#dartmoor killing

[zanephillips]

CALLUM BLUE Dartmoor Killing (2015)

[marenwithanm]

Alcatraz... Alcatraz you were 13 years old it wasn't your fault

[thesherrinfordfacility]

✨ episode 1/2 - running commentary✨

- ok so im slightly disappointed that it's the eps i watched in the screening BUT IM DETERMINED TO LOVE IT ANYWAY SO WE REMAIN OPTIMISTIC AND WE MOVE~~

- angel crowley is so young and innocent my poor boy he's been through so much

- like now im watching it, it feels like putting it in a cinema was a Bad Choice and maybe that's why I didn't like it??? it feels way more authentic and cosy on tv

- im sorry but crowley sounds like such an old man in the park scene, "frozen peas... it's good for them too🙂"

- seriously this is so much more palatable on tv format i can't get over it

- OH MAGGIE I LOVE YOU

- aziraphale god bless ur little cotton socks

- god crowley's legs got me SWEATIN

- ugh crowleys hand in the cafe is so FRUITY

- lmao "purely selfish action" aziraphale is so self aware and I love it

- no im sorry but goob is the fucking star of the show you cannot change my mind but dialogue and delivery wise he is currently CARRYING

- Dartmoor mention had me creasing, that's literally on my doorstep

- aziraphale's bitchy ass face then he sits down in the backroom honestly watered my crops and healed nature

- okay im sorry but the dialogue is still a little off for me I won't lie💀

- beelzebub's accent is just 😘👌 perfect, but equally feel like they'd be perfect in a production of oliver

- god believe me i feel for nina but... I... do not like her, and they are NOT suited for each other at all

- I LEARNT MY PASSION IN THE GOOD OLD FASHIONED SCHOOL OF LOVER BOYS

- that dance is so low effort I'm sorry it should have been the macarena or cha cha slide

- crowley's bow tho is so hot he's so graceful he looks like a swan

- and yeah the refs to the other years that aziraphale did the dance is GIVING ME HEART PALPITATIONS ugh

- he and goob are like cats on a hot tin roof like IMMEDIATE hissing vibes

- lmao ok so that episode does end there then... such a weird ending im sorry but yeah let's fully retract the alternate episode theory (but @prime you need to hire me for s3 just a thought bc 👀)

- anyway ep2 I'm sorry but the angelic herald speech thing is cute and funny but also so cringe hmmm

- gabriel is lord farquaad ugh

- I HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS IS A COMEDY UGH but i miss the slightly serious undertones in s1 sob god I hope they come back later on

- UGH THE TURTLENECK🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

- shax is mommy I don't make the rules

- I noted it in the screening but angel wings for earrings, Maggie????

- nice job on the lie aziraphale well done once again making excellent choices you're so smart and valid (utter moron)

- "SOUNDS A BIT UNLIKELY" LMAO GET FUCKED CROWLEY

- oh goob you really are going through it my bby I love u

- crowley's face after may god forgive you KILLS ME this scene is honestly the stand out one in both ep1 and ep2 if you ask me

- TY TY TY god bless u but you also make me so uncomfortable

- jobs youngest kid truly gives me life

- lmao the fact that aziraphale does actually recognise when crowley tempts him is hilarious tho bc he just conveniently disregards it by the bench scene in s1 hmmm character development or character regression WHO KNOWS

- ok no I'm sorry but the mukbang scene is so unnecessary and uncomfortable

- "whack the kids" honestly the best line of this scene imo, but upon reflection and rewatching it, crowley's demeanour is rather heartbreaking whilst he's reclined getting ratted

- FRANCES FRANCES FRANCES ✨💓

- 'but just to be able to ask the question' UGH CROWLEY STOP

- lmao shoemaking and obstetrics what a combo god bless

- THEY CAN ARRIVE AT ANY SIZE lmao and Michael is too sharp for their own good... but I do hate that gabriel is utterly inept, he came across as cruel and calculating if a little ignorant in s1 but not this comedically stupid

- "yes I bloody am" TY MY LOVE

- Michael sheen and David Tennant deserve nominations for the children swap scene alone, imo the strongest bit of acting in the ep im sorry 'you have my word as an angel' KILL ME

- why is nina obsessed with crowley, like I get it babes but also why

- THEY ARE SO MARRIED MT PARTNER AND I ARGUE OVER THE CAR ALWAYS "our car" LMAO 💀💀💀

- ✨✨✨IT WAS A NICE DAY, ALL THE DAYS HAD BEEN NICE✨✨✨

- ok the rock scene is so much more emotional on tv, so much better

OKAY RIGHT EP3 LETS HAVE ITTTTT

[224bbaker]

Fawx & Stallion Crowdfund: What is this season, even?

Great question, detective! I also want to know what I'm investing in before I make the decision one way or the other--James Stallion would be impressed!

Season one followed Hampton, James, and Madge in 1889, as they solved The Case of the Crimeria Jewels over the course of 9 episodes and one long weekend (while Holmes and Watson were away working on some case about a dog in Dartmoor). Season two will be a brand new, ten episode, full-cast mystery and, in the great tradition of sequels everywhere, operates on a bit larger of a scale. 

We'll pick up two years later in:

LONDON, 1891! At the press night of London’s first amusement park, and James’s newest investment venture, a ghastly murder is committed, and its intended target appears to be one of the illustrious residents of 221B. The only problem being, he’s since disappeared, leaving only the residents of 224B to solve the case… and this time, every eye in London has turned to them…

Does it seem like we may be leaving a few things out in that description? Misleading you a tiny bit? Drawing out tension for a better listening experience when the season arrives? How dare you, we would never! But also: trust us. And also: fuck it, more teases under the cut.

An increased scope! This season is far more ambitious than the first, in terms of the scale of the narrative and the extent to which we are widening out the world of the show. Which means…

New characters! They’re coming, whether you like it or not! We can’t wait for you to meet this illustrious lineup of new suspects, clients, and informants with very serious names like Lucius Peppermint, Dr. Iphegenia Brown, Desmond Highbottom, Farnsworth Truckle, Chauncy Grace, Joey Biscotti, and Fitzy. But that’s not all…

New settings! Did you catch that theme park mention in the season tease? Yeah, it’s a thing! One of this season’s settings is a full-scale, themed Victorian amusement park that we cannot tell you any more about other than the fact that it is the single silliest thing we’ve ever put (virtually) to paper and now hopefully into your ears. Speaking of other things we can’t wait to bring to you…

Holmes and Watson! That’s right, they’re in the public domain, which means they’re actually in this season! Listeners may remember them from our surprise minisode, The Case of the Well-Earned Holiday, but since they’re back in town (and right across the street) they’ll be pretty hard to ignore. Much like… 

Puns! I cannot spoil any of these but rest assured they are plentiful and they are glorious. Also like…

More Set Pieces! The first season had an underground fight club that opened up into a lava pit. Just imagine what our incredible sound design team is going to bring to life this time! And speaking of “bringing to life…”

A murder this time! We’ve been reliably informed that a great way to raise the stakes from a season one jewel heist is to center this season around a murder case so… Yeah! We do, in fact, kill a (fictional) guy this time! It rocks*! (*narratively, not ethically, the Fawx & Stallion team in no way endorses murder as fun or cool unless it is very silly and fictional and did we mention deeply silly)

(Also there are some clues in that crowdfund picture but you didn't hear it from us)

[spillingbeans]

It’s a shame that the “Hunting of the Baskervilles” arc wasn’t animated.

