#I think alexandra roach is really bad in it

[whybedennydifferent]

is anyone watching nightsleeper

[echo-three-one]

Chapter 39

The Road So Far

Is this still worth it?

The SEVEN Inch Wound

Gary 'Roach' Sanderson

Task Force 141 Base - Gym

Roach finally got his seal of approval. After weeks of physical therapy and daily check ups, he was now finally fit for battle and he was lucky enough that Nero was still under the radar. He wouldn't want to miss out on the battle he started. He was lucky enough that they were exonerated when Shepherd surrendered, because if they continued to be fugitives, Roach would not have access to appropriate medical attention.

It has been almost a month after the events in Afghanistan and Task Force 141 was already re-established, Samantha and Maxine were housed on a nearby compound where veteran's families lived under the safety of government protection. During his time in the infirmary, Maxine was always there to visit, telling him tales about dreams she recovered as time went by. Roach was glad she was returning to normal and that no matter how her memories came back, her treatment towards him was the same.

"Good to see you back on your feet, my man." Rocket went up to him and did their fist bump, a series of elaborate claps then finished off with finger guns accompanied by their almost realistic attempt at pistol fires.

"Haha. Yeah? I'm glad I'm back." He waved as Rocket pointed at his back. Roach turned to see Maxine, carrying a packed lunch, waiting at the end of the hallway.

"Hey you. Just in time for lunch as always." He smiled, wrapping an arm around her as they made their way to the mess hall.

"Glad to see you smiling and walking about." She says, as her palms ran across his firm chest, tracing the scar that changed his life.

"Yeah, finally passed the damn physical test." He grinned as they sat down at their usual table, the only table which consisted of two tables stuck together to form an eight seater.

The rest of Roach's closest comrades were already there. Alex, guessing what Samantha packed for him. Soap and France arguing which meal choice was best for them and Ghost, who was already halfway through his lunch while the rest of his comrades haven't even started yet.

"Good to have you back, buddy." Ghost greeted with a wide grin on his face, well technically only half of his face was shown.

"Hey man. I sure am glad. How have you been doing?" he joked. They constantly visit him in their free time, so there was actually nothing to catch up on.

"The rest of the squad proceeded to badger Roach with questions about everything they wanted to know. Roach enjoyed the hot seat as the military mess hall felt like the university cafeteria.

"So, any news about Nero?" He finally asked as soon as everyone was done with him. The table felt awfully quiet.

"None." France was the first to speak up. Everyone else nodded and frowned.

"Shit. Guess our only choice is to wait." He added.

"Shepherd didn't have any leads towards Nero. Their last contact was the exchange of blueprints and after that, he was gone." Soap explained the situation.

"The missing persons?" Gary asked.

"Still missing." Alex commented.

"And there are still a few additions every other day as indicated by the FBI and DHS." Ghost added.

"Is interpol still involved?" Roach turned to Ghost.

"They're still after the traces of EMP equipment from the missing persons. Their new lead is that Nero's team is trying out a lethal kind of grenade. One that explodes without damaging property. If he's planning invasion, this is actually a good idea without ruining too much of the invaded country." He replied. Roach nodded at the theory. EMPs only damage mechanical equipment and this was a good call for the bad side.

"I never knew they'd think of this kind of weaponry. I always expected bioweapons being the last of modern warfare." Ghost muttered.

"Well, that was what happened in Verdansk and we stopped it. We could do that again." Alex tried to boost morale.

"Yeah. We'll do whatever it takes." Roach agreed and they continued lunch.

By the time he started training, Roach focused back on his Sniper techniques. His wound may have affected his previous breathing training and it was only inevitable that he'd train it again. He wanted to master the long ranged rifle as it was vital towards his development as a soldier.

"Back on the scope huh." Ghost huffed as they reached their 200 yard mark, by the hill just outside the base.

"Glad you could help me on this one." Roach unzipped the sniper bag and began scouting the area.

"You sure this is your spot?" Ghost asked, using his hand as a visor against the hot afternoon sun.

"Yeah. This fits."

"Suit yourself." He chuckled as Roach snapped every attachment of the rifle, from the bipod stand to the clicker adjustments.

He peeked at the scope and looked at his target. Five small cans standing on top of a log 200 yards away.

"Remember what I told you." Ghost mused as he looked at Roach steadying his breathing.

"Damn." He added as he noticed the change in wind.

"Yeah, damn. I just was about to fire it." Roach muttered as he took another deep breath and began to hold still as his crosshairs adjusted to the shift.

A loud fire echoed across the hills as dust scattered on the ground where Roach fired. He was about a few inches off.

