats at the Citizens Bank Opera House for one evening.

When they got to actually auctioning off dates, Bryce was naturally a hit, with two women bidding back and forth until $1500 was reached.

“And for our next participant of the evening, we have Dr. Naomi Valentine!”

Naomi steps up to the podium next to Naveen and she’s met with polite applause from the audience. She’s never been shy before, but being part of the crowd and looking down on them are two different experiences.

“Let’s start the bidding at $100.”

“$100!”

“$150!”

“$150, do I hear $200?”

“$250!”

“Someone’s eager!” Naveen teases. “How about $275?”

$400!”

“$450!”

This goes on for a while, various men throwing out numbers, vying for Naomi’s hand.

“$2000!” Naomi scans the crowd and sees it's the guy she was dancing with earlier before Ethan cut in Carl Something or Another.

“$2000! $2000 going once, going twice–”

“$15,000!”

The number is so not what Naomi was expecting to hear, she nearly loses her balance. Holy shit, someone wanted to spend that much money? On her?

Murmurs fill the crowd as the guests all turn to one another, gossiping aloud.

“$15,000 going once, going twice, sold!” Naveen scans the audience and chuckles. “Sold to Edenbrooks’ very own Dr. Ethan Ramsey! Step up and come greet your date, son!”

Naomi’s eyes nearly bug out of her head as Ethan saunters onto the stage, a lopsided grin on his face. Naomi can feel the arrogance rolling off of him in waves.

All of the Edenbrook employees in attendance immediately begin talking. Of course there was talk of Ethan and Naomi maybe being a thing, but this confirms it.

“What on earth are you doing?” She asks, looking around. Everyone’s staring at them.

“Bidding.”

“A small down payment on a house?”

“What? I can afford it.” Ethan shrugs. “Besides, you couldn’t have possibly thought I was going to let someone else get this honor.”

Naomi narrows her eyes at him and laughs. “You know, you’re really crazy when you’re acting possessive and jealous.”

“I know.” Ethan steps forward and wraps an arm around Naomi’s waist. “And you love it.”

“I kind of do.”

He kisses her, earning a few whoops and whistles – and one rogue “Get it, Nay!” from Sienna – from the crowd. When he pulls away, the apples of Naomi’s cheeks are a deep red, not used to this level of attention all at once.

“So, now that I’ve proved my point, how about we get out of here? I think I need to take you on a date that’s worth $15,000.”

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Salutations to you, random people on the internet who most likely won't read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

Gonna be honest, I didn't think The Falcon and the Winter Soldier needed to be a full-length TV series. I mean, if Spider-Man can discover that he didn't have to replace Iron Man in a two-hour and nine-minute long movie, then the Falcon can learn he can't replace Steve Rogers in the same amount of time, right? I was excited, don't get me wrong, but I didn't know how they can fit a plot for a movie into a six-hour-long series. Unlike WandaVision, which needed to be a TV show to get those TV homages right for each episode, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier didn’t sound like something that would honestly work better as a film. But, once it started airing, and my excitement increased each week, I can positively say that it would not have worked as successfully if it wasn't a TV series.

Unfortunately, I'll have to get into spoilers to explain why, but trust me when I say that if you haven't checked it out yet, you definitely should. Because I'm about to dive in (or fly in) as I explain why The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is easily in the top tier MCU projects.

WHAT I LIKE

Sam Wilson: If WandaVision was about developing Wanda, then The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is about developing Sam. He might share the spotlight with Bucky, but this is so clearly Sam's story. It's his journey of becoming the new Captain America that gets more of a focus, and it is one of the best aspects of the series. And as I said, it's similar to Spider-Man's journey in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Sure, this time, it's more about stepping up to the mantle, but both Sam and Peter have to learn how to be their own hero rather than replace the one left behind. In Sam's case, it's more than just being the new Captain America, but also being the black Captain America. I'll talk more about the implications of that later, but for now, all I'll say is that it was so engaging seeing Sam accept his role. Plus, even though Sam tries to carry Steve's title, that doesn't mean he's Steve Rogers 2.0. He has his own ardor and personality as Captain America, on top of still representing the aspects of what that title entails. Partial credit for that goes to Anthony Mackie, who does a phenomenal job of portraying a man who's inspirational and charming in all forms of hell. I'd salute him as much as I'd want to have a beer with him...except not really because I refuse to touch a single drop of alcohol. But Sam Wilson would make me consider it! Because he's that good of a character.

Bucky Barnes: Much like Vision in WandaVision, Bucky takes the sidelines as Sam acts as the main face of the series. Unlike Vision, however, Bucky's story seems more like its own thing rather than something that's connected with his co-star. In a way, it's better, but it also seems worse. Because without having it be locked with Sam's story, Bucky's is still compelling as it develops him further in his own way. His journey may not be as engaging as Sam's, but it's still entertaining enough to watch his own narrative get continued in small spurts. Although, the fact that Bucky's story has little to do with Sam's does have the unfortunate side-effect that he doesn't need to be there. His inclusion is very much welcomed, but I feel like Bucky dealing with his own guilt and trauma as the Winter Soldier could be something that can fill up its own series rather than half of one. That being said, Bucky absolutely needs to be in this show. The emotional turmoil that Sabastian Stan portrays so well hits hard, and his dry humor works for some comedic highlights. Bucky's half of the story might be unnecessary for plot reasons, but it is unquestionably necessary for enjoyment.

There’s a lot of talking: This seems like a misstep, especially since most superhero shows are bogged down by characters talking to pad out the run time. Although, the dialogue in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is more like the dialogue in the series Daredevil. There are more words than action, but nearly every line is so incredibly engaging that I do not care. Sam and his sister talking to a banker about getting a loan might not sound as entertaining as Sam being in an air chase against terrorists, but I surprisingly held onto every word being said due to how well-acted it was. Plus, these discussions help make these characters more human on top of making the world feel believable. I understand the argument of show don't tell, but to me, as long as the dialogue is written well enough and said convincingly, I can learn to live with it.

The Flag Smashers: The concept of the Flag Smashers intrigues me. The idea that a group of people believes things were actually better when half the world got turned to dust is a perfect concept for the MCU to explore. In fact, this is the third story in a row that dives deep into the consequences of what happened post-Infinity War and Endgame, and I'm all for it! The universe is forever changed by this one big event, and it's not going to be irrelevant anytime soon. For the Flag Smashers, they offer the most striking glimpse of how the world is forever changed. Now, I'll admit, after seeing doom and gloom in Avengers: Endgame, it would be better to see the benefits of the Blip that characters claim to have existed rather than told about them. But seeing how there were dozens of fans who made the audacious claim that Thanos was right, I don't consider it too far of a stretch to believe that the Flag Smashers could exist. Especially since the arguments that characters present do seem persuasive enough. It's only the actions that the group makes that derail any sense of the discussion. But in a good way...for the most part. But I’ll get into that later too.

The Reveal of the new “Captain America”: This was the dirtiest, sickening punch in the gut that the first episode could have ended on...and I love it!

John Walker: I often find the best antagonists are the ones I'm willing to psychologically analyze. That's John Walker in a nutshell. He is an arrogant ass who deserved to get slapped around when taking things too far. Yet, I always find myself coming back to those scenes where he seems conflicted about becoming the new Captain America. I get a sense that he genuinely wants to do the right thing and those moments when he asks if he is all but confirms it. John's problem is the constant support he's given by his friends. I'd argue that building his ego is the very reason why he gets frustrated so quickly by people denying him, as he often reacts like a toddler who throws a tantrum when a parent makes the "mistake" of saying “no.” This is why it's satisfying seeing people more powerful than John kick the s**t out of him because it results in his ego going through a well-needed deflation. Still, the constant frustrations he has for not being respected as the new Captain America makes his further descent into insanity all the more appealing to watch. Because him taking the super-soldier serum proves Dr. Erskine's theory is true: "Good becomes great. Bad becomes worse."

...And this is why the writers dropped the ball when trying to make John Walker redeemable. It's exceptional if that was the intention. After all, I did say there were glimpses of a man who wanted to become great, not worse. However, given what John does in later episodes, we're going to need more than glimpses to believe his switch from bad to good. Especially since his decision to set his anger aside to suddenly help people is a little too unbelievable for my tastes given how fast it happens. It's not an awful decision. It's just one that needed a bit more polish. I still find John Walker an incredible character regardless, but I don't blame people for being a tad more hesitant given how poorly paced his redemption arc came across as.

Readapting “Star-Spangled Man”: I adore this for two reasons.

Reason #1: It's a solid callback to Captain America: The First Avenger, which I will always stand by as my favorite Captain America movie.

Reason #2: It proves how much John Walker doesn't understand what it means to be Captain America. When Steve did this song and dance routine in his movie, he hated it. Better yet, Steve despised it. Because he wasn't helping anybody. He was just being a dancing monkey to appeal to civilians, and you see how much he regrets doing it with each show. For John, he relishes the whole thing, because of course, he would! John loves having his ego appealed to, and this routine is doing nothing but inflates it. It's a solid case of visual storytelling to prove to the audience just how disconnected John is from being Captain America. Steve or Sam wouldn't have done this, because being a hero is more than respect and adoration. It's about actually doing the right thing. A lesson that John desperately needs to learn.

Sam’s and Bucky’s bromance: You remember how I said that Bucky's dry sense of humor can be a comedic highlight? Well, that's only second rate to the times he and Sam bicker like an old married couple. Whether it's because of the writing, directing, or Makie’s and Stan's natural chemistry, seeing Sam and Bucky interact with each other is always a blast to see. And on top of being funny, there are these well-handled moments of drama shared between both characters that make their relationship convincing. It's why you can't have this series without Bucky, despite it so clearly being Sam's story that gets the more focus. Because without either character, we would miss out on some entertaining interactions that I wouldn't trade for anything else for this series.

Isaiah Bradely: Well, this character was a pleasant surprise. Although, "pleasant" might not be the right word because every scene with Isaiah is absolutely gut-wrenching in all the right ways. Carl Lumbly gives a phenomenal performance for a character that has been beaten down, with very little hope he has for any change that matters for his race. Plus, his backstory may not be as unbelievable as you might think. Between 1932-1972, America performed what is known as the Tuskegee Experiment. Scientists tested the effects of syphilis by injecting it into African Americans, telling them that they were receiving free health care when they didn't. So the idea that scientists tested super-soldier serums on African Americans, not knowing the dangerous effects, is not that far of a stretch. Neither is the knowledge that a black man was disrespected despite fighting hard for his country. If you researched African American history, you'll find that this type of horse s**t happens way more times than it should. It is heartbreaking, and Isaiah Bradley represents all of it. Thus making the little Isaiah exhibit in the Captain America museum all the more tear jerking just because of how sweet it is to see him get some semblance of a win. This level of discussion of what it means to be an African American is something I never expected with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but I greatly appreciate it nonetheless. What's even better is that these discussions don't end with Isaiah.

The discussions of racism: Again, this was something I didn't expect, but grateful for it nonetheless. I mean, I should have expected it given that one of the co-stars is black, but given how the story was about Sam being the new Captain America, I didn't think discussion of racism and racial injustice would come into play. Turns out that I was naive to think those things are separate. The burden of being a black Captain America is something that not many white people, including myself, consider a big deal. But looking at America's past and how others react to any African American in power, you realize that, yes, it is a big deal. Isaiah, and several real-life POCs in history, prove that America doesn't respond well to a person of color being better than the average white man. So it is easily reasonable to believe that there would be issues with a black man becoming a symbol of what America should be. Hell, I'm willing to bet that there were issues when this happened in the comics way back when. Not because of some bulls**t about how it doesn't fit with the character or story, but solely because they can't handle a black Captain America. And if you don't believe something like this wouldn't happen to someone like Sam Wilson, look back to that scene with the police who didn't know he was the Falcon. This crap happens every day, and it's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that shines a light on it. Despite being something I didn't expect, the talks of racism are very much appreciated. And I'm as pale white as an introverted vampire. I can't even begin to comprehend how the African American community must feel about all of this.

Zemo: Who the f**k expected this guy to be one of the best things in the series?!

Seriously, from Captain America: Civil War, I wasn't too into Zemo as a character. I loved the idea that this powerless guy tore apart the world's greatest superheroes through intelligence and coercion. But his needlessly complicated plan and stale personality weren't enough to win me over. So when he returned, I expected to dread every minute of it. Little did I know that Zemo's comeback would skyrocket him into top-tier MCU villain territory!

Zemo is a character that, despite "helping" our heroes, still works on his own agenda. He might put them on the right path and occasionally assist in a fight, but only because he still won't stop at anything to make sure fewer super powered individuals are in the world. Because that's the thing about Zemo: His motivation was fine and understandable to a point, but his personality was flawed in Civil War. Here, I finally see how Zemo can work. Despite having no power, he uses his mind to look for any angle to control the situation, gaining an advantage even if it is for a short time. For instance, while he can't harm Sam or Bucky without risking his own life or jeopardizing his temporary freedom, he can still annoy the hell out of them. Like when he forced Sam into a situation where he had to drink literal snake juice. It's actually a ton of fun to watch, and I'm honestly glad that Zemo gets to live to see tomorrow. It means that he might make another return, and I can't wait to see what's in store for him in the future. Which is something I didn't think I'd say five years ago.

The Dora Milaje: It was actually pretty cool seeing these characters make an appearance, notably when they slapped around John Walker like it was nothing. Although, a part of me wonders that if Chadwick Boseman hadn't died last year, we would get to see T'Challa himself make an appearance. This lines up with the character, as I can see him dropping everything to hunt down the man who killed his father. Which would be just as awesome, if not slightly more so, to see. Still, we work with what life gives us. And what it gave are awesome cameos that make the MCU feel more inclusive about its characters rather than limiting them to their specific sections in the universe.

Walker killing the Flag Smasher: There is something so wrong with seeing that shield stained with blood. 'Cause here's the thing: Captain American can kill. He's a soldier. It's expected for a soldier to take lives for the sake of justice. What John Walker did isn't justice. It was vengeance. Vengeance that is fueled by anger rather than the need to do the right thing. Because when Captain America leads an army to kill the man who whipped out half the universe, that's fighting for a just cause. But when “Captain America” kills a man, the wrong man, for killing his best friend, that is an act of selfishness that no one would see your side on. And it was the final nail in the coffin that proves how John Walker does not deserve that shield.

Sam and Bucky vs. John: This might just be the best fight in the entire series. Not only is it so satisfying to see John Walker get everything that he deserves, but the whole thing was pretty intense to watch. After seeing what John can do with that shield, it makes moments when Sam and Bucky barely dodge his attacks with it all the more blood-rushing to see. Plus, Civil War's motif playing the background is another solid callback that fits well narratively since this is technically two superheroes fighting another superhero. It's an incredible scene that was worth the wait of four hour-long episodes to see.

Setting up Joaquín Torres as the new Falcon: I don't know if Marvel will follow through with this or even if they should. That being said, if they do, I'm all for it. Joaquín already seems like a pretty fun character, and his interactions with Sam show there's enough chemistry there to give Captain America a new wingman. I probably won't lose sleep if he doesn't become the new Falcon, but I'll still be excited regardless.

Madame Hydra: I know that she has an actual name, but I refuse to remember it due to how long and convoluted it is.

Anywho, we get a small glimpse of who Madame Hydra is as a character, but already I'm intrigued. She seems to have a fun personality, added by Julia Louis-Dreyfus' dry energy. Whether this is set up for the next big bad or just introducing a fun character, I'm interested. Madame Hydra was already a blast in the short amount of time she was in the show, and I can't wait to see what future installments have in store for her.