Although I do believe that they chose to not animate it due to the chapter being heavily graphic and disturbing and instead opted for a lighter version of the story in the form of the very first episode, “The Earl’s Crime”.

But even so I wouldn’t like to call “The Earl’s Crime” the anime adaptation of “The Hunting of Baskervilles” despite their similar themes (nobles kidnapping + murdering/hunting children) because the episode omitted a lot of the important points that “The Hunting of Baskervilles” presented.

I’ll be explaining more of these after the cut as well as a short summary of what happened in the chapter so if you don’t wish to be spoiled, do not proceed.

“The Hunting of Baskervilles” is a Fred centric arc. We first see Fred going about his usual liaison duties in the slums (collecting requests and looking out for potential cases) until he encounters a case that involves children in the slums being kidnapped and taken to Dartmoor, the now deceased Earl Enders’ (it takes place directly after “The Noahtic”) hunting grounds. At first he thinks of a way to solve this case on his own after thinking that William wouldn’t bother at all, but then Moran convinces him otherwise leading the gang (William, Moran, and Fred) to set foot for Dartmoor. Louis later on convinces William to let him join as well.

They learn later on that the hunting grounds is being operated by Charles Baskerville and his three other goons. In classic Lord of the Crime fashion, they end up killing all four hunters and successfully rescue all 6 children that were kidnapped that night.

A. More insight on Fred

As I said in the summary, “The Hunting of Baskervilles” mainly focused on Fred. We learn that Fred is a very caring person and is always willing to help those in need from the fact that he wanted to save every single child.

Moran even goes to say that out of everyone in the entire organization, Fred is the one most similar to William.

Moran also did point out that Fred has quite the reckless side to him, which is then further supported in the chapter when Fred immediately goes for one of the Baskerville goons upon seeing him and killing him in an instant.

B. More insight on Louis

Aside from Fred, Louis also plays a major role in this arc.

We learn that Louis and Fred are almost opposites when it comes to ideology. Fred being more emotional, and Louis being more rational. When they encountered a heavily wounded child, Louis suggested to leave him behind in favor of accomplishing their main goal (aka killing the hunters) as he thought that direction would lead them to saving more lives.

Later on we do see Louis being worried for both Fred and William as pointed out by Moran, telling us that his character may be rational but not heartless. Rational wherein he would like to take the most logical course of action to take care of those around him.

C. Louis & Fred’s dynamics

Louis and Fred are both protectors, although they have different ideologies they follow through

Louis is a more rational protector and opts to protect the people he loves more than others (most especially William)

Fred on the other hand is overly thoughtful and cares a lot about commoners

They even ended up in a tiny argument over what to do due to their differences

But despite these differences, they both follow William’s orders in a heartbeat and value his input and orders over anyone else’s

What unites the both of them is their will to serve William and do anything for him and his grand plan.

They just both have different methods of executing it (the aforementioned Fred being more thoughtful of the commoners involved and Louis really only keeping in mind the orders of his brother)

This makes their union to save William in the final plan a bit more special as it really goes to show how much impact William has on them. Like because they both have this common will to serve him, they both go out of their way to overcome their differences and save him.

D. How the others view William

This chapter outright confirmed that both Louis and Fred had unknowingly put William on such a high pedestal.

Fred thought that William wouldn’t appeal to his request to save the children at all considering it would be useless in the grander scheme of things and because they handled a job similar to this before.

Louis, who couldn’t even be honest with his own brother, because he feels he’s becoming too distant and sympathizes with how Fred’s feeling (even if that’s literally his own brother)

Both of them come to erase this high position they put William in after Moran talks them to realize that William isn’t really how they think he is

Moran tells Fred that William wouldn’t abandon a case no matter how similar it is to a crime they’ve exposed in the past if it meant that there were innocent people involved

He then tells Louis that he should be honest about his feelings to his brother because literally that’s his brother (this then seems to work because Louis is seen handling dirty work in their missions more often)

This chapter also shows us more of how Moran is like a big brother to them, from giving advice to both Fred and Louis and breaking up their fight, which I think is really neat

If you guys can’t tell, this mini arc is one of my favorites in the entire series because it gives us a break from talking about William to now talking about the other characters. I think that the information we got here would be interesting considering that the 2nd arc would be more focused on the Lord of Crime now taking on the role of MI6. It gives us more room to speculate how they operate considering we have a chapter that openly tells us about their personalities (specifically Moran, Louis, and especially Fred). I hope in the next part we get to learn more about Fred (specifically his backstory), and more of Louis as he’s taking the centerstage in operations as the leader of MI6.

[phantomram-b00]

Okay I wasn’t going to be active today, but I saw this post about Crowley, and I do recommend you check it out it bring up many good points. It does inspire me to make a post about something I’m kinda surprised no one talks about exactly (or maybe they did idk.)

Now keep in mind, I do love Crowley and Aziraphale, they’re both my favorite characters and also my comfort characters/ship. Not just for their good deeds and characterization but also because they flawed. Or as they said in the blitz episode, they shade of grey. 🩶 I just feel like Crowley behaving a bit stupidly here. (But here might have more validity but still felt it was unwarranted)

Now onto the post, probably wondering what I could be talking about The Jim Situation all the way back in season 2 episode 1

So I’ve been meaning to talk about this, but I wasn’t exactly sure if it would be well received or wouldn’t make sense. But I think the post I linked help me have some confidence, as I do feel that people when talking about it forgot that, Aziraphale DID NOT want to help Gabriel at all. He never wanted to see him again after 2019; why would he, he not only approve of the first armageddon but also wanted to execute him (specially but also crowley) and overall was passive aggressive asshole towards him. Why would he ever want to help his toxic ex-boss? He kinda didn’t have a choice here, now he did say no at first when Gabriel asked to come in (I mean— idk about you but your ex-boss who’s naked want to come into my house I wouldn’t let them inside neither just no-) but he did bring him inside because he felt obligated because everyone is looking at him and the naked man friend, I think if things were different I think Aziraphale wouldn’t even think about helping him as another thing, Aziraphale moved on from everything that happen, he’s living his life, he even said so to Crowley when talking how he doesn’t report to them anymore. So the have this happen, just felt like ABBA song “Mama Mia here I go again”.

