#turns out Darrow's not such a hero

[coffeeangelinabox]

Whumpril #8: Bloodshot

David glares up at Darrow through bloodshot eyes and hates that even more. He’s taller than the other man, how is it that Darrow always manages to be at his most unreasonable when David is too tired even to stand. 

Darrow always claims that all he wants is a peaceful asteroid and a quiet life, to be free of the Domain and never to think about them again. Yet, it is Darrow who always propels them head first into danger, as though the only way of achieving such peace is to bring down the monolithic space power. And when people are wounded - broken bones and cuts and concussions; exposure to the Domain’s homebred pathogens; severed limbs; wounds left from prolonged and sustained torture; mind rape - and they always are, it is David he expects to put them back together, to hone shattered bodies into bladed tools for his endless pointless crusade. 

“You can’t keep doing this,” he snarls, a tired refrain. He’s said this how often over the years?

“I don’t have a choice!” the matching half of their duet. 

“Of course you do! You think the Domain can check every citizen on every frontier planet? Ferrium is looking for miners. Again. Huge turn over. I bet they’re not even checking papers any more. Hesta is practically uninhabited, you could stake a plot and build a ranch and your grandchildren would have grandchildren before anyone thought to take a census. Or-”

Darrow turns away. “You always do this. Can you fix him or not?”

Tears prick David’s eyes, reddening them further. “It can be done, the wound isn’t fatal. But I need supplies, and it’s a thirty hour operation, frankly I need a relief surgeon.”

Darrow spins back and his eyes rake over him, making David feel like a microbe on a specimen slide. A microbe that is found wanting. Almost despite himself, he straightens his back and shoulders, meets that cool gaze defiantly. 

Darrow doesn’t, if he is honest, look any less tired than he does. He supposes pitched space battles take a toll from the combat end too. 

“Supplies…I can get you. But you’ll have to operate. There’s no personnel aboard the station.”

None left living, he means, and the cold tonelessness of his voice horrifies David even more. Those stations carry upward of a 1000 men, often their families too. What had Darrow done?

He nods, and then, despite his exhaustion…”Are there any other casualties. Any…prisoners?”

Darrow shakes his head, a short abortive jerk and at the sick horror that must be blooming in David’s eyes, snaps out, “I don’t have space for prisoners, and I wouldn’t be wasting supplies on them if I did.”

All David ever wanted to be was a medtech. Not a mere doctor, but someone able to treat physical and mechanical ailments across the dozen domain species all across their frontier. This is not what he signed up for. He sits here and follows orders and is complicit in these hundreds of thousands of deaths. 

Darrow watches him for another moment and his smile turns sardonic. “They wouldn’t feel half so bad about killing you. Slowly most like.”

Probably not. But they have not taken the same oaths that he has. 

Darrow is still staring. 

David passes a hand over leaking eyes - could be tears: guilt or tiredness; could be blood for all he knows, his eyes feel raw enough after all this time. “I-”

“I’ll get you your supplies. Treat him or leave, but I don’t have time to nurse you through an existential crisis this week.”

An ultimatum he’s given before. And they both know David can’t leave. No one else aboard this wreck has a fraction of his skill. It would be the same as killing them himself. 

He turns back to Jay on the bed behind him. Still and pale, wounds, both inside and out, healed, but still in need of surgery to replace the silicon joints in his knees that David had implanted some years ago and have now been melted and twisted by whatever blast hit them. He would be in agony if David wasn’t keeping him unconscious. 

“One day that threat won’t work,” he says lowly. 

He doesn’t turn to see Darrow’s expression. “No.”

[midnight-raven]

Spider-Madrigals and their Canon Events

Spider-Gal/Mirabel

For Mirabel, her canon event was Pedro Madrigal.

In this universe, Pedro had lived to see his children grow, and watch as his family grew bigger. Overtime, everyone could see how close Pedro was with his youngest granddaughter. Abuelo Pedro had been Mirabels best friend, he was always there for her when she needed someone or felt too insecure in their family.

One night, Mirabel ran out of the house after an argument with Abuela; after wandering the city, Mirabel ended up inside a small diner, where Abuelo Pedro found her. The two had a nice talk, including the responsibility speech, as Pedro convinced Mirabel to return home. But just as the two were leaving, an armed robber entered the diner. Mirabel's senses barely had time to go off when Abuelo Pedro pushed her away and a bullet rang through the air. After the funeral, Mirabel accepted her responsibility as the one and only Spider-Gal.

The Webslinger/Camilo

For Camilo, it was his Theater Teacher.

Mr. Crenshaw was a beloved music teacher who ran the community theater in the city, he inspired many young kids and adults to pursue the musical arts, Camilo was one of his star students.

One night, Camilo and Mr. Crenshaw had been the last ones to leave the community theater, as Camilo began walking home he heard shouting, and turned to see a carjacker aiming a gun towards Mr. Crenshaw. The teacher spotted the teen and shouted for him to run before the carjacker saw him. Camilo froze in terror, but his powers protected him by turning him invisible before he was spotted. Unfortunately, he couldn’t save Mr. Crenshaw, and his killer escaped into the night. Since then, Camilo became determined to keep his family and his city safe.

Spider-Lady/Isabela

For Isa, it was her parents.

When Isabela was barely six-years-old, her parents were called out of town on business. They promised they’d be back soon, and entrusted Isa to taking care of her sisters, but they never made it home.

Years later, when Isabela was on a field trip to a local science facility, she recognized a scientist there who worked with her parents before their deaths. Following him to a secret room filled with genetically-engineered spiders, and a secret file labled Madrigal. Before Isa could read the file, a spider had bitten her and an alarm went off. With the powers she had gained from that day, Isa was determined to discover the truth behind her parents death. But it was her younest sister Mirabel who inspired Isa to take a different approach, to use her powers and be a hero.

Spider-Woman/Luisa

For Luisa, it was her best friend.

Lydia Darrow had been Luisa’s best friend for years, they were both hard-workers that felt the need to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. Together, the two supported each other, and even made the soccer team together.

Luisa and Lydia had been together for their school's Homecoming Parade, with their team when they were attacked by The Vulture, who managed to track down Luisa/Spider-Woman. Suiting up, Spider-Woman tried to keep The Vulture from hurting anyone, but to her surprise, Lydia had rallied the team members to guide the civilians from harm's way. While Luisa dealt with the villain. However, in the midst of the chaos, Lydia was crushed by falling debris while saving someone. Luisa was unable to save her friend in time, and her sacrifice motivated Luisa to protect the city.

The Scarlet Spider/Dolores

For Dolores, it was Captain Guzman (Mariano’s Father)

Dolores and Mariano had known each other since they were kids because both their Grandmothers had been lifelong friends. Dolores had a crush on Mariano since her youth but never considered confessing to him.

Years later, Mariano had developed a crush on The Scarlet Spider after she had saved him from the Green Goblin. Even despite his fathers feelings towards the vigilante. In the final confrontation against Green Goblin, both Mariano and his father discovered Dolores’ identity, and Captain Guzman was killed by Green Goblin. Even though Mariano never blamed Dolores for his fathers death, Dolores carried the guilt with her for many years.

Spider-Man/Bruno Madrigal

Bruno’s canon event was his father… and Mirabel.

When Bruno, Pepa, and Julieta were five-years-old, their father Pedro had left one night to go to the store, but a robber had prevented him from returning home to his wife and children.

Growing up, Bruno felt diffrent from his peers and his sisters but everything changed after he was bitten by a radioactive spider. And on the news, he heard the police were on the hunt for a criminal with a super suit, the same man that had killed his father. Thus begining his jounney to becoming Spider-Man.

Years later, after proving his friend, Hector innocent of murder, and being a dedicated Tio to his nieces and nephews, Bruno found himself in battle against a new villain, one that tried to leverage the fight by kidnapping his youngest niece, Mirabel. In the midst of the fight, Mirabel was thrown off a high tower… and Bruno couldn’t catch her in time.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Okay, we all know about Grant's relationship with Roy and how significant that is, but in fact, Grant has had many mentors / supportive adults in his life. Roy isn't the only adult who's ever given a darn about him...the problem is that most of these relationships are short-lived, for a variety of reasons (for instance, a lot of relationships from his solo were not followed through on by later writers). Let's take a look at them.

Arn Munro (Iron Munro): Golden Age hero whom Grant stumbled into working with mere days after acquiring his powers. The possibility of his being Grant's biological father was teased, and Grant was initially convinced of it--to the point that Munro's denying any connection led to the outburst that destroyed Atlanta. Their next encounter, which confirms that Munro isn't Grant's father (but that he does have a long-lost son somewhere), ends with Grant once more angry at him, but eventually Munro accepts that he has a responsibility toward this boy even if they aren't related and goes out of his way to help him when in danger in the climax of Damage. They work together again during the Our Worlds at War event (although they don't speak to each other) but otherwise don't meet again. Munro will be among the oldest of Grant's friends to attend his funeral.

(Damage #6, 17, 20)

Alan Scott (Green Lantern): Sensed a connection to Grant after his arrest for destroying Atlanta and comes to see him as he is being experimented upon. He teaches Grant a self-soothing technique that prevents an explosion. Unbeknownst to either of them at that point, Alan is one of Grant's many genetic fathers. Once this is revealed, he and a few of the others meet with him at his parents' gravesite (more on that below). Grant will not get to interact with him again until they're on the JSA together, and their genetic connection seems to have been forgotten.

(Damage #7)

J'onn J'onzz (Martian Manhunter): Speaks as an expert witness on Grant's behalf during his trial and shows a lot of concern for and belief in him. Invites him to work with his team, the Justice League Task Force. It turns out that he is one of Grant's many genetic fathers too, and the principal donor among them--the reason that Grant is a latent telepath. After Grant's solo, they barely get to interact, and there's even a point when Grant tries to apply for the JLA and J'onn not only doesn't seem to recognize him but coldly turns him down after an accidental explosion. Not at all consistent with their previously established relationship.

