#mickey henry fan fiction

[navybrat817]

How Far Down

Pairing: Mickey Henry x Female Reader Summary: Mickey is bad for you, but you just can't stay away. Word Count: Over 2.1k Warnings: Explicit sexual content, semi-public fingering, implied public sex, unhealthy relationship, codependency, bittersweet, spooky vibes, Mickey Henry (he's a warning, okay?). A/N: Fic #3 for Navy's Trick or Treat Nonsense! @tavners , thank you for suggesting Mickey and semi-public sex! I hope I did it justice. ❤️ Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the talented @firefly-graphics and Mickey edit by @rainbowkisses31 . Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

Mickey was like a drug to you. His touch sent dopamine through your body, the pleasurable sensation bringing you to new heights again and again. You needed more of him to satisfy your craving. He delivered every single time.

But being addicted to a man as free spirited as him was like trying to catch the wind in your hand. He slipped through your fingers quicker than sand. When the inevitable comedown happened, it left you disappointed with the harsh reality that he would never truly be yours. So you walked away.

Until he called you back to him.

"It's the Halloween bash. C'mon. We'll have fun."

You should’ve had the strength to ignore him or say “no”, but you were helpless to resist his call. You asked for the address when you messaged him back and hoped you didn’t sound too eager. One night wouldn’t hurt. You’d only stay long enough to make an appearance and you’d be on your way. Besides, it was a party and Mickey had a job to do.

He wouldn’t notice if you left early.

“Better not bail on me or you’ll hurt my feelings. And I’ll hunt you down.”

You wouldn’t dream of bailing on him. The thought of hurting his feelings produced a pain in your chest so great that you thought your heart would give out. That was one of the things that scared you about Mickey. You gave so much of yourself away and did you get enough in return?

It would be fun if he hunted me down.

The day leading up to the party was a blur, your stomach twisted in knots as you got ready. You had no reason to be nervous. It was a night of fun to be had and nothing more. As long as you didn’t let Mickey suck you back in, you’d be fine.

There was a line out the door of the club as you arrived and you wondered just how long people were waiting to get in. Mickey instructed you to give your name to the bouncer, which you did. For a second, you didn’t expect your name to be on the list. He could’ve done it as a prank to get back at you for walking away. It was a silly thought. He was many things, but he wasn’t cruel.

Still, you let out a sigh of relief as the bouncer let you go right in. If that wouldn’t have worked, you would’ve tried to flirt with him. Your slutty angel costume left little to the imagination, which was both sexy and ironic. You never felt angelic or innocent around Mickey, but it was fun to be in his presence.

The halo fell from my head a long time ago.

Orange and purple strobe lights flashed in time with the music, giving the club a perfect Halloween glow as the bodies moved along the dance floor. The array of costumes brought a smile to your face. Everyone was having fun, uncaring of what happened tonight. Problems would still be there tomorrow, so why not let loose?

“There you are.”

You heard Mickey over the music and blinked a few times, not remembering walking through the crowd to get to his booth. Your throat constricted as the two of you locked eyes. While you were some form of an angel, he had demon horns and an open red shirt. The light around him accentuated his muscles and gave him an ominous glow as he walked around the table, grinning as held out a hand for you.

It only took you a second to take it.

“Knew you couldn’t resist my invitation,” he said, jumping down to join you on the floor instead of pulling you up to the booth. “Though a small part of me wants to punish you for staying away for so long. Why did you run away from me?”

Part of the charm of Mickey was that he didn’t come across as arrogant. Playful, the life of the party, and someone who encouraged you to make the best out of bad situations, but never full of himself. You admired that. He was also unreliable, too spontaneous. A distorted dream of a man that you could never have.

“You know why I left,” you reminded him, putting your arms around his shoulders. “But we could both use some fun, so why not take you up on your offer?”

“And that’s just what I am, aren’t I? A good time,” Mickey smiled, slipping an arm around your waist to drag you against him. “Everyone’s having a good time tonight.”

Even if you didn't leave at the end of the night with Mickey, you knew it wouldn't be a boring evening. Watching him in his element was hotter than you cared to admit, the gorgeous man making everyone get lost in the music and atmosphere. It was like he encouraged people to lose their inhibitions. No one cared about the consequences.

They lived like there was no tomorrow.

The flashing lights reflected off his blue eyes as you gazed at him, but they almost looked black. “We can’t have too much fun,” you teased as he began to grind his hips against yours.

“Why not?”

You sighed and wondered if he was trying to goad you or if he really didn't get it. “Because we both know how this’ll end and I'm a little tired of it.”

Mickey would happily go on his way while you were left with a void in your soul. The worst part was you were certain he didn’t do it on purpose. The bond between the two of you wasn’t pure enough to be love, so why would you expect him to treat you like you were his other half?

“Why does it have to end at all? C'mon. You and I always have fun together,” he argued, grabbing your chin with a firm hand so he could lick you from your chin to your forehead. “Besides. Your aura is so delicious. I've missed it.”

A lustful sigh left your lungs before you attempted to step back. The smile on his face looked strange. “My aura? What the fuck are you talking about?”

Mickey threw his head back as he laughed, his chest shaking as his fingers dug into your hip. He sometimes struck you as a man more intelligent and deeper than he let on, but always swayed you from those thoughts with a slip of his tongue or the slide of his cock. He was lust in human form. But he led you down a path with no end.

So why did you follow him?

“You know what I mean. Your whole glow screams lust. And lust is a sin that feeds itself and grows,” he said as he pushed your costume up your thigh. It didn’t matter that there were others close by where anyone could see. And you didn’t put up a fight. It wouldn't be the first time you fooled around with people mere feet away. That was part of the fun. “But I don't need to feed myself with you around. You feed me plenty.”

At that moment, you almost wondered if Mickey’s costume was real as he hooked a finger in your panties and moved them aside. He could easily lure people in under the guise of a good time. Lost in his hypnotic gaze, you moaned as his finger circled your hole. “It's like you really are a demon,” you breathed as one finger pushed inside you, making you clamp around him.

His teeth flashed in a wicked smile as the digit moved in shallow thrusts. “Demons come in all forms. All shapes and sizes,” he said as you frowned. He had to be kidding. “This city is my playground with plenty of people to play with.”

You smiled after a second, playing along. “Is that what you're doing? Playing with me?”

“You make it easy to play with, even when I have to chase you. Though I didn't exactly chase you, did I? All it took was a text,” he said, though you didn't feel insulted at the implication of how easy it was to get you there. “And dressing up like an angel? You’re far from being immune to temptation.”

It wasn't fear that moved through you, but your smile slipped all the same even as he dragged a finger in and out of you. “I, oh, was kidding about the whole demon thing.”

The gorgeous grin was back on his face. “So was I.”

He sealed his lips against yours as he pushed another finger in, the feeling making your head spin as you rocked your hips. Wantonly, you practically humped his hand as he took what he wanted from you. It was pathetic that you allowed him in so easily, but didn’t he always make you feel good?

“You’re bad for me,” you whined, gasping when he bit down on your bottom lip.

“The worst,” he agreed, pressing his palm hard against your clit. “But you’re so good for me, aren’t you? Such a good girl.”

The praise warmed you as your moans got louder.

“I could fuck anyone here tonight, but it’s you I want,” he went on, curling his fingers just the way you needed him to. “My filthy, desperate angel. You’ll let me do whatever I want to you and you won’t stop me. Do you know how good that makes me feel that you want me so badly?”

You wanted to argue that he was wrong, but how could you deny his words when you were so close? And he was right. He could fuck anyone he wanted, but his fingers were deep inside you because you were special. You meant something to him.

Right?

“You want me, too,” you stated, but the words came out like a whimper, lost in the music.

“Of course, I do. You’re my favorite. That’s why I wanted you here with me tonight,” he smirked, the words as empty as how you felt when the sun came up. But you believed him because you wanted to believe him. That it didn’t matter if he took other lovers because they didn’t mean anything to him. He was still your addiction and you wanted to get high. “Now come on my fingers. I know you can do it.”

With a shudder, you did as he said and soaked his fingers with your juices. He licked into your mouth as it went slack from pleasure, an almost smug hum reverbirating as the digits continued to glide along your walls. The familiar haze washed over you as he guided you through your orgasm. If anyone around you noticed, they didn’t care.

Neither did you.

“Delicious,” he purred as he drew his fingers out and shoved them into your mouth. “How do you feel?”

Licking your taste from his fingers, you swallowed with a heavy heart. “Empty,” you admitted, the high crashing even sooner than usual. You hated it. You wanted it to go away.

You needed to go, but your feet wouldn't allow you to move.

He didn’t look at all offended by your answer. Instead, a pleased smile spread across his face. “That’s because my fingers are never enough. You need my cock.”

You both knew you weren't going anywhere. Why argue? “I need your cock,” you agreed. All he had to do was fill you up and it would make it better.

“Bend over my table and I’ll give it to you,” he promised with a glint in his eye. It was like staring into an abyss and you wondered how deep it went. Would you ever reach the bottom if you fell?

“But the crowd-”

“They won’t even notice. They'll just think we're grinding to the music,” he said, gracefully hopping on the stage as you followed with shaky limbs. “And even if they did, who gives a fuck? They’ll wish they were in your place, but they never will be. You know why?”

“Because I’m special?”

“Yeah, you are. My favorite angel who feeds me well,” he assured you, the void in your chest slowly starting to grow smaller as he brought your back to his chest. “But don’t ever walk away from me again, okay? It'll only hurt us both.”

There was no sarcasm in his tone. Only truth.

“I won't walk away,” you said, letting him pull your dress up again as he pressed his clothed cock against your ass.

You'd always come back if he called.

“That's my girl” he praised, lightly biting your earlobe. “Now hold onto the table so we can have some real fun.”

With a nod and a smile, you fell into the abyss.

Why is he so pretty? Love and thanks for reading! 🧡

Masterlist ⚓ Misc Sebastian Stan Characters ⚓ Ko-Fi

[joesanimationblog]

Critical Analysis

Freeman, M. (2017) “A World of Disney: Building a Transmedia Storyworld for Mickey and his Friends,” in Boni, M. (ed.) World Building Transmedia Fans Industries. Amsterdam University Press, pp. 98-100. doi: 10.1017/9789048525317.006.

The author of my chosen text is Dr. Mathew Freeman, a respected figure specializing in transmedia storytelling, immersive media, convergence cultures, and media branding. Freeman is the author of numerous books discussing the topic of transmedia studies and is currently the Research Lead for Film, and Media and Co-Director of The Centre for Media Research in the Bath School of Art, Film, and Media.

While Freeman is a respected authority on the subject of transmedia and intertextuality, he makes use of external sources to form his arguments. Throughout the text, Freeman cites 40 relevant and reputable works from writers, essayists, and contemporary theorists such as Julia Kristeva, Roland Barthes, and Henry Jenkins. We must also acknowledge that the chosen text is Freeman's contribution to the book "World Building" which has 22 other credited and respected writers. As the text is part of a larger project involving other academics and cites several external unbias works it too can be seen as unbias. 

The first paragraph of my chosen text introduces the role that context and intertextuality has in the construction of fictional characters and storyworlds. Freeman states that he and his peers see a "need to find new analytic categories for deciphering the way in which fictional characters are formed across media", and so this begins his argument for intertextuality as a theory that underpins the construction of fictional characters across media. As Freeman makes it clear there is a demand for a new approach, it gives his arguments a clear direction and acts as a logical starting point.

Freeman states that fictional characters can be used to further understand fictional worlds and the ways they are constructed. He argues that storyworlds are constructed through fictional characters but notes that these fictional characters may move between multiple storyworlds. This idea of a character being retranslated across different storyworlds is a key argument. It implies an intertextual link between characters, storyworlds, and stories that can exist across different forms of media. The importance of intertextuality is argued by Freeman. He discusses how intertextual links are used to communicate information to the audience. Freeman strengthens his argument through the example of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the MCU many of the same characters appear across different superhero movies, this establishes the MCU as one consistent storyworld to its audience. Not only does Freeman present a logical structure for viewing and analyzing characters' relation to stories and story worlds but he also utilizes a clear example of how this structure can be applied by analyzing a contemporary example. 

