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pricechecktranslations · 5 years ago

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OSS: Crime; Chapter 3-Project “Ma” -Adam-

Original Sin Story: Crime infomine under the cut

Scene 1

Just a reference to the song—Project “Ma” was a failure, yada yada.

Scene 2

From a young age Adam has had primarily two strong emotions: Loneliness and anger at the world.

When he was tossed in a river as a baby, a whale took him into its mouth and deposited him at the coast, where he was found by a fisherman. The only thing he had on him was a small bottle he was carrying. A piece of parchment inside read “Adam Moonlit”—so they assumed that was his name. He lived a relatively peaceful life for about five years, though he doesn’t remember that time well.

One night, his home (I think this may have been the orphanage he mentioned) was destroyed in a tsunami (killing a whole bunch of people, possibly the other orphans). Adam somehow survived off of beached fish, making a crude home out of rubble. Every so often, the white whale that saved him (though he didn’t have any way of remembering that) would appear to keep him from being too lonely.

One day, Adam asks the whale’s name, and he hears it reply (it doesn’t show what the whale says, noting Adam could be hallucinating), learning its name is Catherine (katoriinu). He keeps talking to the whale, thinking of it as his mother (and then there’s this heartbreaking part where he’s just asking it questions, which devolve into demands to know why he’s alone and abandoned). Adam does not grow up well.

Scene 3

Adam, armed with a harpoon, reacts with hostility when Horus (who wears glasses) shows up before him one day (I think he is still five at this point, or perhaps six), as most of the people who show up are hostile to him and steal from him. Horus isn’t bothered and tells him to relax. He says he is here to adopt Adam on the orders of his mother. Excited, Adam gets into the carriage with him.

Just then, Catherine pops out of the ocean and calls to him in his head, saying that Horus is lying and won’t reunite him with his mother. Horus says that Adam is being tricked by Catherine, as she is a familiar of Held (who is, of course, still viewed as an evil god). She can’t deny that she used to be a forest spirit (a small fish one), which enrages Adam.

He throws his harpoon, and it strikes her. She tries to say something to him to calm him down, but he cuts her off, ranting about how it’s obvious she isn’t really his mother. Horus and Adam leave her, and head to the capital.

Scene 4

Of course, Horus says Adam can’t see his mother immediately. So he ends up living with Horus in the research facility (I guess it has living quarters for the both of them?). Eventually Adam becomes Horus’ adopted son. He would always brush it off as Adam needing to study more, to work harder, as he can’t meet with her as he is now. Adam believes him because Horus is very persuasive.

Adam doesn’t feel like a human being the way that he’s raised. He gets only what he needs in terms of food and clothing, and is only allowed to leave the facility when Horus orders him to go shopping—he doesn’t want for things like knowledge and shelter (all he does is study, really) but he is severely deprived emotionally.

When Adam grows up he becomes more persistent in asking about his mother, but Horus only says it’s not time yet. Horus becomes older and weaker, and ends up relying more and more on apprentices. Adam ends up working with them more.

Scene 5

Adam only learns his mother’s identity when Horus is almost on his deathbed (interesting note: Horus refers to his body as an “inferior good”). Horus tells Adam to take over as institute director in his stead, which Adam agrees to.

Adam asks why Horus adopted him, thinking that he merely lied about knowing his mother. That’s when Horus reveals that Alice Merry-go-Round’s true name is Maria Moonlit (note—whoever becomes queen of Levianta receives a new name and has their past identity sealed by the senate. It does not say that every single one has been named Alice, but imo that would fall in line with the whole “alice has always been queen” thing in the OSSCE crossfade).

Horus explains the situation—that Maria didn’t want to get rid of Adam, but that it was all Miroku’s fault, and that furthermore he has turned Maria into his puppet using the brainwashing drug Venom (which he claims was made through collaboration with Horus’ “greatest apprentice”, Seth, who he says will probably show up in person at some point later on).

Horus has put a notebook full of names and locations in a drawer—these are his allies, those who wish to overthrow Miroku. Adam has a million questions, but before he can ask them Horus goes to leave—he has decided that when he dies, he will be alone. Adam never sees him again.

Scene 6

There are roughly ten other researchers at the institute—none of them object to Adam taking over, given Horus has been training him since he was young. Adam is a prodigy, and he has a keen interest in researching the legacy pieces (while at the same time upset that the research is being used for political squabbles).

One day Gammon visits the institute, claiming to be looking for Horus. Adam figures that he’s probably dead, and just wanted to die alone in peace, especially given the state of his health when he vanished. Adam then reveals that he knows Gammon was one of Horus’ collaborators in his secret revolutionary efforts. Of course, it wouldn’t look good for either of them if it got out.

Adam isn’t sure what side he wants to be on. He both respected and hated Horus. But for now he would like for them to look out for each other (sort of blackmailing him into it). Then he offers to get him some coffee. From then on they develop a sort of uneasy allyship.

Gammon is the eldest son of the Loop Octopus family, but he was cast out of being the heir due to being born without magic (wasn’t treated well by his family, basically). He became skilled with guns and swords due to fervent study, and worked his way up to being head of the security division.

He also has purple prophetic dreams, which he admits to Adam while they’re drinking at a bar one day. He is an inheritor of Rahab—all Loop Octopus members are, to some extent (this implies that there may be differences in the strength of inheritor powers between individuals). He says that because his family can foresee the future, this means that a queen (who is only important because she can tell the future via divine revelation) is not necessary. Note also that Adam has not told Gammon he’s Maria’s son.

This leads to a lot of speculating and reflection on Adam’s part (on if Gammon intends to rule the country, the possibility of someone who does not have divine revelation being in charge, whether the gods are even worth revering in the first place, etc). He starts to think that maybe the country should go back to being a kingdom with a hereditary ruler—that this would end the power struggles among the senate. And of course, Adam is a great candidate for king.

Gammon interrupts Adam’s thoughts to bring up that his father is very cunning. So much so that if, hypothetically, the real queen died twenty years ago (as she hasn’t shown herself to the public in that long), no one would have found it out. Miroku was, himself, the one who established the rule that only the head of the senate can interact with her.

Adam dismisses the idea—Horus told him Miroku was manipulating her with drugs. He’d have no reason to kill her. Either way, though, Miroku is clearly the real power in charge of the country.

Gammon is sort of sprawled on the bar right now, drunk. Adam tries to wake him, and then he is suddenly approached by a new person. A man who looks identical to Horus, appearing to be the same age that Horus was when he first approached Adam on the coast all those years ago. He is Seth Twiright.

Scene 7

Adam has no proof that this is the real Seth Twiright, of course, but him looking identical to Horus is a pretty big deal. While he looks roughly the same age as Adam, Seth claims to be older, saying he studied under Horus long before he became head of the institute (roughly twenty years before, which would be about five years before Horus adopted Adam).

Seth claims he came to help now that his mentor is dead (and yet pretty much none of the other apprentices have even heard of him until now). Adam tries to brush him off, but Seth persists, sharing knowledge of the Next Queen Project—something only those involved are supposed to know about. This makes it clear that he does have a connection to Horus.

Seth clarifies that he isn’t Horus’ child or anything, despite them looking alike (he says they might have a distant relation or something).

Adam obviously can’t trust him given what Horus said, and it’s hard to read what Seth is after. But he’s a lead regarding Adam’s real mother, so he can’t just dismiss him. He lets Seth join the institute.

Seth is, like Horus, very persuasive and affable, and gets along well with the rest of the staff. He’s also just as brilliant, his assistance revitalizing the “Next Queen Project” which had come to a bit of a standstill after Horus’ death.

Seth is the one who brings them the “God Seed”, which is held in a small black box (Adam is examining it while Seth fiddles about with some of the machinery in the room). It’s a living liquid, Seth explaining that it was extracted from Sin, and that it is part of LeviaBehemo. Adam speculates that they can create people with magical power with this. He asks how Seth got his hands on it, and Seth says he was allowed below the temple by Miroku due to being an old friend of his (he did not go through the Glass Hallway, but rather a different route, and claims to have never met the queen himself).

While Seth is just as interested in the legacy of the Second Period as Adam, his area of research isn’t machinery so much as living things (biotechnology, basically). Adam asks him about his knowledge of drugs—Seth eventually tells him to stop beating around the bush, as it’s clear he’s asking about Venom.

Seth explains that there were once people who were Inheritors of Levia, and that they were able to manipulate people’s minds. They have all died off, but Seth claims he found the grave of one such inheritor. He took the body back to his home, experimented on it, and at the end of this experimentation and analysis he produced Venom. He then analyzed his success and devised a recipe to make Venom with—but then says that he never used it, because it’s outside of his interests.

Adam wonders why (it seems he was commissioned to make it, but Seth doesn’t look like he’s interested in things like money or power).

Scene 8

The Project “Ma” stuff starts one year after Horus went missing. This chapter is basically a reflection on Adam’s motives (how he is empty inside and is doing all these things to try and fill that emptiness, how he blames Miroku for not being able to live a normal life with a family that loved him, how he wants to control Levianta’s future by making his own puppet queen, etc).

He will fill the hole in his heart. If it’s for that, he will even become evil.

Scene 9

Adam goes to get Gammon to collaborate with him. He reveals that he is Maria’s son (though he has no proof), and tells Gammon that if it works he will become the next head of the senate. Adam plans to have the next queen change the laws so that succession will be hereditary again—and as the son of the former queen, Adam will become king.

Gammon doubts that’ll work well, but Adam says that if he becomes king, Gammon will become the new prime minister. Gammon points out that it’ll be the next queen’s relatives who will be in line for succession, not Adam, to which Adam says he’ll just marry the next queen. And her children will be the Twins of God—no one would object to them being next in line for the throne.

