[THEY SEND 'EM HERE TO BLACKWATER GRILL.]

My least favorite to My favorite books I read in 2023

24. May The Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor: I wanted to like this book so badly, I really did but this is probably the only book I read this year that I didn’t like. The story is about Jeremy Harkisis who is a transgender cheerleader and his ex-boyfriend Lukas who is the all-star football player; the two exes are both trying to earn the title of Homecoming King. Honestly I loved the idea of this story just wasn’t a fan of the direction. First I did like Jeremy for most of the book, honestly his attitude towards Lukas in the beginning of the book made me not want to root for them and he just seems so mean and selfish, I understand that was the point and usually I don’t mind reading about characters who are mean and selfish but learns their lesson at the end but, Jermey was just so unnecessary cruel to his friends despite all of them showing him support and kindness. I liked Lukas a lot and honestly he was the only reason I had any motivation to finish this book and I thought the ending was cute. Overall a big let down and Lukas deserve so much better.

23. Radiant Black, Vol. 3: Rogues’s Gallery: It was the first book I read this year because my brother insisted I read it. It was fine, I’m personally not a huge fan of the series but I think the story is pretty good. Overall I gave it 3 stars on GoodReads so not bad.

22. Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham: So this book was different…not in a bad way. I actually really liked this book but this went in a direction I did not expect. So the story about Tony Price who is a popular high school track star and a quiet boy named Eli Hirsch who has a chronic autoimmune disorder become unlikely friends. Seems like your standard romance, except it’s not. Eli has a special ability to see ghosts and most recently he’s been seeing a ghost of a fisherman, while that happens Tony gets bitten by a werewolf-like creator which turns him into one. The story was alright, I was a bit confused at times but I still mostly enjoyed it. The romance was also lacking. Tony and Eli have a few cute moments together but I wish there were more, and I wished there were more interactions between the side characters and the main character. Overall Loved the spooky art style, I would recommend this for Halloween.

21. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta: I Devoured this book, I couldn’t put this down because I was so invested. The story is about our main character Micheal who throughout the book will grow up and start questioning his sexuality, gender expression, and his relationships. The story is formatted like a poem which I really liked. Seeing Micheal throughout his life from his adolescent years to his adult years, seeing him grow and form meaningful relationships was such a great reading experience. Overall beautifully written story, I hope Micheal and Kieran ended up together.

20. Husband Material by Alexis Hall: This book was great. I loved Boyfriend Material and immediately bought Husband Material once I finished the first book because I needed to know what was next for Luc and Oliver. This book did great continuing the story of all the couples from the first book, and showing that Luc and Oliver were made for each other. I especially liked Luc's shitty ex-boyfriend from college. I really wanted more information about that relationship and seeing Oliver stand up for his parents was so satisfying…but then the ending happened. Honestly I liked the ending, I thought it fit Luc and Oliver who always has an unconventional relationship so them deciding marriage isn’t for them makes sense, I just wasn’t a fan of the execution of them making that decision. Overall much like Sherk 2 perfect squeal.

19. The Princess and the Grilled Sandwich by Deya Muniz: This book is so fucking cute! I loved the characters, I loved the artstyle, I loved the cheese pun, I loved everything! This book is about Lady Camembert and how her before she passed wanted her to marry so she can get her inheritance and rights to her father kingdom, which could only be given to a man and he only had one daughter; she decided to disguise herself as a man and inherent everything but is forced to live a low-profile in order to not lose everything. However she breaks this rule and goes to a ball hosted by Princess Bri, they form a friendship and slowly start falling for each other; the only issue is that Bri believes that Camembert is a man. This story was cute, fun, engaging, and the ending was perfect! Overall I devoured this book like a grilled cheese sandwich.

18. Sorry Bro by Taleen Voskuni: This book was so good! This book is about Nareh who after ending her relationship with her boyfriend who, while wasn’t a bad person just wasn’t for her, decided she wants to explore her options dating with both men and women. During this she meets Erebuni and she becomes her wingwoman and helps her find a new guy or girl. However during this they both start following each other, with Nareh falling hard first. The book was great, it was a bit slow and I personally didn’t find her issues at work a compelling subplot but thought everything else great. I loved Erebuni and thought she was so sweet and understanding and like Nareh and her mom talk after she came out. Overall Sweet and Sapphic

17. I wish you all the best by Mason Deaver: This was the first book I read with a Non-Binary MC. We follow Ben De Backer who on Christmas day decides to come out to their parents as Non-Binary, this however doesn’t go as planned and they end up kicked out of their home on Christmas and have to call their estranged sister Hannah and her husband Thomas who they haven’t met yet. This leads to them having to live with her and start a new school where they meet Nathan Allan and start a friendship. This book made me cry a few times. Ben goes through a lot in a short period of time. Building a relationship with their sister, trying to make new friends, and figure out how they feel about their parents. This book is amazing and Ben and Nathan's relationship is so pure and it’s hard to find sweet innocent romantic connections in books nowadays but Ben and Nathan were so sweet. Overall this book felt like a hug on paper.

16. I’ll Be Home For Christmas by Mason Deaver: We loved a Christmas squeal! This takes place once Ben and Nathan have graduated and Nathan is attending college while Ben is taking time off school and living with roommates. Ben flys to Hannah house for Christmas Eve and plans to bring a surprise for Nathan by bringing his dog back home. Unfortunately their perfect gift plan ended up blowing up in their face when it snowed in and flights started being canceled. This short story is very sweet and does a great job showing us how Nathan and Ben are now. Ben’s determination to bring Nathan his beloved dog was so sweet and the ending was the perfect ending. Overall Ben and Nathan are a couple goals.

15. Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell: I loved space adventures with a hint of romance, it’s one of my favorite combos. This book was written by the same author of Winter Orbit and it takes place in the same universe, however this isn’t a sequel since Kiem and Jainan aren’t mentioned and we have new main characters. In this book we follow Tennal, an absolut flirt who is constantly getting himself in trouble and Surit a Lieutenant who is very by-the-book. After Tennal gets himself in trouble yet again he’s forced to join the military where he meets Surit and they are forced to work together and forced to sync; and syncing is a type of merging of the minds. However Surit doesn’t want to sync because Tennal has made it clear he doesn’t want to be controlled. This leads to them coming up with a plan to get Tennal out of the military while keeping Surit rank. While this is happening they start slowing noticing a power struggle within the military. This book had me on the edge of my seats and I couldn’t stop listening, the romance wasn’t much which is fine because the overall plot was so intriguing it made up for the lack of romance. Overall Space politics are confusing but in a fun way.

14. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall: This is the funniest book I read all year. Hands down. Boyfriend Material is about Luc O’Donnell who is the child of two retired rockstars and because of this he’s constantly in the spotlight and usually for all the wrong reasons. Wanting to clear his image he needs to find a perfect boyfriend, which he does with a successful educated man named Oliver Blackwood. They enter a fake dating situation which benefits them both. Luc and Oliver's relationship moved along so naturally and Luc is so funny. All the side characters were great too and while I knew what the ending was gonna be I was still surprised on how it ended. Overall UK comedy is undefeated.

13. She Gets the Girl by Racheal Lippincott, Alyson Derrick: Sapphic slow-burns are perfect for the summer. In this story we follow Alex Blackwood who has lots of issues both in her family and her dating life and Molly who has a close relationship with her family but never had a real date or relationship. The two are polar opposites but come together to help each other out, Alex helps Molly get with her long time crush Cora Myers and it helps Alex prove to her ex that she’s a better person. Molly and Alex are so cute together, Alex encouraging Molly to come out of her shell was really sweet, and I related to Molly a lot. Overall Sweet, Sapphic, and I want to learn how to roller skate

12. Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli: This book was so cute. In this we follow Imogen Scott who is a huge Ally and very involved in queer media. She visits her best friend Lili who’s thriving in college making new queer friends and everything is great…except Lili told a small lie saying that her and Imogen are ex’s and that Imogen is bi. Not wanting to make her friend seem like a liar she plays along, however while doing that she starts falling for Tessa, who is one of Lili's new friends. Imogen is such a sweetheart and one of my favorite main characters, The cover is also one of my favorites this year. Overall “I’m not homophobic, I’m an Ally”

11. A Mark on My Soul by Jordon Greene: This is the only book I read that didn’t have a happy ending. In this we follow Noah who decides to come out as gay to his friends, family, and publically online. When this happens he gets a message from a “secret admirer” which turns out to be his best friend Parker who’s in the closet. This book ripped my heart in half and ended up sobbing my eyes out. I already knew how Parker's story ended because I accidentally spoiled the ending for myself but despite that I grew so attached to Parker and wanted him to be happy. This book was a hard read for me but I loved it so much. Overall Parker deserves better!

10. The Long Run by James Acker: Ngl I almost DNF this book. I didn’t like the first 3 chapters and since I was listening to this book on audible I also wasn’t a big fan of Sandro’s VA, but chapter 4 is where I truly got invested and I’m so glad I keep reading because I ended up loving this book. In this story we follow Bash and Sandro, who are both finishing their last year of High School and after kissing at a Party they form a friendship. This is a true slowburn because even though they kissed in the beginning they stay mostly platonic and do “dude-bro” stuff. I also love that Bash never makes the fact he’s Bi a big deal, he just accepts that he fell for a guy and doesn’t care. Sandro and Bash are so cute together and I loved them so much. Overall Bash the Flash and the Italian Yeti are my OTP

9. Time Out by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, Carlyn Greenwald: I found out a lot of people don’t like this book and it honestly breaks my heart. In this we follow Barclay who's basically a sport legend in his school, at least he was until he decided to come out very publicly and the reception wasn’t what he was anticipating, because of this he leaves the Basketball team and help his friend Amy with school related politics where he also meets Christopher and together they help the voiceless have a voice. Barclay and Christopher's relationship is so sweet and wholesome I loved reading about them watching movies and kissing goodnight. I love non-sexual intimacy. Barclay is also great, he’s really kind and understanding given the circumstances of everything that happened to him. Overall everyone on GoodReads is wrong.

8. Snowflake Kisses by Jordon Greenee, Yayira Dzames: Skylar and Jacob are back! In this book we follow Skylar and Jacob who are spending their first Christmas together. Honestly this book is just vibes, no big conflicts, no third act breakup, no Jacbo’s dad, just pure sugary vibes. Seeing Skylar and Jacob have snowfighters, cuddle in the car, and get each other thoughtful gifts, everything was just so nice. Skylar's parents were also great and seeing them treat Jacob like family made my heart skip a beat. Plus I loved art. Yayira Dzames did an amazing job capturing the characters. Overall My favorite Christmas comic.

7. Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake: Small confession, I wasn’t a big fan of Iris in the first two books (Delilah Green Doesn’t Care and Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail). However I ended up liking her a lot at the end of this book. In this we follow Iris who has given up on dating and sticking to casual hook-ups after her two failed relationships. Unfortunately for Iris who’s a romance author she suffered from writer's block and needed to find inspiration. We also follow Stevie, a struggling actress with anxiety issues trying to get her big break while helping her ex keep her community theater studio open. When Stevie finds herself in a web of lies her and Iris start a fake relationship, this helps Stevie prove to her friends that she doesn’t need her feeling protected and helps Iris find inspiration for her needed book; they of course start actually falling for each other. Iris and Stevie have amazing chemistry throughout the book and I loved how patient Iris is with Stevie when it comes to sex and intimacy. The consent checks and making sure they both enjoyed each other was so hot. Stevie such as sweetheart and I related to her when it comes to how she views sex and her anxiety and Iris is great too. Overall Stevie has my whole heart.

