#greg marsden

[freifraufischer]

Gymcastic and their Friends

I thought it was worth talking a bit about how the Gymcastic white wash of the show’s friends is a broader problem then UCLA and Miss Val but also extends to other people in the gymnastics community that have been “friends of the show” before.

For those unfamiliar, Gymcastic is an artistic gymnastics specific podcast that is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary this month having started up just afte the 2012 Olympic Games.  Originally it was a panel show format hosted by a law librarian named Jessica O’Beirne, over time panelists cycled in and out as is natural for a project lasting this long and today it is primarily Jessica, Spencer Barnes (who also runs the website The Balance Beam Situation) and occasionally contributions from a self taught MAG specialist Kensley Behel.  Jessica was laid off during the pandemic and has moved to making Gymcastic her full time job.  They travel to meets including the Worlds and Olympic Games where they get press credentials and at 2021 Worlds in Japan they made up more than half of all foreign press at the meet (if they call themselves press or journalists depends on if you are criticizing their journalistic standards).

Gymnastics is a small community where everyone knows each other, there are often professional conflicts of interests and have to be friendly with people in order to get information.  An example I’d give is that Tim Daggett owns a gym while being a commentator for NBC and he has several times had athletes on the floor of meets he was commentating.  Nastia Liukin, the other NBC expert commentator is the daughter of one of the most prominent coaches in the US and was commentating through when her father was running the US program and continues to commentate on his athletes with very obvious personal bias.

Gymcastic’s most famous missteps involve the former UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field when a number of her former athletes came forward with stories about her mistreatment of them during the #GymnastAlliance movement following the release of Athlete A.  Jessica’s husband (who works behind the scenes for the show) had co-written Miss Val’s book and Jessica had special access to the UCLA program (even acting as a guest judge at a pre-season exhebition one year).  She handled it badly essentially implying that the gymnasts speaking out against Miss Val were mistaken in their impressions of her.  Though she apologized for the incident the next week many didn’t find the apology sincere and she’s avoided addressing other Miss Val related issues by citing a conflict of interest.  

Now I’d like to highlight two other issues that are pervasive in the show’s coverage.  

1) Precision Choreography (and MyGymJudge).  Precision is a gymnastics consulting firm which provides choreography services, camps, and through a subdivision MyGymJudge provides judging critiques to gymnasts at all levels including elite.  The company is owned by Chellsie Memmel and Nicole Langevin (Langevin also hosts a podcast of her own interviewing gymnastics insiders which I also have opinions about but that’s for another time).  They have heavily sponsored Gymcastic over the years and despite the fact that the show likes to highlight conflicts of interest within USAG has never looked at the tentacles of Precision (which besides being owned by one of the US programs 3 high performance leads also employs one of the others).  They also have, at least to my memory, never given a note before interviews with Memmel or talking about her of her company’s support for the show.

I continue to believe that if Precision Choreography were being run by a figure less popular than Memmel it would draw a great deal of suspicion.  It’s not the most corrupt looking structure in American elite gymnastics on the surface but that’s only because the International Elite Committee exists.

2) The Fairy Tale of Greg Marsden and 1987 Worlds.  Greg Marsden is the now retired long time head coach of the University of Utah team.  Incredibly successful in the early years of college women’s gymnastics and a master at building up a fanbase around the school.  He is also opinionated and a bit of a drama queen and shit stirrer.  And Gymcastic loves him.  

One of the stories they repeat quite frequently (and use to justify telling people that gymnastics in the 1980s was incredibly corrupt) is a story about how Greg Marsden was asked to coach the US women’s team at 1987 Worlds.  As Jessica tells the story he was invited to a party there where he saw judges and federation officials trading scores and was so disgusted with the corruption that he quit and didn’t want to have anything to do with elite gymnastics again.  

Except that’s not what happened even by his own words in 1988 and the only other place besides Gymcastic that you will hear that version is the local Mormon press around the University of Utah.

Marsden quit the job at the US team for a number of bureaucratic and organizational reasons and on his way out the door told the LA Times in the spring of 1988 his version of this story.  He was approached in a bar by a Romanian coach (who denied the incident occurred) who proposed that they swap score assurances.  Score fixing in the 1980s is slightly complicated but essentially if your gymnast might et a 9.5 or a 9.7 the agreement would be to get the upper range of the plausible score.  Marsden says he got the other members of the US delegation to agree (who also denied this to the LA Times) but the scheme fell apart because the US gymnasts falls meant that they couldn’t be plausibly given the agreed upon scores.  They weren’t good enough to plausibly cheat.

Having investigated this in historical documents I suspect that the Romanian coach saw Marsden as a rube, knew the Americans couldn’t possibly get those scores in the first place and got a safety net for his own gymnasts without having to worry about returning the favor.  Not only do we have Marsden’s own words to the LA Times but there were other journalistic accounts of this from the time which conform to this version of events (including an amazing article from Rolling Stone).  

But Marsden is someone who is portrayed as a friend of the show (they occasionally will ask him questions as if they know he’s in the listening audience and can email them later).  His marriage to one of his own gymnasts in the early 1980s is laughed off as being a product of it’s time (and he’s still married to her for the record).  He’ll also be framed in their narratives as an advocate for reform within the NCAA rules, even being given credit for the recent edition of vault lines as something he’s wanted for years, while also being described as skipping the rules meetings in the off season where these things are decided.

I can’t help but feel like in the cases of Miss Val, Memmel, and Marsden there is a certain amount of hero worship on the part of Jessica.  These were people who were huge figures in the sport when she was younger (and at least in Memmel’s case when she was a gymnastics coach briefly) and she is simply incapable of taking a step back and examining the mythology attached to these people. 

But that’s what happens when you decide that feelings are more important than anything else.

[brokehorrorfan]

Westworld’s second season soundtrack is available on vinyl for $60 via Mondo. The score is composed by Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones, Iron Man, Pacific Rim).

The 3xLP album is pressed on 140-gram colored vinyl, limited to 3,000. It’s housed in a tri-fold sleeve with a die-cut outer jacket featuring artwork by Greg Ruth and layout by Alan Hynes.

Westworld's first season soundtrack is available on vinyl now, with the third and fourth seasons to be pressed in January and February, respectively.

[vintagewarhol]

[muchalucha-art]

¡Mucha Lucha! Through the past backwards! Episode 40 - PART 1

Season 3 got off to the best possible start with this episode, which was storyboarded by the great Greg Colton. Working with my outline, Greg pulled put all the stops, even designing Senor Stinky.

As I have mentioned before, the season was supposed to be rebranded 'The Mega Matches', and we were working to this theme for the early episodes in season 3, with the phrase 'Mega' being referenced and turning up in the dialogue quite a lot. The concept gave us a real renewed sense of energy, which is why the first handful of stories are so strong.

It also gave us the confidence to try new things, including leaving our main characters out - Rikochet in this instance - if the story didn't need to service them.

Speaking of which, Jason Marsden debuts as Rikochet and Midcarda, and Dee Bradley Baker is added to the main cast as Senor Stinky.

One of my favorite episodes, backed up with some great animation by Dong Yang studios.

