31 Days of Horror Results. (I Drop Several F-Bombs. For Emphasis! I'm Not Sorry! Okay, maybe a little sorry...)

 It's not thirty-one days. I do know how to count. I just was not in a great place mentally to follow a schedule for something that was supposed to be fun. ^-^ And I stand by that decision.

This month I watched fourteen movies, one youtube musical, and two (almost two) shows. 

1. The Midnight Club (Netflix)
2. Howl (Shudder)
3. Saw (Hulu)
4. Werewolf By Night (Hulu)
5. Ginger Snaps (Shudder)
6. StageFright (Shudder)
7. Stage Fright (2014) (Tubi)
8. Hell House LLC (Shudder)
9. Alien (Hulu)
10. The Babadook (Hulu)
11. Bloody Hell (Shudder)
12. Dog Soldiers (Shudder)
13. Slotherhouse (Hulu)
14. One Cut of the Dead (Shudder)
15. The Angry Black Girl and her Monster (Shudder)
16. Goosebumps (2023) (Hulu)
17. Nerdy Prudes Must Die (Youtube. Team Starkid)

WARNING: Some of these movies contain material that is not suitable for younger audience, or certain triggers. I would suggest using your discretion and the internet when deciding whether or not you will be watching these movies.

How am I going to rank them?

Similarly to last year, I will be ranking things based on a point system and judging on different categories. The choices I make are based only on my taste. This year I will be using some of the same ones from last year, along with some new ones. I will be using the following categories here.

• Most Enjoyable
• The Protagonist(s)
• The Final Girl/Guy
• The Supporting Characters
• The Antagonist(s) 
• The Killers 
• The Story
• The Kills 
• The Most Painful Deaths (to me)
• Most Satisfying Death
• Best Performance
• Scariest 
• Best Scream
• Funniest
• Best Ensemble Cast

Points will be assigned as follows. (I will probably change this for one or two categories today, and I will make sure to make it clear how many slots I am doing for each category if I am not doing five.

1.  First: 5 points
2.  Second: 4 points
3.  Third: 3 points
4.  Fourth: 2 points
5.  Fifth: 1 point
6.  Honorable Mention: Half a point. Because some of these movies had great qualities. 

Yeah. So how I handed out the points is listed, and I will show how many points each got, but other than that, I will only be sharing some general thoughts about each category. I am sticking to only the highlights! 

Spoilers Abound Below!
Read on at your own risk! 

• Most Enjoyable -- Slotherhouse 
• I had so many good options for this category, like Nerdy Prudes Must Die and Dog Soldiers! However, I went with Slotherhouse because there wasn't a moment where I didn't have a smile on my face. It was absurd and silly and I absolutely loved it. 
• Best Protagonists -- Isaiah, Margot, James, Isabella, Lucas (Goosebumps)
• This was an easier decision, as I had my top three choices as the two tv shows, and the one stage musical. However, these five are all main characters who I actually enjoy despite any misgivings about their characters. I love the Midnight Club and Steph and Peter, but these five are a good group and they jive well together. 
• Best Final Girl -- Ellen Ripley (Alien)
• This is the correct choice out of all of the final girls on my list. She is the best. It says something that they movie would have been much shorter if the other characters had listened to her. I will say, the only strong competition she would have had on my list were the Final Guy and Brigette from Ginger Snaps. 
• Best Final Guy -- Cooper (Dog Soldiers)
• I am very partial to final guys (see previous attempts where Dwayne from Death Drop Gorgeous has made my list.) But Cooper really takes the reins in the fight against the werewolves, proving himself to be more than capable as a soldier and as a final guy. 
• Best Supporting Character -- Ms. Mayflower (Slotherhouse)
• There was no contest here. Never have I laughed more than when Ms. Mayflower was on screen in Slotherhouse. She was a hoot and a half, and really made me smile. 
• Best Antagonists -- Those Fucking Clowns (Hell House LLC)
• Another category where there wasn't much of a contest. I mean, yeah Slappy the Dummy and the Babadook are iconic and bone-chilling antagonists. But fucking clowns!? The clowns were the worst. 
• Best Killer -- Ginger (Ginger Snaps)
• Jennifer Check could never kill the way Ginger did. Ginger was cunning, ruthless, and just sympathic enough where she could lull you into a sense of security before she rips your throat out. The Xenomorph and Irving Wallace from Stagefright were on my list as well. 
• Best Story -- Hell House LLC 
• There were quite a few amazing movies as far as stories go. The Babadook, Midnight Club, and The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster were both well-told stories that made me think and feel things. But Hell House LLC mashed the story with so many well placed scares that I just had to pick this movie. 
• Best Death -- Any major character in Dog Soldiers. 
• The practical effects in this movie were something else. Each kill was remarkably bloody and gory, to the point that I was in awe of the filmmakers genius. The practical effects mixed with how well-developed some of the characters ended up made each death hit a lot harder. Sam from Ginger Snaps and Kane from Alien were also on this list. 
• Most Painful Death (For Me) -- Anya (Midnight Club)
• Ruth Codd is one of my favorite actors that I got to watch do their work in October. Anya was sympathetic and likeable, despite being a stone-cold bitch. The idea of death in this show is always looming in the background for these terminally ill young adults, but the way she goes is just so tragic and the show tries to pull some strings to make it hurt more when you realize what is going on. 
• Most Satisfying Death -- Artie (Stage Fright 2014)
• Hey. Musical Theater people. This guy deserved the way he died because he tried exploiting an actress to sleep with him so she could get a role! Fuck Artie. 
• Best Performance (Lead) -- Ruth Codd (Midnight Club)
• Ruth Codd. I have already said how much I liked her and Anya. She beat out Sigourney Weaver.
• Best Performance (Supporting) -- Tiff Stevenson (Slotherhouse)
• I have also shared my love for the character Ms. Mayflower. This character was such a delight! Angela Giarratana of Smosh and Starkid is  also on this list for her role as Grace Chastity, as is Sean Pertwee for his role in Dog Soldiers.
• Scariest -- Hell House LLC
• This movie was very scary. Easily the most scary on this list. 
• Best Scream -- Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell (Saw) 
• A good scream in a horror movie will be remembered forever, just like the scene in Saw where Doctor Gordon saws his own leg off. The screams from both actors in that bathroom were just so good. 
• Funniest -- Slotherhouse
• Dude. I already mentioned how much this movie had me dying of laughter. The two horror musicals were pretty funny, but this one was the funniest. 
• Best Cast -- Nerdy Prudes Must Die
• Team Starkid is wonderful. I have already started watching the other Hatchetfield musicals (plus the Nightmare Time content on Youtube) and the cast does such an amazing job. It still baffles me how multiple cast member are able to play more than one character. Every member of the cast plays at least two or three characters, and it's astounding. Plus, they're all really funny and great performers. 

FINAL RANKING

1. Dog Soldiers                                                           28.5 Points
2. Alien                                                                       25 Points
3. Nerdy Prudes Must Die                                        22.5 Points 
4. Ginger Snaps                                                         22 Points
5. Slotherhouse                                                          21 Points
6. Saw                                                                         20 Points
7. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster            15 Points
8. Hell House LLC                                                    15 Points
9. Midnight Club                                                      14.5 Points 
10. Goosebumps                                                         12.5 Points
11. Stage Fright 2014                                                 11.5 Points
12. Stagefright                                                            10 Points
13. Howl                                                                      7 Points
14. Babadook                                                              6.5 Points
15. Werewolf By Night                                               3.5 Points
16. One Cut of The Dead                                           3 Points
17. Bloody Hell                                                           0 Points

Best take away from this ranking is that furries know what they're talking about. I loved Dog Soldiers. And there it is on top of my list. All of these movies are available to watch online. Check them out if you're in the mood for horror. (Or if you want to laugh a bit Slotherhouse, Stage Fright (2014), and Nerdy Prudes Must Die are really funny. Did I already mention that?)

Update (Featuring some Happy Howlidays promotion at the end! :D)

 Hey all! :) 

Horror Movie Month went pretty great! I have some new favorites that I will be watching over and over till I hate them. Didn't watch all thirty one because of mental health reasons. I was thinking as I was going down the list, Damn. This is starting to feel more like a chore than a fun little movie watching challenge. 