Freeman introduces the topic of meaning and its relevance to his argument. He describes the way intertextuality influences an audience's perception of a story from a different perspective explaining that the meaning of a story can be altered when it invokes thoughts of a similar story. This references existing external sources' definitions of intertextuality and expands the meaning of intertextuality within his argument beyond the method of maintaining the continuity of a large storyworld across different stories. To further articulate the relationship between character, storyworld, and story Freeman used intertextuality to analyze another way it impacts stories. This clearly shows the strength of his argument for an intertextual approach to analysis as it displays its versatility.

Freeman goes on to argue that as mass medias development in the early-mid 1900s and the wide availability of different forms of media encouraged the re-mediation of content through the construction of fictional characters. Freeman makes this point using 1930s Disney cartoons as an example. Mickey Mouse recreated popular scenarios and jokes which were originally seen in other forms of popular media and to saturate these story worlds new characters were constructed based on the roles in the narrative. The characters would reappear as different versions alongside Mickey, retranslated depending on the story but all appearing within the same story world. This is the text's first mention of multiple different media forms playing a role in the construction of fictional worlds. Freeman uses quotes from historically relevant industry professionals and it is clear that he is logically building upon ideas outlined earlier in the text, further strengthening his argument.

The arguments presented by Freeman in this text are important as it presents several roles intertextuality serves both from a theoretical standpoint and a practical one. Freeman's points are important to creators as recognizing the importance of an intertextual approach allows multiple stories to take place across a large storyworld seamlessly. It also gives insight into the relationship between narrative and meaning. Beyond practical applications, the importance of intertextuality as an analytical approach is made clear throughout the text. If we do not use an intertextual approach when analyzing characters, stories, and storyworlds then are unable to gain an understanding of their relationship to one another. The field of semiotics stresses the importance of signs and signifiers and Freeman is similarly stressing the importance of intertextuality as a method to extract signs and their significance across media.

This is the end of my breakdown of the points made by Freeman in my chosen section of text. I will now continue my analysis of the structure and method of his argument.

Freeman started his argument by outlining the need for intertextuality as a new category for deciphering the way fictional characters are formed across media. The points he made in the text serve this argument well as he builds a clear definition of intertextuality and then explains the intertextual properties of media objects through both historical and contemporary examples. 

Overall this text is a high-quality source of information that makes a strong point for the relevance and importance of an intertextual approach. Freeman does not make bold sweeping statements but instead draws links between many high-quality external sources. He uses these logical links to form a strong logical argument. This linear arrangement of his argument makes his points logically consistent. It is also made clear that there is a real-world application to his points through the use of relevant examples. 

[starryevermore]

simon says ✧ mickey henry

masterlist

everyone say thank you @rebelemilu​

inspired by: “simon says” by yc banks

pairing: mickey henry x fem!reader

summary: simon says, take a deep breath ‘cause tonight we gon make a mess. 

word count: 1,069

warnings?: 18+ MINORS DNI, all porn no plot, shower sex, oral (f receiving), fingering, unprotected sex

Mickey Henry was no stranger to noise complaints. Between all of his sexual escapades over the years, his neighbors have become well acquainted with how loud he was. But only got worse after he met you. Not only were you the type of person to not hold any of your sweet noises back when he got you in bed, but you were just as eager to make him scream just as loud. In fact, he was almost certain that you could get off on his moans alone. 

But even more than that? You loved blasting music throughout the whole apartment. The place was rarely quiet. Something about how when it was quiet, you couldn’t think. But he liked the noise, liked hearing whatever song you were obsessed with at the time, you singing while you worked or did chores or tried to convince him to abandon his work to spend time with you. God, he fucking loved it. 

Today was no exception. 

He’d just come back from dj-ing a party on an island, and he’d missed you the entire time. You hadn’t been able to come because you had a meeting that day, and he had to leave you with a heavy heart. But now he was back, and he was ready to make up for lost time (even if it was really only a couple of days he was gone. What could he say? You made him a big ole softie).

“I’m home!” he called out, but got no response.

Then, he heard it—

“Queen in the streets but go pornstar for me, kiss on your neck and your chest then repeat,” you sang at the top of your lungs. 

He smirked, recognizing the song almost immediately. In your sex playlist, you had that song in there no less than five times. Something about it got you off and, well, who was he to complain? Mickey followed the source of the noise, finding you in the shower, rinsing shampoo out of your hair. 

“Fuck all these bitches I'm yours, kiss and hit you with somе foreplay, shawty you can have it your way,” you continued to sing, not realizing he’d entered the bathroom. 

His smirk quickly turned to a grin as he worked to unfasten his belt. Judging by how intensely you were singing, he got the feeling that you were in the mood for some fun and who was he to deny your wishes? He rid himself of his clothes quickly, before pulling the shower door and slipping in behind you. His hands rested on your hips, spinning you around. You gasped like you’d been shot, but you quickly laughed when you realized it was only your goofball of a boyfriend. 

You smacked his chest lightly before pulling him down to meet you in a kiss. 

“Come here often?” Mickey teased, swiping his tongue over your bottom lips. 

“No, my boyfriend never makes me come in the shower,” you teased right back.

“Oh, what a shame. Seems like we need to rectify that.”

“Then be my guest, pretty boy,” you said. “But we gotta get clean before we get dirty.”

He took the washcloth you’d had in one of your hands away from you, then reached around the grab the bar of soap. He got the cloth covered in suds once more, before gently scrubbing your chest. You giggled as he did so, grabbing onto his bicep as you felt weak in the knees. “What?” he laughed. “Just doin’ what you asked, kitty.”

He moved to scrubbing your arms before kneeling in front of you, taking extra care to scrub your legs and your cute little ass. He looked up at you, water droplets falling into his eyes and said, “Gotta take extra good care scrubbing these parts. Gotta make sure your prettiest parts stay nice ‘n clean, ‘cause I'm the only one who’s allowed to make a mess of ‘em.”

Dropping the washcloth on the shower floor, he grabbed one of your legs and threw it over his shoulder, pressing his mouth to your wet pussy. He moaned as he lapped at your juices, his fingers slipping past your folds and pumping in and out. His mouth moved to your clit, the tip of his tongue flicking over it before he took it in his mouth and gave it a harsh suck. Your hand flew to his head, pushing his face closer.

“Shit, shit, please, gimme more,” you begged, your eyes screwing shut. 

“You want more?” he asked. “You want me to make you come? Then do it, baby, I got you.”

You barely had time to process your orgasm before Mickey was rising back to his feet, sucking your slick off of his fingers. He spun you around, grabbing at your arms and putting them to the shower wall. He grabbed at your hips, pulling them toward him until you were arching your back.

“Shit, you look so pretty like this,” he moaned, wishing he had a camera so that he could have this moment memorialized forever.

“Please, Mick, please,” you begged. 

He gripped his cock, running his tip over your folds. “Please what? What do you want?”

“Please, baby, fuck me!”

“Your wish is my command,” he said, thrusting in suddenly. 

His hips snapped up to meet yours, his hand flying up to grab at your hair. He pounded into you, his balls slapping up against you as you moaned louder than he ever heard you before. Shit, he was gonna have to do this more often.

“Don’t know how much longer I'm gonna last, pretty girl,” he grunted. “Want me to come inside you?”

“Shit, please, please come inside me,” you begged. “Want it all, gimme it all, please.”

He grunted as he came, thrusting slowly as he helped you come, his hand falling away from your hand and moving to circle over your clit until he felt your walls fluttering around him and you come, too. He pulled out, turning you around again and pressing a kiss to your lips.

“Simon says we need to do this more,” he teased.

“Mm, the water’s gone cold but we can move this to the bedroom if you’d like,” you said, kissing the tip of his nose. 

And that was all you needed to say before he was turning off the shower and practically carrying you to your shared bedroom, you giggling the whole time. 

[anastasiaskarsgard]

So let’s make a reference chain.... if you write Bill Skarsgard or any of his characters, please reblog this with the best way to find your work.

Since I don’t have a master list, the best way is to go to the search tool on my profile and search the tag #my writing

Don’t tag people, just reblog you, so only those that wish to be included are. You could always share this post to people you think should be included so they’re aware of it.

[formeandmyfics]

Jugenea Fan Fiction

LET’S JUST SEE WHERE IT GOES

During pre-production of For Me and My Gal, Gene comes to a realization

photo credit: @ohmygarlands​

(I wasn’t gonna post this as I don’t think I’m very good at ‘pre-jugenea’, but a friend convinced me otherwise. It’s not my best, but still a fun read)

1942

"Judy, focus, girl, focus," Busby Berkeley's frustrated yell echoed in the empty rehearsal hall as his little starlet tripped on her footing once again. During a turn, she went the opposite way, tripped over Gene's leg and almost fell until he caught her hand. Judy's hand slipped from Gene's as she regained her balance and she turned away from the men, her hands on her hips. Breathing heavy from their long rehearsal of the choreography for the 'My Gal' sequence, Gene looked down feeling horribly. He had never seen her imbalanced like this before, not just on her feet but her concentration as well. He could tell she was disappointed with herself, though would never admit that to 'Uncle Buzz'. "Judy, you need to get this down asap. This is the most crucial dance to the picture," Buzz said less loudly but with a very stern tone as he turned her to face him. She refused to look up at him and he went on, "Do you hear me? We've gone through this sequence over and over. If you can't get this, we might as well scratch the whole film!" "Hey," Gene said stern himself, "She's trying her best."

"She is not trying her best," Buzz said eyeing her down before turning to Gene, "I've known her much longer than you have, Gene. She's slacking off." Gene saw Judy's eyes tear up and he took a step closer, "You may have worked with her longer, but this girl works her ass off for you people. Give her some room to breathe and back...off." Buzz turned to Gene and pointed his finger at him, "Next time you talk to me like that, I talk to Freed. You're new here, Kelly, and very easily replaced." With that, he turned and started walking away, "Get it right," he said before slamming the heavy door behind him. Gene let out a heavy breath through his nose before he turned back to Judy. Holding his hand out, he wiggled his fingers, motioning for her to continue with him, "Come on." "Just give me a second," she replied as she paced a little bit having a moment to get herself together. He waited, patiently, knowing she was a tough girl and let her have her moment. But, when he suddenly heard a sob escape her, he felt so protective and just wanted to scoop her up. Screw the rehearsal, he thought, and pulled up a chair, "Sit down, Darlin’. Come here." "I'll be alright," her voice sounded very irritable. “No, come here,” he persisted and she did just that. "Want to talk about it?" When she didn't answer, he continued, well aware of the problems she was having in her new marriage from what she had told him, "Dave?" "That's part of it." Gene could feel her holding back and he decided not to push it. One thing about Judy was that if she wanted to, she would. They were both quiet for a long moment, in comfortable silence, only sounds of the birds outside the cracked window was heard. "No one's ever done that for me before, you know." "Done what, honey?" "Stand up to Buzz like that." "Not even Mickey?" Judy smiled and shook her head, "Not even Mickey." "Well, I don't think any man should speak to a lady like that, I don't care who you are. And I don't condone bullying, especially to someone I care about, someone who they just look at as a money maker. I think speaking down to someone is the most disgusting act out there. I was raised to treat the janitor the same way you treat the CEO. Humans are humans, I don't care about stature." "You're definitely not like the other men around here. And I'll tell ya a little secret," she said taking his hand which he took gladly, "Some people around here are intimidated by you because you told off LB in that letter. I mean, that took..." "Balls?" She giggled, "Yes. And the way you spoke to Uncle Buzz just now," she looked at him dumbfounded, "Not even Clark Gable would do that." Gene nudged his shoulders, "I'm an honest man, that's all. I don't play into the Hollywood bullshit, you know this. I'm here to make art, not kiss ass. And I'll stand up to any disrespectful bastard who thinks otherwise." Judy placed her hand on his cheek and looked at him with such genuine adoration, "You're a good man, Gene Kelly." There it was, the two of them staring at each other like they had on the dance floor. Only this time, Gene didn’t feel anxiety take over his body. Her hand felt so warm and soft again his jaw as she looked at him with such respect. God, he could get lost in her eyes. Breaking their stare, Judy lowered her hand and pushed herself off her chair. He immediately felt cold. “Shall we continue?” “We shall.” “I’ll get it this time,” she stated adamantly. “And it’s ok if you don’t, baby. That’s what rehearsal is for.” “Just remind me. When we go into the hop waltz, we go...” “Counter-clockwise.” “Counter-clockwise.” “Just look at me. I’ll let you know with a look if I feel you’re about to make an oops,” they got into stance, “One thing I learned on Broadway, I know how to hide mistakes.” “How do you do that?” “I make the audience think that’s how it was supposed to happen,” he said as he made a twirl motion with his finger, like his character does in the scene, where they start their big dance number. They went through the dance, singing a cappella, and saying their lines, with Gene directing by saying certain things like ‘And turn’ or ‘Under’. She flubbed the hop but for the most part, Judy was spot on. When they did the routine a second time, they went straight through, with no mishaps. They were completely lost in one another, having fun, and just enjoying themselves. When it came time to sing their last lines, his arms around her waist from behind, Gene didn’t want to let her go. Instead of releasing her so they could bounce into their chair and strike a pose, he remained holding her. And she wasn’t moving either. Her hands slid up his arms, tightening her grip on him, before she looked up at him over her shoulder. Suddenly he noticed her breathing more unsteady than it was when she was dancing, and she was looking at his mouth again. Fuck, she wanted him to kiss. Oh, he wanted to... “How was that,” she whispered. “Perfect,” he whispered back and suddenly found his head slowly, but surely, gravitating toward hers. “Gene,” she murmured almost barely. “Rehearsal’s over!” They both jumped apart as the rehearsal door banged open. George Murphy and Ben Blue, who had been rehearsing in the next room, stood there in the doorway. George then whistled, “Buzz just called lunch.” “Yeah, let’s go. I’m hungry,” Ben started before walking away down the hall. Gene watched as Judy scrambled to collect her things, and seemed awfully nervous. “You guys go ahead,” he said as he grabbed his script, “I’m not hungry. I’m gonna work some more.” “Suit yourself,” George said a little arrogantly. Gene looked up just in time to see Judy glance at him one more before George escorted her out the door. When they were no longer in sight, he threw his script across the room in anger.