Adam also reveals that he has mixed his own genes in the Divine Seed that he’ll be using for Project Ma, so that those children will also be related to him.

Adam prepares to kill Gammon if he refuses, but Gammon agrees. He too is dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. And he also had a purple dream about Adam. But he doesn’t say what it was about.

Scene 10

Through Gammon’s contacts, Adam is able to get the recipe for Venom. He is also able to get his hands on Miroku’s journal. Though, it’s really more of a memo pad used to secretly write down Miroku’s private thoughts (and as such, it’s very scattered and brief, providing little detail on what its entries are referring to).

In brief: Miroku discovering Maria’s children and having a young retainer throw them in the river. The queen freaks out, and has to be quieted down. Miroku thought he killed the servant to keep the secret safe but this guy shows up again. Miroku decides to keep him around, as he’s useful. The servant makes Venom—evidently, this person was Seth, though it doesn’t say his name. Miroku drugs the queen and then Ceci Vaju as well, saying that when he is dead he will inherit what he leaves behind.

This next part—I can guess what it means based on something I glimpsed in Seth’s chapter but I don’t want to say outright in case I’m wrong, so…Miroku’s notes become scrambled—basically saying first that he’s had dreams (purple ones) then amending that they are prophecies, and, I quote, “I am Alice/Queen Merry-Go-Round”. His notes then detail the Project Ma prophecy.

There’s more that isn’t shared. The only thing Adam can glean from it is that what Horus told him about Miroku is true, and that what Gammon suggested in his drunken stupor might not be total nonsense.

Scene 11

Adam reflects on what he’s learned—Seth was the one who tossed him in the river, and he has (or had, at least) a twin sibling. He figures he’ll need to put some restrictions on Seth—now that he has Venom, he no longer has a use for him.

Adam has received information on a potential Ma candidate—Meta Salmhofer. Gammon warns him against recruiting her, as she’s a member of Apocalypse. Adam points out that one of their founders, Raiou Zvezda, is listed as one of Horus’ collaborators. Though it was different when Raiou founded it (evidently they weren’t a terrorist organization then), and he has since ditched it.

Even leaving aside the matter of Apocalypse, given that Meta is Pale’s girlfriend it’s unlikely she’s a virgin.

Gammon is against going to fetch Meta, as it would be dangerous. Adam, on the other hand, sees it as an opportunity for Seth to die in an “unfortunate accident”,

Of course, the plan was a miserable failure. Basically, Adam planned for Seth to be in one spot that would be attacked, while all the other researchers were safe. But instead the researchers were in the danger zone, and Seth was safe. Adam’s not sure how that happened. And all Seth has to say about it is that they better do their best just the two of them from now on (Seth seems a bit happy-go-lucky, really).

Scene 12

And so, Adam meets Eve, someone who would be perfect to manipulate. He didn’t plan for everything that happened—the fight with the White Army, Meta attacking Nemu (she was likely looking to punish Raiou for his desertion)—but ultimately, he was able to get Eve to the capital. He drugged her with Venom by mixing it into her coffee.

Even with the drug, getting her to like him was a little tricky—he wasn’t charming like Seth and Horus. But he tended to her needs, spent time with her, was understanding, etc. Fortunately, Seth didn’t pop into the lab much due to his recovery, so he wouldn’t catch on that Adam was using Venom.

He and Gammon are drinking in a bar, and he’s complaining about women (kind of typical “why are women so hard to understand blah blah blah”). Being the perfect boyfriend is stressful. He’d like to have Gammon switch roles with him (I think he’s drunk), but Gammon evidently already has a wife and kid(s). Gammon also thinks they make a good couple, and that Eve would like him even without the Venom. Adam cuts him off, saying their being a couple is just for the plan.

He shifts the conversation to Vaju. Apparently they’re waiting for him to die (he is getting sickly) before they move ahead, so that if Eve becomes queen it doesn’t appear to be solely Vaju’s work. Miroku is in a similar position—once Vaju dies, all of his stuff goes to Miroku (I guess because he doesn’t have an heir, so Miroku used the Venom to get him to make Miroku his heir). This includes the institute, so that he can continue being head of the Senate even if they produce a different queen.

Adam asks if Gammon has any hesitation over killing his father. But apparently there’s no love lost between them.

Basically—Gammon is all ready to overthrow the current government. The only reason he was waiting this long is because he didn’t have a lynchpin to pull it together. But Eve, once she’s queen, will be able to allow him to do as he pleases with restructuring the country.

Scene 13

The queen trial was Adam’s one chance to ascertain the queen’s condition, but of course Eve remembers almost nothing of it (which is to be expected). The moment Adam heard that Zelarana Zellana was dead, he started worrying about Eve. He’d been confident she’d succeed, but she isn’t back yet. He can’t go get her, though, because it might tip people off that they’re more than just scientist and patient.

He’s concerned for her, which surprises him, but denies his feelings as being for his plan’s success only.

Eve suddenly arrives, and he goes to hug her (again denying that it’s for anything other than his charade). She seems a little mad at him, but also doesn’t act on it.

Scene 14

Eve is impregnated with the God Seed, with twins. Now all that’s left is to wait for them to be born. Meanwhile, Vaju dies, leaving everything to Miroku.

Gammon is going to do his small rebellion after Eve becomes queen, and Miroku will get mixed up in it and die. Then Gammon will be captured, and executed for his crimes. This is what Adam’s real plan is regarding him.

Scene 15

Eve gets restless and mood-swingy as the due date approaches. Earlier she’d been scared all day, having dreamed that she saw a bear. Adam thinks this might be because she’d drunken too much Venom.

Seth hasn’t shown himself since Eve became pregnant. He hasn’t gone home either. Adam, fearing that Seth has cottoned on to the plan and will tell Miroku, increases surveillance on Miroku and has his people look harder for Seth.

Adam takes Eve out of the institute for a bit. She says she wants to go to the Western coast, to meet Adam’s “mother” (the whale). He hasn’t gone back since Horus picked him up—he wonders if she’s still there.

He picks a car that won’t sway much, and they arrive at the coast. They gaze at the ocean together, Adam glancing over at Eve and noting her simple beauty. He starts to wish that they had met in some other way, without all these plans and prophecies and such, before forcing himself to drop the thought.

Eve suddenly announces that she’s going to name the babies Cain and Abel, though when pressed she says that there’s no real meaning behind those names.

Right as they’re going to leave several hours later, Catherine calls out to Adam in his mind. She explains that her physical body is gone (not because he speared her with a harpoon, but because it was a natural end result of her leaving Held’s power). She is now part of the ocean.

She was once a small fish, but one day she rebelled against Held and left. Unlike the other spirits, she had fragments of her memory remaining from their past (her past of being one who served the creators of the world).

Apparently in Levianta they are taught that LeviaBehemo is the only true god, and all others are false gods. Catherine explains the whole deal about Levia and Behemo making humanity, and Held suggesting the gods merely watch over the world, etc. Catherine hadn’t agreed with this, which is why she left the forest. Her body became a large whale—this is what she wanted, but it also signified that she had lost the physical immortality that she had with Held. Hence why she’s invisible now.

Eve can’t hear Catherine, as a note.

Upon being asked, Adam tells Catherine that Eve is his wife, which pleases her. She’s also relieved to hear that Horus is dead, saying that he was dangerous. Adam apologizes for his anger when last they saw each other, and they part on good terms.

Scene 16

Eight months into the pregnancy, Eve is moved to Alicegrad. That way she can be attended on and also be under greater security. The due date is very close now.

Once Adam receives word that she’s in labor, he rushes to Alicegrad from the institute. The sun has gone down, and there are no stars or moon in the sky. He’s stopped before he can get in her room by a guard, who informs him only those assisting with the birth can get in (which apparently includes a priest). He does reassure Adam that she’s with the best doctor available—not Dr. Moreno, who drowned in a river the other day, but Seth Twiright (he doesn’t say it’s Seth, but it’s Seth).

The door opens. Adam sees Seth there, and also can’t hear the sound of babies crying. He had no information on Seth being a doctor in this regard—apparently his informants haven’t been telling him everything (Seth chides him for trusting them so much).

Adam pushes past Seth. Eve is fine, but the things she’s holding in her arms are not babies. They are darkish “things”. Eve is delusional, calling them her and Adam’s babies (despite the fact that she shouldn’t know Adam put some of his semen—yes it specifies semen—into the God Seed), thinking they’re alive.

Adam tries to get her to hand them over, but she freaks out. Enraged, Adam goes outside to see Seth smoking, initially assuming he was behind it. But Seth claims he did his best. He says the babies simply died while they were inside Eve’s womb.

Rather, he says that this was Adam’s fault, because he was doing something “extraneous” (being vague on what exactly Adam did that caused it). He calls him out, basically insulting him as a researcher, but also won’t tell Miroku what he was planning. He leaves Adam there (Seth just seems really amused it all went to crap).

Scene 17

Adam is drinking alone in the furthest corner of a bar when Gammon comes in and sits across from him. He says they’ll have to start again—find a new candidate, and deal with the traitor in their informants.

Eve is infertile now. And she’s gone mad. Adam speculates that her spirit was weak already, due to the drugging, and she lost it when the twins were born dead. She’s still following the delusion that she has children.

Gammon tries to get him to perk up—they still have plenty of time before the prophecy comes to pass. But Adam’s had enough—he’s giving up on everything, telling Gammon to go back to his original rebellion plans.

Of course, Gammon’s not liable to leave Adam as a loose end, so he figures he and Eve need to flee the capital together.