The whole purpose of the movie month was to expose myself to new horror movies and have fun. So when the fun started to dry up, I just said "Forget the list!" and started watching whatever the hell I wanted. (I got into Starkid! Nerdy Prudes Must Die is fantastic.)

That being said, you won't see a full run-down of my thoughts and rankings. You will see a final tally and the organized list based on the point rankings I come up with. But that will be at my leisure and not something I am rushing to do at this time. (I may do a small post recommending my favorites from October? Who knows?)

Besides, these next few months are going to be busy. I have my anthology slushpile and edits to start working on, and I have a collection I am working on fixing up to so I can get it published! I am also working on stories for future anthologies/collections, should they be needed. 

I am also the DM for a party of four, one of whom is guiding me on this DnD adventure! So I will be dedicating time to planning and reading.

(Lots of reading happening in December.)

Hmm, I am trying to think of any other updates I have. I am not sure there are any yet. 

However, as it is close to the holiday season, specifically the winter holiday season, why not indulge in some short, sweet holiday stories and go pick up a copy of Happy Howlidays! Happy Howlidays is the flash fiction anthology (edited by yours truly) that features stories from seventeen different authors. There are stories that feature the Christmas Holiday, Epiphany, the Winter Solstice, and even an Accidental Hanukkah! 

My story "Tinsel's Town" is featured, along with stories written by Cyrano, Field T. Mouse, Thomas "Faux" Steele, Rob MacWolf, Malina Douglas, Melissa Theys, Frances Pauli, Nenekiri Bookwyrm, Renee Carter Hall, Sarah Doeberiner, K.C. Shaw, Packwolf Lupestripe, Sofox, R.C. Capasso, Yarrow, and Ziegenbock! 

Seriously, the anthology was so fun to work on, and I loved being able to work with these authors on their stories. I highly recommend picking up a copy and reading these stories for yourself. 

https://thurstonhowlpub.storenvy.com/products/36440494-happy-howlidays-a-furry-flash-fiction-christmas-anthology

Okay! Till next time. 

31 Days of Horror (October 2023)

 It's been a hard choice, but I have gathered the intel
(And have not messed with the results at all >.> Nope. Not at all!)

Day 2: Lights Out (On Hulu)

Day 3: Saw (On Hulu)

Day 4: Werewolf By Night (On Hulu)

Day 5: Ginger Snaps (On Shudder)

Day 6: StageFright (On Shudder)

Day 7: StageFright 2014 (On Tubi)

Day 8: Hell House LLC (On Shudder)

Day 9: Alien (On Hulu)

Day 10: Aliens (On Hulu)

Day 11: Babadook (On Shudder)

Day 12: Bloody Hell (On Shudder)

Day 13: Dog Soldiers (On Hulu)

Day 14: One Cut Of The Dead (On Shudder)

Day 15: The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (On Shudder)

Day 16: Day Color Out of Space (On Shudder)

Day 17: Hatchet (On Tubi)

Day 18: The Vigil (On Shudder)

Day 19: Chopping Mall (On Tubi)

Day 20: The Gay Bed and Breakfast of Terror (On Tubi)

Day 21: Prom Night (On Shudder)

Day 22: Metamorphosis (On Shudder)

Day 23: Prey (On Hulu)

Day 24: Boys from County Hell (On Shudder)

Day 25: Bone Tomahawk (On Tubi)

Day 26: The Exorcism of Emily Rose (On Hulu)

Day 27: Mandy (On Shudder)

Day 28: Evil Dead (2013) (On Hulu)

Day 29: Werewolves Within (On Hulu)

Day 30: Watcher (On Shudder)

Day 31: The Final Rose (On Tubi)

Updates on me. ^-^

Hey everyone.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their summer. I know I am. 

I wanted to give some updates on how things are here. Keep in mind, I am super scatterbrained. This was written over the span of two weeks. 

I have not had a job since the end of the school year. Fortunately, things are still pretty good. I applied to be a real teacher at the local high school and did not get either job. (More news on this further down in the post! :D) I am excited to see if this next work season (the school year) will bring anything new for me.

Speaking of new things for me, I am working on a personal project that I am almost ready to put through the grinds of publishing. I am working on editing a selection of some of the short stories I have written over the past five or six years. I am hoping I can gather these stories and publish them as a collection. It will hopefully include some of the work I have published, with some major modifications to reflect my original intentions and my current writing style, and some newer work.  

It's a huge step I want to take to share more of my stories with my audience. As of right now, I am still determining what the collection would be called. But I am always thinking about it.

I have a prospective list of stories I want to include in the collection. 

• "Nightmare at Elmwood College" (Originally published in "Slashers)
• "Sacrifice" (Originally published in "Awoo, Who's This?")
• "The Manager Bites Back" (Originally published as "Zombies (And Werewolves) Hate Karens" in "The Howling Dead")
• "Werewolf Therapy"
• "Shut Up! The Movie's Starting."
• "Zombies Hate To See You Cry"
• "Covet Thy Neighbor's Garden"
• And possibly one or two others that I am not done with.

I also have been watching a few horror movies/shows here and there. I have seen some hits and misses. But I did watch them still. I'll probably use them again in a "31 Days of Horror" post.

Other than writing, editing, and straight-up chilling I have had a pretty good summer. I spent a week in New York, saw so many family members, and went to a showing of the Barbie movie. (Yes, I loved it!) There were some bittersweet moments, but I really had a good week there. But that's really everything major that I did. 

Luckily for me, going into the fall months and the new school year, I do have a job lined up for a long-term substitute position that could last me the whole year. I am very excited and have my fingers crossed that it will go so well for me.

Anyway, that's all for now. With Twitter's fiery descent into madness, I may be doing stuff here more often! :D So yay!

Results of my horror watch-a-thon! :D (THERE WILL BE SPOILERS HERE. AVOID IF YOU WISH TO NOT BE SPOILED.

31 Scary Movies in March has come to an end. Out of the thirty-one days in March, I watched a total of twenty-one films. While this is still not quite the magic thirty-one I was looking for, I am proud to say that I watched ten more movies than I did back in October. (Eleven if you count the unfinished watch I did of The Sadness.) I am not too upset about being ten off from my goal. This month-long endeavor, and this post, is just for fun. 

Since March was the month of my birthday, I decided to mix my watches between films I have not yet seen, and films I have seen. I think doing this helped me quite a bit with keeping up with all of the movies on my list. Now the list I had made at the beginning of the month is way different than the list I have right now, and not all of the movies I watched were on either list. 

The Movies I Watched This Month!

1. Grave Encounters (Watched on Shudder)
2. It Follows (Watched on Netflix) *
3. Prom Night (2008 Remake) (Watched on HBO Max)
4. Piggy (Watched on Hulu) *
5. Triangle (Watched on Shudder)
6. Deadstream (Watched on Shudder)
   
7. Train to Busan (Watched on Shudder)
8. Death Drop Gorgeous (Watched on Shudder) *
9. Scream VI (Watched in theatres upon release!) 
10. Barbarian (Watched on HBO Max)
11. The Menu (Watched on HBO Max)
12. Open 24 Hours (Watched on Shudder)
13. The Cleansing Hour (Watched on Shudder) *
14. Glorious (Watched on Shudder) *
15. Pure (Of Hulu's Into the Dark series) (Watched on Hulu)
16. Jennifer's Body (Watched on HBO Max) *
17. Slash/Back (Watched on Shudder)
18. Scare Me (Watched on Shudder)
19. Superhost (Watched on Shudder) 
20. Nope (Watched on Amazon Prime)
21. Night of the Living Dead (The 1968 Original) (Watched on Shudder)

WARNING: Some of these movies contain material that is not suitable for younger audience, or certain triggers. I would suggest using your discretion and the internet when deciding whether or not you will be watching these movies. Asterisks will be by ones that are explicitly 18+ in the area of sexual/sensual content. If I miss any, let me know. These are just the ones I remember. 

How am I going to rank them?

Similarly to last year, I will be ranking things based on a point system and judging on different categories. The choices I make are based only on my taste. This year I will be using some of the same ones from last year, along with some new ones. I will be using the following categories here.

