#but I started loving him after his failed attempt at kidnapping Eve because he was just to emotional about it

[radiant-absolute-radiance]

If you wanna know how Baccano escalates, then take this as an example: I’m reading volume 4 and we started off with the following main characters

A drug addict

a little girl looking for her brother

bulky mafia guy who has beef with

other mafia led by three brothers

And it ended with the main characters being

A drug addict

a little girl looking for her brother

bulky mafia guy who has beef with

other mafia led by three brothers

drug addict’s girlfriend

housemaid (or something )with an indecipherable accent of the little girl 

butler of the little girl 

caucasian information dealer receptionist

black asian information dealer receptionist who is very emotional

ANOTHER information dealer receptionist guy but with a god complex

another dude with a god complex but this guy’s a hitman

A bartender and a cook

immortal alchemist who makes drugs and...speaks...like...this

and the semi main characters being: 

wife of one of the mafia bosses

happy guy who tortures people with scissors

dude in charge of an illegal casino

president of the information dealer shop who has to get into his own office by ladder because its so full of papers

immortal gangster couple

guy who made the immortality serum

latina hitwoman but with two katanas

[sad-goth-dark-writer]

Yandere Eddie Munson Alphabet

Abduction, would they abduct their love interest if so when, why, and how? I can’t really see Eddie fully kidnapping his love interest, however he would isolate them and try to keep them inside all day if they lived together.

Birth, when did their obsession start? I think the yandere behaviors would kind of just come along with the romantic feeling which would likely occur after friendship. Eddie has been attracted to people he doesn’t know well but never having a full blown crush.

Crush, what would they do/feel if their love interest had a crush on someone else? He would be angry, not necessarily at you but at life and the circumstances that would lead to you being interested in someone else. He would also blame the other person.

Definitely, what is something they almost certainly would do? When your still friends but he has feelings for you he would definitely be clingy. Constantly following you, trying to get you to not spend time with other people stuff like that.

Envy, do they get envious of relationships their love interests have with others? Definitely, he’s very jealous because he wants to have you for himself. He’s scared that you’ll lose interest in him if you spend more time with other people because people tend to think he’s weird and avoid him.

Force, would they force their love interest to do anything if so what? Once in a relationship he would often force you to kiss/make out with him and be constantly touching you. I can’t see him doing anything explicitly sexual without consent though.

Guilt, do they regret any of their actions? If so, what actions? Many of his actions are from this kind of desperation to make sure you don’t leave/break up with him. He knows that a lot of his actions are unhealthy and bad but he tries to justify if in his mind with ideas that other people don’t care about you as much as he does or that he’s just looking out for you.

Hidden, do they hide their feelings if so from who? He is very open with his clingyness though most people just think he’s some weird asshole boyfriend and don’t think much about it. When alone with you he’s more honest with the “intense” level of love he feels.

Isolate, do they manipulate their love interest? Definitely, he doesn’t use more physical forces and is left with just convincing you with manipulative words.

Justice, how would they react if their love interest was being bullied and/or abused? Oh he would fucking lose it. He’s near definitely dealt with with bullying himself and would go bat shit if he found out you were dealing with it. He wouldn’t do anything drastic in front of you but if he knew who your bully was he would find them. He would likely threaten them and maybe assault them in an attempt to try to get them to leave you alone. He would do the same if you were struggling with abuse from a family member.

Kill, would they ever kill someone if so who and why? No. I don’t think he could ever get himself to do such a thing.

Lucidity, do they know their feelings/behaviors are unhealthy if so does that stop them? As stated earlier in the Guilt section, he knows threatening people and manipulating you into avoiding others to spend time with him alone is bad; but he thinks that his reasoning is justified.

Motivation, what is their motivation for their actions? He’s scared of you losing interest or leaving him for someone “normal” and wants to to just have someone to rely on.

Never, what is a hard core limit? As stated earlier he would never kill someone or harm you.

Often, what are some things they often do with/to their love interest? He honestly just likes talking to you/being around you. He tries to spend as much time with you as possible which leads to you guys doing a lot of stuff together. Stuff like sitting in his bedroom while he talks about D&D or trying (and failing) to help him with his homework.

Proprietorial, do they get proprietorial/possessive of their love interest often? Its not that he thinks he “owns” you its that he hates almost everyone and thinks most people have bad intentions with you.

Qualm, how would they feel if their love interest was scared of them?  When he threaten and or assaults other people he tries to make sure you don’t find out. If you somehow do and start being scared of him he (tries) to reassure you that he wouldn’t hurt you or people you care about.

Reason, what are the reasons behind their obsessive behavior/feelings?

For years he’s had people think he’s weird and avoid him or outright hate him. A lot of his more unhealthy behaviors are based in trying to make sure you don’t break up with him.

Share, this is for various x reader fan fiction but would they “share” their love interest? No.

Trust, do they build a relationship with their love interest? He would first befriend you, develop romantic feelings for you and you would eventually start dating. Most of his obsessive behaviors don’t show until your already in a relationship.

Unmistakable do others take notice of their obsessive behavior? I think some of his friends would take notice of how clingy and partially paranoid he is but they wouldn’t think much of it. They would just think it’s Eddie being weird.

Violence, do they act violently towards their love interest? No.

Waspish, do they often show hostility towards their love interest and/or others? To you? No. To others? Yes. I already listed some of his actions towards others so I won’t specify here.

X, What is a random headcanon you have for this character as a yandere that wouldn’t be on this list? Whether their good people or not he would probably hate your parents. If their more protective they likely wouldn't like you dating a twenty year old drug dealer who has been in high school for six years and would try to either make you break up with him or minamize your time with him. If they are neglectful emotionally and/or physically their would be a lot of trauma their and he wold resent them for it. If their straight up abusive he and would likely threaten and/or assault them.

Also he’s likely taken picture of you and masturbated to it at least once.

You, what does this character go after in a S/O? He would want someone who genuinely liked him and enjoyed spending time with him so he wouldn’t go yandere over someone he doesn’t have a relationship with prior.

Zealous, how passionate are their feelings compared to other yandere's? In comparison to Billy (who imma do an alphabet of next) he’s pretty tame but is more intense than Steve, Jonathan, and Robin

[multiversecarnavep]

Her role in Harvey Dent's past was updated into the currently prominent Two-Face origin: Batman Annual #14 (1990), a story called "Eye of the Beholder."[9] In this story, it is revealed that Dent's father was an abusive alcoholic who would nightly play a game with his young son: "I'll flip a coin: if it's heads, I beat you. Tails, I don't." Dent spends a lifetime burying his rage and resentment, only to discover that the coin was two-headed all along. While Dent is torn between loving and resenting his father, Gilda clearly despises him; she scoffs that after a lifetime of abuse and cruelty, the only thing Dent's father ever gave him was a coin.

Gilda tries to comfort Dent as his sanity deteriorates. She pleads with him when, upon awakening from a nightmare, he races out of their bed in the middle of the night and goes to his office, "where it's safe". After Harvey is disfigured, Gilda visits him in the hospital to try to give him back the coin. It was in his pocket during the trial, and was also hit by some acid, scarring one side of the coin. She last appears in this story right after Two-Face murders his corrupt former assistant, Adrian Fields, tearfully explaining Dent's abuse history to Batman.

Gilda does not reappear until Secret Origins Special # 1,[10] where she (here named Grace) appears on a TV talk show focusing on Gotham's villains. She talks about a time when one of the criminals Dent put away as D.A. returned for revenge by taking her hostage. Two-Face eventually rescued her, beating the ex-con to the point of death, but holding off because Grace demanded he stop. This represents a rare case where Two-Face is not influenced by the coin, but rather by someone else's welfare. She tries once again to appeal to his "good" side, but fails. At the end of the interview, she professes her belief that, one day, Dent would return to her.

Gilda returns in Batman: Two-Face Strikes Twice.[11] Here, she finds herself at odds with her now-ex-husband, as he believes their marriage failed because he was unable to give her children. She later marries Paul Janus, a reference to the Roman god of doors who had two faces, one facing forward, the other backward. Two-Face attempts to frame Janus as a criminal by kidnapping him and replacing him with a stand-in, whom Two-Face "disfigures" with makeup to make it look as if Janus has gone insane just as Two-Face had. Two-Face is eventually caught by Batman and sent away, and Gilda and Janus reunite. Years later, Gilda gives birth to twins named James and Luke, prompting Two-Face to escape once more and take the twins hostage, as he erroneously believes them to be conceived by Janus using an experimental fertility drug. The end of the book reveals a surprise twist; Batman learns from Gilda that Janus is not the father of Gilda's twins - Dent is. Some of his sperm had been frozen after a death threat had been made against him, and she used some of it to get pregnant. Batman uses this information to convince Dent to free the twins and turn himself in.[12]

Post-Zero HourEdit



Gilda Dent destroying incriminating evidence against her husband Harvey Dent in Batman: The Long Halloween. Art by Tim Sale.

After the events of Zero Hour: Crisis in Time, Gilda's entire history has been revised. She has a larger role and story arc in The Long Halloween,[13] a maxi-series that is part of Two-Face's origin in Batman Annual #14. During the nearly year-long story, a serial killer called Holiday systematically murders prominent gangsters. During the series, Gilda's marriage to Dent shows signs of strain; she wants to settle down and start a family, while he is obsessed with capturing Holiday. In a private monologue at the end, Gilda states that she was the original Holiday killer, having committed all of the murders up until New Year's Eve. Gilda indicates that Dent murdered Alberto Falcone on New Year's Eve, taking her place, and that he was the one responsible for the crimes from that point on. The confession is only known to readers, since Alberto confessed to all the Holiday murders upon his capture. Gilda destroys the evidence of her crimes and leaves Gotham City.

Due to the success of The Long Halloween, the events of the story have generally been accepted into continuity as the "official" story of Batman's early years, given that Zero Hour retconned the events of Batman: Year Two and rendered them non-canonical. In Batman: Dark Victory, the Calendar Man is about to reveal Holiday's true identity, but an enraged Two-Face cuts him off.

In Greg Rucka's novelization of Batman: No Man's Land, Dent thinks that Gilda is dead.

Post Infinite CrisisEdit

In the "One Year Later" story arc Batman: Face the Face, Dent mentions Gilda when recalling his past life, but the Two-Face persona states "No, Harvey. She's gone now".

During Dick Grayson's tenure as Batman, she appears standing over a wounded Harvey Dent. The Riddler reveals that she faked her death and was institutionalized following The Long Halloween, where she met Mario Falcone, who suffered a similar breakdown following the event of Dark Victory. After getting involved upon their release, Falcone kept Gilda like a prisoner, and she conspired with the Riddler to steal Two-Face's coin and entice him to rescue her. Knowing that Falcone was on Dent's tail, Gilda faked Harvey's death by appearing to shoot him at point-blank range. When they were finally reunited, she explained how much she missed him, and that she now believed in Two-Face as well as Harvey Dent. Feeling betrayed and manipulated, Two-Face tried to kill her, but hesitated, only to be stopped by Batman. To save Harvey, she shot Batman with a .22, knocking him out and allowing them both to escape. Her ultimate fate remains unknown, and Dick even expressed doubt that she was in fact the real Gilda Dent.[14]

New 52Edit

In the New 52 reboot, Gilda is a socialite that Bruce Wayne introduces to Harvey at a graduation party. She is killed in front of Harvey by Erin McKillen.

Other versionsEdit

FlashpointEdit

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Harvey Dent has a wife and twin children. When the Joker kidnaps Dent's children, Mrs. Dent is emotional while her husband asks Thomas Wayne (the Batman of this timeline) for help in their search.[15]

In other mediaEdit

FilmEdit

A Victorian era version of Gilda appears briefly, without dialogue, in the animated adaptation of Gotham by Gaslight.

Gilda appears in the two part animated film Batman: The Long Halloween, voiced by Julie Nathanson.[16] In this version of events, Gilda takes the blame as the Holiday Killer, motivated by her anger at the Falcones after she had a past relationship with Alberto that ended with Falcone ending the marriage and forcing Gilda to get an abortion of her and Alberto's child.

TelevisionEdit

A character analogous to Gilda, Grace Lamont, appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by Murphy Cross. In the episode "Two-Face", she is D.A. Harvey Dent's fiancée. Alongside Dent's best friend Bruce Wayne, she watches helplessly as Dent loses his grip on sanity while going after gangster Rupert Thorne. After Dent is disfigured and becomes Two-Face, Thorne plots to use Grace against his new rival. A couple of Thorne's men disguise themselves as police officers and offer Grace a handheld tracking device, in case Two-Face ever approaches her. Two-Face eventually does, bringing her to his lair and wearing a scarf to cover his scars. She nearly succeeds in persuading Two-Face to reform, when Thorne's men show up, revealing that Grace inadvertently betrayed him. Nevertheless, Grace helps Batman and Two-Face fight off Thorne's men, and remains by his side as he is taken into custody with Thorne.

MiscellaneousEdit

Grace returned to animated continuity in the comic series The Batman and Robin Adventures issues # 1 and # 2, where the Joker manipulates Two-Face into thinking that Grace and Bruce are having an affair.[17] Two-Face abducts her and tries to kill Robin, but is ultimately thwarted when Grace jabs the jagged edge of the scarred coin into the disfigured side of his face. The story ends with the implication that their relationship is now damaged beyond repair.

Grace appears again in The Batman and Robin Adventures issue #22, in which Two-Face's life is thrown into chaos when he loses his coin during an unplanned breakout from Arkham Asylum, and is forced to replace it with a quarter. Little Jonni Infantino, the mastermind behind the breakout, threatens to hurt Grace if Two-Face doesn't provide information on one of Rupert Thorne's thugs, Weird Tony Hendra, whom Two-Face prosecuted as Harvey Dent.

[addictedtomanga]

Shoujo manga recommendations - one shot

1.      Adele to Darius

Adele was just another maltreated slave girl being sold at the country market. She was sold one day to become an addition to the harem of the country’s King of Cruelty. Rumor has it that the once the King takes a slave girl for the night, he then executes her in the morning. Once in the harem, she sees that all girls who are called into the King’s chamber really do not return. To fight against this fate, Adele resolves to volunteer to be called to the King’s chamber and find out the truth. But things are not what they seem…

2.      Ao no Rhapsodia

There's a legend about a lost continent of gold and only one man has successfully made his way through the treacherous waters to that continent. The man entrusted the map to the lost continent to his daughter, Allegra Reese, making her the prime target for every pirate on Edythe Island.

3.      Banken Toki Doki Ookami

A lamb surrounded by wolves gets a guard dog. But is the guard dog the most dangerous wolf of them all?!

4.      Bitter Trap (Takagi Shigeyoshi)

Nanao came from a rich family before their business failed. Now the only hope for her family to pay off their debts is if she can cement a marriage with the prestigious Takatsuki family within a week. How will Nanao overcome this problem when one of the three eligible Takatsuki men is her former arrogant schoolmate, Yoshito, who completely distrusts people? And did we forget to mention that Nanao is already the ninety-ninth candidate for the position of future wife?!

5.      Black Coffee (Nakano Emiko)

How does a girl declared by her childhood friend to be gloomy and anti-social transform into a cutie “as sweet as sugar” and every boy’s dream? And does every boy really dream of girls “as sweet as sugar”? Or is the rich and deep taste of coffee better than sugary glitter? The story of a girl who may not be sweet, but sure is as addictive as black coffee!

6.      Defense Bakari No Koi Ja Dame

Nao is seen by her classmates as the "Cool Queen", however, she is just extremely shy. How will she deal with suddenly becoming the basketball's temporary manager?!

7.      Egaku Nara Happy Ending 

It's a story about Makoto Nosu and Yusuke Moriyama who have been together for 6 years since junior high school. They are about to finish high school and enter college so they decided to break up since they will be going to different colleges that's far from one another.What happens to their relationship then? 

8.      Fly High! (Mitsuki Kako)

Asuka, the ace of the volleyball club is training to become the best. But there's the devil coach, Nagano...

9.      Gyu... tte shite ii?

I just clean up the club room and threw away trashes! but then he hugged me and "Become my pillow" is what he suddenly ordered me to do...?!

10.  Itazura na Ningyo

The love story between two childhood friends and the magical legend of a mermaid can grant a wish of unrequited love

11.  In the Chocolate

A collection of oneshots.

12.  Kaibutsu-san ni Rei

At the Christmas training camp, Yuzuki was paired up with no other than... that guy?!

13.  Kimi wa Tomodachi

He was always by my side. ... So, I thought that I certainly won't fall in love with him.

14.  Kira Kira Namida

Yuuma is taciturn and no one knows what she’s thinking. But then, she’ll meet someone that will change that…

15.  Kiss to Koukai

A collection of oneshots.

