#property dealer murder

[rightnewshindi]

Live Murder; रेस्तरां में बदमाशों ने प्रॉपर्टी डीलर को करीब से मारी गोली, फिर चाकू से किया हमला

Live Murder; पुणे के रेस्तरां में बदमाशों ने प्रॉपर्टी डीलर को करीब से मारी गोली, फिर चाकू से किया हमला

Mune Live Murder: महाराष्ट्र के पुणे के पास एक रेस्तरां में अज्ञात बदमाशों ने 32 साल के एक व्यक्ति को पहले करीब से गोली मारी और फिर चाकू से हमला कर उसकी हत्या कर दी. यह जघन्य हत्या शनिवार को हुई और सीसीटीवी कैमरे में कैद हो गई. सीसीटीवी फुटेज में पीड़ित अविनाश धनवे को इंदापुर में पुणे-सोलापुर राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग पर होटल जगदंबा के अंदर तीन लोगों के साथ बैठे देखा गया था. जैसे ही चारों बातचीत करते…

[lexkent]

Why Lionel Luthor is the True Villain of Smallville:

Threatened to expose Clark's fake adoption records unless Jonathan Kent persuaded Pete Ross’s family to sell their factory to him.

Kidnapped Clark and put him in a vat of kryptonite solution to be studied in an attempt to discover his secrets.

Kept Clark trapped in a cage made of kryptonite in a separate incident.

Impregnated his dying wife's nurse while he was in a position of power over her as her boss, denied he was responsible, and had her locked away in a psychiatric ward for 7 years after taking her baby away from her. Lionel insured the child, Lucas, remained in poverty in the foster care system and prevented him from ever being adopted.

Forced the second woman he impregnated while married to Lillian, while in a position of power over her as her boss, to give their child to an orphanage where she was tortured. He soon found another home for Tess where she grew up in poverty and extreme physical abuse.

Forced his wife to have another baby despite her objections and was then dismissive of her postpartum depression. "I told you I didn't want any more children. I see how you treat Alexander, chipping away at his spirit."

Found a child, Davis Bloome, in a cornfield and believing him to be The Traveler, ran experiments on the boy until he realized he wasn't who he wanted and proceeded to dump him off alone on a dark Metropolis street.

Created a clone from a dead little girl, Emily Dinsmore, and locked her away in a lab, refusing to let her father ever see her again. "You can't take her away from me. She's my daughter." "She's the property of Luthorcorp."

Was such a terrible father to Lex that Lillian Luthor killed her infant son to spare him from the cruel and twisted parenting Lex endured from Lionel. Was such a horrible husband to Lillan that Lex took the blame for his baby brother's death knowing Lionel would have murdered her in retaliation.

Lied and told Lex that Lucas died in infancy, like Julian, knowing how much it would hurt Lex to hear.

Paid someone to kill Lucas once he became a potential threat to his power. Clark stopped the bullets, and Lionel had the shooter killed in police custody before he could talk.

Forced Lex's mother figure, Pamela Jenkins, out of Lex's life following the death of Lex's mother because he didn't want her to make Lex soft. Convinced Lex that Pamela never loved him and was only ever interested in their money. 

Blew up Chloe and Gabe Sullivan's safehouse in an attempt to kill them and prevent her from testifying against him at his murder trial. Hired a mutant hitman to kidnap and kill Chloe after she escaped the explosion.

Had Oliver Queen's parents killed in a plane crash leaving him orphaned at the age of 5.

Ordered the murder of Andrea Rojas’s mother who was an activist who worked for an organization that fought back against gangs, dealers, and large business corporations. In addition to losing her mother, Andrea was stabbed in the heart during the attack.

Resurrected a teenager, Adam Knight, to get close to Lana Lang and spy on Clark Kent. When Adam failed to retrieve useful information, Lionel refused to give him any more of the serum he required to stay live. As a result, Adam suffered immensely before dying of organ failure.

Resurrected Vince Davis who lived for a short, painful period of time before his body deteriorated without access to Lionel's serum.

Poisoned Lex with a lethal dosage that would've killed 99.9% of people.

Told Lex he loved him in prison only to persuade him into accepting his hand so he could use a Kryptonian stone to body swap them, leaving Lex to rot and die in prison in his place while Lionel escaped with Lex's body. Instead, Clark intervened and Lionel escaped inside of Clark's body, leaving Clark trapped to die in prison. Shortly after the bodyswap occured, Lionel looked down the front inside of his(Clark's) waistband while smiling to himself. While in Clark Kent's body, Lionel initiated a hug with Martha Kent where he was turned on to the point of shooting heat vision from his eyes. Lionel-in-Clark's body flirted with Chloe, a teenager, and was centimeters away from kissing her. And when Lionel-in-Clark's body encountered Lana, a teenager, he said to her, "A man would travel around the world to pluck your succulent fruit," and forced a kiss onto her, smiling to himself after she slapped him and ran away. Lionel proceeded to attack Lex, choking him, slamming his head against a desk, and demanding 57 million dollars using Clark's super strength. He then went to the Kent Farm and threw Jonathan across the room into the kitchen cabinets. Lionel told Clark he would murder Lex if he didn't cooperate with his demands.

Pretended to be blind. "Playing the handicapped card is low, even for you." "But I was able to see more clearly than ever. It's amazing what people try and get away with right in front of your eyes when they think you can't see."

Fired 2,500 Smallville citizens to force his son back under his control. When Lex attempted to organize an employee buyout of the factory, Lionel bought the Smallville Savings and Loan and threatened to foreclose on every employee's mortgage. When Lex continued to organize and fight to save everyone's jobs, Lionel threatened, "I'll bury you and everyone in Smallville who takes your side."

Blackmailed Smallville sheriff Ethan Millar into digging up dirt on every Lexcorp shareholder(Smallville factory workers), so Lionel could blackmail each one into selling their shares to him in order to take over Lex's fledgling company. In addition, Lionel threatened to expose the sheriff if he didn't do him various favors.

Once again tried blackmailing Jonathan Kent leading to a physical altercation between the two. Lionel fled the scene as Jonathan suffered a fatal heart attack.

Installed hidden cameras and microphones throughout Lex's office, so he could sabotage him and steal his business deals.

Took over Lex's company, which Lex had invested everything he had into, leaving him with nothing and immediately kicking him out of his home.

Insisted an ill-advised, life-threatening surgery be performed on Lex after he had been shot and wasn't stable enough for further surgery, making it clear he'd prefer a dead son over a physically disabled one.

Set Lex up for the murders of Dr. Teng and her entire team at Metron Labs after Lex refused to work for him.

Had sex with Lex's lover, Victoria Hardwick, while they were still sleeping together. 

Hired Dr. Helen Bryce to seduce and spy on Lex for him. Helen later attempted to murder Lex on their honeymoon.

Gave Martha Kent a watch engraved, "To Martha, with deep affection. L.L." while she was his employee and happily married to Jonathan Kent.

Refused to come clean about his past sexual involvement with Rachel Dunleavy and the existence of their son, Lucas, despite Lex being held hostage and his survival depending on Lionel telling the truth.

Refused to come clean about Level 3 when it would have saved the lives of a group of teenagers and his own son. 

Ignored and denied any care to his employee, Earl Jenkins, who was poisoned by kryptonite on the job which led to uncontrollable, dangerous seizures.

Created a deadly fear toxin for the military that leaked into Smallville.

Drugged, gaslit, attacked, and framed his son, orchestrating a scenario where everyone would believe Lex to be crazy after Lex discovered Lionel had his parents murdered for insurance money. Lionel had Lex committed to Belle Reve Sanitarium where he had Lex further drugged and put through electroshock therapy, forcing 600 volts of electricity through Lex's brain. When the doctor insisted they pause the procedure for Lex's safety, Lionel ignored the warning and demanded they continue. This brain frying could have easily destroyed Lex's mind, as it did for others who endured it, and ultimately wiped away months of Lex's memories, allowing Lionel to be off the hook for his parent's murders. Everyone involved in Lionel's plot, all loose ends, met untimely deaths.

Threatened, manipulated, controlled, hyper criticized, denied affection, and lied to Lex constantly. Lionel mentally, emotionally, and physically abused his child throughout his entire life, raising him to become a monster and then denying any accountability for what Lex became in the end.

This list is far from complete, so feel free to add more!

