#keep rooting for Casper

[in-spain-without-an-s]

casper is sweating so bad, there’s no point in keeping that shirt on.

[episims]

Jonas "...Fucking hell."

[thatuselesshuman]

Yk online I'm generally a non-confrontational and kind person but irl I'm an Olympic level hater. My ENTP roots shine through in the fact that I can look at a person for 0.2 seconds and immediately have ammunition to put someone in the ground

[thesoulspulse]

Principal Masters AU (Casper High Ravens)

I was thinking about my Principal Masters AU recently and an interesting thought occurred to me. So we all know Vlad's a cheese-head, aka a huge Packers fan, right? Well as the new principal of Casper High I bet Vlad gets well acquainted with Dash and the other Jocks over time, especially Dash because he's the ringleader of the bullies.

Anyways, I kind of imagine Vlad starts feeling torn between excitedly rooting for/supporting such a talented high school football team (I'm assuming they are but I might be wrong) and low-key defending Danny from time to time since part if is goal is to win him over while also putting him in his place depending on the day. But Vlad is also of the mindset that he's the only person allowed to truly torment Danny if that makes any sense. I guess you could say Vlad begins keeping Dash in check with some smooth talking and feeding his ego in being better than everyone else.

At the same time though, Vlad begins to understand Danny on a whole new level because he forgot how much he was bullied too back in college and possibly all throughout his school years before he became a billionaire. It's a weird balance of Vlad wanting to be someone Danny actually WANTS to turn to for help and still being his arch enemy in most regards...

That's what keeps Danny guessing what Vlad's motives are and on high alert most of the time. However, it's a step in the right direction for Vlad to become someone at school Danny knows might cut him some slack from time to time. Plus, weird as it sounds its interesting to see Vlad in a normal setting cheering for the Casper High Ravens.

So there you have it, hope you liked this random thought of mine lolz!

[vintagegirl01]

Witches Brew

Hunt Athalar x female witch reader

Summary: Hunt has been at wits end trying to get Shahar to notice him. When his efforts don’t work, he seeks out a witch in hopes of finding a way to win her over. Never did he think that you would be the key to what he was missing in life.

A/N: This story is based off the lyrics from Witches Brew by David Casper. Always looked forward to hearing this song during and at the end of Halloweentown. Hope I did the song justice with this fic.

Hunt crept out of bed. For he had a goal in mind.

To win over the love of his life, Shahar.

Since joining her ranks, he’s been trying anything and everything he could think off to try getting to talk to her outside of the battlefield. Though, she pays little attention to him unless she needs something from him.

Therefore, he decided to seek the help of a witch to help him.

So here he was in the dark waiting for the witch. Hunt could only hope that she would take what he had in exchange for some help.

As his mind delves more into thought, Hunt feels a presence behind him. He turns around and looks down to see a figure in a cloak of black.

Though the sight beneath the cloak caught his breath. For it revealed a face that made a chill run down Hunt’s spine

Your beauty hypnotized him. Though, what stood out about you the most, was the gentle smile you wore. Not one that he often associated with powerful witches.

You then smile and take his hand, leading him into your lair.

The lair was not what he expected. Instead of it being creepy, it has more cozy vibes that gave off warmth. The warmth that was within you he assumed.

You then walk up to the cauldron and begins stirring up in the concoction.

You then look up at Hunt and says these words.

“All I need is eye of newt, wing of bat, a long black whisker from a big black cat, spider legs and wolf hound fur, poison ivy and a hemlock root.”

Hunt looks at the beautiful witch surprised. “Really? For a love potion?”

You shake your head at him. “I’m kidding. I’m not giving you a love spell. Though, here is some tea. ”

Hunt looks at you in confusion before taking the cup of tea. “Why? I’m willing to pay you whatever you charge.”

He takes a sip of the tea and is amazed by the taste. It was mint tea with a hint of sugar and lemon.

You smile at him. “I only wanna help you, dear. You want somebody and you wish she wanted you. Though this way isn’t the way. Love potions are temporary. They dont inflict real feelings like everyone believes.”

The male frowns. Seeing him this way makes you sad. Therefore, you get an idea.

“I've got the perfect cure. Just take my advice and she’ll fall in love with you for sure.”

____________________________________________

For the next few weeks, you and Hunt spend time together as you help him work on his romance skills to charm and win Shahar.

Within that time, you and Hunt have gotten to know each other to the point that you two have developed a close bond. In fact, you started to feel yourself falling for him.

Though, you refuse to say anything as he has feelings for another. Plus, you don’t want the relationship you have with him to become awkward. So you keep these feelings to yourself. Besides, you’re happy just being his friend and are willing to help him achieve happiness in anyway possible.

Even if that happiness doesn’t include you.

____________________________________________

Hunt is waiting for her in the park, a few minutes after dark.

He’s hoping that she got his message.

It isn’t before long until his thoughts are answered as he sees you smile and wave at him before walking up to him.

“Hunt, how did your meet up with Shahar go?”

Hunt smiles at you. “I didn’t meet with her.”

You smile instantly turns into a frown. “Hunt, I’m so sorry. I…”

The tall, gray winged angel puts a finger to your lips. “You are what I have I been missing, (y/n).”He then moves a piece of hair behind your ear. “Here I was pining for a woman that didn’t care for me when the woman of my dreams was in front of me all along.”

The two of you closed their eyes and shared the first of many kisses that you’d both share with each other.