"Great. Do that again but change your adjustments." Ghost said as consolation.

"Yeah got it." He rolled his dial once again and accounted for the wind, easing his breath and fired again. The loud sound once again echoed through the hills, followed by a soft metal can flying away from the log.

"There you go! A clean hit." Ghost congratulated as he tapped Roach's back while he reloaded his sniper and aimed again.

Roach stayed at that spot until it was too dark to continue and Ghost accompanied him until such time. On their way back, Ghost opened up to something that has been bothering him ever since.

"Roach. Do you mind if I say something important?" He asked and it made Roach stop on his tracks.

"Yeah. What's up." Roach asked.

"I've already sent my formal letter, but I just wanted you to have a heads up on the matter." Formal letter. Roach's heart started to pound as his mind automatically thought of him quitting or leaving.

"Letter about?" he asked. His mouth almost felt dry. He didn't want him to leave. Not again.

"Transferring department. Alexandra offered me a spot on the Interpol. I told you this first because I knew that if you were on my shoes, you'd go too, right? Do whatever makes you happy?" he said, quoting Roach's famous words.

He isn't wrong about doing what makes him happy, but his decision didn't feel right either, or maybe because he just doesn't want Ghost to go.

"Well, you bet I'd go for that option too!" Roach said, trying to validate his decision despite not wanting it. It was sad to see him go, but for the first time in ages, Ghost actually acknowledged the term happy.

"I knew you'd understand." he smiled and continued their trail back to the base where Roach remained quiet until they reached the base just in time for dinner.

After dinner, Roach opted for a night jog around the base to clear his mind off of Ghost leaving. After the second lap, he soon noticed Alex catching up to him.

"Wonderful weather for an evening run, huh?" He asked all cheery as he's quite used to his heavier and more realistic leg.

"Yeah. It is. Good to see you're liking Samantha's surprise." Gary nodded and removed his earphones.

"You know, it's really a surprise when I'm the only one who doesn't know about it." He commented.

"It feels like a real leg, actually. The wonders of modern technology never ceases to amaze me." He mused as they both took the turn.

"Yeah? That's good to hear. Pretty sure Samantha loved the way you thanked her." Roach teased as Alex chuckled, like he recalled some memory.

"Oh yeah, she did." Alex nodded suggestively, the kind that Roach didn't want to ask anymore.

"This your last lap?" Roach asked as Alex slowed down for his cooldown, turning to the set of exercise bars.

"Yep. See ya!" He waved as he started his cooldown.

Gary took three more laps just to make sure he's exhausted for the night, so that once he got in his bed, no more thoughts would assault his mind, hindering him from sleep.

There was only one way out of it. And it was accepting Ghost's inevitable departure from the 141.

The next morning, the 141 was briefed on a possible lead on Nero. This time, Ghost wasn't in the room and that meant that his letter was now approved.

"Okay lads. We've received word on a supply drop activity from Nero. We intercepted an unencrypted call signal to an abandoned port just off the coast of Sierra Leone, Africa. If intel is correct, we're going to be dealing with someone who goes by 'Volt', Nero's bomb maker." Price paced in front of the huge screen showing details regarding their mission.

"Volt is a high value individual who must not be killed. He's our only hope towards Nero. The intercepted call came from the USA, and it's quite impossible that Nero is here, so he must've used a secure line. Jack will be staying in the base as our new Operations Command as suggested by Laswell. Overlord will continue his role as our commanding officer as well." Price added making clear about the jurisdiction.

"Damp and dry Africa." Soap muttered.

"Have you been there?" France asked.

"Only in Egypt. My mom used to tag me along her trips." he replied.

"Recon suggests a high chance of militia activity, so our standard rules of engagement; treat anyone as hostile. Volt's compound will be surrounded by his own personal army and they're willing to shoot any unwanted visitors. He also has access to a port, so I'm sending the Charlie team to stand by the shore and make sure they're not planning an escape." he added.

"I'm leading the Alpha team and our task is to infiltrate his base and secure Volt for intel. Bravo team, led by Alex, will act as our support when things go south. As bonus, we need to destroy any trace of bomb making equipment.

Roach, I want you to man our new air support tools from above as soon as we confirm that there are no SAMs on his base." He shot his glare on Roach and he nodded. Guess he isn't on the ground tomorrow.

"We leave tomorrow at 0300. Make your necessary preparations especially on our brand new comms equipment. Ones that are immune to EMP blasts. Dismissed." He said as everyone got up and went on their way. Gary purposefully left himself behind so he could ask Price about the Ghost situation.

"Hey there lad. You feeling good?" Price approached as soon as he noticed Roach.

"I just have a question about the mission."