[thefriendlyoldstoryteller]

The Video that inspired me to tell my Storys.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Portrayals of Peter Pan

A while back, in 2021 - in celebration of the 110th anniversary of “Peter Pan” - I posted a list of my favorite portrayals of the villain of the story, Captain Hook. Earlier this year, I updated that same list. I said then that, even as a kid, I always liked Hook more than his nemesis, the titular Peter. While this is true, I do think it’s important to state that, as much as I may love the dastardly pirate Pan battles constantly…this does not mean Peter is a bad character. I think that Peter Pan gets a bad rap a lot nowadays, mostly because, if you read the original book…Peter is kind of a little psychopath. He’s sort of a little tyrant, threatening to kill or banish anybody who doesn’t do what he wants, and refusing to listen to reason when people try to help him or keep him under control. And that’s the entire point: Barrie’s story originally didn’t HAVE Hook. The original idea behind what would become “Peter and Wendy” was that Pan was a representation of both everything good AND everything bad about childhood: he is not necessarily EVIL, but he is stuck perpetually in a state of infantile, underdeveloped youth. He’s brash, cocky, and has a LOT of power that I don’t think even he is fully aware of. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Peter, which actually makes him more fascinating to adults than I think many might realize. Peter’s arc in the story is one of coming to grips with emotions he’s never experienced before, and taking up a kind of responsibility he’s always tried to deny in the past. He’s much more dynamic and more interesting than many people give him credit. I’ve been in a Peter Pan mood lately, so I decided…what the heck? I might as well give a bit of a spotlight to some of my favorite portrayals of the Boy Who Never Grows Up that have come around over the years. (On that note, there has long been a tradition, particularly in stage shows, of women playing Peter, so there will be some ladies included here. Don’t you dare whine about it, they’re absolutely awesome.) Some of these versions stick to the ambiguity of Barrie’s original, while others make Pan either more heroic or more villainous depending on interpretation. There’s a lot of ways you can go with the idea of an eternal child, both idealistic and cynical. So, think Happy Thoughts, everyone, and don’t forget the pixie dust! Here are My Top 15 Favorite Portrayals of Peter Pan!

15. Sandy Duncan, from the Styne-Charlap Musical. (The most famous stage musical version of the story; Duncan first played Peter in a 1979 Revival of the show on Broadway.)

14. Greg Tannahill, from Peter Pan Goes Wrong.

13. Petermon, from Digimon: Ghost Game. (Yeah. Peter Pan as a Digimon. That weirdness speaks for itself.)

12. Mia Farrow, from the 1976 TV Musical.

11. The Version from “Peter and the Starcatchers.” (I’m referring specifically to the books; there is a stage version based on the first book, but I haven’t seen it for various reasons. I love the original books, though. This is probably one of the “nicest” versions of Peter on the list, for lack of a better description.)

10. Robin Williams, from Hook. (Come now, you all knew he had to be here somewhere.)

9. The Version from “Alias, Hook.” (Without going into detail, this really shows how scary a Barrie-accurate Peter can be without much real change.)

8. Charlie Rowe, from SyFy’s Neverland.

7. Betty Bronson, from the 1924 Film.

6. Robbie Kay, from Once Upon a Time. (By far the most evil version of Peter Pan ever made, at least that I've discovered.)

5. Mary Martin, from the Styne-Charlap Musical. (She originated the part on Broadway, starting in 1954.)

4. Cathy Rigby, ALSO from the Styne-Charlap Musical. (She’s been playing the role off and on since the 1970s - no joke, look it up - with her most recent stint being in 2015. She was in her sixties then! Talk about Never Growing Up!)

3. Jason Marsden, from Peter Pan and the Pirates.

2. Jeremy Sumpter, from the 2003 Film.

1. The Disney Version. (Originally played by Bobby Driscoll; this one wins out mostly just because this is the first version I think of when I think of Peter as a character, and because I think the various spin-offs and such have really helped to make him a more likable protagonist over time, while still keeping him true to his established persona.)

[jamesmarsdenfan]

Dead to Me actors Christina Applegate and James Marsden sitting together during the SAG Awards. Photographer Greg Williams. @gregwilliamsphotography.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpK_h03MfhQ/?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU=

[favevoiceactorbracket]

Meet the Competing Voice Actors!

After the preliminaries and days of deliberating, here are you VOICE ACTORS COMPETING! One will take home the spot of Tumblr's Favorite Voice Actor!

A note before they are introduced! If you would like to support any of them send in an ask or make propaganda, any propaganda you make and post yourself should have me tagged! As well using the tags #favevabracket or #favevabracket2023!

And a quick reminder about the two rules that will be staying active!

No harrassment, hate, or vitriol will be tolerated. We are here to celebrate the work of voice actors not tear each other down

This is all for fun! Do not take it super seriously!

Good luck to all of our competitors!

Kirby Morrow

Rob Paulsen

Robbie Daymond

Tiana Camacho

Alex Hirsch

Khoi Dao

Megumi Ogata

Ray Chase

Sungwon Cho

tara strong

Yuri Lowenthal

Alejandro Saab

Billy Kametz

Billy West

bryce papenbrook

Cree Summer

Grey DeLisle-Griffin

Kevin Conroy

Phil Lamar

Zach Aguilar

Zeno Robinson

AJ Michalka

Alex Brightman

Allegra Clark

Ashley Johnson

Christopher R. Sabat

Daws Butler

Eartha Kitt

Erika Harlacher-Stone

Frank Welker

J. Michael Tatum

Jack De Sena

Jason Griffith

JK Simmons

John DiMaggio

June Foray

Kristen Schaal

Mark Hamill

Richard Horvitz

Steve Blum

Tom Kenny

Wendie Malick

Aaron Dismuke

Aaron Paul

Aimee Carrero

Alison Brie

Ami Koshimizu

Angela Bassett

Ashley Ball

ashly burch

Avi Roque

Ayumu Murase

Ben Schwartz, baby!

BETH MAY

bill farmer

Bill Scott

brandon rogers

Caitlin Glass

Casey Kasem

Cassandra Lee Morris

Cecil Baldwin

Christine Cavanaugh

Clark Duke

Colleen Clinkenbeard

Daman Mills

Dan Castellaneta

Dan Provenmire

Dani Chambers

Dante Basco

Dave Fennoy

David Tennant

Deedee Magno Hall

Deven Mack

Doris Grau

Doug Boyd

Dylan Marron

Elizabeth Maxwell

EG Daily

Elijah Wood

Ellen McLain

Eric Vale

Erin Fitzgerald

Josey Montana McCoy

Greg Chun

Gu Jiangshan

Guilherme Briggs (brazilian)

Haley Tju

Harry Shearer

Haruka tomatsu

Helen Gould

Hynden Walch

Jack McBrayer

Jackson Publick

Jaime Lynn Marchi

Jason Griffith

Jason Liebrecht

jason marsden

Jennifer Hale

Jerry Jewell

Jim Cummings

Jim Ward

John Burgmeier

John Swasey

Johnny Yong Bosch

Julie Kavner

Justin Cook

Kaiji Tang

Katey Sagal

Kdin Jenzen

Keith David

Ken Sansom

Kent William

Kevin Brighting

Kevin R Free

Kieran Reagan

Kimberly Brooks

Kimiko glenn

Kyle Igneczi

Kyle McCarley

Laura Bailey

Lauren Tom

Leah Clark

Liam O’Brien

Lorenzo Music

Lucien Dodge

Lucille Bliss

Lydia Mackay

Lydia Nicholas

Maddie Blaustein

Mae Questel

Mae Whitman

Maggie Robertson

Mara Wilson

Mark Oliver

Matthew Mercer

Matthew Zahnzinger

Maurice LaMarche

Max Mittelman

Mel Blanc

Melissa Hutchinson

Michael Adamthwaite

Micheal Sinterniklaas

Mike Judge

Monical rial

Natsuki Hanae

Nicole Tompkins

Olivia Olson

Olivia Wilde

P.M. Seymour

Parker Simmons

Patricia Ja Lee

Patrick Pedraza

Paul Castro Jr

Paul Frees

Penny Parker

Pete Gustin ( i think thats how it's spelled)