[pupstim]

Prompt: As they grow more liminal, Tucker develops tech based powers. Sam, traumatized by Undergrowth, is afraid her powers will be plant based. 

 =======

"… and when I turned around there she was! Jessica all reformed and looking absolutely stunning. Do you know what she did right after?" The sounds of the Casper High were muted around the duo, Sam unenthusiastically chewing on her alfalfa toast. Tucker's words washed over her as she listened with a half ear.

 "Earth to Sam? Are you even listening to me?"

 Okay, maybe less than half an ear. She gives Tucker an apologetic smile, but from his face it might come off as more of a grimace.  

"Did she confess her undying love to you?" Snarking usually could cover up a blunder like this, and it seemed to work as Tucker gave her a disapproving glare.

 "No, she said *Hello World*, but don't think that will distract me from what's going on with you." Sam couldn't help the grimace as Tucker leaned in. "Are you still avoiding your green house?" He asked, tone softening but Sam still flinched. She wished Danny was here instead of chasing down the Ghost of the day. He would help distract Tucker.

 She debated briefly on lying to him, on deflecting like they've done so many times before. Instead what she found herself saying was, "Later.. After school okay?" He didn't look happy but eventually Tucker nodded.

 "After school," he says like a threat, pointing his chili dog to her, meat slipping from it much to her disgust. Falling into the same familiar patterns of banter and this time Sam committed to listening. Tucker's developing powers were exciting and she could see the joy it sparked in him. She only wished she could feel the same.

  Sam tried not to feel bad as she dodged around the other students of Casper High. The last bell had just rang, signaling the end of a school day and Sam's last class wasn't with Tucker. Danny appeared to be dealing with whatever ghostly mischief for the day. It wasn't either that she didn't want to talk to either of them, more that she was worried. Worried they would mock her or scoff at her and brush it off, but perhaps the biggest worry of all was that they might believe her.

 It'd been months since her and Tucker had began to develop powers, from what Danny could pry out of his mentors was due to the continuous exposure to the ghost zone, both by the portal and their trips into the zone with the GAV.

 It was exciting at first, both her and Tucker swept up in the fact they were essentially getting leveled up. Their strength growing and eyes glowing, occasionally Sam almost felt like she could fly. She should have known other powers were going to sprout as well.

 She was thrown from her thoughts by a sudden arm thrown over her shoulder, feeling a chill in the air as Danny hugged her. Tucker was such a tattletale. As if summoned by her thoughts Tucker appeared on her other side, pinning her in between them. "You ass, you called Danny in for this?" She growled to the techie.

 "Hey you were the one running, I'm just making sure you keep up your part of the bargain." He defended as the three made their way down the street.

 The trio walked in silence for a long while, bypassing their usual turn off and instead heading to a scrap of land not far out from city limits. It was uneven ground, dipping low with trees struggling to compete with recent housing developments and resources. A small beaten path led them deeper into a proper forest, trees gaining height the further they got from town. At this point Sam knew exactly where they were going.

 Further into the forest, when the last sounds of the city had finally dropped to an almost whispering hum, they arrived at the Ditch. It had probably been a riverbed before Amity Park had been made, but now it was just a gentle dip in the ground, adventurous saplings taking root in the bottom. The three of them hung out at the Ditch a lot before Danny's accident, either helping clear the area or picking up any garbage that found it's way here. Now it looked quite overgrown, bits of litter strewn through the Ditch. Sam felt indignant on nature's behalf, turning to Tucker to find him already taking out a trash bag and handing it to her.

 "You just have trash bags in your pocket?" She asked him slightly amused as she watched Danny take one as well.

 "Not pockets, in my pack, never know when they'll come in handy." Tucker grins, sliding down the small slope to get to the bottom of the Ditch. Following after him Sam felt herself get lost in the familiar motions of just taking care of nature.

 "Sooo… Wanna tell us a bit of what's going on?" Danny asks, breaking the fragile peace Sam felt. She bites back a scathing retort instead shrugging as she shoves more soda cans into her own bag, how can someone chug this much soda was anyone's guess.

 "Nothing much to talk about," She mumbles, only for Tucker to snort, turning from his corner.

 "She's avoiding her green house," he shamelessly tattles on her.

 "Tucker!" Sam hisses, swatting at him as he chuckles and dodges out of the way. "I'm not avoiding it… I'm just… focusing on other things right now."

 "You're not going to become Undergrowth." Sam whips her head to Danny who had his back on her, leaning down to continue to pick up the litter in the Ditch. She could see the tips of his ears, which were a bright red as he continues to face away from her.

 Sam scowled, turning back to her own trash. "I know that," She snaps, shoving everything she could reach into her own bag. But her hands shook as she did, remembering how smothered under the power Undergrowth had given her felt, how intoxicating to be in control of plants, twining her deeper into the flora. She had felt something… similar budding the last few weeks when she made her rounds in her green house. Sam wasn't sure she wanted to know what it would bud into, feeling like she already went down this path before.

 She could still hear Danny shuffle behind her and out of the corner of her eye she could see Tucker fumbling with his own garbage bag, all amusement sucked from his face.

 "I know you know it, but do you believe it?" Sam swore she almost snapped her neck looking back to Danny, but he still hadn't turned towards her. "Jazz would say the same thing to me about Dan, and logically I knew she was right… but I couldn't bring myself to believe her." The woods were completely silent as Danny spoke, "I worried that if I relaxed, if I didn't keep myself in check, then my worst fears would come true and Dan would be back."