(Damage #7, 15 / Justice League Task Force #25-26)

Kyle Rayner (Green Lantern): Was with the Titans during Grant's first stint with them, and after an overwrought Grant lashes out at the team, Kyle takes it upon himself to help him deal with his feelings by allowing him an opportunity to pay his respects at the grave of Mandra Darrow, the love interest whom he couldn't save. (Kyle of course had the original fridged girlfriend, so he's able to relate.) When the Titans go to space, Grant and Kyle work together. They don't get to interact again after Grant leaves the team.

(Damage #13)

Jay Garrick (The Flash) and other genetic fathers: Jay, Ted Grant (Wildcat), Ted Knight (Starman), and Alan Scott meet Grant after it's revealed that they're among his genetic parents, and they welcome him into the JSA legacy. Jay in particular reaches out to him. But after his solo, his connections to his genetic parents seem to be forgotten, and even though Grant will be on the JSA with most of these guys, they barely interact.

(Damage #15)

His adult self from a possible future: Grant interacts in dreams with a mysterious man who resembles him, seems to know a lot about his future and his capabilities, and offers him advice and support. This man also appears a few times in the present, observing Grant but restraining himself from interfering with any events (he does promise that "from here on out, things will be different [...] Not always better, but different"). It's never outright stated, but he is heavily implied to be adult Grant from the future. He never appears again after the end of Damage, and the adult whom Grant will grow into turns out to be very different.

(Damage #13, 19)

Albert Rothstein (Nuklon/Atom-Smasher): Grant first reaches out to make contact with his biological father's godson at the end of his solo. Albert seems pleased to see him, and the series ends with Grant asking about his father. They don't see each other again until the Our Worlds at War event, when they're on the same team. Their connection through Grant's father is invoked, and Albert openly states that he considers Grant his brother. They are later teammates again on the JSA. Albert tries to talk sense into Grant after Grant joins the cause of a villain and gets a swelled head over his restored face, but Grant rejects any attempts to connect him with his father. The brothers get in a fight, and Grant destroys his father's house. Nevertheless, they are able to make amends later (Grant has no hard feelings because he believes Albert was genuinely trying to look out for him) and continue to be paired with each other. Grant's bond with Albert is one of his few preexisting relationships that have continued into the current continuity.

(Damage #20 / JSA: Our Worlds at War #1 / JSA: Kingdom Come: The Kingdom #1)

Garth (Tempest): On the Titans with Grant the second time. Is the one sent to invite him onto the team and manages (with some distant help from Roy) to get the law off Grant's case. He and Grant work together multiple times. Garth is patient and encouraging with him, and Grant looks up to him. They do not see each other again after Grant goes on hiatus, and they both die around the same time.

(Titans Secret Files #1 / Titans 1999 #14)

Roy Lincoln (The Human Bomb): One of Grant's Freedom Fighters teammates. We don't see much of Grant's interactions with this team, but on their final mission, Roy gives him advice as a fellow exploding person, and it's possible that there was some kind of mentorship relationship there, however short-lived. Roy is killed along with most of the rest of the team when they are attacked.

(Infinite Crisis #1)

Jesse Quick and Rick Tyler (Jesse Quick/Liberty Belle and Hourman): Jesse was on Grant's second Titans team, but they didn't interact much then. She is later sent to work with him on a mission during his hiatus, and they have some significant conversations, although she rejects the role of informal therapist. Later, she nominates him for JSA membership, and she and her husband Rick personally invite him and take him under their wing once he joins. They're the first to find out why the real reason that he started wearing a mask, and Jesse impresses Grant by not recoiling in horror when she sees his face. She in particular takes an interest in his well-being (she pays for him to take college classes--although it doesn't work out) and talks him down when he's about to kill the man who destroyed his face. Their connection remains as long as Grant is on the JSA, and she blames herself for his death. Although it's never acknowledged, Jesse and Rick are both genetic siblings of Grant's since Rick's father and both Jesse's parents are among Grant's genetic parents.

(Justice Society of America 2007 #4, 8, 11)

Jefferson Pierce (Black Lightning): A JSA teammate who, when he hears about Grant's dropping his college physics class after the professor humiliatingly singled him out as a case study, offers to teach Grant privately. We never get to see the outcome of this, if any, but Grant is clearly touched by and grateful for this offer.

(Justice Society of America 2007 #6)

Ray Palmer (The Atom II): Another of Grant's genetic fathers. They don't meet until the Blackest Night event, and there's some discussion of their shared connection to the Atom name, although their genetic connection goes unmentioned. Ray provides Grant with some much-needed encouragement that gives him hope...immediately before his heart is ripped out. His last words ("Hell, yeah") are spoken to Ray.

(Blackest Night #4)

[justforbooks]

When Ry Cooder famously made his debut appearance at Glastonbury, playing on the Pyramid stage on a damp day in June 1990, he chose not to be backed by a band but by a second guitarist who came on sporting bright red trousers, and hair and sideburns that were very long, even by rock music standards. The duo perched on stools, surrounded by a dozen guitars, mandolins or bouzoukis, and proceeded to prove that they were both virtuoso players who could sound as thrilling as any amplified band as they switched from the atmospheric Paris, Texas to songs made famous by Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly or Jerry Lee Lewis.

Cooder’s companion, David Lindley, who has died aged 78, was a musicians’ musician. He may never have been as well known as those he played with, but he was one of the most sought-after session players in the US. Best known for his collaborations with Cooder and Jackson Browne, he also recorded with an astonishing list of musicians that included Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Iggy Pop, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, John Prine, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Ben Harper, Rickie Lee Jones and Bruce Springsteen. They wanted to work with Lindley not just because he was a great musician who could play almost any stringed instrument, from guitar and fiddle to slide guitar and mandolin through to oud and bouzouki, but because he knew how to interpret the mood of a song, adding texture and emotion without ever dominating.

His own musical taste was far more varied than the rock or singer-songwriter styles of the stars for whom he acted as sideman. When leading his own band, El Rayo-X, he was able to branch out and demonstrate his sense of humour as he explored blues, funk and reggae. Like Cooder, he was fascinated by musical styles from around the world, and some of his most original recordings were with musicians from Madagascar, Hawaii, Norway and Jordan.

Born in San Marino, Los Angeles, he was the son of Margaret (nee Wells) and Jack Lindley, a lawyer and music fan. He grew up listening to his father’s eclectic record collection, which included music from the Middle East and Asia, and he learned to play his father’s ukulele, then the banjo. While at La Salle high school in Pasadena he formed a bluegrass band, the Mad Mountain Ramblers, and then the Dry City Scat Band, which played around the Los Angeles folk clubs and at Disneyland. He was still a teenager when he first won the annual Topanga Canyon banjo and fiddle contest, but was asked to stop competing after he had won it five times.

Lindley’s reputation was growing fast, and in 1967 he landed his first major session, playing on Cohen’s debut, Songs of Leonard Cohen. By then he had formed his first electric band, Kaleidoscope, along with Chris Darrow, with whom he had played in the Scat Band. They released their first, wildly experimental album, Side Trips, in 1967, mixing Middle Eastern music with rock, cajun, country and bluegrass, but, though they were praised by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, their unique brand of “psychedelic folk” didn’t sell records. They broke up in 1970, after recording four albums, and Lindley moved to England to work with the singer-guitarist Terry Reid, who had famously turned down Led Zeppelin.

Moving back to the US, Lindley teamed up with Browne, with whom he spent the rest of the 1970s, touring and recording as a key member of his band, playing acoustic and electric guitar, slide guitar and fiddle. He perfectly complemented many of Browne’s best-loved songs, playing lap steel on Running on Empty and fiddle on Before the Deluge. Browne called him “my hero”, and other musicians asked him to play on their records when Browne did not require his services. His recordings during that period included three albums for Ronstadt, including her first No 1 album, the exquisite Heart Like a Wheel (1974), two with Rod Stewart, including his bestselling Atlantic Crossing (1975), along with albums with Crosby & Nash, Taylor, Warren Zevon and Parton.

He first recorded with Cooder on Jazz (1978) and Bop Till You Drop (1979), after which the duo began performing live together, touring in Australia and Japan. A 1979 live radio recording from Osaka was released on CD in 2021. On their tour in 1995 they were joined onstage by Cooder’s son, Joachim, and Lindley’s folksinger daughter, Rosanne, and released the album Cooder/Lindley Family Live at the Vienna Opera House.

After leaving Browne’s band in 1980, Lindley moved from sideman to band leader with El Rayo-X, which he called “more or less a party band”, and in which he matched his own songs along with a bravely varied assortment of old favourites. The band’s self-titled debut set in 1981 included a glorious, furious treatment of KC Douglas’s Mercury Blues, while Win This Record, released the following year, included the Toots and the Maytals song Premature. Mr Dave (1985) included his own reggae composition Alien Invasion, and the band’s final album Very Greasy (1988) continued to demonstrate his fascination with the Caribbean. Produced by Ronstadt, it included Ronstadt adding harmony vocals on Lord Kitchener’s calypso classic Gimme da Ting (on which Lindley played guitar and kora) and a reggae reworking of Zevon’s Werewolves of London.

While running the band, he still managed time to visit London to play alongside Richard Thompson and Rory Gallagher, and revive his love of flamenco with Juan Martin, at a Guitarists Night concert in March 1984. And he continued his session work, including albums for Browne, and for Emmylou Harris, Ronstadt and Parton on Trio (1987). In 1990 he worked with Dylan on Under the Red Sky.

Still keen to expand his musical range, he travelled to Madagascar with the guitarist Henry Kaiser to record the musicians and unique instruments of the vast island off the east coast of Africa. The aim was to present local stars to an international audience, but Lindley and Kaiser joined in several of the sessions. The resulting albums, A World Out of Time, Vols 1 and 2 (1992-93), included Lindley playing slide guitar with the traditional band Tarika Sammy and joining guitarist Rossy on a reworking of I Fought the Law, the Crickets song popularised by the Clash.