16.  Koakuma no Jikku

She was an accomplished fashion model, but her blunt, straight forward attitude drove wedges between her and the rest of the world. She just didn't know how to lie in the least, and when she caught the eye of a famous stylist seeking the face for a new major brand of cosmetic, it promised to be the beginning... or the end... of everthing. Can she manage to not alienate the presumptuous company 'nobility', because if she does, this time it's her whole agency that's going to pay.

17.  Koi wa Beniiro

Beniko, an old fashioned high-school girl is suddenly forced to eat lunch with the new teacher in charge, Nomoto-sensei…

18.  Meikyuu Yaburi no Hananusubito

Arisawa Kei’s life seems rather bleak until she notices a strange man staring at her on the way to school. Hakamada Ryuuhei, an En specialist who can see and tie or cut threads of fate, tells her that she has “death-bringer” threads on her hands. But what does that mean to Kei, who doesn’t believe in En or luck?

19.  Melodramatic Library

A teacher at Kanae's school has been fired for having an affair with a student. Then, a hot new librarian comes in… Kanae falls in love with the new librarian. However, she sees a ring on his finger...?

20.  Mijuku na Bokura

Even if they are only friends, she wants to be something else... Can it change the relationship that they have? Or will she be conformed to be just friends?

21.  Mitsubachi Hakushaku to Hana no Dress

Dahlia is the only female dressmaker in Galleria. She kidnapped and commissioned by the infamous "Honeybee Earl", who is known to jump from woman to woman like a capricious bee jumps from flower to flower, to make the ultimate wedding dress for his fiancee. Can Dahlia complete the dress without getting stung by the Honeybee Earl?

22.  Murasame-kun na Tawagoto

Chika has always seen Murasame-kun as a rival who manages to constantly piss her off. While wondering out loud to herself, her sister whom overhears Chika, gives her a perfume necklace which supposedly able to capture a guy's heart. The next day, Chika bumps into Murasame-kun and spills all the perfume. As she begins to apologize, he suddenly asks her out!?

23.  Once Again, I'd Like to Love You/Mou Ikkai

A high school girl runs into her ex-boyfriend at a train station and the two reconnect.

24.  Narabuna Kiken

Miku and Natsume have always been fighting with each other until Natsume suddenly asks Miku to pretend to be his girlfriend!!! At first, Miku is quite opposed to the idea, but slowly… This mismatched couple, of a super tall guy and a girl often mistaken for an elementary student, fall in love.

25.  Seinaru Yoruni Oshiete Ageru 

Sakura is childish and doesn't get why everyone wants a boyfriend. A few days before the Christmas Eve, her handsome childhood friend suddenly kisses her and makes her heart race. What will she do?

26.  Sekai wa Kirai de Afureteiru

Ten and Rio are friends from the old days. they will become high school students starting from this spring, Ten stills carries a certain memory in her heart....?

27.  Shounen Aromatic

Kabuki Takitsugu is a boy who has the family trait of smell. He can smell anyone's fragrance and find their perfect match. One day, a mysterious girl named Hatsune appears before him, asking him to find a match for her. But, for some strange reason.. Hatsune doesn't have a scent.

28.  Takarazora

Yuuchi is a girl that has a passion for art.... or rather, HAD a passion for art. Because of her mother, Yuuchi had to give up her talents and love for painting. Still, she had made a promise to her baseball-loving friend, Natsu, that she'd paint a picture of him. With all hopes lost for her dreams, Yuuchi now must find the "hope" within herself to continue.

29.  Tokubetsu ni Naritai

It’s only during rainy days that Kae can get closer to Ichi, the most popular guy in the school, because he always gets under her umbrella. But Kae wants to be close to him everyday, not only during rainy days. What can she do to be special to him?

30.  Tsuki to Himawari

Asahi-kun is a carefree junior-high student, never attaching to girls even though he enjoys going with them. But when the school's number 1 honor student Mitsuki "cyborg" Konno asked him to a 1-month date, in exchange for the front row ticket to his favorite singer's concert, he was forced to accept. He only has to show her what it feels like to date, right? He is ready for that...however, what he's not prepared for was his heart's reaction...

31.  Watashi no Suki na Souma-kun

Sena is working as a maid to look after her younger brother and sister. But her employer turns out to be a guy at her school! Will she get a new job or will she get a new love?

32.  Wish Upon a Glass

Find a piece of red sea glass and your wish is sure to come true. Sachiko is searching for her own piece of red sea glass. Can it make her romantic wish come true?

33.  Wonderful Cafe ni Youkoso

A dog shop love comedy! The place where hot men and cute dogs come together!

34.  Yuuwaku Honey

To get someone as cool as you to look my way, I'll do my best with my first attempt at seduction!!

35.  Zannen Nagara Chigaimasu

He wasn't even that handsome, but when I saw him, I was captivated. He said "meet me upstairs". it seems he also feels the same because we're now signing a marriage registration form?!

[allyvampirelass29]

Goodnight, Chris McQueen

A NOS4A2 Review By: Allyssa J. Watkins

I love you, Brat I hope you know that....... My biggest fear was becoming my old man Drinkin', philanderin', livin' for nothin' I wanted so much more for my little girl But Babe, I'm just like him A haunted soldier That never came back from the war I tried so hard to make you laugh Just so you didn't see me cryin' Funny names, and stupid jokes I guess, don't band-aid the holes Punched through the walls and in Your mother's heart Jesus, maybe this dad thing Was a cosmic hoax right from the start I love you like a big dog I'd die twice just to give you a hug Before I go, I want you to know I'm proud of my kid I could never do what you did It's like you told your ma You're made of steel, Vic You threw the bottle away You sure as hell didn't need me But you let your broken down dad save the day I ain't half the hero to you though As you are to Wayne Give 'em HELL, Babe Fight the good fight Don't cry over me I won't die as I lived A good for nothin' It's gonna mean somethin' I gotta believe Don't stay here, Brat, trapped in my death scene Remember the good stuff, when they say "Goodnight, Chris McQueen."

In the words of the illustrious Linda McQueen........ "Holy HELL." It's been days, and I've been in a morose fog, only just now emerging, shaking and fighting the tears, even as I write this, half numb, and half agony. I'm shocked, dismayed, and altogether fragile. The second I saw that this episode was going to be called, "Chris McQueen," I couldn't have been more thrilled, and my heart soared, excited! Chris McQueen has SHINED this season, our own resident white knight, slaying Vic's demons, both of the vice, and supernatural variety. It was no mistake, or random shuffle of fate, that her magic bridge led her back to her dad. He's been a gun-wielding, bomb-making, godsend!!! He helped her quit drinking, heartbroken that his little girl had inherited his disastrous coping mechanisms, refusing to let it drown her the way it did him. He's fought at her side, let her lean on him, he's become her safe place. He's given her the best advice about fighting for Lou, choosing her family, and oh yeah, he SINGLEHANDEDLY took on Bing Partridge, not just once, but TWICE!!!

If NOS4A2 has a CHAMPION, a dark horse in the game, it's hands down Chris McQueen. If anyone is deserving of their own personal, entitled episode, it's the vindicated father who did the work, fought like HELL for his redemption, made himself a better person for his daughter. That rush of flooding joy, cooled to wary concern, and hesitant dread, however, when I realized....... This honour could be his final tribute.......

Don't kill Chris McQueen........ I pleaded over and over in my mind, the frantic cry, resounding, even as I pressed play. I hadn't been able to shake that sinister, creeping feeling all day, and when we opened onto Chris at a funeral, my relief flooded in, graciously thankful to see him alive!!! Wait, he looked younger, like WAY younger, even younger than the first season, and oh my god, hold on, whose funeral is this!? Someone died........ my stomach knotting again, trying to figure out who, and we realize that this is Chris, decades ago, speaking at his Dad's funeral.

I loved, and I mean LOVED this opener. It's just so beautifully real, and one hundred percent Chris McQueen, as he muses about his father's life, and his own, and how the two came to mirror each other. He's funny, irreverent, vulnerable, and by the end, absolutely heartbreaking. It's a searing portrait of a broken man, and everything that caused his life to fracture, every death, that made him wish he was never born.

"When I came back from the gulf, I finally understood why he was pissed off all the time, because he knew there was no reason for him to born, and that nobody was going to give a shit when he died."

Chris' voice cracks, and my eyes sting, because I feel it, his greatest fear, and I know he's not just talking about his father, he's talking about himself, effectually delivering his own eulogy, and again I implored the fates...... Don't kill Chris McQueen.

Aaaaaaaaah, and HELLO Baby Vic!!! Oh my gosh, she's so precious, about eight years old, frowning as her father speaks, huddled close to her mother, and then when Chris becomes too overwhelmed with his anger and emotions to go on, tearing out of the church, she frantically chases after him, calling for him!!! Even then, she was her daddy's girl!!! Once again, I must COMMEND NOS4A2 for choosing the perfect miniature of our badass leading lady, because this girl is the very IMAGE of Ashleigh, and it was such a joy to see her fierce features, and resolve, in a dear little face!!! More Baby Vic, PLEASE!!!

Flashforward to the present day, and Team McQueen is ready and raring to hit the road. I loved this entire scene. The love between her and Lou as she tells him goodbye, and says, "I'm going to go get our boy." An achingly beautiful moment, these two give me life, and have become my FAVOURITE couple on the show!!! I may have been purely Team Drew Butler, Season One, but now I can't imagine our beautiful badass without her Teddy Bear Man, and I ship McCarmody so freaking hard!!! Vic revs the Triumph's engine, testing it, gearing up with her Dad, and it hits me....... She doesn't have to hide it, sneak away to go do her Creative Hero thing, he accepts her for exactly who she is, believes in her gift enough to go with her. For the first time..... Vic McQueen isn't riding alone........

Linda is an absolute rollicking delight, emphatic in her protest, and I have just come to LOVE her so much!!! "I don't know about this Vicki, taking explosives across a magical bridge IN THE RAIN!!!!" God BLESS this woman, she's so maternal here, and I love it, I see how much she's changed, becoming this mother and ex wife even, that isn't afraid to express her feelings and doubts, no longer shackled by the fear that she's destined to be alone.

"You're my only kid, Vicki, My Baby."

"You know me, Ma, made of steel, remember?"

Awwwwww oh my gosh, so freaking CUTE, and for the first time, they feel like a real family, The McQueen Clan on a Mission, slaying psychotic kidnappers, and rescuing lost children, becoming the family business. Linda's still unsure, hurrying after Chris and Vic, still thinking they're both CRAZY, when she sees it for the first time....... Her eyes widen impossibly, as a rickety, wooden, covered bridge, appears on the street in front of them, and her reaction is EVERYTHING we've been waiting for, I found myself, leaping off the couch, cheering as she says it. "Holy HELL!!!"

Chris' childlike wonder, as he looks up into the dark eves, and watches the bats flutter, the Triumph roaring through the beams of breaking light, weaving in and out of shadow, is such a joy to behold. He believed in it, believed in her, even without seeing, and it means that much more to Vic, you can tell. It's also symbolic, Vic sharing her world with her father, bringing him into her inscape, fighting the good fight TOGETHER, both soldiers. I loved it, every second.

Surprise, surprise, when they roll up to the junkyard, Bing Partridge isn't dead, because some cockroaches just won't DIE!!!! Like an AVENGING ANGEL, Chris McQueen is all of us, flying off that bike, and assailing Bing with murderous fury, backhanding his stupid face with the gun, over and over, impaling him deeper with the protruding rod, and I swear, I wanted to run to him, and HUG him so tightly, so freaking PROUD!!!! THANK YOU, CHRIS MCQUEEN!!!

"Where is he, you SICK, Son of a BITCH!?!?"

"HE CAN'T HELP US IF HE'S DEAD!!!!!"

Vic screams at her father, angrily chastising this good and proper beating that has been a LONG time coming!!!! I'm sorry, isn't that how ANY sane person would react to a sadistic, murdering, rapist whose made their life a LIVING HELL!? What gives, Victoria!? Chris falls back, as confused as I was, and then shakes his head, as he apologizes vehemently, which Vic is having none of. She's AWFUL to her father from this moment forward, rude and spiteful, blaming him for everything, and as much as I love the girl, in this unjust punishment, she REALLY lives up to her nickname, Brat.

This Kids Glove approach to Bing Partridge is MADDENING enough to make me PSYCHOTIC!!! BING. IS. EVIL. Say it with me, NOS4A2!!!! It's like they are hellbent on redeeming the ONE character that is beyond saving, a man that even God, himself, would look at reviled, and say, "Get thee behind me, SATAN!!!" Last week they failed, first through the deus ex machina epiphany, and then through the attempted murder/suicide, so they tried even harder, using a meeker approach, making him say manipulative propaganda like, "I wish I'd never met Mr. Manx, because then Vic McQueen would still be my friend." and "I'm all alone in here, and it's really scary." Ughhhh somebody, anybody, put us out of our misery, and put one right between his beady little rat bastard eyes.

I almost understand Tabitha's need to keep things professional, and speak to Bing, in a reassuring way that reaches his simple, monosyllabic mind. I get that beating the living hell out of him like he so obviously deserves isn't an option for her, but this man is a HEINOUS criminal, who's kidnapped kids, drugged and raped their mothers, KILLED both of his parents, not to mention TORTURED Charlie within an inch of his life, only just last week!!!! But by ALL MEANS, Vic, go HOLD HANDS WITH HIM, and see if that will help get your son back!!!! Cringe.

I HATED this, so, so, SO much!!! Bing was her friend, he betrayed her, violated the trust between them, became her worst nightmare, shot at her, traumatized her, duct-taping her to a chair, she should HATE him, despise the sight of him far more than Charlie Manx!!! I CRAVED a reckoning, even if it was just a verbal assault. But no, instead, Vic decides to play nice, and I get that most of it was an act to convince him to help her get her son back, but I could also feel NOS4A2's misguided hand in her actions. Look, see, even Vic can find the good in Bing!!!! Sigh. Not gonna lie, I was going to scream bloody murder if she said she forgives him!!!

Good Cop pays off, however, and Bing, desperate for Vic's forgiveness, reveals there is one more stop before Christmasland, one last chance to grab Wayne, when he gets out of the Wraith at Sleigh House to hang his ornament. It's a dawning revelation, intel quintessential to their success, and for once they know where Charlie is going to be, before he gets there, and can lay a trap for him and his indestructible car. I hate the way they arrived at the information though, I'd have much preferred to see Bing suffer for his sins, and the whole interaction is just so laughably implausible. I will say this however, there was a rather BEAUTIFUL line in this scene that Bing couldn't begin to deserve, but I LOVED it all the same. "I miss the person I thought you were." My god, that's powerful.

"Chris McQueen," is a STELLAR episode, full of beautiful lines like this, including my FAVOURITE thing that Maggie has EVER said to Vic, which perfectly exemplifies their eccentric friendship!!! "I'd shank a thousand assholes for your mopey ass!!!" YES!!! I LOVE THAT SO MUCH!!! I will say though, that I was SHOCKED at how cool Vic was with Maggie's scary new trick of hurting herself to use her powers, sans seizures. I thought she was going to kick her butt for that!!! I'm really worried, Guys, this is a dangerous addiction, that's going to be the hardest one yet for Mags to quit!!! The break-up with Tabitha was bittersweet, but it did not come as a shock to me. They'd been drifting apart for awhile now, and I feel like Maggie was so scared of losing her, that she was afraid to be herself. "I want to live in the real world all the time." For me, that was the nail in the coffin, having only heard it about a thousand times myself. Maggie will always be living in two worlds, and whoever she's with MUST accept that. They love each other, yes, but they just want different things. I do respect Tabitha so much for not demanding that Maggie give up her tiles, threatening to leave her if she didn't. She'd rather let Maggie go be herself, be happy, than try to stifle her, shove her into that hateful, constricting little box called normal.

Vic continues to be petty, and spiteful towards her father, treating him WAY too harshly, punishing him, when he's done nothing but fight for her, a literal action HERO, avenging Wayne, and kicking ASS!!! It hurt my soul, and I could see the pain in his eyes, thinking he'd failed her, apologizing again, just wanting her forgiveness. The second scene at the McQueen house is a far less fuzzy one, as she forbids her father to come with her, placing all the blame of every bad thing that's happened thus far on his shoulders, and she cuts him with razor edged words, saying the worst thing that she could have possibly said in that moment, something truly unforgivable, that I already know she will spend the rest of her life, regretting.

"I lived eight years of my life without you, Dad, and I can just as easily do it again." She sneers, and even Linda stares, aghast. "Vicki, no, you don't mean that!!!"