Gene took a swig of his beer, in complete contentment, as he sat at the bar of Johannes. It was a tropical, outside cocktail lounge, hanging off a cliff in Malibu, with spectacular views. It was nighttime at the moment, and even though you couldn't see much of the Pacific, except the calming waves crashing own below, the views were just as grand. The lit up lights of houses and buildings all along the cliffs and mountains gave it a starry quality. Tonight, there was a Spanish-themed band, and the breeze off the shore felt heavenly in the muggy air. Gene needed this, this and more cold beer. As he motioned to the bartender for another, he felt a hand slap his back. "Hey, Pal," Van said as he slid into the empty chair next to him. "Oh, hey buddy," Gene said gleefully, "Where'd you come from?" "Just arrived with a few friends," he said nodding towards his group. Gene leaned back to look and saw Evie, Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda just walk in. Then Judy appeared beside them. Before he could have much of a reaction, Evie caught his eye and waved at him. Judy looked over curiously, and when their eyes met, her smile disappeared. She looked daunted, so much that he immediately turned back forward in his seat, his hands tightening around his beer. "Come on and join us," Van urged. "You g'head and grab a table. I'll catch up with you in a bit." Van kneaded his eyebrows at his friend's hesitancy, but nodded, "Okay, we'll be over there. Make sure you come on over." As the group walked past him, Evie quickly gave him a kiss on his cheek, but his eyes glued to Judy in hopes that she might give him a friendly smile, or say hi. But to his disappointment, she purposefully ignored his direction as she kept on walking, following Van. Fortunately, Gene’s old friend from Vaudeville, Mike Villa,  popped in, so he was happy to have the distraction.  They finished a beer and got a good chat in for about twenty minutes when Van’s group started becoming a little rowdy. The laughter was infectious. They all sounded like they were having a grand time, and Gene tried to ignore looking over, but Judy’s laugh carried over everyone’s and it made him smile. Slyly, as Gene took a swig of beer, he slowly glanced over his shoulder towards the group, nestled at a table in the corner across the way. They all burst out in another roar of laughter but Gene’s eyes remained on Judy. She looked so god damn lovely as she laughed. It felt like it was slow motion, as she looked over at him, mid laugh. Their eyes caught, and her laughter stopped, but her smile didn’t. It widened. When he smiled back, her eyes looked down as she brushed some hair behind her ear. She was blushing. Gene felt a twinge burst in his stomach again and he turned back towards the bar, letting out a breath. “She’s prettier in person, ain’t she,” Mike commented. “Who?” “That Judy Garland.” “She’s a very beautiful girl.” “How is it working with her? Is she a diva like I’ve heard?” “My God, not at all,” Gene said serious, “She’s such a treat to work with. She’s professional and talented and funny, man, she cracks me up. More than that, she’s kind. She treats everyone like family.” They both looked back over at her, and saw Judy watching them, but she quickly looked away. “She’s real cute, you know what I mean?” Gene saw his friend raise his eyebrows suggestively before taking another swig of beer and he shook his head, “Yeah, man she’s real cute, but you know what? It’s a whole different ballgame. She’s not a girl to pick up, believe me. And she’s married.” “Since when does that stop anything. From what I hear, that band leader husband of hers is away a lot and everyone knows she don’t spend her nights at home. Look at her out now.”   “Listen, no disrespect, but Judy’s become a very good friend of mine. She’s going through a lot. I’m protective of her, so please…” “Gene, buddy, it’s cool. No harm done. Like a sister to you, huh?” “Yeah, like a sister,” he murmured. He lied. “Hello.” Both men were a little startled when they heard that captivating, yet soft, voice suddenly behind them. Mike immediately stood up like the Queen had just walked up to him. Now, he looked like a frightened schoolboy rather than a man that had just made a suggestive remark about her. “Miss Garland, how do you do. I’m Mike Villa.” She shook his hand, “Nice to meet you. And it’s Judy.” “Mike is an old friend of mine from New York,” Gene casually interrupted. “Are you in town visiting?” “Actually I moved here a few years ago. I work over at Fox in the editing department.” “Oh, how lovely,” she turned to Gene and placed her hand on his arm and lowered her voice a bit, “Can I talk to you?” “Ya,” he said curiously and stood up. “Mike, I hope it’s okay if I steal Gene away for a little bit.” “Go right ahead.” Gene felt such relief when she took his hand in hers. He let her guide him across the café towards the back stairs that lead down to the beach. When their feet hit the sand, Judy kicked her shoes off and let go of his hand. He watched as she walked away from him, towards the water. He kicked his loafers next to hers but tread behind her slowly, hands in his pockets. She wanted to talk to him, but she hadn’t said a word yet. “Isn’t the view beautiful,” she asked softly, turning her head over her shoulder to look at him. He had to stop a moment, as the moon reflecting off her hair and face mesmerized him. He couldn’t help but stare and suddenly she looked away, giving a nervous giggle. “You know, when you look at me like that, it doesn’t make things easier for me.” Gene walked up next to her, their ankles in the gentle surf. He had a quick thought of how good the cool sand and water felt on his tired feet before he replied curiously, “Make what easier?” “My feelings for you. Feelings that I don’t quite understand,” she said meekly. They both looked at each other, their eyes searching. Gene broke their contact and ran his hand through his hair terribly nervous, “Judy…” “No, Gene, listen. Ever since we became friends, I always felt this connection with you; like I could be myself, my true self, and be open and honest with you.” “Good. I feel the same.” “Then I think we need to get a few things straightened out,” she said straight-forward and serious, “I’ll go first. David isn’t the only reason I wasn’t doing my best in rehearsals today.” “Uh,” he cut in, “You were trying, you just lost some confidence there for a little bit, but you got it back.” “Do you know why I got like that?” Gene thought and shook his head and she went on, “You.” He took his hands out of his pockets and was about to speak but Judy put her finger up to shush him, “You have given me more confidence than I’ve ever felt before, not just personally but professionally.” “Then what was the problem,” he felt a little insulted.

“The night at Ciro’s. You looked at me in that way again; the way you did in rehearsal, the way you did just now. Then you just left me there…” “I told you I was sorry,” Gene mumbled feeling like an ass again. “…but the thing I didn’t appreciate is that you lied to me. You said you were fine, and we both know that isn’t true. If we have the relationship that I thought we did, then you would be honest with me, too.” Gene sighed and took a few steps away from her not quite finding his voice. She just continued to stand there and went on, “When you left me like that, I felt like you went from respecting me to hating me.” Gene immediately turned around and walked up to her. Judy took a step back at the ferocity of his swift action, but relaxed when he put his hands underneath each side of her scalp. He was looking at her with such desperation. “I could never, and would never, hate you…for anything.” “After we talked in rehearsal, I know that now,” she quivered, “But before that, I wasn’t so sure. When you left like that, and then put a wall up, I felt like I suddenly lost you, lost my confidence.” “That is far from the truth. Why would you think that?” “I thought maybe you hated me because you could see that I was starting to like you more than just a…friend.” Gene released her to anxiously bite on his nail. He glanced up at her before looking back down at the sand and her voice became a little louder, “This isn’t easy for me, Gene. Don’t you realize I just got married last year and now I’m having confusing feelings for another man?”

Gene’s chest started to heave as he took in her confession he realized now he wasn’t only one hiding, she had been, too. Judy’s voice turned to anger, “And you’re just standing there listening.” “And don’t you realize that I’m the one that I hate,” he yelled back. It was Judy’s turn to look at him dumbfounded. As such a self-assertive, and strong man, as Gene Kelly, hearing that he even remotely disliked himself made her skin break out in goosebumps, bad ones.

“I had to get away from you on that dance floor, Judy, because I was frightened,” he turned to look straight out into the sea, focusing on a small light coming from a boat towards Catalina Island, “I just got married not too long ago myself, honey, so we’re in the same boat. I hate myself because I made a promise to myself. I’m a good man, Judy, an honorable man…”

“I know that,” she wept interrupting.

“You hear all about these things that go on over here, and I said to myself, I would not get involved in any scandal or affair or chase after other women or fall in love with someone else. I was frightened because of my feelings for you. How can you fall for someone you haven’t even really been with? One can call it just an infatuation, but if it were about lust, that would be easy. You Judy Garland…you’re so much more than that. I’m standing here telling you how I’m starting to feel about you, but I’m not going to leave my wife, my growing family. I’m also not naïve. I know you can’t change what your heart feels. That’s what’s scary.”

Gene kicked a small seashell off his foots as another small wave crashed over their feet and he suddenly felt like a timid school boy. Before he knew it, Judy walked in front of him and slid her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, slowly rubbing her back up and down affectionately.

“How do I make you feel, Gene?”

Gene wasn’t sure he heard her right, and then processed how she might want him to answer, but he just found himself saying, “Like Christmas morning.”

She looked up at him in awe and he went on, “How do I make you feel?”

“Sometimes you make me feel things that I don’t even feel with my husband.”

Gene swept some hair behind her ear and moved his face a little closer to hers, “If we hadn’t been interrupted at rehearsal, would you have kissed me back?”

Judy thought it a stupid thing to ask and she didn’t hesitate with her own absurd question back to him, “You don’t lust after me?”

Gene grabbed her head and crushed her lips to his. He heard her give off a noise, not of startle or surprise, but more of relief. Her lips were so full and cushy, he wanted more. This wasn’t acting, they weren’t on camera, no one else was around, this was them, he reminded himself as he pulled at her lips. Her arms tightened around his neck as she pressed into him. Gene adjusted, sucking at her lower lip now when she opened for him. He didn’t even feel his hand grab a fist full of her hair as he mimicked her move and swept his tongue into her mouth feeling her silky one reach for him. That mouth that presented the most distinctive speaking voice, and most beautiful song, and that taught him how to kiss on screen, was now kissing him back eagerly. When he felt his libido stir, he knew he had to stop this before things escalated quickly.

He ended with a few loving kisses before departing. Resting his forehead against hers, he saw her bite her bottom lip smiling.

“Yes, I lust after you.”

“I would’ve kissed you back.”

“Yes, I felt that,” he teased.

They both giggled, feeling like they had broken the ice sort-of-speak, and they hugged in an understanding manner.

”Gene?”

“Hm,” he breathed into her shoulder.

“What happens now?” Gene thought a moment, “I don’t know. I guess, let’s just see where it goes.”

…And we all know where it went. The rest is Jugenea history.

