#this last night in sodom

[carouselcometh]

The thing about liking a band that has one song that got insanely popular in comparison to all their other songs is that if you go on Spotify and listen to any of their albums, you will end up hearing six different versions and remixes of the one song that got very popular, no matter what

[eccentricallygothic]

|| Days Of Sodom ||

Pairing: Dark!Joel Miller | Naive!You. 

Description: A patrol run with Joel leads you down an unwelcome memory lane.

Idea: Here.

Warning(s): Dubcon/Noncon, stockholm syndrome, unprotected p-in-v, pinching, choking, dark!Joel Miller, power imbalance, house wife!kink, somnophilia, allusions to drugging, infantilization of reader, possible misogyny, age gap (reader is in their 20’s, Joel is in his 50’s).

Disclaimer: I (sadly) do not own Joel Miller. This is a dark and mature fic so browse at your own discretion, please. Minors do not interact. 

Note: I am a fan of the videogames so this leans more towards them because some scenes are better in them -in my humble opinion- but I'll try to be as inclusive as possible. Also, minor S2 spoilers maybe idk I am not through with the show yet. I appreciate feedback <3

SERIES MASTERLIST

I

"Mmm…" Your eyes are still heavy with sleep as your face presses into the soft pillow that your fingers tightly curl around to withstand the pleasure that is already blooming between your hips. "Joel~" you shudder out sensously, feeling the man grunt huskily behind you, his hairy chest pressing into your back, as he snails his morning wood in and out of your drenched and clenching pussy, scruffy face almost disappearing in the crook of your neck to nibble at the skin.

Your folds feel puffy and worked up; as if they have been toyed with already. "Hmmm…" Joel gently fucks you sideways and his throaty hum only makes you clamp down harder around his girth and sack.

"Oh!" You struggle to open your droopy eyes -a dull part of your brain faintly wonders if you owe this state to the healthy drink you had been offered last night- but you feel just so good against him; warm and full of ecstasy tightly locked in the arms of your owner, that you let the feeling take over and push the silly -as Joel calls them- thoughts away. The delicate skin of your back tickles just a little because of the coarse hair on his chest and he creeps one hand under your soft nightgown to fondle the first breast that he can grab.

"Fuck, baby" the soft sound of his ballsack patting against the sticky skin of your ass feels loud in the otherwise quiet room when he speeds his thrusts up just a little, further twisting your leg that he has tangled around his own away from your body to grant himself wider access to you. "You were drippin' so bad I just had to go for it" his accent elicits a blood curdling moan out of you and you have to throw your head back before rolling your hips against his to deal with the a strong tumult of pleasure that his deep morning voice sparks up within you along with his body melting touch. 

“Joel!” You sensitively whine poutily as your eyelids droop once more. 

“Stop poutin’ before I give you somethin' to pout about” the warning only makes your swollen clit tighten harder around him, making the feel of his erect cock veins even more prominent against your velvet walls.

If someone were to tell you, an ambitious girl belonging to a well off San Francisco family, two decades ago that you would wound up as the little thing of a Texas building contractor who was in his mid 50s, you would have laughed at them. 

But here you are now. 

Clenching, whining and cumming hard around your captor's– no wait, lover's cock while thanking him with your broken voice before you turn your head on autopilot and let him kiss you good morning. The man gives you it even though he is not done with you just yet. His nose is flared and his breaths are heavy, his rough and scarred fingers flex across your throat as he squeezes the air out of it while his hips snap harder against yours to fuck out his orgasm. The kiss is tender compared to his treatment of your body. It makes you clench around him and as a result milk him when he comes with a guttural curse. You let out a shaky sigh as you let your body -that you didn't realize was tense until now- collapse. You push your head into the pillow and sleepily savor the concluding thrusts. 

There is a harsh pinch on one of your nipples when he has stopped and you whine before you place your hand atop his before you turn to look at him with confused eyes. What is wrong? 

“What had you whining and pouting like an ungrateful little thing just now?” His eyes are dark and his jaw is firmly set. You feel guilty. Does he not care for you enough? Does he not do so much for you everyday? Did he not save you?

You lower your gaze and drop your hand from where it cups his. “I am sorry, Joel” you whimper and wince from the grip he has on you. “I- It won't happen again, promise.” You mentally kick yourself. He is right. You don't realize it enough. You are ungrateful. 

Joel's pinch on your nipple softens but he continues to watch your face in silence for a few moments. You nervously chew on your bottom lip and peek up at him through your lashes after a bit, hoping you look sorry enough.

“Better not” you suppress your sigh of relief because it would most definitely further irritate him. He didn't like you acting like a scared little doe unless he was in one of those moods. He usually preferred you as his happy and thankful doll. “Now come here and let me taste that sweet mouth” your cheeks flush and you eagerly smile before leaning in obediently. Joel's hand abandons your nipple to cup your face. 

He is not so bad… if you follow his rules without question.

It is just the world humanity has to live in now. 

The protector or the protected. 

These are the only two vocations that keep you alive.

And you had realized yours a long time ago.

You have seen enough fucked up people before Joel brought you to Jackson with him to know that if some other man had taken you for himself all those months ago, you would most definitely not be giggling against his chest with a yawn and eyes that have glued shut once more whilst he washes you both for the day under the shower. 

"Hmm~" you pout and nearly doze off a couple times while waiting for him to dress you up. "I am starving~" you hear him chuckle from a couple feet away from you -probably by the small wardrobe of your humble quarters- as laces his boots up. 

"Wouldn't have to for very long if ya weren't such a baby" your pout intensifies and the man can't help but snort again as he carries your outfit to you now. 

You have no idea how Joel manages to find you the cute housewife-esque dresses, night gowns and accessories that he gets you whenever he goes out on a scavenge run, but they make you feel pretty and fresh in this bleak world and so you do what he likes best from you; be grateful and content instead of complaining. 

The rest of breakfast time passes with you sitting beside Joel in the food joint with one of your cheeks resting on his shoulders lazily as you keep yawning every few minutes. You manage to finally open your eyes for real this time without dozing off when Joel holds out his coffee cup to your nose and lets you savor the aroma before he makes you take a small sip. And then only a few more. Because he says too much coffee is not good for your fragile little body. 

He is not wrong.

The amount he allows works for you just fine.

Your numbed out senses -with special thanks to your exercise from this morning and probably the drink from last night- only perk up when Maria -Joel's sister in law- calls for him and he has to go to a corner to listen to her but then the conversation that started out in hushes and whispers suddenly becomes heated when something Maria says ends up agitating your lover. 

