#i also ran out of weapons and had to go kill a bunch of baddies

[noctomania]

Legend of Zelda: Hunter Gatherer

[gaillol-13]

ITTHIGSS AU

Cartoon encounter

The Thrilling Adventures Of Captoon Underpants. By George Beard and Harold Hutchins

Despite it's old appearance, it was made in 2021 by cartoonists George Beard(20 and 0/5 yrs) and Harold Hutchins(21).

They said that they made the cartoon in memory of their boss, Benjamin Krupp, who was tragically killed in a car accident(?). And despite his grumpy, strict, and sarcastic nature, they did miss him (in the interview they joked that black and white cartoons were played at his high school, despite that he was in his 40s, and technology didn't work like that back in the day). And it was also based off the comic books they made when they were young.

The Cartoon itself was about George and harold (as kids) and a chubby half-naked goofy superhero called Captoon Underpants. The trio go on wacky action packed adventures, stop alot of evil baddies, or just have a bunch of fun. It has a decent amount of potty humour, well-balanced in the adult jokes department, and was a hit for kids (and even some adults) everywhere.

The only unhappy customer was Theodore Murdsly, a rich businessman with a huge company (called Ted corp), and a ego to match. The main reason he found the cartoon unacceptable was that he was a major antagonist and Captoon's rival. And it potrayed him as a selfish, cocky, greedy, perverted (yes, I went there), and lying pig (what pissed him off even more was that George and harold dont regret it one bit, even enjoyed that he was annoyed). When he stated this problem, Harold simply said "Look if you dont like that we made your character so accurate, you don't have to watch it at all."

The viewers laughed their heads off, and no one seemed to cared about Theodore's complaint.

On December 4th, seven criminals who worked for Ted kidnapped George and Harold and took them to the abandoned Jerome Horwitz school (which was also where the two cartoonists got their education) to "end the production".

When people asked how George and harold got out alive, they didn't answer and looked at each other with worry. So the police (along with class S scientist Melvin sneedly, who also went to school there) went to the school to investigate, all the evidence they found was a room with 5 dead bodies (no doubt the criminals) and a small TV.

From what Melvin described, 1 body had their neck twisted off and skinned to the bone, 2 had been hung from handmade nooses (that were, strangely, just a bunch of briefs tied together), another one had the top half of their torso missing (with teeth marks,human teeth marks), and 1 looked like it was crushed by a heavy object. There was no trace of the other 2 criminals. Here's what he said in the interview.

"Do you think George and harold are responsible for these murders?"

"Of course not! Sure, those rusty water pipes are very clever, but they wouldn't kill a human, not even if its self defense!"

"You said one was crushed, can you define exactly how?"

"Actually, it seems that the killer crushed him using...some sort of weapon. *pulls out a small broken piece of the weapon out of his pocket and shows it to the camera* I got a sample of it right here"

"The weapon was made from...grey wood?"

"That's the thing! It has the texture of wood, right?! But-but it feels... *drags finger on sample* wet, like ink, just a little. But it's also static-like!"

"Static-like?"

"Y-yeah, and its definitely solid, but it feels like you can bend it too, sorta like rubber!"

"So...its moist rubber wood that feels like...static?"

"I know I know, it sounds crazy. But thats just how it feels, we ran some tests on it, all the computers (after some errors) could say was that it was "hammer wood". So we can confirm this person used a hammer."

"But you said it was rubbery, so how could this person smash them with it?"

"They must have swung it hard, and judging from this picture... *pulls out a picture of the completly smashed corpse* ...it must have been a pretty big hammer. *chuckles a bit*"

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. Just imagining this guy smashing someone with a hammer probably bigger than his body, while its obviously barbaric and gruesome...it kinda reminds me of the captoon cartoons George and harold make..."

"It does?"

"*Nods* mm hm. *pulls out the picture of 2 criminals hanging* And they also made a noose out of underwear! There was actually a Captoon episode where Captoon kinda did that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, *crosses his legs and smiling* Theodore said to some people something about him winning a contest and gloated that he was gonna win Edith (like that's ever gonna happen), and-"

"Do you know who Edith is in the cartoon?"

"Of course! She's Captoon's love interest, her first appearance was in "Captoon's train troubles", and just like George, Harold, Theodore, and me (yeah, I'm in there too), she's an actual person in real life. And she didn't seem to mind the role those two gave her *leans foward* if you know what I mean. *winks and leans back to his original spot*"

"*chuckles*"

"So anyway. Theodore says that, but what he didn't know was that Captoon heard and saw the whole thing through the window, and boy, did he look pissed! So Captoon tapped the window to get Theodore's attention, then pulls out a bunch of underwear from his utility waistband (one of his powers in unlimited underwear), then ties them into a noose, points at him, then at the noose, and then does the "slit-throut" gesture, all while making direct eye contact with Theodore!"

"Woah...that's kinda dark for a family-friendly cartoon."

"I know!! Captoon didn't even say a word in that moment, but that was CLEARLY a death-threat!!! He had full intentions to KILL that smug rich douchebag!!! I mean, they ARE aware kids are watching these, right?!?! Anyway, my point is whoever killed these criminals are obviously a fan of the cartoon, that would definitely explain why he let George and Harold live. *takes a sip of tea*"

"Heh, your one to talk."

"*spits out tea* NONONONOITSNOTLIKEILIKEITORANYTHING I-*ahem* Its just those two keep bugging me to watch it with them, they really love how their work turns out in the end, and I respect that, a-and I seem to remember what happens in the episodes, heh. *nervous laughter* I think we're getting a bit off track. Back to the murders."

"Right, there were seven criminals who took George and harold, but you found five. What happened to the other two?"

"Oh that's...a great question, we couldn't find them, but... *freezes for a moment* remember that there was also a small TV in the same room as the bodies were?"

"Yes."

"W-well, when I was alone in there, it was on one side of the room, and there was a door to the storage room on the other, it was a big room. I noticed there was blood, coming...o-out of...the TV screen...

"W-was there anything showing on the TV?"

"*shakes head* The TV showed nothing but static on it, but bloods was oozing out of the corners...and...when I got closer...I could hear someone...humming..."

"What?"

"*shivers* The-they were humming the Captoon theme song...I could hear it...and...hands..."

"Wha?"

"I could feel...hands...reaching out toward me...from behind...I could hear the storage room door opening...the breathing...footsteps that repeatedly stopped to tap to the rhythm of the song he was humming...that was the moment I realized the man who killed the criminals was right behind me..."

"Jeez."

"His breathing seemed like it was coming from a radio, scratchy...static-like...but that wasn't the unsettling part..."

"What was?"

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I KNEW one person who breathed like that, it was too familiar...but...It just...couldn't be...he's been deseased for over a year now..."

"Who?"

"... *shakes head* never mind, I think it's time for us to end the interview anyway."

To be continued.......

[m00nslippers]

Jason is a clever bitch and I love him, in RHATO Issue #32

Okay now we’re finally moving Jason closer to the Winick version that I think is most people’s favorite Red hood--it’s not there yet, but we’re seeing the hints. The cleverness, the charm, the unrepentant sass. Oh yes, we are going places, I like what I see.

Let’s dive in here.

Whoever made that post about Jason not even needing a cover story about being dead to revive his identity was kind of prophetic because here his cover is basically, “So I wasn’t actually dead. no more details, that’s it.” Which is pretty dang close.

And I’m not sure how he managed any of this without Bruce or Alfred finding out but that is damn impressive. We know they didn’t know because we see Alfred’s reaction shot to seeing him on TV. If we don’t see him interact with a few of the other Gotham vigilantes, (or at least see a reaction shot of them all like, “What!? Jason?! The guy we had to physically blackmail to attend galas is running a casino with parties every night? That Jason?!) at some point I’m going to be pretty disappointed, to be honest.

