#if malcolm doesn't DIE i will kill people

[wrinkleintime]

enterprise text posts: featuring trip (and friends) in Situations

[webcamnibal]

My Sweet Saintess | Hannibal Lecter

sincerely yours, @webcamnibal

Summary: Hannibal Lecter and his pretend daughter. Saintess "Mischa" Ivanova.

Warnings: Sensitive Topics, Obsession, Infatuation, Child Neglection. Not proofread.

Hannah Dodd | Partially inspired by Flowers in the Attic: The Origin.

────────────

"Oh Sweet Saintess, my sweet little angel. You were my salvation from all of this darkness."

Saintess Ivanova was left abandoned by her parents. At least that was said to her. He seemed to know everything about her. In fact she trusted him with her life. But then again, the truth is very different from what she was told.

She only knew he cared for her and wanted her happiness. That much she understood. After all, how could such a man who looked like a Greek statue do any kind of harm to her?

Saintess' parents were former aquaintance with the Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal grew infatuation with Honesty Hawthorne, Saintess' mother. It was the first time Hannibal felt something for someone and it made him feel alive.

Hannibal and Honesty were inseparable since childhood. They knew everything about eachothers darkest and deepest secret. Even though neither one really liked eachother in the beginning. It was a friendship forged through hardship, pain, and suffering.

Honesty knew about Mischa and after learning how they treated the two of them, Hannibal vowed to protect Honesty after what happened to her sister.

Honesty will never leave Hannibal, no matter how hard it may be for her to endure. Because she knows Hannibal is her saving grace.

She would rather die than betray his trust. Hannibal saved her from those evil men, preventing what happened to Mischa from happen to her.

Honesty simply owes Hannibal her life. "Why did you save me?" She asked while looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Young Hannibal looked at her and smiled softly, "Because... I care about you."

Then Malcolm Ivanova, a Handsome Russian man met Honesty Hawthorne.

They have been together ever since. Hannibal on the other hand kept his promise and took good care of Honesty. He also helped her find herself and helped her build her self up. Honesty loved Malcolm, which Hannibal couldn't care less.

Two years has passed, Malcolm proposed to Honesty and she accepted him gladly. The newlyweds then moved to Moscow, Russia while Honesty is expecting a child of their own. A beautiful baby girl.

The little girl has beautiful long blonde hair. She looked just like Honesty, Hannibal thought. Honesty Ivanova named her Saintess as she looks like a saint, an angel dropped from heaven.

When Saintess was a year old, Hannibal started taking care of her. He wanted her to be spoiled and loveable like she is his own daughter. And so he became an angel himself by spoiling her rotten. He loved it. The way she smiles and laugh. The way her eyes sparkle when she sees Hannibal, like she can see straight through to the soul of him. It made him feel whole inside.

She looks so much more like Honesty as she reached 2 years old. He had to remind himself that everytime he sees her. He couldn't let himself get too attached.

Of course, Hannibal's hidden dirty tactics didn't stop. He killed and consumed people. Sometimes innocently and sometimes intentionally.

The Man-eater is what he was known throughout Russia. Occasionally, as the Deathstroke and the Walking Death Plague.

It amuses Hannibal how some people called him names such as Deathbringer and Vile Ghost. He doesn't care. He want those words to come out of their mouths anyway. It only made him feel better.

People are only scared of things they cannot control. Like death.

───────────────────

It was December 25th, the snow was piling up outside. While Hannibal just came back from a killing spree. Some stupid woman tried to cross his path. Of course, he didn't waste any effort to kill. Her throat opened up like a gaping black hole and died screaming without a voice box.

Hannibal prepared dinner consisting of his recent kill and planned to give Honesty's family. When he saw a familiar figure standing in front of the door of the dining hall. His little angel princess.

Little Sweet Saintess stood there looking around and admiring the place before she spotted him. With a big smile, Saintess waved happily at him. Hannibal waved back as he walked over to her. He kneeled down in front of her. She still wore her red hat, scarf, and jacket as the temperature outside was below zero.

Hannibal caressed her cheek as he dusted snow off her clothes, "What brings you here my Sweet Saintess?"

"My papa dropped me off here, silly papa," she giggled cutely, causing Hannibal to grin. Hannibal knew Honesty and Malcolm are arguing right now, but he couldn't care less once again.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "How can your papa leave you here, hm? Did the maidservant somewhat assist you?" Hannibal asked concerned.

"Yep! Dear papa said I'm going to sleep here for the entire night, with you! " She pouted cutely.

"In any chance did you forget that It's your birthday today?" Hannibal asked. "I did!" She exclaimed loudly. "I forgot!"

"Don't worry sweetheart. We'll make sure to celebrate with your favorite, chocolate cake," Hannibal reassured.

"Really?" Saintess asked hopefully. Hannib knew how much she loves sweets. Especially chocolate cake.

Hannibal nodded, "Of course we will. Let us go eat dinner, I have made your favorite."

Hannibal stood up and grabbed Saintess' hand. He led her into the dining hall and sat her on her chair. "You wait here my Little Saintess." Hannibal said before leaving.

The young girl nodded and smiled brightly at him. She loves him so much and he loves her too.

"С Днем рожденья тебя! с днём рождения, с днём рождения, с днём рождения тебя!" Hannibal sang as he placed four candles into the cake.

"You're old man," Saintess muttered randomly. Hannibal chuckled and ignored her, "I'm only two years older than your mother, Saintess."

"Mhm," she said, not believing it. "Mama said she is this number..." She trailed off. Saintess raised her hands into the numbers two. "And you think she's old?" Hannibal asked mockingly, amused of their conversation.

"Well yes! She's pretty old!" Saintess replied. Hannibal chuckled, "She certainly is, darling."

──────────── 3 weeks later

Honesty decided to visit Hannibal without him knowing. The castle was deserted and dark. "Hello?" she called out in a quiet voice. No answer. She sighed and began walking towards the stairs, which led directly to the second floor where it felt more like home.

That is until Honesty began to smell a faint smell of rotting flesh coming from the basement.

"You could have turned a blind eye, Honesty." Hannibal said. "After what you've done to my husband?! It was you!!" Honesty shouted angrily.

Hannibal laughed maniacally. "With what he has done with Saintess? Your little angel? He abused and neglected her. I did what must be done."

"What must be done? Killing him? Feeding his remains to my daughter and I? Is that what you mean?" She shouted back.

The look in Hannibal's face showed that he was enjoying Honesty's reaction. Hannibal didn't speak. Instead, he slowly raised his left arm to reveal a knife in his palm.

"That's enough of your nonsense. You don't need to continue talking." He said coldly. Hannibal approached Honesty slowly as he plunged the knife into her heart and stomach as much as she tried to get away.

Honesty cried out as blood gushed out of the wound.

"Do you know why I saved you? Why I protected you from those men who tried to hurt you alongside my sister? Because you remind me of her..." Hannibal whispered gently as he placed his finger underneath her chin and tilt her head up to face him.

"You remind me of my sweet sister Mischa and now my sweet Saintess reminds me of her. Now, rest."

Part 2?

[blackjackkent]

Quick wander around the Weisshaupt library, which has a couple of nice bits of fan service, and as we all know, I am a fan who likes to be serviced.

The blacksmith, whose name is Holden, says that he can probably fix the eluvian to give us an exit strategy.

Holden> "Once this is over, there's an old eluvian here that could be our escape." Helena> "Yeah, it, uh, kinda fell out of the building." Holden> "Oh? Well, if I can borrow some of your people, we'll get it right again."

So I guess that explains what everyone else will be up to while I'm busy punching a dragon. Nice that he's so confident about it. Frankly, I think Helena is undergoing major doubt that she's going to survive to see an exit strategy - but she's at least hoping her friends can get out okay, as well as some of the civilians.

Daniel's Joining chalice is here! :O

So are a lot of blight pustules.

Getting through the library is basically a small puzzle sequence of blowing up pustules in the right order to clear all of the blocked off areas; some of them reveal treasure and some reveal a path forward.

Another throwback!

Eyyy, Kristoff! This note does seem to imply that the Wardens were not a huge fan of watching their comrade's dead body walk around puppeted by Justice, and you know what - I don't blame them, actually.

Bellara is the one to bring up the $64,000 question.

Bellara> "When we trap this archdemon, doesn't a Grey Warden have to kill it? Isn't that how it works?" Davrin> "It's true. And die doing it." Bellara> "What?" Davrin> "It's complicated. But every Warden is prepared for the sacrifice. I'm ready." Bellara> "To die?" Davrin> "Who knows? Maybe they'll hang my portrait in here someday." Helena> "It's not over yet." Davrin> "Will be soon enough."