[threewaywithdelusion]

Alec Lightwood Not Giving a Single Fuck About the Law

(Spoilers! So many spoilers! For everything except Secrets of Blackthorn Hall, because I haven't read it yet)

I'm not too clear on what the Accords say about Shadowhunters policing Downworlders/what Downworlders are not allowed to do. But I'm pretty sure all of these must be illegal (or at least frowned upon):

Not reporting that Magnus started a joke cult that turned in a real cult that was killing people and worshiping a Greater Demon

Letting the person actually running said evil cult go free after they had captured her because he knew the Clave would execute her and even though Shinyun was literally responsible for several murders, he thought she deserved a second chance (and Magnus related to her, and Alec wanted to spare Magnus pain)

Never reporting Elliott of the New York Vampire Clan for literally everything he has done, including biting several Downworlders at a party, having multiple incidents with faerie fruit, "accidentally" biting 17 mundanes while under the influence (including at least one time where Lily had to stop him from killing the mundane in question), and cheating on two Selkies who then caused property damage in a fight with each other

relatedly, not reporting Mordecai, the faerie fruit dealer

(I just love this entire exchange: "As the current head of the New York Institute," Maryse said, with an attempt at firmness, "if there is illegal Downworlder activity happening, it should be reported to me." "I do not talk to Nephilim about Downworlder business," Lily said severely. The Lightwood parents stared at her, and then swung their heads in sync to stare at their son. Lily waved a dismissed hand in their direction. "Except for Alec, he's a special case.")

Watching Juliette, Werewolf Queen of the Buenos Aires Shadow Market, kill a Shadowhunter and just lightly suggest she try to take the Shadowhunters alive (and then not punish her in any way for killing that one guy)

Not reporting that Ragnor Fell had found a realm for the Greater Demon Sammael and also worked for him for a period of time (I don't think the Clave would care that Ragnor didn't had a choice because of the sventhorn)

Suggested in the final battle in Queen of Air and Darkness that an effective way to render opposing Shadowhunters unconscious would be to have vampires bite them and drink enough of their blood that they passed out

Protecting Marcy, the werewolf who transformed at a club during a full moon, and never reporting her for almost revealing the shadow world to Mundanes and injuring several of them

Breaking the Cold Peace several times by visiting several Shadow Markets, interacting with faeries, and pretending not to know about multiple illegal Shadowhunter-faerie relationships (Tian/Jinfeng and Mark/Kieran/Cristina)

Not illegal but probably seen as outrageous by other Shadowhunters:

marrying Magnus in Shadowhunter gold

traipsing into a hell dimension to save Downworlders

letting a vampire (Simon) drink his blood

offering his blood to a different vampire (Lily)

raising a Downworlder child as his own (and also training that child like a Shadowhunter)

raising a Shadowhunter child that has a Downworlder parent

Basically, Alec Lightwood is a badass and the fact that he went from the type of guy who said "sed lex, dura lex" to the man who did all of this is the reason he is one of my favorite characters ever

[d4rkthots]

夜の女王

(The queen of the night) Part one. -preview-

This story includes (mention of drugs, violence, murder, an other illegal acts -do not try at home.)

M (assassin/mafia associate) x F (Mafia Leader) seonghwa wanted you from the moment you met…

You stand staring out of your mansion window, getting where you were now wasn’t easily obtained. You wanted to become one of the most feared mafia leaders in Korea, men looked down on women, they didn’t see them as equals, you had to prove them wrong…you believed you were able to do whatever they could.

Seong-hwa was originally part of a rival gang that bullied you out of sales and becoming the biggest female dealer in Seoul. After his leader (Ryui Misano) was imprisoned for committing over a hundred murders Seong-hwa decided to help you. Seong-hwa was with Ryui when he got arrested but managed to flee and skip town.

Something about you made him want to reach out a feeling of longing, he was drawn to you before all this extra shit went down. After Ryui was arrested his other subordinate Yuto Yun received all of his properties and products, you needed to get rid of him before he targeted you. If you could get your hands on Ryui’s product you could be the biggest seller in Korea with extended connections. But you couldn’t find him.

Seong-hwa sits in a chair on his balcony, his messy black outgrown hair cascading over his forehead nearly fully covering his sharp brown eyes he stares at the scenery in front him pulling a cigarette out of its pack before dialing your number in his phone, he lights it and takes a long drag before pressing the call button and waiting.

You stare at the unknown number and answer the call after letting it ring twice. “Hello….?” You say a hint of caution in your voice.

“Hi there pretty~” Seong-hwa purrs into the receiver as he exhales a cloud of smoke.

Your eyes widen slightly and you quickly recognize the voice “…Seong-hwa…..? I thought Ryui got arrested, weren’t you with him….? How are you calling me right now?” You ask in confusion.

Seong-hwa lets out a faint laugh at your reply. “Oh dear~ you think I’m dumb?” He takes another long drag of his cigarette before speaking again. “I’ve been planning this escape for months, it finally paid off.”

You smirk slightly, flicking Your lighter a few times “so let me guess… you left town already? why did you call me…hmm?”

Seong-hwa can tell just by your tone over the phone you’re up to no good he lets out a soft sigh. “I want to make a deal.” Seong-hwa speaks plainly into the receiver and takes another long puff of his cigarette, he lets out another cloud of smoke that’s quickly blown away by the wind.

Your eyebrows raised slightly “and what might it be?”

Seong-hwa lets out a soft chuckle as he looks off into the night sky. “Ive been thinking about you…. Can’t stop. I feel like we were connected in the past life…I want to become partners with you…..Yuto’s staying at the Hyatt Regency…..Seoul bay hotel” The words came out of Seong-hwa’s mouth in a sensual way but he spoke with a serious tone of voice as well.

You scoff gently “How do I know I can trust you…..that you won't screw me like your boss did?”

“…….You don’t..” He replies back in a snarky tone of voice as he leans against the wall, he closes his eyes before taking one more deep inhale of his cigarette before exhaling and putting it out. “You’ll just have to find out for yourself~ if I’m trustworthy or not” He replies back playfully.

You wait a second before replying “…if you screw me I’ll make you regret it…” You say in a slightly threatening way “I hope you enjoy your vacation, don't miss me too much…and dont get caught…” you smirk

“Oh don’t worry dear I’m a professional~..” Seong-hwa speaks, being half sarcastic with a hint of playfulness before hanging up. The phone call abruptly ends and you hear a soft beep in your ear followed by a dial tone.

Despite Seong-hwa being a serial killer and complete psycho he acted like a genuine human he had limits when it came to assassinating (no women and no kids.)

If he wasn’t a killer he’d be a great husband.

Part two —-> (smut warning)

[niftukkun]

for the first week of @shepscapades 's hermitcraft character design event, i offer grian as an aarakocra artificer!

for an elaboration on my choices in character design,

aarakocra was kind of an obvious choice, but as a bonus i made grian a scarlet macaw aarakocra because Pesky Bird.

im not sure how much the design communicates artificer, but that's halfway intentional since i wanted the design to communicate grian more than generic dnd character. i very specifically chose the artillerist subclass because on my brief readthrough on the wiki artillerist is not only apparently the explosions subclass but also on the 3rd level artillerists get eldritch cannons and on the 9th level artillerists get to explode the eldritch cannons! and i thought that was cool so i included an exploding cannon in the brackground of the drawing.

why artificer? uh. mm. i just find them kinda neat. also it kind of fits grian's. researcher? thing?? with the rift and entity this season. im not sure how it translated into amethysts just kind of appearing all over the design but hey i think it fits and the purple accent over everything reminds me of minecraft enchantments so. oh also i couldnt decide on a weapon but when i searched up woodcarver tools (cause artillerist subclass) there was one that kinda looked like what hes holding and i think grian is unhinged enough to use a tool as a weapon so i just gave him that

also i feel like it should go without saying that grian is on the chaotic end of the chart. im leaning towards chaotic neutral but honestly i think that morality is kind of a weird thing to measure in/from minecraft where death more or less holds no meaning and the guy in question has definately killed all his friends at least once and one specific friend about a thousand times so. eh

also sidenote but according to the wiki artificers are more support than anything but you cannot look me in the eyes and say grian isnt the main damage dealer or the guy who causes the most chaos during battle. he has so many counts of property damage and the only reason im not calling him a murder hobo is because hes more creative than that. if he wants to be chaotic he can do better murder is the least creative way to cause chaos; hed eat a plot important object whole in front of the town mayor before going on a murder hobo spree

[queenlua]

i very much enjoyed this five-part piece that starts off talking about Life and Trust, which apparently is the new immersive theater show by the Sleep No More people, and is apparently a Gilded Age-y roaring-20s-y retelling of the Faust legend

(sigh, once again i must seethe with jealously at the east coast's immersive theatre scene...)

