#with a good ol VHS camera

[beachyserasims]

My little cousin is opening for Redman & Method Man today at the Calgary Stampede!!

[lonely-cowboy]

future of us

pairing: connor (rk800) x f!reader

summary: after finding a box of home videos, you're overwhelmed with thoughts of the future. only connor can ease your worries.

word count: 2k

warnings: panic attack sorta, good ol' daddy issues, a 6yo (and a however old you are)yo having an existential crisis about death, i actually don't know what this is i just felt like writing it, rushed ending

author's note: yes i was complaining about my angsty gameplay in my last post and yes i am posting angst after saying i needed more fluff to feel happy. what about it. i like the angst, it makes me feel smth.

masterlist ⟡ requests

The television flickered in the dim living room, the shadows shifting like otherworldly creatures. The heavy rain pounded against the windows combined with the quiet whistle of the winds. You would think that with such advanced technology nowadays the intense weather wouldn’t affect the power. Apparently, that hadn’t been a priority during this era of technological breakthroughs. But you didn’t mind. The flickering screen and hissing static were comforting, reminding you of the days Hank still had his old-fashioned television.

In the peaceful hours of the early morning (or late night depending on who you asked), you sat huddled on the couch with your eyes glued to the television. Wearing one of Hank’s old sweatshirts that was far too long for you, you hugged your knees tightly. 

You watched the screen as a little girl sat bashfully at the head of a long dining table, kicking her feet giddily as a birthday cake with six blazing candles was placed in front of her. She was surrounded by loved ones who looked at her fondly, singing in unison with enthusiastic, booming voices. One voice– the cameraman's– overpowered them all, his voice uncharacteristically jaunty and cheerful. As the singing reached its end and the little girl blew out her candles with a big breath (and a lot of spit), the cameraman squished himself into the frame with a wide grin.

And there was Hank Anderson. A younger, much happier Hank, but Hank nonetheless. He grinned at the camera, calling the little girl’s attention. They both smiled brightly into the camera, ignoring that it was a video and not a picture. Hank and his goddaughter. Hank and you.

You were honestly surprised when you found the box of old VHS tapes. Yes, VHS tapes. No, you weren’t that old, far from it actually. Hank was just always old-fashioned; he never had a knack for technology. So any videos from your childhood were found on VHS tapes that Hank had kept for all these years.

You found them when you were organizing his garage. The entire day, you had been cleaning around his house with Connor’s help because his drunk ass could never do it. You hoped that maybe by giving him a clean environment he might be able to clean up his act. You weren’t too sure about that, but the thought was there.

When you found the tapes, it was already well into the night. Hank had passed out hours ago, and you released Connor to recharge not long ago. That’s when you decided you were deserving of a much-needed break, dragging the hefty box of VHS tapes into the living room for your viewing pleasure.

Only you hadn’t realized the experience would be the exact opposite of pleasurable. The more videos you watched, the more your misery grew.

You couldn’t exactly explain why you were so upset. All you knew was that your chest was heavy with dread, your eyes forlorn as you watched video after video.

You were so distracted by the video of your sixth birthday (Hank was now interrogating you about the differences between being five and six, ever the detective) that you hadn’t heard Connor’s light footfalls. Though you probably wouldn’t have heard them anyway. Androids were scarily sneaky like that. You didn’t realize Connor was even in the room until he was standing right beside you, his figure nothing but a shadow in your peripheral vision. You had almost forgotten he was here, simply resting (or whatever it was androids did) in Hank’s spare room.

Your attention snapped to him, fumbling for the remote to pause the video. With only the light of the television to guide you, you struggled to find the pause button. By the time you finally found it, your cheeks were unbearably warm with embarrassment. 

Watching videos of your childhood self to remember the good times with Hank before he practically cut you off completely, dried tear stains on your cheeks and fresh tears welling in your eyes? Pathetic.  

With your face buried in the baggy sleeves of Hank’s sweatshirt, you tried to casually wipe away your tears, but you knew it was too late. Connor had already seen them. And even if he hadn’t seen them, you were sure he could guess by the shaky tone of your voice.

“Hi, Connor,” you greeted weakly.

Connor was silent for a moment as his eyes trailed over your figure, surely analyzing you. His LED circled yellow for a long time. Even when he sat down beside you, it continued to show yellow.

“Are you alright?” Connor asked softly, reaching a hand forward to rest on your knee and giving it a loving squeeze.

You were so surprised that he didn’t offer some kind of thorough analysis of your current mental state that a guttural laugh escaped your lips. The sound confused even Connor, his eyebrows furrowing at your impromptu reaction. You covered your mouth sheepishly, flashing Connor a look that said “I’m-sorry-I-don’t-know-what-that-was-either-kindly-ignore-that.”

Connor was silent again as he considered what to say. His eyes flitted to the television screen that had paused on a frame of you shoving your face into the camera with a toothy smile. You were missing two of your bottom teeth.

“Is that you?” Connor inquired. He was only being polite. You both knew that with a simple facial scan he had already determined that it was, in fact, you.

“Yeah,” you answered lamely. “My sixth birthday.”

Connor’s hand that was resting on your knee moved to your hand, slowly pulling the remote out of your grip. He unpaused the video and sat stiffly, his eyes darting from you to the screen like he didn’t know which to watch. The television showed you as you flaunted your missing teeth before pulling back to answer another one of Hank’s questions.

“Alright, last question, kiddo,” Hank said off-screen, his tone teasingly serious. “We gotta hear the final verdict… d’you like being six?”

Your little self squinted her eyes in consideration, lips pursed into an extreme pout. For added effect, you put a finger to your chin and tapped it thoughtfully.

“Hmm…,” you thought loudly. “No!”

“No?” Hank repeated with a hearty laugh. “Why not?”

“I don’t wanna get old,” you admitted innocently as if it was the easiest answer in the world. “Getting old means I’ll die.”

You snatched the remote from Connor’s hand and hurriedly paused the video again. All of a sudden, your breaths were coming out in sharp pants as your body was filled to the brim with an inexplicable panic. You needed a distraction, you didn’t want to think about any of this. 

Connor was calling your name calmly, his voice a steady, grounding force. Your wide eyes snapped to meet his, hands moving to clutch both of his. As you latched onto his warm gaze, you felt an odd imbalance. You couldn’t tell if you were comforted or stressed by his presence.

“How can I help you?” Connor murmured, allowing you to grip his hands as tightly as possible.

“I don’t know… I don’t know,” you stammered. “I’m scared, Connor.”

“What are you scared of?” 

“I don’t know.”

“Okay… okay,” Connor whispered soothingly.

Freeing one of his hands from your grasp, Connor’s hand snaked to the back of your head and pulled you forward until your forehead was resting against his lips. He pressed light kisses against your skin, murmuring comforting words as tears started to silently spill from the corners of your eyes. You collapsed forward until your face was buried in the crook of Connor’s neck. His lips moved to your head, kissing along the top of your head.

Why were you crying? Why were you crying? Why were you crying?

You didn’t understand why you were so overwhelmed, you just knew that you were. You had felt it so suddenly that there hadn’t been time to ask why. 

“Are you scared of… losing Hank?” Connor questioned.

No, that wasn’t it. Well, yes, you were. But that wasn’t the cause of your unexpected anxiousness.

“Are you scared of… dying?”

Yes. Yes, that was it. That was it. Sort of, at least.

Too broken to speak, you simply nodded against Connor’s body. 

“Can you tell me what scares you about it?”

Could you? You thought about it, blinking furiously to slow the tears. Why were you scared? Sure, death was scary in general, but there was something else. There had to be something else because your heart was still pounding furiously.

“I… don’t know,” you croaked.

“Okay,” Connor said patiently. “That’s alright. You don’t need to know.”

With his hands still on you, Connor carefully pulled away from you to meet your gaze. The corners of his lips were raised in a loving smile as he studied you, his thumb absentmindedly running along your knuckles.

“I want you to know that you’re safe with me,” he continued.

You matched Connor’s smile hesitantly, feeling your heartbeat slow to a resting state. Your attention was drawn to Connor’s spiraling LED as it returned to its usual blue.

That was it.

Your smile vanished quicker than it appeared. Your eyes were now fixated on the LED at Connor’s temple, a constant reminder that he was an android. And you were only human.

“I’m going to lose you,” you whispered hoarsely.

A puzzled look crossed Connor’s features, the crease between his brows returning. His LED blinked yellow again as he realized you were still in distress. 

“You won’t lose me,” Connor promised, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze. “You can’t lose me.”

“That’s the problem, Connor,” you sniffled. “Someday, I’ll die. And you’ll keep living.”

The tension in Connor’s face eased as he realized the root of your sadness, though he didn’t look at ease himself. His LED quickly turned to a solid red. He looked so… sad. As if it hadn’t occurred to him until now the inevitable future of the two of you. 

The look on his face made you want to apologize profusely. You were sorry for ever putting that thought in his head. But you didn’t have the words to speak. You were frozen, just as he was.

Connor broke your suspended state by inhaling slowly, nodding his head as he thought to himself. You noticed that his grip on your hand was tighter as if he was afraid to let go. His other hand had moved to rest on your upper arm, rubbing it soothingly. It seemed to be a calming gesture for both you and him.

“Maybe that is how it will be,” Connor muttered, his eyes finding yours again. “Or maybe there’s another way we don’t know of. But that… that’s far in the future. That’s not something we need to concern ourselves with right now. Right now… is right now.”

Your tears had stopped falling long ago once there were no more left to cry. You resorted to chewing your lip worriedly, ignoring the bead of blood that infested your tastebuds. Connor’s hand moved to caress your jaw, running a thumb across your lips to stop you from hurting yourself. 

“Right now… I’m holding you. On this couch. Because I care about you,” Connor continued, though his voice was still slightly frazzled. “And that’s all we need to worry about.”

Either way, his words did do something to calm you. You nodded along as he spoke, leaning into the warmth of his smooth palm. Your fear wasn’t gone, not completely anyway. But it was certainly less than it was before. 

You moved quickly into Connor’s arms, pushing him back so that he was lying on the couch. Your head curled against his chest, holding the front of his shirt tightly. You never wanted him to leave. His arms naturally fell around you and lightly rubbed your back.

It wasn’t necessary for Connor to breathe, but you could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest. You knew he was doing it for your sake. You followed the pattern of his breathing until you finally felt a sense of peace for the first time that night.

“Will you keep holding me like this?” you mumbled.

“I’ll hold you like this, right now and forever.” 

[sunnydayroleplay]

Ooooh I saw your post asking for headcanons to write and I think I got just the thing for ya!

So, we know all good and well that ol' Joey getting stuck in that tape broke him just a little bit and turned him into Jack a little more permanently. However, I'm not so convinced he wasn't still having the occassional breakdown/existential crisis. What if, when MC watched the tape, he was in the middle of one, messin' up his lines and comin' out of the tape as Joe with just Jack's clothes? How would living with a very confused Joe to start with go?

This fic includes: Soft mention of murder/death + abduction, Joseph being fucked with mentally and emotionally, Cursing, other than that it's sweet from there on. 38 years have past at this point, all of his missing posters depict him as a well established 63 year old. Only miles away near the original scene of the crime, an empty shallow grave with the name washed away and a date of death and birth. Could he have been abducted? A murder case gone cold? While it does seem that way at the start of this when inspecting the body further, it doesn't explain the body leaving past everyone heightened security. Not much you can do about it. It's 1984 after-all, not the best technology. However, what if I told you that I knew where he was at? Where he was hidden away all these years? Left all alone with nothing but himself. No contact with anything or anyone, no idea on what's going in the living world. Nothing. The first few years stuck in that VHS tape collecting dust away somewhere, he had hope that he would one day leave, but gradually he just gave up on hope. All he could so was think. Think and be alone. Think about all his past mistakes and disappointments, what he could've done better, how he may have deserved this. Was this how death was? Was this his own personalized finale for all the wrong-doing he did was alive? Was this his own personal torture chamber? Not even enduring anything physical, just being alone? Being alone for so long can do something to a person, even for someone like Joseph. Not that you'll see it throughout his non-aging development in the tape, but you'll definitely see it from the moment your beautiful/handsome face had accidentally bought the VHS tape and watched it, and as he doesn't hesitate to jump out of your TV. You put in the tape into an old player, you sit down on your couch and stare at the very box and cube like television. It started off with a shaky camera--lots of movement, as if a friend was recording their own doing something. Just making memories. In frame there's a 6'0, muscular man, well built, soft, thick brown fluffy hair, a few face marks, and a few tattoos. He was wearing a pair of tight black jeans, a tight tank top, and he had a script in hand. He was rehearsing lines of some sort, you didn't know what, but he kept messing up his lines. When he messed up his lines, his laugh that ensued after was cute. Even though he seemed like a mean man on the outside, he genuinely seemed like a sweet person, his big giddy smile putting one on your own face. The way the people behind the camera teased him like the little brother of the family. It all seemed so sweet. Who could've just gotten rid of this tape like that? As you continued to watch what seemed like a wholesome memory, the tape began to..almost glitch. The camera would flip constantly, the colors would begin to go inverted and it would just mess up. You thought it was an issue with the player itself, so you get up from your couch, pressing random buttons on it, hoping it did something. Within your button pushing something happened. The video just paused. You looked up at the screen, something wasn't right. As you stare further, a big hand extends out of the screen in front of your very eyes. You back away and scream, what the fuck is going and who the fuck is THAT- The man face planted into your floor, and groaned as he got up. As he stood himself up, man was he tall. But as he stood up, he looked down at you. He smiled so brightly as he continued to look at you and look around his surroundings. He took a few steps forward, as if he wanted to get a hug from you, but refrained himself. "Th-thank you, lord you don' know how long I was in there, a-and it' was jus', jus' awful. I'm forever in your debt." He dropped to the floor and on his knees, sitting in front of the couch you were balled up on. You slowly opened up your vulnerable position, and soon got a better look of who this man was. He looked and sounded just like the guy in the tape. No way, no fucking way. Holy fucking shit. "Uh, what year is it, s-sir-?"

You didn't know what the hell to call him, but not like it mattered. Was he a time traveler? You had so many questions and not enough answers. "It don' look like it's 1985 anymore darlin'."

He chuckled softly looking off to the side, inspecting your apartment. "What year is it?" "It's..2023." "Well fuck me gently with a chainsaw! Ain't that somethin' you don't hear everyday!" "Hm, well we have to get you used to the, newer ages I suppose." The first month it was, different. Having a new person living with you, right after you kicked your ex out. You had Joseph stay in what would be your ex's room. You taught Joseph a bunch of new things, and that wall paint should not give you lead poisoning. You didn't mind paying for an extra mouth to feed or shower, especially if that mouth cleaned up the house, making dead floors look alive, and if that mouth basically kept you company whenever. It was sweet. I guess he was as genuine as he cut out to be. The next few months went by like that. You got closer and closer to Joseph, as he did with you. You guys didn't sleep together in the same bed, and nothing more than a hug, but it was nice. He was good to you, and he appreciated your lessons and hospitality. As time passed by longer, you started to develop feelings for Joseph, and believe me, the feeling was mutual once more. You had work and this time Joseph didn't want to go. Usually he just sat in the employee backroom, and waited for you to go there and talk to him. But this time, he just wanted to sleep in. Which is fine, you didn't mind it, he didn't always have to go. So you went by yourself. Work went as usual, customers coming in picking yogurt, weighing the cups and paying, cleaning up occasional mess. Nothing fancy. It's not like you were a CEO of a big company. "Joey? Joey, I'm home!" You yelled out the moment you stepped foot into your apartment, the lights were off. You hung up your keys and took off your shoes, turning on the light in the process. On the counter was a cake. It definitely was home-baked, there was a few decorations and a very messy Joseph. You giggled and shook flour out of his hair. "What's all this for?" You appreciated the gesture, and nudged him with your hip playfully. He got all flustered and pulled your hands close to his heart. Although he didn't say anything, you could tell what he wanted to say. You interlocked your fingers with his own, and gave him a short kiss on the lips. He smiled and picked you up, placing you on the counter. His arms were wrapped around your shoulders, he showered your face with all the love and affection he could in 2 minutes. Your hands were placed on his sides, kissing him back, your hands running through the back of his head, twirling his hair. "I know it may be too soon, but-"

"There isn't nothin' to be taking back, Joe."

"I love ya." He pauses to kiss you again. "I love ya more than anythin' I could think off." "I love you too." "So...since you love me~ Could you help me clean up the kitchen?"

"I don't love ya that much, Joey." "You're so cruel~"

[sonnetsficofcringe]

Awoken

Summary: you went for walk at the rural abandoned studio near your home and get stuck there due to a sudden weather change. This leads you to a trip down memory lane.

Warnings: a little angst. Y/n or “you” is used and afab.

Im on mobile so wording may look off and or weird, sorry in advance! Also i do not proof read and post late at night mmkay? Mmkay.

Chapter 1 ol’ rainy memories

Rain. Thunder.

Thats all you hear from outside studio. Your reasons to clear your head at this abandoned studio was always the same and it was a perfect reason.

The quiet and welcoming atmosphere.

Only this time she had to break in so she wouldn’t be stuck in the rain and get sick…

*sigh* “i might as well explore the inside while I’m trapped, wont be going to my van anytime soon.”

Your precious mini van you bought to store your precious flower babies. Having a big garden with flowers of all kinds, being colour coordinated when planted. You were proud of it.

Proud you could grow amazing and rare flowers, proud you could sell the extras during harvest time, proud to be a damned good gardener!

Yet, you were alone with just the flowers and plants to keep you company. Plants that can’t share your interests or congratulate your accomplishments, plants the can’t hug you back.

‘It’s fine, I’m ok alone’

You told yourself as always, walking through the studios lobby. Happening on the absolute most of a set of characters on a poster! Colourful characters smile and pose for a metaphorical camera(except one) with large words above them

W E L C O M E H O M E

The memories hit you like a truck, all that time watching your proclaimed “favourite show” while a child and not remembering it till now. You’re childhood self being the same but different than you are today. You had friends from school but not one came to visit, not to sleep over, not even a phone call hello.

But “they” were your friends.

Wally, Barnaby, Julie, sally, poppy, Eddie, frank and howdy. They were there when you woke up and when you left for school, cheering you up when sad and making you laugh for hours. Hell you got your distain for curse words from them! Though one or two slip out. So how did you forget them?

You begin to think back, trying to pinpoint the exact moment you forgot your best friend’s. Was it when you lost your wally plush and couldn’t watch the show without him? Was when your dad sold the Welcome Home VHS tapes? When your mom scolded you for still having childish interests?

You ponder this as your memories begin to fade a quickly as they came, you reach out as if to hold onto those memories for longer. Only to touch the poster in front of you.

Looking at you’re surroundings you notice not only are in a studio, you are in THE WELCOME HOME STUDIO! “SQUEEEEEE-“ You squeal in sync with clap of thunder. Getting all giddy and excited, you’ve wanted to be here for so long (or at least till you forgot).

You explore deeper into the studio thinking you’ll see them again.

Your best friends.

[jerryb2]

In my ongoing quest to create the ultimate Expanded Universe® Grand Master® Luke Skywalker® Lightsaber® (shut up, that’s totally my latest quest 👀), here we have some side-by-side pics of the ROTJ Luke V2 & V3 sabers, as well as the MK1 for scale and reference.

I’ve just recently added the blade plug to the V3, as well as replacing the original D-Ring on the pommel with one that has a more rounded shape, which I personally think looks better. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. 😎

Breaking character for a moment though; ever since I learned about the different versions of Luke’s Lightsaber I’ve been sort of mulling over a metanarrative that I’d like to share (this’ll take a while, so strap in):

For those that might not know, Luke’s lightsaber from Return of the Jedi has a complicated history, to say the least; there are actually multiple screen-used lightsaber props for Luke in ROTJ. If nothing else, this simple fact serves as a testament to the sheer disorganization of the early Star Wars films. In general, movie scenes are rarely shot in sequential order - in fact, they’re shot in an order that’s the most cost-effective. Pressed for time, and shooting the climactic throne room duel with Darth Vader early in the production, the prop department was forced to re-purpose several "stunt sabers" and turn them into on-camera props. These were originally FX/stunt sabers for Ben Kenobi (the MK1) in ANH, and that had since been repurposed so that the actors could practice with them. There’s some really neat footage out there of Mark Hamill and Bob Anderson (Vader’s stunt double) practicing the fight from ESB where Mark is actually using the V2. This led to the V2, V3, Yuma and later, the Hero versions of the same (technically) lightsaber. This also goes a long way to explain why Luke & Ben’s sabers have such a similar profile. How did no one notice this for literally decades? Well, when you take into account that there was no such thing as a high-definition picture, as well as the fact that most kids watched the OT on VHS tapes in the late 80′s and early 90′s, you can start to see why the filmmakers weren’t too worried about smaller details like that. 

It was a different time - and in that way - worse. 

If we look at the V2 (that is, the one with the gaffer tape around the neck and the overall aesthetic of ‘let’s just get this over with’) we see something that fits the part it played in ROTJ; a weapon made by a burgeoning Jedi Knight, who was probably just glad that it didn’t blow up in his face when he hit the activation plate. For my money though, I’d say that this is Luke’s saber for only a few days to a week, at most. 

For anyone who hasn’t read Shadows of the Empire, here’s a brief aside; Luke built his lightsaber using plans he found in Ben Kenobi’s Hut on Tatooine, hence an in-universe reason why the sabers look so similar. After losing to Vader on Cloud City, Luke and his allies spent the next several months recuperating and making plans to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt. During this time, Luke was able to scrounge the parts necessary to build his new lightsaber; a high-energy reflector cup, diatium power cell and a focusing lens, etc. The only thing he needed to complete his blade was the main crystal. Due to a lack of resources (thanks to Old Palpy himself), Luke was forced to use a synthetic crystal. After a solid month of work, he finally completed his saber and it’s here where we more-or-less meet the narrative of the film. There are dozens of pictures that depict Luke fighting on the sail barge, on Endor and on the Second Death Star - and in the vast majority of them, he’s holding the V2.

So where does the V3 come in, within the context of this story? 

Well, after the conclusion of ROTJ and the events of the next several days as depicted in The Truce at Bakura, I would imagine that Luke took some time to reevaluate his saber. Maybe it had begun to malfunction? Maybe the insulation wasn’t properly protecting the power source from the superconductor after all? Or maybe he was just slightly embarrassed that his (not-so) shiny new Jedi weapon had a strip of tape holding it together? The point is, I would imagine that he probably made a trip or two down to the ol’ hangar bay and had a chat with one of the chief mechanics, who was then able to procure some slightly higher-quality components.

The gaff tape is outta there; it doesn’t provide proper insulation and it just doesn’t befit the only Jedi Knight left in the whole galaxy. After the insulator was properly (re)installed, it’s conceivable that Luke took the neck to a milling machine and polished it to expose the metal underneath, revealing its copper-brass color. For that matter, Luke probably gave the whole thing a good once over with some steel wool. Now at least it doesn’t look like a Bantha shat it out after an evening meal. And as it turns out, with proper dimetris circuitry, he doesn’t need the nipple on top of the emitter to stabilize the blade, so he just removed it.

