#I wonder if she’s just doing young Abby in flashbacks or something

[messrmoonyy]

So you’re telling me the person apparently casted as Abby is a short, small framed, conventionally attractive woman. Small enough that she almost played Ellie and she is now playing Abby?

[lakemichigans]

tlou episode 7 thoughts!!

- ellie's gay little run :') i know the mean girl isn't abby but her face really does look like her lol. but young abby wasn't a mean person anyway so i don't know why that theory got spread around so much

- "there's a leader in you. and one day it could be your turn." i've long guessed that this would be the plot if they do decide to make another game

- i loooove the way they introduced riley; it was similar to the game but had so many unique lines that felt right at home. and they kept in ellie saying "i'm so stupid" 🥺

- they kept in some of the rooftop parkour from the american dreams comic! it seems like that's pretty much all they took from the comic, but i don't mind, because the comic kinda sucks (sorry). i'm sad there's no mention of winston though :(

- riley is extra bossy and i love it lmao. it shows how big of an impact she had on ellie's personality and future choices

- the escalator scene 😭😭😭😭😭

- i was wondering why ellie didn't have a photo of the two of them in her dorm room, but it's because because they actually get a physical photo from the photobooth later 🥺

- ellie loving video games but being bad at them, she is so me

- ohh i was wondering if the halloween store would make an appearance! i love how they mixed up the order of events a little, it makes it all feel new whether you've played the game or not.

- i'll articulate my thoughts more clearly later, but the extra world building of FEDRA vs. the fireflies in this episode is incredible. it really delves into the fact that FEDRA sells the idea of power while the fireflies sell the idea of belonging.

- no water guns :( makes sense though because in the game that was meant to be like a fun nod to combat mechanics and wouldn't be as fun on screen

- i'm soooo glad they kept the same song because hearing the first notes of it sent equal parts excitement and dread through my veins like lightning

- fuck meeeeee i knew it was coming and i was still shocked. seeing ellie get so excited after she killed the infected because she thought she saved riley but the horrors were just beginning 😭

- i love love love the way riley's actress gave riley so much more dimension, particularly in response to being bitten. in the game, riley is so calm and collected that it's hard to believe. in the show, she's still the more stoic, reserved one, but she's obviously just as devastated as ellie is, she just shows it differently. i'm not a huge fan of the dialogue changes in riley's final speech (it was just so so perfect in the game), but i'll be curious to see if there's a reason why they changed that wording, like a future parallel or something? but the way ellie rested her head on riley's shoulder and they just sat together and cried for a while.... fuck. that broke me

- ouchhhh those stitches made me cringe, i felt that. the acting from both of them in that scene was outstanding

- i'm really surprised that we didn't see an answer as to what happens after the events of left behind?? it has to be answered at some point though. maybe we'll see riley again, even for a short time, in a flashback when it becomes relevant to marlene? like in the last episode maybe?

[juliettecxi]

Hi Hey Hello Hola I probably sound very awkward now jshksks but can I get one for Kai and Cinder with prompt number 7 ?

Prompt number 7: “May I have this dance?”

Fandom: The Lunar Chronicles

Ship: Kaider

Genre and warnings: angst, 1940s au, post world war ii, major character death, established relationship, mentions of war stuff, not proof read so sorry for any and all errors.

Prompt List | Writing Playlist

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<flashbacks in italics>

It was over. The war that has raged havoc and changed everyone's life was over.

They had won. Everyone was celebrating, except for one person.

Cinder sat alone at the table in the corner of the bar. The place smelled like alcohol, perfume and happiness.

Who knew that had a smell?

In another life Cinder would have been with the others, singing, laughing and dancing, all while another held her securely in his arms, singing, laughing and dancing with her. She felt her throat tighten and her heart clench, and she took a deep breath.

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"Cinder!" An annoyingly cheerful yet ever welcome voice called her.

Thorne walked up to her, Cress in his arms with the others right behind.

Everyone had sympathetic smiles on their faces, along with an aura of indescribable cheer and elatedness around them, and Cinder smiled a little.

She would've had that too.

"I got you a little something!" Said Iko, who raced past the others and sat next to her.

She placed a bag on the table, revealing a pair of boots.

"I chose a brown that would match all your dresses and even those men's pants you sometimes wear!" She said excitedly.

"They're called trousers Iko, and you should try them out, way more comfortable than these old things." She said, and pulled at Iko' s sleeve.

"She's not wrong," interjected Scarlet. "Trousers are way more comfortable than dresses."

"I doubt they'd still be in fashion though, now that the war is over." Cress said, and everyone murmured in agreement.

The conversation continued, everybody idly chattering about what they'd do now that the war was over and everything would be settled for a while.

"I'm thinking about catching one of those animated films this man Disney is making." Winter said, and Jacin beside her scrunched his nose. "Oh come on, stop acting like you don't love 'em." Winter cooed and pinched his nose playfully.

"I just want to stop eating canned foods, especially canned tomatoes!" Ze'ev said, and the whole table chuckled. Scarlet leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek. There was so much love in and among everyone that Cinder felt her heart pang again, and so she turned away from the conversation, blocking it out.

The small ensemble which consisted of a middle aged man on the piano and a vivacious young boy on the strings were doing a pretty good job of keeping the music and festivities going.They were playing somewhat mellow tunes now, and everyone was swinging to the beat.

'Somewhere over the rainbow,'

Cinder smiled bitterly, of course they'd play this song, her song, his song, their song.

She remembered five years ago.

"You look beautiful, love."

Cinder looked up at her fiance. "Thank you, my beloved." She said, and playfully pinched his nose.

"Ow." Kai said, and pouted. Cinder leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Kai wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her closer before leading her towards a table. "Drinks?" Kai asked her, and she nodded.

Kai went over to get them something to drink, and Cinder made herself comfortable. She idly let her eyes wander.

It was a nice time to be alive, and everything in her life couldn't have been better. She was getting married soon to a wonderful man, and she had amazing friends.

Her brief moment of happiness she felt thinking about her life, shattered when she heard the whispers.

"Invasion"

"War"

"Enlistment"

Cinder shuddered. She knew all too well that a war was looming, which would mean Kai joining the army, and her future potentially falling apart.

The band started playing a mellow song.

‘Someday I’ll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.’

Cinder began to lose herself to the music, and a few other couples got up and started dancing around the tables.

‘Where trouble melts like lemon drops high above the chimney tops that's where you'll find me,’

“May I have this dance?” a hand reached out to her, and she looked up to see Kai, smiling down at her.

“I’d love to.” she said, and took his hand.

They swayed to the rhythm for a while, and Cinder laid her head against his chest.

“I know you’re worried about me enlisting.” Kai spoke into her hair. “I wouldn’t worry too much,” he continued. “I’ll be fine.”

“How can you say that? How do you know?” Cinder said, and looked up at him. She fought back the tears that were threatening to fall, and Kai’s face softened.

He lifted her chin and whispered. “I’m going to make a promise to you, no matter what happens I’ll always try to come back to you, I’ll never leave you Cinder, I promise.”

Cinder smiled and kissed him on the lips, threading her fingers through his hair. Kai smiled against her lips and kissed her back.

If only they'd known what a fruitless promise it was.

‘Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue.’

Things started to feel overwhelming. Cinder wanted to scream. She should have been laughing with the rest, she would have been dancing with Kai, Kai would have been alive.

Her breathing became unsteady and she stood up.

“Cinder are you okay?” Scarlet asked, her eyes wide with concern, and the whole table looked at her.

“I’m fine, I’ve, I’ve got to go.” and with that she ran out of the bar, her friends calling after her.

She breathed in the night air. The moon was full and bright, and it seemed as though it was taunting her. It was whole, something Cinder doubted she’d ever be again.

She began to run. It wasn’t fair. Why did this happen to them? They were so happy and blissfully in love, why was fate so cruel?

Cinder broke down into sobs, and fell to her knees on the street corner. She hadn’t allowed herself to cry, but she couldn’t hold it back.

So as her sobs filled up the night, Kai’s smile was all she could think of, and one question swam in her mind.

Why?

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A/N: Hello! @i-love-books-and-i-cannot-lie thank you so much for requesting! I have no concept of time management or time for that matter so I'm so sorry this is so late! I hope you enjoy it and don't hesitate to let me know what you thought :)

-Abby💕

[thelastofgala]

I started The Last of Us, Pt. 2 last night, and here are my first impressions, musings on parallelism, Naturalism, Ellie’s characterization, Joel’s characterization, the “presence” of Riley, gameplay, story development, and more:

***SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT***

Starting with Joel. I always imagined The Last of Us 2 would begin at the end of Joel’s journey, though I will say that I did not expect to pick up so close to the end of the first game. I thought they would start us somewhere COMPLETELY out of context. Like I was prepared for much deeper flashback. In this way, I really felt like I was playing a sequel, which is not a bad thing. I just had no idea how they were going to frame this. The compelling thing about starting with Joel is that it immediately sets up parallels between Joel and Sarah, the character we start with in The Last of Us. There’s no way this was not a pointed decision. Just like it was with Sarah, Joel is our point of reference in a new, strange world. His point of view in this new world is all that we know. We don’t know what the new special world contains, and we don’t know grown-up Ellie at all. Plus, old fans will have missed him. It is a comfort to be Joel, and like a daughter protected by her father, a false and short-lived comfort. We are also now thinking of Joel as, like Sarah, someone who is in danger, whose agency is compromised, who, for whatever reason, is weakened this time around, and who may not survive the story. 

I will say, too, that I really loved that after the 4-years-later cut, Joel is held off-screen. He and Tommy are out on a patrol. They are out there, in danger, and that sort of restraint is really effective. We are ALWAYS looking for Joel, just like we were in the run-up to the release, because he is the only person we truly know in this strange, new world. ND knows and takes advantage of this.

There are many parallels between Joel and Riley. Both Joel and Riley sneak up on Ellie during their first interaction. They’re even wearing similar colors. Both Joel and Riley lied to Ellie in the previous story, and both betrayed her as an act of self-preservation. In Left Behind, Ellie is somewhat chilly toward Riley in the beginning, even as her younger, more optimistic self, just as Ellie is chilly toward Joel in the beginning of The Last of Us 2. Still, you can tell through Ellie’s dialogue with Dina that she and Joel are knitted together—he defended her against the bigoted bartender, and she appreciates this even if she doesn’t outright say it. They share taste in movies and have plans to watch a movie together soon. I haven’t interacted with Joel in the current timeline, but I do know that in Left Behind, Riley has to earn back Ellie’s trust and take measures to reenter her good graces, and that this is a large part of their relationship arc. I also know that, by the time they reconcile, it proves to be too late. The world will not let them have what they want, and nothing is simple. All of these parallels worry me a lot, as Left Behind, while still driven by a strong undercurrent of love (it is a love story, interwoven with Ellie’s desperate search for medical supplies in a bid to save Joel’s life), is a much bleaker, sadder story than The Last of Us, and it has a tragic ending.

Joel's conversation with Tommy feels important. I was very glad to hear Tommy say that he would have made the same choice, in terms of saving Ellie or letting her die for the possibility of a cure. It shows that Tommy is more like Joel than perhaps we knew. Plus, Maria will have taught him something about love and commitment, as the notion of saving the one you love above all else should make more sense to him now that he has foregone the youthful idealism of the Fireflies in order to focus on the practical wisdom of family. As a parent, I understand Joel’s decision to save Ellie at the end of The Last of Us and know I would have done the same. I also understand why Joel lied, even though I think it was the wrong choice. Hearing him confide all of this in Tommy was cathartic. It was also very characteristic of Joel to respond that Ellie “didn’t say nothing otherwise” when Tommy asks if she believed him. In all of his denial, Joel chooses to believe what is conveniently in front of him, even if he knows it’s untrue. Also, I couldn’t tell, but was that a Firefly logo on that guitar he’s shining up? Maybe I hallucinated that. But if it is, I do wonder where he got it.

Ellie’s character is much more deadpan and ruminative in young adulthood. She seems tired, and a little lacking in self-esteem and sort of immediately defeated by what happened during the experience with Joel. When Joel sang, we could see her return to that place, just a glimmer, and her response—that it “didn’t suck”—shows how she still shields her heart with sarcasm, something Dina points out to her later on (“Did I ruin your punchline?”). Joel has been broken down by the events of The Last of Us and now bears his soul to her with his music, unabashed and dedicated to her, and Ellie is now the stoic one, unshakable, sealed inside a heavy, protective armor that seems impossible to pierce. I look forward to getting to know Ellie as a young adult and, ultimately, crying a lot. She is artistic and honest and still a little soft underneath. You can tell by her early interactions with Dina especially that she can still blush, and she can still come undone.

I love the snowball fight lol. I am always so frustrated when these big environment games, like Red Dead 2, Dragon Age, etc., don’t have any kids running around. Why don’t these stories pay attention to kids? Kids exist. They are an important part of almost any open world or quasi open world environment. I love the presence of kids in The Last of Us 2, because the loss of childhood innocence is an important theme for Ellie as a character. It’s also clear we’re trying to set up the edenic innocence of Jackson. It is childhood, in a way, and just like childhood, it will come to inevitable corruption. The scene, too, reminded me of Ellie and Riley on their teen dream adventure, romping through the Halloween store at the mall, trying on masks and talking to the magic eight ball.

I’m really pleased by all the parallels with Left Behind and Ellie’s portion of the journey in The Last of Us. Winter was her season, and that’s where we’re starting now. The horseback riding, the blizzard, and all the blood in the snow bring flashbacks of Ellie hunting on the woods, Ellie alone in the frozen mall, David, and the Lakeside Resort, all of which layer the current moment with a lot of emotional tension for the player.

The opening is, I think, sprawling. I’m having fun but there’s this sense that I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of the story. Like Joel in the first game, Ellie is also big-timing me a little and I feel far away from her. I know this will change soon, and I’ll warm up to her, but for now, like Joel, we’re all being held at arm’s length. I actually like the POV shifts we’ve gotten so far and the multiple POVs is something I predicted a while ago, based on ND’s tendencies in the first game. Ppl are going to give The Last of Us 2 shit for being too cinematic but tbh it sometimes feels more like a playable novel than a traditional video game. We’re on a cable car headed straight into disaster and there’s nothing we can do. In this way the game is using the medium itself to perpetuate its Naturalistic themes. We play and we play, and we fight and we fight, but the environment entertains no interest in our struggle and the outcome will always be the same. There is no free will in The Last of Us.

On that note, the gameplay so far is, I think, pretty fun. I have played a lot of stealth games and am always looking for ways the genre is reinventing itself. Like Sekiro and Tomb Raider, The Last of Us 2 is increasing the verticality of the map with rope climbing and scaling up obstacles (though I do miss using Joel’s immense upper body strength to move those dumpsters around lol). In a stealth game I want creativity and problem solving to be central to the gameplay. I don’t want to be magically handed tools and weapons on a constant basis, to meet every individual need. I want to be forced into resourcefulness, and I don’t want to enter a shoot-out unless I absolutely have to. That said, I’m nearly to the tower checkpoint with Dina, and I’ve only fired my gun twice. The dodge/melee mechanic is neat, but more than anything, having real, actionable help from an AI enables stealth kills even in zones crawling with enemies. On that note, I am playing with a headset, and I’m glad I am, because I find the sounds of the goddam clickers to be all-encompassing this time around and a LOT bigger and scarier than they were in The Last of Us. Holy shit. They’re absolutely terrifying. I can only imagine the horror to come lol.

Now, finally, Abby: I don’t have much to offer on this yet. Abby is not who I thought she’d be. I’ll just say it. Still, the melee battle with her and the runners in the woods was AWESOME. For me, the most fun I’ve had yet, because it was completely different than anything from The Last of Us. Playing her, however, I will say, filled me with foreboding. I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want to help her. She seems beyond desperate and while deeply sympathetic, she is a new character and her loyalties are not mine...so far. I could be very wrong, and please don’t correct me if I am, but I get the sense she might be a Firefly, or somehow associated with Marlene, and she is looking for Joel, in vengeance. Her group was small and rogue, and they seemed new to the area. All I know is that ND is creating a moral dilemma here, and as to what will become of this, the jury is still out completely.

One small personal criticism, take it or leave it: I don’t personally love that the kiss with Dina and scene with Joel defending Ellie was kept off-stage in the game and left to the trailer. We could have started at the dance. That would have taught us everything we need to know about Ellie, Dina, Jesse, and Joel and Ellie’s relationship state. This is my only criticism of the story so far. From a writer’s perspective, it’s just inefficient and clumsy to try and cover all that in expositional dialogue, taking into consideration that many casual players will not have seen all the trailers. Even still, it’s not hurting my experience in any way. Just an observation and maybe a bit of personal opinion on the fact that perhaps the choice to reveal so much scene in pre-release trailers might be a great way to build hype but might not be the most efficient choice in telling the actual story. My two cents!

