#captain swan layout

[random-movie-ideas]

DC Cinematic Universe Pitch (TL;DR version)

So, in case you didn't have the time or interest to read through the hundred+ reblogged layout of the DC cinematic universe I was proposing over the last while, here's a relatively truncated version of that:

(Edit: Apparently it undoes my tabbing when not in edited mode, so I'm going to try bolding)

PHASE ONE

Title*

Elements they introduce*

Wonder Woman

Princess Diana

Queen Hippolyta

Donna Troy

Nubia

The Amazons

Themyscira

Steve Trevor

Barbara Ann Minerva (pre-Cheetah)

Etta Candy

Baroness Paula von Gunther

Doctor Poison

Martian Manhunter

J’onn J’onzz

John Stewart (pre-Green Lantern)

Katma Tui

The Green Lantern Corps

The Guardians

Scar

The Manhunters

The Flash

Barry Allen

Wally West (as Kid Flash)

Iris West

Joe West

Ralph Dibny (pre-Elongated Man)

Sue Dibny

The Rogues

Captain Cold

Captain Boomerang

Heat Wave

Weather Wizard

The Trickster

Pied Piper

Green Lantern

Hal Jordan

Thaal Sinestro (still a Green Lantern)

Abin Sur

Kilowog

Arisia Rrab

Salaak

Ch’p

Carol Ferris (pre-Star Sapphire)

Thomas Kalmaku

Red Lantern Corps

Atrocitus

Dex-Starr

Aqualad

Jackson Hyde

Garth of Shayeris

The concept of Atlantis

Atlan, the Dead King

Black Manta

Cal Durham

Dr. Stephen Shin

Black Jack

Eel

Scavenger

Charybdis and Scylla

Green Arrow

Oliver Queen

League of Shadows (Mentioned)

Black Canary

Roy Harper

Deathstroke

Deadshot

Task Force X

Amanda Waller

Count Vertigo

Vlatava

Justice League

Batman

Aquaman

Superman

Martha and Jonathan Kent

Lois Lane

General Zod

Faora-Ul

Ursa and Non

Jax-Ur

The Kryptonians

The Phantom Zone

Alfred Pennyworth

Queen Clea of Atlantis (briefly)

Teen Titans

Dick Grayson (as Nightwing)

Starfire

Cyborg

Raven

Beast Boy

The HIVE Academy

The HIVE Queen

Doctor Light

The HIVE Five

Bumblebee

PHASE TWO

Wonder Girl

Cassie Sandsmark

Vanessa Kapatelis (pre-Silver Swan)

Circe

Medusa

Superman

Supergirl

Zor-El

The City of Kandor

Brainiac

Darkseid (Mentioned)

Perry White

Jimmy Olsen

The Daily Planet

Batman and Batgirl

Barbara Gordon

Jim Gordon

The Mad Hatter

The Joker (in memory)

Catwoman (in memory)

Harley Quinn (in memory)

Two-Face (in memory)

Jason Todd’s death (in memory)

The Penguin (in memory)

The Riddler (in memory)

Killer Croc

Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya

Nightwing

Tim Drake

Poison Ivy

Clayface

Roman Sionis (pre-Black Mask)

Aquaman

Queen Mera

Orm Marius

Tula Marius

Queen Atlanna

Nuidis Vulko

The Kingdom of Xebel

King Nereus

The Siren

The Trench

Green Arrow 2

Mia Dearden

Brick

Cupid

China White

Wonder Woman 2

Artemis of Bana-Mighdall

Queen Antiope

Bana-Mighdall

The White Magician

Green Lantern 2

Guy Gardner

Ganthet and Sayd

Carol Ferris as Star Sapphire

The Star Sapphire Corps

The Zamarons

Jillian Pearlman

Hector Hammond

Doctor Polaris

Sonar

The Tattooed Man

Hawkman and Hawkgirl

Carter Hall

Shiera Saunders

Prince Khufu

Princess Chay-Ara

Hath-Set

Kent Nelson (as Doctor Fate)

Inza Cramer

Nabu

Supergirl

Linda Danvers

The Silver Banshee

The Flash 2

Linda Park

Elongated Man

Solovar

Gorilla Grodd

Gorilla City

Marvel Family

Billy Batson

Mary Bromfield

Freddy Freeman

Dr. Sivana

Black Adam

The Wizard Shazam

Martian Manhunter 2

Saint Walker

Blue Lantern Corps

Larfleeze

The Orange Lantern

Aqualad 2

Dolphin

King Shark

Justice League 2

Vandal Savage

The Blue Beetle Scarab

Daniel Garrett

Ted Kord

Teen Titans 2

Terra

A new lineup of Task Force X

PHASE THREE

The Atom

Ray Palmer

Jean Loring

Booster Gold

Goldstar

Chronos the Time-Thief

Per Degaton

Firestorm

Ronnie Raymond

Martin Stein

Killer Frost

Jason Rusch (pre-Firestorm)

Superman 2

Lex Luthor

Emil Hamilton

Metallo

Bizarro

Kryptonite and its properties

Batman and Batgirl 2

The Iceberg Lounge

Catwoman, Joker, Harley, Two-Face, Penguin, and Riddler in person

Hugo Strange

Wonder Girl 2

Giganta

Doctor Psycho

Aquaman 2

Corum Rath

Kadaver

Lorena Marquez

The sinking of San Diego

Nightwing 2

Mr. Freeze

Nora Fries

Stephanie Brown

Arthur Brown

Wonder Woman 3

Barbara Ann Minerva as the Cheetah

The Duke of Deception

Marvel Family 2

Darla Dudley

Eugene Choi

Pedro Pena

Victor and Rosa Vasquez

Mister Mind

The Anti-Life Equation

Teen Titans 3

Jericho

Rose Wilson

The Wildebeest Society

Various new Titans

Green Lantern 3

The Sinestro Corps

Amon Sur

Lyssa Drak

Karu-Sil

Despotellis

Arkillo

Anti-Monitor

Parallax mentioned

Other Lanterns like Boudikka and Tomar-Re

Supergirl 2

Earth Three

Ultraman

Owlman

Superwoman

Power Girl

The Crime Syndicate

Alexander Luthor and family

Mr. Mxyzptlk

Martian Manhunter 3

Mongul

Warworld

Mongal and Mongul Jr.

Lobo

Big Barda

The Flash 3

Bart Allen

Meloni Thawne

Reverse Flash

Don and Dawn Allen

Time travel using the Speed Force

Green Arrow 3

Shado

Merlyn

Bronze Tiger

League of Shadows

Connor Hawke mentioned

Death of Oliver Queen

Justice League 3

Darkseid

Apokolips

Desaad

Granny Goodness

Mr. Miracle

New Gods

ANIMATED UNIVERSE

Superman

Earth Two

Golden Age Superman

Golden Age Lois Lane

The Ultra Humanite

Delores Winters

Plastic Man (Cameo)

Wonder Woman

Golden Age Wonder Woman

Eviless

Hypnota

Maxima

Jay Garrick

Jay Garrick

Johnny Quick

Jesse Quick

Mirror Master

Rainbow Raider

The Thinker

Aquaman

Golden Age Aquaman

Lori Lemaris

Topo

King Neptune

The Fisherman

The Malignant Amoeba

Batman

Golden Age Batman

Golden Age Robin

Golden Age Joker

Golden Age Penguin

Golden Age Catwoman

Golden Age Riddler

Bat-Mite

Alan Scott

Alan Scott

Rose Canton

Jennifer-Lynn Hayden (Pre-Jade)

Doiby Dickles

Ma Hunkel

Solomon Grundy

Justice Society of America

Mr. Terrific (Terry Sloane version)

Johnny Thunder

Hawk and Dove

Metamorpho

The Justice Society

The Legion of Doom

STANDALONE TRILOGY

Clark Kent

Earth Prime

Teenage Clark Kent

Jonathan and Martha Kent

Lana Lang

Pete Ross

Leslie Willis (pre-Livewire)

Chloe Sullivan

Whitney Fordman

The Toyman

Clark Kent 2

Teenage Lois Lane

Krypto the Super-Dog

The Parasite

Clark Kent 3

The Multiverse

Leslie Willis as Livewire

Atomic Skull briefly

CRISIS

Crisis on Infinite Earths (Part 1-3)

True nature of the Anti-Monitor

The imps Qwsp and Quirk

Destruction of Earth Two, Three, and Prime

Death of Barry Allen

Hal Jordan as Parallax

Apparent death of Mr. Miracle and Darkseid

Teenage Clark Kent only survivor of Earth Prime

PHASE FOUR

Superman 3

Doomsday

The death of Superman

Lois pregnant with Jon Kent

John Henry Irons (pre-Steel)

Batman & Batgirl 3

Hush

Arkham hostage situation

Barbara Gordon paralyzed

Jonathan Crane’s allegiance to the League of Shadows revealed

Batman, Catwoman, Joker, Harley, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and Killer Croc taken by the League

Wonder Girl 3

Vanessa Kapatelis as Silver Swan

Hawkworld

Kendra Saunders

Fel Andar

The Thanagarians

Katar Hol

Shayera Thal

Nightwing 3

Jason Todd resurrected as Red Hood

Roman Sionis as Black Mask

Firefly

Kyle Rayner

Genocide of the Green Lantern Corps by Parallax

Kyle Rayner

Jennifer-Lynn Hayden as Jade

Alexandra DeWitt

Alexander Nero

The Indigo Tribe

Miss Martian

M’gann M’orzz

Ma’alefa’ak

Despero

Kid Flash

Wally West as the Flash

Hunter Zolomon as Zoom

Golden Glider leading a new team of Rogues

Golden Glider

The Top

Starfire

The original Teen Titans disbanded

The Planet Tamaran

Blackfire

The Citadel

The Planet Rann

Adam Strange

Alanna

Buddy Baker

Aquaman 3

Offscreen death of Aquababy, separation of Aquaman and Mera

Thanatos

Doom Patrol

Niles Caulder

Robotman

Elasti-Woman

Mento

Negative Man

The Brotherhood of Evil

The Brain

Monsieur Mallah

Madame Rouge

General Immortus

General Zahl

Swamp Thing

Swamp Thing

Abigail Arcane

Anton Arcane

John Constantine

Steel

John Henry Irons as Steel

Natasha Irons

Conner Kent AKA Kon-El created

Hank Henshaw becomes Cyborg Superman

Impulse

XS

Owen Mercer, son of Captain Boomerang

Max Mercury

Cobalt Blue

Inertia

Teen Titans 4

The Big Bang

Static

Gear

Aquamaria

Hotstreak

Major Disaster

Rolando Texador

Holocaust

The Blood Syndicate

Zatanna

Zatanna Zatara

Jason Blood and Etrigan

Brother Blood

Cult of Trigon

Blue and Gold

Booster Gold and Blue Beetle’s friendship

T.O. Morrow

The Red Tornado

Maxwell Lord

Watchtower

Firestorm 2

Multiplex

Lorraine Reilly

Jason Rusch becomes Firestorm

Ronnie Raymond dies of cancer

Supergirl 3

Legion of Super-Heroes

Brainiac 5

Cosmic Boy

Saturn Girl

Lightning Lad

Mon-El

Brainiac 13

Kara remains in the future

The Atom 2

Murder of Sue Dibny

Murder of Doctor Light

Kimiyo Hoshi becomes Light

Jean Loring exposed as murderer

Blue Beetle murdered by Maxwell Lord

The Question

Vic Sage

Helena Bertinelli

Victor Zsasz

The Court of Owls

Death of Vic Sage

Justice League 4

Checkmate revealed

Anthony Ivo

Amazo

Jaime Reyes becomes the new Blue Beetle

Secret Society of Super-Villains revealed

Justice League Dark

Zatanna, Constantine, Raven, Swamp Thing, Etrigan, and Jared Stevens form Justice League Dark

Trigon unleashed

Son of Batman

Damian Wayne

Jonathan Crane as the Scarecrow revealed

War of the Gods, Part One

Circe, Cheetah, Giganta, Silver Swan, Doctor Poison, Queen Clea, Zara, and Blue Snowman form Villainy Inc.

Doctor Psycho turned into a pig

Death of Queen Hippolyta

Doors of Death opened

PHASE FIVE

War of the Gods, Part Two

The Firstborn

Murder of Circe, Doctor Poison, Queen Clea, Zara, and Blue Snowman

Ares

Zeus

Hercules

Gods of Olympus

Artemis of Bana-Mighdall returns from the dead

Aquaman, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Captain Marvel called on to protect the gods

Death of the Olympian pantheon

Champions of Olympus found a new pantheon

Blue and Gold 2

Booster and Jaime attempt to save Ted through time travel

Rip Hunter

Black Beetle

The Reach

The Bat Family, Part One

League of Shadows prison

Bane

Cassandra Cain

Batman, Catwoman, and eight villains work together to escape

Superboy

Expedition to Krypton

Alexander Luthor Jr.

The Eradicators

Death of Emil Hamilton

Teenage Clark Kent from Earth-Prime becomes Superboy-Prime

Birds of Prey

Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya as the Question form Birds of Prey

Barbara Gordon as Oracle

Dinah Drake, the original Black Canary

Katana

Sin

Lady Shiva

Sarah Lance as White Canary

The Speed Force

Barry Allen brought from the past

Barry, Wally, Bart, and allies join forces

Godspeed

Professor Alchemy

Death of Eobard Thawne, Hunter Zolomon, and Inertia

Savitar

Death of Max Mercury

Batwoman

Kate Kane as Batwoman

Bette Kane as Flamebird

Duke Thomas

Man-Bat

She-Bat

Zatanna 2

Klarion the Witch-Boy

Lucifer

Swamp Thing 2

Tefe Holland

The Floronic Man

Blackest Night

Jessica Cruz

Simon Baz

Black Hand

Birth of the Black Lantern Corps

Nekron mentioned

Adam Strange

Starro

War between Rann and Thanagar

The Bat Family, Part Two

Ra’s al-Ghul

Talia al-Ghul

Bat Family fully reunited

Deaths of the Joker and Ra’s al-Ghul

Steel 2

Natasha Irons as Steel

Manchester Black

Black Lightning

Jefferson Pierce

Anissa and Jennifer Pierce

Tobias Whale

Joey Toledo

Syonide

Death of Earl Clifford

The Atom 3

Princess Laethwyn

The Morlaidhans

Adam Cray

The Bug-Eyed Bandit

The Micro Squad

Firestorm 3

Ronnie Raymond resurrected as Deathstorm

Connor Hawke

Connor Hawke

Death of Merlyn

The Rogues

Owen Mercer takes his father’s place

Abra Kadabra trades the team’s souls

The demon Neron

Blackest Night, Part Two

Zombie apocalypse caused by the Black Lantern Corps

Resurrection of dead heroes and villains such as Superman, Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen, the Question, Ted Kord, Jean Loring, Sue Dibny, the Joker, various members of the Suicide Squad, and more

Death of Amanda Waller at the hands of her fallen Suicide Squad members

Creation of the White Lantern ring

All intact zombies restored to life

ANIMATED UNIVERSE, PHASE TWO

Alan Scott 2

Icicle

Icicle Jr.

Jakeem Thunder

Cyclone

Universe still existing despite Crisis

Jennifer missing from this universe

Stargirl

Courtney Whitmore

Pat Dugan

Starman

All-American Kid

Nathaniel Adam’s transformation into Captain Atom

General Wade Eiling

Solomon Grundy’s past revealed

Al Pratt

Al Pratt as Golden Age Atom

Atom Smasher

Michael Holt’s Mr. Terrific

Fire and Ice

Ultra-Humanite’s return

Cyclotron

Hourman

Rick Tyler

Rex Tyler

Matthew Tyler

Hawk becoming Extant in the future

The Spectre

Spectre

Boston Brand’s murder

Doctor Mid-Nite

Beth Chapel (pre-Doctor Mid-Nite)

Eclipso

The Hook

Jay Garrick 2

Shade

The Phantom Stranger

The realization something is wrong with their universe

Justice Society of America 2

The Sandman

The revelation that their universe is preserved through the dreams of Jennifer-Lynn Hayden, residing in Earth-One

CRISIS

Final Crisis (Part 1-3)

Superboy-Prime, Alexander Luthor Jr., and Jennifer-Lynn Hayden the keys to restoring the Multiverse

Krona

Imperiex

Resurrection of Darkseid

Restoration of Earth Two, Earth Three, and Earth Prime

Edit: Let's see how that does.

[wanderlustwayadventures1]

Cape Cod Trip added bonus Maine and Rhode Island

4 Day & 6 Day Adventures

Trip 1 Cape Cod, Plymouth, P-town, Martha’s Vineyard

September Trip 2020 4 days

Stayed in an Air b&b at Yarmouth

Day 1 Plymouth Rock and Pilgrim Memorial State Park.

When the first settlers first stepped onto land here, they did so because of the protected bay. Early in the 18th century, nearly a century after the landing, one of their descendants identified a certain rock as the place of that first landing. The famed rock, which has been broken, moved, and put back together, now sits at the seashore protected under a classical columned canopy.

The Mayflower II the tall masts of Mayflower II rise above her decks, a reminder of how this all started. Built in England during the early 1950s, the ship arrived in Plymouth in 1957 and today serves as an important way to relate the tale of European settlement in America. As well as can be determined, the ship is a full-scale replica of the original.

Day 2 Martha’s Vineyard Daytrip

Steamship authority vineyard: ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

We started at Oak Buffs were we rented an e-bike. The six-mile bike ride from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown is known for being a gorgeous and manageable ride, including riding over Jaws Bridge!

Oaks buff is known for its distinctive Victorian architecture with 300 colorful cottages designed to look like gingerbread houses.

We continued to Edgartown, with its quaint harbor complete with an 80-year-old lighthouse. A former hub for the whaling industry, admire the stately Greek revival mansions built by ship captains.

We Traveled along the idyllic countryside and small fishing villages. We then took a taxi the technicolor cliffs of Aquinnah.

The Aquinnah Cliffs – formerly known as Gay Head – is one of Martha's Vineyard's most-visited tourist spots, with bus and bike tours congesting the paved roads in the peak summer season. But the epic clay cliffs, which were carved by glaciers millions of years ago, are worth the trek. Visitors can explore the lower beach paths to see the cliffs up close and stretch along the sands at Moshup Beach. Or take the upper trails to the top of the cliffs to catch a glimpse of Gay Head Light and nearby Elizabeth Islands.

The Aquinnah Cliffs are part of the island's Wampanoag reservation and under special environmental protections to deter erosion.

Day 3 Cape cod waterways boat rental on swan river. Swan Pond River is Located right on the banks of the Swan River Cape Cod Waterways boat rentals offer four different boat models to choose from: Kayak, Stand Up Paddle Board, Canoe, and Pedal Boat rentals!

The Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the Pilgrims in 1620 and the signing of the Mayflower Compact in Provincetown Harbor.

Provincetown

Provincetown is at the northern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. P-town is known as a longtime haven for artists, LGBTQ. Numerous galleries plus restaurants, nightclubs, cabarets and specialty shops are clustered on and around lively Commercial Street.

Long Point Lighthouse 5mile Trail

Begin at Pilgrim first landing park, walk over a jetty for a mile towards long point. Follow the shoreline towards a lighthouse. The first light was built in 1827 and became automatic in 1952.

Day 4 Pilmouth Plantation

Plimoth Patuxet is a complex of living history museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts founded in 1947, formerly Plimoth Plantation

The largest of which is the 17th-century English Village. On ground carefully chosen to reflect the topography of the Pilgrims' original settlement, and following the same street layout, the village authentically recreates the reality of those hard first years in the Plymouth Colony.

The following year we did a 5 day trip in July 2021

Trip 2 Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Gloucester, Cadem Hills State Park, Arcadia, Rhode Island (Newport).

July trip 6 days 2021

Day 1 Yarmouth July 10

Plymouth Rock, Provincetown and Plymouth first landing

MacMillan Wharf, 450-foot-long MacMillan Wharf. Aside from setting off on ferries and sightseeing tours, it is a picturesque spot to amble along and gaze out over the bay, boats and coastline.

Day 2 Martha’s Vineyard July 11

Ferry/bus we took the bus to the bridge that was made famous by the movie Jaws. We rented kayaks and stopped at the bridge to view locals and tourists jumping of the bridge.

Day 3 July 12 Whale watching Trips to Stellwagon bank marine Sanctuary

It encompasses 842-square-miles of some of the most productive ocean waters anywhere in the northwest Atlantic.

While the frequent presence of Humpback whales, Finback whales, Right whales and sometimes other endangered whale species no doubt gives the sanctuary its public appeal and worldwide recognition, this marine sanctuary was created in order to protect all of the great diversity of marine creatures that depend on these waters for all or part of their life cycle.

The sanctuary was named after its principal geologic feature: a shallow, underwater sandbar known as “Stellwagen Bank.” There is more to the sanctuary than just Stellwagen Bank, however. The sanctuary encompasses many other equally important areas; most notably “Jeffrey’s Ledge” which is just to the north of Stellwagen Bank itself.

You can think of Stellwagen Bank as a huge, underwater sandbar that it is about 24 miles long, 3-5 miles wide at its northern end, and just under 14 miles wide at its southern end. It rises above the surrounding seafloor to a height the equivalent of an 11-story building, with waters on top of the Bank ranging between 65 and 120 feet in depth and surrounding waters being between 250 and 350 feet deep.

Geologically speaking “The Bank” is an underwater extension of Cape Cod and this can clearly be seen in maps of the seafloor. As you can see in the map below, Stellwagen Bank is situated directly between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, a location that led many fishermen to refer to the area as “Middle Bank.”

Cadem Hills State Park camp out

Located a few minutes north of Camden on U.S. Route 1, the park offers year-round trail activities and camping. Winter camping, in a rustic shelter, is also offered and available by reservation by calling the park. 1.1 out and back trail, renowned for the panoramic view of Camden Harbor and Penobscot Bay from the top of Mt. Battie, which inspired Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem "Renascence," the park still inspires wonder in visitors today.

Mt Battie

Day 4 July 13 Hike & Acadia National park

After camping in Camden State park we stayed at an Air b&b right in town in southwest harbor, Me. It was 25 mins from Acadia National Park.

We did 2 trails, the first was a simply path along the coast call Ocean Path.

Ocean Path Distance 4 Miles out and back length of time 1.5-2.5 hours.

The second was Beehive loop Trail it is 1.4 miles , Strenuous hike, Length 1-2 hours. I do not recommend this for beginner hikers or young kids there are sections of narrow cliffs ledges and non technical climbs up metal rungs. My son was 5 at the time but we hike rock scrambles so he was trained well for this one. Def an amazing hike for advance hikers!

Day 5 July 14 Rhode Island

The next day we went back to Rode Island we stayed in an air b&b on a boathouse with such an amazing night view.

Day 6 July 15 Sunset mimosa Sail Newport

The next dat we drive 45 mins to Newport for a 75-minute sail highlighting 5 different lighthouses at the southern end of Narragansett Bay. few other points of interest around Newport Harbor and lower Narragansett Bay. We boarded the Schooner Adirondack II 80 foot turn of the century style pilot schooner.

For lunch we had reservations at the The morning Restaurant to enjoy New England Lobster. The Restaurant was located right in the wharf, with breath taking views of the harbor. I highlight recommend this restaurant!

Back home

[kindledits]

♥︎ once upon a time layouts

— like or reblog if use save/use it;

— give credits to wrgkva on twitter;

[artolkien]

❀ like/reblog if u save ❀

[eponymous-rose]

4-Sided Dive Highlights - Critical Role C3E22-E24 (June 7, 2022)

Tonight’s guests: Matt, Liam, Travis, and Taliesin! Dani immediately declares an end to the faux-conversation we start on, which is probably for the best. Matt is tonight’s Tavern Keeper! Matt, dying slowly on the inside during the opening: “I have bones in me, I guess.”

What the Fuck is Up With That? Matt: “We got topics, motherfuckers.” Travis thought they were just going to see a repeat of the paper layout for the skyship from campaign 1 and was blown away by the new piece. Matt had it commissioned a while ago in the expectation that they’d wind up doing skyships at some point relatively early in this campaign. There’s a long digression about Teddy Ruxpin. Liam: “I have no idea why, Orym is in love with airship.” There’s another digression about Top Gun, and Liam points out that Travis’s shirt looks like it has a little propeller beanie made of jets. Taliesin: (sing-song) “Someone’s going to the danger zone!” Taliesin points out that since he ruined the last attempt they did at ship-to-ship combat, he’s been craving it on the airship. Travis: “You can totally DM that, right?” Matt: “Just make enemies with people who have skyships now.”

Matt asks about the cast’s lasting impressions of Jrusar. Taliesin teases that they didn’t get to see a lot of the cool stuff while they were there. Everyone wants to know more about the tunnels under the city, to the point where leaving that behind feels like the Happy Fun Ball. (Matt mentions they only saw about 20% of the HFB.) “It reminds Orym of home in that you’ve got all these amazing structures, but there’s so much nature woven in and around it.” There’s a digression about salmon fishing in Alaska. Yes, truly. First impressions of Dusk? Taliesin: “She’s not broken enough to be a local.” Lots and lots of questions, early days yet!

Favorite form of fictional travel? Skyship is popular. Travis: “I love a good teleport and apparating/disapparating.” Taliesin: “I’m a Nemo kid, I love a submarine. Deep underwater freaks me out.” Liam: Blaine the Monorail in the Dark Tower series and the landstriders from The Dark Crystal. Matt: “Fanboats. I grew up in Florida, I know they’re real but they shouldn’t be.”

Tower of Inquiry! Liam pulls a (still-sticky) block. “It’s a good thing this is glued together.” We’re talking modern AUs - which occupation would the characters have in the modern world? “Orym would either be in the New York Ballet in Swan Lake, or he might be a coach for track-and-field. Or an athlete himself in the Olympics. I think I’d go ballet.” “I think Chetney would be a woodworker... or a dentist. Would really enjoy it, really.” What about Ashton? “That’s pretty easy. He would work in an ice cream parlor. Hate it and have no customer service whatsoever. That’s the best shit job for a punker I can think of.” “Eshteross would be a mysterious venture capitalist.” How about the Shade Mother? “She’d be in season four of Stranger Things. Character actor.”

Tower of Inquiry, round two! Travis pulls a block! The whole thing nearly comes down. What would the characters’ Twitter bios look like? Dead silence contemplating that for a few seconds. Travis: “It would be CPock Industries. he/him, no instant gratification, 18+.” Matt: “Little link to your Etsy page.” Taliesin: “Anime character, nothing but obnoxious political retweets. Might actually say that in the bio.” Taliesin, to Liam: “I’d have a Soundcloud, you’d have a Tumblr.” Liam: “It would say pie is better than cake. Might have a link to a YouTube channel of different workouts, probably.” Taliesin: “Halfling your way to health.” There’s some discussion of Robbie Daymond’s hiking. Travis: “This is for you, Robbie. Stop summiting stuff.” How about the ship captain? “All pronouns, all caps. Free spirit. Seeing the world. Will do it all. Again. Link to my OF, but it’s mostly just them making food.”

Tower of Inquiry, round three! Taliesin knocks a block straight onto the floor, but the tower remains intact. “If your character was a candle, what scent would they be?” Travis: “The scent of rusted pennies. The scent of pine, birch, oak, ...” We have a digression about Nag Champa incense. Liam: “How would you mix sweat and cherry blossoms?” Eshteross? “I will say a ginger spice. Beyond that, I would say a musky cedar.”

Deep Dive time!

Liam gets asked about seeing Clasp connections in Marquet. He’s blown away by how much has propagated from the first campaign and the home game. Travis remembers very little about the Spireling structure. Matt: “Each major city that has Clasp involvement, the Spirelings are essentially the collection of leaders that organize that sect of the Clasp wherever they are. Shenn has been one of the power players in Emon.” Matt mentions that he always dreamed of running a game that would let him connect threads between campaigns.

Liam: “Everybody in this building is really randy about Calamity right now.” Matt: “I’ve wanted something to happen in that era for a long time, and it wasn’t until we were talking with Brennan, we were talking about different things, mentioned the Age of Arcanum, and he just went like, we’ll talk about that one.”

Taliesin is asked about the return to Bassuras and the prospect of finding the Nobodies. “I don’t think they’re there, first of all. Not really a person who likes to look back or ever deal with things that were in the past.” Taliesin just assumes the Nobodies scattered to the four winds. “It is like going to your hometown with your friends, really. This town is shit. This bar is great. I like writing characters who don’t want to deal with their shit.”

Matt is asked about collaborating on the Hellcatch Valley. “The wonderful Bashir Gaus has been helping write with this. I’ve outlined the continent’s main regions, and certain ones are primarily my creations, and then go through consulting and things like that.” But other regions, he offered to the collaborators for whatever caught their interest. “What inspires you? Go.”

Travis is asked about his Calamity character, Cerrit “Pinch” Agrupnin. “I felt like I had to rep a little bit of just that straight melee class.” As soon as he started getting how detailed things were going to be, he wanted to be the one trying to connect the dots that others were missing. I based him off of John Cusack in ‘Con Air’.” Travis thought it was a great excuse to try an eisfuura and an inquisitor rogue. “Holy shit, the stuff you get as a rogue is crazy!”

Liam is asked about bonding with Chetney. “I mean, I think he was rightly super skeptical of Chetney but oddly finds himself really getting along with him. Chetney kind of fills a casual grandpa slot for him, and that’s fun to be around. We gotta work through some things, you might have some anger issues, but Pop-pop’s got a good heart in there.”

Taliesin is asked about inspiration behind Ashton. He hadn’t done punk yet. “What the fuck does punk look like in a fantasy realm? I watched a bunch of Henry Rollins talking about his life.” He also watched documentaries about the punk scene in the 80s and 90s in LA: “The Decline of Western Civilization III”. For Fundamental Chaos, that was just wanting to create something difficult and complicated.

Matt is asked about the fey influence in this campaign. It wasn’t something he wanted to pull into the campaign initially, but between Fearne and some of the other players having a fey-touched influence, he realized there wasn’t all that much of it they’d explored in earlier campaigns.

Travis is asked about the toy-making process. “Now there have been multiple nights where I’ll just search ‘wooden’ and a bunch of different words.” What would Chetney make for the illustrious DM? An orrery.

The Tower of Inquiry Continues! Travis is chosen again. It’s Very Dramatic. If gold didn’t matter, what would the characters’ first purchases be? Liam: “Buy the group a skyship outright.” “Cheney would make a hostile takeover bid for all the toystores in half the continents so there’s still some left to be conquered.” “Ash would just buy that whole chunk of property that they’ve been living in in the Spires.”

Post-Break Shenanigans! Exploding Kittens! If you get knocked out, you can ask other people questions from their tankards. Liam is eliminated extremely early, so it’s his turn to ask questions. How does Ash feel about being debt-free? Is the other shoe going to drop? “Oh, it’s going to drop any minute. Good things don’t happen to people.” How about Chetney’s revenge? Is this new for him? “Chetney is experienced with death. He definitely has a moral system, a way of judging people. The slate has been wiped clean for now.” The inspiration for Eshteross? “I wanted to introduce a unique possible patron to the group that-- I didn’t mean to create a ‘Batman Beyond’ Bruce Wayne figure, but when people started pointing it out...” Travis is eliminated! He asks Liam about going to Bassuras on a bit of a side-jaunt from his plot right now. “He’s much more powerful and in a better place with this group, these are his friends now, and it’s gotta be a give and take.” Matt is victorious! Last question for Travis: what was it like to lose control of the wolf during the heist? “I had forgotten about it up until that point. I like it because then you have to RP out of it or around it.”

Round 2! Taliesin asks if there’s anyone in the party Chetney doesn’t trust. “There’s more than one!” Travis is out first this time! What does Orym think about the Grim Verity? “He’s really happy to have some more learned people with him. Feels over his head, so he’s just glad there are a couple of brains in this group, intelligence scores aside.” Matt is out and asks about what Chetney thinks about the Gorgynei. “Wants to learn from them, because it’s been so long. If it’s real attractive, he might run away.” Liam is victorious this time!

[sweetearthandnorthernsky]

wraith au [instance: swan-song]

i was thinking a lot abt the boss fight for this so. tumblr post!

anyway dol amroth’s great hall’s layout is like this;

but anyway, onto the actual instance itself. [but full disclaimer i am Not good with mechanics soooo... bare with me lol]

the instance is towards the end of a theoretical quest chain post WOTR where Adanel [sae’s older sister & minstrel] is doing her best to get close to wraith!sae and she has you/the pc causing Problems in dol moralph.

[she walks in there knowing she probably won’t walk out]

i’m thinking each ‘x’ is a different mini boss or something like that to that effect.

most of the mobs until you get to that point are going to be corrupted swan-knights [i feel like gothmoth/whoever offered wraith!sae orcs and she was like ‘uh no thanks’ which is definitely... a thing if you think abt it too hard]  and there are also her black swans that act like hornblowers.

the green ‘x’ on both sides... i feel like the bosses are wight versions of rossaran & rovalang [in a non-ncf au at least] and they both summon a handful of adds during their fight [like lintanar in the silent street]

the blue x is where the throne is, but I imagine until all the bosses are defeated sae isn’t there.

anyway, adanel as a minstrel is mostly providing heals/buffs to counter all the corruptions bc there are a LOT of them and a LOT of dread. 

to get to the purple x you have to go to this spot

red denotes Wraith Equivalent of Swan Knights you have to fight to get up to the landing although i feel like the two directly in front of the throne aren’t there just yet since sae isn’t. 

the green i feel like gets replaced from vingilot to 3 mini statues of sauron or smthn and the middle banner is the heraldry of dol moralph [a dying swan] and then the eye of sauron on both sides.

purple x is probably... i’m actually not sure who would be a good boss there [in a non ncf au]

but when all the bosses are defeated, the fellowship & adanel return to that spot, just as sae appears from [??] somewhere on the left side of the landing.

wraith!sae i think is a lot... crueller than normal sae, so i feel like [assuming the fellowship has encountered her before in a previous instance] she taunts them saying something like. “didn’t you already try this? do you really think that’d adding a singer would help you survive longer?”

adanel probably responds with [song of hope that buffs you with three hope to counter the dread wraith sae is exuding]

sae got REAL good at illusions since she learned from gothmog who learned from the witch-king who's good at that so i think she pulls visions of like. imrahil. lothiriel. maybe a grey company friend or two. etc. 

sae also has a damage-over-time probably called words-of-despair [get it? like the opposite of words of courage] that... actually i’m not sure what it does beyond damage.

there’s also probably special dialogue for captains, minis, & champs [and then in an ncf au: rk, hunter & gaurdian].

the cappy dialogue probably sounds like a recruiting ad while all the others are probably like. ‘hm. you remind me of someone i once knew. too bad you’re not leaving here alive.’

the instance is very much Not winnable due to Plot Mechanics, which are kinda fuzzy, but i think what happens is adanel pulls a laerdan and distracts sae to let the others escape.

that’s kinda all i have so far.

[biddemo]

The zula patrol zeeter

At the Battle of Tsushima on May 27, 1905, Admiral Tōgō raised a Z flag on his flagship Mikasa. Zeeter, the amazing space pet Gorga, and twin flying companions Wizzy & Wigg are the lovably wacky characters who will take our pre-Kindergarten through 2nd. The Z flag has special meaning in Japan (as well as in naval history generally) due to its connection with and symbolizing of the great Japanese victory at the Battle of Tsushima. Alos, the team is called in when the rings around the planets are stolen. He thinks of himself as the mature leader of the force however, even he often gets into trouble. Also, Multo tells Wizzy and Wigg a story about a golden cloud, and they set out to find the real thing. Bula (The Zula Patrol) as Aladdin Zeeter (The Zula Patrol) as Jasmine Multo (The Zula Patrol) as Genie Dark Truder (The Zula Patrol) as Jafar Chip The Wasp (Antz) as Old Man Jafar The Great Animal (The Swan Princess) as Snake Jafar Max (Cats Dont Dance) as Genie Jafar as Iago Gorga (The Zula Patrol) as Abu as Elephant Abu as Magic Carpet Flik (A Bugs Life) as Sultan as Razoul as Rajah as. Bula ( Cam Clarke) is the captain of the Zula Patrol. Bula as Cam Clarke Zeeter as Colleen OShaughnessey Multo as Cam Clarke Wizzy and Wigg as Colleen OShaughnessey/Nika. THE ZULA PATROL provides a dynamic, focused and fun learning experience for children, while encouraging them to think innovatively and approach problems evenhandedly.When Zula Patrol investigates an asteroid and they discover it's a trap! Welcome to the The Zula Patrol mini wiki at Scratchpad! Watch The Zula Patrol - Season 3, Episode 15 - Power Flower / Blubglub: Looking back at Dark Truder.he looks like an egg or Dr. The group, always on the lookout for the villain Dark Truder & his toupee-wearing sidekick Traxie, includes: Bula, the fearless captain and intrepid explorer his co-pilot Zeeter, a wild space jockey in her own right Multo, an intergalactic absent-minded professor Gorga, a loyal puppy-sized pet with amazing tranformative abilities, and Wizzy & Wigg, a cosmic pair of flying dictionaries. The Zula Patrol, stationed in the far reaches of outer space on the bright orange planet Zula. The Zula Patrol cannot decide where to go for vacation Zeeter unleashes a. Their efforts are opposed by the villainous Dark Truder and Deliria. The series, targeted to pre-kindergarteners through third-graders, delivers both astronomy-based science education (orbits, eclipses, moon phases, asteroids, comets, gravity), as well as character-building lessons. Watch Zula Patrol: Season 1 Wish You Were Here Weather Vain on DIRECTV. Zeeter wants to race a passing comet, but the spaceship freezes when she ventures too close to 41:26. Zeeter Productions Nov 2008 - Aug 2009 10 months Design and layout illustrations in Flash for a series of childrens books based off of The Zula Patrol animated T.V. Bula, Zeeter and the rest of the Zula gang work to make the Galaxy a better place to live.

