#you will vote for zombie matt. now

[the-cult-of-russo]

Just Beneath The Flames (Part 13)

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Warnings: cursing, smut at some point probably lmao, zombie shit, typical canon violence. You know the drill.

A/N: Alright, bitches, I’m back! Well not fully, I’m still sick as fuck but I’m here and I got the next chapter done lmao I’m trying a whole mind-over-matter approach right now, not only because it's killing me not being able to write, but I’m going to a candlelight rock opera thing on Wednesday. I booked the tickets last year and they weren’t cheap and like fuck I’m not being able to go. If I’m too sick to go, I’m not above throwing a tantrum like a toddler that got their candy taken away from them looool Pray for me.

I almost left you guys on a really mean cliffhanger with this one, not gonna lie. But I’m trying to keep my chapters consistently long and this one fell a little short, so I decided to not be a huge bitch to you guys and add some more. You're welcome lmao

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The putrid smell of rancid and decaying flesh hit your nose and you wretched, covering your mouth quickly as you turned to the side.

“Holy shit,” Billy muttered and when you looked over at him, he was covering his mouth with his arm, squinting slightly at the car that held the offending smell. The highway you’d visited with him once was closer to your current camp than the old one and you’d decided to come here to grab what you could. Knowing the looming threat of yet another hostile group was hanging over you, you all wanted to be prepared. The group had been discussing recently whether or not to go just go down to Virginia. You’d been firmly for the idea even though you loved the current set-up. You were too worried about the group's safety, especially when it came to Sarah and the kids. She was around five months pregnant now or thereabouts, none of you were one hundred percent sure. The idea of being here with this threat when it was time for her to give birth was unsettling but you also had a dark feeling things would come to a head way before then. The issue with going down to Virginia though was not knowing if the safe house was even still standing or safe anymore. You could all pack up and go, only to find you had no place to go and you’d have given up the cabin for nothing, so you understood the reservations. So far, it was only you, the Liebermans and Matt that had voted to go, whereas Billy, Frank, Karen, Foggy and Curtis all thought it was best to wait a little longer. Karen, Foggy and Curtis were all worried about giving up such a good place for potentially nothing, Curtis saying the set-up here would work great for a birth. Billy and Frank wanted to stay because they were confident they could neutralize the threat before it was too late. You believed in them, you really did, but it didn’t mean you weren’t worried. None of you really knew how many of these people there were and it was like Rawlins all over again with not even knowing where they were to hit them first. Once again, you were all waiting to see what happened and you really didn’t like it. 

You opened your mouth to speak but the smell of the death-filled car made your mouth clamp right shut again as you heaved and shook your head.

“I got it,” Billy said, giving you a sympathetic smile as he patted you on the back. You nodded and hurried away, wanting to get as far away from the smell as possible. To some degree, the stench of death didn’t bother you half as much as it used to, but the car had three dead bodies in it that had sat there for god knows how long and it was overwhelming. You made your way over to where Frank and Karen were rifling through a car. 

“You look a little green around the gills there,” Frank smirked, amusement shining in his eyes and you glared at him.

“Hey, Frankie, come help me with this,” Billy called over. Frank nodded and you looked at Billy, catching his smirk directed at you as Frank made his way over.

“Jesus fuck!” he cried out once he got there, heaving louder than you had and it made you snort. Karen giggled, shaking her head fondly at him as she looked through the trunk of a car.

“What do you think?” she asked as she held a pretty floral maxi dress against her.

“It looks good. Not sure how good it would be for running through,” you remarked wryly, noticing the lack of space for legs to run effectively. She pouted, leaning against the trunk with a sigh.

“I miss wearing pretty clothes,” she mused with a frown and you smiled softly before grabbing your knife from your thigh. She was still holding the dress and watched you curiously as you grabbed the bottom before tearing slits up to the thighs on both sides.

“There you go. Now it's pretty and practical,” you smirked and she grinned widely, stuffing it into the duffel bag that was beside her on the floor. She grabbed the bag that was now stuffed full of clothes before taking it over to the truck and tossing it over into the bed. Matt walked over to you then with a backpack in one hand and something in his other. 

“Find anything good?” you asked and he smiled at you before he handed you the object. It was a Hersheys bar and your eyes lit up as you took it.

“Don’t tell anyone,” he murmured with a rueful smile and you grinned, stuffing it into your jacket pocket quickly. 

“Thank you,” you beamed, already excited to eat it.

“Figured I owed you one after you found me some sunglasses,” he smiled back. You felt eyes on you and you looked over to the car Frank and Billy were going through to see Billy already looking over. You couldn't read his face but his eyes were narrowed a little bit at you and Matt and it made you look away. He always got a little weird when you and Matt were together and you remembered Frank’s remark about him being jealous. You and Billy had become sort of best friends, in a different way than him and Frank. You knew he had issues from growing up in the group home and you wondered if he felt like Matt was trying to take his friend away. It sounded juvenile in your own head but it was the only thing you could come up with and you knew he was a complicated man. 

Not long after, you all decided to pack up and leave, Frank, Karen and Matt in the truck and you and Billy in the bed with the goods you’d found. It had been a little over a week since you’d been held at gunpoint by the new group and the past couple of days, you’d all been coming to the highway to take bits and pieces but never staying too long. Frank had people taking watch all the time now, two people on day shift and two at night. He’d been getting along with his makeshift fence that was basically big branches with sharpened ends but he’d only gone around the back of the cabin for now. It was proving a lot more work than any of you had thought. Foggy and Curtis were currently taking watch for the day and you and Billy would be on night shift tonight. You didn’t mind pulling the night shift so much, you’d been having problems sleeping anyway. You yawned into your hand as the truck jostled you a little and you felt Billy wrap his arm around your shoulder. You glanced up at him with a smile and he smiled back as you leaned into him, relaxing against his side as you all made your way home. When you got back, you all put your stuff away and you were feeling hopeful about the amount of food you had. Winter wasn’t over yet but even when it would be, food was going to be the hardest struggle you’d all face for however long you lasted. Eventually, the canned goods would run out which is why you wanted to be able to grow your own crops. You didn’t want to have to rely on runs so much to find food and hunting was great but even that wouldn't be enough to sustain you all forever. The day seemed to fly by and before long, it was late and you were getting ready for watch. You felt well-fed, Karen had cooked some soup with rabbit that you’d caught and you jogged down the stairs before slipping out of the front door. Billy was already waiting outside, leaning against a tree with his gun on him, machete attached to his belt. You had your knife and your bow, ready for anything that would come your way. When he looked over at you, the smile he shot you made your breath catch in your throat and you smiled back.

“Ready?” he asked, pushing off the tree.

“Yep,” you replied with a nod. The pair of you started off walking the perimeter of the camp like you always did on watch. As you both walked, you grabbed the candy bar from your pocket, opening it and breaking it in half before handing Billy half of it. He looked shocked when he saw it, a slow smile curling his lips as he took it from you.

“Where’d you find this?” he asked in amazement and you shrugged.

“The highway,” you answered, being vague because you had a feeling if you admitted Matt had given it to you, he might not like it so much. You’d toyed with the idea of giving it to the kids but honestly, you really just wanted to share it with Billy and make him smile. You hadn’t been able to shake how upset he’d been a little over a week ago and you’d done your best to keep him company and make him feel better. He’d seemed fine for the most part but you knew what he was like. You knew he’d bottle it up even if he wasn’t until he erupted like he had with you. 

“Fuck, that’s good,” he murmured with a mouthful of the chocolate and you snorted as you ate your own. 

“I know. If I knew the world would go to hell, I’d have stocked up on chocolate,” you smirked, licking your fingers clean as you finished it off. 

“What do you miss most about the old world?” he asked softly as you walked. He caught you off guard a bit, he never seemed the type to reminisce about that kind of stuff and you glanced at him.

“I miss a lot of shit,” you shrugged with a wry smile and he nudged you with his elbow, giving you a look. 

“Come on, you gotta miss somethin’ in particular,” he insisted. There was so much you missed about the old world and you had a feeling he wasn’t really talking about people, not wanting to open that depressing can of worms. 

“I miss… snacks and… and TV. I miss getting drunk and just being able to relax. I miss donuts and coffee and not being scared every time I meet people. I guess part of me misses all the mundane things, how normal and easy it was. But now… I’m different now, I don’t think I’d settle back into the old world, even if we had the chance,” you answered honestly, feeling heat creep into your face at your boring answer. He looked at you for a long moment before he nodded, looking thoughtful.

“I get that. I miss good food… I miss work. I loved my job, gave it everythin’ I had. I miss my fuckin’ suits and just… just the power I felt when I wore ‘em. I miss goin’ to the bar with Frankie and Curt, miss Karen’s dinner parties even if she got all fuckin’ anal about it,” he snorted wistfully and it made you smile. 

“I remember when I got out of the Marines… I missed it and didn’t all at the same time. Too much bad shit happened for me to wanna stay but part of me always felt like I still belonged out there on the battlefield. I guess you really should be careful what you wish for, huh?” he asked wryly.

“You and Frank are definitely more equipped for the new world than I am,” you murmured softly and he smiled.

“I guess part of us never really left the war,” he mused thoughtfully. “You adapted though. It's admirable… Me and Frankie… this shit ain’t new to us, not really. But you and the others… you had to get used to this shit and you had to do it real quick. Says a lot about how strong you are,” he added, giving you a look with his warm eyes.

“I’m just a stubborn bitch, I guess,” you smirked and he snorted. The night continued the same way, the pair of you walking the perimeter and talking quietly among each other. You’d had to put a few roamers down when you came across them but other than that, it was pretty uneventful. You didn’t let your guard down, not even with the comfort of Billy by your side. The new group was ever-present in the back of your mind and you knew all it would take was for you to be caught off guard for the whole thing to go up in flames. Once the sun came up, you stayed out a little longer and you felt the tiredness set in. It didn’t matter how tired you got these days, sleep rarely came and if it did, it was plagued with nightmares and memories you’d rather forget. Eventually, Frank and Matt came out to take over watch and you and Billy headed inside, getting breakfast from Karen before she ushered you both up the stairs. 

“Make sure you get some rest, alright?” Billy said, giving you a firm look as you both hovered outside of your respective doors.

“I’ll try,” you murmured wryly as you gave him a nod. A small part of you wanted to ask if you could stay in his room. You knew from experience that sleeping in close proximity to Billy seemed to soothe you in a way you’d not felt since before the turn. He seemed to keep all the bad things away and you felt well-rested and safe. You knew you couldn't though. You’d only just got your friendship back on track and you’d avoided thinking of the disastrous kiss as much as possible. Knowing it was at least part of the reason why he pushed you away, the other part being him overthinking about what he did to Rawlins, you really didn’t want to push your luck with him. You didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. He hadn’t acted strange since you made up even though you knew he must be aware you felt something since you’d kissed him back. You hoped that when you told him the kiss was nothing that maybe he believed you. Instead, you gave him one last lingering look before you slipped into your room with a heavy sigh. You were exhausted and you knew you had to at least try and get some sleep, no matter what hellish landscape your brain would inflict on you. The last thing you needed was to pass out at some point at the most inopportune time and put everyone in danger. You tugged your boots off before flopping onto the bed, wriggling around to get under the covers. You only lay there for a few moments before a restless sleep tugged you under once more. 

A few days later and you still were nowhere near as well rested as you’d hoped to be. When you’d woken from your sleep after night watch, you’d lied to Billy about getting some sleep and he’d made it obvious he wasn’t buying the bullshit you were trying to sell to him. Thankfully, he’d dropped it but you knew he was worried. He seemed to find it hard to mask the emotion on his face when it came to you. You were grateful that the next few days seemed to go by smoothly and while sleep wasn’t coming easy to you, you’d been able to just take things slowly and pick up doing mundane chores to try and earn some energy that way instead of out there fighting off the dead or the living. It had been nice and peaceful and the longer you were a part of this group, the more you lost that part of yourself that had the itch to be out fighting and constantly on the run. You were part of this family now and the urge to be settled and safe overrun your previous feelings of the staleness you’d felt. Maybe it was like Billy had once said. He’d told you he had his family to fight for and that's what kept him going and maybe you needed that too. You’d been firmly against the idea, not wanting to get attached but it happened anyway and here you were. And while yes, you were worried about the people you’d grown to care about, the deep-rooted need to keep them safe at all costs was more than enough to give you a drive and a purpose you’d once lost. You grabbed your quiver and slung it over your shoulder before leaving your room, jogging down the stairs to the lower floor. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” Matt asked as he saw you.

“Nah, I’m good. Frank needs you here,” you smiled, quickly checking your bow was ready and that you had your knife. You’d already had the same conversation with Billy earlier. Frank was adamant the fences really needed to get going since it wasn’t even halfway done so he wanted to get all hands on deck with chopping wood. Billy was helping him, hence why you’d told him he couldn’t come. The only reason why you weren’t going was because while the fences were important, so was food. It felt like you were going through it at a rapid rate and you were desperate to find Sarah something better than what was left in cans so you’d decided to go out hunting for a while. You hoped to find something good or even just a lot of something small. Matt was helping Frank out too, Micro and Karen on watch for the day. You appreciated the offers for company, especially after the last time you went hunting you almost got killed, but you didn’t want to burden anyone. You had your walkie on you this time and you’d go the other way and hope you’d stay away from danger. Besides, you knew Billy would be pretty upset with you if you turned down his offer only to have Matt come with you. 

“Alright, just make sure your walkie's on and you know what to do if you need help,” Matt said with a small smile before he headed outside to where Frank, Billy and Foggy were. 

“You need anything before I head out?” you called over to Sarah. She was curled up on the sofa looking tired, Zach reading a comic on the floor and Leo was weaving something out of twine as she sat in one of the armchairs.

“We’re good, honey,” Sarah smiled wearily and you tried to hide your worry behind a smile of your own. 

“I’ll see you guys soon,” you said with a nod, earning a round of goodbyes before you slipped out of the door. You’d only just made it down the porch steps when Billy was coming over to you. His dark eyes drifted to the quiver on your shoulder, your bow in your hand, your knife strapped to your thigh before the walkie clipped to your belt in quick succession. You knew he was checking you were prepared instead of outright asking you and getting a mocking reply like usual. 

“You need anything, just hit me up,” he muttered, rolling his shoulder before his eyes darted over to where Frank was barking orders like he was back in the marines.

“I will, don’t worry so much,” you remarked wryly. He looked back at you then, raking his teeth over his lower lip.

“I’ll always worry… I can come with you, just lemme tell Frank-” he started, a small frown marring his face but you shook your head quickly.

“Seriously, it’s fine. I’m going the other way this time, I have my walkie on me. I’ll be fine. The quicker this fence gets put up, the safer we’ll be,” you tried to soothe. He’d been hovering around you more after what happened the last time you’d been hunting, not that you blamed him. But you didn’t need the world to stop turning just because someone had pointed a gun at you. It was surprisingly common in the new world and you decided to just get over it. He sighed deeply, shaking his head and clearly not happy about it. He wisely decided not to argue with you, knowing he wouldn't win. You knew he was already conflicted anyway. While he wanted to go and be with you so he could keep you safe, you knew he also wanted these fences up just as much as Frank did, that he needed his family to be as safe as they could be. He moved over, wrapping you in a hug that made you smile as you melted into him. 

“I’ll get us something good,” you said, voice muffled by his chest a little. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head before moving away.

“Find us a deer and the next time I find some snacks, I’ll give ‘em right to you,” he smirked with a raised brow. 

“Deal,” you grinned, shifting your quiver a little after the hug had moved it. He nodded, his smirk fading as he gave you another worried look and you knew you had to leave or he really wouldn't let you go.

“Alright, I’ll see you later,” you murmured, giving him a nod before you stepped around him and set off out. 

You weren’t sure how long you’d be out, really wanting to find something before you got home. You wouldn't wait until dark though but you tried to make the most of your time out here. You’d already let the guys know you weren’t sure when you’d be back but you’d aim to be before dinner so they didn’t worry. You were sure that was part of the very reason why they were worried. You were out there for hours with nothing to show for it. There were no signs of deer much to your dismay and at one point, the dead had scared off a rabbit. You were frustrated and still tired and the idea of heading back to camp with nothing felt like a bitter smack to the face. You pushed further out than you usually did, hoping to find something. Anything. You’d been wondering lately about capturing rabbits to breed so you didn’t have to do so much hunting but the old you who had once been a vet shuddered at the idea of raising your own animals just to kill them. You knew at some point though the idea wouldn’t be so unappealing to you if everyone started to suffer because of lack of food. It was the constant worry on your mind. The dead were a threat but they weren’t as bad as you’d thought they’d be. It wasn’t like the zombie movies or shows, apart from large groups of them, they were easy to deal with. Hostile groups would come and go and while they’d be a more immediate and dangerous threat when around, the threat of food dwindling was something that would only gradually get worse over time. When the stores no longer had anything in them and the animals got less and less or harder to find. A deep frown graced your face as you tried to push those depressing thoughts from your mind and you blew out a sigh as you continued walking. You wouldn't let it get to that point. You’d plant your stupid little potato plants and hopefully find more crops to grow and you’d feed everyone even if you died trying. You stood in the middle of the trees, contemplating which way you should go and also trying to gauge the time so you wouldn't be caught out as it went dark when a gunshot rang out, making you jump behind a tree. Your heart felt like it stilled for a moment, dread sweeping over your entire body in a way that made you feel lightheaded. 

“There's one here, I think she’s part of that group,” a male voice said and you tried to breathe slowly and quietly as your eyes darted around. You figured the guy was with someone but no reply came and you wondered if he’d used a walkie. Your bow vs a gun wasn’t exactly a fair fight and you didn’t want to risk it so you took off running like a bat out of hell. There were more shots, all hitting the trees you were weaving through and you were thankful that the guy seemed like a bad shot. You had no destination in mind other than it being in the opposite way from camp. You wouldn't be leading this asshole there. You needed to deal with him but you couldn't just stop running or you’d get shot. Your lungs were burning, your legs aching fiercely as you weaved through the trees, stumbling over a tree root and only just catching yourself. 

