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sablelab · 5 years ago

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Covert Operations - Chapter 137

SUMMARY: When new intel comes to light about the mole Frank Wolverton-Randall, Fergus is buoyed by what he discovers. He goes to Madeline’s Office where Section’s leaders are waiting for him, with a progress report and tells Operations and Madeline of his findings and they are gobsmacked to know the identity of the mole in Section. They reflect on their dealings with Frank in order to make sense of his hatred for them as well.

WOO! HOO! I missed my 2 year Anniversary of posting this story at the end of July (Chapter 135(S) ) so I just wanted to give a shout out to all who have at one time or another … ever read one, or more, or all of my chapters over this time, left kudos, a like, a comment, reblogged the chapters or contacted me via a DM. THANK YOU ALL … SO MUCH. Much love to each and every one my readers YAY!

Chapter 136 (S-NSFW) and all other chapters can be found at … https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations Sorry to say I am not on Ao3, but perhaps when I finish this story I will try and navigate how it works and how to post there.

CHAPTER 137

During the week Fergus Claudel was busy, as usual, at his computer collating any last-minute details in his report for Operations and Madeline about the mole. He wanted to make sure that he had all his t’s crossed and his i’s dotted before he presented the intel to his leaders. He’d been exhausted when he’d eventually left Comm. last night, but he’d certainly slept well knowing that what he had to show his superiors today would be most pleasing to them. Hopefully the Intel would also help reverse his pal’s fiancée’s evaluation status. He was totally convinced that his data would be just what Operations and Madeline were looking for. Absorbed in his task he was unaware that Murtagh Fitzgibbons had walked up behind him. The first indication that he realised that he was not alone was the sound of something being dropped onto his desk and a familiar voice saying, “Open it.” After the initial shock of being crept up on registered in his brain, Fergus looked down at his desk and saw a hard, plastic case containing a computer disk. He picked it up and immediately his eyes lit up when he realized what he held in his hands. The computer geek couldn’t contain his excitement.

“No! … No way!” he exclaimed in shock and excitement. “Yes,” Murtagh replied very pleased that at his buddy’s reaction. Fergus was chuffed at the gift as if his best mate had given him the most precious of items on the top of his wish list. “Oh ... this is awesome!” The older operative was delighted at his friend’s reaction to his surprise gift. “First off the line ... and you can retrain the display ... as much as you want without losing data.” “Oh, wow! Thanks,” Fergus replied unable to stop looking at the gift his buddy had given him. “No ... no, thank you,” Murtagh answered back thinking that it was the least he could do to repay his friend for all the help he had given him. “For what?” Fergus asked realising that no favour he might have done warranted such an awesome gift of thanks. “For Bóinne. Things went great on our date. I also saw this little black cat jewellery box and I knew she’d love it. I couldn't have done it without you amigo.” Suddenly, Murtagh stopped talking and looked behind him when he heard light footsteps and saw the woman, they were discussing approaching.

“Speak of the devil's mistress.” The Med Lab nurse watched the two friends deep in conversation and saw the look on her fiancé’s face which told her that he’d asked Fergus to do something for him. Bóinne could tell by his expressions as Murtagh was an open book for her. She gave him a warm smile and finally came closer.

“There you are honey.” His eyes crinkled in delight at seeing her. “Hi.” Severing their gaze, Bóinne then looked down and smiled at his friend. “Hello Fergus.” He was a little surprised at her attempt to be so nice to him. “What's up?” “Nothing ..., I just stopped by to say hi … and to tell you what a great time we had the other night.” “That’s fantastic.” “Oh, and by the way, I also found this in Med Lab,” Bóinne said handing him a small contraption in a plastic bag. “I was wearing surgical gloves when I discovered it, so I haven’t contaminated it Fergus. Murtagh thought it might be important for you to check out.” Fergus’ brows knitted somewhat when he saw the tiny device she held out in the palm of her hand. He looked at the device then back up at her, “Where did you find this?” “I was preparing one of the beds for a new patient and found it under the gurney in ICU.” “Where Jamie was?” Fergus asked nonchalantly, not wanting to raise any undue concerns. “Yes, it was actually. Why?” “Oh nothing … I’ll check it out and see if it’s anything significant. Did you find any others?” “No … that was the only one.” “Thanks I’ll look into it.” Fergus declared.

He was not at all surprised that he had failed to locate the device when he’d done a sweep. It was small and would have been hard to detect. Obviously Bóinne had smaller hands and perhaps it had dislodged when the bed had been remade or was hidden under the mattress, he thought. Anyway it could be another piece of the puzzle about the mole and if Frank Wolverton-Randall had placed it there then this would be significant if he could find something on the device that would incriminate him. As they were talking, Murtagh happened to look up past Bóinne and saw Operations approaching their way, so he brought the conversation to a swift end whispering to Fergus, “Okay. I’ll see you later. We have a whole day of downtime.” “All right. I really have to finalise my report for Operations and Madeline. See ya.” The two operatives quickly slipped away not wanting to confront their superior especially when they had better things to do on their day off. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Fergus was busily watching the departing couple and didn’t realize that Dougal Mackenzie had walked up to his station and had joined him at his desk. He was a little startled that Section’s leader had approached his station at this time, especially when he was to report to Madeline’s office shortly. He was also a little miffed too that he’d been caught unprepared for his briefing because Murtagh and Bóinne had taken up his time and he hadn’t realised that he was indeed late for the meeting. “Fergus … Madeline is expecting you. What is the hold up?” “Nothing sir. I was just collating any final points for the briefing. I didn’t want to miss anything,” he nervously replied. “And I was just handed something that I must check out as well. It might be an important piece of the puzzle about the mole.” “I see … very well. I’ll inform Madeline that you’ll be another thirty minutes.” “Thank you sir.” “Bring all your data to her office as soon as you can then. We’ll be interested to hear your report.” However, the other reason Operations was there was that he needed Fergus to pull up a different assignment that was imminent, “But first I want you to upgrade another Mission ... the one we're running in Somalia.” “I'll pull the file.” Swinging his chair around, Fergus accessed the information from another computer. Operations then started to give him a quick sketch of what he wanted done. “The Profile calls for an Abeyance Medical Team of five to infiltrate a terrorist compound where insurgents are wounded to gauge the Intel we require on the health of their leader. The Primary Team will carry out the Mission to destroy their headquarters and all medical facilities if he is found to not be there. Send the Abeyance Ops to Murtagh to get their inventory when he returns from his downtime.” “What's the survival likelihood of the Abeyance Team?” Operations gave their IT specialist a “that's a silly question” look, before answering. “Zero.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Once Section’s leader had left his station, Fergus Claudel was left with a problem. Bóinne Rivière’s standing would automatically place her in the Somalia mission. He pulled up her profile and stared at the abeyance standing flashing on the screen. He couldn’t send Murtagh’s fiancée to her death on this mission. Not now … not when his friend was so happy. He had to do something. Making a decision that he hoped would give him enough time to find a way to repeal her termination ranking, Fergus speedily changed her status to the highest level of eight then quickly exited her Profile. He then took the small device she had given him and ran it through his system. To his delighted surprise it came up trumps. “BINGO!” he exclaimed. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Gathering up his evidence, Fergus Claudel made his way to Madeline’s office where he knew that Section’s leaders would be waiting for him with his Intel and a progress report. With a strong belief that the information he’d found and especially from the device so unreservedly given to him without fear of any consequences, he just might also have enough information to change Operations and Madeline’s minds about sending Bóinne Rivière on the Somalia mission. Fergus hoped that what he’d found would please them about the mole in Section and give him some leverage to place a case for the Med Lab nurse’s reclassification and change their minds about her abeyance mission. He had a slim chance but he had to try for Murtagh’s sake. Last night he’d combed the whole system trying to find a connection to any of the operatives in Med Lab and any associated with Jamie and Claire over the past few weeks of the Rising Dragons’ mission. The fact that he’d been able to find anything or anyone who had passed the Intel to Colum and how, was a miracle. Frank Wolverton-Randall had certainly hidden his tampering extremely well and had gone to great pains to cover his tracks, but Fergus had managed to find the link and what Bóinne had given him would certainly be the final nail in his coffin. Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together had not been easy but it was a good thing that he had, because Operations and Madeline were both vulnerable if Intel keep leaking to Oversight. It seemed strange to Fergus that Colum would be keeping tabs on procedures in Section One when he had been debriefed on several occasions, however with a little further digging he’d come to establish a reason why he’d enlisted Frank’s expertise in doing so and it appeared to be personal. Oversight was the board and the only entity Operations had to answer to. It was all tied up in the Rising Dragons’ mission and Oversight’s perception as to how expediently Section was dealing with the triad. It was well known that Colum and Operations were rivals and there was little love lost between the two adversaries. Perhaps Colum was displeased that things were not moving as fast as he had hoped, but then again in his search Fergus had also stumbled across a communiqué from Colum to Mr Lambert which was very revealing as to his motives. Fergus knew that Operations and Madeline would be pleased with what he’d found. He had managed to solve the conundrum of the mole in Section … the ghost mole actually … as the person responsible was not physically present but had still managed to pass on Intel surreptitiously despite being transferred to another substation. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ An apprehensive Fergus Claudel stood on the threshold of Madeline's office with the information firmly in his grasp. She was talking to Operations who was there as well, but when they saw him, they motioned for him to enter. “So Mr Claudel I trust that you bring us good news.” “I’ve made some progress sir.” “Excellent.” “We’re listening,” Section’s leader stated pricking up his ears in the hope that the mystery would finally be solved. “Please inform us to your findings. What did you discover?” Madeline instructed leaning on her desk. Although he was a little nervous, Fergus began his briefing to his superiors on his results and gave them a status report on his findings. “I ran an inventory of all the possible people who may have been involved as a possible mole in passing Intel to Colum at Oversight and I checked out all the people on your list as well.” “And?” “Zero … Dr Foster and Bóinne Rivière came up clean and although both had tremendous access to Med Lab, there is nothing to indicate that they were involved.” “Hayes and Lesley?” “Likewise.” “So you’re telling us that all of them came up clean?” “Yes sir… I was also unable to find any surveillance cameras or listening devices in Med Lab.” “I thought you said you had something for us Claudel … this is not what I hoped you would find.” Before they could protest some more, Fergus continued, “But … I have now come into the possession a small mechanism that was discovered in Med Lab by nurse Bóinne Rivière. I have just run it through the system. It confirmed my suspicions and gives us concrete evidence of the perpetrator. Without her finding the device I only had my gut feeling and supposition to go on. She was invaluable and is, I believe, totally innocent and loyal to the Section or else she would have disposed of the device instead of handing it over to me,” he added glowingly for extra clarification. Operations heard his statement about Bóinne Rivière but chose not to respond to it, instead he stated, “Go on.” “It was a sophisticated, minute listening device that was attached to James Fraser’s bed in ICU. I ran a fingerprint on it and I found something very interesting.” “Get to the point Fergus.” “I said I’d found no one suspicious but … there is one exception. The fingerprint showed up a match. I narrowed it down to one prime suspect.” That information whetted their appetite. Operations was all ears. “Who?” “A person in another substation but no longer in Section.” “Cut to the chase Fergus … who is it?” Section’s leader insisted as if he had little time for the mundane facts he’d given them already. He wanted something concrete … and he wanted it now! “Frank Wolverton-Randall,” Fergus blurted out. “Who?” Operations exclaimed incredulously but it made sense given their history and how he’d transferred him away from Systems and Fergus. “Frank Wolverton-Randall,” he repeated.

“I heard you the first time,” his superior barked turning to face Madeline with anger in his eyes.

This was certainly a surprise. Madeline took a seat behind her desk thinking that Wolverton-Randall had had little contact with medical or the Rising Dragons mission that they knew of since he’d been transferred to another sector just after Jamie and Claire arrived back from the retrieval Mission. Operations looked at his second in command. “Didn’t Colum specifically ask for Frank to be transferred?” “He did … and we were only too glad to see the back of him. Do you remember?” Madeline added. “Yes … I do.” Operations stated with disdain. He was livid at the underhand tactics Colum had used. He realised that his brother must have planned this all along and was just waiting for his chance to discredit them by using Frank as his mole especially given his knowledge of Section. Fergus waited and listened to the exchange between the two leaders before continuing with his findings. “I raked the system, all of it and I cross-correlated every piece of data on Wolverton-Randall I could find. Once I was able to solve the deeply hidden channel code that I discovered, it all made sense that he was the person responsible.” “How is that possible when he is no longer in Section but at our substation?” “I believe he did have time to set this scam up before he was transferred. He was my main focus because he is the only person who could manage to infiltrate sensitive files about operatives and then pass this Intel on to Colum.” “But why him? Why Frank Wolverton-Randall? Did he approach Colum or he was approached?” Ever pragmatic Madeline gave Operations the answer. “Several reasons Dougal. Think about it … Frank has a number of personal motives for being Colum’s mole and he had the expertise to pull off such a coup. He has the computer knowledge on the same scale as Fergus and he has ulterior reasons to find your brother’s proposition advantageous to seek retribution against us.”

“Hmmm,” he mumbled.

“Not only that, but Colum knew that Frank had animosity towards you and I. He made a bargain with the devil for sure with both parties benefiting from this collaboration. It would be a win-win for your brother too if he could discredit us but you in particular Dougal. He has always had an axe to grind over Letitia’s unexplained disappearance and I would suggest that he blames you for that. After all you did take over Section One when no trace of her was found.”

Dougal Mackenzie took stock of what his second in command had stated and what Madeline said made sense. They now had to come up with a plan to put a stop to it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Frank Wolverton-Randall was the mole! Fergus’ information raised a number of plausible scenarios in Madeline and Operations’ mind as to why the operative had done what he’d done, and they both in their own way, reflected on what would also provide motives for his deception.

Operations recalled the circumstances under which they’d dealt with Frank when he’d been recruited at such an early age. It was a catch twenty-two situation. Wolverton-Randall was young but he was smart and Section One needed him, however, it was his stupidity and the invincibility of youth that had been his downfall. It was obvious that Frank would have a personal vendetta against him for being brought into Section One. The young man’s rebelliousness and seditious attitude because he was incarcerated away from his mother and father would be legitimate grounds for him to have a special grudge against them as well.

Section’s leader remembered their conversation as if it had happened only yesterday.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hey, go to Hell! Where am I exactly? Stupid City? I want to talk to the man in charge!” "I am the man in charge." With the irreverence of youth Frank’s reply to him had been derisive and sarcastic. "You couldn't be in charge of my crotch." It had taken less than a minute for the young upstart to get the better him, a man who had kept his cool under the most trying conditions. He realised then and there that he would be a thorn in their side but they needed him and that was that. He didn’t have to like the lad. He saw nothing funny about their teenaged guest. Frank Wolverton-Randall was dismissive, cocky and was not afraid when he was brought to his office. His disregard for authority was apparent and he saw everything as a challenge regardless of the consequences. His body language showed that he didn’t fear or feel threatened by the leader of Section One which totally ticked him off. The thought that he could make almost every captured target and operative in Section shake in fear, but couldn’t faze a teenager was galling. He’d taken great delight in telling the youth that he would not be leaving Section. But in his inimitable way the lad was unimpressed. “Unfortunately ..., this place cannot tolerate mistakes. You've seen that.” “Spare me the lecture, Old Folks. Are you going to let me go or not?” “No, we're not.” He’d smiled realising that he had the upper hand over the teenager that was until Frank snookered him in his arrogant manner knowing that he would release him or else he would not fix the problem he had created in Comm. “Hmmm. You may want to reconsider that.” “And why would I want to do that?” “Ask Fergus.” It was obvious that the recalcitrant youth had set up some sort of a virus in their system. He’d stared at Frank for a moment, then walked over to his window where he had a clear view of Comm. and Fergus in the middle of a multiple anomaly because the decoded sequence was generating a virus that was bleeding into the system. Wolverton-Randall’s cocky and boastful reply was the last straw. “I might be able to fix that for you.” He immediately realised that Frank, who was wearing a very smug expression on his face, knew about the possibility of a virus before he’d left on his little sight-seeing tour of Section and knew that it was his get out of jail card if he needed it. But of course that hadn’t eventuated and the tables had indeed been turned on the lad with Section’s subterfuge when Frank thought he was home and hosed and going back to his parents. Operations understood that Section’s double jeopardy alone by reneging on their agreement was enough reason for him to side with Colum in his vendetta against him in particular and Section One.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Madeline also internalised what Fergus had told them about Frank Wolverton-Randall.