6. The Sun and Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure by Rick Riordan, Mark Oshiro: Fun fact I didn’t read any Percy Jackson books before this but I liked this anyways. We follow Nico di Angelo the son of Hades and his boyfriend Will Solace the son of Apollo as they travel through the underworld to find their friend Bob who was left behind in Hades Realm. Despite not reading anything Percy Jackson related I loved his adventure, Nico and Will bounce off each other perfectly and I wish there were more books where the main couple are already together because seeing these boyfriends act like boyfriends made my heart flutter. It was such a fun ride from beginning to end and I enjoyed it so much. Overall I should read Percy Jackson.

5. The First to Die at the End by Adam Slivera: This book destroyed me…so 5 stars. This is a prequel of They Both Die at the End, in this book we follow the first ever Decker and see Death-Cast go live for the first time. In this we follow Orion Pagan who lost his parents young and suffers from a deadly heart condition and while he has big dreams for his future he doesn’t see himself living long enough to achieve those dreams and we also follow Valentino Prince who moves to New York with his twin sister to start his molding career, however that’s cut short when he gets the call at midnight. I cried like 4 times reading this book, it was amazing. All the side characters were great and I love multiple POV’s in books. Overall I need more Death-Cast books.

4. Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake: Jordan Everwood is hands down my favorite character. This is the second book in the Bright Falls series and I couldn’t wait to read this one. We follow Astrid who just ended her engagement and is trying to focus on work, we also follow Jordan who helps her grandmother renovate her inn to avoid having to sell. After a not so great first interaction they find themselves working together to fix the inn for a reality tv show. As they work together they start to get to know each other and open up to each other about their family, relationships, and jobs. I loved Astrid in the first book and was so excited to see her story continue and I loved her and Jordan's connection. Overall “You deserve a destiny Jordan Everwood”.

3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: This book was so good! In this we follow Monique who has just been assigned to write the autobiography about famous Hollywood Icon Evelyn Hugo and her glamorous and scandalous life. Evelyn is probably the most complex character I’ve read this year, out of all the characters she felt the most human, she made mistakes and did things she regretted but also had moments of kindness and had to make really tough choices. I liked Monique however if I had to change anything I wish we focused on her more, but what we have is great. Overall I need this to be a movie.

2. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: This book has amazing writing, I stayed engaged the whole time and couldn’t stop listening. We follow Lily Hu who is a seventeen year old Chinese American living in ChinaTown. This story takes place in 1954 when the red-scare was a big threat for Chinese Americans. Due to this Lily faces many problems, her father may be deported, her friend group is changing, and she starts developing feelings for other women especially her friend Kath. She and Kath start going to an underground lesbian club called the Telegraph Club. This book was so good, I can barely put it into words. Overall Speechless

1. The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas: I loved this book! I knew this was gonna be number one because this was the only book I’ve ever dreamt about after reading. In this we follow Teo, a seventeen year old trans son of Quetzal who finds himself in a century old battle to the death. Teo has no training and is convinced he will not make it out alive. I adore everything about this book, the comedy, the characters, the world building, and the plot twist left me speechless. I cannot wait for part 2! Overall I already miss Teo, Niya, Sol, and Aurelio.

Game of Thrones - 43 EDDARD XI (pages 446-454)

Ned is petitioned for vengeance justice by the survivors of an assault lead by the Mountain, Gregor Clegane. Ned sends Lord Beric Dondarrion and a party of men off to try.

-

Through the high narrow windows of the Red Keep's cavernous throne room, the light of sunset spilled across the floor, layering dark red stripes upon the walls where the heads of dragons had once hung. Now the stone was covered with hunting tapestries, vivid with green and browns and blues, and yet it seemed to Ned Stark that the only color in the hall was the red of Blood.

Now ain't that just a metaphor for the whole bloody place?

He sat high upon the ancient seat of Aegon the Conqueror, an ironwork monstrosity of spikes and jagged edges and grotesquely twisted metal.

Was thinking to myself "is the chair younger than King's Landing which is itself only 300 odd years old? Can you really can a 300 year old chair ancient when Ned's family has lived in a castle built 8,000 years ago? What's a good word to encapsulate its history that doesn't make it seem so much older than it is?"

So anyway, the Iron Throne is Retro now.

"His Grace is hunting across the Blackwater, Ned said, wondering how a man could live his whole life a few days ride from the Red Keep and still have no notion what his king looked like.

*moves the marker for Ned Stark's estimated intelligence down a few notches*

A few days ride is A Lot if you have no real reason to travel it. If I was a peasant, I'd hope to go my whole life without having reason to meet or need to know the face of the king. If I had reason to see the king, it had better bloody be because I was in town for a trade and happened to catch a royal procession through the street. You genuinely think the 'small folk' give two shits what the king looks like as long as he's not interfering with their lives overly much? Cause Ned? If these people need to see the king? It's either because they're having his promo pics shoved in their faces, or something absolutely devastating has happened and they need to make an appeal in court, like say, what these people are doing right now!?!

Ned could feel cold steel against his fingers as he leaned forward. Between each finger was a blade, the points of twisted swords fanning out like talons from arms of the throne. Even after three centuries, some were still sharp enough to cut. The Iron Throne was full of traps for the unwary. The songs said it had taken a thousand blades to make it, heated white-hot in the furnace breath of Balerion the Black Dread. The hammering had taken fifty-nine days. The end of it was this hunched black beast made of razor edges and barbs and ribbons of sharp metal; a chair that could kill a man, and had, if the stories were to be believed.

Aegon the Conqueror was so freaking extra.

Also no wonder this ugly-ass chair is cursed AF. You can probably walk into that room and see the chairs corrupting malevolent aura, and everyone be like "psh, nah! that's just the smoke from the crapton of candles and torches we leave lying around."

This is one of those chapters where my fic loving brain is already writing fix it fics that amount to "and then (insert awesome team here) from (insert non ASOIAF fandom here) break not only the fourth wall but the fabric of space time and stomp (insert degenerate piece of garbage masquerading as a human being here) into the ground!!!"

NGL, I would love to see Gregor squished under the foot of a Zord. Or char-grilled by a Charizard.

Feeling cozy

Part 2 of motel mornings.

I don't know where I'm going with it. Or if I'm going to continue it.

Hope you enjoy, Yours truly- T x

Pairing: Dean Winchester

Warnings: fluff, flirty? idk

~

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After the long car ride with Dean to blackwater ridge, we found another motel to stay at, put our duffels down and went out to find a place to eat. Luckily enough there was a vintage diner five minutes from the motel so we decided to go get food there. Walking into the diner, the bitter smell of coffee fills my nose, the sounds of burgers and bacon sizzling with the heat radiating off the grill adding to the ambience of the cozy diner. As we were shown to our table I could see dean searching for pie on the counter, once he found it his face lit up like a kid in a candy store, silently chuckling to your self you both sat down in your booth, gave your orders to the waiter and made small talk about the case. You and Dean shared love for nights like these just the two of you going out to eat, a moment for you to relax, eat your favourite meals, go back to the motel to watch some cheesy game show before falling asleep in each other arms. The night went on just like that, the morning however was hectic.

You and Dean waking up late, running around trying to get ready for the day ahead but ending up on the floor laughing at Dean who fell trying to put his pants on in a rush. You both finished getting ready and headed out to visit one of the missing person family member to ask questions. Pulling up to the resident’s house you let Dean know that you saw a diner not too far back, not really in the mood for asking questions you tell Dean you’re going to wait for him there. He hesitantly agrees, not wanting you to be alone, you reassure him you’ll be fine. The both of you get out of the impala and go off on your own, but not before dean grabs your arms pulling you back into him for a long kiss. You speak up first “I love you”, “I know, I love you too” Dean replies before tapping you on your ass as a way of telling you to go. You walk off turning around to wave goodbye, giggling to yourself after seeing the dorky smirk on his face before he starts walking away.

The Only Compass I Need

Well as you've all been good VDL-gang hoes and as it's my birthday today as promised here's my longer fic for Arthur Morgan/Original Female Character. It's been edited and checked by my lovely partner, but I will always appreciate any comments or feedback. Hope you all have a wonderful day and thank you for making this fandom always such a delight to be in!

Summary: Ruth Shelton has been running with the Anderson Boys for many years, but when she and her daughter, Daisy, are abandoned in a snowy cabin in the West Grizzlies, she must come to terms with being left behind by people she thought she could trust and rely on. Determined to keep herself and her daughter alive, she will do anything it takes to ensure a better future for Daisy, but runs into trouble and has to rely on another gang to keep them safe.

Rating: Explicit

You can read it on AO3 too!

‘Ma?’ Daisy looked up from the newspaper she was busy colouring in, and Ruth tried not to close her eyes in frustration. Daisy had asked her the same question almost every night, just before dinner, ‘When’s Pa coming back?’

Ruth poked the remnants of the fire in the grate, willing the small, crackling flame to finish cooking the rabbit she had trapped. She didn’t risk gathering more wood with the evening rapidly growing dark. In the small, run down cabin the frigid wind of the West Grizzlies whistled through the gaps in the walls. Outside the first few flakes of a spring snow storm drifted lazily through the navy-blue sky.

She pulled the moth-eaten blanket they had found abandoned in one of the bedrooms around her and her daughter’s shoulders. She tried to ignore the twisting, painful feeling in her gut and the hot burn of tears that found their way to her eyes. How dare he, how dare he leave his daughter.

Two weeks. For two weeks they had sat in this cramped, dirty, broken little hut and waited. She had wondered after the first week whether he was dead or injured. She still liked to think the best of Frans, even though the man was unkind and impatient with her, and had cared so little for his daughter that on good days he would ignore her and on worse days shove her away. But by the time they reached the second week, with no one from the gang even attempting to find her, she realised that they’d been abandoned. Perhaps Frans hoped that the cold weather or starvation would get rid of a problem he could no longer stomach.

‘I don’t think he’s coming back,’ Ruth replied, her voice flat and distant. She coughed a little, clearing her throat, Daisy didn’t need to see or hear her mother’s resentment or pain.

‘Oh,’ came Daisy’s response. She resumed colouring in a picture of a man wearing a top hat, choosing a vibrant green for him.

Ruth poked the rabbit on the small grill, and sighed. Perhaps she was still clinging onto the vague hope that Frans might change his mind. Daisy seemed to idolise the man, no matter how poorly he treated her, and Ruth wanted her daughter to be right about him.

‘Tonight, we’re going to pack up what we can,’ Ruth said. ‘Then tomorrow we’ll ride Freyja somewhere warmer. If your father wants to find us, he will do.’

‘But Pa said to stay here.’

‘Well, he can’t expect us to stay with the cold weather coming in, and there’s very little food here. He’ll understand.’

‘How will he know where we’ve gone? We can’t leave him a note.’

‘We can leave him a message. He’ll just have to find someone else who can read it for him. Hopefully, when he turns up Edgar or Josef will be with him.’

‘Why hasn’t Edgar come?’ Daisy asked, scratching her nails against the waxy, green crayon. Ruth pulled it from her hands.

‘Don’t do that, they were expensive. I don’t know.’

Daisy began to draw wiggly lines under the words in the paper, the yellowing pages now being covered with purple, red and blue. She looked back up, ‘Ok.’

‘I’ve always promised to tell you the truth, haven’t I?’

‘Yes.’

‘So, I would tell you, if I knew where your father was, if I knew where Edgar was or if I knew where anyone was.’