“Motherfucker!” you yelped as you felt a burning sting on the side of your arm. You weren't sure if the bullet landed and you had no time to check as your legs pushed you faster and further. You had some distance between you and as you broke the treeline, you saw a gas station. You made a beeline for it, swinging open the door hurriedly and rushing inside. You were glad none of the dead were in here, making your life a fraction easier for you with not having to deal with them. You wasted no time in grabbing your knife and running to a row of shelves and hiding behind them. It wasn’t like he wouldn't be able to find you but it gave you the upper hand and you’d damn well use it. You stood at the side of the shelves, chest heaving and your hand shaking as it held the knife. You had a brief moment where you checked your arm. The bullet had grazed it but not gone through and you were thankful, even if it stung like a bitch. You heard the bell above the door jingle, heard the man speaking down his radio yet not being able to hear what he said over your loud heartbeat in your ears. You had your knife poised and ready as you peeked around the shelf, seeing him looking around. You rushed him and it had the desired effect of disarming him as his gun fell and slid across the floor. There was no way you could take him down with the gun. You tried to swing your knife at him but he grabbed you, throwing you like you weighed nothing and your head painfully connected with the counter. The pain was sickly, making your vision go funny for a moment and you already felt the warm trickle of blood down the side of your head. As he lunged at you, you used his momentum as you poised your knife just at the right time and it got him through the eye. You might have heaved at the noise it made if your head wasn’t spinning and you shoved the man off you, your knife still in his eye and you lay there panting, eyes closed as you tried to ease the pain in your head. Your hands trembled as you unclipped the walkie from your belt and you had a feeling Billy wouldn’t let you out of his sight after this. 

“Anyone there, it’s Artemis,” you mumbled into the walkie, your words slightly slurred and you knew you’d have a wicked concussion. 

“Ares here, what happened?” Billy asked quickly, clearly picking up on your voice. It reminded you of when he’d had to come and save you after the time Rawlins had sent someone to kill you and you felt shame prickle at you.

“I’m hurt. Someone from the other group found me… I killed him but… a bullet grazed me and I hit my head pretty hard,” you frowned, blinking slowly up at the ceiling. Why was it spinning like that?

“Where are you?” he asked rapidly and you could hear the concern lacing his tone. 

“A gas station… South… I think… I don’t know,” you muttered, fighting with your eyes to stay open. Your vision felt like it was fading in and out and you felt nausea bubbling up inside of you. 

“We’re on our way, alright?” Billy said firmly. You didn’t get a chance to reply though as your eyes rolled back and darkness consumed you.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Your mind seemed to wake before anything else and you felt the pain that radiated from your head and seemed to reverberate through every inch of you. You tried to open your eyes but they felt heavy, much like the rest of you.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

You groaned softly, your hand finally able to move as it came to gingerly touch the side of your head. Your eyes opened slowly and you winced at the motion and the stab of pain it sent your brain. When you removed your hand and looked at it, there was no fresh blood so you knew the cut hadn’t been too bad to need stitches. It still hurt like a motherfucker though. 

Bang. Bang. Bang.

You frowned, moving to sit up and you took a harsh breath as the world felt like it was all topsy-turvy for a moment. You blinked quickly as if to clear your blurry vision and looked over at where the banging was coming from. There was a roamer pawing at the door of the store, wanting to get in. But more startling than that was how dark it was. It was nighttime now and your frown deepened. Billy and no doubt Frank were supposed to be coming for you and that must have been hours ago. Maybe you got the direction wrong, you hadn’t been able to keep track with running from gunfire like that and your concussion had made it hard to really think clearly about where you might have gone. You licked your chapped lips, swaying a little where you sat before you grabbed the walkie that was now lay on the floor.

“Anyone there?” you asked slowly, rubbing between your brows as if that would help the intense pain you were feeling. Nothing but silence greeted you. The kind of silence that made your insides turn to ice and you glared over at the dead one as it continued to bang on the door. You knew you needed to deal with it or leave before the noise drew others. 

“It’s Artemis,” you added afterwards. You knew they’d already know that though, they’d recognise your voice. But part of you hoped maybe that was the reason why they hadn’t answered. More silence greeted you and it made your stomach twist in knots. Whenever you were away from him, Billy always made sure to have his walkie on him. And even if he didn't, someone usually did. Never once in your time having your walkie had you not been able to get through to anyone. It made you feel sick. You pushed up on shaky legs to stand, wobbling a little and trying to take steadying breaths as you pushed yourself to move. You couldn't sit here all night and hope for the best, not when the new world was cruel and loved to rip away everything you ever loved. You weren’t sure how up to dealing with a roamer you were in your current state so instead, you grabbed your stuff and slipped into the back room and then out of the back door. You were relieved no more dead seemed to be around as you tried to figure out where the hell you were and how to get home. Once you found the crescent moon hanging in the sky, partially hidden behind a blanket of clouds, your eyes darted around for the North Star and then you knew which way to go and set off. You weren’t as quick as you’d like to be with everything feeling like it was moving like liquid around you. Despite the risk you knew it would pose, especially if there were more assholes out here looking for their friend, you ended up sticking to the road so as not to get lost. Your usually great navigational skills weren’t up to par and you knew if you followed this road, it would take you to the cabin. You probably looked like a dead one with how you shuffled down the road, blood coating the side of your face and your arm. You tried the walkie numerous times on the way and each time got nothing in response. You tried to tell yourself that Billy and Frank had gone to look for you, that you’d led them the wrong way and that Billy would be pissed when you finally turned up because he’d been worried. But deep down, the fact that not one person was responding to you filled you with so much dread that you felt like you couldn't breathe. You’d gotten pretty attuned to when something wasn’t right, having to deal with it more than you thought was fair. And right now, alarm bells were sounding off in your head as you made your way back home. 

When you got to a stretch of the road you knew was close, your body was thrumming with anxiety. Anxiety that skyrocketed to outright blind fear when your eyes caught a few things that were definitely out of place and shouldn't be there. The first was a plume of smoke coming from where you knew the cabin was. It wasn't much, almost looking like there was no fire but there might have been not too long ago. The next thing was the small group of roamers, only around four, ambling about in the road and through the trees. None of the dead should be this close to the cabin, you knew someone should be on watch. You stopped dead in the street, the pain in your head forgotten as a more pressing pain in your chest began. You refused to believe anything bad had happened, not again, it couldn't have. You shook your head as you pushed yourself to keep walking, grabbing your bow and loading it up. You let your arrows fly one after the other until the small group was gone. But as you got closer, able to see the cabin, you noticed the door was wide open and a few more dead were inside. Your breathing came in quick and harsh, eyes drifting up to where the smoke was, only to find a hole blown right through the top floor where you knew Frank and Karen’s room was. Your ears were ringing but it wasn’t the concussion, eyes darting around quickly as you started to take in more and more of the scene. Dead bodies lay scattered around in front of the house, bullet holes riddled the wood and some of the windows shattered. You stumbled back, eyes squeezing shut and you shook your head.

“No… no!” you growled through your tears, the pain in your chest turning into full-blown agony. The couple of dead ones in the house heard you, stumbling out and down the steps and you hated the fact you looked at them trying to see if they were anyone you recognised. You didn’t though and you killed them quickly before hurriedly checking the bodies outside, turning them over one by one with tears streaming down your cheeks. With each body you turned, you felt the pain get worse despite them not being anyone you knew. The full blown pain you felt at turning over one of them to see someone you loved made you feel sick. You couldn't deal with this, not again. You wiped your eyes angrily after checking the last body out here as you stared at the open doorway, terrified what you might find once you got in there. Images flashed through your head of Sarah laying dead with the kids, of the others strewn about covered in blood or Billy walking around with milky eyes. A broken sob left your lips as your knees hit the floor with a hard thump, your shoulder shaking violently. You didn’t have it in you to check inside yet even though you knew you needed to. You didn’t think you could carry on if everyone was dead, not again. You’d only just manage to pick up the pieces after the last time but this time, it would kill you.

After a while of you crying, you felt a numbness creep in that was mildly relieving but also unsettling. You pushed up off the floor, stepping around the many bodies scattered around as you slowly walked up the porch steps. Everything was eerily silent now and it was too loud, fraying your already raw nerves. You stepped into the cabin, eyes quickly darting around. Three bodies lay on the floor and you noticed first they were all male. You turned them over one at a time, a tiny sense of relief when they were all strangers to you. You wiped your eyes again, looking around once more. You knew it was the group that had done this, it looked like they’d turned up and ambushed everyone. You moved through the cabin feeling like you were moving through molasses as you checked every single room with dread. It was only once you were in the last room, the one with the gaping hole in it, that you felt your body relax. They weren't here. It still didn't mean they all got out. They could have been injured, anything could happen to them out there. You didn’t want to think about that though, you wanted to focus on the fact that had in fact made it out. That was enough for now. It was only then that you looked out through the charred hole that your brain registered the truck wasn’t on the road anymore. The idea of them leaving you behind didn’t sting at all. What were they supposed to do? Wait for you here and hope you turned up? Maybe they’d been looking for you too, maybe they hadn’t really left you behind. With a new determination to find your family, you made your way downstairs and grabbed a bag, packing it with some cans and bottled water. The cabin was ruined, a safe space now gone along with the potential life you all had here. Once you were ready, you walked outside and set off out to the only place you could think of that they might have gone if they wanted to meet back up with you. You weren't sure what to do if they weren't there, weren’t sure if they just presumed you were dead after your conversation with Billy and just decided to head right down to Virginia first. You tried to ignore the treacherous voice in the back of your head. Even if they had left you in the dust, it was better than them being dead. The idea of starting over without them was painful, but if they were alive, at least you wouldn't have to go through that grief again. Maybe you’d just head down to Virginia yourself and hope you'd stumble across them one day. You knew it was stupid, a mere pipedream if anything, yet it was all you were holding onto as you made your way back to their old camp, hoping they’d be there waiting for you. But as you walked through the trees with shaky legs and an aching head, you wondered why the fuck you were trying to be so hopeful when life just kept proving to you it was useless. Good things really didn’t exist anymore.

Taglist: (if you’ve been asked to be tagged and aren’t here, it wouldn’t let me tag some people.)

@firexfate

@blanchedelioncourt

@on-ya

@sunshinedaisies-anddeath

@snowkestrel

@music-indie-tv

@idaofinfinity

@sweetserendipity65

@ramadiiiisme

@k-marzolf

@celestialams

@woowwwee

@noortsshift

@rainbowgoblinfan

#billy russo imagine #billy russo fanfic #billy russo x reader #billy russo

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 60

Sam is a giant dice again ... oh gods ... pricey book! Oh dear ... honestly this IS funny but it definitely is one of Sam's worst skits ... HOW is Matt a monster? Hmmmmm ... ankle monitor? Oh boy ... and it gets WORSE ...

So I can watch the first ep of CO on Thursday? Finally ... I was beginning to wonder ...

Pitch Pride shirt song! Yeah ... so Laura's still a bit bunged up then, I take it? Well she can still take it easy tonight, so there's that.

Yes ... the hole ... not a great home really ...

The flying plan is NOT gonna work, clearly ... yes. Better to walk.

STOLEN spells? Prism, you dark horse ... but yeah, a Scrying Scroll sounds damn smart ...

The little wooden house, yay! I remember that, it's adorable. :3

Laudna leading the way? Oh shit ... a Nat 20? Wow ... the Forest Witch indeed ... oh look, A ROAD!!! What do you know?

Andovaar ... Hearthdell? Hmmmm ... Othanzia ... double hmmm ...

The Outerwalk? Prism: "Don't you think that when roads get a name that's a BAD thing?" Ooof ...

The fan ... THE FAN!!! "Where are we?" Now we know ...

Pate and Mother ... are they SERIOUSLY setting up a familiar playdate? AAAAND Then they remember horny Pate ... yeah, too late ... XD

Aimee rolls BAD ... oh dear ... no, NOW what? Oh gods ... crossroads? Never good ...

GALLOWS?!!! Oh boy ...

Laudna: "Don't be an arsehole!" Pate: "Well thank you for the vote of confidence!" Laudna: "I know you, I MADE you!" Pate: "Yeah, good call."

Is it undead? Are there undead things here? Unmarked graves are NOT a good sign.

Pate is a little TOO enthusiastic about getting to dance invisibly on someone's grave ...

Coppery iron taste to the air? Oh for ... uh-oh ... s NEXUS?!!! NOW?!!! Not good at all ... yup, that's DEFINITELY the convergence ...

It's OVER THE TOWN?!!! That's REALLY not good ...

"Amplified Illusion magic" ... charming ...

Deni$e climbs a tree ... nothing could POSSIBLY go wrong with this ...

People? Marisha: "Are they shambling?" Oh gods, don't tempt fate right now!

So is it zombies or us it just a TOWN?!!! Oh xhit ... a Malleus Key? Is THAT what you're thinking? Hmmmm ...

Approach with caution ... smart. Group stealth check ... BAD ROLL, Em! Ouch ...

Quaint big hill town ... hmmm ... people are ... regular? Okay ... suspicious yokels, but still normal, at least ...

Very OLD old man, clearly ... Hender? Okay.

Persuasion check? Oof ... here we go ... 3? Ouch ...

The Stone Square? Okay ...

Nice deal for tobacco ... "City folk!" XD Hender's adorable ... oh, so he heard THAT then? Jerky! Yay ... "I ain't no charity case!" Whoa ... oh yes, info, then ... smart play ...

A herbalist? Okay then ...

An armourer? Hmmm ... or a LIBRARY?!!! Prism, girl ... this is CLEARLY the boonies ...

Laudna scrounging up the discarded tooth ... oh boy ...

Bor'Dor: "Let's go find Prolapse." Marisha: "Prolapse? Oh yeah, I heard Prolapse too." XD

Deni$e uses her cloak to hide her bling. Laudna does the same to hide all her ... deathliness. Utkarsh: "Necrosis?" Marisha: "Oh yeah!" XD

Exandrian Twin Peaks vibe ... yup ...

"Religious law enforcement"? Hmmmmm ... clearly the Dawnfather connection is ... suspicious ...

MASSIVE temple? Oh, well there we go, then. Now it's starting to make a little more sense, then.

"Temple heist"? REALLY?!!!

A little rouge and some flowers in her hair ... making Laudna look A LITTLE less like a walking corpse ...

Try the pub first? Probably smart. Or the shops first? Hmmm ... actually good point ... Prolapse first, then?

Innovar Apothecary ... "out for a few moments, please don't take anything" ... adorable ...

Ah, THIS is Proleff ... honestly he sounds thoroughly lovable. XD

Seriously, he is giving me massive Pumat Sol vibes and I love it ...

Ah, so there HAVE been other people from HERE who have vanished from the Solstice too ...

The temple folk have come here SPECIFICALLY for the Solstice? Hmmmm ... they wanted folk to be SAFE?!!! Oh, okay then ...

Masked ninja dudes ... oh yeah, that's NOT a good sign at all.

The Silvercall Mill ... big old money ... THEY built the temple.

Oh ... so there's a whole natural resource exploitation thing going on here? Hmmmmmm ...

The Knotburrow in the Archbloom Fields ... smart sneaky play, Prism!

The Rainmade Mill ... proper LOCAL firm, much more harmonious, clearly.

The Crossroads gallows and graves ... one time punishment but not for a long time? Now it's cursed? Hmmmmm ... yup. Zombies. Definitely.

Complicated king and queen competition is adorable ... AND a meat pie? No, please, no bear suits! O.O

"It's stained but functional." So thd pub IS safe ... and it's NOT a dry town ... result! XD

The elder. Abbadina. That's the way to go.

Healing salves, three or four ... and a very heavy laxative? Really, Bor'Dor?

Deni$e gives Proleff some fancy hair stuff ... XD And Bor'Dor tries to trade in jerky because he has no coin ... oof ... that and a favour? Hmmmm ...

Debating if this place is giving off full-on Wicker Man vibes ...

Ah ... ARE THERE any Judicators around? Hmmmm ...

Prism: "I listened to all of that and all I really heard was WOW all us wizards are fucking thieves."

Cerberus Assembly Top Trumps ... XD

Orym: "Predathos, the God Killer, basically Unicron ..." SNORT!

Yup. BIIIIIIIIIIIG big infodump ... yup, they have covered A LOT of ground.

This is SUCH a nice place, Matt, this description is GOLD. The Knotburrow ... very fitting name indeed.

Another elder, then ... would this be Abbadina? Oooh ... and she ALREADY KNOWS about the Solstice ...

HALF GIANT?!!! Awesome ... old but clearly also very COOL. She's FASCINATING.

Oh, nice gesture there, Orym! :3

Marisha gets WHISPERS!!! Yay!

Bor'Dor speaks giant? Wow!

Time for a break!

Nice place, homey. She's either a nice old lady or a very evil witch indeed ...

Prism: "Also, I'm looking for a Scry spell, to copy down. I'm willing to do dirty stuff ..." Emily INSTANTLY realises just HOW BAD what she just said sounds ... XD

Oh yeah, Abbadina is a seriously SHARP one ...

The hair ... the piece of Dariax' hair ... and scalp ... hmmmm ...

The Demithore Eidolons? Okay then ...

Orym, like always, being the super observant voice of reason. Sharp as usual. I love him.

And then Bor'Dor TOTALLY ruins the moment ...

And now Orym is inhaling pink pollen spores ... yeah, of course he is ... and now he's tripping out on memory lane ... oh, so she can see what he experienced through breathing in what he coughed out? Intriguing ...

Laudna really long windedly gives her point of view and makes another really good point in a roundabout way. "Please, don't ... poison me."

Wait ... what was SHE told about Predathos?

Persuasion? Roll high, Liam! 12 ... balls ...

