#Spawn Series 19: Dark Ages Spawn

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"A CRUEL, HEARTLESS BEAST FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE UNDERWORLD..."

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on promo shots for the hulking 6.5 inch Dojo [Nightmare Beast] action figure from Spawn Series 19 "Dark Ages Spawn: The Samurai Wars," released by McFarlane Toys in July 2001.

MINI-BIO: "A cruel, heartless beast from the depths of the Underworld who assists the newly reborn Spawn, Takeda, in a mission to avenge Spawn's murder. But Dojo holds a gruesome secret inside his grotesquely deformed body. You see, Dojo is merely a minion of Jyaaku the Nightmare, who resides inside Dojo's body. The monstrous being leads Samurai Spawn to the assassins who murdered him, laughing maniacally as Spawn exacts his slow, calculated revenge. After the deed is done, the nightmare beast residing inside Dojo reveals itself."

-- MCFARLANE TOYS, c. summer 2001

Source: https://mcfarlane.com/toys/dojo.

[kult-of-tol-in-gaurhoth]

ANGEL WARRIOR FROM THE WORLDS ABOVE -- PARTICIPANT IN THE SAMURAI WARS BELOW.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on promo shots of Lotus, the Angel Warrior (something of an "Anti-Spawn"), from Spawn Series 19 "Spawn Dark Ages: The Samurai Wars," released by McFarlane Toys in July 2001.

FIGURE OVERVIEW: "Lotus is an angelic Samurai warrior sent to feudal Japan from the Worlds Above to put an end to the epic battle between Samurai Spawn and the beast Jyaaku the Nightmare. Lotus dispatches the three-headed Jyaaku back to its own dark realm before turning her attention to Samurai Spawn. The Samurai, formerly known as Takeda, bows his head to receive the death blow he longs for. Instead, Lotus pardons the wild creature, leaving him to roam the ancient Japanese landscape in search of salvation."

-- MCFARLANE TOYS, c. summer 2001

Source: https://mcfarlane.com/toys/lotus-the-angel-warrior.

[thatsastepladder]

It's been brought to my attention that, with the wedding of Tony Stark and Emma Frost, the last of the hints dropped in 2019's History of the Marvel Universe #6 have been fulfilled at long last. I bet Mark Waid didn't think it would take this long when he was writing this page, but the way Marvel chose to respond to the COVID-19 emergency turned a lot of plans on their heads.

So, let's break them down, going top to bottom, left to right.

The Age of Khonshu: This was an arc in Jason Aaron's Avengers run, notable for not being very good and for Moon Knight catching and controlling Mjolnir because it's "made of moon rock."

The interstellar reign of the half-breed: This is referring to the Empyre event and its fallout, where Hulkling/Teddy Altman/Dorrek VIII takes the throne of the united Kree-Skrull empire, as was his destiny.

The rise of the outlaw generation: This was the Outlawed event, which was about as forgettable as they come and is only remembered for spawning the awful New Warriors series from Daniel Kibblesmith (the Snowflake/Safespace one) that never got published.

The King In Black: Self-explanatory, this was 2021's Venom-centric King in Black event, where the dark symbiote god Knull led an invasion of symbiote dragons upon Earth.

The Wedding of Tony Stark and Emma Frost: This one just happened a few months back, it has to do with some Fall of X stuff that's too much to explain here. Just know that it's a marriage of convenience.

The tragic fate of Luke & Jess's second child: This one's a little iffy in that the tragic fate hasn't happened yet, but they did adopt one of the Purple Man's abandoned children at the end of the Devil's Reign event.

The Defenders of tomorrow: It's not entirely clear to me, but I think this one's referring to the Al Ewing Defenders and Defenders Beyond series. If you like fun, trippy cosmic stories, you should check them out.

Warbird and Threadneedle: Are both new characters who showed up in Kurt Busiek's The Marvels maxiseries, which was a fun deep dive into obscure Marvel history - specifically history that Waid partially retconned in during this very series to explain the backstories of characters who were originally WWII or Vietnam vets.

The fate of Mephisto: I'd hoped this would be hinting at something in Nick Spencer's Spider-Man run, but, alas, it just turned out to be Jason Aaron's Avengers again, and was... kind of underwhelming. Oh, well.

[kylereadscomics]

Wildstorm Comics Reading Order

So at various times over the last year I’ve been binge-reading Wildstorm comics (Jim Lee’s imprint at Image Comics, originally named Homage, and later sold to and continued at DC Comics). While I’ve been reading, I’ve been organizing them into a good, clear reading order that keeps series and stories together in chunks, but also tries to avoid spoiling anything.

This is where I’m at so far, which goes from the beginnings of the universe in 1992 to about when it was sold to (and began publishing as an imprint of) DC Comics in 1999.

1.       Team One – Team One WildCats #1-2, Team One Stormwatch #1-2

2.       WildCats – WildCats v1 #0-4, WildCats Special #1, WildCats Trilogy #1-3, WildCats v1 #5-6, Cyberforce v1 #2, WildCats v1 #7, Cyberforce v1 #3, WildCats v1 #8-9

3.       Deathblow – Dark Angel Saga – Deathblow v1 #0, Darker Image #1 (Deathblow story), Deathblow v1 #1-12

4.       Stormwatch – Stormwatch v1 #1-3, 0, 4-5, Stormwatch Special #1, Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Stormwatch story), Stormwatch v1 #6-8

5.       Union – Union v1 #1-4, 0

6.       The Kindred – Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Kindred story), The Kindred v1 #1-4

7.       Gen13 – Gen13 v1 #1-5, Gen13 #1/2 (AKA Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Gen13 story)), Gen13 v2 #0-1

8.       Deathblow v1 #13-15

9.       WildCats solos – Warblade: Endangered Species #1-4, Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Maul story), Spartan: Warrior Spirit #1-4, Zealot #1-3

10.   WildCats – Gateway – WildCats v1 #10-13, Wildstorm Chamber of Horrors, WildCats v1 #14, WildCats v1 Annual #1, Voodoo/Zealot: Skin Trade, Grifter One Shot

11.   Wetworks v1 #1-7

12.   Team Seven – Team Seven v1 #1-4, Team Seven v2 #1-3, Team Seven v3 #1-4

13.   Spawn & WildCats #1-4

14.   Stormwatch – Images of Tomorrow – Stormwatch v1 #9, 25 (yes read 25 after 9), 10-17

15.   Wildstorm! #1-3

16.   Deathblow & Wolverine #1-2

17.   Backlash #1-7

18.   Union v2 – Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Crusade story), Union v2 #1-3

19.   Wildstorm Rising Prelude – WildCats v1 #15-16, Stormwatch v1 #18-20, Stormwatch Special #2, Stormwatch v1 #21, WildCats v1 #17-19

20.   Wildstorm Rising – Wildstorm Rising #1, WildCats v1 #20, Union v2 #4, Gen13 v2 #2, Grifter v1 #1, Deathblow v1 #16, Wetworks v1 #8, Backlash v1 #8, Stormwatch v1 #22, Wildstorm Rising #2

21.   Grifter v1 #2-10

22.   Grifter & Badrock #1-2 (no conclusion)

23.   Stormwatch v1 #23-27 (yes, read 25 again here)

24.   Union v2 #5-9, Union: Final Vengeance one-shot

25.   Deathblow #17-19

26.   Cybernary – Deathblow v1 #1-4 (Cybernary backups), Cybernary v1 #1-5

27.   Brass v1 #1-3

28.   Gen13 – Lynch #1, Gen13 v2 #3-7, Gen13/The Maxx, Gen13: The Unreal World, Spider-Man/Gen13, Gen13: Ordinary Heroes #1-2, Gen13: Rave, Gen13 Zine

29.   Wetworks v1 #9-15

30.   Stormwatch v1 #28-34

31.   WildCats v1 #21-28

32.   Grifter v2 #1-7

33.   Backlash v1 #9-14

34.   Brothers-in-Arms – Deathblow v1 #20-21, Gen13 v1 #8-9, Deathblow v1 #22-23, Backlash v1 #15-18, Deathblow v1 #24-25

35.   Fire From Heaven – Fire From Heaven #1/2, Sword of Damocles #1, Sigma #1, Deathblow v1 #26, Fire From Heaven #1, Backlash v1 #19, Gen13 v2 #10, Wetworks v1 #16, Stormwatch v1 #35, Sigma #2, WildCats v1 #29, Deathblow v1 #27, Gen13 v2 #11, Backlash v1 #20, Wetworks v1 #17, Stormwatch v1 #36, WildCats v1 #30, Sigma #3, Sword of Damocles #2, Fire From Heaven #2, Deathblow #28-29

36.   WildCats v1 #31-36

37.   Grifter v2 #8-14

38.   WildCats v1 #37-50

39.   Voodoo – Dancing in the Dark #1-4

40.   Savant Garde #1-7, WildCats: Savant Garde Fan Edition #1-3

41.   Gen12 #1-5

42.   Allegra #1-4

43.   Hazard #1-7

44.   Black Ops #1-5

45.   Grifter/Shi #1-2

46.   Grifter and the Mask #1-2

47.   Shattered Image #1-4

48.   WildCats/X-Men: The Golden Age, WildCats/X-Men: The Silver Age, WildCats/X-Men: The Modern Age, WildCats/X-Men: The Dark Age, JLA/WildCats

49.   Wildstorm Spotlight #1-3

50.   Stormwatch – Change or Die – Wildstorm! #4, Stormwatch v1 #37-47, Wildstorm Spotlight #4, Stormwatch v1 #48-50

51.   Gen13 v2 #12, 13A-13C, 14-15, Wildstorm Halloween: Trilogy of Terror #1

52.   Wetworks v1 #18-35

53.   DV8 v1 #1-4, ½, 5-8, DV8: Rave

54.   DV8 vs. Black Ops #1-3

55.   DV8 v1 #9-13

56.   Gen13 Interactive #1-3

57.   Gen13 Bootleg – Gen13/Generation X, Gen13 Bootleg #1-18, Generation X/Gen13, Gen13 Yearbook 1997

58.   Gen13 v2 #16-17, Gen13 3D Special #1, Gen13 v2 #18-25, Gen13 Bootleg Annual #1, Gen13 Bootleg #20

59.   Gen13/Monkeyman & O’Brien #1-2

60.   Backlash v1 #21-24, Backlash & Spider-Man #1-2, Backlash v1 #25-32

61.   Wildcore – Wildcore Preview, Wildcore v1 #1-10

62.   Phantom Guard #0-6

63.   Wetworks v1 #36-43

64.   DV8 – DV8 Annual 1998, DV8 Preview, DV8 v1 #14-23

65.   Gen13 v2 #26-29, Gen13 Bootleg #19, Gen13 v2 #30-35

66.   Slipstream – DV8 v1 #24-25, Gen13 Annual #2, DV8 Annual 1999

67.   Gen13 v2 #36-41

68.   DV8 v1 #0, 26-32

69.   Stormwatch v2 #1-10, WildCats/Aliens #1, Stormwatch v2 #11

[combodactyl]

Spoilers for the evil dead series.

"Hey, get out of here this is my story.

How did you get in, where did you get that chainsaw--aaaaaahhh

Now listen to this story from the original chainsaw man.....

My story starts on a nice fall evening with my friends. A book taught us how to summon a demon, obviously thats stupid but whats even more stupid is that we didn't say it the tape recorder said it. Cue the usual monster stuff and the death of all of them............... Eventually I am the only one left but that flipping ghost came back and pushed me back into the house!!!!! A stupid ghost decided to posses my girl (something that hasn't happened before) and continued to torment me with a different f'n book and all the same tricks. Now my hand is gone and a lot more bodies are my responsibility. They freaking opened a portal to the middle ages leaving me stranded. Yada Yada Yada boomstick, beautiful women, old wise men. I go find this stupid book the necro-nemone? Eh close enough. I can't remember the phrase "Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong", "Klaabu, Verama, Necktie", "Fear is the mind killer?" So I spawn this jack-o-lantern after one of those things jump into my mouth, mitosis me and makes me think I'm done with him. Finally epic castle fight where this dingus comes back with an edgy and mature personality, and attacks me with the titular army of darkness. More fighting and jokes are said but I manage to return home

And what do I come back to, a movie where I'm not the protagonist but even more of slap to the face, my face isn't used just my voice.

Anyway I'll give the writing back to that nerd that was here. I will be back and don't you forget it."

Day 19 I had a lot of fun with this drawing but I didn't appreciate my writing prompts being taken away from me. The evil dead series is also a big movie series my family likes and commonly quotes. Next post we go to the movie I haven't seen, (my friends just really wanted me to draw this one) as we crusade farther into #inktober.

[spiderrrling]

Anybody have a map? - Chapter 1: Welcome to camp Sunshine

Series Masterlist - Masterlist - General Taglist

Chapter summary - The summer is finally here, and you've arrived at camp, happy to know that your sworn enemy is no where to be seen. Sadly, it doesn't take long before he shows up and bursts your bubble of hope for a happy summer, instead now you are stuck in the middle of no where with the person you hate the most in the world.

Word count - 9.3k

Chapter warnings - Brief mentions of smoking

A/N - thank you guys so much for the support you’ve already shown to this fic, and thank you so so so much to the genuine mastermind behind it @uglypastels​ i literally wouldnt have been able to do it without you

Day 0 - Sunday, 19 Days before

There was something special about a place like Camp Moonglade. Barely an hour and a half away from the chaos that was downtown Hawkins, and yet a completely different world. There was no rush of traffic in the morning, no peering eyes from pestering neighbours who would rather be caught up in other people's business than their own, and no pressure to maintain the expectations laid on you by the social society of Hawkins High.

All of that was to be exchanged for the happy smiles (and screams) of children seeking out adventures and stories to be told years down the line. An escape from pesky parents, bullies and teachers and where anyone could be whoever they wanted to be. A place where the trees grew tall and the birds tweeted with glee, helping you forget about the worst of times.

It was a complete and total getaway into a lakeside summer paradise. That's what this summer was supposed to be. But the reality settled in hard and was far from the idyllic summer escape you had imagined in the months leading up to what should have been long and lazy summer days. You had been looking forward to it for ages, couldn't wait to see the returning campers again and help them create an unforgettable experience. So, it was infuriating to know that your entire plan had been tainted with something so dark, vile and evil that had taken root in them.

Eddie Munson, your (camp) arch nemesis. Because, even though this was only your second year of counselling at the camp, the one summer of experience had been enough for you to realise two things:

1. You absolutely loved the camp and the job. 2. Eddie Munson was the Devil's spawn.

He was bad news, you could tell it from your very first meeting, and you had all of your first year at Moonglade to prove it… not to mention your shared three years of high school. So, by this time around, there was nothing that could still surprise you. Not that that stopped you from wishing this time would be different.

Eddie Munson wasn’t some bully though, who did things out of malice. He just enjoyed winding you up and seeing your reaction, he was a tease. And ever since last summer you absolutely despised him.

You should have known better, though, than to set up these high expectations for your return to camp. Ever since you had heard that Eddie wasn’t set to graduate, you knew this had been a possibility. He would come back for his third year of Camp Moonglade, just as he would return for his third senior year once the fall semester would start. And in the meantime, in the five weeks of exile, he would make sure to put you through living hell.

Well, he hadn’t directly decided to ruin all of your summer plans, that you knew of, but when Eddie was around one thing was for sure– You would get to spend yet another summer along with a person who hated your guts (not that the feeling wasn’t at least partially mutual). It wouldn’t have even surprised you if he came back solemnly just to spite you. To have yet another summer of wreaking havoc on your cabin and the planned activities ahead.

That is what you knew would happen, but, against all odds, you had really held out hope until the very last second that he wasn’t going to show up. That you would at least get these few weeks of rest away from him.

The first day at Moonglade had not helped your ideals either. In fact, it created a false hope, actually. A glorious 24-hour period had gone by on the camp site and Eddie was nowhere to be seen.

On the second day of preparations, with kids set to arrive just the next day, you and the other counselors were fast at work dusting off the mess hall and the cabins to get ready for the summer ahead. And you were intently working, sweeping out one of the cabins, ridding it of old cobweb and the thin layer of dust that had settled in the past eight months.

The strong afternoon sun was hanging high in the sky, blaring with the early Indiana summer heat when the beat up, rusty, old van pulled up into the staff parking lot. With the windows rolled halfway down you could hear the blaring music before you even laid eyes on the car.

Jumping out of the driver's side was Eddie Munson, truly he must have believed he was a sight for sore eyes. His messy brown curls pushed back with a pair of aviator sunglasses and combat boots halfway laced up. Flashing you a little too much thigh for your liking with a pair of black home made denim shorts he had clearly cut off himself based on the fraying around the hem. And he was wearing last year's camp T-shirt, or a mutilated version of it, the sleeves and side seams cut off, the shirt hanging together with barely an inch of material. You weren’t sure if it could even be called a shirt, barely covering his chest and you could visibly see one of his chest tattoos peeking out from beneath what little fabric was left.

A half smoked cigarette was dangling between his lips as he swung an old and battered duffel bag over his shoulder, stuffed to the brim with everything he might need for the next month and a half. His other hand was carefully wrapped around the handle on his guitar case, the metal of his rings glinting softly in the blaring sun. Making his way over to the mess hall, completely nonchalant to the fact that he was over a day and a half late to when he was supposed to arrive.

Standing on the terrace to one of the campers' cabins your eyes followed him the whole way to the mess hall where he greeted Zoe with his usual infuriating charm and wicked smile that always made it look like he knew something no one else knew.

You watched as they spoke, and even from a distance you could tell Zoe wasn’t particularly pleased with his late coming, her pen tapping against the edge of her clipboard impatiently as she listened to whatever poor excuse he had managed to concoct.

It was almost fascinating watching him try to flirt his way out of it, while being completely oblivious to Zoe’s dead eyed stare that she was returning to him. Or maybe he just believed in his abilities that much?

You could tell the exact moment she had told him, his face dropped and his mouth made a perfect o-shape before he yelled, “WHAT?!” His eyes wide and frantic as he searched around the camp grounds, and when he happened to find you, you were glad that looks couldn’t kill.

Eddie took a moment to compose himself, clenching his jaw ever so slightly, quickly returning to his conversation with Zoe, And you watched them from a distance, your eyes intently following Eddie as he disappeared into the main building and out of your line of sight. It is what you would have to settle for, for now.

You had decided early on that if Eddie was going to make his appearance, you were not going to sit back like you did last summer, this year you were going to be his problem. You were done letting him play elaborate pranks on you and your campers.

And seeing him just reaffirmed this, this summer you were going to hit back.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, tasks that needed to be done piled up quickly as you worked your way through an already tedious list of chores. You were hiking up the crossroad of paths to the dining hall, the promise of dinner hanging softly in the air as you got closer to the main building.

A low two story building, old and with its red paint chipping in the corners desperately trying to hold on another summer, which housed the dining hall (frequently called the mess hall by the campers), the nurses office (the infirmary), and the office (the base).

“And there she is! My favourite counsellor!” Eddie’s voice sounded and he appeared out of the mess hall as you approached, his voice was like nails on a chalkboard which contrasted with the signature flashy grin he gave you. “How is my favourite happy camper?”

"You're late." Was all you said in response, your eyebrows elevated slightly as you took in the sight of him, close up you could see even more of his chest tattoo and the faint shadow of his chest hair. Even with the sun hanging low in the horizon he was adamant about wearing the horrid tank top.

"And yet I'm still here, and the canoes have been cleaned off and are ready for the water, plus my cabin is in tip top shape and ready for inspection." To underline his point Eddie gave you a military salute and stood up just a little bit straighter, forever the main audience for his own antics.

“Cute- did Mark teach you that?” The reference to your fellow camp counselors managed to place a crack in Eddie’s stone cold facade into a smile for just a split second. "And I suppose that'll be the only time this summer that cabin will look presentable?" Both of you cringed slightly at the thought of what had happened last summer, when one of his campers unbeknownst to him had adopted a pet frog they'd found down by the water. The results of which were not pretty.

"Who's got time for grudges and complaints, we have an entire summer in front of us to enjoy." Eddie slung his arm around your shoulders like the two of you were old friends, helping to lead you into the dining hall, and you had to fight the instinct to flinch away. “But first- dinner I am starving after a hard day’s work.”

You and Eddie were the only counselors who attended Hawkins High, everyone else originated from a couple of different high schools in the surrounding areas. And while you and Eddie knew each other from camp, you didn’t speak in your regular day to day lives. You just saw each other in casual passings in the concrete tiled hallways of Hawkins High School.

All of you were upperclassmen in school and about the same age. All of you responsible for your own cabin and campers.