Your eyebrows furrow at the commotion that Joel is causing but you know better than to go over and inquire because that would be speaking out of turn and not minding your little girl business. So you resort to nervously offering Tommy a wave when he enters and briefly glances at you before stepping in between his brother and wife. The man has to nearly yell over Joel to get him to simmer down. You whimper from the sudden shift in the previously comfortable environment and chew on your bottom lip while waiting for the tension to subside.

Your unspoken query soon gets answered on its own when a very pissed off Joel trudges to you with clenched fists and growls out a, "Let's get." But today, unlike the other days, his words mean you are going to be assisting him on one of his patrols instead of helping out within the settlement. 

As you perch yourself on a pretty red horse behind him and wrap your arms around his waist before turning your head sideways to rest it between his shoulder blades, you try to recall the last time you had to 'volunteer' for something like this. The more you try and remember your time as patrol, the more you understand Joel's irritation. You have not done much of this. Not enough to take on a two person run. Even before coming here, you were never among the frontliners. 

And then to further add to Joel's ire, today turns out to be one of those days. 

You end up running into a hostile group who tries to attack you with the intention of infiltrating your dwelling right after Joel has no choice but to wipe out a couple stray infected because a tree had collapsed in the middle of the usual route. You sigh and shake your head at the challengers.  

Fools. 

They don't stand a chance. Joel is too good. Nobody knows that better than you. 

Wait… what?

Huh…?

Anyways.

Joel hides you and the horse in one of the many abandoned houses in a block before he razes through the idiots like the device of destruction that he is. 

You are petting the horse in the garage when the only accessible door to the house is yanked open and the sound makes you jump a little. You go to check but the pained groans of two men make you freeze in your tracks. It is only when you hear Joel tell one of them to shut up that you tiptoe to the garage entrance and peek out to see what it's all about without daring to enter the room. It is not the business of little girls and you will be sure to get in trouble if you try to make it so.

And today, you are just not in the mood for punishment.

Joel drags in two injured men wrapped up in barbed wire. Your face twists in discomfort at the sight of their mangled forms and you can't help but softly wince when he sits one of them up against a wall and drags the other one to a chair that is placed in the middle of the living room facing the wall opposite to the man's companion. There is another chair in front of it and the sight causes a twitch deep in your mind. You quietly groan and feel your knees becoming heavy. Leaning your body against the doorframe, you focus and push the thoughts away because they are definitely the silly ones that Joel does not appreciate. They always occur in this order and make you act out in ungrateful ways.

And you are his good girl.

"Now" Joel speaks once he has hauled the man up on the chair and taken a seat in the one facing it, his hoarse bringing you out of your head. "Listen here, let's focus" the man shrieks in pain when your lover presses down on something– you gasp to yourself and nearly become one with the wall as your fingers tighten around the doorframe. A knife is sticking out of one of the man's knees! And Joel has a cruel hand placed on it as he uses his other one to slap the man to bring him to a state of coherence. "Here's, what's gonna happen" as your captor– no, no! You shake your head furiously. As your lover pulls a map out of his jacket, you feel a head splitting surge of memories that you cannot suppress this time around rush through your mind. You cannot help but grip your head, your increasing body weight forcing you down on your knees. 

Though your vision falters and ears experience a mild vertigo, you can make out the way Joel's lips move through a furious blinking of your eyes. The action causes an arrangement of words spoken in his voice to play in your head and you feel as though a vacuum is sucking your body backwards until you are jerked into a void with a bone crushing jolt. 

"Now you are gonna mark it on the map, and it better be the same exact spot your buddy points to" the scene unfolding in front of you disappears before you hear a click -like the clicking in of a tape- and then a train of events begin to play before you in a warm sepia. 

[ingravinoveritas]

I am entirely floored at the discourse that's been happening on social media (mainly Twitter) since Michael confirmed that his first crush was on John Taylor, to where I actually saw someone describe Michael as a "non-practicing bisexual."

Not only does this go right back to what I wrote last year about how in the past it was only okay for men to be gay/bisexual on TV and in film as long as they never acted on it, but I am nearly 100% certain that if Michael had said his first crush was a girl, no one would think he hadn't thought about kissing or having sex with them. In one fell swoop, this manages to disregard every other comment Michael has made about finding men sexually attractive, not to mention him going to the Scala Cinema in Kings Cross in the '80s--a place known for having late night gay orgies and nicknamed the 'Sodom Odeon'--and coming up with an entire head canon for Aziraphale and Crowley revolving around that.

Also, Michael Sheen has not spent the last five years making it extremely clear--both on and off screen--that he would fuck David seven ways from Sunday (and probably already has) just to have his sexuality erased by calling him a "non-practicing bisexual"...

[rock-and-roll-hell]

July 25, 1980

Unmasked Tour

Palladium - New York City, NY

Eric Carr’s live debut with KIϟϟ wearing the first version of his “Fox” makeup. While heavily featuring the 1979 and 1980 studio albums, it is somewhat strange to consider that the set included three covers: “2,000 Man,” originally recorded by the Rolling Stones; “New York Groove,” originally recorded by Hello; and “King of the Night Time World,” originally performed by the Hollywood Stars (though never commercially released). “Is That You?” while not written by the band had also not been commercially released by the writer or other artists. The only United States “Unmasked” era concert and contemporary performance of material from that album. This show marked the live debut of three songs from “Unmasked” including “Is That You?,” “Talk To Me,” and “You’re All That I Want.”The Palladium was the renamed Academy of Music, where KIϟϟ had made their industry debut in December 1973. KIϟϟ spun their appearance at a smaller venue: “It was a night of nostalgia for Ace, Paul and Gene. And a dream come true for Eric Carr. KIϟϟ planned a special performance at the Palladium in New York to introduce Eric to its staunchest home town fans. There was very little publicity. The one-night-only show was mostly a word of mouth affair. Although small for KIϟϟ today, the hall was chosen for sentimental reasons. Most of the fans, as well as the band, were remembering the historic night KIϟϟ played its first important New York performance on that very stage… the show was a resounding success”.

