#mother superior calderon

[dulcemapis]

I graduated today. here's my cap

[jaderavenarts]

I love Sister Calderón and I love how Arthur's scenes with her contextualize his character. I love her line about how hearts are rarely pure but they're rarely entirely impure either, I feel like that's one of the big theses of RDR2 and was a big part of helping Arthur finally understand himself. I love that in the "I'm afraid" scene she describes her perception of high honor Arthur as always smiling and helping people, and notes that helping people makes him happy. I love that Arthur seemed genuinely happy to see her at the train station as he approached her. I love how that scene lays out Arthur's realization over the course of the game of how he's thrown away so much of his life for his devotion to the gang. I love Sister Calderón's encouragement of "take a gamble that love exists and do a loving act." I love how much her scenes with Arthur are filled with understanding, love, hope, and peaceful introspection, with a side of good humor. I love that all of this shines a light on the good man inside of Arthur that people like Mary, Charles, and so many strangers saw despite the violent life he was raised into and wore as his armor for so much of his life.

[la-morte-di-belle]

Chapter Three (finally...)

Title: Linger

Chapter Three: Lessons, Letters, and the Restricted Section Pt. 1

Fandom: Hogwarts Legacy

Main Characters: Selena Calderon (OC), Ominis Gaunt

Pairing: Pre!Ominis Gaunt x Selena Calderon

Warnings:  Angst, hurt/comfort

Notes:  A short story inspired by Hogwarts Legacy. Some liberties were taken and certain events will not follow the original story within the game beat for beat. Characters have been aged a year (6th year).

Summary:  Selena Calderón was a fool to yearn for a man she could not keep. Ominis Gaunt was too sanguine to think he could keep their hands clean. Sebastian Sallow was the string that held all three together. And, in the wake of his absence everything around Ominis and Selena was unraveling. Try as they might, they could not live life without him. Selena would not be left lingering for a friend who might be on his way to Azkaban. A short story about the struggles of moving on, finding new love and realization.

Previous Chapter: Chapter Two

“It's more than just ‘pushing someone out,’ you know." Ominis began. “Occlumency is completely shielding one’s mind against a Legilimens. Or those trying to access your thoughts and feelings so they may influence you.” 

He paused here, seemingly aggravated by an unknown entity Selena couldn’t protect him from. His hands, which once were melded into her own, had begun to fight with the rest of him. Open. Close. They dragged themselves up and down the wool fabric— never finding a place to rest. Selena itched to return to the closeness they once shared, but Ominis had pushed them apart. It was a reminder, a small warning to the both of them that their journey to the Room of Requirement wasn’t some friendly get-together. 

He was to teach her another way to survive, just as Sebastian had before.  

It hadn’t appeared prevalent then, but the  Auror’s use of Occlumency had stirred an inferno within Ominis.  Selena had been attacked prior to this one instance. She had found herself on the end of a wand countless times, so adding another aggression against her to the list wasn’t much of a feat if she was honest, but Ominis was furious. His anger and heat were things she had learned to become unfamiliar with. What caused him to become so motivated to protect her from this one thing when it was unlikely Selena would be assaulted again? What was he not sharing with her? 

When he started anew, Selena felt even more lost than when he first proposed she learned to become an Occlumens. “As you know, my family and I are Purebloods, the elite of the elite, in part to Salazar Slytherin’s blood flowing through us.  As a child, I never thought much of it, but for the rest of my family, this was the divine proof of our superiority. It—it was so stupid, honestly. This way of thinking just fostered bitterness and jealousy. 

Aunt Noctua was different, though. Before—she disappeared, shouldering their disgusting beliefs was easy. While my family was not what you would call homely, Aunt Noctua made everything within the manner’s walls more lively. I’d probably gone mad if she wasn’t there to constantly rescue me from their insanity. Especially when I let it be known how much I didn’t care about blood purity. Or my lack of regard for following an ideology that tortured others for the pleasure of it. I was much more interested in Aunt Noctua’s stories and the muggle equivalent of Herbology.”

“Gardening? You garden?”

“Yes, or well, I used to. It was the only thing I truly shared with my mother. It's not exactly the same thing, though. Merlin forbid, my mother got on her hands and knees to plant some daisies or whatnot, but the act of breathing life into new seedlings or listening to the whispers of all the different flowers around us was exhilarating.”

His face had lightened up at the small memory, and an unspoken sense of relief flooded Selena as whatever troubled him early seemed to be fading. “That sounds beautiful, Ominis. I really wish I could see it.” 

“I wish I could show you,” he agreed. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. What— what happened to it?” His hands began again. Open. Close. Up. Down. They were burning themselves into his slacks. “It's okay. You don’t need to share with me, Ominis.”  

The young man just shook his head.  

A few long moments passed as Ominis tried to steady himself. Words came and went, floating in a hazy mess as they tried to straighten themselves into phrases of reassurance. None of them, however, wanted to be spoken. So, Selena did the only thing she could do, take hold of his moving hands and shield them with her own.

 “How strange.” 

“Who? Me?”

“Yes,” Ominis laughed. “You and Anne have only met a handful of times, yet you both comfort your friends the same.”

“We do?” Selena croaked unsurely. He gave her another nod and radiant smile. Their similarities appeared to bring him further peace. Something she knew should make her happy. Ominis had shared another piece of himself— a beautiful memory that was meant to bring them closer, and they did. She was honored he felt so comfortable with her. They were friends, and that was how things were supposed to be. 

So why did she feel the need to drop his hands and leave because he found serenity in her and Anne’s commonalities?

“Hm. Anne could never let things lie. She always made sure Sebastian and I knew we had somebody. You’re the same way, just a little less refined and brash.” Ominis teased. “It's the Gryffindor in you, I suppose. Always running into things without thinking. I can see why Sebastian found you so entertaining.”  

“I live to please, I guess.”

“Well, either way, I must say I am grateful for it. Your friendship and theirs.  All of you are more of a family to me than my own.”

“Ominis, I—”

“Don’t. I’m alright.” He gripped her hands tighter and at last brought their separation to an end. “There’s no true love between my family and I. To them, you were only important for the blood you carried and the marriages you’d make. My siblings and I knew nothing but rage and pain. We were made to practice all the Unforgivables on one another so that we may one day use them against all the muggle-borns and blood traitors for tainting the beauty of our society.”

“That’s horrible!”

“It was my life until I came here, to Hogwarts, and met Sebastian and Anne.  I was never any good with them, and when I was successful, they only worked because of my anger towards having to cast it. I couldn’t understand how it came so easily for everyone. People like my older brother, Marvolo, relished in his use of them— even when he’d use it on us younger siblings. He found joy and power, but I couldn’t see anything but the horror of it. I’ll never be able to forgive myself for utilizing my turmoil and disgust to harm such innocent people. However, there was one good thing that came from it.”

“I fail to see what that could be.”

He laughed once more and slowly burrowed the sound in the soft strands of her hair. “You know, the easiest way to beat the Imperius curse is to know Occlumency.” 

“So, you wouldn’t learn Imperio earlier, but you’ll use it on my best friend?”

Her heart dropped. “You can stop the Imperius curse.”

“To a degree.”

“But—,” he had let her cast it on him. 

There was no fight. 

No struggle. 

She had forgotten all about that incident— banished it away to the far corners of her mind to be forgotten and shadowed by the scars of everything that happened afterward. Ominis had allowed her to overtake his mind and manipulate him knowing he could shake off her lousy attempt at the spell. Selena wanted to be furious, let forth a fountain of betrayal and outrage over his lack of disclosure for having the ability to stop her. She just couldn’t.  Ominis had warned her, and she still went ahead and cursed him anyways. 

“I’ll take all the responsibility.” 

So this is what he meant that night in the catacomb. 

This was the responsibility she was supposed to take. Ominis had willingly sacrificed himself and placed his throat at the tip of her wand— a wand that was supposed to be held by a friend. He had believed in her. He had seen how Selena would do anything to help her friends achieve their goals and obtain solace with the comfort she brought because of her assistance. She had failed him, and still, Ominis played witness to the kindness she shared with others. He watched as Selena handed out those parts of her to everyone else but him. 

“Why didn’t you stop it?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” He made to straighten up, but Selena didn’t want to release him from her hold. Not yet. Not when she could barely accept being added to the list of monsters who took his trust and molded it to match her own interests. Ominis quietly sighed and eased his hands from her own. “What’s done is done.”

“I know, just—”

“Oh for Merlin’s sake, let it go, Selena. I’m alright.” 

She knew he was. Out of the three of them, Ominis had always been the strongest. Friend or foe, the young man would let it be known how foolish and wrong everyone was when others would keep such thoughts behind pressed lips. He was their bright burst of light shielding them from the heavy cloaks of a Dementor.  So, Selena knew he would be alright, but that didn’t make the guilt any easier. 

“This isn’t what we came here for. Come now, face me so we may begin our lesson.” 

“Fine,” She relented in a hushed sweep of air, dissipating the thick thread of tension between them. “I’m a sucker for this newfound assertiveness so I’ll comply this one time.”

Ominis rolled his eyes and settled deeper into the other end of the couch. “Thanks. Though I don’t believe I’ve been behaving any more different than before.”

“Fair. You’ve always been a little bossy—”

“—I beg your pardon!”

“But I don’t know, I just feel that you seem a little more sure of yourself. Since, you know…everything that happened with Sebastian and Anne.” 

They’d fallen quiet again, fading back into the misery that Selena found herself tied to. Ominis was throwing her a line to grab hold of so she might be brought back to the surface, but here she was, trying to pull him under with her. Ominis deserved better than that— better than her. 

“It's a good thing though! Like I’ve said before, I very much enjoy this side of you. Anyhow, carry on, Professor Gaunt.”

“Right. Well, I think we should start with how well-trained your mind is already.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I have your permission, yes?”

“Uh, sure?”

“Selena!”

“Alright! Yes, do with me what you will Ominis.”

Ominis shot her a look of humored annoyance and ignored her teasing by taking out his wand. The faint glow of red at its tip was drowned out by the bright hues of yellow and orange of the fire behind it. Swishing to and fro, Ominis bounced the wood on each pad of his fingers. Selena waited for the rotation of his wrist and the murmur of a spell, anything to show her friend had begun their lesson. But Ominis continued flickering his wand in small circular motions and kept her focus on the repetition of it. Brown eyes followed smooth lanky fingers as they spun the rich bark of English Oak round and round before her. 

Selena never noticed when Ominis eventually said, “Legilimens.”

[Yesterday Morning - Headmaster’s Office]

“Good morning! Ms. Calderón, wasn’ it?”

“Um—yes, sir,” the student softly mumbled.

“I’m Auror Kaur and this is my partner, Auror Gawley. We’d like to ask you a few questions if you don’t mind?”

“Questions? Oh, uh, I guess that's alright?”

“Perfect!” The blonde, heavy-set man smiled widely at her with his browned, yellowed teeth. “You’re in your sixth year, yeah? Pretty late to be starting school. How’s it treating  you?”

“Fine,” the sixteen-year-old murmured reluctantly. 

“That’s good to hear! After all the things we’ve heard you have been involved in, what with the dragon and troll and whatnot.” 

“Um, thank you?” Selena stuttered. “I didn’t really— do much.”