In the end, I’m overall super excited and can’t wait to keep playing. These are just my own personal thoughts, and I’ll be back with more thoughts soon!! PLEASE NO SPOILERS OR SPOILERY SUGGESTIONS IN THE REPLIES!! I am NOT privy to the leaks and I do NOT want to know what’s coming. Thank you!! ^_^ 

[starlessskies94]

Consequence (Joel Miller x OC)

Summary: What if Joel survived his injuries from the Abby and Fireflies attack but ends up with really bad amnesia. He can’t remember his wife, Ellie, or the Outbreak; only before. How will his family bring back the man they once knew?

Pairing: Joel Miller x OC

Note: Sorry I'm a little late posting an update. After so much sadness, why don't we take a break? We need some cute happy moments...my babies are too sad. :( Here's a flashback that is well needed right now. I hope you enjoy it <3

Chapter Six

The sun had long since set, the night unusually calm and still after a morning spent travelling and walking through the Wyoming Museum that Joel had surprised the girls with for Ellie’s birthday.

It had been fun and Ada had enjoyed every second of it. That was until they’d been separated and Ellie had seen the dead Firefly and his messages of hate and anger towards the group after they’d been forced to disband.

Ada had always wondered what would become of them after Marlene’s death, she supposed now she had her answer.

They’d set up their tents for the night with a roaring campfire burning away in between them as the horses grazed contently not too far away. The older woman sat a small distance from the campsite by the water’s edge of the deep pool flooded into the forest beds. Brown eyes stare into the lazy river flowing through the fallen rocks and dead trees, filtering through the cracks into a string of waterfalls that beautifully reflected in the soft moonlight above.

She watches the water move, her mind completely quiet and undisturbed. It’s strange even now to still have quiet moments like this. She’s so used to running for her life, constantly vigilant for the sounds of nearby infected or potential threats that sometimes find their way through. But now she can relax, she can breathe and it’s glorious. There’s just that tiny nag in the corner of her mind. It tugs gently until she can no longer ignore it. She glances back to the tents, towards the young girl that is currently occupying her mind. Ellie sits quietly by the entrance of her tent, headphones in her ears, comic book on her lap as she idly flips through the pages. While Joel tends to the fire, poking and prodding here and there to keep it burning long enough for their supper to be cooked. She’d made sure to pack enough for the whole journey but Ellie had  chosen to catch a few fish for tonight’s meal, what with it being her birthday and all. And as the teen was quick to remind both her and Joel…repeatedly...

My birthday, my rules.

It was the first time she’d seen it in Ellie’s eyes but it had definitely been there and it terrified her. That doubt. For so long Ellie had taken Joel and Ada’s words as fact, she had never brought up the Fireflies or what had happened in the hospital after they’d left so quickly. After all, what reason would they have to lie?

Ada felt her chest tighten at the thought. What would she say if the girl started asking questions? What would Joel say? For the first time in over a year, she was starting to feel guilty for hiding the truth of what really happened. Maybe Ellie deserved to know, maybe they never should have lied in the first place.

But as she glanced back across at her daughter, the fear went away. She was a mother and it was her duty to protect her child. No matter how old she was. And while she may not have been Ellie’s biological mom, she was every bit a mother to the girl whether they were related by blood or not. She'd raised Ellie from being a few days old after her mother had passed. And she had done the best she could with what she had.

She’s was so lost in her own barrelling train of thoughts, that she doesn’t hear Joel approaching until he sat beside her.

“Hey you doing alright over here?” He asks.

“Yeah I’m fine.” She lies and Joel instantly knows that something is wrong, the concern evident on his face as he leans closer towards her.

“No you’re not. You're worrying.” He says gently. “It's Ellie ain’t it? You saw it too.”

She doesn’t even have to question what he’s talking about. They both saw the look on Ellie’s face when they forced their way into the abandoned building and found the girl stood alone in the dark, her light illuminating the Firefly sign and the dark letters painted below.

‘Liars’

In a way it felt as if the very message was speaking directly to them. For what else could they call themselves for the stories they had spun, for the protection of a girl that they both wanted to save? That they both loved.

Ada said nothing as she moved to rest her head on Joel’s shoulder, the man sighing deeply, lifting his arm to wrap around her waist, his own head then rested upon hers. They held each other close as they’d done so many times before, staring out at the glistering water before them. The soft lapping of the water danced by the edge with the breeze of the night’s air, carrying with it the melody of chirping crickets in the long grass under foot.

“What are we gonna do?” The brunette whispers into the silence settled between them.

“With how things are going; I say we do nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“She ain’t asked about it, reckon there’s no reason to go pulling at strings until it’s time.” Joel reasoned. And he was right, Ellie was happy. She was making friends back in Jackson, learning new skills and discovering new talents. It wasn’t until Tommy had gifted her with a journal for her birthday that she actually discovered she was a pretty damn good artist. She had a bed to sleep in every night, a family to come home to, just like she’d always wanted. It was the closest thing Joel and Ada could remember from before; that somewhat resembled a normal life.

They had structure, a reason to get up in the morning. And it felt good. Eventually they moved from the water. Walking hand in hand towards the fire and sitting together, while Ellie continued quietly in her own little bubble, reading her comic book.

They glanced at one another and in that instant that their eyes met, it was decided they would keep their secret for a little longer. Ellie was happy and that was what mattered to them. Nothing more needed to be discussed.

Joel moved to tend to the burning fire, checking over the fish as it cooked above the flames. Though Ada had to quickly take over when the man sent her a lost look at the state of the food. The older man was talented at a lot of things throughout his twenty years of survival but it was obvious that cooking was not one of them. A trait that Ada found rather endearing about him. To meet this confident, strong and stoic man; only to then find out that he struggled to cook a simple can of soup without somehow managing to burn it to the bottom of the pan.

Although it was considered rather old-fashioned, Ada still enjoyed looking after Joel. After everything he had done for her and Ellie, something as simple as cooking him a decent meal made her feel like she was giving something back. She’d tried teaching him in the early days they’d arrived in Jackson but it seemed it was a skill Joel just couldn’t pick up, no matter how often she attempted it. It was a small thing but it made her feel better knowing that; even if she couldn’t control anything regarding Joel’s safety when he left on patrols, at least he wasn’t going out with an empty stomach.

With the food done Ada quickly served the meal, splitting the fresh fish between herself, Joel and Ellie. Who, as a typical teenager, said nothing as she took the plate from her mother and disappeared back into her tent, comic book under her arm and headphones still blasting in her ears. The older woman merely smiled, taking her seat back at Joel’s side as the two ate in a comfortable silence.

When they’d finished Joel had offered to wash up, a credit to his Texas manners as he moved towards the stream to fetch water. He heated it through after grabbing a rag from his backpack and once again found his place at Ada’s side.

She watched him as he worked, a smile tugging at her lips. It had been almost two years since she’d met this man and she still wasn’t quite sure what she’d done to deserve him.

If she was honest she had never loved anyone the way she loved Joel. It was almost laughable how irritating they once found each other when they'd first met. Constantly arguing over plans, ideas and routes to take to get to their destination. She’d wanted so badly to get rid of this gloomy grump, confident in her own abilities that she could find her way with Ellie on her own. And yet now she couldn’t even fathom the idea of living without him.

“Hey.” She called gently, grabbing Joel’s attention as he glanced her way. “ I wanted to thank you, for all this. Everything you’ve done for Ellie. I think this is without a doubt the best birthday she’s ever had. Back in Boston I could never really do a lot for her. Couldn’t even get her a decent present with those damn ration cards.”

“You don’t gonna thank me Ada, reckon this was good for all of us.” He said, wringing out the rag as he finished the washing up, then hanging it dry. Ada shuffled on her behind, grabbing her legs to cross them underneath her and leaned back on her arms to gaze up at him.

“Yes I do, you didn’t have to do this. And that tape you found her...I mean she loves it Joel.” He smiled at her words, his eyes moving to find Ellie still sat alone with her Walkman.

“You do realise she’ll be listening to that on repeat for months right?” She laughed with him. His face lit up with joy, it was the same feeling he’d felt when he gave her the gift in the first place. The pure wonder and glee when she played it. He looked back to Ada and his heart leaped in his chest when he saw the love in her eyes.

“Well...you know, speaking of presents, I do actually have something else.” He teased with a mischievous grin widening across his face. He kneeled down beside the woman, rummaging through his bag then pulled out a small vinyl cover. Ada’s mouth agape in surprise as she took the album from Joel, a small gasp leaving her, her smile hid behind the hand that rested on her chin.

“Joel...I...how did you…” She uttered, completely at a loss for words. It was a Fleetwood Mac album, one of her favourites in fact. The man beside her lowered himself back down, his hazel eyes level with hers.

“You said they were your favourite growing up, cause of your mom and I found a music store before we left Jackson so I figured...you know…” He explained and Ada was touched by how considerate he was. How sweet. She’d told him the story of her mother listening to the band throughout her childhood and teen years, when they’d first started to soften to one another while travelling through Pittsburgh. But that had been months ago and yet he had remembered every detail. A fact that Ada was quick to point out to him, but he just smiled and shrugged.

“I guess I do listen more than you think.” He simply said. And damn if Ada didn’t fall in love with this man all over again.

“I love it, thank you.”

“You’re welcome darlin’.”

She still hadn’t said the actual words to him yet. Which, when she thought about it seemed so ridiculous. She put the album to the side, unfold her legs and tackled the man in a hug. A reaction Joel clearly hadn’t been expecting as the force of it left them both in a tangled mess on the forest floor. Ada landing on top of him, as he let out a muffled grunt as he met the ground with his back. His arms wrapping around her middle and holding her in place, while hers found themselves round his neck, her fingers brushing through his hair.

“I love you.” She said breathlessly, her eyes never leaving his. She saw his throat quiver as he swallowed hard, his face softened as his calloused fingers caressed against her face. A gentle touch but one that still made her feel warm and giddy. He brushed her hair from her eyes, sweeping the brown locks behind her ear and smiled lovingly.

“I love you too.” He replied. The words said for the first time between them. He moved forward to kiss her, eyes sliding close, noses touching as they leaned closer.

“Oh come on guys!! Seriously?! Fucking gross!” Ellie bellowed, instantly killing the mood as Joel groaned letting his head fall back against the floor, his arms releasing Ada as she quickly scuffled from him and back to her feet. Hand reaching out to help Joel up.

Both adults stepped away from the other, attempting to put the distance between them as Ellie stared them down with a raised eyebrow.

“And on my fucking birthday, what are you trying to scar me for life or something?” She joked. But Ada and Joel were far too embarrassed to see the funny side. The girl continued with a deep chuckle, her tongue sticking out as she gagged and pulled faces at the whole thing.

“Oh man that image is gonna be stuck in my brain forever!” She groaned. “Get out! Get out” She whined tapping her head with her small fist as she squeezed her eyes closed. Turning on her heel and retreating back towards her tent.

Joel awkwardly cleared his throat when the girl had gone, looking anywhere and everywhere except towards Ada. The woman doing the same, her stomach fluttering and cheeks hot from endless blushing.

“Well that was uhhh...unexpected.” The man mumbled. Ada just laughed as she felt the tension melt away between them as Ellie shouted at the two to go to bed and jokingly threatened to ground them if they didn’t behave. Joel just shook his head at the girl and smiled at his love as they called it a night and headed towards their tent. Ellie watched them go and readied herself for first watch, taking the risk to glance through the tent door and seeing Joel and Ada had already fallen asleep. She'd never tell them but it was actually kinda cute when they cuddled up to each other. She was glad they were happy. It was nice.

Yeah  Ellie thought to herself as she settled in for the night.

Best. Birthday. Ever.

[starstruckteacup]

Cottagecore Films (pt. 11)

A Little Princess (1995)

starring Liesel Matthews, Liam Cunningham, Vanessa Chester, Eleanor Bron

synopsis

I was extremely disappointed in this film, to put it lightly. The story itself was beautiful, but that is thanks exclusively to the novel on which it was based. The movie itself utterly failed to convey the magic and timelessness of the book. The acting was flat, emotionless, and forced at every point, from every actor (except for maybe Cunningham, but he was absent for half of it). One would think a gaggle of girls would have some form of natural chemistry, whether pulling them together or apart, but not a single child actor portrayed even the remotest semblance of a relationship to another. (Note: I describe in my review of Pan’s Labyrinth what quality acting from a child looks like, for reference.) Even Matthews and Cunningham could not pass a believable father-daughter relationship, despite the story being about that. As far as emotional acting, the adults were just as bad as the children. They couldn’t even feign a single moment of joy, sadness, or anger, regardless of the context. I actually laughed for the entire scene during which Sara nearly died because of how bad the acting from the adults was. At least Chester seemed somewhat worried; Bron and the nameless police officers stood around so vacantly it looked like they forgot what was happening. I really was appalled by the abysmal acting, especially when so much was handed to them in the story. I want to preface my next point by saying that yes, I know computer animation was still a work in progress in the 90s. But this was horrifyingly awful. I have never once, not in my entire life, seen CGI as terrible as the monster in Sara’s stories. I nearly gave up on the entire movie within the first five minutes because of that monster. And it kept showing up, which absolutely ruined whatever favor I tried to hold for this movie. If you don’t have the budget, which this film clearly didn’t, don’t try to animate a monster. It’s that simple. I wish I had more words for it but it was truly so atrocious that I’m at a loss. Any good will I hold for this movie is due to my fondness for the story (no credit to the film), the settings (while not exceptional, they were fairly pretty), and Liam Cunningham’s acting. 2/10

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

TW: blood, mild gore, torture, racism against indigenous people

starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, Abbie Cornish, Jordi Mollà, Samantha Morton

This film is the sequel to Elizabeth (1998) (see part 10 of my film reviews), which continues the story of Queen Elizabeth I as her rule progresses. Tensions between Catholic Spain and Protestant England grow ever greater, escalating to treasonous plots and assassination attempts. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and King Philip II of Spain conspire to depose Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne, restoring Catholicism as the national religion. Even as these events lead to war between the two superpowers, the court provides no sense of stability as new faces and new stresses surround the Virgin Queen. She forms a strong friendship with the pirate Walter Raleigh upon his return trip from the New World, where he seeks to establish colonies under the English flag. However, his stay is extended greatly when Elizabeth’s selfishness and pride take over, and are only broken down in the face of battle when she puts him at the forefront of the British navy. Outnumbered, Elizabeth will need Raleigh’s loyalty and cunning, along with the unwavering loyalty of her people, if they wish to survive the Spanish onslaught.

While still a drama, this film proved to be much more war-oriented than its predecessor, but I’m not sure it did either as well. I liked the deeper look this film gave us into the Elizabeth’s mind, especially with her social and emotional conflicts. They remind us that she is still human, despite the somewhat cold appearance the first film gave her at the end. She is more mature, and even more prideful, but there’s still a limit to what she can take as a person. I think the first film gave a better portrayal of her complicated mind, but this was a solid continuation of what years of ruling can do. I also liked how much detail they put into Raleigh’s character, which the first film didn’t do as well with its secondary characters. We got to know more about him, even if he did still feel somewhat surface-level. I think the dramatic aspects could have felt more high-stakes than they did, especially for the characters who were actually in danger. Even though so many characters were actively committing treason, I only felt that level of tension with one: Mary Stuart. Her death was particularly elegant and laden with symbolism, and even though I knew the outcome historically the scene still delivered the anxiety it was meant to. The others simply didn’t have the same delivery. Even the assassination attempt didn’t project any kind of concern, regardless of one’s historical knowledge. The war focus was a fairly different take than the first had, which I appreciated. The film established a strong balance between the tensions in England, Scotland, and Spain, and did a good job making the stakes very clear for each group. Given the uncritically positive stance on England that this film takes, I would have expected the film to villainize Spain a little more to form a stronger dichotomy between the two rulers, but Spain was presented rather neutrally to the audience. The Spanish ruler and nobles didn’t have much character, despite being the antagonist. As for that uncritical positivity regarding England, I do have a bit more to say. Although to an extent it makes sense that the film would lean in favor of England, given its content and the point of view from which the story is told, it became overbearing at times. England could do no wrong in this film, despite children dying in battle, indigenous people being humiliated and dehumanized for show, talk about slavery, and a complete disregard for the suffering of non-white and non-Protestant groups. In contrast, the first film heavily criticized England, from Mary of Guise shaming Elizabeth for sending young children to war, to Elizabeth frowning upon Walsingham’s torture methods (granted she never stopped them, but she didn’t approve as readily as she did in this film), and so on. Although England in truth did all of these things without rebuke, the film could have handled it more gracefully and came across less like propaganda, at the very least. 5/10

Loving Vincent (2017)

TW: suicide (action offscreen, death onscreen)

Sensory Warning: movement of the impressionistic paintings can be very disorienting for those with sensory processing difficulties. I had to break from watching multiple times so as not to become ill.

starring Douglas Booth, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jerome Flynn, Robert Gulaczyk

This fully hand-painted animated film follows Armand Roulin, a young man with a severe temper, on his way to deliver Vincent Van Gogh’s last letter to a living recipient. When he reaches the town where Vincent died, he begins speaking to a variety of villagers with their own stories about the artist, and their own theories about how he died. Armand tries to piece the puzzle together, wondering if the death was not a suicide as claimed, but rather something more sinister.