Also, as we already knew from the solicitations and previews, Jason is taking over the Iceburg lounge and looking fancy while he does it. I love it. Jason can put on an act with the best of the batboys. Look at this well dressed man! And his hair! He has hair again, praise the Lord, hallelujah!

Completely unrelated note, that reporter has some really fancy cuff earrings or something and I’m jealous.

I’m validated for noticing Suzie Su was behind Jason in the previews. She and her sisters are part of his crew basically. It’s actually nice to see villains/characters return, too often they are just one-shot or one-note baddies but Suzie has been there since New 52 RHATO and she got a bit of humanization in the Annual when we meet her sisters. She’s not just some creepy fat lady that creeps on Jason, she’s a big sister who is trying to do her best for her family and I like that Jason acknowledges that and brings her and her family in on his scheme and even gets them out of the crime business sort-of by giving them mostly legit employment.

The way he has a bunch of ladies following him around kind of reminds me of Dick with the girls from St. Hadrian's a little bit. But they were all super into Dick and these girls don’t seem interested in Jason at all except as like a boss, which I like.

Jason, this is the kind of thing you should ask about! Ugggghh ~

Wingman looked older in the last page of the previous issue for some reason, maybe he’s died his hair or something. So we still don’t know what’s going on with him. I was hoping we’d get something, a hint but we’ve literally got nothing to go on here. I honestly think he has some kind of direct relation to Jason. Either he’s his dad’s mind in a different inmates body, or maybe a lost cousin or brother or something, or has something to do with the future like he came from there. It’s got to be one of those things, nothing else makes sense that I can think of.

LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL BOY! JUST LOOK AT HIM. LOOK AT THOSE EYELASHES AND BLUE EYES AND THAT SMILE.

Anyone would be charmed. I think Jason is too much of an introvert to like this kind of public job exactly, but I also think he’d be good at it. Dick might be better, because he’s just a natural extrovert, but Jason is still up there. He’s a good actor, and he really cares about people so he’d take care of those he’s in charge of. Jason would be a good boss.

“Started from the bottom now we’re here,” that’s a Drake lyric.

Could these guys be bigger dorks?

Notice that Jason didn’t kill the guys that were causing trouble, he had Miggs (his nickname for Miguel) roll them off to the docks in a ball made with his powers and those dorks were totally right, the room he made was pretty gucci. You got taste, Miguel.These weren’t necessarily real bad guys, they were just punks, and Jason might be killing again but he doesn’t just kill any idiot that gets in his way or causes trouble.

Also, technically they might have been right about Night cheating, we don’t actually know how ‘legit’ the Su sisters are playing things.

I’m sort of torn on the way the colorist is depicting Miguel’s powers, like I miss the glowiness a little bit from New 52 Teen Titans. These look a little too much like normal bricks? But technically that might be better for Miguel, they can pass as normal bricks instead of a power when they have to. They looked clear or white before when the guys walked in there so maybe he can control their color/transparency and glowiness? I still would like to see them look glowy though.

A few things about Miguel: I think these panels illustrated pretty well what their dynamic is supposed to be. I know Jason called Bizarro his ‘friend’ but let’s be honest here, Bizarro isn’t Jason’s friend--he’s his little brother.

Jason compares Miguel to Bizarro and I think that’s key, he sees Miguel as like a little brother that he wants to help. He’s got powers that he doesn’t understand and people keep coming after him for them. I think with Miguel and Tim it was closer to a friendship of equals at least as far as Miguel saw. He admired and respected Tim as a leader and how he always seemed to know what to do, but in the end Miguel was older than Tim, he didn’t feel like he could completely lean on him. It looks like Miguel may have latched on to Jason in that way, since he has the bat-authority too and actually is older than him and a genuinely caring guy. And look at my boy Jason! He comforts and accepts him immediately, it’s so sweat.

Goddamn it, Jason is a good older brother! He’s the best freaking older brother, damn Bruce and the whole family’s bat-morals, man! You’re all missing this! He could have this with Tim and Damian and Duke and even Steph and Cass! He would love that! He would be so good at that! It’s a goddamn tragedy, is what it is.

Also it’s interesting how Miguel acknowledges the reboots, so are his powers related to reality-warping or something so he can sense it? Or it could just be more of this suggestion that a lot of people in the DC universe right now have memories from the previous continuity, so like it all kind of happened even if it technically didn’t type of thing. I kind of thought Miguel’s powers were energy projections made with his mind, like psionically, but maybe they are literally creating matter or something? I don’t know. I really need to read more New 52 Teen Titans to understand him and his powers.

And that line, “A loaded weapon in the hands of a confused teenager. What could go wrong?”

Wow, Jason, you really went there. Referenced you’re own crazy head-state when you went after Bruce in Under the Hood.

Jason is so self-deprecating, you guys.

“When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer. “ This is apparently a quote from Die Hard, because of course it is. Jason is literally Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99 confirmed.

Ugh, Lobdell’s version of Bruce is just such an asshole!

First of all, Jason hasn’t ‘betrayed him’ not even once, he was emotionally compromised and broke their agreement because he was acting on those feelings. He made a mistake. And Bruce cared more about his rules than Jason’s intentions or feelings or any of the good will they’d fostered in the last year or two. He acts like Jason sold him out or lied to him, when he never did any of those things.

Also, I don’t think saying, “stay out of Gotham and never come back or I’ll throw down and toss you in Arkham” is another chance, okay? It’s not like Jason got anything out of that deal, it was just Bruce not wanting to go through the trouble of hunting him down outside of Gotham because he straight-up knew that he wouldn’t be able to!

That Pretty Woman reference...

The funny thing is, Jason is more like the character who says that line than Bruce is. Bruce, kicking Jason out of the bat-family, is the one who is making the mistake. He could have had an ally, had say in what Jason did, had some limited control over him if he’d just forgiven him or talked to him at all, but because of his pride now he has none of that.

Now this, this is my shit right here. JASON HAS BRUCE BY THE BALLS. By going public with his identity he’s effectively made himself untouchable by Bruce. He’s got the identity of every Gotham vigilante in his hands, and honestly I really doubt Jason would ever give them up, even out of spite or hatred, he never did before when he could have, (he didn’t tell Hush Bruce’s identity, he just didn’t deny it when Hush figured it out, and we’re not sure if that’s even canon anymore anyway.) but it’s partly Bruce’s own doubt in Jason that is keeping his hands tied! That and the fact that if even one of his kids is outted as a vigilante it really puts the suspicion on him.

But seriously guys. Smart Jason is what Iive for.

God, Jason calling him dad, but only because he’s ‘playing up the act’ of civilian Jason Todd, has got to hurt Bruce. Assuming Lobdell’s version of Bruce has any actual feelings of affection for Jason, otherwise it probably just grates.

Lol, okay, so the situation seems to be that Jason dropped in to the Iceburg lounge to pay Penguin a visit. Cobblepot went, “Oh no! That damned Red Hood is here, hide me!” Ran into his panic room and locked it and Jason was just like, “Well, isn’t this convenient,” and made it so he couldn’t get back out.

And then presumably gangster-rules applied and Jason just got all his businesses because he said they were his and no one wanted to argue? I guess? Lobdell doesn’t give satisfying explanations, you guys. This is a testament to that.

I’m not going to lie though, this is pretty satisfying.

Alright, so I’m really excited for more you guys. This is not a perfect issue, a lot of things are hand waved, Bruce is acting even more out of character than usual, and we still have no dang clue what’s going on with Wingman, but there are definitely things here I like, and i’m looking forward to more.

[lewnatic]

For the D&D asks, 1-20

Oh gosh, okay. This is gonna be long so I’m gonna do it under a cut.

What was your favorite Nat 1 Experience?

I don’t think a lot of my characters have had really funny Nat1 moments, sadly. I will always remember the one when @zhixx​ made a goblin named Spook’em specifically designed to have the least survivability possible. The first time he was downed he rolled a Nat1 on his first death save. The feeling of comedic timing was just beautiful.

Favorite D&D Inside Joke?