• Most Enjoyable First Watch
• Most Enjoyable Rewatch
• The Protagonist(s)
• The Final Girl/Guy
• The Supporting Characters
• The Antagonist(s) 
• The Killers 
• The Story
• The Kills 
• The Most Painful Deaths (to me)
• Most Satisfying Death
• Best Performance
• Scariest 
• Best Scream

Points will be assigned as follows. (I will probably change this for one or two categories today, and I will make sure to make it clear how many slots I am doing for each category if I am not doing five.

•  First: 5 points
•  Second: 4 points
•  Third: 3 points
•  Fourth: 2 points
•  Fifth: 1 point
•  Honorable Mention: Half a point. Because some of these movies had great qualities. 

If you choose to proceed, there will be spoilers for these movies! If you wish to watch some of them and come back later, this would be a wonderful place to stop. 

Most Enjoyable First Watch

While I always love watching movies I have seen over and over again, but there's nothing wrong with watching new movies. It's a harrowing, sometimes scary experience that is elevated when you do not know what you're getting yourself into. These are the movies I most enjoyed watching for the first time. This one was VERY hard to pick. 

1. Deadstream - Youtube celebrity tries to face fears and faces the consequences.
2. Scream VI - This Ghostface was something different, for sure!
3. Jennifer's Body - High school teenager becomes a literal demonic maneater. 
4. Train to Busan - The zombie apocalypse brings out the best and the worst of the passengers of a train in Korea. 
5. Grave Encounters - A mockumentary film showing a tv show's crew spending the night locked in a very haunted asylum. 
6. Honorable Mention: Scare Me - Two authors, both on a retreat, come together after the power fails to tell scary stories.

These were all such great movies. It really hurt to cut some of the other choices I had in this category. And the placements themselves were pretty hard too. But I made the decision and I am pretty confident in my choices.

Most Enjoyable Rewatch

Rewatching movies is something I do all of the time. Some of these movies on my list, I have seen four or five times already! These are movies that I watched, that I still enjoy just as much as the first time I watched them.

1. Superhost - Youtube Reviewers stay in an Airbnb with a quirky, sinister Superhost. She needs the five stars!
2. The Menu - A chef invites a group of patrons to his exclusive, expensive restaurant to experience and partake in his menu.
3. Barbarian - A young woman goes to her Airbnb in an abandoned dark neighborhood, only to find that there's already someone staying there. 
4. Open 24 Hours - A young woman, eager to escape the ghosts in her mind and of her past, takes a graveyard shift at a gas station. 
5. Triangle - After a storm capsizes their sailboat, five friends board an abandoned cruiseliner, only for them to get picked off one by one. 
   
6. Honorable Mention: Death Drop Gorgeous - A dejected bartender and an aging drag queen try to survive a corrupt city, while young gay men are turning up dead all around town, drained of all their blood. 

All of these movies are really good. I picked most of these at the beginning of the month because I knew I loved them all. And I would watch them all again!

Best Protagonists

The protagonist is the key to any good horror movie. You have an unlikeable protagonist, you will probably have a hard time getting people to care about what happens to them in the movie. There's not as much I need to say here as I did this category last year. 

1. Ben -- Night of the Living Dead -- The first ever black protagonist in a horror movie.
2. Seok-Woo -- Train to Busan -- A bad father turned self-sacrificing hero!
3. Shawn -- Deadstream
4. Jay -- It Follows -- Resourceful, smart, played by Maika Monroe. Like seriously, what else could you ask for. 
5. Teddy and Claire -- Superhost  --  Struggling Youtubers both looking to bring life back to their dead channel (and their relationship.)
6. Honorable Mention: Fred and Fanny -- Scare Me -- Two writers, both with a case of that green monster... 

These were my favorites out of the non-final girls/guys crew. They were the main characters that stuck with me the most. 

Best Final Girls/Guys

The Final Girl or Guy trope in horror usually applies to people who survive a massacre. However, there is more. Final Girls/Guys need to be able to fight back against their attackers, outsmart them in some way, or ultimately kill them. The point is, they survive.

1. Needy -- Jennifer's Body -- Cute, smart, gets her weapons from Home Depot. 
2. Margot/Erin -- The Menu --  Fast thinking, good with her words.
3. Sam and Tara -- Scream VI -- Two sisters who fought hard to get to the end credits. 
4. Mary -- Open 24 Hours -- She, in fact, did NOT like to watch, JAMES.
5. Dwayne -- Death Drop Gorgeous -- The likable bartender. Looks good splattered with blood. 
6. Honorable Mentions -- Jess -- Triangle -- A woman who shows up with no memory and a heck of a headache. Very resourceful, good at improvising.

As you can see, more spaces and different movies leave our two tops from this category in October's review at fourth and fifth respectively. (I still adore Mary and Dwayne though. One hundred percent.)

 

Best Supporting Characters

 They're around to be with the main character when things get bumpy (and if it's a slasher... they may end up cushioning the body count.) However, when done right, these characters can be likeable, loveable even. These characters are characters who are not top-billed, but they still make you feel like they should have been. At least, that's how I see it.

1. Any of the major supporting characters could fit here. -- Scream VI -- They have to be good if I can't single out one performance I loved without changing my answer twenty times. 
2. Sang-Hwa, Seong-kyeong, Soo-An, Min Yong-guk, and Jin-Hee -- Train to Busan -- Another movie with a great ensemble cast! Like seriously, I loved each of these characters so much. 
3. Paul -- It Follows -- He sacrificed his safety to make sure the girl he liked was safe. The man is a hero. 
4. Elsa -- The Menu -- Cool, collected, sharp-tongued. Like, I have always wanted to say "No" to a customer!
5. Drew -- The Cleansing Hour -- It's Kyle Gallner! But seriously, he was such a good character with a huge stake in what happened to the other characters.
6. Honorable Mention -- Bobby -- Open 24 Hours -- The emotional center for the main character in this movie. He put her, and me as the audience at ease whenever he was on-screen. 

This category was so f*cking hard. That's literally all I can say. I enjoyed so many of these side characters. It's a shame I couldn't display more of them. But it is what it is. 

Best Antagonists

This category is for the bad guys who didn't do a whole lot of killing per say. (There is one exception.) They were just evil, and sometimes not actually ghosts or monsters (in the physical appearance sense.)

1. The Demon -- The Cleansing Hour -- It did what it needed to do. (And won?)
2. Chef Slowik -- The Menu -- You know it's bad when the bad guy kinda has a point. 
3. The Spirits -- Grave Encounters -- They were ruthless to this film crew. Plus, LOBOTOMY MAN!
4. Mildred -- Deadstream -- She literally did everything she did to torture Shawn and make sure he never left. And honestly, slay. 
5. Mother -- Barbarian -- She wasn't even really evil! She's just a misunderstood person created in horrible circumstances. But she's also responsible for kidnapping and death. 
6. Honorable mention -- The Entity -- It Follows -- It's just walking there... MENACINGLY. No joke, it will kill though.

No follow-up here. I pretty much said all I needed to.

Best Killers

These are the people/monsters that slashed their way through a cast of characters! They're bloody, they're messy. But you can't just look away from the screen. 

1. Rebecca -- Superhost -- Gracie Gillam's unhinged performance makes this character that much more intense and unnerving. 
2. Jennifer -- Jennifer's Body -- Megan Fox's villain is just a teenage girl who wants to stay beautiful and relevant. And the demon wants some yummy, yummy men to munch. 
3. Gloria Hole -- Death Drop Gorgeous -- You can't grow out of style if you're young and pretty forever. Those twinks don't need their blood. 
4. Jess -- Triangle -- Melissa George's young mother has great motivation as both a final girl trying to survive a time loop, and a ruthless killer trying to end it so she can get home to her son. 
5. Ghostface -- Scream VI  -- While Ghostface was more intense this time around, there are few things that put it below these others for me. 
6. Honorable (Not) Mention -- James -- Open 24 Hours -- This man made his girlfriend watch him commit awful murders and got her put in jail as an accessory. Ew. 

Best Story

The story of the movie needs to be interesting and easy to follow, otherwise, people will have a harder time enjoying it. Here are the top six movies that had stories a furry with ADHD could easily follow!

1. Train to Busan -- Showing humanity at its best and at its worst amid disaster. 
2. It Follows -- The whole story is a metaphor. 
3. Scare Me -- Not all stories have to be complex and layered. This is just a story of two writers and some creeping jealousy starts to eat at them both as they share stories with one another. And it's camp!
4. Night of the Living Dead -- A classic story that was a turning point for the zombie genre, and put a black man in a leading role! 
5. Glorious -- A story that starts as a loose thread that slowly gets woven together as you learn more and more about the character and the situations that led him there. 
6. Honorable Mention -- Triangle -- A clever twist on a beloved trope made famous by Groundhog Day, with a devastating payoff...

