#AND A CHARACTER WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD WHO WILL TAKE HIM ON THIS JOURNEY AND BY DOING THAT HE WILL LEARN ABOUT LOVE AND LIFE TOO!!!!!!!

[stormyoceans]

Sell Last Twilight to me GO!

MOMENT OF PANIC AS THE PRESSURE GETS TO ME AND I FORGET EVERY SINGLE WORD I’VE EVER KNOWN IN ANY LANGUAGE SO I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE ME IF I STEAL SEA’S AND P’AOF’S ONES

the thing is.. i could honestly spend hours screaming about this show as i try to convince the world to give it a chance, but i do think all of my yelling can be more effectively summed up by what sea and p’aof said here. this is gonna be a story about two characters, one with disability and one with a criminal record, who, albeit in different ways, can’t see a future for themselves because our society tells them that there is no place for them in it, but by meeting each other they’re gonna come together to find a new appreciation for life and build a home in this world. so whatever people may think of the director or the actors involved in this project, i really wish everyone will be able to look past that and appreciate this show for what it is, which is ultimately a story about hope, and i think we all need some of that, especially right now

[aphrodisiac-siren]

Ettore X Fem!Reader

AN: I wrote an Ettore drabble a while ago when I just started watching High Life but then never posted it after I continued watching the movie and reached that scene. But because I kinda liked the plot I had set up, I shifted his character to the Maze Runner universe.

Summary: A deadly virus has begun spreading, a disease attacks the brain and causes victims to lose their humanity, rendering them violent and insane creatures. You were chosen, along with a bunch of others, to help find a cure for the same. Along your journey at the organisation, you meet a certain someone who is as daunting as he is captivating.

Part 1

You walked in a single file along with the others, making your way into the cafeteria for lunch. You all wore your signature white tracksuits that set you apart from the other kids at the organisation.

You worked for W.I.C.K.E.D which stood for World In Catastrophe Killzone Department. It was an organisation dedicated to finding a cure for the virus outbreak that was more commonly known as the Flare. They had rounded up a bunch of teens and young adults to help with their research, most of whom were deemed to be immune to the virus. This group was further divided into two: the subjects and the elites.

The subjects consisted of the ones who were under observation, on who they carried out tests. These were people who came from poor backgrounds or had any sort of criminal record. The elites were the group with the smarter ones, out of which all seemed to be immune to the effects of the virus. They helped with recording the observations or tests of the subjects.

You happened to fall into the latter category.

You loaded your tray with the vast variety of food before you went to sit at an empty table. The cafeteria was split down the middle by a glass panel, separating the subjects from the elites. You lot were not allowed any interaction unless it was in the medical labs.

While your side was filled with kids in their pristine white attire, the other side was full of kids in worn-down scrubs. They had a limited choice when it came to their food and they all just looked borderline glum, a complete contrast to how things were on your side of the room.

"Y/N" your friend Aris came to sit by you, placing his loaded tray next to yours "you've got to be by the meds as soon as lunch is done with"

"I already took the blood samples of subjects seven, eight and nine from group A earlier this morning and recorded their fitness test results," you told him, poking a hole in your juice box with the straw "I haven’t got lab duty until-"

"No not the medical lab" he clarified, taking a bite out of his sandwich "the medics, where people go for first aid and shit"

"Isn’t that where you are supposed to be?" you raised your brow "I haven’t been tasked with first aid for weeks now"

"I'm too fucking tired after this's morning’s experiment in the fifth-floor lab" he groaned, giving you a dramatic display of his fatigue "just fill in for me for today"

"Fine but you owe me" you huffed a sigh "who am I tending to?"

"Subject eight from group C" Aris informed "the dude got into a fight earlier, right before lunch in fact- busted lip and a cut near his eye"

"Stitches?"

"Maybe" he shrugged "he's already there, I checked him in before heading out for lunch"

You ate your food a bit faster. There was someone in the med bay who was wounded to a point of maybe needing stitches and Aris had very casually waltzed in for lunch instead of tending to him first. You wouldn’t call yourself very compassionate but you knew that even though there was an obvious division between you and them; at the end of the day, they too were people like yourself and not mere lab rats.

Once you were done with lunch, you emptied the trash from the tray into the bin before you washed your hands and headed toward the medics. You scanned your ID card that hung around your neck, which immediately had the sturdy glass doors slide open, allowing you to enter.

"Fuckin' finally"

You heard a voice grumble, a thick British accent accompanying each syllable.

You silently walked toward one of the many beds where the boy sat with his shoes kicked off and arms folded behind his head as he lay on his back. The pillow he rested his head upon was stained a dark shade of maroon. The boy had dusty blonde hair that could easily pass for light brown, a tattoo on his neck, another on his forearm and a visible scorn on his face.

"I missed lunch because of you snobs" he continued irritability but his voice was soft "I hope they don’t expect me to run another mile on that fucking treadmill with an empty stomach"

You again, said nothing as you walked to the table beside him where a simple brown folder was placed. You picked it up, flipping it open to see who your patient was.

"Subject 8 [Group C] Ettore"

"Hello Ettore" you said in a monotonous voice out of formality, placing the file back on the table before you opened the drawer to retrieve some ointments "I'm going to have to check that cut to see if you need stitches"

"Hurry up then will you?" he scoffed and you raised a brow at his bluntness. You had dealt with a bunch of subjects but none of them ever spoke more than two words to you, let alone complete sentences laced with such impudence.

You clenched your jaw, keeping your cool as you leaned closer, cupping his face with one hand as you used a cotton swab to wipe and clean away the blood with the other.

He winced as soon as the cotton swab, dipped in ointment, touched his cut and he instinctively flinched away.

"Sorry," you gave him an apologetic smile, reaching out to cup his face again "this will sting a bit"

Ettore's scorn vanished and instead transformed into a look of pure confusion. He watched as you continued to tend to his wound, your tongue barely sticking out as you concentrated on cleaning all of the blood.

Did you just apologise?

Ettore had been to the med bay a bunch of times, always getting caught in some fight and he was welcomed with the same treatment each time. Being harshly grabbed and snapped at if he ever flinched away in pain, insults and swears were carelessly hurled at him without provocation. But here you were, apologising to him as if it was your fault the ointment stung, gently holding his face and being polite despite you having to take time off your busy schedule to deal with him.

"It doesn’t look like you need stitches" you told him, discarding the dirty cotton swab to grab a new one "part your lips"

Ettore would’ve made a snarky comment but for some reason, he just didn’t feel like making you have to deal with that difficult side of him. He obeyed with silence, watching you with curiosity as you cleaned the blood off his lips. You then picked up a bandaid and put it over the wound above his right eyebrow.

"All good?" you asked with that same smile as if you were talking to a toddler who had just scraped his knee at the playground.

"Hmm" he hummed with a nod, a faint smirk dancing on his lips as his icy blue eyes gazed into yours "don’t I get any candy?"

"What for?" you asked with an amused expression as you tossed away the scrap paper of the band-aid's packaging.

"For being a good boy and letting you do your job" he shrugged, his cheekiness coming through in the tone of his voice.

"That’s what you’re supposed to do anyway: sit still while I fix you up" you chuckled as you picked up his folder, taking it with you so that you could fill in the details of this visit "Remain seated, a guard will be here in a bit to escort you back to your room"

"If I don't get a treat," he raised his voice as he watched you walk toward the exit "can I get your name instead?"

You spun around to look at him. He was rather talkative and far too bold compared to the others. You knew Ettore was one of the subjects who was rumoured to have a criminal record which was the reason behind him being sent here. You couldn’t deny that even though he looked hot, there was something about him that gave off an eerie feeling as if he came along with his own aura of a warning that he shouldn’t be pushed or messed around with. His tattoo only added to his daunting demeanour. As much as he looked like someone you should steer clear from, he in equal measure was captivating; like he was some sort of book that only got more and more interesting with each chapter.

He waited patiently for you to reply as he leaned forward from where he sat, clenching and unclenching his jaw in anticipation.

The corners of your lips tugged upward into a smile.

"Y/N" you said and he immediately broke into a boyish grin.

"Nice to meet you, Y/N" he said with a tender voice "I do hope we get to talk again soon"

[shalscumbunny]

Dear Doctor | Chapter 4: Privacy

Summary: Shalnark suffered a small injury while investigating some things for the Gen'ei Ryodan, his intention was that a doctor would cure him and nothing else, unfortunately that doctor was you and what you least expected is that one of the most wanted criminals in the world would end up becoming obsessed with you.

Pairing: Shalnark X F.Reader

Warnings: Harassment, recordings, spy cameras, the reader does not know she is being recorded, male masturbation

Author’s note: I always mention it in all my writings in English, but better safe than sorry, English is not my native language so it is very likely to find many mistakes and also that I know practically nothing about writing “X character and Y/N”

I am not a doctor so I will say my life excuse for everything, “I am a social science student”, so if something is wrong I apologize

Sites: AO3

What exactly is privacy? The right one has to hide intimate things? Well, someone like Shalnark really doesn't have the slightest respect for that word, much less when it comes to you.

Of you and the beautiful love story that he formulated in his head, to Shalnark you are soulmates who belong and love each other, a relationship so deep and intimate does not need something as ridiculous as privacy.

Since he installed the security cameras in all the environments you are in, your privacy is not something that interests him very much, he does not care much, even if he is murdering someone in cold blood, he probably remembers that you are doing something that he likes see and he will have no choice but to turn on his cell phone and continue stabbing the man who begs for mercy while he watches on cameras how you drink a hot cup of coffee.

He has several monitors in his study, he could be hacking into a bank's website, stealing a couple of million, and at the same time he watches on the other monitor as you work in your office with that beautiful smile that melts him.

Thanks to the cameras, he knows your routine backwards and forwards, now his favorite moment of the day is seeing you arrive from work, a sweet smile forms on his lips when you throw your briefcase on the floor and rush to the couch for a few minutes, exhausted.

He can only sigh enthralled when you go into your bedroom and take off your clothes, the invasion of your privacy has reached a point where the order in which you remove the clothes from your body has been learned; first the top, then the bra, you pull down your pants and finally you take off your panties.

He bites his lower lip following your journey to the bathroom through the cameras. At that moment his cock is sore and hard inside his pants, but his eyes remain fixed and almost without blinking, watching you enter the shower and the warm water falls on your tense body.

Shalnark steps back in his seat opening his pants, his erect cock shoots out of his pants onto his abdomen, completely swollen and in need of attention.

He watches you silently, although you can't see or hear him, he feels that a single noise from him could disturb your peaceful bath.

His turquoise eyes make a beautiful contrast with the brightness of the screen, they shine with lust and desire while his hands clumsily play with his swollen cock that is already releasing precum.

He is watching how you soap your body, your arms, your legs, your abdomen, your breasts and finally your vulva. His breathing is labored when the camera focuses on how you use your fingers to open your lower lips and caress the area with water to clean it. He feels his mouth watering, he would give everything to bury his face there, to lick and suck your folds and clitoris, to witness the warmth of your beautiful entrance.

