#BUTCHER'S CROSSING review

[kacic1]

A todos, boa noite!

Hoje convido vocês a visitarem Os Filmes do Kacic, para conferir minha nova crítica sobre este brutal western que conta com mais uma excelente interpretação do monstro Nicolas Cage. Texto imperdível e sem spoilers.

Crítica: BUTCHER'S CROSSING (2022)

����🎥📽📺

[pricelessreviews]

[oneofusnet]

Screener Squad: Butcher's Crossing BUTCHER’S CROSSING MOVIE REVIEW Ah, the American frontier at the end of the 19th century. where men were men and rode horses into dusty sunsets over sweeping plains, ignoring their emotions and clearly suffering from deep traumas. America! Legends were made while history was written more often than not in blood and tears. And just as often, with lies and delusions. The myths and historical events and folklore of the American frontier have embedded themselves into United States culture so much so that the Old West, and the Western genre of media specifically, has become one of the defining periods… Read More »Screener Squad: Butcher’s Crossing read more on One of Us

[theblackestofsuns]

Butcher's Crossing (1960)

John Williams

New York Review Books

[screenhub]

'Butcher's Crossing' Spoiler Free Review - ScreenHub Entertainment

Nicholas Cage has been on a roll for the better part of a decade starring in a string of critically acclaimed independent films. His films range from silly, to thought-provoking, to truly bizarre, and Butcher’s Crossing aims to sit itself right there in the middle. With a solid cast, an ambitious director in Gabe Polsky, and a setting to die for Butcher’s Crossing has every chance of becoming yet…

[bellasfortuna]

butcher!simon has been on the brain so have a small brainworm i've been sitting on

TW: implied dark thoughts, implied kidnapping, creepy Ghost and leering Johnny, slightly NSFW

When the door to the butcher shop opened, the first thing she noticed was the lack of a chime or bell; instead there was only dead silence and the smell of coppery tang and cleaning solution. The shop wasn't completely silent, there was a small table, only two men, in the very corner of the shop, barely visible from the window outside, crammed in the corner. Their bodies seemed almost too large for the shitty metal chairs they were hunched in, talking amongst themselves.

What drew her eye next was the incredibly large and hulking form of the butcher behind the counter; the man was mammoth sized, blood stained apron around his middle, shirt slightly stained (what was the point of wearing the apron at all if he wasn't going to wear it completely?, she thought absently), sleeves rolling up his biceps unwillingly from the stretch of the muscles and veins there. As she drew closer to the counter, to the hulk of a man, could she even call him a man? his face was covered by a surgical mask and his hair was shaggy and unevenly cut like he'd shorn it himself, dirty blond and messy, a scar peeking out from the corner of the mask to his cheekbone, his form seemed even larger, more imposing.

But what caught his attention, no visual indication or warning, was how utterly uncaring she seemed, having just walked into a butcher shop in a rather seedy part of town, that was well known for how unfriendly the butcher was. Simon had seen the reviews (not that he cared, wasn't his business if whatever tosser passing through thought his service was shite and his shop wasn't friendly, his regularly knew his product was good and his cuts were prime), reviews that should scare off birds that looked like her, that wandered around looking too fragile and soft.

She seemed more interested in looking through the glass case, perusing the cuts he had on display, and for now, Simon was content to just leave her be, she wasn't loud or obnoxious (unlike Johnny in the corner who'd parked his ass there with Garrick for the better half of the morning), and she'd yet to ask any inane questions that would require Simon to have to speak. Just as she looked up, eyes connecting with his, her soft brown eyes colliding with his darker irises, the door to the shop opened again, more forcefully, her mouth shutting and stalling whatever question she'd been about to ask.

If Simon hadn't felt mildly annoyed before, he was certainly annoyed now; he wanted to know just how ignorant the bird was, but his annoyance flared into something darker when the newcomer opened his mouth. While Simon stayed silent as the two argued, he gleaned some information from the brusque conversation. The girl wasn't from here, at least her accent was foreign, as was his, so Simon surmised they were either visiting or had just moved nearby. He hoped it was the former concerning the scrawny shit that was now standing in his shop.

The boy made some comment about how she shouldn't be here alone, he had offered to come with her, yet, she brushed him off easily and said she was more than capable of coming to a butcher by herself and getting what they needed for 'the get-together', as she called it, turning back to look at the counter, saying she had been to more than enough butchers to know what cuts she needed, she hardly needed a second, lesser informed, shadow. Simon doubted this but he found it amusing to hear.

Simon watched with disinterest, the annoyance at the squabble going on before him still festering, but standing with his arms crossed over his chest, muscles tight, hoping they'd be done quicker and his shop would return to peace. For such a soft looking thing, she apparently had a backbone, though Simon would have been far more rude and unwelcoming, if someone hadn't listened to him; he didn't care much when the boy made a comment about his shop being unsafe, how these parts had unsavory people, he wasn't entirely wrong but the world wasn't kind to weak people who avoided all conflict. The boy looked like he'd snap in half if Simon leered at him too hard.

What did catch Simon's interest, was the quickness of her hand shooting up and smacking the boy upside the head, the sound cracking through the butcher shop. "Were you raised in a damn barn?" she barked, face unamused as she glared at the boy. "You don't say shit like that." While the boy looked rather nonplussed and incensed, Simon was definitely very interested now, eyeing her delicate small hand, the sound it had made connecting with his head, the wince it had caused.

He wondered how it'd feel against his face, his cheek, if he could fuck away the anger in her face afterwards, his hands pinning her delicate wrists above her head as he sank into her plush body. She didn't seem to notice his darker gaze as the boy left and she made her order in peace, her voice soft again and cordial. She did at least know what she asked for, not using generic shopping terms,so Simon assumed she was being truthful earlier, and that made something writhe inside him. She'd known what she wanted and she had come to his shop. She didn't notice when he gave her a nicer cut of the deli meats and trimmings she'd requested, a little more than she'd asked and paid for, taking the paper wrapped package with a small smile.

She definitely didn't notice when, as she left the butcher shop, package in her tote bag, Simon nodded his head at Johnny before sharply inclining his head towards the door, the shaggy mowhawked man following behind her obediently. Afterall, a butcher needs the best and what better way than sending his dog.

[lyledebeast]

New Thoughts on Visual Representations of Violence in The Patriot

As I was reading through reviews to plan a lesson on evaluating sources for my students, I kept seeing descriptions of The Patriot's extreme violence (which is wild looking back from 2024!) and of Tavington's excessive cruelty. And it occurred to me that anyone who had not seen the film would probably expect those two things to be connected, and they would be resoundingly incorrect.

The most striking example of Tavington's violence is, of course, the burning of Pembroke Church. The scene is visually arresting, but for very different reasons than we might expect seeing Tavington's superior officer describe his tactics as "brutal" and learning the populace has named him "the butcher." In one a wide shot of the interior, fading sunlight is shining through the windows, illuminating the congregation, all of them in cool tones so that the one bit of color that catches the eye is the back of Tavington's red jacket as he addresses them from his horse. It looks like an 18th century painting. It looks like it could be a shot from Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lydon (1975). The same goes for the wide shot with the church going up in flames as the British dragoons and regulars look on. What is absent from this scene is actual visualization of violence. Once Wilkins lights the church and smoke begins pouring underneath the doors, the interior shots become very tight, focusing on the terrified faces of women and men. We never see them again. The scene inside the church ends before anyone can so much as cough, and John Williams' score rises in the external shots to drown out the screams of those trapped inside. The next visual reference we have to the Pembroke congregation is freshly dug graves with neat little white crosses.