Scene 18

This is an internal monologue. Adam apologizes to his mother for failing to save her, not even knowing if she loved him or not. He’s tired of chasing his past, though. He also apologizes to Eve for what he’s done, realizing he does love her and wanting to go live in Held’s forest with her (a reference to the song, basically). He also wonders if Catherine might be able to find them there.

He loves Eve, even if that love is just a result of a brainwashing drug.

#ec activity feed #this chapter was so grim and intense that it sort of rolled into black comedy for me by the end #i am starting to think I know why mothy self-published this novel #meanwhile seth is fantastic and the infomine isn't doing him justice

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vince-thrilligan · 4 years ago

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Rhea Seehorn: Who is Kim Wexler?

“I saw that something was eroding in Kim for multiple seasons.”

Awards Focus: In the season four finale, Kim was stunned when Jimmy revealed his emotional speech to get his law license reinstated was just a performance. She’s left standing in the hall as he races off to change his name to Saul Goodman.

This year, it’s Kim’s turn to leave Jimmy on his heels. Were you shocked when she left her work on Mesa Verde and subsequently started brainstorming about decimating Howard’s career to get Jimmy his Sandpiper case money?

Rhea Seehorn: Well, to be fair, it is a series of decisions. I saw that something was eroding in Kim for multiple seasons. And what I appreciate about our series, like Vince (Gilligan) and Peter (Gould) did with Breaking Bad, it’s about incremental decisions that these people are making. They’re unaware that they’re falling off a complete cliff. I didn’t know what that final scene was going to be. But I took every step that was handed to me with the information she had presently and played that scene.

AF: You’ve said you’ve seen erosion going on in Kim, can you speak more to that?

Seehorn: The beauty of the show is that these characters are so affected by their past, not only by the events we’ve seen on the series but even before that. From the beginning of the series there was something about Kim’s stillness and her need for control and to right every ship. When I looked at that, I asked “What are you trying to get away from?” or “What are you suppressing that’s so chaotic that you need to make sure that everything is steady all the time?” Those questions spoke to me about the changes we’re seeing in the latter half of this season.

AF: So there’s a potential “Slippin’ Kimmy” underneath the Kim we’ve come to know?

Seehorn: About halfway through the season, Peter (Gould) said that he and the writers started thinking about the masks we all wear and what’s behind Kim’s mask. I will be very interested to see if she follows through with the decimation of Howard Hamlin and can she stomach those actions? Is she a person now who doesn’t even have a conscience? When she shoots the finger guns at Jimmy, there’s a menacing undertone that certainly concerns him.

AF: There’s so many telling moments about Kim’s character. The moment when she and Jimmy are throwing the beer bottles off the roof, but Kim cleans up the glass the next morning. If Kim does goes through with this plan for Howard, do you think she would follow suit in some sort of attempt to clean up that mess as well?

Seehorn: That’s a good question. If Kim goes through with her plan, there may no way for Howard to recover. Michael Morris directed those beer bottle scenes, I love how they tie the episodes together. The first one where Kim had some animosity about her saying the name Saul Goodman and then when they’re tossing the bottles together it’s a bonding moment.

AF: Bob (Odenkirk) has spoken about living with Patrick (Fabian) and yourself in Albuquerque. Can you give our audience a look into the behind the scenes life during production?

Seehorn: The three of us have been living together for the last two years and prior to that Bob and Patrick lived together for a season without me. Frankly, I wish we’d been doing it the whole time. It’s so helpful because the scripts are so dense and complex and you’re always wishing you had more time to play with them and find new things.

AF: As you’ve pointed out, the scripts are often dense. When you have a dialogue heavy episode, how much of that preparation is just getting a grasp on the material?

Seehorn: A lot of it. Jonathan Banks and I laugh because we have the same philosophy. If you think you’re off book, then you need to ask yourself, “Are you off book riding a bike? Are you off book standing on your head? Are you off book swimming in the ocean?”

You think you know your lines and then as soon as you’re asked to do something, or you try blocking, or your scene partner decides to do whatever they’re going to do, the words start to slip away from you. There’s just no time for that with our shooting schedule, not if you want to bring your A-game.

AF: Is there a general time set aside for working through the scripts at the house?

Seehorn: If you’re having a cup of coffee in the main kitchen, you’re gonna get asked to read lines. You basically need to hide in your room if you don’t want to run lines, because if you are seen or visible anywhere in the house, you’re going to get asked. And we run lines that are not our scenes too. Like if Howard has a scene with someone else, then I’ll be whoever he’s talking to and it’s great.

AF: The scenes between Lalo (Tony Dalton) and Kim are incredible this season. Before we dive into specifics, talk about working with Tony and his presence as Lalo.

Seehorn: I mean, how great is Tony? What a find that Sherry Thomas and Sharon Bialy brought to Vince and Peter. He’s so talented, but he’s also a very generous actor. It doesn’t matter if he’s not talking for the majority of the episode nine confrontation, he’s giving me so much in that scene once I’m toe-to-toe with him.

AF: We saw a different Kim when she meets Lalo in jail. Can you talk about crafting that confrontation?

Seehorn: I spoke with Gordon Smith, who wrote episode eight, about the idea of when is Kim off her game? Because previously, we’d seen that she can fall apart in a stairwell or at home, but once she walks into a courtroom or a meeting, she suppresses all of that, and can be totally professional.

So, I went in there questioning “Do we think she can actually hold herself together right now?” We decided that she probably hasn’t slept at all and she knows this is a very scary situation. She’s pretty sure that Jimmy is dead or dying in the desert right now and she can’t call the police and tell them what happened. So, she’s trying to get information from Lalo and she’s unsuccessful in that scene whereas in episode nine she is successful.

I like that Kim got two attempts to go at Lalo using intelligence and rhetoric. The second one in episode nine, written and directed by Tom Schnauz, was a monster of a scene and we knew it.

AF: What were some of the logistical considerations for the episode nine faceoff?

Seehorn: Tom came to Bob and Tony and I, and asked if we could rehearse it on set. It’s technically a difficult scene, I have the big monologue at the end, but Tony has to play a lot of different things as he’s reacting to what he’s hearing from Bob and then Kim.

For Bob, he has to repeat the same story but slightly differently, I think four times, which for an actor is very hard material to memorize because you lose track of where you are in the loop. Tom had written in purposeful nuances as Jimmy sort of devolves in his storytelling.

So we rehearsed it, and thankfully we made a lot of decisions with Marshall Adams (the director of photography) and our camera ops and lighting people. That allowed us to get ahead of the curve and give ourselves the hours that we had to shoot it instead of losing time on the technical aspects.

AF: At the beginning of that scene, you have to be very present for Bob and Tony, conveying that sense of dread and uncertainty that Kim feels. What’s going through her head there?

Seehorn: Kim is in survival mode for the first half of the scene. She’s very still, but she’s practical. I think she’s immediately thinking, “Could we jump from this balcony? Where are the knives in the house? Could Jimmy and I take him if we had to?” Eventually, she’s run out of options and is left with observing Jimmy and what unfolds in front of her.

AF: Kim knows that Jimmy is lying to Lalo and that Lalo either suspects it or knows it.

Seehorn: She knows there’s a secret involving the bullet hole in the mug, and that the secret is so great that Jimmy is literally crumbling in front of her and it needs to be protected at all cost for some reason.

AF: And then Kim steps up to the plate, which was the most harrowing moment of the season. Were you always meant to get so close to Tony, having Kim invade Lalo’s space like that?

Seehorn: Yeah, that was in the script. I spoke to Jennifer Bryan, who’s brilliant with our costumes, and I said, “Kim’s coming from work so she has her heels on… do you think we can get the shoes off in the scene?” I talked to Tom Schnauz about having Kim’s shoes off because I wanted to be even physically smaller than Lalo.

Kim switches to pragmatism in that moment, that’s her fight or flight. She wants to go toe-to-toe like she’s proving a case, finding the holes in Lalo’s story and sewing enough doubt that he backs down.

AF: Do you think Kim prepared her argument while she was sitting there, listening to Jimmy?

Seehorn: I talked to Tom about that, I don’t think she memorized this monologue while she was sitting there on the couch worried. I think she starts it and has to find it. So, we made sure we did a couple of runs at that, just letting me find it and letting me constantly control that lump in my throat because Kim can’t become hysterical.

If Lalo sees that she’s emotionally terrified or starts screaming or anything like, she loses all she has, which is trying to present a logical, forceful argument that he really has to consider. You see Lalo shush Kim earlier on the scene, so I think she’s pretty clear what the cartel would think of women screaming or crying.

AF: Prior to Lalo, Kim’s biggest confrontation was with Mesa Verde client Kevin Wachtell (Rex Linn). The property tycoon was locking horns with Mr. Acker (Barry Corbin), an elderly home owner who refused to vacate his property.

Kim, feeling sympathetic to the man’s circumstances, recruits Jimmy to represent him — a move that nearly causes their relationship to implode. I don’t think anyone saw the idea for marriage coming, much less from Kim. What was your reaction to that?

Seehorn: That was something Bob and I worked extensively on, getting that moment to feel authentic. It’s also Kim accepting Jimmy for who he is, rough edges and all. In episode nine, Jimmy can’t accept Kim’s decision to quit Mesa Verde and she calls him out on it.

AF: Knowing what we know from Breaking Bad and now El Camino, there are very few living characters in the Gene timeline that could give fans a meaningful, full-circle conversation as the series closes. Would you agree with the argument that Kim is the obvious choice for the final conversation with the Gene?

Seehorn: Honestly, I didn’t know I’d be alive this long. If I attempt to take myself out of the equation, which is super hard as an actor, I think the writers are always going to reach for the smartest ending.