Everyone else was working, setting the head table with disposable paper plates since none of you were particularly interested in doing the dishes before camp had even begun. With Tiny Sal not set to arrive until tomorrow along with the rest of the campers Zoe and Lisa had taken the executive decision to nurture every last opportunity on your last day of freedom and ordered pizza for the whole gang from the nearest town. Which was still over 20 minutes by car.

Eddie’s grip loosened on your shoulder and his arm fell away from you as he walked off to chat with Connie #2 and Richie without saying a word of goodbye to you. All of you knew each other from the previous summer, and after five weeks of working together they had quickly become your home away from home, your own little camp family.

And even though it was unspoken, your seats around the counselors table had remained the same. Walking over you took your old spot between Joan and Connie #1 who were already deep in conversation.

In total there were ten of you who together ran the majority of activities at Camp Moonglade. There was Zoe, the activities leader and head organiser, you wouldn’t dare cross her in a million years. Joan, who was possibly the sweetest soul alive and helped run the arts & crafts activities. Lisa, a complete sweet tooth and the sole supplier of snacks, and is one part of the music team. Connie #1, sometimes referred to as just Con for convenience, the first half of The Connies, and co-leader of the water activities. And of course, yourself.

Then for the guys there was Richie, Eddie’s partner in crime and helps Joan with arts & crafts. Tommy, your wildlife expert and a mean games strategist. Mark; Zoe’s right hand man and sports director, complete hard ass but with a heart of gold. Connie #2, who you believed no one actually knew his real first name, who helped Con with water activities. Then last but not least, Eddie Munson, resident musician and outdoor survival skills leader.

Along with the ten of you there were three "adults", Lenny the camp director, Tiny Sal the camp chef and Maureen the nurse. Meaning in total the thirteen of you ran and operated Camp Moonglade for the summer.

“Ok but Joan we need you to join our team for capture the flag-” it was no surprise to you that Con was already fast focused on game strategies, and it would be no shock to you if the other Connie was chatting Eddie’s ear off about a team up. “With your strategy and with our energy then we’ll win for sure!”

“Well I suppose I could-” Sadly, Joan never got to finish her sentence.

“You know, I thought we had a strong sense of tradition here at Moonglade, canoeing, capture the flag, and yours truly having Cabin 9.”

Great, you could tell this was going to be another Eddie Munson spectacle. If you were a resident student at Hawkins High, you were probably unlucky enough to have caught at least a couple of them.

Eddie’s voice was loud enough to be ringing off the walls, and as you looked up, he was staring directly at you, truly something only second to rage in his dark brown eyes, mixed with some form of enjoyment he was taking out of having everyone's eyes on him.

The other counselors falling quiet around you, they'd been waiting for this. What they expected to be your moment of reckoning with Eddie. Based on his interaction with Zoe earlier, you figured that Eddie had been informed that you had taken Cabin 9 this summer, but he was yet to confront you about it.

"That is my cabin, you know that is my cabin." Eddie swung his leg over the bench directly opposite you. You did know that was Eddie's cabin for the past two years at Moonglade, and maybe that's the exact reason you had picked that to be your camper's cabin this year, but you weren’t one to kiss and tell. Taking a bit too much pride in snatching it right from under his nose due to his late coming.

"Well now I suppose that it was your cabin Eddie, it isn't anymore," you could feel the smirk tugging at the corners of your mouth and you had to resist to not let them show.

Your eyes fast on Eddie's face, thoroughly enjoying his almost frantic wide eyed stare back at you. The fellow counselors around you were intently listening in on your conversation, not soon about to forget the intense rivalry and nuclear fall out that had occured last summer.

"Besides, it's not like you're staying in the cabin anyway." You were enjoying yourself way too much, but what truly made it worth it was Eddie’s reaction to you teasing him back. “So I don’t see how it’s going to be a problem.”

It was clear he had not been expecting you to be teasing him back, there was some semblance of genuine shock on his face, but he was doing his best to hide it with his sly grin. But you could pick up on that little glint in the back of his eyes that was telling you differently.

“I suppose we’ll see whose problem it really is sunshine,” Eddie said, his smug grin fast plastered to his face and you bit the inside of your cheek, and before you could think of anything to quip back at him, he swung his legs over the bench and went back to chatting with Richie.

“Trouble in paradise.” You heard Connie whisper to Connie along with a soft snicker, but after a quick and hard look from Zoe they both fell deadly silent.

You didn’t stay long after, quickly losing your appetite and not too interested in spending the rest of the evening trying to avoid contact with Eddie. Muttering some excuse about being tired and wanting a good night's sleep before tomorrow you retired back to the counsellors cabin.

Laying on your back in your bed, your eyes were glued to the wooden ceiling above you, slowly counting the slats as you attempted to fall asleep. It was a special kind of atmosphere when it was just you at camp, time almost seemed to stand still when there was no disruption of little kids running around weakening havoc, yet you also couldn’t help but be excited for your campers to arrive and for moonglade to once again be filled with screams of joy and laughter.

Somehow this is where you always slept best, in a small cramped cabin with four other people in the middle of nowhere. With the window wide open you could taste the soft summer nightair, hear the soft sounds of the lake as water hit the shore, the creaking sounds of the forest as the breeze travelled through branches and leaves. There was something oddly calming about it all, which brought you a sense of peace you couldn’t get anywhere else.

It didn’t take long before you finally fell asleep.

Day 1 - Monday, 18 days until

The next morning started with a bang, quite literally. Mark banged on the door to your cabin, at what felt like the very crack of dawn, resulting in a synchronised groan from the ones of you still half asleep inside the cabin.

“Breakfast in the mess hall at exactly eight-hundered hours! Campers arriving today!” How anyone could have this much energy at this hour you could not figure out. But you were glad to know that even though a year had passed, Mark was still insistent on using his military terminology.

Yet you didn’t dare disobey Mark's words, quickly slinging your legs over the side of your bed and jumping out from your top bunk, looking around you could see Zoe and Joan’s beds were already empty. But Connie and Lisa seemed to be quickly falling back asleep where they laid in their bunks.

“Good morning sunshine.” Eddie looked up at you as you stepped over the threshold into the mess hall, and you were immediately convinced that he was the spawn of the devil. You yawned and rubbed sleep out of your eyes, doing your best to ignore him where he was sitting with a half empty cup of coffee.

“What? I don’t get my good morning kiss?” Eddie said as you walked past him, you turned around and raised your hand as to blow him a kiss but you finished by flipping him the bird as you walked backward through the swinging doors into the kitchen, which gave away with a soft groan.

After taking a quick glance at you Joan quickly poured and pressed a mug of steaming hot coffee into your hands to which you muttered a quiet thank you as you gladly accepted the offering.

The hot mug between your fingers served as some level of comfort, the dark and bitter liquid sloshing around. You hated black coffee, but it would have to do for now.

Around you everyone else was either deep in their planning, or having some off conversation, and you swore you heard the Connies discussing their capture the flag strategies, or was it boat strategies? You were honestly too tired to fully tune into what they were saying.

Besides, you had already started your own scheming plans for capturing the flag that you weren’t quite ready to disclose to anyone just yet. You were not about to let Eddie Munson’s team beat yours this year and if you wanted that reality you would have to play your cards just right.

Capture the flag at Moonglade was almost a religious experience, and the winner of the tournament won every possible bragging right over the rest. Last year Eddie’s team beat yours after he played dirty, and you would rather be six feet under before you let it happen again.

Sliding into the seat next to Zoe, she didn’t even notice you. Her eyes fixated on the sheet of paper laid out before her, a pen clutched in her hand, the pen cap stuck between her teeth was littered with bite marks.

“What are you working on?” You took a sip from your coffee, sipping at the hot liquid and savouring the taste as caffeine coursed through your veins, slowly waking you up.

“Finishing the week's schedule…” her eyes were completely glued to the papers in front of you, and you were honestly shocked she heard you, given how in the zone she could get. “Wow this late? Don’t tell me that queen Zoe is slipping from her throne,” you said in a playful sarcastic tone.

“Don’t you have things to finish? You know before campers arrive?” She turned towards you and rested her head against her hand, flashing you that slightly evil Zoe smirk that she always had hidden up her sleeve. “It’s good to be back.” You laughed and glanced down at your wrist, the watch strapped to it read just a little past eight, which meant you had at least a couple of hours to get your schedule and finish preparing Cabin 9 for its guests.

You had cut your morning in The Mess short, grabbing a stray piece of unclaimed toast to tidy you over as you hurried over to Cabin 9.

—

The gravel under your shoes crunched softly as you trekked your way up to the campers cabins, ten of them in a circle and in the middle a massive tree. Cabin 9 stood at the corner furthest down towards the lake. It wasn’t much but you couldn’t help but feel some level of satisfaction as you approached the low wooden building. Knowing that this year Cabin 9 belonged to you and your campers, and not Eddie.

The front deck had a couple of chairs and a table standing in front, on the inside the walls were lined with bunk beds along with a couple of drawers. However what made Cabin 9 so special was that the back window was bigger than the rest of the cabins. Meaning that you could see all the way down to the lake with a proper view, the blue shimmering surface peeking through luscious green leaves just added to the idyllic summer paradise that Moonglade was.

Yesterday you had managed to clear out most of the dust and cobwebs that had settled since last year, so luckily there wasn’t much left to be done. Still you found yourself picking at all the little details, quickly losing track of the time.

A loud bang sounded among the cabins, pulling you from your work and you rushed to the window to see what had happened.

Looking through the front window you could see Cabin 10, the unclaimed cabin that had become Eddie’s by default. He was rummaging around trying to get the last of it ready. His curly hair hanging messily around his shoulders, thankfully forgoing the hideous mutilated yellow shirt for a proper one today. The newly minted green counsellor's shirt hugged the curves of his shoulders as he worked.

Eddie ran a hand through his curls, in what from a distance looked like frustration, before he quickly walked away from the cabin in an almost half jog.

But something caught your eye, a sheet of paper stapled to the inside of the widely opened front door, but you couldn’t read it from a distance. You looked around quickly, checking to see if Eddie was coming back before running across the short distance between the cabins, climbing up the steps onto the deck.

Your eyes reading over the list Eddie has stapled up to the door, chuckling quietly to yourself.

“Curiosity killed the cat?” You jumped at his voice, not expecting him to come back so soon. “Just checking out your cabin, what number is it again?” Eddie didn’t answer you, just shot you a dirty look instead. You turned around and started reading off the list out loud.

“Camp constitution… solid name I’ll give you that… respect other people's stuff, obviously… maintain personal hygiene, good one… no summoning demons?” you read off the last one and turned to Eddie who was grinning from ear to ear. “Without permission and adequate supervision-” he leaned past you and tapped at the appended point at the end of the document, “it has to be done with proper care,” he finished.

“I am pretty sure Mark and Zoe aren’t going to be happy if you decide to summon a demon,” you almost wondered out loud as your eyes grazed his face.

But before he could quip back, you both heard the bell ring in the distance, meaning the first campers had probably started arriving, you cursed under your breath knowing you were late and you still had to pick up your check-in list from Zoe.

Both you and Eddie turned your head towards the sound of the bell and you could hear Eddie curse under his breath before quickly checking the time on his watch.

“I’ll have to catch you later sunshine, our queen Zoe cannot be kept waiting.” With a quick flash of a grin and the turn of his heel Eddie was gone, leaving you standing all by yourself once again.

—

When you arrived at the parking lot there was already a sea of campers waiting for you. Buzzing with excitement and some tears, most of them wearing backpacks larger than their bodies and stuffed to the brim, making them slightly unsteady. Like the slightest miss step would cause a domino effect of falling campers.

“Everyone listen up!” Eddie stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled so loud your ears hurt. Quickly he climbed up on the registration table, his check in sheet in hand.

"Could I have Dustin Henderson, Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair and Mike Wheeler report to me please? Spread the word, thank you, that will be all." He finished off his little charade with a bow to his audience and you swore you could see some of the campers with a sheer look of terror in their eyes, and you couldn't blame them.

You had to at least give him credit for the idea, because as soon as he finished speaking it was clear who his campers were and they quickly shuffled their way over to Eddie’s table to get themselves checked in.

When all campers had finally managed to be situated with their counsellors and parents excitedly drove away to enjoy their few child free weeks, Zoe got up on one of the tables, her trusted megaphone in hand.

“Hellooo happy campers! Could I have everyone's attention for a moment?” When Zoe said it, it wasn’t a question, it was a demand, and everyone there knew it. New and returning campers alike, meaning the crowd fell silent within moments. “Thank you! Now that you all have your cabin counselors and are checked in we’re going to let you head down to your cabins to get settled for a moment, but please could all councillors make sure to have everyone in the dining hall in an hour for camp introduction and rules.”

As it always was, Zoe’s word at camp was law. Even the new campers could feel the presence she had when she picked up that megaphone.

The next couple of hours passed in a blur of trying to get your campers situated in their cabin, answering any and all questions that popped up, and hurrying to make sure that you weren’t late for camp meeting.

The grand circle was finally teeming with life once more, kids running around already enjoying the freedom away from parents, and your poor counsellor friends running after them.

And before you knew it, you had reached the end of the first official day at Camp Moonglade.

Day 3 - Wednesday, 17 days until

Rocks crunched softly beneath your feet as you walked along the shoreline, with the exception of the beach, most of the shore was either covered in big flat rocks or the stretch of grass reached all the way down to the water.

Your sandals dangled from your fingertips as you walked along, letting yourself feel the cool rocks against the rough pads of your feet.

The water gulped softly against the shore with every beat of the waves, and the only light came from the reflected image of the moon. Softly illuminating the night ever so slightly, but you still found yourself needing to squint to make sure you were still placing your feet in front of you.

The overwhelming hot swell of the day had finally faded, letting the cool night air finally seep in and you felt like you could breathe again for the first time. Relishing in every soft breath of night summer air that washed over your exposed skin.

Three full days had somehow already been and gone, passed in a blur of excitement and activities. Which your mind and body ached from, and you already found yourself longing for a break, nothing big but just a little get away.

Which is how you found yourself trekking along the shoreline of the lake, slowing your breathing, and taking in every sound of the lake, of the forest. The creaks and groans of the trees as they shifted with the wind, the rustle of leaves and the soft chirping of cicadas.

Even at night Camp Moonglade was never truly silent. Especially not when you were left with your own thoughts ticking away and churning around in your head.

But your thoughts quickly came to a grinding halt as you came upon the last person you expected, or at least wanted to see tonight. Eddie Munson, sitting by the lakeside.

His shoes were tossed almost carelessly to the side, along with his socks, allowing him to sink his feet down into the cold water. A half smoked lit cigarette dangled from his lips, glowing a soft red in the darkening night with every drag he took.

“Of course, it’s you, you know you’re not supposed to smoke at camp, right? Against camp rules.”

“Ah, my favourite happy camper, come to join me, sunshine?”

You didn’t really think about it, you just kind of sat down next to him, but you made sure to keep a distance between you. Snagging the cigarette from his hand and taking a puff before he could oppose you. The smoke filled your lungs and you immediately gagged, trying to hold back a cough, and failing spectacularly.

“You know smoking is against camp rules, right?” Eddie echoed your words from earlier, and you had to fight the chuckle that threatened to bubble up in your chest.

“So, what’s on your mind this evening, sunshine?” “Nothing-” your voice was calm into the empty night.Realising you were still holding it, you passed the cigarette back to Eddie. And you stuck your feet in the cold water, kicking your feet ever so slightly.

“Oh, c’mon I know there has got to be a reason if you’re desperate enough to sit down with little old me,” Eddie laughed, taking a drag from his cigarette much more skillfully than you did, letting the thin cigarette smoke hang in the quiet air between you, “so please, enlighten me why are you so desperate to be hanging out with yours truly.”

“Did you pack enough cigarettes to last you the next five weeks?” you asked instead to deflect the question, and pulled your thighs up to your chest, wrapping your arms around yourself, trying to fight off the sudden cold that started seeping in now that you were sitting still.

“Hopefully, as long as I make sure I don’t smoke em’ all, then I’ll be ok,” Eddie laughed, and he could tell you were trying to deflect, but hey, he wasn’t one to push. Knowing he was probably the last person you would ever want to talk to about anything running through that mind of yours. Any semblance of trust you might have had in him was long gone after last summer.

You sat there with him for a moment, almost finding some sense of peace in the comfortable silence you shared between you. It was different to anything you had experienced with Eddie. He was always the loud, fidgeting, bold, bouncing off the walls, walking on the cafeteria tables Eddie Munson.

But sitting there by the lake with you, he was calm. Calmer than you think you’ve ever seen any person. Almost as if there was no worry on his mind, despite actively breaking camp rules by insisting on smoking his cigarette. And that, you thought, might be the most Eddie Munson thing, breaking the rules and not breaking a sweat doing it.

“You know Zoe caught me down here once last summer, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her that pissed,” Eddie said, and you couldn’t help but stare at him with wide eyes, it was almost as if he had been reading your mind just then, “I was sharing a joint with Richie, and we heard her approach, we both panicked and just ran for our lives, not thinking she would still see us the next morning and-”

“So that’s why you and Richie had that unexplained cleaning duty last summer!” you blurted out before you could stop yourself, instinctively clasping your hands over your mouth as you realised you had forgotten your manners and interrupted him. Which Eddie seemed to find immensely entertaining, laughing wildly at the sight in front of him.

“Yes, that is indeed why,” he chuckled at your response, quickly glancing over at you from the corner of his eye. Stumping out the cigarette bud on a nearby rock and throwing the end of it into the lake to be swallowed by the water. “You know- I think the only reason we got away with it is because I’ve known Zoe for so long.”

“Wait you’ve known Zoe since before you were a councilor?” His words puzzled you a little bit, you had no clue they’d known each other before hand, and maybe you found yourself a little bit dumbfounded for judging their interaction on Sunday.

“Yeah- me and Zoe used to be campers here together. My uncle used to send me here for the summers so he could get me out of his hair for a little bit, and so that I wouldn’t get bored and go around getting in trouble.” His eyes were looking anywhere but at you, wandering the scenery in front of them as he spoke, transfixed on the soft slopes of the water that surrounded his feet.

“So… you come here to cause problems instead?” you looked over at him and asked with a rise in your brow.

“And because you’re so much more fun to vex than my uncle,” Eddie finally looked over at you and flashed you his infamous cheeky grin. And there it was again, that same smile he’d flashed you last summer and you were ashamed to say it still elicited the same reaction in you as it had back then, and you hated yourself for it.

“Sooo, what was little Zoe like?” you kicked your feet in the water as you spoke, the water sloshing around gently, adding softly to the sounds of the night.

“Oh- not so different from how she is now. Even when she was little, she had more command than anyone else, even the old councillors back then.” He fished his lighter out of his pocket and fidgeted with the lid, flipping it open and closed rhythmically, lighting the flame every now and then.

“Why does that not surprise me,” you wondered out loud, but it was clear your tone was littered with sarcasm, and you earned a little chuckle out of him.

“Shit, are you cold?” He noticed the soft dusting of goose bumps that had gradually settled on your skin and the way your hands ran up and down your forearms trying to settle into the gentle chill of the night. Eddie shuffled out of the jacket he was wearing and held it out to you, letting the article of clothing dangle between you on the tips of his fingers.

Suddenly, you became aware of just how small the distance between you had grown, and how he offering you his jacket was painfully similar to last summer.

And perhaps, he had felt it too.

“Oh- no thank you I’ll be just fine.”

“You’re shivering like a leaf, c’mon just take it.”

“Eddie seriously I’m not cold-”

“Listen- I know after last year you might not be my biggest fan, and it's pretty clear that you’re still upset-” Eddie started. “Under exaggerating there just a little bit, Munson,” you interjected quickly, making him reconsider his words for a moment before he spoke up again.

A deep crease forming between his eyebrows as he gazed at you from the short distance between you, and you were convinced you could see the tiniest tug at the corner of his lips before he spoke.

“How about I make it up to you? Say if by some incredible, and I mean truly incredible, miracle you manage to win camp championships, I will let you give me a stick and poke tattoo. Whatever design you want, sounds good?” And you absolutely could not deny it, it was a tempting prize he was offering you. Eddie was already covered in tattoos, one more wouldn’t be much of a hassle for him, but one from you?

“And what if I don’t win, what do you get then?” You asked and Eddie bit down his bottom lip and stared at you, simply to drag it out because it was clear he already knew what he wanted. “A kiss,” he finally said and your blood ran cold.

