#I love the colour. the highlights around Randy

[oosteven-universe]

That Texas Blood #2

That Texas Blood #2 Image Comics 2020 Written by Chris Condon Illustrated by Jacob Phillips    “A BROTHER’S CONSCIENCE,” Part One     The first five-part story arc BEGINS HERE! Los Angeles-based writer Randy Terrill returns to his abandoned home of Ambrose County, Texas after the sudden and mysterious death of his brother Travis.    I was blown away by the first issue of this and I was really looking forward to this one because of that.  I rather enjoy finding something that I am not expecting and while as a reviewer I tend to read and review a lot of first issues it is the ones that take you by surprise in every single way imaginable that makes me love doing what I do.  Joe Bob needs to be retiring, he’s got a little bit of mental forgetfulness going on and he’s not quite the man he used to be.  Still he’s Sheriff and that holds quite a bit of clout in those parts.  So that we see him as this fully relatable father figure whose wife just wants him to be home well it is endearing.  The rest, well that’s something you need to discover for yourself.      I really do like the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented beautifully.  There are several ways a story can be told, many of them good and too many of them not so good.  Instead of feeling that what we see is forced or made to fit into a sequence this feels like an adaptation of a novel that has found a rhythm like that of smooth jazz.  Everything follows each other in a way that feels normal, natural and as it should be.  The character development that we see here is amazing.  Each individual that we meet has their own quirky personality traits that we see continue to emerge with each appearance.  Or by making quite the statement the first time we see them.  Regardless these are people, characters in the sense of how they act and behave and they are like so many we already know in our lives.  The pacing is perfectly done and as it takes us through the pages revealing one thing after another we see how well everything works together to create the ebb & flow for the book.    The interiors here are incredible.  I love the way we see the linework here and how through the varying weights are being utilised and how the different techniques we see on the page are all brought together and it’s gorgeous.  The attention to detail that we see is phenomenal and the faces, facial expressions and little details like hair on the chest and wrinkles around the eyes really make that subtle difference in how we react to it.  The way we see the backgrounds utilised to not only enhance the moments but to bring us depth perception, this sense of scale as well as that overall sense of size and scope to the book is extremely well rendered.  There is something about the way the colour work is being done here that is both retro and forward thinking at the same time.  The variety of hues and tones we see within the array of colours and how they are being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is utterly brilliant. ​    The first issue of this was spectacular and it surprised me in some of the best ways and then there’s this one and it does exactly what it’s supposed to do.  It increases the interest, intrigue and fascination factors with each turn of the page.  Who knew that this was going to be one of those books that is pure storytelling, no gimmicks like capes or powers, would be so damn compelling?  You need to experience why the mytho surrounding Texas exists and this could help you at least understand why.

[tilltheendwilliwrite]

Balance on the Head of a Pin

Chapter Twenty Three

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Loki Laufeyson x OFC  |  Word Count: 5639 Warnings: none

Lauren dragged her hands down her face for what felt like the hundredth time in less than an hour, moments away from screaming and committing an act of justifiable homicide.

“Quinn, I’m not going to tell you again. Get those monstrosities out of this room!” The twelve foot tall red and white pillars looked like barber poles and were so incredibly ugly, Lauren had honestly thought the woman was joking when she’d had the men pack them inside. Then, Quinn had started barking orders to have them place along the walls, highlighting the opening to each of the adjoining rooms, reaching just to the bottom of the floor of the second story balcony.

“Oh, poo, Lauren. You’ve always had questionable taste. I ran them past Magnolia and Marabeth, and they approved.”

Lauren clenched her fists tightly at her sides, it was that, or she was going to strangle the woman. “Yes, well, I highly doubt mama knew you meant this.” She was moments away from throwing the biggest hissy fit, telling Quinn she was fired, and ripping it all down.

After breakfast - which ended up more like brunch thanks to the lateness of her star to the day - she’d left Loki and Thor with the children, the kids excited and chattering, wanting to hear story after story of Asgard and all they had seen and done together. Loki hadn’t wanted to stay, having stated he was to be assisting her today, but Lauren had encouraged him to remain with his brother. With the way things had been going in the house, they likely wouldn’t handle the battle she was about to wage with Quinn very well.

Threats would fly, death would be threatened, stuff would likely get broken, and she wouldn’t be any better off than before. Add in her mother and sisters… all hell could break loose around her.

Now, hours later, after a never-ending battle of ‘would she, won’t she’ with Quinn, Lauren was about ready to tear out her own hair. They’d gone head to head over just about every aspect of the party. Though Quinn had been sufficiently cowed by Thor’s rage at first, her snarky attitude had returned quickly, and the same old snotty remarks had started to fly.

“Well, if you want them gone, you remove them,” Quinn sniffed, turning up her nose.

The arrival of cold air on the back of Lauren’s neck had some of her anger dissipating.

“Darling,” Loki crooned, wrapping his arms around her waist. A gentle kiss was placed to the back of her neck. “You seem a trifle upset. Something I can assist you with?”

Typically, she would have brushed it away, not wanting to trouble him with such trivial things, but she was too pissed off to care anymore. “You see those?” she said, pointing at the hideous eyesores.

“The red and white atrocities? Yes.”

“Would you be a darlin’ and get rid of them for me?” she asked, continuing to stare down Quinn who’s face had become a mask of rage.

“Of course, my sweet,” he chuckled and snapped his fingers. They disappeared in a sparkle of green.

Quinn gaped for a moment before gasping, “Lauren Guillemin! Those were expensive!”

“Waste of money if you asked me. They were ugly,” Loki grumbled. He moved to stand at Lauren’s side and looked around the entire space. “I must admit, my darling, I prefer the parties you throw in New York. This leaves… something to be desired, but it is not as if you had a say in the planning.”

