#archie's got no clue what his story is about :D

[familyabolisher]

mar made me watch archie's all-american mind the other day and i'm now sooo insane over how it's literally archielita.....

[frozen-heart]

Thoughts on episode 7

Here we go again :D

Choices were definitely made with Dr Sullivan's backstory. I'm dissapointed they didn't mention the original A and cast. It would've been the perfect opportunity. I'm not sure why but it feels out of character for Archie to go after Dr Sullivan for years? Why would he kill her son? Why wait until he was like 16? I don't buy it being because she couldn't do more for him and his mother. Didn't he like hate his mother or something? Was Clanton involved? Where is Clanton? Did they get the idea for A, because Archie followed Dr Sullivan to Rosewood back when the original A attacked her?

Also, why would Dr Sullivan assume that it was Archie who killed her son? Especially with the 'A' scenery that got created allegedly by Archie. Wouldn't she assume it was Mona or any other A from the original PLL? She didn't know yet that Archie would call himself 'A' in the future.

I'm also feeling conflicted about her suddenly feeling the need to 'prove' her story to Imogen. Showing her allegedly dead son's grave doesn't prove anything btw. I somehow sympathize with her wanting to help Imogen and seek redemption for her mistakes, but something about it also feels off. And her suddenly dissappearing is giving me flashbacks to the original PLL, when she got threatened by A to dissappear.

This teacher right here is getting on my suspect list. He has technical knowledge for the SpookySpaghetti site, he could help Bloody Rose with the texts that are being send by people that are already dead and he could've had access to the girls final tests that they failed, to keep them in Millwood for summer school.

I wonder if these Rose's are from Mrs Beasley and Kelly or from Bloody Rose. It's implied that they're from Mrs Beasley, but we never exactly saw them place the flowers there.

I was also wondering, if the killings and Bloody Rose could be connected to Karen. Like how last season it was connected to Angela. It would make sense to test the Liars, to kill Sandy and the Pastor in connection to Karen. Not necessarily Nick and Sabrina tho.

I was wondering about the killings in general. The first two killing are Sabrina and Nick, who were mentioned on SpookySpaghetti and are meant to represent Bloody Rose's children Angela and Archie. But I don't think there were any mention of other people that were killed, like Sandy, on SpookySpaghetti. Where's the connection between everyone that got killed? Now with the Pastor getting killed and Kelly being attacked by Bloody Rose the killings/attacks seem to be random?

Why would Bloody Rose attack Kelly? Was this supposed to be a test for Kelly? Or is it because Faran told Kelly about Bloody Rose? Is that why Dr Sullivan dissappeared? Because Imogen told her about Bloody Rose? How did Bloody Rose know where she is? Also, why are they only warning Kelly now? They could've tried to warn her about another killer at least after Faran's test!

I hope Kelly will survive. I have a strong gut feeling that she will. The way Bloody Rose attacked her doesn't fit her. No stabbing, no blood. And she left her behind it seems. She never leaves a body behind, as we know. And we all know that she takes good care that no one finds out about her victims, because of all the text messages she keeps sending Sandy's mom for example. I've seen some people say that it might be a doll, that's what I thought when I saw the trailer for episode 6-8, but from the actual episode it actually looked like Kelly. Anyway, she needs to survive and redeem herself with the girls.

Faran x Greg... Why are they doing this? Kelly and him broke up like yesterday in their timeline. At least Greg broke up with Kelly before going after Faran ig.. This situation reminds me of the Caleb/Spencer/Hanna situation

Watch her drop the biggest bomb next episode and then dissappear again. She'll at least give a major clue on Bloody Rose. Her showing up at Mouse's house was so random lol. And why did Lola look so out of it? Did Rose tell her something disturbing?

Soo.. Let's take a deep breath and adress the elephant in the room:

Noa x Jen - Just getting on my nerves. After last episode there's no redemption for these two. I wish we could've seen the confrontation between him and Jen. I remember back in season 1 he got aggressive with the boys from Rosewood, so I guess it wouldn't be completely out of character. Especially considering he got cheated on and lied to. But when Noa trashed his car and their entire confrontation lacked that aggression. I thought he would definitely get another outburst when Noa went out of her house, but he just didn't, which feels contracting. And seemingly he also let her get away with trashing his car. I don't know. They could've handled it better. Noa trashing his car also felt like an overkill. Jen never said that he threatened her. It was so obvious that he would find out about them, get angry and would want to confront them.

Shawn is honestly just spitting facts right here:

Not related to this episode, but:

Everytime Mrs Langsberry suddenly pops up on the screen I got reminded of the Pretty Little Liars Spoof series! Some characters kept popping up out of the blue there too and it was hilarious every time.

[malt-rants-and-stuff]

I've got a few :) while I haven't been reading for dsmp as much lately my recs are the good shit I've been told lol

crypsis is a heartbreaking yet beautifully written tubbo centric hunger games au, focused on how he lives during and after his time in the games. it's brutal and whumpy and all around an amazing read. the way that tubbo is written here is so deliciously dark, though be warned for mcd and all around brutality in the things he says and does. might put you off it but for me personally I really liked how heavily the fic leaned into the fucked upness of everything that happens in it. really good stuff 👍

fuck you I'll do it is. such a read. like from start to finish it had me enraptured in the story going on, and it has a lot of unexpected but interesting secrets hidden below the surface. it's basically about tailor Tommy who accidentally finds himself surrounded by a whole lot of magic happenings with no clue about the secret world he's just stepped into. I wont say too much because the writing genuinely made for such interesting reveals and had me hooked on how I couldn't predict how things would play out. I will say to mind the tags, especially that mcd yet again, but that happy ending tag is no joke! it's a really satisfying and interesting experience and I would really recommend checking it out!!

an androids lament is also Tommy centric, and focuses on Android Tommy and mechanic dad Sam as they go through life trying to hide from things that try to hurt them. genuinely such a sweet and painful fic, love it to death. the story goes a lot of places but I loved the general themes of love and family and cool fucking robots that it had throughout. a really good one that i enjoyed :D

okay for this one gonna preface by saying the fic is on indefinite hiatus and incomplete HOWEVERRR it is genuinely my favorite thing to come out of this fandom and I'm not even kidding. the world building is absolutely stunning, the characters feel so damn alive, and the way the story weaves the two worlds together is absolutely amazing. okay let me actually explain what it's about lol. it's basically a Tommy-centric isekai fic. in a way. where Tommy from a much more realistic and war torn dsmp is brought to a fantasy au and chaos ensues as he tries to survive and figure out what to do. om the flip side it's also about the fantasy au and follows tubbo and ranboo as they try to survive the violent overtaking of the kingdom and who run into Tommy who doesn't exist in this world and has strange abilities and knowledge. it's so fucking good I reread it all the time because i love it so much. if you're up for a really detailed and fleshed out fantasy au with secrets and magical realism galore then I absolutely recommend this fic to you.

pretty straightforward fic, Tommy doesn't want to follow in the foot steps of his family, he just wants to farm. it's a bit more than that. lots of emotions and hurt comfort galore, a really lovely read that isn't as likely to leave you as emotionally ruined as the others I've mentioned, though the feels may get you anyways haha its really just a fic you've got to read for yourself and take time to enjoy :)

someone might call me evil for the things I've already recced but this is for sure me at my evilest. I'm going to say now if you want a Phil centric sbi fic to weep to this is that fic. absolutely amazing read, no notes. immortal teacher phil and the rest of sbi are his students. it's emotional and sad and heartwarming and sweet and gut wrenching and amazing. this fic is like an out of body experience kind of read. it's that kind of fic that changes you. I love it to death (haha). it's just a gorgeously written fic all around.

