#ive never seen a single descendants movie

[gay-strawberry]

no one cares but ive decided to rewatch a bunch of musicals in an attempt to feel better because ive been really sad and tired lately and i want to make a diary type of post rating them based ONLY on the music and how good they made me feel and not on the actual plot (i will edit this post constantly to add the new ones i watch)

day 1, oct 15:

-the greatest showman (2017): 9/10 ⭐ (every single song in extremely good and zendaya is in it)

-aladdin (2019): 7/10 ⭐ (only 3 songs are good but its funny, pretty to look at and it has naomi scott and a tiger)

day 2, oct 16:

-descendants (2015): 7/10 ⭐ (good songs although i only love 2, the cast is absolute perfection)

-‌descendants 2 (2017): 8/10 ⭐ (like most disney channel original movies, the second one is the best one. queer coded pirates and even better songs)

-descendants 3 (2019): 3/10 ⭐ (its entertaining but only because i like the characters and its nice to see them interact. no good songs)

day 3, oct 19:

-hamilton (2020): 6/10 ⭐ (good music nonstop, mulligan's actor is very good and very handsome, the king is funny, eliza made me cry several times)

-mamma mia (2008): 10/10 ⭐ (PEAK CINEMA)

-grease (1978): 9/10 ⭐ (every song is crazy good. fun fact ! the pink ladies (specially rizzo) were very important to my gay awakening when i was a kid)

day 4, oct 21:

-school of rock (2003): 10/10 ⭐ (its a musical to ME and its on my top3 favorite movies ever. i will never be able to rate it objectively because it shaped my whole childhood, changed my life and made me the person i am today so i know im 100% biased when i say its a 10/10 but i also know im right)

-pitch perfect (2012): 4/10 ⭐ (the music is great, best part of the movie is how self aware it is, the movie is absurd which is usually my favorite type of humor but theres some jokes that genuinely make me uncomfy so i cant really give it more than a 4)

day 5, oct 31:

-in the heights (2021): 5/10 ⭐ (the music is not that good i only like 2 songs and i wouldnt really listen to them outside of the musical but its fun to watch)

day 6, dec 2:

-ride the cyclone (2008): 10/10 ⭐ (not a rewatch, this was my first time. changed my life /pos)

• • •

BONUS: not movies

days: 20, 21, 22 and 30 oct

-grease: rise of the pink ladies (2023): 9/10 ⭐ (its VERY good and it could be a 10 but i HATED the student-teacher romance subplot so much (even if it ends well). i really hope theres a season 2, i love the girls so much 🫶 this is now one of my favorite series and the best coming out scene ive ever seen. i know im gonna rewatch it so much)

[incorrect-hs-quotes]

John: is it just me, or do vriska and meenah give you really big uma vibes too?

Rose: Uma?

Dave: dude youre so right

Rose: Who's Uma?

John: you know.

John: uma!

Rose: ?????

Dave: daughter of the sea witch ursula

Dave: its common fucking knowledge rose

Rose: I don't—

Rose: What???

Jade: descendants 2!!

Jade: theyre talking about a movie about disney princesses 2, electric boogaloo

Rose: *Internal screaming, still having no idea what they're talking about*

[parismemes]

THINGS I’VE SAID ON DISCORD (OCTOBER EDITION) AS SENTENCE STARTERS.

“tell me everythng.” “HEHEHEHEHEHEHE” “i have read every single one of them and do not intend to stop” “i on principle only like songs that go hard” “I DIDNT THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE THAT SAD WHAT THE FUCK” “heehoo. water boy.” “why i always sleep through this shit i hate it here” “gacha games count as gambling” “im also there. im laughing” “u r doing so much math and im just like hehe money” “what the fuck what the fuck NOOO what the fuck im dfgjhhfjgdhjfgkjdkghjd” “what a traumatic backstory” “I CAN SEE YOU READING MY MESSAGES IM GONAN GET FINESSED OUT THE FUCKIN WINDOW“ “THAT’S not good!” “if hes a fraid of dogs that sounds like a him problem” “i honestly deserve recognition for the absolute shit i just pulled off” “YES FUCK YEAH YEAH YEAH HELL YEAH FUCK YEAH HELL FUCKIN YEAH WOOOOOOOOO YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!” “why the fuck would you want that” “yeah hes my only one true love” “by a few i of course mean like 600″ “no one fucking appreciate me” “thank you ___ for being the only person who appreciate me” “i reveal it in pieces and make you put it together like a puzzle” “im smart and never regret it“ “see, i just dont think thats right” “i will continue dangling it in front of your face like a scientist dangling bait in front of a fish (who is also in a maze)” “hes actually like an absolute fucking nerd a complete fool a fucking dumbass” “sorry your message glitched and i cannot read. anyway back to my leverage over you which is forcing you into a corner,” “it's not extortion because i don't know what extortion means” “why do they talk like exes. its because they are exes” “TIME SENSITIVE QUESTION PLEASE RESPOND” “he's a content creator he'll be fine” “what does this mean? but yes” “NICE NICE NNICE NICE NICE NICE NICE NICE NICE NICE NICE” “for future record ___ just used the word poggers” “look at all these fuckin blondes” “its only been like a week and a half at most” “hes doing it out of affection” “ISNT THIS THE FUNNIEST SHIT YOUVE EVER SEEN” “you are terrible and also the worst” “i was going to send it at midnight but i got distracted trying to figure out the most barebones way to say happy birthday without sounding weird” “do you think i get punished more or less if i do sins” “i dont think the sins count as extra points if you commit them on the way to hell” “run over pedestrians” “i am slowly descending into insanity today, as a hobby” “you are a shit boy. a little shit boy go eat boxes“ “it's ok. we can figure it out later” “i didnt notice at first but it is in fact All The Fuck Over” “ITS BEEN OVER 12 HOURS” “hey guys just turns out we might have a ✨ gas leak ✨” “im sure if we put our braincells together we can figure SOMETHING out” “curious georg” “thank god. i could and would have argued this for several hours” “i think the worst thing ive heard today is someone calling the movie enchanted a reverse isekai” “i should not and will not stop” “i was RIGHT AHHAHAHAHAHAGAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA” “that wasnt a question you read it wrong” “i have no idea who this is but that wont stop me” “THIS MAN REALLY SAID HEAD EMPTY WHAT IS MONEY” “sometimes i say things and its best to just pretend you know what i mean” “WOT THIS” “I DONT WANT PEE ON MY BED“ “tired of all these stupid fuckin plants” “could you even really consider jelly filled donuts donuts?” “actually everything is real” “if you eat cereal for dinner, you're not having fucking breakfast” “i think my in real life superpower is that i have freakishly fast metabolism” “i dont care if you are evil you are MY TYPE” “you dirty criminal” “is a dessert item a dessert if it isn't eaten after dinner? discuss” “ok im done for the Right Now” “found a concerning orb. in the sky.” “HOW DID YOU KILL THEM” “why do i do this to myself why do i keep doing this” “the only simp here is me” “I No Longer Wish To Know!“ “DID THEY JUST END AN ENTIRE SPECIES” “WE ARE DETERMINED” “this is also really funny by virtue of the fact that these people are all fucking british” “they throw rocks at me and say we want the himbo” “THE CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT HERE” “its something that i SPECIFICALLY am passionate about” “hanburnger?” “thats just what living with siblings is like” “howd she get there? fuckin beats me dude idk” “i remember everything i am like a shark with an abnormally good memory” “i am sorry that you are predictable” “Hey Guys, Just Checkiing In To Make Sure You Got My Joke, Just Making Sure, I Just Wanted To Check In And See If You Got The Joke, Because I Was Afraid You Wouldnt Get It, So Im Just Checking In,” “i marked your worm” “what are you gonna do. unsend whatever you send me? i am Shaking in my fuzzy socks rn” “you Know i hate the idea of being wrong” “You Did Not Need To Stroke His Ego” “i am too stupid to live and if i was not vaccinated my genes would have no chance of being passed on because i would be dead” “~the oldest anarchy server in minecraft history~” “am i shaking because of adrenaline or rage.... who can tell” “I HAVE SO MUCH ADRENALINE IN ME BUT ITS 1 AM IN THE MORNING” “jokes on u i fucking HATE ___ i think hes the worst” “JUST IMPULSE MADE BROWNIES AT 9 PM HEYOOOO” “cry about it more bitch boy maybe piss your pants while ur at it” “im getting so casually toxic back to toxic gamer boys” “itll be fiiiiiine” “we are all stupid mice who take turns being the piper” “queen of bargains is me i am the queen of bargaining and scoring deals” “its not TECHNICALLY a direct threat but also yes it is” “i see a demon i go possess me then bitch boy u wont” “AAAA THE FUCKIN VIIIIBES” “IM NOT GOING TO STOP BEING MAD ABOUT IT”

