#i would look worse if i had to work with orin and an old man who hated my guts

[tokyo-lockdown]

According to what Withers says in the epilogue, the adventure lasted "a dozen tendays." How long was Durge stashed in Ketheric's basement? A month, two? Gortash got his bestie swapped by Orin six months ago and if that doesn't explain his current appearance and the utter joy he radiates during the coronation, nothing does.

[margridarnauds]

Audrey/Seymour, Hyde/Lucy, Hyde/Emma

Ship It: Audrey/Seymour

What made you ship it?

...I will admit I have never actually watched this musical in full, but "Suddenly Seymour." Especially when performed live by Hugh Panaro. Rawr.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

Get you a man who will feed your abusive boyfriend to a plant which he named out of love for you.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

...I literally have no idea what the unpopular and popular opinions on this ship are and I choose to keep it that way. I think that, looking at the tag at just a glance, it's actually that rare case with one of my ships where the fandom just...hyper-sanitizes it? Like, I love them as a comfort ship where they help one another and support one another, but I also do very much like that....he does feed people to the plant? He couldn't kill Orin, but he did watch as he died. He did get rid of Mushnik. And, while we can go back and forth on whether they deserved it...that is a thing he does do, and he was willing to let more people die if it meant that Audrey would still love him. I'm not looking at hyper grimdark takes, but I'm interested in like....approaches that go with that level of..."The things we do for love."

Ship It: Lucy/Hyde

What made you ship it?

It was very much....not necessarily Baby's First Darkship, because I've been shipping heroes/villains since I literally had a conception of romance as something Not Icky. I loved my femme fatales and ice queens and brooding bad boys and gothic heroes -- I always have and, unless something very dramatic happens, I very likely always will. (One of my first ships probably WAS Imhotep/Ankh-Su-Namun.) But if it wasn't Baby's First Dark Ship, it was Baby's First Musical Theatre Dark Ship. Like, I'd dipped into E/C, but I was kind of caught up in the sort of....purity culture around it? So I gave it up for a while. And J and H was the second musical, after POTO and Cats, that I REALLY got into, so it was kind of natural. (And HILARIOUS, given that Hyde is....pretty objectively a worse human being than Erik in every conceivable way -- He's definitely worse as a romantic partner. I really went from the frying pan to the flaming dumpster fire and never looked back.)

But, like. At the time, I was a very, very religious pre-teen/teenager, who was very strongly indoctrinated by purity culture. Like, to put this into perspective: I only allowed myself to listen to "Point of No Return" from POTO once a day because I thought it was a Bad Song (that I was nonetheless intrigued by) and somehow, only listening to it once a day, with the knowledge that it was a Bad Song, would somehow make it okay with Baby Jesus. (Yes...my twelve year old self was...a little strange in the logic department.) And so Dangerous Game was really.....it was sex, in a way that I really didn't allow myself to interact with sex. And it was a little scary and...intimidating and guilt-ridden, but I was also very interested in this push and pull. Lucy was this female character that I was really invested in, she had this very tragic ending that I rejected even at 12, and so I was really drawn to her and her dynamic with Hyde -- some of the first musical theatre fanfic I ever looked at was probably for those two and Chauvelin/Marguerite.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

I love (anti)heroine/villain ships where the heroine/villain are in a relationship that works as a dark parallel to another "purer" ship. It's similar with Morléans Marie Antoinette where it's like....Lucy isn't Emma, Hyde isn't Henry, and they're both these kind of cast-offs of society. Hyde is the part of Henry that he rejects, while Simon Stride/the Spider makes it very clear that Lucy will never be a lady like Emma, and so there's this...symmetry between the two of them.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I don't really go here as an active fandom -- I don't really know what the fandom opinions are on them. Like, so much discussion of J and H is about how bad it is and...like, it is and it isn't and I need to be at a certain level of trust with someone before I'm willing to talk about what I do and don't like about it, and every time I go on I see all these webcomics and crossovers I don't fully understand and don't particularly *want* to understand, so like...I'm here, but I'm not.

I guess...in my ideal J and H, it would really emphasize that Hyde himself has some of Henry just like Henry has some of Hyde -- Some of those things that Hyde does that Henry wouldn't do are horrible, but I also wouldn't mind seeing him, say, beat the shit out of the Spider. (Though he does kill Simon at the wedding reception so #GaslightGatekeepGirlboss?) Like, he's canonically possessive of her, so I'd like to see that possessiveness cross over into protectiveness. I'd like to see more of that push and pull, establishing this sense of...a certain level of equality even if he still has more power over her. It's still inherently unhealthy, because it wouldn't be *them* if it wasn't, but just...fleshing out what's already there. And, in my ideal version of things, she does survive him stabbing her (I HAVE NOT ACCEPTED HER DEATH SINCE 2010, I'M NOT GOING TO START NOW), and so she has to come to terms with everything post-canon. Like, the man's dead, and that's good, but also that she *did* love him, so there's also this sense of regret.

I can see, going into the tag, that there's been a bit of backlash against the ship -- Frankly, I don't care. I get why it can be offputting to people, I'm not blaming people for wanting Lucy to live a perfectly happy, fluffy life and to run away with Jekyll or Emma or any combination, but also it's kind of...there. It's one of those ships where I'm here like "don't blame me for being invested in the dark, toxic, but sexy relationship that is framed as being dark, toxic, but sexy." (Honestly, there wouldn't be anything morally wrong with shipping it either way, but in this particular case...it's in the canon. And, frankly, again, what do people expect from a gothic musical? Well-adjusted people?) I'll say that most takes seem to, as usually when it comes to my dark ships, go either too fluffy for them or too grimdark, when my personal favorite medium is "fucked up tenderness/angst/bittersweet endings."

Ship It: Emma/Hyde

What made you ship it?

I literally never considered it until you just suggested it, but I am now interested.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

I was talking about Lucy/Edward as that sort of gothic ship that is based on obsession and lust that borders just on the razor edge of hatred and love, but also...Emma/Edward are the gothic ship that is...the heroine in the haunted house (her house), married to a monster. It's a mixture of Beauty and the Beast, the gothic genre, and some of my favorite folkloric motifs around monstrous husbands. (I'm thinking of a mix up of Bluebeard, The Vampire/Corpse Eater [though that one and I have a...complicated relationship], and East of the Sun, West of the Moon.) He's Henry, but he Isn't, there are these traces of the man that Emma loved, and she wants him back, but there is also this darkness that is also compelling. Emma's never fit into Victorian society, anyway -- She isn't "seventeen, obedient, and sweet". That was part of the appeal of Henry, why she didn't marry Simon. She wouldn't go for Hyde's brutality, no, but I also think...she might, depending on the Emma, be willing to consider Hyde more than we might think. She's coming in with this strong sense of self and this strong sense of confidence that might or might not be enticing to Hyde.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

...if this is widely shipped in any way, I would be greatly surprised, especially given how vocal people can be about Lucy/Hyde.

[rom-e-o]

@quill-pen oh my gooood he gets worse and more pathetic with each bit of lore I learn about him. okay, I have to share what I'm working on, because we're having hivemind atm with all these fics where Eb just ... blows other men out of the water.

<><><>

"Want a tip?” Orin asked with a smirk. “Men are like cabs; when they're available, their light goes on. They wake up one day and decide they're ready to settle down, have a couple brats, they’re like a driver on-duty. The light goes on, and then, it’s a race against all the other cabs to get their next passenger. The next woman they pick-up? BOOM! That's the one. Marriage, kids, life-rending depression.”

Constance shook her head. “You might be like that—”

“—All men are like that—”

“—But Ebenezer isn’t.”

The guffaw that left Orin’s lips was as strident as cannon fire. “You think you're living a sweet little love story? You got lucky. You were just a pretty, desperate redhead on the curb. He pulled up, and you couldn't wait to hop in, couldn't you?"

Constance couldn’t look Orin in the eyes. “I-I…accepted Ebenezer’s kindness, yes. But I assure you, he was kind to me out of the goodness of his heart. He never expected anything in return because he’s a good man. A generous man!”

“Right,” Orin said. “And yet…here you two are. Living together. Engaged.”

“Stop.”

“A therapist would call this a troubling pattern, Con. You’re the common denominator here.”

“You were the one who asked me to marry you, not the other way around!” she asserted, her voice starting to hike in volume.

Then, to her horror, a grin split his face. “Oh … that’s right. I asked you. I flicked my little light on when I chatted you up, bought you a few vodka sodas on starry rooftops, compared you to a Botticelli angel, held your hand when we ice-skated in Rockefeller Center …I pulled my car up to your curb. And what did you do? You, a beautiful but dense girl from Manhattan,­ jumped right in.”  

Was he right? No, she thought. Of course not! H-He wanted her to doubt herself and her intentions.

"I bet you little Ebenezer didn't choose you," he said. "That old man's days are numbered. He wants a legacy, and a distraction in the sack too. He would have picked up any girl on that corner."

She'd had enough.

“You’re violating your restraining order,” she tried to remind him. The acid behind his stare made it hard for her to control the tremble in her voice. She stepped backward into the apartment, her hand flailing behind her to reach for something – anything – to defend herself.

Working on a fic where Constance actually raises her voice.

Incredible.

[the11tailed]

Fandom: The Magnus Archives, Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008), vague Dead by Daylight

Tags: @crc-general-orin, @crc-commodore-sana9

Reblogs are love ^-^

-

[Recorder click]

Statement of Tup Fett regarding an incident that occurred in a Junkyard when he was a child.

Audio recording by Tech Fett, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institution, London.

