#HIS NAME IS JASPER BRIGGS

[saltyfilmmajor]

Everyday I wake up and i'd like to know why Greg Tarzan Davis personally lied to @boasamishipper, me, and whoever is running @imfupdates about his character's name in Mission: Impossible

[greenwitchcrafts]

August 2023 witch guide

August 2023 witch guide

Full moon: August 1st in Aquarius

New Moon: August 16th

Blue moon: August 30th Aquarius into Pisces

Sabbats: Lughnasadh August 1st



August Sturgeon Moon

Also known as: Corn moon, harvest moon, ricing moon, barley moon, dog moon, fruit moon, grain moon, herb moon, red moon & wyrt moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Leo & Virgo

Animal spirts: Dryads

Deities: Diana, Ganesha, Hathor, Hecate, Mars, Nemesis, Thot & Vulcan

Animals: Dragon, lion, phoenix & sphinx

Birds: Crane, eagle & falcon

Trees: Alder cedar & hazel

Herbs/plants: Basil, bay, chamomile, fennel, orange, rosemary, rue & St. John's wort,

Flowers: Angelica, marigold, sunflower

Scents: Frankincense & heliotrope

Stones: Carnelian, cats/tiger's eye, fire agate, garnet, red jasper & red agate

Colors: Gold, orange, red & yellow

Energy: Authority, appreciation, courage, entertainment, finding your voice, friendship, gathering, harvesting energy, health, love, pleasures, power &vitality

Sturgeon moon gets it's name from the high numbers that are caught at the Great Lakes & Lake Champlain in North America during this time of year. The names come from a number of places including Native Americans, Colonial Americans & European sources.



Lughnasadh

Also known as: Lammas, August eve & Feast of bread

Season: Summer

Symbols: Scythes, corn, grain dollies & shafts of grain

Colors: Gold, green, yellow, red, orange, light brown & purple

Oils/incense: Aloe, apple, corn, eucalyptus, safflower, rose & sandalwood

Animals: Cattle & chickens

Stones: Aventurine, carnelian, citrine, peridot, sardonyx & yellow diamond

Foods: Apples, grains, barley cakes, wild berries, cider, honey, potatoes, rice, sun shaped cookies, blackberry, corn, nuts, breads, blueberry. berry pies & grapes

Herbs/Plants: Alfalfa, aloe, all grains, blackberry, corn, corn stalk, crab apple, fenugreek, frankincense, ginseng, goldenseal, grapes, myrtle, oak leaves, pear, rye, blackthorn &wheat

Flowers: Sunflower, cyclamen, heather, hollyhock & medowsweet

Goddesses: Aine, Alphito, Bracacia, Carmen, Ceres, Damina, Demeter, Freya, Grain goddesses, Ishtar, Kait, Kore, Mother Goddess, Sul, Sun Goddesses, Taillte, Zaramama, Ereshkigal & Ianna

Gods: Athar, Bes, Bran, Dagon, Ebisu, Dumuzi, Ghanan, Grain Gods, Howtu, Liber, Lono, Lugh, Neper, Odin, Sun Gods & Xochipilli

Issues, Intentions & Power:  Agriculture, changes, divination, endings, fertility, life, light, manifestation, power, purpose, strength, success & unity

Spellwork: Sun magick, rituals of thanks/offerings, bounty, abundance & fire magick

Activities:

Bake fresh bread

Weave wheat

Take walks along bodies of water

Craft a corn doll

Watch the sunrise

Eat outside with family/friends/coven members

Donate to your local foodbank

Prepare a feast with your garden harvest

Give thanks to the Earth

Decorate your altar with symbols of the season

Clean up a space in nature

Plant saved seeds

This cross-quarter fire festival is celebrated on August 1st or the first full moon of Leo & the seventh sabbat of the year. It represents the first harvest when the Earth's bounty is given for the abundance received.

Some believe this is the time where the God has weakened & is losing his strength as seen in the waning of the day's light. The Goddess is pregnant with the young God who will be born on Yule.

In some traditions, this day honors the Celt god Lugh, the god of craftsmanship; He is skilled in many things including wheel making, blacksmithing & fighting. Though there is some discrepancy as to why Lugh is honored on this day. Some tales say it's because he held a harvest faire in honor of his adoptive mother, Tailtiu.



Sources;

Farmersalmanac .com

Boston Public Library- The Origins & Practices of Lammas/Lughnasadh by Dhruti Bhagat

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

[boasamishipper]

writing patterns

rules: share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns!

tagged by the lovely @apartmentsmoke 😘

“I’ll be honest,” Leon informs the rival mariachi bands in front of his bench, “the fact you all got out of that fight without any serious injuries to yourselves or the others in the subway car is pretty…maraca-less.” (from Contributory Negligence, the fourth fic in my Judge Leon 'verse)

Degas woke to the sound of Jasper Briggs shouting at the top of his lungs, which wasn’t unusual. (from won't shake me loose, a pre-canon Degas&Briggs story)

The first time Harry thinks about sleeping with Dan, there’s a blizzard pounding at the windows of his apartment—a blizzard that would have, if not for the fire department, trapped Harry and the others in the courthouse all night with nothing but rough blankets, Twinkies, and Billie’s camp counselor songs. (from Code of Conduct, Harry's POV of the beginning of Judicial Impropriety)

Right about now, Peter really wishes he’d listened to his wife and spent the weekend cozied up at home. (from No Grave Can Hold My Body Down, a 9-1-1 AU where Bobby wakes up with no memory except Athena's name and struggles to find his way home)

Looking at the dishes covering every inch of the dining table, it’s hard to believe that they were all made by the same woman who once couldn’t even scramble eggs. (from Sweetheart Deal, the third fic in my Judge Leon 'verse)

“Look here, darlin’—” (from you should've heard those knocked-out jailbirds sing, my Carole/Goose first meeting fic)

The Hard Deck was packed to the back teeth the first night of the new TOPGUN session, and Hangman felt good. (from Bullseye, my Coyote/Hangman first meeting fic)

In ‘96, Dan left the district attorney’s office for one of the most prestigious law firms in New York. (from Alternative Dispute Resolution, the second fic in my Judge Leon 'verse)

The first time Dan sleeps with Harry, it’s an accident—which Dan knows would get him laughed right out of the courtroom in the case of The People v. Fielding, but it’s the truth, hand on the Bible, so help him God. (from Judicial Impropriety, my Night Court S4 AU fic where Dan and Harry make a bet to see how long they can keep their relationship under wraps)

“For the last time, Ms. Moore, I don’t know a thing about the new judge—” (from Trial de Novo, in which Harry's former foster son Leon becomes the new night court judge and goes looking for Harry, only to find Dan Fielding - Harry's widower - instead. First fic in the Judge Leon 'verse)

well for one i start fics with dialogue a lot less often than i thought i did 😂 i tend towards longer sentences and aim to establish setting and pov right away (if not in the first sentence then over the first paragraph).

tagging @bornforastorm @lookforanewangle @maverickcalf @academicgangster and anyone else who wants to do this

[oneboxofmatches]

All You Need to Know About Matchups!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE WAITLIST

Hi y'all!

This account is solely for matchups for several different fandoms. That means requests for imagines, oneshots, headcanons, etc. will NOT be taken.

Here are some basic things to know about requesting a matchup!

Unless otherwise specified for a certain fandom, a request yields one romantic pairing AND one friendship pairing as well as information on why I think you work well with the individuals I choose. Of course, if you only wish to receive either just the romantic matchup or just the friendship matchup, just let me know!

You can request matchups for several different fandoms at once! For each fandom you request, I will match you up with one romantic partner and one friend unless you request differently.

You can ask to exclude any character(s)!

Where can I request a matchup?

Requests can be made in the MATCHUP REQUESTS/ASK ME ANYTHING tab.

What do I need to include in my request?

Required

Fandom(s)

Your gender and/or pronouns

Your sexual orientation and/or preferences

Description of personality

Optional (but definitely helps me out!)

Description of appearance

Hobbies

Personality alignment (Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, Hogwarts House, etc.)

What you would look for in a partner and/or friend

Any other information you think would be helpful – the more you provide, the more I can work with!

Now with that out of the way, onto the fandoms!

Listed directly below is a shortlist of all the fandoms I take requests for as well as some extra information as needed.

Disclaimers

If a title is in italics, it means that while I feel comfortable providing matchups for this show, I have not watched every season. If a character drastically changes after a certain point, I may not be aware. The last season I watched of these shows will be included in parentheses.

All movies/shows based on novels will most likely focus on the on-screen adaptations of characters.