Tavington's other kills are similarly crisp and clean. He kills both Thomas and Gabriel Martin with wounds through the torso, from a shot and saber respectively, and while they do not appear to be in the bloom of health when they die in their father's arms, nor are their deaths remotely messy. For reference, Wade is wounded through the torso in Stephen Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan from two years earlier, and his dying produces buckets of blood. In one scene featured only the extended cut, we are meant to believe Tavington and Bordon have tortured a man to death without either of them getting stained by so much as a drop of blood.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Martin is also evoking a classic of 70s cinema in a scene I will henceforth only describe as The South Carolina Tomahawk Massacre. When I went to Amazon Prime to pick up where I left off on my last viewing, I got to see this scene completely unprepared. And I was reminded that it is visually horrifying, audibly gut-wrenching, and goes on for longer than most kills in slasher movies. Most of the shots in this scene are close-ups of Gibson's blood-splattered face as he grunts with exertion and finally screams, redoubling his efforts. There is a score in this scene, but the thwack of the tomahawk going into the British soldier's back again and again cuts straight through it. There are also some PoV shots from Martin's sons' perspectives, but every time I see this scene I'm grateful that there's no Martin PoV shot. That would show a degree of bodily destruction I could never unsee.

Frankly, I'm at a loss as to why this is. Why is the villain's violence so sanitized it would be at home in one of Disney's darker offerings while the apparent hero takes a literal blood bath half an hour into the run time? Who is this audience that can stomach cannon balls tearing off men's heads and legs but not the charred corpse of a woman or child? Is there something rugged and manly about Martin getting soaked in blood like Carrie at the prom and something effete about Tavington's distaste for excess in his violence?

You tell me! There are more ways to take this than I could write about out or probably even imagine. Reblogs and replies are equally appreciated, as are DMs. I want to read someone else's thoughts for a change!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: From the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the genre-breaking international TikTok sensation Butcher & Blackbird comes the second book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy—a hate-to-love dark romantic comedy packed with danger, chaos, and heat.

Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’s biggest client, Lachlan knows he’ll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal: use his skills to hunt down a killer and she’ll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first.

And they can’t stand each other.

Indie singer-songwriter Lark is the sunshine and glitter that burns through every cloud and clings to every crevice that Lachlan Kane tries to hide inside. The surly older brother of her best friend’s soulmate, Lachlan thinks she’s just a privileged princess, but Lark has plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows of her bright light. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend’s happiness on the line, she’s willing to make a vow to the man she’s determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be.

As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it’s not just familiar dangers that haunt them.

There’s another phantom lurking on their doorstep.

And this one has come for blood.

Tropes:

Hate-to-love

Marriage of convenience

Grumpy / sunshine

He falls first

Groveling, but make it psycho

Touch her/him and die

Review:

She's a musician that appears to be sunshine incarnate but has a darker side to her and he's the brooding contract killer that is determined to get discover everything about her... and being in a marriage of convenience while trying to avoid a killer is the perfect way to do so. Lark is an indie singer-songwriter who has had a hard past but has tried to hide all her pain behind her sunshine demeanor... and her extracurricular activities of hunting down predators and "deleting them" and making them into her own little home decor. Lachlan Kane is a contract killer who wants to get out of the business, he just wants to be left alone and to be freed from his psycho boss. One halloween Lachlan and Lark's paths cross and now a year later his brother is marrying her best friend. Lark and Lachlan can't stand one another, they get under each other's skin... but Lark is determined to keep her best friend's happiness in tact and that means protecting her best friend's husband's family. When a killer starts targeting people in Lark's family business and her parents think it's Lachlan's family... they'll kill him and his brothers, but to protect her best friend and her best friend's new husband Lark decides to enter into an arranged marriage to protect Lachlan and his brother from her family. Lark and Lachlan will have to work together to find out who this killer is and why they are targeting Lark and framing Lachlan.... but this new arranged marriage means both Lark and Lachlan will have to face each other and spend time together. Lachlan is beginning to realize that he judged Lark too soon and that everything he ever thought, that she was a spoiled princess, couldn't be more wrong and soon he finds himself falling for his new wife... if only she would let her guard down and let him prove to her that he's in this marriage for real. This was such a fun sequel to the first book and I was excited to see Lachlan and Lark's relationship play out in this one. Lark and Lachlan were such a fun couple and I enjoyed their constant back and forth, I loved how Lark just got under Lachlan's skin so much and how he was so determined to love her. Lark is a girl after my own heart ( plus she loves Constantine and calls Lachlan Budget Batman and is into crafts?!?!??? We might have to fight for her hand Lachlan). This was a fun sequel and I am so so excited for the next book in the trilogy( Rose x Fionn sounds so so angsty and amazing). This was really a delightful read and this entire series has been such a fun chaotic romance read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Zando | Slowburn for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[zalrb]

PLL 1x19 Review - As Per Anon Request

Honestly, I feel like the opening theme would be more effective to play after the recap and before the actual episode starts.

Shay. Can't. Cry.

What IS this?

"He told her to come closer ... ... and she did." LOL, Great dialogue there.

There is no tension in these interrogation scenes it's so funny.

What is Spencer's jacket? Is she a nutcracker?

"Whoever said 'the truth will set you free' never met A." "Jesus. Jesus said it. It's from the bible." Emily, WHY was that necessary? Like ... what kind of contribution to the conversation is that? They don't actually need to know WHO said it.

"You know, sometimes telling the truth does more harm than good." "Who said that?" Not Jesus. "Alison." Clearly the opposite of Jesus.

"Hey, Emily." "Garrett??" "You're a cop now??" Who is this person.

I don't have siblings but beefing with your 16 year old sister is insane. You're a grown ass woman, Melissa.

"I don't want to go home until my parents get back." WHY WOULD THEY LEAVE? THEIR SON WAS ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF MURDER AND THEIR CHILDREN HAD A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP UNDER THEIR ROOF. WHAT IS GOING ON?

"You never talk about your parents." OK but does he actually have any??

ooooooooh the convenient and contrived revelation of 214.

Hanna, why would you tell Caleb to come upstairs when you know your mother is home? And would it not make more sense to bring him food to the basement and collect dishes?

And Caleb really does act like this is house.

"I know guys like Caleb. He's a tough guy." HOW? HE JUST WEARS A BEANIE AND THEY ALL DO, IT'S THE 2010s! You are the actual criminal here, get a GRIP.

I swear to god if a plot twist is that Jenna actually isn't a high schooler and has been lying about her age I would be like, that is the one thing in this show that makes sense.

"What's her story about?" I know that Ezra is already crossing every boundary that matters but don't talk about another student's work to your child bride, you dick.

"I'm waiting for a manager to call me back." Are you not the police?

"Mr. Fitz isn't seduced by controlling characters" Aria, please. Also what the fuck kind of English teacher is Ezra? 1984, Animal Farm or Brave New World should be on that reading list.

20 dollars? You didn't even haggle.

"Jenna's glasses. This is her room." She just has a standing room at a motel she doesn't stay at or live at?

Hanna, you and your mom just had a conversation about Caleb because he left the toilet seat up in a house he's squatting in because he acts like he actually lives there and you don't even think to check to see if your mom is home first? Because she probably is. The plot's gotta plot.

"Mom?"

Remember when you stole money?

I don't even remember what Emily's side quest is.

Emily just deciding to move on from Maya is lol. Because she sounded happy in one phone call?

Maya was nothing like Alison. Alison is a psychopath.

"Welcome home, honey." I don't know if I just think Aria dresses more childish than the others because she's with Ezra and the clothes themselves are just regular clothes but the whole dynamic of them is like, she's clearly a teen, she dresses like a teen and you're an adult, or if it's that plus the fact that they just give Aria more girl-like clothes and by girl-like I mean, like, little girl-esque. It's obviously not Lolita fashion but you get it.

"But out here you're Dora the Explorer? You have any other personalities that I should know about." Her personality didn't change, Caleb, she just has other skills and interests.

Neither Hanna nor Caleb are good enough actors for this scene to be as poignant as it should be but it works better than anything else, so.

Are you two going to have sex in that tent.