This film was spectacularly breathtaking. The amount of work that went into painting every scene was awe-inspiring, and definitely sets the bar high for any other films of its kind. The team of artists that created this film represented Van Gogh’s unique art style exquisitely through their loving application of oil-based paints, and truly brought to life the emotion he put into his works. I wish I hadn’t struggled so much with the constant movement, as I feel I would have been able to appreciate the film in its entirety better, but as it was I struggled to pay attention to the story because the art style consumed too much of my sensory processing capabilities. As for the story, I thought it was interesting, but I found it lacking despite the incredible artwork. Foremost, after some cursory research, I discovered that the homicide theory on which this film was based was only acknowledge by one individual, and spurned by hundreds of others. Although the film leaves the verdict open-ended, both to Roulin and to the audience, the story itself seemed to lean into the homicide theory, then completely give up on it with no resolution, so it came across as fairly noncommittal. I won’t argue for or against the theory, as I don’t know nearly enough about Van Gogh to assert an opinion, but I’m somewhat unsettled by the amount of weight it gave to it without any kind of evidentiary support, only to dump it as if the writers changed their mind themselves. The pacing was also slow for a murder mystery, which is basically what the story turned out to be. I would much have preferred the film to cover Vincent’s life, or even the days/weeks leading up to his death, instead of only featuring him in other people’s flashbacks. This kind of existential impressionism should capture the life of its creator, not the mundane views of people who didn’t understand him or even hated him. There wasn’t anything wrong with the film, per se, but I wish the writing was given as much love as the art was. 7/10

Part 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10

[lilacmoon83]

Lightning in a Bottle

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 9: Turbulence

Love. It could be messy and complicated. It could be wonderful and bring heartache. It could and often did strengthen over time, but it could also fade over time as well. But once in a lifetime, there was a love that shined brighter than most and rose above other loves. Once in a generation, there is a love that's like lightning in a bottle. It happens once and it strikes, giving way to the creation of something extraordinary. And Margaret had always known that her love with David was extraordinary and destined to be. It had started when they were very young and blossomed over the course of their lives into an all encompassing, soul searing true love that defied logic and reality. It would transcend to something eternal. She knew that wholeheartedly and she thanked whatever power out there that had brought him back to her, for their love was unbreakable, even by death.

She pressed her forehead against his, as she rode the throes of passion with him. His lips on her body drove her to places of ecstasy that were unimaginable.

"David…" she breathed, as kissed at the tops of her breasts.

"So beautiful…" he rasped, as he made love to her. It had always been like this for them. Their love had always been all consuming, yet perfectly balanced. They became each other's home at a very young age. Her hand had been in his since they were very small and it had created waves among their peers.

~*~

Flashback

"So...who are you inviting to your party?" one girl, about twelve, asked.

"Well...all of you, of course and some of the other girls from the neighborhood," Victoria said.

"Uh...is this your list?" another girl, Isla, asked.

"Yeah, why?" Victoria asked.

"Uh...because you have a freak on it," Isla replied in a nasty tone.

"Yeah, why are you inviting Mary Margaret Blanchard?" another girl, Sera, asked. Victoria sighed.

"Mother said I have to, because her father is very important and influential," she replied.

"Ugh...she's so odd though. She's always hanging out with those Nolan urchins," Isla said distastefully.

"Mary Margaret is very nice," Abigail said, defending her friend.

"Oh please Abby...if her father wasn't who he was, there is no way any of our parents would want us playing with her. She's a weirdo and always holding hands with that Nolan boy. Mother says it's very improper at our age," Isla said. Mary Margaret, having been sitting near them at the park, walked away sadly. She didn't really like any of them either, except Abigail, but it hurt to hear those things said about her. She slipped away and collapsed on one of the swings, but didn't really feel like swinging.

"MM?" Emma called, as her shadow was suddenly over the other girl.

"Oh...hi Ems," she said sadly.

"What's wrong? Why are you sad?" she asked, as David got there and she looked up at them.

"Do you think I'm a weirdo?" she asked.

"No way!" Emma exclaimed.

"Of course not...why would you think that?" David asked.

"That's what Victoria and Isla think. Victoria is only inviting me to her birthday party, cause her Mom said she had to because of who my dad is," MM replied.

"Ugh...they're the worst. Did you even want to go to her party?" David asked.

"Well, no...but it didn't feel good hearing that," she murmured, as he knelt down beside her.

"They're wrong and they're just jealous," he said.

"Why would they be jealous?" she asked.

"Because you're prettier than them and smarter and sweet," he said.

"Yeah, Isla and Victoria suck," Emma chimed in.

"You're not supposed to use that word, Emmy," David chided.

"Why? You say it all the time and other bad words," she pointed out.

"Well, I'm older," he argued, making Margaret smile.

"Thanks guys," she said, as she took his hand when he offered it and stood up.

"But Isla and Victoria are the prettiest girls in school," Margaret pointed out, as Emma slipped away for a moment.

"No way...you're the prettiest girl in school, at least to me," he replied and she blushed.

"Oh David…" she gushed, as she kissed his cheek.

"You're always my Prince Charming," she said, making him blush.

"Well, I really like being your Prince Charming," he replied, as they heard some screaming. Emma had gone over to the pond and fished out a couple frogs and some earthworms, never one afraid to get dirty, and promptly went over to share her finds with the snobby group of girls.

"Ugh...you little freak!" Isla cried, while Emma laughed.

"You don't like my frog?" the blonde asked, as she pushed it toward her again and then threw a worm in her face, making her scream more.

"Uh oh…" David said, as they hurried over to pull Emma away, before the other mother's could get involved. The three of them joined hands and laughed the whole way home.

~*~

As they grew, Emma remained her best friend and might as well have been her sister by then. They were very close and equally protective of one another. Margaret had seen Emma through a lot of rough patches in her teen years. She had never been as lucky as Margaret when it came to men and Margaret had done her best to guide her through those years and several rough break ups. While her relationship with Emma developed into a strong, sisterly bond, her relationship with David had evolved as well. It had gone from sweet, innocent puppy love to true and deep love as they progressed through their teens years.

By their teen years, they were deeply in love and still seen as the oddity by their peers and inappropriate by adults. But it never bothered them. They had weathered the criticism from their peers and adults alike, remaining unbreakable.

~*~

Flashback

David parked the old, brown truck at school that afternoon. Emma was hanging out with Lily and Margaret had stayed behind to wait for him. He saw her hurrying toward him excitedly with her backpack and smiled at her. She always took his breath away.

"You got it!" she said excitedly, as he caught her in his arms.

"I did...it's not much to look at, but it's wheels," he replied.

"Are you kidding? I love it," she said.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes...it's so us," she replied.

"What? Old?" he joked and she playfully smacked his chest.

"No...it's classic and has history," she replied, as they shared a smile.

"Hey Nolan...nice piece of junk," one of the jocks commented, as they went by on their way to football practice with the cheerleaders. But he ignored them, as usual.

"Forget him...he's an ass," Margaret said, as she glared at the stuck up jerk.

"That jerk drives a BMW convertible. Girls seem to like that," he pointed out.

"Not this girl," she corrected, as she slipped her arms around his neck.

"This girl doesn't want to ride in anything that doesn't come with you," she assured, making him blush shyly, as she kissed him tenderly and they got into the truck together.

~*~

As they lay together in the afterglow, with her head resting against his chest, she thought about everything that had happened. Those five and a half long years without him and her son. She had done her best to pull herself together and be there for Olive, but during that time, a smile rarely reached her eyes. It sounded dramatic, but it literally felt like half her heart was gone without him. She was whole again now and she had almost forgotten what that felt like. There were still the unanswered questions in her mind, but she had him back and was ready to brave whatever they had to face.

"So…I know I was distracted today helping Marco, but I didn't forget about that incident you mentioned," he said. She lifted her head and looked at him.

"It was nothing...just some nut. You know how this city can be," she replied.

"I do...but I also know that the attention on us isn't going away, especially after that passenger spoke out," he said, as he kissed the back of her hand.

"It was just some lady that focused on Henry. She kept repeating...he is risen. He is risen," she told him. He sighed.

"I should have been with you...I was supposed to be," he lamented.

"No...you were exactly where you should have been," she admonished.

"David...you helped reunite another family and I can say from experience that getting mine back is the most wonderful gift that I will ever get. The fact that you gave that to another person makes me so proud," she said, as she kissed him gently.

"I just want you to be careful…" he pleaded. She kissed his cheek.

"I will," she promised, as they settled down in each other's arms and sleep finally took them.

~*~

Regina took the vial of blood, belonging to Henry Nolan,and placed a small amount on the slide. After seeing something odd, she put it through the DNA synthesizer and waited for the results to come out. As she went to check some e-mails, she heard a knock at her lab door and saw that it was her mother.

"Hello mother…" she greeted coolly.

"Not exactly the greeting I was hoping for," Cora complained.

"I'm sorry...I'm just very busy," Regina apologized.

"Sweetheart...you just returned on a plane that's been missing for more than five years. Are you sure you should even be working yet?" Cora questioned.

"I love my work and I happen to have a pediatric case that I need to monitor very closely. He just started the treatment," Regina replied.

"Yes...your treatment. It's quite something, but I was hoping we could have lunch," Cora said.

"I suppose I could pop out to the cafeteria for a little bit," Regina agreed.

"Uh no, dear...I meant lunch at my house. I'm having a little gathering and there are many people eager to see you now that you're back," she corrected. Regina sighed.

"You mean all the people in your uppity circle, including all the potential bachelors you're dying to fix me up with," Regina said.

"Is that so bad, sweetheart?" Cora asked.

"Mother...I do not need to be fixed up with a date, especially not some tool from your circle," Regina replied.

"Regina…" she started to chide.

"Mother…" Regina sighed, as they started to argue and Henry's file slipped off the table. Cora saw the photo of the boy and picked it up.

"Henry Nolan...is this the boy?" she asked, as Regina snatched the file away.

"Yes…" Regina snapped.

"He was on the plane, wasn't he? Nolan...he and his father, right?" Cora asked curiously.

"Yes...he was one the plane and his cancer was terminal, but he's responding well to the treatment. His parents are overjoyed," Regina replied. Cora smiled.

"I'm sure they are. I'll let you to it...but please, stop by soon. Leopold is eager to meet you," she replied. Regina forced a smile.

"I'm sure...goodbye mother," she cooed, as Cora got the hint and left, but not without a pensive look on her face. Her daughter had no idea that she was treating Leopold's grandson, the grandson that he had never met, thanks to his foolish, unruly daughter. Cora smirked. Perhaps it was time to meet the Nolans at last.

~*~

"Ha...beat that kid," Emma said, as she and Henry played a game with the magnets on the fridge that morning.

"Oh…I will," Henry insisted, as he took his turn, while David cooked breakfast. He called them to the table and the game was forgotten, leaving the magnets to spell out "own your truth."

"Mmm...it smells delicious in here. Pancakes again on a weekday?" Margaret asked with an impressed tone.

"No job...the least I can do is make sure my family has an amazing breakfast," David said, as she pecked him on the lips.

"You'll find something, baby...and no pressure. We're fine," she assured him.

"I know...but you know me," he said. She giggled and got the orange juice out.

"Oh I know...can't sit still," she teased, as she pinched his rear and they sat down to breakfast.

"I'll get you back for that later," he whispered in her ear.

"Mmm...you better, handsome," she purred back.

As they were finishing up, they flipped the television on to get the weather forecast, but it seemed that the morning news was occupied with something else altogether.

"And if you're just joining us, we're at the scene of a homicide in an affluent neighborhood. The victim is Tisbe Tayor, a passenger on the mysterious returned flight eight-two-eight that disappeared more than five years ago. Ms. Taylor recently defied the NSA order of a media blackout and spoke to us just yesterday in an exclusive interview," the reporter said, as they flashed to the interview.

"She...she was murdered?" Margaret asked.

"Do you think it's connected?" she asked her sister-in-law.

"Not necessarily," Emma replied.

"Em...the passenger that defied the order to not speak to the press is dead. You don't think that's suspicious?" he asked.

"A little...but it's not my jurisdiction," she argued.

"Still...don't you think we should check it out?" he asked.

"We?" she asked. He sighed.

"Yesterday a woman accosted Margaret and Henry about him coming back and now we have a dead passenger? If there's a threat to our family...then we need to investigate this," he said.

"He's right...but be careful," Margaret pleaded, as she kissed him.

"I didn't agree to any of this!" Emma protested.

"Let's just go drive by and since you're a cop...maybe you can glean some information from the other officers," he suggested. She groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Fine...but you're staying in the car, you big pain in the ass," she complained. David smirked and kissed his wife and kids again, before following her out. Margaret smiled, as they went and put the dishes in the dishwasher quickly.

"Okay...backpacks and lunches. Let's roll," she called, as they got their stuff and left for the day as well.

~*~

Emma pulled up the house that was the scene of the crime and parked.

"Okay...I'll see what information I can get. You stay here," she told him.

"No way…" he protested.

"David...I can't take you into an active crime scene," she argued.

"You can if this murder has something to do with the fact that she was a passenger," he argued back. She sighed.

"We don't know that it is," Emma reminded him.

"What does your gut tell you?" he questioned.

"Dammit…" she complained.

"Fine...but you follow my lead and not a damn word," she warned, as they got out of the car. She flashed her badge to the officer on duty.

"Emma Nolan...detective with the twenty-eighth precinct," she said.

"You're a little out of your jurisdiction, detective," the officer replied.

"Yeah...we heard it on the scanner and thought we'd take a look. You can never have too many eyes on a murder investigation," she said. Obviously the officer was green, because her excuse was crap, and he motioned her in.

"Can't believe he bought that," David muttered.

"Shut up," Emma grumbled in irritation, as they went inside. It was a gruesome scene. Tisbe had taken a bullet to the back of the head and she noticed that there was a gathering outside the house of people holding a daylight vigil with signs reading things like the returned and other things that suggested worship of the passengers. And Emma knew from experience that the people obsessed with them could be as dangerous as the ones that seemed to hate them.

"It looks like a robbery gone bad," the officer on duty said.

"What makes you say that?" Emma asked.

"She's missing a gold necklace that she was wearing in her interview and it's not in the house. We think the killer stole the jewelry and climbed out the back window. It was open," he explained. But that didn't sit right with Emma. This didn't seem like a random robbery and she was beginning to think David was right, though she refused to tell him that yet. Before she could ask anymore questions though, Vance arrived and he looked none too happy about them being there.

"Crap…" she muttered.

"Officer...are you aware that you've admitted a detective and her civilian brother to this crime scene. A detective that was on flight eight-two-eight with the victim?" Vance questioned. The officer stammered through an apology to the director, as he looked at the siblings.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't detain you both?" he asked.

"Because we didn't do anything wrong. If passengers are being targeted, then we have a right to know. I have to know if my family might be in danger," David argued. The director sighed.

"Detective Nolan...get your brother out of here, before I change my mind and take you both in," he ordered. They both exited the house and got back to the car, even as the people holding vigil outside started chanting at them, as they were recognized.

"Looks like the same kind of people that approached Margaret and Henry," David mentioned, as they spotted Tisbe Taylor's husband, Jacob Taylor. David gave her a look and she sighed, as they approached him.

"Mr. Taylor?" Emma asked the distraught man.

"Uh yes?" he asked, seeing her shield.

"I'm Detective Emma Nolan and this is my brother David. We were on the flight with Tisbe," she explained.

"Oh…" he said.

"We're sorry for your loss," David offered and he nodded his thanks.

"I tried to stop her from speaking out on television, but she wouldn't listen. She just kept repeating that it was her calling to do so," he said. Something about that phrase pricked Emma's mind, but Mr. Taylor was whisked away by the medics before they could ask him more questions.

"See...even he isn't buying that this was a robbery gone bad," David mentioned.

"That still doesn't mean that this has anything to do with the passengers," Emma chided. He gave her a waning look.

"Okay...it's suspicious, but I'm not ready to jump on the conspiracy train with you," she argued.

"I'm not on the conspiracy train, Ems...I just want to protect us," David said, as he drove them away, but not before seeing that the NSA was taking custody of the body.

"Is the NSA taking custody of a body standard procedure?" he asked, though she could tell by his tone that he knew the answer. She sighed.

"No...it's weird and a complete overreach, but they're the NSA and all they have to do is say that they think she was a threat to National Security," she replied.

"Which means they think that about all of us," David said. She didn't deny that, because she couldn't.

"For the record, I'm trying to protect us too," she pointed out. He sighed.

"I know," he relented.

"I'll do some digging...can you drop me at the station?" she asked.

"Yeah, but you know Dad left you a car, right?" he questioned.

"Yes…I'm just not ready," she muttered. He sighed.

"Okay," he relented, knowing that it was best to drop that subject. If Emma didn't want to drive yet, then he wasn't going to force it. He pulled up to the precinct and dropped her off.

"Do me a favor and stay out of this until we know more," she urged.