“A kiss?” you raised your eyebrow and fought the urge to bite into your lip in the slight bit of anguish the thought caused you. And in that moment you knew, this is what he had meant when he said you would be regretting taking Cabin 9, but what you didn’t know was that this was only the beginning.

“Y’know it wouldn’t be-” Eddie started, but he never got a chance to finish.

“I know Munson, trust me I know,” you cut him off before he could finish, not wanting to think about what he was insinuating, trying your best to shake off the feeling that had washed over you.

“So what do you say, we got a deal?” Eddie reached out his hand to you, letting it hang in the space between you, and your mind was still running wild with contemplations. Your eyes darting between his hand and his eyes, feeling that little pit of anxiety in your stomach gnawing away at you, telling you not to do it.

“Deal,” you said and grabbed his hand, shaking it quickly. In the end it was too tempting not to take on the challenge. Besides, there was no way that you were going to lose anyway.

“Now will you please just take my jacket? It’s almost painful seeing you this cold.” Oh, right, his jacket. He had placed it in the space between you once the talk of the bet started. And while you had agreed to kiss him, in the slight chance you would lose, his jacket felt way too intimate, way too special for you to take.

“Oh- I’m fine, I really should be going anyway, early morning tomorrow,” you mumbled as you shuffled to get your feet beneath you so you could stand up, grabbing your shoes and quickly, but rather awkwardly, slipping them on. “Thanks for the conversation, and bet, I guess.”

“Good night sunshine!” You heard him call out to you as you were almost out of earshot, and when you looked over your shoulder you saw his jacket was still lying on the ground next to him, but his eyes were fixed on the water in front of him. “And I’ll be looking forward to that kiss!”

Day 5 - Friday, 14 Days until

Finally, Friday night rolled around, another day filled with endless activities in the baking summer sun. While only a couple of days had passed since the beginning of camp, you could already see more than one set of sunburned shoulders, an inevitable case no matter how hard you and your fellow councillors tried, and it didn’t help that some of the councillors weren’t particularly skillful at it either.

Friday nights at Moonglade were always marked by bonfire nights. Late nights around the bonfire, fingers sticky with marshmallows and soft sing alongs being played on guitar. And while most of the campers weren’t particularly vocally inclined, it was still a regular highlight of the week.

The bonfire pit laid down towards the lake side, a big stone pit with wooden benches lined up in two circles around it. The sun had just barely dipped below the line of the horizon, but the evening was illuminated in the soft orange glow of the cackling bonfire and the heavy smell of smoke hung in the air.

Eddie was sitting on one of the inner benches, his guitar in hand and perched across his knee. Picking at the strings to make sure they were in tune.

You knew Eddie liked music, his band played at some run down bar at the edge of town every few weeks, but despite that you had never really heard him play more than at camp.

At camp, the songs he played were far different to the ones you heard him blast from his van at all ungodly hours of the morning in the school parking lot before classes started. His hair was pushed back between his ears, someone had placed a small white flower in the mess of his curls, which you couldn’t help but smile at.

It was such a stark contrast to who he was as a person, a metal head with clothes to fit, now sitting there in cut off denim shorts, an old worn out camp t-shirt and a soft delicate white flower in his hair.

But the irony wasn’t lost on either of you. He knew how silly he looked, but it was part of the fun while being at camp, he could look silly and also have fun with it.

Besides, he was so focused on leading the sing along, his fingers rapping against the guitar with ease as he drew out the melodies. And while his choir wasn’t the most talented, what they lacked in skill, they made up for with volume.

Finishing off the last song with his own personal improvised guitar solo, the need to always be the centre of attention continued to surprise you even though it really shouldn’t at this point. You did attend high school with him, and while you were far from being on speaking terms with each other, Eddie Munson was impossible to miss.

Mostly because he did stick out more than most, with his classic metal head attire, long curly hair and a band of nerds following him. But also because he refused to make himself invisible.

Eddie placed the guitar by his side, scooting down and settling in on the ground, urging the campers closer towards him. “Closer… closer… you too Wheeler-” soon he had them all huddled around him, almost like a herd, every pair of eyes was on him.

Looking across the circle you shot Joan a questioning look, and she simply shrugged in response, having no clue what he was about to do either.

“Everyone’s here? Ok good, then we can begin,” that same evil grin he had was once more plastered to his face, and you immediately feared for what was about to come, absolutely no good could come from a look like that. There was something hidden behind that smile, it was the kind where you could tell he was scheming for something, but you could never quite anticipate exactly what was about to happen.

“What I am about to tell you is the story of a man. A completely ordinary man, who goes by the name of Victor Creel.”

You didn’t have to look, you could practically hear Con rolling her eyes from where she was sitting across from you. Looking around, you couldn’t see Zoe or Mark, which meant Eddie was practically left to his own devices, no one else would be able to stop him.

All the kids were laser focused on Eddie as he spoke, dramatically retelling the story of Victor Creel to the children. The soft glow of the fire illuminating his face perfectly

“And you know what they say, all of this happened not too far from-”

“Ooohkay I believe that is enough for today.” Zoe walked into the circle, up behind Eddie and placing her hands on his shoulders, Eddie’s mouth slid shut immediately and he pressed his lips together.

“I think it’s time for lights, don't you agree Eddie?” Her voice was sweet but heavy with annoyance, and you had to bite your lip to hold back a laugh at the sight in front of you.

“I think that’s a great idea.” You couldn’t tell from the dark night if Eddie was blushing or if it was just the warm light from the campfire.

Half an hour later you were sitting in the mess, after a hassle of getting the campers settled into their cabins and countless questions about Victor Creel you wanted to murder Eddie more than ever.

“Wow, way to go scaring the crap out of the kids just four days into camp," you said as you heard Eddie’s heavy footsteps cross the threshold into the mess, the old wood giving away and squeaking softly as he walked

"What are you talking about! They loved it!" Eddie quickly made his way over to the table where you were all gathered around, and he snatched the deck of cards Mark was shuffling from him.

"I'm pretty sure I saw at least three kids crying…" Con mumbled as she picked at her nails, and next to her Connie gave a soft chuckle.

"I didn't like it either," Joan piped up and put her hand up in the air in consensus.

"And none of you stopped me, so who is really to blame here?" And you all fell silent at that.

"Soo how long do you have cleaning duty for?" Richie elbowed eddie in the side playfully.

"Undecided," Zoe said as she walked into the room, her slightly evil grin just barely tugging at the corners of her lips, but it was clear she was enjoying it, "for now."

Eddie twirled the deck of cards expertly in his hand, shuffling them until he was satisfied enough with his job. He was sitting at the head of the table, the rest of you in a ring around him with a stack of poker chips in the centre of you all.

A more secretive tradition at Moonglade, councillors poker night after bonfires. Where you all repeatedly lost what little money you had to each other, and Connie somehow always ended up winning.

He was just a really good bluff.

With Eddie as the designated dealer you made sure to sit as far away from him as possible. Still not convinced he wasn't rigging the game to make you lose, since you always ended up with the worst possible cards.

Outside rain softly started pattering against the windows, soaking the forest and earth with water. It didn't take long before rain was hailing down while you all exchanged cards and laughs between you continuously.

The rain was still hammering down as you stepped onto the deck, ready to tuck in for the night, eyes heavy with sleep and you longed for the quiet comfort of your camp bed.

Day 6 - Saturday, 13 days until

The rain was hammering down, on every surface it could, creating small echoes which ricocheted around the entirety of camp. Soaking the forest floors and rippling the water of the lake which was now reflecting the dark storm grey of the sky compared to it's normal brilliant blue.

This is what you had all been afraid of last night, but then it had only been soft pitter patters of rain droplets against windows. Now you were struggling to think over all the noise.

It was the kind of rain you couldn't see through, the kind that created a curtain of water and you weren't sure if the water was coming from up or below.

Zoe and Mark had you all called to The Mess, leaving your campers sitting tight in their cabins for the time being.

Lisa was the last through the door, her long blonde hair a couple of shades darker from the rain soaking it.

But all of you were practically dripping onto the wooden floors beneath you.

"I don't want to say it and you guys don't want to hear it, but we have to cancel," Zoe said as she boldly drew a red marker through 'capture the flag' on today's itinerary, she wasn't the kind to sugar coat anything but right now you really wish she would. Her declaration, a bold one at that, practically led to an uproar of complaints from the lot of you.

"It's tradition!"

"Cancelling because of a little rain?!"

"What about camp championships!?"

You also couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment in your stomach. This was supposed to be your first real match up against Eddie since last summer, and you would have been lying if you said you weren't looking forward to it.

The wooden floor creaked beneath you as you swayed softly against it.

"We know you're upset!" Zoe said in an almost useless attempt at calming the group. "But it would be a hazard to let them play in these conditions!"

"It's just a little rain!" Connie #2 insisted again.

"Do you want to be in charge of bandaging scrapes and cuts afterwards, Connie?" Zoe asked simply, and Connie's face immediately faced the crooked floorboards.

"Please inform your campers about the schedule change, well try to reschedule for another day ok? In the meantime let them know they'll have the afternoon session off instead before dinner. Morning activities will resume as normal.”

At least she didn't bring out the megaphone this time, you thought. The tiniest victory.

You pulled the hood of the rain coat well over your forehead and zipped up the jacket until only your eyes were visible through a small slit.

"You know you look ridiculous right?" The only thing that could be worse than capturing the flag being cancelled had to be dealing with Eddie.

"Well at least I'm dry." You gave him your best cocky smile, which was completely lost given most of your face was hidden by your coat and Eddie chuckled softly. "In comparison to some other people, forget to pack your jacket, Munson?"

It was clear Eddie hadn't brought his jacket with him, his shirt drenched in rain water, enough that you could see through it.

"No, this is simply a fashion choice…" "Besides, I'm not scared of a little rain."

"Well, I'm not making you soup when you get pneumonia," you laughed as you looked at him, he really did look ridiculous, even though his shirt was practically glued to his chest. His curls were dead and flat, sticking to his face and you couldn't help but think he looked like a rain soaked dog.

The whole group tracked back to the circle of campers cabins, a couple of you huddled together under a couple of too small umbrellas, to deliver the unavoidable verdict to your campers.

"Hey! Don't shoot the messenger, Zoe's verdict!" You threw your hands up to proclaim your innocence in the matter, truly one of the scariest demographics on the planet had to be middle schoolers. Just as you expected, no one was happy about the cancellation of capture the flag. And you couldn’t blame them, you had been looking forward to this more than you expected to.

However with morning activities still scheduled to take place like normal, there was no time to hang around. Quickly gathering your campers and hurrying them off the regularly scheduled arts and crafts. Always the same pleasant mix of glitter and craft glue.

But as you looked around Eddie was nowhere to be seen, which quickly created an unsettling feeling in your stomach. Where was he? Why wasn’t he here?

All of his campers were here, they were fairly easy to spot all things considering, but their so-called fearless leader was nowhere to be found.

However, you didn’t have to worry for long. You had sent your campers back with Con, staying back to help with the inevitable clean up of almost forty kids doing arts and crafts. Finally, after what felt like hours, the arts and crafts room was left in a somewhat decent state, you had settled in with your campers in their cabin, a deck of cards being passed along you all with soft laughs drowned out by the roar of the rain still raging outside.

And you were finally dry. After misplacing your raincoat and having to walk back to the cabin without it you were completely soaked head to toe. But now you could appreciate the feeling of dry clothes against your damp skin as the warmth slowly returned to your body.

But your peace was not long lasting. Eddie’s voice sounded from outside your cabin, the door cranked slightly to let fresh air in, and somehow he was so loud you could still hear him over the thundering of rain outside.

“Hey Sunshine!” Sunshine, ironic nickname considering the weather conditions. But Eddie stuck with it, knowing whenever he said it you got just a little crease at the corner of your eye. “Could you come out here for a second? I need your help with something.”

You shut your eyes to keep yourself from rolling them, and reluctantly got up from your comfortable position on the floor, pushing the door to the cabin open all the way.

The freezing shock hit your body before you could even react, the water that washed over you made you cold to the bone and it took you a moment to realise what had happened. The bucket fell to the ground with a hollow clang, and you were once again soaked completely head to toe.

You wiped water from your face and had to resist the urge to scream until you cried. When your vision finally returned to its fullest, you could see Eddie standing leaned against one of the support beams on Cabin 10s deck, with probably the biggest smile you had ever seen plastered to his face.

“Nevermind- I think I’ll manage on my own.” Behind him in the window you could see his campers lined up along the still to look at the play out of what they must be considering the funniest prank ever pulled considering their inability to hold in their snickers and laughs.

Then and there you knew, the game was afoot.

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[sullustangin]

19 20 50 !

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?

Yes, I do keep a writing journal. I have never been good at diaries about the day to day, minus social media (if we can consider that a form of diary keeping). There are times I much rather draft on paper with pen than I do on a computer. I'll scribble on bills, envelopes, whatever, then transfer them to the computer before shredding them. I do keep a five-subject notebook that is used intermittently. It's not as pretty or well-kept as yours! It often has random things like knitting notes or recipe lists scattered in there.

This notebook page is from my Rishi conspiracy (there's like 3 more after this). Basically, without spoiling too much, the smuggler has a connection to the Rishi slave trade without knowing it, and she finally becomes aware of it during the Rishi op. The slavery has ties to the events of Shadow of Revan, so it's like new problem, old ghosts.

These are the notes to the Cosmic Deck, which was a self-indulgent fun lark. I think scattered in the midst of them are notes on getting Dr. Lokin for Dark!Eva, which is what I was doing at the same time as writing that story.  It’s all different from the published version.

Below is a cutting room floor -- initially, I had placed my Imperial stock market crash after Lana, Theron, and Jakarro went dark. The three of them were actually caught in the middle of the crash itself as the market goes haywire, so the dynamics are different, as well as the party scene that actually takes place in my fic. That's different from what I've published, but the roots are here (and you can see where I've slashed through).

20: what’s your favorite eye color?

The one that's most fun in real-life is central heterochromia. Basically, a person's eyes have multiple iris colors. It's a combination of recessive genes that resulted in thin rings of yellow around the pupils, while the rest of the irses are a different color. This runs in my family. When we wear different colors or get a bit red/pale in the face, it causes the eyes to seemingly change color from the usual, dominant color to another. You know how fiction writers describe people's eyes turning colors when angry? That actually can happen with folks with central heterochromia -- faces flush in anger, and suddenly, the blue eyes go stormy grey or the brown eyes go red.

Personal preference -- I'm weak toward blue because both Spouse and Spawn have them. :)

50: what’s an odd thing you collect?

Yarn, jokingly. When a person does fiber works, you tend to have leftovers, since you buy enough for the project plus a little extra, just in case. You then have to find a project to burn through that extra. It's a collection every fiber person has, often unintentionally. 

I've moved internationally several times, so I haven't really collected anything that's less transportable than yarn, I suppose.The exception is the old Star Trek TOS Bantam/Pocket Book series, which ended ages ago, but I still have most of the books.

I tend to collect achievements in whatever game I'm in; I target SWTOR achieves with cartel coins attached so I can use them to buy/use stuff. I tend to collect decorations, I guess. When I was more into Warcraft, I collected mounts and raid sets.

I'll still take asks for this author asklist (twas fun, as advertised!).

[bobasheebaby]

200 Harry Potter Prompts

Let me preface with this: I love the Harry Potter series, both the books and the movies and have shared both with my son; HOWEVER I don’t support the things that JK Rowling has been saying recently. I refuse to let her transphobia destroy something I love so I propose we take back these quotes from the characters we love and make as many of them as gay as we possibly can. Fuck you JK

1 “Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!” —Albus Dumbledore

2 “No post on Sundays.” —Vernon Dursley

3 “You’re a little scary sometimes, you know that? Brilliant … but scary.” —Ron Weasley

4 “It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” —Albus Dumbledore

5 “Honestly, don’t you two read?” —Hermione Granger

6 “Why couldn’t it be ‘follow the butterflies’?” —Ron Weasley

7 “Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.” —Arthur Weasley

8 “It is our choices, NAME, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” —Albus Dumbledore

9 “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” —Harry Potter

10 “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” —Albus Dumbledore

11 “I don’t go looking for trouble, trouble usually finds me.” —Harry Potter

12 “The ones that love us never really leave us.” —Sirius Black

13 “What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.” —Rubeus Hagrid

14 “Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.” —Albus Dumbledore

15 “I am what I am, an’ I’m not ashamed.” —Rubeus Hagrid

16 “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.” —Albus Dumbledore

17 “Twitchy little ferret, aren’t you, NAME?” —Hermione Granger

18 “You’re just as sane as I am.” —Luna Lovegood

19 “I mean, it’s sort of exciting, isn’t it, breaking the rules?” —Hermione Granger

20 “Give him/her hell from us, NAME.” —Fred and George Weasley

21 “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on.” —Sirius Black

22 “Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn’t mean we all have.” —Hermione Granger

23 “Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.” —Luna Lovegood

24 “Let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.” —Albus Dumbledore

25 “Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.” —Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem

26 “Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.” —Kingsley Shacklebolt

27 “It is the quality of one’s convictions that determines success, not the number of followers.” —Remus Lupin

28 “Not my son/daughter, you bitch!” —Molly Weasley

29 “You’ll stay with me?” “Until the very end.” —Harry and James Potter

30 “Of course it’s happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” —Albus Dumbledore

31 “To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” —Albus Dumbledore

32 “Time will not slow down when something unpleasant lies ahead." — Harry Potter

33 “If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." — Sirius Black

34 “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." — Albus Dumbledore

35 “It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more." — Albus Dumbledore

36 “You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?" — Albus Dumbledore

37 “Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.” — Albus Dumbledore

38 “The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.'" — Albus Dumbledore

39 “Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." — Hermione Granger

40 “I’ll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I’m not there." — Harry Potter

41 “When in doubt, go to the library." — Ron Weasley

42 “Honestly, if you were any slower, you’d be going backward." — Draco Malfoy

43 “Mischief Managed!" — Harry Potter

44 “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided." — Albus Dumbledore

45 “Your devotion is nothing more than cowardice. You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go." — Voldemort

46 “Curiosity is not a sin…. But we should exercise caution with our curiosity… yes, indeed." — Albus Dumbledore

47 “Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open." — Albus Dumbledore

48 “The thing about growing up with NAME (and NAME) is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve.'" — Ginny Weasley

49 “Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike." — Albus Dumbledore

50 “NAME says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right." — Hermione Granger

51 “Once again, you show all the sensitivity of a blunt axe." — Nearly Headless Nick

52 “Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth." — Albus Dumbledore

53 “No, NAME, you listen,” (pause) “We're coming with you. That was decided months ago — years, really.'" —Hermione Granger

54 “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it." ― Albus Dumbledore

55 “Do not pity the dead, NAME. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love. “-– Albus Dumbledore

56 “Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” – Ginny Weasley

57 “For in dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own.” – Albus Dumbledore

58 “We’re all going to keep fighting, NAME. You know that?” – Neville Longbottom

59 “I am not worried, NAME … I am with you.” – Albus Dumbledore

60 “Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that.” – Gilderoy Lockhart

61 “Parents shouldn’t leave their kids unless —unless they’ve got to.” – Harry Potter

62 “Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies.” – Lord Voldemort

63 “Killing is not so easy as the innocent believe.” – Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

64 “What's life without a little risk?" — Sirius Black

65 “There were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless — carried away with our own cleverness.” – Remus Lupin

66 “You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it.” – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

67 “You will also find that help will always be given at PLACE to those who ask for it.” – Albus Dumbledore

68 “I mean, you could claim that anything’s real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody’s proved it doesn’t exist!” – Hermione Granger

69 “To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever." — Albus Dumbledore

70 “Though we may come from different places, and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one." — Albus Dumbledore

71 “Always.” — Severus Snape

72 “Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.” — Albus Dumbledore

73 “It is important to fight and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay though never quite eradicated.” — Albus Dumbledore

74 “Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.” — Albus Dumbledore

75 “Time is making us fools again." — Albus Dumbledore

76 “I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind.” — Albus Dumbledore

77 “The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed.” — Albus Dumbledore

78 “I just feel so ... angry, all the time., and what if after everything I've been through, something's gone wrong inside me. What if I'm becoming bad?" — Harry Potter

79 “Tut, tut — fame clearly isn’t everything.” — Severus Snape

80 “Well, it may have escaped your notice, but life isn’t fair.” — Severus Snape

81 “Ah, yes,” he/she said softly, “NAME. Our new — celebrity.” — Severus Snape

82 ““I wish … I wish I were dead …” “And what use would that be to anyone?” — Severus Snape & Albus Dumbledore