:(

Given how casually Helena dropped "Davrin kills it" in her speech at the end of the last scene, I'm fairly sure she knew that a Warden has to kill the archdemon, but not the rest of it. Seemingly that's not common knowledge. So she's also definitely pretty rattled to hear this, and would probably be objecting a lot more loudly if she hadn't also just volunteered to climb straight into the cannon's mouth.

( @springagainafter has noted that Rook is equally casual about "Davrin kills it" even if Rook is a Warden and could theoretically take the sacrifice themselves, which is a hilarious oversight. XD )

Another throwback, this one to DA2!

I'm a little unclear who this is meant to have been written by, but I'm guessing it's Janeka, the Warden from Legacy, who wanted to use Malcolm Hawke's blood to free Corypheus and use him to end the blights.

Further strategic discussion in between smashing blight pustules:

Bellara> "What about Lucanis? Is he still supposed to kill the Ghilan'nain cloud?" Helena> "That's why we came here." Bellara> "But how? She's in the sky." Helena> "One impossible thing at a time."

I actually kind of feel bad for Bellara here. Helena has made it clear that she's viewing this as a suicide mission and Davrin has now just made it clear he feels the same way, which means that she's the only one in the team currently operating on the hope of getting out of this mess.

I think that there are little angsty romance seeds blooming here because both Helena and Bellara are realizing they don't want each other to die. And Helena is definitely taking strength from Bellara's presence right now as they fight side by side. Bellara is still, I think, hanging on to the optimism that Helena is really struggling with right now.

On that note, a thought...

"We can do this, you know," Bellara says abruptly to Helena as they clamber through one of the holes left behind by the blight.

"Yeah," Helena says absently.

"No-- Helena, I mean it. We can do this."

Helena pauses, looks over her shoulder and is surprised to find that Bellara is looking at her very intently. And for a moment, she isn't entirely sure what to say.

"Yeah," she finally says again, more steadily.

Bellara climbs through the hole slowly behind her and straightens up, wringing her hands together. "It isn't over yet," she says. "You don't have to give up."

"I haven't given up," Helena says, a little defensively. "I'm right here leading the charge, aren't I?"

"But you think you're going to die," Bellara says flatly.

Helena looks away from her, raises her bow and sends an arrow crashing into an other pustule. "I said I would do whatever it takes," she says.

"I know." At her side, Bellara shifts, and for one bewildering, dizzying moment Helena thinks the other woman is about to take her hand. But she doesn't, just shifts to pull out her own bow as well, checking its balance. "Sometimes the serials have happy endings," the young elf says after a moment's silence. "You told me that, remember? Even when Neve didn't think they could."

Helena goes still for a moment, staring down at the floor of the corridor ahead of them. Then she lifts her eyes to Bellara and nods slightly, mustering a true smile just for a moment. "Maybe they do," she mutters gruffly. "I guess we'll see."

[fadeling]

oc tag game

@sha-brytols tagged me so i get to play yayy! :)

Name: Aniera Hawke Alias: varric has called her sunny/sunshine at least twice Gender: eldest daughter disorder Sexual Orientation: the introverted pansexual from all or nothing Age: 26-36 Spoken language: trade, some orlesian (from leandra) Occupation: man of the house

FAVORITE:

Color: blue is her image color and she wears it a lot but i bet she likes orange Entertainment: it used to be chores (she's funny like that) but then she got rich so now she cant even do that anymore. used to go to bars but then she got too popular. hung out at fenris's mansion but then things got weird. the years between act 2 and 3 were a difficult time in her life Pastime: training. drinking. Food: she would risk it all for the blessed apple pie Drink: wine. most wines. drinks tevene most often but orlesian ones are probably her favourite

HAVE THEY...

Passed university: she probably wouldve liked to become a scholar if her family was normal and didnt need her Had sex: at the age of 29 it finally happened for her Had sex in public: she would die Gotten tattoos: no leandra would kill her Gotten piercings: no use for earrings and leandra would kill her over anything else Gotten scarred: oh boy when hasn't she. honourable mention to the scars accumulated throughout her childhood, (highlighting the one from the time malcolm stabbed her in the stomach) another honorable mention to the arishok battle, (i havent decided if she got impaled but maaybbee) and then of course the scar on her face she sustains at some point during the finale of da2. sorry i havent fleshed these out too much yet Had a broken heart: yes because of the deaths of her family but romantically? technically yes but also no. it's weird enough that it doesn't hurt as much as it should

ARE THEY...

A cuddler: yess she wants it more than anything but she doesnt even know that because shes the master of denying her own feelings. even with fenris she's kind of afraid to touch him so she holds back. but its ok her doggie smothers her in her sleep

Scared easily: no but only because she already lives in a perpetual state of anxiety

Jealous easily: i think... yes but it passes easily. she's not at all possessive but she's easily worried and very desperate. she wouldnt ever get confrontational just insecure

Trustworthy: she isn't smart about people at all so as long as you dont threaten her family or friends then she wouldn't have a reason to betray you. so yeah

FAMILY:

Parents/siblings: fuck my stupid baka life

Children: fenris and aniera are the least equipped couple to have children in the entirety of thedas. it's for this reason i decided they should have twins

Pets: Malcolm's mabari that continues to act in service of the family, which mostly means that he smothers aniera now and eventually is given to bethany after the game. his name btw. its champion. hehe

[theevilmaninyourcomputer]

A soft critique of Luigi Mangione:

We have to keep in mind that this ties into a much larger conversation about the morality of gun violence.

 Been thinking about the weaponization of non-violent protest. We're taught that Gandhi, Mandela, MLK, etc. are the heroes, whereas people like Malcolm X are dangerous, insurgent threats to public safety. And the 'peaceful' revolutionaries DID enact change, but their ideologies are being manipulated. When we're told that the solution to systemic injustice is 'non-violent protest,' the outcome is complacency. Empty picket signs, and inaction.

But vigilante justice is really, really dangerous, and it's been popularized by this image of the 'gun slinger,' the lone rider who is subservient to no one, but whose moral compass is unfailingly and unequivocally correct. This is ESPECIALLY exacerbated by the whole, idk, FIREARM PROLIFERATION THING !!! We need legal safeguards, if we don't have legal safeguards, innocent people get hurt. Even though, in this case, everyone can generally agree that Brian Thompson 'deserved' what happened to him. For what that's worth. Thompson was a figurehead, and this assassination is HOPEFULLY the catalyst for something larger.

It's easy to praise Mangione for what he did because it was 'good', but then you have to consider where assassinations slot into the larger discussion of vigilante violence. It's messy. Think about ‘stand your ground’ laws, wherein a person can shoot someone based simply on the feeling that they are at risk even if walking away and avoiding the confrontation is a reasonable alternative. These laws effectively legalize lynchings. There was this one case, Ahmaud Arbery, who was a black jogger who was shot and killed by three men on conviction of having robbed a store. Obviously, that's fucking morally reprehensible. And it furthers my point. There isn't a lot separating Ahmaud's shooter from Mangione, legally. Just that we FEEL like one was deserved, while the other was unjust.

As a note, violence doesn't immediately cease to be vigilante violence when it's systemic. Take police brutality, for example. Cops kill on conviction, and exist as arbiters of the law. They are bound only to themselves, and so, they are unbound. They are the law, and so exist above it.

I brought this up to a friend, and they responded, "would you punish someone for killing Hitler?"

Can killing on conviction be righteous? Can violence be moral? Who are we to decide that Mangione is innocent?

School shooters decide who deserves to die. Mangione decided that Thompson deserved to die. Again, I'm not saying that Mangione was wrong, just that TikTokers flagrantly echoing 'free Mangione' is a little unsettling. I want people to understand the breadth of this situation, because non-violence CAN TURN INTO complacency, that's true. And sometimes, violence is absolutely necessary. But not in every circumstance.

I saw this comment under an Instagram post, and it really speaks for itself.

That's the problem. In this instance, I think it was really, really effective. I'm not anti violent protest. But, we're so detached from reality and chronically online we say things like "our generation is so unserious 🤣🤣🤣" and in doing so, we squash movements before they actually get off the ground.

Furthermore, the response to this reminds me a LOT of the Jeffery Dahmer fandom, the people who disregard the incredibly fucked up things he did because he was attractive. I'm not equating the two, but we need to have these conversations. It's dangerous if we don't. What if Luigi Mangione hadn't been a hot white man? What if he'd been black? What if he'd been middle eastern? Would the response be the same?

I'll spell this out - the answer is NO.

I'm SICK of performative TikTok liberalism. So help me God, we're not going to do performative activism. We're not going to write fanfiction about the shooter. We're not going to aestheticize this assassination to the point of ineffection. We're going to strike fucking terror into the hearts of the 1%. We're going to incite legitimate change. And we're not going to let this live and die when the current cycle of memes dwindles out.