“I beg your pardon?” Quinn huffed. “Y’all think you can do better? I’ve worked hard on this!”

Lauren glanced up at Loki and watched the smile break, wicked and full of mischief across his face.

“Well, bless your heart,” Loki drawled, making Lauren giggle, his grin growing even more. “But yes, I could do much better.”

“Hmph!” Quinn thrust her nose into the air. “Then y’all are on your own! I quit!” She stomped off toward the interior of the house.

“I hope you can put your money where your mouth is, peaches. She’s runnin’ off to tattle,” Lauren sighed. She turned toward him and caught sight of Sadie coming through the open doors, garment bags in hand.

The brunette took one look at the room and her face twisted in disgust.

“Sadie!” Lauren called out.

She hurried forward on her tall heels, shaking her head. “Oh, Lulu! What the hell were they thinkin’?”

“You should have seen it before Loki got rid of the pillars,” Lauren groaned.

“Lady Sadie.” Loki nodded to her and eyed the bags.

“Loki,” she gave him a wink. “Good to see you again. You ready, Lu?”

“For?” Loki asked.

Lauren gave a small sigh. “Does it look like I’m ready?” she asked Sadie before turning to Loki. “We have a bit of ritual when it comes to these parties. Sadie comes early to drop off our gowns. Then, she and I usually get ready together. You know. Hair, makeup, help each other look perfect.”

“You need no help in that department, my heart,” Loki murmured, ducking down to kiss her reddening cheek.

“Thank you, peaches, but with all… this… I just…”

“Lauren.” Loki cupped her cheeks. “I have this. Go. Do things with Sadie. Did you eat lunch?”

“Oh!” Lauren pressed a hand to her stomach when it growled.

“Clearly you did not.” He gave an exasperated sigh. “I will see to that as well.”

“Loki, no. I’m fine to get it myself.”

“Evidently you are not, or you would have joined Thor and I when the children ate,” he scolded gently. “Go do your things, my heart. I will see a meal is brought to your room.” He lifted her hand and kissed her palm.

Her blushed flared a little higher. “Are you sure?”

He rolled his eyes. “Go. Now.”

She rolled hers in return, stepped back, and dropped into a sweeping curtsey. “Yes, oh mighty god of Asgard.”

“Better,” he quipped, smirking at her and making Sadie giggle.

Lauren shook her head, but she returned his smile and stepped closer to go up on her toes and kiss his grinning lips. “So bad,” she murmured.

“Just how you like me.” He gave her bottom a pat and nodded to Sadie, shooing them on their way.

Sadie linked arms with Lauren. “He’s so great!” she sighed happily.

Lauren smirked at Loki over her shoulder. “Mmm, he’s somethin’ alright.”

They were on their way up the stairs as Thor was coming down, and Sadie’s grip became instantly tighter.

“That’s… that’s…”

“Thor, my lovely,” the blonde said, pausing on the stairs to offer his hand. “Brother to Loki and soon Lauren.” He lifted Sadie’s fingers to his lips.

“Oh!” Sadie giggled and blushed, causing Thor to grin.

“Sadie is my very best friend, and she’s married, Thor. Behave yourself,” Lauren scolded.

“You wound me, little sister. I simply introduced myself to this lovely woman.”

“Yeah, Lulu! Don’t go burstin’ a girl’s bubble!” Sadie gave her a wink.

“Does Marcus know of this bubble?” Lauren teased.

“Don’t you go tellin’ tales, Lauren Guillemin!” Sadie huffed.

Thor laughed, dropping down a few stairs to look up at them. “Ladies, it shall be our secret. Lauren, darling, I’m afraid we quite tuckered out the small ones. Young Sara showed me to their room after Benny dozed off. They are napping with Usun.”

Lauren leaned down and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Thor. Can you keep Loki out of trouble? Sadie and I are going to get ready.”

“Already?” he asked, looking shocked.

“It takes time to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse,” she laughed, patting his cheek.

“You are as lovely as an Asgardian evening, little sister. No work required.”

She smiled, another blush colouring her cheeks. “High praise indeed, Thor. I know just how lovely Asgard’s sky is at night.”

“You do?”

“Your brother is tricky that way,” she snickered, giving Thor a wink. “Thank you for entertainin’ the kids. I really appreciate it.”

“They are good children. It was not a hardship. I shall expect a dance this evening, Lauren. And perhaps the lovely Sadie would grant me one as well? With her husband’s approval, of course.”

“Marcus can stuff it!” Sadie giggled. “I ain’t turned down a dance with the King of Asgard!”

Lauren burst out laughing and shooed Sadie up the stairs. “I’m so tellin’ him you said that!”

***

Loki smiled when Lauren’s laughter echoed through the hall. When Thor came down the stairs moments later, he knew what the cause was and smirked at his brother. “Did you flirt with Sadie?”

“Only a little,” Thor huffed, his grin just as wide.

“Sadie Brockett has been one of the only people to be decent to Lauren since I have been here.”

“She is quite spirited,” Thor chuckled.

“It sounds as if her husband is also quite spirited.” Loki eyed him knowingly.

“I am well aware. I am not three hundred any longer, Loki. I do have restraint. It is not as if I need to flip every skirt which walks by.”

“Just flirt with it,” Loki chuckled.

“There is nothing wrong with flirting.” Thor crossed his arms.

“Hn. I recall father having a different opinion when you were younger. Did he not threaten to cast you into iron drawers to keep your cock contained?”

Thor burst out into a hearty chuckle. “Well, I was a randy fellow for an age.”

“For a century.”

“It was not my fault. I came fully into my powers about that time. The fertility aspect took me by surprise.”

“More like, by the balls,” Loki laughed.

“It was a glorious few years.” Thor sighed, his eyes lost to memories.