“You are a privateer! BUT ON LAHND.”

Favorite Item Your Character received in D&D?

Phailyn was supposed to get a tome to increase his strength, but when his crush said she wanted it, he immediately fucking dropped it so she could have it. So the DM let me sneak off and get a scrying orb we’d passed up earlier. He hasn’t used it yet, but I just like the story behind it.

Ves probably considers Sikrikta to be the best item she’s received has a lot of really expensive shit she’s keeping just because she has bourgie taste. She got a bottle of wine as a gift that would have been 400g if she’d left it unopened. She’s drinking it gradually through the adventure. It’s good, but not quite as good as what she’s used to.

Teeki has a gaudy diamond crown that Bing bought for 300 gold. It does nothing. It is purely cosmetic. She loves it.

Basically I love frivolous shit.

Preferred Animal Companion (if you had any)?

Vesxlit has a familiar, if that counts. He’s a parrot named Brilliant. He talks like a normal human (in a setting where that is definitely not commonplace) and is a member of the Bardic College in the capital city of the nation we’re traveling in.

He’s a posh gentleman who helps Ves sew dresses. They spend 90% of their time arguing because, being a bird, his fashion sense is incredibly bright and garish.

Favorite D&D Battle Encounter?

Every boss fight Skaaren has done is goddamn awesome, tbh. My favorite is the first just because of how scary it was.

Keep in mind, we’re level 1 in Pathfinder, an Oracle (Ves) and a Barbarian (Cato.) We’ve just watched a big hole open up in the ground, and our characters don’t know why, but we’re looking for missing people (including the barbarian’s boyfriend Fabius, he’s important) so we figure hell, this is probably where they’re missing.

We find some of the missing people at the bottom of the hole, but we haven’t found Fabius, so we go deeper in. We find this creepy old woman doing some kinda ritual or something by a pool of water? Barbarian charges in to kill her and save his man, and… kills her very quickly.

Silence. We go to check on Fabius, and we’re not sure if we can safely move him. I’m running out of heals from earlier stuff and I pop my last one on him, and after a while of debating what to do a ton of undead start coming out of the water. Just a goddamn mob. Whatever the hell creepy-lady was doing, we were suddenly way in over our heads. Even if we picked up Fabius and ran, we don’t have a fast way out of this hole. And we start taking damage fast. Including Fabius.

I don’t remember the specifics of the fight. I think that’s a testament to how much we were panicking. I remember feeling the helplessness of being a mage completely out of spell slots frantically trying to hit things with my stupid mace.

And I remember when the fight was over, I stayed down there panicking for several more minutes, trying to determine if Fabius was even alive while the barbarian ran to get the local doctor in a town of which he didn’t even speak the language.

In the end, Fabius was okay, and we both got out of it alive. It was just that sense of dread and fear, that we didn’t know how the DM’s rolls were going or if anything we were trying had any impact. Skaaren has always done a stellar job since of bringing that sense of genuine fear into the game when he wants to, but that first unexpected taste of it was so damn cool.

Favorite D&D NPC Interaction?

Varis Vrynn was my favorite villain. Not because of his fight, or how he fit into the greater lore, but because of how @extravagantshoes​ played him. He was a slimy uppity elf in the city of Galthiel, a city with heavy class divides based on magic ability. Varis was a powerful diviner, and a lot of our party interactions involved everyone in the party trying to piss him off and Varis looking down his nose in disgust at all of us.

Then Cedlanna, our young sorcerer, got a conversation with him alone in his manor, where he wanted to make a deal with her. And she just ripped into him. Cut to the core of his insecurities and how with all of his riches on display, his manor still was incredibly empty–that for all the parties he hosted he was completely alone.

He was doing some really irredeemable things and later tried to kill us all but I still managed to feel kind of sad that we ended up gruesomely killing him.

Dumbest thing You & Your Party Did

Charging through multiple spinning saws comes to mind. Every time I try to sneak around in heavy plate armor also comes to mind.

I feel like I need to make a separate post to discuss just all the impulsive things Cato does. Turning an entire city upside down just for the chance to punch a specific guy in the face was one.

Most Epic thing You & Your Party Did

I might also make a separate post about this, but Cato and Ves convinced a bunch of lizard people that they were their gods.

Basically in this setting, the level 1 baddies generally fought are called Rapia. They’re kobold-esque in design, but they have a faith-based culture and… well, kind of a faith-based biology. Rapia need something to worship, they undergo gradual physiological changes based on the thing they follow. (Say it’s a sea creature, they might get gills.) And if they don’t have something to worship, they literally become sick and presumably die.

We’d fought a few before and looted crap from their caves, including a tiny hammer that we never could have used but the barbarian held onto cuz idk??

We later ran into some others by falling through the roof of their cave, but they didn’t attack us. They started to assume that we were the gods depicted on one of their cave walls. For the sake of brevity, a fight broke out later when we were trying to leave, and Cato gave the hammer to one of the rapia who was helping us escape. It turned out in the DM’s notes, this hammer had significance to the rapia, and was supposed to be given to the religious leader of a tribe. And so the entire tribe turned to our side and protected us. And… they started following us.

It was about this time that the DM broke character to tell us he had no plan of this happening, and I guess we just have a tribe of rapia now. And we’ve had the goddamn campaign balanced around having a tribe of rapia ever since.

What did you like about your Campaign’s World?

I’m gonna try to sum these up quickly cuz these stories have already gotten long.

The Ascension world has elements of what I affectionately like to call Pop Fantasy, there’s some genre-awareness while not being parody, and all the work on the pantheon Spi did has been goddamn amazing. I also cannot figure out the overarching mysteries and that is awesome.

Nejj puts a ton into immersing us into the world. I can always very clearly get a feel for the sort of setting he’s putting us in, and I’ve been having a lot of fun with the political intrigue he’s been setting up.

Skaaren’s got the weirdest goddamn races in his setting and I love every single one of them. He’s also packed the setting full of little cultural details, I swear to god he’s done extensive research into what we’re having for breakfast in the morning based on where we’re staying.

What was the most Interesting Lore you Found?

I seriously can’t pick a favorite here so I’m going to give a silly answer, and that’s that acolytes of Ves’s goddess commune with her by getting super high. 

Summarize Your Campaign(s) in a Single Sentence

One for each campaign:A group of weird rebels and one very ordinary guy dismantle the ruling government.Goblins discover crazy politics and necromancy, what happens next will warm your heart.Tourists getting intimate with the horrifying hidden truths of nature

Describe your whole Party Dynamic in a Sentence

The best bunch of weirdos and one stupid shady paladin.Loner rogue becomes Team Mom by sheer force of how much the other two hate each other.Bug Jesus and The Angriest Boy discover family in the form of lizards.

What Alignment do your characters lean towards?

I have a weird time choosing an alignment for characters cuz motivations change a lot for my nerds. Teeki was True Neutral but has become more Chaotic Good. Ves is Lawful Good I guess?? And Phai is a goddamn mess whose alignment has shifted at least thrice since his conception.

How do you tend to Take Notes (if you do)?

Badly! Next question.

Prefer Story/Plot Driven or No Plot/Character-Driven Campaigns?

I tend to prefer plot-driven, but I honestly think elements of both should be implemented in your narrative–occasionally giving breaks from the overarching plot to give the cast some time to dick around can give a breath of fresh air to roleplay.

Combat or Role Play?

Roleplay, of course. I actually used to think I hated D&D combat. It took a lot of great sessions to make me realize that the RP doesn’t stop for combat, and that’s when I started really getting into learning and enjoying mechanics elements.

Favorite D&D Monster/Creature?

Illithid. I would love to actually play as one someday.

Magic User or Fighter?

Magic is more engaging to me, personally, but I like both.

Preferred Weapon/Spell in D&D?

Tasha’s Hideous Laughter. In large part because of how it’s roleplayed in Critical Role tbh. I also have felt the high of Sneak Attack enough times to really love it now.