[staylavendertea]

young avengers characters and relationships as songs

billy kaplan : season of the witch by donovan and mr. sandman cover by joe p, it’s fun, there’s that groove, it’s witches and it’s dreams; a total billy kaplan jamming out in his room in his boyfriends too big shirt 10 at night moment with that magical and just like ,, witchy billy vibe i can’t explain through words that i love dearly, it also just gives me a connection between him and wanda i really love, the family witches between soul mother and soul son and that bass in mr sandman for some reason screams billy

teddy altman : space girl by frances forever need i say more, that song screams smiling golden tall boy theodore in overalls and sweaters, prince charming of space deserves the song space girl, the song is soft like teddy is, all hugs and kisses, that is until “stupid boyfriend putting himself into stupid danger all the stupid time” and “why do i try he never listens” “i heard that” “sure now he listens” then it becomes all hugs, kisses, bickering with the boyfriend, and threats of mauling people, but that’s for childrens crusade and family matters arc to tell

tommy shepherd : rebels by call me karizma but also steady, as she goes by the raconteurs mostly just for that guitar and music, i heavily head canon billy as the pianist and tommy as the guitar and bass player all the way and steady, as she goes screams tommy’s kind of music, the song rebels because that boy is the biggest rebel around and i wouldn’t be surprised if he was an arsonist

eli bradley : i just wanna shine by fitz and the tantrums i honestly had a bit of a hard time finding a song that really perfectly fit eli, but i think this one really hits the spot - eli is totally the boy that’s just trying his best and live up to his and everyone else’s expectations, i think he’s actually a softie and repressed nerd that believes heavily in doing what is right and i think that this song encompasses that, i really miss eli bradley thank you for coming to my tedtalk

cassie lang : blackbird by the beatles (cover by dodie) cassie gives me total adorable and soft but such a cool person dodie vibes, but i think the song blackbird fits cassie on so many levels, especially the lyrics as growing up after losing her dad, getting and learning to control her powers, and growing as a super hero she knows her dad would be so proud of, i love every single one of the young avengers but mygod cassie

nate richards : run boy run by woodkid and something better by hidinin i feel for nate, that poor kid literally is running away and trying to kill his future because he knows it’s a bad road and honestly he’s so brave for that and it’s all thanks to nate that we got all the young avengers in the first place so credit will be payed where credit is due, nate is really just a clumsy teenager thats a total nutcase and a bit clueless without that common sense sometimes that will think a pack sour troll gummies and a bottle of gateorade is a well rounded training diet but he’s also a descendent of sue and reed richards and what’s there to expect from child geniuses

kate bishop : love club by lorde and ribs by lorde i kinda just stumbled upon these honestly forgotten songs in my playlist and was pleasantly surprised how perfectly kate bishop these songs are, the lyrics most likely mean something else but i see the love club as the young avengers and “go get punched for the love club” just sounds like a kate bishop thing to say, these songs give me vibes of kate bishop in a rolled sleeves black and purple flannel and black jean shorts with scuffs and bandaids on her elbows and knees, probably also a developing black eye and bloody nose but lookin badass per usual

david alleyne : karma by ajr i picked this one for david because the second i heard it david was immediately the person i thought of when listening to it, i haven’t read many comics with david in them, i’m searching tho, but i am reading the current x factor and david just goes through a lot poor dude just wants to learn and help with what he can and i love him every moment for it

america chavez : a good song never dies by saint motel and dead girl in the pool by girl in red i honestly don’t know much about america besides some basic background stuff and some her character and personality since i haven’t been able to get my hands on some ya v2 issues besides what i’ve seen online but what i have seen of her i already love her and know she is so badass and a bit chaotic but in the best way possible from the little i do know about america’s character i think these songs just fits both the vibes of how she presents and holds herself but also her personality, america is a good song that just never dies are vibes i will happily live with

loki : run the world!!! by dayglow i haven’t really read much of loki in the comics, the versions of them i know the best being the actual norse myth god and movie loki and i know how the movies can be with their comic book characters, but from what ive heard about kid and teenager loki is that they’re a little punk and this song seems to just fit that perfectly

jonas : growing pains by coin i honestly didn’t know that there was more to jonas besides ya v1 and childrens crusade but now i’m intrigued, but this song just speaks jonas to me who i was also calling judas for like ten minutes without realizing i had a totally wrong name, but from what i read and his whole thing with cass, i think growing pains very much fits a mr. jonas

now for the relationships/ships - this post is so long i am so sorry for all the reading but i’m having fun -

david and tommy : affection by between friends im not even sure completely why but the music just screams david and tommy’s vibes, especially how tommy is usually head canonized in relationships, *chiefs kiss* of a song

nate and cassie and jonas : in the middle by dodie this song is literally the three of them, like perfectly, the lyrics fit to a t and it’s literal perfection for them

billy and teddy : pleaser by wallows for how much i love them i surprisingly had a hard time finding a song for them, i know at one time i heard and had a song that was perfect but i can’t remember it all, but i think pleaser fits just as nice, it fits their personalities and the music itself is the vibe they give off to me : imma make an edit from this post previously cause i’ve been thinking about and i would like to add the song leaves by joe p cause it just fits too well, especially when looking at billyteddy fan art whilst listening to it, it’s too good : HI THIS ANOTHER EDIT IMSORRY but it literally took weeks to remember but now i remember what the original song for them i had picked - electric love by borns - it also gives me billy lightning powers vibes and i do adore some billy lightning powers, i think it would be so cool to see them mixed in with his reality warping ones

eli and nate : talk too much by coin honestly it’s them, it’s a vibe they both argue and to each other, talk way too much, i’m calling it they kissed like at least once just to see how that would go - probably arguing who was the better boyfriend when they were both single

eli and kate : falling for u by peachy! and mxmtoon this song is very eli and kate for me, especially the beginning of their relationship not relationship, was that ever really established what was happening there ?? but this song fits perfectly amongst the bickering and racking numbers of how many times they’ve saved each other’s asses

kate and america : given it all by hayley kiyoko and midnight love by girl in red i love this ship and i have no idea if there was ever a thing happening between them or if it was pure fandom but it’s amazing and i love it, hayley kiyoko and girl in red is an of course and i think these songs speak them

- now just the young avengers as a group -

leaves by joe p a song that is totally just a hang out and drive all around all night as teenagers without a care in the world song and can totally see the gang jamming out to it

hey barbara by IV of spades this song literally speaks “hey did you watch that one beach episode” sunny and everyone vibing and hanging out, i can totally imagine tommy trying to get david to dance this and the attempts made is hilarious

teenagers and na na na by my chemical romance now last but certainly not least mcr because of course mcr, these kids can definitely be punks when they wanna be, especially when they’re mutant/alien/super hero teenagers that will literally do what they see fit, all in good manners of course

whhoooopp this was a lot longer than what i was initially expecting to make but after a few hours of song surfing and trying to make tumblr typing fonts work with me we’re finally here, this was just something fun for me since i associate music with everyone, but if you’ve read this far and wanna mention a song you think fits, totally put it out there, share the music !!

[movienotesbyzawmer]

April 18: Rocky IV

(previous notes: Rocky III)

The Cold War one! I was in high school when this came out, and it seems like the Rocky movie that has most endured in pop culture for people my age, and even younger maybe? I haven't seen it in a very, very long time so I'm wondering if the Rocky-versus-All-Of-Communism logline is going to seem like a pathetically irrelevant conflict. Or, frankly, if that sentiment is going to sound like the dipshits that attacked the US Capitol just a few short months ago. It's definitely going to feel like just a slight twist on a formula that's been working, right? Let's see…

Totally different intro from the rest of the series, and surprisingly the recap of the end of the last movie also includes the hit single from the last movie. But also there is a thing about an American-flag glove and a Soviet-flag glove punching each other into an explosion.

They were so happy with the chummy chit-chat at the end of Rocky III that they just gratuitously include that whole scene here. It is a cheap way to eat up a couple of minutes.