“You nearly turned mother’s hair grey.”

“I think we did that together, brother.” Thor’s smile turned sad.

“Indeed,” Loki murmured, looking away toward the sound of approaching feet and the large man heading their way.

“We doin’ more here? The guys and I get paid by the hour whether we’re workin’ or not… so…” He shrugged, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at them with contempt.

Loki arched a brow at his attitude. “Your services are no longer required.”

“Huh?”

The thing Lauren had failed to realize was, though he’d been tasked with staying with Thor, he hadn’t bothered. Loki had cast an avatar, his brother well aware he wouldn’t leave his Ástvinur to deal with them alone when he could be there, watch over her, and see she succeeded in her task of pulling this disaster of a party out of its downward spiral.

He’d been thoroughly enjoying watching her go head to head with the insufferable Quinn. Her feisty nature was on full display and had caused many of the men working around her to stop and watch his Lauren with admiration.

But this man, for some reason, set Loki on edge. Something about the way he’d watched Lauren, all predatory eyes and sneering mouth, had Loki moments away from stringing him from the rafters by his entrails.

“What is your name?” he asked, the tone sharp and cold.

“Jimmy Johnson. What’s it to ya?”

“Well, Jimmy.” Loki pulled himself up to his full height, his magic burning in his eyes as he took a step into the man. “If you so much as look toward my woman again, I will skin you alive and leave you for the dogs to feast upon.”

Jimmy took a step back, his eyes widening in fear. “Wh-what… what you goin’ on about?”

“Lauren is not some piece of meat to be leered at. If I see your eyes linger upon her again, I will send the crows to pluck them from your skull.” Thor’s hand came down upon his shoulder, but Loki would not be stopped. “Collect the rest of this motley crew and remove yourself from this home. Your services are no longer required.”

“You can’t do that!”

“As the woman who was your boss has now quit, I most certainly can. Leave!” he snarled, the wolf he’d shown Lauren present in his voice.

“Loki,” Thor warned. “Take a breath, brother. They are leaving.”

Jimmy took another step back, more concerned with Thor’s arrival at Loki’s side than with Loki’s own threats. Too bad the one he truly needed to fear was the one standing before him.

“I don’t need this shit,” Jimmy sneered, waving his hands at them and stomped away out the door.

The rest of the men began to collect their gear as well when another man came up to them with his hat in his hand. “I apologize for Jimmy. He’s new. Only came on for this job when we wound up shorthanded.”

“Be more discerning in your selective process the next time,” Loki huffed.

“Will do.” He nodded, not offering his name. He turned on his heel and walked out, gathering the rest of the workers with him.

“What will you do now, brother?” Thor asked as he took in the half-finished space.

“I will fix it. Lauren will not be disappointed.” With a flick of his fingers, he transferred both himself and Thor to the second floor.

“Ugh, you know I dislike it when you do that.”

Loki only shrugged. “Let’s begin, shall we?”

***

Lauren giggled when Sadie fanned herself at the top of the stairs. “Lordy, there’s two of them! I can’t believe the eye candy you’ve brought home, Lu.”

“They definitely are easy on the eyes,” she agreed, taking two of the bags from Sadie and heading for Marabeth’s room.

“Are the rest of them as smokin’ hot as them two?” Sadie asked, nearly giddy with excitement.

“Handsome takes on a whole new connotation when it comes to the Avengers,” Lauren laughed, arriving at her sister’s door. It sat open, Marabeth nowhere to be seen, and Lauren breathed a sigh of relief.

“Lu?” Sadie murmured, laying one of the garment bags over a chair sat near the door. “How are you really?”

She smiled but it was sad and tired and a little tight. “It’s been a battle, Sadie. Worse than ever.”

Sadie took her hand and held it firmly. “I’m here for you, Lu. Whatever you need.”

“I know, Sadie,” she whispered, her voice catching on the rawness in her throat. “I’d never have made it this far without Loki.”

Sadie tugged her from the room and down the hall toward Cissy’s. “Oh, Lulu. The way that man looks at you. Wow!”

Lauren blushed and ducked her chin down. “He’s kind of amazin’, Sadie. We had a bit of a… misunderstanin’ this mornin’, but everythin’s better now. He’s not like people think. He’s not cold and hard and merciless. He’s… wonderful,” she sighed happily.

“Says the woman stupidly in love with him,” Sadie teased.

“I seem to recall you gushin’ and goin’ on about Marcus in much the same manner,” Lauren snickered.

“Yeah, well,” Sadie flushed and smiled. “I still do. He even puts up with my Avengers obsession.”

“I need to tell him I’m sorry about that!” Lauren giggled. “You’d never have gotten so invested if I didn’t keep tellin’ you stories from the tower.”

“Oh, hun. The obsession was already there! You just gave me a reason to run with it!” Sadie burst out laughing.

The door to Cissy’s room was wrenched open to reveal Cissy. Puffy-eyed and red-rimmed, Lauren blinked and gasped softly having never seen her sister look so dishevelled. “Cissy?”

“I hope your happy, Lauren. Because of you, mama’s fit to be tied.”

“Me? What did I do?” Lauren asked.

“You embarrassed me! Mama called me a whore! Told me to get myself upstairs and to stay here till the party because I’d embarrassed her. Marabeth turned into a complete bitch, yellin’ and swearin’, accusin’ me of doin’ it on purpose. So I wanted to catch the King of Asgard’s eye? So what? You could have at least done me the courtesy of a word beforehand to know I was puttin’ a foot wrong!”

Lauren took a step back when Cissy leaned threateningly toward her. “Cissy… mama’s been sayin’ forever you shouldn’t be flauntin’ yourself! I had nothin’ to do with Thor sayin’ what he did, and if mama’s mad, don’t go blamin’ me for your mistake.”

