#jason is living in his mysterious era

[nepentheseeker]

Lookism Ending

When the mystery of the two bodies end and Charles Choi is finally defeated, I want lookism to go back to the old lookism era where everyone is being silly and doing dumb shits (like Jacedaichi arc or Seonong goes to Seoul arc) and finally pursuing a career as they'll be an adult.

Yenna will be in kindergarten! maybe Zack will gain enough courage to ask Mira out and he'll become the official best boxer of the world, honestly I want to see them getting married (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠), Zoe will probably ask Daniel out too (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠),Jay won't feel lonely anymore , all of his businesses will be successful(⁠ ⁠´⁠◡⁠‿⁠ゝ⁠◡⁠`⁠), Vin wouldn't be scared to walk outside without his sunglasses and only wear them when it's a sunny day or two avoid unnecessary attraction, I hope he becomes a better person- and will apologise to Duke for what he did. Maybe he'll actually focus on improving his rap lyrics and will eventually become a famous rapper :⁠,⁠-⁠). But will still get his ass beaten by Mary for being rude sometimes. Mary supremacy forever ᕙ⁠(⁠＠⁠°⁠▽⁠°⁠＠⁠)⁠ᕗ. And when he'll retire from the industry, he'd go back to cheongliang and teach Ssireum or maybe he wouldn't become a rapper at all - and would go back to cheongliang right after graduation. Mary would probably go back to Cheongliang after graduation to teach judo and compete in Olympics and win <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠>. Excited to see how Leonn and Vasco ship will sail . BNC will be doing what they're doing but I think Jace will become a private investigator . I can literally see Vasco encouraging him to date people - bro is still traumatized for what happened with him last time (ಥ⁠ ⁠‿⁠ ⁠ಥ)

Honestly I have no idea what'll happen to Crystal.¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Samuel's inferiority complex will be gone and he'd be buddies with Jake, Big Deal will be alright again. Maybe Samuel will help them with an excellent marketing strategy so the girls wouldn't have to work so hard anymore. Maybe he'll join Big Deal again? Who knows. Man , I'd love to see Jake, Samuel, Sinu, Jason, Brad, Jerry , Yeonhui , Luah together being funny af again. Big Deal and its bromance - I miss it so damn much.༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

Johan's condition will be cured by Jinyoung. Maybe not totally but enough to live day to day life better than he ever could. And he'd finally see how much Zack actually cared . He'd meet Mira again but this time only platonic love for her . Yup , he's a man of his words so he'd still take care of Mira forever but! as a friend.

Cause ofc our girl Luah would make him fall . He didn't fell first but definitely fell harder. This two would be so cute (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

Thanks to Jay, Hostel would be fine too . Sally and Warren will finally become official. ( It'll be a great opportunity to tell your non lookism reader friend that Uncle and Big Mama are getting married and you're so happy for them without any context ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ͡⁠°⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯) Amy and Natalie would be in highschool , may Max and Derek's food truck be famous in Gangdong. And Eli will finally master the art of cutting hair (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠) and have his own salon. And as I said earlier, our lil cute princess Yenna would be a kindergartener (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

It'd be sooo wholesome man .

[autisticrosewilson]

Hello to the one blog I've been loving to read for the past few days :) <3

Just wanted to add a little something that I started thinking abt after reading a few of your really cool posts, I think we should also discuss abt how Bruce's argument abt killing (with Jay) are often framed with "you're not the judge, jury & the executioner" which is really telling of who he thinks can exersise this legitimately? ? ?

I think it'd be constructive to actually properly discuss this aspect of Bruce's philosophy too. Plus, we get more nuanced Bruce characterisation. (Also keeping in mind uh... comic book propaganda of the writers and DC themselves)

YES ABSOLUTELY! Like what if someone is given a death sentence by a court of law? Does Bruce still care? I'm sure most writers would tell you no because Bruce has become a cop allegory. He's a violent enforcer of the law, and he seeks to uphold the law. Which is a recent switch! Batman comics used to be more radical, but now they're being written by old white men. So it's another one of those things where you can ignore it for your PERSONAL INTERPRETATION but you can't say that it's not A Thing because it's been like this for at least a decade.

His argument would likely be that everyone deserves a fair trial, that everyone has the right to be seen in court. Something which I do think Jason would agree with because when he's being written well he's not just shooting petty criminals! Jason's stance comes in with the big players, the disgustingly rich or well connected upper class who get away with murder. This has been true since the Garzonas case, the whole point was that Felipe was virtually immune to the law, and Jason couldn't allow that.

I think what it comes down to is whether they believe in reformative justice or punitive Justice, and I can most assuredly say that Batman believes in the latter. You can argue that Bruce is an advocate of prison reform but we don't really have evidence of that. He considers himself a punishment for criminals, he considers himself an equalizer but that's not true because he just delivers criminals into a system that is fundamentally corrupt and unfair. Do you actually think a trial in GOTHAM of all places is going to look at a rich man vs a petty crook the same way? That rarely happens even in real life.

And I don't think that Bruce does what he does out of inherent malice. Bruce is a deeply empathetic person, the core of Bruce Wayne is that he cares. But that's not enough, Bruce was allowed to grow up sheltered and it gave him an intrinsic idealism. He only has a Birdseye view of what the common people go through, that is not enough to stand there and say that he understands . Because he doesn't. He literally can't. And I think this bias, certainly one projected by the writers but that's another issue, comes through the most with Jason and Steph.

As far back as Jason's Robin era - widely regarded as Bruce's peak of being a good dad - he still makes some pretty big mistakes. Because he finds this homeless kid whose family has been ripped apart by the corrupted systems, who has actively experienced the worst Gotham has to offer, and he comes to the conclusion that if he doesn't take Jason home Jason will inevitably become a criminal even after Jason explicitly says he doesn't like stealing. So he takes Jason in but he makes that position as his son synonymous with Robin. And this is where we have to talk about meta because Jason is intrinsically tied to meta narratives. I'm not sure if you saw my other posts about Robin, as a concept, but I'll summarize here.

Child sidekicks are fine, in early comics. When things were campy light hearted whodunnit mysteries with a few action sequences, when you always knew that the child hero would come out unscathed, would always live till the next issue. And so when Bruce makes Jason Robin you have this veil of suspension of disbelief. But Jason's era is where you start seeing these kids' storylines get worse. More gruesome, more violent, more cruel. They start really testing the limit of Bruce's morality.

Batman: The Cult - Robin Jason has to crawl through a pile of dead bodies and while Bruce is having a mental break this MAYBE 14 year old is trying to get them out. The Diplomats Son - Jason watches a rapist be let go, because he's powerful and his dad has money. He sees exactly the kind of damage it does to the victims, he's the one who finds Gloria Stanson. A Death in the Family - Jason is murdered. Tortured and murdered and betrayed. He's dead and he was always intended to STAY dead. And all throughout Tim's run and then into Steph's the writers retroactively change everything about who Jason was because it has to be HIS fault, because if it's not Jason's fault then it might be Bruce's. Because how can audiences see Bruce as just and good for taking in new kids after what happened to the last one?

The suspension of disbelief shatters. Because now Jason is back and he's angry. Because maybe we as readers know that Tim, and Steph, and Damian need to be Robin because Robin makes money with young readers. But you know who doesn't know that? Jason, who no doubt assumed that his survival depended on being Robin. Who was sold out because he was Robin. Who was badmouthed and disgraced the entire time he was gone by people he loved and trusted. Jason doesn't know that he's in a comic book, but I argue he knows he's in a Batman story.

If not from his first appearance then definitely in recent ones. What can you do besides lay down and forgive and keep coming back when you know that the universe revolves around one man? How do you get rid of the terror and anger at realizing that you can never leave, that no matter how much he hurts you the universe will bend itself in half so that he is still just and right? When you realize that the love that has defined you is a disease rooted so deeply that to rip it out would be to kill yourself, that you can't even stay dead because Bruce does not want you to be.

And they couldn't even stick to Jason being the problem! Because then Steph dies. And all I could think was "Of course she did. She's an East End girl whose been compared to Jason constantly. Or a version of him. Of course she would be tortured to death trying to get Bruce's approval." Here we are, history has literally repeated itself, and...Tim is Robin again. Why? Because this is a comic book, and Batman needs Robin.

But what do you think everyone in-universe thinks? What do you think that looks like? How can you possibly still call Bruce a good parent under these circumstances? Bruce calls Robin a blessing, a gift, a necessity. He relies on Robin, physically to watch his back and emotionally to keep him in line. He trains them, he molds them, he loves them.

But sometimes love just isn't enough and the good Robin does shouldn't negate the harm they get in the process. Robin then becomes this horrible force of change, you get it and you know that this has doomed you, one way or another. Because Bruce believes that suffering is noble, that pain can reform people. It's baked into his character. Even if he doesn't intend to hurt his kids, it's not like we haven't seen him justify it to himself and others. "I love you, I did this for your own good, I thought I could help you, it was your fault I did that, it won't happen again, I lost control of myself but only this once, we can be a family again if you just come home." It reads an awful lot like an abuser trying to convince you or himself that he's not in the wrong.