From local press: “KIϟϟ performed at the Palladium on Friday night, which was unusual; the group usually plays venues the size of Madison Square Garden. Slipping popularity may account for the Palladium date to some extent, but KIϟϟ could certainly have filled the theater several nights running and chose not to do so. The show’s primary purpose seems to have been the introduction of Eric Carr, the new drummer, to the band’s hard-core fans. A few diehards yelled for the departed Peter Criss, but not for long. This listener kept trying to remember what Mr. Criss used to sound like, but the effort proved fruitless. Before long, he became accustomed to Mr. Carr, who played a somewhat elaborate drum kit and was sometimes a little floppy but kicked the music along nicely. The band had installed its flashy stage set and resorted to a number of its tried and true visual gimmicks, but with the scale of the event reduced, one tended to focus more on the music. It wasn’t bad. It was heavy-handed, macho to an almost comical degree, rife with bombast and excess, everything one expects heavy metal to be, but the playing was tight – much tighter than the last time the reviewer heard KIϟϟ, at the Garden – and most of the songs weren’t padded with unnecessary solo noodling. Whether KIϟϟ fans will take to Mr. Carr remains to be seen; one would think they’d be satisfied with Gene Simmons’s tongue-wagging and fire-breathing and Ace Frehley’s flaming guitar. In any event, and for what it’s worth, Mr. Carr’s addition to the band seems to have been a positive step, though it isn’t likely to make KIϟϟ’ music ‘genuinely important to life’” (New York Times, 7/27/80).

Another: “Carr proved to be a capable drummer but no Peter Criss. The show wasn’t quite the visual extravaganza I’d anticipated, nor was it the Sodom and Gomorrah meets 'The Night of the Living Dead’ I’d feared. Instead, it seemed like the 'Wizard of Oz’ gone awry” (Aquarian).

From a mainstream review: “It was apparent from the appearance and playing of Carr that KIϟϟ one of the most successful rock acts of all times, was not taking any chances with the music or the formula now that original drummer Peter Criss has departed for a solo career… So it was almost the typical KIϟϟ show. But with the new drummer now more in the background, the focus was more on the front three… And although performing on a smaller stage than usual, the show was basically the same” (Billboard, 8/9/80).

From a regional review: “KIϟϟ concerts are a little like Christmas. The anticipation is half the fun, and everyone was up for this one… KIϟϟ crashed through their 20-song set with the delicacy of a chain gang” (London, CT, The Day, 8/1/80).

[talonabraxas]

The Holy Grail

The Holy Grail shines in the deep night of all the ages. During the Crusades, the Medieval knights searched fruitlessly for the Holy Grail in the Holy Land, but they never found it.

When the prophet Abraham returned from war against the kings of Sodom and Gomorra, it is said that he encountered Melchizedek, the Genie of the Earth. Certainly, this great Being dwelled in a fortress situated exactly in the place where, much later, Jerusalem, the city beloved by the Prophets was built.

Centuries of legend have it that Abraham celebrated the Gnostic Unction with the sharing of bread and wine in the presence of Melchizedek. This is known to both divine and humans alike.

It would be worthwhile to say that at that time Abraham surrendered tithes and his first fruits to Melchizedek, as is written in the book of the law.

Abraham received the Holy Grail from the hands of Melchizedek. Much later in time, this goblet ended up in the temple of Jerusalem.

There is no doubt that the Queen of Sheba served as a mediator at this event. She appeared before King Solomon with the Holy Grail, and only after subjecting him to rigorous tests did she deliver unto him so precious a jewel.

The great Kabir Jesus drank from that goblet in the holy ceremony of the Last Supper, just as is written in the Four Gospels.

Joseph of Arimathaea filled the chalice with blood which flowed from the wounds of the Adored One on Mount Calvary.

When the Roman police searched the abode of this Senator, they did not find this precious jewel.

Not only did the Roman Senator hide this precious jewel in the ground, but he also kept with it the spear of Longinus with which the Roman centurion had pierced the side of the Lord.

Joseph of Arimathaea was incarcerated in a dreadful prison for not wanting to hand over the Holy Grail.

When said Senator was let out of jail, he went to Rome, taking the Holy Grail with him.

Arriving in Rome, Joseph of Arimathaea encountered the persecution of Christians by Nero, and he left by the shores of the Mediterranean.

One night while sleeping, an Angel appeared to him and said, “This chalice holds great power because within it can be found the blood of the Redeemer of the World.” Joseph of Arimathaea, obeying the Angel’s orders, buried the chalice in a temple located in Montserrat, in Cataluña, Spain.

With time, this chalice has become invisible, together with the temple and part of the mountain.

The Holy Grail is the vessel of Hermes, the cup of Solomon, the precious urn of all the temples of mysteries.

The Holy Grail was never missing from the Altar-stone of the Alliance, in the form of a cup or goblet within which was placed the manna from the desert.

The Holy Grail emphatically allegorizes the female yoni. Within this holy cup is the nectar of immortality, the Soma of the mystics, the supreme drink of the Holy Gods.

The Red Christ drinks from the Holy Grail at the supreme hour of Christification, so it is written in the Gospel of the Lord.

Never is the Holy Grail missing from the altar of the temple. Obviously, a priest must drink the wine of light from the sacred cup.

It would be absurd to imagine a temple of mysteries within which the blessed cup of all ages is missing.

This brings to mind Guinevere, the Queen of Jinn Knights, who poured wine into the delicious cups of SUFRA and MANTI for Lancelot.

Immortal Gods nourish themselves with the drink contained within the sacred cup; those who hate the blessed cup blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.

The Superman must nourish himself with the nectar of immortality, which is contained in the divine chalice of the temple.

Transmutation of the creative energy is fundamental when one wishes to drink from the sacred vessel.

The Red Christ, always revolutionary, always rebellious, always heroic, always triumphant, raises a toast to the Gods when drinking from the golden chalice.

Raise your cup aloft and take care not to spill even a drop of the precious wine.

Remember that our motto is Thelema (willpower).

From within the depths of the chalice (the symbolic figure of the female sexual organ) flames spring forth which blaze on the glowing face of the real human being.

Ineffable Gods of all the galaxies always drink of the nectar of immortality in the eternal chalice.

In time, the chill of the Moon brings about devolution. It is necessary to drink from the sacred wine of light in the Holy Vessel of Alchemy.

The purple of the sacred kings, the royal crown and flaming gold are only for the Red Christ.

The Lord of Lightning and Thunder grasps the Holy Grail in his right hand and drinks the wine of gold to nourish himself.

In fact, those who spill the vessel of Hermes during chemical copulation become sub-human creatures of the underworld.

Everything that has been written here can be found fully documented in my book entitled The Perfect Matrimony. --Samael Aun Weor

[utilitycaster]

Perhaps it’s because I’m religious (Jewish to be specific) but I really vibed with the perspective of The Lawbearer and the Covenant that they have with mortals.