 "Danny…" Sam started before Tucker jumped in.

 "I still avoid the Egyptian section of the museum," he blurts out, flushing darkly as Danny and Sam look his way. "I still can't believe that… that the Pharaoh looked just like me, that I'm probably some sort of descendent or maybe even a fucked up reincarnation of some evil king thousands of years ago. Sometimes it feels like that's all I'll ever be or if I slip up then I'll become King Tuck all over again."  

 Sam knew she should say something reassuring, but what comes out of her mouth instead is, "We're all a little fucked up and evil aren't we?" As soon as the words are out Sam stiffens, feeling heat quickly flush over her face and down her neck, knowing she was probably as red as a cherry. Yet her mouth keeps on running, "I think I have a lot of catching up to do as I was just coerced to the evil side instead of seeing it was my past or future."

 Thank fuck it worked as Danny cracks a smile and Tucker shakes his head with a soft huffing laugh. They had did some good work on cleaning the Ditch, the three of them unceremoniously flopping down on a nearby log to rest, their trash bags carefully set next to them. It was an easy silence, Sam feeling tension bleed from her shoulders as she sits between her two boys, letting their presence ground her.

 It was quiet for a bit more, the soothing sounds of nature filling their silence before Danny's impatience got the better of him and he leaned gently against Sam, nudging her. "So with us here to keep you in check maybe you can show us your powers?" He asked looking to her with hopeful eyes, wanting to know what Sam kept wrapped up so tightly.

 Glaring half heartedly before rolling her eyes, Sam just nodded, ignoring the tight coil of dread in her heart. She had her boys here, they wouldn't let her go to far.

 "Awesome, now come on show us what you've got." Sam could only smile at Danny's enthusiasm, but his confidence was infectious and she found herself closing her eyes. Reaching for the tight bundle she had shoved down as soon as it had tried to sprout. Fear still pulsed within her, dozens of what if's and horror scenarios running through her mind but she felt… quite okay. With Tucker's warm hand in hers and Danny's leaning on her side, Sam felt even if she did somehow turned into a jerk like Undergrowth, her two boys would beat some sense back into her.

 With that reassuring thought Sam let her power bloom. She was instantly overcome with it. The forest around her seemed to come alive with music, or rather like she had turned a dial on the radio, finding herself swept up in the song of Nature. It was beautiful and Sam found herself swaying with the music of the forest, a soft humming slipping from her as she felt immersed in her gift. She could feel her boys gasp beside her, Tucker's hand tightening on hers as Danny shoved himself closer but she was too far gone to care.

 Her and the forest were in complete harmony, the forest felt delighted by her presence, brushings of *friend/protector/new friend* like leaves against her consciousness. It was nothing like the power of Undergrowth, she felt the plants but there was so much more to it, as if the entire forest fauna and flora both were combined and sentient. She was about to explore this even deeper when she was drawn from her musings by a shaking on her shoulder. Feeling slightly irritated with the interruption, Sam sent a scowl to Tucker's way, "What--," before cutting herself off, seeing or rather feeling what has both Tucker and Danny so stiff next to her.

 Animals had completely surrounded the three of them, looking as if the whole fauna of the forest had come out to sit around Sam. She could even see a few black bears hanging back, sitting placidly by some white tailed deer. Coyotes by rabbits and mice and even a glimpse of a cougar in the trees. Birds of all shapes and sizes were in the branches as well, from eagles to hawks and owls. Smaller hummingbirds Sam could feel begin to land on her arms and head as mice begin to climb onto her lap. They were all here for her, she could feel it now, the forest reaching out to greet her as she opened her heart up to it. She had cared for this forest, for all of nature and she could feel it's solid presence and acceptance, like a steady rough tree bark against her skin.

 Her boys relaxed beside her, seeming to sense this was Sam's power, as more animals clustered closer. Tucker gave an sudden exaggerated gasp. "You're a fucking Disney Princess!" He shouts, causing some of the more timid animals to scamper away from him. Danny let out a choking laugh as Sam gave Tucker her best withering glare, but he only smiled wider.

 Sam growled, "I am not--," then stops feeling a few more birds land on her head, mice curled up in her pockets and even a frog that landed on Tucker's head making him fall back and scream. She really was a Disney Princess now, she thought with horror. The forest tittered in her ears, amusement curling around her and Sam found she didn't mind being a Disney Princess. Those ladies were still kickass, she could be the first goth princess, plus if she was a Disney Princess then she could do this.

 Turning an evil grin onto Tucker who froze on the ground seeming to realize how much he fucked up, "Sit on him," She told her new animal friends and there was a flurry of fur as Tucker shrieks before he's buried under the bulk of the large bear, only his poor arm flailing around as he tried to shift the bulk of probably 200 pounds of black bear off of him. Sam and Danny sniggered before Sam gestured for the bear to get up, revealing a Tucker who gave Sam a glare. It only served to make the two of them laugh even harder falling off the log by him.

 "You're already mad with power," Tucker intoned ominously, before dissolving into giggles as well.

 The animals slowly began to disperse as the three continued their break, finally relaxed and a new understanding of themselves and each other.

 "You know, with my control over tech, Danny's control of blob ghosts and Sam's control over nature, we totally could be a world dominating club." Tucker mused, making Sam and Danny groan as they begin to sit up, their introspective mood broken. "What I'm just saying, we've got  all the makings of it! We could just start small and overthrow Vlad!" At that Danny paused, looking thoughtful while Sam sighed again.