This was longer than I intended it to be, but I guess my main point is that Bruce and Batman can't ever be fully separated. Something that I think his relationship with Cass shows us he's aware of but chooses to ignore. We know that Batman is dangerous, that he wouldn't hesitate to hurt his kids, we saw that with Zurr-Batman (WHO BRUCE ADMITTED WAS A FACET OF HIMSELF YOU CAN'T SAY IT WASN'T HIM BECAUSE HE HIMSELF SAID THAT IT WAS). So why try and act like it's this impossible out of character thing for Bruce to be harmful? For his kids to feel angry and hurt about his actions or for their feelings to be as or more valid than Bruce's. Batman has and will hurt his kids and Bruce will try to rationalize it all away because he loves them, he would never want to hurt them. And the narrative will tell us that Bruce is right, that this is good and fair and just, that Bruce's perspective is the correct one, that his kids deserve this, because this is a comic book and outrage sells. Or they'll retcon it and pretend it never happened. Or they'll just never bring it up again. Or Bruce will be forgiven regardless just to hammer home how good and right he is.

Because this is a comic book about Batman, and Batman is a hero, he is our protagonist, and so he is reliable and we should never doubt him, or call him out, or be mad at him. Naturally.

[dcs-fkin-mystics]

Supernatural Saviors

The ancient arts of magic and mysticism have long been feared by ordinary people. Yet, although these arcane forces have often been mis-used by evil beings for their own selfish ends, heroes who use magic have emerged, establishing a long record of good deeds that rival those of the greatest super-heroes. All of these supernatural war-riors have their own unique way of tapping their mystical powers, and all have their own colorful history of heroism.

Doctor Fate, for example, was once in the Justice Society of America, then later joined the Justice League. In ancient times, Nabu, one of the super-natural Lords of Order, fought the forces of Chaos. In the modern era, Dr. Fate is a com-bination of the spirit Nabu, which resides in Fate's golden helmet, and a human agent wearing the helmet and wield-ing the powers. Most often, this has been Kent Nelson, though his wife, Inza, and oth-ers have donned the helmet and served as Dr. Fate. At times, Fate was even a com-posite of male and female, but always it is Nabu's almost limit-less power driving Dr. Fate's battle against Chaos.

Following in the footsteps of her heroic magician father, Zatara, and her mystical mother, Sindella, Zatanna creates magical spells by stating the outcome she desires back-wards. In this way, she can cause almost anything she can visualize to occur. Her powers have been put to good use during her stint as a Justice Leaguer.

His origin shrouded in mystery, the Phantom Stranger appears at times of crisis to lend guidance or use his own mystical powers in battle. Though his exact powers and limitations remain unknown, he seems capable of teleporting almost anywhere in this universe and realms beyond, always remote and aloof even as he risks all to fight evil.

Deadman, on the other hand, is the disembodied, invisible ghost of circus aerialist Boston Brand, who was empowered by the entity Rama Kushna to temporarily possess the bodies of living people and use them to maintain a balance of good over evil.

Then there is the case of Jason Blood and Etrigan the Demon. Condemned a thousand years ago to contain the evil demon within his own body, Jason Blood has since exerted varying degrees of control over his diabolical alter ego. At times, Blood could release Etrigan when the Demon's power was needed to combat an even more dangerous threat. Ironically, the Demon served the forces of good.

I’m omitting the last part of the sentence because honestly, the information in particular never came to be so it’s not relevant

(Source: DCU Heroes Secret Files & Origin #1)

[androxys]

20 Questions for Fic Writers Tag Game

Thank you @cuephrase for the tag!

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

Time of posting, I have 18 fics publicly available under my name. I have one or two tucked away in anonymous collections though.

2. what's your total AO3 word count?

343,227!

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Right now I'm pretty heavily involved in the DC Universe. There are a few different characters within DC that I like to write for, but it's primarily Batman and his expanded cast. At one point I had a pretty lengthy original work series up too, but I've moved it out of the public sphere because a) I don't personally feel it's within the AO3's mission and b) I keep telling myself I'm going to polish it and see if it can go anywhere.

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Can't Prove It - Murder-mystery AU where Jason never died and Tim joins the family. I understand its popularity entirely.

What Does the Fourth of July Mean to You? - Timber identity reveal fic set around a Wayne family cookout. This is also one where I understand why people like it. It's a fun romp.

Deux ex Machina - Jason and Death of the Endless. People really like the fics I write with Jason in them, and I think this one got bumped when the Sandman TV show came out.

Bernard Dowd Week 2022 - 7 fics at 500 words each celebrating Bernard. I'm honestly surprised this one is all the way at #4! This was written pretty soon after Tim and Bernard started dating, so it was fun to celebrate the relatively new status quo for Bernard.

Cautionary - Steph and Jason talking. This is the first fic I ever posted, and honestly I have to suspect that its age is what's buoyed it up. I love that people love it, but it's one I look at now and think about how I would remaster it.

5. do you respond to comments?

Yes! I love chatting with folks on AO3. I think there's only ever been one comment I ever chose not to respond to, and it was because the person was just asking me to update an unrelated fic.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Definitely Can't Prove It. I won't say any more than that.

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

My Kingdom for a Thin Mint is really fluffy, which is nice. Other than that, Fourth of July.

8. do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully, none so far!

9. do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, but all my currently published smut is in anonymous collections, and the rest is still in my drafts while I try to figure out how to make this blowjob plot bearing.

EDIT: Wait I'm an idiot, yes I wrote Tim/Bart/Kon smut for a Thanksgiving joke challenge. People with superpowers like to tease their friend.

10. do you write crossovers?

I have! The Vigilante is a Welcome to Night Vale crossover, written in the style of a WTNV script. Ghost Dragon is a gen Miraculous Ladybug fic (I know, I know) set in the Batman: Reborn era that reimagines the Miraculouses as having a connection to DC's Lords of Order and Chaos. I took a break from it to dive deeper into the lore, but then never got back around to actually finishing the fic.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, and I hope it doesn't happen!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. Right now my fics live exclusively in the Anglosphere.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I haven't, but one of my dream projects is to do a round robin-esque, comic book event style fic where three or four authors each write a single chapter with a single character following their own plot, where the chapters all add up to a larger story.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Ooh, this is tough. Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon are eternally one of DC's premier couples in my mind... they have history together, they're both stubborn, they know each other like the backs of their hands.

Overall, I'd say I'm pretty ship neutral. It's just not the primary thing that pulls me through media. Write it compellingly, and I'll probably go for it.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

I had brief and lofty dreams of a reimagined Final Crisis fic that was a little more Kirby and a little less Morrison. (The fact that it would have more of my favorite characters was a perk) It's just a big project to really get into, and I don't know if it'll ever fully get there.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Hmm... it's always hard to pull our praise for yourself, because I think most artists often get stuck on seeing the things that didn't quite make the leap from their head to the world. That said, I think my dialogue is pretty good--I generally try to make it always sound like characters talk like real people. I'm also fond of big Plots with moving parts, though I fully accept that's something I'm still in the process of working on.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't often do it, but I do actually have thoughts about it, so I was glad to see this question! Personally, I have come to be against italicizing non-English words. I did it in Ghost Dragon when characters were speaking French, but whenever I update the fic I'm going to change it.

I only like to write dialogue in another language if the characters/readers are not necessarily supposed to immediately understand what's being said. In the case of Ghost Dragon, I had parallel chapters--in Ch 1 we know what the characters are saying, because we're meant to understand them, even though they're technically speaking in French the whole time. But in Ch 2, when it's from a non-French speaker's POV, I write out the French dialogue because the francophones are specifically trying to have a conversation between themselves, excluding those who they think can't understand them.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

First fandom I ever wrote for was either Batman or Star Wars, but which one is anyone's guess.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

I wish The Town O'Mallow got some more love, because it's probably my favorite thing I've written so far. Jean Paul Valley and Selina Kyle go into a Southern Gothic Omelas to save a soul. Other than that, I'm pretty excited for this Oracle: Year One fic I'm working on currently.

I'll pass on some no-pressure tags to @zahri-melitor @upswings @havendance @scintillyyy and @silverwhittlingknife, but if any of y'all have already done this or just don't want to, no pressure! And if anyone else sees this and wants to answer, take this as your tag! Just tag me back so I can see ❤️

[goodqueenaly]

@publiusmaximum reblogged your post “What might hypothetically happen if a Lord...”

House Lannister is in a bit of a bind in the near future:

Cercie refuses to wed (and thus have legitimate children) again.

Lancel and Jamie are part of celibate knightly orders.

Tyrion is an attainted traitor.

Tyrek is missing.

Tommen is alive... But he's not a Lannister King, he's a Baratheon King.

Who does that leave for when Cercie dies without a new legitimate child? Martyn, I guess? Or one of his kids?

House Lannister is looking at extinction in the near term. Unless I'm missing something.