"Hey…I'm job hunting today. I promise," he assured. She nodded and he drove off, as she went inside to work. The case was in the early developments, but she would be keeping an eye on it. She hated it, but she knew there was more to it. This passenger wasn't just a random murder.

[ship-obsessions]

The 100 Season 6 Speculations

Okay, so first of all I want to say I’m loving season 6 so far. Give me all of the delinquent interactions. I’m also obsessed with the Bellarke crumbs they are ALREADY GIVING US and how their repressed feelings for each other were shown (although not directly) in 6x02. A while ago I saw on Twitter that a reviewer compared The 100′s 6x02 episode to Motel California in Teen Wolf and now I totally see it. The way the plant toxin affects the delinquents parallels the werewolves being affected by the wolf’s bane... and the focus on the main group of delinquents (specifically Clarke, Bellamy, and Murphy) parallels the focus on the original core 4 in TW (Scott, Stiles, Allison, Lydia). I absolutely LOVED the core 4 dynamic in TW and I’m already loving this trio dynamic between Clarke, Bellamy, and Murphy. Give me more episodes like this! (and maybe add Raven after her and Clarke make up).

That said, I watched the first two episodes when they were leaked, so I’ve been DYING for the next episode 6x03. (Note: I’ve also been streaming them again since they’ve officially aired, so I’ve watched each one like 4 times). Since new content is finally coming next week, I wanted to get out some of my random speculations for what’s coming up later this season even though we literally know so little about this new planet, these new people, the creepy children, etc.. Of course, being curious (like a psychopath), I went through all of the season 6 episodes on IMDb to see what (if anything) it could tell me. I’m sure someone else has probably already done this, but I found some interesting things I needed to put out there...

6x03 

We already have a name “The Children of Gabriel” as well as a description (Clarke tries to win over the leaders of Sanctum in order to let her people stay. Meanwhile, Bellamy, Octavia, and Echo discover a new threat while on a mission to retrieve the transport ship.), so we have somewhat of a gist of what is coming next week. I don’t think they will fully go into the backstory of these “children of Gabriel” but we obviously know the geneticist from the flashback was named Gabriel and the actor, Ian Pala, is only listed for 2 episodes on his personal page and one of those is Sanctum (uncredited). So I’d assume this means we won’t get another flashback of him specifically or the origins of his “children”. But I do think when Clarke meets Russell and the other people somehow this backstory/history (at least a shortened version) will be explained. We know that the episode titles are all explicitly mentioned or referred to in the episodes themselves somewhere, so that’s my reasoning there.

However, I noticed one other small thing in the cast list that stuck out as strange/interesting. Sarah-Jane Redmond’s character (aka the Sanctum hostage that tried to hijack the mothership) is named Taylee in 6x02 but Tilly in 6x03. At first I thought it could have been some kind of error (idk) but it’s listed the same way on her personal IMDb actor page. Is she playing twins?? Is there validity to this clone theory I saw floating around and read about in the Hypable review?? Either way, I’m definitely interested in whatever that’s about. 

Also, I’m excited to meet JR Bourne’s character this episode! We obviously know he is Russell Lightbourne but after all my research (lol I’m taking this WAY more serious than I ever took school), I’m wondering if he’s not just a descendant of the Lightbourne’s but is actually a clone or somehow has the same consciousness from Mr. Lightbourne (Josephine’s dad) in 6x02 (again saw this in the Hypable article around a similar flame storyline theory since Becca created Eligius tech as well). It’s worth noting that we don’t actually know the character’s real name and Sean Maguire is just credited as Mr. Lightbourne -- no first name. Hmmmmm

6x04

Again we have a name “The Face Behind the Glass” and a short description (Clarke embraces the traditions of Sanctum and tries to make amends for her past actions.), but not much else... (or do we??) This episode is probably where we will see Clarke dancing in the room painting and maybe even the lanterns floating in the sky (ie. Sanctum tradition?) -- I’m thinking several “happy” moments with her. I also have a theory -- going out on a limb here -- that it is where we could see the whole “flashback” scene of Clarke in Mount Weather from the trailer. It’s probably not an actual flashback but some kind of hallucination or psychosis thing again, (or maybe even a dream?) but maybe that is where the title comes from -- she’s literally looking at herself from behind the broken glass in MW’s contamination rooms. OR we’re not quite there yet and it’s referring to the stained glass-looking red window/door thing that Emori was trying to open before going crazy in 6x01. 

The kicker for me in this episode’s listing was Jordan Bolger’s credit as Shaw, who we all saw die in 6x01. In what capacity is he coming back? Maybe it’s Raven’s hallucination or even a dream? I could see them showing us her full reaction once she knows what really happened to him, but I’m not sure how or in what way he would come back at some point in the episode (I say “come back” because the actor will actually appear). It will be super interesting how the sci-fi elements work on this new planet. We’ve already seen the eclipse-induced psychosis but what other strange things will occur or happen to our characters? If they are all facing their demons (ie. Clarke with Mount Weather and Octavia with Blodreina) I wonder how those scenes will be played out.

6x05

Again Jordan Bolger is credited... is Miles Ezekiel Shaw back again??? What is going on? 

6x06 - 6x07

I didn’t really notice anything super strange in episode 6, but GUESS WHO IS CREDITED FOR EPISODE 7: none other than Chris Browning as Jake fucking Griffin. Maybe this is another flashback or memory or hallucination -- assuming by Clarke.

Note: Madi is not credited to appear in 6x06 or 6x08 so I’m thinking her “kidnapping” or whatever happens with the creepy person who is holding her captive in the woods happens in 6x07. Or maybe it’s even earlier in 6x05?

6x08

In episode 8, the cast list introduces 2 notable new characters: Josephine VII and Hope. Okay, so with Josephine VII it could be some descendant of the original Josephine Lightbourne in the 6x02 flashback, but it could ALSO be another hint at this clone and/or flame consciousness theory. But Hope... where have we heard that name before? Oh yeah, Diyoza’s unborn child. But Diyoza hasn’t even had her baby yet and in the promo trailers it looked like she was shot (and possibly killed?). Also, this actress who plays Hope is like 6 years old, not a newborn baby. It’s still weird to me though because what are the chances there is another character -- another child, no less -- with that same name Diyoza mentioned she was planning to give her baby. Just seems a little too coincidental to me.

6x09

Okay, I’m going out on a limb here, but THIS MIGHT BE THE ICONIC RAVE SCENE FROM THE TRAILER. Stay with me... I was originally thinking this would happen earlier in the series when I saw this in the trailer, probably like everyone else, but in the IMDb cast list there are 5 “dancers” credited. I mean it is more logical for a rave scene to happen early in the season (because usually all the good things or happy stuff comes in the first half of the season and NEVER this late), but what else would “dancers” be credited for??? The 100 doesn’t do dance numbers LOL. Anyway this idea has me shook because if it is this late in the season, there is a better chance that Bellamy and Echo have ended things by this point and that super short blurry speck in the bottom right corner of the rave dance scene could be Bellamy (you know what I’m talking about). Will they actually make my LIFE and have Bellamy and Clarke dancing at that rave together? Seems way too good to be true, but I had to throw the possibility out there. I mean who knows, my Bellarke-owned ass can always hope for the best. 

After the slim possibility of that amazing possibility, here’s a scary thought to consider (sounds kind of like the show itself), this is the last episode of the season that credits Lola Flanery as Madi... WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO HER. Does whatever experiment being done on her in the promo trailer kill her? Pls don’t hurt Clarke’s smol child.

6x10

So here is where I started low key freaking out because the cast list dwindles DRAMATICALLY for credits this episode. We only have Eliza as Clarke, Shannon as Jordan, and Luisa as Emori out of ALL of the main characters we know and love. Something major has to happen for everyone else to suddenly become absent from this episode. And I’m a little scared to know what that is.

6x11

Okay thank god, the main characters are all back on the credits list for this episode. ALSO there is a new actor credited as young Echo. OMG an Echo flashback?! Will we finally understand who she was and why she is the way she is? Will I even care to get invested in her this late in the game?

Also, IMDb lists that this is the episode Bob Morley directs!

6x12 - 6x13

Our other mains are gone AGAIN from the cast list. It’s back to only listing Clarke and Jordan among the characters we already know. WTF is going on. I need answers NOW. To reiterate, I’m saying that IMDb doesn’t list Abby, Bellamy, Octavia, Raven, Murphy, Echo, Kane, Madi, Miller, or Jackson in episode 10, 12, or 13 (+ Emori in 12 or 13).

I’m honest to god just hoping that IMDb isn’t fully updated with the entire cast list in these last episodes yet -- is that a thing? pls tell me it is -- because if we don’t have a finale that includes Murphy, Raven, or most of all, BELLAMY... I swear to God I will riot. Of course, I’m hoping no one dies (obvi), but now that we know there is a season 7, could J Roth be trying to kill us with some dramatic cliffhanger where Clarke and Jordan are separated from the rest of the group? (PSA: STOP SEPARATING CLARKE FROM EVERYONE). But if so, why would this absence of all of those other characters be TWO WHOLE EPISODES? And during the two part finale of all things. UGHHH my mind is spiraling, someone pls calm me down.

On the plus side, 6x12 lists Antonio Negret as the director for the episode and we all know he brought us the brilliant (yet angsty AF) episode 5x08 last season where Bellamy poisoned Octavia to save Clarke. But if Bellamy isn’t even in this episode WHY SHOULD I EVEN BOTHER CARING.

What’s left that I missed? Probably a lot LOL. I tried going back to watch what I might have missed from the extended trailer but I couldn’t find the video ANYWHERE. It’s like disappeared from YouTube (says it is “unavailable”). What is that about?

Anyways, the scene with everyone together in the house (standing at the bar, shot looking at us) has to be in one of the episodes where all main cast members are credited -- I don’t think it will be the next one so maybe 6x04 or 6x05? Same thought for the Madi/Clarke reunion, I feel like that is in the same episode. I also have no idea when in the season Bellamy is going to strangle Russell with Clarke and Murphy in the room (again my favorite new trio!). And that being said I’m confused on JR Bourne because he was all hyped up as a new character this season but he’s only credited in the next episode 6x03. Does the strangling take place next week? It can’t right? Because Bellamy is off with Echo and Octavia on the other mission and Clarke is the only one in the castle. Also if 6x04 is Clarke trying to embrace the traditions of Sanctum and make amends, there is no way she could do that the episode after Russell (the leader of Sanctum) is killed. 

Sorry for the crazy rambling and this long AF post, but I have so much on my mind after this speculation deep dive. I need to just go to bed.

[someone-elses-star]

The 100 6x11: Ashes to Ashes Personal Narrative

DIRECTED BY BOB MORLEY!!! This is not a drill people! Bob directed this episode! This is the episode we have all been waiting for! Not only is he directing this, but multiple actors have said this is their favorite episode of the season! Also, this is the episode that is rumored to have talking about emotions, sex, etc. At the recent con, Bob also said that Bellamy and Clarke WILL talk about emotions and shit in his episode! ALSO----Echo backstory! I”M SO JAZZED!

I love you Eliza...but couldn’t Bob have introduced this episode? Just for shits and giggles? I don’t blame you, sweetie, I blame the CW.

Ohhhh. Jackson doing medical shit. 

Doctor Jackson? Really?

Madi is totally faking it.

Told ya!

At least Madi has some sense still. Not going for the throat.

Yes, Jackson is one of us!

Shut up you evil Heda! I hate you for hurting poor Madi! 

I knew everyone was going to eventually regret making Madi Heda via the chip!

On another note....her acting is SO awesome!

Yes, use Clarke against her. 

DIRECTED BY BOB MORLEY!!!!!

Aww Clarke is sleeping. Nightmares

Awww Bellamy comforting Clarke!

Bellarke heart eyes!

Awww they are having the talks!

Poor guilty Bellamy!

Ick. She mentioned Echo first. Something tells me that’s not good for us Bellarkers!

I still love you Echo!

Bellamy is so right! Very dangerous!

Octavia! Ready to go!

Praying for a twelve year old psychopath....haha classic Murphy.

Houdini Miller. More Classic Murphy.

Nope....they gonna kill you when it’s done.

What are they going to do to Murphy?

Echo.....oh no!

Yay! Jordan is still alive!

Echo is still keeping secrets for Riker? Hmmm....so she can kill him later for betraying her?

Making Echo into Simone? Gross. Me no likey.

Wow. Murphy making plans with Echo. 

Yes...Russell can sorta see through Murphy. 

Not anymore Russell.

Hmmm....Murphy going out to bring them back?

Ohhh....threatening is love? Not a good idea! Threaten him he can deal with, threaten Emori? Shits going down!

Commercial Break #1 Thoughts: Anybody worried that that is the only Bellarke heart-to-heart we are getting? Bob and the rest of the cast were very vague. But they said talking was going to happen, but sometimes they think one small scene is enough. It is NOT ENOUGH! And still super worried Clarke felt the need to mention Echo so quickly. That does not bode well for us. Love Echo. Can’t wait for her backstory this episode. Still want her to stay alive. Don’t want her and Bellamy together, though. No chemistry. They have chemistry potential since they met back in season 2, but it just never blossomed in my opinion. Anyways. I’m very anti-hate, but I will go down with my ship!

Yay! We are already back!

Octavia defending Gabriel!

That’s what they do to demons. Harsh.

Bellamy is having none of Octavia trying to make amends. 

Queen of Cannibals. Harsher.

Hey...he called her O though! that’s something!

That’s one word for it.....

More talk about the anomaly. We are so not getting any big answers this season though.

Ope! His friends are here!

Oh...Gabriel. Go defend them idiot!

Ohhh....the truth is coming out! 

Are his people actually going to kill him?

Commercial Break #2 Thoughts: So Gabriel was put in Xavier when X was still really young, right? So most of what his sister thought was X was probably him, right? So maybe that bond will carry over when he explains? Honestly, I forget what age they said X was when Gabriel was forced into his mind. Poor guy probably wouldn’t mind dying, though. Just killed the love of his life. His life has been SUPER long! And while he is still curious about the anomaly, he probably wouldn’t say no to death. I know we are only twenty minutes in, but I’m hoping more shit starts to happen. Nothing is really making me go YAY! or OHHH! Did I go into this with too high of expectations? Probs. But I blame the cast and crew who have been raving about this episode. But I’m sure a lot more is going to happen soon....I’m just anxious for it. And still loving that this is Bob’s episode, though! I know he worked super hard for this!

Okay. So Xavier was probably around twenty-ish when he was taken over? Okay.

Layla isn’t wrong...not really. He shouldn’t have lied to his people.

Ope. Bellamy talking about a plan that is not really a plan, but is now his new plan. Interesting.

Of course it’s a good plan. Bellamy said it. Lol

Do not just kill Clarke after we got her back! I will riot! 

Gabriel saved her for now. But for how long?

What the hell did they just put in her?

Is this where we are going to get her flashbacks?

Also...who else would kill for Echo’s hair?

Yes, Riker is torn. 

Well, Riker you are digging your own grave. She really going to kill you now. 

Oh....what a question for a person who used to do just that as a spy!

Gaia is not pleased. 

Miller trying to have a heart to heart with Gaia?

Oh yeah....they were underground together. 

Poor Miller still has guilt! Nice for it to be brought up finally! 

Oh God! Miller don’t die!

He has a plan! Oh my gosh! Criminal Miller coming out! I LOVE THIS! We never get enough Miller!

Commercial Break # 3 Thoughts: So, I’m loving Miller and Gaia teaming up! And more Miller screen time is what I live for! I just hope them sneaking out doesn’t get either of them killed! I’m so worried about what Bob, Eliza, and Richard were saying at the recent con. To expect more deaths and all that. Which we’ve learned over the years, but them saying stuff like that makes me worried about our main characters. Anyone still worried about Clarke being a prisoner again? I am! I know she is a main MAIN character, but I always get anxiety with the shit they’ve put her though this season. On the other hand it would be poor planning if they did kill her off after spending most of the season getting her back. Poor writing, too.

Ohh...radio call echoes. Layla looking like she is going to kill.

Good question Layla.

Good point G.

Believers killing non-believers. Yup Clarke. That’s right.

Is this Clarke trying to convince him to go with her plan?

The early warning system. Clarke has a plan....

Ope. Bringing up Bellamy to convince her. But she stubborn. 

We got this,Gabriel....

Ohhh pretty cave!

Sibling talking and bonding!

yes, lets bring up Diyoza.

So....she is dead? That’s what we are going with?

Oh. Go straight for the heart Octavia! 

Aww...Bellamy is breaking down. 

Now is not the time....BUT I WAS PROMISED TALKS! SO TALK!

Awe....his heart is breaking. 

Say I’m your sister. 

You’re my sister. But you’re not my responsibility. Not anymore.

That’s growth! I’m good with that! 

Commercial Break #4 Thoughts: The Blake siblings talk was much better than Bellarke’s. I’m a little disappointed, but the fact that their talk held so much character growth for both of them is what dreams are made of! On another point, who is worried about Clarke pushing them into danger? I love her confidence and not wanting to kill people like Mount Weather in order to keep her promise to Monty, but.....Bellamy is not going to be happy. And it might risk her people. But maybe it will be less detrimental to her soul? Idk....I think I’m over-analyzing this. Commercials really kill me. I think too hard.