I felt the pangs in my heart, stunned that she could be that vicious to her own father, after all he's done for her, getting sober, changing his whole life, hell, getting HER sober!!! Linda is again so adorable, insisting she take Chris with her, like "Vicki let your father play on your magical bridge, if he wants!!!" not wanting him to feel left out, and while I want more father/daughter explosive awesomeness, I'm conflicted whether or not he should go. If he stays here...... he's safe. Eventually Linda's persuasion wins out. "Don't let your anger towards your father, keep you from getting back Wayne." With a frustrated sigh, Vic shoves a black helmet in Chris' hands, and we're off to the races again. "Bring them home," Linda whispers sweetly, embracing him tight, and as they hug, I get the most sinking feeling that it's for the last time. Dont...... Don't kill, Chris Mcqueen.

Vic and Chris work in silence, once they get to the charred foundation of Sleigh House in Colorado, burying the handmade bombs, and finally Chris can't take it anymore. "Is this how you want it, Brat?" He asks her, heartbroken, and Ashleigh's acting is PHENOMENAL, as she breaks down and reveals the truth behind her unprovoked animosity.

"It's easier to be mad at you, than to blame myself."

"None of this is your fault. Charlie Manx is not your fault."

"I want to forgive you, because if I don't, how can Wayne ever forgive me. But I can't just let myself off the hook!!!"

It's not entirely a make-up, but it's an important conversation, something she's been wrestling with for a long time. Chris is again AMAZING, consoling her, easing her guilt, even while she's the one that's been impossible. Again Vic, I love you, but your father did the absolute RIGHT thing, and he's the only one that did right by Bing, as far as I'm concerned.

Maggie and Lou join the dynamite father/daughter duo in Colorado, and I LOVED all of their scenes together, the two people in this world that Vic McQueen loves most, and there's something magical about it, something iconic, seeing all three of them together, the Creative Dream Team, united in their crusade against Charlie Manx.

"Every one of these ornaments represents a kid in Christmasland, lost forever. Do you think there's a way to get them back? The other kids?"

WHEN SOULS FALL.

Maggie stares down, perplexed at the tiles, as she arranges them, revealing to the oracle this cryptic, mysticism, and I myself, could NOT breathe. Holy SMASH. Ever since the end of, "Gunbarrel," where Vic wanders through the trees outside Sleigh House, frowning at them, the hundreds of glittering ornaments, swaying in the wind, glowing as she drew near, I just knew...... I KNEW the souls of the Lost Children, were trapped inside each and every one of them, and this suspicion was ever further confirmed, when she found Bradley's canoe ornament, broken open on the ground, after he burnt up in the Wraith. My prediction? To turn the kids back, they have to smash every single one of these ornaments, and only then can the escaped souls return to their vampire shells, and make them human again. The minute a child hangs an ornament, the transformation is complete.

I also LOVED the transcendent scene between Vic and Millie, a scared little girl, in over her head, calling, pleading through the static, and I couldn't help but MARVEL at how much has changed between them. Last Season Millie Manx was very much her father's daughter, cruelly taunting Vic, on her father's behalf, even appearing to her while she was awake, stabbing her with an invisible sword. Now, she calls out to her to be her saviour, her father's greatest enemy, the iron wrought armour of her inherited hatred falling away, and Vic sees her as she always was, not a hollowed out demon spawn, but just a frightened little girl that needs to be set free. I was also THRILLED that dear little Millie imparted the knowledge that Charlie CANNOT die, else all the children, including his daughter, will die with him. Vic abhors Charlie with a screaming vengeance, but now that she knows his death comes at the cost of every child he's ever taken, she won't kill him, she CAN'T kill him, because then all of this, everything she's fought so hard for, bled for, would be for nothing.

The final act is both the thrilling BEST and the incoherent WORST of the episode, as the chaotic music ominously heralds our man's arrival. Charlie Manx, cutting a dashing, imposing silhouette, dark against the hazy dusk, exits the Wraith, turning every which way, striking in profile, floating smoothly across the front of the car, to let Wayne out. I loved this aesthetic, Charlie moving swiftly through the mist and dying light, rising as the threatened dark, enclosing. It's beautiful, and serves two clever purposes. One, to shroud our debonair dark menace in all the more intrigue and mystery, and the other, to conceal just how bad Wayne's gotten. Charlie clasps his hands around Wayne's shoulders lovingly, the picture of paternal pride, and my heart caught, seeing Wayne in the cast light, his boyish curls, frayed and almost white, his skin covered in white blue veins, every one of his teeth, coming to a sharp point.

"Go on, My Boy, it's time to hang your ornament," Charlie chortles handing Wayne the CUTEST little gray, baby bat ornament, I have ever seen, urging him forward. "Choose any branch you like, just make sure it's a SPECIAL branch," Charlie crows, and my heart melts, so in love with both of them, and the way Charlie dotes on him, knowing that while this began as a revenge plot, Charlie has come to love and favour Wayne, like the son he never had. "Don't dilly dally," He warns adorably, with an eyebrow raise, and even this mild scold is too precious for words.

Charlie waits by the Wraith, already nervous, as little Wayne disappears into the grove of trees. I LOVED the Wraith's ADORABLE warning system, as it flashes danger, the car horn honking, and even more I loved Charlie's distressed reaction to it, hurrying over, brow knit, like a father racing to tend to and protect his frightened child. Can I just have this impossibly PERFECT man, that darling little curly-haired boy, and this pretty, shiny car, PLEASE!?!?

"Smart Car," I whisper to myself, as the Wraith senses Vic's presence, and the waiting bombs beneath the ground. Charlie, alarmed, jumps back into his car, to seek out what's got the Wraith in such a tizzy, racing away, and leaving young Wayne behind. If there was ever a time, to save Wayne, it is NOW!!! NOW, Maggie, grab him NOW!!!! Here's where things start to unravel for me as far as character motivation and realistic ability is concerned. Yes, I get that Wayne's appearance is terrifying for her, that she doesn't know what she's walking into as she approaches him, but there is NO WAY Margaret Leigh, Oracle Extraordinaire, Hourglass SLAYER, would just cower, and watch as Wayne hangs his ornament. Nope, sorry. Wayne isn't even all the way a vampire yet, he's in transition, and the FEARLESS girl that I know and love, would have grabbed him, reassured him, while she wrested the ornament from his hands, and SMASHED it!!! Wayne's soul flies back into his body, crying as he clings to his Aunt Mags, Charlie is thwarted, and everybody lives happily ever after. End Scene.

But no, Maggie, in an uncharacteristic move, waits until Wayne has ALREADY hung his ornament, and then approaches him fearfully. I will admit I was a little nervous too..... Wayne, Darling, NO BITING Aunt Maggie!!! Wayne bares his vampire teeth, and raises his vampire claws in an adorable scare, with the cutest little growl ever, laughing cheerfully as he chases Maggie through the trees, clearly thinking it's a game.

Meanwhile, Charlie bristles as he sees the glowing headlights of Vic's motorcycle up ahead, piercing through the descended dark. His annoyance is obvious, but you can almost sense his secret excitement, at having one last chance to kill her.

"Gunning for Mother of the Year?" Charlie scoffs, amused, looking hot as hell behind the Wraith, clenching the steering wheel, his head down, eyes narrowed and full of smouldering, black intent. It's a FANTASTIC face-off, as the Wraith screams down into the open field, Chris pressing HARD on the detonator, and the first bomb goes off in a spray of dirt and billowing smoke. Again here's where I found myself more than a little bit incredulous, wondering WHAT THE HELL IS THE WRAITH MADE OF!?!? I even giggled to myself, remembering what Chris had said. "I don't care if he's in a GOD DAMNED tank!!!" The Wraith remains unscathed, the gleaming black paint, not so much as scratched, as a second bomb, and then a third go off beneath it, to no detriment. Really!? The Wraith is NOT a tank, it's not even armoured, and while yes, it's a supernatural entity, it CANNOT DEFY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS!!! Baby, I'm sorry, I'm so don't want to see you harmed, but you put a blast beneath that undercarriage, it is going to send that car FLYING, flipping it over at the very least!!!

Back in the grove of trees, Wayne, still chasing Maggie, stops cold when Lou calls out to him.

"Dad..... is that you?" THANK GOD, I cry out tearfully, as Wayne recognizes him, and in a very human moment, runs and hugs his father so tight, snuggling his little head to his shoulder, Lou sighing relieved, as he holds his son at last. Happy tears become angry ones, however, and at first I was LIVID with Wayne, horrified as he sinks his tiny little fangs into Lou's shoulder, biting him hard. DON'T BITE YOUR FATHER!!!!! Why, Wayne, WHY!? But the second time I watched this episode, I noticed something soooo very important. Wayne doesn't show any signs of hostility, poses NO threat, UNTIL the first bomb goes off. This is NO coincidence. Charlie, you're too clever for your own good!!! I suspect, that once the transformation is complete, and the kids are connected to Father Christmas, they can sense when he's in danger, and their innate attack instinct takes over!!! Freaking brilliant, and yet also terrifying!!!

Vic curses under her breath, her foot slamming on the gas, helplessly, as the Triumph won't start, her knife failing her, as the Wraith, screams at her like a shot bullet, promising vengeance, and Charlie smirks, sadistic, knowing he's about to end this....... "Say Goodnight, Vic McQueen."

My heart clenches in my chest, barely breathing, the tears flooding my vision, watching through blurry eyes, knowing what he's going to do, before he even does it. Chris McQueen hurtles himself in front of Vic, selflessly sacrificing his life for hers, and the Wraith runs him over, crushing the back of his legs. as he collides with it. I screamed, I sobbed, and shook violently, stunned because my prayers had been answered....... Chris McQueen, has miraculously SURVIVED. He's alive...... he's alive...... I whisper, reassuring myself. While he's far from okay, surely suffering two crushed legs, unable to move, I'm just so happy to see him still breathing, still fighting.

"Perfect timing, Wayne," Charlie snickers, Vic screaming, "NO!" as Wayne hops back into the car. This is it, this is the moment, where it all goes so wrong. Charlie's holding all the cards, he's got Wayne in the car, he's subdued Vic and her father, neither of them can so much as move, and he listens, drinking in their anguished cries. All he had to do was drive away....... It was over. It was SUPPOSED to be over.

"Chris McQueen, a disappointment of a man, just like your father," Charles snarls, and I AM BEGGING him to stop, bawling, pleading frantic, my terrified voice shrill. "BABY NO!!!! BABY STOP!!! DON'T KILL CHRIS, PLEASE GOD, CHARLIE!!!!!" Tapping into a darkness, donning a heartlessness, unbecoming of our gentleman villain, Charlie looks Vic in the eye, as he does it, snapping Chris' neck with lethal force, killing him purely out of spite. The episode ends with her broken, mournful sob, and Chris' slain gaze, his eyes still full of tears, staring blankly at the camera.

My pain is deafening, my sorrow beyond all hope of any coherent expression as NOS4A2 suffers its greatest loss to date. It's an empty gesture, a callous act, uncharacteristic of the man that I love with all my heart, but who has hurt me something profound with this senseless murder. In what kind of CRUEL world, does an innocent man, who sacrifices himself for his daughter, who fought for eight years to be the kind of father she deserved, have to die, while an indecent evil like Bing Partridge gets to live!? Charlie, HOW could you!? This...... There's no honour in this. Charlie kills only as a last resort, and only in defense, he has a strict moral code, and is vehemently against violence without cause. This was unfeeling, unnecessary, and soulless. Yes, he knew Chris was a bad father from before, but surely in witnessing the valiant manner in which he'd flung himself in front of the car, with no thought for his own life, Charlie would have found him redeemed, he would have seen a father who'd do anything to protect his daughter, not so different from himself, and he would have felt SOMETHING!!!

Goodnight, Chris McQueen. You fought the good fight, you changed and made things right, and now at last you can find peace....... My heart is so heavy, I can't hold it, and crying here, I want him to know how wrong he was, thinking nobody would mourn him when he died. A thousand cry out, stricken with grief. Husband, Father, White Knight Redeemed, here lies Chris McQueen, a HERO who didn't die for nothing.........

[justthehiddleswrites]

The Reluctants | Chapter 3 | The Reluctant Agreement

Pairing: Adam (OLLA) x OFC (Charlie Bock)

Summary:  Charlie can’t believe her luck when she lands an apartment all to herself in Quincy, Massachusetts in a decaying triple decker. But life gets more complicated when someone moves into the basement. Specifically her landlord, Adam, who also happens to be a vampire. As life collapses around Charlie, these two forge an uneasy and unlikely relationship. But is their relationship as doomed as the building they live in?

Chapter:  Adam struggles with Charlie being around while Charlie just struggles. An unlikely arrangement is created.

Warnings: Violence, Smut, Frottage, Dry Humping, Teasing, Coming In Pants, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex. Couch Sex. Kidnapping. Stalking. Non-Graphic Violence, Character Death

-

Adam walked Charlie backwards until she bumped up against the kitchen counter.

“Take it off.” he commanded. He pressed against Charlie, making his arousal known against her.

“Take what off?” Charlie questioned, looking up at him through her eyelashes

“The fucking sweater. Take it off. I want to see your tits.” He towered over her. She teased the hem up before lifting the sweater. Her breasts bounced softly as Charlie lifted her arms. Adam’s cock jumped.

“Bra too.”

Charlie grumbled while reaching behind. “You could say ‘please’ or do people lose all manners when they turn?” The bra joined her sweater on the floor, she hoped it was clean but didn’t hold out much hope given the state of Adam’s place.

Adam lowered himself to take one of Charlie’s nipples into his mouth. He sucked hard, taking care not to bite down. His fangs made that difficult. Charlie moaned and gripped the counter as he worked it to a hard pebble. Silently, he moved to the other giving it the same treatment. His lips trailed down Charlie’s stomach, nipping a it.

With long fingers, he tugged and teased at her skirt before pushing the hem up around Charlie’s hips. Adam could smell her and it didn’t take his heightened sense of smell to know she was aroused. A large wet spot soaked through the thin fabric of her underwear.

“Panties.” Charlie glanced down. “Please.” he added. Her hands moved to push them down and Adam helped her step out of them. He tossed them aside, never to be found again.

“Hey those are—” Charlie started.

“Less talking.” Adam interrupted while he pushed her legs apart and licked a fat stripe along her folds. Charlie’s knees buckled, but she remained standing.

The tip of his nose nudged against Charlie’s clit, sending electric shocks right to her core, causing her to flood against Adam’s mouth. He hummed against her, grabbing her ass to pull her close to him. She tasted incredible. He wondered how the rest of her tasted.

Charlie whimpered when Adam’s lips left hers, her orgasm aching inside her. Her walls clenched in anticipation. Adam nipped along her thigh and gripped her hip and knee tight.

“Still hungry.” He growled against her.

Understanding, Charlie nodded. “I wouldn’t want to leave you unsatisfied.” he teased.

His fangs sunk into the smooth flesh of her leg. The blood rushed from Charlie’s femoral artery and he knew in that moment; he was gone. She tasted as no one ever tasted before. Adam had to resist the urge to drown in her. Charlie slumped at the loss of blood and the heady pleasure. Once he had his fill, he licked the spot, sending shivers through Charlie. He tied a towel around the wound, to help stave off her bleeding out.

Adam rose and cupped her breasts before kissing her lips, his tongue tasted metallic and warm inside Charlie’s mouth. It was heady, and she wanted more. He tugged at his jeans, releasing his cock, purple and angry.

“Still hungry.” he grunted as his tip teased along her folds. Charlie’s fingers dug into his biceps. She hooked a leg up and he caught in his hand while pushing inside her.

The two of them moaned. Charlie’s pussy gripped and molded around him.

“Fuck.” Adam cursed. “I am already going to cum with the way you feel.”

Charlie bucked her hips in response and Adam’s head fell forward. He snapped his hips to bottom out inside her and Charlie moaned.

“Fuck me, Adam—”

Adam’s eyes snapped open, and he punched the pillow, cursing as his cock throbbed. Adam never realized that vampires could experience blue balls until that morning. After he stroked himself to completion, Adam still ached. Not physically although his cock would argue that point. The ache was for something more than flesh and blood. It was a hunger he hadn’t felt since Eve. Adam didn’t let his mind dwell on Eve much these days, he didn’t trust himself and feared that if he allowed himself to wallow, that wooden bullet would sing its siren song once again. Best to tuck it all away and lock those feelings, well all feelings, somewhere they couldn’t do harm.

And then there was Charlie. The fucking skeleton key to those feelings. Adam couldn’t remember the last time he woke up with a raging hard-on like a sodding teenager. And that fucking dream. He stood up and headed to the living room to feed and grab one of his guitars, hoping some writing would clear his head. Although he doubted it.

It was well after midnight when Adam remembered the leaking bathtub.

“Fuck.” he headed to the interior staircase connecting the basement to the ground floor. True to her word, Charlie had unlocked the door, and he stepped inside.

The apartment was cleaner than the last time he was in there, searching for Charlie’s phone to erase that video of Adam talking delivery of his stash. She had tidied up for their date, no appointment, Sunday night. The telltale drip beckoned Adam to the bathroom.