Oh, I’m not worried about the continuation of House Lannister. You’re certainly right that the line of Tywin (legitimate, anyway - again, hi Dancy and Marei) may well be headed for extinction: Cersei’s doom has been long prophesied (as has the doom of her children, even if they were considered legitimate), and I don’t love the odds of Jaime or Tyrion surviving the series (much less having legitimate children of their own). However, Tytos’ other (male-line) grandchildren are a bit of a question mark: again, I agree that Lancel is permanently out of the running (and, I think, not long for this world anyway), but the ultimate fates of Martyn (Kevan’s son, last mentioned by Genna as a possible replacement groom for Amerei Frey in the newly Lannister-sponsored holding of Darry) and Janei (Kevan’s toddler daughter, presumably still with her mother Dorna in the westerlands), as well as Tyrek (missing, but I think too often mentioned to be left as simply an open mystery) are as yet unknown. And that’s without mentioning the female-line descendants of Tytos Lannister via his only daughter, Genna: assuming any of them survive the series, such Lannister-Freys could make a claim on the basis of their relation to Lord Tytos (as Genna herself predicts might happen with Riverrun, if Robert Arryn would be tempted to make a claim to the holding of his maternal Tully grandfather).

And all of that is only discussing Tytos’ (legitimate) line (which of course excludes Joy Hill, the bastard daughter of Gerion Lannister). Tytos’ younger brother, Jason, has quite a few descendants around in the era of the main novels, from both his first marriage to Alys Stackspear and his second marriage to Marla Prester (not counting, once again, his own bastard daughter). Indeed, Jason has at least two living male-line grandsons today (Damion, the son of his eldest son, Damon (who himself might still be alive), and Daven, the son of his son Stafford), as well as a male-line great-grandson (Damion’s son Lucion). Nor indeed does this count include Jason’s other sons by Marla Prester (and whatever children they may have or may have had), or Jason’s female and female-line descendants (such as his other two daughters by Marla (and whatever children they have or may have had), Daven’s sisters Cerenna and Myrielle, and Damion’s daughter Lanna, with Jast sons of her own). 

And that is only going to the (known, legitimate) descendants of Lord Damon Lannister, the “Grey Lion”. We don’t have a Lannister family tree beyond Damon, and while F&B certainly added more Lannisters, there is nevertheless a definite gap between young Lord Loreon Lannister (who is about 10 when F&B concludes in 136 AC) and Lord Damon Lannister (who was lord around the turn of the third century AC). There could be any number of Lannisters of Casterly Rock out there that are simply beyond our scope of knowledge for the moment.

In the words of Catelyn, “The Lannisters of Casterly Rock were a damnably large and fertile house”. 

[chillingcinemachronicles]

Best Animated Movies on Netflix for a Visual Feast

1. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Director: Joel Crawford

Cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Wagner Moura

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Sequels released over a decade after the first film are always a gamble, but Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was one of multiple films from 2022 (Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water) that actually improved upon its predecessor. Eleven years after the first Puss in Boots, the eponymous rascally cat has now burned through eight of his nine lives on his various adventures, reteaming with Kitty Softpaws in pursuit of the Last Wish, which would restore his lives. Along the way, he tries to outrun Goldilocks — hoping to attain the Last Wish for herself — and a menacing wolf who mysteriously stalks Puss. Like other DreamWorks films post-Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the blend of 2-D and 3-D is striking in its visual texture, particularly in action sequences, but its darkly authentic themes of anxiety and the value of friendship resonate most of all.

2. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: David Soren

Cast: Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Thomas Middleditch, Jordan Peele, Kristen Schaal

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The wildly popular Captain Underpants book series has kept kids entertained since 1997, but it wasn't until 20 years later that the tighty-whities-clad hero made it to the big screen. The First Epic Movie centers on George and Harold, fourth-grader best friends who create the Captain Underpants comic book and hypnotize their strict principal into becoming the superhero — who doesn't actually have superpowers. Kid-friendly without being too mind-numbing to their parents, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie has "charm to spare," praises EW's critic, noting it works "mostly because it never tries to be more or less than what it is." It also spawned a series on Netflix, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, which ran from 2018 to 2020.

3. The Angry Birds Movie (2016)

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly

Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Sean Penn, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage

While it may be damning with faint praise to give credit to The Angry Birds Movie for not being a total disaster...it really could've been much worse. Based on the wildly popular app of the same name, the film follows Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), a talking bird who comes to suspect that his island's new pig inhabitants have malicious intent. Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for punny/juvenile humor, but as EW's review notes, the film "delivers a mildly diverting mix of winky meta-jokes and moral lessons, cannily aimed at both the next generation of tiny consumers and their more sophisticated parents.

4. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

Director: Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson

Cast: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton

Codirectors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson transport the classic story of Pinocchio to World War II-era Italy in this meticulously crafted stop-motion animated film. Following the death of his young son, carpenter Geppetto cuts down a tree and carves a wooden boy, who is subsequently brought to life and dubbed Pinocchio. As the boy ventures to the outside world, he is met with dark forces that attempt to use and corrupt him, all against the backdrop of Benito Mussolini's reign as leader of Fascist Italy. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is a darker take on the tale compared to the well-known Disney adaptation (which also received a far-inferior live-action remake in 2022). From the fraught setting to the detailed creature designs, del Toro and Gustafson create a distinct world while providing valuable life lessons to viewers of all ages. The film became the first Netflix production to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

5. The Sea Beast (2022)

Director: Chris Williams

Cast: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste

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A brave orphan girl named Maisie stows away aboard a ship of sea monster hunters in The Sea Beast, helmed by Big Hero 6's co-director Chris Williams. The sailors are renowned for their hunting abilities, though their status is threatened by their society's admiral, who wishes to replace them. They go out on one last hunt to track down a powerful sea beast called the Red Bluster, but, as Maisie soon discovers, the creatures may not have the kind of malicious intent for which they've come to be known. With dazzling colors, fast-paced thrills, and classical storytelling, it's easy to see why The Sea Beast became Netflix's most watched animated original film as of October 2022, according to the streamer. The film also earned a Best Animated Feature nomination at the Oscars, following a wave of critical praise.

[legendaryprofessorwisteria]

I'm Jason Halken of Mr.Robot repairs. Ok the big shocker is that I am legend licensed. Why? Because I have a Arceus! Yeah before you ask. It was dropped on my lap.

I work as a freelance tech repairman in Sinnoh. I got this call from a old man at the jubelife outskirts. You know the one with the old buildings that been since the exploration days hundreds of years ago?

Well he decided to join the rest of us in the 21st century and got a rotomphone and given his grandchildren were at school at the time he needed help figuring out how to use it.

Well after 3 hours of what could be considered a lecture on the last 30 years of technology and how to kindly treat your rotomphone and use them, he was thankful for my help.

He was short on payment so he decided to give me a antique of his. This old PokeBall from the 1800's! I am a fan of old stuff still in fact I got a v1 Pokedex I restored sitting on the shelf. So I accepted that as payment and went home.

I decided to do a restore job on it. I know it's more valuable with the original flaws and fade but it I want to make it look nice for the shelf.

After some painting and polishing I found out the latch was seriously rusted shut so after some WD-40 and a gentle pry the latch came open and... That PokeBall was not empty!

Out of it popped this huge golden quadraped pokemon! She introduced herself as Jenova the fragment of Arceus. A reward for a hero for the one Arceus brought into the past to save Hisui.

She was pretty ticked to see that I was not her trainer. I just looked into the pokeball and scratched on the inside was the words. "Do the meme. Dab for her and she's yours!"

Out of panic I did. She then knelt down before me. "Thou hast done the sacred motion. For now I shalt serve you, what be this strange time?"

I went on to explain the past 222 years she has missed and she was in shock. I didn't know a god like being could get future shock so now she sticks with me as my companion and her guide to the modern world.

I have not done a pokemon journey since I was 10! So I'm no trainer but I couldn't let her end up in the wrong hands so I worked to get a legend license so I can keep her with me.

I went to speak to the old man but he unfortunately passed on and the family already took his possessions I tried speaking to them but they are pokephobic and wanted nothing to do with anyone handles pokemon.

So now I am stuck with her and that's fine but do you have any useful tips on taking care of a Arceus? Because the only pokemon I raised were electric types and Porygons. Please help thank you!

Jason. E-fucking-xcuse me. WHAT. I'm going to be real this is a rollercoaster and the most insane story I've ever heard, I spilled coffee on myself when I read the ask. I think you're the luckiest Trainer on the planet. No, actually, you are. PLEASE tell me I am not the first person you're telling this to, this is global news on a scale I can barely explain. I mean, I'm gonna try below a cut, but holy SHIT Jason. You told me exactly how you ended up in this situation and I still don't understand it. Uhhh more below the cut.

So I'm a little bit...scattered to actually just address the many, MANY things happening in this ask in order so first I'm gonna say that you gave one of my favorite wacko conspiracy theories (that Rei and/or Akari and possibly other Hisuian-era Trainers were time travelers) SO MUCH ammo because the dab is so ridiculously anachronistic that if you're telling the truth about that it might even be a smoking gun for answering why that period of Hisuian history makes no fucking sense.

But even aside from that, what exactly happened to the Shard of Arceus possessed by Akari/Rei/both (unclear) is...a huge mystery. That you've just solved by doing tech support for an old man and receiving a nice antique as payment. That's huge, seriously huge, in terms of sheer discovery - and a living Hisuian-era Pokemon itself is a massive discovery! Jason, your discovery is staggeringly huge.

