#oasis the frenchie

[acesandfairydust]

if the tags would actually work with me, that'd be great

[k-looking-glass-house]

Let's cheer and drink "santé"!!

Glorious Masquerade Cocktail~

To celebrate Glorious Masquerade, with the help huuuuh more like "Heeeelllppp meeee Grimm! Popcorn !!!

And they helped me !! Yaaay cocktail, Champagne for everyone and mocktail for little one who can't drink obviouuuussslyyy !!

(Imagine me behind the scene drinking Champy'.... And dancing a bit tipsy like a frenchy baby....)🍾🥂

And soooo thanks @twiwoncrackpopcorn to find the name for everyone !!

▪️Sip of Honeyed Fables - Malleus Draconia ▪️Sip of Frostyverse - Idia Shroud ▪️Sip of Abyss Blend - Azul Ashengrotto ▪️Sipperella - Trein-sensei (champagne let me cheer with youuuuu) ▪️Sweet Whiskers - Grim ▪️Giggleberry Froth - Chenya/ Alchemi Alchemivinch Pinka ▪️Royal Bluebubbly - Neige Leblanche ▪️Frothy Oasis - Jamil Viper ▪️Minty Blast - Deuce Spade (created by your dear @twiwoncrackpopcorn yaaay thank you !!) ▪️Silky Dawn - Silver ▪️Zesty Junction - Sebek Zigvolt ▪️Sour Solace - Rollo Flamme ▪️Frothy Fizz - Handsome mob-kun NRC ▪️Fruity Emporium - Epel Felmier ▪️Tropical Bounty - Ruggie Bucchi ▪️Liquid Perfecto - Rook Hunt ▪️Lawful Berrylicious - Riddle Rosehearts

_Credit_

Mask game asset extract by @alchemivich

Concept done by me and @twiwoncrackpopcorn

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Breaking down the comics: A Good Man (Issue #1)

Here it is. 

Moon Knight Issue #1: The Macabre Moon Knight. 

Written by Doug Moench

Art by Bill Sienkiewicz

Published 1980

If you’ve been following me, I’ve covered the history, the development, the creation, and the evolution of Moon Knight. I’ve covered the writers, the artists, the drama, and the glory of the comic. 

If you haven’t been following me and this is your first run in, please, go back and check out the other reviews. I’ve saved this one for last for a reason and with this one ends the official Moench run. Moench did write Moon Knight’s other appearances from 1975-1980, but they aren’t considered the OG run and while some of them are referenced a lot (See the death of Randall Spector), they had very little impact on the events of the main run from 1980 onward. 

Moench later returns for two special events (mostly to fix a problem that another writer caused), and I may cover those later. But for now, I’m bidding a very emotional goodbye to the OG run and to Moench. 

So… Let’s get this bread for the last time. 

We open on the title page. 

"At dawn, in the Sudan, the memory of the night's merciless cold lingers in the bones while the day's withering heat has already begun to sear the flesh. 

It was at dawn that the mercenary commando squad under the command of the skull-faced terrorist-for-hire, Bushman, hits the rebel camp just south of the Egyptian border. At Bushman's side rode his second in command, Marc Spector.

Thus, Marc Spector begins this day as a soldier-for-hire. He is fated to end it as something else." 

"The slaughter is swift--and soon..." 

We see Bushman and Marc talking in the desert, surrounded by the fallen. 

"An easy victory, Spector... And yet, you do not exult in it!" 

"Maybe I'm remembering I'm a professional soldier--not a butcher! Or maybe It's just the heat." 

"You are too good a man to go soft, Spector! You must be bloodthirsty...Ruthless to survive in our profession!

Fear is the key! You must strike total fear into the hearts of your enemies...And your followers as well! That is why I had my face tattooed into a mask of death! I have become an almost mythical figure of terror!" 

"That's the role you choose to play. I don't!" 

Marc throws his gun aside in a fit of anger. He has been working for the Bushman for a while now. Unclear if it is years, months, or weeks. But he is listed as his second in command. The Bushman recognized that Marc was very good at what he did. Anything that had to do with war, combat, weapons… Marc was the best. So the Bushman has decided to take Marc under his tutelage to try to turn him into a ruthless killing machine that will simply follow the next war and the next. For the Bushman, it isn’t about the money. It’s about the battle. 

While Marc always describes his past as being bloody and himself as being a killer and nothing more, we see flashbacks in later issues that often depicted Marc as a man at war with his own soft heart. He often showed mercy and pity to those he came across when he was alone. 

At that moment the chopper returns, Frenchy has brought them new orders. 

“Good Morning, Frenchy!” 

“Perhaps not so good, Marc… I have stolen a look at Bushman’s secret papers. It is clear to me now that we are fighting for the wrong side… No matter what the pay is.” 

“Clear to both of us, Friend!” 

“Perhaps we should plan a leave taking, eh?” 

“Quiet! Here comes Bushman.” 

Frenchy met Marc before they joined under Bushman. He very quickly allied himself as Marc’s only friend and followed him every since. It’s clear that while Frenchy is a highly skilled pilot and weapons expert, he is not as geared towards physical combat as Marc is. They became a team. Though we don’t get Frenchy’s story until much later. He has his own ghosts. 

Bushman tells them that they are going to Selima. 

The Selima Oasis is located in Sudan, west of the Nile and ancient site of Amara West. It sits along an ancient road that leads into Egypt. 

This was a huge waypoint for travelers in ancient days, as it has easy access to fresh water. 

Not a lot of archaeological work was done at Selima. Sudan has a rough history of war and the likes. Today, Selima sits as a military outpost. 

Marc protests: "But... There are no rebels in that area." 

"True! But rumor has it that an American archeologist found a pharaoh's tomb there! If a tomb has been found, there's gold to be had!" 

What’s interesting here is that Marc protests that “No Egyptian tombs have ever been found so far south of Luxor… But anything’s possible.” 

The fact that Marc knows this tells us a few things: 1. Marc knows his geography. 2. Marc knows the archeological history of the area. 3. Marc knows Egypt. It’s possible that Marc has been to dig sites before, and even more possible that he was interested in Egyptology at some point and read up on the tombs and pharaohs. It’s also possible that as he fought in that area a lot, he spoke to the local people and learned about the areas he was working in. 