& then it transitions to a deeper dive on various versions of the Faust tale, including a bunch of shit i knew nothing about (apparently it was originally a chapbook?? coulda SWORN the marlowe play came first)

random highlights i "hmmed" and/or "lol'd" and copypasta'd while reading

"If we accept the Christianized notion of a 'tragic flaw,' we would have to say that Faustus’s pride blinded him to the true nature of Christianity, leading him down his demonic path. If we think more in terms of Oedipus, who was attempting to do good things (e.g., avoiding murdering his father and marrying his mother, or looking out for his city) without realizing the trap he was in, the play becomes more interesting [. . .] From this perspective, the tragedy of this Tragical History is not that Faustus has chosen damnation but that he was, like Oedipus, born under the wrong circumstances. His mistake is to seek out pure disinterested knowledge in a world where it can only appear as demonic and can only lead to damnation. Marlowe may not have succeeded in crafting a cohesive play, but if my reading does not miss the mark, he did intuitively, and profoundly, grasp the potential of the Faust legend. The original Faust chapbook amounted to a salacious gossip rag laundered with a superficial moral lesson (“don’t sell your soul to the devil, kids!”). In Marlowe’s hands, it becomes an existential meditation on the deadlocks of a world where Christianity appears as a legacy that is at once 'paltry' and inescapable."

and

The main plot [of Goethe's Faust]—leaving aside various fanciful digressions and the entire interlude with Helen—reminds me of a scene from the classic HBO police procedural The Wire. After months of surveilling the cautious and methodical gang leader Stringer Bell (played by Idris Elba), an investigator has an epiphany: “He’s worse than a drug dealer, he’s a property developer.” The same could be said of the Faust of Part 2—he’s worse than a demon-summoner, he’s a property developer.

[irkimatsu]

I saw a post earlier pointing out a potential Hazbin plot hole. I didn't want to hijack the post with some sort of attitude of "you're wrong on the Internet", but I did want to think about it - do I consider it a plot hole? Why not?

The question was - why has no one in the show, in Heaven or in Hell, brought up the fact that Angel was a mafioso in life and almost certainly killed people back then?

To me, that answer is simple - how would anybody know that? It doesn't strike me as something that Angel would bring up to Charlie or anyone else in the hotel, not because he's hiding it, but because he never saw a point in bringing it up. That was a long time ago; he's been dead for longer than he was ever alive at this point. It's irrelevant. Given that no one even knows what determines where a soul goes when they die, I can't imagine anyone has a detailed list of everyone's damnable sins. It's also not like Angel is a saint besides all the murder, where people would assume he's hiding why he ended up down here. He was a drug dealer and possibly promiscuous in life, and now he's in Hell. It's easy to assume that's all there is to it.

The post specifically said that Adam should have brought it up, but again, why should he know? I don't recall the show ever bringing up anyone in Heaven, Adam included, having some sort of encyclopedic knowledge of everyone's life on Earth. Even if they can look it up, why would they in Angel's case? Again, it's easy to assume that he's in hell for drugs and sex, not murder. Yeah, Adam knew that Angel is a porn star in Hell, but let's be real, Adam 100% watches Hell porn, Angel's career isn't exactly secret knowledge.

But what about all the killing he does in Hell? Another point the post made was that he's experienced with guns because he used them on Earth - again, is there any reason to assume anyone knows that? He's been dead for decades, that's plenty of time for him to learn how to shoot even if he never touched a gun while he was alive. I don't think him killing other demons would be worth Heaven's consideration, either, because Heaven kills demons all the goddamn time. Adam would be a hypocrite if he pointed that out. (And he is a hypocrite, but still.) In fact, since I have no reason to believe that Angel ever used angelic weapons before episode 8, to our knowledge Angel's never permanently killed another human soul. He can cause a lot of damage, but they'll pull himself together eventually. Maybe he's killed hellborns - are the loan sharks in Hazbin hellborns? But if he has, most hellborns are lower than low on the food chain of Hell, so I really doubt Heaven gives a shit about a few imps getting shot in a turf war.

It's also worth noting that Sir Pentious has surely caused a lot of damage with his war machines over the years, however unintentional, and he still ended up in Heaven.

No one in the show knows that Angel had a body count on Earth. It's reasonable to think that no one knows or can even guess it, and that's by design. I think they'll eventually learn, though, and it'll be a big plot point - how far can someone go in life and still repent after death? What other secrets could the other residents be hiding?

I just don't see it as a plot hole, and I'm looking forward to that moment where Charlie realizes that Angel isn't just down here for snorting coke and causing property damage. How much is she willing to forgive? It's one thing with Alastor, she knew his history from day one and outright referred to him as "sketchy as fuck" when he first turned up, but what about when one of her friends reveals himself to be guiltier than he ever let on?

Lots of plot potential...

[truecrimecrystals]

Andrae Davis was murdered at his own home on August 17th, 2011. The 31-year-old man lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his fiancé and their young children at the time of his death. Andrae was killed after a bullet went through the front door of his residence. 

The night of the murder began as a pleasant one for Andrae. He spent the evening with his fiancé and children at a local park. What began as a nice night with family quickly took a tragic turn after they returned to their home at the Eagle Nest Condominiums on Vail Street. At some point, a fight broke out in front of Andrae's residence, causing a loud commotion right outside the door. 

As he looked through the peephole, Andrae noticed that the fight was amongst a group of men. He did not know the men, nor did he ever attempt to get involved in the altercation. Andrae continued to watch through the peephole as one of the men drew a gun and pulled the trigger. The bullet missed the intended target; instead, it went through Andrae's front door and struck him in the heart. 

Andrae's loved ones have been left without answers or justice for several years. In the days that followed the shooting, Andrae's family members were told by police that "a person involved in the shooting had escaped from UNM Hospital and fled to Mexico." Police also stated that two other persons of interest have fled the country as well. The identities of said persons have never been publicly revealed. 

In 2015, Andrae's family was awarded $12 million in a lawsuit filed against Eagle Nest Condominiums and its property management company. The lawsuit alleged that company could have done more to prevent the shooting. Screenings and background checks are reportedly required by the rules of the complex, but that rule was not being consistently followed. 

An attorney for Andrae's family told reporters that the lack of background checks is what led to a known drug dealer living in the complex. The family believes said drug dealer was involved in the shooting. A jury agreed with Andrae's family, and they were subsequently rewarded the $12 million. 

Still, Andrae's loved ones hope that those involved in his murder will be brought to justice. Unfortunately, Andrae's murder is considered a cold case. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact Albuquerque Crimestoppers at 505-843-STOP. 

[ekat-fandom-blog]

Bounty Hunter

Danny is a bounty hunter. His rogues gallery are his bounties.

Skulker is a mercenary and a poacher.

Aragon is a cult leader(not illegal) and abused his sister(illegal).

Desiree is a con artist and a thief.

Amorpho is an identity thief specifically.

Technus is an accomplished hacker and a thief.

Box Ghost and Lunch Lady caused property damage.

Undergrowth is a drug dealer.

Nocturn kidnaps people.(or he's a drug dealer like Undergrowth)

Spectra is a corrupt psychologist.

Vlad is wanted for bribery, fraud, resisting arrest, attempted murder, and money laundering (his crimes do go on, I just couldn't find the correct terms for the crimes I was thinking of adding).

Johnny and Kitty are wanted for multiple accounts of speeding and graffiti.

Ember is wanted for property damage and mild arson. (those aren't her only crimes, they're just the only ones they can prove at this time)

Walker was abusing his power as a warden (like Lyle Bolton from Batman the Animated Series ep Lock Up)

Pariah Dark is a murderer and running death cult.

The GIW are rival bounty hunters that harassed him, his parents, and his friends in high school.

His parents are still scientists, but they sell somewhat sketchy home protection tech and (sometimes) fudge.

Dani does exist. Vlad created cloning tech in hopes to better avoid the law. He decided to test it with Danny's DNA.

Valery Grey became a bounty hunter for a short time. She and Danny ended up hunting each other on accident while hunting for Vlad.

Edit: I did add people to the list and change some things. Vlad down is either added or edited. I also edited Aragon's and Box/Lunch Lady's.