[redshirtgal]

At the beginning of “Catspaw” Lt. Jackson opens communications with Uhura and says “One to beam up, Enterprise!” Shortly after Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy reach the transporter room, Jackson begins to materialize and then falls flat to the floor without moving a muscle. It almost hurts to watch, but it is just one of the perfectly executed stunts performed by Jay Jones. Jones recalls that at the time, he had never watched the show. So when he received his copy of the script, he was puzzled by the phrase “beam up.” It took until the next day for him to find out after he had flagged down a young boy on a bicycle and asked. By the way, look at Shatner’s quick reaction as Jones tumbles past his feet. Some fancy footwork there, Captain!

But this was not the only place you saw him during this episode. During the scene just after Korob dies trying to help Kirk and Spock escape, the two are attacked by Sulu, Scotty, and Bones himself - all under the control of Sylvia, of course. In the photo above, that is not Dr. McCoy you see attempting to swing a morning-star. That is his stunt double, Jay Jones. Jay claimed that Gene Roddenberry took a liking to him and sent the word down that he should be given all the work he wanted.

Jay played a number of other crewmen in the series, and several times his stuntman experience came in handy. In the redshirt bloodbath episode known as “The Apple,” he appeared as Ensign Mallory. The hapless young man was not there when Spock first found out the rocks were explosive. While scouting, he manages to find another one the hard way and is killed. This was one of the two episodes where Jones suffered serious injuries. In this case, he had even lobbied director Joe Pevney to do the stunt, saying he did not want to do it “the Mickey Mouse way.” Pevney refused the request at first because of the danger and then relented. According to Jay, there was a jumper trampoline buried under the ground that he was supposed to hit and then the explosive would go off. However, the special effects person timed it just a split second too late. In his own words, “The force hit me in the stomach, burned my side, blew the skin off my rib cage and impacted all this dirt into my sinuses. I couldn’t open my eyes or breathe.” Still, he told an interviewer that it could have been a lot worse even though he did wind up in an emergency room. (The explosion also caused short term hearing loss in both Shatner and Nimoy as well as permanent tinnitus). Most of his roles did not involve much dialogue, but he had his largest number of lines in this episode. 

Actually, his worst injuries on the set occurred on another episode, ”Who Mourns for Adonais?” This time he was doubling for James Doohan as Scotty. The first injury occurred when Apollo slaps Scotty and Jay had to do a backflip over the stone table shown in the above photo.  The first time, he hit the corner, so the table was chained down for the next attempt.  This time, he caught the table’s edge in the kidneys. Already sore from that injury, he had to do another stunt where he was strapped into a wire vest, raised up six feet in the air and then propelled backward.  In the stunt industry, it’s known as a neckbreaker.  However, the wire pulley yanked him four or five yards farther than planned and he went through the wall, striking his head on the concrete floor.  He was taken to the hospital with a concussion. And actually Jay did have a stroke of good fortune - he narrowly missed another prop which could have caused an even more serious injury (according to The Star Trek Compendium). Again, he brushed off the injury as not all that bad.

 Despite these injuries Jay Jones continued as Scotty’s stunt double for two years. Above you see him encountering a railing on the bridge in “The Changeling.” (Scotty certainly got smacked around a lot, didn’t he?) And he would often double for other guest stars. More on that later. In the book Science Fiction Television Series, Jay claimed that he was the unofficial stunt coordinator for The Original Series. He would come up with new stunts and work with the directors and cameramen on how best to implement them in certain episodes. Jay complimented Star Trek on calling back the same stunt people to work again because they all were familiar with the production staff and had built a rapport with them and each other. He said in some TV series, the director sometimes asked the impossible and could have possibly gotten someone killed. On the Star Trek set, he knew the directors cared about the stunt workers.

And he continued as an extra in episodes during that time, including one as the gangster Mirt in “A Piece of the Action” and several as an engineer. You would think he’d want to stay as far away from a redshirt as he could after his injuries.

Jay got to appear as a Klingon three times during his time on Star Trek. His first appearance was as Tige Andrew’s stunt double in the role of Kras in “Friday’s Child.” (left) And he doubled for Ned Romero as Krell in “A Private Little War.” (top right). He donned the Klingon costume one last time as one of Kang’s crewmen in “Day of the Dove.”

And what does Pavel Chekov have to do with this story? Jay Jones says that there was a push to add some more recurring characters at the time he made his first appearance on “Catspaw.” In fact, they asked him if he would try out some accents in a few test shots. However, he had recently tried a French accent in a stage production and botched it terribly, so he refused. Only later did he realize he would have been trying out for the role that eventually became that of Chekov. Oh, well.... at least he didn’t have to wear that terrible wig until his own hair grew in.

Jimmy (”Jay”) D. Jones came to Hollywood after being in the rodeo circuit. His first work as a stuntman on television was in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. where he was often Robert Vaughn’s stunt double. He also had an acting part in one episode - that of  Professor Walter Powers in the episode “Yo-ho-ho and a Bottle of Rum.” This was the job he left when he joined Star Trek. (credit to Brad Fillipone for finding the above photos for me)

Jay came from good stuntman stock. His dad was Carl Pitti, a very well known stuntman/actor in the industry who had worked on such shows as The High Chaparral. He was Henry Darrow’s double in his role of Manolito for an episode.

Interesting side note: Carl Pitti was a fan of The Original Series and watched it religiously. But he was aghast when he watched his son get thrown in the air by the mistimed explosion in “The Apple.” Jay said it literally made his dad sick to his stomach.

Jay often appeared in the same series as his father, starting with The Man from U.N.C.L.E. After Star Trek ended, he was also stuntman for The High Chaparral and appeared in the episode “Alliance” as Lt. Cooper. (Photo above)

Jay appeared on other Westerns as well. In fact, he doubled for Slim Pickens in a brutal bullwhipping scene in the 1967 movie Rough Night in Jericho. He used the same bullwhipping skills against Dan Blocker (Hoss) in a 1971 episode of Bonanza titled “Kingdom of Fear.”

One of his last acting jobs was in Kung Fu, playing a demon Caine encounters in the spiritual world during the episode “One Step to Darkness.” If you want to watch that segment of the show, here is a link. https://youtu.be/EDmvigzLJHw

In 1977, Jones left stunt work and acting for the racquetball courts. He began playing the amateur circuit in the 1972-73 area. Despite getting off to a rough start, in 1975 he won the national amateur division at Las Vegas. From there, he began competing in the pros and over the years had a decent showing. Keep in mind he was in his thirties when he started and most of the pros were a lot younger. He did win the 1981 U.S. National Singles Championship for his age group of 35+. Jay was interviewed in 1977 by the Tucson Daily Citizen after he had advanced to the semifinals of of the Tucson Pro-Am Racquetball Tournament. He admitted to using a mini-receiver which emitted a steady hum that helped him concentrate. But it also allowed him to hear advice from a friend who was women’s pro player as well. The interviewer went on to mention that Jay Jones was also a hypnotist and psychologist. Now how amazing is that?

Above photo - Hall of Famer Ed Remen and Jay Jones at the men’s semi-finals. Unknown what year, but from the website where it appeared, most likely around 1981. Jay is on the right.

Over the years, Jay Jones seems to be quite active, appearing at conventions for The High Chaparral (above he appears on an interview panel for the 50th anniversary) And I am not positive about this, but he may be the reporter whose byline is Jay Jones in at least two articles for the Los Angeles Times. In a 2013 article, he reports on a charity racquetball event. And in a story dated this past May, the same person reports on a rodeo event. What other person do we know who has experience in both activities?

Jay Jones!

[thedeaditeslayer]

Bob Dorian, actor and magician who introduced classic films on AMC, dies at 85.  

While we are late in sharing this, we would like to share our condolences to the friends and family of Bob Dorian, the original professor Knowby.  Sam Raimi had actually paid him only $100 to record his lines for The Evil Dead. He will surely be missed. You can read the article below. 

Bob Dorian, an actor, magician and avuncular movie buff who presented more than 10,000 classic films, B-movie serials and pre-Code Hollywood gems as the first prime-time host of American Movie Classics, died June 15. He was 85, although he often said he preferred to give his age by way of film history, declaring that he was “born between ‘Flying Down to Rio’ and ‘Top Hat.’ ”

His daughter Melissa Dorian confirmed the death but did not say precisely where or how he died, noting that the family prepared only a two-line obituary in keeping with his desire for privacy.

Mr. Dorian performed on the stage, radio, television and occasionally on film, appearing in two movies by one of his favorite contemporary directors, Woody Allen, and lending his voice to Sam Raimi’s 1981 horror classic “The Evil Dead” as an archaeologist whose tape-recorded readings from an ancient text summon demonic spirits to a cabin in the woods.

Bespectacled and bushy-browed, he began acting at 14; dabbled in stand-up comedy and trapeze-catching at the circus; played the bass in a New York jazz group, the Four Dimensions; and performed mind-reading tricks and other illusions as the Amazing Dorian, sometimes incorporating his wife and three daughters into his act.

“Women, cars — you name it and I’ve floated it,” he told The Washington Post in 1991, describing his powers of levitation. A magic performance he once gave in Saudi Arabia, he added, drove his audience from the room because “they thought I was doing the devil’s art.”

[He’s an expert, yes, but first, he’s a fan: Bob Dorian at AMC]

Mr. Dorian appeared in a 1976 television special alongside magicians David Copperfield and Carl Ballantine, but became far better known as the principal host of American Movie Classics, later shortened to AMC. The network launched in 1984 as a premium-cable showcase for old films, presenting movies without cuts or commercials a decade before the creation of Turner Classic Movies, the channel’s main competitor.

Although he was later joined by daytime hosts Gene Klavan and Nick Clooney, Mr. Dorian was “the heart and soul of AMC,” Los Angeles Times journalist Susan King wrote in 2002, about one year after Mr. Dorian left the network. His departure coincided with sweeping programming changes at AMC, where old movies were replaced with contemporary films and, eventually, original series such as “Mad Men.”

During his tenure, Mr. Dorian introduced movies with a two-minute segment filmed at a living-room set, where he roamed between bookshelves, a black Maltese falcon statue, and portraits of stars Jean Harlow and Hedy Lamarr.

Regaling viewers with Hollywood history and behind-the-scenes trivia, he explained how the filmmakers of “Casablanca” wrote the script as the movie was being made; how Bette Davis landed the lead role in “All About Eve” only after Claudette Colbert suffered a cracked vertebra while filming “Three Came Home”; and how no fewer than 188 actors had played the roles of Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson.

While TCM host Robert Osborne was an urbane film historian, Mr. Dorian insisted that he was little more than a movie fan. “We never use tape-overs,” he told the Dallas Morning News in 1994, explaining his process. “If I make a mistake, we leave it in. I want to seem like a human being who enjoys movies, not a superior professor talking down to an audience.”

He recalled that he got the AMC hosting job in large part through chance, when he met a producer in the early 1980s after being cast as Dracula in a television ad for a video game. “It was a very long two-day shoot, with most of my time spent in a tight coffin filled with way too much smoke,” he told GoFatherhood, a parenting blog. “Lunchtime usually lapsed into long conversations about all those great old movies the producer and I enjoyed when we were growing up.”

The producer, Norm Blumenthal, later helped start AMC, and asked Mr. Dorian if he would be interested in serving as an announcer. Executives were considering “two Broadway actors, a well-known TV film critic and a few others who were more involved in writing as a profession,” Mr. Dorian said.

After Mr. Dorian was suggested as half of a Siskel-and-Ebert-style duo, one executive purportedly had a breakthrough. “Wait a minute,” Mr. Dorian recalled his saying. “The critic might not be too crazy about some of the films we’ve brought in. This guy Dorian likes everything!”

Indeed, he favored classics such as “Citizen Kane” and “King Kong” as well B-movie serials such as “Zombies of the Stratosphere,” encouraging viewers to give the 1952 science-fiction film a try — if only because it featured Leonard Nimoy, who later played the pointy-eared Spock, in a supporting role as a Martian.

Mr. Dorian was born in Brooklyn in April 1934, two months after the release of “It Happened One Night.” He rarely discussed his upbringing, aside from recounting the Saturdays he spent evading matrons at local movie theaters, where he watched three or more films for the price of a dime.

