#father justin crowe

[blvvdk3ep]

Started Carnivàle and I am so sad because it is the BEST show I've watched in a long time, but it's from 2003 and I don't think the fandom is that big still, so like what do I do with this brief, brilliant show that I know doesn't get resolved because it wasn't renewed and there isn't enough conversation about how insane and great it is

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Justin C Key's "The World Wasn't Ready For You"

On September 22, I'm (virtually) presenting at the DIG Festival in Modena, Italy. That night, I'll be in person at LA's Book Soup for the launch of Justin C Key's "The World Wasn’t Ready for You." On September 27, I'll be at Chevalier's Books in Los Angeles with Brian Merchant for a joint launch for my new book The Internet Con and his new book, Blood in the Machine.

The World Wasn't Ready For You is Justin C Key's first book. It's a short story collection, from a major publisher. This is basically unheard of. Big publishers rarely publish collections, and when they do, it's almost always after a string of extremely successful novels:

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-world-wasnt-ready-for-you-justin-c-key?variant=41016598036514

Yes, there are exceptions. Ted Chiang. Kelly Link.

And now, Justin C Key. To be in such company is, as they say, a big fucking deal.

I can't say I'm surprised. Key was my student at the Clarion West writing workshop – a year full of standout writers among whom Key was still a standout. I was immensely impressed with his work then, and when I found out that he was also an MD and a father, a young man juggling an unimaginably intense work and family schedule and still producing this polished, scary, precise work, I knew he could have great things ahead of him.

But to be honest, I wasn't sure he would write. Key was so obviously brilliant and competent, and had such an important dayjob, that I could easily have imagined him deciding that making up stories was fun, but that it was not nearly so rewarding as his other vocations.

I was wrong – and right. In the years since Clarion, Key's work has acquired a kind of medical precision. When Key stabs you, the knife slides right between your ribs and goes straight into the big arteries of your heart, slicing you so quickly that you hardly notice until you are slain.

These are all horror stories, though some of them are science fiction too, and more to the point, they'r Black horror stories. In his afterword, Key writes about his early fascination with horror, the catharsis he felt in watching nightmares unspool on screen or off the page. And then, he writes, came the dawning recognition that the Black characters in these stories were always there as cannon-fodder, often nameless, usually picked off early.

These stories represent Key's long rumination on the conjunction of Blackness and horror. Of course, that gets back to racism, in the way that, say, Jordan Peele's work does, or in the manner of NK Jemisin's post-Lovecraft Cthuloid tales:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/09/the-old-crow-is-getting-slow/#i-love-ny

But "Black horror" isn't merely parables about racism. In the deft hands of these writers – and now, Key – the stories are horror in which Blackness is a fact, sometimes a central one, and that fact is ever a complication, limiting how the characters move through space, interact with authority, and relate to one another.

The eight stories – mostly long – in The World Wasn't Ready For You deal with parenting, health, prison, corruption, and art – and they do so through hauntings and body horror and tension wound so tight you want to scream.

This is a brilliant and auspicious beginning from a brilliant and auspicious writer.

Key's book launches at LA's Book Soup on September 22, and I'll be there with him as interlocutor. I couldn't be more honored by this, and I hope you'll come out and see us:

https://www.booksoup.com/event/justin-c-key

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/19/justin-c-key/#clarion-west-2015

[amarriageoftrueminds]

Significant aspect of Steve being Irish-Catholic:

As well as having branches of the Nazi party (ie. the German-American Bund), the Brooklyn of Steve’s day also had a big problem of antisemitism amongst the local Irish-Catholic population. 

.

Examples: 

There was a Canadian-American Catholic priest and demagogue named Charles Coughlin, who received indirect funding from the Nazi party. Up until 1939 'Father Coughlin’ had both a regular right-wing talkradio programme, and a matching newspaper (ironically called Social Justice), broadcasting pro-fascist, anti-communist, virulently antisemitic diatribes. (He was the inspiration for the character Brother Justin Crowe in the show Carnivale.) 

In New York, Coughlin’s writings prompted the creation of an antisemitic organisation called the Christian Front, which held public rallies on the intersecting corners of Jewish/Irish neighborhoods in Brooklyn, with the specific intention of drumming up conflict. And just as in Nazi Germany, this indoctrination started young: there were Hitler Youth summer camps in both New York and New Jersey. 

In wider pop culture, the most successful broadway play for a long time was Abie’s Irish Rose, a “schmaltzy interfaith romantic comedy" about the conflict between a Jewish family and Irish-Catholic family when a Jewish boy marries an Irish girl (so, that generation’s equivalent of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.) It was so successful that it was mentioned in the lyrics to songs of other broadway shows, spawned a long-running series of tie-in movies, and had its own radio show. 

Similarly, the musical West Side Story was originally titled ‘East Side Story’ and was about a star-crossed Jewish/Irish-Catholic couple in the Lower East Side of Manhattan (where Jack Kirby lived, and Cap too, before he was later moved to Brooklyn. Those other kids Jack Kirby grew up fighting? Probably Irish-Catholic.)  

This is also why, when Jewish writer Norman Lear came to rip off UK sitcom Till Death Us Do Part to make US sitcom All in the Family, in the 1970s, his choice to play the role of the bigoted father -- even though he was inspired by his own, bigoted Jewish father -- was an Irish actor whose face “screams ‘Irish.’ (Lear kept being encouraged to use that and make the character Irish-Catholic in the show, but he refused.) 

.

Context:

That rise in Irish-Catholic antisemitism originated with the Fascist conflation of Jews with Bolshevism, and of Communism with the persecution of Christians. 

(All this while Russian-Jewish immigrants to NYC were moving into traditionally Irish-Catholic areas, competing for jobs and housing, and their success was resented.)

This also tied into the Spanish Civil War, when Russian and Communist Front groups in America aided the Loyalist forces instead of the Fascists (the Abraham Lincoln Battalion, for example, was made up of American volunteers who fought for the Loyalists, and was 25% Jewish). 

In New York, the fact that the Communist party membership was mainly Jewish was treated as proof that all Jews were Communist, (and therefore enemies of Catholics), even though the majority of Jews in New York were not Communists. 

In fact, it was more the case that Jews were drawn to what they perceived as progressivism -- grounded in a history of discrimination -- and since they saw Fascism as their chief threat, they were more likely to accept Communists as allies in the fight against it (just as Catholics were more likely to ally with Fascists against Communism). 

Amongst American Catholics there was also distrust of FDR's liberal New Deal policies, regarded as a wave of Communism sweeping the country, since the government’s helping of the poor post-Depression was seen as a deliberate infringement upon what was traditionally the territory of the Catholic Church. (I kid you not.)

And then, since Ireland was a neutral country, the Irish-Catholics in New York were able to continue to espouse such views during the war. Unlike them, the Germans and Italians suddenly became more circumspect (as they had during WWI), for fear of appearing to support America’s enemies, and suffering reprisals as a result.

And all this was not helped by the fact that the Pope shared this view of Communism, and collaborated with Hitler on the Reich Concordat, an authoritarian pact wherein the Vatican vowed to forbid Catholics in Fascist Germany from interfering in politics.

. 

All of which is to say: 

It’s a BIG DEAL for Steve’s Jewish creators to make Steve Irish-Catholic. 

It means that, on top of being a Nazi’s worst nightmare (disabled, blonde, blue-eyed, turned into a supersoldier and yet still antifa), and fighting Bundists, Silver Shirts and ANP members, as you’d expect, Steve often would've been fighting his own people, as well. 

That takes an even greater strength of character and commitment to left wing ideals. 

.

tl;dr: in historical context, Steve being Irish-Catholic is hugely significant. 

.

sources: 

https://muse.jhu.edu/book/67077.

https://crimereads.com/forgotten-history-of-the-far-right-pro-nazi-anti-semitic-christian-front/

https://www.jstor.org/stable/25154932

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/06/american-nazis-in-the-1930sthe-german-american-bund/529185/

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/gabrielsanchez/american-hate

https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/bcoppola/2019/01/01/father-coughlin-is-already-explaining-it-to-the-american-people-june-13-1939/

https://twitter.com/TheNormanLear/status/1582494950649757696

https://www.history.com/news/west-side-story-was-originally-about-jews-and-catholics

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/captain-america-getting-real-life-statue-some-say-its-wrong-place-180959706/

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Abie%27s_Irish_Rose

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/The_Cohens_and_Kellys

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/1999/10/pope-pius-xii-199910

[your-averagewriter]

Request rules.

I don't write smut but I will write steamy make-out scenes and all that.

I will write fem!character x fem!reader, male!character x fem!reader, male!reader x male!reader. All of it including gender neutral reader.

I also only really write x reader fics.

My Masterlist - What I've already written, I update when I post.

REQUESTS ARE CLOSED DUE TO HAVING LOTS OF REQUESTS!

- Thanks for the requests though! :)

Keep an eye on this as I add more characters as I watch more shows/movies!

People/characters I will write for:

DYSTOPIAN and ACTION:

- Hunger Games - Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen, Haymitch Abernathy, Finnick Odair, Johanna Mason, Annie Cresta, Lucy Gray Baird, Sejanus Plinth.

- Maze Runner - Thomas, Newt, Gally, Minho.

