#focus on robert and ellis

[bobbie-robron]

I’m just supersensitive to these things ever since I found out my brother had slept with my wife the night before our wedding day.

25-Jan-2019

[heartpascal]

joel’s place

▹— joel miller x platonic!reader, hints of jesse x reader

▹— summary: you visit the cemetery

▹— a/n: this is inspired by the song robert’s place, simon robert french. i think it fits the situation perfectly :( — also i wrote this over many months so it may read a bit inconsistent, sorry! it also isn’t proofread, and by the end might’ve turned into just a string of consciousness idk

▹— warnings: major character death, grief and all that follows, mentions of scars & previous injuries, TLOU 2 SPOILERS, once again MAJOR CHARACTER DEATHS, lots of angst, talk of canon typical violence, abby mentioned, ellie and dina mentioned, also can be read as platonic for jesse i think, long lasting injury effects (please add if there’s more! i’m rusty)

▹— taglist: @rhymingtree @sleepygraves @wnstice (everything!) @auggiesolovey @just-kaylaa @evyiione @lemonlaides @fariylixie0915  @faceache111 @randomhoex @canpillowscry @pedropascalsrealgf @star-wars-lover @coolchick333 @soobsdior @rvjaa  @sunflowersdrop @definitely-not-a-seagull-i-swear @miss-celestial-being @hqkon (pedro!)

MASTERLIST if you can click on my masterlist, you can also do your daily clicks!

∘₊✧───── ───── ───── ─────✧₊∘

Eventually, the snow bled into summer.

Time tumbled and warped, moved on, the world spinning, seasons changing and months passing by like nothing had ever happened. Sometimes, when you wake up, the sun shining in your eyes from a gap between curtains, the world feeling warm, you could pretend that nothing had. That the world was as it had once been.

And in the moments of waking, that’s easy. It’s second nature to slip into the past, into better times, where autumn fell and so did you. Where everything felt right in the world.

That, unsurprisingly, didn’t last very long.

But still.

You’re here, your house in Jackson unchanged, despite the year passing by unrelentingly. The only difference being the bloom of flowers at your doorstep, colours bright in the warm sun.

And you, of course.

If you’re honest, it’s probably you that changed the most.

With scars in new places, still aching with a pain that you were certain would never go away. Hair cut shorter, choppier, done by you in the middle of the night some time in the spring. Then there’s the shakiness to your hands, the tremors that linger despite the warmth. A slight limp when you would inevitably tread wrong on your ankle. And a new age to your face, a new hardship reflected in the bags that continue to weigh you down, after all this time.

You’re not sure that the people who were lost that winter would recognise you, had they been here now. There was a whole new air about you, too, lingering in every space you stepped into.

But still. You try not to think too much about it.

Instead, you gather a handful of flowers from your doorstep, bunched together into a makeshift bouquet that you tie with twine. The remaining blooms get a splash of water before you’re setting off from your house, stepping on soft grass until you reach the road.

From there, you wander along the path you know so well, that you have walked so many times. Gravel crunches underneath your soles with every step, unearthing the split second longer it takes for you to put weight on your ankle. It still hurts, but you don’t mind so much anymore. It allows some of your pain to be physical, rather than emotional. It’s a small mercy, really.

People used to call out to you when you walked this route, but they know better now, and don’t bother you when you carry flowers. That, you think, is a small mercy, too.

If you were to glance to your left, you’d see his house. Instead, you focus on your feet, ensuring you don’t roll your ankle again. As much as you try, you can’t accept that there’s someone other than him living there now. You don’t want to see his name pried off of the mailbox, Miller outlined from the five years that the sun bleached the uncovered wood around it.

You like to think that he’s still in there, somewhere, just down the hall. So long as you don’t look, Joel lives on in that house.

You could almost pretend that you weren’t going to his new home. His final home. His resting place, Tommy had called it once. But if you knew anything about Joel, you knew that the man couldn’t rest, not even in Jackson. Not fully. You’ve resigned to calling it Joel’s place.

It comes into view quickly, a mere stone’s throw from his house, and like every other time, you feel dread.

A wave of it crashes over you, leaving you gaping for air. It sinks down your throat and fills your lungs, your stomach, your very being. It’s an all consuming thing. You know his name is going to be carved upon a stone, instead of the mailbox where it should be, and every time you come here, it shatters the illusion. Each time, you have to pick up the pieces, and painstakingly put it back together again.

The flowers sit nicely, giving his place a burst of colour. It makes that pit in your throat open up again, and threaten to swallow your tongue. You know Joel wasn’t really a flower guy, but there’s not much else you can do. If he was here, you’d give him the bag of coffee that still sat useless in your cupboard. But he’s not.

“Hi,” You say into the still air, because you still can’t bring yourself to say his name here. There’s a part of you that refuses to believe it’s him, even after all this time. You practically fall to the floor as you lower yourself, and huff at the inconvenience your old injury still caused you. “It’s been a while.”

And it’s true — it’s been long enough that Zahir, the man who took care of the graves on a more regular basis, had removed the flowers from the last visit. They must have died quickly, which you found to be quite ironic. Still, you hoped these ones lasted longer.

“Dina’s going to have her baby in a few weeks, we reckon. She said that if it’s a girl, she’ll name her Talia. But if it’s a boy…” You smile faintly, just imagining what Joel would look like if he was truly here. “She said JJ. Jesse-Joel. I hope it’s a boy, if I’m honest. I think he’d have Jesse’s smile.”

A breeze shifts the air around you, and you fidget with the tongue of your shoe for a moment.

“Her and Ellie are still living up at that farm, with a whole bunch of sheep. It’s not far, but I don’t see them too often. Ellie doesn’t really show her face around here, much. I think she avoids it because of Tommy, and Jesse’s parents. I don’t blame her.” You continue, breathing in the warm air and hoping it’ll soothe some of the pain in your chest. “Jesse’s parents have tried to visit me, a few times. You would think I’m so stupid for avoiding them like this, I just know it.”

You swallow roughly, trying to push down the lump in your throat. More than anything, you just wish that he could answer you, wish that he could confirm your suspicions on what he would think.

“It’s just… it’s been hard, here. Since we got back. Everything just feels so different.” You scoffed. “Probably because everything is different. You should see Mike and Astrid trying to lead the patrols. Without you and Jesse…” You shook your head, trailing off.

The breeze shook some leaves free from their branches, and sent them swirling down to the ground, where Zahir would sweep them away later. You liked the man. He had been kind and respectful every time you had seen him here, and you appreciated how much care he put into the upkeep of graves of people he hadn’t even known.

Sometimes when you were here, it felt like you were the only person in the world. As if when Joel died, everybody else died with him. And in some ways, you think that might be true. Jesse died right after him, and Tommy was almost right behind him. And Ellie… she lost a part of herself in that basement. After Seattle, you were surprised there was anything left of her.

It was why you always felt relieved when Zahir showed up. He allowed you to realise that there were still people around you, that not everybody was buried with Joel. Zahir reminded you that other people were grieving, too. It helped to know that you weren’t actually alone in this experience, even if it felt like it.

You wanted to tell him how much you missed the two of them, how your life felt incomplete without them in it. You wanted to let the words fall from your mouth, wanted to observe as the breeze caught them and swept them away to somewhere that Joel just might have heard them. But you already felt silly, doing this. Speaking to him, knowing that he couldn’t hear a word of it.

What else could you do, though? Where else were you meant to put all of these unrelenting thoughts? What else could you do with the grief that threatened to bury you right beside the people you missed most?

“So much has changed here. It doesn’t feel like home, the way it used to.” You admitted to the open air, trying not to let regret or embarrassment consume you. The breeze could be comforting, if you allowed it to be.

It’s been a long time since you’ve allowed yourself to be comforted. Maybe too long.

All you can think is haven’t you suffered enough? Do you have to continue the seemingly endless cycle of pain that you have been trapped in for years? Shouldn’t you, after everything, be allowed some comfort?

“If I’m honest, I don’t think it’ll ever feel like home again. Not really. I guess that’s why Ellie doesn’t really visit.” You said, listening to the rustle of leaves, watching the petals on the flowers you’d brought shift. You believe it, too. You believe that Ellie refuses to visit because Jackson has lost its spark. Its livelihood. That, and you’re pretty sure she can’t bring herself to visit Joel’s place, or Jesse’s.

You don’t blame her. It had been one of the hardest things you’d ever done, coming here after returning from Seattle. You felt like some sort of sorry animal, failing to come home with the prey it was supposed to. Despite your best efforts, your jaws remained empty of prey. Your hunt had failed, had turned sideways, had left you feeling more sorrow than before.

How could you come here knowing that Abby was still alive out there? Knowing that, while Joel had been rotting underground, she had a life.

It had taken you a long time to accept that fact. To let it go.

Ellie was still holding on.

You suppose that you have always been better at knowing what went through Joel’s head. At rationalising things. You knew that going after her was never what Joel would’ve wanted for the two of you. But Ellie had always struggled with seeing his point of view. With seeing anyone’s perspective but her own, really. She could never understand Abby, just like she had never understood Joel after what he did to the Fireflies.

Joel would want the two of you here, not on some cross country journey for revenge. And you understand why — because that trip had caused you even more loss. It hadn’t fixed a thing, and at the end of it all, Abby was still alive.

Going after her wasn’t worth Jesse’s life.

If you had known the cost of that journey before you had left Jackson in search of it, you don’t think you would’ve gone. Not if it meant losing him, too.

A glance across the cemetery had your eyes locking onto another familiar headstone. It was still hard for you to face that one, knowing that you were the direct cause of Jesse’s death. Would he had left the safety of Jackson, if you hadn’t joined Ellie on her quest for vengeance? Would Abby have felt the need to defend herself, the kid with her, if you and Ellie hadn’t been so intent on killing her?

One of the worst parts about his death is that you could understand. Had you, Ellie and Joel not killed many people, defending those you cared about? Hell, hadn’t you killed WLFs to protect Jesse? You’d caused people this loss, too. Perhaps his death was just karma, finally catching up to you. But to reduce Jesse to that felt… wrong. He was more than that. So much more.

He should’ve been here. At your side, grieving Joel right alongside you.

Had you chosen to just grieve, rather than avenge, you wouldn’t have to do it all alone. If you had remained in Jackson while Tommy, Ellie and Dina left, you could’ve asked Jesse to stay. You’re almost confident that he would have.

But then you would’ve lost the others, too.

Either way, Jackson would’ve lost its spark of life.

“I think that, maybe, you guys were my home. And that’s why it feels like this.” You look away from the stone with Jesse’s name carved upon it. Admitting it just makes it feel more real, and you know that you will never feel at home again. Not like you did with them.

Your eyes water before you can do anything about it, trailing saltwater down your cheek. It crawls across the scar underneath your eye, and you feel the phantom pain of Abby’s fists upon your face once more. Everything in you aches, particles of loss and decay floating through your veins until it feels like it’s all you are.

But it’s not.

There’s still life within you, waiting to be let out.

Joel and Jesse don’t have that luxury. Which is why you feel like you have to honour them, like you have to actually live, instead of sitting here, wallowing in the pain of it all.

“I miss you.”

The wind brushes against your hair, your face.

“I’ll come back soon,” You promise, resting your palms against the ground to help you stand without aggravating your injury. “Maybe next time I’ll bring your guitar, show you what I’ve learned since we lost you.”

There’s a lump in your throat, and you can’t seem to swallow it. Your goodbye can’t get past it, and you know it will only worsen if you go across to Jesse’s place. You turn, swearing that you will have something more hopeful to tell the open air next time you come.

[forgiveness-in-the-misery]

Warning: Spoilers for The Last of Us game and show

I really fucking loved episode one. There is something so neat and exciting about watching something that includes dialogue and scenes from a game, many exactly as they were in the game.

I love how the show like the game follows Sarah initially then once the truck crashes the POV switches over to Joel, I did initially find it odd they switched the gun running for a car battery plot but then I realized that in a video game having to kill a ton of guys to get your guns back is fun….not so much when watching a TV show so ditching that which in game takes a good bit of the play time finding Robert to try and get your guns back from him it takes less time and still works to tie plots together if Tess and Joel need a car battery.

