#mack and his axe

[scrapyardboyfriends]

I'm glad Emmerdale are finally getting rid of some of these characters. Nate and Will and Wendy and such have been on my axe list for years and characters like Ella never worked anyway. But I do share others concern that they're axing mostly non Dingle characters other than Nate and the show desperately needs to expand beyond the Dingles if it wants to survive. I was even thinking about the teens and I feel like half of them are related to each other so the dating pool just gets smaller and smaller, which is an issue.

I feel like if they want to get rid of Dingles, Sam and Lydia would be where I would start honestly, and Belle. Of course I'd feel bad for the actors but from a story potential perspective, Belle has really been exhausted over the years and especially with this latest story. I'd honestly send her off with a nice job opportunity exit and let her go live a happier life off screen.

Sam and Lydia have just become extremely irrelevant. Other than maybe Lydia's friendship with Kim, which doesn't get the amount of focus it used to anyway, they really have nothing to do. Samson is in prison, Amelia and Esther are gone. Zak and Lisa are gone. They could easily follow Belle or go to Scotland or anywhere. Follow Amelia to be closer to Esther.

Then I'd probably just move Mandy and Paddy up to Wishing Well so Liam can have his damn house back.

I'd axe Bear because I've never understood his purpose. I'd also axe Ryan because honestly what's the point.

And then I'd let Charity and Chas and eventually Cain rest as characters for a bit. Let Chas and Charity just be behind the bar for their episode counts but not have massive stories. Let Cain just be support to Moira and work at the garage for a bit.

I'd pull Noah into Joe's orbit and let him embrace his Tate side a bit. I'd let Joe get a true foothold into Home Farm so he and Kim have to actually work together up there. I'd bring in Jean Tate to make them more of a proper family up there. Maybe let them remember that Caleb is half Tate as well.

I'd kill the HOP and put in a better more functional business up there. One that can actually visibly employ people.

Honestly, at this point I'd probably axe Dawn and Billy as well. I want to like them and I do like Billy but they just don't know what to do with them and with Will gone, they either need to make them functional village characters with jobs or they need to go. I'd move Gabby back into the Home Farm sphere with Jean and Joe and Noah.

As for other new characters, I'd still bring in a whole new family with teens and then actually use those teens to allow the current teens to start having real stories and not just troubled teen stories. But not all issue stories either. Let them just date and work part time jobs and have visible friendships and react to their parent's stories and stuff in addition to have bigger stories of their own. Let them be real characters with real personalities.

I was also thinking about bringing back/recasting a character like Scarlet King. She could be good to give Jimmy more family again but you know...not make her a psycho. She could come in with a family or not. But she could give characters like Vic and Amy and Matty someone new to interact with.

I'd also probably axe Charles and Claudette and as much as I do like Manpreet, she has nothing to do either. Bring in a new vicar with a family.

And none of these new families would be connected to anyone in the village, especially not the Dingles.

I'd also probably axe Suzy and just let Vanity get back together and free Mack. Let Mack move in with Aaron and John until John just fucking leaves.

I'd still do whatever I possibly could to convince Ryan to return obviously.

I'd also probably axe Kerry at this point.

I'd let Vic and Matty/Amy buy into the B&B because Nicola and Jimmy are stretched too thin. Let Vic expand the B&B restaurant and be a functional character that has a life and purpose and doesn't exist just to annoy people or be their plot friend.

One of the new families would definitely have an older mother or aunt come with them that could date Mary.

Mary and Kim's friendship would also get to flourish again, especially if I axe Lydia.

I'm also just desperate for them to return to having some village stories that bring in the comedy and positivity. Things that aren't so serious.

Anyway...call me ITV, I have ideas.

[daisy-skye-johnson-quake]

This is Daisy or Skye or Johnson or Quake, God I have a lot of names.

I can fight, I can sing, I can dance but most Importantly i have a really good stance. Sorry I'm bad at rhyming, forget I said that.

I have quake-ing powers which means I can create vibrations or just impacts that are strong enough to push people down. I can also absorb energy which unfortunately makes my nose bleed, learnt that the hard way. I can fly but like not really high, actually it's more of a jump, I can jump really high.

I have had enough bad hair-dos to finally let my natural hair breath.

I have a half-sister Kora, she has light powers and can create or absorb them. I also have a boyfriend, who just doesn't want to propose to me for some reason. He's Agent Daniel Sousa but don't tell anyone cuz he's not supposed to be in this timeline. I- well we as in S.H.I.E.L.D, Stole him from another timeline. But that's a story for later.

I am fully straight and in a relationship. One of these days I'm gonna get him to make an account and come here.

Boyfriend: Agent Daniel Sousa, stolen from the past, cuz I fell in love with him. @i-am-not-that-old (accomplishment)

My Family: (not biological) Jemma Simmons and her husband Leopold Fitz, their daughter Alya, she's around 12-14 I'm guessing. I can never get that kids age right. Their family blog @fitzsimmons-blog

Alphonso (Mack) Mckenzie, he's practically my brother at this point. I like to tease him and call him Alphie (he hates it, but i love it) @the-shotgun-axe-man

Philip J. Coulson, kinda my dad also my friend don't really know. His blog @trading-cards-owner

Melinda Xiaolin May, she is kinda strict so I don't tell her she's like my mom. But I definitely think of her as one. @melinda-qiaolian-may-the-cavalry

This is who to imagine

[darksideofthemoonbot]

Juggabyssals

My axe is my buddy, I bring him when I walk Me and my axe will leave your head outlined in chalk My axe is my buddy, he always makes me laugh Me and my axe cut bigots' spinal cords in half My axe is my buddy, and when I wind him back Me and my axe will give your forehead a buttcrack My axe is my buddy, I never leave without him Me and my axe will leave your neck a bloody fountain Everybody, everybody, everybody run Murdering, murdering, murdering fun, (everybody dies) Swing swing swing, chop chop chop, (everybody dies) Swing swing swing, chop chop chop

Well hello boys and girls come on in see the show Its the mystical, magical, great dark carnival Don't bother lookin for parkin get rid of it It ain't like you ever comin back ya fuckin' idiot The carnival emerges only when you bout to die And right now muthafucka you bout dead in the sky So come and put your soul up on the murder go round And we'll strap you down and spin you into oblivion When it's yo time, death is near, step right up on over here Games, prizes, shows, and rides, its that carnival paradise

Come one, come all, and witness magic! I introduce to you an occult sorcerer Of the ancient craft of Necromancy A caster of mind-bending illusions From the nether void of the shadow walkers Expelled from Shangri-La, The Great Milenko A beguiler of spells, hexes, and curses With the help of potions, talismans, and ancient relics From the forbidden realms of the Dark Carnival Ladies and Gentlemen...The Great Milenko!

