#salem is a baddie

[gtsjazz]

Rare sighting✨

Played in the streets of Salem

[brunaesmanhottoillustrations]

(via "Pretty little risky baddie" Classic T-Shirt for Sale by Bruna Esmanhotto)

[itsclydebitches]

Team RWBY getting introduced to the multiverse by a team of superheroes who've been fighting God-like beings for years and not asking for any help against Salem after establishing that she's apparently laying waste to the rest of Remnant and Vacuo is the last remaining hope is just... Typical, I guess.

I feel like that highlights how unintentionally selfish the writing makes the team out to be. Again: unintentionally because though the story is clearly aiming for a heroic perspective, lack of development and world-building like this ensures that falls flat. I haven't watched the movies yet, but we saw a more complex version of this in the Atlas arc where the group was more concerned with what was morally easy for them (save people) than grappling with the difficult choice that might help everyone in the long-run (lose people to maintain/win the war). It's a hard thing for a lot of fans to even pick up on because the knee-jerk response is, "How can saving people be bad?" and... it's not, but RWBY keeps presenting moral quandaries where the "best" outcome is both subjective and unlikely to come about through traditionally heroic means. Same thing with the Ever After. Team RWBY wants to leave the world they've been cast into so they can get back to saving people. That's good! Totally good. How could that in any way be bad? Well, because staying there, if only for a short period, means they may learn information that will assist them in defeating Salem. Lose another (metaphorical) battle to potentially win the war. Make a sacrifice to protect the majority. The go-to response for why they didn't hang around and question the Blacksmith is that they had to get back to help, but that short-term help is always what's prioritized. The immediate help. The easiest help to give without taking risks or making a hard call. Now, why go through the difficulty of acquiring inter-dimensional allies and attempting to figure out the logistics of them saving your world when you can just fix the immediate problems (defeating the one-off baddie, getting back home) and return to your regular saving people gig? That's a fantastic gig that indeed makes you look good... except when it's no longer enough to solve the problem and your preferred means, no matter how heroic on paper, are acting as a hindrance to your success.

Obviously in the realm of tie-in movies there are writing considerations too like, "These superheroes aren't actually a part of the canon proper, so they can't just swoop in to save the day" but that doesn't mean the writers can't craft a hand-wavy scenario for why that help is denied. The point is to have the heroes try to find that solution. Let the girls try to defend Mantle, try to help Ironwood keep the Relics safe, try to get the Blacksmith to fix things, try to ally with superheroes to win the war, and if the story doesn't want those to function as solutions it can come up with reasons why it didn't work/someone refused. But continually the team makes these terrible choices that don't forward their primary goal and the audience is left to try and justify that with very unpersuasive excuses.

[thatanimewriter]

CLUMSY KITTY.

➳ request: HI ok, so thank for telling me about the unlimited requesting, (I won't send to many dw) here is one that I thought would be a cute idea.SO, we have a Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose and Neopolitan x gn cat faunus reader who's stupid af and super short. Like shorter than Neo. Only by like 3 or 4 cm but still, they're short. Like a gremlin! They also radiate gremlin energy, by accident. Like they'll be in a store and accidentally knock something over and cause a fire. But then something bad happens, and they suggest something smart? Like what? I thought they were dumb? Yet they surprise us with this smart ass idea??? Hello?? :> 

➳ character/s: ruby rose, weiss schnee, neopolitan

➳ warnings: swearing

➳ notes: thank you ashe for the requesttt and sorry for the wait

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 / 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭  / 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 / 𝐰𝐢𝐩 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

──  𝐑𝐔𝐁𝐘 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄.

honestly same

except the faunus part

but same

it can span from you saying 

“watch this >:))”

and climbing a tree in record time

but you put all your weight on the one branch that snapped off

and you come tumbling to the ground almost immediately after

even if you land on your feet it’s really funny and people can hear ruby’s laughter no matter where you are in beacon

but when it truly comes down to it

you’re a quick thinker and though it might take her a while to admit it

you always come up with better plans than she could ever-

with the war against ironwood and salem, your personality probably mellowed out a little bit

you were the one who suggested emerald become penny to help ambush ironwood

but you haven’t lost your ability to taunt people for being a little chaotic gremlin

──  𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐍𝐄𝐄.

you drive her insane.

she’s tryna be a cool girlie in school

top student type ish

and here you are

trying to spin your pen

and flinging it across the room by accident

probably into oobleck’s head

and you blame it on weiss every time but never get away with it

for that, you drive her insane

but the thing that truly brings her to check herself in to a psych ward

is when you genuinely suggest a good idea under the guise of stupidity

“wouldn’t it be craaaazy if we, like, split up and while the baddies are focused on the ones they’re fighting, the rest of us can go do what we need to do hehehehe”

bitch wtf-

that’s a good idea?? 

stop laughing??

──  𝐍𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍.

torchwick hates the both of you

neo will join you in stupid antics sometimes

also she has a new sense of bravado because she’s FINALLY taller than someone

she enables you a lot even if she shouldn’t

like seeing how tall a stack of chairs can go until it tips over if you sit on the top

and then crashing into a pile of crates carrying active dust-

naturally, neo is the one to pat down any uhhh

FIERY patches on your outfit

but you can’t escape torchwick’s scolding

both torchwick and neo often praise you for the strategies you manage to come up with though

like disguising dust as jewellery so you can bring it into functions without being questioned 

and without bringing a BAG that they’re gonna ask to check either way

a lot of the time, you drop random tidbits of knowledge

for topics that no one else thought to research until shower thoughts hit

neo appreciates your incessant rambling about how dust manufacturing works and you could hypothetically make your own without the help of these goons

[iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid]

interesting thing going on in my brain where i've been so inundated with modern media containing vampires that if i go back and read, say, salem's lot, which was published in 1975 back when vampires were pretty much universally scary monsters, i read stephen king's description of the main baddie and literally do not register this as a spooky bad guy. uh-huh so he had white-gray hair swept back from his high forehead and eyes that caught the light of the fire nearby and made them seem bloodshot, sure, of course. you're just describing what my best friend from the witcher games looks like. his eyes are like that because he's a different species, don't be mean

[dragonking10]

Lancaster: Love Is The Best Gift Part 3

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

Thank you @danteyakumo for the idea.

JNR, GREY and Zwei were all sitting in the cabin as Ruby was trying to cook dinner for everone. Garnet went to his Mom to tell her of all the adventures he had as his father was close behind him.

Garnet: Come on Mom, with you back with us we could take down Salem's followers together!