I really honestly don't know HOW this is actually going ... is she gonna help? Or not?

The Sunderpeaks ... ah, so ... she wants the temple OUT OF HERE, then? Hmmmmmm ...

Ah, the Fairfroth Brewery ... okay ... secret meetings, then ...

Deni$e does have a point, IS Abbadina trustworthy?

Oh ... a Scry Well? Okay then ... but first, they need to prove themselves. Yeah ...

So she's been checking up on the missing folk? Okay ...

Emily gets Whispers! Cool ... oh, so that's GOOD, then? Apparently the Scry Well IS working. Nice ...

Orym convincing Pate to turn into a backpack after landing on his shoulder. XD

Two separate group stealth rolls ... here we go ...

Into the brewery, then ... and now they're being challenged IMMEDIATELY ... hmmm ...

Invisible Prism is being sneaky and eavesdropping ... yup, people are TENSE ...

80 odd people here? Blimey ... oh, nice, Proleff vouches for them, that's good.

Yeah, this place has been turning into a powderkeg for a while now, the Solstice was just the final straw ...

Oooh ... fancy staff masquerading as a walking stick? Cool ...

Wow ... Matt really hasn't got a CLUE what Abbadina's accent actually IS, has he? XD

Ah, so they're definitely gonna full on rise up against the temple, then? Hmmmm ... this could get complicated ...

Emily (as Prism): "I step up with the warriors. Even though I'm still invisible." XD

So it's a fight, then. Okay ...

Prism continues to speak up while she's still invisible, and it's causing some confusion. Prism: "Oh, somebody just throw some flour over me or something."

Flameguide Kiro? Hmmmm ... wizard type. Great. And AT LEAST 2 Judicators ... oof ...

Oh, so Flameguide means he's a serious senior cleric of the Dawnfather ... ahhhh ... lovely ...

Prism wondering if, since he's an Elemental, Ashton might have a connection to their revered Eidolons ... interesting ...

60 strong fighters, not counting our crew ... okay then ...

Oh, they have INSIDE MEN? Interesting ...

Is Bor'Dor thinking about Trojan Horsing his way in with a barrel of beer and some tobacco? Hmmmm ...

So try to get the relative innocents out before actually starting the fight? Yeah, might be smart ... and decent ...

Plans within plans within plans ... this could go on for a while ...

Abbadina: "We have among us experienced warriors ..." I'm sorry, I snorted at that one, I couldn't help it ... XD

Okay, so we have a ... SORT OF plan ... time to prepare ...

Oooooh ... slowly getting tense ...

And we're ALREADY going in? I was fully expecting Matt to call it a night before this ... hmmmm ...

Orym: "We're gonna talk our way through this until we can't anymore." O.O

Deception check? Hmmm ... go Utkarsh! 23? Fucking hell, man ...

Bor'Dor rolls the guard captain a fat chronic blunt ... XD

Utkarsh (as Bor'Dor doles out shares of beer): "I produce my bottle of laxatives ..." The table goes quietly nuts. Oh my fucking gods you sneaky little shit ... XD

Orym tries to talk sense with his silver tongue ... oh boy ... Persuasion Check, but with advantage ... 22? NICE ...

Shifty mist? Hmmmm ... Eidolons? Is THAT what this is? And here come the fighters ...

Prism is searching for the Flameguide through Mother using Manifest Mind ... smart ...

Meanwhile ... the demon summoning spell requires the blood of a humanoid killed within the last 24 hours ... Emily (whispered): "Fuck!"

Inside the temple, as seen by Mother ... so there's some kind of crazy furtive theological study going on right now? Interesting ... AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! And there's a Judicator! Crap!

Laying traps for when it all kicks off ...

Persuasion check for Bor'Dor ... 1? Utkarsh: "No, that's a TWENTY one ... no, it's a one ..."

Oh, is THIS the Flameguide? She's moody ...

Orym tries the silver tongue thing again ... talk good, Liam! Damn, boy really IS good at this ... Persuasion check ...

And Laudna casting Silent Image to help out ... sweet assist, Marisha!

AND Bor'Dor is also casting Enhance Ability on Orym TOO ...

Both rolls are 10 ... altogether a 15? Hmmmmm ... is that good enough?

Nuts ... it's not working ... crap ...

Laudna casts Mirror Image ... at thd same moment Orym speaks the signal phrase ... yup, here we go ...

It's all KICKING OFF!!!

Prism casts Magic Missile in the same moment Orym uses Seedling to snag the guard with a vine and throw him HARD into the wall!

Deni$e starts climbing the wall while Prism sets off her prepared spells ... now everybody's having to think fast in the moment! Oh boy ...

Oh, good point, half of these guards have gutfuls of laxatives too ... O.O

Failed persuasion check, the guy runs ... yup, so Bor'Dor just shoots him in the back with his crossbow ... AND he throws a dagger but it just pings off his armour.

Matt decides to set the scene ... BATTLEMAP!!! Sweet! Here we go ...

Ah, here come the villagers too ... angry mob time!

Oh sweet, DOUBLE MAP!!! Wow, interior too! Nice ... fuck this is gonna be a CHOICE scrap!

All set up ... Matt: "And that's where we're gonna call it a night!" AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Another cliffhanger ... figures ... snd I was totally expecting it this time ...

#critical role #crit role campaign 3 #crit role spoilers #campaign 3 spoilers #campaign 3 episode 60 #matt mercer #marisha ray #laudna #travis willingham #chetney pock o'pea #laura bailey #imogen temult #liam o'brien #orym of the air ashari #ashley johnson #fearne calloway #taliesin jaffe #ashton greymoore #sam riegel #fresh cut grass #aimee carrero #deni$e bembachula #utkarsh ambudkar #bor'dor dog'son #emily axford #prism grimpoppy

[readbythestarlight]

c2e112

Yay we’re back!

Crew definitely knew, there was a whole conversation with Fjord

Henry Crabgrass

"Uh, consent please"

xD

This is so funny

[[MORE]]

Can Henry Crabgrass be the first plant-life member of the M9 just because his voice was so funny

Jester being so upset about her clothes is just so funny

Fjord can’t not touch

They’re

Oh

He broke

"You should go ahead and give me a whisper because I rolled a 12" lol Ashley

"I think we should get the armor, you’re our only healer."

Oh jeeze I hope they didn’t get Pumat in trouble too

Oh poor Yeza

No no you should def share with Beau

Do it Yasha

Jester is the best wingman

"Are you implying that she should get in the end with me?"

YES

NOOO COME ON YASHA

SHAAAARE

Jester is me

"She makes me really nervous" alsksks

"She’s taken me by surprise. Like I, I... I don’t know. I don’t know what it all means, but..."

"She’s a wonderful person."

"She’s wonderful. She’s..."

"She’s warm gooey on the inside."

"She is."

Awwww Yashaaaaaa

This is so cute and sweet

TELL HERRRRRR

God would you two please TALK already

Yasha hiding behind her hair alsksks

Just do it baby girl you’ll be so happy

"I wanna kiss her so bad" AHHHHHH

no baby don’t feel bad

Yes Jester you tell her

Yes PLEASE go to the source

I’m crying omg

Oh no this is so bad I’m laughing so hard

God they’re such disasters I’m crying

I can’t wait for them to finally shnuggle

Oh my god what did she DO to poor Yeza??

Guys please xD

They just sicced this woman who obviously very much upset and left a mark on Yeza on Pumat and if she hurts him I’m def gonna vote they kill her idec

Y’all shouldn’t tell him like what if someone tries to find out where y’all are through him

Yussah is back to being Mr Grumpy Wizard he will NOT be alright with that

Oh nooooo

Pumat buddyyyyyy :(

Poor guy

I’m gonna stab her don’t talk to him like that!! >:(

Oh thank god Veth was so chill about the flask

I hope Pumat gets a looooong nap

I don’t remember Beau having the original flask

Yussah’s goblin is so nice

Cold cold cooooood place

Midnight Hammer oh that’s a COOL name

Fuck I forgot what happened to Fjord last time they were out on the ocean yes

Oath of the open sea NICE I LOVE THAT

I hope when all this is over one or all of them retire to be pirates with Fjord as the captain

Oh I thought it was gonna be a monster

What if they find a dodecahedron on this ship

Oh dang, point of exhaustion from the chill

Also listen “staff and wing marshmallows snuggling” Jester ships it harder than ALL of us

Clicking sound

Don’t like

The offended look on Taliesin’s face when Matt says the Wildmom can’t hear his prayers xD

Clicking oh no

“Swirling... glowing... buttons...”

Oh fuck

I always immediately panic because I worry about Fjord and now I’m not wrong because FUCK

Uh

NOOOOO

THE ORB FUCK

he broke the amber necklace fuck

Fuck fuck fuck

Like at least it’s not after Fjord but if they get the eye that’s BAD

Fuck

They need to take that shit somewhere FAR inland

AVANTIKA ZOMBIE

YAAAAAAAAAS

Fuck fuck fuck she’s still going for Fjord fuck

IM SO EXCITED

Gdi somebody please let Fjord just have peace on the ocean again

Fuck

Oh thank god Nat20 for strength for Fjord

Seriously tho he loves the ocean so much let him enjoy it in peace again

Fucking hell Matt that’s an even worse cliffhanger than last time!!!

I’m dying omgggggg

This is gonna be so great

Something has to be done about that orb tho because if U’kotoa gets it it’s gonna be really bad

Anyway can’t wait for next week now

Started with Henry Crabgrass and look at where we are now

Is it Thursday yet?

#critical role #cr spoilers #critical role spoilers

[thegamemasternetwork]

AMONG US in Real Life With FAMILY, But Everyone is SUS

Rebecca Zamolo learned Matt is a liar in Last to Stop New Years Resolution wins challenge. Matt and Rebecca then uploaded Rebecca is Dizzy, Last to Stop Walking Wins Among Us. The Game Master network spent 24 hours confronting the Game Master to Learn His Secret Truth. Now Rebecca must play Among us with her family to find the Game Master device. The surprise is if they win as the imposter they get $100. Rebecca’s aunt Karen is sus and wants to reveal our big secret. Connor wins as the first imposter and tricks his sisters Maddie and Rachel to vote against each other. His strategy is the same as what Matt did during the Among us masquerade ball. For some reason the game master has trust in Karen. Who is the liar? Who is the imposter? The giant surprise is whoever wins gets a brand new iPhone 12 pro max. Do you think we can trust the game master? Maybe someone will have an imposter iq play of 999! Thanks for watching my funny entertainment mystery vlog videos in 2021.

The Game Master Network App Apple Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1519507088 Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gamemasters.dev.rebeccasrun

More awesome videos! 

Crafty Panda | ZOMBIE AT SCHOOL – Funny Situations, DIY Zombie School Supplies & Ways To Sneak Candy https://youtu.be/63A7Y_MBJJE

Flamingo | Roblox chat bot talks to you… and feels weirdly real https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNfIxTTgilI

123 Go! Challenge | BLACK VS PINK FOOD CHALLENGE || Eating Everything Only In 1 Color For 24 Hours https://youtu.be/S-H8yHQGvgQ

ZamFam Gaming | Among Us Hide and Seek But With My Best Friends https://youtu.be/LCKy3LuKKvU

Get ZamFam merch! http://www.rebeccazamolo.com  Rebecca Zamolo Social Media Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rebeccazamolo/  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@rebeccazamolo  Twitter https://www.twitter.com/rebeccazamolo  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.zamolo LInk Published 2021-01-09 15:15:16

The post AMONG US in Real Life With FAMILY, But Everyone is SUS appeared first on The Gamemaster Network.

#Clues #Riddles #DIY Projects #Challenges #Puzzles #Mysteries #Mind Games

[salvatoreschool]

Legacies Recap: The Truth Hurts — Plus, What Did We Learn From Freya's Visit?

The truth came out — in so many ways — on Thursday’s Legacies, arguably the strongest episode of the CW drama’s sophomore season thus far.

But let’s begin with the most exciting part of this week’s episode: the appearance of Freya Mikaelson! Hope’s aunt received an unexpected visit from Josie, who required some assistance in reverse engineering an “ancient Japanese black magic purge spell.” You know, casual witch stuff. Freya initially scoffed at the request, correctly pointing out that Josie was dabbling in some seriously dark forces, but she changed her tune when Josie asked if she felt like she was forgetting someone important.

Freya agreed to help, though she warned Josie that if she cast the spell without conviction, it could permanently erase everyone’s memories of Hope, rather than restoring them. And how did Josie thank her? By refusing to tell her who Hope really is, then knocking her unconscious with a spell, of course. (Listen, I get that Willow Josie is going through a Dark Willow dark phase, but that is not how we treat beloved guest stars in this house!)

Back in Mystic Falls, Hope & Co. had their hands full trying to combat both a zombie and a Croatoan, a spooky gentleman that feeds on secrets. Naturally, the gossipy beast went straight for Lizzie, who was still keeping Hope’s true identity from the people closest to her. During a moment of sheer panic, she nearly came clean to Landon, but Hope swooped in and literally shut her mouth in the nick of time. Of course, Hope’s silencing spell merely delayed the inevitable; Josie returned to Mystic Falls at the end of the hour and used the spell to restore everyone’s memory.

It’s also worth noting that Josie wasn’t sure what she was going to do with the spell — that is, until she called Caroline. “I talked to mom, and she said that people deserve to know the truth so they can make their own choices, even if they hurt,” she told Lizzie. “What choice do you think Landon’s going to make?” (From where I sit, Landon’s “I need some time” response was… not super encouraging.)

Fortunately, the episode had a lovely ending, as Freya surprised Hope at the Commonwealth Day festival with a big hug and lots of tears. Sure, the real ending of the episode involved one of the Evil Robed Guys™ using the zombie’s detached eyeball to spy on MG, but I’ll sleep much more soundly tonight if I choose to focus on the Freya/Hope reunion.

Since this week’s episode was all about dropping truth bombs, let’s dive into some other things we learned…

* I got emotional enough at the mere mention of Freya and Keelin wanting to send their son to the Salvatore School someday, but when she revealed that his name is Nick — presumably short for Niklaus, her late brother! — I just about lost it. There’s so much history built into this franchise, and Legacies has consistently done a wonderful job of honoring it organically.

* Speaking of history, Matt Donovan is now the mayor of Mystic Falls?!

* Hope admitted to having a crush on Josie for a week when she was 14, adding yet another layer of complication to the Hope-Landon-Josie triangle. It’s now been confirmed that Josie and Hope both had crushes on each other, while Landon is currently having feelings for both of them, as they are for him. Am I crazy for thinking these three should just become a throuple? Lizzie seems to think so, considering this was her response to Hope’s crush: “Read my lips, the two of you are never happening!”

* Arguably more shocking: Lizzie admitted that she thinks Hope is cool! She also admitted to killing Hope’s hamster and cheating off of her in school, but let’s just focus on the positives for now.

* We also learned a bit more about Sebastian’s history, which includes a surprising connection to the lost colony of Roanoke, Va. It was there that he fell in love with a witch named Cassandra, who summoned the Croatoan to punish the hypocrites who harshly judged the supernatural. Sebastian tried to stop her, fearing that her decision to keep his secret would also make her a target for the secret-seeking monster, which is why she desiccated him. She did it for his safety, though it also meant he was unable to stop the Croatoan from ripping her to pieces. (Something tells me we’ll be seeing a ghostly version of this Cassandra person in the near future.)

* Alaric tried to turn Sheriff Mac into his new Sheriff Forbes — or even his new Sheriff Donovan — but it didn’t exactly pan out. She made it clear that she wouldn’t turn a blind eye to the supernatural goings-on in Mystic Falls, prompting Kaleb to compel her to forget everything Alaric told her about the existence of otherworldly creatures. Where their relationship goes from here is anybody’s guess.

* I didn’t really know where else to talk about this, so I’ll just put it here: Did Rafael not completely break your heart this week? “I have to own up to the fact that I’ve always had feelings for you,” he told Hope. “Now that I remember them, we can’t be around each other anymore. I’m sorry.” I understand that Landon and Hope feel like their romance is written in the stars, but the fact that Rafael was so drawn to her — even when he didn’t fully remember her — tells me that he also loves her. And watching him lose hope/Hope wasn’t any easier the second time around.

OK, let’s discuss this week’s episode: Did you squeal when Freya name-dropped her son? Which girl are you hoping Landon will choose? And did you vote for Mayor Matt Donovan? Whatever’s on your mind, drop it in a comment below.

#Legacies #TheOriginals #TheVampireDiaries #HopeMikaelson #LizzieSaltzman #JosieSaltzman #LandonKirby #MG #RafaelWaithe #AlaricSaltzman #LegaciesSeason2 #FreyaMikaelson #RileyVoelkel #Sebastian #ThomasDoherty #MysticFalls #SalvatoreSchool #MysticFallsHigh #NewOrleans #NOLA #JuliePlec #TheCW

[jq37]

Let's go final bloodkeep ep breakdown!

**spoilers for the tomb of ultimate evil**

I was originally kind of annoyed that dropout wasn’t working when I wanted to do this originally, but it’s actually kind of a blessing in disguise now that I think about it because it means I get to rewatch and discuss the ep in light of the bombshells Brennan dropping in the BTS video.

As I watch the Previouslies, I realize I’m still not over the fact that Maggie named her kid after Leiland. It was so sweet an unexpected. 

So, at the start of this episode, Brennan must have realized that his plans are pretty much jossed because the 4 baby blessing was *very* not on the docket  

“Absolutely, Lilith’s got 25 strength.” Idk why that’s so funny to me. Maybe because I think Rekha was asking whether Lilith was allowed to carry her, not if she was physically cable but Brennan was like “Of course she can carry you. She’s an absolute unit.”

Leiland’s first move? Drawing all the enemy fire. Markus’s first move? Immediately hiding. In fairness, my dude is a rogue.

Lol, spiderweb baby bjorn.

“We’re evil but we understand communication and consent.”

