#but the real problem is that now i want the detective story that goes with the title 'the problem of the oregano'!

[ellieluvr420]

we meet again, darling ( detective Abby Anderson x criminal reader)

Synopsis: Abby Anderson is a skilled detective that's never let a criminal escape her grasp, until you. You've infiltrated every part of her life and she still can't get you. As she grows more and more intrigued by you she finds herself descending further into darkness until there's no way back. She takes your hand and follows you as if your presence is the only thing giving her life knowing that you are the most dangerous thing for her. Her life will never be hers again and she will stop at nothing to keep following you down your path of corruption.

Abby Anderson, top of her class coming out of the police academy, one of the youngest officers to be made detective. She seemed unstoppable, one of a kind. There was no criminal that she couldn't catch, until you. You tormented her, took her life away, you're close to taking her job from her. Her obsession with you has completely derailed her life, she knows you exist and she's been tracking your every move for well over a year now but she can't seem to prove your existence to anyone that matters. There's been one too many instances of back up being called for seemingly nothing and insubordination in her quest to find you that she's found herself on probation.

"one more of these stunts detective and you are done. do you understand?" her captain glared at her as he spoke.

"yes sir, I understand." She looks defeated as she walks out of his office and goes back to her desk.

The problem is, once Abby set her mind to something, she couldn't stop, she'd let it kill her. That's why she found herself in a dark alleyway, gun pointed at you.

"Who are you?" she gritted

"oh honey, you know who I am" you smirk "You've been tracking my every movement for a year now" You wink as you see the look of realisation on her face as you walk closer and out of the shadows.

Abby scowled, unamused by your playful demeanour.

"What do you want?"

"Can't I just want to spend time with my number 1 fan? Abby Anderson, star detective, beaten time and time again by stealthy criminal. I watch you too babe." You can't help but grin as you play with her. "Although, its not like our story would ever make the headlines, no one that matters even knows I exist, do they detective?"

"Don't get too cocky, I've been close to arresting you multiple times now"

"hm key word: close, you've never actually caught me have you? Never even been able to get evidence to prove I'm real"

She winces as she realises the truth in your words, but she regains her standoffish demeanour.

"Not yet, but that's about to change." She takes a step forward. "You have a choice: you can either come with me and make a deal for your cooperation, or you can fight this and give me everything I need to see you rot in jail for the rest of your life."

"hmm I pick.. option 3." Before Abby can react, you lunge forward and knock the gun out of her hand and into yours. "See now I'm armed and you're not. Oh wait..." You reach under your dress and pull your gun from its holster around your thigh. "So that's me: two and you... zero" You smile sickly at her.

Abby feels her rage beginning to grow, every time she feels like she has the jump on you, you pull the rug out from underneath her. She's never met anyone that makes her feel so inferior. She rolls her eyes at your constant teasing.

"Fine, then have it your way." As she says this she lunges at you but is caught completely off guard when you shoot at her once, the bullet scraping her arm. She falls down to the ground clutching her arm and wincing. She looks at the blood seeping through her sleeve and then back at you, scowling. She lunges at you again but stops when she sees you aim the gun right between her eyes.

You laugh, almost giggle at her attempts. "Uh uh uh. That was a warning shot, try anything again and I’ll actually aim to kill you."

Abby slowly nodded and backed away just a step, she lets out a long shaky breath while gritting her teeth and clutching her arm. At the sight of her grimace, you tilt your head and adopt a faux sympathetic look.

"Aw are you in pain love? I'm so sorry, but... it's your fault honestly, haven't you learnt that you will never beat me?"

Abby hates your arrogance but she still found herself intrigued by you. You were like no one she had ever met. She clenched her teeth harder, trying not to react.

"You've barely won so far. You think a little shot to the arm will take me out? please."

"Hmmmm well you look pretty taken down right about now" You can't help but be amused at the sight of the 6"2 buff woman completely at your mercy. "You should really get that looked at, you don't look so good."

"Fuck. You."

"Sorry darling, gotta run, see you soon though." You turn and begin to walk away with both the guns still in your hands and just before you turn the corner out of the alleyway, you turn back to the blonde woman. "Oh Detective, as a sign of good faith..." You put the safety of her gun on and chuck it back to her, smile and disappear once again.

Abby watched you disappear just like every other time before and clenched her jaw. She dragged herself off the ground, fighting the dizziness she felt and grabbed her gun from where it landed. As she stormed back to her home she cursed herself for letting you get away once again. She vowed to herself that, even if its the last thing she does, she will bring you down.

#abby anderson #abby x reader #abby anderson x female reader #abby the last of us #abby anderson x reader #abby tlou

[dontmixpaintinyourcoffee]

As per usual, info under the cut <3

IM BACK BITCHES!!!

Alright, here's the design stuff:

I wanted to go for kind of a Lois Lane vibe, including the way she gets all the way up in business she should not be up in. At the same time I wanted to bring the super cutesy gothic lolita style in at least a little. So I ended up going with a poofy short jumpsuit with bows and teddy bears. I would love to make a specific thank you to @themooncallsyou for suggesting I look at the Moschino 2022 spring line for inspiration, it ended up having a very heavy impact on the final design.

I tried to lean into the investigative part of investigative reporter, so that's what the heavy coat is about. I thought adding that classic detective silhouette would be a nice final touch. Plus, I think Blondie likes the drama of the coat flying behind her as she's chasing down a lead. It makes her feel very cool.

Alright, so her original pet is a bear cub named Grizz but I have. Several problems with that. The main one is that it's not clear what the difference between Grizz and the actual sentient bears and her story is. There is never any differentiation between them. It's a Goofy-Pluto situation. Like it doesn't need to be explained, but the minute you start thinking about it too hard it gets weird real fast.

Anyways say hello to Honey the magpie!! Magpies are great mimics and lovers of shiny things, so I thought one would be a perfect fit for Blondie. She repeats bits of gossip and steals little trinkets and clues to help Blondie with whatever case she's on. Honey is where Blondie gets her infinite supply of bobby pins. Her scale is a little off, I don't think magpies are actually that big, but I still think she's cute so I'm not changing it now lol.

Now for character stuff:

Honestly I'm not really changing anything as much as I am exploring what's already there. I think Blondie has the potential to be really interesting, because she's unique within the class system of the school. She's kind of the inverse of Raven status-wise. Raven was born to royalty, but because her mom is the Evil Queen she's actually considered a commoner by society. Blondie was born to a wealthy commoner family, but her fear of rejection leads her to exaggerate the prestige of her lineage. Everyone sort of knows that she's not a Princess but she's so desperate to keep up the image of royalty that no one knows where she actually lands. Most of the royals assume her parents are Lord and Lady or Duke and Duchess or something. In reality they don't have any noble title, and Blondie is very insecure about that.

Blondie isn't so much ashamed of her family as she is terrified of exclusion and rejection. Her standing in society is the one major thing that makes her different from all the other royals, but she has major anxieties that she's always on thin ice. In her mind she's permanently one wrong step from total ostracization.

On a happier note, she does have a genuine passion for journalism! She considers her news blog/podcast practice for her future career. She starts out discussing school drama and gossip, but tries to stay a neutral third party. That's why her hair is so big. It's full of secrets. As the story goes on she starts reporting on more political and social topics beyond the boundaries of the school (and therefore becomes one of Milton Grimms worst nightmares). She is really, really, really good at getting into shit people do not want her to get into. She's got her eyes on prize and good luck stopping her

#eah #ever after high #coffeepaintart #eah fanart #blondie lockes #eah art #yes i have thought about this cartoon for children designed to sell dolls from almost a decade ago for far too long why do you ask #eah redesign

[halorocks1214]

okay so i just steamrolled thru detective pikachu returns over the past 2 days because i was sick and had nothing else better to do and right after finishing it i went into the tags and WOWIE the negative reception is very large!! i do understand and even agree with some of it but i just felt the need to get my own thoughts down (again. sick with nothing better to do) so take a peek under readmore for very typical elongated halo ramblings about his fave video game series

for the record i never played the first game (only watched a few clips of it on youtube even) but i did go see the movie in theaters. just figured i'd mention this ahead of time so my favoritism is known and to prevent myself from coming off as a perfectly unbiased reviewer

BEWARE THE SPOILERS BTW

(post-editing note: it be long under here, you have been warned)

to start off YEAG this game is not worth 50 bucks! the story's pacing is all over the place and is very basic, the graphics are not particularly well refined, the characters' expressions do not fluctuate as much as they should (professor gordon in particular ;-; i felt so bad for him), and the voice acting outside of merloch and detective pikachu himself are kinda phoned in! it felt like an early 2000s 4kids dub for real. even the gameplay aspects themselves were rather meh in presentation; the button hitboxes were annoying to deal with and as cool as i thought the "main" mechanics were they were incredibly clunky and the tension they tried to build up in the "solving the case" climaxes was just Not It. there was absolutely no reason for the loading/pauses to take that long

(the pokemon gimmicks were okay tho. i would die for growlithe)

however, this isn't a problem specific to this game. while i enjoyed scarlet it was definitely not 60 bucks material (and when i went back to it for the teal mask i even went "good lord, did it always run this badly?"). i gotta give credit to detective pikachu, at least this game ran properly for the most part and never crashed on me lmao

while that doesn't negate the criticisms i previously mentioned i simply wanted to say that this is going to be a problem for as long as pokemon keeps making money. this isn't me finger-wagging at anyone in particular (i certainly have no room to talk, i did say i liked scarlet), i just wanted to say: yeah, pokemon has been A Mess

"but halo!" you cry. "you talked like the negative reception was overblown! what gives the giant negative paragraph??"

because much like scarlet, i still really enjoyed this game sdfjnsdk. how can i say that with confidence, though, when i largely agree that there were many, many issues to be had with its performance?

the word of the day: expectations

and perhaps this is where my bias comes into it. whenever i play a spinoff game (like snap or pokepark for instance), i don't really go into it for mindblowing gameplay and stories, i do it for the same reason this series has kept me enraptured for over a decade of my life:

the pokemon themselves!!

there are SO MANY little things that the regular games don't go into, and while i have my own headcanons and OCs i can play off of, it is so much fun to see actual canon material acknowledge certain things you've only ever theorized about!!

the whimsicott were so fun to watch float around, the article asking where a furret's tail began and ended made me laugh out loud, the fact that they went hard into the "slowpoke tails are eaten as food" thing, and the "let's not get into that right now" jokes about venonat hunting other pokemon and dusknoir eating souls LIKE. i LOVE when pokemon goes into its more "serious" aspects. i know main series games do it too occasionally but outside of offhanded mentions or pokedex entries, do they go this hard into them? if they do and i'm just stupid pls tell me about it i'll eat that shit up

being reminded of less-talked-about pokemon is always a plus and how can you not pop off when you see one of your faves included in the story? (INTELEON AND WOOPER I'LL KICK THEIR ASSES 4 U) it's simply fun immersing yourself into the world of pokemon and getting a glimpse of what it would be like to have pokemon walking down the street and how that affects everyday life! maybe the story is basic, but it served its purpose and i had fun going along with it!