Daisy carefully put her red crayon down on the page, then began to put the crayons back in the little tin she kept all her priceless possessions in. A dried daisy flower from Edgar, a blue-green marble she had found in Blackwater and a yellow, silk ribbon dotted with daisies that Ruth had brought her for her birthday last year.

Not for the first time, Ruth felt the twinge of guilt that always followed when seeing the few treasured items in Daisy’s tin. She wanted to give Daisy a home, a proper home with her own bedroom and toys, clothes that fit her properly, a warm fireplace and a door that could be locked and bolted shut.

‘Dinner will take a while, Sweetpea, you don’t have to put away your things just yet.’

‘Oh,’ Daisy said once more. ‘Well, can I help?’

‘There ain’t much to do, rabbit will be done in a bit.’

Daisy pulled up the newspaper and sat down in front of Ruth. The girl squinted at it with her light blue eyes in the low light, and began to read aloud the main story, sounding out the words she was unfamiliar with. ‘Bank boat… he… he--is--t? Ma, what’s a he--is--t?’

‘A he--is--t?’ Ruth glanced down at the newspaper, trying to figure out what her daughter was looking at. ‘Oh, a heist. It means a robbery.’

‘Like what Pa does?’

‘Yes,’ she looked back down to the story, to see if it was the Anderson Boys who were involved, but as she read, it became clear it was about the Van Der Linde Gang rather than her own. She frowned at the idea of still claiming the gang as her own. Evidently Anderson was not too heart-broken about her disappearance, despite how long she had been running with them. But then Anderson often called her a damned fool for getting in the family way and hadn’t exactly tried to keep her around. Perhaps it was better this way, to be abandoned and left to her own devices rather than trailing behind, trying to pretend that the group she had once called her family still cared for her.

The rabbit was done… charred on the outside, bloody in the middle. But when had that ever bothered her? Certainly, Daisy had learnt long ago that an empty belly was a far worse fate than a dissatisfied one. She tried to get Daisy to part with a bit of the newspaper, so she could lay the best bits on it for her and cause less of a mess when using her fingers to tear at the meat.

While Ruth gnawed at what remained on the bones, she checked their supplies. Two cans of beans, one can of peaches and a tin of crackers. They would share one tin of beans for their breakfast tomorrow, then they would have to hope she could catch or kill something for their midday meal, and assuming she could find the way, arrive in Valentine by four or five. She was banking on the weather being good, and the roads clear, otherwise it could take them longer and she had no desire to spend a cold night in unfamiliar woods.

She packed away the supplies, then made sure the repeater and pistols she carried were cleaned and loaded correctly. Ruth frowned on seeing how few bullets she had left in the box of ammo. This was going to be a rough few days. Every shot she could make would have to be perfect, no matter whether it was man or beast at the end of the sights.

She also double-checked how much money they had left, perhaps hoping the amount would increase on the next count. It would be better if she could get her daughter a warm bath and a hot meal when they arrived, even if she couldn’t afford a bed for the night. Ruth tried to not let the hiss of irritation pass between her lips. Anderson had always been insistent that any money made was money for the group, and while that had meant she could dip in and out of the funds box with relative ease, it had come back to bite her.

Her last job had pulled $150, but the vast majority of that had ended up in the box. Now she was looking at the grand total of ten years of loyalty and very few complaints from her, no matter how poorly her daughter was treated. She had $8.05.

‘We might have to do a coach job when we get to Valentine,’ she said.

Daisy pulled a face, a deep frown appearing on her forehead. ‘Do we have to?’

‘Do you want to eat?’

‘Can’t we just eat deer?’

‘No, it’s not good to eat nothing but meat.’

‘But I’m getting bigger now. I don’t want to pretend to be a little kid who cries.’

‘You just have to put your hands over your eyes and pretend. You’re so good at it! And it means Mama doesn’t have to shoot anyone.’

Ruth finished the last bits of rabbit on her side of the newspaper and looked at the peaches, tempted to break into them and at least give her daughter something sweet to eat. But there was no guarantee they would even reach Valentine tomorrow, especially with how strong the wind was howling and how quickly the temperature was dropping.

Daisy nestled closer under the blanket and picked up some more of the rabbit. ‘Who have you shot, Mama?’

‘Lots of people, who wanted to hurt me or you, Edgar or Josef or Anders.’

‘And Pa?’

Ruth wiped her dirty hands on her handkerchief, leaving streaks of grease on the discoloured material. She avoided her daughter’s eye as she replied, ‘Sure, your Pa too.’ In her head she found herself thinking, ‘wish I hadn’t bothered, bastard didn’t deserve my protection.’

She used a corner of the newspaper to clean the grease away from Daisy’s mouth, then grabbed a comb from her bag. She sat Daisy on her lap and began to gently untangle the knots at the end of her hair, before working upwards to the crown of her head and brushing through Daisy’s beautiful, golden brown hair.

At first, admittedly, it had hurt to see how much Daisy took after her father in looks, but they couldn’t be more different. Whilst her father was dismissive, callous and cowardly, Daisy was sweet, kind and brave. Braver than most kids her age, though Ruth wished she didn’t have to be.

She carefully plaited Daisy’s long hair, admiring the soft strands between her fingers, and finished off their little ritual by giving her a kiss on her cheek and then tickling her ribs. Daisy squealed and giggled, trying to bat away Ruth’s hands and yet still cuddling close once she was done.

‘Still little enough for that then?’ Ruth asked.

‘Hmph,’ came her daughter’s response and Ruth hid her smile. She felt torn, part of her was excited to see how much her daughter would change and grow over the years. But another part longed to go back to when she had been a baby, when her cheeks had been round and soft, and Ruth had easily spent the best part of her days pressing kisses to them. What did it matter that Frans was fucking whores and spending his money on drink and cards, when she had a baby in her arms, whose steady, sweet eyes gazed up at her with all the adoration and love she needed?

Another part, a part she tried not to think about, was terrified. What kind of a life was this for a child? Running from the law, hiding in abandoned houses and cabins, stealing and cheating to keep them both fed? This life was dangerous for anyone at the best of times, but for a child even more so. Daisy’s young age would not stop the law from punishing her, no matter how little choice she had in growing up in a gang and running schemes with her mother. But it was either involve Daisy, or leave her in a cave or up a tree, and that didn’t necessarily mean she was any safer, especially if someone were to find her.

She pushed away those thoughts; it wasn’t helpful to dwell on their situation. She hoped to be a good moral guide later in life for her daughter, but right now she would have to continue to be a hypocrite.

‘Bed time, Daisy,’ she said.

Daisy didn’t make a word of protest, as she was occasionally keen on doing, and took off her boots, before climbing into Ruth’s bedroll. Ruth joined her; it was too cold for their separate beds. While Daisy snuggled up against her, pulling the cover over head, Ruth threw their last remaining wood on the fire.

She grabbed her pistol and repeater, leaving the repeater next to the bedroll, but holding the pistol tightly. She kept her eyes on the front door, which they blocked with the dining table during the evenings. She had moved the wardrobe from the main bedroom to block the back door, and so felt comfortable enough to sleep with their backs to it.

She did her best to keep her eyes open, resisting sleep for as long as possible, until she drifted off and then woke with a sudden jolt to find the piercing, white light of a new day filtering between the bits of rotten wood and around the edge of the door.

My Little Secret part 9

Summary: Your next date with Arthur takes an unexpected turn when Sam invites the both of you to Saint Denis for the night.

Warnings: Alcohol mention

Friday evening arrived before you knew it. You powered through your schoolwork and got a few hours’ worth of studying in. It was early evening before you turned your attention elsewhere, nighttime would be soon and that Arthur would be arriving shortly afterward. You weren’t sure if it was to be a date or just…hanging out, you supposed it could be both. You debated on whether to dress up or keep yourself as is.

You also didn’t want to bore Arthur by just asking him a bunch of questions all night. You had a decent DVD collection and a few more movies on demand, and wondered what kind of genres he was into, if he were into movies at all. It was a different setting; normally you reserved dates at home for later into the relationship. Then again, you weren’t in a normal relationship.

Not much more time passed when you heard the ring of your doorbell, and you pranced forward in excitement to answer. You opened the door to find Arthur was standing there patiently, greeting you with a smile.

He was wearing a dark red button-up shirt, though some of the top buttons were left open to give you a nice view of his chest with just the right amount of hair peeking through. The sleeves were rolled up, and his hands rested on the belt that held up his dark jeans. Jesus did he look good.

“How do you manage that?” was the first thing that left your mouth.

He tilted his head in curiosity. “What?”

“Look so damn fine,” you answered, reaching out to selfishly run your hands on his chest without second thought. He felt solid beneath your fingertips. “Like some sorta model.”

He chuckled in response, his own hands reaching for yours to hold them and entwine his fingers with you. Stepping closer to you, he drew you in for a gentle kiss. Had it lasted longer than a few seconds, you would have melted right then and there. “Could say the same about you, ya know.” He murmured.

You glanced down at yourself. You wore a pair of form-fitting yoga pants hugged your legs and a loose fitting t-shirt that had the school’s logo printed across it. Your hair had been pulled into a loose bun. It occurred to you just then and there you definitely should have changed into something much more decent. “You like this look?” you asked him.

“I like you,” he answered sincerely. “Don’t matter what you’re wearin’, sweetheart.”

Heat of a blush flared in your cheeks as you smiled bashfully, and you tugged him in past the threshold. “Then tell me more how pretty I am inside.”

He laughed in response, keeping in step with you as he entered your apartment. You released his hands and glanced behind you toward the couch. “So, you wanna watch something?” you ask.

“I thought you wanted to ask more questions.” He pointed out.

“I do, but I don’t want that to be the basis of our whole relationship, ya know? We might as well try some other things, like a regular couple would.” You explained. “And then I’ll ask after.”

“Fair ‘nough,” he said with a nod. “Sure, I’d love to watch somethin’.”

You smile and gestured toward the couch, to which he sat down on while you moved over to your shelf of DVDs. You picked out something easy: a simple action movie that didn’t involve too much blood or gore. Could a vampire be sickened by that sort of thing? Or perhaps it would remind him of a time of his outlaw days. Either way, you were testing the waters. Plucking it from between the other cases, you straightened back up and faced him. “How often do you watch movies, Arthur?”

He shrugged. “As much as any other person. I’ve seen that movie before, nice choice.” He approved.

You let out a mental sigh of relief and moved over to the TV to place the disk in before you sat on the couch. Just as the movie started, your phone rang. Sighing heavily and apologizing to Arthur, you pull out your phone and glanced at the screen. You hit the answer button. “What is it, Sam?” you ask, keeping your voice as light as possible.

“Hey girl, wanna head to Saint Denis tonight?” Sam greeted off the bat. “I’m bored as hell and everyone else is busy.”

“Sam, I’m with Arthur at the moment.” You answer.

“So bring him along! I wanna get to know the guy dating my best friend.”

“I don’t think he –”

“Ask him,” Sam interjected. “C’mon, just try. I can pick you guys up and we’ll do whatever.”

You sighed again and turned your attention to Arthur. “Sam wants us to go to Saint Denis with her, you wanna go?” you ask, although already knowing he’d refuse, remembering what he said to you when you ran into him last time in the city.

“Saint Denis?” he repeated, rubbing his chin in thought. “I ‘spose it’ll be okay for a bit.”

You blinked in surprise, taken completely off guard by his response. “You sure?” you mouthed to him, and when he flashed you a small smile, you answered Sam. “Alright, I guess we’re going.”