I hope insurance CEOs everywhere are fearing for their wellbeing right now. God knows, so many Americans have been for so long. 

[fuckyeahfightlock]

Punk Rock Cool Kid Required Viewing (Batch 4)

Sid and Nancy Suburbia Stranger Than Paradise A Clockwork Orange

(I'm rewatching all the "required viewing" films of my alterna-teen years) Notes on these films below the cut.

Sid and Nancy (1986, dir. Alex Cox)

I fear I could go on forever about this film. So quotable, and I still quote it. The punk generation's Romeo and Juliet story, our great doomed romance, played ably by the reluctant Gary Oldman (he turned down the role twice before being bullied into taking it by his agent) and television actress Chloe Webb in their breakout film roles. Troublingly romanticised, perhaps, but these were big personalities with big-turned-small lives and there's true love and tragedy in their story, blighted by heroin, with a punk soundtrack and attitude. They died young, stayed pretty; for better or worse, there's currency in that sad tale. Better to burn out than fade away; hope I die before I get old--two slogans of glamourous, glorious youth so young it doesn't recognise how much more life there is after 18, or 20, or 25, and that no matter how much "living" you pack into a short life, it's still too damn short.

This film is a cartoon that morphs into a dirge, and I feel Nancy was treated somewhat unfairly in it (I recall many people who met the real Nancy saying how much they hated her because she was loud, bossy, unpredictable, "got Sid hooked on heroin"--I distinctly remember someone described her voice as "honking"), and that Chloe Webb's choices were sometimes a bit superficial--the real Nancy Spungen was a very troubled person with a lifelong struggle against largely undiagnosed and untreated mental illness (her mother's book is a harrowing read; I'm rereading it now as I bought a new copy when I ordered the DVD)--Webb's Nancy comes across as a brat, a climber, and somewhat stupid (the real Nancy was exceptionally intelligent) and her moods in the film are pretty one-note, everything from her playfulness to her romantic feelings to her junkie desperation play out "on 11." Oldman's Sid is a youthful goof-off, not bright but probably brighter than Sid actually was, ultimately aimless, lead around by the dick by Nancy's interest in him and her steamroller personality. Somewhere in the middle of all these extremes probably lies the true nature of their relationship--young, horny, addicted, dumb (not stupid)--but the extremes are what makes it a story worth remembering, worth telling.

This film has some truly beautiful, cinematic moments, like the re-creation of Sid's "My Way" music video, the unforgettable kiss in the alley while garbage rains down, Sid nodding out and Nancy mutely staring as their hotel room burns. Alex Cox knows how to frame a shot.

In some ways it's a caricature, but this film was made with true affection for its subjects, and I will always love it.

Notably fantastic performances by Andrew Schofield as Johnny "He likes to be called John" Rotten, Debby Bishop as Phoebe (a composite character who essentially manages the Pistols and then Sid, under direction from Malcolm MacLaren), and Xander Berkeley (who I have an affinity for, just always) as Bowery Snax, Sid and Nancy's New York dealer. Courtney Love has a minor role in this--she auditioned for Nancy but with her then-fat face and terrible acting it's clear why she was not cast--as is Kathy Burke.

We'll never know what really happened in Room 100 at the Chelsea Hotel, but Nancy had been trying to die for years by the time she was found stabbed in the bathroom there, and it's unsurprising that fresh-from-Rikers Sid overdosed and died as soon as he got out (many people forced into withdrawal overestimate their tolerance when they return to using). Most profound of all: when Nancy and Sid died, they were 20 and 21 years old.

Love Kills.

Suburbia (1983, dir. Penelope Spheeris)

I hadn't seen this one in about 25 years; I'd forgotten the distressing amount of casual racism, homophobia, and rampant misogyny, and I'm sorry but there's no way that "no animals were harmed" disclaimer could have been applied. That said, Suburbia is the most important narrative film of the punk era, by a mile.

Suburban child of an alcoholic single mother Evan takes off to join a group of thrown-away teens squatting in an abandoned tract home, where he gets "a burn" (brand) of the gang's TR insignia--for they are The Rejected. Burnout druggie Keef, faux dad Jack Diddley, skinhead thug with a heart of gold Skinner, silly girls Matie and T'resa, maybe-a-goth Joe Schmo (whose jean jacket I modeled my own after), and recent suburban runaway Sheila are among the characters who inhabit the TR house. Notably, Razzle--who has a fat pet rat and tries to tame the neighborhood's pack of feral dogs (allegedly the Pet Shop Boys' song "Suburbia" is inspired by this film)--is played by an impossibly young Mike B. the Flea, later the bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The film is just barely acted by this bunch of amateurs--they were Los Angeles punks Spheeris recruited because "I couldn't make actors into punks, but I could make punks into actors" who mostly showed up for the $100 a day paycheck--and in one scene Jack says, "Which way is it, Flea?" and Flea replies, "My name's Razzle." It's cute, in Hey Kids Let's Put On A Show fashion. The music is alternately pretty good (live performances by D.I., TSOL, and The Vandals) and kind of weird (Alex Gibson's pseudo-alterna score sometimes reminded me of the '70s soft rock dude in Sid and Nancy trying to sell his "I wanna job, I wanna job, one that satisfies my artistic needs" song to Johnny Rotten because "it's got kind of a punky feel"). The aspect ratio makes me think this was a straight-to-video release??? It's made to fit not a movie screen but a 1980s television screen--the movie is square.

The story is a suburban tragedy, of wasted youth (though it's clear these kids have been failed and betrayed by their families, schools, and society, through no fault of their own--which is probably why it had such strong appeal to '80s misfit teens like me and mine) and the hollowness of life in the ruins of pre-fab utopias. The kids do their best in the face of indifference, anger, and fear. When one of them dies by suicide, the friends don't know what to do, and a lingering shot of the punks standing silent in the front yard of a tract home as they return their friend's blanket-wrapped body to her stunned parents is an image that lingers.

Maybe clumsy, maybe melodramatic, but Suburbia really tries to say something about punk culture, the real mental anguish of teenagers, the value of found family, and the empty promise of the Reagan '80s. In its way, it's similar to Rebel Without a Cause, The Outsiders, or Bless the Beasts and Children--reminders that young lives have depth. Absolutely worth the time; I was glad to watch it again.

Stranger Than Paradise (1984, dir. Jim Jarmusch)

Well, this sure is a Jim Jarmusch movie! I don't know exactly how this ended up in my crowd's Required Viewing clump, except to perhaps thank/blame the Cool Older Guy Who Worked At Our Video Store. There's not really anything punk about this film, except that it's pure indie, which was rare and exciting back in the '80s--much rarer than it is now. It's a New York story of a jobless hipster, Willie, whose teenaged cousin Eva comes from Hungary for a weeklong visit. Willie's friend and shadow, Eddie, tags along as the three roadtrip from Cleveland to Florida, and the whole thing is a very long walk to a single punchline.

It has its moments, certainly. Eva walks through barren, early-'80s New York City streets carrying a tape recorder playing Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" and later when Willie tells her he doesn't like it, she says, "That's Screamin' Jay and he's a wild man, so bug off," a line I remembered as soon as the film started. Scenes with Aunt Lotte ranting at them in Hungarian, Eva taking the men to see "the big lake" in Cleveland in the dead of winter when there's really nothing to see but a snowy whiteout, and a mistaken-identity moment outside a motel in Florida that leads to a silly mixup that closes the film on a bit of a laugh.

Stranger Than Paradise is a very important independent film, and if you love Jim Jarmusch, this is one of his best. It's pretty fucking DIY, which I guess makes it punk. I take it back--this film is punk. But not in the expected ways. Well worth a watch for punks and film buffs; it's mild and amusing and pays off, but it's not exactly a wild ride.

A Clockwork Orange (1971, dir. Stanley Kubrick)

Another important cult film, made in consummate Kubrickian style (ie, technically intense, wildly perfectionist), which I think was favoured by punks and artsy types more for its unflinching, near-technicolour, bright-lit "ultraviolence" as any more highbrow concerns. It feels subversive, especially the first act, with its serial rapes, beatings, and overarching aura of menace. Youth gangs, mindless violence, music obsession (in this case, classical, most especially Beethoven). . .it all fits in with the youth sub- and countercultures.

Alex and his gang of "droogs" are unrepentant violent criminals, until he is imprisoned for murder and undergoes an experimental psychological "treatment" which replaces his lust for violence with nausea over it. Through a series of coincidences, he finds himself free (now a "clockwork orange"--organic outside, robotic inside) only to become the subject of torture by one of his former victims, which drives him to a suicide attempt. The government, embarrassed by this outcome for the poster child for their "cure," undoes his brainwashing and even offers him a government job, if only he promises not to publicly blame them for his grave injury.

