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popculturebuffet · 6 months ago

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Next up for Nickelodeon era of shows, who is your favorite character from each of the mid-late 2010s Nicktoons shows (where quality improved and got better again, despite only one from this set thriving in Nick's success) you've seen like: Harvey Beaks, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, The Loud House, Bunsen is a Beast, Welcome to the Wayne, The Adventures of Kid Danger, Rise of the TMNT, Pinky Malinky, and The Casagrandes?

Harvey Beaks; Piri Piri. She's adorable, tends to steal most scenes she's in and her shipping episode with Harvey was both an unexpected treat (I shipped them after the mouse book episode but I honestly didn't expect it to actually happen). The show itself is one of Nick's best, and like all but exactly one fucking show here, got treated like crap by the network. I"m heading that off now as wether I liked a show here or didn't, nick's already bad habit of screwing over shows has reached it's absolute worst since the 2010's. I only think it's slowed down slightly due to streaming (with big nate and rebootgrats getting the shovel to the head instead), and nicktoons not being nearly as viable a dumping ground due to the changing landscape of television.

Ranting aside yeah, Harvey Beaks is a masterpiece, a really sweet , kind slice of life show with a wonderful cast, great art design and a lot of heart. Out of CH Greenblat's three shows it's the best, and Jellystone and Chowder are no slouches but it's hard to make a show this wholesome, wonderful and itself. There will never be another show just like harvey beaks but maybe one day we'll see something close to this level of warmth. For now though at least the chaos present in it is alive and well in jellystone.. for now. I don't trust it's future beyond this run. Warner is even worse.

Pig Goat Banana Cricket: I liked Goat. I just think she's neat. Yeah this show is fine. It';s not as mediocre as some of the "trying to homage classic nicktoons shows" before it. It has a neat ren and stimpy style art direction and setup so there's effort I just feel the shows central premise, the characters getting split up to individual adventures, while neat on paper... hurt what I saw of the show. Since the characters only interact in drips, it prevents your cast from developing a lot of chemistry. It was a novel attempt it just didn't work for me.

The Loud House: Luna. This blog's proud history makes that clear as my bi adopted daughter was the centerpiece for my first pride month on the blog and I shall return to her other spotlights again at some point. The show itself.. is fine. Ther'es a lot to like: I love the comic strip style to it: as a fan of the medium in a time when adaptations are either rare or keep getting canceled (Phoebe in her unicorn ) or left in limbo (Bloom CountY) i'ts nice ot have something like that. The show is far from perfect: adressing the elephant in the room the creator is a sex pest and while much like ren and stimply I don't let that affect my enjoyment as he was thrown out on his ass and thankfully unlike John K caught way sooner. (If sadly not nearly soon enough) and the current showrunners being doing the show for longer than Savino was on board at this point. As for the show itself it's status quo nature can be frustrating as after a while the show kinda gave up on doing story arcs or romance arcs for better or worse. Luna's relatoinship with sam is great.. but you COULD do more with it now their together, and instead she just kinda got rolled into the moon goats. That said the show's still charming I like it a lot and I request the creepier parts of the fanbase stay 50 feet away at all times. The show gets a lot of backlash for it's popularity, epsecially over some of these other shows.. but like say teen titans go (Which I have less respect for honestly), it's .. not it's fault. It's a solid show with some good laughs, not as good as it COULD be, but still better than it has any right to be seven seasons in and going. Will we get a magical dog who talks awkwardly? Possibly. But while the show somehow won the "not getting cacneld lottery" it's at least hung in their gracefully. Though I do think it should end at some point.. and also the live action version does not intrest me. If you wanted to do lincoln romance plot lines do them in the fucking animated show. and yes that's a sore spot with me.

Bunsen is a Beast: Hadn't seen this one, don't intend to. All the impression I get for this one is it's the most hated of the butch hartman quartet and the last thing he made before he burnt up allllllll his good will by being a raving jackass.

Welcome to the Wayne: Sarline was both entertaining and had a nice character arc. I wish i'd seen more of this show an di'td got a proper conclusion. That being said while I do think it's neat, I also think while not hte gravity falls ripoff it got shit for, Sarline and Ollie aren't exactly the same as captaion anxious and mablepalooza, I do feel the creators were trying to follow in it's footsteps, and did an okay job, the worldbuilding just felt like it was trying a bit harder than the effortless way gravity falls did it and the golden trio all taking after it in some way.

Ultimately I think Time is what's kinda hurt this show a bit: soon after it we got said golden trio of ducktales, amphibia and owl house, while around the time of this show cartoon network had steven universe still going and ok ko. I also hear great things about Dead End: paranormal Park and STILL need to get around to tha tone (and reading more of deadendia). This show isn't bad.. but it kinda pales to the shows following that kids solving mysterys in a spooky setting genre gravity falls helped explode in popularity. It's not it's fault, and it's admitely my own bias: the golden trio are some of my faviorite cartoons period, and Ducktales might be my faviorite and is certainly my faviorite disney channel show at this point. It's not bad but it just dosen't wow me the way it did when it first aired.

The Adventures of Kid Danger; I never watched this one. I don't intend to any time soon. Also haven't seen pinky malkiny and don't intend to just to get ahead of it now.

Rise of the TMNT: One of the best nick shows of this era and one that's honestly gotten better in my eyes the more I think about it. While Welcome to teh Wayne aged ehhly, Rise of the TMNT has only gotten better to me it's rough edges sanded over by it's talent, being one fo the few action shows of it's era and being one of the mos tunique versions of tmnt ever

My faviorite.. is Raph though it is very hard as I love all the boys this verison, I just love him as the cuddly big brother though Donnie as a mad scientst is a close second, leo is a close third as ben schwartz is a god and mikey is dead last but still adorable.

Rise excels by deciding to try something diffrent a move kinda needed since the previous two cartoons ahd done the most obvious directoins to go in with a reboot: the 2003 cartoon (still possibly my faviorite of the four, now five though at the time of this review I haven't watched tales yet), was a truer to the text version of the mirage comics after the goofy and fun 80s cartoon, and 2012 split the diffrence, having neat character arcs and some really dark turns, but also having a lot of the uhinged madness of the 80s cartoon and rebooting a lot of it's unique ideas for a modern audience.

So rise instead was it's own weird little bean, deciding to throw out the script as far as tmnt went with all four brothers having their personalities changed completely: They still kept parts of their cores with it: Raph's still a brusier, donnie still duz machines, mikey's still the joyful goofy one and Leo is still the most skilled.. but they shake it up a bit to great effect; Instead of a rageful hot head or a sarcastic asshole, Raph is a kinder frinedler big brother who actually gets to lead even if he's really bad at it. Donnie is a mad scientest and has no moral compass to speak of beyond a love for his brothers and an ego the size of the sewer, and Leo is radically cahnged to be a sarcastic goof off whose scared of his actual potetial. Mikey.. is jsut nice and kind which he's been before but works for me especially after the more manic cloud cuckoolander of 2012. April likewise kept her role as voice of reason (and her teenage status, which now seems to be the default going forward and i'm fine with that), but got a lerooy jenkins strength, a string of jobs that would make jonesey jealous and a desire to have one friend who isn't related to the werid whirlwidn that is her life. She fails at that but she got a goop monster for a girlfriend so that kinda compesnates.

The show took tons of other big swings, with most of the familiar rogues absent for most of the show (With only shredder having a major roll and only Baxter being a recurring threat out of the returning enemies) , magic being the focus instead of a side dish or something they just had to put up with, unique weapons, Casey being a girl and their enemy at first, and an emphasis on comedy that seemed like it might sink the show.. but instead worked in it's favor as it's humor generally worked and made the action and character moments hit harder. Rise is a show that had me a tad nervous to start.. but won me over easily with the first episode and kept me on board on and off for it's run. It's got gorgeous action, great humor ("STOP EATING POISON"), one of the best splinters in the franchise, JOHNNN CENNNAAAA, and a satisfying ending.. and then another satisfying ending with the movie, which still holds the crown as second best tmnt movie and only lost said crown because mutant mayhem happened. And while MM goes back to the more traditional personaliteis for the core 4 a bit (with leo being the exception being extra super awkward if still the responsible one, even beyond the 2012 cartoon), it keeps the "let's see what we can do with this" mindset and feels like a worthy successor to this universe. i may miss rise, but it stil lstands out as one of the most unique and fun entires in the canon.

The Casagrandes: Bobby. Loved him at first sight on the loud house. Granted it helps Carlos was awesome on Big Time Rush (Which despite having mostly noped out of live action nick at that point, I watched any time I caught it. IT's a big stupid cartoon and a nicktoon in all but being live action. ), but Bobby is nature's second most perfect himbo behind hank venture, a kind thoughtful young man who despite being dumbber than a sack of hammers, is still far more resourceful than he seems, a good son, a great big brother (both to his sister and to his Primos) , and the best man. Give me a bobbi and lori spinoff now. The show itself was great and during a mild slump honestly suprassed the original show. I'm sad it's gone and wish it'd gotten to stay longer. It's got a great cast, tons of diverstiy and while similar to loud house, has more than enough to set it apart and avoid being their clevland show: the urban setting, diverse cast and gay as hell main friendship (YOu can't convince me ronnie anne and sam are straight. Bi yes becauase they are but straight no), and lots of fun. I honestly need to watch more. Good stuff.

#the loud house #the casagrandes #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #welcome to the wayne #harvey beaks #pig goat banana cricket

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primalspice · 2 years ago

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Selma - ✈️, 🖊️ , 💯, 💤, 🔺, 🐶, 💘, 💜, 🎂, 🍛, 🍸, 🤔, 😓,

🌸

✈️ — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person?

He doesn't travel much bcz he cant drive <3 hes a homebody by default of that and his busy schedule, but he does enjoy the concept of traveling and does enjoy checking out new places given the opportunity.

🖊️ — does your oc have any tattoos? do they want any (more) tattoos?

he doesnt have any tattoos but i think he would if it was more of a common thing around there... he enjoys art and attention and drawing attention away from his Deformities so i think it'd be perfect for him. No clue what kind of tattoo he’d get tho.

💯 — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know.

he is an appreciator of avant garde art and music and probably used to draw a little for fun. he lets his disability get in the way of him making his own art nowadays, but will hopefully have an epiphany one day that tells him thats exactly the thing that may make it more effective.

he's a family doctor but he kinda really hates dealing with kids. because it's depressing to diagnose kids with preventable issues but also hes not putting the baby voice on for ANYONE

he doesnt actually care that ppl mistake him for a woman it makes him feel pretty

💤 — is your oc a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? how are their sleeping habits?

i think he sleeps somewhat lightly due to his poor sleeping habits LOL hes exhausted but he also wakes up a lot/at weird times bcz of work and/or restlessness. he'd sleep real hard if he finally got some peace and fucking quiet tho.

🔺 — does your oc know how to use any weapons?

short answer is no. long answer is he’s been shown how to use a gun multiple times in his life (military multiple times, with harvey…) and didn't retain much of that information either due to pacifism or not caring or not being very physically able to grip a gun well enough that it’d be a safe and effective form of defense LOL

🐶 — does your oc have any pets?

I think he takes care of ivy's oldass cat still, and feeds the radioactive squirrels enough to call them pets

💘 — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them?

the most important (specific) people to him are leslie and ivy. they're his best friends and the only ppl who can handle his obnoxiousness. he cares deeply about them and their opinions. the most important Thing to him in general is probably his community. everything he does is out of a love for people and a love for the place he lives (once you get past all the bitching and arrogance).

💜 — what is your oc's ancestry/genetic background?

his ancestors are turkish and iraqi american. the past 3(?) generations have all been region zeroites additionally tho so that's all he's really most aware of.

🎂 — when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs?

his birthday is june 16, 1941 (i think i did the math wrong on my written info sheet??). so hes 37 turning 38. hes a gemini sun, pisces moon, libra rising apparently. thats SO real for him.

🍛 — what does your oc's typical dinner look like? do they usually eat dinner?

he eats dinner, altho the time at which he does that is pretty inconsistent (along with the rest of his daily schedule, really). He eats pretty lightly most of the time bcz he is poor. he is a vegetarian and can probably make a great soup and/or fancy bread. eats stuff from the garden, but that grows with varying success. lest we recall the rice and beans or beans and rice pic.

🍸 — what is your oc's favorite alcoholic drink, if they can drink?

He doesnt drink that often but i think hes a fruity drink enjoyer. however he would take shots or otherwise hard liquor in the name of competitiveness.

🤔 — what are some of your oc's quirks/mannerisms?

He's so quirky. His quirk is being really fucking mean 99% of the time even when he doesnt intend to. He thinks out loud at inappropriate times (being a hater). Has weird house rules in regards to temperature control and answering Jeopardy. As of recently, very excessive with his personal hygiene/grooming.

😓 — is your oc open-minded or stubborn? are they inquisitive or do they prefer to keep to their bubble of knowledge?

He’s stubborn in attitude but open-minded in principle LOL. He’s interested in and open to learning and asking questions but it doesn’t mean he won’t vocally disagree with the outcome. He’s always right, after all.

#ask game #selma

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batmannotes · 4 years ago

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coffeeandcalligraphy · 4 years ago

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Weeping Statue | Feeding Habits Update #6 & let’s chat about quitting writing

Hello! Are we back for another Feeding Habits update (finally)?? Let’s chat chapter 7, Weeping Statue.

Just a reminder: This is my original work and plagiarism of any form will not be tolerated.

Can we talk about struggle? Because this chapter was IT. I believe I started it in late July and finished it earlier this month. I’ve taken my time with chapters before, but this was next level--the amounts of changes I went through in one chapter was astronomical, and reminded me of drafting chapter three earlier in the summer. I went through so many stages writing this chapter: from enjoying it, to feeling no joy from writing at all, to nearly quitting this book altogether!

Scene A:

Harrison and his mother Suzanna simultaneously avoid each other over breakfast after he failed to return home the night previous

She lowkey calls him out (calling out his denial of missing Lonan)

Scene B:

Harrison goes to a farmhouse owned by Theodore Harvey, a friend of his mother’s, to drop off the rescued litter of kittens from chapter 6. He realizes he is missing one kitten and concludes Reeve has stolen one after dinner the night previous.

Scene C:

Harvey invites Harrison inside for coffee where he admits his coffee machine is broken.

Harrison fixes the coffee machine, and is hired by Harvey to flip the rest of the farmhouse as he and his wife are moving.

Scene D:

On his way home, Harrison stops at a gas station where he buys a bouquet of tulips for his mother, a dog collar for the puppy he found in the kitten litter, a pack of gum, pastries, and sunscreen before heading to a beach.

At the onset of a lightning storm, Harrison swims in the ocean and has an epiphany--he decides to accept his miserable life (a development!)

Scene E:

After the beach ordeal, Harrison returns to his apartment ready to accept the plainness of his daily life when an old ghost from his past (his! ex!) Lonan appears to be having dinner with Suzanna

This chapter brought so many things. A) many... breakdowns lol (I cried a lot!), B) many false epiphanies that wound me back into ruts, C) a desire to quit this series that was just as terrifying as it sounds and D) an ideology I never would’ve gotten on my own. Just have to thank my sister Sarah for telling me a few weeks ago after I insisted that I knew what needed to logically happen but couldn’t write it no matter how hard I tried. She said: “It’s not about what works, it’s about what you want” << literally changed my philosophy on writing, even as someone who tries their best to advocate for care and enjoyment in writing. Not sure if it’s because of the timing when she said this, but I’d probably never had made it out of the rut without having this said to me.

I was *not* planning at all to have my boys reunite so soon in the book. Technically, it is not very soon and we are almost done the book, but for some reason, I really didn’t think it would work so early because I felt Harrison’s POV was so undeveloped already (I still think it is). HOWEVER, the fact of the matter is: it was not working at all. I knew exactly what I needed to do to get to point A to Z but the thing about writing is, it is not formulaic! I tried to make fit what I thought worked, but as time progressed and I immensely struggled, less and less did I want what worked. Writing was miserable and that’s not what I want writing to be for me. So I took Sarah’s advice, and I did what would make me happy, and that was, and has always been, seeing my boys interact.

Now that I’ve finished this chapter, I’m not sure if I made the right decision! I have yet to write the boys interacting so I don’t know if it will work, but what I liked about this method is that it freed me from this constriction I’d written myself into and opened a new avenue to do something that DOESN’T “work” for the story but that does work for me. To me, this project, this series, is more important to me than making something “work”. Sustaining my health and happiness (which were declining on the path I was on) is critical for me and my writing journey.

EDIT: by the time I’m editing this post, I have written the boys interacting and haha yep this was the right decision! Was doubting myself for a sec, added in a lil robbery, and now it’s all good (oops)

Excerpts:

I don’t have too many for you because this chapter does need an edit to “set” it in place (right now it feels like liquid Jello that has been in the fridge but is yet to set up). I know it needs one more scene but I cannot :) write :) what :) it :) needs :) no matter how hard I have tried, and so I am giving that section of the story a break instead of over-kneading it and toughening up the dough unnecessarily.

