#lizzy the chameleon

[dontvap0rdawave]

... You know what I am going to say at this point/silly

New year, new brainrot that I get forcefully dragged into, new OC. That's how it goes in this funky ass brain of mine

As always, extra sketches under the cut 💥

[drtwinkenstein]

Losing David Attenborough will be ten times as painful as Queen Elizabeth’s passing

[chipperchemical]

making every Wild Life member an animal hybrid except i'm not allowed to use the most common fanon ones. because it's called. Wild Life. get it? get i

Bdubs: dragon

BigB: chameleon

Etho: arctic fox (or cat)

Gem: leopard

Scar: llama

Grian: bat

Impulse: beetle

Martyn: raccoon

Lizzie: sheep (edit: i have just watched Martyn's POV and seen the Lizzie whale clip so she may also be a whale)

Mumbo: rabbit

Pearl: tiger / kangaroo

Ren: wolf (i don't have it in me to make him a non-canine)

Skizz: bear

Scott: unicorn

Joel: spider

Jimmy: ladybug

Tango: phoenix

Cleo: rhino

[kindaasrikal]

The ninja deserve emotional support animals except they’re them so none of them get a damn dog or something.

Zane has a penguin, he’s lovingly called zaneguin (real name: Peniuella, or Penny) (Penny gets along with Zane’s bird) (he rlly wanted a polar bear. Wu said no) (he waddles with the penguin, bro loves waddling.) (he once waddles over to some villains full penguin style as a on the spot distraction. Cole gave him a lecture about safety and being smart. Zane waddled away right after it was done.)

Kai has a parrot, bro loves his parrot (he’s called parry the parrot and he’s taught him how to scream FIYAAAAA) (Kai is usually the first ninja up for training, so he actually get his parrot to wake the others (Nya) up by putting Parry in their room and getting him to scream their elements.) (its become a common thing to hear ‘WATAHHHHH’ at 6am in the morning) (or ‘GREANNNNNNNN’ or maybe ‘ARTHHHHHH’ in a really deep voice. Cole had nightmares after hearing how deep Parry’s voice can get.)

Lloyd has a ferret, he’s just a ferret kinda guy. He also got a chinchilla soon after cause he got the dust for a dust bath, and then found out ferrets can’t have dust baths (he just wanted a lil guy to have a dust bath with.) (Yeah you heard me, Lloyd does dust baths. He likes the feeling of it.) (he rlly wanted to called his ferret ferry the ferret but Kai already took the joke, he called him Mr Ferrington instead.) (plus his Chinchilla is called Chilly, he loves dressing him up in mini versions of Zane’s gi because of it.)

Nya has two rats, she calls them her babies (don’t insult her rats, she will drown you.) (Jay named one Ratatouille, and as much as she hated the name she had no choice but to keep it, Jay would be sad if she didn’t.) (the other rat is called Rumphly. She thought it sounded sophisticated.) (she lets her rats burrow in her hair.) (she also has to protect everything she owns, her rats chew on everything and anything. Nothing is free from their menacing little mouths.)

Jay has a spider. He’s a lil weirdo like that (its a deadly spider) (he found it in his workshop) (it was 2:54 am and dark) (he almost died from the damn thing) (Pixal almost lost it when Jay literally clung to her begging her not to kill it-sorry, my mistake, her.) (he stays up late at night building stuff and chatting to her and she dances every time Jay goes on an excited ramble.)

Cole has a lizard, and it’s a Chameleon. He named her Lizzy (Kai calls her Queenie.) (he lowkey lost Lizzy on her first day and had a breakdown) (Jay said that defeated the purpose of an emotional support animal) (until at 11pm at night they found out Lizzy was just chilling in Cole’s hair and they just couldn’t tell) (everyone thought Cole was gonna be annoyed, but bro lowkey broke down again because he got emotional about how she clung to him the whole time.) (he got Lizzy because he missed Rocky) (I miss Rocky too)

+extras

Morro has a rabbit. Named Chompy (and they’re a ghost) (lowkey Morro has no idea what Chompy is, the lil brat just jumped onto him and went ‘CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP’ and bit him.) (it looks like a rabbit, if oni’s could be rabbits.) (he blames Garmadon, he probably corrupted the damn thing and now he has some weird monstrous rabbit attached to him) (he does like telling Chompy to attack tho. He finds it hilarious when the other ghosts are sent running) (their convos go like ‘No Chompy, you can’t eat my book’ ‘chomp chomp?’ ‘Because i said so.’ ‘Chomp chomp!’ ‘Uh, yes, i can.’ ‘Chomp chomp chomp!!’ ‘Wha-why you little-’) (everyone thinks he’s mentally unstable for thinking he can understand them) (and maybe he is but you can shove it, he deserves to talk to weird monster animals who actually like him, after what ever octopus bull the preeminent pulled)

Skylor has a turtle, she got him from Griffin (he couldn’t take care of him all the time and got busy so he asked Skylor if she’s willing to co-parent) (she had to agree that turtle was giving her puppy eyes) (they love acting like divorcees) (Kai pretends to the new boyfriend who hates the og partner) (the turtle is named Grecko) (Griffin wanted to mess with people who thought he was talking about an actual Gecko when instead he was talking about a turtle named Grecko) (Skylor loved and hated it at the same time) (she calls him Greg.) (she gets Greg to walk small distances over to kids in her restaurant and give them food) (the kids love him.)

Neuro has a mouse, five, to be precise. (Nya got the idea for a rat from Neuro, who has to explain to her the difference between the two.) (he loves letting them hide in random places of his body.) (don’t be surprised when you’re talking to him and a mouse just pops out of his shirts collar.) (he doesn’t even look phased.) (he’s accepted his fate as a climbing tree) (he is also trying to learn how to speak mouse by reading their minds) (its going…somewhere.)

Pixal has her lil robots. She loves mini pix with all her heart thats her baby.

Wu has his damn chicken and his chicken has been around for centuries. Morro also loved the chicken.

[nedlittle]

everyone give it up for another year of flops, disappointments, and failures!! i read some absolute dogshit this year and now i have to share my suffering with the rest of you

the bangalore detectives club by harini nagendra ⭐

Why go through all the trouble of setting up that plot thread only to retract it at the next possible moment? That's not even a red herring. That's padding for a mystery that apparently took 13 years to cook and still came out fucking raw.

vampires of el norte by isabel cañas ⭐

Isabel Cañas writes like she's being held at gunpoint by a thesaurus.

the plague letters by v. l. valentine ⭐

I have read books with nonsense plots and books with horrible characters and books that read like a first draft done on the back of a napkin in crayon, but never, NEVER EVER have i read a book where the author decides to sprinkle in the fact that one of the protagonists can see ghosts at the halfway point.

yellowface by r. f. kuang ⭐.5

Yellowface, more than anything, rings hollow as a critique of privilege when written by someone who went to an elementary school where one year cost more than all four years of my university tuition combined.

everyone knows your mother is a witch by rivka galchen ⭐.75

Overall, I do not recommend this book except as a sleep aid.

manhunt by gretchen felker-martin ⭐.75

I weep for the potential Manhunt would have had if Gretchen Felker-Martin's Internet access had been cut off while she was writing.

the petticoat men by barbara ewing ⭐.75

This is a book your mom mentions she read for her book club because she wants you to know that she read a book about gay people.

the crimson ribbon by katherine clements ⭐⭐

The issue isn't that Clements decided to make Lizzie Poole gay. She decided to make Lizzie Poole gay so that her eventual execution would be more tragic. This isn't even a bad-faith reading of the text.

a rustle of silk by alys clare ⭐⭐

you don't need to be good at your job or care about what you're writing, you just have to have enough ideas to be able to wring every shred of life from your original gimmick until publishing decides they're no longer interested.

lovers at the chameleon club, paris 1932 by francine prose ⭐⭐

Francine, you did not make up those characters or events. You changed the names after reading a couple of history books on Paris.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 273. brb x oc

a/n: smut coming SOON (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/260/261/262/263/264/265/266

/267/268/269/270/271/272

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989 @enchantingharmonyalpaca

-

“I’m home!” he just grunts in relief while shrugging off his things and leaning his head back, throat exposed and he almost wished Beatrice showed up to kiss it, but his wife only said ‘kitchen!’ instead. He purses his lips, then pets the dogs after closing the door, toeing out his boots to walk socks only towards her voice.