Laughter bellowed loudly out of Kaur. “Nonsense! Escaping a dragon and taking down a troll are very impressive feats, Miss Calderón. Why, I don’t know of many witches or wizards who can boast that they’ve come face to face with at least one of them, let alone both.”

“Kaur.”

“Right, right. Just trying to make her feel comfortable.”

The makeshift space created for their meeting in the Headmaster’s office provided Selena with no comfort. Nor did Auror Kaur’s false pleasantries. She sat worriedly in the chair before them, unsure of their true purpose for being at Hogwarts and her need to be in their presence. Worries and fears crawled their way through every nerve in her body. They weren't here for Sebastian, were they? Did they happen to know anything about his sudden disappearance?

“I don’t mean to be rude but is Sebastian alright, sir? Headmaster Black mentioned—“

“All is well, dear. He’s safe and with his sister.”

“Anne? But Sir, I don’t understand. What happened? Why was he taken out of school?”

The second Auror, a man much older than his partner, reached forward to grasp the blonde and sighed down at the two of them irritably. “We’re here to investigate the death of Solomon Sallow.”

“Gawley!”

“Come off it, Kaur. There’s no beatin’ ‘round the bush ‘bout it.”

Selena straighten quickly in her worn and dated armchair. The Aurors bickered in harsh tones before her, but the raging war within Selena held her focus. Pointedly, she schooled the features beating themselves against the bars of neutrality. It screamed and raged, demanding the student’s attention be turned to it. The men knew nothing. They had to know nothing. It was the reason they were here, right? 

All Selena needed to do was breathe. Breathe and act as if she knew nothing. 

“Solomon’s dead?”

“Aye,” Gawley grunted. “Mr. Sallow has unfortunately passed.”

“But—wait! What about Sebastian and Anne!” Selena allowed a quiver to shake her lips as she gently dropped her head to her chest, perfectly woeful and beautifully innocent. “Merlin, I can’t—Oh gods.”

Auror Kaur muttered a “Poor thing” before the screech of his chair rang out as both he and his seat made their way to settle beside the Gryffindor girl. “You three were quite close from what the Headmaster shared. I— we can promise you your friends are safe, and if—”

“Oy! Don’ coddle her.”

“Goodness, gracious Gawley! Can’t you see how upset she is—here, dear, don’t mind him, you can use my handkerchief—a little more tact and sensitivity would be much appreciated!”

Selena sank deeper into the chair, folding herself further away from both men. Let them argue all they want as long as the show entertained the two of them, Selena would continue with her one-woman act and fish them for as much information as possible. From the corner of her eyes, she caught the swirling of the eldest man’s wand dancing within the shadow of his robes— waiting, watching, listening for its cue to come out and be known to all those who sat in the dim glow of the Headmaster’s office. 

“Um, excuse me, sirs? Would you be able to tell me what happened?” Selena mumbled, eyes never leaving Gawley’s wand. “I just—are they alright? Can I see them?”

“So polite! Unfortunately, as this is an ongoing investigation, we can’t tell you any more than what we have.”

Ah, this was how they were going to lead the interrogation.

Auror Kaur continued to smile widely at Selena without notice of her deception. Gawley, on the other hand, didn’t seem inclined to be as welcoming as the other. There was no doubt in the Gryffindor’s mind that the older man didn’t fall victim to her charade. Towering and stocky as he was, the man seemed to love hiding behind the abundant ray of friendliness and concern that Kaur exerted abundance of.  The longer Selena let their conversation continue, the quicker her downfall would come. She would need to end this talk quickly and run with as much information as she could pull out of them.

“Was there anything you needed me from then, sirs?”

“No—”

“What was Sebastian Sallow’s relationship like with his uncle?”

“For Pete's sake, Gawley.”

“It's alright, Mr. Kaur!” Selena finally returned the clingy blonde’s smile. “I can’t really say much, but I know Sol— Mr. Sallow and Sebastian didn’t always see eye to eye.”

“And you don’ know why?”

The teen turned to face Auror Gawley with a frown. “Uh, well, it isn’t really my place to say.”

“I see.”

“Sir,” Selena pushed again. “Are you sure everything’s alright? Sebastian—”

“Is fine. Like we said.” Auror Kaur assured. “We’re just trying to get to the bottom of things. Solomon was an old friend of ours, and though he may have hung his badge, once an Auror, always an Auror.”

Fucking hell.

Friends? Solomon Sallow still had friends in the Ministry? Why hadn’t Sebastian or Anne said anything? Killing a man was easy, unfortunately. Trying to cover up the death of a still influential one was trouble. This investigation was spiraling down a path Selena couldn’t control or predict. How did she end up five steps behind? What did she miss? The distance between her and the Aurors grew wider and wider with each sentence. Something was amiss. Why were they so concerned with Sebastian? 

“It's why we’re here,” Kaur continued. “Some of Solomon’s friends were concerned over his sudden passing and came to us. Poor things, to come to learn they lost an Uncle so soon after losing their parents. How—”

“That's enough, Kaur!”

“Stop being such a sour kneazle, Gawley.”

The older man rolled his eyes and motioned at the blonde with his wand. A dramatic puff of air raced out of Kaur’s lips, signaling his annoyed reluctance as he slunk away from his seat beside Selena and returned to the other man’s side. “Seems like we’re done here.”

“Wait!” Selena shot up, her chair loudly clacking to the floor behind her. “Sirs, please. I’m not sure what you think, but I can promise you, Sebastian had nothing to do with it. Despite their differences and arguments, Sebastian loved his uncle just as much as he loved his sister, Anne. Sirs, you have to help him— them. I know losing their uncle has hurt them, and while I’m grateful you’re helping look into this, I think you're suspecting the wrong person.”

“Suspecting? I think you got it all wrong. Young Sallow isn’t a suspect at all. We’re jus’ coverin’ our bases.” It was Gawley’s turn to share a crude, friendly smile with Selena. “However, why don’t you share why you think we’re suspectin’ ‘em? Maybe it’ll help find the real culprit, yeah?” 

Shit.

“I— well,” she began unsteadily. “You asked me about his relationship with his uncle, but you never asked about Anne’s.”

“Ah. Jus’ standard protocol is all. You’d only spoke of ‘im. Figure you’d know more than wit’  youn’  Miss Sallow.”

Shit!

The man was playing Selena, and she had unknowingly been partaking in their game all along. How easy it must have been for them to realize she was hiding something. They’d use her emotions, manipulate each and every one of her moods, and blindly drag Selena down into the jaws of a sleeping dragon. Merlin, how pathetic.

She could battle poachers, ride graphorns, and wield powerful ancient magic but not see the trap right in front of her. 

What a bloody joke she had become to be guided on a deceitful path of comfort words.

Heat rose within her, and though she should have known better than to continue with their conversation, their intended seeds of doubt had been planted. Selena had allowed that bud to grow inside of her, given time for the roots to settle and let it soak up any sense of calm she held before. 

With a sigh, Selena raised her head to stare at the older men in front of her. “I’m worried about him— them,” she confessed. “Especially after what happened the last time we were there.”

“Hmm? And why’s that?”

“Well—”

“Take your time, dear. Only share if you don’t mind doing so!” Kaur chimed. 

“It’s— sorry,” Selena murmured anxiously. 

“You’re fine. Take as long as you need.”

“Right, thank you, sir.” 

Her heart wouldn’t stay seated. So many thoughts fought for attention inside the cages of her mind, and Selena didn’t know how to wrangle them all back into a coherent list. 

“There was nobody else. I came alone.”

Oh, Sebastian, what had he gotten them into now?

He had continually sacrificed himself for Selena, and now with the ball in her court, the gnawing phantom claws of hesitation held her back from doing the same. He was guilty, but was it worth losing her friend to Azkaban? Should she confess their sins and let them truly take Sebastian? Did the Aurors even really know what had gone on? 

Selena needed to fix this.

Where was that dumb Gryffindor courage that her Slytherin friend loved to tease her so much about?

“If you want to get the most out of your time at Hogwarts you're going to need to break the rules now and then.”

 And like a match had been struck, the floodgate of words began rushing out of her. “Yes,” she began in a rush— lies spilling out of her easily once freed from its confines. “Yes, the last time we were together, Sebastian, Anne, and I—there was an argument. Nothing physical, but Sebastian and Solomon fought over Anne. She’s—she’s really sick, and all we wanted to do was take her out. Which we did, but—we ran into Rookwood.”

“Rookwood. As in Victor Rookwood?” Kaur interrupted.

“Uh, yeah. He was insisting we knew where the location was to some lady’s house, but Sebastian and Anne never heard of her before. He wouldn’t leave us alone despite us telling him this. We tried to tell Solomon about him once we got away, but he didn’t believe us and was more upset that we’d taken Anne out. He sent us home soon after that.”

“I don’t think I quite follow, Miss Calderon. What does Victor Rookwood have to do with Solomon—”

“—What business would Mr. Rookwood have in Feldcroft?” Gawley growled.

“I…I don’t know, sir. I—it was just strange that he was questioning us about the whereabouts of something we knew nothing about.”

Kaur looked at Selena wearily. “This— isn’t really helpful.” With a sigh of his own, the blonde man slumped forward to rest himself on the desk before him and accidentally knocked into Gawley’s outstretched hand.  A small clunk rang out as Gawley’s reddish brown wand slipped from his grip. For a moment, all eyes found themselves drawn to the lost object. They watched as the wand rolled onto the floor listlessly— tethering between the shadow of the desk and the glow of the morning sun. 

Selena, more so than the rest, was entranced by it. 

She followed the back-and-forth swaying of the chestnut wood and stared at the thing as it struggled, almost as if it couldn’t make up its mind as to whether or not it wanted to be illuminated or shrouded in darkness. Such an odd thing for a wand to be doing. Why was the thin stick still moving? Shouldn’t it have lost all momentum by now? 

How odd.

How odd.

Oh!

Her mind sounded so echo-y. What a strange thing to be happening. Were her thoughts usually like this?

Wait.

Wait.

Wait!

Something wasn’t right. 

Something was slithering, coiling, lounging in the outskirts of her thoughts. This thing was burrowing its way behind the blockades and vaults she dare not open.

She needed to it stop moving.

She needed to get it out.

[abigailmarstons]

[champagnesuperhoeva]

there are so many great characters in this game I had to do more also I forgot to put reverend swanson in the first few posts and I’m kicking myself

anyways tag the tear coming out of your left eye, tag the tear coming out of your right eye

find the rest of the red dead redemption tag yourself meme here

[sleepyarthur]

Arthur and Mary-Beth is the OTP.