Statement begins

I never blamed my brothers for what happened, it was my fault in a way. I never should have gone to that junkyard. It was a dare. Just a dare. It was harmless. 

I was 7 at the time. My brother’s Fives and Echo had dared me to go into the weird junkyard out by our old house. It's not a bad junkyard. It's just a dump a few meters back of the houses. Someone started a rumor that dead bodies were found there, but many members of my family is in law enforcement and they stated that no bodies were ever found, so I never believed those tales. Fives and Echo had been charged with taking care of myself and my twin, Dogma as all other members of my family were busy. Fives and Echo are good brothers, don't misread this, but they were not babysitters.

It was obvious early on they did not know what they were doing. They took us to the Junkyard, as they went there for fun a lot. It was a short walk, and sooner than I'd like, we were at the entrance. I was a bit scared, but Dogma was petrified. He clung to Echo and refused to go in. He said the "shadow people" didn't like this place. The shadow people were Dogma's imaginary friends (yet on some days I wondered if they were really imaginary) and he had them since, well, he was four after our uncle...did some disgusting things to him. I won't go into detail, but you can guess what our uncle did. He started seeing these "shadow people" everywhere. Anyway, I'm getting off track.

Fives only laughed when Dogma mentioned the shadow people. He dared us to go in

"It'll be fun!" he had said this with such glee.

I wanted to prove to my big brother that I was brave. So I went in. It was like any junkyard I've ever seen. It was just stuff piled high with no real order to it. I wandered for a bit, not long. It was when I turned a corner did I see the gate. At first, I couldn't figure out why it put me on edge. It was pitch black, with vines from some plant coiling around it so tight it warped the metal. I could see strange flowers bloomed on various and random places on the gate. I was curious so I got closer. I wish I hadn't. I wished I had turned and walked back to Fives and Echo and didn't go through the gate. But I did.

I stepped through the gate and the world around me warped. I don't really know how to describe it. The world almost folded around me and I felt really hot and really cold at the same time. Then it unfolded and refolding again and again. When it stopped I was standing in a junkyard but it was different from the one I had been in. This one had broken down cars everywhere. The next thing I realized was that the sky had taken a red tint, casting the whole area in a red glow that sent shivers down my spine. I turned, wanting to go back, only to find the gate slammed shut. I ran to it, but it had no handle. I saw a lever, but when I pulled it, nothing happened. I was scared and so utterly alone. I reached into my pocket for my phone, I need to call for help, but found my pocket empty of any phone, lost I looked around. I spotted the generator. It was an old thing, just sitting there. It wasn't on and I got the odd feeling that I needed to fix it. I walked over to it. I didn't know what I hoped to do, I was 7 and sure as hell didn't know how to fix a generator, and yet I did. I worked on it for 2 and a half minutes and fixed it. I still have no idea how. When it clicked on I got this odd sense of dread. I got up and walked to one of the red lockers that was sitting near the generator as the sense of dread grew into terror. I opened it and climbed in, closing the door. The terror I felt made my heart hammer in my chest. And then I heard it. The thump thump of something heavy walking near. The smell of rotting flesh was so strong I nearly gagged. I knew the smell of rotting flesh anywhere. My Grandpappy Jaster owned a farm, and one time I had found a dead cow that had been missing for days. She had wandered up into a wooded area and died. I found her and vaguely remember losing my lunch and crying into my older brother, Fox's, shoulder. Grandpappy did feel real bad about that, even though it was not his fault.

I heard a snarl of rage before the heavy footfalls got quieter and quieter. The sense of fear and dread went with it. Once I could no longer feel the dread, I climbed out of the locker and hurried off in the opposite direction of the footfalls.

I have no idea how long I ran. It was a while before I ran into anyone. I mean literally, I ran right into someone. A man in his 20's wearing a suit, now torn, ripped, muddy, and bloody. He had black hair and green eyes and I would later learn his name was Anthony. Anthony looked horrified to see me. I was confused back then, but I know why now. He was scared because I was a seven-year-old kid put in a demented game with a ruthless killer, but I'm getting ahead of my self. Anthony helped me up and hurried me along. I was went with him, too scared not to. He led me to another generator.

"I'm guessing you got the 3rd generator," he said and I just nodded.

"We just need two more and then we are free," he said that with such a hopeful tone.

There was another person with us, a young woman named Sarah. She was a young woman, maybe 19 or 20 with short, dyed pink hair and a few piercings. Her clothes were tattered and bloody and I noted she had a bandaged wrapped around her shoulder, yet I could see no wound. She was already working on the gen. Myself and Anthony knelt and helped her. Soon, with a rumbling click, the gen turned on. Then the dread crept in. I looked around desperately for a locker, but found none. Anthony grabbed me and dragged me behind a stone wall. There was a tree near us and I had to hold in a gag at the scent of rotten meat wafted from the crow slung up on the bark of the tree, stomach open. Anthony put his finger to his lips and we sat there crouched. The dread turned into terror and I heard the footsteps. thump thump. Loud and commanding. I was scared, far more scared than I had ever been in my life. I was shaking and Anthony knew that. He placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to console me. Then I saw Sarah run and I got the first look at the monster. It was humanoid, an arm covered in strange, boil like spots. I think the most horrifying part was it's face. It's flesh there was pulled, I have no idea how else to explain it. There were staples on various parts of it's body. It was terrifying. It held a chainsaw in one hand and a hammer in the other and it ran after Sarah. It activated it's chainsaw and I heard it whir and then the squelch of it hitting flesh. I heard Sarah scream, a sound so raw and so painful I wanted to cry. I think I was. I watched as it threw Sarah over it's shoulder. It carried her to a hook standing in the field. It was nothing special, but I found it odd that the hook was just there, swaying ever so slightly in the wind. Then, it threw Sarah onto the hook and she screamed again. He watched her gag for a second before limping off and vanishing into the tall grass. I tugged at Anthony's sleeve

"Shouldn't we help her?" I had asked through tears but Anthony shook his head

"Death hook" was all he said

Sure enough, long spider like limps emerged from the hook and impaled her. I watched in horror as they lifted Sarah's body up as more spider-like limbs descended down and grabbed her body and lifted her up into the void above. Once her body was gone, the limbs emerging from the hook, knocked the hook off and onto the ground. I let out a chocked sob as the realization hit me. I had just watched a person die.

"C'mon kid," Anthony had said and ushered me along.

I followed numbly, I was in shock, but the gravity of our situation shook me out of it quick. We found the last gen quick. We worked on it fast, but slow enough as to not make mistakes.

"I have a kid around your age," said Anthony, smiling at me, "Once I get out of here I plan to hug them and remind them how much I love them. You got any family,"

I nodded,

"Lot's of big brothers, a dad," I sniffled, "How does time pass?"

"I've been here a few minutes, what's the date,"

"the first of august, 2009," I responded and he looked pale

"No, it's-it's the second of January," I shook my head at that and we lapsed into silence. The dread came just as the gen clicked on. We both shot up, but by that time the dread was terror. It was here. Anthony ran at it and tried to draw it away from me, but it didn't work. I ran as it chased me, fear surging through my limbs, but I was seven, I wasn't fast enough. Do you know what it feels like to be slammed in the back with a chainsaw? I can't even begin to describe the pain. It hurt worse than any injury I had ever gotten and I screamed. Next thing I knew, I was being carried over it's shoulder. It was taking me to an open field. There were two hooks. Both faced each other. He threw me on one. The pain from that was worse than the chainsaw as the metal hook ripped through soft flesh and muscles and threw bone and I screamed a blood curdling scream. I was only there for a moment when I heard a strange noise. The gate had been opened. A sense of panic hit me. Had Anthony left me to die. But then I heard the whir of a chainsaw and a cry. It hooked Anthony right in front of me. He gave me a small smile as the creature ambled off.

"Listen," he had said, "Gates open, straight ahead, hurl yourself off the hook and run, don't stop, don't try to get me, I'm on death hook, Just run,"

"How?" I cried in desperation.

"Throw yourself off the hook," he said before the limbs stabbed him and dragged him away.

I wanted to cry, but it would have to wait. I took a deep breath and threw myself forward and off the hook. There was an explosion of pain, but I didn't register it. I ran. Ran as fast as I could. I saw the gate, wide open and tore forward. The whir of the chainsaw came from behind me and I got the idea to bob and weave. I did and it worked. I knocked over a pallet with strength I didn't even know I had and tore to the gate. I ran threw the gate out without stopping. Like before, the world folded in on me and repeated until, it stopped. I was back in the junkyard, no broken cars in sight and a soft blue of the sky almost made me sob. Warm blood trickled down and, to my horror, I realized I was still hurt. I reached into my pocket and was greeted with my phone. I called the first number I could think of. 911. I just said I was hurt in the Junkyard, fell and hurt my shoulder and that I need help and fast. The operator was a nice lady, helped keep me calm. The fire and rescue arrived fast and I felt happiness when the words 212 came into view along with squad car 1010. I wanted to cry as I ran towards them. I watched Helix run and catch me and I collapsed into my cousin's arms.

"Tup?" he had sounded so horrified and I guess he had the right to.

Fox rushed over and froze when he saw me. Helix was treating me as fast as he could as Fox knelt beside me and cupped by face with his hand. He told me it was all okay now, and that I was safe. I knew I was.

I woke up in the hospital three days later. I learned that I had been missing for almost an entire month. Fives and Echo felt so guilty, blamed themselves, but I could never blame them. Never.

-

Statement ends.