Nat 20 from Old Pickering! Finally he’s useful!

Watch a bitch call lightning! A different bitch, but still.

Amy’s childish delight at the prospect that there might be a bomb in the goblins is so good.

I love how on board everyone was for the mystery potion.

Did Hork exist before this episode? I have no memory of him existing.

Nat 20 for Sohkbar!

Brennan is really so good at all of his on the cuff J'er'em'ih nonsense.

Erika yelling, “Sanctuary!” a la Hunchback of Notre Dame.

I like that Lilith calls her spider kids to defend them by going, “Get ‘em ladies!” and then Brennan decides one of the kids she summoned is Jason.

“I really am sorry. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done…and everything I’m about to do.”

Leiland Jr. MVP!

I love that Lilith treat’s Sohkbar as if he’s also a parent.

Two words I’ve learned to fear since I’ve started watching RPG shows: Lair action.

Leiland just BARELY not being on the falling chunk of floor.

Brennan really faked me out on that Jason fall. Man really was about to make me cry over a fictional spider for the SECOND TIME in my life (Charlotte’s Web).

I love Erika screaming over Jason in and out of character separately.

“Guys, this is our element! Knocking people off of things!”

Leiland’s affirmations. Who is doing counseling at the Bloodkeep.

AOE spells are so boss.

“Everyone look at Leiland! He’s doing it!” Aww, everyone finally gets to see him be cool! It’s really wild how much of an arc these guys went through in just 2 days of play. It’s very narratively consistent.

“Oh you fucking freak, you’d love that.”

“Tell him something is gonna happen to his bones but don’t explain it.”

Rekha loudly announcing her ridic amount of hitpoints is on of my fave things

I love how in both campaigns so far, Brennan has had a moment of, “You’re not bad at magic, you’re just depressed.” What an oddly specific thing but also, relateable.

Cell Block Tango ft. Leiland.

Leiland curses one of the Vingury. I’m sure that won’t be important later (I’m lying).

Ify/Markus just refusing to learn Hobbert and Frod’s names.

 Ify: *Trying to do a shenanigan*

Brennan: I see what’s happening here.

DOOR LORE. DOOR LORE. DOOR LORE.

So I guess the real lesson of this season of D20 is always commit to your running jokes because you’ll get free nonsense out of it. (A 19! That’s so painful!)

Jessa just straight eats not-Gollum.

Both Jason and Jessa are very protective of their mom and I love it.

Maggie All elves look the same. (Maggie said F elf rights)

The full 6 seconds of silence from Matt between his saying  he loves J'er'em'ih more than any other animal companion and looking directly at the camera and saying, “Except for Trinket,” very seriously.

Amy: I must become the necro boatman.

Brennan, whose plans have now been entirely womped: :O.

I truly didn’t even consider attacking the boatman. I feel like this is such a good DM moment, because I feel like my reaction would have been, “That’s not how this works,” but Bren just let it happen, which is better both for the story and player agency. I’m taking notes.  

Efink getting validation on her chosen name by the evil statues.

“Kick his ass and you get the power!”

“I’m like a setpiece, not like a guy!”

Sohkbar claims the baby as his ward. This baby is gonna have so many godparents.

“MY DAD SHIT IN A BAG?”

What a wild improv.

I love the ancient evil statues have Lilith’s back on the fact that she should have gotten the promotion.

When Leiland Jr was born Brennan was like, “He’s not gonna do much. He’s a baby.” One ep later this baby is taking turns and fireblasting enemies and talking like he’s the Godfather.

OK so there’s a lair action. Leiland rolls a NAT ONE to not plummet into the Bloodkeep. Brennan clearly is ready to bring out the ghost figurines we saw in the BTS.

The statue Lilith JUST got the blessing from falls which means if she hadn’t gotten it that turn, they would have been screwed. Sidenote: Brennan says it was an instant lose condition for them which is part of why I was surprised that this wasn’t his plan to begin with. He just readjusted everything on the fly and set new parameters. What a good, confidence projecting, quick thinking DM.

It’s Leiland’s turn. He is once again falling to his doom. This time, without the bossa nova music and soothing apathy because he actually has something to live for.

AND HE USES HIS HEX TO TELEPORT TO THE VINGURY HE HEXED BEFORE.

It was JUST close enough. And he almost cursed Olag instead! That decision saved his undead ass!

I love that Leiland is Uncle Leiland to Jason! And later Jessa calls Efink Aunt Efink.  I wanna see evil Thanksgiving so bad.

“You’re really killing it today Leiland!” My boy finally getting the praise he deserves. (Also, wild that this is all still THE SAME DAY)

“oKAY, okay, OKAY, oKay.” –Brennan having a moment

“You wanted us to play evil characters but we’re actually playing evil players.”

Man this episode is truly how Leiland got his groove back, huh?

Boatman rolls a 4 to resist fear. Go Leiland!

“I take off my mask to reveal…I’m sexy as fuck.”

Everyone including the evil statue is hot for Markus.

“Shut the fuck up, Olag. Go kill yourself.” Maggie just has no patience for nonsense (that’s not the kind of nonsense she enjoys anyway).

“Do I take psychic damage from that?”

Lilith gets a nat 20!

Maggie, upon Leiland calling her 'my queen’ for the second time: Just call me Maggie, please.

“THAT’S AN ABILITY  J'ER'EM'IH  HAS?”/“I guess.”

“Lilith, you’re my girl! Lilith, my girl!” They grab hands over the table. It’s such a pure moment.

Brennan after they kill the Boatman: I mean, fuck me I guess.

Leiland goes down. Leiland Jr. goes, “Nah, get up, you’re fine,” and he gets back up. (Brennan at this point has clearly fully leaned in to the direction his players dragged him).

Leiland comes back as Leiland the White. And I just realized! That’s the ghost figurine! I thought that was the figure Bren got for when Leiland inevitably completed his story arc. No! It was the figure for in case Leiland DIED.

Leiland FONZES at Leiland Jr.

Nat 20 from Maggie to avoid falling into the Bloodkeep!

Leiland lets Markus convince him to not kill Olag (for future shenanigans). Leiland instead owns Toby and rolls a 29 to convince Oswald back onto their side. Toby also comes as a zombie on their side. Everything’s coming up Leiland!

Except no, he goes back down immediately and falls face first into the blood pool.

OK, check it. Markus bargains with one of the evil statues to make Olag alive and undead for eternity. The statue is kinda on board but wants to make a trade. Markus basically goes, “Watch this,” and STEPS INTO THE VOID.

Go back and watch Amy’s reaction. It’s so genuinely shocked and concerned. Matt’s is good too.

Sidenote: That is apropos of nothing goal wise. He just wanted to torture Olag.

Maggie gets the final blessing with a quiet, heartfelt speech Brennan doesn’t even make her roll for. The statue tries to get her to put in a good word w/ her dad for it and steps all over the moment.

Ify, about to pull out shenanigans part two, electric boogaloo: I never got a chance to attack on my turn.

He attacks himself and warps back up!

Amy: Is that how you play a rogue????

Why sneak attack damage? Can you sneak attack yourself?

“You’re a liar!”/“I’m a rogue.” Beautiful.

We’re evil!

Oswald dies and Leiland comes back! Hexing Oswald really panned out for him

“It’s all spiders from here!” I wanna start saying that.

Efink cancels out a nat 20 on Sohkbar!

Lilith telling her kids to go find safety is a small thing but sweet.

“You know you live near Goblin Island and you always say you’re gonna visit.”

Markus swashbuckles over to the bloodkeep before he falls. Leiland is ready to jump his bones.

Nat 20 from Leiland! Is that his first one?

AND THEN HE ROLLS TWO NAT ONES!

Classic Leiland.

I love that Leiland is pro J'er'em'ih now.

John Feathers comes back for the epilogue. Rehka is more excited than anyone.

Lilith is voted queen regent of Gorgar! Go girl! And Jessa opens her fashion firm while Jason sets out to the forest. Good for them.

Scream beast babies!

And little Leiland asks big Leiland to get him the head of Galfast Hamhead! Full circle, I love it.

OK so Brennan said this and he was right. Leiland and Maggie have such a wild ass arc. She goes being “that whore” in ep 1 (idr what he actually called her but that’s the vibe he gave off) to “my queen” in episode 6. And like, man. Imagine planning a game where the goal is to lead the players into a PvP free for all and, instead, the only two characters with a legit grievance mend fences so much that one names their child after the other and that one swears fealty to that mom and her child. Imagine failing so hard at your original goal. Wow.

Anyway, that’s it for Bloodkeep! Thanks for hanging in there for me to write this up! I want to say something about the teaser for T.U.S. too but I’ll save that for another post. 

Sidenote: So Matt has been on D20 and Brennan has been on Naddpod. I think this means Brennan or Murph gets to be on Critical Role now. I’m a lawyer and I’m pretty sure that’s how the law works. 

#asks #a-salty-alto #escape from the bloodkeep #bloodkeep #dimension 20 #i know this is typo riddled but this is a 3 hour episode and I don't have the patience to edit this rn so...

[mattgriffo]

This is my version of the song The Monster Mash Help us make more music by signing up on Patreon! Ask us questions, vote on what songs we do, get pre-release song downloads! You can get the Halloween album now at https://ift.tt/34bv9G3 Musicians Lead vocal: Matt Griffo Cello: Leyla I. Royale Dancing Shark: Julie Schmerbeck Backing Track recording recorded and mixed by Matt Griffo I was working in the lab, late one night When my eyes beheld an eerie sight For my monster from his slab, began to rise And suddenly to my surprise He did the mash, he did the monster mash The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash He did the mash, it caught on in a flash He did the mash, he did the monster mash From my laboratory in the castle east To the master bedroom where the vampires feast The ghouls all came from their humble abodes To get a jolt from my electrodes They did the mash, they did the monster mash The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash They did the mash, it caught on in a flash They did the mash, they did the monster mash The zombies were having fun, the party had just begun The guests included Wolfman, Dracula, and his son The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds The coffin-bangers were about to arrive With their vocal group, 'The Crypt-Kicker Five' They played the mash, they played the monster mash The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash They played the mash, it caught on in a flash They played the mash, they played the monster mash Out from his coffin', Drac's voice did ring Seems he was troubled by just one thing He opened the lid and shook his fist and said "Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist? It's now the mash, it's now the monster mash The monster mash, it was graveyard smash It's now the mash, it caught on in a flash It's now the mash, it's now the monster mash Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the band And my Monster Mash is the hit of the land For you, the living this mash was meant too When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you Then you can mash, then you can monster mash The monster mash and do my graveyard smash Then you can mash, you'll catch on in a flash Then you can mash, then you can monster mash by Matt Griffo

#music piano ukulele band uke cabaret indieband music musician Chicago comedy Chicagocome

[clarislam]

My Reactions To “Escape The Night, Season 3 Episode 9:”

As I mentioned in my Reactions to “Cartoon Therapy” post yesterday, I wasn’t able to watch the episode yesterday and so I couldn’t watch this episode until earlier today. Here are my reactions!

Throwing under the cut due to spoilers!

YAY FOR MATPAT DIFFUSING THE SITUATION BEFORE IT GOT WORSE

The Collar of Control? Sounds like the Helm of Obedience from Season 2...but worse.

Yup, it’s definitely worse. Infinitely worse.

MORTIMER NIKITA NO

Can we just destroy Lucy and her Demon Dog now? Thanks.

MATPAT AND JOEY NO

Manny, thank goodness you noticed that Demon Dog liked sweets. Or else you’d be dead.

CALLIOPE’S OKAY GUYS

YAY FOR MATPAT AND JOEY ESCAPING!

“I think I’m not old enough to see this” is exactly how I feel right now. 

This episode is getting weirder and weirder. The gravestone part of the episode kind of proves that. 

AND EVERYONE VOTES FOR THEMSELVESSSS.

Oh gosh Manny and Nikita AGAIN!? O_O

NOOO MANNY

And Mortimer’s dead!

And Calliope too.

ZOMBIES, RUN!

Summary of my thoughts:

1. Mortimer, Calliope and Manny all didn’t deserve what they went through.

I was NOT expecting a whole “kill yourself or your friend” choice like they did in Season 1 to happen, especially not THIS late in Season 3. My impression from the trailer was that Nikita would be forced to shoot someone (in this case Manny) when Manny lost, but the fact that she had the CHOICE to either kill herself or Manny makes it even worse. Either way it went, it would have sucked as a death, and this makes it (in an emotional sense) one of the worst deaths in this season. While Matt in Season 1 hadn’t read through the instructions and so we could arguably see that he made a mistake and didn’t mean to literally kill Sierra, Nikita in this season read through the whole note but chose to kill Manny instead of the alternate choice of killing herself. 

I literally had to look away whenever Lucy and Mortimer had scenes together. Just...I’m not going to spoil anything here too explicitly, but I honestly wanted Nikita to turn around and shoot Lucy after what she forced her to do, as well as what Lucy put Mortimer through. Sure, Mortimer was corrupted by the artifact and ended up screwing up everything for the guests and the town by awakening the Carnival Master at the end of the episode, but it still sucked and he didn’t deserve it. No one does. 

It also sucks that Mortimer and Calliope died the way they did—I thought it wouldn’t happen until Episode 10! I was expecting the zombies though—the trailer kind of spoiled them appearing at some point.

2. Will it really be just Matpat, Nikita, and Joey being the survivors? Or will others be brought back to life in the end?

They mentioned that the Crystal in the Carnival Master’s chest has the power to bring people back to life. And not just a one-time thing like the Lazarus Harp, either, but it could LITERALLY BRING EVERY DEAD GUEST FROM THE PAST SEASONS BACK TO LIFE INCLUDING THIS SEASON’S GUESTS. 

That means Ro could come back! And Safiya! And literally anyone and everyone possible. Part of me is really excited for that possible outcome of EVERYONE surviving, but we’ll see how it goes in the last episode.

We’re finally getting to the last episode next week! Any ideas of what might happen next (other than my second point just now)? I’m curious to see what will happen in the finale, including how the heck they’ll defeat the Carnival Master. 

#escape the night #escape the night spoilers #escape the night season 3 spoilers #escape the night season 3 #escape the night season 3 episode 9 #escape the night season 3 episode 9 spoilers #mystical watches #mystical reacts #mystical speaks

[weekinethereum]

August 17, 2018

News and Links

Protocol

Latest core devs call. Lane’s notes.

[Casper] Vitalik Buterin’s 75 tweets on the history and current plans of Casper

[Casper] Latest Casper standup

[Casper] Censorship detectors via 99% fault tolerant consensus

[Casper] Casper FFG and light clients. Vitalik listed the major challenges of light client protocol design and compared with old Casper FFG, this post explored how to optimize the times on BLS verifications for beacon chain light clients.

[Eth 2.0] Eth2.0 Implementers call

[Eth 2.0] VDF explainer

[Plasma] OmiseGO’s comprehensive Plasma update (with notes from last Plasma call)

[Plasma] Enabling Fast Withdrawals for Faulty Plasma Chains

[Plasma] Challenge Bond Pricing Concerns

[Plasma] Batch auctions on Plasma

[Plasma] Plasma bridge between chains

[STARKs] BarryWhiteHat: babyjubjub ecc

[State channels] Channels Can Enforce Contracts Beyond Intermediary Lockup Time

Stuff for developers

List of opcodes and gas prices. Kelvin Fichter adopted Danny Ryan’s list

eth-mutants: mutation testing tool from Federico Bond

Cryptofin’s array utilities library for Solidity

Austin Griffith on his Clevis and Dapparatus dapp dev tools

Runtime Verification: Formal verification of ERC20 tokens

Loredana’s new video tour of Pipeline visual IDE. Github code

New and comprehensive Infura documentation

A list of tools to get data out of the Ethereumchain

Getting deep into the EVM. Reminds me of Howard Yeah’s EVM series.

Zeppelin: deconstructing a Soliditycontract, part 1 and part 2

OpenZeppelin v1.12

Client Releases

Trinity third major alpha release- faster sync

Scala/Akka v0.1

Ecosystem

Maker and Wyre announce compliant fiat <> Dai onramp in 30+ countries, so now it will be easy to acquire the best store of value in crypto. An AMA with Maker and Wyre

ETH India recap from Lendroid. Check out the EthIndia submissions, lots of ambitious projects as well as devs new to Solidity. ENS Hackathon recap

ECF and EthPrize team up to fund EthWorks to implement Avsa’s universal logins

Luke Duncan: Harberger taxes for a middle ground between copyleft and permissive licenses

CryptoKitties filed for a Nifty trademark, which is messed up. Perhaps this means Nifty will win out in the nifty vs nfty nomenclature wars.

Governance and Standards

Harbour <> Aragon bridge for Harbour voting in Aragon orgs.

Secret voting with Enigma

ERC1329: Inalienable Reputation Token

ERC1319: Smart Contract Package Registry Interface

ERC1328: WalletConnect Standard URI Format

ERC1327: Extendable Atomic Swaps

Project Updates

Brave plans to release an in-browser ETH wallet running a geth light client. Also, they’ll add Reddit and Twitter tipping.

Toshi rebrands as Coinbase Wallet

Columbia Journalism Review profiles Civil

Aragon Q2 dev update

0x monthly dev update

100 pages on local electricity market regulations to guide Grid+ domestic expansion

Gnosis on getting to 100% decentralized exchanges

Augur hit 1000 markets

Raiden v0.5 testnet breaking change release

Ocean Protocol v0.1 testnet release

Loom Network’s Zombie Battleground is in private alpha

Interviews, Podcasts, Videos, Talks

Howard Wu talks snarks and libsnark on Zero Knowledge

Joseph Lubin 11 min BloombergTV interview

Cheddar’s 5 min profile of ConsenSys

Matt Condon’s intro to blockchain talk

Podcast interview of EEA Executive Director Ron Resnick

Ryan Selkis on Epicenter

Origin Protocol’s Stan James on Hashing It Out

Vitalik’s transaction fee economics talk from TechCrunchZug

30 mins of Brian Armstrong with Emily Chang

General

ZCash 2.0 released, should activate Oct 28 on 2 year anniversary

Dan Boneh’s Cryptography II Coursera class starting in September

Fascinating story of Indian politicians and Bitconnect. Ignore the fake news title.