What was your Favorite Nat 20 Experience?

One time I rolled a Nat20 perception while we were on the road and it was literally just to find a coin on the ground. That might always be my favorite. 

[aion-rsa]

Krypton Season 2: Every Superman and DC Comics Easter Egg

https://ift.tt/2YNXJiQ

Is there another show as packed with Superman and DC Comics lore as Krypton season 2? If there is, we haven't seen it!

facebook

twitter

tumblr

This article consists of nothing but Krypton season 2 spoilers.

Who would have ever thought that the best DC Comics show on TV would turn out to be a Superman prequel? Well, to be fair, it's either Krypton or the bonkers and bizarrely sweet Doom Patrol. But Krypton managed to avoid nearly every single prequel pitfall in its first season, and then raised the stakes and flipped everything on its head with a reality altering season finale that opened the door to even crazier storytelling in season 2.

Well, Krypton season 2 brought countless opportunities to dive ever deeper into Superman and DC Comics lore. We're here to help keep track of it all. Let's get to work...

Krypton Season 2 Episode 1: Light-Years From Home

Read our review of "Light-Years From Home" here.

- Before we start on this episode, it should be noted that there has been a six month timejump since the season one finale.

- The ceremonial robes Zod is wearing at the start of the episode as he gives his address feel slightly reminiscent of Jor-El’s ��jailer” robes in Superman: The Movie. And while there were similar wardrobe choices in season one, it's always worth pointing out how this show pays tribute to that movie at every chance it gets. 

The fact that now everyone (since the Rankless appear to have been gentrified out of existence) are now prominently wearing their house sigils and have adopted more uniform dress is again reminiscent of Superman: The Movie. The more colorful garb that Kryptonians have adopted in the wake of Zod’s “make Krypton great again” campaign is more reminiscent of how the planet was depicted until roughly the 1980s in the comics (and then again more recently).

- The speech that Zod delivers opens with “my fellow Kryptonians” and references “Kryptonian exceptionalism” as he justifies his imperialistic plan for Krypton...just in case you had any doubt about where this show views the kind of rationalizations that charismatic leaders offer for imperialistic adventuring throughout history.

And just to keep the focus on Zod for a moment, his plan to terraform other planets is reminiscent of his plan in Man of Steel, which itself referred to the imperialistic Kryptonian M.O. of years past. While Krypton isn't in continuity with Man of Steel or the DCEU, it's still a pretty cool connection.

- Adam Strange has taken to a more colorful wardrobe this season, including a red hoodie (which prompts Seg, later in the episode, to point out that “red’s your color!”) Indeed it is, as that’s the dominant color on Adam's costume from the comics.

- The moon of Wegthor was first mentioned in Superman #141 in 1961. It has appeared on film in Man of Steel (which Krypton still has a number of aesthetic similarities to) in Jor-El's era. I'm not gonna spoil it here, but if you click this link and look for the Wegthor entry, you'll get a glimpse of what might be on the way for this moon.

Wegthor never had a space elevator in the comics, but it's pretty neat that the Zod regime was able to whip this up in six months. The miners are extracting an element known as "solarium" which, as far as I can remember, doesn't have any kind of DC Comics counterpart.

- Not only is this the first time we’ve ever seen the surface of Wegthor in live action, this is also to the best of my knowledge the first live action depiction of Brainiac’s homeworld of Colu. It is...surprisingly lush. Also, I defy any future movie version of Brainiac to be half as perfect as Blake Ritson's portrayal and look on this show.

read more - Krypton Season 2: What's Next for Brainiac?

- The Sunstone crystal that Seg is carrying around “contains the energy of a 10 billion year old yellow sun.” For comparison, our actual yellow sun is just under half that many billions of years old.

- Seg saying he’s “got a bad feeling about this” is reminiscent of one of Han Solo's favorite expressions in Star Wars.

- Lobo is here! The character was created by Roger Silfer, Keith Giffen, and Mike DeCarlo in the pages of Omega Men #3 way the hell back in 1983. Initially a somewhat throwaway baddie, Lobo grew to prominence in the pages of Giffen and JM DeMatteis' brilliant Justice League International, before evolving into a full-blown (and beloved) parody of everything that was wrong with comics in the late '80s and early '90s. We have a much more detailed history of Lobo right here. 

The character you're seeing on screen here is a perfect distillation of everything that made Lobo such a sensation when he reached his peak popularity, from dropping trademark phrases like referring to himself as "the Main Man" or his go-to expletive of "frag" (not to be confused with "frak"). Syfy is betting big on the Main Man, as they've already commissioned a Lobo spinoff TV series.

Amusingly, Adam asks Lobo if “the rest of the Kiss Army” are on the way, which is downright hilarious. Fans have also pointed out the similarities to Rob Zombie, who in turn was inspired by Kiss.

Krypton Season 2 Episode 2: Ghost in the Fire

Read our review of "Ghost in the Fire" right here.

- One of the weapons Lobo uses to threaten Seg and Adam appears to be the kind of mace usually favored by Hawkman. We've been promised Thanagarians for a long time on this show, and I think we're due for some kind of Hawkman appearance. I really hope it happens this season.

- Lobo mispronounces Seg-El’s name as “Siegel” which is no coincidence, as Seg is named for Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel.

But since we're talking about Lobo, he rattles off a whole bunch of Lobo-esque facts and history in profane, rapid-fire fashion.

He mentions the Church of the Triple Fish God, which Lobo was indeed the custodian of during DC's excellent 52 weekly series in 2006-2007.

He says his name translates to "he who devours his enemy’s entrails and thoroughly enjoys it," which is straight out of the comics.

He specifically mentions killing his parents, but also makes oblique references to actually having killed the entire Czarnian race with genetically engineered "scorpion rattlers," again...accurate.

- The name "Flamebird" is invoked for the first time this season (it was mentioned as a codeword by Jax-Ur during season one). Flamebird was a superheroic identity adopted by Jimmy Olsen when he would go on crime fighting adventures with Superman in the bottle city of Kandor. Since then, a number of other characters (most Kryptonian in origin) have used the name and costume. But I believe this is the first time the name has ever been associated with a Raoist creation myth. It will be interesting to see if this show ever decides to explore Flamebird as an identity.

- The idea that Kryptonian physiology can adapt to the rigors of the Outlands is cool, and speaks to the overall adaptability of the species. After all, Kryptonians are powerless under a red sun, but under a yellow sun gain "powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men." So this little tidbit of info about how adaptable Kryptonians are seems like a subtle piece of worldbuilding to help explain why Superman is able to do what he does on Earth. It's a nice touch.

- The poor guy that Lyta beats the absolute crap out of is named Lor-Ran according to the credits. Perhaps you, like me, got excited thinking his name was Lor-Van, which would make him a relative of Lara Lor-Van, who would be Seg-El's daughter-in-law, or more succinctly, Superman's mother. But you, like me, would be wrong.

Krypton Season 2 Episode 3: Will to Power

read our review of "Will to Power" here.

- Brainiac's home planet of Colu looks amazing and weird from the outside, as it should. 

- The green/corrupted Fortress as Seg’s "mind palace" to indicate Brainiac's control of him is a nice touch.

- The architecture on Krypton is starting to look more and more like the kinds of structures seen in Superman: The Movie.

Krypton Season 2 Episode 4: Danger Close

read our review of "Danger Close" here.

- During the flashback, Kem is repeating a joke/fable about Rondors that we heard during season one.

- Also, as we see the first meeting between Lyta and Seg, it looks like the binding scarf has House of El colors (ala Val’s costume)

- “A little short to be a Sagitari” is a reference to the first Star Wars movie. When Princess Leia first meets Luke Skywalker he’s wearing a stolen Stormtrooper uniform, and she remarks that he’s “a little short for a Stormtrooper.”