THIS WILL BE LONG. But if you’re willing to be convinced, then I invite you to read it. I also recommend watching the cutscenes and dialogue (look for them around youtube if you can) I refer here for more clarity if you’re feeling a bit confused on some parts because I can’t write well enough to save a life sometimes. :( So, first and foremost, we know Arthur’s very secretive. He’s this man who’s sensitive by nature but hides it through his gruff, masculine exterior in an attempt to still remain intimidating and superior to the other gang members, especially as Dutch’s right-hand man. There’s evidently only 3 or 4 potential people he folds to when it comes to his “romantic” side as these people put it, namely, Mary-Beth, Tilly, Hosea, and potentially Karen (although there isn’t much hint towards it). Hosea’s understandable as he loved him like a father. The girls, on the other hand, he treats as close friends, especially with the friendly banter they have from time to time. Lenny is also a possibility but he only opens up to him like twice, once when he’s drunk (”No one would have me”) and the other when Tilly and Hosea was around pushing him to answer about the way he wanted to be buried.  His interactions with Mary-Beth is a little different from the other girls. She’s the only one who he is fine with talking about his deeply personal journal, even though he just wanted to laugh with her about  his writing in particular. Also, isn’t it strange that Mary-Beth shared a mutual interest in the same hobby? Anyhow, whenever Mary-Beth asks, you bet Arthur delivers with hardly any hesitation. When Mary-Beth asks about Mary at the beginning of Tilly’s rescue mission, Arthur actively talks about very intricate details of his complicated relationship. First, how he’s been thinking how “it all ended”, mentioning the back and forth stubbornness between the two (”She didn’t love me enough, I guess, or I wouldn’t change”)  and how much he admits he’s a fool for her (”Well, she put a lot of good years in an outlaw”). Another point of his openness to share with Mary-Beth could be seen through a domino game with her. When she asks him about the flower on his tent,  he mentions his mother almost immediately. I was thinking that he would’ve probably said something along the lines of “Just a flower I picked up,” or the same line he says afterward that it’s a “good luck charm”. Instead, he begins with “Oh, it’s something my ma always liked.” Strangely, throughout the game, you almost never really see Arthur open up about his parents before except through this one small interaction between them and the very riveting conversation he has with Sister Calderon. And finally, Mary-Beth is one of the few who he opens up to about his sickness. Some members he tells of his sickness but does not reveal it’s something he could die from, aside from Charles. Most of the members just find it out on their own, judging from Arthur’s behavior and how sick he looked. Even for someone like Sadie, he doesn’t falter and admit it, and she finds out anyway through his implications when he asked her to help John’s family. Mary-Beth has a conversation in the Chapter 6 camp where he openly admits his situation, and only to Mary-Beth alone, not for the other girls like the other conversations. Afterward, he states something that even he wouldn’t even tell Sister Calderon, or Charles during their heartfelt conversation onward to Fort Wallace. He tells her that he “started to see things differently,” and that “the whole world seems different somehow.” It’s strange how such a simple conversation can reveal so many thoughts of Arthur outside of his journal, with none other than Mary-Beth. Next up, some more minor points but still support the theory nonetheless:  Another unique interaction he has compared to the other members of the camp is his constant asking of her if she’s okay with the decision of joining the gang. He always asks her if she was happy sticking with them “reprobates” or if she’s okay about joining "this band of maniacs”. For a man who loved his gang like a family, he’s constantly trying to steer her away from their outlaw life, asking her about it possibly hoping that one day she’ll say no and make a life for herself. It also shows his protective nature towards Mary-Beth. Remember Karen joining the bank robbery in Valentine? He didn’t seem to mind that Karen’s going to involve herself in a high stakes bank robbery planned by the clumsy Bill himself where all of them could get killed. Yet, when Sean, the other goof of the camp, readies a plan of his own to rob a stagecoach with Mary-Beth and Arthur finds out she’s joining, he‘s up in arms about it and forces Sean to invite him, and never really admits he’s worried. It’s also important to note that during Bill’s coach robbery, he doesn’t mind inviting Tilly over to join them when Bill said he needed one of the girls to come along with them, so his demeanor towards Mary-Beth’s safety is unique in itself compared to the other girls in camp Arthur also puts Mary-Beth in high regard, even though she only knows how to steal. He brags to Sean about how she had stolen more than the both of them combined, and how he thought she was just a poor innocent girl being chased by three men until he finds out she stole so much jewelry from them. You’ll also notice Arthur scolding Sean angrily whenever he asks something from her, like “she ain’t blind,” when Sean asks her if she sees the part of the road where she’ll be putting her act on, or when he tries to confirm if she knows what she’ll be doing,  A final important point, if you still aren’t convinced so far: We know that there are two times Arthur gets into these sessions where he’s thinking about the past with voices echoing in the background. It happens twice, one right after his tuberculosis diagnosis, and the second is when he’s on his last ride back to camp. In both iterations, the last voices and words he remembers are FROM Mary-Beth. Specifically, the last quote he hears after the diagnosis is “Well, she was a fool then, Arthur”. This does NOT make any sense at first, if you think about it, but context is important. Mary-Beth says this right after Arthur talks about the end of his relationship with Mary. As I mentioned previously, when Mary-Beth asked what happened with their break up, Arthur told her that he thinks that she didn’t love him enough, or that he wouldn’t change. Mary-Beth sides with him, which leads to her calling Mary a fool for not loving him enough. Arthur afterwards defends her, talking about how he’s the real fool. Perhaps, he thought he truly was, because now it was already too late for him to enjoy a life with Mary.

Meanwhile, the last quote he hears during his last ride back to camp was “Maybe it’s a sign, Arthur... try... try to do the good thing.” This dialogue comes from a conversation with Mary-Beth at camp, when he admits to her that he’s dying. Strangely, this conversation is easily missed, yet regardless if you get into the conversation or not, this will still appear. If I recall correctly, this conversation only pops up right after the TB diagnosis (which is why it’s easy to miss) and not anymore after, which implies that her words must have impacted him so much that he followed through with it for the rest of the chapter. Maybe Rockstar planned for this conversation between them to be a part of the mission somehow, but never got around to it, considering how important it was. It could allude to the idea that maybe she really is the love interest of Arthur that they scrapped before the game’s release, but that’s another theory for another time. Sure, maybe it’s just a coincidence, but there are so many other people he could remember quotes and heartfelt words from, like Sister Calderon and Hosea. Yet to have Mary-Beth’s words be the last things he thinks about in both of the times he was at his most vulnerable shows not only his value of her, but also the fact that he may have truly shaped his eventual deeds through her advice.  So that’s all for this long ass essay. Maybe I’ve convinced you, maybe not, but all in all I think their relationship is so uniquely presented that it should never be overlooked. I welcome any criticism, retorts or anything that could debunk it, and I’ll be ready to answer.  I think deep down they really loved each other, but neither could admit their feelings with one another. Also they’re both adults so don’t be so bothered with the age gap... I know I’m not, for Arthur I mean. :x Also, I totally don’t put myself in Mary-Beth’s shoes from time to time. *coughs* Oh no i have tb.

[sleepingdragon-rp]

☆ MATEO “MATT” MCKINNON  —

BASICS

★ BIRTH DATE / 11 December, 1953 ★ BLOOD STATUS / Pureblood ★ PRONOUNS & IDENTITY / he/him; cis male ★ FACECLAIM / Michael Trevino

ACADEMICS & ROOMING

★ PRIMARY SCHOOL / Puddlemere Institute of Magic for Boys, class of 1972 ★ ORIGINAL DEGREE / Spellcasting degree, Transfiguration cohort ★ HOUSE & YEAR / Gryffindor, class of 1975

CAREER

★ CURRENT OCCUPATION / Hit Wizard

POINTS OF INTEREST

★ Mateo came as something of a surprise to his parents. When Victoria Calderon decided to move to England to join the British Ministry of Magic after graduating from Wizard Harvard, her family was mildly upset. When she told them six months later that she was pregnant after a short fling with a coworker -- a coworker that she had no intention of marrying, as he did things like call her lass in the middle of arguments and seemed uninterested in the traditional definition of monogamy -- they moved to outright disappointment. Victoria had never let small things like familial disappointment and being a single mother across the Atlantic from everyone she knew stop her. In fairness to the father of her child, he might have been a terrible person to date, but he seemed a decent enough man and an interested father. Victoria had no qualms allowing him to be involved in her child’s life, even if she was annoyed with him more often than not. In December, she gave birth to Douglas Mateo McKinnon, and within weeks, baby Mateo (frequently Matty to his Scottish family members) had won over both the disapproving Calderons and the exuberant McKinnons.

★ By the time Mateo reached the age of five, both of his parents were married to other people, and neither of them hesitated to give him more siblings than a young boy possibly want. Despite this, Mateo slid naturally into the oldest brother role, and spending half his time in two different houses made him a natural peacekeeper and outside ear for his half siblings. His naturally outgoing personality kept him from ever feeling like the odd one out, even if it enhanced his more independent traits. 

★ Mateo never planned on being the type to defy parental expectations. It was always more that he wasn’t really capable of being anyone other than himself. It started early with pranks at primary school. When the Sorting Hat declared him a Gryffindor, he became the first McKinnon (or Calderon) sorted there in decades. And while his parents encouraged him to consider the Auror Academy, Mateo had laughed at the ideas of voluntarily continuing to go to school and signed up as a Hit Wizard. Being a Hit Wizard appealed to Mateo’s sense of justice while also allowing him to avoid so many of the more boring parts of being in law enforcement.

★ Always restless, Mateo jumped without looking back when he heard about the opportunity to work in Egypt for a couple of years. His superiors didn’t question his enthusiasm and sent him to the other country with a speed that would have been insulting if the McKinnon reputation hadn’t preceded him. He has spent the last eighteen months there, soaking up as much sun and culture as he can. While he knows that Egypt likely isn’t some where he can stay forever, and he makes frequent trips home when he feels that he might be needed, he isn’t in a rush to move back to England full time. There are too many adventures still in store for him, and too much rain to avoid.

TRAITS

✓ charismatic; quick-thinking; easygoing ✗ impatient; boastful; flippant

☆ OOC — WRITTEN BY HALEY, SHE/HER

[sosadandyetsoamazing]

about page

Sorry if it’s long, but I realized that I write the opposite of what most people assume about Jemma even when I don’t add the chitauri element. I’m assuming you already read the rules and know about season 2.

about her alien side, if you want more details the longer version is at the bottom: 

Jemma had Chitauri DNA since her birth, just a trace of it at first, that came from her great-grandfather’s experiments on himself (with the help of Roxxon). Her Chitauri DNA’s development was triggered by the Chitauri virus that infected her in season 1, which started changes in her not-so-human body. Jemma knew about the experiments since before SHIELD but naturally never told anyone; she refused to even think about it outside of making a secondary life-goal her intention to erase any trace of not human elements from her body. Unless we plot otherwise or we write the starter where your muse finds out, by default if we write threads set in later seasons I’ll assume that: she told Fitz about her alien status after Daisy recovered after being shot in season 1. In season 2 she told Daisy and then Coulson after Porto Rico and the inhuman powers reveal. Then May. The others found out later when she either told them or showed her real skin.

About her superpowers: she doesn't have all Chitauri abilities, but:

-she eventually develops thermal vision , but has trouble controlling it. -she can't survive a shot to the head unless she's made herself ready for it, unlike the actual chitauri. She can make her skin become hard enough to protect herself from bullets when she focuses on it (and in that case it shows scales) and to not break herself while using super-strength, but she's not invulnerable, she can still feel pain and she has no perfect control on it especially when emotional. -her eyes can turn yellow, seemingly when she’s using any of her other powers or is too emotional. -given that shapeshifting depends on ingesting someone first, she has no idea if she can turn into someone else, but she can at least hide her wounds and make herself look healthy, though they are still there. It requires constant focus however, so if she stops thinking about looking like her previous intact self for even one second, her wounds and bruises will show up again. -she does have extra strength and an amazing memory like the Chitauri do. But while she was already used to her mind working on a higher level, her body is mostly human and many factors are involved in how dangerous it is to use her strength on purpose.