So...Echo is nightblood now? Interesting....

Oh...Echo backstory is coming out!

Echo is going to kill his ass. Maybe after we get backstory. But still is going to kill his ass.

Baby Echo! What a cutie!

Ope. Evil Queen!

Killing at that young of age? Wow. That’s so Ice Nation. 

Hesitation is death. 

Oh No.....What is she going to do to punish Echo’s weakness?

Kill her friend? I knew it!

Damn. Ice Nation really did create killers. Poor baby Echo and her unnamed friend!

Wait.....Echo stabbed by friend? I’m confused.....

Does that mean the unnamed friend is actually Echo? Maybe she took her name to honor her?

Ope. There it is. We’ve all been duped! What was her name before? I’m so curious.

Oh....it’s Ash......I didn’t hear that part. I was too distracted. Ashes to Ashes. Love it! Do you think Bellamy knows that story?

Oh.....Gaia and Miller to the rescue! 

And now they know she is nightblood now. Wonder how that might effect the story line.

And now Riker is dead. We knew that was going to happen. Don’t back stab an ex-spy. They will not be forgiving.

Commercial Break #5 Thoughts: So that flashback was awesome. And they didn’t even technically lie to us when they said in the cast page that that one young actress was Echo. Because she was. We have just always assumed we knew things we didn’t actually know. And I’m loving that he name is Ash and that is part of the meaning behind the episode title! 

That was short commercial. YAY!

And Bellamy is now in on the new plan.

No innocent people die. 

Clarke is sacrificing herself. Very Clarke move.

What would Monty do?

IF we can spare innocent lives. We should.

Ope. Who’s outside?

Here come the Sanctum guards. Is Murphy with them? Probs.

And there he is! Savior Murphy.....or....not? What will he choose?

And Clarke’s plan is now a go!

Clarke is so good at playing Josephine.

And Echo is brought up again to Bellamy. 

And Murphy is not going to be trusted by Clarke. Probs for the best.

For Monty! Love the new motto!

No shit, Layla!

Russel is convinced so easily. He’s about as good of a father as Abby is a mother. They both suck identifying their real kids.

Resurrect her in who indeed?

Clarke don’t give yourself away with Madi!

Poor Madi is being manipulated. 

And Clarke is breaking at seeing her poor baby struggle.

She doesn’t even know yet what Madi is going through!

And that was the end? Really?

Was anyone else a little...disappointed overall?

At least no one died?

[immortalpramheda]

The 100 6x05 ‘The Gospel of Josephine’

Josephine was Clarke for half a day and managed to do such a bad job at it. She let Madi go to school when she made it very clear last episode that her answer was no. Shares a little too much about her night with Cillian to Bellamy, leaving him highly confused. Wrote with the wrong hand. Called Murphy ‘John’. Had a confused look on her face whenever anyone spoke Trig.

Bellamy picked up on it pretty quick. Once they’d seen the video in the lab, and Clarke didn’t seem against the whole body snatching thing, he started talking in Trig to her. He hoped he was wrong, and Josie did a decent job at trying to understand what he was saying (as she’s fascinated with languages), but the look on her face was a dead giveaway.

The look of horror on Bellamy’s face as he realise that Clarke is gone, that he’s lost her again, was heartbreaking. Lying there paralysed, unable to to do anything.

Kaylee and Josie were best friends when they first arrived on Alpha. But after Josie killed a friend of hers (in her defence it was a ‘sacrifice’), Kaylee pushed her down the stairs, killing her, and made it look like an accident. So as revenge, Josie flat out kills Kaylee, and steps over her body like it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

It took 25 years for Russell and Gabriel to bring Josephine back. They started off inserting the Mind Drives into young kids and teenagers, but they all died. The key was using a host with a mature brain. This time it worked, and Josephine II was born.

They wanted to bring Josephine back because Russell felt guilty about killing her during the eclipse. They just wanted to bring her back and that was it. But I think Josie was the one who took things further. When she learnt how they did this, she remarked that it was brilliant. She seemed utterly fascinated by the fact that they’d conquered death.

Gabriel saying ‘I got old’ basically confirms that he must be the ‘Old Man’. He just wanted to bring Josephine back, but once she took things too far he couldn’t be a part of it anymore.

Josie is a self proclaimed visionary. She’s lived many lifetimes and has had infinite time to learn whatever she desires. She a genius and has written countless books (including the children’s book about the eclipse). But as Abby says, the things written those books are monstrous. What they did in Becca’s lab was bad, but what she writes about in her books are much worse. Josie looked so offended that someone would criticise her work like that (which was quite amusing!).

Josie mentions her ‘breeding program’ idea, which I can guess is to ensure that only Nightbloods are born. What is seems it that she wants a ‘pure bloodline’ because she believes the Primes are the superior species and the only ones that should be alive.

From the short time we've spent with Josephine, she seems like a self absorbed, careless sociopath who does whatever it takes to achieve her desires. Similar to in the flashback (remember when she tested potentially poisonous plants on kids and didn’t care what happened to them?), but now her personality seems to be an even more extreme version of that.

I wonder if each time they get brought back, they loose a piece of themselves. And overtime more and more is chipped away until eventually they have no humanity left. We don’t know how many hosts Josephine has been in (I don’t think?). Maybe she’s gone through more than anyone else and she doesn’t care what happens to the bodies. Because when you can live forever, what do you have to lose?

Jordan is so much like Monty. When no one would take his concerns seriously, he decides to go off snooping on his own, breaking into the palace and finding the skeletons of the previous Primes, and the secret operating lab.

I loved Jordan bringing up that he prefers heart over head Bellamy. If it was someone Bellamy cares about in danger then he’d act with his heart wouldn’t he? Just like Jordan is now because he’s worried about what happened to someone he cares about.

Abby is desperate to save Kane. As she tells Jackson, unlike them, he is a good person. He’s the only one who tried to stop Bloodreina in the bunker. They just sat by and watched. On the the one hand, I understand her point of view. They did nothing to stop these things from happening so technically that makes them just as bad as the person actually doing them. But they did what they had to do to survive. Yes, Octavia shouldn’t have taken away their choice, but in the end they survived. Everyone who was in the bunker is screwed up in some way. Abby thinks that if she saves Kane that will give her some kind of pass for what she did? Not sure how I feel about that, but trauma can effect people differently. Now that she’s off the pills, I guess this is how she’s dealing with everything.

Josephine noticed in the lab that Murphy seemed somewhat envious of the fact that they’re immortal, and so she offered him a chance to be like her. Now that she knows Abby can create Nightblood, she needs someone to help her imitate Clarke. And who better to offer a chance at immortality than a cockroach?

I don’t think Murphy actually is on board with the offer. He always does what is necessary to stay alive. But it is possible that he was so haunted by what he saw when he ‘died’, and if he can’t die, then he can’t go to hell. But I’m leaning more towards he’s just playing along so he can survive.

Octavia sinking in the goop/quicksand because she keeps struggling to get out was very typical of her, always fighting even when there’s no reason to. Meanwhile Diyoza was staying clam. I am loving this team up. Diyoza understands her, she’s been there before, she knows what it’s like to hit rock bottom and to have everyone hate her. She’s in the history books alongside the worst people who have ever lived after all. She’s even tried to kill herself, but yet she’s still standing now. She tells Octavia that as long as she’s still breathing, there’s a chance to turn things around. I hope that hit something in Octavia and made her realise that there is still hope.

The ‘temporal flare’ (which seems like it might be an offshoot of the ‘temporal anomaly’?) seems to cause things to age. Time moves rapidly to whatever it comes into contact with. The trees have all turned to stone and the goop has crystallised over. Octavia decided to put her head under to save herself. She survived, and when she comes out in a way it’s like she was reborn.

I love the little nod she gives to Diyoza, acknowledging that she does want to live. Deep down she doesn’t want to die despite the way she’s been acting lately. Maybe now, after being symbolically reborn, she’s heading in the right direction to turn things around.

Her hand is now all wrinkly and old. The goop protected her mostly, except for her hand which seems to have been exposed to the flare. Is it going to spread to the rest of her body??

This episode was more lighthearted than usual, I found Josephine’s attempt to imitate Clarke quite hilarious! But it’s also advanced the plot in some seriously cool ways. As much as I love to hate Josephine, I hope they find a way to get Clarke back soon.

[littleredroseonthevalley]

An Opera on Separation - Chapter 11

Prologue | Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | CH. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15 | Ch. 16 | Ch. 17 | Ch. 18 |

Summary: We take a step back to Emily’s junior year. After a near-miss on what could be a serious car accident, the young reporter meets Nathan Sterling on a human-interest story. But is he as nice as he appears?

Rating: M -  Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, or coarse language.

Mention of rape. Reader discretion is highly advised.

Words: 1587

Notes: Ahoy-hoy, readership. So, flashback chapters. I’m addicted to them, sue me. However, I do feel that I needed to write one (and my one, I mean some) to properly clarify what’s changed on this AU.

First things first, the accident never happens. Therefore, Nathan’s never ellected as president, since Sebastian said only tried and true inner-circle members are ever ellected.

Second, on the same line as first, Beau’s president of Alpha Theta Mu. As he is one sick little shit, he decides to deviate a little from the pranking tradition of the group. No poor-taste pranks in this one. Not sure which one’s worse.

Third, no life-ruining award. Since pranking is no longer ATM’s focus, there is no longer a point of having that contest for ruining Emily’s life, and as consequence, no pranks on the suitemates. That do not mean they’ll have a sunshine-and-rainbows year.

But you’ll see that in time. For now, enjoy.

How Do You Do?

Emily and her friends were overjoyed. They had, just that afternoon, convinced Hartfeld’s City Council to declare their house an historical landmark, defeating Dorian Delacroix’s big talk and big money.

They hosted a party to celebrate their success at the old house. The last, since they would have to move out come Summer. A few minutes after midnight, they had decided to go over to a nice pizza place the next town over.

“Hey, Tyler!” Chris shouts from the living room, as they were putting on coats to take on the off-season cold weather outside. “Can I ride with you guys? I wanted to talk to you about some stuff for the student council.”

“Sorry, Chris!” Emily responds from the doorway. “I’m already riding with them. Your business talk will have to wait.”

He smirked and said: “No prob. Tomorrow’s probably better anyways.”

“C’mon, there’s a spot on my car.” Zack said, pulling the jock over to his vehicle.

The redhead, the Asian boy and his girlfriend walked over to the car and jumped in.

“Sorry if it’s a little cramped.” He apologizes to the redhead. “I’ve been meaning to clean up the car but never seem to get around to do it.”

“No sweat.” She dismissed and talked amenities with Abbie.

A few minutes into their journey, Tyler stops at a traffic light. It was red for him, and so they waited patiently. When it turned green, he slowly lifted his foot from the gearing pedal and placed it on the gas pedal.

The young man was still a novice driver, so he was very cautious not to let the engine choke. Unlucky him having a manual shifting gear.

As they take off, a brilliant, white light hit them on the face. Emily screams desperately, while Tyler hit the breaks hard. All Abbie could do was instinctively trying to protect herself by placing her hands over her eyes.

The car spun around and around its own axis for what seems a lifetime, before hitting its trunk on a pole on the other side of the street.

For a second, everything is still and silent. Emily wonders if she died or lost her conscience. She was afraid to speak, or to move. If she stood exactly at that spot, she could pretend nothing happen.

But the soft peace was soon broken by the wailing cries of Abbie. Soon, her world was flooded with her friends and passersby shouting and calling names and telling them to be calm.

Hours later, at the hospital, the doctors told them they had sustained only but a few light injuries and that they were very lucky, indeed.

Emily couldn’t help but feel she had saved herself from a terrible, terrible fate, indeed.

A few weeks into the new school year, Reyna, the campus newspaper editor, had requested of Emily a story on the charitable work of Alpha Theta Mu, a traditional Greek life organization at Hartfeld. The redhead, herself, had never heard of them, but the other girl had made clear they were big on campus.

Emily had the distinct impression they were big enough to buy a space on their next issue, but she wasn’t about to expose her friend like that. Besides, the piece seemed easy enough, belonging on the variety section and all.

Not expecting much of it, she walked over to the ATM clubhouse and gingerly knocked on the door. A few seconds later and a tall, muscular, blond man answers with a welcoming smile.

“Hello, welcome to Alpha Theta Mu!” He said, cheerful. “I’m Nathan Sterling, the vice-president of this fratority, and you’re Emily Harper, right?”

The guy had done some research. “Yes, that’s right. So nice to meet you.” She smiled and shook his hand.

“Please, come in.” He let her inside and shut the door. “I am sorry for the mess. We hosted a party last night and things got a little out of hand. Would you like to talk over lunch? I’m having lobster.”

“Oh, no, I don’t eat lobster.” The girl responds, a little unnerved with the thought. “I couldn’t do that to Gerald.”

“Gerald?” He narrows his eyes in confusion.

“My pet lobster.” She provides. “And, anyways, I already ate, thank you very much.”

“I’ve never heard of someone who kept a lobster for a pet.” Laughing, he insists: “How about dessert, then? You can’t say no to tiramisu.”

“Something sweet does sound appetizing, thank you.” The redhead says and follows the guy into the dining room. Between bites of the heavenly dessert, she continues: “Pardon my bluntness, but where’s Beau Han? I’ve been told I’d interview him.”

“Oh, the president will not be available for today’s interview. We were hoping you could interview me, instead.” He shot a charming smile, and the girl found herself smiling back.

“Well, if you don’t mind, I don’t, either.” She responds and picks up her small notebook. “May we start with the questions?”

“By all means.” He motioned for her to go on.

She clicked her pen. “First, I need your full name and position.”

“I have much too many middle names, you may credit to Nathan Sterling, Vice-President of Alpha Theta Mu.” He shot her a winning smile.

“You’re the boss.” She nods. “How long have you been a part of ATM?”

“Most of our pledges are sophomore. I was no exception.” The boy recapitulated his career at the fratority in his mind. “It’s been a year last September.”

“Oh, it hasn’t been long!” She responded, surprised. “All other fraternities’ presidents I know have two or three years of enrollment.”

“Here at ATM we prefer juniors at the leading positions.” The blond explains. “College experience and available time. It greatly increases the odds of finding the perfect candidate, don’t you think?”

They glossed over the commonplace questions on such a story, like overall history, motivation for community service, enrollment and their plans for the year.

After the meal, Nathan offered a tour through the clubhouse, which Emily heartily agreed. The place was awfully empty, the other Alphas were at classes or other commitments, according to the blond man.

Regardless, she was amazed with the lavishness of the clubhouse. Every room was carefully designed and decorated, not to mention spacious and luxurious. Not at all what one could expect out of a dorm for college students.

“Do you all live here?” She questions, rather suddenly.

The fair-haired shook his head. “No, most of us, myself included, live at the dorms or off-campus. There’s not enough rooms for us all, and between you and me, it’s relieving knowing that, by the end of the day, I’m going back to my place and be alone for a while.”

“I know what you mean.” Emily responds, with the obligatory smile and nod. “I mean, not exactly, I always had a ton of roommates, but I can imagine how comforting ‘me time’ can be.”

“You got roommates? Anyone I might know personally?” He inquires, his eyes glinting in curiosity.

“Probably. I live with two people, Zack and Becca.” She provides. “Becca’s the former president of Kappa Phi Sigma, and Zack is working with Connecticut Historical Society on the restauration of a number of old buildings in the city.”

“Becca? As in Rebecca Davenport?” Nathan asks, and upon confirmation he laughs. “We’re acquainted. Her father and mine were Alphas together back in the day. I assume she’s still… opinionated?”

“Becca’s a tough cookie to crack, I give you that.” The redhead agrees, nodding and giggling. “But she’s a great friend to have, after you get over all the brashness.”

“I’ll take your word for it. After she pushed me off a toy horse on our elementary school’s playground back on first grade, I just accepted I’d remain on her bad side forever.” He shrugs off the memory.

They continue the tour through the house, talking amicably.

The Sun shone through the window on a Spring Monday morning at Emily’s bedroom.

It was her final month as a junior, and waking every morning felt like a blessing to the young redhead. Her English major classes have been a treat all year, her newspaper gig was going great too. She had two best friends she cherished very much and who lived with her on a nice apartment on the right side of town.

And, last but certainly not least, she had a handsome, charismatic and nice boyfriend whom she loved and was loved in return. Nathan was certainly everything anyone could ask out of a boyfriend, being comprehensive, attentive and so good in bed.

There was no reason why Emily wouldn’t wake up every day smiling.

While she was brushing her teeth to get ready for yet another day, a screech alarmed her. “Emily! Zack! Come to the living room right now!” Becca shouted.

Having the blonde screaming was nothing new, but that morning, the call was less bossy and more distressed, what motivated them to immediate response.

Over there, Becca stood impassively in the middle of the room, eyes fixated on the television and hand over her mouth.