- Kingsman - Harry Hart (Galahad), Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (Galahad), Hamish Mycroft (Merlin), Jack Daniels (Whiskey).

- Zombieland - Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita.

- Luther - John Luther, Alice Morgan, Justin Ripley.

- Call of Duty - John Price, Simon "Ghost" Riley, John "Soap" MacTavish, König, Alejandro Vargas, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, Kim "Horangi" Hong-jin, Valeria Garza, Keegan Russ.

- The Boys - Homelander, Starlight, Soldier Boy, Black Noir, Billy Butcher, Hughie Campbell, The Deep, Queen Maeve, A-Train, Translucent.

- Gen V - Marie Moreau, Emma Meyer, Jordan Li, Andre Anderson, Cate Dunlap, Luke Riordan and Sam Riordan.

- Fallout - Cooper Howard (pre and post Ghoul), Lucy MacLean, Maximus.

- The Walking Dead (I've only seen the first season so no spoilers please!!) - Rick Grimes, Glenn Rhee, Lori Grimes, Andrea

HORROR:

- Scream - Billy Loomis, Stu Macher, Dwight "Dewey" Riley, Randy Meeks, Richie Kirsch, Sam Carpenter, Tara Carpenter, Chad Meeks-Martin, Mindy Meeks-Martin, Ethan Landry.

- The Lost Boys - Michael Emerson, David, Star, Marko, Dwayne.

- What We Do in the Shadows - Nandor the Relentless, Laszlo Cravensworth, Nadja, Guillermo de la Cruz.

- Late Night with The Devil - Jack Delroy

- Renfield - R.M Renfield.

- A Quiet Place (1&2) - Lee Abbott, Evelyn Abbott, Emmett.

- The Boy - Brahms.

- Fight Club - Tyler Durden, The Narrator.

- Alien - Ripley, Dwayne Hicks, Hudson.

- Saw - Adam Faulkner-Stanheight, Amanda Young, Peter Strahm, Mark Hoffman.

- The Crow - Eric Draven.

- Midnight Mass - Sheriff Hassan, Father Paul, Riley Flynn.

MARVEL:

- MCU - Tom Holland!Peter Parker, Andrew Garfield!Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, Steve Rodgers, Tony Stark, T'Challa, Stephen Strange, Logan, Scott Lang, Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova, Matt Murdock, Valkyrie, Carol Danvers, Peter Quill, Bucky Barnes, Phil Coulson, Gamora, Thor Odinson, Loki Laufeyson, James Rhodes, Pietro Maximoff, Druig, Sam Wilson, Shuri.

- Spiderverse - Hobie Brown, Miles Morales (both variations), Gwen Stacy, Miguel O'Hara, Pavitr Prabhakar, Peter B Parker, Spider Noir.

- X-Men and others (Deadpool etc) - Young!Charles Xavier, Young!Erik Lehnsherr, Nightcrawler, Jean Grey, Scott Summers, Nathan Summers, Wade Wilson.

DC:

- The Dark Knight Trilogy - Christian Bale!Bruce Wayne, Jonathon Crane.

- The Batman - Robert Pattinson!Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle.

- Justice League - Diana Prince (Wonderwoman), Arthur Curry (Aquaman), Clark Kent (Superman).

- Gotham - David Mazouz!Bruce Wayne, Jerome Valeska, Jerimiah Valeska, Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon, Selina Kyle, Ed Nygma, Barbara Kean, Oswald Cobblepot, Victor Zsasz, Harvey Bullock, Jonathon Crane, Jervis Tetch, Victor Fries.

The Suicide Squad - Jared Leto!Joker, Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Chris Smith (Peacemaker), Robert DuBois (Bloodsport), Chato Santana (El Diablo).

ANIME:

- Attack on Titan - Eren Yeager, Levi Ackerman, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Jean Kirstein, Reiner Braun, Annie Leonhart, Sasha Braus, Erwin Smith, Miche Zacharius, Hitch Dreyse, Kenny Ackerman, Marco Bodt, Pieck Finger, Porco Galliard, Colt Grice, Bertholdt Hoover, Nicolo, Ymir, Zeke Yeager, Floch Forster.

- Demon Slayer - Giyu Tomioka, Mitsuri Kanroji, Obanai Iguro, Muichiro Tokito, Shinobu Kocho, Kyojuro Rengoku, Tengen Uzui, Kanao Tsuyuri, Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, Gyutaro, Daki, Enmu, Hinatsuru, Makio, Suma.

- Castlevania - Alucard, Sypha Belnades, Trevor Belmont, Carmilla, Lenore.

- Tokyo Ghoul - Ken Kaneki, Juuzou Suzuya, Touka Kirishima, Kuki Urie, Ayato Kirishima, Itori, Uta, Hideyoshi Nagachika.

- My Hero Academia - Shota Aizawa, Hizashi Yamada, Tenya Ida, Ochaco Uraraka, Denki Kaminari, Eijiro Kirishima, Kyoka Jiro, Hanta Sero, Shoto Todoroki, Katsuki Bakugo, Itsuka Kendo, Tamaki Amajiki, Hitoshi Shinso, Keigo Takami, Mirko, Dabi, Himiko Toga, Jin Bubaigawara.

- Obey me - Lucifer, Mammon, Levi, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Belphegor, Diavolo, Barbatos, Simeon, Solomon.

- Haikyuu! - Daichi Sawamura, Kōshi Sugawara, Asahi Azumane, Tobio Kageyama, Tadashi Yamaguchi, Kiyoko Shimizu, Keishin Ukai, Tetsurō Kuroo, Kenma Kozume, Tōru Oikawa, Hajime Iwaizumi, Kōtarō Bokuto, Keiji Akaashi, Wakatoshi Ushijima, Satori Tendō, Yūji Terushima, Kiyoomi Sakusa, Atsumu Miya, Osamu Miya.

- Avatar the Last Airbender - Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Aang, Azula, Ty Lee.

- Avatar: Legend of Korra - Korra, Asami, Mako, Tenzin, Iroh.

MUSIC:

- Waterparks - Awsten Knight, Geoff Wigington, Otto Wood.

- My Chemical Romance - Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro, Frank Iero, (all the killjoys).

- Pierce The Veil - Vic Fuentes, Tony Perry, Jaime Preciado.

- All Time Low - Alex Gaskarth, Rian Dawson, Zack Merrick.

- Ice Nine Kills - Spencer Charnas, Ricky Armellino, Patrick Galante, Joe Occhiuti, Dan Sugarman.

- Palaye Royale - Remington Leith, Emerson Barrett.

- Others - Oli Sykes, Ronnie Radke, Andy Hurley, Brandon Flowers, Chris Motionless, Kellin Quinn,, John O'Callaghan, Josh Franceschi, Lzzy Hale, Hayley Williams, William Beckett, Noah Sebastian, Will Ramos, Will Ghould, Dave Grohl, Vessel (Sleep Token).

- Metal Lords - Hunter, Kevin, Emily.

SCI-FI:

- The Sandman - Dream, Corinthian.

- Prey - Naru, Taabe.

- Stranger Things - Steve Harrington, Nancy Wheeler, Jonathon Byers, Max Mayfield, Robin Buckley, 001, Dimitri, Eddie Munson.

- Star Wars - Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Rey, Kylo Ren, Boba Fett, Poe Dameron, Din Djarin, Cal Kestis.

OTHERS:

- Barbie - Barbie, Ken.

- Monster High - Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf, Cleo de Nile, Deuce Gorgon, Draculaura, Lagoona Blue, Abbey Bominable, Clawd Wolf, Gillington Webber, Heath Burns, Holt Hyde, Jackson Jekyll, Neighthan Rot, Operetta, Robecca Steam, Rochelle Goyle, Venus McFlytrap, Kieran Valentine, Porter Geiss.

- Euphoria - Rue Bennett, Jules Vaughn, Maddy Perez, Cassie Howard, Fezco, Lexi Howard, Nate Jacobs (nothing abusive).

- Wonka - Willy Wonka, Fickelgruber.

- Saltburn - Oliver Quick, Felix Catton, Farleigh Start, Venetia Catton.

-

I know that's quite a long list and if you want me to write for a character not on there then just ask :)

[jknerd]

NIMH AU: Mrs. Brisby

Full Name: Elizabeth Brisby

Species: Human->Im-Human (through influence of the Stone)

Age: 31~32

Gender: Female

Other Names: Mrs. Brisby, Lady Brisby, Eliza, Brisby Widow

Occupations: Seamstress (former), Fitzgibbon’s tenant (former), Matriarch of Brisby House

Residence: Fitzgibbon’s tenant house (former), Jonathan Brisby’s Wheeled Manor (currently)

Family: Jonathan Brisby (first husband; deceased), Teresa Brisby (oldest daughter), Martin Brisby (oldest son), Timothy Brisby (younger son), Cynthia Brisby (younger daughter), Auntie Shrew (maternal aunt)

Relationships: Farmer Fitzgibbons (first benefactor; formerly), Beth Fitzgibbons (acquaintance), Billy Fitzgibbons (acquaintance), Drago “Dragon” Welker (acquaintance), Jeremy Crow (friend), Nicodemus (benefactor), Mr. Ages (acquaintance), Justin (love interest->eventually, a possible second husband), Sullivan (acquaintance), Jenner (acquaintance->adversary)

Likes: Mementos/Heirlooms from her husband, embroidery, cooking, arranging flowers, outdoor activities with children, Justin’s assistances/company

Dislikes: Height (former fear), her husband’s absence/death, being bothered by suitors, Timothy’s sickness, becoming a burden, Jenner’s touches/threats

Elizabeth Brisby, commonly known as Mrs. Brisby, is a mortal widow of heroic man Jonathan Brisby, mother of four children; Teresa, Martin, Timothy and Cynthia. Prior to the marriage, Elizabeth was a normal girl working in the Fitzgibbons’ farm, greatly afraid of men as they usually approach her with indecent intentions, until she came across injured man named Jonathan Brisby. She brought him to her home and tended his wound. When he recovers to see her for the first time, he fell in love and a year later, they got married. He taught her how to read and write when she confessed she was illiterate. Through years, they had four children. However, when Cynthia was just a toddler, Jonathan Brisby fell to his death in midst of battle with his enemy, found dead in arms of Virgin Mary’s statue. 