 A very important canon divergence that I ask you to read from beginning to end: 

whether I write her with a Fitz rper and they are dating, or I write her in other ships, she will NEVER be the hope to someone’s doom (it has to be mutual). In this blog she will keep being bad at guessing people’s reactions to her words/actions, she won’t always know what to say, she’ll prefer to help with little actions, though obviously she’ll do her best to be nice to the people she loves and encourage them, and she will feel rejected and useless if that doesn’t work. She will keep being passionate about science but more about biochemistry, she was never emotionally equipped to be a doctor or therapist. Prosthetics are her thing with some help from Fitz, and she’ll work together with him on sci-fi issues since they are both out of their depth and both geniuses. She will not be able to repress every negative emotion for years straight and will need to be comforted too.  Jemma is messed up by traumas and PTSD, she doesn’t have an inhuman power that allows her to repress everything and keep functioning perfectly. She found pretty easy to kill in the past and uses it to her advantage and to protect her friends when they hesitate, can be cruel to people she’s angry at, hypocritical as hell when it comes to wanting her friends to be healthy and talk to her, has shown several times to feel both self-hatred yet also superiority towards many others, is only warm to close friends (season 1 team in particular) and more wary to others as well as downright rude behind her nice smiles and smug. She claims to not break rules in season 1 but her behavior says the opposite. She’s not very self-aware. She’s sassy and salty. I’m not bound by tvshow budgets so she will learn to fight as early as possible to keep people from getting hurt for her again and she’ll use all the tech available when on missions. Covering her face is a must before battle since she can’t out herself as alien-like/make people think she’s inhuman without endangering her family. Speaking of which, her little sister is back in her life around season 3  when Jemma finally tells her she’s a SHIELD agent and didn’t ‘abandon’ her to be a party planner. Their mother can go from neglectful and toxic to straight up abusive depending on the universe, in the latter’s case she’s more likely to be able to put herself in the shoes of other victims of abuse and be less harsh against them if they genuinely want a second chance, something she’d normally deny depending on the harm they caused.   

Important things to know when it comes to my characterization, but from now on ONLY bolded things are important:

-She never had a problem with anyone over being different, just like in canon. She was worried about another alien virus when it comes to the Diviner, she was worried Skye would die over her changes until told she was inhuman, that it was part of her DNA and accepted it, she wants Raina dead regardless of her powers, and we all know she didn’t leave Fitz because she couldn’t ‘accept him’. If Daisy rpers agree, Jemma went to the safe-house with Daisy to keep her company since she was in less danger than anyone else. Which means she was there when the other SHIELD attacked, Gordon took only Daisy away, Jemma attacked Bobbi and Calderon too, was shot/ICEd and taken back to the base, where she kept being antagonistic and was kept an eye on because identified as an alien - she only pretended to cooperate when May came back. If Jemma didn’t go with Daisy she was outed as alien and fought against the attackers but passed out from the gas. She’d have killed them until shot down once awake if Fitz hadn’t been there to explain what was happening. Canonically Gonzales meant to keep Daisy too, they wouldn’t let someone who just came out as alien or part alien walk away free, she was if anything another proof that Coulson couldn’t be trusted.

-In s3 she and Will stayed friends. Things went slow with Fitz because she needed a long time to recover from Maveth. She did get together with Fitz, but unless I'm writing with a Fitz rper, eventually they realized that they weren't the people they fell in love with long ago, that there was too big of a lack of communication and too little helping each other because too involved in each other's traumas, and so they broke up some time before the Framework, right after Fitz's investigation about Radcliffe. They intended to get some distance from each other to feel better after solving this last Aida issue, but then the Framework happened. Dekes are welcomed, but his grandfather wouldn't be Fitz unless plotted otherwise.

-She couldn't make herself invulnerable to Jiyera's torture in season 3, she couldn't let Hydra find out what she is and decide to torture Fitz instead. However after she escaped she didn't need to free Andrew Garner for help, she accidentally broke him free when using her powers. 

-She joined more field agents during the six months of break between season 3 and season 4, using her powers to do good but still feeling very wrong. She also understood Daisy's need to leave after Lincoln’s death and was happy to help her survive away from SHIELD, using her 'double agent' status with Mace to keep her friends safe and help inhumans. Though she did scold Daisy over expecting her to step back and only show up to be a doctor.  

-After the Framework, a newly traumatized Jemma wants to help her friends and Fitz, but she realizes that it's all too much right now, and she's in no position of being supportive. She also can't risk getting arrested. Coulson himself suggests her to leave with Piper and the others, and tells her that they'll call her if she's needed. So she does that, and goes back to look into her past, into who she is, as well as agreeing to see a SHIELD therapist to discuss her situation some day. It's all open to plotting, crossovers can happen due to portals, and when it comes to aos I ask to not be involved in plots such as characters' deaths aside from her having been told about Coulson and having seen him before he died in Tahiti if we must incorporate it in our plots.

thank you so much for reading, if we are mutuals and you want to let me know you read it, feel free to like this page!

The longer version of how she came to be part chitauri if you are interested: 

Jemma's great-grandfather's DNA was mixed with alien's by Roxxon, an evil organization that still exists to this day. No one in the family beside that man showed any special abilities, beside Jemma being a genius. Still, the child was told stories about how special she was by her grandmother, and the intention behind those first attempts to prepare Jemma was to reveal the truth once she'd be an adult and able to handle the news. But even as a kid she was a curious, skilled biochemist all too happy to experiment in her house's laboratory, and she ended up finding odd things in her DNA and questioning her family. So she was told the truth before joining SHIELD at age sixteen - whether SHIELD knew or not is to be determined - and she wasn't sure if she should believe any of it or how she felt about being part alien, so she elected to ignore it for now until able to research and learn more. Until, of course, the Chitauri attacked New York, aliens became 'real' to the public, and Jemma didn't have the courage to tell Fitz, her best friend in the world, or even to think about it too much, that she was part alien too. Jemma joined the Bus for field action as in canon but also to have the opportunity to deal with more alien samples and tech and study herself, even try to modify her own body to be completely normal even though the differences at the time were still minimal; sadly, everything went wrong. She was infected by a chitauri virus, which attacked the human side of her body and would have likely either killed her directly or by destroying the plane she was in and taking her friends with her, and the fact that she was given the anti-serum in time and the electrostatic shock that followed resulted in having her chitauri side awoken and her body actually start to change. Jemma began to notice odd things and tried to keep them secret while studying herself - and she realized that yes, the chitauri were the ones used in the experiments involving her great-grandfather much like she had feared.

[lokirulz]

Not to mention all the people who's lives were improved by Arthur that weren't in the credits. Theodore Levin was able to write books about Jim "Boy" Callaway thanks to Arthur, using one of the coolest models of a gunslinger there ever was; Arthur Morgan. Arthur isn't credited for this, as he never gives Mr. Levin a name, but I feel like he may have dedicated a book or two to the mysterious man who helped him collect the information. In the Epilogue, some dialogue between the Marston family reveals that Jack was an avid reader of the Callaway series, too.

Albert Mason goes on to accept many rewards for his incredible work in nature photography, which would not be possible if it weren't for Arthur Morgan preventing the hapless man from getting eaten or maimed multiple times on his explorations of the wilderness. Arthur left a big enough impact on Mr. Mason that he was gifted with a photograph of the wolves that Mr. Mason took. It's fair to say that Albert Mason also credits Arthur in some way.

Mother Superior Calderon was another who was moved by Arthur Morgan's selflessness. She asserted multiple times that Arthur was not as bad of a man as he liked to pretend he was. If you have high enough honor, you can get a cutscene where Arthur actually opens up to her about his beliefs and fears after his visit to the doctor in Saint Denis. If that isn't a tale to tell to her congregation in Mexico. Reverand Swanson may also have a similar sermon to share with his congregation as well.

If all this speculation isn't enough, there is one concrete way (almost literally) that Arthur Morgan's influence changed things for the better... In many of the towns around the map, Arthur Morgan can meet and befriend many war veterans and people who are down on their luck. You can rob and be cruel to them, but if you play high honor, Arthur Morgan befriends them and gives them money for food during their difficult times. This might be conditioning the player to feel more warmly towards the veterans for an event down the road when Arthur makes it to Saint Denis. There is a woman asking for donations to build a shelter for war veterans. The donations being asked for are not cheap, but perhaps the player is moved enough to donate anyway.

The donation isn't a small one. It is $20. Most of the horses you find cannot be sold for that much at a regular stable. But Arthur gives the money gladly... but that's not the most important part. The woman thanks Arthur and tells him that his name will be put on a plaque in the shelter to thank him for his contributions. For one of the rare moments, we see Arthur give his name to a stranger. His real name. His full name. "Arthur Morgan" he tells her, and that is what will be written on the plaque.

You are absolutely right, OP. Arthur Morgan will not be forgotten. His life and death were not useless or without meaning, and his deeds and kindness will Stand Unshaken.

Watching the credits for rdr2 is so lovely because everyone got their happy endings and it was all because of Arthur. He gave the last portion of his life in hopes that he could offer them a chance at happiness and although he isn’t alive to see it, he accomplished his goal of having his friends live the lives that they deserved. In the end, his death meant something. It wasn’t useless.

[kentuckertv]

‘One Day at a Time’ Returns, Warmed And Transformed

One Day At A Time

In a new Netflix reboot, the 1970s sitcom One Day At A Time has been reimagined as the story of a Cuban-American family in present-day Los Angeles. It’s warm, it’s good-hearted, it sends out positive messages. What it isn’t is funny.

This One Day, whose 13 episodes begin streaming on Friday, stars Justina Machado as Penelope Alvarez, a 38 year-old single mom who’s also a nurse and an Afghanistan-war veteran. She lives with her two children, played by Isabella Gomez and Marcel Ruiz, and her mother, Lydia, played in a showcase star-turn by Rita Moreno. And remember the original show’s randy handy-man, Schneider, played by Pat Harrington, Jr., who died just last year? Well, the new Schneider’s been refashioned into a young stud played by Todd Grinnell.

The show has been reconceived by veteran producer Norman Lear along with producers Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce to accommodate debates about such topics immigration and deportation, the struggles of our armed-services veterans, and the efficacy of anti-depressants. Too often, the show is like a Bill O’Reilly “Talking Points Memo,” but with reverse-politics and a laugh-track. (Come to think of it, O’Reilly’s “Memos” could use a laugh-track.)

In between groaning rib-ticklers about rebellious teenagers and Uber drivers, the show manages to stage arguments about stuff as heavy as the very existence of God — or, at least, the superiority of Catholicism. The studio audience — helped a little by some laugh-track sweetening, most likely — guffaws uproariously when Lydia puts a picture of the Pope on the refrigerator. When Penelope invokes the word “Protestant,” devout Catholic Lydia yells, “There is no need for name-calling!”

The show wants to have it both ways, playing up to various cultural stereotypes while insisting that this family defies stereotyping. There are loads of jokes that play off of Lydia’s pronunciation of certain words. When Lydia applies a beautifying sheet mask, much is made of how much it sounds like a certain four-letter word, with yuks about how “the sheet will hit the fan.”