He's sick and eager for you, his expression gives him away, he's lost in thought as he masturbates, he gasps excitedly imagining himself in that shower next to you, grabbing your hips and pushing his cock into your tight, sweet pussy, he bites his lips imagining the hot and pleasurable feeling that your rubbery walls would give to his hard cock.

Shalnark perceives you as his, no matter what, he loves you and wants you intensely, he only thinks about possessing you, he only squeezes and pumps desperately imagining the sound of your moans and whimpers, he grunts imagining your tearful and red face as you moan his name, the stimulation is so much that his balls are swollen and throb with need for you.

Shalnark's hips began to push upwards as he moans your name excitedly and desperately.

"Doctor...shit...doctor...you are so tight...so hot...I love you so much...Fuck..." He speaks with his eyes closed tightly feeling his balls tighten "Y/N... You’re mine...only mine..."

Finally, the right thing happens, Shalnark grunts with pleasure and his semen shoots out with such force that it hits the keys of the computer, he remains weak and breathing hard, he felt good, but when he sees that you continue bathing calmly, he knows that it isn´t enough, his hand isn't enough either... you are the only thing he knows will be more than enough.

Finished his daily ritual, he cleans himself, sighs trying to lower his temperature and lies down on his bed exhausted looking at his cell phone, he sees on the cameras how you yawn and lie down directly to the side of the camera, Shalnark had spent a couple of nights watching you sleep in your apartment without you realizing it to find out which side you slept on and put the camera there, of course he covered both sides just in case, but he's proud of himself for correctly guessing which side you were sleeping on.

His eyes have a sickly-sweet look as he watches you rest, he can't help but fantasize about the day when you both sleep in the same bed, he smiles imagining your head resting on his chest and the smell of your hair in his nose while he kisses the top of your head lovingly.

"Good night, Y/N" Shalnark whispered softly, turning off his phone, leaving it on the nightstand and falling asleep.

Thank you so much for reading my shit 🖤

Chapter 3 <- Chapter 4 -> Chapter 5

[glitter-ink]

some newsies film & broadway musical theories that i've read (disclaimer, these are not my original theories):

jack's biological dad can be linked to alfred borden's character in "the prestige." this connection is evident in their physical resemblance & shared predisposition for legal troubles. borden's history includes visits to new york & numerous romantic liaisons.

jack's evolution into a vigilante reminiscent of the iconic batman takes shape in a unique narrative. his backstory is shrouded in tragedy, with the absence of his parents casting a long shadow over his life. perhaps their untimely demise occurred in a dark alley, thrusting jack into a life of orphanhood. alternatively, his journey might follow a path where he embarks on a quest to acquire the skills necessary for combating crime in the gritty underworld of 1920s gotham (which is also an old nickname for new york city). these acquired abilities encompass the realms of stealth, martial arts, & even the art of synchronized dance—a mysterious & unconventional arsenal he aims to employ in his quest for justice.

the outcome of "independence day" can be likened to a whimsical twist of fate. in a humorous interpretation, it could be suggested that an extraterrestrial species watched "newsies" & concluded that the incumbent president would respond to their threat with dance, anticipating an easy conquest. however, their expectations were wildly off the mark. instead of encountering a docile figure, they were met with a resolute leader in bill pullman. this unforeseen turn of events resulted in a level of resistance far beyond what the alien race had anticipated.

the delancey brothers' backstory indicates a history of childhood abuse & neglect. oscar's disclosure in the musical reveals that their father failed to provide proper care for them. additionally, their living arrangement with wiesel, who is referred to as their uncle in the film, adds a layer of complexity to their upbringing. oscar & morris exhibit signs of excessive aggression & violence, extending beyond the demands of their occupation. morris, in particular, displays a proclivity for resorting to intimidation whenever possible. these behaviors are often characteristic of individuals who have survived childhood abuse without addressing the underlying trauma. these experiences may also elucidate the pervasive anger exhibited by these characters, despite their youthful age, as violence can frequently be a learned response in such cases.

david & les have not been explicitly identified as jewish in the final version of the movie or the musical. however, an original script for the film suggests this aspect of their background. there are subtle clues in the narrative that allude to their potential jewish heritage. for instance, the name david jacobs implies a connection to jewish culture, & david's articulate & scholarly manner of speaking aligns with the jewish tradition's emphasis on education. the reason david & les do not openly discuss their heritage in the story could be attributed to various factors. one possibility is that their parents have a long history in america, spanning several decades or more. alternatively, they may be recent immigrants who have faced significant discrimination, prompting them to encourage their sons to assimilate fully into american society.

crutchy's previous stay at the refuge is a matter of record. he confided in jack that if anyone suspected he couldn't fend for himself, he'd be detained there indefinitely. it's possible that crutchy had a prior stint at the refuge, & if that were the case, jack might have played a role in securing his release. despite crutchy not fitting the typical profile of a criminal, his disability might have driven him to resort to theft as a means of survival. in the year 1899, opportunities for individuals with disabilities to secure employment were scarce or virtually non-existent. moreover, it's plausible that crutchy ended up at the refuge simply because of his disability, as the prevailing belief may have been that he had limited prospects for adoption, academic success, or societal contribution according to the standards set by able-bodied individuals.

jack's father shared tales of santa fe with him. mr. kelly (sullivan) harbored aspirations of relocating his family to that enchanting place, where they could pursue a ranching life, well before the bustling streets of new york had worn him down. jack became captivated by this vision, & he might have even harbored intentions of upholding his father's dream as the head of the household, had the family endured.

[richincolor]

Black Mermaids, Miles Morales, and Black Horror - Oh My!

For Black folks, the summer movie season started off great. First The Little Mermaid opened and folks all over were "wanting to be a part of her world." A week later Spiderman: Across the Spider-verse was released and again, folks lost their minds. (It's been 2 weeks since I've seen it and I'm STILL thinking about it). For the adults, The Blackening comes out just in time for Juneteenth and is a mix of comedy & horror. I saw the original short film it was based on (which was hilarious) so I'm excited to go see it this weekend. Thinking about these movies led me to think about books with similar themes/characters, etc. that I also enjoyed. So...if you liked any of those movies, here are similar books with Black leads for you to read.

If you liked The Little Mermaid, check out this new duology...

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

A way to survive. A way to serve. A way to save. Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home. But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable--she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods. To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . . Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures

If you want more of Miles Morales's Spiderman adventures....

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He’s even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he’s Spider Man. But lately, Miles’s spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren’t meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad’s advice and focus on saving himself. As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can’t shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher’s lectures on the historical "benefits" of slavery and the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk. It’s time for Miles to suit up.

If you are ready for some summer horror, check out...

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Mysterious disappearances. An urban legend rumored to be responsible. And one group of teens determined to save their city at any cost. For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old Raquel does her best to ignore it. After all, the police only look for the white kids. But when her crush Charlize's cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention—especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances. Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, but they soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York's past. And if the friends want to save their home and everyone they love, they will have to play the game and destroy the evil at its heart—or die trying.

[mikami1992]

He compartido 2180 publicaciones este 2022

¡Son 2180 más que en 2021!

16 publicaciones originales (1 %)

2164 reblogueos (99 %)

Estos son los blogs que más he reblogueado:

@stealingyourbones

@im-totally-not-an-alien-2

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He etiquetado 118 publicaciones en 2022

#batman: 53 publicaciones

#danny phantom: 47 publicaciones

#humans are weird: 20 publicaciones

#dp x batman: 20 publicaciones

#batfamily: 17 publicaciones

#humans are space australians: 16 publicaciones

#humans are space orcs: 16 publicaciones

#danny phantom x batman: 16 publicaciones

#humans are deathworlders: 15 publicaciones

#dp x dc: 14 publicaciones

Longest Tag: 98 characters

#this was the confirmation that the flash family needed to know that batman is a supernatural being

Mis publicaciones más populares este 2022:

5

Can someone make a fic where "Brucie Wayne" gets so angry, that his true personality is shown before Gotham's high society?

359 notas. Fecha de publicación: 27 de mayo de 2022

4

Crazy Idea #2

Special Report on "It Happened in Gotham", his news video blog about this dark city...

...On the night of yesterday and less than 24 hours after his escape, the Joker was arrested during an attempted hijacking of a Night Bus.

Both in the security video, as well as in the transport passengers, the facts of how the Villain together with 4 heavily armed henchmen have been described, they intercepted and boarded the bus in the suburbs, they proceeded to leave the driver unconscious, they took hostages the passengers and drove the bus towards the docks.

As for the passengers, they were terrorized at gunpoint and knife to make them remain still and silent in the middle of the transport.

And it is here where the kidnapping proceeded to break the norm, since it was discovered that at the bottom of the bus there was still a hidden passenger, said passenger was sleeping with headphones and lying on 2 of the seats, according to the police report, it was the music that came out of the headphones which betrayed the existence and location of the 20-year-old.

Noticing the sound, it was the Joker himself who proceeded to look for him and discover the sleeping passenger, and immediately proceeded to wake him up, with the obvious purpose of damaging him; but the young man did not react as everyone expected...

According to the testimonies of the other passengers, when the young man woke up and saw the murdered clown, he shouted the name "FreekShow" and punched him in the face and then applied a key that broke the criminal's right arm, dislocated his left shoulder and finally he knocked out the clown from suffocation, before the henchmen reacted the young man yelled something "Clones" and proceeded to take them down quickly and efficiently; and although a few shots were fired at the 20-something, none hit him or the other passengers.

The journey of the kidnapping attempt ended when one of the passengers took control of the bus while the others called 911 to recover their cell phones, as for the young man, as soon as he finished subduing the attackers, he took a seat in a random place and continued sleeping.

During the interrogations of the insider, it was shown that the 20-year-old, who has not yet been identified by the press, subdued all the attackers in a sleepwalking attack, so he did not remember what had happened; since according to his account, the last thing he remembers before being woken up by the paramedics, is falling asleep shortly after getting on the bus to go to his night job at a gas station. An internal source assures that the young man did not believe what he had done, to the point of having to see the transportation security recording to see that what they told him was real and not a joke.

513 notas. Fecha de publicación: 2 de noviembre de 2022

3

A group of space slavers have just lost contact with a section of the spaceship...

To be exact, the area where he has the most valuable merchandise...

...including the group of human teenagers they got on their last raid....

When they manage to open the doors of the lost zone, they notice some things... there is no power,  only the emergency lighting in the place... neither can anyone see or hear anything...

they take their weapons firmly and enter the corridor....

just a few meters from the door... it closes and locked...

the speakers start to work, playing the song...

525 notas. Fecha de publicación: 8 de septiembre de 2022

2

The dead son of Batman

Imagine a JL disaster situation, several heroes are already reported missing or presumed dead, the last one apparently is Batman..

and that annoys his children, especially the last one I adopted...

yep, Phantom enters all ballistic and King of the Dead mode at 100% (gigantic, that the mere presence of him is enough to instill terror in anyone)...

he ends up defeating the bad guy in turn and leaving a wasteland of destruction...

but surprise, surprise, Batman comes out in the middle of the rubble, He's alive!...