In THE ZULA PATROL, a group of animated aliens travel the galaxies to learn new and exciting things about science and space exploration.

[dirtyriver]

History of the DC Universe Hardcover Collection poster.

In order to create a final piece that was well-composed and tight, a different approach was taken relative to other "jam" compositions where numerous artist contributions were required. Joe Kubert was brought-in to come-up with a design and layout. Once the layout was decided upon, Dave Stevens was drafted to transfer very rough pencils of the layout to three artboards. Dave Stevens' assignment was to provide each artist with a basic size, position, and layout for the character they were being asked to draw.

DC Top Row: Tommy Tomorrow/Jim Mooney; Phantom Stranger/Jim Aparo; Swamp Thing/Stephen Bissette & John Totleben; The Question/Denys Cowan; White Witch/P. Craig Russell; Green Lantern (Alan Scott)/Martin Nodell; Green Lantern (Guy Gardner)/Joe Staton; Enemy Ace/Dave Stevens; Plastic Man/Bill Sienkiewicz; Darkseid/Jack Kirby & Mike Royer; Ragman/Keith Giffen; The Ray/Al Williamson & Brett Blevins; The Spectre/Michael Kaluta; Silverblade/Gene Colan; Robotman/Steve Lightle; Lady Blackhawk/Brian Bolland; Black Condor/Michael T. Gilbert; OMAC/Jim Starlin.

DC Middle Row: Hawkman/Joe Kubert; Martian Manhunter/Arthur Adams; Manhunter/Walt Simonson; Aquaman/Paul Norris; Warlord/Mike Grell; Power Girl/Mary Wilshire; Sgt. Rock/Andy Kubert; Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)/Gil Kane; Captain Marvel/Kurt Schaffenberger; Batman/Bob Kane; Superman/Curt Swan; Wonder Woman/George Pérez; Blackhawk/Howard Chaykin; Arion/Jan Duursema; Flash (Barry Allen)/Carmine Infantino; Zatara/Jim Steranko; Zatanna/Gray Morrow; Deadman/Neal Adams; Adam Strange/Murphy Anderson; Rorschach/Dave Gibbons.

DC Mezzanine row: Chop-Chop/Dave Stevens; Flash (Jay Garrick)/Jaime Hernandez; Judomaster/Frank McLaughlin.

DC Bottom row: Hourman/Gilbert Hernandez; Vigilante/Dan Spiegel; Tomahawk/Frank Thorne; Metamorpho/Ramona Fradon; The Demon/Matt Wagner; Amythest/Ernie Colon; Robin/Bob Kane; Wildcat/Irwin Hasen; Cain/Joe Orlando; Captain Atom/Pat Broderick; Mister Miracle/Steve Rude; Sarge Steel/Dick Giordano.

[cshistfic]

Get-To-Know-Me: @welllpthisishappening

We’re excited to introduce the authors and artists who will have signed up for this event! Stay tuned in September, and make sure to give them lots of love.

Tumblr/Ao3 handle: @welllpthisishappening/WelpThisIsHappening

How long have you been involved in fandom? Since seeing a gif set of the Good Form kiss in 2016 and deciding that was something I could get behind

What draws you to this event? Fame and fortune. But also because Devon is a top-tier human being, perennial supporter of all the words I shove at the internet, and an all-around great gal, with real good taste in fictional relationships, so here I am. Also also because this is more than a tad out of my writing-setting comfort zone and nothing inspires writing more than a challenge. 

Do you have a favorite historical period to learn or read about? As the grown-up version of a child forced to visit Colonial Williamsburg no less than 50 times, I have learned and know more about the American Revolution than any one person really should. One time, I went to history camp. 

Why do you like historical fics? Captain Swan in any iteration is something I enjoy, but I am also someone who got a history minor simply because I wanted to take extra history courses in college, so reading about those same fictional characters I would very much like to make out as much as possible in different historical iterations is a lot of fun. Seeing people's creativity come through is also pretty awesome. People are just out here putting Captain Swan in a Medieval setting! That's fantastic. 

What is the inspiration behind your story? Once upon a time, my plan was to write a prequel of sorts for the wholly self-indulgent Colonial Williamsburg ghost story I wrote about two years ago. Not the case anymore. Now, I am on a history-writing revenge tour for the trilogy of time travel books I read without realizing I was going to get a massive cliffhanger at the end. Fury fuels writing too, apparently. So, the re'plotted plot now includes that aforementioned time travel, pirates, sword fights, magic, Tortuga, more pirates, mermaids, snarky Will Scarlet, me researching the layout of a ship, and, probably, rum. For the characters and me, maybe. 

Do you have a sneak preview or summary you’d like to share?

"How are your toes?" 

“My toes are no longer any of your business, train-jerk-man.” 

“Oh, I can’t imagine that’s your best work,” he chuckles, like that’s allowed. 

 “Have you ever interacted with human beings before?” 

“A rather interesting question, actually. And I’ve always thought it was very strange that people these days refer to these machines as trains.” 

Emma blinks. 

 Once. Twice. Several hundred times. 

 The man doesn’t disappear. Stands there, bold as brass. Which is a very old saying, but something about his sentence structure feels very old as well and Emma can’t understand why her mouth has gone so dry. 

She’s breathing out of it. 

 Heavily. 

And it takes her a moment to realize, eyes sweeping and neurons firing as much as they’re capable with her possibly concussed brain. His clothes aren’t quite right. He’s wearing a vest, for God’s sake. Over a floral-patterned shirt and upon closer examination, the dusty shoes aren’t just shoes, they’re boots. Leather, by the looks of them. Heavy and weather-worn and the eyeliner around those questionably blue eyes makes her want to laugh a little bit too. 

 “Are you taking inventory, then?”

@welllpthisishappening is a flatterer of the highest order, but we’re thrilled to have her on board all the same. We think Captain Swan in historical settings is pretty fantastic, too - and time travel always makes for a fun twist!

Her fic will be dropping on Tuesday, September 21st.

[cryingpacks]

demi + captain swan

like

icons @twilovatodemi, @fancyattack

headers @cryingpacks

[searchingwardrobes]

Not the Type: 2/7

Thanks again to the mods of the @captainswanmoviemarathon​ for putting this event together! Also thanks to @hookedonapirate​ for her beta skills. For my non-American readers, I hope I explained everything in this chapter, especially bust-throughs, adequately enough. I don't know that I've ever seen that aspect of cheerleading portrayed in a movie before (though I could be wrong). But if you search google images for bust-throughs, you'll see pictures of what I'm talking about.

Summary: Emma Swan first notices him in the stands at the Friday night football game. She can tell right away Killian Jones is not the football type. Then again, she’s not the cheerleader type either, but here she is with pom poms. Life hasn’t ever gone the way Emma planned. Lately, that’s actually been a good thing. Maybe Killian Jones is a good thing, too.

My loose Captain Swan AU of the movie Bring it On

Rated: T

Also on Ao3

Tagging: @snowbellewells​​​​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​​​​​ @kmomof4​​​​​ @let-it-raines​​​​ @teamhook​​​​​ @bethacaciakay​​​​​ @xhookswenchx​​​​​ @tiganasummertree​​​​ @shireness-says​​​​​ @stahlop​​​​​ @scientificapricot​​​​​ @welllpthisishappening​​​​ @resident-of-storybrooke​​​​​ @thislassishooked​​​​​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​​​​ @kday426​​​​​ @ekr032-blog-blog​​​​​ @lfh1226-linda​​​​​ @ultraluckycatnd​​​​ @nikkiemms​​​​ @optomisticgirl​​​​​ @profdanglaisstuff​​​​ @carpedzem​​​​ @ohmakemeahercules​​​​​ @branlovestowrite​​​​ @superchocovian​​​​ @sherlockianwhovian​​​​​ @vvbooklady1256​​​​ @hollyethecurious​​​​​ @winterbaby89​​​​​ @delirious-latenight-laughs​​​​ @jennjenn615​​​​ @snidgetsafan​​ @spartanguard​​ @itsfabianadocarmo​​

At the next game, he wasn’t in the stands. Not that Emma was looking or anything. And she wasn’t disappointed. Nope, not at all.

“Earth to Emma!”

She jumped and turned to Ruby, who was squatting with her hands cupped in front of her. Ashley was across from the brunette, doing the same.

“We haven’t got all day,” Ruby grumbled.

“Sorry,” Emma told them hurriedly. She braced her hands on their shoulders as Ariel, her spotter, came behind her and grasped her waist. Emma jumped up into the girls’ cupped hands. They dipped with her, bending their knees together, then popped her up to chin level, with a light assist from Ariel. Behind them, another stunt group lifted Jasmine up above their heads. Down below, Mary Margaret and another girl pulled on the ropes to hoist the giant bust-through to an upright position. The bust-through they had spent hours making last Sunday afternoon, only for it to get obliterated in mere minutes. Making the bust-throughs for the game and the posters to hang around the school would take away from much needed practice time, so they came in on Sundays to do it instead. Emma had chafed at it initially - they all did, really - but the girls ended up having a blast every week. It still wasn’t fair that they were taken away from their athletic training to do 1950s crap for the boys, but oh well.

When the bust-through post was close enough, Emma grabbed it. Farther up, Jasmine held it as well. On the other side of the bust-through, the rest of the squad was doing the same. The stadium speakers suddenly thrummed with Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” and the fans surged to their feet. Below Emma, the football team thundered past with a feral yell before tearing through the yards of poster paper. Ariel braced her thighs and Emma tightened her core so she wouldn’t fall. Every damn time, she felt her life flash before her eyes. The only comfort came in her absolute trust that Ariel would catch her. She discarded the post, and behind her Ariel counted out loud, “1, 2, 3, hup!”

Ruby and Ashley bent their knees, then pushed through with their arms to pop Emma up into the air. She kept her core tight, her knees together, toes pointed, and her arms out in the shape of a “T” so the three girls could catch her neatly. It was a simple stunt, actually, and not as high or dangerous as most Emma was used to. They just didn’t usually do stunts on hard packed turf with twenty large high school boys rushing past.

Half the girls ran around as fast as possible to pick up all the bits of poster paper, while the other half hoisted up the pvc pipes they used for the posts and rolled up the ropes that held the bust-through. Those had to be reused every time.

Arms loaded with crumpled up poster paper that smelled of glue and tempera paint, Emma raced off the field as fast as she could before the opposing team came running out not caring if they bowled over a five foot five, ninety pound cheerleader.

She really hated football season.

The girls shoved the remains of the bust-through into the trash, then slid the pvc pipes and ropes underneath the bleachers to put in the cheer supply closet later. Then they lined up on the sidelines for the kickoff, their poms shaking in the air.

“Gooooooo Knights!”

Like every other game, the marching band followed the kick off with the school fight song, and Emma was busy high kicking when she saw him. Killian stood out like a sore thumb - the only one in the student section not chanting, “fight, fight, fight!” Instead, he was lounging back against the bleacher behind him, glancing around at his fellow students with a mocking expression upon his face. Emma felt her lips curl up into a smile - probably the first time she didn’t have to force one during this exhausting Rockette’s-style dance. Her legs burned as usual when the song finally ended, but it didn’t bother her quite as much when Killian caught her eye and winked. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop her smile from growing and spun away from him with a tilt to her chin.

“Push em back!” Mary Margaret, their captain, yelled. “Ready? Go!”

The girls all chanted together, going through the motions of the cheer. “Push em back, push em back, defense push em waaaaay back!” They went through it twice before efficiently moving into their stunt groups. Ruby and Ashley tossed Emma into the air this time, with Ariel giving her an extra boost. In the air, Emma twisted her body in a layout, the rush of it sending adrenaline through her veins. It only lasted a moment before her stunt group caught her in their arms, but Emma would never tire of the thrill that the brief moment of weightlessness brought her.

Emma popped out of the dismount with her arms above her head. “Go Knights!”

She never had to fake enthusiasm when she got to do a stunt like that. Her eyes caught Killian’s again. Both eyebrows arched, he managed a half bow from his seat in the stands, both arms outstretched dramatically. Emma shook her head with laughter, though his obvious admiration of her skills sent a thrill through her. Nevertheless, she rolled her eyes at him.

Just then, Emma heard the loud grunts and collisions of a particularly nasty tackle. The crowd gasped, and next to Emma, Mary Margaret dropped her pom poms.

“David!” she cried out, then her hands flew to her mouth.

Emma let out a cry too when she saw her brother lying motionless on the field. Instinctively, she reached for his girlfriend, and Mary Margaret threaded her arm through hers. The cheerleaders all took a knee, but Emma and Mary Margaret never let go of each other.

“Get up, get up,” Emma whispered.

David started moving his legs, and the girls let out a sigh of relief. He was able to get up without the aid of the coaches hovering over him, and the crowd cheered. He had a slight limp at first, but his leg must have just been stiff because his stride soon became normal. He took off his helmet and grinned and waved at the crowd. The cheerleaders stood again and waved their poms above their heads in celebration. Next to Emma, Mary Margaret was still shaking a little bit.

“He scared me to death,” she told Emma.

“I know,” Emma replied, and a shiver went down her spine as she thought about how bad it could have been. David was always pointing out that she and Mary Margaret could fall out of a stunt and break their necks just as easily as he could, but it felt different. Football injuries just felt way more common, and then there were all those retired pros with neurological problems. David said that playing at the college level was unlikely since Storybrooke High was just a double A team, and she was secretly glad. The less he smashed his brains in, the better.

David was the big brother she never knew she needed, accepting her, teasing her, and irritatingly trying to protect her from the moment her prickly thirteen year old self had arrived in his home.

He had also sat on the sidelines at how many gymnastics classes? Classes she had dreamed of taking since she watched Gabby Douglas win the Olympic gold medal on TV when she was eight years old. Then, when Emma was twelve, Simone Biles became her hero. A former foster kid winning Olympic gold? Emma didn’t think such a thing was possible, but Biles gave her hope. Then Ruth Nolan made that hope reality.

“Whatever your dreams are, Emma,” she had told her, “I’ll invest in them. It’s what a mother does.”

Emma was behind, of course. She’d had school friends as she grew up who taught her the basics on the playground - handstands, cartwheels, back walkovers. She’d even learned to do back handsprings in the backyard of one of her foster homes. Still, her goal to make the high school gymnastics team seemed almost impossible. Then she read about Misty Copeland, the star principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater who didn’t start dancing until . . . thirteen. Surely, if she could defy the common thought that girls had to start ballet at three or four to achieve greatness, then Emma could defy the same thought in gymnastics. And with the support of Ruth and David, she had. She’d made the gymnastics team as a freshman at Storybrooke High.

Then, after one amazing season on the team, they had received the devastating news: the state of Maine was cutting high school gymnastics completely. Ignorant politicians spun it, of course. There would still be a state meet each year where gymnasts would represent their schools in individual competition. It would just be privatized, the politicians explained, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars. Privatized was a fancy way of saying that only gymnasts in clubs at private gyms could compete. Clubs that cost an extravagant amount of money. Money that Ruth Nolan simply didn’t have.

And that was how Emma Swan ended up a cheerleader.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You and Mary Margaret still wanna stay over at my house?” Ruby asked after the game as she slung her cheer bag over one shoulder.

“Of course we do,” Mary Margaret replied. “Right Emma?”

“Yeah sure,” Emma said vaguely as she pulled the rubber band out of her hair and shook out the loose waves. Cheer ponytails were so tight they gave her a headache. Of course, as a gymnast, she’d had to put her hair in an equally tight, equally hairsprayed bun. She rubbed at her scalp. Maybe she should chop her hair off like Mary Margaret. No, scratch that, she didn’t have the flawless skin and cherubic face to pull that off like MM did.

“Are you sure?” Ruby asked with a glint in her eyes. “Killian lives there now, you know.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I’m familiar with what a foster brother is. Of course I know he lives with you.”

“Just wanted to be sure you could handle the sexual tension,” Ruby said, bumping Emma teasingly with her hip as they headed to the parking lot.

“For the last time, there is no sexual tension between me and Killian!”

“You did have cheer sex with him.”

“Mary Margaret! I thought you didn’t buy into that crap!”

“Did I just say that out loud?” MM’s face was crimson.

Ruby threw her head back and guffawed. “Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt, Emma.”

“God, if you two don’t stop . . . I’ll . . . I’ll . . .”

“You’ll what?”

Emma grasped for a good threat. “Smother you with a pom pom!” she finally blurted out, waving the one she still grasped in her hand in Ruby’s face.

MM literally collapsed against the side of Ruby’s car in hysterics, and even Emma lost it. It wasn’t really that funny, but they were all simultaneously exhausted and electrified from the game. Once they calmed down, they tossed their stuff in Ruby’s trunk. There was only a pleasant chill to the air this early in the season, so Ruby put the top of her convertible down, and Emma leaned contentedly against the headrest as the wind rushed past. The football team had won tonight’s game, and there was a spirit of celebration in the air as Ruby drove through the parking lot and out onto the street in front of Storybrooke High. When kids and even adults noticed a red convertible with three cheerleaders in red and white, they raised their fists in the air and shouted, “Go knights!”

“You know, it would mean a lot more if they were cheering for our victory instead of someone else’s,” Ruby commented dryly as they cruised through Storybrook’s only light after it turned green.

Mary Margaret leaned between them from the backseat, which surprised Emma, since the brunette was usually all “safety first.”

“Well, that’s all gonna change come December 5th ladies when we-”

Ruby lifted one fist in the air as she joined Mary Margaret in her cry of, “TAKE STATE!!!”

“Now wait a second, slow down,” Emma cautioned. “We have to place at regionals first.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Please, Emma, Storybrooke has dominated regionals since we were all in kindergarten.”

“Well, if there’s one thing gymnastics has taught me, it’s to not get cocky, so don’t jinx it, okay?”

“We also need to have confidence,” Mary Margaret added, giving Emma’s shoulder a squeeze.

“Confidence, not pride. Now sit back and put on your damn seat belt.”

“Intense much, Emma?”

Ruby tilted her chin and practically howled at the moon. “Someone needs to. GET. LAID.”

Emma lunged over and clapped her hand over Ruby’s mouth before she could add anything further. “Don’t. Say it.”

“God, Emma, she’s driving!”