Here is part of the opening scene! There are things I don’t like about this but I am trying not to self-hate, so !!!

The next morning, Harrison gets up at dawn to drop the kittens off at the farm, and Suzanna makes coffee for one. This is unusual for both—Harrison rarely leaves the apartment, and Suzanna always makes coffee for two. In his room, Harrison combs his hair and twists his earring, its blue gem pearling in dribbles of sunlight. In the kitchen, Suzanna stirs coffee like it’s wronged her. Harrison dabs cologne onto his throat and blinks off his hangover. Suzanna flecks her spoon onto the tabletop so it leaves an egg of amber on the surface.

When he approaches the kitchen, Harrison pretends he does not see his mother and his mother pretends she does not see him. They move like this, repelled, one moving left, the other moving right, one opening the top cupboard, the other opening the bottom.

Harrison stops at a convenience store and buys a hodge-podge of things (also the beach scene which yes mirrors the last scene in Lonan’s POV hehe I indulge myself):

He picks up the best bouquet of fuchsia tulips, a collar for the dog he left in his bedroom even though it’ll be weeks until she’s big enough to fit in it, a pack of spearmint gum he doesn’t need, a package of pastries, and a tube of sunscreen—SPF 30. He almost drops every item at least once on his way up to the register, and definitely drops them when his receipt is spitting from the machine and the store clerk says she likes his earring—is it vintage—and he nearly vomits in the parking lot, trained against the hood of the taxi—is it even his taxi—the plastic bag teetering from his wrist, rain coiling against his cheek, the air so humid, his clothes so heavy, it is no wonder the next place he ends up is the beach.

It is never smart to swim during a storm. If he thinks hard enough, his mother’s voice warns him to keep from the shore, stand behind the yellow line, stay safe, stay where you are, don’t run under a tree, and even more, don’t run into the water. He does everything wrong in an even worse order—dollops sunscreen into his palm before opening the pastry so his teeth freckles with zinc, chews the gum and the pastry at the same time so his tongue becomes a slime of crumbs, rests the tulips too close to the shoreline so they wilt under a wave, misplaces the dog collar in his own left hand, and dives into the water fully-clothed.

Harrison getting very angsty about Lonan’s future (which he’s predicted completely wrong haha):

He will die alone. Reeve will not think of him again and he will deserve that. Somewhere in the city with the missing kitten, drinking bottles of holy water because there is no drink more fitting for a woman so sacred. His mother will miss him only briefly, and then return to her daily life of no longer needing to clean up after him. Maybe she’ll find the tulips. Put them on display until they wither, then use their carcasses as fertilizer. Save electricity. Use the coffee machine less. Downsize to a smaller, cheaper, prettier apartment with arched walkways and stained-glass windows. Harvey will think he is a fluke who missed his first day of work and will never think of him again. The dog isn’t old enough to recognize him. Suzanna will give her the collar. And Lonan will continue his life in Las Vegas, tottering after Eliza, refilling her wine, getting neon at house parties, watching French silent films without captions because he’s probably learned another language, cut his hair, gotten a tattoo, learned how to cross-stitch, bought life insurance, a yacht, a coastal summer home, learned how to play the mandolin, perfected his lamb sous vide. He’s probably married. Him and Eliza family-planning. He’ll expand a future, and Harrison will do the opposite. There is something freeing in being unmissed.

Lightning snaps across the sky like a wishbone, sounds like the prick of tambourines from under the water. Everything turns violet—the clouds, his skin, the waves. Tomorrow will be a better day, as he sinks lower into the current, tomorrow will be a better day, as the light fades and dissolves into blackness, tomorrow will be a better day, as seaweed wraps his throat, as the freezing water impales his ribs, as he burrows under and simultaneously, rises up.

This next part comes right after!

In the stomach of a tidal wave, the sky is so much bluer. An unrolling of cyan like fractals of a baked marble. There is so little to remember. No grocery lists, no fresh turmeric, no shift of portabella mushrooms. No outstanding to-dos—no kibble to by, no resume to update. Harrison folds in blue and lets it gorge his eardrums. He gives his body to that wide chasm of water and breaststrokes not into a second life, but a third.

Here is the last bit:

He buzzes back into the apartment at 3:00AM, tracking in saltwater and SPF, puff-pastry gummed to his palm, a dog collar wound around his ring finger, a sheath of tulips shedding into the elevator behind him.

He hits every floor button twice and is undisturbed when the elevator lurches and reopens in sixty-second intervals. A man rotating a jade cuff on his wrist gets on at the fourth stop and gets off at the sixth. A woman wearing a lynx cape gets on at the eighth stop, breaks up with two girlfriends, and gets off at the eleventh. Two children in coveralls tail in after she leaves and throw jacks at each other’s eyes until one of them bleeds, and by then, they are on the fifteenth floor and the children are leaving like they have not left behind accidental shell casings. On the sixteenth floor, a deer head chihuahua patters in with no owner and barks at the door chime the moment it releases and lets him out. A mother and daughter shell pistachios on the twentieth, a maintenance man introduces himself as David though his nametag says Maxwell on the twenty-second, a flock of teenage girls in whirl about a new way to blend oil pastel on the twenty-third. So it is no wonder by the twenty-fifth floor, Harrison misses his stop and becomes one of these people too—the man with zinc down his eyes like a weeping statue, juggling pastry and a dog collar and a seedy bouquet of tulips.

He tracks seawater in that hallway, parts of him scattering with the zinc, the petals, the crumbs. Like a way to get back home even though he hasn’t started at his destination, he moves through the labyrinth of halls, both starving and nauseated. Tomorrow he will rise at dawn and taxi to Brooklyn and hammer four nails into two pieces of plywood and repeat. He will feed his dog. Learn how to cook something that will impress his mother, something French that he can’t pronounce like brasillé or oeufs cocotte. Find liberation in the constrict of routine or at least pretend to. It will be good for him, the rising, the taxis, the hammers, the nails, the dog food, the cooking—it will all be good.

By the time he gets to their door, his fingers are oiled and dripping with sunscreen. Rising, taxis, hammers, nails, dog food, cooking. He nearly drops the house keys. Rising, taxis, hammers, nails, dog food, cooking. Tomorrow will be his arrival. Rising, taxis, hammers, nails, dog food, cooking. His beginning swelling as he turns the lock. Rising, taxis, hammers, nails, dog food, cooking. There is no other way out.

The apartment is dark when he tracks in. The scent of cinnamon steeping the air like Suzanna’s pulled a saucepan of papas off the stove. At first he doesn’t hear it, but he should, the voices leafing the kitchen like a flit of moths. He steps out of his shoes but never sets anything down, even after he passes the coffee table. Two plates ringing the centre, streaked with and caldeirada and bayleaf. A pitcher of lemonade sweating onto the glass. It is almost like he never left, like he and his mother shared dinner, sipped from each other’s cups, cleaned the tines of each other’s fishbones. And he almost believes it. He never went to the farm. The kittens are where he left them, just a few feet away, not in Brooklyn. He doesn’t have a job to tend to. He never fixed the coffee machine. He didn’t go to the convenience store. He is not slathered in sunscreen, not holding a dog collar or pastries or a bouquet of tulips. He never dove into the ocean like it was some port to asylum and didn’t emerge soaked and walking half-dead to his apartment because he never left. This reality is so easy to believe, he is unfazed by the voices and how they get louder when he reaches the kitchen, when one says “Were you shopping for the apocalypse?” and the other one chokes on its drink and apologizes for its rudeness and stares at him in daydream, those eyes like forget-me-nots, gas fires, seafoam, the wing of a starling, his drop earring.

Harrison is grateful he is soaking wet when he enters that kitchen and Suzanna and Lonan sit at the table sharing a box of petit fours. At least he has an excuse when he drops everything.

That’s it for this update! The tea starts HERE!

--Rachel

#writing #amwriting #writeblr #writerblr #writingupdates #fostered #mothwork #feedinghabits

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princesssarcastia · 4 years ago

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so i’m re-watching the nolan!verse batman movies—actually, just dark knight and dark knight rises, because I have issues with batman begins (starting with how much younger rachel is than bruce and ending with the fact that they made ra’s al ghul (ghuel?) white in a non-critical manner))

and like they’re fucking grimdark, obv, and bruce wayne being a slightly misogynistic loner with no friends or family is my least favorite interpretation of him. but they scratch a few very specific itches that I have, and they also like. inspire a lot of thought:

rich assholes getting their comeuppance? excellent. dagget (in DKR) is a real punch-able asshole and bane snaps his neck like a twig, but only after this exchange: he gets real fucking close to dagget like implying he’s going to physically hurt him, and dagget says, “i’ve paid you a small fortune” and then bane says, “and this gives you power over me?” and then, snaps his neck. gotta love it.

actually bane’s got a lot of anti-capitalist rhetoric, which of course they could only give to the villain, but still. and the scene where he tears down the dent act (which was appalling) and blows up a prison is also like, kinda cool. even if bane was a weird terrible character.

that’s kind of a theme in the trilogy though? like obviously the joker sucks™, but that one comment about how a ��gangbanger” dies and nobody panics, but he threatens to kill one little mayor and everybody loses their minds, is...hmm. striking.

and heath leger’s performance as the joker is still top ten ever. regardless of your thoughts on the content of that performance, leger still inhabits it like a second skin. he’s utterly convincing and utterly unhinged and I still like it. I know that’s like an edgelord opinion but I admired edgelord-leger-joker before the irl edgelords did, so its fine

i fucking love anne hathaway’s catwoman. i love it. she’s phenomenal. she wears knife high heels longer than my index finger and steals from the rich and its implied that she gives a lot of it away to people who need it. and also I stand by my headcanon that she didn’t go back for bruce, she went back to help him save gotham, because she loves their city just as much as he does.

i think pre-two-face harvey dent was also very enjoyable. he’s an asshole. he’s a golden haired crusading asshole with too much pride who cared too much about the wrong things and he’s like. one of my favorite parts of the trilogy.

there’s a fascinating mix of excellent criticism of policing in the u.s. and pure copaganda in these films. like batman begins and the dark knight make it pretty clear that the police force are little more than another kind of mob, who do a lot of harm to the whole city, and jim gordon and john blake are literally the only two cops worth a damn, and even they have issues. but then the last twenty minutes of dark knight rises are like pure copaganda. that whole “army of cops against an army of criminals” bullshit is pretty disgusting

also the fact that in dkr the u.s. government just....let.....bane..........hold an entire city hostage..............is so funny

the idea that fearing death is actually a good, powerful, driving force also makes me feel some kind of way. get the fuck out of here with this semi-suicidal batman bullshit, i only want batman who learns to live again by learning that he doesn’t actually want to die

the music? impeccable. imPECCABLE. hans zimmer is a god.

“death...by exile!” lmaooooo still fucking hilarious

the most interesting thing about these films, though, is their commentary about the surveillance state and the age of information. i honestly don’t think that they would make these movies with this message if they made them today.

the idea from dark knight that being able to collect personal data from people’s cell phones and use it to further private goals without those people’s knowledge or permission, is horrifying and should be stopped is a really powerful statement to make considering how much personal data corporations are collecting about each and every one of us.

and catwoman’s whole motivation in dkr is about how much personal information about our lives and our pasts are publicly available on the internet to anyone and can make it hard to start fresh and change who you are, to become better. this is also true, especially with the way mob mentality has taken over a significant portion of the internet

i know that there’s another post floating around comparing this to whatever the hell was happening in spiderman: far from home, and i agree with it wholeheartedly

#batman #dark knight #dark knight rises #catwoman #meta #dc

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asilentguardian · 4 years ago

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My Thoughts on Gotham

My mom and I finished watching Gotham on December 29th, and this analysis has been sitting in google docs since then. Some of this is a bit incoherent, some of it I wrote as I was watching, and some of it I wrote after finishing the entire show. So here it is. 2,000 words or so of rambling about Gotham.

My thoughts on the show as a whole: Gotham changed my opinion on a lot of Batman’s villains. I used to be indifferent towards Penguin, now I love him. I used to hate Firefly, now I love her. While there were one or two decisions that I disagreed with, the portrayal of these characters was satisfying and the tone of the show as a whole was refreshing. The writing was good for the most part, however there are issues with sexism and homophobia that I personally noticed.

And now I’m going season by season cause I’m a nerd.

Season One

Season one is a bit of a mixed bag for me. It seemed to me that the show writers and the younger actors were still trying to find their footing and decide what kind of world their Gotham was. Some episodes are slow, but overall it’s intriguing and I was invested after a couple of episodes.

The pilot has a lot of moving parts and it still works. They did a good job of intertwining all of these characters before starting them all on their own paths.

I can’t imagine anyone else playing these roles. I am really happy with the casting choices for this show. Jim Gordon, Harvey Bullock, and Bruce Wayne especially.

Fish Mooney is an interesting but welcome edition! To be honest, the first time my mom and I tried to watch Gotham, we hated her. The second time around, however, I LOVED her and her role in the rise of Penguin.

Having Edward Nygma start at the GCPD was a really cool idea! I think they executed his descent into madness perfectly. I wanted Ed to prevail and to be a goodman just as much as I wanted to see the Riddler emerge.

Speaking of the GCPD, the corruption and the conflict within the precinct is very believable and compelling. It’s easy to believe that Jim Gordon is a young and optimistic detective who believes wholeheartedly in doing good. I also appreciate the fact that Jim Gordon doesn’t lose that drive for good throughout the show. I also don’t find it too cheesy, even if it’s a common trope.

The Batman universe is huge so I was expecting references and easter eggs at every turn, and I was half right. There's plenty of references and cameos but they work and they aren’t essential to the plot which helps casual fans keep up with the story.

A lot of seeds are planted during this first season, and it’s rewarding to see them pay off. I don’t feel as if the first season suffers from the thing that a lot of movies do where they are clearly trailers for the next part in the franchise.

I think my favorite episode of this season is episode 20 “Under the Knife.” The stakes are high and the story line with the Ogre is definitely unexpected and horrifying but in the best way. Also Ed kills Dougherty and it’s very satisfying.

Season Two

Rise/Wrath of the Villains!

Theo Galavan and Hugo Strange were the big bads of this season and I think they were written and acted very well.

Something I’ve noticed about some of the villains on this show and their interactions with children and Bruce in particular is that they’re... unsettling. I suppose that’s intentional and I definitely think it makes some of the villains more intimidating, but it’s really creepy. There are a lot of adults that are preying on Bruce’s innocence in this show.

Theo Galavan was not my favorite. He was intimidating for a bit, but I kinda grew bored of him. I did enjoy the nod to Azrael.

Hugo Strange! I was kinda indifferent to him when playing Arkham City but I enjoy him in this show! Loved when he showed up again in subsequent seasons and you immediately knew some Fucked Shit was happening.

So Mr. Freeze. I’m not too sure how I feel about Gotham’s take on this story. The casting is solid, but killing Nora? Not the move. Actually very angry about that to be honest. The Mr. Freeze episode could’ve been so much more compelling and emotional but instead it was a way to move Lee and Jim’s relationship forward :(

They managed to make Firefly not annoying, but I only found Firefly annoying before because of that stupid boss fight in Arkham Origins. But I liked Bridget.

Penguin and Nygma’s relationship is very fun in this season! More on them later, but at least in season two it’s very enjoyable to watch them learn to trust each other. My mom and I adored their story line.

I LOVE Nygma’s character arc in this season. His interactions with Gordon are some of my favorite bits from this season. They are very rewatchable and I find their relationship to be one of the more intriguing ones in the show.

Overall season 2 was decent. Some of the villains were forgettable, but the relationship arcs and character arcs that were compelling kept me interested.

Episode 15, Mad Grey Dawn, was one of my favorites this season. Seeing the Nygma v Gordon thing play out was so so so fun. I really loved being able to follow Nygma’s logic and feel Gordon’s frustration at being framed.

Season Three

Mad City/Heroes Rise!

There’s A LOT I have to say about season 3. I liked it. There’s a couple of big issues I have with season 3, but overall it was compelling and I enjoyed it.

While I’m not usually one for the “this character has a darkness inside of them” trope, I really didn’t mind it with Gordon. I thought it was believable and interesting enough to be engaging. bounty hunter Gordon was pretty fun, too. And hot. Anyway.

The Mad Hatter v Jim Gordon stuff is intense. Episode 6 where Gordon is forced to choose between Valerie and Lee is where the “dark side” trope lost me a little but I do like that they make a point to have Gordon always make his way back to the light. Valerie’s exit felt very rushed and sudden? I don’t know if the actress was written off for some reason, but it felt very weird.

So. Penguin and Nygma. I don’t know if I would necessarily call it queer-baiting, but it definitely doesn’t sit right with me. Here’s the thing about Gotham’s queer representation: it’s not good, but it’s not bad. There is 100% an issue with making all of your queer characters villains. And there’s a HUGE issue with having Barbara’s attraction to women only be present when she’s a) acting as an antagonist to Gordon’s work at the GCPD (Montoya in season one) or b) on the side of the antagonist and framed as crazy (Tabitha in season two). Also, notice how in season five she’s “sane” when she’s with Gordon. It’s homophobia luv.