[artbychelcie]

Murder on the Dancefloor: The Chokehold of Oliver Quick

'Saltburn' has catapulted leading actor Barry Keoghan into our daydreams, revitalised music careers stagnant since 2007, and ensured we never look at a bathtub the same way ever again. It's delicious darkness has amassed a huge audience, some revelling in its lurid glory and others questioning what the f*** they just watched. There’s so much to say about this film, so many parallels and Easter eggs that tickle the brain notice - for today, I’m focusing on why Oliver Quick intrigued me the most.

As a devoted horror fan, some of the more controversial scenes served to stimulate rather than disturb… The vampire scene? That's just an average Tuesday night for some. The grave scene? Nothing compared to the visual impact Patrick Bateman’s hobbies. But what did succeed to unnerve me was the turning point of the film, when Felix suprised Oliver with a trip home for his birthday. You watch with stunned panic as she says his dad has been pacing all day waiting for him - in real time the web was unravelled and Oliver's traumatic background was quickly proven to be a façade. For me this scene positioned the 'real' Oliver to the audience, realising the person we thought we knew isn’t real at the same time his friend does. And this is where my interest peaked. For me, this film suddenly turned from a critique of the upper class, to a mythological study of a sociopath, and the subsequent events demonstrate how someone with an apathetic disposition could easily infiltrate and dominate a household of such wealth and status.

On a second watch, I couldn't help but laugh at Felix's naiveity as he pulled into the driveway of this enormous house, and noted that it looked as though his mother 'had really turned things around'. Anyone watching this would immediately question how someone allegedly suffering with severe mental illness and drug abuse issues manages to, in the space of less than 6 months, become the owner of a property of that scale. This small observation highlights just how out of touch Felix is anyone outside of his social class, and how Felix's pity towards Oliver, be it through kindness or ego or a convenient blend of the two, blinded him to the manipulation.

Another incredibly successful aspect of the film is the iconic soundtrack. It has brought some early 2000 musical classics back into the spotlight (we all know the best one) and I can admit I have listened to 'Loneliness' more times in the past two weeks than ever in my 26 years of life. The soubdtrack embodies the nostalgic and romanticised qualities of the film, set in 2006 before smartphones dictated every aspect of daily life, especially as a fresher. I may have been only 10 when Oliver Quick started university, it still made me long for the simplicity of this era of my life, when getting to know another person was fundamentally down to face to face interaction.

The choice to turn back time to the mid 2000s contributes to maintaining the mystery of Oliver's identity, depriving the characters of the ability stalk his social media profiles and forcing them to take his personality at face value. His manipulation, and eventual dismantling of the Catton family, was arguably possible through his ability to present himself without the hinderance of a digital footprint. There was no evidence available to anyone in Oliver's immediate circle of the sisters we found out he had, of the father that had infact not died, nor been an alcoholic drug dealer. So why did he lie?

In analysis I've seen online, many people contribute his deception to a need to be noticed by Felix, or in Oliver's own words, to 'perform' for his attention and friendship.

Revisiting the film, I picked up on certain phrases Oliver used to describe his home life, describing it as 'dirty' and proclaiming he could 'never go back'. To us, this sounds like the way you would describe his chaotic home life he described. But when the reveal comes, you can’t help but question why he’s adamant to distance himself from a seemingly stable, and privileged background.

During the scene, his parents also mention how he is the top scholar at Oxford, a member of the rowing team, participating in the school play... his chronic deception extends beyond the Catton family to his own. They also share with Felix that he was 'such a loner' and was 'so clever' that he struggled to make friends, both earmark characteristics of someone with sociopathic tendencies. This illustrates an individual who has never been satisfied, who always saw himself as superior, and who's fixation with Felix was just a desire to climb up and out of all the menial and average and into a position of absolute control.

The grandiose and self-absorbed lifestyle of the Saltburn estate allowed for someone like Oliver, whatever his original or developed intentions, to blend in without being truly seen until, both before and after death came knocking. The need to stifle emotional expression (We don't want to hear your American feelings, Farleigh!) and the uncomfortable obligation to uphold the British sentiment to 'Keep Calm and Carry On' gave him an invisibility cloak, blending in with his surroundings. It reframed Oliver's awkward disposition as one of politeness, and his manipulative sexual deviancy was guarded by members of the household behind a wall of upper class social etiquette.

I can safely say I have fallen into the deliciously depraved world of Saltburn, so much so I’ve felt like I had to write this. I love experiencing and analysing media, but this one really had me captivated. This is a maze will happily lose myself for weeks to come, especially when it comes to the complex and captivating portrayal of Oliver Quick - I would definetly sign my estate over to that beautiful crazy bastard.

[sodaliteskull]

alt text under the cut:

SLIDE ONE

TEXT: Abyssal Scrutiny: an urban fantasy hot mess by tumblr user sodaliteskull

(IMAGES: the background shows a washed out image of a person standing before Cthulhu. They are minuscule in comparison. A speech bubble coming out of Cthulhu's mouth reads, "gimme yo FAKKIN MONEY!!!!"to which the person is responding, "NO!")

SLIDE TWO

TEXT: The city of Port Crowden... IS UNDER ATTACK!

people are being gruesomely murdered

property is inexplicably damaged

monster sightings!?

ANGEL SIGHTINGS!?!?

There's only one thing that can save it... MUTHA FUKKIN SUPER SENTAI!!!!!

(IMAGES: in the upper left hand corner is a picture of Vancouver, standing in for the fictional city of Port Crowden. Along the bottom is an image from the 35th anniversary of the Super Sentai media franchise, showing nearly 200 precursors to the Power Rangers)

SLIDE THREE

TEXT: wait wait wait! I'm gonna need a little more context than that!

hokay so, ON THIS ALTERNATE REALITY EARTH! for the last handful of decades, this comet would swing by every twenty-ish years and hang out for roughly twelve months of so.

one of the weird things about it is that is always becomes visible to the naked eye during the week of the Cancerid meteor shower, almost as if the meteors were coming from the comet - BUT THAT'S NOT HOW COMETS WORK!!!

every time this bitch shows up, a lot of weird crime happens. weird in a "literally what is the motive for any of this" kind of way. weird in a "reliable witnesses claim the culprit was some kind of eldritch horror" kind of way. weird in a "conspiracy theorist's wet dream" kind of way

authorities have claimed it's a bunch of shit: mass hallucinations caused by some kind of chemical leak, influencer publicity stunts gone horribly wrong, viral marketing gone horrible worse, run of the mill gang activity, miscellaneous cult tomfuckery. and while suspects have been arrested on suspicion, no one has ever been proven guilty

(IMAGE: a picture of comet Hale-Bopp, standing in for the Star Dealer comet)

the Ishinomori-Haim comet, also know as "the Star Dealer"

(IMAGE: along the bottom is a faded out photo of "POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS" tape)

SLIDE FOUR

TEXT: okay, cool. so what's REALLY going on?

siblings Morgan and Al Kurosawa, along with their cousin Grant Jardine are each struck by a fallen fragment of the Star Dealer comet, which gives them superhuman abilities and equipment. not long after, they encounter Dirk Silberg, a local entrepreneur, who explains that the arrival of the Star Dealer causes - or potentially coincides with - a thinning of the veil between this world and a realm he calls the Otherworld. from there, a malevolent force known as the Spread launches its invasions to try and snatch up any fallen stars that hadn't found their way into human hosts.

forty years ago, Dirk, along with his twin Drake and their friends Tony and Barb were starstruck, and battled the Spread. sadly, Tony, Barb, and Drake lost their lives fighting

(IMAGES: Picrews of the characters mentioned. Morgan has short brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, glasses, and is associated with the colour blue. Al has short sandy brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, and is associated with the colour green. Grant has short dark brown hair and beard, dark brown eyes, olive skin, glasses, and is associated with the colour red. Dirk has short ruddy brown hair, hazel eyes, olive skin, and is associated with the colour green. Drake has short ruddy brown hair, hazel eyes, olive skin, and is associated with the colour red. Tony has short black hair and stubble, light brown eyes, olive skin, and is associated with the colour blue. Barb has long ginger hair, blue eyes, fair skin covered in freckles, and is associated with the colour yellow.)