“Louisiana Hero”: Or as I like to call it, "Sam's Hero Theme." Because while this is the track that plays for the intro, it still shows up when Sam is training as the new Captain America. Not only is it insanely catchy, but I love that you hear a hint of the theme of Captain America: The First Avenger, yet "Louisiana Hero" is still very much its own thing. And that's another reason why I consider it Sam's motif because it fits precisely with the character. Sam is a person who has a hint of the good man that Steve was but still does his own thing when wearing the stars and stripes. Not a copy, but still heavily influenced by the original. So kudos to Henry Jackman for creating a musical piece that fits so well with a character far better than any other themes or motifs prevalent in the MCU. Because, let's be honest, there aren't that many.

Sam’s new suit: ...I mean, it looks cool. Kinda corny at times, sure, but points for comic accuracy.

Sam Carrying Karli: I mean, look at it.

This looks like something that should be painted and hung up on a wall due to how beautiful it looks.

Sam’s Speech: Two meaningful things are going on with this speech.

First, it proves once and for all that Sam Wilson is Captain America. He doesn't just fight for his country. He also believes the government that runs it should take accountability for any missteps before dealing with something worse than a person who took the term "rebellious teenager" into an extreme.

Second, it is so satisfying seeing Captain America tell government officials off about unjust treatment. Even if it does diddly-squat about anything in the real world, it's still a big moment that's effective because of the bulls**t that happens every day. It's far from an actual win, but it still feels good (I hope). And that still counts for something, right?

“We’ll need a U.S. Agent”: Credit to Louis-Dreyfus for saying a stupid cornball of a name and making it sound...not that.

WHAT I DISLIKE

Still running that Marvel Studios logo in every episode: It's still a nitpick, but its still annoying. It's alright if you want to use the full fanfare for the first episode, but at least shorten it for the rest of the season. Please? For the love of all that is holy?

The CGI: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has some pretty...not great CGI. It's not as awful as the CG in the DC shows on the CW, but it is way too easy to tell what looks real and what doesn't. Failing to make CGI convincing has been a problem in the MCU for a while, as most of the time, characters barely look like they really exist in the scene. To me, I compare it to when Red vs. Blue switches between actual animation and Machinima. The CG models stick out like a sore thumb to the in-game models, but at least it looks cool. Because while I don't believe that I'm seeing an actual man with bird wings flying through a canyon while chasing helicopters...it still looks cool. Still, not many people would be as forgiving as I am to this type of thing, so it's onto the dislikes it goes.

The direction of the action: Now I want to clarify that I have no problems with the action itself. Some fight scenes are pretty cool while also added with some exciting set-pieces that kept me engaged the whole way through. It's just the direction of the action that I have issues with. The camera is always shaky with so many cuts that it's hard to follow half the time. It's an understandable technique to hide the stunt double's faces or to make it look like it really is the actual actor who's doing the fighting. The issue is that once you know a show like Daredevil exists, with its plethora of well-directed action, the cracks in the armor become much more noticeable for a series like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Karli Morgenthau: Karli...frustrates me. Because on the one hand, Erin Kellyman does an impeccable job at portraying the heartbreak, frustrations, and determination that Karli has when fighting for her cause. On the other hand, Karli's cause is so layered with hypocrisy that it's hard to understand her position. She wants to prove how the world was better during the Blip, saying that everyone was happier then. So why do things like blow people up and kill “Captain America?” I get the latter. The guy's a d**k. But to prove to people how better things were, is death and destruction really the best choice to get that point across? I get the mentality of how people respond better to a harmful fist rather than a tranquil hand, but really, has that mentality ever worked out either? 

However, you could argue that her hypocrisy is fueled by the super-soldier serum, with the "good becomes great and bad becomes worse" theory that John all but confirms. Although, unlike John, we never got to see Karli pre-serum, so we don't know how much it really had affected her. With John, it's easy as many scenes indicate how close he was to snapping and murdering someone who disrespects him. We don't get that for Karli and are left to assume she was already crazy about thinking how intense violence can show the world how great things were during the Blip.

Then again, that could be the plan. Show how a person with the best intentions is ultimately wrong, given the lengths they go through to accomplish them. It worked for Thanos, so it should work here. And it would have...if not for Sam saying that Karli has a point. Because for the main hero to say that the villain is correct, you have to show them doing more good than bad. I understand the mentality Karli, and the Flag Smashers, have. But by doing nothing but committing crimes and violence, any point they have is discredited. Take note of the fact that nobody but nutcases on the internet says that Thanos has a point. Because he doesn't. He's a maniacal supervillain who does something so intense that nobody should be on his side. It's similar with Karli, but because we're apparently supposed to agree with her, she doesn't work as well.

...DO YOU SEE WHY SHE'S FRUSTRATING?! Because while I can see how she can be an incredible character, there are so many holes in how she works that I fail to appreciate any of it. And seeing how she's the main antagonist, a character who takes up a good chunk of the screen time, it's not a good thing that she tends to flounder more times than she should. I want to like Karli, but given everything that's wrong with her, I just can't.

Rewriting Sharon as the Power Broker: This is an intriguing idea met with a mixed execution. You see, I like the idea of a character who was once an ally becoming a villain, yet the heroes have no clue about it whatsoever. It creates solid dramatic irony, but only if done well. With Sharon, it's not really done well. It genuinely feels like her character was changed radically to give her this personality. A fun personality, I'll add, but one that comes across as really jarring when looking back at her previous appearance. Don't get me wrong, a character's current personality feeling so radically different from their previous one can work a treat, but only when we see them go through point A to point B. We're told about the s**t that went down with Sharon, but unlike understanding the mentality of the Flag Smashers, her personality change would have been more effective if we saw it. So while I like the idea of Sharon becoming another big bad in the future, I would have liked it more if we saw her decline into possible villainy.

------------

By using my usual scoring system for MCU shows and movies, I'd give this season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier a solid 8/10. There are problems. Quite a lot of problems. Hell, even the stuff I like comes with a fair share of issues. It's just a matter of asking yourself, "Do I like some parts more than I dislike them?" For me, I find myself enjoying much more than I didn't. It's not perfect by any means, but while it definitely falters at times, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a series that soars to great heights. You might not be in love with it, but you’ll have a helluva good time regardless.

Now if you don't excuse me, it's time I swap from one superhero series to another as I share my more in-depth thoughts on--

[thedeaditeslayer]

Exclusive interview: Bruce Campbell is having a renaissance.

Here’s a highly recommended interview which discusses what Bruce Campbell has in store for fans in the future.

Bruce Campbell is experiencing a creative renaissance, of sorts. In a recent chat with the actor, he discussed a return to his horror roots, cutting a comedy album with Ted Raimi and so much more.

Bruce Campbell hasn’t been idle during his time in self-isolation. The actor has been experiencing a creative renaissance of sorts. So, we figured now would be a perfect time to reach out and get some of our burning questions answered.

With so much uncertainty in the entertainment industry at present, rumors are running rampant. We gave Campbell a chance to clear the air so to speak and address some of the myriad of questions that fans have regarding Mortal Kombat 11, the latest Evil Dead incarnation, Ripley’s and whether or not he will work with Sam Raimi in front of the camera again.

The actor also surprised us with some monumental news. He will be returning to his horror roots with the sequel to My Name Is Bruce as well as several other projects that he has on his docket including a comedy album with one of his closest friends.

Get comfy, grab your favorite beverage and let’s catch up with Bruce Campbell.

Mortal Kombat 11, Ripley’s and the State of the Industry

1428 Elm: Thanks for speaking with us, Bruce. It’s always a pleasure. We have so many things to discuss. Recently, a site came out and said that you were definitely going to be Ash in Mortal Kombat 11. It seemed like a done deal the way it was reported. Can you comment on that?

Bruce Campbell: I probably shouldn’t emphasize yes or no because I don’t know. I have not been told. If it is not through my agent or proper channels than it usually means its wishful thinking.

1428 Elm: Apparently, an email from Warner Brothers Interactive was sent to a well-known entertainment site and Ash as well as Army of Darkness was mentioned in it with the trademark from MGM.

BC: The reason why it may not happen, just so you and the readers can know this, a lot of time for legal purposes, that character cannot appear in other things because of the license. If you can’t make a deal, that character is not going to show up. So, we may have been talked to about it.

But I do know with MGM that handles the Army of Darkness licensing that they’re hasn’t been a discussion with them about it. They’re pretty touchy. We have to be careful of ownership.

I honestly don’t know. I think I would have heard something. It’s not like my agent books me without consulting with me.

Even if Mortal Kombat came to me and said they want to put me in it, you still have to make a deal. If my agent says, “Bruce Campbell wants a hundred billion dollars,” and then they say no, the deal is dead.

The answer is we don’t know. No point in beating around about that.

1428 Elm: You might not be able to discuss this but what’s going on with Ripley’s Believe It or Not!? Will there be a Season 2?

BC: We’re one and done. It’s not your father’s Travel Channel anymore. If I wanted to host a ghost hunting show, I’d be on the air right now.

Ripley’s was made for the older school Travel Channel like Drive-Ins and Dive Bars where you go to wacky places around the country. There is a big push for paranormal, mystery and science-fiction, Discovery type stuff. I think we just “out aged” ourselves.

1428 Elm: It would have been nice if the Science Channel would have picked it up.

BC: It’s all good. I remain philosophical about all shows that come and go. There are so many factors involved. You change executives and things change, companies get bought and sold and things change, ratings aren’t what you expected…

After this virus, we’re going to see what shape the motion picture industry is in. It’s going to be a wounded beast. Projects are going to go away.

You’re going to have fewer tentpole movies too. I am hopeful we’ll have a return to low budget filmmaking.

That’s what I hope comes out of it. Each studio will start a low budget division and spend the money wisely.

Number One on the Charts with a Bullet

BC (Cont.): In the meantime, what is nice, I’m finishing up a couple of projects. I’m hoping by the end of the year to put a book of essays out and a comedy album with Ted Raimi.

1428 Elm: A comedy album?

BC: Yeah, we finished it. I’m in post-production on it. I’m putting all the sound effects in now.

1428 Elm: That sounds great!

BC: Who knows? We’ve never done one before so we’re going to find out.

1428 Elm: So, you guys are harkening back to the 1960’s when comedians like Bob Newhart had hit albums?

BC: It’s our version of that. I used to listen to the top comedy albums during the 60’s and 70’s. I wouldn’t dare compare myself to any of the masters like Mel Brooks and the 2,000-Year-Old Man with Carl Reiner. We gave it a shot. I love audio and I like radio plays.

Bruce Campbell vs the Classic Monsters

1428 Elm: So, tell us what is going on with your political satire, House Divided. Are you still working on pitching that once everything gets back to business as usual?

BC: It will be on the sales block. It’s a harder sell. There’s no blood. It’s not a horror movie, it’s a political satire. Associating Bruce Campbell with political satire isn’t the first thing investors whip out their checkbooks for.

To combat that, I just finished writing a sequel to My Name Is Bruce. The idea is we want to take Bruce and have him go through each of the classic film monsters. The sequel is Bruce vs Frankenstein.

We’re done. I finished my draft and sent it to Mike Richardson, my partner at Dark Horse Comics. We’re actively looking for money on that one. It is the Expendables of Horror. I fully intend to load the cast with so many familiar horror faces. It should be a lot of fun.

It would be a cavalcade of genre stars, old, young, on TV now. We really want to cover the bases. A lot of people will be getting killed. Guest star kills. Basically, Bruce bumbles his way into being a hero.

1428 Elm: Will you have to go through Universal to get permission to use the classic monsters?

BC: Some stuff is public domain. I’m not a lawyer but we would figure out a way to do this.

I think the bolts on Frankenstein’s neck are trademarked, as well as certain looks. But you can make a Frankenstein. That story is under public domain.

It’s also a parody of a Frankenstein movie and that gives a lot of leeway legally as well. I don’t think you can say, “Wolfman,” but I think you can say Bruce vs the Werewolf. This is my version of the Bob Hope road movies.

Ted has two parts; I have two parts for Robert Englund and I have a couple of parts for Kane Hodder. If they’re a name, I am going to put them in it.

After we come out of the zombie apocalypse that we’re in and everyone gets back to work, that is what I will be actively pitching. There’s plenty going on. So, I have been self-isolating in a constructive way.

It’s an Evil Dead World

1428 Elm: We’re curious about the 1970’s period piece that you were working on when we talked to you last year. What happened with that?

BC: It’s currently on my action board. I will eventually get to it. I am going to finish my book of essays first and then I am going to get to that one.

The story is set in 1979. The idea behind it is what would have happened if us raising money for Evil Dead went horribly, horribly wrong. It becomes a horror movie in and of itself.

1428 Elm: How did this idea come to fruition?

BC: I was going through projects in my computer. People who have a lot of downtime do spring cleaning. Clean out your woodshed, toolshed when you have extra time. In this case, I went to the head of my projects folder.

This one popped up and it was just an outline that I had written 15 years ago. I thought, wait a minute, this is pretty well thought out.

In the 70’s, filmmaking was real, you didn’t have a lot of options. You had to get cameras from a certain place, you had to have insurance. There were a lot of steps that you had to take that made the process really difficult.

I remember making calls for money from payphones in blizzards and s*** like that. You had to leave messages, you’re getting busy signals, you’re not texting anyone. There are no computers, there’s no email, its old school. You sent things in the mail.

Today, filmmaking is not difficult. I can go to a store and buy a 4K camera. I can make a movie with $5,000 worth of equipment. Probably less.

1428 Elm: Well, you can do it on your phone too. Sam Raimi is on Quibi now with 50 States of Fright, which is entertainment tailored to your device. If his series continues once everything settles, do you think there’s a chance you might appear on the show?

BC: Never say never, that’s all verbally at this point. They have to succeed; they have to survive. Any new format, any new platform, I’m game and if Sam’s involved all the more reason.

1428 Elm: Have you ever thought of doing anything like Quibi?

BC: Not yet. I’m used to writing 90-page screenplays with a three-act format. I can adapt anything too.

I was thinking the other day, I have a few screenplays that might be tough sells but maybe I might convert them to a fricking novel and put them out as books. There’s lots to do. I’ve got plenty going on.

1428 Elm: Has the current situation affected the new Evil Dead? We remember that you talked about possibly going into production at the end of this year. Is that pushed back like everything else?

BC: No, not really. It was so early in the stages that we can keep going. I just read the first official draft today. So, then we’ll give notes and additional writing will take place.

Then you have to budget the thing so you know how much money you need to raise and then you have to get the money. Nothing will stop any of that.

You can make calls for money, you can send the script to people, you can do budgets. The only thing that will be affected will be the actual start date. Which we didn’t know anyway. We may end up not being delayed at all.

Many thanks to Bruce Campbell for chatting with us.

[aion-rsa]

Shameless Season 11 Episode 9 Review: Survivors

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This Shameless review contains spoilers.

Shameless Season 11 Episode 9

“The only thing that’s permanent is impermanence. Change is the only constant…”

Change is not an easy thing. This entire farewell season of Shameless has functioned as an examination of change from many different angles, but the characters have reached a point where they have to stop running and confront these developments now that there are only three episodes left in the series. 

“Survivors” is a busy episode that puts every character outside of their comfort zone and in the middle of transformations of various severities. 

Kevin taking over parenting duties for an afternoon or Carl’s transfer to another police department are hardly as drastic as Vee’s mother moving from Chicago or the ultimate fate of the Gallagher home, but they all light a fire under everyone in the same way. The Gallaghers are a resilient family of lovable cockroaches, but “Survivors” pushes the message that if you don’t move with the changes then the changes will definitely move you.