“You could have warned me!” she wailed.

It set off Lauren’s already short fuse. “Priscilla Elizabeth! Y’all need to pull your head out of your ass and start takin’ responsibility for your actions! You’ve spent the last few days tryin’ to entice my fiancé to no avail, you dress like a slut to try and draw Thor’s attention, and then think it’s my fault when he mistakes you for a loose moral woman? Grow up, Cissy! I ain’t your whippin’ boy any longer!”

A gleeful Sadie thrust Cissy’s garment bag at her. “‘Bout damn time, Lu.”

“You can’t… you… how dare you speak to me that way!” Cissy barked and slammed the door in their faces.

With a huff of breath, Lauren bit her quivering lip and stalked off toward her mother’s rooms.

“Good for you, Lu,” Sadie said a few minutes later.

“I just can’t even deal with all of them right now,” Lauren sighed. “They just keep clawin’ at me, Sade. It’s always my fault, even when it’s not. You know, my mama turned on me when she found out Thor had brought gifts for the kids and Marabeth had protested. She immediately thought it was me who’d said Thor had overstepped. Me!” She stopped to lean her hand against the wall. “Why do they hate me?”

“Oh, Lu,” Sadie sighed, pulling her into a hug. “That’s a million dollar question. One we’ve been askin’ for ages. I still ain’t got a clue as to the why, but you’ll always have me and my family, your Gran, and it sounds like Loki and Thor have your back.”

“Yeah. Yeah, they do.” A little of the anguish in her heart settled with her friend’s words.

“Now. Let’s drop off this last bag and then you, darlin’ need to tell me what that was about. Did Thor call Cissy a whore?” Sadie asked, eyes full of amusement.

“Somethin’ like that,” Lauren chuckled softly.

Sadie giggled for all she was worth as they made their way down the hall to pause in front of Magnolia’s door. It was open enough for them to make out the woman seated within, fussing in the mirror.

Lauren bolstered her courage and knocked on the door. “Mama, Sadie brought the dresses.”

“Lauren, dear. Come in!”

The cheery greeting threw Lauren off-kilter, but she pushed the door open and walked in, Sadie hot on her heels.

“I do hope Thor is enjoyin’ his visit?” Magnolia asked, looking up at Lauren in the mirror.

“He seems to be,” Lauren offered.

“Good. That nasty business with Cissy and Marabeth earlier could have led to disaster.”

“Yes, well… Cissy’s a little upset.” She looked to Sadie who was placing the second to last garment bag on the bed. The brunette gave a helpless shrug, unsure what the hell was happening.

Magnolia was never this nice.

“She dresses like a hussy. It was past time someone smacked her back.”

“Mama!” Lauren gasped.

“She’s spoiled, hun. We all know it.” Magnolia alighted from her stool before the mirror and swept up Lauren’s hands. “But let’s talk about you, Lauren. Are you happy, peaches? Everythin’ alright with your visit? I know I was pushin’ George at you somethin’ fierce, but I just wanted you happy. I can see know, your happiness lies in New York.”

Stunned, Lauren could only stare at her for a long moment before finding her voice. “Uh, yeah, mama. I mean, it’s been… um…”

“Oh, precious.” She released Lauren’s hands to cup her face. “That’s good. I’ll hear no more foolish talk about you leavin’ and never comin’ back now, you hear me?”

“O-okay?” Lauren couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Never in all her days had Magnolia spoken to her like she cared like she was worth something. While it satisfied a piece of Lauren’s soul to have her mother actually give a damn, another part of her, a much more cynical part, wondered what the hell her mother was up to.

“Good!” Her eyes drifted down to the necklace around Lauren’s neck. “That’s a pretty bobble, but I think we can do better for the party tonight.”

“Thank you, mama, but it was a gift from my Ástvinur. I won’t be takin’ it off, and it goes just fine with my dress.”

“Oh, but Lauren!” she started, reaching out to touch the brúðr steinn.

Lauren jerked backward, bringing her hand up to the item protectively. “No, mama. It’s an Asgardian thing. Leave it be.”

“So stubborn,” Magnolia huffed, the sleeves on her robe billowing outward when she slammed her hands to her hips. “You should be drippin’ diamonds in the dress Sadie picked out. Ain’t that right, Sadie?”

The woman who’d been watching the show from her perch on the bed shook her head. “Sorry, Miss Annandale, but since Loki modified Lauren’s dress, she’s right. Diamonds would look trashy.”

“Sadie Brockett! Why I never!” Magnolia huffed before turning back to Lauren. “I insist you take it off! Right now, Lauren Guillemin!”

“No!” Lauren snapped, glaring down her mother. “Mama! What’s gotten into you?”

“You can’t go enticin’ one man while wearin’ another man’s jewelry!”

“What?” Lauren whispered, unable to believe she’d heard that correctly. “What?”

“Thor, darlin'! Thor! He already has feelin’s for you, I can tell. You’ll break it off with this Loki, and charm Thor instead.”

“What?” Lauren shouted.

“Why be simply a princess when you could be queen, Lauren!”  

She took a step in retreat, concerned with the crazy she could see blooming in her mother’s eyes. “Why would I… that’s… you’re off your rocker, mama! I love Loki, not Thor!”

“Who said anythin’ about love? This is about power.” Magnolia stalked her across the room, eyes locked on the brúðr steinn. “Now, take that off, or I’ll rip it from your throat.”

“Miss Annandale!” Sadie gasped, stepping between her and Lauren. “Y’all need to calm down. You’re talkin’ crazy.”

“What would you know?” Magnolia sneered at Sadie. “You’re pedigree is no better than the mongrel now runnin’ the halls of my home.”

“Mama!” Lauren gasped.