She remembered vividly when he came into Section and was cognizant of his tender age but his mental prowess was undeniable. There was no denying that the lad was a genius in his field, so what Fergus had told them was entirely feasible. But Operations was far from happy with the Intel about his compatibility to life in Section and it was not what he had wanted to hear when they had discussed the youth.

“What about Wolverton-Randall Madeline?” “I'm working on an integration program.” “What’s his survival likelihood?” “Over 92 percent, actually ... He's a surprisingly good match.” Section’s head strategist remembered sitting at her desk observing the lad on her monitor. Operations was standing behind her, also staring at the scene. He’d leaned down to get a closer look at Wolverton-Randall and had watched as Claire left Frank to amuse himself. She noticed his 'realignment' of the computer hardware and wiring and had brought up Fergus Claudel's Profile on the monitor to prove that he was capable of accessing their files to ally his boredom while he was waiting to be told why he was there. Her observation of his behaviour was very telling. “Fergus? Fergus Claudel. Age - twenty-one; one hundred thirty-five pounds; 20-80 vision; SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION for every host on this Local Area Network. Should I continue?” Madeline had acknowledged his skill but only because they had let him. “We've let you roam through an outer, non-secured area of the network to give you something to do." “Gee, thanks. You think I can't dig deeper?” His scornful reply was soon silenced by her ice-cold demeanour. She’d turned from distant and kind to threatening. Moving closer to Frank he’d immediately felt her intrusion into his personal space which was exactly what she had wanted him to feel. But more importantly, Wolverton-Randall soon realised that her threatening tone left no illusions in his mind … she meant what she had said. Frank, being the bright genius that he was, picked up that this woman was dangerous and he needed to tread lightly. “If you did ... and by some fluke ... happened on to something, classified ... You'd never go home again. ... Never see your family again. ... Your life would be over.” For a brief moment their eyes held a type of holding war. Then her warning delivered, she’d returned to her 'distant and kind' impersonation and Frank was slightly intimidated. “We've gone to a great deal of trouble to protect you, don't work against us Frank. We need you to break a code.” “What if I don't do it?” Her threat … “You'll do it,” and her cold stare had left him in no doubt that she meant exactly what she said and there would be no deviation whatsoever. Frank was facing a personality that he had never had to face before. She was someone intelligent enough to realize his potential, but cold enough not to be more lenient due to his age. She was a formidable woman and Frank knew when to listen and do what he was told. A slight smile bowed her lips recalling this incident, but her thoughts soon turned to others involved in Frank Wolverton-Randall’s incarceration. Perhaps he also had a grudge against Claire Beauchamp and James Fraser as well given that they were the ones that captured him and brought him into Section. That could explain his helping Colum with Intel about them from the mission as well. If he was able to destabilise the operatives crucial to the Rising Dragons’ mission then he would have accomplished his job … to sabotage the mission for the head of Oversight … or for his own retribution against Section One. Perhaps it was the fact that she’d gone back on her word. Frank may have perceived this as a lie which had left him in Section One against his will with no chance of returning to the life he once had, or more importantly to his mother and father. “I’m sorry we had to do this, Frank. We need your assistance for a short time ..., then you'll be safely returned.” All Colum’s platitudes about them doing so well were obviously just a ploy in the early phase of the Rising Dragons’ mission so that when the end game was near, Colum then would put in motion his plan … whatever that was and for whatever his reasons were. More than likely his motives were because of his lost love Letitia and Dougal’s succession under suspicious circumstance as she’d already alluded to with him. Colum had never come to grips with the disappearance of his love … Section One’s founder … and if he knew that Dougal was in any way involved then he would seek vengeance on his brother. That could very well explain his skulduggery in involving Frank as a mole hoping to find a link between her vanishing and Operations more so than the triad per se.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Section’s leaders each had cause to reminisce on Frank Wolverton-Randall but were also interested in Fergus’ take on the young man and his reasons for thinking that he was Colum’s mole. “Go on.” “I've worked with him. But I never trusted him.” “Surely this is just sour grapes on your behalf?” Operations interjected but not entirely convinced by the young techie’s answer. He realised that Frank had kept Fergus on his toes and had come into Section because their IT mastermind couldn’t solve the problem.

Was he just saying this because he was better than him and this was what riled him? Did he still have self-esteem problems over the computer genius’ methods?

Fergus realised what Operations was alluding to and he vehemently denied this assumption. “Of course not! He's the only one who could have gotten through for Colum like he did. I found something that I’m sure is how the Intel was passed on to him.”

“Continue.” “I re-routed a deep channel and found an interesting anomaly. It would appear that Frank Wolverton-Randall has the expertise to monitor our systems even from afar. After Bóinne Rivière gave me the mechanism, she’d found that I’d missed in my search, I re-scanned the Med Lab computers and I found a suspicious tag on Dr. Foster’s workstation computer that held Claire and Jamie’s medical history while they were in Med Lab … It was a programme piggy backing off his case files.” “So he could access their progress without us even knowing. Is that what you are saying Fergus?” “Yes. That's right.” “Let me get this clear … what you’re telling us is that Frank Wolverton-Randall would be able to access these medical files when they were open and then pass that Intel on to Colum without anyone knowing.” “Precisely. I've unlocked a half dozen security two files as well. Each contains a treasonous breach which would result in immediate cancellation. They're all linked to Frank by an iris match. He set up an elaborate system that was not easily detected and he went to a lot of trouble to cover his tracks.” Operations leaned on Madeline’s desk with a thought provoking look on his face. Madeline too had a similar disposition. “Explain.” “That's the scary part. He’s been beta testing the software … working out the kinks. Frank used an unusual code, but I remembered the similarities to when he first came into Section One for that very purpose to solve the complex code. He was the only one who had any idea how to approach that thing. This one had elements of that code that Frank had initially solved. It has his footprint all over it. Methods used to decipher it had been implemented in reverse so no one would suspect or be able to find the decryption to decode it. It was difficult but I did it … and voila … it linked to Wolverton-Randall totally.” “I see.” “There is one other damming thing that you may be interested in.” Fergus had already given them enough Intel to ponder and they were surprised that there could possibly be more explosive information. “What is it?” He took a deep breath before uttering, “Colum has been keeping tabs on the Rising Dragons’ missions and in particular Jamie and Claire’s success. He also has been collating data on the disappearance of the founder of Section One, Letitia Chisholm. ” The look on Operations face was incredulous. He couldn’t believe what Fergus had just said. “He’s doing what?!?” “How is that possible?” Madeline added perplexed. “A lot is possible if Frank Wolverton-Randall is involved it would seem,” was Operations terse reply.

“Thank you, Fergus, … I think I have a lot to discuss with Operations. You have been most thorough.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ to be continued on Tuesday 11th August.

#jamieandclairecrossover #Jamieandclairefanfic #the lallybroch library #outlander fanfic #covert operations #sablelab #LFNoutlander #jamieandclaireau

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camiddletonxox · 4 years ago

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Reliving Some Joy

Pairing - Adam McIntyre x Charity Middleton (Americas Most Eligible)

Rating - General, Fluffy, Cute

Characters - Adam McIntyre, Charity, Reuben Joseph McIntyre

Setting - This is based post book 3, in my story the first time Charity’s career was a doctor then I changed to teacher on my first replay and the second replay I chose kids dentist hence why shes a dentist in this. Lol

Taglist - @drakewalkerfantasy @ao719 @princess-geek @polishchoicesfan @binny1985 @adriansbiss @desireepow-1986 @i-bloody-love-drake-walker @hatescapsicum @itscassandral @gardeningourmet @thequeenofcronuts @heauxplesslydevoted @kaavyaethanramsey @imonlybibecauseofethanramsey @waitingforalana @dailydoseofchoices @regencylady1810 @storyofmychoices @sanchita012 @sushiharrington @akshara16 @choicesficwriterscreations

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Prompt - Memories Day 5 @choicesoctoberchallenge2020

Summary - Adam and Charity reminisce about their wonderful friends with their little boy

Word Count - 684

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The giggles rippled through the room, as the couple looked through things that had been said about them. By the press. How they were supposedly not in love with each other, how she had supposedly cheating with Derek. Adam and Charity McIntyre had heard all sorts about themselves and the. Two had become so immune to the press, they had turned off.

The dentist and vet watched their 2 year old son, Reuben, play with his bricks before his bedtimes as they reminisce about life during Americas’s most eligible, the good times, the bad, the time that Carson had lost control, the time Vince was so determined to ruin them as a couple, not to mention the time Charity bagged themselves the dream team for their wedding.

“I think we had the time of our lives in the villa” Charity murmured and her husband smiled, he had never felt so content than he did at this moment, through the ups and downs they experienced as reality stars, he knew somehow, one day, it would be worth it. They lived in a beautiful house with a beautiful garden, close to the beach, they were close to Reuben’s nursery and their individual practices where Adam worked as head vet and where Charity worked as a paediatric dentist. Life was good. They had a little family.

Flipping through the photo album, a laugh erupted from Adam making his wife frown. She took her eyes off the toddler for a moment to see a cute selfie of her, Adam, Jen, Derek and Mackenzie had took when they had pancakes out after the pair had wed, Charity missed their friends so much, they had been such.a big part of both of their lives and now, they had a son and other commitments, they barely got them see them.

“I remember that day, Jen was so excited to get us all back together” Charity murmured. Reuben toddled over to his mum and dad.

“Mummy” He frowns and Charity reached down to him, picking him up in her arms, sitting him on her lap.

“Hey cutie, who's that in the picture” She pointed to Mackenzie and the little boy giggle.

“Aunt KenKen” He cheered, and his parents laughed.

“What about her?” Charity asks, pointing at Jen in the picture.

“Aunt Jen” The little boy exclaimed excitedly, kissing his fingers and putting them on Jen in the picture.

“Who's that?” Adam asks, pointing at himself in the photo, the young boy was getting excited, he loved photographs, he may not understand them yet but he loves to look at them.

“Daddy!” The little boy clapped his hand, wiggling in his mothers arms before kissing his fingers and placing them on Charity in the picture. “Mummy! My. Mummy!” He giggled, it was true as day, the little tot was a mummy��s boy through and through.

Adam flipped a few pages to a photo of him, his wife and his son on the day he was born, the memory of holding him in his arms for the first time always seemed to choke him up.

“Reuben look its you as a little baby” Charity tapped the photo and her son leaned forward, examining the photograph with his eyes.

“You were so tiny, and you were so excited to meet mummy you came super quick” Adam reminisces, tickling his sons stomach gently and the little boy cackled with delight, he was so perfect, just like his mother.

“You are still mummy’s little baby now, aren't you?” She cooed softly, tickling her son, pressing kisses all over his face, making sure to make the little boy giggle.

“I can’t wait till we get to make more memories as a family” Adam spoke softly as his arm wrapped around Charity and she smiled.

“I can’t wait either, we have such a perfect little family” She responded and the three of them settled down for a little bit, before Reuben’s bedtime. They knew little moments just like this would be just as perfect memories as the first steps their son took. Every perfect moment was memory worthy.

#choices stories you play #pixelberry #choices #fanfiction #choices fanfiction #choices fanfic #choices adam mcintyre #americas most eligible #ame handsome stranger x f!mc #ame handsome stranger x mc #ame handsome stranger #ame adam x mc #ame choices #adam mcintyre x mc #adam x charity

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yinyangswings · 5 years ago

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Single Parent AU

So I was kind of inspired by @musicfeedsmysoul12 headcanon of the Havenfall is for Lover’s MC being a single mother. As I also like that AU I decided to give it a go. I tried to keep it as different as I could to musicfeedsmysoul12‘s which is here.

It’s a bit long so I’m placing them in the Read Below

Mackenzie

The kid is a 9 year old non-binary kid who has a minor seizure condition. Their parents' whereabouts are unknown. They were taken in and adopted by MC. They love MC and her family for taking them in, though sometimes they wonder if they’re a burden for MC.

It is later discovered that their parents are part of Code Black, but abandoned them due to their condition. They have a hard time forgiving them for that.

Mac can sense when they are going to have a seizure. If she’s nearby she’ll make sure they know to lie down. MC is super appreciative of it.

She did this even before MC knew about her being a werewolf

Mac is really nervous at first to date MC because of them. Not because she’s dating someone with a kid, she doesn’t mind that. But because she doesn’t want the kid to think that she’s taking her away from them.

Mac asks JD for advice so she doesn’t misgender them.

Hugely appreciated by them.

Beau makes off handed threats towards the kid. It doesn’t end well.

Not even the Beast is amused by that. And she doesn’t even like the kid.

They and Mackenzie bond over comic books. Mac is so pleased to have another person to geek out on comics with.

Do they cosplay? Hell yeah!!!

While both MC and Mac are good parents, Mac is definitely the stricter one of the two. Though she’s not as good as MC is against the puppy-dog eyes.

Especially when the triplets and them use it against her in the future.

Mac’s parents absolutely love them. They are their first grandchild. Doesn’t matter if they aren’t biologically related. GRANDCHILD.

Annabelle loves the kid and is a protective older sister.

No one messes with them. No. One.

Damien is protective of them too, though he shows it more in a ‘I’m annoyed older brother’ kind of way.

He may act annoyed to have them following him around, especially if Annabelle is nearby, but threaten them and there is one angry werewolf glaring and growling at whoever is dumb enough to do it.

They call her Mom in the middle of the third season. They get the biggest hug from Mac, to the point they don’t think Mac is going to let go anytime soon.

That protectiveness is ten-fold after that. No one gets close to that kid without Mac knowing.

When Grace comes back, she tries to bring them to Code Black, but they vehemently refuse. They’re already where they want to be and are home. They are even more adamant about it when they find out their bio parents are a part of the Code Black.

This does cause a bit of tension because they don’t know what their parents are capable of, and whether or not they’ve unintentionally endangered the entire town. And they’re terrified that MC and Mac will leave them eventually because of their condition.

Mac is quick to reject that idea, and says as far as she’s concerned, they’re part of her family. Her pack. They aren’t going anywhere.

Elmer gets used to seeing them coming into the station while MC is working, bringing dinner for Mac, because their mom worries.

He finds it extremely cute and he usually chats with them if they wind up waiting for Mac

They are super excited when they find out MC is having kids. And they’ll be the best big sibling. Granted they did not take into account the werewolf genes. Seriously, they are the oldest of the siblings and still the shortest. They are not amused.