"Sure. What about it? Any suggestions?"

"No no. The plan is fine. Where will Ghost be?" Price gave him a worried stare.

"Ah. Didn't he tell you about his transfer?" He crossed his arms and stared at Roach.

"He did… but why did you allow it?"

"Well, it certainly looked like he was happy to go there. And I had no power over his commendations." Price reasoned as they walked out of the briefing room.

"Oh. I thought he was going to have one last mission with us." Roach smiled as he walked back to the room. Ghost wasn't a fan of goodbyes. Maybe because he knew they'll meet again.

0300H

Sierra Leone, Africa

"This is Hunter One-One requesting sitrep, over." Roach phoned his allies who were already on the ground for support. This mission was their vital lead towards Nero. He wished that the guy Volt was here so that they could finally finish the war before everyone else gets hurt.

Before he could man the air support, he needed to confirm that there were no SAMs present on their base so he could safely provide suppressing fire from above.

Next Chapter : The SIXth Ship

Notification Squad my Beloved

@whimsywispsblog @ricinbach @bumblingbee1 @smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @enderio

[artemismatchalatte]

My Spotify Wrapped 2021

1.       Here (in your arms) by Hellogoodbye

2.       Love by Lana Del Rey

3.       Scars by Papa Roach

4.       Dear Maria, Count Me In by All Time Low

5.       I Hate The Homecoming Queen by Emily Osment

6.       Angel by Shaggy and Rayvon

7.       You and Me by Lifehouse

8.       The Older I Get by Skillet

9.       Over You by Daughtry

10.   Malibu by Miley Cyrus

11.   Super Bass by Nicki Minaj

12.   Rebirthing by Skillet

13.   I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Fall Out Boy

14.   I Want You by Savage Garden

15.   Shut Up and Dance by WALK THE MOON

16.   Those Nights by Skillet

17.   Never Really Over by Katy Perry

18.   Woman Like Me by Little Mix ft. Nicki Minaj

19.   Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

20.   I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen

21.   Use Your Love by Katy Perry

22.   Something Kind of Ooh by Girls Aloud

23.   What A Man Gotta Do by The Jonas Brothers

24.   Here We Go Again by Demi Lovato

25.   Mr. Saxobeat by Alexandra Stan

26.   Yuors to Hold by Skillet

27.   Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles

28.   Easy on Me by Adele

29.   Birthday by Katy Perry

30.   Rose-Colored Boy by Paramore

31.   1999 by Charli XCX and Troye Sivan

32.   Once in a Lifetime by All Time Low

33.   Say Goodbye by Skillet

34.   Yellow by Coldplay

35.   Commander by Kelly Rowland and David Guetta

36.   Daisies by Katy Perry

37.   Hey Mama by David Guetta, Afrojack, Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha

38.   Looking For Angels by Skillet

39.   Lips of an Angel by Hinder

40.   Cool for The Summer by Demi Lovato

41.   The Gambler by Kenny Rogers

42.   Whispers in The Dark by Skillet

43.   New Perspective by Panic! At the Disco

44.   Te Amo by Rihanna

45.   Cheerleader by OMI

46.   I Know You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift

47.   Just Dance by Lady Gaga

48.   The Last Night by Skillet

49.   You’re Beautiful by James Blunt

50.   Kings & Queens by Ava Max

51.   Dear Future Husband by Meghan Trainor

52.   Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy

53.   Someone Like You by The Summer Set

54.   Brown Eyes by Lady Gaga

55.   I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston

56.   YOUTH by Troye Sivan

57.   I like it by Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull

58.   Moment by Glasperlenspiel

59.   Saturday Night by Whigfield

60.   Your Guardian Angel by Red Jumpsuit Apartatus

61.   Make A Move by Icon for Hire

62.   Rain Over Me by Pitbull and Marc Anthony

63.   When Love Takes Over by David Guetta and Kelly Rowland

64.   Average Girl by Emily Osment

65.   Power by Little Mix

66.   Sugar by Maroon 5

67.   Untouched by The Veronicas

68.   Good Girl by Carrie Underwood

69.   Shake it Off by Taylor Swift

70.   Miss Movin’ On by Fifth Harmony

71.   Only Girl in The World by Rihanna

72.   Radioactive by MARINA

73.   Girls Chase Boys by Ingrid Michaelson

74.   Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes

75.   Queen of Swords by Idina Menzel

76.   DONE. by The Band Perry

77.   I Think We’re Alone Now by Girls Aloud

78.   If I can’t have You by Shawn Mendes

79.   Just Like a Pill by P!nk

80.   Domino by Jessie J

81.   The Loving Kind by Girls Aloud

82.   All or Nothing by Cher

83.   Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney

84.   Chemicals React by Aly & AJ

85.   Oh No! by MARINA

86.   Bad Romance by Lady Gaga

87.   Confident by Demi Lovato

88.   When The Day Met the Night by Panic! At the Disco

89.   Upside Down by A*teens

90.   Only For Love by Meg & Dia

91.   It’s Not Right but It’s Okay by Whitney Houston

92.   Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) by The Backstreet Boys

