#miss Alberto I am doing everything in my power for you right now and I think your distributor CANNOT say the same!!!!

[steveyockey]

about to vibrate out of my skin reading about the making of the ari and dante movie

[spooky-z]

Confident

It's time to get the chains out

Is your tongue tied up?

'Cause this is my ground

And I'm dangerous

And you can get off

But it's all about me tonight

Confident – Demi Lovato

××××××

Warning: Adrien and Marinette's potty mouth

@ozmav @maribat-archive

××××××

 "Do you think she'll like it?" Damian asks, his worried face.

"Absolutely." Jason whistles, enjoying the breathtaking view.

He hoped his brother was right.

•••••

Marinette was... bored.

Chloe hadn't come to school today because Kagami was going to travel to Tokyo and she wanted to say goodbye to her girlfriend at the airport.

Because she's a drama queen.

Her class was once again around Lila, eating everything she spat out of that lying mouth.

At least Adrien had stopped covering her and was now helping Marinette when Lila tried to hit her.

The class was not happy with any of the three (Adrien, Marinette and Chloe), but neither did they exclude them. At Lila's request, of course. She wouldn't let Adrien go like this without a fight.

"... Then Damiboo took me for a romantic picnic in the garden of Wayne Mansion." Marinette felt bile rise in her throat, but swallowed back. "He has a motorcycle, but he loves me so much that he was afraid I would fall out of it, so the driver, Alberto, took us for a ride around Gotham."

How could people believe this? For real. Marinette seriously doubted whether her classmates still had working neurons. Even a monkey could tell what was true and what was pure shit.

But she had already given up on them. It was no longer her problem.

Her cell phone buzzed twice signaling that she had received a message.

Bǎobèi: Angel, did you dress like I asked?

Marinette smiles, but bites her lips to avoid questions.

Habib: Maybe... You didn't tell me why. And I am waiting.

She had dressed as Damian had requested.

Leather pants, boots, a leather jacket as well. Underneath she had a plain, loose-fitting white T-shirt.

She still didn't understand why the request and Damian didn't tell.

Bǎobèi: Wait for you at the school entrance at break. Do not be late!

Marinette straightened in her chair.

Damian was coming for her?!

Habib: Are you coming here?

Habib: Dami?

Habib: ?

Habib: Hello?

She drops the phone giving up on getting an answer for now. It was only five minutes before the break.

“... My God, girl! You're so lucky!” She hears Alya scream “Damian Wayne at your feet!”

And there we go again.

•••••

When it gave two minutes for the bell to sound, the loud sound of two bikes was heard throughout the school.

High performance bikes.

And Marinette thought it would be too much of a coincidence that Damian would come and pick her up, soon after, bikes prowling the school.

The class looked confused at each other. Kim looked excited with the expectation of ... something? Marinette didn't understand very much what was going on in the boy's head.

Alya had the sparkle in the eye of the one who found the exclusive of the day. Lila seemed to be up to something and Adrien... Poor baby, sleeping as if he'd been kept awake for a whole week.

Which was probably true, given that Mr. Agreste was a dick. Marinette has never hated an adult as much as she hates him.

"OH MY GOD THAT IS DAMIAN WAYNE?!" someone shouted in the courtyard and the class got surprised.

“Hey, isn't Damian Wayne your boyfriend's name, Lila?” Mylene asks innocently.

Marinette suspects that her classmate is not as stupid as the others. She always seemed to know things you don't want anyone to know.

Adrien wakes up scared, his face scrunched up and his eyes heavy.

"What is it?" He asks.

“Lila's boyfriend Damian Wayne is here at school!” Alya gushes excitedly.

The blonde tilts his head in confusion. “Lila's boyfriend? But he wasn't-“

“It can't be my Damiboo because he went on a business trip with other billionaires.” Lila quickly cuts Adrien knowing that he would say something against her.

This is when the bell rings and everyone seems to jump out of their chairs and leave the room. Curiosity eroding them.

Even Lila ran.

That left only Adrien (who looked like a cat, sprawled on the table) and Marinette, who was waiting for Damian's message.

She goes to Adrien, worried about her friend.

"Chaton, you don't look well." She strokes the blonde's head, hearing the soft purr coming from him.

He turns his head to look at her.

"It's been a tough week for this cat, My Lady."

Plagg runs away from the bag just like Tikki, only to land on the boy's head.

“That miserable man that my kitten has as his father decided it would be a good idea to make a busy schedule to the brim of appointments for the whole month.” The god of destruction complains “If Tikki hadn't stopped me I would have totaled him already.”

Marinette smiles at him.

“Plagg, we already talked about it!” Tikki complains and the two starts arguing.

“Gabriel seems to be getting worse, Adrien.” Marinette says, “You're 18 years old soon, I think it's time for you to run away from him. Have your independence.”

The model rises from his chair, bag on his shoulder. He smiles at his friend.

“And I will.” She raises her eyebrow to show she wasn't having any of that. “Really! Luka has been helping me. As soon as I turn 18, I leave the mansion.”

Marinette smiles mischievously.

“Luka, huh?!” Adrien blushes at her tone. “You've been very close lately. Can I celebrate already? Because it was about time.”

She pokes him playfully.

“MARI!” He squeaks.

"What? It's true and you know it.”

“Alright!” He complains. “Now let's go, because I'm sure Lila must be trying her moves and Damian pissed off that he couldn't get rid of her and Alya.”

Marinette gets serious quickly.

"You're right! He's going to kill her!” She pulls Adrien out the door, their kwamis quickly hiding in their bags.

“Even, I must say, My Lady, you're divine in those clothes.” He says gallantly. “Makes a better cat than me. A total of 10/10.”

Marinette doesn't respond, just pulls the blonde harder through Dupont's corridors.

When they arrive at the school's front door, they come across the crowd of students. Everyone squeezing so they could see what was happening on the street.

“… What do you mean you don't recognize me, Damiboo?” Despite all the confusion, Marinette and Adrien were able to hear.