The cast is good, with the obvious stand-out being Moreno, who plays her broadly-drawn character so lustily, it’s a wonder she doesn’t wink at the camera and then just walk up and give it a big wet kiss. Moreno’s out-sized talent is well-deployed. On the other hand, the excellent character actor Stephen Tobolowsky is squandered in the trite role of Penelope’s doofus boss.

Norman Lear has produced a lot of good television over the decades. My personal ranking of his best would be Maude, The Jeffersons, and All In The Family, with both Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Fernwood 2 Night shuffled somewhere in there as well. I vastly prefer the harder-edged ethnic humor that emanated from characters like Sherman Hemsley’s George Jefferson and John Amos’ James Evans in Good Times to the sentimental-leaning creations in the new One Day At A Time. But for a lot of people, it may be enough to have such a warm, loving Cuban-American family portrayed in a sitcom, a format that has not presented people from such a culture with much understanding in the past.

One Day At A Time begins streaming Friday on Netflix.

[thewebofslime]

Sierra Vista, AZ — While many think that the state taking children from parents is a noble gesture to protect the child, all too often, the state removes kids from a bad situation and throws them into a situation akin to a horror film. Many times the children are taken from caring parents, who happened to hit a rough patch in their lives, and thrown into torturous and outright sadistic situations where they end up raped, tortured, and even murdered. Beth Breen, a former employee of Arizona DCS recently broke her gagging order and went on Northwest Liberty News where she detailed the horrifying treatment suffered by a young girl named Devani at the hands of the state foster system. According to Breen, she is not supposed to speak about the case because of the gag order, but is anyway because the information is vital and the order unconstitutional. Breene explained that she was a driver for a 5-year-old girl whose stay in foster care ended with her being permanently disfigured and fighting for her life in ICU because of her bureaucratic ‘protection’ within the system. The child, who is referred to as Jane Doe in a lawsuit, but whose real name is Devani, was taken from her parents because they had substance abuse issues. Trending: TRUTH BOMB: Dinesh D’Souza Says Michelle Obama’s College Thesis Was “Illiterate And Incoherent” Because her mother struggled with addiction, the state took Devani from her. Like mentioned before, they took her from a bad situation and threw her into a nightmare where she was repeatedly raped and tortured. Breene’s job involved driving Devani from her foster home 90 miles away for a 2-hour supervised visit with her parents each week. Because the round trip was four hours, Breene spent more time with Devani than her parents. During the interview, Breene states that there were 36 police reports made to the foster home in which Devani lived, but that they were never investigated. The foster parent, David Frodsham — the deputy commander of the Fort Huachuca Army base, a position he held after being kicked out of Afghanistan for deviant sexual behavior — would only be arrested after this monster became so overtly careless that he went to the foster office drunk to collect his check for fostering children. Breene said she was perplexed at the fact that only three people were arrested in connection with the child sex trafficking and torture ring Frodsham was running out of his DCS-approved foster home. Instead of opening a statewide investigation after Frodsham and another sex-trafficking sicko were arrested, the state went after those who tried to expose it. During the interview, Breene explains how she was arrested for peacefully protesting the abuse of children inside the system. In 2017, TFTP reported on Devani’s case and a subsequent lawsuit which is nothing short of something out of a horror film. After having her child taken, Michelle Tremor-Calderon, the girl’s biological mother, began to improve her condition. With a clearer head, Tremor noticed that her daughter seemed to be deteriorating in the care of her state-appointed foster parent — David Frodsham. “I did everything DCS wanted me to, and received certificates of completion, and was in full compliance when my rights were severed,” Tremor said. After only a few weeks in the care of the Frodsham, multiple signs of abuse and neglect began to arise. However, no action was taken. Tremor had pointed out, on multiple occasions, that her daughter had continued urinary-tract infections, which can sometimes indicate signs of repeated sexual abuse in children. Her concerns, however, fell on deaf bureaucratic ears. “I told my CPS/DCS caseworker on several occasions due to my concerns, and they were all ignored,” Tremor said. “Instead of investigating Jane Doe’s biological mother’s concerns of abuse, [DCS] and the defendant caseworkers accused her of making false and exaggerated reports to DCS,” the lawsuit states. Despite jumping through all their hoops, the state refused to give back Tremor her daughter. The longer she stayed away from her mom, the worst things got for little Devani. Frodsham had been in the state’s foster program from 2002 until 2015 when he was removed after being caught DUI with children in his car — one of whom was Devani. It was no ordinary DUI, however. This monster was so comfy with the statist system that was paying him to rape children that he went to the foster office drunk to get paid! As the complaint notes, despite her mother’s repeated complaints, the state did not act on behalf of Devani until “David Frodsham, driving drunk, left 3-year-old Jane and another child in his parked car while he was collecting his foster parent check in a state office, while “visibly drunk and acting belligerent.” Even after they found abused children in his car while drunk at the state office, the DCS did not conduct a review of his home. It took him getting arrested again — this time with another child rapist. David Frodsham, the state’s choice for a better environment than her own mother, was arrested along with an active duty soldier for allegations of transferring child porn over the internet. According to the lawsuit, “Later, David Frodsham was arrested and accused of sexual misconduct with a minor, procuring minors for sex, and possessing and/or manufacturing child pornography. Law enforcement’s investigation revealed a video made by David Frodsham of a 3- or 4-year-old girl being penetrated by an adult male and screaming for her mommy. David Frodsham pled guilty rather than face a trial and has been sentenced to 17 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections. David Frodsham was part of a pornography ring involving numerous children in his pornography and the procurement of sex for the ring.” For more than a decade, this sicko likely preyed on children — all of whom were given to him by the State of Arizona. Naturally, one would think, that once Tremor’s daughter was found to have been placed in a home and sexually abused because of the negligence of the state, they would give Devani back to her mom who had done everything they asked to improve her situation. However, one would be wrong. Instead of reuniting this poor abused girl with her biological mother, she was placed into another horrifying nightmare. Devani’s new state-appointed abuser was Samantha Osteraas. After staying with Osteraas for a few months, this little girl would be nearly killed. According to the complaint, “Defendant Samantha Osteraas submerged and held down Jane Doe, a 5-year-old, in a bath of scalding hot water. Jane Doe suffered severe burns over 80 percent of her body. When police arrived, there was blood on the floor and pieces of Jane Doe’s skin were falling off her body. There were bruises to her neck and arms along with other signs of trauma.” Devani was put into a medically induced coma, suffering from organ failure. She lost her toes to amputation “and will undergo lifelong operations to replace 80 percent of the skin on her body and will need incredible amounts of care for the duration of her life as a result of the abuse she suffered in the Osteraases’ home.” No one within the agencies involved in placing this little girl in the ‘care’ of sick child abusers has been held accountable. The only means of accountability will come from this lawsuit which seeks punitive damages for negligence, respondeat superior, breach of duty, intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery, and constitutional violations. Sadly, as the Free Thought Project has reported far too many times, this is not an isolated incident. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, many in the mainstream media and the government refuse to see this very real epidemic of child sex trafficking in the United States. What’s more, according to the government’s own data, the vast majority of a portion of these trafficked kids are coming from the government system who promises to keep them safe—a horrifying irony indeed. But it appears to be set up this way. This system is set up to pull children from their families for ridiculous reasons and turn them over to for profit systems—funded by your tax dollars—that use these children as cash cows and have no incentive to keep them safe. In 1984, the United States Congress established the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and, as part of Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013 they receive $40 million to study and track missing and trafficked children in the United States. In 2017, NCMEC assisted law enforcement with over 27,000 cases of missing children, the majority who were considered endangered runaways. According to their most recent report complied from FBI data and their own, of the nearly 25,000 runaways reported to NCMEC in 2017, one in seven were likely victims of child sex trafficking. Of those, 88 percent were in the care of social services when they went missing. Showing the scope of the abuse, in 2017 alone, NCMEC’s CyberTipline, a national mechanism for the public and electronic service providers to report instances of suspected child sexual exploitation, received over 10 million reports. According to NCMEC, most of these tips were related to the following: Apparent child sexual abuse images. Online enticement, including “sextortion.” Child sex trafficking. Child sexual molestation. Other governmental organizations have corroborated this horrifying trend. In a 2013 FBI 70-city nationwide raid, 60 percent of the victims came from foster care or group homes. In 2014, New York authorities estimated that 85 percent of sex trafficking victims were previously in the child welfare system. In 2012, Connecticut police rescued 88 children from sex trafficking; 86 were from the child welfare system. Equally as disturbing as the fact that most sex trafficked kids come from within the system is the fact that the FBI discovered in a 2014 nationwide raid that many foster children rescued from sex traffickers, including children as young as 11, were never reported missing by child welfare authorities. Even high-level government officials have been ensnared in these foster care abuse scandals. As TFTP previously reported, multiple victims came forward and accused Seattle Mayor Ed Murray of sexually abusing them when they were children in Washington’s foster care system. The records in that case, dating back to 1984, explicitly noted that Ed Murray should “never again be utilized as a certified CSD resource for children.” It also showed that a criminal case was brought against Murray by prosecutors but in spite of the multiple accusations, charges were somehow never filed and his records buried. As Snopes and the mainstream media in general attempts to smear those who try to call attention to alleged and very real child trafficking, the government’s own data shows how irresponsible this is. While there are certainly some outlandish theories being presented online, the facts are outlandish enough to warrant serious scrutiny. Until this epidemic is taken seriously, the government, the media, and all those who deny it will remain complicit in keeping it going. As Michael Dolce, who specializes in these horrific child abuse cases, pointed out last year, “we have set up a system to sex traffic American children.” Indeed, and as the mainstream media continues to sensationalize issues like the non-crisis of vaping or measles or any other fear-mongering content, they are providing perfect cover to keep that system going. Below is the interview with Beth Breene.

[un-official-artist]

Oh shit sister Calderon is in this game!! She’s mother superior Calderon now! That’s so cool!!

I tried playing Undead Nightmare on my own Xbox 360, in my own creepy ass basement but it didn’t work T-T Can you tell me the plot of it/what it’s about? I’m interested :3

Currently playing it will give you updates

First cutscene, Theres a storm and things are really ominous at John’s ranch. Uncle’s missing. I think uncle’s become a zombie.

Sudden update for the game I just game across: uncle IS a zombie

[battybat-boss]

Trial Begins for Little Arizona Girl Placed with Pedophiles in Foster Care and Burned by Adoptive Mom

Samantha Osteraas stands trial for scalding a child she adopted, causing severe burns over most of her body. Photo source.

Commentary by Terri LaPoint Health Impact News

A woman who was approved by the State of Arizona to adopt a child out of the foster care system is on trial for child abuse. Samantha Osteraas faces 2 counts of child abuse for scalding a little girl entrusted to her care, causing 3rd degree burns to almost 80% of her body, causing all 10 of her toes to be amputated, and nearly costing the child's life.

During the trial, which is expected to end this week, 7-year-old Devani took the stand and told a jury that Osteraas held her down in the bathtub with a pink towel, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

She is only 7 years old, but the beautiful child known to family advocates as “the little girl in the blue dress” has been through more abuse than most of us can imagine.

This photo of Devani was taken before her horrific abuse in state custody. Photo from the AZ Childrens Lives Matter Facebook page.