He comes up to the doorframe and a little body hugs his legs. Rooster gasps in surprise, “Oh my god, it’s a wild spider monkey!” Nicole giggles,sitting on his foot while hugging his calf like…well…a monkey would, “Oh my god,Bea, when did we get a wild animal in the house?”

Beatrice's laughter filled the air as she continued to work in the kitchen. "I know, right? I just found her swinging from the chandeliers a moment ago!"

Rooster looked down at Nicole, who was clinging to his leg like a curious little koala. He lowered his voice dramatically, feigning surprise. "Or maybe she's a chameleon in disguise, blending in perfectly with my leg. I never knew our little monkey was so good at camouflage."

Nicole giggled even more at her dad's playfulness, her small hands squeezing his calf. "Dada, bunny!"

Rooster chuckled, his heart swelling with love for his daughter to the point it almost hurt. He reached down to scoop her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. "And you, my little monkey, you're the funniest and cutest of them all!"

With Nicole safely in his arms, he entered the kitchen, where Beatrice was standing at the stove, stirring a pot of something that smelled heavenly. Rooster couldn't help but grin at the sight of her, "Hey, gorgeous," he greeted, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek while holding Nicole close to his chest. "What's cooking in here?"

Beatrice turned to face him, a bright smile lighting up her face. She gave him a few couple pecks on the lips before going back to the task at hand "Hi Roos I decided since tonight is my night off, I could make us a little dinner.” she nods to the fridge, “I also got us some lava cake from Mr.Scoops.”

Rooster sighed contentedly, "You're spoiling me, Bea."

Beatrice chuckled,before she handed him a wooden spoon with a taste of the sauce she was cooking. "Taste and tell me if it needs anything else."

Rooster accepted the spoon with a nod and took a bite, savoring the creamy, savory goodness of the sauce, Nicole reaching over to grab it but he was quick to hand it back to Bea. After a moment of thoughtful chewing, he gave her a nod of approval. "It's perfect, as always. You're a culinary genius,gorgeous."

Beatrice blushed at his praise and gave him a playful swat on the arm. "Oh, stop it. You're just hungry."

Rooster grinned, kissing her cheek soundly. "I'm always hungry, “ the innuendo was clear in his voice but he didn’t elaborate, he just walked around Beatrice to lean against the counter with Nicole playing with the buttons on his uniform, “How was your day with Evelyn and JJ?”

While her cheeks were hot because of his innuendo, she playfully rolled her eyes. "My day was good, Roos. Evelyn just needed some time away, you know, family stuff…JJ spent most of the time sleeping."

“Well, he is a few months old.”

“Yeah…” she licks her lips, “We also,well, we talked about a couple things, you know��things that have been going on and such…I kinda needed her opinion, you know that Evelyn is…probably the smartest of all of us and she dealt with Military wives more than I did.”

Rooster hums, playing with Nicole’s tiny hand before he sighs, “Did she give you any idea how to deal with Miranda?”

“...yeah.”

-

“I didn’t want to bring this up now.” Beatrice begins, sitting next to Nicole on the grass while Evelyn preferred to keep herself on the bench for now, moving the stroller back and forth so JJ could sleep, “Especially since we are out with the kids and–”

Evelyn makes a displeased sound in her throat, ‘Relax,Bea. You know I won’t judge you. Besides, navy wives like her are unfortunately very common.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” her friend snorts, “You have no idea, it’s worse when your relative or spouse is of higher ranks.” Evelyn holds her head up with a hand, brown eyes moving to the side as she reminisced, “Believe me, being my dad’s daughter made me deal with so many unpleasant people.”

"I can only imagine how it must be for you, especially with your dad's high rank…what…what do they do,exactly?” She glanced at Evelyn, shrugging a bit with a small frown on her face, “I mean,are they all so…mean and condescending?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Some are worse.”

“Oh.”

“I just am happy to say they are a small amount.” Evelyn mutters, “But the ones I’m talking about stuck out like a sore thumb. I don’t know, I think they…just imagine that if you are a military spouse you are now someone that holds power? Something like that.”

Those words again, and she frowned when she heard it. Beatrice leaned back on her hands, the soft grass beneath her. "Miranda's attitude has been getting to me lately. She's been so condescending, and I can't figure out why she's chosen to show up at the Hard Deck."

Evelyn glanced over at Beatrice, her expression empathetic. "People like her sometimes see the military world as a place for power and social standing. They may try to assert themselves to feel important." 

Beatrice sighed, her brows furrowed in thought. "But Rooster and I don't care about that. We just want a normal life, to raise our family, and to support each other through his deployments. We've never sought power or recognition in the military community." she shrugs while shaking her head, “I mean…we…I???I’m just so confused.”

Evelyn nodded,turning her head to check on JJ. "And that's perfectly fine, Bea. It's not about what others think or expect. Miranda and Mark seem to…feel very threatened by the two of you.”

“But why?”

“I have no clue.” Evelyn’s mouth downturns a bit, “Maybe they are jealous of what you two have.”

She contemplated Evelyn's words as she watched Nicole play with the blades of grass, giggling to herself. It was a beautiful day at the park, the sun shining brightly and her daughter’s laughter filling the air. Yet, the conversation about Miranda and Mark still lingered in her mind, casting a shadow on her thoughts.

Evelyn adjusted the stroller, making sure JJ was comfortable, then turned back to Beatrice. "You know, it's not uncommon for some people to feel envious when they see a strong, loving couple like you and Rooster. You've been through a lot together, and you're still so connected and supportive of each other. It's something to be proud of."

Beatrice smiled at Evelyn's supportive words but couldn't shake the unease she felt about Miranda's weird behavior. "I suppose that makes sense, but it still doesn't justify her rudeness. I mean, I've always tried to be friendly and welcoming to everyone, even if I don't know them well."

Evelyn reached over and gave Beatrice's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "That’s because you're a genuinely kind and warm person, Bea. But not everyone will appreciate that. Some people might interpret your kindness as a threat or a weakness."

The brunette’s eyes narrowed and she looked away, “I’m not weak. Being kind doesn’t make anyone weak.”

“It doesn’t.”

Beatrice sighed, her gaze wandering back to Nicole, who was now following a ladybug fly above her head. "What do you…suggest then? What if she does something when Rooster is deployed?”

After a moment of thought, Evelyn scooted in a little closer and spoke in a low voice. "Well, Bea, one thing you can do is continue to be yourself, the kind and warm person you are. You don't have to change who you are just because of someone like Miranda."

"I understand that,  and i don’t want to change myself.” Bea mutters, holding Nicole close to her chest when the little girl stands up to see the whole park better, “But my question is…what if-”

“You think she’ll try to do something to you?” Evelyn snorts, “Doubtful. No, she’d never put her status on the line…what I do think she’ll do, it make you look bad.”

“Me?”

Evelyn just shrugs, holding her hands up, “Think about it, she tried to do it while you all went to the Oda, she tried doing it on the Hard Deck. She feels immensely threatened by you because you are…well,you.”