Jaune chuckles and rubs his son's head messing up his hair

Jaune: Calm down son, it's a lot to take in.

Ruby went to grab a pitcher to make tea in but accidentally drops it, but Jaune was quick enough to catch it.

Ruby embarrassed: Heh sorry, I'm a little out of practice.

Jaune smiles: Well, I didn't marry you for your cooking.

Nora: I hope not, last time she cooked meatballs, it gave Grimm food poisoning.

Ren: Nora.

Nora: What? It's true!

Ruby went to fill the pitcher with water seems lost in thought and felt a little out of place

Jaune notices his wife's look and looks down trying to figure out a way to help her feel better, but then he got an idea

Jaune whistles a tune and walks to his wife

Ruby froze recognizing the tune

Nora: Oh! I love this song!

Jaune's whistling continues has he reached for the overfilled pitcher from Ruby's hand and set it down

Jaune: Remember our song Ruby?

Bold = Jaune, Italic = Ruby, Italic Bold = Both

Jaune: I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with never fear of drowning.

Jaune: And gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me.

Jaune: No scorching sun!

Jaune caresses her face

Jaune: Nor freezing cold! Will stop-

Nora: WILL STOP ME ON MY JOUR- *notices everyone staring except Ruby* ney, sorry.

Jaune glares at Nora for a bit before continuing.

Jaune: If you will promise me your heart.

Jaune holds Ruby's hand

Jaune: And Love?

Jaune singing a bit of Ruby's part hoping for her to sing along

Jaune sighs starting to lose hope, but then

Ruby: And love me foe eternity

Jaune looks up at Ruby and started to smile a bit

Ruby walks over

Ruby: My dearest one, my darling dear your mighty words astound me.

Ruby raises her arm making a fist

Jaune notices it and does the same, they go in a circle and switches arms

Ruby: But I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me

Jaune laughs a bit

Jaune: But I will bring you rings of gold, I'd even you poetry.

Ruby: Oh would ya?

Jaune holds her close

Jaune: And I will keep FROM ALL HARM! If you would stay beside me.

They continue to dance

Ruby: I have no use for rings, I care not for your poetry.

Ruby grabs Jaune's hands and they spin in circles

Ruby: I only want your hand to hold.

Jaune: I only want you near me!

J&R: To love, to kiss to sweetly hold for the dancing and the dreaming!

They are not the only ones who's dancing. Ren and Nora, Garnet and Freya, even Ezekiel and Yuri are dancing together even though on the outside they hate it but love it on the inside.

J&R: Through all life's sorrows and delights I'll keep your love inside me!

They start to sing faster

J&R: I'll swim and sail on savage seas with never fear of drowning.

Nora joins in

J&R&N: And gladly ride the waves of life if YOU WILL MARRY ME/MEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Jaune picks Ruby up and spins in circles for a bit and then let her down with both laughing

Meanwhile

Nora:EEEEEEEEEEEE

Zwei was trying to cover his ears to muffle Nora's terrible singing

Nora:I'MSTILLGOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN*Ren pats her* I'm done.

Jaune smiles at Ruby: I thought I'd have to before I sing that song again

Ruby: Well no need for drastic measures

Jaune: Will you come home Ruby? And be my wife again?

Garnet walks up with Zwei in his arms

Jaune pulls their son closer

Jaune: We can be a family again, what do you say?

Ruby giggles: You don't even need to ask.

Ruby walks over to her husband and son and hugged them with everyone else coming in to join the hug

Look out baddies, the Rose-Arc family are together again and stronger than ever.

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Code Blue Ch. 51- I Am Negan

Summary: Jo runs into more trouble and lucky, maybe unlucky, for her, there's a new baddie in town and paired with Craig, it's double the bloody trouble as their dark side arises.

*Chapter Warnings* !!!DARK and GORY!!! Reader discretion advised!! language, angst, violence, graphic depictions, blood, mentions of guns, sexual language, offensive language, smoking, alcohol use, death

Chapter characters: Josie, Jeffrey aka Negan, Craig, Aaron, Brandon

Chapter word count: 5,392

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist

Salem, Massachusetts

March 22, 2022

The weight of your luggage did not even compare to how heavy your heart was as you stood outside your apartment door, teary eyed and torn over the decision to leave, even if it you planned for it to only be temporary. You finally had something that was all yours and you had to leave it behind all because of your sister's screw ups and you felt guilty for feeling that way about Megan after what happened to her.

Her poor choices always always seemed to fall back on you in some way and this time it was all because she had wanted to hurt you by getting involved with Ethan, but her wicked games and karma caused her to become hurt instead. Still, deep down inside, you knew Ethan was the only one to blame and now, since she survived and could possibly identify her attacker, she and your mom could be in danger because you had a very intuitive feeling that Megan was not supposed to be found alive.

As you made your way out the front door of the suburban Salem complex and approached your car, you caught sight of the gardener Craig had been speaking with when Luke had dropped you off. He was cutting some brush by a small woodland area off to the side of the building and the tall, salt and peppered shirtless man of slender build and tattoos certainly noticed you.

"Whoa....damn!" he rudely and loudly acclaimed as his eyes were indiscreetly undressing you.

"Eww. As if..." you snidely muttered and began putting your bags in the trunk as quick as you could.

Just as you were finishing up, you were startled by the sound of a rumbling vehicle coming to a screeching stop. As you closed the trunk, your eyes bulged when you saw a Pontiac Trans Am quickly backing up. The same beaten up classic car of the 70's that pursued yours in a vengeful highspeed chase through the downtown streets of Salem that contained 4 very pissed off hillbilly bar thugs, only this time there were 2. You knew it was inevitable that your Monte Carlo would be spotted at some point since it stuck out like a sore thumb and that unfortunate time was now. Pulling your Kubaton from your purse, you gripped it at your side and would stick to your plan of lying and pray they were as stupid as they looked.

The pair parked in front of you and turned off the engine, then got out and casually approached you, one walking on each side of your car, leaving you trapped between them at the back.

The one that drove came from your left and traced his forefinger alongside your car in a taunting manner. He was maybe mid thirties, had short dark hair and was quite tall, slender and bearded, much like the gardener that you noticed was now fully clothed and watching like a hungry hawk from the trees.

The other man, boy you should say, came from your right and was much shorter and younger, maybe mid twenties with longer dark hair...and clutched in his hand, swinging at his side was a crowbar.

The taller man spoke as he stopped at your bumper. "Well well well. What do we have here? Is this your Super Sport darlin?"

Standing your ground, you firmly replied. "It's not for sale if that's what you're asking."