It's the one and only Boogie Man He creeps, he hides, he sneaks, he slides If your little feetsies are hanging off the edge of the bed You're running on stumps, motherfucker! Well, moonlight fills the room that you sleep in Things go bump in the night, me creepin' Ouch! Fuck! I stubbed my toe If you'd just quit leavin' your shit all over the fucking floor Fuck it, you're dead anyway And I'ma leave your head smack dead in the hallway In the morning, when your daddy walks out Ah! His foot's in your mouth, thanks to the Boogie Man

Me and my homies stay tight like a noose And if you step to one of us you betta step to the whole crew I never knew that I could depend That I could have some friends that's down til the very end Well that's my home boys, excuse me, my family And when we conquer the world We macking on the galaxy Cause the skys the limit And we ain't finished And if my homies gonna ride then you know I'm with it

[sugdenlovesdingle]

I know they axed Amelia because she had nothing to do as she wasnt a Dingle, but that also applies to Noah and Sarah who are non-entities at this point.

I hate to say it but Aaron too at this point, he barely appears or has scenes with anyone but John.

It seems like they scrapped his initial villian arc when he returned and haven't known what to do with him since.

it applies to everyone that isn't chas, cain, charity - and belle for the past year but she'll probably disappear for a while now. There are a lot of characters that have potential but they just don't do anything with them.

Matty and Amy - when was the last time we saw them together as a couple? Not even him coming home from prison gave us happy couple scenes or even a tearful reunion. Amy barely exists these days and Matty is only there to support Moira -and get the kids out of a scene

Gail and Ryan - have apparently moved out of tall trees, only april had to 'tell' the audience because emmerdale doesn't give a fuck about them. gail only gets to be the weirdo behind the bar in the pub

Aaron, Mack, Ross - only supporting characters at this point

Noah - apparently an electrician now? and invests in crypto currency?

Sarah is going to date Jacob so they both might get something of a story. Jacob especially since Leyla is leaving.

Vanessa and Suzy - Suzy has only been mentioned by tracy recently and vanessa only appeared for 3 seconds here and there to remind the audience she's a vet.

manpreet - apparently lives with Ella... but since she's leaving... nothing is going to come from that.

Jai - a 2D villain who never gets to win and is only there to make Caleb look good

it's just all a load of nothing when a lot of these characters have potential. it's frustrating.

[ladylooch]

Buzzin' - [Mack x David]

A/N: Just a lil Halloween magic for you all. Some EARLY Mack and David still in their frenemies to lover stage. Enjoy!

Word Count: 1.6k

If Mack had anything else to do in New York tonight, she would be doing it. But she doesn’t have many friends outside of her work team and her sister, so here she is at the Rangers annual Halloween party. The team had been at someone’s place earlier, but Mack opted to meet them at the bar to avoid an intimate gathering as a third wheel. 

Mack loves Halloween. It’s a fun opportunity to play with make up and lean back into your inner child. Normally, Mack goes all out with make up and dramatic costumes, but this year she didn’t have time due to work. Instead, she went a quicker route, finding a cute, bumble bee costume at a local store. She made a custom head band with black, squeezed balls bouncing around on springs to act like antennas. She wags her head from side to side in greeting at her sister. The balls flow all around as she sticks her tongue out.

“I love it!!!!” Lucie claps. “Here! Have a drink!” She hands Mack a clear cup. Mack takes a sip, realizing its vodka with a splash of soda.

“Thanks, Barbie!” 

“You have to see Connor. He’s got on these bright pink shorts. At the house, he strode in with roller blades on.” Lucie grips her forearm to keep her close as the crowd swirls around them.

“Oh! I bet that was so funny!” Mack chuckles.

“Hilarious. Not as funny when he broke a vase, but Melinda said it was fine.”

“Mack!” Connor cheers when he worms his way through the crowd to their spot. Mack smiles at Connor then drops it when she sees David behind him. Great.

This guy, does not get a hint. Ever since that first day in Lucie and Connor’s apartment, David has been around. It’s like he never goes to his own place. So if Mack wants to see her sister, she has to put up with David Carlson. He grates Mack’s nerves with his overly polite, sweet act. Nobody is actually that nice. Then he turns the charm on her, saying he really likes her outfit, or that her most recent article was great. He asks her follow up questions about work and wants to know what’s next for her. It’s annoying because Mack knows he’s only interested in getting in her pants, not actually getting to know her. 

Now he’s here, looking like… that in a buffalo plain flannel and tight Levi’s. Suspenders are strapped to his jeans and lay flat and taut across his muscular body. He holds a toy ax in his hand and a beanie covers most of his black hair. 

“Mackncheese! You made it.”

“Yep.” She sighs. Lucie gives her a ‘be nice’ look that Mack ignores.

“Babe let’s go use the Photo Booth. It’s open.” Connor suggests to his wife. Mack exhales in frustration as they bop through the crowd before she can follow, leaving her behind with David. Mack takes a long sip of her drink, scanning her eyes over the crowd. She doesn’t know anyone else well enough to go talk to them. David steps closer to her as someone moves behind him to the bar.

“A bumble bee, huh?”

“Yeah.” She replies without looking at him. 

“I like your headband.”