That’s the way it probably stayed for several years; it looked more polished and was properly functional. It would still have the long clamp lever and the unique circuit card over the activation plate, as well as the cone knob and mystery chunk, but we’re already starting to look more like the V3. Then we get to the Thrawn Campaign and shortly after, Operation Shadow Hand with the reborn Emperor. After these threats had passed, we do know (via The Jedi Academy Trilogy) that Luke spent some time contemplating his place/role in the galaxy - it was shortly after this that he decided to establish the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV, after all. 

By now the clamp lever is getting a bit sad; probably more trouble that it’s worth to replace just the clamp lever, so why not replace the whole thing? And that clamp card is pretty grotty, so it’s time to fix that. And I would imagine that he would be a bit tired of having the cone knob & mystery chunk cutting into his hand (I can relate, fam) so let’s just rework that booster. What we come away with is something that looks almost bang-on like the stock Rudy Pando V3; no emitter nipple, copper wind vane, new activation card and clamp, and no extra greeblies. 

From then on his saber stays pretty much the same for a couple of decades....until he recovers it from UnuThul/Lomi Plo after The Dark Nest crisis. 

Now, because we know that Luke did build a replacement after UnuThul confiscated his first saber (one which apparently looked almost identical to his OG saber - sure, okay, Troy Denning), I think this is where the Hero saber enters the narrative. Most likely only a short time after he claimed the title of Grand Master of the Order (around the time when the Jedi were preparing to launch an all-out attack on the Dark Nest and thus the newly minted GM would need a functioning saber), I’d like to think that Luke let his natural mechanical ability and technical knowhow run a bit wild - he builds a very close facsimile of his saber, but this time with a proper control box and indicator lights, better basic construction, etc. Once he recovered his original saber, I don’t think it would be out of the question for him to carry over a few design tweaks he had just made with the Hero. Notably, he added back the nipple on the emitter - in the long run, it’s just better to have it since it prevents power bleed-off (or something - lads, I’m literally pulling all of this out of me arse) and more than anything, because it improves the overall profile. And on top of that, it looks like he added some mesh coverings to some of the heat venting ports(?), probably to prevent grime or dirt from building up over time. Smart man, that Luke Skywalker.

And at last, we have arrived at the construction we see in the pictures above; this is (for me) Luke’s saber as he carries it in his duels with both Darth Cadeus & Lumiya, when he goes into (more-or-less) self-imposed exile and through to when he confronts Abeloth and eventually becomes one with the Force.

This has been my TED Talk. Thank you for coming. 😅

Oh, and because I suspect that some of the more eagle-eyed readers out there will be wondering - where does the Yuma fit into all this? Well hey, this is my metanarrative. Go make your own. 😉

[fugandhi]

Why We Rise (A Meditation on Humanity)

by Adam Kenichi Wekarski

The time has come for me to write about Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy (and why it is the most important cinematic franchise of our time). *Please purchase & view the franchise in it’s entirety prior to reading this independent essay. Spoilers are No Fun for Anyone. SUPPORT The STORYTELLERS*

Although it’s a story derived from a comic book, this is not a movie franchise to be taken lightly (or for granted for that matter). Christopher Nolan’s film, “Memento” was the first work he had accomplished that I had ever seen (back in the Blockbuster days - ahem, VHS RULES!) and it is still spinnin’ my mind after all this time. Christopher Nolan ALWAYS delivers some form of ground-breaking excellence in his work - his ‘Dark Knight’ Franchise is no exception.

When one thinks of Batman, it’s very easy to consider the various forms (literature, animation, cinema, video games, etc) of said character (God Bless You, Adam West! R.I.P., Good Sir!). SO many INCREDIBLE & [BEYOND] TALENTED folks have, not only performed as the character, but have helped in shaping this character’s Monumental & Positive Imprint on contemporary society (worldwide).

I still believe Christian Bale is one of the most under-appreciated performers of our time. I first saw him in the Dark Comedy, “American Psycho” (DUDE! Holy Smack-a-RONi! Totally Bonkers & Viciously frightening). I still can’t believe he did not receive an Academy Award nomination for that performance (for shame, HollyWould). As much as I love Tim Robbins (SHAWSHANK, BaBY!), Christian Bale is one of the greatest actors of all time (100% WITHOUT A DOUBT). He plays Bruce Wayne PERFECTLY (TOTALLY the BEST Bruce Wayne OF ALL TIME! DONE! NO ARGUMENT! END-ALL-BE-ALL..”..Been there, Done that - got the album, Bought the Tee-shirt..NEXT” (Ricky Gervais, The Office [UK]). CHRISTIAN BALE DESERVED AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR “The Dark Knight Rises” - I’M SAYING IT - HE DID SUCH A PERFECT PERFORMANCE in (Yeah ALL Caps) this entire franchise. I need to address that because so many folks seemed to be swept-up in their own distractions as viewers (Yeah we get it, he disguised his voice with a growl - get over it, ya’ll). He seems to be a good person (‘seems’ being the operative word) & I’ve read about his efforts in his life off-screen (You are a Good Man, Sir) when the cameras are not around. I have a belief that it’s good for people to appreciate those ‘moments-of-truth’ more often (just one person’s opinion, take it or leave it).

Speaking of ‘moments-of-truth’ - This story (spanning across three EPIC films) is the ultimate moment-of-truth for Sir Christopher Nolan (Why Not?; He actually is CBE apparently; Respect) and his AMAZING Production TEAM’s collective efforts. So many people put their well-being on the line to make these stories happen (some even, their lives, Rest in Peace) and I believe this franchise deserves ALL of the Success & Recognition & Praise (and honestly, Time) for the awe-inspiring efforts put forth (in regards to cinematic storytelling). This is a franchise for the fans (due to how well it honors the source material & simultaneously manages to elevate the art-form).

Bruce Wayne is one of the most important modern characters of our time. Not since the days of Jesus Christ, himself, has there even been someone who sparked a universal impact (sorry ‘Supes’ - You & Ol’ ‘Batsy’ are Tied in my book) upon average people worldwide. Granted - Bruce Wayne is NO Jesus (there can only be one), however, his life’s journey is a true Test of Faith, which is a universal lesson that I firmly believe Jesus Christ was attempting to spread in his message of good faith towards one another.

Bruce Wayne (played by Christian Bale & Gus Lewis, respectively), as it is now [mostly known], was born an heir to The Wayne Family, an age-old empire in modern society (Gotham City, U.S.A.). In Christopher Nolan’s particular take on this (now-classic) SuperHero story - Reality is the cinematic setting.

“Batman Begins” is Nolan’s homage to Richard Donner’s “Superman”, having been THE standard for comic book movies (since the late 1970’s if I’m not mistaken). Having obviously been a fan of Donner’s work (Gee, who isn’t?) - it’s an obvious source-of-influence for the first installment in Christopher Nolan’s Perfect Epic.

When I had first discovered the news that Christopher Nolan was Warner Bros. Studios’ choice for a brand new Batman reboot - I have to admit I was VERY optimistic. After having seen “Memento”, and his work with that incredible team - I was very, very optimistic that for ONCE the Batman universe was going to be actually depicted like it is in the comic books (at least the ‘80s Batman Comics - Hello Dark & Gritty Vibes). Considering the mental intensity of “Memento” (and how linear-storytelling-need-not-apply) - I was absolutely curious to see how well the story would finally be done on-screen (with all due respect to Tim Burton & Joel Schumacher & All previous efforts achieved in the known story-telling community). After all is said and done, this franchise is a ‘Grand Slam’.

Christopher Nolan’s version of Milton “Bill” Finger’s (Bob Kane took all of the credit for Bill’s work; for shame) story of Bruce Wayne/Batman is the most inspiring work I’ve seen achieved on the concept (and characters) to this day. With the initial tone set in the first film - we find a young Bruce Wayne as a child - simply playing in the Wayne family’s garden with his best (& childhood) friend (and one of the most important characters in the franchise): Rachel Dawes (played by Katie Holmes, Emma Lockhart, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, respectively). Bruce & Rachel establish the innocence of childhood (and of our main protagonist) with the playful phrase, “Finders Keepers” which is followed by young Bruce falling into an old dried-out well (which then traps him into a slight crevice, filled with Bats).

As we discover in this story, the symbol of Batman has a rather deeper meaning to Bruce Wayne than what had been initially expected (unless if you’re a fan of the comics). When the first film starts to take form, we find Bruce Wayne lost in the depths of ‘hell’ as an adult man. Having been an heir to a Family’s Kingdom (so-to-speak), Bruce Wayne had lost his Mother & Father; Martha & Thomas Wayne (SUCH Good People) at a tragically-early age, having their lives taken by a lost soul in the dark of night (a reality known, all-too-well, by our own collective experiences as a contemporary society).

Martha & Thomas Wayne establish the core values that help shape Bruce Wayne as an Individual. Their Leadership, their knowledge, their wisdom, their love (their faith). All of their finest attributes shine a light on how the community - the city of Gotham (and their actions as people) help shape said community. Without their Faith, Bruce Wayne’s immediate world probably wouldn’t have even been established for him (perhaps). It is that faith that is the driving force of this franchise, and the greatest tragedy of this film is, indeed, the blatant & cold-blooded murder of Martha & Thomas Wayne. Ya know, they were really good people in terms of their contributions to their household & community & their lives, and they truly cared about their impact on the world (in a greater sense).

With such care, they made important choices (that had an effect on everyone in Gotham, regardless of outlook). Choices that made a necessary difference in, not only their home, but in their overall world. Gotham may be fictional, but I will let the fantasy play and I will acknowledge the tremendous amount of detail put into these stories that went unnoticed in the initial ‘life’ of this franchise’s release. Having said that - Unless if memory serves inaccurate, this film received a lot of unwarranted criticism for the realistic depiction of modern violence (due to the UNGodly public shooting(s) that have been taking place in our country; I acknowledge the real-life tragedies, but also acknowledge the importance of artistic vision). I say unwarranted due to the fact that Christopher Nolan managed to hold up a mirror and we need to pay close attention (and look beyond the glamour & simulated violence), and this was accomplished well-before Todd Phillips’ incredible film “Joker” had been produced (which drew plenty of inspiration from Nolan’s signature style and Heath Ledger’s actual development of said character; Joker’s Journal).

At the core of this story is Faith.

Faith is what was instilled in Martha & Thomas Wayne (and their lessons with Bruce as a boy). Alfred Pennyworth (played Beautifully by Sir Michael Caine in a Nomination-worthy performance for Best Supporting Actor in my humble opinion) is the reinforcement to protect the Wayne Family’s Honor & Good Name. On the surface, Mr. Pennyworth is Bruce Wayne’s Butler, however, when he’s not maintaining the Wayne fortune, he is ‘the guiding light’ (no pun intended) in Bruce Wayne’s Journey (despite the efforts of various opposition). While Rutger Hauer (rest his soul; “BLIND FURY”!!! YES!) had set the tone for what was to come later in young Bruce Wayne’s life (at the funeral for Martha & Thomas Wayne) - it becomes abundantly clear that Bruce Wayne has quite the journey ahead of him in his life (with plenty of whom have pre-developed plans & agendas to seize Wayne Enterprises for their own gain).

Bruce Wayne, born of a Mother & Father, heir to “the throne” (as it were), and thriving billionaire, one day decides to leave it all behind. It’s a moment of internal crisis for our protagonist due to the severely traumatic act of witnessing the death of his own parents (while almost being murdered himself). I know a lot of people think Kal-El (aka ‘Superman’, aka ‘Clark Kent’) is the end-all be-all of Superheroes (myself included), however, after a retrospective look back at Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy it becomes abundantly clear just how much credit this franchise did NOT receive from the critics & the artistic community (Hi, Academy. I’m lookin’ at ya’ll). Despite the worldwide acclaim, I believe this franchise was well ahead of it’s time in terms of the most important aspect of the entire achievement - The Story.

This is a franchise fully-devoted to the story and that is a significant contributor to the success of this version of Batman. I grew up watching old reruns on TV of Adam West & Burt Ward going around and ‘CLEANING-SOME-CLOCKS’ as it were (POW! ZAM! KLAM! CHOWDAH!), and I always hold that version near-and-dear to my heart because I still think the early 1960’s version of Batman was really fun & really awesome & an absolute delight. Plain & simple. ..Granted - as time continued and the characterization of Bruce Wayne (and his alter-ego “Batman”; His Armor; His Protective Shield) had advanced & developed into a new ground (conceptually-speaking). The core values of who Bruce Wayne is, where he comes from, and Why he does [what he does] did not truly become profoundly-realized for me until I’d say when the Animated series (1990’s! DUDE still one of the best Animated Series I’ve ever seen; like ‘a fine wine of cartoons’). “The Mask of The Phantasm” is still one of the best Batman stories I’ve ever seen - Such an incredible origin story for Bruce Wayne - and definitely one of the best animated, full-length features I had ever seen as a kid (Not to discount Tim Burton’s gothic-induced-dream-like version of the knight’s tale).

With Christopher Nolan’s contribution to the overall storyline of Batman - we truly have a Masterpiece Trilogy before us (as audience members). Nolan’s take on Batman is truly like no other (even surpassing efforts that preceded the franchise) in that he actually provides a glimpse into what it would look like if the fantasy actually became a reality. Christopher Nolan achieves that goal (Ten-fold) with this trilogy.

In the first film - what we know about Batman becomes hyper-realized with the emphasis on Bruce Wayne’s life in modern-day America (Gotham City being the quintessential metropolitan All-American city). An America that has succumbed to an overall tone of darkness & hopelessness (with the reality of tangible corruption & streets of truly deadly conditions) which has reached a pinnacle-of-suffering for the good people of Gotham (and perhaps, rippled outward into the rest of the world).

Jim Gordon (played PERFECTLY by Gary Oldman, one of the finest performing actors ever to be on screen), a symbol of Gotham’s defeated Law Enforcement, patrols the streets of Gotham City each night. Jim Gordon is one of the key individuals that Bruce Wayne reaches out towards (in his pre-Knight regalia) in the first stages of ‘Batman Begins’. Jim Gordon was the person who wrapped the coat around (a young) Bruce Wayne’s shoulders after his parents had been needlessly-murdered right before his very eyes. Jim Gordon was the one who kneeled to Bruce’s level, acknowledged his loss, and gave him that moment of kindness & warmth & honest-to-God decency. He acknowledged Bruce’s sorrow & loss with grace. He gave him a moment of simple human decency & kindness for the sake of kindness itself.

Jim Gordon’s kind gesture is merely a moment in time, which made all the difference for a young kid who just needed someone to simply be there for him. A moment that showed Bruce Wayne that Goodness & Human Decency can & does still exist in the world despite a traumatically-life-changing tragedy. Jim Gordon’s simple, nearly effortless act, is a sign that people Do honor good faith (and people who truly deserve it) and the good Do get rewarded.

I really like the character Bruce Wayne. I think he’s a better character than most that I’ve ever seen, especially since he actually has character. It’s a shame that people can not see beyond the surface to find the deeper meaning of this story. Bruce Wayne’s [incredible] journey takes place all over the world. When we find him in ‘..Begins’, he is locked up in the ominous mountains of Bhutan. His home now a desolate wasteland of an existence due to his loss. His tragedy (despite Jim Gordon’s act of kindness) had lead him astray and brought him across the other part of the world (only to discover what it truly means to suffer in poverty & hunger & pain & strife & darkness without any means of comfort). As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Bruce’s path is the ‘path-of-most-resistance.’ Rather than succumb to a frivolous, meaningless, and hollow existence - Bruce Wayne took the path rarely taken. He chose his own path, to earn his own personal truth, his own story to be lived & known (and eventually discovered by Gotham City).

When Bruce meets an unusual individual by the name of ‘Ducard’ (aka Ra’s al Ghul; aka Liam Neeson; Also played simultaneously by the honorable Ken Watanabe, respectively) in his own ‘personal hell’, Ducard feeds into Bruce’s fall from the path of grace (and his spiritual confusion). Ra’s al Ghul/Ducard is only interested in one thing: controlling Bruce Wayne. As Ra’s al Ghul is the quintessential ‘Handler’, or ‘Hypnotist’ of Bruce Wayne in the training period for Bruce Wayne’s spiritual journey - it becomes evident with each effort from Wayne that Ra’s al Ghul represents The Devil (aka ‘The Prince of Darkness’, ‘Satan’, ‘Lucifer’; The ‘Shadow Side’ of Saturn; See “Yikes!”; See “YOWZA”; See “Hide Yo Kids, Hide Yo Wife”; No Disrespect To The Coven; See Not My Lord; See God Protect Me).

From the moment we first-see Ra’s al Ghul - he is shrouded in darkness - lurking in the shadows within each unseen corner of the world - the proverbial serpent of the shadows (so-to-say). In a manner of speaking, Ra’s al Ghul is merely one of many faces throughout the story that showcase the forces of darkness in this particular cinematic legacy (from the depths of darkness, here to possess the living). Ra’s al Ghul attempts to indoctrinate Bruce Wayne (in Bad Faith) in the Bhutanese abyss; a wasteland for the damned (and where the death of hope thrives amidst the stone-prison-walls). Despite Ra’s al Ghul’s efforts - Bruce Wayne not only proves to be the most-prominent under-study of the cult (while being initiated into a secret society; a clandestine fraternity; a subversive order of assassins following an ancient practice (unknown & unseen by the blissful light of day).

Bruce Wayne’s prominence during his training cycle with ‘The League of Shadows’ (an appropriate title) shows us that he surpasses even Ra’s al Ghul’s expectations: showing how the student becomes the teacher (by upholding an authentic approach to having a Personal Moral Code & Justice & Ethical Values). Bruce Wayne is not only faster, stronger, and smarter than Ra’s al Ghul - Bruce Wayne is also wiser. Due to Wayne’s parents (and his friendships) he truly is ‘the shining example’ of true justice that Ra’s al Ghul has yet to achieve in life (due to his obsessive wrath).

Having destroyed the League of Shadows’ initiation grounds & temple of darkness - Bruce Wayne LITERALLY SAVES RA’S AL GHUL’S LIFE. ‘True Colors’ does not even begin to define such a moment for our protagonist (that’s a true sign of Mercy).

Despite Bruce Wayne saving Ra’s al Ghul’s life, afterwards the dude STILL tries to come back and kill Bruce AND Gotham City (Showing how The Devil has No Mercy for Anything, Anyone, or Anywhere and is just flat-out unwilling to acknowledge when something good actually does happen). Granted, at the end of “Batman Begins” we discover how Martha and Thomas Wayne were murdered as a direct result of Ra’s al Ghul & The League of Shadows (and their hatred for all things Gotham City & Western Civilization). It’s a diabolical reveal that the devil holds nothing sacred in the sanctity of human life. The devil will literally kill an angel after having been saved by said angel. In fact, Bruce Wayne’s own personal brush with death is (tragically) a common concern of not only Alfred, but Lucius Fox (played exquisitely by one Morgan Freeman), a former Board-Member & former colleague of Thomas Wayne (prior to his passing).

Bruce shows us that good people typically make a lot of good friends and have good people looking out for one’s best interest (no matter their walk of life). The most awe-inspiring truth of Bruce Wayne/Batman is that his ‘best interest’ is preserving & honoring the good faith of his community and the people in his life (including his ancestors, mind-you, as well as the herculean guidance of one Alfred Pennyworth). Without friends - life goes nowhere - that’s a universal truth. Bruce Wayne nearly died so many times in this trilogy and I don’t think people appreciate that aspect of these movies. This is an individual who literally put his life on the line to save the soul of the city he loves (wanting nothing other than a good, normal, & happy life). I know people only fixate on ‘the How’, but I think ‘the Why’ is the most important element of Bruce Wayne’s fictional example.

Bruce Wayne (as all of us) exists for a reason. His life (albeit fictional) does have an important purpose in the grand scheme of things (as one puts it).

Of course, this reason is emphasized (more & more) by his best friend, Rachel Dawes (among others). It’s a shame that Katie Holmes did not portray Rachel Dawes in both of the first two films, however, I found it to be very impressive [just] how smoothly Maggie Gyllenhaal performed as the character. It’s one of the rare instances in which a character is portrayed by two different performers who both managed to bring an equal amount of dignity & respect to said character. Katie Holmes & Maggie Gyllenhaal should both be applauded for their contributions & performance(s) as the grown-up portrayal of Rachel Dawes.

Rachel Dawes is the positive-female-influence in Bruce Wayne’s life (complimentary to that of Alfred Pennyworth’s positive-male-influence; or non-gender-specific-neutral-influence? Sure, why not) that is necessary to develop his respect & honor towards women (which is a necessary element of chivalry). Chivalry is not dead in America: The examples set before us can be found within our own real-life society (I shall go into that more later..).

More important than Rachel Dawes’ positive influence on Bruce Wayne is her genuine friendship (since their childhood). Rachel is not interested in taking advantage of Bruce or using him for her own personal gain. Rachel Dawes genuinely cares about Bruce Wayne and how well the quality of his life (as well as the life of the community) have grown. Rachel Dawes shows Bruce what is occurring in the streets of Gotham on a daily basis. Rachel is living, breathing, working, and seeing what has become of Gotham City - a limping giant of a once-prominent-city (Modern-Day America in a nutshell). Rachel Dawes reminds Bruce Wayne of the importance of Good People Taking Ownership of One’s Community. She reminds him that life is not only about one’s own personal pain, but alas, the collective pain of which a community must endure & resolve (as a said community) with good faith; “It’s not about who you are underneath, it’s what you do that defines you.”

In the second act of Nolan’s Cinematic Epic, “The Dark Knight” - Bruce Wayne encounters the tangible result of Newton’s Third Law: for every action there is an equal (or greater) reaction; hence ‘The Joker’ (played enormously by the late Heath Ledger; Rest in Peace).

The Joker is the response to Bruce Wayne’s actions in the first act, and in every way, he is Bruce Wayne’s exact opposite (albeit opposites, their life paths are balancing on the same proverbial axis of existence). Bruce Wayne is a reflection of light while The Joker is a product of darkness (Negative Energy, Pessimism, Hate, Evil, Unhappiness, Pain, Suffering, Misery, Torment, Violence, & Trauma). While Batman is the answer to corrupt forces in Gotham City - The Joker is the reaction to The Bat-Man.

The Joker is the continuation of opposing forces attempting to infiltrate Bruce Wayne’s life & community (as would a specter in the shadows, a spider in the darkest reaches of lunacy; a.k.a. the absence of faith, the inversion of angels; i.e. Demons, Demonic Entities, Dark Deities, etc). The Joker represents everything evil in society - everything sick, everything sad, everything hurt. To The Joker (and the fools before him) - society is an infestation, a plague, a result of toxicity & corruption (especially the light of which darkness cannot fathom). Batman is the antithesis to Joker’s Chaos. Batman is the collective honor & balance of civility & justice & good faith quantified into one symbolic rogue.