Moving on to Hawaii, this time in the company of Cooder, he recorded with the Pahinui Bros (1992) on a set that included a Hawaiian reggae treatment of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy. Further musical travels included recordings in Norway with Kaiser for The Sweet Sunny North (1994). In 1994-95 he also recorded with the Jordanian oud player Hani Naser, and between 2000 and 2004 with the reggae percussionist Wally Ingram. Their third album together, Twango Bango III (2003) included When a Guy Gets Boobs, a comment on the American diet. “I have always liked songwriters like Warren Zevon who could write something goofy and also really serious,” he explained.

In 2006 he was reunited with Browne for a short Spanish tour on which they were backed by a flamenco percussionist. Love Is Strange, a live album recorded on that tour, was released in 2010, when Browne and Lindley toured Europe and the US, and played at Glastonbury, with a set that included Running On Empty and Mercury Blues. In the same year Lindley also worked with Bruce Springsteen on The Promise. His own final solo album, Big Twang, was released in 2007.

Lindley had a wild stage image, thanks to his colourful clothes and long hair, but he never favoured a rock’n’roll lifestyle, and would often retreat to his hotel room to rehearse after a show. He hated being disturbed in the morning by hotel workers, and would imitate a dog, scratching at the door and barking, to keep them away.

He lived in Claremont, California, in a house filled with musical instruments, and was married to Joan Darrow, the sister of his Kaleidoscope colleague Chris Darrow. He is survived by Joan and Rosanne.

🔔 David Lindley, musician, born 21 March 1944; died 3 March 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[apersonshapedcomputer]

(I have clawed my way through another semester to bring you part four of my hero x villain story! They now have names. There are new characters with actual speaking roles. There is ✨Fashion✨.

beginning, previous chapter)

Phase 3: Walk walk, fashion baby~

"You know, I kind of wish we were the same size right now, because this room calls to my inner child's need to play dress up."

Dawn was bouncing from mannequin to clothing rack, trying to take everything in at once. The nature of my work meant that I needed to have an extensive array of outfits to choose from. Some of these outfits were scattered across different safe houses I own, but most of them could be found in The Closet. I built The Closet to be a costumer's dream.

Three floors. Temperature controlled. Organized by color, style, and event. And of course, there was Deji.

Deji was a tall person, never seen without a fantastic outfit and meticulously decorated afro. The day's look appeared to be small lights, turning their hair into a glorious halo of stars, and a comfortable maxi dress in black and midnight blue. I took a moment to appreciate their artistry.

"Rhe, sweetness, you brought me a new doll to play with!" Deji exclaimed.

Dawn turned to us, concerned. "Uh, doll?"

It was too late for him. Deji pounced, measuring tape in hand. Their rich, low voice filled the room with questions like "Are there any fabrics or textures that you can't stand?" and "Do you know how to walk in heels?", as they gently poked Dawn into optimal measuring stances.

"Deji, this is Dawnstar, as I'm sure you already know. Dawn, this is Deji, expert tailor and fashionista." I sidled over to a lectern on one side of the room. It had a tablet built into it, allowing the user to view a catalogue of every item in The Closet, as well as a detailed archive of fashion history and trends. Directly in front of me was a short pedestal surrounded by mirrors, reminiscent of a high end dressing room in a bridal boutique. I began to scroll through color pallets and fabric types as Deji herded Dawn over to stand on the pedestal.

"What sweetness fails to mention is that I'm her *oldest* and *dearest* friend," Deji playfully intoned, "and I got to bear witness to *all* her awkward stages growing up." I shot them a frosty glower, to which they simply blew a raspberry at me.

How dare they bring up my dark past.

"Rhetoric? Control queen, stone cold poker-face, no hair out of place *Rhetoric* had *awkward phases*? *Plural*?!" Dawnstar seemed to no longer be perturbed by Deji's maneuvering, too delighted at the concept of me having once been... cringe. "I know she can be dramatic, but even when she's going full ham it's in a weirdly graceful way?"

"I too, am human, and have thus have on occasion made questionable decisions. I have since trained myself out of my more... troublesome tendencies or overly emotional reactions." I knew that he was very aware of my levels of self control, having seen me once stare down a Strorix Game-Master during the Deathgame incident, without balking. The Game-Master looked away first.

I smoothly pulled out my phone and pull up the official wedding invitation he received, slaying that conversation before Deji could talk about my version of an emo phase.

"The noise from our confrontation has died down a bit, but there are still a few mentions of it here and there. This is perfect, given that we have only two-and-a-half weeks until the wedding. That should be plenty time for Deji to work their magic on our outfits."

Deji snorted, "*Plenty* she says. Plenty! Two whole outfits in less than two weeks, and for the event of the *year*!" They devolved into aggrieved ranting as they finishing taking measurements.

I began to read the wedding invitation aloud, to drown out their griping.

"Together with their families, Lady Rong Shih and The Rockin' Sorcha Darrow invite Dinari "Dawnstar" Seidu-Tinio, along with a guest, to share in their wedding celebration." A second page lists location, time, and preferred style of dress.

"They seem to be following the "no shirt, no shoes, no service" policy rather than any real dress code, which leaves us plenty of room for creativity."

I looked back at Dawn to find him staring at me, eyes wide and his lips slightly parted. "You... I don't think I've ever heard you say my actual name before."

Oh, that was interesting. I decided to see what happened when I pushed this particular button.

"Well *Dinari*, you've never used my given name either. I'm starting to wonder if you even know it."

He made an interesting choking sound as I practically purred his name, it was even better than when I used pet names with him.

"W-wha? I mean- of course I know your name! It just- I got so used to calling you Rhetoric, and then Rhe - though that was more to try and mess with you early on and it didn't really work - but I *do* know your name, *Ms. Rhea Rivera*."

That... Alright, maybe I understood his reaction to the use of his name now. It felt... intimate, hearing that from him. Unlike him however, *I* was able to keep from showing much of a reaction. It did take me a half second longer to respond than normal however.

"Good, it would be rather embarrassing if we were to show up to the wedding and you started fumbling when introducing me to your ex. Hmm, the nickname Dawn suits you though... Perhaps Din as another nickname? Darling Din?"

A whirring sound interrupted any response he might have made. While we had been bantering, Deji had been using their portable controller to get clothing and fabric samples delivered to the dressing room. A panel of the wall smoothly opened up to allow a clothing rack to slither its way in. With the bounty of cloth and accessories came an excited giggling sound.

Perched atop the front of the serpentine rack was a 4 year old child, who's appearance could be summed up as Glitter. Glittery beads in her hair, glittery shoes, a slightly less glittery jumpsuit, and a cape decorated with glittery stars and planets.

Inanna was Deji's daughter, and she had made The Closet her playground. With all the poise of a queen, she skillfully kept her balance on the rack-turned-steed as it finished encircling the room. She quickly slid off her mount, little legs kicking in the air briefly before plopping down onto the carpet. I widened my stance and braced for impact.

36 pounds of gleeful child barrelled into me. I used her momentum to spin us both as I lifted her up to rest on my hip.

"*Titi*, I picked my clothes today! Look look look! I'm sparkly! I match Mr. Sparkly. Hi Mr. Sparkly!" She eagerly informed me on the state of her dress before waving her arms at Din. Such a well spoken and *loquacious* child.

"I see sweetheart. You may be the sparkliest child I have *ever* seen." I shot Din a look, and flicked my gaze towards the excitable little disco ball in my arms. He seemed to get the hint, and I could practically see him activate a mental switch labeled Child Mode.

"Hi there! Loving the outfit, I *wish* I had your sense of style when I was your age."

Inanna preened at his complement. "You know," Din tapped his chin, "I think I might just be able to help you add a little more bling to this situation!" With a twist of his fingers some of the light in the room bent around Inanna. Disco ball was an apt assessment, I needed to squint a little as Din's powers caused her outfit to light up in a stunning, multicolored display. Her squeal was precious, and near deafening.

I set her down as she began to wriggle, and she happily began to spin around. Din's face as he watched her toddle about was... soft. How dare he look so sweet?

I turned back to the tablet and started pulling up my dossier on Din's ex, Ezekiel Gray. My dislike for the man predated his relationship with Din, as his nosiness had resulted in unwanted scruitny on a few of my earlier schemes.

"Deji, I'm going to need you to scrap any designs that include bright yellows, beige, or salmon."

They turned their head towards me, owl like, a look of disgust on their face. "I'm insulted that you think that I would ever put you in *beige*."

"Right, right, my apologies for the insinuation. What color pallet would you recommend, oh great sage of fashion?"

Din raised his hand. "I vote watermelon!"

Both Deji and I paused to consider this.

"That..." I squinted, pondering viability of a watermelon color combo.

"...could work." Deji completed the thought.

They immediately start digging through the rack of clothes, quickly gathering items in pinks and greens. "Rhe, be a dear and punch in the codes for black beads, small black buttons, and white shoes please?"

I dutifully typed in the codes before grabbing a pink sleeveless top that had caught my eye. It had a high collar, though with a teardrop cut-out below where the collar bone would be. The color wasn't quite right, but I was sure that was an easy fix.

I sauntered over to where Din watched in fascination as Inanna used her kiddie tablet, creating outfit sets for her stuffed animals. He looked down in curiosity when I held the shirt up against his chest.

"Ooh, that's soft!" He delightedly stroked the top.

"This, with black accessories around the waist. And looser pants to even things out." I didn't need to turn to know that Deji had heard me.

Din seemed amused by my instructions. "At least I know I'm in good hands when you pick my outfits. I'll look good, *and* be comfortable." He was making that soft face again, but at me this time. That odd, warm and gooey feeling appeared in my chest again.

He liked the clothes I pick out for him.

He felt *comfortable* in them, and thus around me when I was taking care of him. And I... I felt more relaxed around him as well...

I'd been silent for 2.73 seconds, it was time to redirect before he noticed the effect that his damned dimples were having on me.

"As if I would be caught dead with my date looking uncomfortable because some scratchy clothes." I sniffed in mock disdain, turning to hand off the shirt to Deji. "We must be the most photogenic and comfortable looking people at this wedding!"

Inanna's head snapped up at my words. "Wedding!?" She looked to be vibrating with sudden excitement, looking like a puppy who just heard the word "treat".

Deji chuckled, "Now you've done it." The child began to emit a sustained, high pitched squeal. It was rather impressive, and I distantly wondered what kind of effect it would have on people with enhanced hearing. Still squealing, she began to flick her gaze between Din and I.