This film is definitely of its moment, and it's a faithful adaptation of the novel, which I appreciate. The violence probably seemed shocking to early '70s filmgoers, but it is hyper-stylized and in some ways almost mild by 21st century standards. I kept thinking through the whole film how very different this might look if it were made today. There's a lot to be said for wanton violence committed in the garish light of day, with a blaring soundtrack of classical marches and symphonies--it's certainly, as we might say now, A Look. But I thought of other, more recent films which enact violence in daylight that are far more shocking, and I think a well-designed reboot of A Clockwork Orange might actually make me squirm. This film almost seems quaint. I mean, it's good. And Malcolm MacDowell was undeniably sexy when at his most unhinged. But I can think of many more contemporary films that do the same things this film does just as well, or better.

The overarching themes of psychology, free will, government overreach, and untamed youth are all well placed and explored, I just don't know if A Clockwork Orange weighs the same as it did 50 years ago. I won't need to watch it again, probably ever.

[kushblazer666]

The biggest protest in Super Bowl history happened on the Stage tonight and folk screaming it's boring or trash because it went over their head! This what you didn't see.

.

Then again the message is Blacks have always been here to entertain THEY (Who are not like us) so they aren't bored.

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They rather have Wayne up there high, who has backed Drake (The system) to push the agenda.

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The messages Kendrick just sent to America could not use Wayne.

It even started with the American Flag being built out of black people as America being built on the backs of black people.

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Before I mention how being cool in our culture has always been stolen, no matter how many people try to steal it, they not like us.

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WAS NOT ABOUT WHITE PEOPLE.. IT WAS ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO CONTROL THE MEDIA AND LABELS WHO CREATE DIVIDE. OK HERE GOES!

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It started with Dead Pres intro beat and flow "Bigger than Hiphop" I'll put the video in comments.

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First song: WHEN I HEAR MUSIC, IT MAKES ME DANCE (SQUABBLE UP). Puppet Strings of music making us dance vs pay attention.

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Uncle (Sam)uel L Jackson started it off with the rules of the game of historical White America America.

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Then Said when a bunch of blacks hanging out on the corner under the street light is too deep for the culture.

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Somebody gotta die. Deduct a life and create an environment to cancel each other out. Can't have Black men getting along with each other. They'll build.

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The Squid games start which symbolizes the rich killing the poor for entertainment. Hmm. Imagine rappers beefing and killing and the media benefitting from their deaths.

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The system allows Drake to push the Sexxxy Redd to taint the culture and empowers him

.

The dancers in Red White & Blue representing the American flag. Been Dancing to the drums of the system. And we want entertainment and to be able to dance than be educated.

.

The main Stage was a Playstation. Squid Game card 🔻🟥🔴️ and the system is a game designed to keep us dancing and imprisoned which is why it was in a prison yard.

.

Protecting black women like Serena Williams after the disrespect from Drake

.

Notice he brought out SZA as a black woman and she did not have to be half naked on display for the world letting her voice shine?

.

Ok, AMERICA. He was showing patriotism. How about instead of wanting to LEAVE the country, we have the same patriotism and treat it like it's ours.

.

WE DID BUILD IT. Why not celebrate what you built? Now, let's kill the system that has all of us fighting and instead of loving and uniting to see what's being done. TAE PRIDE IN WHAT WE BUILT. IT'S OURS TOO.

.

Uncle Sam created the rules to play by. And now it's time for us to change the rules. THIS REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED

.

And once again reminding the system of Drake and America "They (Plants) are Not Like Us" and can't infiltrate the culture.

.

Game Over.. TV OFF. Been under their control. Revolution.

.

Drake Been used to further sour the system and be a plant for the same system Malcolm X warned about from the music execs who own media and use it to divide us.

.

Kendrick Loves America, which is why he refers to Drake as Canadian and doesn't look at this as a black thing. HE feels he infiltrated the culture and tried to make a mockery of what Black Culture is, hence the Atlanta verse they didn't get to in Not Like Us.

.

This is bigger than rap! And women who feel disrespected should see it.

People who are tired of being divided should see it. Notice the American flag divided?

.

But most of all, those who didn't have a lens to see it just shows the system has worked and you're the type it's been working on.

.

Dude is the most creative genius in hiphop history.

.

But go off. Maybe we can see more well respected entrepreeurs and family men leading for once.

.

Here is the kicker: Look at your fb friends who say they wish it was more entertaining. Yeah, they were who it's been working on. The system rather keep you choosing entertainment over being educated

.

Watch the first 10 secs of his rap. Dead Pres reference Bigger Than Hiphop. True Art!

.

Rappers sent as plants to hurt us will no longer be tolerated. WE ARE WOKE. If you're mad at it please don't complain about being looked at a certain way.

.

Because if you keep praising the entertainers who promote killing each other and degrading our women. I guess America will think it's OK too.

.

Watch the comments fill up with "Nothing will change" from people who are ok waiting for it to change vs doing their part.

.

The point he was making was... Come to this post in 24 hours and watch how many of us are fighting the message and messenger vs thinking of positive growth to move forward

.

You don't expect shucking and jiving and twerking from an artist who was the only rapper ever to win a Pulitzer Prize. You appreciate ART. And Art is sometimes boring but changes cultures.

Them: We watch Super Bowl to be entertained

.

Well it's 2025. The Super Bowl performance goes on Youtube and we can talk about it for weeks and hopefully lead to Unity and Change.

.

#KendrickLamar #HalftimeShow #SuperBowl #Drake #Cbiefs #Eagles #JalenHurts #SerenaWilliams #LilWayne #KDot

[wesdoesliterallynothing]

Malcolm Bright, a man desperately pursuing his own destruction merely because he was born

Tw: Needle, Suicide, Grooming and Prodigal Son Spoilers (and it's related triggers)

Malcolm Bright kneeling himself in front of a serial killer who is mimicking his father, the man who tried to groom him into a being just like him, haunting him even after ten years of no contact, and offering himself to be killed. Malcolm Bright, kneeling in front of a serial, confessing his parentage in front of someone who has so far had an untainted opinion of him.

The moment he admits to being The Surgeon's son, Martin's son, how it hurts him to say.

Malcolm Bright, hoping to kill two birds with one stone, get rid of himself, ending all the torment at the hands of the closest thing to his father, and saving a life while doing it. Holding a needle to his wrist, all but begging this killer to kill him instead.

His disappointment is palpable, so very clear when he isn't killed, painfully, excruciatingly. The serum had been perfected, the most painful way to die, and Malcolm was on his knees for it. And Gil saw it, Gil knew, seeing that face. How many times had Gil seen that face? How many times had Malcolm tried something similar? How many times had he felt that same fear? Gil has known Malcolm for 20 years, through the worst times in his life, how many times had he seen Malcolm like this?

Malcolm Bright is one of the most self-destructive characters I have ever seen, from moments like these where he intentionally puts his life in danger, hoping for a moment where it ends, disappointed when it doesn't end with him dead. To moments where he sabotages his own relationships, pushing people away, lying and making himself out to be this horrible burden to everyone, to be this danger to be around.

Malcolm Bright has always been afraid of himself, of being what his father tried to groom him into, so deeply into that belief that his father succeeded and that he’s such a terrible person, merely for existing, for being the son of the surgeon. Malcolm is fully under the belief that he deserves pain and even death for what his father did, he’s so afraid of hurting people, of being like his father. Everything he does is penance of being alive, hoping to make up for the risk of him still being around. He’s so scared, even of death itself. Malcolm, generally speaking, tends to be passively suicidal, having shown fear of death and being hurt, but it’s moments like these that you really see how far he’s willing to go to keep everyone else safe, and how deeply this fear goes. How ready he is to lay down his life.  But that's just my two cents

[luwe21]

Favorite Sibling Ships.

This post includes Spoilers for the MCU and Umbrella Academy! Read at your own risk. This is very long, sorry.

Wilkercest. (Malcolm/Reese, Malcolm in the Middle)

I really enjoy the dynamics between the unlike siblings and I just like the teasing and pranking. Also Reese is kinda "innocent" despite being older. He has no experience with anyone because of his childish behavior.

Thorki (Thor/Loki, MCU)

They perfectly embody the two sides of a coin trope and the sunshine/darkness dynamic. Also Himbo/Nerd, Golden Retreiver/Black Cat. So many to love with so many feelings. The sun will shine on us again. I shipped Lokius for a while as the show came out but went back to Thorki after the hype stopped. I shipped Thor with Star Lord too for a while.

I am hopeful to see Thor and Loki interact again. Now that the multiverse is open. Hope is the last thing to die.

Moonsytem (Marc/Steven (Moonknight) Is this Incest? Please educate me. Or direct me to information about that.