Heath Ledger’s performance of Joker was nothing short of awe-inspiring artistry & workmanship (WorkPERSONship?). His passing was a needless tragedy and although his performance garnered him numerous accolades - I wish he did not have to die in order to attain it (It should have been him accepting the award - it should have been him). Without a doubt, an equal to Joaquin Phoenix’s performance (if not Superior) - I still acknowledge Heath Ledger’s ground-breaking performance as a perfect triumph of Acting (although I think the character is absolutely distorted on all accounts; despite Joker’s persuasive wit).

Many people like to compare Joaquin Phoenix & Heath Ledger’s performance(s) as The Joker (folks compare everything in life), and I think both performances stand strongly on equal ground. Total Perfection. No doubt about it - and one kinda goes with the other if you were to align the vision side-by-side. Of course I love me some Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s “Batman” - I think he gave an undeniably frightening & charismatic performance just as Ledger & Phoenix (proof of the character’s universal & artistic appeal). Although Heath Ledger’s performance shall always be praised as a definitive milestone in Acting on Film - I still think the character is a twisted f**k (pardon my American).

Not only does Joker attempt to destroy Bruce Wayne’s personal Faith, but also everyone he cares about in his life, and everyone in the entire city of Gotham, USA. The pitiful tragedy of Joker’s existence is the sad truth that he lacks good faith in not only himself, but the people of Gotham, and the one individual who is genuinely trying to make a good difference in the world: Bruce Wayne.

It is a tragedy & a disgrace to humankind that Rachel Dawes & Harvey Dent (played by the Always-Excellent Aaron Eckhart) died in vain (as Thomas & Martha before them). It’s a sin that the Joker did what he did to everyone in Gotham City. It’s unGodly that so many human beings had to lose their lives, needlessly, just because of one individual’s own loss of innocence, and more specific, his loss of personal faith in his life (and in the world, of which, we live). The reason why Joker is dangerous is because he is the quintessential ‘mass shooter.’ He is the terrorist. He is the result of a society that has forgotten him. He is the reason why so many people struggle & suffer in contemporary society - not because he caused it, but because he fed into it - preying on the life force of humanity & destroying the efforts of truly good people who kept striving to save the soul of humanity (within the framework of a struggling eco-system).

If Bruce Wayne did not have friends he would have been dead in the first act of the story - that is a fact. When Dr. Jonathan (Not ‘Frasier’) Crane (aka ‘The Scarecrow’) had attacked Batman (in ‘Begins’) with the weaponized hallucinogens, Bruce Wayne was almost killed. If it was not for Alfred Pennyworth & Lucius Fox, Bruce would have been dead in the streets of Gotham. The consistent importance of Friendship is quite evident when thinking of Bruce Wayne’s network of acquaintances (both in ‘high’ & ‘low’ places) in the city of Gotham. This also applies in the opposite, with Bruce becoming an important (and powerful) friend to certain individuals of Gotham City (in return).

Friendship is a universal quality of humanity that should be cherished & honored. Friendship, like everything, requires effort. Bruce Wayne’s life requires effort even though he is a “billionaire playboy” - he still has struggles just like anyone else, and he shares the struggle with his friends (since they became a sort of surrogate family; more like extended-family; legal & spiritual guardians). Bruce Wayne is a fictional example that no one is free from life’s struggle and life’s personal challenges & lessons (no matter the ‘advantages’ or ‘upbringing’). It’s a sign of brilliance on behalf of the conceptual team behind the vision of The Dark Knight Trilogy. I know a lot of people focus on the action sequences and the drama of the theatrical dance of Light & Dark play out on screen in the form of the Batman & the Joker, but beneath the surface is a sincere sociological & political commentary (and spiritual message).

The Light & The Dark (i.e. Positive & Negative, God & Lucifer, Heaven & Hell, Angels & Demons, the Good & the Bad vibes, The Upward Infinity & The Downward Spiral, etc, etc, etc): it is at the fundamental core of our collective balance of existence; Life as we know it to be. It is my humble understanding that the eternal balance is a necessary process, it requires effort on both sides. Both Light & Dark must cooperate to preserve the equinox-of-existence (just one person’s opinion based off of observation & objective analysis, take it or leave it).

The death of Bruce Wayne’s best friend, Rachel Dawes, was not only a tragedy in Bruce’s life, it was a tragedy for innocence. She was so angelic & kind & giving & honorable & brave - her Faith is what helped Bruce remember his childhood innocence (before he was robbed of said innocence), and her last words (which were concealed from Bruce due to desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measures; see Alfred Pennyworth), she continued to spread the message of Good Faith in Humanity despite the fact that she was needlessly murdered. A defining attribute of Rachel Dawes’ character is one-in-the-same as Martha and Thomas Wayne - the Belief & Faith in Humanity despite the monumental heartache & loss (and yes, trauma & death).

If one recalls the time in the first act when Alfred was bringing Bruce Wayne back from the mountains of Bhutan - Alfred briefly mentions how Bruce Wayne’s ancestors’ tireless efforts to keep their community alive (even at the worst of times) nearly made them bankrupt. It was their tireless dedication (their faith) that paved the way to set a foundation for future generations to prosper (while honoring the efforts of said ancestors). Although their example did not improve Gotham’s economic prosperity overnight, the murder of Martha & Thomas Wayne set the wealthy of Gotham into action (as the story goes).

Bruce Wayne comes from a long lineage of helpers. Helpful People who are Good. People who want to see the best results out of humanity’s efforts (as a whole). People who believe in the power of the individual, and the social end-result of one individual’s tireless faith (and life choices).

Although Bruce Wayne’s ancestors are not the focal point of Batman, they are his bloodline & family’s history which in it’s own right deserves to be honored & respected (I know this is a fictional character, but roll with me here, people HahaHA).

Yes, “The Dark Knight” consists of nothing short of complete Mayhem, and YES, The Joker may make ya pee a little bit (just a little), and maybe even laugh (the writing is pretty damn genius in my humble opinion). I acknowledge that “The Dark Knight” should have been nominated for Best Picture (Double that for “The Dark Knight Rises”), and I acknowledge that Christian Bale should have been nominated for Best Actor his final performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman (I think he was snubbed, but hey I’m not in the Academy, so what do I know, right? HahaHA).

Speaking of “The Dark Knight Rises”, I still believe it’s the best Batman movie of all time. I understand (and have heard) many folks say “The Dark Knight” was a better movie, however, I believe (on the contrary) that not only is the third act of Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece a testament of cinematic storytelling - it is a testament to just how AWESOME we are when we perform at our best. When we work together, we are at our best (as a country, and as a people).

“The Dark Knight Rises”, at it’s core, is a cyclical nod to everything that was established in the first act of the trilogy (a perfect Full Circle), and of course, is the conclusion of Batman. Every lesson in Bruce Wayne’s life, every struggle, every enemy, every friend - every aspect of Bruce Wayne’s life is interwoven with Gotham City (and the people of Gotham) as he & his friends defend Gotham City (and everyone in it). In “The Dark Knight Rises”, Bruce Wayne has become a Hermit; locked away, half man, half mythos, in an air of mystery & fascination (among the ones who still speak of the elusive figure; a fading memory of a silent guardian). And as a hermit, Bruce has become deeply reclusive due to the Joker’s killing spree in Gotham City nearly a decade prior (while exploiting the sick minds & lost souls who stand for nothing [and truly fall for anything]).

While an average person would possibly accept Bruce Wayne’s physically-defeated, emotionally-scarred,  and spiritually-damaged condition - Alfred Pennyworth (God Bless ‘em) does what any individual of Good Faith would do - he encourages Bruce. He sees Bruce as a human being, not as a symbol. He cares about Bruce Wayne’s life, his well-being, his overall fulfillment, and Bruce’s personal happiness. He chose to honor the pact he made with Thomas Wayne to protect the family fortune (most importantly, Bruce). Alfred Pennyworth has his own fascinating & rich history from his own backstory (having been a soldier in his younger years). Fact of the matter is, Alfred never stopped being a soldier at heart. He is True Blue; a true man of the cause; a true Englishman, a true American, and overall a true HUMAN BEING. He is a True Believer of preserving all that is sacred & righteous in our world. He is a Saint and he is a blessing (in contrast to Ra’s al Ghul’s curse-like presence; working in Bad Faith; a destructive force; almost the polar opposite of Alfred).

One thing I love about the final film in Nolan’s titanic, artistic, commercial, & cinematic effort is just how well the Production had managed to pull off the third act (having so many characters and SO much exposition) especially considering the factors that most wouldn’t even consider (i.e. Budget, Lights, Sound, Wardrobe, Set Design, making sure everyone’s hitting their marks, making sure all the stunt-work is safe, making sure it’s all coordinated to the “T” - the amount of brain-storming, conceptualization, the marketing, the pre-production, the principal photography, the post-production, etc etc etc). Movies that require so much of the cast & crew do not always work well, but Warner Bros. & Nolan’s Team somehow managed to actually pull it off. They did what no one else could do - they made Batman real. Christian Bale made Bruce Wayne real. He made Bruce Wayne truly Human (even if just for a moment).

In this day & age (with everything that just happened very recently in our very own United States of America) - one could find a jaw-dropping parallel to what happened when ‘Bane’ came to Gotham City (played ferociously by the envelope-pushing Tom Hardy; see “Bronson”, so gnarly) to what had happened to our own U.S. Capitol.

Bane is the darkness (cloaked with brute force) that feeds off of the fear of humanity. Bane is a product of The League of Shadows (with Hardy’s vocal performance being a nod to UK & Ireland Bare-Knuckle-Boxing Champion, Bartley “King of The Gypsies” Gorman), and was actually ex-communicated from the league (so the story goes) by Ra’s al Ghul (himself). Word around the campfire is that Bane is a force of nature (more destructive than known before) and will stop at nothing to ‘fulfill the destiny of Ra’s al Ghul.’ Bane is a result of fringe-Cult-Mind-Control-Indoctrination (a life devoid of pure faith & free-will entirely; typically due to some possible form of sincere trauma and/or loss and governing authority; aka The Darkness).

The legend of Bane is more rumor than fact. He is just as elusive as Batman, and just as evil as Joker (if not more). Bane’s physicality brings Bruce Wayne to his knees in the third act of Nolan’s 3-piece work-of-art, while also providing all of the intellectually-driven rationale (totally psychotic) behind his Madness & Apocalyptic ambitions. Bane is a real-life-threat to Bruce Wayne & Gotham City (and The American Way). Bane represents the overall threat to our way of life (as a humanity). Bane is everything wrong with world leaders & corrupt forces (cultivated into the most toxic physical form); like a deranged & disfigured Churchill who lumbers about (as a lion in a den) in the underground infrastructure of Gotham City’s sewage system (almost as a warped, drug-induced, Shakespearean Emperor). Bane is a deadly force of nature, fueled entirely by the sickness of bad faith; coerced into his own psychosis by probably the most complex & frightening character of the entire series - Talia al Ghul (a.k.a. ‘Miranda Tate’, played unnervingly-well by one Marion Cotillard [the child played by Joey King, respectively]; her performance sends chills up the spine upon numerous viewings).

While introducing Batman & Gotham’s new enemies, some of Bruce’s new friends in the final (and most epic) installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman storyline are Officer [Robin] John Blake (played exceptionally by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a Wild-Card-Femme-Fatale character by the name of Selina Kyle (a.k.a. ‘Catwoman’, performed very well by Anne Hathaway). Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines as young Patrol Officer Blake - also having been an orphan, like Bruce Wayne, and a true believer in the purpose of Bruce Wayne (Batman) in Gotham City. Unlike Bruce, however, Robin is not a billionaire & Robin was not born into a life of privilege. Despite his brief backstory, Robin Blake, like Bruce Wayne, has Faith in Humanity. It’s why he puts on the uniform (speculative subtext). He does not have the luxury to become Batman, so just as Jim Gordon does - He works with what is given to him. He applies himself within the structure already established within Gotham (despite the restrictions & limitations of said structures of society). He, like ‘Serpico’ before him (see Al Pacino) is a regular Cop who just wants to do what the Law is supposed to do: To Protect & To Serve the good people of Gotham City.

Selina Kyle, on the other hand, is on a path between The Light & The Dark (on a sort of ‘spiritual tight-rope’ between the two paths). Selina’s life path is one of constant survival and constant running. As a ‘Cat Burglar’, Selina Kyle is a flat-out Crook. Her tough exterior conceals what truly is underneath her mask - a person who, too, has faith in humanity (proof that the ones who wander are not lost). Unfortunately for Bruce Wayne, as previously-mentioned, ‘Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures’ - and Selina Kyle’s desperation put Bruce directly into the hands of Bane & The League of Shadows (at a truly disturbing moment in the film). While forces of The League of Shadows’ (combined with a few of Wayne Enterprises’ own ‘bad seeds’, i.e. Daggett, Stryver, etc) disseminate chaos throughout the plot of “The Dark Knight Rises” (by destroying the city of Gotham and exiling Bruce Wayne across the world into a pit of hell) - all of the friends Bruce Wayne has made start to band together to organize a resistance with the surviving members of local (and once-established) authorities. The honor, the people, the community of Gotham City, and the overall driving spirit - the collective faith of the city (as a whole) had been damn-near destroyed entirely in this film. The resistance was born from those of whom are still faithful to their city and the rights of every individual who resides within.

Between the clandestine operations of Robin & his fellow law enforcement officers (all trapped underneath Gotham due to The League’s devastating terrorist attack), the United States Federal Government (and necessary agencies) & Wayne Enterprises (with ‘Miranda Tate’, Lucius Fox, etc), and the awe-inspiring action-sequences in this grand finale - there is no denial that the final installment of The Dark Knight Trilogy is the most realistic & visceral revolutionary epic set in modern-day America. It’s funny when one stops to think that this was all originally based off of a comic book character published by Detective Comics in the late 1930’s. It’s astonishing to think of just how far this fantasy story has evolved throughout the years.

Bruce Wayne is more than a comic book character. Bruce Wayne is a symbol of humanity. That is his ‘superpower’ - his Humanity. He is more than just a person fighting crime to honor his family’s faith & heritage - he is honoring the faith of humanity as it stands today. After all of the corruption & loss & trauma - Bruce Wayne never lost faith in what we have in life (even after losing so many loved ones and frequently having his own life in harm’s way). As he strives to defeat the darkness of Gotham (by striking fear into the hearts of those who prey upon the fearful), the force of darkness continues to rise to attempt to destroy & defeat The Light (Futility at it’s finest).

The greatest villain of all, Batman’s most incredible threat throughout the entire trilogy is actually Talia Al Ghul (Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter & heir to The League of Shadows; the true leader of the cult). She is the one who almost destroys Gotham City (if it wasn’t for Bruce Wayne and everyone who stepped up to do what was right to defend the city).

Although Talia does not fight Batman physically - she is the only villain who ever slept with Batman & exploited him with complete intimacy (seducing Bruce Wayne in a seemingly romantic moment in the film). Talia (still known as “Miranda” by this point in the story), appears innocent & sweet upon first glance, however with multiple viewings of the film, one begins to understand the disturbing nature of what Miranda/Talia is and is Not saying in Bruce Wayne’s presence (a brief glimmer of her spiritual void). Talia al Ghul truly is Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter and her light has been completely stamped out by the fact that she, not Bane, was the one who came out from the pit of hell (as it is revealed in the climax of this epic conclusion). The Devil lurks in many forms - in this particular case, Talia al Ghul displays the darkness as it exists in feminine form. Marion Cotillard was the most over-looked performance of the series (in my personal opinion) and I think as much as Tom Hardy does not get enough credit for his, at times, somewhat Macbethian performance (albeit not as flamboyant as Joker, but even more deadly) - I believe Talia al Ghul is the greatest threat to Gotham City in this trilogy (sorry, fellas).

While magnifying the character of Talia al Ghul, one must acknowledge her natural ability to be a ‘Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing.’ She is the deadliest threat to Humanity due to her belief in a necessary demise of Gotham (seeing Gotham City as a hotbed of hypocrisy & imperialism). Talia al Ghul has no problem burning the barrel over a few bad apples (if that makes sense). While Talia is the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, she was also simultaneously dictating every strategy for The League of Shadows behind closed doors. She is the ‘Queen’, ‘The Head of The Serpent’, The Leader of ‘The Hive.’ She is the quintessential ‘Wicked Witch’, The ‘Bad Girl’, the ‘Goddess’, Kali, Baphomet, etc etc etc). She is an individual, born into a pit of darkness, and exposed to a potentially-life-shattering amount of trauma (based off of the staggering display of complete psychosis; albeit tremendously stealthy & downplayed under her facade of congeniality).

Talia al Ghul is the mastermind who inherited the crown from Ra’s al Ghul’s ‘throne’ (if that makes sense). She is a product of trauma, suffering, & loneliness, but more importantly, a severely sick individual who needs some serious mental & emotional help (more than Joker & Harley Quinn combined) and is the deadliest foe of all (due to her intellect & internalized rage & female fury & her knowledge of all things Gotham & Bruce Wayne/Batman). Talia al Ghul, like Batman, is a force of nature; especially due to her complete cutthroat tactics and inversion of personal Faith in Humanity. Talia al Ghul initially comes across as a meek & angelic person, responsible for the credibility & success of Wayne Enterprises. Her entire life, however, has been dedicated towards the infiltration of Gotham City, USA, and she is the only character in the film who is truly superior to Bruce Wayne in terms of sheer will-power (He caught up to her in the end though). What saves Bruce Wayne is his network of friends (Alfred, Jim Gordon, Lucius, Robin, Selina, etc), in addition to his mind, body, & spirit (once they attain alignment).

I don’t know what others have said, but I think Robin & Catwoman were actually done brilliantly in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Robin was a pleasant surprise for me as a viewer (truth be told; although I thought Ryan Gosling (GOS!) would have made an amazing Robin in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’; much respect for Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and Selina Kyle/Catwoman is fascinating due to her being the wild card of the last film (that truly helped level the playing-field; Girl-Power).

Catwoman, unlike Batman & Robin, is a big question mark throughout the majority of the last film. Her presence is just as elusive & threatening as Talia’s, however, Catwoman (unlike Talia al Ghul), underneath it all, is a Good Person trapped in a bad situation. That is a common thread in this storyline - Good people being in bad places (i.e. Jim Gordon, Lucius Fox, Rachel Dawes, Harvey Dent, etc). On the flip side of the coin - there are plenty of bad folks in good places amidst Gotham’s corrupt forces (i.e. Dr. Crane/Scarecrow, Carmine Falcone, Judge Faden, Detective Ramirez, Detective Wuertz, etc). It’s a reality known all too well in our modern society.

When one observes the overall arc of Bruce Wayne’s transformational life experiences in Nolan’s Comic Book Epic - I have to reiterate the notion of duality consistently interwoven within each one of these films. Light & Dark - Good & Evil - Positive & Negative - the eternal dance - it is the driving force of this franchise (as Bruce is the quintessential ��Light Worker” - not that I’m soliciting ‘New Age’ [or ‘Old Age’ for that matter] ideologies, just a matter-of-saying). Bruce Wayne symbolizes The Light of God found in human form (at the very core and most-primary form of what Natives call, “The Great Spirit”, respectively), of which must seize the day to tame the night. Bruce is the epitome of a Capricorn/Aquarius cusp (Western Astrology/Zodiac) - in full force - bringing the water to those who are thirsty, bringing food to those who are starving, and healing the suffering of a people by means of very serious mental, physical, and Yes, Spiritual Work & Seriously Visionary Goals. Bruce Wayne is the Light while Bane is the Darkness of Humanity (the brute force, the inversion of light); the absence of faith. Although he does indeed have an inherent belief within his bones (and muscles reminiscent of mountains), Bane is still dependent on man-made ideologies & approaches (entirely based in the material world). The League of Shadows are attempting to summon the fires from hell in order to bring the dark prince into Heaven to seize the light (again, futility) to fulfill the devil’s ultimate lie (talk about a God-Complex..Oh me, Oh my) of Superiority (‘Can’t we all just get along?’).

When examining Talia al Ghul’s presence as a double-agent mastermind - her reveal is one of the most important plot twists of the series. Talia being a hidden “mole” within the resistance of Gotham City during The League of Shadows’ Hostile Takeover sets off Martial Law in Gotham - which sparks an uprising in the city that eventually saves Gotham (due to the efforts of a network of people who utilized adaptability & effective methods of coordination & action). Bane is to Batman as Talia is to Catwoman (just as Harvey is to Rachel; Duality; Gemini, Twins). What’s so incredible about Selina Kyle is her purpose in the story as a symbol that people CAN & DO redeem themselves despite having a checkered past (something a good amount of folks have in this day-and-age, myself included). Although the clandestine efforts of Gotham’s resistance had been futile due to the fact that Talia al Ghul was hiding in plain sight (a stroke of genius on the writing), Selina Kyle was the defining individual that tipped the scale in favor for Gotham City (and more importantly, Humanity as a Whole). She had an opportunity to leave Gotham and have a clean slate, but she had a personal moment-of-crisis... That’s because she has a soul, and in her soul, she knows, by faith & intuition, that humanity needed her help (one could speculate). She went back & risked her life (God bless her), which was a full circle nod, of which, echoed the sentiment originally planted within the first film: The moment when Rachel Dawes asked a younger Bruce Wayne, “..What chance does Gotham have if the good people do nothing?”  (Edmund Burke; ‘Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents’ [1770], regarding the nepotism of a monarchy).

Talia al Ghul is a highly-complex character (next to Bruce Wayne) in the series due to the potential life she may have lead as an orphan born in the pit of hell (shot in the jaw-dropping landscape of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India). She is also the most tragic due to the fact that she literally has an opportunity to leave her life of pain & suffering behind to be with Bruce Wayne, but succumbs to the ‘Shadow Side.’ ...You know something is ‘rotten in the state of Denmark’ when she would rather destroy the world than have a ‘happily ever after’ with Bruce Wayne. Her spirit fell back into the proverbial pit of despair & darkness (without ‘The Light’) that she had escaped from (in a metaphoric sense). Bane, like Scarecrow before him, is merely a pawn in the worldwide game of Chess (‘all the world is a stage...’). The tragedy of Talia is that she is someone who was born into darkness and literally had to pay for the sins of her father (as her mother did, tragically).

Talia al Ghul is the most heart-breaking villain of the trilogy simply due to her life being a complete tragedy. One begins to ponder if she had a romantic evening with Bruce Wayne simply because she had felt the cold winter of loneliness for too long, or if she desperately (just for a moment) wanted to be one with God’s Light & a person’s gentle embrace (although I don’t know I might be wrong - she was probably like “Hey, it’s either Scary-Ass Bane or six-pack abs Bruce Wayne. HMMM. Let’s tip the scale on that one - HAhaHa, I digress). Regardless of reasoning - Talia al Ghul’s complexity is probably no match for the intense unhappiness she carries with her. It’s no surprise due to the fact that her mother’s absolutely unGodly demise (so sad) was the catalyst that sparked her mission from Hell (with her hound-of-hell on a leash, aka Bane). As much as I may condemn Talia al Ghul & Bane - I want to reason with them. I want to listen to them and I want to let them know that America is not a bad place, and we are not a bad people. I want to find a common ground, and extend the olive branch (as the saying goes) in order to help heal their pain & misconceptions of Americans and Humanity (as a whole), without having to give my (or anyone else’s) life in the process.