Devani was taken at the age of 2 from her parents by Arizona's Child “Protective” Services – the Department of Child Services (DCS), but she was never abused in her parents' home.

Her horrors began after she was in the custody of the State of Arizona. Before she was adopted by Samantha and Justin Osteraas, she was placed by DCS into a foster home with a man who is now serving prison time for running a pornographic and pedophile ring out of his home.

See:

Arizona Child Removed from Loving Family and Placed into Foster Care Where She was Repeatedly Raped – then 80% of Body Burned

Trial begins for Tucson woman accused of scalding 5-year-old daughter in tub

Caitlin Schmidt of the Arizona Daily Star writes of the first day of the trial:

Deputy Pima County Attorney Alan Goodwin told the jury of 11 women and three men - 12 jurors and two alternates - that the evidence likely won't explain why Osteraas intentionally burned her daughter, but that it will prove she committed the act and failed to call 911 for several hours afterward.

The girl, who was 5 at the time of the incident, spent four months in a hospital after the scalding, undergoing “surgery after surgery after surgery” for skin removal and grafts. She also had to have all 10 toes amputated as a result of her injuries, Goodwin told the jury.

Detective Jeremy Butcher, the first responder to the scene, took the stand, testifying that he arrived at the house within minutes of getting the call because he lived in the neighborhood.

During opening statements, Goodwin called what Butcher saw when he entered the home “an image … an experience that's absolutely seared in his mind and seared in his memory forever.”

Deputy Pima County Attorney Dawn Aspacher had Butcher tell the jury what he saw and heard at the home, starting with a bloody smear on the front door.

Butcher said Osteraas was distraught as he walked to the master bedroom, where he found the child on the floor, her body a “dark-reddish and almost purplish hue.”

The child's lower half was covered with a towel and a red stain was visible on the floor underneath her. The child wasn't speaking or crying, but was “basically just staring straight up,” Butcher told the jury.

One juror wiped his eyes while Butcher recounted how he stayed with the girl until paramedics arrived. While her breathing was labored, he said, at one point she reached up towards the star-shaped badge pinned to his uniform shirt.

After the girl was taken to the hospital, Butcher and other deputies searched the home, finding what later turned out to be chunks of skin in several locations throughout the house, including the bathroom in which the child was bathed.

Photo of the floor of the bathroom where Devani was burned. Photo source.

During Butcher's testimony, Aspacher projected photos of the girl before she was taken to the hospital on one of the courtroom walls, the girl's beet-red skin eliciting gasps from the gallery.

Butcher's testimony ended with a photo of a large chunk of skin next to the bathtub's drain. Several jurors stared up at the screen even after the courtroom lights had been turned on and the image was no longer visible.

KOLD News 13 reports:

According to court records, Osteraas said she didn't realize the bath water was that hot.

Investigators said the water was almost 130 degrees and determined the burns were not the result of an accident.

In anticipation of the possibility of Devani being able to testify in court, News 4 Tuscon reported last week that:

The Pima County Attorney's Office has asked the court to allow a so-called facility dog, a specially trained K-9, to help ease the girl's stress while she testifies against the woman that she had once called her mom.

On Friday, October 12, Devani took the stand to tell the jury what happened to her.

Child burn victim tells Tucson jurors her mother held her down in a tub of hot water

Caitlin Schmidt of the Arizona Daily Star writes:

A 7-year-old girl who Pima County prosecutors say was intentionally scalded by her mother told jurors Friday that her mother held her down in a tub of hot water and prevented her from getting out.

Prior to the child's testimony, her attorneys filed a motion with Pima County Superior Court Judge James Marner to clear the courtroom of the more than 30 spectators packed into the gallery.

While Marner denied the motion, citing concerns for Osteraas' right to a fair trial and potential for a mistrial if the public's access was limited, he ordered that the girl's biological parents and grandmother - whose rights had previously been severed - would not be allowed in the courtroom during her testimony, after the child's therapist and a clinical psychiatrist submitted letters detailing the potential damage to the girl.

Wearing a pink-and-beige striped dress and a pink bow in her hair, the child took the witness stand, clutching a stuffed animal throughout the 20-minute questioning.

The girl told Goodwin she'd been burned “in a hot bath” and that her mom “put her in there” and said she had to stay, before holding her in the tub with a pink towel.

Goodwin asked the child about the brown shirt she wore under her dress, a medical garment designed to help the scars go away. The girl said she had scars on her back, tummy and legs.

When Goodwin asked the girl her mommy's name, she quickly answered, “Samantha Osteraas,” ending the state's questioning.

According to several news sources, the defense has taken the position that the scalding was unintentional and that Samantha Osteraas did not knowingly hurt the child.

Note: the defense that parents did not intentionally cause harm, even when demonstrably true, is generally not accepted in cases involving biological parents.

Child Protective Services routinely takes children and condemns biological parents even when they had no way of knowing about or preventing harm that came to their children.

See the stories of Matthew Marble in Tennessee and Kaya Thomas in South Carolina, who lost their children over something someone else did. Other parents are often held responsible for broken bones when the child has a medical condition they had no idea existed. See stories.

The trial for Samantha Osteraas is expected to end sometime this week.

Abuse Began in Foster Care, Not at Home

Devani was originally taken from her home after an argument between her parents which was falsely reported by a vindictive neighbor to involve domestic violence. The 2-year-old wasn't even home at the time, but at her grandmother's house.

Nonetheless, Arizona social worker Norel Alviti seized the toddler from her family.

After Michelle Tremor-Calderon provided proof that the charges were dropped, the social worker insisted that she take a drug test based on rumors from the neighbor.

Michelle passed easily. She had a history of drugs from 13 years prior, but that had long since been in the past.

Health Impact News investigated Devani's story and learned that the original allegations against the parents were quickly proven to be baseless. Though they were dismissed, DCS kept the child in their custody. As we reported last year:

Without a shred of evidence, social workers allegedly were “concerned” about the possibility that the parents might, in the future, do something that would cause harm to their child, so DCS kept Devani in their custody, placing her in very real, and unimaginably horrific, foster care situations.

See:

Arizona Child Removed from Loving Family and Placed into Foster Care Where She was Repeatedly Raped – then 80% of Body Burned

It often seems that social workers are willing to dig deeper into biological family history than the history of the people that they place children entrusted to their care with.

In Devani's first foster home, there were scratches and bruises almost immediately. After Michelle complained, the foster person dropped the child off at DCS and washed her hands of the situation.

The second situation was far worse. Devani was placed in a house with foster parents, one of whom is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence for his prominent role in running a pornographic pedophile ring out of his house with the foster children that DCS placed with him. Law enforcement discovered a graphic video in David Frodsham's house with a little girl crying out for her mother as she was being sexually assaulted.

See:

Arizona Places 2 Year Old Child in Foster Pornographic Pedophile Ring – Foster Mom Burns 80% of Her Body

Devani's mother had long been reporting signs that her daughter was being molested in foster care, but social workers and the attorney appointed by the court to represent Devani, Thea Gilbert, told the court that the mother was simply “interfering with placement.”

Instead of recognizing that the woman who gave birth to the child had that “mama's gut feeling” that something was horribly wrong, state employees accused Michelle of sabotaging the department's efforts.

DCS looked the other way when Devani and other foster children in the Frodsham house of horrors showed clear signs of being victims of sexual abuse. It took the federal ICE agency to bring a stop to David Frodsham pimping out foster children in his house as part of his pedophile ring.

See:

Arizona Foster Care System Revealed as Pedophile Ring: Former Foster Child Tortured for Years Sues for $15 Million

The department refused to return Devani to her parents. DCS terminated parental rights, refusing all along to allow the child to live with any family members.

Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire

Guardian ad Litem, Thea Gilbert, was Devani's attorney through the years all the terrible abuse happened to her. Source.

DCS then placed Devani with the Osteraas family. Attorney Thea Gilbert had previously argued that David Frodsham should adopt Devani. Gilbert has remained Devani's Guardian ad Litem throughout the child's DCS history, and she approved the new placement. Samantha and Justin adopted Devani out of foster care and changed her name.

It was after this that Devani's life almost ended after being allegedly held down in a scalding hot bathtub. Mercifully, Devani is still alive and was able to testify in the Osteraas trial on Friday about what happened.

We will follow the story and update readers after the jury renders a decision.

Many times at Health Impact News, we have cited data that shows that children are at least 6 times more likely to be raped, molested, abused, or killed in foster care than if they had been left in their own homes, even if that home is less than perfect.

Devani's story is a chilling indication of this reality.

Another reporter with the Arizona Daily Star, Tim Steller, also challenges the knee-jerk reaction to remove children from their home “just in case.” He wrote this while Devani was still in the hospital after being abused in her adoptive home:

We're used to seeing how risky it can be for a child to stay with no-good parents.

That's because time and again over the last decade, we've learned of local kids whose families were under the scrutiny of the state child-welfare agencies but ended up dead at the hands of their parents anyway.

They conditioned the public, legislators and child-protective workers to react conservatively to avoid death and scandal. Taking kids out of questionable homes seems the safe alternative.

But the story of a 5-year-old girl, still clinging to life at Banner-University Medical Center and reported in the Star last Sunday by Patty Machelor, shows there's another side to those decisions: The risk that life outside a child's borderline home may be worse than it is inside. [Emphasis added by HIN.] (Source.)

Comment on this article at MedicalKidnap.com.

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[tuseriesdetv]

Noticias de series de la semana: Netflix renueva, cancela y nos acerca 'Black Mirror'

Renovaciones de series

Netflix ha renovado Mindhunter por una segunda temporada

Showtime ha renovado SMILF por una segunda temporada

Netflix ha renovado Stranger Things por una tercera temporada

Sky ha renovado Living the Dream por una segunda temporada

go90 ha renovado Zac and Mia por una segunda temporada

Cancelaciones de series

Netflix ha cancelado Haters Back Off tras su segunda temporada

CBS ha cancelado Wisdom of the Crowd tras su primera temporada

BBC Four ha cancelado Going Forward tras su primera temporada

Más episodios

CBS ha encargado ocho episodios más de Superior Donuts, Man With a Plan y Elementary, llegando a un total de veintiún episodios en sus temporadas actuales, y dos más de SWAT y Kevin Can Wait, que tendrán veintidós y veinticuatro episodios.

FOX ha encargado seis episodios adicionales de Ghosted, haciendo un total de dieciséis en su primera temporada.

Otras noticias

Andrew Kreisberg, el showrunner de The Flash y Supergirl que fue suspendido hace tres semanas por las acusaciones de acoso sexual, ha sido despedido.

Matthew Orton (Operation Finale, Bridge of Spies) escribirá la segunda temporada de The Night Manager.

La producción de House of Cards seguirá detenida hasta el 6 de diciembre.

Incorporaciones y fichajes de series

Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives) será la malvada Alexis Carrington en Dynasty.

Catherine Keener (Get Out, An American Crime) será recurrente en la nueva serie de Alan Yang para Amazon protagonizada por Maya Rudolph y Fred Armisen. Se desconocen detalles.

Bobby Cannavale (Mr. Robot, Boardwalk Empire) protagonizará Homecoming junto a Julia Roberts. Será Colin Belfast, supervisor de la iniciativa.

Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) estará en el revival de Roseanne interpretando a David de nuevo.