I also liked seeing Marlene and Ellie talk and bond before she hands her off to Joel, I like seeing Joel and Tess interact more in the beginning and I feel like there is obviously a benefit to a show that a video game lacks.

In a video game you only know what your character knows and see what they see but with a show you can skip about and show what is happening with the other primary characters while never taking too much focus from Joel.

Anyway I’m really impressed by it and kind of figured it would end after they find out Ellie is immune since when playing the game all of that is pretty lumped into the introduction basically.

[cowgurrrl]

What Do We Do Now?

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

Author’s note: just something small I’ve been thinking about 😇

Summary: “Eventually soulmates meet, for they have the same hiding place.” - Robert Brault [1k]

Warnings: talks of the girls (Jane, Sarah, Tess), brief mention of baby daddy, seeing each other for maybe the first time ever (spoiler alert: they’re oblivious)

After you tell Joel about Jane, everything else seems relatively easy to tell him. You spend many frigid nights surrounded by mountains and trade stories back and forth like it's second nature. Sometimes, Ellie has long since been asleep by the time you start talking, and other times she's up and listening. She giggles along or asks questions when you bring up what the world was like before you even knew what cordyceps were.

One night, after Ellie's fast asleep, he brings up Tess. He tells you a story of when she tried to cook dinner and almost burned the apartment down. He laughs as he talks about the look on her face and the argument they had after. You can't stop a smile from spreading across your face. You stopped talking about her when she died. It was too painful for both of you. But now, nothing feels too scary.

"Did you love Tess?" You finally ask after years of wondering and attempting to read their unspoken tension. You thought something might've been going on until he started with you. They might've gotten into a fight or broken up momentarily, but he didn't say as much. You two never really did a whole lot of talking when you were together. Still, you two kept sneaking around even after the first night he showed up at your front door. You don't know if Tess knew. You wish she was here.

"'S a different kinda love, but yeah," he says, staring into the fire to avoid your eyes. "We never said it out loud, but she knew. In another world, we would've been really good to each other."

"Not this one?" You ask, and he shakes his head.

"We did our best," he says. "What about you? 'D you love Adam?" You don't miss how he shifts the focus so he doesn't have to keep answering your questions. You make a mental note to circle back around.

"Yeah. I don't know how good I was at it, though. I was… mean and pushy, but he was so kind. Just annoyingly calm and patient."

"In another world, you guys are married?"

"No," you laugh. "No, in another world, Adam is married to… a kindergarten teacher. They meet at school, and she's sickly sweet and perfect for him. She lets him buy her dinner, and the only thing they argue about is how to load the dishwasher. And they've got three kids, and he's just the best dad." It's not a new or spontaneous thought. You've often wondered how Adam's life would've been different if you two had never met. Maybe he'd still be alive and teaching in the QZ school. He'd probably find someone who would let him take care of her. Someone who wouldn't sneak outside the walls or take hit jobs to pay the bills. Someone he knew would say yes if he asked her to marry him.

"And you? What are you doing in this other world?" He asks, and you shrug.

"I'm a single mom with too much debt and not enough money to pay it off. I work too much, and I'm always exhausted, and I still send the yearly emails to her dad trying to get him to respond, but I never get anything, and… my kid is alive."

"Sounds pretty good." Joel finally whispers, and you nod.

"The best," you agree. "What about you? What are you doing in another world?"

"In another world, I take over my dad's contracting company. Tommy and I work on houses all throughout Austin, and I hire somebody to keep the office afloat so I can be home for dinner. I'm tired, but Sarah convinces me to stay up for a movie, so we end up throwin' on some old slasher film. And I spend the rest of my life making things easier for her." He says. This is the most he's ever talked about his life from before with you. You wonder how many pieces of him you still don't know about.

"You think we'd meet in this different world?" You ask, and he meets your eyes. Something passes between you. If someone asked you to explain it, you wouldn't be able to find the words, but you know your heart lifts for just a moment as he stares at you.

"I think meetin' you is one of the only good things about this world," he says with more sincerity than you've ever heard grace his voice. It throws you off-kilter. You don't know what to say or how to respond, but he beats you to it by pulling the rifle over his lap. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you up for second watch." You nod and shuffle into your sleeping bag with racing thoughts and no way to stop them.

When Ellie asks a few days later where Joel would go if he could go and do anything he wanted, he lies like any good parent does. He says something about a ranch and sheep. You're able to envision it for just a second when Ellie turns to you with the same question. You lie, too. "I'd own a dog shelter." You say, making Ellie giggle. She spins her own tale of living on the moon, and Joel meets your eyes with a gentle understanding. You'd never tell Ellie, but if you could go and do anything you wanted, you be raising your kid, and you'd want for nothing else.

Dog shelters and sheep ranches be damned.

[valiantstarlights]

[Loving You is Cherry Pie] Chapter 2

Read on AO3 / Chapter 1

Featuring doting father Alpha!Hob (43) and his son, recently presented Omega!Dream (20).

A huge thank you to everyone who talked to me and cheered me on while waiting for me to post this chapter. 🙇‍♀️ It really helped in making me feel like I wasn't just yelling into the void. 🥰

CWs: Still no spice. Just more angst and vagueness. Enjoy?

--

Dream

Dream? What happened? Where are you?  (Missed call.) (Missed call.) (Missed call.)

--

Jessamy (Dream's roommate) 

(Missed call.) Jessamy, Dream sent me these messages. (You sent a photo.) [Image description: A screenshot of Dream's latest texts to Hob.] Please call me when you see this.

--

Jo

"What?"

"I need you to take my place at the conference."

"What? Why? Aren't you about to leave right now with your girlfriend or something?"

"Ellie's not my-- (frustrated exhale) Dream isn't answering his phone, and I'm losing my goddamn mind."

"...Okay? I mean, no offense, but doesn't Bean kinda hate you right now?"

"He texted me, Jo. Asking me for help. And he misspelled most of the words, like he couldn't-- (inhale, followed by a shaky exhale) I need to know he's okay. Please, Jo. You can't ask me to move even farther away from him. Please. He needs me."

"Woah, okay, slow down. Have you called his roommate?"

"Yes. She's not answering either. Fuck. I can't... If something has happened to him..."

"Hobs. Breathe. Dream's at his university now, yeah?"

"(deep breath) Yeah. Yes."

"Alright. When did he text you?"

"Around 3 P.M."

"Three-- (short, sharp inhale, followed by a long exhale) That was two hours ago. Hobs. That was two fucking--"

"You think I don't know that?! I was in a meeting with Roderick fucking Burgess! You know how he is about phones!"

"Shit. Okay. Okay. We both need to...We both need to calm down and not be at each other's throats. Where are you right now?"

"Where the fuck do you think? In the car with Mervyn, making him break all the goddamn traffic laws trying to get to Dream's campus as fast as possible."

"Alright. Okay. (deep breath) Here's what we're going to do. You're gonna focus on making sure Bean is okay, and I'll handle everything else that needs handling. This conference is the one hosted by Morningstar, correct?"

"(relieved sigh) Yes. Thank you, Jo. I owe you--"

"Ten billion favors. Now stop talking to me and go find Bean."

--

Dream

(Missed call.) (Missed call.) (Missed call.)

--

Robbie (Gadling Corp.)

"Stop calling me. I'm trying to call my son."

"Robbie, don't you think you're overreacting a little? I'm sure Dream is fine."

"...Fine? My son isn't answering my calls after texting me for help, and you think he's fine and I'm overreacting?"

"I'm just saying. Dream has friends who care for him. I'm sure they wouldn't let him come to harm."

"They're his friends, Eleanor, not his bodyguards. They have lives and schedules and shit to deal with of their own. And Dream contacted me. Not them."

"Robbie--"

"(frustrated sigh) Look, I really don't have time for this. Dream could be in danger."

"And I understand that. But...does it really have to be you?"

"What?"

"Do you really have to be the one to go find him? It's just--"

"If you're worried about Lucifer Morningstar blowing a gasket because of my absence as Gadling Corp.'s representative, then rest assured because Jo's already on her way to terrorize them. But more to the point, do you really think I would prioritize some fucking conference over my own son?"

"No, of course not! But--"

"Because let me be clear: Dream is my first priority. And he always will be, every single time. That is something that will never change, no matter what happens."

"Robbie--"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I really can't deal with this right now. I'll talk to you later. (hangs up)"

"(soft sigh)"

--

Dream

(Missed call.) (Missed call.) (Missed call.) (Missed call.) (Missed call.) (Missed call.)

--

(unknown number) 

"Hello? Is this Mr. Robert Gadling?"

"Yes, speaking. Who is this?"

"Ah. Good afternoon, Mr. Gadling. This is Dr. Gilbert Green. I'm an Omegan Care Specialist from St. Francesca's Hospital. I am calling about your son, Mr. Dream Endless--"

"I'm sorry, did you say St. Francesca's? The hospital specializing in Secondary Gender Diseases?"

"Yes, sir, the very same. Your son has been admitted about an hour ago, after a call to 999 by his roommate, Ms. Jessamy Raven. He had been exhibiting all the signs of a heat."

"A hea-- What do you mean my son is in heat? He isn't even 21 yet!"

"Unfortunately, sir, although rare, some omegas experience an early heat if they meet a highly compatible match before they turn 21. But not to worry. St. Francesca's is fully equipped to care for alphas and omegas experiencing unscheduled heats and ruts."

"Alright, thank you, Dr. Green. I will be there as soon as I can."

"Sir--"

"(hangs up)"

--

(A face-to-face phone call in the Non-Contact Visiting Room at St. Francesca's Hospital)

"I still can't believe you're not allowed to visit Dream, Mr. G."

"Yeah, well. I shouldn't have hanged up on Dr. Green before he managed to tell me about the hospital policy that doesn't let 'unrelated' alphas anywhere near omegas under their care, unless said unrelated alpha is on the omega's list of alphas they're allowing to assist them during their unscheduled heats, and the alpha is there to..."

"...(awkward cough)"

"(clears throat) Anyway. Will you please make sure Dream gets those gift baskets from me, at least?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. I mean, these are literally all of Dream's favorite things. (rummaging) Wow. I didn't even know gift basket companies included...oh my god, is that an entire weighted blanket??"

"Is that...not usually included?"

"...Mr. G., no offense, but you're such a rich person about this. Normal gift baskets usually have snacks and fresh fruit. But all of this is like, next level stuff. Look, even the salted egg potato chips are gourmet."

"Is it too much? Dream likes that brand the best."

"I mean, I don't think it's too much? Like, you obviously picked all of these items out yourself. Like this one. (package crinkles) I don't think anyone else knows how obsessed Dream is over these dark chocolate covered pretzels."

"Right? The only time I get to eat those in peace is if I secretly buy a pack and keep it in my office."

"(laugh) Same! And I can't even sneak a single pretzel from his stash, because he'd know. Like how??? Does he count how many pieces there are beforehand?"

"(chuckle) You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he did. (pause) So do you think he'll accept these? Dr. Green warned me that omegas going through unassisted heats get temperamental, even towards those they're closest to."

"I mean, he didn't object to my presence when I checked up on him during a lull period a couple of hours ago. Then again, I'm a beta, so..."

"(ringing sound, followed by a heavy sigh) Hold on. Let me just-- (the ringing stops) Sorry about that."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Everything's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Okay. (pause) Well, temperamental or not, I think Dream would absolutely love these, Mr. G. I mean, they're from you. Not some random alpha trying to court him."

"(sigh) I hope you're right. It's the least I could do after they told me I'm not allowed to see Dream until after his heat passes."

"Don't worry, Mr. G. You can count on me to deliver these to him myself during his next lull period."

"Thank you, Jessamy."

"And um, Mr. G.?"

"Yes?"

"...I'm sorry."

"For..?"

"I promise, I tried to call you as soon as I saw Dream sitting on the bathroom floor under the shower spray fully clothed. But you weren't answering, so I called 999 instead, and--"

"Jessamy. It's fine. What's important is that Dream is safe. And that's all thanks to the call you made."