For context on your Pokemon itself, you are one of two living humans that we know of to have direct contact with Arceus, and yours may be the first Shard in history not to be in constant connection with the Original.

As for actual advice on what to do...man, I admit, I'm no expert in Arceus, nobody is. But here's what I would do if I ended up in your situation.

Make some phone calls and send some emails. Professors, historians, reporters, Leagues, EVERYONE is going to want to know about that and you might want to get ahead of the game! Especially if you want any peace in the next five years or so. Contact Cynthia, Sinnoh Champion, ASAP. She's the only other person who knows how to contact an Arceus, she'll be your best source of information in the coming times and figuring out how Jenova got here will likely require input from the Original.

Even if you have to break down their door, tell that family what you got from them! They're also going to be hounded very soon and they'll hopefully appreciate the warning. Also, try to figure out where that Pokeball came from. It's not every day that an artifact like anything belonging to a famous Hisuian pops up, and that ball - even aside from the contents - probably has an incredible story.

You don't need a Legendary License for Jenova. In fact, as long as you have her approval, you won't need one if you decide to catch one of every Legendary on the planet and run a zoo. I am not exaggerating in any way. The implicit trust you have gained with her approval cannot be overstated.

Cynthia has journals out on the care needs of Arceus, but I'll summarize...

Speak to her like you would anyone you respect. Over-formality or over-familiarity will both make things weird.

Unless she differs from other Arceus Shards in more ways than just not knowing what they know, she shouldn't technically need food or sleep. That doesn't mean she won't appreciate and enjoy it.

Arceus are BIG, and their girdles are BIG, and Jenova will need space to maneuver. Don't let her out in small indoor spaces unless you want a Tauros-in-a-china-shop situation.

She has short, fine, waterproof fur. Needs minimal grooming, but depending on your relationship, may enjoy it. Don't be afraid to ask, but do give her time to adjust first.

She's incredibly smart, capable of communicating, capable of reading and writing, and ridiculously powerful. Respect and communication are key. Don't treat her like you would an average Pokemon. Porygon often can communicate, so if yours could, you probably know how a Pokemon that can talk to you differs from one who can't.

PLEASE keep me updated Jason. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard happen and I almost got my hand cut off by a Pokemon from thousands of years in the future the other day and there's another one from the distant past sleeping on the floor in my office.

[goat4brains]

MINI - REVIEWS

fall guy

★★★★½

his job was beach and now it is fall

it was millennial humour (sorry Edswald) but it was still hilarious

banger soundtrack

I love a summer blockbuster movie THAT FEELS LIKE A SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE. I was a Marvel defender for like my entire life (watched The Iron Man at age 2 when it came out and have been watching Marvel Media ever since) i loved having a new Marvel movie each year and more of the franchise to obsess over but with the flop era that Marvel has been having recently has opened my eyes to like how enjoyable a non-frachise movies can be actually... and this one did NAWT DISAPPOINT

I don't think this was a movie meant for imax BUTT due to us watching it that way

the sound production my lord, chef kiss

being an artist in many fields and just overall being a jack of all trades (....and master of none) you start to just froth over stupid stuf

point for the stunt dog, we need more French stunt dogs

why does Ryan Gosling keep making films that got me saying "That is literally me" I may just be secretly Ryan Gosling

the plot twist didnt reeallt twist but truely i believe that was the point, this movie is filled with referneces and tropes and cliches.. and i fear that is the point! its a silly action romcom that fits into the genre!! because its sopposed to!! and i don't know how if this is another moment of critical thinking lost to the wind but alot of bad reviews is simply people critiqueing the movvie for not being serious or for the fact its cliche,

LIKE THAT ISN'T THE POINT! anyways let movies be silly goofy 2024

IVE MISSED BLOOPER CREDITS SO BAD OMG, THIS IS A MOVIE THAT IS SO PERFECT FOR THAT I ALSO HOPE MOTIVATES MORE

DUNE REFERENCE AT THE END?? WHO UP CONTROLLING THEY SPICE???

almost famous

★★★★☆

i am sorry for finding Russell Hammond hot, just to begin

it did a really good job at showing off aspects of being a Rockstar in this time, groupies and drug use and etc. it shows the sex drugs and rock and roll in a way that didn't feel romanticizey. these events were happening and they felt true

it also represented a lot from the 60's and 70's insanely well, the young wanted to be free, and they want to rebel and they want to express themselves in writing and journalism.. who needs lawyers and Christianity???

"I'm gay!" in the airplane, forever my gay icon thanks Stillwater Drummer Ed

I've been unironically listening to Stillwater after we watched this in class, the songs are genuinely so good.

the struggle of wanting to be cool but at the end of the day compromising to find comfort in our uncoolness

i gotta steal penny lanes closet man,

Alvin in the chipmunks intro, Jason lee aka Jeff Bebe is such a reference that Julian explained to me and then i choked laughing

i must continue my love for penny lane BECAUSE SHE IS LITTERALLY ME. (to the point i had a extinensial crisis in the car after this movie, Julian can vouch) It's a very sad character to relate to but she has a persona and has worked it to a level of precision. she is the perfect muse and strives to be viewed as such. she's mysterious and confident on the surface but is without a doubt extremely delusional. Now i have never wanted to be close to a Rockstar but i do understand the striving for validations of others (especially men) and ultimately breaking down when you don't have it, because what are you then? if you aren't a 'band-aid', if you aren't this cool loved by others person, who are you? her entire breakdown and overall character just made sense and was just insanely relatable to me.

a beautiful cult classic, they don't make coming of age movies like they used to

children of men

★★★★☆

ignoring the panic attack i had at the end of class and my prompt run away to throw up

such a good dystopian, but even then such a good representation of current time. this is life for many and its sad it didn't feel played up in any way. people live with bombed bakeries, schools and coffee shops, young people are murdered everyday, art is stolen from the rightful owners, people are in concentration camps. human beings are being killed. while other human beings are in the comfort (or discomfort) of their homes

it was so intense and gut wrenching (ha, literally).

the trajectory from calm to dead, dead and more dead was abrupt (in a good way to the writing) but that is war.

the cinematography music, editing and sound immerses you so completely. i said The Fall Guy was a movie that didn't need Imax THIS WAS. THIS SO WAS

MICHEAL CAIN I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!! STOP GETTING HURT OR DYING IN YOUR FILMS!!! PLEASE!!

CGI baby was kinda odd but okay

there is something about Britain media and being dark and gritty and making you depressed ive noticed, i need to watch a deep dive on that

oranges before tragedy? why? I'm curious of why its used as symbolism for impending doom

fun fact: in the novel the reason women couldn't birth babies wasn't because they were infertile it was because men couldn't produce sperm! in the movie its the other way

but idk it'd be a cool plot idea in the movie that it was actually men's sperm counts being the issue and they were just simply

wrong

Theo is such a great main character because he falls into my favorite trope: the main character isn't the protagonist! in sherlock holmees the narrator is Dr. Watson but the stories are obviously about Holmes. or in the game "Stray" the cat in the main character but B-12 is who the stories about. We, the cat, is simply the vessel in the same way Theo is the Vessel in Kee's story. i also love Main Character deaths when done well. Theo overall is a well written character and i liked their journey

THE SCENE WHERE ALL WAR STOPS AT THE SOUND OF A BABY'S CRY??? CHILLS INSANE RAGAHH

extra~

★★★★★

or in other words i liked, subscribed and shared with a friend

okay maybe its because Katrina is one of my closest friends but time and time again this woman shocks me with the work she produces and there is so evidently such a future for her in video making a content creation as a whole. all her points are provided beautifully and overall in such a eye-catching and fun way. honest to god I've re-watched the video itself about 4 times. it was done in canva?? she made this in a presentation with just the animation function? and it rivals the production of MatPats team of editors? INSANE. The entire video is such a perfect tribute to MatPats concept and vision and truly captures him as a creator. Watching Katrina slave over this assignment with all of her other responsibilities to the point she spent a weekend bed ridden and sick just is a perfect example of how passionate she is and i can only expect the best for her. all Katrina does should be given the best praise as Katrina Davis is a icon and should be recognized as such

i heart katrina, put that on a shirt

she will win viral friday.

extra exttra~

jaws

☆☆☆☆☆

bad.