93.   Part of Your World (Little Mermaid Cover) by Jessie J

94.   Shake it by Metro Station

95.   Your Love is My Drugs by Kesha

96.   New Romantics by Taylor Swift

97.   The Night is Young by The Summer Set

98.   Girlfriend by Avril Lavinge

99.   Starships by Nicki Minaj

100. Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler

[noah-moth-cursed-chaos]

"Do you really find it so hard to believe that someone could like you for who you are, Alex?" The voice echoing in Alexandra's head was almost normal at this point. It was odd how quickly one could get used to demonic possession, even when you were stuck calling said demon some stupid nickname because it wouldn't tell you it's real one.

"... Maybe." The girl sighed, not diverting her attention away from her computer screen, the script for something she'd probably never produce halfway done, "I don't know. I just. What am I if I'm not useful? Why would anyone keep me around unless they were getting something out of it? I know I'm not exactly cool or fun or-or anything like that. I'm not friend material."

"Did your parents tell you that?" Alex went silent for a minute, stopping her typing.

"... A lot of people did, Blue. I'm smart but... that's all I've got."

"And can you explain to me what someone like Ashley would truly have to gain from exploiting you?"

"Information. She's being hunted. I know about the things hunting her. My uncle knows about the things hunting her."

"And as their prey so does she."

"Safety then."

"I have been alive for a long, long time, mortal. Once you learn the signs and methods of human manipulation it can become rather easy to spot. You should really acknowledge the idea that someone genuinely wants to be around you."

"... I don't like you."

"You don't have to." Blue replied, "What is so bad about that possibility anyway? You're afraid of it."

"I'm not afraid."

"I am quite literally in your head."

"..." Alex sighed, getting up, "I'm scared because if I actually believe that Ashley wants to be my friend, then it'll hurt when she leaves me. If I set myself up for disappointment from the start then when it happens I'm only being proved right. When I'm alone again it's not as bad because I expected it. So I can't consider her being my friend. I'll just get abandoned again." She walked to the kitchen, checking the coffee maker to ensure it was clean and free of any bugs. Of course her kitchen was a lot cleaner than her parents', and she didn't have roaches, but you find one dead one in your coffee cup and it kind of sticks with you. Then she checked it again. Then again.

"I don't think it's advisable to drink caffeine this late, you've also already had a concerning amount-" Alex pulled a jar of instant coffee out of the pantry.

"You know you're annoying."

"And you're going to be alive and rested tomorrow." She felt the feeling leave her limbs and saw herself putting away the instant coffee. Great. In the passenger seat. "We're going to bed. I'm sure you'll feel much better after you've had eight hours of sleep. We can talk more about your abandonment issues tomorrow."

Person A: “Do you really find it so hard to believe that someone could like you for who you are?”

Person B: “You’ve spent enough time around me, don’t you?”

[juniperusashei]

Poetry by Harryette Mullen

Urban Tumbleweed: Notes from a Tanka Diary - 4/5

This was a good choice for my read-a-poem-every-morning-and-night routine, because Harryette Mullen wrote Urban Tumbleweed in a similar fashion, except I believe she did a poem every day which took a year and I read 2 pages every day which took about a month. But this was meditative in the sense of you're supposed to let thoughts come to you without judgement (or so I've heard, I've never meditated). So in that sense, Mullen is truly meditating on the things she depicts every day... from nature to pop culture, true crime to daily life, not judging anything as 'bad' or 'good', but just depicting it as she sees it. This is a worldview that I think I will try to adopt for a change. There are a lot of nature poems in this collection, which made it a fitting replacement now that I've finished my big Mary Oliver book, but there's also a lot about Los Angeles, a city that I don't know much about. It's an effective portrait of LA culture, and some of the more dystopian parts about celebrity culture or technology reminded me of books like Something New Under The Sun by Alexandra Kleeman. It's not that Mullen exaggerates things in this book, but when you put a microscope on something like "Octomom" or Venice Beach, the grotesque is put front-and-center. But maybe this is my bias creeping in, and she's merely depicting Californian culture as part of its environment, something that the title Urban Tumbleweed encapsulates.