But another thing is that, Aziraphale also (while hesitantly) want to know what happen to Gabriel? Why has he forgotten about himself or really everything? And asking him or the empty box didn’t solve anything at all. As patient as aziraphale is, even his was running really thin as he talk to Gabriel. Not to mention of the fact Gabriel revealed that something terrible might happen which understandably terrifies Aziraphale. So, he turns to Crowley, which gifted us Nina asked about the naked man friend (Sorry I love his face when she drop that, the expression speaks so much volume I love it! XD)

Okay back to my ramble, now at first I’ll give the benefit of the doubt of why Crowley was kinda suspicious at first, Aziraphale wasn’t being up front about it at first (though to be fair, trying to tell someone “hey my naked ex-boss is in my bookshop and doesn’t know who he even is” is probably the most bizarre to even try to explain or tell anyone). And then as they go inside the bookshop, he got spooked rightfully so, this was the same person who wanted to kill Aziraphale, even saying the worse thing he can ever say: “shut your stupid mouth and die”. So to see him again, yeah, being scared is a valid response even as well as being showing keep resentment.

But, as they went to the very Va-Va-vroom yellow backroom, Crowley first idea was to take Gabriel somewhere far away, which if you really think about, wouldn’t solve any of their problem. It like putting a bandage or tape on a crack, sure it might help for now but more cracks will come up and will eventually break (I’ll get back to this later). What aziraphale said kinda valid, Gabriel does need them because who knows if this something terrible would only affect Gabriel, it could very well affect him or even Crowley or earth, so in Aziraphale’s view helping him out might neutralize whatever’s going on or will happen and taking him to dartmoor as Crowley stated do anything.

Now okay to give more benefit of the doubt, again, I do understand why Crowley was acting this way, and Aziraphale selflessly helping Gabriel is infuriating for him. As Crowley seeing this as “how can you help the person who want to murder you? How can you look past and forgive them this easily? How can you possible find it in your heart to help him after everything?”, which is pointing out Aziraphale’s flaws, him being selfless and need to help. Gabriel could’ve curse him out or bring him down to his lowest yet he still want to help. Now, there nothing wrong with being selfless, it an honorable thing to do, however, it become an issue when your selfless without thinking how it’ll affect you or the person involve. But, as I mention before, Aziraphale never wanted to help Gabriel, the only reason Aziraphale’s want to even do far as help this angel is because 1) he was obligated to as who else could possible help an amnesiac angel? 2) Gabriel mention something terrible will happen, so aziraphale want to know what can that be to prevent it. And 3) he’s pushing away his qualms against gabriel aside just so he can help him. So I don’t think Aziraphale’s exactly wrong for not wanting to sent Gabriel away as it wouldn’t solve the something terrible.

But Crowley doesn’t want to help (at first), so Aziraphale despite desperately loving nothing more but for Crowley to help him; said he’s welcome to go. He’s at least giving Crowley the opportunity to choose. Even though, Aziraphale want his help more than anything as the one thing both of them share is that, they don’t want to see Gabriel anymore. However, with aziraphale telling him he can go, Crowley well leaves. But not before (granted he did try to calm down though):

Aziraphale while most likely understands why Crowley left, I feel given his expression just wished Crowley tried a little harder rather than just walking away that easily. I almost said maybe he also feels envious that Crowley got the choice to walk away from this but I don’t see Aziraphale as someone who’s envious to that degree, but I feel Aziraphale wasn’t at least wishful he could avoid this whole Gabriel thing more than Crowley. But it just their luck.

Okay back to Crowley again, so we back to see him inside the car and then he is teleported back to hell by Beelzebub, there Ze tell Crowley what Shax mentioned before that Gabriel is gone and try to bribe Crowley by saying he can name his own price and even get his job back. Then tells Crowley that heaven up and arms about the disappearance and will dealt with anyone who’s helping Gabriel with extremes sanctions. Which absolutely mortified him because then there that possibility of being erased from the book of life.

And no, I don’t think Crowley’s original plan would’ve solved anything because in a way, that’s still helping Gabriel in some way. Does it more or less benefit Crowley and aziraphale yes but not by the long run. Like I said, it’s putting a bandage/tape on a crack, it could hold but not for long as it will ultimately fall apart and they would still be punished by doing this. So I think that’s why I never got why he still said “no no no aziraphale what have you done!?” Like sure even though I said my benefit of the doubt, I feel he should’ve at least understand this wasn’t Aziraphale’s choice neither, or even that this isn’t all on aziraphale anyway. It was Gabriel that just showed up and came to Aziraphale’s bookshop in the first place, so this was sprung on him. So I felt this was kinda irrational for him to think this way as Aziraphale never wanted this at all.

So Crowley comes back and Aziraphale decides to play petty (which sure valid since he did walk away but he did give him a choice? Idk it complicated), and Crowley goes on to say he was right which prompted to aziraphale wanting the apology dance from him (which okay imma be real, I have a headcanon where I think Aziraphale was dying to see this day. Been waiting until they first invented it which— I’m curious who idea was this.)

Now, you can debate if this thing was apology dance worthy but frankly, to see the dance, peak performance. But this isn’t about the dance, it about the grey heroes so let get back into it. Now Crowley does decide to help after all, and they decide to do what it seem to be the most powerful miracle anyone probably have ever seen or ranked. And it was only a half miracle. Which is really interesting. But I think even though Crowley does decide to help, I felt his earlier action was not exactly stupid but was unfair toward Aziraphale but at the same time it valid because of what I’ve stated and his underline trauma towards heaven period, so I can’t really call him stupid for this, but more or less deeply flawed here. However while the situation itself was unfair for Aziraphale as he want to help whatever going on I felt he should’ve also been more considerate about Crowley’s feeling with this whole ordeal as was equally unfair to Crowley in a way too. But I think the most common thing is that they don’t want to do this and want this thing to be resolved so they can move on with their lives. And even if Crowley did what he did, at least Aziraphale foot at forgiveness :) (I hate myself for making that joke— someone sedate me)

Now that’s my thought, this probably is controversial, so you’re welcome and valid if you disagree or even agree with this. Tell me what you think or if you agree/disagree tell me why? If you guys do have good omens question or question in general you can ask me on the AMA. But if you have any commentary on this blog you can unleash them, just please be mindful that’s all I ask. I have more analysis I got plan but for now, imma head to bed and relax. I’ll go haunt with you guys later but for now I’ll go haunt somewhere else. Hope you enjoy this blog and please check out the post I link on here, it was an interesting take and help me inspire me to make this one ^v^ so hope you enjoy that post too.

[erraticopeninghours]

Crowley and Aziraphale's Argument #1

Thoughts on 1.11: Crowley and Aziraphale’s argument 

I know that European countries tend to be small, and Britain is also small, but in my mind, Dartmoor is not that far away from London! 

If something terrible is going to happen to Gabriel, driving him up to Dartmoor does not seem like a very effective solution. 