It was revealed her and their children’s existence was kept secret from his allies; “the humans of NIMH”, except their leader Nicodemus. She was also left with the will by her husband; all his wealth, inheritance and possessions passed down to Elizabeth and their children, which allowed them to stay in a house Jonathan prepared before his death. Despite immense inheritance, Elizabeth kept it intact for the future of her children as she insist to work as a seamstress. At one point, Elizabeth visited her husband’s friend Mr. Ages as her son Timothy fell severely ill. Initially diagnosed with pneumonia, both noticed Timothy’s erratic breathing, avoiding the sunlight and become sensitive without his mother’s presence. Mr. Ages concluded this as the first stage of congenital stage of “IM-mutation” and suggested she need to move her house along with her husband’s allies to the new “bund of NIMH” where it was located in Thorn Valley. 

Not knowing of “IM-humans”, Elizabeth decided to ask for solution to Nicodemus as she journeys to where his people resides. Much to her surprise, the house her late husband has left was able to move with the hidden wheels and technology manifested with magic. At the old bund surrounded by rose bushes, she encountered one of the “IM-humans”, Justin, the guards’ captain. She recognized familiar faces from her husband’s funeral, especially Jenner, who is against with the “Thorn Valley Bund plan”. Meeting up with Nicodemus, she discovers the “IM-humans” were artificially created vampires through experiments of NIMH who were able to conquer sunlight, and Jonathan was one of them; hence why her children will inherit their father’s longevity in life and slow aging process, along with Timothy becoming just like him. However, the condition is that until Timothy’s symptoms are gone, he must avoid the sunlight for a while. She was surprised to learn that Drago Welker, the community guard and alleged murderer of Jonathan, was not responsible for his death and was warned to beware of the ones who approach her with dark motives. Lastly Nicodemus has given her the ruby necklace, the stone Jonathan left for her. While staying with the IM-humans of NIMH, Elizabeth develops a close bond with Justin who becomes a father figure to her four children.

However, in order for the “Thorn Valley Bund” plan to work, someone must drug Drago Welker to have their moving undetected. Elizabeth volunteers, much to dismay of Justin. But, she insists as she was told with directions by him and Dr. Ages; she must lure the community guard to drink the drugged beverage. As Mr. Ages and Justin as the two men would be assisting Nicodemus in moving the bund. Elizabeth recalled the “honey trap” female Im-Humans used to trick, so she decided to lure Drago with its method and successfully does so before she overheard Fitzgibbons discussed about calling NIMH (National Institute of Mystic Health) to hunt down “harmful vampires”. Alarmed, Elizabeth rushed back to witness her house immobilized and was abducted by Jenner. She learns that Jenner was the one responsible for it and killed Nicodemus, horrified of his intentions to take over Jonathan’s inheritance, possessions, and his widow to himself. In a brief moment of solitude, she told guilt-stricken Sullivan about NIMH as he successfully send the message to Justin. Learning of this betrayal, Jenner injured Sullivan and was about to rape Elizabeth, but stopped by Justin who came in time to save her. Elizabeth was seen watching in horror when Sullivan successfully gave a final blow at Jenner who fell to his death in a fountain below the statue of Virgin Mary, the same location her husband died. When the immobilized house of Brisby was about to fall, Elizabeth did not hesitate to shield her children from falling debris, but the light from the Stone formed a protective field sparing their lives.

Waking up, she found Timothy missing and frantically looked for him until she found him outside, completely healed and conquered the sunlight. In tears of joy, Elizabeth and her children hugged Timothy as the boy was spared from further pain of illness. Days later, as all her children wish to travel with their father’s wheeled manor that has later rebuilt, Elizabeth gave Justin the Stone as a promise to meet again. Witnessing the wrinkles and white streaks of hair rejuvenated, Justin smiled as there were implications she won’t grow old as normal human and they would meet again.

[echthr0s]

Basic rules: choose 10 fandoms that you are part of/support, and choose a favorite character from each of those. Then, tag ten folks!

tagged by @dedicatedtomoonlighting, tagging you

I happen to be in the middle of 10 shows so I'll just do it for those:

Frasier - Martin Crane got that DILF rizz. also, Lilith my beloved

Stargate SG-1 - man it was Daniel Jackson for so long that I didn't even stop to think if it still is. I think my fave is actually Jack O'Neill now

Carnivale - Justin Crowe

Person of Interest - Harold Finch and also The Machine

The Wire - Omar Little

Riverdale - Jughead Jones and also FP Jones and also whatever hilarious trickster force is behind the town being Like That lol

Foundation - the whole Brother Dawn/Day/Dusk situation in general

Servant - Julian, maybe? he's funny. tbh I'm watching this solely for the plot, which is rare. I don't really care for any of these people lmao I'm just here to see fucked up shit happen to them repeatedly

From - definitely Boyd Stevens and Father Khatri. preferably together. jerking each other off in the Punishment Box while the rest of the town goes on about their day, none the wiser

Twin Peaks - the "GOT A LIGHT?" entity from The Return. but as for like. actual characters lol... hmm. wow. who IS my favourite Twin Peaks character. uhh. I'll get back to you

[rpking99]

Persona Part 2

Persona 5

Joker/Rin Amamiya (genderbent)

So, I always thought that Joker should have got a FeMC equivilant with Royal. And when Violet was revealed, I thought it was her. Now, I am not a big fan of her in Royal so I am using her as the 'face' for Female Joker. Partially because there is more fanart of her so more options

Joker is the leader of the Phantom Thieves. Arrested for a crime she didn't commit, she and her fellow thieves use the Metaverse to combat the manipulations of those who distort the world and change peoples hearts. Joker is a bit self conscious, but hides it behind her confident smirk and what could only be described unironically as 'swag'

Panther/Ann Takamaki

Panther is a model. Having been abused by her gym coach, Ann slowly grew into herself again after an incident with her best friend. Planning on becoming an actress the sex confident blonde is ready to face the world

Queen/Makoto Nijima

Queenis the teams strategist and leader of the team. A year older than the ithere. She use to be nothing but a doormat for authority, now she is ready to do what is right. A bit socially awkward, Makoto is confident in growing as a person. And she knows how to kick your ass

Oracle/Futaba Sakurai

Oracle, Futaba, is a big nerd and a year younger than Joked. Her mother died in front of her at a young age, and the guilt and lies that filled Futaba made her deeply repressed. She can best be described as a cinnamon bun chaotic gremlin highbrid. She is also Joker's little sister figure as Joker is staying with Futaba's adopted dad Sojiro, the man acting as Rin's guardian, and Rin and Futaba have formed a sibling-like bond

Noir/Haru Okumura

Haru Okumara, Noir, is the same age as Makoto. Big into gardening, she is the heir (slash is the CEO) of Okumara Foods after her father died. While having a sadistic side in combat, she is the 'team mother' and the sweetest thing around

Crow/Gina Akechi (Genderbent)

Sadayo Kawakami/Becky

Ms Kawakami is a teacher at Shujin Academy, the school Joker and her friends attended during their first year as a team. Ms Kawakami is a very calm, kind, teacher who has to act as a maid in order to get extra money

Tae Takemi

Tae is a doctor who lives close to the Sakura family owned cafe, Lè Blanc, and is a regular customer. Her license was revoced because another doctor faked a patient's death, a patient who was given an experimental drug by Tae to the and cure a deadly disease. She is sex on legs and she knows it, confident and sassy with a dry wit

Sae Nijima/Shadow Sae

Sae is Makoto's big sister. She was a prosecuter, but after Persona 5 became a Defence Attorney. Confident, calm and collected. She basically raised Makoto. And she do what she can for her family to be safe

Justine and Caroline (Aged Up)

Lavenza (Aged Up)

Chihaya Mifune

Hifumi Togo

Ichiko Ohya

Shiho Suzui

Persona 5 Strikers

Sophia/Sophie

Alice Hiiragi/Shadow Alice

Persona 5 OC

Akari Amamiya

(face claim is the crossdressing design for Joker. The art works too well for a female Joker but I already have Rin...)

This OC is Akari Amamiya, Rin's own mother. A former prison warden, she and her husband went through a.... But of a rough patch because of the Shido incident. Her husband believing in their daughter being a deliquent and trouble maker. Let's just say... When Rin returned home, the house was one person short....