Next is a fandom with complicated family dynamics, even more so than Thorki: Umbrella Academy aka The Hargreeves. They are 7 children out of forty-three, all born in the 12th hour of the first day of October 1989 to mothers with no previous signs of pregnancy. They were all brought here by Sir Reginal Hargreeves and live together at the Academy. They all have different superpowers and were trained to be superheroes until the public lost interest.

My ships is Fiego (Diego/Five)

This is where Himbo/Nerd comes in. Five is also old, but has a very young body. He's supposed to be in a 12-year-old body (the show doesn't really care about the age of the actor, but he's actually a minor for part of the show, he's 20 now), and his actual age in the show is well over 60. Diego is maybe 29-36. Can't really pinpoint because of a lot of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff. The show is fun (last season was terrible), but there is not much explanation. Watch the show to get the full context.

Well, Five is a bastard to everyone, but he has a big soft spot for all his siblings and is very protective. He is a trained assassin, leader of the Commission (Time Protection Service) and 100% deadly. He accidentally left the family when he was 12, he can blip through time and has spent about 60 years trying to get back to them and save them from several apocalypses. He actually saw them die and was stuck in an apocalypse as a lone survivor. He had a relationship with a mannequin. He is often classified by fans as asexual and/or aromantic. He is tired and an old guy who desperately wants to rest for five minutes.

Diego is well Diego. He is hot as hell and a hero type. His superpower is the power to manipulate thrown objects such as knives while in flight. He likes to be as epic as Batman but he is "Batman for poor people" like his sibling call him. He is the only one that continued doing "hero work" as the kids got older. He worked with Eudora Patch, a police officer and that was his first (?) girlfriend. She was killed.

In a timeline Diego tried to save JFK but was locked into a mental asylum and meet his future wife Lila Pitts. Lila is later revealed to have superpowers as well, meaning she is technically also a sibling. A lot more story but this is getting long enough.

Back to my ship. Five found all of his siblings dead, he only touched Diego, turning him around to check for signs of life and cried over his body. He also expressed his dislike for Diego's relationship with Lila and gave Lila a shovel talk. Subtle scenes, but nothing more in canon.

Unfortunately, in Season 4, the 20-year-old actor (Five) kissed the 35-year-old actress (Lila). So Lila cheated on Diego with Five. Sexual contact was implied. I am very disappointed with this choice in the show, not because of my ship. I am just a character fan (I have been burned by actors/actresses before) so the real life age difference was gross to me. I do not care if ships become canon or not. I do not need a kiss or even a smut scene for any of my ships. Fanon before Canon is my motto.

Next is Horrance (Klaus/Ben)

Klaus is a freak, a medium, a seance leader, a drug addict, a sex cult leader, a war veteran and can see and experience ghosts. In the military he was in a relationship with a another soldier called Dave. He can't die naturally and Dave sadly died in his arms. I liked the ship but after a few scenes Dave wasn't shown again.

Klaus is the only one who can interact with Ben (he's a ghost). His nickname for him is Bennie Boy. Ben is the level-headed, quiet counterpart. But he also has a "freaky" side. Huge uncontrollable tentacles (they are called The Horror) come out of his body and, not surprisingly, are not lethal to Klaus and even "know" him, whatever that means. It is unclear if the Horror can interact with Ben similar to Venom Symbiote or not.

It is revealed that Ben is in love with a girl named Jennifer (Bennifer lol) but if they interact the whole multiverse would be "cleansed". So his adoptive dad shot him and Jennifer that is why he is dead at the beginning of the show.

We meet another version of Ben. He is part of the Sparrows. Another academy in another timeline and a big idiot and a grumpy cat. But I love him too. At a party at the end of the world where Luther from the Brellies married Sloane from the Sparrows (but that is hetero so of course that is way different and not at all problematic/s) , Klaus and Sparrow Ben disappear and are found hungover and half-naked the next day. Ben has "Asshole" written in Sharpie on his back. They seem to be close, or at least Klaus is forcing Sparrow Ben to accept his affections. Ben tries to push Klaus away, but ends up grouchily accepting the touchy behavior. They definitally "did" something.

Nobody got a happy end however. They all sacrifice themself at the end, together at least, because they were never supposed to exist. (great message am I right) Also the Sparrows do not appear in Season 4. Yeah! And the show is officially over. They are comics but I did not have touched them yet. Right now I am plotting and sceming on a huge Fix It.

[possum-reads]

Jurassic Park Notes

-Closing Thoughts-

Absolutely loved it. I've been a big fan of the movies since I was a kid and I had always wanted to read the books. However, I was definitely not expecting what I got. While I adore the movie and always will, the book is thought provoking and has a much bigger emphasis on the fact that those dummies were way in over their heads and the park was doomed from the start.

As a biologist, I really appreciated the dedication to exploring the biological and genetical discussions and methodology, even if it was flawed in execution by Hammond and his team. There were so many good moments, usually thanks to Malcolm, where the total scope of what was going on at the park and the implications behind it were explored that really set up a lot of thought provoking questions, and allowed the reader to think deeply about the park, the dinosaurs, and the people involved.

I really enjoyed the peek into each character's perspectives and seeing all the different reactions to everything. Getting to see the perspective from people with vastly different backgrounds, experiences, and reactions helped to highlight everything that was at stake and gave a good look into the nuances of the situation. The perspectives ranged from scientists, to rich old dudes, to children, and being able to see all of these different viewpoints made the story that much more interesting.

The story itself was very solid, and the build up in the first few chapters was incredible, one of the best I've read in a while. I would say it's comparable only to "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, which is another book I wish I didn't know what the big scary was before reading. The build up in both was done super well and I know the first readers were shook to the core at the reveals to both. It added a sense of mystery to the beginning of the book which set the story up nicely. It felt like at first we were getting almost a folklore story of a mysterious creature, then a peek inside to people who knew exactly what it was, and then thrown into the chaos that is Jurassic Park.

The ending was crazy. I'm very conflicted on if I agree with them bombing the island or not. While no, I don't agree that the dinosaurs should have been created and I don't agree with the park, the fact of the matter is that it doesn't matter anymore. The dinosaurs were created, and they are living, breathing creatures. On the other hand, they are not fit to live on that island and they're not suited for their environment. As an animal lover, I don't want them to die. I want well educated and equipped people to take care of them until they die because it's what they deserve. As a scientist, I think they should all be put down (humanely). They won't survive, eventually they will all slowly kill each other to death and/or starve. They're already under a lot of stress, and we saw with a lot of them that they aren't free to express their natural behaviors (ex: the velociraptors want to migrate but can't) and their quality of life will slowly but surely deteriorate. It's a tough dilemma at the end, and I'm excited to read the next book and see what happens. (I've seen all the movies but don't remember much)

I give the book 8/10, but that's purely due to my own preferences and because it didn't pass the Bechdel test at all even a little bit lmao.

-

My non-critical thoughts:

Hammond got exactly what he deserved. I was popping bottles when that stupid head fell down that hill and then got his ass beat by those dinosaurs.

RIP Malcolm except he's not actually dead, long live the king!

Justice for Ellie Saddler!!! I don't know why they needed to add that weird romance subplot in the movie, she is my strong independent queen.

I thought it was hilarious that Grant was wearing a Hawaiian shirt the whole time.

Lex, I understand that you are a child but I need you to get a grip for five seconds and realize that there is no goddamn ice cream.

Justice for Gennaro!!! They did my man sooo dirty in the movies! In the book you can tell he did Not want to be there after the dinosaurs started acting up but he bucked up and stepped up when they needed him, even though he had a wife and child waiting for him! He was truly one of the bravest of them, even if he did make mistakes, they were from a place of good intentions and he was genuinely trying to help the whole time.

The parts where they were being pursued by the dinosaurs were so good, and I think the fear and distress during those moments were done very well, the movie definitely upped the ante on the action but I appreciate a good suspense/thriller movie so I'm not complaining.

Lex throwing the baby velociraptor at the adults because she thought they would be nice to it and then them immediately eating it was insane, and I don't want to say it was funny because it was meant to highlight the nature of the animals...but it was kind of funny lmao

Justice for the dinosaurs, long live the king, can't wait to read the next one!

[twoidiotwriters1]

Daughter of Olympus (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Sorry for the delay! I went insane for a few days but I'm better now -Danny Words: 1,830 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter / Next Chapter Listen to: 'Die Trying' -by MICHL

XXXV: This Barbie is Consumed by Guilt

"I don't agree," Lily says firmly.

Malcolm looks at her like he wants to stab her. "Get it together!"

"I can't go with my siblings either," I state.

Percy scowls at us, he's frustrated as well. "What are you two up to?"

I look at Jake. "Tell him."

My friend steps forward. "She has Beckendorf's old notebook."

"What notebook?" I pull it out of my bag and show it to Percy. "Hey, these are the bombs we hid in the bus... and the ones we used for the Andromeda!"