83 “You don’t want me as your enemy, NAME.” — Severus Snape

84 “DON’T . . . CALL ME COWARD!” — Severus Snape

85 “Look . . . at . . . me . . . “ — Severus Snape

86 “Then you should have died! Died, rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you." — Sirius Black

87 “NAME was a brave, clever, and energetic man/woman, and such men/women are not usually content to sit at home in hiding while they believe others to be in danger." — Albus Dumbledore

88 “Like the fact that the person NAME cared for the most about in the world was you.” — Albus Dumbledore

89 “You don’t understand — there are things worth dying for!” — Sirius Black

90 “Well, [bad] times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others.” — Sirius Black

91 “Oh, I’ve interrupted a deep thought, haven’t I? I can see it growing smaller in your eyes.” — Luna Lovegood

92 “I sleepwalk, you see. That’s why I wear shoes to bed.” — Luna Lovegood

93 “He/She doesn’t think you treated him:her very well, because you wouldn’t dance with him/her. I don’t think I’d have minded. I don’t like dancing very much.” — Luna Lovegood

94 “Come, daddy, NAME doesn't want to talk to us right now. He's/She’s just too polite to say it.” ~Luna Lovegood

95 “Being different isn't a bad thing. It means you're brave enough to be yourself.” - Luna Lovegood

96 “NAME, if brains were gold, you'd be poorer than NAME, and that's saying something.” — Draco Malfoy

97 “You foul, lying, evil little cockroach!” — Hermione Granger

98 “Oh, it was NAME, I was thinking about him and I lost track of things.” — Hermione Granger

99 “One person can’t feel all that at once, they’d explode.” — Hermione Granger

100 “It would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down our throats, NAME, because in case you haven’t noticed, NAME and I are on your side.” — Hermione Granger

101 “Next time there’s a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!” — Hermione Granger

102 “Very well spotted.” — Hermione Granger

103 “Always the tone of surprise.” — Hermione Granger

104 “Sometimes friendship means not having to say anything. Thank yous and apologies can sometimes get lost, but that doesn’t mean they’re unexpressed.” — Hermione Granger

105 “You’d think a bit of kissing would cheer him/her up.” — Ron Weasley

106 “And that's the second time we've saved your life tonight, you two-faced bastard!” — Ron Weasley

107 “I knew NAME was lying about that tattoo.” — Ron Weasley

108 “There's a time and a place for getting a smart mouth.” — Ron Weasley

109 “Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading.” — Ron Weasley

110 “What are you doing with all those books anyway?” — Ron Weasley

111 “Hang on a moment!” (said sharply) “We’ve forgotten someone!” — Ron Weasley

112 “I never really gave up on you. Not really." — Ginny Weasley

113 “It's okay NAME, it's alright. It doesn't matter." — Ginny Weasley

114 “People think they know all there is to know about you, but the best bits of you are ... heroic in really quiet ways." — Ginny Weasley

115 “Excuse me, but I care what happens to NAME as much as you do!” — Ginny Weasley

116 “Yeah, NAME, because you’re so talented ... at posing ...” — Ginny Weasley

117 “Forgot to brake, NAME, sorry.” — Ginny Weasley

118 “It’s for some stupid, noble reason, isn’t it?” — Ginny Weasley

119 “I never really gave up on you. Not really. I always hoped ... NAME told me to get on with life, maybe go out with some other people, relax a bit around you, because I never used to be able to talk if you were in the room, remember? And he/she thought you might take a bit more notice if I was a bit more — myself.” — Ginny Weasley

120 “There’s the silver lining I’ve been looking for.” — Ginny Weasley

121 “A good first impression can work wonders.” — Molly Weasley

122 “Beds empty! No note! Car gone-could have crashed-out of my mind with worry-did you care?” — Molly Weasley

123 “Where's the fun without a bit of risk?” — Fred Weasley

124 “You're joking, NAME! You are actually joking, NAME ... I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-“ — Fred Weasley

125 “What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?” “Oh no, NAME,” [sarcastically.] “No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up.” — Ron and Fred Weasley

126 “Where is NAME?" "Still in the showers," "We think he’s/she's trying to drown himself.” — Harry Potter and Fred Weasley

127 “We thought we heard your dulcet tones." "You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, NAME, let it all out," “There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you.” — George and Fred Weasley

128 “I don't think you're a waste of space.” — Dudley Dursley

129 “Yeah, but coming from NAME that's like ‘I love you.’” — Harry Potter

130 “The point is, if we find out you’ve been horrible to NAME —” “— and make no mistake, we’ll hear about it.” — Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin

131 “What you fear most of all is-fear.” —Remus Lupin

132 “There’s a bigger cause out there. It’s bigger than any of us here. But we stick together, all right? We stick together and look out for each other. Because you four are all I’ve got left. And I’m not going to see you die. Forever alive, all right? We’re not going to die." -Sirius Black

133 “Thought we were supposed to be friends? Best friends?” “We are, NAME.” — Severus Snape and Lily Potter

134 “NAME was scowling at him/her, but NAME refused to be judged by a cat.”

135 “I don’t know everything about life and marriage and happiness. But I do know what love is. And I do know that when love is real, and when love is in its strongest form, it is the most powerful thing on this earth. It kills, saves lives, heals wounds, and most of all, brings hope. That is what you have done for me, NAME. You have brought me hope." — James Potter

136 “I'm sorry too, that I will never know him/her ... but he/she will know why I died and I hope he/she will understand. I was trying to make a world in which he/she could live a happier life." — Remus Lupin

137 “I DON'T CARE! I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I'VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!” — Harry Potter

138 “You do care. You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it.” — Albus Dumbledore

139 “He/She must have known I'd want to leave you." “No, he/she must have known you would always want to come back.” — Ron Weasley and Harry Potter

140 “You think I'm a fool?" “No, I think you're like NAME, who would have regarded it as the height of dishonor to mistrust his/her friends.” — Harry Potter and Remus Lupin

141 “You’re less like your father/mother/etc than I thought. The risk would’ve been what made it fun for NAME.” — Sirius Black

142 “The battle is always the same, just with different chapters.”

143 “I will if you go out with me, NAME.” — James Potter

144 “Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.” — Albus Dumbledore

145 “We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, NAME, but battle on." — Albus Dumbledore

146 “Eat, you'll feel better." — Remus Lupin

147 “Training for the ballet, NAME?” — Draco Malfoy

148 “You’re a fool, NAME, and you will lose everything.” — Voldemort

149 “There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it.” — Voldemort

150 “What if I don't care?" “I care. How do you think I'd feel if this was your funeral ...and it was my fault ...” — Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter

151 “Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies.”

152 “I have seen your heart, and it is mine.” — Voldemort

153 “What is it about my presence in your home that displeases you, NAME?” “Nothing — nothing, my Lord!” “Such lies, NAME . . .” — Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy

154 “Come out, NAME ... come out and play, then it will be quick it might even be painless I would not know I have never died.” — Voldemort

155 “Do nothing! He's/She’s mine to finish! He's /She’s mine!” — Voldemort

156 “They never learn. Pity.” — Voldemort

157 “Invite him inside, NAME. Where are your manners?” — Voldemort

158 “As inspiring as I find your bloodlust, NAME, I must be the one to kill NAME.” — Voldemort

159 “Oh, he/she knows how to play, little bitty baby NAME.” — Bellatrix

160 “I don't like to be kept waiting!” — Bellatrix (Hermione)

161 “Ah, shut up, NAME, yeh great prune.” — Hagrid

162 “You think it - wise - to trust NAME with something as important as this?" “I would trust NAME with my life.” — McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore

163 “It unscrews the other way.” — Professor McGonagall

164 “They’re supposed to be, you blithering idiot.” — Professor McGonagall

165 “Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, NAME." — Professor McGonagall

166 “"I – I didn't think –" “That is obvious." — Harry Potter and Professor McGonagall

167 “Why is it when something happens, it is always you three?” — Professor McGonagall

168 “NAME, that was foolish!" "He spat at you.” — Professor McGonagall and Harry Potter

169 “NAME – you're here! What –? How –?" — Professor McGonagall

170 “I didn't want anyone to talk to me.” "Well, that was a bit stupid of you.” — Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley

171 “Are you really giving us permission to do this?” “Yes, NAME.” “Blow it up? Boom?” “BOOM!” Neville Longbottom and Professor McGonagall

172 “That's the spirit, now away you go.” — Professor McGonagall

173 “NAME, take NAME with you. He/She looks far too happy over there.” — Professor McGonagall

174 “Do nothing? Offer him/her up as bait? NAME is a boy/girl/child! Not a piece of meat!” — Professor McGonagall

175 “That was bloody brilliant!” — Ron Weasley

176 “May I offer you a cough drop, NAME?” — Professor McGonagall

177 “Things at NAME are far worse than I feared." — Dolores Umbridge

178 “You know, I really hate children." — Dolores Umbridge

179 “I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends." — Dolores Umbridge

180 “The time has come for answers, whether he/she wants to give them or not." — Dolores Umbridge

181 “Deep down, you know that you deserve to be punished. Don't you, NAME?" — Dolores Umbridge

182 “I WILL have order!" — Dolores Umbridge

183 “What NAME doesn't know won't hurt him/her." — Dolores Umbridge

184 “As I told you NAME, naughty children deserve to be punished.” — Dolores Umbridge

185 “NAME, do something. Tell them I mean no harm.” “I'm sorry, NAME. But I must not tell lies.” — Harry Potter and Dolores Umbridge

186 “And that, boys/girls, is why you should never go on looks alone.”

187 “NAME, listen ...” [quietly] “I can’t be involved with you any more. We’ve got to stop seeing each other. We can’t be together.” “It’s for some stupid, noble reason, isn’t it?” — Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley

188 “It’s been like ... like something out of someone else’s life, these last few weeks with you. But I can’t ... we can’t ... I’ve got things to do alone now.” — Harry Potter

189 “When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love."

190 “You are protected, in short, by your ability to love!” — Albus Dumbledore

191 “NAME’s man/woman through and through, aren’t you NAME?” “Yeah I am. Glad we straightened that out.”

192 “He/She accused me of being NAME’s man/woman through and through.” “How very rude of him/her.” “I told him/her I was.”

193 “He/She will only be gone from PLACE when none here are loyal to him/her.” — Harry Potter

194 “Working hard is important. But there is something that matters even more, believing in yourself.” — Harry Potter

195 “One can never have enough socks.” — Albus Dumbledore

196 “People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than right.” — Albus Dumbledore

197 “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Albus Dumbledore

198 “The best of us sometimes eat our words.” — Albus Dumbledore

199 “Time will not slow down when something unpleasant lies ahead.” — Hermione Granger

200 “Don’t you tell me what to do, NAME!” — Hermione Granger

[blackkudos]

Janet Jackson

Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. A prominent figure in popular culture, she is known for sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, and elaborate stage shows.

The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family, she began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame. After signing a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third and fourth studio albums Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap and industrial beats, which led to crossover success in popular music.

In 1991, Jackson signed the first of two record-breaking multimillion-dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest-paid artists in the industry. Her fifth album Janet (1993) saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol as she began to explore sexuality in her music. That same year, she appeared in her first starring film role in Poetic Justice, and has since continued to act in feature films. Jackson then released her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope (1997), which is distinguished for its innovative production and dark lyrical content. By the end of the 1990s, she was named by Billboard magazine as the second most successful recording artist of the decade after Mariah Carey. Her seventh album All for You (2001) coincided with a celebration of her impact on the recording industry as the inaugural MTV Icon. After parting ways with Virgin Records, she released her tenth album Discipline (2008), her first and only album with Island Records. In 2015, she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own record label, Rhythm Nation, and released her eleventh album Unbreakable the same year.

Having sold over 100 million records, Jackson is one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time. She has amassed an extensive catalog, with singles such as "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Together Again" and "All for You"; she holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart by a female artist with 18. In 2008, Billboard placed her number seven on its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, and in 2010 ranked her fifth among the "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years". In December 2016, the magazine named her the second most successful dance club artist of all-time after Madonna. She has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers. Jackson was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

Life and career

1966–1985: Early life and career beginnings

Janet Jackson was born on May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of ten children, to Katherine Esther (née Scruse) and Joseph Walter Jackson. The Jacksons were lower-middle class and devout Jehovah's Witnesses, although Jackson would later refrain from organized religion. At a young age, her brothers began performing as the Jackson 5 in the Chicago-Gary area.

In March 1969, the group signed a record deal with Motown, and soon had their first number-one hit. The family then moved to the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. Jackson had initially desired to become a horse racing jockey or entertainment lawyer, with plans to support herself through acting. Despite this, she was anticipated to pursue a career in entertainment and considered the idea after recording herself in the studio.

At age seven, Jackson performed at the MGM Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. A biography revealed her father, Joseph Jackson, was emotionally withdrawn and told her to address him solely by his first name as a child. She began acting in the variety show The Jacksons in 1976.

In 1977, she was selected to have a starring role as Penny Gordon Woods in the sitcom Good Times. She later starred in A New Kind of Family and later got a recurring role on Diff'rent Strokes, portraying Charlene Duprey from seasons three to six. Jackson also played the role of Cleo Hewitt during the fourth season of Fame, but expressed indifference towards the series, largely due to the emotional stress of her secret marriage to R&B singer, James DeBarge. Jackson later elaborated on her time on the show in an interview with Anderson Cooper, revealing that the cast would occasionally play pranks on her, but she spoke fondly of them.

When Jackson was sixteen, her father and manager Joseph Jackson, arranged a contract for her with A&M Records. Her debut album, Janet Jackson, was released in 1982. It was produced by Angela Winbush, René Moore, Bobby Watson of Rufus and Leon Sylvers III, and overseen by her father Joseph. It peaked at No. 63 on the Billboard 200, and No. 6 on the publication's R&B albums chart, receiving little promotion. The album appeared on the Billboard Top Black Albums of 1983, while Jackson herself was the highest-ranking female vocalist on the Billboard Year-End Black Album Artists.

Jackson's second album, Dream Street, was released two years later. Dream Street reached No. 147 on the Billboard 200, and No. 19 on the R&B albums chart. The lead single "Don't Stand Another Chance" peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's R&B singles chart. Both albums consisted primarily of bubblegum pop music.

1986–1988: Control

After her second album, Jackson terminated business affairs with her family, commenting "I just wanted to get out of the house, get out from under my father, which was one of the most difficult things that I had to do." Attempting a third album, Jackson teamed with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They set out to achieve crossover pop appeal, while also creating a strong foundation within the urban market. Within six weeks, Jackson and the duo crafted her third studio album, Control, released in February 1986. The album shot to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and was certified fivefold platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over ten million copies worldwide.

Control was declared "remarkably nervy and mature" for a teenage act, also considered "an alternative to the sentimental balladry" which permeated radio, likening Jackson to Donna Summer's position of "unwilling to accept novelty status and taking her own steps to rise above it." The album spawned five top five singles, "What Have You Done for Me Lately", "Nasty", "When I Think of You", "Control", and "Let's Wait Awhile", and a top 15 hit with "The Pleasure Principle". "When I Think of You" became her first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100. Control received six Billboard Awards, including "Top Pop Singles Artist", and three Grammy nominations, most notably "Album of the Year". It also won four American Music Awards from twelve nominations, an unbroken record.

At this point, Jackson was successfully "shaking off the experience of being a shadow Jackson child", becoming "an artist in her own right". The album's lyrical content included several themes of empowerment, inspired by an incident of sexual harassment, with Jackson recalling "the danger hit home when a couple of guys started stalking me on the street and instead of running to Jimmy or Terry for protection, I took a stand. I backed them down. That's how songs like 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done for Me Lately' were born, out of a sense of self-defense."

Its innovative fusion of dance-pop and industrial music with hip-hop and R&B undertones influenced the development of the new jack swing genre by bridging the gap between the latter two styles. The accompanying music videos shot for the album's singles became popular on MTV, and obtained a then-unknown Paula Abdul a recording contract for her choreography work with Jackson. Billboard stated "[Jackson's] accessible sound and spectacularly choreographed videos were irresistible to MTV, and helped the channel evolve from rock programming to a broader, beat-driven musical mix."

1989–1992: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

Jackson released her fourth album, Rhythm Nation 1814, in September 1989. Although her record label desired a direct sequel to Control, Jackson chose to include a socially conscious theme among various musical styles. She stated, "I know an album or a song can't change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience's attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics." The album's central theme of unity was developed in response to various crimes and tragedies reported in the media.

Peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the album was certified sixfold platinum by the RIAA and sold over 12 million copies worldwide. Rolling Stone observed Jackson's artistic growth shifted from "personal freedom to more universal concerns—injustice, illiteracy, crime, drugs—without missing a beat." The album was also considered "the exclamation point on her career", consisting of a "diverse collection of songs flowing with the natural talent Jackson possesses", which effectively "expanded Janet's range in every conceivable direction", being "more credibly feminine, more crucially masculine, more viably adult, more believably childlike." With singles "Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation", "Escapade", "Alright", "Come Back to Me", "Black Cat" and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", it became the only album in history to produce number one hits in three separate calendar years, as well as the only album to achieve seven top five singles on the Hot 100.

Famous for its choreography and warehouse setting, the "Rhythm Nation" video is considered one of the most iconic and popular in history, with Jackson's military ensemble also making her a fashion icon. The video for "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is notable for being the first instance of Jackson's transition into sexual imagery and midriff-baring style, becoming her trademark. Rhythm Nation 1814 became the highest selling album of 1990, winning a record fifteen Billboard Awards. The long-form "Rhythm Nation" music video won a Grammy Award.

Jackson's Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990 became the most successful debut tour in history and set a record for the fastest sell-out of Japan's Tokyo Dome. She established the "Rhythm Nation Scholarship," donating funds from the tour to various educational programs. As Jackson began her tour, she was acknowledged for the cultural impact of her music. Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote "the 23-year-old has been making smash hit records for four years, becoming a fixture on MTV and a major role model to teenage girls across the country", and William Allen, then-executive vice president of the United Negro College Fund, told the Los Angeles Times, "Jackson is a role model for all young people to emulate and the message she has gotten to the young people of this country through the lyrics of 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is having positive effects."

She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of her impact on the recording industry and philanthropic endeavors. The massive success experienced by Jackson placed her in league with Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Tina Turner for her achievements and influence. Ebony magazine remarked: "No individual or group has impacted the world of entertainment as have Michael and Janet Jackson," arguing that despite many imitators, few could surpass Jackson's "stunning style and dexterity."

With her recording contract under A&M Records fulfilled in 1991, she signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Virgin Records—estimated between thirty-two to fifty million dollars—making her the highest paid recording artist at the time. The recording contract also established her reputation as the "Queen of Pop." In 1992, Jackson provided guest vocals on Luther Vandross's "The Best Things in Life Are Free", becoming a top ten Billboard hit and reaching the top ten internationally.

1993–1996: Janet, Poetic Justice, and Design of a Decade

Jackson's fifth studio album Janet, was released in May 1993. The record opened at number one on the Billboard 200, making Jackson the first female artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era to do so. Certified sixfold platinum by the RIAA, it sold over 14 million copies worldwide.

Janet spawned five singles and four promotional singles, receiving various certifications worldwide. The lead single "That's the Way Love Goes" won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks. "Again" reached number one for two weeks, while "If" and "Any Time, Any Place" peaked in the top four. "Because of Love" and "You Want This" charted within the top ten.

The album experimented with a diverse number of genres, including contemporary R&B, deep house, swing jazz, hip hop, rock, and pop, with Billboard describing each as being "delivered with consummate skill and passion." Jackson took a larger role in songwriting and production than she did on her previous albums, explaining she found it necessary "to write all the lyrics and half of the melodies" while also speaking candidly about incorporating her sexuality into the album's content. Rolling Stone wrote "[a]s princess of America's black royal family, everything Janet Jackson does is important. Whether proclaiming herself in charge of her life, as she did on Control (1986), or commander in chief of a rhythm army dancing to fight society's problems (Rhythm Nation 1814, from 1989), she's influential. And when she announces her sexual maturity, as she does on her new album, Janet., it's a cultural moment."

In July 1993, Jackson made her film debut in Poetic Justice. While the film received mixed reviews, her performance was described as "beguiling" and "believably eccentric." Jackson's ballad "Again", which was written for the film, received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for "Best Original Song."

In September 1993, Jackson appeared topless on the cover of Rolling Stone, with her breasts covered by her then-husband, René Elizondo, Jr. The photograph is the original version of the cropped image used on the Janet album cover, shot by Patrick Demarchelier. The Vancouver Sun reported, "Jackson, 27, remains clearly established as both role model and sex symbol; the Rolling Stone photo of Jackson ... became one of the most recognizable, and most lampooned, magazine covers."