The past few episodes of Shameless have largely been preoccupied with the sad decline of Terry Milkovich, which has also functioned as a strong counterpoint to the Gallaghers’ own situation with Frank’s health. Terry is now gone, but his spirit heavily lingers in “Survivors” and it drives forward some of the episode’s most rewarding material. Mickey casually echoed the sentiment, “family is family,” a few episodes back  and Terry’s death has prompted Mickey to truly stand by these words. It leads to some growth that surprises Mickey more than anyone and he’s constantly at odds with the confusing and raw feelings that bombard him all episode.

Mickey is typically one of Shameless’ broader characters and this season has thrown him into several caricature-like situations that take advantage of his no filter attitude. Sincerity is not typically the character’s strong suit, yet Mickey’s free floating grief over his dad is actually compelling, new territory for him. He and Ian involve themselves with an earnest and sweet story that does manage to humanize Terry in a way and almost act as an “origin story” for his despicable racism. 

Some of Noel Fisher’s best work from the entire series is in this episode as he wistfully reminisces over horrendous moments from his childhood. It becomes a little repetitive, but Ian’s deadpan reactions to Mickey’s “precious moments” all land and it’s a refreshing change of pace to have Ian act as this grounded foil. Mickey’s turn as the sympathetic one in this adventure is also the right approach. Mickey and Ian’s characterization was a little questionable at the start of this season, but it’s comforting to see these past few episodes really hit the sweet spot of their relationship.

Frank launches into an important chapter from his past just as Ian and Mickey get to learn more about Terry’s younger years. Frank’s plan is considerably more maudlin than Terry’s elegy over unrequited love. The idea that Lip is selling the house stays in Frank’s head long enough that he launches a scheme to get the necessary money to just purchase the house himself. Frank has been involved with lots of ridiculous shenanigans over the course of Shameless, but none have been as deluded as a plan to rob the Art Institute of Chicago. This would be a near impossible task for even an accomplished thief, so a severely impaired Frank doesn’t seem like he has the best odds of turning this scheme into a reality.

“Survivors” has some fun as Frank tries to get the (literally) old gang back together, but this wild pipe dream transforms into a morbid reality check for Frank. He’s surrounded with signs of decay and he’s unexpectedly forced to come to terms with how he’s also at the end of his rope. Frank gets caught up on if he’ll still have an effective wheelman for his art heist when he should appreciate that he somehow still has people in his corner that care about him. Frank’s family is infinitely more valuable than some treasure.

Some of the most interesting moments from this season of Shameless involve Frank’s frailty and how everyone treats him after they become aware of his diagnosis. It gives each of his interactions a little extra impact and pathos. “Survivors” chips away at the idea of Frank’s legacy in yet another interesting fashion, yet in the end it seems like he was somehow able to pull off this art heist entirely by himself?

Speaking of crime, Lip was fully at odds with Brad in the previous episode and ready to take things into seriously dark territory, but now they’re pulled together more tightly than ever before. Their volatile situation becomes even more combustible after they learn that their former employer has deep ties with the mafia because it seems like 90% of Chicago is corrupt according to this season of Shameless. The awkward Godfather-esque music cue that’s used when Lip and Brad meet the crime family also doesn’t improve upon the scenario in the way that the episode thinks that it does. It’s a very unusual way to seemingly resolve the heavy danger that’s followed Lip for a quarter of the season.

On the other side of the law, Carl’s reckless act of altruism with the vice squad reunites him with his former partner on the eviction squad. It’s nice to have Joshua Malina back in this nebbish role and it seemed strange to just have him pop in for a single episode before. His new zen attitude about destiny raises some superfluous questions for Carl, but the character doesn’t feel that different from before and this material fails to amount to much. Carl’s work for the police has made for rewarding character development, but his constant rotation throughout Chicago’s police departments is beginning to feel repetitive and aimless. 

Between Carl’s work on the eviction unit and the prospect of the Gallagher house going up for sale there’s a lot of focus on whether the lack of a home means the lack of a family. Vee finds herself in a situation that oddly parallels the Gallaghers’ current instability when her mom moves away from Chicago and tries to establish new roots in Louisville. Vee is mostly critical that her mother’s actions are impulsive and that they won’t last. She worries about losing a connection with her mother and it becomes another situation where everyone is so caught up on what they might lose that they lose stock of what they already have. Veronica’s maturity with her mother gets juxtaposed with Kevin’s complete regression and failure to parent for less than 24 hours. It does not go well and it’s slightly misguided that this parental disaster ends as a punchline and not a cautionary tale. 

Vee’s mom has a fancy new house in Louisville, but Liam is still left worrying if he’ll have any home at all if the Gallagher residence goes on the market. In perfect Liam fashion he attempts to resolve his paranoia over the future in a manner that’s more professional than every other Gallagher. There’s an inherent comedic nature during Liam’s attempts to get put into a foster home or become adopted so that he’ll have a place to live after his house gets sold. 

They’re exaggerated moments, but Liam’s concern is very real and it remains impressive to see how self-sufficient he’s become. He continually thinks rationally about the future while his siblings ward off the mob and pray that they don’t have any sexually-transmitted diseases. Honestly, put Liam in charge of the family and they’ll be thriving within six months.

All of the chaos in “Survivors” begins and ends because of Lip’s stubborn attitude over selling the house. Lip’s insistence to force his family to move just because his life is imploding is still super problematic, but thankfully everyone finally just talks to each other and gets their fears and doubts out in the open. The final moments of “Survivors” are genuinely nice and it’s long overdue that Lip actually communicates and listens to the people that he cares about. 

It’s really sweet that Lip promises Liam that he’ll be a part of his home and that the family’s sense of community isn’t going to change, even if their living arrangements do. However, this is also something that should have happened at the same time as Lip’s initial proposal to sell the house rather than the renegade sledgehammer that went through the wall. It’s led to a few episodes of unnecessary drama, but the Gallaghers are at least on a collective front now as the series heads into its final three episodes. 

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“Survivors” is a confident step forward for Shameless. It figures out how to balance the series’ more tender sensibilities with the wackier antics that were more prominent during the show’s earliest seasons. Characters operate as functional units and finally listen to each other before they’re left with fractured relationships that no longer feel like a family. There’s still a lot of growing up to do, but not that everyone’s on the same page and working towards a common goal it actually feels like Shameless might end in hugs rather than heartbreak.

The post Shameless Season 11 Episode 9 Review: Survivors appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[kinghoranshit]

The Watchers (1D) - 00 Hours

Part 1

I watched the names light up on our hologram. You never wanted to see your name listed. It meant someone put down a sum of money to have you killed during the 24 hour purge. If your name's not on the list, you're free to join in on the hunt or stay in your house; no one could kill you, but the sounds of screams were deafening. The amount of people who turned their backs on their loved ones, both figuratively and literally by killing them, was disgusting. There were even those "friends" who thought it'd be funny to list you.

Now, you're thinking that a purge is such a dumb idea. Want to know what's more stupid?

A bounty purge.

It's the government's way to keep the crime and gambling rates down, and those who may not be fortunate in their social class have a way to level up and gain funds. It became a sport for some. This was the 100th annual year and the names being listed were a lot of celebrities; normally the ratio of high and low status didn't fare this much.

My family and I were in resistance; my mom died trying to protect someone, now it was just my dad and I. We helped those whose names were on the list, not for free of course. We're like bounty hunters, but the opposite. A guard or babysitter sounds so lame though, so don't call me those.

I felt my eyes go wide when I saw all five names that formed One Direction. Who...would do this? They weren't even technically a group anymore; they only just started a virtual reunion tour. They all went solo long ago, so it didn't make sense as to why they would be grouped together. The amount of money put on their heads was ridiculous. Sadly, I didn't see them making it through the 24 hours, unless they have some great body protection, or are suddenly kickass in combat.

The blue hue to the hologram disappeared and it was silent darkness for a while. There were so many bounties this year. It was obvious that they didn't have a limit for the 100th year. There wouldn't be enough of us. Our organization, The Watchers, dropped by a third because it was such a significant milestone year for the bounty purge. I guess people became afraid again.

"Katie," my dad stated.

I sat up and looked at him. "Yeah, what's up?"

"You're being assigned to Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Liam Payne."

I blinked my eyes a couple times then cupped my ear for dramatic effect. "I'm what? Say that again."

"Modest!, their management, has contacted The Watchers and asked for you specifically. I guess they must've seen how well you kept Selena Gomez safe last year."

Yes, this work has lent to meeting celebrities, but the conversation doesn't tend to get that far. Last year was Selena Gomez, and the previous was Brie Larson. Both were troopers, especially Brie, she was fun to hang out with when we weren't fighting others. She still messages me every now and then when she's not working.

I cleared my throat. "That's...dad, they've got the largest sum I've ever seen for a bounty. You know how many people will be going after them?"

He smirked. "Is...Katie Lee..scared of hunters?"

I scoffed. "No, I'm not. I just know when my odds of keeping said assignment safe are high or not."

"Sorry, kiddo, there's no getting out of this one. They've prepared to set you up on a hidden bunker and arm you with anything you need if someone happens to find it."

A hidden bunker? Any weapons I want? That doesn't sound like a bad negotiation. I've definitely been dealt with less advantages.

The hologram started up again and it was one of the leaders, Rump. A cynical grin played on his lips. This couldn't be good. It was never good when his face appeared.

"Hello everyone, now that the names have been presented, we would like to bring in a new factor to the 100th year of the bounty purge. Instead of 24 hours, it will be 72 hours. That is three whole days to find your prey and get your prize. Let the purge commence in 48 hours."

For once, I felt sick to my stomach. Is this what fear felt like? Three days to keep these five boys alive? Let's hope no one trying to kill them were great trackers or hackers; if the base was hidden well enough, I could set traps outside and inside. That was going to be a must with the new circumstances.

My teeth clenched and I let out a deep breath into my fists. I sat there thinking for a little bit longer. If I was going to even manage to keep a few of them alive, I needed to leave tonight.

I stood and went upstairs to pack the essentials; I don't care if I have the weapon vault of my fucking dreams, I will never leave my crossbow at home. Every save I've had over the last eight years has been with this crossbow. When I came back into the living with my duffel bag slung on my shoulder and crossbow in hand, my dad actually had a look of worry etched into his face.

"Be careful. I know The Watcher's word is 'assignment comes first, you come second', but if it becomes too much, you get yourself out of there, okay?"

"Dad..." I trailed, at a loss for words. I've never heard my dad speak against The Watcher's word.

"You hear me?" he pushed.

I cleared my throat with a nod. "Yeah, dad. I do."

He pulled me into a tight hug. "Good. Your transport should be here any moment."

I pulled back with a small smile. I was well aware this could be the last time I saw him, but I couldn't bring myself to say the three words. It was a mutual thing we both had. We knew we both loved each other.

I peeked out the front window to see the black sudan parked in our driveway. I gave my dad a peck on the cheek before I slipped out the front door and jogged to the sudan. I opened the driver side passenger door and threw my bag and crossbow in first.

"Please state your ID number," the driver ordered.

"Watcher 402, Katie Lee, reporting for duty."

Carl smirked. "Perfect."

"That never gets old for you, does it Carl?"

He shook his head. "Never."

I laughed and buckled myself up. I pulled out my tablet to find the recent file sent to me. It was everything I needed to know about my transport, the bunker we'd be hiding away in, and the contact info for the supplier.

"So...who are you babysitting this year?"

The driver's never get told who a Watcher's assignment is for reasons. But I've known Carl for years; he was always the one who took me to the helicopter.

I still answered, out of precaution, "An important band. That's all I'm saying."

"Really? A certain boy band?" he mocked.

"You know I won't say the name, but yes that one boy band."

"That'll be fun, I'm sure."

I rolled my eyes in response.

I busied myself with contacting the supplier to get my vault sorted. This was definitely the most reinforcements I'ved used. I felt probably an unsettling amount of excitement to get my hands on everything. I knew that in the line of action I would be less thrilled.

***

The helicopter landed on the last minute created pad. It was a circle created by rocks; a majority of them were like this. I knew that we were in upper Minnesota, near the lakes. I snatched my duffel and crossbow as I got out of the helicopter and followed the other Watcher that had been waiting for me. Now, I was guided to a different car that drove off deeper into the forest.

It looked secluded enough by the trees; the bear traps were going to hide perfectly in the bushes. And if that didn't stop them? I knew that the wiring, jumper cables, and car batteries were going to work wonders for every door and window, along with strips of nails at the edge of the entrance if they happened to surpass everything else. And if they also bypass that? Well, they'll have to go through me.

I'm going to Home Alone this motherfucker up.

I was guided to the front of the house and my jaw dropped at the beauty of the steel siding and roof. Okay, the blueprint did not mention the steel exterior. And from where I stood I could see the small security cameras. There's no way they just built this in a matter of a day. This has had to be used in prior purges.

I walked up the stairs and through the front door. It was...way too fancy. Glass tables and lighting fixtures everywhere, grey couches, a fucking duve in the bathroom, and multiple bedrooms.

What was I so worried about?

I dropped my bag off in the room that had my name on the door and then saw that the rest of the members also had their own rooms. There was one name that I didn't recognize so I went to the door and knocked. It just slowly opened by itself and I peered in.

There stood, a bubbly redhead. She jumped from being startled. "Oh! Hi, I'm Maddy, the onsite medic. You must be Katie, our Watcher."

I furrowed a brow. "Uh...Yeah, I am. This place is a fucking fortress. Why am I here?"

She laughed under her breath and continued to unpack her items. "Every fortress has a fault, and they always like a backup plan."

They must be Modest!. It was clear that this wasn't Maddy's first purge hired under them. Who else has been under their company that they had hidden here? I've never been on an assignment where they had an onsite medic ready.

"Fair...do you know where the band is at? I'm going to need their help."

"In the kitchen, I believe. I will be down to help as well. My station has already been cleaned and prepared."

That was eerily comforting to hear.

"Okay," I replied and left her to her own devices.

I didn't bother unpacking yet. I probably wouldn't to be honest. Getting comfortable never sits right with me. The voices grew louder and louder as I grew closer to them. It was clear they were having a good laugh despite the circumstances as to why we were all here.

I cleared my throat and they all stopped to look at me. I gave them a small wave. "Hi Niall, Louis, Harry, Zayn, and Liam. I'm Katie, your Watcher for the duration of this purge."

"A girl? They hired a girl, who looks to be younger than me, to keep us safe?" Liam remarked.

"Mate," Niall and Louis breathed and shook their heads.

I chuckled and stalked up to the brunette who currently had his hair looking like 2014 Harry.

"I can't make you like me. In fact, that's not part of my job description. But you should reconsider... My crossbow can manage a mile range and shoot three arrows at once. I can also build a gun in under a minute, have practiced in the art of knife throwing...and I have been known to get my hands dirty in a physical fight. What can you do to keep yourself safe, Liam boy?"

The other four held in their own snickers. Liam didn't flinch in the slightest. If anything, his "tough" exterior only hardened, which just made him look even weaker in my eyes.

"I don't buy it. Modest has to be messing with us."

I smirked. "I know your ass will be calling my name, begging me to protect you, as someone tries to machete your body to pieces. You better start playing nice, mate." I stepped back and gestured to the rest. "Come on, troops. We need to set up the traps."

Luckily, Zayn, Louis, and Maddy quickly picked up on how to set up the bear traps so I put them on that duty while the rest of us stripped the entrances with nails. Of course, I knew the risk of having them set the traps rather than myself, but there was a lot to do before tomorrow morning. An hour before the purge starts, I'll set up the electrical traps. Since there were steel doors that locked down, I planned to set the electric currencies in other spots.

I familiarized myself with the layout of the rich bunker as much as I could and the security camera room. Yes, there was an entire room dedicated to the security cameras. My vault was hidden in four different locations so I'd have something at any given moment.