“Thanks.” 

“Did you make it?”

“Yep.”

David laughs at her short answers.

“I don’t bite.” He holds his hands out to the side to her like he’s innocent or something.

“Sure about that?”

“I mean, if you asked me to I would.” He smirks. Mack scowls.

“Men are so hilarious on Halloween… thinking dressing up as something else will make a woman change her mind.”

“Oh, honey, I know it will be harder than that to change your mind about me.” He leans closer. “But I like a challenge.” 

“You could have any girl in here because you have this athlete farm boy thing going that a lot of women like. Not me though. So there is no need to waste any precious Halloween hours on me. Go find a hook up.” She waves her hand around at the scattering of slutty costumes in the bar.

“I don’t do hook ups anymore.” He says casually. 

“Really? You don’t get road puss outside of New York?” Mack heard that comment being told to Lucie by Connor.

“I did on occasion.” He admits with a laugh. Mack tisks in disgust. Typical. “Why did you pick a bee?” David changes the subject.

“So I can sting losers who think they’ve got a shot.” She grins at him. It’s not nice. He loudly laughs, clearly undeterred by her lil scowls and snips.

“Oh I thought it was cause you wanna annoy everyone here with your buzzing.” He answers, flicking one of her antennas on her headband.

“Hey!” Mack complains, reaching up to stop the ball from bouncing around. That’s only okay when she does it. 

David sees her cup is almost empty and asks, “What are you drinking?”

“A big ol glass of fuck off.” She cheers the glass at him. “You should try it.” He just laughs again. Like a huge belly laugh. Usually, this catty game of hers is enough to drive someone off. Mack has to bite her lip to stop a smile from spreading across her lips. She likes his laugh. It’s deep and cheerful, genuine too.

“Okay, that was funny. See, I can laugh when you’re funny. You should try it with me some time.”

“No thanks.” She sighs like she is bore.

“Aren’t you gonna ask what my costume is?” 

“No because I don’t care.”

“Yeah…. I shoulda dressed up as a beekeeper anyway. Could find a way to get you out of that leotard thing, so we could pull that stick outta your ass once and for all.” Mack’s mouth drops open in shock. Okay, now they’ve got a battle going.

Mack doesn’t know now, but later, in the future, David will admit to creating a little game with her tonight. He saw the way heads turned when she walked in. He wanted to keep her away from those turning heads, and her attention focused completely on him. The way to do that with her has always been to get her feathers all ruffled up. Right now, she’s roosting at him exactly the way he wanted her too. He sees Mr. Wizard closing in on her and steps closer, crowding her space in a way she hates.

“You hear that?” She holds her hand up to cup her ear. She makes a subtle whoosh sound. “Your chances just went from not in this lifetime, to not in any version of the universe.”

Right when she finishes speaking, someone knocks Mack from behind. She stumbles forward gasping as her hands hit his stomach to stay on her feet. David grabs her around the shoulders, keeping his hands on her to steady her back on her black boots.

“Watch where the fuck you’re going, asshole.” David yells at the guy. His hand runs up her back to her neck, protecting her against his chest. Mack looks up, seeing his scrunched up face. “Yeah you!” He points at the werewolf. “Where do you get off?” The guy keeps walking, wanting none of the smoke David clearly packs. “Are you okay?” He asks Mack, pulling her away to look at her. They’re still close, so close that Mack can smell his cologne. It’s clean and crisp, making her nostrils flare as she tries to breathe in deeper.

Wait, what the hell?

“You smell like honey.” David murmurs. His lips are right next to her ear and suddenly, she can barely breathe.

“Don’t expect me to be sweet to you.” She responds languidly, losing a lot of that bite with how close he is.

“I don’t need to taste you to know you’re sweet, Mackncheese.” Mack licks her lips, staring into his green eyes. His gaze dips down to her wet lips now, eyes roaming over them and then dragging back up to her brown orbs. The sexual tension could cut stone. For the first time, Mack is seeing David as a man. Then he pulls back and says, “Bees make honey. Of course they’re sweet.” Mack rolls her eyes, stepping away from him. Of course, she is maybe interesting in continuing and he backs off.

“I’m a lumberjack by the way.” He tells her just as a rookie comes up and asks David if he has any wood. “Plenty. Ask your girl if she wants some.”

“Yuck.” Mack scoffs, then turns, looking for literally anyone else to talk to.

“Come on, that’s funny. And true.” Mack refuses to let her eyes trail any lower than his eyes. She’s not dumb enough to bite on that.

“Oh, you found your babe, Paul!” Connor jokes at him about the rookie in his blue, Superman suit. Connor points excitedly to his shirt. “Is he Kenough for you big boy?” Connor asks, pointing to his infamous, rainbow sweatshirt.

“He’s no you, babe.” David grins at Connor.

“David, he’s mine.” Lucie shoves at his chest. “I can’t compete with you! Go away!”

“You’re barbie. He’s just Ken.” David says in an extremely high voice, unbefitting of his costume and normal masculinity. Mack snorts, then lets her laugh out, shoulders shaking.

“Oh my god! I made her laugh!” David yells loudly. “Best night ever!!!”

“Shut up or I’ll sting you.” Mack pokes his arm.

“Oh. Shit.” He smiles down at her, then leans in closer so only she can hear.

“I like it when you talk dirty to me.”

Mack frowns to cover up the wave of interest that flows over her.

But damn if that didn’t make her stomach drop.

More Mack and David here.

[momentofch-aos]

Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa - Invisible String by Taylor Swift

so i said i would write an essay on this. So I will.

minor mentions of PTSD, therapy and the traumas they've both been through

A huge theme for Daisy and Daniel is time. Obviously.

"time, curious time. gave me no compass, gave me no signs."

neither of them expected each other. For Daisy, this was just another mission, where everything was on the line. For Daniel, it was literally just another day at the office. Until he opened that office door.

"were there clues I didn't see?"