Marc asks Bushman if going hunting for treasure is worth the lives that are going to be lost in the process of taking Selima. When he’s dismissed, he angrily confides in Frenchy that he’s had it. They make plans to leave that night. 

Next we find a small peaceful town that, as Marc has already pointed out, is not involved in their war. “When once again the crescent moon shines wanly across the desert, the raid begins–Hard, fast and deadly! The town’s small militia meets death in the darkened streets…” 

In a house on the town square, we find a man and his daughter. 

"Father, who can they be? What do they want?" 

"It is...Bushman! I've heard the townspeople speak of him in frightened whispers!" 

It's Marlene and her father! 

Dr. Alraune knows that word of their discovery has leaked out and now Bushman and "his band of cutthroats" are there to take the treasures for themselves. 

He decides to stop Bushman himself. Taking a dagger, he tells Marlene to wait in the house. 

Outside, Bushman is telling his men to "Search every house! Gather all the civilians and line them up in the square!" 

Yeah...Historically, when people are gathered by force and 'lined up', it hasn't ended well for them. 

In this one moment, Marc lets his instincts take over and he stops Dr. Alraune from killing Bushman. This is the moment that will drive Marc Spector for years. 

He watches Bushman brutally murder Dr. Alraune. 

This is the moment Marc breaks away from what is expected of him. The moment he tries to do the right thing. 

And here, he meets Marlene. It doesn’t go well. She calls him a killer and he tries to deny it but then… “Spector’s protest dies in his throat. If he hadn’t stopped the old man’s thrust, perhaps he would yet live.” 

Marc can only see himself as a killer. In failing to save the old man, he views himself as having assisted in his murder. 

“Yeah… I killed him! And I’ll kill you unless you get out fast, woman! Now beat it!” 

“Is this how you ease your conscience, Pig? I pray that you die the death you deserve!” 

Bushman tells Marc he's growing too soft. But the girl will leave a trail that they can follow and since Marc DID save his life, he deides to over look this one little issue. 

Frenchy returns and Marc is eager to leave. "We've got to leave now... Before she gets too far!" 

"She---? What are you talking about?" 

"We've got to pick up a girl in the desert! I'll explain later! Let's go!" 

"All right, Marc... But I think you are crazy! The copter is this way!" 

But just then, Marc notices that Bushman has gathered up all the other villagers and archeologists and has a firing squad aimed at them, ready to gun them down. 

"Wait! What's Bushman doing over there? Those are civilians! They can't be planning to-- They are! Got to stop them!" 

"Marc! No! You can do nothing---" 

Marc runs to try to stop Bushman but it's too late. The guns go off and the civilians fall. 

"You... Gunned them down in cold blood! You filthy murderer! I should have let the old man kill you!" 

Now, here’s where things mix with legend, lore, and myth. 

In some retellings of the story, Marc is shot and left for dead. In others he’s beaten to a bloody pulp and left for dead. In both those renditions he wanders through the scorching desert. In Sudan, temperatures can reach up to 49.7 °C (121.5 °F). That is enough to kill a man of exposure (and Marc is not dressed for this. That bare chest and arms? Marc really? Protect yourself my friend…). 

“Morning! Already the sun’s rays beat down mercilessly upon Spector as he begins what he knows will be a long walk to his grave. Already his throat is dry… His eyes burn… Noon. He is trapped in a bright, bursting nightmare… He staggers on. Night. Blindly, mindlessly, like a mechanical man he crawls onward, though the wind whips the sand into a stinging storm…” 

"He does not remember standing, swaying--nor the shout--" 

"Look! Against the moon!" Some men point as Marc lurches up over a sand dune. 

He collapses and the men grab him, pulling him away from the raging sand storm. 

"take him into the tomb! I will go to missy's tent and tell her!" 

"Moments later, in the tomb of the Pharaoh Seti..." We see Marc being carried into the tomb where a familiar statue waits. 

Marlene appears asking who he is. 

One of the men, a local that was hired to help at the dig site, proclaims that Marc is dead. 

"Him! Good--He's one of those who killed my father--He deserves to be dead!" Marlene angrily proclaims. "Leave him where he belongs--Rotting here in this tomb. Go back to the packing--We leave as soon as the storm dies." 

Her anger leaves her. She can’t be glad that a man is dead. And Marc did save her from the same fate as her father. She wonders if this is what cost him his life. “He must have suffered horribly in the desert! He was…Handsome!” 

I suppose now is as good as any to acknowledge that this stranger mercenary dead guy is handsome. Someone make sure they put that on Marc’s tombstone. “He was handsome”. He’ll appreciate that. (too soon?) 

 As Marc lays dead and Marlene at last allows herself to cry, the statue of Khonshu looms over them. 

"Outside, the howling sandstorm scratches across the face of the crescent moon. Inside, the torches' flickering light dances upon the hoard or a long dead king. And the stony countenance of the dark god who stands guard over him..."

“Perhaps it is a natural phenomenon which causes Marc Spector’s heart to resume throbbing… Perhaps it is something else… Whatever the reason..” 

And we don’t get to know the reason. Was he really dead? Had he just had a very weak pulse? 

We already know Marc has knowledge about the tombs in the area. Is it too much to assume he also had knowledge about Egyptian mythology? 

What have we learned about Moench up to this point? He had already picked the name Marc Spector back in 1975 when he was introduced in WBN. He had then learned that it was a Jewish name and he had decided to go with it. How much research he did is unclear, but the man also seemed to understand that he was not the best one to dive into deeply Jewish themes. (And yet, inadvertently, he still did and he carried them out in such a wonderful way). We ALSO know that he had taken an interest, like many others had in that time, in what was then known as Multiple Personality Disorder. 

Marc Spector was introduced in 1975. In 1976, the movie "Sybil" came out. It was based on the book that came out in 1973. This was the first big public interest in this disorder and Hollywood ate it up. It’s hard to say WHEN Moench decided to add this into Marc Spector’s character. Perhaps when he first made him all those years ago if he read the book? Or perhaps not till this issue in 1980. 