I call this one The Letter Fic because its just a really unique read. election arc beeduo who send letters back and forth, slowly getting closer each chapter. that's all it is and it takes that concept and plays it all out so well. I used to reread it all the time waiting between updates and it has a special place in my heart :)

THE 30 days smp fic. not dsmp necessarily but adjacent. beeduo centric and canon compliant so if you know 30 days you know how this goes. I remember crying back when I first read this and while I havent checked back in a while the emotions I felt seeing it when I went to find the link were enough to make me sure it's worth the read. just so so so good.

and for my final rec, the most iconic fic I have to offer at least in my eyes. devil town is a sbi (minus poor plot starter Tommy) centric mystery tragedy family drama set in the backdrop of a horror movie set up. when Tommy goes missing, everyone around town has their own opinions and theories. everyone has something to hide, and trails to sniff out. and if they're lucky, sbi might find that one of them leads back to Tommy. if this were a published novel it would be right at home in the horror section, and it's genuinely scary at times but that just makes it so wonderful to read. somehow the horror fic is not as dark as half the recs I've got here but still very good. the character writing is spectacular and everyone is so interesting. the drama weaves in well with the horror and the tension helps to build the paranoia about what is Really going on here in such cool ways. if you're into reading a written horror movie with a sarasfying ending and a really good extra one-shot then I'd absolutely recommend this fic

Inspired by @theminecraftbee -- you know what I haven’t seen going around in a while, and could use some of myself? How about some fic recs??

Consider this both a rec and a self-promo post: recommend some fics to me in the reblogs and I’ll reblog your recs! In general, try to include both a summary and why you’re reccing it (whether it’s a self-promo or someone else’s), and let’s get some eyes on fics!

[tuttifuckinfruttifriday]

Sweet, sweet MJ, part 2

-a deal, and a new friendship, kinda

part 1

Warnings: blood/mention of corpse and gore, angst, ooc Candyman, some comfort at the end and fluff, one curse wordx)

note: last part since I don’t want to make another part bc I’m super lazy c’: It might be a bit shitty too, I'm kinda having a writer's block

---

reminder:

“Here we meet, once again.” After trying and failing to take some desesperate deep breaths, she fell back and felt his arms around her, her muscles loosening, as she lost consciousness, hearing a slight chuckle escaping him and making what’s left of his chest rumble, the two oblivious to the increasing footsteps in the other room as the air thickened for the both of them.

-

As Archie got home, still scared of what he saw, he immediatly went to search for his dad or mom, wanting to ask them about the... Candyman, was it? It was probably just a story, but the uneasiness he felt in the bathroom really made him anxious, so he didn’t want to take any chances.

He opened the door and peeked in the living room and saw his little sister playing by the couch, so his parents are probably nearby, he thought as he slowly went to search for them.

He didn't have to search far, though, because not even a minute later, his dad came in. ''Dad! '' Archie turned around and went towards him, giving him a hug and surprising the older clown. Pennywise, still not familiar with this kind of affection, gave his son's head some small pats and looked down at him with an awkward smile. His painted lips turned into a real one as he bent down before him when he let go. ''Heya, kiddo. You okay? '' Archie looked to the side and hesitated a bit, thinking about if it's a good idea asking his dad that question. He'd probably find it childish, he told himself before he finally decided to ask him. ''I've got a question.. It might sound childish, though..'' ''Shoot. '' The grown man's/creature's curious face eased him a bit. Archie hesitated and took a deep breath. ''Is... Is The Candyman real?'' He asked with an anxious tone to his voice as he looked at his dad, who seemed spaced out for a small moment, before the latter replied.

''Yep.'' He popped the 'p' nonchalantly.

Oh. okay.....

Well, let's say the small clown didn't think his dad would say it like that.

''He-he's real??'' ''Totally.'' ''Oh...'' Archie stared at him with wide eyes. ''...Why'd you wanna know?'' His dad asked as he tilted his head with a cocked eyebrow.

*

As soon as Jason entered the bathroom, having heard a small thump, he would have yelled if he could. Immense panic invaded his senses as he looked around for his wife, the latter nowhere to be found when he just saw her going to the bathroom. The panicked husband was sadly oblivious to the small but deep scratches beside the mirror in the bathroom as he went out and immediately went into his daughter's bedroom. He almost hesitated to wake her up, but he needed to make sure she was okay, and he wanted to know if she knew where MJ was and he was panicking for nothing.

''D-dad? '' Not wanting to attack her eyes with the harsh light of her room, he opened the small lamp beside her bed. As soon as she was sitting up, looking at her dad sleepily but anxiously, he took the notepad on small desk and asked her where her mom is. The red haired girl frowned and tilted her head at him, oblivious to his anxious expression on his face. ''I-I don't know.. She tucked me in and I fell asleep. '' Malon mumbled as her father's thoughts began to race faster. He got up from his leaned position and put a finger up, a sign that told Malon to stay there as he tucked her back in, walking rapidly towards the doorway and out of her room. He continued his way to the outside, making sure the traps outside the door were activated before he went in search of his beloved wife, looking to the forest ground for any clues.

Little did he know that inside, little Malon couldn't sleep anymore, now worried about her mother. Her mind was filled with anxious thoughts and.. and thoughts about the Candyman thing. It was childish, she knew, but she just couldn't help that she felt that maybe it was true.

*

''A-alright... I'm sorry, okay.. I don't know what I did, but it was Rachel who called you.. I didn't do anything...'' The scared woman mumbled as she almost cowered in the corner, looking at the towering figure before her. You're probably asking yourself why he took her, right? Well, here's the story:

Teen MJ and her friend, Rachel, were having a sleepover at the latter's house, and with the latter's other friends.

I'm precising that it's Rachel's friends, because they didn't even spare a glance at MJ, and they sure didn't look like they wanted to be her 'friends' anytime soon. They were Lily and Lesley, brunette twins who radiated 'daddy's girls' vibes. They were almost never kind to anyone, except Rachel. So it didn't surprise MJ that she invited them. The three were perfects, Rachel with her golden hair and brand clothes with the twins having matching outfits, clothes that were probably two pay checks MJ's parents had. She honestly had no clues why she even hung out with them, but the blonde was still nice to her, so she didn't mind. As the four were in a circle on the carpeted floor of Rachel's bedroom, snacks around them, Rachel seemed to have a bright idea and got out; ''Who wants to invoke and evil spirit? '' (nvm not a good idea-) The twins beside her immediately looked scared as MJ's mood perked up, her curious eyes going to her friend. ''With what?.. A Ouija board? I don't think your parents would let you have that...'' ''It's like Bloody Mary, it's from a mirror'' She replied with a roll of her eyes. It took some time as the twins were hesitant, but they joined as soon as MJ asked what's the 'game's name. ''It's The Candyman-'' She started as she explained the 'ritual' (from her words). Evidently, the girls really didn't want to do it, especially MJ.

With the pressure Rachel was putting on her friends though, the twins decided to do it, but MJ stayed out. She was deeply scared of bees, and didn't want to mess with a vengeful spirit, even if it was probably fake. The air seemed to thicken as she watched them going to the bathroom, seeing them from her spot in the room since the bathroom is facing the bedroom. She watched as they closed the light and giggled a tiny bit, whispering before they began chanting his name. MJ scoffed and got up when they finished, rolling her eyes as they laughed. Before they had the chance to get out of the bathroom, the door slammed in their faces.

MJ stayed still, the room seeming now much colder than it was as her eyes widened. ''Guys... It's not funny. -'' ''MJ! Why'd you close the door?? '' ''I didn't do anything! '' ''Well help us, please! We're locked!! '' The girls screamed in the bathroom as she went to the door and desperately tried the handle, it obliviously not working. Her breathing picked up as she started to panic a bit, hearing the girls still screaming at her to open the door, poor MJ oblivious to what's behind the door, so she still thought a bit that they were still messing with her. The screams intensified and that's when she really went on full panic mode, adrenaline flowing through her veins as she heard who she thought is Lily, let out a bloodcurdling scream. Rachel's parents weren't there, so she did the only thing she thought of; She slammed her body into the door multiple times, hearing some other screams before it suddenly got all quiet. Before she could throw her shoulder again, she heard a click and the door opened by itself, making the young woman stop in her swing. ''Rachel.... Girls, t.. This isn't funny...'' The hair on her arms rose up and before she knew it, she was looking at three corpses.