perhaps it's just my mental illness talking, but walking around and seeing all the pokemon and THEN doing the quiz girl's quizzes was actually kinda nice! even if the puzzles weren't that hard, i can't lie and say i didn't pump my fist when i guessed where the mystery was going like with cramorant swallowing the jewel or how the passimian statues needed to hold different berries. overall, i just enjoyed being reminded of how much i know and what i love about this series

also, the ways they incorporated the movie were pretty baller. i liked how they didn't just do a repeat of the mewtwo plot from the movie and let me tell you, even tho i called it early on, i liked that my suspicions about the aurora drop being deoxys were confirmed!! (i suppose it's not that hard to guess bcs what other pokemon comes from space, but i just recently finished playing omega ruby again and i normally don't think about deoxys a lot so LET ME HAVE THIS)

plus "i heard they made a movie about the R case" MADE ME SCREAM. i thought they were just going to ignore the movie and do their own thing but then they DID THAT. incredible. you can call my expectations low (which is valid) but holy fuck

so the TLDR for those who want this: if you want a sweet but cliche game exploring the world of pokemon with a lot of funny moments + worldbuilding, then this game is perfect for you. if you want a game with a groundbreaking story with graphics to boot, then yeah, you're not gonna find it here. i've even seen people say their own nostalgia of the original spinoff wasn't enough to get them to enjoy this game, so take my words with a grain of salt

i would say just watch compilations of the game on youtube, but not every youtuber is gonna go fully exploring the game for all of its little details, so if you care about that kind of stuff, buying the game is your best bet. also if you don't care about that kind of stuff then you should just ignore the game altogether etc etc anYwAY

as for a TLDR for the TLDR: new pokemon snap is goated and i would say a more enjoyable experience than this game esp if you didn't like it so PLEASE buy it the game's only 30 bucks and you can throw treats at pokemon PLEASE it has so many sidequests and interactions you can partake in PLEASE i prommy i won't bite PLEASE stick your fingers in my enclosure PLEASE PLEASE PLE

#pokemon #detective pikachu #detective pikachu returns #video game review #my post

[dailycass-cain]

Cassandra Cain Reading Guide Part 2: Modern

Part II of my reading list for Cassandra Cain. This one chronicles the current iteration of the character, and all her modern appearances.

Part I you can view here. 

Part III reading guide (Random) you can find here.

Part IV reading guide (Alternate versions) you can find here.

Part V reading guide (PAIN) you can find here.

Batman & Robin Eternal #1-8, #10-14

-  #1 features the reintroduction of the character into the Batman Universe. #10-13 is her new origin, with one section not mentioned, but you can easily put the pieces together what it is (aka Cass killed Harper's mother).

#7 is worth the price alone of Cassandra watching ballet for the first time in this universe. As is #13 with GORGEOUS art by Marcio Takara, and is the crown jewel of the entire series for Cass.

The thing is though I can't really recommend the remaining portions. If you want to understand the finale then read #14-26. But-- it isn't as strong like the first fourteen issues (well save the brief period Tim/Jason go to Santa Prisca and are jerks to Bane).

Detective Comics #934-940

-  the "Rebirth" era where Cass joins a team that features Tim, Steph, Clayface, and Batwoman. One tiny nitpick with the opening (which I guess goes the, if it ain't broke don't redo it) is Cass is bestest friends with Tim/Steph, and only told she is.

Still, the opening arc features Cass being Cass and has some damn good action moments of her being the "tank" of the team.

Batman #7-8

Nightwing #5-6

Detective Comics #941-942

Now I know some might skip this but x-over "Night of the Monster Men" does feature some Steph/Cass moments. Plus it's the first time in A LONG time Cass is in a crossover and it's the Bat-Family vs. Giant Monsters. 

Detective Comics #943-944

-  is the foundation of Cass/Clayface friendship probably one if THE hallmark of this entire run by run writer James Tynion IV.

Detective Comics #950-956

-  the "League of Shadows" aka the arc that focuses on Cassandra and has her take on Lady Shiva. #950 and #955 are the hallmarks of this arc with an entire issue (#950) focuses on Cass, and the later is a giant fight scene of her vs. the League.

The problem with the arc is it feels like the "Empire Strikes Back", with no real payoff to the ending of it involving the conflicts of Ra's/Cass/Shiva.

Detective Comics #957-962

- has numerous Cass moments sprinkled in this arc. Namely more Basil/Cass goodies (him teaching her Shakespeare) and Kate/Cass taking on a brainwashed Azrael in a BRUTAL battle.

Detective Comics #964 

- is the second of a two-part story involving Steph/Anarky/Bruce. But it's this issue that has the apex of Cass/Basil friendship with the later at his breaking point, and Cass is there for her friend. You might need the tissues for the feels.

Detective Comics #969-974 

- features the return of the Victim Syndicate (the second arc's big bads) and they have their focus solely on using Clayface to tear Batman's world apart. If #964 didn't rip your heart out, this arc will. But damn is it good.

Detective Comics #975-981 

- James Tynion IV's grand finale for his Tec run and Cass is heavily featured in all the issues. But #980 is a big one for Cassandra as she and Stephanie learn of their previous lives being Batgirls and Steph’s time as Robin.

Detective Comics #983-986 

- is basically Batman & the Outsiders prelude. #984 has Cass taking on the arc's villain Karma alone. But it's #985 where we get some damn good Cass moments as she, Black Lightning, and Batman foil Karma's schemes.

***Updated note for this section. Shadow of the Batgirl graphic novel. A spectacular reinterpretation of Cassandra's origin story that takes place outside the main continuity. It hits all the beats that are why some of us love Cass and will defend the character. It's a one and done story. Perfect for new readers.

DC: The Doomed & the Damned

Truth & Justice #16-18 (online via DC Infinite), #6 (physical copy that collects the entire story.)

Truth & Justice has a Damian story by Juni Ba that includes the Bat Family celebrating Damian’s birthday, but it is crashed by Ra’s Al Ghul. Has a really cute tiny brother/sister moment between Cass/Damian. Worth it alone.

- A spooky story called “The Hunt” that stars Cass and Orca. The former comes across human traffickers and the fight is interrupted by Orca. A simple but sweet story by Alyssa Wong, (who’d go on to write another fun Cass appearance in Batman: Urban Legends #8). 

Batman & the Outsiders #1-17

-  (there's an Annual and it's an amazing Katana story but no Cass insight there). This series did an amazing job showcasing why Cassandra doesn't need the Orphan identity any longer.

It also FINALLY gives us evolution in the relationship between Cassandra and her mother Lady Shiva. Because going this route adds many more layers, and more story possibilities now. Instead of the tried standard Cass/Shiva death-match, we've gotten in the past.

Besides the new layers of depth added with her relationship with Shiva, we also get Cassandra bonding numerous times with Duke Thomas aka the Signal. If you've been hungering for brother/sister moments that we haven't gotten in AWHILE.

If there's any negative, is that Duke doesn't get the same attention as Cass does throughout the comic. I still hope beyond this comic that writers remember how close these two are and have a few more adventures.

-Batman: Joker War Zone Event --

Batman #95-98 (No Cass)

Batman #99 (Cass has entered the Joker War chat)

Batman: Joker War Zone #1 (Cass becomes Batgirl again doning a variant of her old costume, Steph slaps a Bat symbol on her Spoiler costume and goes back to a half mask but also goes by Batgirl too)

Batman #100

- For a more continuity friendly version that follows the characters specifically: Batman & the Outsiders #17 (i.e. the Bruce/Cass talk) Batman: Joker War Zone #1 (page 3) Batman #99 Batman Joker War Zone #1 (pages 1-2, 4-8) Batman #100

Cass becomes Batgirl again after more than ten years from dropping the mantle. NUFF SAID!

Batman #103-105 

 Infinite Frontier #0 

Batman Urban Legends #2-3

- Various appearances of Cass that have her running around as Batgirl with Stephanie. #3 of Batman: Urban Legends continues Shiva subplot started in Batman & the Outsiders. The story is flawed, but still worth it for the ending. 

There are three issues I'm neglecting in Detective Comics even if two of them have gorgeous art by Bilquis Evely. But the arc is rather meh on Cass. You might see this specific arc pop up on another reading guide for Cass.

Joker #3-4, #7, #9  #11-13, and #15

- Cassandra figures heavily into the Joker ongoing helping out both Barbara Gordon (Oracle) and Jim Gordon in their search to find the Joker and solve the mystery as to why several groups are after the Clown Prince of Crime.

Features Cass vs a Talon. 

Highly recommended reading as it is truly a stealth Jim Gordon ongoing.

Batman: Urban Legends #7 

- “Hunter or Hunted” is a story starring Cass in the "Future State" alternate future. It's a self-contained tale that tells an exceptional fight sequence with some awing visual treats for the reader.

For those readers who've read Batgirl Vol. 1, this story is the first time in all those years we finally get a story where the artist is allowed to let the fight breathe. You take in every move and emotion.

Detective Comics #1038 (backup story) 

Detective Comics# 1039 (one panel but it's Dan Mora drawn-Cass) 

Detective Comics #1047-1058 (Shadow of the Bat arc) 

#1061 (assists Bruce in the finale to Tamaki's Riddler arc and final issue of her run with Ivan Reis drawn-Cass)

- Mariko Tamanki’s Tec run had Cass appear in the latter stages of it. These are the key areas Cass featured or appeared in. Shadow of teh Bat was the arc she appeared most in. 

One Bad Day: Two-Face #1

- Tamaki again writing Cass (and Steph) as they tag on a case with Bruce that involves someone targeting Harvey Dent’s father. 

- Batman: Fear State Event -

Fear State Alpha #1 (first appearance of Seer) 

Batman #112 

Batman: Urban Legends #8 (framed for murder by Seer and team-up with Batwoman)

Batman #115 (secondary story: Batgirls Part 1) 

Nightwing #85 (The Clocktower goes boom from Babs/Dick/Tim's PoV) 

Batman #116 (secondary story: Batgirls Part 2 aka Cass/Steph's PoV when the Clocktower goes boom) 

Nightwing #86 (Babs/Cass/Dick/Tim/Steph team-up extravaganza)

Batman #117 (the main story occurs during Nightwing #86 and after it)

Batman #117 (secondary story: Batgirls Part 3) - Post-Fear State set-up for Cass/Steph that leads into--

Batgirls #1!!

Batgirls #1-6

- Cass & Steph together sharing an ongoing book with Barbara as their mentor figure?  Cass truly shines in these first six issues, but the story is hampered with a few flaws (the narration gets a bit too much, Barbara as Batgirl is treated so normal when it should be a something BIG). 

Besides Cass, the art by Jorge Corona is more than worth the read. That and the villainous Tutor. 