And as much as Moench was limited in how to properly depict the disorder, he somehow managed to do a damn fine job of it. 

You see, in WBN we get to hear a bit about Marc Spector’s elusive past. To pick the paragraph from WBN: "We'll get to that in time, Mr. Spector. Right now, I find your dossier immensely interesting... Soldier of fortune, mercenary, veteran of THREE African wars, FIVE south American revolutions, Brief flirtation with the C.I.A., Weapons expert, versatile practitioner of virtually all the martial arts, ex-prizefighter, marine commando for Eight years prior to beating a Lieutenant within an inch of his life...Et cetera." 

We get a picture of a hardened man and yet here in this first issue… We see a man in conflict with the brutality of what he is expected to do and what he deems as right and just. 

So when Marc wakes up from his ‘death’, he declares "Where am I? WHO am I?" 

And in this moment of panic, trauma, and confusion, he spots the statue of Khonshu. A statue of protection, vengeance, and power. 

And in that moment, Marc settles in what he must do. 

"Yes... One of the gods of the Moon--Known as the taker of vengeance... A figure of terror." (a figure of fear, much like how Bushman was trying to teach him and mold him to be). 

…..Marc… What are you doing. You can’t just steal random ancient robes and declare it’s ‘yours now’ and run off with it. 

"Mister... You're delirious! you must be! You don't know what you're doing!" 

"Don't I? Don't the dead know what they're about? Because I did die, remember? I'm a ghost now... A Spectre of the moon... The Moon's Knight of vengeance--and I've got work to do." 

I have wanted to analyze the heck out of this for AGES. 

This is a common theme that Moench comes back to time and time and time again. 

Marc believes he died. More than that, there is a possibility that Marc believes he is still dead. 

A man at conflict with himself over his past, over what is expected of him, over what he himself wants to do vs what he always ends up doing. We find a man that wants to be on the good side. That wants to believe that maybe he's helping someone despite knowing that he is causing death and destruction. 

This later turns into a man that despises himself. That thinks of himself as only a ruthless evil murderer that deserves bad things to happen to them. We see it get so bad that he becomes self destructive. 

So here we see a man that 'died' and now thinks of himself as just a ghost of who he was. 

Now, according to how Moench wrote Moon Knight (and no one else followed unfortunately), Moon Knight is also an alter. There are four people under that cape. 

It is possible that in this moment, Moon Knight split off from Marc with his very....very poor trauma processing skills. 

So in this moment, we literally do see the birth of Moon Knight. And with the way Moon Knight is written, more often than not, Moon Knight is co-conscious with one of the others, usually Marc. We don't actually see Moon Knight become aware of being his own person until much later on midway through Moench's run when he actually declares that he is no one but himself. 

But Marc continues to struggle with his identity and the notion of being 'dead'. It becomes a problem later on during the breakdown. And honestly, this is a thing that continues writer to writer. He dies many times over the years and comes back leaving him with less and less of a feeling of existing. Each death results in him immediately coming back and he is the one that experiences it and wrestles with it. 

Anyways, I just have always found that to be incredibly interesting in his character development. 

Marc runs off in their jeep with his new cape billowing in the wind. Marlene runs to get the other jeep to go after him.

"Midnight...ANd an eerie figure stalks the rooftops of Selina..." 

He looms over the watchmen. "Bushman--I want him! You'll stand aside--" 

And in this moment we are about to actually see what Marc Spector can do. It's rare that we really see Marc pull out his tactician abilities. 

He knows how to plan things. To create diversions, to utilize weapons of all sorts, and how to dismantle and break apart armies. 

"Meanwhile, inside the village inn, Bushman's men amuse themselves. The women whose husbands' bodies lay in the square are forced into humiliation worse than death..." 

We find Bushman forcing the women to dance for his men's amusement. 

Suddenly outside... 

Sending Bushman's army scattering, he slips out to face Bushman. 

"Yeah, it's me, Bushman! But I've changed--Just like you, into a figure of fear. I've finally learned your lesson, Bushman... And you're gonna be sorry you ever taught me." 

'changed.' Now under the guise of an Avatar of vengeance. He 100% is a new identity breaking off at this point. His years of trauma and self conflict are finally coming together. 

Marlene arrives and watches from the shadows. As she watches, someone sneaks up on her and snatches her up. 

Her cries distract Marc, allowing Bushman to make a run for it. 

"With the speed of thought, the cloaked figure races towards the source of the scream. Momentarily forgotten, Bushman fades into the night." 

He demands that Marlene be set free. 

"Oui! At once! Anything you say, Marc!" 

Frenchy! 

"I caught this one sneaking up on you! I thought..." 

He releases Marlene. 

Marlene is surprised. "I can't believe it! You--You won...All by yourself!" 

Oh Marlene, you don't even know this man. 

"Yes... But Bushman got away! I wanted his blood.. For killing your father!" 

"He killed--?" 

She realizes that she's misjudged him. 

“Not bad…for a dead man.” 

I also love how Frenchy is just “I was pretty sure you were dead but now you’re back and wearing a cape. Who cares. Let’s go!” This man would follow Marc to hell and back (which he pretty much does later on and suffers horribly for it. It takes a lot before Frenchy finally decides he’s had enough and leaves.) 

And here, we move on to exposition. We've seen Marc crawl through the desert and return as someone else. 

It's time to meet the cast. 

Narration: "He regains his health--ANd acquires three new identities. He is still Marc Spector, and he becomes Steven Grant, whose wall street wizardry parlays Spector's modest savings into a millionaire's fortune.

Then he adds Jake Lockley to his list of selves--Jake, a street-smart cabbie who hears everything!

Together with Marlene and Frenchy, they come to live in a Long Island mansion. Together they are...MOON KNIGHT... Continuing the mission begun in the Pharaoh's tomb!" 

(LOOK AT THEIR FACES. Marc is so frowny. Jake is just a guy. Steven...What is that smirk?) 

And this is where things really get exciting because we've met Marc. We saw what Marc can do and we saw him struggle with being a better man. We saw his...ability to deal with his trauma (nope)... And we saw the start of Moon Knight. 