I love that they probably couldn't afford a Pink song so they just have Paige butcher it in karaoke.

Spencer and Toby scrabble scene is my favourite scene of theirs so far. "Thanks for the 'g' I was waiting for it."

They need to keep it at that energy of meeting your match. The intense longing stares don't work imo.

So Maya gets cut off because she sounded happy one time but Paige tries to drown you and it's makeout time?

Spencer being the big spoon tracks.

"We might see people we know there." You're on a picnic in the woods everyone goes to, Paige. Caleb now lives in those woods.

Gossip Girl (and AtS) is the only show I can think of that takes place in a city, like a big city like New York. Can you think of any others?

"I like you too." Even though you tried to drown me.

If I ever did what Hanna did, the door would be locked if I tried to come back. Oh, the lives of teenagers in teen dramas. The freedom. The audacity.

"There's a chance that you'll never look at me the same way again." I like how his response is just "Aria..." like he didn't commit one way or the other, girl.

Also, he's a predator.

I hate how Toby speaks: It wasn't ... ... ... a complete wash. *speeds up* Tobehonest ...

Oh wow, the kiss happened way sooner than I expected.

Idk make up your mind. Is Toby awkward and hesitant or is she assertive?

Also, I feel like Caleb is supposed to have some kind of charisma and charm and if that was the case, instead of asking if he could take a soda, he would warm himself up to Hanna's mom by offering to help her cook dinner. Like, all of you can say whatever you want to say about Dean in Gilmore Girls but he learned the traditions of Rory and Lorelai, he knew Lorelai was important to impress.

Ezra and his serial killer eyes.

"Thank you for looking at me tonight the same way you did yesterday" You're sixteen, Aria.

I keep wanting to call Hanna's mom Melissa even though her name is Ashley.

*gasp* CaLeB wOrKs fOr A????

"Honey, they know that you were seeing Ian" so then why is SHE being questioned? SHE'S THE MINOR. Jesus Christ. And why would she be a person of interest just because she was "seeing" Ian? That has nothing to do with Alison if they don't believe that he was seeing Alison.

[nkn0va]

Another OC Post

My previous post that debuted Six got very glowing reviews from @your-phantomfield. After some conversation I ended up getting another idea for a oneshot, this time also featuring one of their OCs as well with their blessing and some help. Writing motivation has unfortunately been butchered due to multiple factors but they've managed to make me really wanna do this. Hopefully this goes just as well as the last one.

Yet another long post under the cut. (Like, noticeably longer than the last one.)

Six...for lack of a better term, froze when he found out. Yet his heart was going a million miles a minute with a myriad of emotions all at once, feeling like it was about to burst out of his chest.

Hakumen...Trinity...

...Nine...

His magic reacted to his emotions, becoming unstable and chaotic just like they were right now. Almost to a dangerous degree. His arms glowed with the near overflow of power, any lesser Sage would've lost control and lead to disaster. He'd been told of the news from Valkenhayn who'd learned about it from Jubei, and with only a word of thanks for the news he teleported away, ending up somewhere in the forest outside of the Alucard Manor. The tree unfortunate enough to be next to him was the victim of his rage in the moment, receiving a punch and combined with his power, immediately froze over, the bark becoming rock solid and the leaves turning brittle like ice cubes.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who was responsible for it. He already knew even without being told. The only question was how. How the hell did he break free from the Mind Eater? Even if this was Terumi, he couldn't think of a single way he was able to break Nine of all people's spell. That didn't matter though, what was done was done. More importantly, he had some questions that needed answers, and only one person could give them to him.

With a teleport, Six was at the doorstep of a small house in the outskirts of Ishana. He didn't bother to knock, it was rather likely he was already being expected. He opened the door and the person he was looking for was expectedly there, sitting cross-legged on the floor in the center of the living room.

There sat a woman, a tad bit older than Six. Her face was largely covered in a midnight black veil that ran down the length of her body and flowed onto the floor behind her. Her aura was that of emptiness. Apathy, even. Yet beneath the facade, she was rather intrigued about how this interaction might turn out.

"You've come", she stated plainly. She'd known that he was going to, and she had a pretty good idea why. She needed no power to figure it out.

Six crossed his arms, his patience already being considerably worn. Four was no longer deserving of any formalities, as far as he was concerned. He cut straight to the chase.

"So you kept silent again. And once more other people are paying for that."

"Whatever do you speak of?"

"Don't you even think of trying to play oblivious, it's not going to save you this time." Six pointed an accusatory finger at his colleague.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re falling like flies out here as of late. One got eaten up by the Black Beast like a corn chip, Eight was killed by the weapons that were supposed to protect us, Seven’s gone AWOL, Clavis of all people dropped dead, and now…”

Six had to stop for a bit, taking a deep breath in an attempt to keep his composure. Six was only getting more exasperated the more he spoke, it was clear in his body language. He gestured around with his hands one by one as whilst listing the situation Ishana and the world at large found itself in, each movement unconsciously letting out a small gust of chilly air. His magic was starting to grow just as agitated as he was. “...Now four of the Six Heroes, two of which were among our own, are now wandering about in the Boundary who knows where… and yet again here you are, doing nothing about it.”

Under all the veils, she's smiling during the first half of Six's confrontation. He's snappy, he's interesting... until he directs the blame for all of this onto her. How childish.

"I'm a noncombatant." A simple, to the point answer, as if it absolves her of all culpability. As if somehow Six had simply forgotten that, and everything will be all right now that she's pointed out the obvious. He wasn't buying that though, if the look on his face was anything to go by.

“And that’s your excuse? Your excuse to watch and let people die? Your lack of frontline capabilities and the limitations on your powers to do nothing? You couldn’t have spoken up? You simply let things start falling apart because it’s inconvenient to your abilities?” 

Before a response could be formulated, he turned his head away for a moment, scoffing. Now that the words had actually escaped his mouth he realized how redundant it sounded. “Who am I kidding, of course it is. You already let millions die with that excuse when you said nothing about the Black Beast. We let you off because your intel was useful, but now you seem to think your work is done. Now that the Beast isn't at risk of knocking on your doorstep anymore apparently you're of the idea that nothing matters."

“Was that not the state of the world at large for years, Six,” Four inquired calmly and matter-of-factly. “All that death you're so concerned about, that has simply become a way of life now. That's what happens in war. We lost Nine, but she saved countless. She's a hero. She served her role... you're just taking it personally because you wanted to fuck her."

Oh hell no.

His head dipped down, the shadow of his hat covering his face. The only thing peering from under the cloak of darkness was a single pale blue light. The fury in its brightness was clear as a winter afternoon sky, the cold aura that emanated from it contrasted with the unusual raging hot fury that gripped Six’s psyche and refused to let go. Six wasn’t like Nine, he was above raising his voice. He didn’t need to, the tone he spoke with more than conveyed his emotions. Calm, yet venomous, bitingly cold. He had more than one way of making others freeze in their tracks.

"You want to run that by me again, by chance?"

His cloak and hat fluttered in the wind. The icy, cloudy air that now permeated the room and formed crystals of ice at his feet, sending chills down Four's spine. If she couldn’t find a way out of this, her only choice left against the enraged ice-clad angel, or demon, depending on who was asked, would be to pick a god and pray. Even then, they might not be able to save her now.

The heaviness of the situation began to creep in on her, both figuratively and literally. Normally it would excite her, the entertainment a tempting prospect to play with. Though now she realized perhaps she'd extinguished that possibility now. There was no way even she could escape the fury of the Frost Angel, as some had taken to calling him. The fact she'd even gotten this far now meant she now needed a way out, lest she be extinguished as well.

Thankfully, she just happened to have the perfect ace in her sleeve.

"You think I wouldn't have seen your feelings for her by now? It's why you're acting up like this. It's quite unusual for you. You think she's dead."