The brunette just looked at Evelyn,blinking her eyes in confusion as she took the words in. She wasn’t the first one to say that and Beatrice didn’t know why she didn’t see it. “...I guess…well…I mean…I don’t get it.”

“I just told you why.”

“No,I know, but my problem is…like…” she nuzzles Nicole’s hair when the little girl tilts her head back towards her, “It does feel like she thinks I should fit a mold, or not fit one at all…I guess that could be it.”

“I’ll say what I think it’s happening.” Evelyn says, “Mark and Miranda moved here from Virginia. They had a whole life there, a whole crew, a whole gang…and here, well, they don’t. I don’t know where they’ve been but military families aren’t, you know…condescending that often. And they met you two,first and foremost.”

“So…jealousy.”

“Yep.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just…be nicer to people? They could make friends here.”

Evelyn shrugs before checking JJ, who was still fast asleep, “Some people just don’t care about friendships and being nice,Bea. We all dealt with people like that,hm?”

Beatrice nodded, her hands still holding Nicole up. "You're right, Evelyn. I won't let her behavior affect me. I should focus on Rooster’s birthday coming up.”

“Good idea.” she says, “And, in any case, you can get the Californian Doberman we both know.”

Bea’s smile grows a bit, “...Shells?”

Evelyn smirks back, “Shells.”

-

“And…that was it.” Bea shrugs, “That was the conversation we had.” she sighs, then crosses her arms a bit before turning to him, “You know,I’m just…I think we are giving these two too much thought, aren’t we?”

Rooster frowns, licking his lips as he plays with Nicole’s hand, smiling when she grabs his thumb, “They made you upset,I made that personal.”

‘Roos.”

“But if you think, if you think, she’s not going to bother you, then I’m fine.” he looked back at Bea with his eyes softening, “I know I did everything I could, from calling your brothers, to Mav and the girls. You’ll be alright and,hopefully Miranda won’t show up.”

Beatrice turned to Rooster, her expression softening as she reached out to caress his cheek. "Roos, you've done more than enough to make sure I'm safe , and I appreciate it. I feel safer knowing you care so much about me." She leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his lips before continuing. "I just don't want her presence to affect our happiness or make us stressed. We have so much to look forward to – Nicole's birthday, your birthday, the twins and our time together before your deployment. Let's focus on that, alright?"

Rooster nodded, he knew Beatrice was right, and he needed to let go of his concerns for now. "You're absolutely right, Bea." he holds up his pinky finger, “Let’s not talk about them from now on, deal?”

She laughs softly, hooking her pinky to his, “Deal,handsome. How was work by the way? Anything new at the base? News about the upcoming deployment?”

Rooster shrugged as he responded to Beatrice's questions. "Work's been…work. Nothing too exciting on the base lately. Same routine, preparations for the deployment – you know how it goes." He glanced down at Nicole, who was intently studying her tiny fingers. "And as for the deployment, no major updates yet. I'll keep you informed as soon as I know more."

Beatrice nodded, her expression thoughtful as she considered Rooster's words. "Alright…have you seen Mav?”

“Yep.”

“He’s not going with you guys,right?”

“Nope.”

The sudden drop on his voice was obvious and Beatrice stopped what she was doing to look at him, “What?’

Rooster pursed his lips even more, then shook his head, “...I think he’s serious about retiring soon.” and man it hurt him to say that outloud, “He…mentioned it again to me.”

"Roos," she began, her voice gentle as she approached him, "How do you feel about Mav retiring? How do you really feel?."

Rooster laughs humorlessly, his fingers absently tracing patterns on the countertop. "It's tough, Bea.It’s also hilarious,I hated this man for years and now I’m…terrified about not seeing him at the base again. Feels wrong, thinking about it." 

Beatrice reached out and placed her hand on Rooster's, offering him a gentle squeeze. "Is he doing that now,or?”

“He didn’t say, he said he’s thinking about it.” he replies, “But he’s not getting any younger, for the first time in years I’m seeing the white on his temples.”

Beatrice held Rooster's hand and listened to him, she couldn't help but empathize with the complex mix of emotions he was experiencing, it must be eating at him so much. "I can only imagine how hard this must be for you, Roos." she said softly, her thumb caressing his knuckles. 

Rooster nodded, his gaze distant as he continued to reflect on the situation. "You know, despite all the disagreements over the years, Mav has always been there… even when he wasn’t. He's like the constant in my career – always watching out for me, pushing me to be better. The thought of not having him around...it's unnerving."

Beatrice leaned in and pressed a comforting kiss on his cheek. "I understand, Roos. But remember, it's not the end of your connection with Mav. You'll still have each other outside of the military, I mean…he is around all the time."

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to invite him to have dinner with us?’ she asks while propping her chin on his shoulder, smiling sweetly, “I wouldn’t mind if he showed up, I think it’d be fun, don’t you?”

Rooster couldn't help but smile at Beatrice's suggestion, his eyes softening and his chest expanding as he inhaled. He looked down at Nikki who was busy once again trying to pluck on his uniform, then tilting her head at him when she felt his eyes on her, “...you know what.” he says, running his fingers on Nicole’s hair, “I like that idea.”

“I thought you might.” she says,kissing his cheek, “It’ll be good for the two of you.”

[ginnsbaker]

So I dunno if you are still accepting request but I will shoot my shot. I'm that anon who fixated on Lizzie's mole btw 😌. I was rewatching age of ultron y'know just cause I missed emo wanda. Yeah, anyways what if reader was one of the casualties from hulk's rampage and she lost her eyesight. Coincidentally, reader is like previously a test subject that didn't awaken or a genetically modified baby(self enhancement thingy), awakened due to trauma [lol] and is currently under training for newly recruit for the team. What if reader held a grudge to the OG avengers and to the witch that made Hulk go out of control? not really to the extent that she will like blow them up. Like she doesn't fawns up to them. Reader closes her eyes most of the time but when she does open them , its so majestic(eyecolor changes like that of a dying chameleon or basically rgb lights on a pc) that when wanda saw them the first time she's awestruck and don't know what to do since reader doesn't like her that much.

I WANT THIS TO BE ANGST THO BUT MAKE IT FLUFFY ALSO. up to you! I dunno if you want to write this tho. It's okay. Rambling random plots(cant write). I just want to see some reader fic that don't fawns or is saved by the avengers. I wanna see the other side of the coin. One of the casualties but is forced to be with them cause yknow powers. This got pretty long. I really love the way you write tho. Hehe. Hope you have a great day!!

hello anon! I actually enjoyed reading this concept, because i love enemies to lovers or where the other one is particularly not fond of the other but end up falling for them anyway, so i can definitely see the potential for angst in your idea :)

Unfortunately, i've been having writer's block for some time now, but i will keep this prompt because it's awesome. Like, seriously, i love it. And if there's any writer out there who's interested to write this, please comment for anon's permission.

Always shoot your shot ;)

[specter-star]

specter's superhero au: character masterlist

I've also got this posted in the series description on ao3 but I decided to go ahead and post it here too! the life series cast is the core of this au, but if any of the hermits become major characters, I'll edit this list accordingly

heroes Etho - Frostfall - ice manipulation Jimmy - Canary - limited precognition Impulse - Iridium - metal manipulation Skizz - Sentinel - super strength Cleo - Zombie - can heal by "stitching" people back together Bigb - Heartbeat - empathy (can sense and influence emotions)

villains Pearl - Eclipse - light/shadow manipulation Gem - Gemini - self-duplication Scott - Starlight - crystal generation/control Scar - Siren - hypnotization through voice Joel - Enderblade - teleportation/End particle control Ren - King - summoning/controlling various creatures

vigilantes Tango - Inferno - fire manipulation (note: mainly due to blazeborn heritage) Mumbo - Crypto - technology control through touch Bdubs - Chameleon - camouflage magic Lizzie - Sakura - plant/animal communication and limited summoning Martyn - Mimic - power mimicry

other Grian - Watcher - [unknown]

[lastmafagafo]

What's the difference between nice and kind?