And what's good about this is that this WAS the beginning of Moon Knight. 

Now we get to meet Steven and Jake. But we don't know when they started. We don't get to see them become themselves. Marlene assumes that when they came to New York and Marc started his new lifestyle that he was creating Jake and Steven for the first time. Just another identity to hide in. 

But again... Marlene doesn't know this man. She assumes she does and after they leave Sudan, Marc is no longer the one she's interacting with. 

Moench never officially shows it or discusses it. But there is a heavy implication that Steven has been around a LOT longer than just since they returned to New York. He acts the most self aware, is the most comfortable being himself, and knows a lot more about Marc and their past. 

Jake, on the other hand, he feels a bit newer. It's hard to say how long Jake has been Jake. It's possible he is a newer alter that came about when they moved to New York, as New York becomes Jake's home and he becomes attached to it to the point of never actually leaving it (He never travels with them). 

It's also possible that Jake was around BEFORE Marc left America. It's possible Jake was around in their youth, went dormant and then came back when the lifestyle changed again to better suit him. 

Either way, the system was not aware of being a system. Marc is heavily in denial and while he was out fighting his wars, the others were quiet and he essentially became front show runner. Steven is the first one to realize that they have a problem and that he is not just Marc and he is the first one to start asserting himself. Jake comes next and then Moon Knight follows. 

Marc is the only one that stays in denial until he flatout has a mental breakdown. ....Oh Marc... 

ANYWAYS… BACK TO THE COMIC. (I could babble about this all day if you let me) 

We first see Steven. 

We see him talking into a recorder. 

"Steven? Is someone with you? Oh. I heard you talking and--" 

"No one's with me, Marlene--Just dictating a case history. Moon Knight hit some heroin pushers tonight..." 

Yeah... just dictating huh? 

One way for newly aware systems to communicate with one another in an effort to open communication or keep the others aware of what's going on is to record messages on their phone (in today's age). 

We also don't really see them use the recorder again after this. Steven is trying. 

He tells Marlene that he found something while taking down the drug dealers. 

"Bushman!" Marlene is not happy. 

"Yes, your father's killer--Here in New York now, out for MY blood. I'm going after him as Lockley." 

He calls up Frenchy, who now lives on his roof I guess? He works on building a Moon chopper and other trinkets. 

He asks Frenchy to follow the cab in case he needs him. 

"Had a weird feeling about this, Marlene--Like I should tape Bushman's story before I left. But you stay behind, no matter what YOUR feelings are." 

He leaves after pulling on Jake's outfit. 

And here we see Jake. He always just calls Marlene "Lady." 

Samules, the butler, has Jake's cab ready. 

"Shall I expect you--That is, shall I expect Mr. Grant--back for dinner, sir?" 

"Don't hold your breath, Samuels. Grant just checked out for the night. And me, I got a heavy date ahead." 

Marlene remembers what happened to the last man in her life that faced Bushman. It's a loss that stays with her. 

"It's going to be hard, Steven...Or Marc, Jake, Moon Knight... Whoever you really are... The last time I stayed behind when a man I loved went after Bushman...I...I lost my father. And now I don't think I could bear to lose you... All four of you..." 

THIS IS THE ONLY TIME MARLENE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THEY ARE INDEED FOUR PEOPLE. 

It also proves my theory that Moon Knight is his OWN person. 

For Marlene, again… She doesn’t know Marc! He connected to her because he felt terrible about her father’s death, he wanted to save her, and she had no one else. She connected to him because… she had no one else and saw him as her protector/hero. He offered her comfort and a lifestyle she found agreeable. He also helped train her in how to take care of herself. He made sure she knew how to handle guns, karate, self defense… They became a team, but she wanted something more. In the early days, she acknowledged that there was something strange about him and played along. When she got to know Steven Grant, she recognized that HE was the one that could offer her the life she wanted now and she latched on with the hopes that he would stop being the other alters and just be happy with her as Steven. 

This is a common thought with early dealings with “Multiple Personality Disorder” back in the day. That if they could just ‘fix them’ and give them a normal happy life, they could be the ‘good alter’ that was most adept at leading the ‘normal life’. 

It’s basically the old trope of “I could fix him”. 

And now... THE CREW! 

Even from the start, Jake always just cares about his people. He always asks Gena about the kids. 

And at this point, they only know Jake. They don’t know about his lifestyle, about the mansion, Marlene, Steven, or Marc. Later, Gena admits that they just assumed Jake was an undercover cop or something. 

Crawley is Jake’s informant. A homeless man that has a gambling and drinking problem. We find out more about Crawley’s past in a later issue. Crawley also has a distinctive style of speaking that only Moench has been able to pull off, which, unfortunately, has led to other writers just eventually getting rid of him. :( 

Anyways, Jake asks Crawley if he knows anything about Bushman. Turns out Bushman has taken over a lot of the drug and gambling action in the area. And he’s not being very private about it. “Almost as if he wants to be found.” 

Yeah… He wants to be found alright. 

Crawley gives him the address and Jake heads out, changing to Moon Knight. He calls up Frenchy and they head out. 

Moon Knight refrains from telling Frenchy who they are after. He knows Frenchy will want in on the action too, but "This one's mine--Mine alone." 

Unknown to Moon Knight, a fancy car has been tailing him and now continues to follow them as they head to Bushman's hideout. 

And now we see our first Moon Knight swoop! 

Moon Knight enters the night club and asks for the door to the back. 

"Tell your boss I'm about to enter his trap." He ascends the stairs. 

One of the chaps proclaims: "I know who that is! I even saw 'im once--Papers call 'im the Moon Knight." 

Up stairs they find the gambling room. Moon Knight bursts in. 

Those poses are completely unnecessary Moon Knight buddy… But you do you. 

He takes out the bad guys without breaking a sweat. 

He yells for Bushman to come face him. 

A secret door opens. 

"A trap... Just what I came here for." 

He dives in dramatic style, only to find an empty room with a golden dagger on the desk. A dagger from the dig site. 