 "Let's table it for later, for now want to come over to my place to drop this garbage off and make my mom lose her head as we play Doomed?" Fighting off a  smile at the two whoops of joy, she picks up the trash bags, a hand gliding gently over the bark of the nearest tree and feeling the whole forest brush once more against her, like a warm and dewy cat. With her boys at her back and the nature around her, she finally believed.

=====

Aaand Scene, thanks so much for reading this far! Prompt was by @everystarstorm and I had an absolute blast playing around with it! I know it’s a little bit scuffed, I’m still feeling out the characters and honestly it’s been a long time since I’ve actually seen Danny Phantom. I literally thought Undergrowth’s name was actually overgrowth haha. But I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. :) thanks for the prompt again Kibby and I hope you enjoyed it.

[mr-laveau]

Darren•Darlin Headcanons

(Because I can and I want to)

Darren (he/they) is bi + poly (all my designs are poly, this is me we're talking about, that's like the baseline)

Darren's design, while evidently is influenced by the greaser subculture, is actually derivatively chosen based on the Yankii subculture that their parents both styled themselves with before coming to America. Darren however adopted the greaser look given that he wasn't as connected to his japanese roots which still somehow fell more in line given that the Yankii subculture is based on the greaser look.

Darren did date David before Gabe passed, after that he distanced himself from them and they broke things off.

He also was seeing Sadhil when they were in DAMN before disappearing with Quinn.

Darren's Jacket belonged to their dad before he passed and they've worn it ever since. David actually got his leather jacket look from Darren's father–Gabe was more of a button up shirt guy.

Japanese is their first language since that's what their parents spoke often in their house, Darren just doesn't have the opportunity to speak it much since the rest of the pack doesn't know how to speak it fluently (Asher tried).

Darren's nicknames for people are all based on old cartoons, he calls Sam "Doc", Sadhil gets called "Tintin"/"Casper" and he refers to Alexis as "Betty".

Darren does have a house within pack territory where he keeps all his old stuff–the problem is that the house is where his parents ☠️ after an attack from a rival pack and he's not very keen on visits there.

Darren and Quinn both were in a relationship together after they distanced themselves from everyone else–in short, they were both horrible for each other and Darren brought out the worst in Quinn who did the same for him. They both believed their empowered status made them above the law so they acted out.

Darren and Hermes (Honey) were friends when Hermes was in college. They were the person Quinn attacked but Darren distanced himself from them after that incident was handled and their memory was modified.

Quinn almost turned Darr, it's referenced in Shattered Glass Makes a Good Weapon but it was directly after he attacked Hermes in Quinn's attempt to force Darren to see his perspective.

Darren is actually the second shortest wolf in the pack in human form but can rival David's wolf form in size and power.

As a result of being blood bound, Darren's eyes do turn silver under the moonlight in human form and red in wolf form.

Darren's design actually incorporates different fashion elements from different members of the pack; chokers from Asher, ripped shirts like Milo, leather jackets like David and gloves like Christian.

Darren owns two rats, they're named Thing 1 and Thing 2!

Darren is autistic and selectively mute, he doesn't talk much around most of the pack and has learned to sign for this exact reason.

Darren sounds like imperium Huxley actually but just add more a of a cali surfer/skater accent.

He doesn't own a vehicle, he actually skates everywhere casually and uses his wolf form to run in high stress situations.

Darren used to work for Alexis as hired muscle and they still do work occasionally as a temporary bodyguard nowadays but when they can, they do take on jobs with Shaw Security but they're mainly a photographer.

Darren does not have a middle name, their full name is Darren Lancer.

Anyways that's it, I'm going back to drawing now–

[ask-thedepressedkidatthetable]

Continued from here // @heartxshaped-bruises

"Yes, it does." It mattered to the dead man between them; to himself, to Casper. Alex didn't know if their actions were swept away in the waves of the cosmos, if they were all just dying starfish on a dry, sandy beach, but Alex thought it meant something when you threw one back into the waves. "I don't know." Alex said, letting any sentiments of "it's not over until it's over!" die before they left his lips. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

There were light patches- grown out roots. Things Casper had missed. Alex lit another cigarette, having finished his first with a vague wave, thin tendrils of smoke spiraling toward the ceiling. It was a wonder it hadn't set off some kind of alarm. Perhaps the batteries had been eaten away by their own acids years ago.

There were people who understood. People who knew desperation and circumstances beyond words. Feelings connected without the whole story. Did it matter to Casper? Did he have to understand or did he simple have to be here? "Do you want me to?" Alex asked with a light hint of curiosity, his tone completely free from judgement- He managed to surprise even himself at times. "I know." He'd still do it anyway. It was about following through, taking a deep breath in and a deep breath out, even when it was painful. It was the only way to keep the nausea at bay.

Alex frowned, feeling his body tensing, accepting the invitation as he held himself back from taking a step forward- Making his move. He saw it, a crystal clear picture of his future on that path. A moment of clarity. Something was holding him back. Something in the way Casper spoke to him. The fact that Casper was actually speaking to him! Everything that was between them. This was still the boy he passed memos with, phone brightness set all the way up while they laid on the grass, pointing out clouds. His friend who offered ginger comfort on bad days. Alex had a lot of them and it- it mattered.