And Danny just goes back to normal and goes flying to hug him while he screams "Dad!"...

but surprise, everything that happened ends up recorded in the international news....

And what do you say:

how would the world react?

603 notas. Fecha de publicación: 20 de mayo de 2022

Mi publicación más popular de 2022

Crazy Idea #1...

Danny ends up transformed into a baby by Youngblood and Ember...

after defeating both of them he ends up discovering that the effect of the transformation will wear off over time, so Danny, Jazz, Sam and Tucker create an alibi for the week and end up spending it in Danny's new Lair for a much needed redesign... ........

Meanwhile, some members of the Justice League along with Constantine are trying to stop a cult from summoning the Ghost King... and while they managed to stop all the cultists, they couldn't stop the activation of the ritual so they only have to watch and prepare for what's coming....

after a series of flashes, lights, flames and ice everything returns to normal with the only difference being the small mass of starry sky that is now in the middle of the summoning circle... when reviewing it they notice that it is a Frasada and below it is a sleeping baby... a baby with white hair, bluish skin, elven ears and a small crown floating on his head....

So everyone comes to a conclusion...

the ritual went wrong, and they ended up kidnapping the baby prince of the dead...

now the JL together with Constantine have to find a way to return him to his house before the King comes to invade the planet looking for his son...

meanwhile Danny has had the best rest for months, so he keeps sleeping...

756 notas. Fecha de publicación: 27 de octubre de 2022

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[studyinspectrum]

Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders, by Larry Millett, published 1998

i decided to go back to Mr. Millett's little Minnesota Holmes universe. i'm honestly glad i did. this is the sequel to Sherlock Holmes and The Red Demon, so it'd be wise to read my review on that book if you want some context. or don't. i'm not your dad.

this book in particular focuses around the Winter Carnival, an event that has occurred yearly in St. Paul, Minnesota since 1886. the event has often featured an "Ice Palace" which was a tourist destination for the city since then. to be honest, this book has made me interested in visiting the Winter Carnival some time in the future as i've lived around the Twin Cities for the past several years. i've visited a similar event in Duluth, Minnesota that focused around Christmas lights demonstrations and that was a lot of fun despite walking around in a huge park in sub freezing temperatures.

i'll preface the content warnings for this book as thus: i know there's a lot. i got to a point where i was recording them as i was consuming the book because there are a lot. HOWEVER, i think that this book actually tends to the subject matter in a humane way, and treating them with the respect it deserves. stuff gets heavy, it gets rough, but there is genuine closure and care taken when addressing these subjects, which is something i didn't really get in the previous book. the content warnings for Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders are as follows: murder, post mortem decapitation, veiled descriptions of date rape drugs, veiled descriptions of rape, suicidal tendencies, suicide attempts, blackmail, historic use of the "N" word, crossdressing but in the way that people are weird about it but not in an overtly transphobic kind of way, police corruption, slur for Italian people, and a dog is brutalized to death

the return: the sequel 2

i finished this book in july 2022, shortly after i had finished writing my review of the Red Demon. i said that i didn't really enjoy the red demon, but writing that review spurred me on to try to start on this book. in my preface i said i did actually enjoy this book, but i might attribute it to the sequel phenomenon, in which because a sequel doesn't has to justify its premise or existence people generally receive it more favorably and the creators can jump quicker to the story without having to provide exposition on certain topics.

alike to my review of the Red Demon, i read this book over 2 years ago so the details about it are fuzzy, so i put the audiobook on 2.5x speed and let it run during my work day. this book is a niche of a niche so no one's cared to make a sparknotes version of what happened in the book and my summary isn't really sparknotes quality either, but i'm just trying to get the plot across.

2.5x speed summary

Holmes and Watson actually start their journey going to Chicago, solving a case that Watson doesn't delve into in the narrative but are called to St. Paul by James. J Hill to help solve the disappearance of Jonathan Upton, the son of one of the city's richest families, on the eve of his wedding. His wedding was to take place inside of the Ice Palace, a literal castle built out of blocks of ice for the St. Paul Winter carnival.

when they tour the carnival, they see a strikingly beautiful sculpture of a woman who appears sorrowful and find it's sculptor, an Italian man named Dante. they compliment him on his sculpture but Dante won't say what inspired it.

they encounter Millet's blorbo OC of a character, Shadwell Rafferty, an Irishman and tavern owner that also fancies himself as a criminal investigator. together the three of them look into the Ice Palace, the last place Upton was seen and they discover a cloudy block of ice where all of the other blocks that make up the Ice Palace are practically clear. upon dislodging it from its place, they discover the severed head of Jonathan Upton.

Holmes and Watson try to interview some people, and come up with a couple of suspects: Upton's father George Upton (who was ornery about his son's death and disappearance but seemed to care less after his body was found), his fiancé Laura Forbes (who sold back her wedding dress the day after he disappeared), and a previous suitor of his fiancé and chief builder of the Ice Palace Michael Riley (who worked for him and seemed to be bitter that Upton took Laura from him).

Frederick Forbes, a friend of Upton, comes to Holmes and Watson with a pasted together letter stating he's in danger and reveals that Upton received a letter several days before his own disappearance. Forbes fears for his life.

Holmes, Watson, and Rafferty break into Upton's house and find his diary where he admits to getting in with the "wrong" crowd at a club he frequented, the Muskrat Club, where he began raping virginal women that were drugged as to not remember anything, brought to him by an associate he called "Spider". Upton regretted these actions and when he tried to break away from these people and these activities, he was blackmailed ruthlessly by these people and Upton was considering suicide.

Not long later, Upton's father is discovered murdered and body stowed in a mound of snow near the Ice Palace. at the same time, Laura Forbes and Michael Riley are discovered to have married and were planning to elope to New York, but Riley was arrested for the murder of Upton. Laura reveals that she knew that Upton was raping women and didn't want to marry him and Riley wanted to reveal what he was doing but it had put him on bad terms with the Muskrat Club and whoever was organizing their assault upon women, whoever that was. what also unfolds from here is that $10,000 were embezzled from the carnival funds and the chief detective, Connor, seems to be involved in the situation, someone who has a poor rapport with Rafferty and verbally assaulted Holmes earlier.

a crossdressing racketeerer named Bouquet seems to work for the "Spider" and gets involved in the case as well, seeming to be the direct threat on Frederick Forbes' life. Rafferty's dog is killed by someone who tried to search Rafferty's home for Upton's diary and Rafferty goes berserk, it takes Holmes, the barhand, and Watson's sedatives to calm him down.

Holmes tries to lay a plan to catch Bouquet by using Forbes as live bait, but Holmes, Watson, and Rafferty get separated when Forbes gets narrowly stabbed. Holmes and Bouquet have a confrontation over the frozen river and Holmes falls through, but is saved by catching hold of a Muskrat home.

Riley breaks out of jail but it looks like an inside job, Laura is kidnapped and discovered in the Muskrat Club, but was merely drugged.

Holmes, Watson, and Rafferty go to the Ice Palace on the last night guessing that the "Spider" will try to wrap up everything here. Bouquet and the "Spider" do arrive, but the three are too late to stop the "Spider" for shooting Bouquet after pretending to give him $5000. The "Spider" taunts the detectives, stating that they could never pin him for anything that happened with the Ice Palace murders since they would only ever trust his word and the word of the head detective that's in his pocket over some foreigners and an Irishman. all the clues do not point to him and there was no proof.

the "Spider" goes to leave, his name not having been revealed during all of this but Watson says he knows who he is. a last moment to gloat, the "Spider" reveals that it was him that brutalized Rafferty's dog and in a moment of rage Rafferty shoots a shotgun shot at him, but it seems to miss and hits the ice keystone of an arch of the melting Ice Palace and it falls on the one who organized it all: Frederick Forbes.

the rest of the book is spent with Holmes unraveling why everything happened the way it did to the people involved, and Frederick Forbes seemed to have gambling debts and unsavory tastes in how to engage with women so he tried to steal money from the carnival fund since Upton had a hand in the construction, and used the blackmail he had against Upton to allow the theft, but that doesn't explain the murder.

Upton was actually murdered by Dante, the sculptor of that ice sculpture of the sorrowful woman. Dante had a daughter that after visiting St. Paul found herself pregnant, as a victim of the assault done on her at the Muskrat Club and by Upton. his daughter killed herself, unable to take the grief of discovering she had been raped and the incurring pregnancy. Dante killed Upton, used his excuse as working in the Ice Palace as his reason for being there after hours, stored his head in one of the molds for making ice bricks, then carted his body off to the city dump where the rest of the waste material from the Ice Palace construction was taken. Dante mailed his confession to Holmes and disappeared.

so two crimes intersecting at a single point, the murder and death of Upton is the cause of it all.

more about the Winter Carnival

the Winter Carnival is the oldest winter festival in the US, having been established in 1886. a notable aspect of the Winter Carnival was the construction of the Ice Palace, which by its name you can probably guess was a large building made entirely made of ice. Other ice sculptures were featured, as well as demonstrations and participation from the local Sioux people.

due to the historically low temperatures of Minnesota allowed for the creation of ice blocks that were then placed as bricks. i was actually able to find a picture of what the ice palace of 1896 looked like when Holmes and Watson visited:

the archway that is featured in the photo there i believe depicts the icebrick keystone with which Forbes met his fate. it's neat to have the actual visual that Millet probably worked off of in order to build the scene of the Winter Carnival.

there's a plethora of information about the history of the Winter Carnival on the website too if you'd like to read up on the history of the carnival or see photos of the event more recent history.

an analysis

disconnected from the actual content of the story, the narration done by Steve Hendrickson is fucking good. this guy can do a million and one accents and within the first 5 chapters he does an American accent, an English Accent, an Irish accent, a Swedish accent, and an Italian accent. what a champ.

additionally, being in downtown St. Paul quite often these days it's fun to hear the directions being given by characters and know exactly what streets they're going down and what places they're going. a lot of the buildings in St. Paul are pretty old and seem to attempt to be maintained as best as they can be, leading to a lot of old brickwork everywhere so it's very likely that the streets look very similar too.

this book deals with a lot more unsavory topics but everything is approached with a level of care that i felt was missing in the Red Demon. Holmes' characterization feels a little more consistent and the mystery itself is really well structured in my opinion. i especially love the reoccurring encounter with Dante's ice sculpture and the descriptions of the melting Ice Palace.

unlike House of Silk, where the organizer of the events walks away basically scott free, the fact that Forbes actually dies at the end of this book as a means of catharsis feels very very good. the detectives lost, to both the burden of proof and personal attachment/anger, but it was what led to the conclusion of the case in a way that was actually satisfying.

overall, i think this is a good Sherlock Holmes pastiche. i'm not even mad i had to listen to the book a second time in order to remember all the happened. i enjoyed it, even if it were on 2.5x speed (i would've done 3x just so i could get through it faster but that speed was actually unintelligible. 1.5x speed is my normal audiobook)

if i had any complaint about the book, its that Watson takes a real back seat to everything. he's more or less a camera in which he perceives Holmes and Rafferty, and has the most importance when he stabs Rafferty with a sedative and when he saves Holmes from the freezing river. beyond that, he doesn't do much, which is a crime of a lot of Holmesian media that i can't just hold Millet to.

reviews

what do other people think? i blasted myself with reviews hoping that ANYONE on goodreads had a summary i could just use to remind myself of what happened but the general feel is similar to that of the Red Demon, people appreciate this pastiche for its historical accuracy and especially that of Minnesota, but also people fucking hated it because either they find Millet's characterization bad or dropped it when the dog died.