He kneeled on the tile, wondering how zombies managed through life with such inefficiency. With deft motions, he stopped the leak and set about reconfiguring the pipes to work in a manner they should.

A soft whimper called out from Charlie’s bedroom, and Adam moved to check on her. He didn’t know what he expected to see when he pushed the door open with his knuckles. He certainly didn’t expect to see Charlie’s knees pulled up, tenting the quilts and sheets. Adam exhaled seeing her safe and asleep. Not that he cared. It was just that it would be hard to rent the apartment out if someone was murdered there, he lied to himself.

As he turned to finish his work, Charlie’s voice called out. “Adam!” her voice breathy, raspy. Not the usual uptick tone.

His head snapped around to see if Charlie had woken up. She hadn’t but her hands and hips were moving in unison. Adam’s eyes widened as he realized she was getting off and somehow he played a part in that. His cock remembered the dream from earlier and pressed against his thin jeans.

“Shit.” he hissed while attempting to will the erection to subside to no avail. “Again?” This was becoming a problem. It hurt to move and recognized he would need to take care of it to return to the task of fixing the bath.

Adam popped the buttons of his jeans and pulled himself out. The tip already dripping. His forehead pressed against the wooden door frame while his hand fisted around his shaft. He grunted softly and Charlie continued to moan, both his name and other words Adam didn’t think polite to repeat.

“Fuck!” he groaned in a whisper as he came into his hand, spilling onto the floor, making a mess.

Charlie let loose a long moan as her back arched, orgasmed herself. She turned onto her side and her breathing returned to a deep, even tone.

Adam rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath as he hunted for a mop.

Charlie woke for work and padded off to the bathroom. She noticed the floors freshly mopped but pushed the thought aside. She squealed a bit to see that Adam had fixed the tub and had in fact, improved it. Although it now looked like a failed Tesla experiment. As she stripped down to shower, she stopped as she remembered the tendril of a dream from last night. She didn’t remember much except Adam being naked, his cock, and lots of moaning.

“God, I hope he didn’t hear that!” Charlie wondered as she stepped in the hot shower.

-

Charlie sailed through the work week. She secured a settlement for Mrs. Santiago for her slip and fall and an injunction for Mr. Jameson against a disgruntled customer. Charlie loved her work and helping people, even if it meant not making the amount of money she should.

“Ms. Bock!” Jason’s head popped over his cubicle wall. “A word.”

Elise threw a pitying look as Charlie marched over. She had no idea what Jason could want on a Friday afternoon. Come to think of it, shouldn’t he on his way to pick up Ms. Shanks-a-lot?

“Please take a seat.” He gestured to the stained chair.

“I’ll just stand, if that’s okay.”

Jason glared, unamused. “Sit. Down. Ms. Bock.”

She slinked down to perch on the edge. Jason pinched the bridge of his nose. Charlie chewed on her lip.

“There’s no easy put it, but this,” He gestured his hands between them, “isn’t working out.”

Charlie stopped fidgeting. “What?”

“I’m saying your services are no longer required.” Jason almost smirked. Hot tears threatened to stream from her eyes. She balled her hand into a fist in her lap.

“Can you give me a reason why you are firing me? Because last I checked I had the highest win rate of any associate.” she demanded.

Jason steepled his fingers. “Your employment at Legal Aid is at will, so I am under no obligation to provide an explanation. I expect your keys on my desk by 5 and your desk cleared out.”

Charlie nodded. Jason reached out and grabbed her hand.

“Charlie.” He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her knuckles. Her stomach turned. “Even though this has not ended the way you hoped, I would like to remain friends.” His mouth widened into a jagged smile reminding Charlie of Heath Ledger’s Joker.

“Uh, sure. I’ve got to go clean out my desk.” she choked out.

Elise wrapped her arm around Charlie and only then did she allow her tears to fall.

“I’m so sorry, sweetie.” Elise commiserated, running her nails in circles on Charlie’s back. “We are here for you.”

“Thank you.” she sniffled. Charlie grabbed an empty banker’s box and packed up what little personal items she had. A funny bobblehead of Spock from Star Trek. A framed quote and few other knick knacks plus three books stashed in her bottom drawer.”

“Remember to tell Ms. Mason to show up at Municipal Court on Tuesday. And the Fisher response is due on the 13th.” Charlie continued to rattle off tasks.

“We got it, sweetie.” Marie comforted her, rubbing her shoulder. “Listen, you head out early to Sullivans and we will wrap up here. Drinks on use”

“Okay.” Charlie wiped her cheeks. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you two!”

They squeezed Charlie tight. “Probably be dating Richard the Serial Dater.”

That earned a laugh from Charlie. That laugh was the only good thing that day.

-

Charlie, beyond buzzed but not sloppy drunk, stumbled to her front steps. Her shoes in her hand and jacket over her forearm. The harsh light of reality would sting tomorrow. Unemployed and precious little savings loomed. But tonight she would revel. The sound of leaves crunching brought reality back into semi-focus. A figure stepped into view.

“Jason?” Charlie squinted to make out the shape of her boss, ex-boss in the shadows. “How do you even know where I live? I never told you.”

“Personnel files.” Jason sneered. He swayed on his feet. You were not the only who had imbibed that night.

“I thought those were confidential. Why are you here?”

“I always keep an eye on my girls.” He ran his fingers along Charlie’s arm. She vomited in her mouth a bit. “Come on, let’s party. You, me and a hotel room in Cambridge.”

“She’s not your girl.” A drawn out English accent called out. Adam stepped out to grab Charlie’s shoulders.

Jason looked Adam up and down, sizing him up. “Hey buddy, isn’t it a little early for Halloween?” Adam rolled his eyes. “Come on Charlie.” Jason reached for her hand but she jerked away, pressing herself against Adam’s chest. His arms wrapped around her.

“Who do you think you are, Ozzy? Her boyfriend?” Jason took a step forward and Adam tucked Charlie between him.

“I’m the landlord, asshole. And I believe the lady has indicated she’s not interested. I suggest you leave now, before I get angry.”

Jason danced in mock fear. “Oh, what are you going to do to me, pretty rocker boy, sing me to death?”

Jason reached around Adam to grab Charlie. With those lightning reflexes, Adam snatched Jason’s wrist and twisted it back until she heard the sickening sound of cracking bones. Charlie stumbled to the bushes and heaved up the contents of her stomach.

Jason cradled his broken arm, screaming in agony.

“Come near her again and I’ll break something more important.” Adam threatened cooly.

“Come near her again and I’ll break something more important.”

Jason crawled and Adam picked up Charlie by the waist cradling her against him as they walked to his apartment.

The door slammed, and Charlie slumped on the couch. Adam filled a glass of water from the tap and shoved it into her hand. He paced the floor in front of her.

“Who the fuck was that?” Adam stood, hands balled into fists. “Answer the question.” he demanded.

Charlie broke down into tears. “My boss, ex-boss. Jason.” she spit out the words between garbled sobs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he would be here. He shouldn’t even know my address!”

Charlie’s head fell into her hands. She just repeated “sorry, so sorry” over and over. Adam winced knowing his harsh words had sent her into a tailspin. He sat beside Charlie, his hand hovering over her knee before landing next to her on the velvet couch.

“I shouldn’t have spoken so harshly. Drink.” He lifted the glass to your lips. “How long?”

Charlie took a long draw of water before returning the glass to her lap. “How long what? I wasn’t dating him?!” She shuddered, her senses returning.

“How long have you been out of work?”

“Oh…” she sniffled again. Adam resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Today.”

Adam blinked not knowing what to say. Charlie broke the silence after draining the glass and placing it on the one clear area on the table.

“I’ll see myself out.”

“You could stay here tonight.” he blurted before he realized what he was saying. Charlie stay here? He wondered. Would his libido survive?

“No. I don’t want to disturb your…” she waved a hand over scribbled sheet music and other notes written in Adam’s unintelligible handwriting. “… work.”

Charlie chewed on her lip as she lingered in the room. She didn’t want to stay the night in her apartment alone. Not for fear of Jason. Just the fear of the all-consuming silence and loneliness. And anyone’s company, even a brooding vampire with a penchant for funeral music was better than the alternative.

“I insist. You can take the bedroom. I would feel better if you stayed.” Charlie’s cheeks flushed, her hands twisting at the ends of her curls, a wild halo around her head. He wanted to run his fingers through them, getting caught up in the twists. Adam cleared his throat. “I mean I would hate to come up at night should that reprobate return.” He covered.

“I can’t take your bed. The sofa is fine.” She patted the cushion.

Adam shook his head. “I’ll be up all night composing. I’ll find you something to wear.” He left the room.

“That really isn’t necessary. I have…” He returned with an oversized t-shirt. “… clothes upstairs.”

“Here. It’s clean.”

“Thank you.” She ducked into the bedroom. “For everything.” she whispered the last two words.

The shirt was soft and came down to the middle of Charlie’s thighs. She put her clothes in a neat pile in the corner. She inhaled Adam’s scent on the shirt. Sandalwood, and musk, and something that was like men’s cologne from another century. She pulled back the dark sheets. She was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

-

“Fuccck meee.” Charlie moaned as her head felt as though Athena herself was attempting to escape. She blinked her eyes open to find a dark unfamiliar room. Surely, it can’t still be night. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she realized this was not her bedroom.

“What the—” She attempted to sit up but was weighed down.

Whoever was beside her groaned. She remembered the night in snatches. Lots of drinks, Jason. Oh fuck, Adam. She retched at the sight of Jason’s arm snapping. And then falling asleep. In Adam’s bed. In his shirt. Panicking, her hands smoothed over her body. Panties in place.

“Well, that is at least one awkward conversation we can avoid.” she muttered to herself.

Again she attempted to sit up but Adam’s arm pulled her tight against him. It relieved her he was wearing pants, choosing to ignore what she noticed pressing against her backside. Charlie laid there for several minutes, wondering whether Adam was that strong, she was that weak, or when you became a vampire, you weighed a cubic ton.

Adam huffed as he rolled onto his back releasing her from his grip. She scrambled to her feet before he entrapped her again. She smiled at the glass of water on the nightstand, left by Adam at some point last night. Charlie scrambled across the room to grab her clothes. She glanced at Adam’s sleeping form. The way his taut muscle twitched at the slightest movement. It was impossible to ignore how the sheets tented unnaturally around his crotch. Charlie giggled when her foot connected with something hard and sharp sticking out from underneath the bed.

“What the—?” she questioned rubbing where her knee came down hard on the unforgiving floor.

It appeared to be a mini fridge. The door flipped open. Charlie moved to shut it when she saw the metal canisters like the one from the weekend before. She gasped. This must be Adam’s stash. There was only one canister in the fridge.

Charlie wondered when he would get some more. She closed the fridge and tucked it out of the way under the bed. She grabbed her clothes from the corner when Adam called out.

“Charlie!”

She spun to see if he was awake, ready to chastise her for sneaking out. But his eyes were squeezed shut, his face marred as his brows furrowed. As she tried to determine the reason for him calling out her name when her eyes widened when she realized Adam’s eyes weren’t the only part of his body being squeezed. It may have been awhile since she had shared a bed with a man but Charlie could tell Adam was stroking himself underneath the sheets. While calling out her name. She gathered her things in a hurry and bolted up the interior stairs, slamming the door behind her.

-

“Shit!” Charlie slammed the laptop closed. She rose and paced the living room. “Shit… shit… shit.. FUCK!”

Charlie couldn’t make rent at the end of the week. No matter how much she scrimped and ate ramen, the numbers wouldn’t add up.

“Fuck this!” She cursed at not saving more. “I’m going to have to sell a kidney or some… thing.” Charlie snapped her fingers and reached for the phone. “Scathingly brilliant idea.”

The person on the other line picked up.

“Hello? I was wondering if you had any appointments for today.” A pause. “Great! I can be there in thirty minutes. Perfect!”

Charlie threw on a pair of ratty jeans and Boston Red Sox hoodie then grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

-

Adam woke up in bed that evening. The one problem: he didn’t remember falling asleep there. What he did remember was telling Charlie to take the bed. And then him passing out on the sofa. But here he was, in bed, no Charlie and his hand sticky.

“Fuck.”

He flashed on that fucking sweater again. And Charlie’s tits bouncing. While on his cock. He hoped Charlie had been asleep through all that. Now he was hungry. Adam fished around until he found the mini fridge. One canister left. And at least three more weeks before his connection returned from vacation.

He would need to source out another connection. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He poured out a carefully portioned serving, smaller than usual and drank with fervor. All these sex dreams were taking a toll on him.

-

It was late on Sunday evening when Charlie knocked on Adam’s door. He answered like usual, shirtless, bathrobe, hair mussed in a dangerously sexy fashion. Charlie fiddled with the folded piece of paper in her hands and smoothed out the dark green sweater. It was identical to violet one. Jesus Christ, Adam swore in his mind, how many of those infernal sweaters does this woman have?

“We need to talk.” She moved to step into the apartment but Adam held out his arm.

“If this is about Friday night, I can—”

“Not it’s about… wait about Friday night?” Charlie narrowed her eyes at Adam.

“Unimportant.” He lied. “What did you need to talk about?”

She took a deep breath. “So you remember how I lost my job on Friday?”

Adam tilted his head. “And?”

“I’m not going to be able to make rent.” the words spilled from her mouth. She glanced up at Adam, a flicker of something crossed his face. Charlie wasn’t sure if it was sadness, disappointment, or relief. It was gone as soon as it appeared.

“I’ll be sad to see you go. If there was any way to make this work…” Inside, Adam was a tangled mess. On one hand, he hated to see Charlie leave. As far as zombies go, there were worse options. On the other hand, he go could back to a quiet existence with little to no sex dreams involving low cut sweaters.

Charlie stopped him from shutting the door. “I might have a solution to both our problems.”

Adam huffed. “I don’t have any problems.” He crossed his arms.

“You’re looking awfully gaunt, Adam? And not in that cool I’m-a-rock-star-I-live-on-cigarettes-and-espresso gaunt. Are you eating okay?”

His eyes flashed. “My supply is fine. Now if you excuse me—”

“Liar.” Charlie retorted, not accusing but more of a statement of fact. “I found your stash the other day. One canister left. And by all appearances you would seem to be rationing. How long before your dealer,” Adam held up a finger in protest. “sorry, your source is back in town.”

She mirrored his stance, crossing her arms and giving that stare she reserved for asshole landlords in court. At the moment, it was appropriate.

“I’m waiting for an answer.” She tapped her foot.

“Too fucking bad.” Adam hissed.

Charlie sighed and uncrossed your arms. “Look, I need a place to stay and you need a reliable source of blood. All I am suggesting is an exchange. You get to feed on me and I get to stay in my apartment. It’s a win-win. It’s not like I am asking you to sleep with me.”

Adam stiffened at her last statement. She must be a mind reader.

“I don’t fuck zombies.”

“Good, I don’t fuck musicians.” She thought ‘any more’ to herself. “Now what do you say?”

“How do I even know that it’s safe you could have a disease or something wron—”

Charlie shoved the piece of paper at him. “I already went to the free clinic. They ran a full panel. Everything is clean and in normal range.”

“O negative.” Adam commented, licking his lips. “Your cholesterol is on the higher side of normal.”

“I’ll cut back on the fast food. Are you in or is it couch surfing for me and the local blood bank for you?”

Adam didn’t think it over long. He pushed the door open wide.

“Let’s discuss things further inside.”

Charlie stepped in with a smile on the outside and butterflies on the inside.

[dukereviewsxtra]

Duke's Monsterween: Hocus Pocus

Hello, I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome Back To Duke's Monsterween...

Where Today On Duke Reviews Xtra We Start Our Halloween Look At Disney...

By Talking About Disney's Halloween Classic, Hocus Pocus...

This Film Is About A Teenager Named Max Dennison (Played By Omri Katz) Who Along With His Love Interest (They're Not Exactly Boyfriend/Girlfriend Yet) Allison (Played By Vinessa Shaw) And His Young Sister, Dani (Played By Thora Birch) Bring Back 3 17th Century Witches, Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), And Sarah (Carrie Bradshaw) Sanderson Back From The Dead...

So, With The Help Of A Boy Trapped In The Body Of A Black Cat Named Thackeray Binx (Played By Max Goof) They Must Stop The Witches Before Midnight On All Hallows Eve Or Else All The Salem Will Be Doomed...

Will They Succeed?

Let's Find Out As We Watch Hocus Pocus...

The Film Starts In The 17th Century When A Human Thackeray Binx Awakes To Discover That His Sister Emily Is Being Lured Into The Woods By Witches...

He Tells His Brother Elijah To Get His Father And Summon The Town Elders While He Follows Emily To The Witches Hideout...