The light dimmed, a good sign. "What...? What are you trying to say?"

"Did you honestly believe someone like Nine would fall victim to the Boundary? She's perfectly alive and well, just not right now."

The bright blue light narrowed, Six evidently squinting his eyes in suspicion as if she'd gone crazy. "You're telling me that someone is capable of surviving the Boundary? The place of infinite Seithr, where the Black Beast came from? That Boundary? Are you going to tell me that Terumi will come back and start a non-profit charity next?"

The clairvoyant's body racked slightly with a silent laughter, the most emotion she'd shown in a while. She couldn't lie and say that his snappiness wasn't amusing when he wasn't apparently holding back the urge to freeze her solid. "Come now, Six. Let's not be unrealistic here."

Despite the sheer amount of palpable irony, the words died in Six's throat, in contrast to the indifference Four had shown to...well, just about everything. Surviving the Boundary...was that truly possible? He did suppose if anyone was capable of it, it was Nine. And as much as he preferred not to admit, Four had yet to lead astray with her visions.

The light didn't go away completely, but it was clear her strategy was working. "...Where?"

Now this was getting interesting. Four hummed to herself in focus, peering into the future where she saw Nine again. The veils she wore hid her visions from his sight. "...About 85 years into the future, give or take. You could potentially make it there if you took your own chance in the Boundary."

Six could only fall silent. So Nine really was out there? But so far into the future. Attempting to go through the Boundary did seem like his only real chance, but that chance was so miniscule, even for him. Even if he did make it out in one piece, there was no guarantee he'd even make it to where he needs to go.

Four sensed his hesitation, capitalizing on it to shake his resolve as much as possible. "Surely you can pull this off, can't you? You're a Great Sage yourself, one of the youngest to ever do it. Such a painful loss you had to go through...Jubei came and swooped her up before you could get the chance to tell her how you feel, they get married, have a child, only for her to be taken away. Do you not see that as an injustice?"

"I-..." Six turned his head away, the feelings he'd tried to hide deep down for years at this point rising to the surface. His mind played back the promise he'd made to himself all that time ago now, when he'd become Nine's equal, when he'd finally proven himself to her and the rest of Ishana. When the hat was put on his head for the first time.

'Whatever happens, no matter what I need to do, I'll do it. I'd freeze the sun over if it meant keeping her dream alive.'

Four knew she was inside his head now. She was almost out of the woods. "If she's sent so far in time, now's your perfect chance. You can finally make up for such tragedy. You truly deserved better, Six, and you can get it. All you have to do is take that leap of faith forward. That is what people do for love, is it not?"

It didn't take long after that to figure out what she was trying to do. She'd gone into self-preservation mode. Both of them were acutely aware of their power dynamic. If Six was more of the brutish type he could easily dispatch the other Sage. Instead, he simply turned on his heel, his back facing Four now.

“You don’t know me as well as you think you do, Four. You're in no position to lecture me on loss. You’ve never experienced it for yourself. That feeling truly only comes when what you’ve lost is something you love more than yourself. I’m rather doubtful that someone like that comes to mind for you.”

The frost and crystals that had begun to permeate the room disappeared in a flash of blue light. There was nothing more for him to say, but plenty to think about. "Next time we see each other again, you're going to pay for all the blood that rests on your hands. There's a price for every sin, sloth included."

With that final warning, he warped away. Now alone, Four allowed herself a small, yet excited smile. She could see it; he was about to do something. Jump into the cauldron? Set off to simply survive the march of time? She couldn't see it, nor what he intended to do when they met. There was only one thing she was truly sure of.

"I look forward to it...Nivalis."

~~~

The sixth of the Great Sages found himself at the Cauldron hidden deep beneath Ishana. His face had gone back to normal staring into the gateway as he pondered Four's words...and the possibility that Nine was waiting on the other side.

Could he really pull something like that off? Swim through an endless abyss full of nothing but Seithr? It sounded absolutely ludicrous, but Four had confirmed it was possible. He didn't have a reason to doubt it. She was many things, but dishonest had never been one of them for as long as he'd known her.

"I do hope you aren't thinking of actually jumping. It'd be a terrible waste to die attempting such a fool's errand."

Six's head perked up suddenly, having been shaken out of his thoughts. He'd been caught red-handed. And by a very familiar voice, no less. The girlish, posh voice was one that someone didn't simply forget.

"Surely you have much more valuable uses of your time than to stare into that old thing. Such thoughts of attempting Boundary travel in the first place should be beneath someone of your stature."

Six sighed forlornly, the whirlwind in his mind was clear as day for anyone to see. "It's Four...she told me-"

"She told you that Nine is still out there, isn't she?"

He properly turned around now to face Rachel, his eyes widened. "How did you...?"

The vampire allowed herself a small, smug giggle. "I do happen to have a few tricks of my own."

Vague as ever, he noticed. He knew it'd be a waste of time to try and get her to elaborate. He looked back between her and the Cauldron a few times before his gaze landed on her once more.

"If it's really true...then what do you think I should do?"

Rachel closed her eyes at the thought, seeming to think, or at least pretending to as her smile disappeared.

"Must you need me to tell you everything? Why you're one of the Great Sages, for crying out loud. The greatest cryomancer this world has ever seen. Surely you can figure out the answer on your own."

She stopped though for a moment, humming in thought. "...Although I suppose an emotion such as love can indeed cloud the mind. What do you currently believe to be the correct course of action?"

That stuck out to him. The feelings he had for Nine were indeed impairing his better judgment. He had Four to thank for that. He needed to take a step back and truly think about what he should do.

Terumi...the one responsible for everything. It was his fault that she, Trinity, and Hakumen were unjustly taken from him. It was him that needed to pay, however he didn't know if and when he would ever pop up again.

His mind started racing. Confronting the true culprit should be priority number one, but he didn't know where, or specifically when to start. He needed a reliable way to last long enough, but what? Rachel did have a point, his ice magic was second to none, surely he could-

That's it...

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Rachel's voice once more, apparently he'd been silent for longer than he anticipated. "Six? Earth to Six. Are you even paying attention?"

He shook his head, snapping back to reality and recollecting himself. "O-Oh, yes. Sorry, Miss Rachel."

"Perhaps by chance you were taking my words to heart and came up with the solution?"

For the first time since Nine had been banished to the Boundary, Six allowed himself a smile, though small it may have been. He nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I have."

He vanished in a flash of light as he teleported away, only to come back before Rachel could fully register that he'd left a few seconds later. In his hands was a glass ball that he held out for her to take. The ball looked and felt a bit comically large in her tiny, pale hands.

"I'm going into hiding, use that whenever you need to find me again. I'll be waiting." With that Six began making his way out of the cathedral, leaving Rachel alone with her new artifact. The magic she sensed inside had his fingerprints all over it, he definitely made it himself. For what purpose originally, she couldn't tell, but now it was for her to have.

Her bright crimson eyes peered deep into the ball, trying to look past the fog inside that was preventing the transparency it should have. It cleared up as she looked into it, showing her Six walking outside and into Ishana's town square.

So that's what it was...

~~~

There was one more person to find before he could enact his plan. He left the larger city of Ishana and into the forest surrounding the city. There wasn't much so this wouldn't be hard. After some walking, he came to a stop.

"So, how much longer do you plan on just standing there?"

A familiar figure came out from the shadows, a rather short one, though one that Six damn well knew not to take lightly, at least if it was an enemy.

"You've been gettin' better, kid. Color me impressed."

"Well, I had the privilege of learning from many of the best."

He recognized the look on Jubei's face. Behind the friendly attitude, he was just as devastated over their current circumstances as he was.

"Hey, about Nine, I..."

"Just save it, Six." Jubei's mood immediately dropped at the mention of Nine. At this point he just felt...done. Done with the loss, done with the pity, no matter how genuine it might've been.