Ruby pinched Emma in the side with her free hand, sending the blonde jerking back to the passenger’s side. “Why Emma, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Killian Jones knew that Emma Swan was just down the hall from his bedroom - keenly aware of it. Just as he had been aware of her since the night he’d first seen her. He had been completely honest when he told her that it was her expression and not her body that had drawn him in. If he’d wanted to ogle enticing figures in short skirts, he would have just been staring at the entire squad since the game started. But it was Emma Swan’s clearly irritated, flashing green eyes that had managed to tear his gaze away from Tolkien. He wasn’t sure what she had against the marching band’s rendition of “Louie, Louie,” but the hatred clearly ran deep.

He clenched his jaw as laughter floated down the hall from Ruby’s room, and he adjusted the knobs on his guitar effects pedal to distract him. Granny had been abundantly clear that he was to stay far away from Ruby’s friends.

He was a little offended at Granny’s lecture, to be honest. As if he were a dog in heat unable to ignore the scent of females.

Killian strummed his electric, then adjusted the feedback again. Halfway through Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy,” he’d pushed thoughts of Emma Swan far away.

Until he glanced up in the middle of a frankly ridiculous, out of control guitar solo to find her standing there in his doorway, slack-jawed and staring. She was tantalizing in a teeny, tiny pair of shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top, her blonde hair piled up on her head in a messy bun. He managed not to drop his guitar and flashed her a lopsided grin as he continued to play.

“Emma!”

The girl in question jumped a foot in the air, clutching her hands that held a purple toothbrush to her chest. “Shit, Ruby!”

“What are you doing?” Killian’s foster sibling asked from the hallway.

“I, uh . . . went to brush my teeth.”

“Um, the bathroom is that way.”

“Right, right, I knew that,” Emma mumbled.

Killian winked at her before she scurried away, still strumming. So maybe he wasn’t the only one who felt the delicious tension between them. This was a pleasant turn of events . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emma grumbled at herself under her breath as she squirted toothpaste onto her toothbrush. She couldn’t believe Killian had caught her staring - practically drooling - over him. The way he’d smirked at her as he continued to play left no question that he knew she was checking him out. She was pretty sure Ruby knew it, too. Yet in her defense, how was a girl supposed to ignore an attractive guy when he was playing the guitar?

Emma started to brush, a little too vigorously at first. She was irritated with herself, but she didn’t need to scrub her gums raw, so she slowed down. She almost jumped out of her skin when Killian came through the open bathroom door behind her, but she calmed herself before he noticed. He winked at her as he retrieved his toothbrush from the cup by the sink and got some toothpaste. Emma arched a brow at him as she continued to brush. Somehow, the idiot managed to smile at her charmingly even as he worked the toothbrush around his mouth. She rolled her eyes and looked at her reflection instead, but that didn’t work either. His gaze only found her reflection in the mirror, and he waggled his eyebrows at her. She almost choked on her toothpaste.

Then he spit, rinsed, and ran his hand across his mouth in exaggerated, satisfied fashion. “Ahh,” he said, then bowed to her and left.

Emma scowled at her own reflection in the mirror. Stupid attractive eyebrows. No one was supposed to look that good brushing his teeth. She finished brushing, rinsed, then headed back down the hall to Ruby’s room. Her friends stopped chatting the minute she walked in.

“What?”

Ruby arched a brow. “Please, Emma. I caught you drooling over Killian when you were supposed to be brushing your teeth.”

Mary Margaret pointed an accusing finger. “And you’re smiling.”

Emma rolled her eyes as she tossed her toothbrush into her overnight bag. “So I’m smiling. So what?”

“So, you don’t normally walk around smiling. It’s not the natural resting state of your face.”

Emma laughed as she plopped down on Ruby’s bed with her friends and grabbed some potato chips. “The natural resting state of my face?”

“Yeah,” Ruby explained. “Take MM here. She naturally smiles. Just walks around smiling. You - not so much.”

“Okay, fine,” Emma muttered around a chip, “so I think he’s cute. Are you happy now?”

“Very.”

Emma lifted a hand the minute she saw Mary Margaret’s face. “I think he’s cute. That’s it. I’m not saying I like him or that I want to date him, just that objectively I can admit he’s cute.”

“Puppies are cute, Emma,” Mary Margaret pointed out, “that guy in there is not just cute.”

“How is he your foster brother anyway, Ruby?” Emma asked, hoping to steer the conversation somewhere else.

“Oh, that. Well, Granny knew his mom from way back. They used to come visit every summer when we were kids. Anyways, when Killian’s dad left, he asked if she’d take him.”

Emma blinked. “Wait, his dad just dumped him here? And where’s his mom?”

“She died of cancer a few years back.” Ruby shrugged. “And I don’t know, his dad wanted to go back to England or something. Killian gets pissed whenever I bring him up, so I’m not really sure. He has a brother too, but Liam’s in the Navy.”

Emma fell silent as she grabbed more chips. As she munched, she tried to imagine being sent to a new town, new school so your dad could . . . what? Live his own life with no responsibilities? It was pretty screwed up.

The sound of an electric guitar filled the apartment above Granny’s diner once again, and Ruby let out a huff of frustration as she stomped to her door.

“Kill, seriously? Can you stop with the guitar already?”

“I live here too,” Killian shouted back.

“Both of you shut up so I can sleep,” Granny yelled at them both.

Mary Margaret and Emma caught each other’s eye and burst out laughing. Ruby groaned then slammed the door shut.

“I’m serious, Emma. If he starts dating you, maybe he won’t be around here so much, driving me insane!”

“That’s not very romantic, Rubes,” MM scolded.

“And remember, Emma Swan doesn’t date.”

“Emma Swan needs to stop referring to herself in the third person.”

Emma didn’t have her poms anymore, so she threw a pillow at Ruby’s head instead.

[awkwardnessandbaseball]

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!

It’s @csrolereversal​ AND @cshalloweek​ time!!! Roughly one BILLION thanks to @sherlockianwhovian​ for making sure my words make sense and, of course, @courtorderedcake​ for her lovely art that inspired this story. Without further ado, I present:

A Fan of Every Part of You

A Captain Swan Halloweek Story in three parts

AO3 if that’s your jam: Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 

Killian Jones has a really loud, destructive upstairs neighbor, and he's about to lose his patience with them. But when he discovers that it's a beautiful witch with a soft spot for his dangerous familiar, Captain, that complicates things just a bit.

Chapter One:

*BANG*

Killian jumped in the air at the noise, dropping the jar of bearberry he’d been holding.

“Bloody hell. That was expensive,” Killian groaned, leaning down to clean up his mess. It was far from the first time he’d dropped an expensive ingredient for one of his potions, but until recently, it had at least been his own fault. Now, however, he had a new neighbor upstairs.

A very loud neighbor.

He’d never met them, of course, but it seemed like perhaps it was not one, but several hundred people up above his head.

Or perhaps several hundred elephants.

*BANG* *CRASH*

That’s it, Killian thought to himself, grabbing his broom.

*TAP TAP TAP*

He poked the handle of the broom against his ceiling at what he hoped was a loud enough volume that the mysterious, noise-making neighbor would hear it. He didn’t dare poke any harder for fear of breaking the old thing clean in half.

*BANG BANG BANG*

It was the unmistakable sound of a foot being stomped on the ground above his head, at the same rhythm at which he’d just poked the broom.

“Seriously? Is there a six-year-old living above me now?” Killian grumbled at what he thought was an appropriate level for his own living space.

“No, is there a jackass living below me now?” a muffled voice responded from above.

Ah, his new neighbor was a woman then. At least he knew something about her now, although that didn’t make him any less frustrated by her noise level or the fact that she could apparently hear him through the floor of her apartment.

“No, just someone who’s tired of dropping all of his expensive ingredients due to a bunch of surprising noises from above!” Killian yelled back.

“Then maybe you should be more careful!”

“Pot, meet kettle!”

There was silence then.

Followed by a lot of noise on the stairwell, and then a loud banging on Killian’s door.

He groaned.

“Come to show your face then, finally?” he asked as he swung the door open, holding it carefully so that his familiar, Captain, was just out of view. What he saw in front of him was… not what he expected. The woman standing in his doorway, who was so angry there were literal red waves of infuriated energy coming off of her, was beautiful.

Beautiful, and angry, and with a loud, vibrant energy that glowed around her much brighter than anyone he’d seen before.

Of course.

He held the door steady with his right hand, ignoring Captain’s low groan from the couch.

It wasn’t that Killian was ashamed of Captain. Not at all. Killian was quite proud of the large creature taking up residence on his couch. It was just that Captain was… misunderstood.

Growing up, as all of his friends had started showing off their familiars, Killian had been without one. He had waited, and waited, and waited. He wanted to know that companionship so badly. But it wasn’t until his older brother had died that Captain had appeared. Without Liam, Killian was forced to grow up very quickly, and so Captain had been borne of grief, sorrow, and loneliness.

The problem was that Captain wasn’t an ordinary familiar. Most witches had created birds or cats, or even a few dogs. There were a few others -- some large cats among his friends with tendencies toward dark magic.

But Killian’s own familiar was the only hybrid he’d ever seen. Captain was larger than a panther, though he had the look of one. He had a lion’s mane, which would have looked a bit out of place if not for his constant look of regality, and huge bat-like wings. He was quite intimidating to say the least.

At first, before Killian had realized just how out-of-place his familiar was, he’d ventured out as usual, walking down the street to the store at any time of day, Captain steady by his side.

But then the strange looks had begun, and the whispers. It took Killian a month to realize that people were, in fact, scared of him.

“It’s not your fault,” Ruby, the witch who ran the local herb store, told him. Ruby had been the only person to tell Killian to his face that his familiar was… not normal. She was also the only person whose energy didn’t immediately turn to a cold, ice blue whenever they saw Killian with his familiar by his side. “You said his name’s Captain?” Killian nodded. “Well, Captain looks pretty dangerous, you know? Which means… you could be dangerous. So… that’s why people are acting so strangely.”

Killian didn’t ask why she wasn’t afraid of him. The glint in her eye told him he probably didn’t want to know.

Ashamed of himself and whatever danger must lie in his soul, Killian had stopped venturing out during the day. Ruby stayed at work late whenever he needed supplies, and that arrangement had meant that no one new had seen Captain in about five years.

It also meant that Killian hadn’t really spoken to anyone besides Ruby and the grocery delivery boy in that long.

Until right now.

“Can you please stop banging on your ceiling when I’m trying to work?” the angry blonde woman nearly screamed in his face. “It’s very distracting, and I’m working with very sensitive spells.”

“Pardon, milady, but your raucous noises are causing me quite a bit of disturbance as well.” Killian gestured towards the mess of bearberry on the floor of his kitchen. “That was rather expensive, and I can’t get to the store for at least another six hours.”

He winced, realizing belatedly that he’d revealed too much. He was really terrible at the whole personal interaction thing.

Just a bit rusty, he thought to himself.

“Why not?” the woman asked, arching an eyebrow suspiciously.

“I… er… I can’t…” Killian stammered. Finally, after an embarrassing amount of ear scratching (his) and death stares (hers), he decided it might just be easier to show her than to continue this silent battle. “This is Captain,” he said, opening the door wider and revealing the oversized winged panther lying on top of his couch. “If you cross the threshold, I can’t promise he won’t do something stupid. He’s very protective.”

“He’s beautiful,” she said quietly, and the energy around her shifted from dark, angry red to a soft green. “I’m Emma,” she added as an afterthought, holding out her hand.

“Killian,” he said, shaking her hand once. “Killian Jones.”

“Well, Killian, I’m sorry I made you spill your… what exactly was that?”

“Bearberry,” he answered automatically. She looked genuinely apologetic, and Killian wasn’t sure what exactly changed her attitude, but he was certainly thankful for it.

“I’ll try to keep it down, or at least give you some warning.” She smiled softly at him.

“Er… thanks. Thank you,” he responded awkwardly. She nodded once and then turned towards the stairs to go back to her apartment.

An hour later, there was a soft knock at Killian’s door. He looked through the peephole, but no one was there. Cautiously, he opened the door just a tad, and there was a soft thud by his feet.

A bundle of bearberry had fallen over without the door to hold it up. There was a note, and Killian found himself smiling before he had even opened it.

Mr. Jones, I apologize again for making you spill your bearberry. This should be enough to get you through for a bit. I’ve also thrown in a small treat for Captain.

Enjoy,

E. Swan

********

The strange thing about quiet is that it makes you miss the noise. So when two days went by without a single crash, boom, or clunk from upstairs, Killian grew worried. It took him a third day to gather up the courage to knock on her door.

As soon as it opened, he heard a whole plethora of noises. Whirrs and clanks and, of course, crashes.

“Swan, what the hell?”

He wasn’t sure why it came out of his mouth. But when she’d signed the note “E. Swan” he’d pictured her and her beautiful face and well… okay, she wasn’t exactly graceful or swanlike but somehow, still, ‘Swan’ seemed to suit her.

She hesitated a moment, a blush creeping up her neck.

“I charmed the apartment. So you wouldn’t hear… all of this.” She grabbed a loose strand of hair and started twisting it in her hands. “I felt bad. About before.”

It really wasn’t a grand gesture. She had cast a fairly simple charm so that her neighbors wouldn’t be disturbed by all the noise constantly coming from her apartment. A miniscule part of Killian’s brain wondered why she hadn’t done that to begin with, but he ignored it in favor of the more prominent thought in his mind: she’d done this for him.

“You didn’t have to… that’s very kind.”

An awkward silence fell over them before Killian glanced behind her into her apartment. It was nearly identical to his in layout, but where he kept his living space organized and tidy, Emma lived in what looked to be the middle of a biohazard. There were potions and ingredients and empty jars on nearly every surface. A stack of boxes towered far too high for Killian’s comfort just beside the dining room table. And a strange metal contraption right in the middle of the kitchen seemed to be the source of all the noise, whirring away and shaking far more than it looked like it should be.

And there, on the couch, lay a giant white… creature.

He knew, of course, that this must be her familiar. What he couldn’t figure out was what exactly it was. It looked both furry and feathered, and as Killian stared at it, the white color he’d originally seen started morphing into spots. And then stripes. And then back to white.

“What the--”

“Nothing. It’s nothing. I have to go now.”

And then the door was slammed in his face.

[teamhook]

A Chapter A Day... Savage Heart CS AU

A love story between a pirate and his savior. An innocent, beautiful, selfless woman meets a man with no manners, no formal education and not even a last name. Will Emma fall in love with Killian once she discovers that beneath his tough exterior lies a heart-wild, but a heart of gold? This is a Captain Swan AU

Beta-ed by the awesome @ilovemesomekillianjones​

Cover by @xhookswenchx​

|AO3| |FFN| previous chapter

|AO3| |FFN| current chapter

Chapter 26: New Friends and Allies

Emma keeps a steady pace after leaving Rufio behind. She'd almost turned back on several occasions but if she did, she may never see her family again. She would remember the route taken and beg if needed to go back to retrieve the boy. Killian wouldn't deny her.

She rides the horse in full gallop as long as she can. Later she switches to a trot and a few walk breaks in between. She pays close attention to her surroundings, admiring the view.

She had never left Misthaven before. Her mother had offered to send her on holiday alongside Milah countless times but she had never accepted. She enjoyed her time with Cora preparing to be the perfect wife for August.

Emma wanders away from the road and into the woods. She needs to find some water for both of them and maybe if she is lucky she can find them something edible. Maybe she should let her horse lead. Survival instinct must kick in at some time. There are horses in the wild and they survive perfectly fine on their own.

She's afraid to get lost in the woods and there is also a possibility she will be recaptured if she stays on the main road.

The scenery is beautiful. The trees seem to almost reach the sky and the wildflowers are vibrant and fragrant; it looks like a rainbow layout on her feet. Her thoughts drift home. She follows and the horse is grazing on some grass. She looks around the trees and shrubs and notices a path. It seems like a well-traveled trail. She doesn't want to disturb the horse, but slowly approaches him to not disturb his meal. She ties his rope to the closest tree.

She walks toward the trail and keeps glancing back to make sure the horse is there and no one is following her.

Emma followed the trail and keeps walking. The further into the woods she walks the more calming and beautiful it is. She has never walked for so long and soon she stops dead in her tracks. There is a deer drinking water from a creek. She is so enthralled and slowly kneels down to avoid the deer's attention. Then without a warning, she hears a swish pass her right ear and hit its target as the deer slumps to the ground.

She is standing there blinking away the disbelief. She turns to look at the perpetrator and yells at him. "You could've hit me!"

"I never miss."

"You never miss? Are you crazy?" She notices the wolf standing next to the man. The silver wolf snarls at the offensive comment made at his master. Emma steps back slowly.

"Don't worry. He is gentle, he is just hungry." He pats the head of the animal that locked his one black and one red eye with her.

"Yes, he looks very sweet."

"He is." He smiles at her. "Just don't make any sudden moves around him." He walks towards Emma leading the way for the silver wolf close behind him.

Once he reaches her he guides his pet to Emma and slowly extends his hand for her to place hers on his. She does so slowly. The wolf slowly nuzzles her palm and licks her.

"He likes you."

"I just hope he doesn't like me enough to eat."

"Oh no, he is domesticated. Well at least as much as he can be. I rescued him as a pup."

She looked unsure.

"I do apologize for scaring you."

She tries to play it off. "I was not scared I was just surprised; I was admiring the beauty of nature."

"I agree with you, nature is beautiful. I missed it so much, I gave up my life in town to find solace in a little cabin, not far from here. I have always been more of a hunter than anything else."

"Oh, and what life did you give up?" she asks genuinely curious. They walk as he guides her.

"Well, I used to be a lawman in a town not far from here."

"But you missed all this and you left," she says as she pointed to the scenery.

He simply nods his answer.

She suddenly stops, "I left my horse back there, I think." She points to the opposite direction they were headed.

"Then we should go get him. I'm sure we will find him." He changes direction. "I don't mean to be rude but you don't seem to belong here. I'm sorry I don't have the best people skills."

"I know. You almost killed me with that knife. And you are right, I don't."

"I already told you, I never miss. So, tell me how is it you got here? Of course, if you don't mind me asking." He has noticed the wedding band on her hand.

"I was taken on my way to visit my parents by some men."

"What? Are you alright?" He looks her over to assess injuries. She doesn't appear to have any, but she does look dirty.

"I escaped with the help of a friend. I was on my way home but I didn't want to tire my horse and I may be a little lost now." She admits her predicament with a nervous chuckle.

"I could help you go home. I could also look into the men that took you. Do you remember where you were held?"

"I just want to get home."

"Alright, then we will go retrieve your horse and get you home. Where is home?"

"Thank you. What should I call you? Maybe, crazy man that almost killed me?"

"Graham Humbert."

Emma thinks she recognizes the name but fails to recall from where."And what should I call you?"