Tree Tall Woman - 4/5

This was my favorite of Mullen's collections so far. It's more personal than Urban Tumbleweed, with poems about her own life and culture. It feels more intimate because of this, but still easy and straightforward to understand for a non-poet such as myself. My favorite part of this collection was how it was organized... the links between the poems are there and make sense but it's not about just one thing, going from subject to subject. The pacing is loosely autobiographical too, with the early ones being about her childhood as she grows up alongside the poems to talking about issues of racism and sexism. I wondered why I gravitated back towards her work after disliking Recycolpedia so strongly... this has reminded me why I love Mullen's poetry when it's at its most lyrical. I will though say I didn't like the one about Persephone, just for having an interpretation of the myth that I don't agree with. Also the library copy I borrowed is printed on some gorgeous paper that looks like linen or papyrus, almost woven... I wish I had a copy to keep for myself!

MY GRANDMOTHER

White men opening doors for her was liberation

Recyclopedia: Trimmings / S*PeRM**K*T / Muse and Drudge - 2/5

I'm sorry but I really did not understand this! I liked the other collection from Harryette Mullen I read, Urban Tumbleweed, but all three of the books in this collection were beyond me! I think they were just too poetic, too flowery, and I just didn't understand a single poem. The book is a collection of three other poetry collections, which is important to know. Trimmings is all prose poems about... fashion? Described in a really grotesque detached way, which is kind of cool but I didn't understand the purpose. S*PeRM**K*T is the same, but more broad just about everyday things. It was cool when I could figure out what was being dissected (the one about how we put pesticides out for cockroaches because we know they'll eat us one day, I'll copy it below), but more often than not I just didn't want to put in the effort. Muse and Drudge was stylistically super different, the only one in verse, and the wordplay was more rhymy. They sounded cool but they were possibly even more inscrutable. I feel like this is kind of poetry for other poets. Here's the roach poem. The entire book didn't have titles, so it's on pg 74. 

Kill bugs dead. Redundancy is syntactical overkill. A pinprick of peace at the end of the tunnel of a nightmare night in a roach motel. Their noise infects the dream. In black kitchens they foul the food, walk on our bodies as we sleep over oceans of pirate flags. Skull and crossbones, they crunch like candy. When we die they will eat us, unless we kill them first. Invest in better mousetraps. Take no prisoners on board ship, to rock the boat, to violate our beds with pestilence. We dream the dream of extirpation. Wipe out a species, with God at our side. Annihilate the insects. Sterilize the filthy vermin.

[crowleytakesall]

Books Read in 2017

I really don’t know what else to say at this point. Other than I toned it down a bit from last year. ;)

OH actually: I noticed I was being a failure at listing the illustrators of graphic novels. So I’ll try to do that from now on. I apologize to all those artists I’ve neglected to include in my bylines, but thankfully I believe you are all listed on the linked pages. Which is better than no credit at all....

Total: 144

All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation by Rebecca Traister

Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets for the Next Generation ed. Brett Fletcher Lauer and Lynn Melnick

But What If We’re Wrong?: Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past by Chuck Klosterman

Culture and Customs of Korea by Donald N. Clark

Making Whiteness: The Culture of Segregation in the South, 1890-1940 by Grace Elizabeth Hale

サイレントヒル by Sadamu Yamashita

A History of Nepal by John Whelpton

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

I Little Slave: A Prison Memoir from Communist Laos by Bounsang Khamkeo

Game On!: Video Game History from Pong and Pac-Man to Mario, Minecraft, and More by Dustin Hansen

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva

Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

DC Universe: Rebirth - The Deluxe Edition writ. Geoff Johns, illus. Gary Frank, Ethan van Sciver, Ivan Reis, and Phil Jimenez

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Silver Child, Silver City, and Silver World by Cliff McNish

The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman

A Modern History of the Somali: Nation and State in the Horn of Africa by I. M. Lewis

Uzumaki Vols. 1, 2, and 3 by Junji Ito

Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route by Saidiya Hartman

One-Eyed Doll by James Preller

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J. K. Rowling

Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond

The Vikings: A History by Robert Ferguson

Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1-5 and The Kane Chronicles #1-3 by Rick Riordan

Draw The Line by Laurent Linn

Somalia: A Nation Driven to Despair: A Case of Leadership Failure by Mohamed Osman Omar

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology by Valerie C. Scanlon and Tina Sanders

Ultraviolet and Quicksilver by R. J. Anderson

Harmony House by Nic Sheff

Me Against My Brother: At War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda by Scott Peterson

Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and Their Journey by Isabel Fonseca