SHOWS

The 100 (6)

Good Omens

The Good Place (3)

Lucifer (4)

On My Block

Parks and Recreation (4)

Prodigal Son (1)

Sherlock

Space Force

Supernatural (14)

The Walking Dead (8)

MOVIES

Clueless

The Greatest Showman

Harry Potter -- Unless specified in request, will entail 2 sets of matchups as a student (Golden Trio and Marauders eras respectively)

The Hunger Games

Marvel Cinematic Universe -- Unless age is specified, underage characters will NOT be available for romantic matchups

BROADWAY

Anastasia

Beetlejuice

Carrie (2012 Off-Broadway)

Hadestown

Hamilton

Les Misérables

The Phantom of the Opera

Six

VIDEO GAMES

Detroit: Become Human

Red Dead Redemption 2

What’s below the cut?

A masterlist of characters in each fandom that will be considered for each request (unless marked with an asterisk (*), all characters are assumed to be available for both romantic AND friendly matchups while names marked with an asterisk are only available for friendly matchups). Listed alphabetically by first name.

Don’t be afraid to tell me about a typo!

Any questions? Just want to talk? You can also use the  MATCHUP REQUESTS/ASK ME ANYTHING tab to get ahold of me!

SHOWS

Bellamy Blake

Clarke Griffin

Echo

Finn Collins

Harper McIntyre

Jasper Jordan

Johnathan “John” Murphy

Jordan Green

Lexa

Lincoln

Marcus Kane

Monty Green

Octavia Blake

Raven Reyes

Roan

Wells Jaha

Aziraphale

Anathema Device

Crowley

Newton Pulsifer

Mme. Tracy*

Witchfinder Sgt. Shadwell*

Chidi Anagonye

Eleanor Shellstrop

Jason Mendoza

Michael*

Tahani Al-Jamil

Amenadiel

Det. Chloe Decker

Det. Daniel “Dan” Espinoza

Ella Lopez

Eve

Dr. Linda Martin*

Lucifer Morningstar

Mazikeen “Maze”

Cesar Diaz

Jamal Turner

Jasmine Flores

Monsé Finnie

Oscar “Spooky” Diaz

Ruben “Ruby” Martinez Jr.

Andrew “Andy” Dwyer

Ann Perkins

April Ludgate

Benjamin “Ben” Wyatt

Christopher “Chris” Traeger

Donna Meagle*

Gerald “Jerry” Gergich*

Jean-Ralphio Saperstein*

Leslie Knope

Ronald “Ron” Swanson*

Ainsley Whitly

Det. Dani Powell

Edrisa Tanaka

Lt. Gil Arroyo

Det. James “JT” Tarmel

Jessica Whitly

Malcolm Bright

DI Greg Lestrade

Mrs. Hudson*

James “Jim” Moriarty

Dr. John Watson

Mary Morstan*

Molly Hooper

Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Dr. Adrian Mallory*

Capt. Angela Ali

Brig. Gen. Bradley Gregory*

Dr. Chan Kaifang

Duncan Tabner

Erin Naird

F. Tony Scarapiducci

Kelly King

Maggie Naird*

Gen. Mark Naird*

Abbie “Bela” Talbot*

Adam Milligan

Alex Jones

Balthazar

Benjamin “Benny” Lafitte

Castiel

Charlene “Charlie” Bradbury

Claire Novak

Crowley

Dean Winchester

Sheriff Donna Hanscum

Eileen Leahy

Ellen Harvelle*

Gabriel

Garth Fitzgerald IV

Jack Kline

Jessica “Jess” Moore*

Joanna “Jo” Harvelle

Sheriff Jody Mills*

John Winchester

Kaia Nieves

Kevin Tran

Lucifer

Meg Masters

Michael “Mick” Davies

Patience Turner

Robert “Bobby” Singer*

Rowena MacLeod

Rufus Turner*

Samuel “Sam” Winchester

Aaron

Abraham Ford

Andrea*

Beth Greene

Carl Grimes*

Carol Peletier*

Dale Horvath*

Daryl Dixon

Dwight

Enid*

Eugene Porter*

King Ezekiel*

Father Gabriel Stokes

Glenn Rhee

Hershel Greene*

Maggie Greene

Michonne

Morgan Jones*

Negan Smith

Paul “Jesus” Rovia

Rick Grimes

Rosita Espinosa

Sasha Williams

Tara Chambler

Tyreese Williams

MOVIES

Cher Horowitz

Dionne Davenport

Josh Lucas

Tai Frasier

Travis Birkenstock

Anne Wheeler

Charity Barnum

Jenny Lind

Lettie Lutz*

Phillip Carlyle

Phineas “P.T.” Barnum

W.D. Wheeler

Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody*

Albus Dumbledore*

Arthur Weasley*

Cedric Diggory

Cho Chang

Draco Malfoy

Fleur Delacour

Fred Weasley

George Weasley

Ginevra “Ginny” Weasley

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

James Potter

Lily Evans

Luna Lovegood

Minerva McGonagall*

Molly Weasley*

Neville Longbottom

Nymphadora Tonks*

Oliver Wood

Remus Lupin

Ronald “Ron” Weasley

Rubeus Hagrid*

Severus Snape

Sirius Black

Viktor Krum

Cinna

Effie Trinket*

Finnick Odair

Gale Hawthorne

Haymitch Abernathy*

Johanna Mason

Katniss Everdeen

Peeta Mellark

Anthony “Tony” Stark -- Iron Man

Dr. Bruce Banner -- Hulk

Carol Danvers -- Captain Marvel

Dr. Christine Palmer*

Clint Barton -- Hawkeye

Drax the Destroyer*

Edward “Ned” Leeds

Gamora

Groot*

Harold “Happy” Hogan*

Dr. Henry “Hank” Pym*\

Hope van Dyne -- Wasp

Sgt. James “Bucky” Barnes -- Winter Soldier

Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes -- War Machine

Loki Laufeyson

Luis*

Mantis*

Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Carter*

Cdr. Maria Hill*

May Parker*

Lord M’Baku

Michelle “MJ” Jones

Nakia

Natasha Romanoff -- Black Widow

Nebula*

Col. Nicholas “Nick” Fury*

Okoye

Peter Parker -- Spider-Man

Peter Quill -- Star-Lord

Agt. Phillip “Phil” Coulson*

Pietro Maximoff -- Quicksilver

Rocket*

Samuel “Sam” Wilson -- Falcon

Scott Lang -- Ant-Man

Shuri

Dr. Stephen Strange

Steven “Steve” Rogers -- Captain America

King T’Challa -- Black Panther

Thor Odinson

Valkyrie

Virginia “Pepper” Potts

Vision

Wanda Maximoff -- Scarlet Witch

W’Kabi

Wong*

Yelena Belova

Yondu Udonta*

BROADWAY

Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov

Dimitri Sudayev

Gleb Vaganov

Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch*

Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna*

Vladimir “Vlad” Popov*

Adam Maitland

Barbara Maitland

Beetlejuice*

Delia Schlimmer

Lydia Deetz*

Carrie White

Christine “Chris” Hargensen

Susan “Sue” Snell

Thomas “Tommy” Ross

Eurydice

Hades

Hermes*

Orpheus

Persephone

Aaron Burr

Alexander Hamilton

Angelica Schuyler

Elizabeth “Eliza” Schuyler

George Washington

Hercules Mulligan

James Madison

John Laurens

Margarita “Peggy” Schuyler

Maria Reynolds

Marquis de Lafayette

Philip Hamilton

Thomas Jefferson

Cosette

Enjolras

Éponine Thénardier

Fantine

Insp. Javert

Jean Valjean

Marius Pontmercy

Carlotta Giudicelli*

Christine Daaé

Erik “The Phantom”

Mme. Giry*

Meg Giry

Raoul de Chagny

Anna of Cleves

Anne Boleyn

Catherine of Aragon

Catherine Parr

Jane Seymour

Katherine Howard

VIDEO GAMES

Carl Manfred*

Chloe

Det. Chris Miller*

Connor

Elijah Kamski

Lt. Hank Anderson*

Capt. Jeffrey Fowler*

Josh

Kara

Leo Manfred

Lucy*

Luther

Markus

North

Rose Chapman*

Simon

Abigail Roberts

Arthur Morgan

Beau Gray*

Charles Smith

Daniël “Dutch” Van der Linde

Eagle Flies

Hosea Matthews*

Javier Escuella

Johnathan “John” Marston Sr.

Josiah Trelawny

Karen Jones

Kieran Duffy

Leonard “Lenny” Summers

Marion “Bill” Williamson

Mary-Beth Gaskill

Micah Bell

Molly O’Shea

Penelope Braithwaite*

Rev. Orville Swanson*

Sadie Adler

Sean MacGuire

Simon Pearson*

Tilly Jackson

[noirandchocolate]

‘We are also taking on our first troll.  Again, I am aware of the arguments.  However, the Chrysoprase family is paying for the new Alchemy laboratory and I have met the young troll in question.  He has an exuberant tendency to violence that only needs harnessing to practical purposes for him to become a valuable member of the Guild.’--Lord Downey

--Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs, “The Ankh-Morpork Archives” (illustration by Paul Kidby) (His name is Jasper ‘James’ Chrysoprase!)