I have a belief that if Talia al Ghul was given a fair & ample opportunity to have a better life in America - she would have taken it (if she had not been so deeply-programmed with hate). I have the understanding & more concrete belief that it is due to her life-long journey of trauma-based-indoctrination as the main culprit as to why she simply won’t cease & desist from committing further acts of wrath upon Humanity. Talia al Ghul could have put just as much effort into the healing as the killing (but she fell back into that spiritual pit). I know why she hates. She hates because she weeps, deep down inside in her soul at night (when no one is around), for her trauma & her unbearable internal pain. She hates because she is repeating the pattern of trauma that may or may not have been applied to her mind, body, and worst of all - her soul. She hates because she had hatred put into her (since being a small, innocent child) and she put that hatred out into the world (a severe lack of comfort, love, care, family, and yes - Faith). Although symbols of lightness, darkness, duality, and representations of sins & faith are all spread across this monumental achievement in film (without having to shove a Cross in someone’s face) - at the very core of this film is, again, the importance of faith in humanity despite our individual & collective tragedies (and shared injustice). The importance of striving, no matter the odds, no matter the pain, no matter how dark the night.

I believe the BEST moment in the entire story was the moment Bruce Wayne climbed out of the pit to save his people. He could have easily died a painful & shameful death in that ancient prison (while watching his city & country being destroyed by an insane fringe cult; a militia of madness; a false liberation). A lot of people seem to overlook just how incredible & truly powerful that moment is in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Tom Conti (a perfect performance of an apathetic mentor-like figure; complimented brilliantly by one Uri Gavriel as the exiled Medical Doctor of a Monarch) & Christian Bale’s overall dynamic in the entire pit sequence was a masterful stroke of storytelling (tying back to the first film, putting Bruce Wayne back where he first began). It’s fascinating to find Bruce Wayne, with a severely-injured body, having to rebuild himself and strengthening his spirit to rise out of the pit of despair - the pit of personal hell, the unforgiving pit of Time (Capricorn; Saturn; Kronos; “The Task-Master”, “The Reaper”; Reward or Punishment; Karma; The Lord of The Rings). The moment of truth comes when Bruce Wayne discovers (through numerous attempts) that it is his spirit that must rise to seize the light - without vanity, without any fancy gadgets, technology, tricks up his sleeve, or any clever contraption (or vehicle) to assist him in the process. This was a moment for Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne alone. This is what we call our moment to “Shine” as an individual being...  our independent spirit. Bruce Wayne had to learn what it meant to climb out of the pit of hell and abandon his fear (as the child in the legend had done; Talia al Ghul).

The pit can represent many things to many different people. The eye of the beholder truly does apply to this (as well as any) story. For the individual to think & feel for one’s self - and to also believe in one’s self. The pit can be a literal prison - or it could be a wealthy kingdom. I know (from personal experience) the feeling of being at the pit of one’s own existence. I know what it means to be a prisoner trapped in one’s own body (due to unwanted pain & suffering & hidden trauma). I’ve learned the plight of humanity and the experience of suffering in the night (I’m just like everybody else). I have been there. I have known the darkness. I have known what it means to “dance with the devil under the pale moonlight” (as the expression goes). I’ve known what it means to defend the innocent from evil, thrusting myself into danger to save family members from toxic masculinity & extreme violence (since being a little boy). I have known the darkness, which is why I kept searching for my own personal truths & answers (which ended the day I had a near-death experience & literally saw The Light of God; 100% Serious). I have known all of these things, but I also know that the people who put that hurt into me had that same hurt (if not worse) put into them...  That’s the paradox of trauma. The original source goes so far back it’s pointless to trace - which is why I look FORWARD in Life. I no longer dwell in the weight of one’s misery & spiritual darkness - I seize the light by choosing a good life (to fulfill my own purpose).

At the risk of my own humiliation & embarrassment (and at the delight of those of whom feel actual glee out of my personal struggles & suffering; God knows who you are), I can acknowledge that I am someone who has lived “in the darkness” before. I have known what it means to suffer and toil without the light of God in my life. I have abandoned my own belief in God before, and my own personal Faith before... it’s not something I am particularly proud of, and although I have survived various life experiences that made me plunge into the pessimistic side of life (having been mentally, physically, and yes - Sexually-Abused in my early childhood) - I reach out (in spirit) to anyone who may be reading my words, who has possibly fallen from the good grace of God (especially due to what has happened in our country). I, too, know what it is to lose faith in God & The True Light (as opposed to the Man-Made light). I know what it’s like to suffer & hate “The Believers” (my trauma came from a so-called “believer”).

You know, stories are more powerful than one may ever think (as well as Family, Friendship, Fun, and Faith). I have lived in my own personal hell before - I have ‘had it all’ and then lost EVERYTHING the following year. I have rebuilt my life SO many times (too many damn times), and I’ve learned one ultimate truth that I MUST share with everyone who is (and will be) alive to read these words...

..There IS A GOD. THERE IS A LIGHT. It may not be visible because we cannot see what lies beyond the veil of existence, but I assure you - Everyone is Alive for a REASON (and Individual Purpose). Women may have the divine gift of giving Life (RESPECT!), but we ALL have the gift of giving LIGHT (each in our own unique way). We all have a way to help heal and put something good into the world, despite our shared pain & trauma, as a people. We all deserve to be happy and have a decent opportunity for a healthy & happy existence (ESPECIALLY with our modern-day world; unless if folks start committing crimes and harming others and whatnot). I believe we are all at our best when we cooperate & coexist with one another (despite our individual differences). The Light does not need to shine out The Darkness just as The Darkness shall never overthrow The Light. We can live in a spiritual Harmony. We do not have to walk the same path. We do not have to share the same spiritual beliefs. I just think we CAN share this world (as I believe we are truly alive in what is known as the Garden of Eden).

We do not have to destroy ourselves to prosper. We can live among one another (with dignity & respect & honor). I’m not always happy to see that people willingly practice certain principles & “values”, but who am I to judge? That’s why God is here... It’s a tough lesson to accept, but it’s true. I should not judge someone just because they worship darkness - because at the end of the day that’s between them and their purpose in life - not mine. I have walked the line, but I never learned from others shouting in my face - I learned from listening & civility & patience & yes - Faith. That’s the purpose of the light - not to drown out the dark, but to work together (as Santa Clause & Krampus do), as a balance of necessary elements that will always be present in our own reality. We, as a contemporary society, have lost touch with the natural way of the world (well, a good amount of folks anyhow). We, as a humanity, have become so vain that we do not even know which way is Up & Down anymore - which way is truly Left & Right. We, as the soul of humanity, have suffered in the darkness for far too long (due to those who wish to control our individual light). We, as a country, MUST help one another climb out of our collective pit of despair - our sociological prison (cultivated through the last aeon), our ‘darkness.’ It has happened before and it can happen again - and to all of my fellow beings of whom shall always carry within us, The Light of Goodness, the love of God, and the wisdom of The Light - I say to thee: RISE.

I give Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy a PERFECT 10 out of 10! The most inspiring superhero franchise of all time (in my opinion). Bruce Wayne & Gotham City show us that Chivalry is NOT dead in The United States of America (despite our challenges). Christopher Nolan’s Cinematic Achievement is victorious in it’s final conclusion: Gotham City IS worth Saving, as our very own Humanity - and Yes - We can all have a better way of life without having to sacrifice our own lives in the process. We can rise to fulfill our individual & collective destiny (as decent human beings) and have, not the life we need, but the one we DESERVE.

*This is dedicated in loving memory to everyone who has lived & died in service of The Light..✝️

“I see a beautiful city... and a brilliant people, rising from this abyss... I see the lives, for which I lay down my life: peaceful, useful, prosperous, and happy... I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendents (generations hence)... It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known...”

[duallygirl178]

Dearest O'Malley Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I was soon starting to feel under the weather myself after Joe passed away. I felt weak from being under nitrus for 3 months, just like Jim; Nathan's instructor said. I began to get sick too just like that. Nathan tried to get me running again and grew frustrated. I felt my timing points were off just a little bit and I had to sit for almost 2 months that summer and I dreaded feeling sick for a while. All I could do was rest and as I was napping that afternoon, I had a dream about my father. In my dream, I was a young boy and playing a prank on him. I had sneaked quietly into my father's room and tip-toed to the bed where my dad was sleeping. Then, I tipped the mattress fell on top of him while he was in it. My dad was yelling and swearing in fury, but in the background, I could hear my mother laughing herself silly. My father squirmed effortlessly to get up as he fought through the covers. Once he was out of the cover twists and turns, he pops up trying to breathe and then that's when his face turned angry. He was just as angry as a yellow jacket wasp. He hollered out "Who flipped over my mattress? Whoever did this, better know that I'm out for you, I'm coming! Ya hear! you broke my chassis and my rear view mirror done broke!" I was laughing as my mother came up behind me chuckling as if no one cared. Dad yelled and yelled at my mother that she was in trouble. He yelled as us kids and mother didn't let him get away with it. She yelled at him with the most uncomfortable and longest sentence of swearing I've ever heard. All of us except for me, would start copying mom on her swearing in the background.

I suddenly woke up with a jerk and started to think to myself; 'Did that really happen?'. I remembered my dad was always fussing that he broke something  when it wasn't fatal or when it was minor. If he bumped something on an object, he'd make a big scene out of it all. It was embarrassing! I liked to compare my father's personality with the parent from the TV show, "Life of Louie". He was a difficult, caring, comical, and downright paranoid father. After 10 minutes, I already forgot about my dream. I checked the time. It was late in the evening around 6 o'clock and I was beginning to get sweaty from the heat.

That mid-July, Joe fell and hurt his head. He had to go to the hospital in Farmington New Mexico. Carol, his wife couldn't bare to live without him. She was in her chair when it happened because she could barely get around. Then the night Joe was in the hospital, she got depressed and started to be loopy. She was seeing things that weren't there and she called the police because she would imagine that children were trying to steal her medication. Carol; Nathan's grandmother, called the house phone at 1010 late and there was all this commotion that really wasn't necessary. Carol was paranoid the whole time Joe was in the hospital and when Joe was transported to the hospital that was located in Albuquerque that July, she was going downhill fast. Sadly, Joe passed away a few days later. Jan, Nathan, and Natalie all had to pitch in each of their time to help with Carol that included changing her diaper, feeding her, bathing her, and changing her gowns. The care went on for a few more months after she got out of the hospital from an infection. It took several weeks to get Carol out of there, but she was doing fine when she was transported to Good Sams in Aztec. Good Sams was a place where old folks could recover from the hospital, be socialized with others and live there. It was really nice. Carol was doing fine and couldn't wait to be home again. While Carol was at Good Sams, I got bored that day. I headed inside the empty house. It felt cold and drafty because no one was here except for me, Ol' Reliable, and the van. I went into the spare room to go sort out some VHS tapes. I looked under the twin bed and found the box of VHS tapes that was stuffed under there. I pulled them out, took them out to the living room, set the VHS player up to the TV, turned it on and watched. There. On the tape was me. I was a lot younger then...possibly about 13 years old. The camera focused in on my dad. He  was putting an old stack of newspapers in boxes ready to shred up in his electric shredder and was listening to a matching song too. He was listening to "Rip it up" in the Bill Haley & His Comets version. I turned the camera on a pipe hose connected to an exhaust pipe to a truck that lead to the window of a room. I was going to have a neighbor floor the gas pedal to release dirty diesel exhaust smoke and fumes through the pipes to smoke my dad out of the room he was in to shred the newspapers. I was fed up of him saying "I'm busy, son" and "Go play outside son." a lot to me. The camera focused on me after it showed footage of what I did and how I was explaining it. As it focused on me, I had this revengeful look in my eyes and said "I'm going to get you, dad" then I was laughing my deep hissing laugh that was weird. I focused my eyes on my neighbor and said "Okay Dan. Move em' out" Then, my neighbor revved up his engine and black smoke flowed through the hose and into the window that I lodged in. Quickly, the room flooded up with black smoke and out came my dad like a raging bull. I could hear him coughing his wheezy cough as smoke poured out like water from a faucet. My dad was covered in a black soot coat and had a death stare in his eyes. He was furious and said "When I breathe, I'mma kill you, boy" but I just laughed my stupid laugh. It was hilarious to watch my dad burst out of the house like if it was on fire and covered in soot.

I had forgotten how funny it was when I recorded my dad being angry with me because I pulled a prank on him and filmed it all on video cassette. My dad looked 50 years younger on this one and his owners had him 8 years with him still running. He was still an errand car till this day.

Next, I viewed another tape dated May 13, 1981 and I couldn't remember what was filmed on the tape. I ejected the tape out, placed it on the living room table and slid the second tape in. I watched and waited to see what came up. I could see it was something to do with my first dance at an Elk's Lodge and I was on a stage singing my first number. Then, it struck me. My father came to see me with my talent aboard to perform at the prom that I volunteered and signed up for at the high school.

I was singing a tune I had selected from my dad's records to show off. I looked dashing with new primer and cloud-white paint up on the stage. I was rocking it out to 'Jailhouse Rock' by Elvis Persley himself for a moment. And just when it was about to get boring, I performed "At the hop" by Danny and the Juniors and that's when everyone got crazy for rock n' roll. You could see square dancing and hooting from the crowd. Everyone was having fun and rocking it out. Then I remembered I was the Disk Jockey singer before people started to use re-mixer equipment and electric bits on their buttons. I remembered as I was viewing this tape I had sung a few more Elvis Persley songs such as "Don't be cruel" and "King of the whole wide world". I remember singing a few more songs by Little Richard too like "Tutti Frutti", "Rip it up", "Long Tall Sally" and "Jenny, Jenny".

Gonzo was even there too watching me with a random band that I had known for only a day that was playing the notes behind me. One of them was a Chevy Impala, two of them were Dodge Cornets, the other one was a GTX that was handling the music key grip. The tape was full of memories and outdid myself. In the tape: I was making my way off the stage when I was all done. The rules were; I had to pick and sing six songs. After my turn was over, they needed to let the next contestant have a turn. I enjoyed the rest of the night dancing with the crowd. I could see Impa and Gonzo in the back of the room. I had weaved through the crowd to come get them so we could party. Impa was in his best dressed and Gonzo was fixed up as if Elvis Persley dressed him up himself and said 'Okay, have a good time. don't get drunk on Greyhounds now' Greyhounds were a type of alcoholic drink that was from the 1960s. It was a tangy grapefruit like drink that wasn't made from any orange juice. We were giving Gonzo a little bit of guff about how he was all fixed up in his duds for a few minutes. Then we boogied until we turned purple to all the great songs and then some with the crowd. It was all fun until I accidentally bumped into a 1968 Plymouth Fury. Right away, I apologized and got her some first-aid care. She told me I was very generous and rare for a gentleman to say anything sorry to. Most men bump into her and not even say their sorry. I had responsibility unlike those jerks she was talking about that she may had encountered.

The tape ended and I ejected it out of the player after rewinding it. I looked at more titles that looked tempting to recall back upon.

I had a lot of fun watching all the VHS  tapes that my dad recorded on. Not many of them had Impa and Gonzo on them, but I sure missed him. I knew I got to remember all the things we three boys did together when he was still alive. It was good to see him on the tapes. As I viewed more of the tapes, I was even more taken back to see Gonzo, Impa and I singing at a stage that a bar had around. It was hazy and smoky from all the customers smoking pot and drunks that were bored out of their motors, twisting their beer bottles off the tables as they were getting high on hash. The smoke was making us three high, tired and sound like the California Raisins during our song we were performing. I remembered after that, we were so exposed that we were driving high. We didn't get caught by any police officers and we reached home alright.

[fitasepeliculas]

Ridley Scott Turns 83: A Personal History and Appreciation

For most of my life, I regarded Ridley Scott as a director who made slick, well-crafted movies that nonetheless left me cold. Spielberg – more embracing, sentimental, whose name graced the credits of so many childhood favorites - used to monopolize my attention. Alien was a modest oldie that was overshadowed by its more action-oriented sequel; Blade Runner nearly put me to sleep back in the VHS days; Black Hawk Down had a relentless intensity that left little room for emotional resonance; Gladiator wowed with great sets, costumes and a star-making Russell Crowe turn, yet the acclaim befuddled me; Hannibal could be summed up as a bizarre exaggeration of its Oscar-winning predecessor. Scott seemed to be an imperious, scowling “man’s man”. Remember his sour face during the producers’ speech when Gladiator won Best Picture but he went home emptyhanded? Tough guy to like.

Nowadays, he’s my favorite filmmaker. How did that happen?

I warmed up to him little by little, starting with the bonus materials on the Hannibal DVD, in which I found him surprisingly funny – the story he told about calling Steven Zaillian’s office and absent-mindedly asking for Ted Telly instead made me crack up. Matchstick Men was an unexpected comedic delight, as was the taut geopolitical thriller Body of Lies and the entertaining period epic Robin Hood. After getting a Blu-ray player, I popped in Blade Runner: The Final Cut which, seen through the eyes of an adult instead of an impatient young teenager, finally earned its reputation as a masterpiece. We’re in 2010 now – I was already a hardcore Alien franchise fan, still more reverential towards Cameron’s 1986 entry. It was around that time I got wind of some exciting news: Ridley Scott would be back to direct a prequel to his own 1979 milestone! Alien: Resurrection and those accursed crossovers that shall go unnamed hadn’t killed the star beast after all. Encouraged by my newfound appreciation for him thanks to how much I had liked his recent output, I began to pay more attention to all things Scott.

Despite not seeing it in 3D and having overcome my initial disappointment that it wouldn’t be a direct prequel, I took a liking to Prometheus from the get-go. It was the kind of movie that encouraged viewers to spend days reading other people’s interpretations and theories after leaving the theater, and also my favorite brand of sci-fi: atmospheric, enigmatic, speculating on our origins, our faith, and whether we are alone in the universe. It was only in the following year, however, when I saw it again at home, that my appreciation blossomed into full-blown admiration. It provided awe and wonder with an edge, something that Spielberg seemingly no longer cared about, having turned into a chronicler of all things Old and Important. Do you know how you can be so thoroughly consumed by a movie to the point that it colors the impressions you have not only of its director’s past legacy but also of his upcoming projects? Suddenly I found myself revisiting and rethinking – in other words, seeing with new eyes – Scott's oeuvre, identifying stylistic and thematic patterns, and above all, though rather subtly, a personality as a storyteller that was unmistakably his own and which he did manage to imprint on some of his films, sometimes even in the most commercial ones. From indifference to mild interest to fandom.

What follows isn’t substantial enough to merit a detailed explanation, so long story short: I rewatched Alien for the first time in over a decade. The result? mindblown.gif. It became my all-time number one movie, and Scott cemented himself as the biggest head in my personal Mount Rushmore of directors. What about his touch that justifies this homage, though? Let’s skip the commonplace - yet totally valid - reasons, such as “a great eye for detail”, “the sheer aesthetic beauty” or “a knack for worldbuilding”. Fostering recurring themes, favoring a certain type of camera placement or movement, setting a particular rhythm to the proceedings during the shooting or in post etc. are but a few of the trademarks of a distinctive filmmaker. Just as relevant is their ability to develop a consistent cinematic reality of their own.

I’d describe Scott’s as one where human behavior and emotion are rendered in a less typically mannered, heightened fashion than most mainstream Hollywood fare, utterly apart from, say, the aforementioned Spielberg. There is an unsentimental, matter-of-fact patina to his outlook on life. Consider how God is represented simply by a curt boy in Exodus: Gods and Kings. Remember the formal, albeit merciless, dialogue-exchange-as-power-play between “father” and “son” that opens Alien: Covenant. A skeptical reader might argue that it’s in the script, therefore not creditable to Scott. I’m not referring merely to the concepts per se but to their enactment, which is guided by the hands of the director. It’s a trait detectable mainly in his 21st-century work. (With perhaps two exceptions - Black Rain, Thelma & Louise -, his post-Blade Runner, pre-Gladiator period feels anonymous, uninspired in terms of self-expression.) You will notice that these two examples stem from not long ago – a deliberate choice to illustrate how the usual claims that he has “lost it” are shortsighted. If one pays attention, however, it’s clear that said resemblance to realism in characterization and setting can be found in good ole Alien, what with its world-weary blue-collar characters, their down-to-earth banter and occasionally blunt interactions, not to mention the cluttered, lived-in interiors of the Nostromo.

Along with a select few colleagues like Mann, Fincher and heir apparent Villeneuve, Ridley Scott is living proof that intelligent life can still be found in big-budget Hollywood, catering to the demands of the adults in the audience.

This is meant as a thank-you note to a filmmaker whose vision not only helped me (re)shape my ability to recognize what I see around me in the wide white canvas of the big screen but also stimulates my imagination with waking dreams that are a tad brainier and, paradoxically, less escapist than those concocted by populist entertainers. Being a fan has never been so exciting: at 83, Scott has no less than three major theatrical features to be released in the near future.

Note to Gaff: unlike Rachael, he will live! 

[my original post]

[spudmcloughlin]

list of egopocalypse 2020 events

this post is just to document all the fuckery/suspeeshy shit that’s happened so far this year. some of it is actual stuff, some of it is theory, some of it is probably nothing. it’s all here! more significant things will be bolded.

i’ve also got a playlist of all the videos that will be linked in this post. everything will be under the cut because as the year progresses, i will add stuff and reblog every time it’s updated and i don’t want to spam a long post on people’s dashes. updates will be posted below, above the cut. toodles!

posted feb 3, 2020

EDITED FEB 8, 2020

1/2/20: Having A Heart Attack | 3 Scary Games

29:45 and 29:51 - messages from Anti: “Not long now” and “He’s coming”, accompanied by sound glitches. Each text box has a capital A in the upper left corner.

1/16/20: These Scares Almost Killed Me | 3 Scary Games

Title changes

Uploaded: What Happened To Jacksepticeye... | 3 Scary Games

Changed to: These Scares Almost Killed Me | 3 Scary Games

Date changed: unknown

15:35 - fucked up transition: creepy deep voice followed by VHS style glitch

31:34 - chair moves on its own

38:43 - tall dark figure in the background as Sean says “I feel like something’s watching me”

47:07 - facecam cuts to Sean banging his head against the whiteboard with a VHS style static filter

47:36 - facecam cuts to static; for about half a second, Sean can be seen slumped over in the chair with what appears to be a bullet wound in the side of his head

47:41 - the tall dark figure from before can be seen in the same place in the background; Sean is not there. This lasts exactly 10 frames (1/6 second).

47:47 - the tall dark figure appears closer to the camera for exactly 5 frames (1/12 second).

I believe it was also this video where people claimed to see Marvin’s mask in the static at the end. I could not see it but please feel free to provide screenshots and information!