The brunette palmed her face, not believing what she was hearing.

“Look, she can be a liar and all, but you can't deny she has courage.” Adrien whistles.

"Too much courage." Mari observes. "Now help me through them."

"Right away, my lady!"

They start pushing people, apologizing when someone complains more strongly. Marinette thinks they lost two minutes pushing the students until they reached the top of the stairs.

“Holy shit.” Adrien sighs.

"Fuck." Marinette replies.

The scene was as follows:

On one side was Lila in Alya's arms pretending to cry, while Alya had the furious expression on her face. The class was close behind, anger was a joint feeling, from what Marinette could observe.

On the other side was Damian, all dressed in black leather, helmet in hand, and scornful expression.

A beautiful black Suzuki GSX R1000/R with red accents and an all-black Kawasaki ZZR1400 Ninja parked on the sidewalk.

"Look, I'm just going to talk one more time: I've never seen or met this girl in my life." His voice colder than the Antarctic glaciers. "I've only had one girlfriend in my life and I still keep dating her."

“Why are you lying, Damiboo? I thought we loved each other!” Lila pouted.

“Layla-“

"It's LILA." She growls.

"-LILA, unless you were born with the name Marinette and changed your identity from yesterday to today, you're not my girlfriend."

“Marinette? Like Marinette Dupain-Cheng? That Marinette?” Alya asks surprised.

"Yes. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. My girlfriend for three years.” He frowns “That’s late again.” And looks at Marinette standing at the top of the stairs. He smiled.

She takes her cue and jumps into his arms. The boy catches her effortlessly.

“Hey you.” She kisses his lips quickly. "Wǒ xiāng nǐ."

"I missed you too, Angel." He replies. "And I brought your gift for taking your license." And points to the parked Suzuki.

Marinette lets him go, the shock on her face.

"Wait! Is this my?!” She looks incredulous “Adrien comes here! I have a bike now!” She shouts at the blonde running down anxiously.

They were totally ignoring the rest of the class.

"Damian." He greets before going to see the Suzuki.

“Adrien.” The brunette greets back.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Alya demands, having already released Lila, very focused on trying to understand what was going on. The three stops to look at her. "Are you dating Damian Wayne, Marinette?"

"... Yes? I thought he already said that.” She answers placidly.

“And Lila? Are you stealing other people's man now?!” Alya was livid.

“I never thought you'd play so dirty, Marinette.” Lila sniffles. She would be a terrible actress, Jesus. "I know you hate me because all the boys you like end up coming to me, but I didn't think you would do anything like that."

Marinette feels a vein burst in her temple.

“Girl, you need urgent help! This is not healthy.” Alya supports Lila.

“… Are you telling me they really believe this?” Damian asks Adrien, not believing what he saw.

"Unfortunately."

"How can you handle it?"

“At the base of croissants and hot chocolate.”

Marinette snorts, looking like a bull.

"I won't argue with you." She says "I have more important things to do."

"Like me." Damian jokes maliciously.

Some students blush at the blatant joke.

“You two are gross.” Adrien scowls.

Marinette doesn't answer because she was admiring her motorcycle. Her wonderful, beautiful and powerful bike.

She was almost jumping with anxiety to run through the streets of Paris.

Mari rode the bike, testing the comfort, the pedals, and the accelerator. Not paying attention to the discussion going on between Adrien, the class, and Damian.

Maybe she was drooling a little.

"Bǎobèi!" Marinette calls, cutting off the discussion. "Can I take a walk with her?"

Damian smiles, delighted with the animation of his angel.

"Sure." He replies. "But first the helmet."

He goes to her, the black helmet in his hands and extends it to her.

Marinette runs her hands through her hair to fix it so that it doesn't fall into her eyes. They were much shorter than at 13. She had decided on an asymmetrical jaw-length cut.

She takes the helmet from Damian's hands and puts it on her head, pinning the buckle below her chin.

Damian adjusts to fit her helmet better and closes the leather jacket she wears, for better protection.

She turned to Adrien.

"How am I?" She poses.

“I would let you kidnap me. Approved.” He claps his hands. “If Damian wasn't here… Oh boy.” He shakes his eyebrows and Damian rolls his eyes.

“I'M TALKING TO YOU!” Lila screams angrily.

Adrien looks at Marinette.

"She was?"

Marinette shrugs.

“I don't care.” She turns the key to the bike, loving the sound. “Now get in loser we're going shopping.”

Adrien widens his eyes in surprise.

“Really?!” Marinette rolls her eyes at him before closing the helmet visor. "I'M GOING!"

He rides the bike holding tight to Marinette's arms, knowing she can take his weight.

Damian was already seated in Kawazaki, his helmet steady, when Adrien tightened his grip around Marinette.

“Let's bet who's the fastest, Wayne?” He says mischievously.

“Oh? Do you really want to bet a race sitting in the passenger seat?” Damian sneers.

Adrien seems to understand his situation, but it was too late.

"I accept the challenge. May the best win."

“Wai-” his voice was cut off by the acceleration Marinette gave.

Damian close behind.

The whole school stopped without understanding anything.

And Lila? Well, she kept talking to herself.

BONUS!

"Do you think Marinette would take me for a ride?" Alix sighed, a dreamy expression on her face.

"Marinette could take me with her anywhere." Kim replies, his face an exact copy of Alix. "Did you see how beautiful she was?"

"Yes..." They sigh together

"... So how long have they been like this?" Max asks Nathaniel.

The redhead shrugs.

“Since Adrien and Marinette left.”

"... That was an hour ago."

Nathaniel shrugs again.

[calculatorz]

Holiday Killer Revealed Pt. 1

(Yes, this is a shameless reader insert because I simp for Alberto)

Hello there, quick thing before I actually start writing this: I’m new to writing Alberto Falcone’s/Holiday’s character so I apologize in advance for any out of character moments! Also, I, Ollie, in no way shape or form am trying to “romanticize” the mafia/justifying anything done by the mafia. I adore Alberto’s character, motive, and backstory, so I’m sorry if I write stuff that seems very far-fetched or disrespectful. If in any way this story triggers you / causes emotional trauma, please contact me so I can put a warning where it’s needed.