It has been said that their relationship was rushed in that last season of AoS and it was, due to the fact it was a short last season of the show where there was everyone's plot points to wrap up. BUT, I could wax lyrical about little things that you can pick up in both of their character developments through the respective shows (AoS for Daisy, Agent Carter for Daniel), that make them ideal for each other. Both bullheaded, quick witted, willing to do whatever it takes for the good of other people. The way they compliment each other's personalities. Sousa's measured calm to Daisy raging storm.

"time, mystical time. Cutting me open, then healing me fine."

this applies to them both, but I mainly think about it from Daisy's perspective. Throughout the show she goes through huge trauma, huge things that, through lack of time to process or just huge attempts to internalise it she moves on from. Her whole childhood. Trip giving his life to try and save hers. Her mother almost killing her. Lincoln's death. Coulson's dying and coming back in various forms. Fitz forcibly removing her inhibitor. Fitz dying. May dying. Although she's not healed completely, time forced her to move on. I feel like she's the kind of person to say she was 'fine' when she is indeed, not.

"A string that pulled me, out of all the wrong arms."

Whether there was something, fate or subconscious, that moved Daisy away from the darker paths she could have gone down. Something cosmic that would lead her to something even better. To a life with him.

"Something wrapped all my past mistake in barbed wire"

Theres a deep debate in my heart about the way the rest of the team treat Daisy over the seasons. Don't get me wrong, I love them all dearly but I think a lot of pressure is placed on her shoulders. Knowing someone as well as the team know each other, leads to past mistakes being brought up even years later. Think Fitz (I love him don't come for me) saying "do you want me to list all the times you did [turn her back on the team]". I think Sousa, our protective boy, would provide a relief from this, a comfort that she was more than the mistakes she'd made, how she'd proven herself time and time again. Maybe it's due to the fact that he hadn't been present then, the fact he solely knew the person she was now and not how she'd got there.

"Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons"

All I can think is Ghost Rider here sorry.

But I'd also like to think that they both force each other to confront things, I like to think Daisy suggests going to one of the Shield therapists Mack hired would be good for Sousa as he is thrown into the 21st Century as well as the PTSD he likely has from his injury and the war. I also think he would suggest it as a good option for her, after a few sessions of his own, and they's have therapy and then go on lunch dates. Dealing with the demons, together.

"One single thread of gold tied me to you"

NEED I SAY MORE - THEIR LOVE IS GOLDEN. sorry.

"Cold was the steel of my axe to grind."

To me, this is Daniel and their first meeting. The frame of mind he was in when he found that fake CIA agent sat at his desk, after the emotional ringer he'd been put through thinking Peggy had arrived and then finding out it was a imposter. The anger and emotional rawness he was feeling. That (after some initial defensiveness) was healed by this fun to be around superhero that says what she means.

"Gold was the color of the leaves, When I showed you around Centennial Park"

This is off topic for this piece, but imagine, the pair of them taking a walk around the town close to the Lighthouse when the mission debrief was over. The pair of them chatting, Daniel enraptured when Daisy throws her head back in a laugh as they walk through the park, leaves crunching beneath their feet. And it just feels so normal.

"Hell was the journey, but it brought me heaven."

I have nothing to say, both of them went through hell and back,

"Time, wondrous time. Gave me the blues and then purple pink skies"

Time brought her to him. Time hopping kept them connected. TIme loops bringing them closer, at least for Daisy.

Blue shirt of chivalry and any excuse for my favourite gif purple pink skies.

"isn't it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?"

I like to think of Daisy, on a early morning watching a sleeping Daniel in the light of a beautiful sunrise, looking back on her life, wondering if everything she's gone through, although awful, meant that it lead her to this life with him. This unequivocal support, this life outside of shield that she never thought she'd have.

Anyway! If you made it to the end congrats.

Heres some links to videos that i found after i had this thought in the car the other day that use the song for these two. One on tiktok and the other on youtube

tagging @angry-slytherin because they seemed excited by the concept of this chaos ⭐️

[splinter-sister]

♭ via little deranged birdy >:3c

@valiant-au-save-slot-a

♭ - grip my muse’s jaw to make them look yours in the eye

The fight was over with the Mulder empire at a loss against the cities one man army. They had been planning this invasion for weeks and it crumbled within the matter of an hour. Mack was still in the underground train while Rachael tried her luck against Crowley. The area was littered with the unconscious bodies of minions with her and him at the epicenter.

Close combat was her strongest suit, and even then, she couldn't get the drop on him. Both axes and gloves were tossed out of range of her use, leaving her down a weapon in the fight. Crowley had her by the sides of the jaw, his palm under her chin, knowing she could still bite. Now comes the part where he gives his Good Will Prevail skit, as he always does. A moment of more normalcy in the wreckage as she rolls her eyes, like she hasn't heard it hundreds of times already.

Of course, Crowley catches her on it and gives her head a little shake. He earned the right to say it again! Let him have this! To which she puts her hands up in submission, letting her husband and rival have his fun.

[tinycoded360]

Chapter 17: Fury, Then Silence

Mackenzie curled his fingers around Sage's tiny body, holding her close as he stepped into the power plant. His gaze scanned the cavernous room until it landed on a young woman fiddling with some equipment.

She had dark skin, short hair, and glasses that framed her eyes. She turned at the sound of his boots on the metal grating.

“Ah, Hi? Mackenzie asked to announce his presence and figure out who she was.

“Relax, Mack, it’s me. Jace.”

“Ah, well, it's nice to finally meet you in person. Thanks for your help back there.”

“Yeah, that was one hell of an explosion, huh?”

“It was; I’m still confused about how that happened.” Mackenzie replied.

“Well…... I might have had something to do with that.” Jace replied with a hind of pride in her tone.

“You should have seen Mathis’ face.”

“That guy had it coming.” Jace’s face crumbled into worried confusion. "Where's the kid? Did you get her?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Mackenzie's lips as he uncurled his fingers, revealing the tiny girl nestled in his palm. Sage blinked up at Jace.