"There's more," I say. "Ten grenade designs, and traps that we haven't tried yet. Beck was hoping not to need them at all, but..."

"So you guys are building these?"

"I have a few ready," I pull my dino bag forward. "But they're not enough. If we want to win, I'll have to loot a few places."

"Alright," Percy doesn't hesitate this time. "Beckendorf's creations were always fault-proof, you can make these."

"You can only take three campers with you, though," Annabeth makes an educated guess as to how many people they can spare at the moment.

"Lily, Connor," I can't take Travis or Michael, they're counselors. Same thing with Jake. "Nyssa, you're coming."

Lily and Connor are exceptional pickpocketers, they can loot a store and get you anything you want without having to break windows or set alarms off. Nyssa and I will make lists of all the things we need, and then we'll build as we go. 

We split into two groups: Connor goes with Nyssa, and Lily with me. Before we leave, I hug my brother. As he leans forward I hold him tighter and whisper to him. 

"I know about Achilles."

"We'll talk later," he says. "I promise."

"You better."

The group scatters, but someone runs up to us before we go too far. 

"Hang on!" Michael searches his backpack and pulls out a walkie-talkie. He gives it to Lily. "If something happens, call me. I'll find you."

Lily shakes her head. "You can't—"

"You're like sisters to me," he presses. "I won't turn my back on you now." 

I take the walkie and hug him, part of me doesn't want to let go. 

"Don't get killed," he tightens his grip around me. "You have a title to gain."

"See you in a bit." 

I step back so Lily can hug him, I lock eyes with Mike for a second, we never talked about the kiss and there's no point in doing it now, so I seize Lily's hand, and we walk away.

Ara's suffering from separation anxiety and she hasn't even left camp. She keeps walking around, looking for a problem that may require her to stay, but she's fixed most by now. Even Jason's cabin has been remodeled and furnished, same thing with Aphrodite's.

In short, Ara discovers she's been doing a great job at the worst time possible. And to make things worse, Leo's still avoiding her. Part of her is guilty because she thought that moving back in with his parents wasn't a big deal, but he seemed pretty upset about it.

"I wish I could go with you," Lily sighs as she arranges her armor. 

Ara snorts. "No, you don't."

Her friend smiles. "Yeah, but I wouldn't hate it, you know? Going to school, attending proms and all that..."

Ara wrinkles her nose. "I won't go to prom."

Lily's shocked. "But it's your first school dance!"

"Percy promised he'd take me, but he's obviously not going to, so..."

The dark-haired girl pouts. "We used to daydream about it, Ara. Are you sure it isn't..." her friend pauses. "You're not worried about not having a date, right?"

"I haven't gone to that school at all this year," she reminds her. "I don't know if I have the same classmates as before, or if they even remember me."

Lily rolls her eyes. "I know a short brunette doesn't sound like a lot, but you're a daughter of Olympus, you draw people in like moths to a flame—"

"Wow, that's flattering."

Her friend laughs. "You know what I mean."

Ara shakes her head. "I don't wanna go, Lils. It wouldn't be fun."

"But your mom said—"

"Don't use that against me..." she whines.

"You love dancing!"

"You know what I love? When you win using the bow I made for you," she pushes Lily forward. "Go get that Flag, civetta."

Lily mutters complaints as she walks onward. Ara's so glad to have Lily, she can second-guess many things in life, but her friendship with Lily is not one of them.

Piper walks up to Ara and nudges her arm. "You're not playing?"

Ara shakes her head with a sad smile. "I miss it a lot, but it wouldn't be fair."

Her sister points in Lily's direction. "She's the one who taught you to be sneaky, right?"

"She's like a ghost," Ara grins. "You're lucky to be playing on her team."

"No joke..." Piper lowers her voice. "I'm sorry Leo didn't take the news well, I think that he was looking forward to spending time with us... and you. He's never stayed in one place for long, this was his first chance to do so."

Ara groans, deeply embarrassed. "I'm usually the one who dives right into awkward conversations, I don't know why I find it so hard with him now."

"Maybe 'cause you care a little too much about what he thinks."

Ara ponders this. "I'll talk to him tonight, I promise."

Piper shrugs. "You don't have to promise me that."

"Right," she blushes. "Well, uh, thank you for talking to me, then?"

Piper hugs her sideways. "No problem."

Ara walks up to Chiron and stands next to him. Usually, she waits with him until the game ends, but now he's got something else in mind. 

"You should take this time to brood on your prophecy."

Ara groans, a bit more dramatically this time. "Chiron, honestly, has that ever worked?"

"Aren't you the exception to most rules?"

Her mind drifts to something else. "You didn't want me to leave camp when the war ended, but you agreed to let me go now. Why?"

"Because I'm not your guardian," he sighs. "I'm an... advisor of sorts."

"Alright, advisor," the girl stares at him frowning. "I'm going home while everyone else works. Is that wise or cowardly?"

"Neither. I call it saving the best for last," he replies. "You are our secret weapon. Just because the monsters know you exist now, doesn't mean it'll stop working."

"Then I'm no exception to the rule," she responds smartly. "I'm your last resort."

He smiles knowingly. "We should always give the enemy a chance to retreat before we attack them with, er..."

"Your worst?" She suggests.

"Our best chance at winning," the centaur corrects.

"That isn't a compliment, is it?"

Chiron heaves a sigh. "A child of Olympus rarely gets compliments while they're alive."

She pouts. "Well, I'll go think about my terrible prophecy then, see you..."

As she walks through the forest, she reminisces about the war, not the prophecy. It feels like it was ages ago. Ara's stuck between wishing she could go back, and hoping to never again be who she was before getting her title.

She draws out her compass and looks at it, the needle is steadily pointing in a single direction.

"I heard Annabeth and Malcolm are activating plan twenty-three," Nyssa mentions. "What's that about?"

"All the statues on the island are automatons," Lily explains. "I've been going over the plan with her and Malcolm for weeks—Haven't slept well since, I still remember Ara's dragon..."

"He's just a little rusty!" I argue, but then I notice the dark circles under her eyes. "Have you been eating properly, at least?"

"No. I gave her an apple this morning though," Connor replies.

"How thoughtful of you," I tease him.

"Shut up."

"How come you never bring me food when I skip meals?"

"You could blow me up in flames if I go near one of your crazy inventions."

"Ara hasn't exploded anything in a year, three months, two weeks, and three days," Lily answers immediately. "That's a thing of the past."

"Speaking of," I smirk. "Did you know the Greeks used to throw apples at people they were in love with, Connor?"

"And if the other caught it, it meant the love was reciprocated," Nyssa replies in the same way.

"Next time I throw something, it'll be my knives at you two," Lily warns us.

Ara shouldn't interfere with the game, but this is the best time to hold a private conversation without interruption. She finds Leo exactly where the compass said he'd be, Ara approaches quietly from behind and covers his mouth so he doesn't alert others. 

"It's me!" She whispers as the boy squirms in her arms. "We need to talk!"

Leo snatches her hand away. "Are you insane?" He whispers angrily. "I almost set you on fire!"

"You've been avoiding me, I couldn't risk you sneaking away!" She argues. "I want a chance to explain myself."

"I'm in the middle of a game—"

"Leo," she gives him her best puppy eyes. "Please? I know you're upset and I don't want you to be."

Leo groans, but the blush on his face isn't helping him. "Does it have to be right now?"

Ara shrugs. "I should wait. I'm not allowed to interfere during Capture the Flag..."

"I'll see you at the campfire," he tells her. "Now leave me alone, your face is distracting me."

She chuckles, eyeing him with a playful gaze. "You look adorable in armor, by the way."

"Go away!" He presses, smoke coming out of his ears.

Ara giggles but obliges. Just as she exits the forest, she spots Janus standing near the forges, looking right at her. Her mouth goes dry. "No!"

The god vanishes in a heartbeat. Ara feels her legs wavering under her and she falls to her knees, severely nauseous. She tries to focus on the coldness of the grass, or the strawberry fragrance coming from uphill, but she's having trouble breathing. 

"A crossroad is approaching," says a voice. An echo of a memory. 

"You're incredible at this," Lily points out. "Although you should wear gloves."

My fingers are covered in cuts, the wire's thin and I'm not gentle. "I thought I had them in my bag, but I must've left them in my cabin."

"Where are you putting all of these?"

I point towards the Empire State.

"Why there? The Monsters haven't reached the city."

"You know why," I say without looking up.

Lily takes a moment to respond. "These are all last resorts, aren't they?"

I nod. "If everything else fails, I'm hoping these will kill enough monsters to give us one last chance."

Lily starts a new bomb but stops for a moment. 