The man chuckle and glanced at the other. "I don't believe I asked that question. Did you hear me ask that question Brandon?"

The younger answered in agreement. "Nope. I don't believe I heard you ask that question Aaron."

Now that the faces had names, Aaron took a baby step forward. "Is THIS your car? It's a simple question and a simple yes or no will suffice."

"Yes. Why?"

"Now see? That's not a simple yes, but then again, you are blonde. I don't like blondes and I ask the questions. Ain't that right Brandon?"

"Yep. That's right Aaron. I like blondes though. I prefer plump ones but I'm not opposed to tasting a beanpole." Brandon grinned as he glided his tongue over his teeth.

A sound you couldn't quite describe other than an eerie two-toned whistle, high then low like a doorbell, rode in on the warm afternoon breeze and then a voice spoke with a deep intriguing melody like Lee's, only Lee's was smooth as Crown Royal. This one had a grizzly edge to it.

"Is that so Brandumb? Plump as in joy toy plump? Seems your type. Never stuck my dick in a hot air balloon simply because I've never had the problem of getting laid by a real woman." the gardener jibed as he swaggered in from the sidelines with a cocky tone and grinned like the cat that ate the canary, or was about to, then his intensely rich hazel eyes found you. "You alright here sweetheart?"

Frazzled by the intimidating stranger and his profound dimples, all you could do was gape at him, just like the two other men were doing.

Brandon frowned when the lightbulb turned on. "Wait, did you just call me Bran...dumb? Did he just call me dumb Aaron?"

There was that dimpled grin again as the witty gardener barbed him again. "Well at least you got big alert ears under that perm. Maybe Dumbo would be a better choice?"

Aaron glared at the gardener. "Yes, I think he just called you dumb Brandon and also implied you screw blow up dolls and compared you to an elephant."

"Well damn, there I go again, saying shit exactly as I see it and what I see is a couple of redneck assholes who reiterate their names in every motherfucking sentence to appear all big and smart and spooky like a frill necked lizard, but guess what? I am a goddamn feral cat that eats reptiles like you for breakfast."

You jaw was still dropped, if not more than before, at this highly confident man as he stood at your side with a curled smirk, but Aaron and Brandon were much more astonished as they glanced at each other, seemingly not knowing what to do.

"Ahhh, it seems you boys are DUMBfounded. How fitting. Now, how about one of you speak up as to why you're harassing this young lady and trust me when I say this. It better be a damn good reason. Oh wait a minute. There is no damn good reason for that."

Aaron finally spoke up and fearlessly stepped forward, standing at arm's length before the towering gardener. "I don't believe I got your name boy."

And standing at least 6'2, the amazon gardener also stepped forward, merely inches from Aaron as he leered down at him. "That's because I didn't give it to you pencil dick, but when I do, I'll only need to say it once because you will most certainly never forget it."

Before Aaron could respond, the gardener sniffed the air, stepped back and made a sour expression. "Holyyyyy shitballs of fire, WHAT is that stench?? It could knock a buzzard off a shit wagon. Do you wear deodorant son? I'm about to start swinging a flyswatter and call you Pig-pen. I can only imagine what it smells like inside that piece of shit Pontiac over there on this humid day. Even the wind is trying to run."

For you, it was like sitting in class all over again and desperately trying to not burst out in laughter at a most inappropriate time over a joke your friend made. At this point, you knew 2 things for sure about this middle aged man. One was that he was absolutely fearless, considering he stood there with no weapon, provoking two nefarious men when one was armed with a rather large crow bar and the other had steam coming out of his ears. And two, this gardener was an original wisenheimer with a perverse and twisted sense of humor that you were quite frankly enjoying and you had to wonder if that was just his character or if something traumatic had made him that way. Whatever it was, he was killing you softly with his song.

Brandon snorted and chortled. "He got ya good Aaron."

Aaron's arm shot out like a chameleon's tongue snatching it's prey and smacked the back of Brandon's head with his open palm. "Shut your mouth boy. You'll answer to Daryl later for that one."

The nameless gardener couldn't hold his snarky tongue. "Oh let me guess. Daryl's your other brother? Now that would be hella fuckin funny if one of your names were Daryl too."

Now you giggled because you actually understood the reference, but Brandon didn't.

"I don't git it? What's he mean Aaron?"

Aaron's lips curled inwards. "I've about had enough of you AND your jokes mister, whoever the hell you are. Now let this here bitch answer my question."

The gardener's teeth gritted. "The only bitch I see here is you. You will ask her her name and politely address her by it. Bitch I said what I said. Have I made myself clear or do I have to go all ninja cat and paint this street red?"

He then looked down at you. "What's your name darlin?"

"It's Josie." you softly answered and then muttered as you tried to quietly rectify what he said. "and..um...it's Doja Cat."

"Pardon?"

"The song...paint the town red. It's by Doja Cat."

He was silent and stunned for a moment as his hazel hues delved deep into your eyes, making you almost choke on your own gulp. Had you pissed him off? You couldn't read him well enough yet and you probably should have just kept your mouth shut, but then, a grinch like grin formed on his thin lips.

"Well goddamn and fuck me sideways. I stand corrected and hard! Look at you Josie the pussycat, all puttin me in my place. I am 100 percent more into you now. Just sayin."

The gardener glanced down at the mini mind blowing weapon in your hand and then... paired with enraptured eyes, his voice became somewhat of a growl.

"My kinda woman. What'ya say there tiny Trouble? You wanna join me in shutting this shit down by painting the street red?"

His menacing eyes fixated on the two men, then he took a swig out of his water canteen, which you were standing close enough to get a good whiff of and realize it definitely was not water that he swallowed with incredible ease, but something of a very potent proof ...and then he smiled at them. His first smile full of beautiful teeth. As captivating as it was, it was also frightening.

The almost brawl was interrupted by an irate voice coming out of left field. Craig's....who was now nicely groomed, above and below the neck, minus the tie, as if he were going to some business meeting and tucked inside his belt, very visible on his frontside where his black suit coat hung open, was a gun.

"Everybody needs to back the fuck up. Nobody's painting my street red. Take the blood bath to the abandoned junk pile in the thicket down the block."

The gardener leaned down to you with a smirk and whispered his warm whiskey tainted breath upon your face. "Busted. The principal's here."

Craig gave the gardener a disciplining look. "What the fuck are you doing man? We don't need this attention here. And what in the blimey hell is that smell??? Is that pig shit?"

"Oh that. That's just Karen and Brenda. Some BULLshit that I was just about to shovel up and dispose of."