(Starts In Your POV, may switch in between throughout)

“Alberto... Where are you?” I asked myself as I gazed through the ocean of people surrounding me.

Everyone around me was quite powerful. Some were business partners with “The Roman” Falcone, while others were family members, or like me; a friend of someone within the family. 

The night was already beginning and Alberto Falcone, my friend of several decades, was no where to be seen. Most of the time, when someone’s missing or you just can’t find them the best thing to do is look around. Now, I’m in a ballroom filled with a few, if not hundreds, of criminals and killers. Searching for Alberto could possibly lead me to seeing something I’m not supposed to see, and that’s a bad idea to have. But, what did I have to lose?

I left the ballroom after establishing that Alberto wasn’t there and made my way upstairs towards his father’s office, and towards his bedroom. I knew checking with “The Roman” was not a good choice, but I needed to find Alberto before the night ended. 

Right as I was about to knock on “The Roman”’s door, I heard a familiar voice call out to me;

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I turned around, beaming with excitement. I hadn’t seen Alberto since he left for Oxford, but he still managed to look the same, with his purple lens glasses and his formal attire. For a moment I forgot we were talking and blanked.

“A-Alberto? Is that really you? Hmm.... Wait no, it can’t be. Something’s different. You’ve gotten taller? Wait no... You’re smarter! That’s right, I haven’t seen you since you’ve left for Oxford!”

Alberto sighed at my extremely dull attempt at lightening the mood and cut to the chase;

“What do you want?”

I stood there, quite dumbfounded. 

He did know that there was a party downstairs right? Or am I just imagining that?

“Well you see,”

I began, as I looked through a window to the current masquerade that was happening below us;

“I haven’t seen you in years, and I’ve missed you so much. I tried searching the party for you but you had vanished. Is everything okay? You seem more on edge than you did the last time we had seen each other.”

Alberto suddenly took me by my hand and led me into an empty room. He turned on the light and started to speak;

“I’m sick of this (Name). I’ve always been seen as the ‘good son’, the ‘perfect boy’. I want to join the family business. I don’t want to be seen as a failure in my father’s eyes. He knows that I’m fully capable, but he won’t let me prove myself. He sent me away to Oxford so I wouldn’t have to be his problem anymore, and frankly, I wish he didn’t. I spent several crucial years of my life wasting away to be in the same place I would’ve been in the past. I need to finally prove myself.”

I finally understand. I mean, I think I do. 

“Then do it. If you think it’ll help you find a better mental state then go ahead. I just want you to be happy again.”

I meant every word of what I said. He seems different and I really hope whatever he does will finally give him the closure he deserves.

Fast Forward:

New Years Eve, Gotham Harbor

Ever since these “Holiday” killings have started everyone’s been on edge. For the most part, the only people who seemed to become victims were known to have some connection with the Falcone name. That meant that I could very well be the next victim. 

What I didn’t expect however, was that tonight would cause me more pain than I ever could’ve imagined.

It was snowing quite heavily, and Alberto decided to go onto the deck to smoke a cigarette. I waited inside, hoping he would be back in time for the clock to hit twelve, so we could bring in the New Year together.

Impatient, I decided to go outside and check on him. Luckily, he was safe and not a victim of the “Holiday” Killer. I came up behind him and embraced him tightly;

“Happy, almost, New Years Alberto!”

He nearly had a heart attack when I surprised him;

“God... Do you have any warning? I could’ve thought you were the Holiday Killer and could’ve put a bullet through your skull.”

I let go of him and replayed his words in my mind;

“W-What...? A bullet through my skull? Alberto... that’s quite grim, even for you.”

It seemed as if he had suddenly realized what he said and began to apologize;

“(Name)... I didn’t mean it like that. We’re all scared about this whole tragedy and I expressed my feelings quite harshly. My apologies.”

I simply nodded and frowned, it was so cold outside;

“Don’t worry about it Alberto. I’ve just never seen that side of you before. It’s getting cold, so I’m going to head back inside. Please promise me you’ll come inside and celebrate with me.”

Alberto took a long drag from his cigarette and nodded;

 “I’ll be inside in a minute or so.”

Without replying, I headed inside, unaware that this would be the final time that I’d have seen or talked to Alberto again.

After two minutes or so Carla Viti, Alberto’s aunt came running inside, yelling that Alberto was the newest victim of “Holiday”. I ran out onto the deck and fell onto my knees in shock. 

He was just talking to me, and then he was killed... He wasn’t a bad guy. If anything, I should’ve been the one that was killed. Not Alberto Falcone, the bookworm who was anything but a criminal. The man I secretly adored and thought highly of was gone, another victim to the Holiday Killer. I was going to find whoever this killer was and make him suffer for hurting my friend.

One Time Skip Later:

After months of torment, the Holiday was finally caught. His final victim was Sal Maroni, another boss of another crime family. I swore vengeance on the Holiday killer ever since Alberto was taken from me, and I now had the chance to act.

I walked into the GCPD Precinct and asked to be escorted to where the holding cells were located. I was told that I couldn’t speak to the Holiday Killer, only family members could enter. 

As I slumped down in defeat, I noticed a familiar face walking out of the holding cell area. It was none of than Alberto’s father, Carmine Falcone. I walked towards him hoping he could get me a chance to see the Holiday Killer, but I hadn’t expected what would happen next.

“Mr. Falcone...? I’m sorry if this seems indelicate, but may I ask you a favor?”

Falcone looked down at me with upset eyes and began to speak;

“Sure. A friend of my son’s is totally welcome to having a favor.”

I looked towards the holding cells and frowned;

“Mr. Falcone, you see, I tried to see if I could talk to the Holiday Killer, but was told no. Is there any way you could let them let me in?”

Carmine Falcone nodded;

“Just come with me.”