This was a hard choice to make here because I really liked a lot of them. Organizing and ranking these six was hard enough. But I did have to cut three other fantastic films.

Best Kills 

I have three categories based on the kills in these movies. The best kills in horror movies are the ones that shock you, gross you out, or leave you in awe of the film's practical/digital effects. Something that may not be a straight-up stabbing or shooting. This category will share sort of what happens to the characters without being too graphic. Maybe a catchphrase or a vague description. Because some of these were... yeah...

1. Anika -- Scream VI -- The Ladder Sequence
2. Racist Gay Homophobe -- Death Drop Gorgeous -- The Gloryhole one.  
3. El Desconocido -- Piggy -- Neck bites and gut wounds.
4. Chris -- The Cleansing Hour -- "Don't Do Drugs, Kids." The only advice I would take from a demon.
5. Max -- Grave Encounters -- A tumble down an elevator shaft.
6. Honorable Mention -- Jupiter's Claim Attendees -- Nope -- They all got eaten. The effects for this mass killing were all practical. 

Most Painful Death (For me.)

Characters die in movies, specifically horror movies. Even the ones you pray will escape. These are the characters I really wanted to get out alive, or whose death had a huge emotional impact on me.

1. Any Major Character Death that wasn't Yon-suk -- Train To Busan -- This movie really came for the audience's heartstrings. I couldn't pick between all of the huge emotional character deaths. 
2. Anika -- Scream VI -- She was clinging on for her life, and I was right there like "No. NO!"
3. Ben -- Night of the Living Dead -- A case of mistaken identity... 
4. Lacey -- Pure -- Religious and emotional trauma got the best of her... It really hurt to see her resort to her fate.
5. Lisa -- Prom Night (2008 Remake) -- That prom storyline had me rooting for her! Plus, I liked her. The movie was kinda meh, but I was rooting for her!
6. Honorable Mention -- Bobby -- Open 24 Hours -- This one hurt, because we were right there with Mary as she warmed up to him. 

It always had to come down to these six. I was too emotionally invested...

Most Satisfying Death.

This one is for the characters you really wanted to see die, and it paid off. They got what they deserved. 

1. Ethan -- Scream VI -- The Tara/Kirby combo. Also "Now die a FUCKING virgin!" 
2. All of the passengers who locked the survivors out of the train car -- Train to Busan -- Jong-gil watched as they indirectly caused her sister's death. They had it coming. 
3. Wes -- Glorious -- Even though we follow him for the whole film, I feel a sense of justice when he gets offed.
4. El Desconocido -- Piggy -- Sara went full beast mode on him. 
5. AJ -- Barbarian --  Actions have consequences, AJ.
6. Honorable Mention -- All of Low Shoulder -- Jennifer's Body -- They got to reap the benefits of starting a fire in a small bar AND killing a teenage girl for Satan. Plus, Adam Brody made them easier to hate!

Best Performance

This category will cover leads and supporting cast in separate categories. Movies will only be able to be in one category or the other. 

For Leads

1. Amanda Seyfried -- Jennifer's Body -- One of her best performances ever!
2. Duane Jones -- Night of the Living Dead -- A strong presence on-screen.
3. Melissa Barrera -- Scream VI -- She saw the fans' hatred and came back with something to prove. 
4. Anya Taylor-Joy -- The Menu -- Feminine RAGE. 
5. Ryan Kwanten -- Glorious -- Making us sympathize with him til the wool was slowly pulled from our eyes. 
6. Honorable Mention -- Joseph Winter -- Deadstream -- Had the youtuber personality down. Really sold me on his character.

For Supporting Cast

1. Gracie Gillam -- Superhost  -- Delightfully deranged as Rebecca. 
2. Alix Angelis (Physical Actor) and Tara Karsian (Voice Actor) -- The Cleansing Hour -- They were two sides of the same character. The Demon was the center of attention for most of the film.
3. Justin Long -- Barbarian -- Justin Long goes outside of his normal character range to play a dirtbag. And he does it well!
4. Keke Palmer -- Nope -- Keke's performance was fantastic. I love her energy on-screen. 
5. Chris Redd -- Scare Me -- Chris Redd was easily one of my favorite parts of this movie. He was just so silly and honestly seemed to be enjoying himself.
6. Honorable Mention: Idris Elba -- Prom Night -- What were you doing in this movie?! 

Scariest

If you are looking for chilling movies, these six take the cake for the scariest films I watched this month

1. Grave Encounters -- My first found footage film really made me want to never go to a psych ward ever. 
2. Deadstream -- Found footage is just really scary okay!
3. The Cleansing Hour -- The Demon literally did all of this because they could. That sort of power was just used to tease, torture, and ultimately manipulate Max and Drew right into their hand.
4. Pure -- Religious trauma, everyone. The scariest parts are the things that these girls experience at the hands of the dads and youth pastor. Emotional manipulation and belittling.   
5. Glorious -- Two equally not good entities meet to fill their purposes. You end the film realizing you misinterpreted who the monster was. 
6. Honorable Mention -- Scream VI -- Ghostface is intense and scary, and the kills are more unique. But he's no match for our final girls. 

Best Scream

This category was more for fun. I went through the movies looking for my favorite screams. Screams of terror, glee, and the like. 

1. Gracie Gillam  -- Superhost
2. Samara Weaving -- Scream VI
3. Joseph Winter -- Deadstream
4. Ashleigh Gryzko -- Grave Encounters
5. Megan Fox -- Jennifer’s Body
6. Honorable mention: Ryan Kwanten -- Glorious

That's the end of it all. The points took a while to count up. I don't know if anyone will see this. But doing the counting and the watching of the movies sure was a blast! I am excited to try and do this again in October.

The Point-Based Ranking

1. Scream VI
2. Train to Busan
3. Superhost
4. Jennifer's Body
5. Deadstream
6. The Menu
7. The Cleansing Hour
8. Grave Encounters
9. Night of the Living Dead
10. It Follows
11. Death Drop Gorgeous
12. Barbarian
13. Glorious
14. Open 24 Hours
15. Scare Me
16. Pure
17. Triangle 
18. Nope
19. Piggy
20. Prom Night (2008 Remake)
21. Slash/Back

There you have it! This is by no means a most favorite to least favorite list. If it was there would be a few big differences. The list is just like this because that's how the points fell. This was fun. 

Okay! Bye! See you next time I decide to post. ^^

HAPPY HOWLIDAYS!

It's been a long time coming, but I can confidently announce that Happy Howlidays: A Flash Fiction Anthology has been released! This project marks my first anthology as an editor. This means I was the person who read through the submission pile, picked the stories, and helped the authors get them ready to be put to paper. It was an exciting experience, and I cannot wait to get the chance to do it again.

And even though the winter holidays have passed us by, the stories we can tell with the feelings and symbolism of the holidays can be enjoyed year-round. The anthology features stories that tell stories of the holidays. Christmas, the Winter Solstice, Epiphany, and even an accidental Hannukah.

This anthology features stories written by Cyrano, Field T. Mouse, Thomas "Faux" Steele, Rob Macwolf, Malina Douglas, Melissa Theys, Frances Pauli, Nenekiri Bookwyrm, Renee Carter Hall, Sarah Doeberiner, K.C. Shaw, Packwolf Lupestripe, Sofox, R.C. Capasso, Yarrow, Ziegenbock, and myself.

Please make sure you check out this anthology! These authors worked really hard and wrote some amazing stories, and I can't wait for you all to read them! I updated my Works Published page on the sidebar with the name of my piece and linked the entire anthology. 

Nerdy Obsessions. October! My Attempt To Watch One Horror Film a Day! (Spoilers will abound.)

 Hey! Happy November!

If you've been following my Twitter at all, specifically in the beginning of October, you probably already know a bit of what I'll be discussing.

I attempted a sort of October movie challenge, made by myself. I would try to watch thirty-one scary, schlocky, campy horror movies in thirty-one days! And I am saddened to say, I only was able to watch eleven movies (Mostly thanks to Shudder and Netflix!) 