"Yeah, but...Dream wanted me to call you. He was lucid for a bit, in the ambulance. He said he wanted to talk to you."

"Did he say why?"

"No... He um, he just said he wanted to talk to you. And when I called you again and you still weren't answering, he started crying?"

"Fuck. ...Shit, sorry for swearing."

"That's okay. I'm just. I'm so sorry, Mr. G. And also for not answering your call later or replying to your message. I didn't even notice it in the chaos, and then my phone died, so I didn't see your messages until this morning."

"(sigh) I'm sorry as well. I was in a meeting yesterday, and the other party wanted everyone's phones turned off."

"What? Why?"

"Just an old man being an old man, I guess."

"...Oh, the nurse is signalling me to hang up. Has it been 10 minutes already?"

"Wait, Jessamy. Before you go..."

"Yeah, Mr. G.?"

"Will you... No, never mind. I'll tell Dream myself when his heat breaks."

--

Dream

"Dream?"

"Yes?"

"(relieved sigh) Hey, baby. It's so good to hear your voice again."

"Did you need something?"

"Is uh... Is everything okay? I just called St. Fran's, and the nurse said you checked yourself out as soon as your heat broke?"

"That is correct. I am allowed to do so, am I not?"

"I... Yes, of course. I just...well, I just thought I could swing by later today to help get you checked out, and we could both spend the weekend at home."

"No need. I have a lot of school work to catch up on, and it would be for the best to get started on them as soon as possible. I shall spend the weekend in my dorm."

"Oh. I mean, are you sure? I imagine you're still feeling a bit lethargic--"

"I'm fine."

"...If you're sure?"

"I am."

"...Alright. Well, take it easy, okay? Don't push yourself too hard."

"Understood."

"Okay, baby. I'll talk to you soon. Love y--"

"(hangs up)"

--

Dream

Good morning, baby! How's catching up on your school work going? Hopefully your pile of things to do is smaller than mine. (You sent a photo.)  [Image description: Two half foot tall stack of papers and folders placed neatly on a wide wooden desk. One of the topmost folders has a sticky note marking it as urgent, and another sticky note placed under the first that says, "Fucking do this first, Hobs. - JCG"] Dream?  (Missed call.) 

I'm still sleeping.

Oh, sorry. Carry on.

--

Dream

Have you had lunch yet?

Later.

Just sent you and Jessamy some food from Cain and Abel's. Cain wanted to arm wrestle with me before he'd make their special chocolate lava cake, but thankfully, Abel has no such requirement and just made it with no extra charge or muttered complaints while Cain took a call outside.

Thank you.

You're welcome, baby. Tell me when the food gets there.

(Dream sent a photo.) [Image description: A large take-out bag with the Cain and Abel's logo is on a small wooden dining table. It is filled halfway up with eco-friendly food containers. Placed beside it are a couple of cold drinks, the cups wet with condensation. Visible in the corner of the picture is a thick textbook with a couple of highlighters placed on top of it.] It's here.

Happy eating, baby!

--

Jessamy (Dream's roommate) 

Thank you for the food, Mr. G!!! Fr fr C&A's chips are so delicious I cry

"Fr fr?"

For real for real!

You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it.

Dream didn't eat much, but I guess he's still recovering from his heat, so that's to be expected? Not to worry though! I'll make sure he eats more soon.

Thank you, Jessamy.

--

Dr. Gilbert Green (St. Fran's)

How long does it take for an omega to recover their appetite after their first heat? Sorry. This is Robert Gadling. My son, Dream, was in St. Francesca's for most of last week? Unassisted early heat.

No worries, Mr. Gadling. I have your number saved on my work phone. To answer your question, it really depends on the omega. Some are ravenous post-heat, while others get nauseous at the very mention of food. There is absolutely nothing to be worried about, so long as Mr. Endless regains his appetite within the week.

I see. Thank you, Dr. Green.

--

Dream

Good night, baby. I hope you made a lot of progress on your school work.

(thumbs up emoji)

--

Dream

Good morning, baby! Did you sleep well? I'm off to the office. Business with Burgess. At eight in the morning. Please pray for me. (You sent a GIF.)  [Image description: A cute cartoon dog with its paws together, praying.]

Good luck.

--

Papa

(You sent a photo.)  [Image description: A dozen quizzes, exams, and papers arranged neatly on top of a long wooden desk. All of them have Dream Endless written on top, and all of them have perfect scores.]

Oh, wow! That's amazing, baby! I'm so proud of you! What do you want for your reward? Disclaimer: I am prepared to buy you anything ridiculous. Maybe even a Shakespeare-related thing. 

Just want to sleep. Very tired. But thank you.

Aww. (hug emoji) Alright, rest well, baby. We'll just celebrate your perfect marks when you go home this weekend. You did so well. Love you.

--

Dream

Can't go home this weekend. Group project.

Oh. That's too bad. Maybe next week, then?

--

Eleanor

"Hey."

"Oh, hey. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything's good. Listen, do you wanna have lunch?"

"Now?"

"Whenever you're free. I just um...I haven't seen or heard from you in weeks. (shy laugh) I missed you."

"Oh. Ah...thank you. I was just catching up on the work that piled up when I took an emergency leave. You know how it is."

"Mm-hmm. ...How's Dream, by the way?"

"He's good. Feeling better now."

"That's great."

"..."

"...So there's this newly opened bistro. It's just a few blocks from the office, and apparently, it's been getting a lot of good reviews."

"Oh, really?"

"I mean, I personally haven't been, but Chris knows it. He's the one who recommended the food there in the first place."

"Sounds great."

"..."

"...Oh, are you asking me to have lunch there with you?"

"Only if you're free, of course. If not, we can just catch up some other time. No pressure or anything."

"Oh. Uh... No, I'm... (sigh) Yeah. Lunch would... Lunch would be great."

"We could swing by Gadling Corp. in a few?"

"No, it's fine. I'll just ask Mervyn to drive me there."

"Please, Robbie? I want to apologize for what I said in person."

"...Yeah, alright. I'll meet you in the lobby."

"(relieved sigh) Thank you."

--

Alpha CEO of Gadling Corporation Seen on a Date With Omega CFO of Adler Communications

A few months after his split with his cheating ex-wife Nyx Endless, dashing Robert Gadling is seen on an intimate date with the stunning Eleanor Adler. (more on page 6.)

--

(There are three photos featured in the gossip rag's article.) 

[1st image description: Hob is helping Eleanor get out of a black nondescript town car. He is wearing a business suit that makes him look sharp and stern. It's offset by the smile on his face as he offers his hand to Eleanor like a gentleman. Eleanor is wearing a business dress that makes her look soft and approachable, but still very professional. She is smiling warmly at Hob as she takes his hand.]

[2nd image description: Hob and Eleanor are sitting at an intimately small table, with a plate of half-eaten tiramisu between the two of them. Eleanor looks like she is in the middle of telling an amusing story, and Hob is looking at her with a small smile on his face. His body is leaning slightly towards her. The lighting makes Eleanor's long blonde hair look like a golden waterfall. The light is reflected in Hob's dark eyes.]

[3rd image description: Eleanor is leaning towards Hob as if to kiss him on the cheek. Her eyes are closed, and her hand is resting lightly on Hob's arm. Hob's head is tilted slightly towards her as he allows the gesture. His hand is resting on her elbow. We cannot see the expression on his face, as their bodies are only inches apart. Both of them are standing on the sidewalk outside the bistro. It is the largest photo of the three.]

--

Papa (number redacted)

Edit Contact Information | Cancel

 Papa  (number redacted)

 Father  (number redacted)

 Robert  (number redacted)

RG (number redacted)

Save | Cancel

--

Jo

"Are congratulations in order?"

"What?"

"Sent you the link. I still can't believe they called you one of the top 100 most eligible alphas in the world. Because first of all? Inaccurate. You're mid, at best. Second of all, what am I, chopped liver?"

"What the fuck is this?"

"What do you mean what the fuck is that? That's you and Eleanor Adler, isn't it?"

"It is. But...we didn't make anything official. We were just having lunch for god's sake."

"You sure? I mean, she did kiss you on the cheek there."

"So? Cheek kisses aren't romantic in nature 100% of the time! Oberon and Titania Fairlands give you cheek kisses every time you meet!"

"Ugh. Don't remind me."

"...Fuck. I have to talk to Dream."

"(snicker) Oh boy. I so do not envy you right now."

"(sigh) Jo."

"Yeah, yeah, I already have people doing damage control. Did you really think I called you simply so I could get my daily dose of schadenfreude?"

--

RG

"Hello?"

"Eleanor and I were just having lunch."

"...Thank you for the update?"

"I... An article came out. Saying that we--she and I--are now dating. It's not true."

"An article? (clicks of a computer mouse and the clacking of keyboard keys)"

"Please don't come to the wrong conclusion. I meant it when I told you that I would wait for your blessing before I court or date anyone, and--"

"You have my blessing."

"--I... What?"

"I'm looking at the article right now. The two of you look good together."

"Baby--"

"(sigh) I apologize, for how childish I was acting before. You were under a lot of pressure thanks to the annulment, and...I wasn't helping. The Board is right. You need to marry again so you could have biological children to inherit the company someday."

"...Wh--"

"So you have my blessing to start courting Eleanor. She is an accomplished omega from an affluent family, and she is a good match for you. It is unlikely you'll meet a better omega to be your spouse."

"I... Dream..."

"(beeping of an alarm clock) Ah, excuse me. I have to go to class now. But please convey my warmest regards to Ms. Adler. And...my belated apologies, for intentionally spilling wine on her dress."

"...Right. That's... I'm sure she has already forgiven you, but thank you for apologizing anyway."

"Of course."

"Take care going to and from school, baby."

"I will. Goodbye. (hangs up)"

--

Jo

"..."

"Hobs? Hellooo?"

"...Dream gave me his blessing."

"(pause) Say that again?"

"Dream gave me his blessing. To start courting Eleanor."

"...Huh. Really?"

"I'm still in shock, to be honest."

"Same. I thought, you know, after Nyx, you'd remain single for the rest of your life and our family's future heirs would either come from me reproducing asexually, or Bean having pups of his own with his future alpha mate."

"(sharply) Hey."

"What?"

"Don't even joke about that."

"Joke about what? Me reproducing asexually?"

"No. Dream having pups with some alpha."

"Wh-- 'Some alpha?' Hobs, are you hearing yourself? Bean probably already has a bunch of alpha suitors leaving courting gifts outside his dorm room and waiting on him hand and foot every time he goes out."

"He doesn't. He would tell me if anything like that is happening."

"...Right. Because Bean would totally tell you everything that is going on in his life, including how many suitors he has and where they live."

"...Do you know something I don't, Jo? Did Dream say something to you?"

"Okay, back up, Papa Bear. He didn't tell me shit. But also, it's literally not any of our business?"

"Isn't it?"

"Hobs. He's twenty years old, not five. I'm sure he can tell anyone he doesn't like to fuck off just as well as any other omega his age can."

"..."

"Oh, Christ. Don't tell me I just activated your overprotective alpha dad mode. Goddammit. (muffled) Yeah, just a second, Ric. Alright. I have to go put out some more fires. I'll talk to you later when you're less...that. Bye. (hangs up)"

"..."

--

Hobs

I mean it, Hobs. Quit being the typical overprotective alpha dad or you'll smother Bean. Who knows, he might even have a suitor you'd approve of. I require an affirmative reply sometime within the next ten minutes or I'm getting Ric to raid your secret snacks stash.

Fine.

--

Jo

"Yeah?"

"I thought about what you said, and... (sigh) You're right."

"About?"

"Jo..."

"No, really, what am I right about this time?"

"(heavy sigh) About me acting like an overprotective alpha dad."

"Uh-huh."

"It's just... Dream isn't even 21 yet, and he's already had his first heat--"

"And omegas having their first heat is a signal to every goddamn alpha that they're ready to be wed and bred. Yeah, I know."

"Then can you really blame me? Considering the unmarried alphas we know who would no doubt ask us for Dream's hand in marriage?"