As we got closer to the holding cell “Holiday” was in, I became anxious. My mind was swirling with different emotions. I was finally going to meet Alberto’s killer.

As I had gotten closer to the room, I slowly started to make out a face to the killer. Eventually, we got close enough that I recognized who the “Holiday” Killer was. 

It was Alberto Falcone, the person I loved the most.

Once I had reached the room where Alberto was seated I feel to my knees in front of him and cried. He made me believe that I was alone, when in fact, he was still there.

“Alberto you son of a...”

He stopped me before I could continue;

“I was only doing what you said.”

I froze in horror at his words;

“What? I never said for you to do this! You even faked your own death goddammit.”

He sighed, taking a long drag of his cigarette like he did on New Years Eve;

“You told me to do whatever it takes to make me happy, to make my mental state better. I wanted to show my father that I mattered. Now he knows that and I’m finally happy.”

Again, I was shocked with embarrassment; 

“ALBERTO- I never meant for you to go around killing people! I thought you were going to get a therapist or something. Instead however, you faked your own death and left me lonely and depressed. You’ve gained respect from your father, but you’ve lost mine. You knew that I wouldn’t have approved of this, but you still did it. You risked it all. And you lost. You’ll rot away in prison before I’ll forgive you.”

Alberto stayed quiet for a moment before finally speaking;

“(Name) we all make mistakes. Let me learn from this. Please. I knew this would effect you the most, but I still did it. Yes, it makes me the stupidest man in the world, but I feel bad for letting you believe a false narrative. Please, forgive me.”

“I need some time to think...”

And just like that, I left Alberto to rot. Except, he managed to get out of Death Row and go to Arkham Asylum instead. I knew I’d see him again. 

Part Two Will Be Out In Several Days, And Be Based Upon Dark Victory. Dark Victory has much darker themes (in my opinion) than Long Halloween so prepare for there to be a trigger warning list at the beginning. Anyways, have a wonderful day/night!

[mittens-220]

Hataraku Maou-sama! Volume 21 Detailed Chinese Summary Part 6

Detailed preview summary: Read here

Detailed summary part 1: Read here

Detailed summary part 2: Read here

Detailed summary part 3: Read here

Detailed summary part 4: Read here

Detailed summary part 5: Read here

Demon King and Hero Defeat God

Scene returns to Heaven. Everyone saw that Ignora forcefully put almost all the angels who were still alive to sleep, Ignora said this was done was because Nuxe needed it, and a long time was needed before everything could be settled, so just let them sleep first. Everyone could not accept it, at this time, Maou and Kamael were fighting and crashed into the room again, the scene was chaotic. Emi said to Ignora, let’s forget about those big matters first, I only know that with how Nuxe and Lucifer are, if we listen to you completely and cause this type of children to increase, the world will get destroyed! Then it was likely Lucifer who said all of you suddenly barged in and caused trouble, then lecture others about family relationships. Emi asked, could it be that he was missing home now? Lucifer said how is that possible, but your states are too consistent compared to normal, right? And the enemy boss is this calm for some reason, she is clearly at a disadvantage. Emi asked Ignora, your goal has been achieved? You really do not wish to resist anymore? Ignora said, all of do not wish to kill people unnecessarily, isn’t that right, Emilia-chan? (By the way, she calls herself Obaa-san when talking to Emi) Look, that Daath looks like my son, he chose Lucifer, as a mother, there is nothing which will make me any happier than this.

Ignora said perhaps it was especially easy for her to miss her child at an older age, we were exiled by our home planet, but we were recognised as the true humans of this world, the proof is mine and that person’s cute child. I know you “Ente Isla people” are very angry at us and the Tree of Life, but we do not wish to eradicate all of you, we want to use our power to monitor the whole of Ente Isla and manage the Tree of Life, creating a planet and humans which will definitely not be destroyed. Therefore, we need to show that we are the highest ranked existence in this planet. I want to protect this planet and humans, and have been fighting for this the whole time. Even though Sataniel denied me, but look, in the end, the Tree of Life judged that we were correct, and because of this, manifested using Lucifer’s appearance.

Emi asked Utsushihara, is this the case? Utsushihara said that is also that kind of situation, that’s why Amane was very anxious that I actually did not choose the native people, but the aliens instead. With this, there might be a conflict between Sephirah, what Ignora said is basically true. When they were chatting, Maou and Kamael were still fighting.

Utsushihara said, but to be more accurate, we chose Lucifer, the son of Ignora and Sataniel, but we did not choose the “angels”. Then he produced a small piece of metal in his hand, and said it was easy since Yesod and Malkuth are in your brain, then passed the ring to Emi, saying that with this, you are the strongest in the universe. Emi understood everything after putting on the ring, and Utsushihara became another consciousness in her head. The holy sword appeared in her hand, it was made up of light. Utsushihara said that I was only a Yesod which was coincidentally born from a Yesod fragment, for me, who is Daath and Yesod, I am the judge of the Tree of Life’s future, I yearn for a peaceful life for the hosts of the planet more than anyone else, and the correct Tree of Life and the Sephirah children have to…… he controlled Emi’s movements and rushed towards Kamael, and with one cut, split the armour after the merger between Kamael and Malkuth, then a white explosion of holy magic was produced from Kamael’s whole body and dissipated, he turned back into a burly man with purple hair and fainted.

Once Kamael collapsed, Eros also had a huge reduction in battle ability. Maou remembered this was similar to the arrow which Chiho shot at Raguel when she was controlled by Lailah in volume 5, which was known as “falling”, the effect from Yesod, Sariel likely had a Yesod fragment in his eye. Seeing Emi was already used to the new method of fighting, Utsushihara hugged Nuxe and separated, that’s right, we chose them, which means that we only acknowledged that they want to protect humans. Therefore, the “Ente Isla humans” who we acknowledge will lose all the power of miracles one day. Ignora was stunned. Emi asked if they would lose their immortality, Utsushihara said he was not sure, because their immortality was researched via science and not via a miracle power like spells and magic, so they could only see and wait.