"No, I'm not here to offer my condolences. I'm sure you already have enough of those to go around. I need to give you something."

"Give me something? What might that be?"

Six had already given his enchanted tracking ball to Rachel, so the next thing to give was a test tube with a crimson liquid inside.

"Use this when the time's right, just pour it onto the ground and it'll lead you right to me, at least when you're close enough."

"Lead to you?" The beastkin was understandably confused. "Where are you headin' off to now, kid?"

"You'll find out eventually. Rachel will know what to do. Just...promise me something. Take good care of that kid for me, alright? She's all we got left of Nine. I'd do it myself, but...it was you she chose."

He had to hold back his tongue, refraining from saying anything more out of jealousy, or perhaps even animosity. He didn't want any of the latter to be between him and Jubei. He had respect for everything he'd done, both for him and the world at large. Jealous? Well who wouldn't be jealous of the person who'd stolen the only person they'd fallen for away, but he couldn't fault Jubei for his own shortcoming of taking the leap. He turned around and started making his way back to Ishana to make the last of his preparations.

Jubei's eye widened to double its normal size as he put two and two together. He stared blankly at his comrade's back as he returned to the city, emotions inside him conflicting left and right at the revelation. A bit of shock, a lot of intrigue, a bit of concern, a bit of guilt.

"Wait, kid, I-..."

The words seemed to completely leave Jubei as Six stopped looked back at him.

"Don't feel bad about it, you just did what I couldn't do myself. All I want you to do is keep that promise."

There were so many things Jubei wanted to say. He wanted to defend himself, he wanted to console Six, perhaps apologize to him. His throat clenched up, and there was only one thing he could muster up the strength to say.

"...I promise."

"Then we're even." The Sage turned back around toward Ishana before his emotions started running too high. Before his resolve could waver. It couldn't, not now.

"Wake me when you need me."

[thiccowlladylife]

Eyy, the Asmodeus/Fizzarolli episode is here!

Time to review Oops!

The Good:

-Ozzie and Fizz are wholesome, horny couple goals; Moxxie and Millie have been usurped after the disaster of last episode... (and holy shit, Asmodeus is CAKED)

-Some of the background designs of the incubi, succubi, and fish demons are really cool (I think I saw what looked like a triceratops demon Lady during Blitzø and Fizz's fight, and I love her)

-Fizz and Blitzø's interactions throughout the whole episode are fantastic; Fizz is such a mood, and I stan his pettiness towards Blitzø

-I... don't mind Blitzø's apology to Fizz? It's far from perfect and still full of 'pity me' bullshit, but Brandon Rogers' voice acting was phenomenal during the scene, and the whole self-pity even in an apology does seem in character for Blitzø. But he recognizes and owns that, accident or not, he still hurt Fizz and ruined countless lives, and that Fizz has every right to not forgive him. But that Fizz does, also doesn't bother me? It feels less like total forgiveness and more like the path to forgiveness, which seems realistic (and has plenty of chances for Blitzø to fuck up along the way)

-Fizz is phenomenal disability rep. It impacts him, but like he says, he's not broken because of it

-Some of the comedic stuff in this episode actually got a laugh from me; the whole busting out of the cage sequence was hilarious to me

The Bad:

-Stolas felt completely unnecessary in this episode. His appearance is clearly just to push the 'Asmodean crystal' plot point between him and Blitzø further along, but he doesn't really do anything. He says nothing during the ransom message (even though he clearly sees Striker, the guy that nearly killed him a week ago, as working with the guy who kidnapped Fizz; also, it's only been a week since then? And he's already better? And Asmodeus says nothing about that, but still mentions the club?), he doesn't contribute anything to the negotiation that Asmodeus couldn't have done on his own, and just... Leaves at the end. Completely useless this episode

-Oh Striker... Honey, they're butchering your character so much. Once you were a legitimate threat, now you've been reduced to a "we should somewhat improve society -- yet you participate in it, strange, I am very smart!" skit... And you're portrayed as the bad guy for wanting the change

-Asmodeus... you let yourself get insulted by some random Imp from Greed (one of the supposedly lowest races in Hell)... And go along with his ransom? You're the Ruler of Lust; who gives a shit if Fizz is also an Imp? You said the word and every demon in Hell would've been up Crimson's ass to rescue the partner of a Sin; what would Crimson do? Kill him? That would only assure he'd suffer tortures unimaginable before he was killed. You held all the cards, and you still folded so easily, it's unrealistic and pathetic.

-Also, why pair up Striker and Crimson? It's two totally clashing villain styles that don't mesh well and are totally random (also, does Crimson die at the end? That would be a shitty, anticlimactic way to go, but we only see that Striker survived)

-The song was shit. And it's such a shame, because Alex Brightman is just as great an actor as Brandon Rogers, and a fantastic singer

-Asmodeus' protective possessiveness at the end was... Too much, just on the bad side of toxic. But hey, I guess even the healthiest relationships in Hell are always a little toxic

Despite the bad, I was still entertained by this episode? It felt like a season 1 quality episode, where I could enjoy the good in spite of the bad... But this is 6 episodes into the second season, and I don't think we'll be lucky to have another of decent quality.

But at least Asmodeus/Fizzarolli did not disappoint! Keeping my fingers crossed that the Mammon episode will be even half as good as this, so I can finally abandon this series on a high note. Cuz guys, I don't think I can do it anymore...

[devitalise]

omg imo I could've sworn there was at least one full week left of november for some reason but dec 1 is on friday BYE locking myself up to finish my books 🏃‍♀️ HOW WAS YOUR NOVEMBER READING!! are you already in the holiday spirit are you planning on reading/watching some holiday related things to get you there? this one's rando, but do you have any favorite holiday foods/desserts/drinks you're excited to indulge in during this last month o 2023 ☃️

november being 30 days always goes by SO quickly she knows we're ready for the main event. november was a very good reading month for me let's get into the

november book wrap up

Small Island by Andrea Levy

i finished this pretty early on in novembr, my thoughts are along the same lines as my goodreads review: Great piece of historical fiction. I found parts of this so funny and I'm not sure if that was the original intention but I did have a giggle! The humour was found moreso in Gilbert and Hortense who are just so, so different to each other and Hortense's wilful misunderstanding and naivete as she tries to be a Model Minority was just so funny it was a much needed brevity compared to the heaviness of the rest of the story. Such foul racist thoughts that can be burdensome after a while, though. Yeah! I don't need to read the POV of a white British man stationed in India in the second world war ever again, actually! I enjoyed reading though.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin

reread this because I hadn't picked up a high fantasy book I'd actually enjoyed in a little while. Great! I love ASOIAF as a series love returning to a known entity. I can't find my copies of A Storm of Swords or A Clash of Kings so continuing my reread is on pause until those unearth themselves.

Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Brilliant! So, so atmospheric. Incredible translation to me, obviously I won't know for sure until there ever comes a day where I can read Polish, but I got so much of the story out of this. It was just so cool and not what I expected at all going into it. I've never read anything like it before so getting to grips with all of the quirks of the style, subject and character was its on experience.

Butcher's Crossing by John Williams

Stoner was one of my top 2022 reads, so I saved this knowing that I'd like it. Rachel Cusk coded. It didn't blow me away like Stoner did, but I appreciate these are two very different books with completely different approaches. Where Stoner is so insular, things are kind of bursting in Butcher's Crossing. William isn't a complete active character, but he's participating in his life. Really cool setting, one of the most tense books I've read which I find can fall short in books with more action but the way tension builds and builds and builds in these fraught interactions between the four men on the mountain is fucking incredible. Immediately watched the film after this, and I love Nicolas Cage as much as the next person, but it fell short for me as an adaptation and as a film, sadly! Will be reading Augustus very soon as the last novel Williams' acknowledges as his own work.