Is it the most satisfying storytelling with Kim there at the end? Or is it not? I do agree with you that as a fan I want some resolution regarding Gene. Will we only get one more scene at the beginning of season six, or will it be expanded throughout that season? There’s another question for you.

Part of AwardsFocus.com’s BCS interviews [x]

#rhea seehorn #bcs season 5 #kim wexler #awardsfocus #i swear if she's not nominated this time...

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scarletta-ec · 5 years ago

Text

Original Sin Story: Re_Crime

CHAPTER THREE: ~ADAM’S PROJECT~

Scene 1

Project “Ma” was a failure.

Scene 2

From a young age Adam has had primarily two strong emotions: Loneliness and anger at the world.

When he was a child, his parents were nowhere to be found. He was among smoking ruins. There was no home for him so he wandered the coast, passing through minor port towns. The only thing he had on him was a small bottle he was carrying. A piece of parchment inside read “Adam Moonlit”.

Those in the towns who could read took this to mean that this was his name. A fisherman temporarily housed Adam and taught him to read and write.

He lived a relatively peaceful life for about five years, though he doesn’t remember that time well.

One night, he was washed out to sea during a tempest. As he thought he was going to drown, everything turned white and warm and when he regained consciousness, he was deposited back on a shore.

Adam somehow survived off of beached fish, making a crude home out of rubble and old boat debris. Every so often, the white blur underwater that saved him (though he didn’t have any way of remembering that) would appear to keep him from being too lonely.

One day, Adam asks the being’s name, and he hears it reply, learning its name is Catherine. He keeps talking to it, thinking of it as his mother (and then there’s this heartbreaking part where he’s just asking it questions, which devolve into demands to know why he’s alone and abandoned). Adam does not grow up well.

Scene 3

Adam, armed with a harpoon, reacts with hostility when exploring his new surroundings, comes across Horus Solnste, as most of the people who have shown up are hostile to him and steal from him. Horus isn’t bothered and tells him to relax. He says he is here to adopt Adam on the orders of his real mother. Excited, Adam gets into the carriage with him.

Just then, Catherine emerges out of the ocean, too far to make out and calls to him in his head, saying that Horus is lying and won’t reunite him with his mother. Horus says that Adam is being tricked by Catherine, as she is a familiar of Held. She can’t deny that she used to be a forest spirit, which enrages Adam.

He throws his harpoon, and she vanishes before it makes contact. Her voice, still present, tries to say something to him to calm him down, but he cuts her off, ranting about how it’s obvious she isn’t really his mother. Horus and Adam leave her, and head to the capital.

Scene 4

Of course, Horus says Adam can’t see his mother immediately. So he ends up living with Horus in the research facility, in the living quarters. Eventually Adam becomes Horus’ adopted son. He would always brush it off as Adam needing to study more, to work harder, as he can’t meet with her as he is now. Adam believes him because Horus is very persuasive.

Adam doesn’t feel like a human being the way that he’s raised. He gets only what he needs in terms of food and clothing, and is only allowed to leave the facility when Horus orders him to go shopping— he doesn’t want for things like knowledge and shelter but he is severely deprived emotionally.

When Adam grows up he becomes more persistent in asking about his mother, but Horus only says it’s not time yet.

Horus becomes older and weaker, and ends up relying more and more on apprentices. Adam ends up working with them more.

Scene 5

Adam only learns his mother’s identity when Horus is almost on his deathbed (Horus refers to his body as an “inferior good”).

Horus tells Adam to take over as institute director in his stead, which Adam agrees to.

Adam asks why Horus adopted him, thinking that he merely lied about knowing his mother. That’s when Horus reveals that Alice Merry-go-Round’s true name is Maria Moonlit. All queens have their name kept private by the Senate and scrubbed from all existing records and renamed Alice. Adam's mother is the seventh Alice thus far.

Horus admits he could never take Adam to her personally, because she is not allowed to contact anyone from the outside world. He insists he tried to make an exception, but the best he could do was have servants pass on his messages of Adam's condition to her.

Horus explains the situation further— that Maria didn’t want to get rid of Adam, but that it was all Gavriil's fault, and that furthermore he has turned Maria into his puppet using the brainwashing drug Venom, which he claims was made through collaboration with Horus’ “greatest apprentice”, Seth, who he says will seek Adam in due time.

Horus has put a notebook full of names and locations in a drawer— these are his allies, those who wish to overthrow Gavriil. Adam has a million questions, but before he can ask them Horus goes to leave— he has decided that when he dies, he will be alone. Adam never sees him again.

Scene 6

There are roughly ten other researchers at the institute— none of them object to Adam taking over, given Horus has been training him since he was young. Adam is a prodigy, and he has a keen interest in researching the legacy pieces, while at the same time upset that the research is being used for political squabbles.

Adam isn’t sure what side he wants to be on. He both respected and resented Horus. But for now he would like for them to look out for each other, sort of blackmailing him into it. Then he offers to get him some coffee. From then on they develop a sort of uneasy allyship.

Gammon is the eldest son of the Loop Octopus family, but he was cast out of being the heir due to being born without magic; not treated well by his family. He became skilled with guns and swords due to fervent study, and worked his way up to being head of the security division.

He also has purple prophetic dreams, which he admits to Adam while they’re drinking at a bar one day. He is an inheritor of Rahab— all Loop Octopus members are, to some extent, implying that there are differences in the strength of inheritor powers between individuals. He says that because his family can foresee the future, this means that a queen (who is only important because she can tell the future via divine revelation) is not necessary. Adam has not told Gammon he’s Maria’s son.

This leads to a lot of speculating and reflection on Adam’s part on if Gammon intends to rule the country, the possibility of someone who does not have divine revelation being in charge, whether the gods are even worth revering in the first place, etc. He starts to think that maybe the country should go back to being a kingdom with a hereditary ruler— that this would end the power struggles among the senate. And of course, Adam is a great candidate for king.

Gammon interrupts Adam’s thoughts to bring up that his father is very cunning. So much so that if, hypothetically, the real queen died twenty years ago (as she hasn’t shown herself to the public in that long), no one would have found it out. Gavriil was, himself, the one who established the rule that only the head of the senate can interact with her.

Adam dismisses the idea— Horus told him Gavriil was manipulating her with drugs. He’d have no reason to kill her. Either way, though, Gavriil is clearly the real power in charge of the country.

Gammon is sort of sprawled onto Adam's side, drunk. Adam tries to wake him, as Gammon tightens his grip, and then he is suddenly approached by someone. A man who looks identical to Horus, appearing to be the same age that Horus was when he first approached Adam on the coast all those years ago. He is Seth Twiright.

Scene 7

Adam has no proof that this is the real Seth Twiright, of course, but him looking identical to Horus is a pretty big deal. While he looks roughly the same age as Adam, Seth claims to be older, saying he studied under Horus long before he became head of the institute, roughly twenty years before, which would be about five years before Horus adopted Adam.

Seth claims he came to help now that his mentor is dead even pretty much none of the other apprentices have even heard of him until now. Adam tries to brush him off, but Seth persists, sharing knowledge of the Next Queen Project— something only those involved are supposed to know about. This makes it clear that he does have a connection to Horus.

Seth clarifies that he isn’t Horus’ child or anything, despite them looking alike, though they might have a distant relation or something.

Seth is the one who brings them the “God Seed”, which is held in a small black box. Adam is examining it while Seth fiddles about with some of the machinery in the room. It’s a living liquid, Seth explaining that it was extracted from Sin, and that it is part of Levia-Behemo. Adam speculates that they can create people with magical power with this. He asks how Seth got his hands on it, and Seth says he was allowed below the temple by Gavriil due to being an old friend of his. He did not go through the Glass Hallway, but rather a different route, and claims to have never met the queen himself.

While Seth is just as interested in the legacy of the Second Period as Adam, his area of research isn’t machinery so much as living things, biotechnology. Adam asks him about his knowledge of drugs— Seth eventually tells him to stop beating around the bush, as it’s clear he’s asking about Venom.

Seth explains Inheritors of Gilles are able to manipulate people’s minds. Adam remarks he already knows this but Seth cuts him off. Seth claims he found the grave of one such inheritor, as he could find no Gilles Inheritor volunteers. He took the body back to his home, experimented on it, and at the end of this experimentation and analysis he produced Venom. He then analyzed his success and devised a recipe to make Venom with— but then says that he never used it, because it’s outside of his interests.

Adam wonders why; it seems he was commissioned to make it, but Seth doesn’t look like he’s interested in things like money or power.

Scene 8

The Project “Ma” stuff starts one year after Horus went missing. This chapter is basically a reflection on Adam’s motives; how he is empty inside and is doing all these things to try and fill that emptiness, how he blames Gavriil for not being able to live a normal life with a family that loved him, how he wants to control Levianta’s future by making his own puppet queen, etc.

He will fill the hole in his heart. If it’s for that, he will even become evil.

Scene 9

Adam goes to get Gammon to collaborate with him. He reveals that he is Maria’s son, though he has no proof, and tells Gammon that if it works he will become the next head of the senate. Adam plans to have the next queen change the laws so that succession will be hereditary again— and as the son of the former queen, Adam will become king.

Gammon doubts that’ll work out well, but Adam says that if he becomes king, Gammon will become the new prime minister. Gammon points out that it’ll be the next queen’s relatives who will be in line for succession, not Adam, to which Adam says he’ll just marry the next queen. And her children will be the Twins of God— no one would object to them being next in line for the throne.

Adam privately considers mixing his own genes in the Divine Seed that he’ll be using for Project Ma, so that those children will also be related to him. The outcome could be unpredictable so he mentally leaves it as a last resort should anything go wrong.