"Looks to me like you were about to smear that stench all over my property and right here for anyone to witness. You sending out an invite to the rest of the pigs?? Jo...what's going on here?"

"Craig...I..."

Your attempt to explain was immediately thwarted by Aaron stepping up to Craig, who's hand abruptly gripped his gun with caution as he gave due warning.

"Step the fuck back cowboy."

Aaron calmly raised his hands and complied by slowly retreating to a safe distance before he spoke. "This here car, which is too distinct to be mistaken for another, was driven by a man who attacked myself, Brandon here and 2 of my boys at the bar last week and your girl here was just about to get in it."

Both Craig's and the gardener's incredulous eyes simultaneously darted right to you.

"Ok, ok. "you swiftly intervened and rambled out your little white lie with your fingers crossed behind your back. "Look...it's my car yes, but not long ago, it was stolen and I just got it back, so I don't know anything about you being attacked. I've never seen either of you before in my life."

"Well now. Is that so?" Aaron countered with a skeptical tone. "It was dark and rainy that night. You wouldn't have seen us anyways from the headlights dead on your car. But we could see into yours. I counted 3 heads. You could have easily been one of them in this here car. So then, if what you claim is true, you must know who stole it right? Cops must have dusted her for prints."

"I said it wasn't me. Take it or leave it. Cops found it abandoned, keys in it and all and there was no hit on the prints. They must have worn gloves. And for the record, IF I had ever seen you, it would be damn hard to forget a pair of faces that only a mother could love."

The gardener was tickled to his core. "Ohhh that sassy mouth. You're killin me girl. You a bad bitch."

Ugh...all you could see when you heard the term bad bitch, was Gerry's drunken text to Megan that he had accidentally sent you....which you still had in your phone.

"Well there you have it. It was all a simple misunderstanding." Craig firmly attested. "She gave you your answer. You can't blame her for something she didn't do and even if by chance she had, what exactly was it you two hayseeds were going to do to a woman who was out here all by herself? I mean, your brother here is carrying a crowbar the size of my entire arm."

"Who, MIND you, made a very dick minded comment that was signed on the dotted line by his slithering tongue." the gardener readily informed.

Brandon defended the accusation with confidence. "Nahhh, I's just gonna mess the car up, thas all."

Craig's cynical eyes narrowed, causing a small vein on his forehead to become more prominent which you had noticed only happened when he was boiling inside.

"Oh. Is THAS all? No, I don't think that's what you were going to do at all. You see, I know your backwoods kind and I think you weren't even going to care about her answer and I think you were going to drag her into that pigpen on wheels and do something really really bad to her. In fact, I KNOW that was your plan and now, it's not even about a misunderstanding anymore. It's now personal when you mess with someone I care about. You took a wrong fucking turn and now you're in my territory you sorry shits. What do ya'll say we head on down the road and finish this conversation where it's more private."

The gardener, whom you were now beginning to get the distinct feeling that was not his sole profession, but more so in the "business" with Craig, cheerfully taunted the men with their soon to be fate.

"Oh snnnnap. It's really gonna suck to be you girls today. You done gone and pissed the boss man off. Hope you got your shittin pants on."

"Toss the crowbar. Now." Craig ordered.

"Hey, that ain't fair man. You got a gun." Brandon protested and frantically looked at Aaron. "What do I do man?

"What, are you 12? Life ain't fucking fair shit for brains." the gardener declared. "And don't ask Airhead what to do. He sure as shit don't know what to do. But I'll tell you what you're gonna do. Absolutely fucking nothing because that's all you scrotums have done since you rolled in here Joe Dirt style. Word war is over and now it's time to throw hands. Now, the great and powerful Craig has spoken. Give me the crowbar before I knock you somewhere over the fucking rainbow with it."

As the gardener held out his hand, Craig lowered it with his. "No. Let the trembling tin man keep his axe. As I said, I know his kind and he's too damn rusty to use it."

"Fine by me. Now move before I out my size 13 shitkickers up your insubordinate asses." the unknown soldier under Craig's command, commanded.

"No." Aaron adamantly stated.

"What did you say?" Craig asked as he leaned into Aaron with his hand cupped to his ear.

"I said..."

Craig swiftly snatched the kubaton from your hand and cracked him straight over the head with it, instantly drawing blood.

"Ahhh, fuck man." he wailed and dropped to his knees as the scarlet liquid streamed over his eye, blinding him.

"Oh DAMNNN Sharon, that had to hurt. I felt that crack from clear over here." the gardener chuckled and yanked him to his feet. "Come on naw, giddy up!"

The fun was over for you and now you were second guessing the entire situation as you had the disturbing flashback of doing that to Luke. As the gardener lit up a cigarette and blew donut holes while walking behind the men and flipping them off, you turned to Craig.

"Craig. Come on. Just let them go with their tail between their legs." you pleaded. "I'm a little worried here. I know you're going through some bad shit right now and need to vent but I mean seriously, what more are you going to do to them??"

"Oh..I.." he stressed. "Am not going to do anything. He is. Now, don't you worry about me. I'm a big boy and have done this more times than you know. You said you had things to do, so why don't you run along like a good girl and do them. You don't need to see this and I don't need the distraction of you being there in harm's way."

"Don't even give me your condescending bullshit. Like hell I will leave when this is happening because of me. I'm a big girl and have seen more than you know. You seem to have forgotten who my brother is!" you snapped and marched off to catch up with the mystery man.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Craig huffed and followed the parade, lighting up his own smoke on the way.

"You smoke?" the gardener asked and held his cigarette out to you.

"I..I used to..but...what the hell. I'll take a hit."

"Thata girl."

One puff and you were coughing and gagging, for you didn't realize it was a menthol.

"You alright there sweet cheeks?" he asked and patted you on the back.

"Yeah..I'm just used to regulars."

"Eww...as if." he smugly riposted and winked at you, then took a huge drag.

You felt your cheeks burning bright red and wanted to crawl under a rock. He had heard your rude comment in reply to his rude comment....but now, you didn't feel that way about him anymore and all of that could change right back after what you were about to see, or...you could like him even more. It was kind of hard to judge him when he was doing the same exact things Jason did. Taking the bad guys down. It made you chuckle inside though, because Sonny was the boss of all of them and he...was a bad guy.

"Sorry." you mumbled in embarrassment.

"Don't sweat it cupcake. It's my bad. I don't know if you've noticed, but I lack a filter on my thoughts. What can I say? That I'm sorry for thinking that you're one fine ass looking femme fatale? I'd be lying because I'm most definitely not sorry for appreciating such a vision...but I will apologize for not using my inside voice. So for that, I'm sorry Josie."