[hell-on-training-wheels]

For the random questions meme, please? - 13, 17, 22, 58, 72, 99, 106, 107, 123, 124, 140, 143, 165 and 200

Hi anon! Thank you for the ask!

13: Favorite food to pig out on.

Most definitely pizza, but a number 2 contender belongs to a local hub called Sweet Caribou that makes the best French Macaroons.

17. Name/author of the last book you read cover to cover. Do you recommend it?

Well the last book I read was required reading. It was a CPA training manual. No I would not recommend. Twas’ boring.

22. Last show you binged watched?

My crochet friend Stephanie and I binged watched Worst Cooks in America. Its girl time I look forward to, watching tv, crocheting and drinking lots of wine.

58.Favorite YouTube Channel

H20Delirious. I love his antics and the shit talking he does with his friend Cartoonz when they are duking it out to MKX or MK11. Their Dead by Daylight vids are also fun.

72. Real or Fake Christmas Tree?

Both. I do love a fresh cut evergreen to make the season bright, but I hate needles so I also love my fake tree when I just can’t deal that year. :P

99. Favorite Costume you wore for Halloween?

I went dressed up as Anna from Frozen and volunteered at a booth at the Performance Arts Center giving out candy to kiddos. It just came out that year too so there were tons of little Elsas and it was so cute to see their faces light up like they just ran into the real Anna. I felt like a performer at Disneyland and it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

106. Favorite type of cookie.

Chocolate Chip. Yuuuuummm...

107. Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream. 

Strawberry with real chunks of strawberry in it. ^_^

123. Random boy’s name

Jasper. Cause I’m working on Shaolin Mom. Among two other projects.

124. Random girl’s name

Jacqui Briggs. Just got done writing a bit of dialogue for her.

140. Have you ever left a movie theater before the movie was done?

Yes. I went to a showing of Avenger’s by myself and the people behind me were so obnoxious that I couldn’t stand it anymore. Luckily, I had already seen the movie so I wasn’t too despondent about leaving. Still pretty annoyed, though.

143. Have you ever gotten a song you dislike stuck in your head?

More times than I can count anon. Last song I can recollect was probably ‘Mr. Mistofelees’ when I took a gander at a relatively unknown horror movie called ‘Cats’. Scarier than IT: Chapter 2 and Hereditary combined.

165. Name one item from your bucket list. 

Travel coast to coast by car across the U.S.

200. How long have you been on Tumblr?

Since 2015 I think. I forgot how to check lol.

Thanks for the ask!! *hugs*

[e350tb]

Jam Bomb 2: Monster AU

Whitechapel 1878

“Well the fellow is dead, that much we know.”

The constable knelt over the unfortunate corpse, his words a blunt statement of the obvious. The man had been mauled, his face a mess, and while that might have been attributed to an attack by a particularly vicious dog, the evidence painted a decidedly peculiar picture.

Connie Maheswaran gazed down at the fellow’s hand. A revolver was still clutched in the pale fingers, the faintest scent of cordite on the barrel. It was an American contraption - a ‘Peacemaker’ - which indicated that the man must have possessed some wealth. Yet there was no purse, no rings and no jewelry on his person.

He’d been robbed, or perhaps looted after death. This was a crime scene.

It was frustratingly difficult to convince anyone, though. The chief constable on the scene was already cheerfully writing it off as a ‘dog attack’ and would hear nothing to the contrary. He didn’t wish to be lectured by ‘a woman, and an Indian besides’ - even if she was a known consultant for the Metropolitan Police.

“The gun’s evidence, isn’t it?” asked Connie.

The constable shrugged.

“I suppose to,” he replied, “But DCI Briggs isn’t declaring it a crime scene, so you’re welcome to it.”

Connie nodded, carefully taking the gun in her gloved hands. She glanced around for any other identifying marks or objects - finding none, she stood up and began her walk back to the train. She’d need to study this object…

Connie placed the gun on the small table, just across from Steven. He scratched his chin, gingerly taking it in his hand.

“I don’t like guns,” he muttered.

“I know, Steven,” Connie replied sympathetically, “But I need you to focus on this. It could help us find the killer.”

Steven nodded, slowly closing his eyes, his face relaxing. Slowly, he extended his hand, and Connie gripped it.

The apartment melted away.

Steven and Connie were standing in a dark alleyway in Whitechapel - the crime scene. They spied a well-dressed man in a top hat, muttering to himself as he wandered down the street. He was stern-faced and bearded, a slight scar on his cheek. Connie could see a pink glow under his jacket - the revolver.

“I don’t see why we had to have the meeting in this accursed borough,” he muttered, and Connie detected a hint of a Southern accent on his voice, “White has a palace, does she not? I…”

“Excuse me, sir.”

The man turned. A pale figure emerged from fog - literally forming out of the ether as she entered the memory. She was tall and lithe with a prominent nose, and she smiled almost pleasantly.

“Gabriel Whittaker, is it?” she asked.

“I… yes, yes I am,” he replied.

“Formerly of the Army of Northern Virginia?”

The man nodded again.

“Yes, I rode with Lee,” he said wistfully, “And I’d do it again, if only to kill one Yankee more.”

“Nice man,” Connie muttered.

Steven swallowed and nodded.

“Hmm… very nice,” said the woman, her tone faintly sarcastic, “My name is Pearl. I am a member of the Crystal Gems.”

“Charming name,” Whittaker said, “What is it that you do?”

“We fight,” replied Pearl, “Specifically, we fight your friend White and her little gang.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Whittaker reached into his coat and pulled out his gun. The pink light from the illusion illuminated his face, a splash of colour in a grey world.

“That’s a secret society, ma’am,” he growled, “How do you know about it?”

“Do you mean to shoot me, Colonel Whittaker?” asked Pearl, her voice light and casual.

“In a heartbeat, if necessary.”

Pearl chuckled.

“Well then,” she said, “Go ahead.”

There was a loud bang. A bullet soared from the barrel of the Peacemaker, striking Pearl in the eye… and bouncing off.

Pearl grinned as Whittaker gazed at his pistol, his hand starting to shake. Frantically, the old Rebel cocked the hammer and fired once more, but again the bullet did nothing.

“That’s… nobody…”

“I am a creation of your friend White,” sneered Pearl, “Thankfully, I managed to liberate myself.”

She clapped her hands together - there was a slightly metallic clunk as she did so.

“Now, may I introduce you to my associate?” she asked, “Jasper?”

A second figure appeared from the ether - she was a towering, muscular woman, her body covered in… fur? She snarled down at Whittaker, her fists clenched.

“Do you remember me, Colonel?” she spat.

“What in God’s name… demon! You’re a demon!” screamed Whittaker.

“That’s not what you called me,” snarled Jasper, “Back before the War. Back in Atlanta…”

She grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up.

“But I’m free now,” she continued, “And I’ve been waiting a long time for this…”

Steven gasped, and the world faded away. Connie found herself back in her apartment - Steven was doubled over, breathing heavily, the gun dropped on the table.

“Steven!”

Connie hurried over, putting her hands on his shoulders and gently shaking them.

“We’re here!” she urged, “We’re back in our apartment! It’s okay!”

Steven took a deep breath.

“Sorry,” he said, “I had to… I was feeling his thoughts, and… they felt like they were mine.”

He swallowed.

“It’s hard to comprehend,” he admitted, “There’s a… a lot of bad people in this world.”

“Well, that’s why we stick together, right?” asked Connie, “To help each other deal with them. It’s okay, they weren’t your feelings. I know you’re not like that.”

Slowly, Steven smiled.

“Yeah,” he said, “Exactly. Besides, I… I didn’t wanna see…”

“We didn’t need to,” Connie reassured him, “We got everything we need. We know how he died, we didn’t have to see it.”

She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek.

“Okay,” she said, standing up, “We know he’s Colonel Gabriel Whittaker. We know he was killed by a group called the Crystal Gems. That’s a start - we can work with this.”

“One of them had turned into a monster,” added Steven, “Is there anyone you know who we can ask about that?”

“There is someone,” replied Connie, “Works as a consultant for the police sometimes. Does a lot of research into this - Dr. Henry Jekyll. That’s where we’ll start…”

(@jam-bomb)

[saltyfilmmajor]

@boasamishipper and I learned about Tarzan Davis’ character name in Mission Impossible today

[sugaurora]

NaNoWriMo - Can We Be Honest For a Second?

You are only doing NaNo for one of three reasons:

You need to get into a daily writing habit and writing 1666 words a day for a month is a good way of developing that habit.