0/10

[magicalgirllove92]

The show called LA Brea. The synopsis was an sinkhole that swallow up Los Angeles sending strangers including an mother and son back in to prehistoric times. Left alone is an very scared teenage daughter who lost her leg due to scary accident is disabled with mechanical leg is in dire need of an assistance by her father who suffered from psychic hallucinations due to drinking and an troubled past who is unlikely to solve a mystery with his best friend. Unfortunately, after the family is reunited, the narcissistic wife Eve Harris played by FX's critical acclaimed hit neo-western action drama Justified actress Natalie Zea is sleeping with her former husband Gavin played by BBC's Merlin 2008 actor Eoin Mackin's best friend the evilish betrayer Captain Levi Delgado played by The Princess and the Barrio Boy actor Nicholas Gonzalez. Still unfortunately, the group includes 3 kids played by TikToker Jack Martin, disabled model Zyra Gorecki and young actress Veronica St. Clair who has an career downgraded era from Golden Globe-winning miniseries Unbelievable to terrible Jurassic Park saga ripoff struggles to go back to their own time because of arguing like immature teenagers, being slaves by The Others ripoff, Exiles led by the late Jason Momora wannabe Tamaart, getting run-in with disastrous situations including poorly rendered CGI prehistoric animals and dinosaurs and mysterious evil woman and James Harris played by Australia's longest running soap Neighbours actor Jonno Roberts' personal minion named Kiera played by the actual good actress Simone McAcully. In the worst twist during season 2, the sinkhole that sending The Harris Family, Levi, Riley, her dad Dr. Sam Medez played by Selena and Bad Boys 2 actor Jon Seda and their friends to prehistoric times were responsibled by the evil group The Lazarus Project from 2076 who are working to find the way to deal with their time period's depleted resources as well as how to master the de-extinction. The Lazarus Project is headed by James and Kiera with the assistance by Tamaart and "the liar" Aaron. Unfortunately, the ratings of season 1 was the best, even the best written comedies Abbott Elementary and Ghosts USA is getting clobbered by Twilight Saga and Riverdale meets Jurassic Park movies soap opera by the season's end. However, during last year's Halloween week, 2nd season of La Brea was brutally beaten by an much better written teen drama All American from The CW and The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXXIII with 2 hit segments the Death Note anime parody Death Tome and WestWorld parody SimpsonsWorld with Jon Roberts as Linda Belcher from Bob's Burgers makes a cameo towards the end of the segment and the episode. This could send LA Brea fans to panic while its haters is satisfied, not even the show is safe from YouTube podcast video and the entertaintment reviews for "problematic, Jurassic Park and Days in Our Lives ripoff, an actual toxic "woke", sending a wrong messages to teenagers and sending Latino people and people dealing with anxiety issues into stereotypes." Thankfully, the show was delayed until next year, fell victim to current WGA writer's strike despite they're still filming "the final season" in Australia. If the the final season comes within the first weeks of January, don't watch or watch in case of curiosity or cringe. This is why NBC's infamously Jurassic World/Lost Mashup ripoff telenovela LA Brea is an very bad show. Next time, I'm tackle the hunks of Jurassic Park movies and it's called Jurassic Heartthrobs.

[theloniousbach]

CELEBRATING THE COMPOSITIONS OF WAYNE SHORTER, JAZZ SPECTRUM on WGTE, 18 MARCH 2023

Last week’s show was all Wayne Shorter’s playing on many of these very same tunes as selected by the regular host. He was a wonderful saxophonist, playing with both Art Blakey and Miles Davis (and essentially their music directors/composers) in two of the finest bands of their eras.

On the shared notion that he is also in the next tier of jazz composers just below Ellington/Strayhord and Monk, I took the assignment of showing how the tunes breathe and have a life of their own in the hands of the ever evolving jazz community.

My method was to find interesting/favorite players take up these tunes. Often I relied on the Secondhand Songs website for suggestions. But I had some definite ideas, such as relying on Palladium, an ensemble organized by Jesse Markowitz that plays Wayne Shorter music and includes young heroes like Nicole Glover and Sean Mason. Then there’s both Shorter tunes on the Jimmy Rowles/Stan Getz desert istand album, The Peacocks. And, what to do with the Weather Report era? Easy, Christian McBride did one with his pianoless quartet, New Jawn, that nonetheless conveys all the keyboards and percussion.

That was my first set: Palladium’s ESP that includes Shorter’s own voice, Sightseeing, and Lester Left Town.

I first heard Palladium when they did all of Speak No Evil, so that was the next idea with an array of artists and ensembles assaying that brilliant album.

Sanctuary from Ingrid Jensen and Jason Miles, and, at the end of the night, Masqualero with Marc Copland addressed Shorter’s contribution to Miles’ Bitches Brew. And I closed with Sean Mason’s meditative solo piano version of Weather Report’s Palladium as yet another reflection on how the electric tunes are above all tunes with life beyond the production elements.

But mostly I dug into the Blakey and Miles era tunes from the likes of Dave Liebman/Richie Beirach in Quest, the Dave Douglas/Joe Lovano Shorter tribute band, George Cables, Mary Halvorson in Thumbscrew, Fred Hersch (a couple of times), Kenny Werner.

I took the liberty with the Song of the Week segment to make Footprints the Tune of the Week bookending the original with his return to it with his wonderful latter era quartet. There’s Kenny Barron in there along with the SF Jazz Collective (Renee Rosnes arranged the tune).

It’s all pianists at the end.

Here’s the playlist:

18 March 2023

Set 1 (29:11)

Palladium, Don’t Look Back, “ESP” (14:48)

Christian McBride’s New Jawn, Christian McBride’s New Jawn, “Sightseeing” (8:30)

Jimmy Rowles with Stan Getz, The Peacocks, “Lester Left Town” (5:53)

Set 2 (30:05)

Kirk Lightsey Trio, Isotope, “Witch Hunt” (8:00)

Sal Nastico, Complete Bee Hive Sessions, “Fe Fi Fo Fum”. 5:58

Thumbscrew, Theirs, “Dance Cadaverous” (6:19)

Denny Zeitlin, Early Wayne: Explorations of Classic Wayne Shorter Compositions, “Speak No Evil”. 7:17

Set 3 (27:08)

Fred Hersch Trio, Heartsongs, “Infant Eyes” (7:38)

Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band, Rumba Buhaina, “Wildflower” (6:44)

Ingrid Jensen/Jason Miles, Kind of New, “Sanctuary” (5:44)

Kenny Kirkland ,Thunder and Rainbows, “Black Nile”. 6:45

Set 4 (29:44)

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Sound Prints, Scandal, “Juju” 9:05

Stephen Scott, The Beautiful Thing, “Oriental Folk Song,” (4:32)

Nicholas Payton, Mysterious Shorter,  “Tom Thumb” (6:41

George Cables, One for My Baby, “Virgo”. 7:34

Set 5

Wayne Shorter, Adam’s Apple, “Footprints” (7:29)

Kenny Barron/Regina Carter, Freefall, “Footprints” (9:37)

SF Jazz Collective, Live 2008: Fifth Annual Concert Tour, “Footprints” (9:44)

Set 6

Cutting Edge, The Cutting Edge, “Footprints”  (8:03)

Wayne Shorter, Footprints Live!, “Footprints” (7:55)

Set 7

Ralph Peterson’s Gen Next Big Band, Listen Up,  “This is for Albert” (7:04)

Palladium, Don’t Look Back, “Contemplation” (6:48)

Set 8 (25:14)

Quest, Circular Dreaming, “Nefertiti”. 6:23

Jane Ira Bloom/Fred Hersch, “Miyako” (6:41)

Clifford Jordan and the Magic Triangle, On Stage Vol 1, “Pinocchio” (7:30)

Jimmy Rowles/Stan Getz, The Peacocks, “The Chess Players” (5:43)

Set 9 (27:30)

Kenny Werner Trio, Live at Visiones—Standards, “Fall” (5:51)

Joanne Brackeen, Invitation, “Iris” (6:58)

Marc Copland, At Night, “Masqualero” (4:56)

Palladium, Don’t Look Back, “Palladium” (10:45)

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for January 27

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for January 27 include Shrinking, You People, Shotgun Wedding, and more.

You People

You People, the new movie from Kenya Barris, is out today.

Families and cultures clash when two LA millennials from different backgrounds fall in love and face the ultimate relationship test: meeting the parents.

Shotgun Wedding

Shotgun Wedding, the new movie from Jason Moore, is out today.

In Shotgun Wedding, Darcy (Jennifer Lopez) and Tom (Josh Duhamel) gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding, just as the couple begin to get cold feet. And if that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage. “’Til Death Do Us Part” takes on a whole new meaning in this hilarious, adrenaline-fueled adventure as Darcy and Tom must save their loved ones—if they don’t kill each other first.

Life Upside Down

Life Upside Down, the new movie from Cecilia Miniucchi, is out today.

LIFE UPSIDE DOWN is a romantic comedy about time, distance, and the human condition. Three couples, connected by friendship, love and work, are each stuck in their respective homes in Los Angeles during the beginning of lockdown. Finally forced to face their spouses, friends, lovers, and eventually themselves head on, their lives turn slowly but surely upside-down.

Blood

Blood, the new movie from Brad Anderson, is out today.

After her marriage breaks up, Jess moves her two children back to her childhood home where their lives quickly deteriorate into terror after the family dog bites her son. Giving him a horrific infection, Jess’s morals are tested when the only cure to keep her son alive proves deadly.

Kompromat

Kompromat, the new movie from Jérôme Salle, is out today.