Batgirls #9-12

- Cass/Steph investigate the Hill Ripper, a serial killer targeting at random around the neighborhood they live. The arc has nice twists/turns you just don’t see coming. Add to that, Cass is given two good fights in this arc. A bonus is we get the long-awaited meeting/team-up of Cass with Maps Mizoguchi. Add a fun reinvention of Killer Moth. This arc is a fun read from start to finish.     

Batgirls 2022 Annual, #13-15

- Cass/Steph have a body swap episode and have to confront a parental figure of the other’s (Steph with Lady Shiva/Cass with Cluemaster). The arc steps up a rogue sect of the League of Assassins is attempting to set up in Gotham with Shiva trying to stamp it out (by also asking her daughter for help).

An unhinged Cluemaster (alive and this arc drops the Young Justice issue that brought him back) kidnaps his “daughter” in a hope to reconcile. In the end, Cass/Steph get their bodies back. 

#14 features a Cass solo story and “silent issue” where she goes on a quest to find Stephanie (now in the clutches of Cluemaster). This issue is (so far) the series best issue bar none. Focuses on the advancement of Cass is with reading and her detective skills. #13-14 features exceptional art by artist Jonathan Case.

The Annual and #13 are kind of weak (retreading plot devices we’ve seen with both Lady Shiva and Cluemaster), but the last two issues more than make up it.

Batman: Failsafe (#125-130 for the arc, #126-128 for the Cass stuff).

- After Penguin frames Batman for his “death” a Failsafe robot is activated (one that Bruce created just in case he ever went “rogue” but Alfred kept switching off until his death) and attends to “save” Gotham and end the Batman & Bat-Family.

Cass encounters the robot in #126 with her and the entire family beaten. #128 is a flashforward where the entire Bat-Family save for Bruce, Tim, Cass, and Duke Thomas have all been captured (along with some members of the Justice League).

The arc is alright. It has a gorgeously drawn Cass by artist Jorge Jiménez. Yes, Cass is one of the few to escape Failsafe, but there isn’t much done in the arc with either her or Duke afterward. 

Things just return to normal for Gotham with the defeat of the machine in #130. This is writer Chip Zdarksky’s first arc on the comic and it’s-- alright. Zdarksky falls into the trap of listing only Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian as his “sons” in Bruce’s narration while Cass is neglected (along with Duke).

Batman vs. Robin and Lazarus Planet Event (Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1, Batman vs. Robin #5)

- Cass skips out for most of Batman vs. Robin series until the final issue where she teams up with the rest of the Bat-Family (minus Signal and Batwoman) to take on a demonically possessed Batman. 

The Family job but Cass is the main member (besides Damian and the wild card Monkey Prince) who provides enough of a fight until mystical shenanigans occur. 

Prior to this issue Cass shows up in the Lazarus Planet tie-in teaming up with new mystical hero Xanthe Zhou as they team-up (along with a begrudging John Constantine) to deal with mystical creatures rising up due to the “Lazarus event”. Story ends with Cass getting sent to the Spirit World (see Spirit World #1-6). 

Batgirls #16-19

- Closes out this particular series with #16 tying up the loose plot threads from #1, while #17-19 has the three Batgirls tangle with a vindictive sniper.

Has some really sweet Cass moments (and callbacks) sprinkled throughout the remaining issues.  Why'd this series end?

Detective Comics #1069-1073

- Assists Batman in his latest case, and that's all I'll say about it because the run is underrated and you should be reading it if you aren't other than... These issues close out the first half of Ram V's Tec run.

Tim Drake: Robin #10 

Batman #136

Batman: The Brave & the Bold #4

- Various Bat Family moments with Cass assisting the family. Light-hearted and cute moments. 

Spirit World #1-6

- Continues the story that began in Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1 with Cass trapped in the Spirit World with Xanthe Zhou and John Constantine to rescue her.

Alyssa Wong returns for a FOURTH time to write Cass and second for 海凝 Haining drawing the character.

Visually stunning from 海凝 Haining with character, set designs, and sequences. Wong ties some elements of this story from Batgirl Vol. 1, but doesn't fully answer the ideas introduced here.

  Cass gets an amazing mystical costume for the comic combining her various identities.  

#cassandra cain #reading guide #dc comics

[askprophetbot]

Silver walks into the room. Everyone is looking at her as she walks up to the table. She seems quite nervous. Kip's hologram also looks nervous. Neither seems to know what they want to say. Magpie, thinking on his feet, or... talons rather, breaks the silence first.

Hey... uhh... Silver? Why don't you tell us why you've come to the glen?

Sure. Well...

Silver recounts the story up to this point

Well, that matches what Prophetbot said, about the second prophecy, although I would've thought that...

Well, I would have thought that nobody could send a prophecy to Prophetbot, but apparently that's happened. Nothing we can do about that now.

But... the real question is, what are you planning to do about it?

Well, I was hoping you would have an idea of what's happening so that we could figure that out.

Silver, I don't know what's happening. Nobody knows what's happening. These spikes have been appearing for 10 entire years, and we barely know what they are, let alone even being close to equipped to deal with them.

They've already taken so many people...

Oh, Kip... I-

No, It's not your fault Silver, but unfortunately, we can't help you any more than you can help us. We're trying to deal with our own problems.

Even if we are looking for the same goal eventually, I know she...

Point is, we can't really help.

... Fine. We'll work this out ourselves. Won't we Prophetbot?

Of course. The prophecy is quite impo-

Prophetbot suddenly stops talking, and his screen goes blank.

[ERROR: NEW PROPHECY DETECTED. DOWNLOADING...]

A... Another Prophecy? Now of all times?

I'm just as confused as you are... This is unusual, even for...

Silver gestures around at nothing in particular

All of this

[PROPHECY INSTALLED. RESUMING NORMAL ACTIVATION]

INCREDIBLE!!!! Another prophecy! This day cannot get any better!

#os game rp #prophetposting #oneshot prophetbot #oneshot kip #oneshot silver #oneshot magpie

[el-moscorrofio-y-el-mercachifle]

Hiiii, I really like it when you share with us the thoughts you have about ysblf! What did you think of that second "meeting" between Patricia and Daniel? The one where she goes to his apartment after calling him out on her cell phone and he told her to resign (and minutes later she finds Aura Maria with Mario). I always see people talking about their first "date", which was at her apartment, but in my opinion this second one was much more disturbing. This one had more blackmail, manipulation and ab\/s3 involved, which made everything sadder. Not to mention the way Daniel treated Patricia afterwards, due to her logical reaction, him sending her away soon after, had a strong impact on her (which makes me wonder about her backstory, and if this has happened before with other people

It really irritates me that they didn't give much insight into Patricia's past, I think that would explain a lot about her).

ps: sorry if I made any mistakes, I'm translating using Google Translate

Hiii! Thank you for the ask!! Don't worry about mistakes, this was very good!😊

Oh, that scene! It's definitely so, so ugly. I'd say is one of the ugliest because of the heavy themes. Fun act, I just rewatched the whole ysblf here in the US on the Peacock platform and it doesn't have the scene after, when they're on Daniel's bed and he's breathing heavily nd all that. Idk why's that, but I definitely want to rewatch the full uncensored versión again lster

The "date" escene is bad, but I don't think that anything there ((except the sexual harrassment, obviously)) makes me uncomfortable. Daniel quickly detected a golddigger with Princess delusions even though she's pretty pathetic, so he popped her bubble. She wasn't going there with a genuine desire of getting to know Daniel. She simply wanted a walking ATM, and Daniel knew that. She was just looking for a plan B in case her "relationship" with Mario didn't lead to economic comfort. (((You gotta be smart even to golddig, ppl lol)))

But THAT escene, when Patricia goes to Daniel's place to basically beg forgiveness, and Daniel takes advantage of it is so, so ugly, uncomfortable, and raw. We are presented a very human and vulnerable Patricia in a way that we didn't get to see much. We didn't see a walking comedy skit like she later became, but an actual woman who fell so hard that she's now having to accept being coerced into sexual favors because otherwise she'll be consumed by poverty. It's a very sad and human story. And yes, we know Patricia acted very wrongfully by damaging the computer, but that's nothing compared to what Daniel made her pay.

Daniel liked to humiliate people, especially those from whom he could get a reaction, like Armando and Patricia. Notice he barely ever bothers Mario, for example? Or Hugo? Sure, he gives poisoned comments to almost everyone, but you can tell he likes to particularly humiliates those who won't take it lightly and will break easily OR pretend to be more than they are ((ironic considering this dude conskders himself classy, rich, and smart and we know he isn't lmao)).

In any case, Patricia was the perfect target as she fits noth categories anyway, and he chose to humiliate her to the biggest degree in that scene when he sends her away. He is saying she is useless but for sex. That all she is and can ever be for a man like him is momentary fun. That all she prides herself in are mere facades and delusions and there is no value on her but her body. And of course, he's told her this before, but in this scene he actively demonstrates it.

The characters' backgrounds are somrthing that we really needed! Patricia is one of those characters that as the novela progresses it's easy to forget how real and human her problems are, and it's understandable the audience has that perception. The novela took her extreme poverty and made a joke out of it. But she really fell low due fully to her ego. She was coerced into sexual favors, and later basically sells herself to Nicolás for the money for her car. She goes so down to the point she doesn't eat for days. Her fridge is empty, she has no electricity some days, cold water. And sure, it's a grave that she keeps digging deeper and deeper with every idiotic decision; a hell of her own creation, but a hell none the less!

My guess for Patricia's past has always been that she was born into extravagabt luxury, not just money. Either her mother was similar to her in her grandiose and vain ways and instilled that mentality on Patricia, or maybe she died when Patricia was too little. Her dad definitely seems the kind to be trying to supply every single materia thing. Perhaps this was his way to fill the void that her mom left in her. They seem to get along, tho. We see her calling him all the time tk tell him good and bad things happenjng in her life, so we can say they're pretty close, but with firm boundaries from her dad's side. I imagine she lived on his expense for a long time and he's now done with it.