From Goodreads user Jennifer:

Written in the style of Conan Doyle, it is easy to slip into believing that this indeed, is another epistle from Dr. Watson, as described by Conan Doyle. This book takes place in St. Paul, Holmes being summoned to help solve the mystery of the missing bridegroom. Murder takes place, threats, and intrigue abound. Some of the subject matter is disturbing (the rape of young women) but it figures prominently into the situation and while distasteful is important. All in all, I enjoyed this book and will seek out the next in the series. I did not figure out who the murderer was, but felt it made sense in the end.

from Goodreads user Stasia Higgins:

Stopped at chapter 21. […] Holmes is reduced to a mere investigator as opposed to someone who deduces facts out of trivial details. He never knows something without someone directly telling him. Rafferty was fine. Less annoying than anticipated, but I’d still rather Sherlock Holmes be the main investigator in the Sherlock Holmes story. I found the author’s introduction of a much more serious motive (gang rape) to be poorly handled. And finally, the dog dies.

from Storygraph user truegrit:

If you like well researched historical fiction and Sherlock Holmes stories, here ya go.

i disagree with the idea that the "gang rape" was poorly handled, it's a rough subject no doubt but the characters in the situation upon learning about it deal with it maturely and treat it with the horror that it deserves. it's completely unlike House of Silk where it's not used as a shocking element of the case that the entire story hinges around, it's an aspect of the case that indicates how serious and difficult it was and why it was so covered up by those involved. believe me when i say it's not dealt with poorly, i don't know what that person is talking about.

there's also a couple of reviews that mention dropping the book after Rafferty's dog was killed. the dog dies offscreen and it's given the moment of tragedy and sadness that it disturbs, yet people called it "gratuitous". before that point in the book a man's head is found decapitated in a block of ice and a body frozen in a snowbank. and yet its the dog's death that causes you to drop the book? everyone has their own limits to the type of content that they can endure but to regard the death of the dog worse than that of humans in the book feels… bad in my opinion. i have empathy problems of my own, but it displays to me a warped sense of empathy that the death of a dog, who is just as fictional as the dead characters in the book and is as much a literary mode of delivering a story, is treated as if its a real animal death. sorry if this is a digression but it felt important to bring it up.

i realized in a couple of my other reviews as i repost them, i gave a rating out of 5 on how i felt about it, but i think i'm going to do away with that, and especially since i fell off with doing it anyway and go on a system of "do i recommend this or not" and i say, yeah! i do recommend it if you like Sherlock Holmes pastiches and historical fiction. it's a neat mystery.

play adaptation???

usually a pastiche doesn't get it's own transformative adaptation into another medium, but The Ice Palace Murders gets a unique place among pastiches that it did get one.

there was a short run of the play adaptation at Park Square Theater in St. Paul in 2015 with the man that narrates the audiobook, Steve Hendrickson, in the role of Sherlock Holmes himself. Hendrickson is also a local to Minnesota which is why Millet and him have collaborated on narrating all of the Sherlock Holmes in Minnesota books.

The one who adapted the book to play form, Jeffery Hatcher, is also from Minnesota and even had to fill in the role of Hendrickson's Holmes for a few shows when Hendrickson fell ill.

it's really interesting to read about though, how there's such a vibrant love for Sherlock Holmes in the state i live in and its fun knowing im not the only one.

but i mean, also there's the largest collection of Sherlock Holmes materials at the University of Minnesota. i want to go so badly to see it but i've not had the opportunity and the last time i checked they didn't allow visitors but i might try and see if i can get in….

[a-thirst-for-dunmer]

OH BOYYYY I GOT SO MANY

Tari-Ra, or Tara: my main Dragonborn, member of the Bright-Throats who left Black Marsh after a failed marriage between her and a Naga-Kur. Finds out she is Dovahkiin, gains draconic traits, and marries Revyn Sadri. Really good at fishing and one-handed combat.

Scales-Like-Fire: Tara’s flamboyant brother who is insanely good at alchemy, illusion, and alteration. Married to Derkeethus and lives in Morthal where he kills vampires and harvests deathbell.

Eyes-Under-Water: Tara’s sister and a renowned archer in her own right. She joins the Thieves’ Guild, useful for her escape routes by hiding in the canals of Riften and utilizing her Hist-given waterbreathing. She has not yet been caught.

Licks-The-Fruit: Tara’s OTHER sister. (She and the others are out of 17 hatchlings, her parents had a big clutch.) Moody, abrasive, and overshadowed by many of her siblings, she embraces Sithis and turns to the Dark Brotherhood where she meets Veezara. Upon his death, she vows to take on the legacy of the Shadowscales and sire a new generation in his honor.

Dances-In-Streams: Wakes up near Falkreath’s border with no memory. After meeting Taliesin and awakening magical abilities of destruction and conjuration, she eventually discovers she is the reincarnated soul of Takes-in-Light, an Argonian mage who died years ago in the Ruins of Labyrinthian.

Scrapes-the-Stars: Tara’s Naga-Kur ex. An insatiably bloodthirsty warrior and an outcast from his own people, he constantly seeks power in order to prove his worth and regain his social standing. When in Skyrim, he meets the remaining members of the Volkihar clan who somehow survived the massacre at Castle Volkihar and is turned. He stages a coup with Vingalmo to take over Skyrim with vampiric power but is halted by Tara. She lets him and the rest of the vampires live as long as they leave Skyrim.

Death-Quill: The son of Licks-the-Fruit and the first Shadowscale in years after Veezara’s death. Tired of being trained as a killer, he turns to skooma and mead to cope with the atrocities committed on a daily basis and meets Romlyn Dreth. Bonding over their shared criminal history and their families’ dark pasts, they begin a journey to hunt for treasure on the Sea of Ghosts.

Water-Scales: The Hero of Kvatch, Tara’s great-great grandmother, and the namesake of Tara’s brother. Hero of the Oblivion Crisis who settled down with Gin-Wulm in the Imperial City.

Touched-by-Moons: The Nerevarine, to many Dunmer’s chagrin. Much of her true nature has been lost to time, as the Dunmer were so vexed by her being the true Nerevarine that they destroyed most records of her existence. After the destruction of the Sixth House, she settled down with an Argonian named Im-Kilaya to help free her people from slavery in various parts of Morrowind.

Stink Breath: my joke character. Only uses daggers, poison spells, and spells to induce fear or fury. Wears nothing but ragged pants and carries the largest amount of skooma and Hist sap he can hold. Allegedly can jump as high as a giant’s club impact.

love that post going around from @dawns-beauty asking about people’s “unusual” khajiit ocs, and i think we need an argonian one too (assuming there isn’t already one i just haven’t seen)! reblog this with your unique argonian ocs!

[stormhuntingstar]

Mmmmm askin bout your characters

I have so many characters now, so this is only really gonna be about one. My main D&D character, Damascus.

Damascus is my chaotic evil, teifling druid who is learning how to care for people again. He and his sister were separated from each other, and he ended up in a cursed forest, where he proceeded to live for almost a decade. However, an incident occurred with a group of mercenaries hunting him hurting someone he cared about in front of him, and he went on a bit of a rampage. As he had lived in this forest with the person for a while now, the cursed, and sentient, forest granted him magic to avenge him, thus creating a druid.

He then proceeds to tear the country that the mercenaries are from to shreds, and the new regime that takes over is surprising better than the last. However as he still does not feel better on terms of revenge, he did realize he had fun taking apart the kingdom, and starting wars. Thus begins his very long international criminal record.

That then brings us to the start of the campaign in which he is in. He reunites with his sister, and starts journeying with her and two others as they work for a king. As they continue, Damascus has to deal with the fact that these are the first people he has even been close to in a long time, and he is starting to care about them. Right after that realization, is a realization that the person he cared for would not want him to wallow in pain and fear, and he decides to try and be better for him, his sister, the party, and himself. Damascus then starts the non linear journey to chaotic neutral.

Several other things happen, the party runs a village away, they are framed for the assassination of a queen, they are conscripted into working for another kingdom, they buy a house, and Damascus stops flirting with everyone, and decides he should try friends first.

And that is about where we are in Damascus' story! I purposely left some things vague, as members for my party follow me, and some things are a secret for now! But there is Damascus, my dumb bloodthirsty Teifling druid!

[trouble-writing]

I posted 280 times in 2022

That's 275 more posts than 2021!

19 posts created (7%)

261 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@specterthief

@naometry

@nosmallpotatoes

@itsrapsodia

@skyheaven1231

I tagged 228 of my posts in 2022

Only 19% of my posts had no tags

#art - 146 posts

#fanart - 144 posts

#persona5 - 137 posts

#queuing because i can - 119 posts

#writing - 41 posts

#myfanfics - 16 posts

#akeshu - 16 posts

#fe3h - 12 posts

#shuake - 11 posts

#akeshuake - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 74 characters

#because it captures exactly the vibes goro had in my mind while reading it

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Slightly cracky 'he was the gardener all along'-idea.

Let's turn the 'Akira's parents are loaded'-headcanon up to 11. They have a huge elaborate garden. Akira comes back and slots seamlessly back into the family.

His parents ignore him as much as before, but they don't think of him as an absolute criminal, so that's nice. But they are adamant about him not going back to Tokyo, and more or less forcing him to enroll in the college in the next bigger town.

Maybe they could pull some strings despite his (overturned) criminal record. He goes there after protesting, being sure he will transfer at the first opportunity. It's not that bad. Morgana's here, his friends can video call and message, and he mostly has the house to himself.

On one of the rare occasions his parents are there, they inform him that they hired a new gardener from a local firm with good reviews, and he's supposed to keep an eye out if he does a good job, etc. And he does! The flowers look better than ever.

It's a delight to see the garden flourish, especially after he spent working so many hours at the flower shop. He starts doing his homework outside, but he hasn't seen or met the gardener yet, since he always comes around when Akira has classes.

Until one day - classes are canceled - he looks out the window and sees someone working out there. Imagine the general gardener fit, jeans, a t-shirt, if we're daring a straw hat, and Akira's just looking. And keeps looking.

He likes the glimpses of sun-bleached hair he sees and the slight tan, but he's busy, having a call with Ann scheduled, and during it, he carries the laptop over to the window and she approves of what she sees, comparing Akira to a romance heroine lusting after the gardener.

He just laughs. He doesn't laugh when he sees the gardener remove his shirt the next time. And thus begins Akira's journey of lusting after the gardener, but trying not to become a cliché by being inappropriate towards the guy. He hasn't even seen his face!