I reread Mansfield Park, after more than a decade. The first time I read it, I was a teen, discovering Jane Austen works and watching every adaptation I could put my hands on. Back in the day, Mansfield Park became my least favourite of her novels, while Fanny Price, despite not being my least favourite Austen heroine, couldn’t stand a chance with Lizzie, Emma or even Elinor on my list.

Now, for a series of reasons, I decided to read the novel again and, for my surprise, I liked Fanny a lot. I dare even say she is one of Austen's strongest heroines, succeeding where others failed. Despite being shy (and clearly having low self esteem issues), Fanny do stand up for herself when it's really needed.

That’s more than you can say about Anne Eliot, who was persuaded to refuse Captain Wentworth's first proposal. Fanny is also a good judge of character*, better than Marianne and Lizzie, who let themselves being fooled by Wickham and Willoughby, Catherine Morland, who befriended shallow Isabella (and also accused her father-in-law-to-be of murder), and Emma who managed to misjudge every single character in her story, including herself.

Not saying that Fanny is perfect, tho. She can be a bit of a doormat when it comes to dealing with her Aunt Norris. I dare say Fanny can even be a bit manipulative sometimes. But she surely has her heart on the right place.

I've seen some people compare Fanny with Mary Crawford, stating that Mary would do a much better protagonist. How? Comparing Fanny and Mary is like comparing being kind and being nice. Fanny is kind, and we know it because in her thoughts she really seem to care about the people she loves (and even those she doesn’t love so much). Even when refusing Crawford she worries about his feelings. But Mary, she is not kind, she is nice. Like a chameleon, she changes her demeanor to match her companions. When in Mansfield she is witty and charming, but not improper, specially when compared with Maria and Julia. She even gets closer to Fanny (in acquaintance and demeanor), since she knows that was something Edmund would approve. Back in London, she is changed. With her friends, she is coquettish and frugal, forgetting about Fanny when keeping her friendship is not as useful as it was.

Mary seems confident, but she is a people pleaser. She seeks others love and attention, and expects to gain something from her actions. Fanny doesn’t.

I could say this is an issue of today, of our social media/attention seeking selves, but knowing even Jane Austen's family had very different opions about the novel and Fanny, I dare say nice x kind is a timeless debate. I think Jane knew it, and how easily people could mix the two. Something, I confess, I’m still trying to learn myself.

What do you think about it? Leave a comment, or call me on my DMs.

*Isn’t it brilliant of Jane? Most of her novels, the heroine misjudge other characters, but in Mansfield it is us, readers, who are fooled by appearances.

[cyberaxolotl]

woop woop it’s lizbert’s family, eggabell’s mom, and filbo’s father (figure)

Batilda Megacake

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 56

Occupation: Waitress

Relations: Layin Sweetfig (Husband,) Angus Megafig (Son,) Elizabert Megafig (Daughter)

Grumpus species: Walrus

Human nationality: Australian

Batilda, called “Batty” by family, has worked at a small diner in australia for over 30 years. It was worked at by her own family until her ascendants were old, and while she expected her descendants to follow along culinarily, she accepts that they haven’t. The “loss” of her daughter was devastating.

Layin Sweetfig

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 58

Occupation: Cook

Relations: Batilda Megacake (Wife,) Angus Megafig (Son,) Elizabert Megafig (Daughter)

Grumpus species: Walrus

Human nationality: Australian

After spending his children’s childhoods as a stay-at-home dad, Layin started working with Batilda at the diner. He still welcomes his children back home if they need to, and was mortified to learn of his daughter’s disappearance.

Angus Megafig

Pronouns: He/they

Age: 25

Occupation: Athlete (Football)

Relations: Batilda Megacake (Mother,) Layin Sweetfig (Father,) Elizabert Megafig (Sister)

Grumpus species: Walrus

Human nationality: Australian

Angus and his sister both had aspirations in strength and athletics, but while “Lizzie’s” went into adventures, Angus wanted to be big as a team player. He wanted to be part of a team and bring people together. Though horror brought him to a sudden halt when he lost his biggest inspiration.

Gemma Batterarbor

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 60

Occupation: Barkeep

Relations: Eggabell Batternugget (Daughter,) Azoreth Evernugget (Ex-spouse,) Amaranth Seed (Friend)

Grumpus species: Chinchilla

Human nationality: African American

Needing to work extra hard to keep her and her daughter afloat after the disappearance of her spouse, Gemma had made herself extremely familiar with the community of drunks and sorrowful people. She was extremely proud of her daughter obtaining a degree in medicine despite the struggle, but how unfortunate it is that those beloved to her seem to disappear.

Jams Fiddlepie

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 46

Occupation: Librarian

Relations: Loralie Fiddlepie (Wife,) Filbo Fiddlepie (Nephew)

Grumpus species: Chameleon

Human nationality: Afro-native American

Jams never expected or intended to be a father figure to anyone, but when his in-laws ended up being horrors of parents, it was only right for it to turn out that way. Jams spends most of his time quietly, drinking tea and reading, or sorting books.

[1dr1nkpa1nt]

sighs

looks at time

shakes head

yall i came up with these drawings and the lore like, 15 minutes ago

idk smth smth hazbin hotel ocs balh blah blah hell stuff

here’s some info, ill be doing a few comics and doodles about these three!

mrs. dotty “dot” flinn (red background): the wife of mr. franky “frank” flinn (green background). mr flinn cheated on her with her best friend, elizabeth “lizzy” gordon (purple background), despite her being a loyal, loving, and womanly housewife. she checked off ALL of the boxes for women in the 1940s! why would he cheat?? ..simply because lizzy had a curvier body. in her frustration and anger, she took her husband’s butcher knife, brutally mutilating his body, cutting him up and selling his flesh like the pork cuts mr. flinn used to. she was eventually got just as she was about to finish disposing of the evidence, unfortunately sentenced to death on august 12th, 1943.

hell: she takes on a grey scale color theme, relating to the 1940s detective films. she uses blood to paint her lips and nails. her crazed face makes her less approachable, which drives her mad. she loves to interact, she’s very much extroverted, opposite of her ex-best friend, lizzy.

mr. franky “frank” flinn (green background): mrs. flinn’s ex husband! he worked as a butcher to support his wife, supplying plenty of money for the two. they didn’t plan to have children until they were extremely wealthy. mrs. flinn liked to have her best friend, lizzy, over at the house while he was away, often finding the two when he got home, mrs. flinn offering him his nightly glass of whiskey. due to her nice body, mr. flinn found himself more attracted to her than his own wife, leading to the two committing adultery, essentially marking him as a dirty cheater. he was murdered on a cold november night, friday 1942, in his own home.

hell: due to his..cheating and lying habits, he takes on a chameleon form. he struggles to hide how he’s feeling with this new and improved body, his lies obvious.

ms. elizabeth “lizzy” gordon (purple background): an unmarried woman, typically what is considered to be the “popular” girl within their community. she’s known for her sass and welcoming smile, which attracts a lot of men, but she always turns them down when they ask her out. she’d rather gossip and drink with her best friend, dotty. surprisingly, she hates interaction, preferring silence around strangers. she couldn’t help but stare whenever dot’s husband was around, however, feeling an odd *attraction* to him, despite them having nothing in common and no prior knowledge of each other. one unfaithful night, she paired with him in mr. and mrs. flinn’s shared bed, getting away with this horrible secret for about two days before she squealed out of guilt. she felt terrible, deciding to give dot and frank some space to get it figured out, but little did she know that this would be the last time she’d ever see mr. flinn. sooner than later, she lost dotty as well, left alone in the living world.

to mrs. dotty’s misfortune, she and frank were reunited in hell, and much like vox and alastor, they’re constantly at each other’s throats, mr. flinn having an unhealthy obsession with mrs. flinn. their current relationship status is..unclear, but it is doubtful mrs. flinn will find another partner.

stay tuned for more!!