Thank you for the ask🥰🥰

#ysblf #yo soy betty la fea #betty la fea #patricia ysblf #patricia fernandez #daniel ysblf #daniel valencia

[cherrymoonvol6]

Hey your analysis are nice. Do you want to share your opinion on common/popular TOH proships? As an also proship-but-not-really-THAT-proship, I'm interested in hearing what you have to say.:)

:D thank you for your nice words!

truthfully the reason why i call myself a proship is that, as a label, it aligns way more with my outlook in media and the way that i consume it. i'm just interested in well-told stories and interesting dynamics, and often that means that i gravitate towards those pairings that deal more with obstacles and conflict. but fandom hates that sort of stuff, mainly because discourse in that wavelength brings the worst out of people every single time. and like, i think it's important to address how certain tropes or execution of characters/narrative beats could correlate to the thing in real life, kinda like the works of youtube channels like pop culture detective or lindsay ellis. i believe there's a lot of value in that and it's interesting to explore and it's been a very helpful tool to understand other perspectives. but also, the moment that people in fandom begin to have discussions about something in media as if it's Real and happening in our world, i just fall asleep immediately lmfao. mostly because like, why would you analyze a piece of media through the only lens that DOESN'T acknowledge this media as a work of fiction? what's the point of media existing then, to begin with?

this is why i've never liked certain huntlow criticism, like willow using her magic to physically push hunter around. IMO willow could stab hunter through the heart and laugh it off and it wouldn't change anything, because hunter is not real. it's pointless to me to be all up in arms about it when he can't be harmed, not like a real person could. the most offensive thing about huntlow is that it's boring as shit and takes up space where luz's story could've been expanded and developed better. and thinking about it like that allows me to meet the story where it's at, instead of getting stuck on little nitpicks that, if they were to be taken out of the story, wouldn't make huntlow a better couple because their problem in the show is different and far bigger. now, you could argue that in certain places, willow's forceful attitudes towards hunter diminish his agency as a character, like how she makes the decision for hunter to come back to the team by yanking him to the courtyard. you could argue that it's dumb that willow is shown to be more powerful and resourceful than hunter when we know hunter is essentially a child soldier and willow just goes to highschool. and then i'd agree with you and i'd be willing to keep talking about it, because we're back to understanding the show in its own terms, and talking about it as it is: a connected thread of narrative beats and characters written by a team of people with the objective of telling a story. also, you could question the ethics of making willow treat hunter that way in a kids show, kinda saying that women being forceful with guys is okay and funny, and i would also be willing to considerate it through that perspective. but it's just the conceptualizing of the least impactful aspects of hunter and willow's dynamic (like, 10 total seconds in the entirety of the show of willow manhandling him for an in-show joke) as a huge problem that feels pointless to me.

all this preamble is to say that a lot of TOH ships in general fail to really catch my attention. this comes in part to my personal preference in ships. i think it's important that all the people involved in a dynamic have agency in order for their interactions to be really interesting. this is why i've never been into empgold, for example, given how their relationship works in canon: belos grooms hunter into a distorted understanding of the outside world, which leads hunter to close himself off and trust belos and belos only. and then that changes in hollow mind, and their dynamic essentially shatters from there. the resolution of hunter rejecting him and choosing his own path, as it happens in TTT, is therefore a sound conclusion. like, there's not really a lot a fucked psycho-sexual stuff or romantic interest can add to their dynamic, IMO. mainly because the moment hunter finds agency in their dynamic, the whole premise of it falls apart. only deviating their characters from their canon identities could make it more interesting, but at that point we're no longer talking about the characters from the show, are we.

at first glance a ship like beluz could be better in that regard, because luz has agency in the dynamic. she rejects belos over and over, and even manages to get the upper hand in a few occasions (see: king's tide). but looking at their interactions in canon, every time they talk to each other is like they're both interacting with a brick wall: luz is dead set in protecting the witches, and belos is dead set in going through with his philosophy. in that sense, that part in hollow mind where belos goes "can't reason with crazy" is a perfect embodiment of how their dynamic goes lol. even the whole angle of luz fearing she's becoming like philip is window dressing, because she's just being paranoid out of the guilt of the selfish decisions she's taken during the show: not at any point does this parallel make any real sense in canon, and then it's swiftly shut down by the end. it makes sense why this works like that in canon, because belos is supposed to be the irredeemable villain, as the ending shows. maybe there's more window for this to be changed though, because of the wittebane story. and obviously as a lunter enthusiast i'm no strange to using these hints and integrating them in the story to make it a better one. but personally, i just don't see the appeal -- and i'm not a belos enthusiast either, like i see other lunterinas tend to be.

from what i know those two are the more popular proships in the show. there's probably other stuff with the collector and king, or the actual incest pairings, but tbf i'm just pretty uninterested in any other ship in the show besides lunter. it's funny though, because i don't even think lunter has the most potential in the show -- i think lumity could be the best one under the right circumstances, if you could even believe me lol. but this involves a fundamental change in the premise of the show along, kinda converting amity into the deuteragonist by making her become the golden guard by the end of S1. it solves the issue of amity having zero connection to the plot, it adds stakes to luz and amity's relationship, also gives amity a lot more agency... i think that would be the best version of a love interest for luz in the show. but also i fear that that would make it so amity overshadows luz in the narrative. like, idk, a lot of stuff would need to be changed there. and that's what makes it hard to truly envision what the best (aka, the most interesting) version of lumity could look like. in lunter's case, we already have a case in canon of luz being the evelyn to hunter's caleb, and if you watched episodes like "hunting palismen" or "hollow mind" with no knowledge of lumity, i'm sure a lot of people could see the potential of their bond becoming romantic in the future. stuff like luz sadly looking back at hunter at the end of HP or hunter taking luz's hand in HM is pure ship fodder tbh and i'm tired of pretending it's not.

i've also toyed with the idea of terra and raine becoming an interesting dynamic in an universe where lilith and raine got condensed into a unique character. i've mentioned this before in my ideas of making eda and raine a better couple (cause good lord they're just as bad as every other couple in the show and i don't understand how people can deem them as "the good one" ?????), and to realize that it's raine's dynamic with terra that would be more appealing to me if those changes were real is very funny to me. there's also a lot that would need to be changed but so, so much untapped potential. however, it's another case where whatever is in canon barely resembles the best version of their dynamic, and it's hard to picture it with how raine and terra actually behave in the show. in that sense, they're very similar to beluz: raine's mind is completely made up at all times, which means that they would never accept terra's vision of the future.

of course, this is all my opinion. like i said, this also comes down to my personal taste in dynamics. like for example i'm personally not into poly ships in media, only for narrative reasons (economic storytelling: the optimal number is always 2). it's hard to find something that strikes that perfect balance between fucked-up and salvageable, and some of my beloveds like jackparse (from the check please comic) or asgoriel (from undertale) are some examples of that. but in true proship fashion, i think any pairing that you could come up in the show is fine. and of course i'm happy to share my opinions (and bless you anon for giving me a reason to yap about my thoughts <3), but they're just my opinions and the way that i personally approach media. you can like any dynamic in the show, platonic or romantic or sexual or whatever, and it's fine. they're not real people. that's the fun of media, that's the point of it: it's a playground to test ideas and make them interact. as long as you're doing that, all is fine by me.

#answered #long post #proship #uhhh i'm unsure how to tag this #guess i'll go with the easiest one #anti huntlow #the whole point of being proship is that you're ok w everything. not necessarily that you're going to ship the most problematique stuff #like i dislike most non-consensual stuff in fics because it icks me. but people can write whatever the f they want about anything and anyon

[invaders-forever]

having thoughts about toro's new powers so let's go (ig they aren't "new" anymore, but given that marvels done maybe four things with him since he got them it still feels recent)

obviously this is all theorising w/ a little head cannon thrown in but the whole toro situation opens like, five cans of freaky worms. Honestly, the entirety of all new invaders was establishing cool new stuff that could've gone in really neat directions but i digress (cut bc this got looong)

So first off just starting with the powers themselves. They're actually pretty solid. It more or less makes sense that he could have these powers, and since they are established to be instinctual rather than based on his knowledge of chemistry, him looking at jim, thinking 'i want to be just like him' and then copying the chemical reactions around jim? I like it. I think it works. does it mesh perfectly with other canon? no. but as far as retcons go, it works.

next up, this power is actually a really really good fit for toro as a character. see, toro is a kind of "Smart Guy" archetype, but not in the tony stark i have eight degrees and am the xth smartest person in the world sort of way. he's a detective, yes, but he's also what i'll describe as a mcgyver type. in short, he takes what he's given, information or otherwise, and does whatever the fuck he can with it. examples:

here in The Torch miniseries (2009) he steals a paperclip he uses to (however unsuccessfully) pick a lock. even though he's currently without his powers, he's not helpless. He's taking every advantage he can get his hands on (pun intended)

later in the same story he pretty thoroughly kicks AIM's collective asses with the chains they put him in and a weapon he snatched off a henchman, before overriding the mind control the Torch is under and keeping AIM distracted until Torch can come back and take them out.

this is toro without ANY powers. now, let's give him the ability to take the elements and chemicals around him and change them. he's a problem solver who doesn't give up, who is an expert at piecing things together as he goes, and now he can turn the classic 'put the pyrokinetic in a water tank trap' into a room full of hydrogen and oxygen.

New powers toro is freaking terrifying and he's in the perfect position to get creative with his powers- both showing off an interesting side of his character and making fight scenes that go waaay beyond tradition fight scene fare into some really weird territory, which could be cool.

point the second, his powers have tons of non-combat implications and applications. He could be both a fighter and support ie, namor's dehydrated? drop some h2o on that funky fishman. jim vs fire extinguisher? nah, that's gasoline now. Cap lost/broke his shield? here's a new one. the possibilities for him to help his teammates beyond physically fighting for them are endless. and i think the invaders could use some more of that at this point.

#3- let's talk about mimicry. kind of. so, it's established in all new invaders toro 'created' his fire powers out of a conscious desire to be like his hero, the human torch. AND Jim goes out of the way to point out to namor he could've just as easily imprinted on Namor, and 'grown gills" (not sure how the fuck jim expected him to do that in a pre-2019 invaders world, but it got me thinking) Toro's powers give him a unique ability to fill rolls on the team when members are absent/incapacitated/brainwashed/the villain they're fighting. this could be very cool, and you could really pull the wool over some villain's eyes with 'wait, what invader is this again??" I can see he and bucky getting up to some real tricky shenaniganry.

#4 element of surprise. anyone who's done their homework is expecting 2 fire bois, one stabby assassin, captain goddamn america the first, and a funky fish king. the invaders are a known quantity, they're literally the oldest public superheroes known to most in world villains. suddenly throwing in extra powers on the least publicity seen one would throw villains for one hell of a loop. (bonus points if toro could use some kind of misdirection as to who has the powers and/or make it look like luck or unexplained phenomena, which, as an ex-circus performer, he could probably pull off. funny how that works out)

5- i really just wanted to give an example of where his new powers could've drastically affected cannon, so let's talk about the finale of Invaders 2019 for a minute. In this comic, we've previously established that there is a CHEMICAL compound that can change humans into atlanteans. (it doesn't say specifically about in/Nuhumans/mutants, but since a lot of other things effect them the same or similarly we're assuming there's no major difference here) It's also established that the surface invaders have access to this formula, since Cap and Bucky use it to turn atlantean (and presumably human again, since Bucky isn't blue the next time we see him)

In the finale, the big bad is standing behind a force field thingy that only water breathers can pass through. Great we have Namor. Except BBEG has spent this entire time fucking around with Namor's head and he has the serpent crown. he mind controls namor, who tackles steve and they both go into the water. Now, if Toro had his Nuhuman powers and had previously gotten a look at the chemical compound, he could've replicated it himself. Here he is, with the way to get at the villain that's been messing with and brainwash/manipulating/mindcontroling (very personal for toro) his friend, and who's also trying to end the world. of course toro would take it, and (again with that element of surprise thing) drop out of the sky and at very least distract the villain or separate him from the serpent crown.