The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage

Another Western! Apparently I couldn't get enough! Not long finished this, so bear with for complete thoughts. Realised that I haven't read a book with such a sinister character in a while. Phil is sinister and strange and he's complicated, and I just really liked this book! Took me a while to get through because it is so dense at parts, but I think playing the long game definitely paid off. I love books that can make life so dramatic, all of the small stuff builds up to this big moment kind of thing. Netflix removed this film??? Will be making time to watch it this weekend for sure!

Outlawed by Anna North

3/3 with Western's which is so out of left field for me I feel. Finished it today, but on my top 2023 shelf, for sure. I think reading these back-to-back has made me appreciate the difference in style and storytelling so much more. I was a bit nervous because I've found previous Reese Witherspoon book club picks really juvenile, and whilst this is way more accessible than BC or TPotD, there's still a lot of complexity that I was able to enjoy. I love communities and found families, and it just really got me reading this book about these "women" ostracized from society making something of their own at risk of imprisonment and hanging. Thought it was really neat :)

December Reads

I'm on the Kindle through to the end of the year (10 days to New York!) so I'll be getting a couple new titles to diversify my options more. I don't have anything set in stone but I did download pdf's of The Hunger Games series which I've never read before so I might do those.

My Christmas mood started on November 1st! Multiple plays of Ariana Grande's Christmas & Chill, and I've already watched a few Christmas films. I watched The Holiday for the first time recently and found it boring :( I'm not a Jude Law enjoyer sorry.

Oh I love a hot cider! Ferrero Rocher's, stuffing, anything Christmassy really! I'm also so excited for a Christmas in New York! I have an itinerary going and many pictures to take!

[lmelodie]

The Santa Clauses Season 2

It's here! And I have access to it, and all of my drably splintery thoughts on the first two episodes.

As an FYI, all my reviews are gonna be hella spoilery so I'll be doing all the reviewing under read mores and under the tags #TSCS spoilers and #Review2

Oh boy unsolicited thoughts HERE WE GO!

Episode 1:

I gotta say, Fluffy is not a bad character in this so far. Christmas Churros are a gold mine and I'm surprised no one has tried to capitalize on that yet.

Scott immediately assuming that Carol was going to kill Gary says a lot about the both of them and their dynamic that I wish was consistent. I love the idea that Carol is down for murder, keep that in cowards!

I have zero idea why Scott is so uptight about Riley keeping this secret when you literally gave EVERYONE IN THE WORLD MAGIC SNOW GLOBES. Nobody here is doing a good job of keeping any of this secret! No one!

And not the North Pole having a Gaslighting Department. Thats, just actually so funny to me. And you bet your sweet ass that Jack frequents that department, he might be employed there!

And once again to reiterate, these songs breaks are just NOT it. As someone who usually love musicals! The songs are mid at most and are just shoehorned into the most random places. Idk, still not vibing.

But Betty and Noel? STILL TOP TIER. I'll talk about them more in a bit, but they are literally perfect. The Blueprint. Betty and Noel get no notes from me. They made cardboard cutouts of each other's faces, like come on! They're cute as SHIT.

Mad Santa lore? Its aight. I appreciate the franchise trying to carve out its own lore after more than 15 years of inactivity. Its decent lore! For the world that it exists in at least. It's just not my personal cup of tea, and I don't see myself utilizing it in my own stories. But I appreciate that it is there.

And you cannot tell me that Jack hasn't tried to team up with Mad Santa before. It just seems like something he would do to, noticing that there was a Santa getting a bad rep and he could feasibly swoop in and break down the institution.

I wanna imagine he went up to him like, so I've heard you've been trying to subjugate a people. Here's my resume, I am all for murder, I do work well with gnomes, consider me. And then he got promptly ghosted.

Episode 2:

Bro the training vest is made out of St. Nicks robe?? What ISNT made out of that robe??? Isn't that like...an important artifact? I would assume it would be if it has that much Christmas magic in it. Why do we keep cutting it up and using it to make things? Is there any of it left?? Does it regenerate its own fabric??? None of these questions will ever be provided answers, I'm sure.

YO ITS MY BOY CUPID!!! LET'S GOOOOOOOO!!!!

Fucking LOVE Cupid! He's just as great as I remember! And because he had so little screen time, he didn't get too butchered!

And I like how he lists only specific Legends that are concerned with the succession. Implying in universe that Father Time and Tooth either think Cal is a good choice, or simply don't give a shit. And i love that for them.

But Cupid does list Sandy, EB and Mother Nature as people who do care. And we already know that were gonna get confirmed Sandy and EB cameos later, so I'm gonna CROSS MY FINGERS SO HARD for a possible Mother Nature cameo at some point. I just want her to lay down the LAW that's all I ask!

Let's how about, leave the puberty topic, out of this series entirely? Wish that whole miscommunication. DIDNT happen.

But we do have WITCH SANDRA!! This was the only possible choice for her, go off queen! Lucy and Sandra with the clasping hands meme: Teenage Girl with Magic Witch Powers. This was the best possible turn for her character, love that for you babe!

As I suspected, Befana in these episodes is a peach yet again. Fucking love Befana, no notes for her either, she's always great.

BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT NOEL AND BETTY!? and how they gave them the most romantic, whirlwind love story of the century? How they met was so FUCKING CUTE! Romeo and Juliet can pack it up! Because THEY are just better!

Betty really took one look at Noel and went, Tee hee, giggle, twirls hair, kicks feet. And I love that for her!

[kebriones]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is like the etiquette and stuff in Athens? I'm visiting next year and I've found very little on it. Like just a few sentences. Man I just don't want to be an ass and accidentally offended a bunch of people

okay so here's a list, not really of etiquette but like...some things..

Don't worry too much about it. Especially in athens, we are very used to foreigners and will not be easily offended. Even things that might be wierd don't really offend anyone. Like, I live a bit further away from the center, but sometimes tourists rent places here, and I've had americans in full savana explorer outfits saying hello to me randomly on the street outside my house, which isn't something we do here but I was more confused than offended. in villages, talking to strangers is way more common, but in athens, unless you're not looking to ask for help/directions, we think it's a little wierd.

2. I think the main thing is: don't treat the place like it's disneyland, and understand that people are living here, working here etc. There's a certain type of tourist whose behavior screams "i am not realising this is a city like any other" and it makes us feel a little wierd. Things like taking pictures of/recording eveyrthing or treating everything like food stands, shops etc like they're some novelty is a little off putting. Fully experience what's different and new/interesting for you here but like…in a normal manner. Idk it is mostly an attitude thing. But again, nobody is going to be like super offended and bothered if you do act like a tourist who treats everything like they're tourist attractions, but you will register as a stupid tourist in people's minds. And of course I don't mean don't take pictures of the place either. I hope this makes sense.

3. This is a more functional thing but try to be mindful when using public transport. I fully understand tourists who are in fun vacation mode and I'm very happy for them but when i'm late for class or whatever and there's a group of them chatting with each other in the already very crowded metro and blocking the exits I get a little angry. Just try to be aware of not spreading out too much in crowded public transport, not standing in front of doors/in the middle of corridors if you can help it, and try to not make too much noise. You are absolutely welcome to talk obviously, just don't start shouting and screaming at each other, if you're in a group. And don't sit on the floor. When I went to germany I noticed this was common, groups of especially younger people just sitting on the floor of trains, drinking beer, but we don't do that here, especially not when it's crowded.

This is more of an addition to the above but just in case you're from somewhere that doesn't have the same escalator rules: Right side is for standing on the escalator, left side is for walking and shouldn't be blocked.

Feel absolutely free to use any greek words you might know like thank you, goodmorning etc even if you're butchering them. We don't mind, at least I don't know anyone who does.

Cars will not stop for pedestrians here 99% of the time and if you'd like to not get shouted at by angry drivers, be extra careful when crossing any street. Sometimes car drivers will actually stop and motion for you to cross the street.