John Stamos (Full House, Scream Queens) será recurrente en You como Nicky, terapeuta de Beck (Elizabeth Lail).

Maggie Grace (Lost) se une como regular a la cuarta temporada de Fear The Walking Dead. Se desconocen detalles.

Lennie James (Morgan) abandonará The Walking Dead para unirse a Fear The Walking Dead.

Wilson Bethel (Hart of Dixie, How to Get Away with Murder) se une como regular a la tercera temporada de Daredevil. Será un agente del FBI que se verá envuelto en el conflicto entre Daredevil (Charlie Cox) y Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio).

Tom Hopper (Black Sails, Game of Thrones), Emmy Raver-Lampman (Hamilton, Wicked), David Castañeda (Switched at Birth, Jane the Virgin), Robert Sheehan (Misfits, Fortitude) y Aiden Gallagher (Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn) serán Luther, Allison, Diego, Klaus y Number Five, los hermanos de Vanya (Ellen Page), en The Umbrella Academy.

Danneel Ackles (One Tree Hill, Friends with Benefits), esposa de Jensen Ackles, será recurrente en la decimotercera temporada de Supernatural como la hermana Jo, curandera que atrae la atención de Lucifer.

Arlen Escarpeta (The Magicians, Final Destination 5) será recurrente en One Day She'll Darken como Xander, primo de Fauna (India Eisley).

Diora Baird (My Best Friend's Girl, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) será Shannon, ex de Johnny (William Zabka) y madre de su hijo, en Cobra Kai.

Bill Goldberg, luchador de WWE, participará en dos episodios de The Flash. Se desconocen detalles.

Josh Lucas (The Mysteries of Laura, American Psycho) será recurrente en Yellowstone como la versión joven de John Dutton (Kevin Costner).

Ken Jeong (Community, The Hangover) y David Alan Grier (Jumanji, The Carmichael Show) participarán en A Christmas Story Live! Jeong será un vendedor de árboles y el dueño de un restaurante y Grier será un Santa de centro comercial.

Kendrick Sampson (How to Get Away with Murder, White Famous) se une como recurrente a la cuarta temporada de The Flash. Será Dominic Lanse AKA Brainstorm.

Sydney Sweeney será recurrente en la segunda temporada de The Handmaid's Tale como Eden, una joven de quince años que sueña con convertirse en esposa de un Comandante.

Wyatt Nash (Dear White People) será recurrente en la segunda temporada de GLOW como Phil, el nuevo cámara del programa.

Jocelyn Towne y Hayden Szeto (The Edge of Seventeen) serán recurrentes en Lodge 49.

Said Taghmaoui (Wonder Woman) no participará en la segunda temporada de Legion como se anunció previamente.

Pósters de series

        Nuevas series

Netflix ha dado luz verde directa a dos temporadas -de diez episodios cada una- de la adaptación de la novela gráfica The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, que The CW desarrollaba como companion series de Riverdale.

CBS ha dado luz verde directa a trece episodios de Blood & Treasure, serie de aventuras para verano de 2019 sobre un brillante experto en antigüedades y un astuto ladrón de arte que se unen para atrapar a un despiadado terrorista que financia sus ataques con robos. Creada y producida por Matt Federman y Stephen Scaia, escrita por Taylor Elmore y dirigida por Marc Webb.

Netflix encarga Sex Education, sobre un estudiante virgen pero experto en sexo, porque su madre es terapeuta sexual, que ayuda a sus compañeros con sus problemas junto a una compañera. Creada por Laurie Nunn y dirigida por Ben Taylor (Catastrophe).

BBC One adaptará The Long Song, la novela de Andrea Levy sobre los últimos días de esclavitud en Jamaica, en tres episodios. Escribe Sarah Williams (Small Island).

Tom Hardy producirá la adaptación en tres episodios de A Christmas Carol por Steven Knight (Taboo, Peaky Blinders), que adaptará también otras novelas de Charles Dickens.

USA Network desarrolla una miniserie sobre Ronald Reagan, producida por su hija Patti Davis y escrita por David Rambo (Empre), independientemente de Rise of Reagan, la que prepara History dentro de la antología The Commanders.

Rendlesham, de Sony TV y Eleventh Hour sobre los avistamientos de OVNI en Inglaterra en los años 80 cerca de una base aérea usada por las fuerzas estadounidenses, busca cadena.

CBS All Access ha dado luz verde a Tell Me a Story, creada por Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek, The Vampire Diaries) y basada en la española Cuéntame un cuento, que da un giro a los cuentos infantiles convirtiéndolos en thrillers. En la primera temporada, Caperucita Roja, Los tres cerditos y Jack y las habichuelas mágicas.

CBS All Access ha dado luz verde directa al reboot de The Twilight Zone.

CBS considera encargar History Of Them, comedia romántica semiautobiográfica de Gloria Calderon Kellett (One Day at a Time), protagonizada por Ana Villafañe y dirigida por Pam Fryman (How I Met Your Mother, Frasier), sobre cómo dos amigos acaban enamorándose. Será su hija la que narre la historia desde el futuro usando como guía las redes sociales de la pareja.

Fechas de series

La séptima temporada de Death in Paradise se estrena en BBC One el 1 de enero

La tercera temporada de Another Period se estrena en Comedy Central el 23 de enero

Living Biblically se estrena en CBS el 26 de febrero

Instinct llega a CBS el 11 de marzo

Otras imágenes

Jon Hamm en Good Omens

Emma Stone en Maniac

Brenton Thwaites en Titans

Tráilers de series

Black Mirror: Crocodile

Black Mirror: Black Museum

Black Mirror: Hang the DJ

Las chicas del cable - Temporada 2

The Oath

[aion-rsa]

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016: #25 – #11

Each year, CBR takes a thoughtful look at the comic book industry’s abundance of offerings and poll the passionate, thoughtful and always-opinionated CBR staff for their rankings of the top comics of the year. Every publisher putting out new comics material in English, regardless of genre or format, is fair game; each individual list is then factored in (all thanks to the power of mathematics and the magic of spreadsheets) to determine the overall Top 100 that will be unveiled on CBR over the course of this week.

2016 was another big year for the Top 100, once again with more than 40 contributors to the list and more than 200 comics nominated. That’s resulted in a typically diverse and sometimes unpredictable field: world-famous superheroes alongside creator-owned works; major publishers sharing space with indie favorites. Of course, even with 100 spots, no list can be an exhaustive collection of every noteworthy piece of work in a year, but the end result of the CBR Top 100 is a wide selection of eclectic comics and graphic novels worthy of attention.

RELATED: CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016: #50 – #26

On Monday, we started unveiling the list with entries No. 100 to 76, things kept going on Tuesday with 75 -> 51“>No. 75 to 51 and Wednesday with No. 50 to 26. The countdown continues today as we get into the final quarter with No. 25 to 11, and check back later today for the Top 10!

Start perusing the list below, and if you feel so moved, take to Twitter and (politely) discuss your thoughts using the hashtag #CBRTop100. While you’re here, feel free revisit our Top 100 lists from previous years:

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2015

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2014

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2013

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2012

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2011

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2010

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2009

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2008

CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016: 100 -> 76 | 75 -> 51 | 50 -> 26 | 25 -> 11 | 10 -> 1

25. Rosalie Lightning

Written & Illustrated by Tom Hart

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

“Rosalie Lightning” is easily the most difficult book of 2016, in terms of subject material. The true life story about how cartoonists Tom Hart and Leela Corman’s daughter Rosalie Lightning unexpectedly died shortly before her second birthday, this exploration of grief, community and the struggle to survive both financially and emotionally is gripping. Hart’s repeated image of the two people adrift on a raft is striking, more so once he himself explains what he realized it meant, and his use of negative space on the page will send chills down your spine.

— CBR Staff Writer Greg McElhatton

Tom Hart’s new book is heartbreaking, and at time almost too painful to read. The book is about the death of his daughter, every parent’s worst nightmare, and details the efforts of him and his wife to survive a find a way through it.

— CBR Staff Writer Alex Dueben

24. Spider-Woman

Written by Dennis Hopeless

Art by Javier Rodriguez, Veronica Fish, Joëlle Jones, Tigh Walker

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Dennis Hopeless took an improbable set-up — Spider-Woman has a baby — and made it work. While similar plot lines have concluded in “it was all a dream” style or ended up sidelining the hero, Hopeless’ series proved there’s a third option. Spider-Woman stayed active and kept kicking ass, all while being a new mother. The series also gave artist Javier Rodriguez room to make his mark and become the talked about talent he was always meant to be. Every issue saw Rodriguez push page layouts in the same forward fashion that Hopeless pushed past tropes.

— CBR Editor Brett White

Post-“Secret Wars,” “Spider-Woman” has done the truly unexpected: it has shifted from from Jessica Drew as curmudgeonly detective to Jessica Drew, working mom. Hopeless and crew have done a truly amazing job of making Jess and her experiences as a new mom feel real, while keeping the superheroing/detective work interesting. It’s a truly impressive balancing act.

— CBR Contributing Writer Charles Paul Hoffman

23. The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye

Written & Illustrated by Sonny Liew

Publisher: Pantheon Books

Liew explores the history of Singapore in the second half of the 20th century through the biography of a (fictional) comics creator. The book is almost like a documentary, with interviews with the creator intercut with authentic-looking comics and scrapbook pages. It’s a gripping read and a stylistic tour de force.

— CBR Staff Writer Brigid Alverson

It takes a lot for me to compare someone in comics to my favorite cartoonist Seth, let alone link their work to my favorite book of his (“It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken”), but with “The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye,” Sonny Liew has finally delivered a worthy successor. It’s not just that this graphic novel stakes out similar “actual comics history via the story of an imaginary comics artist” territory. “The Art of” sees Liew mastering a variety of cartooning styles, all of which both delight the eye and draw the reader deeper and deeper in to the book’s human story. Add in fascinating layers of Singapore history, and this book is one we’ll be unpacking and learning from for years to come.

— CBR Staff Writer Kiel Phegley

22. The Fix

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Steve Lieber

Publisher: Image Comics

As crime comics continued to proliferate, none were more audacious, engaging and flat-out funny as collaborators Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber’s (previously of “The Superior Foes of Spider-Man”) deliriously dark take on corruption, greed and sociopathic relationships set against the sunny streets of Los Angeles.

— CBR Staff Writer Scott Huver

After an excellent run on “Superior Foes of Spider-Man,” Spencer and Lieber cemented themselves as one of the premier creative partnerships in comics with “The Fix.” Fleshed out by Ryan Hill’s realistic color palate, the duo crafted a thrilling crime yarn filled hilarious moments that can sit alongside the legendary works of Elmore Leonard and Quentin Tarantino.

— CBR Contributing Writer Tim Webber

21. Omega Men

Written by Tom King

Art by Barnaby Bagenda

Publisher: DC Comics

Though the marquee DC Comics property isn’t even mentioned in the title, King and Bagenda’s “Omega Men” is the greatest Green Lantern story ever told, by such a wide margin there isn’t a meaningful No. 2. An Iraq War parable set in space, the series sees Kyle Rayner kidnapped by a group of terrorists-slash-rebels fighting an oppressive galactic regime. But as Kyle tries to sort out the good guys from the bad, he learns that it’s impossible to save everyone, and that heroic actions do not always have heroic ends.