"Sweet mercy..." Jace gasped, crouching down to peer closer at Sage's diminutive form. She's real. I didn't expect her to be that small. What is she?"

"Meet Sage," Mackenzie said. Sage shrank back, clutching at Mackenzie's thumb. Only he could feel her trembling. She'd been through too much, seen too much violence at the hands of Mathis and his men. The sight of another human, however gentle, terrified her.

Jace's gaze softened as she looked at Sage, a flicker of empathy crossing her features. "Hello, Sage," she said gently.

Sage's gaze flickered to Jace's smiling face, then she shyly turned her head, burying her face deeper into the warm crevice of Mackenzie's thumb. It was clear that trust would not come quickly for her. Mackenzie held her close, determined to shield her from any further harm.

“So, what now?” Mackenzie asked Jace, drawing her attention away from the mouse-sized girl.

“Yeah, this is as far as my plan went,” Jace replied.

“Well, we have to keep moving. I don’t know how long it will take Mathis and his men to show up, but I imagine they’ll be here soon.”

A sudden clatter echoed through the plant, and Mackenzie's head snapped toward the noise.Outside the power plant's door, voices and heavy footsteps were heard.

“They found us faster than I expected,” Jace said with a hint of panic in her voice.

“Well, you have the blueprints. How do we get out of here?”

“I don’t know this was the extent of my plan, Mackenzie.”

“There has to be another way out.”

“Shit, we’re trapped,” Jace muttered.

Mackenzie looked all around, trying to spot another exit. Looking over the rail ledge was a body of running water flowing out of the plant. It would be near suicide to jump.

“Ok, whatever happens….” Mackenzie began to say.

The power plant's cavernous space echoed with the heavy clang of boots on metal grating. Mathis, flanked by his cohorts, advanced with a menacing grin etched onto his grimy face. Mackenzie's gaze narrowed.

"Jace," Mackenzie whispered urgently, pushing her slender frame behind his bulkier one. "Take Sage. Keep her safe." With a swift motion, he transferred the tiny borrower into Jace's outstretched hands.

Jace carefully cradled Sage in her palms. Jace was still in awe at the tiny girl’s existence, but she’d do her best to keep her safe. She’d never hand the fragile child to a monster like Mathis. Sage's wide brown eyes were wide with fear. Her minuscule body trembled like a leaf in a storm.

"Stay behind me," Mackenzie instructed, positioning himself between them and the approaching threat.

Mathis stopped a short distance away, eyeing Mackenzie with a predator's interest. He held a sharp axe in one hand.

“You’re like a bad penny. Mackenzie.” Mathis sneered.

“I’ve been called worse.”

“This is the end of the line for you. After I’m done with you, maybe we’ll have fun with your friend there before we kill her, and of course, I’m taking my little pet back.” Mathis cruelly explained.

“I’m not afraid of you, asshole,” Jace yelled back.

“Today, you lose.” Mathis taunted.

One of Mathis's men speaks up from the back. “Mathis, we got Donner out, he’s hurt bad.”

“This wouldn’t have happened……if not for you,” Mathis said with mounting anger.

“First, you’ll watch me deal with your little girlfriend, then I’ll crush your tiny pet.” Mathis threatened.

With that final threat, Mathis charged Mackenzie, swinging his axe at him. The two men grappled fiercely, Mackenzie managing to block Mathis as he swung his axe at him.

Sage cowered in Jace's hand, each punch and grunt from Mackenzie sending shockwaves of terror through her diminutive form. She could barely breathe, the fear so intense that it threatened to consume her whole.

After Mackenzie landed a solid punch on Mathis, the convict smiled a crazed smile. “Good. I like them to struggle before they die.”

Heller, one of Mathis’ men, shouts out, “Mathis! Donner……Donner is…...dying!”

“Wha….” Mathis says in disbelief, his face contorting into rage as he swings at Mackenzie again.

Mackenzie landed a solid hit, propelling Mathis backward into a railing with a metallic clang. Seizing the moment, Mackenzie grabbed Jace by the waist and barreled towards the railing, tackling her over the edge as the rest of the gang closed in.

The world turned to a blur of rushing water and biting cold as they plunged into the river below. Mackenzie's heart hammered against his ribs, his every instinct screaming to protect Jace and Sage from the icy torrents.

His large hand shot out, snatching Sage from Jace’s hand just before the water could sweep her away. He curled his fingers snugly around the diminutive girl. His free arm looped around Jace's flailing form, hoisting her head above the surface as the current dragged them mercilessly downstream.

Sage trembled within the cocoon of his hand. As the numbing cold seeped into his bones, Mackenzie knew their survival depended on finding a way out of this relentless river—and fast.

[laresearchette]

Friday, October 13, 2023 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY (Apple TV+) THE PUPPETMAN (Shudder/AMC+) RAID THE CAGE (Global) 9:00pm CURIOUS CATERER: FATAL VOWS (W Network) 9:00pm CREEPSHOW (AMC 10:00pm/Shudder/AMC+) SHINING VALE (Starz Canada) 10:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? JOHN CARPENTER’S SUBURBAN SCREAMS (Premiering on October 18 on Showcase at 10:00pm) NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER (PBS Feed) READY TO LOVE: MAKE A MOVE (TBD - OWN Canada)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA THE BURIAL DARK HARVEST EVERYBODY LOVES DIAMONDS JIGEN DAISUKE

CBC GEM CHUCK AND THE FIRST PEOPLE’S KITCHEN COME TRUE HOW TO FAIL AS A POPSTAR

CRAVE TV BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE (Season 1, Episodes 1-3) CABBIE THE CABLE GUY THE DROP FINDING A FAMILY FREDDY VS. JASON THE HATEFUL EIGHT PREDATOR (1987) THE PREDATOR (2018) PREDATORS (2010) SHINING VALE (Season 2, Episode 1) SPOILER ALERT STAYING INN: HOTEL JULIE (Season 1) STELLAR THE THING

DISNEY + STAR GHOST OF THE MOUNTAINS GOOSEBUMPS (five-episode series premiere) THE SOUND OF THE POLICE

NETFLIX CANADA THE CONFERENCE IJOGBON SPY KIDS SPY KIDS 2: THE ISLAND OF LOST DREAMS SPY KIDS 3: GAME OVER SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD

CFL FOOTBALL (TSN/TSN4/TSN5) 7:00pm: Lions vs. Ti-Cats (TSN/TSN3) 10:00pm: Roughriders vs. Stamps

MONSTER HIGH 2 (YTV) 7:00pm: As they enter sophomore year at Monster High, Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura and Frankie Stein face new students, new powers, and an even bigger threat that could not only tear their friendship apart but could change the world forever.