Her eyes were still wide open as the adrenaline slowly diminished. Blood made her socks wet as she observed the mutilated bodies of the teenagers she was with and got a foot inside the large bathroom, petrified. It seemed like they were mauled by something sharp, Lesley's inside hanging out as she was positioned sitting down, leaned against the bath, dead eyes looking into the distance. Her sister was face against the ground, her head turned to the side as blood still fell from her mouth. When MJ's knees gave out, an agonizing cry left her lips.. And then she saw Rachel, the girl clutching at her throat as gurgles left her half open mouth. Her eyes were as wide as MJ's, tears sliding down her cheeks as she stared at the barely opened door. A tall coat wearing figure was standing before her, their back turned as they were bent a bit to reach the foolish dying teen. You could say that it was probably a male from how they were standing, and the fact that they were much taller than her. He had black hair, the latter complementing his skin and fluffy coat. You could see some checked pants at the bottom of his long coat, and shiny shoes that didn't seem to have any blood or anything on them. If he wasn't killing her friend, she could have probably said that he had style, an eye for putting an outfit together. The girl couldn't do anything as she heard him letting out a grunt when he impaled Rachel with what she could now see as a hook in where's supposed to be his hand... The fucking Candyman.

Realization took her as she watched him get up, a deep sigh leaving him before he turned around and looked at her, still in her kneeling position as tears finally fell down her cheeks, a whimper escaping her quivering lips. The Candyman got closer, now more towering over MJ as he tilted his head a bit, his hook gently going to her chin and pushing her head up a bit, their eyes now locked. It was as if she was in a trance as his dark but seemingly soft eyes locked with blue ones. Her body seemed to be floating on a cloud as bees buzzed around in the background. ''I'm coming back for you, sweet, sweet MJ..'' Her body felt even lighter at that promise, as her head nodded without her consent, and her crying reduced as her muscles relaxed. '' 'Till then... Spread my name.''

-

After he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, MJ called the cops and then got to her house with them, her parents immediately going to her side and engulfing her in their arms. She couldn't answer any questions and went to her room, strait away going to her room and to her laptop. She pushed her trauma aside and googled his name, finding a wiki page about him. Reading more, she found out his real name is Daniel Robitaille and how he died. Even though she saw his gruesome art not even 20 minutes earlier, she didn't think he deserved it, and felt really bad about what happened to him, how they chased him because of his skin color and status in the society, pried him from his love, and tortured him like that. Sorrow and pain from reading and relieving the earlier moments seeped through her bones as she leaned back against her chair, her hands sliding down her face as a big flash of tiredness took over her. Before she knew it, she was sliding down and her eyes were closed, her breaths slowing as her head leaned against the back of her chair and she fell asleep, into a new nightmare, remembering the promise the killer made her.

*

The entity seemed to be thinking as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, his dark piercing eyes going to MJ as his shoulders slacked a bit, remembering when he told the scared woman before him. There was a pregnant pause as MJ's eyes watered, knowing full well her fate -

'' I may make you a deal, MJ...'' He said, his echoing honeyed voice making the woman look at his face in surprise.

--

With his face in his hands, Jason sat at the table, his brows furrowed in despair, and on the verge of crying. He had searched everywhere, and was certain he probably searched the full forest, but didn't see MJ anywhere. He had sent Malon to play with Archie since he didn't want her worrying too, but he still couldn't help but to feel alone. The killer's blood lust was going up as he didn't have his anchor to keep him down, and he really didn't like that. He desperately wished for her to be there-His head snapped up when he heard familiar footsteps coming towards the kitchen. The chair almost flew backward as he got up as fast as he could, going towards the living room and freezing in place as he saw his wife looking at him with curiosity. He pinched his arm, thinking he was hallucinating, until he heard her sweet voice greet him by his favorite nickname. ''Hi, honey...'' He had to maintain himself from running and crushing her, but he still hugged her tightly, feeling her hugging him back, her face crushed against his chest. Jason's chest rumbled with a silent laugh as disbelieve filled him, his chin going to rest gently on her shoulder.

Later on, MJ baked some sweets and put them on the counter, remembering the deal he made her. Her feet carried her to the bathroom and she called his name five times, making sure that Jason and Malon weren't near. When she got back, what she baked was gone, and a small smile came onto her face. If she could protect herself and her family like that, then she'd do it for the rest of her life.

Let the deal begin.

[underneaththesurface]

The murder of Jason Blossom

Estelle: Good evening, Riverdale. I’m Estelle Ollier.

Omi: And I’m Omi Klyde.

Estelle: And this is Underneath The Surface, where we dive into the history of our town, Riverdale.

And today, we'll be talking about the murder of Jason Blossom.

Omi: The murder that sent this town in a downward spiral...Well, more than it already was.

Estelle: Well, let's just say that it sure gave a couple of families some unwanted attention.

Omi: Their meddlin' days were numbered!

Estelle: (chuckles) And this is how it happened:

Estelle: On the morning of the 4th of July 2017, the twins Cheryl and Jason Blossom drove out to Sweetwater River for an early morning boat ride.

Later that morning, the local scouts' group found Cheryl by the shore, crying.

She claimed she dropped her glove in the water, and when Jason reached for it, the boat tipped over. That was the last time she saw Jason.

Omi: This sounds like a much more abysmal version of Kim Kardashian losing her diamond earring.

Estelle: Maybe if Kim had lost it before people started dying.

Omi: Maybe the Blossoms and Kardashians could learn something from each other.

Estelle: (gasps)

Estelle: I'd rather not think about that.

Omi: Oh god, not like THAT!

Estelle: This is going to be a looooong night (chuckles)

Omi: Don't get me started on reality tv...I could talk for days.

Estelle: I'll just move on.

Omi: Yes, go on.

Estelle: About a month later, two teenage boys who wish to remain anonymous found Jason's body on the river shore, with a bullet wound in his forehead.

The coroner discovered that Jason had been a victim of animal scavenging. But he also found ligature marks, and signs that he was frozen.

And last but definitely not least, it turned out that Jason died on the 11th of July, instead of the 4th.

Omi: Yikes.

Estelle: Y-yeah, that changed the story.

Estelle: The results led the investigation to Cheryl, who voluntarily went with them as she claimed she expected them to find out she was guilty.

Omi: That girl’s been through Hell.

Estelle: Yeah, I guess being a Blossom is both a blessing and a curse.

Omi: I guess so. What happened next?

Estelle: In the principal's office, Cheryl admitted that Jason wanted to leave town and never come back and that she helped him come up with the plan, so their parents wouldn't go looking for him.

They made it to Greendale, and Jason left, saying he'd reach out in a month. But he never did.

She also mentioned hearing a gunshot the same day, and sheriff Keller let her go.

The next day, Archie Andrews admitted he too heard a gunshot that day. However, he claimed he didn't see who fired the gun.

When sheriff Keller asked why he was there and what he was doing, and if he was with someone who could've seen the shooter.

Archie answered that he was writing songs and that it was just him and his dog.

Omi: Was it really, though?

Estelle: Mmm, I heard things but I'm not sure it qualifies as evidence.

Omi: Same, that's fair.

Estelle: Fast-forward to several days later, on the last movie night at the Twilight Drive-In, someone broke into the Kellers' home, and stole all the evidence in the Jason Blossom murder case, including the documented files, background checks, and the video and audiotapes of police interviews. For sheriff Keller, this meant that Jason Blossom's murderer must be from Riverdale since the burglar must've known he wasn't home at the time.

Estelle: In September, sheriff Keller received a text from an unknown number, stating that Jason planned to run away with Polly Cooper as his parents disapproved of their relationship.

Polly never made it Greendale, however, as her parents sent her to Sisters of Quiet Mercy.

They had a getaway car parked on the side of the highway, along with Jason's belongings.

But by the time they reached the vehicle, it had been set on fire, destroying any potential evidence or clues.

Omi: What a coincidence...

Estelle: Mhmmm.

Omi: Alexa, play Things We Lost In The Fire... Wait, is that copyright? Do I have to sing again?

Estelle: Oh my God... Maybe play a snippet?

Omi: Lit... Like that car was. Ok, I’ll play it.

(things we lost in the fire starts to play)

Estelle: I'll try to chime in at a good moment.

Omi: (turns song off at the chorus)

Ok, I think that’s as far as my dad’s money can take us.

Estelle: (laughs)

Estelle: Ok, time to be serious again.

At the sheriff station, as he was about to start investigating the remains of the vehicle, the Blossoms let him know that Polly escaped the Sisters of Quiet Mercy on the same night that the car burned down, making this their new suspect.

Omi: Oh?

Estelle: Somehow, very short-lived, though.