Specifically, bc I find the pushback on the deity superiority and the “there are things you cannot undersand” complex as so interesting. Bcfrom my perspective yes the gods are more powerful and eternal than mortals. Yes they know more and understand more - far beyond comprehension.

Isn’t that why you enter into the covenant in the first place? It’s not an insult it’s a reality. That entity - that God IS more powerful than you as a mortal and is capable of more than you.

And this is maybe where the Judaism comes in - but like - there’s no guarantee that a covenant will be easy or pain free. Or that others will not hate you for your covenant. Or that there won’t be times where you want to break it because God(s) have done something you don’t agree with, asks too much of you, or you’re being persecuted.

And I guess the question I’ve been circling around - esp for the Society of Primes - is what is the point in serving or saving Gods you want to weaken?

Hi anon!

I am also Jewish and practicing, and have...experimented feels like the wrong word, but certainly changed, grappled with, and otherwise tried to figure out what that practice looks like and what I specifically believe in, which would be a long and rather personal discussion but suffice it to say both the background and the fact that I have questioned what I specifically do (and the fact that it is a background that is like hey questioning is great and you should do that) informs a my interpretations of deities in other works.

It's funny because I completely agree that the idea that you should both strive to understand the divine and that also it is, by its nature, beyond human comprehension. I also, coming from the Jewish tradition, think that the idea of negotiating with an entity far beyond your power or comprehension is on the table. On some level I think the discussion on last night's 4SD of how Nick approached the Dawnfather (rather more like the triple goddess than, in my opinion, the Trinity, if we're referencing religious mythology; I think it's interesting how people skewed to the latter) evokes, for example, Sodom and Gomorrah; you can put forth an argument! Indeed, Abraham does! People talk back to God a lot in the Torah. I don't think gods are beyond questioning for their actions, and there are fictional works where I think the gods shouldn't live. But getting back to your point, I think in those works it does come down to a covenant that seems broken that makes me go "yeah, gotta go."

I promise I am not making this up but I've been writing this during a summer thunderstorm - and I have an easterly-facing window through which I see a lot of rainbows, and there was one this time, which naturally made me think of the blessing on rainbows, which is one that focuses on God as, essentially, one who remembers covenants and keeps promises, and is reliable; it is very much like the vision of Erathis. It is, on some level, an exchange - not an equal one, but still an agreement, and one both are expected to keep.

The thing with Cassida is, and this is where I need to at least attempt to set aside my own religious biases, that's not the deity she was praying to. I would be interested to know more of the Society of Primes but I don't think they necessarily wanted to weaken the Prime Deities - I think they did believe fully in the power of the Primes and felt they were saving people by killing the Betrayers, and frankly that's not unreasonable to believe, given what we know. But at least for Cassida I do think it's really relevant that she was a follower of a goddess of mercy and healing, someone who from whom one would expect lenience and forgiveness, more so than reliability. It's also relevant that this is a polytheistic society and Judaism is monotheistic, so, for example, the idea of God as embodying mercy and destructive forces and agriculture and nature and beauty is not something that Exandrians would necessarily ascribe to. I think the revelation that the gods are both much more complex than expected but not infinite and specifically fallible (vs. the irl monotheistic view that does generally treat God as eternal and infinite) is something one has to keep in mind in understanding how Exandrians engage with the divine, and especially in Cassida's disillusionment.

[grailfinders]

Viewers' Choice Poll #30:

Sodom's Beast/Draco is an alternative form of Nero Claudius who has committed the unforgivable sin of appearing in FGO Arcade. she's also who nero could have been had she not offed herself in real history.

while Siduri isn't exactly a combat-ready character, but as Gilgamesh's assistant she served him in many forms during the seventh singularity, and I'm sure if I include all of them, I'll have plenty to work with.

on the opposite side of the spectrum, Maxwell's Demon is a literal powerhouse, able to create infinite energy while being nigh-unkillable, all for the low low price of not really being able to use said energy himself.

Red Arcueid is like regular arcueid, but her usual limiters in place due to her avoiding drinking blood have been removed. also new limiters have been added, due to her being a product of Night of Wallachia, so she's really more like Arcueid to the Left.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love, able to give life to unmoving stone and completely re-write the human concept of "value". also she's a giant floating robot, so I'm sure she'll fit right in with your next D&D party.

Aoko Aozaki is a completely normal schoolgirl who is absolutely not a super powerful mage learning time magic, and even if she was she would never then go on to wander into just about every other Type-Moon media in existence, crossing the servant/no servant barrier for shits and giggles.

The Neoquest I Protagonist is a funny dog that got isekai'd and can use fire, ice, electric, light, and healing magic. how he got more votes than Delightful Assassin last time I'll never know.

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

2024 results warning rant: protect your peace before reading

Hello my mutuals. I just wanted to give a post election update and confirm stuff. I apologize for my absence, but I need to scream somewhere.

My state fully slipped red this election season.

My state was once seen as a state where you voted based on values and not sides. We were red, but had blue leaning federal representstives. Our rep in the senate went from blue to red. The new dickhead is pro a national abortion ban. Selling off our national land to rich out of staters. Further deepening the wealth gap in my state.

The only good news is that my state is still temporarily a safe haven state for abortion care. As all states surrounding us have harsh laws surrounding abortion.

I am safe as I can be for now. I have a home.

But I know that my state has homosexual marriage as being illegal on a state by state level. We still have Sodom laws that are canceled out by the federal right to marriage. If that right to marriage was stripped at the federal level, we would lose it here.

As someone who is studying to go into social work i am looking at the reality that every field i want to enter is going to get cut or reatricted into obsolescence. I was going to specialize in community aid. Getting my masters to work as a therapist for rural communities.

I understand the want to punish those is red states. I really do. But we did what we could. In the next few weeks you will blame the 3rd party voters, and electoral college. But this doesn't change the fact that our government will have 3 republican branches in government. Even ignoring the Supreme Court, this is bad.

I am scared.

The thing about rural red states is, there is no where else to go. Whenever people panic about the prices of blue states. There is somewhere for them to go. Out of their city or move to a big safe city somewhere red. Rural but safe. Where do I go? Living in one of the cheapest areas in my shitty state. I worry that i wont be able to stay safe forever. Most men I work with comment about how thin. Or frail. Or weak I am. Its a joke that i would lose any fight. That I easily get tired when doing anything that requires manual labor. Thst I have a good body and not much else. Women here get married at 20. Maybe go into nursing if they dont marry blue collar. All the jobs that pay well employ the men I fear. Where can I go? I don't love men, and the men here are those who put us into this mess.