"...I guess not. (pause) Ah, shit. Now you got me feeling overprotective over him as well."

"Sorry."

"No, you're not."

"No, I'm not."

"(sigh) Fuck. This is so stupid. We both know Bean is perceptive enough to see through people's facades and manipulative ways, and that he can defend himself just fine, but--"

"It doesn't really stop us from worrying about him anyway."

"(frustrated huff) How about this, then: unless Bean asks either of us to intervene, we back off and let him handle things. That's doable, right? We can do that?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Hobs."

"Fine. We'll try. But if someone hurts him--"

"Then it's a free-for-all. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

--

Jessamy

"You should really talk to your dad, Dream. I'm serious. He needs to know."

"What for? What would telling him accomplish?"

"I don't know, he'd be able to help?"

"No, Jess. You know him. Do you really think--"

"But he loves you. Even I know that."

"No. I'm sorry, but no. And please don't tell him either. I know he asks you for updates about me sometimes. Please. Please don't say anything."

"Dream..."

"If anyone should tell him, it's me."

"But you're not going to."

"No."

"...I hate this."

"I'm sorry."

"..."

"Please, Jess. Promise me."

"...Fine. I won't say anything to anyone. But if Mr. G. asks, I'm not going to lie, either."

"Don't worry. He won't. He's busy enough already."

"So is he and Ms. Adler really..?"

"Looks like it. So it won't matter. But thank you. For accompanying me today. And for agreeing to not say anything. You're a much better friend to me than I deserve."

"Gods, shut up or I'm going to start crying."

"Do you want me to buy us a tub of ice cream after class?"

"No. Let's have something warm. Maybe some pumpkin soup or something."

"...Understood. Shall I have the ingredients delivered?"

"Yeah, okay. I'm free until 4. I'll wait for it to arrive."

"I'll add a couple of pints of that sweet corn ice cream you like. Both would be yours to eat."

“(watery laugh) Like I’d give you any in the first place.”

"(soft huff of laughter) Alright. I’ll see you in a bit, Jess. (hangs up)"

[rjshepofftheshits]

Ok real talk tho, here is how they can improve dead space 3 for a remake.

Less focus on saving the world and more focus on the characters. i want to see isaac and ellie try to repair their relationship, i want to see carver go from grumpy git to isaacs friend and i want to see robert norton go from a good man with good intentions to someone who cracks under pressure, not because of some dumb jealousy thing with Isaac. if you were feeling REALLY spicy you could even make Danik a reasonable if categorically wrong man who eventually goes absolutely fruit loops by the end instead of starting out that way.

give isaac more story besides running after ellie. i know saving people, particularly the women in his life is a running theme with mr clarke, we do stan a feminist king. but he was perfectly capable of doing everything in dead space 1 WHILE ALSO looking for Nicole, his every other word wasn't about her. Dead space 3 makes me feel like he is only capable of pining after ellie and that is just not him. Isaac and ellie were together for 2-3 years, he knows her and he knows she can look after herself, it's the rest of the fucking universe that needs his competence and intelligence, not her. and if you must go this way, please don't make it another rescue mission. Again, ellie is a survivor and an intelligent person maybe even as smart as isaac she does not need saving.

also give the girl back her sports bra im sick of the cleavage. how she jumped 3 cup sizes is beyond me.

keep carver in the story but make him either an AI companion or do what NIER : Automata or RE2MAKE did. you play all the way through as isaac, then as carver and then once again as whoever for the ending OR you play all the way to the end as Isaac and then on a second playthrough you can be Carver and the way that you played as Isaac is now how your ai partner isaac behaves.

do not lock Carvers story behind coop missions. i know visceral didnt want to do this, they were made to by ea but still it seems like a dumb move even on their part. Carver didnt need to be there but since he is, why are you hiding that light under a bushel ea???

big one: get rid of the micropayments and retool the fucking weapons and combat. most of the guns are like water pistols and the necromorphs tank hits like brick shithouses. i know SCAF weapons are 200 years old by the time of dead space 3 but like. Isaac is smart enough to make a ripper, a line cutter and a plasma cutter on its own without bolting them together.

do not hide the true ending behind a dlc paywall. i think i was the only person on the planet that actually liked Awakened, better than the base game too. so it pains me to say that it didnt need to exist: either cut it completly and use it as the opening for dead space 4 or merge it into the ending of dead space 3 somehow.

lastly i think the story needs some tweaking. if we look at the progression it goes > outbreak on one ship > outbreak on a station> universe wide outbreaks everyone is doomed. now granted i understand you need to escate things for sequels but i just dont feel the same gravity of the situation in 3 as a did in 1 or 2. we never see the world outside isaacs pov which is fine but i would still like to see some of the world before it got fucked over a picket fence by the unitologists. the only glimpses we get are in text logs and it would make me feel more urgency to save the world if i actually knew what the world was like.

Continuing on with my story point: isaac needs some tweaks. he is a broken and cynical man by 3 which is very fair given all hes gone through but he is also a savior and defender at heart. no, he didnt ask for any of this but since he's stuck in this situation you know damn well he is going to do his best to fix this. I always found it weird that Isaac was essentially suicidal by the time of 3s opening, he was killing himself with indifference and clearly not looking after himself but when Norton comes knocking he still says "find someone else for your suicide mission" outright refusing all of it until ellie is mentioned. why didnt norton open with "ellie is in trouble, she sent us to get you to help" ? and why did isaac flat out refuse if he didnt care about his own life???

all this to say i would very much like to see isaac living a somewhat normal life after 2. ok maybe hes still depressed and alone but hes also still trying to move on, anything better to explain his reluctance to get dragged back into things . Maybe instead of having isaac backed into a corner and avoiding the world it could be more of a case of "i fucking told you so" like the mass effect series. Isaac has spent 2 games telling everyone who will listen "do not fuck with the markers" and now maybe he could be really fucking annoyed that no one has listened and as the only competent man in the galaxy hes got to go sort this shit out on principal.

here also are some things id just like to see.

Isaac struggling with his marker problem less like psychosis and more like a general disability or chronic illness. yes it sucks ass and yes its disabling but hes still a badass despite it. i dont like the wooohhhoooo mental illness scary vibes i get from other marker touched people like stross. thats just not how it works.

isaac with psysical scars from his time in project teleomere/ the hospital in dead space 2. i would like to see him with wounds from the first game healed and also maybe some marker scrawl on him as a permenant reminder of what happened.

id like to see ellie have a more active role or even be a playable character. doesnt have to be a big thing, do something like the born from a wish scenario in silent hill 2, maybe cover the 2 weeks she was lost in space before ds3 takes place.

id like to see the necromorph process slowed down. it happens so fast its almost meaningless, not to mention unbelievable. if it happens over time and the characters can see and react to it happening that has more emotional impact.

In the ending where carver and Isaac get blown off the platform, I want to see them holding hands to stay together.

if i think anymore ill put them in the reblogs or something

but yeah ea hit me up im ready to advise

or if ur not ea and just wana chat shite about dead space you can hit me up too

[the-unspeakable-tsar]

The Holmes Family Tree

At the top are the parents. Sherlock's father; Sieger, Sherlock's Mother, Violet Rutherford; and Sherlock's Stepmother Eudoria

First lets start with Violet and Sieger's children:

Sherlock, Sherringford, Mycroft, Shirley, and Rutherford

Then there are Eudoria and Sieger's Children:

Enola, Sigrina, and Siegerson.

Let's start with the branch that descends directly from Sherlock.

I have placed Sherlock's Children as five in Number. Raffles is the son of Majorie Raffles (the sister of A.J Raffles). Henry Holmes and his wife Elizabeth are the creations of the Charlotte Holmes series.

Keep Sherlock Holmes Jr in mind as we'll focus on him later. We'll go down Henry and Elizabeth's line.

Pascal, Valentina, Agatha, Perpetua and Johnathan Holmes are the children of Elizabeth and Henry

Crispin and Morland are Pascal and Elizabeth's sons. Crispin marries Celine, and Morland marries May. Keep Morland in mind.

Crispin and Elizabeth have the following children: Alistair, Agatha, Julian, Leander.

Morland is a complicated old bastard with two sons: Sherlock and Mycroft. Note that i've written Elementary beneath them.

Alistair and Emma have: Milo and Charlotte

Julian and Kim Min-Ji: Margarate Holmes, Carmilla Holmes, and Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock & Co.)

Now let's move to the side along the chart and go back to one of Sherlock's children.

Sherlock Jr is a problem, I've decided. He is the start of a parallel branch. He had some unknown son. then that son would in time go on to sire the lineage that produced the following

Euris, Mycroft, and Sherlock (BBC's Sherlock). Euris would then later bear a child with a descendent of Moriarty. Resulting in Ron Kamonohashi.

Mycroft has a smaller branch. Three children:

Andrew Holmes, Violet Holmes, and Isabella Holmes.

Violet Holmes would then have a child later with James Bond, resulting in Clive Reston.

Shirly Holmes would marry Charles Jones. Resulting in the birth of Fetlock Jones and Laura Jones.

Laura Jones and her husband Lord Hamish Croft establish the lineage that would come to result in Laura Croft.

Fetlock's is Jupiter, and his daughter Charlotte marries Peerless Jones.

The following children of Peerless and Charlotte are: Barnaby, Darwin, and David.

David Marries Judith Walton and has three children: Fred Jones Sr, Martin "Merlin" Jones, and Ellie. Fred Jones Sr later illegally adopts a son, naming him "Fred Jones Jr".

Barnaby has a son named Harold and a grandson named Jebediah Romano Jones.

Sherringford Holmes, the older brother of both Mycroft and Sherlock, would have three children. Richard, an unknown country squire, and Sebastian.

Richard would change his surname to Queen in the United States to establish himself as an independent detective. He has two sons, Dan and Ellery Queen.

Ellery has two sons: Ellery Junior and Gullivar.

The Squire has one son: Stuart. Stuart has two kids, Jenny and David.

Sebastian marries a woman named Peg: Through them they have a son named Robert who becomes an ambassador for the United Kingdom.

Robert and his wife Joanna then later have a daughter named Shirley Holmes (many of her name).

Rutherford is Sherlock's twin brother and a vampire (making him a genetic dead end).

Sigerson Holmes (son of Eudoria) marries Jenny Hill, a descendent of Fanny Hill. Their daughter then marries a Weston and have a son named Geoffrey Weston.

I wasn't sure how to fit Enola Holme because, as far as I know,w she doesn't go on to have anyone I can identify as being a possible descendent. (good for her.)

Lastly, Charlotte Holmes. I also believe that Charlotte was having an affair with Mary Watson, but that is neither here nor there. She marries some fuck-off prince named Rupert of Kravonia and they have a son: Alexander (i accidentally named him Rupert as well in the image).

Sirgrina and John Vanstattart Smith have three Children:

Dennis Nayland Smith, Violet Smith, and John Smith.

Dennis Nayland fathers: George, Harold, and John "Hannibal" Smith.

Violet marries a man named Sneed and has a son named Lancaster "Shockwave" Sneed. A supervillain from Marvel Comics who used to beat the fuck out of Shang-Chi.

Thus concludes the family tree of The Holmes. Please reblog or message me if you have questions or comments.

[mergingonthefreeway]

Greenpeace - Don't Stop from Samona Olanipekun on Vimeo.