However, I still wanted to do a ranking on all of the movies I was able to watch. 

These are the movies I was able to watch (and where you can find them!)

• October 1st: Vampires vs The Bronx (Netflix) 
• October 2nd: Till Death (Netflix)
• October 3rd: The Sadness (Shudder) *
• October 4th: Terror Train (Shudder)
• October 5th: Open 24 Hours (Shudder)
• October 6th: The Descent (Shudder)
• October 7th: Death Drop Gorgeous (Shudder) 
• October 8th: Girls With Balls (Netflix) 
• October 9th: The Babysitter (Netflix)
• October 10th: The Babysitter: Killer Queen (Netflix)
• October 12th: Slumber Party Massacre (Shudder)

*: Sadly, I was not able to finish this movie as it was way too intense for me. But I would definitely still recommend it based on what I did watch. Unfortunately, it will not be so high on my ranking due to not finishing it. Watch with your own discretion as it is SUPER GOREY. 

How am I going to rank them?

Well, every ranking is usually decided by looking at several different categories. For this, I'll consider each movie in a few different ways, then do a small top-three ranking for each individual category. 

1. Enjoyability
2. The Protagonist(s)
3. The Final Girl/Guy
4. The Antagonist(s) 
5. The Killers 
6. The Kills 
7. The Supporting Characters
8. The Story

Points will be assigned as follows. 

1.  First: 3 points
2.  Second: 2 points
3.  Third: 1 Point
4.  Honorable Mention: Half a point. Because some of these movies had great qualities. 

If you choose to proceed, there will be spoilers for these movies! If you wish to watch some of them and come back later, this would be a wonderful place to stop. 

Enjoyability

This category represents how much I enjoyed watching a movie, and also how likely I would be to watch it again. This was both an easy category, and a hard one. Because I was able to cut out the movies I enjoyed less rather quickly. But the choices I was left with were all really good picks. So here's what I came up with. 

1. Till Death
2. Open 24 Hours 
3. Vampires vs The Bronx
4. Death Drop Gorgeous

Till Death narrowly beats out Open 24 Hours for my top spot, because I remember going into it knowing only the Netflix bio (and that Megan Fox was the lead) and it proceeded to shock and surprise me at almost every turn. It was the perfect home-invasion film that had enough tension and intrigue to keep me glued to the screen. Now while I gave Till Death my top spot, Open 24 Hours is my new favorite slasher movie. The concept is so complex, and the movie makes the reader question their perception of events with the main character. Vampires vs The Bronx was probably the most family-friendly movie on this list, and it doesn't hurt the movie at all. You actively care for the characters and their passion to protect their community. Death Drop Gorgeous beats out The Descent for an Honourable Mention because the twist towards the end of the second act makes me really excited to rewatch it over. 

The Protagonist(s)

You must be wondering "Dude! Protagonists and Final Girls/Guys are usually the same people!" And that's true. This category is for the characters who are protagonists and survived their encounters but in a genre that is not the slasher genre. (As most of the films I watched fall under the slasher genre.)

1. Emma - Til Death
2. Miguel, Bobby, and Luis - Vampires vs The Bronx
3. Sarah - The Descent
4. No Honorable Mention

As these were the only three non-slashers I was able to watch, it came down to who I liked the most. Megan Fox's Emma was a solid character. A woman in an unhappy marriage is forced into an awful situation by her cruel, demented, and very much dead-weight husband. The boys from Vampires vs The Bronx were teens who wanted to protect their community even if it meant they put themselves in danger. Sarah was a badass who suffered major trauma that was all connected to a person she trusted. All of these characters could have fallen anywhere on this list. 

The Final Girl/Guy

The Final Girl has always been a major part of the appeal of a horror movie. People want someone to root for. They want to watch them kick the killer in the butt and get revenge for all of the death they caused. Unfortunately for me, there are some fantastic choices in this category. But I think I came to a solid conclusion. 

1. Mary - Open 24 Hours
2. Dwayne - Drop Dead Gorgeous
3. Valerie - Slumber Party Massacre
4. Alana - Terror Train

I am not going to say too much here, as the first three are such good characters. I will say, that Alana from Terror Train is played by an early Jamie Lee Curtis, so if you want some classic Jamie Lee, go watch Terror Train. 

Antagonist

This is a category for characters who are not the big bad, but still manage to make themselves the bad guy in other ways. 

1. Juno - The Descent
2. Bee - The Babysitter
3. Morgane - Girls With Balls
4. Mark - Till Death

These characters are all in some way demented and twisted. Juno is the worst of the worst. Bee is for sure my favorite antagonist on this list. Samara Weaving is great at playing a cool babysitter who sometimes worships the devil! But she's so chill! And Juno is way worse. As is Morgane, but I like Bee more than Morgane. Mark is Emma's husband. He does some super F*CKED up stuff in this movie (and he's not even alive for over half of it!

Killer

The Killers are usually the main source of trouble in a slasher movie. These are killers that purposely go out of their way to kill as many people as they can. They can also sometimes be creatures, but on this list, they are all people. 

1. Gloria - Death Drop Gorgeous
2. James - Open 24 Hours
3. Bobby Ray - Till Death
4. Russ Thorn - Slumber Party Massacre

The reveal of Gloria being the killer, made me absolutely love Death Drop Gorgeous. A tired old drag queen, killing young gay men to regain her youth? It was everything! James was a complex killer, and whether he is actually around or not, his presence is continuously felt during the movie. Bobby Ray is an interesting one. He's more like a hired killer for Emma's late husband. 

Kills

Kills make a slasher film, and creative kills are what get reactions from an audience. And damn... These are kills that got a reaction out of me.

1. Death Drop Gorgeous - A racist gay homophobe meats a grinder...
2. The Sadness - That ENTIRE TRAIN SCENE and the Hot oil. 
3. Open 24 Hours - Antlers
4. The Babysitter - Max's Deaths in both movies. Yikes.

These were just some of the ones that have really stuck with me after all this time. I know I said I didn't finish The Sadness because of how gory it was... But that scene in Death Drop Gorgeous... I had to close my eyes. 

Supporting Characters

These are not the main characters by any chance, and some might not even make it to the end of the film, but they are good characters and some of the ones I enjoyed watching.

1. Bobby (And everyone else) - Open 24 Hours
2. Max, Allison, John, and Phoebe- The Babysitter: Killer Queen
3. Tony, Rita, and Gloria - Vampires vs The Bronx
4. Tragedi - Death Drop Gorgeous. 

Bobby is my main pick from Open 24 Hours, and he's at the top because he is such an endearing character. His presence in the film is comforting to the main character, and he's played as such a likable person! Max, Allison, and Phoebe were my favorite parts about Killer Queen, with the first three being three of the demon-worshipping cultists from the first film, and Pheobe being played by Jenna Ortega as a tie to new lore of the movies. The Vampires vs The Bronx characters were great, I honestly loved Gloria the most (despite the fact that she was in it for maybe ten minutes?!) And Tragedi literally was such a funny character. I had to laugh everytime she was on screen. 

Story

Story is another part of what can make or break a horror film! And eleven films gives me quite a few stories to work with. And with those stories, I am also thinking about how I enjoyed them, if I cared about what happened to the characters, and how I felt about the overall plot.

1. Vampires vs The Bronx
2. Open 24 Hours
3. Till Death
4. The Sadness

The story of Vampires vs The Bronx is an engaging one. It's setting and plot revolves around the future of the Bronx and how much the characters are willing to risk for their homes. Open 24 Hours, again, is my favorite slasher-esque movie! The backstory of Mary and James sets up this plot where you do not know for sure who or what is real! Till Death had me screaming as Emma had to overcome stairs, snow, and two men coming for her neck all while dragging around her dead husband. 

I looked up the ending of The Sadness, as I was so upset I couldn't stomach the rest... And I am so glad I did. It's a good story. A great story even. But the rest of the movie is a complete dive into chaos and tragedy. Again... not for the faint of heart. 

With all that, I can now give a rough ranking from one to eleven for these movies! 

1. Open 24 Hours
2. Death Drop Gorgeous 
3. Till Death
4. Vampires vs The Bronx
5. The Descent
6. The Babysitter
7. The Babysitter: Killer Queen
8. The Sadness
9. Slumber Party Massacre
10. Girls with Balls
11. Terror Train

No surprises there for me.