So yeah toro's powers + his backstory + his personality could make a real difference and also take his character farther from the boy hostage/Jim's mini-me territory he slips back into in a lot of these team ups.

part two soon i have more thoughts than i thought lol

#bucky #namor #toro raymond #thomas raymond #invaders #insomnia invaders thoughts #invaders 2019 #the torch miniseries #headcanon #doing something with toro since marvel wont ='( #part two vv soon

[kelmcdonald]

Wow, April has been busy.

New Post has been published on https://kelmcdonald.com/news/wow-april-has-been-busy/

Wow, April has been busy.

This is crossposted on my newsletter 

Stone King will be in comic shops soon! Early this month, I did an interview to talk about it. It was a little weird talking about and promoting a book that I worked on and finished over 2 years ago. Give it a listen! This month I mostly stuck to working on You are the Chosen One and The City Between creatively. I’m almost at page 100 of You are the Chosen One. Feels kinda wild that I’ve gotten that far already. I’m about halfway through the 3rd chapter, so there is still a lot of it to go. I’ve been doing a lot of concept art for it. I haven’t had a chance to upload them because I’ve been too busy to pay much attention to social media. Speaking of social media, I know I’ve posted this picture before but it’s evergreen for me.

Talk about Elon Musk buying Twitter and talk about moving on to the next social media made me exhausted just thinking about it. But being an artist online means ya gotta use and push social media. So I got to figure out some solutions. I’m been paying Lauren Fiscus (who goes by Sylphy online) to flat You are the Chosen One for me and they want more stuff to work on. So I might pay them to make and post regular promo images of my current comics. That way something actually goes up on my social media sites and maybe they can get tik tok to work for me. I would need to make a style guide for them though. That’s the real biggest hurdle right now.

Since I’ve been busying working, I’ve been going through audiobooks while working. Two series that I rather enjoy had new installments. The first is the 9th book in the Rivers of London series, Amongst Our Weapons.

If you don’t know what the Rivers of London series is about, it follows biracial wizard detective Peter Grant as he looks into magical mysteries of London. The first 7 books had a really good on-going story, but book 8 floundered a bit without the overarching villain to chase. Amongst Our Weapons gets things back on track a big. Folks with a certain set of rings are getting their hearts magically exploded. There is a neat big of history and folklore tied to the case, so it was a fun ride.

The other audiobook I really dug this month was the 7th book in the series Fred the Vampire Accountant, Out of House and Home.

This series is a bit chiller than other urban fantasy books I usually read. A lot of them are about magic cops, which while giving every story a structure to follow, can get old. Fred the Vampire Accountant books are usually collections of short stories with smaller problems. Like in the first book, Fred is dragged to a LARP and one of the players’ necromancy spells are real. And they only affect Fred because he’s undead, everyone else is human. This 7th volume has him looking into the finances of a secret mall for supernatural creatures, only find out the mall is cursed. They are kinda light and silly. It may not focus on werewolves but I think if you liked Sorcery 101 you might dig the vampire accountant series.

Anyway, this coming May, I got to sit down and write a good chunk of Blue Moon. I’m trying to have it written by the end of July, but it will probably be like September or October. Otherwise, I’m still gonna keep up with my pages of Murky Water and You are the Chosen One. As I mentioned above, I also need to make a style guide so I can get more promo images made. 

That’s all for this month! Hope you all have a good May. Thanks for your continuous support.

[dollycas]

The Game is a Footnote (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery) by Vicki Delany #Review / #Giveaway @vickidelany @crookedlanebks

The Game is a Footnote (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery) Cozy Mystery 8th in Series Setting - Massachusetts Crooked Lane Books (January 10, 2023) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639101454 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639101450 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09XM5M8SC

Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are back on the case when a body is discovered in a haunted museum in bestselling author Vicki Delany's eighth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery. Scarlet House, now a historical re-enactment museum, is the oldest building in West London, Massachusetts. When things start moving around on their own, board members suggest that Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, might be able to get to the bottom of it. Gemma doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she agrees to ‘eliminate the impossible’. But when Gemma and Jayne stumble across a dead body on the property, they’re forced to consider an all too physical threat. Gemma and Jayne suspect foul play as they start to uncover more secrets about the museum. With the museum being a revolving door for potential killers, they have plenty of options for who might be the actual culprit. Despite Gemma's determination not to get further involved, it would appear that once again, and much to the displeasure of Detective Ryan Ashburton, the game is afoot. Will Gemma and Jayne be able to solve the mystery behind the haunted museum, or will they be the next to haunt it? Dollycas's Thoughts A ghost appears to be haunting the historical reenactment site Scarlet House in West London, Massachusetts in the latest Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery. The museum board asks bookshop owner Gemma Doyle to give her input on the problem. While she doesn't believe in ghosts she reluctantly agrees to spend the night in the home with her friend Jayne and Jayne’s fiancé Andy. Two others camp out in the barn to observe things there. A big storm blew in, they all heard some weird noises, and something upset the barn animals but Gemma had no explanation for any of it. She assumes someone is playing some practical jokes. Then the next day, following a meeting to report on their sleepover Gemma and Jayne find a dead body in the barn. Involved in another murder investigation, Gemma and Jayne delve into the site's history, its board, and volunteers in hopes to uncover who is behind the murder and the mischief at Scarlet House. Add to that Gemma's sister Pippa arrives from England for a surprise visit and Ashleigh, Gemma's unique employee, left in the middle of her shift and is now missing. Oh, and bookshop cat Moriaty has a medical emergency. _____ Ms. Delany has packed a lot of mayhem into this book and I wouldn't ever expect anything different. The characters in this series are strong and well-developed. I did enjoy that it was Jayne's mother, Leslie, that got Jayne and Gemma mixed up with the people at Scarlet House.  I also enjoyed Pippa's surprise visit. Readers are able to see a different side of both Gemma and Jayne. Another character is introduced which brings havoc to the story regarding Ashleigh. I questioned some of the behavior but it worked as a distraction as intended. I was drawn into all the character's interactions easily. The main mystery was pretty straightforward with clues nicely dropped in all the right places. The darn Gemma is a brave soul traveling around the drafty old house by herself while a thunderstorm was booming outside. I wouldn't have done it. She also goes to do some investigating without Jayne by her side and she lands herself in a real fix that she eventually got herself out of. I love this woman. Her keen way of observing things everyone else misses and the way she brings the clues all together are always fun to observe. I want to be just like her in my next life. She pulled this mystery together for a fantastic reveal. While I was on the right track there was a nice little twist that I really enjoyed. She also kept at it to solve the mystery of the missing Ashleigh too. I love the way Ms. Delany tells a story. Her descriptive style paints wonderful pictures of time and place and brings her characters to life. It was so easy to escape into this story. The Game is a Footnote is a marvelous addition to this series. It truly was A Perfect Escape!

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent  

About the Author Vicki Delany is a bestselling author of more than twenty novels/novellas in several mystery subgenres. Born in Manitoba and raised in Ontario, she is the former president of the Crime Writers of Canada, a member of Capital Crime Writers, and a member of Sisters in Crime. Author Links Website – Facebook – Twitter:  @vickidelany and@evagatesauthor – Instagram: vickidelany

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I am giving away 1 Hardcover Copy. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited. You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find something you like here and become a follower. Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow. Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Following My Facebook Fan Page. Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads for 3 Bonus Entries. Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries. If you share the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive 5 Bonus Entries For Each Link. The contest will End February 9, 2023, at 11:59 PM CST The winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org The Winner Will Be Notified By Email and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar. Click Here For the Entry Form Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read the full article

#cozymystery #CrookedLaneBooks #Massachusetts #NetGalley #VickiDelany

[marjaystuff]

Elise Cooper Interviews Nelson DeMille

The Maze by Nelson DeMille brings back the wonderful hero John Corey.  It’s been too long between DeMille books.  But the good news is that this story is typical John Corey with plenty of action and non-political correctness.  It also has John hooking up with Detective Beth Penrose both figuratively and literally as a partner.  It was a pleasure interviewing Nelson DeMille.

Now once again, Corey is in Long Island, since his forced retirement from his last job as a Federal Agent with the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former girlfriend, Detective Beth Penrose, appears with a job offer, Corey decides to become a confidential informant for her, by investigating a private investigation firm, Security Solutions. They are suspicious that corruptness at the highest levels has been covering up the murders of nine prostitutes, a reporter, and a former police detective. With Beth’s help John goes undercover to unravel the maze of crimes from corruptness to bribery to murder.

As with all Nelson DeMille books readers get a fantastic murder plot filled with action. But they also get the bonus of great banter between the characters that is not politically correct. When not laughing at John’s jokes readers will be spell-bound with all the twists and turns.

Elise Cooper: Did you get any push back on writing John’s humor and statements?

Nelson DeMille:  The Maze is my last John Corey book because of the politically correct crowd at the publishing house. There was some pushback on the John Corey character.  They wanted me to make changes, which I would not make except for a few. Even though I moved publishers and had another editor who seems to be better with the John Corey character, there was still push back.  I am not going to go through this again, a lot of nonsense. In fact, a book club of sixteen ladies, read the book and had no problem with John Corey. They are not easily offended. This is my audience and what they wanted to read.  

EC:  You always play on words?

ND:  You are referring to these examples, Is Amy Lang a “receptionist in distress? Or a deceptionist out to entrap me?”  And the other, “E and E meant escape and evasion, not encounter and engage.” The latter is from my Army days.  Some guys in training tried to take down the guys who were after them.  The former quote is having Amy as a wild card.

EC:  Has Beth changed over the years since the first book, Plum Island, came out in 1997?

ND:  Yes, Beth has changed.  In the first book she was a goody-two-shoes, doing everything by the book.  Now she is more like John, breaking and bending some rules. She, like John, wants to get at the truth and wants justice. Beth is pushing the envelope to get that, something she would not have done in Plum Island. She is more ruthless, goes rogue, and has lost faith in the system because the higher-ups are corrupt and somehow involved.

EC:  Has John changed since Plum Island?

ND:  Ninety percent of what I wrote about him is there. He is still a bullshit artist, a smart aleck, who likes to buck the system and authority.  He does really follow rules and regulations. He has good instincts and is a danger junkie. He is not ready to go out to pasture. He seeks to become relevant again. If I ever wrote another John Corey, he would end up working for a private security firm to keep an American diplomat or businessperson in another country safe. 

EC:  What about the relationship between Beth and John?

ND:  Emotionally they are lovers who are realizing they were made for each other. In many of my books, I enjoy superimposing a romance with the action.  Maybe in my next life I will be a romance writer. Beth is more comfortable in her own skin in this book, more willing to stand up to John. I had her in a more powerful position than John, a Detective Sergeant, second in command at the Suffolk Homicide Police. The roles have reversed since the first book.  