Although his jokes had receded for the moment, his honesty remained in tact but it was ok because he wasn't being inappropriate and you were actually quite flattered. Most importantly though, he was very genuine and humble with those 2 little words that most people didn't mean or found too difficult to say.

"You're forgiven and I'm sorry for saying something so mean."

"Soooo, you don't think I'm...eww as you so bluntly put it?"

"No, of course not."

"Well darlin, you might soon enough."

"Do you know Jason? Surely you must if you're one of Sonny's men like Craig is."

He was quiet and kept his eyes straight ahead as he finished his cigarette and flicked it at Brandon's head.

"Jason's my brother and I've seen it all. The good, the bad and the ugly."

Now his eyes scrolled down to yours, nice and wide. "No shit?? Morgan's your brother? Never would have guessed THAT." he jested. "Well...it sucks donkey balls what happened. I'm sorry for your lo..."

"She knows he alive." Craig cut in with an attitude as he now walked on the other side of you.

"Donkey balls?" you said with giggling astonishment. "Is that how you offer condolences?"

"Hey, believe it or not, I don't always have the words for certain things."

"Never would have guessed THAT."

"Damn girl. I LIKE you."

"That way ladies." Craig barked as he pushed the men into a wooded path and literally turned to give the gardener a severe stink eye.

The gardener was back to his comical comments as he quietly made one to you. "Uh oh SpaghettiO's. Are you and the landlord of the rings an item? because I just got scolded by the salty jealous eye of Sauron."

"Ohhh...n..no. I'm actually already taken. Well..." you corrected. "My heart is anyways."

"I see. Well, I tip my hat to that lucky son of a bitch and even to Craig because he gets to have you under his roof. Can't say I blame him for being sweet on you."

"Craig and I are just friends. No need to read into things."

"As I've already stated earlier, I call things as I see them and I know Craig like I know my own dick....ok...that didn't exactly come out the way I wanted it to, but I think you get the gist. Anywho, he's either truly madly deeply in love with you or he's well on his way there. One of the two."

Maybe you didn't see it before, but now that your eyes were opened to the possibility, it didn't seem that far fetched after the last 2 eventful days with Craig. You and he were definitely growing closer but either way, you couldn't think about that. Now...or ever. Lee was the only one who would ever fully have your heart.

"Let's get this shit show on the road already. I'm already running late." Craig rattled off as you all came to a remote clearing surrounded by overgrown brush that contained a few junked greyhounds and a pile of various tires. "And you stay back Jo. I mean it." he adamantly added and handed you back your kubaton, then walked off.

You froze solid and held your breath as the gardener stood at the point of a triangle with the men while Craig hung out on the sidelines, casually observing with his hands on his hips. He clearly meant what he said. The unarmed gardener was going to handle both men all on his own.

"Are we pissin our pants yet? Cause it's about to be pee pee pants city here real damn quick. Now which one of you candy-ass namby pambies should I pick first? I can't decide." he tormented as he ominously circled them. "I got an idea. Let's play a game. Eeny... meeny... miny... moe. Catch a piggy...by his toe. If he hollers...let him go."

Your heart raced as he came full circle and stopped in front of them and made his choice.

"My mother told me to pick the very best one and you....are....it."

The gardener glowered down at Brandon who's Adam apple prominently bobbed up and down in a gulp of fear.

"Go ahead. Take a swing at me with that iron bar boy. I triple dog dare you."

Aaron couldn't take it anymore and bravely stepped forward. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size tough guy. Leave the boy alone. You and me. Let's do this. I triple dog dare YOU."

"Don't you threaten me with a good time! And for the record, the BOY will get what he had every intention on giving. But if you insist on going first, by all means TOUGH GUY. Hit me with your best sh..."

Aaron spontaneously sucker punched him below the belt and then stepped back with both fists clenched and ready.

A grunt escaped the hunched gardener's lips and then he bellowed in laughter as he slowly stood up, unphased and ignited for war....and finally, he revealed his name.

"Well hot damn, collect two hundred and pass go! Ol boy here likes to play dirty huh? Well I'm the motherfucking king of dirty!! My nut sack is made of steel and I....am....Negan."

Aaron's fists lowered as his eyes widened. "I....I know that name. You...you're the notorious leader of that gang...the..the Saviors? The one who carries a bat wrapped in barbed wire and you..you're the one who burnt and disfigured Dwight's face with an iron!"

A stunned Brandon darted his eyes to the newly named Negan. "You're the one who did that to our boy Dwight??"

Negan made a sarcastic smirk as he looked up at the sky. "Uh oh Lucille. Looks like I've got some splainin to do."

He then brought his hardened eyes back to Aaron. "I told you you'd never forget my name. Ahhh, where to begin. How about with Dwighty boy. So that traitorous prick's been hiding, with a bunch of stank ass bumpkins? Small fucking world. You see, he ain't YOUR boy, he's mine and he touched something of mine and EVERYBODY knows not to touch something of mine so...he got what he had coming to him. Scarred for life indeed he is, for he scarred someone I loved for life, just as this little maggot here was going to do to Josie and that is so not cool in my fucking rule book. You got your clique and I got mine, the only difference is, yours is trash and the Saviors rid the world of trash like you. Too bad I didn't have Lucille here today because she's a vampire bat and she's been very fucking thirsty lately. SO...I'll just have to make due with what I've got. My trusty ol charismatic hands."

Negan's arm zipped out and clutched the back of Aaron's shirt, then he began dragging him over to one of the busses, opened the door and pummeled Aaron's head with it, over and over...bang, bang, bang.

Brandon contemplated on fight or flight, and he chose flight.

"Hey Jeff! We got a runner." Craig called out.

"Jeff?" you muttered, realizing that Negan must have been a stage name like Jason used with the last name of Morgan.

Negan left a whimpering Aaron on the ground and leisurely walked off after Brandon as he whistled that threatening tune once again.

"Going somewhere yellow-belly??"

Brandon spun around and tried to reason with Negan.

"Look." he smiled and turned. "I'm going to put the crowbar down and..."

Negan didn't let him finish because Negan didn't care. His eyes slitted and with his jaw clenched shut, he bee-lined for Brandon, snatching up a sizeable rock along the way and blindsiding Brandon with a powerful blow to the head and once he was down, Negan stood straddling him and gave him another strike for good measure.

Somewhere in that horror scene, you found yourself in Craig's arms, peeking out with one eye, only to watch Negan go and retrieve the crowbar. As he did so, Aaron appeared, revived and ready for more.