- The silver sheets on Lyta’s bed are reminiscent of the silver sheets on the Fortress of Solitude bed in Superman II. If you go by Superman Returns continuity, that is likely where Superman and Lois’ child was conceived, so perhaps this encounter between Seg and Lyta is where little Dru is conceived. Well...at least that's what I thought until it turned out this Lyta was likely a clone.

- Adam’s anxiety about a version of the future where it appears that time and the universe have just come to a halt makes me wonder if this show will indeed somehow tie into the version of Crisis on Infinite Earths coming to the CW DC shows. It’s extraordinarily unlikely, I’ll admit, but I can’t rule it out completely.

- We see Cor-Vex in a cradle containing shiny red, blue, and yellow blankets, which is once again reminiscent of how baby Kal-El was swaddled in Superman: The Movie.

- They’ve played the whole “Zod is from the future and Superman’s greatest enemy” so chill on this show that when he speaks in familiar turns about the Phantom Zone “that horrific place” it’s easy to forget that he would indeed know.

Krypton Season 2 Episode 5: A Better Yesterday

read our review of "A Better Yesterday" here.

- When Jayna talks about Dru-Zod being unwilling to stop “until everyone kneels before him,” well...you know that this is once again a wonderful reference to Terrence Stamp’s most famous Zod catchphrase.

- It is purely coincidental that Jax-Ur says “whatever it takes” here, and her context is completely different from that of Avengers: Endgame, of course.

Krypton Season 2 Episode 6 Review: In Zod We Trust

read our review of "In Zod We Trust" right here.

- Jax-Ur has been a sympathetic character throughout this series, but with her murder of Lyta, her heel turn is more or less complete. Sure, the character still has redeeming qualities (as do all villains on this show), but now you can see how she eventually ends up exiled to the Phantom Zone and menacing Superman on Earth.

- Kryptonian names in this episode include Tai-Un, Ton-Re, and Taz-Ran. As far as I can tell, none of these are from the comics, although Taz-Ran does call to mind an earlier episode’s Lor-Ran, so perhaps they’re related. It’s also a slight anagram of “Tarzan” who was created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who also created Jon Carter of Mars, a character who had a profound influence on the creation of Adam Strange.

- There’s another, although far more nebulous (and coincidental) connection with one of those names, though. Ton-Re calls to mind the name Tomar-Re, a Green Lantern Corps member who patrolled Space Sector 2813. Tomar-Re wasn’t Kryptonian, but DC felt compelled at one point to explain why the Green Lantern Corps were unable to stop Krypton from exploding. Well, it turns out, they TRIED, and Tomar-Re had planned to stabilize Krypton’s unstable core using, you guessed it, Stellarium, the same mineral that is being mined on Wegthor. Anyway, there’s no actual connection between Ton-Re and Tomar-Re, I just thought that was worth pointing out.

- The Codex plays a major role in this episode, and it was the primary driver of the Man of Steel movie, which this show continues to resemble in little ways, even though they exist in different corners of the DC multiverse.

Krypton Season 2 Episode 7: Zods and Monsters

read our review of "Zods and Monsters" right here.

- Doomsday’s origin story was first told in Superman/Doomsday: Hunter Prey by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding. That was the direct sequel to the famed Death and Return of Superman story, although there, Doomsday’s origin was a little different. Instead of being a Kryptonian undergoing a procedure to produce the perfect soldier, he was a small creature, fired off into an inhospitable environment to be killed over and over again, until, after 30 years, he evolved into Doomsday. 

Here, there are two Kryptonian scientists creating Doomsday. One is named Wedna-El, a name that does indeed have roots in Kryptonian history. Wedna Kil-Gor was the mother of Val-El in the comics, and first appeared in The Krypton Chronicles limited series in 1981, which, of course, has some influence on this show.

The other is Van-Zod, and while as far as I can tell that name has never appeared in the comics, Van is a common Kryptonian name. There was, however, a Van-Zee, a resident of Kandor who adopted the superheroic identity of Nightwing (no, not Dick Grayson).

There are some fun touches with the costumes in these flashback sequences. For starters, they’re both “ancient” and also kind of art-deco sci-fi. There’s a touch of the Flash Gordon serials about their looks, and of course Flash Gordon was a massive influence on Superman in general and Krypton in particular in the early comics. But also, Wedna’s “S” has a hint of the Man of Steel version of the logo about it, as well as a little of the Earth-2 Superman.

But there’s lots going on in the (relative) present of this episode, too...

- Seg’s pep talk to Nyssa is the most Superman-esque moment the character has ever had, and Cameron Cuffe pulls it off brilliantly. You could imagine Kal-El himself pumping up Flash or Green Lantern with something similar, and it’s the inspirational power of the members of House El that count for a lot. The wink he throws in at the end helps, too, a nod to the early Max Fleischer Superman cartoons, the George Reeves TV series, and many comics from Superman’s first 50 years.

- And, of course, we have the “Cor-Vex is now Jor-El” moment, which needs little (if any) explanation. But again, Seg has a big moment, and his speech to the newly named Jor is reminiscent of the one Marlon Brando’s Jor-El gives to baby Kal-El before launching him into space. 

- They even give us a hint of the John Williams theme there. Krypton has been wise not to deploy that too often, but when they do, it matters.

- Seg finally gets to wear the “S” and you can tell Cameron Cuffe relishes it. Nice touch that he has to open his jacket to show it off.

Krypton Season 2 Episode 8: Mercy

read our review of "Mercy" right here.

- The Black Mercy has been teased since the earliest episodes of the show, and is the subject of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ all time classic Superman story “For the Man Who Has Everything.” For more on that story and other Alan Moore Superman tales, click here.

Here, as in that tale, Lyta begins to see through the facade of this “perfect world” and her own anxieties cause it to collapse and escape the Mercy’s influence.

During Lyta’s fantasy, Seg’s white ceremonial gear makes him look an awful lot like Brando’s Jor-El at the beginning of Superman: The Movie.

Incidentally, the Black Mercy was also the subject of an episode of Supergirl, although they didn’t lean into the body horror of it all the way they do here.

- A number of space sectors are rattled off. Sector 2813 is indeed Krypton’s sector (and neighbors are own (2814). Others mentioned include 2683 and 2684, although I believe only 2684 has ever actually been shown in the comics. Don’t forget, kids, it was the Guardians who divided the universe up into sectors, so this show is basically tempting us with some Green Lantern action down the road, and we need to see it.

Krypton Season 2 Episode 9: Blood Moon

read our review of "Blood Moon" right here.

- Doomsday’s utterly R-rated slaughter (not to mention his murder of Kem) feels straight out of the character’s comic book appearances...but bloodier.

- Adam mentions “the only person” who could potentially stop Doomsday. Three guesses who that is.

- And we finally get to see the destruction of Wegthor. It’s impressive that something that has long been a kind of Silver Age Superman trivia answer gets such weighty, dramatic, and effective treatment on TV.

Krypton Season 2 Episode 10: The Alpha and the Omega

read our review of "The Alpha and the Omega" right here.

- Annnd after all those other sectors were mentioned in episode 8, we finally get a shout out to our own home, Sector 2814! Of course, that’s where Brainiac is taking poor, innocent Jor-El...

- Val tells Seg that Kem will be remembered as “Kem-El.” In the comics, well...Kem-L was the creator of the Eradicator, and he wasn’t as nice a guy as our beloved Kem.

- As far as I can tell, all of Adam’s stuff about his home life here is entirely created for this show.

- Seg’s perfectly delivered, “General, would you care to step outside?” is a wonderful homage to one of the all time great Christopher Reeve line deliveries in Superman II.

- Oh, and while we’re talking about Superman movies where General Zod was the villain, you’ll note that Seg had a chance to break Zod’s neck here, but didn’t...unlike a certain OTHER Superman movie…

- Zod being subjected to the Black Mercy he had been using on others feels very much like the end of “For the Man Who Has Everything” which ended with Mongul under its influence, and living out his own fantasies of conquest.