Here's a little uno reverse for you: Do not be offended by shop owners/shop assistants who might be on the grumpier or ruder side. It's nothing personal against you specifically. Maybe they're not even being rude by our standards, sometimes people are just grumpy and we don't have the customer service standards of other countries. Basically do not expect everyone to smile and/or even look like they actually want you as their customer.It's not nice, but i'm saying this for your own sanity, don't pay them too much mind. The best thing to do is for any reason you are displeased with someone's manners is to leave a bad review on the place on google maps etc. Now if someone is criminally rude/racist etc towards you, I would absolutely recommend reporting it. I am not sure exactly how you go about this but I'll try to learn and update you. But verbal abuse and offending someone's dignity by words or actions is punishable here.

I am assuming that you're a nice reasonable person to be coming in my asks with this so I am not inculding obvious things like please don't come just to get very drunk in public, try to only throw trash inside trashcans and be respectful of ancient stuff (no tresspassing to get better pics, no touching things you shouldn't in museums, no carving your name etc anywhere.)

big blue trashcans are only for recyclable stuff, big green ones are for normal trash.

not related to offending anyone but in the city center you will be approached by people selling stuff and ladies with flowers. Ignoring them feels unpleasant and wrong to us locals too, but it's normal and okay and I recommend it so the practice might slowly die off. Do not start talking to them because you will be forced to buy something.

I am not good at remembering things when i need to make lists of them, so any other athenians who want to add things I forgot, please feel free to do so! I mostly avoid crowded places like the city center when it's tourist season so I might be forgetting something important.

[authordanielleforrest]

Fated Mates of the Drakoan: Episode 1

He stared down at a list of names, the information in front of him overwhelming. Name after name stared back at him, along with country of origin, popularity, pronunciation, spelling variants, and so much more. He nearly growled with frustration. 

You just need to pick one.

It felt weird, just picking a name like this. He’d been putting this off, just going by “commander” when talking with the human ships, but that wasn’t exactly a long-term solution. He had to pick a name if he wanted to interact with humans with any regularity. They didn’t have the oral capacity to pronounce many Drakonian names, and from what he could tell, it was a time-honored tradition for foreigners on Earth to pick local names. And he supposed it was easier to learn to identify with a name people could pronounce than to wince every time people butchered your birth name.

With resignation, he scrolled down with his eyes closed and tapped his finger on the screen, then peeked one eye open.

Davin.

“I guess I’m Davin now.” He sighed and switched screens on his monitor, returning to the impetus that had finally forced him to pick a name—the situation with Earth. His fleet and the remainder of the human military ships surrounding the planet had been trying to contact Earth command for days now, too many days, and they were growing concerned.

No, that wasn’t true. They had long passed the point of “concerned.” No one said it, but he could see the panic rising in the eyes of the captains of the other ships when they had their conference calls.  Everyone was worried.  No one knew what was going on down there.

As he continued reviewing what little information they had, he tried to reassure himself that everything was probably fine. From what they could tell, those last bombs, the ones that had turned the tides of the conflict, had also deactivated or destroyed every satellite in orbit. He could communicate with the other ships, but his records indicated that a massive amount of the Earth’s communication systems relied on that satellite network that was now defunct.

His comm buzzed, startling him and jerked his mind away from his concerns for the people of Earth. “Damn it,” he said, copying a common Earth phrase he’d learned while watching their media back home. He’d grown up with it. The streaming services had set up shop on Koa for the human colony there, but it had quickly become quite popular among the Drakoans as well.

Davin looked down at his bracer, internally groaning when his sister’s name scrolled across the screen. He tapped answer, and the bracer interfaced with his desk, putting the video up on the monitor. She smiled at him in that enigmatic way she had, and he knew something was up. 

He sighed. “What did you do?”

She clutched her chest, pretending to be offended. Light glinted off pale red scales she’d clearly spent a sizable portion of the day polishing and primping to perfection. “Me? I can’t believe you’d say such a thing.”

Davin didn’t speak, instead crossing his arms and waiting for the inevitable confession. He was reminded of why he spent so much time away from home. His family was chaos incarnate and joining the military had been the only way to get a little peace in his life.

Of course, chaos could never let peace reign for long, and today was no different.

Eventually, she gave up the pretense. “It wasn’t me.” She looked away from the camera, her gaze roving around the room, and he just knew she was trying to come up with some excuse that would shift the blame away from one of her nightmarish kids. Because why else would she be calling? It certainly wasn’t to talk to him. “My son was playing in your room earlier today.”

Davin’s entire body went tense, and he saw red. “My room is off limits. You know that.” It took everything in him to keep still. He wanted to yell, to pace, but a fit of anger wouldn’t solve anything, especially not with his family. 

“Oh, you know kids. Can’t keep them out of anything,” she said, waving her hand in dismissal.

Yeah, especially when you unlock the door for the little monsters.

He could just see it now. His nephew had probably been whining and generally being a pain, and instead of actually parenting him, she’d bribed him with exploring the forbidden, aka his uncle’s locked room. “What happened?”

She held up an action figure that was currently missing an arm. “It was an accident.”

Davin ground his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to regain control.

Anger doesn’t solve anything. Besides, you can’t strangle her over a comm.

He opened them again and forced words out through gritted teeth. “That… was a Star Wars Limited Edition. I bought it when I was ten.” It was one of his most prized possessions. Growing up, he’d been obsessed with Star Wars. There had been other “Science Fiction” shows and movies to watch, but many had steered a little too close to the familiar, a little too close to home. But Star Wars? Star Wars was different. It involved special powers and the ultimate fight of good vs. evil. For a little boy, the idea of playing around with a light sword and moving things with your mind? Pure magic.

As he’d grown older, he’d started collecting. It was hard coming by these things, partially because he lived on another planet and partially because Star Wars was a very old franchise and thus a fairly niche one. Not everyone had even heard of it, and that made wanting to collect all things Star Wars even more important to him. He couldn’t enthuse about it with his friends, and so he’d thrust those impulses into his treasures.

As he’d grown up, those impulses had matured, and eventually, they’d even been part of the reason he’d decided to join the military. The idea of being like the Jedis was appealing to him. He liked the idea of being a hero, of being on the front lines, of maybe even being the only thing between peace and war. 

She waved her hand again. “I know how much you like your silly Star something or ‘nother, but he didn’t mean it. It was just an accident.”

He looked away.

There she goes again. Opens her mouth and suddenly I’m pissed.

“It wasn’t an accident,” he ground out. “It shouldn’t have been within his reach. The door was locked for good reason. I don’t want anyone touching my things. You know this.”

“Oh, it’s not that big a deal.”

“Isn’t it? You encourage him to violate someone’s privacy, their personal space, then you try to prevent him from having consequences when he damages another person’s property, which is a crime, by the way.”

She glared at him, her expression growing calculating. “Do I have to get mom on the line?”

For a split second, his heart lurched in his chest, his immediate reaction of panic setting in before he could control it. “Mom” was the ultimate authority, and each of his generation wielded it like a finely hewn weapon to be unleashed with ruthlessness. “You’re lucky I don’t have the time for this. Lives are on the line, and I need to go,” he said, changing the subject.

“Aren’t they always?” A slight smirk tipped her lips. “Well, I said what I intended to say. I’ll catch you later.”

She ended the call, and he fell back in his seat with a groan, palm covering his eyes. “Family sucks.” A part of him wished he could go home and inspect his room. What else had the little monster got into while he was breaking things? Just thinking about the possibilities sent anxiety spiking through him.

I need to upgrade my locks.

He took several deep breaths, then pulled up the messenger app on his desk. 

Hello, Mom. Can you upgrade the locks on my room? And this time, don’t give my sister a key. My nephew got in there again.

He hit send and let out a deep breath. “It’s so much easier to talk to her over text,” he said, shaking his head and chuckling at the contradictions. He loved his mom, loved his family, but most of the time, he needed at least a few hundred thousand miles between them just to stay sane.  