Akari works as a negotiator. Arriving for business deals, hostage negotiations, anything. Wearing a.... Modified version of her old outfit to add intimidation/to throw off the opposition, she has a near 100% rate of success in scoring her client the best result. The reason it's not 100% is because she will never screw over those being victimised. If she's hired to make a negotiation against a weaker party, she will do all in her power to make it better for them.

...

She also sells photos of herself on some 'adult' websites, but only pictures of herself wearing some form of cloths. Never naked

Total Muses: 18/19

[rainbyotes]

Do you have any angst/whump headcanons for Greg? And possible some comfort ones, too?

Oh what a question, this kinda turned into a king essay but whatever let’s start with the angst stuff then do the comfort:

Besides the claustrophobia due to being captured by the hawks he also has nightmares a lot bc of it, not as much but like if smth triggers his ptsd then he’ll have nightmares. He has better days in terms of triggers but some of them include being in a tight cramped space, seeing shayera, and even just hearing like bird wings ruffle/ seeing a big bird in the sky (think vulture, bird of prey, crow), and if I’m feeling extra angsty just like being away from his friends or Justin since they “ground him” so to speak <- these are fun if you’re only going off of Greg in jlu

I feel like we as a society just decided to ignore the part where he got blown up and survived (move over Batman falling from space comic) and basically the entire city lights, prairie justice run, like not only did his sidekick that was like a little brother to him get murdered while he was out of town but the guy who murdered him blew him up like WHAT? Personally I love the fact that he got blown up (in terms of head canons) like yeah he’s mostly recovered from it but looking at old photos of him and stuff and even just talking about him can start Greg spiraling, and he doesn’t like bombs or using explosives on missions (ignore patriot act) bc ya know. He got blown up. He would definitely have nightmares about that and DEFINITELY blames himself for stuffs death so lotta guilt and self loathing <- love this one it’s just *chefs kiss*

also gives way to the hc that he absolutely hates Vegas and when asked why he says “me and the guy who founded it had some nasty business” which then leads to other people wondering how old he is

the relationship with the father (<- inception 2010 quote) he 100% has daddy issues, either from childhood trauma, not being there to stop his murder, or just his dad sucks. Considering he’s a wyomingite growing up couldn’t have been easy in the middle of nowhere, some times when he’s spiraling deep he’ll get thoughts like “if you didn’t want to be a silly musician your dad might still be alive” , and if I want to get REAL angsty I do the homophobic family card where Greg either got kicked out bc he was caught messing around with a boy or he came out as an adult and his family hates that so they stopped talking to each other <- also love this one it’s perfect for any Greg fic and ship

Another hc is that when he talks about where he’s from he gets really nervous and kinda self deprecating bc “he’s just a dumb hick and since he grew up in the country he has to be like super far right”, this one is kinda depressing bc it’s a thing I see it a lot (despite living in a suburb) so it’s kinda self projection but who’s to say

Ok now for comfort kinda

Loves simple meals like eggs and bacon, biscuits and gravy, cereal even bc they’re easy to make and it’s what he grew up on

He loves Clint Eastwood movies of course but I could also see him being a total horse girl and liking stuff that has horses in it like the movie spirit, also him just saying random horse facts

Along with horse facts greg is 100% an animal person and donates time and money to shelters, he also says like random animal facts like “did you know the basset hound is called that bc in the region of France it’s from basset means ‘close to the ground’?” He also owns many animals and a lot of dogs and cats

People make jokes about brokeback mountain to him a lot but jokes on them he read the original story when he was in high school/young adult (don’t worry about the timeline) and he was there opening weekend when the movie came out like people think he doesn’t know stuff but he knows so much stuff!! He’s a smart boy!!

Anyways those are all of the head canons for right now, sorry most of the angst one are just ideas I have but they kinda depend on what mood I’m in for angst (they’re basically just fic ideas I’ll probably never write) tysm for the ask!!

[rhube]

OK, OK, OK, I'm watching Dexter: New Blood, and (side note) I am a HUGE Dexter fan, but, Clancy Brown is in it??

You might know him from such iconic roles as:

The Kurgan, from Highlander

Brother Justin Crowe, from Carnivale

And more recently, Hank Anderson, in Detroit: Become Human

(Side, side note: I know there are some younger folk following me now; if you've not seen those other two items in his filmography, you're missing some of the best storytelling that exists. Get on that.)

Anyway, as you may have noticed, I have been in a DBH place for a WHILE now, so instead of a babaric immortal warrior or a creepy priest, I now strongly associate him with being a father figure.

And he is playing a father in Dexter: New Blood, in a context with police goings on.

Let's just say it's weird and SURREAL to hear HANK ANDERSON in my SERIAL KILLER show, OK? It just fucking sounds like him now.

It's... CONFUSING.

Anyway. I'm 2.5 eps in and Dexter: New Blood is great. If you like secret identities, moral complexity, and great acting, and don't mind a serial killer protagonist...

[shanegrayz]

INTRODUCING : the gray - cessario family

justin james "jj" gray , father , former music reporter , portrayed by eric bana. annie cessario - gray , mother , philanthropist and former model , portrayed by elizabeth banks. brown cessario , uncle , founder and former bassist for wet crows , portrayed by joel mchale. jason gray , older brother , member of connect 3 , portrayed by chris briney. shane gray , front man of connect 3 , portrayed by ross lynch. nate gray , younger brother , member connect 3 , portrayed by rudy pankow.

[asoiafandotherbooks]

ASOIAF: Calendar Thoughts

I received my 2024 A Song Of Ice And Fire Calendar yesterday.  The illustrations are by Justin Sweet. I’m not an artist, I don’t know the technical details of different art styles but when I look at Sweet’s illustrations, the words “moody” and “atmospheric” come to mind.

The back cover states “Here we see the faces of those who have molded the kingdom and a people, as we travel from Westeros’s history from the ancient past to the present day. From the days of legend through the tumultuous reign of the Targaryens and into the years following Robert’s Rebellion, key figures have influenced or altered the course of Westerosi history, whether knowingly or not”.

I love that we get portrayals of various periods of Westerosi history and not just the common portrayals of the following eras: The Conquest, the Dance of the Dragons, Robert’s Rebellion, and the War of the Five Kings. Westeros along with Essos and Sothorys has a vast history of lore – let the artists unleash it!

The illustrations are gorgeous, with most focusing of the mystical side of Westerosi history.

The cover, and May’s image is Lyanna Stark walking beneath a weirwood with Rhaegar Targaryen observing (stalking?) her in the background. When the cover image for the calendar was released, there was speculation was the couple could be Lyanna/Rhaegar or Aemond Targaryen/Alys Rivers. The blue roses in the image clearly marks it as Lyanna/Rhaegar. The shrouded Rhaegar in the background makes his motivations unclear – is he a lovestruck suitor or an obsessed stalker? Is this when Lyanna was kidnapped/ran away?

Lyanna & Rhaegar’s impact of history is obvious – their relationship, consensual or otherwise, led to the overthrow of the Targaryen dynasty and established Robert Baratheon as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Their son, Jon Snow, is the child of “fire and ice” which will hopefully amount to more in the books than it did in the show.

January’s image is Coldhands. It has all the standard Coldhands identification marks: hood obscuring the face, raggedy night’s watch attire. Black hands, ravens, decaying moose.

What is Coldhand’s impact on history? Hard to say since his identity is unknown. Is he one of the Last Hero’s companions? The Last Hero himself? The former Night King? One of the million Brandon Starks? Danny Flint? A member of the Raven’s teeth that accompanied Bloodraven to the Wall? Benjen Stark? None of the above? All of the above? Until we learn his true identity, his actual impact on history is unknown.

The last greenseer/the three-eyed crow-raven/Bloodraven is February’s image. It features an ancient, skeletal Brynden Rivers entwined in the tree in the underground cave with one of the Children of the Forest sitting alongside him.

Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers’s had a huge impact on Westerosi public. He was one of Aegon IV’s “Great Bastards”, responsible for the defeat of multiple Blackfyre rebellions and Hand of the King to multiple rulers. During Aerys I’s reign, he essentially ran the country. He also became the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Those are facts known to the Westerosi public. He is now mentoring Bran to become a greenseer. Throw in all the fandom theories – was he pruning the Targaryen bloodline to ensure the “Prince That Was Promised” was born? Did he have a hand in Summerhall? Is he Craster’s father? Is he Melisandre’s father? Did he attempt to open Euron’s third eye? Did that cause/worsen Euron’s insanity? Did he send the Direwolves to the Stark children? Did he send the weirwood dream to Jaime? We have one of the most impactful yet mysterious characters in the series – is he good, bad, a bit of both?

March’s image brings us the Drowned God and his Mermaid wife: “For a thousand years and seven he reigned here, Aeron recalled. He took his mermaid wife and planned his wars against the Storm God.”  Not much to say here except that I enjoy the Ironborn lore. The belief in the Storm God had to be more wide-spread thousands of years ago, as the Storm Gods are involved in the Storm’s End and yet he’s warring with the  Drowned God clear across the continent of Westeros. Does the Storm God and Drowned God count as “Old Gods” of the North or not? If they don’t, are the Old Gods of the North considered older?