Estelle: Meanwhile, during the investigation on the burned down vehicle, two fingerprints showed up, belonging to Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones.

Jughead's prints were on file from an incident that took place in 2011, where he attempted to burn down Riverdale Elementary School.

Omi: Queenie told me bout that, but I never thought it was true, damn. How did our lovely detective couple manage to involve themselves in this case?

Estelle: I guess, Betty got involved because of her sister.

Omi: True.

Estelle: Jughead, I don't know.

It didn't help him since they took him to the station.

During interrogation, Keller brought up Jughead's school records, stating that he was bullied a lot by the football team, whose captain was Jason, giving Jughead a motive to murder Jason.

Omi: Oh damn.

Estelle: Didn't look so good for him.

However, Keller later released Jughead after Fred Andrews claimed that Jughead was working for him the day Jason died.

Omi: Mr. Andrews always comin' in clutch.

Estelle: It felt a little too convenient if you ask me.

But that's also how I felt about the lie that Jason drowned since he used to be in our water polo team.

Omi: the Jones and Andrews have always been close. Wouldn’t surprise me if it was a coverup-LEGALLY I’m not saying it was though...

Omi: Wasn’t he one of the better swimmers, too?

Estelle: Yeah, so I don't understand why that was considered plausible before they found him.

Omi: It was an easy answer without taking the background into consideration.

Estelle: That applies to half the murder cases in this town.

Omi: Exactly...

Estelle: So, sheriff Keller returned his attention to Polly, who was pregnant and living at the Pembrooke at the time.

She confirmed that she and Jason intended to run away.

She then informed the sheriff that Jason was involved with the Southside Serpents, as he made a one time deal to deliver drugs for them in exchange for money.

Later that day, sheriff Keller received a phone call that two guys attacked an Andrews Construction employee.

The owner, Fred Andrews, mentioned that Clifford Blossom had his wishes to halt the project.

His son Archie, however, suggested that it may have been two members of the Southside Serpents, the location used to be part of their territory.

Omi: Is that so?

Estelle: It was one of the places the Serpents used to hang out, I heard.

Omi: Ahh, okay.

Estelle: I heard sheriff Keller let it slide, though. Which is weird to me.

Omi: Keller isn’t always the most...vigilant sheriff though.

Estelle: True, but his son also worked there. Makes me wonder if he'd let it slide then...

Anyway, let's move to the first real suspect of this case.

Estelle: On October 5, Keller received an anonymous tip, and he and his deputies obtained a warrant to search FP Jones' trailer.

In the trailer, they found the murder weapon in a lockbox, and they arrested FP Jones.

In the interrogation room, sheriff Keller informed Jones that the gun matched the bullet they found in Jason's body.

Omi: How did Jones react?

Estelle: According to FP, Jason approached him at the White Wyrm and explained his situation and that he needed money and a getaway vehicle.

FP made a deal that if he made a delivery for the Serpents, he'd give him money and a getaway car.

However, FP kidnapped him in Greendale, and he held him hostage in the basement of the White Wyrm.

Earlier, he learned that Jason was a Blossom, and he hoped to get a large amount of cash for his return.

But before he was able to make the call, Jason attempted to escape, and FP shot him, hid his body in the freezer, and later dumped his body in Sweetwater River.

Omi: Do we really believe that FP shot him?

Estelle: It is a little strange that he immediately chose to shoot him.

FP was a football player in high school, he'd know how to tackle him.

Omi: That seems like it would do more harm than good. One would think that, yeah.

Estelle: But sheriff Keller got a confession, and I guess that's all that mattered.

Omi: I wish this town would do better background checks.

Estelle: Sheriff Keller asked if FP also broke into his home, to which he admitted he was.

After the interrogation, FP's son and his friends approached sheriff Keller, claiming that someone planted the gun inside the Jones' trailer.

Omi: Oh?

Estelle: But like I said, sheriff Keller got a confession. And that was enough.

Omi: (sarcastically) Of course it was.

Estelle: The next day, the station received a 911 call that someone found a Serpent named Mustang dead in his hotel room.

In his hotel room, they found a duffel bag with a large sum of money, with the initials "H.L." on it.

At first, sheriff Keller assumed it was Hermione Lodge who gave him the bag until the daughter brought up that her father - who has the same initials - was in business with the Serpents.

Estelle: Well. Now we know why they gave up the Drive-In.

Omi: I was about to say... He’ll buy up this whole town when no one’s looking I swear.

Estelle: The world is just a Monopoly board for him. Even in prison. And, surprisingly, sheriff Keller let this slide.

But then, later that night, Alice Cooper handed Keller a USB flash drive.

The flash drive contained a surveillance video of Jason's murderer.

Despite his confession, it was Clifford Blossom and not FP Jones.

Omi: He’s got too many of those Get Out Of Jail Free cards, doesn’t he? Killing his own child? Disgraceful...

Estelle: Mhmm. And let me tell you why he did it.

Estelle: Jason wanted no part of the business, and Clifford feared that Jason running away could lead to his arrest, as his maple syrup business was a cover-up for transporting heroin. So, he had Mustang took Jason to the White Wyrm and later shot him.

Clifford then murdered Mustang and staged it as a suicide.

Arriving at Thornhill to arrest Clifford, they found Clifford in the barns where he hung himself.

Omi: Well, that was a rollercoaster.

Estelle: (laughs) I spent so much time trying to make sense of it for tonight. It's impossible.

Omi: I’m still not processing it. Like...what??? How the??? What??? That’s insane!

Estelle: It's like an episode of Dynasty.

Omi: I haven’t gotten to that show yet... Is it really?

Estelle: (sighs)

Estelle: Yes.

Omi: I'll put in on my list then.

Estelle: Back to the drama in our town:

Now that the real murderer was revealed, some people started to wonder what this meant for FP Jones.

Omi: Well, they obviously let him out, right? Or did he have a different but equally as essential role to play in this?

Estelle: Well, he was still guilty of tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, mishandling a body, perjury, etc.

So, he still remained in custody.

However, Sheriff Keller offered FP a deal that the DA and Mayor McCoy were willing to offer him leniency if he handed them the names of the drug dealers.

Estelle: Basically, throwing his own people under the bus.

Omi: isn’t that like, against serpent law?

Estelle: It's one of their most important ones, so I've heard.

Omi: same. Damn...and he’s still the leader?

Estelle: Which is why he declined the offer, and had to await trial, possibly facing twenty years.

Omi: well that’s good at least...the not breaking rules part.

Estelle: Yeah you might go to prison and won't be out until you're well into your sixties but-

hey, at least you didn't snitch on your buddies.

Omi: that just seems like a lose-lose situation

Estelle: I know he made the better choice given his environment, but-

yeah.

Estelle: Well, I guess we reached the end of this episode of Underneath The Surface. I'm Estelle.

Omi: And I'm Omi.

Estelle: Don’t forget to tune in next week, and join us for our next topic: the horror on Wabash Avenue.

Omi: See y'all then!

[captainthane]

My Caretaker Is A Demon: How To Feed A Human Kid?

From all the contracts and deals Xel had to do through her immortal life, the one with that brat was certainly the most annoying and irritating one. Taking care of a human kid? No sense. She was a powerful demon that loved to torture the damned souls in hell. She had no clue how to raise a little mortal brat. She shouldn’t never have accepted his contract. But what was done, was done. It had been only one day with him and she already wished to quit. However, a contract is unbreakable.

- I’m hungry...(Archie)

- Fine! Have this, little brat. (Xel)

She dropped a piece of uncooked meat on Archie’s hand. He looked at it with an unfazed face.

- I...Humans don’t eat like that today. (Archie)

Xel was very irritated by his words. She was angry that she accepted to take care of a brat like him.

- Don’t be difficult brat! (Xel)

Then a silence was surrounding the atmosphere. Both of them remained quiet and didn’t say a word. Until Archie started to giggle. Xel was surprised by that.

- Why are you laughing?! (Xel)

- Hahaha! Don’t tell me that despite your immortality and you super long life, you never learned how to cook. (Archie)

She was astonished and she clinched her fists in anger. He was still giggling at the scene. She sighed and thought.