There We Meet 3 Old Witches Named The Sanderson Sisters Who Intend On Getting Emily To Drink Their Potion So They Can Steal Her Lifeforce To Become Young Again..

But Before They Can Get Emily To Drink It, Binx Reveals Himself To The Sisters And Dumps Their Potion In Their Cauldron On The Ground...

But Despite Doing That Binx Is Too Late, Emily Has Dranken The Potion From Winifred's Mixing Spoon. Blasting Binx With Force Lightning, Winifred And Her Sisters Steal Emily's Lifeforce And Become Young Again Or Younger As Winifred Puts It ...

As For Binx, They Transform Him Into A Black Cat Before Being Invaded By Binx's Father And The Town Elders Who Proclaim Them To Be Witches And Have Them Hanged Until Dead....

But Before They Are Hung Winifred Proclaims That On All Hallows Eve, A Virgin Will Bring Them Back, And Then, All The Lives Of The Children Of Salem Will Be Theirs...

Fast Forwarding A Few Decades Later, We Meet Max Dennison And His Love Interest Alison Who Are In A Class Run By The Nun Who Raised Jake And Elwood Blues...

Who I'm Surprised Didn't Hit Max On The Head With A Ruler Because Of His Talk Of Halloween Being Run By The Candy Companies..

But When Alison Proves Him Wrong By Talking About The Historical Facts About Halloween, He Gives Her His Phone Number Only For Alison To Give It Back To Him A Couple Minutes Later After Class...

Swing And A Miss...

After A Scene With 2 Stereotypical High School Bullies, Max Starts Missing His Home In Eerie, Indiana

Oops, I'm Sorry, I Made A Mistake There, It's Actually California...

But When His Sister, Dani, Interrupts His Brooding And Says That He's Taking Her Trick Or Treating This Year Because Their Parents Are Going To A Party This Year...

Yeah, Don't Bet On It, Kid, Coronavius Cancelled Halloween This Year...

Refusing, Dani Tells Their Parents, Who Force Max To Go Anyway...

But When They Do They Have A Run In With The Bullies, Which Causes Max To Get Mad At Dani Only For Max To Open Up To Dani On Why He's Been Moody Lately Which Leads The 2 To Make Up...

After That, They Come Across A Huge House Which Is Actually Owned By Allison's Parents Who Are Throwing A Halloween Party That Night, Leaving Allison On Candy Duty...

With Dani Embarrassing Max On The Fact That He Likes Allison's Yabos...

Which Is Technically A Long List As Tom Cruise And David Duchovney Apparently Like Them Too..

Allison Reveals That Her Parents Used To Run A Museum On The Sanderson Sisters When She Likes Dani's Costume, But They Closed It Down, When Weird Incidents Started Happening...

(Start At 1:22, End At 1:41)

Max Asks To Go, In Effort To Make A Believer Out Of Believer Out Of Him, So, Alison Goes To Change...

But Despite Max Wanting To Go, Dani Doesn't As She's Scared Of That Place, But They Compromise With Max Promising That Next Year They'll Go As Peter Pan (With Tights) And Wendy...

Going Into The Place, They Turn On The Lights And Look Around The Place, Eventually, Max Discovers The Black Flame Candle Which Is What Will Bring The Sisters Back To Life...

With Max Saying Maybe They Should Light It And Meet The Witches Themselves, He's Attacked By Binx, But That Doesn't Scare Max Off, Despite Allison And Dani Wanting To Leave...

But Still, Max Lights The Candle...

With The Floor Shaking, Lights Transforming Into Candles And A Fire Starting In The Fireplace, The Sisters Are Back...

With Winifred Wondering Who Lit The Black Flame Candle, Mary Starts Smelling Children, Leading The Sisters To Dani, Who Tells Them That They've Been Dead For 300 Years Before They Grab Her...

Max Tries To Help But Winifred Ends Up Blasting Him And Tossing Him Against The Wall Before Lifting Him Up...

Luckily Though Allison Saves Dani From Mary Who Then Whaps Winifred With Her Candy As Binx Attacks Winifred So Max Can Get Dani And Alison Out So He Can Enact His Burning Rain Of Death Plan By Using A Lighter To Activate The Sprinklers...

Confronted By Binx Who Reveals To Max That He Can Talk, He Tells Max To Get The Spellbook Before They Go, Which He Does Before The Sisters Realize That The Burning Rain Of Death Is Actually Water...

Now, There Are Alot Of Questions And Complaints That Some People Have With This Movie But I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry This One Just Ticks Me Off...

If Binx Could Talk, Why Didn't He Say Anything For All Those Years?..

And To Answer That, Let Me Ask You, The Viewer, A Question, What Would You Do If You Saw A Talking Cat?...

Would You Sit Down And Talk With Him Like An Average Ordinary Person?

Or Would You Run For Your Freaking Life Like He Was Casper, The Friendly Ghost?

If You Picked The First Answer, Congratulations, You're Officially A Moron!

Because If There's One Thing I've Learned From Movies And T.V. Shows Involving Mutants Or Beings With Amazing Powers, It's That People Fear Things That They Do Not Understand

Taking Max And The Girls To A Graveyard Because The Sisters Can't Set Foot On Hallowed Ground, Binx Explains Everything To Them While Also Revealing That After He Was Turned Into A Cat, He Waited For His Life To End So He Could Be Reunited With His Family....

But Winifred's Spell Came With Immortality, So, He Decided To Use It To Prevent A Virgin From Lighting That Candle...

Shortly After That, The Sisters Arrive On Their Broomsticks And Attempt To Go After The Book, But Realizing They Can't Due To Them Being On Holy Ground, Winifred Casts A Spell Which Brings Back Her Former Lover, Billy Butcherson...

I Wonder If His Modern Day Ancestor Is Billy Butcher From The Boys?

Who Winifred Caught Cheating On Her With Sarah, So She Poisoned Him And Sewed His Mouth Shut So He Wouldn't Reveal Her Secrets Even In Death..

Returning As A Zombie, Winifred Orders Him To Go After Max And The Girls Who Are Now In A Sewer With Binx...

As The Sisters Board A Bus With A Horny Bus Driver, Who Promises To Take Them To Where Children Are, Max And The Girls Get Out Of The Sewers After A Fake Death For Binx To Warn A Fake Police Cop Who Pretends To Be A Cop About The Sisters...

To Which There's A Complaint That I Agree With The Fanbase On...

Meanwhile, We Get A Brief Cameo By Both Garry And Penny Marshall Before The Sisters Realize That All The Small People In Costumes Are Children And That Halloween Has Become A Time Of Year When Children Run Amok...

When The Cop Doesn't Listen, Max And The Girls Go To Warn Their Parents And Everyone At The Party At Town Hall ButThey Don't Listen Either...

Eventually, The Sisters Show Up, Leading To The Best Part Of The Entire Movie...

(Start At 0:45, End At 2:46)

Hiding From The Witches In An Alley Behind A Resturant, Alison Gets An Idea, Which Involves Them, Luring The Sisters Into A Furnace At School And Burning Them Alive.,.

Succeeding In Doing So, Max And The Girls Celebrate And Binx Is Interested In The Prospect Of Finally Having A Family To Replace The One He Lost Years Ago...

But Sadly, This Happy Ending Gets Ruined Because The Sisters Are Still Alive...

As Dani And Binx Catch Some Rest, Max And Allison Go Through Winifred's Spellbook To See If There's A Way To Return Binx Back To Normal Not Knowing The Book Is Creating A Light In The Sky That Will Lead The Sisters Right To Them...

Binx Stops Max And Allison, Saying That Nothing Good Can Come From The Book, And He's Dead Right As The Sisters Show Up And Kidnap Dani And Binx Before Taking Off...

This Leads To Another One Of My Favorite Scenes...

(End At 1:33)

And That Miracle Comes In The Form Of Another Trick...

Max Shows Up At The Sisters House Just As They're About To Feed Dani The LifeForce Potion And Uses Allison's Car To Mimic The Sun To Make The Sisters Fall To The Ground So, He Can Get Dani And Binx...

After A Chase Scene Between The Car And The Sisters On Their Brooms Which Would Look Better On Endor, They Go To The Graveyard Only For Max To Get Caught By Billy Who After Using Max's Knife To Cut The Stitches On His Mouth Reveals What Side He's Actually On...

As The Final Battle Goes On, Winifred Grabs Dani, So, She Can Get Dani To Drink The LifeForce Potion...

(Start At 0:51)

As Sister Thanks Brother For Saving Her Life, Brother Gets Girl Of His Dreams And Binx Is Reunited With His Sister, Emily In The Afterlife...

And That's Hocus Pocus And Aside From The Various Criticisms From Various YouTube Reviewers, It's A Pretty Good Film...

The Story Is Interesting, I Love The Characters And The Effects Are Pretty Good, So For That I Say, See It....

Till Next Time, This Is Duke, Signing Off...

[quietya]

31 Days of quietYA: 2018 Books Your Mod Wish She Got To

I’m only human and there’s a lot of books I meant to pick up in 2018 and...didn’t. Here’s some that fit in well with this blog’s purpose.

Suitors & Sabotage by Cindy Anstey

Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father's approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. When her interest is piqued, however, it is for the wrong brother. Charming Ben Steeple has a secret: despite being an architectural apprentice, he has no drawing aptitude. When Imogene offers to teach him, Ben is soon smitten by the young lady he considers his brother's intended. But hiding their true feelings becomes the least of their problems when, after a series of "accidents," it becomes apparent that someone means Ben harm. And as their affection for each other grows—despite their efforts to remain just friends—so does the danger. . 

We Are All That’s Left by Carrie Arcos

Zara and her mother, Nadja, have a strained relationship. Nadja just doesn't understand Zara's creative passion for, and self-expression through, photography. And Zara doesn't know how to reach beyond their differences and connect to a closed-off mother who refuses to speak about her past in Bosnia. But when a bomb explodes as they're shopping in their local farmers' market in Rhode Island, Zara is left with PTSD--and her mother is left in a coma. Without the opportunity to get to know her mother, Zara is left with questions--not just about her mother, but about faith, religion, history, and her own path forward. As Zara tries to sort through her confusion, she meets Joseph, whose grandmother is also in the hospital, and whose exploration of religion and philosophy offer comfort and insight into Zara's own line of thinking.

The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo

Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas, is a strange place. For the past century, every girl has been born with a special talent, like the ability to Fix any object, Heal any wound, or Find what is missing. Best friends Rome, Lux, and Mercy all have similar talents, but to them, their abilities often feel like a curse. Rome may be able to Fix anything she touches, but that won’t help her mom pay rent or make it any easier to confide in Lux and Mercy about what’s going on at home. And Rome isn’t the only one. Lux has been hiding bigger, more dangerous secrets. As Rome struggles to keep her friendships close, she discovers the truth about life in Cottonwood Hollow—that friends are stronger than curses, that trust is worth the risk, and sometimes, what you’ve been looking for has been under your feet the whole time.

The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen

As a slave in the Kipchak Khanate, Jinghua has lost everything: her home, her family, her freedom … until the kingdom is conquered by enemy forces and she finds herself an unlikely conspirator in the escape of Prince Khalaf and his irascible father across the vast Mongol Empire. On the run, with adversaries on all sides and an endless journey ahead, Jinghua hatches a scheme to use the Kipchaks’ exile to return home, a plan that becomes increasingly fraught as her feelings for Khalaf evolve into a hopeless love. Jinghua’s already dicey prospects take a downward turn when Khalaf seeks to restore his kingdom by forging a marriage alliance with Turandokht, the daughter of the Great Khan. As beautiful as she is cunning, Turandokht requires all potential suitors to solve three impossible riddles to win her hand—and if they fail, they die. Jinghua has kept her own counsel well, but with Khalaf’s kingdom—and his very life—on the line, she must reconcile the hard truth of her past with her love for a boy who has no idea what she’s capable of ... even if it means losing him to the girl who’d sooner take his life than his heart.

Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Eighteen-year-old auto mechanic Sawyer Taft did not expect her estranged grandmother to show up at her apartment door and offer her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season. And she definitely never imagined she would accept. But when she realizes that immersing herself in her grandmother's "society" might mean discovering the answer to the biggest mystery of her life-her father's identity-she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses, bigger egos, and a whole lot of bless your heart. The one thing she doesn't expect to find is friendship, but as she's drawn into a group of debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own, Sawyer quickly discovers that her family isn't the only mainstay of high society with skeletons in their closet. There are people in her grandmother's glittering world who are not what they appear, and no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past. As she navigates the twisted relationships between her new friends and their powerful parents, Sawyer's search for the truth about her own origins is just the beginning.

Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton

In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood. Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch. But when Mia's father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy.

Ten After Closing by Jessica Bayliss

10PM: Closing time at Cafe Flores. The door should be locked, but it isn't, Scott Bradley and Winsome Sommervil are about to become hostages. TEN MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING: Scott's girlfriend breaks up with him over the phone while he's in the cafe's basement storeroom because he's late picking her up for the big end-of-the-year party. Now he can't go to the party, but he can't go home, either--not knowing if his dad will still be in a drunken rage. Meanwhile, Winny wanted one night to let loose, away from her mother's crushing expectations. Instead, she's stranded at the cafe after her best friend ditches her in a misguided attempt at matchmaking. TEN MINUTES AFTER CLOSING: The first gunshot is fired. Someone's dead. And if Winny, Scott, and the rest of the hostages don't come up with a plan soon, they may not live to see morning.

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.

An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason by Virginia Boecker

When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding: he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further--kill the queen herself. Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, which is to be performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play--it's a plot to root out insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all. The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katherine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.

Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother―a noted scriptologist―constantly alters and expands their reality. But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology―and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

When Marvin Johnson's twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid. The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it's up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean.

The Game Can’t Love You Back by Karole Cozzo

Eve is used to being the odd woman out. As the only girl on her school's baseball team, she knows exactly how to put sweaty, macho baseball players in their place, and she's focused on one thing and one thing only—being the best pitcher she can be. But when a freak accident forces her high school to be absorbed by the neighboring town, Eve has to contend with a new group of guys who aren't used to having a woman on their team. And the new team's star pitcher, Jamie, has no interest in being ousted from his throne. He can't afford to give up his starting slot to a new pitcher—even worse, to a girl. As the competition between Jamie and Eve starts to heat up, so does their attraction to each other. Can they keep their heads in the game, or will they end up getting played?

Driving by Starlight by Anat Deracine

Sixteen-year-olds Leena and Mishie are best friends. They delight in small rebellions against the Saudi cultural police—secret Western clothing, forbidden music, flirtations. But Leena wants college, independence—she wants a different life. Though her story is specific to her world (a world where it's illegal for women to drive, where a ten-year-old boy is the natural choice as guardian of a fatherless woman), ultimately it's a story about friendship, family, and freedom that transcends cultural differences.

Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

In Sky Hawkins's family, leading your first heist is a major milestone--even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It's a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you're a wyvern--a human capable of turning into a dragon. Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community. With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society--a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.

The Queen Underneath by Stacey Filak

The Above and the Under have a tenuous truce that is shattered after the death of both their respective rulers. Gemma, the new queen of Under, must throw history aside and team up with Tollan, the heir to the Above throne, in order to take down a power that seeks to rule them all. Their group of rebels is comprised of an assassin, a sex worker, and a palace servant from Above, and we follow their unique perspectives as they are forced to question previously held beliefs. But even with war looming, romance still grows. Challenging gender roles and the expectation that every prince must have a princess, Tollan discovers love with Elam—a young man, a sex worker, and one of Gemma’s closest friends.

Hole in the Middle by Kendra Fortmeyer

Morgan Stone was born with a hole in her middle: perfectly smooth patch of nothing where a something should be. After seventeen years of fear and shame, doctors and nurses, "peculiar" not "perfect," she has had enough of hiding. Feisty, feminist and downright different, Hole in the Middle is the story of what happens when a girl who is anything but normal confronts a world obsessed with body image and celebrity.

Game of Secrets by Kim Foster

Felicity Cole sells flowers in the streets of Victorian London to feed herself and her young brother. But she has a close-guarded secret--her brother is a Tainted, born with special abilities that society fears and a shadowy organization called the Hunstsman scours the country to eliminate. When Felicity becomes the target of one of these individuals, she discovers something horrible: she's Tainted, too. Rescued by a mysterious gentleman on the eve of execution, she's whisked away to a school funded by Queen Victoria, established to train selected Tainted into assassins in service of the crown. Struggling to harness her incredible strength, speed, and agility, and despised by her classmates, all she wants is to use her new position to find a cure so she can be normal and reunited with her brother. But with the Golden Jubilee fast approaching and the discovery that there's a traitor in their midst, she has no choice but to embrace the one thing she's been fighting all along.