However, in the case of Penguin and Nygma, the added layer of Penguin’s love for Nygma makes their arc a little more interesting and compelling (there’s still an issue with queer love being framed as toxic and obsessive in this show, but if I don’t stop talking about that this post will be miles long).

The Ivy thing is certainly a new plot device, but I don’t hate it. Took a bit to get used to, but older Ivy makes sense and to be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of child Ivy. Not that her character was bad, but I personally found her a tad annoying.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 14. THE GENTLE ART OF MAKING ENEMIES. I HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS. Bruce’s character development in this episode made me extremely happy. I haven’t talked a lot about Jerome-Joker yet, but I really like him. Joker is one of those characters you can take a lot of liberties with and it can either really work or really suck (looking at you Jared Leto). Gotham’s version of Joker, while a bit rushed, is a good fucking Joker.

The reason why I like s3e14 so much is THIS is what the Joker vs Batman relationship is about. This is why they are perfect foils. Batman always has a reason, a method. Motivation and a cause. He believes in Gotham and he believes that EVERYONE has the capacity for good. Joker does things just for the hell of it (i.e. kidnapping Bruce). His point is anarchy and chaos. His point is that everyone has darkness and that they are “one bad day” away from giving into that darkness (subtle nods to The Killing Joke, very nice). This is illustrated SO beautifully in this episode. However, I do see an issue down the line of Joker knowing who Batman is instantly, but I digress.

The birth of Riddler! The development of Penguin and Riddler’s animosity! mwah!

Also. Bruce standing above Gotham in an early version of the suit. There’s no ears or cape but my mom and I were VERY excited. I felt so giddy.

Bruce’s vow not to kill was beautifully framed, props to the DP on that one. It felt nice to hear a live action version of Bruce Wayne say that. (Note from the future: yes he breaks it. Sorta. I’m mad about it, but I explain my feelings in depth later).

Season Four

A Dark Knight!

Alright. Season 4. To be honest, it took me a while to warm up to this one.

Scarecrow. Love his costume. Love his escape. Scarecrow is one of my favorites because he’s creepy and cool and terrifying. Well done. The episode where Jim goes after him is really brutal. He goes there alone, not even Harvey by his side, and he is forced to stare his biggest fear in the face. I loved it!

The Pax Penguina. I’m easily won over by references to old literature and history. This show has made me actually like Penguin. I used to find him annoying and didn’t understand why he was people’s favorite, but this show has proved him to be a competent and cunning villain. I love to hate him. It’s fun seeing him at the top of Gotham.

Riddler’s escape and Nygma’s return. His friendship with Lee and Grundy (Grundy!!). Ed and Lee was certainly an interesting choice. I didn’t hate it, it just seemed really odd. I enjoyed Lee’s rise to power though!

Sofia Falcone. Not really a fan tbh. Didn’t trust her from the start and it was SO satisfying to see her get shot in the head. Talk about a ruthless mastermind. To be fair, I did love to hate her in the beginning, but then she kinda got on my nerves? The actress that played her was really good though!

Captain James Gordon. Yessir. What a legend. One step closer to Commissioner. But also ouchie he had to go behind Harvey’s back. That subplot hurt so good.

Professor Pyg is. A lot. Gotham is a mature show, but it’s hard to like Pyg even as a villain. He’s unsettling and his episodes are a bit too much. I tolerated him but it just got to be gratuitous. I will say that I am relieved that they weren’t heavy handed on the cross-dressing thing. Would prefer not to see that played for a joke anymore, and this show does not need to vilify queerness more than it has.

Jerome and Jeremiah! ahhhhh!!! What wonderful interpretations of the Joker! Jerome was great, but I think I’m partial to Jeremiah. Maybe because his costume looks so much like the Joker from the animated series and Mark Hamill will always be my Joker. Either way, I LOVED their story line in season 4.

Kinda love Barbara being involved in the League. Very sexy of her. Also very sexy of her to not be dead.

Alright. Here we go. Ra’s Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne. I have mixed feelings about this. So Bruce kills. Technically he’s not Batman yet, and obviously Ra’s didn’t stay dead, but he already took the oath. I have a hard time staying with any adaptation that makes their Batman a killer, but this one wasn’t awful? And then technically Barbara uses Bruce’s hands to kill Ra’s in the finale. I’m upset that they went with a “what if Batman kills” story line in the first place, but the resolution wasn’t too terrible.

Those last three episodes of season 4. Wow. My mom and I couldn’t stop watching. The nods to The Killing Joke were cool but not too on the nose. The stakes felt high and I was so deeply invested because this story line in particular was very well crafted and planned out and it definitely shows. There’s so many loose ends at this finale, and somehow it works and you still have hope. But holy shit, those bridges coming down, the utter panic and confusion as you’re wondering “is X person okay? what happened to X?” wonderful, chefs kiss.

Season Five

Legend of the Dark Knight!

Oh gosh. I have so much I want to say, but I don’t know how to put it into words. I loved this season. I loved the post apocalyptic vibes of Gotham. Loved the rise of the villains into the people who will one day face Batman. Loved Gordon’s leadership and rise to Commissioner. There’s a few things I have issues with this season, but I’m just so in love with that finale. What a beautiful send off.

I loved how the finale was crafted, how we didn’t see the full Batman suit till the end. I did, in fact, cry when that thing was revealed. The score was beautiful. It felt so much like an episode of The Animated Series, yet so unlike any other piece of Batman media. It was so refreshing to have everything wrapped up nicely, so refreshing to have hope and satisfaction in a finale.

Overall, this version of Gotham City feels like a living, breathing thing that is lived in and flawed. It is wonderful. The set designers did wonderfully and it feels so timeless in the way that the Animated Series did as well. I think that’s part of the reason why I loved this show so much. It made me feel the same way that the Animated Series did.

I know I’ve missed a lot of details and plot lines, so if for some reason you are interested in my thoughts on a particular thing in this show, my inbox is open!!

#long post #gotham #my stuff #my writing #aspeaks #meta posts

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beyondconfessor · 4 years ago

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Principle Decisions [6/24]

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Lilith/Zelda Spellman

Summary: She had engaged in dominatrix services from Sabrina’s principal. It was enough to make her light-headed.

N.B.: Also posted on AO3. This is pure fantasy, please suspend your disbelief.

“Zelda,” Faustus said, walking into her office. He entered as if he owned the place, not caring that this was her office and she was in the middle of a discussion with Elspeth about her recent failure in an essay that weighted thirty percentage of the semester’s grade.

“Yes, Professor Blackwood?” she said, smiling sharply as she looked away from Elspeth.

“Unfortunately, Shirley won’t be returning as we expected. She’s requested further time off. I’ll need you to look after her classes until she returns.”

It’d been a month, and Zelda was already thin on time and stressed as it was, trying to manage lesson planning for all of her classes and Shirley’s religious second-year subjects on top of that was more than she wanted. Prudence had been a much-needed help, but there were things she couldn’t leave with her.

Her academic paper was well behind schedule she’d set out. She was barely seeing her family outside of dinner. As it was, she barely managed to get in six hours of sleep most nights. She’d counted on finishing those two subjects in two weeks.

“I’ll require further funding for my TA,” she said. “But that’s no issue Faustus.”

“Of course,” he agreed with a nod, and then seemed to notice that someone else was present in the room. Providing a polite nod, he went to leave before pausing. “Thank you, Zelda.”

Zelda bit her tongue, feeling annoyance flush through her. She turned and looked at Elspeth, finding the girl’s eyes wide open, as if she just witnessed something she shouldn’t have.

“Where were we?” Zelda asked, honestly failing to remember what point she’d been discussing.

“Extra credit,” Elsbeth said, “So I don’t lose my scholarship.”

Zelda nodded and flicked through Elspeth’s marks. It was only the most recent essay that dragged down her overall grade, having a heavy weighting on it. “It was a rushed essay. I can give you the chance to re-write it if you feel you can bring something better to it?”

Elspeth drew in a breath, sitting up taller in the chair. It wasn’t the response she wanted. Clearly, the girl had expected something else been asked of her.

“I can do that. When do you want it handed in by?”

“Two weeks.”

Elspeth agreed, standing up and leaving. Zelda drew a sigh and watched as she left. She’d probably been lenient with the deadline and should have cut it down to a week, but the truth was that she was too exhausted to care. She was completing twice the amount of unpaid overtime than usual just to keep her classes at a certain standard and had been pressing to ensure she attended Sabrina’s extracurricular that popped-up, given that she couldn’t even fit in time to take Sabrina to and from school most days.

She considered pulling away from dinner and just eating in her office to get an extra hour of work, but Hilda would never allow. It was the one thing that she and her sister had agreed on the way back when Ambrose was barely twelve years old, and Sabrina was learning to walk. A family sat together, no matter what.

The truth was the only place she could afford to cut, was her sleep schedule. But the tension was building up inside of her. With so little time for herself, she was going to snap if she didn’t do something soon to ease it.

She just needed an hour or two.

Zelda picked up the phone and rang from her personal phone.

“Zelda,” Lilith purred like they were old friends. “I thought you’d forgotten about me.”

“I’ve been busy,” Zelda said, “Do you have an appointment for this week?”

“Hmm, let me see,” there was the sound of shuffling, and then a quiet pulled on the phone. Zelda drew in a breath, trying to ease her beating heart. A part of her hoped that she had an appointment for this afternoon. “How long were you looking for?”

Zelda’s tongue grew heavy. She flicked open her planner, looking through her availabilities. “What do you have available?” she asked as if they were trying to pencil in a business meeting.

“Saturday morning, you can have me from nine until twelve.”

Zelda’s eyes fluttered shut at the choice of words. You can have me. Oh, she would very much so enjoy having her.

“Three hours?”

“How about we say from nine until eleven, and I promise not to watch the clock,” Lilith said. “I quite like the idea of you in my garden,” Lilith said. “But there are many things we could play with.”

“And just what were thinking that I would enjoy in your garden?” Zelda inquired, trying to hold onto some semblance of control. After all, the woman was becoming entirely too presumptuous.

“We’ll discuss once you’re here. But don’t get me wrong, I would very much so enjoy hearing any ideas from yourself.”

Zelda shivered. “I’ll see you Saturday,” she said, clicking off the phone.

It was something to look forward to, and yet Zelda found herself going from meeting to meeting, class to office time (which was always busy midway through the semester when students started to realise that unless they did something soon, they wouldn’t make the marks they needed). She came home, she ate and then she returned to her home office for lesson planning until late at night, where she would drag herself to bed for a few hours.

Twice, Hilda had commented on how tired she was, enquiring if she was eating enough, and twice Zelda had snapped back that she was perfectly fine and had only just recently seen her doctor.

Hilda had shrunk away at the comment, embarrassed at the breakfast table as Zelda drank her tea, trying to ease the growing headache behind her eyes. There was a test for this afternoon, that would give her a better idea on if she needed to re-evaluate her lessons for them––and yet for the life of her, she wanted to call in sick.

“Aunt Zee?” Sabrina inquired softly. “Can I ask you something?”

She looked up, setting the cup down and tried to ease the headache she felt.

“Theo’s having trouble with some of the other boys on the team. They’re not letting him use their locker. I’ve tried talking to Coach Craven, but he doesn’t care since Wardwell told him off––and I’m worried that if I do go above him to Principal Wardwell again, he’ll just let things get worse.”

Zelda paused, drinking in the words to the context. “I can speak to their parents if that’s what you want,”

“No, I think that will make it worse.”

Zelda agreed, but she still wouldn’t mind wringing through the children’s parents. Not that it was her place, in the end, it should be Theo’s father (and yet that, still, could make things worse). “Honestly Sabrina, there’s very little things you can do with a bully like that. It may be in Theo’s best interest to quit the team.”

“But he wants to be apart of that!” Sabrina said. “It’s not fair that they just take away his enjoyment of such a thing.”

“It’s not,” Zelda agreed. “But there are some fights that you’ll need to walk away from, that is, unfortunately, how the world works. It’s not worth Theo’s unhappiness if he’s been pushed out by his peers. If anything, I would suggest perhaps finding a different sporting group who’s more open to having diversity in their team than high school.”

Sabrina frowned, sinking in her chair, “But none exists.”

“Then perhaps there’s your idea, start a new one. I doubt Theo’s the only one who feels that way.”

“No! Then they get what they want.”

Zelda sighed, “Yes, they do,” she agreed. “And it’s not fair, and it’s not right, and I’m sorry, really. If we could wave a wand and teach them all a lesson, I’m sure we would. Realistically speaking, to avoid Theo facing further punishment, it might be in his best interest to leave. Not all fights are worth battling. Sometimes it’s about walking away and creating your own happiness.”

Sabrina’s face twisted, conflict crossing over her face. “I mean, is that what you did?”

Zelda frowned. “Pardon?”

“Aunt Hilda mentioned that things were hard for you when you were starting at Greendale University. That the others––“

“Your Aunt Hilda is going off gossip. No, it was entirely different; I wasn’t being berated the way young Theo was. Just some minor office gossip, and nothing I couldn’t rise above.”

Sabrina frowned. “Maybe I should just speak to Principle Wardwell.”

“You could,” Zelda agreed, “And then she’ll speak to the coach, and then…what? I don’t mean to detract you from this goal. It’s admirable. But perhaps you should think about what’s actually fair for Theo rather than seeking justice.”

Sabrina made a face, her nose wrinkling. “It is about Theo. He’s getting bullied by these…these…dicks,” Sabrina said, spitting the word.

Zelda blinked and watched as Sabrina continued to sit tall in the seat, chin lifted defiantly. No matter what Zelda had to say, she knew Sabrina would go against it. Her niece had apparently already decided as to what she was going to do.

“Speak to Theo,” Zelda urged. “Maybe speak to his Coach yourself. But actually, look towards what the repercussions are likely to be. I’m sure the last thing you want to do is make life even more difficult for your friend.”

“I won’t,” Sabrina said. “I just want him to be happy.”

“And that’s not a bad thing to want,” Zelda assured. “But be sure that this is really about Theo’s interest and not just to serve your own hero complex.”

“Hero complex?” Sabrina echoed. “Is that what you think this about?”

It was, but Zelda didn’t particularly want that argument so ignored the bait, and left a quiet to settle between them and with it, as she began to feel her migraine increase. What she needed was to lie down in a dark room with a damp towel across her head. As it was, she couldn’t. “Do you need me to drop you off at school?”

“Or what, you think my hero complex will have me try and rescue a cat out some tree I pass?”

Zelda sighed, staring at her. “Do you want me to drive you or not?”

“I can walk to Harvey’s and see if he’ll take me.”

There was a strange way she said those words that had Zelda narrowing her eyes. “Has something happened between you and Mr Kinkle?”

Sabrina shook her head before biting her lip. “I don’t know,” she admitted before she smiled and looked up at Zelda, an otherwise perfectly happy expression on her face. “It’s fine,” she assured. “I think he’s just busy. He and his dad are fighting,” she shrugged.

Zelda nodded. Despite never seeing the senior Kinkle drunk himself, Zelda was familiar with Sabrina’s stories of how Harvey felt about it all. Once, Sabrina had begged to have Harvey move in with them, and although Zelda wasn’t against the idea, especially if a child was being harmed, the practice of it was trickier than theory.

Still, there was the older sibling in the household, and as Zelda understood it, he often cooled the clashes between the family.

“I’ll drop you off. I’ll be ready to leave in five minutes,” Zelda advised, looking to the clock upon the wall. It was enough time for her to finish her tea and grab her bag from her office.

She’d spent most of the last night finalising her lesson plan for Shirley’s class, and this morning, she felt a tightness in her neck, likely adding to the growing migraine she had. Before she finished her last mouthful of tea, she dug around for her painkillers and took the familiar dosage.

“Ready!” Sabrina said, just as she managed to set her cup in the sink.

Zelda made a gesture for her to go to the car, as she picked up her bag from her office, taking her computer and day planner with her. She checked for keys and her wallet and then paused, noticing that her computer’s light wasn’t on.

Opening it up, she watched the screen flick on…and then turn off completely.

Zelda took the charger, plugging it in and watched as, again, the computer’s screen flickered.

Panic welled up in her chest. It’d worked perfectly fine last night. The last thing she needed was for it to seize––all of her work was in it, including her lesson planning. And yes, although she did have it backed up, it was all on the cloud and inaccessible to her from any of the school’s computers. She would have to use her phone.

Zelda took a breath, taking the laptop and shoving it into her bag. There was every chance that the charger was the issue, and she just needed to obtain a new one.

“Aunt Zee?” Sabrina called from the hallway, and Zelda squeezed her eyes shut. There was a computer shop in town. She could duck in, confirm if there was a problem, and then return to pick it up if need be.

Shutting her office door, Zelda’s heels clicked loudly on the floors as her frustration seemed to be growing to a boiling point.

Sabrina shifted as she saw her, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” she clipped back. “Get in the car before we’re late.”

Sabrina’s eyes widened, but she seemed to have enough decency to realise that it was the time, and climbed into the car.