I am scared. Scared that the one field i was passionate about was about to be stripped away from my hands. That I am going to watch my town of retirees realized how fucked they are without their Medicaid and Medicare. The fact that I still need to cut off half of my family for my own sanity. The fact my family has been outing me to anyone they know, because they are accepting enough to have a gay child. That I can't feel safe anymore. That the jobs that keep me alive won't keep me safe.

Soon, the family i live with will want me out. Throw the bird out of the nest, as clearly i am just a leach.

Living on my own in a cost of living crisis. In a few years. One or two. There will be no safety net. That's my reality.

What if he cuts FAFSA scholarships? What if I can't even get my degree?

That's in the future.

We had our first snow last night. And I am tired. So I'm playing dragon age. And eating good food.

I will post something helpful later. But for now. If you need something to do, go download fics you love. I suggest calibre to keep them sorted.

I know I will survive this.

But what does survival look like? Going to work, living paycheck to paycheck. Not saying the wrong things. Then going home and hoping to find the queer community i crave online. Watching people lucky enough to not be born here live the lives i want. Living life vicariously through my phone at my grown ass age. An age i fully expect myself to be happy and out.

I'm tired. So for now. I will let myself be scared. This will pass.

[moretheta]

Ok so if we're assuming the card game is indeed some conditional nen ability, then we're faced with the question of who created it.

Most obvious answer is Morena. She's the one wielding it, and we know she's at least lvl 45 so she's passed the point in contagion where she could create her own nen ability (although i'm still uncertain on the rules of patient zero, I would assume that to be the case). But... hear me out....

Morena's not the only gamer girl on the team:

^ taken from chapter 393

I just couldn't help but notice that the last time we saw the Heil-ly plan this whole capture, most of the people in that briefing had abilities directly related to the kidnapping: Dogman, who was going to sniff out their target, Sodom, who would teleport them to the base, Voconte who can connect the hideout to different locations, Perigord "the organ" whatever that could mean,* and Gelato is also there:

In the viz translations of chp 405, we have Morena saying "I'll try my best to ensure we get a yes" and Gelato cheering her on. Out of curiosity I went to check the translations on voracious drake's blog and he provided the above transcript. Of note is the subject usage: "our chances/ our target / our best / let[us] do this" which on their own could be just taken as Gelato just strongly identifying her own goals with Morena's. But that remark on Morena's side "Let's do our best to ensure they don't say 'No'" feels, in hindsight, like an allusion to the card game. Putting this exchange together with the fact that Morena seems to be specifically addressing Gelato here, and then 407 opening with Gelato standing literally at Morena's right hand side, makes me think that Gelato herself is the creator of this ability.

Now, there are two issues with this theory that immediately come to mind. the first is pretty simple:

If it's not Morena's ability, how and why is she the one playing the cards?

To that, I'd say it's not unheard of to have abilities that one can grant to others; hell, we've seen something very similar recently in the case of Longhi granting Kurapika a one-time use of her contract ability in exchange for signing it. (there are actually quite a few notable similarities between these two negotiation abilities, but that's another post). I think it's pretty plausible for, lets say, a conjurer to conjure a group of cards that can be wielded by their chosen dealer. as to why - it's generally in a nen user's best interest to reveal as little about themselves as possible, so keeping the "real" user obscured is as good a tactic as any. Moreover, it's Morena's organization, so negotiations would typically go through her anyway. and with this ability in particular, considering that one of the cards is "reveal all the details of your ability," someone less astute than volksen might assume the card ability belonged to the dealer, and could be tricked into playing this card in a big to obtain more information on the game. All that is to say: I think the idea that the ability is not Morena's own is more than plausible.

2. As we see in her introductory panel above, Gelato was only level 19 on day eleven- one day before the Volksen abduction, and one level below the benchmark one needs to pass in order to obtain a hatsu. Therefore, if Gelato had created it, she'd had to have done it in one night, and Morena'd had to have crafted that entire plan around her in a very short period of time. This seems to go against Morena's ~master strategist~ reputation, and calls into question what she said to Volksen about having played the game with the stipulations she requested before.

So, there are a few potential scenarios to consider. The first is that the game does not belong to gelato, but another member of Morena's squad. My personal guess would be the mysterious unnamed Heil e-girl - we know the least about her so it's difficult to refute. of the other members currently in the room with Morena, we know the abilities of two (Yokotani the invincible lawyer, and Voconte the door-man) as well as the nen affinity of Orarge: he's an enhancer, not really the type suited to a presumably coercive card game. leaving Gelato and E-girl.... so yeah it could be E-girl.

On the other hand, Volksen also theorizes that it could be some kind of "rite of passage/rite of initiation" thing. If that's meant to imply that all the heil-ly members might have had to play this game too it predates any of them learning nen. But... what if this card game existed in a base (non-nen) form as some kind of tradition/ interview process Morena'd established pre-formation of the current heil-ly?maybe Gelato, feeling inspired, had turned it into a nen ability when she leveled up. It accounts for Morena's "i've done this before" statement at the very least.

Final scenario is that yes, Gelato created this in one night, and yes, it's coming together more hastily than anticipated. but this would go in line with Ken'i 's statement on the Troupe "finding Morena faster than they thought" and so perhaps the entire timetable has been moved up and the Heil-ly were really crunching the numbers on night eleven.

i like that they're all just ominously hovering around morena's gamer chair...

Why does any of this matter? It doesn't, kinda. I just like how so many of the heil-ly have crafted their abilities specifically for this situation on this ship: Dogman killed like fifty people just so that he could sniff out literally one individual. and I really like the idea of each member of the team having an ability that is hyper-curated to their current situation! So although at this point in the (literal)game there's not enough information to do much more than speculate, I wanted to provide some kind of theory rather than just shrugging my shoulders and saying "idk it could be any one of them". So there you have it: I am nominating Gelato as my pick for creator of yes/no yugioh.

this has been my ted talk thank you for joining me.

[shannendoherty-fans]

December, 1993 - Magazine clipping

SHANNEN DOHERTY

The unpredictable Beverly Hills, 90210 star took a riveting walk—make that a breathless sprint—on the wild side

That tittering you hear is from Santa's workshop, where oneof the elves has laid his hands on a printout of the naughty list and is sharing it with his coworkers. “The Fat Guy has Shannen Doherty down for a couple lumps o' coal,” he giggles. The other elves nod knowingly.