Another victim of the Entity's twisted games, and my own cousin. I remember the scramble for search parties when Tup went missing, but I still lived with my abusive mom, so my brother's and I were unable to search for Tup, who had been a close friend in high school for me. After this, Tup went through a lot of therapy, but he still struggles. He informed me one day, years ago, that he too now sees the shadow people. I've seen the shadow people too. All my brother's have. They are always there, just watching us.

As for follow up, there is not much we can do. The entity exists in a realm outside of ours and we have no way of stopping it or telling who it's next victim will be.

So another dead end, but not matter. Unfortunately, most of the files in the archives have statements made by members of my family. A lot mention a horrible tragedy and the sudden appearance of these shadow people. I wish to look into them, but my own shadow people have grow restless, usually that means-

[Static on recorder]

Yes, I know

[Static]

Yes

[Static]

Fine

End recording

[Recorder click]

[whetstonefires]

Earth-3

Characters: Owlman, Talon, Superwoman, Orin of Atlantis, Donna Troy, Garth

Warnings: Dehumanization, vague sleazing at 13yo, brief mention of past eye trauma, villains

Words: ~4,500

For Sheillagh O., who has been very very patient about something that in theory was going to be done by the end of January.

--------

Talon ducked under his master’s elbow and slid the knife in where it belonged, at the base of Owlman’s spine.

It was one of three blades that slotted invisibly into the armor plates along his torso, to serve as additional rigid protection as long as they were in place and, when necessary, to offer an extra edge.

Not that the Owl ever even looked unarmed, nor would be harmless if he were. But there was a difference between the menace of jet claws, and the sharp point that could be made with five inches of steel.

Talon ducked back out again, lifted the left gauntlet from its stand and waited for the matching hand to be held out, that he might slide it on. This might take some space of seconds, as Owlman was flipping through the day’s reports on an obsidian clipboard, inset with faceted beads of smoky quartz forming the shape of the feather tattoo he gave his fully initiated followers, the footsoldiers of his Court.

(There had been a lecture last month, when the clipboard was delivered, about the choice of materials, and the balance between useful opulence and absurd ostentation. The latter, it seemed, would have been using actual gemstones in the decoration, rather than mere quartz.

Talon was glad it wasn’t set with diamonds. Inevitably one would have fallen out and gotten lost, and Owlman would have been in a temper.)

Without looking up from whatever document was making him frown so thunderously, the Owl extended his left hand. Gauntlet on. Flex, to make sure it had settled correctly. Pass the clipboard into that hand, obsidian impervious to the bite of claws, as Talon circled silently around his back.

It was important not to keep his master waiting, but neither could he distract him with haste and rush. There was a balance in this, as in all things. Perfection must brush the fingertips with every movement, though it might never alight within the palm. This was attainable. He had been well taught.

The old Talons had not been trained as squires. He’d been told that by one of the round white masks, old blood who had known Talons before him, in feathered armor, and trained them too. White circle inset with great dark eyes looking down, thinking little of him, in his ragged grey and scarlet. White mask and the voice that issued from behind it familiar, from times when he had been in error, and required punishment.

But the Court had changed, since the days when Talon wore the armor. And the King who ruled it now preferred the personal touch.

He didn’t need help arming up, of course. The entirety of the royal raiment was very particularly designed to be manageable by the wearer, without assistance, because Owlman felt that trust was a negotiable commodity but not one he preferred ever to have to rely upon.

A second pair of hands saved time and trouble, however, and the more height Talon put on, the more often it was his service that was called for, rather than that of the old man. He could almost reach the top of the Owl’s head now, if he stretched.

Clipboard transferred, the second powerful hand stretched out, and Talon slid the gauntlet onto it. Another flex of claws. Testing articulation. It was unthinkable that this armor could be neglected enough to rust, but something could always have gone wrong. Never assume.

The claws dove toward his neck, and Talon froze. What mistake had he made?

But his throat was not opened. One great knuckle hooked carefully under the edge of his jaw. The armored inner pad of the vast thumb pressed against his lower left bicuspid, through the thin flesh of his face. The very end of the thumb’s black claw pricked at the corner of his mouth.

Firmly, the heavy hand turned his face up, into Owlman’s where he knew better than to look unless instructed. Pale blue eyes punched into his own sharply enough it felt they should have punctured, and oozed down his face blindly. (He hated when that happened. The slime stayed even after he recovered, and blindness in the interim was awful.)

“Talon,” said his king, as softly as he ever said anything that was not a threat. Deep, smooth, and just a step shy of gloating. None of the cool sharp edges of his anger. Talon had done nothing wrong. The band around his heart loosened. “Focus.”

The hand withdrew from his chin, and Talon dipped his head in contrition. How could he always tell, somehow. What carelessness crept into his movements, when his mind began to spin away behind his eyes?

"Good." The Owl reached out and lifted the feathered mantle from its stand himself, swinging its weight around his shoulders to settle there, doubling his already great size and casting shadow over the gleaming-dark surface of his breastplate.

Reached up to draw the mask down over his face, and tipped his chin back as he did, throat bared, so that Talon knew to step close, reach up, and hook carefully along the the gorget the row of fastenings that kept the great cloak in place.

A twitch of broad armored shoulders brought the feathers into line, and they were ready to depart.

-

The meeting was on an island in international waters. Waters, however, that were within a convenient distance of Gotham by small watercraft, a thing ensured by the simple expedient of Owlman having donated the location to the cause.

Not that he didn't still own it, technically speaking, through a network of shells. (Talon knew vaguely that these were legal entities, but always pictured tiny curling conches and delicate oyster-carapaces strung on chains, swinging with every breeze.) But it was used for only this, and was treated for Society purposes as common ground.

The other members maintained just the narrowest thread of awareness that they were on his territory—enough to incline them to defer, but not enough to make them feel trapped.

It was a careful balance his lord maintained, over these titans of the world. Talon knew the delicate power of it because he was one of the most mobile weights on the scales, but also because he imagined anyone would, watching power flow back and forth amongst the mighty. The unstoppable force of alien or amazon curbed and redirected to a common purpose.

Or was that only anyone who had been watching Owlman all their life. Talon could not say.

The Court had been this restive, once. When Talon was new. Had still required delicacy, though never quite so much, because no one in it had had a fraction of the strength gathered here. Now all the Courtiers had learned to bow their round white faces and avert their staring Tyton eyes, and the King had turned his gaze beyond Gotham, into the greater world.

The waves broke black about them as they raced eastward, leaving the lights of Gotham far behind. It was low in the water, this small vessel, but fast and quiet as the wings of owls in the night air. Owlman steered, very upright in the only seat.

Talon crouched at his left hand, one bare knee steadying him against the inside of the hull. It was cold. Thin steel between him and the ocean’s depth.

He could drown for a very long time, before he stopped waking up again.

Sometimes when the boat was caught by a rise, he jostled against his lord’s knee. The Owl took no notice.

“Listen closely to the others,” he instructed, at length, as the shore of the little island and the tower’s height came into view. As though Talon might have forgotten. “I will be expecting a detailed report at the end of the evening.”

He didn’t glance toward Talon. Verbal confirmation was required. “Yes, my lord.”

“Good. I intend to avoid conflict tonight, and in addition to the question of expanded membership, the political situation has expanded the agenda, so we may run late. You may speak to whatever hangers-on the rest have brought as necessary to extract information, but be subtle.”

“…yes, my lord.”

“You have doubts?”

“No, my lord.”

“Obviously they’ll be suspicious if you act out of character.” Yes, exactly. “Don’t.”

Well. That limited the options. A challenge, but the better kind. The more choices he was given, after all, the more likely it was he would make one that was wrong.

Talon tipped his head back a little to catch the flash of the stars. They said you could use them in place of a clock, if you knew them well enough. There would be a clock in the meeting-hall, to time his mission by. Owlman always made sure that business could be conducted according to schedule, so that if it was departed from it would be a conscious decision, and not the careless creep of accidental waste.

There were few worse things than error.

The ocean spoke, and the stars were silent, and he understood neither.

-

The prince of Atlantis was leaping lightly up onto the dock when they drew alongside it, casting the reins that bound his dolphin mounts aside into the cold March water. He had no need to hitch them in place; they would come when he called.

Careless, artless display of power. All the more effective for its lack of calculation.

"Orin," Owlman inclined his head minutely as he stepped across from vessel to pier. Talon knelt at his heel, lashing the boat in place against the dock—unliving things could not be counted upon to remain obediently where they were left, if something wished to carry them away, nor to come back when called upon, and the ocean did not bow to the Owl-king's will.

"Owl," the prince replied, return nod almost lost in the way he swept his pale hair back, scattering salt droplets against the rising moon, glittering even brighter than the golden scales of his armor. "Lovely night."

"Mm." Disinterested agreement. Claws loose. No offense taken. The embossed patterns of his armor caught the moon in them far more subtly, a spider's web over polished night. "Shall we go up?"

"You take the open sky too much for granted, my good bird," smiled His Highness, voice light as sun on water. "But surely. I sent my squire ahead to ensure the provisions would be suitable, today."

No staff was kept on the secret island, for security reasons, and thus catering was limited. The speedster Dash had been in charge of the food at the previous meeting a month ago, and his contribution had been dozens of cheeseburgers in paper sacks, whose scent had made Talon's idiot mouth water, even though last time he'd eaten anything of the kind (spoils from a target’s home) it had sat in his stomach like stone, until he lost it into a gutter.

Superwoman had been entirely amused by the cheeseburgers, and Ultraman had only gotten annoyed once he saw that Owlman was, and realized his own standards should be higher. Atom, who was the most recent addition to the cohort, had seemed indifferent, as much as the mood of a man six inches high could be read from any distance.