"Emma Jones, I'm from Misthaven."

"It is an honor to meet you. Now let's get you home."

Emma stops. "Wait, what about the deer? You said that you were both hungry." She points at him and the wolf.

"We still have enough back home for a couple of nights and besides we need to get you back to Misthaven. It will not be long before you are reunited."

Killian loses his death grip on the ransom letter; Tink bends to pick it up.

"Killian, are you sure? She looks at the letter and hates that she cannot understand its contents.

He gives her a grim smile and nods his confirmation.

"What are you going to do?"

Milah's ears perk up to listen to the answer to the question. It is the moment of truth. She knows he will pick his ship and realize that Emma means nothing to him.

"Isn't true love more important than a few planks and a sail? TInk, she is my home. I will do whatever is needed to get her back."

Milah can't stop herself, "You are willing to give up your ship for my nitwit cousin? Are you crazy? She is not worth it, she doesn't love you. I love you. Let them keep her and we can be together."

"What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be with your husband?" Tink snarls at her.

"TInk, I have to go see Archie. I have to hurry, time is of the essence. As for you Milah, you need to go home to your husband. I'm going to go get my wife," he says as hope finally fills his heart.

"Are you truly willing to trade your ship for her?"

"Aye, without a second thought, I would and I am."

"But you love that ship; you cannot trade it for her!"

"Milah, I love my wife. I think I may have loved her since I first laid eyes on her. I was just too stubborn and too angry to see it."

Milah blinks back tears as she storms out of Killian's home after hearing his decision. If he thinks he is going to have his happy ending with her cousin he is wrong. She subconsciously walks to the same road Emma had been taken from as a fury engulfs her entire being. Emma had everything growing up and now she has taken her love.

Milah startles as she hears footsteps approaching her. She looks up to see a man walking toward her and she wipes away her tears. He looks like he has lost something.

"Excuse me, Miss, do you live around here?"

"No I don't, my cousin does." She points to the direction of Killian's house.

"Why do you ask?"

"I have been tasked with finding a kidnapped woman and I was curious to know if there had been any witnesses to the act but so far I have not found one."

"Oh, you must be the Sheriff. Sheriff Nottingham, if memory serves. My husband went to see you. My cousin is the one that was taken."

"I see. I'm sorry."

"No worries, I will be giving my husband glowing reviews on your search for her."

"Your husband seems very fond of your cousin."

"He feels guilty."

"Ah, for her marrying the pirate," Nottingham spits the word. "You don't seem too distraught over her disappearance."

"Why Sheriff Nottingham, are you accusing me of not caring for my cousin?"

"I never said that, but there is something there, and dare I say it, Mrs. Booth, I find you to be a very interesting woman. I feel I should keep an eye on you."

"That is good to know." She smiles coyly as she walks away. She knows that he may come in handy.

@hookedonapirate @kmomof4 @searchingwardrobes @seriouslyhooked@profdanglaisstuff @let-it-raines @revanmeetra87@snowbellewells@hollyethecurious@kymbersmith-90@branlovestowrite@thejollyroger-writer@shireness-says@ilovemesomekillianjones@thisonesatellite@thesschesthair@winterbythesea@stahlop@resident-of-storybrooke@superchocovian@lfh1226-linda@artistic-writer@thislassishooked@shardminds@winterbaby89@xhookswenchx@ultraluckycatnd@gingerchangeling@laschatzi@wellhellotragic@xemmaloveskillianx@courtorderedcake@pirateherokillian@optomisticgirl@darkcolinodonorgasm@sherlockianwhovian @andiirivera @djlbg @nikkiemms @jennjenn615 @scientificapricot @officerrogers @imlaxdris71 @therealstartraveller776 @kday426​

[thecomicsnexus]

TOP 10 ARTISTS OF 2019′S REVIEWS

Believe it or not, it is harder to “rank” artists than writers, for comic-books. Most of the time, what you see is mostly a collaboration of many artists, and not always an ugly style is a bad thing. Art is subjective and that is why I am not doing a “bottom 10″ list of artists these years. It just wouldn’t make sense.

But because this year I took all sixty-something review that scored 10, while that is still a long list of artists, I was able to see which artists were more prominent in the material I read this year. This may or many not make sense to you, and it might not even make sense at all. But here it comes.

NUMBER TEN JERRY ORDWAY (1957 - PRESENT)

Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books.

He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985–1986), his long run working on the Superman titles from 1986–1993, and for writing and painting the Captain Marvel original graphic novel The Power of Shazam! (1994), and writing the ongoing monthly series from 1995–1999. He has provided inks for artists such as Curt Swan, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, John Buscema, Steve Ditko, John Byrne, George Perez and others.

Jerry Ordway was inspired in his childhood by Marvel Comics, and dreamed of drawing Daredevil, Spider-Man, and the Avengers. To date he has only worked on the latter.

Ordway attended Milwaukee Technical High School, where he took a three-year commercial art course, before joining a commercial art studio as a typographer in 1976. He subsequently worked his way "from the ground floor up at the art studio" between 1978 and 1981.

Ordway is married to Peggy May Ordway (b. 1959).

While Ordway’s work this year that made him into the list is “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, I think that I am doing a special mention for him. He was inker for that series (And this year, I will be separating pencillers from the rest), but Ordway’s pencils have so much personality, that you sometimes forget he is just inking.

NUMBER NINE GARY FRANK (1969 - PRESENT)

Gary Frank (born 1969) is a British comics artist, notable for pencilling on Midnight Nation and Supreme Power, both written by J. Michael Straczynski. He has also worked with author Peter David on The Incredible Hulk and Supergirl. He had a creator-owned series, Kin, which he wrote himself, published by Top Cow Productions in 2000.

Writer Geoff Johns, who has collaborated with Frank, has opined that Frank's rendition of Superman is the best of his generation and that the only other artist in the same league with Frank in this regard is Curt Swan.

Gary Frank began his professional career in 1991, illustrating covers and interior short stories for publications such as Doctor Who Magazine and Toxic!. This led to a stint at Marvel UK in 1992 as regular series' artist on Motormouth & Killpower. It was on that series that he began a long-running collaboration with inker Cam Smith, who would continue to ink Frank's work for many years. In 1992, Frank was recruited by Marvel Comics to illustrate covers for The Incredible Hulk, beginning with issue No. 400. Shortly thereafter, he was hired as the series' ongoing artist beginning with issue No. 403 (March 1993) and ending with No. 425 (Jan. 1995).

During his initial time at Marvel, Frank contributed covers, interiors and pin-up illustrations for various series, such as X-Men Unlimited, the Sabretooth Special, X-Men Classic, X-Men Prime, and Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, among others. He drew covers for Acclaim Comics' Ninjak and Harris Comics' Vampirella.

In 1996, Frank and Smith were hired as the art team on DC Comics' new Supergirl ongoing series, which re-teamed Frank with writer Peter David. Frank's run as penciller ended with issue No. 9 (May 1997), although he continued to provide covers for the series until issue No. 21. Other assignments for DC included a Birds of Prey one-shot and the DC/Marvel Amalgam Comics one-shot, Bullets and Bracelets.

In 1997, Frank and Smith moved to Image Comics, where they, along with writer John Arcudi, were hired as the new creative team on the Wildstorm title Gen¹³, beginning with the epilogue story in issue No. 25. Their run on the series was praised for its dark, realistic style in both writing and art; however, the drastic change in tone and style alienated many longtime fans who had grown accustomed to the more fantastical and cartoonish approach of the Brandon Choi/J. Scott Campbell run. The Arcudi/Frank/Smith tenure on the series lasted two years, until issue No. 41 (July 1999). It was during this run, in 1998, that Wildstorm head Jim Lee moved his studio and all its properties to DC Comics. Therefore, issues No. 25–36 were published by Image and issues No. 37–41 were published by DC/Wildstorm.

Gary made it into the list because of his work with Geoff Johns on Justice League (including Shazam’s origin). But he could have been included for his work on Doomsday Clock as well.

NUMBER EIGHT DAVE GIBBONS (1949 - PRESENT)

David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything". He was an artist for 2000 AD, for which he contributed a large body of work from its first issue in 1977.

Gibbons was born at Forest Gate Hospital in London, to Chester, a town planner, and Gladys, a secretary. He began reading comic books at the age of seven. A self-taught artist, he illustrated his own comic strips. Gibbons became a building surveyor but eventually entered the UK comics industry as a letterer for IPC Media. He left his surveyor job to focus on his comics career.

Gibbons was one of the British comic talents identified by Len Wein in 1982 for American publisher DC Comics: he was hired primarily to draw "Green Lantern Corps" backup stories within the pages of Green Lantern. Gibbons' first DC work was on the Green Lantern Corps story in Green Lantern No. 161 (February 1983), with writer Todd Klein, as well as the concurrently released "Creeper" two-part backup story in The Flash #318–319. Gibbons drew the lead story in The Brave and the Bold No. 200 (July 1983) which featured a team-up of the Batmen of Earth-One and Earth-Two. With Green Lantern No. 172 (Jan. 1984), Gibbons joined writer Wein on the main feature while continuing to illustrate the backup features. In issue No. 182, Wein and Gibbons made architect John Stewart, who had been introduced previously in issue No. 87, the title's primary character. Ceding the "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps" backup features to various other individuals from No. 181, Gibbons last issue with Wein was issue No. 186 (March 1985). Gibbons returned to pencil the backup story "Mogo Doesn't Socialize" with Alan Moore in issue No. 188.

While Marvel Comics reprinted some of Gibbons' Marvel UK Doctor Who work, Eclipse Comics reprinted some of his Warrior work and Eagle reprinted various Judge Dredd tales, Gibbons continued to produce new work almost exclusively for DC throughout the 1980s. For the 1985 Superman Annual No. 11, Gibbons drew the main story "For the Man Who Has Everything", again written by Alan Moore.

During 1985 and 1986, Gibbons' artwork graced the pages of several issues of both DC's Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe and Marvel's The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition. He was one of the contributors to the DC Challenge limited series and in December 1986, he contributed to Harrier Comics' Brickman No. 1 alongside Kevin O'Neill, Lew Stringer and others. Between May and August 1988, he contributed covers to The Phantom miniseries, inked Kevin Maguire's pencilled contribution to Action Comics No. 600, and produced the cover to Action Comics Weekly No. 601.

He is best known in the US for collaborating with Alan Moore on the 12-issue limited series Watchmen, now one of the best-selling graphic novels of all time, and the only one to feature on Time's "Top 100 Novels" list. Gibbons' artwork in Watchmen is notable both for its stark utilisation of the formulaic comicbook nine-panel grid layout, as well as for its intense narrative and symbolic density with some symbolic background elements suggested by Moore, others by Gibbons.

Gibbons lettered Watchmen and it was his lettering style that later served as one of two reference sources used by Vincent Connare when creating the controversial font Comic Sans in 1994. Gibbons has commented that "It's just a shame they couldn't have used just the original font, because it's a real mess. I think it's a particularly ugly letter form."

Comics historian Les Daniels noted that Watchmen "called into question the basic assumptions on which the super hero genre is formulated". DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz observed in 2010 that "As with The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen set off a chain reaction of rethinking the nature of super heroes and heroism itself, and pushed the genre darker for more than a decade. The series won acclaim...and would continue to be regarded as one of the most important literary works the field ever produced."

Gibbons returned to Watchmen in 2008, producing the behind-the-scenes book Watching the Watchmen to tie into the release of the 2009 film. Watching the Watchmen is his take on the creation of the seminal work, and features a number of rarely seen pieces of artwork including sketches and character designs, as well as "stuff," he says "that I just don't know why I kept but I'm really pleased I did." Gibbons stated that "I'm basically thrilled with the movie, you know; it's been in the making for years. There have been proposals to make it – some I was excited about, some I was less excited about. But I think the way that it finally has been made is just great. I honestly can't imagine it being made much better."

Gibbons was present in many reviews this year, but he made it into the list because of his work on “Superman” and “Watchmen”.

NUMBER SEVEN BRIAN BOLLAND (1951 - PRESENT)

Brian Bolland (born 26 March 1951) is a British comics artist. Best known in the United Kingdom as one of the definitive Judge Dredd artists for British comics anthology 2000 AD, he spearheaded the 'British Invasion' of the American comics industry, and in 1982 produced the artwork on Camelot 3000 (with author Mike W. Barr), which was DC Comics' first 12-issue comicbook maxiseries created for the direct market.

His rare forays into interior art also include Batman: The Killing Joke, with UK-based writer Alan Moore, and a self-penned Batman: Black and White story. Bolland remains in high demand as a cover artist, producing the vast majority of his work for DC Comics.

Brian Bolland was born in Butterwick, Lincolnshire, to parents Albert "A.J." John, a fenland farmer, and Lillie Bolland. He spent his "first 18 years" living "in a small village near Boston in the fens of Lincolnshire, England," but has "no memory of comics" much before the age of ten. When American comics began to be imported into England, c.1959, Bolland says that it "took a little while for me to discover them," but by 1960 he was intrigued by Dell Comics' Dinosaurus!, which fed into a childhood interest in dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. Comics including Turok, Son of Stone and DC Comics' Tomahawk soon followed, and it was this burgeoning comics collection that would help inspire the young Bolland to draw his own comics around the age of ten with ideas such as "Insect League." He recalls that "[s]uperheroes crept into my life by stealth," as he actively sought out covers featuring "any big creature that looked vaguely dinosaur-like, trampling puny humans." These adolescent criteria led from Dinosaurus! and Turok via House of Mystery to "Batman and Robin [who] were [often] being harassed by big weird things, as were Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman [etc]." Soon, family outings to Skegness became an excuse for the future artist to "trawl... round some of the more remote backstreet newsagents" for comics to store on an overflowing "bookcase I'd made in school woodwork especially."

As early as 1962, aged 11, Bolland remembers thinking that "Carmine Infantino's work on the Flash and Gil Kane's on Green Lantern and the Atom had a sophistication about it that I hadn't [previously] seen. The young Bolland did not rate Marvel Comics as highly as DC, feeling the covers cluttered and the paper quality crude. His appreciation of the artwork of Jack Kirby, he says, only materialised much later "through the eyes of a seasoned professional." Despite such a variety of inspirations, Bolland credits his eventual pursuance of art as a hobby and then vocation to a primary school art teacher, who "evidently said all the right things to me."

Growing up as "and only child in a house without culture," (Bolland says that his "mother and father had no use for art, literature or music"), he embraced the late 1960s pop culture explosion of "pirate radio stations, music (particularly Frank Zappa...), drug taking, psychedelia, "peace and love," "dropping out," the underground scene, Oz Magazine," and other aspects of hippy culture epitomised by underground comix such as Robert Crumb's Zap Comix. Having taken both O-Level and A-Level examinations in art, Bolland spent five years at art school (starting in 1969) learning graphic design and Art history. Learning to draw comics, however, was "more a self-taught thing," with Bolland eventually writing a 15,000-word dissertation in 1973 on Neal Adams – an "artist [his teachers] had never heard of." He would later recall:

It was during this time that I discovered the sheer range of comics and their history. All the British stuff I'd missed was there to be discovered. I found the American greats, Foster, Herriman, Alex Raymond and Winsor McCay... Noel Sickles, Milt Caniff, Roy Crane, had all, I discovered, put down the basic building blocks of our "Art form". And there were the Europeans... Moebius, Manara, Breccia. Later the Filipinos—Alex Niño, Nestor Redondo, Alfredo Alcala, all were inspirational. None of this stuff was to be found in the art schools. During my five years in three art schools I never learnt a single thing about comics from any of my tutors.

Bolland was among the first British comics creators 'discovered' by the American comics industry, spearheading the so-called "British Invasion" in 1979/80. Bolland recalls that his big break came when Joe Staton attended the Summer 1979 Comicon, and, needing somewhere to work (on Green Lantern) while in the UK, arranged to stay with the Bollands. Staton called his editor Jack Harris and told him that Bolland, a big Green Lantern fan, would like to draw a Green Lantern cover; Harris agreed. He drew several covers for DC Comics, starting with Green Lantern No. 127 (April 1980), as well as some fill-in stories. These stories included, in 1980-1981, "Certified Safe" in Mystery in Space and "Falling Down to Heaven" in Madame Xanadu, DC's first attempt at marketing comics specifically to the "direct market" of fans and collectors. For editor Julius Schwartz, Bolland drew covers around which writers would craft stories, which included two Starro covers for Justice League of America No. 189 and 190 and Superman No. 422 (Aug. 1986).

Among his earliest interior work for DC was a chapter in Justice League of America No. 200 (March 1982) alongside artistic heroes Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino and Gil Kane, as well as Jim Aparo, George Pérez and Dick Giordano. This gave the artist his "first stab at drawing Batman." Bolland felt that "after my cover [GL #127] worked out the people at DC turned their gaze on London... and particularly on the group of artists at 2000AD who had been weaned on the DC characters." He recalled that, "after I was settled in at DC, scouts from that company came to our "Society of Strip Illustration" meetings to win over a few more of us," making a "formal invitation" at an SSI meeting, which saw "Dave Gibbons, Kevin O'Neill... [t]hen Alan Davis and Mark Farmer," following the artists "Alan Grant "went across" and, at some point, a certain tall hairy writer from the Midlands."

In 1982, DC editor Len Wein chose Bolland to be the artist on DC's Camelot 3000 12-issue maxi-series, with writer Mike W. Barr. The story, dealing with the return of King Arthur to save England from an alien invasion in the year 3000, not only "represents the single biggest body of work" by Bolland – and his only attempt to draw a monthly title – but was also the "first example of a DC (or otherwise) maxi-series." Bolland was not familiar with the Arthurian legends, and initially conceived Merlin as a comical character. The series was graced with considerable media hype, and Bolland found himself "whisked off to San Diego and places and made a fuss of." Bolland was allowed to pick between two inkers, but opted to ink his covers himself. Bolland was uncomfortable with having a third party ink his pencils, and later admitted that he put a high level of detail into his art for the series to leave as little room as possible for the inker to creatively reinterpret his work. However, "by the end I was quite pleased with the results." Reacting indignantly to being presented with Ross Andru layouts for the first two Camelot 3000 covers, he chose to ignore [the Andru design] completely and come up with my own unapproved design. Len Wein rejected it and told me to do the Ross Andru one. Grudgingly I drew the number one cover that made it onto the issue – but as a protest I reversed the letter N in my signature as a code to remind myself that my "artistic integrity" had been despoiled. I liked the backwards N enough to keep it from that day on.

Camelot 3000 had lengthy delays between its final issues. Bolland recalled that he and DC "talked quite a bit about how long it would take me to do the series," and because the series was inked by other artists, he started off "churning the pages out with great enthusiasm." As the series continued, however, Bolland became increasingly meticulous, "trying to make the pages look better and better". The added details he introduced into his artwork caused significant delays in the final issues of the limited series, causing issues #8–11 to be released on a quarterly rather than monthly status, and the final issue to be cover dated nine months later than the penultimate issue.