Surely this comes as no surprise to those of us who follow such things, nor, perhaps, to Doherty herself. Shannen, already known for feuding with her 90210 costars and for late-night partying at L.A. clubs, slam-danced her way through '93 with a recklessness usually associated with self-destructive politicians and Shakespeare’s characters but certainly not with 22-year-old actresses who play teenagers on TV. Why our fascination? Probably because Shannen’s TV character, Brenda Walsh, is so normal compared with her hell-bent portrayer

Whatever the reasons, you couldn't miss the hydra-headlines. Cosmetics heir Dean Factor, Shannen’s ex-fiancé, claims that during their engagement last spring, Shannen tried to run him over with her car, menaced him with a gun and threatened to hire thugs to beat him up and sodomize him. He filed for a protection order, but they settled out of court. That brief if tumultuous relationship gave way to a short but action-packed fling with Judd Nelson.

She also wrote $31,628.16 in bad cheeks and owed $14,000in back rent. Then in September—hell's bells! —she impulsively married George Hamilton's 19-year-old son, Ashley, an acquaintance of a few weeks and recentIy out of drug rehab. It was days before her publicist was able to confirm that Shannen, who celebrated her impromptu nuptials in the backyard of her Santa Monica Mountain home, actually had married, license and all.

Then she went on Saturday Night Live and, in mock wedding video, pushed Ashley into the cake.

Anyone at this point care to venture an explation? (1) Carol Potter, Shannen’ TV mom: “She has knack for keeping her face out there, for being just outrageous enough.” (2) A former pal: “She gets this power surge going where she feels she can do aything to anyone at any time and get away with it.” (3) New mother-in-law Alana Stewart: “She's so high-profile, everything gets blown out of proportion. I like her, She's spunky.” (4) Chicago Realtor Chris Foufas, who preceded Factor as her fiancé: “Shannen wants anormal life, to love and be loved, to ive happily ever after. She just doesn’t know how to get it.”

Let's hope she finds some answers in '94. But Santa, keep the coal coming anyway. On or off the small screen, Shannen is at her most entertaining when she’s naughty.

(I had this file saved as December 27, 1993, People magazine, but People magazine were in black and white back then so I don't think it is. Also it talks about Santa Claus' elves so I think it may was published before December 24?)

***

This is the last 1993 magazine/article that I have (in English). I've tried to put only the ones that are not tabloids. The ones that Shannen herself, her dad, or close people like her ex Chris Foufas talked to. Still, as you can see, they write such lines as the last one. You can clearly see the press needed their "bad/lost girl" after Drew Barrymore got sober, and chose Shannen because she was strong and confident. I just want that everyone reads them and thinks what this can do to a 20/22-year-old person. Luckily they didn't break her although they almost did. Still, they did it with Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Rose McGowan, etc. Shame on them! Shame on the tabloids, and the old-white-men dominating Holywood establishment!

[orangeboulevard]

And The Cities Burned (Oneshot)

Day nine of kinktober, dayumm. Smut, religious talk, triggering elements in this one such as stalking and grape, if that is potentially harmful please dont read. Monster in this one, also can be read as a reader insert? spooky!! Dynamics: monster x human, yandere/stalker and their darling Content: stalking + biting/marking Word Count: 702

It's true what they say: by the time you've realised I'm hunting you, it's already too late; I've been following you for days. 

You're so loud, purposefully attention-seeking in everything that you do, in the way that you that your footsteps fall heavily onto the slated paths around my forest, in the way that your breath comes out in measured deep exhales, in the way you slam your door shut when you return to your home, and in the way you languidly peel your sweaty tight running clothes by your open window. 

You're inviting me in with your whistling, you decided to take a late-night jog by my forest yet again. I've had to restrain myself the last two times. My thighs still bear the deep claw marks. I don't want to be like this. I don't know why God saw it fit to burden me with such a cursed mind, I'm crying at night, praying for these... impulses, to go away. I want to look at you and wish only that you go home safe and sound, far away from my forest and the other creatures lurking here. I wish not to look at you and think of the most depraved and disgusting things; this is your fault, if you would just stay away...

Maybe God has sent me to punish you. You are Sodom and Gomorrah reincarnate and I shall be the cleansing rain. You are required to feel the burn and choke on the sulphur if you wish to atone and be forgiven. I am your reckoning, I am your saviour. 

You should be thanking me when I tackle you to the ground and drag you into the depths uncharted, not screaming. You're being too loud again. One look at my red eyes has you shutting up. Finally. You're prettier when you don't speak, when those sultry lips are curled into a frightened frown, your eyes wide and watery. 

I stop to coo at you, my cheek brushes against yours -I ignore your flinch-, You mustn't be scared, I am going to deliver you to your salvation. You're an unholy creature of seduction, Jezebel's bastard daughter, Baal's seed. If it is not His will, why does he not save you? Why have I not been struck down? This is His will then, he has abandoned you to me. 

So don't squirm away when I pull at your clothes. I said don't. You turn your face away from me now, laying still, tears falling over the high arches of your cheeks. Submitting yourself. Good. The sight of your bare body is not foreign to me, yet it does not fail each time to arrest my attention, captivated by those gently painted curves, those hand-sculpted mounds of tainted flesh. The red crown of my teeth in your shoulder is my mark of Cain, a promise: I will purify you. 

You cry out when I enter you, the stretch no doubt is a searing pain, but you'll live. My body looms over yours completely, you're sizably quite smaller. No matter, your body will heal. When my hips start to rock, your hands grip my chest, your nails digging in, I allow it. Your face is scrunched up, your brows knitted and your eyes squeezed shut. It hurts, I know, I know. My cheek brushes against yours again, I coo softly at your harsh yelps of pain.

I know you're still adjusting but I need more already. I am a slave to my degenerate mind, this is your effect. My hips slamming into you more relentlessly, the obscene sounds echo, from the way that you're screaming now, you act as if I'm splitting you in two. Your entire body moves up when I thrust into you, I have to pull you back down, further onto me. 

I start to lick at the bloody bite mark I left on your shoulder, I'm repeatedly hitting your G spot because of how big I am, it's starting to turn your screams and cries into reluctant whimpers and then moans. 

[nahokura]

"Quick while she turns her back, slip it in"

I'm in a meat-pack plant by the gutterside

A slaughterhouse apartment with a slice of lime

I'm cruisin' with the bruisers, boozin', I'll be a suitor, losing my mind

Because there's nothing to find

The fetid stench of bad intentions hangs in the sweat

I'm in a sauna hot with drama, and I'm tryin' to forget

All the masochistic rapture missteps

Imminent pleasure's ready to cut to the bone

You said, "Let loose," but now you're lost

While I tied my boots like a tightrope noose

The problem chased the taste of the cause

While the evidence supports the truth, is 80 enough proof for you?