1/20/20: The World’s WORST Super Hero

Thumbnail is clearly a Jackieboy Man reference; title is possibly Anti mocking JBM

4:22 - some speculate he almost said “Jackieboy is here” but stopped himself

9:01 - possible Jackieboy mention: “...just call up good ol’ Jackaboy”

1/28/20: it gets SO much worse | GTFO - Part 4

New title pattern: instead of changes, important/suspeeshy titles are now in all lowercase except for one or two words

1/30/20: we are ALL gonna die | GTFO - Part 5

Follows new title pattern

Suspicious thumbnail - Sean’s face pasted on top of a body in a casket with black Xs drawn over his closed eyes

2/1/20: too high... TOO HIGH | Journey To The Savage Planet - Part 3

Follows new title pattern - possible Jackieboy Man reference/conversation with another ego

2/1/20: The Zombie Apocalypse Has Begun...

Thumbnail contains light flare effect present in previous egopocalypse/mayhem events

Description contains possible Jackieboy Man reference: “The zombie apocalypse has begun and only one man has the power to stop it! Of course that man is not me, I have no idea where that guy is but I'm here nonetheless.”

2/2/20: They’re Drinking CHUNKY MILK | Jacksepticeyes Funniest Home Videos

2:03 and 3:14 - VHS static effects; similar to “What Happened To Jacksepticeye...”

2/6/20: Burn It With Fire!

17:05 - allusion to Anti: “He complained that the holes would never close, little did he know they would come in great handy for playing of a certain ego later on”

2/8/20: My Sleep Paralysis Demon | 3 Scary Games

Thumbnail shows Sean with blacked out eyes; Anti’s eyes frequently turn black

37:42 - Sean says “More spooks are yet to come”

Description change

Original: “What happened to Jacksepticeye? He played 3 scary games and was never seen again. Was it the jumpscares that got him or the weird creepy stories one tells in the dark. He was last seen before the riverside incident on the night shift.”

Identical to “What Happened To Jacksepticeye...”

Changed: “Have you ever had sleep paralysis? Well I have and it's awful. Let me take you on a trip through what that's like and make you terrified to never sleep ever again!”

2/8/20: Gentlemen, Yes Quite! | GTFO - Part 6

Thumbnail contains lots of light flare effect present in previous egopocalypse/mayhem events

Thumbnail looks similar to Jameson Jackson’s style

[kpopisthereasonihavenolife]

Bracelet Bells & Teddy Bears

BTS

Jeon Jungkook/Reader [F]

Genre: Paranormal, Thriller, Ghost Hunter AU

Words: 10.9k

Jungkook- a stupid, self-proclaimed ghost hunter in college- decided to take his best friend with him to investigate a 2-story old house that has been on the market for ages.  The reason he was interested in it? Well, it hadn’t been rented or bought ever since he was a child. The ‘It’s not haunted!’ attached above the ‘For Sale/Rent’ didn’t help. 

-----------

“This is literally the stupidest fuckin’ idea you’ve ever pitched to me before.  I honestly don’t know why I’m standing next to you right now.  I actually hate you,” Taehyung grumbled as he stood next to his excited best friend of 6 years.  He held a camera around his neck with a bag on his back filled with different lenses to attach on.  

“The only thing you hate is the fear of pissing your pants when we get in there and see some ghosts!” The best friend- Jungkook- in question, quipped back. Having a pocket full of batteries and a ready to go ‘state of the art’ camcorder in his hand he was practically giddy.  Black pants, white tee and a jean jacket over his shoulder with a black cap on his head to cover his messy black hair.  Taehyung, on the other hand, was a bit more creative in clothing with his blue skinnies and checkered button down, a black bandana strapped around his forehead.

“I’m gonna kill you and throw your stupid body in that house so you haunt it for the rest of existence.”  Taehyung seethed.  He wasn’t scared per se, he's used to Jungkook’s ‘ghost hunting’ by now.  It’s just that he had a recital coming up soon and he wanted to be home right now practicing for it.  Not breaking and entering into a property that is no doubt private by now.

Jungkook new this, but tonight was the perfect night for a good ole ghost hunting!  The moon was high, shining brightly with the light of the full moon and not a cloud was in the sky.  The stars speckled the sky and the soft spring breeze was calming and warm.  It wasn’t cold, nor rainy and the full moon so clear had to be a sign!  It was now, or never.  Of course, if he explained why it had to be today to Taehyung, he’d ultimately leave him behind to hunt on his own.  Every famous ghost hunter needed an assistant; even if Taehyung denies that he is.

“We go in, walk around a little bit and batta-bing batta-boom, we’re out.  If we don’t see a ghost in the first 2 hours, then I promise we’ll call it quits and we can go for a late night burger run.”  

“And I expect you to be paying for this burger run?”

“Well, that’s up for debate.” Taehyung rolled his eyes as he hiked his bag up his shoulders more and clicked off the camera’s lens cover for it to dangle. Seeing his fall into submission of Jungkook’s scheme, he cheered and fired up his camcorder.  “Alright!  Exploration and investigation of 12th Avenue’s mystery house is officially underway. Let’s get it!”  He charged off the sidewalk and weeded through the knee-high tanned grass- if you can call it that- all the way up to the porch.  Taehyung followed, taking the walkway up to the door, however, and watched as Jungkook turned and swiveled in every which way to capture anything he could on his cam.

Taehyung sighed as he watched his friend even film underneath the old, broken table that sat on the very unstable, rotten wood.  “I’m leaving your sorry ass behind I swear to god,” he muttered as he looked at the front door.  Or the poor excuse for one.  The hinges were all busted, the door handle rusted and the front oval shaped glass broken.  The wind whistled in through the broken glass.  There was no way the door wasn’t going to fall off if he touched it.

Jungkook stood next to Taehyung and cupped his chin. “Maybe we can just pluck it off the frame and move it?  If we make too much noise, the ghosts may hide.”

“You made enough sound going through the treacherous jungle that is the lawn.  I’m pretty certain the ghosts- if there are any- are already well aware some fuckboy is trying to get in.” Jungkook walked forward and hooked his camcorder to his belt as he gripped over sides of the broke door and jerked.  Once, twice and the third time he nearly stumbled backward.  The door flew off the hinges ti was barely attached to and Jungkook blinked.

“Yo, we wanted to take the door off, not destroy the damn frame.”  Jungkook moved the door to the side as Taehyung examined the wooden, splintered frame.  “That was some force you had, Jesus.”

“It.. no.  It felt like someone kicked the door at me.”  Taehyung ticked a brow up at his friend as he rolled his eyes.  Already not believing him.  “I’m serious!  It felt like someone pushed the door off for me!”  Taehyung just waved him off as he stepped inside.  Jungkook huffed as he followed him in.  “Damn,” Jungkook looked around, “this place is a wreck.”

“No kidding.  It’s been vacant for a while and no one bothers with upkeep around here.”  Taehyung answered back as he snapped pictures here and there.  The flash of his camera igniting the dark room for milliseconds, leaving only outlines of objects behind.  “No doubt the power’s been cut.”  Jungkook unhooked his cam from his belt and switched the camera mood to ‘night vision’ and trotted to Taehyung’s bag on his back.

He pulled out two small flashlights.  There were small and like 4$ at the local drug store, but damn they were bright and the batteries lasted- what Jungkook swore- eons. Not to mention it was a sweet deal when they came in packs of 2.  Just what he needed for only 4$.

He flicked them both on, already stocking it with prime AA+ batteries, and tossing one to Taehyung, keeping the other for himself.  Of course, out of the two colors, he tossed the pink one and kept the blue.  Taehyung only rolled his eyes as he separated from his friend to waltz into the living room.  

“Hey!  Rule #1 in hunting in old, creepy houses is not separating!”  Jungkook scolded.  Taehyung only flipped him a slender, middle finger as he rounded the doorway into the dusty room.  Jungkook swung himself around. “Fine, get molested by a ghost.  I don’t care.”  He walked into the kitchen.

The island in the middle of the open room was dusty and a glass vase filled with cooking utensils caught his eye.  Why would they be here? Did the last family who lived here- whenever that was- leave them?  He shrugged as he filmed the room thoroughly, capturing anything.  

Cobwebs hung and swung in the slight draft in the air from the ceilings, connecting to walls.  The tiles of the floor were cracks or just flat out broken as Jungkook crunched them under his feet or kicked them with his heels. The counters were a mess, dusty, grimy and coated in a thick layer of dirt.  The windows were cracked and covered in a hefty layer of dust. Opening the fridge, he cringed as he saw a dead rat in the lower rack of the fridge door.

Shutting it back, he looked up at the ceiling.  Damaged and moldy.  “Gross,” he muttered as he filmed. Working his way back out into the main room, he followed Taehyung into the living room, seeing his friend capture photos and looked around furniture.  

The house was still almost completely furnished. A love seat and 4 person couch sat adjacent to one another with an old-style box TV the size of a bathroom window sat on an old, open shelved audio tower. The shelves were lined with dusty DVD and VHS players with a small collection of about 20 movies below on the bottom shelf.  Jungkook zoomed on the old piece of technology.  

“Woah, dude.  This is older than I thought.  Just how long has this place been vacant?”

“Don’t act like you didn’t watch back to back Sailor Moon on VHS when you were 5.  It’s not that ancient.”  Jungkook gasped.

“Don’t insult me.  Everyone knows Sailor Moon was the best anime of its era.” Taehyung opened up an old china cabinet, still filled with expensive china.  

“Yeah, yeah.  Whatever weeb.” The two continued to investigate and look around. Directly behind the living room, the dining room sat.  The table oval and fit for a large family with 6 chairs surrounding it.  A vacant fishbowl was filled with far-stale water with stupid rocks in the bottom and things floating in the water that Jungkook would rather not guess the name of.  

The house creaked with each step of the grown men, being an almost all wood floor home.  Rugs placed here and there, basically attached to the floor by grime and some mystery fluids here and there.  Honestly, if some homeless beggar, squatting in the corner popped out at any moment, he wouldn’t be surprised. 

Having gone through the downstairs enough, they set their sights on the staircase leading up.  By now, even Taehyung was thoroughly invested in the exploration of the house.  Not that he wasn’t before, Taehyug literally wrote a report in high school about this house and the weird vague origins around it.  He was hardly able to dig up any information on it, even when he called up the retailers, they just hung up on him and never picked up again.  Jungkook nudged his arm with a broad, shit eating grin on his face.  

“You’re having fun.  Admit it.  I’m a genius.”  Taehyung shoved his shoulder as he started up, testing the wood of the stairs, making sure he wouldn’t fall through with each step.  “Hey!  It’s the team leader’s job to go first!”

“How humble,” Taehyung monotonously replied as he headed up.  The wooden stairs were in the middle of the main entrance by the front door.  Kitchen to the right, living room and dining room to the left.  The stairs themselves weren’t looking so hot. A torn and tattered rug lining each step upwards posed a threat of someone tripping and subsequently dying, but thank god for rotted, old railings, right?  

After a careful hike up, the two looked around the upstairs landing.  In front of them was a large, bay window.  The portion of the window poking out for aesthetically pleasing selfies or calm poetry sessions were covered with a sense of dread.  A lone, torn and stained teddy bear lay face down on the bay.  

Jungkook walked over to the window and knelt, getting a close up on the bear.  “If ever I’ve seen a cursed object,” he muttered as he moved to get another angle of it.  Taehyung walked up behind him, snapping a picture of the window letting in the moonlight as it illuminated the landing on the ground.  Taehyung gently picked up the teddy bear as Jungkook rolled his eyes.  “I just said it was probably cursed, and what do you do?  Pick it up.” Taehyung gave yet another famous eye roll.

“Shut up.  It’s a bear with a hole in the side of it.  If it’s cursed, then surely its eyes would glow red and it'd bite my hand off or something.”

“That’s a horrible picture, thank you,” Jungkook shook his head as he stood.  Taehyung was gentle in setting the bear back down, only now sitting it up and against the wall comfortably.  The bear will surely remember his kindness.

Jungkook moved around and went to the left side of the stair landing while Tae took the right side.  Down Jungkook’s end was one door and the other side was 2. Of course, the unspoken agreement was to open and explore. Taehyung went into the first of the two room and scoffed.  Typical.

There was a bunk bed against the east wall.  The bottom bunk had a hole in the mattress as springs pierced through clumps of polyester covered in grime.  The floor was covered in toys that had paint chipped away or were broken and well worn in time.  Climbing a step up the ladder in the bed, the top bunk seemed oddly in place  A blanket thrown over the mattress and a pillow, albeit devoid of a pillowcase, wasn’t torn at all.  All with a stuffed elephant standing against the pillow.  He snapped a shot and descended to look in the closet across the room.

The closet door was stuck.  Even with digging his heels in the floor and jerking, the door just wouldn’t budge.  So, with a huff and a little fixing of his shirt he had bunched up, he turned and abandoned that hope.  Not realizing the reason he couldn’t open it was the hand holding the doorknob from the other side.

The other room was nearly identical save for the lack of a bunk bed and only a king.  Fit for parents.  The room was lined with shelves with empty or broken frames.  The frames that held pictures of people, the faces were all scratched out or cut out completely.  He’d be lying if Taehyung said it didn’t give him the chills.  This room had the door of the closet completely off, only there was absolutely nothing inside. Not even a mouse trap.

On Jungkook’s neck of the woods, the room he entered was the bathroom.  It was pretty old styled.  The toilet sat against the back wall with a shelf above it where one would place towels.  Next to the throne was a broken toilet paper holder.  Further along, the main wall was the sink with a mirror opening to reveal a medicine cabinet inside it.  When he opened it, old prescription bottles rolled out, crashing into the sink’s bowl and scaring the poor boy.  He shut it back as he took the bottle that fell and read the label the best he could.

“Chlorpromazine,” he read, reading each syllable out he could.  Not knowing exactly what it treated and the label being far too damaged to read, he simply placed it on the side of the sink and turned to investigate further. “What the fu-” he trailed off when he looked at the bathtub.  The tub filled to the brim with water, clear and freezing. The shower curtain lay on the floor under his boots as the shower head dripped with a never-ending water splash into the tub.  “Oookay, right. Moving on.”  He spun, not able to capture the small ripple rip through the water’s surface.

He caught Taehyung coming out of the second room as he waved to him and leaned against the wall.  

“Find anything?”  

“Maybe.  Just the kids and parents room, a lot of dusty shit but there were a few creepy things, not gonna lie.” Jungkook’s face broke into a smile.

“Lemme see!”  He pushed off the wall, ready to rush to his friend to go through the sweet picture he got, but he hardly got two steps in.  The floor gave way under a particularly hard step and buckled under the young man’s weight.  

“Jungkook!” Taehyung screamed as he watched his best friend fall through the floor.  Rushing down the stairs, nearly falling on that damned rug, he stopped at the bottom and looked around and up at the hole above him.  Yet, at his feet, didn’t lay Jungkook groaning in pain.  He wasn’t in the kitchen, the living room, the dining area, the landing, the front yard, he just wasn’t there. Not even hanging pathetically from the hole he fell through. He just… disappeared?

XXX

Jungkook groaned as he rolled from his side and onto his back.  He coughed as a shiver ran up his spine.  Cracking open his eyes, he expected to see Taehyung peering up at him with a hole in the floor where he very clearly remembers falling through.  But, to his shock, he stared at a perfectly whole, wooden ceiling.  

“He probably just moved me,” Jungkook reasoned as he pushed his sore body up and grabbed the back of his head.  A nice lump on the head and a killer headache are exactly what he didn’t need.  Beside him, his camcorder lay completely busted.  He gasped as he grabbed it.  “Aw, man it’s completely fucked.”  He sighed as he popped open the battery compartment and ejected the SD memory card and carefully pocketed it.  Whatever was recorded on this puppy was all he would have, unfortunately.  

Leaving the broken piece of metal, he forced himself up and thank god for dollar store flashlights.  Seeing the light of the torch he hobbled over to it and picked it up. Bending at his hip to pick it up and then straighten back out his light shone into the face of a someone.  

“AHh!”  He screamed as the person he was pretty sure he just blinded screamed back at his own scream.  Jungkook, ever the baby, fell back onto his ass as he whipped his light back up to see who he just shone his light onto.  But, no one was there.  He took the broken cam and tossed it into the darkness of nowhere, only to wait.  There was nothing.  

Next thing he knew, the cam was flying back at him, skimming past his shoulder as he quickly leaned out of the way.

“Hey!”  He scolded into nowhere.  “Don’t throw my shit!”  Suddenly, a person’s face hung upside down and annoyed in front of his face.  

“You threw it at me first!”  He screamed again as the person, floated above him? Their- her- feet off the ground and body languid and iridescent? “I swear, men are the most pathetic thing.”  She floated around, just relaxing in the air as her body was transparent and she wore older clothes.  She looked no older than 19, and her capris and loose, untucked stripped teeshirt were at least early 2000s fashion.  

“What the- I mean- you’re a-”  An actual ghost was floating right in front of his eyes and his damn video camera was conveniently broken.  God, what awful timing.  He jumped when he heard the squeaking of the floors above him.  Where was he, or rather where was Taehyung?! He was missing all the action!  The ghost girl gasped as she grabbed something and threw it at Jungkook, grabbing his wrist as his body disappears.  

“Shh,” the ghost hushed as he clutched a cube of scented wax in his hand, the thing the ghost threw at him and listened.  The squeaking moved and soon was down the hall, and before he knew it he saw something pass through the floors above and come down.  It was just across the room from him.  It, he didn’t know what it was.  It was tall, completely shadowed, it twitched, red hazy red like unfocused cat lasers.  It was unbelievably tall, hunched as it’s pointed shoulders and chin seemed like it could impale steel.   Soon, the figure who had sniffed around searching for anything-anyone that could be around- phased away.  Where to, Jungkook really didn’t want to find out.

The ghost girl let go of him, as Jungkook became visible once again.  A cold sweat gathered at his nape and traveled down his spine.

“What in the hell was that thing?” He fearfully whispered.  Just looking at it instilled him with pure terror.  He’d never experienced freezing fear before, now he has.  He moved to look at the ghost who had moved to kneel on both her knees in front of him, sitting politely as she signaled for him to look at the cube of wax in his hand.

“That should keep you safe.  It’ll make sure he doesn’t smell you.  His eyesight isn’t good.  If you don’t move and don’t make a sound with that cube, you’ll be safe.” The ghost explained, but that didn’t explain hardly anything at all.  

“Who are you?” Was the only thing he found himself asking.  

“My name is Y/n.  I lived here a long time ago.  My little brother, father and mother lived here with me.”  You leaned closer to Jungkook and inspected him.  His style, his face, his hair, his clothes, his shoes, everything.  “What year is it outside?  Time is kinda jumbled in here.”  He opened his mouth.

“Uh, 2019 just started.”  You gasped.  

“It’s been that long!”  You hushed yourself immediately and looked around, making sure no one, or rather, nothing heard you.  “I’ve been dead for that long?” You lowered your voice significantly, almost in disbelief.  

“So, you know you’re dead?”

“Well, of course.  How else could I logically explain glowing, floating in the air and just conveniently turning invisible.”

“You were also able to touch me. How’s that work?”

“It took me a while to get that down, but with enough focused energy, I can become tangible.  It’s pretty hard to do though.” He shook his head as he blinked and put his hands in front of him.

“Wait, wait, hold the fuckin’ phone.  This is all way too much to process.”  He took a moment, pinching the bridge of his phone, eyes skewed shut.  “Right, so you’re an old, but young, dead girl.  There’s some sort of demon? Roaming around?  And I fell through the floor into a whole other room.”  He opened his mouth, trying to make sense of it, yet it still left him utterly confused.  Then his mind jumped back to Taehyung. “Oh god, Taehyung.”

“You’re friend?” You had seen him?  He nodded.  

“Yes!  Oh my god, is he going to be okay?!”  You nodded.  “You’re way too calm about this.  That thing is somewhere and my best friend also happens to be somewhere and I have no idea what to do about it.  I don’t even know where the hell I am!”

“Calm down.  My brother’s animals will see to it he is kept safe.  He was very kind after all.”  He blinked, falling further and further into confusion.  

“Animals? What, so there are ghost animals too?”

“Not exactly.  My little brother was forced to leave all his possessions behind when Mother left with him.  He cared so much for his little stuff animals, they now possess souls.  Your friend was very kind, so they will keep him safe.”

“Kind? When was he-” Jungkook remembered him picking up and replacing the teddybear ever so carefully. “The bear,” he said in realization.  You nodded as the bear in question waved to you from the far end of the room behind Jungkook, before phasing out.  “That small thing is gonna keep him safe?”  You stood up, hopping up to have your toes brush the ground as you lazily floated.  

“There are others.  My brother had many toys.  His favorite animal was an elephant,” you chuckled as you remembered him running around his room, elephant toy in hand making the most obnoxious sounds.  

“An elephant ghost?!”  You swore you saw the human’s eyes light up, just like your brother’s. He must be rather immature himself yet.  

“Come on, I’ll get you back to your friend.  You two should get out of her as soon as possible.”  Jungkook sprung up, chasing after your elegant, flowing body.  Your hair wisped behind you, like spider webs. If you stood on the ground in front of him, he’d be quite a bit taller than you.  Actually, even for a ghost, you were rather pretty.  

He followed you to a small ramp to a trapdoor above the two of you.  He watched as you phased through the door above and he heard a click of what he assumed to be a lock and small bang on the door.  He crawled up the ramp and pushed the door open. It squeaked with rusty hinges as he pushed it and it fell open.  Peaking out, his hair whipped around, the cap he had lost previous somewhere no long restraining it in place.  He was outside?  Be looked around.  

“The cellar?”  

“That’s right.  This house had an extensive cellar that runs underneath a good portion of the house.  Now hurry, we need to find your friend.”  He stopped you.

“I- I haven’t told you my name yet.”

“Why would I need to know it?”

“I know yours,” that was a fair point.  You turned to him and sat with your knees to your chest as you got eye level with him.  Waiting patiently for his name he was so eager to give.  “My name’s Jungkook.”

XXX

He kept following your back, like a lost puppy.  He felt oddly too trusting, but you didn’t seem like you’d walk him into a dangerous situation. I mean, you gave him a way to hide and stay safe and reassured him his best friend would be alright.  He was worried about Taehyung, he was worried about when he’d get to go home, how long he’s been here and just exactly who were you?

You said you’d use to live here, with your family in this house.  And your reaction when he told you the year out, you were shocked, too shocked for your death to be anytime in the last decade.  That’s to be expected though, this house hadn’t been lived in for as along as Jungkook could remember.  

He had a bazillion questions in his head, but his main priority was to find Taehyung.  He needed to located and secure his best friend’s safety first, then maybe he could ask you a few questions.  

You had led him around the house and back to the front door.  The door had been replaced on its hinges and even locked shut.  

“What the..” he looked at the door.  It was like he never ripped it off in the first place, in fact, it looked better than it did before!  “I- does that stupid shadow thing fix doors?” You shook your head.  

“No.  That was probably a different spirit here.  There’s some here who don’t like it when stupid kids destroy their property.”  

“You mean there are others here?”  