EC:  The plot is based on the real Gilgo Beach murders?

ND:  About ten bodies were dumped on the beach in Long Island., not far from the Hamptons.  This happened eleven years ago. The grisly murders, all sex workers, believed to be the work of a serial killer or killers. It has captivated the public, stumped local police, and frustrated victims’ family members still waiting for an arrest. The Suffolk County Police have not even come up with a person of interest. They are stymied. It is a very active case with the Police Chief refusing to cooperate with the FBI.  There have been a couple of documentaries about it.  I fictionalized it and made it the Fire Island murders with a lot of the elements of the Gilgo Beach murders. I wanted to show how throughout America there is corruption at the highest level, and illuminate the society that it originated in.  What I tried to do in the book is highlight how there is something wrong with the culture and society through the investigation of the murder. 

EC:  The real-life police chief is somehow involved?

ND: Then-Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke was busted for the 2012 assault of a handcuffed suspect who swiped a bag of sex toys and porn from Burke’s trunk. The sordid incident was covered up by then District Attorney, but the chief eventually went to jail. The murders have not been resolved, and there are questions if the DA and Burke are involved personally. 

EC:  What about your bad guy, Steve Landowski?

ND:  He is a control freak, a liar, cunning, and arrogant. He volunteered to be working for the Vice-Squad while working as a cop. Steve is a rough guy who lives by his wit.  He enjoys the power to corrupt the people around him. He sexually harassed women, which shows how he does not think much of women. 

EC:  The role of the Maze?

ND:  It was a figurative way to explain the case with multilayers of interlocking crimes and suspects. I put in this book quote, “a maze of twists and turns…crimes that ranged from simple prostitution to the corruption of public officials and law enforcement people to murder.” I also physically had a maze of hedges for the final scene of a shoot-out.  All Corey books have one. It reminded me of the scene in the movie “The Shining.” The maze can be a creepy place. I know because I have been in one.

EC:  What about your next books?

ND:  The next book, Blood Lines, I am writing with my son. It will be out October of next year. It has the same main characters as the first book, The Deserter. Two members of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) will be back: Scott Brodie, a former infantry soldier in Iraq, now a top CID investigator is teamed with Maggie Taylor a former Civil Affairs E-5 in Afghanistan, who is working for CID. While Brodie is wise-cracking, arrogant, and someone who has trouble following orders, Taylor is a by the books person who tries to rein in Brodie. The plot has the murder of a CID in Berlin. My third book in this contract might be my last book, October 2024, titled The Explorer’s Club. It is a combination of “Indiana Jones,” “James Bond,” and “Around the World In Eighty Days” where the hero is trying to find an American woman possibly kidnapped.

THANK YOU!!

[aeide-thea]

i forget, have we talked about this one? probably not, because i didn't like it nearly as much the first time around as i did last night—some commenters suggested (1) doubling the topping and (2) taking out some of the drippings before adding the couscous, so it doesn't get quite so oily, and i thought the dish was a lot fresher and creamier and more vibrant that way.

negatives: the topping is imo a little annoying to make—you have to toast the walnuts and all but supreme the lemons,* so it's a process with subprocesses—and i haven't yet solved the problem of the oregano, namely that the quantity specified by the recipe does not, ime, lend any perceptible flavor to the final product. i'd suggest either upping the number of sprigs you add or else, honestly, just omitting it altogether: there's enough else happening in your mouth that i doubt you'd miss it.

positives: everything else. (love me some pearl couscous.)

oh! and i should say: i've never actually made this with the halloumi it calls for, just pre-crumbled grocery-store feta, and imo that's been totally fine? so don't be intimidated by the mention of potentially elusive ingredients. :)

#*they don't ask you to remove the intersegmental membranes but personally i figured we were already getting fussy‚ might as well lean in #journaling #food #cooking #recipes #domesticities #as ever: the NYT paywall is bypassable by clicking to stop the page from loading‚ or by getting a browser extension that disables javascript #but the real problem is that now i want the detective story that goes with the title 'the problem of the oregano'!

[metalandmagi]

Winter 2021 Anime Worth Watching!

Since 2020 basically sacrificed itself to give us the most stacked anime season of all time, I’m currently buried under the weight of almost 20 shows airing per week. So for anyone who’s looking for some anime to watch this winter, here’s some first impressions! I’m speed running my list this time by only talking about the new shows...because otherwise this would be my great American novel. 

If anyone’s interested, I have master lists for both 2020 anime and 2019 anime, because there’s no shortage of fun things to find. 

New Shows!

And before anyone asks, So I’m A Spider, So What? isn’t on here, because CG spiders freak me out.

Cells At Work Code Black: This...less comedic spin off of Cells At Work (made by a different studio) takes the wholesome concept of Osmosis Jones meets cute anime girls and turns it on its head. In this much more depressing version, we follow a rookie red blood cell who works in the body of an overly stressed, alcoholic smoker who puts every strain on the body imaginable. I love Red Blood Cell AA2153 and his co-workers, but man am I glad we get the regular Cells At Work airing this season too, because I need something fun and uplifting after seeing my sweet son go through hell every episode. 

*Heaven’s Design Team: Have you ever wondered how God came up with some of the weird ass animals that live on this planet? Like, what’s the deal with giraffes? And why can’t we have dragons and flying horses? Well this is a comedy about the engineers and designers in heaven creating the new animals that are going to inhabit the Earth. That’s it, that’s the show. It’s kind of in the same vein as Cells At Work, having comedy blend with a surprising amount of educational information. If you want something light and funny, this is the show for you (though I don’t think it needs to have full length episodes). I’m just hoping there’s an episode about how the hell the platypus was created. Also it’s the only new one available on Crunchyroll.

Horimiya: A romantic comedy about a girl named Hori who fits the image of a perfect queen bee and a quiet bespectacled boy named Miyamura who never makes an impression at school. When the two meet by chance outside of the classroom, we see that Hori is practically raising a younger brother by herself, and Miyamura is actually a sweet guy who happens to be covered in tattoos and piercings. This show is an exercise in breaking down the images people have of others in their minds, and it’s a concept that really hits home in a fun and meaningful way. Honestly, this has become one of my immediate favorites. The characters have great chemistry, and I can’t wait to see more of them!

Monster Incidents (Kemono Jihen): When big shot Tokyo detective Inugami is called to a rural town to investigate a series of strange animal deaths, he finds a mysterious boy with the nickname Dorotabo who has been shunned by the other children in town. As the detective gets closer to Dorotabo, he discovers that there may be more...inhuman secrets to the boy than he realizes...and Dorotabo discovers that Inugami has some secrets of his own. This is a hard show to sell without spoiling the first episode, but it had twists and turns that kept me engaged from start to finish. I’m really interested to see where the plot goes, because I thought this was going to be something totally different just from the PV and series summary. If it plays its cards right, this could be a great paranormal detective show!

Wonder Egg Priority: A psychological drama about a girl named Ai who starts having dreams about a mysterious egg that promises to give her what she wants most in the world...a true friend. Before long, she begins to see how the dream world and reality are tied together, and trippy antics ensue. It’s hard to say more without spoiling anything, but I had to go back and add this one in because I made the mistake of thinking it was an OVA when it’s actually a full series. And what a series it’s starting out to be. This anime has all the psychological discomfort of a Satoshi Kon product with the beauty and style of something from Kyoani (even though it’s made by Clover Works). It’s really one of those anime you just have to see to understand.

Sk8-∞ (Skate the infinity): An original skateboarding anime from Bones, featuring a typical sports anime protagonist who takes a new transfer student who has never skateboarded in his life under his wing. Together they compete in dangerous races and take the skating community by storm. The character designs rival Appare Ranman’s in outlandish creativity, and I can smell the main characters’ ship dynamic a mile away (considering they’re exactly the same as the protagonists from Robihachi). If you’re looking for some wild and crazy fun with top notch skateboarding animation, don’t skip this!

2.43: Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley-bu (Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Club): Yes, it’s another volleyball anime. And no, it’s not just a clone of Haikyu. This story follows Yuni Kuroba, a physically built but emotionally weak teenager who finds out his childhood friend Hajime is moving back to their hometown for high school. Yuni discovers Hajime has become an exceptional volleyball player and they join their school’s volleyball club hoping to turn the unknown team into a rising star. If anything, this anime is much more like Stars Align or Free, where the sport is a backdrop for letting the characters explore their personal problems. Or at least it seems that way after the first episode. I went into this show ready to throw it in the trash because how could anything compete against my beloved Haikyu, but I found myself really enjoying the dynamics of the main duo and I’m curious to see what the rest of the team is like.

And speaking of sports anime rip-offs…..I can’t believe I’m including this but…

Skate Leading Stars: The show where the animators clearly wanted to design another throw away idol anime but saw how popular Yuri On Ice was so they decided to make whatever the hell this show is instead. It revolves around a fictional team sport called skate leading, and we follow the world’s most insufferable main character, a former figure skater named Kensei who wants to return to the ice and join his school’s skate leading team after he finds out his childhood rival is going to compete in the sport. Look, this show is just trashy enough to get a certain type of audience hooked, and it mainly has to do with the best boy of the winter season, Hayato Sasugai, the aspiring team “coach” who pulled most of us into watching this show with his punk appearance, snide comments and smug personality. He’s basically the lovechild of Izaya Orihara and Shizuo Heiwajima in a high school sports anime setting. The show treats itself with the perfect amount of sincerity to get away with being absolutely ridiculous most of the time without making you feel like you’re watching it from a dumpster...like Try Knights. You will know after one episode whether this show is for you. All I can say is, Hayato is worth the watch, and I haven’t seen any 3D animation used for the skating scenes (yet) so that’s a win for me. 

Honorable mention:

Jobless Reincarnation ( Mushoku Tensei): Yet another isekai where the main character is hit by a car (big surprise) and gets reincarnated into a fantasy world...but he happens to remember his previous life and narrates himself growing up as a jaded adult. I’m only including this because it looked amazing animation wise, and I love the opening where getting hit by a car and dying is actually traumatic. And I love the protagonist’s parents (who are retired adventurers who just want to bang all the time). But honestly...the main character is the fucking worst, and I don’t know if I want to keep watching it because of how creepy and weird he is. Like...he’s the hit on your fantasy mom as a baby kind of creepy and weird. But for anyone who wants a cool looking isekai that had an amazing PV, it’s worth checking out. 

Continuing Series!

Because the real gold of the season is in all the established anime getting their next seasons, I’m just going to list some of the things that are also amazing and definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already (because I’ve already talked about most of them at some point and don’t know what else to say).

Attack On Titan season 4

The Promised Neverland season 2

Beastars season 2

Log Horizon season 3

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime season 2

Re: Zero season 2 (second cour)

Dr. Stone season 2

Cells at Work season 2

Osomatsu-san season 3 (second cour)

Higurashi New (second cour)

Jujutsu Kaisen (second cour) 

Not to mention all the shows I don’t watch that everyone else loves...like World Trigger (which I have seen quite a bit of, but long shounen shows are too much for me now) Quintessential Quintuplets, and Non Non Biyori. 