The Janet World Tour launched in support of the studio album garnered criticism for Jackson's lack of vocal proficiency and spontaneity, but earned critical acclaim for her showmanship. It was described as erasing the line between "stadium-size pop music concerts and full-scale theatrical extravaganzas."

During this time, her brother Michael was immersed in a child sex abuse scandal, of which he denied any wrongdoing. She provided moral support, defending her brother, and denied abuse allegations regarding her parents made by her sister La Toya.

She collaborated with Michael on "Scream", the lead single from his album HIStory, released 1995. The song was written by both siblings as a response to media scrutiny. It debuted at number five on the Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the first song ever to debut within the top five. Its music video, directed by Mark Romanek, was broadcast to approximately 64 million viewers and listed in Guinness World Records as the "Most Expensive Music Video Ever Made", costing $7 million. The clip won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.

Jackson's first compilation album, Design of a Decade: 1986–1996, was released in 1995. It peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. The lead single, "Runaway", became the first song by a female artist to debut within the top ten of the Hot 100, reaching number three. Design of a Decade 1986/1996 was certified double platinum by the RIAA and sold ten million copies worldwide.

Jackson's influence in pop music continued to garner acclaim, as The Boston Globe remarked "If you're talking about the female power elite in pop, you can't get much higher than Janet Jackson, Bonnie Raitt, Madonna and Yoko Ono. Their collective influence ... is beyond measure. And who could dispute that Janet Jackson now has more credibility than brother Michael?"

Jackson renewed her contract with Virgin Records for a reported $80 million the following year. The contract established her as the then highest-paid recording artist in history, surpassing the recording industry's then-unparalleled $60 million contracts earned by Michael Jackson and Madonna.

1997–1999: The Velvet Rope

Jackson began suffering from severe depression and anxiety, leading her to chronicle the experience in her sixth album, The Velvet Rope, released October 1997. Jackson returned with a dramatic change in image, boasting vibrant red hair, nasal piercings, and tattoos. The album is primarily centered on the idea that everyone has an intrinsic need to belong. Aside from encompassing lyrics relating to social issues such as same-sex relationships, homophobia and domestic violence, it also contains themes of sadomasochism and is considered far more sexually explicit in nature than her previous release, Janet.

The record was hailed as "her most daring, elaborate and accomplished album" by The New York Times, while Billboard ranked it as "the best American album of the year and the most empowering of her last five." The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum, selling over ten million worldwide.

The lead single "Got 'til It's Gone" was released in August 1997, featuring guest vocals from folk singer Joni Mitchell and rapper Q-Tip. The song's music video, depicting a pre-Apartheid celebration, won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. "Together Again" became Jackson's eighth number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, placing her on par with Elton John, Diana Ross, and the Rolling Stones. It spent a record forty-six weeks on the Hot 100 and nineteen weeks on the United Kingdom's singles chart. It sold six million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. "I Get Lonely" peaked at number three on the Hot 100, and received a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. It was Jackson's eighteenth consecutive top ten hit, making her the only female artist to garner that achievement; and surpassed only by Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

Several other singles were released, including "Go Deep" and the ballad "Every Time", which was controversial for the nudity displayed in its music video. The album fully established Jackson as a gay icon for its themes regarding homosexuality and protesting homophobia. "Together Again", a "post-Aids pop song", and "Free Xone", considered "a paean to homosexuality" and an "anti-homophobia track", were praised for their lyrical context, in addition to Jackson's lesbian reinterpretation of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night".

The Velvet Rope received an award for "Outstanding Music Album" at the 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards and was honored by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum. A portion of the proceeds from "Together Again" were donated to the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

Jackson embarked on The Velvet Rope Tour, traveling to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. The tour received praise for its theatrics, choreography, and Jackson's vocal performance. It was likened to "the ambition and glamour of a Broadway musical", and exclaimed as "only fitting that the concert program credits her as the show's 'creator and director'."

The tour's HBO special, The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden, garnered more than fifteen million viewers. It surpassed the ratings of all four major networks among viewers subscribed to the channel. The concert won an Emmy Award from a total of four nominations. Jackson donated a portion of the tour's sales to America's Promise, an organization founded by Colin Powell to assist disenfranchised youth.

As the tour concluded, Jackson lent guest vocals to several collaborations, including Shaggy's "Luv Me, Luv Me", used for the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back, as well as "Girlfriend/Boyfriend" with Teddy Riley's group Blackstreet, and "What's It Gonna Be?!" with Busta Rhymes. The latter two music videos are both among the most expensive music videos ever produced, with "What's It Gonna Be?!" becoming a number-one hit on the Billboard Hip-Hop Singles and Hot Rap Tracks charts, reaching the top three of the Hot 100.

Jackson also contributed the ballad "God's Stepchild" to the Down in the Delta soundtrack. Jackson recorded a duet with Elton John titled "I Know the Truth," included on the soundtrack to Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida. At the 1999 World Music Awards, Jackson received the Legend Award for "outstanding contribution to the pop industry". Billboard ranked Jackson as the second most successful artist of the decade, behind Mariah Carey.

2000–2003: Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and All for You

In July 2000, Jackson appeared in her second film, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, as the role of Professor Denise Gaines, opposite Eddie Murphy. Director Peter Segal stated "Janet Jackson was a natural fit, and an obvious choice." The film became her second to open at number one, grossing an estimated total of nearly $170 million worldwide. Jackson's single "Doesn't Really Matter", used for the film's soundtrack, became her ninth number-one single on the Hot 100.

Preceding the release of her seventh album, MTV honored Jackson with the network's inaugural "MTV Icon" ceremony, honoring her "significant contributions to music, music video and pop culture while tremendously impacting the MTV generation." The event paid tribute to Jackson's career and influence, including commentary from Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Aaliyah, and Jessica Simpson, and performances by 'N Sync, Pink, Destiny's Child, Usher, Buckcherry, Mýa, Macy Gray, and Outkast. The American Music Awards also honored Jackson with the Award of Merit for "her finely crafted, critically acclaimed and socially conscious, multi-platinum albums."

Jackson's seventh album, All for You, was released in April 2001. It opened at number one on the Billboard 200 with 605,000 copies sold, the highest first-week sales of her career, and among the highest first-week sales by a female artist in history. The album was a return to an upbeat dance style, receiving generally positive reception. Jackson received praise for indulging in "textures as dizzying as a new infatuation", in contrast to other artists attempting to "match the angularity of hip-hop" and following trends. All for You was certified double platinum by the RIAA and sold nine million copies worldwide.

The album's lead single, "All for You", debuted on the Hot 100 at number fourteen, setting a record for the highest debut by a single that was not commercially available. Jackson was titled "Queen of Radio" by MTV as the single made airplay history, being "added to every pop, rhythmic and urban radio station" within its first week. The song broke the overall airplay debut record with a first week audience of seventy million, debuting at number nine on the Radio Songs chart. It topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks, also reaching the top ten in eleven countries. The song received a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. "Someone to Call My Lover" peaked at number three on the Hot 100. Built around a sample of the iconic 1972 hit "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon, "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" featured Simon herself, along with Missy Elliott on remixes of the single.

In July 2001, Jackson embarked on the All for You Tour, which was also broadcast on a concert special for HBO watched by twelve million viewers. The tour traveled throughout the United States and Japan, although European and Asian dates were required to be canceled following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The Los Angeles Times complimented Jackson's showmanship. Richard Harrington of the Washington Post said Jackson's performance surpassed her contemporaries, but Bob Massy of Spin thought her dancers "threw crisper moves" and her supporting singers were mixed nearly as high, though declared "Janet cast herself as the real entertainment." Jackson donated a portion of the tour's proceeds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The following year, Jackson began receiving media attention for her rumored relationships with Justin Timberlake, actor Matthew McConaughey, and record producer Jermaine Dupri. Upon the release of Timberlake's debut solo album Justified, Jackson provided vocals on "(And She Said) Take Me Now" per Timberlake's request, with the song initially planned as a single. Jackson collaborated with reggae artist Beenie Man for the song "Feel It Boy", produced by the Neptunes.

2004–2005: Super Bowl XXXVIII controversy and Damita Jo

Jackson was chosen by the National Football League and MTV to perform at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in February 2004. She performed a medley of "All for You", "Rhythm Nation", and an excerpt of "The Knowledge" before performing "Rock Your Body" alongside surprise guest Justin Timberlake. As Timberlake sang the lyric "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song", he tore open her costume, exposing her right breast to 140 million viewers.

Jackson issued an apology after the performance, saying that the incident was accidental and unintended, explaining that Timberlake was only meant to pull away a bustier and leave the red-lace bra intact. She commented, "I am really sorry if I offended anyone. That was truly not my intention ... MTV, CBS, the NFL had no knowledge of this whatsoever, and unfortunately, the whole thing went wrong in the end." Timberlake also issued an apology, calling the accident a "wardrobe malfunction." The incident became the most recorded and replayed moment in TiVo history, enticing an estimated 35,000 new subscribers. Jawed Karim has stated that the incident inspired the creation of YouTube, as he noted that it was difficult for him to find videos of the incident online.

It is regarded as one of the most controversial television events in history, and Jackson was later listed in Guinness World Records as the "Most Searched in Internet History" and the "Most Searched for News Item". CBS, the NFL, and MTV denied any knowledge of the incident and all responsibility for it. The Federal Communications Commission heavily fined all companies involved and continued an investigation for eight years, ultimately losing its appeal for a $550,000 fine against CBS.

Following the incident, CBS permitted Timberlake to appear at the 46th Grammy Awards ceremony but did not allow Jackson to attend, forcing her to withdraw after being scheduled as a presenter. The controversy halted plans for Jackson to star in the biographical film of singer and activist Lena Horne, which was to be produced by American Broadcasting Company. Horne was reportedly displeased by the incident, but Jackson's representatives stated that she withdrew from the project willingly. A Mickey Mouse statue wearing Jackson's iconic "Rhythm Nation" outfit was mantled at Walt Disney World theme park the previous year to honor her legacy, but it was removed following her controversial performance.

Jackson's eighth studio album Damita Jo was released in March 2004, titled after her middle name. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. The album received mixed to positive reviews, praising the sonic innovation of selected songs and Jackson's vocal harmonies, while others criticized its frequent themes of carnality. However, several critics' reviews focused on the Super Bowl incident, rather than critiquing the album itself. It was certified platinum by the RIAA within a month, and sold over three million copies worldwide.

The album's performance was affected by blacklisting from radio and music channels, in part at the behest of CBS CEO Les Moonves. Conglomerates involved in the boycott included Viacom and CBS, subsidiaries MTV, Clear Channel Communications, and Infinity Broadcasting, the latter two among the largest radio broadcasters. The blacklist was placed into effect preceding the release of Damita Jo and continued throughout the course of Jackson's following two albums. Entertainment conglomerate Viacom owns MTV, VH1, and many radio formats, and a senior executive commented that they were "absolutely bailing on the record. The pressure is so great, they can't align with anything related to Janet. The high-ups are still pissed at her, and this is a punitive measure."

Prior to the incident, Damita Jo was expected to outsell prior release All for You. Its three singles received positive reviews but failed to achieve high chart positions, although each was predicted to perform extremely well under different circumstances. Billboard reported that Damita Jo "was largely overshadowed by the Super Bowl fiasco.... The three singles it spawned were blacklisted by pop radio—they were also the album's biggest highlights".

For the album's promotion, Jackson appeared as a host on Saturday Night Live performing two songs, and she was also a guest star on the sitcom Will & Grace portraying herself. Jackson received several career accolades upon the album's release, including the "Legend Award" at the Radio Music Awards, "Inspiration Award" from the Japan Video Music Awards, "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the Soul Train Music Awards, and a Teen Choice Awards nomination for "Favorite Female."

In November 2004, she was honored as a role model by 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and presented with the organization's Artistic Achievement Award saluting "a career that has gone from success to greater success." The organization responded to criticism for honoring Jackson in light of the Super Bowl incident by saying that "an individual's worth can't be judged by a single moment in that person's life." In June 2005, she was honored with a Humanitarian Award by the Human Rights Campaign and AIDS Project Los Angeles as recognition for her involvement in raising money for AIDS charities.

2006–2007: 20 Y.O. and Why Did I Get Married?

Jackson began recording her ninth studio album, 20 Y.O., in 2005. She recorded with producers Dupri, Jam and Lewis for several months during the following year. The album's title was a reference to the two decades since the release of her breakthrough album Control, representing the album's "celebration of the joyful liberation and history-making musical style."

To promote the album, Jackson appeared in various magazines, and performed on the Today Show and Billboard Awards. Jackson's Us Weekly cover, revealing her slim figure after heavy media focus was placed on her fluctuations in weight, became the magazine's best-selling issue in history. 20 Y.O. was released in September 2006 and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. The album received mixed reviews, with multiple critics chastising the production and involvement of Jermaine Dupri. Rolling Stone disagreed with the album's reference to Control, saying "If we were her, we wouldn't make the comparison."

Jackson's airplay and music channel blacklist remained persistent, massively affecting her chart performance and exposure. However, lead single "Call on Me", which featured rapper Nelly, peaked at number twenty-five on the Hot 100, number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and number six in the United Kingdom. The video for the album's second single, "So Excited", was directed by Joseph Kahn and portrayed Jackson's clothes disappearing through a complex dance routine.

20 Y.O. was certified platinum by the RIAA and sold 1.5 million worldwide, also receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album.After the album's release, Dupri was condemned for his production and misguidance of the album, and subsequently was removed from his position at Virgin Records. Slant Magazine stated, "After promising a return to Janet's dance-pop origins, [Dupri] opted to aim for urban audiences, a colossal mistake that cost Dupri his job and, probably, Janet her deal with Virgin."

Jackson was ranked the seventh richest woman in the entertainment industry by Forbes, having amassed a fortune of over $150 million. In 2007, she starred opposite Tyler Perry as a psychotherapist in the film Why Did I Get Married?. It became her third consecutive film to open at number one at the box office, grossing $60 million in total. Jackson's performance was praised for its "soft authority", though also described as "charming, yet bland".

2008–2009: Discipline and Number Ones

Jackson signed with Island Records after her contract with Virgin was fulfilled. She interrupted plans for touring and began recording with various producers, including Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Tricky Stewart, and Stargate. Her tenth studio album, Discipline, was released in February 2008, opening at number one. Despite radio blacklisting, the album's first single "Feedback" peaked at number nineteen on the Hot 100 and nine on Pop Songs, her highest charting single since "Someone to Call My Lover".

Also in February 2008, Jackson won an Image Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" for the role. Jackson was also approached to record the lead single for the film Rush Hour 3. Jackson was awarded the Vanguard Award at the 19th annual GLAAD Media Awards, honoring her contributions in promoting equal rights among the gay community. The organization's president commented, "Ms. Jackson has a tremendous following inside the LGBT community and out, and having her stand with us against the defamation that LGBT people still face in our country is extremely significant."

Jackson's fifth concert tour, the Rock Witchu Tour, began in September 2008. Jackson parted with Island Records through mutual agreement. Billboard disclosed Jackson was dissatisfied with LA Reid's handling of the album and its promotion, saying "the label agreed to dissolve their relationship with the artist at her request." Producer Rodney Jerkins expressed "I felt like it wasn't pushed correctly.... She just didn't get her just-do as an artist of that magnitude."

In June 2009, Jackson's brother Michael died at age fifty. She spoke publicly concerning his death at the 2009 BET Awards, stating "I'd just like to say, to you, Michael is an icon, to us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much." In an interview, she revealed she had first learned of his death while filming Why Did I Get Married Too?.

Amidst mourning with her family, she focused on work to deal with the grief, avoiding any news coverage of her sibling's death. She commented, "it's still important to face reality, and not that I'm running, but sometimes you just need to get away for a second." During this time, she ended her seven-year relationship with Jermaine Dupri.

Several months later, Jackson performed a tribute to Michael at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, performing their duet "Scream". MTV stated "there was no one better than Janet to anchor it and send a really powerful message." The performance was lauded by critics, with Entertainment Weekly affirming the rendition "as energetic as it was heartfelt".

Jackson's second hits compilation, Number Ones (retitled The Best for international releases), was released in November 2009. For promotion, she performed a medley of hits at the American Music Awards, Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball at London's O2 arena, and The X-Factor. The album's promotional single "Make Me", produced with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, debuted in September. It became Jackson's nineteenth number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart, making her the first artist to have number-one singles in four separate decades.

Later that month, Jackson chaired the inaugural benefit of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, held in Milan in conjunction with fashion week. The foundation's CEO stated "We are profoundly grateful to Janet Jackson for joining amfAR as a chair of its first event in Milan.... She brings incomparable grace and a history of dedication to the fight against AIDS." The event raised a total of $1.1 million for the nonprofit organization.

2010–2014: Film projects and True You

In April 2010, Jackson reprised her role in the sequel to Why Did I Get Married? titled Why Did I Get Married Too?. The film opened at number two, grossing sixty million in total. Jackson's performance was hailed as "invigorating and oddly funny", and praised for her "willingness to be seen at her most disheveled". Her performance earned an Image Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture". Jackson recorded the film's theme, "Nothing", released as a promotional single. The song was performed on the ninth season finale of American Idol along with "Again" and "Nasty".

In July, Jackson modeled for the Blackglama clothing line featuring mink fur, which was criticized by the animal rights organisation PETA. Jackson then helped design a signature line of clothing and accessories for Blackglama, to be sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales. Universal Music released the hits compilation Icon: Number Ones as the debut of the Icon compilation series.

In November 2010, Jackson starred as Joanna in the drama For Colored Girls, the film adaptation of Ntozake Shange's 1975 play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. The Wall Street Journal stated Jackson "recites verses written by Ntozake Shange, the author of the play that inspired the film ... But instead of offering up a mannered coffeehouse reading of the lines, Jackson makes the words sound like ordinary—though very eloquent—speech." Jackson's portrayal the film was likened to Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Her performance earned Black Reel Awards nominations in the categories of Outstanding Supporting Actress and Outstanding Ensemble.

Jackson announced plans to embark on her largest world tour in support of her second hits collection, Number Ones. The tour, entitled Number Ones, Up Close and Personal, held concerts in thirty-five global cities, selected by fans who submitted suggestions on her official website. During the tour, Jackson performed thirty-five number one hits and dedicated a song to each city. Mattel released a limited-edition Barbie of Jackson titled "Divinely Janet", auctioned for over $15,000, with proceeds donated to Project Angel Food.

Jackson released the self-help book True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself in February 2011, co-written with David Ritz. It chronicled her struggle with weight and confidence, also publishing letters from fans. It topped The New York Times' Best Seller list the following month. Additionally, she signed a film production contract with Lions Gate Entertainment to "select, develop and produce a feature film for the independent studio."

Jackson became the first female pop singer to perform at the I. M. Pei glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum, raising contributions for the restoration of iconic artwork. Jackson was selected to endorse fashion line Blackglama for a second year, being the first celebrity in the line's history chosen to do so. She partnered with the label to release a fifteen-piece collection of luxury products.

In 2012, Jackson endorsed Nutrisystem, sponsoring their weight-loss program after struggling with weight fluctuations in the past. With the program, she donated ten million dollars in meals to the hungry. She was honored by amfAR for her contributions to AIDS research when chairing the Cinema Against AIDS gala during the Cannes Film Festival. She also participated in a public service announcement for UNICEF to help starving children.

2015–2019: Unbreakable and concert residency

On May 16, 2015, Jackson announced plans to release a new album and to embark on a world concert tour. She outlined her intention to release her new album in the fall of 2015 under her own record label, Rhythm Nation, distributed by BMG Rights Management. The launch of Rhythm Nation established Jackson as one of the few African-American female musicians to own a record label.

On June 15, 2015, Jackson announced the first set of dates for the North American leg of her Unbreakable World Tour. On June 22, the lead single "No Sleeep" was released from the album. Jackson's solo version of the single debuted on the Hot 100 at number 67, marking her 40th entry on the chart. The song went to number 1 on the Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 immediately following the release. The album version featuring J. Cole enabled it to re-enter the Hot 100 with a new peak position at number 63, while also topping the Adult R&B Songs chart.

BET presented Jackson with their inaugural Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual award at the BET Awards 2015, which also featured a dance tribute to her performed by Ciara, Jason Derulo and Tinashe. It was announced she would launch a luxury jewelry line called the "Janet Jackson Unbreakable Diamonds collection," a joint venture between herself and Paul Raps New York. On August 20, she released a preview of a new song "The Great Forever," while also confirming the title of her eleventh studio album as Unbreakable.