Cultures of the World: Somalia by Susan M. Hassig and Zawiah Abdul Latif

The Somali Diaspora: A Journey Away by Abdi Roble and Doug Rutledge

Half Bad by Sally Green

The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800 by Christopher Ehret

Omega City by Diana Peterfreund

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

The Dragons of Noor by Janet Lee Carey

Asylum, Sanctum, Catacomb, and The Asylum Novellas by Madeleine Roux

Unraveling Somalia: Race, Violence, and the Legacy of Slavery by Catherine Besteman

A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom

Unnatural Creatures ed. Neil Gaiman and Maria Dahvana Headley

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

The Politics of Dress in Somali Culture by Heather Marie Akou

The Foundry’s Edge by Cam Baity and Benny Zelkowicz

Diagnoses From the Dead: The Book of Autopsy by Richard A. Prayson

House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini

The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear by Seth Mnookin

A Silent Voice #2-7 by Yoshitoki Oima (read the first one last year)

Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks by Ken Jennings

Printer’s Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History by Rebecca Romney and J. P. Romney

The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey

You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Things Happen by Eric Liu

The Father of Forensics: The Groundbreaking Cases of Sir Bernard Spilsbury, and the Beginnings of Modern CSI by Colin Evans

Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA, and More Tell Us About Crime by Val McDermid

Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson

It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg

The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class - And What We Can Do About It by Richard Florida

An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back by Elisabeth Rosenthal

The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It by W. Chris Winter

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire by Jack Weatherford

Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner by Frederick Zugibe and David L. Carroll

Asking For It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture - And What We Can Do About It by Kate Harding

ワンパンマン Vol. 1 - 3 writ. ONE illus. Yusuke Murata

Buried in the Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America by Elliot Jaspin

Forensic Nurse: The New Role of the Nurse in Law Enforcement by Serita Stevens

So Brilliantly Clever: Parker, Hulme, and the Murder that Shocked the World by Peter Graham

The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute by Zac Bissonnette

Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper

The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Beyond Monongah: An Appalachian Story by Judith Hoover

Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favelli and Francesca Cavallo

The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America’s First Serial Killer by Skip Hollandsworth

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley

Inferno by Dan Brown

Paper Girls Vol. 1 writ. Brian K. Vaughn, illlus. Cliff Chiang, Jared K. Fletcher, Matthew Wilson

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

Warcross by Mary Lu

Life on Mars: Poems by Tracy K. Smith

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World by Reshma Saujani

Head First C: A Brain-Friendly Guide by David and Dawn Griffiths

A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain

Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting it Done by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser

Coding for Beginners in Easy Steps: Basic Programming for All Ages by Mike McGrath

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening writ. Marjorie Liu, illus. Sana Takeda

Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

Native Son by Richard Wright

Courage is Contagious: And Other Reasons to be Grateful for Michelle Obama ed. Nick Haramis

This is the Part Where You Laugh by Peter Brown Hoffmeister

The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic

Coding for Dummies by Nikhil Abraham

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond by Marc Lamont Hill

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Artemis by Andy Weir

Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy by Tressie McMillan Cottom

C Programming: Absolute Beginner’s Guide by Greg Perry and Dean Miller

The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything by Chris Hadfield

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

The Memory Code: The Secrets of Stonehenge, Easter Island, and Other Ancient Monuments by Lynne Kelly

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

[hegodamask]

Utopia, of course!

thank you thank you omg here goes…

Top 5 favourite characters:

Wilson Wilson

Lee

Milner

Becky

Arby

More under the cut ‘cause it’s long (and also spoilers if anyone’s planning on watching it)

Other characters you like:

The Assistant, Jessica Hyde, Ian, Philip Carvel (only because he’s played by Ian McDiarmid tbh) and lots of little minor characters like Leah, Bridget the scientist and retro torturer Mr Omida

Least favourite characters:

Donaldson for what he did to Becky -_- 

Otps:

nothing to see here

nothing at all…

Notps:

not sure if this counts but the becky/ian/jessica love triangle is one of the few things i dislike about the show 

Favourite friendships:

becky and wilson aww

Favourite family:

the carvel family even though they’re fucked up!!

Favourite episodes:

S01E01 - the best first episode of a series i’ve ever seen, hooked me from the start and i’ve been obsessed ever since…

S01E06 - because of the twists!! also, lots of pretty shots of the manuscript

S02E01 - i fucken love backstrories and seeing younger versions of characters and utopia devoted a whole episode to that! Truly Iconic

S02E03 - for that leexwilson goodness 

Favourite season/book/movie:

unpopular opinion but i liked series 2 more than series 1. it had more about the network, dat flashback episode and executed wilson’s character arc brilliantly 

Favourite quotes:

“We’ll make a great team, you and me. I do stuff and you can keep an eye out.”