- “As much as I hate to admit it...he has a point...in hell we only eat meats from hellish animals or some parts of the souls we have there. Wait a minute, maybe..” (Xel)

She realised a solution was possible. 

- Urgh, don’t move. I will be back. (Xel)

- But I have nowhere else to go? (Archie)

She could hear it was sarcastic but she didn’t reply. She disappeared for quite a few long minutes. Suddenly, she was back in a plate of cooked food but Archie couldn’t recognise them.

- That smells really good! (Archie)

- You better eat the plate then before I change my mind. Just be careful, it might be a bit too spicy for you. (Xel)

And it was really spicy but quite tasty too. He could taste some vegetables and meats. Xel was looking at him eating in silence again. She sighed quietly so he couldn’t notice.

- “It’s only the first day...” (Xel)

- That was delicious! (Archie)

- Good for you, I have to go now. I will come back later maybe. Just go home. (Xel)

As she was about to leave, Archie looked a bit down. 

- I don’t have any home...(Archie)

She sighed deeply. 

- “You have got to be kidding me...” (Xel)

Second story with this chaotic duo XD. Poor Xel, it’s only the beginning XD. You are not ready for the next days or weeks XD. I hope you will like it ^^. The drawings were made by @wildstarfan​ :D

Archie and Xel belong to me

Okaria et feria belongs to me, @wildstarfan​ @jenny626​

[eddycurrents]

Hellboy & The BPRD: 1954 - “Ghost Moon”

Story: Mike Mignola & Chris Roberson | Art: Brian Churilla | Colours: Dave Stewart | Letters: Clem Robins

Originally published by Dark Horse in Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 - Ghost Moon #1-2 | March-April 2017

Collected in Hellboy & The BPRD: 1954

Plot Summary:

At the behest of Bruttenholm’s longtime friend Lady Cynthia, Hellboy, Sue, and Archie head off to Hong Kong to help a British team deal with a spiritual energy that seems to have them scuppered.

Reading Notes:

(Note: Pagination is in reference to the chapter itself and is not indicative of anything found in the issues or collections.)

pg. 1 - I love this opening of Bruttenholm and a couple other agents just chilling. While conceptually it’s similar to many of the openings where Bruttenholm’s gathered a group of agents to tell them their mission, contextually it’s different. It gives the opening a somewhat different feel, as though this one’s unexpected.

pg. 2 - Also nice to see Archie out in the field.

pg. 3 - The detail in these decorations for the Hungry Ghost Festival is incredible. I love what Brian Churilla and Dave Stewart do here.

pg. 4 - “Roland Childe” I’d swear is surely an alias. Because of Browning’s Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came. Coupled with his appearance, he seems to scream spy.

pg. 5 - The explanations of the festival are quite nice. Gives it an overall nice flavour to the story.

pg. 6 - Gorgeous layout here. Also, Sue reinforces that doubt as to the identities that Roland is providing.

pg. 8 - The overall amount of information about Hong Kong and then-current Chinese history and politics is interesting. It’s definitely giving the story an overall unique feel.

pg. 10 - I love the layout here. Sue at the end not being confined within a panel when she uses her psychometry is a nice choice.

pg. 11 - And it seems like a ton of people just got their souls stolen.

pg. 14 - I love these two demons. Great designs.

pg. 15 - Although they’re shouting “return them” repeatedly, the demons do seem to have some normal sense of intelligence. So, you’d think that when it became obvious that Archie and Hellboy didn’t have a clue what they were shouting about, they’d try to tell them, maybe.

pg. 16 - I think it’s interesting that before coming into this building, Roland was very adamant about the group sticking together. You wonder what’s changed that now he wants to search separately.

pg. 18 - I like the tone to the blue spirits that Stewart uses. It’s somewhat consistent with what we’ve seen with Vic’s monkey and a few other stories. Its almost argon blue glow really gives it an unnatural feeling.

pg. 19 - Great action here. Also, there’s a little ring that the demon seems to be wearing with a fly in it. I would guess that this is a reference to which house of hell he’s affiliated with in the broader Hellboy infernal hierarchy.

pg. 21 - Sue seems to have a familiarity with the group that this guy seems to represent. I also quite like the building tension in the different story threads.

pg. 24 - Interesting bit of Sue’s family’s backstory.

pg. 25 - Sad that this seems to be all about one of the British agents turning on everyone else.

Also, all of the faces of the spirits are just unnerving. Great job.

pg. 26 - Hellboy’s automatic move of protecting Archie is quite sweet.

pg. 27 - Stockpiling occult artifacts in Chengdou seems to be a reference to what ultimately happened long after in BPRD that caused the psychic backlash resulting in Johann being disembodied.

pg. 28 - Not having a plan when having an incredible amount of power at your fingertips is probably a bad thing.

pg. 30 - The design of the gate that the demons are guarding is neat.

pg. 32 - Dude’s got issues.

pg. 33 - The member of the Golden Crane just throwing himself at Thomas and tackling him is hilarious.

pg. 34/35 - Nice double page spread here. Seeing what’s going on in hell can’t possibly be pleasant.

pg. 37 - This is funny, but I also get the impression that ultimately what was unspoken was that Hellboy himself had to smash the spirit jar. The “SMASH” from Clem Robins is gravy.

pg. 39 - Some people really are delusional.

pg. 40 - Early bits of Hellboy’s family and legacy are just weird. Also, they’ve got a good point about eating.

pg. 41 - I wonder what this is setting up.

pg. 42 - The “Be seeing you” is a nice touch. It was generally how citizens of the Island in The Prisoner said goodbye to one another. This advances the overall idea that this was all a cover for some sort of intelligence operation.

pg. 44 - Which is more or less confirmed here.

Final Thoughts:

Where the previous two stories set in 1954 so far have had ties to the broader Hellboy universe and set up a new recurring character, this one gets back into more of the simmering plotlines that have carried over specifically through these historical stories. It’s only slight and doesn’t form the main thread for the story, but it’s nice to see some simmering plots still on the boil, like Sue’s character arc and the shady goings-on within the occult intelligence community. It’s a nice way to give interconnectivity to the historical stories, without them necessarily detracting from what can also be read as a standalone story.

Also, Brian Churilla is another perfect fit for the Hellboy universe. He has an exaggerated style somewhat in the same wheelhouse as Eric Powell and it really fits the supernatural. His demons, in particular, are a real highlight to this story. There’s a weightiness to their character designs that adds even more to the action scenes.

d. emerson eddy is ready to eat some turkey in solidarity.

[lovableah]

F.U. - Sweet Pea

[Imagine based on F.U. by Little Mix and a story about you and Sweet Pea's summer break-up]

You thought everything was going well, but you were wrong. Out of sudden, Sweet Pea dropped you like you were nothing to him. Maybe not totally without a clue, but you thought you two were going strong in the relationship you both started a year previously. Maybe you guys haven't been meant to be together, but why did it still hurt so bad? Sweet Pea loved you, you were his first love, and felt guilty for his own damn feelings.

After the Ghoulies came back and Black Hood was finally caught, you thought you could finally have a peaceful time with your boyfriend. It started off good, but just two weeks later, you felt a change. Sweet Pea changed. Maybe it was the party he went to? Before he left, he told you, he loved you and kissed softly your forehead. Once he returned, he was distant towards you and didn't even reach for your hand. How couldn't you see the glances the two were exchanging in your present? Have you been too careless, thinking he would be truthful to you, or were they just good at playing things?

You remember the night when Sweet Pea didn't show up to your anniversary dinner. You dressed up nicely and cooked dinner for him. First, he didn't text you in any way, you thought he was planning a surprise. However, when you saw your boyfriend on Fangs Instagram story along with Josie and Choni, you knew something was going on. Maybe he was still playing an act, but when the clock stroke midnight and your boyfriend didn't show a sign of living, you broke down. You couldn't call Toni, Cheryl, Jughead or Fangs. They were friends with and probably knew all along what was going on. The only person left was Veronica, but she was going through the pain of her father putting a murder on her boyfriend. She had no one, not even her family, who was thinking that Sweet Pea had been cherishing her all day.

In the next morning, you showed up at his trailer to confront him. You had a long long speech, which could lead to a break-up, but when he opened his door and saw your devastated face, he started to ramble about how sorry he was. He showered you with kisses, hugs and I-Love-You's while you could smell the perfume of Josie McCoy. There was even a strain of lipstick marked on his tan skin. As you mentioned it, he lied to your face, saying she had a bad day and he embraced her in a friendly manner. The soft smile he tried to remain on his face, made you melt and you believed him.