Zelda drove to the school, pulling into the parking lot, and watched as Sabrina climbed out quickly before running off, wishing a brief “have a good day!” though seemingly somewhat avoidant of dealing with her bad mood any further.

Not that Zelda could blame her.

She was just pulling out of the parking lot when she noticed a familiar car pull in, Lilith at the wheel. Zelda blinked, watching the car pass before she could so much as absorb the situation.

Briefly, she wondered why the woman was attending the school––before remembering their conversation at the game the other week. Zelda wondered if the woman was a mother to one of the children bullying poor Theo––if she was, Zelda was going to have strong words with her about using her so-called discipline to better use and actually parenting her son.

Putting the thoughts away, she drove to the computer shop and walked in just as the sign on the front door was switched to open.

The retail assistant’s mouth opened, going to babble out a polite welcome or whatever as she pulled out her laptop and placed it on the counter. “My computer’s screen went black, and I need it to be fixed before my classes start.”

“O-of course,” he said, taking the computer in his grip. He looked over it, checking for something before he plugged it in.

The charger’s light flicked on, confirming that was working before he pulled open the screen. Zelda watched as again. The screen flickered before turning black.

“Ah,” he said. “It could be a screen issue, but…have you visited any new websites recently? No judgement of course, but if you downloaded new software from online, or clicked on any…ads, or…anything like that?” he asked, looking at her awkwardly.

Zelda’s jaw tightened, under usual circumstances she’d be able to tightly respond with no. Still, the truth was, she had been doing some minor extracurricular website searches to understand some of the services Lilith had (because they used slang she was unfamiliar with), and there was every possibility that one of them might have downloaded something.

“Could you fix the issue?” she asked instead.

“Oh, definitely,” he agreed. “It might wipe your hard drive though, if-if it was…that.”

Zelda exhaled a deep breath. Her lesson plan was fine, but she would lose a lot of resources she was using for her paper, and it’d be difficult for her to retrieve them again. “If you could avoid that, I would prefer it,” she said.

The man nodded, typing on the screen. “I can have it back by Monday. I’ll try and see if it’s a screen issue first.”

“Monday?” she asked tightly, before nodding, “Monday’s fine,” she agreed. She’d just have to live off her phone until such a time.

“Let me just grab your contact details.”

Zelda provided them tightly as she dug out her phone and clicked through, pulling out the information from her lesson plans. She was going to be late, but that would just have to be something she dealt with.

As it was, she managed to make in time and was able to deliver her lesson without drawing to her phone too much. She was, however, late to her office hours due to trying to get a spare laptop from the library, which was being looked after by a grad student who didn’t know how to loan out the spare laptops.

By the time she arrived, one of her students was sitting on the ground by her door and fumbling to stand-up awkwardly. “Professor Spellman!” he said. “I need an extension for the essay due next week.”

Zelda pulled out her keys, clicking the door open. “Which essay is this for?” she inquired, pushing the door open and clicking the lights on. Her headache was growing as she set down her bag and set the laptop up, opening before she noticed a low battery warning.

Of course, the student had forgotten to provide a charger. She closed the lid and looked up at the student, watching as he nervously took a seat before her and began twisting at his clothes.

“Ah—well, it’s…technically…P-professor Jackson’s…class. And she’s usually fine with giving extensions, so as long as…”

Zelda’s brows rose. “So as long as…?” she prompted.

“Ah…can I have an extension. Please? I have an exam on the same day and I just…really need…”

Zelda sat back in her seat. “Did Professor Jackson go over her timetable for when assignments were due?”

“Yes?”

“So you were aware of both your essay and exam being on the same day since your first week of classes?”

“I mean, tech-technically, yes, but I didn’t actually realise until…until this week,” she admitted.

“Melvin, isn’t it?”

“Yes, professor.”

“Melvin, I suggest that you go over your schedule for the rest of the semester. The answer is no; I will not be granting an extension. You’ve had all semester to plan for this.”

“But Elspeth––“ and then he stopped himself, seeming to realise he said too much. Zelda’s brows rose, waiting to see if he would continue, but thankfully Melvin just stuttered out a muttered apology, before he scrambled at his bag and left, leaving her alone in her office with a dying laptop.

She clicked the power save button and stared at it. It wasn’t like she could easily download her lessons and transfer it across anyway, they were two different systems (and it was one of the few times she regretted not using the school’s standard provided laptops to do all of her work).

She sunk in her seat, pulling open her drawer to pull out the Advil packaging, only to find that it wasn’t there.

No, because she’d used it all up and the only container she had was the one at home.

Of course. Of course, it was because the day couldn’t get any worse.

Except it did, because just as she was about to take lunch, her phone rang.

“Ms Spellman?” the woman on the line enquired.

“Yes, who’s speaking?”

“This is Mrs Meeks, I’m calling from Baxter High.” Zelda’s stomach sunk. “Your niece got into a fight this morning. Principal Wardwell has requested if you could come into the office to discuss her behaviour? Usually, we’d speak to Hilda, but I’m afraid her phone’s been switched off.”

Of course, it was because her sister was working today. Though it certainly raised the question as to why Hilda was first on the list when she should have been. But that wasn’t the concern now.

Zelda’s eyes squeezed shut. Sabrina got into a fight, and Zelda knew exactly what the reasoning of the fight was.

“I’ll be right in,” she said.

Clicking her phone off, she looked across her time table. She had lunch, and then two hours after that before her next class. It meant she was shutting her office hours prematurely shut, but she wrote on the whiteboard of the door, advising that she would be available through email or in the following week, adding that if it was urgent, to reach out to Professor Blackwood.

Bad things came in threes, her mother used to say, and Zelda hoped that this was the last of her bad luck.

In the drive over to the school, she considered calling up Hilda and asking her to deal with it. Still, the truth was, Hilda would be a push-over and agreed that Sabrina warranted some kind of punishment when Zelda knew perfectly well that Sabrina was likely only protecting her friend and did not require any form of punishment.

Parking in a teacher’s spot (it wasn’t like they could do anything about it), she locked the car and walked to the front office, before getting directions to the Principal’s office.

There, she saw the strange, blonde woman on the phone, and then Sabrina, Theo, Harvey and Roz, all sitting on the bench with their heads bowed and bruises forming across their faces and knuckles. To the other side was a half-dozen boys Zelda didn't recognise sitting on the other side of the room.

Zelda looked across them all, brows raised. As Sabrina and her friends all began speaking at once, she rose her hand, silencing them. “Have your parents been called?” she asked, looking to the other children.

“Yes,” Roz answered, “They’re with Principal Wardwell now. Except…for Harvey’s dad, since Mr Kinkle was in the mines.”

Zelda looked to him and then to Mrs Meeks. “Am I right to enter?”

“Oh yes, should be fine,” she nodded.

Zelda swept a look over them, giving a small nod to Sabrina to let her know that she didn’t disapprove of whatever happened, but they would certainly talk later about it.

Pushing open the door, she came into a room filled with six other parents, recognising Sabrina’s friend’s parents, she gave a small nod and went to shut the door before her eyes fell onto the principal.

And then she nearly fainted. They both stared at each other, a tightness rolling over the room before Lilith’s face brokered into a mask.

“Ms Spellman, I take it?” Lilith asked, tilting her head. “I thought we requested your sister?”

“She’s occupied,” Zelda said, grounding herself as she closed the door.

“Well, we were just concluding this matter,” Lilith said, hands folded neatly before her and Zelda felt her stomach flip. The principal.

She had engaged in dominatrix services from Sabrina’s principal. It was enough to make her light-headed.

“And just what would that be?” she asked, standing in the doorway, afraid that if she took a step, she’d wobble on her heels.

Her principal!

Lilith’s eyes roamed across the room. “Suspension, I believe. Across all parties for next week. Baxter High has a zero-tolerance after all.”

“Ridiculous,” Zelda counted. “Whatever Sabrina’s reasonings were, I’m sure they were warranted.”

An argument arose, and Lilith pushed up on to her feet, a sharp grip on her face enough to silence the room with commanded respect. “Ms Spellman,” she clipped, before gesturing to the seat before her. “How about you take a seat and we’ll discuss what occurred. No need for anyone else to be held up any further by this.”

Zelda rolled her shoulders back and stepped over to the empty seat before her, but refrained from sitting. Lilith’s eyes held hers, and there was a beat as tension seemed to hold between them, and Zelda wondered, briefly, if she was going to say something to her.

She didn’t. Instead, Lilith walked around her desk and seemed to direct the parents out of the room. There was a moment where she spoke to Mrs Meeks, asking her to direct the students back to class, before she stepped back in the room, shutting the door behind her.

“Sit down,” Lilith said, and Zelda felt her knees bend, a part of her wanting to obey before she resisted and glared at the woman.

“You’re a principal?” she hissed.

Lilith’s eyes fluttered innocently, “In fairness, I hadn’t put two and two together until I saw you at the football match the other weekend. And at that point, I thought you had worked out the truth as well. Hardly my fault if you came to the wrong conclusion.”

“You––“

“Are here to discuss Sabrina, not our relationship. Now…sit. Down.”

Zelda scoffed, looking away, before she sat down in the chair, crossing her legs. “This is absurd,” she advised. “If I’m to conclude, Sabrina was only defending her friend against bigoted bullies. If anything, she should be rewarded.”

“Did she discuss the fight with you?”

“No, but I understand Mr Putnam has been having some issues with bullies.”

Lilith nodded, deep exhaustion pulling at her. “Yes, well. Unfortunately, Baxter High’s policy towards any fights is absolute.”

“Did Sabrina start the fight?”

Lilith closed her eyes, annoyance growing on her as she sat back in her seat. “Witnesses say she did and didn’t. Apparently one of the children made a snide comment and Sabrina retorted. When she was walking away, one of the footballers went to do…something in retort against Theo, and Mr Kinkle ended up striking them first.”

“It sounds like to me that they were starting it then.”

“And if it were a simple thing of words, it would be much simpler, but no, it was an extensive fight, and one of the kids has been taken to hospital with what might be a broken leg. His parents would like to push for the expulsion of Sabrina and her friends. At the very least of Theo, who they’ve assured was the person to push the boy, not that anyone else agrees with that.” Lilith rolled her eyes.

Ah, Zelda realised. There were deeper politics at play. She shifted in her seat watching the annoyance flick over Lilith’s face, realising that it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with the other parents.

It’d taken her over forty-five minutes from when she got the phone call to walking into the school’s office. Likely a lot of the students' parents were much closer and Lilith––or Principal Wardwell––had been dealing with them for quite some time.

“This could ruin her academic prospects,” Zelda counted. “It could ruin all of the children if they’re suspended. Surely, something else could be arranged.”

“Surely,” Lilith said, a smirking growing on her lips. “Between you and me, I would very much so like to separate this issue and deal with what I know likely to be true with regards to Theo, but unfortunately I can not. None of the children have come forward to me outside of this event. Despite the assurance from Sabrina that she has spoken to Coach Craven, he assures that it’s an overdramatic flare of what actually occurred.”

Zelda watched as Lilith’s eyes narrowed, seething at the coach.

“So, because a teacher is going against Sabrina’s word, you can’t do anything?”

“Oh, no, I didn’t say that,” Lilith said, “Just that I have to be careful about what I do.” Her nails drummed on the desk, before her eyes flashed, looking at Zelda. “Suspension is what the parents want, and given that it would be across all the students it would be fair, but you’re right, it could affect the academic progression of some our students, as well as the possibility of scholarships for others.”

Zelda swallowed, feeling a flush form over her chest at the way the woman was looking at her. It sounded almost like she was leading to a point. “So you’ll reduce their punishment?”

Lilith tilted her head, her eyes going to the office door briefly. “Well, punishment needs to be served, but I can certainly get creative in finding something for the students to do. Perhaps a charity organisation for their time to remind them that they need to work together—on top of detention, of course.”

It wasn’t fair, but it was agreeable. A fight she was willing to relent.

“But is that really fair?” Lilith mused, seeming to once again, read her thoughts. “After all, Baxter High’s rules are quite strict on this matter. It should be an expulsion of all students. I was negotiated down to a suspension, however…you’re asking me to agree to detention and a few wasted Saturdays.”

“Surely the rules don’t explicitly dictate expulsion.”

“They do,” Lilith assured. “In fact, a lot of the rules haven’t been updated since the nineteen-twenties.”

Zelda blinked, “What are you getting at?” she asked.

“I would never suggest corporal punishment on a child, but if someone…older were to take it on their behalf…”

Zelda paused, allowing the words to settle between them as she caught the woman’s expression. “Are you suggesting that I act as a whipping girl?” she asked, feeling a shiver run down her spine.

Here? Now? On the desk? If she was honest, it was almost exactly what she needed after the day she had.

Lilith bit her lip, and there was a fine balance to a played innocence and devilish intrigue in the look she threw. It caused Zelda to shift in her chair, turning to look over her shoulder and confirm the office door wouldn’t be thrown open.

“And if I don’t do this?” Zelda asked.

Lilith shrugged. “I’ll still arrange for them to complete their community service, but you’ll be left knowing that the punishment was unfairly reduced to a slap on the wrist—so to speak.”

Zelda knew what she meant was, I won’t offer this again to you, because they’d be unlikely to find themselves in such a situation again where Zelda needed to play as a whipping girl.

It wasn’t a fantasy Zelda knew she wanted until it was dangled before her and almost too unbearable to resist. Low in her belly, she felt the flicker of desire warming through her, enough so that she could feel her heart pounding in her chest as much as she could feel a dull thrum between her thighs.

“Fine,” she said, trying to pretend it didn’t have the exact effect of her that it was.

Lilith grinned, an excitement lighting her as she rose to her feet and then gestured to the desk.

Zelda swallowed. Removing her coat, she stepped around the desk and gave a glance to the windows. The blinds were pulled closed, making it impossible to look in. “Well?” Lilith asked, “What are you waiting for. On the desk, now.”

“Shouldn’t we lock the office door?”

“Bend over,” Lilith said as if she hadn’t heard. Zelda bit her tongue, excitement rolling through her as she bent over the desk. She couldn’t see her, but she felt the woman’s hand run over her skirt.

There was a creak of the chair, and then Lilith was standing, coming around to the office door where she flicked the lock with a meaningful look to Zelda, letting her know that they would not be disturbed.

Zelda splayed her hands on the desk. She wasn’t sure how she felt laid out on Lilith’s desk like this, watching as the woman circled back behind her, not unlike a shark examining circling their dinner.

“Cane or barehand?” Lilith asked.

Zelda blinked. “You have a cane here?”

“Don’t make me ask the question again,” Lilith said. “Or I’ll start adding lashes.”

Zelda swallowed, thinking over the words. “Cane,” she answered because they might as well do this right.

“Good girl.”

Zelda heard the sound of a drawer opening, before the dragging of something firm against the wood, and then Lilith was setting the cane down beside her so that Zelda could see it as another hand ran over her backside.

“I’ll admit, I’ve wanted to do this to you for a while, now. Impetuous as you are.”

Zelda scoffed. “I’ve been rather well behaved if anything.”

“Backtalk,” Lilith tutted. “That’s another lashing, I think.” And then her hands were running down Zelda’s thigh, dropping over the hem of her skirt. Zelda shivered, and then felt as the pencil skirt was rolled up her legs, and then over her hips, before being bunched around her waist.

Lilith’s fingers drew over the back of her thighs, touching over the bare skin void of any stockings or lace. “Do you remember your safe word?” she asked.

“I do,” Zelda nodded, pressing firmer against the table as she stared over the edge, looking at the collection of books and knick-knacks that Lilith had on display.

“Good girl,” Lilith breathed, and Zelda felt her knees go weak.

She felt the garter belt unclipped from the back of her stockings, before being pushed up and out of the way, and then her underwear was being rolled down. They’d barely begun, but if Zelda was honest, she could already feel how wet she was.

“My, my, Ms Spellman. I’m not sure if this is going to get the message across given the effect it’s had on you,” Lilith said, as a finger drew dangerously close to her sex, but didn’t quite touch, keeping to the edges of her thighs. “But let’s give this an honest go, hmm?”

Zelda nodded, not trusting herself to speak as she heard the cane get picked up, dragging slowly against the wood of the desk.

“Spread your legs there, that’s a good girl. Back straight,” she said, adjusting Zelda into position and Zelda shivered at the contact, feeling the cool air brush against the warmth of her sex.

Never in her life had something been so utterly erotic as this.

“We’ll start with five lashings?” Lilith said. “I’d appreciate if you could count them for me. Otherwise, I tend to lose track. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes.”

“Yes…?” Lilith enquired.

“Yes, Principal Wardwell.” She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing, but Lilith seemed to chuckle at the response, apparently amused by it.

“Five lashings, dear,” she reminded. Zelda nodded and then waited. Nothing occurred; there was only the dull sound of a clock ticking in the room.

And then the first thwack of the cane hit her on the right cheek, stinging against the skin. “One,” she gasped, eyes squeezing shut as she felt the pain roll across her. The next strike hit against the other side, stinging across the lower side of the cheek and Zelda felt herself clench, “Two,” she said.