[djmossback]

Spacebar Thrd Spc Sat 16 Sept 2023

THE SETLIST

Let The Music Play, Shannon (lp cut)

Bad Life, PiL (12" 45 RPM)

Give Me Some Slack, Cars (lp cut)

Every 1’s A Winner, Hot Chocolate (lp cut)

Ms. Fat Booty, Mos Def (12" explicit)

Jive Talkin’, Bee Gees (7" 45)

Oh Sheila, Ready For The World (7" 45)

Rock The Casbah, The Clash (7" 45)

Back & Forth, Cameo (12" 33 1/3 )

Roxanne, Police (7" 45)

I Thank You, ZZ Top (lp cut)

Ex’s & Oh’s, Elle King (lp cut)

Walk This Way, RUN D.M.C. (12" 33 1/3 )

2200 hrs

Metal Gods, Judas Priest (lp cut)

You Dropped A Bomb On Me, Gap Band (lp cut)

Sex Shooter, Apollonia 6 (12" 45 RPM)

Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, Bob Seger System (lp cut)

Let’s Dance, David Bowie (12" 33 1/3 )

Pick Up The Pieces, Average White Band (lp cut)

Got To Be Real, Cheryl Lynn (7" 45)

Couldn’t Get It Right, Climax Blues Band (7" 45)

Love Action, Human League (lp cut)

Love Plus One, Haircut One Hundred (7" 45)

Knock On Wood, Amii Stewart (12" 33 1/3 )

Boogie Oogie Oogie, Taste Of Honey (lp cut)

No Scrubs, TLC (12" 33 1/3 )

Declaration Of Rights, Abyssinians (lp cut)

2300 hrs

Clint Eastwood, Gorillaz (12" 33 1/3 )

She’s Crafty, Beastie Boys (lp cut)

Boys Are Back In Town, Thin Lizzy (lp cut)

The Futures So Bright, Timbuk 3 (lp cut)

Do The Du, A Certain Ratio (12" 45 RPM)

Black Sap Scriptures, Plague Vendor (lp cut)

Hair Of The Dog, Nazareth (lp cut)

Dirty Rat, Orbital (lp cut)

Pressure, Ari Lennox (lp cut)

Keep On Movin, Soul II Soul (12" 33 1/3 )

YAH, Kendrick Lamar (lp cut)

Joan Of Arc, OMD (12" 45 RPM)

West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys (12" 33 1/3 )

Mama Used To Say, Junior (12" 33 1/3 )

Nothing Left To Lose, Everything But The Girl (lp cut)

Midnight

Original Sin, INXS (lp cut, Dance Music comp)(Pictured!)

Rock With You, Michael Jackson (7" 45)

Maneater, Hall & Oates (12" 33 1/3 )

Rise, Herb Alpert (12" 33 1/3 )

Money (Dollar Bill Y’all), Jimmy Spicer (lp cut, hits comp)(Pictured!)

Funk You Up, The Sequence (12" 33 1/3 )

Chameleon, Herbie Hancock (lp cut)

Open The Iron Gate, Max Romeo (lp cut)

Who Do You Love, Bo Diddley (lp cut, mono, hits comp)

Seven Nights To Rock, Moon Mullican (lp cut)

blue bones (deathwish), Billy Nomates (lp cut)

Remembering Me, Cate le Bon (lp cut)

The Meaning Of Love, Depeche Mode (12" 45 RPM)

Little Fluffy Clouds, The Orb (12" 45 RPM Drum & Bass mix by Youth)

Love my Spacebar people.

TASTING NOTES

I was kind of prepared. Lots of new records. New old records, too: a wealth of vintage mid-70s funk and disco 12” records came into my possession. But, none of those made it into the crate; I had plenty of other acquisitions to integrate into the flow. I am constantly on the search for the familiar unexpected, and the unfamiliar unexpected, without falling prey to the obvious. And I did what I set out to do. Some of the best segues I have ever done happened tonight... often followed up with the most ham-handed and poor transitions in the history of Third Space Saturday. I’m just happy DJ IGA was not there to witness it, and scowl at my transgressions!

It probably didn’t sound like anything in the house, but your audience or listeners aren’t concerned with the details or technicalities. They want to play Centipede, or get nice with someone.

Cyberjewel gave herself the night off, which probably lent itself to me getting stuck in the elevator, and getting to the booth at 2058, for a start time of 2100 hrs. I wanted to get there early to set up, because there was a live event the night before. Luckily, except for the house sound, things were largely in order. I struggled with volume in the house, problems that weren’t solved until Jules showed up unexpectedly halfway through. Within 5 minutes, the PA was set properly, and I had an Athletic NA in a glass. 

Will was in the house, stationed at the print shop bar. It was great to play for the man who is piloting the spaceship. “She’s Crafty” was played for him. He was excited to get to “hear a Mossback set.” He set up my backgrounds on the TVs you can see on the video and busied himself breaking down the stage setup in the performance area. He works hard. I’m so happy I get to contribute to this thing he made happen. And I will stay as long as they want me. 

The crowds, as usual, were several waves of different people rolling through. At first there were normals. And that’s when the two “request” inquiries happened. Lately I’ve been engaging with people to help read the room, without actually playing what they request. Tonight, I was just trying to get situated. So, I politely declined. But the third person that came up asked about the Shannon track that I opened with, so I was pumped for that! I loved seeing the early 20s kids dancing around to “Maneater” by Hall & Oates, too. The kids are alright. The ones that come through the bar during my sets are game for anything. Well, not the guy who came up and asked for Drake. No bueno. 

I worry that my approach to things is too laid back, like part of the atmosphere. Perhaps my lack of self promotion, and my “let the music be the program” attitude, doesn’t lend itself to making Mossback sets an “event.” Maybe I need to get on the mike and relentlessly exhort people to wave their hands in the air, and relentlessly name check “MOSSSSS-BAAAAAACK!” ad nauseum. I am going to get some coasters made, maybe that will help.

There were some slack periods, unusual for a Saturday night. It made set construction challenging. The energy from the people in the bar contributes to your set in subtle ways, and it was challenging to play without it. But I found my footing, and learned to play without it. I made choices I might not have made with a crowd there. 

The Shannon track I started with was from an LP, but it was a 12” dance mix. It’s a “dance”-oriented compilation from Atlantic Records that also has INXS (which I played) and Phil Collins (which I didn’t play but may in the future). “Sususudio” kicks! The comp is set up in a good way, three songs per side. It almost feels like cheating, but there is a lot of useful stuff on there and it doesn’t take up a ton of space in the crate. And the three-songs-per-side format sounds good, lots of low end. For what I’m doing, it works out fine. 

Compilations can be too loaded with material to be useful in this setting, too many songs crammed onto a side, bad remastering, no thump or presence. So I’m sparing in my use of them. But I carry several around with me just for fun, like Soul Jazz comps and the Trojan Records Toots and the Maytals collection.