Shiera Seastar is April’s image. Shiera’s image is of her stepping into a pool of blood. A basic image that is spiced up by the pool of blood as a reference to the rumor that Shiera bathed in blood. The only known impact of Shiera is being one of Aegon Iv’s Great Bastards and worsening a rivalry between Bloodraven and Bittersteel. She was Bloodraven’s lover but was she involved in his plans? We don’t know.

June is Aerys “The Mad King” Targaryen on his throne, haunted by ghosts. Rhaegar may have started the fire that led to the overthrow of the Targaryen dynasty, but Aerys drenched it in wildfire to ensure the destruction would be permanent. His impact on the story is felt in the modern day by Viserys, Daenerys, and Jaime.

The two-page spread is of Rhaenys riding Meraxes. Rhaeny’s clothing looks like Dany’s Dothraki outfits. I assumed it was Dany until I read the caption. Rhaenys was one of the Targaryens involved in the Conquest of Westeros and died during the First Dornish War. The true impact of Rhaenys becomes clearer if the theories of Aegon the Conqueror’s sterility are true because if would mean all the succeeding Targaryen generations would be descended from Rhaenys, and only Rhaenys.

July is Bael the Bard performing for “Lord Stark” and his daughter. The timeline is unclear for Bael the Bard. It couldn’t have happened post-Conquest but if took place pre-Conquest it should be “King Stark”. If it even happened, it could simply be a popular tale. If the Bael the Bard is an actual figure, then he fathered a future Lord/King Stark and thus the Starks have Wilding blood ties. The Bael the Bard story is also a nod to Rhaegar and Lyanna. The one nitpick I have with this image is Bael’s clothes resemble an outfit from the Renaissance era and I can’t see a wilding from beyond the Wall wearing those type of clothes. Or Northmen in general.

Daenerys sitting by Drogon is August’s image. Daenerys is one of the main characters of the ASOIAF. She became the Mother of Dragon and the Breaker of Chains. I don’t think she will succeed in restoring the Targaryen dynasty but we’ll see.

Sandor Clegane, standing on a pile of corpses with his helm’s hound, is September’s image. Odd choice for a “figures impacting history” calendar. He’s a fan favorite but what has he done that’s impacted Westerosi history? Killed a child? Fled from battle? Attempted to ransom another child? Became the Grave Digger? The closest Sandor has come to impacting history would be the various times he’s saved Loras, Arya, and Sansa but as those three haven’t had much “historical impact” it’s a stretch to consider Sandor a history maker.

October’s image is the Last Hero battling the Others and their Ice Spiders.  The Last Hero has a huge impact of the history of the Long Night but another individual we know nothing about? Was he Azor Ahai or one of the other named characters from Essos that battled the Long Night? Was he a Stark or a commander of the Night’s Watch? Or possibly Coldhands or the first Night King?

Melisandre atop the Wall is November’s image.  A member of the Night’s Watch, most likely Jon Snow, is in the background. Mel’s impact in the current story is the murders of Renly Baratheon and Courtney Penrse. She might have a role in Jon Snow’s resurrection. The reveal of Melisandre’s true age leaves a wide range of possibilities for events from her past.  What exactly has Melony of Lot 7 seen throughout her life?

December’s image is of a Wilding and a pair of Giants riding Wooly Mammoths beyond the Wall. The Wildings/Free Folk have an impact on the present day story (Mance, Ygritte, Tormund, Craster, etc) and are seen throughout the history of Westoros, fighting both with and against the Starks.

[cyarskj1899]

AWARDS SHOWS

2023 Tony Awards Winners List

Broadway’s biggest night is back! The 2023 Tony Awards were held on Sunday, June 11, at the United Palace in New York City’s Washington Heights.

Julianne Hough and Skylar Astin kicked off the night as they hosted The Tony Awards: Act One, a live pre-show on Pluto TV. The first winners of the night were announced, and Jennifer Grey presented a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre to her father, Joel Grey.

Oscar winner (and Tony nominee) Ariana DeBose led the second part of the night, which aired at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Broadway's Best! Tony Awards 2023 Red Carpet Arrivals: Photos

Scroll down to see the complete list of nominees and winners at the 76th annual Tony Awards:

Kimberly Akimbo Wins Best Musical& JulietKimberly AkimboNew York, New YorkShuckedSome Like It Hot

Leopoldstadt Wins Best PlayAin’t No Mo’Between Riverside and CrazyCost of LivingFat Ham

Parade Wins Best Revival of a Musical Into the WoodsLerner & Loewe’s CamelotSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Stars on Broadway! Celebrities Who've Taken the Stage

Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog Wins Best Revival of a PlayA Doll’s HouseAugust Wilson’s The Piano LessonThe Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window

Kimberly Akimbo — David Linsay-Abaire Wins Best Book of a Musical& Juliet — David West ReadNew York, New York — David Thompson & Sharon WashingtonShucked — Robert HornSome Like It Hot — Matthew López & Amber Ruffin

Kimberly Akimbo — Music by Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire Wins Best Original ScoreAlmost Famous — Music by Tom Kitt, Lyrics by Cameron Crowe & Tom KittKPop — Music & Lyrics by Helen Park & Max VernonShucked — Music and Lyrics by Brandi Clark & Shane McAnallySome Like It Hot — Music by Marc Shaiman, Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman

Sean Hayes (Good Night, Oscar) Wins Best Actor in a PlayYahya Abdul-Mateen II (Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog)Corey Hawkins (Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog)Stephen McKinley Henderson (Between Riverside and Crazy)Wendell Pierce (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman)

J. Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot) Wins Best Actor in a MusicalChristian Borle (Some Like It Hot)Josh Groban (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)Brian D’Arcy James (Into the Woods)Ben Platt (Parade)Colton Ryan (New York, New York)

Victoria Clark (Kimberly Akimbo) Wins Best Actress in a MusicalAnnaleigh Ashford (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)Sara Bareilles (Into the Woods)Lorna Courtney (& Juliet)Micaela Diamond (Parade)

Jodie Comer (Prima Facie) Wins Best Actress in a PlayJessica Chastain (A Doll’s House)Jessica Hecht (Summer, 1976)Audra McDonald (Ohio State Murders)

Alex Newell (Shucked) Wins Best Supporting Actor in a MusicalKevin Cahoon (Shucked)Justin Cooley (Kimberly Akimbo)Kevin Del Aguila (Some Like It Hot)Jordan Donica (Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot)

Bonnie Milligan (Kimberly Akimbo) Wins Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a MusicalJulia Lester (Into the Woods)Ruthie Ann Miles (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)NaTasha Yvette Williams (Some Like It Hot)Betsy Wolfe (& Juliet)

Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt) Wins Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayJordan E. Cooper (Ain’t No Mo’)Samuel L. Jackson (August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson)Arian Moayed (A Doll’s House)David Zayas (Cost of Living)

Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter (Some Like It Hot) Win Best OrchestrationsBill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro (Shucked)John Clancy (Kimberly Akimbo)Jason Howland (Shucked)Daryl Waters & Sam Davis (New York, New York)

Miriam Silverman (The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window) Wins Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a PlayNikki Crawford (Fat Ham)Crystal Lucas-Perry (Ain’t No Mo’)Katy Sullivan (Cost of Living)Kara Young (Cost of Living)

Cue the Love Songs! Broadway’s Most Iconic Offstage Couples

Patrick Marber (Leopoldstadt) Wins Best Direction of a PlaySaheem Ali (Fat Ham)Jo Bonney (Cost of Living)Jamie Lloyd (A Doll’s House)Stevie Walker-Webb (Ain’t No Mo’)Max Webster (Life of Pi)

Casey Nicholaw (Some Like It Hot) Wins Best ChoreographySteven Hoggett (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)Susan Stroman (New York, New York)Jennifer Weber (& Juliet)Jennifer Weber (KPop)

Michael Arden (Parade) Wins Best Direction of a MusicalLear deBessonet (Into the Woods)Casey Nicholaw (Some Like It Hot)Jack O’Brien (Shucked)Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo)

Tim Hatley and Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi) Win Best Scenic Design of a PlayMiriam Buether (Prima Facie)Rachel Hauck (Good Night, Oscar)Richard Hudson (Leopoldstadt)Dane Laffrey and Lucy Mackinnon (A Christmas Carol)

Beowulf Boritt (New York, New York) Wins Best Scenic Design of a MusicalMimi Lien (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)Michael Yeargan and 59 Productions (Lerner & Lowe’s Camelot)Scott Pask (Shucked)Scott Pask (Some Like It Hot)

Tim Lutkin (Life of Pi) Wins Best Lighting Design of a PlayNeil Austin (Leopoldstadt)Natasha Chivers (Prima Facie)Jon Clark (A Doll’s House)Bradley King (Fat Ham)Jen Schriever (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman)Ben Stanton (A Christmas Carol)

Natasha Katz (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) Wins Best Lighting Design of a MusicalKen Billington (New York, New York)Lap Chi Chu (Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot)Heather Gilbert (Parade)Howard Hudson (& Juliet)Natasha Katz (Some Like It Hot)

Brigitte Reiffenstuel (Leopoldstadt) Wins Best Costume Design of a MusicalTim Hatley, Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell (Life of Pi)Dominique Fawn Hill (Fat Ham)Emilio Sosa (Ain’t No Mo’)Emilio (Good Night, Oscar)