There was a punishment in counting it out. Not only did it seem to make it worse, but she felt horribly young, counting her punishments.

“Three!” she gasped, though a moan was building in her chest. A pause came, and then Lilith’s fingers were running across the strike, and Zelda was dropping her head against the table, legs shaking.

It wasn’t horribly painful as she’d first expected, but apparently, she was more into being struck than she realised.

Another strike hit her, high on the right buttocks and Zelda whimpered, feeling wetness slide down her thigh like warm honey. She was drenched and aroused, and there was a dull throb pulling at her sex. There was nothing more she wanted than another hit.

But Lilith seemed to pause, and in the reflection of a knick-knack, Zelda could see a warped version of Lilith holding the cane as she seemed to examine her. “If I knew the effect a good disciple would give to you,” Lilith purred. “I would have done it much sooner.”

Zelda turned, looking over her shoulder to watch Lilith’s eyes dart from her ass to looking up at her, her grin widening.

“Turn around,” Lilith coaxed. “We’re not finished yet.”

Zelda turned around, jerking as fingers pressed against the welt across her backside, slipping over it. And then Lilith’s hand rested over her lower back and the second strike came, sudden and hard and Zelda bit back the groan, her back arching as she jerked forward against the desk, hard enough that it rocked.

And then Lilith’s hand was rubbing against the area, soothing the sting and Zelda felt a whimper rise in her throat, leg shaking at the contrasting touch.

And then came another strike, firmed on the side and Zelda gasped, eyes wide open. “Five, that was five.”

“Was it?” Lilith asked. “I heard you count to two. It sounds like you skipped a few numbers there.”

Zelda twisted around, looking at her. “You can’t be serious?”

Lilith’s brows rose, mischief in her eyes as she cast an exaggerated stern expression at her.“I did ask you to count. I get very lost with these things.”

Zelda huffed, facing back on the desk. She wanted to bite back a response but didn’t trust herself to speak. Despite the sting, Zelda felt the arousal pulling at her. The reality of the situation seemed to hover, reminding her that she was in the school, that she was engaging in discipline by a dominatrix, who’s apparent other job was working as a principal.

And yet, she couldn’t find herself to care.

“We’ll start with three, hmm?” Lilith asked

“Yes,” she answered and then when a silence held between them, she groaned, ducking her head to swallow back her pride. “Yes, Principle Wardwell.”

Again, Lilith laughed. It was a deep, low chuckle divining pleasure from the sadism. It was with that that Zelda was reminded of her email insignia. Madam Satan indeed.

The first strike was firm, and Zelda spoke the word, feeling it come from low in her chest. “Three.” And then the next strike was sharper. “Four,” she gasped, eyes pressing shut. And then, finally, a last strike. It was firm, and yet it crossed over most of the welts, making her thighs shake. “Five,” she whispered, feeling the strike work its way through her body.

She felt her knees weaken, a tugging sensation pulling at her sex as if she’d almost managed to orgasm from that alone.

And just as she steadied herself, another hit came, smacking against both cheeks hard. Zelda bucked and gasped, feeling herself clench at the hit. “Fuck,” she cried, her voice high and pleading.

It was enough for tears to prick at her eyes, and more than enough that Zelda felt an ache low in her body, desperately tugging at her.

“There, all done,” Lilith said, placing the cane down as her other hand rubbed over her backside, soothing the sting.

She didn’t mean to (well, not actively at least) but as the fingers ran over her welts, Zelda found herself arching her back, adjusting her backside in a way that would have the fingers slide across and touch over her sex.

“Oh, I see,” Lilith breathed, and then Zelda felt her hand slide near and close. “You were such a good whipping girl for me, taking ten lashes. Did you want a reward?” It was a tease as if pretending she wasn’t already entirely aware of what Zelda wanted.

She wanted to ask what reward, not wanting to be tricked with something horrible, but she couldn’t find the words. She was so close, so close that it would hardly take more than a well-placed stroke to get her off. Zelda nodded against the desk and felt the hands drop away.

“Turn around,” Lilith said, and she obeyed, hissing as the welts pressed against the edge of the desk. Lilith stepped forward and then Zelda’s chin was being tilted up as Lilith grinned at her. “Part your legs for me.”

Zelda obeyed, spreading her legs, breathing in sharply as she pressed firmer on the welts against the edge of the desk.

Lilith grinned at her, and then she was stepping between her legs, hand drawing lightly against the slick folds. Zelda watched at the pupil expanded, Lilith’s mouth parting as she gasped with what she found.

Zelda wasn’t slick, or wet. She was drenched from the caning and Zelda could feel something akin to embarrassment as she bit her lip, feeling herself quiver at the light touch, arousal dripping over her thighs and stinging against the forming welts.

And then Lilith was sliding inside of her and Zelda felt it like stars behind her eyes. Never had anything felt as deliciously good as the woman sliding however many fingers inside of her.

Lilith’s expression shifted, her face holding in faux surprise before she grinned, like the cat that got the canary, stroking inside of her purposefully with the intent to tease. “Is this what wanted?” she asked. Zelda’s eyes fluttered shut as she nodded, rocking forward.

She regretted the movement, feeling the sting shudder up her spine, mixing with the growing climax.

“Hold on to the desk,” Lilith said. “You’re going to want a steady grip for what I’m about to do.”

Zelda’s fingers wrapped around the desk, uncertain as to why, since she could certainly hold herself up on her feet.

And then Lilith was on her knees before her and Zelda felt herself tremble at the sight. The woman’s incandescent eyes staring up at her as she bent forward, fingers still stroking inside her as she pressed a kiss to her skin, licking along the crease between thigh and labia.

“Jesus Christ,” Zelda hissed, pressing on the ball of her feet, hands grasping at the desk. It was too much, definitely too much in a way that every other fantasy would be shattered and replaced with the image of Lilith on her knees.

Zelda swallowed, watching as Lilith’s tongue slipped between her labia folds in a low, languid stroke, and then she couldn’t watch her any more. It was too sinful, too delicious and her head rolled back, jaw clenching shut as she felt the tongue slip over her sex, drawing over it with such wonderful delight that Zelda could feel the sting of the welts melting and heightening the pleasure Lilith was summoning between her legs.

It was slow and drawn out, and then Lilith’s pace increased, her fingers sliding deeper insider of her, filling her up in a way that felt like she was entirely designed to please her, pressing where she needed it to be pressed, sliding deep and then back.

Zelda could feel her arousal dripping down against her thighs.

“Fuck,” Zelda whimpered, squeezing around the fingers as Lilith’s tongue drew over her clit. “Lilith,” she keened again louder, as Lilith began sucking over the clit, drawing over it until Zelda was no longer riding a wave. She was thrown high and higher and, oh god, she needed more. Her body was shaking, and her grip on the desk was slipping with the way she was riding those fingers.

One hand let go of the desk, slipping into Lilith’s hair, as she urged for more. She could hear the woman laughing between her thighs, but she didn’t care about how unhinged she felt. The woman was filling her up and licking her out like she’d never experienced before and there was nothing in this world that Zelda wanted more than to come.

“Let’s see how messy you are,” Lilith said before her tongue began swirling firm circles and it was all Zelda could do to nod, biting her lip.

The pressure was firmer, and then, Zelda was squeezing tighter, her whole body convulsing as all she could focus on was the pressure building and building, until––

“God, Lilith,” she managed to say, the words squeezed between a breath as she let go and felt the orgasm shake through her, with a sudden, unexpected gush of wetness.

She fumbled back on the desk, barely able to consider what exactly occurred as she realised that Lilith’s fingers hadn’t let up her. Her tongue was pressing flat over her clit, down to her fingers, and Zelda was shaking again. Before she could push her away, she was brought again to climax, stronger than the previous one, that took her by surprise so much that she dropped awkwardly against the desk, feeling papers crease, and something hard and wooden press against her forearm as she caught herself from falling.

Only then did Lilith pull away, her mouth dropping away first, fingers drawing out in such a way that Zelda whined at the sensation, blinking up at the ceiling.

She felt…very wet. And worse, she felt as if there’d been a sudden force to her orgasms, almost like she’d…

Well…she wasn’t sure, but she hadn’t had an orgasm like that for some time.

“What did you do?” she asked breathlessly, feeling the words come out in heavy pants as she watched Lilith rise to her feet, wiping her chin with the back of her hand with an entirely too pleased expression on her face as she reached over Zelda to pick at a tissue.

“Why I believe I made you come twice,” she said, her smile widening. “What do you think happened?”

Zelda felt a flush rush over her face. She’d had many orgasms before, but that had been different to anything she’d experienced. “You…” she trailed off, voice strangling as she looked away as Lilith cleaned her fingers with the tissue before throwing it in the wastepaper bin.

Zelda moved, but before she could, Lilith stopped her. “Here,” she said, reaching over her again and plucking out two sheets of tissue before handing it to her. “Have you never ejaculated like that before?”

Zelda took the sheets of tissue, cleaning herself the best she could before fixing her underwear and stockings. “No,” she admitted. “Well…maybe once or twice, but not like that.” She threw the tissues in the wastepaper bin and shifted her skirt down, feeling the marks on the ass sting as she did so.

They were going to hurt for a while.

“Pleased to be of service then,” Lilith said, taking a seat back in the office chair. “Did you want me to place cream on that?” she asked, pointing towards Zelda’s ass, though the way she swivelled in the chair made Zelda think that she just wanted to pull down her underwear again and fuck her over the desk once more.

“I’ll be fine,” Zelda said, feeling the flush of embarrassment wash over her. They had both been intense orgasms, and although Zelda had greatly enjoyed them both, she couldn’t help the embarrassment that had come with it. She’d been utterly unhinged, and now it seemed there was shame rolling over her for the ejaculation.

Lilith’s face tilted and before Zelda could push away, the woman was standing up before her, a finger on her chin gently guiding her eyes back to face her. “There’s nothing shameful about that.”

Zelda’s eyes narrowed, pushing the hand away from her. “I’m quite aware, thank you,” she said. “I’m not some young girl you need to guide in the ways of sex and sexuality.” Huffing, she pushed off from the desk and immediately regretted it, feeling the sting press over her.

“As you say,” Lilith said, going to sit back in her office chair as if they were having nothing more than a casual conversation. “I do hope you’re finished for the rest of the day, as I imagine that will be quite painful until late this evening.”

Zelda looked away, fixing her hair the best she could without a mirror present. “I trust that what we discussed stands––community service?”

“Yes, but it will be for all the students. Can’t look like a favour any of them,” she said, with a pressing look—annoyance from the need to play politics.

“And the other children?”

“I will handle it. But if you’d like to take up the issue, our PTA is always open. Or we can have another meeting?”

Zelda made a non-committal noise, running her hands over her skirt to ensure she couldn’t see anything.

“I shall see you tomorrow, Ms Spellman,” Lilith said, before gesturing to her door.

Zelda gave her a sharp look, before nodding and stepping away. The next day it was then.

______________________________

#zelda spellman #lilith #zelith #madam spellman #caos fanfic #morgan writes #morgans fics

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politicalprof · 5 years ago

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What Politicalprof listens to -- podcast edition

A recent question about a podcast has led me to offer this “answering a question literally no one has asked” post: what Politicalprof listens to, podcast wise. (Hint: it’s mostly history.)

Recent readers will know I do NOT listen to political podcasts. I get enough politics in my life every day. In the car, on a walk, I want to listen and think.

In no particular order:

Hardcore History: Don Carlin’s deep dive into historical events. Long. Well-told. Sometimes I learn a lot. I’ve bought ones that weren’t available for free. He doesn’t need my endorsement. But he gets it anyway.

The Fall of Rome: Patrick Wyman’s breakthrough podcast. Uses modern research techniques to explore under-publicized dimensions of the long fall -- falls -- of the Roman Empire. Completely worth the investment.

Serial: Another ultra-popular podcast. From the people who do This American Life. Seasons 1 (on Adnan Syed) and 3 (on the criminal justice system in East Cleveland, OH), are staggering. Season 2 is less so but so what? Listen and learn. Season 3 will hurt your soul.

Tides of History: Patrick Wyman’s followup to The Fall of Rome. It’s really about the rise of the West -- very much a western-Europe focused podcast. Enjoyable, if not quite as good as The Fall of Rome. Feels padded at times, particularly with interview shows. But I’ve enjoyed it.

The History of English: A long, deep dive into the history of the English language. Want to know why we say church but chapeau and why Americans say “erb” while British people say “herb”? You’ll know if you listen to this. Want to trace English from its Indo-European roots? Listen. There’s a LOT here. It’s a weird language. But by god it’s an interesting one.

30 for 30: If you have any interest in sports stories, particularly in their social/political dimensions, 30 for 30 from ESPN is excellent. I don’t care about all of them. Heck, I’ve skipped any number of them. (God I don’t care about MMA.) But they’re well done, and usually worth a listen.

Bundyville: Interested in the patriot/militia movement? The two seasons of Bundyville are a must. I know a LOT about this stuff ... and this is excellent. Revelatory. Listen.

The History of Rome: Mike Duncan was a college student when he started a fairly straightforward, leader by leader (with a little social history thrown in) accounting of the history of the Roman Empire. It’s not super sophisticated, and it is very leader-centric, but it’s interesting.

Revolutions: Duncan’s follow-up to History of Rome. He’d had some professional education when this started -- and a much more sophisticated podcast rig, with some professional support, too. Tracing the great Revolutions of the modern era, starting with the English Revolution of the 1640s through the American and French Revolutions, and beyond. A nice gimmick.

The City: Really good. First season examined the politics, bias and money involved in an illegal landfill in the North Lawndale area of Chicago, a predominantly African-American district. Second is deep diving into politics, strip clubs, and gentrification in Reno, NV. From USA Today. Excellent.

Land of the Giants: A thorough look at the business, politics and consequences of Amazon. Not “the Amazon.” Just “Amazon.” A behemoth in its own right. Fascinating and thought-provoking. It’s made me appreciate Walmart ... which is quite a thing.

History on Fire: A podcast from an Italian writer/academic, Daniele Bolelli. Long dives into various events. Mixed in quality. Some I like a lot, some fairly unengaging. Broad focus. Has shifted to a pay-site; I don’t find it worth it. But I enjoy the ones I access.

The Theory of Everything: Hard to describe. Still early days with this one. Thought/monologues/contemplations on big issues, with a little reportage along the way. May hold up -- I’ve enjoyed it so far. But it isn’t something I’ve yet committed to.

Friendly Fire: Three friends, at least two of whom are film industry professionals, chat about a randomly selected war movie. Some usual suspects; some surprise examples. Usually some interesting insights about films any war buff almost certainly knows. (But not always.)

Martyrmade: Deep -- DEEP -- dives into the way(s) the world has caused suffering for people, and how that suffering has shaped global life. Interesting project about Jim Jones and the Guyana cult got started before moving to its horrific end. Slow sending out new episodes; DEEP dives. You have to want it. Often worth it.

Against the Rules: Michael Lewis (The Blind Side, The Big Short.) has a podcast. (Just don’t ask him to talk at your university -- his fee is staggering.) This one is about referees: the job, the challenges, the complaining. And not just in sports. Interesting and engaging.

Surviving Y2K: Three seasons, the first of which is about the Y2K “bug” and the controversy around it. I skipped “Looking for Richard Simmons,” but enjoyed a deep dive into the American reality show, “Headlong: Running From ‘Cops.’” (All through Dan Taberski.) Light but interesting.

Spectacular Failures: A podcast about how some businesses went belly up despite the fact that they seemed like they were rolling along. (Blockbuster, anyone.) It’s not super deep, but it’s very accessible. If you want to think about failure, this is a good place to listen.

Cautionary Tales: stories of people screwing up. Examining the psychology of compounding errors. Well worth the time.

Catch and Kill: The podcast version of Ronan Farrow’s work exposing Harvey Weinstein and the architectures of power that enabled him. Interesting on both the issue and journalism as well.

History Impossible: long dives into some of the most uncomfortable, brutal but under-recognized hollows of American history. Very early days for me. Interesting so far.

I Spy: brief stories of real spy missions told by the people who did the operations. Not transformative, but interesting.

Reset: explorations of the roles technology plays in our lives, and of the ways the digital world is remaking the “real” world. The last episode I listened to examined Apple’s decision to remove an app that the protestors in Hong Kong were using to avoid police. Digital ethics in the modern age.

I have listened, at times, to This American Life, which I like on the radio but not as a podcast for some reason. I found American History Tellers wildly over-produced. I can’t listen to the endless array of crime podcasts. But I don’t watch crime TV, either.

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brokehorrorfan · 5 years ago

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Blu-ray Review: The Omen Collection

In the pantheon of religious horror, the holy trinity consists of The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and The Omen. Although The Omen arrived last, opening on June 6, 1976, it arguably offers more excitement than its satanic brethren (which is not to say that it is a superior film). Likely to be considered a slow-burner by today's standards, the picture builds tension and unravels a mystery at a meticulous pace, but it's punctuated by elaborate, Rube Goldberg-ian death scenes.