He later worked as a theater usher, a job that enabled him to catch 86 screenings of the swashbuckling 1950 film “Cyrano de Bergerac,” and appeared in television shows such as “Suspense” and “Studio One,” according to one Washington Post report.

Mr. Dorian performed in the Allen movies “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion” (2001) and “Hollywood Ending” (2002), along with an independent Civil War film, “The Last Confederate” (2005). He was also a mainstay of regional theater productions — including at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, N.J. — before retiring to Florida in recent years.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Jane Dorian; three daughters, Melissa Dorian, Robin Dorian and Jane Dorian; and two grandchildren.

Mr. Dorian likened his work at AMC as that of a historian or archivist, keeping old films alive for younger generations. But he seemed to find equal — if not greater — delight in his theatrical performances, notably in a 1998 touring production of “The Wizard of Oz,” during which he served as the understudy to the wizard, played by Mickey Rooney, and began the show as Dorothy’s Uncle Henry.

“Then we go through the tornado scene,” he told the New York Times , explaining his transformation into a new character. “I’m upstairs becoming a citizen of Oz, and I come out a little bit later when the Winkies are working for the Wicked Witch. I’m the head Winkie. We hired a line of Broadway ensemble dancers to be the Winkies, and I kept saying, Couldn’t you put me behind these people?”

[nbrownx5]

An Interview with Tim Smith

Tell us your latest news?

In addition to publicizing “The Other Woman,” I’m putting the polish on my next Nick Seven spy thriller, “The Neon Jungle.” I’m also working on a summer short story for Extasy Books, and recently began work on my annual holiday story for them. I freelance as a writer, blogger and editor, and I’m getting ready to launch my own blog site.

 When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing short stories in high school because I was an avid reader and thought “I’d like to write stories like this!” I’ve always been a creative person, whether it’s writing, music or photography. I’m a fan of old-style pulp fiction stories, but what really sparked my interest in that genre was watching classic movies on TV. I would see an old film noir crime caper and if it was based on a book, I’d get it from the library and make comparisons. If I liked that particular author’s style, my mother (who influenced a lot of my reading choices) could usually suggest another author who wrote something similar.

 What inspired you to write “The Other Woman”?

I had released three books in the Vic Fallon private eye series and amazingly, not one murder was ever committed. I had covered every other plot, from blackmail to theft, but no one ever got killed in the process. That seemed like sacrilege for this genre, so I knew it was time to write a Fallon story that focused on someone getting bumped off in the first few pages. Being me, I couldn’t let it go at just that, and had to work in more topical themes and subplots. In this one, the killing du jour is tied in with a government conspiracy, cover-ups, and political payoffs. Can anyone say “Ripped from the headlines”?

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Vic Fallon is a former police detective who was wounded in the line of duty and took a disability separation. He became a private investigator and lives in Sandusky, Ohio on the Lake Erie shore. Each story has him getting involved with a different woman as part of his current case. When I conceived the character, I wanted to bring the classic gumshoe into a contemporary setting. I was also thinking of the TV shows I’ve always enjoyed, like “Peter Gunn,” “77 Sunset Strip,” and “The Rockford Files.” The main difference here is that when things get hot and heavy between the hero and the leading lady, I don’t cut to a commercial. I’ve included the classic elements, like a buddy on the police force who provides help, quirky supporting characters, and vivid locations. If I could have added a cool jazz score by Henry Mancini, I would have.    

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?  

Some of my personal experiences may find their way into my stories, whether they’re about spies, private eyes, or contemporary romance. In the case of “The Other Woman,” the kick-off to the story was one of my “What if…” moments. I was returning to Dayton, Ohio from a trip to the Florida Keys, and had a long layover in the Atlanta airport. I was passing one of the departure gates when I recognized the Ohio Attorney General, and we spoke for a few minutes. When I was devising this story, I remembered that encounter and thought “What if Vic Fallon runs into a U.S. Senator from his hometown, and he turns up dead in the men’s room shortly after they speak?” That got my brain working on various subplots and motives.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Since there are more legal aspects to this story than I usually include, I had to do a lot of research into the criminal justice process. I knew the basics but there were some finer points of the law I needed help with. I’ve found that one of the toughest parts about writing a mystery is creating something believable, with enough “Gotcha!” moments to keep the reader interested. Accuracy is always a challenge, too. In this age of in-your-face TV shows and digital literacy, you need to have your facts straight or someone will call you on it.

Do you have a specific writing style?

My style can best be described as a cross between Raymond Chandler and Carl Hiaasen, with a dash of Mickey Spillane thrown in. I like to incorporate as much realistic atmosphere and detail as I can. The last thing I want is to describe a location and have someone wonder “Has this guy ever been here??” My heroes tend to fall into the wisecracking tough guy mold, with a cynical outlook on life, but enough morality to make them likeable. I try to go for laughs to alleviate the tension. Many of these chuckles come in the form of dialogue and skeptical observations from the hero. When a character tells Fallon that he doesn’t care for his attitude, Fallon’s comeback is “I don’t much care for it myself. I sit up and worry about it on nights when I can’t sleep.”  

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

If there is, it was probably unintentional, because I don’t like to mess up a good story with a lot of preaching. The basic message in “The Other Woman” is about someone standing up to do the right thing, even when they’re told to stay the hell out of it. Personally, I think this is something we should all do. My books may contain a subtle commentary on the human condition, but I try not to beat people over the head with it.      

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Creating a realistic romantic relationship is always challenging, because it’s very subjective. What strikes me as cute and flirty may make someone else roll their eyes and groan. It’s fun to write a scene where the couple is teasing each other while watching a sunset on a beach, but it’s also challenging to have them saying something believable that advances the relationship. I also find writing erotic scenes to be a challenge at times. After so many books that you could label “hot,” there are times when I come to one of those encounters and I have to do a mental checklist. “Let’s see…in the last one they did it this way, and in the one before that, I used this position, and then there was the scene with the trapeze…” You see the problem.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?  

I started calling myself a writer when my first novel was published in 2002, but what really drove it home was after my third book was released. I did a book signing tour in the Florida Keys, where many of my stories take place. I walked into a book store in Key Largo for my appearance, and I saw my books on the shelf alongside some Florida authors whose work I had long admired, like James W. Hall and Tim Dorsey. I thought “Smith, you have arrived!”

Do you have any advice for other writers?

If you really believe in the story you want to tell, stick with it and don’t get discouraged. If you decide to self-publish, the biggest favor you can do for yourself is using a professional editor. I consider myself to be a good copy editor, but I would never release a book without having someone else take a crack at it first. Most importantly, if you choose to write erotic romance, ask yourself if you’re comfortable having it out there under your own name.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I hope that they check out not only “The Other Woman,” but the rest of my books. I’ve written 21 of them, from romantic mystery/thrillers to contemporary erotic romance. I think you’ll find them entertaining, because that’s why I write—to entertain. I’m one of those rare creatures who doesn’t write for the literary critics, but for the person in Parma, Ohio or Rugby, North Dakota who just wants some escapism.     www.timsmithauthor.com

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American Horror Story Double Feature Delves Into New Motherhood Nightmares In ‘Gaslight’

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This American Horror Story: Double Feature review contains spoilers.

American Horror Story Season 10 Episode 5

As the story picks up steam, American Horror Story taps into some pretty classic horror tropes yet again to enrich its story. One of the things that initially caught my eye about the series when it first hit the airwaves ten years ago was the way in which the show was clearly written by horror fans and went out of its way to reward horror fans with little Easter eggs. Maybe it’s a shot from a classic movie. Maybe it’s a snippet of a score. Maybe it’s a full-on genre rip. Take a little here, a little there, and make a horror stew.

One of the classic themes of the horror genre is the idea of the ‘hysterical’ woman, either pregnant or a new mother or otherwise less able to defend herself, getting used and abused by the people around her. “Gaslight” does exactly what it says on the tin; you can’t name your episode after one of the most used (and misused) ideas in plays, films, and television without telling everyone what to expect. In this case, as in most cases, American Horror Story delivers it straight ahead and with maximum power, nipping a shot from Nosferatu here and a scene from Rosemary’s Baby there. To paraphrase my favorite fictional horror writer and Darkplace star, Garth Marenghi, writers who use subtext are cowards. Red Tide leans in, pushing for more, and asks the important question.

What if the woman you were gaslighting was also turning into a blood-sucking quasi-vampire who also kind of wanted to eat her baby?

Doris’s story was never going to end well. The show isn’t called American Success Story, after all. Even the people who survive and thrive as a result of their experiences are immeasurably troubled by them for the rest of their lives. No one gets a happy ending, and it seems that no one in Red Tide is headed in the direction of a happy ending, either. Doris, the last, best hope for saving her family, finds herself beset on all sides by forces trying to lie to her, betray her, pressure her into doing things she doesn’t want to do. She’s forced to put herself at risk to protect her child from not only Mickey and TB Karen, but from people who are supposed to be on her side like Alma and Henry. It’s an unwinnable situation for poor Doris, who is trying to recover from giving birth while surrounded by people who are essentially enemies to her safety and sanity.

It’s a staggering betrayal that audiences have been waiting on, but poor Doris is taken aback by it from the very opening moments of “Gaslight.” Lily Rabe hasn’t had a ton to do this season aside from pretend to be pregnant and be a wet blanket for Henry and Alma’s drug-fueled artistic vampirism, so when she gets the ball in this episode, she runs with it in a beautifully committed physical and emotional performances, most of which is done while confined to a bed or trapped in a bathroom. The sad relationship between TB Karen and Mickey also continues to be sweet, yet a little salty, with Macaulay Culkin impressing and Sarah Paulson being her typically stellar self, leaning into all of Karen’s physical and emotional quirks and being able to act through her special effects makeup beautifully.

Read more

TV

American Horror Story: Double Feature Season 10’s Muse Pill Confronts a Stark Truth About Creative Ambition

By Ron Hogan

TV

American Horror Story: Double Feature Tackles Pill-Popping, Blood-Sucking Addiction

By Ron Hogan

Things go the way things are expected to go in Brad Falchuk and Manny Coto’s script, but that doesn’t make it any less sad. Mickey and Karen, in particular, were heart-touching given that both characters only had one way out of the situation they were in, and that was to compromise themselves to save themselves, either through prostitution or kidnapping or taking The Muse. Karen isn’t necessarily a likable character, but Paulson makes her sympathetic, and Culkin is able to bring some of his strange likability to bear on the character of Mickey. Even when he’s doing things that are unlikable, it’s hard to directly dislike him for them, because he’s trying, in his own manipulative way, to help out a loved one rather than for simple selfishness.

Alma, Henry, and Ursula deserve no such kindness. Alma is a child, and while she doesn’t know better per se, she knows better, and Ryan Keira Armstrong does a great job of walking that balance of manipulation and ignorance. Finn Wittrock also does well at playing Harry’s moral ambiguity through the bulk of the episode, only for him to turn full-on despicable once Doris takes The Muse and becomes one of the pill people. Ursula is just a terrible person, and Leslie Grossman revels in scumbag behavior throughout the episode, particularly in the scenes in which Ursula is attempting to hide her slimy nature.

Director John J. Gray does a skilled job with the actors, orchestrating a lot of dueling moods and behavioral shifts across the episode well. Given that everyone is different from where they started by the end of the episode, that’s no mean feat, and he doubles down on Doris’s weakness as she recovers by playing up the fact that she’s being drugged and lied into compliance by her greedy so-called loved ones. Gray also does a good job with the peculiar terrors of the birthing and newborn care process, with Rabe standing in for every sleep-deprived, anesthesia-doped new mother ably. Though, most people do have loved ones they can trust to care for their baby; Doris doesn’t get that privilege. Instead, she wakes up to horrors like her daughter gnawing on her little brother’s leg and her husband scheming behind her back to finish the house redesign job because he doesn’t believe in her talent.

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That Harry’s ultimately right about Doris’s mediocrity is merely insult after injury. The last person who could protect baby Eli is now out of his life, and he’s left to the mercies of a workaholic vampire, a vampire child with poor impulse control, and the most stereotypical Hollywood scumbag since Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder. Given that the Gardner baby is on the radar (and menu) of Bell Noir, that poor little baby is in serious trouble.

The post American Horror Story Double Feature Delves Into New Motherhood Nightmares In ‘Gaslight’ appeared first on Den of Geek.