Bolland married his girlfriend, illustrator and sometime-collaborator Rachel Birkett in 1981. She later gave up illustration "to become a cook in a vegetarian restaurant, although she has since assisted her husband with his work, acting as colourist, inker, co-artist and ghost. The two have a son, Harry.

The Camelot 3000 limited series, which he created with Mike W. Barr, was nominated for the 1985 Kirby Award for Best Finite Series, narrowly losing to Marv Wolfman and George Pérez's Crisis on Infinite Earths. In 2002, he placed second behind Jack Kirby for the title of "Best Artist Ever" in the short-lived National Comics Awards.

Brian Bolland made it to the list because of... you probably guessed it... “Camelot 3000″ and “Batman: The Killing Joke”.

NUMBER SIX FRANK MILLER (1957 - PRESENT)

Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer best known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Sin City, and 300.

He is in both, Writer and Artist list, and, surpise, surprise, for pretty much the same stuff (”The Dark Knight Returns”, “Ronin” and also “Wolverine”).

NUMBER FIVE MIKE DRINGENBERG (1965 - PRESENT)

Mike Dringenberg (born c. 1965) is an American comics artist best known for his work on DC Comics/Vertigo's Sandman series with writer Neil Gaiman. Mike Dringenberg was born in Laon, France.

Dringenberg first work in the comics industry was the story "A Tale Of... Lenny's Casino & Grill" in Kelvin Mace #1 (Dec. 1985) published by Vortex Comics. His other early work in the 1980s for publishers such as Eclipse Comics included Alien Worlds, Enchanter, and Total Eclipse. He worked on Adolescent Radioactive Blackbelt Hamsters, a parody of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which itself was a parody of many then-current comic books, and Shock the Monkey. His mainstream work includes DC's Doom Patrol with writer Grant Morrison, where he co-created Flex Mentallo; the fantasy card game Magic: The Gathering; and White Wolf Publishing's card game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.

Mike is in this list because of his work on “The Sandman”.

NUMBER FOUR RICK VEITCH (1951 - PRESENT)

Richard Veitch (born May 7, 1951) is an American comics artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics. Rick Veitch is from a large Catholic family of six children. He was raised in Bellows Falls, Vermont.

Veitch made his publishing debut in 1972, illustrating the underground comix horror parody Two-Fisted Zombies published by Last Gasp and written by his brother Tom Veitch. This one-shot was excerpted in Mark Estren's History of Underground Comix. It also, according to Veitch, proved to be his ticket to admission to Joe Kubert School.

Veitch then studied cartooning at The Kubert School, and was in the first class to graduate from the school in 1978, along with his future long-time collaborators Stephen R. Bissette and John Totleben.

Veitch's next major project was an adaptation of the film 1941 with Bissette.

During the 1980s, Veitch became known as a distinctive fantasy artist and writer for Marvel Comics' Epic Comics line, for which he created three graphic novels, Abraxas and the Earthman serialized in Epic Illustrated; Heartburst published as a standalone graphic novel; and The One originally published as a six-issue comic book limited series. Heartburst was straightforward science fiction, while The One was an ambitious and bizarre fantasy-adventure involving monstrous superheroes, the Cold War, and spiritual evolution. During this period Veitch also contributed numerous self-contained comics short stories to Epic Illustrated.

Veitch's highest-profile title was DC Comics' Swamp Thing. His friends Totleben and Bissette had both illustrated the series since Alan Moore took over as writer. Veitch joined the team for issue #37 (cover dated June 1985), in which Moore's popular character John Constantine was introduced, and appeared regularly after issue #50. He also worked with Moore on Miracleman, illustrating the story that graphically depicted the birth of Miracleman's child published by Eclipse Comics in Miracleman #9 (July 1986).

When Moore left the Swamp Thing series after issue #64, Veitch took over as writer, dividing art duties between himself and Alfredo Alcala. His Swamp Thing stories took a similar approach to Moore's, combining horror-fantasy, ecological concerns, and an encyclopedic knowledge of DC Comics fantasy characters; he gradually turned his attention from the DC Universe to history and mythology, using time travel to introduce his hero to a variety of legendary figures. This was to conclude in issue #91. Difficulties arose after Veitch's plan for issue #88, a story in which Swamp Thing met Jesus Christ, was scrapped by DC President Jenette Kahn. Although DC had approved Veitch's initial script for the Jesus story, the topic was later deemed too inflammatory and was cancelled at the last minute. The publisher and writer were unable to reach a compromise; Veitch quit, and vowed never to work for DC until the story saw print. Though the story arc has still never been printed, Veitch eventually did return to DC.

After leaving DC, Veitch turned to the alternative comics field, where the success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had provided the impetus for a black-and-white independent comics boom. After doing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles storyline for Mirage Studios, "The River", he began creating his own titles again, published by the Mirage spin-off Tundra Publishing.

Rick is one of the “revelations” of this year, to me. He was included in this list because of his work in both, “Swamp Thing” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. His TMNT story is one of my favorite TMNT stories of all time (even though it may or may not be canon).

NUMBER THREE JOHN TOTLEBEN (1958 - PRESENT)

John Thomas Totleben (born February 16, 1958 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American illustrator working mostly in comic books.

After studying art at Tech Memorial in Erie, Totleben attended The Kubert School for one year. He then spent several years working for comics editor Harry "A" Chesler, producing illustrations for the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam; which never saw print. His first published work appeared in Heavy Metal in January 1979.

His first success in American comics, and still his best-known work, was as the inker of pencilled art by Stephen R. Bissette for the DC Comics title Swamp Thing, when the series was being written and reinvented by Alan Moore. Totleben and Bissette joined the series in 1983 shortly before Moore. Totleben's style was unusual for the time, and is still distinctive among U.S. comics artists, for its fluid layouts and heavily detailed rendering using a combination of stippling and hatching. He also painted covers for the series in oils and acrylic. Totleben inked the story in Swamp Thing #37 (June 1985) which introduced the John Constantine character.

As with most cases in this list, these artists can ink, color and pencil their own art. Totleben is another artists that made it into this list thanks to his work on “Swamp Thing”.

NUMBER TWO STEPHEN R. BISSETTE (1955 - PRESENT)

Stephen R. "Steve" Bissette (born March 14, 1955) is an American comics artist, editor, and publisher with a focus on the horror genre. He is known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC Comics series Swamp Thing in the 1980s.

Bissette was born and raised in Vermont, where he still lives, and was raised Catholic.

Shortly after the publication of his first work, Abyss (1976), Bissette enrolled in the first class of The Kubert School. Before his first year was completed, his work was being published professionally in the pages of Sojourn, Sgt. Rock, and Heavy Metal. In 1978, Bissette was among the Kubert School's first graduating class, along with classmates Rick Veitch, Tom Yeates, and others.

While still enrolled at The Kubert School, Bissette executed the logo for early New Jersey synth-pop band WKGB and drew the cover for the band's 1979 single "Non-Stop/Ultramarine" on Fetish Records.

His early work appeared in the pages of Heavy Metal, Epic Illustrated, Bizarre Adventures, Scholastic Corporation's Weird Worlds and Bananas illustrating stories written by Goosebumps founder and author R. L. Stine, and he worked with Rick Veitch on the graphic novelization of Steven Spielberg's motion picture.

Bissette is best known for his multiple award-winning collaboration with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on DC Comics' Saga of the Swamp Thing (1983–1987).

Under the company name of Spiderbaby Grafix, he later published the horror anthology Taboo, the original home of Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell and Tim Lucas' Throat Sprockets illustrated by Mike Hoffman and David Lloyd. He created Tyrant, a comic book biography of a Tyrannosaurus rex, which lasted four issues. During this period, he edited the horror anthology Gore Shriek, published by FantaCo Enterprises.

Since 1991, Bissette has presented a lecture series on horror comics called "Journeys into Fear". Having since grown in scope into a five-part series, "Journeys into Fear" identifies 12th century Japanese ghost scrolls and the 16th Century Mixtec codices as early ancestors, and traces the genre from its roots in Winsor McCay's work such as Dream of the Rarebit Fiend. In 1996–1997, Bissette contributed five covers for a comic book series about another swamp monster, Hall of Heroes' Bog Swamp Demon.

Bissette subsequently worked with Moore, Totleben, and Rick Veitch on the Image Comics' limited series 1963, their final creative collaborative effort. From 1963, Bissette owns the characters Hypernaut, N-Man, and the Fury.

Scott McCloud's 24-hour comic project began as a dare to Bissette in 1990. Each created a 24-page comic in 24 hours. The 24-hour comics project evolved into a challenge taken up by numerous hopeful contributors, with several published collections, and inspired other time-limited creative projects. Bissette published the story A Life in black and white in his own comic book anthology SpiderBaby Comix #2 (SpiderBaby Graphix, 1997).

In 1993, Bissette and Stanley Wiater co-edited Comic Book Rebels: Conversations with the Creators of the New Comics, which featured interviews with such notable comics creators as Scott McCloud, Harvey Pekar, Dave Sim, Howard Cruse, Will Eisner, Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman, and Robert Crumb.

Bissette retired from the comics industry in 1999, alluding to what he termed a "generational shift." He teaches courses in Comic Art History, Drawing, and Film at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont

Since 2005, Bissette has also edited and published Green Mountain Cinema, a trade paperback journal devoted to the independent cinema scene in his home state of Vermont, as well as five volumes of Blur, collecting his film reviews and criticism.

The Stephen R. Bissette Collection at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, houses Bissette's works and memorabilia.

Bissette is in this list because of his work on “Swamp Thing”.

NUMBER ONE GEORGE PÉREZ (1954 - PRESENT)

George Pérez (born June 9, 1954) is a retired American comic book artist and writer, whose titles include The Avengers, Teen Titans, and Wonder Woman. Writer Peter David has named Pérez his favorite artistic collaborator.

George Pérez was born in the South Bronx, New York City, on June 9, 1954, to Jorge Guzman Pérez and Luz Maria Izquierdo, who were both from Caguas, Puerto Rico, but who did not meet until approximately 1949 or 1950, after both had settled in New Jersey while searching for job opportunities. They married in October 26, 1954 and subsequently moved to New York, where Jorge worked in the meat packing industry while Luz was a homemaker. George's younger brother David was born May 28, 1955. Both brothers aspired at a young age to be artists. with George Pérez beginning to draw at the age of five.

Pérez's first involvement with the professional comics industry was as artist Rich Buckler's assistant in 1973, and he made his professional debut in Marvel Comics' Astonishing Tales No. 25 (Aug. 1974) as penciler of an untitled two-page satire of Buckler's character Deathlok, star of that comic's main feature. Soon Pérez became a Marvel regular, penciling a run of "Sons of the Tiger", a serialized action-adventure strip published in Marvel's long-running Deadly Hands of Kung Fu magazine and authored by Bill Mantlo. He and Mantlo co-created the White Tiger (comics' first Puerto Rican superhero), a character that soon appeared in Marvel's color comics, most notably the Spider-Man titles.

Pérez came to prominence with Marvel's superhero-team comic The Avengers, starting with issue No. 141. In the 1970s, Pérez illustrated several other Marvel titles, including Creatures on the Loose, featuring the Man-Wolf; The Inhumans; and Fantastic Four. Writer Roy Thomas and Pérez crafted a metafictional story for Fantastic Four No. 176 (Nov. 1976) in which the Impossible Man visited the offices of Marvel Comics and met numerous comics creators. Whilst most of Pérez' Fantastic Four issues were written by Roy Thomas or Len Wein, it would be a Fantastic Four Annual where he would have his first major collaboration with writer Marv Wolfman. Pérez drew the first part of writer Jim Shooter's "The Korvac Saga", which featured nearly every Avenger who joined the team up to that point. Shooter and Pérez introduced the character of Henry Peter Gyrich, the Avengers' liaison to the United States National Security Council in the second chapter of that same storyline. Writer David Michelinie and Pérez created the Taskmaster in The Avengers No. 195 (May 1980).

In 1980, while still drawing The Avengers for Marvel, Pérez began working for their rival DC Comics. Offered the art chores for the launch of The New Teen Titans, written by Wolfman, Pérez' real incentive was the opportunity to draw Justice League of America (an ambition of Pérez's which "seemed like a natural progress from the Avengers"). Long-time Justice League artist Dick Dillin died right around that time, providing an opportunity for Pérez to step in as regular artist. While Pérez's stint on the JLA was popular with fans, his career took off with the New Teen Titans. The New Teen Titans was launched in a special preview in DC Comics Presents No. 26 (October 1980). This incarnation of the Titans was intended to be DC's answer to Marvel's increasingly popular X-Men comic, and Wolfman and Pérez indeed struck gold. A New Teen Titans drug awareness comic book sponsored by the Keebler Company, and drawn by Pérez was published in cooperation with The President's Drug Awareness Campaign in 1983. In August 1984, a second series of The New Teen Titans was launched by Wolfman and Pérez. Moreover, Pérez's facility with layouts, details, and faces improved enormously during his four years on the book, making him one of the most popular artists in comics as evidenced by the numerous industry awards he would receive during this time.

Pérez took a leave of absence from The New Teen Titans in 1984 to focus on his next project with Marv Wolfman, DC's 1985 50th-anniversary event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Crisis purportedly featured every single character DC owned, in a story which radically restructured the DC universe's continuity. Pérez was inked on the series by Dick Giordano, Mike DeCarlo, and Jerry Ordway. After Crisis, Pérez inked the final issue of Superman (issue #423) in September 1986, over Curt Swan's pencils for part one of the two-part story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" by writer Alan Moore. The following month, Pérez was one of the artists on Batman No. 400 (October 1986) Wolfman and Pérez teamed again to produce the History of the DC Universe limited series to summarize the company's new history. Pérez drew the cover for the DC Heroes roleplaying game (1985) from Mayfair Games:167 as well as the cover for the fourth edition of the Champions roleplaying game (1989) from Hero Games.

Pérez is married to Carol Flynn. He has no children. He has a brother, David, and a niece and nephew. He is diabetic, and has undergone surgery for diabetic retinopathy. In May 2017, Pérez was admitted to a hospital with chest pains and was diagnosed as having had a heart attack while travelling to New Jersey for a convention. He was subsequently released from the hospital after having a coronary stent fitted.

George was already in last year’s TOP 10 and he made it again this year, thanks to his work on “New Teen Titans”, “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” and “Tales of the Teen Titans”, including “The Judas Contract”.

As I said before, most of these artists are pencillers, but most of them can do anything. Now, I have another list of artists coming up, that have a bit more “rigid” in what they do, but they also excel at it.

The artists in this list are only a small group, among all the other artists that could have made it into this list, some of them being: A. C. Farley, Bruce Timm, Bryan Hitch, Chris Allan, Jim Lawson, Chris Sprouse, Curt Swan, Dave McKean, Denys Cowan, Frank Quitely, Gene Colan, Jesus Merino, Emanuela Lupacchino, Jim Aparo, Jim Lee, Joe Quinones, Keith Pollard, Marcos Martin, Matt Hollingsworth, Paul Gulacy, Richard Pace, Leonard Kirk, Dan Jurgens, Sam Keith, Shawn McManus, Stephen Byrne, The Dodsons, Tony Harris, Stan Sakai and Bob Burden. Thank you all, and thank you to the artists of this list for making 2019 a better year for me.

[courtorderedcake]

Hallow : ch III - CSSNS 2019

“The Goblin King was prepared to host the Darkness, stealing Fae women away to their corrupted lands underneath the ground as concubines. The Darkness chose another in his stead, but not before this selected vessel enacted a devastating attack in its vengeance, revealing its hatred & rage. The battle was a lesson the old kings had forgotten; never underestimate an opponent.

Many more lives were lost as they razed over any who dared defy The Goblin King’s will. Only the pure love of our rulers united in matrimony, breaking the Vorpal Dagger, sealed the darkness and the Goblin menace away. The light flourished under their fair rule, and the queen bore a child as pure as moon beams, swan feathers, and starlight. They lived happily ever after, and shall be written in history as Heroes for All Time.”

This is the history Princess Emma memorizes from the day she is born, paraded about and presented only with the highest protection. The palace is a cage she wishes to escape, desperately. Not careful what wishes she made, Emma discovers history is written by the victors - The Dark One has an entirely different version of the events that took place.

Rated E for explicit themes, Mature situations, and Fae fuckery.

Written for @cssns

Read on AO3 here.

Ch 3 / ?? - in which women befuddled the Darkness in various ways

Emma woke up to bright spring sun and the smell of baking bread all around her. She could hear the sound of laughter and voices coming from downstairs; it was rather disconcerting, considering the circumstances of their arrival. Looking at her state of dress, she was glad to discover something had been put out for her. She slipped out of her muddy shift, folding the now stiff fabric as small as she could. The clothing laid out was bizarre; a woolen tunic split down the front with large buttons in a dark shade of magenta, and a soft blue dress made of several fabrics she couldn’t place. Emma felt exposed without the proper undergarments, but in this case she was more happy that she had clothes than she was worried. She hoped whoever had provided them could arrange a bath to be drawn later. When no servants arrived to bring her a tray or announce breakfast, Emma shrugged it off; not all households had servants in them. 

Heading down the stairs and vaguely remembering the layout from the night before, she was brought to a landing where a glass door led to a storefront and more stairs led down to a living space. Nearing the bottom she heard a man’s low laugh. Turning the corner, she was shocked to see Killian smiling slightly, laughing at something one of the women across from him was saying. A woman with white-blonde hair in a braid sat next to an auburn haired woman. They were obviously related, sharing the same eyes and nose, but the auburn haired woman had her hair arranged in a braided crown and looked significantly more carefree. When Killian saw her, his smile faded, his eyes looking down at the cup in front of him. The two women followed his previous line of sight, turning to look at Emma. The blonde scowled, eyes narrowing and face becoming a harsh, icy, mask of anger. Emma took a step back, shocked by her reaction. The auburn haired woman put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, and smiled grimly at Emma. 

“Good morning.”

Emma let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. “Good morning. I’m sorry to intrude, I’ll just -”

Killian let out a grunt, still looking down at his cup, and the blonde stood to sit next to him. Emma wondered if this was a lover of his, with the way she possessively took his forearm, shooting daggers of ice towards Emma. 

The auburn haired woman watched as the blonde moved away, and then smiled back towards Emma. 

“Come join us for breakfast, please. I’m Anna, and this is my sister Elsa.” She motioned Emma over to sit next to her, as Elsa stiffened. “Ingrid will be over in a minute, she’s just finishing up bread for the day. We open in a bit.” 

“Oh no, I couldn’t -” Emma started, before Ingrid flew in, wearing a blue checkered apron covered in flour. 