That evening, we were all chit chatting at the dinner table, eating the grilled chicken and potatoes Niall cooked. This was probably one of the best meals I've had the night before a purge; it was weird to feel so at ease. I knew not to get too comfy.

"So Katie, how old are you?" Louis prompted as he took a swig of his beer.

"Yeah, you seem too familiar with all of this. How long have you been a Watcher?" Niall concurred.

I laughed under my breath and dropped the fork onto my plate. "Uh, well...I'm twenty-four, and this has been my life for as long as I can remember. Both of my parents were Watchers themselves. I started assignments when I was fifteen."

"Woah," Zayn remarked. "How many have you killed?"

"That..." I coughed into my hand and ran a hand through my hair. "Hard to say...I don't like to keep track."

Louis leaned back in his chair and looked down at his lap. "How many do you think you'll have to kill for us?"

I raised my brows in surprise. "With that sort of bounty over your heads, your guess is about as good as mine."

"Fuck," Niall scoffed and jugged the rest of his beer.

"To be honest, I've never felt this confident going into a purge. And we've got Maddy for any injuries, it doesn't seem like her first rodeo either."

She smiled sweetly and shook her head. "It's not, but...I've never actually had to jump in. This bunker has always held up."

"Hear that?" I asked. "It'll be..." I trailed off. I couldn't make any promises, even if our odds did seem to be in our favor. "It'll be just another purge."

That wasn't what I mean to say either. Their facial expressions right now broke my heart.

I clapped my hands as I stood up. "Okay, I say we all get to bed now. It will be an early start."

They all nodded and put their dishes away before going to their assigned rooms. Liam sat on the couch by himself. He didn't join us for dinner, nor did he eat. If he wanted to be a loner during this, then I'll treat him as such.

I padded over and sat down next to him.

"You know I'm only here to help. If you hate me, that's fine, but you need to be a team player for the rest."

Once again, he stayed silent. I truly didn't know what his deal was. I wasn't the best at reading that side of a person's mind. I pursed my lips before I got up and went to my own room.

I slipped into my own pjs before I did a few meditations. I set my alarm for six in the morning, the purge started at eight. This is all I have ever known. Preparing every single year to risk my life for someone else's, to defy against this ridiculous event, and if I died this year, it wouldn't be in vain.

Next part: 24 Hours

[Masterlist]

[redshirtgal]

At the beginning of “Catspaw” Lt. Jackson opens communications with Uhura and says “One to beam up, Enterprise!” Shortly after Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy reach the transporter room, Jackson begins to materialize and then falls flat to the floor without moving a muscle. It almost hurts to watch, but it is just one of the perfectly executed stunts performed by Jay Jones. Jones recalls that at the time, he had never watched the show. So when he received his copy of the script, he was puzzled by the phrase “beam up.” It took until the next day for him to find out after he had flagged down a young boy on a bicycle and asked. By the way, look at Shatner’s quick reaction as Jones tumbles past his feet. Some fancy footwork there, Captain!

But this was not the only place you saw him during this episode. During the scene just after Korob dies trying to help Kirk and Spock escape, the two are attacked by Sulu, Scotty, and Bones himself - all under the control of Sylvia, of course. In the photo above, that is not Dr. McCoy you see attempting to swing a morning-star. That is his stunt double, Jay Jones. Jay claimed that Gene Roddenberry took a liking to him and sent the word down that he should be given all the work he wanted.

Jay played a number of other crewmen in the series, and several times his stuntman experience came in handy. In the redshirt bloodbath episode known as “The Apple,” he appeared as Ensign Mallory. The hapless young man was not there when Spock first found out the rocks were explosive. While scouting, he manages to find another one the hard way and is killed. This was one of the two episodes where Jones suffered serious injuries. In this case, he had even lobbied director Joe Pevney to do the stunt, saying he did not want to do it “the Mickey Mouse way.” Pevney refused the request at first because of the danger and then relented. According to Jay, there was a jumper trampoline buried under the ground that he was supposed to hit and then the explosive would go off. However, the special effects person timed it just a split second too late. In his own words, “The force hit me in the stomach, burned my side, blew the skin off my rib cage and impacted all this dirt into my sinuses. I couldn’t open my eyes or breathe.” Still, he told an interviewer that it could have been a lot worse even though he did wind up in an emergency room. (The explosion also caused short term hearing loss in both Shatner and Nimoy as well as permanent tinnitus). Most of his roles did not involve much dialogue, but he had his largest number of lines in this episode. 

Actually, his worst injuries on the set occurred on another episode, ”Who Mourns for Adonais?” This time he was doubling for James Doohan as Scotty. The first injury occurred when Apollo slaps Scotty and Jay had to do a backflip over the stone table shown in the above photo.  The first time, he hit the corner, so the table was chained down for the next attempt.  This time, he caught the table’s edge in the kidneys. Already sore from that injury, he had to do another stunt where he was strapped into a wire vest, raised up six feet in the air and then propelled backward.  In the stunt industry, it’s known as a neckbreaker.  However, the wire pulley yanked him four or five yards farther than planned and he went through the wall, striking his head on the concrete floor.  He was taken to the hospital with a concussion. And actually Jay did have a stroke of good fortune - he narrowly missed another prop which could have caused an even more serious injury (according to The Star Trek Compendium). Again, he brushed off the injury as not all that bad.

 Despite these injuries Jay Jones continued as Scotty’s stunt double for two years. Above you see him encountering a railing on the bridge in “The Changeling.” (Scotty certainly got smacked around a lot, didn’t he?) And he would often double for other guest stars. More on that later. In the book Science Fiction Television Series, Jay claimed that he was the unofficial stunt coordinator for The Original Series. He would come up with new stunts and work with the directors and cameramen on how best to implement them in certain episodes. Jay complimented Star Trek on calling back the same stunt people to work again because they all were familiar with the production staff and had built a rapport with them and each other. He said in some TV series, the director sometimes asked the impossible and could have possibly gotten someone killed. On the Star Trek set, he knew the directors cared about the stunt workers.

And he continued as an extra in episodes during that time, including one as the gangster Mirt in “A Piece of the Action” and several as an engineer. You would think he’d want to stay as far away from a redshirt as he could after his injuries.

Jay got to appear as a Klingon three times during his time on Star Trek. His first appearance was as Tige Andrew’s stunt double in the role of Kras in “Friday’s Child.” (left) And he doubled for Ned Romero as Krell in “A Private Little War.” (top right). He donned the Klingon costume one last time as one of Kang’s crewmen in “Day of the Dove.”

And what does Pavel Chekov have to do with this story? Jay Jones says that there was a push to add some more recurring characters at the time he made his first appearance on “Catspaw.” In fact, they asked him if he would try out some accents in a few test shots. However, he had recently tried a French accent in a stage production and botched it terribly, so he refused. Only later did he realize he would have been trying out for the role that eventually became that of Chekov. Oh, well.... at least he didn’t have to wear that terrible wig until his own hair grew in.

Jimmy (”Jay”) D. Jones came to Hollywood after being in the rodeo circuit. His first work as a stuntman on television was in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. where he was often Robert Vaughn’s stunt double. He also had an acting part in one episode - that of  Professor Walter Powers in the episode “Yo-ho-ho and a Bottle of Rum.” This was the job he left when he joined Star Trek. (credit to Brad Fillipone for finding the above photos for me)

Jay came from good stuntman stock. His dad was Carl Pitti, a very well known stuntman/actor in the industry who had worked on such shows as The High Chaparral. He was Henry Darrow’s double in his role of Manolito for an episode.

Interesting side note: Carl Pitti was a fan of The Original Series and watched it religiously. But he was aghast when he watched his son get thrown in the air by the mistimed explosion in “The Apple.” Jay said it literally made his dad sick to his stomach.

Jay often appeared in the same series as his father, starting with The Man from U.N.C.L.E. After Star Trek ended, he was also stuntman for The High Chaparral and appeared in the episode “Alliance” as Lt. Cooper. (Photo above)

Jay appeared on other Westerns as well. In fact, he doubled for Slim Pickens in a brutal bullwhipping scene in the 1967 movie Rough Night in Jericho. He used the same bullwhipping skills against Dan Blocker (Hoss) in a 1971 episode of Bonanza titled “Kingdom of Fear.”

One of his last acting jobs was in Kung Fu, playing a demon Caine encounters in the spiritual world during the episode “One Step to Darkness.” If you want to watch that segment of the show, here is a link. https://youtu.be/EDmvigzLJHw

In 1977, Jones left stunt work and acting for the racquetball courts. He began playing the amateur circuit in the 1972-73 area. Despite getting off to a rough start, in 1975 he won the national amateur division at Las Vegas. From there, he began competing in the pros and over the years had a decent showing. Keep in mind he was in his thirties when he started and most of the pros were a lot younger. He did win the 1981 U.S. National Singles Championship for his age group of 35+. Jay was interviewed in 1977 by the Tucson Daily Citizen after he had advanced to the semifinals of of the Tucson Pro-Am Racquetball Tournament. He admitted to using a mini-receiver which emitted a steady hum that helped him concentrate. But it also allowed him to hear advice from a friend who was women’s pro player as well. The interviewer went on to mention that Jay Jones was also a hypnotist and psychologist. Now how amazing is that?

Above photo - Hall of Famer Ed Remen and Jay Jones at the men’s semi-finals. Unknown what year, but from the website where it appeared, most likely around 1981. Jay is on the right.

Over the years, Jay Jones seems to be quite active, appearing at conventions for The High Chaparral (above he appears on an interview panel for the 50th anniversary) And I am not positive about this, but he may be the reporter whose byline is Jay Jones in at least two articles for the Los Angeles Times. In a 2013 article, he reports on a charity racquetball event. And in a story dated this past May, the same person reports on a rodeo event. What other person do we know who has experience in both activities?

Jay Jones!

[mmmmalo]

This is a (meandering, non-exhaustive) overview of Homestuck’s use of

by which I do not mean examples of psychological realism in a character’s words and deeds, but rather the various means by which characters’ psyches are expressed outside of themselves. I wish to elaborate on how thoughts, feelings, and desires may find expression in the environment, in the medium of the story itself, and in the form of other characters.

That’s perhaps a little vague, so here’s a ready example of what I mean: brainghost!Dirk. He talks with Jake, but since he is a construct of Jake’s mind, Jake is essentially talking to himself. Brainghost!Dirk is an alienated medium for voicing Jake’s own thoughts, irretrievably distorted through its intermingling with what Jake thinks/wishes Dirk would say (not unlike a puppet). I am claiming that this mode of characterization is not a unique to Jake; the blurring of inner and outer voices is omnipresent throughout the story.

Or, rephrased: what I hope to show is that a great deal of Homestuck is haunted with brain-ghosts, of one kind or other.

An early example of this kind of storytelling in science fiction would be the film Forbidden Planet (1956). The film contains a pair of conflicts which eventually reveal themselves to be one: the scientist Morbius wants some space explorers to get off his planet, and an immense monster (pictured above) appears during the night to attack the explorers. Morbius, it turns out, has been experimenting with a machine capable of turning thought into reality. So when Morbius sleeps, his dream of driving off the trespassers materializes in the form of beast that forcefully enacts the wish.

The beast is declared a “monster from the id”, the “id” being a concept borrowed from Freudian psychology, indicating the part of the mind responsible for the unfiltered generation of impulses, of urges. In the film, this passing mention of psychoanalysis precedes the revelation of Morbius’s link to the beast.

Homestuck hints towards its own mixing of thought and reality with a device similar to Morbius’s dream machine: Sburb.

A snapshot of Dave’s Sburb client (1519) shows that the final subprograms launched during the games installation make reference to terminology associated with Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. The terms suggest that Sburb interacts with the ideas in the kids’ subconscious minds (archetypes) and brings symbolic representations of these ideas into conscious reality (manifests the ideas). The game alters the means by which reality is constructed. As with Forbidden Planet, a major result of this is id monsters.

When John slips on a staircase, he flips out (left, 560). And when he nearly launches himself into the abyss with the Pogo Hammer, he has to take a nap before he has calmed down enough to continue (center, 637). Immediately following both moments of vertigo, massive ogres appear. The eventual fight with the ogres begins after John looks over the edge of the platform above his house, into the abyss (right, 662).

All of this suggests that Sburb is reacting to John’s emotional state (fear) to produce in-game content. The game functions as a waking dream.

It should also be noted that Sburb provokes the reactions it elicits. Karkat once mentioned a nagging feeling that the game was mocking him by giving him a planet covered in the candy red blood he had spent a lifetime attempting to hide (2301). Karkat’s paranoia seems to be correct here, and moreover applicable to the cast in general -- John’s house was likely placed atop an immense spire /in order to/ bring John’s dread of falling into sharp relief. The suspicion can be substantiated with a few related motifs.

The story provides two likely origins for John’s fear of heights: his own fall from the slime pogo as a child (2626) and the death of Nanna, which John believed resulted from her falling from a ladder and being crushed by a book (52). What’s more, Sburb’s invocation of the Fall of Man (Adam and Eve being cast from the Garden of Eden) via biting into an apple hints that there is an allegorical significance to John’s more literal fear of heights. 

We can apply these patterns to other characters in an attempt to learn more about them. LOLAR being covered in ocean suggests that Rose is afraid of water, with the likely cause of Rose finding Jaspers dead and washed up on a riverbank (presumed drowned). Dave speaks openly about how his sword fights with Bro left him anxious of metal sounds (7749), meaning the grinding gears of LOHAC were a personalized hell for Dave. Jade’s first imp manifests in response to the sight of a yellow aurora (2998), inviting the reader to investigate why that image invokes a fear response.

But we won’t get to into all of that, not for now at least. Let’s take a step back.

For my reading of the imps as manifestations I’ve been leaning heavily on a piece of film theory devoted to the effects of sequential images. The sequence above constitutes two observations. One, that by this arrangement the viewer will infer the old man sees and reacts to the middle figure. Two, that the viewer’s impression of the old man will change based on the content of the central image, even if his expression is the same. Is he smiling at Nepeta or warm embrace Marvus’s armpit? The answer may influence your interpretation of the little smile.

The neat thing about montage is that the interrupting frame need not bear any obvious relation to what precedes or follows in order to be subject to a causal reading. Moments that occur sequentially can be read as triggering one another, even if what follows any particular moment appears to be a break rather than a continuation.

Example: There’s a moment where Aranea walks into Jake’s dream, and brainghost!Dirk immediately starts razzing Jake about his attraction to the alien girl and threatening to give him a boner. The scene is interrupted by Jack committing a series of gratuitous murders. We then cut back to Jake, and bg!Dirk is now teasing him about his dirty thoughts.

DIRK: You have got to be kidding. Did you seriously just think something THAT dirty? DIRK: You must be doing this on purpose to spite me now. I mean, just wow dude. That was x-rated as fuck. 

JAKE: (No no stop. See youre talking about it and now i cant help it!) JAKE: (You are psyching me into having dirty thoughts get fucking lost you interloping brain douche!!!) 

DIRK: Don't worry, I'm gone. It's like a goddamn peep show in here and I feel like a sleazy piece of shit watching this from a dark corner of your mind. DIRK: You have a graphic imagination, English. I'm kind of impressed. 

JAKE: (Shut up theyre just thoughts its not even like im trying to have them THEY DONT MEAN ANYTHING!)

The ostensible joke is that bg!Dirk is exaggerating or outright fabricating his account of Jake’s thoughts in order to hassle him. But by way of montage, one can infer that we /have/ seen Jake’s dirty thoughts, in the form of Jack’s display of overwhelming bloodlust. Violence is superimposed over the sexually explicit. 