But Hydrolord had almost walked out in offense. Surface dweller food, he said, was suspicious to begin with, fast food was beneath his royal dignity, and cattle were disgusting.

The fact that he'd known what it was at a glance had not gone unnoticed, even by Talon. His Highness went ashore incognito; this was known. Whether he'd eaten Burger King before or only seen it, or watched the advertisements, had mattered less however than the general calumny cast by all upon Dash's entirely unconcerned head. It had been hypnotic, that unconcern. The fragile mortal man with nothing but speed to protect him, surrounded by the most dangerous people on Earth, so sure he could not be touched that a mocking smile played at the corner of his mouth even as Ultraman fumed and Owlman's lip curled in disgust; as Hydrolord made the sea crash against the rocks outside as though it would swallow the fortress whole.

Dash was terribly powerful or very foolish, and either way he was brave.

Perhaps he had given the offense purposely, to show how little he cared for his colleagues’ anger, or perhaps he hadn’t cared enough to concern himself with what they might want. He had simply sat back in his chair at the high council table and eaten cheeseburgers almost too quickly to see the motion of hand to mouth, and yet with no great hurry, and smiled, and let the empty paper wrappers pile up at his elbow.

The meeting had ended early and with everyone but Dash in ill temper, even Superwoman, who’d gotten fed up by then with Atlantean and Kryptonian sulking.

If the Dash had been waging some kind of war that day, Talon thought he might have won.

But this was a new night, and the ocean prince seemed in good spirits as he led the way up the winding gravel path, toward the stone turrets of the refurbished old fort. Pirate-hunters had sailed from this island, once. Never pirates.

The Superwoman intercepted them all in the entry annex. “Orin! Owlman! Just barely on time!” She was wearing a cape today, a great billow of cloth-of-gold that trailed behind her like smoke as she swept forward across black tile, but still fell heavy about her whenever it hung still.

“Diana,” the prince greeted the princess, all careful courtesy. His armor glimmered a slightly paler shade than her mantle. “A fair moon for you?”

“Lovely. I fought some sort of prehistoric flightless dragon in a magical cavern. It was delicious. Have you bested that Kraken yet?”

“It’s learning to fear me.”

She leaned in and patted his cheek, a condescension he accepted with a tight-lipped smile. “Well done,” she said.

“Thank you.” His bow was stiff. “Excuse me.” Prince Orin stalked off toward where his squire was carefully adjusting the placement of silver domes over platters on the long sideboard, his good mood dispelled.

Silver corroded rapidly in seawater. Those domes were not an Atlantean affectation. Talon had seen something similar in Owlman’s home. Wondered if asking about them would be a believable opening to conversation.

“Oh, and you brought your cupbearer again, I see!” Superwoman exclaimed to the King of Owls, the full weight of her attention falling onto Talon, and immediately claiming the whole of his focus. (Not quite the whole; some was still reserved for his king.) “I like this one,” she announced, tapping a thumb against the bronze armor plating along her upper arm with a noise like rain on tin roofing, mouth curling up. “He doesn’t flinch.”

Flinch? Well. No. It wasn't that she wasn't terrifying, of course. Talon simply had very little energy to waste on feelings like fear. He'd been trained better than that.

"Your Highness," he murmured, ducking his head. A hand came down upon it. Not quite as large as Owlman’s, and bare.

"Hm," she hummed. "Courteous little creature you've trained, Bruce. Your way is so dismally slow, though." Long fingers that could crunch bone like dry leaves toyed with his hair.

Owlman's hand clamped down on Talon's shoulder. "But effective."

"I think you'll find my methods are entirely efficacious, thank you." The sharp note in her voice promised pain, but the hand that slipped from his hair, curled down his face and under his chin was merely firm.

Talon's breath threatened to stutter in his chest. He was supposed to defer to her. He was not supposed to allow liberties. How to resolve these dictates. Was this a test.

If Owlman objected to having his right hand pawed at, he would say something. The hand on his shoulder had tightened, but not in threat. Not as a message. There would be claws in that. Talon submitted to the touch.

The Superwoman's skin against his face seemed to burn. As though with perpetual fever. They said she had been created in divine fire. Talon knew his own body temperature was low. A side effect of the electrum in his bones.

Owlman touched him barehanded, sometimes. That was never so hot as this.

She tilted his head up with a firm pressure, and he stared vacantly into her forehead.

"Why the mask?" she murmured.

"That intangible mystique." The Owlman's voice was heavy with impatient sarcasm. "Diana, if you're finished inspecting my possessions..."

Superwoman swiped the pad of her thumb over Talon's lips. The pressure struck like a bolt of lightning, raced up and down his spine, wrenched at his gut and left his whole skin tingling, chilled. He didn't quite manage to suppress all reaction; his master certainly felt the twitch through the hand still clasped tight around his shoulder. It tightened.

"Chapped," she observed. "You should look into an oil or wax for that, boy."

"Diana." Exasperation. There were very few beings in the world Owlman would bother to show exasperation without menace, but the Superwoman was beyond his power to control, or to readily annihilate. He seemed almost a man, with her. Merely mortal.

The Owl would not let the Superwoman take Talon. He would not. It was too great a loss of face. The practical inconvenience of losing him could be weathered, if necessary, but politically—

"Oh, very well." The Superwoman took her hand away. Talon had never been so grateful to belong to Owlman. "Do drop fifty cents on a tube of chapstick for the boy, though; it can't be efficient for his lips to be constantly splitting, no matter how fast they heal, and it's poor aesthetics."

"Thank you," Owlman said, withering. "For your input."

"Always happy to help, Bruce." She winked at Talon. "See you around, pretty boy."

“Isn’t he too young for you?” the Owl grumbled, falling into step with Superwoman and leaving Talon where he stood, the turn of his head and slope of his shoulder indicating absent dismissal. The edges of their capes brushed together, hard sunlight and soft shadow.

“But showing such potential. You do have nice taste, and they’re so delightfully moldable at that age.”

“Must you always interfere with my things.”

“You’re so generous with them. I only trashed your beach house a little, and I took care of the bodies myself. Anyway, I’ll let you play with my next acquisition if you like.”

“I’m not much for games.”

They were out of earshot, then, and approaching the great oval table that took up one whole end of the hall, raised up on a dais with a single beam of light pouring down onto the center, reflecting from the polished surface enough to light the faces seated around it, though the spotlight did not quite reach them.

Ultraman was already in his chair, its high winged back blazoned with the crest of his house on a gilded field. In the smaller chair facing his, Dash sprawled comfortably back against his sigil of lightning.

As he, Superwoman, and Hydrolord all reached their places, Owlman flicked the particular sign of dismissal that meant commence duties toward Talon. At the table, Atom expanded abruptly into being to fill his seat, and in the shadowed hall beyond, Talon fell away toward the lesser table that lay along the far wall.

Where Garth of Atlantis had, in his master’s absence, been cornered by Donna of Themiscyra.

She loomed over him with only a slight advantage in height, and though she seemed unarmed but for the coiled whip stored on one hip, and was smiling, the threat implied in the way she stood far too close for courtesy was very clear.

Prince Orin’s squire was his master’s opposite: stockily built, and thus solid even for an Atlantean, but only half a head taller than Talon despite being the eldest of the three, with ringlets of dark hair and purple eyes, and in place of the broad smile or frothing rage most common on His Highness of the Seas, Garth’s expression alternated between brusque bare-courtesy and poorly hidden resentment.

He seemed a very poor courtier and was a mess of defensive vulnerabilities, but had clearly been selected for his loyalty over all other concerns.

The Superwoman's right hand, in contrast, was her mirror image—"My sister, Donna," she had said absently the first time she brought the girl with her, and the resemblance was strong; stronger than his had ever been to the Owl, and they’d been mistaken for blood relations more than once, the few times he’d been deployed at his master’s side outside of uniform. And yet there were differences, ones Talon had catalogued at once, and watched still for any change.

Her balance was less perfect, and when she lashed out the loss of control was far less calculated, far likelier to leave her vulnerable. The fire in her stare was different, full of sparks and a snapping pride that spoke to doubts which could undoubtedly be targeted, if it came to a fight. Owlman had estimated her age at fourteen, with the caveat that Amazons did not age at the usual human rate.

Talon had spent three meetings with them already, without having been forced to fight. He was sure it was only a matter of time.

Today seemed likely to be the day, by the set of each of their shoulders. He might welcome it—pain was a small sacrifice for the clean certainty of violence, even against those he must not kill without a clear command. Certainly it would be easier than any other interaction.

But in combat he would have no luck subtly extracting information from their conversation. No good. He had a mission to complete. And Owlman planned to avoid conflict tonight.

“Careful, Amazon,” Garth cautioned, as Talon drew near. “To insult me is to insult my master.”

Superwoman’s protégée flicked the long tail of her hair out dismissively. “And I should be scared of your prince? What power does he have, besides the right to go crying to his mommy?”

“He is knight of the seven seas and the prince of Atlantis, who holds the trident of Neptune.”

“And what is that to the Queen of the Cats? Face it, he’s only here to pretend to be relevant outside his goldfish bowl.”

Garth’s hand strayed toward his waist, though there was no visible weapon there. “You insolent—”

His teeth snapped shut on word and possibly tongue as the heel of Donna Troy’s hand slammed up under his chin.

In the disorientation this created she yanked his gut onto her fist with a handful of curls, then flipped the triple human weight of an Atlantean’s dense muscle and bone casually over her shoulder.

He hit the ground on his face and had only time to break the fall before she was on him again, twisting his arm tight against his spine so that any struggle might tear it from its moorings—an even more serious injury for a boy who swam everywhere than it would be on the surface.