— CBR Staff Writer Shaun Manning

Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda’s “The Omega Men” came to a triumphant conclusion in 2016, making its temporary stay of execution (to allow King and Bagenda to wrap up their 12-part story) that much more impressive. With its mixture of superhero, science-fiction, political and war genres, there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy, and Bagenda’s storytelling using a 9-panel grid is top-notch. Unflinching in its approach (and body count), “The Omega Men” collected edition needs to be on your bookshelf.

— CBR Staff Writer Greg McElhatton

20. Faith

Written by Jody Houser

Art by Francis Portela, Marguerite Sauvage, Pere Perez, Meghan Hetrick, Colleen Doran

Publisher: Valiant Entertainment

The world doesn’t deserve Faith (or Zephyr), but I sure am glad we’ve got her. Other than “Saga,” I can’t think of another series where I’ve felt this emotionally connected to the main character. Beyond being an utter delight, “Faith” is also right on time, asking questions about heroism and morality that seem ever more important.

— CBR Staff Writer Allison Shoemaker

Why did it take so long to have a truly awesome plus-size superhero? Better yet, her physical appearance never becomes a major plot point. “Faith” is the best of fandom and Internet culture in one package.

— CBR Contributing Writer Beth Bartlett

19. The Legend of Wonder Woman

Written by Renae De Liz

Art by Renae De Liz, Ray Dillon

Publisher: DC Comics

With stunningly beautiful art and a character-focused take on Wonder Woman’s origins in World War II, “The Legend of Wonder Woman” is perfect for fans old and new, young and old. I dare you not to fall in love with Etta Candy, who steals the show whenever she’s on the page.

— CBR Contributing Writer Charles Paul Hoffman

This all-ages take on the mythos of Diana was breathtaking. The art, the story, the addition to Wonder Woman’s legacy was much needed and catered to everyone in the best way. Seriously gorgeous book.

— CBR Contributing Writer Leia Calderon

18. Mockingbird

Written by Chelsea Cain

Art by Kate Niemczyk, Ibrahim Moustafa

Publisher: Marvel Comics

S.H.I.E.L.D. is a huge, world-spanning, sometimes evil, vaguely threatening world organization, but what’s their health plan like? Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk’s “Mockingbird” gets into the daily life of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who has to be constantly prodded with needles and answer annoying questions in between bouts of international espionage. And those bouts of international espionage are exceptional. “Mockingbird” takes many of the tropes and conventions of James Bond and deepens them. Bobbi Morse has a more interesting internal life and relationship set than almost any Bond ever did, and she breaks out of sex dungeons and submarines with the best of them.

— CBR Staff Writer Joe Streckert

“Mockingbird” was one of the funniest books I’ve read this year. I loved the one-shot that Marvel released in 2015 for S.H.I.E.L.D.’s 50th anniversary and this whole series echoes that book’s tone. Chelsea Cain has written a book that humanizes a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to the point that she is extremely relatable. She has a boyfriend — superspy Lance Hunter — she loves Corgis, and she hates doctor’s office check-ups. Bobbi was given a humorous side that was so refreshing to read every week. The title character’s “Ask Me About My Feminist Agenda” shirt is easily the best cover of the year and will live on though cosplayers for years to come.

— CBR Staff Writer Lauren Gallaway

17. Huck

Written by Mark Millar

Art by Rafael Albuquerque

Publisher: Image Comics

Mark Millar’s known for his obtuse and violent stories but no matter what, “Huck,” for me, will always wash the obscenities away. It’s filled with endearment and all the warm, fuzzy sentiment that you’d want your childhood depiction of Superman to be. In an era where even the most earnest of heroes are wrapped in some sort of subterfuge or self-serving plan, Millar designs someone that’s plain lovable. Rafael Albuquerque’s art helps build the innocent aura of the title character and more so, combines with succinct and heartfelt writing on Millar’s behalf, to wrap a story about love, family and one special person’s desire to make the world a better place. We need more heroes like Huck and more stories like this. Cannot wait for the sequel.

— CBR Contributing Writer Renaldo Matadeen

Millar is usually known for his bombastic style, but with this story, he and artist Rafael Albuquerque lay out a simple yet elegant tale of an everyday hero who just wants to help others. Imagine if Clark Kent decided never to leave Smallville, and you’ll get a sense of what I mean.

— CBR Contributing Writer George A. Tramountanas

16. Black Panther

Written by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Art by Brian Stelfreeze, Chris Sprouse

Publisher: Marvel Comics

The more “Black Panther” incorporates familiar elements of the broader Marvel Universe into its monthly adventures, the more Ta-Nehisi Coates seems at home, and having fun in this title. We’re all lucky for that, because when he’s at his best no one is better than Coates at translating sophisticated ideas into piercing and insightful narrative. After a great deal of Wakandan world-building, we are learning more about T’Challa’s place in it, and how he plans to both tackle his adversaries and lead his people. In this story, those issues are inextricably linked, and failure on one front assures failure on the other. How can an elite inspire the downtrodden? How does a superhero politick? This story’s richness of possibilities still stand to rival the riches of Wakanda’s vibranium stores.

— CBR Staff Writer Brendan McGuirk

Coates’ genius here was to apply a healthy modern skepticism to T’Challa’s kingship; Marvel’s genius was to hire Brian Stelfreeze. T’Challa is called on to act kinglier than ever in a Wakanda that looks modern, strong and alive — the democrat’s dream, and the monarch’s fear.

— CBR Staff Writer Marykate Jasper

15. Descender

Written by Jeff Lemire

Art by Dustin Nguyen

Publisher: Image Comics

Jeff Lemire is so good at telling big, high concept stories and this sci-fi epic is one of his best. While the world-building, which has been masterfully explored by Dustin Nguyen, is right there with “The Incal” by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius, it’s the punch to the stomach that Lemire delivers nearly issue that leaves readers hungry for their next serving of “Descender.”

— CBR Staff Writer Jeffrey Renaud

As someone who’s been on both a cyberpunk and space opera kick lately, this series really connected with me by pairing Jeff Lemire’s smart dialogue and ideas with Dustin Nguyen’s watercolor-esque visuals and cool robots.

— CBR Staff Writer Paul Semel

14. Batman

Written by Tom King

Art by David Finsh, Mikel Janin, Ivan Reis, Riley Rossmo, Mitch Gerads

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer Tom King faced the unenviable task of following up superstar Scott Snyder’s enormously popular five-year run on the title, but confidently taking the blank slate that Snyder had left him, King wasted no time in quickly making the character his own, even adding a couple of his own creations. Ranging from high-octane thrills to subtle emotional undertones, King has indeed become the new king of the Batman franchise, helming the flagship title that has set the bar for the other titles — and on a bi-weekly schedule, no less. King’s approach to the character has been more traditional than Snyder’s, but that’s not to say it’s the same old Batman; rather, it’s been a remarkably fresh return to basics that’s anything but basic.

— CBR Staff Writer Jim Johnson

2016 saw “Batman” go from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo to Tom King, David Finch and Mikel Janin. It was as if Elvis had to cut his concert short and brought in Bruce Springsteen to pick up the slack. Snyder and Capullo succeeded at balancing the more outsize elements of the Batman mythos against the relatively-realistic tone the series has long sought. King and Finch’s “I Am Gotham” shifted focus slightly, going for the tension between Batman as superhero and as tortured urban avenger. Likewise, King and Janin’s current “I Am Suicide” is (so far) a meditation on Batman’s desires and his abilities, as he tries to mitigate Gotham Girl’s tragedy. In short, all year “Batman” has seen its creative teams consistently at the top of their games, changing focus effortlessly in midstream with no drop in quality.

— CBR Staff Writer Tom Bondurant

13. The Flintstones

Written by Mark Russell

Art by Steve Pugh

Publisher: DC Comics

If you expected to find the sharpest comic book satire of 2016 in a “Flintstones” comic book then, well, you have oddly impressive precognitive abilities, because that’s exactly what writer Mark Russell and artists Steve Pugh and Chris Chuckry are delivering month after month in this adult-oriented version of the Flintstones. There are some awfully heady ideas being discussed in nearly every issue, and yet they are handled with enough grace and a strong dose of humor that the comic never reads as preachy. It’s just strong, sharp satire.

— CBR Staff Writer Brian Cronin

The smart political commentary no one expected, the new iteration of Hanna-Barbara’s “The Flintstones” is a thematic sequel to writer Mark Russell’s run on the criminally underappreciated “Prez.” The modern stone age family are decidedly more modern, as Russell and artist Steve Pugh explore issues of class, race and ethnicity, religion, technology, consumerism, and plenty more. Oh: and it’s hilarious. A yabba-dabba-doo time, if you will.

— CBR Staff Writer Shaun Manning

12. The Mighty Thor

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Russell Dauterman, Steve Epting, Rafa Garrés

Publisher: Marvel Comics

This book is just straight-up gorgeous. Russell Dauterman and Matt Wilson make Asgard look its most fantastical and magical in decades. Plus, Jason Aaron just gets Thor, and I was delighted to see him flip from the hyper masculinity of “Thor: God of Thunder” to the high fantasy of “The Mighty Thor.”

— CBR Staff Writer Marykate Jasper

The saga of Jane Foster as Thor has been my favorite Marvel Comic since its inception. The entire creative team has taken what some considered a gimmick and turned it into a Marvel headliner.

— CBR Contributing Writer Tim Adams

11. Patience

Written & Illustrated by Daniel Clowes

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books

The latest original comic by acclaimed cartoonist Daniel Clowes, is another worthy installment in the creator’s impressive library of work. One of Clowes’ greatest attributes is how seamlessly his pop-art style can blend science fiction, surrealism and banal human drama without parts feeling incongruent or out of place. In his world, time travel is just as taxing on the mind as a horrible domestic situation or an abusive lover. Many of the same themes explored by older stories are present here, especially the frailty of hypermasculinity and people’s inability to escape themselves. Perhaps because Clowes is no longer an angry young artist, there’s slightly less rancor or despair in Patience when handling these themes now. Despite the “reveal” of the murder mystery being somewhat lackluster and one or two plot points being a bit questionable, fans of Clowes will still find plenty to love in this work, including a novelty for the creator; a happy ending.

— CBR Contributing Writer Sean Fischer

While Clowes was at the forefront of the sadsack realism (I mean it as a compliment!) that helped usher in the age of the graphic novel during its late ’90s/early ’00s cultural explosion, with “Patience” the artist fully defines what inventive literary comics can do in the here and now. While there are countless volumes of comics published these days crowing about how the trappings of genre entertainment can be remade in a literary mold, most of them are bullshit. “Patience” shows up every DOA nostalgia fantasy and then some by contorting the tropes of time travel fiction into a kaleidoscopic work of magical realism. But it’s not just the intensity of the visuals or the unexpected turns of the plot that impress. Like all Clowes’ work, “Patience” explores unseen dimensions of human loneliness in a way few other art forms can accomplish.

— CBR Staff Writer Kiel Phegley

A mind-bending little trip — definitely one of the most personal and harrowing takes on time travel, “Can you change the past?” narratives.

— CBR Staff Writer Michael C Lorah

Check back later today for the Top 10 of CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016!

The post CBR’s Top 100 Comics of 2016: #25 – #11 appeared first on CBR.com.

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