(I also wasn’t sure if it was going to come up or not, but Dartmoor always reminds me of The Hound of the Baskervilles, so I was on the lookout for that throughout the rest of the season.  *ACD Sherlock spoilers ahead* Nothing huge came to mind, but I would like to point out that The Hound was the first story published after The Final Problem, so it was almost like getting a Season 2 for a novel published in 1990.  And just the fact that The Hound is not the problem/antagonist of the story, but other people are!  Which isn’t exactly a parallel, but I feel like matches this season if you squint!  Because in the end, the main problem / conflict is not the dangers posed by Heaven and Hell;  it’s the effects and costs of connections, of relationships between people: Beelzebub and Gabriel, Nina and Maggie, and - of course - Crowley and Aziraphale!) 

I know it comes up repeatedly throughout the season, but I adore how much of an issue Crowley takes with Gabriel’s attempted murder / execution of Aziraphale! 

I also don’t have anything new to add, but the “carved it out for ourselves” line! GAH! 

Also, the whole bit about the “exactlies.”  Even when they’re arguing and the stakes are relatively high, they are both such dorks, and I love that about them.  It is a fantastic demonstration of their mutual incompetence. 

I would also like to recognize Aziraphale’s character growth, even if he may or may not revert to other strategies later.  (Progress is not linear!)  I am so proud of him for being so direct in what he wanted and in explicitly asking for Crowley’s help (with the acknowledgment that Crowley - at least, theoretically - can say no.)  Like, “you're at liberty to go,” “No, I would love you to help me,” “I’m asking you to help me take care of him,” But if you won’t, you won’t.”  I’m not saying that Aziraphale was not still angling for what he wanted / trying to persuade Crowley to see things his way, but I do feel like this is a lot more direct than what we’ve heard from Aziraphale in Season 1 and the Lockdown video. 

“You’re on your own” was so painful, even though I didn’t expect it to last long.  (But I also didn’t expect the end of Season 2…) It reminded me of “we’re on our own side” which Crowley technically says in the preceding episode.  And like, yes, the precious, peaceful, fragile existence is important and, dare I say, nice.  But what about Our Side? 

Lastly, I would like to point out that when Crowley was faced with a similar situation, he did not abandon the loosely innocent and helpless being his side fobbed off to him.  When Hell gave Crowley the Antichrist, he thought about simply tossing “the basket” away, but he didn't.  And some of that was because he was still officially working for Hell and hadn’t semi-retired yet, but I also believe that a good part of that was because Crowley is firmly against killing kids (human, quasi-human, or goat.)  Instead, Crowley hatched a scheme that involved him and Aziraphale watching over the Antichrist as godfathers while they both knew that the fate of the entire world (in theory) depended on their success and that failure would mean an end to their current versions of existence.  They had less knowledge about the terrible thing that could happen to Gabriel, but I feel like there is precedence for Aziraphale's attempt to convince Crowley to help this random, not entirely welcome being together as they desperately work to prevent future Bad Things from occurring. 

(previous) (next)

[mariana-oconnor]

The Silver Blaze pt 2

We venture further into the web of intrigue, murder and horse theft.

I have decided that the funniest end to this story is if Silver Blaze is just never seen again. Like the horse just ran off onto the moors and is now living in sin with a herd of Dartmoor ponies and frolicking all the livelong day.

Although it would be funny, but tragic, if Silver Blaze ends up being killed offpage in a random shipwreck. I don't want that to happen, but there would be a certain black humour to events.

In every other direction the low curves of the moor, bronze-colored from the fading ferns, stretched away to the sky-line, broken only by the steeples of Tavistock, and by a cluster of houses away to the westward which marked the Mapleton stables.

Watson was secretly being paid by the Devon Marketing Board because this makes me want to go to Dartmoor. Go to Devon, have a nice cream tea, see some Dartmoor ponies, experience the terrifying and exhilarating awe of witnessing untamed nature? God I need a holiday.

And a cream tea.

But mostly a holiday.

I didn't realise the other stables were so close you could literally see them from the main house, though.

“I think that I should prefer to stay here a little and go into one or two questions of detail. Straker was brought back here, I presume?” “Yes; he lies upstairs. The inquest is to-morrow.”

Just got the body of a murdered man upstairs, nbd.

I know they have nowhere else to put him, but damn that's unsanitary. Don't keep him upstairs, at least keep him somewhere cold and not part of the main house. Although I suppose you could be keeping him in the pantry, so we're all grateful you're not.

“I presume that you made an inventory of what he had in this pockets at the time of his death, Inspector?”

Also, the American spelling of aluminium... like we had the American spelling of grey a week or so ago. That always throws me out a bit, but I acknowledge that that is probably because it is literally my job to localise things from US to UK English and vice versa, so I am trained to notice them.

"This other is a milliner's account for thirty-seven pounds fifteen made out by Madame Lesurier, of Bond Street, to William Derbyshire."

Back to the trusty inflation calculator, thank you Bank of England website, that's more than £3,500 in today's money. And while Holmes says 'a single costume' as far as I'm aware, milliners were hat makers, not full on tailors, although maybe they did both. 3.5 grand for a hat is... insane amounts of money. Could this be a secret payment for a horse? Or for stealing a horse? Money laundering?

“Dear me! Why, I could have sworn to it. You wore a costume of dove-colored silk with ostrich-feather trimming.” “I never had such a dress, sir,” answered the lady.

Guessing that's the £3.5K dress, then. Ostrich feathers are pricey.

So... so... what if the guy had the cataract knife in his pocket, which was super sharp, right, and the cork fell off the blade, right... and it cut his leg as he was walking? and in the confusion the horse stomped him to death with its hooves. And then Silver Blaze ran off into the night, met a nice Dartmoor pony, settled down, fathered a few foals, and lived happily to the end of his days.

“In this bag I have one of the boots which Straker wore, one of Fitzroy Simpson's shoes, and a cast horseshoe of Silver Blaze.” “My dear Inspector, you surpass yourself!”

Another competent police officer! Will wonders never cease? Although the last one did arrest the wrong man deliberately and have racist articles published in order to lure out the true suspect.

The horse is a very gregarious creature. If left to himself his instincts would have been either to return to King's Pyland or go over to Mapleton.

Or... or... or... to the Dartmoor ponies. Freedom! Pony friends. Thundering across the moors together.

"It was Holmes who saw them first, and he stood pointing with a look of triumph upon his face. A man's track was visible beside the horse's."

OK, working theory, which I absolutely cannot remember if I'm right or not. Straker steals the horse because he has debts/an expensive mistress (£3.5k for a dress yikes), but as stated before, the cork comes off the knife, he cuts open his thigh and panics. Man panicking makes horse panic, because horses are scaredy cats. But they are heavy scaredy cats with hooves. Silver Blaze unintentionally kills his own kidnapper and runs off into the night. Then one of the grooms from the other stable sees him says 'ooh, free horse' and leads him back to the stable.

The double track turned sharp off and took the direction of King's Pyland. Holmes whistled, and we both followed along after it. His eyes were on the trail, but I happened to look a little to one side, and saw to my surprise the same tracks coming back again in the opposite direction.