Peter Cullen

Phil Harris

Phil Hartman

Ricco Fajardo

Roger Craig Smith

Roz Ryan

Sandra Oh

Sarah Miller-Crews

Sayaka Ohara

Scatman Crothers

Scott Adsit

Scott Mcneil

Stanley Tucci

Stephanie Beatriz

Stephen Merchant

Steve Whitmore

Tabitha st Germain

Takaya Kuroda

Tom Kane

Tress McNeil

Veronica Taylor

Vincent Tong

Will Arnett

Yasuo Yamada

Zach Callison

Bobbie Moyinhan

Josh Brener

Andrew Francis

Brent Millar

Sebastian Todd

Kestin Howard

Lizzy Hofe

Andy Cowley

Todd Haberkorn

Yoshimasa Hosoya

Russi Taylor

[lesbianchemicalplant]

Floigan Bros. Episode 1, also known as simply Floigan Bros. or Floigan Brothers, is an action-adventure video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega. It was released in 2001 only for the Dreamcast. Plot The Floigan Brothers, Moigle (voiced by Frank Welker) and Hoigle (voiced by Jason Marsden), live by themselves in their very own junkyard. Moigle is the larger of the two brothers, and is not controlled by the player. Hoigle, on the other hand, is directly controlled by the player. The two act as opposites; Moigle is larger and dimwitted, while Hoigle is smaller and far more intelligent than his brother. [...] Gameplay [...] the interaction with Hoigle's brother, Moigle, is the highlighted feature of the game. The more badly he is treated, the less friendly and responsive he becomes to the player's commands.[3] The interactions with Moigle include hugging, punching him in the stomach, giving him something to eat and speaking to him.[4] Moigle goes through different emotions depending what happens to him. For instance, Moigle can come in contact with a spider, and will not do anything until his fears are subsided. Alternatively, getting Moigle angry will cause him to become more aggressive, and, in turn, be used for throwing Hoigle to previously unreachable places [...] Development During development, Sega of America president Bernie Stolar said that "Floigan will do for SEGA what Mario did for Nintendo."[4] The game's logo also has the words 'episode 1' on it, implying that it was meant to be the first of a series. This is backed up with an IGN interview with Visual Concepts' Greg Thomas where they repeatedly referred to the game as "the first installment", mentioned "further installments" and specifically in relation to additional episodes they said "Ultimately, we want to make as many of these as we can" and "Each new Floigan Bros. game would have its own storyline".[8]

(via)

[lovelyjamesblog]

From the instagram of Ilaria Urbinati and @wmag: James Marsden was among the celebrities who attended this weekend's Dolce & Gabbana Extravaganza fashion show (July 07-09 2023) that took place in Puglia, Italy. The parade took place in the historic town of Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stylist Ilaria Urbinati. Groomer Dave Stanwell. IWC watch. Clothes: Dolce & Gabbana. Photo by Greg Kessler. Source: https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/dolce-gabbana-alta-moda-celebrity-photos/amp

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 6: Folie a Deux (originally published on October 2, 2023)

AN: And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. We've been building up to this for two years now, but at long last, Steven and Black Rutile finally go head-to-head once again. And this time, there will be nothing holding them back in their fight to the death, except for their own inner demons. Steven refuses to fight and kill for entertainment but deep down, he's resisting the urge to go all out. Meanwhile, Black Rutile is incredibly eager to kill Steven once and for all, but that doesn't stop her from having her own second thoughts about everything. This, I believe, makes their dynamic so well-written, though I might be bragging here since I was the one who created it. But enough stroking my ego, we're officially at the halfway point of Snake Eyes now, so let's begin!

Synopsis: Steven and Black Rutile have their long-awaited rematch. Meanwhile, Nosiop begins his plot for universal conquest.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Grace Rolek as Connie

Jennifer Paz as Lapis

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundr

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Keith David as Pyth

Shirley Millner as Queen Constricta Jormagundr

Henry Rollins as Captain Boa

Neil Flynn as Aescul

Patti LuPone as Yellow Diamond

Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond

Christine Ebersole as White Diamond

Ron Perlman as Inner Steven

Christopher Lloyd as Batsputin Vosania

Anna Akana as Dionna of the Sands

Peter Stormare as Reximillian

--

"Okay ladies, everyone into your cells!" one of the Bismuth guards at Revanche 666 yelled as the Rutile Rebels were ordered to their assigned prison cells in the aftermath of their attempted takeover of Little Homeworld. "This will be your home for as long as it takes for you to change your ways and finally accept that you lost."

"So that's how it is, huh?" Black Rutile muttered as she glumly sat down in her cell and gazed at her feet. Everything she had worked so hard from the moment Steven came out as the so-called son of Pink Diamond was all made entirely pointless once again. And even worse, it wasn't even Steven who ruined her plans this time, but instead his disgusting human friends. That was one of many things she hated about Steven. Despite how toxic he was towards others, Steven always knew how to gather allies, whether they were former enemies he convinced would agree with him or simple-minded creatures he could mold into his slaves.

Of course, Black Rutile wasn't any better, but at least she knew how evil she was and loved it. But now, her love of manipulating others to her whims had been used against her thanks to some choice words by the Crystal Gems to turn her allies' collective backs on her. And now, as she heard her subordinates converse among themselves, Black Rutile had one question to ask herself.

"Is this still worth it?"

--

"Status update on the Diamonds?" a Slytherophidian scientist said to his lab assistant as the pair watched over three massive gems in an equally large containment field meant to house the ginormous Diamonds they would soon reform into.

"Their vitals are normal, Dr. Heller." The female Slytherophidian said, gazing down at a tablet documenting the Diamonds' statistics. "They should return to their normal forms within a few minutes."

"Excellent work, Dr. Mercer." Dr. Heller said before the two scientists turned to find Aescul walking into the laboratory. "Oh, hello Aescul. Need anything?"

"Yes, I'm gonna need you two to leave for a bit so I can have a little privacy with our giant guests here." Aescul stated. "They're gonna need some catching up to do."

"Understood, sir." Dr. Heller said as he and his assistant left Aescul alone in the lab, just as the Diamonds regenerated their forms and found themselves in the containment unit.

"Oh, what happened?" Yellow groaned as she slowly regained consciousness from her fight with the Metals. "Where are those Metals?"

"Where are we? Some kind of laboratory?" Blue asked while looking around and tapping on the glass.

"You are exactly right, my Diamond-y friend," Aescul stated. "Hi, my name's Aescul. I'm a Slytherophidian spy who participated in the surveillance of your people and brought your little friend Steven to your planet. Nice to meet you guys."

"Hello there, Mr. Aescul." White Diamond politely greeted the spy in a somewhat awkward fashion. "Would you mind telling us where we are and why we're here?"

"Oh yeah, that." Aescul nodded. "You took quite a beating against the Metals, and I just wanted to see if you'll be alright in time for Steven's big fight with Black Rutile."

"Whose big fight with what?!" Yellow yelled in shock.