Oh My God. The first actual new scene in this movie serves the important purpose of documenting for all time how dazzlingly technically advanced things were in 1985. For Paulie's birthday party, he gets a ROBOT! It talks… ROBOT-style! Paulie is whelmed by how robot-y it is.

"Open your prize," Rocky tells her when asking Adrian to open her PRESENT. Why did he say "prize".

MEANWHILE IN SOVIET UNION… They do a quick montage that only vaguely suggests something about a boxer and the USSR.

Apollo Creed spots an innocuous news story about Russian boxer Ivan Drago coming to America to participate in sportsmanlike fighting. AC is PISSED! A Russian being competitive, oh hell no.

At least Drago has a female companion so there will be an actual female character who isn't played by Talia Shire.

"Commies Are Evil" isn't the only theme of this movie; there's also "The Marvels of Technology". Drago's unmatched strength is demonstrated for the press in a very electricity-filled gym. And the robot has been in three scenes already in the first fifteen minutes! Oh I hope they aren't going to get me to fall in love with Robot Character only to have it lose in a boxing match to The Commies.

Big press conference to announce that AC will be fighting Drago in an exhibition match. AC is all cocky and Drago literally says nothing the whole scene. He is characterized as perhaps yet another robot character. But his wife and some other Russian guy do all the talking, and if they're supposed to seem like the Bad Guy, I don't see it. They are perfectly diplomatic and AC is just acting like a tool.

0:23:23 - I remember this scene, we all do, oh yes we do. The Fight That Does Not Go So Well. It starts with a super flashy intro; they're at the venue in Vegas and there are showgirls and pretend fighter planes and Actual James Brown singing this movie's legit hit single, "Living in America", singing it all At The Russians as AC descends in front of a monster thing in spangly Uncle Sam garb. AC actually dances alongside James Brown and around Drago. What they're doing, these diabolical filmmakers, is going to make what happens next sting the audience pretty bad.

Right before the fight, Drago's first line is "you vill lose". Monotone. Robotic. Technology! #1985

Drago beats him to actual death, he twitches on the floor as Drago robotically says things like "I will not be defeated". It is a bummer, this turn of events.

New press conference. Rocky is going to fight Drago. "No money. It's not about the money." That's weird, addressing money in this press conference. They're not really addressing the monumental fact that Rocky is sitting next to the guy that killed Apollo Creed.

This time, the Soviets are less diplomatic. Rocky barely says anything, but the old Russian dude calls him little and weak. They have a good point, though, about how Drago gets death threats in the US on account of he is a killer of an American hero, even though the wife also says he is not a killer. But that's why the fight will be in Russia.

New montage with a very 80s pop song. Worth noting that we have not heard any of the famous music from the first movie. This montage also looks very 80s, with it's flashbacks using a lot of different, highly techologically sophisticated frame rates.

0:42:41 - Adrian eye-close sighting! Thank you so much for that, it is what we all want and only you, Rocky-movie, can provide it.

Flashbacks to all the other movies. He is thinking about it all as he anticipates The Hell Of Going To Russia. Remember when he pointed to the jacket in the window that one time? Rocky does. Remember when he looked at his statue? Rocky does. He even somehow remembers Adrian closing her eyes. This is a music video with mostly recycled footage from the whole series.

0:48:35 - Another "modern" pop song, I think it's the band called Survivor again. Were we supposed to love all the catchy tunes and go out and buy the soundtrack? We only remember the James Brown one in 2021.

It is snowy in Russia ha ha! Paulie has joined him on the trip because he is part of Rocky's staff, but he doesn't like how cold it is ha ha.

Rocky's quarters consist of a log cabin dripping with icicles at the foot of some really pretty mountains. I play Geoguessr a lot and I don't ever see pretty mountains like that in Russia, but they must have them, right?

Rocky has been assigned minders. He is told they will go wherever he goes. I'm pretty sure that's not an unfair characterization.

He's got Apollo's trainer guy there with him, but Rocky makes it clear that he just has to do this training stuff on his own or whatever blah blah.

Now a montage going back and forth between Drago training and Rocky just running through the snow-covered countryside. ON HIS OWN. Plus also sawing wood and displacing boulders on his own. Oh and being the dog in a dogsled pulling Paulie! Locals look at Rocky because, look, a man doing something, that's new and confusing. Drago has electric machines. Rocky fells trees! Drago is inside comfortable facilities. Rocky is growing his beard out! The minders observe it all. The minders observe it all.

There is a subplot about how Adrian is dealing with this whole thing. She had been unconfident earlier, and did not join Rocky in USSR. But surprise, she is now there in Russia suddenly because love! Rocky continues to train, not so alone-y now and with a new rock song with more major chords. That is Drago's weakness! Communism hates major triads.

Gotta have inspired running, right? This time Rocky runs up a snowy mountain, running so hard that the minders can't keep up! At the peak he does his trademark cheer howl in that pretty place… but he is saying "DRAGO!!!!!!!!!"

Just like that, we're at the big fight. This time it's in Russia and it's mostly uniformed soldiers in the crowd.

Ugh. Quick cut to Rocky's kid watching at home on TV with friends. He says "that's my dad" and one of them replies "what do you think we are, nerds?" Ladies and gentlemen, the wit of Mr. Stallone: Screenwriter.

Do we need to talk about Drago's hair? He has very styled hair. I think it looks like Vanilla Ice hair. Is that a strange choice? I don't know how to think about hair, I guess.

"I must break you". That's what Drago says to Rocky right before they fight. I remember it. It is an above average dialogue choice compared with other Rocky-movie-right-before-the-fight dialogue choices.

Drago punches Rocky a lot, and the commentators make sure we know that Rocky might lose and they may even have to stop the fight. But also, yes, it does just look like Rocky is taking a lot of rough beating.

"He's not human. He's a piece of iron." So speaks Drago in unbecoming monotone. I don't know what that means.

It's a montage now, an appealingly edited summary of a whole bunch of rounds. The two boxers are both doing well and maybe not doing well, both. Montage.

I guess I'm experiencing what I remember noticing back when I first saw this in the 80s, which is that they really did convince us that Drago was indestructible, and now we're seeing him be damaged and it's kind of satisfying.

1:21:15 - Whoa, I forgot about this. The Soviet Diplomat Man is giving Drago a hard time about not winning yet, and Drago lifts him up violently by the neck and says something about I Will Win For Me, For Me. It's a little like we're supposed to think Drago is increasingly inspired by American Freedom, maybe? But it won't help him if he's still the bad guy in a Rocky movie.

This fight is taking a long time. A lot of this movie's running time is being consumed by this fight.

Eventually Rocky wins, because it turns out that he is just better because Freedom, and it's that same tiresome "Rocky-won" music, maybe arranged a little differently.

What does he say in the mic at the end? What is his message? "During this fight, I seen a lot of changing…" he says that during this fight, like during the actual boxing match, they all grew to appreciate each other. And it's better to do boxing than do nuclear annihilations. The whole crowd cheers for Rocky! Even the important Soviet Boss Men, startling even themselves with their abrupt adoration of The Wise American. Then when he says Merry Christmas Kid to his kid at home, well this whole entire crowd clearly thinks Rocky is better than their whole entire country. We don't see Drago any more. We don't know if he, too, is moved by Rocky's profound monologue. And we never find out what Drago and Robot Character think of each other.

So that's it, that's the end of Rocky IV. I get why it fires people up in a simple way, but I don’t think it's good. It totally assumes you'll understand that Rocky wins because the USSR just kind of sucks. Or you won't care that it's improbable that Rocky wins because it's just so gratifying to see Drago falter. Which they achieve by making him look very perfect, and having no charming characteristics.

It's true, though, how cocky we were about technology in the mid-80s.

(next: Rocky V)

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Dragon Dancer III: Blood Joy

I faced my friends for what could be the last time.

“You’ll let us know if anything happens?” Johann said. 

I looked him in the eyes. “You’ll know before anyone else.”

Chisei had finally sent me the photo of Erii’s hospital room. It was 8 pm in the evening an hour before my scheduled shift. Lu Mingfei had joined us in the Takamagahara I’d hugged him for a long time. But now, I was leaving.

Chisei could very well kill me. Tachibana could be lying in wait. But this was the beginning of what could be our best chance to get out of here.