Ignora was still in shock, not expecting such a result from being selected. She called out for Lucifer helplessly and Lucifer had already came up behind her during an unknown time and hugged her from behind. Lucifer said that he actually really liked his own life, but once he thought about the past, he realised that he had never been loved. His mother was obsessed with research, his father was very ambitious, these two people treated him as a tool to prove that they were correct and always locked him in a chamber, no matter what kind of grand reason that had, this was just abuse. Lucifer said, I agreed to help Olba to return to Heaven in the past, thinking about it now, I only wanted to resolve my confusion from when I was young. Then he hugged Ignora tightly, telling Alas=Ramus, this is your enemy, you deal with her.

Emi pointed the tip of her sword towards Ignora, Ignora did not struggle at all, but she could not do it at all, this stalemate went on for a while, Maou and Ashiya who finally arrived pull them apart. Ashiya said that if even they did not kill her, allowing her to lose her power now is not a good move, they can still make use of her in many ways. Maou said, you don’t want to kill her, right? Your killing aura when you seriously want to kill someone, I know it the best. Emi reverted to her original self, but Alas=Ramus jumped out on her own, putting Ignora’s hand on her head, Ignora’s hair also turned back to purple. Lucifer let go of his mother and said I thought you would definitely kill her, I didn’t expect you to become soft-hearted. Emi said do not use me for your own grudge. For the hatred in your life, use your own power to fulfil it. What is left is just the clean up after the battle.

Scene changed to three years later, Emerada brought over a bunch of Ente Isla currently to exchange to Japanese yen from the landlady, and even went to enjoy MgRonalds’ air conditioning with Alberto. Libicocco in formal wear was very handsome. He was participating in the full time employee training and would be able to take up a post next year if he passes. The Sephirah came to Earth because in the summit meeting, the holy sword was taken out to threaten others and frightened the humans, so they chased the Sephirah over to “recuperate/rehabilitate”. Lucifer is in charge of managing them. Everyone knows that Ignora was Maou’s neighbour. During summer this year, the Landlady barged in forcefully to install air conditioning, but from the compressor outside, it seemed like the air conditioning was rarely used. The others were all very worried, but Lucifer nonchalantly said that she was the type of person who was very stubborn about staying alive, and her heart would not die that easily. Maou, you should watch her closely, do not allow her to interfere with my current job. Maou said, that is your mother, why aren’t you taking responsibility. Lucifer said that he did not raise me, why do I have to provide for her, she should be thanking me for the fact that I am taking care of these Sephirah.  Then it was mentioned that three years ago, they captured Ignora and locked her in Suzuno’s room in the Theocracy, she knocked on the wall for a long time, but she stopped doing that in the end.

[citylightsbooks]

5 Questions with Megan Fernandes, Author of Good Boys

Megan Fernandes is a writer and academic living in New York City. She is the author of The Kingdom and After (Tightrope Books 2015) and the new book of poems, Good Boys (published by Tin House). Her work has been published or is forthcoming in the New Yorker, Tin House, Ploughshares, Denver Quarterly, Chicago Review, Boston Review, Rattle, Pank, the Common, Guernica, the Academy of American Poets, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency, among others. She is a poetry reader for The Rumpus and an Assistant Professor of English at Lafayette College. She holds a PhD in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MFA in poetry from Boston University. She reads from her new book Good Boys with special guests at City Lights Bookstore on Tuesday, February 25th.

***

City Lights: If you’ve been to City Lights before, what’s your memory of the visit? If you haven’t been here before, what are you expecting?

Megan Fernandes: Of all the places I’m reading this Spring (and it’s probably not politic to say this), I am most excited to read at City Lights. I’ve never been, but I understood at a very young age that the bookstore symbolized possibility, spontaneity, digression, lostness, community, etc. As a teenager, I read a lot of Beat literature, my favorites being Dharma Bums, In the Night Café, and everything Ginsberg. I was compelled by their portraits of America’s expansiveness. And I also just think as an immigrant kid not born in the USA, the Beats gave me some sense of American geography. I went to Colorado for the first time last year and I had this memory of my first impression of Colorado as a place described in On the Road. When traveling across the country, I often have Ferlinghetti’s feverish, twitchy, carnivalesque poetics in my head. I also think in this indirect way, Beat literature shaped some of my thoughts around feminist thinking as I was conscious of my orientation as outside certain privileges of the “male, womanizing adventurer” often romanticized in Beat lit. I had to interrogate what it meant to feel intimacies with Ginsberg and Duncan who were destabilizing masculinities and cultural logics of hate. 

And so what I learned from City Lights and Beat lit is really something about the relationship between myth-making and counter-culture communities. I’m understanding the truly expansive network of the movement in so much more detail right now while reading an advanced copy of a fabulous new book called The Beats: A Literary History by Steven Belletto. 

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading a book called Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem, co-written by Dapper Dan himself and my good friend, Mikael Awake. It’s a history of Dapper Dan’s iconic work in fashion, of course, while being really intimate. And it’s just as much a history of his family’s internal dynamics and, through his family, New York City at large. In particular, 1970’s NYC is so vividly, brilliantly wrought in this book.

There’s this one section where Dap is at Iona College at a lecture on protohistory and the professor, a Czech immigrant, tells the class that “In order for man to have survived during those ancient times… he must have had powers that he doesn’t have now. The only people that could possibly still have these powers today are the black and brown people on the planet” and when Dap hears this, he is transfixed. He says: “This is one of the most esteemed scholars at Iona College telling a packed lecture hall that black and brown people were the only ones on the planet who still had spiritual powers. How come this was my first time hearing about that? I looked around. I was the only black student in the class. I wasn’t tired anymore. He had my full attention… I said to myself, This is what I need to know. This is how I need to formulate myself.” I’m loving how the book captures these intense moments of transformation. I love that word choice: formulate. What poetic agency is modeled in that word? I needed that word the moment I read it. 