“I don’t think I am me…Not any more.”

“It will never happen again. And just thinking about it makes me want  a vagina transplant so I’m just fucking telling you, alright?!”

“You’re an I.T consultant, Ian. If I want to know how to make a printer work, I’ll let you know.”

“But what we must do puts us beyond morality.”

“Quinoa. It’s a superfood.”

Best musical moment:

this show is made up of best musical moments! but when to you all kids will come kicks in at the end of s02e01 i have a religious experience tbh

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest:

every lee x wilson moment in series 2 do i have no shame

When it really disappointed you:

see: notps 

Saddest moment:

“you’re supposed to be my friends!” r.i.p in pieces: me

Most well done character death:

bejan getting pushed off the balcony in ~slow mo~

Favourite guest star:

emil hostina as marius the translator eat my fuCKING CHIP

Favourite cast member(s):

adeel akhtar, paul ready and alexandra roach oh! and alistair petrie because he tweeted me once out of the blue

Character you wish was still alive:

lee because i long to see my trash ship live it would’ve been interesting to see him working for the new mr rabbit….

One thing you hope really happens:

IT COMES BACK FOR A THIRD SERIES

Most shocking twist:

the reveal of mr rabbit at the end of series 1 got me shook

When did you start watching/reading?:

summer of 2014. i binge watched series 1 on 4od, then watched series 2 as it aired.

Best animal/creature:

mr rabbit….

Favourite location:

the network’s pyramid prison for jessica hyde it’s so extra. also lett’s office in the cordvat building with those wooden carvings all over the walls.

Trope you wish they would stop using:

is the love triangle a trope?

One thing this show/book/film does better than others:

it was bold, it took risks. every tv show i’ve watched since is pale in comparison.(that’s the short answer)

Funniest moments:

ian and becky try to have sex in s01e01

“yeah, suicide’s not gonna work”

“saw it on spooks”

Couple you would like to see:

grant and alice when they’re older but we’ll never get that now 

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast:

i would like all the actors from the first two series to form the cast for a third series pls

Favourite outfit:

lee’s Iconic yellow suit with the purple socks, black ‘n white shoes, geen tie and lime green bag need i say more

Favourite item:

arby’s yellow bag/lee’s green bag

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?:

the dvds and that’s it. there’s no merch for this show that’s widely available. i’d love to own one of the limited soundtrack vinyls though 

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?:

i’d be shit at living on the run. i’d join the network for the Fashion

Most boring plotline:

i don’t think there were any tbh, and they were all connected

Most laughably bad moment:

none???

Best flashback/flashfoward if any:

the whole of s02e01

Most layered character:

wilson wilson definitely 

Most one dimensional character:

out of the main cast, i can’t think of any 

Scariest moment:

the first time i saw the torture scene in s01e01 i was watching it through my fingers

Grossest moment:

when jessica has just escaped from the hospital and she’s covered in medical waste and she blows something out of her nose eeeww

Best looking male:

lee ian

Best looking female:

becky ^_^

Who you’re crushing on (if any):

becky ;)

Favourite cast moment:

when adeel was nominated for a bafta for playing wilson wilson

Favourite transportation:

don’t know??

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise):

there’s way too many to choose from! the stuff on the hills in s02e05 is particularly breathtaking though

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you:

who was christos??? who was he?? why did he save carvel and jessica??? was he part of a larger group???? who. was. he.

Best promo:

all of utopia’s promo’s have been so good! the utopia inquiry website was pretty cool, i wish that was still online. thenetworkiswatching.com was cool but creepy as hell. the lost game was a nice little thing too.

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book:

literally right from the first episode, honestly i’ve never been so hooked by a tv show before it’s just sdjfshsgsdjkaah!

[dyl-crane]

YOUR NAME: Ci

YOUR ACCOUNT / URL / WHERE WE CAN CONTACT YOU: cithewurld

CHARACTER LABEL: the credulous

CHARACTER FACE CLAIM: alexandra daddario, cindy kimberly, selena gomez

CHARACTER AESTHETIC BLURB: ( please include at least four lines of little blurbs similar to the skeletons already up. )

CHARACTER AGE: 22

CHARACTER PRONOUNS: she/her

CHARACTER SEXUALITY: open/exploring.

CHARACTER FEARS: claustrophobia, burning alive, explosions, infectious diseases.

CHARACTER “ANTHEM”: pretty hurts - beyonce, because of you - kelly clarkson. 