Johann stepped forward and gave me a lingering kiss, the back of his gloved hand running down my cheek. “Be careful.”

I nodded, my emotions rising in my throat, rendering me speechless. I stepped away from him, glancing at the picture of my phone, orienting myself to face the correct direction and closing my eyes. Erii’s room seemed imaginary at first, then solidified into a sort of semi-reality that told me that the path to teleport was clear and correct. I stepped forward and vanished into the dark.

Three seconds later, I stepped out of the shadow.

The Takamagahara suite was replaced by the woman’s bedroom covered in exquisite paintings and smelling of sandalwood. The sight of my friends was replaced by a potentially very dangerous person. Chisei startled as I appeared suddenly in the blink of an eye. His hand unconsciously went to the hilt of his sword, but then relaxed as I didn’t move.

I smiled and waved, hiding my slamming heartbeat. “Hello!”

He took a breath to relieve his own nerves.

I looked at Erii. She’d been sedated at my request. She was hooked up to what appeared to be a modified IV. One tube was siphoning away her blood and running it through a machine that collected a blue-black fluid in a canister before returning it to her body. The fluid in the machine gave off an eerie feeling. I stared at it, hairs standing on end.

Chisei crossed his arms. I cleared my throat and looked at her with dragon eyes.

Even with the treatment, her body was in what I could only describe as a process similar to oxidation. She was in constant exposure to high levels of dragon DNA that spread like fire and rust and would start to eat away at her the moment she got off the machine. This dragon blood would need to be burned away, cauterized by my speaking spirit. And it would hurt.

“She’s well sedated?” I asked.

He nodded.

I sat down at the side of her bed. “Wow... I’ve never seen it... this powerful. Well... actually I take that back.” I blinked away the dragon eyes. “Do you have a syringe?”

“What are you planning to do?” He asked.

“Give her an injection of my blood as a primer. It’s hard to explain but my speaking feels like a pushing, a throwing back of the dragonblood. Right now, hers has a momentum that is hard to push back against. The injection will give me a boost that will make things easier.”

He turned to a small rolling cabinet and found a few syringes. I watched him, relaxing a bit more. He was serious-faced. I could tell he cared a lot about his sister. He was upset and didn’t want to talk. He had reason.

He handed me three syringes and I accepted them. “I’m not really versed in drawing my own blood. Can you do it?”

He sat next to me as I held out my arm. His hands were rough in the same places as Johann’s. I could feel myself start to blush and mentally kicked myself. I shyly avoided his eyes. I told myself to stop it. But I couldn’t stop it.

I was happy to see him. The same happiness I imagined feeling when I hadn’t seen a friend in a long time.

He tapped on my arm to find the vein and I tried not to flinch. I watched my blood fill the hollow glass tube. He removed the needle and handed it back to me. 

There was a thing called Blood Cry, the inherited loneliness that one feels as a hybrid in a human world. But being with Chisei, I felt something different, a strong desire for trust. A kinship. I wanted to be with him no matter what the danger.

I felt the same way with Lu Mingfei. What would be the opposite of Blood Cry? I wondered.

I turned to Erii. “Can you inject it into her?”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded. “I did the same to Johann Chu. So I know it works.”

He raised his eyes to me at that, but then lowered them and took Erii’s arm.

The heart monitor showed a quickening in her pulse after the injection. Chisei moved aside. I took her hand. In my father’s language, I spoke the words ‘Release’ and felt my Spirit howl against her dragon blood like a strong wind against a cloud. It pushed and twisted against it, hobbling it, confining it, dampening it.

Erii’s mouth opened and she gasped.

I closed my eyes and spoke again. “Release.”

This time, the combination of my blood and the speaking spirit started a cascading and collapsing of her corruption. The tide had turned. The corroding influences were brought to heel as her human DNA was bolstered by my Spirit manipulation to be just as strong as the dragon blood in her.

I opened my eyes. “Okay. I’m done.”

I looked at him. “She’s going to be really sore when she wakes up. But she won’t descend into a monster any more. However... she’s about halfway there still. She’ll still need to be careful not to use her Soul Skill too much or she’ll relapse.”

Chisei’s shoulders relaxed, his head lowered. He seemed to be a man lost, a bewildered. 

“It’s really over, Chisei. She won’t ... have to do this any more.” I gestured to the machines. When he still didn’t respond, I asked, “What is it?”

“I found something, in a Kabuki theater where Ruri Kazama was hiding out.”

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a photo. It was clearly him, a boldfaced young man and another one with a softer, kinder expression. “Oh! It’s you and your brother!”

Chisei continued to stare at me and I stared right back. “How did you know he was my brother?” He asked in a soft whisper.

“I used my speaking spirit to subdue him when he tried to kidnap me. He’s the one who told me about the village in the mountains. Where he used to live. He told me you were his brother. I saw his memories. It was about a year ago....” My voice trailed off in confusion. “I thought you knew Ruri... was your brother... he told me he was your brother...” I repeated, growing more bewildered.

He didn’t answer.

“You know I was wondering why you asked me about Ruri on the call. I guess this explains that.”

We were silent a moment. “Can you take me to that village?” He asked.

“Yeah! I still remember the way. Erii will be okay.”  I held out my hand to him.

He took it. 

“It’s going to feel very dark and cold for about three seconds. Don’t let go.” I closed my eyes and focused on the room that Ruri Kazama had showed me. We disappeared. We reappeared in the pitch black and the rain and part of me panicked, wondering if I had gone back in time to the night of the Raid. But no, it was just that there was a hole in the roof of the room now and water was pouring inside.

“The Earthquake must have damaged it.” Chisei said, pulling me out of the rain. We looked outside. The town appeared like something out of a horror movie, with collapsed buildings, rubble and debris strewn all over. I looked up at him. This place used to be his home, but his face was expressionless. “There’s something I need to show you.”

We stepped outside, heedless of the steady rain and the mud. “This town was built around a Shrine. We rarely got any visitors outside monks and tourists. So it was quiet.”

“Ruri Kazama’s real name is Chime Gen. He’s the second son of the Gen clan. Chime had a talent for the dances and the etiquette. So he seemed to be destined to care for this shrine after the death of the original priest. But... he died.”

“I never mentioned his name to anyone. I never told anyone about this place. The only person who knows about it is Tachibana. When I saw the news about the performance at the theater, as soon as I saw the pictures, I knew it was him.”

He continued to walk again until we came to a clearing. A raised stone circle was in the middle of the plaza. A couple of crows sitting on it squawked at us, flying away on dark wings. He strode forward. It was a well, covered with a padlocked metal lid. “It looks like its never been opened...”

Chisei wasn’t speaking to me. He was in his own thoughts. I hung back in silence.

He drew his sword and neatly severed the lock in a single stroke. I flinched as a piece of it landed near me. A warning reminder. I took  a step away, realizing I may have made a mistake.

 He pulled the lid away and peered down, his eyes flashing yellow, using his dragon sight in the dark. Even from this distance a gasoline smell came from it. Chisei took a lighter and shone inside.

I didn’t know what he was looking at. Something told me I didn’t want to know..

He dropped the lighter in and it ignited the fumes inside, the light of the flames illuminating his grim expression. I gathered my arms about myself, shivering. He mumbled himself. “He filled the well with fuel. He knew I would come back.”

“What happened?” I asked.

We’d been standing outside so long even his trench coat was soaked. “Years ago, I joined the Execution Bureau of the Japan Division with the intention of clearing the unstable hybrids from it. They were multiplying rapidly and the crimes they were committing were getting more and more brazen. It wasn’t long before these same murders were being committed right here. Several of the victims were friends of mine.” He sat at the edge of the burning well.

I wanted to approach, but I was too scared.

“The murders shocked the entirety of Japan. Because it was so close to home, I was ... especially eager to get back here and take care of the perpetrator. It was a perfect time for the murderer to strike again. He targeted very young girls. And it was the time of year of Miko Matsuri, where girls from the city visit the country to experience old Japanese culture.”

“One girl in the crowd was especially beautiful and I followed her, thinking she would be the likely target. When night fell she and a group of other girls gathered together to have some ... fun with witchcraft. The girl was singing an ancient song in a beautiful voice as part of a ritual. Her dance was hypnotic. The girls... they were entranced and so was I.”

“Then I realized... the smoke. There were drugs in the building.” He looked up at me. “That beautiful girl started taking the other girls and kissing them. The other girls started kissing each other... and then... I saw the blood coming out of the mouth of one who had been kissed by the singer.”