Once you got home, you were not only disgusted by him but also by yourself. How could you let him play with you and your feelings? You were such a fool for him and he loved it. Dirty, disgusting but you can't get enough of his loving. Telling your parents about it, they told you to end it, but you just couldn't. Only a few days later, you found a letter in your mailbox which had the words 'My dear love' written on the envelope. You said down on your bed, opening the paper slowly and with every line of the letter, your heart broke in another two pieces, then four and maybe later in a thousand. You looked into the mirror, practicing what you could answer but when you saw him at school the next day, you couldn't bring a word out.

It was even more hard, to face your friends, so you just stayed all alone. You didn't want to see them, talk to them or even hear their names. They betrayed you as much as he did. Even though they wore guilt on their faces, it didn't mend the broken pieces of your heart. At the pool party, shortly before the beginning of junior year, you saw Josie and Sweet Pea kissing. Holding back your tears, you felt how Archie softly touched your shoulder before walking over to his girlfriend. Reggie, Josie's ex, stood behind you, looking as broken as you did.

"Do you think it will ever hurt less?" Reggie asked softly as he gazed at the couple. You looked at him for a moment, before turning around again, seeing Sweet Pea wrapping his arm around Josie. "I don't know." You really hated him for what he has done to you, but you also couldn't stop loving him. This wasn't the end, but the highest point of the mountain. All you could say was, A. B. C. D. E. F. U.

[Another part based on Hair, Good Enough or These Four Walls? (Or maybe another Little Mix Song? 🌝]

Sweet Pea Tag-List: @hexingholland @daddyslittlecaptain @stuttering-psychopath @cece-lives-here

[finn-nelson-for-the-win]

Hiya everyone!

I’ve had a lot of time to write recently and I may or may not have written the next 5 chapters, so to keep these chapters coming out on a regular basis, I figured now was as good of a time as any to post chapter 5…A large portion of this chapter was initially part of my chapter 4 update, but I decided to split it up to prevent chapter 4 from being like 10,000 words lol. Luckily, I was able to get this chapter back down under my 3,000 words or less goal (I feel like that’s a decent length, but if you prefer longer chapters let me know and maybe I won’t be as strict on myself with that goal.)

So picking up where my last post left off, Rae is overwhelmed by her recent realization that Finn could be reciprocating some of her romantic feelings, so she reaches out to some of her most trusted friends for advice…but will they tell her what she is hoping to hear? This chapter is practically an exact depiction of how I handled this situation not that long ago (and yes, before you ask, I am that annoying when I’m texting friends while freaking out hahaha) and once again most of these texts came straight from the group chat with some of my long-distance friends…

I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always each and every one of you that read, like, reblog, send massages, etc. mean the world to me and help me get off my ass and keep writing regardless of whatever shittiness I’m going through in my life right now, so thank you! ❤️

Click here if you’d like to get caught up on the first 4 chapters! 😁

Planting the Seed of Doubt

Rae’s hands were shaking—whether from excitement or overwhelming nerves, she was still uncertain of—as she unlocked her cellphone with the passcode and opened up the group chat conversation between two of her closest friends that were going to Uni on opposite side of the country from her. She had known Abigail and Chloe since they were kids and she knew that they would know exactly how Rae should be handling the situation.

Rae: Girls! OMG RED ALERT I HAVE SOME HUGE FUCKING NEWS

She placed her phone back on the stone table, taking a seat and anxiously awaiting her friends’ responses, nearly bouncing with anticipation. When her phone finally buzzed twice consecutively, Rae jumped, startled out of her distracted state before checking the messages she received.

Chloe: What is it Rae?

Abigail: Is everything ok? Are YOU ok Rae?

Rae: So you do girls remember that guy I told you about last month? My coworker with all the tattoos and the earring!?!

Abigail: Yeah, I remember you mentioning him and saying that he was a total knobhead…

Chloe: OMG RAE DID YOU TWO SHAG!?! I could sense the sexual tension between you and him with the last story you told us about him!! ;) ;) <3

Rae: Yeah, that’s him Abbie…And no, Chlo! WE DID NOT FUCKING SHAG!!!

Rae: When I first told you about him I had only just started working here and I described him to you two as the Bad Boy/Douchebag in every teen romance movie that you like watching!

Rae: Which was not meant as a compliment!!! >:(

Rae should have anticipated that Chloe would immediately assume that she was texting them to say that Rae had let Finn “whack it in her”, as Chloe has so eloquently put it on more than one occasion.

Chloe: What’s the news then? :/

Rae rolled her eyes in disbelief when she realized that Chloe was less than thrilled that Rae was not contacting her to brag about her recent “sexcapades” with her coworkers.

Why am I not surprised?

Rae’s phone buzzed against the table where she had set it down, indicating that she had received another text message.

Abigail: Yeah, Rae. The anticipation is killing me!!!! D:

Rae: Ok, so the bad boy/douche I told you two a bit about is named Finn, ok?

Rae knew that it would take a while to explain the situation via text, so she got into a comfortable position at the table in the garden she was sitting at and prepared to give her best mates the abridged version of her recent workplace flirtations with Finn.

Chloe: Go on

Abbie: Oh, that’s a cute name! Carry on…

Rae: So I just found out from my best mate at work that two weeks ago Finn was dumped by his girlfriend and he came to work the next day feeling kind of upset. Well, he sat by my friend and I and I guess he liked talking to us a lot because he has continued sitting next to us every day at work since then!

Chloe: So what, Rae? How is that big news?

Rae: WELL…TWO FUCKING WEEKS AGO WAS WHEN THIS TWAT STARTED BEING REALLY FRIENDLY WITH ME AND I JUST NOW REALIZED THAT THE DAY AT WORK WHEN HE HAD JUST BROKEN UP WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS ALSO THE DAY HE SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY AT WORK STARING AT ME AND OGLING MY TITS!

Rae: HOW THE FUCK DID THAT NOT OCCUR TO ME?!?! THAT CAN’T JUST BE A COINCIDENCE, RIGHT?!?!

Abigail: OH MY GOD, RAE! That’s insane!! Do you like him more now or do you still think he’s a “complete knob” like you said last time?

Rae was very happy to see that Abbie was already excited for her, but she couldn’t help but wonder what was going through Chloe’s mind upon reading these texts, since the read receipt on her phone indicted that Chloe had read the texts but she had yet to respond back.

Rae: I DON’T KNOW!! I’VE GOTTEN TO KNOW HIM A BIT MORE SINCE HE’S BEEN SITTING NEXT TO ME…AND A FEW OF MY COWORKERS EITHER THINK WE WOULD WORK AS A COUPLE OR THINK THAT WE ARE ALREADY SECRETLY A COUPLE!!!

Rae: AND OH MY LORD, ABBIE, HE IS SO FUCKING FIT! <3 ;)

Abigail: So what are ya gonna do then, Rae?

Rae: I have no fucking clue! That’s why I wanted to text you two…

Rae noticed the three dots appear that indicated that someone was typing and tried to keep calm as she waited to see what advice her best friends had for her.

Chloe: Don’t take this personally Rae, but are you sure you’re not reading into the situation too much? I mean this guy you’ve been talking to and sit next to at work sometimes happens to be single. That doesn’t really seem like flirting to me Rae…

Ugh, typical fucking Chloe…

Rae: Chlo…you had to have been there. I didn’t think he would ever be flirting with me either, but a number of my coworkers think that he’s been flirting with me constantly for the last couple weeks.

Rae: And there’s been a few times where I’ve caught him checking me out when he thinks I won’t notice!!!

Rae: And sometimes he’ll touch my hand or my nose or just touch me in general and I can feel a literal spark between us…AND I THINK HE MIGHT FEEL THE SPARK SOMETIMES TOO!!!!!

Rae was typing faster than she could think at this point and was sending a series of short texts instead of one coherent message, but she was too caught up in the moment to care how annoying she normally found it when her friends did the same thing.