This is no ordinary cover: Don’t Stop is a contemporary fable about being young in the world today. The song is a call to action for people worried about their future and the state of the planet, and a rallying cry for those who dream of a better tomorrow. Together we can stand up to the fossil fuel industry. Add your name now: act.gp/3qIN8o6

Production Company: Lammas Park @lammas_park_productions

Director - Samona Olanipekun @samona_o Exec Producers - Steve McQueen, Bona Orakwue @bonaclara7, Anna Smith Tenser @smithspanna Producer - George Telfer @gtelfs

Production Manager - Chanel Parkinson @chanellyonthetelly PA - Hannah Lockwood @hanlockwood Cast Coordinator - Beth Rubery @beth.rubery Production Runner - Tom Gimlette @tomgimlette

Researcher - Shireen Bahmanizad @shireen_bahmanizad Researcher - Conall O’Brien @conallobrien Bidding Producer - Nat Baring @natanatics Lammas Park Head of Operations - Nicholas Horne Lammas Park Production Assistant - Umashni Puvanendran

1st AD - Gabriel O’Donohue @_gabriel.odonohue_

Movement Director - Liara Barussi @liarabarussi Casting Director - Coralie Rose @coralie_blamo_rose

DOP - Annika Summerson @annisummerson Steadicam / Camera Op - Jonathan Tyler @jonotyler Focus Puller A Cam - Kate Mollins @kate__mo_ Focus Puller B Cam - Sam Ebrahim Riley @samrileyac Clapper / Loader - Sonia Rogriguez Camera Trainee - Lucas Murray Reynolds Grip - Warwick Drucker

Video Playback - Robbie Ross @rsvp.london DIT - Ben Grady @colour.grady Sound Recordist - Anthony Leung @anthonyleungsound

Gaffer - Salvador Lopez-Gomez @glofilmlighting Best Boy - Jamie Hitchens @jamiehitchens Desk Op - Noah Furrer Electricians - Charlie Lodge, Lee Madigan, Nathan Rubins Rigger - Steve Daly @steve_daly

Production Designer - Jade Adeyemi @adeyumyum Prop Buyer - Martha Howe @martha.howe, Matty Mancy @matty.mancey Led Art Assistant - Lea Otovic @leaotovic Art Dept Assistant - Isabelle Bryan, Nana-yaw Mensah @nyk_mensah, Lucia Barsegian @luciabarsegian, Daisy Alexander, Fenella Evans @fen.art_, Sofia Karavis @sofiakara

Construction by Cous De La @cousdela

SFX Supervisor - Neil Gawthrop SFX Technicians - Miguel Ferreira, Jonathan Long SFX by Machine Shop @machineshopsfx

Costume Designer - Verity May Lane @veritymaylane Costume Assistants - Amy Thompson @a_thompson, Johanna Yohannes, Ellie Rimmer @ellie_r1

Make Up Designer - Maya Man @mayamanartist Make Up Assistants - Chelsea Murphy @sculptedbychelsea, Nic Marilyn @nicmarilyn Hair Designer - Kreszend Sackey @kreszendsackey Hair Assistant - Viviane Melo @vivianemelomua

Medic - Verity Stacy

Editor - Jack Williams @__jackwilliams_ Edit House - The Assembly Rooms @the_assembly_rooms Edit Producer - Phoebe Armstrong-Beaver Sound Designer - Jack Sedgwick @snappajack Audio Post - King Lear @kinglearlondon Audio Producer - Suzy McGregor Colourist - George Kyriacou @georgekcolourist Post - Black Kite Studios @blackkitestudios VFX - Mark Stannard Colour Producer - Holly Tidwell @holly_tidwell, Jade Denne @jadedenne

Camera - Panavision @panavisionofficial Lighting - Panalux @panaluxworld Studio - Dukes Island Studios Insurance - Dan Woods at Media Insurance Brokers Accountancy - Robert Okonski & Emmanuel Lindsay at Clay GBP

Casting Assistants - Laura Meredith Additional Casting - Lauren Patterson @ Jukebox Collective Agency

CAST:

Speech Givers: Kyle Osbourne Lili Chin

Tomorrow’s Warriors: Kyle Osborne, Emily Tran, Cassius Cobbson, Shanise, David, Tami Lisa Smith

Waiters & Kitchen Staff Cameron Berryman, Izaebella Cresci, Christopher Mbaki, Jinessa Meggi, Ebony Aboagye, Oliver Manley, Kade Turner, Geddy Stringer

Party Guests: Graham Collier, Anja Kick, Philippa Casares, Noreen Goodwin, Benji Ming, Catherine Cornwall, Huma Mohyuddin, Ellie Madden, Albert Graver, Rainier Manzano, Ruby Gascoyne, Sharifa Butterfly, Haseeb ‘Chilly’ Hearn, Duran Abdullah, Mikael Rivieri, Patrick Gabco, Ellie Harlulow, Rogerio Ghesti, Katerina Bragin, Michael Ahfong, Kesiena Banye, Beverly Connel, Jeanette Maskell, Peter Wilkinson

and Featuring: Will Poulter, Fraser T Smith and Avelino

MUSIC

Written by: Christine McVie / Universal Music Publishing Group Produced by: Fraser T Smith / 70Hz Original Rap verses: Avelino Music Supervision and Consultancy: Ed Bailie and Seb Whyte / Leland Music Music Marketing: Olivia Hobbs and Clare Wright / Blackstar Agency Performed by: Future Utopia X Avelino X Tomorrow's Warriors With thanks to: House Gospel Choir, Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, Janine Irons, Fish Krish, Gabriel Starkey, Patricia Pascal

AGENCY

Creative Agency: Mother London Creative Director: James Sellick @jamessellickauthor Creative: Scott Anderson @scottanders44 Title Design: Ben McNaughton Head of Production: Anna Murray @annasedgwick Producers: Tommy Frankau @tommyfrankau, Nic Akinnibosun, Joseph Ogunmokun Epilogue: Written by Scroobius Pip in collaboration with Greenpeace, performed by Lilli Chin Special Featured Performance: Will Poulter

[sortasirius]

You know, anyone that knows me knows how much I love these games. The first game I purchased when I finally got a PlayStation was TLOU, I took multiple days off of work to play Part II. These games mean so, so much to me.

And yeah, I didn’t really think the show would fail, just with the creative team (I am also obsessed with Craig Mazin’s Chernobyl miniseries), the studio, and the cast.

But really, this episode blew even my high expectations out of the water.

Let’s get into it.

First things first: I said this the moment he was cast, and I was right. Pedro Pascal was destined to play Joel.

The very beginning was very Craig Mazin, a cool way to set up the eventual outbreak without our characters having to talk about it.

I cried at the intro which is not surprising lmao.

The level of detail is phenomenal, how Sarah is caring for Joel just like Joel cares for her. I especially loved the dynamic they had. He was very much her dad, but because he had her so young, you could tell they grew up together in a way, and there was a friendship almost, a camaraderie there that most parent/child relationships don’t have.

I will say, I’m from outside of Austin and live in Austin now. That is not how the skyline looked in 2003 lmao. But the old Cap Metro bus?????? Literally only a small percentage of people would pick up on that and I sure did.

I also like that we followed Sarah at first, and could see that she knew that something was up on outbreak day.

The old woman turning behind her while she was looking at the movies? Now THAT is the horror I was looking for.

CURTIS AND VIPER!!!!

Loved the scene of Joel coming home and the watch. It’s such a lovely scene in the game, and I felt like they just added to it with the show.

It’s amazing how much I loved this Sarah. Of course I love Sarah in the game, but Nico did SUCH an amazing job with limited screen time. She was phenomenal.

Tommy getting arrested and sent to the downtown jail. Lmao. My king.

Sarah finding those people in the house was absolutely horrifying. 10/10 no notes.

There are so many homages to the game, the show takes on a life of its own but there were so many times where I was pointing to the screen because I recognized something from the game.

The sound design is also completely insane, it sounded real and my tv is not new lol.

Look, I have played and watched TLOU nearly a hundred times at this point. I knew what was coming, but man, it was like watching Sarah die for the first time all over again.

Nico’s obvious, gut wrenching pain coupled with Pedro’s raw and unendurable grief took that scene to a place I didn’t know it could go. And I cry every time I play the prologue.

They did a great job with the QZ, with the harsh reality of the inside and the terror everyone has of the outside. I’ll be interested to see if we find out who the kid who wandered into the zone was.

Tess. My beloved. That’s all.

I really can’t wait to find out more about Tommy and Joel. Because obviously they’re still in contact (which is markedly different from the game), but there still seems to be some sort of falling out there from his involvement with the Fireflies. Also interesting that Joel and Tess are actively trying to leave the zone to find him.

The game only hinted at it, so I’m glad they put so much focus on Tess being the boss. Also big spoon Tess? Please and thank you.

Bella is so fucking amazing as Ellie. Her intro is PERFECT.

I love that they kept Merle as Marlene, it was just cool to hear her and see her there. And she and Ellie’s scene was so great, it’s crazy to think that that (unless something huge changes in the show from the game) is the last time they see each other.

They did a really good job of cutting things I think. We didn’t really need to see them going to find Robert, it was more of a point to point for potential gameplay, but they still managed to bring him in in an interesting way, especially because Joel and Tess aren’t the ones to kill him in the show.

Pedro and Bella’s immediate chemistry. As if you needed more reasons to be obsessed with this casting.

SO cool to know that Tess and Joel know Frank as well as Bill, I can’t wait to meet them.

The scene of them in the apartment, nearly an exact replica of the game. Thanks I cried again.

The moment where Joel is protecting Ellie from the soldier, and it flashes back to him holding Sarah moments before he lost her. Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin I am kissing you both on the mouth.

And ending with a clicker noise. Perfect.

It’s like…kind of unbelievable how good it is. It’s one of those things that could have felt like a copy of the game, or lacking major beats, but they somehow managed to make it feel completely new and yet not lose any of the beauty that the game had.

I literally cannot wait for next Sunday, where I will be glued to my tv once again, waiting to see Ellie and Joel.

[lboogie1906]

Ellis Louis Marsalis Jr.(November 14, 1934 - April 1, 2020) is a jazz pianist and educator. Active since the late 1940s, he came to greater attention in the 1980s and 1990s as the patriarch of a musical family, with sons Branford Marsalis and Wynton Marsalis rising to international acclaim. He and his wife Delores Ferdinand have six sons: Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis III, Delfeayo Marsalis, Mboya Kinyatta Marsalis, and Jason Marsalis. He played saxophone but moved to the piano in high school. He worked with Ed Blackwell, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, and Al Hirt. He taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. His students have included Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison, Kent Jordan, Marlon Jordan, and Nicholas Payton. Though he has recorded almost twenty of his albums and was featured on many discs with such musicians as David "Fathead" Newman, Eddie Harris, Marcus Roberts, and Courtney Pine, he shunned the spotlight to focus on teaching. His didactic approach, combined with an interest in philosophy, encourages his students to make discoveries in music on their own, through experiments and very careful listening. As a leading educator at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the University of New Orleans, and the Xavier University of Louisiana, he has influenced the careers of countless musicians, including Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Payton; as well as his four musician sons: Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason. He received an honorary doctorate from Tulane University for his contributions to jazz and musical education. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #phibetasigma https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck8J02QrVL0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[okidenshi]

Welp, watched the first episode of tlou. Overall I did like it, here’s some thoughts

Thing i liked:

Ellie’s introduction immediately set up her personality very well- like just up and kicking the food tray and being a fucking bitch to the Fireflies... i laughed out loud like, YEA she does act like that- even as fans of the game we know she acts like that with David later on. Bella’s honestly doing a pretty good job at carrying the role so far- i don’t think anyone could ever top Ashley’s performance for me, like her voice/acting is just SO much of who ellie is to begin with, but Bella really is doing well and i’m excited to see her personality grow even more, and to see how Pedro’s character grows along side her.

I really loved when Sarah was in the back of the car when the Outbreak hits, It’s pretty similar to the sequence in the game- but honestly it translated over pretty nicely to film/tv- and i don’t think i’ve seen something filmed like that for tv, at least in awhile. That was the moment i MOST felt like i was in Sarah’s shoes and was scared to hell and back.

It was really fun to see/hear Merle Dandrige play Marlene. Pedro and a lot of the actors do a pretty good job of fitting each characters voice, but man it was nice to hear her voice and see her on screen- she just looks so much like Marlene too and i loved hearing that voice again :D

Fun to see the world of The Last of Us again- it really does stand out against other apocalyptic genre’s like TWD in it’s own way. I got a big kick out of the “WELCOME” sign on the Boston quarantine zone, but like, just everything is SO fucking broken and awful there... just visually a funny world building thing lmao.

OH, The opening credits were great- hearing Gustavo’s iconic theme again to the growing Fungi visual was very nostalgic, and gave me the same chills it did back in the day. Just in general, the music is so nice to hear in a show setting- like it really reminds me that’s a huge reason why the original game felt so cinematic was because of the music.