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Hong Kong Outdoor Activities: 10Best Outdoors Reviews

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Hong Kong Outdoor Activities: 10Best Outdoors Reviews

Hong Kong is a big city, for sure, but it’s got a great outdoors that would appeal to adults and children alike. Four-tenths of Hong Kong is officially designated country park, few parts of the city aren’t in sight of water, it’s dotted with parks large and small, and the outlying islands are a world away from the concrete jungle.

One of Hong Kong’s most famous attractions is the Star Ferry, which putters back and forth between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Besides being highly inexpensive, it’s also one of the world’d great sightseeing trips. Nothing says “outdoors” like one of Hong Kong’s street markets, such as Ladies Market. And then there’s Hong Kong’s brace of theme parks – Disney and Ocean Park. Of course, you don’t have to head to a “destination” – simply wandering the streets and alleyways is an entertainment in itself, and the city is very safe, with hardly any street crime.

One thing to note: Hong Kong gets hot in summer time – take adequate drinking water if you are venturing out to one of the more remote country parks, and don’t be shy about using an umbrella to ward off the sun. It’s what the locals do on a regular basis.

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Stanley is possibly Hong Kong’s best-known market. And with good reason. It’s part of a community set by the sea, with plenty of restaurants and cafes so you can pause for refreshment. The goods on sale are fabulously varied, and the traders generally cheery and not averse to bargaining. There’s no charge for entry, of course, so visitors are free to wander about and enjoy the spectacle. There’s a beach nearby, and Murray House, a 19th-century building which was moved here lock, stock and barrel from Central, stands by the shore. One way or another, Stanley is a great day out.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: It’s by the seaside, in a picturesque village, and getting there and back on the top deck of a double-decker bus from Central is thrilling.

Ed’s expert tip: Pace yourself, there’s lot to explore here, so build lunch or supper into your itinerary.

Read more about Stanley Market →

Photo courtesy of The Peninsula

There are four main tours with Heliservices, the only flightseeing operation in Hong Kong. The first flies around Hong Kong Island, concentrating on Victoria Harbour. The flight lasts approximately 15 minutes. Slightly longer, the Hong Kong Island Experience takes in the whole of the Island, looping down over Stanley and Aberdeen and the beaches and bays on the south of the island. Longer still, the half-hour Kowloon and Hong Kong Island Experience heads north over the mountains that separate the city from the New Territories. Finally, the Geopark Experience, of a similar length, flies east to take in Sai Kung Country Park and the Hong Kong Geopark. The tours usually employ a seven-seater MD902 Explorer, and they’re piloted by expert crews. A full safety briefing is given beforehand, and safety equipment such as lifejackets are provided.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: No matter where your fly, or for how long, it’s a thrill a minute with Heliservices.

Ed’s expert tip: Place your camera as close as possible to window to avoid the reflection.

Read more about Heliservices →

Photo courtesy of Museum of Coastal Defence

This site dates back over a century, to when Lei Yue Mun Fort was a strategic part of Hong Kong’s defenses. It was the scene of fierce fighting during the Japanese invasion on 1941, and later became a regular barracks. So its current role as a military museum couldn’t be more apt. This is a magnificent setting, and the exhibits are both indoors and out, above ground and below. The best way to take it all in is to follow the historical trail which leads visitors around the entire museum. This is probably Hong Kong’s largest museum, so allow sufficient time for your visit.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: Most of the exhibits are outside, so this is quite an unusual museum.

Ed’s expert tip: Don’t think this museum is just for military buffs: it’s for anyone interested in Hong Kong.

Read more about Museum of Coastal Defence →

Photo courtesy of Wong Tai Sin Temple

This well-known attraction was built in 1973 and is still one of the most active Buddhist temples in the city. The lush gardens, with their waterfalls, ponds and pavilions, inspire numerous photographs. Be sure to wander through the arcade, where a palm reader will tell your fortune – some will even do it in English. Named for a shepherd boy who was said to have mystical healing powers, this temple still has a magical feeling. Wong Tai Sin is deluged at Lunar New Year, usually late January or early February, when large swathes of the population come to worship and pray.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: As well as the temple itself, there are ample grounds to wander around.

Ed’s expert tip: This is one of the easiest temples to visit as it’s right next to the MTR station.

Read more about Wong Tai Sin Temple →

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Surrounded by high-rises, this downtown racecourse is one of the greatest stadiums on earth to enjoy a sweaty, noisy and adrenaline-pumping horse race at night. Dating back to 1844, the 55,000-seat racecourse is one of the earliest public facilities in colonial Hong Kong. Regular races take place every Wednesday and Saturday from September to June on the 30-meter-wide grass track. A 978-seat iPad-equipped betting hall is located on the second floor of platform one. Visitors can either pay HK$10 (US$1.3) to sit on the public spectator seats or HK$100-150 (US$13-19) to enter the member-only zone. There are a total of seven restaurants and bars in the complex from Cantonese dining to al fresco drinking. On the second floor of the Happy Valley Stand of the racecourse, there is a 670-square-meter museum, Hong Kong Racing Museum, tracing the past and present of the city’s enduring pastime.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: Race nights are like a circus with the whole crowd enthralled by the races and roaring their appreciation.

Ed’s expert tip: There’s a “beer garden” with racing commentary in English available at Happy Valley near the finish line.

Read more about Happy Valley Racecourse →

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

The New Territories, once home to nothing but pastoral meadowlands, are quickly becoming industrialized and commercialized. However, this park remains a bastion of natural beauty. This unspoiled seaside area of parkland features hiking trails dotted with informative visitor centers. See the area from a watery vantage point by renting a kaido (a small boat) in the town of Sai Kung, which is flanked by protected parks. Locals say eating seafood in this town is a must.The beaches at Tai Long Wan, on the eastern fringe of the park, are the most lovely in Hong Kong and well worth the hike out.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: This is perhaps the greatest of Hong Kong’s great outdoors: rolling hills, lovely beaches, even surf!

Ed’s expert tip: If you are hiking this park, take enough food and water and there are not many refreshment points.

Read more about Sai Kung Country Park →

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Disneyland

Escape the city center for a family day trip to fantasy by the overly cute Disneyland Resort Line from Sunny Bay metro station. Currently the smallest of all Disneylands, the 240,000-square-meter park is compact and easily navigated (like everything else in Hong Kong). The wonderland consists of seven sections including two world exclusives: Mystic Point and Grizzly Gulch. The former is the latest addition to the park and features a haunted Victorian-style castle owned by fictional explorer Lord Henry Mystic as well as the most advance trackless ride Disneyland has built. The latter is another original story designed just for Hong Kong. Set in the American West, the sandy yellow section has a hair-raising gold mine roller coaster. The comprehensive resort also contains two large-scale hotels for ultimate Mickey fans: 600-room American-style Hollywood Hotel and 400-room Victorian-style Disneyland Hotel.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: This is Disney with Chinese characteristics, well away from the city, and a great chance to mingle with Mainland pleasure seekers.

Ed’s expert tip: Stay for the nightly “Disney in the Stars” fireworks show at 9pm. It’s truly unforgettable.

Read more about Hong Kong Disneyland →

Occupying three blocks of Tung Choi Street, this enclave of more than 100 stalls represents the epitome of Asia’s market culture: a bit crowded, a lot noisy but totally stimulating. Rather than what its name suggests, the 1,000-meter-long market sells a wide selection of clothes, shoes and travel souvenirs, from US$5 sandals to Chinese necklace pendants to the “I Love Hong Kong” T-shirts. Although it’s been running for about three decades, this government-licensed street market is still set up from scratch every day. Vendors build their stalls with canvas at noon and pull them down when the market closes around midnight. Best time to go is after 7pm when tourists and merchants are at their optimal size. Nearest metro station is Mongkok via exit E2.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: Of all Hong Kong’s outdoor markets, this is one of the liveliest.

Ed’s expert tip: Bargain hard or you’ll be a bargain. A good strategy is to halve the asking price, at least.

Read more about Ladies Market →

Photo courtesy of Ocean Park

This massive wonderland is a combination of amusement park, aquarium and zoo. It has enough activity to keep everyone in the family busy for an entire day. Built around several hills near the South China Sea, the 780,000-square-meter park is divided into two sections: The Headland and The Lowland. They are connected by a 1,400-meter-long cable car system. The Lowland houses two giant pandas, a variety of fun animal shows and Dolphin Encounter, 90 minutes of up-close-and-personal time in a pool with the friendly cetaceans. The Headland section is equipped with several thrilling ocean-side scream machines (roller coasters, water rides, etc), a vast aviary with more than 1,000 birds and Marine World, a massive aquarium with a fabulous jellyfish exhibit, a shark tunnel and a gigantic reef tank with some 2,000 fish.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: Spread over a large area with a cable car in between, Ocean Park’s rolling acres are sheer fun.

Ed’s expert tip: Dolphin Encounter participants must be at least eight years old.

Read more about Ocean Park →

Star Ferry is the loveliest attraction in Hong Kong. This 115-year-old service is one of these rare attractions that are hailed by both tourists and locals. Shuttling between Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon side, and Central and Wan Chai on Hong Kong island, these short boat rides represent a lifestyle of the past: slow, soothing and stress-free. That’s exactly where the excitement and enjoyment lies. It’s fascinating to see the hyper-busy city from these boats: century-old colonial buildings rub shoulders with glass-walled skyscrapers on the two jam-packed waterfronts. Even with the subway efficiently connecting Kowloon and Central, locals still choose to ride the Star Ferry now and then for that classic Hong Kong moment.

Recommended for Outdoor Activities because: The ferry’s upper deck grants marvelous city and marine views. And what a deal!

Ed’s expert tip: Time your star ferry ride with A Symphony of Lights to achieve an optimal Hong Kong moment.

Read more about Star Ferry →

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forget-me-not ✧ mickey henry

masterlist

pairing: mickey henry x fem!reader

summary: mickey forgets about your plans one too many times. 

word count: 938

warnings?: do not ask for a part 2. some things are sad and deserve to be sad; angsty as all hell; mickey is forgetful and the reader is heartbroken; there is no happy ending

Mickey didn’t mean to be as forgetful as he was. Really, truly, he didn’t mean it. But sometimes he just gets so wrapped up in whatever he’s working on that he loses track of time and, by the time he realizes that he had something planned, it was hours after the fact and there was no way for him to make up for what he’d missed. In spite of that, though, you still loved him. In the early days of your relationship, you’d once remarked that his habit was “kinda cute”. Something about how it was sweet that he gets so invested in something that he loses all sense of reality. Passion in what you do is sexy, you’d said as you pulled his lips down to meet yours when he came knocking on your door after accidentally standing you up on your third date together, before quickly adding, Just don’t make a habit of it, sugarplum. 

And, really, he tried to kick the habit. You had to understand that he was doing his best to learn how to pull himself out of his head when he got invested in something. He didn’t want to lose you for something so stupid, something that he could easily fix if he would just try a little harder. Yet, you never berated him for it. You never yelled, never raised your voice when he was late to a date or had entirely forgotten that you’d had plans. Not when he was supposed to come to a work party with you, forcing you endure hours of pretending to give a shit about what all the pompous assholes were saying. Not when he forgot that he was supposed to meet your friends, leading them to believe you’d made up your boyfriend. Not when he forgot you were moving in and left you to do all the work yourself. No, you only ever gave him sad eyes and a quiet voice as you tell him good night or good morning, depending on when he finally realized what he’d done wrong and would come running back to you. 

But it wasn’t until you finally said something that he realized that he might’ve been losing you. 

You’d asked him to go out with you on a little tour of museums in Athens, something you’d been wanting to do ever since you came to the city. It was the first time in a long time you’d asked for him to do something. And, goddammit, he really wanted to be there for you. He swore up and down that he’d meet you at the museum as soon as he finished the jingle he was working on for a client. Even made a big show of setting a bunch of reminders and alarms in his phone so he’d have no excuse to being late.

Then the day came, and he did what he did best: forget. 

He’d gotten so wrapped up in working on the jingle that he didn’t even register the alarms in his phone going off until hours later. And by then, he couldn’t even remember why he set them. So he just shut them off, set his phone to silent, and went back to work. He didn’t even see the text messages you’d sent or the missed phone calls. 

Not until he heard the door to the apartment and open and shut, and he looked up, realizing that the day had turned to night. And, as he heard your quiet sniffling as you kicked off your shoes, he realized what’d he’d done.