“Of course.  You’ve run into 3 already. Even your friend didn’t realize he was right in front of one before.  Of course, Vivi doesn’t like it when people try to go into the closest without knocking first.  It’s just bad manners.”  Your hand phased through the doorknob, twisting the lock and opening the door perfectly.  Opening like a door should.  “We here aren’t allowed to leave until we’re found.”  

“What- found?”  You nodded as you both reentered the house.  It was just as before, the hole Jungkook fell through still there.  “Oh sure, fix the door but not the floor that’s convenient.”  He spits in spite.  You focused enough to whack him on the head as he cursed your stupid ability to become tangible in the first place.  

His whining was cut off by a scream up above.  It was Taehyung.  You were off, floating in speed up the stairs in which Jungkook followed.  Checking each room upstairs, not to fall through again, he didn’t see his friend. He very clearly heard him up here though!  You stood in front of the bay window, Jungkook joining your side.  

“The- that damn bear is gone!”  You nodded.  

“He probably has your friend.”  

“Well, how do I get him back!”  You looked up at the ceiling.  “What?  Is there something important about the ceiling?”  You rolled your eyes as you floated up and soon revealed a hidden attic door.  Dangling the custy pull, he rushed open and gripped it.  Yanking it, he squawked and backed up as quick as possible before the stairs relentlessly fell onto the floor.  It was like some cheap ass booby-trap.  You flew up into the opening as he carefully climbed the how-ever-old ladder.  

His head popped up the opening and he gasped as he saw his friend backed in a corner, that small teddy bear in front of him while that same shadow man-thing stood around.  Taehyung had his palms clamped over his mouth as his nose exhaled harshly, making the tall shadow try and pinpoint his location.  The bear hovered around Taehyung’s head, dinging like a soft bell.  With each ring, the shadow twitched until it screech.  It was a god awful sound.  

Jungkook almost let go of the ladder to cover his ears, but you stopped him as you covered them for him.  Your hands that you made physical were soft over his own, and it as like he was listening to the ocean waves.  He didn’t realize that ghosts had such a pleasant internal sound.  

The shadow screeched and seethed as it slashed through boxes, torn fabrics, threw anything it could touch in madness.  It was horrific.  What if what he was doing was done to a person? They would be mutilated, ripped, torn no doubt killed.  The thought chilled Jungkook as you felt the change in his atmosphere.  You hung upside down in front of his face and stopped his eyes from reaching that horrid, shadow.  

“Don’t look,” you mouthed but didn’t speak.  Soon, the shadow seemed to have enough and Jungkook once again saw it fade into nothing, leaving nothing but cold behind.  You removed your hands and spoke.  “You’re friend,” Jungkook was quick to get the rest of the way into the attic and rush to Taehyung’s side.  

His hands had dropped to his stomach, holding it like he was going to retch.  The teddy sat at Tae’s side, swaying in the air like it had marionette strings attached to it.  His eyes were wide and he was shocked to see his camera in one piece around his neck yet.

“Tae! Tae!  Hey, snap out of it!”  You floated down to your knees as you knelt beside the frozen young man.  He looked to you. “Can you help him?”

“I’m going to try.”  You looked at the small teddy and asked him for something.  The teddy rung again, a pleasant sound and a small cube sat in your palm.  It was just like his scented one, so the bear is responsible for creating those?  You held it up under his nose and soon he began to cough.  You smiled as Taehyung seemed to come around as he gasped and held at his shirt.  Jungkook smiled as he pat his friend on the back, trying to soothe him.  

“Thank you,” Jungkook whispered to you.  

“What the fuck was that?” Taehyung practically whimpered.  Jungkook looked at you.

“That’s what I’d like to know.  I have more than a few questions for you.”  You nodded as you sat and crossed your legs.  After Taehyung gathered himself, Jungkook caught him up on the situation to the best of his ability.  Though, after that, the questions just kept growing.  

“Alright,” you sat, ready for a questionnaire.  “What do you want to know.”

“Everything,” Jungkook answered.  “What the hell is going on?  Why are you here, how did you die, when and-”

“What the ever loving fuck was Mr. Shadow-beast?”   Taehyung injected in the final question.  You sighed.  It wasn’t a hobby of yourself to revisit your death, much less the last leg of your life, but if it will stop their questions and make sure they don’t come back like horror-driven kids tend to do, you’d tell it.  The full story.  Your story.

“I lived here with my family.  We moved in the early 1990s.  I was only a teenager at the time, and after 4 years of living here, my mother had my little brother.  A family of 4, and we were happy.  For a time, but then my dad started to get sick.  He was ill, not right in the head.  Nothing we did would pacify him.  He’d get angry over any little thing, he’d push us around and scream and terrify my little brother.  Soon, mother wanted out, so she ran out, taken my brother with her and leaving me behind.  I was 19, so I could leave whenever I wanted, but…” you stopped as you looked around at the mess.  

The mess that shadow man-made.

“Father, he became too ill.  He stopped me from going anywhere.  He locked me away in a secret room, told me ‘they’ told him to.  He’d keep me there and I was never allowed to leave.  Soon, I just lost track of time and one night when I fell asleep, I woke up-” you gestured to yourself “-like this.”

“You’re dad... he killed you?”  Taehyung asked delicately.  

“In a sense.”  

“That isn’t ‘in a sense’, Y/n! He killed you.  He forced you into a cage and killed you!”  Jungkook scolded.  “Is that why you can’t leave?  You’re angry at your father?” You shook your head.

“No, that’s not it.  Dad, he hid me.  I can’t leave before he’s hidden me and he won’t let me leave.  You saw earlier what happens when I try.” You looked once more at the wreckage.  

“No way, that thing is your dad?!”  You sighed.  

“I don’t know what happened to him, but I don’t really care either.  I’m sure he’s in a lot of pain, but what he’s put everyone threw, he deserves all the pain he’s receiving.  Even after death, he won’t stop.”  You looked at the two boys.  “But, he’s confined here.  He can’t leave this house, this property. He’s stuck here too.”

“When you say he hid you, do you mean your body?” You nodded.  “So, what you said earlier, about being found.  You want someone to find your body so you can finally go?”  You nodded again.  Jungkook shook his head in confusion though.  “But, we were in the house, Y/n.  Where could he possibly hide you in a house you know so well?”  

“I don’t know, Jungkook.  If I just managed to get close to my body- wherever it may be- I’m sure I could sense it somehow. Even a ghost has limits, and finding their own body is a major one. Why else do you think it takes exorcisms or man-lead discoveries for spirits to move one.  We can’t do it alone.”  The teddy that sat beside Taehyung rung once, twice and moved to fly and circle your head.  It was almost trying to cheer you up. You smiled after giving the small teddy a poke as it floated back to Taehyung. You giggled.  “I think he likes you.”  Taehyung rolled his eyes.

“Y/n, what if we found your body?”  Jungkook proposed.  Taehyung looked at him shocked.  

“Woah, what?  Did you hear her, she doesn’t know where it is?”

“I know, but I don’t feel comfortable keeping her here with him.  She’s helped us and with these,” he showed his wax cube, “he can’t see us.  I swear, if we do this, I won’t mess with ghosts ever again.”  Taehyung squinted at him, obviously skeptical.  “I’ll pinkie promise.”  Taehyung gasped.  

“Oh my god, you’re serious.” Taehyung thought it over.  “Well, I suppose we can’t have a full-on horror movie themed adventure without concluding the obvious plot slapping us in the face, now can we.  I’m in, but you’re so giving up your title after this.”  The two clasped pinkies- like real men would- and you interjected.

“But you can't!  You need to go!”  

“Sorry girlie, we’ve already done promised on it.  Do you know the punishment for breaking a pinkie promise?  It’s not fun man,” Taehyung said.  You just huffed as you cradled your forehead, making the boys chuckle in the small moment of amusement.

“Boys.”

XXX

Jungkook lead Taehyung around to the still open door to the cellar.  Crouching and shuffling down the ramp the 2 of them practically sashayed inside.  You floated behind them, silent the whole time.  Now, they were here, but where to look? Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck.

“Just, start looking around I guess?” Taehyung just shrugged as he turned and began doing just that.  That same teddy floating ever near at his back.  You stayed near Jungkook as he looked around.  Behind boxes, barrels, under tables, he even pulled objects from shelves expecting a secret room to pop out from the wall. But, nothing.  You sat on a box, a hopeless look on your face.  You never expected to see yourself again and refuse to get your feeble hopes up.

“Y/n, don’t worry. We’ll find it- er you.”  You shook your head.

“You shouldn’t have bothered,” Jungkook wished you were something, someone he could touch.  He’d hold you, tell you it’d all be okay.  But, how do you comfort someone who has already died while you search their old house for their body? With their demonic father stalking around no less.

Speak of the Devil.

Taehyung froze as he sunk back into the shadows, teddy at his chest to ‘protect’ him. You gasped as the shadow, your father, just barely caught sight of you.  The shadow moved fast- too fast. The walls behind you morphed, sucking in the shadows as they peeled off the wall like twisted arms. THey grabbed your body, sucking you partially into the wall to keep you imprisoned.  You struggled as your father approached, danger in every footstep.

Just as he always did when he saw you.  He’d suck the energy out of you, growing darker- stronger- with each time you allowed yourself to be so foolish you were seen.  Just as he did when you were alive.  He’s taking everything away from you, even in death.

The wall would sink you further and further in, sucking you through space.  Taehyung watched as Jungkook quickly started moving, knocking over anything he could in his wake.  “Idiot!” Taehyung screamed at him before he realized that they were both now side by side, and easily located by the demon that once was your father. The Shadow turned towards the sound, making out the faint, blue, breathing outlines of the two men and the small pesky bear that floated at their side.  

The scream the shadow emitted was very different this time. Directed directly at the boys, they covered their ears and you struggled against the shadows that forced themselves down your throat as you choked and gagged and wanted so badly to scream. Jungkook swore he almost saw what you would look like if your body wasn’t see through- if you weren’t dead.  He thought he caught a glimpse of what or who you would be if you were still alive.  

All before he was thrust away, and found himself and Taehyung none to gently thrown back into the front lawn.  They don’t know exactly how they got back out there from the back of the house from the cellar, but nonetheless, there they lay in the tall unkempt grass.  The bear sat on Taehyung’s leg, latched to his thigh with those stuffed arms of it’s.  The two sat up with a collective groan and endless whining as they rubbed their shoulders, back, arms, head, anything that hit the ground with at least minimum force.

“What the hell just happened?”  Jungkook whined as he looked around the outside.  Still dark as a pupil with the moon covered by clouds that appeared from nowhere.  Masking the once bright guiding light it provided.  “Y/n?” He looked around, you weren’t there.  He quickly stood up, too quickly as his vision blanked for a moment and a wave of dizziness washed over him as he stumbled. Rubbing his eyes as he regained his sense of balance, he looked around the abandoned yard.  Taehyung moved to stand next to him, a much slower pace than his best friend.

“He threw us out,” he murmured.  Taehyung looked behind him at the property line leading to the road and away from the godforsaken house. “He must be telling us to leave,” he looked at Jungkook, “but we aren’t, are we?” Jungkook shook his head.

“Abso-fuckin’-lutely not.  Not when we know what’s going on and that people are being hurt.” He looked down at his feet, at his palms and remembering the broken camera and the memory card in his back pocket.  He could go home now, prove so much about ghosts and the dead that roam around this house.  He can’t though, his conscience wouldn’t let him.  He couldn’t leave you without solace.  “We promised her,” was all he said.  

He was going to find your body.  He swore.  Taehyung nodded as he plucked the bear from his thigh and placed it on his shoulder where it sat upright and steady on his shirt.  Was it strange to say a grown man walking around a haunted demon house was comforted by a possessed teddy bear who protected him?  It’s a phrase best left unsaid, for his pride’s sake.

The two men started to go back around, but something stopped them.  When they came back to the cellar door, it wasn’t there anymore.  The door was just gone.  The place in the ground where the entrance would be, was just dirt and mud with a water spigot on the side of the house, dripping with something they both assumed was most definitely not water.

Jungkook dropped to his knees, in a frenzy started digging with his hands into the disgusting mix of mud and the mystery ghost fluid in the ground.  Surely if he dug, he’d bust through into the cellar he knew was there.  Taehyung grabbed the back of his jean jacket as he yanked him up, screaming at him to get ahold of himself when a window from above caught their attention.  

The old, rickety window shambled open and all was silent for a moment as the two boys looked up in curiosity.  Thinking some random ghost who just wanted to smell the good ole night air opened the window, they were quickly jumping out of the way of something that was thrown out.  

It was small, not larger than the palm of Taehyung’s hand, as it hit the grass at their feet.  Taehyung looked at the curtains that were sucked out by the wind’s breeze while Jungkook knelt and picked up whatever was thrown out.  Taehyung tore his eyes away from the window above with caution as he looked at the now rising Jungkook, holding a medicine bottle in his hand.

“This was in the bathroom, I found it when I was in there before,” the familiar word ‘Chlorpromazine’, reflecting in Jungkook’s vision.

“So,” Taehyung drew out the word as he hooked his thumbs in the belt loop of his skinnies.  “We’re going to the bathroom together?  Adventurous.”  Jungkook threw the bottle at his friend who was obviously trying to get Jungkook out of the panic he buried himself in.  The gesture was recognized and greatly appreciated.  No wonder the ghost bear liked him so much.  

The two of them hiked it back to the front of the house where they saw a blurred silhouette of a very blurry dog.  Remembering what you told him earlier about the animals being coherently on their side, he reassured the friend at his side who raised his fist. Yeah, like he was going to throw hands at a ghost, real clever fella he is in the face of danger.  

Walking inside for the third time for the young Jeon, he noticed that there were animals in the rooms.  The living room held a dog, the same dog from earlier as he sat in the doorway.  His ghost tongue hanging from his almost smiling chops. The kitchen was a monkey, Taehyung almost smiled as he saw it’s figure having a ball along the ceiling and the small noises of it swinging to and fro from whatever was in there.  From further back in the house, Jungkook practically fist pumped the air with the loud, vibrating belt of mighty elephant.  He whipped around to an ever confused Taehyung as he looked at the car laying on the top of the landing at the top of the stairs.

“These are the spirits Y/n’s little brother gifted to his toys. Tae, they’re not going to hurt us.”  Taehyung relaxed as he saw his best friend no longer frowning, but smiling at the animals who signified a save zone.  Even if temporary.

The two made it up the stairs as the cat that lay at the landing stretched and pranced around the giant hole in the floor and turned into the bathroom.  Okay, so whatever was in there was harmless- the animals said so after all.  

With care sidles along the wall, the boys came into the tiled, dirty bathroom with the water still dripping one drop at a time into the full tub.  

“Was that always full?” Taehyung questioned as he pointed accusingly at the tub.

“Yeah, it was earlier too,” Jungkook replied.

“Ah,” a rather short, unpleasant response of confirmation. Enough to get the point across that it was both disturbing and confusing for this full bathtub to be a thing when the water has long been shut off. The two watched as the cat sat at the side of the tub and then both boys let out unattractive shouts of terror when someone started to come out of the water.  

The clear water turned murky when a little boy with the shaggiest, wet hair sat up.  The water of the deep tub hit just at his chest as he sat and piddled his hands in the water to make small splashes.  He was just a child having fun and playing at bath time. Jungkook looked at Taehyung as he just shook his head.

“No way,” he whispered at his gaze as Jungkook then approached the tub’s edge in the end. He knelt down and placed his fingertips in the water.  The little boy followed the foreign ripples and looked at Jungkook, and Taehyung with the bear behind him. He smiled so innocently.

“Hello there,” Jungkook softly spoke.  “Do you like playing in the water?”  The little boy nodded eagerly.  “Would you mind if I played a bit too, with you that is?  The boy silently seemed to want to laugh as he turned and motioned to a dirty rubber duck on the edge of the tub where a bar of soap could sit snuggly.  Reaching over he looked at it.

The yellow paint was chipped in places and it was horribly faded.  The face had only one eye still painted black while the blue and purple paint scarf was patchy.  The sailor hat on the duck was still a shade of navy blue though.  It was stiff, not having the warmth and usage of a child for a very long time.  “Is this your favorite toy?” The boy nodded again.  “Well, he’s mighty dirty.  I think this sailor needs a bath too.” The boy splashed happily as Jungkook scrunched his nose cutely to his new little friend and stuck the toy under the water and gently cleaned it.

He thumbed off the as much dirt he could.  Some coming off in chunks other bits smearing and wiping off.  Soon, the duck wasn’t perfect, but significantly better.  The little boy smiled as he reached out for it, wanting to bad to have his toy back.  Jungkook gently placed the toy in his hand and it was like the toy and little boy were alive again.

The little boy's body glowed and his skin was honey tanned and hair dark and damp.  The duck looked bright and newer than ever.  The boy mouthed a happy ‘thank you’ without actually speaking before he disappeared and the tub began to drain. Once the water was gone, at the bottom of the tub sat a hairpin. Picking it up he stood and bowing once to the tub, trying to honor and say goodbye to that sweet little ghost boy as he went to Tae’s side.

“So, you played with a ghost kid. We’re just meeting all sorts of ghosts, huh?” Jungkook nodded as he showed Taehyung the pin. It was thin, black and one of those you could run your thumb over and glitter would suddenly be fused with your skin for the next three days. It was far from a fancy pin, but if a little girl who had long bangs needed to pin them back, it’d be the perfect hairpiece. “So, where too now chef?”

“Y/n mentioned something about a ghost in the kid’s room closet.”  Taehyung though as he cupped his chin.

“Come to think of it, that closet didn’t open for me.  I couldn’t get it open to save my life.” Jungkook nodded as Taehyung took the hairpin from his palm and held it in his own.  

“It’s because Vivi doesn’t like people who don’t knock.”  

The two of them moved carefully to the children’s room.  Inside on the bottom bunk of the bed sat plethora of small animal ghosts.  Small bears, snakes, tigers, lions even a T-rex sat miniature sized on the torn up mattress.  Y/n’s little brother sure had a heart full of love for all his toys, just as you said.

They moved to stand in front of the closet as Taehyung moved forward.  He was the one who tried to barge in earlier, so he’d suck it up and stop being a weenie for once and apologize for his lack of manners: in this case, not knocking. He took a shaky breath, gripping the hairpin in his hand as he knocked three soft times.

The door handle turned as the door cracked open and a little girl, no older than 7 stood at Taehyung’s midsection.  Looking up at him through her long, thick locks that covered half her face.  Her one visible eye a shining blue contrasted to her colorless body.  He knelt down to one knee as the girl’s head followed him as they were eye to eye now.  He smiled to her, making her shoulders drop any tension they once had.  

“Why are you hiding in your closet?  I’m sure all the animals here would love to play with you?” The older man suggested as he gestured to the animals gathered on the bed.  “Wouldn’t you like to play with some friends?”  She nodded but remained in the closet, hands gripping the door handle in fear.  

“They would tease me,” she whimpered.

“Tease you?  A sweet little girl like you?  No way,” he cooed as opened his palm and showed her the hairpin.  “Tell me, is this your hairpin?”  He saw her eye shine in recognition.  “A sweet little boy showed us where you lost it and asked to give it back to its pretty owner next door.”  The little girl peeked out just a bit more to glance over into the bathroom across the way.  

“Did he finally get to play?” Taehyung looked over his shoulder to Jungkook behind him, then back to the girl in front of him.

“He had a blast playing with my friend here.  They splashed and played with his favorite duck.  Now, it’s your turn to play with your friends.”  He slowly reached forwards and the pin was able to clip into her hair, pulling her bangs fully back where the other half of her face showed an empty socket where her other shining blue eye should be. So, she lost an eye somehow.  How tragic for such a small child.  “Is that why you’re too shy to go play?”

“The grown-ups always made fun of me,” she cried as her one eye allowed a small crystal tear run down her ghostly face. “They wouldn’t let me go out and make friends because I was too scary.”

Taehyung shook his head as he poked at the little girl’s tummy and smiled at her when she let out a little giggle. “Well, can I be your friend then? And this little guy will be your friend too,” Taehyung spoke to the teddy still sat on his shoulder. “If we're your friends, then those fun little rascals behind me would love to play with you for as long as you want.”  She gasped in glee.

“Would they play hide and seek with me?”  He nodded.  

“It’s their favorite game. Go on and play now, Vivi.”  She smiled wide as she pushed open the closet door fully and stepped out.  She hugged Taehyung around his neck as she giggled in his ear and placed something in his hand before she ran off to the crowd of animals behind her.  She chatted away before running out of the room, laughing the entire way until the laughter faded, leaving only a gentle, pleasant breeze.

Taehyung stood up as Jungkook clapped his back. “Good job, now we both have some cute little ghost friends.”  Taehyung laughed as he looked at the key in his hand.  It was old, really old.  The end looped like an oval while the front of it was shaped like it would slide into a music box. “Where would there be a music box around here?”

“I think I remember seeing one downstairs on one of the dining room shelves.”  Taehyung recollected.  The two worked their way out of the room, but not before saying goodbye to their friendly ghost companions.  They would surely remember to always mind their manners now.

Just as Taehyung said, downstairs sat a single, wooden music box.  It sat about eye level with the boys as they tried to take it off the shelve, but it shouldn’t budge.  It was like it was attached on. Not wanting to possibly break anything and create a panic or worse stir up more trouble, Taehyung just placed the key in the music box on the shelf.  With 3 good cranks, the key locked in place, sticking out of the keyhole and started turned counter-clockwise and a small melody began to play.  

It was a soft tune, friendly and warm.  As Jungkook listened, the more it reminded him of you and how you were a warm presence, despite you being a ghost. Once the soft lullaby ended the key was spit back out and the wall next to the shelf slid open to reveal a hidden wall.  A secret passage of sorts.  Taehyung picked up the key and placed it next to its rightful partner; the lovely little box of lullabies.  

“Well,” Jungkook chirped, “if ever I’ve seen a horror movie-”

“We’re so going into the new hidden door. Let’s move Mr. Ghost-Professional.”  Taehyung interrupted as he shoved his friend's shoulder and the two began to shimmy through the small passageway.  It wasn’t long before the passage leads to a small opening in the floor with a ladder leading down.  

“This has to go to the cellar.” The ever attached bear of Taehyung’s moved to his head as the two began to descend the ladder without second thoughts.  It’s not like they’d through in the towel now anyways.  The assumption was correct.  The boys had indeed found themselves back to the cellar.

You were held captive against the wall from shadows, but the demon was nowhere around.  

“Y/n…!” Jungkook breathed as he ran to you and touched the black restraining you.  The shadows were just shadows.  They were a strange, disgusting black goop that felt like slime and peeled like tar as he shook his hand away from it’s gross, slimy texture.   Though, regardless of how revolting, he reached your mouth and dug away the grime from your throat.  Once you were free of the black from your tongue, you coughed and hung your head low.  “Y/n,” he repeated, “please, talk to me. Say something.” He pleaded as Taehyung joined his side.  