Things I was  “eh” about:

I think the actress for Tess is fine, but she’s just... casted a little too old imo. In the game, she’s obviously an adult, but is younger than Joel, which i think helps display that Joel’s fatherly instincts/role is still intact, even before he meets Ellie- it just like, silently helps convey to the player/watcher about his character. In the show, she seems to be same age as Joel, if not older, which is surface level fine, but ugh, idk, there’s something about her being younger that i liked- especially since she was like, “The Boss” to Joel, and like knew her way around the city and people at a younger age- and in the show, she feels less like that Boss Lady and more... just your average woman. She really goes into it though, i think it’s more of a writing issue.

I... wanted more emotion from Sarah’s actress. Again, a difficult role to play for the weight it needs to carry, but also be the “goggles” that the audience see’s through- and the first bits with her and Joel are pretty good- but from the time she leaves school, gets the watch fixed, goes home- she feels really flat.

I know it’s an adaptation, and this it’s a criticism even limited to the show, but god, i want the camera to focus on something for longer than 2 seconds. Like the scene where Joel & Tess find out Ellie’s infected, goes by too quickly- there’s some other scenes like that too but i just think that’s a lot of how television/movies are produced today.

I was honestly a little confused as to why they swapped a few things around from the game’s story (i know that feels like it would be obvious because its an adaptation but i have a point to this)... like instead of Robert stealing Tess & Joel’s guns that they smuggle, it’s a car Battery, and Joel wants the car Battery to go see Tommy (which is the most confusing thing to me so far because he and Tommy are on bad terms at this point, idk why Joel wants to go see him so suddenly at this point in the story, but maybe that’ll be expanded upon later), and like, Tess and Joel don’t even kill Robert.... but like they still end up meetng Marline... idk it’s hard to explain, but basically they change a few things around int he story to like... just...get to exactly what happens in the game... like i’m not sure why they didn’t just. Keep the series of events from the game if they were... just gonna get to the same point of smuggling ellie? Idk, it’s an adaptation, maybe they have a reason, but yea that kidna tripped me up, at least as a long time fan.

Anywho, definitely not a bad start!

[monriatitans]

"Ta-Da!" List: Mon-Fri, September 9-13th

The image was made in Canva; check it out at the [referral] link here!

Mon-Fri, September 9-13, 2024

I share my "Ta-Da!" Lists so everyone gets updates and I have reminders of what I've accomplished.

To learn more about "Ta-Da!" Lists, and other ADHD life hacks, check out Jesse J. Anderson's book Extra Focus: The Quick Start Guide to Adult ADHD.

Abbreviations

- MT: MonriaTitans - O&T: Opinions & Truth Blog - NRL: The Neverending Reading List - TBR: To Be Read - SQ: Stupidity Quotes - TMA: TitansMonriArt - WGS: The Weekend Game Show - LCSUMQ: Library Card Sign-Up Month Quote - COTM: Cause of the Month - LDS$: Let’s Discuss Some $#!7! - ASO: Artist Shout-Out - IG: Instagram - RP: Rendezvous Point Bookshop - BMAC: Buy Me a Coffee - TDL: Ta-Da! List

"Ta-Da!" List

✧ throughout the days: 1. Personal-ish:  a. Chores & Miscellaneous: was reminded Patreon's system for managing email notifications is shit while making email(s) manageable; did the dishes via the dishwasher; downloaded the GamerProfiles app; swept the kitchen; DoorDashed some necessities; looked at the budget b. Read some of Divergent Mind and Men Who Hate Women c. Games Played: FFXIV d. YouTube: watched and/or listened to videos by, not in order, Jim Sterling, Robert Reich, Morgan Foley, Orion Kelly - That Autistic Guy, How to ADHD, BlackBeltBarrister, Cinema Therapy, LegalEagle, Rowan Ellis, Chad Chad, Leeja Miller, ashley viola, tinysey, The Financial Diet, humorous story, Patrick (H) Willems, and HealthyGamerGG

2. Business: a. WGS: on…

--- Read the rest on O&T!

[liliannasprereadmediathek]

Ahoy once more! 🏴

(emoji for black flag)

The flag you’ve spotted in the distance is no illusion – we’re finally releasing another episode on Black Sails 🏴‍☠️🏝️⚓ (emojis for pirate flag, island, anchor)

This month, we’re training our spy glasses on Season 1, Episode 2. Whether it’s tits or fruit, our main focus is VALUE – we’ll be digging into how ideas around value operate within pirate stories with their tropes of buried treasure, gold coins, and treasure maps. And as always, we’ll be exploring the influence of Empire on how worth is ascribed to the objects, places, and people of Nassau. 🗺✖️💰

(emojis for map, an ex, and a bag of money)

So pour yourself a shot of rum and join us over on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find your podcasts ☠️🦜⚔️⛵🌊︎︎

(emojis for skull and cross bones, parrot, crossed swords, sailing boat, and wave)

Link in bio 🔗

(emoji for chain link)

Both the Writers Guild of America (@wgaeast, @writersguildwest) and the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (@sagaftra) are on strike right now. Key issues involve residuals and use of AI among others. Please check the link below to both WGA and SAG to see their demands and support them when you can. Remember! DO NOT! CROSS THE PICKET LINE!

Check SAG’s rules for influencers here (https://www.sagaftrastrike.org/influencer-faqs) and do not perform covered services for a struck company during the strike!

https://www.wgaeast.org/https://www.wga.org/

#WGAStrike #SAGAFTRAstrike #WGAStrong #MoviePodcast #LiliAnnaPod #LiliAnnasPrereadMediathek #queer #FeministPodcast #QueerPodcast 

#BlackSails #TreasureIsland #Pirates #CharlesVane #MaxBlackSails #BillyBones #CaptainFlint #MrScott #AnneBonny #JackRackham #LongJohnSilver #EleanorGuthrie #BritishEmpire #RobertLouisStevenson #JessicaParkerKennedy #TobyStephens #HakeemKaeKazim #LukeArnold #HannahNew #ZachMcGowan #TomHopper #ClaraPaget

📝 Shownotes: 📝

📼 Preread text (Rowan Ellis, https://youtu.be/SMFll3aIbmo)

Primary Sources:

📺 “Black Sails” (2014-2017) (Robert Levine and Jonathan E. Steinberg) 📚 “Treasure Island” (1883) (Robert Louis Stevenson) 📺 Kunst und Krempel (1985-present) (BR Fernsehen)

Secondary Sources:

📚 “Why We Love Pirates” (2020) by Rebecca Simon 🎮 “The Last of Us” (2013) (Naughty Dog) (Sony Computer Entertainment) 📜 Jeffries, Stuart. “Woke the plank! Were pirate ships actually beacons of diversity and democracy?” (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/apr/04/woke-plank-pirate-ships-diversity-democracy-cornwall-exhibition)

🎞️ “Pirates of the Caribbean” (2003-2017) (dir. Gore Verbinski, Rob Marshall, Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg, 📜 Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, Jeff Nathanson) 📼 “Jonathan Ross Interviews Keira Knightley part 1” (goldenultra, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGJ_atmr4c0&t=284s) from 4:43. 🎞️ “Cutthroat Island” (1995) (starring Geena Davis) (dir. Renny Harlin, 📜 Robert King, Marc Norman) 🎞️ “Romancing the Stone” (1984) (dir. Robert Zemeckis, 📜 Diane Thomas) 🎞️ “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) (dir. Steven Spielberg, 📜 Lawrence Kasdan) 🌐 The Bechdel Test (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test) 📺 Game of Thrones (2011-2019) (David Benioff and D. B. Weiss) 🌐 Mr Scott (https://black-sails.fandom.com/wiki/Mr._Scott) 📼 “Don’t be creepy, Emma Thompson” (verilybitchie, https://youtu.be/acccffJnr5A)

Recommendations:

🪧 SAG-AFTRA on why the strikes are imperative for the survival of the acting profession (https://www.sagaftra.org/were-fighting-survival-our-profession) 📜 FAQs for Influencers (https://www.sagaftrastrike.org/influencer-faqs)

Lili’s recommendations: 🎞️ “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986) (dir. Frank Oz, 📜 Howard Ashman) 📼 “The Musical That Changed Disney: Little Shop of Horrors” (Dreamsounds, https://youtu.be/esiADqA2FXU)

📱Social Media Handles📱:

IG:     https://www.instagram.com/liliannapod/ Twitter:     https://twitter.com/liliannapod Tumblr:    https://www.tumblr.com/blog/liliannasprereadmediathek

🎹Intromusic🎹: "Wall" by Jahzaar, licenced under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)  

🎹Outro Music🎹: “Waterbeat” by DJ Lengua, licenced under Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

🎹Transition Music🎹: “Page Turns, Book Close” by Pixabay – Pixabay “Counting Me Shillings” by Pixabay – Pixabay “Sea Waves” by Pixabay – Pixabay “Sound Effect Seagulls” by ScottishPerson – Pixabay “Chest Opening” by Pixabay – Pixabay “sword against sword” by Pixabay – Pixabay “Apple Bobbing in a Gymnasium” by Pixabay – Pixabay

[ruminativerabbi]

Pittsburgh

Like most of my readers, I suppose, I have been watching the trial of Robert Bowers, the perpetrator of the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, with a strange brew of emotion concocted principally of fascination, horror, pride in our American justice system, and intense personal engagement—the latter despite the fact that I’ve never actually been to Pittsburgh, thus also obviously not to that synagogue, and that I did not know any of the victims personally.

The charges alone were hair-raising enough to consider during the trial, but the verdict feels even worse: guilty of 22 crimes, eleven capital counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death and eleven capital counts of using a firearm to commit murder during and as part of a crime of violence. Of course, none of the above was at all unexpected: even Bowers’ own lawyers did not waste the court’s time by arguing that their client was not the shooter, choosing instead to argue that he was not primarily motivated by hatred of Jewish people in general, but specifically by his hatred of the HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and his understanding that at least one of the congregations housed in the building he attacked worked with the HIAS to assist immigrants in need.

There’s a lot here to unpack. The HIAS has been around for a long time, having first been founded in 1881 to assist Jewish persons newly arrived on these shores in finding lodging and employment, and in developing a sense of belonging in a new place so unlike their countries of origin. That remained its primary focus for a long time too—which is why supporting the HIAS was, in my childhood, as uncontroversial a thought as supporting the March of Dimes or the JNF. And it did its work famously well, establishing an office on Ellis Island itself in 1904 and assisting hundreds of thousands of those who arrived there. They provided translation services for would-be immigrants who didn’t speak English well or at all. They lent the truly indigent the $25 “landing” fee that all who passed by those portals were obliged to pay one way or the other. They provided lawyers to argue before the so-called “Boards of Special Inquiry” the cases of individuals who might otherwise have been sent back to Europe. On top of all that, they found the funds to launch nation-wide searches for relatives of the newly arrived so that the former could provide affidavits of support for the latter to guarantee that they—the new immigrants—would not end up as indigents living off public money. They opened a kosher restaurant on Ellis Island that eventually served more than half a million meals. And they created a kind of charity travel bureau to assist new immigrants in covering the cost of train tickets to wherever it was they were going to settle. Perhaps most useful of all, they opened an employment bureau to help newcomers find work.

All that being the case, what’s not to like? My parents were big supporters, never setting aside an envelope from the HIAS without putting a check or at least a few dollar bills inside before mailing it back. As well they should have: three of my four grandparents came to this country through Ellis Island and all benefited from the presence of the HIAS officials waiting for them to disembark and helping them through what could easily have been a harrowing experience in a foreign language they could barely speak. And that, of course, was without knowing that being sent back to Europe would almost definitely have meant eventually being killed along with two-thirds of European Jewry during the Second World War.