"Do you think we have a chance right now?" I look up, and for a moment I think a bird has pooped on her because she's scowling at the sky, then I realize she's trying not to tear up. "I wouldn't mind dying if I knew the rest would have a chance to survive..."

"Don't say it like that," I reply, now also feeling like crying. "This is just starting. Don't say that."

Lily fixes her posture. "Right. Sorry," she sniffs. "I need you to promise me something, though."

"I'm listening."

"I'll be your second in command once you become General," she says determinately. "Where you go, I go."

"You, Mike, and I forever," I nod. "You have my word."

Next Chapter ->

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @ash-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles

[cakepoppresent]

Love Day ask game: 🌸 💖🐞 for Benji and Malcolm

🌸 Is jealousy a problem in their relationship? Which of them is more likely to be the jealous type if so?

In high school, Benji was def jealous of Veronica's closeness with Malcolm. nothing serious but more upset that Malcolm was dense about how he felt about him lol. They're fine now since Malcolm isn't the type to talk to people other than his close friends and Benji is literally attached at the hip with Malcolm. They're always together so chances to be jealous don't occur (but it will soon, I'll make sure that happens)

💖 Would they kill for one another? Better yet, would they die for one another?

Benji's feelings are so much more intense than Malcolm's so he would def be the one killing for Malcolm if the chance ever occurred. Benji wasn't joking about killing Malcolm's mom if she ever came back and started problems. Dying for one another I don't really see them thinking of dying as an option. In Benji's case, he would never die because then someone else would try to woo and date Malcolm? Not on his fucking watch. Same logic applies to Malcolm, dying? leaving Benji on his own? not a fucking chance

🐞 Who tops? Who bottoms? Does that alter every now and then?

Malcolm doesn't ever wanna top because he is lazy and he likes the feeling of being plowed into the mattress, the couch the floor etc. Benji is very good at what he does and Malcolm likes being taken care of after and Benji likes being of service lolol

(this is a man that like to service)

[periodgeese]

Actually, 4 people have set themselves on fire.

Unnamed Georgia woman, Aaron Bushnell, Matt Nelson, and Samuel Mena Jr. People get REALLY upset if you point out it clearly wasn't working after Bushnell but people kept doing it

I forget exactly what this is in response to, but yea I remember multiple people have self-immolated. I remember there was a self-immolation in Brooklyn over climate change several years ago -- do not know or remember this person's name at all.

Leftists: stop self-immolating or just killing yourselves in general. The media and public do not give a flying f.

Evil does not notice virtue; if anything it delights in it because virtue presents no resistance whatsoever. There are occasional aberrations but MLKs generally need a Malcolm X to have an impact. I think self-immolation is even less effective than a protest because it isn't even logistically disruptive. Someone takes a couple minutes to die in public, people who witness it are traumatized, the media doesn't even show the act because it's too graphic, and everyone else moves on.

Whatever you want to say about the Trump guy -- he is the first person (not Luigi!) to break this horrible trend of good guys taking themselves out and bad guys taking innocents out.

[pupkinpumpkin]

*LONG INHALE*

DaO: Alistair. I WAS gonna romance Leliana my first time, but Alistair was super funny and he was very sweet in the way he flirted so I was like, why not? Maybe I'll end up liking him in the end (spoilers: I never did, I personally see him in a brotherly way). So I romanced him as Surana, and I made him stay a warden bc he wasn't happy as a king right? Well that funny little fade quest in Inquisition happened and I decided I was going to leave Alistair behind bc I just cared about my Hawke too much, but he started saying shit like "Oh I can't wait to be back with the love of my life and we'll finally be together and no one can tear us apart" and UGHHH FUCK, so after some deliberation, I left Hawke but that felt horrible, so I decided to make my canon HoF a Cousland so Alistair and Hawke DONT FUCKING DIE ON ME and he can still be happy as king with my Cousland besides him as queen

Da2: Anders. Honestly, no one in Da2 was my type, so I chose Anders because he was the most narratively intriguing one as a non mage. I'm personally not a fan of his romance path because most of it is " Are you sure are you sure are you sure are you sure I love you Are you sure?" Which I understand, but kinda gets me down. He does have some really sweet lines tho like

"No mage I've known has ever dared to fall in love. This is the rule I will most cherish breaking." That's pretty rad.

I also like the equally sweet but also slightly disturbing,

"I would cover us in blood to protect you"

But ya, I think the narrative parallels to Leandra leaving a life of wealth and fame for an apostate mage (Malcolm) and Hawke leaving her life as champion and the wealth that almost doomed her sister (until Anders helped) to be with Anders is super rad. Plus like, Hawke literally CANT kill Anders in the end. She blames all the deaths and failures in her family on herself, so to kill Anders, the man she loves, would completely break her. She does take awhile, probably a few years to fully trust him again while they're on the run

Dai: Cullen. He is the only person I have romanced that I am genuinely attracted to. I love men who are awkward and can't flirt. Plus, as someone who played Dai first, I think seeing where he is now in DAI and then going back and seeing his journey to being there is absolutely heartbreaking. I mean, he's done and been complicit in things that I can't justify and I won't, I'm aware of that, but in DAI he's trying so hard to work on himself. He complains when you ally with the mages, but he says he won't endanger your alliance. He knows how cruel he's been to mages unjustly and is trying to unlearn that prejudice that's been taught and reinforced to him. He also decides to give up lyrium! On his own! He only goes back to it if you specifically tell him to go back on it, but in the romanced route, you can ask him what HE wants and he tells you that he doesn't want to take it again. His nightmares are worse without lyrium and he gets headaches but he wants to become a better man and knows that if he can get off lyrium, then so can other Templars. He even starts a clinic in the post scenes of Trespasser! I understand why some people will never be able to forgive him, I do, and that's completely understandable, but I think his journey into being a better person is so beautiful and when you romance him, you don't fix him, because that's his journey, his task, but you're his rock. You're there for the highs and lows and you will stay by him no matter what comes. Some may see his romance and Cullen himself as vanilla and boring, but to me it's a romance of support for both Cullen and the Inquisitor as they lean on each other to deal with their burdens and trauma together (especially w my Inky's backstory, poor girl)

Also the first time I finished DAI I finally realized he has curly hair which is an absolute plus for me bc I am so attracted to people with curly or wavy hair oh my god

i’m really curious about who people romanced over the 3 dragon age games & why

here, i’ll go first:

da:o, alistair because he made me laugh

da2, fenris because i was a mage and by god i was going to make him love me

da:i, solas because some cruel god of love decided to play an awful trick on me by making me fall for him

[tangowatchesjj]

Jessica Jones S1E7

He's in her house!!! Get the fuck out, stinky man!!!

Everything about him is just. The worst.

Oh No Ruben you should not have said that to him, he's going to kill you.

"Got a dollar?" She does not, she is a disaster. Enjoy your free sub!

Man she is going to be spotted like, immediately, she's not even trying to hide that she's following her! Although maybe that's the point? She wants Wendy to see her?

Oh Jess. Why are you threatening Wendy she doesn't deserve this.

JESS WHAT THE FUCK YOU DROPPED HER!!! SAVE HER GOD DAMN.

JUST JUMP OUT OF THE WAY ARE YOU SUICIDA - Oh.

She's really going off the rails. Or on the rails. Sorry, bad joke.

Is Ruben dead?? Is he dead???? The cake is on the table OH FUCK

How does Jess not have blood on her face from when she put her hand over her mouth?

It's murdering time - oh, guess not. Jail time!

Can you stop having sex for 5 minutes to pick up the phone, please.

Trish tops, confirmed.

Trish I mean she probably would but she's got bigger things going on right now and you are gonna regret not picking up the phone.

Kilgrave does deserve to die but we need evidence to save Hope.

"Top shelf criminals." Roll credits!

OH NO. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TO RUBEN'S BODY?

Malcolm what are you gonna do???

I hate Ruben's sister but damn she does not deserve this.

He is not just a boy?? Yeah tell her Malcolm.

Yeah that's a much better message than "I want to have your babies" but also OW my heart.

DAMN Wendy is a badass!!!!

Who are these children. Why are you here Jessica. Is this Trish's mum??

Oh my god Trish was Hannah Montana.

SHE WAS ON DRUGS???

Wow I hate Trish's mum already, she's a piece of shit.

"Thanks, Mom." I love the sass.

Oh what a fucking liar, Simpson has a macho hero complex and it is some bullshit.

Malcolm <3333

Trish stop pointing a gun at Malcolm, please, there are better people (Kilgrave) to shoot.

Oh my god the intro song playing while she's on the bridge, my heart.

jESS

I'm really sad.

"You're exactly the hero I wanted you to be." AAAAAAAAA I'M CHEWING GLASS

Oh god, he's recreating everything from her childhood home.