Adam hesitates to even think about killing Gammon for refusing, but Gammon agrees. He too is dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. And he also had a purple dream about Adam. But he doesn’t say what it was about.

Scene 10

Through Gammon’s contacts, Adam is able to get the recipe for Venom. He is also able to get his hands on Gavriil's journal. Though, it’s really more of a memo pad used to secretly write down Gavriil's private thoughts and as such, it’s very scattered and brief, providing little detail on what its entries are referring to.

In brief: Gavriil discovering Maria’s children and having a young retainer throw them in the river. The queen freaks out, and has to be quieted down. Gavriil thought he killed the servant to keep the secret safe but he shows up again. Gavriil decides to keep him around, as he’s useful. The servant makes Venom. Gavriil drugs the queen and then Ceci Vaju as well, saying that when he is dead he will inherit what he leaves behind.

Gavriil's notes become scrambled— basically saying first that he’s had purple dreams then amending that they are prophecies, repeating “I am Alice/Queen Merry-Go-Round”. His notes then detail the Project Ma prophecy.

There’s more that isn’t shared. The only thing Adam can glean from it is that what Horus told him about Gavriil is true, and that what Gammon suggested in his drunken stupor might not be total nonsense.

Scene 11

Adam reflects on what he’s learned— he believes Seth was the one who tossed him in the river, and he has or had, a twin sibling. He figures he’ll need to put some restrictions on Seth— now that he has Venom, he no longer has a use for him.

Adam has received information on a potential Ma candidate— Meta Salmhofer. Gammon warns him against recruiting her, as she’s a member of Apocalypse. Adam points out that one of their founders, Raijoou Zvezda, is listed as one of Horus’ collaborators. Though it was different when Raijoou founded it, evidently they weren’t a terrorist organization then, and she had since ditched it.

Even leaving aside the matter of Apocalypse, given that Meta is Pale’s girlfriend it’s unlikely she’s a virgin.

Gammon is against going to fetch Meta, as it would be dangerous. Adam, on the other hand, sees it as an opportunity for Seth to die in an “unfortunate accident”.

Of course, the plan was a miserable failure. Basically, Adam planned for Seth to be in one spot that would be attacked, while all the other researchers were safe. But instead the researchers were in the danger zone, and Seth was safe. Adam’s not sure how that happened. All Seth had to say about it is that they better do their best just the two of them from now on.

Scene 12

And so, Adam meets Eve, someone who would be perfect to manipulate. He didn’t plan for everything that happened— the fight with the White Army, Meta attacking Nemu (likely looking to punish Raijoou for her desertion)— but ultimately, he was able to get Eve to the capital. He drugged her with Venom by mixing it into her coffee.

Even with the drug, getting her to like him was a little tricky— he wasn’t charming like Seth and Horus. But he tended to her needs, spent time with her, was understanding, etc. Fortunately, Seth didn’t pop into the lab much due to his recovery, so he wouldn’t catch on that Adam was using Venom.

He and Gammon are drinking in a bar, and he’s complaining about women (“why are women so hard to understand blah blah blah”). Being the perfect boyfriend is stressful. He’d like to have Gammon switch roles with him, but Gammon evidently already has a wife and kids. Gammon also thinks they make a good couple, and so would they and that Eve would like him even without the Venom. Adam cuts him off, saying their being a couple is just for the plan.

He shifts the conversation to Vaju. Apparently they’re waiting for him to die, him already being sickly, before they move ahead, so that if Eve becomes queen it doesn’t appear to be solely Vaju’s work. Gavriil is in a similar position— once Vaju dies, all of his stuff goes to Gavriil, because he doesn’t have an heir, so Gavriil used the Venom to get him to make him his heir. This includes the institute, so that he can continue being head of the Senate even if they produce a different queen.

Adam asks if Gammon has any hesitation over killing his father. But apparently there’s no love lost between them.

Basically— Gammon is all ready to overthrow the current government. The only reason he was waiting this long is because he didn’t have a lynch-pin to pull it together. But Eve, once she’s queen, will be able to allow him to do as he pleases with restructuring the country.

Scene 13

The queen trial was Adam’s one chance to ascertain the queen’s condition, but of course Eve remembers almost nothing of it (which is to be expected). The moment Adam heard that Zellana was dead, he started worrying about Eve. He’d been confident she’d succeed, but she isn’t back yet. He can’t go get her, though, because it might tip people off that they’re more than just scientist and patient.

He’s concerned for her, which surprises him, but denies his feelings as being for his plan’s success only.

Eve suddenly arrives, and he goes to hug her (again denying that it’s for anything other than his charade). She seems a little mad at him, but also doesn’t act on it.

Scene 14

Eve is impregnated with the God Seed, with twins. Now all that’s left is to wait for them to be born. Meanwhile, Vaju dies, leaving everything to Gavriil.

Gammon is going to do his small rebellion after Eve becomes queen, and Gavriil will get mixed up in it and die. Then Gammon will be captured for his crimes. This is what Adam’s real plan is regarding him.

Scene 15

Seth hasn’t shown himself since Eve became pregnant. He hasn’t gone home either. Adam, fearing that Seth has cottoned on to the plan and will tell Gavriil, increases surveillance on Gavriil and has his people look harder for Seth.

Adam takes Eve out of the institute for a bit. She says she wants to go to the Western coast, to meet Adam’s “mother”. He hasn’t gone back since Horus picked him up around there— he wonders if she’s still there.

Eve suddenly announces that she’s going to name the babies Cain and Abel, though when pressed she says that there’s no real meaning behind those names.

Right as they’re going to leave several hours later, Catherine calls out to Adam in his mind. She explains that her physical body is gone, not because he speared her with a harpoon, but because it was a natural end result of her leaving Held’s power. She is now part of the ocean.

She was once a small fish, but one day she rebelled against Held and left. Unlike the other spirits, she had fragments of her memory remaining from their past, her past of being one who served the creators of the world.

Apparently in Levianta they are taught that Levia-Behemo is the only true god, and all others are false gods. Catherine explains the whole deal about Levia and Behemo making humanity, and Held suggesting the gods merely watch over the world, etc. Catherine hadn’t agreed with this, which is why she left the forest. Her body became humanoid once again, but it also signified that she had lost the physical immortality that she had with Held. Hence why she’s invisible now.

Eve can’t hear Catherine, as a note.

Scene 16

Eight months into the pregnancy, Eve is moved to Alicegrad. That way she can be attended on and also be under greater security. The due date is very close now.

Once Adam receives word that she’s in labor, he rushes to Alicegrad from the institute. The sun has gone down, and there are no stars or moon in the sky. He’s stopped before he can get in her room by a guard, who informs him only those assisting with the birth can get in, including a priest. He does reassure Adam that she’s with the best doctor available— not Dr. Moreno, who drowned in a river the other day, but Seth Twiright.

The door opens. Adam sees Seth there, and also can’t hear the sound of babies crying. He had no information on Seth being a doctor in this regard— apparently his informants haven’t been telling him everything (Seth chides him for trusting them so much).

Adam pushes past Seth. Eve is sobbing but laughing, but the things she’s holding in her arms are not babies. They are darkish “things”. Eve is delusional, calling them her and Adam’s babies, thinking they’re still alive.

Rather, he says that this was Adam’s fault, because he was doing something “extraneous”, being vague on what exactly Adam did that caused it. He calls him out, basically insulting him as a researcher, but also won’t tell Gavriil what he was planning. He leaves Adam there, seeming really amused it all went to crap.

Scene 17

Adam is drinking alone in the furthest corner of a bar when Gammon comes in and sits next to him, arm across Adam's back and hand on his shoulder. He says they’ll have to start again— find a new candidate, and deal with the traitor in their informants.

Gammon tries to get him to perk up— they still have plenty of time before the prophecy comes to pass. But Adam’s had enough— he’s giving up on everything, telling Gammon to go back to his original rebellion plans.

Adam thinks Gammon’s not liable to leave him as a loose end, so Adam figures he and Eve need to flee the capital together.

Scene 18

Adam apologizes to his mother for failing to save her, not really knowing if she loved him or not. He’s tired of chasing his past, though. He also apologizes to Eve for what he’s done, realizing he does love her and wanting to go live in Held’s forest with her. He also wonders if Catherine might be able to find them there.

He loves Eve, even if that love is just a result of a brainwashing drug.

#infoedit #original sin story #ec #evillious chronicles #adam moonlit #seth twiright #eve moonlit #fanfic #story

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shesasurvivor · 6 years ago

Note

17 + 39 + Everlark

Anon, I’m so sorry I didn’t get to this last night, as I promised! But here we go. Everlark with Secret Admirer and Last Dance, as promised. :)

Rated PG, canon divergent ‘would have happened anyways’ type fic.

---

The letter arrived the morning after my last Reaping. It was stuffed in the corner of our front stoop. I might have missed it, except the tip of the folded parchment just caught my eye as I was returning from hunting.

“What’s that?” Prim’s question pierces my thoughts as I wander into our small house. Startled, I glance up, not really sure I want to answer.

“Umm… just a letter,” I mumble. It’s not convincing, but it’s all I can come up with.

Neither Prim or my mother say anything, but I can see by the looks on their faces that they don’t believe me. But they don’t push the matter, and I don’t offer any more details.

But the letter eats away at me for the rest of the day. So when we’ve all done to bed that night, and I can tell by the sound of my mother’s breathing that she’s drifted off to sleep, I decide to tell Prim about it after all. I turn on my side to face her, hoping she’s still awake. She must hear me, know I want to talk, because a split second later, she’s on her side facing me as well.