Gregg Barnes (Some Like It Hot) Wins Best Costume Design of a MusicalSusan Hilferty (Parade)Jennifer Moeller (Lerner & Lowe’s Camelot)Paloma Young (& Juliet)Donna Zakowska (New York, New York)

Carolyn Downing (Life of Pi) Wins Best Sound Design of a PlayJonathan Deans and Taylor Williams (Ain’t No Mo’)Joshua D. Reid (A Christmas Carol)Ben and Max Ringham (A Doll’s House)Ben and Max Ringham (Prima Facie)

Nevin Steinberg (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) Wins Best Sound Design of a MusicalKai Harada (New York, New York)John Shivers (Shucked)Scott Lehrer and Alex Heumann (Into the Woods)Gareth Owen (& Juliet)

Michael Arden (Parade) Wins Best Direction of a MusicalLear deBessonet (Into the Woods)Casey Nicholaw (Some Like It Hot)Jack O’Brien (Shucked)Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo)

Tim Hatley and Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi) Win Best Scenic Design of a PlayMiriam Buether (Prima Facie)Rachel Hauck (Good Night, Oscar)Richard Hudson (Leopoldstadt)Dane Laffrey and Lucy Mackinnon (A Christmas Carol)

Beowulf Boritt (New York, New York) Wins Best Scenic Design of a MusicalMimi Lien (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)Michael Yeargan and 59 Productions (Lerner & Lowe’s Camelot)Scott Pask (Shucked)Scott Pask (Some Like It Hot)

Tim Lutkin (Life of Pi) Wins Best Lighting Design of a PlayNeil Austin (Leopoldstadt)Natasha Chivers (Prima Facie)Jon Clark (A Doll’s House)Bradley King (Fat Ham)Jen Schriever (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman)Ben Stanton (A Christmas Carol)

Natasha Katz (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) Wins Best Lighting Design of a MusicalKen Billington (New York, New York)Lap Chi Chu (Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot)Heather Gilbert (Parade)Howard Hudson (& Juliet)Natasha Katz (Some Like It Hot)

Brigitte Reiffenstuel (Leopoldstadt) Wins Best Costume Design of a MusicalTim Hatley, Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell (Life of Pi)Dominique Fawn Hill (Fat Ham)Emilio Sosa (Ain’t No Mo’)Emilio (Good Night, Oscar)

Gregg Barnes (Some Like It Hot) Wins Best Costume Design of a MusicalSusan Hilferty (Parade)Jennifer Moeller (Lerner & Lowe’s Camelot)Paloma Young (& Juliet)Donna Zakowska (New York, New York)

Carolyn Downing (Life of Pi) Wins Best Sound Design of a PlayJonathan Deans and Taylor Williams (Ain’t No Mo’)Joshua D. Reid (A Christmas Carol)Ben and Max Ringham (A Doll’s House)Ben and Max Ringham (Prima Facie)

Nevin Steinberg (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) Wins Best Sound Design of a MusicalKai Harada (New York, New York)John Shivers (Shucked)Scott Lehrer and Alex Heumann (Into the Woods)Gareth Owen (& Juliet)

[marisasmusicreviews]

Concerts I Have Attended (list in progress)

Matchbox Twenty (Train) - September 28th, 2001, Tour 2001, Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, CA

Paul McCartney - May 4th, 2002, Driving World Tour, Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

Fitz and the Tantrums - April 5th, 2014, Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA (Opening Act: Bad Suns)

Kenny Loggins - July 10th, 2014, Fox Performing Arts Center, Riverside, CA

Weezer - August 2nd, 2014, Del Mar Summer Concert Series - Del Mar, CA

Fitz and the Tantrums - September 28th, 2014, Riverside Municipal Auditorium, Riverside, CA

Weezer - September 6th, 2015 - Del Mar Summer Concert Series - Del Mar, CA

Foo Fighters - September 22, 2015, Sonic Highways World Tour, The Forum, Inglewood, CA

The Darkness - April 13th, 2016 - Back to the USSA Tour - Riverside Municipal Auditorium, Riverside, CA

Matchbox Twenty (Counting Crows) - July 31st, 2017 - A Brief History of Everything Tour - The Forum, Inglewood, CA

Harry Styles - July 13th, 2018 - Live on Tour - The Forum, Inglewood, CA

Justin Timberlake - April 28th, 2018 - The Man of the Woods Tour - The Forum, Inglewood, CA

Justin Timberlake - February 22nd, 2019 - The Man of the Woods Tour, Honda Center, Anaheim, CA

Jonas Brothers - October 21st, 2019 - Happiness Begins Tour, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA

Jonas Brothers - December 14th, 2019 - Happiness Begins Tour, The Forum, Inglewood, CA

Jonas Brothers - January 25th, 2020 - Citi Sound Vault, Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA

Jonas Brothers - August 20th, 2021 - Remember This Tour, Park Theater, Las Vegas, NV

Jonas Brothers - August 21st, 2021 - Remember This Tour, Park Theater, Las Vegas, NV

Jonas Brothers - October 1st, 2021 - Remember This Tour, Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Jonas Brothers - October 27th, 2021 - Remember This Tour, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA

Russ - May 5th, 2022 - The Journey is Everything World Tour, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA (special guests BIA, Bugus, Ktlyn, YG, Ty Dolla $ign and Big Sean)

Jonas Brothers - June 3rd, 2022 - Live in Vegas 2022, Las Vegas, NV

Jonas Brothers - June 4th, 2022 - Live in Vegas 2022, Las Vegas, NV

Rick Springfield - August 20th, 2022 - Youtube Theater, Inglewood, CA

Jessie Reyez - October 24th, 2022, The Yessie Tour, Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA

Danny Elfman - October 29th, 2022 - From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess and Beyond, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA

Harry Styles - November 9th, 2011, Love on Tour, Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA

Smokey Robinson - December 10th, 2022 - Music & Memories Tour, YouTube Theater, Inglewood, CA

Jonas Brothers - January 7, 2023 - AT&T Playoff Playlist (Openers: Em Beihold & DUCKWRTH), Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

Jonas Brothers - March 18th, 2023 - Jonas Brothers on Broadway, (The Album), Marquis Theatre, New York, NY.

Jonas Brothers - April 25th, 2023 - Los Angeles One Night Only, The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles, CA.

Jonas Brothers - September 9th, 2023 - The Tour (Opener: Lawrence the Band), Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.

Coldplay - October 1st, 2023 - Music of the Spheres World Tour (Opener: H.E.R.), Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA.

Jonas Brothers - October 29th, 2023 - The Tour (Opener: Lawrence the Band), Honda Center, Anaheim, CA.

Depeche Mode - December 17th, 2023, Memento Mori World Tour (Opener: Young Fathers), Crypto.Com Arena, Los Angeles, CA.

[scipiner]

Freddy spaghetti song laurie berkner

Sun”Greg Lato - “Everybody Needs Someone” Thunder and Sunshine - “The Letter Z” Alex Volz - “The Mom Song” Twinpop - “Gone to the Dogs” The Verve Pipe - “When One Becomes Two” Lucy Kalantari)”The Shytunas - “Florida Trail (Rather Not)” Rolie Polie Guacamole - “Apples” Rudy Trubitt - “Made of Yes” Benny Time - “Stepping Stones” Todd McHatton - “I Think I’m a Bunny” Mista Cookie Jar show IDMista Cookie Jar - “Spatula vs. Hour #1 The Boogers - “The SMCB Theme Song” Fredy Apple - “Dance in France”The SOKS - “The Floor is Lava” The Relative Minors - “Grown Up” Justin Roberts show IDJustin Roberts - “Truman Was a Tornado” Jesse Jukebox - “One Minute Song” The Not-Its - “Green Light, Go!” Caspar Babypants show IDCaspar Babypants - “I Am a Loose Balloon” Mama B - “Mermaid Song”Papa Crow - “Bird Singing in My Heart”Play Date - “L-O-V-E” Noodle Loaf - “Improvise” Hullabaloo - “Something New” Eric Herman show IDEric Herman and the Puppy Dogs - “Stinker” Claudia Robin Gunn - “Glow in the Dark Sharks” Jaqualyn Taimana Williams - “Ngā Mānu O Te Moana”The Okee Dokee Brothers - “Sally-O” BARK - “We Can All Be Dinosaurs” Katie Dwyer Music - “Here We Go” Lucky Diaz & the Family Jam Band - “Like Never Before” Hour #2 Again Again show IDAgain Again - “Captain Bubble Beard” Patrick Adams - “Motorcycle Song” Jess and Aaron - “Slime Party” Dana & The Petit Punks - “What’s in the Future” The Other Other Brothers - “Bathtub Raisin” The Bazillions - “Super Sonic Rocket Bike” Baze show IDBaze & His Silly Friends - “If You’re Happy (feat. Mista Cookie Jar)”Steve Elci - “Crayons in the Sun” Wendy and DB - “Going to the City” Claudia Robin Gunn - “Ferry Song” Jamie Broza - “I Want a Dog” Drsya)” The Figureheads - “Stars” KB Whirly - “Love Light Shine (feat. Roberelli - “Ramshackle Yellow Car”Like Totally! - “Millions of Things” Daniel Tashian - “Driving With You” Dean and the Family Jones - “Lotta Love” The Telephone Company - “Booblegum” fleaBITE show IDfleaBITE - “Chew it Stewart”EVT Kids - “What Will You Buy With a Penny?”Danny Lyon - “Open Up Wide” Duke Otherwise - “Eats Like You” Shawny - “Hiccups Are Forever”Beppie - “Freakin’ Out!” Groovy Nate - “Socks and Shoes” Hour #2 Nathalia show IDNathalia - “Los Más Pequeños (English Version)” ScribbleMonster - “Amazing Brain”Recess Monkey - “Little Things”Louis & Dan and the Invisible Band - “Apple” Levity Beet - “The Littlest Bats”Paul Rogers - “I Forgot to Laugh” Brady Rymer show IDBrady Rymer and the Little Band That Could - “That Friday Feeling”Mama B - “My Octopus and Me”The Relative Minors - “Pencil Sharpener”Tony Pete - “Why How Now” Martin and Rose Music - “Half Right” Spencer the Gardener - “Oreo the Dog” Father Goose show IDFather Goose Music - “Oh God! (feat. Hour #1 The Boogers - “The SMCB Theme Song” Tricked Out Tricycle - “Degu on the Beaches By the Bayou” Hey Buster - “Blue Cup” Jesse Jukebox - “Let it Out” Jumpin’ Jamie show IDJumpin’ Jamie - “Let it Out” Watch Reggie Run - “Always Jump in the Middle”The Royal Order of Chords and Keys - “Bright Lights, Big Kitty” Justin Roberts show IDJustin Roberts - “Space Cadet” Kath Bee & Mr.