- Adam Strange not only finally gets his jetpack, but gets something resembling his comic book costume!

- Lobo's return would indeed seem to set things up for his solo TV series, or at least for his continued presence on Krypton Season 3 (which as of this writing hasn't been renewed...but it had better be!).

- Nyssa ends up on Rann...and spots winged troops flying overhead, presumably the cause of the carnage she sees. Are those Thanagarians, the Hawkmen who have long been known to go to war with Rann? Or...are they Darkseid’s Parademons? The Omega symbol in blood on the cave wall could speak to the latter.

We wrote about this crazy scenario (and more threads from the finale) in more detail right here.

Spot anything we missed? Let us know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter!

Mike Cecchini is the Editor in Chief of Den of Geek. You can read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @wayoutstuff.

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

facebook

twitter

tumblr

Feature

Books

Mike Cecchini

Aug 14, 2019

DC Entertainment

Krypton

Superman

Krypton Season 2

Lobo

brainiac

from Books https://ift.tt/2Xcm4hm

[melyaliz]

Good bye

Sort of Sequel to Hello 

This is the first part of the end basically. Also, remember when I said stuff get’s sadder... Yeah, I’m not joking. 

“I will follow you like Toy Soldiers” - Toy Soldiers  

I got too excited and just decided to post this tonight

tagging: @royslittleharper @guns-n-lilies @daisyboobear @nightwing-rules @coffee-randomness

We were all young, so young. Filled with dreams and excitement. We thought we could change the world. We thought we were invincible.

Jennifer sighed as she looked around at the large white building. She came here too often. Being a psychiatrist meant going where people needed her. With her specialty being with super powered kids places like this. Places there they locked up powered people, she frequently came to help.

But today she wasn’t here for work.

-------

“Oh, there’s my team, got to go beat the baddie” Turning Dark giggled flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder “See you later Kid Flash” Skipping over to her team Dream rolled her hazel eyes.

“When are you guys just going to fucking make out and get it over with” the dark haired girl asked inspecting one of the many knives she hid under her long dark coat. Jennifer had ofteren wondered how heavey that jacket was considering her teammate always seemed to have an endless suply of sharp things. Their blonde friend let out a gasp dramatically putting her hand over her heart.

“Whatever do you mean Dream!” The pretty blonde girl asked smiling at her own private joke, “It’s all in jest, besides...” she faltered as Artemis walked in “He has his eyes on someone else. Not to mention I’m WAY too good for him”

Jennifer, known as Falcon back then, smiled at her two teammates. The blonde, Dark was endlessly flirting with anyone who would talk to her. However, she had a small place in her heart for the red-haired speedster who had saved her from the mob boss who had tried to use her powers for evil.

Next to her Dream rolled her eyes putting away the last of her weapons. She was a foul-mouthed girl who said it like it was no matter who she was offending. She tended to offend a lot of people.

As Dark ran off to make sure her hair looked good before their mission. Falcom laughed shaking her head “Does she realize your power is directly linked to people’s emotions?” Dream shrugged

“I think she just forgets. Moron.”

----

Those were the days. Filled with laughter and joy. The three of them just helping eachother and learing where they belonged.   

Before the girls Jennifer had never quite felt like she had fit in. She had never good at that hero life. Too connected with the people around her. She cared too much. 

Yet that was how she had met those two.

Dark being brainwashed to kill and Dream pickpocketing to make ends meat.

She had talked the girls into using their powers for good and in return, they taught her how to belong in a world that was just too magical for this mortal girl.

As she walked the halls of this large establishment filled with such people. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. Many of these people locked up behind those steel doors were so dangerous to others that they may never see the light of day again.

While some…

Some were more a danger to themselves than anyone else.

--------

“Did you really just throw your phone at Dinah?” Jennifer asked pure horror written on her face. The rest of the Young Justice members stood in equal shock.

“What? She was pissing me off.” Dark said folding her arms over her chest, “Because of this stupid debriefing we missed the party on the boardwalk.”

“You threw your phone at her because we couldn't go to that party?” Wally asked, “I don’t see why you care it’s just a bunch of jocks and stuff.”

“Maybe it doesn’t matter to you but…”

“You want to be one of those vapid brainless bitches?” Dream said, more of a statement than a question.

“No! I want to go to a real party, with real kids our own age.”

“Well…” Wally paused looking around for a moment, “I could sneak you out.”

“Really!?!” Dark asked

“Sure.”

“Can we?” she turned to her two friends. Falcon shrugged why should she stop the girl? They had the rest of the night off anyway. Besides a little normal fun might be good.

“Sounds like fun.”

“You’re not getting me in any of those fucking slutty outfits you have, but I’m down.”  

----

They were too young. No matter how powerful they had been. They were being exploited for the greater good.

But what had that greater good done? It had left three girl’s lives destroyed.

Some would argue that a girl like Dark could never be anything but a killer with her powers yet Jennifer had seen more. She had seen a girl who just wanted to be normal. Just wanted to go to school with other kids. Go to parties, meet boys, maybe fall in love.

Being with girls like Dark and  Dream who had spent their whole lives running from people who would use her powers made Jennifer realize that there were kids out there who didn’t have the life she had.

A normal life where your biggest concern was passing a test or that your friends would think you were a freak for taking college classes at 12.

While her friends had to worry about whether it was morally right to make someone so happy they give you everything they own.

Or that people would think you were a freak because your best friend was a hound from hell.

-----

He stood there holding her by her hair. Blood dripping from her nose as she looked up with half closed eyes. She was in pain, she was going to die if he kept this up. And Falcon couldn’t do anything about it.

“Please,” she begged, her whole body unable to move after enduring her own beatdown, “you said it was me you wanted.”

He shook his head “You weren’t good enough, none of you were good enough. Honestly, you shouldn’t even be heroes. And here’s why” He pulled out a gun and shoot Dream in the head. No finesse, no second thought. Falcon watched in horror as one of best friends die before her eyes.

He tossed her limp body aside as if it was nothing but a bag of trash he’s eye never wavering from Falcon’s “I always liked guns, quick and to the point. Why waste time goofing around, giving monologs when you can just pull and trigger and be done with it.” He leaned down toward Falcon so close she could smell his breath sour and sickly, “Now go home pretty little one, and know, you were too weak to save your friend.”

-----

She was playing pretend. She thought if she put on a mask and ran with the big kids she could be a hero too. So many times she had been proven wrong. Shown that this wasn’t her life yet she had kept going, kept fighting, kept trying to prove her worth.

Until it didn’t matter anymore.

----

“Where’s Dream?” Wally asked scanning the room as the two girls stood in the Young Justice HQ in stunned silence. Pulling herself together, barely, Falcon pushed her way through them walking up to Kaldur. Taking off her mask she hands it to him. For a moment Aqualad's eyes flicker to Robin who stands in stunned silence.

“I quite,” Jennifer said looking straight into the team leader’s eyes.

“WHAT!” Wally said next to him M’gan took a few steps closer to her reaching out. She knew, she already knew the pain the girl was going through as tears formed in the martian's eyes.

"Falcon?” Robin took a step closer to his friend but she couldn’t face him, she couldn’t face anyone.

“She’s dead… oh, my GOD! She’s dead!” Dark’s voice cut through the confusion. Everyone turned to the blonde. She looked around the room, her eyes so dark they could kill. “That maniac killed her!” darkness swirled around her as the sound of her hellhound let out a snarl curling her ready for a fight. “I’m going to find him and rip his limbs one by one from his body until he’s sorry he killed Dream” as her voice grew deeper and deeper echoing the snarls of her dog, eyes glowing blood red. Dark mist slowly enveloping them, “And not even the pits of hell will save that man from the wrath I will bring down on him.”

“Dark wait...” Wally said yelled running toward her. But even the speedster was too late, she had already disappeared.

It was too much for Jennifer. The world seemed to be tilting, spinning. It felt so warm, suffocating. She was going to throw up.