Oh dear. "Not *my* wedding sweetheart. Those heroes, the ah, magic sword lady and rockstar lady are the ones getting married."

One would have thought I had set fire to her plushy collection from the look of devastation on her face. "B-but... Uncle Sparkly...?" Her lip was wobbling. Those were *tears* in my precious niece's eyes. I thought fast, knowing I had a window of mere seconds to prevent the calamity.

"It's not my wedding *this time*. But you know," I rested my cheek on one hand and gazed thoughtfully into the distance, "I *could* bring back pictures for you, so that you can get inspiration for planning a wedding for me one day."

Her eyes widened at the prospect of event planning. She either did not catch, or did not care, that I had not specified a timeline or spouse; the joyous glint was back in her eyes, and she snatched up her tablet once more. "I'ma start now! You gotta have the *best* wedding, and then give me a little cousin as a present so I can dress them up." With that reveal of her plans for my future she bounded off to get a snack.

I was both immensely proud and slightly leery. Proud, because she clearly knew what she wanted and had no qualms about arranging the lives of people around her to fit her vision. Leery, because she was now locked onto the goal of marrying me off and drafting my hypothetical offspring as her dress up dolls.

Ah well, at least she wasn't crying.

Deji cackled from beside me. "HA! You know she's never gonna let that go right?" Still snickering they turned to Din, who was once more sporting an impressive blush. "Sorry hon, looks like you're trapped! Don't worry though, Rhe comes with perks. I'll give you the -*snrk*- the family discount on designs."

Din somehow went even redder at the mention of "perks". How cute.

I smiled a bit as I began to corral Deji back into finalizing our outfit designs. I'd give Din a bit of time to breathe before using this as teasing material. Even as we spent the rest of the day comparing the merits of different fabrics, debating appropriate amounts of glitter, and discussing ideal positioning of hidden pockets, an idle daydream began to take form in my mind. Nothing quite solid yet. Just a faint vision of wedding cakes, quite evenings spent in pleasant companionship, and a sly child with a disarming pair of dimples...

[abyssaljour]

The year was 2015.

*I* was 15.

When I was younger, I was very much an avid reader. On field trips, I brought books to read. During lunch, I read , and during free time I would read more.

Pierce Brown, whose name I still remember to this day like it's been etched in my eyelids, just released the second book of the Red Rising series. Our school library had the both the first on display for check-out and teased that they'd get the 2nd one in soon. Finding the premise interesting, I read the first book literally in a day and a half. I was desperate.

I wanted- *needed* the second. When the book arrived and I stormed in there like a one man army and devoted myself to reading it. Now, If you have read the series, the main character, Darrow, has to take this really difficult test. It's later revealed he only missed [ one ] question which prevented him from being selected by Minerva. Looking back on it, this was likely intentional by the character, but my tiny little pea brain was hyperfocused on this one little detail.

What exactly was the question?

Was it of empathy or strategy or sacrifice?

I literally mulled it over in my head for days- it plagued me. So what did any child with a school provided email and access to the internet do? I went through like, the first and second pages of Google looking for it till I found what I believed to be Pierce Brown's email.

I recall vividly I had this role play ass introduction like, "The reader turns the page and looks up." I then asked what the fuck Darrow missed [ not with those words ] and sent it. To my horror, I realized I had **Wholly** botched the email with typos. Obviously I couldn't undo it, so I tried to forget my Greatest shame.

Much to my surprise, my email got a reply from what appeared to be genuinely, Pierce Brown. It might have been a agent, but honestly kudos to replying to my dumb ass. His reply was to the effect of" keep reading and we will see " from what I remember.

I kept this email bookmarked for the rest of my school career. I couldn't believe my favorite author responded to me! However, unable to get over my botched starter, I never replied.

And then Morning Star came out like a year later and it was like a bomb went off filling my head with anticipation and expectation. I got so excited. I prepped a closet fort in my room to ensure I could read it in peace, the question from before orbiting my brain as I read, each chapter analyzed with a microscope for the answer I'd been searching for. It wasn't there.

Or wasnt at least to my recollections, because let me tell you, I was DEVASTATED. I didn't pick up another book for fun for the rest of the year. I killed all my heroes that day. Head in my Hands.

.. . Now I was going to share this cause I thought this was funny now with hindsight, but straight up he just released another book, Light Bringer. It's like I have to share now. Hopefully my now well-wrinkled brain will comprehend things when I give the series a reread.

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 3/29

Spring has sprung, our spirits (and the pollen count) are high, and our 25% Figurine Sale is still going strong til 4/1! 

A History Of Modern Manga HC - Insight Editions

The history of manga is inextricably linked to the social, economic, political, and cultural evolution of Japan. Essential to the daily lives of its inhabitants and to its economy, manga is one of the drivers of the international development of one of the world's largest economies. How did the manga market reach one billion copies annually in less than half a century? Who are the major players in this incredible expansion? Discover, over the pages and years, the major events and artists who have marked the history of modern manga in this new, updated and expanded edition.

The Ambassadors #1 (of 6) -  Mark Millar & Frank Quitely

Imagine you could gift superpowers to six people. In a world of eight billion, who do you choose? Join six of the greatest artists in the industry for an enormous story about ordinary people from around the world explaining why it should be them.

Big Guy & Rusty The Boy Robot TP -  Frank Miller & Geof Darrow 

Front and center, America! Here comes action! Here comes adventure! Here comes The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot-a roller-coaster ride through the minds of Geof Darrow and Frank Miller, the tag team that set you reeling with their hard-hitting series, Hard Boiled! Everything you remember about being thirty-eight-years-old and watching monster movies is right here, but with all the magnified detail that you always wanted to see.

Don’t Spit In The Wind #1 (of 4) -  Stefano Cardoselli

One man's trash is another man's living. Since earth became inhospitable, humanity escaped ages ago to live in a space station floating above the atmosphere. Now Travis and his crew of garbage men are tasked with cleaning up mountains of toxic waste, working for a company called Atomic Bros INC., to create a "Clear World." But when one of Travis' crew members goes missing near an old nuclear facility Travis' job becomes a bit more complicated.

E-ratic 2 TP - Kaare Andrews & Brian Reber

Recharge complete! The teenage hero with superpowers that only work for ten minutes a day is back to save the world again as he navigates even more pressing perils: young love, bullies, a broken family and the gauntlet that is high school. This time, young Oliver Leif is teamed with a barbarian princess who claims to be from another dimension. Spinning from the pages of The Resistance, E-Ratic combines electric action, teen drama, and pure comics fun.

Everything Sucks: Real Gamer Hours One-Shot -  Michael Sweater

Do video games cause violence? No, but they do cause Noah to smell absolutely horrible from playing an MMO for three days straight. Can Calla break the spell, or will she get trapped by the sweaty paws of King Crushskull too? Includes a foil cardstock cover and a sticker sheet!

Fart School HC -  Mel Stringer

Mel is excited about moving to Brisbane and starting art school! She imagines collaborating with other creatives, honing her craft, and becoming an accomplished artist. But it turns out that art school isn't quite the same in real life. Can Mel finish college with her love of art still intact?

Festival Of Shadows: A Japanese Ghost Story GN -  Atelier Sento

Every summer, in an isolated Japanese village, a celebration known as the Festival of Shadows takes place. The villagers are entrusted to assist the troubled souls or "shadows" of those who died tragically, and to help them come to terms with their deaths and find eternal peace. Naoko, a young girl born in the village, is given a year to save the soul of a mysterious young man. She develops strong feelings for her shadow-a handsome young man, an artist-but he seems haunted by a terrible secret. She has a year to find out what happened to him, to help him come to terms with his past, and if she fails, his soul will be lost forever. As the year goes by, Naoko finds herself teetering between the worlds of the living and the dead. What is the terrible secret that seems to be haunting her shadow? And could she be risking her own life to help someone who has already lost his?  

Superstate TP -  Graham Coxon, Hellen Mullane & Alex Paknadel 

The Superstate is everywhere, and its authority is absolute. Yoga Town is a city divided. While they wait to leave the earth, the 1% can bend reality to their will, they live in a consequence free world where anything goes. Meanwhile, the masses are pacified by a drugged out, government mandated digital dreamscape while they wait to perish on this dying planet. But there is still hope, for angels roam the earth. With their help, maybe some rebellious spirits can start to make a change. Experience 15 surreal and disturbing tales of rebellious fembots, celebrity turkey shoots, violent astral projection and an all-new take on the TV dinner.

Granite State Punk #1 - Travis Gibb & Patrick Buermeyer

Zeke has just gotten released from prison and is now living in the last place he ever wanted to be... his dead parents' house. For years, he tried to drown every ounce of the memories of this place and his messed-up childhood. Zeke is now forced to confront it and the revelation that his past is filled with the occult, punk rock, dark magic, and its connection to New Hampshire's most historic landmark, The Old Man of the Mountain.

I Hear A Sunspot: Four Seasons GN -  Yuki Fumino

Kohei Sugihara, college student with hearing loss, and Taichi Sagawa, his ever-optimistic former classmate, met in a chance encounter that ignited an undeniable spark that would eventually blossom into love. Now it's spring and as Kohei nears graduation, his search for a job begins. Meanwhile, Taichi finds himself in charge of someone new at work. Life is busier than ever, but all in all, things seem to be looking up for the pair. That is, until the sudden appearance of Ena, one of Kohei's old flames.

Indigo Children #1 -  Curt Pires, Rockwell White & Alex Diotto RADIANT BLACK meets THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH in this action-packed sci-fi/mystery epic as journalist Donovan Price hunts down the extraordinarily gifted INDIGO CHILDREN after their mysterious disappearance fifteen years prior.

A Journal Of My Father GN -  Jiro Taniguchi

Yoichi Yamashita, spurred by a call informing him of his father's death, thinks of childhood. He returns to his hometown after a lengthy absence during which time he has not seen his father. As the relatives gather for the funeral and the stories start to flow, Yoichi's childhood starts to resurface. The Spring afternoons playing on the floor of his father's barber shop, the fire that ravaged the city and his family home, his parents' divorce and a new "mother." Through confidences and memories shared with those who knew him best, Yoichi rediscovers the man he had long considered an absent and rather cold father.