So there’s just some of all the anime airing this season. Hopefully, someone can find something they like. Here’s to a great year...well, of anime at least...

#anime recommendations #anime worth watching #dr stone #the promised neverland #that time i got reincarnated as a slime #beastars #cells at work #cells at work code black #log horizon #horimiya #monster incident #kemono jihen #sk8 the infinity #2.43: seiin high school boys volleyball club #re: zero #skate leading stars #heaven's design team #jujutsu kaisen #higurashi new #wonder egg priority

[equizona]

Note: Since my ask box is empty, I decided to write this idea. I thought it would be an interesting approach. If you guys would like to see the dateables then tell me! (ALSO MY ASK BOX IS OPEN!)

Scenario: Obey Me! where the MC is a character in an otome game.

Fandom(s): Obey Me!

Character(s): Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Belphegor,

Warning(s): Light angst?

Lucifer[Avatar of Pride]

He probably just passed by Leviathan when he was playing the game, and your design caught his attention.

He refuses to let ANYONE know he plays the game, and his fondness of a fictional character will be taken to his grave.

He has ALL of your cards, no exceptions on the rule, and he's quite proud about it.

He probably has your set outfit be a more formal one? If there is a card where you're dressed in more formal setting that would probably be his favorite too.

Acts like he has no idea who you are whenever any of his brothers talk about you.

Surprisingly, none of his brothers know that he plays the game. Satan is a tiny bit suspicious because of his detective skills, but nothing is confirmed.

He's rich as shit so he has no problem using real money on special items for you, and if there's any items that give special dialog he WILL get his hands on it no matter what it takes, trust me.

Won't be able to answer any calls he gets from you all the time, but whenever he does he'll just relax to the sound if your voice.

Will give donations to whoever is your voice actor don't testhim—

Mammon[Avatar of Greed]

He likes to pretend that he isn't your fan but everyone can see right through him–

Will never miss any of your phone calls, they are the light of his life, like, seriously.

Will use actual money to get you the items, he just wants you to be happy.

Whenever you give him an item he goes over the moon, giving his phone this super cute giddy smile.

Whenever he gets an action during the surprise guests wrong he wants to cry, he doesn't want you to get angry at him.

Will get lots of items that are themed around you, and will probably grab anything he sees that holds even the slightest resemblance to you.

If you have a theme song then it is 100% his ringtone, no that is not up for debate.

Whenever he gets sad he'll play a phone call and just listen to your voice.

Leviathan[Avatar of Envy]

Ah yes, the king of being a fictional character simp.

He's the one who found the game, which set in motion the action of everyone adoring you.

You think he likes the lord of shadows? Henry? Ruri-chan? If so, then I don't want to tell you how bad he's got it for you.

He has ALL of your cards, haste highest level of your intimacy, knows all of your dialog by heart by now.

He has all merch that is even remotely related to you, and your theme song would also be his ringtone and alarm.

He cosplays you for sure.

Has a body pillow that he would bring to prom no questions asked.

Is your number 1 fan, and he gets involved with anything that is involved with you.

Will not stands any slander on your name and has only positive things to say about you.

Sometimes gets super sad that you aren't real but he'll get over it the next time he gets a phone call from you.

Satan[Avatar of Wrath]

Honestly he was not ready to end up liking a dating game so much, but here he is.

He'll just kind of have you on the screen on his phone while he reads aloud wishing that you were real–

Whenever he gets upset or angry he'll take his phone out and see if there's anything related to you that he can do to calm down.

Really likes playing the events and is always super excited to see what the next one will be about.

Get's super angry each time someone other than you is a surprise guest, it just really passes him off for some reason?

Will suck up every single detail about yourself that is given to him, he knows your character better than the writers do at this point.

If your character likes books he's even happier!

Has a suspicion that Lucifer knows and likes your character but he can't confirm anything.. yet.

He's getting there don't worry, and he'll be telling you every step on that plan–

Asmodeus[Avatar of Lust]

He doesn't have as much as Leviathan does, but he has have some of your merchandise.

Definitely has a keychain of you on his phone. He isn't embarrassed, he likes your character almost as much as he likes himself!

Because of him the game has a way bigger fandom than it used to do, many wanting to know what got the Asmodeus so hooked.

He defiantly paints his nails themed around you, as well as his make-up. coming up with fun designs on both make-up looks and his nails themed around you is his favorite thing ever.

If he sees any outfit of your character that he really likes he will get it!

Bases some of his outfits on you as well!

Likes to make jewelry and other accessories that would fit your aesthetic too!

Whenever he's doing his beauty routine he'll either be talking about random things to his phone with you and the screen, or he'll be listening to a phone call or a theme song.

Beelzebub[Avatar Gluttony]

Sweet boy probably only downloaded the game when he realized that three of his siblings(Levi, Satan and Asmo, they are the only ones brave enough to show how much they like you) enjoyed the game and he wanted something to talk to them about!

He didn't really know which character his siblings liked but he immediately took a liking to you.

He spends real money to get food for you to eat since he doesn't want you to be hungry.

Listents to your phone-calls while he eats or before a game so that he can hype himself up.

Sometimes likes to play music while he works out and your song is on ALL OF HIS PLAYLISTS–

When he realized that you were his brothers favorite character too, he was super excited, listening to all of Levi's rants about you.

Since Asmo dles everyone's nails he might sometime ask him to make his nails a bit different and theme them around you.

Whenever he can't sleep or has had a nightmare, he'll try and refrain from eating everything in the kitchen and instead opens the app to talk with you.

Belphegor[Avatar of Sloth]

Remembers Leviathan talking about you and the game, and since he was feeling really fucking lonely in the attic he downloaded it and gave it a try.

Your character was a huge comfort to him, especially since he remembered that Beel liked your character as well.

If your character is human it might have helped him calm down from his hatred a tiny bit. Not a lot, but a bit.

Will talk about the stars with you whenever he can, even if he knows you can't actually hear him.

Will listen to your phonecalls or songs whenever he goes to sleep, which is quite often lmao.

He has really good luck and somehow has all of your really rare cards!

He's super smug about that.

He doesn't level a lot of your cards up though, since he's too lazy to actually focus a lot on the story line. He mainly likes your character from what he's seen in chats.

When content with you starts running low he'll just quickly go through some seasons so that he can have comfort from you–

You made him feel a lot less lonely when he was in the attic

#obey me #obey me x reader #lucifer #lucifer x reader #obey me lucifer #obey me lucifer x reader #mammon #mammon x reader #obey me mammon #obey me mammon x reader #leviathan #leviathan x reader #obey me leviathan #obey me leviathan x reader #satan #satan x reader #obey me satan #obey me satan x reader #asmodeus #asmodeus x reader #obey me asmodeus #obey me asmodeus x reader #beelzebub #beelzebub x reader #obey me beelzebub #obey me beelzebub x reader #belphegor #belphegor x reader #obey me belphegor #obey me belphegor x reader

[tarlos-spain]

Coda 3x05 Future detective Reyes

This is my first Coda for 3x05 but also includes an alternative ending for the kidnapping story. I can't stop thinking Carlos should have been the real hero saving Katie.

Ok, so here it goes.

Coda 3x05 Future detective Reyes

"This is personal," Carlos thought, as Detective Washington drove at full speed to give chase to the kidnapper's car.

They had barely spoken since they had been given the position of the car, but every now and then he noticed the woman's gaze on him. He wondered if she was curious about this uniformed officer who had thrown himself into the case, or if it bothered her to have him around.

Maybe he'd been meddling where he wasn't wanted by looking for evidence, and she was just too polite to tell him to mind his own business.

But he didn't care. He had to find that girl and he had to return her to her parents at all costs. If reprimands or a warning to never do it again came next, he'd take it.

The detective looked like something out of the Fast and Furious movies, driving through the city in an almost reckless manner. She almost hit a couple of cars in order to gain ground, but she dodged them without any problems, and after making a turn that almost made Carlos vomit, she got in front of the suspect’s car.

Carlos jumped out of the vehicle with his gun already in hand and approached the car, where the woman was still inside.

"Get out of the car with your hands up," he said confidently, staring at that woman.

He didn't have to repeat it twice before the woman opened the car door and got out. It looked like she wasn't going to make it hard for him—she was holding her hands up and moving slowly.

Carlos approached her and, without lowering his gun, he grabbed the handcuffs to put them on so he could worry about the girl.

The girl... The chase had been hectic and Carlos could still feel his stomach protesting; he could only imagine how the girl felt.

As he approached the woman, he looked inside the car, where Katie was sitting. Her eyes were red with tears and she was shaking.

Carlos adored children and had always imagined being a father...much more so since he had TK by his side and was beginning to entertain the idea that they could start a family.

Perhaps because of that, out of paternal instinct or because this was an innocent girl who needed help, Carlos stopped paying attention to the woman in front of him for a second, which was long enough for her to pull a knife out of her pants.

Carlos saw it glint in her hand and stepped aside in time for the wound to be no more than a shallow cut on his arm... TK was going to go crazy when he saw him come in wounded, even if only slightly.

But he gave the woman a sharp punch in the arm and she lost the knife. He put the cuffs on her and let two officers take her away.

He stopped paying attention to her right away and focused on the girl. He opened the back door of the car and leaned in. The girl gave a startled gasp, but she calmed down right away when she saw him dressed in uniform.

"It's all over now, don't worry."

"I want my mommy."

"Of course, come on, we'll take you to her."

He let another officer take her to the ambulance that had just arrived to make sure she was okay.

"You should get that cut looked at," Washington told him, pointing to his arm.

"It's just a cut, it's not important."

"You can relax now, Officer Reyes. Katie is safe." Carlos still wore a stiff, nervous expression. "If you want, we can go to the hospital together to take the little girl to her parents."

Washington smiled as Carlos's eyes lit up at the idea.

Keep reading in AO3

#9 1 1 lone star #Tarlos #3x05 #Coda #Detective Carlos Reyes #carlos reyes #tk strand

[stxleslyds]

Robin Jason, a friend and ally of the Titans.

PART 1.

Last Friday I was feeling extra rage-y after the news about the Titans mini with the Titans show line-up of heroes. I still think that a) Jason shouldn’t be considered a Titan or be in the team as Red Hood and b) that him going back to wearing a bat symbol on his chest is just bad but as @randomlut said there is a possibility of that book not being set in DC’s current universe and if that’s the case then okay, I will not complain about it anymore.

But this post isn’t about that Titans book it’s about Jason’s Robin’s appearances in volume two of the New Teen Titans!

Now, this won’t be an in-depth review of those issues from a story point of view, it will be a post in which I talk about Jason’s characterization and interactions with the Titans. Maybe I will even dive a little bit into why I think that the interactions that Jason and Roy have in those issues makes the relationship that they had in New52 very out of place.