SLIDE FIVE

TEXT: this is just a Power Rangers reskin, isn't it?

sure the fuck is! more so these guys tho -> (IMAGE: a team photo of the Gokaigers. Gokai Red is seated with his arms crossed, while Gokai Yellow is to his left, and Gokai Pink is to his right, holding the mechanical bird Navi in her arms. Gokai Silver is standing behind Gokai Red, while Gokai Blue is to the left of Gokai Yellow, and Gokai Green is to the right of Gokai Pink)

the absolute gorilla GRIP Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger has on my psyche…

Sentinels, empowered by fragments of the Star Dealer, are the only thing that can halt the Spread

they have special suits they can morph into, which protects them from the corrosive effects of the Otherworld, with weapons and special attacks to help them take on the nasties that dwell there

they are also granted superhuman abilities outside of the suits, like how these guys in the 2017 Power Rangers movie were able to jump crazy distances and crush cell phones with their bare hands (IMAGE: a screenshot from the aforementioned movie, showing Billy, Jason, Trini, Zack, and Kimberly standing in the Command Centre)

I call them "Sentinels" as a nod to both "sentai" and "senshi", since Sailor Moon is as much an inspo for this as Power Rangers is (IMAGE: a promotional image from the 90's Sailor Moon anime, showing Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Jupiter striking their signature poses against the background of a Tokyo night skyline)

look, I just like teams of pals who fight monsters together, okay!?!

SLIDE SIX

TEXT: design inspo because I am a visual thinker but shit at drawing!

the Mecha Will Rise/Bulletpunk figures from Devil Toys are the closest to what I have in mind for the look of Sentinels

skin-tight armour suits that manifest underneath street clothes

funky helmets that reflect the personality of the Sentinel

glove and boot armour

clothing changes colour to match the Sentinel's signature colour(s)

some kind of batshit anime weapon for fighting

definitely going more for style than practicality with these things, because who doesn't wanna look cute when fighting Cthulhu?

(IMAGES: thirteen figures from Devil Toys, all of which are wearing cyberpunk/techwear fashion in an assortment of colours, all of them wearing mecha style helmets, while some of them are wielding some kind of over-the-top weapon)

SLIDE SEVEN

TEXT: so I take it you aren't talking about butter?

nope! this ceaseless wave of nightmare fuel wants one thing and one thing only: to monch and cronch on fallen stars. they are single minded in their pursuit, closer to a fire consuming whatever is flammable in its path rather than an intelligence that is working towards a goal

At least, that was the case, until these tarot themed weirdos showed up and started bossing the Spread around! (IMAGES: arrows pointing to four figures - the Empress, a woman with long black hair and pale purple skin and dark purple eyes, associated with the colour silver. the High Priestess, with long pale green hair, darker green skin, and even darker green eyes, associates with the colour purple. the Magician, with a short ocean blue afro, sky blue skin, and pale blue eyes, wearing glasses and associated with the colour red. and the Fool, with long orange hair tied in a pony tail, khaki skin, and golden eyes, associated with the colour yellow)

the Spread are hard to categorize, as they're all chaotically shifting messes of tentacles and teeth. the only exceptions are the very rare, very powerful, and distinctly humanoid looking Abominations

(IMAGES: five pictures of eldritch horrors looming in nightmarish landscapes, representing the Spread. there's a lot of tentacles and pustules and assorted other body horror going on in each image. representing an Abomination is a humanoid figure somehow both skeletal and fleshy, with a mass of tentacles coming out of its back)

SLIDE EIGHT

TEXT: hold up, you mentioned something about angles at the start of this!?!?

thankfully, not everything in the Otherworld is out to kill you! looking like something of a cross between the angles from Bayonetta and Greco-Roman marble statues, are the Courts. in contrast to the chaotic Spread, the Courts have an orderly hierarchy. ruled by a King and Queen, every Court is defended by Rooks, advised by Bishops, while the Knights lead Pawns in their battle against the Spread. they are quick to ally themselves with the Sentinels

the assorted Courts are all named after metals (the Court of Gold, the Court of Iron, etc), and the rarer the metal, the more influential the Court

the exception to this rigid societal structure is the Court of Gems, which is composed entirely of Knights, and are even more single minded in their desire to wipe the Spread out than the rest of the Courts are

(IMAGES: several different enemy angels from the Bayonetta games, all of them looking like mythological monsters made of white marble and wearing crimson and gold armour, with statuesque faces in places where they should not be. behind them are several white marble statues with veins of gold running through them, almost giving them the effect of the Japanese style of Kintsugi, wherein one uses gold to mend cracks in pottery)

SLIDE NINE

TEXT: overview of the Otherworld

the Otherworld is a reflection of our world - the landscape and structures of here have mirror copies there. organic things, such as plants and animal life, do not have Otherworld counterparts, however. beyond the Courts and the Spread, the Otherworld is lifeless.

it's divided into two distinct locations - the Heights and the Depths. the Depths are especially deadly, as it's blanketed by a corrosive cloud roughly 100m tall. without protection, organic life does not last long in the Depths. the Heights, in contrast, are corrosion free.

(IMAGE: a rough outline of five buildings on a flat plateau, to the left of which slopes down off screen)

the Heights

the Courts make their homes in the upper floors of skyscrapers

(IMAGE: the three tallest buildings are poking up into the Heights, while everything else in the city resides in the Depths)

separating layer looks like waves from below, and clouds from above

the Depths

the Spread live in the dips and valleys of the landscape, surging up onto higher ground whenever they sense a fallen star nearby. when inactive, they just look like an inky black, viscous ocean

SLIDE TEN

(IMAGE: the background is the person standing before Cthulhu image from the first slide, only washed out to the point where it's barely visible)

TEXT: so sum this shit up for me…

a comet swings by every twenty years and (potentially!?!?) shits debris all over the place

if a comet dropping hits a person, they become a Sentinel

if it lands on the ground, the fragment shifts the area around it into the Otherworld

drawn by the power of the fallen star, the Spread destroy everything in their path to get to it, people and buildings alike

in order to protect those around them, Sentinels need to hunt down these comet fragments and find a way to safely dispose of them

but how are Morgan, Al, and Grant going to deal with all this?

does Dirk have ulterior motives for helping them?

if Sentinels happen every time, why no mention of the team from twenty years ago?

what is going on with that tarot team?

if they've been fighting the Spread this long, why haven't the Courts succeeded yet?

all these questions (and more!) will be answered… once I actually fucking write this thing!

[glapplebloom]

Who would he be obsessed with? Would he be obsessed with anyone?

He’s the Joker Baby. If he is going to have a past, he prefers it to be multiple choice. All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. These are all things associated with the Joker. And without Batman, there is no Joker. But what if the Joker was a Marvel property? Who would he go after if he was a Marvel original?

The Twitter Picks...

Since this was inspired by Twitter, let’s see what some of them picked...

Spider-Man: He’s definitely a popular choice and it could be quite a quippy exchange. But the Joker tends to be the one giving the jokes, not receiving them. And Peter definitely gives as good as he takes.

Daredevil: The most popular choice from what I can tell because he is basically Batman just not rich. But I can’t see the relationship being as good as Batman/Joker.

Captain America: An interesting choice, but Capt would kill if Joker goes too far.

Iron Man: Yeah, no.

So there is one pick that I think would work best...

Why would it be the Punisher...

The Joker wants to prove that all it takes is One Bad Day to turn the sanest man into lunacy. Frank Castle is basically that realized. I can see the writers work with that. For Frank, he wants to punish the guilty in ways the law won’t. But for the Joker, everyone is guilty if push comes to shove. So instead of trying to get Batman to kill, I can see him focusing on making Frank kill those who don’t deserve to die.

Drug Dealers are the lowest of low, but what if they were forced into this line of work? Murderers deserve Death, but what if they were forced to kill by another party? The Joker would hire the desperate to be his minions and Frank would have to struggle to not go guns blazing because they aren’t really guilty but innocent misled to do wrong.

The Joker would push the Punisher to really test his morality as instead of just killing any villain he would have to be selective because one maybe a person who does deserve death and another could just be forced into doing this. And if Jigsaw can still be alive all this time, so could the Joker. And it could lead to some good Punisher stories to see if he doesn’t end up being the one that took an innocent one’s family away.

Joker: Why do you just punish those who HAVE done crime? This world is rotten to the core. After all, we are both here! No sane world would have the two of us co-existing. 