“Becca!” Zack asks, concerned. “What happened? Are you okay?”

Speechlessly, she points over to the television, where the reporter spoke live from the Alpha Theta Mu clubhouse. The newscast was already finishing the piece, but the lead message on the bottom of the screen was ominous enough.

“Sex scandal hits Greek Life organization.”

“They raped Claire.” Becca manages to let out. “They raped her and then they bashed her head against the floor.”

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An Opera on Separation - Masterlist

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

[Review] THE CURED Provides More Brains For Zombie Lovers

David Freyne’s debut feature The Cured was a big hit on the festival circuit last year with an expected release date of early 2018. Eager fans have been frantically looking for the new zombie movie on VOD only to come up short. After a long, unexplained delay The Cured was finally released. But was it worth the wait?

Ireland. Present day. Zombies aren’t just a thing in movies anymore. They are very much a reality, but with some minor differences. There’s been a mysterious outbreak of something called “The MAZE Virus,” which turns the infected into rage-filled flesh eaters. But that’s not where our story lies. The action here begins some time later, when scientists have already discovered a cure.

The cure only succeeds in getting rid of the active virus however, and those newly reformed are left with the traumatic memories of everything and everyone they destroyed while in the virus’ sturdy grasp. And if that wasn’t enough to grapple with, there’s the added tension of the citizens who refuse to forgive and forget their actions.

Not helping matters is the fact that the cure only works on a reported 75% of those infected. The remaining 25% are being kept quarantined underground by the government, while they decide whether to keep trialing new cures, or just to put them all out of their misery.

Among the 75% is Senan (Sam Keeley), wracked with guilt over those he killed, who is now being taken in by his sister-in-law Abbie (Ellen Page), whose late husband was killed by one of the infected during the outbreak, and her young son. And so begins the re-assimilation process, which proves to be about as difficult as you might expect.

    “What if zombies were real?” is a question that’s already been explored to great effect in 28 Days Later (2002), which took the similar viral-explanation route. What also made that film so innovative for the genre was director Danny Boyle’s decision to nix the notion that zombies had to be slow, lumbering idiots. But aside from that, there was little focus on the humanity of the situation. Sure, there was some, but not much. And that’s a deficit that The Cured subverts, for better and for worse.

It’s quite nice to have a little extra care given to character dynamics, especially ones this layered. Doing so adds an often needed dose of realism to a decidedly un-real premise. There’s a tragic tinge one feels seeing Senan, quiet and withdrawn, attempting to atone for his indiscretions and prove himself worthy of the acceptance he so desperately craves. And Sam Keeley really sells the internal struggle with his delicate performance in stark contrast to the hissing creature he’s shown as in flashbacks. Whereas Ellen Page as Abbie turns in a performance that oscillates between really touching and a little boring. In her defense, she isn’t given much to do in the first act, but one can’t help but wonder what another actress could have brought to the role.

    To be clear, she does have one or two moments of greatness later in the film; a confrontation with Senan stands out in particular, where she more than capably sells the simultaneous hurt and anger she’s feeling in the moment. I just wish she could have brought more of that energy to the earlier scenes.

Which brings me to the film’s main shortcoming. While we do get some nice moments of emotional complexity, the problem with the film’s humanistic approach is that it’s just not all that intriguing. Reading a synopsis or a review would likely pique one’s interest, as it did mine. But when you watch the film itself, you realize that it’s pretty much exactly what you had expected. It doesn’t really bring anything new to the table after that. What I pictured when I read about it is exactly what I got, and it left me underwhelmed. There’s a poignant (if thinly veiled) metaphor for addiction that provoked some thought, but at the end my one-word reaction to the whole thing was a flat “okay.”

    Writer/Director David Freyne does show some promise however. There’s a nice sense of world-building in the set design, with a standout being a scene where Senan is riding his bike and you can see flashes of anti-cured graffiti on the walls of passing buildings. And it’s not just some spray paint that says “cured=poop” or something, there’s an actual unofficial anti-cured symbol in the film – a ‘C‘ with a line through it – as seen on one of the film’s posters. I think it’s great that Freyne clearly put a little thought into the premise to make it different from your average zombie film. And he obviously has a nice sense of the world he’s trying to create, I just think that perhaps he needs another couple features under his belt before he’ll be able to convey ideas like this in a more resonant manner.

For a low-key night in, however, you could do a lot worse. There’s an inherent conversation-starting quality to the premise that would be interesting to explore with those close to you, and the performances are mostly affecting. Just don’t expect a genre game-changer.

3/4 eberts

The Cured is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital platforms.

  The post [Review] THE CURED Provides More Brains For Zombie Lovers appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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[ks-caster]

Let’s Talk About Murphy and Religious Symbols

Okay, so this post originated as a response to this post by @osleyakomwonkru​ - and then I realized I totally changed the subject from Octavia to Murphy and you might not want to have Discourse in your replies, so here it is on its own. 

To summarize: In season 7, episode 6 of The 100, John Murphy expresses to Indra that he thinks she was the real leader of Wonkru while Octavia was off “painting her face with blood.” This is rage-inducing because A) He wasn’t there and doesn’t get an opinion, B) it’s factually incorrect - for better or worse my girl Octavia was making all of the major decisions from the Dark Year onward with little to no help, and C) it seems like they just stuck that in there as a lazy writers’ handwave to get Indra to step up and take charge (rather than taking 10 minutes to think about continuity with their own canon when they were writing his lines). 

Now, I fully agree with this post that it’s probably just shitty writing - there’s been a lot of that going around this show especially in the later seasons lol. But. 

BUT.

What if it’s not?

Because now that I think about it - Murphy has a history (moreso than any other character I think) of not understanding or respecting cultural or religious symbolism. In fact, one of the reasons I like him so much is that he’s my bro when it comes to:

[Image ID: Samuel L. Jackson in the well-memed scene from Snakes on a Plane. The text has been altered to say “I have had it with these motherfucking religions on these motherfucking planets.” End ID.]

Adding a cut to save a scroll finger because this got long lol

From here on out, I’m going to be very critical of religion as a concept; in real life I think religion is pretty cool and I happen to have one of those myself, but I also recognize that religious trauma is a very real thing. 

The more I go through Murphy’s scenes in the show, the more I think that’s exactly where they’re going with him.

What do we know about John Murphy and authority, especially when it’s derived from religious beliefs?

Season 1: 

He did not grow up with theocracy as a normalized concept. The Ark had one visible religion, and it does not appear to have any significant political clout or implications. 

The Ark’s laws and power structure were based on scientific knowledge and the needs of the many. 

Side note: There’s been speculation among fandom that Murphy was locked up when he was quite young. I agree with this spec. 

However whether or not it’s true, we know that Murphy does not like authority in general, because the draconian laws on the Ark killed both of his parents.

Out of 7 council members shown on screen, we know the day jobs of 2 of them: Doctor (Abby) and former engineer (Jaha). Leaders are chosen based on necessary skills.

Season 1 occurred over a span of 29 days (source). For Murphy, 11 of those days were spent supporting Bellamy as leader - while he promoted a certain level of anarchy for the first 7, the next 4 were spent building defenses. 

Murphy has a certain amount of clout as Bellamy’s assistant, and uses it to be an asshole, like that time he peed on that kid who asked for water.

After this week and a half, Murphy is lynched by an angry mob for a murder he didn’t commit. 

On the evening of day 12 he is banished - on day 23 he returns, having been captured and tortured by the grounders (specifically Indra I think) for presumably most of that time.

To sum up: Murphy’s experience with authority in his early life is that it’s basically just something to abuse people with (his parents, him, what he did to others etc.)

Season 2:

Murphy goes on a long hike with Jaha, and has his first experience with religious zealotry. Jaha will sacrifice people for his beliefs without a second thought, and in the end all they find is a field of old solar panels. 

Murphy is then sealed in the lighthouse bunker for 86 days. (FYI, 15 days of solitary is considered torture. Source.)

Murphy’s first experience of religion is that it’s a ridiculous belief, based on almost no facts, that gives people the freedom to behave irrationally and harm others, and that not only does it turn out to lead to exactly jack shit at the end, that was enforced for him by having almost 6 times the length of time in solitary to be considered torture for him to think about what a no good very bad idea it was for him to come out here in the first place.

Prior to his journey with Jaha, Murphy’s experience of power is that it’s something people control you with using the threat of force. But now he’s been exposed to religion, which controls people through their own beliefs. When someone is trying to use force on you, you can just grab a gun and shoot them. But how do you fight against a belief?

Season 3:

Murphy is released from the lighthouse bunker after seriously considering suicide - so his mental state is not awesome right now.

Jaha is still just as into the religion concept as he was before Murphy got to spend over two months in solitary

Gideon (who is already chipped when we meet him unless I misunderstand the episode) is frankly a creepy mf. He tries to strangle Emori, who has to kill him because “there is no pain in the city of light,” meaning that nonlethal force will not save Emori’s life.

Emori’s brother Otan goes for a walk with Jaha and comes back chipped. He takes Emori hostage, and Murphy takes ALIE’s case hostage in response. Through this exchange, Otan is valuing a plastic backpack higher than his sister’s life, while Jaha is still trying to convert Murphy.

Murphy gets captured, and the grounders find the CoL chip and say it’s a sacred symbol. 

He’s taken to be tortured by Titus, who as Murphy describes it, prays to garbage.

Upon examining Titus’s beliefs, Murphy realizes that they’re tied to the thirteenth station. Once again, a religion that allows people to kill other people is based on something old and ridiculous - praying to garbage indeed.

After Lexa’s death, a bunch of literal children are supposed to fight to the death for her throne. Murphy was all set to watch some guys fight to the death over a dumb computer chip - but he looked awfully sick when he realized they were all children.

Then instead of that (which is already horrific) Ontari turns up and murders them all in their sleep - Murphy gets to see all the little chopped off heads. All of this is done in the name of the grounder religion.

In the wake of this nastiness, Murphy becomes a fake fleimkepa to save his life (Because Titus threw him to the wolves to buy time for Clarke). Ontari chains him up at night and at least once coerces him into having sex with her. 

Ironically, at least everything Ontari did was with regular old threat of force, since her power as Heda was limited - being a fake

Emori - the only person Murphy explicitly loves and trusts at this point in the show -  takes the chip, in an attempt to save him, which causes her to betray him. 

Once everything’s said and done, and he’s able to remove his hand from his dead rapist’s chest cavity, Emori has been released from the AI and has returned to him. The oppressive religion has been defeated.

The moment when Murphy gets Emori back has to be the most intense and genuine joy and relief he’s expressed on screen to date.

Season 4:

The world is ending, and the supposed adults are all completely incapable of getting along long enough to save everyone without the crutch of religion.

Roan can rule the clans (sort of) but only with the claim that he’s holding the throne for the next Heda

Nightblood could have saved everyone, but it’s genetically rare thanks to the religious tradition of rounding up each generation and culling them down to one survivor.

Clarke can’t even take over as Heda to keep everyone from killing each other because her completely usable nightblood is “fake.”

They find a bunker - which was put together by religious fanatics who had fake bunkers for the lesser believers - which is super fucked up.

Murphy and Emori were safe inside the bunker until Octavia won the conclave. 

Because she was the survivor of what’s effectively a Grounder religious ceremony, Octavia gains the power to decide that Skykru only gets 100 beds, kicking out those who were already in the bunker, safe in the beds they’d chosen. 

This may likely mean death for Murphy, and DEFINITELY means death for Emori. It’s only been 44 days since he got her back, and he’s either going to die with her, or if he’s lucky, he’ll just lose her again permanently.

Thanks to Raven, Bellamy and the rest of spacekru, they both survive. In the interim between seasons 4 and 5, Murphy lived six years with (probably) no religious influences other than maybe coming across a chapel or reference to the Ark’s cute little worship-the-bonsai-tree religion. 

Now seasons 1-4 take place over 200 days. For reference, today (June 26th, 2020) is only the 177th day into 2020. Now 2020 has been a hell of a ride, and the events of The 100 are significantly more drastic. So lots of character development, relationship changes etc. makes complete sense. 

But imagine you lived through 2020 until mid-July (ugh, I wonder what next month’s apocalypse bingo will be...) and then you spent the next 6 years fairly insulated from what happened, in a safe place with little conflict other than what you manufactured (remember, this is Murphy we’re talking about lol).

And then, come July-ish 2026, you go back home for the first time (after a little torture session with a creepy convict dude) and someone mentions biological warfare (for example) as a reasonable idea. 

Wouldn’t you be a little bit more sensitive about it than someone who didn’t live through the Coronavirus?

Season 5:

As we know from the flashbacks, Gaia reconstructed the Grounder religion into the Wonkru Cult, with Octavia as Blodreina. “The blood of our enemies is her armor.”

In other words, “Octavia painting her face with blood” was a religious symbol - and so Murphy, who has massive and obvious trauma with regards to religion, makes some mean jokes, but otherwise does not engage mentally or emotionally, or make any attempt to understand whatever the hell was/is going on down there. 

He simply does not vibe with it.

While Murphy has a rough go if it in season 5 with Eligius, the religious/culty stuff mostly leaves him alone in season 5 because he spends the majority of his time in Shallow Valley instead of with Team WTF Is Going On With Octavia. His knowledge of the Wonkru cult would be largely secondhand.

Additionally, the little 12-year-old girl who loved funny stories about him now has a killer AI stuck in her brain. I don’t remember getting to see him react to this, but by the end of the season he can’t have not known about it, at least.

The parts of season 5 where Murphy is not on the ring take place over a span of 18 days. They board the cryoship, go to sleep, and when they wake up, they’re orbiting Sanctum.

Season 6:

Hey look, the planet of the bodysnatcher religion! In other words, Murphy Trauma Central.

Murphy dies, and has a horrible hallucination of what he thinks is hell (this is never explained, actually, which irks me. I was waiting for that plotline to be resolved.)

During Murphy’s childhood, he got to watch his mother slowly turn into someone else (alcoholism, grief, then suicide). And during season 3, he gets to watch a bunch of people (particularly Emori) turn into not themselves. Also during season 3, Murphy was the chosen pawn of a powerful young woman who used him to fool people so she could have power, in conjunction with a religious tradition. 

While he may not have had a close relationship with Clarke, Josephine must have been like a nightmare to him - bodysnatcher lady who has picked him as her chosen pawn to help her fool people in conjunction with a religious tradition.

Between all of Murphy’s trauma regarding religion and his newly refurbished fear of dying, he has to make a choice whether to get in good with this religion and save his and Emori’s lives, or probably die (again) or get bodysnatched himself for all he knows. 

Frankly, that’s not a choice. Not for him, not then. He signs himself up for the creepy religion. He hopes to save Bellamy et al along the way.

Then Abby gets bodysnatched and dies. Honestly I don’t remember why he has a close relationship with Abby, but he does. It’s the last straw - he walks away from his immortality into almost certain death, but then, since Clarke and Madi defeat the Primes, and he and team sanctum defeat the adjustment protocol, he lives on* for season 7.

*Legally named Daniel Prime.

And now we’ve arrived at season 7.

Murphy has never wanted anything to do with (any) religion, and he wants even less to do with the bodysnatching creepy religion that killed Abby. Not to mention, they want him to pretend to be Emori’s brother in public. It’s a funny plot point as a watcher, but from his perspective? Dude, his relationship with her is the best thing that’s ever happened to this guy. Invalidating that is salt in an already massive wound.

So Murphy is a fake deity, a fake brother, and for the first time in his life, he’s handed a whole bunch of religious-based political power and expected to just deal with that. Surrounded by different, equally violent factions who all hate each other (and some of which want him dead) he is supposed to pretend to be in charge - but actually just do whatever Clarke et al tells him to do.

Murphy started having a very specific nightmare at the beginning of season 6 and he hasn’t woken up yet.

7x06. Nakara. I’ll admit, I drank before watching it - a thing I generally do if I suspect from the trailer that I’ll need to care about Clarke for more than 3 minutes of screentime. I’m a happy drunk, so I enjoyed the episode. But that conversation with Murphy and Indra threw me - first as you’ll see in my liveblog because since when the fuck is Indra not a leader? She was the leader of Trikru from Anya’s death until Trikru was dissolved to become part of Wonkru. WTF.

Second, him saying that clearly Indra was really in charge while Octavia was painting her face with blood.

Now, I dismissed that line on my initial watch, because it was obviously factually incorrect, and how would Murphy know anyway? But now that I think about it, I think it was desperate, wishful thinking on Murphy’s part. By now, he has to want so badly for one grown-up - any grown-up - with leadership experience and skills, to take charge, knock some sense into people, and straighten out the shit he’s fallen into. Again.

Wonkru won’t do jack shit without a religious motivation, and thanks to that, they almost blew up in a(nother) nuclear explosion, and he had to be party to the incidental murder of a guy that he honestly thought was kinda’ cool - and now cool guy’s wife will probably try to murder him thanks to the association. Again.