They are perfectly fine with getting bitten and becoming a werewolf. This is their pack, of course they want to be fully a part of it. They don’t know how the whole medical condition would play into it though, so they’re waiting a little bit and researching.

Diego

The kid is a 10 month old little girl that looks exactly like MC. She’s the result of a one-night stand for MC and the father doesn’t want anything to do with her. He’ll pay child support and that’s about it (and even that is like pulling teeth).

Grace insists she’s the favorite aunt (though MC likes to point out she’s the only aunt).

Diego is her doctor, though she does have a pediatric doctor to go to. His necklace is a favorite thing to latch onto by the curious 10 month old. And she has quite the grip.

She also really likes his sunglasses. It’s only after Diego is revealed to be a vampire to MC that he lets her actually hold onto them. Now they are almost always covered in baby drool.

Diego takes longer to accept being with MC because he worries about endangering MC and her daughter, but the 10 month old is apparently just as stubborn as her mother and really likes Diego and makes her opinions known.

MC found it adorable and hilarious the first time she made him hold her where it wasn’t a check-up. He looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Dada is her first word, directed at Diego. The vampire basically breaks down when she says that.

Because Diego doesn’t need to sleep, he tends to be the one who gets to her first if she wakes up at night.

He sings lullabies to her in Spanish.

Once he finds out (through Victor) that MC has a daughter, Antonio makes it very clear to Victor and the other lackies to stay away from the infant. It’s not like she can protect herself and he wouldn’t go that low to get revenge on Diego.

Grace has a really hard time trusting her niece alone with Diego after she returns. Diego understands it, but it doesn’t make it any less painful.

Her crying for him from Grace’s arms does not make it easier either. MC sneaks her out for some ‘daddy time’ with Diego, something both of them enjoy.

There is a temporary truce when she gets a really bad fever and MC convinces Grace to let Diego check on her. She’s not thrilled, but her love for her niece overrides her distrust of vampires.

Dracula begins to have an interest in the girl when he’s looking for and locates Diego. She looks so much like a woman who had managed to escape his clutches centuries ago.

This terrifies Diego. He debates leaving them to protect MC and her, though he realizes quickly that Dracula will try and take her whether he’s there or not if he decides she’s worth his time.

Dracula makes comments about making her a future bride when she’s older which pisses Diego off and terrifies him.

When they’re on the run from Dracula, they run into her biological father. He makes several choice comments to MC about their daughter, implying that it’s likely the little girl isn’t even his to start off with. Diego gets really, really angry at that.

Dracula uses her as bait against Diego and MC.

She likes Eva a lot. First meeting with Antonio after everything that had happened in season 1-2, she pukes on him.

And Diego laughs about it every chance he remembers.

MC struggles a lot with not drinking her daughter's blood right after she becomes a vampire.

It terrifies her with the very idea of accidentally killing her daughter for her blood. Diego is vigilant and ensures the two aren’t alone together after MC is transformed for a little while.

Playing ‘doctor’ with Diego when she’s a little older, which means Diego has to endure being wrapped up like a mummy with toilet paper. MC finds it adorable.

Spike is rather protective of her and incredibly patient with her for being a hellhound.

They are both adorable together and heart attack inducing when Spike occasionally teleports with her holding onto him.

First time that happened sent both Diego and MC into hysterics.

When she’s older, she says she wants to be a doctor. No, Diego doesn’t cry.

Much...he gets choked up a bit about it.

Diego and MC agree to let her choose when she’s old enough if she wants to be changed into a vampire.

The kid is a spunky 7 year old girl who was adopted by MC. MC and her mother were in a relationship but her mother died in an accident. MC took her in after the grandparents and father stated they didn’t want custody of her. The father was because he had a new family, the grandparents because their daughter died going to pick her up.

She has severe abandonment issues over this.

She hides those issues through sarcasm.

Her favorite color is pink, but she yearns to have a leather jacket like JD. She eventually gets one and it’s her favorite thing ever.

JD gives her the nickname Punky Pink, or PP for short. She does not approve of the abbreviation.

JD tries to keep everything with MC as casual as possible and tries to not be a parent. Because this is MC and she has a kid. And they are not a good parental figure. At all.

That is evident with her coming to the bowling alley after school and the amount of trouble they get both of them in.

She loves their wings. JD HAS WINGS. HOW COOL IS THAT?!

She was very, very disappointed that the books have misrepresented them.

You’re supposed to have a goat head. And cloven hooves.

Who says I don’t have the hooves?

Those boots.

She makes a report about JD for school. Thankfully it was a creative writing project so no one really suspected she was telling the truth.

It did result in a teacher conference however. JD was very amused when they found out through MC.

JD has the paper framed and keeps it in their room.

Her mother’s grandparents are complete jerks to her, and say they wished she had died instead of her mother which just breaks her. And it pisses JD off.

They make sure to let those assholes know what they think of ditching that little girl. Doesn’t even care if they get in trouble with Mac.

After that, they take her on a really long drive on their motorcycle, and they talk about people being jerks, but that doesn’t define her or them. And she has MC that loves her to death and everyone in town who loves her too.

JD is usually just called ‘JD’ by her, though this is usually met with confusion

“We need to call your guardian.”

“Well there’s Mom and JD? Which one do you want?”

“Is JD your other mom or your dad?”

“Yes.”

She doesn’t put up with misgendering bullshit and has gotten into fistfights at school for it. She doesn’t get into trouble with MC for it though and JD is very touched over it.

Hikari and Grace battle on who is the best aunt.

It does not help when Gwen joins in.

The Facestealers wind up being nightmare fuel for the seven year old, and she has to sleep curled up to MC for several days. One day she falls asleep and just clings to JD, who at first tries to get her off of them, but basically relents when she winds up having a death grip on their sleeve. Only time Razi doesn’t get annoyed and scolds JD for not doing work.

Nessie is enraged with the girl and MC getting in the way of her and JD. She attempts to kill her and MC because of her belief that both of them are taking JD from her.

Lucifer takes an interest in her and manages to talk to her once without JD or MC present. She had been out exploring when he found her. JD is not happy when they find out, because Lucifer makes sure they know he was near her and close enough to where he could touch her.

JD almost has a panic attack and gets really angry, scaring her and making her think she’s done something wrong and that they’ll leave because of it. It takes several people to convince her that that’s not the case and that they aren’t angry at her.

JD makes it very clear afterwards to their dad. He’s not allowed near her. Not now, not ever. Do not touch her, do not look at her. There will be hell to pay if he comes near her again.

She panics when JD gives up their freedom for MC. Like she’s curled up in her bedroom, crying.

Rip Van Winkle did not know who he was messing with when she fell under the spell right in front of JD. Pure burning chaos.

Razi

The kid is an eight year old girl who is deaf. She is of Asian descent. MC had been dating her father before he died in an accident when she was six. Her mother had passed away years before, and with no other direct blood relations, MC adopts her so she doesn’t become another statistic in the system. Though she can’t hear, she knows sign language and can read lips. MC and Grace learned how to do it when MC was with her father. The others in HifL learn as well.

JD learns the words that an eight year old probably shouldn’t know. They state it’s good for her to learn the colorful language too. Razi is not amused.

Because she’s deaf, Jonas’s music doesn’t affect her, which is a relief to MC and Razi. Though it does lead to a few panicked moments in later seasons, such as when Baba Yaga makes her appearance.

She ships MC and Razi so hard.

She and JD make bets on who cracks first. JD now owes her several boxes of candy.

She has a personality like Mabel Pines which is both hilarious and tiring for Razi and MC

She gets along with Razi pretty well.

She’s always trying to play matchmaker for MC

She had already been calling MC ‘Mom’ for a little bit prior to the beginning of the whole series, but started calling Razi ‘Dad’ respectfully in Season 3. No. Razi doesn’t cry. He swears he doesn’t cry.

He does. He totally does and JD has photo evidence.

JD offers to babysit her a lot so MC and Razi can have alone time. Usually they say no, but JD figures what Razi and MC don’t know/notice, won’t hurt them. They usually go around town on their motorcycle with her. They make sure she wears a helmet of course. Because safety!

Razi is terrified about Baba Yaga ever going after her. Cue him finding out who Baba Yaga is and how many times she was left alone unknowingly with the child eater.

He does not take it well to say the least.

It is revealed that her mother was a kitsune who fell in love and married a human but was later killed, and she takes after her mother in regard to a long time span. She is unable to transform into a kitsune, she will live much longer than any human, and aging will slow down once she reaches adulthood.

This is a relief to the Nassar family, especially Razi, as they won’t have to see her grow old and die, because it is something that he wouldn’t be able to handle.

Roshni and Rahim love to tease Razi with how protective he is over the girl

Roshni convinces Rahim to put fake press on tattoos on the side of the girl’s face and says she took her first tattoo like a champ just to mess with Razi. Razi nearly has a heart attack.

Roshni and Rahim are the best aunt and uncle.

She is the best big sister to Roxie. Very protective of her and is usually following her around everywhere.

Maybe not as protective as Razi is to the both of them, but dang close.

Vanessa

A two year old bio boy for MC. She had been in a relationship with him, but unfortunately he was killed by a mugging gone bad. He’s a very quiet boy, to the point where people don’t notice him until he makes a sound.

MC is really protective of him.

He is a very curious boy, and tends to wander a lot. He’s also in that phase where he tries to taste everything.

Which has Vanessa panicking because she has way too many things that are deadly that he keeps trying to put in his mouth, Oh God.

And she hasn’t really had to deal with kids, at least that young. At least not in a long time. And now she has to protect this boy and his mom. Stress galore. So she isn’t sure about this relationship

Equally MC isn’t sure about being with a woman who literally hunts mythical creatures and endangering herself and possibly MC and her kid

They do begin to bond by Vanessa introducing him to anime and manga. She keeps it completely age appropriate and he seems to enjoy it.

She pledges to protect him and MC from the Dracula brides.

Eventually she gets the hang of parenting, though she still leaves a lot of it to MC

Antonio

The kid is a ten year old boy who was adopted by MC. His parents were not good people and he was pretty much abandoned by them. He is very protective of MC and Grace and has anxiety with them possibly leaving him.

He promises Grace to look after MC, even though he’s ten and has the strength of a wet noodle.

Antonio did NOT know that MC was a guardian to a kid. Heck the kid was asleep in the back of the truck when Antonio kidnapped MC in the first place.

This complicates things quite a bit. He can’t go through with this. If he couldn’t face Eva if he used MC’s blood to resurrect her, Eva would never forgive him for orphaning a kid.

Igor becomes very interested with the boy initially, not realizing he’s adopted. If Antonio isn’t going to kill MC because he grew a conscience, the boy should be fair game.

Igor’s threat against him lessens once he realizes that the boy is not blood related to MC. Doesn’t mean he’s not below using him as bait against MC and later on Antonio. Antonio is not pleased.

He is sarcastic as hell and doesn’t mind making digs on how old Antonio is, despite the fact Antonio is perfectly aware of how things work in the modern era.

He found some of Antonio’s attempts at making movies. He will not name names or give any hint of his resources. Much to Antonio’s displeasure.

Diego finds this hilarious. So does Eva.

He’s really patient with Eva and doesn’t mind showing her what or how technologies work. Unlike Antonio, she’s been dead for 500 years. Kind of a big technological gap to learn from.

When MC’s blood is poisoned, he offers Antonio his blood in the meantime.

Antonio rejects the offer, even though he appreciates the sentiment.

Antonio is in charge of answering questions about history later on. This is both a good thing, but also a bad thing when the textbooks get something wrong. MC has to remind both of them that ‘my mom’s vampire boyfriend’ is not a resource to use in papers.

“This is completely inaccurate. What research did this ‘author’ use and where did they get it?? It’s total crap.”

“Remind me to not show you any books about the explorers. Especially Cortes.”

“Why?”

“Er...no reason.”

Thankfully word gets around pretty quickly and Frankenstein as well as the Cult of Blood leave him alone for the most part. The Cult of Blood snatches him along with MC, but that is basically to keep her compliant.

He doesn’t like Victor at all. Don’t ask him why, he just doesn’t.

Antonio is protective of the kid, even though they act like mortal enemies in the beginning. It’s like Diego and Antonio, only if Diego was shorter and can’t speak a lick of Spanish.

They run into his parents unintentionally and he sees them before anyone else. He hides the fact he spots them, but wanders away to have a chat. It goes about as well as to be expected.

It results in him getting a smack across the face from a very angry mom and a warning from the dad. MC is not happy when he gets back to them with scratch marks across his face.

It takes MC quite a long time to convince Antonio that he can’t kill them, even if they’ve earned it.

Antonio will say things in Spanish around him just to mess with him. It’s fun until the kid starts learning Spanish. And then he has to explain to MC why she was informed that he called the kid an ass.

He blames Diego, who neither confirms nor denies it

After Igor, Frankenstein, The Master, Cult of Blood, and Benedict he tells Antonio he needs a really good vampire therapist.

He’s only half-joking

He also thinks he might need to start making a will at the rate this is going because he doesn’t know if he’ll make it to age 15.

He says this as a joke, but that absolutely terrifies Antonio.

Antonio pretty much plans for the kid to become a vampire when he’s a little older.

#lovestruck #lovestruck headcanons #havenfall is for lovers #jordan jd davies #diego escalona #makenzie hunt #razi nassar #antonio vasquez #vanessa helsing #jamfics

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Mare of Easttown: What If No One Killed Erin McMenamin?

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The following contains spoilers for Mare of Easttown through episode 4.

Who killed Erin McMenamin? That’s the question at the center of HBO’s atmospheric crime drama Mare of Easttown…alongside “how does Kate Winslet pull off that Wawa-saturated accent?”

The show offers no shortage of suspects. Seemingly every single character on Mare of Easttown has both cause and some sort of backwards reasoning for killing the innocent young mother played by Cailee Spaeny. Mare’s ex-husband Frank (David Denman) is rumored to have fathered Erin’s son DJ (though that theory is disproven in this week’s episode 4 “Poor Sisyphus”). Erin’s ex-boyfriend Dylan (Jack Mulhern) and his awful new girlfriend Brianna (Mackenzie Lansing) clearly want Erin out of the way. Deacon Mark Burton (James McArdle) has a questionable history at previous Catholic parishes. Then there’s the fact that successful author from out of town Richard Ryan is played by Guy “please cast me as the bad guy” Pearce.

Even Mare’s daughter Siobhan (Angourie Rice) is pretty shifty – having technically been the last known person to see Erin alive. She’s also still recovering from the death of her brother and seems to have a strange streak of cruelty based on the bizarre events with her ex-girlfriend that leads to her grandmother sustaining a concussion in episode 4.

But what if Siobhan didn’t kill Erin – nor Richard Ryan, nor Mark Burton, nor Dylan, Brianna, John Ross, Father Dan Hastings, Chief Carter, or anyone else in Easttown? What if…no one killed Erin McMenamin? Allow me to explain.

Crime dramas, the good ones at least, are very rarely about the crime itself. Instead crime dramas are useful narrative vessels to explore the souls of characters and their homes. People’s personalities are undoubtedly at their most heightened after a traumatic communal event. Stories about a murder within a community allow for a storyteller to really examine the nature of said community.