“Awesome, I’ll come by in a half hour.” Sam bid you a goodbye before hanging up.

You placed your phone down, and gave Arthur a look of curiosity. “I thought you didn’t like Saint Denis.”

Arthur shrugged again. “She said she wanted to get to know the guy who’s dating her best friend, might as well.”

“Yeah but I just wanted a night in.” you murmured, standing to your feet. You definitely had to get dressed now.

“You coulda said no.” Arthur reminded you, his voice rumbling with a laugh.

“I know I could have, but Sam’s too damn persistent. If I don’t do it tonight then she’ll keep pestering me to bring you around sooner or later,” You explained while you rolled your eyes. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright, Y/N. We’ll still have many more nights ya know.” he flashed you a smile.

Your smile mirrored his. “True, let me go get dressed. You hang tight.”

You opted to change into a low-cut shirt and a pair of skinny jeans that had metallic studs running up the sides of your legs. Taking your hair out of the bun you put into a high ponytail, and completed the look with a denim jacket and a pair of high-heel ankle boots. You didn’t feel like dolling completely up, but at least it was something to make you feel a little sexier in front of Arthur.

You stepped back out into the living room, catching his attention. He peered you up and down with a gleam in his eye that you caught easily.

“You…” he averted his gaze shyly before clearing his throat and turning his attention back to you. “Sorry, you look amazin’.”

You giggled, stepping closer to him. “Thought I might as well give you something prettier to look at.” You said.

“Darlin’, you could be wearin’ a potato sack and I still think you’re the prettiest woman in the room,” He spoke. “Not that I’m complainin’.”

With a few minutes of downtime you gave Arthur a baseline of what to expect from Sam. She’s been your best friend since your undergrad days and always loved to learn more about the guys you dated. Even if it seemed overwhelming, she was always good at sniffing out those who were worth more time than others.

A little more time passed before Sam texted to inform you she was outside. Together you and Arthur made your way out of the apartment complex, stepping out into the humidity to see the large SUV idling at the curbside with Sam leaning against it, waiting expectantly.

She was as enthusiastic as ever, greeting Arthur excitedly before ushering you into the car. Arthur offered to take the back seat while you took the front passenger seat. Sam pulled away from the curb and you were on your way.

The first few minutes were full of Sam’s chatter, getting to know Arthur more herself. She asked him easy questions before moving on to inquiring about how he was treating you. You interrupted then to assure her he was treating you just fine. She however insisted Arthur answer the question, only satisfied when his answered mirrored yours.

“Sorry Arthur, grilling people is a specialty of hers.” You mentioned, which only prompted Sam to laugh.

“Only when my best friend breaks her own vow to not date while still in school. You must be one hell of a guy,” She joked. “You’re cool, though. I’ll back off.”

“Appreciate it,” Arthur chuckled. “Uh, mind if I ask ya somethin’?”

“Sure,” Sam answered. “If you’re wondering how hard a partier she is, I’ll tell you that –”

“Sam.” You warned.

“Nah, nothin’ like that,” Arthur continued, resting his hand on your arm. “It’s ‘bout you, Sam. Is your last name Marston, by any chance?”

Sam glanced back at him. “Holloway. But my mother’s maiden name is Marston, why?���

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a small smile cross Arthur’s lips. “Think I might’ve met your family at some point. You jus’ remind me o’ them.”

“Really? Most of my family are in the Blackwater area, you’ve been?” Sam responded.

“Plenty o’ times.” He confirmed.

You turned your head to look at Arthur fully, only he leaned back into his seat. You wondered if he really did know her family, though you suppose it could be possible.

The rest of the ride consisted of you and Sam talking or jamming out to music on the radio. Arthur was mostly quiet, and you attempted to bring him into the conversation a few times. You didn’t want to intentionally leave him out. He didn’t speak too much, although the look on his face told you he was just fine where he was. His immortal age aside, he was still a 36 year old man in the company of 27 year olds. He was more than likely allowing you two to chatter amongst yourselves about your own interests.

That however didn’t stop you from reaching over and taking his hand in yours. He smoothed his thumb over your skin rhythmically the entire time.

Soon the dark sky broke to the amber lights of Saint Denis. The city was bustling as usual, multiple people out and about enjoying the night.

“So, any ideas for our entertainment tonight?” Sam asked.

You hummed in thought, considering what would be enjoyable for the three of you. Since Arthur couldn’t eat nor drink, your usual suggestions flew out the window.

“How ‘bout I treat ya both to dinner?” Arthur suddenly spoke up.

You blinked in surprise, turning to look at him.

“Both of us?” Sam questioned. “That’s not necessary.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to do that.” You agreed.

Arthur shrugged. “Repayment for drivin’ us. It ain’t exactly a short trip.”

A smile crossed Sam’s lips. “Y/N’s right, you really are a gentleman.”

Arthur chuckled in response. “No reason not to be.”

Twenty minutes later found yourself in one of the less populated diners of the city. Both you and Sam were enjoying delicious meals while Arthur sat with you. Sam had asked why he didn’t order anything himself, and he answered with the same lie he told you on your first date: food intolerances. She didn’t question it further, instead brought the conversation elsewhere. He was more talkative then.

When your food was finished, the three of you stepped back outside. The night was still fairly young and alive, prompting you to ponder what else you could do.

“So what’s next?” Sam spoke out, voicing your thoughts. “How about our favorite bar?”

You opened your mouth to answer, only to have Arthur speak over you.

“You two can go on ahead, I’ll join ya in a bit.”

You gave him a look of confusion, catching his eye to notice an emotion you couldn’t detect. “Where are you going?”

“Jus’ gotta take care o’ somethin’. I’ll meet ya there.” He answered, stepping forward to plant a quick kiss on your forehead. While his lips were pressed against your skin, his voice dropped to a low mumble. “Be careful, alright? Remember what I said ‘bout… others.”

As he retreated giving you a subtle but pointed look, it only then occurred to you what he meant. You remembered what he told you about “other” vampires, ones that drained their victim’s blood without second thought. Somehow you’d forgotten about what happened here in this same city. But by the amount of people that still roamed the streets, it was clear the concern over it was pushed to the wayside.

It then led you to your next thought: what was Arthur doing? Perhaps he needed some blood himself, and you reminded yourself that he only went after bad people. At least so he said.

Your thought was cut short when Sam tugged on your arm. She pulled you toward the direction of the bar, which was only a few blocks away.

The place was as busy as you expected to be, the air conditioned building stuffy with the amount of bodies. You procured a drink and kept off to the side, swaying your hips to the music that played overhead. Time wore on and your vision slowly grew more unfocused with the influence of liquor. A half hour had passed and Arthur hadn’t returned, this solidifying your suspicion from earlier. He most likely was looking for a blood meal, hopefully tracking down some fool with less than pure thoughts for that night.

Unless something else happened.

You shook your head and mentally scolded yourself. Arthur was more than capable of handling himself. After witnessing him crush Tom’s hand with little effort in protecting you, and the fact that he was once a gunslinging outlaw.

You smiled to yourself. That little reminder of you dating a once-famous outlaw still sent your heart into a tizzy. How many others would be able to say that? Hell, how many others could say they’re dating a vampire?

Sobriety soon began to slip through your fingers with even more time passed. You moved through the bar, observing others and occasionally holding a small conversation with Sam or a stranger. With more people filing in every once in a while, the air is was beginning to grow stuffy. Another drink down and you stepped outside. Not that the weather was much different, it provided you with a little space. There were a few others standing around, smoking cigarettes or just chatting. You craned your neck to see if Arthur was among these faces, and sighed in disappointment. Did it really take that long just to acquire a blood meal?

You shuddered with that thought. It certainly wasn’t a normal thought to cross your mind. You instead shifted your focus elsewhere. Your eyes slowly drifted back and forth between others; young couples out and about, not a care in the world with their faces bright and cheerful.

Your attention was soon broken when someone had stumbled in front of you. Stepping back in time to avoid being trampled on, you blinked and watched an obviously drunk man clamor his way down the sidewalk. You grimaced as he smacked his hand onto a light pole, but he paid no mind as he turned down an alleyway next to the bar.

Somehow this concerned you. He was clearly too inebriated to really walk straight, and you wondered if he knew what direction he was going in. You also wondered if he was alone or possibly had friends. Either way, you didn’t want him to accidentally injure himself or get lost.

You scurried toward the alley. The sound of metal trashcans slamming to the ground told you he was thankfully still there. His drunken yelp was to follow. He certainly felt that more than the pole, somehow.

You rounded the corner to face the alleyway. The cans were on their sides with bits of trash strewn about. The poor fool kept stumbling haphazardly further in, and you quickened your pace.

“Hey, stop!” you called after him, but he either ignored you or just didn’t hear. Up ahead he turned and disappeared again. You grumbled and started to jog, or as much as your shoes would allow. “Sir, hang on!”

You rounded another corner he disappeared to, spotting him on the far side of that conjoining alleyway. You were impressed by how far he’d already gotten despite being absolutely shitfaced.

Until he tripped over his own two feet and landed face first onto the concrete below. You sighed heavily, partially in relief. You made your way toward him, squinting into the ever growing darkness. As your eyes adjusted you could see him struggling to get to his feet. He was moaning in pain and slurring under his breath.

“Sir?” you called out gently. “Hey, you okay?”

The response you’d gotten sounded like a cross between a yes and some other incomprehensible stuttering. You stepped up next to him and bent down to help him to his feet, realizing he was heavier than he looked. He grunted and leaned his body weight against you to straighten up.

He muttered a thanks, the liquor strong on his breath as he began to stumble off in the direction he came in. You moved to follow him when something caught your attention out of the corner of your eye. You only had time to turn your head a fraction of an inch when a blurred figure suddenly appeared in front of you, slamming into the drunk.

You jumped as the sound of his body smacking against the wall echoed in the alley. Your eyes took a moment to adjust what you were seeing in front of you. A figure had him pinned against the wall in an embrace that almost seemed intimate. It was too familiar to you, knowing it was anything than a kiss.

“Arthur?” you spoke automatically.

A disgusting squelch sounded when the figure pulled their mouth from the drunk’s neck. The smell of fresh blood tainted the air as they turned their attention toward you. Even in the dark you could see the reflection of a predator in their eyes. A gaunt face framed with thick dark hair told you this was not Arthur.

This new vampire opened his mouth wide, revealing a pair of long razor sharp fangs.

Seasonal depression is on its way back, so why not analyze another scene from Red Dead Depression 2???????

I’ve been meaning to do another screeching ramble about one of Red Dead Redemption 2′s many incredible scenes, but just couldn’t put my finger on which one. So I threw a rock and hit the Saint Denis bank robbery, that’s the story

strap in, motherfuckers, it’s time to regret the concept of empathy

It is such a missed opportunity that we weren’t able to chaperone the girls as they went about putting on their various bullshit personas to gather reconnaissance. I want to see Tilly reading a newspaper with glasses, a fake nose and a mustache

Something Red Dead Redemption 2 spoiled me on is just how much ROI they squeeze into every last line of dialogue. Not a single word feels generic or hamfisted. Every sentence, every twitch and blink, adds up to a greater whole. The more I watch, the more I unearth. There are several AAA titles that frequently get painted with the ‘Good Dialogue’ brush like Uncharted that don’t hold a candle to Rockstar’s work here. 