Chloe: Well are you sure he isn’t just being friendly? Some guys are just flirty and tactile in nature, but they don’t really mean anything by it, you know? Maybe he’s like that with all the girls you work with, you just haven’t been paying attention.

Rae had gone into this conversation overjoyed and hoping to have two of her closest mates from before Uni give her the push she needed to make a move with Finn, but even with Abigail’s support, what Chloe had said planted the seed of doubt within Rae’s head and she could not help but second-guess every interaction and conversation she has had with Finn since the first time he spoke to her nearly a month ago.

Rae had been in the Secret Garden much longer than she realized when she happened to glance at the time at the top of her cellphone screen and noticed that her last class of the day had already started. Seeing no point in attending class if she was going to be late anyway, Rae gathered her belongings and left the garden, locking the door again behind her and started the hour long walk back to her apartment from her Uni campus.

When Rae walked into her apartment, the sun had already gone down and she knew that it was beginning to get late. Having not eaten all day, Rae went to the kitchen to determine what she could cook herself to eat before getting started on homework; however, after being unimpressed by any prospective meals she could cook, she decided against cooking.

Ugh…fuck it..I need to relax a bit anyways

Rae grabbed the nearly full bottle of white wine she had in the refrigerator, forgoing the glass, and headed to her room to begin working on some of her homework assignments.

When Rae was satisfied with the progress she had made on all of her assignments, she opted to redirect her attention to binge watching shows on Netflix. Despite her efforts to get her mind off of the events of today, she still found herself unsure about where she stood with Finn and her mind was full of unanswered questions that were inescapable and had not been quieted by the wine she had been sipping up to this point.

What would even give me the idea that Finn could like me? Chloe is probably right, Finn acts like this with all our female coworkers, huh?

Have I ever seen him talk to other girls at work? Maybe once or twice, but mainly just me and Izzie, and he certainly treats me differently than her…

But why would he be acting so friendly to me out of no where? And why are Archie and Izzie convinced that there could be something between Finn and I?

Why would Finn ever settle for me when he can have anyone he wanted?

Is Finn just taking the piss? Is this just the most well-played prank in the history of the world?

Why would Finn do this to me if we were becoming friends? Or was that all part of his plan too?

But what about all the stolen glances and the banter Finn and I have? Archie is right, that can’t possibly just be a thing between friends and it seems too real to be made up, right? And why would Finn have spent an entire shift at work checking me out and starting at my boobs if he wasn’t interested in me?

Or is he just interested in me to check “shagged a fat girl” off his bucket list? Or even worse, does he realize how much I fancy him and he’s just being nice to me out of pity?

I didn’t even really like him like that until after he started sitting with Izz and I more regularly, so that couldn’t be the reason why, could it?

Rae’s mind kept racing and she kept drinking the wine straight from the bottle, in what seemed to be an attempt to find the answers to all these questions and everything else plaguing her mind at the bottom of the bottle.

Before long, Rae tilted her head back, willing the final drops of wine to fall from the bottle.

Wine is so fucking gross…

Rae tried to stand up from her desk chair to take the now empty wine bottle into the kitchen, suddenly becoming aware of how much the wine was taking effect when everything in her line of sight began to soften around the edges and blur slightly. Standing on shakey legs, Rae slowly walked to her kitchen and added the wine cork to her small collection and put the bottle in the recycling bin.

Rae walked into her bedroom just as the beginning notes to Fade Into You by Mazzy Star flowed through the Bluetooth speakers playing music from her Spotify playlist and she soon found herself swaying gently to the music with her heavy eyes barely remaining open.

The next song that came on the playlist that was set to shuffle was Roads by Portishead, and while Rae continued to sway and swivel her hips to the beat of the music, she soon realized that there were silent tears running down her face.

I’m dancing and I’m crying…Shit! I forgot that wine makes me an emotional drunk…as if I needed to be any more emotional after the long day I’ve had.

***

The next morning Rae awoke feeling like shit and likely looking just as bad, but she leapt out of bed when she looked at the alarm clock on her bedside table and realized that she had slept through her alarm and would likely be late for work.

Shit shit FUCK shit shit…no more sudden movements, Rae!

Her head was pounding and she suddenly remembered exactly why she had promised herself that she would not drink alone anymore, but for the first time in over half a day, Finn was not on her mind.

She took a quick shower in the coldest water she could handle, trying to wake herself up and sober up a bit, before throwing on a pair of denim skinny jeans, a black and white band tee, and her favorite black high top converse and rushing out the door of her apartment.

She made the 15 minute walk to work in just less than half that time and was flushed when she walked into the office, scanned her badge at the machine on the wall, and took the open seat next to Izzie.

She sighed a breath of relief, since she was only 5 minutes late to work, as she logged into her computer and Izzie greeted her; however, she soon noticed that the person she had become accustomed to sitting next to for over two weeks now was not in his usual spot at her side.

Where is Finn? Oh shit…he knows…I don’t know what exactly it is that he knows, but I’m sure he knows.

“Rae? Are ya alright? You don’t look so good…” Izzie asked, the concern evident in her voice as she gently laid her hand on top of Rae’s where it sat on the desk beside her computer keyboard.

“I’m ok Izz, thanks…I just had a lot on my mind last night and I tried to quiet my mind with some wine…well, a lot of wine, actually…” Rae grimaced, faintly remembering the taste and dull burn of the wine that she had quickly become numb to by the time she finished the bottle.

“Rae, you know better than that,” Izzie began with the tone of a mother who was disappointed in the actions of her unruly child, but her tone and facial features softened almost immediately, “do ya need anything for your head? Or some coffee or tea?”

Tea and coffee sounded tempting to Rae, but she knew that getting some food into her system to help absorb the alcohol should be her top priority.

“No, my head is fine, thanks. I’ll be okay, I just finished off the entire bottle of wine I was drinking last night and I hadn’t eaten anything all day, so I just have a bottle of wine rotting away in my belly with no food to help soak it all up.” Rae chuckled slightly when Izzie’s eyebrows raised in surprise at her statements.

“You need to be more careful, girl! We can’t have you being reckless like that and feeling like shit at work, now can we?” Finn said as Rae turned a little too quickly in her desk chair to realize that he was sitting on the opposite side of the aisle of desks next to Hannah and he had been eavesdropping on Rae’s conversation with Izzie that whole time.

He gave her a genuine smile, but she could just barely make out the concern in his eyes when he looked her over briefly.

“Yeah…none of this was really planned out, but I’ll try to be more careful, Finn.”

“That’s all I’m asking of ya, Mae!” He replied before turning around in his chair to face his computer screen again and get back to work.

Rae made it through her shift at work—but not without some difficulty—and as her and Izzie were walking back to their apartments after work together Rae cleared her throat and asked the question that had been on her mind all day.

“So Izz, do you know why Finn wasn’t sitting near us today?”

“Uh, no, I don’t actually…I just walked in and saw him sitting next to Hannah when I got into work…how odd.” Izzie shrugged and changed topic of conversation to one of her particularly difficult customers she had been contacted by; however, Rae found herself perplexed by Finn’s unexplained change of seating for the second time in less than a month.

@eveerez @tinakegg @hey1tskat1e @bitchesbecrazy89 @kneekeyta @milllott @protectfinnnelson @arathewallflower @jackiewalsh2013 @pink-royaute @i-dream-of-emus 

Wanna be added to the tag list? Let me know and I’ll be happy to help ya out!

[comic-watch]

He’s Back! Mega Man turned 30 on December 17, 2017, and Capcom definitely kickstarted the celebration with the big announcement of Mega Man 11. While we wait for the game, we at Comic-Watch would like to discuss a brief history of the Blue Bomber and the road to Mega Man 11. Plus, other highly anticipated Mega Man products, cartoon series, and the movie adaptation all being released to celebrate the Super Fighting Robot’s 30th birthday!

What You Need to Know:

Mega Man is known as Rockman (ロックマン Rokkuman) in Japan was created back on December 17, 1987, by Capcom. The fathers of Mega man, developer Akira Kitamura, and designer Keiji Inafune created this mighty “Blue Bomber” for the NES (Family Computer) which became a massive hit in worldwide. It was not after the release of the 2nd game that the series became one of the most iconic characters in video game history.