As its title implies, Mare of Easttown is particularly interested in both the people and the place it’s depicting. The Delaware County region of eastern Pennsylvania has often gone unexamined in movies and television but Mare of Easttown creator and native Pennsylvanian Brad Inglesby uses the show as an opportunity to portray the little-seen people who live in opioid-ravaged communities southwest of Philly.

What Inglesby and the show thus far seems to be communicating is that life is much smaller, yet no less intense, in the hilly, forgotten areas of America. Easttown is a very insular place. Mare Sheehan was a basketball star at the local high school and opted never to leave, becoming a detective to serve the town she’d spent her whole life in. Mare’s life is hopelessly wrapped up in the lives of her peers. The fact that she can’t solve the missing person’s case of her friend Dawn Bailey’s daughter, Katie, is viewed as a personal slight rather than a professional failing.

When someone is breaking into homes in Easttown, Mare knows exactly who to look for because the husband of her friend just happens to have a heroin problem. Even Detective Colin Zabel (Evan Peters), of the more sophisticated county police department, solved his big career-making case by understanding the work schedule of one of his peers.

The people of Easttown know each other intimately, and that’s why when one of their own turns up dead, so many of them seem like viable suspects. Just about everyone in Easttown has history with Erin McMenamin and her family, and therefore just about everyone seems to have motive and opportunity to have killed her. That level of knowledge of one another’s lives is a distinct advantage of living in a small community, but it also means that solving a murder case is an emotionally fraught endeavor. In fact, some cases that look like murder might not be murder at all.

Why is Mare Sheehan so certain that Erin McMenamin has been murdered? Admittedly, the signs are there. Erin’s body is discovered at the bottom of rocky ledges in a trickling river. She is missing a finger, has a nasty gash on her head, and is naked save for her underwear bottoms. Mare quickly identifies the scene as a murder and the gash on Erin’s head as a gunshot wound. We never really have any reason to doubt her as this is a murder show after all, and Kate Winslet usually knows what she’s talking about. There’s also the fact that Erin’s murder comes in the wake of Katie Bailey’s disappearance. Surely, there is a serial killer in the community killing young women.

But as the ending of episode 4 reveals, that may not necessarily be the case. Katie Bailey is alive, kidnapped by a local creep and imprisoned within the walls of Bernie’s Tavern. Not only that, but her kidnapper has abducted another local sex worker named Missy Sager. There is certainly a violent criminal on the loose, but it would appear that his M.O. does not match up perfectly with Erin McMenamin’s “murder.”

At the beginning of episode 3, the Easttown coroner shares her findings with Mare and Zobel. The autopsy identifies the time of Erin’s death sometime between midnight and 2 a.m. (pretty precise for a small town coroner, but we’ll leave that aside for now). There are no tears or abrasions present on Erin’s body. They also found no evidence of sexual assault. The coroner theorizes that Erin’s finger was severed by a bullet consistent with Mare’s theory, but they did not find any gunshot residue. Most importantly: the coroner notes that the bruises on the body are consistent, meaning they all happened at the same time.

Read that last bit again: the bruises all happened at the same time. Doesn’t that sound like… a fall? Erin was found at the bottom of a cliff with consistent blunt force trauma spread evenly across her body. The only three things that suggest a murder are: Mare’s theory that the gash on Erin’s head was from a bullet, the missing finger, and the removal of Erin’s clothes. And each of those things could have an explanation beyond murder.

Mare could merely be wrong about Erin’s head wound and the small town coroner goes along with the seasoned detective’s theory. A bear or another animal could have bitten Erin’s finger off post-mortem or it could have just been wrenched away from the violence of her fall. The lack of clothing is harder to explain away but perhaps Erin did indeed plan with hooking up with someone in the woods that night.

In episode 3, Mare theorizes that Erin and her assailant disrobed elsewhere and that’s when Erin was killed by a gunshot, even though none of the area’s partying teens reported hearing gunfire. The ever-helpful county bullet-sniffing dogs do find evidence of gunshot residue and Mare then finds a bullet lodged in a tree. But do you know what that means? Someone shot a gun…in a rural area…in America. All trees in Delaware County should be presumed to have bullets lodged inside them until proven otherwise.

Mare of Easttown excels in getting the viewer wrapped up in the local drama of all its characters. The town and the citizens within it are richly realized. Each new revelation about a suspect in the Erin McMenamin case feels deeply personal, because how could it not? Ultimately, the show could be banking on viewers making the same mistakes that its detectives do.

Easttown is primed to accept a murder of one its youngest and brightest because why wouldn’t that happen in this shitty world? The murder of Erin McMenamin is tragic but it gives Mare and the people of Easttown one more opportunity to solve a mystery and make things right – to bring resolution to the Katie Bailey case.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Sometimes, however, there isn’t a boogeyman on the other end of a dead body – just a slippery rock and some shit fucking luck.

The post Mare of Easttown: What If No One Killed Erin McMenamin? appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3vVq1E8

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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gra-sonas · 5 years ago

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RNM Amber Midthunder on Rosa’s Return and the Character’s Demons

From show creator Carina MacKenzie, The CW series Roswell, New Mexico is back for Season 2, and Liz (Jeanine Mason) is torn between having her sister Rosa (Amber Midthunder) back and the sacrifice that Max (Nathan Parsons) made, in order for that to happen. At the same time, Rosa is struggling with her new life in Roswell, as she realizes that she’s been kept in the dark about what really happened the night that she died.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, actress Amber Midthunder (Legion) talked about how different things feel now that her character is back from the dead, which cast member she accidentally spoiled about her Rosa’s return, where Rosa is at mentally, working on the present-day sister dynamic with co-star Jeanine Mason, having Max Evans haunt her character, getting to have some of the cast members from the original Roswell series involved with their version of the story, that Rosa is going to continue to struggle with her own demons, and the addition of a new character that will be fully on her side.

Collider: Now that Rosa has been brought back from the dead and she’s living in the present day, do things feel very different for you, being immersed in the present-day storyline and not just exploring her backstory anymore or her past?

AMBER MIDTHUNDER: Yeah, totally. In my life and also for her, they’re both very different. Before, I felt like I was in my own cool little club, getting to just feel things out and re-explore the time period, with the 2000s, and what that was like. In a weird way, it’s a period piece. And now, what comes with being able to be there full time is that there’s a lot more elements, with everything else that’s going on for her, having returned from the dead and all.

After the events at the end of last season, that clearly affected your character in a major way, what was your reaction to learning about where things would be headed for her, especially at the start of Season 2?

MIDTHUNDER: I was just as curious as anybody else. It’s funny, I knew before that she was coming back to life. When a lot of people didn’t know that, I think I actually spoiled it for Michael Vlamis. He said something like, “Oh, maybe you’ll come back to life.” And I was like, “Yeah, when that happens, hopefully, I’ll be here.” And he was like, “What?! What did you say?” And I was like, “Huh? Nothing happened.” So, it’s been a lot of fun.

Rosa is clearly struggling with being back and figuring out what it means and who she is now, compared to everyone else who’s gone on living around her. What’s it like for her, mentally, at this point? What are the biggest issues for her, right now?

MIDTHUNDER: It’s tough. Her journey is like weirdly timely, with what’s going on and what we’re dealing with. (Showrunner) Carina [MacKenzie] and I had a lot of conversations about that. She feels like a ghost, and she said that, in her fight with Liz, where she said, “Before, nobody used to come near me, but now they don’t even know that I’m here.” That is isolating, on such a level that even she doesn’t know how to deal with. There are a lot of elements about it. It’s not just that she has to hide, it’s that she lost out on ten very important years, with all of her loved ones and her peers, and she can’t get that back. There’s this feeling of being left behind. Liz and Rosa have this relationship of, “No matter what, it’s you and me. No matter what, we’re sisters. No matter what, I’m always gonna have your back.” And they couldn’t keep that going. So, to now step back into that place, brings a lot of pain for her. Not only was she not there, Liz started to move on, and that’s a whole other can of worms. That’s super complicated and painful. She has to deal with this all by herself, also. She doesn’t have anybody that she can go to.

What do you think Rosa’s ideal life would look like, if she could live what she wanted?

MIDTHUNDER: Well, it’s funny that you ask that. I’m just gonna leave it there. I feel like you’re a little intuitive. She’s very hard on herself, and sometimes she’s the one who believes in herself the most. She and Liz both have this dynamic of wanting to be the hero, and I think she really sees herself as the protector, which is a huge part of what throws her for a loop and makes all this lonely stuff super complicated. Her one job, she’s now completely inadequate at because her sister is now older than her and super accomplished. She, in some ways, views herself as the hero, and she has this consistent idea of how she shouldn’t be and how she will be, in a perfect world. It’s like, “I’m gonna be the perfect big sister. I’m a great artist. I’m a great daughter. I’m a great thing and that thing. I’m a good friend.” And every time she tries, she just hasn’t been able to get there. What I love about her is that she doesn’t stop trying. She never stops chasing that, as many times as she fails.

What’s it like to also get to work with Jeanine Mason on this different kind of dynamic now? We’ve only seen the past dynamic between these sisters, and now they have to figure out how to deal with who they are now, so what’s it been like to work with her?

MIDTHUNDER: It’s a very complicated dynamic. I love Jeanine. She is my sister now. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It’s great. As a human being, I love her and am obsessed with her. She’s my friend and my sister. I feel like I couldn’t have had a better partner on this. I feel like that’s why the sister dynamic is so present between us. We’re very honest with each other. We’ll show up to work, or we’ll talk to each other like outside of work, and be like, “How do you think we should do this?” And we always have the common goal of being honest. No matter what fight they’re having, the feelings are real. You’re never gonna fight with your sibling about “Oh, my gosh, I died, and you took all the stuff off my walls.” But the feelings of, “I can’t believe you’d leave me behind like that,” is very real. So, she’s the best. She’s great. I love it.

Rosa has a real anger toward Max, which is justified, considering that his actions led everyone in town to feel a certain way about her. Clearly, that’s complicated by the fact that he’s haunting her now and begging for her help. How is that going to continue to escalate between them, when he is probably the last person she wants anything to do with?

MIDTHUNDER: I feel like, kudos to Rosa, for not just being like, “Forget you, dude!” At least, she’s considering it. She’s not just on board, but at least she’s thinking about it. It’s super complicated ‘cause there’s a whole history. She never liked him, from the beginning. In her eyes, he wronged them both. He made this big grand gesture to be the hero, much like Liz and Rosa try to do, but he didn’t ask. Rosa never said that she wanted to come back. Liz didn’t ask her that. She’s trying to process so much. The fact that this is happening and the fact that it’s him, if you were to ask her, “What do you think about Max Evans?,” she’s got a lot of stuff to say. But she’s more preoccupied with what’s going on then who’s doing it. I don’t even think she has time to think about how it’s this guy. She thinks about it, but it’s not number one on her list.

It’s fun to see Max Evans be the antagonist of her life, when he’s the hero to all these other people.

MIDTHUNDER: Yeah, that’s true, and that goes into her feeling like she’s in her own world. The one person that she has to talk to is grieving over him, and talking about how great he was and how much she loved him, while Rosa’s having her own experience of, “He wasn’t so great, if you ask me.” It’s very complicated.

It’s very cool that this re-imagining of this story has also been able to include some of the original cast members, with Shiri Appleby directing episodes and now Jason Behr guest starring in Season 2. What’s it meant to the cast, to see how the original cast is supporting the series, and what’s it been like to have them around, on set?

MIDTHUNDER: It’s legendary. It’s so cool. In this time period, when we’re attacking these stories that people loved so much, and they were so well-received and even we loved them, to have them around is everybody’s favorite day. When they’re around, I feel like everyone is geeking out. Roswell is geeking out over Roswell. It’s so great. It’s cool, having them around and seeing them still give 100% to this thing that they had in their lives, that also meant so much to them.

You got to spend the first season of this show, really exploring this character’s past and background, which is not something you get to do very often on a TV show. Now that you’re getting to explore her present, do you feel like you’re learning a lot about her that’s surprising you, as far as who she is?

MIDTHUNDER: It’s all exciting to me ‘cause it’s uncharted territory. It is undiscovered waters, and could be nothing that’s more exciting, especially having been able to spend so much time with her before. It’s cool. It’s exciting, every day, to show up to work and think that we have no established set of rules about how she acts and how she handles things, in this situation, because nobody’s been in this situation, ever. As all of the characters grow and evolve, hers is definitely very unique, and that’s super fun. I don’t think that this is necessarily who she would have been. If anything, it’s the total opposite. The thing is, she’s picking up where she left off. All this time has gone by to everybody else, but to her nothing has happened, except that she woke up and everything is different. She still, in a way, is dealing with the same things, but just now she’s got a lot more.

Rosa is also still fighting with whether to drink or not drink. That hasn’t just gone away because she’s back. Is that something we’re going to continue to see more of, when it comes to her own demons?

MIDTHUNDER: Yeah, absolutely. That was very important to me. When we started the season, Carina and I sat down and talked about how her addiction wasn’t just a passenger that came and went, and existed in TV world. It was important, to both of us, that it was represented honestly. This age group and this audience, and for anybody out there, there’s such a huge epidemic of addiction right now, in this country and in the whole world. I’m a strong believer that, the more that you are exposed to something, in the right way, and the more that you learn, the better you can make choices. I care about what we do, as storytellers. Whether we’re actors or writers or show creators, personally, I feel that we have a responsibility. I heard Jennifer Lawrence, in an interview, one time, say that, “Is someone is gonna listen to me talk, I better have something to say.” That always really resonated with me, and I feel like that’s true. And with this character, I saw a really big opportunity to say something really important, which is that, even in this fantastical world, she’s still dealing with very real things, like her mental health and her addiction. She’s going through all of this crazy stuff, not to mention that she’s bipolar. That’s a huge part of it. As we go through the season with her, it gets hopeful and it gets ugly, and the ups and downs and the inconsistencies are all very real. But the thing is, no matter how difficult it is, it’s known impossible, and that’s what I care about saying. As difficult as it may feel, if you’re in the hole, you can get out.

As the season goes on, will there be someone who Rosa can fully trust and who she feels like is fully on her side?

MIDTHUNDER: There is, yes. I don’t know what I’m allowed to say about that. There’s an episode that I’m really looking forward to people seeing, where we introduce a new character, who is right on Rosa’s level.

~ Collider

#amber midthunder #rosa ortecho #ortecho sisters #roswell new mexico #rnm spoilers #rnm cast interviews

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fardell24b · 5 years ago

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Quinn’s Code - Cafe Geekdale - Part 7

Thursday, October 21, 2005

Through the day, many of the students of Lawndale High, thought about what they might be seeing if they went to the Coffee House, or in a minority of cases, what they would be performing...

During lunch, Brittany was reading over the scene from Romeo and Juliet. 'Is that Caplet or Capulet?' She was excited about performing at the Coffee House, but she didn't know how Kevin would perform. 'At least he promised he would learn the lines.'

Jodie came up to Daria as they left Science. “Mr. O'Neill told me that you are doing something at the Coffee House,” she said.

“So?” Daria asked.

“So, I would like to know what you are going to do?”

“You will find out when everyone else does,” Daria said, as she walked off.

Jodie sighed. She had been hoping that she would be able to help Daria with whatever performance she had planned.

“What's wrong?” her boyfriend, Michael 'Mack' Mackenzie, asked as he came up.

“Nothing,” Jodie said.

Mack didn't believe that, but he didn't press.