"A memento, Mr. Spector... A memento of a fabulous treasure stolen from the grasp of antiquity... The ONLY memento I was able to keep--Thanks to you, Spector--Thanks to your treachery." 

Bushman's just a little bitter. 

Outside, the car that was following him comes to a stop and Marlene gets out. She wants revenge too. 

Bushman pulls out a gun and orders Moon Knight to the back room. 

"Forget it, Bushman! I've come for you. And nothing on this earth can stop me!" 

"You're afraid, aren't you, Bushman? Afraid of the figure of terror before you The lesson took!" 

"S-Stay back!" 

Honestly, Bushman knows Marc's skills better than Marc does. And the fact that he essentially beat up this man and tossed him in the middle of the desert to die and then having Marc come back, blow up his camp, and then track him through New York while appearing in the visage of a ghost claiming to have come back from the dead... I'd be worried too. 

At this point, Marlene bursts into the room behind Bushman. 

"At the sight of her father's murderer, Marlene cannot restrain a gasp! Instinctively, the cloaked figure turns towards the source of the sound. Momentarily forgotten, Bushman takes the opportunity to fire, but..." 

Moon Knight doges! 

Yeah, he then turns and shoots at Marlene. 

"Moon Knight lunges... But blind rage makes him careless." 

Bushman knocks him down and goes in for the kill with his sharp steel teeth. 

Moon Knight blocks with his truncheon! And then the anger and violence take over. 

He can barely restrain himself. He doesn't understand why she would want to spare Bushman. 

Her cries for Steven also go unheard. He isn't Steven. Steven is far far from present in this situation. It's no wonder he lets his rage take over and blocks out the rest. 

"Finally, as a soft moan heard through glass rises to a keening shriek, the crimson haze fades... And the fist falters. Opens tremblingly..." 

The police are on their way and they need to leave. 

It takes him a moment to snap out of it. To come back to himself. 

He and Marlene head up to the roof so that Frenchy can collect them. 

"Guess I... Went a little crazy, Marlene... Remembering that at one point I was almost like him.. But why did you stop me? Your father-" 

"I stopped you because I went crazy too at first--I wanted to kill him, but I knew I couldn't... We couldn't!  In a way, he created Moon Knight... But you've been through a lot since then--We've both worked hard to shape Moon Knight into something better than he was at his creation." 

They've all worked hard to set up Moon Knight to be what he is. To be the good man. To have access to what he needs to do what he does. 

"And I just want you to stay that way. I didn't want Bushman to spoil what he started... What you've made into a legend. Behind that legend is a man. A good and powerful man. And no matter how many roles you play, false or true, you must never abuse your power...You must never forget who that man REALLY is." 

And this brings our journey with Moench to an end. 

Bushman was their first villain and the most personal. He created Moon Knight when he killed Marc. He was brutal, and antagonistic to Marc. As the man that murdered Marlene’s father, any time he showed up, it was a high stakes game. No one knew Marc like he did. That is to say, no one knew what Marc was capable of like he did. 

As far as a threat, Bushman never actually was much of a threat. Though he was the leader of the mercenary group, it was always very clear that he got there through intimidation tactics, drastically brutal deeds, and back stabbing. When it actually came to abilities, Marc was always the top. What threat Bushman actually held was started above. Marc could have been Bushman. 

Marc had the ability to become the most brutal and dangerous leader of mercenaries. He had a second in command follower at the ready, Frenchy, he had a knowledge of the politics and governmental ruling of a lot of areas, he spoke several languages, knew how to blend in, knew geography, and he could fight. Marc also has proven over the years (even in Moench’s run) that he had a lot of powerful connections in high governmental positions. 

Yet Marc’s growing disagreements with the way Bushman worked eventually culminated in the literal death of that path. As much as Marc attempts to make himself seem no better than Bushman, he had a big heart. In this, Marlene was right. Bushman created Moon Knight. He killed the part of Marc that had any chance of branching off into that path. He started the legend and with the input of the good in his life, (Steven, Jake, Marlene) they were able to turn Moon Knight into a good man. 

So when Bushman returns as a ‘recurring villain’, I don’t consider him on the same level as say, Morbius or Black Specter, or Mogart or any of that. The REAL threat that Bushman represents is one of internal conflict and past trauma. The threat of Marc’s internal monologue of his own horribleness rising up to a point of self destruction. That’s right, the REAL threat? Marc Spector. 

Throughout Moench’s run we tangle with Marc over and over again. We see Marlene shun him. We see Steven fight him for control. We see Jake push him aside, and we even see Moon Knight himself struggle with his rage. Yet at the same time, we see flashbacks that show Marc being kind. Being merciful. Questioning his actions and deeds. Marc is his own worst enemy. 

By the end of the original run with Zelenetz finishing it off, we see Marc finding a sort of understanding with who he is. Attempting to find resolution in his father’s death, and making a timid peace with Steven Grant. 

When Ellis takes over after Bendis’ disastrous run, we find Marc in a very dark place struggling and drowning. Lemire picks him up and returns him back to the start. Back to Bushman and back to Steven and Jake. Then we have to skip across Aaron and Bemis (Hisss booo) before Marc finally lands with MacKay and we at last… at long last… We have healing. At last we have a Good Man. 

I want to thank everyone that has followed me through this journey into the original comics. I hope you found joy in the old comics and that it inspires you to maybe go pick them up and give them a full read for yourselves. Maybe you disagree with me on some points, and I encourage you to come up with your own theories. Find your own way to love Moon Knight and the message of mental health that Meonch started. 

As we bring 2023 to an end I look forward to getting into other Moon Knight comics in 2024. Some that I either haven’t read in years or that I may have missed all together! Currently I have no intention to continue to review every single comic. That's just... That's too much. But I hope to pick out a few special ones. But I've been wrong before. Let’s see where we go and what we find! 

[moochilatv]

Souls Extolled presents: Triumphant Monsters

Rocker indie music we love it

The new song holds a light up to society for the platform we give to those who value their own success over the greater good.