She dragged his head back with a loop of silver whip around his throat.

“Insolent,” she said, her face hanging just above the back of his ear, though she spoke loud and clear enough that Talon had no struggle to hear, “is a word for your inferiors. I am no such thing.

“I am the Lady of Ilium, carrying the legacy of the Titans that stand beyond the world. Troy fell because it trusted too well in the guardianship of Poseidon. Learn from them.

“Because if you continue to cross me I will challenge you to a duel of honor, and throw you down again with my lady and the gods to witness, and shackle your will to mine. And do you think your prince will still value your service, if he can’t trust you not to obey me, instead?”

The squire’s short breath and silence were answer enough, and Donna Troy smirked and let him go, standing up and not offering to help him to his feet. The long half-second it took him to rise spoke volumes to those who knew how to look, and the Amazon flicked the long tail of her hair again in scorn.

She flicked her eyes toward Talon with the gesture, and he realized she was gauging his opinion, his reaction to her violence and her successful threat. She wanted his approval? Or his respect. Or his fear.

He didn't fear her. Genuinely. There was...very little she could do that could threaten him, really. Up at the high table, her mistress was smiling sharkishly at his master, looking for a weakness. She would not find it. She would never find it.

Lady Ilium dismissed the squire of Atlantis and tried her own sharkish smile out on Talon, assured of his attention. He showed his teeth in return. It was not a comforting expression, but he didn't think it would be taken as a threat.

Could she break his will, with her magic? What would that be like?

"Anything to say, Birdie-bye?" she asked him.

Perfect. An opening.

He tilted his head. "Your queens don't know about this meeting, do they?" It was a question for both, if Garth wanted to seize the floor.

"Tch." Donna rolled her eyes and looked away, up at the table where the adults were indulging in intrigue. "Hippolyta will come around." She shot him a look. "Anyway it's not as though your government approves."

Owlman owned the city and state governments. The federal was proving a little more challenging. Talon shrugged one shoulder in carefully calculated indifference. It wasn’t the same thing. “My king,” he said, “is here.”

“And you think being the lord of a made-up Court with no realm of his own is somehow of more account than heir to an empire covering two thirds of the world?” Garth demanded.

Talon regarded him without expression, and the Lady Ilium burst into snorting laughter at the sight, and leaned forward to backhand Talon’s arm—a gesture that seemed almost friendly meant, though he felt blood vessels burst at the impact, and immediately begin to mend. “You’re chatty today, aren’t you shorty? Don’t worry about Diana, she knows what’s up. Her mom’s old-fashioned, we just have to work around her for now.

"Lots of Amazons want in on the outside world, letting you men control it just because it would be a huge chore to change things is such a drag.”

She wrapped an arm around Garth’s neck, too quick for him to evade, but rather than choking or cracking his spine she just dragged him sideways, until his head was conveniently positioned to violently tousle his curls. “And don’t worry about Atlantis, gillsy. We’re not gonna mess with your soggy system, that’s what allies is all about. You’re getting us onside, Atalanta’s gonna owe you.”

Donna Troy, Talon decided, was not originally from Themiscyra. Valuable intelligence, if he could support it with evidence. As a first step he would have to find a way to get her to touch him again, and confirm the impression of a hand far too cool to be a thing like her sister-mistress, of earth and holy fire.

[inloveandwords]

This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story).

It works like this

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.

Order on ascending date added.

Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books

Read the synopsis of the books

Decide: keep it or should it go?

  Trial by Fire (Worldwalker #1) by Josephine Angelini

The exhilaratingly seductive new series from the author of the bestselling Starcrossed series

Love burns. Worlds collide. Magic reigns.

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted… which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily’s life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem – one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian… Lily’s identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.

Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn’t understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can’t hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.

But how can Lily be the saviour of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This one is actually on my bookshelf. I think it looks super interesting.

♥ ♥ ♥

King of the Stars (Starcross Series Book 1) by Elle Michaels

With the galaxy in upheaval, its future rests in the hands of a usurped warrior king and the farm girl that appears in his dreams.

Vi Junrah has never left her home planet. She spends nights staring into the stars, feeling as though she belongs among them, despite the Ansuli people being a humble, unassuming race. She’s always felt different, taller, paler, questioning, and alone. When a spaceship crash lands in the plains during the harvest festival, Vi’s curiosity gets the better of her. A brawny alien man lumbers out and sweeps her into space…for better or worse.

Orin Tarrastone spends restless nights toiling over haunting dreams of a beautiful woman appearing in darkness, a woman he can never reach. When his father, the galactic king, dies at the hands of an invading rebel army, Orin is forced into exile. After blacking out at the controls of his ship, he awakens to find the dream girl on a planet at the edge of the galaxy. Facing few options, and finding their mysterious meeting serendipitous, he steals her in hopes that she holds the key to a triumphant return to the throne.

The two attempt to unravel the mysteries of both their pasts while fate seemingly entwines their futures. Against the backdrop of galactic chaos, interstellar empires, invading rebels, pirates, and outlaws, Orin and Vi find themselves inexplicably drawn together facing it all.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: I’m 100% judging a book by its cover and rating here, but this just does not appeal to me anymore.

♥ ♥ ♥

Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals–well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she’s crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn’t her biggest problem–staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is.

If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I really need to give this author another chance. I didn’t love the first book in her Lux series, but she’s so popular and this seems to be a pretty popular book.

♥ ♥ ♥

Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: I’m not saying I will never read another book in this series, I’m just saying I won’t read it right now… but I probably won’t finish this series lol

♥ ♥ ♥

The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6) by Richelle Mead

THEY WILL BE TESTED

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets – and human lives.

Their forbidden romance exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s bestselling Bloodlines series.

When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, she and Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world and alter their lives forever.

Don’t miss their unforgettable final chapter…

LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: ” ”

♥ ♥ ♥

Night of Cake & Puppets (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2.5) by Laini Taylor

In this stand-alone companion to the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone series comes the story of Mik and Zuzana’s fantastical first date—as a gorgeously illustrated gift edition with bonus content included.

Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to make the first move, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy is not going to know what hit him.

New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy—the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Originally published as an ebook, this new print edition will include breathtaking black and white illustrations, plus bonus content in a gorgeous package perfect for new and current fans of the series.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch?  Keep Comments: I will absolutely read this one! I love this series!

♥ ♥ ♥

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: What I’m realizing here is that I’m heavily influenced by high ratings from a lot of people. This is one of those books, so on my TBR it stays.

♥ ♥ ♥

Stay by Deb Caletti

Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city and Christian behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough….

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I don’t even have to read the synopsis. Yes. It is my mission to read all of Deb Caletti’s books.

♥ ♥ ♥

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

Right away I got that Something About To Happen feeling. Right away I knew he was bad, and that it didn’t matter.

It is summer in the Northwest town of Nine Mile Falls, and sixteen-year-old Ruby McQueen, ordinarily dubbed The Quiet Girl, finds herself hanging out with gorgeous, rich, thrill-seeking Travis Becker. But Ruby is in over her head, and finds she is risking more and more when she’s with him.

In an effort to keep Ruby occupied, Ruby’s mother Ann drags Ruby to the weekly book club she runs. When it is discovered that one of the group”s own members is the subject of the tragic love story they are reading, Ann and Ruby spearhead a reunion between the long-ago lovers. But for Ruby, this mission turns out to be much more than just a road trip….

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: ” ”

♥ ♥ ♥

The Story of Us by Deb Caletti

Cricket’s on a self-imposed break from her longtime boyfriend—but she’s picked a bad week to sort out her love life. For one thing, her mother’s romance is taking center stage: After jilting two previous fiancés, her mom is finally marrying Dan Jax, whom Cricket loves. But as wedding attendees arrive for a week of festivities at a guesthouse whose hippie owners have a sweet, sexy son—Ash—complications arise: Cricket’s future stepsisters make it clear they’re not happy about the marriage. An old friend decides this is the week to declare his love for Cricket. Grandpa chooses to reveal a big secret at a family gathering. Dan’s ex-wife shows up. And even the dogs—Cricket’s old, ill Jupiter and Dan’s young, lively Cruiser—seem to be declaring war.

While Cricket fears that Dan is in danger of becoming ditched husband-to-be number three, she’s also alarmed by her own desires. Because even though her boyfriend looms large in her mind, Ash is right in front of her….

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: ” ”

♥ ♥ ♥

Here are the stats

Starting Total TBR Count: 2041 Updated Total TBR Count: 2038 Total Ditched Today: 3 Total Kept Today: 7

This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story…

[silhouettesetawayfromtimeforever]

Part III:

Little Shop of Horrors:

Seymour:

Purpose from Avenue Q, Run, Freedom, Run or Look at the sky* from Urinetown, Larger Than Life from My Favorite Year, I Chose Right from Baby, All For The Best or All Good Gifts from Godspell, It Hurts Me from All Shook Up

Audrey:

Our Story Goes On” from Baby, Frank Mills – HAIR , Once You Lose Your Heart – ME AND MY GIRL, A Call from The Vatican , My Friend the Dictionary and The I Love You Song from Spelling Bee (kind of overdone), I Want To Be Bad - ‘Good News’ , Take Back Your Mink - ‘Guys And Dolls??, Fly, Fly Away* is great audition song for her as well, but possibly over done. Penny’s part in Without Love from Hairspray would be great as well. Cooties could also work but not as well., The air is free** (flight of the lawnchair man), Simple (Nine)

Crystal, Ronette & Chiffon:

Bless the Lord from Godspell, Ain’t Misbehavin’ from Ain’t Misbehavin' , Zero to Hero from Hercules , A Teenager In Love from Return to the Forbidden Planet , One Fine Day by The Chiffons, Life of the Party from Wild Party, Little Inez’s part in Run and Tell That from Hairspray would be great , Legally Blonde Remix might be nice , Strongest Suit from Aida(overdone), Life of the Party from Wild Party

Audrey II:

Let It Sing* from Violet, That’s What He Said from Parade, FOR SURE look at music by the Temptations

Mr. Mushnik:

If I Were A Rich Man from Fiddler On The Roof mayybee, you won’t succeed on Broadway* (Spamalot)

Orin (Dentist):

Let Me Drown* from The Wild Party, Great Big Stuff from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Also look at Million Dollar Quartet Scarlet Pimpernel, or Wonderland

Addams Family:

Wednesday:

Summer In Ohio ” - Last 5 Years (I know it’s a no-no to sing for JRB, but it’s perfect for her), In Short from Edges?