You need to get a big chunk of writing done in a hurry and 50,000 words in a month ain't a full novel for most genres, but it ain't too shabby either.

Your friends are threatening to steal your fuzzy socks and your chocolate stash if you don't join.

See, the 50,000 words you get when you win NaNoWriMo aren't the prize, they're the byproduct. Winning NaNoWriMo means spending the month of November turning yourself into a better writer. And I want to help you be a winner.

There are pages and pages of writing advice on the internet. You could read books on writing, and nuance, and metaphor. If you're lucky you'll spend your entire life reading great books and learning from other authors, but no amount of learning is going to help you get off the starting block and to writing a book unless you know where to start. So that's what this post is about: how to prep for NaNoWriMo.

Mid-October you need to set aside a day for NaNoWriMo planning. You're going to be doing your research, basic plotting, and some very simple outlining. If you're a Plotter who needs to have all the details written down, fine, add more. If you're a Pantster (like me!) you'll find this method isn't overwhelming and leaves lots of room for improvisation. Once you've got your date set grab something to make notes on and give yourself five hours to work... and yes it's perfectly fine to do this in fifteen-minute increments over the month of October. You're busy, and that's normal. :)

Step 1: Write the elevator pitch for your novel.

Don't get hung up on finding an original plot or the perfect pitch right now. Just pick an idea that tickles your imagination and run with it. The fact that you are writing it will make it unique. Every person is different, and so is every story!

In two sentences or less write what you're going to write your book about. It doesn't need to be perfect, you just need to verbalize it somehow.

If you don't know what to write about look for inspiration in art work, online story prompts, the NaNoWriMo Adopt A Plot forum, or on Tumblr where the Out Of Context D&D people give anyone with a pulse an urge to write fantasy.

Can't decide on just one plot? No problem! Plan them all out. Start writing whichever catches your fancy in November and write the others next year.

Step 2: Use the Dime Novel Formula

This is 100% stolen from the author of the Doc Savage novels Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent) and he deserves full credit. Partial credit goes to British author Tim Dedopulos who wrote a NaNoWriMo post in 2010 entitled How To Write A Novel In Three Days. We're using a modified version of his method....

Lester Dent said every good novel needed four things:

A new way to kill someone

A new thing for the villain to want

A new place

A menace that threatens your hero at every turn.

Write down your four things.

Step 3: You Need Four Plot Twists

No one likes a book where they can guess the ending on page one. It's boring. Plot twists set in the right place along the course of the book will give your reader a wild ride that keeps them reading long past bedtime. Plan on at least four plot twists.

Plot twist #1 comes in the first quarter of the book. "You're a wizard, Harry." "I found a wardrobe that leads to a kingdom of snow and my brother ate the evil queen's Turkish Delight!" etc. You get the idea.

Plot Twist #2 comes about 40% of the way through the book, this one's the gut punch. The hero loses something, they're betrayed, something horrible happens and at all cost, you must leave the readers thinking there is no way your hero can ever find a happy ending after this. If you're George R. R. R. Martin this is where you kill [spoiler redacted], you soulless fiend.

Plot Twist #3 comes at the climax of the story, when the fate of the universe hangs by a thread, and then suddenly PLOT TWIST! something amazing happens. Harry comes back from the dead. Loki really didn't kill Thor. Mulan shoots Shan Yu with a firework and the Emperor bows to her.

Plot Twist #4... and I know you're scratching your head here... this one comes in the last pages of the book. The villain confesses they did it all for the love of the hero, the hero pulls the sword from the stone and finds out it's plastic, the long-lost princess realizes she rescued the wrong kingdom! This is the very final twist that keeps the book alive after the last page is turned. It may seem diabolic, especially if you're not writing a series, but it lets the reader believe the characters will live on and have more adventures even after the book ends, and that's important.

Step 4: You Need Three Villains

Early in my writing career, I wrote several novels that were great except the pacing and tension seemed almost nonexistent. It wasn't until I wrote a book with a well fleshed out villain that I realized my early novels suffered from a lack of antagonist. Save yourself some tears and define your villains up front.

Who is your Primary Antagonist? This is the villain that shows up one page one and gives our hero grief but who may not be a villain all along. If you're writing an Enemies-To-Lovers romance this antagonist will wind up being a hero in the end.

Who is your Second Antagonist? The Middle Villain is the one who comes in the center of the book (hence the name) and who the hero didn't see as a problem beforehand. Either this antagonist was a friend before and betrayed the hero, or they become a villain because of the hero's actions in achieving the first quest of the book. This antagonist carries a lot of weight and deals the hero the most setbacks. They're the one that drives the hero to the moment of despair and strips them of everything (which is why a betrayer makes such a good second villain). While dealing with the second antagonist the hero stumbles into a realization of who the bigger villain is. If you're writing a series with One Big Villain driving the series (think Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews or Star Wars where the Emperor is the Big Bad) you'll have the hero defeat a series of Middle Villains in each book and only face The One Big Bad in the final book. If you're writing a series driven by Hero's Choice this second villain will bounce between being a villain and being a temporary ally (think the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs or Star Trek where Romulans and Klingons are sometimes enemies and sometimes friends). The other series option is the No Hero series like Game of Thrones where everyone is an antagonist and a protagonist in their own mind.

Who is the Third Antagonist? The Big Bad, the villain whose presence is felt but unknown throughout the book. In a series, you may not see this person until the end of the series. The best part about this kind of antagonist is it invites readers to reread so they can catch the earlier clues. You really can save this villain for the very end, or at least the last 1/3 of the book. They usually appear around the hero's Moment Of Despair, when the hero has lost all hope, friends, support, and belief in themself. This is the villain that defines the hero. Because the hero looks up from the mud and blood and despair and says, "I cannot let you do this. I cannot let you win even if I lose everything." The decision to fight this villain when all hope is lost, at great personal sacrifice, is what makes an ordinary person a hero. And because the hero is coming from such a low point, beaten and fragile, their victory is all the more sweet in the end.

Whew! Got all that? Okay. Good. Take a breather because the next section is there we're going to tackle the nitty gritty. You ready?

Step 5: Building The World

Do you know what derails the most NaNoWriMo novelists? The research. They pause to look up a name, or find a place to set a scene, and then they're lost down the rabbit hole of research and you find them wandering bookstores in mid-January wondering why people are hanging Valentine's Day decorations. It's sad, really. And you, smarty that you are, are going to dodge that bullet by naming everything right now!

Make a list of 25 female names and 25 male names for your book. You can do it by culture or race if you need to, but get it done before November 1st. And, remember, if you hate the name November 15th you can change it in edits. That's why we have the Search-Replace function.

Make a list of all the modes of transport in your book. If you have spaceships or sailing vessels make a list of names for them too. Ten minimum. More is better. Pick a theme if you're having trouble, like naming all the ships in your fleet after minerals: Jasper, Feldspar, Malachite...

Make a list of all the places you might set a scene. Name the cafes, name the fields, name the forests, name the nebulas, name the schools, name the rooms. You may not use them all but they'll be there if you need them.

Make a list of all your props: weapons, clothes, whatever will be on stage goes right here. If it helps, pretend you're planning a play. Picture what you might need. And feel free to add more when you start writing. These lists are guidelines only, you can use them or lose them to your heart's content.

Step 6: The Setting Thesaurus

This is going to take a bit of time, so plan ahead. What you need to do here is follow the excellent example set by Becca and Angela and make a thesaurus for all the scenes.

Honestly, this is more for the Plotters who need to know everything. Pantsters, write five or six key words to describe each place, one for each major sense. If you have more or have something you really want to see in that place, scribble it down.

Bookmark the Emotion Thesaurus and Setting Thesaurus in case of emergencies in November.

Step 7: Time For The Math

NaNoWriMo is meant to be thirty days of steady writing, but let's be realistic, unless you're life is perfect you won't be writing all thirty days. Look at your calendar right now and decide how many days you can write. For me is about 24 days in November. I take weekends off to spend time with my kids and I'll be too busy cooking on Thanksgiving to write.

Grab a calculator. Divide 50,000 by the number of days you have to write. This number is your target word count if you want to have 50,000 words at the end of the month.

50,000 isn't a full novel for adult genres and most YA. If you really want a novel in a month you need to do that math with 75,000 words. I'm sorry.

Curse yourself. Cry. Google WRITE OR DIE. Thank the creators of WRITE OR DIE for all they have done for you. Bookmark WRITE OR DIE. Tell your family and friends you love them, and then go buy some note cards.

Step 8: The Dread Outline

This trick I actually picked up from a fellow Critique Circle writer my first year participating in NANOWRIMO. She said she spent Halloween night handing out candy and writing scenes on a note card. One card per writing day with all the scenes she needed to write.

Let's pretend you have 25 writing days in November and you want 50,000 words. That's 2000 words on each of your writing days, or one scene per day.  