After school, Quinn met Andrea as she left the school building. “There will be a meeting of the Programming Club tomorrow,” Andrea said.

“Yeah, Laurence told me,” Quinn replied, referring to another member of the Programming Club.

“One of the things we will be discussing will be the coffee house,” Andrea said, as she started walking.

Quinn followed her. “Why?” she asked.

Andrea looked back “You will find out,” she said.

“I'll be there,” Quinn said.

“Good,” Andrea said.

'What is she up to?' Quinn thought yet again.

When Daria arrived with Jane and Jennifer at the Pizza King, many of the patrons were discussing the Coffee House. “Is that all they can talk about?” Daria asked.

“It's Lawndale. There's not much else to talk about,” Jane said.

“I guess so,” Daria said, as she went to order a pizza.

“Touchy, isn't she?” Jane asked Jennifer.

“Definitely,” Jennifer murmured, as she remembered what Jodie told her about at lunch.

Griffin residence

The Fashion Club was in Sandi's room, they were nearing the end of their regular official meeting.

“Motion approved?” Sandi asked.

All three other members put up their hands.

“Motion carried,” Sandi said.

Tori smiled.

“Coool!” Tiffany said.

“Last topic for this afternoon; tomorrow night's opening of the Coffee House,” Sandi directed.

Stacy fidgeted as she entered the topic into her notebook, betraying her agitation about Sandi's antagonism towards Quinn.

Sandi noticed the fidgeting. “Sta-cy, is there, like, a problem?”

“Eep! No, Sandi. No, problem!” Stacy said quickly.

“Good. Now, I have written a speech in which I eloquently state the reason why Geeks, especially, like, that Quinn, should not be popular,” Sandi said. She took a sheet out of the right drawer beneath her computer.

“Are you going to read it to us?” Tori asked.

“Sure,” Sandi said. She then read the speech to the club.

“Good Evening, Students of Lawndale High and other Coffee House patrons...”

Later

“Opinions?” Sandi asked, looking at Tori.

“Quite argumentative. Most people will support us,” Tori said.

“But, Sandi -,” Stacy began to say, but she was interrupted by a glare from Sandi.

“No buts!” Sandi said.

“Sandi! What will Mr. O'Neill say?” Stacy asked.

Sandi snorted “Puh-lease, like Mr. O'Neill will do anything more than say 'Oh dear!' He won't say anything negative. He certainly won't say anything to Ms. Li,” she said, imitating Mr. O'Neill when she said 'Oh dear!'

“That's riiight,” Tiffany said.

'That seems to be true,' Tori thought.

“Maybe,” Stacy said, more subdued.

Sandi smiled. “That concludes this meeting. Stacy, concluding time?”

Stacy looked at her watch and at Sandi's bedroom clock. Both were within two minutes of each other. “5:45, for a duration of 1 hour and fifteen minutes,” she said, averaging the time between the two time pieces.

“Usual length of meeting, plus time to, like, read the speech,” Sandi said.

Stacy wrote the concluding remarks down and closed the notebook.

Unknown to the Fashion Club, Sandi's mother, Linda, had listened to Sandi make the speech. She smiled a wicked looking smile. 'Very good, Sandi,' she thought. It was exactly as she had hoped. Sandi was following in her footsteps.

Friday, 22 October, 2005

Sandi awoke at 7:20. After getting ready, she took the speech and went to the bathroom.

“Sandi Griffin, Fashion Club President,” she said, scrutinizing her near perfect appearance.

“Good Evening, Students of Lawndale High and other Coffee House patrons, I have prepared this statement to tell you that Geeks are not welcome, like as members of the popular cliques,” she began.

…

“Thank you for your time.” After this conclusion she was silent for a moment before looking at herself again. “You will be triumphant! Quinn, that Geekendorffer will not, like come back from this.”

There was knocking. “Come on Sis! I need to go!” her brother, Sam said.

'Of course he would,' Sandi thought. She folded the sheet with the speech on it and opened the door. “All yours, you brat!”

“Finally!” he said as he dashed into the bathroom past his sister.

Helen was preparing to leave for work when the door bell rang. “Who could that be?” she wondered. She went and opened the door. “Oh, Hi, Jennifer! Are you here for Quinn or for Daria, neither of them have come down for breakfast yet.”

“Hi, Mrs. Morgendorffer. For Daria. I am helping her with her performance at the Coffee House this evening,” Jennifer said.

Helen opened the door wider, allowing the quiet girl in. “It is great that she is participating in an extra-curricular activity. She is still quite anti-social and stubborn,” Helen said. 'I see that you have been a good influence,' she thought.

“I had to encourage her,” Jennifer murmured. She knew what it was like to be shy and emphasized with Daria.

“What was that?” Helen asked, not quite hearing what Jennifer said.

“Yeah, it's great,” Jennifer said with a little sarcasm.

“You can go right up,” Helen said, pondering Jennifer's tone.

Jennifer knocked on Daria's door.

Daria quickly opened it. “Hi, are you ready?” she asked.

“I am. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.”

Daria smirked briefly, prior to letting Jennifer into the room.

“Close the door. I don't want Quinn complaining about the noise.”

“Sure,” Jennifer said, as she closed the door and glanced at the padded walls. 'Excellent soundproofing,' she thought.

Daria grabbed her guitar, carefully swung it around and began to play.

15 minutes later, Daria had gone through her performance twice.

“That's a little better. Mr. O'Neill will still react to it though,” Jennifer said.

“I want him to react,” Daria said.

“Make him think that the Coffee House is a bad idea?” Jennifer asked.

“Yes,” Daria simply said.

Jennifer shook her head in good humor.

Quinn and Jenna were talking as they approached Lawndale High.

“...And then Jennifer said that Daria doesn't want the Coffee House to succeed,” Quinn said.

Jenna stopped. “She wants it to fail?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“I hope that her song, whatever it is about, won't be that bad.”

“Well it's metal music, so I think it might be borderline,” Quinn said with a nervous laugh, as they came to the front of the school.

“I will try to convince Mr. O'Neill to have the Anime reviews first,” Jenna said.

“I have my Ghost in the Shell review.”

“That's good!”

Quinn smiled.

Quinn approached the Programming Club meeting with aprehension. “Why are you so apprehensive, Quinn?” Wolfgang Schuhardt asked.

Quinn turned to the nerdy boy. “Have you ever thought that Andrea may be a cracker or something?” she said quietly.

Wolfgang stopped and looked around. “I have, but only after others have told me their suspicions,” he said.

“No one has told me, but she gives off that vibe, you know,” Quinn said uneasily.

“She does give off an unfriendly vibe, but I don't think that means that she is a cracker.”

“What of the network share at her house?”

“You don't have to share files there if you don't want to.”

“I guess not,” Quinn said.

Wolfgang opened the door. “Girls first,” he said.

“Thanks,” Quinn said.

#andrea hecuba #brittany taylor #cafe disaffecto #daria #daria morgendorffer #fan fiction #helen morgendorffer #jodie landon #michael 'mack' mackenzie #quinn morgendorffer #sandi griffin #stacy rowe #tiffany blum-deckler

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caitsbooks · 6 years ago

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12 LGBTQ+ Reads

IT’S PRIDE MONTH!!! The best month of the year!!! In celebration, I’ve compiled a list of 12 amazing LGBTQ+ reads that are perfect if you’re looking to read the rainbow this month.

These are a mix of my personal favorites, plus some that I’m dying to read.

Read more for details on each book!

Blog || Goodreads || Bookstagram || Twitter || Reviews

YA Contemporary

AUTOBOYOGRAPHY BY CHRISTINA LAUREN

Tanner Scott moved from California to Utah, and from being out of the closet as bisexual, to temporarily back in. He can’t wait to graduate and get out of Utah, but when his best friend convinces him to enroll in his high school’s prestigious Seminar class, where students attempt to draft a book in a semester, he meets Sebastian Brother.

Autoboyography has everything you could want in a YA contemporary, adorable romance, great family relationships, and memorable characters, however, what really makes it stand out to me is how well it handles religion.

“A God worthy of your eternal love wouldn’t judge you for who you love while you’re here.”

QUEENS OF GEEK BY JEN WILDE

Queens of Geek follows two perspectives. Taylor is a nerdy girl on the autism spectrum, and secretly in love with one of her best friends, Jamie. Charlie is a bisexual vlogger and actress promoting her next movie. When the three friends go to SupaCon, Charlie discovers her long-time crush on a fellow actress may not be unrequited, and Taylor must decide whether or not to keep playing it safe.

“You can’t pick and chose whose equality you support.”

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA BY BECKY ALBERTALLI

On the off-chance you haven’t heard of this book, or the movie, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is about Simon Spier, a closeted teen in high school, who’s private emails to the anonymous “Blue” get discovered by one of his classmates. Simon will do anything to keep them from being shared, outing him and scaring Blue away.

This book is pretty hyped, but I had to include it on the list (however, if you’ve already read it but want more like it- check out What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera).

“Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it shouldn’t be this big awkward thing whether you’re straight, gay, bi, or whatever. I’m just saying.”

[Related: Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (Review)]

YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy

OF FIRE AND STARS (OF FIRE AND STARS #1) BY AUDREY COULTHURST

Princess Dennaleia has been betrothed to the prince of Mynaria since childhood, but she has a secret that could threaten the alliance. She possesses an Affinity for fire- but magic is forbidden in the prince’s kingdom. While trying to hide her magic, she must also learn the ways of Mynaria- including learning horseback riding from her betrothed’s sister, Mare. When an assassination shocks the kingdom, Mare and Denna must join forces to solve the puzzle, however, as their friendship grows into something more, conflicts grow that make the alliance between the two kingdoms crucial.

“An Affinity, much like a heart, cannot be changed.”

ASH BY MALINDA LO

After her father dies, Ash is left with her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, she dreams of fairies stealing her away. Her wish is close to being granted when she meets the dangerous fairy Sidhean. However, then she meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, and their friendship reawakens her desire to live and love. Claimed by Sidhean, Ash is forced to choose between her dreams and her love.

I’m ashamed to admit that I still haven’t read this book yet. However, it’s such a staple in the LGBTQ+ YA community that I had to include it here, and I’m really hoping to dive into it soon.

“To charge someone with love is a great responsibility; there will be an equal yet unexpected reaction.”

THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE (MONTAGUE SIBLINGS #1) BY MACKENZI LEE

Monty has vowed that his Grand Tour of Europe will be a time for parties, gambling, and all of his favorite types of fun with his best friend and “the unrequited love of his life”, Percy. He’s determined to still enjoy it even though his younger sister joins him. However, the trip takes a turn when his reckless decisions lead to a manhunt across Europe, and threaten the relationship with the one person who matters most to him.

“I’ve always been of the mind that subtlety is a waste of time. Fortune favors the flirtatious.”

[Related: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Review)]

2019 Releases

ONCE AND FUTURE (ONCE AND FUTURE #1) BY AMY ROSE CAPETTA AND CORI MCCARTHY

I honestly can’t describe this better than the synopsis from Goodreads: “When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind. No pressure.”

“I think people need heroes. I think you're a hero. It's that simple to me.”

I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST BY MASON DEAVER

Ben is thrown out of their house after coming out to their parents as nonbinary. Struggling with anxiety, Ben focuses on just surviving their new school, until Nathan decides to take Ben under his wing. As their friendship grows and develops into something more, Ben realizes they might have a chance at a new, better life.

“Guess we need to talk, huh? Because I can’t exactly call you my boyfriend, can I?” I hadn’t even thought about that. “I guess not,” I say. “Is partner a little too cowboy for you?” I tip an imaginary cowboy hat. “Yee haw.”

SMALL TOWN HEARTS BY LILLIE VALE

Babe thought this summer would be dedicated to spending time with her friends before they leave for college, but when one mistake causes the three of them to break up, and her ex-girlfriend comes back to town, her chances of having the summer she dreamed about are slim. But when Levi arrives for the summer, Babe knows she shouldn’t get close to him. After all, he’ll be leaving come fall, but keeping her distance is becoming harder and harder.

“Because the strength of a lighthouse is from its being alone. From being a beacon of light in the darkness, a finger showing you which way is home.”

[Related: Interview with Lillie Vale, Author of Small Town Hearts]

Extras!

THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER BY JEN WANG

[Genre: YA Graphic Novel]

Prince Sebastian’s parents are looking for a bride for him. Sebastian, however, is too busy hiding his secret life, where he puts on daring dresses as Lady Crystallia. Frances is his secret dressmaker, but she her dreams are too bright to stay hidden. How long can she ignore them to help her friend?

“Some days I look at myself in the mirror and think, “That’s me, Prince Sebastian! I wear boy clothes and look like my father.’ Other days it doesn’t feel right at all. Those days I feel like I’m actually a princess.”

GEORGE BY ALEX GINO

[Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary]

“When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she’s not a boy. She knows she’s a girl.” When George’s teacher announces that their class will be putting on the play Charlotte’s Web, George dreams of playing Charlotte, but her teacher says she can’t try out for the part because she’s a boy. So George and her best friend come up with a plan, not only to play Charlotte, but to show the world who she truly is.

“George stopped. It was such a short, little question, but she couldn’t make her mouth form the sounds. Mom, what if I’m a girl?”

RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE BY CASEY MCQUISTON

[Genre: New Adult/Adult Romance]

Alex, First Son of the United States, has always hated Prince Henry. But when a confrontation between the two of them cause a stir in the press, he’s forced to fake a friendship with his nemesis. Except, Prince Henry isn’t what he thought. Alex must battle his mother’s political opponents, his own dreams of working in politics, and his growing feelings for the Prince he used to despise. However, a secret relationship with Henry could cause serious problems for his mothers reelection campaign, and Alex must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice.

“But the truth is, also, simply this: love is indomitable.”

[Related: Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston – The Perfect Read for Pride Month (Review)]

I’m hoping to read more LGBTQ+ books before this month ends (and just in general, because everyone’s life needs to be a little gayer), so do you have any recommendations? What’s your favorite LGBTQ+ book?

Blog || Goodreads || Bookstagram || Twitter || Reviews

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teenybeanielinguine · 6 years ago

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Outlander Season 5 - A Girl Can Dream

It’s been a little over two weeks since the Season 4 finale... and DAMN, the withdrawal is hitting me hard. I’ve rewatched all my favorite scenes, re-read all my favorite passages, and scoured Tumblr for every piece of fanfiction available. But nothing seems capable of filling the Outlander-shaped void in my heart.

Since I clearly have nothing better to do (not true; there are A LOT of other things I should be doing), I’ve decided to grace you all with my unsolicited thoughts (no need to thank me). Season 5 has no announced release date, but I’m not known for my patience, so I’m hopping on the crazy train a little early. Destination: The Fiery Cross. (Spoilers ahead.)

About The Fiery Cross

I’ve read quite a few posts that label Drums of Autumn as the pivotal point in the series. I respectfully disagree.

DoA felt like the next step in a gradual evolution. It’s true that Bree and Roger gained their independence from the J/C plotline in DoA, but DG had been prepping us for this divergence for quite a while. Claire was our only narrator in Outlander, and while she remains the only 1st person POV, other characters have been quietly adding their voices to hers. Roger joined her in Dragonfly in Amber, followed by Jamie and John Grey in Voyager, and we finally get Brianna in Drums of Autumn (that’s RIGHT: in the main books, we hear Roger’s POV before we ever hear Jamie’s). Because of these constantly expanding POVs, DoA just felt like a natural progression, rather than a huge departure from the status quo.