The fire was starting to lick it way up to the top of the well, smoke was curling out of it.

“She’d been killed by a blade in the beautiful girl’s mouth.”

My hand moved to my throat and I cringed.

“That’s when I realized the girl I thought would be the victim was the murderer. She wasn’t even a girl. She was a man. I ran into the building sword held high, but he was faster. He used an innocent girl as a shield. I killed her instead. But I got close enough to recognize him. He was my brother. That’s why... he was killing the people I knew. Because they were the people who trusted him. We had the same classmates.”

“I knew exactly where to find him. A hiding spot only he and I knew. When I got there, I saw the bodies of my classmates turned into wax figures, wearing kabuki costumes. I caught him in the act, with the body of his most recent victim. Part of me wanted to run, but... I was there because I needed to save the next victims.”

“So I just called his name. When he turned around, it was like he was ... waking from a dream. He was surprised to see me. He walked up to me... as if to hug me.”

My mouth opened. “You... you killed him.”

He nodded once. “Right... his last words were... you came back..”

He turned back to the burning well. “You can’t imagine Carli. That’s why you keep insisting that things will be different with whatever Herzog has created now with us. You keep hoping that the end will work out someway. That your Soul Skill will save you and I from the heartache of having to kill the ones we love, to save the ones we love. I... already know what’s going to happen...”

My eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me what I can or cannot imagine,” I snarled.

My strong response made him sit up.

“Lu Mingfei, someone dearly love, had to kill my mother right in front of me after she turned servitor. So don’t tell me that I’m naive. I’m not.”

Thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance. “Where I come from.... there were children like me who grew up and had successful careers. And there were children like me who grew up and were killed in gangs. Or were found killed as prostitutes or... were murderers themselves and ended up in prison before they were eighteen.”

“I’m just not willing to stand in judgement based on my prior experience. I’m telling you not to as well.”

Chisei sighed, frustrated. “We have no idea what Herzog has created. It will take years for Cassell to reverse engineer his research to even guess what he’s done!” Chisei stood up. “You’re risking your friend’s lives if you take them back with you!”

“No, I’m not! I have a friend. Isaac Comemnus, the heir of the company who sold me in the first place! He can tell us what Herzog did... and maybe how to fix if needed.”

He looked away from me. I took another step back, wondering if he was going to attack me. “You’re making a mistake.” He said.

“Did you intend to kill me if I didn’t agree with you? Because I’ll leave you here,” I threatened.

“No... I thought you’d see things my way. History will repeat itself Carli. But... we have an agreement. And... you did save Erii.”

“So you’re not going to stab me and throw me down the well?” I asked.

“No.”

“I’m glad. I really like you. But there’s nothing I can say to you to make you feel better. We’re just going to have to be patient and see how things work out.” I approached him carefully, ready to leap away at any moment. “Let’s go back, Chisei.”

I finally got close enough to hesitantly curl my hand around his. I paused, tense, shaking, barely able to speak out of fear. “I have to close my eyes for this to work. Please don’t hurt me.” My voice broke.

“We’re back to where we were before?” He looked at me with sad eyes.

Looking at them, part of me wanted me to relax. I leaned my head against his arm, closed my eyes, and visualized Erii’s room. “Not quite.”

[madisonrooney]

i cannot STRESS enough how nuts this weekend is gonna be for me, in the best possible way

by no means is the the first weekend where ive had my fav things going on at the same time. like for gods sake i once met dove and saw jersey boys in the same damn day. but like...idk this is a different level.

meeting erich bergen is H U G E like i have to reiterate that. ive met nearly every celebrity i love since i moved to california, many of them multiple times, and ive now met nearly 400. but one of the highest people on that list is one of the people i couldnt cross off of it, until this week. ive seen him perform twice but only briefly. i thought maybe i could meet him after those performances but it didnt happen. but this is guaranteed meeting him. and ive had these tickets for four months so the fact that the day is finally here is...OOF.

like, we all know how much i love jersey boys. and ive met so many cast members of it. there are definitely still a few left that i havent met that id like to, yah, but none more than him. he was part of the movie which is where a lot of my love for it started, and hes like...my fav part of the movie. plus ive become invested in him beyond just jersey boys. also im lowkey glad im meeting him now as opposed to like 2 years ago cuz tbh im even deeper into jersey boys now. i was hype to meet john lloyd young but i dont think it was quite this bad. and that didnt really have to do with him, that just had to do with the fact that my obsession with the show still had to grow.

anyway. you have that ON ITS OWN. then we add DOVE to the mix. which, yknow, it doesnt matter how many times i see her, every single time is special. and the SETTING here is extra special. fan fest which was a blast last year, and they didnt even have descendants stuff then! you ADD descendants to it? its gonna be incredible. and its in disneyland. and a ton of my friends are coming. its like a mini d23. its one of the best possible settings to see her in, among doing other fun things and seeing other people. and like, every time i see her has always been precious to me, but ESPECIALLY post-mamma mia, cuz from then on its been so uncertain when id see her next, and there’d typically be a few months in between each time.

and honestly? every time i see her gets MORE special, as if to start off with they werent already incredibly special. because we become so much closer. seeing her at clueless was EASILY one of my favorite interactions with her, incredibly long and intimate. so knowing im gonna see her with that being our last interaction? like you know its gonna be great. i was already looking forward to seeing her in london but then i found out like a month ago that in fact id get to see her two months sooner IN ADDITION to it like!!! it doesnt get much better than that!!!

(HOWEVER there are no necessary guarantees of me meeting or even seeing her so i have to be careful. i have a pretty airtight plan in place but again, no guarantee, just cuz thats how these events go. that aside tho...)

so like...i feel like this is far more than any other combo of my fav things happening at the same time. dove and jersey boys are my main two. thats established. so it would have to be combining them to be an optimal weekend for me, yah? theyve been combined more or less like 3 other times: when i saw the show and two days later saw her at a book signing, when i saw her at build and then saw the show that night, and when i saw the show and saw her in clueless the following day. the first time was great particularly cuz that was one of my fav times seeing the show, but there was still a day in between so it was a little different (there will be a day in between here, but itll be fun. this time it was me working on a final like all day lol). the second time was great and build was one of my fav times seeing her but i also went into it not knowing if id get to MEET her, so the hype wasnt there. there was also a snowstorm so i was high key panicking that i wouldnt make it to EITHER event. it was also pretty rushed so we didnt get to talk much (tho, again, it was still great overall). the third time would have to be the best just cuz of how special clueless was, and how that whole trip was building up to the final night which was clueless, and the fact that the last thing we did prior to it was see jersey boys, not to mention my boy aaron (frankie) and i connected again, and it was possibly the best cast id seen at new world stages.

i cant put this ahead of clueless. but the COMBINATION is different. bc as much as i love seeing the show, obviously, this is meeting someone ive never met before who ive been dying to, and seeing him in a solo show with great seats. and yes theres a day in between, but you know what im doing then? seeing endgame with my friends at the el capitan.

i had a fun easter in disneyland but now i have 3 days of mostly just school and id give anything for them to be done with now. send tweet.

[sparatus]

5,14, 22, 38 for anyone?

sweet thanks i’ll do uhhhh taeja cause ive been thinkin abt her again lately

5. How do they dress? What styles, colors, accessories, and other possessions do they favor? Why?

practicality is key. honestly, she’s rarely seen out of her armor; she likes being ready for a fight. she never even fully gets out of her armor, just takes the plates off and throws a shirt or something over the endosuit and that’s her “casual” wear. she’s not really that big on accessories, either. if it could slow her down or get her caught on a mission, she doesn’t want it. the most she’ll do is sometimes putting on some gold arm bands or something similar that’s snug against her skin, MAYBE a set of bangles if she’s somewhere she’s sure she’s not going to be jumped. as far as colors go, she usually picks darker, more muted shades, whatever won’t call attention to her.