I would totally love to do this again next year, and if you have any suggestions for movies I could watch, let me know! 

Okay?

Well! Time for me to hide for a few days or so! I'll be back soon though for a self-promotion post! YAY!

Updates.

I am still alive. I have not died. 

Is that a good thing?

Still trying to figure that out. 

Hello! 

Happy Summer of 2022! Work is mostly done for me for the year, unless I hear something different. Other than those developments, summer is going to be a bit slower this year. 

Me? I am mostly enjoying the slow pace of the hot, Hot, HOT summer days by doing anything besides going outside. Pride Month is going nicely, and pretty chill. There are a lot of cool things having to do with the LGBTQ+ community I am specifically excited about that have come out recently. Netflix has "First Kill" and "Dead End: Paranormal Park," two shows that feature LGBTQ+ lead characters and horror. (A great combination, if I am honest) Notable comment for certain friends of mine who like Broadway, the latter includes the vocal talents of Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice himself) as a talking dog named Puggsley. And yes. He does sing. I will be trying to watch them both at some point

I watched almost all of the episodes in Vol. 1 of Stranger Things Season Four. For those of you who are wondering how it is, I had to stop watching once or twice because certain parts are that intense. And I currently have an alarm made from one of the most traumatizing parts of the season. I am both excited for and actively dreading Vol. 2. 

Other than that, the only major things happening this summer is a wonderful meetup with my bestie, and the constant desire to continue writing. If I am able to find a publishing home for a few of my finished stories, I should have some personal publishing projects coming out soon. 

After summer ends, specifically after September 8th, I will be starting work on editing for my first anthology! It's a furry, winter holiday-themed anthology for stories that are one thousand words or less. (If anyone is curious and would like to try and write for it, here is the link.)

Other than that. Nothing new to report. Just business as usual. 

See you all the next time I decide to post.

What's up?

At this point, this is more of a leisurely blog where I only post things when and if I feel like posting.

And that is one-hundred percent okay. If that's where my mental health is, then that is what I am going to do. It's been a good while since my last post, so let me catch you guys up on what I have been doing with my spare time.

The reason I haven't done so many things like the next Character Interview, updates on my Nerdy Obsessions, or any stories is because I have been going through mental gymnastics with myself. Imposter syndrome, depression, the ghosts of past trauma... It just combines to become one big mess of mental disarray...

I have however done some pretty cool things. Nothing close to "I'm published again" but I am sure I will cross that bridge when I get to it. January saw the release of Scream twenty-five years after the original's release. I was very excited for this as I have done extensive research into the slasher genre. Scream was always a series I wanted to get into. Let me tell you, there is nothing like watching a movie like that in theaters. The experience was fantastic. It was a great film. I watched all of the films after seeing that. I definitely recommend them.

I had my birthday five days prior to writing this update post. Turning twenty-four is pretty nice, I guess. I am a year older. So that's positive as long as you don't think about your birthday bringing you one year closer to the inevitable embrace of the afterlife. 

Other than that, it's been substitute teaching, editing, and Pokemon for me. I have tons of projects I need to catch up on. So I will be doing those. Hopefully, I will be slowly returning to publishing online content soon. Who knows? :) 

In the meantime, thanks for sticking around.

Natalie Kent Interview

 We've been through a lot together.

Sometimes things get busy.

Just remember to take care of yourselves. 

Make sure you've consumed a lot of water. 

And relax.

You're back in front of the stage. The pink, yellow, and blue wallpaper is a bit more plain today. You do see a few paper bats taped to the walls to give it a more spooky feel. The center table has a cute little jack-o'lantern on top of it with a paw print carved into the front. The flickering candle inside makes the shadows around you dance. Aside the pumpkin, on both sides, are two iced drinks from a coffee shop chain shop that will not be specified. 

Scribbles as looking over at his guest for the day, seeming to be deep in conversation with them. He looks a little bit more frazzled than usual, but as you look at him longer you see it's all apart of his costume. In addition to the usual black slacks and white button-down, the cheetah is also wearing a black cape over his shoulders. He looks over at you, and his maw breaks out into a grin. You can see the fake blood painted around his muzzle, giving him a sinister look in the low light. 

"Velcome, everyvone!" Scribbles stands up and with a flick of his arm, the cape swirls up in the air behind them. "It is vonderful to see you all!" He lets out a not-so-menacing giggle, then stops so he can put a paw to his ear. "Hold up... Sorry." He listens to the words coming through the earpiece. "Oh." He looks back up towards you with an awkward grin. "I apologize for the interruption. I am being told I need to drop the accent. Some of our vampires are not too fond of my accent." He shrugs. "Oh well! At least I still look cool, right?"

"Anyway! Welcome back! It's so great to see that you keep coming back for these. Trust me! I love these just as much as you do! Possibly more, in fact." Scribbles sits back down in their chair. "It's Halloween! Or somewhere around that time! I don't know for sure, because this is not live! If you couldn't tell, I am dressed as a scary, classic-looking vampire!" They put their paws up and hissed, baring his natural fangs. "I didn't bother with the fake fangs. They always hurt my gums. Plus they look inaccurate."

He waved a paw at the other chair onstage. "So as you know, my guest is in the chair next to me, and I will introduce her to you all in just a minute. But I wanted to put a disclaimer here that I will be keeping around for any episode dealing with these projects. Heroes Collide is a series I have been working on for the purpose of fun and fanfiction. Every character made is an original creation of mine. However, some of the characters featured are written as descendants of popular characters from the DC Universe. And while there are many characters who are easily recognized from other projects of mine, these may not be the characters you remember. They could be alternate versions of them."

"Our guest today, though? She's one of a kind. She's the daughter of two of the strongest Teen Titans (based in the DC Universe,) whose life mission is to carry on the legacy of her parents and aunt. Strong, caring, brave, and heroic: I am very happy to introduce you to Natalie Kent!"

Natalie Kent smiles at you from the seat next to Scribbles. She's a human, or at least as far as you can tell. She's also in costume. She's wearing a green t-shirt and khaki pants, along with a pair black shoes that seem to be a bit too big for her. Her curly brunette hair is tied up behind her head, and her face is dotted with drawn-on facial hair. She sips her iced coffee and then puts it down on the table. She waves towards you. "Hey there! Or should I say... Like, hi!" She turns to look at Scribbles, "Jeremy is going to hate that costume."

Scribbles smiles an awkward toothy smile. "I am well aware, and actively dreading that conversation." They're grin widens though, as they look at Natalie's costume. "You already know how much I like yours though."

Natalie throws up a peace sign. "Like, I wore this for you dude! Scooby is a huge part of my childhood too." 

"Shall we get to the questions? I hope you don't mind that they are from me." Scribbles drums his paws against his lap. 

"Of course not! Bring it on!"

"All right! I love your enthusiasm!" Scribbles chuckles. "Okay, so the first question I have for you is going to be so on theme for the holiday. What is your favorite type of Halloween candy?"

"Oh darn!" Natalie chuckled and leaned back in her chair. "Am I allowed to say more than five?"

"Maybe just limit it to one? Because we might end up being here all day." 

"Especially with my sweet tooth." Natalie laughed, then picked up her iced coffee, swirling the drink inside around as she tapped the arm of the chair with her other hand. "Hmm. Well, I'd have to say Fruit Roll Ups? I always loved getting those in my candy hauls. The only thing I hated about them was that I always messed up those tongue tattoos they'd have on them. But they were always so tasty!"

"Wait! They didn't work on you either? I thought my tongue was just built different!" Scribbles looks a bit disappointed. "Frickin false advertising said they'd give me a cool ghost on my tongue."

"Trust me. It's apparently worse if you have the ability to destroy things with even the slightest reaction. Mom always had to make sure we were outside when we tried it each year so I wouldn't destroy our furniture on accident."

"Wow... The worst I ever did was stub my toe." Scribbles sighed.

"Well, the superhuman abilities are probably one of the biggest differences between us."

"True..." Scribbles chuckles. "So. Next question! If you had to give up all of your powers except for one, which one would you keep."

"You'd think with all of the powers I have, it'd be hard to choose. But as a superhero with all of these growing powers..." Natalie crosses her left leg over her right. "I'd keep the invulnerability. Not being able to be hurt or injured. Like, I know it is great to have the super strength and speed and the ability to use my x-ray vision are all useful. But none of them would mean anything without the invulnerability. I have my training to back me up in physical fights to make up for the missing abilities."