So they were going to return him... then they decided not to?

“I've no time to talk to every gadabout. We want no stranger here. Be off, or you may find a dog at your heels.” Holmes leaned forward and whispered something in the trainer's ear. He started violently and flushed to the temples.

Not a horse whisperer, but a horse-trainer whisperer.

Silas Brown seems like a pleasant fellow, doesn't he? Love it when people threaten to set dogs on me just for stopping to have a chat.

“Oh, and old horse-faker like him has many a dodge.”

I do know how the horse has been hidden. That is like the one thing I remember. I think Enid Blyton used the same trick in one of her stories at one point. Either that or she just wrote another story about a stolen horse and I smashed them together in my mind.

"That is the advantage of being unofficial. I don't know whether you observed it, Watson, but the Colonel's manner has been just a trifle cavalier to me. I am inclined now to have a little amusement at his expense. Say nothing to him about the horse."

Colonels, you can't trust them. I'm trying to remember a single colonel in these stories who has been a good guy and I'm struggling. Even the one who died was a traitor. Colonels should not be trusted.

We had only been a few hours in Devonshire, and that he should give up an investigation which he had begun so brilliantly was quite incomprehensible to me.

Yeah, my dudes, stop for lunch. Find a nice little country pub or cafe somewhere. Have a tea, have a scone. Please allow me to vicariously live through you.

The Inspector opened his eyes, and the Colonel's lip curled in a sneer. “So you despair of arresting the murderer of poor Straker,” said he.

Colonels are terrible. This is clearly the hidden message of these stories.

Wouldn't put it past him to be race fixing and have bet against his own horse, then arranged for Straker to get Silver Blaze out of the way for a little while so he can rake in the dough.

But maybe he's just a horrible person. That's also possible. Not all horrible people are criminals. We must remember this.

Until next time. We've solved where the horse is (which is the bit I already sort of knew. I knew it was in a stable and I knew how it was being hidden), next step the mastermind behind the failed theft.

I really think that Straker might have accidentally sliced open his own artery and caused all the problems. This is why you don't keep knives in your pocket. Bad idea. Lots of arteries and veins right there.

Alas, Silver Blaze did not choose to roam the moors with a herd of wild ponies. Still kind of wish he had, though.

[petnews2day]

Sheep killed by Alsatian-type dog on Dartmoor and police want to speak to this man

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/1uEj9

Sheep killed by Alsatian-type dog on Dartmoor and police want to speak to this man

Officers investigating an incident of sheep worrying in which an animal died have issued a photograph of a man they wish to speak to. Devon and Cornwall Police say that a sheep was killed by an Alsatian-type dog on Dartmoor between 12.05pm and 12.30pm on Friday, February 23. The incident happened at Saddle Tor, Dartmoor. […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/1uEj9 #DogNews

[inevitably-johnlocked]

hi steph!! do you have any fic recs for john's ptsd getting triggered? thank you!

Hey Nonny!

I do! Good excuse to start a new list. Didn’t realize I didn’t have a separate one for John yet, LOL. Here are the ones I currently have tagged, but do check the other lists suggested as I’m sure there are a tonne I’m missing.

Feel free to add your own works or suggestions, friends! 

JOHN'S PTSD

See also:

Nightmares, PTSD, Panic Attack, & Mental / Emotional Turmoil

Nightmares, PTSD, Panic Attack, & Mental / Emotional Turmoil Pt. 2

Nightmares, PTSD, Panic Attack, & Mental / Emotional Turmoil Pt. 3

Nightmares, PTSD, Panic Attack, & Mental / Emotional Turmoil Pt. 4

Sherlock’s PTSD

Peaky by mattmetzger (K+, 1,404 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Angst, PTSD/Nightmares) - A nightmare is nothing but a brain processing recent events, and having a bad light to do it in. It will run its course. So why can’t Sherlock just leave?

In The Wake by Ambikai (K+, 2,057 w., 1 Ch. || Post-THOB, H/C, Friendship, Nightmares/PTSD/Panic Attack, Bittersweet Ending) – After returning from Baskerville, Sherlock and John deal with the aftermath: unsure of where they sit with one another.

Those Days by StillWaters1 (T, 2,663 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD / Sensory Attacks, Caring Sherlock) – If Sherlock had danger nights, then these were John's danger days.

Not My Proudest Moment by charlock221 (K, 2,695 w., 1 Ch. || Lunar New Year, Mild PTSD / Panic Attack, Coping Mechanisms, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort) – John tries his best not to get in the way of Sherlock's cases, but when the vivid noises of fireworks unnerve his senses and begin to bring back unwanted memories of Afghanistan, he cannot help but to hope Sherlock will notice and help him before things go too far.

After the Bombs by VampirePam (T, 3,337 w., 2 Ch. || THoB AU, Drugs, John’s PTSD, Panic Attack, Nightmares, Caring Sherlock, Cuddles, Bed Sharing, Angst, Hurt/Comfort) – In which the drugs Sherlock used to dose John trigger a severe episode of PTSD. When terrors old and new cause John to fall apart, Sherlock must rectify his mistake and pick up the pieces.

Afghanistan in Baskerville by Amaya Ramiel (K+, 4,357 w., 1 Ch. || THoB Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Drugged John, PTSD / Panic Attack, Hallucinations, Worried Sherlock, John’s Past, Friendship) – What if John hadn't seen the hound when Sherlock trapped him in the lab? What if instead, his very real nightmares of the war had materialized all around him? Trapped and drugged, John can't tell what's real and what's not. How will Sherlock react?

When Your Belly's in the Trench by Morgan_Stuart (T, 4,743 w., 1 Ch. || PTSD, Character Study, Rescue, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Torture, Trauma, Danger, Drama, Kidnapping/Captivity) – The next time that door opens, John Watson will kill the person on the other side.

Living In Fear by Lady Sam Mallory (T, 4,929 w., 1 Ch. || H/C, Angst, Post-THoB, Nightmares/PTSD) – Missing Scene for Hounds of the Baskerville. John suffers from massive PTSD episodes upon their return from Dartmoor.

Bed-Sharing Between Flatmates by testosterone_tea (T, 5,053 w., 1 Ch. || 5 and Ones, Bed Sharing, PTSD John, Science, Whump, Insecure Sherlock, Asexual Sherlock) – 5 times Sherlock had an excuse to share John's bed, and the one time he didn't need one.

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

Where the Sun Never Shines by teahigh (T, 11,634 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TRF, PTSD, Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sex) – John is a mess. Sherlock can't fix him, but he tries. That's good enough, John thinks.

A Building of Bridges by Unique (K, 12,325 w. , 3 Ch. || Drama, Alternate First Meeting, John’s PTSD / Flashbacks, Mute John, Dialogue-Heavy, Caring Sherlock, Friendship) – No one would ever send Sherlock in to diffuse a stand-off; but on one unlikely day, that's exactly what happened. "Congratulations, Lestrade," he called out sarcastically. "You're traumatizing a war veteran."