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 7:30pm: Penguins vs. Capitals

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN2) 7:30pm: Heat vs. Spurs (TSN2) 10:00pm: Warriors vs. Lakers

BE MY VALENTINE (Super Channel Heart & Home) 7:30pm: A widowed firefighter (William Baldwin) asks a florist (Natalie Brown) to be his date for a Valentine's Day ball.

MARKETPLACE (CBC) 8:00pm

THE MULE (CTV2) 8:00pm: Broke and facing foreclosure on his business, a 90-year-old horticulturist takes a job as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. His immediate success leads to easy money and a larger shipment that soon draws the attention of a hard-charging DEA agent.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF JERSEY (Slice) 8:00pm: A Grave Concern

THE VERY VERY BEST OF THE 80s (AXS Canada) 8:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): We're ranking EPIC MOVIES OF 1987. From tear-jerking to side-splitting, find out what made our list as Jodie Sweetin, Tia Carrere, Morgan Fairchild, and more give us their opinions!

PLANET WONDER (CBC) 8:30pm: Johanna dives into how climate change is messing with the motion of the ocean.

FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDER (APTN) 8:30pm: Joshua Hill, alongside friends and family, orchestrates a massive lacrosse stick giveaway to help kids in the community and remind us of the importance of giving back.

BIG NEWS (CBC) 9:00pm: Unpacking the media's role in polarization and its effects on democracy.

TRANSPLANT (CTV) 9:00pm: When a sinkhole traps a man beneath the city street, Bash dives in.

THE DROP (Crave) 9:00pm: A married couple face a marriage test when one of them drops a baby during an island wedding.

DEATH OF THE PARTY (Super Channel Fuse) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): After a night of partying, a young California woman disappears; the police and her parents scour the area around her abandoned car, but there is no trace of Denise; three long years pass without a single clue to the mystery.

W5 (CTV) 10:00pm: Who Killed Sonia?: A 50-year-old cold case murder is blown open by new scientific evidence.

CRIME BEAT (Global) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): A sexual predator on the loose in the 1970s and 1980s; two little girls are attacked by the "Southwest Calgary Rapist" while riding their bikes one hot sunny day; homicide investigators were on the trail for a killer.

MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT (Slice) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): In Denver, 10 singles take the plunge to marry strangers, sight unseen in two weeks; among them, an inexperienced bride questions her decision, while a groom's girthy secret shocks everyone; the countdown to the weddings is on.

MYSTERIES OF THE ABANDONED: HIDDEN AMERICA (Cottage Life) 10:00pm: A curiously designed, windowless building adorned with gold tinted diamond shapes now stands derelict in Tulsa; experts investigate and uncover a controversial religious figure and the headquarters behind a pioneering form of American TV evangelism.

STELLAR (Crave) 10:35pm: A man and a woman meet in a bar as catastrophe looms outside.

[amelia-mariee]

I totally get what Mack's trying to say with his whole season 5 storyline of "let's not lose ourselves and become murderers too" but it just feels a little off to me that Shotgun Axe wielding Alphonso "I'm-The-One-Who-Kills-Gordon" Mackenzie is suddenly horrified by the thought of killing someone

[3friesshortofahappymeal]

YOU ASKED FOR THIS. hehehe

Killian Jones

Daniel Sousa

Cal Kestis

Daisy Johnson

Emma Swan

Phil Coulson

Jack Thompson

Peggy Carter

Ahsoka Tano

Alphonso Mackenzie

I ASKED FOR THIS AND IT WAS SO HARD

Send me 10 characters and I will tell you who I would…

Marry - Killian Jones. Do I need to explain?

Drink tea with - Mack. We would discuss the finer points of the shotgun axe

Party with - Ahsoka Tano because that girl has been places and seen things and knows the best places to let loose. Also would probably end up fighting off pirates in a barfight and I'm into that.

Kiss - Peggy Carter, I would risk her "Sweet Dreams" lipstick

Go out on a date with - Daniel Sousa, he would take me dancing and I would absolutely swoon

Push down the stairs - Jack Thompson, I debated on slapping him. But I fear it would not penetrate his thick ego. Stairs would be more effective.

Slap - Cal Kestis, think like Edna Mode "pull yourself together" so he get over his Jedi Repression Era

Invade the dreams of - Phil Coulson, Do robots dream of electric sheep?

Take a nap with - Daisy Johnson, girl needs like a thousand naps

Rob - Emma Swan cuz I'm stealing her man.

[the-drokainian]

Ok listen

New Overwatch character idea!

I'm going to call him Timber Jack or Lumber Mack or something...

Obviously, he is a lumberjack, he's from Canada or the American Midwest, and he's a cousin of Zarya probably.... this lad is a damage character with tank properties because I want him to.

His main weapon is a massive chainsaw combined with a nail/stake gun I like to call The Paul Bunyan. It shoots either semi-automatic or in bursts of three. The nails/stakes have a knockback ability and can pin a target for a couple seconds if they get knocked back into a wall. His chainsaw is his secondary and melee. It's fairly slow, but it deals bonus damage to constructs and armor. This allows him to strip opponents down to their base health fairly quickly and better remove things like barriers, turrets, ice walls, and other such things. He does have to be able to actually hit the target, so Symetra's light wall is fine and moving targets are harder to get.