The Omen spawned a trilogy of films, a made-for-television sequel, and a modern remake. Scream Factory has collected all five movies in The Omen Collection, which is limited to 10,000 units. Besting Fox's earlier Blu-ray set - which omitted Part IV and featured some of the worst box set packaging known to man - each film is packaged in an individual Blu-ray case with original artwork within a rigid slipcover case. It boasts a deluge of extras, new and old.

In the original film, American diplomat Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird) and his wife, Katherine (Lee Remick, Anatomy of a Murder), adopt a baby named Damien (Harvey Stephens) after their own child is stillborn. Beginning with his fifth birthday, a string of mysterious deaths surround Damien. Upon being presented with convincing evidence by a photographer (David Warner, Tron), Robert becomes convinced that his son is none other than the antichrist, and he is faced with the task of stopping him to prevent Armageddon.

Firing on all cylinders, The Omen is an exemplary horror film. Working from a well-constructed script by David Seltzer (Shining Through, Prophecy), director Richard Donner grounds the story firmly in reality. The fantastical elements are easy to swallow, as each and every incident in the plot could be mere coincidence. Peck brings a gravitas to the production, leading a strong cast in which Remick also holds her own. Even the six-year-old Stephens, who never acted before and did very little after, is convincingly malevolent.

John Richardson's (Aliens, Harry Potter) special effects for the proto-Final Destination deaths - including one of the greatest beheadings ever committed on celluloid - remain shocking after more than 40 years. Cinematographer Gilbert Taylor (Star Wars: A New Hope, Dr. Strangelove) captures it all with clean camerawork, while Jerry Goldsmith (Alien, Gremlins) provides a chilling orchestral score elevated to pure evil with choral chanting.

The Omen has been newly mastered in 4K from the original negative, approved by Donner, for the new release. The result is a pristine presentation with improved detail and color saturation over Fox’s previous high-definition transfer. The Omen carries a whopping four audio commentaries. One, featuring special project consultant Scott Michael Bosco, is new. His audio sounds compressed - as if it were recorded on a cell phone - but it's dense with details focusing on the theological aspects. Bosco often digresses, but I appreciate the fresh perspective rather than a historian reciting IMDb trivia.

The other audio commentaries include: a track with Donner and editor Stuart Baird (Lethal Weapon, Skyfall), in which the two old friends reminisce about the highs and lows of the production; a track with Donner and filmmaker Brian Helgeland (Mystic River, L.A. Confidential), which features as much good-natured joking as it does insight; and a track with film historians Lem Dobbs, Nick Redman, and Jeff Bond, largely focusing on Goldsmith's score. A lot of information is repeated across the commentaries, but the varying viewpoints make them all worth listening to.

Seltzer and actress Holly Palance (who plays the nanny whose suicide by hanging is among the film’s most memorable moment) sit down for new interviews. Seltzer's chat is particularly enjoyable, as he's candid and humble. He openly states that his script is not as good as the movie it birthed. He also shares what he would have done if he had the opportunity to write the sequel. Palance, the daughter of the great Jack Palance, recounts her naivety about working on her first film and shooting her iconic death scene. The final new extra is an appreciation of The Omen's score by composer Chris Young, who says he looked to Goldsmith's progression across The Omen trilogy as he was scoring the Hellraiser films. It's fascinating to hear one accomplished professional praise another in their field.

All of the archival extras are ported over: a thorough, 15-minute interview with Donner from 2008; 666: The Omen Revealed, a 46-minute retrospective from 2000 featuring crew members along with religious experts to provide context; The Omen Revelations, which is essentially a streamlined version of 666, recycling much of its footage in 24 minutes; Curse or Coincidence, in which the crew recounts a variety of curious incidents that nearly derailed the production; an introduction by Donner; a deleted scene with commentary by Donner; an older interview with Seltzer, which features a lot of the same information as the new one; and an interview with Goldsmith about his score. There's also an appreciation of The Omen by filmmaker Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street), in which the master of horror waxes poetic about the influential picture for 20 minutes; Trailers from Hell trailer commentary by filmmaker Larry Cohen (The Stuff), who cites The Omen as one of his favorite movies; the trailer; TV spots; radio spots; and four image galleries: stills, behind-the-scenes, posters and lobby cards, and publicity.

Following the massive success of the first film, Fox fast-tracked a sequel, Damien: Omen II, to open in 1978. Having narrowly survived the events of The Omen, a 12-year-old Damien (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) now lives with his affluent uncle, Richard Thorn (William Holden, Sunset Blvd.), aunt, Ann (Lee Grant, In the Heat of the Night), and cousin, Mark (Lucas Donat), in Chicago. Damien is ostensibly a well-adjusted kid, unaware of who - or what - he is, but those who cross him wind up dead in freak accidents.

Omen II's plotting mirrors that of the first film, but the mystery aspect that made the original so effective is gone. The viewer knows from the start that Damien is, in fact, the antichrist, so they're left waiting for the characters to catch up. The plot dedicates an inordinate amount of time to Thorn's business enterprises, which is only vaguely paid of in the next installment when Damien rises to power. On the bright side, there are several admirably inventive deaths in the tradition of the first, from a bird attack that would make Alfred Hitchcock jealous to a visceral elevator bisection to a harrowing scene of a man trapped in a pond under ice.

Since Donner had moved on to Superman and Seltzer was either uninterested or not asked (depending on the source) to pen the sequel, a new creative team was employed. Stanley Mann (Firestarter, Conan the Destroyer) and Mike Hodges (Get Carter, Flash Gordon) wrote the script, with the latter set to direct. Hodges only shot for a few days, during which he quickly fell behind schedule, before being swiftly replaced by Don Taylor (Escape from the Planet of the Apes). Goldsmith returns to score with a worthy successor, retaining the signature sound while expanding it to incorporate electronics.

Leo McKern is the only returning cast member, reprising his role as archaeologist Carl Bugenhagen in the prologue. Peck's formidable presence is sorely missed, but Holden - who, incidentally, turned down the lead role in The Omen - and Grant bring some prestige to the production. Scott-Taylor is a convincing surrogate for Stephens, but the child acting leaves a bit to be desired. It's offset by a supporting cast that includes Lance Henriksen (Aliens), Lew Ayres (All Quiet on the Western Front), Sylvia Sidney (Beetlejuice), Allan Arbus (M*A*S*H), and Meshach Taylor (Mannequin).

Damien: Omen II's Blu-ray disc features new interviews with Grant, who is proud of the sequel and shares a funny anecdote about discovering her first wrinkle while filming; Foxworth, who was able to get to know Holden, one of his heroes, on their daily commute; and actress Elizabeth Sheppard, who proudly discusses working with Holden as well as Vincent Price (on The Tomb of Ligeia). In a separate featurette, Sheppard narrates a gallery of her personal photos from the shoot, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the bird attack sequence.

Since Omen II's mythology has little biblical foundation, Bosco's new commentary features even more tenuous tangents, but it affords him the opportunity to discuss the franchise more subjectively. An archival commentary with producer Harvey Bernhard proves to be a bit more informative. The disc also includes a vintage making-of featurette consisting of clips, interviews, and footage from the set, along with the trailer, a TV spot, a radio spot, and a still gallery.

The Omen trilogy came to a conclusion in 1981 with Omen III: The Final Conflict - although it proved not to be final after all. As prophesied, Damien (Sam Neill, Jurassic Park), now 33 - the same age as Jesus when he was crucified - has risen to political power. Following the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain’s ghastly suicide, Damien is appointed the position, which was once held by his adoptive father. The only true foe for the antichrist is, naturally, Christ himself. Rather than bringing about the apocalypse, as the franchise had been driving toward since the beginning, Damien attempts to prevent the second coming in a sanctimonious conclusion to the story arc.

While no successor could top the original Omen, its first sequel smartly embraced the gratuitous death scenes. For the third installment, however, director Graham Baker (Alien Nation) made a conscious effort to avoid them. Instead, he delivers inept monks trying to assassinate Damien with the Seven Daggers of Megiddo, while the antichrist’s legion of apostles murder newborn males who are the potential Christ child. Andrew Birkin's (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) script leans further into religiosity at the expensive of the horror elements while interjecting silly mythology akin to Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.

Omen III: The Final Conflict's Blu-ray disc features new interviews with Baker, who takes a truly retrospective look back on the film, comparing the society of today to that of when it was produced; Birkin, who hadn't seen The Omen when he first met for the gig and wasn't particularly impressed when he finally watched it; and production assistant Jeanne Ferber, who explains how she was among those polled by Bernhard to help choose the lead, with Neill selected unanimously.

For his final commentary in the set, Bosco is back to pointing out the film's connections to scripture, leading to a lengthy tirade comparing Christianity and Judaism. An archival track with Baker has a few nuggets of information among extended gaps of silence, but most of his points are addressed more concisely in the new interview. Special features are rounded out by the trailer, TV spots, and a still gallery.

Although The Omen’s main storyline continued with two more book sequels, Fox opted to use the familiar title for a made-for-television movie on their budding network in 1991. Although dubbed Omen IV: The Awakening, the film largely serves as a remake of the original film but with a female antichrist. After numerous failed attempts to get pregnant, politician Gene York (Michael Woods) and his wife, Karen (Faye Grant, V), adopt an orphan girl. Seven years later, Delia (Asia Vieira, A Home at the End of the World) becomes increasingly violent and manipulative, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake.

Similar to Omen II's production troubles, Omen IV started with Jorge Montesi (Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal) in the director's chair, but he was fire mid-shoot and replaced by Dominique Othenin-Girard (Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers). Writer Brian Taggert (Poltergeist III) keeps the basic structure of Seltzer's original script intact, but the details of each beat are altered and the death scenes are subdued for TV. In addition to gender-swapping the creepy kid, it's the mother who is proactive this time around.

Despite maintaining the general outline of The Omen, the plot is harder to believe this time around, stretching the required suspension of disbelief to include psychics that can read auras. The most ludicrous plot point comes in the form of a shoehorned connection to The Omen mythology. This "twist" canonically positions Omen IV as a sequel rather than a thinly-veiled remake, but it feels more like a low-budget knockoff than an official installment in the franchise.

Omen IV: The Awakening doesn't have any audio commentaries, but its Blu-ray debut includes a new interview with Taggert, who breaks down several of the major choices made in the script. It also contains The Omen Legacy, a feature-length documentary on the franchise that aired on TV in 2001. Narrated by Jack Palance (City Slickers), it finds cast and crew members (including a couple of folks who don't appear in any other special features) and religious figures (the Church of Satan’s high priestess among them) discussing all four films while playing up the alleged curse. The trailer and a still gallery are also included.

Amidst the onslaught of horror remakes that dominated the early 2000s, Fox shrewdly capitalized with The Omen in 2006 - on 6/6/06, to be exact. Director John Moore (Max Payne) offers slick production value and an inspired cast, but it feels wholly unnecessary considering how closely it follows the original script. Seltzer is the only credited writer, but it's unclear if his 40-year-old script was simply polished off or if he was involved in re-writes, as there are some subtle changes to contemporize it. While it fails to bring anything new to the table, it’s a stronger effort than Omen IV.

Liev Schreiber (Scream) and Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You) star as the Thorns. Talented as they are, they lack the chemistry of Peck and Remick. Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick is successfully creepy as the new Damien, while the role's originator, Harvey Stephens, makes a quick cameo. In a particularly motivated bit of stunt casting, Mia Farrow (Rosemary's Baby) plays the antichrist's new nanny. David Thewlis (Harry Potter) and Pete Postlethwaite (The Lost World: Jurassic Park) also have supporting roles.

The remake is the only Blu-ray in the set that doesn't offer any new special features. The existing extras cover a lot of ground, but it would’ve been interesting to hear the crew reflect back on it. Omenisms is a 37-minute documentary exploring the pressures of making a movie with a release date set in advance, even showing Moore losing his temper and yelling at a producer. It feels very of its time, with director Stephen French treating the piece like a hip art film, but it contains a lot of great material.

Moore, producer Glenn Williamson, and editor Dan Zimmermann participate in an audio commentary that's fairly informative but doesn't touch on many of the trials and tribulations showcased in Omenisms. There's also a featurette about Marco Beltrami (Scream) recording his score at the legendary Abbey Road Studio; Revelation 666, a cheesy TV special tracing the history, interpretation, and theories of 666; unrated, extended scenes, including a longer version of the ending; and theatrical trailers.

While The Exorcist remains the be-all and end-all of occult horror, The Omen franchise as a whole is more consistent. The first three Omen films comprise a cohesive trilogy, while Part IV and the remake each offer a fresh, if flawed, perspective on the material. Between the movies, commentaries, interviews, and featurettes, The Omen Collection contains over 30 hours of content, making it an unbelievable value and a must-have for any horror collector.

The Omen Collection is available now on Blu-ray via Scream Factory.

#the omen #gregory peck #damien: omen ii #omen iii: the final conflict #omen iv: the awakening #mia farrow #scream factory #dvd #gift #review #article #damien thorn #liev schreiber #julia stiles #lance henriksen #lee remick #william holden

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dragon-kazansky · 5 years ago

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The hypnotist - Jervis Tetch x reader

Summary: Gotham is under threat and the dead are rising. Meanwhile, you’re still on the outside and Penguin wants your help with the Court of Owls.

Mostly you and Oswald in this chapter. Long chapter ahead!

Chapter 7 - Gotham’s judgement

The next few weeks were defiantly very exciting. Gotham always had a surprise up it’s sleeves.

Jim had shot Mario because of the virus, which Lee didn’t believe right away. She demanded Jim be arrested, or at the very least an investigation took place for the murder of her husband, could you blame her?

Your only enjoyment out of that was watching Jim Gordon suffer. You had been through enough to find satisfaction in his misery.

Unfortunately, you were less than thrilled to bump into him while on a job. You had done such a good job of avoiding him up until now, but it was going to happen sooner of later.

Neither one of you said anything for a moment. Jim just looked you up and down, wondering what it is he should say. There had been a lot on his mind lately, but he hadn’t forgotten about what Jervis had said.

“Jim.”

“Y/N.”

“On a case?”

You wanted to keep the conversation clear from Jervis and you. You doubted that would last after what happened with Mario, but he didn’t need to know you knew. You didn’t want to explain how you had eyes and ears around the city.

“Yeah, I don’t know if you know, but Jerome’s body was taken... We think his followers have something to do with it. You heard anything?”

“Not specifically, only that apparently some of the dead have risen. Do you think Jerome will be resurrected?” You tilted your head to the side. Jerome was as good a topic as any.

“Possibly. If you hear about where they might have taken him, will you call me?”

“I guess. I should get back to work.” You went to walk past him, hoping that would be the end of it, but he reached out and grabbed you gently by the arm, causing you to turn and face him. You sigh quietly.

“I spoke to Jervis.”

“Oh?” You knew this from the letter, but you’s humour him anyway.

“He... He backed up your story. I have no reason to think he was lying. I’m sorry I put that pressure on you. I just don’t understand why you would willingly follow him. He killed people, he shot Vale in front of you, you heard what his sister said about him.” Jim was trying to read your expression, but you didn’t give him the satisfaction.

“I like him.” You shrugged. “Everyone in this city is guilty of something.”

“Not everyone.”

“Most people, then. He had been nothing but kind to me, he didn’t hypnotise me to do anything, he just talked to me. He’s sweet, sure he’s sinister and creepy at times, but I think that’s just you feeding into the loss of Alice. He’s not exactly your number one fan.”

“Right, maybe you shouldn’t visit him any more.”

“Why would I do that? I’m the only person he has.” You released your arm from his grip and took a step back.

“I’m concerned about your feelings for him.” He stares at you blankly.

“I don’t see how this is any of your business.” You glared at him. “Why don’t you go back to your case and leave Jervis and I alone? I’d much rather you did.” You hissed through your teeth.

“Y/N...”

“Unless, does you knowing the truth now change anything?” You looked up at him curiously.

“You mean, do I think you’re an accessory to he murders Jervis Tetch committed, and am I going to arrest you?” He asked, sighing.

You nodded your head eagerly.

“No, it does not. You’re not guilty of what he did, no matter which way I look at this. You are not being sent to Arkham with him.” Jim looked at you seriously. “There is nothing wrong with you.”

That had to be! Why else would you do it?

“Whatever.” You stepped even further away from him. “I’d assume Jerome’s cult would need a lot of electricity to jump start him back from the dead.” You shrugged. “Start there.” You walked away.

Jim could only sigh and watch you go.

Within the hour you have finished up your job and take to the city. You didn’t quite feel like going home just yet.

Victor Zsaz was a well known assassin in Gotham. He took down all his targets, no matter who they were. His kill count was marked on his body. You had never met him personally, but you had heard about him.

He was currently standing across the street.

You briefly made eye contact.

“Hey!” He called out.

“Hey.” You replied.

Zsaz crossed the road and looked you up and down. He taller than you, so you had to look up a bit to make eye contact with him.

“Do you know Jim Gordon?”

“I know him.” Last you heard, Zsaz was more than capable of finding people on his own. It felt weird to be talking to an assassin. He seemed so chill.

“Where is he?”