I Shall Not Be Thy Refuge Once More by Crystal Rose of Pollux (T, 25,518 w., 12 Ch. || Drama, Friendship, Reunion, Post-TRF, John’s PTSD, PTSD Episode) – Post Fall, return fic. Sherlock had wanted nothing more than to take down the rest of Moriarty’s network with his blogger by his side. But when his planned reunion goes very, very wrong, Sherlock finds himself distrusting and fearful of the one person he thought he could always count on.

Turn Left at the Park by Glenmore (NR (E), 37,409 w., 28 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting / ASiP Divergence, Case Fic, Depression, Suicidal Ideation, Loneliness, No Mary, Possessive Sherlock, Fluff & Angst, Nightmares/PTSD, Sherlock Saves John, Sherlock Whump-ish, Doctor John) – So what would have happened if John hadn't walked through the park and met Stamford? What if, instead, he walked around the park and just went home?

Lost Without My Blogger by starrysummernights (E, 52,155 w., 25 Ch. || Rev. Reich, PTSD, Hurt / Comfort, Fluff / Angst, Psychological Torture, Reunion Fic, Friends to Lovers) – John is abducted and declared dead. How will Sherlock cope without his blogger? How will he react when John comes back from the "dead?" Drama and angst with a healthy dose of romance. Part 1 of I'd Be Lost Without My Blogger

You Have Drawn Red From My Hands by J_Baillier (T, 67,085 w., 17 Ch. || Three Garridebs, Heavy John Whump, Hurt / Comfort, Pining, Heavy Angst, Case Fic/Adventure, Slow Burn, Sick Fic, Injury, Guilt & Depression, Just Talk Already Please, Medical Realism, PTSD) –  John getting injured leads Sherlock on a path of guilt and revelations.

Just To Hold You Close by sussexbound (E, 70,841 w., 18 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, Sherlock POV, ASD Sherlock, PTSD John, Demisexual Sherlock, Bisexual John, Cuddling/Snuggling, Platonic Cuddling, Enthusiastic Consent, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, Sexual Tension, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Cuddle Negotiations, For a Case Until It Isn’t, Hair Petting, Sexual Negotiation, Anxiety, Trust Issues, Slow Burn, Panic Attacks, Frottage, Hand/Blow Jobs, Referenced Self Harm / Abuse / Suicidal Ideation, First Kiss/Time, Anal, Autistic Sherlock) – When a woman is murdered and the last person to see her alive is recently invalided army vet turned reluctant (and prickly) professional cuddler, John Watson, Sherlock Holmes is pulled into a world of intimacy and intrigue he never could have imagined. John is a conundrum and mystery: frank yet reserved, tender yet angry, open yet afraid. Sherlock is instantly drawn into his orbit, and begins to feel and desire things he never has before.

The Vapor Variant by 88thParallel (CanadaHolm) (M, 72,684 w., 18 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-THoB, John Whump, Protective Sherlock, Guilty Sherlock, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD John, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Suspense, Virus, Sick Fic, Big Brother Mycroft) – They stood face to face in the middle of a clearing. The dim light of the moon barely allowed Sherlock to see the glassy terror in John’s eyes and the sweat that glistened off his forehead. His nose was bleeding again, blood dripping in a slow stream from his right nostril. They were both gasping for air, John’s eyes locked on Sherlock’s. There was no recognition there, just wild animal fear. Time stood still for an eternal few seconds, and Sherlock took a shaky breath. “John—”Spell broken, John spun and bolted back into the woods. Still heaving for air, Sherlock took off after him. 

Kintsukuroi by sussexbound (E, 91,823 w., 20 Ch. || S4 Compliant / Post-TLD, Grief / Mourning, PTSD, Internalized Homophobia, Therapy, Past Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Anxiety, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Suicidal Ideation, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Sexting, Frottage, Inexperienced Sherlock, Rimming / Anal / BJ’s, Emotional Turmoil, Finding Each Other) – “I love you.” Sherlock sees the words hit John with almost physical force. He reels back a little, jaw twitching and eyes filling. “I love you,” he repeats, a little softer, a little more gentle, as earnest as he possibly can. Because they’ve been teetering on the brink of this thing for years, and it had become painfully obvious over the last few months that they were at a tipping point. This had to happen. Now it has. Now they can see where they end up. The tears in John’s eyes spill over, and he wipes at them angrily. “Do you even know what that means?”  

Northwest Passage by Kryptaria (E, 95,157 w., 27 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Canadian AU ||  BAMF!John, Canadian John, PTSD, Anal / Oral Sex, Rimming, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Drug Rehab, Falling in Love, Pining Sherlock, Love Confessions, Sherlock’s Violin, Panic Attacks, Switching, Anxious / Protective Sherlock, Hugs for Comfort, Suicide Mentions, Healing Each Other) – Seven years ago, Captain John Watson of the Canadian Forces Medical Service withdrew from society, seeking a simple, isolated life in the distant northern wilderness of Canada. Though he survives from one day to the next, he doesn't truly live until someone from his dark past calls in a favor and turns his world upside-down with the introduction of Sherlock Holmes." Part 1 of Tales from the Northwest

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court. Part 1 of the Care And Companionship series

Free Falling by twistedthicket1 (M, 203,574 w., 38 Ch. || Guardian Angels AU || Guardian Angel John, Fluff and Angst, Humour, Kidlock / Teenlock, Light Mystrade, Passage of Time, Possessive John, Drug Use / Overdose, Victor Trevor, Graphic Bullying, Big Brother Mycroft, Hard Drug Use, Depression, Possessive Sherlock, Possessive John, Panic Attacks, Nightmares/PTSD, Pining, Healing Abilities, Kidnapping, Violence, Torture, Blow Jobs, Virgin John, Emotional Development / Attachment, Mortality, Happy Ending) – All Guardian angels are born with a Chosen human. When this child is born, the angel comes into being to protect and care for them during their life on Earth. For John Watson, all he cares about in the world revolves around his Chosen, Sherlock Holmes. Watching him grow up though, the angel soon learns that God must have had a sense of humour the day he decided to make Sherlock, as trouble seems to follow him like a magnet wherever he goes. John can't decide what's worse, the idea of losing his Chosen one, or the fact that he may be breaking the most taboo law of heaven as he disguises himself as a human to better protect and befriend the beloved detective he's always watched from afar. He was meant to care for him. But what happens when caring evolves into something more? What happens when an emotion an angel is supposed to be incapable of possessing comes to life suddenly and viciously inside John's chest? 

[misterbrick42]

Had a dream where I was playing Hitman on the Dartmoor map at night and there was no one there except for one of Alexa’s kids and he was my target. Except for some reason this was also the New York map and I had to steal the data core as well. So I kill the guy by stabbing him or something and then I’m alerted that everyone is going to return to the map in like two minutes so I needed to get that data core fast. I broke open the vault and security system with a crowbar which I don’t even think I can do and then I just barely made it out and I think I locked eyes with Alexa Carlisle at some point but nobody got suspicious of me despite me being in my suit and blatantly trespassing

[air-tuna-art]

HOLD ON HOLD IT!