[jknerd]

NIMH AU: Nicodemus

Full Name: Nicodemus Jacobs

Species: Human->IM-Human; Prototype (through experiment by NIMH)

Age: 100+

Gender: Male

Other names: Lord Nicodemus, Senator Jacobs, Prime Minister Jacobs

Occupations: War prisoner (formerly), NIMH Experiment (formerly), Senator/Prime Minister of the Bund of NIMH, Landlord, Co-Founder of the Bund of NIMH, the Prophet, an Alchemist

Residence: 1st Bund of NIMH (formerly), New Bund of NIMH (currently)

Family: Unknown

Relationships: The Great Owl/The Pope (old friend), Jonathan Brisby (close friend; co-founder of the Bund of NIMH), Jeremy Crow (friend), IM-Humans of the Bund (his people)

Likes: Jonathan’s kindness and heroism, Elizabeth Brisby’s dedication and maternal affection towards his people, Brisby children’s innocence Dislikes: His people suffering of PTSD from NIMH, Jenner’s growing lust for power, danger towards IM-Humans

Nicodemus Jacobs is a wise and mystical leader of the IM-Humans of NIMH as their senator/prime minister. He was once a. War prisoner and experiment of NIMH and a co-founder of the Bund with Jonathan Brisby. As a prototype of of IM-Humans, he is considered one of few powerful alongside the heroic Brisby, as both the prophet and an alchemist. Due to the experiment, he has prolonged lifespan/immortality and has decided to use his abilities to help the IM-Humans to settle without war or conflict with humans. When Jonathan met Elizabeth, Nicodemus was one of very few to be aware of their marriage and gave them his blessings. Later, when Jonathan expressed concern of her wellbeing and their children’s, Nicodemus offered him help by making a contract with crow spirit Jeremy and partake in alchemy to create the Stone that could protect Elizabeth and the children from potential danger.

When Jonathan was found dead in the arms of Virgin Mary’s statue, Nicodemus prayed for heavens and thanked their favor towards Jonathan’s soul, especially to Virgin Mary. He was seen reciting eulogy in Jonathan’s funeral and expressed consolation to Elizabeth. As he read Jonathan’s will, he quietly ordered Justin to silence the complaining council of IM-Humans. Since then, Nicodemus occasionally sees visions of futures or watch over the Brisby family. Year passed, he was informed the war ended between countries, but the influence of NIMH remained as the institutes want to track down the escaped IM-Humans to either recapture or exterminate them to cover their war crimes. Nicodemus find this as an opportunity to move the Bund to different location while helping Elizabeth to move the house away from the town.

At the day Brisby’s house become a moving manor and wheeled it’s way to the Bund, he witnessed through his crystal ball, preparing to welcome the family while concerned of Jenner’s growing obsession with power, fearing of the consequences if Jenner ever finds the Stone. As Elizabeth was escorted to see him, Nicodemus warmly welcomed her in person. When asked why Jonathan never told her about IM-Humans, Nicodemus explained to her about NIMH and Jonathan’s heroism. Afterward, he gave her the Stone, a ruby amulet, as he told her Jonathan has made it for her and their family’s safety, further explaining its powers. He then added another reason why her late husband didn’t tell her the existence of IM-Humans; the experiment in NIMH slowed their aging process as while she would grow old as normal human, Jonathan would remain young. Witnessing the children of Brisby family, Nicodemus recognized Timothy’s symptoms, deeming it as he is becoming just like his father Jonathan and the only way to heal his illness is when he conquered the sunlight as all Elizabeth have to do was to wait.

Explaining the moving plan, Nicodemus pointed out the only way for both sides to leave the town is either having Drago Welker distracted or drugged to sleep. When Elizabeth willingly volunteered to do so, Nicodemus accepted the offer despite Justin’s protest, noticing young captain’s feelings for her. Later, he was seen helping with his magic to move Brisby’s Moving manor and his people to leave the town. Unfortunately, Jenner immobilized the house, causing its weight to crush him to death. However, after Jenner’s death, as the moving manor was about to collapse and destroyed, the Stone around Elizabeth’s neck reacted through her courage as its magic spread wide through the range where it even revived Sullivan and Nicodemus.

At the day Elizabeth woke up, Nicodemus was seen smiling with Timothy who was running around the field in healthy condition fully healed and conquered the sunlight, as he finds out the amulet has not only revived all, but also awakened Timothy’s full immunity from sunlight, a miracle. He willingly offered to help with his magic to restore the Brisby’s Moving Manor, noticing Justin’s inner turmoil at the same time. At a night before the Brisby family’s departure, Nicodemus personally talked to Justin if he resents Jonathan for leaving him with heavy responsibility or his immortality contrasting Elizabeth’s, which Justin admitted the anger but not because of Jonathan nor his life as IM-Human. Nicodemus watched with compassion as Justin self-loathed for desiring Elizabeth and the emotional pain with the idea of her dying as human while he remains young. However, Nicodemus faked obliviousness when learning Elizabeth overheard them. Eventually when the Brisby family departed, Nicodemus watched with his crystal ball that Mrs. Brisby was no longer aging as human but becoming an IM-Human.

[cielrouge]

YA SFF Books by Black Authors 

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow: About the strength of black sisterhood set in Portland, OR, best friends Tavi and Effie discover their true supernatural identity when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical siren voice during a police stop.

A Chorus Rises (A Song Below Water #2) by Bethany C. Morrow: Teen influencer Naema Bradshaw is an Eloko, a person who’s gifted with a song that woos anyone who hears it. Everyone loves her — well, until she's cast as the awful person who exposed Tavia’s secret siren powers. When a new, flourishing segment of Naema’s online supporters start targeting black girls, however, Naema must discover the true purpose of her magical voice.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown: Inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess, Karina, and a desperate refugee, Malik, find themselves on a collision course to murder each other, despite their growing attraction.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor: Sunny Nwazue, an American-born albino child of Nigerian parents, moves with her family back to Nigeria, where she learns that she has latent magical powers which she and three similarly gifted friends use to catch a serial killer.

Akata Warrior (Akata Witch #2) by Nnedi Okorafor: Now stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny Nwazue, along with her friends from the the Leopard Society, travel through worlds, both visible and invisible, to the mysterious town of Osisi, where they fight in a climactic battle to save humanity.

Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis: For fans of Us and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina comes a witchy story full of black girl magic as one girl’s dark ability to summon the dead offers her a chance at a new life, while revealing to her an even darker future.

Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi: After he eats the sin of a royal, Taj, a talented aki, or sin-eater who consumes the guilt of others whose transgressions are exorcised from them by powerful but corrupt Mages, is drawn into a plot to destroy the city, and he must fight to save the princess he loves and his own life.

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray: Two Black teenagers, talented Beastkeeper Koffi and warrior-in-training Ekon, must trek into a magical jungle to take down an ancient creature menacing the city of Lkossa, before they become the hunted.

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton: In the opulent world of Orléans, where Beauty is a commodity only a few control, Belle Camellia Beauregard will learn the dark secrets behind her powers, and rise up to change the world. 

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney: A whimsical and butt-kicking Alice in Wonderland retelling featuring a black teen heroine who battles Nightmares in the dark and terrifying dream realm known as Wonderland. 

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves: 16-year-old Hanna reunites with her estranged mother in an East Texas town that is haunted with doors to dimensions of the dead and protected by demon hunters called Mortmaine.

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury: Set in near-future Toronto in which, after failing to come into her powers, 16-year-old Black witch Voya Thomas must choose between losing her family’s magic forever or murdering her first love.