“Couldn’t what? Join us for breakfast? Nonsense, Emma, I baked some danishes just for you and Killian.” She motioned Emma over to the seat next to Anna with a smile on her face. Emma sat and Anna offered her another warm smile. The blonde woman sat diagonally to her right, Killian right across from her. “Would you like some coffee or tea, my dear? Maybe some juice?” 

“Tea would be lovely.” Emma felt her body start to loosen, her shoulders growing less tight as Anna and Ingrid started chatting about the weather outside. Ingrid placed a tea service, plates, a pitcher of juice, and a plate of pastries on the table. She rushed away for a moment longer as Anna handed out plates, grabbing a small kettle for Killian. Emma was astonished to see him smile at the woman pleasantly without a hint of arrogance, hatred, or spite. Anna and Ingrid kept the chatter pleasant, even teasing the man in front of her as if he wasn’t a murderer. Emma’s eyes wandered as she was excluded from the conversation, even with Ingrid and Anna’s many attempts to try to include her. The conversation was stilted and awkward without her commentary. 

“Oh!” Emma exclaimed, catching sight of a familiar face in the portraits on the wall as the mood stayed light. She spoke more out of surprise, words coming that she could not bottle even as Anna’s eyes flicked to her in distaste. “I recognize him. Captain Liam, right? He looks so happy here! We have a portrait of him up in one of the hallways, in full uniform, looking very serious. I used to talk to him while playing with my dolls or sing to him to make him happy. He - well, my pretend version of him I guess - even gave me advice.”

The room was silent as Emma looked back at the table. Killian’s jaw muscles were so tight, she could see them ticking in time with the clock. Ingrid and Anna were both casting horrified glances at Elsa, who was trembling with a rage that made her previous glares look tame.

“I’m sorry if I said something that -” Emma started, not knowing what had caused the mood to turn hostile.

Killian stood, and left the room without a word, and Elsa trailed behind, casting one last glare at Emma. Emma realized she could see wetness in the woman’s eyes. The room fell silent again, both Ingrid and Anna looking at the doorway the others had left through.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know - I mean, I knew he had passed but -” Emma stammered, trying to make sense of the situation.

Ingrid sighed, sad and tired. She laid her head in her hands. “Liam… Liam was Killian’s brother.” Emma realized too quickly why Killian’s eyes had seemed so familiar, why she felt compelled to trust him against her mother’s warning. Her emotions turned to a stone in her stomach, and she sank heavily into her seat. For the first time in many years, she felt a twisting feeling. Shame. Ashamed of the war that took so many nameless brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers from their families in the name of peace between the realms. 

“And Elsa - Elsa and Liam were courting.” Anna spoke quietly, almost in a whisper. “They were so happy, he and Elsa. Killian had met a beauty himself and was courting her, but Elsa and Liam…” she paused trailing off, still gazing after her sister. “They were so in love. It was barely a courtship even by today’s standards. They just knew. He gave her a ring, and said he’d be back soon. No one expected the Goblins or the Darkness to…”

Ingrid coughed softly, and Anna looked down at her lap. Emma felt the air change, long swept away sadness and anger emerging from disused corners. Regina had drilled history lessons into her brain about how her parents had married and peace was won. Or so she had thought. The history had been clear, but now it was murky with a new understanding of long past events. 

The Goblins, in a last move of madness, had resorted to blood magic - tearing two brothers from people they cared about without mercy and creating the Darkness they sought, unaware it would choose a vessel like Killian Jones. Unaware of the events that would transpire. 

Milah, stolen away with hundreds of other women of all realms to keep their blood magic strong as they controlled the Darkness against the will of its vessel. 

Liam, lying dead in red-stained waters with his entire armada as destruction rained down in time with barked commands. 

The dagger,  broken by the power of her parents’ True Love, taken from the Goblins as the Dark One raged in torment. The last moments of a united council sealing away the Goblins in a contained territory, and Killian in a dark cell for as long as needed. 

Killian, forced for centuries to remember that he had lost everything. Or almost everything, the flicker of hope never quite going out. 

Emma swallowed hard. Everything that her parents had done, everything Emma possessed, everything she was, her entire existence in this world and her own was an attack on the memories that Killian, Elsa, Anna and Ingrid buried, trying to forget. She’d ruined quiet peace with her imagined conversations, as Liam told her stories of the sea, and sang with her in gruff baritone from an imagined place in her mind. After falling into their lives with all the gentleness of a rockslide, how would she fix the impact of what she was, and what she represented? There was no way. Guilt and fear weighed as heavy and new emotions on her shoulders. 

“I know - I know there is nothing I can say or do to make this right,” Emma whispered, “but please let me help you with anything I can?”

Ingrid nodded, a hesitant smile creeping onto her face. “Alright then. Let’s get you a shower and an apron.”

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Working in the bakery was tedious in its methodology and precision, mixing powders, eggs, and milk in large vats that stirred with mechanical innards. It reminded her of alchemy, and took her mind from her fears as she focused. Emma had a new found respect for Granny and any kitchen workers after the first few hours, especially since her clumsiness meant much more work was left to be done. At least she could try the shower again if she became nervous and made a mess; her hands still hadn’t stopped trembling from shock and leftover adrenaline. 

“Why did you leave the realms?” Emma asked quietly, digging a scoop into a bowl labeled ‘C. chip cookies’. Scooping out a large portion, Anna all but ran over to stop her and show her the proper amount. 

“They get bigger, they grow in the oven. Gosh, to think you’ve never cooked before.” Anna looked at Emma contemplatively for a moment before laughing gently.  “I guess that’s part of it. My sister, Ingrid, and I - well. We come from a long line of Scandinavian Fae, Brownies, Trolls and Ice Folk. We were ladies of the court in the old northern palace for some time. It was located maybe three hundred kilometers from here, up on top of the mountains.” Anna flashed a toothy grin at Ingrid, who was smiling while mixing. “Then the war took our parents, our younger brother Olaf, our Uncle Nemo, our cousins, Liam… It destroyed my friends, destroyed our ancestral home. For me, I needed to stay where my memories were strongest. This was Uncle Nemo’s mill and we had fond memories summering here as well. Auntie, what about you?”

“There isn’t much to say. There was nothing left there for us. The magic was gone, metaphorically and literally. With very little magic, the kingdom falling from the peaks of snowy mountains to the earth, the ice of our towers cracking - we couldn’t rebuild without an unlimited supply of power again.” Ingrid shrugged, smoothing out dough in front of her with a rolling pin. She spread a thick brown filling over it with one hand, the other hand rolling it into a complex braid. “After I lost Nemo… This was a way to feel his presence. I feel him here so much, even now. He built our room to look over my mountains, while he could see his harbor. I still struggle looking at the sea. I miss his laugh, and I never thought I’d say it, but I miss his hunger.” Ingrid smiled, her voice wistful while completing several braids with different fillings. Emma could only continue shaping what would be cookies into uneven lumps. 

Anna carried a metal tray past on one shoulder, correcting her scoop size once more before scurrying to the ovens and sliding it inside. “We put a glamor up for humans, so we look as though we’re aging and a new generation takes over, but we have been here long enough to watch the town become a city, and the city become a tourist destination. It’s something. We have purpose.” Pounding the dough, Anna worked fluidly, unstoppable in her routine as she sped through her tasks in an unending stream of movement. 

Emma huffed in annoyance at her failure, plopping down more cookies on her first tray, glancing back to Ingrid who was now creating heart shaped tartlets, and Anna who weaved lattice over pies in less than a minute. 

“Don’t get discouraged now, Princess!” Anna giggled. “We do this every day. You’ll be making the perfect sized cookies for us in no time.” Her positivity was sweet, considering how especially awful Emma was at every task set before her. 

The work became easier as both women showed her techniques, and Emma cut shapes in pastry dough or kneaded loaves of bread. Kneading was becoming her fast favorite, her hands and occasionally forearm or elbow pushing air out of the round ball, pushing her frustration out as well. It was cathartic - and wonderful. 

When the loaves were beaten into submission, Anna showed her how to make frostings or where they were in the cold box they kept, and this turned fortuitous. Emma was a natural immediately. Icing with delicate brocade or ethereal lace, Ingrid gasped at the cookies she laid out. Stained glass, something Ingrid referred to as “similar to Art Nouveau”, geometric patterns, and stunning jewel tones rested on trays in carefully placed positions. A wedding cake initially gave Emma pause, but she painted it in a tapestry of unicorns and peacocks, the rich, velvety, colors so realistic one could almost feel the loom’s weave. Bright flowers in the miniscule were easy and like home, unlike the designs Ingrid had pointed out in glossy paper picture books, named strange things like ‘Tartan’, ‘Paisley’, and 'Plaid’. 

Elsa returned to see a beautiful pearl white and pale blue cake in three tiers, adorned with rock candy in a variety of watercolored hues piled high and topped with a light dusting of sugar. The effect was stunning, mimicking a frozen waterfall cascading over river boulders. 

“Do… Do you like it?” Emma stepped timidly from where she had been standing, watching Elsa take in her work. 

Elsa nodded, but said nothing else as she fled to her room. 

Killian looked in briefly when he returned, but was more interested in the croissant he plucked from the display case with an aloof nod. 

“Enjoying the commoner’s life, Princess?” he smirked, chewing his croissant. “Take care, or you may enjoy it too much and want to stay.” His back was to her, so she gave a slight cough to grab his attention with a frown. Carefully sliding a plate towards him over the case’s counter, Emma crossed her arms and stepped back to lean against the wall, as far from his presence as she could be. 

“I don’t think life on the run and being separated from my family would provide me enjoyment. Ingrid asked if I wanted to make you something. I didn’t, but I felt I could not refuse. So, there’s that. Think of it as a thank you.”

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

A tan piece of what possibly was cheesecake sat in front of Killian,  covered in a dark brown sauce that dripped off the top of the slice and down the sides. Chuckling lightly, he looked, picked up the spoon, and spun it between his fingers before touching it to his lips. “Is that all your gratitude is worth?“

Emma stared at him with cold hatred. “A jest, love.” He leaned forward with eyes trained on her face, pleased he could feel her annoyance. ”If you’re interested in enjoyment, I’m sure we can find something suitable for your royal standards.” 

“I am not your love, as I’ve told you.” The warning in her tone made him laugh again, her eyes only slits of frosted clover. “And I won’t be teased about my heritage and duty -”

“You know, if this is poisoned, I won’t die. Which is good because we know full well now that if I were to fall, your enjoyment would be in grave danger. You’d bore any unwitting night cap to death with your long winded explanations of decorum.”

Emma’s cheeks turned a bright red, and Killian’s smirk grew wider as the Darkness tittered. Her jaw set, and she let out a contemptuous huff. 

“Shut up and eat your cake,” Anna said, rushing through to grab some pastries for a basket, the strange clear paper it was wrapped in crinkling. “You ungrateful prat.”

Emma slumped back against the wall, her face sour, and Killian turned towards the dessert. Torturing her was less fun today, especially when one of the other women lurked closeby to chastise him. 

“I don’t even like sweets,” he mumbled. Emma snorted in derision, sending a flare of irritation at the dismissal through him. Grumbling, he scooped up a bite, more than ready to tell her how awful it was.

The first bite was sublime. 

Dark chocolate and coffee married bittersweetness to a tangy sweet burn of the sauce, which Killian recognized immediately for its flavor. Rum, the spice and molasses possibly mixed with caramel.

Emma was gone when he looked up in surprise, but Anna was back with another tray. Sliding it into place as he took another bite, she smirked. 

"She worked hard to make that. I realize your issues with her family, but considering that you both are harbored here, maybe you could try understanding that she is in a place very like yours. Waiting and hoping that her loved ones are safe." 

He felt hot anger at her comparison, but as she stared back at him, it fizzled. Anna was quiet but a brilliant debater, constructing arguments in quick succession that were almost impossible to dodge. A war of words with her was not something he wanted. Luckily, Anna turned to take her leave after a moment more. Taking another bite of cake, he considered her thinking. There was a small sliver of truth in her words. 

In a strange way, Killian wished that they could all stay like this, held in this happy oblivion forever more - 

A time capsule moment where this could be a new normal, and he could forget everything that he had lost; the peace he might find if the pale memory of Milah’s hand in his or Liam’s roar of laughter over dinner faded away. Instead, four uneasy pairs of eyes watched him as if he were a bomb, ready to explode at any time. The jade pair bore into him with glassy loathing, but behind that lay fear and a frustrating penchant for sarcastic, annoying, ridiculously genuine kindness. Kindness he did not deserve, and she should not be giving, even if she was an innocent. 

She’s not innocent. She is as guilty as her family, as everyone who let the war take - 

"I know,” Killian replied, rubbing at his temple. There wasn’t surety in his words, the women adding another layer of distraction in his thinking. The Darkness, Ingrid’s calculated stare, Anna’s sharp tongue and Elsa being all around icy on top of the princess’s presence was akin to sticking his head in a vice. 

You only want to forget to make it easier for yourself. Are you so selfish and cowardly that you would forego your revenge on their murderers? You deserve no penance. 

“I know." 

The whispered hiss echoed around the quiet shopfront, the creeping shadow around Killian feasting on his shame and the absolute truth in his reply.

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By the eighth day of their confinement, Killian was sure that being in such close quarters as these women was his own personal hell. The princess refused to do much more than spend all day in tasks that she could exhaust herself doing, her eyes going glassy when pressed on any sort of strategy or allies her parents may had mentioned in passing. The Darkness seemed to be at odds with itself when she was around, skittish and curious as it twisted words to toy with her.

She was quick witted and bitingly sarcastic if need be, especially under the provocation they provided. Killian found lewdness to be effective in getting her to quiet, while the Darkness was much more insidious. If they weren’t tormenting her, it was a torment in and of itself to be in the quiet alone with the nonstop voice. It moaned and hissed, screeching out complaints that felt like spikes through both temples, his forehead pulsing with effort to quiet it. 

Useless! We will be under the thumb of some idiotic master again if you don’t act, if you don’t acquiesce - 

His teeth set, fingers scrubbing against his jaw. For her part, Emma avoided him as much as possible, seemingly aware of how he scrutinized her at every turn while she did the same to him. It didn’t help matters that she had won the hearts of the women, letting them feed her advantageous information all while they consistently berated him for his vitriol. It had begun to feel like a game of chess where both players simply chased each other with no pieces to speak of. 

They were your family, and now they betray you. Punish them for their insolence -  

"No. No .”

In truth, they were all sympathetic to his plight. He had food, hot tea, salvaged books from Nemo’s library, and their caring questions that he refused to acknowledge. He had Milah’s locket, which he refused to look at. 

This is not a holiday, they will be killed if you dither. We have the princess, get one of those chattering women to steal the shard -

“No. They would be at risk of getting hurt then, too-" 

And? You could heal them when they return our power, our legacy - 

~~ A flash of an old smile under blue eyes, the same color as Elsa’s paired with the same faintly colored hair. Elsa looks more like Olaf’s mother than older sister, the little boy’s grin missing teeth when she tickles him. He can so clearly see Olaf laughing as Liam tosses him in the air with Elsa braiding them crowns of forget me nots, Nemo chuckling as he smokes a long pipe, and Milah dancing barefoot over dusk touched rose petals. There’s nothing but happiness when Ingrid and her sister carrying heaps of food with Anna and Ingrid’s brother in law not far behind. It would be strange dining with the Duke and Duchess of Arendelle so casually if they were not so casual themselves. Barefoot, with rolled pantcuffs, there is a game of kicking a ball when the ale is drunk and so are the men. The Duchess may be making wet smacking noises on her son’s belly as his sisters help, calling him their little snow troll. 

Nemo toasts with wine from golden summer grapes and sunshine reflected on sea waves, his voice booming off the tiles. 

"To our family. A legacy, a lasting legacy for all of us!" 

There is conversation over dinner, and later, quietly over drinks: Liam’s hushed voice telling him that he loves seeing Olaf, because when the war is over he wants a life with Elsa and a legacy, an heir to Blackwater. 

The only person who makes Killian feel that same sense of hope, of wonder, is Milah. ~~

The Darkness groaned in frustration, scoffing as it tore apart the memory. 

Are your ghosts loud tonight, weakling? The courtyard is empty. They’re long gone, and we’d have our revenge if you would -  

"And, I have already told you. You will never hurt my family again. They will never play a part in whatever devious scheme you try and force them into. I hold my brother’s death upon my shoulders, and I will not shoulder another!”

Always the pretender, you sniveling coward. Fine. We’ll follow your line in the sand, vessel of mine - but should the time come where my schemes could have kept your loved ones from being hurt… Well. You’ll just add another name to that long, long list of yours, won’t you? 

Sitting in the dark of the patio, the Darkness whispered incessantly, even as Killian refused to answer it. It wound around him tighter and tighter, staining his mood. Slithering through his thoughts like some great and poisonous snake, it laughed its reedy giggle as the endless night turned into endless day. 

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Killian did not join them for breakfast the next few mornings, Ingrid giving a shaky smile as she pointed out to the stone veranda that turned into the outdoor area. “He’s been out there since I went to bed on Sunday night, pacing like some caged animal. It’s like time stands still for him, out there for hours at a time, or disappearing to who knows where. Today I started the baking, made myself a bit of tea, and made him a pot - he’s still out there muttering.”

Emma nodded absently, pushing food around her plate. 

“Girls. One of us will need to talk to him, and I thought it should be Emma this time. You seem to spur him into action with your attitude toward each other -" 

"I’m sorry Ingrid, but I cannot today. I can't…” Emma started, but when the words stuck in her throat, she stood quickly and didn’t even bother to excuse herself, etiquette be damned. Running to her small makeshift quarters, she hiccuped as she locked the door behind herself and ignored the other women’s pleas. Not today. She could not do it today when concern for her family tore her to shreds. Not when her parents, her friends and family could be… Nil’s face came to mind, his complete indifference to her discomfort filling her with dread. 

Not today. Emma was used to sacrifice, used to the idea of danger and the wolf at the gate. She recognized the size, shape, habitat, and behavior that presented danger. Here, however, with its hot breath burning her, being in the mouth of the wolf was too much, it was all too much without having someone who knew how much she missed the wonderful people that made up her family. 

Sobbing into her pillow, she barely heard when Anna came in with a small tray and sat next to her. 

“Do you want to talk to me?” Anna asked, and when Emma shook her head, she nodded quietly. “Would you like some tea?" 

Emma sat up, surprised at how late it had gotten since she had excused herself. She nodded, accepting the offered cup from Anna. 

"I knew your mom, you know.” Emma’s eyes widened infinitesimally, her interest captured. Anna continued shyly. “We weren’t close, or anything by any means, but… We talked, we knew each other." 

"What was she like?" 