Take Hosea grilling Dutch here, for example:

Dutch acquiescing to Hosea’s justified criticism is depressing in its hindsight. Sir Spam der Linde is an arrogant blowhard that could give Dr. Gregory House a run for his money...and yet he still mumbles and bows his head when being told he needs to get his shit together. Compare this to earlier in the game, when he was snipping at both Hosea and Arthur for all their doubts and questions. Double that for the camp interactions you can find where Dutch and Hosea argue about the Blackwater Heist. 

Is reality finally sinking in a little for our manic pixie dream man? Does he just have a hard time bullying Hosea, who’s around 5,000 years old and doesn’t give a fuck? For every answer you get, you get another question...and I fucking love it. This character -- and the series at large -- toes the razor-thin line between transparent portrayals and thicc layers of intrigue. This kind of carefully sewn subtlety is sorely lacking in not just videogames, but mainstream media in general. Sometimes I still can’t believe I got to experience this game.

This little scene is just one of many ingredients to make you wonder that, if the bank job had turned out all right...if Dutch really would’ve started changing for the better. 

Arthur clutching his belt buckle like he clutches my neck in my dreams

So the plan is made and the cowboys are off to Sand Penis, and I bet nobody in the history of the world has made that joke before

Just the build-up to the bank sends goosebumps up my arms. 

Even with apprehension in the back of your mind, it’s hard not to get sucked into the whirlwind of adrenaline here. You have each member playing their part, from Abigail as the helpless damsel to Charles and Bill as crowd control. Great back-and-forth dialogue as characters anticipate what’s about to happen (with some delicious doubting from John). It’s like a group project, except you don’t want to slap your partners!!!*

*except micah ‘I Haven’t Scrubbed My Nailbeds In Fifty-Three Years’ bell

Fun fact: if Dutch hadn’t said ‘one last time’, the bank robbery would’ve been a success. Should’ve browsed TVTropes.

The direction of this game remains impeccable. 

This is a simple shot of a few dudes riding their horse...and it’s made just that much grander by the camera angles, slung low to the ground to create a stronger sense of scale. With the tense drums in the backing track and the sudden quiet that’s befallen our beloved anti-heroes, this provides the perfect finishing touches to one of the most memorable and stressful parts of the game:

The runway.

We start off this display of cowboy couture with Dutch Fam Der Linde, well-known in the West for wearing crushed velvet while hiking the open trail. Dashingly long coattails make up the bulk of this iconic look, with a sexy pop of red to round it all out. A complimentary red bandana lined with a hint of gold brings out the buttons, chain and belt buckle. Very regal. Much fucky. Still want to slap him for future crimes, so 9/10

A surprising comeback from the man who invented skid marks. Lavender pinstripes add a splash of character on an otherwise minimalist black ensemble. Complimentary silver bow on the hat and dark bandana makes me uncomfortably wet, so 9.5/10, would leer again

A classic suit with just a touch of more. A wide velvet collar with matching velvet cuffs create a refined softness, contrasting the gold buttons and dramatic coattails. Shoes shiny. Skin moisturized. Even his everyday ponytail looks fancier than ever. 15/10, if Javier kicked over my sandcastle I’d thank him

What are those????????? I think Bill got pranked by Uncle while out shopping for robbery gear. That, or he confused one of Susan’s tablecloths for a three-piece. The topmost layer of dust is so thick it could be peeled off and donated to charity. 3/10, could probably still pass for a picnic table

Shameless. Unacceptable. Walking around like a bootleg Egoraptor with a crinkly suit that looks like that oil-stained pizza napkin you keep forgetting to toss. Why did I take a screencap that makes it look like Dutch is jacking him off. Micah’s even jutting his beer gut out in an ominous foreshadowing for the Guarma chapter. ThereIsn’tANumberLowEnough/10

Arthur strolling in with that slow, confident walk that gets me pregnant in both legs, someone please fetch the plan B

Dutch calls a Hosea an artist and is most certainly one himself. He speaks with the affect of a poet, even as he’s holding a pistol in people’s faces and making them shit themselves in slow-motion. This man redefines stage presence. Why would he want anything less than the best, when this is the final hurrah of his iconic, infamous career:

THE RUNWAY: PART TWO

Bill out here just confusing everyone’s laundry for low-level loot. 5/10, may or may not be susan’s granny panties

charles: “is my iron giant cosplay valid robbery wear”

dutch: “no, charles, iron giant cosplays are not valid robbery wear”

dutch: “gorons from legend of zelda aren’t valid either”

JAVIER IF I GIVE YOU A 10/10 WILL YOU LEAVE

Here’s a little detail I didn’t notice (even after several viewings of this scene): Charles over in the corner looking like a dweeb.

Notice how awkwardly he holds that rifle: two-handed and with his knees bent, suddenly looking like he’s never handled a weapon before. This is such an odd contrast from the unapologetic badass we know. Remember, this is the same man who can wield a sawed-off shotgun one-handed like it’s nothing. One of the most adept physical fighters in a gang full of cutthroat motherfuckers. 

This detail on top of his dorky robbery gear? It’s actually a peek into just how out of his element he is. 

Charles has been with the gang for less than a year at this point. Even then, he’s usually helping with tracking, hunting and scouting. Whenever he goes off with Arthur on a mission, he’s always the first to suggest a peaceful route. This is not someone who’s used to robbing people for a living and it shows in the most adorable way. What you see here is a man putting on a persona of what he hopes looks like a bloodthirsty robber.

This whole scene is a fucking blast. Herding the upper-class elite into the far rom, figuring out the combination key under codenames, listening to the banter of the squad in the background. It doesn’t help I’m a slut for baroque-styled architecture and half my attention was on the pastel decor. Yeah, yeah, I know we have three thousand dollars on the line, but look at that gold filigree

These outlaws move like a finely oiled machine, not a detail out of place...which makes the ensuing mess all the more tragic.

...and this post is getting too long, so I’m going to post the second part separately. Ain’t I a stinker?

Camping alone.

The Cumberland Forest was quiet, only the birds making noise or the sound of leaves falling to the dirt. 

It was a nice change of pace, From bounty hunting and being shot at by bad guys.

Emily brushed out Daisy’s mane, the Shire seemed to enjoy the attention and the break.

Over the fire some fresh turkey was being grilled, Emily hoped the smell wouldn’t attract any predator Human or animal.

In the morning she would ride to Wallace Station and send a letter to Skye, back in Valentine telling her to meet her in Blackwater at the end of the week, Hopefully Skye would get it and she hasn’t decided to go to Saint Dennis to spend her money on the fancy clothes and french wine.

She had a plan to rob a stagecoach, Hopefully it’d give her enough money to buy a house somewhere, a nice little cabin up in the mountains where she can relax and hunt whenever the law was to close on her heels.

And she needed Skye to do that, A job like that was a two woman job and she needed the other woman’s sharp-shooting skills to watch over her.

Hopefully Skye would be into her job, and wouldn’t have a moral disagreement over stealing from folk.

But for now, it was time to forget about crime and the law, it was time to enjoy nature and bask in freedom.

Thoughts on 8.02

I, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know if I can say anything. The whole business of recapping is kinda predicated on there being stuff to recap. The entire thing was written so as to avoid dealing with conflict beyond a “this conflict exists” notification.

First up, Jaime’s position vis-a-vis everyone else in Winterfell. Some of this was obviously saved from season seven. Which is where the bulk of this should have gone, so Dany could be angry at having to deal with the man who killed  her father as she encountered him, rather than being fine with him at the parley and not so fine with him now. Nor am I here for the “we were at war” excuse that Jaime used for attacking Stark men in the streets of King’s Landing. I will jump up and down holding a sign reading ‘THE LANNISTERS STARTED THE WAR OF FIVE KINGS’ if I need to.

I will admit to being pleasantly surprised by the fact that Jaime apologised to Bran for what he did. That apology is a necessary condition of any sort of belief that Jaime’s changed his ways. Do I think it’s likely to happen in the books? Not particularly. Am I down with this ‘you were protecting your family’ bullshit? Oh hell no. Jaime pushed Bran out a window to cover up his affair,  because his girlfriend asked him to. That’s the point. Romance is incompatible with the murder of witnesses.

More importantly, as far as telling a story goes, Bran decided not to tell everyone that Jaime shoved him out the window so that nobody actually had to deal with the fact that Jaime shoved him out the window. This could have been a hard test of Stark beliefs that they need to unite. It’s one thing when Jaime’s just a Lannister jerkface, it’s quite another when they know. But they didn’t, and the conflict was headed off at the pass.

Afterwards, and with the reveal Cersei’s not coming to help out, we move on to Tyrion. Namely, why is Tyrion still Hand, when most of his plans have been staggering failures? He’s done nothing but misread people and put Dany’s forces into seriously disadvantageous positions since season six. This is poor writing and what we get in this episode is the writers once again doing a bit of a patch job - if all else fails, just tell us that Tyrion’s smart and capable! - but once again the conflict fizzles out when everyone just sort of agrees that yes, Tyrion’s a smart guy. Having Tyrion seriously contemplate whether he’s as clever as he thinks he is? Not on.

There’s some good showing of war preparations as characters hold conflict-free, plot-free conversations outside. In the background we see people training and building in preparation for the fight.

Then there’s Dany and Sansa in the library, where they talk about Jon. It was icky when Sansa blamed Dany for Jon’s lack of political caution. It was worse when the conversation was nakedly and obviously cut off just as Dany and Sansa started to talk actual politics. There’s no time and space for Dany to say “well, I do want the North to be part of the realm, but we’ll see if we can come to a mutually acceptable arrangement for that” and for the two to discuss what this might look like. No, the characters just get dragged away. Not for anything useful, either.

And then - then - then the episode stops even pretending to deal with either interpersonal conflict or the conflict outside. God. It was awful. After the internal reveal last episode, we just got left hanging on what it meant for the characters. Instead, everyone sat around and fucking drank. The worst offender was Tyrion’s Meereenese Dead Zone of Small Talk, where plot and drama go to die. Was it just me, or did he bring up Davos’  involvement at the Blackwater? ‘Cause  that sounds like it would be seriously tactless.

There were just two breaks in the monotony until the end of the episode - the Arya/Gendry sex scene, and Jaime knighting Brienne.

With the Arya/Gendry thing, I’m…not invested in the relationship. Gendry’s been offscreen a lot. Even in season two the writers downplayed Arya’s relationship with Gendry in favour of chats with Tywin that went nowhere. It’s feeling forced, to me, even though I understand and rather appreciate that the relationship happens as it does because Arya wants to have that experience. Them having sex in the context of Arya grilling Gendry about his sexual history, including his sexual assault? Eeeeeeeeeh…less comfortable.

Jaime knighting Brienne, I liked the moment itself. The shot of Jaime’s flesh and blood hand holding Oathkeeper was really nice. Much like the big R+L=J reveal last episide, the setup to get there was more than a little clumsy. Not to mention I feel quite strongly that this should have been Jaime’s idea totally, no prompting from Tyrion or Tormund (why is his crush on Brienne still a joke?!). Jaime recognising Brienne’s worth despite the messages his society sends him and being able and willing to break tradition for her in such a big way is as integral to his character development as Brienne’s putting her ideals to the test and being truly worthy of the vows is to hers.

Finally at long last, Dany corners Jon in the crypts, and we get a rerun of what happened with Sansa in the library or wherever that was. Jon gets the substance of the reveal out, but before he and Dany can actually discuss what this might mean for them (Jon’s hurt feelings, Dany’s worries about the political implications) or how they might practically deal with the situation now they know (just get married already), they get yanked away to deal with the plot.