His special moves include a wall jump that allows him to climb certain obstacles or move to higher grounds adjacent to said wall. I'm thinking he might be able to do a saw slam that could knock a single target prone for a moment. He might have a double bit ax that he could use. Or a hand ax. I don't know.

His ultimate is really tricky. I was thinking maybe he spawns a big tree that he could chop down for an aoe attack, or an ax-arang that he throws and ricochet off up to three targets and that could also knock them down maybe, or a chainsaw overcharge where he spins around like a top and he deals a ton of damage to anyone caught up in his wake like a tornado. Whatever it is his call for it has to be "Timber!" Shouted at the top of his lungs.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 8th October

Two songs this week, both with radically different energies. One will hype you up and leave you in fear for your life, on the lookout for a terrifying murderer, while the other will calm you down, selling you a fantasy of a quiet, pious life. Both are fantastically made, and both have interesting backstories. So, without further ado...

Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin (peaked at Number 1)

This is a song we've seen a few times already - we've had the Dick Hyman instrumental version, and Louis Armstrong's comparatively glitzy version, a few years back. And this version definitely owes more of a debt to Louis' take on this jazzy classic - except for his own version, Bobby's turned the big band elements up to eleven, with increasingly intense brass flourishes throughout the whole song. And I have to say, it works - not least because Bobby brings an energy to match the brass, practically belting some of the lines near the end, and interspersing the whole thing with little interjections, an eek here, a whoah there, a subtle a-ha-a-ha-a-ha there, all of them building up to that huge final sung note and the explosive look out old Mackie is back ending, with its punchy, percussive drums. Excellent stuff.

There are a few other choices Bobby's made, too, all of them subtle, but all of them perfectly calibrated, little touches that just fine-tune the song and make it more exciting and slightly more contemporary. He's calling you babe, now, not the comparatively old-fashioned dear, we've axed the final repeat of the first verse, but possibly most importantly, we've got these repeated key changes, with the whole thing shifting up a semitone at the start of each of the final three verses. This latter change is the sort of thing that shouldn't really work - except you barely notice it, in practice, because each key change is masked by a corresponding ramping-up of the energy of the song, and so you can kind of miss the modulation happening in the thrill of it all. It's masterfully done, and I love it - it almost feels like it's always been part of the song!

It's an unusual choice for Bobby, who up until now has been a fairly clean-cut teen idol, making rock and roll records for the youth. Mack the Knife, a jazz standard, is quite a different vibe - and apparently there was some initial doubt as to whether or not a rock and roll audience would go for it. Bobby insisted, though, as part of an album called That's All, which was almost entirely made up of old standards, given a jazzy, swinging treatment. And his instincts would prove trustworthy - the album was a huge success, and this track, in particular, has gone on to become basically the definitive version of Mack the Knife, and an undisputably huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

I can also kind of see in this the template for something you still see today, which is where an artist mostly known for trendier teen-friendly music tries to broaden their appeal by making an album (often of covers) intended to appeal to adults, to prove that they're "not just a teen idol", or whatever. It's a clever move, if quite a cynical one, because teen idols are inherently quite a short-lived phenomenon - once their initial glut of fans have aged out of the teenager bracket, there's not much call for them, unless they can prove that they've got new tricks in them. Combine this with the natural tendency to want to develop your music and pursue new musical interests, and you've got yourself a pleasingly eccentric bunch of "crossover" or "genre" albums made by former boy-banders - the most obviously Bobby Darin-esque example I can think of right now is Robbie Williams' swing album, but I know there are other examples out there!

This song is good. I've known and liked it for quite a while, but listening to it now, I'm just struck by how well structured and enjoyable it still is! I liked Bobby Darin's earlier output, but this is another league.

The Three Bells - The Browns (6)

And so we go from big, loud, brassy numbers about a murderer on the loose to something altogether gentler, with an a cappella intro telling the story of how there's a valley, hidden deep in the valley / Among the pine trees, half forlorn / And there, on a sunny morning / Little Jimmy Brown was born. It's all done in tight mixed harmony, with a clear country feel to it, but also kind of in the style of an opera recitative, hanging on one note, and the end result is very sleepy, really giving you a sense of how quiet and hidden-away this town is.

The song then picks up, with a verse about how the village christened young Jimmy, with the bells all ringing, praying for guidance: lead us not into temptation / Bless this hour of meditation / Guide him with eternal love. Twenty years later, Jimmy's in church once again, this time to get married. And sure enough, the congragation are praying again: lead us not into temptation / Bless, O Lord, this celebration / May their lives be filled with love. And finally, we cut to a final day, Jimmy's funeral, as the bell rings once again, and those assembled pray: lead us not into temptation / May his soul find the salvation / Of they great eternal love. It's cute. A little bit morbid - there's a real contrast between the cute, twee sound of it all and the final verse, especially, which isn't dark, exactly, but it's definitely bittersweet, the rapid jump from wedding to funeral only serving to underscore how fleeting life is, and how quickly the excitement of a wedding gives way to old age and death.

There's also something undeniably wistful and nostalgic about the village you see in the song, the sort of small country community where the whole place comes together for christenings and weddings and funerals and the like, and where people do stick around a whole life long. Things are pretty traditional - people take real comfort from a sort of old-timey religion - and everyone looks to God for sound, benevolent guidance. It's idealised, the sort of place that may never have existed, and is certainly vanishingly rare by the 1950s, with declining levels of religiosity and increasing urbanisation. And the song seems to know it - hence why the town at the start has to be hidden deep in the valley, cut off from the outside world, with no reference to where it actually is. It's a utopia in the proper sense, a "no-place" that can't really exist, except as a fantasy in people's minds, albeit one strong enough to get a record like this to Number 6.

I should mention here that while some elements of this fantasy do feel specifically American to me, it's not originally an American song, but rather a Swiss folk song, Les Trois Cloches, written by one Jean Villard and first recorded by Édith Piaf in 1946, accompanied by an a Lyonnaise cappella group called Les Compagnons de la chanson. An American DJ heard the song while on their travels and liked it enough to play it on local radio back in the US, which is where the Browns picked it up and decided to put their own country spin on it - right as they were about to give up making music, too! And they were right to, because it was a huge hit, even reaching number 1 in the US.