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis stated that Jackson's concept for the album was developed simultaneously with the accompanying tour's production and that its composition will differ from the majority of her catalog. They also stated that the album's theme reflects "being able to be vulnerable and to be able to withstand what comes to you," drawing on Jackson's experiences over the past several years. The album's title track "Unbreakable" was released on September 3, 2015, debuting on Apple Music's Beats 1 radio station, hosted by Ebro Darden. The album was also made available for pre-order on iTunes the same day. "Burnitup!" featuring Missy Elliott debuted on BBC Radio 1 on September 24, 2015. Unbreakable was released on October 2, 2015. It received largely positive reviews, including those by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian. The following week, Jackson received her first nomination to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming her seventh album to top the chart in the United States.

On April 6, 2016, Jackson announced that she was "planning her family" with husband Wissam Al Mana, resulting in her postponing her tour. On May 1, 2017, Jackson announced she would resume her Unbreakable World Tour, now known as the State of the World Tour. The revamped tour launched on September 7, 2017. Refocusing the tour's theme to reflect socially conscious messages from Jackson's entire music catalog, a number of songs selected for the concert set list along with corresponding imagery depicted on stage address racism, white supremacy, fascism, xenophobia and police brutality. The tour opened to positive critical reception, with several commentators praising Jackson's post-pregnancy physical fitness, showmanship and socially conscious messages.

Her emotional rendition of "What About", a song about domestic violence originally recorded for The Velvet Rope, drew media attention highlighting her recent separation from her husband; Jackson's brother Randy alleges she suffered verbal abuse by Al Mana which contributed to the breakdown of their marriage. Proceeds from the concert of September 9, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas were donated to relief efforts supporting evacuees of Hurricane Harvey. Jackson met with Houston mayor Sylvester Turner and evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center prior to the performance. In May 2018, it was announced that Jackson would received the Billboard Icon Award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. In an interview for Billboard magazine, Jackson revealed that she was currently working on new music. On August 16, 2018, it was announced that Jackson and Rhythm Nation had entered into a partnership with Cinq Music. The next day, Jackson released the single "Made for Now", a collaboration with Daddy Yankee.

In October 2018, she received her third nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On December 13, 2018, Jackson was announced as one of the seven inductees of the 2019 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On February 26, 2019, Jackson announced a four-month Las Vegas residency entitled Metamorphosis. The initial schedule comprised fourteen shows at the Park Theater at Park MGM resort; three additional shows were announced in May. In September and November 2019 Jackson performed a series of concerts in support of the 30th anniversary of the Rhythm Nation album in Welch Treasure Island Resort & Casino, San Francisco and Hawaii. In 2019, Jackson played a variety of festivals in the US and abroad, including The Glastonbury Festival.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Janet Jackson among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

2020: Black Diamond

On February 10, 2020, Jackson announced her upcoming Black Diamond World Tour as well as her upcoming twelfth studio album Black Diamond due sometime in 2020.

Artistry

Music and voice

Jackson has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Over the course of her career, she has received frequent criticism for the limits of her vocal capabilities, especially in comparison to contemporary artists such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. In comparing her vocal technique to Houston and Aretha Franklin, vocal coach Roger Love states that "[w]hen Janet sings, she allows a tremendous amount of air to come through. She's obviously aiming for a sexy, sultry effect, and on one level that works nicely. But actually, it's fairly limited." He adds that while her voice is suitable for studio recording, it doesn't translate well to stage because despite having "great songs, incredible dancing, and her star like presence, the live show is still magnificent. But the voice is not the star."

Biographer David Ritz commented, "on Janet's albums—and in her videos and live performances, which revealed a crisp, athletic dance technique [...] singing wasn't the point," saying emphasis was placed on "her slamming beats, infectious hooks, and impeccable production values." Eric Henderson of Slant magazine claimed critics opposing her small voice "somehow missed the explosive 'gimme a beat' vocal pyrotechnics she unleashes all over 'Nasty' ... Or that they completely dismissed how perfect her tremulous hesitance fits into the abstinence anthem 'Let's Wait Awhile'." Classical composer Louis Andriessen has praised Jackson for her "rubato, sense of rhythm, sensitivity, and the childlike quality of her strangely erotic voice." Several critics also consider her voice to often be enveloped within her music's production.

Music critic J. D. Considine noted "on albums, Jackson's sound isn't defined by her voice so much as by the way her voice is framed by the lush, propulsive production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis." Wendy Robinson of PopMatters said "the power of Janet Jackson's voice does not lie in her pipes. She doesn't blow, she whispers ... Jackson's confectionary vocals are masterfully complemented by gentle harmonies and balanced out by pulsing rhythms, so she's never unpleasant to listen to."

Matthew Perpetus of Fluxblog suggested Jackson's vocal techniques as a study for indie rock music, considering it to possess "a somewhat subliminal effect on the listener, guiding and emphasizing dynamic shifts without distracting attention from its primal hooks." Perpetus added: "Her voice effortlessly transitions from a rhythmic toughness to soulful emoting to a flirty softness without overselling any aspect of her performance ... a continuum of emotions and attitudes that add up to the impression that we're listening to the expression of a fully-formed human being with contradictions and complexities."

Jackson's music has encompassed a broad range of genres. Her records from the 1980s have been described as being influenced by Prince, as her producers are ex-members of the Time. Sal Cinquemani wrote that in addition to defining Top 40 radio, she "gave Prince's Minneapolis sound a distinctly feminine—and, with songs like 'What Have You Done for Me Lately?,' 'Nasty,' 'Control,' and 'Let's Wait Awhile,' a distinctly feminist—spin."

On Control, Richard J. Ripani documented that she, Jam and Lewis had "crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and a rap music sensibility." Author Rickey Vincent stated that she has often been credited for redefining the standard of popular music with the industrial-strength beats of the album. She is considered a trendsetter in pop balladry, with Richard Rischar stating "the black pop ballad of the mid-1980s had been dominated by the vocal and production style that was smooth and polished, led by singers Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and James Ingram."

Jackson continued her musical development by blending pop and urban music with elements of hip-hop in the nineties. This included a softer representation, articulated by lush, soulful ballads and up-tempo dance beats. She is described by music critic Greg Kot as "an artist who has reshaped the sound and image of rhythm and blues" within the first decade of her career. Critic Karla Peterson remarked that "she is a sharp dancer, an appealing performer, and as 'That's the Way Love Goes' proves—an ace pop-song writer." Selected material from the following decade has been viewed less favorably, as Sal Cinquemani comments "except for maybe R.E.M., no other former superstar act has been as prolific with such diminishing commercial and creative returns."

Jackson has changed her lyrical focus over the years, becoming the subject of analysis in musicology, African American studies, and gender studies. David Ritz compared Jackson's musical style to Marvin Gaye's, stating, "like Marvin, autobiography seemed the sole source of her music. Her art, also like Marvin's, floated over a reservoir of secret pain." Much of her success has been attributed to "a series of powerful, metallic grooves; her chirpy, multi-tracked vocals; and a lyrical philosophy built on pride and self-knowledge." Ritz also stated, "The mystery is the low flame that burns around the perimeters of Janet Jackson's soul. The flame feeds off the most highly combustible elements: survival and ambition, caution and creativity, supreme confidence and dark fear."

During the 1980s, her lyrics embodied self-actualization, feminist principles, and politically driven ideology. Gillian G. Gaar described Control as "an autobiographical tale about her life with her parents, her first marriage, and breaking free." Jessie Carney Smith wrote "with that album, she asserted her independence, individuality, and personal power. She challenged audiences to see her as a transformed person, from an ingénue to a grow-up, multi-talented celebrity." Referring to Rhythm Nation 1814 as an embodiment of hope, Timothy E. Scheurer wrote "It may remind some of Sly Stone prior to There's a Riot Going On and other African-American artists of the 1970s in its tacit assumption that the world imagined by Dr. King is still possible, that the American Dream is a dream for all people."

On Janet, Jackson began focusing on sexual themes. Shayne Lee wrote that her music over the following decade "brand[ed] her as one of the most sexually stimulating vocalists of the 1990s." Lilly J. Goren observed "Jackson's evolution from politically aware musician to sexy diva marked the direction that society and the music industry were encouraging the dance-rock divas to pursue." The Washington Post declared Jackson's public image over the course of her career had shifted "from innocence to experience, inspiring such carnal albums as 1993's 'Janet' and 1997's 'The Velvet Rope', the latter of which explored the bonds—figuratively and literally—of love and lust."

The song "Free Xone" from The Velvet Rope, which portrays same-sex relationships in a positive light, is described by sociologist Shayne Lee as "a rare incident in which a popular black vocalist explores romantic or sensual energy outside the contours of heteronormativity, making it a significant song in black sexual politics." During promotion for Janet, she stated "I love feeling deeply sexual—and don't mind letting the world know. For me, sex has become a celebration, a joyful part of the creative process."

Upon the release of Damita Jo, Jackon stated "Beginning with the earlier albums, exploring—and liberating—my sexuality has been an ongoing discovery and theme," adding "As an artist, that's not only my passion, it's my obligation." Stephen Thomas Erlewine has found Jackson's consistent inclusion of sex in her music lacking ingenuity, especially in comparisons to other artists such as Prince, stating "while sex indisputably fuels much great pop music, it isn't an inherently fascinating topic for pop music—as with anything, it all depends on the artist."

Videos and stage

Jackson drew inspiration for her music videos and performances from musicals she watched in her youth, and was heavily influenced by the choreography of Fred Astaire and Michael Kidd, among others. Throughout her career, she has worked with and brought numerous professional choreographers to prominence, such as Tina Landon, Paula Abdul, and Michael Kidd. Veronica Chambers declared, "Her impact on pop music is undeniable and far-reaching," adding, "A quick glance at the Billboard chart reveals any number of artists cast in the Janet Jackson mold." Chambers observed numerous videos which "features not only Ms. Jackson's dancers but choreography and sets remarkably like those she has used."

Janine Coveney of Billboard observed that "Jackson's musical declaration of independence [Control] launched a string of hits, an indelible production sound, and an enduring image cemented by groundbreaking video choreography and imagery that pop vocalists still emulate." Ben Hogwood of MusicOMH applauded the "huge influence she has become on younger pretenders to her throne," most notably Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera. Qadree EI-Amin remarked that many pop artists "pattern their performances after Janet's proven dance-diva persona." Beretta E. Smith-Shomade wrote that "Jackson's impact on the music video sphere came largely through music sales successes, which afforded her more visual liberties and control. This assuming of control directly impacted the look and content of her music videos, giving Jackson an agency not assumed by many other artists—male or female, Black or White."

Parallel Lines: Media Representations of Dance (1993) documents that her videos have often been reminiscent of live concerts or elaborate musical theater. However, in her 30-minute Rhythm Nation 1814 film, Jackson utilizes street dancing techniques in contrast to traditional choreography. The group dynamic visually embodies a gender neutral equality, with Jackson "performing asexually and anonymously in front of, but as one of the members of the group." Her music videos have also contributed to a higher degree of sexual freedom among young women, with Jackson "heavily implying male-on-female oral sex in music videos by pushing down on a man's head until he's in exactly the right position." However, accusations of cosmetic surgery, skin lightening, and increasingly hypersexual imagery have led to her being viewed as conforming to a white, male-dominated view of sexuality, rather than liberating herself or others.

Jackson received the MTV Video Vanguard Award for her contributions to the art form, and she became the first recipient of the MTV Icon tribute, celebrating her impact on the music industry as a whole. In 2003, Slant Magazine named "Rhythm Nation" and "Got 'til It's Gone" among the 100 Greatest Music Videos of all time, ranked at number 87 and number 10, respectively. In 2011, "Rhythm Nation" was voted the tenth best music video of the 1980s by Billboard.

Independent Journalist Nicholas Barber stated "Janet's concerts are the pop equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie, with all the explosions, special effects, ersatz sentimentality, gratuitous cleavage and emphasis on spectacle over coherence that the term implies."Jet magazine reported "Janet's innovative stage performances during her world tours have won her a reputation as a world-class performer." Chris Willman of Los Angeles Times stated the "enthralling" choreography of Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour "represents the pinnacle of what can be done in the popping 'n' locking style—a rapid-fire mixture of rigidly jerky and gracefully fluid movements." When Jackson was asked "do you understand it when people talk about [The Velvet Rope Tour] in terms of Broadway?", she responded, "I'm crazy about Broadway ... That's what I grew up on."

Her "Number Ones: Up Close and Personal" tour deviated from the full-scale theatrics found in her previous concert arena settings in favor of smaller venues. Critics noted being scaled down did not affect the impact of her showmanship, and in some cases, enhanced it. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "In past tours, Jackson's thin voice was often swallowed up by the sheer size of her production ... In the more scaled-down setting, Jackson brought a warmth and a passion that wasn't always evident in stadiums ... the best Janet Jackson performance I've covered in 20-plus years."

Thor Christensen of The Dallas Morning News reported Jackson often lip syncs in concert; he wrote: "Janet Jackson—one of pop's most notorious onstage lip-syncers—conceded ... she uses 'some' taped vocals to augment her live vocals. But she refused to say what percentage of her concert 'voice' is taped and how much is live." Michael MacCambridge of the Austin American-Statesman, who reviewed Jackson's Rhythm Nation World Tour, described lip-syncing as a "moot point", stating "Jackson was frequently singing along with her own pre-recorded vocals, to achieve a sound closer to radio versions of singles." MacCambridge also observed "it seemed unlikely that anyone—even a prized member of the First Family of Soul Music—could dance like she did for 90 minutes and still provide the sort of powerful vocals that the '90s super concerts are expected to achieve."

Similarly, Chris Willman commented, "even a classically trained vocalist would be hard-pressed to maintain any sort of level of volume—or, more appropriately, 'Control'—while bounding up and down stairs and whipping limbs in unnatural directions at impeccable, breakneck speed." Critics observed that in the smaller scale of her "Number Ones: Up Close and Personal" tour, she forwent lip-syncing. Chris Richards of The Washington Post stated "even at its breathiest, that delicate voice hasn't lost the laserlike precision."

Influences

Jackson describes Lena Horne as a profound inspiration, for entertainers of several generations as well as herself. Upon Horne's death, she stated "[Horne] brought much joy into everyone's lives—even the younger generations, younger than myself. She was such a great talent. She opened up such doors for artists like myself." Similarly, she considers Dorothy Dandridge to be one of her idols.

Jackson has declared herself "a very big Joni Mitchell fan", explaining: "As a kid I was drawn to Joni Mitchell records [...] Joni's songs spoke to me in an intimate, personal way." She holds reverence for Tina Turner, stating "Tina has become a heroic figure for many people, especially women, because of her tremendous strength. Personally, Tina doesn't seem to have a beginning or an end in my life. I felt her music was always there, and I feel like it always will be." She has also named other socially conscious acts, such as Tracy Chapman, Sly and the Family Stone, U2, and Bob Dylan as sources of inspiration.

In her early career, Jackson credited her brothers Michael and Jermaine Jackson as musical influences. According to Rolling Stone and MTV, other artists attributed as influences include the Ronettes, Dionne Warwick, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Teena Marie, Prince, Parliament-Funkadelic, Zapp, and Tina Turner.

Legacy and influence

The youngest sister of the "precious Jackson clan", Janet Jackson has striven to distance her professional career from that of her older brother Michael and the rest of the Jackson family. Steve Dollar of Newsday wrote that "[s]he projects that home girl-next-door quality that belies her place as the youngest sibling in a family whose inner and outer lives have been as poked at, gossiped about, docudramatized and hard-copied as the Kennedys." Phillip McCarthy of The Sydney Morning Herald noted that throughout her recording career, one of her common conditions for interviewers has been that there would be no mention of Michael. Joshua Klein wrote, "[f]or the first half of her recording career, Janet Jackson sounded like an artist with something to prove. Emerging in 1982 just as big brother Michael was casting his longest shadow, Jackson filled her albums not so much with songs as with declarations, from 'The Pleasure Principle' to the radical-sounding 'Rhythm Nation' to the telling statement of purpose, 'Control'."

Steve Huey of Allmusic asserted that despite being born into a family of entertainers, Janet Jackson has managed to emerge a "superstar" in her own right, rivaling not only several female recording artists including Madonna and Whitney Houston, but also her brother, while "successfully [shifting] her image from a strong, independent young woman to a sexy, mature adult." By forging her own unique identity through her artistry and her business ventures, she has been esteemed as the "Queen of Pop". Klein argued that "stardom was not too hard to predict, but few could have foreseen that Janet—Miss Jackson, if you're nasty—would one day replace Michael as true heir to the Jackson family legacy.".

Jackson has also been recognized for playing a pivotal role in crossing racial boundaries in the recording industry, where black artists were once considered to be substandard. Author Maureen Mahon states: "In the 1980s, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Prince were among the African American artists who crossed over ... When black artists cross over into pop success they cease to be black in the industry sense of the word. They get promoted from racialized black music to universal pop music in an economically driven process of racial transcendence." The Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge documented that Jackson, along with other prominent African-American women, had achieved financial breakthroughs in mainstream popular music, receiving "superstar status" in the process.

She, alongside her contemporaries "offered viable creative, intellectual, and business paths for establishing and maintaining agency, lyrical potency, marketing and ownership." Her business savvy has been compared to that of Madonna, gaining a level of autonomy which enables "creative latitude and access to financial resources and mass-market distribution." A model of reinvention, author Jessie Carney Smith wrote that "Janet has continued to test the limits of her transformative power", receiving accolades in music, film and concert tours throughout the course of her career.

Musicologist Richard J. Ripani identified Jackson as a leader in the development of contemporary R&B, as her music created a unique blend of genre and sound effects which ushered in the use of rap vocals into mainstream R&B. He also argues her signature song "Nasty" influenced the new jack swing genre developed by Teddy Riley. Leon McDermott of the Sunday Herald wrote: "Her million-selling albums in the 1980s helped invent contemporary R&B through Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis's muscular, lean production; the sinuous grooves threaded through 1986's Control and 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814 are the foundation upon which today's hot shot producers and singers rely."

Simon Reynolds described Jackson's collaborations with her record producers as a reinvention of the dance-pop genre, introducing a new sonic palate. Den Berry, Virgin Records CEO and Chairman stated: "Janet is the very embodiment of a global superstar. Her artistic brilliance and personal appeal transcend geographic, cultural and generational boundaries." In July 1999, she placed at number 77 on VH1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll". She also placed at number 134 on their list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time", number seven on the "100 Greatest Women In Music", and at number two on the "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era", behind Madonna.

In March 2008, Business Wire reported "Janet Jackson is one of the top ten selling artists in the history of contemporary music; ranked by Billboard magazine as the ninth most successful act in rock and roll history, and the second most successful female artist in pop music history." She is the only female artist in the history of the Hot 100 to have 18 consecutive top ten hit singles, from "Miss You Much" (1989) to "I Get Lonely" (1998). The magazine ranked her at number seven on their Hot 100 50th Anniversary "All-Time Top Artists", making her the third most successful female artist in the history of the chart, following Madonna and Mariah Carey.

In November 2010, Billboard released its "Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked her at number five. She ranks as the top artist on the chart with 15 number ones in the past twenty-five years, garnering 27 top ten hits between 1985 and 2001, and 33 consecutive top 40 hits from 1985 through 2004. Recipient of eleven Billboard Music Awards, she is one an elite group of musical acts, such as Madonna, Aerosmith, Garth Brooks and Eric Clapton, whom Billboard credits for "redefining the landscape of popular music."

In November 2014, Jackson was voted 'Queen of Pop' by a poll conducted online by VH1.com. In October 2015, she received her first nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and four years later was inducted to the Hall. Jackson's music and choreography have inspired numerous performers.Virgin Records executive Lee Trink expressed: "Janet is an icon and historic figure in our culture. She's one of those gifted artists that people look up to, that people emulate, that people want to believe in ... there's not that many superstars that stand the test of time."

Sarah Rodman of the Boston Herald remarked: "For every hand-fluttering, overwrought, melisma addict out there aping Mariah's dog calls, there's an equal number trying to match Jackson's bubbling grooves and fancy footwork, including Britney Spears, Aaliyah and Destiny's Child." Music critic Gene Stout commented she "has so broadly influenced a younger generation of performers, from Jennifer Lopez ... to Britney Spears, who has copied so many of Jackson's dance moves." 'N Sync and Usher have credited her for teaching them how to develop stage show into theatrical performance. Kesha, Toni Braxton, Aaliyah, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Crystal Kay, Kelly Rowland, Rihanna, Brazilian singer Kelly Key, and Christine and the Queens have all named her an inspiration, while others such as Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of TLC, Cassie, Nicki Minaj, Keri Hilson, and DJ/singer Havana Brown, have all expressed desire to emulate her.