14. What do they care deeply about? What kind of loyalties, commitments, moral codes, life philosophies, passions, callings, or spirituality and faith do they have?

she’s committed to a cause more than to any particular group or person; she aligns herself with whoever fits her personal code the closest and will let her pursue it. she’s generally chaotic good, in that regard. she has a strong sense of justice, and will return kindness and loyalty in turn, but if you can’t get on her level, or just get in her way, she has no use for you. she respects the councilors, and understands they’re in a difficult position, but she’d appreciate it if they’d stop wringing their hands over her kill rate. (they mostly give her “go kill this person/group”-style missions to make everyone happy.)

she holds beelo, the first spectre and her 120x-great-granddad, in high regard, and constantly compares herself to the standard he set. he wasn’t a good person, and didn’t do good things, and she knows that, but she recognizes his adherence to his own code and that his intentions were more good than bad, very “ends justify the means,” similar to saren and vasir in canon. she sees a lot of her family as being wannabes who use beelo’s reputation as an excuse to be thugs and bullies, and she’s disgusted by them for it. while she’ll defend her family, she’s more loyal to beelo’s memory and legacy than to his blood.

she’s actually closer to tarvok and his brothers, who are descendants of a friend of beelo’s, rothok shad’derah. their bloodlines were the original reason for their alliance, but over time both parties realized they had similar ideals and causes and started working together more earnestly. she’s an unofficial but definitely recognized ally of the anti-hegemony resistance, helps them out on occasion, and has made up her mind that if the resistance gets around to making any major moves against the hegemony within her lifetime, she’ll lend a blade.

22. How do people respond to them, and why might these responses differ?

the initial reaction is generally “oh god what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck” because she has a cybernetic eye with three lenses and a reddish glow when its active, and that tends to spook

and honestly it generally doesn’t get better once you start talking to her. a lot of people are put off by her humorless, stern demeanor, and intense dedication to her work. there’s a bit in the first terminator movie where kyle reese tells sarah connor about terminators like “they don’t feel pain, they don’t feel remorse, or fear, and they don’t ever stop,” and that’s how people typically end up thinking of taeja: cold, detached, single-minded, almost mechanical.

of course, there’s also the people who are introduced to her via her saving their life, and they tend to get a more starry-eyed idea of her, more like a consummate professional whose scary exterior belies a good heart or something like that.

38. Is there anything they wish they could change about their worldview or thought processes? What, and why?

she’s not exactly welcome in most areas of salarian space, thanks to her disregard for the dalatrasses, and she knows that’s a problem. it gets in the way of doing her job properly. part of her wishes she could look past how the dalatrasses react to her, both having a bad reputation and being a descendant of beelo who seemingly ticks all the boxes for being his reincarnation, given beelo himself wasn’t exactly the favorite person of the dalatrasses of his day. she’s aware that if she could just get past the hostility and prove the dalatrasses have no reason to distrust her, she could do her job a lot more efficiently.

but she hates them so that’s not going to happen

[jonathanleesink]

Cliff Jumping

Originally posted on February 2, 2018

Four months ago…just a week after my 41st birthday, my life-path made an immediate stop at a steep cliff. The kind of cliff that takes your breath away because of just how high it is. On the other side of the cliff was someone I didn’t recognize, but they clearly needed some help. Do I turn around, walk away, and let someone else help this stranger? Do I ask him if he has any family or friends that can help him on the other side of the cliff? Or do I evaluate the risks of getting over the gap and get to helping this person immediately? I know I have the athletic ability to jump this gap. I decide I must jump to the other side to help this person. There is honestly no reason I shouldn’t help. I backup to allow plenty of space to get up to speed, I begin my run, and with 8 inches to spare I launch myself in the sky. I hold my breadth while I feel my body rise and descend in the air. Suddenly my knees and hands take the impact on the hard loose gravel of the other side of the cliff. I lookup and the stranger offers his hand to help me up. No words were exchanged, but I could tell he was thankful for the risk I just took. I stood up, dusted my knees off and kindly asked the stranger what I could do to help him.

Last week I shared with you my plans of being an altruistic kidney donor. I had surgery on Monday to remove my left kidney. It was then cleaned up and put into someone who really needed a new kidney. The transplant team at the University of Kansas did this procedure four more times over two days. Five donors and five recipients in one hospital. I have been told history was made. It was the largest kidney chain in KU’s history, and maybe the state of Kansas and for Kansas City, too. It has been an exciting week, for sure. 

Jamie took me to the hospital Monday morning at 8:00. We were admitted and sent to the correct waiting area. I found my mom waiting there for us. After not waiting too long they invite me back to the surgery prep area. I ditch my street clothes and put on the easy-access hospital gown and safety-grip socks the nurse gave me. Aside from answering a million questions I have already answered a million other times, the nurse was getting my IV put in, sticking EKG electrodes on me, and asking lots of other questions about my tattoos. (Side Note: most of my caregivers were fascinated by my tattoos and wanted to know all about them.) The anesthesiologists came in to talk about the general anesthesia they will use to put me under prior and during the surgery, and also to administer nerve blocks prior to surgery.  Nerve blocks are localized numbing shots they shoot in my abdomen to try to ease the pain of the incisions. They had Jamie and my mom come say their goodbyes, and I was being wheeled back to surgery.

As I am rolled into the operating room I remember two things specifically. One, the room was incredibly bright. I suppose the surgeons will need to be able to see everything in good detail. And two, there was a guy in scrubs with an expensive video camera. I suddenly remembered that I agreed to be filmed and interviewed before, during, and after surgery. I hope he was on my good side, because seeing the cameraman was the last thing I remember before everything went dark.

My memories in the recovery room are kind of foggy, so I cannot guarantee any of it as factual. Jamie has reminded me of this specific conversation taking place in the recovery room.

Jamie: How are you feeling?

Jon: I don’t know

Jamie: I have some good news

Jon: You’re pregnant?

Jamie: No, that’s impossible

Jon: Oh, okay

Jamie: I’ll remind you of this conversation when you are more alert

I remember hearing my mom’s voice, but I couldn’t see her which confused me. I think she was sitting down behind someone. I was very thirsty and had a dry mouth. They gave me a tiny sponge on a stick dipped in water. It was the least rewarding thing to ever touch my lips. If you’ve never sucked water from a sponge, it does not get my thirst-quenching recommendation. I was in quite a bit of pain while in the recovery room. The nurse had to remind me numerous times that I have a push-button pain relief hooked-up to my IV. I could push the button whenever it was lit up with a green light, which was about every ten minutes. I was the only one who could push the green button. The doctors, nurses, and my family members could only remind me to push it. As cool as this button was, they removed it from me the next morning.

Finally, the people taking care of me in the recovery room thought I could go up to my room. They called someone to push my bed up to the sixth floor. If there was a non-perfect experience found in my journey at KU, my transportation from the recovery room to my permanent room would be it. The guy in charge of pushing my bed looked a little like Martin Short’s rendition of Jack Frost in Santa Clause 3 (Side note: my kids and I love this movie.) Mr. Frost was not very friendly. Maybe he was just having a bad day. He ran the bed into a couple of walls and elevator doors, which isn’t enjoyable when you have four new abdomen incisions and a freshly harvested internal organ. When we get to my new home on the sixth floor there are 8-10 nurses awaiting my arrival. Frost disapprovingly tells me, “You must be somebody important, I’ve never seen anyone get this many people to move them from one bed to another.” The great nurses and Frost get me moved to my new bed and start getting me hooked up to all my stuff. Time for rest and recovery.

In an effort to not put my readers to sleep I am going to condense the content of my hospital stay, and highlight the most important parts. I think the best way of doing this is by thanking the people who took care of me, or had a part in my living donor journey.

Family & Friends - Jamie (my lovely wife) has supported this journey from the start. She had some concerns, but I think educating herself about the concerns helped her ease them. She was my main support while in the hospital. She handled a juggling act of being there for me, but also coordinating a ten and a four year old’s schedule, plus she’s on an active job hunt and the president of the PTA. She certainly has her hands full. Thanks to modern technology she was able to do a lot of it while I was napping in a bed. Thank you, Jamie. My kids have been great. They understand that their dad has to take it easy for a few weeks. They have been so sweet to me. As they continue to get older in life I’ll be able to talk to them about this experience so they can develop an appreciation of what I did and why I did it. My mom and mother-in-law have helped with watching our kids and transporting them when Jamie couldn’t. Plus, that means the kids get extra time with the grandmas, which always means more sugar!

Once I went public about my decision to donate a kidney via my last blog post, the support has been outstanding.  I have received countless messages from people supporting me and my family. Every single message has been special to me. I thank you all for uplifting me at this critical moment in my life. Thank you for the cards, flowers, gifts, and the wonderful meals that people have volunteered to bring my family. I also want to give a special shout-out to my Benninghoven family. They have supported me and my family in countless ways. Thank you for everything!