Negan smiled at the bloody sight of him, somewhat stunned to see him standing. "Good god, you got one thick ass scull and a death wish. How bout we test out this crowbar on that noggin? You know, kind of like a crash dummy test?"

"You've made your point Negan. Let me take my brother and go. We won't be a problem anymore."

"Oh you've got that right Arianna. You see, I don't like loose ends, for they are a most certainly a problem."

"Jo, don't watch anymore." Craig advised and placed his large hand over your head to shelter you from what was about to happen.

You didn't fight him as you burrowed your face into his the bare section of his chest where his shirt was not buttoned and then you winced as you heard it. The final crack.

All was silent and you slowly raised your head up to see a perspiring and panting Negan standing over Aaron's motionless and most likely lifeless body.

He then turned a sour face to Craig. "Thanks for all your help."

"I didn't want blood on my clean white shirt and you did fine all by yourself, just like you always do."

Still clutched to Craig, he could feel you shaking. "I told you not to come. Are you...alright?"

"Mmm..hmm." you whimpered with a nod and tear glazed eyes.

Negan's demeanor had changed. He was angry, almost as if he hated what he had done.

"I warned you too. How do you like me now sweetheart?" he groaned, then snapped at Craig before he headed over to a small stream to clean up. "You better get your boys over here to clean this mess up. I ain't the fucking maid."

Craig sighed and took out his phone as you stood there in complete shock. You may have witnessed things like this before, but it didn't mean it didn't negatively affect you, just as it seemed to had done to Negan...or Jeff.

Craig's phone call brought you back to reality. "I got a clean up at the junk pile and there's also a trans am outside the complex to get rid of. Keys are in it. Yes..yes I'm sure! I saw them in the ignition as I walked by. Take care of that first before it draws attention and call me back asap when it's done."

You and Craig walked over to Negan who was crouched down at the stream and washing his stressed face.

"The guys are on the way. You good man? Come on. Let's get out of here." Craig quietly relayed.

You could tell he wasn't feeling all that well about it either, but you knew in that line of work, they had to suck it up and deal with it, which once again had you questioning why in the hell they even chose that lifestyle. You asked Jason that many times and his answer was always the same. To make the world a better place and your thoughts were always the same as well. Then why did he work under a man like Sonny Corinthos? Probably because he was untouchable which meant they would be too, but that wasn't even logical. None of them were invincible nor immortal. It just never made any damn sense to you.

"Yeah, good as the good gets I suppose. I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand. I need a ride downtown to get my bike at Xtreme Motors. Fucking thing stalling on me all the time."

Xtreme motors. One of the many businesses Sonny owned throughout Salem where Jason also took his bike for repairs. Hell, the mob boss damn near owned have the waterfront too.

Craig's phone rang again. The cleaners didn't mess around. They were quick.

"Is it done?" Craig asked, straight to the point and then the expression on his face fell flat. "What do you mean the fucking car is gone???"

@redeemer46

[howlingday]

Thinking back on the idea of RWBY and rogue galleries in general, which comic book rogues do you think would be interesting to see Team RWBY (and JNPR/ORNJ) go against?

Obviously some villains would be flat out ridiculous (Superman's, Hulk's, etc.), but others, like the Spiderman or Batman villains, seem like they have potential...

Both rogue galleries are accustomed to teenage heroics yet are still susceptible to being defeated by them.

Some members are flat out crazy (Joker, Electro, etc.) and will probably get trounced without mercy while others are WAY more sympathetic in spite of their villainy (Curt Connors, Clayface, Mr. Freeze, etc.) adding a "human" twist that RWBY isn't exactly used to.

I mean can you imagine Blake, a faunus, trying to call the Lizard or Clayface monsters despite them not wanting their horrendous appearance?

Or Weiss trying to stop Mr. Freeze plunging beacon into the Ice Age despite the fact that all he wants to do is save his wife who brings warmth to his lonely existence?

What do you think?

When it comes to RWBYs own rogues gallery, it's not hard to find a set point on who fits who best.

For example, starting from the beginning, there's Vale's criminal underworld run by Roman Torchwick. I'd consider this

GANG-LEVEL

Street thugs, ne'er-do-wells, and general human scum who will lie, cheat, and steal, doing whatever it takes to survive. These are villains on the same level as most of Gotham's worst of the worst; Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow, Riddler, ordinary humans with slightly above average physical skills. But, it should be noted that these are also villains who have tricks up their sleeves. Tricks like, well, a trick cane... or Joker Venom.

But after the Fall of Beacon, we reached a new level of threat that gives us a broader perspective. These are the villains who have went beyond the ordinary and into the extraordinary, bringing with them a dangerous arsenal of weapons, skills, and super-powers that make them a threat to even the most skilled fighters. In honor of this, I choose to classify them as

HUNTSMAN-LEVEL

Superhumans, supervillains, and super pains in our backsides, these are the kinds of baddies that definitely make a Death Battle list. Villains like Tyrian Callows, Adam Taurus, Arthur Watts from RWBY get put up against super-criminals like The Scorpion, Shredder, and Doctor Doom. These would be tough fights for RWBY and would require help from the other side to assist. I'm thinking entire stories with them as the big bad guys. There's some kind of superhuman skill they have that makes them more than just a threat, but a super threat.

Speaking of Big Bads, going beyond the scope further are the enemies that are way too much for RWBY and would actually the fun of writing these universe together. Yeah, I'm talking

EXTINCTION-LEVEL

Thanos, Darkseid, Salem; you know them, you fear them, and there's a reason for both. These are the final bosses of their own franchises, and the reason for that is pretty clear. Planets? Dusted. Galaxies? Peanuts. Life? Meaningless. Resistance? Futile. However, my biggest problem with these villains for RWBY is they're too big. Like, these guys just blink, and the worst thing that could happen to our heroes is just the start. So, yeah, don't expect me to write anything serious with these players anytime soon.

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

Now, as for sympathetic VS merciless, it kinda depends on the situation they're in.

For example, Basil Karlo, Clayface, was a famous actor who desperately wants to regain his original appearance. Sympathetic. However, I can also see Weiss freezing him without hesitation because he's trying to kill a doctor who can't fix him.

Dr. Kurt Connors would be similar with Blake, as you said, but I feel she would also feel no hesitation in putting him down. She might draw some parallels between him, and another seemingly passionate man driven over the edge into becoming a monster.

Honestly, these are both interesting scenarios, and I'd like to do more with them if I get the chance (COUGH, COUGH, 70 ASKS) but we'll just have to wait and see until then.