“Magnolia!” The harsh voice rocked the woman back on her heeled slippers like a slap.

Magnolia pulled her robe tighter around her. “Hoyt! What… what are you doin’ here?”

“I heard the shoutin’,” he growled, hand clenched around the doorknob. “Lauren, sweetheart. You and Sadie get on out of here. Your mama and I need to have words.”

“Daddy?” Lauren looked to him and had a rush of relief fill her when his hard eyes softened.

“You go on,” he said, nodding toward the hall.

Sadie grabbed the garment bag in one hand and Lauren with the other. “Thanks, Mr. Annandale.”

“Thank you, Sadie.”

Lauren paused at his side, dragging her hand back from Sadie. “Daddy?”

He touched her cheek and placed a kiss to the top of her head. “It’ll be alright, little girl. I promise.”

“Daddy,” she sighed, eyes full of tears.

“I know I can’t make up for… everythin’, but I’m not gonna let things slide anymore. You and your friend go get ready. Save me a dance?”

“Always.” A tremulous smile broke upon her lips as Lauren stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered before darting out the door. It slammed with a good bit of force, but she didn’t stick around long enough to hear the details.

“Lu?” Sadie asked, her eyes big and round.

“Guess we’ve got a lot to talk about, huh?” Lauren chuckled.

“You bet your ass!” Sadie barked and snatched up her hand to drag her toward the nearest set of exterior doors, preferring to take the shortcut around the house rather than back through all the twisting hallways. “With all this excitement, who needs Avengers?”

Practically running along with her, Lauren revelled in the cooling breeze and the incredible moment of joy she’d gotten from her father’s interference.

He was on her side. He had her back.

For the first time in forever, she didn’t fear her mother’s retaliation.

***

“Impressive.” Thor nodded, staring at the ceiling. “Reminds me of that one cave.”

“On Vanaheim, I know. If you’d be willing to assist, a jolt of lightning right there will light the works.” Loki motioned to the tip of the centre stone.

“You are sure the ceiling will not come down?” Thor asked, doing as requested.

“What do you take me for?” Loki scoffed. “Only the three in the center are real. The rest is an illusion.”

“A masterful illusion,” Thor murmured.

“And just the beginning.” Another wave of his hand had them standing in the center of the ballroom.

“Must you? We could take the stairs,” Thor grumbled.

“Stop being a child. We’ve jumped farther with less success. Be thankful I don’t put you in the wall or something.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

He glanced to Thor’s grumpy face and turned his wrist over, so a large stein of beer rested in his palm. “Better?”

“Much!” Thor snickered, plucking it up by the handle.

“So… red and white are to be this theme, but I am well aware there should be blue for this apparent feast day,” Loki murmured to himself. “Hold on to your beer, brother.”

Magic rose in crackling lines of green to swirl and dip and curl around the room. Lines of it went straight to the ceiling, flowing out and down, draping sheer white curtains from the rafters high above to the floor far below, and enclosing the ballroom in a sea of soft white. The floor beneath his feet rippled, the hardwood disappearing, replaced by an illusion of stone never before seen on earth. It shimmered a pearlescent cream but was heavily veined in a red so dark it appeared as if someone had drawn rivers of wine through the white. Trees of inky black grew up along the walls, spreading branches and unfurling leaves of silver while blossoms of red and white budded into flowers which smelled sweetly of nectar, each stately trunk highlighting a doorway.

It was a wonderland of red and white, but it felt as if something were missing. With a smirk, Loki reached out and touched the nearest drape. A burst of sparkles erupted from his fingertips to wing their way around the room, little blue lights which would dance and move throughout the night.

“Loki,” Thor breathed in awe. “You have outdone yourself. Lauren will be most impressed.”

“It will show better once the evening descends.” He turned his attention to each of the rooms around the hall and changed those around as well.

Each ‘bar’ was redone in the same white walls, but he turned the trees into vines, racing up the wall behind the serving center and out along the ceiling, similar to pictures of grapes in a vineyard he’d once come across. Leaves of silver hung from them, but he chose to forgo the flowers. Instead, he lit the walls, blue lights which shone toward the ceiling, and turned the floor into an inky black sparkling with stars.

“Reminds me of one of Tony’s nightclubs,” Thor chuckled.

“Overdone?” Loki asked.

“You know it is not. The people will have a taste of Asgard this night as well, I would hope?”

Loki sent his brother a smug grin and wandered into the room where the food would be served. “Something like this?” he asked, waving his hand toward the tables.

Everything shimmered and shifted, becoming stone and wood, a rugged counterpoint to the elegance of the other rooms.

“Perhaps, if you refine it some,” Thor said, arching a brow as he downed his beer.

“Hm, indeed.”

Another flick of wrist had the ceiling disappearing, replaced by the vision of an Asgardian night. The illusion was impeccable, the walls darkened though they appeared, still, as stone. Each table was covered with a thick cloth of velvety red and black brocade, playing host to immense candelabra of snowy white, already aglow with candles.

“You surprise even me with your imagination, Loki.” Thor wandered further into the room and passed his hand through the flickering flames of the illusion. “You’re powers are already increasing.”

A smirk, wicked and full of delight graced Loki’s face. “I do not even feel winded.”

“Incredible.” Thor passed his hand through the candle. “Your illusions used to disappear at a touch. Now, to see them only waiver and resume, brother, I am amazed.”

“My Ástvinur is a blessing,” Loki agreed. “None of this would be possible without Lauren.”

“And what will your finale be? You have one set of rooms left.”

The lounging area was a problem, but Loki was nothing if not creative. More whips of magic had the room sparkling like a diamond. The tables and chairs seemed made of glass, while more black vines and blood red flowers dripped from the ceiling. He mirrored the walls, reflecting the interior back a thousand times over, and among the branches upon the roof, he set glittering white lights which cast a soft glow over the room.