"Why don't you tell me what you want?" He whispered, glancing toward the corpse.

It was an olive branch. A thin one. His hand was still tight around his knife and several others always hid in his pockets. Casper was right. He didn't have a clue. He didn't know how the other got wrapped up in this and he didn't like it one bit- They could keep a few secrets or Alex would fight for control. Because this was not it. This wasn't how he was going out. He had a vision.

This wasn't him. The thought came gently, and he wished for privacy so he could cry. Because he got no idea what to think of all this. Of what kind of person Casper was, what kind of person he was. Pushing every moral aside to sooth the moment, keep the infection hidden. Get rid of the body and wash away the grime that stained his hands. Did they stain Casper's? Did he care? He couldn't tell. People lied. People lied all the time. . . .

"What do you want Cas?"

[simsfromupthere]

do mfs legit do gameplays where they replace Sulami lots/housolds with shit like SPAS AND HOTELS!?!!?!, the only PUBLIC lots i ever replaced in Sulani with a diff builds that slightly served diff purposes were replacing one bar w a restaurant 💀 all other lots i keep the same for the sake of the world's lore it just feels off to change a world and sims that clearly heavily mirrors Polynesian islands with islands of Hawaii being labeled as the main inspirations; regions which have been highly stripped of their riches, hijacked, colonazied, treated like amusement parks for entitled rich people, contributing to land & sea pollution and who's indigenous population have had their cultures diminished, appropriated etc. I KNOW ITS a simulation game blahblahblah, i obv know Sulani doesnt exist dog, but its quite clear that the world and its the sims are heavily inspired/mirror cultural aspects of those Islands and their indigenous people, customs, spiritual believs, folklore, food, garbs etc. like the inclusion of real life roots/drinks/foods like Kava and Taro who are real life staples in many indigenous cultures within the Islands in Hawaii (not only just included within those cultures ofc but in many others as well, esp. Taro i believe), THE FACT that one of the main storylines ur sim follows in Sulani is about POLLUTION within the island with ur sim choosing to positively, neutrally or if ur playing an evil ass sim negatively contribute to the level of pollution which starts to increasingly affect the island's overall environment like can it be MORE OBVIOUS LMAO; but like doing a cartoonishly evil twirly mustache sim type gameplay i would argue is more silly and very different than actually mirrorring exactly what happens within that region in real live and the attempt to erase traditional/cultural elements or hijack them into a "themed" hotels or spas so like seeing people basically being like "u know that awful shit Hawaii people have to experience and esp. experienced during c*vid with influencers FLOCKING to their islands and leaving locals to fall ill to the point of overcrowded hospitals etc etc? hm how about i just do basically the same thing in this game i can be a damn mermaid in and replace all the original sims, do whitewashed "makeovers" that stripe character from them compared to every other world, replace existing lots and hosehold with to mid mega mansions..yeah that sounds pretty cool 😀" like idk if ppl are gonna get gen. upset about my opinion LMAO bc again this is my opinion cant control what ppl choose 2 do w their online game but at the same time is it not boring to have a life simulator where u can be a werewolf, mermaid, vampire, ghost, plantperson or whatever and choose to make it just as boring as real life is? i mean thats basically taking gen. complaints ppl have on EA making shit dull on any world that isnt meant to mirror an american surbuban neighborhood/metropolis and choose to take the few that acc have some different nack and e-gentrify them LMAO like idk dog i havent been able to play this game in some time but even though i rarely play household living esp. in Sulani ive never felt like hm this household with the island elder sims are meant to seek advice esp. spiritual from who wants to pass down generational knowledge to her next of kin would be much cooler if it was a 2 story box with walls made out of jumbo windows 😵‍💫😵‍💫 but thats just me and how i did my gameplay (in past till i get my pc fixed...one day...one day 🙏) but yeah random opinion from useless Casper the Friendly Ghost ovah here ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[fearsmagazine]

THE FLOOD - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Saban Films

SYNOPSIS: A huge hurricane is hitting Louisiana, as the waters rise flooding areas it unleashes a relentless horde of giant hungry alligators. A group of in-transit prisoners and their security guards are redirected to seek shelter in a local police precinct with a prison. As the water infiltrates the police facility they all become prey for these giant flesh-eaters. To survive, the prisoners and guards must band together.

REVIEW: A derelict police facility, a hurricane, a group of vile prisoners, a band of ruthless mercenaries with an agenda regarding one of the prisoners, and finally this congregation of giant alligators and you’ve got the formula for a classic summer “B” movie. It feels like a Cajun take on the classic John Carpenter movie “Assault on Precinct 13,” with a few other elements scrambled into the mix.

The screenplay feels like the type of film American International Pictures and Roger Corman used to churn out back in their haydays. One can’t help but draw comparisons to 1976’s “Assault on Precinct 13” and the numerous films that have addressed the terrors of the order of Crocodylia, which includes alligators, crocodiles and gharial. Sheriff Jo Newman tries to hold everything together as the mercenaries show up and pindown the officers and prisoners in the cell block. They are unaware that the alligators have already breached the facility and taken out one obnoxious deputy and one not so skilled mercenary. Veteran film fans can probably predict the majority of the plot and how things turn out. Many of the prisoners are kind of cliched stereotypes, as is their dialogue. Still, it's not offensive and a fun piece of mindless entertainment even though there are some flaws in the film’s logic.