"Speaking of training, Heroes Collide sees you team joining paths with others you know from before the disasters of the crisis." Scribbles leans forward in his seat. "Care to tell us about what your thoughts were on seeing some of them again after five years in that capsule?"

Natalie nodded. "It was a harrowing experience waking up after all that time. Five years, and I wasn't able to feel any of it go by. Cason had filled me in on all of the happenings as far as the overall crisis and Manny's control. But... Coming out and not knowing where my friends were... Or the fate of my family. It hurt."

"The first person I remember seeing or hearing anything from was Jeremy..."

"And to clarify for our audience, Jeremy is?"

"Jeremy is a vampire who was trained as a vigilante by an ex-military soldier and another... more famous vigilante who's name I don't think I can mention for legal reasons?"

Scribbles looked up at the ceiling. "I think it's better to be safe than sorry." He chuckled and gave her a thumbs up. "But yes. Tell us about those feelings. Talking to him again after so long must have been weird."

"Yeah. I mean, my body didn't feel the change. It was just a really long nap for me. My body didn't suffer as many effects as his. Hearing his voice made me worried. He's got a very particular diet as a vampire that sometimes needs to be satisfied... The only thing is, whenever he feeds he feels awful afterwards. He hates that part of himself, and the first thing I hear him say is concerning him feeding? I felt bad."

"Did eventually seeing him again help you out?"

Natalie nodded, "Of course! He's one of my best friends. Seeing him alive and functioning again was okay, though he really needs to give the broody nature a rest. The bat really rubbed off on him too much."

"And your feelings on seeing your friends who showed up in the portal? Carrie? Colleen? Lenny? Vincent?" 

"Those last three were a bit hostile when I first saw them, but I can't blame them. We left them behind in a very tumultuous year. Things were happening left and right and I can't help but hate myself for leaving them. I mean, I'm glad they found a way. But we could have figured it out together. But instead, Carrie wore herself out training to travel through time, Lenny wants to murder Jeremy for putting them through this, and Vincent and Colleen are willing to help him do it! But like... I love them all. I can't imagine our Titans would be the same without those three. And Carrie... I am just glad she's okay."

"Is that all of your... You called them "Titans?" 

Natalie hung her head a bit. "We're missing quite a few. Manny is off doing God knows what with his new authority, Sam hasn't turned up. From what I last heard, the Isley twins probably died... And Rory..." Her expression hardens. "He died an honorable death, of course... Everyone else is gone." Natalie looks down at her hands, as they rest in her lap. 

Scribbles keeps quiet, letting her sit in silence for a few minutes. "Do you want to cut the interview short? It sounds like we've hit a rough spot."

Natalie wipes at her eyes and shakes her head. "No... I am sure you have more questions. Let's just do those, and I can be on my way.

"Well, I did have one more question left."

"Great." Natalie straightens in her seat, and gives them a small smile. "Fire away, dude."

Scribbles takes a deep breathe. "I actually wanted to talk to you about your new friendship with Cason."

"Oh! I love him! He's such a sweet guy!"

"You two seem to jive pretty well together. How have you guys gotten so close in such a short time?"

Natalie's smile grows, and starts to look a bit more convincing. "Oh, well you know how sometimes when you're in someone's company for a certain amount of time and you just get caught up in the conversation. That dog is a talker. We were talking in that cave for about three hours just catching up like we were old friends. I get the feeling he hasn't really had anyone to truly talk to in quite some time. Not to mention, he is really funny. We have an inside joke about how we are both bicycles!"

"Well, don't tell it yet. Save it for the stories, okay?" Scribbles grins.

Natalie laughs, "Oh sure! Just let me know when you actually get back to them!"

Scribbles jaw drops, "H-How dare you!? Dude! That is so rude!"

Natalie crosses her arms with a smirk tugging at her lips. "Rude doesn't mean wrong."

Scribbles clears his throat and turns away from her. "Wow. Thank you so much for those constructive comments and a wonderful interview, Nat." 

She waves a hand at him, and sticks her tongue out. 

Scribbles can't help but chuckle as he turns back to the audience. "Thank you so much for tuning into the character interview, everyone! We hope you enjoyed this one, and come back again for our next one!"

"Speaking of our next one, let's meet him! This is another DC OC Jeremy Phillipson is a fellow protagonist of Heroes Collide (LINK TO HIS FIRST STORY HERE) He was just a normal boy who was raised in Gotham by his single mother... until they were both ruthlessly kidnapped by the vampires of the city. They tore his mother to pieces, and infected him with immortality and an unquenchable thirst for blood. He was trained by several notable heroes but served as the protege and son for the heroine Batwoman. Read Heroes Collide in the link above, then submit any questions you have for him to the usual form! You can get to it by clicking here, or by clicking the link in the pinned tweet on my twitter!"

"Hope you have a wonderful day and a safe Halloween! Till next time, folks!

AJ Character Interview (Warning: Mentions of Abuse)

 It has been way too long. 

But we're back here again. 

It seems we both need to center ourselves. 

Remember to relax.

Calm your mind.

Let's return.

You're back in the small studio. The fairy lights blink at you amongst the familiar pink, yellow, and blue wallpaper. The armchairs are still right where they sat the last time you were here. Not much has changed since you were here last. The table in the center is occupied by two styrofoam cups, with blue straws sticking out of their lids. 

Scribbles is there, sitting comfortably in his chair like he usually is. This time, his eyes are closed and he appears to be taking a few deep and cleansing breaths. His eyes slowly open, and a grin spreads across his face. "Hey everyone! Welcome back!"

He rises from his chair and taps his cards against his paw. "We're running a little late with this character interview, which is okay. I have needed to take care of some things that have been going on. What matters right now, is that everything is okay." He smiles, reassuringly. "Everything will be okay. And nothing will keep this cat from bringing you answers!" 

You get a good view of what he is wearing today. For some reason, it looks like he had gone deep into his closet to retrieve his uniform from the last unnamed customer service job he had. He is wearing slacks, a polo advertising a specific fast food place, and a cap on his head. His feet were adorned with uncomfortable non-slip black shoes. 

"Why are you dressed like this for my interview, dude? I am confused." A voice pipes up from the other chair. 

Scribbles turns to the chair and pouts. "Shhhhh! You're not supposed to talk yet!" He turns back towards you. "Ignore that! I'll introduce him in just a second." He clears his throat. "Welcome back to my character interviews everyone! I am so glad to see you guys have come back for more! And it was so nice to hear how much some of you liked Maggie! It warmed my heart... and as soon as I said that to Maggie, she asked if she could taste it to make sure it was al dente. So I had her escorted from the studio..." He shivers a little and looks around, cautiously. 

"Luckily! My next guest does not want to consume my flesh. I introduced him last week as a candy-loving movie buff. Please welcome, the human poster boy of what customer service workers really want to do to aggravating customers, AJ!"

AJ leans forward in his chair, grabs his cup of soda, and takes a sip of his soda. "Please tell me that line wasn't the only reason you wore your uniform..." AJ's own outfit looks super comfortable. Black sweatpants, and a red pullover hoodie. His feet are fitted snugly into a pair of pitbull slippers. That being, slippers that look like cute little pitbulls. 

Scribbles sits back down in his chair, his teeth gritted into an irritated smile. "Shut up." He hisses at his guest before snatching his own cup for a sip. "So, AJ! How are you feeling about this?"

AJ leans back in his chair, still holding the cup. "I feel okay." The man looks up at the ceiling for a second. "I mean, you know what the world is like for me. I never really paid much attention to interviews. Been a bit busy."

"With the apocalypse?" Scribbles rests his paws on his lap.

"Yeah." AJ chuckles. "Thanks for that by the way."

Scribbles winks at him and clicks his tongue. "No problemo." He picks up the interview cards from the table and taps them against his knee. "Shall we begin? We have a few questions, all of them from one person." He turns to glare at a specific viewer. "I think someone needs to stop simping for my characters, Victoria!" He waves his hand a bit and starts to laugh. "I am kidding! I promise." Scribbles grins. "Tekky's the one who simps for my characters."

"Well, I am flattered by all the attention. Thank you very much!" AJ scoffs at Scribbles. 