“Prim,” I tell her, “The letter I got today… “I trail off, too embarrassed to admit what it was about.

She gives me an encouraging look. This isn’t the first secret I’ve shared with my sister like this, and there probably isn’t anywhere else in the world that I feel safer to talk about something like this.

“It… it said it was from a secret admirer,” I push through the confession.

Prim’s face lights up immediately. “Really?”

I nod, feeling how warm my cheeks are.

“Who do you think it’s from?”

“I don’t know,” I tell her.

“It has to be from Gale.”

“Gale?” I ask, thrown for a loop. “Why would it be from him?”

“Come on, Katniss,” she laughs. “Surely, you’ve seen how he looks at you?”

“What? No, there’s nothing like that between us,” I say immediately. “Besides, he was out hunting with me all morning. When would he have put it there?”

“Before you came outside this morning,” she says.

“No. We meet outside the fence,” I tell her, even though I’m pretty sure she already knows this and has only conveniently forgotten.

“He delivered it on his way up then, or maybe last night. Or maybe he got one of his brothers to do it for him,” she says.

I shake my head, feeling adamant. “I really don’t think it’s him. It isn’t like him.”

“True,” she admits. “Well, who else is a possibility?”

“No one,” I say. “I don’t know anyone else.”

She gives me a skeptical look. “You really don’t know anyone else outside our family and Gale’s?”

“Not like that,” I say defensively, feeling flustered.

“Well, it’s a secret admirer. It’s not someone who’s comfortable telling you how they feel. It makes sense if you don’t know who it is.”

“Well whoever it is, we’re not going to figure it out tonight,” I say, effectively ending the conversation. I roll over and fall asleep.

Over the week, several more letters arrive, each confessing they’ve admired me for ages, and have been trying to work up the courage to talk to me for years. Soon, they’ll reveal who they are.

“I guess that rules Gale out,” Prim says. “If it’s someone who’s been too afraid to talk to you.”

“And Darius,” I murmur. Prim looks at me, shocked, and immediately I blush, realizing what I’ve said.

“You think…?”

“He flirts with everyone,” I say quickly. And it’s the truth. But as he tugged at my braid while I was trading at the Hob earlier this week, the thought did cross my mind.

“Well, who could it be, then?” Prim wonders out loud.

I don’t answer. There is one person, but… no, it couldn’t be. Not him.

“It’s probably just a joke. We should forget about it,” I say curtly. I crumple the latest letter in my hands and throw it away as I leave the house.

Friday night is the Graduation Ball, a special dance they throw for students who have finished their last year of school. It’s also unofficially a celebration for those of us who have survived all of our Reapings.

It’s also the day that the last letter arrives.

Prim reads it over my shoulder just as I’m reading it myself. She practically lets out a squeal of excitement over its words.

“You’re going to find out tonight! Katniss, it’s so romantic!”

“I guess,” I say, feeling uncomfortable.

“You aren’t excited?” She looks disappointed.

“It’s probably just a joke,” I say, shifting in my seat.

“No, it won’t be,” she insists.

I can’t help smiling at my little sister’s optimism. But who would be sending me secret love letters in earnest? I’ve never been particularly friendly to anyone at school. No one there would think anything more of me except to think that I’m odd.

It makes me feel uneasy, but I decide to shove the whole thing out of mind as my mother pours a bath for me and lays out one of her dresses for me from her old days in the apothecary shop. The same blue dress I wore to my Reaping when I was 16 years old. She does my hair in the same elaborate braids, and then Prim walks with me to town.

“Are you nervous?” She asks.

“About what?” I ask, knowing full well what she’s referring to.

“You know,” she says.

I’m quiet for a moment. “Maybe a little,” I admit.

“Don’t be. Besides, if it is a joke -- and I don’t think it is -- the letter said it would be during the last dance. You can leave if you aren’t happy.”

That’s a good point and one that does make me feel a little better. I give my sister a hug goodbye because we’ve reached the school, take a deep breath, and go inside.

Music plays in the gym. Everyone from my grade is there, looking just like they do on Reaping days. Only this time, there’s a sense of relief over the whole thing. I soak it in, letting it put me at ease. Maybe I don’t have many friends here, but at least I can relax that I’ve survived. I find Madge, my only friend here, and sit with her for the duration of the dance.

“You look nervous,” she says to me half-way through the night. “Is something wrong?”

“N- no.” It’s unconvincing.

“We’ve made it through,” she says. “Isn’t that enough to make you want to celebrate?”

“It’s not that,” I say, and then I give in and tell her about the letters. When I’m done, she actually looks impressed.

“Do you have any idea who it is?” She asks.

I shake my head. “No.”

She looks around the room. “I guess time will tell.”

The night goes on. The dance winds down. The last dance will be coming next. “Maybe we should get out of here,” I tell Madge.

“Don’t be afraid,” she tells me, trying to hide a grin.

“But what if it’s… “I stop, not wanting to voice my suspicion to her.

“What?” She asks, her voice kind.

“A joke,” I say. “What if it’s just someone playing a prank?”

Madge looks across the room. I follow her gaze and land on a group of blonde kids from town. “I don’t think it is,” she tells me.

“Why? Do you know something?” The way she’s looking at that group makes me sure she does.

“Nope,” she shakes her head. “I’m as curious as you are.”

At last, they announce that it’s time for the final song. Couples holding hands head to the dance floor for one of the slower songs. Madge nudges me with her elbow.

“Now’s the time. Aren’t you going?”

My mouth has gone dry. I’m nervous. “Uh-uh.”

Madge is on her feet and pulling me up to mine. “Don’t be afraid. Get out there.” She practically shoves me towards the floor.

I gape at the sight of the couples slowly swaying together in front of me. I’m frozen to the spot. Behind me is safety. But if I turn back now, I’ll never hear the end of it. Everyone will think I’m afraid, and I can’t let them believe that. So with small, slow steps, I head forward.

As if in a dream, I take in the sight of the dancers only a few feet away from my elbows. I can feel their body heat, smell the musky cologne some of the wealthier kids are wearing. But everyone is taken. There are no secret admirers here. Just as I suspected.

I awaken from the dream. What am I even doing here? It’s a joke. Of course, it’s a joke, the last prank on the weird Seam girl that no one likes. I turn to head back to Madge, but I’m stopped in my tracks.

The baker’s son stands only a couple feet away from me. He startles when I turn, and his eyes widen. I’m frozen to the spot, and so, it seems, is he.

“Excuse me,” I mutter after what seems like an eternity, and push past him. But as I do, I hear him call after me.

“Katniss, wait!”

It’s the fact that he even knows my name that makes me stop. We’ve only had one interaction before, many years ago, but we never even spoke to each other when it happened. I didn’t think he even knew who I was, besides a poor girl from the Seam to take pity on. I turn to face him.

He looks lost. “Um… my name’s Peeta.”

“I know.”

Surprise registers in his blue eyes. Maybe he didn’t realize that I knew his name, either.

“Oh… “Am I imagining things? Or do his cheeks look pink? Probably because it’s so warm in this room all of a sudden. “Um. Would- would you like to dance?”

I scowl. “I don’t need your pity.”

“It’s not- it’s not pity.” Now panic registers in those eyes. “I… I mean it. I’d like to dance with you. Of course, we don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he adds quickly.

It would be rude for me to refuse. I may have grown up in the Seam, but my mother still taught me manners. “Okay,” I say quietly.

He still looks surprised, but now it’s a pleasant sort. We walk to each other, and Peeta Mellark takes me in his arms as we begin the dance. He’s so steady, just like a rock.

“Thank you for the bread.” It’s out before I even know what I’m saying. He looks just as surprised as I feel.

“What?”

“From when we were kids,” I drop my gaze. “Look, if this is because I never thanked you- “

“What? No, not at all. I don’t care about that,” he rushes to tell me.

“Then what do you want to dance for?”

Peeta Mellark truly looks lost now. “Because I wanted to. Didn’t you get the… “He doesn’t finish. I feel his arms stiffen around me. And suddenly it all clicks in place.

“You?” I gasp.

He stops dancing. Drops his arms from around me. “I’m sorry,” he says. “You clearly don’t feel the same way.” He turns to leave, but I grab his arm before he’s entirely out of reach. To do what, exactly? I’ve never wanted this. I don’t want to get married or have children. It’s never been my plan.

But I also don’t want to lose the Boy with the Bread.

“I- don’t know- how I feel,” I say haltingly, and realize it’s not entirely untrue. Peeta looks at me like he’s trying to decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but he must decide it’s at least promising because he turns back to me.

“Do you still want to dance?” He asks.

“Why not?” I say and feel the corners of my mouth quirk up in a smile. He cradles me in his steady arms, and we learn to dance as one.

#Everlark fanfic #THG fanfic #kind of long to be a drabble but oh well #Anonymous

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recentanimenews · 5 years ago

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Celebrating Everyone's Favorite Anime Butcher, Gen Urobuchi

There was a city that purged its citizens of emotions in the aftermath of a great disaster. Many years later, an enforcer of justice stalks the streets with his partner and eliminates those who defy society's rules. But after he encounters a man reading classic literature, his outlook on life changes completely. Can he overcome the cruel, oppressive world in which he lives?

If you’re an anime fan, you’re probably thinking: “Oh, I love PSYCHO-PASS!” But this was Equilibrium, a 2002 box office flop starring Christian Bale just a few years before his star turn in Batman Begins. The film received middling critical reviews, but clearly someone had their eye on it. Just one year later, a scriptwriter at the then up and coming visual novel studio Nitro+ co-produced an unofficial sequel to the movie: Jouka no Monshou. Only a few hours long, it expanded on the themes and worldbuilding of the original film, particularly fleshing out its infamous, fictional martial arts style of “gun kata.”