But of course we can’t deal with the plot by this stage, because the episode’s over. And without actually doing a damn thing.

This episode and the last between them had the ingredients for an episode of interpersonal tension and last-minute political arrangements before the external conflict kicked in hard. It got stretched over two episodes and declined to actually follow through.

I keep saying it, but maybe next episode.

Characters at risk - Gray Worm, Missandei, Theon (now back in Winterfell, as though he never should have left), Jorah, and Brienne.

[SO THE FOLKS FROM THE LOCAL TROLLEY COMPANY TOLD ME THOUGH HELLO, SAM, SHE BREATHED ONTO THE RIVER BREEZE, THEY SEND 'EM HERE TO BLACKWATER GRILL.]

#DrinkIndependent

Let’s make March Drink Independent Month by vowing to drink only independent craft beers for 31 days and nights. Thanks for supporting Texas independent craft brewers and #DrinkIndependent Month. Drinking authentic local beers brewed by local people is a great way to support your community and experience the creativity, quality, and unique character that only truly independent brewers can bring you. Plus it’s kinda fun.

Earn the #DrinkIndependent badge by checking in to four different authentically independent craft beers between March 10, 2020 - April 10, 2020.

Pledge to Drink Independent. It’s probably the easiest stand you’ll ever take.

Participating Breweries

(512) Brewing Company Live Oak Brewing Company Rahr & Sons Brewing Company Real Ale Brewing Company Southern Star Brewing Company Spoetzl Brewery Independence Brewing Co. Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling Saint Arnold Brewing Company Freetail Brewing Co. Blue Star Brewing Company Thirsty Planet Brewing Company NXNW Brewing Company Uncle Buck’s Brewery & Steakhouse Jester King Brewery Padre Island Brewing Company Fredericksburg Brewing Co. Black Star Co-Op Triple J Chophouse & Brew Co No Label Brewing Company Franconia Brewing Company Dodging Duck Brewhaus Circle Brewing Co. Draught House Pub and Brewery New Republic Brewing Company Armadillo Ale Works‚Ñ¢ Faust Brewing Co. Brazos Valley Brewing LWS Brewery Wimberley Brewing Company Eola School Brewery & Restaurant Cedar Creek Brewery True Anomaly Brewing Deep Ellum Brewing Company Twisted X Brewing Company Austin Beerworks Lakewood Brewing Company Big Texan Brewery Double Horn Brewing Company Humperdinks Brewpub Peticolas Brewing Company Middleton Brewing - MBTX Buffalo Bayou Brewing Flix Brewhouse Pecan Street Brewing Orf Brewing Barber Shop City Acre Brewing Hops & Grain Brewing Brigadoon Brewery Adelbert’s Brewery Bosque Brewing Company (TX) Mad Pecker Brewing Co. Guadalupe Brewing Panther Island Brewing New Braunfels Brewing Company Martin House Brewing Company B&J’s Pizza & Brewpub Brash Brewing Company Infamous Brewing Company Cycler’s Brewing Alamo Beer Company Pinthouse Pizza 903 Brewers Noble Rey Brewing Company 8th Wonder Brewery The Granary ‘Cue & Brew The Root Cellar Cafe And Brewery Beerfoot Beach Bar Lone Pint Brewery Community Beer Company Four Bullets Brewery Huff Brewing Company Horny Toad Brewing Company Fort Brewery and Pizza B52 Brewing Co. 5 Stones Artisan Brewery Oak Highlands Brewery Blackwater Draw Brewing Company BS Brewing Busted Sandal Brewing Old Town BrewHouse Bitter Sisters Brewing Company The Collective Brewing Project Wild Bunch Brewing Company Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. Twin Peaks Brewing Co. Bar D Brewhouse Moon Tower Sudworks Shannon Brewing Company Small Brewpub True Vine Brewing Company K√ºnstler Brewing Railroad Brewing Co. Galveston Island Brewing Boerne Brewery The Blue Onion Goliad Brewing Company Texas Beer Refinery Texas Leaguer Brewing Company Oasis Texas Brewing Company Save The World Brewing Company Steam Theory Brewing Company On Rotation Lazy Beach Brewing Texas Ale Project Malai Kitchen Hullabaloo Diner Pappy Slokum Brewing Co. Cibolo Creek Brewing Co. Central District Brewing 11 Below Brewing Southerleigh Brewing Co. Intrinsic Brewing Copperhead Brewery Blue Owl Brewing Whole Foods Market Brewing Company Strange Land Brewery Oddwood Ales Cactus Land Brewing Co. Bluebonnet Beer Company Last Stand Brewing Company Seguin Brewing Company Galveston Bay Beer Company Manhattan Project Beer Co Brutal Beerworks Denton County Brewing Company Bearded Fox Brewing Company Nine Band Brewing Devil and the Deep Brewing BrainDead Brewing Zero One Ale House Sean Patrick’s Irish Pub Zilker Brewing Company The Phoenix on Westheimer TUPPS Brewery Red Horn Coffee House and Brewing Co. 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Under The Radar Brewery San Gabriel River Brewery Platypus Brewing Aquabrew New Main Brewing Company ETX Brewing Company Dorƒáol Distilling + Brewing Co. Bankhead Brewing Co. Neches Brewing Company Altmeyer & Lewis Brewing Company The Brewtorium - Brewery & Kitchen Twisted Acre Brewery Sigma Brewing Co. El Paso Brewing Company Cowtown Brewing Co. Westlake Brewing Company Celis Brewery St Elmo Brewing Company Turning Point Beer Lazarus Brewing Company The Plains Brew Co Ruggedman Brewing Thirsty Bro Brewing Walking Stick Brewing Co. Hi Sign Brewing Ingenious Brewing Company Good Neighbor Brews Fredonia Brewery Two Wheel Brewing Company 5x5 Brewing Co. 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Written in the Scars of This Heart - Chapter 3

I know that when you look at me, there's so much that you just don't see

By @notpmahlem and @jalenmara

A million and one thank yous to @justwandering-neverlost for her GORGEOUS moodboard (fun fact! It’s my favorite one so far!! ❤️), and to @adecila for her wonderful beta job!! We really couldn’t not do this without you ladies.

Missandei’s voice seemed far away as Jon pulled the sunglasses from his face to study her, his displeasure written wide across his face. A thrill raced down her spine as she cocked an eyebrow at him, her own smile growing as she continued to walk toward the manse, the rest falling into step with them. “— and we’re expected at Blackwater Grille at seven o’clock. I’ve already advised the board that you’ll have one more guest than previously expected—“

“Three.” Jon’s voice echoed across the lawn, a subtle smile of his own creeping across his face, making Dany feel as if she were somehow caught in a trap of her own making. “If you insist on going to a dinner in yet another unsecured location, then Jorah and Grey are coming with us.”

Wary of whatever he was planning, Dany fought to keep the relaxed smile fixed on her face. “Of course. Missandei, please make the arrangements. Will Mr. Stark also be joining us?”

Read more here on Ao3! Happy Friday!! ❤️

All In Good Health

The news of the engagement had spread through the camp like a landslide, putting everyone into a jolly mood as they prepared a modest feast for that night. While Elisabeth and Arthur hadn’t asked for anything special, Pearson went out of his way to serve a banquet -  the tables now filled with grilled turkey, perfumed fish flanks served under a sprinkle of fresh herbs and all sorts of vegetables, perfectly primed for the occasion.

People had gathered near the center of the camp, chatting and eating around the couple. Elisabeth was casually sitting on a table while her fiancé sat near her, both of them listening to Lenny’s anecdote about the first time he had met the bounty hunter.

“Aye, not this one again?” Sean growled when about to hear the man’s story.

“You ain’t one to talk when it comes to repeating yourself,” Lenny scoffed before ignoring the Irish man’s protest. “As I was saying, I was knee deep into trouble in Blackwater - That man I had stolen the watch from was scouting the area like a mad dog while I hid in the alley.”

“Ha - “ Elisabeth said, recalling the events. “That time, Never felt that insulted in my entire life.”

Lenny followed her laughter, winking at her.

“I know that Arthur is supposed to come by later to pick me up and that he’s meant to be meeting this unknown lady at the saloon to catch up. Me, I just think he is going to hook up with some girl there so I don’t think much of it and when I sneak back into the place, spot this lady leaning on the bar and slip that stolen watch right into her satchel. Little did I know, the man whose watch I’ve relieved him from is watching this and immediately calls us out - saying we planned this lift.”

Elisabeth scoffed, rolling her eyes as she remembers the utter confusion she had found herself in that day - Between the man’s anger, Arthur’s perplex look and Lenny’s panicked one, she surprises herself thinking back about it fondly.

“Then Arthur shows up - The lady and the man are fighting, the guy is telling her she’s a thief and she is yelling back that he’s completely insane. While I’m chasing behind Arthur, that guy spots me, points at me and yells ‘There’s your accomplice!’.”

Lenny stopped, taking a moment to laugh it out before continuing on, him and Elisabeth exchanging knowing looks.

“The look on Arthur’s face - Then on Eli’s!” Lenny slapped his knee, shaking his head before bombing his chest, imitating Arthur’s posture. “Arthur goes like ‘Elisabeth? What’s going on? Lenny??’ and then I realize that the friend Arthur was going to meet here was the same lady I had involved in my sloppy theft. I swear, after they made me apologize to that man, they both dragged me back to camp by the ear and to this day, I swear every time this lovely woman rides into camp, I can still feel that sting in my ear from how hard she pulled it.”

@arthurmorganmain @junefosberry

How a private wall rose on the border using millions in donations — and deception and threats

https://news.yahoo.com/how-a-private-wall-rose-on-the-border-using-millions-in-donations-and-deception-and-threats-100000942.html

This is a fascinating informative read on how a small part of border wall got built on the southern border with the help of Steve Bannon, a milta group and #MAGA suckers.

HOW A PRIVATE Wall ROSE ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER USING MILLIONS IN DONATIONS AND DECEPTION AND THREATS

By Caitlin Dickson | Published July 10, 2019 6:00 AM ET | Yahoo News | Posted July 10, 2019 |

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. — Nestled between the busy international port cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, near the intersection of two countries and three states, is Sunland Park, N.M.

Though the city itself wasn’t officially incorporated until 1983, the history of this small, predominantly Hispanic border community on the western bank of the Rio Grande is represented in various landmarks — like the 12-foot white stone obelisk known as Monument One, which was erected in 1855 to mark the beginning of the new land border between the U.S. and Mexico following the Mexican-American War. Or the limestone crucifix that has adorned the top of Mount Cristo Rey for nearly 80 years. Even the soil in certain areas has been found to still contain lead and arsenic from decades of pollution caused by the smelter that once loomed large over this region from across the river in El Paso.

Now, at the center of all these artifacts from Sunland Park’s history, stands the first-ever privately funded border wall. Erected quickly and quietly on private property over Memorial Day weekend, the 18-foot-high barrier ofweathered steel bollards climbs approximately half a mile up the side of Mount Cristo Rey. Beside it, a freshly paved road seems to glow like a concrete waterfall under the reflection of the mind-bending desert sun.

“This is kind of like Masada,” said former White House strategist Steve Bannon, admiring the massive steel barrier from atop a plateau that had been carved into the mountain as part of the construction process. He was comparing the steep terrain to the cliff on which the biblical king Herod the Great built a fortress, which later was the site of an epic siege by Roman forces that ended in the mass suicide of hundreds of defenders. The word has become a metaphor for a hopeless last stand.