Foreshadow: “how speculative execution can be exploited for reading the contents of SGX-protected memory as well as extracting the machine’s private attestation key”

Dates of Note

Upcoming dates of note:

August 19 - deadline to submit Devcon4 talk/workshop/discussion

August 22 - Maker DAO ‘Foundation Proposal’ vote

August 24-26 - Loom hackathon (Oslo, Norway)

September 6 - Security unconference (Berlin)

September 7-9 - ETHBerlin hackathon

September 7-9 - WyoHackathon (Wyoming)

September 8 - Ethereum Industry Summit (Hong Kong)

September 21-23 — EthAtlanta

Oct 5-7 - TruffleCon in Portland

Oct 5-7 - ETHSanFrancisco hackathon

Oct 11 - Crypto Economics Security Conf (Berkeley)

Oct 22-24 - Web3Summit (Berlin)

Oct 26-28 - Status hackathon (Prague)

Oct 28-30 - Ethereum Magicians Council of Prague

Oct 29 - Decentralized Insurance D1Conf (Prague)

Oct 30 - Nov 2 - Devcon4 (Prague)

Nov 2 - MetaMask to stop injecting web3

Dec 7-9 - dGov distributed governance conf (Athens)

December - ETHSingapore hackathon

If you appreciate this newsletter, thank ConsenSys

This newsletter is made possible by ConsenSys, which is perpetually hiring if you’re interested.

I own Week In Ethereum. As such, editorial control has always been 100% me.  If you're unhappy with editorial decisions, feel free to tweet at me.

Shameless self-promotion

Link: http://www.weekinethereum.com/post/177092488703/august-17-2018

Most of what I link to I tweet first: @evan_van_ness

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#ethereum #cryptocurrency #blockchain

[cksmart-world]

The completely unnecessary news analysis

by Christopher Smart

March 3, 2020

GOP OK's FREEDOM OF MASTURBATION

In a public session of the Utah Senate last week, an anti-masturbation amendment was shot down, figuratively, of course, by Republicans. Now, before you jump to conclusions, the political analysts here at Smart Bomb explain that masturbation remains legal, as long as it's done in a house or motel room. Cars and theaters are out. The dustup occurred during a debate on abortion, where senators voted along party lines to approve legislation that would outlaw abortion in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned. Sen. Luz Escamilla, a Democrat, looked to do one better than Republicans, who believe life begins at inception, rather than at birth. She introduced an amendment that would prohibit any male ejaculation outside of a vagina (sperm but no egg). OK, Wilson, it was pretty funny, but Republicans weren't laughing. First of all, many Utah Republicans don't like hearing the word “masturbation” because, well, you know why. And another thing: they don't like the utterance of the word “vagina.” It's enough to take all the fun out of banning abortion.

GET THE TAR AND FEATHERS — CHRIS MATTHEWS IS NEXT

The Political Correctness Police are out and you should be careful not to offend them or it could be curtains or banishment to San Salvador. Oh yes, it's dangerous out there. Just ask Chris Matthews, the veteran broadcaster and 27-year host of “Hard Ball,” who just got a very public brown helmet from MSNBC. He had the temerity to compare Bernie Sanders' win in Nevada to the Nazi takeover of France. He was referring, of course, to Hitler's rapid Blitzkrieg attack — not concentration camps. But someone was offended. And in a GQ story last week, journalist Laura Bassett complained Matthews said, “Why haven't I fallen in love with you yet.” She continued: "Another time, he stood between me and the mirror and complimented the red dress I was wearing for the segment." OK, that does it, take the bastard out and shoot him. There is good reason for the #MeToo movement: Harvey Weinstein is exhibit #1. But piling Matthews in with former NBC Today host, Matt Lauer, who raped at least one assistant and coerced many more into sex, is simply bullshit. So, tar and feather guys like Lauer and ride them out of town on a rail. But when people like Al Franken and Garrison Keilor are similarly set ablaze for “inappropriate” behavior right along with the rapists, something isn't right.

TRUMP HAS EPIDEMIC IN HAND  

In the 2002 movie “28 Days Later,” a virus kills practically everyone on Earth. Sound familiar? The survivors have to steal beer from 7-11 in order to survive. But the clerks are zombies. Not to worry, President Trump and VP Mike Pence have things totally under control. A special feature of Trump's border wall is that it stops viruses. Who knew? Also, Pence has deployed the new Space Force to shoot lasers at the Chinese, Italians and Iranians, thereby slowing the spread of Coronavirus. The White House also has ginned up its PR machine so Fox News will report the pandemic is a hoax perpetrated by Bernie Saunders and the Bernie Bros. In theory, that will help the stock market reverse direction so Trump can get reelected. Although everyone's 401-K has gone to hell, there is some good news: futures of hand-sanitizer are up. Viewers of MSNBC, of course, will hide under their beds with N95 masks covering all orifices. But anyone wearing a red MAGA hat will be protected from the virus, according to the White House. Among other things, that will allow college students to go on spring break without fear. Hopefully, those half-naked girls at Daytona Beach won't be zombies. But who knows.

REPUBLICAN: CHUCK MITT ROMNEY OUT

Mitt Romney's torture ain't over yet — not by a long shot. The rabid representative from Florida, Matt Gaetz, last week called for the Mittster to be expelled from the Republican ranks in the Senate. “He is not acting like a Republican,” Gaetz said on Fox. “He has shown no interest in working with this administration, or with Republicans who are eager to seize the opportunity of the Trump presidency.” See there, one person's tragedy is another's opportunity. Like, when will there be another chance to destroy the institutions that hold this country together? And look what's been accomplished already — a gigantic tax cut for the wealthy and big spending boost for the Military. And, of course, cuts to social services, including slashing Food Stamps, where hungry children are ripping taxpayers off. But we digress. Who the hell does Mitt Romney think he is — voting to impeach the president simply for trying to coerce a foreign government to mess with our elections. Utah State Rep. Phil Lyman beat Gaetz to the draw recently by sponsoring a resolution to censure Romney. Although it died, the resolution was meaningless, except to send a signal to Trump that Utah still has his backside — or in this case, his big, fat German ass.

Post Script — Well, that was the week of the Coronavirus. And, no doubt, there are many more to come. People were dying. People were panicking. People were buying out N95 face masks and hand sanitizer. Crowds disappeared from Venice. (By the way, there are some good deals right now on Italian vacations.) The virus is bad news for the cruise ship business, too. Imagine being quarantined with 3,700 white people in Bermuda shorts. If that isn't hell, we don't know what is. Of course, all the made-in-China parts needed for stuff we buy here in the U.S. are running out because Chinese workers have to stay home. When they are depleted, there will be no refrigerators, washing machines, phones, TVs, microwaves and just about everything else. Our economy — and way of life — is so intertwined with China that we couldn't unravel it if we wanted to. That, of course, is a big, bad realization for Trump and his nationalist conservatives who want to roll up the welcome mat and pretend Americans are the only people on planet Earth. The brunt of the pandemic has yet to hit us here, but the anticipation is anything but pleasant. It's like vacationing on the beach at Banda Ache when the Tsunami warning sounds. All you can do is grab the hand sanitizer and hope you float.

  Well, Wilson, here we are biding our time until Coronavirus hits, so what can you and the band give us for a little piece of mind:

Sitting here in limbo / Waiting for the dice to roll / Yeah, now, sitting here in limbo / Got some time to search my soul / Well, they're putting up a resistance / But I know that my faith will lead me on...

[belmeran]

Can you please elaborate on your Zombie Lance au??? WHO is Lance eating? ? Dead people?? People minding their business walking the streets?? How does the Klance happen? I need to know. This is such a weird and interesting unique au!!

ANON I AM SO HAPPY YOU ASKED THIS

Okay so,, i’m still like forming the idea n stuff, but from what i can gather from my scattered brain is: Lance isn’t bad. like, he doesn’t eat just random people he finds late at night. I’m thinking he maybe goes after people he knows are bad (like someone who voted for trump lmao)? Or dead bodies from the morgue or somethin (don’t ask me how he gets them tho i’m still forming this idea man). You know the show iZombie (if you don’t pls go watch it it’s on netflix it’s v good)?? Well I guess it’s like that. In the show, Liv was like a regular person, the only difference was she couldn’t die unless her brain was damaged, her hair turned white, and she couldn’t taste anything unless it was really strong (which is why she put hot sauce on everything). And she couldn’t go too long without eating brains or else she’ll go “cliche zombie mode” with the red eyes and drooling mouth and wanting to eat everything in sight, yknow? Lance is like that (except he eats the whole body)- he can eat regular food, he just needs a daily dose of human too in order to not go crazy and kill everyone (well, eat them). Idk i might change this bc it’s still developing for me I guess ~insert shrugging emoticon here~ OH and I was thinking about having Lance become more fragile the longer he goes without eating raw meat? like his skin becomes patchy and it can crumble away if it’s rubbed at and if he’s like hit/kicked too hard in like the leg or something, the bone can just shatter easily, bc he’s like, yknow, a walking corpse. and maybe it doesn’t have to be just human meat like,, he has to have some human eventually or he’ll go like savage, but if he can’t get to human flesh at that very moment, raw burger meat or something will do for the time being. It’s not as needed as human flesh tho

As for the klance,,,,,, well Keith finds Lance late at night as he’s walking home from something (a late night college class maybe???) and sees him eating this dead body in the alley. Lance freaks out and begs him not to tell anyone what he saw (however Keith is still processing what he is actually seeing) and then bolts before Keith could respond. idk really what keith does then,, report in the dead body? keep walking? (lmao bye have fun rotting) But anyway around a week goes by (some time at least) and he’s like haunted by the image of this boy eating someone. Then one night, he and Pidge, maybe Shiro n Matt too, are like having some get-together thing, and they order pizza and ~ta-da~ it’s your local zombie delivering you your cheese and pepperoni! turns out Pidge is friends with Lance and has no clue he’s a zombie (which kinda freaks Keith out like pidge no dont touch it–) and now Keith and Lance are in this awkward and terrifying loop of “he knows im a zombie” “oh my god he’s a zombie”

Eventually they get closer tho and of course there’s a lot of angst bc Lance doesn’t want to get too close and accidentally hurt Keith or something and I dunno I’m still coming up with the actual plot and some things i just said might change a little but this is what i have so far,, so,,!!

#THANK YOU SM FOR ASKING THIS IT MADE ME REALLY HAPPY #belle answers #zombie lance au #// gore

[gaymusicchart]

GAY MUSIC CHART – 2017 week 50

 Welcome to the Gay Music Chart, the LGBTQA related music videos TOP 50 actuality and most request.

Vote for your favourite LGBTQA related music videos by leaving a comment for this post on :

YOUTUBE (in the comment section of the video of the week) : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz7yfp-xq-b08tD6mAWwclA

BLOGGER : http://gaymusicchart.blogspot.fr

FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/GayMusicChart/

TWITTER : https://twitter.com/GayMusicChart with #GayMusicChart  

TUMBLR : http://gaymusicchart.tumblr.com  

 Here is the recap for this week :

 OUT : P!nk - What About Us (LW: 17 / WO: 15 / PEAK: 01 (x3))

OUT : Sam Vance-Law - I Think We Should Take It Fast (LW: 23 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 23)

OUT : Laurent Lamarca - Garçon sauvage (LW: 29 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 29)

OUT : Bebe Huxley - Scorpio (LW: 31 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 31)

OUT : Ivri Lider עברי לידר - MOOGZAM מוגזם (LW: 32 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 32)

OUT : Teo Entertainment - Растворяюсь в тебе / Melt in You (LW: 33 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 29)

OUT : Superfruit - Future Friends (Brian Jones Choir Remix) (LW: 34 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 34)

OUT : Sam Tsui - Cameo (LW: 38 / WO: 10 / PEAK: 04)

OUT : Citizen Four - My Name (Say It) (LW: 39 / WO: 3 / PEAK: 08)

OUT : Allie X feat. VÉRITÉ - Casanova (Biblegirl Lyric Video) (LW: 40 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 40)

OUT : Chromeo - Juice (LW: 44 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 44)

OUT : Strange Names - Into Me (LW: 45 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 45)

OUT : Sam Tsui - Impatience (LW: 46 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 34)

OUT : Umlilo & Whyt Lyon - DL Boi (LW: 47 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 47)

OUT : Drake Jensen & Patrick Masse - Go Your Own Way (LW: 48 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 48)

OUT : Adiós París - Chica Bonita (LW: 50 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 50)

  01 (=) : Alfie Arcuri - If They Only Knew (LW: 01 / WO: 23 / PEAK: 01 (x5))

This is the new music video of the winner of The Voice Australia 2016. What must do a gay man when he's in love with his best male friend, who's dating his best female friend?

 02 (+ 3) : Huntington - Love Is Love (LW: 05 / WO: 11 / PEAK: 02)

Three years after "Secret", this is their new original song. It was released specially for the Australian debate about marriage equality. Every cent made from this song went go to the Yes campaign. Now that the debate is over, finaly, LGBT can now get marry : congratulations Australia !

 03 (=) : Wrabel - The Village (LW: 03 / WO: 19 / PEAK: 01 (x1))

This engaging song was written the day after US President Trump removed new federal protections for trans students in public schools last February. Trans actor August Aiden plays the role of a young transgender who tries to be himself despite the hostility of his father in the music video.

 04 (- 2) : Larva - For Ruy (censored version) (LW: 02 / WO: 7 / PEAK: 02)

Larva is a Mexican openly gay heavy metal band. The uncensored version, only for adults because of its raw sex content, is now also available on YouTube.

 05 (+ 15) : Kevin Chomat - Sens Interdit (LW: 20 / WO: 14 / PEAK: 01 (x2))

This new single of the French singer reached the top 10 YouTube trending in France.

 06 (- 2) : PJ Brennan - Tease (LW: 04 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 04)

PJ Brennan is well known for his role as Doug Carter in the British television soap opera Hollyoaks.

 07 (+ 6) : La Prohibida - Baloncesto (LW: 13 / WO: 20 / PEAK: 03)

 08 (=) : Leon Else - What I Won't Do (Lyric Video) (LW: 08 / WO: 26 / PEAK: 02)

The British singer has came out on Facebook last May.

 09 (- 3) : P!nk - Beautiful Trauma (LW: 06 / WO: 3 / PEAK: 06)

In her new music video, P!ink supports her husband Channing Tatum who loves wearing her dresses.

 10 (+ 11) : Michele Bravi - Diamanti (LW: 21 / WO: 12 / PEAK: 04)

This is the third single from the Italian singer taken from the album “Anime Di Carta”.

 11 (+ 16) : Tokio Hotel - Boy Don't Cry (LW: 27 / WO: 6 / PEAK: 11)

The lead singer Bill Kaulitz becomes a beautiful drag queen in the new music video of the German band.

 12 (+ 12) : Calum Scott - You Are The Reason (Lyric Video) (LW: 24 / WO: 3 / PEAK: 12)

 13 (- 2) : Namuel - Joven de Corazón (LW: 11 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 11)

In his new music video, the chilean singer is a teen at school who has a crush on his bully.

 14 (- 5) : Bobby Newberry - Up (LW: 09 / WO: 7 / PEAK: 08)

 15 (- 8) : G&D (Geez & DIK) - Freelove (LW: 07 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 07)

There are several straight, gay, lesbian and bi couples making love in this music video.

 16 (NEW) : Jakub & Dawid - Pokochaj nas w święta (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 16)

This time, the Polish couple sings for this Christmas song, always to change mentalities in their country !

 17 (NEW) : Detox feat. Ellis Miah & Keisha Henry - She's Gotta Habit (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 17)

The drag queen has passion for fashion in her new music video.

 18 (+ 19) : Conchita Wurst & Ina Regen - Heast as Net (Hubert Von Goisern Cover) (LW: 37 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 18)

The power of yodeling, but in a classy way.

 19 (RE-ENTRY) : Kevin Chomat - Un homme à terre (LW: - / WO: 43 / PEAK: 01 (x3))

In this single, the French singer is talking about infidelity, with his boyfriend who cheated on him.

 20 (- 6) : Michele Bravi - Tanto Per Cominciare (LW: 14 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 14)

 21 (NEW) : Trevor Moran - Sinner (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 21)

USA

 22 (+ 4) : Alfie Arcuri - Love is Love (LW: 26 / WO: 8 / PEAK: 12)

The Australian singer took position with this song for the YES in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey. 61,6% of the 12,7 millions people who voted said YES to mariage equality. Now that the debate is over, finaly, LGBT can now get marry : congratulations Australia !

 23 (- 1) : Steve Grand - Walking (LW: 22 / WO: 8 / PEAK: 05)

The song has now a music video shot in New Orleans!

 24 (NEW) : 10cm - Help (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 24)

This South Korean music video tells the hopeful story of a homosexual couple, a divorced couple, and others seeking "Help".

 25 (+ 18) : Oscar and the Wolf - Runaway (LW: 43 / WO: 6 / PEAK: 19)

Max Colombie,aka Oscar and the Wolf, is an out singer. Billboard has included this track in their top 30 gay love songs last October.

 26 (- 16) : Oscar and the Wolf - Breathing (LW: 10 / WO: 3 / PEAK: 10)

"Infinity" has been 3 weeks #1 in the Belgian albums chart.

 27 (+ 15) : Bilal Hassani - House Down (LW: 42 / WO: 4 / PEAK: 25)

Several young French YouTubers are featuring in his new music video.

 28 (=) : Myckael SG - John vs Angela (LW: 28 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 16)

 29 (+ 7) : Hayley Kiyoko - Feelings (LW: 36 / WO: 7 / PEAK: 04)

The singer flirts with another woman while she’s dancing in her new music video.