“Falcom wait!” she heard as she bolted from the room. Everything seemed to be closing in on her. The walls, the floors, she had to get out, get away. She didn't’ even know where she was going until she locked herself in a closet. Falling to the floor clutching her chest as her body racked with sobs.

“Fa… Jennifer? Come out… Jen?” Dick’s voice was saying on the other side of the door, “Please just open up… talk to me”

---

So I quite, it really wasn’t for me. That kind of hero work. I found something else, helping people one at a time. Counseling teen heroes like Gigi and anyone else who isn’t sure how to fit in this world with their powers.

Trying to help kids who suffer like I did.

The way Dark did.

We spend weeks trying to find her. Hunting her down after the death of our friend. But when we found her it was too late.

-----

“I found her” Kid Flash said over the intercom. Falcon turned Robin’s motorcycle toward where he was. While she told them she had quite, given up the costume she had put it on one more time to find her friend. Not giving up until Dark was back to safety.

The sight that greeted them wasn’t one that they had expected. Bodies lay in tatters around the girl. The air was so thick with the smell of blood Jennifer almost gagged. Dark's blonde hair streaked with the sticky crimson blood as she sat in the center of the carnage. She was softly whispering to one of the men stroking his face.

“Oh my god” Kid Flash whispered next to Falcon as he looked over the carnage. It was like something from a nightmare. 

“Stacy?” Falcon asked hoping the sound of her own name would bring her friend back. A flicker, the blonde looked up at her old teammate. However, her blue eyes had a vacant look to them, as if looking right through the brunette as she walked closer.

Falcon’s hand was outstretched as if approaching a wounded animal, unsure what the broken girl in front of her would do. “Stacy?” she asked again, “It’s me… it’s Jen,” slowly she took off her mask.  

“They all die” the girl whispered, “they all die.” She kept whispering over and over again. Her once bright blue eyes were dead to all the world not seeing anything.

“I’m here, Stacy I’m here,” Falcom said gently taking her friend’s hands in her own.

“They all die,” the blonde said again slowly laying her head on Falcon’s chest “my dog, Dream, Falcon,” She turned to Kid Flash, “You…”

------

Jan looked through the small window into the stake white room. Stacy, the once great Dark, sat on the bed. Staring at the white wall opposite from her. Her once bright eyes, always so full of life, were now dead. Jennifer opened the door slowly walking in. “Hey Stacey, how are you doing?”

“They all die,” the pale-haired girl whispered rocking back and forth slightly clutching a small stuffed dog Plastic-Girl had gotten her. Her head slowly turned toward Jen, looking right through her former teammate “They all die”

Somedays Jennifer could get some coherent words out of the girl. Some days she would talk about her food or the sunshine. But some days (most days) were like today, she was stuck in a loop.

Jennifer sat with her for about an hour gently talking to her about how the team was doing and about her life. How her sister had joined the hero world. She was worried for her but she knew her sister had to make her own choices. (Jennifer may have threatened Dick to keep an eye on her.)

Stacy didn’t say much just looking vacant as she rubbed her thumb over the small stuffed dog.

Finally, Jennifer left taking one last look at the stark white room where her friend sat. She helped kids who didn’t have anyone else. Tried to make them feel normal, comfortable in their own skin. Keep them sane in this crazy world.

She did this because there was one girl she could never help.

"Have you gone in?" Jennifer asked glancing at Wally as she left the building. The red haired boy was leaning against the wall of the building tapping the sole of his sneaker against the brick. Letting out a long sigh he shook his head.

"I know it's selfish but I don't want to remember her like that... like how we found her." He laughed scratching the back of his head, "I want to remember her as the girl who threw her phone at Dinah when she had told her to grow up."

Jennifer laughed at the memory, "she told me later she wasn't even that mad, she had just wanted to throw something at someone... see what would happen"

Wally laughed, long and hard. "She was so strange sometimes!"

"Yeah," Jennifer said nodding.

Wally's smile melted slowly as he glanced at the setting sun, it was getting late and Artemis was waiting for him. This was going to be one of his last nights with her before things... changed. Yet here he was, looking back at the past.

"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if we hadn't had her join the team"

Jennifer sighed, "I spend every day trying to never forget."

[beochanpaiseanagustaifeala]

“The Mirror” Part 2 (FEAT Barbara and Patricia StarPants, Miku Hachune, Tako Luka and Lalasa Patel-Slithers)

“What a bunch of baloney.”

???’s POV

De stjal mitt speil.....min dyrebare speil.....de vil betale....

🌹

Barbara’s POV

Last night still haunted me, so I decided to get rid of my cares by having another fun-filled day at the beach with Tricia.....ick, the thoughts still didn’t go away no matter what I did.

I made a sandcastle with Tricia, I swam in the water and found pretty seashells, I even played with a cute crab bu no matter what, I still felt deeply disturbed, it was like I ate a terrible-tasting food with an even worse aftertaste even after brushing my teeth...it was a horrible feeling.

Suddenly, Miku Chibi Hatsune (or as she likes to be called, “Miku Hachune” or simply “Hachune”) came walking over waving her negi with her left hand and holding Tako Luka on a leash, all with that hilarious expression on her face~ this was especially nice since I could use some extra company at this time.

“Howdy, Hachune and Tako!” I greeted with a smile on my face.

“Hello!” Patricia also greeted with a giggle.

“Hiiiii!!” Hachune squeaked, grinning and showing her little fangs.

“Good Morning.” Tako followed with a polite tone.

“How have you been?” I asked the two.

Tako Luka's reply was: “Very happy, Mama-Luka even took me to a cook-out and I got a bunch of delicious tuna....mmmmm...” and Hachune’s went like this: “Eh, nothing much, I’m just happy I don’t have to school for three and a half months~ especially having to attend with pesky Goten always flirting with me!!”

Suddenly I started to cheer up and I couldn’t help but tease Hachune a bit; “Don’t you mean your husbando?”~ naturally, all three me, Patricia and Tako bursted laughing and singing: “Hachune and Goten, sitting in a tree....”, causing Hachune's spirals on her cheeks to start turning red and spinning in anger; in a hushed voice, she firmly warned us: “Don’t you dare.”

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G! here comes love, here comes marriage....” 

*Smack!*

“HERE COMES HACHUNE GONNA SLAP YO FACES!”

*Smack!*  *Smack!*  *Smack!*

“Seriously, what a bunch of baloney.....”

Now, all three of us had our faces buried in the sand, with Tricia and Tako twitching like a pair of dead bugs and me plucking my head out of the ground, looking at my cheek and squealing in fear: “I’ve been branded!” as I immediately grabbed my favorite, heart-shaped compact and powdered all over it.

“Serves you right, no teasing me!” a victorious Hachune told us, laughing.

“Alright, Hachune-chan, you win....” Tricia replied in a weak voice. 

“Hey, I’m thirsty so I’m gonna get a drinks at the concession stand~ anyone wanna come with me?” said Hachune.

“I will!” Tako spoke up and so did me and Tricia with the same perky response.

🌹

Lalasa’s POV

Nothing like another day at the beach, battling baddies for sport but who the monster I was battling today? none other than one from a classic boardwalk arcade, with Ramona Tufflips as my regular of course! “Take that, you bandana-wearing freak!” I roared after winning the final level~ well, I won the game, what to do now? I’ll just play another- woah what the heck is going on over in the waters?.....could it be.....an ACTUAL kraken!? I gotta check this stuff out! good thing I have built-in cameras in my eyes! I ran as fast as I could to the kraken thaaaat started terrorizing the citizens at the beach.

Well, I’m a super robot and since I have gadgets and gizmos a plenty...why not save the day by kicking it’s butt? HERE I COME!

My arms and legs transformed into powerful weapons that let me fly, shoot lasers of freezing emerald fire out of the bottom of my feet and the palms of my hands, activate built-in brass knuckles and claws from my fingers and my toes for some reason, punch and kick super hard and get good grades in gym class.