“Shit,” he cursed, jumping up from his chair and chasing you down the hall. But you didn’t turn around once, just going straight into the bathroom and stripping. You continued to not pay him any mind as you hopped into the shower, turning the water as hot it would go and blocking his entire presence from your mind. “I’m so sorry, honey bear. I lost track of time and—”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Mick,” you said.

He blinked, unsure of what to say. Then, he finally settled on, “I’m not lying! I can promise you that. I got—”

You shut the water off, reaching out to grab a towel and dry yourself off. You squeezed past Mickey, keeping the towel wrapped tightly around you as you walked into your shared bedroom. But, even though you tried to move quickly, it wasn't quick enough for him to miss the way your eyes were all red and puffy or the way your face looked more wet with tear tracks than being a result of your shower. He followed you down the hall, trying to figure what he should do to make this better. You dropped the towel in the hamper in the corner of the room before grabbing a nightshirt and underwear, slipping them on before crawling into bed. 

“Honey bear, I really am sorry. You gotta believe me,” Mickey said, kneeling beside your side of the bed and taking one of your hands in his. He brought it up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it. “Please, I can’t live with myself if my favorite girl went to bed upset.”

“Mick, please. I just wanna be alone.”

“No, not when you’re upset,” he pressed. 

“I’m not upset. Just tired.”

He pressed another kiss to your hand. “I’ll make this better. I promise.”

Then he rose back to his feet, retreating to the living room so that he could hatch another plan to show you just how much he cares, barely missing your quiet mumble, “Yeah, that’s what you always say.”

[apieters]

The clash of steel rang on the streets of the Magic Kingdom as a furious duel erupted in New Orleans Square. In the midst of a band of soldiers all the way from Agrabah, lead by Captain Razoul, two swordsman stood their ground, slashing and thrusting back-to-back against superior odds—in other words, it was a fairly average Friday afternoon for Christopher “Chris” Carnovo and André Caron, the Swashbucklers of the Magic Kingdom.

A stranger duo couldn’t be found from the Frozen lands of Arendelle to the Primeval World. Chris was a young, greyish-blue tyrannosaur, dressed in a blue pirate’s coat belted with a white sash, wielding a rapier with lightning-fast thrusts. André was a young man with shaggy brown hair and a black padded jacket, slashing violently at his foes with a sabre. The soldiers of Agrabah pressed hard on every side, but the odd pair had two things in their favor—they were both masters in the art of swordsmanship, and they had been fighting together since childhood.

Chris and André had a long and colorful career—starting as privateers in their youth, the two had almost single-handedly cleared the seas of pirates such as the notorious Captains Nathaniel Flint, Henry Morgan and “Black Bart” Roberts, before taking up service as fight choreographers in their young adult years. The two friends had choreographed almost every fight scene in almost every movie made in the Magic Kingdom, a land of princes and princesses, wizards and witches, pirates and knights, talking animals and other motley characters. Under the leadership of Mickey Mouse, the protégé of the late Good King Walt, the Magic Kingdom was a land of art, culture, and storytelling, producing some of the finest movies in the world. But while some made their names on the silver screen as actors or served the Kingdom as statesmen and captains of industry (often all three), others made their names behind the scenes. Chris and André belonged to the latter category, but their work had made them many friends all over the Magic Kingdom—friends that sometimes had need of their special set of skills.

“Just once, I’d like to be called in for a favor that doesn’t involve the risk of getting stabbed!” André Caron snapped at the tyrannosaur as he slashed up, knocking a sword out of a soldier’s hand.

“We’re professional swordsmen, André,” Chris shot back as he spiraled his rapier, sending another scimitar flying out of a soldier’s grip. “What kinds of favors do you expect people need from us?” He lunged to the side just as a soldier was trying to flank his friend, arresting the attack. The two shifted positions effortlessly, their efforts coordinated like a dance. “Besides,” he smirked, parrying a wild cut from another soldier, “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I left it at home with the good book I was reading!” André shouted. A soldier rushed him and he grabbed the soldier’s wrist, wrenching his arm back before kicking him into his comrades.

“So, you don’t think we should be out here rescuing our friend?” Chris asked, spiraling his blade to intercept a cut and slashing at a second swordsman before thrusting over his shoulder at the first.

“I never said we shouldn’t be here,” André said, smashing his guard into a soldier’s forehead before parrying another incoming strike. “Just don’t expect me to be happy about it!” He swiped wide, left and right, whirling his sword in a dangerous dance of steel. He plowed through the soldiers, knocking them this way and that, clearing a way for the tyrannosaur. “Alright, Chris, I’m holding off as many as I can. Find Razoul and work your magic.”

This is the opening scene of a Disney fan-fiction story I’m rewriting. I started writing it for a couple reasons:

1) Chris needed a home. I’ve been drawing this swashbuckling tyrannosaur and his human companion (yes, André is named after me—there aren’t enough characters with my name, and that needs to be fixed) for just about 20 years now, and figured he needed a proper story. But what kind? Well, as I looked back, I realized that he was always sort of inserting himself into whatever I was interested in or reading at the time—piracy, Disney movies, books, etc. He was always a fan-fic character. So he needed to be in a fanfiction story. And as I tend to prefer a Disney-esque/traditional Western cartoon style, I decided he needed to be a Disney character—just one who works off-screen.

2) I really want to write original stories. I have at least 3 or 4 solid concepts, but when I decided in college that I wanted to write, I figured out I SUCKED at dialogue. And pretty much everything else. I had some raw talent, but of course that’s never enough—and being a perfectionist, I wasn’t going to waste an original story as my first attempt at learning the craft of writing. So I started exploring blogs about writing fantasy and credible, published authors all said the same thing: they started by writing fan-fiction. The reason they gave was that it was motivating because you already love the characters, and the world building and character creation is done for you (you can learn those skills later), leaving you free to focus on more fundamental aspects of writing craft—things like dialogue, pacing, plotting, planning, description, active vs. passive voice, all that jazz. So I decided to follow their advice.

I said earlier I was rewriting it—well, I got a little more than halfway through and the story just ran out of gas. The characters, I realized, would never and could never do the things necessary to advance the plot without breaking character, getting themselves killed, or using a dues ex machina. There were too many dangling plot threads, too many unnecessary characters, and after five years of intermittent drafting (I was in college, then I’ve had a day job or been job hunting ever since—I’m busy) I had gotten to know my characters (or my interpretations of several preexisting Disney characters) well enough that I could see major inconsistencies across the 200+ pages I had written. So I decided to go back to the beginning and rework the plot, making it a lot more consistent and focusing on a tighter core of characters. This scene was not in the original draft, and I think it establishes my characters far better than what I’d written before (which was essentially an info-dump of exposition—classic mistake).

Artist Behind the Scenes

Illustrating the picture presented several difficulties—one, I absolutely loathe myself for constantly choosing ground like grass or—in this case—cobblestones, which require a lot of repetitive, regular shapes. But that’s what the picture required, so I decided to make the cobblestones a little scribbled and blurry, and made the background lines thicker and fuzzier too. The biggest challenge was drawing multiple opponents—each guardsman is a unique person and requires individual attention to meet my minimum visual quality standards, and I can’t get away with vaguely soldier-looking blobs (as I’ve done in other pictures) since they are an integral part of the action that is the main focus of the piece.

The solution was to remember the adage, “the essence of the picture is the frame.” By positioning Chris and André just right in the frame and filling up as much space as I could using them, I could get away with only drawing parts of most of the guardsmen to give the effect of an outnumbered, chaotic street duel. I ended up framing the two characters with a ring of enemies, with Razoul appearing in the back to round out the impression of being surrounded on all sides.

The scimitar sabres (“scimitar” is a European butchering of the Persian shamshir) were a compromise between the way the Agrabah guards’ weapons appear in the movie Aladdin (where they are comically short and fat and have a clipped point) and real weapons. No actual Middle Eastern sword, to my knowledge, ever had a clipped point, which was actually a common feature of European single-edged swords like falchions and messers (which probably were the real inspiration behind Western artwork’s depictions of Eastern sabres); few sabres were ever as fat as the cartoons make them out to be; and most Middle Eastern sabres have straight, not recurved quillons. Most real sabres were relatively narrow, light swords meant for slashing/draw-cutting from horseback, not percussive chopping, and instead of a clipped point Turkish sabres often had a flared, double-edged tip called a yelman. I was thus faced with an artistic dilemma: integrity to reality or integrity to the source I was emulating. These are supposed to be the same guards as appeared in the “One Jump Ahead of the Breadline” musical number in Aladdin, armed with the same weapons; yet the action is taking place in “real life,” off-camera. I ultimately decided on a compromise: the scimitars would retain the same shape and features as in the movie, but I edited the dimensions to look a little more like real swords instead of meat cleavers.

(Disclaimer: Chris and André belong to me—everything else belongs to Disney).

[wiremagazine]

FLIX: THE GENTLEMEN

By Alyn Darnay

At long last, Director Guy Richie is back in the territory he knows best, the harsh, talky, violent, clever, funny, sexy, entertaining, and ever 'British cool' of cockney London's underworld. It's a post-modern English pulp fiction gem of a film, presented in a way that only a master of the sub-genre can bring it to the screen; and I'm glad to say Richie once again does it up to the nines.

This wonderful twisty tale of every mistake, misunderstanding, and bad choice that could possibly be made by semi-literate criminals who hobnob with the upper classes, and then buy them for their own nefarious purposes, is a delight to sit and watch.

Harkening back to Richie's days of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, with a bow to several other great English underworld movies like The Long Good Friday, Layer Cake, and The Krays, the plot of this crime caper film, loaded with known actors, will constantly keep you guessing as it tosses you in new directions every time you think you've got a handle on it.

Additionally, to add to the fun and make the characters appear even sleazier than they are, Richie has deliciously chosen to dress them all in flamboyant wardrobe, flashy outfits that show off their positions in society, or rather what they think they should wear to fit in or express their station in life. It's just another great touch.

Here’s the storyline...  

Rhodes scholar and ex-pat Mickey Pearson (McConaughey) has become rich by building a vast marijuana empire in England. Feeling both middle age and legalization descending upon him, he decides to hang it up and sell the business. He longs to take his fortune and live like the gentry, peacefully somewhere in the countryside with his adored and somewhat dominatrix minded wife (Dockery).

However, when someone spills the preverbal beans about the sale and makes it appear that his grip on the kingdom has weakened, it sets up a situation that has every scumbag wannabe plotting and scheming to relieve him of the business in any way possible.

With the help of his loyal right-hand man, Ray (Hunnam) and through the tattered stories of Fletcher (Grant), a unique blackmailer, Mickey tries to unravel all the plots and survive to sell another day.

The cast is remarkable. Dockery, whom you should know from Downton Abbey, makes a fabulous Cleopatra of crime. Hugh Grant, in a role he'd never actually get cast in, is a perfect sleazy PI, all hands and give me. Colin Farrell, all wrapped up in ridiculous plaid warm-ups, plays the semi-bad guy to the hilt. Even Henry Golding, the love interest from Crazy Rich Asians, is on board playing a very plausible bad guy. There's more, but let's just say everyone is great.

Then there's McConaughey, finally breaking out of the acting rut he's been in for quite a while. His Mickey is a beautiful creation, multi-layered ice, and evil, yet still an anti-hero. Someone to be admired and feared both in the same breath.

My take… I've always been a fan of Guy Richie, so I'd go to see a film of his anytime he puts one out – what a joy to see one that's better than I ever expected. If you're up for an exciting romp through London's underworld with all its warts and gentlemanly slaughter showing, this is your film.

The Gentlemen Rating: 5 stars (out of 5) Rated: R (for violence, language throughout, sexual references and drug content) Running Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

Alyn Darnay is a film critic; feedback is encouraged at adarnay@wiremag.com.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 5.2020

[theultimatefan]

Goldblum, Levi, Guttenberg Q&A’s, Cosplay, Live Podcasts, Creative Panels Head Programming At Wizard World Chicago; Most Included With Any Admission

Q&A sessions with Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day), Zachary Levi (Shazam, “Chuck”), Steve Guttenberg (Police Academy franchise, Cocoon), Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, “Stranger Things”), Henry Winkler (“Happy Days,” “Barry”), Chris Sarandon (The Princess Bride, Nightmare Before Christmas), and “Charmed” (Holly Marie Combs, Brian Krause, Drew Fuller and Billy Zane) plus Kelly Hu (“Arrow,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”) and more, workshops, cosplayer and comics creator sessions, adult and kids costume contests, live podcasts and more highlight the programming offerings at Wizard World Chicago, Thursday through Sunday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Most programming is included as part of the standard event admission and is in addition to the live entertainment options (dancing, music, etc.) all weekend.