The sets are fine, the costumes okay, some of the cinematography is a bit blurred, especially the underwater effects and darker scenes. There were scenes where you could tell the rain was cgi and a few of the reference shots they used as transitions. The alligators are clearly cgi, although there might be a few images that are live gators, but I didn’t see a wrangler listed in the credits so I doubt it. I did appreciate the detail in the gator choreography when they attacked and held onto their victims. They clearly did the homework. Likewise, there were a few gunfire sequences where the gun bursts weren’t lined up properly and you could tell they were not discharging their weapons.

I think the cast did a solid job with the material they were given. I enjoyed Nicky Whelan’s performance. She elevated the character and could easily be a new Linda Hamilton or Sigourney Weaver if the right role presented itself as she handles the action rather well. Veteran actor Casper Van Dien plays Russell Cody, a sad sack of a cop killer with this hard luck story that the sheriff takes a shine to. It never becomes this full on romance but close and Van Dien does his best with an awkward role. The rest of the cast keeps the energy level up and allows the film to be watchable, but not memorable.

THE FLOOD is the perfect summer drive-in movie, unfortunately there aren’t many drive-ins and they mostly play classic revivals. The plot didn’t hold any surprises and I found it predictable. I was rooting for Sheriff Jo Newman, but I was also rooting for the gators. I was also cheering when they got the obnoxious deputy. There is no sex or nudity, and given the crimes of the prisoners I would have figured a bit more adult language. Even the gore seemed a tad underplayed by some of today’s expectations of genre films. Still, if you’re looking for something to help you take your mind off the summer heat THE FLOOD might offer you some relief.

CAST: Casper Van Dien, Nicky Whelan, Louis Mandylor, Kim Delonghi, Devanny Pinn, Ryan Francis, Eoin O’Brien, Randall J. Bacon, and Randy Wayne. CREW: Director - Brandon Slagle; Screenplay - Chad Law & Josh Ridgway; Producer - Daemon Hillin; Cinematographer - Niccolo De La Fere; Score - Randy Kalsi; Editors - Austin Nordell & James Kondelik; Costume Designer - Thanitta Pinkaew; Visual FX - CKVFX, Steve Clark, & Paul Knott. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/QuYX69TLlKI RELEASE DATE: in Theaters, on Demand, & Digital July 14th, 2023

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[moose-mommy]

Hidden Healer/ Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

Casper

Casper sighed. He was glad that James was more relaxed. It took the pressure of keeping him calm and kept him mostly compliant with treatment. Casper wanted to put James to sleep for this part, but he had used that spell to get him here. The spell can’t be used to close together, or James might not wake up. Casper turned back from the table to look at him. 

“I’m done making the medicine.” Casper started moving towards the bed.

“I don’t want to eat it again.” James grimested 

“No, you don’t have to eat it. This one goes on your leg.” he continued, unraveling the bandages from his thigh.

“Stay still.” he scolded when James started to squirm, “Are you in pain?”

“No, it stings.” James shifted again as Casper continued with the bandage. 

Casper noted that the bleeding had stopped. The skin surrounding the wound was still warm but not as hot as before. When the wound was fully uncovered, he took a moment to study its nature. It was ugly; the lips were raised where the teeth had punctured the skin. There were bits of puss leaking out, James’s fever keeping the worst of the infection at bay. The infection had only set in a day or two ago. This made Casper breath easier. James would recover quicker than he first anticipated. He had thought the worst when he first saw James. Casper still had no idea how long James had been out there.

The scraps he initially was using for a bandage were hastily done. The shape of the bite was consistent with the wolves in the area. They were around 25 to 30 miles from Casper’s hut. When he first settled out here, he had distanced himself from them. James must have passed through their territory and got close to the den. The wolves were fiercely protective of their cubs and would attack without question. Casper began to clean the wound with warm water before putting on the medication. James's muscles spasmed violently as Casper started cleaning. 

“Are you ok?” he paused to look up.

“It stings bad. It's bad.” James's face twisted, and his hands gripped the blanket beneath him. His face was slick with sweat.

“I have to clean it so it doesn't get worse. It will be over in less than a minute.” Casper promised.

James paused, composing himself before talking, “Ok,” he said tensely. 

“Try to relax if you can.” Casper moved back to his work, and James leaned away from him. Eyes fixated on the wall.

Casper worked quickly. He knew part of the reason James was uncomfortable was because the Liepocant root could only take so much away. He had taken too long with the second salve. Casper mentally kicked himself. While he was talented in healing, he had little experience. So he worked quickly. Wiping away the bits of dirt and debris. It looked like it had been hastily cleaned, which was better than nothing.

It looked like James was able to yank himself away before the wolf fully bit down from how the teeth marks dragged against his skin. Casper turned and grabbed a needle, thread, and the last medication.

“I am going to put the medicine on now that it's clean. This will numb it. So you won't feel me doing the stitches. You need not move, even though it may feel like tugging. Tell me if you have any pain so that I can fix it.” Casper instructed.

“Hgn,” James put his face in the pillow with his other hand clenched to the pillow.

Casper put on the medicine and threaded the needle. He made quick work of the stitches, focusing on the deepest parts of the gashes. James was tense, clearly unsettled by how the thread pulled and tugged on his skin, but other than the involuntary twitching, he gave no indication he was in pain.

“All done! How are you feeling now?” He tried to look closer at James's face, but it was smooshed in the pillow. James didn’t answer. His body relaxed at Casper's words. His breathing fell more slowly, and in a few moments, he fell asleep.