Pick out 25 cards and write one or two sentences describing a scene you want to write on each card.

Put a small sticker or check mark on Plot Twist days and mark the days on your calendar. You'll probably be writing a plot twist on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th of November.

Rearrange, discard, or rewrite anything that doesn't seem to make sense.

REMEMBER! This is only the rough draft. It's meant to be rough. You are aiming to write something ugly. Everything will be smoothed and polished in edits. These cards can be changed at any time, they're really here to be your countdown clock to victory. No panicking allowed.

Step 9: Write Like A Pro

Can I share a teeny tiny little secret with you? There's not an author alive who knows what they're doing. That blank page is just as blank for you as it is for your favorite author. Every person is unique. Every person will write differently and in different ways. There is no wrong way to be an author.

Sit down.

Write.

All the planning you did, that's there for reference. All those lists and names and plot twists were written down so your subconscious could have time to play with the ideas and present you with the scenes when it's time to write. On November 1st all you have to do is show up and write.

If you get stuck, check your notes.

If you go running down a new avenue just make sure to connect with your plot twist.

Never abandon your villains, they're what makes your hero a hero.

Write.

Keep writing.

Don't give up.

Have fun.

Source

[anunkindncss]

Meet The Character: Jasper.

Name: Jasper Rechter Age: 29 (326) Species: Hellhound Gender: Cis-Male Sexuality: Pansexual Briggs Myers Personality: ENTP

Jasper is the first person to tell someone, politely, to piss off. Living all this time has granted him a quite jaded personality, a temper to match, and often times, a lack of patience for anyone and anything that doesn't fit into his game plan. He's gruff, he's large, and on occasion, he can be warm but only under the proper conditions. Someone has to not piss him off for a whole day, he has to be working a client he enjoys, and he has to have time to himself. Seldom do these three things occur.

[aion-rsa]

Mortal Kombat Trailer Breakdown and Analysis

https://ift.tt/3ubtHRU

It’s taken 24 years, but we’re finally getting a new live-action Mortal Kombat movie. The R-rated reboot is set to come out in April, but outside of some casting news, a few recent stills, and a very brief appearance in a HBO Max ad, and some character posters, Warner Bros. has kept a lid on the movie.

Fortunately, we finally have a trailer to dissect, and it’s quite the ride. Action-packed, dark as hell, and seemingly very faithful to the original games, the Simon McQuoid-directed movie seems on the right track..

Give the trailer a look below:

Watch Sub-Zero literally (cold)snap Jax’s arms off in the first official trailer for Mortal Kombat. pic.twitter.com/x8cnrptYgT

— IGN (@IGN) February 18, 2021

There are quite a few story hints, easter eggs, and nods to the games in this short trailer. Before we share our findings and try to figure out what it might all mean, we need to start with the big question…

WHO IS COLE YOUNG?

Lewis Tan plays Cole Young, who appears to be the protagonist of this movie. At the very least, he appears to be our POV character, as opposed to Liu Kang or Sonya. So what does this trailer tell us about him? Cole apparently has a birthmark shaped like the Mortal Kombat dragon logo. He also has a younger sister named Emily (Matilda Kimber).

But really, who is he?

There’s always the chance that Cole is really just a new character, but it’s just as likely that he’s a familiar Mortal Kombat character. Kind of like how Agents of SHIELD had the character Skye around for a season and a half before revealing her to be the existing comic character Quake.

One of the popular theories is that he’s Johnny Cage. Since this movie is most heavily inspired by the first game, Johnny Cage’s absence in this movie is notable. He’s the only guy on the first game’s roster that the movie seems to be ignoring. With Cole Young, the movie could be forgoing the comedic aspects of Cage’s quest and getting rid of the nonsensical “gain public notoriety by winning a super secret tournament that nobody’s ever heard of” storyline, which seems like a smart move.

Besides, Cole’s tattoo seems to suggest that he’s a “chosen one,” and the most recent games have doubled down on Cage being special, too. Turns out his ancestors were Mediterranean warriors bred and trained to kill gods.

The other big possibility is that Cole is actually Kuai Liang, the younger brother of Sub-Zero, who is featured heavily in this trailer. In Mortal Kombat lore, there are two Sub-Zeros, the villain Bi-Han and the hero Kuai Liang. After Bi-Han dies in the first game, Kuai Liang takes his place.

Revealing that Cole is in fact Sub-Zero’s good guy brother and can perform all of his awesome ice attacks would be a fun third act reveal.

Plus it would explain why he appears to be haunted by Scorpion’s demonic visage.

Then again, maybe Cole is someone lame like Taven. It would almost make sense if he were Rain. Almost.

SUB-ZERO

Joe Taslim is Bi-Han, the first Sub-Zero. The trailer puts a ton of emphasis on him despite Sub-Zero being more of a henchman villain when he isn’t being depicted as an antihero. What’s great about this movie is that it’s using bits from the modern games for inspirations. Instead of just throwing ice balls and making frozen puddles, this Sub-Zero is able to weaponize his surroundings. Just look at the way he’s able to create a wall of frozen ice and throw Scorpion through it, or the way he freezes Scorpion’s blood and turns it into a dagger.

There’s an interesting shot in the trailer of Sub-Zero walking out of a dark, smoky portal. At first I thought this was supposed to be Smoke, but it’s very possible that it’s Bi-Han’s post-death form, Noob Saibot.

SCORPION

Hiroyuki Sanada is Hanzo Hasashi, the ninja warrior fated to die and return as the specter Scorpion. Prior to becoming an undead warrior, we do get to see him wiping out a bunch of idiot invaders with his trademark kunai.

We see more of him later, wearing an outfit closely resembling his Mortal Kombat 11 look, complete with an aura of Hellfire. More importantly, it appears we’ll finally get that cinematic Scorpion vs. Sub-Zero fight we’ve been wanting for decades.

“Slaves under my control,” my ass.

LIU KANG

Ludi Lin is Liu Kang, the hero of Mortal Kombat. At some point, the people behind the games realized that Liu Kang had become a pretty bland protagonist and shunted him to the sidelines. Even the recent Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge made a big deal about him being the chosen one, but also kept him in Scorpion’s shadow.

That leaves us wondering how much he’ll get to do in this movie. He was fine in the original film, but if Cole Young is the main character, what does that mean for Liu? Who is going to watch who save the world?

Regardless, we get to see Liu show off his fire powers. This includes summoning a giant, flaming dragon. Definitely a step up from the awful CGI of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

KANO

Josh Lawson is Kano, playing up Trevor Goddard’s previous take on the character as much as humanly possible. Kano has his cybernetic eye, including the laser, but it’s less overt, hidden by a bit of skin grafting.

Read more

Movies

How the Mortal Kombat Movie’s Main Character Renews the Franchise

By Joseph Baxter

Games

Mortal Kombat Characters Ranked

By Gavin Jasper

Kano’s appearance overall is interesting. Based on what we see in the trailer, it seems very likely that he’s an ally who betrays the rest of the heroes. He travels around with them, but we also see Sonya take him down and Kung Lao deflect the eye laser, so the timeline of events is unclear.

He also gets to take out what appears to be Reptile with his classic heart rip Fatality.

JAX

Mehcad Brooks is Jackson “Jax” Briggs, who unfortunately ran into Sub-Zero during a mission years before the events of the movie. Jax got his arms shattered in that fight, but he tends to lose his arms quite often so no biggie.

As expected, he gets cool metal arms as replacements. He’s shown later in the trailer preparing for his head-clap Fatality against some goon in armor. I give you fifty/fifty odds it’s an established character that nobody likes like Hotaru or Dairou.

SONYA BLADE

Jessica McNamee is Sonya Blade, and while she’s seen guiding Cole a bit early on, she doesn’t appear to do too much else in the trailer. We do see her very briefly fight with Mileena in the final moments in the trailer. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cut, she appears to blow off a huge chunk of Mileena’s midsection using her laser gauntlets. Nasty.

KUNG LAO

Finally, Kung Lao makes his movie debut and is played by Max Huang. All he does in the trailer is identify himself and deflect Kano’s laser with his hat, and that’s about it.

In the games, Kung Lao is the descendant and reincarnation of the Great Kung Lao who defended Earthrealm in Mortal Kombat until being killed by Goro. He’s Liu Kang’s best friend, but is also jealous that Liu is the hero when the glory really should go to the original hero’s descendant.

GORO

Goro only appears for a second, leaping at an unknown opponent wearing what appears to be gold armor for a shirt. Goro was the initial selling point of Mortal Kombat as the returning champion and penultimate boss. Hopefully, this shot pertains to a real fight in the movie and not, say, a flashback to a tournament from centuries earlier.