"Oh no, Steven!" Blue added, just as horrified at the decision, while Aescul remained stoic.

"Please, you must tell your masters to change this decision at once!" White begged Aescul on her knees like her life depended on it. "You have no idea how much Black Rutile hates our dear Steven!"

"Sorry, everybody, but rules are rules," Aescul said as he turned to leave. "You know, I can let you go so you're free to watch, ladies. You just need to keep your mouths shut since everybody hates you so much. Remember that cover-up?"

"Yes, we convinced the universe at large that all the planets we conquered were uninhabited to hide the fact that we committed genocide, we know," Yellow stated dryly as the Diamonds were released from their confinement. "I don't think I want to know how Steven would react to such news."

"Probably not well at all." White nodded fearfully while Aescul led them out of the lab. Little did they know was that Steven was having his own issues at the moment.

--

Meanwhile, Steven anxiously paced back and forth in the Crystal Gems' quarters at the Ouraborium as he contemplated what he had heard earlier. Queen Constricta had just announced that Steven and Black Rutile were due to fight soon in the arena, their first one-on-one battle since Black Rutile invaded the beach house while the Gems were in Los Diego. A lot has changed since the two last fought, but one thing that remained a constant was that Black Rutile utterly hated him and wanted every opportunity she got to knock him down a peg.

"Well, well, well, look who's all ready for his big day." Black Rutile declared sarcastically as she entered the room to speak with Steven one last time. "Don't get cold feet, old friend. The Slytherophidians wouldn't like that. Then again, they already hate you as is."

"So, what brings you here?" Steven said tepidly. "Want to gloat some more before we fight?"

"Quit reading my mind!" Black Rutile laughed before offering her archenemy a high-five. "Give me five!" Steven didn't answer, causing Black Rutile to high-five herself instead. "But in addition, I come here to inform you of a new plan I've come up with in cooperation with a new acquaintance I've made here with similar designs for the universe as I."

"Who are you talking about?" Steven asked quietly.

"I am, of course, talking about Prince Nosiop Jormagundr." Black Rutile stated. "You'll get to meet him soon, of course, but for now, to give you an idea of what we have planned." She played a holographic image of a tall, humanoid figure looming over the Crystal Gems and zapping them into poofing before the Gems reformed, looking like they had just emerged from a Kindergarten. "Nosiop and the rest of the royal family have connections with a being known as the Lapidarist that can revert all Gemkind into their base programming." She explained. "Meaning that we won't just force the Crystal Gems into being returned to what they were originally created to do, but the Diamonds and all of your little friends too! And maybe as a bonus, you might fall victim to the Lapidarist's powers too, thanks to you possessing good ol' Pink Diamond's gem."

"I knew you would do something like this to get your way!" Steven screamed angrily. "You're a monster!"

"Oh, I'm a monster. I haven't heard that one before." Black Rutile replied with a cross of her arms and a roll of her eyes. "What are you going to do about it? Shatter me? Oh wait, you can't because you're a pacifist! No, pacifist might be too kind for you. You can't shatter me because you're a coward."

"I am not!" Steven yelled back, only for Black Rutile to shut him up with a finger to his lips.

"Oh sure, try and deny it all you want, but let me make one thing clear." Black Rutile stated. "All of this was your fault. All of your friends were abducted by these snake people all because they've been watching you for months on end, and now they're all going to die because you don't want to fight!"

"But that's the idea." Steven tried to explain himself. "I told the king that I refuse to kill people for the entertainment of others, something I'm sure you would love to do."

"Oh sure, even the king is patting you on the back for your cowardice." Black Rutile sneered as she prepared to leave. "But remember that next we meet, you and the other Crystal Gems will finally learn your place under my heel."

"I'll see you in the ring." Steven said as Black Rutile left the room. Once again, she was plotting her revenge, but this time, her plan would involve transforming all Gems into her slaves, the Crystal Gems included. Steven couldn't stand for this. As much as he wanted to stay true to his guns, Black Rutile needed to be stopped once and for all, no matter what it would take.

"I said I've had enough of your bullying, Black Rutile," Steven yelled as soon as he heard another pair of footsteps approach him. "I'll see you in the ring!"

"I'm not Black Rutile, but I still think we need to talk about her," Greg replied in a firm yet gentle and fatherly tone while sitting beside his son.

"Please don't tell me she convinced you I'm a monster." Steven prayed that his beloved father wouldn't betray him.

"What, no?! I would never think such horrible things about my son!" Greg exclaimed. "Black Rutile's a monster, and your kindness aside, anyone else would've wanted to put her down for good with no remorse."

"Then I don't understand why you're talking to me when you barely know her," Steven responded.

"It would be the logical move, the safest move, the sensible move," Greg added.

"But?" Steven asked.

"It's not the Steven move. You trust people. You give them second chances, and they live up to your expectations the best they can." Greg explained. "I mean, Lapis, Peridot, Jasper, Bismuth, Spinel, the Diamonds, White Topaz, they all wanted you dead or out of the way, yet you believed they deserved a chance anyways."

"And here comes Black Rutile to refuse a second chance and live up to how evil she can be." Steven muttered disdainfully.

"No one can deny all the horrible things she did." Greg agreed with his half-human son. "I mean, she formed an entire terrorist organization to get revenge on you AND tried to destroy or conquer Earth multiple times!"

"But now she and Nosiop are plotting to reset the entire Gem race and use them to conquer the universe!" Steven exclaimed.

"True. And if I had your powers, I'd use them to take her down if I had no other option." Greg shook his head in agreement. "But I never thought I'd live to see you consider doing the same. You always find a way."

"Not this time." Steven declared as he got off the couch. "I've had to do a lot of growing up ever since I discovered my powers."

"And you did pretty great despite all you endured." Greg smiled pridefully, remembering all the ups and downs he and his son went through together as Steven grew up.

"For a while. But then I kept letting her get in my head and making me live up to her expectations. It's because of her that I had to leave everyone behind!" Steven exclaimed angrily, only for Greg to not answer him. "Aren't you going to argue with me?"

"Not when you're right, Schtu-ball," Greg replied somberly, knowing what Steven would do next.

"I've had fun, but I knew that when the situation gets serious, so would I!" Steven added.

"I'm not gonna argue with you, Steven," Greg said, not wanting to get into a fight with Steven. "I just wanted to make sure you really thought about this."

"I have, Dad. I'm sorry about what I'm going to do to Black Rutile; I really am." Steven replied firmly as he turned around and prepared to leave for the arena, his eyes briefly glowing a faint pink. "But I'm not a bright-eyed little kid singing songs about ice cream anymore. Playtime's over."

--

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, you've been waiting for this fight for ages now, but at long last, the moment has arrived!" King Cobralan announced to his cheering audience. "In this corner, you know him; you absolutely hate him, Steven Universe!"

As Steven marched out into the arena, he was met with booing and insults from the Slytherophidians, who were eager to see him killed in action. At the same time, the Crystal Gems could only watch helplessly as their human son was forced to fight against his will.

"Please do your best, Steven." Pearl silently prayed for Steven's survival.

"What are the odds of him making out of this alive, Garnet?" Amethyst asked the fusion.

"I'm calculating a 32.33% chance of Steven making this out with perfect mental health," Garnet replied, lowering her shades. "Repeating, of course."

"Well, that's better than he usually does," Jasper added.