"Your mom and I used to do etiquette classes together, but she’d always skip out. She hated the court, hated procedure and politics. Wanted to make a decision and be done with it, run in with arrow drawn to face the problem. We went to a ball in the Sacred Forest far north, and she wanted to leave until she saw a sword fighting contest. Her date caught wind of her desire and forbade her from joining - that is, until her protests won out.” Anna smiled a fond smile.“I had an awful date as well, a chosen match for me that was truly dreadful. Your mother’s was even worse than 'Handsy Hans’: your father’s twin, rest his soul. He was not kind to your mom. He bet a ring of Dav-, of your father’s, that he could beat her and suggested if he won he’d take her to a marriage bed with or without her consent.”

Emma winced. 

“When he lost and your mom beat the bloody pulp out of him, David refused to give the ring to her. He claimed that it was his, and his brother had no right to take it. They fought until Snow took it and we all tried to make our way back. Your father, the persistent man he presumably still is, chased her. They fought constantly, but he challenged her. It was a whirlwind romance. James eventually met Princess Jacqueline of the Giants, and changed his ways completely. I heard The Airie and Beanstalk fell in the war, but did not want to believe that all of the Giants were lost.”

“I guess I never knew. My father doesn’t talk about Uncle James or Aunt Jacques. I only know of them through the brief correspondences they sent before the war took a turn. Well, that and their sculpture in our garden.”

“There are shame and secrets in every family. Your father called a vote on whether or not the Giants would receive a kingdom in the United Realms. James argued that not allowing them a seat at the table was forgetting their contributions to the cause. They had grown magic beans at one time, and Jacqueline was positive they could do it again. Instead, when the vote took place,they were denied, and then attacked by the Goblins. The Goblins had full control over the Darkness by that point, and…” Her eyes flickered down to her feet, like she was unable to look Emma in the eye as she continued. 

“Sometimes the people we love the most are the easiest to make excuses for, but I believe Killian when he says he has to follow that ghastly dagger’s commands. He would never otherwise, I swear it.” Anna didn’t look up as the silence stretched between them. 

“And… What was he like before?” Emma finally asked, watching as Anna’s eyes flicked up. 

“Killian? Oh, he was a ladies’ man, a charmer in many ways but sincere in most. Milah made him tie himself up in knots." 

"Was he kind?” Emma asked quietly. 

“Yes. Too much sometimes, even. Gentle too. He could read people like no one else. He was sensitive, and had a way with words that was incomparable. I had a crush on him as a child, but we saw each other more like siblings after his mother’s death." 

Emma cleared her throat. "It’s hard to believe he was ever kind.”

“We’re not talking about a person who is gone, or impossible to change, Emma.” Anna took Emma’s hand in her own, gently taking away the empty tea cup. “People have to want to change, to make changes, and to be a better person. You can’t change someone, but you can provide every chance for them to be better. You can see the good in them. Please don’t forget that there is good in him.” In pleading tones, Anna squeezed Emma’s hand. “At least not before I do,” she tried to joke, but it fell flat, the waver clear in her tone as she trailed off. 

Emma swallowed hard, her throat suddenly raw despite the tea she had just drank. She had to destroy him, her mother was clear on that, and yet…

“I’ll try. Tell me more about back then, if you would?” Emma asked, her voice uneven. 

Anna recounted tale after tale, and Emma’s mood started recovering from the slump she had left breakfast in. 

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As the noonday sun moved quickly into evening, Anna returned with an empty tray from Emma’s room, washing the dishes as Ingrid sipped a cup of tea herself. The older woman’s eyes were trained on the long shadow made by the man prowling their terrace, his low voice sometimes coming into hearing, just low enough where words could not be discerned. Ingrid’s mouth turned downward at the edges, and she turned to Anna.

“How is she?” Ingrid took another sip of her tea, listening to Anna’s sigh. “About as well as you’d expect. She’s struggling, and doesn’t understand how to struggle. She’s stuck in the normal status quo we used to be in, where if you’re sad, you bottle it up and smile, look pretty, nod your head, and don’t dare to let any of the nobility see any weakness. The problem is, we’re all nobility, and he’s a -”

“He’s a broody idiot, and she’s an airhead,” Elsa supplied from the doorway. Taking a seat next to Ingrid, they shared a look, Anna letting out a snort. “I don’t know who you want to sort him out, Aunt Ingrid, but I’d rather eat shards of a mirror. It’s no wonder Emma all but fled for the hills when you asked that of her this morning; you proposed sending a lamb to the wolf. I mean for God’s sake, it’s the 60’s; he can’t talk to women that way, but she’s also going to have to toughen up a little.” She gestured a hand dismissively at the terrace.

Anna let out a noise of shock, sitting down beside her sister. “You can’t mean that, Els. I promise if you get to know her, you’ll see -”

“See what? That she’s not some vapid, spoiled, castle-coddled waif? Anna, you are too sympathetic to her. It’s -”

Ingrid slammed a fist down on the table, sending Elsa’s teacup rattling. “Elsa. That’s quite enough. The girl is…” She searched for the words, nodding her head sideways in thought. “She’s trying. She’s very smart, picks up things quickly. And she’s survived this long with… With him. I think we can all agree that that is impressive.”

Elsa rolled her eyes, pressing her lips together until they were thin lines. “He’s still our Killian, he’s just angry. Hell, I’m angry! I can’t imagine how he feels. And so what if she’s hiding her feelings, tell her to join the guild. I have to pretend I like her.” “You are acting very much like a spoiled princess for one criticizing another for the same - a woman who has tried nothing but to be nice to you,” Anna muttered. Elsa looked taken aback, but Ingrid laughed.

Standing up with a groan and letting her knees pop, she dusted off her apron and smiled gently at the two women shooting eye daggers at each other. “I guess since you two will be busy, it’s up to me, then.”

The chorus of sniping comments from the sisters followed her out into the night air, muffling as she closed the door behind her. 

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Killian sat on a stone bench, still muttering but in a strange staggered way, a grunt of acknowledgement and then silence when Ingrid came nearer to sit. The buzzing of the Darkness and its whine that put his body on edge grew with her close proximity, a punishment for denying its dark whims of violence. “You never come out here unless you want me to come inside and be around the princess. What have I done now to deserve such punishment?” There was no joke in his sentence, the sourness of his tone layered as if an adder’s poison coated his tongue. Ingrid gave a small shiver despite herself, much to his satisfaction.

“She’s a lovely girl, truly kind. Could do with a bit of learning, especially on how humans act or how to do a day’s labor, though.” Ingrid sat next to him, and he tried to ignore her. The Darkness hated her, and hated how she ignored its presence. It snapped its jaws and demanded deference. “She’s a pitiful idiot with a royal pedigree. I hope you didn’t give her blisters on her royal palms,” he growled sarcastically and Ingrid rolled her eyes. The Darkness seethed.

“Killian Brennan Jones.” The tone in the older woman’s voice was forceful. “You owe me hundreds of favors, or as that leech of a creature calls them, ‘deals’. You will be kind to that woman, and take her out to calm her fears. She is the daughter of a dear friend of our family, and I will not have you in my home if she is a panicked mess worrying about them. We all have given parts of ourselves to the war, but she does not hold the blame. Be a gentleman, like the you I remember.”

Kill her, snap her neck, end this! She doesn’t respect us, we must demand respect! the Darkness squirmed and whined. 

“I’m always a gentleman, Ingrid, and the leech is me and I am the leech, regardless of your memory. Have Anna take her shopping. They like each other,” Killian droned. He didn’t deserve respect, and Ingrid was right. The Darkness howled.

“No, you’ll go. She’s your charge, and holds your freedom.” At his quick eyebrow raise and ticking jaw, her eyes twinkled. “If you want to be free, you should be using honey, not vinegar.”

Killian grunted noncommittally.

“It’s settled then. I’ll lay out an outfit for her. Take her to the park, the big one in town by the sea.” Ingrid continued to babble on as the Darkness bit at him under his skin, desperately seeking vengeance. His firm line held true, though; he would never again hurt his family, no matter how the fanged monster tried. When the Darkness had settled to a normal skitter after licking its wounds, it chewed on the words Ingrid had spoken. 

The silly woman might have a point. 

Honey over vinegar. 

[ohhicas]

I've only been into comics for a few years, but I've read enough of the old Flash stuff where I adore the classic incarnations of the Rogues. Honestly curious here: what's it like to be a fan of James Jesse back when he was retgonned around 10 years ago and see him brought back but now all mwahaha crazy evil? I'm way more used to Axel (and all that off-panel character development in Nu52, thanks DC) but even I find this kinda weird. Was James ever crazy evil in any arc?

^- me 90% of the time someone says James is coming back to recent media & it’s not a direct continuation of the comics prior to 2004

[ Warning: this is gonna get long and be full of a lot of assumptions. I can never form solid statements and things will get jumbled, because I suck at presenting things ]

[ this is my can of worms hill and you opened it so I’m dYING HERE ]

I mean, back in the earliest ages, no Rogue had a real personality to speak of? They were just “1960s Bad Guy in a different outfit” at the very start, with quirks! Like James having a thing for toys and nuclear powered flying tricycles. It wasn’t until that era ended that they started getting real distinct and into what a lot of ‘classic’ James fans loved and appreciated? 

(I think at least, I’m just One Person here pretending like I even understand HALF of what the ‘classic’ fandom enjoyed. I’m wildly speculating just going off what fanworks I’ve seen produced.)

(I don’t have all my scans anymore but I’ll toss in scans when I have them)

But that’s when we started getting things like James actually having specified friendships with certain people

or clear distaste towards others, and when you could tell he was more of a wild card than the others. Or when he decided to fuck off and hang out in Hollywood with Blue Devil for a bit, even siding with Kid Devil to deck out Captain Boomerang. 

Or when he decided to fuck off to Gotham, to mess with Catwoman by pretending he didn’t know who she was, but absolutely knew who she was because of how she walked and carried herself, but James being James was like “mmmmm long con, nope”

hey lil Cold, gimme all ur guns and don’t question why I’m in drag xoxo

Even then, he wasn’t shown to be vicious yet! He’d hopped around various places, was still considered A Rogue, A Criminal, and as far as any comic reader could tell by trying to count up how many civilians may have been crossfired at, he had no On Purpose deaths racked? Like, the only thing you could really argue was he may have made someone drive their car off a cliff once, but I’m like 98% sure they’re fine. He’s not a murderer, he’s just here for a laugh and a long-con for funsies because he know he can get away with it!

AND THEN WE GET A LITTLE OLDER, LITTLE DARKER

[ I’M PUTTING A CUT HERE CAUSE AFTER I THREW IT INTO DRAFTS, I REALIZED I GOT REALLY LONG, I’M SORRY IF MY LAYOUT SUCKS ASS FOR THIS. ]

little more 90s Hair. Little more 90s stereotypical “But what if EVERYONE WENT TO HELL” demon plots against Satanic Hockey Hair Neron. And James? still wasn’t evil? He was a little dismissive when everyone ELSE died sure but he still in the end turned around like “nghgng I’m THE ONLY ONE”, purposely got his ass down there, regretted it, and then beat Neron at his own game to save the entire fucking world. Because! He could! And he did it so well. STILL NOT EVIL, even when he had a chance right then and there to take over everything alongside Neron should he so desire. Like, two words, maybe some under the table BJs depending on how you feel about that pairing (I don’t), and bam. He would’ve bested nearly any other villain in the DCU save like, Satan himself. Or i guess one of those world destroyers. But we’ll get back around to those BOY HOWDY WE WILL GET AROUND TO THOSE. 

So James! Saves! The world! Sorta! Later they fight Neron again and his kid he somehow had somewhere down the road (it sounds like I’m complaining, i’m not, I love Billy and Mindy both I just wish they showed up like… ever again?) and he sTILL SAVES EVERYONE. 

Piper helps by their 90s ponytails combined. 

Somewhere around here, because dates and timing aren’t my strong suit, he also goes and messes with Bart for a bit. It’s pretty much a Spy Vs Spy episode, but with less bloodshed. 

ANYWAY IT’S AFTER THIS POINT THAT THINGS GET… where I think the majority of “James is a Low Rate Joker” comes from? 

For some unknown goddamn reason, in between issues (James wasn’t a Super Frequent Rogue? He’d show up, sure, but in the huge run of the series he’d just kind of vanish for 20 issues at a time and you’d go “welp, guess he’s still alive”) James went super-cop? like, the FBI? For some reason? Hired James “I am a probably still wanted felon, a man who has escaped jail numerous times, probably never served a full sentence, known Trickster and liar” Jesse. to the FBI. And for so many issues it’s like he legit just. Did this. He threatens to shoot Piper who he was up until this very moment, considerably very close friends with (as far as comics would show Rogue/Rogue friendships), unwilling to help his friend clearly framed for murder of his parents and losing his mind by the day. Despite James talking Hart down a little on the whole ‘THE MAYOR IS ROSCOE ADN NOBODY BELIEVES MEEEEEEEE” thing. 

Also he steals Digger’s dead ass corpse? 

FBI James is a fucking enigma. Here he is standing up for Gay Rights even though Piper is like “mm maybe I should forgive my abuser??”

BUT. AFTER THIS? WE GET COUNTDOWN WHICH IS JUST. Countdown is. IT’s a problem. James’s personality is IMMEDIATELY HORRIBLY u-turned into “well we need SOMEONE to be the Bad Guy to Piper’s Good!” DESPITE. ALL THESE YEARS OF COMICS.This is the shit you’ll see people who don’t know better or just want a reason to hate the Trickster (despite being 100% okay for them to just say he’s annoying/they don’t like his tights/acrobats are stupid) reference. James is, suddenly, very abruptly, a homophobe. Like an “ew don’t touch me” level homophobe because I’m pretty sure DC snorts cocaine and threw a dart at a board for “how could they make these two fight” and landed on GAY RIGHTS IS TRENDING. 

BUTSTILL IN THE FUCKING END OF ALL OF THIS?After so many issues of James being a complete fuckass prick? 

springboards himself from his current job of being railroad face putty to catching bullets to make sure Piper wasn’t gonna die. Without knowing the proceedings of this entire plotline, James out of nowhere after so much gaybashing, still finds it in him to leap into the path of multiple bullets and save Piper. Because, yknow, he’s evil!

Later it’s shown he’s been working to take everyone down (y’know, like when he was in the FBI) and left Piper specific helpful notes to do it himself. Because Evil Bad Guy! Helping his gone-good friend! Take down bad guys! 

DC I STILL HAVE SO MANY GODDMAN QUESTOINgsd

But yeah that’s. That’s where we last saw James. in 2007, dead, after saving Piper when he could have easily pulled a Joker and ripped HIM down to take hte bullets and etcetc, y’know. Something a Very Bad Person would’ve done, like the characterization we’ve seen now. 

His ghost (easily argued as Piper’s own mental construction of James sassing him) sasses Hartley to even, in his mental state, saw off James’s hand so Piper doesn’t have to lug his weight around and has a fighting chance at living. And in the end, when Piper’s fighting the thing that can destroy the fucking world, it’s shown only Piper was the one who could save them? Because his flute, and his musical ability, and [enter DC comic science here]. You could argue this was James, once again, somehow knowing the long-con at play here, getting screwed over at EVERY turn, and sacrificing himself so they ‘good’ team had a fighting chance.You could also argue this is me losing my mind trying to make sense of the things they made James do. (my running argument is he was purposely a prick to push Piper away, so he could keep him safe) 

Also Piper plays James a Swan Song of Queen as the final boss explodes and he’s fully prepared to die. So like. There’s that. 

AND THATS BASICALLY THE COMICS? The main, ‘canon timeline’ comics. I’m missing a LOT of little things here and there, but I’m not missing anything like body counts, or murder attempts, beyond the old Silver Age “Bad guy of the week” things like trying to make Flash’s head explode, or you know. Other “nobody really has a personality, we just have quirks”. 

MY NUMBER ONE GUESS TO WHERE THIS NEW PERSONALITY TREND COMES FROM?

Mark Hamil|’s OG run as him in the old live action show. That characterization was fun, for the time, and I even enjoyed it cause it was just that off the wall and you could tell it was what they used to decide he should be the Joker for the BATS Joker. Consider it a prototype (combined with all the previous comic jokers but that’s not for this long ass post) 

And if it’d stayed there, that’d be it! That’s it! But then JLU came along, and they referenced the old show for their version of James with a sprinkling of early-era comics, and a lot of people loved and watched that show. That was their version of the Trickster, because it was their first meeting with him! And I can’t fault that! But that guy was clearly off his rocker and I’m sure if the JLU allowed a higher rating, it would’ve been even closer to the old TV show. 

And both of THOSE were heavily, heavily referenced for the CW version, which as I’m at this point now means I need to slap my usual anti-CW tag onto things. I hate the CW James. There is so little comic in him it’s almost disgusting, and they ramped up so much of the Joker side of JLU & OGTV he might as well just be the Joker. It’s not a good representation of him at all. I have, also, only seen his first appearance episode, so maybe I’m wrong? But when you fuck up hard on the first run, why would I return for round 2? 

So with ALL THIS– 

REBOOT TIME. Whatever the newnew remake is calling itself. 

At first! With how James was! In the first panel flash of him clearly behind the scenes tugging so many wires and lines, watching everything with a bucket of popcorn while pulling others to his side, sitting pretty in an old museum? warehouse? highlighted in purples and vintage toys, I was like “holy shit this it. This is My Boy, back from the goddamn limbo-dead. It’s him.” But then“taking over the city entirely” to do? What? Turn it into the world’s biggest Trickster themepark? Make everyone wear striped leggings and combat boots? Martial Law of murder if you don’t carry rubber chickens? This is already veering from anything major James has ever done. As it stands I can’t see the gag here. Its’ weirdly dark and edgy, and way too close to something we saw the 90s TV show Trickster do, in the episode where he basically took over the place. The previews show him being what I’m assuming a Judge, Jury, & Executioner joke– and unless this spins into a Clopin song and dance number and his little hand puppet crops up to slam the button on the guillotine, I’m not having it, DC. 

They’re trying to tie him back into the CW, despite the writer saying he really enjoyed the Neron-era things with James (if I’m remembering the interview correctly). And it’s also why you may see me constantly saying “Well I sure as fuck hope Neron shows up” at anything new that’s released, to explain away all of… this.

This isn’t him. If they wanted a murderous Trickster, they should’ve just used Axel. The kid, canonly, tied explosives to stray dogs and homeless people. AXEL is the not-good Trickster, the murderous Trickster, the one you aren’t suppose to feel sorry for beyond being in way over his head due to his young age. 

i think I somehow didn’t answer your question

TL;DR

it sucks? it’s also great because there’s a .5% chance that maybe they’ll do it right and won’t reference the fucking 90s noncomic media. But then they do. And all I can do is laugh and shrug like ‘welp I expected nothing’. But when they get it RIGHT it’s like christmas came early.