Keep up the good work and thanks for the food for thought!

[shivshaktimachtech]

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[vampiricegirl]

-salem -25 -bisexual -nonbinary (she/they pronouns) im a gemini but i dont understand astrology so if any of u astrology baddies wanna explain it to me my dms are open (for legal reasons that was a joke) this blog is nsfw so minors please dont interact!!!!! also fuck terfs, pedos, nazis and bigots of all flavors. i genuinely think the world would be a better place without yall so idk why ur here. i have many special interests including vampire the masquerade, homestuck, madoka magica and more! i like clowns, vampires, biblically accurate angels, monsters and blood!

i also really love making friends so if youd like to be friends my discord is "salemcross" and my ask box is always open to everyone!! ask me about my ocs ill love u forever!!!! tags: art - posts - my face

i also have an etsy where i sell my art! if you buy something itd mean the world to me!

etsy | kofi

join my discord!

[skvnktactics]

having fnaf Thoughts involving the skunk n im just gonna bulletpoint them tbh b/c my mind is a jumbled mess atm lol

♠ given that Indigo Park has been around for 100 years, the collaboration with Freddy's was supposed to be a one-time thing, similar to the various cameos in the Scooby-Doo franchise. however, after seeing a huge boom in financial success during this time, the collab has become permanent, and the two companies have a very Marvel/DC dynamic in the public eye.

♠ probably gave roxy a digital heart attack b/c there's only room for ONE punk in this pizzaplex! [ there is definitely room for 2 ]

♠ salem gives sun/moon a pass judgement-wise b/c they give salem their scraps from arts and crafts, and she has fun time decorating Her Space.

♠ they see the main foursome of Freddy's mascots in the same light as Rambley and his buddies ; foxy's cool though, b/c pirates are awesome and they support a fellow baddie ✨✨✨👌

♠ as an animatronic, her dyed streak is actually clear fibers that change color similar to fiber optic lamps, and the " collar " of her jacket is removable! there's a slot between her shoulder + collarbone that un/locks, so that it's easier to repair or customize.

[sytokun]

Nitpick November #11: WiFi Down

I like how the CCT towers were made with the baffling flaw of "if one goes down, the whole network goes down" only for them to not do anything with it.

And no, bringing up the Amity plan in V7 is not relevant, because that's 3-4 years spent doing nothing with this plot point in the interim, like how the world reacts to this worldwide upheaval or what the villains do with it - it was time spent fixing a problem that you introduced and did nothing with anyway.

Alright, you want me to buy that one CCT tower breaking down will cause the whole thing to shut down instead of the other relay towers just keeping the signal up but the downed area has no signal.

Alright RWBY, I'll play along, even though you've never explained anything enough about electronics in Remnant to suspend my disbelief that this works the way it does. Because I assume you're gonna do some important plot thing about that (much like how Dust doesn't work outside the atmosphere but that's a future Nitpick maybe).

Take out one tower so that the signal goes down across the entire world, save for short range radio. Surely you wouldn't add this really weird flaw into the world's lore if it's not for a story reason, even though we now know the plot from V4-6 functioned essentially the same as if the other CCT towers were still operational.

Hm, what's gonna happen? Are the baddies going to do some giant blitzkrieg operation to attack all the other Kingdoms while their logistics ability is crippled? Salem sends waves of Grimm to overwhelm the Kingdoms' armies, now all cut off from contacting backup, claim swathes of territory and surround the remaining Academies?

...No? Alright, what if it's to take advantage of the media blackout to start sending in Salem loyalist spies into the Kingdoms and start spreading mass panic and propaganda?

...No? Okay, maybe, I dunno, while all the CCTs are down, you can get the designated hacker expert man on your team to perform a backdoor hack into the remaining towers, take control of all the androids in the Kingdoms at once and destabilise all the Kingdoms overnight?

NO? Okay fine, screw the villains' plans. Tell me, at least, please, that you're gonna do some kind of really cool spy drama story arc where Team RWBY have to travel the Kingdoms during a worldwide radio silence, and they have to do a bunch of Cold War shit like intercepting Salem's spies, communicate by digging up old radio equipment from the Great War, stop bad actors from other Kingdoms trying to sabotage and infiltrate Vale while it's weakened, or act as secret messengers carrying confidential info between the other remaining Headmasters? Anything like that?

...NO?

Okay.

So you deliberately shot an aspect of your worldbuilding in the foot, not in service of some greater plot reason or to make cool shit happen, but for the sheer sake of it; or more likely, some plot point you wanted to do but dropped like a brick.

[brunaesmanhottoillustrations]

(via "Pretty little risky baddie" Sticker for Sale by Bruna Esmanhotto)

[normalest-of-knees]

Guys I just realised: is Volume 3 the ONLY time the "final boss" of the show is one of the main villains???

I just realised that all other Volumes introduce some new villain in the same Volume that they become the last obstacle of the season for

Volume 5 may also count, depending on how you view it

Main baddies = Any of Salem's actual faction; temporary members like Neo and Raven do not count

Volume 1: Torchwick; No main baddies

Volume 2: Grimm & Torchwick & WF; No main baddies

Volume 3: Cinder! Though also Torchwick & Adam & WF & Grimm

Volume 4: Horseman Grimm; Tyrian was right there but ok

Volume 5: Technically vs Salem's team (or a decent chunk of them) & WF & Raven kinda?

Volume 6: Cordoven & Sea Grimm (& Adam I guess); No main baddies

Volume 7: Ace Ops; No main baddies fought

Volume 8: Ironwood and Cinder kinda; Salem is literally a pile of goop for a while

Volume 9: Curious Cat after 2 seconds of Neo; no main baddies

Like.... holy shit. It happens, but not nearly as much as it actually should! Like 2 maybe 3 times if ya squint

(Also, I'm mainly going off of memory, so if anyone has any corrections I do welcome them!)

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Review: The People's Joker (2022)

Just because I left Fort Lauderdale, and with it Popcorn Frights, behind when I moved to Boston last year doesn't mean I have to give up on horror festivals. And just as I managed to sneak in a trip to the Telluride Horror Show amidst my adventures in Utah back in 2022, so too did I find that -- where else? -- Salem, Massachusetts hosted the annual Salem Horror Show in April and May. Tonight was the first night, and they screened one of the festival's token non-horror films in The People's Joker, a queer Batman spoof made without any official approval from DC Comics or Warner Bros. (They originally had a screening of Hocus Pocus planned with Kathy Najimy as a special guest, but Najimy had to cancel at the last minute.) How was it?