The bear looked at your ‘unconscious’, dull eyes figure and as it did before when it comforted you.  It shook it’s furry body and rang like a bell.  The ringing reverberated in your head as your eyes came back to life, regaining their ghostly glow as you were finally able to see the two boys- two friends in front of you.  

“Jungkook, Taehyung?”  The nodded.  “How did you get here?” They looked at each other and smiled.

“Vivi and the little boy in the bathtub helped us.  Oh, and the animal’s of course.”  Jungkook chirped.  

“You.. you helped Vivi and Jacob?” The two of them explained how they were able to help make the two children smile and laugh.  “Jacob was a little boy who was drowned by his mother.  She believed her child was cursed since he was born without a voice.  Vivi was a little girl teased constantly because when she was younger, she lost her eye in an accident.  You helped them both?”  The boys nodded.  

“They were very sweet little kids.”  You smiled.

“Thank you,” you bowed your head, best you could.  Then your smiled faded as you looked back at them and turned seriously once again.  “You two need to go.  If he comes back, then he’ll-”

“No.  We promised you, remember,” Jungkook interrupted.

“You don’t understand!  Please, just-”  You stopped short when you stiffened.  “Go back, back away to the walls.  Now, hurry!”  They did so without argument.  Just as they were on opposite walls, the demon pulled himself up from the fucking floor.  From below?  Could there be- was there another section below the cellar? The shadow moved and stood in front of you, your body that was once relaxed now shaking uncontrollably.

Jungkook stood still, staring at your expression.  For the first 2 times, he’s been saved by you, you hadn’t shown your fear.  Now, you were close to crying- weeping rather- as your father disgustingly stood above you. Ghost tears, it was almost an interesting concept if they weren’t being threatened to be spilled by you.

He slowly shuffled to a shelf, grabbing a nearby bottle and quickly throwing it.  The bottle shattered on the ground, making the shadow turn and screech.  Jungkook covered his ears, hissing.  The shadow stepped away from you, just a bit.  He still hadn’t located Jungkook yet.

Taehyung understanding gave his small, stuffed possessed companion a nod.  A shield of sorts surrounded the both of them. Taehyung was officially safe. “Hey!” He shouted. The shadow whipped around.  Seeing the spiritual essence around Taehyung, he marched with heavy steps forward.

“Wrong way!”  Now, it was Jungkook’s turn.  He held that scented wax so tightly in his warm palm, it threatened to begin to melt.  He remained completely still, not moving a muscle. When the shadow turned again, Taehyung sprint to a shelf of alcohol bottles.  Pushing every bottle off, they shattered on the hardwood floor one by one.

“You've had enough beer, pal!” Taehyung chided. You watched the two continue to jerk around and confuse the shadow- your father.  Back and forth, like a game of pong with your father as the ball. While the boys continued to distract the reel shadow demon, the teddy by Taehyung’s side rung, that same rining echoing into the small enclosure of the cellar.  

A loud screech ripped out of the shadow as he turned his back on the sound.  It seemed to cradle it’s head as it screamed and the shadow of its body almost seemed to fluctuate.  It was like bells hurt the beast?  The beast raised it's arms into the air, ready to strike into the ground.  

You forced yourself from the shadow’s harsh imprisonment for the first time ever.  You focused your entire body before you ripped free of its confines.  You were quick to get to Jungkook’s side who was currently in the way of taking the brunt of the soon to come smash of your father’s fists.  Desperate to save him, you made your entire body tangible and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, your head next to his own.

Jungkook instinctively held you against him.  It was odd, holding you.  You were solid, but light.  It was like he was hugging a breathing person, but you were so cold.  He didn’t fell the beat of your heart, didn’t feel the pushing of your chest against his when you breathed.  You were a dead person, a ghost, yet he held you.  

The shadow slammed his fists into the floor with utter rage, the wood splitting and creating chaos.  Taehyung lost his balance as he fell against the back wall, the bear floating to his chest, still protecting him with a shield of sorts.  The hole created by the beast was jagged as Jungkook and yourself fell through it. All while the demon faded away for the time being mid-tantrum.

Jungkook groaned, falling through the floor for the second time that night.  He looked at your exhausted ghostly body.  Your spiritual glow fluctuating as you seemed so tired, too tired.  He wanted to open his mouth and ask about your state, but the sound of bells silenced him.  They weren’t the sound of that dumb bear.  This sound was much different.  So pure, innocent in a sense.  

Jungkook got up, following the sound of the bells, leaving your ghostly body to lay on the ground.  He didn’t exactly know how to help someone he could no longer grasp.  He ran until he found a single case hidden in the underneath hideaway of the cellar floor. Inside that case was none other than a skeleton, full body with a set of bells next to the yellow and while colored skull.  

Down the way, your spirit fluctuated until it blew into a graceful wisp of blue. You traveled the wind until you found Jungkook; until you found your bones.  Jungkook watched in awe, it was like your soul was dancing around the body long lost to you.  A bright flame of peace.  He smiled as the bells floated towards him and he reached out with his palm as they fell into his hand.

Your spirit manifested once more- for the last time- now in a beautiful, white sundress. He smiled as did you. You came towards him, relief in your ghostly gaze.  You kissed his cheek, your flame giving warmth and spreading a wisp of blue along with it.

“Thank you, Jungkook.  Give my thanks to Taehyung as well.”  

“I will,” he almost choked.  Your spirit sprung to life, your fire bright as your spirit shot up the ceiling and out of the cellar floor- scaring the poor Taehyung mind you. Your fierce, powerful, free spirit easily located your tainted, evil father in the house and quickly wasted no time in surrounding him. Your fire latched onto his shadows, devouring it as the spirits and ghosts of your comrades, his other victims, joined your plight to finally put your father down.  

“You’ve done enough, Father.” The shadows pulled back from the host form of your father just enough to see his grotesque face once more.  Burned, disfigured and rotten was his flesh from the long age of his demons.  His time was ending, and he would get what he finally deserved.  You seethed and sneered at his face.  “Begone, you wretched disgrace.”  Engulfed by his shadows once more, he was ignited by your pure light and disappeared.  Along, so did you.  Your presence, and those others not gone.  

The house was finally vacant.

Jungkook climbed back up to the cellar, Taehyung helping him as he looked at the motionless bear at Taehyung’s feet.  

“Was she- I mean did Y/n?”

“Yeah.  she’s gone now.”

“Oh,” he spoke with a dip in his voice.  “I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”  

“Let’s get out of here, Taehyung.”  Tae nodded as he reached down and grabbed the bear at his feet, not hesitating to take the little guy along with him back to the surface.  Perhaps he had gotten a bit attached.

With the disperse of the demon, the cellar door had reappeared and the two men crawled out onto the lawn outside once again.  They rounded the house and soon took the way walk back up to the sideway at the edge of the property before turning and staring back at the house.  

“So,” Taehyung started, “what was it like?”

“What was what like?  Nearly dying?”

“Hitting on a ghost.”

“Oh my god,” Jungkook left, Taehyung laughing behind him as he held your bells tight and safe in his palm.

XXX

The following week, your remains were found by the police when Tae put in an ‘anonoymous message’ that someone was found going into that house.  Now, somehow that house- your house- was scheduled for destruction within the month. Jungkook sat in Taehyung’s room as he flipped through his newest comic he nabbed at a store downtown.

“You think they’ll rebuild over the property?” Taehyung asked as Jungkook shrugged.

“Beats me.  It’d be nice if they didn’t.  Maybe put a small little cemetery or memorial instead.”  Taehyung nodded with a smile.

“You should pitch that idea.  It’s a good one, and I’m sure the city hall would listen since a body was discovered.”  Jungkook smiled as he looked out the window of his best friend’s room.  The sunny sky devoid of any pesky clouds.

“You know, I think I just might,” Jungkook said.  He wanted to put a grave down for you, and all the other ghosts too.  For Vivi and for Jacob who were just innocent children who hadn’t done wrong; far too young for death’s unfair grip.  

That’s what he thought as he watched over the sewn up and cleaned teddy bear on Tae’s window sill.  The jingling of the two bells around his wrist that had been weaved and carefully placed onto a precious new bracelet he wore wherever he went- without exception- as they always seemed to jingle in approval.

Yes, a memorial was a fine idea.  Maybe he did like you a little bit- just a ghost of a crush.

[ourginmadeoftears]

Yesterday I walked into m mother’s closet to look for a shirt to wear, when I saw two large and colorful boxes. I opened one and found three camcorders and nostalgia immediately hit. I remembered all the movies I used to make with my best friend and my sister, the church trips we went on, and I just knew that I had to get them turned on. 

I’m not even joking when I say that I threw everything out in the floor so that I could find these chargers. I was like a kid on Christmas morning who just got a fuckton of Hot Wheels cars and I was ready to play with THEM ALL. 

I waited patiently for them to charge a little and started the long process of rewinding them. Now, I don’t know who is reading this, but if you’re a youngster and you’ve never had the pleasure of rewinding a VHS tape, you’re lucky lol. It’s long enough to go to the kitchen, make yourself a snack, come back, and settle in with a blanket. 

So, when they were finally rewound I was basically bouncing on the bed. 

And when I pressed play, I found myself back in my grandmother’s old black and white trailer. My sister was sitting on the bench that attached to the kitchen table dressed as a hot pink witch. It was Halloween. I’m not exactly sure what year. I was dressed as a hippie, my mother and father as Romans. I had the camcorder in my small hands and I’m making my odd commentary about everyone in the kitchen, and I turn to the right. 

And there she is.

The sun is shining through the windows right next to her head, and I swear to god she looks like an angel. She holds her hand up to the camera, shielding her face. She takes the camera from me, and turns it toward my sister. That’s when I hear her too. 

“I wish I would’ve gotten her when she put a big ‘ol spoonful in her mouth,” she said. And then, she laughed.

And god, it was like some part of my world lit up again. 

I watched in awe as Halloween turned to Christmas, and her trailer filled with people. I watched my family exchange gifts, and laugh happily. I watched as my sister gave me a snowy and panoramic view of the outside of the trailer. The last thing on the video was a blur. Someone was breathing heavily and walking, when finally the camera zoomed in on two deer off in the distance. 

That’s when I knew it was my grandpa. He loved to take pictures of the deer in his yard, it was his favorite thing to do.

When the video finally came to an end, I rewound it again. I watched it over and over until I pretty much memorized it word for word. When I was finished with that, I recorded it for myself on my cell phone.

Yesterday was a good day.

Because for the first time in 8 years, I heard my grandmother’s voice. I heard her laugh. 

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014)

The Austin-born Zellner brothers have apparently been circling my radar for a while.  The Austin connection aside, I remember finding a score for a film by The Octopus Project on vinyl for cheap one day, and nabbed it.  Years later, after a screening of Damsel, I put two and two together that the soundtrack was for the Zellner brothers film Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, and every since that moment of realization, I’ve had it on my radar to watch this film.

Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) is a 29-year old OL living and working in Tokyo.  She lives in solitude, accompanied only by her pet rabbit Bunzo and the treasures she collects on her adventures in isolation.  During an excursion into a cave, she finds a VHS copy of Fargo, and the only scene she is able to view is the scene where Steve Buscemi’s character buries a bag of money in Minnesota.  Convinced that the events she is watching are real, Kumiko takes on a conquistador mentality in hopes of discovering the treasure.  She attempts to steal a map of Minnesota from a library, and after a confrontation with her boss, Kumiko decides to move forward with the search for her ultimate treasure she discovered in Fargo.  With her former boss Sakagami’s (Nobuyuki Katsube) corporate card in hand, Kumiko leaves Bunzo on a train and boards a plane to Minneapolis, Minnesota in hopes of reaching Fargo to discover the hidden treasure.

The fact that Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is a recount of a story based on true events that were inspired by a recount of a story based on true events creates one of the oddest (yet subtle) meta-narrative structures I’ve ever encountered.  Setting the story in Tokyo adds the dissociative aspect that forces the viewer to search for connection (in this case, it’s the cultural gap played against the shared interest in Fargo), which further enriches the viewing experience.  A third layer of experience is added when the film fully kicks into the adventure portion of the film, going in on the conquistador and new world aspects, as well as the shared stories leading to the possibilities of true treasure aspect.

Having the inciting incident for the narrative of this film be based on a key aspect to another film is a very intriguing element to build your story around.  It’s impossible not to connect the films once Fargo is introduced, so when mirroring story elements present themselves, it evokes a unique emotional reaction based on our knowledge of how the events in Fargo played out.  In turn, the adventure becomes a roller-coaster of emotions as Kumiko navigates her way through a strange new world in hopes of discovering hidden riches.  The film provides one of the best meditations on the state of being that is loneliness, landing in the same company as films like Her or Jeremiah Johnson. 

The Zellner brothers utilize an extremely playful camera considering the sullen nature of the solitude it captures, often times punctuating a visual joke by stopping and allowing the character to return to the frame for the button of the joke.  The score provided by The Octopus Project punctuates each moment brilliantly, heightening the emotion connected to Kumiko’s mental state from scene to scene.  The vivid reds and oranges that emit from frames that involve Kumiko doing something for herself keep our spirits up as we partake in her adventure alongside her.

Rinko Kikuchi embraces both the reserved nature of person who chooses solitude with the bold determination of a conquistador, resulting in a strong, silent protagonist being pulled by emotional hopes.  Nobuyuki Katsube and his stern adherence to Japanese tradition stand in stark contrast to Kumiko’s uniqueness.  David Zellner’s kind-hearted police officer portrayal is an example of the kindness of strangers, and allows for an awkwardly funny cultural and gender gap experience.  Yumiko Hioki provides a brilliant voice-only portrayal of an overbearing mother whose ‘good’ intentions turn into the element that drives her own daughter further and further away.  Most of the additional characters play small, transitional roles, peppering in different shades of outgoing nature to further drive home Kumiko’s choice to remain alone.

Damsel is one of my favorites of 2018, and having now seen Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, I think it’s safe to say I’m a huge fan of the Zellner camp.  I can’t wait to see what the brothers have in store for the future.

[anythingstephenking]

Commercial Break: Let’s Get Lazy

This past weekend I settled my ass into my couch cushions, ordered $150 worth of food from Postmates and watched 29 short films over three days. Other than Taylor Swift releasing two new albums, this was the highlight of Covid-Times for me.

I started writing this blog in 2016 to document my quest to read all of King’s work. It’s turned into a mish-mash of book reviews and grumblings about terrible film and TV movie adaptations but mostly it’s evolved into a little time capsule of my life and experiences, told through a King lens.

So to properly “review” the Stephen King Rules fest I will acknowledge my own limitations - I am certainly no film expert. I will leave the talk about camera angles or practical effects or tracking shots to the pros. I won’t try to rank the films or provide any new insight into their merits, because, I literally have no idea what I am talking about and I’d like, for once, to leave the internet musing to the experts.

So here’s my own, personalized experience of the festival, a King lens on my life. 

It’s been a weird year. Like for most people, it’s been disruptive. I myself have been extremely fortunate - I managed to get a new job, settle into working full-time at home, myself and my loved ones stayed healthy. But as someone who values stability and is scared of the unknown, it was rough to both live and want to escape into uncertainty. 

Because everything was a nightmare, I stopped reading King this past year. I took comfort in familiar content over new worlds of mystery. While I hate that I went almost a year without King, it was what I needed. But this film festival seemed like the right time to emerge from my cocoon. I’ve been fully vaccinated for over a month (although still haven’t gone anywhere). Baby steps I suppose. But I could go to my couch, and fall in love with Steve again.

This festival was so much fun. I particularly enjoyed:

The post film interviews with the directors. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been to a film festival. Seeing the creators talk about their work with such insight was remarkable. I loved the spectrum of personalities - there were some making their first film, some making their 400th, but everyone was equally passionate about what they had accomplished.

The Twitter gab. I hardly ever get on Twitter anymore because it’s a hellscape of torture, but I fired up the ol’ account for this and I am so glad I did. Everyone was so funny, supportive and as equally excited as I was. I mean, I love a reaction gif just as much as the next person.

The film posters!! Wow, there were some good ones.

Lastly, event planning is HARD. One time I was responsible for planning a 3 day event and at the end I was so exhausted I flew home and left the airport forgetting to pick up my luggage at baggage claim. I can’t even imagine how much time went into the coordination of this festival. Major kudos to the team behind the scenes. I hope you are all sleeping hard today.

I feel pretty ready to jump back into my King journey now; while trying to read all the stories featured as prep, I wrapped up Just After Sunset (post TBD). After this I start 11/22/63, which I read and loved back when it came out. Jumping back into King, but also reading something familiar. Baby steps.

Postscript:

I know I said I wasn’t going to talk too much about this films themselves, but I do want to cover off on a few highlights, and what would the internet be without the uninformed sharing their opinions?

During the Derry Public Radio interview, they were asked what King moment stuck with them. And while I would certainly recount the moments of bed-diving due to fears about a reanimated child being under my bed, I would pick something different. The passage in ‘Salem’s Lot about the seasons changing. It’s only a couple of pages in a sprawling story of good vs. evil, but I love it so much. That’s what King does; just when you think you’ve got a good footing, he knocks you on your ass with something like a description of fall in New England that burrows into your brain forever.

Here’s what knocked me on my ass this weekend:

Here There Be Tygers - the use of masks and design of that bathroom was haunting. This was an interesting take on what I would have thought would be a really difficult story to adapt.

Gray Matter - Not gunna lie, I was pretty toasted on Bota Box by this air time Friday night, but I love a good gross-out movie and the effects on this one were top notch.

My Pretty Pony - The location was stunning and I definitely cried.

The Doctor’s Case - I just love that Stephen King wrote a Sherlock story, and Rachel Creed was in it. A++

I Am The Doorway - One of King’s weirdest (and that’s saying something), this film was perfectly creepy and I will never forget the pencil poking for the remainder of my days.

Popsy - I’m a sucker for movies that remind me of sneaking into the basement with a VHS from the Blockbuster horror section that my parents don’t know I rented. This was that movie.

Vinton’s Lot - The tenacity of this filmmaker to complete this film without funding while the clocked ticked on his rights agreement was almost as harrowing as his story of a woman being trapped in an overturned port-a-poty. Almost.

Survivor Type - I don’t think any other film could have closed the festival. The actor should win all the things. I could not believe they filmed this in just 4 days. What a ride.

Okey dokey, I am done! Off to write up Just After Sunset and settle in with Jake Epping and Sadie Dunhill for a while. Tata.

[iamvegorott]

One Night Of Your Life

I got a request/suggestion to do a prequel-like story by an AO3 user called Dawnieangel76 of the night everything changed between Anti and Dark and thus sparked this idea. The second half should be posted within a day or so.

Summary: Before getting together, adopting Annalise and then getting married, Anti and Dark hated each other for reasons they never knew. It took one night to change everything in their lives.

The Night

This was it. He was going to do it. He was going to break through. He was going to be free.

Anti has been pushing and pushing for months to get out of Jack. He’s even been affecting his recordings and Jack had simply said it was all Robin’s doing. Jack hated lying. But how could you explain something like that to millions of people?

“We’ll give him a big ol’ smile.” Jack chuckled as he carved, trying his best to ignore the pressure building in the back of his head. Anti hummed a little to himself. Maybe he’ll put on a show. It’ll make Jack’s life a little easier to roll with it if he made it something else. He was already trying to build up something with him. Poor Jack, he thought he could just hide Anti until he went away. Not Anymore.

Anti raised a hand, Jack’s hand. The knife almost blinding to look at because of all of the lights that it was reflecting. Anti chuckled when he heard Jack pleading as the knife touched his throat.

“You’ll live...maybe,” Anti whispered inside of Jack’s head before slowly slicing the knife across the skin, feeling the blood ooze out as he went. When Jack collapsed, Anti took over.

He glitched and cursed and yelled into the camera, claiming that he was ignored and that it was all the fans’ fault. Anti was having fun with this act. This would get Jack plenty of views and he would have his own audience if he ever chose to come back. But where was the fun in that?

“Goodbye, Jack,” Anti stated before tearing himself away from the man. He stood behind a now unconscious Jack. He did it. He had his own body! Anti grabbed Jack by his hair and lifted his head up, seeing that the wound was no longer there. “You did it, you survived.” Anti chuckled before letting the head go, laughing a little when it plopped against the pumpkin. Anti looked at himself in the camera and saw the blood pooling at his neck. “I need to get cleaned up. Hope you don’t mind if I borrow some clothes.”

x~x~x

“I simply don’t believe that will work, Wilford. If-”

“‘Sup bitches!?” Anti yelled as he kicked open the glass door to the Iplier meeting room.

“What happened to your neck?” Bim asked.

“And why are you here?” Dark asked in a growl.

“I thought Jack’s body was unable to enter here, you shut him out,” Google said to Dark.

“I’m my own man now!” Anti laughed. “God it feels great to be free!”

“You killed him?” Wilford asked, sounding offended. “Without me?”

“He lived. He’s just gonna have some fucked up recording for his next video.” Anti sat down at the edge of the table, spinning around so he was facing Dark.

“We’re in the middle of a meeting, Antisepticeye.” Dark huffed, glaring daggers at Anti.

“Why you gotta keep doing that ‘Antisepticeye’ bullshit? My name’s Anti. You don’t see me walking around and calling you Darkiplier.” Anti huffed back.

“Do you really believe that I honestly give any concerns about what you think? Get out of here, right now.” Dark didn’t flinch when Anti glitched and was suddenly sitting in front of him.

“I’m a lot tougher than you think, Darky.” Anti grinned.

“Do not call me that.” Dark stood so he could tower over Anti. “I will give you one last warning, get out, or face the consequences.”

“Oh, I’m so scared of the edge-lord.” Anti shook his hands in the air. “Whatever shall I do? The VHS cu-”

“Out!” Dark’s voice doubled as he shoved Anti away, making the virus roll.

“Make me!” Anti’s own voice distorted and he launched himself at Dark, making the man fall down into his chair. The chair tipped over and both men fell over, landing with Anti straddling Dark. Anti was about to punch Dark when a loud gunshot went off and there was a hole in the wall above his head.

“Up. Now.” Wilford stated, his gun still out. Anti just glared as he got off of Dark, stepping away from the demon.

“You’re a piece of shit.” Anti spat.

“The same could be said of you.” Dark spat back as he got back up. The two glared at each other for a good while before Anti glitched away.

Anti landed in the middle of the Septiceye house, body burning with anger. He grabbed the closest thing to him which was, sadly for Chase, the game controller and he chucked it against the wall, shattering it.

“Hey, man! The hell!?” Chase shouted.

“Who does that self-centered, pompous, assoholic, fucking ass, think he is!?” Anti screamed, pacing back and forth.

“Let me guess, Dark?” Chase sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

“I broke free, Chase! I have my own body now!” Anti announced.

“Wait you-”

“And I decided to let the Ipliers know and what does that fucking prick do? ‘We’re in the middle of a meeting, Antisepticeye’.” Anti used a mocking tone in an attempt to mimic Dark. “No one called me that and there he goes, acting like he’s better than everyone!”

“You broke free!?” Chase shouted over Anti’s ranting.

“Yes!” Anti huffed.