"And in this corner, the Striking Shadow of the Rebellion, the leader of the Rutile Rebels, the little Rutile that could, the most wanted criminal known to Gemkind, BLAAAAACK RUTIIIILE!" The Slytherophidians celebrated Black Rutile's introduction, a stark contrast to how Steven was received, as Black Rutile strutted into the arena with her sword over her shoulder.

"You know what shall happen once I win this, right?" Black Rutile snidely asked Steven as she drew her sword. "You shall die, and there will be much rejoicing." To emphasize her point, Aquamarine and Eyeball gave a dry "Yay." from afar.

"I know, but I'm willing to try." Steven said as he nervously summoned his shield to defend himself as Black Rutile furiously charged at her archenemy and tried to stab him with her sword. Throughout the first part of the fight, Steven mainly defended himself with the shield from Black Rutile's attacks, all while she vented her frustrations and insecurities on him.

"Haha, you're just blocking!" Black Rutile laughed. "Typical Steven, never once raising a fist even if his life depended on it! You're just like your mother, just as weak and pathetic a brat as she was!"

"Seriously, pressing the mother button again?!" Steven yelled before he finally decided to throw a punch, but Black Rutile effortlessly caught it and threw him to the ground.

"Oh, what's the matter, little boy?" Black Rutile taunted. "Going to cry? Maybe soil yourself in front of hundreds?"

"So this is going to be our battle?" Steven muttered frustratedly. "Just you making speech after speech in between insulting me? Trust me, if I wanted to hear someone talk about themselves all day, I'd spend time with Peridot or Jasper."

"You know I can hear you, Steven!" Peridot yelled in offense before Jasper pushed her away.

"Come on, Steven, destroy her!" Jasper ordered Steven.

"No, this isn't just a battle. It's a message." Black Rutile replied while holding back tears of rage and sorrow. "A message about how you ruined countless lives with your worthless pacifism, but none more than mine. Before I met you, I was the ideal servant! Proud, ruthless, ruling by intelligence and charisma alone! Under my gentle guidance, entire armies of Gems made civilizations tremble before the Diamonds' might! But then you came along, a mere human boy from a pathetic little ball of dirt thought long abandoned by the Diamonds, a boy who stripped me of my honor and pride that I built my entire identity upon. It was at your hands that I suffered my greatest defeats and was forced to live life as a commoner after giving up everything I had worked for. You could not begin to imagine the disgrace I felt when I was exposed as a mere victim of White Diamond's sense of humor in front of everyone on your world!"

"But you still don't understand!" Steven exclaimed as he got back up and smacked Black Rutile in the face with his shield, making her tears fly free as she parried another attack and pressed her sword against the shield. "You were this way because the Diamonds gave you everything you could've ever wanted, and you still selfishly wanted more! Has it ever occurred to you that you're more like Pink Diamond than you think?!"

Angered by this accusation, Black Rutile slashed at Steven's shield as she began crying in earnest, something that Steven had never seen her do before, if she could even express such sadness at all. "Don't you dare compare me to that overgrown brat! I had suffered for centuries because of her, and now it's because of you that I lost everything!" she screamed tearfully. "I admired the Diamonds so much, but it's all their fault I'm reduced to a shell of my former self! Why do I have to keep chasing after a damned half-human rat who always knew what to do to ruin my life?! Why do you keep getting so strong and winning at everything, and even be acknowledged by the Diamonds as one of them, but why was I the one always getting pushed aside?! Why can't you just accept me for who I am?!"

Steven couldn't believe what he was seeing. Black Rutile, who had prided herself as a cunning, devious, opportunistic, sociopathic monster, was showing real sadness for the first time ever since they first met each other on that faithful day when she and White Topaz interviewed him for their fake news show. Everyone has seen Black Rutile laugh, but now Steven isn't sure if anyone has ever seen her cry.

However, Black Rutile quickly brushed her tears away and replaced her crestfallen frown with a psychotic grin. "But now, with Nosiop and the Lapidarist by my side, I can start anew with a new army, a new Homeworld to rule, and an entire universe at my fingertips to enslave! That's why I needed to come with you, to seize the opportunity like I always do! The Lapidarist shall free us of these petty attachments we have forged with each other, and I have to say, revenge feels pretty good."

"Not yet." Steven firmly stated as he stood his ground and awaited another attack from his nemesis.

"Too little, too late. Story of our lives, Steven Universe." Black Rutile smirked as her sadness turned into insane laughter as she lunged at Steven, ready to kill him once and for all.

--

"So, is this what Black Rutile is truly like?" Dionna of the Sands asked as she and the other Universal Lords watched the fight between the half-human son of Pink Diamond and the rebellious Rutile below their theater box. "I have only heard stories about her atrocities before now."

"Nay, as someone whose life was threatened by her before, this is utterly new to me." Batsputin added with a curious shake of his head. "Never before have I seen someone pour their heart out this much. Metaphorically, of course."

"It is extraordinary to see a Gem act this way." Reximillian agreed with Batsputin. "Is it normal for one of their race to be this emotional?"

"I'm not too sure." King Cobralan answered fearfully. "I'm afraid that should Steven Universe survive this, there should come a time for him to learn the truth."

"The truth about what, my love?" Queen Constricta asked.

"The truth about the origins of Gems and how they connect to us," Cobralan told his wife, making Constricta realize what her husband was talking about. "Captain Boa, inform our special friend at once."

"It shall be done, sire." Captain Boa said as he slithered away. "And I'll make sure to look for Princess Naja and Pyth as well. No one has seen them lately."

"Don't bother, Captain." Nosiop told Boa as he took a break from silently cheering for Black Rutile to face his uncle. "Naja is just in her room, nothing too serious. As for Pyth, wouldn't you like to know?"

--

While the Contest of Champions was going on, Pyth had retreated into his favorite hidden chambers within the royal family's castle with a torch in hand to search for something he hadn't checked up on in decades. Raising his torch to the wall, the Jormagundrs' royal vizier examined a series of stone wall carvings depicting what could come in the future.

They displayed images depicting what appeared to be figures resembling Steven and Black Rutile fighting each other in the arena, then shaking hands, followed by the two of them facing a large humanoid figure with hair resembling White Diamond's, and then them preparing to fight an even bigger snake creature.

"It is just as the prophecy foretold." Pyth stated ominously. "The sword and the shield shall soon reach an understanding after the shield learns of the sword's true inner self, just in time for Ragnarok."

--

"Dang, Black Rutile is really going all out." Greg muttered in surprise at Black Rutile's emotional outburst. "Never expected her to be that broken."

"She's lying, I just know it!" Connie yelled as she struggled to rush out into the arena and back up Steven against Black Rutile. "Black Rutile would never say something like that; she has to be faking it!"

"Connie, please calm down!" Pearl said while holding Connie back from recklessly charging into battle. "I know you love Steven, but I think he can handle himself here."

"Still, I've never seen Black Rutile like this before." White Topaz added. "I've been working with her for ages, and even I don't think she would get this emotional."

"Maybe it's because of how Steven ruined her life." Aquamarine said as she fluttered into view, with Eyeball, Holly Blue, and Cat's Eye beside her. "Think of it: she is only now venting all of her frustrations because, in this world, violence is both the only question and the answer."

"And the answer is yes!" Eyeball added cheerfully.

"Ugh, these guys." Lapis groaned in disgust. "What'll it take for you just to give up already?"

"In all seriousness, even we're questioning our loyalty to Black Rutile right now." Holly Blue declared. "We're so sick of her complaining about her losing; we almost selected a superior leader to replace her!"