Based on incredible true events, Jérome Salle’s gripping new espionage thriller depicts the remarkable story of a French public servant who unwittingly finds himself in conflict with one of the modern era’s most powerful and dangerous forces: Russia’s FSB. Gilles Lellouche stars as Mathieu, a gregarious and dedicated diplomat who accepts a posting to Irkutsk as the head of Siberia’s Alliance Francaise. He hopes the change will be good for his family and struggling marriage, but before long Mathieu’s staging of cultural events and support of artistic expression sees him fall afoul of local authorities. Accused of a terrible crime, he soon realises someone has fabricated a case with Russia’s Federal Security Service - he has been framed. Arrested, imprisoned and isolated, Mathieu has nowhere to turn. Defending himself is impossible, the French authorities are helpless - it seems he has no choice: to try and escape.

Shrinking

Shrinking, the new TV series from Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence, and Jason Segel, is out today.

Shrinking follows a grieving therapist (played by Segel) who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives… including his own.

The Snow Girl

The Snow Girl, the new TV series from Jesús Mesas, Javier Andrés Roig, David Ulloa, and Laura Alvea, is out today.

When a little girl goes missing during a parade in Málaga, a young newspaper journalist becomes fiercely determined to help Amaya’s parents find her.

Lockwood & Co.

Lockwood & Co., the new TV series from Joe Cornish, is out today.

In London, where the most gifted teenage ghost-hunters venture nightly into perilous combat with deadly spirits, amidst the many corporate, adult-run agencies, one stands alone: independent of any commercial imperative or adult supervision – a tiny startup, run by two teenage boys and a newly arrived, supremely psychically gifted girl, a renegade trio destined to unravel a mystery that will change the course of history: Lockwood & Co.

Dead Space

Dead Space, the new game from Motive and Electronic Arts, is out today.

The sci-fi survival-horror classic Dead Space returns, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper, more immersive experience. This remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity, suspenseful atmospheric audio, and improvements to gameplay while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision.

Isaac Clarke is an everyman engineer on a mission to repair a vast mining ship, the USG Ishimura, only to discover something has gone horribly wrong. The ship's crew has been slaughtered and Isaac’s beloved partner, Nicole, is lost somewhere on board.

Now alone and armed with only his engineering tools and skills, Isaac races to find Nicole as the nightmarish mystery of what happened aboard the Ishimura unravels around him. Trapped with hostile creatures called Necromorphs, Isaac faces a battle for survival, not only against the escalating terrors of the ship but against his own crumbling sanity.

Let’s Start Here.

Let’s Start Here., the new album from Lil Yachty, is out today.

[benbamboozled]

(AK & RH anon) that art!!!!! Ive been fed!!!! okay but Archie being Red's very own Oracle while he's on his reluctant vacation, then merrily blowing a gang's warehouse to smithereens as soon as he's feeling good enough to hit the streets again. Flipping up his helm's faceplate just enough to kiss an undercover Red whose sheer delight is so beautifully illuminated by the firelight while the smoke and night obscure their figures from all whom would dare try to catch a glimpse.

"Leveling the playing field" is what Red calls it, the destruction left in their joint wakes. In exchange for the hurts suffered by them, making life hell for Gotham's scummy kingpins is the least they could do. Through Red, Archie re-learns the perspective he held as Robin, helping the people Gotham keeps failing. Archie's decisiveness in turn is what gives Red the resolve to let the Bat's judgement be solely the Bat's burden to bear, breaking the straining ties with finality and sounding in the era of the two Gotham kings. And whyever would they care what some spoiled, supposed prince has to say about them? This town's theirs.

I really love the idea of their lives together inducing immense tonal whiplash when compared to their night work. Their homes and safehouses are surprisingly cozy, with light pleasant wallpapers and all their favourite things waiting for them to swing by to relax. Red has converted whole walls in a multitude of their safehouses into bookshelves, all their living rooms are carpeted because he hates socks, and all weapons get packed away after patrol so they can settle in and pretend to be normal and believe it at least a little bit. He plainly refuses to be like Bruce in any way and doesn't brood in darkness like a miserable creacher.

Archie is very obsessive about personal hygiene and having clean surroundings, he likes having access to natural light, and will never stop melting into Red's touch when he gets that perfect shoulder massage or back rub and a stuck muscle finally stops bugging him. He didn't think the universe care about him enough to let him have this - but maybe it's because it's not his universe, really, but Red's. Red's world, with Red's Bat, and this universe's since-recently-mysteriously-deceased Joker. A world that hasn't been kind to his other half either, but which they can build upon together.

ANON!!! THIS IS ALL SO GOOD!!!! PLEASE tell me you have an ao3 to post ficlets or like…you have to make a sideblog or SOMEthing because I am telling you I want to chomp on all of your ideas!!!

I am just…LIVING for the sense of peace that they’re both desperately holding onto, and also how like…okay…pretty much a constant of Jason Todd is that he believes he Does Not Deserve Nice Things BUT the idea of him holding onto something nice for the OTHER him is…heartbreakingly perfect and I NEED THAT.

And GOD, YES to Archie (lol I can’t get over that, excellent) playing Oracle/Arms Guy and then getting out into the field in his Arkham Knight armor (which btw I love) and blowing things up and taking names.

Ooh ooh also, because I live for angst (and I’m just spinning my wheels here, feel free to disregard)…what if…they don’t know how long they’ll have together? Maybe AK!Jay just like popped into canonverse one day, and there’s this simmering sort of tension between them because what if, one day, he just…disappears again?

(This is another unspoken reason why they want their downtime and their safe house to be as chill and peaceful as possible—they want to pack as much love and peace in as they can because, they’re Jason Todd, they KNOW that good things never last for them, so they KNOW they have to make it count.)

(But…also…for a little more angst…imagine their fights? Because they would definitely fight about stuff—maybe Archie is pushing himself too hard and he lashes out at Jay when he tries to put his foot down and get him to rest, maybe Jay tries to push Archie away because Jay believes that he is a human disaster and Archie deserves better than Jay and Gotham…

Anyway, my point is, their fights would be BAD. Jay tends to run his mouth when he’s got hurt feelings, and Archie is…well, *gestures at Arkham Knight for what happens when he’s got hurt feelings*, and between the two of them, it would just be A LOT.)

(AND I think there sort of a little bit of betrayal like, “You’re supposed to be the one who gets it!” but, you know, they’re still two separate people!)

(Anyway they make up and it’s fine but in the meantime the Bats have to deal with two rogue Jasons who WILL NOT get couples counseling but who WILL blow up MANY illegal weapons caches.)

[missaphelion]

Overprotective Batfam Recs (Dick Grayson focused)

Bruce (and the Batfam) being overprotective of Dick is pretty much my favorite thing, but there's surprisingly little of it I'm finding that suits my tastes. I think this may mostly be because in canon Bruce does things like hit him and kick him out, so....yeah. So if anyone has any recommendations, I would love to hear them! In the meantime, here are some of my favorites.

Last Train Out Tonight | cherylw | 250K+ | Complete

One of my absolute favorites, I read this is an embarrassingly short time considering it's over 250K. This has double the protective Bruce, as Dick flees his reality in an attempt to disappear, and ends up with an entire second overprotective family instead. His brothers are older there, and he's suddenly the baby of the family. Protective Bruce, Protective other Bruce, Protective Jason & Tim.

Careful what you wish for | Northoftheroad | 110K | Complete

Bruce gets sent back in time and is horrified at the risks his younger self used to let Dick take, so he tries to fix it, but may be making everything worse. Lots of throwbacks to the old comics and some dialogue therein, which isn't my favorite era but it was so worth it because the whole thing was brilliant.

don't you know I'm too young | imadetheline | 9K | Complete

Dick gets drugged at a gala, and Jason finds him. Has protective everyone, but focus is on Jason and Bruce worrying about Dick.

Bleed Myself Dry | dizarys | 15K | Complete

This is mostly Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian just being protective of each other. I loved the way they take care of each other and don't let Dick get away with not taking care of himself.

touch starved | envysparkler | 4K | Complete

This one is just beautiful. Dick hurts himself by not forcing his affection on others but then they take care of him, pretty much the whole bat family being protective in this one.

A Child of the Manor | lurkinglurkerwholurks | 4K | Complete

Dick has a broken leg, Bruce is protective and the whole family takes care of him and each other.

Intense, Desperate Loyalty | SecurityNotebook | 47K | Complete

Dick gets kidnapped by the talons, and Jason and Bruce are determined to get him back. Protective entire bat family really, but a focus on Jason and Dick.

Worlds Apart | Fernandidilly_yo | 85K | WIP (Hiatus/Abandoned)

This one will probably not be finished, but doesn't leave off in a bad place and is so very worth it. A younger Dick escapes an apocalyptic world and lands himself with the Batfam, everyone is protective of their new little brother.

Family Business | Robin_goes_brrrrr | 3K | Complete

Dick Grayson is kidnapped, and brought to the Red Hood. The Red Hood is not pleased about what's been done to his brother.

bad signal | prismatical | 38K | Complete

This one is just a great mystery, the entire batfam is very concerned about Dick. Bruce is somewhat absent as he focuses on the bigger picture, but the kids are all more worried about keeping their big brother safe.

And now a couple of Dark Batfam, with extremely overprotective Bruce.