The Fiery Cross, on the other hand, feels like a turning point. Not only is it the first book to not get a newly added POV, but the story starts to get a little... unpredictable.

All of the books have a fair amount of twistiness and unpredictability, but our characters have pretty clear goals in each installation so far: get back to the stones, save Jamie from Black Jack, prevent the Rising, prevent Culloden, make Brianna believe the truth, find Jamie after 20 years, rescue Young Ian, establish the Ridge, warn Jamie and Claire about the fire, rescue Roger... I know I’m generalizing here, but you get the point. Our heroes all have clearly defined end goals, and they’re putting all their energy into achieving them, despite the twists and turns that DG throws their way. The characters may not always succeed, but you, the reader, always know where the story is headed.

By the start of The Fiery Cross, the goals are a little broader, more nebulous. There may be unrest in North Carolina, the American Revolution may be looming in the distance, but basically the Fraser family just wants to live in peace on the Ridge. That’s it. No daring rescues, no dramatic reunions; they just want some peace and quiet. Of course, they aren’t going to get it, because this is Outlander-verse, where Murphy’s Law is on steroids.

So the Frasers play it by ear, taking on every new challenge as it comes. There is no clear path forward, they just have to react as best they can to the events around them. In consequence, the reader gets a series of smaller meandering stories, with the distinct feeling that something bigger is happening in the background. I personally love this, because I have no clue what’s going to happen next, so when something big happens, it takes me completely by surprise. And you get to see the characters just exist in day-to-day life, which is the best. Some of the characters still have personal goals (spoiler alert: Stephen Bonnet definitely did NOT die in that explosion), but the pursuit of those goals isn’t driving the story nearly as much as in past installments.

This is all to say that, while Season 5 is going to have to hit some major plot points, there is (in my opinion) a fair amount of breathing room for interpretation, and lots of fun to be had. I’m fascinated to see the show tackle this new challenge.

My Wish List for Season 5

When I say “wish list”, I don’t mean to imply a series of demands. I have no creative control over the adaptation, and I’m not listing these wishes in the vain hope that someone on the production team will notice. This is just for fun, and I will be perfectly content if none of these make it into the show. Also, not all of these are pulled from the book; some of them are just things I would love to see.

So here are my top ten wishes, in no particular order:

Roger the Fangirl. In the midst of all the Roger-hate this past season, the OL fandom has forgotten one crucial fact: Roger is the ultimate J/C shipper. This romantic idiot is the whole reason that Claire went back in time to find Jamie! You’d think Jamie’s fists would have beaten the ship right out of Roger, but if last season proves anything, it’s that Roger doesn’t give up easily. He’s gonna keep shipping like his life depends on it, and there are some really cute moments in TFC where he fangirls over how adorable Jamie and Claire are together (also, Jamie is going to become his new idol). I suppose it would be unrealistic to hope that he and Murtagh form a fan club next season...?

Brothers and Sisters. Am I the only one who wanted to scream when Brianna and Fergus were right next to each other in the Wilmington jail and they didn’t acknowledge each other? By the end of S4, we don’t even know whether Fergus and Marsali know about Bree’s existence (I mean, Fergus helped capture Bonnet, but he and Marsali didn’t say a word about Bree), and that frustrates me to no end. The books skipped over the getting-to-know-you stuff too, which is crazy considering that they are siblings (adopted or not)! I would kill for a scene where Jamie and Claire are struggling to explain why they have a fully-grown daughter, as well as some bonding time between siblings. Bree and Marsali are definitely going to get along, cause badass women stick together.

The Snake Bite. The snake bite incident (aftermath included) is one of my favorite sequences in TFC. It brings Roger and Jamie closer together, it shows the courage of the Fraser women in a crisis, and it rallies the entire Ridge community in their worry for Jamie. I suppose it’s sadistic of me, but I loved watching everyone freak out when they thought Jamie was going to die or lose a leg. And then the 20th century women come to the rescue! An entire episode dedicated to that whole plotline would be amazing.

Grannie and Grand-da. Claire and Jamie are not only adorable as grandparents, they’re relatable AF. They might love their new grandson to pieces, but that’s not going to stop them from being honest about the realities of childcare. Jamie in particular is hilarious; he builds an entire house at top speed to get away from the screeching baby (and his newly reunited parents), and then he compares Bree unflatteringly to the white sow (not to her face, of course; see Chapter 30 for a good laugh). I’d love to see that side of Jamie and Claire next season.

Wolf’s Brother. We might have said a tearful goodbye to Young Ian in the S4 finale, but we haven’t seen the last of him. My guess is that he’s going to make a dramatic reappearance in the S5 finale, but I really hope we see him before then. Showing Young Ian’s time among the Mohawk would give Outlander a chance to showcase the amazing First Nations actors that appeared in S4 (Braeden Clarke, anyone?) as well as explore how Ian slowly blends his Highland upbringing with Mohawk customs.

Claire the Science Nerd. So far all of Claire’s medical expertise has been utilized in life-or-death situations, but establishing a medical practice on the Ridge gives her the opportunity to geek out over plants and experiment in reproducing 20th century medicine in the 18th century. Over the course of TFC, she gives genetics lessons, performs two tonsillectomies, and produces penicillin (among other things). This passion for her craft is one of the reasons I love Claire so much. And her nerd moments aren’t always serious: one of my favorite scenes in the book features Claire and her microscope giving Jamie a hilarious lesson in reproductive biology.

Fraser’s Ridge. We didn’t get to see much of the Ridge community in S4, although Jamie did allude to the farmers who contributed the grain to make whisky. The community is comprised of a growing array of Scottish immigrants, and the drama they bring to Claire and Jamie’s lives wavers between amusing and disastrous. I don’t think the show will have time to explore the entire cast of characters, but I’m hoping to see Thomas Christie and his children introduced, at least. I’ve always found Tom Christie a strangely compelling character; his children, on the other hand, are nothing more than a necessary evil. I also really hope we meet the twins, Josiah and Keziah Beardsley (Lizzie’s story is about to get really interesting).

The MacKenzie Bloodline. Despite all the time-traveling she’s been doing, Claire has yet to meet any of her ancestors (that we know of... DG might be holding out on us). Roger, on the other hand, is not going to be so lucky (if you’ve read all eight books, you’ll know that Roger runs into his ancestors A LOT). By the end of S4, I’m not sure Jamie is aware that his daughter is married to Geillis Duncan and Dougal MacKenzie’s descendant, but I wanna be there when he and Murtagh find out (a perfect opportunity for some good dialogue and tension). And while Roger may be able to explain his ancestry to Jamie and Murtagh (both of whom are fully aware of the existence of time travel), he’s not going to be able to give the same explanation to Jocasta. In the beginning of TFC, there’s a really great conversation between Jocasta and Roger where Jocasta is kinda fishing around for clues about Roger’s family. Roger, of course, can’t tell her that he’s actually her great-great-grandnephew (give or take a few ‘great’s). My hope is that the show includes some version of this conversation and continues to play around with Roger’s MacKenzie heritage (and all its implications).

Future Talk. With three time-travelers in the family, there’s bound to be some discussion of the future. Especially with the tension mounting in North Carolina and Murtagh aligning himself with the Regulators. I am yearning for some deep discussion between Jamie, Murtagh, and the travelers about the events to come. I have a hunch that either Claire or Bree has already informed Murtagh about the American Revolution, based on a comment he made to Jocasta about a “different ending”, but I want to see it actually played out on screen. The interplay between the characters who know the future and those who don’t is fascinating to me, and I want more of it.

Jamie the Protector. Jamie’s protective instincts have had some disastrous consequences this past season, but he is going to redeem himself next season. Early on in TFC, Jamie claims Roger as the “son of his house”, and he proceeds to stand by that claim throughout the book, especially in the aftermath of Roger’s wrongful hanging at the hands of Governor Tryon. This time, Jamie’s protective feelings aren’t going to result in a beating, though it’s a close call. I love this shift, from Jamie beating Roger to Jamie protecting/avenging Roger; it’s a very satisfying development.

Bonus: Geese. Brianna and Roger may have a child together, but they have never lived together as a married couple. They also don’t have very much experience being in a serious relationship (S4 showed us that they really don’t know how to argue properly). However, they have both grown up quite a bit since their hand fasting, and you get to see them learning how to coexist in Chapter 33 of TFC. It’s a great scene, where Roger’s just come back with the militia, and he and Bree have a meaningless fight because she hasn’t had it easy since the militia left. But they resolve their argument peacefully as Bree vents her frustrations to Roger and gives him a drawing of some geese as a Christmas present. A really wonderful everyday moment.

There are, of course, more things I’d like to see, but these are my favorites. I thought I’d list them out now, since this is going to be a LONG Droughtlander, and I am sure to get obsessed with something else eventually (the new A Discovery of Witches show looks promising). Also, I’m going to temporarily forget about Season 5 if Bees comes out first.

What are your wishes for Season 5? If you choose to respond, please be kind and respectful.

#a few wishes #so bored #outlander #outlander season 5 #the fiery cross

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stevecanmakeanythingnerdy · 6 years ago

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Battle #28

The Mamas and The Papas: Farewell To The First Golden Era (Side B )

Vs.

The Who: Who’s Next (Side 2 )

The Mamas and The Papas: Farewell To The First Golden Era (Side B )

The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock vocal group who recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. They were composed of John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips. Their sound was based on vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips, the songwriter, musician, and leader of the group who adapted folk to the new beat style of the early sixties. It sounds like (in reading some of the history of the group) he was a bit of an obsessive perfectionist and all around A*hole. The group is best known for songs like “Monday, Monday” and “California Dreamin’” but believe it or not, those were pretty ahead of their time. Up to that point nothing in the folk music world really sounded like that. It was more basic and acoustic. For the introduction of a more rock element (massive harmonies and extra percussion) John Phillips does get credit for a good idea. John and Michelle are also the parents of Chyna Phillips (of Wilson Phillips fame) so I guess(?) mark that one in the pro column. In the negative column though, please note that another daughter! Mackenzie Phillips told in her memoirs that she had been in a long term sexual relationship with her late father. You read that correctly. Father/daughter Game of Thrones shit. He did have a serious coke problem in the 70s and 80s... I believe the words we are looking for here are AAAANYWAAAYS....The Mamas and The Papas put out some good tunes. This album is one that Dunhill records put out while the band was on a musical hiatus. It’s essentially some new tunes and some previously released, but is technically a new album. “Creeque Alley” begins. Jangly pop with a wall of male and female vocals are soul and blues. The lyrics seem to be calling out Mama Cass for being a large lady...? Light and easy fanfare featuring piano and guitar. Next is a sleepy little number with finger cymbals in “Got A Feelin’”. Not really much else to say about it. “Twelve-Thirty” is about as electric as this band dare go. The piano and guitar represent, but flute returns for an impact as well. Are these guys just a bunch of band geeks? Gentle but brutal all at once. “I Call Your Name” rocks and rolls accapella style. Is that a thing? Hot little jazzy number. It kind of lends itself to the next tune, “I Saw Her Again Last Night”. Bells are ringing and the girls are singing. Strings and things make this somehow unique and catchy. A very Monkees type tune. The last song is the one everybody knows. “California Dreamin’” was one of the groups biggest hits. It’s difficult to explain how a song could have a flute solo and still shred. It just has a haunting feeling and very powerful imagery latent in the lyrics. The cacophony of vocals and layers of structure are what really distinguished them from other groups at the time. It is just so humorous considering all of the behind the scenes chaos because the music has such a wholesome and simple essence to it.

The Who: Who’s Next (Side 2 )

Here we have another 60s and 70s staple, The Who. If you haven’t heard of this band, well who the F%#& are you?! (#seewhatididthere). The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. Their classic line-up consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist John Entwistle, and (one of my all time favorite drummers) drummer Keith Moon. They are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, selling well over 100 million albums. Everyone from rock bands to punk bands cite them as influential. They started as a band called The Detours and aligned with the art and mod movement popular of the time. Eventually they changed names and became The Who. By the 70s they were a rock powerhouse. Often cited for their destructive live shows wherein instruments were smashed, they became a household name. It really cemented itself with their album Tommy, which was a rock opera. One of the first in fact. Very innovative and slightly left of center, the band established themselves as a creative force. Among the group's contributions to rock are included the power chord, the windmill strum and the use of non-musical instrument noise such as feedback. All pretty powerful things. Who’s Next is their 5th studio album and follow up to Tommy. “Getting In Tune” starts off the second side, and you are treated to Daltry’s soulful voice in full fledge. Relatively Jam-esque and quiet for this band, but still with a locked in groove. The rock and roll experiences a surge in “Going Mobile” and Moon’s fills are subtle. Floyd’s method of pink (#seewhatididthere). Pedal effectiveness prevails as well. The next tune is recognizable. “Behind Blue Eyes” has a melancholy sourness. It’s brilliant in its discordance. Vocal paint as imagery. Really pretty great and a mild charting success. The next song, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, is perhaps one of the greatest Who songs in my opinion. It is a very powerful and empowering song. It has a great driving bass line and some loooong, pioneering synth solos (technically it’s an organ, the VCS3) complete with delay. That’s what I love about these guys. They were not afraid to do new things and embrace the future. You can’t help but scream along with Daltrey when he yells a bloodcurdling “yeeeaaaaahhhh” to kick the song back in. Everything shines on this one. Even the lyrics are perfect! “Meet the new boss...same as the old boss”. Damn! Great way to end that’s for sure. I even love that they kept the little flub halfway through. True brilliance.

So today The Mamas and The Papas said farewell to the first golden era and also Goodbye to a few calories. 137 to be exact. Over 6 songs and 19 minutes. That’s an average of 22.83 calories burned per song and 7.21 calories burned per minute. They earned 12 out of 18 possible stars. The Who didn’t get fooled again, and begged the question Who’s Next? They burned 154 calories over 21 minutes and 4 tunes. That is 38.50 calories burned per song and 7.33 calories burned per minute. The Who earned 10 out of 12 possible stars. Who took the cake today? The Who, that’s who!

The Who: “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (live because it’s better that way)

https://youtu.be/ODKZGBrAtxY

#Randomrecordworkoutseasonsix

#Randomrecordworkout

#randomrecordworkout #randomrecordworkoutseason6 #vinyl #60s #60s music #the who #mamas and the papas #music #records #classic rock #folk rock

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purkinje-effect · 6 years ago

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I Shall Not Want, 1

Ours Is the Kingdom, Chapter 3. Go to previous. Go to next.

August slammed the door shut once inside the Nuka-Town Market, and he stood in tacit assertion of his presence. It only took eye contact with two Operators standing guard on the scaffolded awnings in the middle of the circular unpaved area, before all six raiders on guard duty made themselves scarce. With tired displeasure, he walked up to the chem bar and sat. The dusty-haired older man, enslaved to man the bar, stiffened with a wide-eyed frown, and he nearly pulled at the shock collar in the same fashion one might a shirt collar.

“Father Wachusett,” the man uttered, almost hoarsely. “What a sight for sore eyes. It’s been months! What... what’s eating you?”