"But unfortunately, Black Rutile and his new friend had to come in and ruin our fun!" Cat's Eye declared dramatically and swooned into Holly Blue's arms. "Now we are well and truly lost!"

"I'll believe it when I see it, drama queen." Jasper scoffed in disbelief as everyone turned back to watch the fight with bated breath. The battle between Steven and Black Rutile had just gotten more intense than ever, escalating from a duel between rivals to a clash of warriors. But who would make it out of this fight alive was left to the viewers.

--

"What's wrong, boyo? Too scared to keep fighting?!" Black Rutile snarled viciously as she threw her bowie knife at Steven's eye, only for him to block it with his shield and accidentally injure a Slytherophidian in the audience. "Oh, I get it; you want to go easy on me because you think I'm just so scared and misunderstood!"

"I know what you're going through, Black Rutile. There was a time when I felt scared and alone, too!" Steven exclaimed as he continued fighting back. "Of course, that was half because you made me feel like everything I did was for nothing!"

"Everything you did was for nothing, you pink brat!" Black Rutile responded as she jumped into the air and tried attacking Steven from behind. However, something began to change within Steven in the seconds before she would land the finishing blow.

"You're really just going to stand there and let her kill you?" a familiar voice in Steven's head asked. "Do you give up? Will you abandon their hope? Can you not feel their desperation?" Steven's eyes lit up in shock as the world around him froze, the only ones moving being himself and a being who looked just like him, only more muscular with pink skin and his hair in a pompadour. "Will evil forever rule the universe? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN?!"

"You again!" Steven yelled at Inner Steven, facing him. "What do you want with me now? What have I forgotten?"

"I'm asking if you've forgotten what it means to stand up for yourself." Inner Steven said, turning Steven around to face Black Rutile, ready to stab him in the back. "Tell me, my friend, are you ready to surrender and let a monster like her claim the victory she craved for so long?"

"But what if she isn't a monster?" Steven asked his darker half. "Fighting her has given me a whole new perspective on Black Rutile as a person. She feels so lost and alone, and it's all my fault. Maybe if she stopped trying to kill me for a minute, maybe we can finally talk things out!"

"Oh please, she's probably lying as always to play with your sympathy." Inner Steven shook his head in disgust before he got an idea. "As a matter of fact, why don't I take the wheel for a bit? I've been wanting some action for a long time now."

"Well, if that's what you want, then by all means," Steven sighed in resignation before stepping away to let Inner Steven take hold. "go get her, tiger."

"You're too kind, my little friend." Inner Steven grinned happily as time resumed to normal, and Black Rutile was about to stab Steven in the back. However, she was quickly met with Steven grabbing her sword by the blade, not caring about the injuries to his hand it would cause, before saying one word in a very deep voice. "FALL!"

Steven's increased volume sent Black Rutile flying back into the arena walls, creating a significant dent in the wall as the Slytherophidians gawked at Steven's sudden change. Not even the two hecklers had any wisecracks to make because of how shocking this was.

"W-what is this?" Black Rutile stuttered in shock at this new development. "Who are you?! Where is Steven?!"

"He's gone." Steven, now under the control of Inner Steven, declared as his body became a pink silhouette with glowing white eyes and a pair of shields in his hands.

"What did you just say?!" Black Rutile shouted. "Answer me!"

"He's GOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!" Steven boomed loud enough to create a shockwave that rocked the Ouraborium and the entire surrounding city, causing everybody inside to fall over from the sudden yell.

"Wait, this is just like when I removed his gem!" White exclaimed hopefully while the other Diamonds trembled in fear. "If this is anything like that time, then Black Rutile is toast!"

"Steven, you can't do that!" Black Rutile yelled angrily. "This victory is mine!" With an angry battle cry, the Rutile charged at Steven with her sword, ready to kill, only to be grabbed by the face and slammed into the ground. "What happened to you, Steven?! Why are you like this? Answer me, blast you!"

"This is what happens when I cut loose and show you how powerful I really am." Steven announced before picking Black Rutile up and throwing her to the sky before zipping towards the airborne Gem with superhuman speed and striking her with everything he's got. "ATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA-OWATTA!"

"Make it stop, make it stop!" Black Rutile screeched as she felt every last bit of hatred Steven had for her with every attack. But no matter how much she wanted to, she could never poof from the amount of damage she was taking, almost as if Steven wanted her to suffer all the pain she wrought upon others.

As Black Rutile landed on the ground in a cloud of dust while Steven descended from the air, the only thing she could do now was plead for mercy. "No more, Steven Universe! Grant me mercy, I beg of you!"

"You, who are without mercy, now plead for it?" Steven scoffed in disgust at Black Rutile's attempted surrender. "I thought you were made of sterner stuff."

"That's what you think!" Black Rutile briefly regained her bravado and drew her sword, but Steven deflected the attack with his twin shields before grabbing the blade and twisting it into a corkscrew shape.

"No need to wonder where your god is, Black Rutile, for he is right here." Steven declared menacingly, his threat sending shivers down the audience's spines. "And he is fresh out of mercy."

"Oh, how cute, he thinks he's a-." Black Rutile chuckled before she realized what Steven was about to do. "OH SHIT!" With another punch to the face, Black Rutile skidded to the ground so hard she was almost buried within Serpentes's surface. As she burst one hand out of the arena's floor to pick herself back up, Steven stepped on her face, and Black Rutile was forced back into the hole.

"This is where you belong, Black Rutile. Under. My. Heel." Steven coldly declared as Black Rutile continued trying to escape. "Had enough yet?"

"You know what? I give up." Black Rutile said, causing Steven to stop stomping on her as she exited the hole and onto her knees. "Go ahead, kill me. Kill me now." Steven was silent, as if he was hesitating to put her down. "DO IT!"

"FINISH HER! FINISH HER! FINISH HER! FINISH HER!" the Slytherophidians chanted as they beckoned the empowered Steven to shatter Black Rutile just as Steven returned to his senses and realized what he had just done.

"No!" Steven boldly declared upon regaining his humanity. "I refuse to kill someone who's already dead inside as is!" The Slytherophidians gasped in shock at Steven's announcement, but unlike the last time something like this happened, where they made him the scourge of Serpentes, they were willing to hear him out this time. "Just look at Black Rutile here. She's lost everything. Her power, her status, even her dignity. Everything she's been through has reduced my opponent into a pathetic shell of her former self, and I do not think shattering her would grant her any kind of sweet release she would be looking for. Why kill her when she's already killed herself?"

"So that's it? You're sparing me?" Black Rutile muttered in disbelief before she immediately grabbed onto his pant leg like an upset child. "Why?! Why can't you shatter me already?! I've ruined your life, turned you against your friends, and turned the whole universe against you! Why can't you just hate me like I do?!"

"Because after hearing you vent your anger," Steven coldly responded. "nobody hates you more than yourself." On that last word, Steven left the humiliated Black Rutile to be gawked at by the shocked snake people like she was some kind of endangered species. Perhaps Steven was right. No one did hate Black Rutile more than herself. And this made her very worried.

"Uh, this was certainly an unexpected end to such an intense fight." King Cobralan announced as he tried to ease the tension thick enough to be cut with the sharpest swords in the universe. "How about we go to halftime then?!" The Slytherophidians all cheered at the suggestion while their fearless leader wiped the sweat off his brow. "Oh geez, I do not want to know how the Lapidarist will hear about this!"