And well, it's summer soon, and he still misses Goro, and maybe Ann was right that he should distract himself, and flirt a little. And of course, there's a pool in the garden. Because of course. And maybe he should do his homework at different times on one of the beach chairs.

Wearing shorts and t-shirts, maybe even a tank top if he's particularly brave, to see if there might be a little interest. And there is! It's almost as if the gardener can't look away whenever Akira enters the garden and makes his way to his new favorite spot.

The guy keeps working and himself hidden, but it's as if Akira can feel his eyes on him. They keep staring at each other once the other looks away, and it's fun for a while. Definitely distracts him from everything else going on in his life.

At one point he gets bold enough to just approach the gardener. More or less sneaking up on him. And when he finally makes a noise to let him know Akira's approaching, he turns around.

And Akira stares into the face of one Goro Akechi, who found his calling in taking care of plants and nurturing them during their time apart.

*bows* That is all.

6 notes - Posted November 19, 2022

#4

PT.exe has stopped working an akeshuake No Powers AU, in which a Dating Sim appears on the Phansite.

Graphic for this post and the fic has been made by the wonderful @nosmallpotatoes!

Pairing: Goro Akechi/Akira Kurusu - Rating: M

Posted for ShuAke Week 2022 Day Six: Rule 63 - Crossover - Dating Sim

7 notes - Posted November 20, 2022

#3

True Romance is Dead (I shot it in the chest then in the head) 

Pairing: Goro Akechi/Akira Kurusu - Rating: M

A self-indulgent fic I'm actually rather proud of. Maybe one day I'll even write the second part.

Posted for ShuAke Week 2022 Day Two: Body Swap - Heist - Cooking

7 notes - Posted November 19, 2022

#2

Tell a little truth an akeshu one-shot written for the Monster Smash event on Twitter.

My gift for @enlacinglineswrites who wanted shuake/akeshu with a bit of truth serum.

Pairing: Goro Akechi/Akira Kurusu - Rating: E

Summary:

The truth that spilled out of him made Goro's eyes widen once more, but he gave no answer, just kept thinking, hand going up to his chin, already absorbed in whatever he was puzzling over.

“Just a hypothesis, but whatever you did to the potion very obviously made us unable to lie.”

After accidentally brewing a healing potion with another interesting property, Akira and Goro have to navigate the lingering effects of a truth potion.

14 notes - Posted November 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Claws and Feathers an akeshuake soulmate AU with shapeshifting.

Pairing: Goro Akechi/Akira Kurusu - Rating: M

Posted for ShuAke Week 2022 Day Five: Bad End - Sickfic - Shapeshifting

24 notes - Posted November 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[dailyexo]

[NEWS] EXO - 211215 Harper’s Bazaar: “The Top 15 K-Pop Albums of 2021″

"When it comes to K-pop, the album experience is a journey that holds immense cultural weight. It’s a land where B-side tracks are just as important as lead singles, and each record is tailored to provide listeners with the ultimate experience while shaping the sonic identity of the artist behind it. This year, the strongest albums of 2021 ranged from traditional pop perfection to low-key R&B and alt-rock heaven—showcasing the musical variety of the ultra-popular genre. Ahead, the top 15 K-albums and EPs that made a major impact in 2021.

1.

공감 (Empathy) by D.O.

After years of anticipation from fans, EXO’s tender-hearted vocalist, D.O., finally made his solo debut with 공감 (Empathy). Like his fellow bandmates-turned-soloists, D.O. had the freedom to choose whichever route best suited him—some fans thought it’d be smooth R&B; others figured he’d go with ballads. Fortunately for us, he tiptoed into both sides of the pool and came out with something much more sincere and true to his character. 공감 (Empathy) is the acoustic-pop-R&B dream the world needed after the nightmare that was 2020. D.O.'s always had a rich quality to his voice, but in songs like “It’s Love” and “I’m Fine,” he's able to convey romance with each syllable.

3.

Don’t Fight the Feeling by EXO

The K-pop community fell to its knees when EXO announced its latest “special album.” With some members of the group coming home from military service and others starting to enlist, the likelihood of a group comeback seemed pretty low. Thankfully, Don’t Fight the Feeling provided the hopefulness and excitement many yearned for again. The title track, named after its EP, is infectiously cheerful and an undeniable love letter to EXO’s unwavering fan base, EXO-L. The reason this record works so well is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously—you can actually feel the love and care that went into recording each track. As epic as the group’s studio albums are, it’s still a treat to see them let loose and just enjoy each other. Through fan favorites like the funky “Paradise” and the criminally underrated “Just as usual,” Don’t Fight the Feeling offers comfort for those who had forgotten how magical EXO is when they’re together.

11.

Peaches by KAI

The EXO member has proven there’s so much more to him than meets the eye since his 2020 solo debut. Exactly one year after releasing his eclectic self-titled album, KAI marked his solo return with Peaches. Staying true to the sound created in 2020’s KAI (开), Peaches expands on R&B and hip-hop landscapes with hints of pop and lo-fi elements. But songs like the eponymous title track and the indie-pop-based “Vanilla” are relatively lighthearted and earnest compared to their predecessors. As some have pointed out, Peaches is the daytime equivalent to KAI (开)’s sultry nighttime escapades. Still, that doesn’t mean KAI’s gone fully soft on us, as noted in “Domino”—a place where the singer embraces his lower register wholeheartedly. As someone who was never at the forefront of EXO’s vocal line, he’s clearly come a long way from his “MAMA” days.

15.

Bambi by Baekhyun

EXO/SuperM member Baekhyun is a constant beacon of light. In his EP Bambi, the vocalist taunts his listeners with breezy falsettos, sophisticated runs, and a rich lower register—enough to send chills down the spine. Bambi is structured around evolving emotions within a relationship. Starting hopeful, “Love Scene” is a tender wish for everlasting love, something you’d find in the movies. But ending in a state of hopelessness, the record closes the chapter with a grieving “Cry for Love”—questioning where it all went wrong. With six distinctive levels of pop, R&B, soul, and jazz, Baekhyun pours his heart out without regret."

Credit: Harper's Bazaar.

[snicketstrange]

Rereading The Chapter 14 (The End)

I believed that in ASOUE's universe, chapter 14 was apparently written some time after the rest of the book. But I abandoned that idea. Lemony wrote to the editor that chapter 14 could be found at the end of the same manuscript.

We then have the epigraph of Le Voyage. It's an excerpt that portrays the moment of death, and perhaps the acceptance of death. But I don't think this means that Lemony is completely certain of the Baudelaires' death. I think it means he's pretty sure he won't write about the Baudelaires anymore. I think the right question is "why did Lemony decide to stop writing at this point in the story?" "Why did he plan to write more and then stop writing?" I think Lemony didn't promise to write the entire story of the Baudelaires. He promised to write the story of the conflict between the Baudelaires and Olaf. So when he was sure of Olaf's death, and that was only with the additional information he had probably had access to through Beatrice Jr, Lemony realized that the research might be over. The certainty of Olaf's death was the event he determined when the narrative came to an end. So, it makes us wonder what kind of promise Lemony made. Apparently he promised that he would clarify the facts surrounding the charges the Baudelaires went through, as well as the contexts in which these events took place. That's why it was so important to get this information out to the general public. Because it involved the honor of the Baudelaire family. Furthermore, this explains why he could not rely solely on the account given by the Baudelaires themselves: after all, they were being accused of being lying criminals. Lemony needed to clear their name, proving, so to speak, that the facts reported by the Baudelaires were real, and it was not enough just to record what he read in the island book.

I think this is the most sensible explanation, and as a theorist I will defend it. But as a fan willing to come up with slightly bizarre ideas, I feel like imagining Lemony realizing that his own death was close to happening. It would be interesting to imagine that Lemony's research took so long that he was an elderly man when he was publishing The End. And the reason Lemony finished his work at this point would be his physical limitations. That would explain shocking secret #13: "he's finished." And more than that: it would even explain the title of the book: "The End of Lemony Snicket". And furthermore, this would explain Lemony's dedication to Beatrice in chapter 14. After quoting the words of Charles B., in which the poet compares the hour of death with the setting off of a ship, Lemony claims that both he and Beatrice are like boats sailing at night, but especially her. Both were on a dark and lonely journey, but she was already dead. "

Beatrice's last words recorded in the book were really emotional to me when I first read them, and they still are today. Especially after I watched the Netflix series, it's now possible to imagine a very specific face when I picture Beatrice. And it's possible to think of a specific soundtrack when I read this.

About the baby's name, on my Headcanon Violet is the name of Mrs. W, who was presumed dead around the same time as Lemony. And in my Headcanon, just as Lemony didn't really die, she didn't either. I still like to think that she was the mystery woman on TGG, and that's the real reason Quigley used the name Violet in the message he sent to submarine Q.

I think this is the first time I stop to think that the Baudelaires ate crab. This is unclean food for those who practice Judaism as a religion, isn't it? I even thought the roast lamb was a reference to the Passover celebration, but they wouldn't do that by eating crab. Or is it that in a book in which Daniel Handler implicitly criticizes religion, he did so on purpose? I think it's unlikely, but still possible. But, albeit unintentionally, the Baudelaires rejected the religious customs of their ancestors in a book in which religious customs are questioned and this is significant.

"The baby had heard about danger, too, mostly from the register of crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind from which the Baudelaires read out loud each evening, although they had not told the infant the whole story. She did not know all of the Baudelaires' secrets, and indeed there were some she would never know."

The above excerpt is important as it reveals that Lemony has information about Beatrice Jr's future as he was writing this chapter. This explains how Lemony knows what happened in this chapter: Beatrice Jr told him. Lemony did meet her, and he realized that the Baudelaires hadn't told her the whole story.

A detail that has always pleased me in this book is to notice that after 1 year, Sunny stopped babbling words and has a more conventional and extensive vocabulary. I find this compatible with the fact that 1 year has passed and it's also compatible with her character development arc. One of asoue's themes is "how some children are forced to mature too quickly because of tragedy". Sunny, for example, needed to learn how to cook and convince herself that she loved doing it and that she was good at it in a few days. And all this before she learned to speak English properly. She needed to help with a birth long before she fully understood issues related to human procreation. But in chapter 14, she finally had the opportunity to develop without tragedies forcing her to skip important steps in life.

"Do we take this?" Violet asked, holding up the book from which she had read out loud.

"I don't think so," Klaus said. "Perhaps another castaway will arrive, and continue the history."

"In any case," Sunny said, "they'll have something to read."

Please realize how important this dialogue is. Daniel Handler placed this dialogue here to make sure the reader understood the source of information Lemony had access to: the island book. The children wrote about their own story in that book, including their thoughts, feelings, and private conversations. The children shared some details about ancient events, about when Sunny wasn't even born. In the book, Lemony found details about some events that took place on the island before the arrival of the three Baudelaires.

"I want to make sure these life jackets I've designed will fit properly."