The Karman Line TP -  Dennis Hopeless & Piotr Kowalski

It's all sex, lies and betrayal on a reality show streaming from the International Space Station until the crew receives a message reading "ABORT MISSION AND GET HOME NOW." Things unravel quickly as they find their shuttle damaged and a crew member dead. They'll have to fight to survive and escape... with cameras recording everything.

Kaya Book 1 TP -  Wes Craig

After the destruction of their village, a young girl with a magic arm and a fighting spirit is tasked with delivering her little brother to a faraway safe haven. There, he's destined to discover the secret to overthrowing the all-powerful empire that destroyed their home. Starting out on their journey, they'll face lizard-riders, monstrous beasts, and secrets that could tear brother and sister apart.

Lady Baltimore: Dreams Of Ikelos One-Shot -  Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Bridgit Connell & Abigail Larson

Lady Sofia Baltimore, accompanied by an array of formidable companions, continues her war against the Nazis in an occult alternate Outerverse. High in the frozen Italian alps, a mercenary sorcerer has revealed a dangerous magical artifact. German forces will use it to obliterate Allied forces who stand against them . . . unless Sofia and Imogen can take possession of it first.    

Heartstrings: Melissa Ethridge & Her Guitars GN - Steve Hochman, Frank Mariffinno, Manuela Pertega & Kate Samuels

Melissa Etheridge's Heartstrings takes you on a journey through her growth and life as a musician, as it reveals the untold stories behind some of her favorite guitars, each one of them exciting, significant, and dear to her heart and music.

Mister Mammoth HC -  Matt Kindt & Denis Pendanx

Mr. Mammoth is the world's greatest detective and the kind of person you don't forget. Being a seven-foot-tall pacifist who's covered head to toe with an impressive collection of horrific scars makes quite the impression. But he might be losing his edge. He can't seem to solve his latest case and he's distracted with a strange obsession with a soap opera actress who doesn't even know he exists. His new case holds clues that might finally unlock the secret of his traumatic childhood. The question is: is he solving a crime-or planning one? Mr. Mammoth is the first-ever original graphic novel from Matt Kindt's all-new imprint, Flux House, which features crime, science fiction, and humor stories, all told in startling and untraditional ways. For Mr. Mammoth, Kindt is joined by internationally acclaimed artist Jean Denis Pendanx, who's making his U.S. debut!

Monster Tag Team #1 -  Konstantine Paradias, Gerardo Gambone & Neil Vokes

It's a brand-new series in the vein of classic team-ups and two-in-one comics - this is MONSTER TAG TEAM!  Two monsters - one rampaging story - all horror!  In this debut issue called "Wolfe And Bat" - mortal enemies and clashing world powers collide in an over-the-top monster battle royale!  In a Cold War that's gone occult, the international terror organization WARLOCK schemes to destroy human civilization. Faced with this new breed of unstoppable sorcerous criminal, West and Soviet agencies put their two best creatures on the case: Jesse Walker, a CIA-trained werewolf and Vlad Dracul, KGB's top vampire, team up to destroy WARLOCK's chief Magister before he can unleash Fimbulwinter on humanity. This issue comes with four covers - Main by Copper Age legend Neil Vokes, Corpse Crew homage cover by Buz Hasson & Ken Haeser, Painted cover by Mark Sparacio, and a special 100 copy Century limited edition!

Songs Of The Dead: Afterlife TP -  Michael Christopher Heron, Andrea Fort, MJ Erickson & Nick Robles

Bethany is a necromancer and a hero. Along with her companions, Elissar and Jonas, she has finally found the rumored Covenant. Her perilous journey has brought her to the last bastion of the necromancers, but resurging prejudices have them in shambles. Can Bethany unite them in the face of escalating tensions? Or will the coming war shatter all of her dreams for a peaceful future?

Vince Staples Presents Limbo Beach GN -  Bryan Edward Hill, Chris Robinson & Buster Moody

“Every kid has the same story. Wash up on shore. Enter the amusement park. Get superpowers. Why are you so different?" Join fan-favorite rapper Vince Staples, Bryan Edward Hill (Batman & the Outsiders; Titans), Chris Robinson (Children of the Atom), and Buster Moody (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) on an adventure into the mysterious Limbo Beach, an island theme park ruled by adolescents with unique abilities! Follow the newest member of the Wunderlosts, a band of misfit teenage raiders, on a journey to discover the truth about the park - and himself - in a tale that is equal parts Lord of the Flies and The Warriors.

Welcome Back, Aureole GN -  Takatsu

Bright and sociable Kazu and the sober and serious Moto have been best friends since childhood. Even if they drifted apart in junior high, they still understood one another better than anyone else. But in their second year, Kazu began to think of Moto as more than just a friend. And as much as he wanted to think it was just a misunderstanding, it became clear to him that his feelings were all too real...

WesterNoir GN -  Dave West, Gary Crutchley & Matt Soffe 

Josiah Black thought that he'd done it all - cowhand, gun slinger, drifter and sheriff - but then he kills Jim Wilson and takes on the role of monster hunter. Monsters that only he can see. They Live meets Deadwood in this tale from the old wild west.

Whatcha snagging this week, Fantom Fam?

[mceproductions]

Better Late Than Never (2022 Countdown Recap)

Hi, never did this 2 weeks ago but here are the countdown results. 

Best of 2022

  Movies

 1. Everything Everywhere All At Once

2. Top Gun: Maverick

3. Nope

4. The Batman

5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

6. Avatar: The Way of Water

7. The Bobs Burgers Movie and Sonic the Hedgehog 2

8. Black Adam and Turning Red

9.  Elvis

10. Jurassic World Dominion

11. Uncharted and The Woman King

12. Jackass Forever

13. Scream

14. Thor Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

15. Marry Me

  Runners Up:

Lightyear

The Bad Guys

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

  Worst

 1. Morbius

2. Firestarter

3. Pinocchio

  Honorable Mention:

RRR

   TV Shows

  Best New Show Nominee* Winner ^

  1. The Orville (Hulu)

2. Stranger Things (Netflix)

3. Yellowstone (Paramount TV)

4. Better Call Saul (AMC)

5. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

6. My Hero Academia (ADULT SWIM)

7. Attack on Titan (ADULT SWIM)

8. SNL (NBC)

9. Abbott Elementary (ABC)^

10. House of the Dragon (HBO)*

11. Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)

12. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) and The Boys (Amazon Prime)

13. Spy X Family (Crunchyroll)* and The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

14. The Good Doctor (ABC) and Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

15. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)

16. Moon Knight (Disney+)

17. 1883 (Paramount+)

18. RWBY: Ice Queendom (Crunchyroll/Rooster Teeth)

19. Peacemaker (HBO MAX)*

20. The Simpsons (FOX)

21. Bridgerton (Netflix)

22. LOTR The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime)

23. Arthur (PBS) and Andor (Disney+)*

24. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (Disney+)

25. Young Sheldon (CBS)

  Runners Up:

Hawkeye (Disney+)

The Book of Boba Fett (Disney+)

Lycoris Recoil (Crunchyroll)

Halo (Paramount+)

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

  Honorable Mention: South Park (Comedy Central)

  Worst:

 1. And Just Like That… (HBO MAX)

2. Fairview (Comedy Central)

3. Housing Complex C (ADULT SWIM)

    Music

   1. Encanto Cast “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”

2. JungKook “Dreamers”

3. Gen Hoshino “Comedy”

4. Lady Gaga “Hold My Hand”

5. Rihanna “Lift Me Up”

6. Harry Styles “As It Was”

7.  Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill”

8.  Ed Sheeran “Celestial”

9.  Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero”

10. Kylie McNeil and Millennium Parade “U”

11. Lizzo “About Damn Time” and The Weeknd “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”

12. Sim “The Rumbling”

13. Weird Al Yankovic “Now You Know”

14. OneRepublic “I Aint Worried”

15. Jennifer Lopez and Maluma “Marry Me”

16. Porter Robinson “Everything Goes On”

17. Shawn Mendes “Top of The World”

18. Beyonce “Break My Soul”

19. Bobs Burgers Cast “Sunny Side Up Summer”

20. Adam Pascal, Ty Taylor, Rory Donavan, Derek Klena and Rogers The Musical Cast “Save The City (I Can Do This All Day)”

21. Elton John And Britney Spears “Hold Me Closer”

22. Ed Sheeran “Shivers”

23. Void_Chords “Beyond Selves”

24. Kevin Bacon and Old 97’s “Here It Is Christmastime”

25. BTS “Yet To Come”

26. The Weeknd “Out of Time”

27. Jack Harlow “First Class”

28. Charlie Puth “Left and Right”

29. Coldplay and Selena Gomez “Let Somebody Go”

30.  Charli XCX “Beg for You”

 Runners Up:

Jennifer Lopez “On My Way”

Son Lux and Randy Newman “Now Were Cooking”

JIN “The Astronaut”

Tems “No Woman No Cry”

Jessica Darrow “Surface Pressure”

 Honorable Mention:

Tommee Profit And Fleurie “Chasing Cars”

 Worst

 1. RuPaul “Smile”

2. Post Malone “Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers Theme Song”

3. Kid Rock “We the People”

   Game of The Year

 Nominee* Winner^

 Elden Ring^

God of War: Ragnarok*

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga*

Pokemon Legends: Arceus*

Horizon Forbidden West*

 Worst

 Crossfirex

[justanotherviolet]

" 'Lo wife" I say with a smile.

" 'Lo husband. Welcome home."

-Pierce Brown. Iron Gold, Ch 1. "Hero of the republic"

It should be a crime that I took this long to draw Mustang and Darrow together but I think it's a good way to end this year🤭

I'm really gratefult that @theorangefactory let me use his design of the dawn specter for my drawing🥺💜. I think it's beautiful and since the day he posted it I haven't been able to imagine it any other way🤗⭐.