“Now, where was I?” He checked the open screens on his computer. “Right,” he said, staring at information that had started to blur together and almost make less sense the more he reviewed it. And the longer the problem persisted, the tighter the knots in his stomach grew. The unknown was a terrible thing, and knowing that the fate of an entire planet, an entire species, was unknown? He didn’t even want to think about what all could be going on down there. It was too much to contemplate.

Knock, knock, knock.

He looked up at his office door. “Enter.”

His second in command stepped in, shoulders pulled back and chin high. Behind him, his tail was perfectly still, speaking to the reserved presence he was known for.

“Have you picked a human name yet?” 

“Van,” he said with a nod, his line of a mouth growing even thinner. It was the closest thing to a frown he’d ever seen on the man.

“Good. Have we heard from the humans again?”

“I talked with the Captain of the USS Venture.”

“And?” Davin leaned forward, eager for news. They’d come to back up Earth’s defenses from an alien invasion days ago, only to find destruction. A shiver ran up his spine as he remembered the devastation. A massive debris field had cluttered the space around the planet, with only a handful of human ships still registering on the bridge’s display. Around those ships, countless unidentified orange dots had surrounded them, and for a heart-stopping moment, he’d wondered if his fleet had arrived too late.

But moments later, an explosion had detonated unlike anything he’d ever seen. His people were mostly peaceful, keeping to themselves, keeping a standing military exclusively for defensive purposes. He’d never seen anything like it. He’d believed it impossible. That is, until that blindingly white light had blotted out their cameras and shorted their displays, throwing the room into perfect darkness. 

They’d scrambled to get their systems back online while fearing for their allies. With no working cameras, sensors, or comms, all they’d had was their imaginations to fill in the blanks on what had happened. It wasn’t until later, when they’d reestablished contact with the other ships, that they’d learned that Earth Command had detonated a nuclear bomb. 

Many nuclear bombs.

“The satellites are a lost cause,” Van said, interrupting Davin’s thoughts.

“Oh?” he said, tuning back into the conversation. It had been easy of late to let his mind wander. There were just too many unknowns in this situation, and he didn’t like it. His mind wanted to run through tactics and scenarios, plan out strategies for each potential eventuality, but the possibilities were limitless and there was only so much time.

“The Venture’s Captain sent shuttles to investigate if they could salvage any of the satellites, but a significant percentage of them have already lost geostationary orbit. Many more will require extensive repair and some, they haven’t been able to find. He thinks they were destroyed in the blasts.”

Davin nodded. “And that means there’s no hope of communicating with Earth?”

In an uncharacteristic expression of emotion, Van sighed. “It means communication is more… difficult. As we’ve been able to confirm, their communications systems are designed around those satellites. But the captain’s also concerned that there could be broader issues at play.”

“Like?”

“The planet’s gone dark.”

Davin tensed. “Gone dark?”

“Yes. During their investigations, shuttles that traveled to the night side of the planet reported no electrical lighting visible from space.”

Meaning they’ve lost power.

“So,” Davin said, “even if we had the satellites up and running, there’s no guarantee anyone could respond.”

“That was my conclusion as well,” Van said with a nod of respect.

“Contact the human captains again. I want a conference call.”

“You have a plan?” Van asked.

“When do I not?”

Van paused, waiting for the explanation he knew was coming.

“Someone has to go down to Earth, reestablish contact. Without the satellites, there’s no way to even try to do it from here.” He shook his head, worry for the humans intensifying. What was happening down there? Were they okay? And had any of the enemy managed to slip past them before the blasts?  He hadn’t really thought of that yet, but it was possible, right?  There was no guarantee all the enemy had been destroyed.  Anything could be going on down there.  Nothing was outside the realm of possibility at this point.

“And you intend it to be us.”

Davin nodded. “I do.” He couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. Maybe it was a failing of his, but he’d always believed if you wanted something done right, you didn’t ask someone else to do it.

“They could shoot at us. They just fought off an alien invasion. You know how humans can be.”

He did. He’d seen enough human movies and shows to know sometimes their modus operandi was “shoot first, ask questions later,” but he didn’t care. The humans needed help, and he wanted to help them. 

And there was no one he trusted to do that more than his own people.

[mywifeleftme]

292: Various Artists // Abstract Magazine Issue 5

Abstract Magazine Issue 5 Various Artists 1985, Sweatbox Just got up to flip the record after sitting cross-legged on the couch typing on my laptop for quite a bit, not realizing my leg had fallen asleep until I tried to plant on it and had to pinwheel my arms to keep from falling flat out and cracking my head into my turntable. Absolutely how the coroner will shoot my body someday too, ass-naked and alone on the floor of my apartment, surrounded by instruments I can’t play and books I haven’t gotten to, bleeding into my record collection with a scythe propped sardonically against the wall in the background.

Speaking of ignominious deaths, while doing some research on the compiler of today’s record, a post-punk compilation / fanzine combo from 1985, the first thing that came up was a 2007 post from Burl Veneer’s old Typepad blog, specifically this inimitable sentence: “Abstract was the brainchild of Rob Deacon, who died last month in a canoeing accident at age 42 (same as me).” Strange nautical coincidence that, and a neat trick for Burl to keep blogging after death too (in fact, he’s still at it here on Tumblr), but I kept link hopping, and have learned that Deacon was quite a special guy, and a pivotal figure in two or three generations of UK music.

There’s genuine fondness and grief in The Guardian obit, the kind they reserve for lesser-known people who busted their asses and made a difference behind the scenes in media, and they spell out a resume I’m a little ashamed not to have been more up on. He was in his late teens when he started Abstract magazine, profiling the cream of the post-punk crop and cajoling exclusive tracks out of a bunch of them. Abstract would eventually morph into his own label, the influential Sweatbox, but the magazine + compilation bug stuck with him, and he’d go on to start the CD-era Volume series, which moved real numbers for an indie comp and featured… Jesus, everybody, apparently. He followed that up with the groundbreaking Trance Europe Express and Trance Atlantic electronic compilations, became a dance night impresario, did music photography, started a label (Deviant)… and then he fell out of his fuckin’ boat. Damn.

Abstract #5 is a real time capsule of 1985, featuring songs and interviews with the likes of Swans, Gene Loves Jezebel, Cindytalk, Colourbox, and the Jazz Butcher, interspersed with record reviews, scene reports, comics and more. The written pieces are all over the place stylistically, some transcribed in a borderline-incoherent fashion, others fighting for their lives against the adventurous two-tone printed layouts, but it has a wonderful fanzine energy and a level of ballsy spite you don’t see much these days.

Nearly every artist has a bone to pick with their label or journalists or bands they used to like that sold out or fans who have any sort of expectations of them. (The editorial pages get into it too, describing Morrissey “prancing daffodilously” and previewing a new New Order tune called “I’ve Got a Cock Like the M1,” which would see daylight as “The Perfect Kiss.”)

It’s zany and vulnerable and, even just shy of 40 years later, totally inspiring stuff. Highlights include Swans’ Michael Gira’s typically serial killer-coded interview, in which he talks about watching TV for 14 hours a day and shares the trans body horrific lyrics to a song called “BASTARD” that would eventually come out during the band’s maniac 1986; an account from industrial music pioneers Test Dept of the ’84 miner’s strike in South Wales, with a photo of one member who appears to have two sets of upper teeth like a shark; and the 400 Blows talking about having recorded their contribution to the issue in an echoing drainage pipe in which they nearly became trapped and drowned.

Musically this is by design a mixed bag (side one is kind of the uncommercial, experimental bits; side two the peppier guitar pop stuff). None of these exclusives would make anyone’s definitive collection of any of these bands, but as a complete listening and reading experience, Abstract #5 is a beautiful celebration. Cheers to Rob.

292/365