Elysa Gardner of USA Today wrote: "Jackson claims not to be bothered by the brigade of barely post-adolescent baby divas who have been inspired by—and, in some cases, have flagrantly aped—the sharp, animated choreography and girlish but decidedly post-feminist feistiness that have long been hallmarks of her performance style." Adrienne Trier-Bieniek stated "scholars trace the origins of pleasure as a Black feminist commitment within popular culture to Janet Jackson" who inspired the feminist perspective found in many pop stars' careers. Those who are considered to have followed in her footsteps have been referred to as "Janet-come-lately's."

Other artists who have drawn comparison to her include Mýa, Brandy, Tatyana Ali, Christina Milian, Lady Gaga, Namie Amuro, and BoA. Sociologist Shayne Lee commented that "[a]s Janet enters the twilight of her reign as erotic Queen of Pop, Beyoncé emerges as her likely successor." Joan Morgan of Essence magazine remarked: "Jackson's Control, Rhythm Nation 1814 and janet. established the singer-dancer imprimatur standard in pop culture we now take for granted. So when you're thinking of asking Miss Jackson, 'What have you done for me lately?' remember that Britney, Ciara and Beyoncé live in the house that Janet built."

Personal life

At age 18, Janet Jackson eloped with singer James DeBarge in September 1984. The marriage was annulled in November 1985. On March 31, 1991, Jackson married dancer/songwriter/director Rene Elizondo Jr. The marriage was kept a secret until the split was announced. In January 1999, the couple separated and were divorced in 2000. Elizondo filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against her, estimated to have been between $10–25 million, which did not reach a settlement for three years.

From 2002 to 2009, Jackson dated music producer/rapper/songwriter Jermaine Dupri. In 2010, Jackson met Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana and began dating him shortly after that. The couple became engaged and married privately in 2012. In 2016, Jackson announced that they were expecting their first child together. On January 3, 2017, Jackson gave birth to a son, Eissa Al Mana. In April 2017, it was announced that the couple had separated and were pursuing a divorce.

Discography

Studio albums

Janet Jackson (1982)

Dream Street (1984)

Control (1986)

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)

janet. (1993)

The Velvet Rope (1997)

All for You (2001)

Damita Jo (2004)

20 Y.O. (2006)

Discipline (2008)

Unbreakable (2015)

Filmography

Good Times (1977–79)

Diff'rent Strokes (1980–84)

Fame (1984–85)

Poetic Justice (1993)

Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)

Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)

For Colored Girls (2010)

Tours and concerts

Headlining tours

Rhythm Nation World Tour (1990)

Janet. World Tour (1993–1995)

The Velvet Rope Tour (1998–1999)

All for You Tour (2001–2002)

Rock Witchu Tour (2008)

Number Ones, Up Close and Personal World Tour (2011)

Unbreakable World Tour (2015–2016)

State of the World Tour (2017–2019)

Janet Jackson: A Special 30th Anniversary Celebration of Rhythm Nation (2019)

Black Diamond World Tour (2020)

Concert residencies

Janet Jackson: Metamorphosis (2019)

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HBO Max New Releases: December 2020

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Time and time again during this year’s pandemic, movie studios have had to make the best of a bad situation. HBO Max’s list of new releases for December 2020 comes along with the most extreme example yet.

WarnerMedia undoubtedly had big plans for Wonder Woman 1984 when it scheduled it for a holiday release last year. After moving it to the summer, however, the conglomerate had to delay its theatrical release time and time again. Now HBO Max is the lucky winner of the saga, as it gets to premiere the long-awaited sequel on its servers on Dec. 25.

While Wonder Woman 1984 is definitely the headline this month, there are some other intriguing streaming options for HBO Max in December. The month plays host to a whole host of high-powered documentaries like Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (Dec. 3), Alabama Snake (Dec. 9), and the Tiger Woods documentary Tiger (Dec. 15).

There isn’t much going on on the TV side of things. His Dark Materials is set to run its season 2 finale on Dec. 28. But at that point, everyone will likely be on their fourth Wonder Woman rewatch.

Here is the full list of everything coming to and leaving HBO Max in December 2020.

HBO Max New Releases – December 2020

December 1

3 Godfathers, 1949

40 Days And 40 Nights, 2002 (HBO)

Absolute Power, 1997

Adam Ruins Everything, Seasons 2-3

The Adventures of Pinocchio, 1996

Amanpour: Sex & Love Around the World, 2018

Amistad, 1997 (HBO)

Annabelle: Creation, 2017 (HBO)

The Bay, 2012 (HBO)

The Beguiled, 2017 (HBO)

Beyond Reasonable Doubt, 2017

The Bishop’s Wife, 1947

The Blind Side, (HBO)

Blow-Up, 1966

The Book Of Henry, 2017 (HBO)

Bright Young Things, 2004 (HBO)

Bundle of Joy, 1956

The Carbonaro Effect, Seasons 2-5

Chasing Life with Sanjay Gupta, 2019

Cinderella Story: If The Shoe Fits, A, 2016

Code 46, 2004 (HBO)

Comedy Knockout, 2016

Contraband, 2012 (HBO)

Crimes of the Century, 2013

The Crow, 1994 (HBO)

The Crow: City Of Angels, 1996 (HBO)

The Crow: Wicked Prayer, 2005 (HBO)

Dead Wives Club, Season 1

Death Row Stories, Seasons 1-4

De Blanco La Patuda (aka White Is For Virgins), 2020 (HBO)

Deep Blue Sea, 1999

Demolition Man, 1993

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, 2012 (HBO)

Fallen, 1998

Falling Skies, 2011

The Family Man, 2000 (HBO)

Father of the Bride, 1950

Fifty Shades Of Black, 2016 (HBO)

Final Destination, 2000

Final Destination 2, 2003

Final Destination 3, 2006

The Final Destination, 2009

Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery, 2015

Freelancers, 2012 (HBO)

Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, 1995

Free Willy 3: The Rescue, 1997

Free Willy: Escape from Pirate’s Cove, 2010

The Girl With All The Gifts, 2016 (HBO)

Gladiator, 2000

Gun Crazy, 1950

Harry And The Hendersons, 1987 (HBO)

Hell in the Heartland, 2019

Hero, 2004 (HBO)

The History of Comedy, 2017

Holiday Affair, 1949

Hot Fuzz, 2007 (HBO)

How It Really Happened, Seasons 1-4

The Human Stain, 2003 (HBO)

The Hunt with John Walsh, 2014

Inside Evil with Chris Cuomo, 2018

It Happened on Fifth Avenue, 1947

Joe Versus the Volcano, 1990

Juice, 1992

Just My Luck, 2006 (HBO)

Kung Fu Panda 2, 2011

Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks, 2018

The Last Samurai, 2003

La Unidad, 2020

Logan’s Run, 1976

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001

The Man Who Came to Dinner, 1942

Mars Attacks!, 1996

Meet Me in St. Louis, 1944

Michael Clayton, 2007

Misery, 1990 (HBO)

The Misery Index, 2013

My Dream is Yours, 1949

Nancy Drew, 2007

No Blade of Grass, 1970

Omega Man, The, 1971

On Moonlight Bay, 1951

Outbreak, 1995

Paid Off with Michael Torpey, 2018

Phantom Thread, 2017 (HBO)

Period of Adjustment, 1962

Pope: The Most Powerful Man In History, 2018

Project X, 2012 (Extended Version) (HBO)

Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack, 2016

The Redemption Project, 2019

Risky Business, 1983

Robots, 2005 (HBO)

Rock Of Ages, 2012 (Extended Version)  (HBO)

Romance on the High Seas, 1948

Room for One More, 1952

Sanctum, 2011 (HBO)

The Sentinel, 2006 (HBO)

Sex and the City, 2008

Sex and the City 2, 2010

Shaun Of The Dead, 2004 (HBO)

The Shawshank Redemption, 1994

Shop Around the Corner, The, 1940

Snakes on a Plane, 2006

Snow White And The Huntsman, 2012 (Unrated Version) (HBO)

Something’s Killing Me, 2017

Southland, Seasons 1-5

Soylent Green, 1973

SPAWN, 1997

Stargirl, Season 1

Striptease, 1996

Susan Slept Here, 1954

Talk Show the Game Show, 2017

Tea for Two, 1950

Those Who Can’t, 2016

Three Godfathers, 1936

THX 1138, 1971

Timeline, 2003 (HBO)

Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale, 2007

Tom And Jerry: Santa’s Little Helpers, 2014

True Grit, 2010 (HBO)

Unfaithful, 2002 (HBO)

Unmasking a Killer, 2018

Very Scary People, Season 1

The Wedding Date, 2005 (HBO)

Westworld, 1973

What Bitch? (HBO)

Wrath of the Titans, 2012 (HBO)

Wrecked, 2019

Yogi Bear, 2010

Young Man with a Horn, 1949

December 2

Baby God, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

December 3

Full Bloom, Season Finale

Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults, HBO Max Documentary Premiere

Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny’s 24 Carrot Holiday Special Premiere

My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood, HBO Max Special Premiere

Stylish with Jenna Lyons, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

December 4

Beyond the Spotlight, Season 1

Bright Now: Alien Worlds, 2020

Engineering the Future, 2020

La Leyenda Negra (HBO)

Jujutsu Kaisen (Crunchyroll Collection)

December 5

The Photograph, 2020 (HBO)

December 6

Euphoria, “Trouble Don’t Last Always,” Special Episode Premiere (HBO)

Murder on Middle Beach, Docuseries Finale (HBO)

December 7

Axios, Season Finale (HBO)

December 8

40 Years a Prisoner, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

La Jauria (The Pack), Season 1

One Night in Bangkok, 2020

December 9

Alabama Snake, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

The Trial of Christine Keeler

December 10

4 Blocks, Seasons 1-3

Esme & Roy, HBO Max Holiday Special Episode

Haute Dog, HBO Max Holiday Special Episode

Let Them All Talk, HBO Max Original Film Premiere

House of Ho, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

Summer Camp Island, Season 3 Premiere

Veneno, Season Finale

Valley of Tears, Season Finale

December 11

Adult Material

Midnight Family, 2020 (HBO)

One Way Or Another, Season Finale (HBO)

December 12

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

December 13

Tiger, Docuseries Premiere (HBO)

December 15

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

December 16

The Art of Political Murder, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

December 17

CNN Heroes, An All-Star Tribute

The Flight Attendant, HBO Max Limited Series Premiere

Homeschool Musical Class of 2020, HBO Max Special Premiere

Love Monster, Season 1-2

Sesame Street: Holiday at Hooper’s

December 18

Diego Torres Sinfonico, Season 1 (HBO)

Hasta Que La Boda Nos Separe (aka The Wedding Unplanner), 2020 (HBO)

December 19

Wendy, 2020 (HBO)

December 20

I Used to Go Here, 2020 (HBO)

December 21

Industry, Season Finale (HBO)

December 23

Squish, Season 1

December 25

The West Wing, Season 1-7

Wonder Woman 1984

December 26

Independence Day (Extended Version), 1996 (HBO)

Road Trip, Season 1

December 28

His Dark Materials, Season 2 Finale (HBO)

December 29

Los Dias De La Ballena (AKA The Days of the Whale) (HBO)

December 31

The Champ, 1979

Conan Without Borders

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

Leaving HBO Max – December 2020

December 10

Lights Out, 2016 (HBO)

December 15

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, 2019 (HBO)

December 26

American Animals, 2018 (HBO)

December 27

Arizona, 2018 (HBO)

December 31

An American in Paris, 1951

Analyze This, 1999

Austin Powers In Goldmember, 2002

Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, 1997

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, 1999

Batman & Robin, 1997

Batman Forever, 1995

Batman v Superman: Ultimate Edition, 2016

Bonnie and Clyde, 1967

Boogie Nights, 1997

Bringing Up Baby, 1938

Clash Of The Titans, 2010

Constantine, 2005

Demolition Man, 1993

Dirty Harry, 1971

Doctor Zhivago, 1965

Empire of the Sun, 1987

Friday the 13th, 2009

Free Willy, 1993

Giant, 1956

Gladiator, 2000

The Hey Arnold! The Movie, 2002

The Hobbit, 1977

Jonah Hex, 2010

La La Land, 2016 (HBO)

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life, 2003

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, 2001

The Lego Ninjago Movie, 2014

Lucy In The Sky, 2019 (HBO)

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, 2012 (HBO)

Monsters vs. Aliens, 2009

Rugrats Go Wild, 2003

The post HBO Max New Releases: December 2020 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"KNOWN FOR HIS CRUEL, VICIOUS ATTACKS, JACKAL ASSASSIN..."

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on promo shots of the Jackal Assassin 6" action figure, from Spawn Series 19 -- "Dark Ages Spawn: The Samurai Wars," released by McFarlane Toys in July, 2001.

MINI-BIO: "Known for his cruel, vicious attacks, Jackal Assassin is a feudal Japanese Samurai warrior recruited by the Daimyo to kill one of his colleagues. Brash young Takeda, a Samurai recruit, has ignored the key rule Never draw your sword in anger. This behavior has marked Takeda for death. Jackal, along with his partner Scorpion Assassin, murders Takeda in a fury of slashing blows. But Takeda vows vengeance with his final breath. The dark rulers of the Underworld return Takeda to Japan as a Spawn. With the help of Dojo, Samurai Spawn tracks down Jackal and makes him pay for his betrayal."

-- MCFARLANE TOYS, "Dark Ages Spawn: The Samurai Wars," c. 2001

Source: https://mcfarlane.com/toys/jackal-assassin.

[redeyedwarricr]

𝕷𝖚𝖈𝖞’𝖘 𝕴𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

                              𝔏𝔦𝔣𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔞 𝔥𝔞𝔟𝔦𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔨𝔫𝔬𝔠𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔢 𝔡𝔬𝔴𝔫                                         𝔅𝔲𝔱 ℑ 𝔞𝔩𝔴𝔞𝔶𝔰 𝔤𝔢𝔱 𝔟𝔞𝔠𝔨 𝔲𝔭

〔 ODEYA RUSH, NINETEEN, CIS FEMALE, NECROMANCY〕╰   LUCY COHEN just  came  over  half - blood  hill .  you  know ,  the child of ARES who  was  claimed FOUR YEARS ago ?  i've  heard  chiron  say  that  she  is WELL INTENTIONED & LOYAL ,  but  if  you  ask  the  aphrodite  kids ,  they'd  say  they're IMPULSIVE & EXPLOSIVE .  i'd  say  they  remind  me  of flannels tied around her waist, band t shirt, scuffed up boots, yelling at the night sky, angry tears, piercing red eyes, especially  since  they're FOR THE NEW CABINS . 

Stats

Name: Lucy Cohen

Nicknames: Lucifer, Devil, devil spawn, devil eyes, evil.. she does like Lu though.

Age: 19

Birthday: March 13, 2001

Gender + Pronouns: cis female, she/her

Sexuality: Bisexual

Godly parent: Ares

Abilities: Telumkinesis, enhanced physical prowess, the blessing of ares, necromancy.

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Birthplace: Portsmouth Virginia

Nationality: American

Faceclaim: Odeya Rush

Height: 5 foot 2

Hair color: brown

Eye color: red

Dominant hand: she is right handed

Distinguishing features: her red eyes, and a large scar along her shoulder, from the battle of Manhattan

Personality + Aesthetic

Positive traits: Loyal, well intentioned, caring, passionate, sociable

Negative traits: Impulsive, Explosive, Intense, Snarky, Untrusting

Mbti: ESTP - The entrepreneur

Enneagram: 4, the individualist

Archetype: The adventurer

Hogwarts house: Gryffindor

Zodiac: Pisces

Candle scent: Mango Mai Tai

Element:Fire

Alignment: Neutral Good

Kinsey Scale: 3

Deadly sin: Wrath

Greatest Virtue: Humility

Fatal flaw: her un trusting nature, she doesn’t let others do things to help her, or follow others because in her experience, they will just lie to you and let you down.

Fashion: She dresses in a 90’s grunge fashion. She has one pair of combat boots that she found at a thrift store. So she almost always wears those, with some torn up jeans, flannels, and a crap ton of band t shirts.

Goals + Desires: she wants to be good. Like she wants to be good at being good. She really tries so hard, but she feels like the world is stacked up against her for her to be a bad person. She just wants to be good and for everyone else to see that she is good.

Biggest Fear: Herself. She is so afraid that she is just lying to herself, that maybe she really is bad. That maybe they were right. She is afraid that she isn’t a good person, and she just doesn’t know how to handle that.

Most Irrational Fear: Alektorophobia: a fear of chickens. One of the houses that she was at for about a year when she was eight was on a farm, that had chickens. She had to feed the chickens everyday, and the way they would run at her always freaked her out, she usually ended up dropping the food and running away crying. To this day she swears up and down that chickens are evil.

Hobbies: She enjoys practicing with her labrys.  She can knit, not that she is telling anyone that. She is a total comic book nerd, and has a stack of those under her bed that she reads when bored. She likes to party as well, and man don’t start a prank war with her. She loves to pull pranks on people.

Habits: She usually always has some sort of squishy ball or rubber band that she plays with to keep her hands busy, she constantly drums her fingers on her thigh, on her books, really on anything. She also is always humming or singing when she has to think.

Favorites

Food: Pizza man, like the good greasy kind.

Drink: Diet Coke, she is addicted to that stuff.

Movie: She would probably try and say some cool horror movie, but really, it’s Monty python.

Book: The whole Harry Potter series, especially book 2 when people all start thinking he is the heir of slytherin and evil. She relates.

Song: American Music by the violet femmes

Flower: Tiger Lilies  

Animal: Dragons or penguins.

Season: Summer

Day: Saturday’s, the best parties are always then.

Month: May/June, that time right on the border of spring and summer.

Time of day: she enjoys either the night on the weekends, or that time right before dawn, when everything is calm and peaceful.

Camp stuff

When did they arrive:About 2 months before she turned 15 .

When were they claimed: A week after arriving.

How were they claimed: She was learning to soar and found an ease with each of the practice weapons. As she came out to spar, she was bathed in a red glow, being claimed by ares.

Opinion on the new cabins: She is for them.

Why? : Well she doesn’t believe it to be her place to tell someone they don’t belong. She spent so long searching for home that she believes everyone deserves a home.

Opinion on Lyssa: She can go choke on a bag of dicks for all she cares.

Go to weapon: Her Labrys, which turns into a bronze chain bracelet.

Ambrosia: Diet Coke, she really does have an addiction.

Favorite camp location: Fireworks beach

Quests: 2 so far.

Character Inspirations:

Charlie Pace from Lost

Amy Sciuto from NCIS

Mira from The Hollow

Beauregard from Critical Role

Scorpia from She-Ra

Amethyst from Steven Universe

Pinterest: https://pin.it/4ELniEm

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Ub7wTuKjC2K2HED8SLyDR?si=77ETvy_BQDOWpKiv9OeSWw

Story

Lucy is a nineteen year old daughter of Ares. She was born to Talia Cohen. Her mother died during childbirth, leaving her to her grandfather. When he first saw her, he screamed, yelling about the devil, and fled, claoming he would not take her. She was born with red eyes, like the devil, as her grandfather said. Her mother had no other family, so she was placed into the system. She had been given the name Lucy by one of the nurses from when she was born. As noone had given her a name, it was decided that Lucy, inspired by Lucifer due to her grandfather's reaction. and due to her eyes, would be perfect.

She bounced back and forth between homes, never staying too long due she was labeled a problem child. No one wanted to help the kid who freaked everyone out, that no one wanted. They let her struggle in school, and when she didn’t behave like they wanted, she was sent away again.

This continued on for years, no one ever really believing in her. Except for one person. In her fifth grade year, she had a teacher who didn’t believe what everyone else said, but instead tried to really see her. She was the first person ever to tell her that she was good, that she was kind, and that she was loved. Lucy still holds on to these memories, she uses them as reminders when she spirals, and when she needs to be reminded that she is good. She tries to live up to her former teachers belief in her, and uses her as the memory to drive her towards remaining a nice person.

When she was 14, she was in a home in Virginia Beach. When she was walking home from school with one of the older children from the home when they were attacked by a monster. The other child revealed themselves to be sent from Camp Halfblood, and that they were here to bring her to camp.