MILEENA

Sisi Stringer appears as Mileena, Shao Kahn’s beloved daughter figure, personal assassin, and the deranged clone of Kitana. What’s interesting about her appearance in the trailer is that there’s been no mention of Kitana nor Baraka in this movie. Mileena is a spinoff/hybrid of the two, so seeing her appear on her own is surprising.

Her design is pretty reined in here. Gone is the character’s usual giant piranha mouth.

RAIDEN

Tadanobu Asano is Raiden, who doesn’t do anything other than stand around and look cool. At least we see him staring down Shang Tsung, suggesting that his role isn’t to compete in the tournament,but to mentor the heroes and keep Shang from abusing his authority.

SHANG TSUNG

Chin Han is Shang Tsung, who doesn’t have much going on here either, but we do get confirmation that Sub-Zero and Mileena work for him.

SHAO KAHN

Much like the first Mortal Kombat game, Shao Kahn, the emperor of Outworld, seems to be off the table in this movie. He’ll likely be mentioned or referenced at some point, but it’ll likely be in the form of the statue we see in the trailer.

The statue very closely resembles his Mortal Kombat 11 look. In fact, it’s like he walked straight out of the game…or off the side of your cool uncle’s van.

REPTILE

There are a couple of shots of what appears to be Reptile. Instead of going with the ninja version of the character, the movie depicts him as the two-legged lizard creature from Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.

Not only does he get his heart torn out by Kano, but he’s also turning invisible at one point. Better than the CGI mess from the ’90s at least.

TOURNAMENT LORE

The movie seems to be connecting the wacky birthmark with the existence of the Mortal Kombat tournament, which is odd. What is cool is this painting, which appears to depict the Great Kung Lao after kicking Shang Tsung’s magical ass in the tournament finals.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

They should totally make a live-action TV show about that era, and kill off all the good guys in the final episode before getting cancelled. That would be cool.

Mortal Kombat is out on April 16 on HBO Max.

The post Mortal Kombat Trailer Breakdown and Analysis appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3beETVk

[miduhadi]

Department 19: The Rising by Will Hill

Several things about this book annoyed the heck outta me, including:

I have begun to detest Jamie who is a Mary Sue if there ever was one!

Talbot stared at Jamie, admiration on his face. “Bravo”, he said. “There are men and women a lot older than you who fail to understand that. You’re absolutely right…”

He is the youngest this and the smartest that while also being the best at everything! Oh, and he actually left his female friends behind because he “couldn’t bear if anything happened to you”. One of them is a vampire with superstrength and other powers. Both of them are members of a covert organization that keeps the supes under check. They are at least as old as Jamie is.

The worst part: they let him They understood he was just worried about them. Needlessly worried but Jamie’s just so sweet, y’know? Ugh!

There are at least two instances of a character who looked as if about to say something but “then the door rolled shut with a loud thunk.

Every development was repeated endlessly. If one character found out about it, they’d tell the others and we’d be there for every conversation!

We are almost 65% into the story and a new character who is supposed to be dead shows up. And I am not even talking about the other character who also died in the first book and showed up in this one alive. At least, that guy had the decency to arrive right from the start!

We also spend a lot of time learning about people who have nothing to add to the story. Seemed like filler so the book would swell up to 560+ pages.

So yeah, bad experience! Read my review of the first book here.

  The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

During my second visit to Discworld, I discovered the following to be true:

Luggage is my favorite character:

“The Luggage said nothing, but louder this time.” 

And then there is all the Pratchett-ness to love and laugh at:

“It looked like the sort of book described in library catalogues as ‘slightly foxed’, although it would be more honest to admit that it looked as though it had been badgered, wolved and possibly beared as well.” 

    A big part of that is because he can poke fun at almost anything. Have a look at his disregard for the Asgardian deities:

In fact the Gods were as puzzled by all this as the wizards were, but they were powerless to do anything and in any case were engaged in an eons-old battle with the Ice Giants, who had refused to return the lawnmower.

Also, I finally figured out that I am Twoflower. Evidence:

It’s not that he doesn’t appreciate beauty, he just appreciates it in his own way. I mean, if a poet sees a daffodil he stares at it and writes a long poem about it, but Twoflower wanders off to find a book on botany.

That Rincewind will stay true to his character. Even when he has a chance to be less cowardly, he does the expected…or the unexpected!

A fun book and quickly finished.

  The Dinosaur Knights by Victor Milán

One of the complaints that I had after reading the first book:

Insufficient dino-action. Yeah, that complaint wasn’t remotely true for this one. Epic dino-battles shook the world like literally!

A quote that stayed with me:

Through the trees on the far heights emerged a colossal silvery-grey shape. Even the Companions gaped: it was a Tirán Rey, a bull Tyrannosaurus rex, most feared of all Aphrodite Terra’s dinosaurs. Even at this range Jaume could see the monster dwarfed Falk’s albino adolescent Snowflake. “Beautiful,” murmured Rupp. “He must weigh seven tonnes!” Jaume found a smile inside himself. “You shame us, my friend, finding Beauty where even we find only terror.”

The other complaints, such as the princess being a pain in the butt, remained as they were. In fact, she was even more of a pain in this one. She is improving but her getting her friends killed in every scene can get tiresome!

We finally get to see the Grey Angels in action and it is pretty much horrifying what they can do. I loved every bit of it!

I wanted to rush in to read the next book in the series immediately but found out that the author recently passed away.  Sad sad news but it made me want to save the last book to read later. Because there will be no more Game of Thrones and Jurassic Park hybrids for us!

  Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

Thursday Next steals people’s hearts and I am no exception. She gets into all sorts of literary trouble but handles it in a no-nonsense way. She is into solving problems and not whining. Next also isn’t afraid to ask for help or doesn’t judge people by their looks, species, gender, or whether they are real or not. I like her; it is likely that you will too!

Plus, the humor in this series is decidely Douglas Adams-ish! Next named her son Friday Next. Has a pet dodo whose son is a hooligan and doesn’t have the decency to go Plock. He goes Plick just to be contrary! This book also had cameos by the Cheshire Cat, Hamlet, and many other literary darlings.

  Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones

I was reading reviews for this book on GR and people seem to think it was dull, cheesy, and repetitive. I don’t get how it can take them 8 books to realize that! Since I will be reading it anyway, why bitch?

  Endurance by Jay Lake

I wonder how I ever got along with the protag from this series — well enough to have completed the first book! She is annoying, reckless, rude, manipulative, and as if that wasn’t enough, she also thinks she is better than everybody else! Should I explain it all away by saying that is how teenagers are? I don’t think I should!

There were other issues that made this a difficult read, such as the copious amount of foreshadowing. If only she had known…if only she had done that…and so on! Aptly placed and lightly done foreshadowing is always welcome but this book didn’t have it.

The only part that made me laugh:

though five centuries past this had been the very pinnacle of architectural taste in Copper Downs. A good education never went to waste. If I did die here, at least I would have the comfort of knowing I’d passed on amid high style.

The only part that stayed with me:

I wondered how it had been for the miners, back in the morning of the world. Had they broken open the crust of the world only to find a population of haunts and legends already awaiting them? Or had they brought their fears with them on first creating the Below?

Some readers might like the endless descriptions of everything that was around the protag at any given time but I didn’t!

So, there. If I do read the next one in the series, I wouldn’t be reviewing it.

  Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

An okayish installment since I wasn’t too worried about anything bad happening. After the horror stories we were told about Underhill, a visit to the place didn’t have that intensity or scariness.

Then there is the Walking Stick. I think the author got that it was turning into a deus ex machina and got rid of it — even if it took her the whole book to do that!

And, of course, Mercy didn’t shift. Not even once.

The good things about this one:

No Stefan. I have no idea why he was even introduced in the series

2. Adam finally realized what his pack had been doing to Mercy since like forever. I mean what he did next was the worst thing he could have done but at least, he opened his eyes.

3. A Doctor WHO reference!

4. The scary-ass little not-really-human but not-fae-either kid that the pack had to provide shelter to! He broke my heart by being so broken.

I hope the next installment is more exciting!

  Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman

The book refers to a backstory that I read and reviewed before. You will find the review here.

  The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

Something about this series makes me think not-YA. It could be that the main characters are struggling with darkness and the struggle is real. Whatever it is, while the story failed to wow me — and I could see the major reveal coming from a mile away —, I still liked the book.

So, this is what I did in February. What have you been doing?

February — A Wrap Up Department 19: The Rising by Will Hill Several things about this book annoyed the heck outta me, including:

[tarushipping]

FAVS LIST

Here's my list of characters I absolutely love and definitely selfship with. Complete with short descriptions, insert reference links, and ship names! I've had a long history of fictional others, but I’ll try to keep this pretty up to date and loosely in favorite order. There's some that aren't exactly on this list, so feel free to ask if you think I might ship with a character or if there's a character you think I may fall for (one can never have enough fictional loves).