“Did Falcone hire you to kill him after he murdered Mario, his son?”

“Maybe. Do you know where he is?”

“Not exactly. He went looking for Jerome Valeska’s cult. I told him they were somewhere with a lot of electricity. That doesn’t exactly narrow it down, but maybe you can find him from that... or just find Harvey Bullock, he’ll go to Jim.” You shrugged.

“Thanks.”

“Sure...”

Zsaz turned and left. You’re not quite sure what happened, but he was pretty cool for a hired assassin. You blinked, got over it, and left.

Later that evening, Jerome was on TV. He had woken up thanks to some dude, Dwight, who had taken his face to pretend to be him. Jerome had taken his face back and stapled it back on. It wasn’t exactly a good look, but it was the best he could do.

Jerome cut off the power in the city, telling Gotham to do whatever they wanted. Kill, steal, cause chaos.

Luckily you were back at the house when this went down. You were sure you were safe from the chaos. Jervis wouldn’t like it if he heard you got caught up in that mess.

Though you had to admit it was rather exciting seeing the city go crazy one way or another.

By the next day Jerome had been arrested and sent to Arkham, with a newly sewn on face, after kidnapping Bruce and almost killing him. You saw it all on the news in the morning.

Deeming it safe to leave the house, you decided today you would visit Jervis again. It had been a while since you had seen him in person. The letters were nice, but you wanted to see him. You had so many whispers around the city you wanted to share with him.

As usual, Jervis was pleased to see you. He reached for your hands as soon as you sat down and you chuckled. You had missed him just as much, it felt good to hold his hands in yours.

"It's been so long since I saw you last, without you here time doesn't pass fast." He sighed and gave a little shake of his head, his curly hair swishing with the movement.

"It's good to see you to, Jervis. The house is quiet since it's just me." You also gave a sigh.

"Tell me, my dear, what have you been up to?" He smiles and leans in closer, eager to hear what you have been doing. He had long since ran put of tales to tell you on his end, well, maybe except from one.

"I've been mostly keeping to myself, Gotham has grown more curious than before."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I hear whispers that the dead are rising again. Turns out to be true because Jeroma Valeska was causing havoc yesterday. Turns out he woke up without a face and went after Bruce Wayne because that's all he remembers last." You chuckled. "I'm sure you've crossed paths with him at some point."

"He is here. I heard his laughter late last night. I have yet the pleasure of meeting him." He chuckled. "I hope James Gordon hasn't been a problem."

"Not really. I bumped into him yesterday. He believes me now, but doesn't think I'm guilty for anything. I was almost hoping for my one way ticket here, you have no idea how much I want to be with you again."

Jervis didn't like how sad you sounded.

He could only smile at how mad those words were. There isn't a single soul in Gotham who would want to be in here, but you just wanted to be with him. He was flattered.

"Arkham is no place for such a wonderful soul." He smiled.

"I don't care. At least we would be under the same roof and I wouldn't have to see Jim again." You chuckled, no actual humour behind it.

"I would like nothing more than to see you everyday."

You both just gazed at one another for a moment. You took in all his features. His dark brown eyes, his curly hair, his smile. As dramatic as it sounded, you were afraid of forgetting any small detail about him the longer you go without seeing him.

Being in love with a criminal who was locked up in mental asylum was beyond difficult.

You bit your lip shyly and looked down at your entwined hands.

"Please don't shed tears," you felt him wipe away the tears you were unaware were falling, "tell me how to ease your fears." He whispered.

"I... I should go." You let go of his hands and got up quickly, leaving without saying goodbye.

Jervis wanted to call out you, but couldn't find his voice. He was stunned that you left so quickly. His heart ached to go after you, but alas he couldn't.

He wasn't sure what got you so upset, but he knew he didn't like it.

Visiting him was getting hard. Every time you came here to see him, you were just reminded that you would be leaving alone.

Your loneliness was really starting to take effect on you.

You told yourself you wouldn't visit him for a while.

Turns out you wouldn't have to worry about that as Oswald Cobblepot had returned to the city after being shot and pushed into the river by Nygma. Ivy Pepper had saved him and told him she could help him put together an army of freaks from Indian hill. While in the topic of hired help, he had thought of you. Barbara hadn't seen you all day and didn't know where you were living now, but it seemed like fate was its game today when he saw you in the street.

"Just the person I was looking for!"

You turned around and saw Penguin waddling your way.

"Penguin, what do I owe the pleasure?" Since he didn't seem to hold any grudge on you for that founders party dinner, you figured you could at least hear him out.

"I need your help." He smiled.

"Uh, sure, what do you want me to do?" You figured it was a favour.

"Actually, this is a little different. Would you be ever so kind to come back to the mansion with me?" His smile remained present ad he looked at you.

"I suppose. Lead the way."

You needed the distraction, so going with him didn't sound like too bad of an idea. Oswald actually remained quite pleasant all the way to his mansion, which he hadn't seen since Ed pushed him in the river.

When you reached the mansion there a three other people there:

Ivy Pepper, who is beyond pleased to see Penguin return with a friend.

Victor Fries, who is standing in the far corner with a blank expression and making you feel cold just by being in the room with him.

Bridget Pike, otherwise known as Firefly, who has put as much space between herself and Fries and giving a forced smile.

"This is everyone!" Oswald announces proudly as you take in the state of his make shift crew.

“So, what am I doing here? You have two pretty cool team mates already. no pun intended.” You looked at Fries.

“Well, you seem to be able to handle yourself. I know all about the Tetch thing that happened.” Oswald smiled. “I think it’s in my best interest to have you on my side too.”

“Your interest? What about my interest?”

“What do you want?” He shook his head lightly, wondering what your price was.

“I want Jervis Tetch out of Arkham.” You crossed your arms.

“I don’t think-”

“That’s my price. Take it or leave it.”

Penguin saw that this was the only way he’d get you on the team and sighed, nodding a couple of times. “Very well, I’ll see what strings I can pull, but you only get that if I get what I want.”

“Yeah, you haven’t told me that part yet.” You walked past him and went to sit next to Ivy on the sofa.

“And yet you’re already staying.”

“Just tell me the detail before I reconsider everything.” You gave a long drawn out sigh.

“You’re going to help me take down Ed and Barbara Kean.” He stood there with a smug grin on his face.

“Ed?”

“Edward Nygma? Maybe you have heard of him. He used to work for me.” He shifted on the spot as if there was more to that story, but he didn’t tell you what it was.

“OK. I can help take out a few people.” You shrugged. “Looks to me like our job just got a little easier though.” You gestured to the TV which Ivy had put on, turning up the volume.

Penguin went and got a closer look.

‘The Riddler’ had been apprehended, then he escaped.

“How long did it take him to come with that one?” Oswald chuckled. He turned around with a grin and looked at each of you. “Rest up, tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”

You glanced at the TV once more before going off to find your room.

You were ready bright and early in the morning. You had no real reason to trust Oswald Cobblepot, he was known for stabbing people in the back and tossing them to the side when he was down with them, but you would make sure he kept up his end of the deal when this was over.

You thought it best not to tell Jervis about what you were doing, you could explain everything when you saw him in person.

“Come along!” You hear Penguin call from down the hall.

Along with Firefly, you followed Oswald out of the mansion and, as his request, you drive to Jim’s place. Apparently there was more to this plan that he had told you last night. You sort of expected it as, once again, he isn’t trustworthy.

Jim leaves his crappy little apartment after talking to Harvey on the phone, his path his blocked by Penguin and you. He looks over his shoulder to see Firefly blocking off the other side.

Clearly Penguin wanted to talk to him.

“Oswald.”

“Hello, Jim.” Penguin smiled at him.

“I didn’t think you two would be working together, not after the dinner.” Jim looks at you.

“Let’s just forget about that night, shall we?” You sigh.

“I haven’t seen you for a while, where have you been?” He asks, looking concerned about your well-being.

“Non of your business.” You hiss.

“Have you been visiting Jervis?”

“Again, non of your business.”

“I’m concerned about what he’s doing to you.” Jim keeps pushing and pushing.

“He’s done nothing to me, leave it alone.” You can feel your anger boiling with each word that leaves his mouth.

Jim drops it for now.

“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’re still alive.” Oswald goes down the steps and closer to Jim, you remain where you are.

“Yes, I’m quite hard to kill.” Oswald says proudly.

“I take it this isn’t a social call.”

“I’m looking for Ed. We have some unfinished business. And it turns out you are the last one who saw him.”

You furrow your gaze Jim.

Apparently Ed disappeared after being apprehended. No one has seen him since. It made you wonder what was going on in this city.

“Yeah, before escaped police custody.”

“Escaped? From the great Detective Gordon? I think not. Ed Went on television demanding information about a group that runs Gotham. A group called the ‘Court.’ And you called him and said you had that information.”

This was the first time you had heard about this ‘Court’ and you wondered what else you had missed while focusing on Jervis all this time.

“A ruse to get him to the GCPD.”

You scoffed.

“Perhaps. But then you arrest him, and, voila, he disappears. Sorry, ‘escapes custody.’ Can you see how I might think you may have handed Ed off to this all-powerful group from some reason?” Oswald got right up in Jim’s face.

“For your own sake, Oswald, drop it.”

“I knew it.” Oswald turns to smile at both you and Bridgit.

“You don’t know anything.” Jim grabs Penguin and pulls him closer to him. “Trust me, let it go.”

“Jim Gordon concerned about our safety?” You shook your head with an assumed smile. “I thought I was free from all that.”

He chose to ignore you.

“Sorry, no can do. I assume the Court doesn’t like publicity, hence Ed’s sudden disappearance after his television debut. But that is exactly what they’re going to get. Unless they deal with me in a civilised and professional manner. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind facilitating something on my behalf.” Oswald pulled out a phone and handed it over to Jim. “My number is the only one in here. I will expect a call by the end of the day.”

“Why do I get the sense I’m being threatened?”

“This is a favour, Jim. After all, we’re old friends, right?” Oswald turned around and came back to you, not sparing you a glance as you remained stood on the steps looking at Jim.

He looked back, but neither of you said anything. You slowly turned on your heel and left, following Oswald back up to the car.

You all head back to the mansion.

When you get there Ivy is waiting with a letter in hand, she give it to you with a smile and leaves. You already know who it’s from by the handwriting. You go over to the table and open it up.

My dear Y/N,

Something curious happened late last night, almost enough to give me a fright. Captain Barnes was being escorted away, then someone strange got in their way.

The man and the captain had a fight, the man won and took him out of sight. Barnes is now out there roaming free, the rest I’ll share when you next see me.

Jervis

You smiled as you folded the letter up. Best not to let Penguin know about this, he would only start a riot. You rose up from the table and tucked the letter away.

You would make time to visit Jervis later.

For now you passed the time until Jim called.

Jim didn’t call for several hours, Penguin couldn’t pick up the phone fast enough when it did ring.

“Hello, Jim.”

You looked up at him as he answered the call. You got up and moved closer, hoping to hear Jim’s side of the conversation.

“I was beginning to think I wasn’t going to hear from you.”

“I met you the other night, didn’t I?” You heard Jim say. You and Oswald shared a look of confusion. “When you took Nygma?”

It became clear to you very quickly that he wasn’t talking to Penguin.

“Jim?”

“I keep wondering what it is the Court is planning to do with him.”

“Stop talking.” You heard in the back.

“This used to be a bank, right? First bank of Gotham?”

Oswald caught on to what Jim was doing. He looked at you and you nodded.

“I just hope it can withstand whatever the bomb’s going to do to it.”

‘Bomb?’ You mouthed at Oswald. Was this the weapon you had heard whispers about?

“It sounds like we don’t have much time.”

“Shut up.”

Penguin hung up and rushed off, you followed him as quickly as possible. Jim was in a dangerous situation right now and he had reached out to Penguin for help.

“Let me get this straight, this Court runs Gotham and they are going to wipe it out with a bomb?” You asked quickly, trying to keep up with everyone as they got ready.

“That’s it.” Penguin confirmed.

“And they have Ed?”

“Supposedly.”

“Why the hell am I even still here? What are my services even for? I don’t know how to disarm a bomb.”

“You’re an extra number on my side.” Penguin sighed, tired with your questions.

“An extra number? For real?” You crossed your arms. “If I stick with you, will you keep up your end of the deal?”

“Yes, if you come with me now and help rescue Jim.”

You were doing this for Jervis.

The first bank of Gotham. Very well then.

You arrive just in time to help Jim with his fight. Firefly turns on her flamethrower which causes the guy to back up and fall through the window, landing down below where a gathering was taking place.

Jim calls out for everyone to get out.

The bomb was sitting on top of a table in the centre of the room.

You stand beside Oswald.

“Took you long enough. I need to get these people out of here.”

“And I need to talk to the Court.” Penguin tried to stop him. “Have them turn over Ed. Remember?”

“There is a bomb down there with a weaponized version of the Alice Tetch virus.”

You perk up at that.

“They turned the virus into a weapon?” You peered down into the room curiously.

Jim glanced at you.

“If you want to be here when it goes off, be my guest.” Jim marched passed Penguin.

“What about out deal?”

“You just torched their assassin. My guess is, they’ll be in touch.”

You shook your head and backed away from Penguin. “I’m out.” You turned on your heel and ran as fast as you could. The Court was Penguin’s issue, you had to see Jervis now. There is no way he knew about the weapon.

Then again, the weapon would be doing exactly what he was doing, just on a bigger scale. He might even be pleased to hear about it.

You put as much distance between you and the Bank as possible and made your way to the safe house. You decided it might be best to lay low for a little while. If the Court knew about you helping Penguin, would they bring you in too?

You knew the deal would be out the window as soon as you left Penguin’s side, but it seemed like the better option. You really didn’t like the sound of this Court and wanted out before they could get to you too.

You didn’t leave the house until the next day.

Penguin had surely been taken in by now and no one seemed to be after you. Perhaps you weren’t a threat to them, despite the fact you knew of them. Perhaps they were just waiting.

You took your chances and made the trip to Arkham.

Jervis was waiting. He wasn’t entirely sure you would visit him again after your sudden leave last time, but he hoped you would come.

When he was told he had a visitor he perked up, hoping it was you who had come to him. He wanted to know you were alright and

It wasn’t.

It was Leslie Thompkins.

“Twinkle, twinkle, pretty doctor, how I with I could unlock her.” Jervis kept his gaze on her as she chose to stand rather than sit with him. “Here in Arkham, what a wonder. Too bad her husband’s six feet under.”

“Clever. How is life in the nuthouse?”

“Oh, you know, it has its ups and downs. It’s a little lonely, if I’m honest.” He thought of you. “Forgive me for saying this, Leslie, dear, but, uh, you don’t look yourself.” He didn’t want to talk about you and decided to get straight to the point. After all, she had come to see him for a reason. “Have you been sleeping? Or are you plagued by nightmares?”

“You want to hear the funny thing, Jervis?” She sat down.

“Oh, do tell. I do so love funny things.”

“I never really blamed you for infecting Mario. I just thought, ‘Why blame the lunatic?’ So I blamed Jim.”

“Wise... though hardly sidesplittingly funny.” He narrowed his brows and gazed at her in slight confusion.

“Why did you infect him?”

“Oh, Doctor, is that the question that’s been ruining your sleep?”

“You wanted to hurt Jim. Why not infect me? Why make Mario suffer?” She tried to search for answers in his gaze, but couldn’t find any.

“Do you remember our tea party at your lovely home?”

“When you shot Valerie Vale.”

“Yes! Good memory. Well, I saw the way that you looked at James Gordon. You loved him. And that love doomed Mario.” Jervis had a tiny grin on his face.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It makes perfect sense!” He raised his voice and leaned forwards slightly. “Jim Gordon does not deserve love! Jim Gordon does not get love!” He yelled. “I infect your husband. You blame Jim. Your love him becomes hate.”

Lee understood it now.

“It makes perfect sense.”

Lee stood up.

“And it worked. But you know the funny thing? There’s poor Mario, cold in the ground... and here you are, blaming Jim, even blaming me, but guess who’s really to blame?”

“I am.”

“Now, see, that’s funny.” He smiles.

“I feel sorry for Y/N. It’s true what they say about not helping who you fall in love with, but I’m sorry it had to be you.” She didn’t find any of this funny. She wanted to hurt him for what happened.

Jervis’ smile seemed to brighten up. You were in love with him? Truly? Oh, he hoped that was true. Denying his feelings for you was beginning to hurt. He had lots of time to think in here, and think of you he did.

“It’s a shame that love story is as tragic as mine.”

Jervis frowned and glared up at the woman.

Now that, he didn’t like.

Lee left him alone.

Jervis sat there for a moment, frowning. He had no intention of staying in Arkham, he also had no intention of leaving you out there alone. If what Lee said was true, then he just couldn’t.

He wouldn’t let this end tragically too.

Jervis waited to be escorted back to his cell, but confusion took over when he realised the guard hadn’t come in to get him.

“Excuse me, are we not returning to my cell?” He called out.

“You have another visitor.” The guard replied.

Well, Jervis certainly felt popular today. He turned back to the gate to see who had come to see him now.