James

He blinked awake, not moving much other than his eyes. He was uncomfortable, and his body ached. His skin was sticky from sweat. There was minimal pain in his thigh, which was mostly numb. The pressure from the swelling was mainly causing the discomfort. Lifting his head, he glanced around the room, his headache pounding in protest. His head was still a little fuzzy from whatever that lizard had given him.

James moved his elbows under to get a better vantage of the room. There was a curtain partially blocking him from the rest of the room. There was a small kitchen, maybe eight paces from the bed. The whole hut was maybe fifteen paces across. Everything was built with a slightly smaller person in mind. James was surprised he was able to fit on the bed. It took up the length of the wall with a bookshelf on the end. The table in the middle of the hut with one chair. There sat Casper draped over the table asleep, the medicine and herbs still littering the table.

James rolled onto his side, careful of his leg, and brought his head to his hands. He harshly rubbed his palms into his eyes, trying to make sense of everything that had transpired. He still didn't trust Casper, but he had helped him even when he had been an absolute jerk, so he felt some thrust was owed. Casper had also taken care of Dawn, from what he could remember.

James had been tricked to come this way. His informant insisted that this was the fastest way and that the woods were easy to navigate. He also told him that there was a shortcut. He had been traveling through this region but was not familiar with how dangerous the area was. James had been following the direct path laid out for him on his map. He saw the wolves too late when he realized he was too close to their den. The dense forest obscured his ability to see the signs. The fact that it had been pouring rain did not help. 

The wolves ganged up on him, surrounding Dawn. Poor thing slipped in the mud. He fell off at the initial attack when they caught him by surprise. The wolves surrounded Dawn until he started throwing rocks at them to draw their attention. If Dawn was hurt, there was no way he would have made it out of these woods alive. He managed to fight off some of them with his sword and made his way to Dawn’s side. He saw an opportunity to jump back up and get the hell out of there, but he missed one. When he turned to get on the saddle, the wolf he had missed took the opportunity to get his thigh.

He was able to yank way and climb the rest of the way on Dawn. Kicking the wolf away, he pulled himself up and shouted at Dawn to run. All he could do was cling to her as she ran like hell. He didn't even bother guiding her. He let her run deeper into the woods. Once the wolves had run off their territory, they let on their chase, wanting to return to shelter. Dawn slowed down once they were completely clear of the wolves, allowing James to think more clearly. He was shaking as he drew her to a halt. He looked at his leg, which was bleeding heavily. James took the edge of his shirt and tore the bottom for a makeshift bandage. He still had adrenaline coursing through his veins. The sun had already set, and the moonlight barely broke through the tree, worsening his panic. He blindly wrapped the wound, not even getting off Dawn. With a deep breath, he urged her on in hopes of finding some shelter from the pouring rain. So he could bandage himself properly. 

There was no shelter, just more trees. James opted for the largest tree he could find and sat down at its base. It did keep some of the rain off him. He tightened the bandage some more to stop the bleeding. He was tired, so tired. He was far from the wolves and decided it was safe to rest, at least for a little while.

The sun was high in the sky by the time he woke up. Dawn shoved him with her nose enough to push him to his side. He couldn’t stop the cries that escaped his lips as he tried to sit up. Still damp from the night before. He was thankful the days were warm enough to where he would not freeze to death. Though the warmth was useless. James cursed to himself as his body violently trembled. He glanced at his leg. He knew it was infected. He had some medicine. Out of his mind, delirious from the fever, he didn’t think to put it out and use it. With no idea where he was, he had to keep moving. With Dawn's help, he could stand and guide her so that she could crawl onto him. He could barely hold on as she stood, sucking through his teeth. The last thing he needed was for her to get spooked. 

The movement from Dawn walking was excruciating, but James knew he would probably get worse if he didn’t find help soon. Dog bites are bad enough. He didn't want to imagine what was happening to him right now. He doesn’t know how long he rode for. The hours felt like minutes, and the minutes felt like hours. 

“THUD!”

James barely registered that he hit the ground. He used all his strength to lift his head to see where Dawn was. She began shoving him. Immediately, he cried out in pain. His whole body hurt. All he wanted to do was curl up and die. 

James grabbed the whistle he kept in his pocket. He gripped it tightly against his chest and battled whether he should use it. He had no idea if someone or something would hear him and whether they would have good intentions towards him. James held it up and looked at the whistle. He knew he had to keep moving. He had to keep living, and he needed to find her. No matter what happens.

______________________________________________________________

Chapter 2 : Chapter 4

[in-spain-without-an-s]

my favorite is casper. casper is my favorite. won’t change.

[episims]

Household: Root

Back to Foxfire! And we're starting off with a household that definitely needs a proper recap.

During the last round, Judi gave birth to Casper, and later on, he grew up into a toddler.

Then Judi was informed that her mother had passed away and bequeathed a majority of their family's wealth to Judi and Jonas.

Jonas was quick to refuse his part of the inheritance. Judi on the other hand was willing to take the money but knew the arrangements were going to force her to travel.

So Judi asked Jonas to move together with her and look after Casper while she was away. Jonas agreed that it'd be the best for Casper but hesitated with the decision, as he wasn't sure if Judi's place was really where he wanted to move.