Dark-ish Batfam Series | @princessmariana-writes | 53K | WIP

This one is incomplete, but it owns my brain at the moment. I've read it so very many times. This is everything I've ever wanted, basically. Bruce goes a bit off the rails after Jason dies and decides Dick is retiring, and never leaving the safety of the manor again. Includes some short stories before he went into psycho overprotective mode, where he was still very overprotective, and they are also so very good.

And The Crown Will Sing | ScarlettSwordMoon | 53K | WIP

This one is also living in my head rent free, it is just a masterpiece. Bruce's slow descent into madness as he drags his kids down with him, all in the name of keeping Gotham safe. Bruce and Damian are both very protective of Dick, who so far is in the dark about their plans. I love the way Dick Grayson is written and the way other characters view him in this, it's just exactly how I see him. This story has given me so many ideas.

[ectonurites]

Apparently I missed a thing or two by skipping RHATO because

Willis is alive???

DSFGHGJFDFHSDG YEAH....

The abridged version of what happened (specifically going over stuff from Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #23-36 if anyone wants to read it themselves for the full version) is:

When Willis had been in jail, he'd sent letters to Jason that were never given to him because Faye Gunn (also known as Ma Gunn) withheld them when Jason was living at her school.

(Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #23)

One of these letters (the last one) mentioned that he was going to allow himself to undergo experimentation in order to reduce his sentence.

(Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #23)

After finally reading these letters now all these years later, Jason went to Willis' grave and dug it up and found that it was empty. Queue many complicated feelings for Jason.

(Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #23)

This whole ordeal is why Jason shot Penguin and then got kicked out of Gotham by Bruce in RHATO #25, because it was established it'd been Penguin's fault Willis was arrested in the first place

Also in RHATO #25, two more related things are told to us:

This dude with multiple faces who's been showing up sporadically for the last several issues is apparently Willis after he'd undergone the experimentation

That Faye Gunn is Willis' mother and Jason's grandmother

(Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #25)

Fast forward a little bit and Jason's off on his own following a drug-related lead that he and Roy had started investigating during RHATO Annual #2 (just before Roy died during Heroes in Crisis) and he ends up following a trail all the way to the same prison that Willis had been experimented on in! And there he meets this new Wingman, and also brings up his own connection to the identity:

(Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #30)

While at the prison, he finds Bunker from the Teen Titans who's been imprisoned there, and also comes face to face with the multiple face guy, known as 'Solitary' and he is right off the bat trying to tell Jason that he is his dad.

(Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #31)

We get a bit more of Solitary's story told to Jason via Solitary's powers- how he'd been merged with other inmates during the experimentation- but Jason is not sold on the whole 'I am your father' thing, and proves that this guy isn't by the lack of bat-shaped brand mark on his arm, something he knew his father had.

(Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #31)

So this dude? Not actually Willis!

Jason then beats this guy and when he leaves to head back to Gotham, both Miguel and Wingman decide to go with him. We then enter the whole Iceberg Lounge era- Jason takes over Penguin's club and runs it for a hot sec- and now Miguel and Wingman are actually working for him there. But there's still clearly mystery around who Wingman actually is.

(Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #32)

More stuff happens that's unrelated to this particular plot thread so I'm not gonna go into it here, but basically all sorts of crap happens with the Iceberg Lounge and Jason decides to pass it off to someone else (Suzie Su) and go on his own way. Wingman and Jason have one last little chat on a boat about Gotham before Jason just uh. Jumps off the boat. And as he swims away, We get the big reveal:

(Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 2 #36)

Do we get any further elaboration on him? No. No, we do not. This had been the last time he'd shown up until now suddenly being a part of Batman Inc during Shadow War. So again, at this moment I'm unsure if the Wingman in Shadow War is even supposed to be Willis or if they're just using the alias with the intent of someone else under the mask, who knows. But he is seemingly alive.

[androxys]

Kid Detective (Tim Drake - The Eras Tour: A Lonely Place of Dying)

So I know I’ve talked before about Tim Drake and his character in the context of A Lonely Place of Dying, and how LPoD is foundational (in my humble opinion) to understanding the context of pretty much any modern Batman comic. Like, if your Batman has lost Jason Todd and carries his savior/guilt complex like an albatross, LPoD. if you have literally anything with Tim, LPoD. Simply foundational.

So I went back through it and here, in no particular order (spoiler alert: it’s chronological order) are a collection of comic snippets about about 2k of my thoughts that I think do a pretty good job of reflecting on this era of Tim, which I fondly call the Kid Detective Era.

I think it’s funny that we don’t see Tim at all at first; he’s introduced to us as a bodiless character.

(Batman 440)

    Here is our first real introduction to Tim as a narrative character. I say this because technically at this point we have met Tim as a character before, but we’ll get into that later. This is the first time we’re getting a thought or speech bubble directly from Tim, even though we don’t know that it’s him yet. We also got Tim Fact #1: caucasian. Beyond that, all we know is that someone is following Batman and taking photos of him. This person knows of a connection between Batman and Bruce Wayne, and is now headed to Dick.

    Tonally, this is such an ominous introduction to Tim. Reading this now, in 2022 with all the pleasure of knowing exactly who Tim is, and having always known who Tim is. I can’t imagine this being the cold open to a comic with a mysterious new character… especially as this character reveals that he has context.

(Batman 440)

    Tim is still off camera here, so we still don’t know anything about him. How old he is, what he looks like, nothing. This is his photograph collection, which we imagine are a lot of photos he took himself, as well as newspaper clippings and articles that he found. This serves to show that Tim’s interest in Batman is not a quick thing– a collection like this would have taken time and dedication to build. There was work and premeditation involved. This spread also brings us back to the point that technically we have seen Tim before, back in Batman #436.

(Batman 436)

See here the photo from above. Tim will provide even more context to this later, once he actually meets Dick Grayson. But first, he has to find him. Tim tracks Dick up to New York, where he follows Starfire home (yikes) and asks her where Nightwing is. Starfire is– understandably– confused, and it’s in New Titans #60 that Starfire provides our first detail about the stranger who is following Dick. The stranger is “that kid.” At this moment, Dick is off the grid and going back to Haly’s Circus, where he performed as a child, and which now is facing financial difficulty. The Titans didn’t know about this because Dick just… didn’t tell them… I guess. Tim knows about this because he broke into Dick’s house, found Dick’s safe, broke into it, and stole some of Dick’s papers.The Titans take this as confirmation that whoever broke into Dick’s house knows that Dick is Nightwing.

(New Titans 60)

    All this leads us to the exciting moment where Tim, staking out the circus, sees a clown perform an acrobatic move to stop an out-of-control lion. Tim (correctly) concludes that the clown has to be Dick Grayson, and in this moment we get our first real look at Tim Drake. He’s got his camera in hand, a youthful glow, and two living parents. All this will change.

(New Titans 60)

     Here is Tim and Dick’s first real conversation. I think it’s worth noting here that Tim is not a very good conversationalist! He doesn’t really make any time for Dick’s very justified confusion, he just steamrolls right into his “Batman needs you” speech. But before they can deal with that, they have to deal with the circus mystery happening in the present, with the aforementioned lion. Tim wasted no time here either– he is not a very patient lad, at present– and has already been digging through the trash for clues. Tim does fail to solve this particular mystery, but Dick gets it, and things end up right as rain at the circus. So Dick decides to take this kid back to Wayne Manor, because what else do you do with the kid who knows the answer to “Who Is Batman?”

(Batman 441)

     Tim explains how he figured out who Batman and Robin were, by telling Dick how he was there the night the Flying Graysons died. How he took the picture with Dick, and coped with the trauma of watching two people die got really invested in learning about the Flying Graysons. He watched Robin perform a quadruple somersault, something only three people could do, and Tim was able to connect the dots to Dick. From there he tracked it to Batman, and then deduced Jason’s identity.

(Batman 441)

    As Tim is explaining all this to Dick, he keeps returning to his Big Point: that Batman needs Robin. And Tim thinks that when Dick was Robin, things were better, so therefore Dick should just be Robin again, and things will be better again. It’s a very thirteen year old way of thinking, bless his heart. Also, can you believe he’s thirteen here? Crucially, while Tim kind of floats the idea about him being Robin in the “every teenager thinks about being Robin” way, he did not set out on a particular mission to become Robin himself. He very explicitly thinks Dick is the one for the role.

     The problem with this, of course, is that Dick is Nightwing. It was kind of a whole thing when Dick stopped being Robin. He isn’t too eager to jump back in, and tells Tim as much. He takes Tim down into the Batcave, because why bother to keep any secrets at this point I suppose, and shows him the Robin costume before suiting up as Nightwing and tearing off to find Batman. (By the way, there’s a whole Two-Face plot happening, and that’s where Bruce is. But this post isn’t about him, it’s about Tim, so Bruce gets relegated to background character status.)

(Batman 441)

(New Titans 61)

    There’s a little bit of tone jumping going on, because Batman 441 leads directly into New Titans 61 and they didn’t get the scenes lined up exactly (comics, amiright?) but the gist is here– Tim is distraught that Dick isn’t taking Robin back up. To Tim, it’s very important that it’s Batman AND Robin. Tim is reading very heavily into the symbolism of the mantles here, and is treating them like a sacred thing. It’s Alfred then who begins to plant the seed that perhaps Dick knows that he cannot be Robin again, but that Dick’s inability to retake the role does not mean he disagrees with Tim’s premise; it’s just time for another person to take up the pixie boots.