Brave Enough by Kati Gardner

Teenager Cason Martin is the youngest ballerina in the Atlanta Ballet Conservatory. She never really had a choice of whether she learned to dance or not. Her mother, the conservatory's artistic director, has made all the decisions in Cason's life. But that's about to change. Cason has been hiding an injury, and it's much worse than anyone imagines. Davis Channing understands all too well what it's like to give up control of your life. He's survived cancer, but his drug addiction nearly killed him. Now he's been sober for seven months and enjoying his community service at the hospital. But just when he thinks he's got it together, Davis's ex-girlfriend, who is still battling her addiction, barrels back into his life. Cason and Davis are not friends. But, as their worlds collide, they will start to depend on one another. Can they both be brave enough to beat the odds?

Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner

Cameron's cosplay--dressing like a fictional character--is finally starting to earn her attention--attention she hopes to use to get into the CalTech costume department for college. But when she wins a major competition, she inadvertently sets off a firestorm of angry comments from male fans. When Cameron's family moves the summer before her senior year, she hopes to complete her costume portfolio in peace and quiet away from the abuse. Unfortunately, the only comic shop in town--her main destination for character reference--is staffed by a dudebro owner who challenges every woman who comes into the shop. At her twin brother's suggestion, Cameron borrows a set of his clothes and uses her costuming expertise to waltz into the shop as Boy Cameron, where she's shocked at how easily she's accepted into the nerd inner sanctum. Soon, Cameron finds herself drafted into a D&D campaign alongside the jerky shop-owner Brody, friendly (almost flirtatiously so) clerk Wyatt, handsome Lincoln, and her bro Cooper, dragged along for good measure. But as her "secret identity" gets more and more entrenched, Cameron's portfolio falls by the wayside--and her feelings for Lincoln threaten to make a complicated situation even more precarious.

When We Caught Fire by Anna Godbersen

It’s 1871 and Emmeline Carter is poised to take Chicago’s high society by storm. Between her father’s sudden rise to wealth, and her recent engagement to Chicago’s most eligible bachelor, Emmeline has it all. But she can’t stop thinking about the life she left behind, including her childhood sweetheart, Anders Magnuson. Fiona Byrne, Emmeline’s childhood best friend, is delighted by her friend’s sudden rise to prominence, especially since it means Fiona is free to pursue Anders herself. But when Emmeline risks everything for one final fling with Anders, Fiona feels completely betrayed. As the summer turns to fall, the city is at a tipping point: friendships are tested, hearts are broken, and the tiniest spark might set everything ablaze. Sweeping, soapy, and romantic, this is a story about an epic love triangle—one that will literally set the city ablaze, and change the lives of three childhood friends forever.

Love and Other Carnivorous Plants by Florence Gonsalves

Freshman year at Harvard was the most anticlimactic year of Danny's life. She's failing pre-med and drifting apart from her best friend. One by one, Danny is losing all the underpinnings of her identity. When she finds herself attracted to an older, edgy girl who she met in rehab for an eating disorder, she finally feels like she might be finding a new sense of self. But when tragedy strikes, her self-destructive tendencies come back to haunt her as she struggles to discover who that self really is.

When the Beat Drops by Anna Hecker

Seventeen-year-old Mira has always danced to her own beat. A music prodigy in a family of athletes, she'd rather play trumpet than party -- and with her audition to a prestigious jazz conservatory just around the corner (and her two best friends at music camp without her), she plans to spend the summer focused on jazz and nothing else. She only goes to the warehouse party in a last-ditch effort to bond with her older sister. Instead, she falls in love with dance music, DJing... and Derek, a gorgeous promoter who thinks he can make her a star. Suddenly trumpet practice and old friendships are taking a backseat to the packed dance floors, sun-soaked music festivals, outsized personalities, and endless beats of the EDM scene. But when a devastating tragedy plunges her golden summer into darkness, Mira discovers just how little she knows about her new boyfriend, her old friends, and even her own sister. Music is what brought them together... but will it also tear them apart?

Lizzie by Dawn Ius

Seventeen-year-old Lizzie Borden has never been kissed. Polite but painfully shy, Lizzie prefers to stay in the kitchen, where she can dream of becoming a chef and escape her reality. With tyrannical parents who force her to work at the family’s B&B and her blackout episodes—a medical condition that has plagued her since her first menstrual cycle—Lizzie longs for a life of freedom, the time and space to just figure out who she is and what she wants. Enter the effervescent, unpredictable Bridget Sullivan. Bridget has joined the B&B’s staff as the new maid, and Lizzie is instantly drawn to her artistic style and free spirit—even her Star Wars obsession is kind of cute. The two of them forge bonds that quickly turn into something that’s maybe more than friendship. But when her parents try to restrain Lizzie from living the life she wants, it sparks something in her that she can’t quite figure out. Her blackout episodes start getting worse, her instincts less and less reliable. Lizzie is angry, certainly, but she also feels like she’s going mad…

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace’s enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete—all except yōkai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yōkai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari’s fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yōkai outcast.

Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake

The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores. The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world. Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a young Northman leader. Leif should be Ciara’s enemy, but when Ciara discovers that he, too, shares her prophetic visions, she knows he’s something more. Leif is mounting an impressive army, and with Ciara’s strength in battle the two might have a chance to save their world. With evil rising around them, they’ll do what it takes to defend the land they love…even if it means making the greatest sacrifice of all.

Out of Left Field by Kris Hui Lee

Marnie has never had a hard time fitting in with the guys. It would take a lot more than their goofy antics to keep her from joining them at the neighborhood sandlot to do what she loves best: play ball. An added perk of hanging out at the sandlot? Spending time with Cody Kinski, their high school's star pitcher and Marnie's best friend. Sure, he can be stubborn and annoying. He also knows how to make her laugh and respects her skills on the field. And when he gets nailed in the arm by a bone-fracturing pitch, Marnie becomes the team's best chance at making it to the playoffs. Except no one told the guys they're supposed to be on her side. With her own team against her, Marnie begins questioning her abilities. And when fate throws her a curveball, can she play without losing the game, Cody, and her belief in herself?

Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier

Nineteen-year-old Elias is a royal explorer, a skilled mapmaker, and the new king of del Mar's oldest friend. Soon he will embark on the adventure of a lifetime, an expedition past the Strait of Cain and into uncharted waters. Nothing stands in his way...until a long-ago tragedy creeps back into the light, threatening all he holds dear. The people of St. John del Mar have never recovered from the loss of their boy princes, kidnapped eighteen years ago, both presumed dead. But when two maps surface, each bearing the same hidden riddle, troubling questions arise. What really happened to the young heirs? And why do the maps appear to be drawn by Lord Antoni, Elias's father, who vanished on that same fateful day? With the king's beautiful cousin by his side—whether he wants her there or not—Elias will race to solve the riddle of the princes. He will have to use his wits and guard his back. Because some truths are better left buried...and an unknown enemy stalks his every turn.

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

In a universe of capricious gods, dark moons, and kingdoms built on the backs of spaceships, a cursed queen sends her infant daughter away, a jealous uncle steals the throne of Kali from his nephew, and an exiled prince vows to take his crown back. Raised alone and far away from her home on Kali, Esmae longs to return to her family. When the King of Wychstar offers to gift the unbeatable, sentient warship Titania to a warrior that can win his competition, she sees her way home: she’ll enter the competition, reveal her true identity to the world, and help her famous brother win back the crown of Kali. It’s a great plan. Until it falls apart.

Learning to Breathe by Janice Lynn Mather

Indira Ferguson has done her best to live by her Grammy’s rules—to study hard in school, be respectful, and to never let a boy take advantage of her. But it hasn’t always been easy, especially while living in her mother’s shadow. When Indy is sent to live with distant relatives in Nassau, trouble follows her. Now she must hide an unwanted pregnancy from her aunt, who would rather throw Indy out onto the street than see the truth. Completely broke with only a hand-me-down pregnancy book as a resource, Indy desperately looks for a safe space to call home. After stumbling upon a yoga retreat, she wonders if perhaps she’s found the place. But Indy is about to discover that home is much bigger than just four walls and a roof—it’s about the people she chooses to share it with.

Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

Unlike the rest of the world, Iris doesn't care about the famous high-fantasy Elementia books written by M. E. Thorne. So it's just a little annoying that M. E. Thorne is her grandmother—and that Iris has to deal with the trilogy's crazy fans. When Iris gets dropped in Ireland for the movie adaptation, she sees her opportunity: if she can shut down production, the Elementia craze won't grow any bigger, and she can finally have a normal life. Not even the rascally-cute actor Eamon O'Brien can get in her way. But the crew's passion is contagious, and as Iris begins to find herself in the very world she has avoided her whole life, she realizes that this movie might just be amazing…

Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore

The del Cisne girls have never just been sisters; they’re also rivals, Blanca as obedient and graceful as Roja is vicious and manipulative. They know that, because of a generations-old spell, their family is bound to a bevy of swans deep in the woods. They know that, one day, the swans will pull them into a dangerous game that will leave one of them a girl, and trap the other in the body of a swan. But when two local boys become drawn into the game, the swans’ spell intertwines with the strange and unpredictable magic lacing the woods, and all four of their fates depend on facing truths that could either save or destroy them.

The Unbinding of Mary Reade by Miriam McNamara

There’s no place for a girl in Mary’s world. Not in the home of her mum, desperately drunk and poor. Not in the household of her wealthy granny, where no girl can be named an heir. And certainly not in the arms of Nat, her childhood love who never knew her for who she was. As a sailor aboard a Caribbean merchant ship, Mary’s livelihood—and her safety—depends on her ability to disguise her gender. At least, that’s what she thinks is true. But then pirates attack the ship, and in the midst of the gang of cutthroats, Mary spots something she never could have imagined: a girl pirate. The sight of a girl standing unafraid upon the deck, gun and sword in hand, changes everything. In a split-second decision, Mary turns her gun on her own captain, earning herself the chance to join the account and become a pirate alongside Calico Jack and Anne Bonny. For the first time, Mary has a shot at freedom. But imagining living as her true self is easier, it seems, than actually doing it. And when Mary finds herself falling for the captain’s mistress, she risks everything—her childhood love, her place among the crew, and even her life.

Beneath the Haunting Sea by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Sixteen-year-old Talia was born to a life of certainty and luxury, destined to become Empress of half the world. But when an ambitious rival seizes power, she and her mother are banished to a nowhere province on the far edge of the Northern Sea. It is here, in the drafty halls of the Ruen-Dahr, that Talia discovers family secrets, a melancholy boy with a troubling vision of her future, and a relic that holds the power of an ancient Star. On these shores, the eerie melody of the sea is stronger than ever, revealing long-forgotten tales of the Goddess Rahn. The more dark truths that Talia unravels about the gods' history--and her own--the more the waves call to her, and it may be her destiny to answer.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings. These are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries. Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate. Compiled by We Need Diverse Books’s Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renee Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong.

Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez

Two proud kingdoms stand on opposite shores, with only a bloody history between them. As best friend and lady-in-waiting to the princess, Branwen is guided by two principles: devotion to her homeland and hatred for the raiders who killed her parents. When she unknowingly saves the life of her enemy, he awakens her ancient healing magic and opens her heart. Branwen begins to dream of peace, but the princess she serves is not so easily convinced. Fighting for what's right, even as her powers grow beyond her control, will set Branwen against both her best friend and the only man she's ever loved. 

Sometime After Midnight by L. Philips

In a dingy Los Angeles club late one night, Cameron and Nate meet and find they have much more in common than their love of an obscure indie band. But when Nate learns that Cameron is the heir to a record label, the very one that destroyed his father's life, he runs away as fast as he can. The only evidence of their brief but intense connection is a blurry photo Cameron snaps of Nate's Sharpie-decorated Chuck Taylors as he flees. Considering that Cameron is a real life Prince Charming--he's handsome, famous, and rich--it's only fitting that he sets out to find the owner of the Sharpied shoes. Cameron's twin sister, a model and socialite, posts the picture of Nate's shoes on Instagram to her legions of fans with the caption, "Anyone know the gorgeous owner of these shoes? My hottie brother is looking for him." The internet just about breaks with the news of a modern fairy tale and the two become entwined in each other's lives in this sparkling story about the power of music, the demons that haunt us, and the flutterings of first real love.

Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis

When seventeen-year-old Nedra Brysstain leaves her home in the rural, northern territories of Lunar Island to attend the prestigious Yugen Academy, she has only one goal in mind: learn the trade of medicinal alchemy. A scholarship student matriculating with the children of Lunar Island's wealthiest and most powerful families, Nedra doesn't quite fit in with the other kids at Yugen, who all look down on her. All, except for Greggori "Grey" Astor. Grey is immediately taken by the brilliant and stubborn Nedra, who he notices is especially invested in her studies. And that's for a good reason: a deadly plague has been sweeping through the North, and it's making its way toward the cities. With her family's life--and the lives of all of Lunar Island's citizens--on the line, Nedra is determined to find a cure for the plague. Grey and Nedra continue to grow closer, but as the sickness spreads and the body count rises, Nedra becomes desperate to find a cure. Soon, she finds herself diving into alchemy's most dangerous corners--and when she turns to the most forbidden practice of all, necromancy, even Grey might not be able to pull her from the darkness.

Always Forever Maybe by Anica Mrose Rissi

When Betts meets Aiden at the candy store where she works, their connection is like a sugar rush to the heart. Betts already knows the two of them are infinite. Inevitable. Destined to become an us. Betts has only ever kept one secret from her best friend, Jo, but suddenly there’s a long list of things she won’t tell her, things Jo wouldn’t understand. Because Jo doesn’t see how good Aiden is for Betts. She finds him needy. Possessive. Controlling. She’s wrong. With a love like this, nothing else matters.

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by Lev A.C. Rosen

Meet Jack Rothman. He's seventeen and loves partying, makeup and boys - sometimes all at the same time. His sex life makes him the hot topic for the high school gossip machine. But who cares? Like Jack always says, 'it could be worse'. He doesn't actually expect that to come true. But after Jack starts writing an online sex advice column, the mysterious love letters he's been getting take a turn for the creepy. Jack's secret admirer knows everything: where he's hanging out, who he's sleeping with, who his mum is dating. They claim they love Jack, but not his unashamedly queer lifestyle. They need him to curb his sexuality, or they'll force him. As the pressure mounts, Jack must unmask his stalker before their obsession becomes genuinely dangerous...

Where I Live by Brenda Rufener

LINDEN ROSE HAS RULES FOR SURVIVAL. 1. Prevent the in-class nap. 2. Never carry too many belongings. 3. Avoid looking the part. Her rules guarantee no one discovers her secret–that she’s homeless and living in the halls of her small-town high school. Her best friends, Ham and Seung, have formed a makeshift family, and writing for her school’s blog prevents downtime. When you’re homeless, free time sucks. Despite everything Linden’s burdened with, she holds on to hope for a future and a maybe romance with Seung. But when cool-girl Bea comes to school with a bloody lip, the damage hits too close to home. Linden begins looking at Bea’s life, and soon her investigation prompts people to pay attention. And attention is the last thing Linden needs. To put a stop to the violence, Linden must tell the story. Even if it breaks her rules for survival and jeopardizes the secrets she’s worked so hard to keep.

Not the Girls You’re Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi

Lulu Saad doesn't need your advice, thank you very much. She's got her three best friends and nothing can stop her from conquering the known world. Sure, for half a minute she thought she’d nearly drowned a cute guy at a party, but he was totally faking it. And fine, yes, she caused a scene during Ramadan. It's all under control. Ish. Except maybe this time she’s done a little more damage than she realizes. And if Lulu can't find her way out of this mess soon, she'll have to do more than repair friendships, family alliances, and wet clothing. She'll have to go looking for herself.

Amber and Dusk by Lyra Selene

Sylvie has always known she deserves more. Out in the permanent twilight of the Dusklands, her guardians called her power to create illusions a curse. But Sylvie knows it gives her a place in Coeur d'Or, the palais of the Amber Empress and her highborn legacies. So Sylvie sets off toward the Amber City, a glittering jewel under a sun that never sets, to take what is hers. But her hope for a better life is quickly dimmed. The empress invites her in only as part of a wicked wager among her powerful courtiers. Sylvie must assume a new name, Mirage, and begin to navigate secretive social circles and deadly games of intrigue in order to claim her spot. Soon it becomes apparent that nothing is as it appears and no one, including her cruel yet captivating sponsor, Sunder, will answer her questions. As Mirage strives to assume what should be her rightful place, she'll have to consider whether it is worth the price she must pay.

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soulmate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th birthday, and Raj meets all of the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked to return from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. Worse, Raj is crowned chair of the student film festival, a spot Winnie was counting on for her film school applications. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted. Then there’s Dev, a fellow film geek, and one of the few people Winnie can count on to help her reclaim control of her story. Dev is smart charming, and challenges Winnie to look beyond her horoscope to find someone she’d pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her prophecy, and her chance to live happily ever after? To get her Bollywood-like life on track, Winnie will need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star.