Whether the scene literally takes place in Jake’s mind is secondary (though such a reading would explain why Jake’s brain ghost is even aware of Jack) -- the use of montage allows Jack’s actions to function as a /metaphor/ for Jake’s thought.

Another example of Jack functioning as a murderous/libidinous avatar would be the death of Mom and Dad. At their little tea party, Dad spills some wine on Mom’s clothes and declares that she must disrobe immediately (so that Dad might launder the garment). Mom calls the aromas wafting from his pipe sensuous. The two clasp hands and declare that all they need is eachother. Then they die! The joke is that while Bec Noir is ostensibly an interruption to date night, he also functions as its culmination, with murder acting as substitute for the sex act.

The link between violence and sexuality is perhaps a hard sell, but I hope to convince you that the reading holds merit. Let me emphasize that the very act of Mom and Dad holding hands was itself sexually loaded.

I owe to HS liveblogger elfstuck the insight that John’s linear 3 card sylladex is a reflection of his short attention span. Consider how John’s role as a game character means he is thrown all around his room, back and forth, as the player figures out what to make of the situation. If you ignore the fourth wall, you’re left with an extremely distracted person, who attention flows easily from one object to another. Accepting the object-in, object-out nature of John’s sylladex and the resulting shenanigans as a metaphor for this, it would follow that the sylladex in general can offer an abstract representation of thought.

In passing, I can mention how the enormity of Jake’s sylladex (it cannot even fit on the page, and contains an object that exceed most players’ size limits) would imply that despite evidence to the contrary, the boy likely has a big brain (and perhaps its being offscreen suggests Jakes own unawareness of much of his own thought). Dirk’s comment about avoiding items that are difficult to shoehorn into his mnemonic schema (4535) could be read as a difficulty maintaining information that doesn’t fit into his personal mental models. The sylladex becomes a metaphor for the mind that requires interpretation.

Under this mode of thought, the moments when Jade’s pictionary modus fails to correctly interpret her drawing become akin to a mental slip-of-the-tongue. For the Tanglebuddies to be misread as enmeshed hands implies an association, in Jade’s mind, of horny Squiddles and clasped hands. John affirms the association much later by miming Tanglebuddies as he attempts to grapple with the question of whether Jade and Davesprite are sexually compatible (5294):

JOHN: how do things even work if you marry a sprite?

JADE: what do you mean 

JOHN: i mean... JOHN: ok, he has a ghost butt, for one thing. 

JADE: uh JADE: so 

JOHN: a GHOST BUTT, jade! 

JADE: SO WHAT IF HE HAS A GHOST BUTT!!!!! 

JOHN: i'm just saying... 

JADE: WHATEVER YOURE JUST SAYING, JUST STOP SAYING IT! JADE: and whatever youre trying to gesture with your hands there, stop doing that too!

It should also be noted that before launching into her “daring dream”, waxing poetic on the miraculous union of the human and the animal with her hands clasped in wonder, Jade successfully captchalogued the Tanglebuddies (796). And more to the point, Jade’s pose in reproduced during discussions of cherub (5961) and leprechaun (6007) reproduction. Hand-holding becomes representative of an (oft-sexualized) union, underlining the euphemistic nature of Mom and Dad’s post-contact demise.

The next example of using montage to communicate thought requires a little more buildup.

There’s a gag in Rose’s introduction where the reader tells Rose to play with her writing journals, and scoots the journals under the bed and retorts that she would only do that if no one were watching (220). At first glance, the moment scans as a minor meta joke in a story filled with meta jokes -- but the trick is that Rose does not /know/ herself to be a video game character, her every movement controlled and observed. Rather, she /believes/ this to be true -- the joke about being watched establishes that Rose is paranoid, as will become apparent in the hostility she assigns to Mom’s every action.

The command prompt and narration are themselves brain ghosts of a sort: the voice deployed in them is always linked to the present point-of-view character. The insults that precede character introductions ( “Zoosmell Pooplord”, etc) become marks of anxiety, an intrusive proclamation of what the kids at times think of themselves (and/or what they think others think of them). “Nice time management skills, sweetheart!” becomes a bit of self-deprecation Rose as she procrastinates, which Rose experiences as having been voiced by some objective observer who judges her deficiencies.

A blurred line divides characters from the voice at the back of their head, belonging to the (presumed) omniscient, omnipotent author-god. This is why avatar!Hussie is dressed as Calliope when he is killed by Lord English. Both Calliope and Hussie are a voice in Caliborn’s head, and thus both present apparent obstacles to an unmediated self.

The left panel (3219) foreshadows the right (3358). Gamzee is not being declared the objectively most important character in Homestuck. Rather, Gamzee is declaring himself /to have been declared/ the most important character in the story. The line establishes that Gamzee believes himself to be in a story (with an author!) and that this author has declared him paramount. Furthermore, “fondly regarding creation” is an modus operandi of Problem Sleuth’s Godhead Pickle Inspector. Applying that turn of phrase to Gamzee’s actions further establishes that Gamzee believes himself to /be/ the god-author declaring his own importance. So it should come as no surprise that 137 pages later, Gamzee outright proclaims himself to be the god(s) he worships.

Going back to montage, it becomes interesting that this snapshot of Gamzee’s megalomania is inter-cut with the creation of Jadesprite -- the moment that dead!dream!Jade merges with Bec, forming a unity with a deity not unlike the unity Gamzee claims with his mirthful messiahs. The interweaving would suggest that Jade and/or Jadesprite experienced analogous thoughts of megalomania upon the moment of ascension.

This would be a good point to mention that not only imps and ogres, but trolls also function as manifestations for the people they impose upon. Karkat is not only an interruption here, but also a continuation. He points out that Jade’s self-loathing, that she cannot safely distance herself from the qualities of Jadesprite she finds distasteful. This is precisely why Karkat ends the conversation by telling Jade to turn off the fourth wall (which divides the self!), as well as the reason he imagines Jade making out with herself: Karkat is on every front presenting the prospect of union with oneself.

The notion of trolls as manifestations first emerges clearly when Rose and Dave receive their packages from John. As they finish reading John’s letter, each is suddenly contacted by a troll and greeted with the command “Answer.” Critically, by word alone it is ambiguous as to whether the command refers to answering the troll or the letter. And as it turns out, these answer occur simultaneously: Rose and Dave’s responses to the letters are embedded in the subsequent conversations. 

Rose receives a letter poking fun at her pretensions, claiming that her attempts to hide her affections for people are futile. In response we get Kanaya, who imperiously proclaims her disdain for Rose, only to suddenly change tact and explicitly seek Rose’s friendship, an entreaty which the oft paranoid Rose accepts. Dave receives a letter imploring him to let go of his insecurities and express himself. In response we get Tavros, the very picture of insecurity, who is fixated on the idea of making Dave shit himself (as part of an ‘emotional constipation’ motif that follows Dave). And Dave complies, in a sense, by way of the quasi-ironic gay treatise that compels Tavros to block him. Each conversation addresses the issues laid out in John’s letter.

Examples can be found throughout the comic. Equius remarking that he talks to Gamzee every day (2220) establishes that Gamzee is regularly haunted by the thoughts of domination that Equius voices -- both in the literal and metaphorical sense. Erisolsprite referring to Dirk as a rock 2oliid piiece of a22 and then calling himself 2ociiopathiic for even thinking something so callous (5516) expresses a conflict already present in Jake’s own mind, echoing the frustration with his own dirty thoughts expressed by the argument with brainghost!Dirk. Feferi’s pronounced enthusiasm for the imminent apocalypse should cause you to question Kanaya’s seemingly neutral resignation towards the end of the world, since Feferi manifests for Kanaya (2328). And so on.

The person being trolled is always being confronted with thoughts or feelings or memories already present within themself. Alien contact always doubles as a brain ghost haunting.

Another example, with some buildup: Karkat invokes the phrase “PERFORATE MY BONE BULGE WITH A CULLING FORK” to express his contempt for Vriska, and on subsequent pages we see Feferi pointing her culling fork at a cuttlefish (2181), as if to suggest that the creature symbolizes the bone bulge. Fast forward to Kanaya, who has just gotten through a conversation with Vriska and finds herself haunted by Eridan, who keeps going on about his romantic desperations and insisting (correctly) that Kanaya’s crush on Vriska is itself romantic. That his notification erupts from an image of cuttlefish held at Kanaya’s waist adds to the air of yearning, as though her own bulge is rumbling. The scene is capped off with a double entendre: “its hard and nobody understands” is playfully poignant jab at an inability to understand one’s own desires (among other things). 

And Homestuck devotes a lot of attention to desire.

It’s long been acknowledged by the fandom at large that Kanaya’s attraction to Light players functions as a joke on the proverbial moth-to-the-flame. As reconciliation with the fire destroys the moth, there’s a morbid tinge to the attraction, as though it doubles as a death wish. And the wish is granted -- when Kanaya dies in Homestuck, she dies to light, either from Eridan’s wand or the laser blasts unleashed by HIC. Even the death of Kanaya’s lusus pertains to light -- the matriorb ripped from her innards is shaped like a miniature sun, as if to establish some loose link between the notion of motherhood and the incandescence Kanaya eventually achieves.

This can be generalized into a principle wherein lusii (and the circumstances of their deaths!) can functions as analogies for the desire of the wards.

Vriska, for example, desires execution. When offering Terezi a flimsy apology for crippling Tavros and proxy-murdering Aradia, Vriska offers to slam her head against her desk in penitence. This moment should be read against Vriska’s addiction to breaking 8 balls, and leaving the broken shards lying around as though she’s inviting the “bad luck” of stepping on them. It /is/ an invitation. Vriska seeks love via violent retribution against herself. This is why in the right panel, Vriska’s blood-spattered head is juxtaposed with a broken 8 ball: the blood came from Spidermom’s execution (which characterizes Vriska’s desire), and motif of 8R8K H34DS connects the moment to Vriska’s idea of apology.

Like Kanaya, Vriska (to a degree) seems to structure her love life along these lines. In the words of @azdoine:

like ppl are actually out here writing Vriska as the top as if her entire Act 5 character arc isn’t about bratting out until Terezi has no choice but to punish her

“oh noo, I, the thief of light, stole all of your luck, and made the coin land on the scratched side! now you have to kill me! but I’m probably going to get away with everything, because you don’t have the guts to stab me with that sword of yours!!!!!!!! if only there was somebody, like you, who could prove me wrong!”

EXTREMELY SUBTLE THERE, VRISKA

Vriska’s approach to wooing Tavros also revolves around baiting execution:

The scene: Tavros leads a horde of imps and ogres into a mystery cave, the top of which is adorned with kissing lizards and an alchemical symbol. Tavros is putting a puzzle of a frog together, but Vriska has already pieced together the puzzle: making a frog universe is, in part, a cipher for personal reproduction. The Ultimate Alchemy is making a baby! And as Vriska says, “real gamers cut to the chase. They power through all the nonsense and go for the gold.” So she brings Tavros to LOMAT and makes the moves on him.

Tavros is equated to a treasure chest by the repeated use of framing and Vriska is GOING FOR THE GOLD, like a WINNER. Tavros later reaches into the same chest for his lance before heading off to attempt to kill Vriska -- affirming that the treasure Vriska seeks here is Tavros’s “lance”.

This setup was suggested by the conversation accompanying the kissing salamanders: Vriska gives Tavros a map with a big red X, saying he should take his legion of imps through the gate and go defeat his denizen. The gate actually leads to Vriska, but she isn’t lying. She is positioning herself to be Tavros’s final boss. The imps are manifestations of Tavros’s pent up rage (much of which was generated by Vriska’s harassment), and Vriska wants Tavros to take that anger out on her. Hence the later panel which uses Vriska’s boots to place a big red X directly over her groin, making explicit the implicit goal of Tavros’s trip to the windmill X-gate.

This pursuit of love through violent comeuppance may have something to do with Vriska’s bitter disappointment that ghost!Aradia did not seem to hate her.

An intermission/introduction of sorts, as we bridge from one discussion of desire to another: did you know that Michael Bay’s Armageddon (1998) structures itself in part around Freud’s Oedipus complex? I say this in total sincerity.

The plot: a meteor the size of Texas bears down upon the Earth, threatening armageddon. Luckily, a crew of rough-and-tumble oil drillers are ready to fly into space and split that mother in two. Oh HELL yeah.

Except, wait, the movie’s actually about family drama: Bruce Willis finds Ben Affleck sleeping with his daughter Liv Tyler; Willis proceeds to chase Affleck around the oil rig with a shotgun, bang bang bang. Not Allowed. The Protective-Father-Hates-Your-Boyfriend dynamic is presented as an Oedipal triad of sorts: although Tyler is not literally Affleck’s mother, she performs the mom-function of “forbidden object of desire” -- and Willis opening fire is equivalent to the castration said to await trespassers onto maternal soil.

The above reading is buttressed by jokes: Armageddon appears to function within an implicit dream machine, such that the characters’ thoughts and fears can become manifest in their environment. So when it comes to pass that whenever  Affleck climbs into a hole (heehee), a pipe breaks (hoohoo), and suddenly everything goes boom, I read that as Affleck reliving the consequences of boning Tyler, packaged in such a way that the Freudian fear of castration is more explicit. (The relevance of Oedipus to the proceedings adds some humor to Steve Buscemi declaring the entire disastrous situation a “Greek tragedy”)

At any rate, after some shenanigans, Willis comes to accept Affleck’s claim to his daughter and confers the deed, as it were. Willis gives the young couple his blessing and they get married. Hooray!

Except, wait, the movie’s actually about the perpetuation of the oil industry: the dream machine was declared at the beginning of the movie when a petty street-side argument triggered the first barrage of meteors. The meteor the size of Texas (aka Dotty) is triggered by conflicts that haunt the central cast -- namely Willis, who enters the film hitting golf balls at a Green Peace boat. On a metaphorical level, Dotty is a golf ball the size of Texas, striking directly at the Earth instead its self-declared representatives. There’s a certain irony here: the film lampshades that the men who are destroying the world have been tasked with saving it.

The family drama folds into the environmentalist angle: Liv Tyler is a symbol of the earth (which gets drilled). This is the joke when Affleck is bouncing animal crackers around on her belly like she’s host to the Savannah: she kind of is! It’s no coincidence that Willis confers ownership of the oil rig at the same moment that he offers his daughter’s hand in marriage: the motifs are being discussed simultaneously.

But enough of all of that: back to Homestuck.

Armageddon’s simultaneous casting of Liv Tyler into the roles of earth and mother offers a glimpse at the interpretive possibilities made available by Hussie’s statement that Homestuck is in a way a synonym for Earthbound (an RPG in which “homesickness” is a status ailment which can be cured by calling your mom). Stuckness or boundness can be deployed to communicate a sense of longing for “home”.

A good chunk of Homestuck is built upon feelings of nostalgia, taken to mean a sort of intense separation anxiety with the past. John speaks about this when he watches Con Air with Jade – John wants the movie to feel like it did when he watched it with his Dad long ago, but the feeling from when he was a kid is gone. This upsets him. Moreover, John’s freakout starts at the moment Cyrus puts a gun to the bunny’s head (5286): Con Air itself is partly about Nic Cage trying to return to the life he lost when he went to jail, and ‘putting the bunny back in the box’ is a metaphor for the attempt. Cyrus, in threatening the bunny, is highlighting his role as a force preventing things from going back to how they were. Thus, if we are to believe that John is responding to the movie thematically, Cyrus confronts John with his own inability to go back to a happier past – his inability to go home -- and this recognition is met with anger.