I don't usually draw without a lineart but overall I think I like how it turned out (armors are such a pain to draw though)

I hope all of you have a wonderful day and a happy new year!🪐🏛🌈

[vee-vee-writes]

Working in Bofur's Toy Shop (Bofur x reader)

A/N: I am not sure if this is 100% original or if somebody has done this before so apologies if anybody has. My fic is a little tropey but I wanted to write more Bofur

Word count: 933 Masterlist

After the restoration of Erebor Bofur had opened his own toy store in a bid to bring joy to the dwarflings returning to Erebor. Having bonded on the journey Bofur had asked you to come and work as the shop keep in his store. You were excited by the proposition, having lost most of your family in the Battle of Azanulbizar and being unmarried you needed something to occupy your time. After being given your share of the treasure by Thorin you hardly needed the money to support yourself. The shop was only open three days a week, Bofur used the other four days to make toys for the shop. Bifur was known to help create the wooden figurines for the shop from time to time.

Working with Bofur was wonderful. He was always kind and considerate towards you and made sure to emphasise that if you did not work in the store then you didn't have to. Always you assured him how much you enjoyed working with him in the shop. To this he would almost always blush and nod. The reality was that working with Bofur really was a treat. His cheery temperament brightened your day exponentially. The darrow often hummed as he worked and was known to bring in Bombur's baking to share with you. Overall, he treated you kindly. This did nothing to lessen the crush that you had on him.

On this particular morning you arrived to the shop already open. Usually, you were the one to open and Bofur would come along later to help. Pushing the door open you called out as not to spook Bofur. He popped his head around the corner, his face painted with his iconic permanent grin. "Morning lass, how are ya this morning" Bofur inquired shuffling out from the back workshop. "Morning Bofur, I'm tired but ready to get to work. How are you?" you gently asked back. "Better now that you're here" Bofur teased.

Cheeks burning you shook it off and asked why he was in so early. "Couldn't sleep and I thought rather than doing nothing I'd get a start in at making some new toys" Bofur answered. Concerned about your friend you inquired, “is everything okay? Anything I can help you with?” "I've been crafting a courting gift but I'm not sure whether it is good enough to give" Bofur admitted, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "O-oh I didn't know you had your eye on anybody" you squeaked, disappointed that somebody had captured Bofur's attention.

"I'm sure whatever it is that you've made she will love it. How could she not? You are one of the nicest darrow I have met, not to mention you were a member of the king's company. What dwarf could resist such a hero?" you teased trying to cover up the bitterness and upset that had begun to bite at your heart. Bofur snorted but smirked briefly at you before hesitantly asking, "I…maybe you could have a look at it and tell me whether or not you think she would like it." "Of course," you simply answered.

Bofur was quick to retreat into the back of the shop and begin gathering whatever he had created. While he retrieved his treasure, you set your daily supplies down on the counter and began to set everything needed for the day up. “It’s not much” Bofur modestly stated holding out a wooden carving of three figures huddled together. Taking them from the darrow you turned them over in your hands inspecting them. Something about them struck you and your eyes whipped up to meet his in a moment of alarm before becoming fixated on the facial features of each of the figures.

The familiarity of each struck you and all but stalled you in your tracks. "Is…is this for me?” you tentatively questioned. Bofur adverted his eyes but nodded. Gently brushing your thumb over each of the faces you marveled at the beauty and work that had gone into the figurine. The meaning behind it held weight for two vastly different reasons. The figurine was of your adad and amad who, like much of their kin, had died in the Sack of Erebor. Rough warm hands cupped yours around the statue and glancing up you met Bofur's eyes. "I know how much returning to Erebor so that you could carry out the proper funeral rites for your khahay meant. So, I used the drawing of the three of you that you leave behind the counter to immortalize them for you" Bofur spoke with a softness you had never heard from him. Tears pricked at your eyes and you fought hard to hold back a sob.

The thought Bofur had put into your courting gift was immaculate and you could not help but thank Mahal for sending you such a wholesome and caring dwarf. Bofur was truly one of a kind. One of his thumbs brushed away a stray tear tracking down your cheek. "This is gorgeous Bofur, thank you. Nobody has ever gone out of their way to make something so heartfelt for me" you managed to choke out. "So, what do you say?" Bofur anxiously questioned. Beaming up at Bofur through your tears you giggled out of pure joy, "Of course I accept your courtship, you silly dwarf." Throwing your arms around Bofur's neck you pressed your nose and forehead against his in an intimate embrace. You felt the tension melt away from in his body as he pulled you tighter against him. Mornings in the toy shop had just gotten more interesting.

Tag list: @tschrist1 @fizzyxcustard (if anyone else wants added then just let me know)

[coffeeangelinabox]

Whumpril #3: Shame

The flush burns like passing too close to a solar flare, a flash fire under his skin and scouring all but the feeling of his racing heart and the flames of heat reddening his face. He's apologised, he's begged, and all on his own bridge: his friends and crew and lover watching in silent, horrified silence. But this-

"Well?" The Domain officer on the view screen demands sharply.

At least he's been allowed to move to his private quarters. He knows the others think that mean that he'll be- He'll be honest, that's what he'd been expecting too.

Is this worse? He can't do it. Or...shouldn't. Darrow would let them blow him out of the sky first and had taught him the same. Death before dishonour. He knows better.

And yet.

He always thought he would face death chin up and smirking. He'd grown up with it, lived with it. Hadn't he seen the worst humanity could do to each other since he was a child? He's always been willing to die for his (Darrow's) cause.

But that thought and the actual reality of a missile one order away are very different things.

His sensors had been knocked out early enough into the battle that he's not even sure what the Domain ship is carrying. Will it be a concussive charge? Something that will knock out their engines and what little life support they have and leave them drifting until they choke on their own exhalations? Or a solid shot like the cannonballs pirates out here in the dark like to shoot - something that will punch through their hull sucking them out into the space and cold to implode or freeze? If it's a warship, it'll have a standard battery of lazers. Without shields, his precious ship could easily be turned into an oven. In the ice of space enough to bake them slowly. Torturously.

A variety of ways to die and each one more horrible to contemplate than the last.

This isn't-

When he left the Valjean he had wanted to make a difference, wanted to take the fight to the Domain, wanted free of Darrow's hit and run and hide tactics. He'd wanted to do something real. Like a fool.

Like a child.

"Well?" the officer orders again, and when Lee still doesn't answer, throat merely clicking on a dry swallow, he turns to someone off screen and snaps out, "Ready a volley."

"No. Wait." It's not an order. It's another plea and this one of his own volition, not scripted words given by someone else.

The officer raises a single finger, halting whoever he is talking to at his own weaponry control. He looks at Lee, mouth pursing in what could be impatience. Or amusement.

Either way, the words tumble over themselves. Like dirt and glass in his mouth, but unstoppable as vomit. "I- I'll do it. I'll send the distress signal. I'll-"

He stops again, panting through the wave of horror at what he's helplessly offering.

"You'll give me Darrow."

"I- Yes."

Darrow will come for him. No matter what terms they parted on. He thinks of the man as a father - rebelled for exactly that reason - and knows it is returned.

"And in return?"

Hatred boils alongside the shame. He must know, must know it is terrible mortal fear that has led Lee to this. He just wants him to say it. Still, it's a small concession after everything else this man has seen him do.

"I...I want to live."

"You? Not your crew?"

Fear flashes into Lee's eyes. "I...I mean. My ship. I want-"

The officer shrugs, careless and languid. "I don't care what you want. You give me Darrow and I'll teleport you out before I blow the rest of your pitiful wreck to atoms. With all aboard her. At least it'll be quick." The mock empathy burns.

Lee bows his head. He can't agree to this, of course he can't. To be rescued from certain death at the expense of the the friends who followed him. Everyone he has ever admired would rather go down with their ship than be a cowardly, traitorous lapdog to some minor border patrolling Lieutenant. He'll fight. Die the hero he has always wanted to be. "And the Valjean?" his lips say, completely of their own volition. Implicit acceptance.

"Oh, it will be destroyed alongside you. At least your crew will have company for their deaths. Excepting Darrow, of course. The Domain wants him alive. Mindwiped to our point of view he would be a formidable blow to the morale of your pitiful rebellion."

Darrow won't let that happen. He'll kill himself first. He's not the coward Lee is.

"Of course," the officer blithely continues as though he's reading his thoughts. "If Darrow dies before I have him in custody, our bargain is null and void. Your job will be to lure him aboard my cruiser. Otherwise, I'm sure I can find some inventive and prolonged ways to overcome my disappointment."

His salacious tone makes Lee shudder.

This is a plan, isn't it? A ruse? Something to catch the Domain ship between him and the Valjean; to hunt him with Darrow as they always have? But the fear twanging along his nerves belies the thought. He fears to move against this man the way a mouse fears to strike even at a sleeping cat.

"Do we have a deal?"

"Yes," he rasps out, a bare whisper. Yes, if it saves his life...No amount of self hatred can override that survival instinct. "Yes. I..." If nothing else, this man is sadistic, has enjoyed Lee's subjugation, and that he can give. "Yes. Anything. Spare me and I'll help you kill my crew and destroy Darrow."

Most damningly of all, the blush has faded. His blush doesn't even tremble.

It's a transaction, like any other. No matter what it rips out of him to cut it.

[darrowsrising]

🔥 + cassius

This is one of those times where people kinda ruin the perception of a character for you to the point that all joy is sucked out. So you numb yourself to said character, because it's not worth investing emotionally anymore.

Very unpopular opinions here, so no tags for my reluctance to deal with stupid drama:

What I am trying to say is that Cassius grew out of hypocrisy and I very much appreciated that and came to like him a lot. I also appreciated the growth he underwent in exile, but...for me, all the joy I used to feel poofed off. I was happy he went to save and sass Darrow, but now it's just...glad you could fucking do something, I guess.

I think Cassius has grown, but that means jack shit if he cannot apply that growth, make amends. Everybody acts like the entire Red Rising Universe owes that man something, for making his own choices and suffering the consequences of said choices.