Scribbles narrows his eyes at AJ. "Mhmm... First Question." He looks down at the cards. "Victoria asks, What is your favorite sandwich?"

AJ takes another sip of his soda, then puts the cup back on the table. "Hmm... Well, I usually use whatever I have available. I have grown very fond of Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches. Specifically the guava jelly. It's not easy to come by, so I have to use it very sparingly. So usually my diet consists of burgers from the theater. Since we don't get many customers at the movie theater, we have a freezer stocked with six or seven boxes frozen beef patties..."

Scribbles bites his lip. "Oh no... And how long have those boxes been there?"

"That's the thing!"AJ leaned forward again, making eye contact with Scribbles, "They keep sending us these boxes from other restaurants! I can't even begin to tell you which ones. I think they are from Seattle, but I don't handle the deliveries. Just inventory. They just come on the caravans."

"Are you sure that it's actually beef?" Scribbles' eyebrows raise. He looks genuinely curious for his own sake. 

"Dude. Yes. It's beef. The boxes are marked with the company logo." AJ narrows his eyes. "Why? Did you do something?"

Scribbles sits up straight. "No! I swear! I literally just learned about this myself. Go Seattle! I guess they're doing okay up there."

"You're a piece of work." 

"Yeah, I know..." Scribbles picks up the cards and reads the next question. "Victoria also wants to know Where is your favorite place to go on a sunny day?"

AJ scratched the back of his head. "I mean, on a sunny day? Usually, I am indoors. None of us feel safe in the direct sunlight. We're still not sure what caused the zombie outbreak, but as long as radiation is a possibility... We tend to stay in on bright, sunny days. I usually spend my time in my designated room in the public library. I have my cot and books. Or if I am feeling lucky, I'll go visit Mags at her cover house near the graveyard and we'll play board games and eat movie theater candy."

"So, you're more of an inside person?"

"For the most part." AJ shrugs. "It's easier to stay inside when you have an excuse not to be outside."

"Cool!" Scribbles moves on to the next question on the card and bites his lip. "Okay. So... Victoria also wants to know..." He glances up at AJ. 

AJ sighs and looks at the floor. "Go ahead. I knew it was coming eventually."

"Do you miss the world before?"

AJ turns in his chair, making direct eye contact with you. "I want to be very clear when I say this. While the world before was better off as far as my world goes, I do not miss it one bit. Things may have been more convenient, and less deadly... But I'd rather put in the work to keep the life I have now, than to go back to the way I was living before this all started..." He gasps for air, his voice growing hoarse towards the end of his last sentence. 

Scribbles sits in silence, giving AJ a few seconds to collect himself. "It's okay. Take a second. You do not have to elaborate on this topic if you do not want to..."

AJ takes a sip of his drink before clearing his throat. "I am fine. I just want to put my experiences into perspective for them..." He takes a soft breathe and sits up. "Okay... So, sometimes... When things get difficult for people, their true colors begin to show. You all know how it is." He squirmed a bit in his seat, trying to make himself comfortable. "Um... With the zombie infection spreading, my parents had died... I had to go seek shelter with my uncle in Atlanta. But when I got to Atlanta, my uncle apparently did not plan to immediately take me in. Long story short... One of my cousins, told my uncle something I didn't want to share with him... He screamed at me... He hit me... He locked me in a f***ing basement for a day... When he finally let me out of there and told me he was ready to deal with me..." AJ's breathing was audible from where you were sitting. 

"Okay, hold up a second." Scribbles waves his paws. "Listen, AJ. Take a second to calm down." He stood and walked over to AJ's chair, putting a paw on the boy's shoulder. "Go get yourself a bottle of water, okay. Do you want me to tell them the rest?"

AJ stood to his feet and nodded, "S-Sure. I'll just be a few seconds." He slowly walks off the set, leaving Scribbles alone.

"AJ is gonna take a second to relax offstage for a second. I want to make it clear, there are certain parts of this story that he doesn't want to say, and I am going to respect that." He went to sit back down in the chair. "For those of you who are worried, AJ didn't stay at his uncle's house for longer than the two days he mentioned. He was able to get out the front gate of the house and made it to Florida state lines." 

Scribbles crosses his legs as he settles into the chair. "In a sense -- and I believe AJ would agree -- the zombie attacks were the best thing that happened to him. After a day and a half of traveling on foot, AJ collapsed at the Florida state border... He was ready to give up... And then Maggie found him."

You can see AJ slowly making his way back to the set, holding a half-empty water bottle. "Scribbles? Mind if I pick it up here?"

"Only if you want to."

AJ gives Scribbles a small smile as he settles back into his armchair. "Well, it's my favorite part." 

"By all means, then" Scribbles gestures towards you. 

AJ grins. "The way I met Maggie was one of the funniest moments I had ever seen. I am laying there in Florida dirt and I feel this thing trip over me. I'm pretty weak at this point, so I am barely able to roll my head over to look at this girl."

"Maggie is just sprawled on the sand, cursing like a sailor. And I didn't even realize she was undead until she said she was. So she is able to get up and turns to me like "Watch where you're going!" and then I was like "You tripped over me!" And I just sat there for five minutes arguing with this zombie. I think she was going to try and eat me... But then she noticed the bruises and all the wear and tear my journey had given me."

Scribbles nods. "What happened when she saw it all?"

"She got really quiet. She clearly recognized the signs of abuse... She asked me what happened... And just like that, I broke down. I told her what happened. Everything. I couldn't stop myself. I just thought I was going to die and I wanted to go not having anything left unsaid... And for a second, I was just there crying and I feel her just wrap me in a hug." AJ sniffles a bit, and then laughs. "Her arm fell off mid-hug."

"And that's how you ended up in Jacksonville?"

"Yeah. After she reattached her arm, she brought me to her cover house until the bruises had healed and then brought me into the town. The leaders were very understanding and took me in immediately. Other cities I had tried to enter, wouldn't even think of letting me in straight from the outside... But there, they checked me over and made sure I was okay after letting me in." 

Scribbles nods "So to tie it back to Victoria's question..."

"No. I don't miss it. I like the way it is now. I don't think I'd change anything."

"Speaking of changing, AJ... I do believe Victoria has one more question for you. And I have to say, she may have asked just the right questions for this interview. Have you ever thought about becoming a zombie yourself?"

AJ puts his hand to his chin and scratches it. "Ooooh! Yeah. I do. I do it all the time. I think the only reason I'm not currently one, is because Maggie's a big ol' softie for me."

Scribbles grins, "So you're saying Maggie wouldn't bite you even if you asked her?"

AJ shook his head. "Nope. She's my protective older sister. Really old sister." He giggles. "My dead sister."

"Well, good! Because you're right! She's not the one who turns you!" Scribbles grins and turns back towards you. "Well, that is all the time we have!"

AJ jumps in his chair. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Don't worry about it, AJ!" Scribbles chuckles. "I hope you enjoyed this character interview! If you did, please consider sending me questions for future installments! You can also follow me on any of the social media accounts mentioned on my blog's sidebar!"

"Speaking of future installments, let's meet our next guest! Have you read Heroes Collide? Have you even heard of it yet? It's this super fun series I started in 2019, and while it has been on break for a while... Which someone should probably remedy soon. Not gonna call myself out here..."

Scribbles coughs into his arm and glares up at the sky. "Frick..." He took a deep breathe. "Anyways! Heroes Collide is a series I started as a fun little character exercise! It combines fan characters inspired by heroes from the DC Universe and pairs them up with several of my own beloved (At least by me) characters. It's a dystopian storyline with some choose your own adventure elements coming into play down the road!"

"And who better to bring in to interview, than the first person we meet in that story! Natalie! She's got super strength, super speed, and a whole cacophony of other abilities that she's used to fight crime. But how can those abilities help her in a universe where everything seems to be falling in on itself!"

"To learn more about Natalie, please go check out the series on Wattpad! You'll be introduced to Natalie, her friends, and several possibly familiar faces. There are twenty stories featuring zombies, gunfights, unrequited love, and a bunch of snark. So make sure to read Natalie's introduction (https://www.wattpad.com/797734928-heroes-collide-natalie), and the rest of the series! Then head over to the form and submit your questions for Natalie! Have a wonderful day, and I'll see you here next time! Bye!"