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime. Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.

The Art of French Kissing by Brianna Shrum

Seventeen-year-old Carter Lane has wanted to be a chef since she was old enough to ignore her mom's warnings to stay away from the hot stove. And now she has the chance of a lifetime: a prestigious scholarship competition in Savannah, where students compete all summer in Chopped style challenges for a full-ride to one of the best culinary schools in the country. The only impossible challenge ingredient in her basket: Reid Yamada. After Reid, her cute but unbearably cocky opponent, goes out of his way to screw her over on day one, Carter vows revenge, and soon they're involved in a full-fledged culinary war. Just as the tension between them reaches its boiling point, Carter and Reid are forced to work together if they want to win, and Carter begins to wonder if Reid's constant presence in her brain is about more than rivalry. And if maybe her desire to smack his mouth doesn't necessarily cancel out her desire to kiss it.

Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie

Aisha Un-Haad would do anything for her family. When her brother contracts a plague, she knows her janitor's salary isn't enough to fund his treatment. So she volunteers to become a Scela, a mechanically enhanced soldier sworn to protect and serve the governing body of the Fleet, the collective of starships they call home. If Aisha can survive the harrowing modifications and earn an elite place in the Scela ranks, she may be able to save her brother. Key Tanaka awakens in a Scela body with only hazy memories of her life before. She knows she's from the privileged end of the Fleet, but she has no recollection of why she chose to give up a life of luxury to become a hulking cyborg soldier. If she can make it through the training, she might have a shot at recovering her missing past. In a unit of new recruits vying for top placement, Aisha's and Key's paths collide, and the two must learn to work together--a tall order for girls from opposite ends of the Fleet. But a rebellion is stirring, pitting those who yearn for independence from the Fleet against a government struggling to maintain unity. With violence brewing and dark secrets surfacing, Aisha and Key find themselves questioning their loyalties. They will have to put aside their differences, though, if they want to keep humanity from tearing itself apart.

Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitch Smith

When Louise Wolfe’s first real boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks things off and dumps him over e-mail. It’s her senior year, anyway, and she’d rather spend her time with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz, the ambitious new photojournalist, and in no time the paper’s staff find themselves with a major story to cover: the school musical director’s inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white, middle-class Kansas town. From the newly formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater to anonymous threats, long-held prejudices are being laid bare and hostilities are spreading against teachers, parents, and students — especially the cast members at the center of the controversy, including Lou’s little brother, who’s playing the Tin Man. As tensions mount at school, so does a romance between Lou and Joey — but as she’s learned, “dating while Native” can be difficult. In trying to protect her own heart, will Lou break Joey’s?

Unstoppable Moses by Tyler James Smith

After accidentally burning down a bowling alley with his cousin and best friend, Charlie, Moses has one week as a camp counselor to prove to the authorities—and to himself—that he isn't a worthless jerk who belongs in jail, when Charlie doesn't get that chance.

What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper

After losing her family and everything she knew in the Nazi concentration camps, Gerta is finally liberated, only to find herself completely alone. Without her Papa, her music, or even her true identity, she must move past the task of surviving and onto living her life. In the displaced persons camp where she is staying, Gerta meets Lev, a fellow teen survivor who she just might be falling for, despite her feelings for someone else. With a newfound Jewish identity she never knew she had, and a return to the life of music she thought she lost forever, Gerta must choose how to build a new future.

Odd One Out by Nic Stone

Courtney "Coop" Cooper Dumped. Again. And normally I wouldn't mind. But right now, my best friend and source of solace, Jupiter Sanchez, is ignoring me to text some girl. Rae Evelyn Chin I assumed "new girl" would be synonymous with "pariah," but Jupiter and Courtney make me feel like I'm right where I belong. I also want to kiss him. And her. Which is . . . perplexing. Jupiter Charity-Sanchez The only thing worse than losing the girl you love to a boy is losing her to your boy. That means losing him, too. I have to make a move. . . . One story. Three sides. No easy answers.

Love a la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Rosie Radeke firmly believes that happiness can be found at the bottom of a mixing bowl. But she never expected that she, a random nobody from East Liberty, Ohio, would be accepted to celebrity chef Denis Laurent's school in Paris, the most prestigious cooking program for teens in the entire world. Life in Paris, however, isn't all cream puffs and crepes. Faced with a challenging curriculum and a nightmare professor, Rosie begins to doubt her dishes. Henry Yi grew up in his dad's restaurant in Chicago, and his lifelong love affair with food landed him a coveted spot in Chef Laurent's school. He quickly connects with Rosie, but academic pressure from home and his jealousy over Rosie's growing friendship with gorgeous bad-boy baker Bodie Tal makes Henry lash out and push his dream girl away. Desperate to prove themselves, Rosie and Henry cook like never before while sparks fly between them. But as they reach their breaking points, they wonder whether they have what it takes to become real chefs.

A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan

King Midas once had the ability to turn all he touched into gold. But after his gift—or curse—almost killed his daughter, Midas relinquished The Touch forever. Ten years later, Princess Kora still bears the consequences of her father’s wish: her skin shines golden, rumors follow her everywhere she goes, and she harbors secret powers that are getting harder to hide. Kora spends her days locked in the palace, concealed behind gloves and veils, trying to ignore the stares and gossip of courtiers. It isn’t until a charming young duke arrives that Kora realizes there may be someone out there who doesn’t fear her or her curse. But their courtship is disrupted when a thief steals precious items from the kingdom, leaving the treasury depleted and King Midas vulnerable. Thanks to her unique ability to sense gold, Kora is the only one who can track the thief down. As she sails off on her quest, Kora learns that not everything is what it seems—not thieves, not pirates, and not even curses. She quickly discovers that gold—and the power it brings—is more dangerous than she’d ever believed. Midas learned his lesson at a price. What will Kora’s journey cost?

Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood

Grace Lafferty only feels alive when she's dangling 500 feet above ground. As a post-World War I wing walker, Grace is determined to get to the World Aviation Expo, proving her team’s worth against flashier competitors and earning a coveted Hollywood contract. No one’s ever questioned Grace’s ambition until Henry Patton, a mechanic with plenty of scars from the battlefield, joins her barnstorming team. With each new death-defying trick, Henry pushes Grace to consider her reasons for being a daredevil. Annoyed with Henry’s constant interference, and her growing attraction to him, Grace continues to test the powers of the sky. After one of her risky maneuvers saves a pilot’s life, a Hollywood studio offers Grace a chance to perform at the Expo. She jumps at the opportunity to secure her future. But when a stunt goes wrong, Grace must decide whether Henry, and her life, are worth risking for one final trick.

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies��girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life. When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies' one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.

The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde

As a rock star drummer in the hit band The Brightsiders, Emmy King’s life should be perfect. But there’s nothing the paparazzi love more than watching a celebrity crash and burn. When a night of partying lands Emmy in hospital and her girlfriend in jail, she’s branded the latest tabloid train wreck. Luckily, Emmy has her friends and bandmates, including the super-swoonworthy Alfie, to help her pick up the pieces of her life. She knows hooking up with a band member is exactly the kind of trouble she should be avoiding, and yet Emmy and Alfie Just. Keep. Kissing. Will the inevitable fallout turn her into a clickbait scandal (again)? Or will she find the strength to stand on her own?

[gadgetgirl71]

Top Ten Tuesday 9 March 2021

Welcome to this weeks Top Ten Tuesday. Originally created by The Broke & The Bookish, which is now hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week it features a book or literary themed category. This weeks prompt is:

Spring Cleaning Freebie

(for example, books you’re planning to get rid of for whatever reason, book’s you’d like to clean off your TBR by either reading them or deciding you’re not interested, books that feel fresh and clean to you after winter is over, etc.)

The only reason I have chosen these book is because they have been on my TBR the longest.

A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding

Synopsis: ‘What and how much should I admit to myself, and to others? Should I begin with this acknowledgement: my daughter Yuko might be alive today if I had loved her in a different way?’

When a badly scarred man knocks on the door of Amaterasu Takahashi’s retirement home and says that he is her grandson, she doesn’t believe him. But if you’ve become adept at lying, can you tell when someone is speaking the truth?Amaterasu knows her grandson and her daughter died the day the Americans dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki; she searched for them amongst the ruins of her devastated city and has spent years burying her memories of that brutal summer. So this man is either a miracle or a cruel trick. The stranger forces Amaterasu to revisit her past; the hurt and humiliation of her early life, the intoxication of a first romance, the fierceness of a mother’s love. For years she has held on to the idea that she did what she had to do to protect her family… but now nothing seems so certain. We can’t rewrite history, but can we create a new future?

Set against the dramatic backdrop of Nagasaki before and after the bomb, A DICTIONARY OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING is about regret, forgiveness and the exquisite pain of love.

Sisters One, Two, Three

Synopsis: After a tragic accident on Martha’s Vineyard, keeping secrets becomes a way of life for the Tangle family. With memories locked away, the sisters take divergent paths. Callie disappears, Mimi keeps so busy she has no time to think, and Ginger develops a lifelong aversion to risk that threatens the relationships she holds most dear.

When a whispered comment overheard by her rebellious teenage daughter forces Ginger to reveal a long-held family secret, the Tangles’ carefully constructed web of lies begins to unravel. Upon the death of Glory, the family’s colorful matriarch, and the return of long-estranged Callie, Ginger resolves to return to Martha’s Vineyard and piece together what really happened on that calamitous day when a shadow fell over four sun-kissed siblings playing at the shore. Along with Ginger’s newfound understanding come the keys to reconciliation: with her mother, with her sisters, and with her daughter.

At turns heartbreaking, humorous, and hopeful, Sisters One, Two, Three explores not only the consequences of secrets—even secrets kept out of love—but also the courage it takes to speak the truth, to forgive, and to let go.

Earth’s Blood (Earth Reclaimed #2)

synopsis: Clinging to their courage in a crumbling world, Aislinn and Fionn vow to save Earth, no matter what it takes.

In a post-apocalyptic world where most people have been slaughtered, the Celtic gods and a few humans with magic are all that stand between survival and Earth falling into chaos. The combination of dark sorcery leveraged by the enemy is daunting. Destruction is all but certain if the small enclaves of humans who are left can’t get past their distrust of the Celts.

Captured by the enemy, Aislinn Lenear wonders if she’ll ever see her bond wolf or Fionn, a Celtic god, again. She’s had nothing but her wits to rely on for years. They haven’t failed her yet, but escape from her current predicament seems remote.

An enticing blend of dystopian urban fantasy and romance, this second volume of the Earth Reclaimed Series provides fertile ground for Aislinn and Fionn’s relationship to deepen. Headstrong and independent, the pair run up against each other’s demands time and time again. Fireworks spark. In the end, they learn to savor every moment in a bittersweet world where each day may well be the last.

Never Forgotten (Never Forgotten #1)

Synopsis: Risser keeps her focus on the little details of Meara’s everyday life, lending the book a nice, homey charm. The real heart of the book is Meara’s emotional struggle with her mother’s illness and her first romance. ~Kirkus Reviews

How can one day go so very wrong? One minute Meara Quinn is making plans for how she will spend the Summer before her senior year and the next she’s finding out that her mother’s cancer has returned and they are moving away from the only home she’s ever known.

Now every day is a struggle as Meara is trying to cope with her mother’s illness, being forced to move to another country to live with grandparents—whom she thought disowned her mother—and having weird visions of a father who was absent her entire life. Top it all off with one whopping secret that everyone seems bent on keeping from her, and Meara has the perfect ingredients for a major melt down.

The only things keeping her from coming unglued are some new friends and Evan—the son of her mother’s childhood friend—who seems to know Meara almost better than she knows herself.

Together with Evan and her friends, Meara embarks on a new journey to unlock the secrets that will not only tell Meara who she is, but what she is.

Sentimental Journey

Synopsis: The first book in Barbara Bretton’s beloved Home Front Series

It’s June 1943. From New York to California, families gather to send their sons and husbands, friends and lovers off to war. The attack on Pearl Harbor seems a long time ago as America begins to understand that their boys won’t be home any time soon.

In Forest Hills, New York City, twenty-year-old Catherine Wilson knows all about waiting. She’s been in love with boy-next-door Doug Weaver since childhood, and if the war hadn’t started when it did, she would be married and maybe starting a family, not sitting at the window of her girlhood bedroom, waiting for her life to begin.

But then a telegram from the War Department arrives, shattering her dreams of a life like the one her mother treasures.

Weeks drift into months as she struggles to find her way. An exchange of letters with Johnny Danza, a young soldier in her father’s platoon, starts off as a patriotic gesture, but soon becomes a long-distance friendship that grows more important to her with every day that passes.

The last thing Catherine expects is to open her front door on Christmas Eve to find Johnny lying unconscious on the Wilsons’ welcome mat with a heart filled with new dreams that are hers for the taking.

The Almost Wives Club

Synopsis: Five Brides–One Dress

Kate Winton-Jones is marrying one of America’s most eligible bachelors. Edward Carnarvon III is rich, handsome and hers. But at the final fitting of her wedding gown, one of the seamstresses pricks her and a tiny blood spot appears on the outrageously expensive gown. Its famous designer fires the clumsy seamstress on the spot, whereupon the girl puts a curse on the dress and storms out. Kate doesn’t believe in curses. She’s modern, American and in love with the perfect guy. What could go wrong?

But that very evening she meets a man who makes her question her future. And then she discovers that Edward has been hiding a secret or two… and before you can say, “This dress is so cursed,” she’s on the run from Edward, his family, her mother, the paparazzi and the person she thought she was.

When the man who discovers her hiding place turns out to be the last man she should trust, it’s time to throw her cautious good sense out with the satin shoes she won’t be wearing. Playing it safe hasn’t done her much good. Maybe it’s time to play by a new set of rules. Her rules.

Sometimes Prince Charming is the one who turns out to be the frog, and true love appears in the most unexpected places.

Follow the cursed dress through five sets of bridal hands as four more women join The Almost Wives Club.

The Amber Project

Synopsis: In 2157, a mysterious gas known as Variant spreads across the globe, killing or mutating most organic life. The surviving humans take refuge in an underground city, determined to return home. But after generations of failures and botched attempts, hope is beginning to dwindle. That is, until a young scientist makes a unique discovery — and everything changes. Suddenly, there’s reason to hope again, and it rests within a group of genetically engineered children that are both human and Variant.

Terry is one of these children, modified and trained to endure the harsh conditions of a planet he cannot begin to understand. After years of preparation, Terry thinks he knows what to expect. But the reality is far stranger than anything he can imagine — and what he will become is far more dangerous.

Dancer of the Nile

Synopsis: Egypt, 1500 BCE

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive. Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart. Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

The Waiting Booth Box Set

Synopsis: Join Mia as she journeys to discover the truth in Whispering Woods. This box set contains three full novels.

The Waiting Booth (Book 1): A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal… Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High—find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration.

Whisper of Memory (Book 2):  Weapons training and winter formals… a deadly combination . All Mia ever wanted was to fit in at Whispering Woods High. But being a portal-finder who dates a guy from another dimension sort of makes it hard. Between learning about weaponry, finding the perfect dress for the winter formal, and catching bad guys, who has time to fit in?

Watcher of Worlds (Book 3): Senior year should bring fun, friends, and happiness. Not portals, treachery, and murder. Seventeen-year-old Mia Taylor, gatekeeper to an interdimensional portal, wants nothing more than to heal from her romance gone wrong. Illegally falling for her co-worker Regulus had been a huge mistake. But when Regulus goes rogue to hunt down a murderer, Mia must forget her broken heart and use her unique abilities to save him.

Looking For Wonderland

Synopsis: Welcome to the world of Alice. At forty four, she’s a nurse who is burnt to a crisp by her job, has a family which makes dysfunctional look normal, and thinks valium should be handed out like lollies.

Alice knows things have to change. Calling on her two best friends for advice, they decide to try and find their life purpose. Alice hopes Pilates, yoga, and Oprah The DVD Box Set, may have some answers. Or does Dr. Botha, the hospital’s Infectious Disease Consultant, hold the key to Alice’s future?

As things begin to look brighter, a life changing event sends Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole, leaving her to wonder if she has missed her chances for happiness. Will she ever find her Wonderland?

Until next week.

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #233 - National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

1) There are five theatrical films in the Vacation franchise, this is the only one I’ve seen. I’ve never seen the need to see the other ones, honestly. This one’s already good enough.

2) The opening animation over which the credits is a strong start to the film. It establishes a classic Christmas vibe and silly/slapstick humor. There’s nothing particularly PG-13 about the animation, just PG. It’s not raunchy or rude, just funny. I think that’s an important thing because it’s what makes Christmas Vacation as good as it is. Not the occasional raunch (which is very limited, I think) but instead the silly family elements. Not to mention it sets up a great original song.