Recently, I’ve also read Samiya Bashir’s Field Theories and Edgar Kunz’s Tap Out. Samiya wrote this legitimately weird and imaginative book that feels like it’s made out of the time-space continuum. Some cosmic materiality is really showing up in that book. I remember this line: “A body. A zoo. A lovely savannah. Walls of clear, clean glass” and I’m just on a ride with the musicality of her shifting assonance. Plus, I know that writers like June Jordan and Toni Cade Bambara are operating influences/specters of the book and you can feel that energy. Edgar’s book is more narrative and quieter, but so devastating. I sort of get what makes his speakers tenderize if that makes sense. I think it’s the same phenomena that tenderizes me, too.

Some of my favorite novels of recent years includes A Questionable Shape by Bennett Sims, The Small Backs of Children by Lidia Yuknavitch, Sonora by Hannah Lillith Assadi, and very recently, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.

What book or writer do you always find yourself recommending?

I think Jean Toomer’s Cane is the most beautiful book of the 20th century. I remember just being blown away by its call and response, the repeating imagery of sun and smoke and pines. That book is so stunning. Other astounding work that I always recommend includes Mebvh McGuckian’s Captain Lavender, Anne Carson’s The Autobiography of Red, Evie Shockley’s The New Black, Franz Wright’s Walking to Martha’s Vineyard, Eleni Sikelianos’ Body Clock, Jorie Graham’s The Errancy, Bhanu Kapil’s The Vertical Interrogation of Strangers, The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats, and Galway Kinnell and Hannah Liebmann’s translations of Rilke. Those are my hard-hitters. Those books are why I became a poet. 

What writers/artists/people do you find the most influential to the writing of this book and/or your writing in general?

You know, I collected poems while I was writing and editing this book. And I think those specific poems created a kind of constellation around me, almost protective, that kept me writing. Some of those poems include “The Long Recovery” by Ellen Bass, “A Matter of Balance,” by Evie Shockley, “What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, “I am Not Seaworthy” by Toni Morrison, “Becoming Regardless” by Jack Spicer, “A New Bride Almost Visible in Latin” by Jack Gilbert, “To the Young Who Want to Die” by Gwendolyn Brooks and many, many others. Definitely O’Hara as well. He never leaves me. The most important poem of that little self-curated archive is Frank Bidart’s “Visions at 74” where he writes: “To love existence / is to love what is indifferent to you.” I remember reading that line and just losing it. I have been guided by so much of Bidart. And maybe my book is a little bit about how to sustain rage in the face of that which is indifferent to you, what cannot love you (both personally and abstractly). How do you sustain rage so as to not fall into despair?

I also listened to a variety of music while writing and editing. A mix between contemporary sad kid hip-hop, old school jazz and blues, gospel, 80’s bands, pop culture queens, 1970’s hypnotic modal vamp, classical Spanish guitar, electronic pop, really pretty varied. A few names that come to mind: KOTA the Friend, NoName, Vince Staples, Travis Scott, Miles Davis Quintet, Bessie Smith, Sam Cooke, The Knocks, Solange, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Big Mama Thornton, Miriam Makeba, Kamasi Washington, Thompson Twins, Misfits, Bowie, Talking Heads, Tears for Fears, Cher, Whitney Houston, Portishead, Goldfrapp, Memphis Slim, Dinah Washington, Alberto Iglesias, Gustavo Santaolalla, Holychild, Blood Orange, etc.

If you opened a bookstore, where would it be located, what would it be called, and what would your bestseller be?

My grandpa played violin on a ship that sailed between Tanga, Tanzania and Goa, India. I never had the chance to meet him. He died when my dad was sixteen, but I always thought about what that journey might have looked and felt like, its many hardships, but also the wonder of gazing out at the sea playing strings. For that reason, I’d love to open a bookstore that focused specifically on Indian Ocean diaspora and sold books exclusively by authors working, uncovering, or investigating the literature of that oceanic rim. I think there is something rich in thinking about books not necessarily focused on nation-statehood but thinking more about a kind of social-imaginary with a literature that is messy in its conceptualization and crosses, migrates, misses, and mythologizes across many cultures over generations. You could have sections on food, underwater exploration, piracy, long-distance intimacy, trade routes, empire, transnational feminism. I like the idea of a bookstore that is anti-genre and instead, organized by associative thinking and imagination. It would be a logistical nightmare. You would never find what you were looking for, but you might find something you didn’t know existed.

So yes, I’d vote for a little homegrown network of bookstores in India, East Africa, and actually, maybe one of them in Lisbon which is a city that has a long (and problematic) history with the Indian Ocean. I’ve spent a lot of time in Lisbon the past eight years of my life, spending time visiting family and researching the history of the Portuguese empire especially as it relates to my family history (my folks are third generation East African Portuguese colonized Indians). I have a lot of conflicting homelands which is a way of saying that there are times when I feel like I have nothing but a rootless present. That’s something I investigate in my work, that weird (a)temporality. And I’m drawn to the particular light of Lisbon which is quite unusual. I’d call the bookstore “Malaika” which means “Angel” in Swahili and is the favorite folk song of my parents who grew up in Tanzania. I like the idea of a bookstore in Lisbon with the name in Swahili run by a Goan-Canadian-American woman. That’s the world I grew up in… one of multiplicities. 

[jaskiersbeloved]

3x10 Erchomai

Warning: This review contains spoilers

1. SIMON

Wow. Freaking wow. At the course of these two episodes he has went through so much, that I can’t even IMAGINE how he is feeling right now. I mean... First he was tortured, then attacked his sister, his mother disowned him, then he had to encanto her KNOWING how much of a pain it will bring to her and then he is convinced that he killed Clary. It’s just.. So wrong. He'is going to blame himself for it for the rest of his life and like... Jesus Christ he doesn’t deserve this. But um.... At least he has his sister and Izzy to help him, right? RIGHT?