[tabinationtabbystar]

So I see how this is gonna pan out bogas azz programs and charges for what really I never casted the first stone I'm a glass house Carl son and I truly thought you had my back in my community your a college student and writing a story also I'm my own athur Hun narrate all u want for I Tabatha Ann Tuszynski is the women God and Jesus has remembered and when the hell are you able to tie in my children missing school if the passed I shouldn't have warrants I'm getting the charges all of them thrown out! I can't believe you literally used the legal system on me and my story wtf is wrong was he not wanting anyone around but lil girls my app is working at talky and linksy so double dare the state to fck with it you would literally throw us in scummy apartments living with murderers petifiles and drug dealers knowing I have two fckn daughters whom reside with me in this shitty atmosphere cause you want my money so it's ok to hit me with Hochuls plan don't think so how'd you feel to be ripped away from your family's algorithm or not feel wanted or loved and failure to exercise control over a minor who you I assume 1024 yeah I'm not harassing, but I'm expressing how easy it is for a young police student to sexually be manipulated aswell and I never ridiculed or said anything bad about your Charles in charge girlfriend get out fantasy world playing with my life is like playing a nasty trick on God so bring it sister. #JPD #MHA #Fakeloyalty #Theives #spotlight #domesticviolence #diversity #sexualassult

[lboogie1906]

Attorney William Henry Johnson (July 16, 1811 - December 19, 1896) was born enslaved in Richmond, Virginia. He was the property of Andrew Johnson. He became a jockey. He won numerous purses for his owner. As a jockey, he had the opportunity to meet former presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

While working as a janitor in the law office of New Bedford attorney Timothy G. Coffin, he taught himself to read and write by using Coffin’s law books. By 1840 he had gained employment in the office of Francis L. Porter, Esq. He began to study law formally even as he worked as a janitor. He qualified for the Massachusetts Bar. He could have taken the attorney’s oath at that point but for reasons that remain a mystery, he would not be formally admitted to the Bar until 1865.

After the Civil War, he practiced law openly and was affectionally known as Squire Johnson. He was involved in the Charles Cuffee murder case (1870). He took the Cuffee case at the request of his friend and mentor, Bristol County District Attorney George Marston. Despite his relationship with Marston, he was a zealous, if ultimately unsuccessful, advocate for his client.

He defended liquor dealers of New Bedford and was known to have been retained by impoverished whites in the area who were often whiskey smugglers. He tried criminal and civil cases as far away as New York and New Hampshire.

He entered politics and was elected to the Common Council of New Bedford. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[rachelkaser]

Masonry Monday: The Case of the Purple Woman

A crooked art dealer sells a forged painting called "The Purple Woman" and laughs in the face of both the infuriated buyer and the stiffed forger. But its his wife, who consulted Perry Mason in an attack of conscience after learning of his schemes, who is accused when he turns up murdered.

Who's Who

Perry Mason's client: Evelyn Girard, a wife in an unhappy marriage who can't run off with her paramour due to her religious father

The victim: Milo Girard, a crooked art dealer who sold a forgery and laughed in the face of those who tried to confront him

Suspects: Rufus Varner, a self-proclaimed art expert and collector who failed to notice the victim sold him a forgery Aaron Hubble, the drunken, eccentric artist who forged a lost painting for payment the victim never intended to deliver Wayne Gordon, an art critic who's in love with Evelyn and tried in vain to get her to leave her husband Doris Andrews, Girard's secretary, who's a little more familiar with him than one would expect an employee to be Laslo Kovac, an art expert who immediately recognized the forged painting -- at least until he gets a second look

The Setup

Rufus Varner is showing off his large private collection of art to one Laslo Kovac, saying he has the "finest collection of Van Hootens" in America. However, there are a dozen or so Van Hooten paintings that have been lost to time -- most notably "The Purple Woman," which was supposedly destroyed. Varner triumphantly pulls a curtain to reveal "The Purple Woman" herself. He won't tell Kovac what the painting costs, but Kovac says it doesn't matter -- it's a fake.

Varner furiously confronts his art dealer, Milo Girard, for selling him a fake for $86,000. Girard laughs and says Varner can't get his money back without revealing the scam and sacrificing his reputation as a art expert. Girard claims he advised Varner to double-check with an expert, which Varner refused to do. Varner caves and leaves the office, but not before asking who painted the forgery, which Girard refuses to say. Meanwhile, Girard's wife Evelyn is meeting with drunken artist Aaron Hubble.

She doesn't know who he is. Hubble says he's been painting "The Purple Woman" in a building she owns. Girard returns home, and Evelyn leaves the two men to speak. Hubble says that Girard promised him a one-man show if he could forge "The Purple Woman," but Girard reneges on his promise and Hubble has nothing to combat him with. Hubble stumbles out. When Evelyn tries to ask Girard about him, Girard points out that both she and Hubble despise him. Evelyn says she won't be happy as long as Girard lives.

Enter Perry Mason, Attorney at Law

Evelyn meets with Perry Mason, explaining that she has reason to believe her husband is defrauding an art collector. Should it be discovered, she can't afford to go down with him. She tells Perry about "The Purple Woman" and Hubble using her property, which could be evidence of collusion. She can't get a divorce due to her religious family. Perry says he'll get Paul on the case. After Evelyn leaves, Della notes their client seems very disillusioned.

Girard meets with Wayne Gordon, a prominent art critic, who wants to know why he and Varner are no longer working together. Before Girard can answer, Evelyn arrives and Girard introduces her to Gordon, then leaves to attend a visitor. As soon as he leaves, Gordon pleads to see Evelyn, who promises to call him. Gordon leaves as Girard returns -- he's not fooled in the slightest, and produces the love letters Gordon wrote to her. Evelyn says she never answered the letters and has not been unfaithful.

Girard gleefully says he can still use the letters for a scandalous divorce, which would destroy her relationship with her reverend father. Evelyn grabs a pair of scissors and tries to attack Girard, who stops her. She swears she'll kill him as his secretary, Doris, walks in. Evelyn leaves, and Doris shows she's also quite familiar with Girard. Back in Perry's office, he says Paul's discovered that Girard's retained a divorce lawyer on grounds of infidelity. The next morning, Doris arrives and finds Girard slumped over the desk in his office, dead.

The Murder

Perry meets with Evelyn at jail -- the police believe she killed Girard after he filed for divorce. They have eyewitness accounts of their quarrels and her fingerprints are on the murder weapon. He asks where she was at the time of death: Midnight and 2am. Evelyn tries to say she was at home, but her servants say she left at 11:30pm and didn't return home until after 3am. They also found the remains of burnt letters in Girard's office, all addressed to her.

Evelyn finally admits she was in the office to plead for the letters return, but found her husband already dead. She picked up the figurine next to him before she burned the letters. She refuses to tell Perry who the man is, saying he doesn't need to be involved. She insists she didn't kill her husband.

Back in his office, Perry questions Doris, who claims that Girard didn't do business with Aaron Hubble. She gets fired up until Hubble himself walks in and addresses Doris familiarly. She storms out. Hubble criticizes the artwork in Perry's office, and takes a drink from Della. He tells Perry about painting "The Purple Woman" well enough to fool Rufus Varner. He also went to the district attorney, though Hamilton Burger didn't believe in his involvement. He insists he's a great talent and deserves a one-man show.

Perry next meets with Varner, who claims Girard's murder is irrelevant to him and he only bought a few paintings from Girard. Perry says that Varner might have reason to be involved if Girard sold him a forgery, and Varner arrogantly insists it couldn't happen and refuses to go with Perry to speak with the DA. Later, Perry meets with Gordon, who says Varner started collecting on a big scale 15 years previously after making it big with tin mines in South America.

Perry asks Gordon if he'll testify as an expert witness for the defense, and about Van Hooten, who referred to "The Purple Woman" in a letter to his sister. Gordon says Van Hooten gave the painting to the model, who stored it in the cellar of a house that burned down in 1895. Gordon says a rumor about a forged Van Hooten was doing the rounds, but he couldn't find out any more. Perry asks about an expert who could authenticate "The Purple Woman" should it be found, and Gordon nominates Kovac, who's in town but leaving for Paris in a few days.

Paul enters as Gordon leaves, and says he spoke with Kovac. The expert is willing to testify to seeing "The Purple Woman" and proclaiming it to be a forgery. Della mentions Gordon and Paul has another scoop: Gordon's not just a prominent art critic, but the boyfriend that Evelyn is trying so hard to protect. And unfortunately, that's no longer a secret: Paul discovered that detail from the DA's office.