CHARACTER CONNECTION TYPES: 

alessandro vasile - half brother - scars, papa roach.

old friend - say something, a great big world.

best friend - girls just wanna have fun, cyndi lauper.

competition - you belong with me, taylor swift.

ex - where i stood, missy higgins.

crush - beneath you’re beautiful, labrinth. 

confidant - fast car, tracy chapman.

disliked by - apologise, one republic.

DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE CONNECTIONS TO BATCH 1 SKELETONS: 

alessandro vasile - half brother - scars, papa roach.

discussed with olivia ! half siblings that share the same father but have little to no knowledge of one another -- meaning that alessandro has no knowledge of her and she has a sparse amount of knowledge about him. 

WHY YOU’D LIKE THIS CHARACTER / HOW THEY’D BE PLAYED IN THE GROUP: 

SO, I don’t even know where to start with this character. She’s a sweet heart but she’s bonkers. She doesn’t need drugs or alcohol to get crazy because the world she lives in inside her own head is completely different to the one that everyone else does. And that’s where most of her issues through her life have come from -- inability to be understood by those around her. Especially her Mother who’s constant emotional pressure and blackmail probably contributed to her becoming so estranged from the real world -- but she’s happy. My girl is full of joy and kindness, she has the most forgiving heart that you’ll ever find. You could literally stab her in the back and she’d still say it was okay. AND I MEAN WITH A DAGGER OR SOMETHING. 

She’s attracted to toxic people, something that she got from her Mother. For example despite the years of conditioning, pressure and being made into a human doll and paraded around as a child model and then an adult one, her heart beats just for her Mother. This girl has been through hell to be perfect, made herself sick trying to be smart and she still loves the cause of it all with her entire heart and pities her, feels like her Mother is just sad and needs her to do as she says so she can one day be okay again. 

Her Father? Gone. She met him three times in her life and if she ever described him then it’d be as a monster, because the only true memories she have of him are the opposite of pleasant. She saw him once with her half brothers and the way she saw them treated created the illustration of a villain in her mind that lasted a lifetime -- totally ignorant to the fact that bad things have happened to her. He will always seem worse. 

I imagine that Amber is a very inconsistent person. Her thoughts are always changing but her heart isn’t. Her communication about real life issues is strange and she’s quite distant from reality. Things seem much more blase to her than they would, especially things that happen to her own self. She’s very concerned about others at times but little of that transfers to self care. She’d go back into a burning building for a mouse that lived under the stairs. That’s the kind of person she is. 

My idea of Amber’s relationships with her ex-boyfriend is that she believed in him. She’s the kind of person who pours her heart out but somehow it never touches the base of her history. She could try and heal any wounds, listen to any past and not judge and not act like it’s a big deal. She is a very calming presence but when she feels that she has no place anymore, in a way I imagine her being pushed out of his life slowly at first and then fading out altogether and just as she disappeared from her own reality -- she disappears out of his reach without really thinking that’s a bad thing. Hoping that another will fill her shoes and give what she couldn’t, but in the kindest way possible, hoping that someday something like that will come for her. 

She is beautiful but extremely strange, alienated from her own family by fate and from the people around her sometimes by the life that her Mother made from her or by her own weird personality but she isn’t lonely. From childhood she has had imaginary friends that she keeps a secret due to being rejected by her Mother. They have always kept her company through the stages of her life that were hard and they come and go but some of them stuck with her longer than others into her adulthood. She would actually class these as real friends and maybe if she hadn’t been conditioned not to, would of told someone. 

I feel like it’s honestly incredibly hard for me to encompass what this character is like without playing her because in a strange way she’s probably more grounded than anyone while appearing to be completely distanced from the real world at the same time. She’s very philosophical but people don’t dig deep enough to see and she appreciates being taken at surface value in a way that most people don’t. She’s so at peace with people not understanding her that it’s like fresh air; EXPECTED. 

In terms of the group, my gal Amber/Honey would be kind of like a tree in a storm, forever routed to the ground. She doesn’t have that in built reaction to shock and horror that others have, due to her imaginary friends and the tales they span over the years combined with her, the death, the demon, all of it, is kind of like “oh.” She has an inner peace that’s incomparable to anyone else but the heart to try and help the others. I think in her own way she’d try and be a guide but a large part of her is afraid of rejection. She has a faint clue about the identity of her brother but due to her riddle like speech at times, I doubt she would ever bring it up, she doesn’t feel like it’s her right. In a way it’s like she won’t really be there but she is. She won’t be afraid of the demon but boy, the torture won’t go down well with her. Psychologically when she’s tapped into then she will be SHOOK. I think though, despite it all, somehow, she will think there’s a reason for the demon to behave this way and feel like this is reparation. (Don’t ask me - even I don’t know where her thoughts spiral to and from).