CANON CHARACTERS

Ignis Scientia (Final Fantasy XV) Spoonful of Sugar || Of course Ignis is an amazing cook, but can definitely be a bit of a stiff sometimes. Just add a little sweet sugar from me, and you've got a ‘new recipeh’. (Is this a wonderfully corny description or what? I'm very proud of it.)

Trafalgar D. Water Law (One Piece) Stealing Hearts || When Law helps me escape from G-5 on Punk Hazard, we make a deal and he takes my heart as insurance. After I steal his heart back for him, we trade-a poetic start for the beginning of our (questionably) professional relationship.

Iruma Juto (Hypnosis Mic) Bunny Bumps || Iruma Juto, aka 45rabbit, and I, aka B.Bunny, meet when the USA division I’m part of (Forest Fire) come to Japan to visit/escape for a while and decide to help out the fighting divisions. But of course, you know what rabbits do when they get together...

Ogata Hyakunosuke (Golden Kamuy) Wounded Animals || When I find Ogata bleeding out in the forest outside my house, I nurse him back to health and realize I’ve brought in a wild animal. When he thinks he can use me to get to my father’s Abashiri prison tattoo, things change quick when he realizes I’m not the defenseless prey I seem to be...

Buccaneer ( Full Metal Alchemist ) Tough Love || Life is tough at Briggs Fort, but so am I. I’m determined to become stronger for my newfound comrades and family. The only one I’m harder on than myself is my captain, Buccaneer, but that’s only because I’ll never admit how much I really care for him...

Karamatsu Matsuno (Osomatsu-san) Leather and Lace || Leather and Lace comes from Karamatsu’s leather aesthetic and my lace aesthetic. He wears black leather skull jackets and sparkling jeans while I wear floral print dresses and lacy shorts. Together we’re a wonderfully fashionable and embarrassing couple.

Genji Shimada (Overwatch) Komorebi || ‘Komorebi’ is a Japanese expression that roughly translates to the ‘sunshine filtering through foliage’. As Genji helps me cope with my new nature-like abilities, we both find a new sort of peacefulness in each other as we meditate under trees.

Pearl (Steven Universe)

Ren Jinguji (Uta no Princesama) Love That Burns || Ren loves passionately and freely, if what the rumors say are true. So when when him and I are paired together for a Shining Agency duet project, I keep a professional distance. But as the we work together, I worry more about my growing feelings and if the love he offers is true or just another love that’ll burn.

Camus (Uta no Princesama) A Bittersweet Facade || At first glance, Camus’s butler persona and my rich girl persona seem to be a match made in heaven when we’re paired together for a Shining Agency duet project. In reality, our true selves are the complete opposite. Over our mutual love of sweets, we slowly discover who each other truly are.

Rupert Giles (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Frayed Pages || Giles’ expertise lays inside old texts, while mines is in writing them. Although we fit together perfectly, old scars and tired memories keep us apart until we finally confide in each other. Sir Nighteye (Boku no Hero Academia) In a Moment || Nighteye’s life is absolutely ruled by the future and my life is haunted by the past. But in a moment, everything can change. In one moment, we meet in the present and it changes everything.

Loki Laufeyson (Marvel Cineverse) Little White Lies || The God of Mischief is no stranger to deception, a stark difference to myself that’s suddenly forced to be his traveling companion in the galaxy. As time goes on though, the line between ‘truth’ and ‘lies’ become blurred.

Wesley Wyndam-Price (Angel the Series) A Faithful Dog || Being a werewolf, ‘dog’ is a nickname that’s thrown around a lot while I work at Angel Investigations. Incredibly thankful to have finally found a home, I’m extremely loyal to them-but there’s one man I’m more faithful to above anyone else.

Moira (Overwatch)

PLATONIC FAVS

Zenyatta (Overwatch)

Prompto (FFXV)

Osomatsu (Osomatsu-san)

Choromatsu (Osomatsu-san)

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS

Jiahao Lin ( @emmshipping ‘s character)

Waste Away || 

HyeonJeong Bae (“Jae” - murder boi universe) Love on Drugs || I come to Jae as a patient after him offering his clinical services for very cheap, but soon it becomes hard to tell if it's love between us or if it's the experimental drugs. Ashtar (“Ash”) & Ezekiel (@emmshipping’s characters / demon and angels universe)

Corinth (cubi universe)

Taymir (cubi universe)

Jasper (cubi universe)

Marideas (“Mari” - cubi universe)

Andreas (cubi universe)

[tellusepisode]

Notorious (2009)

Biography, Crime, Drama |

Notorious is a American biographical drama film directed by George Tillman Jr. about American rapper Christopher Wallace / The Notorious B.I.G., following his life and murder. The film stars Jamal Woolard as Wallace, alongside Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, and Anthony Mackie. Woolard reprised his role as Wallace in All Eyez on Me (2017).

The film opens at a party in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997. Just as The Notorious B.I.G. is about to be killed in a shooting, the film flashes back to Biggie’s childhood in Brooklyn, New York, where he lived during his childhood years as a hard-working school student before he begins dealing drugs. Christopher, now older, sells drugs at the height of the crack epidemic, hustling with his friends “D-Roc” and Lil’ Cease.

When his girlfriend, Jan Jackson, tells him that she is pregnant, he takes drug dealing more seriously so he can earn more money to support his growing family. Christopher eventually participates in a rap battle, where he wins, but his mother, Voletta Wallace, kicks him out of the house after finding drugs underneath his bed and also because of the fact letters were sent home about him not attending school.

Chris gets caught with guns and drugs, and he serves nine months in jail before being bailed out. Christopher meets Kim Jones, but Kim refuses to pursue a relationship with him due to her abusive past. After reconciling with his mother and visiting his newborn daughter, T’yanna, he records a demo under the name “Biggie Smalls”, which catches the attention of Puff, an ambitious record producer working for Uptown.

Director: George Tillman Jr.

Writers: Reggie Rock Bythewood, Cheo Hodari Coker

Stars: Jamal Woolard, Anthony Mackie, Derek Luke, Tupac Shakur, Faith Evans, Naturi Naughton, Christopher Jordan Wallace

►Cast:

Jamal Woolard…Christopher ‘Biggie’ WallaceMomo Dione…Record Executive at PartyDerek Luke…Sean ‘Puffy’ CombsDennis L.A. White…DamionMarc John Jefferies…CeaseMenyone DeVeaux…Hot Girl #1Christopher Jordan Wallace…Biggie (Age 8-13)Ricky Smith…WallyAmanda Christopher…KeishaAngela Bassett…Voletta WallaceJasper Briggs…Damion (Age 8-13)Cyrus Farmer…SelwynDavid Costabile…Mr. WebberJulia Pace Mitchell…JanRed Café…Primo (as Jermaine Denny)Naquon ‘Nino Brown’ Jackson…Nino BrownNaturi Naughton…Lil’ KimAunjanue Ellis…SandyJason Croasdaile…Security ThugValence Thomas…50 GrandEdwin Freeman…Mister CeeKevin Phillips…MarkJohn Ventimiglia…Detective FarelliCimone Campbell…Cute Girl AssistantDuane Nakia Cooper…Howard Emcee (as Duane Cooper)Anthony Mackie…Tupac ShakurMiya Granatella…Hot Lady (as Miya M. Granatella)Charles Malik Whitfield…Wayne (as C. Malik Whitfield)Susie Da Silva…JessicaAntonique Smith…FaithSean Hall-Earl…Heavy Set Guy FanJelani Mashariki…Rough GuyTony Mui…Asian FanAtalya Slater…Female FanJohn Hills…Justice of the PeaceLamont ‘Money L’ Mosley…Money LGinger Kroll…DebbieHisham Tawfiq…Fatigue GuyJohn Sierros…Cop (Quad Studios) (as I.N. Sierros)Sean Ringgold…Suge KnightMarco Best…‘Person on the Street’Erskine Bonilla…‘Person on the Street’KeShuna Jones…Person on the Street’Andre Roberson…‘Person on the Street’Donté Kinsey…‘Person on the Street’Adre’an Simms…‘Person on the Street’Brandi Nicole Feemster…‘Person on the Street’Corey Browne…‘Person on the Street’Nina Daniels…‘Person on the Street’Grant Hayes…‘Person on the Street’Denae Innis…T’yannaBrandon Bailey…Fan #1Taylor Dior…Tyanna Wallace – Age 2Cheryl Alessio…DancerTyra Allen…Guest at Album Release PartyJoseph Basile…Neighborhood ThugHasan Bivings…Club DancerMichael Bostwick…TrifeJonathan Gabriel Charles…Howard StudentShawntay Dalon…Howard University MemberRico Devereaux…Puffy’s Bodyguard #1Sarah Donnelly…Party GirlCartier DoSouto…Puerto RicanJason DarkChocolate Dyer…Money Man DriverD.J. Enuff…SelfLandon G. Woodson…Biggie EntourageAnwan Glover…Snoop DoggFatimah Hassan…Faith’s Friend / Person on StreetAllen Holloway…ChicoAntoine Holmes Sr.…Bad Boy EntourageMike Hurt…CrackheadOsas Ighodaro…Party GirlElvis Jaquez…ExtraMelissa Joseph…Fan Asking for Tupac for an AutographAlina Kaufman…Party GuestChris Kelley…GangsterLangley Lamark…HypemanEbony J Lewis…Source Awards Envelope GiverDee Martin…Fatigue Guy #2Monica Moore…VIP Guest at PartySimone Moore…Person on the StreetAlan Mueting…Record ExecutiveSharron Paul…ConcertgoerRichard Pryor…Self (archive footage)Gordon Ramsey…Longhaired Sound EngineerJessica Rich…Party GirlAhmad Russ…Record Producer at PartyCraig Scribner…FanHarry L. Seddon…Jail Guard Walking BiggieUsman Sharif…Guy #1Jessica Noel Smith…Glam GirlLisa Stansbury…Concert FanJen Steele…GroupieKarl Thwaites…Concert Audience MemberNorman Wakefield…Suge Knight CrewLaurie Walker…DancerDerrick Williams…Hit Team Record Producer