 30 (NEW) : Virgin Suicide - Evil Eyes (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 30)

This Danish music video is like a short movie, telling the struggles of a closeted gay teen taken by his father to a fathers-sons's camp.

 31 (- 15) : HEIDRIK - Monster (LW: 16 / WO: 3 / PEAK: 16)

 32 (NEW) : David Courtin - L'hymne à l'amour [People Theatre's Cenfranlamour Mix] (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 32)

 33 (- 3) : Sufjan Stevens - Mystery of Love ("Call Me By Your Name" OST) (LW: 30 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 11)

 34 (+ 15) : GAREK - Stray (LW: 49 / WO: 60 / PEAK: 01 (x2))

The single taken from the album "Take the King" is a conversation with his 8-year-old self about accepting who he is, the talk he wishes he had as a child, because he "spent so many years hating [himself] because [he] listened to the voices around [him] saying that people like [him] were disgusting".

 35 (- 10) : Kim Petras - I Don't Want It At All (LW: 25 / WO: 6 / PEAK: 25)

This is the debut single of the young German transgender singer, with a featuring with Paris Hilton in the music video.

 36 (NEW) : Wilderdrop - Lay Me Down (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 36)

The music video was filmed to raise awareness of organisations like Rainbow Railroad, who help people around the world who suffer persecution because of their sexual identity.

 37 (NEW) : Matt Fishel - Bored Of Straight Boys (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 37)

After a 3 years break, the British singer is back with a new album out in 2018.

 38 (NEW) : Greyson Chance - Low (Official Lyric Video) (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 38)

USA

 39 (- 27) : ILY - Your Love (LW: 12 / WO: 9 / PEAK: 05)

Two new brides are kissing in this Swedish music video.

 40 (- 5) : Alvin Point - Il a dit (LW: 35 / WO: 63 / PEAK: 01 (x4))

The first single of the French singer is talking about a romantic gay love story. The title means "he said".

 41 (=) : Sam Smith - One Last Song (LW: 41 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 41)

 42 (NEW) : Candy Ken feat. Gigi Tays - Netflix and Chill (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 42)

Austria

 43 (NEW) : Banda Uó - Tô na Rua (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 43)

Brazil

 44 (- 25) : Goro Gocher feat. Gustavo Rollano - Me Haces Tan Bien (LW: 19 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 19)

 45 (NEW) : Kehlani - Honey (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 45)

USA

 46 (NEW) : B.Slade - Stay Mad (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 46)

The track is #1 in the Top 40 LGBT Urban Chart.

 47 (NEW) : Morrissey - Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up on the Stage (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 47)

 48 (NEW) : Brandi Carlile - The Joke (Live from Studio A) (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 48)

 49 (- 31) : Jackie Shane - Any Other Way (audio) (LW: 18 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 18)

The release of a compilation of the songs of this transgender artist is a way to (re)discover a part of history of LGBTQ music.

 50 (- 35) : Everybody's Talking About Jamie Cast - Don't Even Know It (LW: 15 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 15)

This musical talks about a 16 years old teen who wants to be a drag queen and goes to the prom in dress. The musical won the Attitude Culture Award 2017.

  ALSO NEW THIS WEEK

 Sam & Sky feat. Glitterfitter - Skammens Diskotek (Pride Special)

A new music video has been shot for the official song of the Oslo's Gay Pride Song for 2017.

 So Brown - United States of Deprivation

 Liv Lombardi - Hazel & White

 Oliver Gottwald - Halluzinationen

 Toya Delazy - Khula Khula

 SOPHIE - Ponyboy

This is her new track after "It's OK to Cry"

 Butantan & Only Fuego - B.O.Y

All the zombies are an tribute to George A. Romero.

 Gloria Groove - Muleke Brasileiro

 Bobby Lytes - Get Ya Shine On

A tribute to Missy Elliott.

 VELO feat. Rhea Litre - Cruzin

 La Pelopony - Icónica

 בין השמיכות Harel Skaat - הראל סקעת Between the Blankets (Lyric video)

 Rayvon Owen - Volume (Audio)

 Conchita - This is Me (Influencer's Cover)

This cover with Austrian and German YouTubers is from the original soundtrack of the movie "The Greatest Showman".

 Kyle Bielfield - Audition (The Fools Who Dream) [from La La Land]

 Michelle Visage - Silent Night

 Páll Óskar & Katrín Halldóra - Jólin alls staðar (Borgarleikhúsið 2017)

 Kyle Motsinger - War on Christmas

  See you next week and don’t forget to vote for your best LGBTQA music videos ! Here are the rules :

1 ) You can vote for many videos as you want under the videos on YouTube in the comment section. It could be recent or past music videos, which must provide at least one among the following conditions:

- the music video has LGBTQA related content, in the lyrics or the music video

- the artist is LGBTQA, an LGBTQA icon or eventually ally

- LGBTQA medias talked about it.

2 ) You can’t vote more than 3 songs of a same artist per week.

3 ) In case of an artist who receive votes mostly by a fan base, we will count only one song, in a limited time of 10 weeks of presence in the top.

4 ) You can vote with only one account.

5 ) If you make 5 votes or less, your first vote will represent 5 points, your second vote 4 points, etc… until your last vote and following 1 point. If you make 6 to 10 votes, your first vote will represent 10 points, your second vote 9 points, etc… If you make more than 10 votes, your first vote will represent 20 points, your second vote 19 points, etc…

6 ) People who make 1 to 5 votes form the amateur ranking, those who make 6 to 10 votes form the fan ranking, those who make more than 10 votes form the expert ranking. We form the jury ranking. And we count now the ranking of minutes of views of our weekly playlist of the previous week. The Gay Music Chart is the addition of the five charts. In case of equality, the number of votes and the dates of votes will count.

7 ) The votes will close on Thursday, 8 PM, European time.

#GayMusicChart #gay #music #chart #tokio hotel #singles #videos #LGBT #queer #lesbian #transgender #bisexual #drag queen #2017 week 50

[junker-town]

The MLB wild card game is so unfair, but so awesome

There’s an old adage in baseball that over the course of a long season, the best teams will always emerge. But for those playoff teams that don’t win their division, they have to play in the wild card game, a single contest that can undo six months of work.

The wild card game can also be rewarding, but one thing is certain: the win-or-go-home nature creates a sense of urgency.

“The wild card game is a ballbuster. Every pitch is critical, because at any one moment the momentum can change on any play,” says Bud Black, who managed the Rockies in the NL wild card game in 2017 and 2018. “As you move deeper into the game, the intensity just ramps up, times 10.”

A history

In September 1993, MLB realigned from two to three divisions in each league and introduced the wild card, which gave a postseason spot to the team with the best record among non-division winners. After 25 years of divisional play, a whole new round was added to the playoffs, and the postseason field expanded from four teams to eight.

Baseball clings to its past like no other sport, but the owners had dollar signs in their eyes and approved the plan in an overwhelming 27-1 vote. The lone dissenter was a future president.

“I represent the silent voices of baseball purists,” Rangers general partner George W. Bush told the Los Angeles Times. “History will prove I was right.”

There was no wild card action in 1994 due to the strike that canceled the World Series. But 1995 started a 17-year stretch with the format, which gave the wild card winner a berth in the best-of-five division series. Wild card teams would play the team with the best record in the league, unless those two teams were from the same division.

A wild card team won the World Series five times in 17 years, including the Angels beating the Giants in 2002 in the first all-wild card Fall Classic. Both of the Marlins’ championships (1997, 2003) came as a wild card team.

In 2012, MLB expanded to two wild card teams in each league, and introduced a pair of single-elimination wild card games two days before the division series.

Those games hamper the wild card winner’s ability to set their pitching rotation for the division series, unlike the original wild card format that, from a planning standpoint, put wild card teams on an equal plane with division winners.

“That’s how it should be, 162 games is a long-ass time. To win the division means something,” says catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who was with the Mets for their wild card game in 2016 and is with the wild card Rays this year. “The goal when everybody leaves spring training is to win the division and get to the playoffs. I think they should get rewarded.”

In the old format, wild card teams won the division series over half the time, and at least one wild card team reached the World Series in nine of 17 years. Under the new format, with the advantage given to division winners, wild card winners have won six of 14 (42.9 percent) division series. The restriction on playing teams from the same division in the opening round was removed as well, so now wild card teams always play the team with the best record in the league.

“I would guess that the odds of beating the No. 1 seed is not as good as 6 out of 14,” says Matt Duffy, who was with the Giants for the 2014 wild card game.

Wild card teams under the old format averaged 93 wins per year, and in the new format the four wild card teams average 91 wins.

“Adding the second wild card team to both leagues was huge, because there’s so many good teams that got left out before that,” says Trevor Story, who played in the 2017 and 2018 NL wild card games with Colorado.

Even with the addition of a second wild card team in each league, only 10 of 30 teams make the postseason every year, by far the lowest percentage among major professional U.S. sports leagues.

The game itself

From 2012-18 there have been 14 wild card games, several of them memorable. Madison Bumgarner added to his postseason lore with shutouts in 2014 and 2016, both performances on the road.

The Diamondbacks beat the Rockies in a white-knuckle shootout in 2017, an 11-8 thriller that is to date the highest-scoring wild card game ever. Three games have gone to extra innings, including the Royals’ astounding comeback to launch a World Series run in 2014, and Edwin Encarnacion hitting a walk-off home run for the Blue Jays while closer Zach Britton idly watched from the Orioles bullpen in 2016.

The win-or-go-home nature of the game emphasizes what we love in sport, with stakes at their highest for all the participants. It’s the perfect intro to the postseason every year.

“From a fan standpoint and for viewership, it’s very cool,” Black says. “It’s a Game 7, but in a wild card scenario.”

The intensity for the players is palpable.

“The feeling of hearing the fans, and the vibrations you were getting inside your body, it’s a very addicting feeling,” says Rockies catcher Tony Wolters, who drove in the winning run in the 13th inning in Chicago in the 2018 NL wild card game. “It’s something you won’t ever forget.”

The A’s are back in the AL wild card game this year after losing the game last year in New York, falling behind early and never catching up.

“It was tough because we gave up a couple runs in the first inning, and all of a sudden you feel like there’s a lot of pressure on you,” says A’s shortstop Marcus Semien. “Those games happen in the regular season but you feel more relaxed because it’s just a regular game. But once it’s the wild card and you know it’s win or go home, it’s added pressure.”

“It’s kind of crazy that it’s just one game, but that’s what you’re dealing with,” A’s outfielder Mark Canha says. “The stakes are high, and makes for a more heightened intensity.”

One of the best wild card moments came in 2013, when Pirates fans loudly chanted “Cueto” over and over again to taunt Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto, who was so rattled on the mound that he dropped the ball. On his next pitch, Cueto allowed a home run to Russell Martin.

Pirates fans were equally rabid the next year when they hosted the Giants in the wild card game.

“The atmosphere was unbelievable,” Duffy recalls. “When they opened the gates during our batting practice. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen ‘World War Z’, but those zombies that are really fast, it’s like that.

“Oh my god, they were coming down the rotunda in left field, people were stomping and waving Pirates flags. It was like, ‘Holy shit, these people are going to kill us.’”

The Giants won 8-0, with a Brandon Crawford fourth-inning grand slam providing all the runs that San Francisco needed.

“That was the moment that every single person in that crowd knew that it was over. The only people talking were the 30 guys in the dugout,” Duffy says. “Ever since that day, would I rather play in front of a roaring home crowd or would I rather silence a visiting crowd? I think that was pretty wild, man, to see 40,000 or whatever it was go completely silent.”

Any changes ahead?

While having a six-month season come down to a single game for two teams (in each league) might not seem just, the benefits are often exciting games and a built-in advantage to division winners, who proceed directly to the division series with three or four days off before having to start the playoffs.

“Baseball is always a sport of series, two out of three, three out of five, four out of seven. It’s always made sense in out sport,” Black says. “I’m not sure I would change it, but schedule-wise if it could be worked out where it’s two out of three to get to that division series, I’d like to be in that discussion or hear about it.

“As it stands now with two wild card teams and a one-game playoff, I’m okay with it.”

Dave Roberts has won his division in all of his four years managing the Dodgers, and 2019 is the second year his team will play the wild card winner in the opening round.

“Shortening the season a little bit to get [best-of-]7, instead of the best-of-5, that’s something I would add for the first round. I think the best team would come out of that,” Roberts says. “I may be a little biased after winning the division, but for them to have to play one and done, I’m alright with it.”

“I think it’s pretty good as it is now,” Story says. “I feel like it has to be a one-game playoff to see who goes on to the DS. It makes it pretty exciting.”

“The hype around a one-game playoff is pretty intense,” Duffy says. “While it’s not ideal to play in a one-game playoff — you want to go to the division series — but the momentum if you do come out of that game that you’re riding can really help. The high that you’re riding coming out of that one game, there’s nothing like it.”

“I feel like we’re trying to change a lot about baseball,” Wolters says. “I don’t think we need to change anything. We need to stick with something, and just compete, and play baseball.”

[majornelson]

Introducing “Mixer”

Matt Salsamendi, Co-founder and Mixer Engineering Lead, discusses Mixer – the next generation live game streaming service.

Hello! I’m Matt, one of the co-founders of Mixer and engineering lead on the platform at Microsoft.  Huge welcome to all of you new visitors who are checking out Mixer today for the very first time.  We think we have something pretty special here, and are excited to share it with you.

Those of you who are already a part of our community….you’ve probably noticed a lot of changes today, starting with the name.  Today marks a big evolution of our interactive live-streaming platform and a new name for the service: Mixer.  But, more than just the name, we’re launching several of the features that you all have been asking for.  Features that will unlock a whole new world of possibilities for social streaming, and help viewers find the content they’re looking for across the service.

Why the name change? This was a tough decision, and not one that we made lightly.  But, it was something that we decided on as a team.  We believe so much in the power of the platform and want to grow it in every major market around the world.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t something we could do with the Beam name.  We chose Mixer as our new name because it represents what we love most about the service….how it brings people together.

It brings people together through the core experience and “special sauce” that our fans already know and love: the ability to not just watch streams, but to also interact with streamers and play together in near real-time. In other words, Mixer is livestreaming that’s actually LIVE, compared to the 10 – 20 second latency you typically get on other platforms. What’s more, viewers can actively participate in what’s happening on screen instead of just watching from the sidelines. With Mixer, you can influence everything from quest selection to tools to movement, mixing it up with your favorite streamers to create a new kind of gaming experience. The Minecraft team is experimenting with the interactivity that Mixer offers as a possibility for official game integration. And, some Minecraft community members have already created interactive experiences using this technology that allow viewers to do things like spawn in zombies or change the weather.

This gets to the heart of what Mixer means for us. We want to empower gamers and everyone who wants to share their passion – whatever it may be – to create and share more easily than ever before across PC, console and mobile. Mixer represents our vision for the next generation of multiplayer – watching and participating alongside your friends in gameplay streaming from anywhere in the world.

Crowd Play from Telltale Games

One fantastic example of interactivity in action is from our friends at Telltale Games.

Ever wondered what it’d be like to play a game with a dynamic interactive story where hundreds or thousands of other people are voting on a player’s choices? Well, Telltale Games has designed something truly unique. Their “Crowd Play” feature in “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series,” “The Walking Dead: A New Frontier” and “BATMAN: The Telltale Series” allows an audience to choose what happens at story moments and determine the trajectory and outcome of the adventure.

They’ve already debuted games on the big screen in theaters and at gaming conventions where hundreds of fans have lined up to help vote on decisions from their mobile devices. In the online space, this type of “live audience” interaction is only possible on a service without latency issues since it’s important that the dialogue and gameplay feel smooth and natural. What’s especially exciting is that Telltale plans to bring this unique type of massive online player participation to streamers and players around the world in all their future projects.

We’re thrilled to see developers and community members using Mixer’s interactive tools in such creative ways and can’t wait to see what other imaginative ideas creators will bring to life building on our Interactive 2.0 development kit.

 New Innovations for the Next Generation of Streaming

The Mixer service is built directly into the Guide on Xbox One and Game bar on Windows 10 to make it super easy for anyone to start streaming their gameplay.  Anyone can share their gameplay with friends, or start building out an audience, in just a couple of clicks, and with no extra software required.

Today, we’re excited to start rolling out several new features that will unleash a whole new world of possibilities for streamers to interact and engage more deeply with their audiences, and for viewers to find the content most relevant to them:

*Co-Streaming Launches Today. Starting today, we’re launching the first built-in cooperative streaming experience on a streaming platform where up to 4 streamers can combine their streams into a single viewer experience. Co-streaming enables multiple channel streams to be displayed on a single Mixer page. You and up to three other friends can deliver a stream that combines separate stream sources into one shared “split-screen” view, including a centralized chat experience. Co-streaming is available now for everyone. And in the coming weeks, Xbox One users will be able to invite friends to join a co-stream directly from the Guide. Co-streaming doesn’t require streamers to play the same game or even do the same activity, and you can join a co-stream with friends who are streaming from different types of devices. Four friends can broadcast a co-op session of “League of Legends” or “PLAYERUNKNOWN’S Battlegrounds,” and then just as easily stream a remote live-band jam session or play a multiplayer board game with their viewers. Viewers don’t need to flip back and forth across different streams to view the same group of streamers – they can watch all the action in one place, while enjoying all the innovative interactivity that Mixer offers.

*Mixer Create Beta Launches on Mobile Devices (iOS and Android). Mixer Create is a new mobile app that enables self-broadcasting, and we’re kicking off the beta today. Soon thereafter, we’ll add the ability to stream live gameplay from your mobile device as well. The ability to broadcast gameplay on-the-go opens up entirely new social gaming possibilities. In the future, you could imagine streaming “Pokémon Go” on your mobile device, through Mixer, and hunting with viewers! Once mobile gameplay streaming launches, you’ll be able to join a co-stream with friends who are broadcasting on PC, console or other mobile devices.