There is this general opinion that Cassius is better than Darrow. Or should be. At something. Anything. If Darrow gets to have Virginia, Cassius should be the best swordsman, or have the best relationship with Pax or at least WHEN Darrow dies, he should take over. Why? Because Cassius has all the traits of your classic (boring) hero and some people like that type so much that they always want to see him win. At something. Anything. Because they are so used to this type getting everything they want, that it cannot connect that this is not that kind of story.

Well, to break it down a bit, Cassius au Bellona is a crashing car. He keeps making the classical hero choices and gets bitten on the arse for them, because this is not the universe you get to cry about your twin being killed in the Passage when you yourself killed someone and had no problem with it. Because you don't get to raise the heir to a fascist empire in exile and expect him to turn out ok, away from a society for the rest of his life - regardless of how much of a personal sacrifice it is for you as well.

I am not saying that Cassius shouldn't get a happy ending or that he won't. I am also not saying he should change who he is. I am saying that his happiness does not look like you would expect - basically having Darrow's life. I am saying he is responsible for his own choices and that he needs to learn and earn things like trust and friendship and make amends with people he has hurt with his bigotry and lack of awareness.

Yes, you read that right, Cassius is not a complete human being who did no wrong in IG. He should implement some of his growth in his relationships - especially considering he hasn't been around groups of people much.

What Cassius needs and gets from his allienace to the Republic is what he always wanted as a kid - he has a liege to defend and serve, someone worthy, he gets to be a knight, as he always wanted, he gets to protect a status quo worth protecting and bettering. And on top of this he can build a lot of happiness. But it isn't owed to him, by anyone.

I don't know, I am just tired of trying to like this dude, when everyone is shoving him down my throat as somehow better than Darrow, when he isn't. He is different than Darrow and that's the point. Even in couple talks, people make Cassius somehow better than Darrow. That he is so good that Darrow doesn't deserve him and all that bullshit.

Putting aside that the only person that deserves Darrow is Virginia au Augustus, I would actually buy into Da/ssius if it was...genuine, not another way of one-upping Darrow somehow. Darrow has a tendency of putting his beloved on a pedestal, but some of those are not like the other. Some like it for the rivalry aspect (classic trope), which I can appreciate and like, though.

I am fully aware that Darrow said that Cassius is a better man. In Golden Son. When he was at rock bottom emotionally. And his abandoment issues flared up like a fire tornado. Again, not saying Darrow can't consider Cassius a better person, it's just that it shouldn't be used to one-up Darrow, especially when writing a loving relationship.

All of these things really numbed me to Cassius. I don't hate him, I just think that my unfortunate interactions stripped away at my openness.

[nadjachamack-official]

Don't be bemused, it's just the news!

American superhero Sparrow has been spotted by a teenager fan in New York, flying while carrying who turned out to be, Alex Darrow @alex-of-spades who has been previously rumored to be in a secret relationship with the hero, shortly after the confirmation by Sparrow himself that he has a boyfriend. The pair was seen flying and turning in the sky for no obvious reason right before landing on top of the statue of liberty. People are speculating and are almost completely sure the two are on a date.

Alex, Sparrow, what do you have to say about the matter?

Stay tuned!

[confused-as-all-hell]

Aelin Galathynius

She vaguely felt the light shifting on the lake. Vaguely felt the sighing wind, warm as it brushed against her damp cheeks. And heard, so soft it was as if she dreamed it, a woman's voice whispering, Why are you crying, Fireheart?...

"Because I am lost," she whispered onto the earth. "And I do not know the way.”

Aelin Galathynius, fierce and proud and exquisite. Adarlan’s Assassin, Aelin of the Wildfire, the Queen Who Walked Between Worlds. A girl who held death in the circle of her arms, who knew sorrow and misery by their first names, who gave herself for that glowing future ahead.

Aelin, my love, is not perfect. She says some awful things, and her actions are far from worldly and pure. Her mistakes are common as her own laughter. But I don’t know who told you characters have to be perfect, polished as gold. 

She is allowed to be arrogant, dramatic, proud, daring, reckless, without being told off. These are the qualities often recognized in men, and so when a woman embodies them, she is instantly cut down for it. Aelin loves herself without fail, acknowledges her own beauty, is genuinely kind to herself.

I see so many posts encouraging girls to love themselves, and when one is portrayed in literature, everyone just turns on her. If your excuse is “well, she’s just too arrogant” please shut the fuck up. You do not get to decide what is too much. Nobody stupidly granted you that privilege.

It is perfectly fine for Aelin to see her appearance, her hair and eyes and body and smile, and say “I am happy with myself. I am beautiful.”

Don’t you fucking dare encourage feminism and then detest Aelin for admiring who is she.

Yes, she is out of the ordinary in terms of her looks, yes, she is curiously and suspiciously pretty. But if you dislike Aelin for her appearance, you’re shallow as fuck, I pray you do not like those oddly plain characters either. 

The Fae are a race known for their grace and beauty, so do not tell me it’s funny how everyone is tiringly pretty. They’re supposed to be. That’s literally the whole point. 

For those who complain her story is so special, would you rather read about the citizen who couldn’t find their favourite socks? I dare say no. The general idea of a story is to tell it from the most interesting point of view, in this case, Aelin’s. She is in the thick of everything, not by chance, but because she seeks the source of the trouble.

Her mistakes are plentiful, but Aelin has no trouble admitting this. She apologizes when necessary, admits to her wrongdoings, and she tries to be better. It’s not like she walks around with a blindfold. She works to understand others, never retracts her extended hand, loves her family without fail.

Aelin Galathynius is not thousands of years old, with all the wisdom of the centuries. She is a girl of seventeen, trying desperately to do her best, to save her home and her people and herself. 

She woke between her parent’s cold corpses as a little girl, watched men and women die horrifically before she was eight, killed time and time again to save her own life. She found her best friend lying in pieces on her bed, bowed to her mother and father’s murderer, was enslaved and tortured and beaten and scourged. 

Her trauma is not to be forgotten. Aelin is trying to save a world, and she’s still working through the terrors she witnessed so long ago. The inside of her mind was a lightless place, with no lamps to be seen.

It is okay for characters to fuck up. It’s okay for them to make mistakes and lash out. It’s okay for them to make bad choices, so long as they learn from them.

Nobody is made of gold. Nobody is unworthy of love. Nobody deserves your hatred.

Aelin is not the most powerful of her court, despite much bitter discourse.

Rowan is physically stronger, and far more capable with weaponry. 

Lysandra is prized as a shape-shifter, her talent stated to be utterly invaluable.

Aedion commands his own legion, the fearsome Bane.

Elide is the cleverest, with precious insight and incredible wisdom.

Lorcan is a extraordinarily strong warrior.

Manon is the Witch-Queen, with plenty of influence and power.

Dorian has the strongest magic of them all, in the largest quantity.

Chaol is... 

Anyways, Yrene’s healing gifts are considered their greatest asset in the war.

Though Aelin is certainly important, she does her part and only her part. She does not attempt to take credit for what she has not done. She will take the suffering upon herself, but never the joy.

Aelin is bleeding and bleeding, dashed on the rocks, and all of you can only scoff at her beauty and talent. 

I am capable of writing eloquent pieces, playing several musical instruments, charming several adults, making people laugh, finding lovely angles for photographs, and much more. 

Am I conceited to say so? I can appreciate my better qualities and absolutely hate work on my worse attributes. 

Aelin isn’t the not-like-other-girls cutout. She is like other girls. She loves dogs and candy, can wield her weapons with staggering competence, chooses her favourite gowns cautiously, is proud of herself for her accomplishments, works to lift other women up.

Aelin, at the very least, can appreciate being like other girls is a compliment. Girls (and boys!!) are fucking amazing. 

You can hardly expect a girl of eighteen to be perfectly polished. 

Aelin herself knows this. She listens when Darrow says she’s unfit, and she works to prove why she is capable. She wants to be better, to learn how to properly rule her country.

As well as the whole ordeal with her keeping the allies secret, she was afraid. Aelin had a group of people shout at her, tell her what an awful job she was doing, how she didn’t deserve to be queen. She didn’t want to let them down more. 

Everyone hates “perfect” characters, and then they hate the characters who fuck up. Pick a side. Pick a struggle. Pick a fight, if you like, I’m happy to give one over.

Aelin, the defender, the hero made history. She is so often hated; I would like to show her a little love.

[eggnogandwords]

Red Rising: A Review

Introduction

I remember not too long ago when I download the e-Book version (sacrilege!) of William Golding's 1954 "classic" must-read book Lord of the Flies. It was a rather short affair. When you're used to 600-page fantasy word-fests, 200 pages seems flimsy in comparison. I went into it fully expecting to fall in love with it from page one. After all, what was not to love? It offers a sensational critique of groupthink (much like one of my favorites 1984) and offers a crystal-clear view into the primordial instincts of man and asks the reader to dig deep into their conscience and face their own sense of morality. For those of you unfamiliar with the work, the big question that one needs to ask oneself having read the book is this:

“Is man inherently evil?”

I remember having finished reading the book, feeling a sense of incredulousness. That the author would portray our race as being so selfish and prone to violence. That, mere children, would find it in themselves to be such savages when provided the right set of circumstances. After all, these are schoolyard kids who know not how to take the life of another. Strongly repulsed by the conclusion that Mr. Golding had to offer, I promptly remember 3 starring the book (excellent description of the visuals and I was quite a fan of the pacing) and decided to never give the book another glance.

That was until now.

Having eschewed dystopia in my late teens after faithfully binging it up until the age of fifteen, I picked up Red Rising by Pierce Brown after hearing much hype about it online. The synopsis also appealed to a more belligerent and rebellious side within me, a side that had lain dormant in me and chose the current political climate around the world to rear its head once again.

If you're new to dystopian fantasy or for some reason you've never heard of this series before, the series (yes, it is a 6 part series with the 6th one yet to come out) follows Darrow our protagonist, a lowly Red class miner living under the Martian surface who is responsible for aiding the terraforming efforts of Mars to make the planet habitable for future generations since Earth is a dying planet. (Where is the fantasy element you ask me?) He is told that he is a daring pioneer to risk his life so, that despite him occupying the lowest rung in the social strata his obedience and his willingness to sacrifice so much for the future of humanity will be rewarded by making him a hero amongst men.