“Forgive me for being away so long. I made a trip to Burlington, and I got caught up in some things.” As the barkeep slid over a bottle of red wine, August ignored the nickname the raiders had given him and which the slaves had subsequently taken to using for him, and he smiled in on himself. He filled a shot glass from a waist pocket to help himself, then returned the bottle itself along with a fistful of various prewar money. “Thank you, Maddox. My friend, with everything that’s changed, I’m relieved to see you’re still in one piece. That you all are.” He enunciated to the whole Market without turning to them, then grew hushed after he downed the oblation. “By Atom everything’s changed.”

“For the better, I’ll swear it. By the sound of it, you know we’re under new management? The guy’s a doll compared to Colter. Decreed anybody that beats a slave gets beat twice as bad. By him. And that a body’s gotta pay for slave favors. I’m not the only one especially glad for that part. And I’m sure you noticed the Disciples are out of the picture. No more splattered guts to clean up, just because somebody got a little too excited.”

“These are all wonderful things to hear, but has anyone come to you all and discussed the removal of those collars yet?” He glanced over to Mackenzie, the blonde over at the medical table, who shied from his sight at first before standing firm and frowning at him. “I didn’t think so.”

“It could be better,” Shelbie agreed shakily, from the general goods kiosk between Maddox and Mackenzie. The young brunette made triply certain it was just August and the slaves present before continuing. “Don’t get me wrong, this is heaven compared to how it was before. But the collars... I think they feel like we’d all leave or kill them--or both--if they let us out of them. They wouldn’t even need the shock collars if they’d just treat us right.”

“Many of us have lived here longer than anywhere else,” interjected Aaron, the balding old man at the weapons kiosk. “Many of us are disinclined to leave, even despite the tenants we have to share the park with.”

“I just wish it were more than myself working toward a solution. This place was so peaceful before they came. I think we all miss the time before Colter.”

“I think they’re really starting to take strides in the right direction,” Maddox continued. “The Geek’s boyfriend keeps my kiosk absolutely rolling in caps. Never had such an extensive stock since this past month! Sure, I wish they’d let me go back to working in the Cappy Cafe, but I can respect the outfit’s reliance on my chemistry savvy.”

“Is anyone else experiencing similar prosperity?” August stirred to make the rounds, pocketing his glass. “Shelbie, I can imagine you’ve got a surplus of Disciples gear to profit from for some time. And Mackenzie? Can you spare a few blood packs?” He slouched to glare at her in desperation. “I’m ravenous.”

“I, I, I, absolutely.” The medic hated that look more than anything else about him, and it took her a moment to recover from being on the receiving end of it. She had to remind herself that, being what he was, he likely couldn’t help but intimidate, even when expressing humility. She fumbled the folding lid of the pale blue medical cooler, and pulled two of them out for him. Before she could even quote a price, he gifted her fifteen caps and twenty dollars, and she nodded graciously, adding it to her till. “Will you need any Stimpaks? I haven’t had the chance to get a new batch this week, and I was about to get to it this afternoon, since Katelyn’s caravan was in this morning and brought in a large shipment of antiseptics.”

“She’s left again already? That’s no good.” August glanced over to the brahmin pen, which did not contain the pack brahmin the caravan head used to travel. He paused, slicing open the neck of a blood bag with his folding razor, and sucking on its contents, unashamed around this group accustomed to his habituation. “No, I like that the least of what I’ve learned so far. I know the partnership she has with Shank. This won’t do.”

“Said she was drummin’ up business outside the immediate area,” Shelbie said, standing up straight as she shuffled the items on her tables expectantly. “Called prospective customers traveling here fresh meat. Made me shiver something fierce, the way she said it.”

“I should never have told the Geek about the power plant.” Chip, the repairman, kicked at the rocky sand, but calmed himself by rubbing at his peppery beard with both palms. “This is all my fault. All I wanted was for somebody to get the plant running again, when the raiders won’t let me step foot outside the park unsupervised...”

“--To hell you’d ever think a guy like that’d play into a scheme this big,” Aaron hollered, furious at the self-deprecation. “This is all Gage’s doing, and you know it. The man practically brags at how skillful a puppeteer he is. And now this place is a neon attraction in the desert, luring in the gullible and travel-weary. If it weren’t for how the new Overboss is, I’d think this was all a plot to expand their slave numbers, not profit from travelers.”

“Aaron, Aaron. My friend,” August soothed. “You don’t have any of the Disciples’ knives for me, do you? Call it abject restlessness, but I’m most enthusiastic to make myself the disciple they should be worrying about.”

“Most of them don’t stand a chance against you, Father,” the old man insisted, unfolding a rag of various tools that had been filed down into have a sharp end. The Child of Atom bared a fanged grin as he plucked up what had the heft of a hatchet but the motion of a machete. Turning it over in his hands, the spine had been a combination wrench, and to it had been bolted a thick, sturdy rectangle of sheet metal that had likely belonged to one of the Galactic Zone’s robots. The blade had been recently sharpened by Aaron himself, but the blood stains had not been polished out. The last of August’s money spilled out on the rag. “Especially not wielding... that.”

“I’ve had enough of forgiving their trespasses. This is a holy place, and they have done nothing but defile it. This is a place for all, not simply all with the caps to save themselves from the raiders’ scorn. I wish I’d been able to do more before now. You all have suffered long enough.”

“We’re hardly suffering at all now,” Maddox promised, trying to get August’s attention back. When approached, the man stared up at him and drummed at the bar counter, changing his tune. “You’re at your best with a little Calmex to bring out the instincts of everything you’ve got in your veins, Father. I’ve got a theory for improving on the formula, but there’s a little problem.”

“You make stellar Calmex,” he replied in a lyric, still caught up in the delirium between a recent meal and a new blade. “What’s halted you in your new formulations?”

“I need bloodworm meat. From what I understand, none of the Operators out at Dry Rock Gulch have so much as mentioned seeing one since the Geek gave them the all-clear to move in.”

The man-shaped creature flattened his lips together, and his ears rang as they folded against his head. His eyes widened, and he shook his head with jaw clenched.

“I suppose I know which zone I’m starting my tour with, then.”

Go to Next »»»

#fallout 4 #fallout 4 fanfic #fo4 #fo4 fanfic #nuka world #father wachusett #ours is the kingdom #the purkinje effect #maddox #shelbie chase #mackenzie bridgeman #aaron corbett #chip morse

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savingpeopleslayingthings · 7 years ago

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Top 10 Releases of 2017

So I’ve read a lot of books this year (currently at 147, but I think I can fit in one more), and a lot of them were 2017 releases, so I wanted to list some of my favorites.

10. Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

This is a great, fun, and heartbreaking read following a bisexual teen in a very Mormon town, as he falls in love with the Bishop’s son. It was witty, cute, and great for anyone who loves contemporary and loves romance.

9. Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Geekerella is the perfect mix of fandom and fairy tale. Told from the point of view of the fan of a very popular sci-fi series, who is upset about the casting choice for the lead in the new reboot, and the lead himself, this Cinderella story is great for fangirls, cosplayers, and anyone who loves to go to conventions.

8. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

An Enchantment of Ravens is a great story following a painter and a fae prince. Of course, there’s a romance (there is in 99% of the books I read), but I loved how well Margaret Rogerson handled it. It wasn’t a cliche YA love story, and I felt it addressed a lot of the problems in those love stories. Overall, it’s an epic fantasy perfect for fans of Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas. An Enchantment of Ravens was absolutely enchanting (did you see how long I waited to say that)(are you proud?).

7. The Wish Granter by C. J. Redwine

The second novel in C. J. Redwine’s Ravenspire series was absolutely fantastic. You don’t need to have read the first book, The Shadow Queen, in order to understand this one, but I highly recommend you do anyway because that book was awesome. This series is a bunch of fairytale retellings, in a dark fantasy world. This book is a twist on the Rumplestiltskin tale, filled with magic, fae, and court politics. It was amazing.

6. The Crown’s Fate by Evelyn Skye

This is another sequel, the last book in The Crown’s Game duology by Evelyn Skye. I can’t say too much without giving away a lot of book one, but here’s a little bit about the series. It takes place in Imperial Russia, leading up to the Decembrist revolt. Also, there's magic. A lot of magic. A magic competition. It’s really awesome.

5. Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Renee Ahdieh did it again, another historical/magical/fairytale-inspired fantasy novel that completely took my breath away. This novel is very similar to Mulan, but also very different. Yes, our female lead does have to disguise herself as a man and become a ‘soldier’ but that's where the similarities end. This book takes place in Japan and follows the daughter of a samurai. There’s magic, betrayal, and great characters.

4. Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Claudia Gray is amazing, and Defy the Stars exists only to remind me of that. This is an epic sci-fi, following two great protagonists, Noemi, a soldier from the planet Genesis, who will do anything to save her planet from the destruction that Earth will surely bring, and the other is Abel, a mech (a human-like robot used on Earth for various tasks) who seemingly is malfunctioning, because that's the only explanation for what’s going on in his head. This book dealt with a lot of great themes, and the romance wasn’t as big of a part of the book as I thought, which I’m actually really glad about. Also: The sequel is coming out next year and I read an arc and I’m dying

3. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee

This book. Oh my god. This book. It took me by surprise. I knew nothing about it until about a couple weeks before it came out. And I was definitely not expecting to love it as much as I did. I think it’s best to go into this without knowing too much, so all I will say is that it’s a gay road trip in the 1700′s, filled with adventure, hilarity, and even a slight touch of fantasy. If you haven’t read this yet- what are you doing with your life? Go pick it up!

2. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

If you know me at all you know I love Sarah J. Maas’ books. So, of course, I loved Tower of Dawn, book 6 in the Throne of Glass series. Naturally, since its so far in the series, I won’t say much about it except that it's fantastic. I know there’s controversy around Sarah J. Maas on tumblr, and I recognize that yeah, her books aren’t great with representation and that’s not good, but I also really love this series and I’m sorry. Also, I think she may be realizing her mistakes and starting to grow from it, and she deserves the chance to do that.

1. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Am I complete trash for this series? 100% yes. I will no apologize for how obsessed I am with this characters and this world. If you don’t know anything about this book or the A Court of Thorns and Roses series then you must be new here (also: JUST READ IT!). This book wasn’t as perfect as ACOMAF (nothing could ever be) but it was so damn good and I need more!

Honorable Mentions:

King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard / The Burning World by Isaac Marion / The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli / Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

So there’s my list! I hope you guys approve of my choices. What books do you think should be on the list? What books do you think shouldn’t? Tell me!

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cromulentbookreview · 6 years ago

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Quoth the Raven

Hee.

Uh, and by that I mean: The Ravens Tale by Cat Winters! ‘

Can you imagine how awful it’d be if your creative muse took the form of an actual human who followed you around, that other people could see? If that were the case, two of my muses would probably take the forms of Malcolm Tucker and Kimmy Schmidt. They’d be constantly fighting one another while the third muse, Mr. Spock, stands by with a raised eyebrow, just saying “fascinating” over and over again.

The others, of course, would be a badass gospel choir singing about Hercules.

I promise my ramblings about personified muses will become relevant at some point.

I’m a bit of a Poe freak. A Poevian? Poe-head? Do Poe fans have a fan cult nickname? (I’ll have to ask the Poe museum...). Anyway, Poe was, and is, my favorite American writer. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau and Herman Melville can eat dicks, because Poe is the best. Though I do like some of Hawthorne’s stuff. Melville was OK, too. Thoreau can go eat dicks and pay his fucking taxes.

Goddamn Frogpondians...

(The Gif above is an accurate representation of how Poe treated the transcendentalists in his criticisms. Also a reason why you should watch Altered Carbon. Season 2 better have more Poe, damn it!)

Anyway, I’d always had a love for Poe and his works ever since I was very young, the reason being the first ever Treehouse of Horror. I was just a wee little beeb when that episode premiered, but I was raised on The Simpsons and on Simpsons reruns. Their 1990 adaptation of The Raven, narrated by none other than the amazing James Earl Jones (!!!!), stuck with me throughout my childhood. In fact, I’ve got the whole of The Raven memorized probably because I’ve seen that Treehouse of Horror so many times. Also I read The Raven a bunch, too.

Also, I, too, hated the transcendentalists. Transcendentalism = the worst.

Plus, there’s just something so very relatable to me about the author who writes things that people enjoy but is unfairly maligned by the literary establishment and who has vicious, untrue rumors spread about him that people actually believed. I mean, that never happened to me or anything…

Anyway - for some reason, people still believe a lot of the bullshit spread about Poe both during his lifetime and after his death. (Word of advice, don’t let your bitter enemy be your literary executor). Poe was not an opium addict or a drug addict of any kind, or a crazy-ass drunk. Though he did drink a bit. He did marry his 13-year-old first cousin when he was 26, but no one knows the exact details of the nature of that relationship. He was kind of a dick, though, that much is definitely true. I mean, once you’ve read one, or two, or eight different Poe biographies, you start to figure that yeah, he could be a bit of an asshole. I can be a bit of an asshole, too, so I figure when I die, Poe and I can hang out and be assholes together. Also, lob insults at Thoreau.

Basically, fuck yeah Edgar Allan Poe. God, I spent so many hours of my college life picking The Masque of the Red Death apart instead of, you know, having friends. Or a life. Also, Poe invented the whole detective genre. Seriously, we wouldn’t have Sherlock Holmes and all the great detectives who came after without the stories of Auguste Dupin.

Just don’t mention the orangutan.

Anyway! The Raven’s Tale!

Since he’s such a huge figure in American literature, there’s plenty of fiction about Poe. But pretty much all fictional portrayals of Poe depict him as an adult. There’s virtually nothing about his youth - and Poe’s youth was absolutely fascinating. His parents were actors: his father ran off, then his mom died, leaving Edgar, his older brother Henry and younger sister Rosalie, orphans. The three were split up: Henry went to his grandparents, Rosalie was taken in by the Mackenzie family, while Edgar went to live with the wealthy Allan family of Richmond, Virginia. The Allans never formally adopted him, but he got their name anyway. The Allans took Edgar along with them to England, where he went to boarding school for a while before they went back to Richmond. Poe was very much a poor kid among the superrich - there was no forgetting that he wasn’t an Allan, but the child of, euch, actors. In the 19th century, you have to spit the word “actor.” Everybody loved seeing plays, but actors were massive slutwhores not worthy of being around decent people. In his youth, Poe was quite the athlete (he swam six miles in the James River without stopping once. I, meanwhile, don’t believe in swimming, because if humans were meant to swim, we would have been born with gills and an ability to breathe water). In October of 1824, Poe even got to meet the Marquis de Lafayette during Lafayette’s Grand Tour of the US. Also, he hated John Allan, who was the worst.

All of that is primo YA Fic material. So how come nobody's used it? I’ve read plenty of not-so-great novels about Poe as an adult, where’s the fun YA origin story? So, needless to say, I was so very, very, very pumped when I learned of the existence of The Raven’s Tale. A novel about young Poe? By a fellow Oregonian? Oh hell yes.

Cat Winters seriously did her research, and as a future librarian/someone with a MLIS, I 1000% appreciate anyone who does their research. In the world of The Raven’s Tale, an artist’s muse can take a visible form (I promised it’d be relevant, didn’t I?!), but Poe’s muse, when she appears, isn’t exactly normal: she’s dressed in mourning, looks like a victim of the 1811 Richmond Theater Fire and wears a necklace made of teeth. Not the best muse for a kid who is just trying to survive one last week under his awful foster father’s roof before he can escape to the University of Virginia. John Allan, who is seriously the worst, has demanded that Poe suppress his urge to write poetry, because art = bad, money = good. If Allan catches Edgar writing, Allan will yank him out of the University of Virginia and force him to work for the family tobacco company. As much as Poe hates John Allan, he loves his foster mother, Frances, currently super sick and frail. Frances just wants Edgar and John Allan to get along, so, as you can imagine, the teenage Poe is currently stuck between forcing himself to be civil to his shitty foster father for his foster mom’s sake, and his desire to write. So when Poe’s macabre muse - who he, of course, names Lenore - appears in his room in human form and demands that Poe let people see her, he has to choose - embrace his muse and sacrifice his future, or abandon his muse and obey John Allan.