Why Not Me from Carrie, Dark I Know Well” - Spring Awakening, but sing the chorus like you LOVE the dark}

Lucas:

Dreamer In Disguise* from Carrie is realllly good! I also really think Bouncing Off the Walls from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark work perfectly. , Santa Fe from Newsies is overdone but very nice and pretty high, Grow for me

Gomez:

Ariadne* from The Frogs, I Am Adolpho from The Drowsy Chaperone for sureee, One of Sweeney Todd’s songs would be good, Be The Hero from Big Fish

Morticia:

Class” - Chicago (sing it reallly sexy), There Are Worse Things I Could Do” - Grease, but also sing it sexy and coy and such. I Want The Good Times Back from The Little Mermaid?, Nobody Does It Like Me from Seesaw?, Spread A Little Sunshine** from Pippin.

Mal:

tonight at eight (she loves me), try to remember (the fantasticks), once in a while (rocky horror)

Alice:

You Can Always Count On Me from City of Angels, I Know it’s Today” - Shrek where it goes “but the WAITING the WAITING!…” is PERFECT! and all i can think of, How Could You from Scandalous, Haven’t Got a Prayer from Sister Act, old clothes (John & Jen), I’ll Forget You from The Scarlet Pimpernel}, Tom (Hello again)

Pugsley:

almost nearly perfect (Charlie & choc factory), middle of a moment and on your way home (James & giant peach), dear god or it took me a while (John & Jen)

Fester:

I know its overdone but Cellophane from Chicago comes to mind , Horton the elephant’s songs are PERFECT!, A Musical from Something Rotten

Grandma/Ensemble:

Why Not Me from Carrie, I Want More from Lestat, Tears To Shed from Corpse Bride, A Quiet Night At Home from Bare, I’m Not Waiting by Andrew Lippa , The cake I had (grey gardens), No time at all (pippin), Superboy and the Invisible Girl from Next To Normal. (overdone af), Poor unfortunate souls or I want the good times back (Little Mermaid)}, Teaching 3rd grade or I hate musicals from Ruthless

Lurch/Ensemble:

Cruella de Ville (101 Dalmatians), look at big fish

Bye bye Birdie:

Albert:

beautiful girl (singing in the rain), all alone (Spamalot), once I love with Amy (where’s charley), they can’t take that away from me (crazy for you

Rosie:

I’m Not at all in Love from The Pajama Game*, Adelaide’s Lament from Guys and Dolls, What Lola Wants from Damn Yankees, America from West Side Story, Always True to You in My Fashion from Kiss Me Kate

Conrad:

I Got Life - Hair, Night Fever - Saturday Night Fever, Pinball Wizard or I’m Free - Tommy, Grease, Hairspray or Footloose will all be overdone but work Something straight up by Elvis would be great!

Kim:

I Enjoy Being a Girl” - Flower Drum Song OBVERDONEEEE, Sixteen Going on Seventeen - The Sound of Music also a bit overdone, I Want to Go to Hollywood - Grand Hotel, Anything Toffee in Zombie Prom sings because the rest of these are overdone af, Tina’s mother (Ruthless), Hopelessly Devoted to You from Grease, Much More from the Fastasticks ?

Doris/Mae:

I hate musicals, I want the girl or teaching third grade (Ruthless), I want the good times back (Little Mermaid), Happy to keep his dinner warm (how to succeed)

Harry/Mayor:

ordinary man or I’ve grown accustomed to her face (my fair lady), something was missing (Annie)

Hugo/Randolph:

be kind to your parents (Fanny), can’t stand still (footloose), she loves me or tonight at 8 (she loves me)

Ursula/girls:

A Teenager In Love from Return to the Forbidden Planet, I Want to Go to Hollywood - Grand Hotel, You’ve got possibilities, Let’s Play a Love Scene - Fame, Forget About the Boy - Thoroughly Modern Millie, Charity’s Soliloquy - Sweet Charity, a ton of stuff from footloose would work but is probably overdone

Seussical:

Horton:

Mr Cellophane” from Chicago but its a bit classic/overdone, Pass the Football” from Wonderful Town, The Moon and Me from Addams family, A Musical from Something Rotten, Look at Chitty Chitty bang bang, No more (ITW-SONDHEIM WARNING)

Jojo:

Beautiful (Love never dies), getting tall (nine)*

Gertrude:

Blue Hair from Black Suits, Someone like You” - Jekyll and Hyde, a tonnn of stuff from Wonderland, Beyond my wildest dreams* from little mermaid, The air is free (flight of the lawnchair man), Times like this* (lucky stiff)

Mayzie:

My Strongest Suit” - Aida, “Class” - Chicago, I Ain’t Got Time” - Zanna, Don’t!, Show Off” -The Drowsy Chaperone, There’s Always Me - All Shook Up, I Just Want to Be a Star from Nunsense, Speaking French (lucky stiff)

Sour Kangaroo:

Dont be Anything Less than Anything you can be” from Snoopy the Musical mayybe, I Ain’t Got Time” - Zanna, Don’t! (Best), Something from Aida or Once on this Island would be good, maybe Born to Entertain from Ruthless?, Life of The Party- The Wild Party, I Want To Go To Hollywood from Grand Hotel (?? maybe), Whatever happened to my part- Spamalot (overdone)

Mayor:

Kids” - Bye Bye Birdie is kinda funny for him and fits Mayor well, It’s A Musical from Something rotten, mayybe Purpose from Avenue Q

Mrs. Mayor:

kids (bye bye birdie), two men in my life (big fish), just like you, dear god or old clothes (John and Jen)

Cat in the hat:

wilcommen (cabaret), pure imagination (Willy wonka), magic to do (Pippin), I want the girl (Ruthless)?

Male Ensemble:

wonderful day like today (roar of greasepaint…)

Female Ensemble:

I Can Hear the Bells” or “Good Morning Baltimore

Someone like you (Jekyll & Hyde)

Common Audition Roles [List 1 (3/28/19)] Part I

Phantom of the Opera

Christine Daae:

(High Soprano, G#3-E6 (only goes up to C#6 live in most productions, including broadway)

A singer must be free (Nightingale)*, Children of the wind (Rags), yes my heart (Carnival), Seeing is believing [female solo cut] (Aspects of Love), The Finer Things (Jane Eyre), Inside Out (GGLAM)

Raoul:

(Legit baritone, G2-Ab4)

Asking for you (Do re mi), Her face (Carnival)*, I like you (Fanny), If I loved you* (Carousel), I do not know a day I did not love you (Two by two), People will say we’re in love (Oklahoma), Love to me (Light in the Piazza)

Phantom (Erik):

If I can’t love her (BATB), Lilly’s Eyes [or just about anything Neville or Archie sing] (Secret Garden)*, If I loved you (Carousel), look at Frank Wildhorn’s shows (Jekyll & Hyde, Dracula, Scarlet Pimpernel), Martin Guerre

Firmin/André/Buquet/Male Ensemble:

It must be so (Candide), C’est Moi (Camelot)*, War is a Science (Pippin)*, Any Gilbert & Sullivan patter Song (a la Modern Major General from Pirates of Penzance)*

Carlotta:

Art is calling me (The Enchantress)*, They Won’t let you in the Opera, The Finer Things (Jane Eyre), Glitter and be Gay (Candide), By Strauss (Gershwins), The Glamourous Life [As a solo for Desiree, look at version on Renée Fleming’s Broadway album] (A little night music), Any big comic high soprano aria like Quando m’en Vo (La Boheme) or The Doll Song (Les Contes de Hoffman)*

Piangi/Male Ensemble:

It must be so (Candide), C’est Moi (Camelot), any big high comic tenor aria like ale Donna e Mobile (Rigoletto), La Fille du Regiment,

Meg Giry/Female Ensemble:

The beauty is (Light in the Piazza), Dear Friend (She loves me), Why not me (Carrie), hold on, the girl I mean to be or Come to my garden* (Secret Garden), some things are meant to be (Little Women), yes my heart (Carnival), The glamorous life [Frederika solo-movie] (a little night music)

Mme Giry/Female Ensemble:

When there’s no one (Carrie), I read* or Loving you (Passion), will you* (Grey Gardens), Dividing day or Let’s walk (Light in the Piazza)

Les Miserables:

Jean Val Jean:

At the fountain*-SSOS, Soliloquy* (Carousel), Something was missing-Annie, if I can’t love her-BATB, close every door-Joseph, now there is no choice-Jekyll & Hyde, I’m Martin Guerre*– Martin Guerre, no other way (Tarzan), the impossible dream, where in the world (Secret Garden), This Is The Moment (Jekyll&Hyde) , Being Alive (Company) , Finishing the Hat (Sunday in the Park)