Falling prey to this propaganda Darrow suffers humiliation and toils under the boot of the Gold class (the upper-class nobility) until one day his life is upended by the knowledge that everything he knows to be true is a lie. He is shown how Mars has already been successfully been colonized centuries ago and that his people are all toiling away so that the colors (classes) on the surface enjoy the luxuries afforded to them by the labor of his people.

Joining forces with a rebellious anarchist group he decides to infiltrate the Gold training academy pretending to be a Gold citizen himself so that he may expose and tear down the system from the inside. The academy as it turns out is a Hunger Games crossed with Sid Meyer's Civilization kind of arena where the different student tribes fight each other and form alliances and wage wars until one tribe rules over all others. There is an added layer of complexity here that the ruler of the winning tribe gets special favors, so one has to watch one's back not only for enemy attacks but also for tribe schisms and civil wars.  All this while he is forced to stay true to his mission and not be led astray. Not to mention that there are plenty of other students in the academy with their own hidden agendas and secrets.

What I enjoyed about the book

The biggest thing that this book has going for it is its characters. Each character is fleshed out well and Pierce Brown does well not to skimp out on giving each character their own fully formed arc. There are some instances especially towards the end where you feel that some of the characters who came off as resourceful and domineering in the beginning suddenly feel reduced to side characters and love interests all to glorify our supreme protagonist. This is the unavoidable curse of the "chosen one" narrative but to be fair this is not that big a shortcoming and I feel the author will do all his characters justice in the future parts of the series. (Stay tuned for those).

The pacing is something that I truly love about this. Every chapter ends in a cliffhanger that leaves you clamoring for more and plenty of twists and revelations keep you glued to the pages. Nowhere in the book do you feel that there is a wasted paragraph. The entire plot is tightly written but amazingly this does not come at the cost of world-building or character growth moments.

The prose is terrific especially when you think of how YA literature is not known for its use of language. Certainly, this is no Oscar Wilde story with its aestheticism but fans of flowery prose will have something to look forward to as they pick this one up.  Here are a few out of context snippets that I particularly enjoyed:

“I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war.”

“Promises are just chains," she rasps. "Both are meant for breaking.”

Last and in no way least, the larger questions that this book manages to ask. The author makes it abundantly clear how much this series is inspired by the Lord of the Flies. We see similar if not the same themes of factions breaking out among teenage kids and them fighting and squabbling over pittances and power. We are treated to our characters navigating the same scruples as their counterparts did in Lord of the Flies but in a much better way because we are made privy to their inner monologues and the thought process behind every action is explained in excellent detail. Readers who wish to spend time in the psyches of their characters and ponder over questions of philosophy and morality, do check this one out.

What I wish the author did better

The biggest shortcoming this book has is that it is not the most original of stories. Especially if you're a connoisseur of YA dystopia it becomes abundantly clear to you the different ways in which other kindred series have influenced Pierce Brown. At times, the author himself pays too much of an homage to the classics that came before him that you can't help but feel like you've heard this story before.

Another change that could have greatly benefited this book is the introduction of multi-person PoVs. There are enough well fleshed out characters here that they all deserve their own thoughts and feelings to take center stage at times. I wish more authors took the time out of their day to do this as it would greatly improve the reader's experience and help readers to better identify and attach themselves to their favorite characters.

Lastly, the world-building in this book is not the best, in the sense that given that the entire book is set in a futuristic Mars colony in space, we rarely if at all see any cool and futuristic weapons and tools. The few that are introduced are not given good enough descriptions. If you're expecting a pioneering work of science fiction and fantasy like Dune then I'm going to have to ask you to lower your expectation.

Parting Thoughts and Predictions

(SPOILER SECTION)

*THIS SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS PLEASE LOOK AWAY NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK*

The moral strife that Darrow goes through in the book, both as he is forced to reckon with the realization that he has been lied to and as he is made to come to terms with the fact that the love of his life Eo has died is interesting and entertaining to read about. As power seduces dear Darrow it is interesting to see his shifting allegiances. I would not be surprised if at one point Darrow decides to fully enmesh himself into the Gold hierarchy and turn his back on the Reds.

After all, power corrupts.

At the same time, I am not fully comfortable with the way Darrow found himself so easily falling for Mustang/Virginia. After all the beautiful scenes we had with Eo, it seemed rather anticlimactic to have him canoodling in caves with Virginia with nary a worry. Will he beat himself up as he falls deeper in love with Mustang is something I'm especially interested in knowing about.

The Passage was in my opinion an absolute genius concept. Till then I was afraid I was just reading some Hunger Games fic and I think the Passage really upped the emotional attachment I had with the characters. For Darrow to murder Julian and then to call Cassius a brother for so long just goes to show his commitment to duplicity and his hatred towards the Aureate. But I did feel that he developed a bit of a soft spot for Cassius again towards the end, so I am extremely excited to see where his loyalties will lie at the end of it all.

Sevro easily deserved his own PoV and I am really hoping that we get a good peek into his inner thoughts and why he chose to follow Darrow so faithfully despite being a capable leader himself.

At the same time, I am not fully comfortable with the way Darrow found himself so easily falling for Mustang/Virginia. After all the beautiful scenes we had with Eo, it seemed rather anticlimactic to have him canoodling in caves with Virginia with nary a worry. Will he beat himself up as he falls deeper in love with Mustang is something I’m especially interested in knowing about.

(END OF SPOILERS)

Final Rating

Here are my final category wise ratings so that you may see for yourself if this is something you’d be interested in reading.

Plot: 4 / 5 (Fast paced and exciting throughout, derivative at certain points)

Characters: 3.5 / 5 (Well fleshed out, many characters worthy of having their own PoVs, sadly towards the end they all seem to pale just to make our star burn brighter)

Prose: 3.5 / 5 (Surprisingly refreshing given the quality of prose this genre is used to.)

World Building: 2.5 / 5 (Wanted more, imagery is extremely monochromatic and leaves you lacking for some nuanced and delicate picturization, technology is extremely commonplace and hackneyed)

Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Read if you are a fan of: Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner, 1984, Roman History, Greco-Roman Mythology, Lord of the Flies, Age of Empires

[jaelijn]

So... story time. Today’s gift is was something I talked about a couple of days ago already, but then I decided I wanted to do a transcript, and well - it turns out there is no way I will finish the transcript while this Calendar is running, as I am not even managing to carve out enough free time to watch it all, so without further ado, you are getting it today:

The tapes of the Unicon Convention 1989 that I found on Internet Archive, featuring, clearly, Paul Darrow and Michael Keating but also Terry Nation. Whoever filmed it clearly was in it for PD, as the camera tends to focus on him a lot, but you get to see the other guests, too.

Gauda Prime Day Calendar 2020 Masterpost

Two remarks to begin with:

1) I haven’t watched/listened to all the tapes yet, so below I’m only commenting on the bits that I have watched (some of the first two hours or so). And perhaps I am the last person to find these, given how long I take to look for behind the scenes stuff, but if you haven’t seen them, there is definitely stuff there to be enjoyed. I also think they are invaluable as historic fandom material for B7.

2) There is definitely some stuff said in these / stuff said in ways that today would be... politically questionable. There’s also a lot of smoking. I won’t discuss these things except to say that they are there, and that this is a historic document, even if it is “only” 30 years old, and should be viewed in that context. If you want to talk about how inappropriate these people may be / may have been, please do it in your own post.

My personal highlights, as far as I have watched it, under the cut for length:

Paul Darrow is astonishingly touch-y (I really do understand now why the Fanlore article on A/V alluded to fans maybe have been shipping the characters more because of the actors’ easy con relationship even before I edited any of it). In fact, his entire body language is fascinating, also because of the ways in which it differs from Avon’s. He also sounds nothing like Avon, or very rarely. I don’t know if that’s the quality of the mic / vid, but it’s astonishing - especially compared to Michael Keating, who sounds entirely like Vila.

Their banter is inspirational and MK gives as good as he gets (better).

Michael Keating talking about Sir Patrick Stewart as if he were nobody and not being able to remember his name (ST TNG had only just started airing).

“Has anyone seen Red Dwarf?” - MK: “No, but I saw a pink elephant this morning.”

The first panel’s theme is “Heroes and Villains” and the question for MK whether he considers Vila a hero or villain is both fascinating, also because it leads into a discussion of “Orbit”, and incredibly entertaining.

FAN: Since you both survived, do you think the character of Vila could forgive the character of Avon?

[...]

MK: I think Vila would be forgiving, but weary.

PD: Right at the end of that episode you did something – right at the end of “Orbit” I mean Michael became quite hard as Vila on Avon

MK: I mean, you know, he was, this man who he sort of trusted and needed, you know, was going to kill him. Yes. (to PD) Wouldn’t you?

PD: What?

MK:        Feel a bit… hard, suspicious, worried, because of who… [indistinct]

PD:         But it was nothing personal, it was strictly business.

MK:       Well, I know. Horrible thing to be thinking of, how could you. You’d’ve lost all your fans. (to the fan) That’s why you’re a Vila fan.

FAN: That’s one reason, anyway.

PD: What’s the other reason?

MK: I’m better looking.

*laughter and applause*

MK: And I’ve got my own hair.

The second panel is called “Liars” (starts at about 50min into the vid) and its entire premise is that everything the people say and the ways questions are phrased is a lie of some shape or form, “lie” being somewhat loosely defined (TN is addressed as Gene Roddenberry, for instance). This is hilarious and should be brought back for modern con panel. I also learned that MK can lie with an utterly straight face while every “lie” PD utters gains a sarcastic undertone, so perhaps it’s not just “Assassin” that made fan writers claim that Avon doesn’t lie well. 

There is a question on whether Orac could control Gan’s limiter (oooooh) and, I kid you not, TN answers it with "Interesting you should ask that. Interesting. It actually… we have to lie a little, because Gan was a sex maniac. And the limiter was there to try and stop him doing all these terrible things.“ If this LIARS panel is the origin of that nonsense uh, very interesting interpretation, I might just die laughing.