That December, in 2003, Nitro+ released the visual novel Song of Saya. Advertised as a charming college romance, it was instead a gruesome and disturbing horror tale that took influence from the stories of H.P. Lovecraft and video nasties like Possession. And the man who wrote the script? The writer of Jouka no Monshou, our friend and birthday boy Gen Urobuchi. Less than a decade later, with a successful light novel prequel to Fate/Stay Night under his belt, he was brought on to write 2011’s late night smash hit Puella Magi Madoka Magica and became one of the most famous scriptwriters in the anime industry.

Standing out as an anime scriptwriter is no mean feat. The medium is so collaborative that directors, producers and animators often have just as much say as the person who’s been designated for “scenario writing” or “series composition.” Of the handful of writers who have managed to make a name for themselves outside of the creative staff they associate with, perhaps only Gen Urobuchi and Mari Okada have made a mark for themselves this decade as figures so singular that they’ve been given the keys to direct work of their own.

If Mari Okada’s brand is melodrama, creating plots where characters overcome societal expectations to loudly express their feelings, many have claimed Urobuchi’s specialty is “tragedy.” His stories are full of great men laid low, young women whose innocence is shattered, decent people transformed through hardship into depraved monsters. Vicious worlds governed by amoral gods, where the strong prey upon the weak and those who are not strong must struggle to survive.

Those who love his work compare him to Dostoyevsky, or to classic Greek tragedy. Others despise his sometimes schlocky violence, frequent reliance on the same character archetypes, and—most of all—the number of women in his work who end up strangled to death, among other horrible fates.

But I brought up Jouka no Monshou and Song of Saya earlier in this piece to reclaim Urobuchi’s career: not as a writer of tragedies, but a writer of pulps. Urobuchi is not an original writer. By his own admission, his work borrows heavily from others. Madoka leans heavily on past, meaner seasons of Kamen Rider and the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft. Fate/Zero greatly expands the universe of Fate/Stay Night, but many of its cruelest twists are extrapolated straight from the latter routes of the original game. PSYCHO-PASS in particular features just about everything Urobuchi enjoys writing about: a dystopian city right out of Equilibrium, freaky body horror involving brains in jars and shocking murders, and a battle of wits between a conflicted agent of the law and an amoral criminal mastermind.

Urobuchi’s great skill at a writer is taking these complex plots built of recognizable parts, and then streamlining them into vicious and efficient suspense machines that surprise even when you know what horrors are coming. The big reveal of Song of Saya—that the little girl the main character befriends is really something horrible and other—is brought out again and again in his later stories, from the secret origin of the squid aliens in Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet to the symbolic fruit trees in Kamen Rider Gaim. Nearly every time, it works like gangbusters. Maybe it’s that Urobuchi is always careful to give us at least one character who is in on the take, bending society around them to fulfill their dreams. The assassins, obsessives and professionals, the ones who cut through the universe like butter and know exactly what kind of story they are in. When Kiritsugu obliterates an opponent in the Holy Grail War with a dirty trick, we nod along because in that situation we would have done the same thing. But then Kiritsugu is laid low, and we are shocked. If Kiritsugu knew the axe hanging over his head, and was still crushed when it fell, couldn’t the same happen to us?

My favorite recent work by Gen Urobuchi is the first season of Thunderbolt Fantasy, which represents everything I find appealing about his creations. First, it’s a labor of love, spotlighting a puppet troupe that is hugely popular in Taiwan but unknown elsewhere. Second, it’s a classic story of good versus evil that trims away many of Urobuchi’s excesses while remaining distinctive and flavorful; the puppets suffer extreme bodily harm up to and including decapitation, but there’s a refreshing lack of sexual or sadomasochistic violence. Third, despite being a wuxia story where powerful martial artists beat the tar out of each other, success is determined by trickery and guile.

The most dangerous force in the story is not the memorably named Screaming Phoenix Killer, or the ruthless Mie Tian Hai. It’s the thief Lin Xue Ya, who despite being the most talented swordsman alive would rather lie and cheat his way through life, humiliating people who think they have the world figured out. After all, it’s far more entertaining that way!

But Lin Xue Ya makes a serious mistake at the end of Thunderbolt Fantasy, putting the fate of the world at risk and endangering his life of fun and amusement. It’s ultimately the wandering monk Shang Bu Huan, a truly decent human being, who saves the day. Just like Madoka saved Homura from succumbing to despair, or how Akane surpasses even Kogami as the greatest threat to the Sybil System. Urobuchi caters to the bloodthirst of his fans, throwing them for a loop again and again. But at the end he’ll give us a hero. Thank you Gen Urobuchi, and happy birthday!

Are you a fan of Gen Urobuchi? Are you looking forward to his most recent project? Let us know in the comments!

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Adam W is a Features Writer at Crunchyroll. He sporadically contributes with a loose coalition of friends to a blog called Isn't it Electrifying? Did you know that Gen Urobuchi, Kinoko Nasu, Romeo Tanaka and Hoshizora Meteo are all friends? The more you know. You can find Adam at: @wendeego

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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moontemple85-blog · 5 years ago

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7 Great Books Set in Chicago

Chicago has been the backdrop of both modern and classic literary works. And in many cases, the city acts as both the setting and a character itself.

In these seven contemporary novels, Chicago is an integral element that drives the story. We've paired each tale with the neighborhood, landmark or cultural institution that will transport readers straight to the pages of their favorite book.

“Place has always been important to me, and one thing today's Chicago exudes, as it did in 1893, is a sense of place. I fell in love with the city, the people I encountered, and above all the lake and its moods, which shift so readily from season to season, day to day, even hour to hour.” ― Erik Larson, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Travel back in time to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, when Chicago made its cultural mark on the world stage. Erik Larson's acclaimed true-crime thriller, The Devil in the White City weaves together the stories of Daniel Burnham, the architect behind fair, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, the first known American serial killer.

While Holmes' “Murder Castle” and most of the fair’s buildings are long gone, you can still visit the fair’s scenic setting in Jackson Park in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Across the park’s lagoon lies one of the last remnants of the fair — the Museum of Science and Industry (5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.) was once home to the Palace of Fine Arts.

In this-best selling trilogy, Chicago is transformed into a dystopian society. The first book in the series follows 16-year-old Beatrice Prior as she learns to survive a world divided into factions and choose between her family and who she really is.

Chicago landmarks figure prominently into the action throughout the book. Readers can spot references to the Willis Tower, Cloud Gate (better known as “The Bean”), and Lake Michigan. One of the more harrowing scenes takes place on Navy Pier’s Centennial Wheel (600 E. Grand Ave.), which Beatrice scales during a game of capture the flag.

“Chicago would unfurl its map to him one promising street, one intoxicating space, at a time. It would weave him into its grid, pour beer in his mouth and music in his ears. It would keep him.” ― Rebecca Makkai, The Great Believers

It's 1985 and Yale Tishman is working at Northwestern University's new art gallery just outside Chicago. But his career, relationship and the city itself is turned upside down during the AIDS epidemic. The Great Believers is one of the first novels to portray Chicago during the AIDS epidemic in unflinching detail, from its initial outbreak to the present as its two intertwining stories carry readers through heartbreak and hope.

Readers will follow Yale through a faithful recreation of Chicago in the eighties, from Lincoln Park to downtown to Evanston. Boystown in particular comes to life as a safe haven for Yale and his friends. Today, it’s still one of the most inclusive LGBTQ+ neighborhoods in the nation. Visitors can walk the historic Legacy Walk, which spans a half mile of the North Halsted corridor, and learn about LGBTQ heroes and events.

"It was the world’s first thoroughly modern campus, the brochures said, built in just the last few years, conceptually groundbreaking, a campus unlike any other: created as a single vast system using the most fashionable principles of social design and engineering...” ― Nathan Hill, The Nix

The Nix brings readers into the world of Sam Andresen-Anderson, a professor at a university in Chicago, who is struggling to complete work on his book. Then he spots his mother, who abandoned him ages ago, throwing rocks at a politician in a viral video, and he sets off on a completely different course. This epic tale traces the tumultuous 1968 Chicago riots, revealing the impact these events had on not only on Sam and his mother, but also on the entire country.

The book intricately describes the University of Illinois at Chicago campus circa late 1960s. Get a glimpse of the book's setting by taking a walk around the UIC campus and surrounding University Village neighborhood. To learn more about activism on Chicago's college campuses during that era, set off on a virtual tour with legendary activist Bill Ayers. Hyde Park, A Storied Neighborhood, Wrapped in Contradiction ($2.99; VoiceMap.me) will take you through the University of Chicago, where you'll encounter tales of world renowned architects, activists and artists.

In her debut novel, Audrey Niffenegger gives readers a whirlwind tour of Chicago through the eyes of a librarian with a time-traveling genetic condition and his artist wife. The romantic and heartbreaking story spans decades as the couple tries to build a life together against the pull of time.

The book is full of detailed references to Chicago, from landmarks to local stores. The Aragon Ballroom (1106 W. Lawrence Ave.), Lyric Opera of Chicago (20 N. Upper Wacker Dr.) and the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.) all make an appearance. Observant readers will also catch mentions of neighborhood favorites like Swedish restaurant Ann Sather (multiple locations) and The Berghoff (17 W. Adams St.) in the Loop.

Henrietta Von Harmon works as a taxi dancer at a local dance hall while also caring for her mother and younger siblings in 1930's Chicago. When the floor matron turns up dead, aloof Inspector Clive Howard appears on the scene and sends Henrietta undercover.