Will loved the Jimmy Spicer track I played from the Ace Records subsidiary BGP collection chronicling the first decade of hip-hop called “Dollar Bill Y’All.” It consists of records released by the Spring label, which was run by an industry lifer Bill Curtis, who was also a member of the band Fatback. Dude heard the potential in the hip-hop sound early, and the Spring offshoot Posse had early work from Ice-T, Afrika Islam, Marley Marl and artists promoted by Russell Simmons, like Jimmy Spicer. I followed that up with a Sugar Hill Records group, The Sequence. I like the old hip-hop sound. It still sounds good in the club. Will also dug the Herb Alpert “Rise” mix I have. It was so much fun to see him and the crew dancing around to it. 

I ended right at 0100 hours. Funny how that worked out. I just didn’t feel like going any longer. Maybe I got too much rest that day. I usually like to go until close, just because I like it there, but tonight it wasn’t right, so I bugged out and got home at a decent hour.

Next Third Space is 21 October, 2023. 9PM to 1AM, unless I get inspired to stay.

[superblycaffeinated]

Summary: the one where Baxton is born from a realization after Macey McHenry mistakes Liz for Bex's girlfriend | GG Masterlist

word count:

For more Bex stories and other Gallagher Girl stories, see my GG Masterlist

This story is one of many drabbles/one shots I’ll be doing as I re-read the series. This is the current list I’m working off of for this book, let me know what you’d like to see!

A/N: This does contain direct dialogue from Ally Carter's original text in Chapter Eight of I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You. Inspired by the scene between Macey and Bex in the dining hall in Chapter 5.

My Mistake:

Bex Baxter / Elizabeth Sutton

It was bad enough that Macey Mc-B Word-Henry was our new roommate.

It was bad enough that I hadn't been able to fight back (fists or words-I wouldn't have been picky, either would have gotten the job done) when Macey called me a bitch. But now, she was insulting the people I loved.

I had been nice. Cordial. Accommodating. I had only participated in a few of the rumors. But the look on Liz's face was enough to send me over the edge.

I don't remember standing, or grabbing her, I just remember the heat from the rage that filled my body after seeing Liz's eyes fill with tears. I remember thinking I would do anything to never see that look cross her face again. I would kill anyone who did anything to hurt her. That's what friends do.

Right?

Whatever the reasoning for my rage, Macey McHenry is lucky Joe Solomon was there when he was. Again.

I was sitting in an alcove, channeling my inner Chameleon later that day. Lunch still playing in my head and I tried to push it away and focus on what tonight's assignment would mean. This was a big opportunity and we couldn't blow it. I smirked thinking about how Liz was probably remaking flash cards in preparation. I should probably go help her. Make sure she was remembering to breathe.

I heard footsteps falter and I looked up to see Macey. She was looking at me, holding several textbooks and then around the hall. We were totally and completely alone. No Joe Solomon to rescue her for a third time. I resisted cracking my knuckles.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. I've never been anywhere long enough to get past the 'all girls are bitches to each other' phase and I'm sorry I insulted you and your girlfriend but can we just..."

She faltered and waved her hand, looking bored.

I turned to face her, my jaw clenching, "Insult my friends again, and I swear to you, not even Mr. Solomon will stop me next time."

She rolled her eyes again and huffed, walking away. Something about her words was burning through my skin, making it itch, making me sweat. I stood, calling out, "And she's not my girlfriend."

She turned to look at me. Her eyes studied me and I felt like I was laying out exposed under one of Lizzie's microscopes. She smiled, just slightly, and nodded, "My mistake."

She walked away and I sank back down to the window seat, her words washing over me.

Yeah, her mistake.

***

When Mr. Solomon made Liz and I sit behind the glass and told us we'd fail CoveOps if we left the room before he opened the door, I slumped in the chair, holding my head in my hands.

Liz whispered, "I'm sorry."

I looked up at her, my eyebrows furrowing together. What could she possibly be sorry for?

She was wringing her hands together, "I kept losing Cammie. She was trying to warn us and I lost you both and I was the reserve so I should have been able to step in and-"

I grabbed her hands and she looked down at them, then at me, her eyes big and blinking and she gulped again, "I'm sorry."

I looked down at my hand over hers and felt that same heat filling my skin from earlier. Something just under my skin, on the tip of my tongue, that I couldn't quite place. Something in my gut telling me to keep pushing, to figure it out.

I squeezed them once and let go, sitting up a little straighter, "No, it was my fault. I was with that group of guys and-"

I stopped, hearing footsteps and then Cammie's voice, "I got the bottle."

We both sat up a little, grinning. Cam had finished the mission. We were good. We were in the clear. We would pass.

But Mr. Solomon wasn't saying good job. Nobody was talking. When the projector clicked through images of us, Liz and I both winced, looking down. We had been careless. We had been dumb. We had been made from the start.

"Now tell me what happens to spies who get made?"

When the projector clicked onto the next image, Liz stifled her gasp, covering her mouth and gripped my thigh with the other.

I looked down at her hand and then back at her, her eyes filling with tears and she looked at me, her hand dropping from her mouth. She reached out a shaking hand and touched my shoulder, almost like she was making sure I was there.

I tried to smile reassuringly and I laid my hand over hers. But then Mr. Solomon said, "They won't start with Bex, you know. They'll start with Liz."

I flinched at the image on the screen. I gripped her hand that was on my thigh and I sucked my breath in.

"These people are very good at what they do. They know Bex can take the punches; what hurts Bex most is listening to her friend scream."

I felt the tears in my eyes but I willed them to not fall. I looked at the picture through the glass, Liz's hand gripping mine.

"And she is screaming - she will be for about six hours until she becomes so dehydrated she can't form sounds."

My vision became blurry and I stifled a sob with my hand. I felt Liz's other hand on my cheek and I looked at her. She wasn't crying or shaking anymore, she was staring so intensely at me, like she was trying to tell me it would be okay with just her eyes.

I dropped my hand from my mouth and wiped at my eyes. I don't remember what Mr. Solomon said next. I just remember trying to look at Liz the same way. To tell her with only my eyes that it would be okay and I would do everything in my power to make sure that never happens to her.

She smiled a little and squeezed my hand and then folded both of her hands in her lap, facing forward.

I did the same and I thought about Macey's earlier words. I glanced at Liz again and then down at my hands.

Maybe Macey had been right.

Maybe it wasn't her who was wrong about Liz and I.

Maybe I was the one who was mistaken.

[transliterated-the-book]

Chapter 3: Sleep Study

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Static erupts from the radio as the young man turns the tuning dial, desperate for anything but the country and oldies channels he’d been stuck with for the last hour and a half of rural highway. Eventually he finds one, catching the end of a callsign declaring it was “the best of classic rock, every day, all the time.” He’s soon greeted by the opening riffs of “The Boys are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzie and slumps back in his seat with a groan, utterly defeated.

“This will have to do,” he mutters, knowing that despite his tastes, at least this is moderately less grating than what he’d been listening to prior. However, he quickly notices that something is off. The lyrics don’t line up with the rhythm of the song, like the singer ran the song through a machine translation before performing. “Fine, no music, then.” He reaches for the dial, only to find his hand unable to grip it. In fact, he doesn’t have a hand at all. Instead an outstretched, jet-black wing brushes futilely against the controls. He opens his mouth to scream, only for an alien screech to fill the air-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

”Be calm.”

The command cut through the crow’s panic like a blade. He instinctively latched onto it as an anchor, and while it didn’t directly calm him, it was just enough grounding for him to do it himself. And then he was awake.

He was lying on his side on something soft, still a bird, with the distinct feeling of something lightly pressed against his forehead.

“It was just a nightmare, you can stop touching me now,” he croaked, only to find himself beak-to-nose with something extremely different than the squirrel when he opened his eyes. “…Who are you?”