Here's to my lady, and I'm coming inside

Drink to me, baby, and what's left of what's right

It's easier to use and lose than never to have used you

On a fucked up Saturday night

Good times on Front Street

Loose lips sink ships, but captain, will you go down?

Float your boat 'til overboard and hoping to drown

Tell me what prevented you from coming downtown all alone

Because we know you're not afraid

This chastity is Greek to me, the meat is still fresh

The gnashing teeth will masticate the bones from the flesh

Since nobody will tell me where these bastards go, I'll see for myself

I think they might go to hell

You said, "Let loose," but now you're lost

While I tied my boots like a tightrope noose

The problem chased the taste of the cause

While the evidence supports the truth, is 80 enough proof for you?

Here's to my lady, and I'm coming inside

Drink to me, baby, and what's left of what's right

It's easier to use and lose than never to have used you

On a fucked up Saturday night

Good times on Front Street

And they goddamn disrespected me!!

Little idiots, idiots I was completely respectful

They're supposed to be my brothers, right? They're my brothers?

No, no, that's not fun

What they were doing wasn't fun

They kept zapping us and zapping us

Ah! Step right up folks! Get yourself a big meaty fill of some of the most noxious, toxic, obnoxious, disgusting shit in the world!

How vile can you be?

Is 80 enough proof for you?!

Here's to my lady, and I'm coming inside

Drink to me, baby, and what's left of what's right

It's easier to use and lose than never to have used you

On a fucked up Saturday night

Always a good time on Front Street

Last call for morals, better cover your drink

Sodom and Gomorrah'd, let it go down the sink

Last call for morals, better cover your drink

Sodom and Gomorrah'd, let it go down the sink

Last call for morals, better cover your drink

Sodom and Gomorrah'd, let it go down the sink

Last call for morals, better cover your drink

Good times on Front Street

[technicallyonappleduty]

Aziraphale and Crowley Timeline

I made a timeline of the Aziraphale and Crowley relationship based on the TV show, book, stage directions, and Neil Gaiman’s blog. It was designed to track negative space and off-screen interactions for the purposes of fic writing, so maybe other fic writers would enjoy it. Please add anything I missed. I’ll edit as necessary.

Before the Beginning — Nebula rollout

Aziraphale shares his name with a heavy implication that they have not met before.

Crowley tells Nina and Maggie, “We’ve been talking for millions of years,” implying some sort of relationship before Crowley’s fall.

Sunday, October 21, 4004 B.C. at 9:13 a.m. — The creation of the universe

4004 B.C., "just after the beginning" — The Garden of Eden

Crowley (Crawly) tells Aziraphale his new name, which implies minimal interaction since Crowley’s fall. They were aware of each other’s presence in the garden as evidenced by Crowley having noticed the flaming sword.

3004 B.C., Mesopotamia — Noah’s Ark

Crowley follows up on the flaming sword, which implies but does not confirm that they haven’t interacted since Eden.

[3004 BC - 2500 BC: NO INTERACTION as evidenced by Aziraphale’s comment, “I haven’t seen you since the flood.”

2500 B.C., Land of Uz — Job

2000 B.C., Sodom and Gomorrah

It’s confirmed from the TV show that Aziraphale was present (as evidenced by their comment about Sandalphon’s participation)

It’s confirmed from the book that Crowley was not present and did not visit afterwards.

[800 BC - 200 BC: Deleted scene from TV show, Arabian Nights-inspired]

33 A.D., Golgotha — The crucifixion

41 A.D., Rome — Aziraphale runs into Crowley

537 A.D., Kingdom of West Essex — Crowley suggests they stop working just to cancel each other out

[1020 A.D. (BOOK CANON) — Arrangement (non-interference) is established. Then, they extend the arrangement to “hold the fort” for one another.]

[1023 A.D. (BOOK CANON) — Crowley comes back to argue that you need to start people off equal in order to let them choose between good and evil, equivalent of The Resurrectionists in the TV series.]

[1400s: “Papal” scene, cut from TV show]

[1567 A.D. — Mary Queen of Scots dies, this scene was cut and converted to The Resurrectionists]

[1556 AD - 1598 AD (BOOK CANON): Crowley is in Spain when he receives a commendation for the Spanish Inquisition. He checks it out then comes back and gets drunk for a week. Time range is evidenced by the line, “That Hieronymus Bosch,” who is a painter who inspired King Phillip II.]

1601, Globe Theatre, London — Hamlet

CONFIRMED: Multiple interactions between Wessex (537 AD) and now as evidenced by Crowley’s statement that they’ve covered for each other “dozens of times now.”

1650, Unknown — First “I Was Wrong” dance (performed by Aziraphale)

[1600 - 1800, United States: A scene set during the Wild West, cut from TV show]

1793, Paris — The French Revolution

A recent interaction is implied by Crowley saying, “I thought you were opening a bookshop.”

1800, London — The bookshop opens (confirmed that it opened “a couple years” after Mr. Hatchard in Piccadilly, founded 1797)

[Book — Crowley is asleep through most of the 19th century, gets up in 1832 for bathroom]

1820s, U.K. — Aziraphale’s diary excerpt, in which he mentions that he told Crowley the story “afterwards” (although “afterwards” can be a very long time for two immortal beings so it doesn’t confirm much)

1827, Edinburgh  — The Resurrectionists

[Confirmed: “It was the last I was to see of Crowley for quite some time.”]

1862, St. James Park, London — Crowley requests holy water

Their understanding of the agreement is, “Stay out of each other’s way. Lend a hand when needed.”

[1862 - 1941: NO INTERACTION as evidenced by the stage directions that Aziraphale has not seen Crowley in a hundred years.]

1941, London

[1960s: cut scene set in America, note: both female-presenting]

1967, Soho — Aziraphale gets holy water for Crowley

2008, U.K. — Antichrist is born

2013, U.S. — Crowley and Aziraphale both begin work for the Dowlings

[“The story starts, as it will end, in a garden” — although technically garden is no longer where it started]

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

Stats from Movies 301-400

Top 10 Movies - Highest Number of Votes

The Blair Witch Project (1999) had the most votes with 3,139.

The 10 Most Watched Films by Percentage

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) was the most watched film with 62.85% of voters saying they had seen it.

The 10 Least Watched Films by Percentage

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (2012) was the least watched film with 67.15% of voters saying they hadn't seen it.