"Hmph, pathetic." Nosiop scoffed in dismay at Black Rutile's meltdown as a pair of Slytherophidian guards took her away. Regardless of her performance, she was still needed for his plan to succeed, but Nosiop knew she would need to be taken off the board soon.

--

Minutes later, Black Rutile was left to wallow in shame in her personal quarters at the Ouraborium, utterly humiliated by her defeat and how Steven refused to kill her no matter how much she begged him to end her suffering. But no matter what she did, Steven refused to cave into the pressure of others and stuck true to his ideals. "I thought this time, just this once, I thought I was gonna get what I was fighting for."

"Hey, Black Rutile, remember me?" White Topaz said as she entered Black Rutile's quarters to comfort her old master despite how much she was abused in the past. "I just thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing. Man, Steven absolutely destroyed you back there, huh?"

"Don't remind me." Black Rutile sulked angrily as she turned away. "The nerve of that boy, thinking I was more like Pink Diamond than I realized, and how nobody hated me more than me. Can you believe him?! Always projecting his own issues onto others!"

"But it's true, you are like Pink Diamond!" White Topaz agreed with Steven's accusations. "You got everything you could ever want, yet you still think that isn't enough, so you decided to become an evil megalomaniac bent on conquering the universe because you think you'd be a much better leader than any of the Diamonds combined."

"Because that's what I built my identity on! Or at least I thought I did." Black Rutile stated. "Until I learned that everything I worked for was because White Diamond found my dreams of greatness funny. I swear on my gem, once I learn more about the Lapidarist, I will restore everything to its proper order, except that only I shall be made leader of all Gemkind!"

"Then you truly are lost." White Topaz declared sadly, having now lost all hope in helping Black Rutile make a change. "Goodbye, my Rutile."

As White Topaz turned away and left Black Rutile behind, her former superior could only cry out for her ex-bodyguard to come back. "Topaz, get back here at once! Topaz!" The doors shut behind White Topaz, leaving Black Rutile alone in her room. "TOPAZ!" She fruitlessly pounded on the door with tears in her eyes, desperately trying to get White Topaz's attention, but to no avail.

What once was a proud, arrogant conqueror with delusions of grandeur was now a broken, lonely shell of her former self. Thus continues the tragic tale of the life of Black Rutile.

--

"What was all that for?!" Steven yelled at Inner Steven in the meantime. "You could've gotten Black Rutile seriously hurt or worse!"

"It's the least she deserves after all she's done to you." Inner Steven firmly retorted while folding his metaphorical arms. "Let's see, lying to you and all your friends, attempting to kill you, gaslighting you into betraying your friends, attempting to destroy the Earth multiple times, shall I go on? Going easy on her just wouldn't be enough if you ask me. Consider yourself lucky you made it out with your mental health intact."

Just then, there was a knock at Steven's door. "We'll settle this later, Inner Me. I think someone wants to see me." Steven said to the personification of his darker impulses as he opened the door to find Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl beside King Cobralan. "Oh hey, guys. Sorry, I got you all worried back there."

"Nah, we're not talking about how you utterly creamed Black Rutile in your fight." Amethyst shook her head morosely.

"We're here because King Cobralan wants to speak with you about something." Garnet added before nodding to Pearl.

"So, Your Majesty, what did you want to say to him?" Pearl asked the Slytherophidian king.

"I wanted to tell Steven that it's time he learns the truth." King Cobralan said forebodingly.

--

In Loving Memory of David McCallum

September 19, 1933 – September 25, 2023

"So many different ways to tell a story, but that's what makes them so interesting. You can never predict how they're going to turn out."

-Professor Paradox, Ben 10 Omniverse: "And Then There Were Ben"

So ends quite possibly the longest chapter of Snake Eyes yet, and how fitting that it's the chapter marking the halfway point. From here on out, Black Rutile has turned into full tragic villain, we get more hints on her big scheme with Nosiop and Pyth, and next time, Steven learns the origins of the Gems we've all been waiting for. And I can assure you, it'll be one of the biggest bomb drops I've written not just for Alternate Future, but for any of my stories in general. See you then.

[freifraufischer]

Fluff Flashback:  “Last Year’s Version of Love Story” the Marsden Marriage.

[Timestamp 9.03]

The CBS coverage of the 1984 NCAA Nationals brings us this Kathy Johnson narrated fluff piece about the marriage between University of Utah’s star gymnast Megan Marsden and the school’s coach Greg Marsden.  At the time there were no rules against this kind of relationship.  Megan talks about how she was concerned about how the team would react and Kathy assures us that it has had no effect at all on the team.  Because of course if you had a problem with the best gymnast on the team and her relationship with the coach that controls your scholarship you are absolutely going to speak up.  One of my favorite parts is when it’s remarked that Megan “eats what she likes and picks her own activities” as if either a coach or a husband having a say in those things would be remotely normal. 

The previous year there was an engagement fluff:

[Timestamp 33.36]

This fluff deals with how they handled the relationship including talking to her parents, to the athletic director and the team before they started dating.

[brokehorrorfan]

Westworld's first season soundtrack is available on vinyl for $60 via Mondo. The score is composed by Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones, Iron Man, Pacific Rim).

The 3xLP album is pressed on 140-gram colored vinyl, limited to 3,000. It's housed in a tri-fold sleeve with a die-cut outer jacket featuring artwork by Greg Ruth and layout by Alan Hynes.

Vinyl pressings of Westworld's second, third, and fourth seasons will be released monthly through February 2024.

[voiceactormarchmadness]

Round 1 Part 1 Master Post

Group 1

a. Grey Delisle Griffin VS Nika Futterman

b. Hank Azaria VS Billy West

c. Rob Paulsen VS Richard Steven Horvitz

d. E.G. Daily VS Kimberly Brooks

e. Ashley Johnson VS Troy Baker

f. Luci Christian VS Caitlin Glass

g. Johnny Yong Bosch VS Monica Rial

h. Jennifer Hale VS Ben Diskin

Group 2

a. Stephanie Beatriz vs Mark Hamill

b. Charles Martinet vs Lorenzo Music

c. John DiMaggio vs Kath Soucie

d. Laura Bailey vs Christine Cavanaugh

e. Liam O'Brien vs Steve Blum

f. Jason Marsden vs Will Friedle

g. Khary Payton vs Greg Cipes

h. Zach Valenti vs Jonny Sims

Group 3

a. Cree Summer vs Tress MacNeille

b. Josh Grelle vs Zeno Robinson

c. Tom Kenny vs Frank Oz

d. Don Messick vs Daws Butler

e. Jeff Bennet vs Kari Wahlgren

f. Frank Welker vs Jim Cummings

g. Yuri Lowenthal vs Greg Ayres

h. Tara Strong vs Kevin Conroy

Group 4

a. Mel Blanc vs June Foray

b. Lauren Tom vs Dee Bradley Baker

c. Phil LaMarr vs Kelly Hu

d. Brina Palenica vs Robbie Daymond

e. Patrick Warburton vs Wendie Malick

f. Wendee Lee vs Stephanie Sheh

g. Maurice LaMarche vs Keith Ferguson

h. Kevin Michael Richardson vs Fred Tatasciore

[residentdormouse]

Here's one of a few asks coming to your inbox for OC Bingo!

This set of questions is in regard to your original WIP, Close to the Vale.

How did you come to choose the title, Close to the Vale?