(Batman 442)

    Alfred must not have paid too much attention to gardening though, because he seems surprised when his seeds bear rapid fruit. In fairness to Alfred, I think there’s a kind reading here that could go along the lines of him seeing a potential candidate for Robin in Tim, with Dick’s tacit approval, but Alfred did not imagine the speed with which Tim would take to the idea, nor did Alfred believe Tim was anywhere near ready. Which would explain his hesitation when Tim went to put on the suit just pages after seemingly suggesting that Tim could be Robin. But there is also a reading here that would call Alfred out as a hypocrite, throwing Tim to the wolves to keep Bruce from killing himself. Regardless, Tim is right, Batman needs help, so Alfred drives Tim– in Jason’s suit– to a building that Two-Face collapsed on him and Dick.

(Batman 442)

    When Alfred and Tim arrive, they help the two out from under the building and Bruce doesn’t react well to seeing some kid in his dead son’s clothes. Which, fair. He insists that there is no more Robin, to which Tim makes his big case.

(Batman 442)

    Tim lays out his entire beliefs to Batman, stands toe to toe with the Dark Knight, and explains his conviction in the symbol. Always the symbols with this boy, at this moment in time. Tim at this point, importantly, has accepted that Dick cannot be Robin again, and that it is up to him to be Robin for Bruce, if he is the best candidate to do it. So Bruce decides that on a tentative basis, Tim can begin training to see if he can be trusted. Which is such a Bruce thing. He can’t commit to a new Robin yet, so he’ll make this boy dedicate time and effort into seeing if he can measure up to a near-mythological ideal that he has built up, without any clear goal or end in sight except for gaining Batman’s nebulously defined trust. Great job, Bruce.

    I don’t know if it’s better or worse that from Bruce’s perspective, Tim really is just some kid. It’s just that when this random kid happens to know his biggest secret, what else can you do? Speaking of the fact that Tim isn’t Bruce’s son (yet) though, where are Tim’s parents? Well, he relayed that back when he was explaining his connection to Dick.

(Batman 441)

    The Drakes are, in a word, absent. Off on business, leaving Tim at a boarding school that Tim slipped out of on vacation. LPoD doesn’t establish Tim with much of anything in the way of parental oversight or authority figures, leaving a narrative gap that Batman can slot nicely into.

This all builds to a collective image of Tim in his debut story. The first major pillar is his belief in Batman and Robin. He believes in them as symbols, as universal truths. Batman needs Robin. He starts this story thinking that Dick Grayson is that Robin. He doesn’t necessarily know or even think that Bruce Wayne needs Dick Grayson (he does, but that’s besides the point) because Tim isn’t privy to the family dynamics inside Wayne Manor. He’s just an exceptionally determined kid with a camera who saw what only Alfred and Commissioner Gordon were seeing: Batman was slipping without a Robin to balance him out. So Tim went out to correct that balance. He has a good mind already, figuring out everyone’s identities and following Dick to Haly’s Circus. Tim was remarkably straightforward and determined in that goal, to the point where he could be a little creepy, invasive, and stubborn. He really could have slowed down and talked to Dick at the circus, but the mystery of the lion grabbed him. He’s very focused on the task at hand; when a problem arises that impedes that task, he solves it with a similar directness. There’s very little finesse here, at this stage. That will come later for Tim. Right now, he’s just a kid with a dream, and that dream is on probation at best.

[asongofsilks]

ASOIAF FANCASTING --> EVERY NAMED FEMALE CHARACTER ABOVE THE AGE OF FIVE, PART XIII

Cassella Vaith (b. approx. 140 AC): A Dornish noblewoman, she was among many hostages taken when King Daeron I conquered Dorne. Daeron's cousin Prince Aegon, who would later become king as Aegon IV, accompanied the hostages to King's Landing and became Cassella's lover. However, when Daeron was killed by the Dornish and the hostages were all to be executed, Aegon returned her to her place among them. Despite this callousness, Cassella never wed and still believed that one day Aegon would send for her again. Fancast: Gabriella Wilde.

Catelyn Bracken (main series era): Third daughter of Lord Jonos Bracken of Stone Hedge. Fancast: Brooke Shields.

Catelyn Tully (265-299 AC): Eldest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun and his wife, Minisa Whent. She was betrothed to Brandon Stark, the heir to Winterfell, but when he died, she wed his younger brother Eddard instead. Catelyn and her younger sister Lysa had a double wedding during Robert's Rebellion, as a formal alliance between House Tully and the rebels was needed. After the rebellion, Catelyn went to live in Winterfell. There she forged a stable and loving relationship with her husband. They have five children together. Catelyn's eldest, Robb, is proclaimed King of the North upon his father's execution by King Joffrey. He is unbeaten in the field but is treacherously murdered by members of House Frey at the Red Wedding. Catelyn is slain there too, but when Beric Dondarrion and his men find her body, which has been dumped unceremoniously into the Green Fork, he gives her the last kiss of life and she arises again as Lady Stoneheart. She becomes the new leader of Dondarrion's outlaw band and leads them on a new path of vengeance. Fancast: Eleanor Tomlinson.

Cedra (main series era): A young servant at Sunspear. While Arianne Martell is imprisoned by her father after a failed attempt to crown Princess Myrcella as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, she convinces Cedra to smuggle a letter out of Sunspear, but she is caught. Fancast: Lily Mo Sheen.

Celia Tully (b. approx. 225 AC): The daughter of the ruling Lord of Riverrun, she was betrothed to Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen, son of Aegon V, who would later become king as Jaehaerys II. However, the betrothal was broken by Jaehaerys, who married his sister, Shaera, out of love instead. Fancast: Charlotte Hope.

Cerelle Lannister (b. approx. 120 AC): Daughter of Lord Jason Lannister and his wife, Johanna Westerling. She had four sisters and one brother. She was presented to King Aegon III at the Maiden's Day Ball in King's Landing which was held for him to choose a bride. Tyland Lannister, who served for a time as Aegon's Hand after being tortured by Queen Rhaenyra during the Dance of the Dragons, was her uncle. Fancast: Joanne King.

Cerenna Lannister (b. approx. 280 AC): Daughter of Ser Stafford Lannister, the younger brother of Joanna Lannister, who was the wife and cousin of Lord Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock. Cerenna is the younger sister of Ser Daven Lannister. She also has a sister, Myrielle. Fancast: Nina Dobrev.

Cerissa Brax (b. approx. 170 AC): Wife of Lord Damon Lannister of Casterly Rock, known as the Grey Lion. She had two sons, Tybolt and Gerold. When her husband passed away during the Spring Sickness, Tybolt became Lord of Casterly Rock. However, both he and his infant daughter, Cerelle, passed away under mysterious circumstances, and it was whispered that Gerold had poisoned them both. Gerold then became Lord of Casterly Rock. He was the father of Tytos Lannister and the grandfather of Tywin. Fancast: Anita Briem.

Cersei Frey (b. 293 AC): Youngest daughter of Raymund Frey, eleventh son of Lord Walder Frey, and his wife Beony Beesbury. She is one of the maidens presented to King Robb. She is nicknamed Little Bee, for her mother's house. Fancast: Jordana Beatty.

Cersei Lannister (b. 266 AC): Only daughter of Lord Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock and sister to Jaime and Tyrion. Her father once promised her that she would wed Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, but King Aerys II refused. After Aerys and Rhaegar's deaths and the fall of House Targaryen, Cersei wed the new king, Robert Baratheon. They have an extremely unhappy marriage until Robert is killed in a hunting accident orchestrated by Cersei. Their three children, Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen, have actually been fathered by Jaime, Cersei's twin brother. It is this that leads to the War of the Five Kings, since King Robert has no trueborn offspring and both his brothers decide to fight for the throne. The Lannisters make an alliance with House Tully in order to defend against Stannis Baratheon, but after the death of King Joffrey at his wedding to Margaery Tyrell, Cersei begins to fall apart. Upon Lord Tywin's death at the hands of Tyrion, Cersei assumes the rule of the Seven Kingdoms as regent for her son Tommen. However, her paranoia, egotism, and tendency to trust the wrong people lead to tension with the Tyrells and estrangement from Jaime. Cersei embarks on a plot to get Margaery, who is now married to Tommen, accused of adultery, but it backfires on her when the High Septon tortures Osney Kettleblack into revealing the truth. In order to get back to the Red Keep, Cersei confesses to having had adulterous relationships with men and undergoes a naked walk of atonement. However, she is still to be tried for more serious crimes. Fancast: Anastasia Tsilimpiou.

Ceryse Hightower (2-45 AC): Daughter of Lord Hightower of Oldtown and first wife of Maegor Targaryen, who later became king after usurping his brother's son. Ceryse had no children with Maegor, leading him to take another wife polygamously. Ceryse returned to Oldtown, but when Maegor claimed the throne they reunited and she agreed to accept his other wives. Ceryse died suddenly, and it was rumoured that she had been killed after the king ordered her tongue cut out. Fancast: Aurora Ruffino.

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