In making the leap to the psychoanalytic motifs, it helps to recall the part where baby!Dirk responds to being born by cracking open his ectotube and crawling back inside. Dirk, who aspires towards his “ultimate self”, illustrates here that he envisions his ascension as a return to the ‘essence’ of Dirk from which he (and all other iterations of himself) arose, as represented by the ectoslime. Baby!Dirk gestures at unity with his ectoslime/essence by crawling back into the place from which he was born, which I’m basically claiming is a “return to the womb” on a symbolic level, or at least that this is a useful parallel to draw. (A related motif to think about: Dirk decapitates himself by sticking his head inside a box, which as per Con Air symbolizes the place you wish to return to)

[Hella Jeff sez: “i took (my pants) off because i was banging your mom for a minute there..... AND NOW YOU ARE BANGING HER”]

Castration becomes unavoidable as you try to relate all of this to Dave, whose occasional references to banging hot moms are part of an ongoing reference to the Oedipus Complex. Critically, the complex is not /just/ about wanting to bone your mom, but also fear that your dad will chop your junk off if you do. The breaking of Dave’s sword on the rooftop is a realization of this fear (yes, we’re doing the “swords are phallic” thing). But Dave has no mom that he knows of, so what gives? 

The answer is in the way Bro inexplicably breaks the record emblem on Dave’s t-shirt, as though he has introduced a fissure into Dave’s very identity. Life with Bro has made it very difficult for Dave to be honest with himself, which is to say, Dave pictures Bro’s abuse as having divided him from an ideal “true self”, which can feel emotions without all the anxious ironic detachment. I mentioned before that seeking unity with that from which you came is a “return to the womb”. This is the sense in which the Oedipal mom attraction becomes relevant: the return to the past is sexualized. The ‘home’ Dave wishes to return to is /himself/, and in this sense Dave is his own hot mom (which is related to how often Dave compliments his own looks, as well as the above gif suggesting Dave’s boner – he is literally/metaphorically “attracted” to himself).

(Incidentally: this model of desire, in which a broken subject attempt to become whole again by seeking out its lost half, is basically the concept of the soulmate, as laid out by Plato. Cherub reproduction turns the metaphysical pursuit of one’s lost half into a plot-level objective)

John’s entry item (apple) was linked to fear embodied in a childhood trauma (the Fall), and the same can be said of Dave. Hatching from the shell that contained your primordial goop (Dirk) is analogous to being violently separated from yourself (Dave), which is why Dave’s entry item (an egg) hatching coincided with Bro slicing the meteor in half: the abuse that divided Dave from himself, his “castration” by Bro, is simultaneously the “birth” that separated Dave from his “mother” (which is also Dave).

The general idea is that birth = self-alienation = castration, insofar as all are depicted as modes of being separated from oneself.

The broad motif of ‘being separated from oneself’ can be very useful for identifying brain ghosts in unexpected places. Take for example, Roxy’s fenestrated planes: when they are introduced the narrative is quick to tell us that if someone were caught half in/out of one of the windows when the power cuts out, they would be sliced in half. By the rule of Chekhov’s gun, this introduction should mean we should eventually see someone get gorily bisected by the window, but alas we never do. 

Instead, when Gcat warped the panel away, trapping Roxy between the windows, we were shown the image of a bisected horse puppet in Dirk’s apartment, This signals that Chekhov’s gun has indeed gone off. But rather than splitting a body, it split a soul: Meenah’s introduction follows the sequence because Roxy has generated a shadow of herself, a doppelganger. This is not without precedent: an earlier portion of this post was devoted to exploring the fourth wall as a mode of self-alienation. Roxy’s panel mishap can be considered part of that pattern.

If Meenah functions as an extension of Roxy, all of her actions can be read as bearing some relations to Roxy’s own latent thoughts and desires. Prior to the epilogues, for example, Meenah imploring John not to give her the ring seemed to be yet another Fuck You to the late Chekov: the issue never comes up again. But a psychic link between Meenah and Roxy would suggest that John broke his promise to Meenah by giving the ring to Roxy, and that whatever motivations compelled Meenah to make her request in the first place would also apply to Roxy.

Decapitation is yet another mode of self-alienation, and thus can be construed as a mode of birth. Hence the image of Lil Sebastian hatching from his shell of taxidermied man meat. That’s a motif unto itself, but what I wish to call attention to is the match-cut from John’s broke body to Jake’s broken tower. The juxtaposition collapses the images into metaphor, such that Jake’s loose dome in the woods becomes a decapitated head -- an appropriate addition to the pumpkin patch it rests in, given all the Headless Horseman jokes. We can look to Dirk for for another example of a headless horse-man of the house echoing the head: for a guy who idealizes decapitation to such a degree, it is striking that Sburb aims to provoke him by reattaching his beheaded apartment to its underlying units.

Houses act as metaphors for heads, then “Homestuck” could also interpreted as “head trapped” -- like the title emphasizes confinement within one’s own mind. Such a reading offers up Failure to Launch and Arrested Development (posters on John and Jane’s walls) as alternate synonyms for Homestuck, as each satirizes (or outright mocks) potential failure states in the process of inter-personal and mental development (ie “growing up”). Like Earthbound, both lean on a sense of homesickness in characterizing despondency, as though characters are haunted by the needs that defined their childhood -- or else find themselves needing that childhood itself.

But collapsing nostalgia into infantile regression is far from the only way to approach the house/heads equation. One might read the transformation and growth of houses with Sburb as metaphors for expanding the mind. One might infer that the choreography of events within houses can map out thoughts like dancing bees. One might take the metaphor as a foothold for interpreting the significance of the Sburb logo being at once a house and a window. \I have my own thoughts about Homestuck’s brain-ghost haunted house-minds, but for now, I only hope that this document has raised some interesting questions -- and ideally, that the interpretive approaches I’ve described might be useful in seeking answers.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Episodic Patterns for Episodes 8, 9, & 10

Good morning, Everyone! How was your Thanksgiving. Mine was great! Lots of family, craziness, WAY too much pie. Good times! ;D 

Okay, so I’m first going to talk about the video released on the official YouTube channel that shows clips of Beth’s, Carl’s, and Deanna’s deaths after the 10x08 trailer. Because that’s what got me thinking about this. I said originally that showing Carl’s death along with Beth’s made perfect sense to me, but Deanna’s mystified me a bit.

Well, after hashing things out with my fellow theorists, I have much more to say. Actually, @wdway​ came up with these initial observations all by herself, so kudos to her for that. What she observed is 100% accurate and insightful, and led to me realize these other episodic patterns. So let’s go through these quickly.

There are some subtle parallels between Beth’s, Deanna’s, and Carl’s deaths. Mostly, it has to do with the way they’re set up in the MSF. In each case, the death is “announced” if you will in the MSF, and we’re kind of led to believe that they’ll die in that episode. Except that they don’t. They’re given another episode to kind of wrap things up.

So with Beth, this is obvious. At least to us TDers. We’re led to believe she died in the MSF, and we don’t think she did. But even setting the death fake out aside for a moment, even 5x09 is kind of a continuation of her death. We really shouldn’t have seen her at all after 5x08, but we did. 

Seeing her, even as part of Tyreese’s death hallucination, was a surprise. And we have other clues (like the group running to their cars) of other things that may have happened in the interim that we aren’t privy to. So the idea is that things might not have gone down in exactly the way we were led to believe based on the MSF.

Deanna’s is less dramatic. We knew she’d die one way or the other because she was bitten. She was given a gun to end her own life rather than be eaten. And we had clues that it wouldn’t go down that way (she opened the door, screamed at the walkers, and fired at them) but we didn’t’ know because we didn’t actually SEE her death. (Perhaps another Beth parallel.) 

Then, in 6x10, we do learn that things didn’t go according to plan. Because Deanna, as a reanimated walker, is stumbling around outside of Alexandria. So, she couldn’t have shot herself in the head. But she also wasn’t eaten by walkers. 

Something happened that helped her avoid being a meal, but also led to her reanimated self getting not only out of the room but outside the walls. What was it? We don’t know. And it’s probably not even very important because Deanna wasn’t a super main-stream character. 

But the point is, things didn’t go down the way the MSF finale led us to believe they would. And we have parallels to Beth’s death both in the mystery surrounding what happened with Deanna, and the fact that Spencer looked for her as a walker, which we also believe Daryl did with Beth.

Carl’s death is similar. We found out about his bite in the MSF and many people might have pegged that as his death episode. Yet, they gave him another episode with a much bigger send off to tie up all the loose ends. So things didn’t go down quite as people thought they would, based on the setup in the MSF.

There are other subtle parallels as well. I have to point out the gunshot-to-the-head theme that runs through these. The theme is present in all three, but what actually happens is different each time. Beth is shot in the head, but we believe it didn’t kill her. Deanna is supposed to shoot herself in the head, but doesn’t, and reanimates as a walker as a result. Carl actually does shoot himself in the head, and it kills him, and we see his burial/funeral.

There are other rabbit holes we could go down as well when it comes to the symbolic ties between these deaths. I’ll just mention a few things without actually going down them.

Carl is the one who sees walker-Deanna and leads her to Spencer so Spencer can put her down. He tells Michonne such things should be done by family or someone who loves the deceased person. That he would do it for her. You could see that as a foreshadow of Carl’s death. The way it’s presented, it almost seems like a foreshadow of Michonne’s death (“I’d do it for you,”) but it wasn’t. Carl said it and it was about him. A foreshadow that when he was bitten (like Deanna) Michonne would be there to make sure he got put down and didn’t reanimate as a walker.

But the thing is, this conversation takes place right after Carl says the thing to Baby Judith about using the North Star to find your way HOME. Saying that and then talking to Michonne about his death (not literally, of course) also entangles Carl’s death with Beth’s return.

See what I mean about the rabbit holes?

I also think it’s interesting that Michonne was involved in a big way in both Carl’s and Deanna’s deaths. Makes you wonder what her role in the missing 17 days after Coda was, doesn’t it? And what her role in Beth’s return will be.

But let’s switch gears just a bit, here. Thinking about all of this helped make a pattern clear in my mind about the structure of episode 8, 9, and 10 in each season. And I think you’ll all like this because it’s another, concrete way to point at episode 10 as possibly being when Beth returns.  

We all tend to think and say—me especially—that each season is divided into 16 episodes with two major arcs: the front half and back half. And while that’s true, it’s not quite that neat and tidy is it? The two arcs don’t consist of 1-8 and 9-16. Rather, the first arc tends to be 1-7. 8-9 is a shit-hits-the-fan mini-arc, 

and then the new arc for the back half starts in episode 10. Hence all those damn sunrises we see, yeah? ;D

I think my biggest takeaway here is that they never FINISH in episode 8 what they started in episode 8. They usually short it up in episode 9. We already talked about this with character deaths, but it’s true in a more general sense as well. Ep 10 starts the new arc, and, more often that not, it includes them finding a new group or community.

So I had to think through all the seasons. Or at least, all the ones since S4. Arguments can be made for 1-3, but I’ll stick to the ones after Gimple took over.

S4: So right off the bat, S4 was a little different. I think that’s mostly because they split into so many little groups and they had to show them all. But of course the big event in ep 8 was the prison going down, 

but ep 9 and 10 were continuations of that. Hence all the running. Again, I think this took 2 episodes because 9 was just about Rick/Michonne/Carl and then 10 covered Bethyl, Maggie/Sasha/Bob, and Glenn/Abraham/and co. They didn’t actually find a new community, but all of them started moving toward Terminus in one way or another.

S5: Obviously the shitstorm in ep 8 was Beth/Grady. And while it’s still a little unclear how ep 9 continues this, the biggest clue is that Beth was actually in episode 9, albeit as a hallucination. And it’s hard to pin down because it was so metaphorical and abstract, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Ep 9 was about taking Noah home. That was to honor Beth’s wishes, and Noah came to the group courtesy of Beth/Grady anyway. So that episode really was an outgrowth or extension of the Grady arc. 

And it ends with a burial. Of course it was Ty’s, rather than Beth’s, but now, after all this time, I can see that it was meant to symbolize Beth’s as well. Not because she actually died or got a burial, but rather because, for all intents and purposes—both to the characters and to the audience—she was dead, and that was the end of that arc.

The new arc starts, of course, with Aaron showing up to bring them to a new community: Alexandria.

S6: This is a big one for me. I always said 6x09 would have made a WAY better MSF than 6x08. The big event was the church falling on the fence and letting walkers into Alexandria. (Yeah, I know it technically happened at the end of ep 7, but that was just for the cliffhanger effect. Ep 8 was them dealing with the horde.) 

And ep 8 left off right smack in the middle of the action. Daryl/Sasha/Abe were still facing Saviors on the road, Eugene was still calling for help on the radio, Rick and co held hands and moved into the horde, but things were far from solved. Maggie was still trapped on the scaffold. Glenn and Enid were still outside the walls. Then ep 9 comes along and all the great stuff happens. Daryl plays with a rocket, everyone returns to the Alexandria, Glenn and Maggie reunite after 8 episodes apart (end of death fakeout, by the way), Daryl stars the lake on fire, Carl shot, Jessie & sons eaten, and epic battle against walkers for Alexandria.

So my point is, they didn’t wrap things up until episode 9. New arc begins in ep 10 when they meet Jesus and go to Hilltop (new community).

S7: Much less drama in the middle of S7, but ep 8 ends on a confrontation with Negan and Rick deciding it’s time to fight back. It continues in ep 9 as they try to figure out exactly HOW to do that and where they’ll get the resources. 

New arc begins in ep 10 when they meet a new community (Scavengers) and the arc for the rest of the season focuses on building things up toward the war.

S8: We already talked about Carl’s death, which is definitely part of this pattern. In terms of plot, the big event was the bombing of Alexandria. 

But when it ended, it REALLY didn’t end. Carl didn’t die, everyone was still hiding in the sewer, and plenty of people were still running around in the woods in the dark, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. It didn’t wrap up until ep 9, including Carl’s death and burial. I think the “new community” aspect in this season was Enid and Aaron going to ask Oceanside for help. So, not a new community, but they weren’t a part of the war yet, and there were TONS of Beth symbols around this arc, which is important.

S9: So I really wasn’t sure at first if they’d stuck to this pattern in S9, especially given that we know Andy left later than originally planned. I couldn’t even remember off the top of my head which episodes were which, and had to go look at them. Yeah, they totally kept to pattern. The big event was graveyard/Whisperers/Jesus’ death, 

which came from going to rescue Eugene. But you can tell they didn’t wrap it up until ep 9 because we didn’t see Jesus’ burial/funeral until ep 9. In terms of episode 10 and finding a new group, guess what episode 10 was? Omega, where Alpha shows up at the gates. So yeah, they totally pulled it off.

So what’s the point of all of this? Well, they’re following pattern this season. They started something in episode 8 (Daryl and co going to find the horde and look for Lydia) but it definitely didn’t finish. It ended in the middle of the action, much as it always does. So I’m fully expecting that they’ll solve that particular problem in ep 9, and if there are any character deaths, they will no doubt happen then. (No idea if any of the reports about Connie or someone falling off a cliff will prove true, but IF they do, it will be in episode 9 anyway, not 9).

As for them meeting a new community, which should happen in episode 10, we don’t REALLY know what it will be…except that they’ve been filming at Grady so we do. Whether it’s actually Grady or some other hospital, chances are it will be introduced in episode 10.

And the fact of the 10:10 clock on Beth’s wall, which episode will probably coincide with them finding this new community? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I think it’s safe to say that Gimple planned for this a LONG time ago.

 So yeah. Just wanted to point that out and hopefully it carries everyone through the hiatus and gets you excited for 10b. Thoughts?