What is your favourite thing about writing for Faith?

What kind of setting can we expect in this story?

What kind of vibe can we expect this story to give?

Give us a small blurb on each of Faith's main companions!

Give us a spoiler with no context!

🥰🥰 Thank you for the asks! 🥰🥰

(This was a ridiculous help in regards to story building, so thank you so much!)

How did you come to choose the title, Close to the Vale?

A couple reasons for this. The main one being a reference to the ‘vale of tears’ expression. This isn’t exactly a happy place for most of the characters in it. Not anymore. Their lives are painful and full of difficult tests to their will. Their paths are something they must struggle through in order to reach the other side, whatever that other side may be. The second reason is that it's the latin for ‘Farewell’. Another concept that is prevalent in this story, and one of the major sources of their anguish. Third is because I hear Vale and I think ‘Shining Vale’ (show on Starz with Greg Kinnear), and it makes me giggle.

What is your favourite thing about writing for Faith?

I haven’t written too much for her yet, but when I do, I feel it. I start off writing what I personally want to say, and I can sense her voice coming in. Usually some snarky bullshit commentary on what I’ve already typed up, and that’s all it takes. She now has control and she’s damn well saying what she wants to say. And there’s a distinct lack of filter to her that's really fun to play with. No shits are given.

What kind of setting can we expect in this story?

I set the whole of this story in the fictional town of Marsden, Pennsylvania. I wanted to get a mix of city atmosphere, with a realistic chance of being out in nature as well. The specific settings themselves will be a few different bars, mostly all of the dive variety, Faith and Paul’s condo, the Greater Marsden Community College, the nature trail on the outskirts, and [redacted].

What kind of vibe can we expect this story to give?

Overall genre wise, I’m gunning for a supernatural/mystery/suspense vibe. Heavy on the dark, lots of angst, but I’m hoping to sprinkle in a bit of comedy as well. Bittersweet moments will also be pretty common. Have to have highs to make the lows mean something more than just bleak depression. I hope for it to be touching on themes of recovery and found family. But, as I stated above, Faith takes over, and has her own plans. In addition to this, Paul is very heavily influenced by my favorite fictional character (Glen Bateman), and I’ve had him throw me some curves when I was writing fanfiction. So Hell, I may be surprised where this story goes myself.

Give us a small blurb on each of Faith's main companions!

Paul Truitt - Faith’s late fiancé. Before his passing, he was a professor at the community college. Paul was always great at finding the humor in life, and generally gave off a warm inviting presence. Despite this, he still managed to rub people the wrong way. This was of little concern to him, which usually in turn, further exacerbated matters. After his death, colleagues and acquaintances would make passing comments to themselves regarding their lack of surprise at his ultimate fate. When heard, Faith is quick to tell them to go fuck themselves. Miserable pricks.

Zachary Belman - Zach came into town with his husband on a mission to find his missing brother, Adam Belman. Growing up, the pair complimented each other well. One risks, the other plans. Book smarts to street smarts. It was a good dynamic until their parents divorced. While Zach stayed back with his mother in their smaller rural hometown a few hours away, Adam had went with his father into Marsden. The city progressively took over his personality, and pulled them further apart. Over the past year, Zach has been unable to reach him at all, and even with the wedge that had been dividing them and Adam’s tendency to go off the grid, this has gotten to worrisome territory.

Cameron Greene - Zachary’s spouse who accompanied him on his quest. While Zachary has a tendency to see the best in his brother, Cameron likes to stick to the reality. He’ll be the first to offer a helping hand, but damn, you gotta want to get yourself out of the shit first. Adam liked to roll around in it, and he ain’t got time for all that. He does however admit that he likes to watch the dumpster fire, as long as there's no risk of being burnt himself. Or inhaling toxic fumes. He has a lingering suspicion that this trip may be a bit closer to the flame than he would like.

Emma Oaks - Faith’s neighbor across the hall. Part of the city nightlife, but of a more decidedly active variety than Faith’s. Dancing, karaoke, flirting, and drinks. On various occasions, she has tried to get Faith out of the hole she has fallen, but doesn’t exactly know the right lure to use. Maybe there isn’t one. But she tries regardless. Her dog, Sphinx, will occasionally steal Faith’s mail.

Give us a spoiler with no context!

(The wording may change as I get to this section, but the moment it's from would be staying the same in essence.)

Color drained from his face as she spoke, and his mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water. Words struggled to come to him, but he eventually muttered out his question. “Where did you hear that?”

Her words were familiar to him. His words were familiar.

“Where did I hear that? Where the fuck did you hear that?!”

Under the new line of inquiry, his eyes began darting around the room. Couch, chair, window. Anywhere but her. Quickly they moved object to object, only finally coming to a stop at the end table. Hesitantly, he took a few steps towards it, and picked up the picture frame. Shaking hands were amplified as the thin object unmistakably trembled in his grasp.

“From him. Before...”

He didn't need to finish; she knew. But how did he?

[wildlyfamousmusic]

Hello Everyone, and, Really, Had #FinalSpace had a Continuation in Animation or At Least a Radio Dub Later On, I think the Casting Choices for the Assumbled Cast for the Newer Characters and Variety would Actually Consist of:

Zeno Robinson, Wendi Malick, Roger Craig Smith, Fred Tatasciore, Kari Walhgren, Dee Bradley Baker, Grey Delisle Griffin, Khary Pheyton, Erica Lindbeck, Sumanee Montaro, Sarah-Nicole Roble, Kevin Michael Richardson, Cissy Jones, Kelly Hu, Mae Whitman, Troy Baker, Eden Regal, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Cree Summers, Laura Bailey, Rick D Wasserman, Alex Hirsch, Brian Bloom, April Stewart, Nolan North, Travis Willingham, Robin Atkin Downes, Ryan Hurst, Rachel McFarlane, Keston John, Abby Trott, Avi Roque, Mela Lee, Steve Blum, Jimi Piri, Jenny Yokobori, Matthew Rhys, Nika Futterman, Rhys Darby, Hynden Walsh, Kimiko Glenn, Max Mittleman, Kirsten Schaal, Bumper Robinson, Alek Le, Ben Diskin, Anaris Quinones, Kurtwood Smith, Stephen O'Young, JB Blanc, Greg Chun, Imari Williams, Stephen Root, Alan Le, Keith Furgeson, Stephanie Sheh, Kimberly Brooks, Jason Marnocha, Tati Gabrielle, Adam Harrington, Maurie LaMarche, Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, James Matheis III, Barbara Goodson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Sam Reigal, Clancy Brown, Scott Porter, Jonathan Adams, Josh Keaton, Gary Anthony Williams, Danny Trejo, James Arnold Taylor, NPH, Eric Bauza,William Saylers, Beck Bennett, Christian Lenz, Armin Taylor, Jason Mouzukas, Djimon Houndou, Jennifer Hale, Jeffrey Combs, David Kaye, Lauren Tom, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Armin Shimmerman, Andrew Kishino, Carlos Alazraqui, Kaji Taang, Kira Buckland, Faye Mata, Cristina Vee, Deidrech Deider, Henry Winkler, Ana Akana, Amanda Celine Miller, Keith Silverstein, Hoon Lee, Jessica Calvaro, Erik Kimermer, Matthew King, Erica Mendez, Jason Marsden, Sean Astin, Ben Shwartz, Rob Paulson, Patton Oswalt, Lena Haudrey, Trevor Duvall, James Urbaniak, etc.