The People's Joker (2022)

Not rated

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2024/04/salem-horror-fest-week-1-day-1-peoples.html>

Score: 4 out of 5

The People's Joker exists in a place very similar to that enjoyed by Escape from Tomorrow. In both cases, you have independent filmmakers making unlicensed, unauthorized use of American pop iconography, Disney in the case of Escape from Tomorrow and DC Comics in the case of this film, as a way of satirizing and critiquing it with a particular focus on its corporate ownership and its role in the modern economy. Unlike Disney, which permitted the release of Escape from Tomorrow, DC Comics and Warner Bros. actively tried to clamp down on this film, which was ultimately saved by fair use laws protecting parodies like this. And of the two, I'd argue that this film pulls off what it was trying to do a lot better. While both films are elevated by a particular psychedelic edge and punk-rock attitude, Escape from Tomorrow was too incoherent to really stick the landing or even really convey what it was trying to say, while The People's Joker manages to successfully pull off being not only a dark parody of Batman in which the Joker is the hero, but also a hilarious comedy in its own right, a queer coming-out story, a satire of the entertainment industry (especially stand-up and sketch comedy), and a film that manages to get its message across loud and clear. For obvious reasons, I don't expect this to be more than a cult classic, but it's one I enjoyed and do not regret watching.

In this take on Batman's most iconic villain, one that's most obviously based on the movie Joker but draws on many versions of the character (as well as elements of Harley Quinn), the Joker is now a trans woman who leaves her disapproving mother in Smallville, Kansas for Gotham City in the hopes of becoming a comedian like her idol, UCB Live star Ra's al Ghul. There, upon being exposed to the gatekeeping and hypocrisy of the world of mainstream standup comedy, which here serves largely to prop up a corporate-run dystopia even as it still claims the legacy of those who once spoke truth to power, she starts her own underground "anti-comedy" troupe in an abandoned carnival that comes to be comprised of many of Batman's traditional baddies from the comics. (Her trademark gag is inviting people onstage to tell the world their saddest experiences and then huffing Smilex and laughing her ass off at their misery, because after all, this is still the Joker we're talking about.) This eventually puts her on a collision course with Batman himself, who's depicted as not only the jackbooted thug that more cynical deconstructions of superhero comics have framed him as, but also a perverted closet case on top of it. (Let's just say, this film gets a lot of mileage out of all those jokes you've heard about his relationship with his sidekick Robin.)

The film ain't exactly subtle in what it's saying. UCB Live is a clear-cut parody of Saturday Night Live, right down to the fact that Lorne Michaels is a character in the film, and moreover, its initialism is lifted straight from the famed Chicago comedy troupe the Upright Citizens Brigade that played such a major role in the development of standup and sketch comedy in the '90s and '00s, including producing multiple SNL stars. And while the film never names him so directly, you also get the sense that its writer, director, and star Vera Drew really isn't a fan of Joe Rogan or the standup circle he's built around himself, either. The Joker's introduction to UCB Live's casting has her body being scanned and her being deemed a potential comedy superstar because she has a small penis and is therefore mistaken for the kind of insecure man who the industry is built upon. Her comic idol Ra's starred in a Borat-like film whose main joke was making fun of foreigners. The whole reason Batman, an avatar of the elite if ever there was one (being the CEO of Wayne Enterprises and all), comes after her is because she directly criticizes and threatens the ruling class in a way that the corporate, sanitized world of UCB Live merely pretends to. Drew is somebody who clearly has experience with comedy and the people who inhabit it, and is very much writing that experience into the meat of the story, a metaphorical representation of an entertainment industry that, in her view, only cloaks itself in populism and progressive language enough that it can fend off criticism without actually making any meaningful changes.

Much of this is told through a mix of a riotous and raunchy comedy and the Joker's romance with her fellow comic Jason Todd, aka "Mr. J", a trans man who's envisioned here as a mix of Robin and the edgelord Jared Leto version of the Joker from the DC Extended Universe. The gags came flying at a mile a minute, and often had me busting my gut in laughter. The whole cast is game for the material, with Drew making the Joker a compelling anti-hero not just as a comic presence but also as somebody whose journey from a Midwestern girl-trapped-in-a-boy's-body to a flamboyant Clown Princess of Crime was one that I found myself genuinely invested in. Kane Distler as Mr. J was also an interesting presence, somebody whose relationship with the Joker starts promisingly only for him to turn emotionally abusive and self-centered (complete with a "gaslighting" pun that had me cracking up), indicating that, when he transitioned, he wound up embracing the most noxious forms of hypermasculinity. And as for the style of the film, Drew goes for an exaggerated feel that combines live-action filmmaking, highly stylized CGI, what appears to be a mannequin representing Poison Ivy, and very crude animation both 2D and 3D to create a feeling that reminded me of watching Adult Swim or surfing Newgrounds back in the 2000s. There clearly wasn't much of a budget here, so Drew instead leaned on creativity, both her own and the dozens of artists worldwide who each contributed to the film. It was as unique a film to watch as it was an entertaining comedy, one that demonstrated a lot of talent and commitment on the part of everybody involved.

The Bottom Line

There's no way in hell that The People's Joker is ever getting a wide release, but if it plays near you, I highly recommend seeking it out, as a twisted, countercultural sendup of everything from superheroes to mainstream comedy to who gets to call themselves "the counterculture".

[badass-at-fandoming]

Guess who is playing Out for Blood !!!!!!!

Highlights from the first three chapters:

Going in, I knew I wanted to play a character with True Faith. The first chapter gave the option to devote oneself to Islam, Christianity, or Judaism. I wasn't sure if Christianity meant Protestant or Catholic, playing Protestant would make my brain melt, I have Jewish family members, and I really loved reading When the Angels Left the Old Country last month so...Jewish PC it is! So far I'm really enjoying the experience and have fun little research asides when the game references something.

This PC is also a nonbinary lesbian person who had a childhood crush on Salem. Eir grandfather, Aviv, ran Chapter Eleven bookstore. Which is quite the ominous name, but we'll see how it goes.

This game seems slower paced than Night Road, but lots of elements could pick up later. I had two favorite moments.

Chastain having a tantrum after she fails to Dominate the PC:

Girl, those are what we call inside thoughts. 😂

My friends and I have had that exact reaction when our powers don't work. We usually complain out of character though! 😂😂😂

At the dinner party, the PC hugged Marcus, and this hug description wow:

My heart melted! And then got a deathly chill at the immediate [Willpower -1] notification! Ahhhh, is Marcus one of the baddies?? Nooooooooooooooooo