His gaze softened when you walked in. He was so happy to see you. Jervis had been so worried after you left so quickly last time. He wasn’t sure what it was that made you so upset, but he was glad to know you seemed alright now.

You smiled at him as you sat down.

“Hello Jervis.”

“Hello, my dear. What a wonderful surprise!” He couldn’t contain his excitement.

“I’m sorry about running off last time... but don’t worry, all is good. Well.... sort of.” You bit your lip sheepishly.

“Has something happened?”

You glanced up at the guard who had his back turned on the other side of the gate. You leaned in closer and placed your hands on Jervis’. He also leaned in when he realised that what ever you were about to tell him was important.

“I got your letter about Barnes... something weird is going on in Gotham.”

“It is the type of place to attract weirdness.” He chuckled softly.

“I know that, but this is really weird. Have you heard of the Court?”

“I can’t say I have.” He furrowed his gaze at you. “What’s going on? Are you in trouble?”

“No, at least, not yet. I think Gotham is being run by some secret alliance... and I think they have turned Alice’s blood into a weapon. I didn’t stick around for all the details, but if I had to guess, they want to wipe out Gotham...”

“My dear Alice has been turned into a weapon?” He covered his mouth and shook his head. “My poor sister.”

“James Gordon is looking into it, but something it weird about him too.”

Jervis reached for your hands again and leaned in close once more.

“Stay away from him. He will being you no good.” Jervis frowned. “Perhaps you should leave Gotham for a while? You’ll be safer.”

“No. I’m not leaving Gotham, what about you? I can’t leave you here alone.”

He smiled.

“You don’t have to worry about me. Spend enough time in here and you become accustomed to it.” Jervis chuckled. “I just want you safe.”

“I’m not leaving.” You gave a small grin. “You can’t make me either.”

Jervis chuckled too.

“Before I forget, I saw Lee before I came in... Did she come to speak to you?”

You assumed as much considering what happened on her wedding day. Talk about the worst wedding ever.

“She did. I wonder what she will do. Curious.” He chuckled.

“What did she want?”

“She wanted to know why I infected Mario and not her. Under other circumstances, she would have been impressed, but alas, she was a part of the equation.”

You rolled your eyes, “I’m impressed.”

“I’m happy with that outcome.”

“I should go, I need to find out what happened to Penguin after I left yesterday.” You began to rise from the table, Jervis reluctantly let go of your hands.

“Penguin?” He tilted his head to the side. “What were you doing with him?”

“Working. I just didn’t realise just how bad the job would get.” You gave him a soft smile and made your way over to the gate. “I’ll try and visit again soon.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

You smiled as you bit your lip again, moving over to him and placing a kiss to his cheek. You left before he could say anything.

Jervis was once again left alone filled with happiness.

The guard came in and escorted him back to his cell.

However, neither of you knew what else was to come. The bomb in the bank was just beginning of Gotham’s judgement.

Things were about to get more complicated.

Tags:

@mistressoftorture @fandombeehive @awyr

#jervis tetch x reader #jervis tetch #gotham #the hypnotist #chapter 7

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hecallsmehischild · 5 years ago

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Recent Media Consumed

Movies

Anon. I dropped this one halfway through. It feels… on the one hand it could be called “artsy.” On the other, it borders on severe voyeurism masquerading as a critique of identification technology. I dropped it when the moral crash-landed like an asteroid with zero tact or subtlety, landing me harder on this “this movie is voyeurism with no other thought about its story” camp.

Klaus. I saw it called the current Emperor’s New Groove by someone on Tumblr and I had no idea how accurate that statement was until I saw it. The animation is gorgeous and while I despised the main character at first, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT HAPPENED and it is glorious and beautiful and ad;akjdf;lakdsjf I think I have a new Christmas favorite...

Books

Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst. A re-read of olden days. A wonderful wolf-and-human story from wolves POV. What’s that? Book one of a trilogy, you say? Excuse me, needs must find the next two, and quickly… (edit) Okay so I also read Secrets of the Wolves and Spirit of the Wolves and… and… and… frick did the ending have to be like that? I mean it makes sense but… BUT OW, OKAY, OW.

The Town That Forgot How To Breathe by Kenneth J. Harvey. I had to drop this one a few chapters in. Rich description and the characters are real characters, but it’s the sort of ghost story that leaves a clammy, sickly feeling in my chest and I’m not game to spend an entire book with that feeling.

The Legend of Sheba; Rise of a Queen by Tosca Lee. Picked up as an I-already-trust-this-author read, I was not disappointed. Tosca Lee is adept at shifting writing styles to match her character, and is compelling enough to make the genre I’m leery of (Biblical fiction) an enjoyable and engrossing read. She does Alt Universe and thriller too, but that’s for another read…

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold. This book is an elaborate and extended metaphor. It’s a little heavy handed but also well done. I guessed the twist from the start, but was never completely sure of it until the end. I had a lot of discomfort reading this story, but never so much that I put it down. If rape is a trigger for you, don’t read this book.

Dreamfire by Kit Alloway. Has an interesting premise, but I dropped it a few chapters in. Not sure I can articulate why. It didn’t hold me. I used to force myself through books to the end because I thought I owed it to them. Now I’m finding that, while I still feel guilty, I don’t want to read it if it doesn’t mean something to me. I don’t want to expend that effort to slog through if I don’t enjoy something. I’m going with that feeling more and more.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. At a writer’s conference a few years ago, one of my favorite authors, Kathy Tyers, passed out photocopies of the first two pages of Cinder as an example of excellent worldbuilding. I finally got my hands on this cyberpunk Cinderella story and now I want the rest of the series. Lunar Chronicles, here I come…

#child loves books #child loves movies

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aili · 6 years ago

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Valentine’s Day Music Newlsetter 2019!

Welcome to the 13th Music Newsletter! Short intro for the newbies - I love music. I love sharing music with other people. In college I started a "music newsletter" email with some playlists (aka mixtapes) I've made and some song/band recommendations. Why Valentine's Day? Because I think this day should be about love in many ways - including love for music!

That brings us to today. The first Valentine's Day mixtape I put together was actually a physical mix CD that I mailed to my home friends while I was away at college. That was in 2008 (11 years ago!). A lot has changed since then, but my love of music has not. While I feel sometimes too busy or too old or too out of touch to know what I'm even talking about, I hope you'll get some enjoyment out of this - as much as I've been enjoying listening to these songs and picking them for you!

*Click here to download Valentine's Day 2019 mixtape!

Click here to play Valentine's Day 2019 on Spotify!

*Note that the file downloads as a zip file, double clicking on it to open it up should give you the individual songs. Then move the songs to iTunes into a playlist!

1.) "Happy Unhappy" - The Beths New Zealand indie rockers The Beths debut album, Future Me Hates Me, is full of catchy, energetic sad-twinged songs. This song feels like it could have come out back in the 00s when we had to find new music by reading blogs and actually downloading MP3s - it feels closer to the Garden State soundtrack era of indie than the recent moody electronic vibe. It's a lot of fun! Sounds like Courtney Barnett by way of The Wombats, with a splash of Los Campesinos.

2.) “City Looks Pretty” - Courtney Barnett Courtney’s 2018 album “Tell Me How You Really Feel” is only her second studio album, but somehow it feels like she’s been around forever. The album features a “fuller” sound and more production, which may appear dulled next to 2015’s “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit.” However, I feel excited by Courtney exploring a more mature sound and think it accurately reflects the albums depressive theme. “Sometimes I get mad / it’s not all that bad” is sung with a definite apathy compared to her shout-singing past record. As the bridge settles in, Courtney captures the depression symptom of lack of interest in things you used to enjoy. The city looks pretty when you’ve been stuck inside isolated for two weeks. 3.) “Screwed” - Janelle Monáe feat. Zoë Kravitz Janelle’s 2018 album “Dirty Computer” is an anthology of songs (and truly, poetry) that tell of reckoning with being a queer woman of color in an oppressive, violent society. It’s an incredibly personal album with her fans in mind - “I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you. This album is for you. Be proud.” (Rolling Stone, 2018). My favorite part of this song is “See, everything is sex / except sex / which is power / you know power is just sex / now ask yourself who’s screwing you.”

4.) "BAGDAD - Cap.7: Liturgia" - Rosalía 25-year-old Rosalía Vila Tobella from Catalonia has an excellent 2018 album El Mal Querer. The album combines traditional flamenco with modern R&B. The album is a story of love and heartbreak over the course of 11 chapters/songs. This particular one might sound familiar due to the sampling of Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River."

5.) "Gun" - St. Lucia St. Lucia's first release off of their 2018 album Hyperion caught my attention with its connection to a more traditional rock sound and the heavy-hitting, one-word title. The production and sound almost reminds me of Oasis or U2. Turns out that the album is indeed produced by someone who worked on records with PJ Harvey, Depeche Mode, and U2. In interviews, Jean-Philip Grobler talks about how this song is generally about both gun control and power. "You said you wanted to feel a gun in your hands" in Verse 1 transforms to "You said you wanted to feel the blood in your hands" in Verse 2, highlighting the fact that guns are designed to kill.

6.) “Apathy” - Frankie Cosmos With a catchy bass line, gorgeous lyrics, and endearing vocals, this song and entire album are not to be missed. As you may notice on this year’s playlist, this year I was super into what I would describe as punk-influenced, low-fi indie female vocalists. Pretentious enough for you? Haha. I just mean that there are a ton of young women blowing up in the indie music scene with a huge crossover in sound. As demonstrated in “Apathy,” many of these songs are short, lack a traditional pop music format, use low-fi production, and have a storytelling aspect of almost speak-singing. These elements are all found in traditional punk music, so it’s interesting and exciting to see these artists shaking things up and challenging the punk genre. Frankie Cosmos has a long history of creating music, under various projects using Bandcamp as a teenager. Her 2018 album “Vessel” is nothing short of delightful and another one of my favorites of the year. 7.) “Your Dog” - Soccer Mommy Soccer Mommy is Sophie Allison, singer-songwriter based out of Nashville. She opened for Paramore on their recent tour and she has launched into the indie music scene with a lot of attention in the past couple years. I love how her voice clearly carries so much anger as she sings about an emotionally abusive relationship. Her lyrics describe the agony of small, sweet gestures pushing her back to her ex, despite her wanting desperately to end it. Using the metaphor of being a loyal, sub-servient dog, she describes the way her SO treats her like she’s his property. Because the song lacks a traditional “pop” format (verse 1 / chorus / verse 2 / chorus / bridge / chorus), there is a sense of the story ending unresolved. Fortunately, she has an excellent album (one of my favorites) from 2018 called “Clean” where you can learn more of her story. 8.) “Pristine” by Snail Mail A stunning debut from 19-year-old Lindsey Jordan, “Lush” is a 2018 release not to miss. “Pristine” perfectly encapsulates teenage life and love - “it just feels like the same party every weekend. Doesn’t it?” There is such a sense of genuine hormonal angst that she is almost joyfully celebrating. Her album reads more like a diary - and how lucky she is to have these future memories and be able to approach them with such wisdom.

9.) "Uncomfortably Numb" - American Football feat. Hayley Williams Paying homage to Pink Floyd, legendary emo band American Football joins with Paramore's lead singer Hayley Williams for a devastating track about losing emotional sensation. "I blame my father in my youth / Now as a father, I blame the booze." I couldn't find too much information on the exact inspiration behind the track, but it's the second track released off their upcoming album out March 22nd. Hayley is usually front and center as a singer, and it's interested to hear her take more of a backing role, as well as explore a bit of a lower vocal range than she usually does.

10.) “Geyser” - Mitski Mitski absolutely killed it last year with “Be The Cowboy,” which was consistently rated not only in the top 5 best albums, not only top 3, but making MULTIPLE end of year lists as the number one album of 2018. It’s easy to see why, given the incredible breadth of music she wrote for her album. I see Mitski's influence reflected in the rise of fame in other punk-inspired female vocalists in the indie scene, building off her ability to capture the attention of a wide audience. Which is also very interesting because she incorporated elements of many other genres on this album (spot any disco on “Nobody”?) While it was difficult to pick one song for my playlist, “Geyser” stands out to me as not only an excellent album opener, but a fascinating look into Mitski’s own relationship with the art she creates. In an interview, she explains that this song is about her feeling like she has to create music because she would never be satisfied in life without it, but feeling sometimes stifled, stuck, and resentful when she puts music above basic needs such as her health and self-care. She needs her art to survive but it simultaneously kills her.

11.) “Me & My Dog” - boygenius It’s impossible to pick just one song of this album. Boygenius is the supergroup of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker - who each could also have one of their incredible solo songs on my playlist. Partially because they enjoyed each other’s creative energies and partially as a response to constantly being compared to each other as “women in indie,” the trio came together to create an EP of emo-influenced, folk-inspired gorgeous tracks about grief, loneliness, identity, and heartbreak. This particular song features Phoebe Bridgers in the verses and is a beautiful representation of the embarrassing and frustrating feeling of being in love with an ex. Please check out the individual work of these artists too!

12.) "bless ur heart" - serpentwithfeet Serpentwithfeet, aka Josiah Wise, has a gorgeous, intimate voice throughout his 2018 debut album, soil. This song starts off with a question of how his art will be received by the world. The rest of the song is a tender message of gratitude to his first love. It seems like Josiah questioned the choice to speak about his experiences with his ex in such a public fashion - with complexities of privacy, being open about sexuality, and possible painful memories on the table. Josiah's writing is very much like poetry, and his raw, unfiltered, un-autotuned vocals match the beauty of his words.

13.) "Bury A Friend" - Billie Eilish 17-year-old Billie Eilish is set to release her debut album, When We Sleep, Where Do We Go? next month. This song matches her goth aesthetic with a creepy story from the perspective of the monster under the bed. We learn that the monster is part of Billie herself, who is struggling with her own demons. 14.) "Loading Zones" - Kurt Vile A gorgeous guitar track, Kurt Vile paints a picture of his hometown Philadelphia and feeling on top of the world exploring his city's streets. He included a hilarious marketing strategy of sending fake parking tickets to fans in the mail to promote the song. Kurt Vile talks about the metaphor of "I park for free," which is how he sometimes lives his life - breaking the dumb rules because it's his life, his streets, his town. 15.) "Dylan Thomas" - Better Oblivion Community Center Is it possible to already be nostalgic for the late 2000's? Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers released this surprise collaboration last month and this is the standout track for me. Conor Oberst's incredibly recognizable voice is hard to match in terms of strength, timbre, and uniqueness. While Bridgers is young enough to be from a different generation than him (she also grew up listening to Oberst's music), he saw something in her that resonated with him. I love how they sing in unison on this track (and much of the album) and think their voices sound really good together.

16.) "Butterflies" - Kacey Musgraves Kacey Musgraves is bringing a breath of fresh air to country. After self-releasing three albums, she tried her hand at reality TV through Nashville Star over a decade ago. Golden Hour is her fourth album using a record label, and she just won Album of the Year at the Grammys! Her voice is beautiful and has an earnest, authentic approach in joining elements of country pop.

17.) “Prior Things” - Hop Along “Bark Your Head Off, Dog” is Hop Along’s third album, released in 2018. Singer/songwriter Frances Quinlan has the ability to transform the themes of her songs. Layered with a multitude of different sounds and instruments, it could easily sound scattered and busy, but instead feels like we are huddled around a campfire with an enthusiastic, stream-of-consciousnesses storyteller. “Prior Thing” is the last song on the album and crosses time, space, and memories with the start of a hallucinogenic drug trip. She has the ability to take a phrase and transform the expected - pausing or elongating notes at unexpected places. This method keeps you invested in figuring out what the song is really about or what the conclusion is. 18.) "Kids" - Pup Emo/pop punkers Pup have a new album Morbid Stuff coming out on April 5th. Their songs are made for live shows - shouting/singing alternates, sing-a-long catchy lyrics reminiscent of the Hold Steady, and unison whole-band lines. Pup frontman Stefan Babcock said this song is about finding someone who agrees with your view of the world being a fucked up place, and enjoying small moments of solace in spending time with them.

SPOTIFY

Don't forget to subscribe to my playlists on Spotify! Here is the link to listen to this year's mixtape on Spotify.

I try to add new songs at least once a week to this playlist: What I'm currently lovin' (updated freq)

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I hope you guys enjoy the new music and feel free to send me recommendations of anything you like!<3 aili

Previous Mixtapes:

Autumn Love mix | Autumn Love Spotify

Copenhagen mix | Copenhagen Spotify

Valentine's Day downbeat 2010

Valentine's Day upbeat 2010

Valentine's Day 2011

Philadelphia mix | Philadephia Spotify

New Crime mix | New Crime Spotify

The City mix | The City Spotify

Drive mix | Drive Spotify

Valentine's Day 2012 | VDay 2012 Spotify

King's Myth mix | King's Myth Spotify

Hold On mix | Hold On Spotify

Valentine's Day 2013 | Vday 2013 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2014 | Vday 2014 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2015 | Vday 2015 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2016 | Vday 2016 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2017| Vday 2017 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2018 | Vday 2018 Spotify

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