Austin, TX – Torchbearers of the Austin Indie-Punk scene, Souls Extolled have proven time and time again that the dedication they bring to their craft is unmatched. Building momentum off their latest album, “MMXXII,” which garnered nationwide attention on its own merit upon its release in 2022, the band plans to build on this momentum as they announce the release of their upcoming record “Soulsex,” slated for January 2nd, 2025. Their fourth studio album together, the band hopes to reach new heights with its debut and has already garnered critical acclaim for its eminence so far.

Their most personal and eclectically-inspired album to date, the band felt it was the obvious choice to deem it their self-titled collection, opting for the shortened version of their name to which the members refer to their project. In discussing the personal weight behind the album, vocalist Zach Black commented “We feel like the album captures perfectly the meaning of the band. Souls Extolled has always meant a celebration of our souls, spirits, or unique consciousnesses through music or art in general.” On the intimate significance felt by this accomplishment, Black goes on to say “If this is the last music I ever release, I’m absolutely ok with that. This is the album for me.”

Recorded in their hometown of Austin in the historic Bubble Studio under the guidance of local mastermind Chris “Frenchie” Smith, the history of the artist’s musical roots was ingrained in the recording process on a molecular level. Determined to integrate an indie, Avante-Garde feel into the production from day one, the bandmates felt an immediate connection to the studio’s production style and a deep respect for Frenchie as an artist himself. This connection allowed for the producer to creatively push them in ways they could not have imagined. Upon reflecting on the recording process and final product, Black remarked “It was not only ‘us’, but it was an ‘us’ packaged and polished in a way we felt other people would get as well.”

Already available on all major streaming platforms, the debut single off the album, “The Cut,” pushes the limits of the artist’s adrenaline-pumping proclivities. Born from an extemporized hard-hitting bass and drum exchange between the bandmates in their practice room, the idea quickly grew into the fast-paced powerhouse of the album, anchoring the central themes of rebelliousness and individuality throughout the record. Featuring a hypnotically rhythmic beat, grungy vocal enthusiasm, and aural embellishments that pay homage to the pioneers of the genre, it serves as a personal tribute to growing up in the Austin counterculture scene.

Moving forward, Souls Extolled showcases the creative range of “Soulsex” with the album’s second single “Triumphant Monsters.” A melodic anthem with a skank-reggae chorus, the energy is hard to overlook. An upbeat and danceable oasis in the album, its message embodies the ethos of the artists on a personal level at a time when they believe these words need to be heard the most. The lyrically-motivated track seeks to give commentary on the absence of morality so often seen in those who pursue wealth and power, and holds a light up to society for the platform we give to those who value their own success over the greater good.

As a whole, the album makes great strides in showcasing the musical range of the artists. Its design threads the needle between paying homage to the influences of their genre and defining their own individual sound through the band’s commitment to technique, coupled with a nuanced sensibility.

While their fans have shown a great deal of excitement for this upcoming release, Soul Extolled hopes to return the sentiment to their own Restless Kind with a grand release and celebrate this milestone. In support of the album the band hopes to cement its legacy within its hometown community through local touring. And while the group has enjoyed success with touring throughout the United States and will continue to do so, the members have made it clear that their ambitions are set on an international stint their next time on the road and plan to announce more details in the year following the album’s release!

In the lively city of Austin, a visionary named Zach Black imagined a fusion of rock genres that would shake the musical landscape. Conceiving the idea in his college days at the University of Texas, Zach dreamt of a unique blend of indie rock, psychedelic, and ska-punk influences. Souls Extolled, an Austin-based power trio, emerged in 2019 from this vision. Now, after a series of eclectic phases, the 5-year-old band has matured into their signature ‘indie-punk’ sound, reminiscent of early Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes!

[traveluss]

Nature and Nosh: Honeymoon Beach, FL.

Experience the natural beauty of Honeymoon Beach, FL. Relax at North Beach, play at Main Beach, and escape to Oasis. Stroll through scenic trails and enjoy the local wildlife. Cap off your day with a meal at Frenchy's restaurant for a perfect beach day experience.

[paradiselifeebikesblogs]

Riding the Waves: E-Biking to Dunedin's Beachside Dining Hotspots 🌊🚴‍♂️🍽️

Dunedin, Florida, is not just a destination; it's a culinary paradise waiting to be explored. Paradise Life E-Bikes invites you to ride the waves of flavor as we guide you on an e-biking journey to the finest beachside dining hotspots in Dunedin. Gear up, hop on your e-bike, and let the sea breeze lead you to an unforgettable gastronomic adventure! 🌊🚴‍♂️🍽️

Clearwater Beach: Frenchy's Rockaway Grill 🏖️🍹

Embark on an e-biking journey along the Dunedin Causeway to Clearwater Beach. Visit Frenchy's Rockaway Grill for a laid-back beachfront dining experience. Savor their signature Grouper Sandwich or indulge in a seafood platter while enjoying panoramic views of the Gulf.

Dunedin Causeway: Marker 8 Tiki Bar & Grill 🚤🌴

Continue your coastal ride to Marker 8 Tiki Bar & Grill on the Dunedin Causeway. Dock your e-bike and unwind in this tropical oasis. Feast on dishes like Coconut Shrimp and Tiki Tacos, surrounded by swaying palm trees and the cool sea breeze.

Palm Harbor: Ozona Blue Grilling Co. 🎣🍷

Take a scenic e-bike route to Palm Harbor and discover Ozona Blue Grilling Co. Enjoy fresh seafood and steaks on their waterfront deck, overlooking St. Joseph Sound. The Sunset Grilled Salmon is a local favorite that pairs perfectly with a glass of wine.

Clearwater Beach: Cooters Restaurant & Bar 🍤🍻

Head back to Clearwater Beach and visit Cooters Restaurant & Bar for a casual and family-friendly atmosphere. Delight in their famous "All You Can Eat" Crab Legs or try their award-winning She Crab Soup, all while relishing the beachside vibes.

Dunedin Marina: Bon Appétit Restaurant 🍾⛵

E-bike to the Dunedin Marina and discover Bon Appétit Restaurant. This upscale dining spot offers a diverse menu and stunning views of St. Joseph Sound. Choose a table on the outdoor deck for a romantic sunset dinner.