[the-master-cylinder]

SUMMARY Colin Childress (Jeffrey Combs), a highly successful comic book artist who gains inspiration from a mystical book of horrific drawings, inadvertently summons an evil spirit into his basement studio. Decades later, his house has become a small art institute run by the stern Mrs. Briggs (Yvonne De Carlo). One night, comely student Whitney Taylor (Debrah Farentino) goes rooting around the sealed boxes in the cellar and releases the supernatural forces trapped there.

PRODUCTION CELLAR DWELLER was shot at Empire’s Italian studios, it was produced by Bob Wynn. Sergio Salvati was the cinematographer, According to Albert Band, head of production for Empire, the film was cast with video actors to spur cassette sales. The cast includes Pamela Bellwood, Deborah Mullowney (Debrah Farentino), Vince Edwards and Yvonne De Carlo. The film is a  homage to the horror stories of the old EC comics. The story revolves around a female art student who so admires the old comic book that She seeks out the home of the artist to study there. The creator of the comic book died 30 years before under mysterious circumstances involved with black magic. He had drawn peils in his strips from which a hideous creature eventually materialized and it is still around and still hungry. De Carlo plays a character who eventually turns into the creature.

The script, written by Don Mancini, had been around Empire for years. Buechler had prepared some early pre-production art concepts for it before making TROLL for Empire in 1985. Once he accepted Empire topper Charles Band’s offer to direct the film he went through six re-writes of the script.

The challenge of trying to make a movie with decent acting, a good Story, and some fine FX in an amount of time considerably less than what the average filmmaker is allotted these days appealed to Buechler. Buechler even sped things ahead by shooting with two cameras simultaneously, thus ensuring better coverage and production value.

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One of the reasons Buechler sails through projects like Cellar Dweller the way he does, and the principal reason he found the time to make the film in the first place, is that he hired a dynamite team to back him up.

I’ve got the best crew in the world,” Buechler boasts. “We’re in the business of making monsters for the motion picture screen that are believable, and one of the reasons we do it well is because everyone has the opportunity to follow a character through its various stages of development. When you take an assembly line approach to this sort of work, you often sacrifice momentum and spontaneity.”

John Criswell, MMI’s shop foreman in charge of all things mechanical, likens working at MMI with being in “a big clubhouse. That’s what the atmosphere is like. You have a real good opportunity to try many different things, and I get to travel a lot.” Still, Criswell has nothing on his boss, who seems to be continuously jet-hopping from location to location, back and forth, successfully juggling four or five jobs at a time.

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“As time goes on,” notes Buechler, “I have to delegate a great deal of work because there’s just so much coming in. Most of the time I sculpt 90 percent of what’s happening here.

“We changed the monster into a more Lovecraftian creature,” said Buechler. “The creature now has more personality, he’s more a character. We also dropped a number of other fantasy characters that did nothing to further the story.”

Buechler, a former comic strip artist before starting his effects company, Mechanical & Makeup Imageries (MMI), admitted being a fan of the old EC Comics. The comics in the film are used as an integral part of its structure.

Buechler called the film’s titular creature “a cross between a werewolf and a vampire.” Buechler’s design was mechanized by John Criswell and worn by Michael Deak during filming. The script also called for one character to lose an arm, and for a zombie that enlivens the film’s climax. “nothing too complicated.” according to MMI staffers.

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Buechler downplays the film’s gore angle. “I’ve never done a slasher picture and I never wanna do one,” he said. “I think that it vou do something graphic it should explore psychological terror or deal with fantasy. It should not be a gratuitous exploitation of murder.”

“Mike’s a tall guy,” notes Buechler. “He’s probably about 6-foot-4. In the movie, wearing the suit with the mechanical head, and because of the way we photographed him, he looks more like 8-foot.”

John Foster, now production manager at MMI, was at the time responsible for the understructure of the costume worn by Deak. The Comic book scenes have been intercut with live action for the most graphic gore scenes in order to get an anticipated R-Rating when the picture is submitted to the MPAA. The strips were drawn at MMI by Foster, under Buechler’s supervision. The covers and additional interior art by famed artist Frank Brunner.

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CAST/CREW Directed John Carl Buechler

Produced Bob Wynn Charles Band

Written Don Mancini

Music Carl Dante

Debrah Farentino – Whitney Taylor (credited as Debrah Mullowney) Brian Robbins – Phillip Lemley Vince Edwards – Norman Meshelski Cheryl-Ann Wilson – Lisa Jeffrey Combs – Colin Childress Pamela Bellwood – Amanda Yvonne De Carlo – Mrs. Briggs

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Cinefantastique v18n02-03 (March 1988) Fangoria#71

Cellar Dweller (1988) Retrospective SUMMARY Colin Childress (Jeffrey Combs), a highly successful comic book artist who gains inspiration from a mystical book of horrific drawings, inadvertently summons an evil spirit into his basement studio.

[the1rei]

Little Moments: Reboot Chapter Eight: Fathers and Sons By  Ericobard and shadows59 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Fandom: Ben 10 Series Relationship: Ben Tennyson/Gwen Tennyson Some Additional Tags: Bullying, No proofreading, Family is Drama, Long burn

Carl tries to explain what it means to be a man and how hard it is to be a parent to Ben.  It can make acting like a hero look easy, but Ben watches and learns carefully from his father.  

Read my review below:

The exchange between Ben and His father is good; it could be written tighter. The only thing I would change is to put it before the convention instead of after it. Carl admits to knowing they screwed up, so why he didn't stop at any point? He just got through dragging his unhappy son through a convention all day after grounding him. Ben made it clear, to the point he was grounded, that he didn't want to mess up his and Gwen's birthday plans with this convention. If they had had this conversation before the convention with its positive resolution, they could have continued to the convention as at that point there would be no fixing the mistakes. This way, the story creates the image of Carl torturing his son all day while pretending to be happy and excited. It makes far less sense that Ben cooperated with his father in going to the convention at all if he was still mad at him.

Again Shadows59 tries to press ownership of bad actions onto both parents instead of just the mother. It was very clear in the 'Bloody Christmas' chapter that only Sandra was bothered by Gwen calling Ben a Doofus.

No one else picked up on that? (Shrug) Ten bucks says Eric and Josh are gay. Twenty says Sandra's parents are religious fundamentalists and disowned Eric. Thirty says someone will somehow think the first statement constitutes bigotry.  

I love how much Ben loves the 'man to man' thing.

What is the point of having Gwen meet Ben at his window and be hiding at the front door?

Once more, Ben's parents shower Gwen with affection, and Ben still doesn't have a complex about it. Frank is more jealous of the attention Gwen gets from Max than Ben is about the attention Gwen gets from both his parents.

It detracts from what little maturity Shadows59 let Ben keep when he openly declares he gave up Max because that's what he thought he should do instead of it being something that he wanted to do for Gwen. His maturity is further eroded when he then asserts that Gwen is Grandpa's favorite, which is something he never did before either.

"But you thought that I would choose between you." Not in the original he didn't; that is why he arranged it so Max would get to spend time with both of them on their birthday. Why is that too much insight for Ben to have in the Reboot?

"This was all her idea." Being unsatisfied with giving Gwen things that Ben did in the original, now Shadows59 is giving her things that Max did, such as setting up their short birthday celebrating they get to have together amidst everything that has gone wrong since Christmas. Again everything that is taken from another character and given to Gwen erodes her character and makes more of a Mary-Sue.

Gwen can now apparently grab Ben so fast he can't see her move, but only for this chapter as a way to suggest he needs martial arts training to be an effective fighter. Which again, he doesn't.

Explaining that Max is covering for the existence of the phones is a good detail to add.

It makes more sense that Gwen would reign in her emotions with Max watching, preventing her from kissing Ben. In the original, they were alone, no outside factor that would cause her to restrain herself.

-Erico No, those chapters were a rambling mess, and I would still like to know who read the originals chapters that correspond with this one and the last and thought Lili and Frank weren't people.

No, their parents' importance to the story is measured by how much they contribute to the story. Going off on unrelated tangents adds nothing to the story, and that was all Lili's chapter was. In this chapter, Ben's parents added something to the story by creating a resolution to what happened at Christmas, something Gwen's parents completely failed to do.

Ben and Gwen fought like cats and dogs for three years, according to the last chapter, as they were seven when they had the big blow out. That blow out happened because Ben was upset about everyone praising Gwen for her successes, not parenting. Also, I will say again they were friends in the show.

Celebrating their birthday together, a huge problem for two chapters isn't equal to suggesting they tacking on little stargazing. For Gwen to turn that heartfelt kiss to a weapon cheapens the emotion of that scene. The story insistence on Ben's needing to learn karate to be a good hero is another hindrance to its quality.

No, like in the original, Ben will express how they are more than friends. I'm seriously beginning to wonder if you are even reading the story under which you are commenting.

(As always, please go leave Shadows59 a nice positive review he won’t delete.)

[eggoreviews]

My Top 25 Games Advent Day 10 - Detroit: Become Human (#16)

“We are gonna tell them peacefully that we want justice. If there’s any humanity in them, they will listen. And if not, others will take our place and continue this fight. Are you ready to follow me?”

This is a divisive game if ever I’ve seen one. Some cite David Cage’s latest multi-branch epic as a modern masterpiece of cinematic gaming, seamlessly weaving three tales of humanity and equality that is genuinely and sometimes harshly affected by your choices. But others, a fair amount of others, see this title as an overblown, janky mess with David Cage’s typical wonky, heavy-handed writing and themes that don’t even attempt subtlety. Me personally, I can see both sides of the fence. So here’s my take.

Going into Detroit, I honestly wasn’t expecting much, being well aware of the reputation Cage carries from his previous projects, but I’m a big ol fan of decision-based adventure games as anyone who’s been reading this countdown will know, so I thought it’d be a fun distraction. Detroit turned out to be what I consider to be the best decision-based game ever created (there’s one other in this list that places above Detroit, but you’ll see why when I get to it). And that’s purely down to the game mechanics alone, even just putting aside the characters and writing for a moment, the sheer amount of endings and branching pathways is baffling. This is a game that is perfectly in tune with every single choice you make, which can often result in deaths of characters that you can’t undo and then boom, you lose the rest of that character’s storyline. It’s harsh, but it means every player gets a different experience and gives much, much more weight to the decisions you make as you strive to get everybody out at the end. Detroit is genuinely a wild ride, made even more enjoyable by its various crime scene investigations, fight scenes and chase sequences, which all keep the overall gameplay from becoming stale.

Now, I know some people criticise this game as a whole for not digging into AI or telling another Ex Machina story about science and technology and ‘tHe SiNgULaRitY’ or whatever, but that’s because that’s really not what Detroit is trying to do. Detroit tells a story of standing up to prejudice and reminding us that humanity should always strive to do better by those that are oppressed, and using the allegory of androids is excellent in driving this home. Detroit is a story of overcoming prejudice in an increasingly terrifying world, as the city of Detroit itself is home to those hurling insults and violence at androids, while simultaneously becoming reliant on them. It’s an interesting paradox, especially as the game continues to give subtle speculation in the background of various scenes as how technology could affect infamous cities such as Detroit in the future, as well as giving an insight into the potential international climate in 2038, from bees dying out to a potential war over the Arctic between the US and Russia. The speculative world-building in this title is stellar, and it’s something I think a lot of people gloss over when considering this game to entirely lack subtlety.

Moving on the foreground of Detroit, here’s where the majority of the people point to Detroit’s massive ham-handedness. The characters. Detroit places you in the control, and basically places in your care, three entirely different characters with completely different and engaging perspectives on the growing number of ‘deviant’ androids:

Connor, a prototype detective android, begins the game entirely sided with his own oppressors, doing everything he can to ensure his mission is complete. Connor can remain as a cold, ruthless, uncaring machine for the entire game, to the disdain of your reluctant colleague and eventually close friend (boyfriend) Hank. Or, if you’ve made enough choices to make Connor reflect on his life, you are given the choice to later defect and allow Connor to discover his humanity. Here’s what I love about Detroit; going back to the masterful story branch crafting for a moment, the game doesn’t allow you to make throwaway choices that entirely contradict how you’ve been treating a character for the whole game, so Connor’s eventual deviancy can only come about if that’s how you’ve been playing him. What’s even more powerful is that, if you choose to stay on the original path Connor was taking, his eventual obsolescence is all the more heart-breaking, as he realises all too late that he was manipulated and used by his creators to harm those who wished for freedom, only to have himself replaced by a more advanced model after being successful. Now that’s how you do an ending.

The second, Markus, yet another prototype gifted to the artist Carl (played by the legendary Bishop himself, Lance Henrikson) to take care of him in his old age. Markus’ story has a hell of a lot of dimensions to it, as you acknowledge throughout your time with him that, despite the fact he is still a slave, he lives what could be seen as a privileged life, compared to other androids at least, living with the artist that simultaneously owns him and dictates his entire life, whilst also urging him to seek his own humanity and think for himself. Some interesting hypocrisy from Carl, which is another reason why it’s so easy to have mixed thoughts and feelings on certain characters. Characters are morally grey in Detroit, even if it doesn’t seem so on the surface! So there’s some of that nuance people seemed to forget was there (but hey, this is all just my opinion so uhhh don’t @ me telling me I suck). In the end, having fallen from his sheltered life into one now entirely dictated by himself, Markus finally sees for himself the horrible treatment of the rest of his kind and resolves to take action and becomes a symbol for the android rebellion, rounding off a satisfying arc for a character previously completely blind to the suffering of his fellow androids.

And the third, Kara, is a household android that has lost all memory beyond a horrible accident she seemed to have suffered. Unlike the polar opposite stances of Connor and Markus, Kara and her growing bond with her previous owner’s child Alice represent what Markus is fighting for and what Connor is fighting against; finding humanity. Kara doesn’t want a part in war or rebellion, her only desire is to protect the child she’s now caring for. While this perspective was extremely important, not least as a way of seeing firsthand how your large scale choices as Connor and Markus are affecting smaller scale narratives such as Kara and Alice’s bid for freedom, my one and only gripe is wishing they’d made Alice, and to a point Kara, into more developed characters that could stand on their own. While their plight is poignant and effective and their motivations are clear, the same can be said of Connor and Markus, who each have their own nuances and quirks to their character that subtly portray the humanity they’re discovering in themselves. Kara and Alice, with a little more development outside of their main drive, could’ve made that plotline just a little more interesting, but I maintain that their perspective was essential in showcasing the outcomes of your choices. Plus, Luther is an awesome character and I love him more than anything. It all just goes to show that a lot of the subtlety some claim as missing entirely can be found in other aspects of the experience, most notably the world-building and the excellently composed soundtrack. In particular, I think the move of choosing an individual composer for each character was absolute genius, as it gives each one their own unique musical style and atmosphere.

I know a lot of this, especially the characters and their arcs, may seem like cliches and so on the nose it isn’t even trying, but I think in this case, it just works. Stories of breaking away from ingrained prejudice can be just that and sometimes benefit from telling stories as they are, Detroit didn’t need to be stylised or rooted in subtle, shifting plot threads to leave me an absolute emotional wreck by the time I finished playing. Sure, it tackled its heavy themes with as much grace as a blind rhinoceros, but that didn’t detract at all from the emotional value of each individual plot thread and it certainly didn’t hamper the experience of being completely engrossed in a story where your choices matter more than anything else. David Cage may have rightfully earned his reputation as a bit of a fumbling, heavy-handed writer, but this game is so painstakingly crafted from every character to every setpiece and every choice alteration from minute to grandiose, makes that famous Cage jank almost entirely disappear. Almost. And if you yourself are a Cage skeptic as I once was (and to a point, still am), I encourage you to give this game a try.