She has been at camp Halfblood since, and is a year rounder. She has never tried to return to the 'real world'. Instead she stays at camp, and apparently occasionally, even fights in legitimate wars. During this war, she comes to the realization that she can raise fallen enemies to fight with her. That was a crazy ability that she didn't realize she was capable of before the war, and 3 months later, is still trying to process.

Wanted Connections

Family in everything but name: these are Lucy’s closest friends here at camp. They are the ride or die friends, and they always have each other’s backs.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/7KNCY8z

Adventurers live on forever: these are the ones that Lucy has gone on quests with, or even does just general adventures around camp with.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/5eBUyo0

Cheaters never win: This is someone that Lucy opened her heart to, and really felt she loved, until she found them with someone else. It has been about a year now, but she is still out for blood, holding out for her revenge.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/3bl7zz5

Forgive your enemies but never forget their names: Everyone has got to have some sort of enemy, right? Now Lucy has plenty of people in the past that make fun of her, but her and this person are legitimately at each other’s throats.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/3TODMLU

If your life is going to be short, do dumb things: these are the crackhead friends. Like Lucy and then get into trouble when they are together. They are the prank era, the partiers, they just want to live loud and wild while they can.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/3TODMLU

In the dark of night, clarity is found: When lucy can not sleep, she tries to sneak out and walk at night around the camp. This is a person who she started to see as well, and often they walk in silence, but sometimes this person gets to see the real Lucy, hidden by her loud exterior.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/18It3rC

Kindling a new flame; Lucy doesn’t know how it happened, but she somehow has found herself crushing over someone again. Lucy gets all embarrassed around this person, and she just wants to hold their hand. This can be one sided or reciprocated.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/3WH03Fe

Once I idolized you, now I despise you: Imagine like Percy and Nico, Annabeth and Luke kinda thing. This is someone that Lucy used to look up to when she came to camp. She followed this person around, and was attached to them. They could do no wrong in her eyes.. until they did. Now she can barely even look at them. She is hurt and broken up inside.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/u2dXuvp

Sour little lemon: This is some person who just won't leave her alone. Like she has no interest in this person, but they won’t leave her alone. Kinda like a Gaston Belle situation.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/24HvjNp

Whoever said words don’t hurt lied: Lucy tries really hard to get most people to like her, and while people are nicer here at camp, you still always have those people who see the eyes and her name and go to the devil and make fun of her. She says it doesn’t hurt, that she is used to it, but that is a bold faced lie.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/2XeXyu4

[wanderingmoonsword]

Shadow Dire Bear

We’re continuing delving into the darkness today with the shadow dire bear. I’ll admit it, when I first saw the name, I was a little dubious. I figured it was a mistake, or maybe the result of a template that I’d missed. Nope! This is a full-fledged monster entry although the name tells you the basics – it’s a dire bear afflicted by the power of a shadow, able to create spawn from the animals it kills and sapping the strength of anyone afflicted by its shadowy touch. Things aren’t quite that simple, though – shadow dire bears are able to move between an inky black shadow form and resuming the shape of a massive, inky black bear with all the fury and strength of an enraged cave bear, though still ever so slightly intangible, enough that they take reduced damage. This gives them some unique tricks and tactics compared to most corporeal or incorporeal foes and lets a shadow dire bear present a very different kind of threat, forcing parties to respond to its ability to paralyze them with Strength damage or giving a group not prepared for an incorporeal foe an opportunity to drive the undead ursine off when it tries to grab and shred one of them with its massive claws. Hailing from the massive adventure series Slumbering Tsar, these bears can be an intimidating addition to your game, be they the pets of some dark power or shadowy, unliving survivors from a primeval age of savagery and dark magic.

After retrieving an ancient eldritch tome, a group of adventurer-archaeologists take it to a local museum of supernatural history to examine and test to try and determine more about its origins thanks to the aid of a friendly curator. Unfortunately, the slumbering power of the book of magic is not entirely quiescent, reawakening a great and terrible dire bear, its proudly restored bones clad in inky black shadows as the beast rages and tries to escape from the warded confines of the museum.

Blighted, twisted, and forsaken, the siabrae Shu’zhal refused to forego the companionship of the great bear that followed her on mortal adventures, battling against the stone giants and clashing with the monkey goblin kings. Taking some of the dust of her accursed land and a bit of stone from the megaliths that empowered her fell transformation, Shu’zhal called back the great bear’s spirit, fashioning a new body from shadows and dust. Now her companion once more roams her dominion, a dark and terrible guardian of the same cursed lands and lost druidic lore.

Hunters in the Zaigrov Foothills speak of a giant, mighty bear who was so greedy and hungry he ate even himself as the snows fall, refusing to sleep until he ate his fill. With nothing left but dust, bones, and bits of stained gore, the bear reawakens from time to time, trying to fill its stomach once more, but all the food simply drops out when it fades into the shadows like the spirit beast he’s become. Though many say these are superstitious tales or the dire warnings of taiga giants trying to keep trappers from their lands, every year, at least one woodsman disappears, the only clue a few giant paw prints.

- Tome of Horrors 4 19

Sorry if I missed a note or a post by someone I usually follow (particularly The Daily Character Option, a great way to delve into PF’s character options and for me, a source of inspiration for NPCs).  I’ve been a bit clocked out lately, not least because I’m doing prep work for an Exalted campaign.

Don’t worry, the monsters will keep on flowing, although I might drop back to three a week again for a while as I get on top of things.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael After Midnight: The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

Ah, October, a month where the internet becomes obsessed with ghosts and goblins in preparation for Halloween. And really, can I fault the people for that? The dark, macabre, and spooky make for great entertainment! Plenty of great scary movies out there for the adults to enjoy to get into the spirit, but what about kids? Well, there’s Goosebumps and all those other shows like it, but what about a dark, macabre cartoon filled with spooky shit?

Enter The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, one of the best Cartoon Network cartoons ever made. Released in August of 2001, it came just in time for that year’s Halloween, and lasted six years, with seven seasons under its belt. During that time, the show endeared itself to audiences with its combination of dark comedy, grossout humor, and just plain weird situations…though weirdness is par for the course when you’re pals with the Grim Reaper, I suppose.

So what is the plot of this cartoon? Well, one day a hamster owned by a stupid boy named Billy was about to die, and the Grim Reaper came to take him. Billy’s cunning, evil best friend Mandy decided to make a bet with the Grim Reaper; they have a game of limbo, and if he wins he gets the hamster… but if THEY win, he has too be their best friend forever. Of course, he loses, and then he becomes the put-upon pal of these two kids as they boss him around and force him to entertain them. Much hilarity (and chaos) ensues.

This show’s greatest asset was its variety. With Grim onboard, any sort of plot could be possible, from sci-fi stories where the gang fought aliens or mutant chickens to more horrifying stores where they fought demons, monsters, and other denizens of the underworld. And sometimes they would do something really weird, like the episode-long dream sequence in which Billy imagines he’s in the Wild West confronting the cowboy Tooth Fairy. This helps most of the episodes feel fresh, because going in you don’t know if you’re gonna get a story about a killer tricycle or an episode-long reference to Suspiria. Speaking of which, the show is pretty clever in its references, slipping in TONS of content for adult fans, from numerous dirty jokes that will fly over kid’s heads to references to movies no kid would see, such as the aforementioned Suspiria or Hellraiser. As there’s not much continuity here, this show is super easy to jump into at any episode and just watch and have a good experience, which is another plus; sometimes it’s nice to have a simple show driven only by its desire to tell jokes rather than tell an overarching story. And thankfully, the jokes here are mostly good, and have as much variety as the episodes themselves. One memorable episode is just an episode-long series of fart jokes, while another episode gets its laughs from giant mutant chickens and cannibalism. It’s THAT kind of show.

Now, none of these situations would be quite as good if the protagonists weren’t entertaining, so how are they? Let’s start with the guy whose name comes first in the title (technically speaking): Grim. Grim, the personification of Death with an inexplicable Jamaican accent, is bizarrely the straight man in this show… well, usually. When he has to deal with Billy, he plays the role with ease, but with Mandy, Grim can sometimes get a bit silly, though rarely to Billy’s level. As he is typically what allows the strange and supernatural hijinks of the show to occur, be it on purpose or inadvertently, he’s easily the coolest main character, and due to his put-upon nature and how sympathetic he ends up being due to the shit Billy and Mandy put him through, he’s also the most likable.

Billy is up next, and he is the stereotypical idiot comic relief character cranked up to 11. He’s stupid to the point it is stated by his principal in one episode that a shovel and two candy bracelets actually scored higher on an IQ test than he did (they got a positive 17; he got -5). Think Ed from fellow Cartoon Network cartoon Ed, Edd n Eddy, only with a bigger nose and voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz of Invader Zim and Psychonauts fame. Unlike Ed, though, the dangerous and supernatural experiences they faced combined with an occasional lack of empathy and his tendency to be a jerk can make Billy a bit of a divisive character; I tend to enjoy him quite a bit, but there are a few episodes where even he tried my patience. Still, overall he’s an enjoyable dope.

Then we have… Mandy. I’m just gonna say it: by the time the show came to an end, Mandy was easily the worst main character, maybe even the worst character on the show period. She’s typically portrayed as the Ultimate Evil, this epic child chess master who always comes out on top and never faces any sort of consequence for what she does. It’s a rare episode that sees her punished for her actions. However, in episodes where she’s not trying to pull off some evil scheme and is just reacting to the madness around her, she’s a solid character. The fact she’s voiced by Grey DeLisle does help things a bit.

As I said, there is very little continuity between episodes, but there is some, mostly in the form of reoccurring characters. In a show like this, the ensemble cast as well as one-shot characters really need to be on point, and boy oh boy are they ever in this show! This show may have one of the best and most enjoyable ensemble casts in a cartoon ever. The big standouts are Hoss Delgado, the buff monster hunter who is basically a combination of Ash Williams and Snake Plissken, with all that badassery that implies; Eris, the sexy and tricky goddess of chaos; Jeff, a gigantic spider (voiced by Maxwell Atoms, the show’s creator) who is Billy’s ‘son’ and just wants his spider-hating father’s love; General Skarr, a character from Evil Con Carne who is a cunning evil man who wants to usurp power and rule the world… or he used to be, now he just wants to tend his garden in peace; and, last but definitely not least, motherfuckin’ Dracula, voiced by Phil LaMarr and based visually on Blackula, who is basically a nonstop fountain of hilarity. Each of these characters is fantastic, funny, and able to fit into a variety of weird situations the show pops out. And this brilliance and hilarity extends to one-shot characters as well, such as the much-loved singing evil meteor and Jack O’Lantern, characters who had one appearance each but easily endeared themselves with fans. If there’s a weak link in any of the ensemble cast, it would probably be Fred Fredburger; while he’s not devoid of funny moments, his schtick was really overplayed and he ended up becoming an unofficial mascot for the series in the ads, which led to overexposure. It leads people to think he had a bigger part in the show than he did, when he had a few episodes and then appeared in a few of the specials.

Interestingly, Billy & Mandy is probably one of the few shows that really benefited from getting wackier as the show went on. The first season, when the show was Grim & Evil, is, for lack of a better word, a bit grim. The episodes still have comedy, but a lot of them just aren’t as funny as later episodes, and not many of the series mainstays pop up here, aside from Nergal, Eris, and Hoss. That’s not to say there’s nothing memorable here – “Little Rock of Horrors” is in the first season, after all – but the first season just doesn’t stack up quite as well to later ones. Season 2 introduces Jeff and Nigel Planter and has the legendary Halloween special, while season 3 has classics like “Here Thar Be Dwarves” and brings in Grim’s school bully Boogie. They only get better from here, save for season 7, which is easily the least memorable season of them all (though it does have its exceptions, particularly “Wrath of the Spider Queen"). 

 Now, normally this is where I would wrap up, but first, I want to do something a little different. I’m going to list the 25 episodes I think are essential viewing for the best Billy & Mandy experience. I’m not going to review each episode or even detail them, because it would basically be me explaining jokes and how they’re funny. These are just the episodes I think anyone getting in should see. So without further ado…

25. Attack of the Clowns

24. One Crazy Summoner

23. The Loser from the Earth’s Core

22. Toadblatt’s School of Sorcery

21. Wrath of the Spider Queen

20. Home of the Ancients

19. Nursery Crimes

18. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

17. Giant Billy and Mandy All-Out Attack

16. Nigel Planter and the Chamber Pot of Secrets

15. Modern Primitives

14. Prank Call of Cthulhu

13. Duck!

12. The Secret Snake Club

11. Jeffy’s Web

10. Fear and Loathing in Endsville

9. Here Thar Be Dwarves

8. Goodbling and the Hip-hop-opotamus

7. Billy and Mandy Moon the Moon

6. My Fair Mandy

5. Keeper of the Reaper

4. Little Rock of Horrors

3. Wishbones

2. Billy and Mandy’s Jacked-Up Halloween

1. Billy and Mandy Save Christmas

Now this is by no means a definitive list (though I certainly believe the Halloween and Christmas episode are the two best episodes of the show), but I do certainly think that these are some of the funniest, most memorable, and most enjoyable episodes the series produced.

This show is unarguably a classic. Funny, dark, witty, and filled with jokes for people of any ages to enjoy, this is the sort of cartoon that helped Cartoon Network be truly great in the early to mid-2000s, prior to their descent into madness with live action shows. It actually spawned a pretty solid TV movie, an incredibly bizarre crossover with Codename: Kids Next Door, and a failed spinoff movie called Underfist; I’d go into more detail, but honestly, that stuff is worthy of their own reviews, so I’ll save it.

Needless to say though, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy is one of the best cartoons of the 2000s, a real gem and definitely worth watching, especially its holiday specials which are among the best holiday specials, if not THE best (that Christmas episode is a strong contender). I kinda wish this show would get a revival of some kind, because even with the glut of comedy shows we have these days, as long as Maxwell Atoms is at the helm, I can’t see this show failing to stand out in the crowd… no show with such ballsy dark comedy and radar-dodging innuendos could ever be unwelcome.

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The Holzer Files Season 2 Returns to Travel Channel on Oct. 29

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The Holzer Files season 2 went through reams of files to choose all-new investigations into Hans Holzer’s paranormal mysteries. The investigative series launches with a special Halloween week premiere on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 11 p.m. ET.

The team, led by investigator Dave Schrader, psychic medium Cindy Kaza, equipment technician Shane Pittman and researcher Gabe Roth, investigates true hauntings from the recently discovered case files of America’s first ghost hunter, Dr. Hans Holzer.

“We knew when we greenlit The Holzer Files, we had something special on our hands, but we didn’t realize just how much of a paranormal pandora’s box we’d opened until we started filming,” Travel Channel general manager Matthew Butler said in a statement. “Hans was a prolific chronicler of hundreds of ghost hunts, preserving everything from photographs, case notes, letters, film footage and chilling audio recordings from his interview subjects and trance mediums. Most of this material has never been seen before and we’re just getting started.”

Born in Vienna in 1920, Dr. Hans Holzer is one of the most famous parapsychologists in this dimension. Recognized as the “father of the paranormal,” Holzer’s legendary four-decade exploration into hauntings helped spawn a generation of supernatural enthusiasts, including Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who were inspired to write Ghostbusters.

A gifted magical practitioner, Holzer was a master of the Craft, training with “King of the Witches” Alex Sanders who founded the Alexandrian tradition, and receiving his degrees from Maxine Sanders. Holzer’s works Witches: True Encounters with Wicca, Wizards, Covens, Cults and Magick, and Wicca: The Way of the Witches, helped codify modern witchcraft. The author of 138 books, mostly on the occult, Holzer is best known for inspiring The Amityville Horror.

In January 1977, he and Ethel Meyers, a medium, investigated the Long Island property reputedly haunted by previous owner Ronald Defeo Jr., who murdered his family at the home in 1974. Meyers determined the house was built over a Native American burial ground, and the killings happened because Defeo was possessed by Rolling Thunder, a Shinnecock Indian Chief enraged at the desecration.

Holzer’s daughter, Alexandra Holzer, helps Travel Channel reopen her father’s most captivating case files by “digging into thousands of documents, letters, photographs and chilling audio and visual recordings dating back to the 1950s,” according to the official synopsis. The team picks up where Holzer left off to re-examine the terrifying hauntings that he dedicated his life to researching.

The Holzer Files is a “cryptic mystery, bound by threads of truth, the voices of the past and the exploration of modern paranormal pioneers,” according to the advance press. “Viewers will experience a chilling chase, fueled by Holzer’s rediscovered archival files and haunting cinematography.”

The second season comprises 13 brand new one-hour episodes. The series will explore legendary cases. The famed ghost hunter’s original case files included an investigation which trailed President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth to a tavern in Maryland which hid the assailant after the assignation. The paranormal team will also probe the case of a serial killer in Ohio, and an elegant mansion in New York City, which is “home to one of the world’s most infamous hauntings.”

For every installment, the crew scans thousands of Holzer’s recently discovered documents, letters, photographs, audio and visual recordings dating back to the 1950s. Using his findings, team members track down recent developments from each haunting and head back to the location to reinvestigate with a fresh perspective, harnessing their own research, skills and expertise.

The premiere episode, “Phantom Hand,” explores a 1963 incident where the Todd family of Cleveland encountered “a ghastly hand reaching toward them from the basement door in their Mason Court apartment,” according to the official synopsis. “Despite nailing the door shut, the appendage pushed through and terrified the family for weeks before they finally fled with their young son. Though the Todd family moved out, more people in the Kingsbury Run area of Cleveland continued to contact Dr. Holzer about similar disturbing activity, finally prompting him to bring his trusted psychic medium, Ethel Meyers, to conduct an outdoor reading of the entire area. Her findings were vivid and terrifying, but nothing matched up with the city’s known history, so the many paranormal cases of Kingsbury Run were never closed.”

As the investigator’s hidden case file is finally reopened, new patterns emerge. The team studies the original letters to consider “the hauntings may point to a new central crossroads for the spirits,” according to the press statement. “However, as they unearth the area’s haunting past, they soon discover that they are likely dealing with restless souls that may have all died at the hands of the same infamous killer.”

Upcoming Holzer Files episodes include:

“Tell Me No Lies” – Premieres Thursday, November 5 at 10 p.m.

“Hans Holzer believed a sensational tale of heartache and murder hid the real story behind one of his most famous cases,” reads the official synopsis. The investigators travel to the Old Merchant’s House in New York City to “uncover the terrifying truth of this Victorian-age haunting.”

“Death to Tyrants” – Premieres Thursday, November 12 at 10 p.m.

Holzer’s case of the Surratt Tavern in Clinton, Maryland, the infamous first stop of John Wilkes Booth after assassinating Abraham Lincoln in 1865 will be dissected by Dave Schrader, Cindy Kaza and Shane Pittman.

“Final Word” – Premieres Thursday, November 19 at 10 p.m.

“Hans Holzer visited Ohio’s Franklin Castle many times, each time experiencing terrible technical difficulties, and never able to pinpoint the exact cause of the uncanny happenings plaguing the owners of the house for years,” according to the official synopsis. “Now, Dave Schrader, Cindy Kaza and Shane Pittman return, witnessing the troubled spirit manifest before their eyes. But their biggest discovery is something Holzer himself missed. They restore his jumbled audio recording to find a hidden voice, and the key to the castle’s haunting.”

“Edge of the Veil” – Premieres Thursday, November 26 at 10 p.m.

Hans Holzer had a lifelong obsession with Rockland County, New York, the site of his first case. “Half a century later, the team attempts to decode the region’s rampant paranormal activity,” the synopsis reads. “Does it stem from a revolutionary past or something far more sinister?”

“Blood in the Water” – Premieres Thursday, December 3 at 10 p.m.

The father of paranormal study heard rumors of spectral activity Staten Island’s Conference House. The historic site was famous for peace, but it had a “dark and bloody past,” according to the official synopsis. People reported noises, murmurs, moans, and pleas going back several generations. Holzer conducted two investigations. “Though his mediums, Ethel and Sybil, sensed the murder of a young woman on the staircase by an imposing man from the American Revolution,” the synopsis reads. “Holzer felt there was more to the case.” When the investigative crew return to the site, “the spirits guide them to the water’s edge where a terrible truth awaits.”

“Devil in the Rock” – Premieres Thursday, December 10 at 10 p.m.

The team follow up on Hans Holzer’s 1964 investigation of the Bates Ship Chandlery, on the coast of Massachusetts. “As they delve deep into the property’s past, they uncover a chilling undercurrent of darkness anchored in the rocky shores,” the synopsis explains.

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The Holzer Files season 2 premieres Thursday, Oct. 29 at 11 p.m. on Travel Channel.

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