The Trial

Burger questions Doris, who said that, on the night of his murder, Girard asked her to call his wife and say he would be working late at his gallery. Evelyn was the only person Doris told -- Girard didn't want to be disturbed. Doris also testifies about seeing Evelyn attack Girard with a pair of scissors the day before the murder, and the love letters Girard had. On cross, Mason produces a hotel slip showing that Girard "and wife" traveled to San Francisco together and shared a room. Doris confesses she was the one with him, and declares her love for the victim.

Next Burger questions Wayne Gordon about his relationship with Evelyn. Gordon says he loves Evelyn and asked her to divorce her husband and marry him, but she refused. He also claims she wasn't seeing him -- the phone calls Burger shows were her asking for advice about her husband possibly involving her in a fraud. Gordon recommended Perry Mason.

On cross, Mason asks Gordon about the fraud, and Gordon introduces the subject of "The Purple Woman." Burger tries to object that he asked none of this on direct, but Mason counters that Burger introduced the subject of fraud and the judge overrules the objection. Gordon testifies about the story of the potential fraud and Hubble's fraud. Burger sends Tragg off investigating as the judge adjourns for lunch.

Tragg confronts Mason, Della, and Paul as they're having lunch, and says that Mason has inadvertently introduced evidence incriminating his own client by bringing up "The Purple Woman." Back in court, Hubble is on the stand, testifying about his visit with Girard and Evelyn the day before the murder. Hubble keeps rambling about his genius until the judge reprimands him. He then says that he overheard Evelyn telling Girard she'd never been happy while he lived.

On cross, Mason asks about his vitriol for Girard and asks if it extended to Evelyn. Hubble says he assumed Evelyn knew about "The Purple Woman," and Burger once again tries to object to the introduction of the forged painting. Once again, Mason forces the door open. He questions Hubble, who says he painted "The Purple Woman" from a rough color sketch Girard gave him. He also testifies about working on it in a building Evelyn owned, and that Girard sold the painting to Varner.

Burger approaches the bench and says that Mason must be using Hubble's delusions about the painting to discredit his testimony. Mason challenges him to produce the painting and let an expert determine whether or not it's a delusion. The judge says that, since the painting has played such a role thus far, the court should look at it and have an expert appraise its value. Burger begrudgingly agrees.

The Investigation

Cue Kovac giving testimony about seeing "The Purple Woman" and deeming it a fake. Burger asks Kovac to show how he made such a determination at a glance, and Kovac steps down to point out the deficiencies in the painting. However, when he examines it, he goes silent for a moment and then drops the bomb -- the painting may actually be a real Van Hooten. Hubble, of course, erupts with fury at this invalidation of his work, and he's held in contempt.

On cross, Mason asks Kovac why he initially thought the painting was a forgery, and Kovac says he has private details about the painting, including that the model had a cast to her eye. When he saw the painting in Varner's gallery, the purple woman had no such cast. Mason asks if it could have been retouched, and Kovac can't be sure. With Kovac's support, Mason asks that infrared and x-ray tests be conducted to determine the painting's age and authenticity.

That night, Paul gives Perry the scoop: The painting is a real Van Hooten. Perry decides to test a theory, and he and Paul visit Girard's office in his gallery (Evelyn gave them a key). Paul asks what it is they're looking for, and Perry says that Girard must have owned the authentic "The Purple Woman" -- after all, how else could Girard have made a color sketch to give to Hubble? So where could he have hidden it? Paul suggests hiding it behind a decoy so hideous no one would ever buy it -- and there just so happens to be just such an ugly painting in Girard's office . . .

In Summation

XXX

Case under review; please return at a later date

[casliveblog]

Custom Toonami Block Week 181 Rundown

The Witch from Mercury: Now that Gund-Arm has been announced, Miorine and the rest of Earth Club she’s corporately conscripted have to decide what it’ll actually do. They ask Prospera how Aerial isn’t murdering people and she’s just like ‘idk love I guess’ and gives Miorine the hard data while not answering anything about the key details and kinda still getting jabs in about Miorine’s credibility. Meanwhile the Earth Club kids are not exactly happy about the obvious company direction of just being arms dealers and playing both sides to fuel a classic Gundam War brand war but they’re still working on all the PR proposals and missions statements and shit because they need more investment to actually do more than form the company. I get that they basically only brought on the research branches from the previous two Gundam companies but shouldn’t they be getting adults to help with some of the PR stuff because long story short the commercial they shoot ends up looking like a Youtube Poop. Like even if Phil from Prospera’s company only worked on building Gundams he’d probably have better software editing skills than a bunch of kids who’ve never done this before. Meanwhile Shaddiq is just standing there the whole time like “Lemme help for an innocuous share of the company I can deftly take control from” and Miorine is not having any of that. Eventually Miorine finds the promo video from the prologue about how the Gundam system was originally supposed to be for medical technology, limb replacement and physical therapy related to the various horrible eldritch disasters that involve corporatizing Space. The group basically forms the Gundam version of Doctors Without Borders which while not perfect is probably the most morally salvageable way to start a Corporation and shit just starts coming together in a weird school club kind of way which I feel shouldn’t fly in the ridiculously utilitarian corporate setting we’ve been shown where you get axed for not making exponential profits but we’ll hold onto that for later. But at the last minute Shaddiq updates the student council safety rules for new corporations/clubs to be like “no working on soul-stealing death machines” which I kind of feel like that should’ve been a rule in the first place but we’re gonna say this is a bad thing in this very specific scenario because it forbids them from making the soul-stealing death machines stop stealing souls or causing death and thus preventing death.

Inuyasha The Final Act: I love this episode, I love it a lot, it’s basically one long grudge match for a relationship that spans the entire series. Byakuya gives Sesshomaru a fragment of Kanna’s mirror demon that can steal Tessaiga’s power for Tenseiga and teleports Sesshomaru and Inuyasha into a demon dimension where they basically play Technique Tug of War with all of Tessaiga and Tenseiga’s techniques to see who will be the winner take all. Inuyasha is basically at his strongest here, full demon transformation with Tessaiga and most of his techniques as he takes them back from Sesshomaru one by one. And to Sesshomaru’s credit he’s not just being a pouty baby about this, Naraku doesn’t understand peoples’ capacity to grow so he doesn’t realize Sesshomaru doesn’t want to kill Inuyasha but he wants him to justify his right to wield the powerful weapon on his own path to acceptance. Eventually Inuyasha gets hit with the Meidou Zangetsuha and has to cut his own demon energy with the Dragon-Scaled Tessaiga to keep the portal open. Naraku can apparently control the sword since Kanna is him and the mirror demon is Kanna so transitive property I guess but Sesshomaru steps in to finish the fight himself, eventually allowing Inuyasha to take the rest of Tenseiga’s energy and break it, triggering the technique stealing effects of Tessaiga and granting it the Meidou Zangetsuha so Inuyasha’s moveset is complete at last. Inuyasha is eventually able to track Tenseiga and use the Meidou Zangetsuha to get him and Sesshomaru out of the hell dimension. Sesshomaru accepts that Tessaiga and all related techniques belong to Inuyasha and that he has to wield it in his own way and it’s a really great capstone on arguably the longest running arc of the series, like Sesshomaru popped up long before Naraku showed himself and now things are relatively good between them, like they’re still gruff emotionally distant brothers but they are also vaguely worried for each others’ wellbeing. Sesshomaru rejects the now Healer-only Tenseiga but Rin takes it anyway and promises to get him to bring it with him. I love episodes like this where they just devote the whole runtime to a huge fight with very little preamble, it’s even got some good comedy gags with Totosai’s bull acting as a projector so the group can stream the fight and Naraku watching by HDMI jacking his tentacle into Byakuya’s eye socket. Yeah, 10/10 prolly my favorite episode of Final Act overall.