“Here I come!”

I was basically wrestling with the poor sap at this point~ he's more stubborn than a donkey with his head stuck in a molasses jar but darn it, it’s just so much fun messing him up! sure, I have a bunch of bruises all over me but I wasn't going down yet, I had to get rid of him quick so I lured him farther and farther away from the beach, taunting him and flying in the opposite direction...or at least I tried to since that chum chewer just couldn't stay away from the beach.

“Are toons that appetizing to you?”

Better kick it’s butt some more-”Hey, where are you going!? come back here you punk!”

As I followed him, I found out he wasn’t hungry for just any type of toon....he was hungry for Patricia and Barbara! (guess I wasn’t kidding about him being a chum chewer...technically) now I know what you’re thinking: they’re my worst enemies because they won’t stop messing with my stuff, making me dress all fancy and pretty, tricking me into humiliating myself, ect. so I should be happy the twerps where gonna be eaten, right?

Heck no!

Sure, they’re a couple of spoiled brats but they’re my brats and there’s no way I’m gonna let them get killed out of pettiness~ not on my watch!

🌹Tune in next Monday to see how it ends!🌹

[fathersonholygore]

AMC’s The Walking Dead Season 7, Episode 9: “Rock in the Road” Directed by Greg Nicotero Written by Angela Kang

* For a recap & review of the previous episode, “Hearts Still Beating” – click here * For a recap & review of the next episode, “New Best Friends” – click here Here it is – the mid-season premiere! Open on Alexandria. Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) stands on watch at the top of the gate, everything is dark. He passes time reading the Bible. But it’s getting harder to read, you can tell by the look on his face. Soon he goes back to one of the houses, starts piling canned food into a box and looking through the inventory, most of which is going to The Saviors. He packs what he can into a car, gasses up, then heads out into the night. Is he bringing things to them? No, I think he wants to hide things from them. That could turn things awful tricky. Back at Hilltop things aren’t so easy, either. Gregory (Xander Berkeley) argues with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his people, he isn’t so convinced the group can do what they say and take out Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) or his Saviors. Maggie (Lauren Cohan), Tara (Alanna Masterson), and the rest try convincing Gregory, but he’s simply not buying it. “You‘re either with us or you ain‘t,” Daryl (Norman Reedus) reminds him. After they’ve gotten nowhere with the fearful leader, Enid (Katelyn Nacon) brings a few people to speak with Rick and the group. One woman named Bertie (Karen Ceesay) tells Maggie that they’re willing to fight, long as they’re shown how to fight and defend themselves properly. This is a good turn of events, they don’t need Gregory when the people at Hilltop are ready to be part of the resistance. Jesus (Tom Payne) also says it’s time that the gang meets King Ezekiel (Khary Payton). Yes! They go to the Kingdom – Jesus, Rick, Daryl, as well as Michonne (Danai Gurira), Carl (Chandler Riggs), Tara, Rosita (Christian Serratos) and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green). And there they meet a couple guys on horses, one of whom is Richard (Karl Makinen). It’s amazing to see Rick and the group when they witness the Kingdom. Even better once Morgan (Lennie James) strolls out to see greet them. He tells Rick and Daryl about Carol (Melissa McBride) wanting to be left alone, too. Afterwards they meet the King and Shiva, and it’s a big of a culture shock. Although Rick jumps on in for a chat. He brings up The Saviors, wanting to band together and bring them down. Everybody discusses Negan, his brutality, why he must be stopped. Jesus also chimes in to say that he once thought their deal was something they could all “live with” but that’s all quickly, horribly changed. On top of that we already know Richard doesn’t like The Saviors, he’s on board to get shit done. Ezekiel: “And what plans have you, Rick Grimes of Alexandria?” What comes out is Rick talks about his mother telling him a story when he was a boy, about a road to a kingdom. A little girl and her family went along the road, losing all they had after their wagon hit a rock in the road. The girl, determined never to let the rock hurt another, dug at it until eventually finding a bag of gold. Negan is the rock in the road, and if they’re able to dig him out then at the end of the line is their gold: a world at peace.

Out on his own, Benjamin (Logan Miller) runs into a gun-toting Carol. They talk about general badassery. They also talk about Ezekiel, a little. In this brief exchange, Benjamin instils a tiny smidgen of hope in Carol, somewhere deep down. The fact that this young man still holds hope for mankind, wanting to help others, it sort of goes against everything she’s started believing about the new world. I love that we get a guy like King Ezekiel, too. Because for so long we went from either Rick’s group and their various people, some good and some bad in the end, then there’s The Governor, all those battles, and then it was Terminus, and so on. Once Negan turned it up you start to wonder, if you haven’t read the comics like many of us, if only the big baddies are kicking around. Finally, we get a guy who’s pure, or at least his intentions are of the purest sort. A little later Benjamin actually becomes the voice of reason for the King, in regards to helping the people of Alexandria: “My dad always said that if you‘re asked to be the hero, be a hero.” We find out that Ezekiel has regrets about once sending some of his people into battle, which yielded many dead, many children orphaned. So this is part of why he’s so altruistic at this point in time. He wants to right his wrongs. But Rick has been there, as well. We’ve seen all that. He has demons, he also isn’t a total saint. In the end, Ezekiel won’t agree to help, though offers Daryl asylum from The Saviors. Hmm. Something needs to happen to change the King’s mind. Richard’s on the side of Rick and his friends. That’s not enough. At the moment Daryl’s left at the Kingdom with Rick asking him to try his best on swaying Ezekiel. Over the radio Negan’s voice is heard eulogising Fat Joey. Meanwhile, Rick and Co head onto the highway where they find a bunch of cars blocking the way. They move them with their vehicle while Michonne keeps her eye on the horizon; she spots a strange device. It’s a rope across the road rigged to an explosive device. Now, they’ve got to disarm the thing. Rosita has her hands into the trap’s inner workings, as they hear Negan call out over the radio for men to go searching for Daryl. Following that, Rosita gets the main component of the trap disarmed, and they all go about carefully unwrapping the dynamite and other explosives, watching the road for Saviors or walkers. And sooner than later the undead come shambling from a distance. The group packs up what explosives are in good condition, scrambling to put the cars back in place on the road. A massive horde of zombies works its way up the highway faster than expected, forcing Michonne and Rick into a quick plan. We get one of the coolest zombie killing scenes EVER, as Michonne and Rick use the wire between the cars from the trap to clothesline tons and tons of the walkers before climbing in with the rest of the crew and scooting to safety. Behind them an explosion goes off blasting more meat into the sky. Michonne: “We‘re the ones who live”

Once Rick makes it back to Alexandria they’re greeted by a Saviors convoy. Simon (Steven Ogg) arrives, coy as ever. They’re trying to find Daryl, of course. Simon wants to search the entire place and they go about their business, all the while trashing everything like pigs. The Saviors also come across the empty shelves in the storage garage, the stuff we saw Father Gabriel take in the opener. But they don’t care, not until pickup day. When the group is left on their own again people believe Gabriel ran off with their supplies. But what’s the truth? Rick, Tara, some of them don’t believe he’d do that to them. Turns out they were left a message: BOAT. Mysterious how he knew where Aaron (Ross Marquand) and Rick had gone. So, another journey is at hand. When the crew make out for the boat on the lake they find footprints. They follow them to an old factory in a field where they encounter people with guns, many others with weapons; MANY. But Rick smiles in the face of it all. Literally. A big shit-eating grin. Is it a ‘bring it on’ smile, or a ‘these people can help us’ grin?A great mid-season opener after the break. So many things to look forward to, and lots of character development going on, especially when we get a conversation between Aaron and his partner Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson). We see that everyone has issues, everyone has worries. This will only continue in the next episode “New Best Friends” and I’m excited. The Walking Dead – Season 7, Episode 9: “Rock in the Road” AMC's The Walking Dead Season 7, Episode 9: "Rock in the Road" Directed by Greg Nicotero…