Well... It's good to know that, even though the boat sank, the Baudelaires had lifeboats. Their chances of survival really increased a lot. And knowing that Beatrice Jr managed to survive a shipwreck, it's quite possible that they did too.

The Baudelaires watched her approach, wondering what the next chapter in this infant's life would be, and indeed that is difficult to say. There are some who say that the Baudelaires rejoined V.F.D. and are engaged in brave errands to this day, perhaps under different names to avoid being captured. There are others who say that they perished at sea, although rumors of one's death crop up are often revealed to be untrue. But in any case, as my investigation is over, we have indeed reached the last chapter of the Baudelaires' story, even if the Baudelaires had not.

Lemony just reports here what he heard. Although Daniel Handler intentionally wishes the ending to be left open, and I will respect his decision, I will speak my opinion. They didn't die at sea, though. Note that Lemony directly relates the baby's future to the future of the three Baudelaires. The way Lemony wrote here suggests that the baby's future is as uncertain as the future of her adoptive parents. But we TBL readers know the truth about Beatrice Jr.'s future. Beatrice is alive! So the most likely situation is that her parents are also alive. ( And who knows other characters that we thought had died there on TBB... could it be that at least one of them could also have survived?)

But the question is: if Lemony knows the baby survived, why did he hide this information from the reader? Certainly to protect his niece. Lemony didn't lie, just omitted some details.

The baby paused, and looked at the back of the boat, where the nameplate had been affixed. She had no way of knowing this, of course, but the nameplate had been nailed to the back of the boat by a person standing on the very spot she was standing—at least as far as my research has shown.

Lemony once again dismantled specific knowledge through research, which could only have been done through information provided by others. Beatrice Jr needed to tell Lemony exactly where she was at that moment and Lemony needed to compare that with the information Beatrice Sr and Bertrand wrote in the island book. And then, on visiting the site, Lemony was able to ascertain the most likely position for those descriptions. While Lemony is a bit mistaken, the research process must have been like that.

Finally, she uttered a word. The Baudelaire orphans gasped when they heard it, but they could not say for sure whether she was reading the word out loud or merely stating her own name, and indeed they never learned this. Perhaps this last word was the baby's first secret, joining the secrets the Baudelaires were keeping from the baby, and all the other secrets immersed in the world. Perhaps it is better not to know what was meant by this word, as some things are better left in the great unknown. There are some words, of course, that are better left unsaid—but not, I believe, the word uttered by my niece, a word which here means that the story is over. Beatrice.

Oh... How I love this ending. That's when I felt my head explode for the first time in my life, and I'm still picking up the pieces.

[turtlethon]

“Donatello’s Badd Time”

Season 5, Episode 7 First US Airdate: September 21, 1991

Donatello loses the Turtle van to a boorish family of robbers.

Our look back at season five of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continues with “Donatello’s Badd Time”. Misty Taggart is credited as writer again here, following on from her work on the season debut “The Turtles and the Hare”.

While the other Turtles power through their reserves of soon-to-expire pizzas, Donatello is cooped up in the Lair’s garage, where he’s been working tirelessly on improvements to the Turtle Van. We see him make some final tweaks in front of Splinter, lifting up what I always assumed was supposed to be a spare wheel on the front to gain direct access to the vehicle’s engine. Real-world Volkswagen camper vans have the engine in the back, so this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense; clearly a lot of changes were made to this one after the Turtles acquired it from Baxter. Donnie goes on to demonstrate the improvements to his sensei, as a pair of panels pop out of the roof and cover the sides, disguising the team’s signature vehicle – not particularly convincingly, it must be said - as an ice cream van.

NOTE: After writing today’s entry it was pointed out to me that the Turtle Van has rear doors, indicating that the engine block couldn’t be placed there. I was likely thinking of its toy counterpart (which has an engine decal on the back and no rear access), or the Archie Comics depiction of the van which is more heavily modelled after a VW camper but retains the back doors anyway...

Splinter’s regular voice actor Peter Renaday wasn’t available for this episode’s recording, and so instead Townsend Coleman steps in, clearly trying extremely hard to mimic the character’s usual mannerisms. Splinter is keen to inform the other Turtles about the latest developments, and when Donatello asks him to hold off, he tells his student that while he’ll comply with his wishes, “pride in one’s work is an excellent quality, but it must not be carried to excess”.

In the editing bay at Channel 6, April is accompanied by Irma as she re-watches one of her recent reports on a petty crime spree currently hitting New York. Locales including a shoe store, a beauty spot and a flower shop have all been targeted by an unnamed gang. Burne barges in ordering April to track down the victims and conduct interviews.

The ice cream van disguise didn’t feel like one of Donatello’s greatest innovations. As the show continues, we see him driving around and ready to test out his next development. He has the van approach a narrow alley, and as it draws closer the “skinny van mechanism” kicks in, narrowing its footprint dramatically and allowing it to continue on its journey. Even if I were to accept that this was possible, there are probably about a hundred reasons why you absolutely would not want to do it. After leaving the alley and winding up back up on the open road, a jubilant Donnie declares this to be a win for science. A battered pick-up truck nearly collides with the van: it’s driven by today’s lead villain, Bedelia Badd, who’s accompanied by her sons Bubba and Buford.

Irma seems to be settling into the role of April’s on-location sidekick, working the camera as Channel 6’s star reporter quizzes the patrons of the beauty salon. They recount how the business was robbed by “a trio of hillbillies – a woman and her two sons”. April assumes a woman’s hair is standing on-end due to her fright from the incident, but is told this is actually the latest trend. A second lady recounts how the crooks forced the customers to pose with them for a photo during the raid.

In the Lair, Leonardo recalls seeing the criminals from the photograph before. He shows Mikey and Raph an article about the notorious Badd family in “Crimestopper’s Weekly”. Reading the piece, he explains that the trio always take photos of their victims for the family album, and I still don’t understand why one was left with the customer from the salon. I assume it’s supposed to be an instant photo, but even then, why would the Badds give it to the victims?

The Badd Family shake down a video store before escaping again in their faltering truck. They encounter Donatello once more, who emerges from his van and offers to take a look at its smoking engine. While Donnie examines it, Bedelia shoves him inside, closing the truck’s hood. The Badds take the Turtle Van for themselves and drive away as the first act ends.

Donatello employs some Turtle Power™ to burst out of the truck, sending the hood flying. He heads off in the pick-up, looking to get his vehicle back. Meanwhile the Badd family begin meddling with the Turtle Van’s controls, inadvertently enabling a turbo mode that draws the attention of a police officer on a motorcycle. A second button turns out to be a smoke emitter mounted on the back of the roof that allows the crooks to lose the cop, and a third ejects a parachute from the back that brings the van to a halt. Enamoured with their new acquisition, the Badds begin plotting to use it to carry out some high-profile crimes.

Taking the beat-up truck back to the Lair’s garage, Donatello begins working on it in secret. The other Turtles press him for the use of the van so they can deal with the Badd family, but he’s too embarrassed to admit to having lost it, insisting that it’s still being serviced. Meanwhile April and Irma report from Kepple Research Laboratories, where Dr. Kepple reveals his new invention, a “power sizer” running off a giant diamond that can generate more energy than the sun. (Shredder and Krang must be on vacation or something, because how could they not be all over something like this?) The Badds pick up the slack as they see April’s report on the van’s TV, plotting to take the diamond for themselves. Back in the Lair, Donatello has completed repairs on the truck, and heads off in search of revenge.

The criminal trio arrive at the Lab before Channel 6’s duo has even left. Buford picks up April in one hand, who is furious, and Irma in the other, who immediately begins swooning at the hefty crook’s strength. Both are dropped like sacks of potatoes once the device has been stolen, and watch as the trio leave in the Turtle Van. Dr. Kepple tells April and Irma that if the Power Sizer is switched on without being calibrated, it’ll drain all energy in the city.

Leonardo, Raphael and Michaelangelo are forced to patrol the city on-foot, and discuss among themselves Donatello’s odd behaviour. The second act ends with the Turtle Van hurtling towards our heroes at top speed, with the trio assuming Donnie must be behind the wheel.

Act three opens with the three Turtles diving out of the van’s path, briefly winding up bouncing around an outdoor restaurant where they avoid knocking over a waiter’s pyramid of glasses (who then goes on to trip anyway). The team check in with April via Turtlecom, who suggests that the Badds stealing the Power Sizer might be a more pressing issue than Donatello’s odd behaviour, though the use of the Turtle Van in the robbery suggests the two events may be connected.

Donatello continues to drive around the city in the pick-up truck, using a handheld tracker to pursue the Turtle Van. (Spotting the vehicle’s erratic movements, he opines that he wishes they would be more careful as it’s not insured.) Leonardo reaches Donnie via Turtlecom, and when pressed, the team’s genius insists he’s in the Turtle Van right now. Now convinced Donatello is involved in the Power Sizer’s theft, Leo insists he should return it right away.

Bubba is seen whacking the Power Sizer against a control panel in the back of the van as he tries to free the diamond, accidentally activating the invention in the process. In one of the most surreal fourth wall breaks yet seen in TMNT, Dr. Kepple appears in a cloud of smoke, addressing the viewers and pointing out again what will happen if the device is misused. He adds that he “hates flashbacks as much as you do, but someone has to explain what’s going on!”

The Badds watch the city’s lights go out. It dawns on the trio that this means the power to any alarms will have been lost, allowing them to raid as many locations as they want. Back at the lab, Dr. Kepple points out to April and Irma that the Power Sizer has been activated and is now approaching overload. If it’s not stopped, it’ll generate a power wave that will destroy New York entirely.

Leo, Mikey and Raph spot Donatello pursuing the Badds in their pick-up truck, and use a sewer short cut to catch up with them. Donnie utilises a vacuum now fitted in the front of the truck’s grill to counter a smokescreen attack from the Turtle Van before the other Turtles emerge from a rooftop to land on the van’s roof. Bedelia activates the roof-mounted spring (as seen in the show’s original title sequence) to send the Turtles back into the sky, and they land in the back of Donatello’s truck.

April and Irma join the chase, filming events from their news van as the Badds use possibly the corniest addition to the Turtle Van yet – a big cartoon hand on a robotic arm that slings globs of mud out the side of the vehicle. Donnie uses a shield that he had fitted to the truck earlier to repel the attacks, before unleashing a barrage of ice cubes that force the Turtle Van off the road. In a last ditch-attempt to fight back, the Badds press a button on the van’s control panel that ejects all three criminals into a nearby dumpster. The Power Sizer is also sent flying, with Donatello leaping in to make the save. He delicately cuts a wire that disables the machine, saving the city from impending doom.

The team return to the Lair, where Donatello tells Splinter that he’s learned an important lesson about the dangers of trying to save face. April reports on TV about the return of the Power Sizer and the arrest of the Badd family before the lights go out; the team are initially concerned that Dr. Kepple’s invention might have been stolen again, but it turns out that Mikey caused a blown fuse while preparing a stack of pizzas.