Murphy is desperate for some kind of normal leadership, and historically (no matter what bullshit they made her say in that episode) Indra has been a capable and sensible leader. Maybe a little violent for Murphy’s tastes, but at this point, he’ll take her. And in his eyes**, Octavia’s “cult leader phase” was frightening, ineffective and easily overridden - while Indra has always been leading people when Murphy has known her. 

**Remember, Murphy’s experience of Octavia as Blodreina was two weeks from him landing on Earth to her abdicating and bending the knee to Madi - and he didn’t get to see much of it firsthand.

Was Indra running things while Octavia was off painting her face with blood? No. Should she have been? Probably. But this is a show about teenagers so they wind up in leadership positions for plot reasons, so whatever. That’s a different meta. But as far as Murphy’s concerned, he needs it to be the truth like he needs Indra to take charge in Sanctum and get him off the altar (in more ways than one). 

I don’t like it - but I understand it. 

[misssophie23]

Can I Be Happy, Living With Your Ghost?

You never forget your first love. Never. Especially not when they keep being your best friend, like Bellamy and Clarke. They both moved on with different people, but their hearts hadn't forgotten where they truly belonged. But Bellamy and Clarke always had the worst timing and life is a bitch , so they have to go through a lot before finding what they really want - or who. Their poor friends, they don't have an easy time with them. Never had and probably never will.

Because we are all suckers for ex-lovers, angst and slowburn!

Read on AO3

Thanks to my betas Marie and and-so-we-meet-again

Chapter One:  Better Than Me

Flashback to summer 2007 ... Clarke and Bellamy met each other's parents for the very first time ... Clarke's POV

June 2007

She looked at her parents nervously. Her heart was racing, her palms sweaty and everything in her head was spinning. Would they like him? Would they think that he was good enough for her? Despite that, she didn‘t care even if her parents thought he wasn‘t.

 She liked this guy, very much. He made her laugh. He made her feel comfortable. She could tell him everything and be herself around him, no matter what. He didn‘t judge her – not anymore.

 They were together for a few weeks only but she knew what kind of feelings she felt when she was with him. When she was thinking about him. It was trust and respect and pure love.

 She fell head over heals for him. He was her everything. The most important person in her life. Her big love. She couldn‘t imagine being without him. She even hated not being with him while she slept.

 He did funny things to her body, to her mind and she enjoyed every second. And so did he. She knew because they were writing and speaking to each other all day and all night when they weren‘t together. She even sneaked out of her bedroom a few times to spend time with him.

 It was very exciting and somehow dangerous because no one knew. They didn‘t want anyone to find out. It was a secret. Their secret … for different reasons. On one hand they liked the tension that was created by keeping it a secret.

 On the other hand, and the more important reason, they were scared that the acknowledgement of their relationship by others would destroy its beauty. That they (and their feelings) weren‘t strong enough for not caring about what others were thinking.

 Apparently they were. They started with their friends, who were happy for both of them. Who didn’t give a damn about social differences and disparities. Her, the golden princess with wealthy parents and him, the rebel king without any money but a heart as good as gold.

 Two different people. Two different societies and yet they had found each other.

 Normally she wouldn’t say or believe it but it was like he was her perfect match, her soulmate. So meeting each other's parents was such a big and important thing.

 “And?” Asked Clarke shortly, biting her bottom lip in impatience.

 They just said goodbye to Bellamy’s mother and him who’d spent the last three hours in the Griffin’s house.

 It was the first meeting at all.

 Clarke had been incredibly nervous to make a good impression on Aurora, while Bellamy tried to impress the hosts. For anyone who wasn’t Bellamy and Clarke it must have been a quite enjoyable and funny night. Two teenagers meeting the others parents for the first time, trying to make a good impression and also helping the other not to go down under their parents glances.

 Jake and Abby exchanged an amused smile, which made Clarke even more nervous and a little furious. At these times she really hated her parents. They loved teasing her. When her face heated up Jake barked out a laugh and put his arm around his daughter.

 “Oh kiddo, don’t be mad at us for loving you and thinking how cute you are.” He squeezed her closer, making Clarke roll her eyes and shoving him away – a little.

 “Don’t mess with me, dad. You know how important this was to me.”

 “I know,” said her father, now more serious.

 A little too serious if you asked Clarke. Great – they didn’t like him.

 Panic started in Clarke’s head. She would tell her parents that it didn’t matter if they like Bellamy. That she was planning to keep seeing him no matter what, but obviously she didn’t have to because her mother smiled from one ear to another and her dad’s breast swell with pride.

 “You like him?”

 Her voice was high pitched, anxious and excited at once. Her heart was jumping harder in its ribcage. Her knees went weak, but not as much as she thought because Clarke jumped when her parents nodded to her question. A loud squeal from the blonde made Abby and Jake laugh again and this time Clarke didn’t care.

 They liked Bellamy Blake. The guy she liked.

Her boyfriend.

 “I think he is a very decent young man,” smiled Abby and Jake added,

 “Very charming and responsible.”

 “He really is,” grinned Clarke. The happiness spreading through her bones and over her face. “I really like him.”

 “We could tell.”

 “And he likes you just as much.”

 Clarke’s heart busted wildly. She was relieved, so fucking relieved that her parents liked Bellamy. She had to tell him. Like, right now. She needed to tell him that her parents liked him. She wanted to share the relief and the happiness she was feeling because everything seemed to be okay and alright.

 “And what do you think about Aurora?” Interfered Jake into Clarke’s thoughts and her high got ticked-off a little.

 What was his mother thinking about her? What was Clarke thinking about her?

 Aurora had been nice and polite to her, but didn’t give any indication away how she felt about Clarke … or her life. Did she like her? Did it matter to Bellamy what his mom was thinking?

 Of course they both had said that they didn’t care but the truth was – it was the most important thing to both of them.

 That their parents liked the other one. She wasn’t sure if Bellamy would stay with her if his mother didn’t approve. But why shouldn’t she? Clarke didn’t do anything to offend her, right?

 She didn’t feel uncomfortable or had been subtly mad. Aurora was a parent just like hers. One who probably didn’t want to judge to early or who gave anything away too easily.

 Clarke started chewing on her bottom lip again, kneading her palms. “I think she is nice and likable?”

 Jake’s frowning lightened up a little, which made Clarke feeling a little better, a little safer.

 “She seems like a nice woman. Maybe a little quiet but you can’t blame her … when your mom is the one who always talks every time.”

 Her father winked at Clarke and Abby slapped her husband into the shoulder, offended,

 “This is absolutely not true Jake!” All three of them started to laugh.

 “I’m sure she likes you Clarke. Don’t worry about it. She is a mother. And there is nothing more important to us than seeing our kids happy,” smoothed Abby, whipping Clarke’s last worries away.

 And with that she rushed upstairs into her bedroom, heart still filled with joy when she scrolled through her contacts to call Bellamy.

  The sound of her heartbeat was echoing through her ears, exciting and desperate for talking to her boyfriend about the evening. She bit her bottom lip down to stop grinning like a goofy, even though it seemed like forever for Bellamy to pick up. Which was unusual because he normally picked up at the first ringing.

 But the moment the ringing stopped and she heard him breathing on the other end of the line it busted out of her. Clarke couldn’t keep it in any longer,

 “My parents like you!”

 She squealed out of joy. The grin on her lips was so big that it started to hurt but Clarke didn’t care. She was happy. Her parents liked Bellamy.

 “Well, this is good, isn’t it?” Chuckled Bellamy and Clarke nodded, despite that Bellamy couldn’t see her. But she wished he was.

 “Oh I wish you were here Bell.”

 “Me too.”

 This time he sounded sad. And it wasn’t the usual ‘I miss you’ five minutes later after they had seen each other. It was a different sound, like something was on his mind. She didn’t hear this voice often in the last weeks, so it scared her even more. The grin faded a little, her heart beat faster.

 She frowned, “Something wrong?”

 Silence. Silence was never good. Silence was bad. Worse than bad!

 “Bellamy?”

 She heard him swallowing. Her stomach tightened. A cold shiver ran down her back. He breathed through his nose loudly before his rough voice reached her ear.

 “I just miss you.”

 His voice was thick, like he was trying not to cry. Not letting it out, keeping his emotions in check. This time it was Clarke who swallowed thickly. Her throat glued together, her heart jumping in the chest but not because of joy but because of worries.

 Clarke felt tears pooling in her eyes because his words, his voice, told her that something was wrong. How could it be? They just had a wonderful evening together. He had been away for half an hour, forty minutes max. What the fuck happened that he was like this? That he sounded so broken … .

 The first tear fell and Clarke whipped it away furiously, taking a deep breath before speaking to Bellamy, trying to keep her voice under control. He didn’t have to know she was crying.

 “Bellamy, please tell me what happened. You are scaring the hell out of me.”

 “Don’t cry on me princess,” begged Bellamy, panic in his voice.

 She knew that he hated seeing her cry. And she hated that he knew even though he wasn’t here. That she couldn’t keep her voice in check so he wouldn’t notice.

 “I’m not.” Lied Clarke and her voice broke at the end. She sniffled, pressing her hand on her eyes, telling her body to stop producing tears.

 “You are.”

 “Then tell me what your fucking problem is!” Screamed Clarke into the speaker and tears rolled over her cheeks.

 “Did I do something wrong tonight?”

 “No -”

 “Was it something my parents did?”

 “No, no Clarke everything was just great tonight. It -”

 Again she cut him off, furious and mad that he didn’t tell her what happened.

 “But it has to be -”

 “It’s my mom Clarke, okay?!”

 He yelled into the phone, his voice mad and desperate at the same time. Her heart skipped a beat. His mother?

 “Did, did something happen? Is she okay?”

 Her words were shaking. She felt bad for forcing him to tell her just because she thought she did something wrong and couldn’t handle being left in the dark.

 There was a loud sigh on the end of the line. “She’s fine.”

 “O-okay … she, she doesn’t like me?”

 “No, she does. She thinks you are a great girl.”

 Clarke didn’t get anything. What was the problem then, if she was okay and Aurora liked Clarke? Clarke licked her lips, shaking her head. “I don’t get it Bellamy.”

 He sighed, long and loud. Then,

 “She … she doesn’t think it’s right.”

 “What does she mean by that?”

 Clarke was afraid of his answer because she already knew it. She knew and still couldn’t understand. The evening had been great. They had had fun, despite Aurora had been a little quiet – she never looked like she felt uncomfortable or anything.

 The blonde swallowed, the time ticking by. Second by second and Bellamy didn’t say anything and yet so much.

 So Clarke grabbed all her strength together and asked what she was afraid of,

 “And what does this mean?”

 “I don’t know. It’s just – somehow she is right.”

 “Right about what?”

 Her voice echoed in her head, hoarsely. Her heartbeat picked up. Was Bellamy thinking what Clarke thought he was? The palm she was holding her phone in sweated. Her heartbeat was loud and hard.

 “She said that, look Clarke, you and your parents … you live in a completely different world than us. You have money and so many great opportunities. Me, I’ll never be able to give you what you need. I’ll never earn enough money to make your dreams come true. There won’t be any holidays in New York or in Europe. No big house and fancy dresses or jewels. I won’t go to a big university and become a doctor or judge. I’ll be stuck here forever and I don’t want to bring you down. I won’t let you give up your dreams and chances. You deserve more than the life I can offer. Much more. You, you don’t fit into my world in the long run.”

 His voice was low and thick, rough and shaking. Just like Clarke’s whole body. Her heart beat so fast she was sure if it would go a little faster she would die. Her stomach wrenched, one shiver after the other ran down her back, making her sick.

 Tears dropping down her cheek because of his words. It took all her strength to speak again, the fear of him breaking up with her, right in her heart.

 “That’s not true Bellamy. And you know that. You don’t know what I want and what I need. Maybe I don’t want a life like my parents have, okay? Maybe all I want is you, no matter what. May-maybe I don’t give a shit about money and opportunities. This is not fair and you know that … just because your mom –“

 “It’s not only because of my mom Clarke. We both knew about this –“

 “Exactly! This is why I don’t understand why it’s such a big problem right now. Which it isn’t for me! You know that I don’t care about money –“

 “Not now!” Bellamy cut her off and he sounded sour. Clarke huffed offended, “You don’t –“

 “Come on Clarke, we both know that you want to study at Yale or Harvard or abroad.”

 “Maybe I don’t want –“ Tried Clarke, but Bellamy cut her short again.

 “And I don’t want to be the reason for you not to go, okay? I couldn’t live with that.”

 “You could come with me!” Suggested Clarke and her voice was filled with tears.

 She pulled her legs closer, wrapping her arm around it and wobbling. Clarke couldn’t believe Bellamy and her first fight was about their relationship as a whole … and would probably end with a break up … which she didn’t want to. Why couldn’t he see this? Why couldn’t he stop saying all these things? Things that were hurting her, making her cry and sick.

 “You know I can’t afford to live in a city like Cambridge. How would I earn money? With a job as what? A janitor?” He scoffed. “Yeah, amazing future prospects.”

 Clarke squeezed her eyes shot. She was shaking her head, sobbing into the phone. Her heart breaking with every beat. How could this happened? They had such a nice evening and now she was talking to Bellamy who … who tried to break things with her?!

 “Clarke,” his voice was gentle, worry flew with it.

 “Please,” he pleaded (his voice rough from hiding the tears) and she knew he hated it when she was crying but he couldn’t really blame her, right?

 “Clarke, please I –“

 “What do you want from me Bellamy?!” Nagged Clarke furiously into the speaker, biting her lip down to suppress another whimper. She heard him swallowing.

 “What am I supposed to do, huh? You are trying to break up with me and –“

 “I don’t want to Clarke!” Insisted Bellamy and said, “I just don’t want to ruin everything for you. Can’t you understand that?”

 “No. No I can’t understand that Bellamy! Because this is exactly what you are doing right now. Ruining everything by telling me these things. I am happy, okay? I am happy with you right now and I don’t care about what people think. I don’t care what I want for the future, because I frigging don’t know myself, okay? I just want to be with you. Only you. I don’t care if your mom thinks we’re not worth it. That we won’t make it! I just don’t want us to break up. Not like this. Not over the phone, not after tonight … not at all! All I want is to be with you. Why don’t you get that? I decide what is good for me and not you or your mom or my parents. Only me!”

 Her whole body was shaking, she tasted salt on her lips, from all the tears she was crying. Her hand whipped them away and she got out of her bed, knees so weak she had to remain where she was for a second because she was too afraid of falling.

 “I’ll come over right now!” She demanded, Bellamy trying to stop her.

 “No. It’s storming outside Clarke! I won’t let you walk over. It’s too dangerous.”

“I don’t care Bellamy! I won’t let you break up with me over the phone!”

 “I am not Clarke. I promise. I’ll come over tomorrow, okay? Please – be reasonable. I don’t want you to get out of there and –“

 “Sorry,” said Clarke and ended the call.

 She switched off her phone and whipped away the tears. She was 16 but still couldn’t drive – getting a driver licenses was harder than she thought it would be – so walking was her only choice. She didn’t care what Bellamy told her, she would go to see him!

 The blonde took a few more breaths before heading downstairs, hoping her parents wouldn’t notice her red and swollen eyes, her thick voice when she told them goodbye, but of course it was different.

 The moment she said, “I’m heading to Bellamy’s”, her parents knew something was wrong. They turned around and Abby got out of her seat so quick that Clarke wondered why the chair wasn’t falling onto the ground.

 “What happened?” Asked the blonde worried and Jake switched off the television, eyeing Clarke closely.

 She had to stay strong, Clarke told herself. She couldn’t break into tears again. She –

 She started crying the moment Abby put her hand on her shoulder. The woman pulled her daughter into a hug, wrapping her arms around Clarke and hushing softly. Clarke sobbed into her mother’s shirt while trying not to fall apart.

 “B-B-Bell-Bellamy …”

 “Did something happen to him?” Asked Jake and got off the couch alarmed.

 “No … no, he …” Clarke couldn’t say the words without falling apart.

 She clenched closer to her mother, who was holding her more firmly. It took Clarke a few moments before trying to tell her parents what happened a second time. At this moment the phone was ringing and Jake disappeared, while Clarke spoke to her mother.

“He … his mother said that, that I don’t fit into, into their … he isn’t good enough and wants to … I think he wants to end this because he, he doesn’t want me to give up everything and …”

 Tears were stopping her from speaking any further. This wasn’t fair. This was everything but fair.

 “Oh honey,” sighed Abby into Clarke’s hair and swaying them a little.

 Clarke took a deep, shaky breath. The familiar scent of her mother calmed her down. She made her feel safe and comfortable. Like everything was alright and nothing could happen as long as she stayed in these arms.

 It was the moment Jake came back into the living room.

 “It was Bellamy.”

 Clarke’s head shot up, eyes red and her head already hurting like hell.

 “He was worried because he couldn’t reach you on your phone. He said you wanted to walk over?” Her father’s eyes gazed outside the window, before turning back at her.

 Clarke swallowed. “Yeah, I –“

 “I’ll drive you over,” said Abby and Clarke knew that by the sound of her mother’s voice that it was final. That she wouldn’t accept any arguments.