Tony and Christyn Zins - If you read my last post, you learned this all started from my reading of a Facebook post from one of Jamie’s co-workers. That co-worker is Christyn Zins. Christyn’s husband, Tony, was my initial intended recipient. He is the reason I originally went to get tested. Tony and I weren’t a match, and he went on to have surgery on January 2nd of this year with a perfect match donor from his longtime friend, Craig. Christyn has been a wonderful support system to Jamie. She’s answered questions, provided a care package while we were in the hospital, and visited us twice while we were there. Christyn also gave me a beautiful blanket that she quilted this past month with help from Tony, her mother-in-law, and her two sisters-in-law. It was extremely kind and generous. Even though I didn’t donate to Tony and he wasn’t involved in the kidney chain, I still feel that special connection to him and Christyn. I don’t know my recipient, and there’s a chance I might never know them. Tony is the closest thing I have. He gives me a face to visually use when I think of who has my kidney. I am grateful to Tony and Christyn, and also to their families. I have heard that their families ask about me, so it’s comforting to know they’re thinking of me.

KU Medical Professionals - From the first moment I called KU inquiring about living donation I have been treated with kindness and respect. My primary point person through this whole process has been Melissa Fowler, the living donor nurse coordinator. Melissa loves kidneys, and she makes everyone who talks to her love kidneys too. She has a real passion about her job, which makes her a valuable asset to the transplant center. During the months that it took to coordinate this chain I emailed her dozens of times with random concerns or questions. Every time I received a polite and prompt answer from Melissa. She is hands down the very best at what she does.

Dr. Ilahe is the nephrologist (kidney doctor) and the head of the living donor program at KU. Dr. Ilahe has that same passion for kidneys that I found Melissa having. Every time I saw Dr. Ilahe she gave me a hug. She has always been so thankful for what I volunteered to do. I believe she was one of the key figures in putting this 10-person kidney chain together. So, I’d like to congratulate her on this accomplishment.

Dr. Kumer was the doctor who actually performed the surgery on me. Dr. Kumer is the in-house ace on removing kidneys. When I met with him weeks before surgery he told me that I am the only one in the hospital who is having a surgery that they don’t need. While this is true, for this week it was me and four others. Dr. Kumer carefully cut me open, detached my kidney, put his hand into my abdomen and personally removed my left kidney, and then sealed me back up. And then he did it to four other people.

There were a lot of other people I worked with on the transplant team. Samantha and Jaime were great to me. I didn’t have a chance to work extensively with either one, but the interaction I did have with them was pleasant. The lab technicians always had a fun attitude everytime I went to give blood. Honestly, there wasn’t a single person through this process that I had a bad experience with. This department has kind, professional, and always thankful.

Finally the nurses that took care of me post-surgery were awesome. The level of care I received on the sixth floor was nothing like I had seen before. I had the same day-shift nurse two consecutive days, and the same night-shift nurse two consecutive nights. Hannah and Alec. They brought nursing to a whole new level. They were young, fun, and knew their stuff. Nurse Hannah made a personal connection with Jamie and my kids. It’s comforting to have a trusting relationship with your caregivers when you are in such a vulnerable state. The professionals who took care of me while recovering on the sixth floor were outstanding.

I was released from the hospital on Thursday afternoon. I have spent most of my time in my bed since I got home. Jamie and the kids are all helping out, which has been nice. We have meals being made and delivered by several friends for the next two weeks. My sleep schedule is totally off. I go to bed around 9:00, but wake-up really early, and then have one to two naps during the day. I’ve always been a big water drinker. I’ve learned I need to keep that up, plus a little more now. I also cannot take NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) ever again. NSAIDs are commonly known as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen. This is probably the biggest long-term adjustment I’ll need to make. Tylenol is my pain reliever of choice now…forever. I should be back to normal in a few weeks. My remaining kidney will adjust to do the work of two kidneys. I’ll need to continue living a healthy lifestyle and stay away from any high-risk diets that could cause diabetes or high-blood pressure. The last two years I have really focused on healthy living. If I continue doing what I’ve been doing, the doctors have no reason to believe I wouldn’t live a long normal healthy life.

I have my first follow-up appointment on Thursday morning with Dr. Kumer. I am off work for several weeks to allow myself plenty of time to heal. I plan to write, read, play guitar, enjoy time with my family, and just be thankful for life and make the best of living.

About two weeks prior to surgery I had to come into the transplant center for some final pre-op stuff to do. I was also interviewed by KU’s media team. They were beginning a project to try to interview as many people involved in the donation chain as they could, and kind of follow everyone through the process. Fast-forward to the Wednesday after surgery I am informed that KU is hosting a press conference and issuing a press release about the donation chain. A few hours later I am getting texts that people saw me on the six o’clock news. Oh, and I am getting links sent to me of articles on local news websites and YouTube. What?!? This was totally unexpected. I didn’t think anything was going to hit the media until the interviews were done after the surgeries. Links are below for your viewing pleasure.

YouTube - produced by KU’s media team

KU Press Conference

KU Press Release

KCTV5

Fox4

This isn’t the direction I saw my life going when I was celebrating my 41st birthday. I didn’t see that cliff approaching either, it came out of nowhere. I can’t say that I would have always chosen to jump to the other side to help the stranger. But times are changing, and I have changed. Life is not about me, it never has been. I found that life is about leveraging your talents, your resources, and your heart to make a positive impact on someone else, and being brave enough to do something about it. You don’t have to jump over a cliff or give a kidney. We can make positive impacts daily, heck we can mindfully always be making them. Forget the past and don’t worry about the future. Be in the moment, and demonstrate compassion for all. 

This is living. 

This is purpose. 

[aion-rsa]

Oni Press’ Solicitations for July 2017

Oni Press has provided CBR News with the exclusive first look at covers and solicit information for products shipping July 2017. When you’re through checking out these solicitations, be sure to visit CBR’s Indie Comics Forum and discuss these Oni Press releases with fellow readers.

Oni Press Solicitations – Last Six Months

Product shipping June 2017

Product shipping May 2017

Product shipping April 2017

Product shipping March 2017

Product shipping February 2017

Product shipping January 2017

RICK AND MORTY: POCKET LIKE YOU STOLE IT #1 (OF 5)

TINI HOWARD (W) • MARC ELLERBY (A/CA) • KATY FARINA (C/CA)

ALTERNATE COVER ILLUSTRATED BY CAROLYN MAIN

Rick and Morty: Pocket Like You Stole It is a new comic book miniseries based on the popular [adult swim] television series and inspired by the Pocket Mortys mobile game! In this five-issue series, Morty is on a quest to free himself (and all the other Mortys) from the clutches of Ricks, who collect Mortys and force them to battle one another for schmeckles and glory. Along the way, he’ll discover the grisly history of Morty battling, the dastardly lengths that Ricks are willing to stoop to in order to win, and perhaps… the strength in himself that’s needed to free the Mortys once and for all?

JULY 5 / 32 Pages / Teen / Humor, Sci-fi / $3.99

KILL THEM ALL

KYLE STARKS (W/A/CA) • LUIGI ANDERSON (C/CA)

The new gonzo graphic novel love letter to 90s action movies by Eisner-nominated cartoonist Kyle Starks (Sexcastle, Rick and Morty). A betrayed murderess wants revenge. A hard-drinking former cop wants his job back. For either to get what they want, they’re going to have to fight their way through fifteen flights of criminals, assassins, drug lords, murderers, yup, even accountants, and�� KILL. THEM. ALL.

SEPTEMBER 27 / 184 Pages / Mature / Humor, Action / $19.99

KAIJUMAX SEASON THREE #1

ZANDER CANNON (W/A/C/CA)

New season! New jumping-on point! Ah, Kaijumax Prison… that cesspool of corruption in the South Pacific! Tensions among the city-destroying convicts have eased after a month-long lockdown and Electrogor’s capture, and now the kaiju gangs have begun vying for power again, all-out-attacking their rivals, trading addictive smog and dioxin, and abusing weaker inmates. The Creature from Devil’s Creek, after a long time as the low mon in the Cryptid hierarchy, stumbles upon some information that makes him think it doesn’t have to be like this. Also: Mind-controlled murders! Pre-smartphone navigation fails! And… some VERY old timey religion?