Both of these songs are fine - impressively well-made, even. And both were huge hits that felt almost tailor-made to appeal to a wide audience. It's nice to see non-pop and non-rock and roll songs making the grade in that way. But only one thrilled me. So...

Favourite song of the bunch: Mack the Knife

[nifflering]

Many thoughts, many ideas… (this is all hypothetical and my opinion - me just saying "smth. should look like that" refers more to my meh mastery over the english language)

The Master:

Costume wise it would be fun to incorporate Ainley`s sleeves (think the Parr costume`s arm hoops basically) and combine it with the rest of the teal alternate aragon costume. Not necessarily colour-wise - a lot of black (see the black alternate costume)

Danielle Steers

Maiya Quansah-Breed

Naomi Alade

Rachel Rawlinson

Maybe some head decoration or more exaggerated shoulder pads to reference a more traditional gallifreyan robe. (inspired by the updated aragon costume)

Aragon’s song fits pretty well. I do think it would be funny if they`d reference survival in an alternate version of house of Holbein – just think of everyone wearing cheetah ears and/or tails – alà space age bachelor man from ride the cyclone would be neat.

Jamie: He needs a fun song, which eventually turns into him slowly forgetting the words and purpose of the song until he`s left completely alone, desperately trying to remember why he`s here and why he feels this is so necessary. (Referencing him getting his memory stolen by the timelords) – maybe some funky bagpipes? Fake battle axes? Who knows?

Baylie Carson (<3)

(the skirt is quite similar to the Boleyn skirt – he could technically also do a reveal, but I think his identity is a huge part of his character, so it should be obvious from the start.)

Definitely keep his jacket, no space buns, maybe some braids instead.

House of Holbein: poking a little fun at the doctor-companion dynamic and the general premise of the musical, could also be a prelude to turlough and the black guardian.

Turlough: I unfortunately haven`t watched much Turlough. But I desperately want him to get the Cleves reveal – tear off the suit – BAM shorts and maybe a semi-sheer tank top.

*Note on the Cleves reveal for those not familiar: The performer is wearing a jacket and pants which are pulled off by the other five performers in the middle of the song get down.

There’s a little to let the costume change be admired. Then, the rest of the costume – two parts of the jacket and the two pant legs are thrown off stage and collected by the performer in the following song where they appear a bit later than the others to rejoin the choreography.

1 – Dione ward Anderson

2 – Brittney Mack Cleve’s reveal

3 – Paisley Billings

six the musical but it’s all the doctors companions he was supposedly in love with specifically the male ones. And if we don’t have enough men. Then. We can just use some of the women. It works. IT WORKS.

The master has to play Katheryn of Aragon, and Jamie has to play Anne Boleyn. This is not up for debate.

[groovylittleclown]

Hi!! I'm Mackerel! Though I also go by Mack, Ax, Groovy, Clown, Orbit, and [insert whatever nickname you come up with here].

I'm 20, I use he/she pronouns, and I am queer! The labels I use are Aromantic, Lesbian, and Trans!

I'm forever into Puppets, Clowns, Robots, and Aquatic Life. My current big fandom interests are Transformers, Trigun (98), and Unwind With The Sweeties!

I don't usually post, sorry about that. I mainly use my reblog account @mackerel-reblogs (it is an untagged mess). Maybe I'll start actually posting one day.

[the-firebird69]

We don't like how this is going here we don't like what these people are like now and what they're saying we're gonna go after them They act like they don't have an army at all and then on their last day leg and they're doing it for years and I said when is that ax team real. Then he goes I don't know I can't control him in the match you're having him do it under questioning he has a plan if it doesn't go off they just try doing terrorist attacks and basically they've been saying the whole time and not doing the acts yet to make sure they can control it to try and show they are. They happen to think that our son and daughter are correct there's no time for convoluting anything and we need these people out trump and his people in BJ prove if they're gonna try and threaten humanity to get what they want We loaded up a huge number of cars trucks motorcycles and ship them to the populated areas Hardly any of them went to the USA. one purpose it's full of swine and that's how we treat swine you're going to have a difficult day and it's gonna get more difficult how's the day progresses. We're going to go through the math with you to make sure you know what you're doing wrong. We're gonna fire off a few warning shots here Against both sides if you don't leave the rings you're going to be killed My son and daughter say we can't do that but it's a good thing to point out as Tommy F is sitting on it. 2 so they think they benefited from it and they're disappearing but here's the point. You people lost a lot of people there so far.

-- Our estimate says you'll reach 60% loss of Mac Morlock leaders and 50% pseudo empire leaders and that would be by noon today At the rate you're going you'll probably reach 70% mack Moorlock leaders out and 65% pseudo empire leaders out by the end of the day. You are not going to have control over it as you intended to not have control and thusly we need to eliminate the people who no longer have leaders unless they join up with other leaders and it doesn't look like they are right now they're evacuating and we really should not let them do that you see some of them make alliances and start following the orders and it's probably 50% of them so we only have to pursue the rogue 50% who think they can take it all. And it is a growing concern. John Remillard and you idiot Brian you should know they come for you to take your job and with force. Before it turns into a melee here we should straighten out the rings. Truthfully we can't do it without the ship out it has winter here wants to kidnap our son what we're saying is we are not gonna let you if you by chance kidnapped him you wouldn't get anywhere what time have you dragging him around and gets abused because of it so we're gonna abuse you people until you're dead. What I know is your response indicates Tommy F that you don't understand so we're going to give you a lesson so you can learn what it means for you to die. Don't do **** still and he is a little boy and he needs to pay. So going to extract it from him we need ships and we need false flags and we need it now.

Frank Castle Hardcastle

We have a lot to do but we're going to print this is important.

Thor Freya

Olympus