“Quiet, and be still,” the creature hissed. It was a bright blue lizard with a broad, crested head and two bulbous eyes, something rather unexpected given the forest he last remembered being in. “I cannot assess your condition if you do not let me focus.” It continued to hold one of its feet to his forehead, its oddly arranged toes spread wide to avoid jabbing him with its sharp claws. He opened his beak to ask another question, only for the animal to tap his beak with the claws of its other foot, silently repeating the request. He realized that he should be panicking, waking up in yet another strange place with yet another strange animal, but between his exhaustion and whatever the creature had done to help him calm down from his nightmare, he just couldn’t muster the energy. All he could do was start looking around the place he’d ended up in instead.

He was in a building. A simple one, but far more than the plain burrow or hovel made of mud and sticks he would have expected from a society made up of creatures with no hands. The wall beside him was made of actual bricks, clean-cut and solid, though clearly of a different make than the red brick he was most familiar with. These were a dark gray, about half the size of his already small body, with no visible mortar holding them together. Flickering lamplight illuminated a low ceiling made of sloped wooden planks, unfinished but just as clean-cut as the bricks, with the wall opposite his bed being taller than the one beside him. It all seemed very deliberate in design, but his sleep deprived brain couldn’t even begin to put things together.

“I see. Same as the Forager, but worse off.” The lizard removed its foot and tapped his beak once as the hue of its scales noticeably darkened to convey the message. “To expedite things, I will assume that you have most of the same questions that it did before allowing you to ask more freely. Agreed?” The chameleon’s eyes both fixated on the crow, though only one met his gaze, the other looked at his feet, seemingly interested in how he would go about standing.

“I’d rather you not,” the crow clicked his beak as he struggled to his feet, talons gripping the thick fabric of the cushion beneath him as his vision swam briefly. “I can’t… think clearly right now.”

“Good. Then I can skip that courtesy and cut straight to the current situation and what you can do to fix it.” The chameleon communicated almost entirely through gestures with its forelegs and head, punctuating its expressions with slight shifts in coloration. “I am Physician Mindful-Sight. You were brought to me after you and Forager Keen-Ear suffered some form of catastrophic mental trauma. Both of you are missing vital survival instincts in addition to your memories. This is worrying enough for the squirrel, but for you, it is life-threatening. You have forgotten how to sleep.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” The crow asks. “I’m terrified and confused, of course I can’t sleep very well. Why would ‘forgetting’ have anything to do with it?”

“Show me how you would normally attempt to sleep.”

“Why?”

“To prove a point.”

“Right here?” The crow poked at the cushion with his beak.

“Wherever you are most inclined to.”

The crow nestled down onto the cushion like he’d assume any bird would do in a nest and shut his eyes. “There.”

“You are trying to sleep like a mammal, not a bird. It is no wonder that proper rest has eluded you.”

“How would you know?” the crow snapped, the veneer of calm he’d been able to maintain while the chameleon was touching him quickly fading. “You’re neither.”

“I,” Mindful-Sight tapped his beak with a claw, “am a Physician. It is my job to know how the bodies of everyone in our community function. Most birds are vigilant sleepers. You will find it near impossible to rest unless you are standing upright and close only one eye, letting half of your mind sleep at a time.”

“Why would I need to do that? How do I do that?” The crow’s voice increased in intensity, panic and anger filling his voice with equal intensity.

“Such adaptations were meant to protect our feral ancestors and serve little purpose for the civilized, but being Gifted does not allow us to simply ignore our physical bodies. Your body knows what to do, you just need to Understand what it is telling you to do.”

This isn’t my body! Stop acting like it is! The crow screamed internally, trembling as he barely contained an outburst of rage and confusion. Shouting demands at animals wouldn’t accomplish anything. “I don’t know why any of this is happening. I can't understand…”

“I can help you with the latter part.” Mindful-Sight gingerly placed a foot on the crow’s breast. “To Understand your body.”

“Understand?” It was at this moment that the crow realized that there was a subtle, but important difference between the meanings he and these animals ascribed to the word. Their “Understanding” was… deeper, somehow.

“You are already doing it, to an extent. You Understand the meanings I express in my motions and colors.” The Physician performed a far more elaborate gesture than usual, illustrating the point. “Normally, achieving an Understanding beyond the surface of something requires dedicated training and study. However, you will succumb to your lack of sleep long before you have the chance to do it properly. I will have to guide you towards the part you need.”

“Then do it,” the crow nodded. “I just want to sleep. Please.”

The Physician nodded, and began its instruction. “To start, close your eyes and turn your attention inward, to your heartbeat.”

He did so, focusing on the rapid, incessant pulsing within his chest. It was orders of magnitude faster than a human heartbeat, and even faster than the squirrel’s as he’d felt it on the previous night.

“It’s fast. Too fast.”

“Is it? Listen to it, like you listen to me.” Even with his eyes closed, the rhythmic prodding of Mindful-Sight’s claws were more than enough to convey the directions.

Listen… to sensations. The crow paid closer attention, trying to associate the beating of this foreign heart with a meaning the same way he did the chameleon’s touch. And sure enough, a meaning came to him.

“It’s… strong? Fast, but not dangerously so. I’m scared.”

“Indeed.” Mindful-Sight traced a claw up the crow’s neck, stopping on top of his head. “Now look deeper. To your physical mind, within your skull. It is in pain. It needs to rest. But something is stopping it. What is it?”

He stopped pushing away the throbbing and swirling sensations of his sleep-addled brain, letting them come to the forefront. This was harder to grasp, as he was paradoxically trying to focus on his inability to focus. But his exhaustion was crystal clear.

“I’m just tired. There’s nothing else.”

“Yes, but communication goes both ways. Understanding comes from conversation. Prompt your mind to sleep, and listen to the response.”

Sleep… The crow tried to drift off, and after a while, he noticed something. A block. He’d get so close to sleep, only for something within him to stop, like a small jolt. It was not part of his mind, but something physical. Something… divisive?

“It’s a reflex, pulling me away. It feels wrong.”

“That division is what your physical mind seeks,” the chameleon explained. “You are primed to reject it as something foreign, but you must not. Understand it, then embrace it.”

Sleep, and let it pass. Listen, and Understand… Once more he attempted sleep, and after an indeterminate amount of time, he felt that reflex push back again. It wasn’t blocking him from sleep, just partitioning it. I just need to… let it… And finally, sleep came, but his awareness did not end.

He opened one eye and stared at Mindful-Sight. Barely thinking. Just watching. Vigilant.

“Impressive,” the Physician waved as it turned and walked away.

“Even if you needed an extra nudge. Take your well-earned rest, 'Ink-Talon.' We will speak again tomorrow.”

<< First | < Prev | Royal Road | Next >

[marjaystuff]

Interview with Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson

The “Tier One” series plots written by Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson will remind readers of the late Vince Flynn. They are better than the books written after various authors took over the writing when Vince Flynn died.  Thriller fans get an explosive thrill ride that starts with page one of book one and doesn’t let up for the duration.  But readers will get much more, including relevant geo-political issues that make it appear these authors have a crystal ball. Below is an interview with Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson about their first seven books. They use their vast experience to write engrossing thrillers with enemies from Iran to Russia to China. Andrews worked as a nuclear engineer on naval submarines, while Wilson was a trauma surgeon embedded with the East Coast Navy SEALS. Book eight, Ember, will appear in a separate Q & A.

Elise Cooper:  What would you say is the style of this series?

Brian Andrews & Jeff Wilson: There are three book arcs where each book has its own bad guy, but the main bad guy gets their due in the third book. Because the antagonist narrative is extended over the course of the trilogy, readers get to know them. In reality this series everything has shades of grey concerning policy, morality, Special Operations, and how the characters emotionally handle their actions. 