Clearwater Beach: The Bait House Tackle & Tavern 🎣🍔

Explore Clearwater Beach once more and stop by The Bait House Tackle & Tavern. Nestled on the Clearwater Marina, this casual spot offers a diverse menu, from seafood to burgers. Enjoy your meal on the deck with views of boats and the Gulf.

Dunedin Causeway: Backwaters on Sand Key 🏝️🍹

Conclude your beachside culinary tour with a visit to Backwaters on Sand Key. E-bike back to Dunedin Causeway and relish their coastal-inspired dishes. The tropical ambiance and water views make it the perfect spot for a leisurely meal.

Paradise Life E-Bikes invites you to savor the flavors of Dunedin's beachside dining scene. 🌊🚴‍♂️🍽️

Gear up, book your e-bike rental, and embark on a gastronomic journey along the waves. Contact us today to reserve your e-bike and pedal your way to the finest beachside dining hotspots in Dunedin, Florida! 📞🌟🚴‍♀️🍹

#Electricbikes #ParadiseLifeEbikes #Ebikes #Electricbicycle #Electricbikestore #Ebikerentals #Electricbiketours #Pedalassistbikes #Electricbikeaccessories #Electricbikemodels #Batterypoweredbicycles #Bikeshop #Ebikedealer #Electricbikebrands #Bikerentals

[aikidogs]

Look!

[mastiffation]

Moooooorning.

[joqatana]

Your Daily Dogs. Gideon no longer has puppy face. . #oasis #gideon #frenchie #frenchiesofinstagram #mastiffsofinstagram #englishmastiff #giant dog #blackdog #bigdoglittledog #blackdogsofinstagram #blackcatsofinstagram #brindlemastiff #sleephalomastiffs https://www.instagram.com/p/CdlxYBQPRNo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[frenchiesimgirl]

Frenchie Save. Version 1.1. Français

Note: (Dear English-speaking Simmer friends, the following description is in French because all the stories and descriptions of this save are in French. But obviously you can download the save and play with it!) J’ai d’abord créé cette sauvegarde pour moi, du coup je ne me limite pas sur les packs utilisés. Cependant, j’essaie de la garder aussi gameplay et performance friendly que possible, en essayant de créer des environnements agréables sans exagérer sur le nombre d’objets et/ou la quantité de textures de murs/sols.

J’ai également fait un gros makeover à tous les townies/pnj de tous les mondes, et ai ajouté des foyers. Ils ont un peu plus de personnalité, et surtout plus de diversité! ♥

De plus, j’ai essayé de diversifier les représentations LGBTQ+🏳️‍🌈 avec des Sims aux genres et orientations sexuelles variés.

Tous les mondes comptent au moins une maison “Starter” - sauf Glimmerbrook.

Je possède tous les packs sauf le rikikit Nettoyage de Printemps.

Cette sauvegarde est toujours en cours, voici donc l’avancée de reconstruction des mondes:

WILLOW CREEK - 100%

OASIS SPRINGS - 100%

NEWCREST - 100%

MAGNOLIA PROMENADE - 20% (une épicerie)

SAN MYSHUNO - 20 à 25%

BRINDLETON BAY - 35%

SULANI - 100%

GLIMMERBROOK - 100% + Monde Magique

+ Quelques terrains/appartements à Evergreen Harbor, Mt Komorebi et Henford-on-Bagley.

Vous pouvez aussi retrouver la plupart des constructions sur la galerie. ID: FrenchieSimGirl.

POUR INSTALLER LA SAUVEGARDE:

- Copier/coller le fichier Slot_00000555.save dans C:\Users\user\Documents\Electronic Arts\Les Sims 4\saves

Bugs ou autres problèmes?

Je teste autant que je peux mais il y a toujours des choses qui peuvent m’échapper. S’il y a des soucis dans certaines constructions, n’hésitez pas à me le dire via un ask.

✧DOWNLOAD✧ (SFS)

or alternate (Google drive)

[acesandfairydust]

Frenchie: This place is very… Vibrant. Digi: Well it is the middle of winter on Oasis Landing. Frenchie: That's besides the point.

[jinkourugby]

rose + perfume + daydream + oasis !

rose; favorite flower?

Sunflower!

perfume; favorite scent?

Rose water!

daydream; best memory?

Uhhh, I guess bringing my Frenchie home

oasis; dream destination? 

Japan and Greece!

[permaculturenortheast-blog]

Permaculture Northeast Journal: Oct 25th, 2019

Friday, October 25th, 2019: The Dawn of Permaculture Northeast Recap

My name is Benjamin Jackson Powell, known by my friends and acquaintances as Frenchie Powell.  It is without a shadow of a doubt that I should have begun this journal over two years ago, as now I am already well into the project and endeavor that is Permaculture Northeast.  Already the memories of our beginnings are beginning to fade, however, the best time to plant a tree is seven years ago, and the second best time is today. As such, the second best time for me to be starting this journal is the present.  So then, I will attempt to provide a history up to the present time, then move forward, giving flashbacks as they are pertinent to the stories of the future.

Perhaps I should begin by saying… It all started back in my College days in Florida.  My Sophomore year to be precise. You see, my college, Eckerd College, is renown for being an environmentally focused institution.  So it was no surprise that one day I should find a small garden outside of my dorm building, being run by a student who was growing a wide variety of plants on a very small space.  Up to this point, the notion of permaculture had never crossed my radar, and it was not even from this individual that I first learned of it by name, but from him I learned of it by practice.  

The times when I would visit his garden, he (I forget his name), would show me his garden and the mix of edible and ornamental plants that he was growing, and somehow in the mix and midst of it all, I became overwhelmingly fascinated in gardening.  I soon joined forces with him, and later in my Sophomore year, assumed primary control over the garden next to our dorm.  

I forget what my motive was.  Perhaps it was the sun, or perhaps it was the sand, but either way I knew that the garden required frequent watering.  So I would often go out and water the plants, and notice the minute ways in which the water would flow over the micro landscape.  I began to learn what areas were wetter and what areas stayed dry. It was beans that I was growing, with a few other species like prickly pear, some remnant flowers, and a few others that are beyond my memory, but it was the ground that captured my heart.  And it was at some point that things clicked in my mind as to the conditions it needed.