Susan Stewart-Taggart, billed as Misty Taggart on TMNT’s title cards, has had a variable run on the show so far, but I think a lot of her poorer offerings can be chalked up at least in part to having the misfortune of being handled on the visual end by MW Dublin; “Leonardo Versus Tempestra” was an example of an episode she penned that paired a strong story with above-average animation. This one never quite hits those highs but is still a commendable effort, a fresh concept for a story that, happily, is handled by an animation team that by this point have a handle on things. The Badds aren’t the strongest villains, with only the matriarch Bedelia feeling fully developed, but having complained through much of season four about how tiresome all the mad scientists were getting, I appreciate them bringing something different to the table. I would be happy to see them get another go-around in a future episode, but this will turn out to be their only appearance.

Donatello spends much of this episode fixing up and driving around in the pick-up truck that had belonged to the Badds, and it took me a while to land on why that feels so familiar: whether by coincidence or by design, it’s reminiscent of the scenes from the 1990 live-action movie where he worked with Casey Jones to repair a strikingly similar-looking truck after the team had fled New York. Donnie’s generally used well here, his pride and embarrassment creating a web of lies in ways that feel authentic to his character.

More than perhaps any episode prior (except for maybe its debut back in season one), this adventure is something of a showcase for the Turtle Van, drawing upon its established gimmicks while also adding new ones. None of them besides perhaps the smokescreen ability are convincing: seeing the Turtle Van fold in upon itself like an accordion actually makes me lament the fact that TMNT has long since drifted away from its origins in the 1980s action cartoon space into a realm of outright silliness. Eventually this is going to damage the perception of the show to the point that it’ll require a major course correction to continue, but from our current standpoint in season five, that remains some way off. For now, let’s just enjoy the ride.

NEXT TIME: It’s a superhero sequel as Michelangelo Meets Bugman Again!

[cogentranting]

Sharon acted as sort of the voice of Sam’s disillusionment in this episode. Or maybe as one end of the spectrum of disillusionment and belief that Sam is struggling on. She’s the voice in Sam’s ear saying “it’s all a lie, it’s all fake, don’t believe in any of it, just look out for yourself. The hero thing is garbage.” (and for the record, I totally get why that’s where she’s at right now. I don’t blame her but it’s also clear that she’s very bitter at the moment). 

Sam’s certainly not as far down that spectrum as Sharon is, but she manages to pull him that way, if not by what she says than by her situation, the way she got screwed over. And he has plenty of reason for that same disillusionment and bitterness. A lot of Sam’s role in this episode was also as an observer. Not that he was a passive character, but his character arc for the episode mainly had him watching-- seeing the inner workings of Zemo, seeing Sharon’s new mercenary lifestyle, seeing the criminal underworld, seeing Bucky’s role in all that, seeing people do things that are shady at best terrible at worst because they feel those things are necessary. It’s not that Sam is naïve but he’s never been IN that world before and with the way his perspective is shifting because of the way he’s being shoved aside and rejected in his life, hearing Isaiah’s story,  and seeing how someone like Sharon who was heroic gets abandoned to this life (or even how Bucky was-- this episode paints a pretty clear trajectory of the Howling Commando, Cap’s right hand being turned into a “pet psychopath” being traded around the criminal underworld) -- after all that Sam’s perspective has shifted and seeing this world is affecting him more than it might have at another point in his life. That’s why by the end of the episode we see a major change in Sam’s position. He suggests that instead of putting the Shield in the museum he should have destroyed it. And if we’re just talking about the Shield as an object that’s not a terrible idea (logistical issues aside)-- it’s just a piece of metal, and by destroying it he would have prevented, or at least made it more difficult, someone like Walker from coming in and using it as a status symbol. But the Shield in this show is never just an object. By placing the Shield in the museum, Sam took a position that Steve’s legacy, the things he stood for and fought for, were to be admired and looked to as an example, but that no one could/should take on that mantle to continue that. I don’t really have the space here to parse out all the ideological implications of that, or the myriad of reasons why Sam took the stance, but plenty of other people have and that’s not really my point. My point is that destroying the Shield is an entirely different stance. Destroying the Shield, indicates a loss of faith in the very things that the Shield stands for. It’s a statement that the legacy the Shield represents, the things Steve represented, stood for and fought for, are either ultimately hollow and worthless (as Sharon currently believes) or are something that is actively dangerous to believe in or preserve (as Zemo believes).  Sam doesn’t fully believe either of these things. I think he made the comment about destroying the Shield as reaction to everything going on around him, sort of lashing out. In that moment, given the opportunity, I don’t think he would have gone through with it. But he’s on the edge of that point. 

However, where we have Sharon and Zemo on one side of that Spectrum, in Sam’s ear, in this episode Bucky was on the other side of that spectrum. Bucky is the one still defending the need for someone to take up the Shield. And both Zemo and Sharon used him as an example of the idealism that they are so against-- Sharon when she says to Bucky “Please, you buy into all that stars and stripes crap. ... You were Mr. America! Cap’s best friend!” and Zemo when they’re on the plane and he talks about Bucky’s role in WWII. This is interesting because Bucky is being positioned as the balance against Zemo and Sharon’s cynicism, but Bucky isn’t normally what you’d think of as an optimistic character. 

But Bucky is in that position in this debate. He even goes so far as to say that before Sam destroys it, he would take up the Shield himself. That’s an interesting position for Bucky to take because he hasn’t expressed any interest or even any thought of something like that before. He’s certainly not placing himself in front of Sam in his estimation of who deserves the Shield (just in front of Walker), and I think his ideal is still for Sam to take the Shield. I’m might even go so far to say that Bucky views taking on the Shield himself as a last resort-- he doesn’t want it but he believes so strongly in the need for someone to uphold that legacy that he would do it himself if it meant keeping it going and keeping it out of the hands of someone like Walker. Bucky isn’t good at expressing what that Shield means to him but it means a lot. 

I think that the reason why Bucky believes in the Shield and its importance more than anyone else is going to be central to why Sam eventually takes on the Shield, if Bucky can ever manage to actually express that reason. I know there will be arguments that the reason Bucky believes in it is because he doesn’t understand all the reasons that Sam (and somewhat Sharon) has to not believe in. He’s not a black man. He doesn’t experience that racism. And that’s true in part. He knows that the racism is there, but he has a lot he needs to learn about what that actually means for Sam. But I don’t think it’s some starry-eyed, rose-colored view of America that Bucky has faith in. Bucky’s own story is not free from the influence of the worst side of America. You could make an argument about the way that he’s treated as a veteran, or the way he was hunted in Civil War, or the way he’s controlled now. But at the most basic level, Bucky worked for Hydra for decades and saw the worst side of political machinations. And yes, Hydra is a separate thing because it is a fictional blatantly evil organization. But if we’re looking at the symbolic side of the Shield we have to look at the symbolic side of Hydra as well. The point of Winter Soldier was not “oh there are spies sneaking into the government to get us”, it was that the actual members were corrupt, that there was rot in the institutions. So when looking at the actual meaning behind Hydra, Bucky was both a victim of and an instrument of the very worst parts of the American government and institutions. So no, Bucky does not share or fully understand Sam’s experiences or the obstacles he faces. But it’s also not true that Bucky’s faith in the Shield is the result of naivety or ignorance. 

The story of this show is going to focus on the ways that Sam and Bucky help each other grow. I think that the way that Bucky is going to help Sam is through his perspective on what the Shield means. In the First Avenger Bucky says that he’s not following Captain America, he’s following “The little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight”. And that ties into what the Shield actually means. It represents the ideals that Steve embodied. And I think where they’re headed is to a realignment of the view of the Shield. The mantle isn’t about Captain America representing the best of what America is. It’s not even about representing the best of what America could be. It’s not about representing or reflecting America at all. The Captain America mantle is an example for America (and anyone else)-- something for America to look at and reflect, not the other way around. By taking on the mantle, who ever Captain America is can embody these virtues (that Steve had, that Sam has) in a way that people can rally behind, and he can be someone who protects, and reflects, and gives hope to the individuals that are in America. 

I’m not expressing it very well. But I think Bucky, by virtue of being there from the beginning, has some grasp of the distinction between the Shield as a symbol of nationalism or even patriotism, and the Shield as a a representation of something greater. Or even the distinction between the Shield as representation of America in its government and institutions, and the Shield as representation America as the individuals within it. We’re going to get to the core of what the legacy that Steve left actually is and  the question of how does Sam take that on, and make it true to his own experience and make it worthwhile to become that. And I think Bucky has the faith in that legacy (and the faith in Sam) that is needed to begin that journey. 

[imonthinice]

The Criminal Psychology Majors, Jason Todd x Fem!Reader Part 14/?

Word Count: 2.2k

Author’s Note: Y/N - Your Name

Somehow! I decided that Y/N became more of an OC, I don't know how this happened, but I might release an AU just because I clearly can’t fanfiction Y/N lmao.

Warnings: Discussion of arrests, Mentions of alcoholism, Mentions of drug use, Mentions of Jason’s trauma, Mentions of relationships ending bad, Mentions of abuse (domestic), No beta bitch we die like Jason Todd

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20)

“Your friends... all got arrested?” he paused, “Do you remember this? At all?” he questioned.

“Do you expect me to remember any of this? I was black-out drunk, Jason,” she said, “There’s a lot of questions that need to be answered now, I know that.”

“You going to worry about this now and fix it?”

“I really don’t want to deal with it. My memory of the night is non-existent anyway.”

“Getting drunk does that to you.”

“You’d think I would know that by now,” she muttered under her breath.

He chose to ignore that statement because clearly, she wasn’t prepared for everyone to know of that part of her past yet. But that was neither here nor there.

“Do you have any notes that you need to write?” he asked, trying to ease the tension. Hoping it would clearly make her feel better if he changed the subject.

“No, I can read my own notes. I only printed them out for you, Jay.”

“Well that’s very sweet of you to do, baby.”

“Got to make up for my recklessness somehow, I guess,” she laughed, “It is what it is, I guess.”

“You should be more confident in the fact that you don’t need to make up for recklessness,” he paused, “Did I ever tell you about that time I dared Dick to tuck and roll out of the car?”

“Dick mentioned it.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t tell you that he made me do the same first, actually,” he laughed, “We were with dad, he was teaching me how to drive as one does, and when we stopped so dad could answer a phone call, Dick leant over to me and said, ‘During my demo, twenty bucks if you tuck and roll out of the car.’ and me, being a stupid teenager took the deal,” he laughed, “Dad was pissed at us two and refused to take Dick on my driving lessons after that.”

“Well that doesn’t explain why you made Dick tuck and roll out of the car,” she laughed.

“I’m getting to it! So the next time Dick was going to go for a drive with Dad, probably because he wanted to tell Dad about Barbara or something, I don’t know, I said, ‘To get your twenty bucks back, you tuck and roll out of the car this time.’ Dick, also being a stupid teenager, did it,” he laughed, “And that’s why dad never takes us on car rides now.”

“Have any of your other siblings tucked and rolled out of cars?”

“You say that like it’s a daily activity people just do.”

“Well, who’s to say your family is not one of those types of people?” she joked.

“Logic?”

“Logic? In the Wayne Manor? That’s rich.” she joked.