Castlevania: Sypha has come down with a touch of the bloodlust and being a nomad her whole life combined with recently coming into the endorphin rush of killing demons means she doesn’t sit well with sitting still. Luckily the mayor has their next D&D quest ready and explains that the priory seems to have made a pact with one of the demons or some shit and it’s now calling disturbed Dracula sympathizers from all over like some kind of homing beacon and only some sort of bloodthirsty Avatar Nomad and her Jack Sparrow type husband can stop them. Meanwhile Isaac gives the Captain the short version of  Season 2’s story and tells him he’s going to go kill Hector for betraying Dracula but honestly considering where Hector’s at rn I think leaving him alive might be the better revenge. Still the Captain cuts right to the chase and advises Isaac to go on a full Vinland Saga character arc and get his revenge but then become a king of a land of peace and freedom rather than trying to genocide everyone since he’ll basically have a free kingdom once he gets done and considering running a genuinely good kingdom is both easier and harder than genocide, Isaac seems to take to this pretty well. Last and… well, last is Hector who’s getting his character groundwork in with Lenore until he tries to hold her hostage and she beats the absolute shit out of him, promising to get him better treatment but also never to fuck with her again because she’s fully capable of becoming a horde of bats which that’s new, don’t think we’ve seen that, like if Godbrand could do that I don’t think he’d have lost to Isaac. She also gives him a blanket so we can stop seeing his dick like we’re never getting full knob as far as I can see but there’s a lot of shots where we’re getting like 3/4ths dick. Hector really needs to make up his mind about whether he’s gonna lean into the Makima/Denji petplay thing the vampires seem to have going for him or if he’s gonna just die because watching him pathetically waffle between the two is really hard to watch, like if I was him I would either have smashed my own skull open on the bricks or committed to the bit and gotten a leash ready, like I’m kinda glad they’re not going for a straight ‘oh she won him over’ arc like was clearly Lenore’s initial plan but still he either needs to leverage their need for him or just stop pretending to have agency because this is hard to watch.

Konosuba: So Kazuma seems to have like legit PTSD from the whole Sylvia thing which isn’t explained very well but it’s just a huge middle finger to anyone who hasn’t seen the movie (though it is on Crunchyroll too so I guess there’s no reason not to). And I’m just kind of trying to figure out which part of it’s bothering him the most like if he actually feels bad for killing Sylvia who genuinely loved him or what but on the surface he’s just like ‘man girls don’t like me anymore that was all movie shit’ which is a fun joke but I also kinda wonder if that’s all this is. Still he wants to become a Monk and the rest of them join him on the journey to the Monastery to try and talk him out of it/laugh when he gives up. Megumin’s also got some Movie Fallout Syndrome with newfound feelings for Kazuma which he’s bad at reciprocating because he’s still a shitbag at the end of the day. Megumin does eventually get him to soften a bit but it’s an encounter with a person-mimicking monster that officially makes him decide that he doesn’t want to help people because people suck so he takes his money-creation mallet and goes back home and is rich for all of five seconds before Kris steals it off him. Still the euphoria of financial stability does exorcise Sylvia’s ghost from his pants or whatever and the group gears up for their next big score: dinner with the king while trying to not get killed for inevitably screwing this up. I like how this season immediately goes for a more serialized approach where even the random vignettes are in service of a small arc and character development from the last outing, I feel like I’m gonna enjoy this.  

Delicious in Dungeon: The group runs back into one of their two missing party members that have been kinda mythologized at this point in the story given how little we hear about them. Fun fact, Namari is voice by LittleKuriboh’s spouse and they’re nonbinary so that’s fun, the voice really threw me off for a sec so I had to look it up. Either way the episode’s basically about Namari getting back into the party’s good graces and Laios taking down a tentacle monster so their gnome patron can heal Marcille’s wounds. They unpeel the tentacle monster like a banana and Marcille’s healed but she’s basically running on empty. We FINALLY get an explanation on how death works in the dungeon which I feel should’ve been something explained upfront since ‘what happens if the characters die’ is kind of a vital stakes-setter. So essentially you can revive if you heal fatal wounds but only in the dungeon because it stunlocks your soul into your body so you aren’t really dead in the traditional sense just basically in a forever coma until your body gets back into working order. That kinda brings up the odd question since this show is all about eating of what happens to bodies that are eaten, like if the body’s been digested by other things it’d be kinda hard to heal, which does put added weight to them getting Falin back and also presumably if you die in an inconvenient or deep down spot it’d be really hard to get a rescue and may take a long time. So yeah that definitely should’ve been explained right away but good to know. Either way Namari helps Senshi trap the water monster that took Marcille out in the first place and they make it into a stew so Marcille can get her mana back. I’m not sure if Mana doesn’t come back very quickly in this world or if you just have like a set supply because they treat Marcille’s mana as exceedingly limited, it may just be they’re on a time crunch but they sure seem to make camp a lot and rest so this shouldn’t be as big a problem as they make it, like they make it sound like a mobile game where it takes twenty hours to get your energy back regardless of rest. Anyway despite teasing it back and forth for a while Namari decides to stick with the gnomes and not join the party to slay the dragon, guess she’s just in the Opening for no reason then, oh well.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: The group runs into a town with the sleeping sickness from the Hey Arnold movie and luckily Sein is the only one immune to it because he’s a Priest. We do get a good classification on the magic system here, Mages study magic academically, Priests study it religiously and use books like Robin Fire Emblem and Curses are just whatever either side can’t figure out and are like ‘idfk, demons did it I guess’ though it does kind of undercut the agnostic take some of the previous episodes had where they were puzzling over the nature of heaven to know that this world almost certainly has a god giving priests their power, like I guess you could argue their Faith is what gives the spells their power regardless of whether or not what they have Faith in actually exists and I prefer that ambiguity but I guess it’s just a placeholder for what we can currently understand and what requires more guesswork and assumption in the end. I always kinda laugh when shows get a new party member and then immediately run into a problem that would be impossible without them like if they hadn’t met them guess they’d just be fucked I guess and they were lucky to have not needed them until this exact moment but I guess you could argue they would’ve given the curse a wider berth if they hadn’t had a Priest who could handle it. Next Stark gets recruited and they have to fucking My Fair Lady/Princess and the Pauper him because he looks just like this Lord’s dead son and they can’t let the people know the prince is dead yet. Also Fern gets recruited because I guess they can’t have a noble lady set up as his date and would rather just train someone he’s already comfortable with. It’s really just an excuse for some pretty shots of them in different clothes so shippers can make AMVs and gush about how romantic it is but it does its job well enough. The story with the Lord struggling with his son’s death and how he and Stark have to resist the temptation to use each other as replacement family members is kinda nice, I also like how this guy isn’t a dick to his untalented hardworking Rock Lee son like Stark’s dad was to him, like he’s breaking the anime cliché cycle and that’s nice.

Nekomonogatari Black: So apparently this part takes place during the initial Golden Week before the start of Bakemonogatari where Hanekawa had her first Neko episode so it’s a full flashback arc, I’m pretty excited about that since I got kind of frustrated with them just vaguely alluding to past events in the previous arcs without explaining them fully. Like ‘as you know’ is a writing sin and all but you’ve gotta find a way to be upfront about that info somehow. Anyway, young Araragi is contemplating love which really shocks Tsukihi because apparently he was ridiculously antisocial before all this monster shit started. And we get a long list of classic Monogatari verbal gags as they basically say ‘you know you like someone when you find yourself liking them’ and Araragi’s just like ‘what about the boobs though, she’s got really great boobs’ to which Tsukihi concludes he’s not in love and just being a horny teenage boy and needs to go jerk off. I was having fun and then we immediately get into more incest stuff which is admittedly a fun subversion of how Tsukihi thought the conversation would go and then Karen just comes in and fucking strips so we’ve lost all subtlety here and like just get this man away from his sisters and girls half his age please like I like Araragi a lot but I always wince when we go in this direction and the fact that he keeps punching down to girls that are so much younger than him/related to him is what makes that part hard to root for even though he is a pretty good Scumbag Protagonist, guess this means Hitagi’s influence changed him for the better? Sorta? I’m gonna say it’s that for the sake of my own sanity because I CANNOT handle another disaster on the level of the toothbrushing scene. So yeah, because the town the Monogatari series is set in is an eldritch hellscape that only teleports Araragi to the most plot relevant acquaintance, of course he runs into Hanekawa while buying fap material to try and forget her. We get a refresher on her backstory about how she has two parents who through a series of deaths and remarriages she has no actual relation to and how they have a neglect and dispassion to her that is almost worse than the actual abuse they also sometimes do. He agrees to not tell anyone her father hit her in exchange for a request which in true Scumbag Protagonist fashion he deliberates over an agonizingly long time but in the end just uses some of his vampire blood to heal the wound on her face and both parties leave feeling mildly empty inside like a lot was said but nothing really happened which is kind of standard fare for a Monogatari episode. I like this series quite a bit but for the love of god can we steer away from Araragi torturing lolis for a while, that’s why I stopped watching for a while after Nisemonogatari in the first place.