(And please give Alberto an Oscar. Please. He deserves it)

2. LILITH

THAT FREAKING FLASHBACK. It was... It was so good! It expleined how they have met and why Sebastian turned to her and her motivations too. And may I say that IF she wasn’t all of that... You know... demonic she would have actually been a good mother? Like she’s going to do EVERYTHING for her kid. She’s good with words and that also what made her an excellent villan. I really liked her more than Valentine. her motives were real and she herself was more beliveble as a villan. Truth be told, i will miss her. Farewell, Mother of Demons.

3. CLARY

Jesus Christ and his mother, this girl truly made me worried. Like shit, she had to wait, expecting death, just to realize that if she lives her demon brother will too. And I think even if Simon hadn’t showed up she’d still be willing to sacrifice herself (even though her hands were bounded but shhh). And wow. This season she REALLY grew on me. No more “me, me, me" more “others, others,others”. And my God, I’m scared for what the writers will give us, when it comes to her in 3b.

4. Magnus

HE GAVE UP WHAT!? OF FREAKING COURSE! OF FREAKING COURSE THEY WERE FORSAHDOWING THIS SINCE THE EPISODE ONE TO DO THIS! OF FREAKING COURSE! WHY FREAKING NOT, OMG! And yeah, sure go to Asmodeus and then RETURN JUST TO FIND THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE DYING, KNOWING THERE IS NOTHING, NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO SAVE HIM! Asmodeus look, I have a few people that i would GLADLY sacrifrice just for you to give Magnus his magic back. This is gonna scarr him so much. He is so used to it so having it gone? It’s the worst... yet stilll he’s so selfless... And Jesus Christ that talk with Asmodeus? That really intrigurated me! Like?? On the one hand I don’t wanna know what was happening during Magnus’ time in Edom but on the other... I mean there has to be the reason why Magnus’ voice broke down so much when he said “I was just a child!”. I hope they’re going to explore it....

5. Jace

Well hi back... From one hell to another... Jesus Christ, he’s mental state is going to be so fucked up for the time being... Like he was ‘awake” when The Owl were doing all of these things while using his body. He has seen The Owl fighting Alec. He has seen him mistreating Clary and Izzy. He’s not going to forgive himself. Esepcially when he thinks that Clary died partially because of him...

6. Alec

Ouch. ouch, ouch, ouch, you DO NOT finish the episode like this?! Oh God, I HOPE that Magnus called Catarina! (Yes I KNOW that he’s the main and it isn’t GoT, yet still, allow me to be worried OKAY). Wow. This battle with Owl!Jace? That battle was really great, the fighting choreography were on point... if it weren’t for that that when both of them lost their weapons during the fight I was practically screaming “ALEC! THERE IS A PERFECT KNIFE, JUST LYING ON THE GROUND, WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO TOOK IT IN! IT CAN BE YOU!” But okay, this battle must’ve been hard for him. I mean he grew up with him. He’s his parabatai and knowing he has to kill him... Also shit, how do you think he’ll react when he finds out what Magnus did to save Jace? Oh Jesus...

7. LUKE

So everyone had to sacrifice something, huh? Oh damn I hope he and Ollie will find out a way to explain everything to the Mundanes. Even though it’s going to be SO DAMN HARD to cover. Also damn, Luke is alone again, isn’t he? He lost his pack. He lost Maia. He lost Clary. Like... He doesn’t have a fmaily now. Simon’s all that has left fro him now. And maaaaybe Maryse...

8. IZZY

Welp, looks like she’s going to serve for everyone here as a mental support right now, but also... She’s going to be devasted when she hears about Clary. i mean they were friends god damnit! But I’m glad she was with Simon.That she supported him no matter what and that she actually told him that they shouldn’ ask him for help right now... i mean... it’s the little things that counts, right?

9. Asmodeus

So turns out that all of the memes that the fandom have made about him were actually true? I am SHOCKED??? Like lmao, poor him, his son never did a blood sacrifrice for Father’s Day :(((((( Also... WHY he needs Magnus beside him so desperatly? Did he really grow fond of him? Or is it just for the power? Time will tell (I HOPE).

10. Maryse

Wow hello there! I’m glad she was there to help Luke! And wow, she’s going to turn full mother hen on her kids right now, isn’t she? I mean every single one of her children has lost something importnant. Each of them is really scarred for life. Like honestly after Alec delicatly dismissed her from the mission this is all she can do... And I hope they will show that...

11. OVERALL

That was... One hell of an episode. No pun intended) Summed up perfectly this half of a season. Left people hungry for more and boy, are we hungry... There are so many things that I’m looking forward to 3b and I hope they won’t be simply forgotten about. Comparing this to 2A, well... it leaves no comparation, it is simply so much better! They are so many things promised that I really HOPE that they will hold on these promises. From me this episode get’s 5.5/6. See y’all in August. Sonia’s out.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1245

Monday, January 14, 2019

 Sorry this is going out later than usual. It's freezing outside this morning -18 degrees C (or 0 degrees F for all you non-metric folks). A good reason to stay under the flannel sheets and down comforter a couple of hours longer.

 We had a National Geographic moment here yesterday when a hawk managed to capture a male cardinal right at our bird feeders. They are both beautiful birds and the hawk was only doing what comes naturally but it's still traumatic to witness the circle of life being played out right outside your window. Penny saw the raptor fly off with its bright red meal clutched in its talons.

 X-23 #8 - Mariko Tamaki (writer) Diego Olortegui (pencils) Walden Wong (inks) Chris O'Halloran (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). X-Assassin part 2. Laura and Gabby rescue their "sister" from the bad guys. Whether the X-Assassin appreciates it is still to be determined. I like this straight forward story where the girls are trying to do the right thing and the villain is clearly defined.

 Thor #9 - Jason Aaron (writer) Mike del Mundo (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This lead up to "The War of the Realms" features Roz Solomon and it's great. Sometimes I'll read a comic book with a lot of writing and wonder partway through when is it going to finish? This time each word balloon and caption just carried me along as Roz fights a frost giant and gathers important intel as an Agent of Wakanda. I loved the little scene with ex-boyfriend Thor.