As for my own thoughts, I'm not thrilled to write about off-screen characters dying. This hood doesn't need any more drama! But, I felt like I didn't have much choice in this case. Would've been weird to keep insisting that Judi and Jonas come from a newly rich family but never acknowledge what happened to that fortune.

[cyraniadebergerac]

My suspicion would be that part of the problem is that people are tired of cartoon shows like the Tick.

I know for me personally, Batman:TAS always seemed to dark to me and while I've come to appreciate it and see that Batman as the true Batman, it's still not a show I'd watch for when I need light-hearted fun. The Superman:TAS gets closer to that.

But when most people think Saturday Morning Cartoons, the original Looney Tunes is the most cynical they think of, but each episode was on it's own and had other zany stuff going on that distracted from how dark it could be. The true emblems of Saturday Morning cartoons were the original Superman Animated Series, old Casper the Friendly Ghost, Disney shorts, Mighty Mouse. All stuff fairly lightweight and light hearted where you didn't need to keep track of what happened week to week and the goal was just to watch something fun and low stakes. None of the modern animated shows are really like that anymore. Everything has an overarching plot, everything has characters you are meant to get invested in, near everything has some level of deconstruction going on with the animated genre as a whole. And a lot of people are tired of it.

I do enjoy some of what's coming out now and really enjoyed Transfirmers Animated, but I can see why people are having a hard time with new shows of the same line. The oversaturation of 80s-style edgy shows and shows where the plots are intricate and can get heavy would be more tolerated if there were also more 40s-50s style adventure of the week shows where the status quo was allowed to be good and if changed, would mostly change for the better, the main characters were allowed to be good hearted and overall likeable so that people would root for them, the meta humor's more subtle and not the main source of jokes, and earnest fun is allowed in the story. If someone made a show like that, it would be so welcomed. We can see it to an extent with the popularity of My Adventures with Superman and the Wayne Family Adventure Comics. More stories like that are what people want.

Another thing I expect people might be starting to tire of is the villain being a Puritan. We get it. You all think that people that seek to curtail fun and self expression in pursuit of self-control and holiness are evil. There's so many other flavors of evil religious flavor you could go with. What about the evil Baptist Televangelist who encourages people to sin and false interpretations of the scriptures because he sees that's what would get him money? Or acknowledge the cult nature of Mormonism or Jehovah's Witnesses or Scientology and pick on them for a spell? Or you could do something actually radical and have a nuanced look at what an evil fundamentalist Hindu is like. Or have fun with a mad scientist now that scientists want us to trust Science as the infallible source of all truth with Scientists as the only true priesthood that can properly interpret science. There's so much more you can do in terms of evil religious figures than just rehashing Evil Puritanism or Evil Catholicism!

Every other week I see folks complaining that this or that new web series is trying too hard to be edgy and memeable, why are we giving money to the worst effluvium of the Newgrounds generation, etc., etc., and then I actually watch whatever they're complaining about and it's literally just a mid-1990s-to-early-2000s Saturday morning cartoon with a bigger animation budget. Like, if these people think The Amazing Digital Circus is edgy tryhard bullshit, any randomly selected episode of The Tick (1994) would probably make their heads explode.

[froppy-butterflyfan2000]

for Niko Is your OC monstrous in any way? Is there something that makes them monstrous? Are they aware of their own monstrosity? Do they accept it or reject it?

Lunaverse:…….She vomited black ooze with white stars, it made her feel like a monster. Even her own superpowers are consider monsterous because she found out that the ghostly side of her superpower goes beyond of ghostly supernatural, but magical wise and at the same time unknown. So her accepting and rejecting it depends on her mood. Niko will only accept her own monstrosity when she have her adoptive father, Eddie by her side because he have experiences in being monsterous. She spend time with her adoptive father (either web-slinging (Eddie) and flight (Niko) through the street, photography, or making flapjacks with Wendy). But mostly rejected it, it is rooted from these factors: The fact that she is an adoptive child whose learned that her own biological mom don’t wants her, losing friends who thinks they know her but they don’t actually know her at all, and being an expelled student of a school for superheroes, who’s failed to help her controls of her powers and nurture positivity and just wants her to become an asset/tool for society full a better place for horrible people. Especially when the headmistress keeping an image and her family’s reputation while dealing with her own familial problem…. Thanks to her adoptive father, he is able to ensure Niko not to despise herself because of her own monstrosity, and make sure Niko doesn’t goes back to the school that damages her self-esteem and make her feels not normal and broken. If necessary, he will have to move his family back to Gravity Falls. So for now, I can say is that Niko is staying with her adoptive uncles and grandfather from her adoptive mom’s side at Gravity Falls. Though she does have contact with her friends, both old and new - Ariel, Casper, Muhammad, and Astéri.

Cappyverse: Niko see her hands are monstrous. She has three forms for her hands, normal human-looking, crab pincers, and nubbed hands. Though she loves her nubbed hands because they exactly matched Evelyn Utonium, a person who’s hang out with her big brother, Ethan and the cousin of Sunny, Hugh, Maddie, CJ, and Bradley, she despises the crab pincers because they remind people of the feature from the monsters that attacked Townsville and one of Townsville’s diabolical supervillains in the previous generation. Niko accept the monster side of her but not fully, because deep down she despise it and have a voice in her head telling her to embrace her demon side, that is flowing through her veins, and make chaos. While Camp Synonymous did help her problem despite there were ups and downs, but it will come back. So she will use her superpower for good to prevent her urge and block the voice inside her head.