"Are we stars" By the Class ( Jordan Cross' Band)...

ITS LITERALLY A NOD OF WHATS TO HAPPEN IN THE REST OF THE TRILOGY, SPECifically from 47's perspective.

Explaination below: (Spoilers for the entirety of World Of Assassination trilogy and the Birth of a Hitman Comic)

Ok Ok so IK it sounds farfetched but i read through the lyrics while listening to it (unironically) and then it dawned on me.

Its warning us of what to happen. Not only that but its also showing us what life is/was like for the clone boys and 47 saw his relationships because of this. And here's how

1. "You left for the shadows without me"

In the World of Assassination trilogy, each of the three games used buzzwords or buzzphrase to apply emphasis on whats the main theme of the game's plot. For Hitman 3, it was "untouchable". Hitman 2's was either "Constant" or "Take them all down" and Hitman 2016 was, you guessed it "Shadow (Client)".

Shadow was always used to refer to Lucas Grey as the shadow client.

Ok so now we know the songs talking about Lucas here, what does this line mean? For this, you'll need to understand the comic lore.

In one of the later comics, Issue 3, 47 and 06 take on the facility, where 47 sacrifices himself so that 06 (Lucas) can escape

Making 47 see his brother literally "leave for the shadows" without him.

This is repeated in the second verse, but this time in a different tone and POV with:

2. Cause I didn't get to say goodbye. I didn't get a chance to cry at your grave

In Hitman 3, Lucas Grey gives his life for 47's cause. With this line alongside the altered "leave for the shadows" line

"And leave me to remain alone in the shadows without you"

This shows the forshaddowing of not only his death, but 47's ability to feel greif as he never got the chance to cry at his grave. Not only is he now the shadow's body, but he is to walk that alone, which is a major theme in Hitman 3, knowing Diana's cut off from 47 after Dartmoor.

This theme also carries into the next point:

3. Will I see you down there? Will you dance with me again?

This line is an entirely new concept compared to the last one as this one hints about being about Diana, more specifically his questioning if his relationship, whatever that is between them, still remained after Mendoza.

This coupled with the previous altered line that followed this line:

"Or will you hide your face, And leave me to remain alone in the shadows without you?"

Shows abandonment and true isolation of 47, since his brother is dead and now, she knows what he did (Killed her parents when he was in his youth), he is unsure on what she'll do. Will she dance with him again, or hide her face away and leave him in the shadows alone?

4. Are we stars?

And finally, the song title and chorus itself. What does it mean here?

Reflection

" Now are we stars, Just cause we're millions miles away ,From each other? Or are we just pilgrims who have lost their way?"

Translating into roughly in Lucas and 47's case:

Are we human, despite being what we are? Or are we just something that has been mislead to think so?

(or visa versa)

And in Diana and 47's case it's:

Are we right, despite how different we are? Or are we just people who have both lost their way?

IN CONCLUSION, this song was more than just a one off classic. This was FORSHADDOWING

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Man 'morbidly fascinated' with Ted Bundy jailed for murder of 18-year-old Bobbi-Anne McLeod

A 24-year-old man who had a "morbid fascination" with serial killers has been jailed for murdering 18-year-old Bobbi-Anne McLeod with a claw hammer.

Cody Ackland attacked Ms McLeod while she waited at a bus stop in Plymouth on a Saturday evening in November last year. Later that night he dumped her body, stripped of clothes, in dense woodland close to a beach nine miles south of where she was attacked.

He was given a life sentence at Plymouth Crown Court with a minimum of 31 years. Judge Robert Linford told Ackland: "On 20 November last year you subjected Bobbi-Anne McLeod to a prolonged, savage and merciless attack." He continued: "She was a young, popular and much-loved person, you caused outrage and fear in this part of the country and with good reason, it was utterly motiveless."

Ackland, who was not known to police and had no previous convictions, admitted her murder last month. He led a "double life" involving a morbid interest in serial killers, police revealed, particularly the US killer Ted Bundy, whose kidnap and murder of young women bore similarities to the killing of Ms McLeod.

Devon and Cornwall Police also found thousands of images on his phone, many of a "disturbing and dark nature" reminiscent of horror films.

The attack began at the bus stop in the Leigham area of the city. She was approached from the rear by a man that was armed with a claw hammer. She was struck repeatedly around the head and around the face. When Ackland realised there was a potential - no matter how small - that she could identify him subsequently, he chose to abduct Bobbi-Anne, moving her into the footwell of his Ford Fiesta.

He then drove Ms McLeod, whom police believe was still alive, to Bellever Forest car park on Dartmoor, 19 miles away. Police say it was here that Ackland repeatedly attacked the teenager with the hammer outside the car before burning her handbag along with other items from his vehicle. He then placed her body in the car boot and drove to Bovisand Beach, where he hid her body in undergrowth before going home. Police say there was no evidence of a sexual attack or motivation and that Ms McLeod did not know Ackland.

The day after the murder, Ackland, a guitarist in a local indie band, disposed of the hammer in a river and then went out for pizza with a friend, attended band practice and drank into the early hours with friends at a pub lock-in. Det Supt West said those who were with him that night said he was "happier than usual".

"He was happy, he was jokey and going round his friends giving them hugs - which for Ackland was a rarity," he said.

Yet on 23 November, three days after the murder, Ackland decided to hand himself in to a police station in Plymouth. He asked detectives for a map and then directed them to where he had hidden Ms McLeod's body. Police say Ackland had given no indication to friends or family of his intention to carry out the attack, but online search history in the days before revealed he had looked into remote locations on Dartmoor and for potential weapons.

Speaking about Ackland's obsession with serial killers and the 3,216 images found on his phone, Det Supt West said: "For a period of time he was looking at serial killers.

"[There was] a really significant level of dark, explicit, graphic material. He had used the internet to search for baseball bats, balaclavas, waterproof clothing, DIY websites for cutting tools and hammers.

"My personal opinion is that that shows a degree of planning and at some stage, he wanted to carry out an act upon his fantasies.

"It is exceptionally rare that anybody would live this sort of secret life without having offended at a lower level previously. But all the investigations that we've completed, shows that this was the first offence that Ackland had committed."

Ms McLeod's family said: "Bobbi was a beautiful girl who lit up our lives and the lives of everyone she ever met. She was kind, funny, and loyal. She was the best daughter, the best sister, and the best friend to so many people.

"Everybody who knew Bobbi loved her. We have been robbed of our beautiful girl in the worst possible way and our lives will never be the same without her.

"I want Cody Ackland to know that he has taken away our world. We will never see her beautiful face or hear her laugh, see her get married or have the children she so wanted. So many everyday things have been taken away. Her not being here is still unimaginable.