Let’s begin!

·         NTT (1984) #19

Jason as Robin appears here only in the last page of the issue. After the current team of the Titans appears to be falling apart Donna calls Jason and others to help in a mission, this team that she puts together resembles the “original” line-up with Robin, Speedy, (Kid) Flash, Aqualad and Hawk.

·         NTT (1884) #20-21

Jason appears in the Titans tower along the OG Titans, when Donna finally tells them what the mission is all about (stopping Cheshire from interrupting a meeting) she asks if they are in on the job, Jason is not only excited about being there but about Batman actually letting him come all the way to the tower. A little bit of what Jason thinks or saw in Bruce is shown when Wally says that he “didn’t think the Batman could be thrilled by anything. He is always so grim.”

Basically, what Jason says is that the Bat isn’t that bad if you get to know him and that he cares about Jason’s education outside of vigilantism. Also, Jason seems to be grateful and very receptive of the things that Bruce taught him, he regards him as a very good mentor.

After everyone decides to help, they get on their jet. Here we have a very important interaction between Jason and Donna, she is telling him how she is feeling about the attitude of the rest of the team and about how she is a little bit lost now that she is in charge of the Titans and then she asks what Robin thinks about the whole thing, Jason is obviously thrilled once more, someone as experienced as Donna is asking him for his opinion? It blows his mind away! Batman never does that, he is always following his lead and never has a say on what they do so, to him, helping the Titans is only getting better and maybe he will ask the Bat to let him join them permanently.

Because they were talking Donna wasn’t paying much attention while flying and after they barely avoid crashing the jet, she apologizes to everyone and once more looks for reassurance with Jason, this time Jason is caught off guard but after Hawk teases him about his hesitation he tells her that “everything’s okay”.

When they arrive to Switzerland (where the meeting will be held) we have Jason’s first interaction with Roy Harper and him also slowly transforming into a burrito, that boy was cold and pissed off about it!

It’s really funny to me that Roy talking about Oliver’s pervy arrows is his very first interaction with Jason, who would have thought that a mad man would later make them besties?

They all go inside a building to get warm and for a while Jason is just chilling while the other Titans are all having an existential crisis, because here is the thing, Jason is a kid, he was presumably 14 here while all the other are in their twenties. Donna is having trouble with her new position as leader of the Titans, Wally is trying to live up to Barry, Garth is grieving his love, Roy is still very uncomfortable about being on a mission that involves Cheshire and Hank is just crazy. The others are trying to complete a mission while their real-life problems loom over them and Jason is just on an adventure with cool people.

Its not much later than Cheshire attacks the Titans, she first takes on Wally because he is her biggest threat and then detonates a bomb, now here I will give a little bit of context, Cheshire does not want to kill the Titans as of now, she just wants to incapacitate them because them being there is making her own mission more complicated, all I will say is that she doesn’t truly have villainous intentions and that she has a very weak spot for Roy.

Anyway, the bomb incapacitates Garth and Roy and Cheshire also managed to shoot Wally so only Donna, Hank and Jason are left standing to capture Cheshire, but here is the thing, Hank doesn’t want to capture her, he wants to kill her.

Jason has interacted very few times with Hank so far and it has always been Hank teasing him but now as Jason is going to fight Cheshire Hank interrupts him telling him that he will do “what has to be done”. Cheshire of course wont fall easily and I think that at this very moment she is thinking that killing Hank wouldn’t be a bad idea because he is going to mess her plans up! But not to worry as she is raising her gun Jason comes in to save his ass!

Jason is not a match for Cheshire and after that she quickly subdues him. But what’s important here is two things, first Jason doesn’t want or consider the idea of killing Jade, he just wants to capture her and bring her to justice, secondly, he doesn’t even want her to kill Hank, who has been violent towards every Titan and rude to Jason every single time that he has interacted with him. What I am trying to say is that this IS Robin Jason, he doesn’t think or act the same as Red Hood will in the future, he has his opinions on what punishments killers should get but he is not there to kill anyone himself.

There is this whole page where Donna beats Hank against a tree so he stops killing, because that’s not what the Titans do, she explains that if they do that then the public (that is already quite afraid of them) will just fear them more and they don’t need that, plus she believes that he is acting that way out of grief after losing his brother, as she is saying all of this though she is putting quite a lot of pressure on his chest and that might have ended up in her actually killing Hank if Jason hasn’t been there to stop her.

Donna is obviously not having a good time and after this she says that she “has had it” and that from now on Robin should “take command” because “its his group anyway”. Oh man…its clear to the reader that Donna is not having a good time being team leader but she also misses a certain person a lot. She is obviously not seeing Jason there, she is seeing Dick, the person that she is used to take orders from but he is not there.

Jason is aware of this, he might be a kid and might not have as many problems as the other Titans as of now but he is not a fool and he doesn’t want people to see someone else when they look at him, so he confronts Donna about what she just said/did.

Jason is just great in this scene; he just doesn’t want people that he admires to treat him as if he were someone that he isn’t. Just because Dick isn’t there doesn’t mean that he (because he is Robin) can replace him, they are not the same person and they do not have the same experience. He calls out Donna on her behaviour towards him and Donna being an adult takes responsibly for her actions and understands that ultimately, she was hurting Jason’s feelings. We have a kinda wholesome moment when they hug but because this is written by Marv Wolfman and he just can’t help himself, he proceeds to write Jason as a horny teenager. What a way to ruin the moment Marv…

Back to Cheshire, she is about to kick Wally’s face in when she decides to first tell him what he has to tell the others when they wake up, which is “Cheshire remembers”.

Wally tells the Titans Cheshire’s message but none of them truly understands what it means, Hank says that he doesn’t even understand why they are alive. Donna comes to the conclusion that Cheshire might want something from them and this is where Jason gives his thoughts, he says “Doesn’t matter what she wants. We take care of her. She’s a killer.”, its clear once more than although Jason (as Robin) wouldn’t kill anyone he does feel a certain type of way about criminals and wants them to be locked up.

After yet another verbal fight between Hank and Donna the Titans take a cable car to their next location, Jason is shown as exited about the view and the whole experience once more. When they arrive, they find Faraday (the guy that called Donna for help in #19) and he explains a bit more the situation but Jason once more is having trouble staying warm so he goes to the cable car tunnel nearby, but he doesn’t go alone, Roy goes with him because his “costume wasn’t made for this kind of weather either”, in this second interaction between these two we get to see Jason’s detective skills shine.

Jason has been watching Roy and he found his reaction to Cheshire’s message quite sus. Not only is he showing his detective skills here but he also said in a previous panel this: “The Batman keeps telling me to watch people’s eyes. And every so often I notice you become awfully agitated…like something was going on you didn’t want to be part of”.  Zdarsky, hey pal, I am talking to you, look at this dude! He read Roy like an open book, this is Robin Jason, he likes being Robin and he is brilliant at it, he is methodical because he learnt from paying attention and working with Batman, so, you sir are wrong, not only did UtRH disprove your dumb narrative but so does this interaction (along all his appearances in this book).

Roy is impressed by the kid, and yeah, he calls him kid because he is a kid…Roy is visibly older than Jason as he should, do you see it Lobdell? Yeah, there is no dubious age gap between those two as you made it seem. Roy is impressed because between both of them he is the one that is most experienced, not the other way around. How did Lobdell manage to make up a whole as run where not only were Roy and Jason close in age and besties but also Jason was better at vigilantism than Roy and Roy was the one being impressed. It’s wild, wild and bad.

Back to the issue, Jason taken out of the fight quite fast once more by Cheshire and she proceeds to talk to Roy, that’s where we find out that they were lovers and that she feels weak when she is around him because he makes her feel feelings but that’s not all, she tells Roy that he is “the man that fathered my child” …Oh and now she does want to kill him. That’s where #20 ends, so let’s see what happens with Jason in #21.

In the beginning of #21 Jason is conscious once more and when he hears Cheshire’s threat, he attacks her so she can’t shoot Roy, he also says this “Sorry ‘cat’ that’s a definite no-no. Don’t you know mommy’s and daddies should never fight” I, I don’t know why he had to say it like that…the 80s were weird. While Jason is being himself Roy is thinking “Don’t be cocky kid, Jade hasn’t got a sense of humour…” but because he wants to talk to Jade, he tells Jason to go, that he will handle Cheshire and he leaves.

Roy and Jade talk, Donna and Hawk are fighting bad guys and each other and at some point, Jason joins Garth and helps him take down a couple of guys, he also tries to make conversation with him but Garth is still not talking to anybody.

Cheshire tells Roy that he will never hear about their child again and that he needs to let her do her thing and stay out of it because he doesn’t understand what’s going on, Roy doesn’t do what she asks and she “poisons” him. Donna saves a guy that Hank was trying to kill. After Cheshire leaves Roy comes to the conclusion that she wasn’t there to kill the people from the meeting or that she poisoned him, but because they were there and everything went to shit now the people that were getting together are blaming the Titans for the interruption. The whole thing is a mess and the news channel are not nice about the Titans as a whole, but I am not interested in exploring that here. All you need to know is that the people that made Cheshire do what she did to the Titans were the Brother Blood people.

It’s on the jet that we see Jason again, he and the others are going back to the tower. Because the news are painting the Titans as bad when they are arriving to the tower Jason sees a lot of people protesting about them and he feels bad. This was his first job with the Titans and he is a kid, imagine how sad it would make you if you wanted to help and after getting the job done people were mad at you. But even though he is sad about that he takes time to ask Roy if he is okay after he sees him almost running away from the tower, he doesn’t get a response but he isn’t mad about it.

Jason’s stay with the Titans comes to and end and he says that he loved hanging out with them and is grateful for having been invited, he is so sweet!

·         NTT (1884) #24

Here, for some reason, we see Jason saying goodbye to the Titans again and unlike at the end of #21 Roy is there to see him leave.

I am not going to lie though; I liked this goodbye better it feels like it’s more complete than the other one. Here he says that Batman wants him back in Gotham but that if the Titans ever need him again all they need to do is call. He also mentions Nightwing which is funny because he will be called by Donna again in #26 to help the Titans get Dick back from Brother Bloods Church.

I am going to cut this part here because issues 26 to 31 have a lot of Jason content that I want to explore and I can’t put any more pictures here, also this post is already long as it is now!

I just love Jason’s little moments in these issues, him confronting Donna and reading Roy like and open book in #20 are my absolute favourite, I just think this is a nice way to kinda show how wrong some current characterizations of Robin Jason are and what better way to do that than reading and looking into some good stories.

Oh! Before I forget, in #21 Roy leaves the Titans’ tower to go see Jade and he actually gets to meet his daughter Lian for the first time, so yeah, that was a wholesome moment!

#jason todd #robin jason todd #batman and robin #titans #new teen titans #donna troy #roy harper #cheshire #garth of shayeris #wally west #red hood #urban legends red hood