JULY 12 / 32 Pages / Mature / Sci-fi / $3.99

THE DAMNED #3

CULLEN BUNN (W) • BRIAN HURTT (A/CA) • BILL CRABTREE (C/CA)

Sketchy gambler Pauly Bones has slithered into Eddie’s life with an offer—together they can turn the tables on the demon crime families and finally get what they deserve. Eddie and Pauly can’t trust each other, though, and it’s only a matter of time before one double crosses the other. But with a new hired killer in town, they might both be dead before they can make their treacherous plays.

JULY 12 / 32 Pages / Mature / Crime, Fantasy / $3.99

HEARTTHROB SEASON TWO #2

CHRISTOPHER SEBELA (W) • ROBERT WILSON IV (A/CA) • NICK FILARDI (C/CA)

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and after spending the last several months avoiding her criminal past to try and build a normal life, Callie is fonder than ever. Forced to set her normal existence aside and break her anarchist pals out of a Canadian jail, Callie finds herself head over heels for her old life. When this one-time dalliance threatens to turn into a full-blown crime spree, Callie turns to the only person who will understand: Mercer.

JULY 5 / 32 Pages / Mature / Crime / $3.99

LETTER 44 #35

CHARLES SOULE (W) • ALBERTO JIMÉNEZ ALBURQUERQUE (A) • DAN JACKSON (C)

THE END IS HERE. The final installment that will bring the award-winning series to a close.

JULY 19 / 32 Pages / Mature / Sci-fi / $3.99

KIM REAPER #4

SARAH GRALEY (W/A/C/CA)

Kim is suspended from her job as a Grim Reaper and is working in a bakery with Becka—a welcomed change of scenery, until a zombie rolls up to the counter. Animated corpses are the last straw, gosh darnit, so the pair decide to take matters into their own hands and venture down into the Underworld. And if they end up kicking some ghoulish booty on the way, that’s fine with them!

JULY 12 / 32 Pages / Teen / Humor, Adventure / $3.99

RICK AND MORTY #28

KYLE STARKS (W/A) • ANDY HIRSCH (A) • MARC ELLERBY (A/C) • KATY FARINA (C/CA) • CJ CANNON (CA)

ALTERNATE COVER ILLUSTRATED BY JENN ST-ONGE

OH MY GOD IT’S INTERDIMENSIONAL CABLE TIME! Rick and Morty are wanted fugitives in an alien dimension, so until the heat dies down, there’s not much to do but watch interdimensional cable! Can you even believe it? A special one-shot issue drawn by writer Kyle Starks (with a special cameo by Andy Hirsch)! Meanwhile, Jerry learns a painful lesson in film history in this issue’s back-up comic drawn by Marc Ellerby!

JULY 26 / 32 Pages / Teen / Humor, Sci-fi / $3.99

INVADER ZIM #22

ERIC TRUEHEART (W) • WARREN WUCINICH (A/CA) • FRED C. STRESING (C/CA)

ALTERNATE COVER ILLUSTRATED BY JON VERMILYEA

WELCOME TO ZIM’S GREATEST PLAN YET! Earth will soon be his! (Maybe!) Unfortunately, there’s something wrong with GIR—ASIDE from the usual list of things. For one, he’s intentionally trying to kill ZIM. And for two, he’s doing it at the worst possible times. Is ZIM’s greatest plan destined for failure (like it usually is)? Part one of a four-part story!

JULY 26 / 32 Pages / All Ages / Humor, Sci-fi / $3.99

REDLINE #5

NEAL HOLMAN (W) • CLAYTON MCCORMACK (A/CA) • KELLY FITZPATRICK (C/CA)

Everybody’s dead and everything basically sucks, so it’s a good time for Superintendent Coyle to start actually getting some leads into just whatever the hell is going on on Mars. Plus a robot armor guy fights a limousine. Plus some answers to questions you may have been wondering about. Plus shenanigans. HOOORAY!

JULY 5 / 32 Pages / Mature / Sci-fi / $3.99

INVADER ZIM, VOLUME 4

JHONEN VASQUEZ, ERIC TRUEHEART, DANIELLE KOENIG (W) • AARON ALEXOVICH (W/A) • WARREN WUCINICH (A/CA) • FRED C. STRESING, CASSIE KELLY (C)

ZIM has plans to take over planet Earth. Schemes! Designs! Machinations! Uh… other words that mean “plans”! And in the fourth volume of the critically acclaimed comic series, these “plans” are plentiful, horrifying, and only half as terrible as usual! From taking over a local restaurant to proving to Dib that he’s the master of fear, ZIM will rule the world, one way or another! Or not at all. Or only on Tuesdays? COLLECTS INVADER ZIM ISSUES 16-20!

AUGUST 2 / 128 Pages / All Ages / Humor, Sci-fi / $19.99

JEFF STEINBERG: CHAMPION OF EARTH

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV (W) • TONY FLEECS (W/A/CA) • LUIGI ANDERSON (C/CA)

Have you ever wondered what could have been if Kevin Smith directed Men in Black? Us either because that’s kind of a dumb thing to wonder. Besides, why obsess about “What ifs?” when you could be reading the defining sci-fi-rom-com-dram-actioner of our time! From the writer of The Bunker and the artist of My Little Pony—wait, really? Okay, I guess we’ll go with it—comes an alien invasion the likes of which have never before been seen by human eyes.

The space invaders are real. They’re here. They’re mean. And they’re standing in judgement over the citizens of Earth. The human race’s final exam. They’ve chosen a single champion to test and, unfortunately for us, it’s none other than Jeff Steinberg. Romantically challenged idiot, video store clerk, constipated, confused, distractible. In other words, the planet is totally doomed.

SEPTEMBER 20 / 176 Pages / Mature / Humor, Sci-fi / $19.99

MERMIN, BOOK THREE: DEEP DIVE (SOFTCOVER EDITION)

JOEY WEISER (W/A/C/CA)

The third book in Joey Weiser’s Eisner Award-nominated series is now in PAPERBACK! No one knows much about Mer, the underwater kingdom where Mermin the merman was born, but due to a rising conflict with the people of Atlantis, Mermin needs to get back home immediately. Which means his human friends get to accompany him and see all the aquatic wonders of Mer. But once again, Mermin is tight-lipped about his past—even when it’s swimming right in front of him. And there are enemies lurking in the seedier depths of Mer, who’ve got their sights set not only on Mermin, but on Pete and his friends!

SEPTEMBER 13 / 152 Pages / All Ages / Adventure, Humor / $12.99

ATOMIC BLONDE: THE COLDEST CITY (SOFTCOVER EDITION)

ANTONY JOHNSTON (W) • SAM HART (A)

NOVEMBER 1989. MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton was sent to Berlin to investigate the death of another agent, and the disappearance of a list revealing every spy working there. She found a powder keg of mistrust, assassinations and bad defections that ended with the murder of MI6’s top officer, as the Berlin Wall was torn down. Now Lorraine has returned from the Cold War’s coldest city, to tell her story. And nothing is what it seems.

MAY 10 / 176 Pages / Mature / Crime / $14.99

THE COLDEST WINTER: ATOMIC BLONDE (SOFTCOVER EDITION)

ANTONY JOHNSTON (W) • STEVEN PERKINS (A)

EIGHT YEARS BEFORE “ATOMIC BLONDE” …BERLIN FROZE. After a string of botched assignments for MI6 in Berlin, David Perceval is being sent home. Even his final mission before leaving—the defection of a Soviet scientist—goes badly wrong, as the coldest winter for 30 years descends on Europe.

With transport out of Berlin impossible, and the KGB searching everywhere for their lost scientist, Perceval must improvise a deadly game of cat and mouse through the frozen city to keep the Russians at bay, and deliver his own unique brand of revenge!

MAY 10 / 184 Pages / Mature / Crime / $14.99

FAUNS & FAIRIES: THE ADULT FANTASY COLORING BOOK

TRUNGLES (W/A/CA)

Fauns & Fairies: The Adult Fantasy Coloring Book is an erotic coloring book for adults, offering a steamy interpretation of traditional fantasy characters. From succubi to knights to pixies, the beautiful art nouveau-inspired illustrations show classic characters in sensuous poses sure to please. The delicate and detailed artwork is ideal for adult coloring book enthusiasts!

SEPTEMBER 20 / 88 Pages / Mature / Fantasy, Erotica / $11.99

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