[diana-fortyseven]

August Roadmap Babyyyy

Let's talk about it, shall we? 😀

[heavy breathing intensifies]

I love this. Finally 47 got himself a handgun that embraces his love for plants. <3

Can I just say that I love IO? After so many people whined about the Rude Ruby sniper rifle (that I fucking love!) and (not seriously) suggested they should add a Rude Ruby outfit next, IO actually went and did it! I love this!

47 living the Glasgow lifestyle from now on.

But let's move on to the August Roadmap blogpost.

Elusive Target Arcade

Players will now see a mix of various Elusive Targets from all 3 games in each batch – meaning, one batch will contain 1 Elusive Target from each HITMAN game. We’re now able to pick and choose from the full roster of available Elusive Targets to create more variety and themes. On August 4th players will be able to play The Dyads and the Diabolicals Elusive Target Arcades. The Dyads Arcade will consist of the duos: The Deceivers, The Procurers and The Surgeons. In The Diabolicals you’ll take on The Serial Killer, The Heartbreaker and Mr. Giggles aka The Entertainer.

Happy for everyone who doesn't own all three games (or doesn't own them on the same platform)!

I'm a bit disappointed that we only get two sets this time, but they do sound interesting and I appreciate the overarching theme in each set!

When you complete one of the two new Arcades you’ll unlock: The Ruby Rude Track Suit. Get comfortable in this urban, pink and black patterned track suit, with state-of-the-art white sneakers to match. Perfect for that casual hit.

Again, I love this lmao.

Elusive Targets

August 5: The Procurers (Year 2)

Dinner is served! The Procurers are back in Dartmoor with their luxurious cuisine. Your two targets are Jack Roe and Robert Burk, they travel the world as the iconic duo The Procurers. They each have unique talents; one is a famous chef behind some of the world’s most innovative cuisine. The other is an embalmer.

Not bad! They were interesting targets, and I'm looking forward to killing them once again (or did we have a Year 2 version of them already?).

August 12: The Ex-Dictator (Year 2)

Richard Ekwensi and his wife are back in Bangkok starting August 12 for 10 days. Ekwensi better know as known as the Ex-Dictator and his wife Ines aka “The Gold Digger” are at the Himmapan Hotel in Bangkok, they’re enjoying a casual stay at the hotel conducting some shady meetings with former partners. They’ll not expect you, so use this to your advantage and take them off guard.

Really hyped for this one!!

I haven't played this one before, so I'm looking forward to a few exploration runs to find a strategy before going for the kill.

August 19: The Chameleon (Year 2)

It’s time to find your best "oops that wasn’t me" skills – because you’re going to need them for this Elusive Target. The Chameleon is back in Colorado, where you’ll need to identify him and make sure the entire thing looks like an accident. 

Happy for everyone who needs another chance to unlock the Colorado suit!

New Challenge

We’ve added a new challenge with a beautiful new unlock on the Dartmoor Garden Show. And it’s one the florist will envy you for. Come prepared to the Garden Show, with this beautifully floral decorated, silenced handgun. If death was on show, this would surely be the winner.  The Floral Baller will be yours to unlock on August 11th on the Dartmoor Garden show. Free Starter Pack Players will be able to experience the Garden show starting August 11th and through August 31.

A new challenge! I love new challenges! Thank you IO, I love you! <333

Really hyped for this unlock as well, even though nothing will ever make me retire the Black Lily.

Location Rotation

An abandoned apricot farm in Colorado is your next destination on our free location rotation. With the Rocky Mountains as the backdrop, this hostile location is a front for a militia training camp – and it’s a tough one, so bring your A-game. HITMAN 3 owners and Free Starter Pack players can enjoy this location for 10 days, starting on August 11.

Interesting choice to give FSP players Colorado, but not Bangkok!

Does this mean it's the last chance for anyone to ever obtain the Colorado suit? We know from a comment on the Hitman Forums that the other Colorado target won't be Year 2'd.

Good luck, everyone!

Featured Contracts

August 25: Flower Power

It’s time to find your inner florist and get creative once again! In these Community Created Contracts, we’re giving players the theme of “Flower Power”. How it is interpreted is all up to the creators.

I love the theme! Can't wait to see what people come up with!

So... What do you think? 😀

[stainlesssteellocust]

Just thinking of that rather suggestive line about how the Host treat prisoners

where it talks about how much blood the vampire war-mages drink, and how much meat the Equoid mounts eat, and then ends with:

The Host of the Morningstar Empire take as many prisoners as they can seize, but they do not build camps to warehouse and feed them.

And see how they didn’t have any dedicated cells for prisoners when Cassie ‘delivered’ Alex, with Alex putting two and two together and being rather disturbed…

So part of me wonders about afterwards, when they’re all shoved onto Dartmoor and surrounded by tanks and Alex and Cassie/First are in their impromptu, hastily built prison…

It would be understandable if Cassie was really freaking out because the closest cultural equivalent for what’s going on here is that she’s been put in a slaughterhouse.

Like, fuck “there’s no internet, they won’t let me put on a play, you can’t stay in bed all the time” she’d be thinking “oh god what the fuck we’ve been locked in a fucking abattoir this is a holding station before we’re killed and eaten oh gods why”

[subjectsix]

HELLO HI i just had the honour to WITNESS the end of hitman 3 and can i just say the 2nd to last mission made me feel NOT OK what a rollercoaster!! i went from "hey mum here i am don't be scared i'll protect u :)" to "omg 47 dancing tango? best mission ever" to "MUM??! YOU KILL ME? YOU KILL YOUR BOY?!" over the course of TWO MINUTES and then the last mission took me exactly 47 minutes how cool is that. and THEN i hear about a secret ending that references the hitman 2000 timeline?! amazing. its achievement name is “47 takes another nap” asdfsgfhgs. anyway one of the things i certainly DIDN'T expect from the hitman games was feelings. also can we talk about the apex predator music. also can we talk about the design of chongqing. also can we talk about the new kinds of level designs! i played dartmoor like a murder mystery detective game and it was so cool! i had so much fun what am i gonna do with my life now. thank you again for introducing me to the lore all those months ago!! - hitman "anon"

HI HI HI!!!!

Oh man, I have my various bones to pick with Hitman 3, but the interactions with Diana in that level and the dream sequence afterward are some of my favorite things about it <3 the sheer panic I felt when I sprinted off to protect Diana at some point aksjdhfkjh I was so totally immersed

Honestly at this point 47 needs a nap, the man's been through too much KJDSHFKJHSDF

THE HITMAN GAMES ARE SO FEELINGS!!!! I will argue, always, that Hitman is as much about navigating what emotions are, self-identity, and family, as much as it's also about increasingly clever kills and morbid sarcasm

I'm so glad you could play them and love them!!! ;u; I already miss it all so much-- I wish we could get more lore on Olivia and Lucas, or see more of previous characters, but cest la vie. <3!!! Thank you for always being a fun bright spot in my inbox as well !!!!