Javert:

Falcon in the dive (Scarlet Pimpernel), soliloquy* (carousel) molasses to rum (1776) Kim’s nightmare (miss Saigon), nowhere left to run (amazing grace), anthem* (chess), look at Jekyll&Hyde

Bishop:

Pilate’s dream (JCS), Sweeney Todd/Turpin’s stuff, molasses to rum* (1776), Rains of Castamere* (Game of Thrones), Ol’ Man River (Show boat)

Marius:

il Mundo era vuoto, On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady, Into the Fire *– Scarlet Pimpernel, Lily’s Eyes- Secret Garden, This is the Moment – Jekyll and Hyde, Why God* from Miss Saigon

Enjolras & students:

Private Conversation*, You Should Be Loved, The Devil You Know from Side Show, Why God” ** from Miss Saigon, I’ve Heard It All Before from Shenandoah, Guido’s Song* from Nine, I, Don Quixote from Man of La Mancha

Thenardier:

Guido’s Song (Nine), Reviewing the Situation* or pick a pocket or two– Oliver!, The American Dream (miss Saigon), molasses to rum* (1776)

Mme Thenardier:

Naughty Baby – Crazy For You, Deep Down Inside from Little Me, Loud from Matilda, Leave You *– Follies, Little Girls from Annie, Wherever He Ain’t from Mack and Mabel, Whatever Happened to My Part from Spamalot, Fine Life* from Oliver

Fantine:

Where is it written from Yentl, Heaven Help My Heart– Chess, Someone Like You– Jekyll and Hyde, Could We Start Again Please - J.C. Superstar, Aldonza* – Man La Mancha, Unusual Way - Nine, The Movie in the Mind- Miss Saigon, Your Daddy’s Son or Back to Before* - Ragtime, Forgiveness- Jane Eyre, Loving you (Passion)

Eponine:

A New Life* from J&H,What Kind of Fool Am I from Stop The World I Want to Get Off, Why Can’t I Speak? from Zorba, I Don’t Know How to Love Him - J.C Superstar, They Say It’s Wonderful - Annie Get Your Gun, As Long as He Needs Me - Oliver!, Hold On - The Secret Garden, With One Look— Sunset Boulevard, Back to Before - Ragtime, Stranger to the rain (Children of Eden), Loving you (Passion), unexpected Song or tell me on a Sunday (Song & dance)*

Cosette:

Happiness (Passion), Light in the Piazza — The Light in the Piazza, Come to My Garden – The Secret Garden, Embraceable You – Crazy for You, Falling In Love with Love – The Boys from Syracuse, Finer Things – Jane Eyre, Unusual Way* - Nine, My White Knight – The Music Man, Children of the wind (Rags), yes my heart* (Carnival), unexpected song* (Song & dance), tell me why (amazing grace), A TON of stuff from My Life with Albertine

Lil Cosette:

There’s more to life from Ruthless, The girl I mean to be* from Secret Garden, my lord and master (the king and I)

Gavroche:

Consider yourself or where is love from Oliver, Wick* from Secret Garden, Edgar’s stuff in Ragtime, Not while I’m around (Sweeney)

Urinetown:

Bobby:

Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat*, Married” from Cabaret, Any of the prince’s songs from Once Upon A Mattress., Something From a Dream from Bridges of Madison County “My Unfortunate Erection” from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and If You Were Gay from Avenue Q, My Bobby when I did it sang Out there from Hunchback & What do I need with Love* (TMM)

Cladwell:

The Legacy** from On The Twentieth Century}, Married from Cabaret, molasses to rum* (1776), dance with me, darling-Bat Boy,

Lockstock:

The Legacy and I’ve got it all from On The Twentieth Century, all I care about is love (Chicago), molasses to rum* (1776), me (BATB), You deserve a better life or private conversation from Side Show, The Way it ought to be (Tale of 2 cities), as good as you (Jane Eyre), dance with me darling* (Bat boy)

Hope:

Make Believe-Show Boat*, A home for you-Bat boy, Daddy’s Girl (Grey Gardens), Goodbye little dream goodbye (Cole Porter), Goodnight My Someone – Music Man, Ribbons Down My Back – Hello Dolly, When I Marry Mr. Snow – Carousel, A Change In Me – Beauty and the Beast , A New Life – Jekyll & Hyde, It Might As Well Be Spring – State Fair, They Say It’s Wonderful – Annie Get Your Gun, Delishious - Nice Work If You Can Get It**

Pennywise:

What Ever Happened to my Part*- Spamalot(my Penny sang this), Anything that Ms. Strict* from Zombie Prom sings, Little Girls from Annie but that’s kinda overdone, A New Argentina - Evita , Morning Person- Shrek, Mr. Right from Triumph of Love, Down in the Depths on the 90th Floor-Cole Porter,

Little Sally:

My Party Dress from Henry and Mudge, “Disneyland*” from Smile, What It Means to be A Friend from 13 the Musical, “My Friend The Dictionary” or “The I Love You Song” from Spelling Bee, “It’s a Perfect Relationship*” from Bells Are Ringing, A Home for You from Bat Boy, “Where In The World Is My Prince” from Miss Spectacular, “Change” from A New Brain, Calm (Ordinary Days), Little known facts (You’re a good man, Charlie Brown)

Other female featured/Ensemble (Ma Strong, Becky, etc):

Disneyland” from Smile, A Home for You or Inside your heart from Bat Boy, A Change In Me – Beauty and the Beast, It’s a perfect relationship (Bells are ringing), Change* (A new brain), Life upon the wicked stage (show boat), Feelings (The Apple Tree), unexpected song (song and dance), They won’t let you in the Opera, A lot of jazz songs (Cole Porter in particular), a TON of Judy’s stuff* and Penthouse apartment from Ruthless!

Other male featured/Ensemble (Harry, McQueen, etc):

Any of the prince’s songs from Once Upon A Mattress., Dance with me darling** or let me walk among you (Bat boy), Rooster’s song* (Annie), look at comedy songs from Kurt Weill*, Cole Porter, Gershwins

Rent:

Mark:

I’m Not That Guy*, Public Life, or The Saddest Song from Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Amazing Journey, Sensation, or I’m Free from The Who’s Tommy, I’m One or Is It In My Head from Quadrophenia, I’m Alive from Next to Normal, I who have nothing (Lieber & Stoller), Freedom 90 (George Michael), Can’t get enough of your love Babe or my first my last my everything (Barry White), 6th Ave heartache (The Wallflowers), Know your enemy* or favorite son (Green Day)

Roger:

Don’t do Sadness* from Spring Awakening, Louder than words” or “See Her Smile" from Tick, Tick…Boom}, Iris (Goo goo dolls)

Collins:

Can’t get enough of your love Babe* (Barry White), Can’t make you live me (Bonnie Rait), real life** (Tick tick boom), old man river, bui doi (miss Saigon), Empty chairs

Angel:

Wig in a box* (Hedwig), stuff from Jersey Boys, Don’t let me go (Shrek), Great balls of fire, a bunch of Bowie & Queen* songs, look at Kinky boots

Benny:

Favorite son* (Green day), I’ll be here (Wild Party), let it sing** (Violet)

Mimi:

Saturday Night in the City from The Wedding Singer, Bring the Future Faster** from Rooms, Safe in the City from Taboo, It Won’t Be Long Now from In The Heights, Come To Your Senses* from Tick Tick …. Boom (May be overdone at Rent, but great for her)

Joanne:

Easy to be hard (Hair), Come to your senses, safe in the City, when you’re good to mama (Chicago), My Strongest Suit (Aida)},,you had me (Joss Stone), something bad or i’m breaking down** [the end reminds me of we’re ok!](Falsettos), random black girl* (homemade fusion)

Maureen:

Easy To Be Hard from Hair, The Life of the Party** from The Wild Party, My Strongest Suit from Aida, Special from Avenue Q, My friend got the role with Ireland* from Legally Blonde (and play it up like Over the Moon), Acid Queen from Tommy, Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch Me from Rocky Horror, need a lover (Pat Benatar), let me come home* (Wedding Singer)

Male Ensemble:

I who have nothing (Lieber & Stoller), Freedom 90* (George Michael), Can’t get enough of your love Babe or my first my last my everything (Barry White), 6th Ave heartache (The Wallflowers), Know your enemy or favorite son* (Green Day)

Female Ensemble:

Call from the Vatican (Nine), Saturday Night in the City from The Wedding Singer, “Come to Your Senses” from Tick tick boom (probably will be suuuppper overdone at a rent audition, Safe In the City” from Taboo, Look at The Who’s Tommy, I Will Prevail from Wonderland, Forever from Shrek the Musical, Anything Natalie sings in Next to Normal… or just any female song in that show, My Strongest Suit from Aida (only really good for Maureen), The Dark I know Well is overdone but good

Grease:

Sandy:

How Lovely to be a woman (Bye bye birdie), Anything Toffee sings in Zombie Prom**, happy to keep his dinner warm, love me tender or there’s always me (all shook up)}, Lonely pew (Reefer Madness) Someday (Wedding Singer), you don’t have to say you love me (Dusty Springfield), Inside you heart* from Bat Boy

Danny:

how can I say goodbye* (Zombie Prom), Mary Jane/Mary Lane (Reefer Madness), I don’t want to (all shook up), it takes two (hairspray), One last kiss (bye bye birdie), serve yourself (pump boys and dinettes), Edgar’s part *of Comfort and Joy [i have kind of a weird solo cut that could do the trick] (Bat Boy), look at Crybaby

Rizzo:

Spanish rose, I don’t know how to love him, big spender (sweet charity), one night with you *(All shook up), nobody’s side (Chess), you don’t have to say you love me** (Dusty Springfield)

Marty/Female Ensemble:

A teenager in love* (Return from the forbidden planet), fools fall in love (all shook up), change (a new brain), an English teacher (Bye bye birdie)}, whatever Lola wants (damn Yankees), stuff from Bonnie&Clyde, you don’t have to say you love me, wishing and hoping*, or Son of a Preacher Man (or anything she’s done, really (Dusty Springfield), a tonnn of female stuff from Bat Boy, look at Shout! A Mod Musical, a lot of pop songs of the 50s and 60s.