“Like you would know!” he retorted to her before grabbing her and yanking her onto his chest as he laid down on his bed.

“You’re dating a girl who flipped off the press twice, you cannot look at me and say your family possesses logical thinking.”

“That’s valid, I won’t dismiss that,” he laughed.

They let the news play in the background as they cuddled. Jason still had his stitches in and he said it was because Dick said, “You’ve been moving too much’ and the two of them laughed, knowing that that was likely going to be the outcome. They knew what they did, they knew it was worth it. Dick probably didn’t think it was worth it, if he even caught on,

Bruce had reamed Jason out for that, because Bruce did catch on. Bruce had to play the parenting role in this all, and he knew what Jason was like. He knew Jason likely wasn’t prepared for the escapade and journey they had took. 

He was right. Jason wasn’t prepared for that, he didn’t have the necessary items for it. Y/N and Jason didn’t care about that at the time, so they didn’t even bother to realize. Kids will be kids, Bruce supposed, and he hoped for the best possible outcome out of this. He knew Jason wasn’t ready, he didn’t know if Y/N was ready, but he knew if what he was scared would happen actually happened, he’d support the two of them unconditionally.

But they would continue to do their own thing as time went on, and even at 3 in the morning, no one could stop them from doing what they wanted, what they needed.

That was the beauty of the chase they had done to get to this point, the drama, the love, the pain, it all got them to the point where they were side-by-side in his bed, naked. Obviously they were going to have sex eventually, they just didn’t expect it this early on, but they also seemed to be speed running the entire relationship to the good parts, where they knew each other like the back of their hands, just enjoying the quality time they got with each other.

Yes, it was soon. But it worked for them, and that’s what mattered to all of them. Not just Jason and Y/N, it mattered to his family that even if they were quickening their pace, they were happy and understanding of sometimes it just goes a little faster than one would expect. It doesn’t mean it’s bad or doomed to fail, it just means it’s clicking in a lot of ways others didn’t.

Jason had a dating rep he didn’t like to admit. He was known for being a womanizer, a playboy, someone that dads everywhere didn’t want their daughters to be with. He was given this through the fact that he did have women come in and out of his life. He didn’t want it to be this way, but that’s how it ended up being when some women, most women, would crack under the pressure of his life. He moved fast because he thought it made up for the craziness that was his life. 

So, when he found out that Y/N didn’t like the press very much, he was ecstatic. He knew she didn’t know about what was being said about him everywhere, he knew she didn’t feel scared either, when she proved time and time again that she had a backbone to stand up against the press. Was she one-of-a-kind for this trait? No. Barbara also exhibited this with Dick and their relationship. But Jason had been so shit on by women he tried to date that Y/N was a nice change.

He didn’t want the press to be her new norm, that running from them would become her life, but he also didn’t know if that bothered her for a while, until he saw the articles. The ones calling her names and insulting her every feature, physical and character traits she had shown them. He knew that of course, with the games she had been playing, that they would insult her, and with the court case going on with her attacker, they were just more vicious.

That’s why he demanded she get into Dick’s car the morning after he found out about her drinking, not because he didn’t trust her or anything, but he knew with the ongoing case that she’d be bombarded worse than before. She realized this was his reasoning eventually, probably when she was in his arms.

Her dating streak had been better, but it still wasn't the best. She had a lot of secrets she felt like she needed to hide because of how they made her feel, but eventually she would come out with her stories, the assaults, the bad men, the way they used and used her and how she let it slide.

Being assaulted was something a lot of the population had to deal with and cope with, most likely never actually telling people of their assaults and just letting it simmer, deep, deep down in their brains. Wishing it would have just not happened. 

She wanted to talk about it, but she had also healed so much from it with the help of Jason. Sure, he didn’t fix all the issues she had with exes, but the fact that he didn’t treat her the way the others did, sure as hell helped. 

Writing and dance also helped her cope with a lot of the bad things that had happened to her. She figured if Jason went through bad things, he had an outlet too, because he did seem torn up, but not massively affected. Maybe he was good at hiding how he felt about it all, but maybe he had a way to deal with the trauma.

She knew his parents’ stories and how he was so young during so much of it, and he hoped, prayed even, that he had coped well with those events. But she had no control over most if not all of the events that transpired and how he handled dealing with them.

Both of their minds had a thing for wandering away from them at the worst yet best moments. When she got a call.

“Hello?” she questioned into the phone, when an automated voice returned.

“This is a prepaid call from Gotham County Jail. From inmate ‘Justine Wong’, to accept this call, please dial 1.”

She did.

“Thank you for your cooperation. All inmate calls are recorded. Your account balance is $40.50.”

“Y/N?” Justine asked.

“Hey, I’m here.”

“So, we have an issue,” she joked, “How much do you remember?”

“Nothing. I don’t remember anything.”

“I figured, fuck.”

“It seems issues follow me wherever I go, huh.”

“No, no. It’s our fault, myself, Kaitlin, Thomas, Christopher, we all dragged you out of the house and got you drinking. I barely even remember how it got to where it ended.”

“Well that... that isn’t ideal, Justine. Do you know when your court date is?” Y/N asked.

“I don’t even know if the guy is pressing charges, I hope he doesn’t.”

“You can say that again,” she joked.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess, I took you to the bar that night.”

“You did, yeah.”

“I should have known better.”

“It’s... it’s not that you should have known better, man. It’s... it’s that a bunch of unfortunate circumstances lead us to this point,” she tried to say to comfort her friend. She did feel like it was Justine’s fault in a way, but she didn’t know if fighting with her over the phone while she was held in jail for bodily harm charges was the best idea.

“I feel like you’re mad at me,” Justine admitted.

“It’s not important, really. We can talk about it in anywhere from a couple months to a year, hoping you get lucky.”

“I think we all want to get lucky, Y/N.”

“I know.”

“I think we’re running out of time here, with the call.”

“We are.”

“Well, I love you, man. I’m sorry about all of this.”

“I love you too.”

Click. She paused for a second, with Jason sleeping next to her, she questioned a lot. Whether these friends were even worth it at the end of the day. She had changed so much since she last saw them, trying to cut clean of alcohol, drugs, partying. And trying to better herself,

But she knew all 3 of them were trying to do so too. They really had just ended up in a bad situation. It was 4:34am, and she was just lost in thought when Jason turned into her in his sleep. She smiled.

She played with his hair a bit while he slept, trying to just calm herself. He seemed sweaty, and clutched his bed sheets with one of his hands, She thought maybe he needed comfort right now, not her. She didn’t ever notice this behavior before these moments, and it concerned her. 

He was a grown man having nightmares, she assumed, but she didn’t like it. He deserved to sleep peacefully throughout the night when he woke up in a cold sweat, clutching his sheets and having his hair stroked.

He didn’t question it and just laid on top of Y/N, and let her stroke his hair as he tried to go back to sleep. They didn’t say anything, either of them. It was just really early on a Thursday morning, and they were making the best of the situations they had been thrown in.

There wasn’t any tension between the two of them, but they knew they were a ticking time bomb, that eventually they would fight and the supposed  ‘Honeymoon Phase’ would be over. They didn’t like that thought, that one day they might be at each other’s throats, forgetting that a problem in the relationship is them two versus the issue and not them vs. each other. Fighting with their s.o scared them. 

Jason would fall asleep in her arms, slowly drifting away into unconsciousness. But he would exhibit the same behaviors as before. The fear in his face was palpable.

But Y/N was asleep this time, so when Jason woke, trying to scream, he slapped his hand over his mouth and cried, he didn’t want to wake her, but he also craved just telling her what had happened and how sleeping was so, so much harder for him than she thought. 

People thought the nightmares had slowed, but he just got good at hiding them.

[jelliclekay]

top 5 moments in cats

this is mostly going to be using Cats 98 as a reference since I've seen that the most but I'll try to include other productions as well!

1. Rum Tum Tugger Truly my favorite part in the entire musical and the part I watch at least 2-3 times a day. There's just so much to love. First, the song is my favorite song in the entire show. The fact that the choreography and the way Partridge in particular sings it makes it so suggestive but the lyrics are just about a dumb cat who gets stuck in drawers. Him kicking the ball of yarn over at Misto who misses entirely. The Tuggerlurina moment that is so *chef kiss* How he starts messing with the older cats like kissing Jenny and Jelly on the cheeks while they are doing stitch work, how he tries to get Demeter's attention but she isn't fazed and hisses him away. The older cats in general being judgemental in the back of the problem child that is Tugger (also Skimble trying to stop Teazer at first from joining in on the fun). And then the kittens actually fangirling over him, Etcetera in particular just screaming and passing out. It's all so good and the moment I always look forward to the most when I rewatch 98.

2. Macavity the Mystery Cat I love this moment. Not only is the song fun as hell and Bombalurina and Demeter are hot, but Bomba and Demeter's past with Macavity is such a fascinating aspect to their characters and the story of Cats in general. Demeter being the more cautious one when it comes to Macavity, singing about his criminal past and how dangerous he is. Bombalurina knowing Macavity is dangerous but still being in her fangirl stage and singing about his looks. Demeter's past relationship with Macavity being reveled through dance rather than outright stated. Their voices sound so powerful together (when I saw it in January I saw Elana Valastro and Chelsea Nicole Mitchell as Demeter and Bomba and they KILLED IT). And then the other queens join in towards the end of the song, uGH it's all so good.

3. The Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles I always say this is one of my favorite moments no matter the production because of how ridiculous it is. But also, it really shows off what Cats is about- about cats. Because of course cats would tell a story about the time a bunch of dogs barked, then a cat walked up and the dogs stopped barking and the cats take credit for "saving the day." Just... the concept of the cats dressing up in trash to take the piss out of dogs and pretend bark is so precious and silly. I love Teazer and Jerrie during this song, especially in the 98 film where they mess up and also Teazer messes with Munk the entire time. I also love in the revival productions where Gus sings this number. (ALSO BAGPIPES)

4. The Journey to the Heaviside Layer While I go back and forth over whether Grizabella was the cat that deserved to be reborn, I will say that the moment she is accepted back into the tribe and chosen has never not made me emotional. There's something about the build up of seeing Griz being rejected by everyone (except for the younger cats who try to touch her but are stopped) finally being touched and welcomed back that gets me. Like I KNOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN but it get me every single time. Griz looks so happy to be accepted and then the genuine look of surprise when she realizes she is the Jellicle Choice. All the cats belting "the mystical divinity of unashamed felinity" as the Everlasting Cat takes Griz away... it's so powerful and I love it a lot.

5. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer I was torn between this or Mr. Mistoffelees but I chose them in the end because this number is so fun and silly and I WISH WE HAD THE FULL VERION OF IT FOR THE 98 FILM WHEN WE KNOW THEY RECORDED THE ENTIRE SONG. Anyways, the chemistry between Jo Gibb and Drew Varley is unmatched. But Max Craven and Kelly Donah also were iconic to see live, especially the double cartwheel. Absolutely slayed.

(This came out a lot longer than I anticipated but all well)