Bannon, who serves as advisory board chairman for We Build the Wall, the nonprofit behind the crowdfunded construction effort, made the pilgrimage to Sunland Park late last month along with the group’s founder, Brian Kolfage, and a smattering of other supporters for a live-streamed, three-day-long fundraiser. The goal of the so-called Wall-a-Thon was to recruit corporate sponsors, as well as individual donors, to fund additional construction as an example and proving ground for the Trump administration’s proposed Gulf-to-Pacific wall, which has barely gotten off, or into, the ground.

Supporters of the wall haven’t just given money, though: Thousands of them around the country have enlisted in a campaign to lobby — and threaten — both local and federal officials into letting the project go forward without the necessary permits and paperwork. The mayor of Sunland Park said he has received death threats over the issue.

Bannon, who had recently been in Europe advising far-right nationalist and populist political movements, was out of the country during the big reveal of the wall the month before. He told Yahoo News at the time that the construction had been carried out secretly and quickly over the holiday weekend “to catch them by surprise,” predicting that local residents would “freak out” upon seeing the nearly completed section of wall.

As he marveled at the wall in person, Bannon repeatedly remarked at how shocked everyone in Sunland Park must have been to discover what had been built while they weren’t looking.

He was right.

“I was sure that it was illegal,” said Olga Nuñez, a City Council member and longtime resident of Sunland Park, of her initial reaction to the wall. “There was no way I could even imagine that we would issue a permit for something that size.”

Nuñez was right, too.

Yahoo News has officially confirmed, through documents and several interviews with city officials as well as We Build the Wall president Kolfage, that the group neither obtained nor applied for the required building permits from the city of Sunland Park before breaking ground for the wall, which was built on private property within roughly 240 feet of the actual border. A few days after completing it,they proceeded, once again without a permit, to build a gate from the base of the wall across federal land, blocking access to a dam managed by the U.S. section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, a government agency, as well as the only public entrance to Monument One.

In both cases, construction commenced so quickly and unexpectedly that, by the time officials tried to assert authority over the situation, the projects were either complete or close to it. Attempts to retroactively reverse the process were short-lived, as city and federal officials capitulated under an onslaught of calls, emails and social media posts from thousands of We Build the Wall supporters, whose messages ranged from angry to racist to explicitly violent and threatening.

Kolfage is decidedly unapologetic about the tactics his organization used to build its first section of private wall in Sunland Park and offers no assurance that the same approach won’t be used going forward in other border communities. We Build the Wall has claimed to have 10 other private parcels lined up for future construction, but it won’t disclose their locations.

“We’ve done everything that was required to build here above-standard, highest-quality construction, the very best border wall on the entire border,” Kolfage declared during an interview with Yahoo News.

But, he admitted, “we did not have the permit to do this.” Asked whether We Build the Wall would try to get proper permission before starting construction on its next border wall project, Kolfage said, “We’ll see.”

Kolfage, a decorated Air Force veteran who lives in Miramar, Fla.,launched a GoFundMe campaign in December with the improbablegoal of raising $1 billion to pay for President Trump’s border wall in lieu of congressional funding. Originally, the plan was to donate the crowdsourced cash directly to the federal government, but a few weeks in, after raising more than $20 million, Kolfage announced that the money would instead go directly to a nonprofit he had created to build the wall independently.

In addition to Bannon, Kolfage’s organization soon had the backing of several other prominent Trump allies, including Blackwater USA founder Erik Prince, former Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo and Kris Kobach, the aggressively anti-immigrant former Kansas secretary of state who has announced a run for the U.S. Senate from his home state.

For the construction, they enlisted Tommy Fisher, an outspoken Trump donor and owner of a North Dakota-based construction company who sued the U.S. government in April after the Army Corps of Engineers rejected its bid to build the wall. According to the Washington Post, Trump aggressively pushed for Fisher to get the contract.

Since most land along the U.S.-Mexico border is already owned by the federal government, Kolfage said, finding the right location for the project involved a combination of public records and word of mouth. In addition to creating a database of every private-property owner along the southwest border, Kolfage said, he and members of the We Build the Wall team traveled to various border towns to consult with Border Patrol agents and others familiar with the region.

According to Kolfage, We Build the Wall had been pursuing a different piece of private land farther west in New Mexico when a Border Patrol agent told them about George Cudahy, an 85-year-old Air Force veteran and owner of the American Eagle Brick Co. in Sunland Park whose property was “overrun” with illegal activity from Mexico.

Sandwiched between Mount Cristo Rey and the Rio Grande, directly overlooking Monument One to the south, Cudahy’s now-inactive brickyard abuts part of the first section of the land border with Mexico. It is situated on rugged mountain terrain that is one of the few stretches of border for miles not already fenced by the U.S. government.

In light of the natural barriers, there doesn’t actually seem to be a lot of unauthorized immigration in this sector, according toU.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics and anecdotal observations of local residents.

Still, Kolfage said, he was compelled to build the wall on Cudahy’s property after hearing the fellow Air Force veteran’s stories about the theft of car batteries and a brand-new barbecue grill that he attributed to criminals coming across the border.

“We Build the Wall’s representing him and protecting him,” said Kolfage. He said the group agreed to pay Cudahy for the land on which the wall would be built, but declined to say how much.

Cudahy does not, in fact, live in Sunland Park but in another town near the Texas border about 14 miles away.

According to U.S. census data, as of 2018 Sunland Park was home to approximately 17,000 people — 95 percent of whom identified as Latino or Hispanic. With nearly 40 percent of the population living in poverty, it is among the poorest cities in New Mexico.

“We’re a small town; we have an operating budget of about $7 million right now,” said Mayor Javier Perea, who had just returned from Washington, D.C., where he was lobbying for an official port of entry in his city, which would bring new jobs.

The estimated cost of the half-mile section of wall built by Kolfage’s group is$6 million to $8 million.

Kolfage told Yahoo News that We Build the Wall “had this whole thing planned out a month in advance and had the best lawyers in the nation review everything.” However, according to a detailed timeline of events provided by Sunland Park City Manager Julia Brown, the first time anyone at City Hall caught wind of a possible construction project on the American Eagle property was on May 22, the Wednesday before Memorial Day weekend, when a state official mentioned it to the city’s chief building official, who informed the mayor and the Sunland Park building inspector. A search of the records showed there was no application onfile for the project.

Brown said that after being denied access to the American Eagle Brick Co. property on Thursday, a group of city staffers met with Cudahy, who told them he just wanted to erect electrical poles on his property. Brown said staffers gave Cudahy application forms and copies of applicable ordinances, and reminded him that, along with his application, he would need to submit additional documentation, including plans and a grading permit for authorization to move dirt.

Based on the few specifics they say were offered during that meeting, the city inspector and community economic development director told Cudahy that construction of the electrical poles could continue over the weekend, with city staff planning to work with him to ensure that it complied with city ordinances.

“If the city says, ‘You're good to build,’ you're good to build,” said Kolfage, arguing that anyone who saw the operation that Friday would have realized that something much bigger than light poles was in the works.

However, many city officials and staff said they first learned that the 18-foot steel bollard fencing had been erected on Cudahy’s property along with the rest of the world, through national news reports the following Tuesday. In response, the city manager, along with the community economic development director, authorized a stop-work order on the construction. That’s when the backlash began.

A series of posts to the We Build the Wall Facebook page, as well as Kolfage’s personal social media accounts, urged supporters of the private wall project to contact city officials and demand construction be allowed to continue. Beyond a simple call to action, many of the posts seemed deliberately designed to fuel outrage, linking to 2012 articles about alleged corruption by former Sunland Park officials and accusing the city of being paid by Mexican drug cartels to halt construction of the wall.

“Burn up the phone lines and email guys!” reads one of many posts on We Build the Wall’s Facebook page from that day, including the address and phone number of Sunland Park City Hall, along with direct contact information for the mayor and city manager. “Ask them who was paid off by the cartels! WE WON'T STOP! YOU DON'T STOP!”

City Hall was suddenly bombarded, as were individual council members and other city employees, with calls and emails ranging from frustrated expressions of support for the wall, to racial slurs and insults like “go back to Mexico,” to violent threats. Mayor Perea personally received multiple death threats against himself and his family.

The calls and messages persisted over the next two days, as representatives from We Build the Wall and Fisher Industries urged city staff to lift the stop-work order. By Thursday, despite still not having received all necessary documentation and other required information, the city issued permits for both the steel fencing and electrical poles, and construction resumed. At a televised press conference, Perea told reporters that the permits had been issued “prematurely.”

Nearly a month later, Perea told Yahoo News that the barrage of calls had mostly died down but that he was still working his way through more than 5,000 emails sent to his direct address by supporters of the private wall, looking for threats that should bereported to law enforcement.

Following a recent City Council meeting, City Manager Brown offered little in the way of reassurance when asked how the city might be able to prevent something like this from happening again.

“You always, unfortunately, will have outlaws in the world who do what they want to do regardless of what the law is,” she said.

Kolfage has little sympathy, and argues that the fact that permits were issued prematurely amid the backlash that followed the cease-and-desist order “just shows the incompetency of the city.”

“This time they had the control, and they still messed it up. It shows that they don’t know what they’re doing,” he said.

As for being described as an “outlaw,” Kolfage said, “I take it with pride. If that’s what they want to call protecting your country, protecting a fellow veteran.”

The city’s attempts at imposing retroactive accountability have been similarly dismissed. Days before the Wall-a-Thon, George Cudahy failed to show up at a scheduled court hearing in response to a criminal complaint the city had issued against him for building without a permit, the maximum penalty for which is a $500 fine.

Sunland Park may have been an easy target, and Perea admits the city made some mistakes. However, We Build the Wall’s steamrolling didn’t stop with the local government. The same tactics used to get away with building a wall without a permit on private property appear to have been used to manipulate the federal permit process as well.

The American Eagle Brick Co.’s closest neighbor to the east is the American Dam, which is managed by the International Boundary and Water Commission, a binational body created in 1889 by a treaty between the United States and Mexico. Operated under the federal governments of each country, the two sections of the IBWC work together to manage the flow of the Rio Grande for use and flood protection.

According to documents obtained by Yahoo News, Richard Allan Kaye, an Atlanta-based attorney with Barnes & Thornburg, a large U.S. law firm and lobbying group, emailed a letter to the U.S. section of the IBWC on June 2 explaining that We Build the Wall was “seeking a license and permit” to build an addition to the bollard border wall as well as a retractable gate that would extend the privately funded barrier from the edge of Cudahy’s property to an existing fence around the IBWC’s dam, cutting across a federally owned road.

“Our intention is to provide the IBWC and DHS with full and complete control of, and access to the retractable gate and seek your advice as to the procedures required to pass title and ownership of the fence and gate to the IBWC,” Kaye wrote. He included plans for the proposed additional fencing and gate.

The following day, the IBWC sent a formal response highlighting a number of logistical and security concerns raised by the proposed gate and wall extension. The letter lists the environmental and engineering reports needed for a permit, and other federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, that would have to sign off.

The letter noted that the IBWC’s “preference” was to have no gate, but it included recommended specifications from the agency’s Engineering Services Division if one was built.

Kolfage insists that “behind closed doors” the United States’ IBWC commissioner, Jayne Harkins, actually wanted the gate, and points to the agency’s initial response to the proposal as proof that IBWC officials were involved in designing the structure. But if so, the IBWC doesn’t appear to have had much influence on the final product, which was completed without a permit within days of submitting the initial proposal.