Standout Moment Award: The crossover finale of all three main narrative threads is absolutely perfectly executed, and feels equally impactful no matter your choices. But, you know, obviously the best canon ending is when everyone gets out alive.

Standout Character Award: Connor. Of course this had to go to Connor, the ever-conflicted, messily efficient twinky android who is definitely dating Hank takes today’s standout character shoutout.

Tomorrow: No. 15; framed swordsman gets pissed off at a world-ending prophecy, bothers entire world for help.

[carlkrogen]

On The Edge Of A Knife P3

((Character death and description of violence. Also trippy effects below break))

Being alone inside the belly of something much bigger than ourselves, it’s not something I recommend. Farendar is gone, and without him I won’t have a chance in getting the dagger. The whispers still tried to slip through my mind, but they were cut down by my last push back from them. They tried to remind me I would be alone, but now, I won’t be, and that means I won’t be forgotten either.

Slipping through the tunnel, I suppose I should be grateful I still have the book. Though the further I went, the more I wondered, if the owner of the book never finished the book, that means he never escaped this place. In that moment I made a choice. I quickly put the book away and started to walk, following my instincts as I sensed for air movement, and more importantly, reaching out to feel the void itself.

The path I take becomes more narrow. But just when I think I might be lost, and alone, I hear it. More my mind comprehends I’m hearing something and I quickly close the channels to my ears so I can’t hear the language of the void be shouted. Doing the thing I would not advise other explorers, I followed the path until it opened up into a large dome like room. One with jagged spikes around all the walls. In the very center was the thing I was looking for, a pedestal that looked to have been made from the living material the tunnel was made from. It pulsed and moved, but that wasn’t what I was focused on.

What I focused on was Farendar stripped naked from his robes and speaking in a language that if I heard it, I would go insane. Farendar himself was facing away from me, but his hands moved into view and I could see they were covered in blood. If I’m careful enough, he might have lost his sanity that I could sign his soul over to fully be with his gods before he even knew I was there.

Stepping low and slow I draw my tonfas out as I watch Farendar’s erratic movements. One step, two steps.

I didn’t even notice when the tendril hit me in the side until I was face first in sand and my world had turned black. Something grabbed my arms and pulled me violently up and back so I was on my knees with my body up right and my arms held behind me. The darkness vanished as did my mask that was ripped off of my face.

“You are a naughty boy Dr. Krogen.” A voice said coming from all around me. I should mention that Farendar was a very accomplished void user, one who had lost his mind, but one who was powerful. “Do you want to know what the Gods have to say about you.”

“You know, I would love to know, but I would rather they use common.” I quipped and started to pull on the tendrils. Around me the world was not darkness, it was nothing. The color of nothing is far more than I can tell, but far less than I can explain.

The world shifted and Farendar is there, as naked as the day he was born, only his skin was covered in cuts, his eyes were black with the void, and his mouth was coughing up black bile. This, is where void madness can go very very wrong. “They say you are a child who only thinks about himself. That you are always looking to be more, but every cut you make makes you less. No one is ever going to want something more broken than whole, and your perfection will destroy you one day.”

The void, it gives half truths. I might be cutting away more of myself than I have left, but I am forging someone better, someone who makes me happy, not who makes others happy. If I’m going to be alone, then I will be alone and me, than alone and not me. This is the only way I know how to fight back, by accepting the faults I have and pressing harder on. More I know there is more to the void than the Old Gods. The Void… is forever, and forever is where I want to be.

Entering a quiet space, the space I keep to connect to the void on my own terms. In one moment I hear Farendar continue to speak.

“You wanted to kill me. To send my soul to the void.”

Finding that quiet place I smiled up at him “Of course I wanted to send you to the void. It’s been all you’ve ever wanted. To be sacrificed would mean being in the void, forever.”

“I WANTED THE POWER.” Now, his shout was of a man so lost to himself, that I’m not surprised by his actions. His outburst though was what I was looking for. As he yelled at me I was able to slip away, calling on the void myself so I could phase in and out until I was suddenly away from the tendrails and preparing to launch myself back into combat.

This time there was no sneak attack to catch me off guard. Farendar summoned up more maddening void tendrils, they were like eels undulating out from the jagged nothingness. Now I see them coming I was able to dodge them and continue to make my way towards the naked and insane elf i had dragged along.

The thing that caught my attention was the dagger. The pedestal was pulsating more and I started to wonder if it wanted this conflict so it could have the most angry soul going to pay for it’s release? It didn’t matter though, I know I'm not the most angry, and I am not going to die here and end up a slave to the void. That isn’t my dream, that is a dream for men with more insane plotting than I’ll ever have.

Closing the distance Farendar was laughing like he thought that me getting closer would let him win. I should be taking this as a warning, don’t ever get closer to a lost void user, not unless you know they won’t hurt you. In layman’s terms, never  get close to a lost void user, ever. The moment I got within striking range he reached out and summoned a curse to be placed on my body. My skin started to feel like it was on fire, when your body is on fire, it’s not the heat you feel, it’s the cold because your body doesn’t know how to process that much heat. You shiver you shake, and that agony ripped through my body.

But I’ve had worse, I’ve felt worse than that. Pushing through the curse I pulled my bades up and started to press forward, only to be met with tendrils blocking me and pushing me backwards. Their force at first took me off guard, that and the agony ripping through my body I was pressed back several feet until I felt something sharp threaten to poke my side. Farendar’s tendrils had pressed me all the way back to the spike covered walls. If he got one more good push, I could be impaled on the unsanitized material. My life was quickly flashing over my mind. That as a child I thought I was going to die, as a young man I lived a life I didn’t love until I found things I did love. The loss of my family, me finding my true self… Now I have even more to live for. I feel like if I died now, it wouldn’t just be my wishes dying with me, I would be letting someone alive down as well.

With a new resolve I started to push back. My touch with the void became stronger as I let myself again meld with it and phase away, only this time I arrive right behind Farendar and take the attack with out a second thought. My bladed tonfa sank into his chest with minimal resistance. A luck of the draw with not hitting any bones or stubborn cartilage. The sound he made, it’s not a whimper, not a groan, there’s something wetter involved as I noticed I must have punctured one of his lungs with my hit. Instead of removing the blade from him I knew I would need to cause as much damage as possible to the man if I was going to survive this night.

Twisting my blade inside of him I made sure to drag it to the side, taking along any more damage I could soak out of him. When I finally removed the blade I retreated back to the alter and called out. “You wanted a sacrifice for the blade, here he is. A soul loving of the void and ready to become one with it.”

My blow had been harder than I thought, Farendar’s body was shaking as he turned, his hand touching his chest where I knew he was struggling to stay alive. His blood was starting to be drained into the sands below, and I knew he was not long for this world. I wondered if I should feel pity for him. He was like many cultists, wanting power from things larger than themselves. But in the end, he was no longer human in my eyes. I’ve seen him torturer people, I saw him kill villages in Uldum so we could go after relics. In the end, this wasn’t just my greed for the dagger, this was me cleaning up one person who would make this world worse if they stayed on it longer.

The alter started to shake more, something stronger was drawing Farendar closer to it. The man shook his head, his eyes cleared of the void and there was obvious fear of what was about to happen to him. He looked out to me. Reaching for me “Carl, don’t do this to me.”

“I asked you to not do something, did you listen?”

It was then he saw why he was here, what had caused his life to send to this singular point. As he whimpered and started to cry I just looked on when his hands touched the pedestal and the light left his eyes. Seems it’s not blood, but the soul was the direct sacrifice for the void. The moment his body hit the floor the room around me started to shake. I’m not stupid enough to stay long once a place starts acting like this. Reaching out I find the dagger is easy for me to pick up.

Normally at this time I’ll use my hearthstone, or for quicker escapes use void walking. Only as I try to reach out I find my energy was already waning. There was no time to hearth out and not wait for whatever fate these tunnels have for me, and I won’t have the energy to void walk. Looking down to the dagger in my hands I know the one solution, and it’s one I don’t like. Sometimes in my profession one has to take calculated risks.

Unsheathing the dagger I summoned up the small amount of mastery I had and sank into the air, like i had hit Farendar with my tonfa’s. There was a mind altering moment where the blade stuck still and let me cut directly down… inside…

One should never talk directly about the void. So I won’t. I do what I’ve always done. Taking one last breath I stepped into the void and out into the wastes outside of Ahn'Qiraj. The whispers lingering just behind me, one of the voices louder than the rest.

                                  ‘Walk where we walk, and see what we’ve seen’

Safely out of the tunnels I looked down to the dagger and shivered. In my line of work there are risks to be made. Moments where we have to make the call that could lead us to salvation or, damn us for all times. I don’t know if this dagger is going to provide me with money and strength. Or, will it throw me into insanity like Farendar, will this be a step closer to the madness that I have seen so many others fall into? I can only hold onto the words of my friend, the more people who know me, the less likely it will be that I’ll fall. I have to believe that, or the void wins our game.

((Mentions: @olivia-lovecraft And Quest by: @singing-over-bones))

[nicolemagolan]

Books I Read In May 2019

I read way more than I anticipated this month! It was greeeaaaaaaaaat 🎶 In between assignments and writing, I was picking up books be it novels or comics or non-fiction, and on my travels I was listening to audiobooks. On the whole, the books I read were pretty good -- some exciting new releases and some older books I was discovering for the first time. Keep reading for my individual reviews!

Star Wars: Revan (The Old Republic) by Drew Karpyshyn

4/5 stars

“There is no sun, no dawn; just the perpetual gloom of night. The only illumination comes from jagged forks of lightning, carving a wicked path through angry clouds. In their savage wake thunder shreds the sky, unleashing a torrent of hard, cold rain. The storm is coming, and there is no escape.”

Revan is a Star Wars character I am aware of, but know next to nothing about. I've never played the Knights of the Old Republic games, and despite how fans praise them, I don't think I ever will. But I still wanted to get a taste of the story, and I sought it out in book form. This book didn't seem to be written as an introduction to him, but I enjoyed it none the less. I am curious as to where this fits into the continuity of the games (is it a retelling of the game's story? Is it a prequel or sequel or somewhere in-between? I have no clue).

Revan is Jedi hailed as the savior of the Republic. He's suffering memory loss, and plagued by dreams of his fragmented past. The book flicks between his POV, going on a journey to recover his memories, and Darth Scurge, a Sith trying to move up in the ranks. I found his POV pretty dull at first -- I wanted to get to know Revan -- but I loved the way the two became interwoven.

Despite Revan not knowing what happened to him, I still got a good sense of his character; although I found the eventual reveal of his past lacking and confusing. It mostly just left me going...huh? And the book ends somewhat open ended. I have no idea on what medium the story continues -- I would love to know what happens next! The one glaring flaw was the way Bastilla was completely sidelined. She is another character I have heard about in the fandom, and I was looking forward to seeing her in action. But she's just Revan's loving wife.

I listened to this on audio and loved the experience. As always, this Star Wars production has great narration, music, and sound effects. Very immersive. It's a shame that the new canon books haven't delved into sith territory like this -- it's extremely interesting. Definitely recommend this to any hardcore fans who want a deeper look into the sith/jedi wars. Plus cool Mandalorian stuff.

SHE: A Journey of Faith, Hope and Love With Women of The Bible by Jen Gibbs

3/5 stars

I have to say I really enjoyed my time reading SHE. Making myself a cup of tea, settling down in a comfy chair, and cracking open the pages became a little afternoon ritual. It was like sitting down with a friend and chatting about Jesus. The book is well researched, well written, and easy to read. It has a good structure; each section breaks down the topic (faith, hope, then love), and goes on to discuss how it is displayed through the women of the Bible, and finally relates it to the author's own walk with God. This grounds a lot of the bigger concepts and makes it relatable to our modern lives. I think in the right hands this could be a very impactful book. Personally, I would have liked it to go deeper into the Word as there were some aspects that felt skimmed over. Though I still recommend it to anyone interested in knowing a bit more about the women of the Bible, and to understand how God sees women.

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

4/5

*clears throat* THIS IS THE MOST ADORABLE BOOK I'VE EVER READ Read my full review on Eating Fiction!

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

3/5 stars

All Our Wrong Todays has a strong voice and compelling plot. The time travel element is well-balanced with a contemporary vibe. I loved the time travel element, naturally, which consisted of parallel worlds and paradoxes. But the romantic subplot was unbearable. The main character was a horrible person in general -- something that was addressed in the story and he had a decent arc and development. But his treatment towards the love interest (who was a bit of an idiot, really) and just women in general was awful. So I am giving this a well-rounded 3 stars.

So You Created a Wormhole by Phil Hornshaw and Nick Hurwitch

DNF (Did Not Finish)

I like the concept of this book: it's written as if it is an actual guide to time travelling, and the book has been purposefully brought into the readers hands by a future self. There are a lot of fun elements, but I found this book repetitive and the humor and grating. It was telling me things I already know (e.g. how the time travel in Back to The Future works) and I just got bored.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

3/5 stars

It should be illegal for first books in series to end with cliff hangers. Truly Devious is a murder mystery with an immersive boarding school setting, and distinct characters with decent arcs. The mystery is intriguing and provides plenty of threads to pull at.

But the ENDING. It was abrupt -- the kind of cliffhanger that’s supposed to make you want the next book immediately, I suppose. But all it did was leave me confused. The big “plot twist” it ended on was bizarre and had nothing to do with the MURDER we had spent the whole book trying to solve.

It made the whole thing feel -- almost -- like a waste of time. But...I enjoyed it enough that I am going to pick up the sequel. I want to know who the murderer is, dammit!

The Walking Dead, Issue #190: Storm The Gates by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard (Cover Art), Dave Stewart (Cover Art), Stefano Gaudiano (Artist), Cliff Rathburn (Artist)

4/5 stars

This sloooooow build up of the Commonwealth arc finally feels like it's going to pay off. And I'm here for it! I was on the verge of dropping this series, but I'm glad I stuck with it because this issue was action packed and I actually began to feel like the characters might be in danger. (That plot armor wearing thin, perhaps?) Still some newer characters I couldn't care less about, but I appreciate seeing some returning faces and I remembered that, hey, these used to be some of my favourite characters of all time, and maybe I do want to know what happens to them in this screwed-up world. I inhaled this entire issue in a very short span of time. Loved the cliffhanger, and was left excited to find out what went down in the next issue.

The Walking Dead, Issue #191: The Last Stand by Robert Kirkman, Cliff Rathburn (Illustrator), Charlie Adlard (Illustrator), Stefano Gaudiano (Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Illustrator)

5/5 stars

THE WALKING DEAD IS BACK, BABY! Wow. A Walking Dead issue hasn't made me gasp like this one did in FOREVER. This series is about to be reinvented and I am SO READY FOR IT. STEP UP CARL, STEP UP!!!!!! There were brilliant, impactful moments in this issue that will no doubt become iconic for the series. And some more quiet, touching moments between characters. Can't wait for the next issue. If that ending turns out to be a fake-out I'm gonna be so frustrated! But then...even if it is a fake-out, bravo to Kirkman and co for getting me back on board. I'm on this ship until it sinks!

Time Travel: A Writer’s Guide to the Real Science of Plausible Time Travel by Paul J. Nahin

4/5 stars

This book is a great tool for writers, like myself, who are attempting to write time travel SF. It delves into the history of time travel within the fictional realms, across mediums. And it briefly looks at the real-world context of time travel. 

It explains, clearly and concisely, what you need to craft a good time travel story, and it breaks down the many forms of travelling through time. I’m glad I stumbled upon it at the library! I like to think my future self, having mastered the art of time travel, planted it in my path.

That’s all folks! Hopefully June will be another good reading month. I’ve started a new sci-fi audiobook that I’m loving so far. See you next month!