*Channel One. Channel One is an always-on, moderated channel of content that lets you see what’s happening across Mixer. We’ll highlight a wide variety of content, including big title releases, livestream events, tips and tricks, esports updates, and more. There’s always something new on Channel One, and it’s a great “first stop” for new visitors to see what’s out there and get acquainted with our service.

*Mixer Page on the Xbox One Dashboard. Launching today to Xbox Insiders, the new Mixer page on the Xbox One dashboard will feature some of the most unique, popular and engaging streams that are broadcast on Mixer, curated by our dedicated team. We’ll showcase the huge variety of diverse, creative content from our streaming community and allow viewers to easily find content relevant to them. And it’s a great way to see what many of our awesome Mixer partners are up to.

We’re also committed to making Mixer the premier place to watch Xbox at E3 June 11-15.  Today, we’re excited to announce that Xbox will be broadcasting the E3 briefing in 4K Ultra HD, with a special edition Mixer 4K broadcast for those with a 4K A/V setup ready to go.   And, there will be some special digital bonuses for those watching and signed in on Mixer.  Be sure to create your account in advance so you don’t miss out on any of the fun.

We hope you enjoy these new features. Be sure to let us know what you think on our feedback forums!

Mixer NYC Studio

Another exciting announcement today is the introduction of the Mixer NYC Studio. Located at the flagship Microsoft Store in New York, the Mixer NYC Studio is a digital production studio designed for live audience, competitive and community gaming events. The state of the art facility includes broadcast capabilities to bring gaming and esports events held on the store’s 5th floor to fans globally through Mixer, as well as serve as a destination for gaming fans to experience next-gen interactivity as players, creators and viewers, in an array of events at the center of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The studio is outfitted with professional-grade gaming stations, a control room that supports 2D and 3D graphic effects, a digital audio system bringing arena, concert sound quality, full interactive lighting control, an LED video wall, shoutcaster desks and player lounges, along with stage, audience and commentary setups.

Check out http://ift.tt/2qjcp4a for the latest Mixer NYC Studio events, streams and how to join.

A Mixer Celebration

Finally, we invite you to join us in celebrating Mixer’s launch with a full day of livestreaming fun at mixer.com/mixer! We will be kicking off the festivities at 11 a.m. Pacific Time today with a livestream from the Microsoft campus where we’ll share more details and demo all the great new features that are launching. Immediately afterwards, the Mixer NYC Studio will host a gaming marathon that continues throughout the day, featuring a variety of streamers competing for bragging rights in a multi-genre esports gauntlet including Forza Motorsport 6, For Honor, Rocket League, Gang Beasts and Overcooked. Plus, Microsoft Store locations will be celebrating today’s launch with Forza Motorsport 6 tournaments, giveaways and more.  At 6 p.m. PT, co-founder James Boehm will be hosting a Co-streaming Partner Spotlight where he’ll be playing, co-streaming, chatting, and answering questions alongside many of our amazing Mixer partners.  The celebration concludes with Mixerworks, an interactive fireworks show that begins at 9 p.m. PT and showcases how Mixer’s interactivity truly works by allowing you to create the display.

Thank you to all our fans for your support in making Mixer such an engaging and welcoming community. And for all the new visitors today, please let us know what you think.  You can reach us at @WatchMixer or at http://www.mixer.com.

See you on the streams!

-Matt

via Xbox Live's Major Nelson http://ift.tt/2rCQV6f

#Xbox Live's Major Nelson

[aion-rsa]

Dark Horse Comics’ April 2017 Solicitations

Dark Horse has provided CBR News with covers and solicit information for products shipping April, 2017. When you’re through checking out these solicitations, be sure to visit CBR’s Indie Comics Forum and discuss these Dark Horse releases with fellow readers.

Dark Horse Solicitations – Last Six Months

Product shipping March 2017

Product shipping February 2017

Product shipping January 2017

Product shipping December 2016

Product shipping November 2016

Product shipping October 2016

Abe Sapien Volume 9: Lost Lives and Other Stories TP

Mike Mignola (W), Scott Allie (W), John Arcudi (W), Michael Avon Oeming (A), Mark Nelson (A), Kevin Nowlan (A), Alise Gluškova (A), Santiago Caruso (A), Dave Stewart (C), Juan Ferreyra (A/C), Eduardo Ferreyra (A/C), and Sebastián Fiumara (Cover)

On sale June 7 • FC, 152 pages • $19.99 • TP, 7” x 10”

These six stories trace the history and prehistory of Abe Sapien’s adventures, from his earliest days in the Bureau with Hellboy (as drawn by Kevin Nowlan) through the frog war, featuring an appearance by deceased homunculus Roger, to his current evolved form, when he’s looking back on his life as a man in 1850s England.

Collects the Abe Sapien one-shots #8, #15, #23, #27, and #30 and “Abe Sapien: Subconscious” from Dark Horse Presents (volume 3) #11.

The Adventures of Superhero Girl (Expanded Edition) HC

EISNER AWARD WINNER FOR BEST PUBLICATION FOR KIDS!

Faith Erin Hicks (W/A/Cover) and Cris Peter (C)

On sale June 14 • FC, 128 pages • $16.99 • HC, 10” x 7”

What if you can leap tall buildings and defeat alien monsters with your bare hands, but you buy your capes at secondhand stores and have a weakness for kittens? Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks brings charming humor to the trials and tribulations of a young female superhero, battling monsters both supernatural and mundane in an all-too-ordinary world.

The expanded edition collects the original comic, two new stories, and new art from creators including Tyler Crook, Ron Chan, Jake Wyatt, Paulina Ganucheau, and more!

Foreword by Kurt Busiek!

Aliens: Dead Orbit #1 (of 4)

JAMES STOKOE’S ALIENS!

James Stokoe (W/A/Cover) and Geof Darrow (Variant cover)

On sale Apr 26 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

After a horrific accident strikes a space station, an engineering officer must use all available tools—a timer, utility kit, and his wits—to survive an attack from the deadliest creature known to man.

Orc Stain creator James Stokoe pens a thrilling and claustrophobic Aliens story: Dead Orbit!

On sale on Alien Day: 4/26/17!

GEOF DARROW VARIANT!

Aliens: Defiance #12

Brian Wood (W), Stephen Thompson (A), Dan Jackson (C), and Stephanie Hans (Cover)

On sale May 31 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Ongoing

After her return to Earth, Zula Hendricks fully expects to answer for her defiance. But instead of military tribunals, what she experiences is a chilling look into the future of warfare, courtesy of Weyland-Yutani’s R&D labs. Her mission may not be over just yet.

“Defiance . . . has the potential to be the new benchmark. Go get it.”—Hulking Reviewer

American Gods: Shadows #2

Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed story now in comics!

Neil Gaiman (W), P. Craig Russell (W/A), Scott Hampton (A/C), Glenn Fabry (Cover), and David Mack (Variant cover)

On sale Apr 12 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Ongoing

Fresh out of jail, Shadow Moon finds himself recruited as a bodyguard for the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday, only to be interrupted and kidnapped by the dangerous Technical Boy, who wants answers as to Wednesday’s plans.

The Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, and Nebula award–winning novel and upcoming Starz television series by Neil Gaiman is adapted as a comic series for the first time!

A Starz TV show by Bryan Fuller (NBC’s Hannibal) based on the novel will debut this spring.

“The American Gods comic is going to be an astonishing, faithful, and beautiful adaptation.”—Neil Gaiman

Angel Season 11 #4

Corinna Bechko (W), Geraldo Borges (A), Michelle Madsen (C), Scott Fischer (Cover), and Jeff Dekal (Variant cover)

On sale Apr 19 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Ongoing

Angel is caught facing an unrelenting Illyria of the past, an unrelenting Illyria of the future, and an impending volcanic eruption. For him to save an entire race of demons, satisfy both Illyrias, and get himself and Fred back to the future, he will have to convince at least one of the goddesses to trust someone other than themselves—specifically, him!

First-arc finale of Angel Season 11!

The Art of Prey HC

Prey returns!

On sale June 27 • FC, 184 pages • $39.99 • HC, 9” x 12”

A dark force is tormenting Talos I, and survival depends as much on wit as strength. Now, journey alongside Morgan Yu to discover the mysteries within Prey. Arkane Studios and Dark Horse Books are proud to present a comprehensive collection of art from the development of this long-awaited and hotly anticipated game!

The Art of Splatoon HC

THE MOST AMAZE-INK ART BOOK!

Nintendo (W/A)

On sale June 13 • FC, 320 pages • $39.99 • HC, 8 1/2″ x 12”

The Art of Splatoon contains 320 inkredible pages of artwork from Nintendo’s splash-hit video game, including 2D and 3D illustrations of your favorite characters, maps, concept art, weapon and gear design, storyboards, sketches, hand-drawn comics . . . and that’s only an inkling of what’s inside. We’re not squidding around: this is a must-have for all fans of Splatoon!

Character illustrations!

Concept art!

Featuring artwork from Nintendo’s hit game!

Baltimore: The Red Kingdom #3 (of 5)

Mike Mignola (W), Christopher Golden (W), Peter Bergting (A), Michelle Madsen (C), and Ben Stenbeck (Cover)

On sale Apr 5 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

Baltimore’s team fight their way into the Vatican as the Red King prepares for his coronation day.

“The writing is a good old fashioned slay-em-dead story.”—Comic Attack

Black Hammer #8

BRAND-NEW STORY ARC!

Jeff Lemire (W/Variant cover), Dean Ormston (A/Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Apr 19 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Ongoing

There’s something unusual about the sleepy farming community of Rockwood: it’s now the home of Spiral City’s mysteriously vanished superheroes. But not by choice: they were banished to the town after a battle with the Anti-God, and now they’re stuck within its boundaries. Lately, a new arrival in town has started asking questions, and she’s discovering that its superpowered residents aren’t the only strange thing about Rockwood . . .

Voted one of the best comics of 2016 by IGN!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 11 #6

Christos Gage (W), Rebekah Isaacs (A/Variant cover), Dan Jackson (C), and Steve Morris (Cover)

On sale Apr 19 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Ongoing

Life in the Safe Zone internment camp is not improving, and Buffy’s status as a peacekeeper has made her a target of the other inmates—but just what are they afraid she might do? Perhaps discover something more sinister going on within the Safe Zone’s impenetrable walls? Stakes are raised in Season 11!

Buffy: The High School Years—Parental Parasite TP

Kel McDonald (W), Yishan Li (A), and Scott Fischer (Cover)

On sale June 28 • FC, 80 pages • $10.99 • TP, 6” x 9”

Buffy struggles to deal with her mom Joyce’s newfound interest in spending time with her. Balancing that with her schoolwork, her friends, and her regular vampire-slaying duties is a challenge. However, when Joyce becomes hypnotized by a childlike demon that craves motherly care, Buffy experiences a new kind of sibling rivalry—except in Buffy’s case, her “sibling” is actually a monster!

Writer Kel McDonald (Misfits of Avalon, Sorcery 101, Angel & Faith), and artist Yishan Li return to Buffy!

Set during Season 1 of the television series.

Call of Duty: Zombies #4 (of 6)

Justin Jordan (W), Jonathan Wayshak (A), Dan Jackson (C), and Simon Bisley (Cover)

On sale Apr 19 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

Waves of zombies just keep coming—first in the Call of Duty®: Zombies games, and now from Dark Horse Comics!

Marlton, Misty, Russman, and Stuhlinger think they’ve found a moment’s peace, but the approaching horde of zombies is about to destroy that. Faced with the decision of fight or flight, the crew argues and splits up. When Maxis’s emergency security measures are activated, will it be every man for himself?

Dark Horse Presents #33

Ron Randall (W/A), Carla Speed McNeil (W/A), Ryan Browne (W/A), Jim Alexander (W), Shannon Wheeler (W/A/Cover), Paul Levitz (W), Will Pickering (A), Fin Campbell (A), and Tim Hamilton (A)

On sale Apr 19 • FC, 48 pages • $4.99 • Ongoing

Mercy St. Clair returns to DHP this month with Ron Randall’s Trekker: The Volstock Payoff! Paul Levitz and Tim Hamilton’s Brooklyn Blood concludes! Plus, Ryan Browne contributes the hilarious one-shot There’s a Gorilla on the Cover! Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder, Jim Alexander and Will Pickering’s Savant, and Shannon Wheeler’s Too Much Coffee Man round out this issue.

Comics’ premier Anthology!

Dead Inside #5 (of 5)

John Arcudi (W), Toni Fejzula (A), André May (C), and Dave Johnson (Cover)

On sale Apr 19 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

What started as a simple murder investigation ended in a prison riot. But it’s not quite over yet—Detective Caruso is betting that if she can get a little closer to the case, she’ll be able to find the missing piece that pulls it all together. But in this case, getting closer means hostage negotiation with an armed convict.

“An intriguing set-up to a compelling mystery, well-executed by the consistently great John Arcudi. And with fantastic-looking art to boot!”—John Layman (Chew)

Dept. H #13

Matt Kindt (W/A/Cover) and Sharlene Kindt (C)

On sale Apr 19 • FC, 28 pages • $3.99 • Ongoing

The love of Mia’s life, Alain, is desperately trying to maintain contact with her and the rest of the surviving crew trapped in the Dept. H base. With six miles of ocean between him and the woman he loves, will he be able to help her fight bloodthirsty sea creatures, including psychic jellyfish?

“Dept. H by Matt Kindt is my new fave comic, an underwater sci-fi whodunnit from Dark Horse Comics. Total, total genius!”—Mark Millar (Reborn)

The EC Archives: Crime SuspenStories Volume 3 HC

Various (W/A)

On sale June 14 • FC, 216 pages • $49.99 • HC, 8 3/16” x 11”

Jolting tales of criminals, capers, and tension! Collecting issues #13–#18 of Crime SuspenStories from the twisted artistic talents of Al Feldstein, Johnny Craig, Bill Gaines, Jack Kamen, Sid Check, Al Williamson, Fred Peters, Graham Ingels, George Evans, Joe Orlando, and more. Featuring a foreword by David Del Valle.

ElfQuest: The Final Quest Volume 3 TP

Wendy Pini (W/A/Cover), Richard Pini (W), and Sonny Strait (C)

On sale June 28 • FC, 136 pages • $17.99 • TP, 7” x 10”

The late Angrif Djun’s destructive fleet looms closer, seeking to wreak havoc on the elves and any humans that stand in their defense. Rayek, influenced by the dark, dangerous spirit of Winnowill, fights for control of his very nature. And the Wolfriders try to track down their chief, whose own spirit hangs in the balance.

Collects issues #13-#18.

Empowered and the Soldier of Love #3 (of 3)

Adam Warren (W) and Karla Diaz (A/Cover)

On sale Apr 26 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

As the very fabric of reality itself unravels around them in a frighteningly literal “storm of burning passion,” can a desperate Empowered and Ninjette stop the embittered, disillusioned, and out-of-control Soldier of Love from using her supercharged “magical-girl” powers to eradicate the entire concept of love from their city?

2017 marks the tenth anniversary of Empowered!

Story by series creator Adam Warren!

Spectacular art by web comic superstar Karla Diaz!

Empowered Volume 10 TP

Adam Warren (W/A/Cover)

On sale June 21 • b&w, 216 pages • $19.99 • TP, 6 1/2″ x 9”

Costumed crimefighter Empowered, delighted by her long-delayed promotion to full-time membership in the Superhomeys, enjoys a suprasocial-media “victory lap.” But will her newfound satisfaction survive the challenges of obnoxious “white knights,” disturbing cryoprison visits, alarming alien medical scans and—worst of all—the revelation of a lover’s dark secret?

Over 250,000 copies sold of Empowered volumes!

“Adam Warren continues to beat the odds and persists in getting better and better with his spicy superhero romp.”—Johnny Bacardi, Popdose.com

Fate/Zero Volume 5 TP

Shinjiro (W/A/Cover)

On sale June 14 • b&w, 168 pages • $11.99 • TP, 5 1/8″ x 7 1/4″

Two desperate hunts stalk the dark woods that shroud Einzbern Castle, as Lancer and Saber confront the hideous sorcery of Caster, incarnation of the fiendish Gilles de Rais, while Irisviel follows Maiya in search of the master magician Kirei. Is mage killer Kiritsugu risking both his wife and his mistress in a cold-blooded scheme to assassinate Kirei . . . ?

Femina and Fauna: The Art of Camilla d’Errico (Second Edition) HC

Back in print!

Camilla d’Errico (W/A/Cover)

On sale June 28 • FC, 132 pages • $24.99 • HC, 8 1/2″ x 11”

Superstar artist Camilla d’Errico’s first Dark Horse art book, now back in print in an improved and updated second edition!

This revised volume features a new foreword by the creator of the Tokidoki brand, Simone Legno, a new introduction by d’Errico herself, and a selection of additional art unique to this edition. It’s a must-have for all fans of pop and fine art alike!

A new cover, a new introduction by the artist, and new artwork not seen in the first edition!

Frigates of EVE Online: The Cross Sections HC

Paul Elsy (W), Charles White (W), and Will Burns (A/Cover)

On sale June 6 • FC, 160 pages • $29.99 • HC, 9” x 12”

Featuring detailed images of twenty-eight of the most iconic ships in EVE Online, this beautifully illustrated guide offers an unprecedented look into frigates from each faction with intricate cutaways and complex lore. Dark Horse Books is proud to partner with CCP Games to present Frigates of EVE Online: The Cross Sections!

Featuring exclusive looks at the ships from EVE Online!

Game of Thrones Melisandre Figure

On sale August 16 • 8” figure • $27.99

Melisandre is a Red Priestess of Asshai and is possessed of arcane powers and a fatal beauty. She was last seen riding away from Winterfell after the Battle of the Bastards, exiled by Jon Snow. Will she return in Season 7 of HBO’s award-winning adaptation? We think so!