The 10 Most Known Films by Percentage

The Blair Witch Project (1999) was the best known film with only 2.07% of voters saying they'd never heard of it. A Quiet Place (2018) was in an incredibly close second with only 2.08% of voters saying they'd never heard of it.

The 10 Least Known Films by Percentage

Playdurizm (2020) was the least known film with 95.5% of voters saying they'd never heard of it.

The movies part of the statistic count and their polls below the cut.

The Entity (1982) The Lighthouse (2019) Hellbent (2004) Joy Ride (2001) No One Lives (2012) Night of the Creeps (1986) Silent Hill (2006) Society (1989) The Black Phone (2021) Lo (2009)

Pet (2016) Evil Toons (1992) The Innocents (1961) Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) Vacancy (2007) Jeepers Creepers (2001) Dawn of the Dead (2004) Land of the Dead (2005) The Menu (2022) Mandy (2018)

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) Apostle (2018) The Changeling (1980) Don't Look in the Basement (1973) Goodnight Mommy (2014) House on Haunted Hill (1959) The Invitation (2015) Kwaidan (1964) Last Night in Soho (2021) Marrowbone (2017)

The Old Dark House (1932) The Perfection (2018) Relic (2020) Session 9 (2001) The Similars (2015) Willy's Wonderland (2021) Willard (2003) Mansion of the Doomed (1976) Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984) Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)

Dolls (1986) Holidays (2016) Benny Loves You (2019) Stitches (2012) Afflicted (2013) The Banana Splits Movie (2019) Rare Exports (2010) Hell Fest (2018) 31 (2016) The Devil's Carnival (2012)

Brain Damage (1988) All About Evil (2010) Alice Cooper: The Nightmare (1975) The Craft (1996) The Frighteners (1996) As Above, So Below (2014) 28 Weeks Later (2007) A Quiet Place (2018) A Quiet Place Part II (2020) Night of the Comet (1984)

Tremors (1990) The Sixth Sense (1999) The Others (2001) Wolf Creek (2005) Wolf Creek 2 (2013) Little Monsters (2019) The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) Green Room (2015) Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies (2012) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

The VelociPastor (2018) Theater of Blood (1973) The Cursed (2021) The Rift (1990) Terror Firmer (1999) Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986) The Man Who Laughs (1928) Vampire Hunter D (1985) Dark Skies (2013) The Twilight People (1972)

Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival (2016) Playdurizm (2020) Swallowed (2022) Exploited (2022) Deadstream (2022) The Brotherhood (2001) The Borderlands (2013) Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Penda’s Fen (1974) A Field in England (2013)

In the Earth (2021) Resolution (2012) Terrifier 2 (2022) The Blair Witch Project (1999) Battle Royale (2000) Hostel (2005) Critters (1986) The Collector (2009) M3GAN (2022)

[rock-and-roll-hell]

July 25, 1980

Unmasked Tour

Palladium - New York City, NY

Eric Carr's live debut with KIϟϟ wearing the first version of his "Fox" makeup. While heavily featuring the 1979 and 1980 studio albums, it is somewhat strange to consider that the set included three covers: "2,000 Man," originally recorded by the Rolling Stones; "New York Groove," originally recorded by Hello; and "King of the Night Time World," originally performed by the Hollywood Stars (though never commercially released). "Is That You?" while not written by the band had also not been commercially released by the writer or other artists. The only United States "Unmasked" era concert and contemporary performance of material from that album. This show marked the live debut of three songs from "Unmasked" including "Is That You?," "Talk To Me," and "You're All That I Want." The Palladium was the renamed Academy of Music, where KIϟϟ had made their industry debut in December 1973. KIϟϟ spun their appearance at a smaller venue: "It was a night of nostalgia for Ace, Paul and Gene. And a dream come true for Eric Carr. KIϟϟ planned a special performance at the Palladium in New York to introduce Eric to its staunchest home town fans. There was very little publicity. The one-night-only show was mostly a word of mouth affair. Although small for KIϟϟ today, the hall was chosen for sentimental reasons. Most of the fans, as well as the band, were remembering the historic night KIϟϟ played its first important New York performance on that very stage... the show was a resounding success".

From local press: "KIϟϟ performed at the Palladium on Friday night, which was unusual; the group usually plays venues the size of Madison Square Garden. Slipping popularity may account for the Palladium date to some extent, but KIϟϟ could certainly have filled the theater several nights running and chose not to do so. The show's primary purpose seems to have been the introduction of Eric Carr, the new drummer, to the band's hard-core fans. A few diehards yelled for the departed Peter Criss, but not for long. This listener kept trying to remember what Mr. Criss used to sound like, but the effort proved fruitless. Before long, he became accustomed to Mr. Carr, who played a somewhat elaborate drum kit and was sometimes a little floppy but kicked the music along nicely. The band had installed its flashy stage set and resorted to a number of its tried and true visual gimmicks, but with the scale of the event reduced, one tended to focus more on the music. It wasn't bad. It was heavy-handed, macho to an almost comical degree, rife with bombast and excess, everything one expects heavy metal to be, but the playing was tight -- much tighter than the last time the reviewer heard KIϟϟ, at the Garden -- and most of the songs weren't padded with unnecessary solo noodling. Whether KIϟϟ fans will take to Mr. Carr remains to be seen; one would think they'd be satisfied with Gene Simmons's tongue-wagging and fire-breathing and Ace Frehley's flaming guitar. In any event, and for what it's worth, Mr. Carr's addition to the band seems to have been a positive step, though it isn't likely to make KIϟϟ' music 'genuinely important to life'" (New York Times, 7/27/80).

Another: "Carr proved to be a capable drummer but no Peter Criss. The show wasn't quite the visual extravaganza I'd anticipated, nor was it the Sodom and Gomorrah meets 'The Night of the Living Dead' I'd feared. Instead, it seemed like the 'Wizard of Oz' gone awry" (Aquarian).

From a mainstream review: "It was apparent from the appearance and playing of Carr that KIϟϟ one of the most successful rock acts of all times, was not taking any chances with the music or the formula now that original drummer Peter Criss has departed for a solo career... So it was almost the typical KIϟϟ show. But with the new drummer now more in the background, the focus was more on the front three... And although performing on a smaller stage than usual, the show was basically the same" (Billboard, 8/9/80).

From a regional review: "KIϟϟ concerts are a little like Christmas. The anticipation is half the fun, and everyone was up for this one... KIϟϟ crashed through their 20-song set with the delicacy of a chain gang" (London, CT, The Day, 8/1/80).