Later, the HIAS was instrumental in saving as many European Jews as possible, famously saving 1400 children the Nazis had incarcerated in French concentration camps and bringing them to America. (Nearly all their parents were subsequently murdered by the Germans.) All in all, about 45,000 Jews were saved by the HIAS during the war, none of whom would otherwise have survived. And then, when the war was over, the HIAS assisted in finding homes for more than 300,000 Jewish souls left in D.P. camps with no place to go. Eventually, the HIAS would also play a major role in helping Jews permitted to leave the Soviet Union in finding new homes in Israel, Western Europe, or the U.S.

It's hard to imagine why Robert Bowers would have cared about any of this. Nor, apparently, did he. But the HIAS also took on another role in the latter part of the twentieth century. In 1975, the State Department asked the organization to assist in the settling of 3,600 Vietnamese refugees here in the U.S. And that constituted a sea change for the organization, which now turned from its original raison d’être of helping Jewish immigrants to helping refugees of all nationalities in need, extending its mission to address the needs of all displaced persons in need of assistance in finding or settling into new homes. And that was the part that Robert Bowers apparently couldn’t stand. “HIAS,” Bowers posted online, “likes to bring invaders in who kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch our people get slaughtered.” And then he famously concluded that post with words that were subsequently repeated a thousand times: “Screw your optics! I’m going in.”

And in he went—to a synagogue housing three different congregations, one of which had indeed participated just a week earlier in HIAS’s annual National Refugee Shabbat. Shouting, by police accounts, “All Jews must die,” he set to his deadly work. It didn’t take that long: Barrows entered the building at 9:50 AM and by 11:08 he had surrendered to police. And so, in just a little over an hour, eleven died. Two were a married couple. Two others were brothers. Six others were injured, which figure includes four police officers. The dead, in alphabetic order, were Joyce Flenberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal and David Rosenthal, Bernice and Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax, and Irving Younger. They ranged in age from 54 to 97. None was guilty of anything other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

At first, it might almost sound as though Bowers’ lawyers were right, that this was “about” HIAS and its mission to assist refugees of all kinds and points of origin and not “just” about killing Jews. But Bowers didn’t shoot up a HIAS office and neither did he take aim at any of their refugee clients. Instead, correctly understanding that part of the Jewish worldview includes a deep and ineradicable sense of identity with the refugees and displaced persons in this cold, uncaring world we inhabit (a point presented in Scripture not as a good idea or even as a noble one, but as a divine commandment), he took aim at Jews because they had embraced their Judaism and the worldview that their faith calls upon them to adopt. And it was that specific part of Jewishness that Bowers couldn’t tolerate, the sense that it is requisite that all who would call themselves godly or decent feel a deep sense of kinship, not with the masters and rulers of the world, but with the powerless, with those seeing refuge from tyranny or poverty, with the defenseless and the desperate. And it was expressly to express his loathing of that kind of worldview—one so identified with Judaism that it would be impossible to imagine Judaism without it—that Bowers chose to act. He chose innocent victims because they were Jewish, because they were in synagogue on Shabbat morning to affirm their Jewishness, because they were associated—both in Bowers’ mind and probably correctly—with the mission of the HIAS not to turn away from those seeking refuge in the world but to turn towards them and to embrace them as fellow children of God.

And now, the verdict having been handed down, we turn to the next part: the sentencing phase of the trial scheduled to begin on Monday, at which time the jury will have to decide whether to sentence Bowers to life imprisonment without parole or to death.

As always, I find myself unsure where I stand on death penalty issues. On the one hand, who could possibly qualify for execution if not a man like Bowers, a violent extremist who mercilessly executed eleven innocents to make some sort of demented political statement about an issue to which none of his victims had any direct connection? He falls in the same category, then, with Dylann Roof, the young man who murdered nine innocents in 2015 after spending an hour studying Bible with them at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and who was subsequently found guilty and then sentenced in state court to nine consecutive sentences of life without parole and in federal court to death. Both men acted willfully and intentionally. Neither had any particular personal animus against any of his victims. Both were angry souls fueled by violent hatred. If the death penalty is the ultimate punishment our justice system metes out, then to whom should it be meted out if not to people who fully intentionally kill innocents specifically because of their faith or the color of their skin?

On the other hand, I see the arguments against the death penalty too. The victims don’t come back to life when their executioner is executed; the death penalty speaks to a need to punish felt by the living but yields exactly nothing at all to the dead. Should it matter if the deceased individuals were on record as being opposed to or in favor of the death penalty? And how should faith itself impact on the way we feel about the death penalty? Do we argue that the Bible itself, which clearly has no problem at all with the notion of execution as the proper response to violent crime, should be our guide? What about the strictures that Jewish tradition places around the death penalty, strictures so tight that it would be more or less impossible for a traditional rabbinic court to sentence anyone to death even if such a court were to have the authority to hand down such a sentence? In the end, do we support the concept of the death penalty in theory because it is, after all, the ultimate in punitive acts at the same time we oppose it in reality because of the possibility of error? Is it relevant in this regard to mention the over 300 convictions that have been overturned based on DNA evidence since the Innocence Project began its work in 1992? Surely that should be irrelevant here—neither Bowers’ own lawyers nor even the defendant himself tried to deny that he was the Pittsburgh shooter. Or is it irrelevant, given that, by supporting the idea of sentencing the man to death, we are saying clearly that we support the death penalty while knowing that that the work of the Innocence Project makes it more or less certain that innocent individuals have been executed in our nation’s history?

All these are the thoughts I bring to the conviction and eventual sentencing of Robert Bowers, the perpetrator of the Pittsburgh massacre. What happens to Bowers will happen without any input from myself. But what I can do, and invite all my readers to join me in doing, is to pray that his victims rest in peace and that their deaths collectively serve as a mass sanctification of God’s name in this violent, crazy world we inhabit.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 18/03/2023 (Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding, Miley Cyrus’ ‘Endless Summer Vacation’, Digga D)

Well, as you’d expect with her album dropping, Miley Cyrus reigns at the top of the UK Singles Chart for a ninth consecutive week with “Flowers”, and it’s a pretty busy week. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, we start our week with the notable dropouts – songs exiting the UK Top 75, which is what I cover, after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, the list includes “on the street” by j-hope and J. Cole, “Glue Song” by beabadoobee (seems like that was kind of a fluke), “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” by Sam Smith featuring Calvin Harris and Jessie Reyez, “Rumble” by Skrillex, Fred again.. and Flowdan featuring uncredited vocals from Elley Duhé and BEAM, “Ready to Fly” by Sub Focus and Dimension featuring uncredited vocals from Jo Hill, “Pointless” by Lewis Capaldi and “Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert. Now that I think about it, that is a list of songs exiting the chart wherein I’m pretty much positive on every single one of them, which is a damn shame – a lot of these songs are actually great, but who’s filling those voids?

Well, to find that out, we need to seek out our notable gains, which is kind of a strangely small batch this week. We have “Shivers” by Ed Sheeran at #63, sure, but the rest are in our top 40, and they’re... questionable, I suppose, with way less than you’d actually expect but this week’s activity is largely concentrated in its new arrivals. Those top 40 boosts go to “REACT” by Switch Disco featuring Ella Henderson and the late Robert Miles at #40, and Strandz taking his first top 10 – thanks in part to a Digga D remix – with “Us Against the World” at #10. It is still a busy week, but mostly because of big dropouts and big new entries, with a lot of the movement within the chart being more minimal.

This week’s top five on the UK Singles Chart starts with “Calm Down” by Rema at #5, thanks in part due to a remix with Selena Gomez, followed by “Die for You” by The Weeknd at #4 (thanks in part to Ariana Grande). At #3 we have our highest debut, with Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding reaching their highest-ever peaking collaboration as “Miracle” lands at #3. At #2, of course, is PinkPantheress with “Boy’s a liar” (thanks in part to Ice Spice – a lot of remixes in this top five) and at the very top, once again, is “Flowers”. Now we have quite a few interesting stories to cover in our new arrivals, and because this country has some kind of vendetta against me, we start with...

NEW ARRIVALS

#73 – “MOTTO” – NF

Produced by NF

I... don’t think NF understands why he’s famous, or why his fanbase likes him. He starts off his first verse saying that he could have wrote a record full of radio hits, do features for hype, hire a board room to write for them, et cetera, but decided not to because he doesn’t want to since it sounds like a nightmare. See, the issue is: he couldn’t. If he wrote an album full of radio songs, his fans would still listen and buy for the first album, but when he continues, they’re going to lose hope. It happened to Logic, it’d happen to him too, and considering this guy is one of the few rappers whose pure sales are pretty great, that fanbase is directly tied to him in a way that is pretty personal and vocal. “Let You Down” was a radio hit for sure, and also a pretty okay song, but NF fans would not want to hear more of that. He couldn’t still be successful doing that, or at least he’d be successful in a different way, and he should know that so saying that he just denies doing it because he doesn’t want to may also be true but is kind of misleading, potentially inaccurate, because without the weird orchestral motif and awkward self-reflection that seems obsessed with his own career, NF is just Macklemore... and I doubt you even know or care he released a new album this month. It’s particularly frustrating given that this is a great beat, with the plosive percussion fitting NF’s aggressive, over-the-top delivery, but he continues to be completely lacking in self-awareness for a guy who raps solely about himself. I like what he’s saying about independence in the industry and the decreasing value of music, but if he has to say “no hate”, he ends up coming off as really irrational and defensive, which I don’t think was intentional by the anthemic chorus and boom-bap production. At some point, he’s just straight-up classist, somehow using the logic that someone who is unemployed can be on their high horse when talking to self-made millionaire “Christian rapper” NF. One point I do enjoy is when he speaks about the music industry, and as someone who follows charts, I kind of like when the charts get all meta on me – as they will continue to do later on for some reason – and the fact that he points out that in showbiz, it’s not about how big you are, it’s about how big you seem, is a great point and the distinguishing line between fame and success becomes starker in the streaming era. Speaking of someone who exemplifies that...

#72 – “Last Night” – Morgan Wallen

Produced by Joey Moi and Charlie Handsome

If you’re in the UK and you’re not a music nerd, you probably don’t know who Morgan Wallen is, but the guy sells millions stateside and I suppose his latest #1 hit in the US is now a vaguely viral hit in the UK. Ironically enough, I did say a couple weeks ago that I’m glad Luke Combs is the country crossover of choice for the UK instead of Morgan Wallen but to be completely honest, I don’t mind much of Wallen’s output considering that my taste in country is genuinely terrible and country-trap does not bother me nearly as much as anyone else. His more organic material also has a lot of heart to it, but I can never bring myself to listen to a full album, especially if they’re going to be 36 tracks long. The biggest of those 36 however is a song I actually like quite a bit, even if I’m pretty aware that it isn’t that unique. It’s a pretty solid pop song though, and that’s what matters: the guitars are clean, Wallen’s rasp adds a slight gruffness but still meshes, and the cheesy punchline of the “last night” title feels like a joke he and his writers wanted to get out for ages, especially with how long it takes for the bass and percussion to fully kick in. It’s a slick, fun slow burn which doesn’t particularly do anything interesting with its toxic relationship concept but given Wallen’s charisma, the great production from Joey Moi (who is usually NOT a great producer for pop-country) and how damned infectious it is, it’s kind of hard to be all that disappointed. If more country charts, you’ll see how much I go to bat for horrific pop-country, but for now, I feel like I can justify this one, right?