This highly detailed 8” figure captures the stern and determined expression of Melisandre.

Game of Thrones Magnetic Bookmark Set #3

On sale June 14 • Set of four bookmarks • $6.99

Fans following HBO’s Game of Thrones are often referring back to their books, since there are so many characters and plot lines to follow. A great way to keep it all straight is by using these brand new Dark Horse magnetic bookmarks. This third edition features newly selected lush color portraits of four favorite characters in updated costumes.

Game of Thrones 2.25” Magnets

Arryn

$4.99

Baratheon

$4.99

Bolton

$4.99

Frey

$4.99

Greyjoy

$4.99

Lannister

$4.99

Martell

$4.99

Stannis-Baratheon

$4.99

Stark

$4.99

Targaryen

$4.99

Tully

$4.99

Tyrell

$4.99

Here is an opportunity for you to enable your customers to truly show allegiance to their favorite Game of Thrones houses. Dark Horse is proud to showcase a collection of twelve individual sigil magnets, measuring 2.25”. Each is produced in full color and bold clarity and packaged individually in a polybag with backing card.

On sale Feb 22

The Goon Library Volume 5 HC

Eric Powell (W/A/Cover), John Arcudi (W), Patton Oswalt (W), Thomas Lennon (W), Mark Buckingham (A), Guy Davis (A), Bill Morrison (A), and Bill Farmer (C)

On sale June 7 • FC, 472 pages • $49.99 • HC, 8” x 12 3/16”

What’s left of the Zombie Priest’s race of witches come after the Goon, forcing him to face his nightmares or lose his town! The witch coven believe that control of Goon’s town will soon be in their grasp and his tragic soul will contribute to the curse that increases their power. But has their plot destroyed the Goon or created a monster too savage for them to withstand?

This library edition collects The Goon Volumes 13–15 and The Goon Noir.

Halo Library Edition Volume 2 HC

Duffy Boudreau (W), Sergio Ariño (P), Douglas Franchin (P/I), Ian Richardson (P), Juan Castro (I), Rob Lean (I), Denis Freitas (I), Carlos Eduardo (I), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Isaac Hannaford (Cover)

On sale June 14 • FC, 296 pages • $49.99 • HC, 9” x 12”

One of the most popular video game franchises ever receives another deluxe hardcover! In this volume, follow the UNSC Spartans as they attempt to halt Dr. Catherine Halsey and Jul ‘Mdama’s pursuit of the Janus Key—the fate of the entire galaxy depends on them! This volume collects Halo: Escalation #13–#24 and features a cover gallery, annotations, and behind-the-scenes extras!

The conclusion of Escalation in a deluxe, oversized hardcover!

Features exclusive annotations!

Includes a cover gallery and behind-the-scenes extras!

Harrow County #22

Cullen Bunn (W) and Tyler Crook (A/Cover)

On sale Apr 12 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Ongoing

When another magical force starts flexing its power in Harrow County, Emmy is surprised to learn that one of her oldest friends may be turning against her. While Emmy has been focused on dealing with threats from the outside world, perhaps a much bigger problem has been brewing at home.

“This is one of the best horror series I’ve ever read. It goes beyond the typical horror stereotypes, and brings a deeper, more sophisticated kind of terror to the audience. This is definitely a series for all horror fans.”—ComicWow!

Hatsune Miku: Acute TP

Shiori Asahina (W/A/Cover)

On sale June 7 • b&w, 172 pages • $10.99 • TP, 5 1/8” x 7 1/4″

Acute, like the three angles of a triangle. Acute, as in the three sharp points. Acute is the tragic relationship between three Vocaloids: Miku, Kaito, and Luka! Once they were all friends making songs—but while Kaito might make a duet with Miku or a duet with Luka, a love song all three of them sing together can only end in sorrow! Based on the song with over 4.4 million combined views on YouTube and Niconico.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1954—Ghost Moon #2 (of 2)

Mike Mignola (W), Chris Roberson (W), Brian Churilla (A), Dave Stewart (C), and Mike Huddleston (Cover)

On sale Apr 12 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

Hellboy squares off against a pair of Chinese demons while Sue psychically hunts down the source of the supernatural trouble in Hong Kong.

The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars Part One TP

The official continuation of The Legend of Korra!

Michael Dante DiMartino (W), Irene Koh (A/Cover), Jane Bak (C), Vivian Ng (C), and Heather Campbell (Cover)

On sale June 7 • FC, 80 pages • $10.99 • TP, 6” x 9”

Relishing their new relationship, Korra and Asami leave the spirit world . . . but find nothing in Republic City but political high jinks and human vs. spirit conflict!

A pompous developer plans to turn the new spirit portal into an amusement park, potentially severing an already tumultuous connection with the spirits. What’s more, the triads have realigned and are in a brutal all-out brawl at the city’s borders—where hundreds of evacuees have relocated!

Written by series cocreator Michael Dante DiMartino and drawn by Irene Koh (Secret Origins: Batgirl, Afrina and the Glass Coffin), with consultation by Bryan Konietzko, this is the official continuation of The Legend of Korra!

The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts Limited Edition HC

Nintendo (W/A)

On sale Feb 21 • FC, 424 pages • $79.99 • Ltd. Ed. HC, 9” x 12”

Experience the thrill of finding and unsheathing the Master Sword with The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts limited edition. The sword itself is a 3D embossed sculpt with a metallic foil finish and is printed at the size of an actual sword hilt to give the reader the satisfaction of unsheathing the realistic-looking sword from the acetate sleeve sheathe that encases the book. The cover’s background features the Lost Woods in a deep, custom-mixed purple ink with a soft-touch lamination and spot-gloss UV which is framed with metallic foil. The pages are gilded to round out the premium enhancements.

3D embossed Master Sword!

Acetate sleeve sheathe!

Gilded pages!

Metallic finish!

Contains over 400 pages of illustrations from the thirty year history of Zelda.

The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-First Century (Second Edition) TP

FRANK MILLER! DAVE GIBBONS!

Frank Miller (W), Dave Gibbons (A/Cover), and Angus McKie (C)

On sale June 7 • FC, 600 pages • $29.99 • TP, 7” x 10”

Our story begins in the squalid corridors of a maximum-security housing project, where a young girl will rise from the war-torn streets of Chicago to battle injustice in a world insane with corruption. Her fight will take her far, from the frontlines of the second American Civil War to the cold, unforgiving reaches of space. She will be called a hero, a traitor, and nearly everything in between, but all along the way, her courage, her integrity, and her unwavering commitment to that most valuable of rights—liberty—will inspire a movement that will never surrender.

Collecting remastered versions of every Martha Washington, an extensive behind-the-scenes section, an introduction by Frank Miller, and a brand-new cover by Dave Gibbons!

Lobster Johnson: The Pirate’s Ghost #2 (of 3)

Mike Mignola (W), John Arcudi (W), and Tonci Zonjic (A/Cover)

On sale Apr 26 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

The Lobster searches for a connection between a missing reporter and the appearance of a ghostly pirate ship.

The Once and Future Queen #2 (of 5)

Adam P. Knave (W), D.J. Kirkbride (W), and Nickolas Brokenshire (A/Cover)

On sale Apr 12 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

Battles are fought, weapons are bestowed, and romance begins to blossom! The new queen puts together her own Round Table as Merlin reveals what set the fae war off in the first place, the King in Shadow plots the defeat of humanity, and a devious third party is revealed . . . Are they friend or foe?

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle Extravagonzo HC

A New York Times best-selling series!

Paul Tobin (W), Tim Lattie (A), Matt J. Rainwater (C), and Ron Chan (Cover)

On sale June 14 • FC, 80 pages • $9.99 • HC, 6” x 9”

A new, standalone graphic novel by Paul Tobin and Tim Lattie! Zomboss is back, hoping to buy the same factory at the center of Neighborville that his nemesis Crazy Dave is eyeing! Will Crazy Dave and his intelligent plants beat Zomboss and his zombie army to the punch? The Battle Extravagonzo is on!

The first Plants vs. Zombies original graphic novel!

Prometheus: Life and Death One-Shot

Dan Abnett (W), Brian Albert Thies (A), Rain Beredo (C), David Palumbo (Cover), and Sachin Teng (Variant cover)

On sale Apr 26 • FC, 48 pages • $5.99 • One-shot

The surviving Colonial Marines on the planet LV-223 face a final battle with an injured and enraged Engineer—and, somewhere out in space, three trapped humans seek to change the course of the Engineer’s ship . . . and possibly the history of humanity!

The final installment of the Life and Death saga!

Rebels: These Free and Independent States #2 (of 8)

Brian Wood (W), Andrea Mutti (A), Lauren Affe (C), and Matthew Taylor (Cover)

On sale Apr 26 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

Twenty years old and already an experienced shipbuilder, John Abbott divides his time between the construction of the USS Constitution and dabbling in the raucous and sometimes violent political demonstrations happening around him. After he falls in with two abolitionists one night in Boston, things take a tragic turn.

From best-selling writer Brian Wood (The Massive, DMZ, Northlanders).

“Brian Wood has resurrected an era of American history that will satisfy the history buff and the lover of good comics alike.”—The Latest Pull

RG Veda Book 3 TP

CLAMP (W/A/Cover)

On sale June 21 • b&w, 656 pages • $24.99 • TP, 5 3/4″ x 8 1/4″

RG Veda (pronounced Rig Veda) is based on the classic Indian saga of the same name. The Six Stars have at last reached Zenmi Palace to confront the evil god-king Taishakuten. As the tyrant prepares to kill them, Kujaku reveals the sign given to those who commit the most heinous of sins. Yet greater evil still is held back only by the seal on Ashura, without which the god of destruction will emerge, unstoppable . . . and if Yasha cannot change his destiny, he must face it—in the conclusion to the epic tale!

The Shaolin Cowboy: Who’ll Stop the Reign? #1 (of 4)

Geof Darrow (W/A/Cover), Frank Miller (Variant cover), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Apr 19 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

Who doesn’t like Surf and Turf? Well, what do you do when Surf and Turf doesn’t like YOU?????????

The Eisner Award–losing and winning drawing-room talkfest The Shaolin Cowboy returns and will try to answer those questions as the titular hero of the series finds that his road to hell is paved not with good intentions but old nemeses hell bent on bloody revenge . . . AGAIN!!!!

Three-time Eisner Award winner Geof Darrow returns to the series Paste called “mind blowing” and io9 called “100% amazing.”

“There’s a lot to like about The Shaolin Cowboy. It’s whacky, over-the-top, and at points laugh-out-loud funny . . . If you don’t enjoy this book, you’re already dead.”—Comic Bastards

Frank Miller variant cover!

Slayer: Repentless HC

Jon Schnepp (W), Guiu Vilanova (A), Mauricio Wallace (C), and Glenn Fabry (Cover)On sale June 28 • FC, 88 pages • $19.99 • HC, 7” x 10”

The ultimate thrash-metal juggernaut, Slayer has laid waste to stages and audiences worldwide for over thirty years, with their latest album, Repentless, furthering their brutal legacy. Based on the savage Repentless videos by BJ McDonnell, this expansion of the video story lines drives deep into the darkest heart of America, a raging road trip down a bloodstained highway, a tale of the doomed, the damned . . . and the repentless! Collects the three-issue miniseries.

Spell on Wheels TP

Kate Leth (W), Megan Levens (A), Marissa Louise (C), and Jen Bartel (Cover)

On sale June 7 • FC, 136 pages • $14.99 • TP, 7” x 10”

Three young witches head out on an East Coast road trip to retrieve their stolen belongings and track down the mysterious thief before he can do any damage to—or with—their possessions. Collects Spell on Wheels #1–#5.

Supernatural meets Buffy and The Craft!

“A lively book that focuses on the strength of relationships that also promises a fun road trip along the way.”—Multiversity Comics

Too Much Coffee Man Omnibus Plus HC

The most complete Too Much Coffee Man collection!

Shannon Wheeler (W/A/Cover)

On sale June 7 • FC, 600 pages • $29.99 • HC, 8 1/2″ x 11”

A deluxe hardcover featuring 32 new color story pages! This 600-page Omnibus Plus edition features five previously published Too Much Coffee Man books, plus an all-new color section! These semiautobiographical, hyperintellectual tales will appeal to both comic book insiders and pop culture fanatics. The most complete Too Much Coffee Man collection!

Bonus color Too Much Coffee Man adventures included!

Celebrating the work of Shannon Wheeler in a deluxe hardcover!

Tomb Raider Archives Volume 2 HC

Various (W/A)

On sale June 14 • FC, 480 pages • $39.99 • HC, 8” x 12”

In pursuit of adventure—and the world’s rarest treasures—Lara circles the globe . . . and even goes off the edge of the map. Journey along on her most memorable expeditions as she teams up with a treasure hunter from the future, faces off against Egyptian gods in the afterlife, and searches for love.

This deluxe oversized hardcover collects issues #16–#24 and #26–#34 of the 1999 Top Cow Tomb Raider series and features the art of superstar artists Adam Hughes, Michael Turner, Andy Park, Randy Green, Tony Daniel, and many more!

New writers John Ney Rieber, James Bonny, and Adam Hughes join Dan Jurgens in telling Lara’s story.

Introduction by Tomb Raider all-star Randy Green!

Usagi Yojimbo Volume 31: The Hell Screen TP

Stan Sakai (W/A/Cover)

On sale June 28 • FC, 208 pages • $17.99 • TP, 6” x 9”

In this thrilling volume, the rabbit ronin teams up with—and faces off against—a multitude of unexpected characters: destitute bandits, a renegade kappa, and a komori ninja! Then, Inspector Ishida returns to investigate a ghastly painting known only as the Hell Screen! Collects Usagi Yojimbo issues #152–#158. Foreword by Cullen Bunn (Conan, Harrow County)!

Contains the three-part story arc “The Secret of the Hell Screen”!

100% new-reader friendly!

The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #3 (of 5)

Mike Mignola (W), Chris Roberson (W), Paul Grist (A/Cover), and Bill Crabtree (C)

On sale Apr 26 • FC, 32 pages • $3.99 • Miniseries

The resurgence of a dangerous woman believed to have been killed long ago by the BPRD leads the Visitor to a cult’s compound in the Southwest.

The post Dark Horse Comics’ April 2017 Solicitations appeared first on CBR.com.

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#Aion_Rsa

[survivor-mindoro]

Ep. 10: “Tribal is gonna be crazy and im gonna have a headache” ~ Julia

ok so after a long vacation I'm back to try and do some damage control. so me matt and pat are targets and we need to separate the majority and I did that. I got into lukes head about me going tonight and I WAS so I "lied" and said Karen and her crew let the cat out of the bag and now I think hes mad. he said hes voting out Karen and my oh my do I hope that's the case because then me mattg and pat will have the numbers and possibly make it to the end if we win immunity

basically...everyone is ugly. CLEARLY i can't trust karen or nicole or julia because one of them told ricky that i was behind this vote so now i'm recruiting ricky, matt and pat to vote out karen instead so i hope that doesn't backfire. I still have an idol so I can use that next round if I don't feel safe/don't have immunity. If I can just win final 6 immunity then I have an idol to get me through f5 tribal so that I can be at the final 4

So this tribal is gonna be crazy and im gonna have a headache. Like luke exploded on me karen and nicole for no reason in the tribe chat and honestly, lukes time here is way overdue. Like get out of here, i dont got time 4 you bye. So now i have to deal with the fact that luke is a huge wild card.... ugh and he better not win f6 immunity. If he lost this immunity he would have left tbh.

Hieeee! So we had break for the holidays and it could not have been at a better time. Last we checked pat and I were the next two to go and since I lost immunity in the zombie mayhem game, I thought maybe it would be me. Luckily Ricky blew his game resulting in a huge argument and possibly Ricky going home. I had just thought I'd still vote for Karen since I have been most loyal to Ricky anyway. After a switch and then another pat convinced me to vote with him thus ending my alliance with Ricky. I feel so bad about it but I'm hoping it was the right move. I see no way of winning this game so it'll be cool to see how far I can actually go. I hope I made the right decision.

So I've had the flu since the day after Christmas which COINCIDENTALLY is the day we came back from hiatus! So I didn't really get to try that hard in immunity because I was in bed with a 102 fever and had to wake up at 12:00 am this morning to get my hands on the MAC Selena restock (Priorities, huh? But I got a Dreaming of You Lipstick so mhmmmmmmmm!) . So I was in bed most of the day, popped in to vote today and then I popped my Tamiflu, ate some soup went back to bed. WOKE UP TO SEE THIS DRAMATIC SHIT STORM OF RICKY DIGGING A HOLE FOR HIMSELF. I don't know what Karen and Luke and Julia are fighting about or if that is real or whatnot but I'm.......exhausted and just gonna hope nothing goes wrong, I can get through the round.

I couldn't do the challenge bc my laptop sucks, which really sucks bc a bitch needs immunity! but like its whatever I think I can survive this vote...hopefully. anyway so in the alliance chat with me Julia Nicole and luke, we all came to the consensus about voting for ricky and it all go perfect right? WRONG BITVH!!!!!!! a couple hours later luke decides to call me Julia and Nicole out bc apparently one of us told ricky that he was the reason ricky was getting votes, like it was his plan or whatever but I was literally at the movie theatre so he really thot !! and Nicole and Julia debunked the accusations as well. this leads me to believe that luke and ricky may have planned this entire fight. so we made ricky think that we are switching the vote to matt or pat idk which one Julia told him bc hopefully this makes him think that he'll be safe and wont play any like idols but if luke planned this and he has an idol for ricky then hopefully rickys one vote and julias one vote for pat or matt tie it in case the ricky votes get cancelled out, we need to tie it just as like a precaution. also! I'm pretty sure I convinced matt and pat to vote with me and Julia until f5, like that's what I promised them if they voted with us so hopefully it works! if not? rip me and julia

#thickerthanwater