Some highlights of the more than 200 hours of panels scheduled to date include:

Group sessions with “Buffy” stars Amy Acker and Emma Caulfield (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.); “Charmed” foursome of Combs, Krause, Fuller and Zane (Saturday, 12:30 p.m.); “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” voices Rob Paulsen, Barry Gordon, Cam Clarke and Townsend Coleman (Friday, 4:30 p.m.); “The Orville” cast Scott Grimes, Mark Jackson and Kelly Hu (Friday, 5 p.m.); “Heroes” foursome Greg Grunberg, Adrian Pasdar, Jack Coleman and David Anders (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.); The Nightmare Before Christmas stars Sarandon and Ken Page (Sunday, noon); “Arrowverse” trio of Hu, Matt Ryan and Teddy Sears (Sunday, 11 a.m.); Classic TV greats Winkler, George Wendt and Brad Savage (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.); “Batman vs. Superman” Kevin Conroy and Dean Cain (Saturday, 4 p.m.); and The Princess Bride reunion with Elwes & Sarandon (Saturday, 5 p.m.)

CONversations with Levi (Friday, 2:30 p.m.), Goldblum (Saturday, 3 p.m.), Guttenberg (Friday, 2 p.m.), Winkler (Friday, 3 p.m.), Powell (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.), Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts, Saturday, 2:30 p.m.) Mark Sheppard (“Supernatural”; Saturday, 1 p.m.), Melissa Joan Hart (Sunday, 1 p.m.)

Pro wrestlers Honky Tonk Man and Rob Van Dam (Friday, 4 p.m.) and “Women of Wrestling Torrie Wilson, Lillian Garcia, Lisa Marie Varon and Katie Forbes dish on their favorite ring promotions (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.)

Disney Trivia panel with Walt Before Mickey star Thomas Ian Nicholas (Rookie of the Year, American Pie), moderated by Handbook for Mortals author Lani Sarem and Samm Levine (Saturday, 6 p.m.)

Creator sessions with industry superstars Mike Watson, Kurt Lehner, Joe Wos, Mostafa Moussa, Jeremy Clark, Stuart Sayger, Gavin Smith, Josh Lyman and more

Blood Drive by Versiti Blood Center of Illinois, all weekend

Podcasts hosted by Seth Everett (Hall of Justice, Sports with Friends) and Mo Lightning (WrestlingAudio.com, 97.7 QLZ host); 3 Geeks, Plus Ultra My Hero, Toys Were Us Podcast tapings and Paranormal Podcasting panel by Hysteria 51, Blurry Photos, Freak of the Week, Bob After Dark and Blastropodcast

Interactive Workshops hosted by experts in Cosplay Foam Building/Foamsmithing; Intro to Sculpting; Intro to Resin Casting; Intro to Drawing; Cosplay Posing & Photoshoot; Cosplay Painting & Weathering; Worbla/Thermoplastics Cosplay (additional ticket required)

Psychologist Travis Langley will be on hand doing deep dives into fan favorite topics including "Supervillain Psychology: Who Wants to Be the Bad Guy?" "Broken Superheroes: Inside the Minds of Spider-Man, Batman, Jessica Jones, Deadpool, The Umbrella Academy and More!" and several others

Author Trevor Mueller will be doing three instructional panels - one on self-publishing, one on crafting fictional worlds and one on making webcomics; James Morris and Jared Bartemeyer will also conduct writing panels

Trivia panels on Family Guy & The Simpsons, Marvel vs. DC, Princess Bride, Stranger Things, and horror movies, plus daily Singo with FreeN’ Fun Bar Bingo

Fan- and industry-based panels on subjects ranging from Game of Thrones, geeks and depression, DC Movies, Black Panther, Dragonball Z, horror film characters, props, audio drama, the MCU phase 4, animation, Disney, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, toy hunting, pop culture & comedy, dating, underground comics, tabletop games/D&D, brand building, webcomics, positive fandom, diversity in comics, streaming app and more

The Enchanted World Of Rankin/Bass Productions With Official Historian/Biographer Rick Goldschmidt

Kids programming all four days (and Kids 10 and under are free every day with paid adult)

World-famous Wizard World Adult Costume Contest, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Kids Costume Contests on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Cosplay with special guests Hendo Art, Thousand Faces, Papa Bear, Galaxy Amethyst, LadyDragon Creations, Shield Labs, Wulfgar Weapons and CosAwesome Studios, throughout the weekend

Unless noted, programming events take place in the designated General Programming Rooms or show floor stages at the convention center. VIP tickets or additional costs may apply to ensure access to select activities, as noted.

A full list of Wizard World Chicago programming is available at http://wizardworld.com/programming-entertainment/chicago (subjects, guests, times and rooms subject to change).

Wizard World events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The eighth event scheduled on the 2019 Wizard World calendar, Chicago show hours are Thursday, August 22, 4-9 p.m.; Friday, August 23, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, August 24, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, August 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kids 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult.

Wizard World Chicago is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday evening.

For more on the 2019 Wizard World Chicago, visit http://wizd.me/ChicagoPR.

[angelfireeast]

List of Ships & NOTP

The Flash: OTP: Westallen. Ships: Kamilla/Cisco. Joe/Cecile. Snowstorm, Fic: Harrisco. NOTP: Snowbarry FrostBarry, Savtiar/Killer Frost, Ralph/Caitlin

Black Lightning: Thundergrace, Lynn/Jefferson

Stargirl: Hournite

Supergirl: Ships: Kelly/Alex, Karoslen, NOTP: Karamel 

Arrow: NOTP: Olicity 

Legends of Tomorrow: Ships Mick/Amaya, Sara/lots women she meets.  NOTP: SteelVixen, Kendra/Carter

Anne with an E: Anne/Gilbert, Anne/Diane 

The Good Place: Eleanor/Chidi & Janet/Jason

Once Upon a Time: Ships: Henry/ Cinderella, Regina/Robin Hood. Snowing. Rumbelle (from the early seasons before it all went so wrong) NOTP: CaptainSwan,  Regina/Wish Hook

Orphan Black: Ships: Alison/Donnie. Helena/Art Bell

Psych: Ships: Shawn/Lassie, Shawn/Juliet, Lassie/Marlowe 

Galavant: Ships: Richard/Bobby, Galavant/Izzie, Gareth/Queen Madalena

Jane the Virgin: Ships: Jane/Michael, Xo/Rogelio

Star Wars: OTP: Han/Leia, Finn/Rey Ships: Anakin/Padme, Finn/Poe, Rey/Finn/Poe NOTP: Rey/Kylo Ren & Ben/Rey

Star Trek Discovery: OTP: Paul/Hugh

Star Trek Ships: AOS: Spock/Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu/Ben Sulu, Bones/Jim Kirk (in fan fiction), Spock/Jim Kirk (in fanfiction), Spock/Jim Kirk/Bones (in fan fanfiction), Classic ST: Uhura/Montgomery Scott, TNG: William Riker/Deanna Troi, DS9: Jadzia Dax/Worf. Miles O'Brien/Keiko O'Brien. Odo/Kira. Odo/Lwaxana Troi STV: Tom Paris/ B'Elanna Torres. Janeway/ Chakotay. The Doctor/Seven of Nine STE: T'Pol/Tucker, Phlox/ Feezal Phlox, Phlox/Elizabeth Cutler

Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis & Stargate Universe:

Ships: Jack/Sam, Rodney McKay/Jennifer Keller, Rodney Mckay/John Sherpard (Fan fiction only) Camile Wray/Sharon, Dr. Rush/Chloe Armstrong (fan fiction). Tj/Varro.

This is US: Jack/Rebecca Pearson, Randall/Beth Pearson NOTP: Kevin/Olivia

Harry Potter:

Ships: Harry Potter/Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger (fan fiction AU only), Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley, Bill Weasley/Fleur Delacour.

Avatar: The Last Airbender & Legends of Korra:

Ships: Korra/Asami Sato , Aang/Katara, Zuko/Katara, Zhu Li/Varrick

Legend of the Seeker: Ships: Kahlan/Richard, Kahlan/Cara & Richard/Kahlan/Cara

Being Human UK Ships: Annie/Mitchell, George/Nina, Leo/Pearl.

Community: Ships: Troy/Britta, Jeff/Annie

Doctor Who, Torchwood & The Sarah Jane Adventures: Ships: Clyde/Rani, Martha/Mickey sorta Martha/Ten.

Farscape: Ships: John/Aeryn

Fringe: Ships: Peter/Olivia

SyFy’s Tin Man and SyFy’s Alice Ships: TG/Cain, TG/Gitch, Alice/Hatter(David)

Sanctuary: Ships: Nicola/Helen (in fan fiction), Henry/Kate

Primeval Ships: Connor/Abby, Jess/Becker, Emily/Matt

[alliethelombax]

Comparison

As promised, I’m about to compare two video games that I feel have very similar backstories: Bendy and the Ink Machine and Epic Mickey.

In Epic Mickey, you have Mickey falling upon a desolate land known as Wasteland, where all of Walt Disney’s forgotten and scrapped cartoon characters reside in. Among them is their leader, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who has a bitter hatred towards Mickey because he feels that the mouse stole all the fame that should've been his.

And most of you already know what happens in Bendy and the Ink Machine.

Both games have the traditional ‘ink’ that was used to create these two characters, but Epic Mickey has another component: thinner. All the characters in Wasteland (including Mickey) are made of “Paint” (another term for ink) and the only thing that can kill them is “Thinner.” When hit with Thinner, the victim melts and all their features appear distorted and misshapen. (just like Bendy during the entire game).

Anyway, like I said in my previous thoughts post, both Oswald and Bendy are forgotten characters that have a burning thirst for fame and revenge. A few times during Epic Mickey, Oswald is extremely harsh towards Mickey and wants to steal his heart (when a cartoon character is loved by fans, they have a beating heart. Once they’re forgotten, the heart stops beating) in order to retrieve the fame his father promised him 83 years ago (the game was released in 2010).

With Bendy, he’s also forgotten and alone, but his emotions are more hostile and unfortunately, I don't have enough knowledge of the game to know if this is also because of a new character replaced him or another reason entirely. Either way, he can’t control his emotions and is thirsty for merciless killing. 

Even though Bendy is a fairly new character, his intentions are clear: to kill his creators. Also, Oswald never directly threatens Mickey by any stretch, but there is a villain known as the Shadow Blot, who is composed of both Paint and Thinner, creating a thick purple ink that is able to drain characters of their Paint and turn them to stone. And this villain shoots this ink at everyone in Wasteland, making many things, and people, melt and lose their color. But his main target is Mickey; since the mouse has a healthy beating heart, he wants it to become more powerful. Mickey decided to sacrifice his heart for the sake of his brother, who was slowly dying in the Shadow Blot’s hand (he was suffocating).

By the end of the game, Mickey and Oswald have set aside their differences and finally became true brothers.

Oswald’s dark side is mostly expressed only in fan fictions; even though Oswald appeared to have accepted Mickey, his churning anger still stirs inside him, (most stories have him affected by some of the Shadow Blot’s ink consuming his soul),causing him to go insane and become a merciless assassin (a melted insane rabbit). Based on fan art, every part of his body is dripping ink and his eyes are eerily glowing yellow. Being insane, he cannot think and just starts ravenously goes after his target.

Even though this is only fan-based, a lot of people have accepted this as a head canon, pretty much the entire fandom. Same deal with Bendy; he’s also gone somewhat insane and is literally stalking the player (Henry) to try and kill him.

*So even though I like the game Bendy and the Ink Machine based on seeing a video, I’m actually more terrified than in love since I have old drawings of Oswald when I was in the Epic Mickey fandom, and after connecting Bendy with Oswald, nightmares began circulating in my head. Idk, its just that seeing Bendy’s face everywhere it looks like he’s like planning to kill me, which i’d be happy to accept...