 Domino #10 - Gail Simone (writer) David Baldeon, Michael Shelfer, Alberto Alburquerque & Anthony Piper (art) Victor Olazaba, Ed Tadeo & Michael Shelfer (inks) Carlos Lopez (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Soldier of Fortune conclusion. The team up with Longshot ends, tied up with a big fat bow. I found the pacing of this story to be too fast. The good guys go to the Mojoverse to see if they can heal Longshot, fight through an army of guards and get into the hospital where a doctor cures their friend. Then it's back to their own universe and a long nap. All in 20 pages. They glossed over the fact that both Domino and Longshot have a luck power, which was what made me want to keep reading this story. I would have liked more depth. I'm also not a fan of art by committee. I don't mind a couple of artists working on an issue but four different styles is too jarring visually for me.

 Young Justice #1 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Patrick Gleason (art) Alejandro Sanchez (colours) DC Lettering (letters). Yay Young Justice. When I saw the ads for the new Bendis books I was most excited to see this teen team. I loved the old series written by Peter David. I am so happy to see Impulse/Bart (RIP Mike Wieringo), Robin/Tim, Superboy/Conner, and Wonder Girl/Cassie back on the racks. It's going to be neat to see how Amethyst, Jenny Hex and Teen Lantern fit into the team. This intro is a pulse-pounding fight between the teen heroes and warriors from Gemworld. I probably would have read this no matter who drew it but Patrick Gleason makes this new book an automatic add to my "must read" list.

 Criminal #1 - Ed Brubaker (writer) Sean Phillips (art & letters) Jacob Phillips (colours). Meet lowlife Teeg Lawless fresh out of prison and already in the hole for 23 K. How's he going to pay that off? You'll find out if you stick with this story of a hardened criminal. I love how Ed Brubaker writes about these extraordinary ordinary people and Sean Phillips is perfect for this slice of noir life.

 Captain Marvel #1 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Carmen Carnero (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Yep, it's another number one for Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel and you can jump right in and follow her new adventures without missing a beat. You know there's a Captain Marvel movie starring Brie Larson hitting the big screens in March right? I've followed Captain Marvel ever since she was a he in 1967 wearing the green costume with the fin on his helmet. Carol is my favourite character to use the moniker. This first issue is a standard introduction with the requisite super hero fight where Carol saves the city from a giant monster with the help of another of my favourite super heroes, Spiderwoman. Nice to see Jessica back on the racks. The twist at the end will surprise fans expecting another boring super hero comic book as Captain Marvel finds herself leading a whole new crew of do gooders. I'm going to stay tuned.

 Batman #62 - Tom King (writer) Mitch Gerads (art) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares part 2. This is a very intense fight between Batman and the villain Pyg. The last two pages makes this issue more than what it seems.

 Die #2 - Kieron Gillen (writer) Stephanie Hans (art) Clayton Cowles (letters). Die is not just the singular for dice but it's also the name of the place that five former Dungeons and Dragons players find themselves trapped in. It's a very scary place and I think their quest to get home will ultimately fail. I'm sure some of them will die in Die. I wish I liked this more but none of the characters appeal to me and I find the story depressing. This fantasy with real life characters can go on without me.

 Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1 - Tom Taylor (writer) Juann Cabal (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I was hooked on this new Spider-Man book as soon as I saw the names in the credits. Tom and Juann are in my top five list of writers and artists and they didn't disappoint me. Check out their X-23 story that just hit the racks as a trade paperback. Everything you need for a good comic book is here. You've got a little bit of super heroic action, mysterious bad guys, a damsel in distress and two little kids with glowing eyes on the last page to make you want to read the next issue right away. You have to wait until January 23 for that though. I know some Marvelites have complained that Marvel's new number ones are priced higher at $4.99 US but this one has a back-up story worth the extra buck. Peter Parker's Aunt May has been around since day one and has faced many threats. This latest one by Tom Taylor (writer) Marcelo Ferreira (pencils) Roberto Poggi (inks) Jim Campbell (colours) & VC's Travis Lanham (letters) might just break the two of them. If you've stopped reading Amazing, Friendly Neighborhood is a good replacement.

 Prodigy #2 - Mark Millar (writer) Rafael Albuquerque (art) Marcelo Maiolo (colours) Peter Doherty (letters). I love this kind of pure fantasy where the hero is a super intelligent guy with unlimited resources and the bad guys are pure evil. Showing the villains hunting children with rifles leaves no doubt. The threat is pure science fiction and the stakes are impossibly high. This is the kind of story that keeps me wanting to read every issue.

 Man Without Fear #2 - Jed MacKay (writer) Stefano Landini (art) Andres Mossa (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Oh, so that's what happened. Matt was hit by a truck while saving a kid. That's why he's lying in a hospital crippled to the point where he has decided to retire Daredevil. This issue's narrator was a surprise and made me wonder if they're going to resurrect this character again. Jed has done a good enough writing this weekly mini so that I want to keep reading to see how Matt recovers to don the devil costume again.

 Avengers #12 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness & Cory Smith (pencils) Mark Morales, Karl Kesel & Scott Hanna (inks) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). S.H.I.E.L.D. is gone. Now we have the Agents of Wakanda. This issue introduces some of those agents. They're a mix of misfits and oddballs. I like the I.T. guy and the guy out in space. Ka-Zar is a surprise but I like him too because I hope to see Zabu soon. These Avengers are dealing with Namor and his Defenders of the Deep but also another threat coming out of Transylvania. I like who they recruit to deal with the vampires but I thought he was in prison. Nope, just checked. He got 3 years for tax evasion and was released in April 2013.

 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #2 - Saladin Ahmed (writer) Javier Garron (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I love the cover showing everything this young man has to juggle while living a dual life. Imagine trying to do it without a smart phone? I like that the Rhino doesn't have one just like me. So Miles and Rhino are trying to find some missing kids. The trail leads them to an old warehouse where they fight the bad guy but lose him. The good guy showing up on the last page will help them continue the search. Saladin must have gotten some writing tips from Brian Bendis to keep the audience panting for more.