Thor grinned wide at himself in the mirror. “How romantic of you, Loki. Lauren will be pleased.”

“As a possum eating a sweet potato,” Loki chuckled.

“Pardon?”

He shook his head. “It is one of Lauren’s more colourful southernisms.”

“Ah.” Thor nodded. “Like how she calls you peaches?”

“It is preferable to overgrown Asgardian,” Loki quipped, throwing a devious smirk his brother’s direction.

Thor glowered at him, but the clip of swiftly moving heels coming their direction halted any further rebuttal. A staccato beat echoed, indicating two pairs of heels.

“It appears we are to be chastised, well, I am at any rate. Shall we?”

Thor rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “I see what you mean about the sisters. They are poisonous, but then the mother was no better. The audacity of her to blame Lauren without all the facts. How inappropriate.”

“It is what is done in this family. She is seen as one without worth,” Loki fairly growled, sauntering out of the room to wait for the arrival of what he was certain would be Marabeth and Quinn.

“Without worth? Ha!” Thor snorted. “If they understood at all her value to us, they would be ashamed.”

“Shame does not seem to compute with this family. Marabeth treats her children as nothing but possessions to be owned. Cissy acts the brat, never having been told no a day in her life. She steals from Lauren, or, as Lauren put it, borrows and forgets to return whatever it was she wanted. And then there is Magnolia. The mother. Who was sleeping with Lauren’s previous fiancé.” Such anger lived in him for this family, such hate, Loki had to clench his fist to keep from cursing the entire lot of them.

“You will have to excuse me, brother, but I must have misheard you. Did you say Lauren’s intended was sleeping with her mother?” Thor was staring at him agape.

“Yes,” he hissed like the snake he was known for.

Thor passed his hand over his face. “I see why you wished my return to this place. When this is finished, we should return to Asgard with your Ástvinur. Take her where people will appreciate her.”

“If she so chooses,” Loki agreed. “She is a strong woman. Unbelievable strong,” he murmured softly. He flicked a finger in the direction of her room. A tray of food would be waiting on her dresser when she arrived.

There had been a host of information coming to him from the brúðr steinn. Anger, hurt, confusion. The slow buildup of fear which had ended abruptly when her father had appeared. She knew now the worth of his gift and had protected it with a ferocity which humbled him.

He wasn’t sure what had happened, only that it included her mother, the brúðr steinn, and eventually her father. Had Hoyt not arrived when he did, Loki would likely have wound up with his hand wrapped around the throat of another of Lauren’s family members. However, it seemed her father was stepping in, as he’d said he would.

It made Lauren deliriously happy. That, in turn, made him happy. He was determined to forever more stand as her shield against those who would harm her.

“Loki,” Thor murmured, staring down at his hands.

He startled slightly when he glanced down to find his fists wreathed in green flames. “Forgive me. I was thinking,” he said, snuffing out the fire.

“Brother.”

The word full of caution had Loki sighing. “Last stage. Last stage, Thor. My need to protect her from any and all things is… consuming.”

“Do not kill anyone who does not ultimately deserve it,” Thor murmured, glaring at the women standing in the doorway leading into the ballroom.

Their mouths hung open, and the look of utter disbelief made Loki chuckle. “I did tell her I could do better.”

When Marabeth and Quinn exchanged a look, turned around and left, Loki broke out in laughter.

“It appears you are above reproach!” Thor laughed along with him.

He had to wipe tears from his eyes, then clapped a hand down on Thor’s shoulder. “Come. We will take care of the garden. Then, perhaps we will drink for a while.”

“If you are creating the beer, Loki, I will drink it.” Thor gave a sharp, excited nod, and the two of them made their way out into the late afternoon sun.

Next Chapter

[evonneflanagan-blog]

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[eddycurrents]

For the week of 23 April 2018

Quick Bits:

Abbott #4 gives us the penultimate issue to the series, dropping all the pieces together to put Abbott on the path to discovery what is going on with all the death and paranormal stuff. The layouts from Sami Kavelä just elevates the storytelling to the next level.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Aliens: Dust to Dust #1 is a fairly visceral beginning to this new min-series written and illustrated by Gabriel Hardman (with colours from Rain Beredo). It starts in terror as Maxon begins seeing violence outside his window and finds a facehugger attached to his mother, and just explodes from there with the colony world of LV-871 overrun by xenomorphs. 

| Published by Dark Horse

Avengers #690 brings both “No Surrender” and this volume of Avengers to an end, serving as a coda to the series, tying up some loose ends, saying some goodbyes--especially as many of the X-Men characters seem to be going back home--and setting up some of the things to come. This has been a great story, with some wonderful art along the way, that well-encapsulated this era of the Avengers while presenting a fairly widescreen epic. 

| Published by Marvel

Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack #8 is the big confrontation with Ching Dai and it’s...not what you’d expect. Great art as usual from Jorge Corona.

| Published by BOOM! Studio

Bloodborne #3 is filled will existential dread. Particularly with the idea of that unknown, unseen terror hanging above your head, waiting to pounce. And of monsters being everywhere.

| Published by Titan

Cyber Force #2 continues the slow burn rebuilding and reintroduction of the team and their antagonists, with this issue mainly focusing on Velocity discovering the extent of her powers and revealing the updated version of Killjoy. Like the first issue, much of the story is similar, but the details get fleshed out a bit more and the look of the characters tends to be a bit different. It does highlight the differences in comics storytelling between today and twenty-five years ago. What used to be told in a handful of panels or a throwaway line now takes half an issue.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Deep Roots #1 is another stellar debut from Vault, with absolutely gorgeous artwork from Val Rodrigues and Triona Farrell. The story...is a bit Swamp Thing-y, but not. It’s strange. Dan Watters excels at strange.