Much of the action in A Girl Like You takes place in the northwest neighborhood of Logan Square. Capture the vibe of the 1930's dance hall scene in Logan Square at Rosa's Lounge (3420 W. Armitage Ave). Or swing by Twin Anchors (1655 N. Sedgwick St.) in Old Town, a former soda shop and speakeasy that was a favorite of Frank Sinatra.

In Feuding Fan Dancers, Leslie Zemeckis brings the golden age of showgirls in Chicago to life. Burlesque dancers Faith Bacon and Sally Rand found stardom in the 1930’s through their daring performances, but their lives took dramatically different turns. One rose to fame while the other found heartache.

Chicago's burlesque scene still shines today. Vaudezilla (3614 W. Belmont Ave.) offers classes in the art of burlesque while also showcasing teachers and students in regular performances. At Untitled Supper Club’s (111 W. Kinzie St.) weekly Unbridled show, world-famous burlesque star Michelle L’amour presents one of the most stimulating burlesque performances in the city.

Source: https://www.choosechicago.com/blog/post/chicago-books/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog · 7 years ago

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2017 NFL Preview: The tanking Jets are even worse than the Browns

yahoo

Shutdown Corner is previewing all 32 teams as we get ready for the NFL season, counting down the teams one per weekday in reverse order of our initial 2017 power rankings. No. 1 will be revealed on Aug. 2, the day before the Hall of Fame Game kicks off the preseason.

At least the New York Jets have a plan. It’s “The Sham for Sam,” or whatever clever nickname you have for tanking to draft USC quarterback Sam Darnold next April.

When a team bottoms out, it usually doesn’t happen this fast. There are signs of erosion, a slow decline to the bottom, then a tough decision to rebuild. Not for the Jets. The fall was steep and sudden.

The Jets spent big in 2015, with $168 million going to five free agents. They finished 10-6 in coach Todd Bowles’ first season. One year ago, they were considered playoff contenders.

A horrendous season later, the Jets look like the worst team in football. They’ve embraced it.

The Jets have stripped down the franchise to an embarrassing level. Veterans Ryan Fitzpatrick, Darrelle Revis, Brandon Marshall, Nick Mangold, Ryan Clady, Calvin Pryor, David Harris and Eric Decker are all gone from last year’s roster. The latter two were cut in June, which made clear what the Jets thought of their chances this season. Taken individually, each move made sense. Those vets weren’t worth their contracts anymore, or had simply run their course with the organization. Put together, it seems like there’s a plan. Even owner Woody Johnson asked fans to not judge the team on wins and losses, but “how we improve during the year.” Everyone knows.

If the term “tanking” seems extreme, we’ll just call it an extreme teardown. Whatever it is, it’s smart. The Jets understood they weren’t going to sniff the playoffs in 2017 so they weren’t going to spend a lot of money to make a run at seven wins. If a brutal 2017 leads to them getting the first pick and drafting the franchise quarterback that has eluded them forever, it’s worth a bad few months.

And make no mistake, it’s going to be bad. Even the 1-15 Cleveland Browns have more to look forward to this season.

The Jets’ quarterback situation is really scary. There aren’t many decent players for the quarterbacks to throw to anyway. The defensive line should be good, but the rest of the defense is iffy. There isn’t a proven edge rusher and cornerback is a concern, which is a bad combination. A lot of young players will play out of necessity, and a few will presumably emerge and become a part of the team’s long-term plans. But the Jets didn’t strip the roster because they had a ton of great young prospects ready to step up. They just swallowed hard and punted 2017. At least they’re not trying to fool anyone.

The Jets will be bad. Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan will be on very hot seats. Hope resides in players who will be on college fields this fall. Maybe the Jets land Darnold, or by then Wyoming’s Josh Allen or UCLA’s Josh Rosen will be the best quarterback in the draft. One of them could provide optimism for 2018 and beyond. But it’ll be a while before the Jets are considered playoff contenders again.

Coach Todd Bowles and the Jets look like they’re in for a long season. (AP)

The Jets gave out a little more than $34 million guaranteed to sign tackle Kelvin Beachum away from the Jacksonville Jaguars and retain tackle Benjamin Ijalana. And that was about it. The Jets tried to get linebacker Dont’a Hightower but Hightower returned to the New England Patriots. The Jets did pick up quarterback Josh McCown for $6 million and cornerback Morris Claiborne for $5 million on one-year deals, so they can still resemble an NFL team. Their draft started very well with LSU safety Jamal Adams in the first round, though it seemed odd to double up at safety with Marcus Maye in the second round. Not many teams start rebuilding jobs with two safeties. Maybe all the veterans who were let go were past their primes, and the Jets’ strategy is understandable, but it’s still a lot of production out the door. Grade: F

Ratings for USC games on Saturdays this fall should see a healthy increase in the New York market. Jets fans can pass the time this fall watching Sam Darnold YouTube highlights on a loop.

Sheldon Richardson, an unrestricted free agent after the season, had just 1.5 sacks in 2016 coming off a broken leg. Muhammad Wilkerson signed a huge contract extension last year, played poorly and the Jets could decide to move on next offseason (and avoid a stunning $20 million cap hit in 2018) if he plays poorly again. Both were benched for the first quarter of a game last season for being late to meetings, so they weren’t just disappointing on the field. The strength of the Jets, on paper, is the defensive line. But it’s not much of a strength if the Jets can’t trust Richardson and Wilkerson. It would be tough for the Jets to move on from either, or both, next offseason.

The Christian Hackenberg pick last year was strange. He was selected in the second round, when his inaccuracy and general poor play his final two Penn State seasons made him look more like a late-round developmental pick. Hackenberg was bad last preseason, then didn’t take a snap in the regular season even though the Jets were completely out of the playoff race. Reports on him this offseason haven’t been glowing either. An actual NFL general manager thought Hackenberg was worth a second-round pick, so maybe he’ll surprise us this season. But if ancient McCown is starting all year for a team in an obvious rebuild, it says everything you need to know about Hackenberg’s future with the Jets.

The Jets need something to feel good about going forward, so any progress by young players will be celebrated. Receiver Quincy Enunwa has a great chance to establish himself as one of the Jets’ core players. He’s only 25, and will be the de facto No. 1 receiver after the team dumped Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. The big target had 58 catches for 857 yards in a surprising 2016 season. It would be great news if Enunwa established himself as a reliable option for whoever the Jets’ quarterback will be in 2018.

From Yahoo’s Brad Evans: “Lordy do I love me some Bilal Powell! Last year when finally thrust into a three-down role Week 14, he finished with the second-most valuable line during the fantasy playoffs (5.0 ypc, 138.0 total yards per game, 3 TDs). Digging deeper, he also compiled 14 missed tackles and a 3.2 YAC over that four-game span.

“My best guess is offensive coordinator John Morton installs a 60-40 platoon Week 1 with ‘Boom Boom’ shouldering the heavy side (14-15 touches per game). Expect Powell to provide owners with significant versatility and value (69.3 ADP, RB25), particularly in PPR leagues. The Jets’ suspect defense only enhances his garbage time appeal.” [Check out Yahoo’s Pressing Questions for more on the Jets’ fantasy outlook.]

[Fantasy Football is open! Sign up now]

The Jets threw 25 interceptions last season. It was shocking how Ryan Fitzpatrick went from a hero in 2015 to a nightmare in 2016. It’s a lesson: When a player isn’t happy with his contract offer and angrily signs because he has no other options, it usually doesn’t turn out well. The Jets’ quarterback situation is bad, but it’s not too much to ask for them to keep the interceptions under 20. That would be a huge improvement.

CAN TODD BOWLES SURVIVE ANOTHER TERRIBLE SEASON?

If we assume the Jets are going to be one of the worst teams in football, that means Bowles will be on the hot seat. I like Bowles as a coach. He was brilliant defensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals and he did a fine job in 2015. But coaches without a long track record generally don’t survive back-to-back double-digit loss seasons. It’s not entirely his fault, but the Jets’ locker room dysfunction last season doesn’t bode well for him either. If the Jets truly evaluate Bowles based on the development of the young players, after sticking him with a subpar roster (Bowles made it clear he wasn’t part of the decision to cut Harris and didn’t seem in favor of it, which puts his situation in context), maybe he can make it another year and coach one of those great quarterback prospects in 2018. But it’s hard to see that happening. To save his job, Bowles probably has to win more games than anyone expects out of this roster.

You know it’s bad when a team’s top goal is securing the first pick of the following year’s draft. You’d have to be insanely optimistic to believe the Jets will fight for a playoff spot with this roster. Unless there’s some unforeseen miracle lurking, the Jets should be happy if they finish with the NFL’s worst record this season, get the first pick and start anew with a potential franchise quarterback.

Realistically, 6-10 or 7-9 is the worst case, as described above. If you’re going to tear down the roster, don’t screw it up by winning too many games and blowing your draft position. Other than the record, it would be bad if none of the young players who are being given opportunities this season establish themselves. The Jets at least want to find a couple of young players to build around. Then again, if all the young players are that bad, the Jets will definitely be drafting first next April.

It was hard to pick anyone but the Browns, who were 1-15 last season and outscored by 188 points, as the worst team in football. But the Jets look really bad on paper. The organization’s intentions were fairly clear. The Jets knew they weren’t going anywhere and stripped down the roster to start a long rebuilding process. The only suspense for the Jets this season will be if they earn the first pick of next year’s draft. They might want to lose Oct. 8 at Cleveland to make sure.

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

#_author:Frank Schwab #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #_uuid:bdfcf42d-554f-3bba-9a01-cb3e60ac6e62 #_revsp:99add987-dcd1-48ae-b801-e4aa58e4ebd0

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