For the past 30 years, the game had released multiple spin-offs, each one and everyone continuing the spirit of the original game but adding a twist to it. These series were, Mega Man X, Mega Man Legends, Mega Man Battle Network, Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Starforce and Mega Man ZX.

A lot of the younger generation wouldn’t have even played a Mega Man game much like most of the younger folks don’t even know what a walkman is. These days he retains his relevance as an easter egg or as a guest character featuring in games like Marvel vs Capcom, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, and even in Super Smash Bros. 4. Aside from video games, Mega Man has been popular in other media forms too. In Western television, he appeared in the late 80’s animated series “Captain N: The Game Master.” During the mid 90’s Ruby-Spears Production produced the popular Mega Man animated series (Admit, I know that catchy “Super Fighting Robot” theme song is playing in my head right now!.) Japan also had their fair share of animated adaptations with the 3 part OVA, which was also an educational way to teach kids a few things about Japanese culture, and also the popular Mega Man NT Warrior series.

But, I guess most of your readers why am I talking about a video game franchise on a website that focuses more on comic books? Well, Mega Man was also adapted in the comic book format too. Adaptation of the Blue Bomber was mostly dominant in Japanese manga format. Some of these mangas were so popular that even got a translated into English and released Internationally. A few popular ones were Hitoshi Ariga’s Mega Man Megamix books which are now published in English by Udon Entertainment,  Mega Man NT Warrior by Ryo Takamisaki which was translated in English by Viz Media and Battle Story Rockman.EXE by Keijima Jun and Miho Asada. But Mega Man comics were not only published in Manga format, there were a lot of countries that produced their comic adaptation too. From the disturbingly strange Brazilian Mega Man comics and trust me you don’t want to know about this adaptation. To the former Dreamwave’s short-lived Mega Man series, which was good in its own way despite taking its own liberties with the story but sadly the company had to shut down before it could even release an issue 5 and after teasing a Mega Man X adaptation. And finally to the recent critically acclaimed Archie Comics adaptions written by Ian Flynn. Trust me the Archie adaptation was really well written, even with the major cross-over with Archie’s adaptation of Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog, the quality of the story was still great.

The Dark Times:

But before Mega Man 11 was revealed, fans were already losing hope with the franchise after Mega Man 10 was released and after co-creator, Keiji Inafune left Capcom back in 2010. Things spiraled down for the Blue Bomber’s franchise, 1st with the character being absent in Marvel vs Capcom 3 plus it’s expanded Ultimate version, then the online side-scrolling game Mega Man Universe was canceled on March 31, 2011. Then the last straw for the fans was the cancelation the highly anticipated Mega Man Legends 3 which was canceled on July 18, 2011, followed by Mega Man Online being canceled in March 2013. The worst part of these cancelations was how all games were still in production. The only thing that kept the franchise alive were other  3rd party merchandises like Kotobukiya’s Plastic Model Kits, Bandai D-Arts Figures, Udon’s Tribute Book and English Publication of Ariga’s mangas, Archie comics’ comic adaptation and the fans.

Capcom, however, did try to release a few Mega Man game after Inafune left the company. Back in 2012, they released the mobile game Mega Man Xover which was received poorly and ironically officially published a fan-made PC game, Street Fighter X Mega Man during both franchise’s 25th anniversary. Despite being developed by a fan, the game gained a favorable response from the fans.

Then on August 31, 2013, Keiji Inafune announced his company, Comcept’s Kickstarter project: Mighty No. 9.

Fans of the blue bomber got so excited that the co-creator of Mega Man is finally creating a spiritual successor. Kickstarter campaign was an unexpectedly a huge success and was able to meet the goal in a short span of 2 days. However, the production of the game was very controversial since the release of the game were delayed multiple times. When the game finally got a release, it was met with poor review and backlash from the fans. The game was poorly developed and felt incomplete. Aside from that, the gameplay did not capture the essence of the Mega Man franchise and also felt flat. Not only was that the issue but those who supported via Kickstarter had reported that the freebies and other exclusive items for backing up the project were either delayed or never arrived.

What You’ll Find Out: 

On December 4, 2017, Capcom held a Mega Man 30th anniversary live stream to celebrate the iconic character’s 3rd decade in the gaming industry. With the announced the live stream, fans speculated that a potential game would be announced. But due to the countless of disappointments for the past 7 years, most fans had low expectations.

Capcom came prepared this time. First, they announced a new Mega Man X collection to be released for modern gaming consoles. After a few interview about Mega Man X series, Capcom then showed a video of 8-bit Mega Man running forward detailing the games released throughout the years. After watching the Blue Bomber passed 7 years of no new games and reaching Dr. Wily, He entered a room with the capsule displaying 2018. The super fighting robot reached out the capsule and we then see the future of the series.

Mega Man 11 is finally announced! After years of fans fearing that Capcom is no longer prioritizing one of their company’s mascot, the Blue Bomber is finally back! Aside from this fans are excited to see that the sequel is not another 8-bit sequel like 9 and 10 but a 3D side-scrolling game (but most people would consider this as 2.5D)

Game Informer is currently doing exclusive updates with the game highlighting the development during their time at Capcom Japan HQ. Aside from that, they had released their January 2018 issue with an awesome cover celebrating Mega Man 11’s announcement and the Blue Bomber’s anniversary.

But Mega Man 11 is not the only product we should be looking forward next year. I’ll list down the most anticipated Mega Man merchandises to be released next year.

Things To Come:

Now, it’s obvious that Mega Man 11, Mega Man X1 – X8 Ports (Collection) and Mega Man Legacy 1 & 2 for Switch is one of the highly anticipated games in 2018. But here are some of the few Mega Man related stuff we are looking forward in 2018, in celebration of the Blue Bomber’s 30th anniversary:

Mega Man Animated Series (Cartoon Network) Release Date: TBA – 2018

Back in 2015, it was announced that Man of Action (creator’s of Ben 10) was going to produce an all-new animated series based on the Blue Bomber for Cartoon Network. Some teasers were already shown this year and the series itself is scheduled to be released next year!

Mega Man Mastermix (Udon Entertainment) Release Date: January 24, 2018

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Next month, Hitoshi Ariga’s critically acclaimed manga based on Mega Man is getting released in an all-new colored re-mastered version from Udon Entertainment. The colors will be done by Josh Perez, well known for his work on IDW’s Transformer series.

You can pre-order the 1st issue at Udon’s Official Store. Also keep an eye on our review for this comic next month as well.

Nendoroid Zero Release Date: July 2018

Good Smile Co. is finally releasing a Nendoroid figure for X’s best friend, Zero and is one of the highly anticipated in the Mega Man Nendoroid series too!

Nendoroid Roll Release Date: TBA 2018

Zero is not the only one getting the Nendoroid treatment. Roll, Mega Man’s sister was announced to be released sometime next year sporting her new design. The figure was announced back in Tokyo Game Show 2017 and her design was one of the clues Capcom was teasing for the upcoming Mega Man 11 (which was not announced then.)

Mega Man Collector’s Plush (Pop Buddies) Release Date: TBA 2018

Pop Buddies announced that they will produce new Mega Man Plushies coming out next year. Aside from that, more designs are teased and will be announced at the Toy Fair in Nuremberg Germany in 2018.

There are more Mega Man related products that are coming out in 2018, like Bandai’s new Rockman X: Mega Missions 4 trading cards. But what everyone is asking now is the upcoming live-adaptation movie by FOX. Mid this year, the studio announced that they had found the directors for the movie. The recent biggest news, however, was Disney buying out FOX which also happened this month. After the Disney-Fox merger, the talks about the movie is still unknown as of the moment. But if ever it is still in the works it is interesting to know that Disney is now the movie rights holder of the Mega Man movie franchise.

At the end of the day, it’s good to see that Mega Man is getting back to the spotlight again and it’s good to know Capcom has big plans for the series again after a long hiatus. Here’s to hoping that Mega Man Legends 3 gets a revival and Archie comics will continue its comic book adaptation again soon!

For now, let’s all wish Mega Man a happy birthday and here’s to more of the Super Fighting Robot’s fight for everlasting peace!

#MegaMan turns 30 and is back in action! What are you looking forward the most for franchise? He’s Back! Mega Man turned 30 on December 17, 2017, and Capcom definitely kickstarted the celebration with the big announcement of Mega Man 11.