 That didn’t mean Clarke wasn’t trying to refuse her offer,

 “No. I can take the bus mom. It’s late and I don’t know –“

 “This is exactly the reason why I’ll drive you Clarke! It’s late, it’s storming outside and you aren’t in your best condition. Like hell I will let my only daughter walk through this hell! I will drive you to Bellamy’s and if you want I can wait outside, okay?”

 Abby took Clarke’s face into her hands. The younger Griffin swallowed.

 “You aren’t alone Clarke. No matter what happen. Your dad and I will always be there for you. And you can call us at any time. We’ll always come for you and pick you up. Okay?”

 Her lips were shaking again. Clarke nodded and shot her eyes close for a second before breathing out loudly.

 “We love you Clarke,” mumbled Abby and kissed her daughter’s forehead.

 “I love you too.” Returned Clarke softly before both women hit the road across the down to the Blake’s house.

[aboutbigbooks]

Recent Releases Part 2: Points of View

Once again, I have a bunch of advance reader’s copies thanks to NetGalley and Goodreads (in return for honest reviews). And once again, the bunch contains a variety of fiction and yields a range of recommendations. If you’re looking for a big book, there are a couple that come close (> 400 pp.) that I can heartily recommend. A theme that inadvertently runs through this crop is multiple narrators, a technique that most of these books use to good effect.

In chronological order, here are some new novels (and a couple of paperback releases) from the second half of 2017. Hint: my highest recommendations go to the more recent releases.

Siracusa (Delia Ephron, 304 pp., paperback release June 6). Two couples to go Italy together: Taylor and Finn (who bring their daughter, Snow) and Lizzie and Michael. Told from their four perspectives, relationship chaos ensues – a situation that you can foresee from the start. I won’t say more about the events to avoid spoilers, but think entropy. Around the same time I read Siracusa, I also read Jane Smiley’s Commonwealth, which made me think about writing a blog post about wife-swapping novels. The difference between the two books? Ephron’s characters are anxious, dramatic, or both; Smiley’s are (as always) serene and observant. Read them both for an interesting contrast.

Read if: You like your drama high.

Emma in the Night (Wendy Walker, 320 pp., August 8).  Two sisters disappear, and only one, Cassandra, shows up on her mother’s doorstep three years later. Her mother and father are still divorced and remarried, and her mother is as crazy as ever. In mythology, Cassandra was the prophetess whose true prophecies were not believed. This Cassandra is an unreliable narrator, not because she is drunk or damaged, but because she has a secret agenda of her own that she doesn’t tell anyone (including the reader). The other narrator is Abby Winter, an FBI forensic psychologist who worked the original disappearance. Of the two, Cassie is the more interesting. Some good twists.

Read if: You like dysfunctional family dramas and unreliable narrators.

Unraveling Oliver (Liz Nugent, 272 pp., August 22). I started to hear some buzz about this book around the beginning of September, but I was disappointed.  The story is told in flashbacks by Oliver and those he has had contact with over his life. That was not the disappointing part – the structure worked super well. The characters themselves, however, were archetypes with little depth or complexity. Oliver has some kind of personality pathology, probably narcissism with a dash of antisocial thrown in, and that’s about all you need to know about him. His wife is the bad stereotype of a librarian (she’s actually an artist, but not that kind of artist – you know, the vegetarian kind with dyed hair. The dowdy kind who wears cardigans and is a poor driver.) The older French woman? A winemaker, wise in the ways of food and sex. An aunt is a spinster sister, unattractive and not good with children. And so on.

Read if: Construction satisfies you more than character.

The Golden House (Salman Rushdie, 380 pp., September 5). Did not finish. This sounded like a winner: from Salman Rushdie, winner of the Booker of Bookers for Midnight’s Children and set in New York with a loose allegory on Trump. I got about two-thirds of the way through it, and finding that I was not getting the momentum that some readers reported halfway through, I moved on to better things. The story is told from the perspective of a twenty-something American man who becomes intrigued (to say the least) with a family from an initially unnamed country that moves into his affluent neighborhood. The widowed patriarch is Nero Golden and his three sons are Petronius, Lucius Apuleius, and Dionysus. Nero is meant to be the Trump allegory, which you can tell because sometimes he says things like, “On the upper floors I can get a terrific deal . . . So, a great deal. The best deal in town.” My main problem with this novel was voice. I got bogged down in a conversation between the narrator and Nero about guns that didn’t indicate the speakers, and I couldn’t tell from their voice who was who. Both of them sounded like the elderly foreigner. I quit not long after that.

There were beautiful nuggets, to wit:

Life and death are both meaningless. They happen or don’t happen for reasons that have not weight, from which you learn nothing. There is no wisdom in the world. We are all fortune’s fools. Here is the earth and it is so beautiful and we are so lucky to be here with one another and we are so stupid and what happens to us is so stupid and we don’t deserve our stupid luck.

If you read it: Let me know how it turns out.

Sing, Unburied, Sing (Jesmyn Ward, 285 pp., September 5). I honestly don’t know how many stars to give this book. Like others in this crop, it was told from the viewpoint of several characters. The center of the book is Jojo, a Black teenager living in abject poverty in the rural South. Unlike Unravelling Oliver, this book has rich, emotional characters. The language is swoon-worthy. So why not an immediate 5 stars? THE GRIM, PEOPLE. SO MUCH GRIM. Beautiful grim, but still.  There was also an element of the supernatural that did not work 100% for me. Ward just won a MacArthur Genius Grant, and I’m betting this will be on a lot of literary award short lists.

Read if: You love beautiful language and can handle grimness.

The Dark Lake (Sarah Bailey, 400 pp., October 3). I am always skeptical about books that promise that they will satisfy fans of Tana French (the Dublin Murder Squad series), but this one fits the bill. Set in a small town in Australia, this debut effort is told from the (sole) perspective of detective Gemma Woodstock. A teacher from Gemma’s alma mater, her former classmate, has been found dead. It falls to Gemma and her partner to expose the victim’s life while protecting their own secrets and negotiating their own complications. Like the Dublin detectives, these cops are real people with real flaws that sometimes get in the way of their jobs. A great page-turner and nearly big book. I’m looking forward to more from Sarah Bailey.

Read if: You can’t wait for the next Dublin Murder Squad. No, seriously.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (Bryn Greenwood, 406 pp., paperback release October 3). Another nearly big book that I loved. The novel tells the coming-of-age of Wavonna from her perspective and those of her relatives, teachers, and the biker mechanic who is ultimately her savior. Wavy’s parents cook and take methamphetamine, and she is often left to her own devices. Wavy is damaged – she can only eat alone, preferably out of the garbage; she doesn’t talk much; and don’t try to touch her. When Kullen finds her trying to maintain the household and care for her mother and little brother, he has to do something. Can an adult biker mechanic and a young girl – and later, a young woman – be soulmates? Bryn Greenwood will make you believe they can.

Read if: You like your grim counterbalanced with unlikely but sustaining love.

The Immortalists (Chloe Benjamin, 352 pp., January 9, 2018). Last but absolutely not least, this novel asks, what if you knew the date of your death? Four bored young siblings decide to visit a medium who can (and does) tell them the exact dates of their death. The youngest, Simon, has the earliest date:

It’s the prophecy, too, something he would very much like to forget but has instead dragged behind him all these years. He hates the woman for giving it to him, and he hates himself for believing her. If the prophecy is a ball, his belief is its chain; it is the voice in his head that says Hurry, says Faster, says Run.

All of the siblings are affected by the prophecy and what it says to them. They take risks or avoid them to the point of paralysis; they make plans or discard them; they look to the future or the past. Varya, the eldest: “it was evident in Simon’s spirits, in Daniel’s tendency toward anger, in the way Klara unlatched and drifted away from them.”

Read if: You think you would like a mash-up of San Francisco in the 70s (think Tales of the City), magic shows, a meditation on duty to others, and another meditation on connection, all in a family saga.

[newagesispage]

                                                              FEBRUARY          2020

PAGE  RIB

 *****

Just as we said good bye to 2019, 75 of The Rolling Stones outtakes and such were released for a minute on You tube.  The thinking seems to be that the tracks which could be found under 69RSTRAX were ‘released’ before public domain sets in.

*****

Check out Somebody up there likes me, a doc about the life of Ronnie Wood.

*****

Bill Wyman has a new book out set for release on Feb, 29 called Stones: From the Inside

*****

The film, The Burnt Orange Heresy looks great and will open on March 6.

*****

Steve Martin has been talking about next year’s Hulu series he did with Martin Short, Only murders in the building. I thought it was a bit but apparently it is real and I can’t wait!!

*****

I loved Samantha Bee’s take on ghost sex: Spook softly and carry a big dick. Too funny!

*****

Bill Maher just bought a new place in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island for a mil. The area boasts hardly any cars as most people get around on foot or by golf cart.

*****

Stephen Colbert’s executive producer Tom Purcell came up with the idea years ago for a home makeover show that does a re-do on murder houses. Someone else came along and thought it again because now we have Murder House Flip.

*****

Abby Huntsman has left the View.

*****

The Oscar noms are out with Joker leading the pack. There is Leo and Joaquin for actor and Hanks, Hopkins, Pacino, Pesci and Pitt for supporting. That is the TOUGH category. For actress there is Cynthia Erivo and Renee Z. Kathy Bates is up for supporting. Johansson is up for 2. For films, they love Ford V Ferrari, The Irishman, Jo Jo Rabbit, Marriage Story, Joker, Little Women, 1017, Parasite and Once upon a time in Hollywood.

*****

Dave Chappelle, Marianne Williamson and Donald Glover are helping to raise $ for Andrew Yang.

*****

The last season of Criminal Minds is officially underway and I was so fucking glad that Dorian Harewood was there for the final shows. Woo Hoo!!

*****

Neil Young and John Oliver are now American citizens

*****

Interrogation is a new tv series that looks promising.

*****

Wes Anderson’s new film, French Dispatch that he wrote with Hugo Guinness, Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola will be out on July 24. The production features Benecio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and Bill Murray.

*****

The Russell Simmons doc about his incidents with women has lost its executive producer, Oprah.

*****

John Stewart has written and directed a new film, Irresistible starring Steve Carell and Chris Cooper.

*****

I am so sick of the multiple pens it takes to sign the documents when they sign something into law etc. You are wasting our money signing a letter at a time, politicians just so U can give some crap as a keepsake. Let’s have a real signature! I don’t think the average person would be allowed to sign official papers that way.

*****

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has decided on their new inductees: Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, T Rex, Whitney Houston, Notorious B.I.G., Nine inch nails and the Ahmet Ertegun award will go to manager Irving Azoff along with journalist and manager Jon Landau.

*****

Julian Castro is out, Marianne Williamson is out, Cory Booker is out.** Sanders got the endorsement of Nevada’s largest teacher’s union and the black caucus.** Bloomberg says he will use his $ for whoever is the democratic candidate. He is also running an anti-gun ad during the Super Bowl.

*****

I wish Rep. Doug Collins would stop talking.

*****

Ken Jennings was the big Jeopardy winner in the showdown.

*****

Diego the tortoise has had so much sex that he saved his species. There were only a few of them left and now there are about 2,000.

*****

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be here July 24.

*****

Warren and Bernie got into it after the January debate. They sort of called each other liars.

*****

Hillary Clinton is the first female chancellor of Queens University.** The Justice department inquiry into Hillary has finally ended. They found nothing.

*****

The Golden Globes had some very deserving winners like Succession, Brian Cox, Laura Dern, Olivia Coleman, Patricia Arquette and Joaquin Phoenix. Tarantino was honored for his writing. I think the best dressed were numerous this year. There was hardly a wrong choice except for J Lo, Thomasin Mckenzie, Ryan Seacrest and Beyonce. I loved Joey King, Michelle Pfeifer, Kaitlin Deaver, Rose Leslie, Cate Blanchett, Ellen and Portia, Phoebe Waller- Bridge, Cynthia Erivo, Eddie Murphy and Paige Butcher, Brad and Leo, Zoe Kravitz, Helen Mirren, Annabelle Wallis, Lisa Lu, Bill Hader, Kerry Washington, Lisa Bonet, Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson, Patricia Arquette and Nicole Ansari-Cox.

*****

The SAG award also had some very well dressed which included Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Williams, Lupita Nyongo, Zoey Kravitz, Millie Bobbie Brown the Schitts Creek cast and Patricia Arquette. Christina Applegate was a bit too old school but she rocked it. The people on the SAG carpet were very chatty.  Parasite was named best cast. Other winners included Zellweger, Joaquin, Sam Rockwell, The Crown, Laura Dern and Dinklage. I have not seen The Morning Show but I was a bit shocked to see Jennifer Aniston win over Jody Comer, Helena Bonham Carter, Olivia Coleman or Elizabeth Moss. This was an award from her fellow actors so I suppose they wanted to send her some love. Her ex Brad Pitt won as well and went on and on about himself.

*****

The Grammys were pretty somber with a lot of ballads and the sadness of the death of Kobe Bryant that day. Aerosmith refused to let drummer Joey Kramer play with them and many found the performance a mess. A wonderful moment was Tanya Tucker and Brandi Carlile with their song that went on to win best country song. Tanya Tucker won best country album. Other winners included Billir Eilish, Lizzo, Elvis Costello and the imposters, Gary Clark Jr., Nipsey Hussle and John Legend, Willie Nelson, Michelle Obama and Dave Chappelle. I had no love for the fashion of Ariana Grande or Rosalia. My best dressed were Lizzo, Camila Cabello, Elle Mai, Jameela Jamill, Billy Porter, Bebe Rexha and Alessandria Ambrosia.

*****

Roman Polanski’s An Officer and a spy captured the most noms at France’s Cesar awards.

*****

What IS Iran’s cyber capability? Give us details when it comes to Trump’s act of aggression against Iran. Wasn’t he supposed to get us out of the Middle East?** Our own government has concluded that withholding aid to Ukraine was illegal even though half the Senate does not seem to care.

*****

Dori Miller is the first person who was not a President to have an aircraft carrier named after him. The African American hero was at first not recognized for his bravery but FDR changed that. Construction will be completed in about 8 years.

*****

Gustav Klempt’s missing Portrait of a Lady was found in a hole in the wall of a house. It had not been seen since 1997.

*****

Kathy Griffin got married on New Year’s Eve to her long time love, Randy Bick with Lily Tomlin officiating.

*****

Venture capitalist Imaad Zuberi pled guilty to obstruction of justice for impeding a Federal investigation into the inaugural fraud.

*****

Eric Swalwell has said that everybody will want the Trump trial in the future wherein the person on trial gets to make the rules. It will be a thing. Who needs witnesses?

*****

So there is a story that many Puerto Rican’s have had to move to the continental U.S. (mostly Fla.) because of the lack of help they have received from the current administration. Now, they can only vote in primaries in Puerto Rico but when they settle in other places they can actually VOTE for President. Lesson: Help Others!

*****

A Federal court just affirmed an injunction preventing the Trump administration from discharging air force members living with HIV. It is hard to keep up on all the despicable things this administration is doing.** Scary Clown 45 thinks he is responsible for low cancer rates. They have been steadily going down anyway. He wants a 4.9 bil cut in medical research, 897 mil cut in National cancer institute and a 763 mil cut for the CDC. Luckily it didn’t happen.

*****

Apparently before the impeachment trial began, Trump’s legal team gave thousands of dollars in contributions to Moscow Mitch, Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz. What a sad time for this country. KEEP INVESTIGATING ANYWAY.

*****

A new immigrant prison just opened in Baldwin, Michigan, run by GEO, a for profit prison company.

*****

The wall is costing about 20 mil a mile and the 100 miles or so completed have mostly been repairs to existing structure. When G W Bush was in office the cost was about 4 mil a mile.** About 30 feet of the wall feel into Mexico due to high winds.

*****

Season 7 of Grace and Frankie will be the last.

*****

The White House streamed a sermon from the Holy City Church of God in Christ in Memphis. The event that VP Pence attended for the MLK holiday was led by a pastor who claimed that our gay friends were possessed by demons.

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Days alert: Loved Kristen’s call back to Rosemary’s baby again when talking about little Andy or Jenny. I can’t believe that in those same flashbacks we learned what a horrible Mother’s Day they had.  How could so much go wrong in 1 day? ** Hooray, More Tony and Anna!! ** The heartbreak of John and Marlena and the evil of the brainwashed really harkens back to the heyday of Days.** I wish that the baby mix up story would bring Tate and Theresa back to town! It is time for she and Brady to get back together!

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Rudy has started a podcast.

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I am often not a fan of tradition (royal, religious or otherwise) but I admit it gave me great comfort to see the articles of impeachment walked carefully to the Senate chamber. We still have a little bit of order amidst all the chaos of the Trump era.

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The Astros are cheaters.

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The super bowl will be upon us on Feb.2 with Kansas City V San Francisco.

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6139 military vets committed suicide in 2019. R.I.P.

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R.I.P. victims of the Australian fires, Chris Tolkein, Neil Peart, David Olney , Terry Jones, Mr. Peanut , Jim Lehrer , victims of the Calabasas helicopter crash and Buck Henry.