| Published by Vault

Doctor Strange #389 continues this necessary chunk of the “Damnation” event, revealing how Strange exited the depths of hell in order to get back to Las Vegas. Its structure is a bit odd, given that it’s actually told as a flashback, breaking with how the arc has been presented up until now, and it skips over what actually happens in Damnation #4, but it’s still entertaining. Donny Cates adds quite a few bits of reactive humour and the art from Niko Henrichon continues to be astounding.

| Published by Marvel

Doctor Strange: Damnation #4 concludes the event. I’ve enjoyed it overall, with some great moments spread across the constituent parts, but the main series itself has been told in a fairly oblique manner, leaving important details up to the tie-ins of Doctor Strange and Johnny Blaze. I don’t mind, personally, but if you’re only reading Damnation, it would feel a bit choppy. I am hoping that the tease of more Midnight Sons bears fruit. Some great art again from both Rod Reis and Szymon Kudranski. 

| Published by Marvel

Dungeons & Dragons: Evil at Baldur’s Gate #1 returns the adventuring party home and has them scatter almost immediately, leaving Minsc and Boo to find their own misadventure about the city. Being Minsc and Boo-centric, Jim Zub opts for a story that’s a little sillier than usual, but it’s very welcome.

| Published by IDW

Exiles #2 is a rather fun comic, finishing up the gathering of the team, as they hop from realities under threat from the desiccated corpse version of Galactus that is the Time Eater. The differing realities that Saladin Ahmed is playing with here transcends earlier versions with the inclusion of Wolvie, allowing for a radically different interpretation and style of comics not often included in these kinds of reality hopping stories. It gives a nice bit of comic relief and allows Javier Rodríguez to further flex his artistic muscle. Between stylistic changes, layouts, and panel transitions, this is a damn good looking comic. Rodríguez, Álvaro López, and Chris O’Halloran are making the art as adventurous as the story.

| Published by Marvel

Gasolina #7 returns with Amalia and Randy hiding out and playing house with Amalia’s nephew, who is still somehow alive with one of those alien bug things in him. It’s still kind of weird how Sean Mackiewicz is presenting this mix of oddities with a more standard crime narrative, where the aliens/whatever-they-are are just about the least important thing. It’s a nice approach, drawing out the more “normal” aspects comparatively.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Grass Kings #14 drops one hell of a bombshell in this penultimate issue. Matt Kindt, Tyler & Hilary Jenkins are ensuring that this series goes out on a high note.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Hunt for Wolverine #1 is a pretty good start to this event, even if ultimately the premise of Wolverine missing--when he’s been hopping around the Marvel Universe just missing anyone--is a little ridiculous. I mean, if he still has an Infinity Stone, despite the recent flowchart in Infinity Countdown #2, it makes a bit of sense, but otherwise... Anyway, Charles Soule, David Marquez, and Rachelle Rosenberg put together a great lead story, setting up the mystery of Logan’s missing body, and it remains to be seen how and why he actually came back. The second story, from Soule, Paulo Siquiera, Walden Wong, and Ruth Redmond then essentially sets up the spin-off series with the different teams looking for Wolverine.

| Published by Marvel

Ice Cream Man #4 serves up another cone of seriously strange horror. Like if you made beer-flavoured ice cream and topped it with bits of chocolate-covered grasshopper. This one features an outing between an estranged friend and the friend’s deadbeat dad after his funeral and it just gets more bizarre from there.

| Published by Image

Jeepers Creepers #1 is not something I ever expected to see. Although the first two movies were relatively successful, at the very least as cult horror flicks, I would have thought the surprisingly released third film and Victor Salva’s reputation killed the chance of this as a viable property that anyone would want to associate with. But here we are. In any event, Marc Andreyko pens an interesting story. Aside from the nods to the films like the Creeper’s truck, we mainly follow a grad student as he searches for connections between the Creeper and Aztec mythology. Not a bad premise, even if it feels like it’s coming from left field. The art from Kewber Baal, with colours by Jorge Sutil, is also pretty nice.

| Published by Dynamite

Kill or Be Killed #18 takes a bit of a sidestep as we head toward the series’ conclusion. I love when Ed Brubaker starts laying out the steps in a crime, or in a case as it were, and this issue follows the task force assigned to solving Dylan’s murders, especially in the wake of the death of the copycat they closed the case with. It’s interesting how the clues are presented and followed and as usual Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser make it look gorgeous.

| Published by Image

KINO #5 begins the second arc, changing tone a bit as the series takes a darker turn with ChrisCross taking over the art duties here. Gone are the throwback styles of old comics and now we’ve got some stranger things as Alistair Meath has realized that he’s in some sort of simulation or...something. It’s an interesting shift, even with the introduction of Meath’s family in the real world, as the series seems to take on a more realistic, and slightly darker, tone, even though the real world sequences aren’t much different from what Joe Casey wrote in the previous issues.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

The Mighty Thor #706 is a beautiful farewell to the Lady Thor, with some drop dead gorgeous artwork from Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson. This is a wonderful capstone to Jason Aaron and Dauterman’s run with Jane Foster and it will be interesting to see where Aaron goes next with the continuing war of the realms and the return of Thor Thor.

| Published by Marvel

Moon Knight #194 features some really nice guest art from Ty Templeton as Max Bemis pens a tale about a particularly dark period of Marc’s childhood. It’s a good single issue story dealing with some very heavy subject matter.

| Published by Marvel

Pathfinder: Spiral of Bones #2 features some really nice art from Tom Garcia and Morgan Hickman, as the story shifts to Valeros’ predicament of being dead and being mistaken for a particularly nasty individual. I enjoy how Crystal Frasier is expanding upon the Pathfinder concepts for the afterlife and Valeros’ situation is fairly funny, even if dire.