According to a press release issued by the IBWC, We Build the Wall ignored the IBWC’s request for a different location for the gate.

An IBWC employee who spoke to Yahoo News on background confirmed this version of events and dismissed the claim that IBWC was involved in the design.

A couple of days later, the completed gate was closed and locked, blocking a government-owned levee road used by IBWC employees to access the American Dam. On June 10, after repeated requests to unlock the gate, the IBWC enlisted the assistance of the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office to remove the private lock and secure the gate open.

Once again, supporters of We Build the Wall were called to action, and like the city of Sunland Park before it, the U.S. staff of the IBWC was inundated with angry calls and messages. On Facebook and Twitter, Kolfage helped to foment outrage by repeatedly posting videos of large groups of migrants crossing different sections of the border, accusing the IBWC of deliberately allowing thousands to “invade,” and calling for Harkins, a Trump appointee, to resign.

One person even created a White House petition to fire Harkins, writing that the IBWC commissioner was “doing the bidding of smugglers and human traffickers by leaving border wall gates open to let 1,000's of illegals in every day.”

“I feel like they think on Twitter they can just bully us and everything is fine, and that's not OK,” Lori Kuczmanski, the IBWC’s public affairs officer, told Yahoo News on June 11. Kuczmanski emphasized that the IBWC had not expressed opposition to the private border wall itself.“People are upset that they donated money to this campaign … but it’s not the border wall, it’s this gate that is in question.”

Later that evening, Kolfage tweeted an announcement that a deal had been reached with the IBWC and that the gate was now closed. Kuczmanski initially disputed this, telling Yahoo News that the commissioner had consulted with the IBWC’s security team and made the decision to temporarily close the gate at night and reopen it pending a long-term resolution.

“We didn’t talk to them about this, we just didn’t,” Kuczmanski said of Kolfage’s group. Kolfage insisted that the two sides had been in communication “from day one.”

Shortly after speaking to Kolfage, Yahoo News received an email from Kuczmanski that read: “I was just informed the lawyers have been in daily contact with us and are being very cooperative. Please clarify this in any story.”

Kuczmanski declined to provide any additional information and has not responded to multiple follow-up calls and messages in the weeks since.

“It’s infuriating. It really makes one lose faith in government,” said Kevin Bixby, executive director of the Southwest Environmental Center. “You assume the rules apply to everyone equally.”

Bixby said that his organization, which opposes both private and federal construction of new border barriers because of potential harm to wildlife, has worked with the IBWC for 20 years on ecological restoration projects on the border.

“Let me tell you, they won’t let you plant a tree without getting a permit,” he said. “It’s frustrating, but we work with them.”

The Southwest Environmental Center, along with the American Civil Liberties Union, has denounced We Build the Wall’s aggressive tactics and called on the IBWC to deny its pending permit application and remove the gate.

In addition to a number of federal environmental laws that may have been violated by failing to go through the required permit process, both groups decry the fact that the gate’s location also blocks public access to Monument One, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Kolfage sarcastically refers to Monument One as “Yellowstone National Park,” insisting no one goes there. But more than just an international boundary marker, the white obelisk and the small park surrounding it, which also includes a preserved adobe house and tributes toMexican history, have long served as an important meeting place for friends and family from both sides of the border, and a popular destination for school field trips.

For Sunland Park City Council member Olga Nuñez, the park is where her family would celebrate Easter with relatives in Juarez who didn’t have a visa to cross the border.

Even as Bannon and Kolfage were kicking off the first day of their live-streamed Wall-a-Thon, multiple groups could be seen through the steel bollards coming from Juarez to take photos in front of the historic boundary marker, the new private wall looming large in the backdrop.

“Building a massive steel gate on federal land without proper permits is illegal and arrogant behavior,” said Shaw Drake, policy counsel at the ACLU’s Border Rights Center. “If we allow this kind of lawless behavior to stand, it will set a dangerous precedent for the future that we cannot afford.”

For many in Sunland Park, the potential precedent set by We Build the Wall’s actions is the subject of far more concern than the steel bollards themselves.

“Right now, it’s just a wall. After that? I don’t know,” said Perea. “Which law are we going to be OK with violating [next] to do what a specific group wants to do?”

The mayor pointed out that back in April, Sunland Park drew national media attention as the home base of an armed militia group that had been posting videos on social media that appeared to show members detaining groups of migrant families at gunpoint and turning them over to the Border Patrol.

Though Kolfage and others have denied adirect affiliation, a number of news outlets have noted apparent connections between We Build the Wall and members of the militia group, who had previously been operating on Union Pacific railroad property on the other side of Mount Cristo Rey from the American Eagle Brick Co.

“When we came down here, that’s how we crossed paths with them,” Kolfage acknowledged.

The self-described “volunteer patriots” were evicted from that spot in April, after reports of their activities drew outrage and their founder was arrested on an unrelated federal weapons charge, and have since changed their name from the United Constitutional Patriots to Guardian Patriots.

In the days and weeks since the wall went up, members of the group have been seen at the site of the private border wall, including Guardian Patriots spokesman Jim Benvie, who has posted numerous widely viewed videos and live-streams from the American Eagle property on his Facebook page.

Days before the Wall-a-Thon, Benvie was arrested on two federal charges of impersonating a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

“The government is enabling that,” Kolfage said when asked about Benvie’s recent arrest. “If we had border security, we wouldn't have these issues of people coming across the border, and then our citizens trying to act.”

In stark contrast to the inflammatory and politically polarizing tone of his social media posts, Kolfage said he supports a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, expressed sympathy for asylum seekers and insisted that a real solution to the border crisis requires “politicians coming together in the middle as they’re elected to do, to get the job done.”

After speaking to Yahoo News for nearly an hour, Kolfage offered a surprising conclusion: “The wall is not the solution” to the current crisis on the border.

“It does nothing to solve the problem,” he continued. “It alleviates it for a little bit, but it doesn’t solve it.”

The next afternoon, as Kolfage and Bannon were bracing for a second day of fundraising in 100-degree heat, almost 3 milesfrom the private border wall,a group of migrants, including at least three or four small children, were seen standing beside a white U.S. Border Patrol truck on the shoulder of a busy road near Sunland Park City Hall.

Ohio Doomed & Stoned Fest

 ~Doomed & Stoned Festival Scrapbook~ 

Words by Dan Simone   |   Films by Scott Goldy of Project Concert 150

The inaugural Ohio Doomed and Stoned Fest took place over two hot and heavy days in July at the Buzzbin Art & Music Shop in beautiful downtown Canton, Ohio, and it was a blast!   24 heavy bands from Ohio and the surrounding region came together and just fucking rocked out. I was asked to do a year-end review as the lead organizer of the fest and I gotta admit, my recollections are a bit hazy. It was six months ago, after all, so while my memories may be lacking in specificity. I can assure you of this, however: while I began the first day stressed-out and more than a little bit scared of the many little things that could go wrong when coordinating so many people into something coherent and successful, it was so fucking worth it.

DAY ONE

Saturday, July 21st, was a pretty nice day, all things considered. Sunny and warm, with a threat of rain in the forecast, but we had planned for that with tarps and pavilions galore. A couple of the bands got to the Buzzbin right around the same time as me and though I didn't really know these guys well at the time, they immediately volunteered to help with the final preparations. I mention this to make a point about the heavy music scene here in Ohio. Everyone's just cool. It's something we love about our scene here. There really isn't much bullshit. Everyone involved just wants to make a bunch of really awesome music and play it really loud for everyone else.

Doomed & Stoned in Ohio by Doomed & Stoned

Anyway, got everything set up. Killer. We had two stages set up to run in 30-minute time slots, one stage inside and one outside (hence my concern about the rain). While band "A" played on one stage, band "B" set up and soundchecked so they'd be ready to go as soon as band "A" was done. Day One had 14 bands scheduled to play and for the first few acts I was running around like crazy making sure that everything was going well and everyone knew where to be when. Monastery from Cleveland started things off on the inside stage, nice and hazy and we were off!

God's Grave by Monastery

OctoSkull #1: Original Soundtrack by Doom Christ

Ascension by Cult Of Sorrow

Acceptable Level of Misery by DeathCrawl

Red Sky EP by Black Spirit Crown

Somewhere Out Among the Stars is Home by Matter of Planets

Tria by Night Goat

Dumb enough to care by Enhailer

Kali Yuga by Maharaja

International House of Mancakes by Bridesmaid

PALE GREY LORE by PALE GREY LORE

Astrological Passages by Weed Demon

Dead Seeds, Barren Soil by Horseburner

Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2 by Howling Giant

You guys, it was fucking great! The bands were on point, the fans were way in to it, the taco truck was selling grilled cheese sandwiches, and once we played and I settled down a bit, I was in heaven. Everywhere I turned my pals were having a great time. Someone brought in a bunch of ferns in hanging baskets and hung them around the outside stage, and then there were running fern battles throughout the rest of the evening.

Official Sponsor: EarthQuaker Devices

DAY TWO

Sunday, July 22nd dawned nice and sunny as well. My brother and I bummed around downtown Canton, which isn't particularly lively on a Sunday morning. There was some parade - we never really found out why - but we found our way around and had some food and drinks and girded our loins for what was sure to be another adventure of a day...and boy was it!

By the time we got to Buzzbin to start getting everything back in order, it was obvious that we weren't going to get a repeat of Saturday's perfectly beautiful sunny summer weather. The rain started misting down before Reflex Machine, our fist band of the day, even started inside. That was ok, as I said before we had pavilions and tarps set up all over outside, and the stage was covered on three sides.

Then the wind started blowing -- right in to the face of the stage. We delayed our second band, Urns from Pittsburgh, to see if it would blow over. The rain slackened enough that they were able to set up and play safely, if slightly damp, but it was obvious that it was only going to get worse. So we improvised! In a stunning display of Stoner Teamwork, we cleared the entire second stage area of all gear and transferred it inside, P.A. and all, in about 5 minutes. In another 10, we had recreated the outside stage and set it up perpendicular to the main stage. It got a little tight, but it worked and the show went on!

Reflex Machine/Ghost Embryo Split by Reflex Machine, Ghost Embryo

Borrowed Light by Sweaty Mammoth

Amps. Anecdotes. Annihilation. by supercorrupter

Good As Evil by BlackWater

BY GOD by goosed

Deny Everything by Contra

Abandoned by Pillärs

VI by Close The Hatch

Another Way to Fly by Silent Monolith

So there you have it, my recollections of the Ohio Doomed and Stoned Fest. I probably could've gone in to detail about each band's act, but I honestly missed several while dealing with behind the scenes stuff. The bands I saw were fantastic, as they always are, and judging by what I heard about the ones I missed, they were, as well. All-in-all, the festival was a total blast and we're very excited for Ohio Doomed and Stoned Fest II coming in July 2019. Stay tuned for details!

DOCUMENTS REVEAL ERIK PRINCE'S $10 BILLION PLAN TO MAKE WEAPONS AND CREATE A PRIVATE ARMY IN UKRAINE

DOCUMENTS REVEAL ERIK PRINCE’S $10 BILLION PLAN TO MAKE WEAPONS AND CREATE A PRIVATE ARMY IN UKRAINE

Simon Shuster Erik Prince, then-chairman of the Prince Group LLC and Blackwater USA, testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in 2007. On the second night of his visit to Kyiv, Erik Prince had a dinner date on his agenda. A few of his Ukrainian associates had arranged to meet the American billionaire at the Vodka Grill that evening, Feb. 23,…

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