“You have your own body and you’re currently only focused on Dark right now?” Chase tucked his hands into his pockets and started to walk away. “You two need to fuck already.”

“I’m not going to fuck that know-it-all bitch!” Anti yelled again when Chase only hummed a response and left him. “Fucking, asshole,” Anti muttered under his breath, going back to his pacing. “Although, Dark’s not that bad looking.” Anti quickly shook his head after his chuckle. “No. He’s an ass. He’s a pain in the ass. He’s got a great ass. Fuck!” The virus plopped down on the couch, covering his face with his hands. “I hate him. I hate him and his stupid, fucking face.” Anti groaned. He lowered his hands and felt it touch something. “Marvin.” Anti sighed when he saw that it was a book on magic tricks.

“Antisepticeye.” Hearing his name brought Anti back to his rage. Anti took the book and threw it towards Dark, sad to see that the demon easily caught it and glanced at the cover.

“Marvin?” Dark asked with a raised brow.

“What that fuck are you doing here!?” Anti snapped, getting to his feet and ready to attack.

“I can here to discuss what happened today,” Dark stated, standing with his arms held behind his back.

“I wanted to rip your face off and I still do.” Anti threatened, taking several steps towards Dark.

“Not that. Given the fact that you’d be unable to.” Dark added with a smug smirk. “I wish to discuss that you detached yourself from Jack.” He said before Anti could start yelling.

“Yeah. I did. What’s it to you?” Anti huffed.

“Host wishes to talk with you more thoroughly about that and since I’m the leader, it was my duty to come over and request your presence at the Iplier house,” Dark said, holding the magic book out.

“Yeah, how about you fuck off?” Anti snatched the book back and started walking away. He stopped and growled when Dark appeared in front of him in a puff of black smoke.

“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear.” Dark grabbed Anti’s wrist. “You are coming with me whether you want to or not.” Anti yanked his arm back and shoved Dark away.

“Marvin! Come get your fucking book!” Anti shouted. Dark took Anti by the shoulder and turned him around.

“Would you quit acting like a child!?” Dark snapped.

“Would you quit acting like a dick!?” Anti snapped back.

“Aren’t you just the most creative with your insults!?” Dark huffed.

“Fuck off!” Anti shoved Dark’s chest.

“You!” Dark shoved back.

“I thought you had to be creative with your insults!?” Anti stepped towards Dark.

“Sometimes I have to lower my intelligence to match your level!” Dark took a step as well.

“No one can reach your level ‘cause you’re too far up your own ass!” Anti took another step.

“Fuck you!” Dark and Anti were only inches away from each other.

“Fuck you!” The moment Anti got those words out, both men grabbed at each other. Anti gripped at Dark’s hair and Dark dug his hands into Anti’s hips while they slammed their lips together.

“Sorry, I was tied up, is my book…” Marvin held out the word when he saw the scene in the living room. The word became louder when Dark’s hands slipped under Anti’s shirt. Marvin quickly ran back into his room, still holding out the word.

“Alright, if that’s how it is.” Anti jumped up, wrapping his legs around Dark’s waist and grinned when the demon caught him by the thighs. “My bedroom is right behind you,” Anti whispered into Dark’s ear.

“Good.” Dark growled with a smirk and carried Anti into the room, shutting the door behind him. Anti let out a low laugh when Dark tossed him into his bed. The virus slipped off his shirt before crawling along the bed, seeing that Dark had already removed his jacket and was unbuttoning his shirt. Dark had one arm out of the sleeve when he paused and looked at Anti, who was turning the volume up on the radio.

“Can’t have the others hear,” Anti said, making his way so he was kneeling on the bed in front of Dark. “They don’t like hearing my name being screamed.”

“Well then.” Dark put a hand on Anti’s chest and pushed him over. “Let’s give them something different to listen to.” Anti let out a laugh as he watched Dark made his way on top of him, settling between his legs.

“You come around when you find me faceless.” Dark rolled his eyes when Anti sang along with the song. “Fuck me like you hate me!” Dark let out a soft groan when Anti rolled his hips up. Dark quickly retaliated and started gnawing at Anti’s neck. “Dig it up and whore me out-ah!” Anti was unable to sing anymore after that line, his voice breaking out into moans and Dark worked him over. Beginning a night that would change the rest of their lives.

Tag List: @readeatfightlove13 @kenzie-110101 @kaner-va @theallpowerfulone @pagan-smol-mom @undedicated-humanoid

(I’m just assuming you want to be tagged in this since you’re either tagged in the current story or said they wanted this as well.)

[greensparty]

Movie Reviews - ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas / Love, Antosha

This is a good month for documentaries about entertainers.

ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas (theatrical release)

movie poster

There’s a few milestone 50th anniversaries to celebrate this year. 1969 brought us Apollo 11′s moon landing, Woodstock, and many more, but highly under the radar is the 50th anniversary of Texas blues rockers ZZ Top. Hard to believe we’ve had this trio of guitarist/singer Billy Gibbons, bassist/keyboardist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard (the only member without a beard I might add) for 50 years. Now they are getting the rock doc treatment ZZ Top :That Little Ol’ Band From Texas from director Sam Dunn, who directed such cool docs as Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage and Super Duper Alice Cooper (my #6 Documentary of 2014).

I, like a lot of people, discovered ZZ Top thanks to their music videos. The band had already been around for over a decade when they embraced music videos and soon MTV made them stars. They weren’t glamorous, but the videos were thanks to slick cars, beautiful models and special effects. “Legs”, “Sharp Dressed Man”, “Give Me All Your Lovin’”, “TV Dinners”, “Rough Boys”, “Sleeping Bag” and “Stages” were all videos I took a shine to on MTV and V66 when I was first discovering music videos. The band’s 1992 compilation album Greatest Hits was one I got and so many of their songs are staples of classic rock radio. 

ZZ Top with their fuzzy guitars in the “Legs” music video

The doc combines interviews with the band and archival footage as well as interviews with famous friends and fans including Billy Bob Thornton, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. What’s cool about this doc is that as they talk about some of their hits, they show the band performing the songs modern day. What I was disappointed in with this doc, is that it goes up to their commercial peak with 1983′s Eliminator album and then it just does a quick highlight montage of everything after. I felt like there was more to the doc than just ending it at the commercial peak. I had a similar problem with the Twisted Sister doc, which at 2.5 hours ends just as their biggest album is released. But having said that, it is worth seeing if nothing else for the rocking tunes.

Abramorama is releasing the documentary theatrically beginning this month, including a screening at Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA on 9/25: https://www.zztopfilm.com/

3 out of 5 stars

Love, Antosha (theatrical release)

movie poster

In June 2016 when actor Anton Yelchin died at the age of 27 in a freak auto accident, it was a terribly sad loss for the film industry. I knew him mainly for playing Chekov in the Star Trek reboots and the excellent horror film Green Room, but the truth was, he was really just getting started and we had only scratched the surface of what he was capable of. In addition to acting, he was also a musician (he was in the punk band Hammerheads), photographer and was gearing up to begin directing. After his passing, there was an outpouring of tributes from Hollywood friends. The new documentary Love, Antosha is a loving profile of Yelchin.

It would be easy to just put together clips from his films and interviews with his friends and co-stars, which there is plenty of in this doc, including J.J. Abrams, Joe Dante, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Lawrence, Martin Landau (who passed away in 2017), Kristen Stewart, and plenty of Star Trek co-stars, i.e. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, and Simon Pegg. But what went beyond that and really made this compelling was the archival footage. Yelchin’s parents were involved with the making of this and are interviewees and they provided plenty of home movie footage. From a young age, Yelchin was documenting with a VHS camera. But he had such a passion for filmmaking and was always talking to the cinematographer and more. Many cast members mention that he was trying his best, which made them want to do better. You kinda wish there were more people in the industry like him.

Yelchin and his camera

Earlier this year, I missed this doc when it screened at Independent Film Festival Boston, but when I was at one of the parties I was talking with one of the doc’s producers . I asked him if they covered the 2004 episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm that Yelchin appeared in. He said they wanted to get Larry David to be interviewed because they had heard Anton’s scenes were one of the rare times where Larry couldn’t stop laughing during a take. The doc does show some of those scenes, too bad they couldn’t get Larry David for whatever reason. The doc is still a moving portrait of a young artist gone too soon.

Lurker and M. Tuckman are releasing this documentary theatrically this month, including Kendall Square in Cambridge: https://antonyelchindoc.com/

4 out of 5 stars

[lindarifenews]

10 Instagram Photo Editing Trends Every Marketer Should Know in 2019

If your brand is on Instagram, it’s important to keep up with the latest Instagram photo editing trends.

Instagram users post over 95 million photos each day, and spend an average of 32 minutes scrolling through posts and Stories.

With so much content, users’ tastes evolve fast. And they’re always looking for different, interesting photos to hold their attention.

That means you want to ensure your photos don’t look stale and dated. If you’re still favoring the classic Instagram aesthetic, we’re sorry to tell you that your followers are over it.

Here’s a round-up of what looks fresh on the platform these days, and how to incorporate it into your content strategy to keep those likes coming.

Take a look at these 10 Instagram editing trends below, and learn how to apply them to your own photos.

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a lifestyle photographer used to grow from 0 to 600,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

10 top Instagram photo editing trends

1. The #nofilter edit

Instagram users are starting to get filter fatigue. The Instagram presets that dominated influencer accounts in the past have worn out their welcome.

As this article in Shape points out, “there is a fine line between editing and altering.” Altering photos to an unrealistic degree sets up users to feel bad about themselves. Their sunset photos are never that vibrant!

And when every photo on Instagram is retouched to perfection, the polished photos begin to lose their allure.

Instead, 2019 Instagram users prefer to see more natural photos. In these, people and objects have real texture. They’re more interesting and engaging than airbrushed images.

View this post on Instagram

Good ole red lip ????????

A post shared by Molly Blutstein (@accidentalinfluencer) on Jul 26, 2018 at 2:56am PDT

You don’t need to abandon all editing to make this trend work for your brand. You can clean up your photos by removing blemishes or dirt with an app like TouchRetouch.

Adjusting brightness or contrast will also subtly improve your images. Learn more secrets to editing your photos while retaining their natural look.

View this post on Instagram

Gabbriette for Orseund ????????

A post shared by O R S E U N D I R I S (@orseund_iris) on Mar 15, 2019 at 11:16am PDT

Retaining a little imperfection, like shiny skin or a wrinkled shirt, is key. Perfect images have become so ubiquitous that a “flawed” image provides refreshing contrast.

2. The digital “film” photo

Continuing the theme of authenticity is the digital “film” photo. This is another Instagram photo editing trend dominating the platform.

If you’ve wondered whether influencers and brands are actually scanning Polaroids or uploading film images, the answer is probably no.

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Made of magic ???? @anuthida #storyluxe

A post shared by Storyluxe (@storyluxe) on Apr 2, 2019 at 10:56am PDT

Instead, they’re using apps that create film-like effects for photos and videos. These include light leaks, vignettes and blurs.

Maybe the most well-known of these was Huji Cam, which NY Intelligencer called “the trendiest photo app” of 2018. But there are tons of other options, like RNI Films, VHS Cam, or Storyluxe. All give your photos that dreamy, vintage quality.

View this post on Instagram

Lots to look forward to in 2019. I can’t wait to share the projects I’ve been working on with you. The first one is here: Cali ???? BY @pumasportstyle

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Jan 15, 2019 at 9:01am PST

Nostalgia is a powerful force, and these apps are basically time machines to the late 90s, when disposable cameras were king.

But multitasking apps like Afterlight 2 and VSCO also have tons of tools for giving your photos that retro, analog look.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lana Del Rey (@lanadelrey) on Apr 24, 2019 at 3:22pm PDT

3. The photo-doodle

Yes, we let Ned Flanders name this photo trend.

In contrast to some of the other Instagram editing trends on this round-up, this one is not subtle or natural at all. Instead, it’s all about adding flair to your photos.

It’s the Instagram equivalent of decorating your textbook covers in high school. These posts include brushstrokes, stickers and text for a playful look.

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Are you a star ✨, moon ????, or a sun ????person? | When you’re in Santa Cruz, you can not not get a mocha from @vervecoffee. They’re my fav. Can’t wait for the one in Palo Alto to open.

A post shared by Nancy Q (@andnancysays) on Apr 24, 2019 at 6:30am PDT

A popular app for achieving these effects is A Design Kit, which comes with presets and tools for adorning your posts.

View this post on Instagram

When it comes to aesthetics of joy, magic is all the invisible forces and illusions you see. You can spot it in mysterious lights and movements, translucent or iridescent color, or anything that feels ethereal and elusive. You can create it in your space by hanging a prism in a sunny window, choosing iridescent furnishing, accessories or textiles, and using mirrors to play with reflections.

A post shared by ban.do (@shopbando) on Apr 22, 2019 at 9:16am PDT

Typic is another popular app that lets you create typographic images.

This trend is fun and youthful. It’s well-suited to brands that have a vibrant, energetic aesthetic. If you don’t feel like the #noedit vibe is a fit for your brand, this trend might be more up your alley.

4. The vertical photo

Many things have changed on Instagram since it was launched way back in 2010. (Do you suddenly feel ancient?? Me too!)

For a long time, square photos were the only option. Even after the platform began allowing different dimensions, square photos reigned supreme. Posting any vertical images was considered an amateur move. But that’s finally changing!

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Photographing the elusive reindeer on the South Coast. Our new @strohlworks online workshop with @benjaminhardman is going on early pre-order tomorrow. There will be limited spots for early bird pricing. ⁣ ⁣ If you want to save your spot, signup at Hardmanxstrohl.com and we’ll send you an email right when we open. Link is in bio too! So excited to share this new monster workshop with you guys ????

A post shared by Alex Strohl (@alexstrohl) on Apr 23, 2019 at 7:51am PDT

Vertical photos are growing in popularity, as more and more people access the web on mobile. In 2019, three-quarters of all web traffic will come from mobile devices.

Instagram has always been optimized for mobile. But this photo trend is emerging there as well, with more posts that mirror the dimensions of a user’s phone screen.

View this post on Instagram

One of my favorite cities is Paris, for 48hours, I travelled using @goeuro to Paris to experience the city like a local, (first I bought my flight tickets). I found many places based on their locals guide (if you need help visit tye link in my bio). • Paris is a city with some iconic sites, but one of the best things I found, the GoEuro people, can help you see it from a new perspective, or maybe booking your next train, bus or flight… (By the way, I found everything with the app) #ad

A post shared by Oliver Vegas (@ovunno) on Sep 20, 2018 at 8:11am PDT

Vertical photos give your images more impact, by filling the screen and eliminating distractions. They also give you new opportunities to play with composition and framing to create amazing images.

Before posting, make sure that the square version of your image that appears on your account grid still looks good! Even in a full-length photo, the center of the image should be compelling and not awkwardly cropped.

5. The collage photo carousel

Carousel images have been around on Instagram for a few years now. But it’s only recently that creative use of the format has taken off.

Increasingly, influencers and brands are posted carousels with a collage-like format. They look like scrapbook photos, inviting you to scroll and see what’s just out of view.

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back to try something new ???? . . . #scrlgallery #Artsofvisuals #Sanfrancisco #Igerssf #Nowrongwaysf #Mkexplore #Createexplore #Illgrammers #Exploreeverything #Visualgang #vscocam #huffpostgram #igdaily #peoplescreative #grammaster #justgoshoot #liveauthentic #livefolk #lifeofadventure #canonrebel #Makeportraits #pursuitofportraits #sanfrancitizens #canonrebelt5i #vsco

A post shared by @ mgermono on Mar 24, 2019 at 12:15pm PDT

SCRL is an app designed for making carousel layouts. It allows you to design a seamless panorama for Instagram, making it perfect for lookbooks or visual storytelling.

View this post on Instagram

tuesday cheks ????

A post shared by Adelya ✨ (@saintagln) on Feb 12, 2019 at 3:18am PST

6. The uncurated candid photo

A clear subject framed by plenty of white space has long been an unbeatable Instagram formula. And for good reason: it’s refreshing, clean and pleasing to the eyes.

But inevitably, users want something new and interesting. Minimalism is great for your sock drawer (ask Marie Kondo), but not so much for your feed.

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A pollen filled patio ????

A post shared by Reese Blutstein (@double3xposure) on Apr 7, 2019 at 7:19pm PDT

Instead, Instagram users are responding more to casual, candid images. And if you’re tired of arranging every element of your photos, that will come as a relief to you!

This trend is evident in travel and portrait photography too. Photos with action in the foreground and the background, as well as multiple subjects, look more interesting and fresh.

View this post on Instagram

They call him Maradoninha. He’s 11. His family is staking its hopes on him. Maradoninha — whose real name is Leandro Gomes Feitosa — is from Palmas, Brazil, and was discovered by a soccer scout 2 years ago. His family moved 1,200 miles to help him get first-class training from the Fluminense soccer club in Xerém. “God willing,” he said, “I’ll become a big player to help my family in Palmas, my family here and those in need.” Fluminense has since let him go. Maradoninha, photographed here by @dadogaldierihilaea, was one of many young players in Brazil’s youth #soccer system, a brutal apparatus that chews up untold numbers of players for every star it mints. And still, they keep coming. A recent fire at a Brazil soccer club that killed 10 boys has raised questions about the industry. Visit the link in our profile to read more.

A post shared by The New York Times (@nytimes) on Apr 9, 2019 at 1:11pm PDT

The goal is to take a photo that doesn’t seem like it could be endlessly reproduced. Instead, you want to capture something true and specific.

It might seem like this is easy to achieve, but there’s skill to it. You might need to take a lot of photos before you find one that works.

View this post on Instagram

Day and night

A post shared by Matt Weitz | Chicago Based (@mattbweitz) on May 5, 2019 at 7:46am PDT

7. The muted color palette

If you’ve been dialling up the saturation and contrast on your images, it’s time to change gears! Soft, muted tones are appealing to Instagram users in 2019.

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a lifestyle photographer used to grow from 0 to 600,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

Get the free checklist right now!

Think white, warm beiges, and subdued colors. Similar to the resurgence of film-like photos, this palette has an appealing vintage look while staying clean and polished.

View this post on Instagram

Introducing the newest, limited edition JH nail polish: NECTAR (and it’s now online on jhannahjewelry.com!) Huge thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate the launch and revealed the secret color today in LA, NYC, and Austin. Such a great day connecting IRL — see a bigger recap in our Instagram Story! (PS: hey @caitlynperkins, you’re the winner of the $1000 JH gift card!)

A post shared by J. Hannah Jewelry —Jess Hannah (@j.hannah) on Apr 28, 2019 at 6:28pm PDT

This color trend is particularly relevant for fashion and beauty brands, as it mirrors the runway trends for 2019.

The feed for vintage shop Hey Jude is another example:

When taken together, photos in this muted palette have a calm, relaxing vibe. It’s a soothing break for your overstimulated eyes.

If you like the softness of faux-film photos, but you want to keep your photos sharp and polished, this trend might work for you.

8. The real food photo

This is the edible counterpoint to the no-edit portrait photo. If you’ve been on Instagram for awhile, you’ve probably seen enough Pinterest-worthy pastries and artfully stacked pancakes for one lifetime.

Now, users are hungry for real food photos. They may not be as pretty, but they do look like they’re actually made to be eaten. In some cases, they already are! In 2019, you can do away with the rule that “the camera eats first.”

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Colorful, perfect lunch yesterday at @nyumbai with @nadobbs ????‍♀️ This is honestly one of the best restaurants in California. Go. Eat. There. (And then go around the corner to @reemscalifornia for dessert!)

A post shared by Samin Nosrat (@ciaosamin) on Feb 27, 2019 at 7:15am PST

Of course, it’s still important to consider the tenets of good photography. Focus, lighting and framing your subject will still improve your photo.

For restaurant accounts and food influencers who want to share real, accessible content, this trend is a refreshing change.

View this post on Instagram

I’ve fallen ???? with Vada Pav – A classic Mumbai street snack consisting of a fried spiced potato ball in a bun served with chutney…I can’t stop eating these…they seem to be on every corner and each spot makes them different. Even the bad ones are great. So much to learn about ???????? – Season 2 @uglydelicious #uglydelicious ps – where can I get great Vada Pav in nyc (Jackson heights?) or LA? I want to eat one everyday. I think its currently my favorite cheap street food. See you guys at @thebombaybreadbar

A post shared by Dave Chang (@davidchang) on Dec 19, 2018 at 8:01am PST

9. Black-and-white photos

If your brand is refined and sleek, you may worry the 2019 Instagram photo trends for grainy, casual images aren’t a great fit.

Don’t worry: there’s another trend that might work for you. Black-and-white images look better than ever on Instagram in 2019. They provide an editorial, polished look that’s clean and minimal.

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I love you all and I’m so happy to have you sweet followers so this kiss is for u

A post shared by H A N N A . S C H Ö N B E R G (@hannaschonberg) on Apr 18, 2019 at 9:13am PDT

These photos feel modern and vintage at the same time. Just like the sexy 1990s Calvin Klein ads I used to cut out of magazines (and then hide from my parents).

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⭐️Dreamgirl @devonleecarlson photographed by @4thandbleeker wearing our signature Alexandra wrap dress⭐️

A post shared by Réalisation Par (@realisationpar) on Apr 11, 2019 at 6:17am PDT

Want to experiment with this trend? Try an app like Black or Camera Noir. These emulate the look of black-and-white film photos.

10. High-flash photo

As this article demonstrates, trends are cyclical.

They all eventually come back: it’s true of flared jeans, Backstreet Boys tours, and high-flash photos.

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drinking coffee at the youtube rewind shoot because what else would i be doing???? thank u @youtube for including me this year. being someone who has watched the rewind every year since forever, this was very cool for me???? very grateful (and caffeinated)

A post shared by ☆ emma chamberlain ☆ (@_emmachamberlain) on Dec 6, 2018 at 8:50pm PST

Those three things were all popular in the 1990s, and the stars have aligned for them once again. Of course, for some brands (like American Apparel) the high-flash look has never gone away.

View this post on Instagram

We are gearing up for weekend 2 of #Coachella. Tag your weekend 2 partner.

A post shared by American Apparel (@americanapparel) on Apr 19, 2019 at 6:52am PDT

Like many of the other trends on this list, it’s a little bit retro. But not in a dreamy, hazy way. These photos are sharp, saturated and intense.

The flash can be unforgiving, but with the right subject they provide crisp, vivid images.

This style of photography is cinematic but not polished. It still feels authentic and real, like a photo captured on a disposable camera, but stylish.

To achieve this effect with a smartphone, invest in an external flash unit and sync it to your iPhone camera with a device like Tric. This will give you more control and quality than just using the built-in flash on your iPhone.

Or use a real DSLR and upload your images to Instagram from there.

Ready to experiment with these Instagram editing trends? Social media will constantly evolve, and your brand needs to evolve with it. At least you can have fun with your photos as you do!

Save time managing your Instagram presence by using Hootsuite to schedule and publish posts, grow your audience, and track success with easy-to-use analytics. Try it free today.

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