How has. NO ONE LOOKED UP??? SHE IS RIGHT THERE, COVERED IN WATER HOLDING A SEVERED HEAD?

jeri let her go to supermax.

Jessica asking for imprisonment is so suspicious. You should know that won't work.

Okay the throwing stuff might work. IS THAT BRETT? BRETT!!!

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

"Milk toast little man-boy." That's funny I hate that Kilgrave is funny.

"That we're inevitable." OK, THANOS??

OK I know I only pointed out the funny bits but like. The scene was so good and I cannot express everything good about it right now so you get the funnies.

Jessica should have gotten on a plane in episode 1.

Teen Jess! And Miss Bitch, ugh.

What wrong conclusions is Simpson gonna draw from this.

Also, absolutely chilling episode end.

[casspurrjoybell-22]

Master - Chapter 24c

*Warning: Adult Content*      

The Anouk Clan had more members than we'd anticipated, their numbers wandering the edges of five hundred. 

If I were to hazard a guess, they must've been trying to replenish their numbers with young Vampires and they were young, barely over the age of a century from the taste of things.

But even so, if Malcolm and I had come to kill them all, we'd have no trouble in doing so.

"If I may ask, what had brought you to my clan?" 

As I register the question, I pull my eyes away from those who passed outside the makeshift tent with curious eyes and refocus my attention on the female who sat across from me.

Alexander Villin she'd introduced herself as when she stepped out from amongst her people and declared herself to be their Plyen. 

It was impossible to ignore or dismiss the way she held her head high as she faced me and kept it there when Malcolm introduced himself soon after. 

Anyone could see the fear in her eyes but right beside it was the will to die for her people if it came to it.

"I would like to make you an offer," I explain and ignore the way Malcolm groans from beside me while Wenquie works on the plate of fruits they'd put in front of us.

Malcolm had been quite adamant on taking the diplomatic approach and I had agreed to follow his lead, after all, he had always been better with handling people than I ever hoped to be. 

But that was before I was tasked with enduring a maddening journey with him and Wenquie and then making negotiations with an Amorenia Witch.

‘I couldn't make small talk if I tried.’

"An offer?" Alexander questions after she returns her gaze from an annoyed Malcolm to me. 

I nod. 

"For me or for my clan?"

"Both," I reply and her eyebrows pull together at that but she manages to hide her confusion just as quickly as it appeared. 

"But first, I must know, do you have slaves?"

Alexander doesn't stiffen the way her guards who stood behind her did, clear questions written all over their faces as they struggled to stay still under the weight of our gazes on them. 

Instead, she loses any decorum she'd attached due to rank and glared at us with spiteful gazes.

"The Anouk Clan has neve, and never will aid or participate in the act of slavery," she says sharply, making sure to articulate each word with a tone that almost dared me to question her words. 

"If you offer has anything to do with your revolting practices, then I must decline on behalf of myself and my clan as well."

Alexander's disapproval only grows at the sight of my smile that formed before I could tame it, clearly misunderstanding why her words pleased me so much.

‘This would work.’

"We do not take part in or support slavery," Malcolm inputs and I turn to him with a raised brow.

He glances at me and raises one back as if asking me if I really wanted to jump down that rabbit hole at this moment. 

Deciding to drop it, for now, I look back to a pointedly, cautious Alexander.

"We want to end it, amongst all of our kind," Malcolm continues which clears away her caution and replaces it with surprise. 

"It's one of our goals which we will achieve, whether or not you take our offer."

Alexander studies us both with narrowed eyes before she glances down at Wenquie who I honestly forgot was even there. 

She rolls our words in her head for a few minutes before she releases a breath and folds her arms over her chest.

"Do you truly expect me to believe that?" She asks finally making me frown. 

"You are the first of our kind, and you the fifth, two of our strongest and I'm supposed to believe you want to put an end to what has been running rampant for generations. You have an incubus slave beside you as we speak."

"Now you wait one fucking second lady," Wenquie starts taking his interest away from the food to glare at Alexander with disgust. 

"I am nobody's slave unless we're roleplaying, least of all these two, so you take that right back."

Alexander looks to us as if surprised that we let him speak like that, I just shrug as Wenquie continues to mumble profanities beneath his breath.

"A fucking slave, she must be out of her goddamn mind."

"Wenquie is a friend," Malcolm says with a chuckle as he looks back to the clan's Plyen.

“Not a slave. As we've said, we do not support it."

“But you let it happen," She counters with eyes that suggested this matter was a personal one.

“You were there when it started, grew and became a part of our kind. You could've stopped it but you didn't and now I'm to believe you want to, after all this time."

Malcolm immediately tenses beside me, his eyes locking on me with clear worry as if he could feel the way her words has cut through me, feel the way they steered the dormant rage within. 

But even though her words made me want to rip her throat out, she hadn't uttered a single one that wasn't true.

“Yes," I reply with a voice much calmer than how I felt inside, 

"I've never been an advocate for the practice and I've tried in recent times to put an end to it but it is like an infection, one which has etched its way into our world. But you are right. I could've cut it out before it had the chance to spread but I didn't."

"Why?" she asks, her words tight and strained as she stared at me as if I'd been the one to start it. 

"Why didn't you?" 

She has lost someone I realise. Somehow linked to this vile practise, she'd lost someone she cared about and had never forgotten. 

"You seem to know our history, more than the new age Vamps," I say as I look at her, deciding that she deserved the truth. 

"After the life we were forced to live, one of servitude and death, I did not concern myself with what the rest of them would do. I didn't care what happened to them since I only cared for myself, so I separated myself from our kind and I have cultivated a life away from it ever since."

"And now, after centuries of men, woman and children being sold, beaten and used, you're ready to change things," she replies with a sickening laugh that felt wicked to my ears. 

"Now you're going to make things better, for no reason at all."

"All things have reasons," I reply as an image of Kalem appears in my mind. 

"Now, we plan to destroy this infection and kill all those who try to save it, including Diablos. A war is to come, we've come here to ask you to join our side."

"Diablos," she breathes out slowly as if to calm herself, 

"You want to go after Diablos."

‘Hmmm...Was Diablos the one to hurt her?’

"Precisely," Malcolm replies, 

"He's at the forefront of it all, if he falls, they all fall."

"And you plan to take his place when he does," She finishes with understanding finally settling in. 

"Build a new world in your image."

"That's one way to put it," I reply with a smile I couldn't help. 

The more we spoke the more comfortable she seemed to get, less worried about offending and watching her tongue. 

"I am forming a clan of my own, one which will become the strongest and the staple for our entire species. We need structure, proper rules and discipline, without it we're all just acting on misdirected urges."

"This is your offer? You want us to join you," Alexander fills in as understanding seeps in. 

"Induct the Anouk Clan into your own."

I nod and Alexander leans back with a sigh as she takes in all we'd said and the implications that came with it. 

It was a lot to consider, it'd require discussion and deliberations not only between us but amongst her own people. 

"I assume you don't expect a decision at this very moment," She asks looking between Malcolm and me, we both nod and she does as well. 

"Very well. The night is fast approaching and your presence puts my people on edge. We can continue this discussion tomorrow, I wish to hear more before I bring it to them."

"Is there a shield between us and this tent I don't know about?" I ask as I look outside at the busied Vampires. 

They had ears as far as I could tell, they likely heard every word we shared.

"They do not listen to private matters," she replies confidently and I bite back a counter-response I knew would probably piss her offer.

"Are we free to stay in your company until we make an agreement or reach an impasse?" Malcolm interjects quickly and I have to bite back a laugh at the way he spoke when he was serious, a complete juxtaposition to the guy who kneeled for an Elf.

Alexander studies us for a long moment before she nods slowly. 

"You can stay, however, your tents will be guarded at all times and you must not leave them without your guards," she'd selected the word guards to suggest that the men watching us would be there for our safety rather than to help cut us down, should the moment arrive. 

"And I'd ask that you didn't use your... power shall we call it, again while you are here. If you do, I will decline this offer of yours and ask you to leave."

"I won't," I reply with a nod and I meant it but I could see the clear mistrust in her eyes. 

My words didn't mean shit to her and wouldn't for some time but I hoped I'd be able to change that.

The room falls into silence as Alexander studies our every move as if trying to find the lie or the underlying reason for the reason we'd come. 

I could see why she was Plyen of her people, she was calculated in all things and yet brazen when she needed to be. 

Alexander, no matter how shielded, would be an asset. 

She was the perfect warrior and an even better leader, she'd do well amongst our ranks if she agreed to our terms by the end of our time here.

"Well those fruits were nice but I'm running low on semen," Wenquie says suddenly, his smile friendly and face almost innocent as if he didn't hear the insanity in his own words.

“So can we have dinner before I have to seduce a Vampire.... or five."

"Lord have mercy," I mumble under my breath.