Sources: imdb & wikipedia

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[ubahchidiebere]

Robert Powell since he played the character, Jesus, in the 1977 movie, Jesus of Nazareth has had his photos hung in churches, homes, cars, schools, offices and many holy places all over the world to drive off evil forces and attract good fortunes.However, Powell has cried out in the social media that he is not Jesus and that people should stop worshiping him. Rather, they should respect the true Jesus and worship God.In his words: “I never cease to say and I repeat it to the world since 1977. I am not Jesus Christ, I am just an actor and British comedian. I am tired of seeing my photos displayed in places of worship and other places for worship. I just make a film for a living. Burn my picture and worship the only God intruth ! I am just an actor… Jesus is Lord!”Another actor who played Jesus is Jim Caviezel. According to clipd.com, “Jim is arguably one of the most famous portrayals of Jesus in acting history. He played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion Of The Christ,’ which is the greatest selling Christian movie of all time. Jim won one award for his portrayal as Jesus, and several other nominations.” He too may soon beg people to stop worshipping him like Powell.

  Here Powell’s profile as published by Wikipedia:“Robert Powell (born 1 June 1944) is an English television and film actor, best known for the title role in Jesus of Nazareth (1977) and as the fictional secret agent Richard Hannay. He is also known for his role as Mark Williams in BBC One medical drama, Holby City, and as David Briggs in the sitcom The Detectives alongside Jasper Carrott.His distinctive voice has become well known in advertisements and documentaries, especially in World War II documentaries such as World War II in HD Colour, Hitler’s Bodyguard, The Story of the Third Reich and Secrets of World War II.Powell was born in Salford, Lancashire, the son of Kathleen (née Davis) and John Wilson Powell. Powell was educated at Manchester Grammar School (where one of his classmates was the actor Ben Kingsley), then a direct grant grammar school for boys in the city of Manchester in North West England, and later at the Royal College of Advanced Technology in Salford.Powell took up acting while an undergraduate. He had aspired to become a lawyer and in 1963-1964 attended an external London University LLB degree Course at theManchester College of Commerce but at the same time quietly took acting roles under Trevor Nunn. At the College of Commerce he swapped roles with Bernard Brandon in a week-long College Revue of Comedy Sketches to see which role gave him “the best laughs”. This early comedy experience was later to be fulfilled with Jasper Carrott. After this he secured a post at a repertory theatre in Stoke-on-Trent.His first film part was in Robbery when he played the driver of the driver who is coshed in the Stanley Baker film about the great train robbery. He had a small role in the original film version of The Italian Job (1969) playing one of the gang, but had to wait a few years for his first success, playing scientist Toby Wren in the BBC’s science fiction series, Doomwatch in 1970. Havingbeen killed off in the last episode ofthe original series, at his request, Powell became a pin-up and a household name, following up with starring roles in several BBC serials, including television adaptations of the novels Sentimental Education (1970) and Jude the Obscure (1971). He also appeared in the 1975 series Looking for Clancy, based on the Frederic Mullally novel Clancy.For several years Powell continued as a television regular, with occasional forays into film, as the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler in the Ken Russell biopic Mahler (1974) and Captain Walker in Russell’s film version of Tommy (1975). His role in Tommy had no lines at all and apart from a few early scenes during the overture with Ann-Margret, he is primarily seen through the mind of his son as played by Barry Winch (Young Tommy) and Roger Daltrey. In one of those scenes Captain Walker is shown in a crucifixion pose.He then played Jesus Christ in Jesus of Nazareth (1977) followinga successful second audition with Franco Zeffirelli. The two-part television film had an all-star cast, including Laurence Olivier, Ernest Borgnine and Stacey Keach, Christopher Plummer, Rod Steiger and James Mason. For this role, Powell was nominated for a BAFTAaward, and collected the TVTimes Best Actor award for the same performance.In 1975, Powell married his girlfriend, the Pan’s People dancer Babs Lord, shortly before he was due to start filming for Jesus of Nazareth on location in Morocco. On 23 November 1977, they had their son, Barney, followed in 1979 by a daughter, Kate.In 1978, Powell took the leading role of Richard Hannay in the third film version of The Thirty Nine Steps. It met with modest success, and critics compared Powell’s portrayal of John Buchan’s character favourably with his predecessors. His characterisation proved to be enduring, as almost ten years later a television series entitled simply Hannay appeared with Powell back in the role, (although the Buchan short stories on which the series was based were set in an earlier period than The Thirty-Nine Steps). Hannay ran for two seasons.In 1980, Powell appeared in the filmHarlequin, playing the Harlequin of the title who seems to have the power to cure the son of a powerfulpolitician. For this performance, he won the Best Actor Award at the Paris Film Festival. In 1982, he wonBest Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his role in Imperativ.Powell then agreed to a request from his old friend and golf partner,comedian Jasper Carrott, taking thepart of an incompetent detective in a succession of sketches that formed part of Carrott’s television series. The Detectives was so popular that it was turned into a sitcom, Powell’s first and only venture into this genre.In 1984, Powell made his U.S. film debut in What Waits Below (as known as Secrets of the Phantom Caverns).In 1986, Powell narrated and co-starred in William C. Faure’s popular miniseries Shaka Zulu, withfootball legend Henry Cele in the title role. In 1992, he starred in the New Zealand World War I film Chunuk Bair, as Sgt Maj Frank Smith. In 1993-1995, he was the voice actor of Dr Livesey in The Legends of Treasure Island.Nowadays Powell appears in person less often, but his distinctive voice is frequently heardon voice-overs, advertisements andas a narrator of television programmes such as Great Crimes and Trials and The Century of Warfare and World War II in HD Colour. He read the novel Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez for BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime, and has also narrated many audio books including The Thirty Nine Steps, abridged versions of many of Alan Garner’s books, and several abridged novels for ‘The Talking Classics Collection’. Powell has also lent his voice to musical works, such as David Bedford’s album The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,[4] or the 2002 rock opera The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman, where he played the role of John Watson. He also narrated on two rock albums by Rick Wakeman called Cost of Living and The Gospels (1987).On 29 October 2001, a state-of-the-art theatre named after him was opened at the University of Salford.[5] He became a patron of 24:7 Theatre Festival in 2004, and continues to operate in this capacity as of 2014. In early 2005 he became a regular in the UK TV medical drama, Holby City, where he remained for six years before departing to return to theatre.[6] On 9 February 2008, he performed as narrator in Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf with the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Natalia Luis-Bassa in theNorth of England.[7] He currently has a regular spot narrating literary passages on BBC4’s The Book Quizand will appear in Aladdin at the Malvern Theatre this winter .On 20 December 2014, he took on the role of “Ebenezer Scrooge” in Neil Brand’s BBC Radio 4 adaptation of A Christmas Carol.”Other actors who have played Jesus in movies are:Jeffrey Hunter, Max von Sydow, Jeremy Sisto, Chris Sarandon, Claude Heater, Henry Byron Warner,Christian Charles Philip Bale, Willem Dafoe, John Rubinstein, Brian Deacon and Cameron Mitchell.

“STOP WORSHIPPING ME AS JESUS”-ROBERT POWELL Robert Powell since he played the character, Jesus, in the 1977 movie, Jesus of Nazareth has had his photos hung in churches, homes, cars, schools, offices and many holy places all over the world to drive off evil forces and attract good fortunes.However, Powell has cried out in the social media that he is not Jesus and that people should stop worshiping him.