Eventually I looked elsewhere to continue this new addiction of gardening.  I came across a small plot of land next to a building on campus used by ASPEC (Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College).  It was a sorry lot, a flower bed of years gone by left barren and baked by the hot Floridian sun, reduced to no more than a sandy lot with a few wood chips here and there, with weeds even struggling to survive in its corners.  It was on this lot that my endeavors truly began to take off.  

After asking ASPEC if I could use the plot as a garden, they almost incredulously agreed, and gave me $70 of a budget to work with.  Excited with this potential, I promptly went out and purchased a lemon tree, some mint, and other herbs. I knew that if I wanted to grow things on this sad little plot of land, I needed to provide it with the conditions they needed.  I could water, but I also knew that a stout lemon tree would provide much needed shade for the mint beneath it, helping hold the water in. And that the mint would provide a ground cover that would fill the area and also hold water in the “soil”.  And so it began.

It actually wasn’t me who initially covered the soil.  But one time after I think winter break, I returned to find that someone had mulched my garden with wood mulch (that they had bought from the store).  Their intent was to supress weeds, and since the mulch was indeed organic matter, I decided I would just let it go and see what happened. While this had been going on, and the garden was growing, I made it a practice to continually bring with me a “gift” to the garden; be it a stick I had picked up along my walk there, a handful of leaves, or some scraps from the kitchen, I always broght with me some form of organic material to give to the garden’s soil.  This, along with doing some stagnant compost piles about 1ft tall by 2ft wide, allowed the soil to remediate. Within a year and a half, the barren sand had turned into rich black soil. In a year and a half we had over 50 edible species growing in this small “flower bed”. Asparagus, rosemary, pineapple, papaya, lemon, mint, sage, basil, tomatoes, and much more, all grew in a thriving lot together. Though the garden was destroyed twice in those times by unknowing grounds keepers, each time it was built back up and restored.  And though our Papaya trees got a fungal disease, they fought it off without the aid of sprays. The system thrived until the time I graduated.

But let’s pause, because I hadn’t graduated before learning of permaculture.  Indeed my very first introduction to the term had come from a class of mine when the professor was asking the class what we wanted to study for a week, be it “permaculture” or sustainable cities.  The class, including myself, wanted to learn about sustainable cities, and so the notion of permaculture was dismissed beyond one slide talking about how it turned desert into an oasis (refering to Geoff Lawton’s regreening the desert project).  

After that moment, it wasn’t until my Senior year, studying abroad in Jordan for the first semester, that I decided to revisit this old term, and looked it up on YouTube.  And from then on, I was hooked. It was at a time when my garden was only half a year old, that I learned, and educated myself on permaculture as a means of gardening and as an agricultural technique.  And upon my return to the United States, I continued my self-prompted studies and implemented ideas at my garden, on the campus garden, and even went on to perform lectures on my college campus about this relatively new idea.  And so it was, that I decided that upon graduation I would move onto my parents farm in rural, South Central, Pennsylvania and begin implementing these practices on a larger scale. That, was the dawn of Permaculture Northeast.

[aikidogs]

I’ve been seeing more pugs with actual noses in the past couple of years.

Oasis doesn’t have as flat a profile as the Frenchie above, but yeah, a little more snout is so much better for their respiration.

[nemorialex]

Oasis

This was nice, this place. Remarkable even, with what you were learning about it. An unassuming room hidden away from the entire world, and ironically from yourself as well, until today.

Jay had found you earlier that morning. Both of you were somewhat aimless as you explored the forest. The odds of finding another person just wandering out in the world were pretty high, but the two of you had the same thought patterns, so going to the woods and following a similar pathway helped your chances. It was a quick and kind of excitable reunion, questions about where the other’s been and how things were going. 

When it was his turn to retell past events, he chose to “show” you rather than “tell” you. You both covered a lot of distance, arriving at the temple a few hours later. You already knew about the temple, it’s where you woke up in winter. It fixed itself around you and you stayed there for a few weeks before actually venturing out a skylight. Once or twice you came back, but it was just as empty and cavernous as before.

The next part involved flying or hiking, and Jay was a little too impatient for the former. He floated up and around the small mountain that the temple was fused with, pointing to a small dark crevice. You didn’t like the looks of it, so he dove in first before you tentatively followed. 

It was cooler in this space than under the early summer sun, but pitch black. Before you could even search for a light, a huff of air was heard. Torches around and candles above the room bloomed to life, shedding light on the large, circular room. 

 Almost directly in front of you was a large circular bed with one of those decorative mosquito nets hanging above (the kind that was more for show than for practical use) and a few pillows towards the back. Next to that was a desk with side cabinets on the bottom and shelves above. More to the right was a pedestal that was glowing faint green, and Jay was leaning against that almost proudly while smoothing his ears back. Looking up at your “entrance” you find a circular skylight that was propped open, with the outside’s mountain-like crust having disguised it as a more natural crack in a rock face. 

Taking up the last third of the room was some massive mechanical equipment that seemed out of place, especially since it didn’t seem to care much about matching the grays and silvers of the rest of the room (or the rest of the temple, for that matter, since this room had the same theme.) You aren’t personally comfortable with construction-like equipment, but at least you knew this stuff. 

“It’s the alchemiter stuff...” You mumble as you step forward to check on it. 

There was never any plug needed for a power source, and you weren’t extremely skilled at using this thing in the first place, so you don’t know what you’re really looking for. Maybe you just want to run your hands on the pad to make sure it’s actually real. Already you were getting ideas on what to make...

“I think you spawned in on the wrong room or something...?” Jay suggested with a shrug. “I mean, that’s probably weird phrasing and all, but this looks more suited for...” You can tell from his facial expressions that he’s struggling for less obnoxiously game-like terms.

“Maybe...” You nod, and leave it at that. It’s maybe something you could ask Zack or Frenchie about, if they even remember. And it’s MAYBE something you could use to find the others... 

Just maybe.

[aikidogs]

What are you eating and how much do we get?