Kenickie/Male Ensemble:

Stuff from catch me of you can, All shook up, me (BATB), a tonnn of Male stuff from Bat Boy, Jersey Boys, Footloose, a lot of pop songs of the 50s and 60s. Earth angels (crew cuts)

Legally blonde:

Elle:

Fly, Fly, Away” - Catch Me If You Can , “Fly Into the Future**” - Vanities, “On My Way” - Violet, “How to Return Home” - Tales from the Bad Years}*

Emmet:

Freeze Your Brain” - Heathers, Wouldn’t it be nice or I’ll be here (Wild Party), Purpose (Ave Q), Marry me a little * Company), my next story (Glory days), They say it’s wonderful (Annie Get Your Gun)}, let me walk among you (Bat boy), it took me awhile (John & Jen)

Warren:

Freeze Your Brain” - Heathers}

Wouldn’t it be nice (Wild Party), The Green (Wedding Singer), Bye Room (John & Jen)

Vivienne/Brooke:

Candy Store” or “Beautiful” - Heathers, Pop!”- The Wedding Singer, Miss Byrd” -Closer Than Ever}

Margot, Pilar & Serena:

You’ve Got Possibilities”, “Getting Ready” - 13}

Pr. Callahan:

The pinstripes are all they see (Catch Me if you can), all I care about is love (Chicago), Sweet Charity,

Paulette:

Shy” - Once Upon a Mattress, “What Ever Happened to My Part” - Spamalot, “A Little Brains A Little Talent” - Damn Yankees , “As We Stumble Along” - The Drowsy Chaperone, The same old music** (Vanities), I ain’t got time (Zanna don’t), plain Jane fast ass (bare), Get out and stay out, change* (a new brain)

Kate & Female Ensemble:

Someday*- The Wedding Singer, Let’s Hear it for the Boy- Footloose, Mixtape- Avenue Q, Once Upon a Time- Brooklyn: The Musical, Cute Boys With Short Haircuts* or The Same Old Music or Fly Into the Future from Vanities

Grandmaster & Male Ensemble:

it takes two (hairspray), look at bring it on, Charlie’s stuff* kinky boots

[omfgtrump]

All Mixed Up And Nowhere To Go

Everything is just so topsy -turvy and mixed up.

Michael Cohen, who was once prepared to take a bullet for The Don, is now talking to Robert Mueller and may be the one doing the shooting. (You dirty rat!)

And then the brave, non-rat, Paul Manafort, in a two for one deal, decided to swap his Blue Lizard Jacket and Ostrich Coat for a rat outfit. Manafort entered a guilty plea in a separate case in a Washington federal court, relating to his lucrative lobbying work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine. He copped to charges of conspiring to defraud the United States and to obstruct justice, each of which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. Manafort also agreed to forfeit $46 million in cash and property derived from his crimes. So sad that he won’t be able to drive up to his Hampton’s home and be greeted by the Giant M on his front lawn. So sad!

But what made him a rat was that he also agreed to cooperate “fully, truthfully, completely, and forthrightly” regarding “any and all matters” with the special counsel, Robert Mueller.

Man am I all mixed-up or what, as using the word truthful and forthright are not things one would associate with a sociopath. But as I said everything is so out of whack. After all, The Don is the president!

Mr. Manafort will hopefully bring the truth and shed light on the 80-plus contacts between the campaign and other associates and Russia-linked individuals; the campaign’s possible collaboration with WikiLeaks; and the amendment of the Republican National Committee platform on arming Ukraine. Also, do you think The Don knew that Manafort promised a cabinet position to a Chicago banker for millions in loans?

And how about those Republicans? I am so confused.

Our president is in bed with Putin and they just think it’s another one of his silly affairs?

Oh, and let’s not forget that Bill Clinton was impeached over a consensual affair, because Republicans insisted that the president’s personal behavior must be above reproach.

Lindsey Graham, who once made an impassioned speech favoring impeaching Clinton on moral grounds, must be all mixed up, as evidenced by his fling with the Predator-in Chief.

All this mix-up brings us to another moment of truth taking place on the battleground of Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court.

I watched the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings and was horrified as the all male Senate Judiciary Committee devalued and bullied M.s Hill and dishonored themselves and our country, in a shameful and disgusting display of misogyny and sexism.

Now in an eerie Anita Hill redo, Mr. Hatch, Chuck Grassley (also present at the Hill hearing) and 9 other white male senators are showing that actually they are not mixed-up at all. That despite the progress that has been made in treating women who have been sexually assaulted with respect and dignity, despite the fall of powerful men like Bill O’Reilly, Harvey Weinstein and most  recently, Les Moonves and the Me Too movement (which should actually be called ‘The About Time Movement”), these 11 white men have decided it is still ok to bully and devalue Dr. Blasey in order to get Kavanaugh put on the Supreme Court.

Is it possible that Hatch and  Grassley actually said that Blasey’s request for a formal F.B.I. investigation in to her allegations that our lovely Catholic school boy, Brett, attempted to rape her when they were in high school was not necessary? Who needs witnesses when you are trying to ferret out the truth? Even Anita Hill had witnesses called. Man am I mixed-up or what.

https://www.c-span.org/video/standalone/?c4749975/senator-grassley-fbi-anita-hill

And here’s what our forked tongued Lindsey Graham had to say about the possibility of Mark Judge (the other guy in the room) testifying as a witness: “he already said what he’s going to say” and there’s “no reason to” hear from him under oath. Really, Lindsey, you just take everything people say as truth? Even if Mark Judge has said this:

“And if that man is any kind of man, he’ll allow himself to feel the awesome power, the wonderful beauty, of uncontrollable male passion.”

On his 1983 Georgetown Prep yearbook page, he included a quote from playwright Noël Coward that condoned violence toward women — “Certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs.”

Let’s leave Lindsey alone for now and move on to Orin Hatch. With an assist by our darling Brett (who whispered sweet nothings in Orin’s ear), Hatch stated that he believed Brett was telling the truth and Ms. Blasey was just “all mixed-up.”

The case of mistaken identity theory!

You’re mistaken, this is not me!

  15 year old girl claims 2 guys trap her in a room, one gets on top of her, tries to take off her clothes, she tries to scream, they turn up the music and the guy on top of her puts his hand over her mouth. I guess it is possible that you could finger the wrong guy if you never had met him before, but when you know him, I don’t think so.

In support of the mistaken identity theory longtime conservative operative, Edward Whelan, posted a series of tweets offering up the name, photo and other private information about a former classmate of Judge Kavanaugh’s, whom Mr. Whelan claimed might be the real attacker. The tweets were deleted after they prompted a massive backlash on social media. Dr. Blasey stated, believe it or not, that she knew them both and definitely couldn’t mix them up.

It was disturbingly comical that the media was singing The Don’s praises because for a few days he was almost serene and able to withhold saying something disparaging about Dr. Blasey. I guess the Valium drip wore off, as The Don, our Predator-in Chief, couldn’t hold back any more.

“I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with Local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!”

The why didn’t you tell anyone until now theory. Without getting too long winded about it, it has been known for a long time that most women who have been victims of sexual assault do not report it at the time because of many reasons: shame, fear of reprisal by the perpetrator, the erroneous belief that they did something wrong, the fear that others won’t believe them, blame them and will turn against them. The Don should know this from personal experience. Look how long it took some of the women he preyed upon to tell their story about being groped and worse.

https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/14/politics/trump-women-accusers/index.html

And then we have the outrageous statement by our man of great faith the Reverend Franklin Graham regarding Kavanaugh’s interaction with Blasey: “Well, there wasn’t a crime committed. These are two teenagers and it’s obvious that she said no and he respected it and walked away.”

The chivalry argument! In Mr. Graham’s religious world, men get points and even promotions for not “finishing” the deed. Takes a page right out of the sexual predator Catholic priests who have been shielded and even promoted by the church. Makes me want to get up and swallow an entire box of holy wafers. Maybe hang myself with some rosary beads.

Whether its priests sexually abusing little boys, Roy Moore preying on teenager girls, a teenager sexually assaulting another teenager or Louie C.K. getting aspiring comediennes to perform oral sex on him, sexual assault is always about power. Almost always it is about men asserting their power and dominance over the more vulnerable. Dr. Blasey was one of those vulnerable women.

So when we witness Mitch McConnell telling evangelical activists that the senate was going to “plow right through” and getting Kavanaugh on the court; or Mike Davis, a top Republican staffer for the Senate Judiciary Committee, tweeting “Unfazed and determined. We will confirm Judge Kavanaugh,” we are once again witnessing the powerful asserting themselves of the more vulnerable.

Yes, let’s “plow through,” “unfazed and determined” as we have our way with Dr. Blasey, as we stifle her right to have witnesses (hold a hand over her mouth), while we bully and demean her, blame her, question the validity of her experience, praise the guy for showing restraint, question her capacity to identify her assaulter. In other words, let’s treat her the same way Kavanaugh did.

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