EC: How would you describe each of the following characters over the course of all the books in the series?

BA & JW: EMBER, the organization, is autonomous with analysts, field operatives, surveillance, and collecting intelligence.  They are deep cover with speed, stealth, and efficiency. 

John DEMPSEY: A former SEAL, believes in serving his country, and is adaptable. He is a mission before self-type of guy who puts his country first.  He can be quite emotional, which defines his humanity. He is always questioning if he is doing the right thing for the right reason instead of just following orders. He is the Operations Director.

Kelso JARVIS: He heads the Ember team. He is the most complicated character. He has always been a chameleon to get the job done. He is a little bit Machiavellian where the ends justify the means. He is driven by a recognition of his own mortality because of his disease and being married to Petra. Sometimes overconfident, observant, clever, and a man of action. At times he expected members of the team to betray their peers and teammates. He is willing to make judgements about what his team can or cannot handle. He makes decisions for the team. He withholds because it is in the best interest of their operational effectiveness, the end goal. He has evolved the most of all the characters, because he is more introspective and empathetic.

PETRA FELSK: She is Jarvis’s right-hand person, a former intelligence expert.  Someone he can confide in and trust completely. She can read Jarvis’ mind and complements him. She admires his qualities. She is not afraid to challenge him and call him out.

Elizabeth GRIMES: Sniper operator. In the beginning she had trust issues and feels isolated.  Lizzie is perceptive, loyal, questioning, connects the dots, needs to be in control, and sarcastic. She is our devil’s advocate character, someone not afraid to argue the other side, an outside the box thinker. She now sees Dempsey as brother-like and he sees her as sister-like. But she sometimes becomes the big sister to him. 

Dan MUNN: He is the SEAL medic who now works for Ember but is also an operator.  Dan was a teammate of Dempsey when a SEAL.  He is his good friend and knows how to push his buttons.  

Levi HAREL:  The Mossad chief.  He is perceptive, wise, and a true ally of the US. He looks beyond politics, a pragmatist and a tactician. He is a mentor to Jarvis.

Richard WANG:  He is the team’s cyber guy in the field. Insecure, egotistical, and a genius. He wants the team’s respect, defaulting to humor and self-deprecation.

Ian BALDWIN:  He is the head of Ember’s signals division: electronic, communications, and intelligence. He handles the different ways data is intercepted, collected, and interpreted. He is an enigma.  He is like the AI of the team. Ian is the eccentric uncle no one knows how to talk to.  

BAD GUYS:  They match Dempsey in skill, tactical, and survival.  They are formidable foes. 

EC:  In the first book, TIER ONE, Navy SEAL Jack Kemper had to give up everything including his family to take on the persona of John Dempsey, working for a covert organization that operates without any bureaucratic red tape and operates in the shadows. Did the Tier One book set up the premise for the rest of the books in the series?

BA & JW: Back in 2015 when we started to write this series, we realized that America’s enemies were being constantly defeated by the Navy SEALS because they are so good at what they do. We thought about the ‘what if’ the enemies tried to neuter the Special Operations arm of the US military service, wiping out the entire Tier One Navy SEALs. We fictionalized it by making Tier One smaller than in real life and had all the squads on the same mission to get the high-value terrorist targets, which we did in the first book. For us, the premise was quite intriguing as the enemy upped their game in covert actions.

EC: It seems you always have a relevant piece to your plot.  Were you influenced by what happened in Afghanistan when a military helicopter was shot down, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops, most of them from the elite Navy SEALs unit that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden?

BA & JW: This is a perfect example of what we tried to show in this first book.  The Taliban knew how the SEALs moved. In the first book, Tier One, we tried to show how the enemy is gaining in sophistication and should not be underestimated. 

EC: In book two, WAR SHADOWS, there is a very relevant quote, “Making decisions requires courage.  Without courage leadership cannot exist. Without leadership the bad guys win every time.” Please explain.

BA & JW: This is a theme throughout all our series.  Leadership matters. Look at the leadership in this country and there are serious problems.  I was taught people need to lead by example, having integrity and accountability. They should own mistakes and tell how they will fix it. Instead, they gaslight. We are trying to imagine a world of military leaders and politicians that we want to see in real life, making decisions based on principles. They should not be self-serving and go along with the political winds. Dempsey and Jarvis stand up for what they think is morally right. 

EC: In book three, CRUSADER ONE, there is a terrorist attack where Israel is caught off guard and people question the readiness, security, and how to protect.  Even though this was written way before October 7th, it exemplifies it. Please explain.

BA & JW: We employed Iran, Iron Dome, and multiple groups attacking at the same time. Hamas and Hezbollah were amassing weapons and digging tunnels, so we put it in the story.

EC:  Elinor Jordan is introduced.  Can you describe her?

BA & JW: She is like a female Dempsey and are kindred spirits.  They have feelings for each other, sometimes trusting each other and sometimes they don’t. She has a schizophrenic existence, sensitive, caring, courageous, conflicted, and wants to make the world a better place. We wrote her as a Persian Jew working for Mossad.  Yet, in the research we found that this community of Persian Jews are not considered by the Iranians as mortal enemies. 

EC: The focus of book four, AMERICAN OPERATOR, has Dempsey rescuing an American hostage being held by the Jihadists terrorists. Please explain.

BA & JW: Dempsey rescues US State Department aid Amanda Allen and is willing to do anything to get her out because he has so much guilt over leaving Elinor behind. We wanted to represent the hostage mindset with Amanda: fearful, tough, capable, courageous, observer, and wondering if she should fight.  She tried to figure out how she was going to survive but not betray her countrymen. She was tortured and was in a no-win situation trying to maintain her dignity, wits, and hope. 

EC: In book five, RED SPECTER, did you focus on the Russian covert organization, Zeta?

BA & JW: It is the Russian version of Ember. Arkady is the Russian Jarvis who is brilliant, cunning, devious, a spymaster, strategic, powerful, and likes to play the long game. Both Arkday and Jarvis are willing to sacrifice their people for what they perceive of the greater good.  Jarvis sacrificed Grimes emotionally and had Dempsey go on what was perceived as a suicide mission. This book is a reckoning of the escalation. 

EC:  Book six, COLLATERAL, has the rubber meeting the road.  Do you agree?

BA & JW: We intended to end the Russian arc with this book but did not because there is a lot more story to tell. We had the US President designate Ember to go after every Zeta operative and eliminate them. We wanted to write it as the new Cold War including Russia infiltrating the Ukraine.

EC:  Is book seven, DEMPSEY, a vengeance book?

BA & JW: The mission is more complicated than that.  The book has a Russian contracting an American to kill his own leader. Enemies make strange bed fellows, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend until dead.  We wanted Dempsey to deep dive into understanding his Russian enemy by living among them. This will change his entire approach to how he sees the world. Truth is relative and strength is what is important. The Russian President, Petrov, is a war criminal, murderer, psychopath, malicious, and paranoid, the ultimate dictator based on Putin.

EC:  Why the two Russian words for truth istina versus pravda? 

BA & JW: One means relative truth and one absolute truth.  Americans believed there is one truth, and it is verifiable. In Russia the absolute truth is like mathematics and is provable.  Now in America truth is what someone believes, which is relative truth. The question we want readers to ponder, is foreign assassination acceptable if that leader does really bad things, like Hitler? The question we pose is assassination of a foreign leader sometimes necessary for our own well-being, security, safety, and the existential threat? We are not suggesting that assassination is OK but just posing the questions.

EC: Readers that want adrenaline-fueled thrillers with a lot of action, deception and vengeance should read these books, preferably in order.

For book eight, EMBER, the one coming out this month, see the new Q & A.

THANK YOU!!