The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley: Set in Victorian England, African tightrope walker Iris cannot die; but soon gets drafted in the fight-to-the-death tournament of freaks where she learns the terrible truth of who and what she really is.

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris: A gripping, evocative novel about Black teen Alex Rufus, who has the power to see into the future, and whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi: 17-year-old Zélie and companions journey to a mythic island seeking a chance to bring back magic to the land of Orïsha, in a fantasy world infused with the textures of West Africa.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orïsha #2) by Tomi Adeyemi: After battling the impossible, Zélie and Amari have finally succeeded in bringing magic back to the land of Orïsha. But with civil war looming on the horizon, Zélie finds herself at a breaking point: she must discover a way to bring the kingdom together or watch as Orïsha tears itself apart.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron: 16-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia flees, hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all.

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris: A gripping, evocative novel about Black teen Alex Rufus, who has the power to see into the future, and whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death.

Crown of Thunder (Beasts Made of Night #2) by Tochi Onyebuchi: Taj has escaped Kos, but Queen Karima will go to any means necessary--including using the most deadly magic--to track him down. 

A Crown So Cursed (Nightmare Verse #3) by L.L. McKinney: Alice is ready to jump into battle when she learns that someone is building an army of Nightmares to attack the mortal world, before she learns of a personal connection to Wonderland.

Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron: In Jim Crow South, black teen Evalene Deschamps finds her place among a family of women gifted with magical abilities, known as jubilation - a gift passed down from generations of black women since the time of slavery.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland: The Civil War is over, but mostly because the dead rose at Gettysburg—and then started rising everywhere else. Fighting the undead is a breeze for Jane McKenne, an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. But the fight for freedom? That’s a different story.

Deathless Divide (Dread Nation #2) by Justina Ireland: After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler. But nothing is easy when you’re a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to Nicodermus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880’s America.

A Dream So Dark (Nightmare Verse #2) by L.L. McKinney: Still reeling from her recent battle (and grounded until she graduates) Alice must cross the Veil to rescue her friends and stop the Black Knight once and for all in Wonderland.

Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds: Jamal’s best friend Q is brought back to life after a freak accident … but they only have a short time together before he will die again.  How can Jamal fix his friendship without the truth?

Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley:  Before they can save the world from the monstrous phantoms, four girls who have the power to control the classical elements: earth, air, fire, and water must first try to figure out how to work together. 

For All Time by Shanna Miles: Tamar and Fayard, two Black teens, are fated to repeat their love story across hundreds of lifetimes, from 14th-century Mali to the distant future, as they struggle to break the cycle.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna: Inspired by the culture of West Africa, a feminist fantasy debut traces the experiences of 16-year-old Deka, who is invited to leave her discriminatory village to join the emperor’s army of near-immortal women warriors.

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis: The country of Arketta calls them Good Luck Girls--they know their luck is anything but. Sold to a "welcome house" as children and branded with cursed markings. When Clementine accidentally kills a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape to find freedom, justice, and revenge.

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron: Set in a West African-inspired fantasy kingdom, Arrah comes from a long line of powerful witchdoctors, yet fails at magic. When Arrah trade years off her life for magic to stop the Demon King from destroying the world—that is if it doesn’t kill her first.

Legacy of Light (The Effgies #3) by Sarah Raughley: After Saul’s strike on Oslo—one seemingly led by Maia herself—the Effigies’ reputation is in shambles. Belle has gone rogue, Chae Rin and Lake have disappeared, and the Sect is being dismantled and replaced by a terrifying new world order helmed by Blackwell. If the Effigies can’t put the pieces together soon, there may not be much left of the world they’ve fought so desperately to save.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn: In this King Arthur retelling, Black teen Bree Matthews infiltrates a secret society of powerful magic wielders to find out the truth behind her mother’s untimely death.

Mem by Bethany C. Morrow: In alternate reality Montreal (1925), a young woman’s personality is the result of a startling experimental procedure, leaving her to struggle with the question of who she really is.

Miles Morales, Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds: But Miles Morales accidentally discovers a villainous teacher's plan to turn good kids bad, he will need to come to terms with his own destiny as the new Spider-man. 

Oh My Gods by Alexandra Sheppard: Half-mortal teenager Helen Thomas goes to live with her father—who is Zeus, masquerading as a university professor—and must do her best to keep the family secret intact.

The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds: After falling for Kate, her unexpected death sends Jack back in time to the moment they first met, but he soon learns that his actions have consequences when someone else close to him dies.

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith: Set in a futuristic, hostile Orleans landscape, Fen de la Guerre must deliver her tribe leader's baby over the Wall into the Outer States before her blood becomes tainted with Delta Fever. 

Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney & Robyn Smith: When Nubia’s best friend, Quisha, is threatened by a boy who thinks he owns the town, Nubia will risk it all—her safety, her home, and her crush on that cute kid in English class—to become the hero society tells her she isn’t.

A Phoenix First Must Burn: 16 Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope edited by Patrice Caldwell: Filled with stories of love and betrayal, strength and resistance, this collection contains an array of complex and true-to-life characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected. Witches and scientists, sisters and lovers, priestesses and rebels.

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron: In this contemporary fantasy inspired by The Secret Garden, Black teen Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants with a single touch. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family, when a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir.

A Psalm of Storm and Silence (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin #2) by Roseanne A. Brown: As the fabric holding Sonande together begins to tear, Malik and Karina once again find themselves torn between their duties and their desires.

A Queen of Gilded Horns (A River of Royal Blood #2) by Amanda Joy: After learning the truth of her heritage, Eva is on the run with her sister Isa as her captive, but with the Queendom of Myre on the brink of revolution, Eva and Isa must make peace with each other to save their kingdom.

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko: In a West African-inspired empire, Tarisai is raised by The Lady and sent to kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?

Redemptor (Raybearer #2) by Jordan Ifueko: For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar's throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer.

The Ravens by Danielle Page & Kass Morgan: The sisters of Kappu Rho Nu share a secret: they’re a coven of witches. For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bonafide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven. When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals.

Rebel Sisters (War Girls #2) by Tochi Onyebuchi: Though they are working toward common goals of helping those who suffered, Ify and Uzo are worlds apart. But when a mysterious virus breaks out among the children in the Space Colonies, their paths collide.

Reaper of Souls (Kingdom of Souls #2) by Rena Barron: After so many years yearning for the gift of magic, Arrah has the one thing she’s always wanted—at a terrible price. But the Demon King’s shadow looms closer than she thinks. And as Arrah struggles to unravel her connection to him, defeating him begins to seem more and more impossible.

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy: A North African-inspired feminist fantasy in which two sisters, Eva and Isa must compete in a magical duel to the death for the right to inherit the queendom of Myre.  

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves: In Portero, Texas, teens Kit and Fancy Cordelle, daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, bring two boys with similar tendencies to a world of endless possibilities they have discovered behind a mysterious door.

Siege of Shadows (The Effigies #2) by Sarah Raughley:  After Saul reappears with an army of soldiers with Effigy-like abilities, threatening to unleash the monstrous Phantoms, e-year-old Maia and the other Effigies hope to defeat him by discovering the source of their power over the four classical elements, but they are betrayed by the Sect and bogged down by questions about the previous Fire Effigy's murder.

The Sisters of Reckoning (The Good Luck Girls #2) by Charlotte Nicole Davis: The blockbuster sequel to an alternate Old West-set commercial fantasy adventure.

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow: Set in the near-future, in which a captive teen human and a young alien leader—bonded by their love of forbidden books and music—embark on a desperate road trip as they attempt to overturn alien rule and save humankind. 

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi: Set in a futuristic, Black Panther-inspired Nigeria, sisters Onyii and Ify, separated by a devastating civil war, must fight their way back to each other against all odds.

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst: When the goddess Bayla fails to take over Liyana's body, Liyana's people abandon her in the desert to find a more worthy vessel, but she soon meets Korbyn, who says the souls of seven deities have been stolen and he needs Liyana's help to find them.

The Weight of Stars by K. Ancrum: After a horrific accident brings loners Ryann and Alexandria together, Ryann learns that Alexandria's mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system.

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson: Black teen Marigold and her blended family move into a newly renovated, picture-perfect home in a dilapidated Midwestern city, and are haunted by what she thinks are ghosts, but might be far worse.

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle: Black teen Rue, from a poor neighborhood who, after learning she is half-human, half-goddess, must embrace both sides of her heritage to unlock her magic and destroy the racist gods poisoning her neighborhood with violence, drugs, and crime.

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Thomas: In this Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut, two witches from enemy castes—one seeking power, and one seeking revenge—will stop at nothing to overthrow the witch queen, even if it means forming an alliance with each other and unleashing chaos on their island nation.

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood: An Ethiopian-inspired Jane Eyre retelling in which an unlicensed debtera, or exorcist, Andromeda, is hired to rid a castle of its dangerous curses, only to fall in love with Magnus Rochester, a boy whose life hangs in the balance.

Yesterday Is History by Kosoko Jackson: Black teen Andre Cobb undergoes a liver transplant and as a side effect winds up slipping through time from present-day Boston to 1969 NYC on the eve of the Stonewall riots, delivering a story that is part romance, part gay history, and part time-travel drama, exploring how far we have and haven't come.