#60 – “Trance” – Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Young Thug

Produced by Metro Boomin, Allen Ritter and Peter Lee Johnson

So this is an oddball – months after the album was released, a stray album cut that didn’t pose of much interest at first ends up charting. Now part of me thinks this has to do with the fact that Drake was supposed to be featured on the track, but was cut last minute, and his verse leaked and made the track go a bit viral. It does sound like a beat Drake would hop on too, which has me kind of conflicted about the song as a whole. I love what Metro did with this beat, as the synth bass rubs against the drying pool of eerie synths, providing some genuine intensity with the deeper bass and more electronic production, and the distortion added to Travis’ vocals during that first intro verse further adds to the atmosphere. With that said, Metro then returns to a trap beat that of course is good – it’s Metro – but it’s particularly standard when it had such an interesting foundation, and Travis as always is particularly boring on it, not even finishing his bars and basically mumbling a repetitious reference vocal instead of going back and adding in some grain of substance. I’m asking for at least one interesting lyrical decision or funny punchline, Travis, especially if you’re going to be such a drone. Thugger brings a lot more melodic variation and his rasp adds much more depth to his verse, with him giving the beat just enough space to develop strings under him. Sure, there’s not much in the content but his vocal riffing is really compelling against the pulsating bass and his harmonies with Travis develop into a great neo-psychedelic bridge, which seems like it’s going somewhere with the violins that vaguely crash against the otherwise streamlined production whilst also preparing some orchestral swell... before it just stops, and even with that build-up Travis just rambles over it. It’s a really promising song with good elements, but it’s also pressed right up against “Around Me” with Don Toliver in the tracklisting which goes for the same bassy, eerie intensity and is much more successful, whilst not rejecting any of Metro’s typical trap beats. It’s honestly fascinating how “Around Me” isn’t the hit – it’s even catchier, partly because “Trance” doesn’t even have a chorus. I doubt this will last that long in the charts but I’m just frustrated with the promise this track shows and fails to realise, and yes, mostly because of Travis Scott.

#48 – “1 on 1” – D-Block Europe

Produced by Dirtbike LB

Huh, I didn’t know Dirtbike LB was a producer. This is the newest loosie from DBE, a UK rap duo I find increasingly tiring with the sheer amount they release, especially given they’re not exactly as comical as they used to be, probably because that was never truly on purpose. Once again, it’s a lot of flexing, crime and girls, but Young Adz sounds particularly... broken here. Like, he’s malfunctioning. To be fair, the beat is a bizarrely-mastered clash of guitars and flutes, but it’s not unsalvageable, he’s just interrupting his own bars with exclamations and adding echoing ad-libs that make his nonsensical flow even more slippery and incoherent. Typically, Adz is the more understandable one, but Dirtbike... kind of freaking kills this. This is what I was saying when I said the beat isn’t unsalvageable: Dirtbike doesn’t sacrifice any of the dejected melody he usually brings when he amps up the energy and intensity just a tad for a fast-paced, great flow that plays with the beat and seems pretty singular. I really want to hear Dirtbike go this hard more often, even if there’s little wordplay or interesting conceits, there’s a cohesion to the flexing due to a repeated lyric opener, it makes his busy life of decadence actually sound both busy and enjoyable – it’s about as good as a verse on a DBE song should be. It’s a shame that the rest of the song just doesn’t live up.

#42 – “Mother” – Meghan Trainor

Produced by Gian Stone and Justin Trainor

So, Meghan Trainor seems to actively be trying to release the worst song she can possibly create, featuring a Goddamn Kardashian cameo in the video which just reeks of... pre-pandemic. I suppose this must be in solidarity with the UK, so that our Eurovision entry this year – which we will get to – sounds like “Bohemian Rhapsody” in comparison, with Ivor Novello-level lyrics. Thank you, Meghan Trainor, for having the interests of the British public in your heart. We appreciate it. On “Mother” itself... I have no further comment.

#35 – “Home for My Heart” – ArrDee and Cat Burns

Produced by Jake Gosling, LiTek, WhYJay and AoD

Ah, the Nelly and Kelly Rowland of 2023 London. I actually could be snarky about this being a useless sappy pop-rap throwaway but I think this is a decent, homely feeling song with a slick albeit uninteresting acoustic guitar lick and an interesting dichotomy between Cat Burns’ exhausted, soulful hook and ArrDee’s stoic voice that delivers some honest bars on a beat that has some vague Afrobeats influences but with all the layers of streaming-service-nothingness in the chorus, it feels more like one of those classic “thugs need love too” tracks. With that said, lyrically, it’s actually a vast improvement over them, as whilst Cat Burns’ parts are written like a love song, the mantra of “Please don’t give up on us” may actually refer to a general motive of self-improvement, as ArrDee’s verses are all about struggling to find the ever-coveted “me time”, something that I can definitely resonate with and I love how the verses recontextualise the hook like that, even if it’s not fully intentional. Like Morgan Wallen before them, this is not a particularly interesting song when it comes to how it sounds and the topics it tackles, but it does it pretty well in my opinion and services as a pop song I can appreciate. That is not the case for our next track.

#30 – “I Wrote a Song” – Mae Muller

Produced by Alfred Parx and Lewis Thompson

Eurovision season will be in full effect soon, and it’s in Liverpool this year so there’s a lot of hype behind the UK’s entry to the annual Song Contest. Personally, I think I’d give it nul points: the meta conceit isn’t bad, with Muller writing a cathartic song in response to a breakup instead of acting irrational and unproductive. At no point is it shown that it’s also very much okay to do that as well, which falls out of line with the fact that Muller criticises this guy for covering up his cheating with his mental health issues. Oh, and the song she wrote was utter garbage: the cheap bubbly synths sound straight out of 2014, the melodies are as non-descript and easy as possible and it relies on cheap vocalisations that are deathly annoying. The production adds random vocal and acoustic guitar riffs to make its vaguely tropical sound seem anything but radio fluff, but fails since the chorus is watered down and lacks any punch, and the compressed mix seems like it’s actively against you trying to distinguish instruments from each other. Her vocals are nondescript when they’re not irritating, and the bridge is a cheap, ugly switch-up with an awful mix and absolutely no payoff. Given our performance last year, you’d think we’d try and step it up because for once, we have something to lose, but alas, maybe we should sink the island and try participating in the underwater song contest. Hey, it’s a 50/50 chance: the only other contestant would be the Maldives.

#27 – “Jaded” – Miley Cyrus

Produced by Greg Kurstin

So, Miley released her new album, Endless Summer Vacation and whilst nothing from it is smashing as hard as “Flowers”, it got her the #1 record in the country and we have two debuts from it here. I wasn’t a fan of the big #1 so I didn’t have high hopes but I actually love this. The synths and watery bedroom pop guitars cascade over the lackadaisical groove as Miley coats her nostalgia about this past relationship with a regret that is a real shame, especially since she’s aware that they’ve grown, both apart but also as people, yet they still can’t make things work. There’s a lot of frustration that comes with that feeling, which explains the way the drums stumble over each other in the pre-chorus and how forceful her delivery of the chorus is. I just love the synthwork too, and especially Miley’s delivery: her rasp gives the impression that she’s just as jaded, and makes the incompatibility just that more frustrating given that they’re kind of in the same place. Her voice is rich and impassioned, and the way the chorus just shatters through mix like crystal on those second and final choruses hit like a brick. I do think the jealous bridge is a tad clunky, but it’s worth it for that crashing final chorus, full of great backing vocal riffs and an instrumental that sounded way more organic than where we started. The synths sound much more rubbery and prominent in that first chorus but by the end, it sounds a lot more natural, almost like she’s willing to just suck it up and accept what’s lost is lost. I know it’s not the single, but this is an excellent track. Please give it a try if you have yet to hear the album.

#19 – “Energy” – Digga D

Produced by X10 and HARGO

Welp, we’re back to Digga D releasing, and I didn’t realise how exhaustingly dull I found his brand of drill until he came back and released a song with yet another great beat – or at least great idea for a beat, as the vintage chipmunk soul sample sours on me as the song goes on to do... very little of anything to change and keep interesting – but ruined by Digga D, who is just boring. He constantly stops the beat for out-of-place ad-libs, and whilst he brings much more energy than say, Central Cee, he is void of charisma and just ends up unlikeable in all his flexing and posturing. The flow in the second verse is pretty good, I’ll admit: in fact, I like the verse quite a bit, but that momentum just doesn’t carry into the final chorus, and he doesn’t deliver upon some of the promising ideas proposed, like questioning his relationship with God and faith as a whole due to the crimes he’s committed. Come on, man, the thesis is right there and this is the beat to deliver that kind of content: just go for it, man. Maybe he’s writing from the heart on his album tracks, but as for now, this is just another underwhelming single and it’s a shame because there is a lot here that could result in something great.

#16 – “River” – Miley Cyrus

Produced by Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson

This is the track that got the single push and the music video – does it deserve the push over “Jaded”? Well, the glassy synths sound particularly cheaper here, and when placed against the rubbery bass, it reminds me of electroclash in a way that I really did not expect from an older Miley, if I’m honest. It doesn’t necessarily fall flat with the Space Invaders synths bleeping in the background of the chorus and Miley’s sing-songy half-spoken melody, but it’s also not particularly sexy for a sex song. The whole “river” metaphor is a well run dry – pun very much intended – and the mix feels pretty awkward in the way that it tries to balance Miley’s layers of vocal effects over a beat that really should sound grimier. The main crime, however, may be the fact that such a weird song gives me so little to talk about, and it definitely does not sound like the second single from a smash album. That’s all I have on this one.

#3 – “Miracle” – Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding

Produced by Calvin Harris and BURNS

You know, even with a weak chart, I did not expect the hype for a new Calvin Harris track to be this high. After all, his disco efforts were met with underwhelming results, and Ellie Goulding hasn’t had a hit of her own in years, so this collaboration being as immediate of a smash as it was kind of took me aback. I do like that Harris can experiment now and step his foot into different passions for both singles and albums markets, even if the British public clearly prefers one over the other, and with BURNS on co-production, I think I’m predisposed to as well. Ellie Goulding sings about a relationship that gives her a heavenly euphoria and begs her partner to take the chance to go further, and I could not think of a better instrumental for that young-love energy, as spiralling keys and synths surround her cooing. Once she gets into her falsetto, the plummeting hardcore bass arrives and picks up the pace, allowing for the rickety drums to clash through. Instead of a drop after that, though, we get an – admittedly cheap but charmingly so – piano breakdown that then builds itself up through a simple emotional force. It’s a basic piano melody that then hides itself back under the catchy hardcore beat for another verse, until her falsetto once again rubs itself against a deeper bass fuzz, except this time the escalation is immediate and grandiose, with fluttering percussion reflecting their accelerating heartbeats. It never fully locks into a groove either, because their love going further, whilst possible, is still a “miracle” – only starting to feel real. My only real complaint is that it fades out for radio purposes, when I want to hear this go further and further because it deserves an even higher level of detail, I want to hear this narrative pushed through, I want to hear what happens next, and that’s the most frustrating thing. Maybe a remix will give me more closure, but an extended edit would be great, or even just hearing how this is used in a DJ mix. The fact that Calvin Harris and BURNS have me gripped into the sonic theming of this track should be telling of how well they’ve constructed it though, and if Harris is going to briefly dip back into EDM tunes, I absolutely want to hear more where this came from.

Conclusion

With all that said, I think Best of the Week goes to Miley Cyrus for “Jaded”, and whilst I like the songs from Morgan Wallen, ArrDee and even Metro Boomin partly, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding are on another level with “Miracle” which is just edged out for the Honourable Mention. The worst song this week clearly is “Mother” by Meghan Trainor, which is handed the Worst of the Week fully with no hesitation, but again, she’s in healthy competition with our Dishonourable Mention, which goes to “I Wrote a Song” by Mae Muller. Again, I appreciate your help, Meghan. We’ll see in the coming weeks how Eurovision affects the chart, but for now, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

[bunnywand]

ok finally managed to watch the last of us, it was rly good!! ^_^

i’ll put my thoughts under a read more in case anyone hasn’t seen it yet, but i think i’ll be tagging these posts “tlou spoilers” if u wanna filter that :p

so the parts directly from the game were adapted v well, and the bits that were expanded were rly well done too, especially the extended prologue!! like even tho i knew what was coming, it was still rly chilling 2 watch 😦

and i appreciate where some of the more.. gameplay teaching/backstory exposition?? sections of the game (like hunting down robert + travelling w/ marlene to ellie) were sorta condensed down and altered so they worked better in tv form?? 🤔

i think the only slight problem i have w/ it was at the end where like, joel’s reaction to killing the soldier seemed to get more focus than ellie revealing she’s immune?? which seemed like an odd choice seeing as ellie’s immunity is such an important plot point?? 😵‍💫 but contrasting joel protecting ellie from the soldier w/ the soldier gunning down sarah was a gr8 little addition, so i don’t mind too much 😳