3) The opening carols scene in the car with the Griswold clan does well to establish that dynamic. Clark is a little TOO enthusiastic but it’s sincere, Ellen is supportive, and the kids are kind of over it all.

4) This first encounter with the truckers is very strong. It shows two of the films best comedic elements: Clark’s ability to take things too far and then the build of it. Each choice makes the situation worse and worse leading to an inevitable, unexpected, hysterical climax to the scene.

5) I love Ellen.

Ellen: “Clark, stop it! I don’t wanna spend the holidays DEAD!”

6) Honestly, there are a lot of great little dialogue exchanges in the movie. I dig it.

Ellen: “Clark.”

Clark: “Yes honey?”

Ellen: “Audrey’s frozen from the waist down.”

Clark: “That’s all part of the experience, honey.”

7) When you make a comedy, you HAVE to have a good sense of humor. That’s the entire point! This film succeeds there. It’s odd, ridiculous, slapstick, and silly. Born from escalating problems and crazy “solutions” as well as a nice element of absurdity humor. Clark’s sticky fingers, everything on Christmas Eve, the sled, it all lends itself to this idea.

8) Julia Louise Dreyfus is in this movie. That is all.

9) Of course Chevy Chase is great in this movie, he’s freaking Chevy Chase! But Beverly D’Angelo is equally as good.

While the straighter of the two actors, the one who sees more clearly, D’Angelo gets a number of clever and hysterical moments in the film. She has a great chemistry with Chevy Chase but helps to make her Ellen MORE than Mrs. Griswold. She’s her own character, full of life and personality, patience and flaws, just truly wonderful.

10) I always like that Clark has a Tasmanian Devil coffee mug. It speaks to his fun energy as a character.

11) I never really got why Clark lies to Mary about not being married. It gives Chase a funny outlet to play flustered, but there’s nothing in this film which suggests to me he’d cheat on Ellen.

12) The arrival of the extended Griswold clan is perfectly done. A clear sense of family conflict and insanity is conveyed not only by the performances but the quick editing and off kilter camera angles. It’s very well done.

13)

Clark: “Russ, when was the last time I overdid anything?”

14) Remember how I said Beverly D’Angelo is crazy funny?

Audrey: “Do you sleep with your brother? Do you know how sick and twisted that is?”

Ellen: “Well I’m sleeping with your father.”

15) Much of this film benefits from a pacing that allows us to check in with the whole family here and there, supporting its heart and characters.

16) I actually analyzed the scene where Chevy Chase falls off the roof for a Physics for Filmmakers class. The class was horrible but I had fun with the project. I’d share some of what I wrote but it’s long and boring. Basically the gist of it is the ice can’t travel to the gutter like that but also the velocity of the gutter changes between shots.

17) I don’t know why, but my family always quotes this line like crazy.

Margot: “And why is the carpet wet, TOD?”

Tod: “I don’t KNOW Margot!”

18) Clark’s failed lights attempt.

There are two things which stand out in this scene: Clark’s in-laws are freaking awful and his immediate family are great. The in laws just relentlessly mock Clark leading Audrey to stand up for her dad.

Audrey: “He worked really hard, Grandma.”

I love that. I love seeing Audrey getting to show some real love and support for her dad instead of being sidelined as a stereotypical teenage girl. It’s freaking great.

19) Clark in the attic.

Firstly, Clark’s mother in law is an idiot. “Oh, the ladder to the attic is open. It must’ve just fallen or something, there can’t be ANY way a person is up there. I shouldn’t check or anything.” Jerk.

But most importantly, the attic scene is the best representation of the film’s heart. Holiday movies need a good heart to it, good emotion, otherwise they’re just a lazy cash grab. This film’s heart, its focus on family and familial love, are one of the reasons it has held up as well as it has 28 years later. Clark’s sentiment over watching old home movies, supported by a great Ray Charles song, is one of the best parts of the film.

20)

Clark: “Honey, you honestly think I’d check thousands of tiny little lights if I wasn’t sure it was plugged in?”

21) The fact that the solution to the problem with the lights is so abundantly simple is great. Also relatable. How many of us have plugged something into the wrong plug and obsessed over what was wrong?

22) Cousin Eddie just showing up when he does helps give the film an extra bit of energy to propel it in its last hour. Honestly if we had stuck with what was going on with no change or development it might’ve gotten a little dull, but Eddie is just a perfect source of fun family conflict.

23) Some of Clark’s asides when Eddie shows up are just freaking hysterical.

Clark: “If I woke up tomorrow with my head seen to the carpet I wouldn’t be more surprised than I am right now.”

24) Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie.

Eddie is this film’s ultimate scene stealer. Quaid, reprising his role from the first Vacation film, plays Eddie as totally sincere and honest. Yes he’s a dumbass, yes he causes problems, but there is not a hint of malice in his performance and that’s important. You need to like Eddie, despite his idiocy, you need to root for him along with the other characters. He’s a sweet guy, he just causes a lot of problems, and he fits perfectly with the rest of the cast.

25) Brian Doyle Murray as Mr. Shirley is a great Scrooge-like character in this film. You understand he’s pretty much a pill before you even learn what he did about Christmas bonuses.

26) The saucer sledding scene is crazy fun, but I never got how Cousin Eddie and the kids were able to see Clark go as far as he did. Like, we see him go through woods where no one else is, across a highway, and into a WalMart. And they’re just up on the hill reacting?

27) Clark’s pool fantasy.

The key part to this fantasy is not the presence of a pool, but how happy it makes his family. Clark doesn’t want to let anyone down. He wants to be a traditional patriarch and provide for his family. To not succeed 100% feels like a failing to him, that’s why the pool is so important to him.

28) The conversation Clark and Ruby Sue have together about Santa Claus continues to show off the film’s heart but mores how it balances heart and humor. There’s some crass language mixed in but it doesn’t undermine the emotion of the scene.

29) And now it’s Christmas Eve, and EVERYTHING on Christmas Eve is just one big problem after another. The night descends further and further into chaos before the movie is over which is truly freaking great!

30) Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis are a great late addition to the film. For animation fans, the actress who plays Aunt Bethany is also Betty Boop and Uncle Lewis is Dr. Finklestein from The Nightmare Before Christmas. They’re totally nuts, nonsensical, and just fun to watch.

31) All the cat-in-the-box movement is done by Chevy Chase.

32) That Turkey is SO dry!

All the crunching is so uncomfortably funny, leading into a hysterical extended dinner table scene which is a lot of fun.

33) Honestly these next batch of notes are going to be commenting on how each gag works so well. For example: the dad cat gag, for some reason, is extremely funny!

34) Ah, the Christmas bonus.

This scene is so freaking great. The entire film set it up, we’ve been waiting for this bonus. Meaning the surprise of it is as great for the audience as it is for Clark. The big setup, how much is riding on the bonus, means the fall is even greater. And Chevy Chase’s rant is one of the greatest movie rants EVER! I love it.

35) Clark’s following mania is great to watch, specifically the hilarity and insanity of the squirrel chase.

36) I’m just gonna leave this here.

Clark: “This is a full blown four alarm Holiday emergency here! We’re going to press on and we’re gonna have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap danced with Danny FUCKING Kaye!”

37) The heart to heart between Clark and his dad is a nice reclaiming of the heart that Clark almost lost with his rant. And just when everything seems okay…

38) Eddie happens.

39) I love Ellen.

Ellen: “I’m sorry, this is our family’s first kidnapping.”

40) The police response seems a little excessive, but I guess when a wealthy white guy is kidnapped they bring out the freaking marines.

41) Where Ellen’s hand is in this scene (and where it returns to) was improvised by Beverly D’Angelo.

42) And despite the movie ending on a joke, the ending does have a nice sweetness to it. A sincerity about the madness of the holiday spirit and its equal success.

Christmas Vacation is a holiday treat that grows better with time. The humor is supported by a strong cast and equally strong heart. Chevy Chase is obviously great, but other cast members such as Beverly D’Angelo and Randy Quaid get their time to steal the show. Filled with endlessly iconic holiday movie moments, it’s a great treat for the holiday season.

[kalinara]

The Updated/Revised List of Rip Hunter’s Angst and/or Trauma on Legends of Tomorrow

So, a while back, I made a list of all of the horrible/traumatic shit that has happened (or has been established to have happened) to Rip Hunter on Legends of Tomorrow.  Because, honestly even for the lead on a CW show, this is a little ridiculous.

I’ve been updating that list via reblogs, but that’s getting a bit cumbersome, and I wanted to refine a few of the entries anyway.

So, here we go, an episode by episode list of angst or traumatic events (updated as of 2x14, Moonlight):

1x01/1x02 - The Pilot

1.  Rip Hunter starts off this series with a sledgehammer of angst in the form of his dead wife and child.  We also see that his family home is the site of the second London Blitz in an Apocalyptic future.  I possibly could space these events into separate entries.  But honestly, this list will be long enough without that.

2.  Rip has also been cast loose by the organization to whom he has devoted his life, an organization that apparently thinks that sending assassins to stop a grieving widower is more appropriate than sending a grief counselor.

3.  Rip Hunter has recruited a team of people who he cannot remotely control or keep in line.  And sadly, one of them dies, because he recruited him.  Rip is devastated enough by this to scrap his own plan to get Savage to reclaim his body.

1x03 - Blood Ties

4.  We learn that Rip made a previous attempt to go back in time to stop Vandal Savage, and hesitated.  A failure which haunts him to this day.

5.  During the course of fighting Savage, Rip slips and gives Vandal Miranda and Jonas’s names.

6.  There is an implication at least that some of Rip’s experiences as a Time Master were unpleasant (” I've seen men of steel die and dark knights fall, and even then I accomplished my mission no matter what.”)

1x04 - White Knights

7.  Rip meets up with his former mentor, Zaman Druce, a man that he respects and trusts considerably, who seems to be offering a reasonable deal.  Instead, it turns out to be an ambush.

1x05 - Failsafe

8.  Gideon’s records indicate that, with Martin’s capture, the Russians will unlock Firestorm and weaponize it for an invasion.  Rip asks Sara to be ready to kill Martin to save the world, if there is no other choice.  (It didn’t happen, but he still has to live with making that order)

1x06 - Star City 2046

I don’t think there is any specific angst in this episode.

1x07 - Marooned

9. We see more of Rip’s backstory with Miranda, and their treatment from the Time Masters when discovered, including fairly horrific public humiliation and Miranda's resignation.

10.  We get Eve Baxter’s reaction and rejection of Rip’s help.  Both personally humiliating and even worse as a representation of the Time Masters and his old colleagues/family.

11. We get the fight with Mick Rory, where Rip, after some provocation, says some inexcusable things, providing Mick with the trigger to betray the group.

1x08 - Night of the Hawk/1x09 Left Behind

There really isn’t any specific angst in these two episodes to add to the list.  Unless you count Rip’s old bosses turning Mick into Chronos...

1x10 - Progeny

12.  Going by Rip’s scene with Mick in the brig, he does seem to have some self-blame for Mick’s predicament.  As we see from the way he tries to take the blame and divert Mick’s anger onto himself.

13.  The Per Degaton blunder - in which Rip chooses not to kill the dictator that will murder 1/4 of the world’s population, and in the process, speeds up the event.

1x11 - Magnificent Eight

14.  We learn, in this episode, that at some point in his career, a younger Rip Hunter befriended Jonah Hex and engaged in some heroism.  However, he ultimately chose his career over love heroics, and left the town of Calvert to its fate.  A decision that clearly haunts him to present day, and makes him quite unwilling to face his old ...friend.

1x12 - Last Refuge

15.  Early backstory angst!  Rip Hunter was once a starving five year old street thief.  And while we have no details about that time, it was apparently bad enough that he grew the instinct to stab any adult that threatens him.

(In my first draft of this list, I noted that they’d probably given him this angst so he has something to suffer about when his family angst was finally resolved.  I HAD NO IDEA what was to come.)

16.  We learn that the Time Masters recruit their members as children.  Which means that they aren’t just Rip’s bosses, they’re also the people who raised him.  Getting raised by a creepy time cult that forbids attachment totally counts for this list.

17.  We also have guilt over the risks to both his crew’s loved ones and the extreme danger of the Omega Protocol, and this ridiculous temporary solution.  Which leads into a much riskier decision.

1x13 - Leviathan

18.  In this episode, we get that lovely revelation that Rip didn’t just watch his family die once.  He actually tried to save them, only to watch them die “countless” times.

19.  Savage has set up a situation where Kendra, the only one who can kill him, has to choose between killing him and saving Carter.  Rip protests, but then accepts her decision, even though it removed his one guaranteed chance to save his family.   

1x14 - River of Time

20.  In the flashback, we learn more about what happened when Rip failed to kill Vandal Savage.  He was captured, starved, and implicitly tortured.  (”Ramses’s men inform me that still you refuse to speak...”).  It’s not clear how long he was there, but it was definitely an unpleasant experience.

21.  Rip makes increasingly bad decisions trying to get the Waverider to Vanishing Point, culminating in putting Jax in a very deadly situation.  His self-loathing after is palpable.

22.  And then of course, Rip finally gets Savage to the Time Masters, proof in hand, only for that lovely, final betrayal.

1x15 - Destiny

23.  Rip learns that not only are the Time Masters working with Savage, they DELIBERATELY sent him after Miranda and Jonas, in order to set their plans in motion.

24.  The death of Leonard Snart, which Rip takes so badly, that he tries to abandon the entire crew in the next episode.

1x16 - Legendary

25.  Rip achieves his goal of killing Vandal Savage, but fails at saving his wife and child.  It’s not quite a pyrrhic victory, but it’s still fucking depressing, almost culminating with suicide by sun.

2x01 - Out of Time

26.  This is subtle, but Rip spends most of the episode looking anxious and perturbed.  Like he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop.  As we saw from his goodbye message (which, as we see in Raiders, he had to have recorded much earlier), he definitely expected to have to flee.  From the look on his face in the flashback in JSA, he may well have realized what happened to Rex.

2x02 - JSA to 2x08 - Chicago Way

Rip isn’t in these episodes (except a tag scene and flashback.)  So no angst.  A few secrets, like the armory and tape.  But no suffering.  Yet.

2x09 - Raiders of the Lost Art

27.  We learn exactly what happened after the nuclear blast in Out of Time: Rip Hunter, in an attempt to hide a piece of the Spear of Destiny, undergoes “temporal electrocution” obliterating his identity and memories.

28.  “Phil Gasmer”, film student, is attacked out of the blue by the Legion of Doom.  He has no idea what’s happening or why.  In the process, he loses his script and film.  He also has terrible hair.

29.  “Phil Gasmer” is arrested without any clear charge or cause.  He is kept in an interrogation room, with no visible access to a telephone or an attorney.

30.  “Phil Gasmer” is kidnapped by people straight out of his script (pretending to be his psychiatrist!), informed that his life is a lie, and insulting him to his face.  And then, in an attempt to save them, he is kidnapped.

2x10 - Legion of Doom

31.  “Phil Gasmer” is tortured for an undisclosed amount of time, by two expert torturers.  He loses a tooth and is forced to wear a terrible purple suit as well.

32.  Eobard Thawne gets access to Rip’s mind and makes alterations.

2x11 - Turncoat

33.  Well, look, if you don’t think Rip isn’t going to be torturing himself for years about this entire episode?  You don’t know Rip Hunter.

2x12 - Camelot

34.  There are more things that Rip is likely to torture himself for, including the murder of Doctor Mid-Nite, the dead knights that he’s mind controlled, Galahad.  He also got abandoned and left to die by Damien Darhk.

2x13 - Land of the Lost

35.  Yet more guilt (this time for overriding Gideon and crashing the ship).  We also learn what the inside of Rip Hunter’s mind looks like: with the last bit of his own, true identity, imprisoned, hurt and terrorized by evil version of his friends.

36.  The team uses a machine that Rip himself thinks is too barbaric and violating to use, in order to go into his mind.  I doubt Rip will complain, as it had the desired results, but well, two mind-rapes make a right, I suppose.

(I considered adding the Gideon thing, but well, let’s see where that goes.)

2x14 - Moonshot

37.  Rip, having left an amiable Commander Steel in 1965, is greeted promptly by a punch to the face, and a cold shoulder from someone he seemed to think of as a friend.

38.  Rip is also dealing with the changes to the team since he was gone, and is at a loss regarding his role going forward.

39.  Rip’s proposed solution (opening the hatch) worked to save the ship.  However, Commander Steel sacrificed his life to do it.  More angst.  Yay.

--

39 incidents.  In 30 episodes.  He wasn’t IN SEVEN OF THOSE EPISODES..

And what are the odds that an episode called “Doomworld” will go remotely well for him?

At this point, I can’t bring myself to ask for a beach episode, because I think it would end with a shark biting off his foot.