| Published by Dynamite

Sacred Creatures #6 was worth the wait. I know this series doesn’t get a lot of press, and often slips its schedule, but what Pablo Raimondi and Klaus Janson are crafting here is some pretty heady stuff, with reinterpretations of biblical epics and an entirely different take on the Nephilim and the Seven Deadly Sins (of which we learn there was an eighth this issue, Vanity, although vanity is usually just an example of pride). It’s good, it’s dense, and it’s beautifully illustrated.

| Published by Image

Strangers in Paradise XXV #3 keeps Katchoo on the path to find Stephanie Kelly. I love Terry Moore’s humour and this issue has it in spades.

| Published by Abstract Studio

Thanos Annual #1 is a collection of mostly dark humour stories of Thanos as told by a motley crew of creators, including the recently departed Thanos creative team of Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw, and a number of other luminaries like Al Ewing, Chris Hastings, Frazer Irving, Katie Cook, Kieron Gillen, and more. It’s a fun set of stories, also serving as a bit of bridge to the forthcoming Cosmic Ghost Rider mini-series.

| Published by Marvel

Witchblade #5 goes deeper in the darkness that has rooted itself deep within New York City’s underworld as Alex investigates a dirty cop, unveiling a web of corruption. We also get a really nice reveal at the end of the issue.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

X-Men Blue #26 unleashes more of Miss Sinister’s Mothervine plan across the world with secondary and tertiary mutations occurring, along with old depowered X-Men regaining powers. This feels bigger than something that’s just confined to one X-book, which is a testament to the level of storytelling Cullen Bunn is bringing here. While there are timeline quibbles, especially with Venomized going on currently that has already brought the original five back to Earth, it is entertaining to see Polaris’ new team in action.

| Published by Marvel

X-O Manowar #14 is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking things you can read this week. Matt Kindt, Ariel Olivetti, and Dave Sharpe return Aric to Earth, but not to home.

| Published by Valiant

Other Highlights: All-New Wolverine #34, Archie #30, Babyteeth #10, The Beef #3, Black AF: Widows & Orphans #1, Crossroad Blues, Cult Classic: Return to Whisper #2, Days of Hate #4, The Despicable Deadpool #299, Factory #2, Giles #3, Harrow County #30, Hillbilly #9, Hit-Girl #3, Incidentals #8, Invincible Iron Man #599, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation #3, Legion #4, Lockjaw #3, Lumberjanes #49, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual 2018, Now #3, Old Man Hawkeye #4, The Pervert, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #303, The Prisoner #1, Reactor #3, Redneck #12, Regression #9, Rick & Morty #37, Saga #51, Shadowman #2, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle #8, Songs for the Dead #2, Spider-Gwen #31, Star Wars: Darth Vader #15, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #19, Throwaways #13, Venom #165, Venomized #4, The Wilds #2

Recommended Collections: The Damned - Volume 2: Ill Gotten, Dead of Winter: Good Good Dog, Fear Agent: Final Edition - Volume 1, Goldie Vance - Volume 4, Hack/Slash: Resurrection - Volume 1, Heavy Vinyl, Jessica Jones - Volume 3: Return of the Purple Man, KINO - Volume 1: Escape from the Abyss, Lazarus Sourcebook Collection - Volume 1, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - Volume 5, Spirits of Vengeance: War at the Gates of Hell, Star Wars: Darth Vader - Volume 2: Legacy’s End, Stumptown - Volume 2: The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case

d. emerson eddy wonders.

[oosteven-universe]

The Scumbag #11

The Scumbag #11 Image Comics 2020 Written by Rick Remender Illustrated by Roland Boschi Coloured by Moreno Dinisio Lettered by Rus Wooton    “GOLDENBROWNEYE,” Part One    Ernie has double-crossed every spy organisation on Earth. Now, a method to extract the Formula Maxima has been discovered—at the cost of Ernie’s life. Who will kill Agent Scumbag and claim his powers?    Now this isn’t for the faint of heart or those who offend easily because it really is as far from politically correct as you can possibly get and that’s what the huge appeal is.  We live in a world where so many cry foul that it’s nice to see that this fictional world and this caricature of a stereotype can just make me laugh as hysterically as it does.  I love that Ernie is a piece of dirt and he’s only out for himself and he’ll sell out any side he feels like doing in order to gain something that he desires in that moment.  The epitome of selfishness sure but he’s an opportunist as well and as loathe as many of you are to admit it you’d do something similar to those around you if you wanted something that badly.  It is a part of our human nature to look out for number one and we’ve seen this over the course of history all the way to present and most recently in how many countries have leaders that care only about their own power and nothing else.    I am a fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information are presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a magnificent job in fleshing out these personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more incredulous and fun this becomes.    I am very much enjoying how we see this being structured as well as how we see the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I am also liking the way that we see how the layers within the story open up new avenues to be explored.  That gold trick and how we see the ending here for instance.  What these do is add some great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.      The interiors here are extraordinary.  The linework is clean, crisp and strong and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work is exemplary.  How we see the backgrounds used to enhance and expand the moments as well as how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is marvellous to see.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a sensational eye for how colour works.  I have to say the creativity and imagination we see is impressive and that thong Ernie is wearing had me in stitches. ​    The raucous and randy and rambunctious Ernie has no shame and it’s part of the reason why he makes such a great central character.  He has his set of morals and they are pretty nonexistent to be hornets but he lives by his own code and I have to say while there’s no chance for redemption of this man the circumstances he finds himself in are those that set the stage for someone like him to be all he can be.  There is some great writing with some stellar irreverent characterisation and some incredibly solid interiors here making this a hoot.