I was so hyped by the mere thought of The Raven’s Tale that I was afraid I’d end up in one of those situations where your expectations for something were so high that, no matter how good the final product is, you’re still disappointed. Yeah, that didn’t happen here. With her eerie, surreal writing style combined with meticulous research, Winters has created a story that is both a captivating Gothic tale and a fantastic tribute to a great American author. Winters perfectly captured Poe’s teenage angst and anxiety in a way that felt both accurate and real. Anyone who has ever been a poor kid among the rich, or who has ever struggled to pay for college will find Poe’s struggles at the University of Virginia all too real. His struggles with his school fees in 1826 will make anyone in 2018 who has gone to college cringe.

To make a very, very long story short: The Raven’s Tale was everything the Poe nerd in me wanted. I cannot wait for this book to come out - hopefully it will inspire more people, especially young people, to study Poe.

Hopefully today’s young people won’t have to threaten to complain to the department head to get their American Lit professor to include Poe in the curriculum the way I did. It worked and I have no regrets.

Thank you, and bravo, Ms. Winters, fellow Oregonian and Poe Nerd (Poevian? Poe-head? The Poe museum never responded to my tweet). This book made the lit geek in me very, very happy.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who has ever enjoyed anything by Edgar Allan Poe

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: Frogpondians

RATING: 5/5

TOTALLY UNBIASED POE FANGIRL RATING: 5,000,000,000,000,000/5

RAVEN RATING

SOMEONE ON THE SIMPSONS STAFF IS A POE FAN:

#the raven's tale #cat winters #edgar allan poe #the raven #lost lenore #muses #gothic #young adult historical fiction #young adult fantasy #young adult gothic #book review #best books 2019 #lenore #poe #the simpsons #treehouse of horror #masque of the red death #transcendentalism #transcendentalism is the worst

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xfilesseason11spoilers · 7 years ago

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X-Files Season 11 Spoilers Index

** Last updated: March 21, 2018, 16:30 GMT**

WARNING: This post contains all the spoilers about the upcoming season of “The X-Files” (11th); proceed at your own risk. The post will be updated with the newest info as soon as they are confirmed.

Season 11 will consist of “eight standalone episodes, and two mythology episodes.” (X)

Promotional Videos / Cast Chats

NY Comic-Con Official Trailer - Link#2 - Hungarian - Italian - Spanish - Russian

Help Without Trust

Nothing hurts like the truth

Season 10 Cliffhanger

The Mulder and Scully relationship

We Need Your Help, Even If We Don't Trust You

Promo #7 - LQ - HQ

Unwrapping The X-Files: Retro Chemistry

Promo 9 - What To Expect This Season

Instagram sponsored post

Declassified: The End Of The World

Show & Not Tell: Gillian Anderson

Visions Of The Future

SPOILER ALERT

MID-SEASON TRAILER

END-SEASON TRAILER

Cast Promotional Photos: SpoilerTV Season 11 Poster: SpoilerTV First look pictures: http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/the-x-files/257640/x-files-season-11-release-date-trailer-cast-story-details-more

‘1 month’ Countdown Poster: https://twitter.com/thexfiles/status/936988343136526338

Episode 11x01 Title: “My Struggle III” Airdate: January 3, 2018 Written & Directed by: Chris Carter Synopsys: Picking up after the last event series' cliffhanger, Mulder and Scully learn that they aren't the only ones desperately searching for their long-lost son, William. The very fate of the world may depend on it. (X) Promo pictures: xfilesbtvs , xfilesnews , SpolierTV Sneak Peeks: Scully Can't Find Her Son Featurette: Visions Of The Future Cast Info:

Recurring cast: Mitch Pilleggi, Annabeth Gish, William B. Davis, Chris Owens, Lauren Ambrose, Robbie Amell

Guest stars: Barbara Hershey (as Erika Price), Jeremy Schuetze (as Young Cigarette Smoking Man), AC Peterson (as Mr Y), Jett Klyne (Young Jeffrey Spender) (X) (X), Anjali Jay (Dr. Joyet)

Additional info about this episode:

Scully is involved in a car crash (Link to the video): this scene was filmed on August 17

episode one delves into the Cigarette Smoking Man’s (William B. Davis) backstory and apparent family ties to Mulder (X)

“We start the season right up from where the season finale left off with that big helicopter and takes you right from there,” David Madden (Fox entertainment chairman) says. “You’ll be launched into a very urgent adventure that has a lot to do with William — Mulder and Scully’s kid. (X)

Barbara Hershey will play Erika Price, a powerful figure who represents a mysterious organization. (X)

Barbara Hershey will have a recurring role in season 11. (X)

Season 11 will also explore the motive behind one of the biggest shockers of last season: loyal ally Agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish) confessing that she’s in league with the Cigarette Smoking Man. (X)

Episode 11x02 Title: “This” (X) Airdate: January 10, 2018 Written & Directed by: Glen Morgan Synopsys: An old friend reaches out to Mulder and Scully in a seemingly impossible way, revealing a chilling secret. (X) Promo pictures: SpoilerTV , xfilesnews Promos: Hungarian Promo Sneak Peeks: Scully & Mulder Wake Up To A Shootout Featurette: The Lone Gunman Cast Info:

Recurring cast: Dean Haglund, Mitch Pileggi

Guest stars:

Additional info about this episode:

“the second hour opens with a time jump to put distance between Mulder and Scully and the events of the premiere” (X)

Glen Morgan tells Den of Geek that one of his episodes is a throwback.“I looked at it like The X-Files does North by Northwest” referencing Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 thriller in which a milquetoast Cary Grant is mistaken for a government agent by foreign spies, and is pursued across the country. “It’s not a monster-of-the-week, it’s more like a Mulder and Scully on the run type thing.” (X)

Episode 11x03 Title: “Plus One” Airdate: January 17, 2018 Written by: Chris Carter Directed by: Kevin Hooks Synopsys: A spate of deaths, in which the victims were plagued by their own doppelgangers, lead Mulder and Scully to a pair of twins playing a dangerous game. (X) Promo pictures: SpoilerTV Promos: FOX - Link #2 - Australian Promo - Promo #2 - Hungarian Promo - Promo #3 Sneak Peeks: 1 Cast Info:

Recurring cast:

Guest stars: Karin Konoval

Additional info about this episode:

“episode three is a darkly comedic hour, penned by Carter, focusing on doubles and doppelgängers“ (X)

Karin Konoval will play four different roles (2 of which are males) (X)

Episode 11x04 Title: “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat” (X) Airdate: January 24, 2018 Written & Directed by: Darin Morgan Synopsys: The episode explores “the idea of The Mandela Effect, in which large groups of people remember an alternate history, Mulder and Scully find out how the X-Files themselves may really have originated.” (X) Promo pictures: xfilesnews Promo: FOX - Russian Sneak Peeks: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 Cast Info:

Recurring cast:

Guest stars: Brian Huskey

Additional info about this episode:

Episode 11x05 Title: “Ghouli” (X) Airdate: January 31, 2018 Written & Directed by: James Wong Synopsys: When a pair of teenage girls attack one another, each believing the other to be a monster, Mulder and Scully find that their investigation could possibly lead back to their long-lost son, William. (X) Promo: FOX Promo - Hungarian - Russian - Australian - Australian HQ - Canadian Promo pictures: xfilesnews - Sneak Peeks: #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - The Mystery Surrounding William Cast Info:

Recurring cast: William B. Davis, Mitch Pileggi

Guest stars: Miles Robbins (Jackson Van De Kamp), Robyn Bradley (Mrs. Van de Kamp), Troy Anthony Young (Mr. Van De Kamp), Chanelle Peloso (Emily Van De Kamp), Madeleine Arthur (Sarah Turner), Louis Ferreira (Detective Costa), Sarah Jeffery (Brianna Stapleton), Mackenzie Murdock (Gas Station Attendant), Sunita Prasad (Dr. Aliyeh Scholz), Zak Santiago (Mr. Green), Austin Dunn [he is listed as Miles Robbins’s double in episodes #5-8-10]

Additional info about this episode:

“Speaking to IGN at NYCC, Anderson said William will have an "elusive" relationship with his parents, showing up by the fifth episode.” (X)

“Anderson told me the actor “looks like a normal kid” and Duchovny offered this cryptic tease when I asked him which of his parents William most resembles: “He resembles two people that aren’t Mulder and Scully. And when you read this back [after watching the episodes] you’ll figure this out.” (X)

“Anderson tells TV Guide that the search for William will bring Mulder and Scully "closer together," although she acknowledges that Scully is much more passionate about finding him. But while Mulder isn't as invested in finding his son, he remains devoted to being a much-needed support system for Scully throughout this trying mission.” (X)

Episode 11x06 Title: Kitten Airdate: February 7, 2018 Written by: Gabe Rotter Directed by: Carol Banker Synopsys: Skinner goes AWOL when his past comes back to haunt him. As Mulder and Scully try to track him down, their growing mistrust of him reaches its apex (X) Promo pictures: SpoilerTV - xfilesnews Promo: FOX - Russian Sneak Peeks: Cast Info:

Recurring cast: Mitch Pilleggi, James Pickens Jr. (as Alvin Kersh)

Guest stars: Haley Joel Osment

Additional info about this episode:

“You’re going to find out a lot more about his past,” Mitch Pilleggi told Ausiello just before taking the stage. “Fans will find out who he is, where he comes from and why he is the way he is.” Pileggi promises that the installment — Season 11’s sixth (out of 10) — will reveal his cranky FBI boss to be much more than just a guy “who sits in the office bitching at Scully and Mulder,” adding, “Ultimately, he is their champion.” (X)

“there is some speculation that Osment might be joining the X-Files cast as the younger version of Skinner himself. Especially considering what series’ creator Chris Carter had to say after The X-Files Season 11 trailer was released at New York Comic-Con on October 8.At the NYCC panel, Carter revealed the backstory episode will feature Skinner as a young man, and now TVLine ventures a guess the role could go to Osment. At the same time, Empire Online has his character pegged as a possible relative of Skinner’s.” (X)

“I’m so excited because in previous episodes in the original run of the show, you had one episode where Mulder was trying to resign, you had Skinner talking about his experience with the paranormal in Vietnam," Pileggi explained. "They go there. So it’s really cool. I’m very excited about it, I just read the script and it’s really cool.” (X)

“We learn more about Skinner and more about his connections to Mulder and Scully and how he’s been a loyal advocate of theirs at his own expense.” (X)

Episode 11x07 Title: Rm9sbG93ZXJz Airdate: February 28, 2018 Written by: Kristen Cloke, Shannon Hamblin Directed by: Glen Morgan Synopsys: In a world of ever-increasing automation and artificial intelligence, Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) find themselves targets in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Promos: FOX - Promo #2 - Hungarian - Russian Promo pictures: XFiles news - SpoilerTV Sneak Peeks: #1 - #2 Additional info about this episode:

Episode 7 sounds like a winner, and we mean “sounds” figuratively because it seems like there won’t be much sound to hear in it at all.“It probably has 15, 20 lines of dialogue in the whole episode,” Duchovny said. “It was really a ballsy move on everybody’s part. I think putting up an hour of television on a network that has maybe 20 lines in it and still be riveting, I’m sure not all of us believed it. It’s one of our more special episodes that we’ve done in a long time.”Anderson said [...] “It’s really interesting as an actor to work on something that has no dialogue, because you don’t want to end up miming what you would say were you to have dialogue,” (X)

Episode 11x08 Title: Familiar (X) Airdate: March 7, 2018 Written by: Benjamin Van Allen Directed by: Holly Dale (X) Synopsys: Mulder and Scully investigate the brutal animal attack of a little boy in Connecticut while suspecting darker forces are at play. Promo: FOX Promo pictures: XFiles News, SpoilerTV Sneak Peeks: #1 - #2 - #3 Cast Info:

Guest stars: Alex Carter (Chief Strong), Jason Gray-Stanford (Officer Eggers), Erin Chambers (Anna Strong), Sharon Taylor (Diana Eggers), Roger Cross (Officer Wentworth), Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez (Andrew Eggers), Michael Q. Adams (Pastor), Emma Oliver (Emily Strong)

Additional info about this episode:

Episode 11x09 Title: Nothing Lasts Forever Airdate: March 14, 2018 Written by: Karen Nielsen Directed by: James Wong Synopsys: While investigating human organ theft, Mulder and Scully uncover a mysterious cult consumed with macabre rituals. Promo pictures: SpoilerTV Promo: FOX - Hungarian Sneak Peeks: #1 - #2 Cast Info:

Guest stars: Carlena Britch (Juliet 'La Avispa' Bocanegra), Guy Fauchon (Dr. Dave), Aidan Kahn (Agent Colquitt), Albert Nicholas (Agent Bludworth), Austin Dunn [he is listed as Miles Robbins’s double in episodes #5-9-10]

Additional info about this episode:Glen Morgan and James Wong, who penned the classic hour “Home,” are writing the eighth installment, which is “similarly messed up” in tone. (X)

Episode 11x10 Title: My Struggle IV Airdate: March 21, 2018 Written & Directed by: Chris Carter Synopsys: Mulder and Scully rush to find an on-the-run William (guest star Miles Robbins) while the Cigarette Smoking Man (guest star William B. Davis) pushes forward with his ultimate plan. Unconfirmed spoilers from Reddit (⚠️ Very detailed!): Here Promo pictures: XFilesNews Promo: End-Season Trailer - FOX promo - Russian - Hungarian (LQ) - Revised Trailer Sneak Peeks: #1 - #2 - #3 Cast Info:

Recurring cast: Mitch Pilleggi, Annabeth Gish, William B. Davis, Miles Robbins, Barbara Hershey (as Erika Price), Joel McHale (X)

Guest stars: Sarah Jeffery (Brianna Stapleton) and Madeleine Arthur (Sarah Turner) [they are both listed to appear in episode 5, too], Bentley Hixson (William 5 years old) Austin Dunn (William 15 years old) [he is also listed as Miles Robbins’s double in episodes #5-8-10]

Additional info about this episode:

“Episode 10 is William’s struggle.” (X)

The episode will most probably end on a cliffhanger (X)

The episode ends on a cliffhanger. [...] expect deaths.Emphasis on plural. (X)

He also reveals that the final minutes of the episode will leave viewers stunned, teasing, “I'm calling this one of the biggest cliffhangers we've ever had.” (X)

A Family Affair…Also in the episode, David Duchovny’s daughter West makes her acting debut. Carter says, “It was the first time I ever worked with her because it was the first time she'd ever worked; this was her screen debut. She came in, she was poised, she was prepared. She also made it her own; she came in with, you know, some attitude and that attitude was also a part of the character. She had worked on it hard.” Keep your eyes peeled for the young actress as "Maddy." (X)

That’s all I guess. If you find that something is missing, please PM me. Thank you!

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