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  NJL: A Black Nerd Podcast

DC's Doom Patrol Review

3/12/2019

1 Comment

 
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Beware the Ides of March...and donkeys.
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​Guys I...I think I was wrong about the DC Universe streaming service. Well not wrong about the price, currently, or the fact that what it does offer is lacking in content.  The latter part definitely does not warrant its current price.  These are legit concerns for me. Yet after watching and being absolutely amazed and falling in love in just a short time with the characters in the new Doom Patrol series, I understand why DC would feel the need to do this. I understand why DC would bet on the fact that their audience, in multiple mediums, would eventually flock to this. More importantly why in a few years, there’s no way they would not want to stay. This is DC’s full assault against Netflix, and damn if the Doom Patrol is not an impressive third attack. They aren’t going to knock out Netflix any time soon, but if they continue at this pace, even Netflix is gonna have to respect their gangsta.


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****SPOILERS BELOW****

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Doom Patrol, for those who aren’t aware, is one of the more golden era eccentric comic book ideas. The idea of it works in part because of its absurdity and also because of the writers  who have used the series as a mirror of the industry itself. In other words, smart somewhat meta commentary on comic books and the mythology of superheroes. Commentary especially on the various ways powers are seemed to accidentally be bestowed on folks. At its best, the Doom Patrol comics are part the original Watchmen comic book series with a dash of the Fantastic Four, and a cup of the Mad Scientist with some Tales from the Crypt horror pulp stories from the 60’s and 70’s mixed in. The Grant Morrison run of the series is a perfect example of this.

The  main characters that make up the team are Robotman (think the Thing), Elasti-Girl (Susan Storm with Mr. Fantastic’s powers), Negative Man (The Human Torch of the group) and The Chief (Reed Richard, but if he was crippled like Professor X). All of them had terrible, usually life ending, events happen to them leaving them powered but it also immensely scarred them and their team both physically and mentally.  The Chief is usually the doctor, father figure and team leader for this band of misfits. Generally speaking, he isn’t always the nicest but he really does have their best interests at heart.

The TV show keeps with this general line up except with the addition of two characters. One is Crazy Jane who has been on the team many times before in its various interpretations. The other is Cyborg,  famously known for his origins with the Teen Titans and, in recent years, associated with the Justice League. Initially, the addition of Cyborg didn’t make sense to fans, myself included, especially when you had a perfectly good Titan series to place him in.

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Side Note: DC has confirmed for next season in Titans that he will be transitioning from one team/tv show to  another.


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Weirdest college tour ever
However, as I continued to watch Doom Patrol, I realized that the adult tone was necessary to convey the intent of the series. This is ironic because Titans was the first series to give us dark content which audiences weren't expecting. Doom Patrol thooo.. it beats Titans in the gruesome category.  It’s funny as hell at times, but damn do you want to drink and give the characters a hug at the end of each episode.

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What you mean " You people?"

​A great example of this is the first episode called “Pilot.” This episode gavel us the origin story of Robotman, voiced amazingly by the internet’s favorite Mummy catcher, Brendan Frasier, and physically performed by Riley Shanahan, as Cliff Steele. In the first episode, we learn about his past before his accident as a drug abusing, serial cheating, aging champion race car driver.  We discover his past intertwined as flashbacks during his transformation into Robotman, in addition to finding out about the loss of his family. As heart wrenching as it was to watch Cliff go through his own tragedies, I found myself laughing at times simply from his depressingly sad sarcasm and way of acting during all this. This is exactly who the character is in most versions of him in the comic books, and it’s a testament to Brendan Frasier as an actor that you see this so clearly in just one episode. Ya’ll most of the time you only see Cliff as Robotman, who has no face to emote with, yet it doesn't even matter with how good Brendan voices him as the tragic  robot man.

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​You also are introduced to the origins of Elasti-Girl Rita Farr, played by April Bowlby, and Negative Man Larry Trainer, played by Matt Bomer and Matthew Zuk. You find out Rita was a 1950’s B film actress with A film diva attitude.  Who during a shoot ends up in an accident causing her to turn into a sentient version of the Blob from the Thing movie if she doesn’t keep her emotional state in check. Larry who seemed to be the nicest most normal one of the trio is a married family man ace fighter pilot. Like a lot of similar origin stories, during an experimental flight finds trouble in the stars that causes him to crash. This leads to him being horribly burned and disfigured, but also now being the host of some alien like parasite inside of him. 
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​​These are deeply traumatized individuals who have no idea how to use the “gifts” they have been given. Usually causing more harm than good when they try to step out of the comfort of their home with the Chief to attempt to be heroes. The only one who seems to even remotely know how to use their power is Robotman who can act as the tank of the group, but to the horrible side effect he can’t feel anything at all. They have no business honestly taking matters in their own hands, but the story is woven so well that for them to be able to actually have lives after their incidents, and not just be living, they must go out in the world as Frankenstein’s monsters and learn who they can be..not who they were. 


We haven’t seen the origin story of Crazy Jane yet, who ha 64 personalities each one with a separate super power, but the fact she’s called you CRAZY Jane, I doubt it’s filled with a trip to Disney with puppy dog belly rubs. Just saying. She’s played by Diane Guerrero most commonly known as Maritza from  Orange is the New Black. She gives an absolute mischief in a glass bottle energy to Crazy Jane that makes any moment she is on screen as a possible scene stealer. Between her personalities and the random ways they can approach any situation, she is an absolute joy to watch.
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Freshman year vs Senior year

​The Cyborg character is the most known out of the group so his origin is pretty well known to folks by now. A young school star Vic Stone ends up in some type of accident at his father’s lab, and in the process of having his life saved is turned into Cyborg. The difference in this iteration played by Joivan Wade is he is not in that “Whoa is me!” phase we see in other current iterations. This Cyborg while he remembers all the time what happened to him, he uses it to be a better person, the best hero he can be. It’s even said throughout first meeting him that he's training himself to apply for the Justice League in a few years. This is the Cyborg who can really show what he can do, when not always depressed about his situation, which is a big bag of fresh air after the last few rides through his origin story to be honest.
The three faces of "Nobody"

Yet, what is a dysfunctional team of misfits, without a villain to match, and lordy lordy is Mr. Nobody perfect. Played by the always great to see show up Alan Tudyk, he is menacing in how ludicrous he seems to be. Breaking the 4th wall as the narrator of the story for the first few episodes, his powerset makes him seem like a certain 5th dimensional imp that Superman has a hard time with saying their name. His time shown while not much is used to its fullest potential to where even though he is clearly a big villain baddie, he’s so fun to watch you kind of root for him just to see what lethal hi-jinks comes up next. Keyword: flatulent donkey.
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Episode 3 "Puppet Patrol"

​I can honestly not think of one bad thing about this series currently, and 4 solid episodes in that is saying a lot. By this time in the Titans series while the premise was a lot better than the trailers portrayed, there were gaps in story and decisions that left audiences wanting. With Doom Patrol though...I got nothing. It’s the same type of feeling I had watching the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. There was no reason for any of this to work, but by embracing the camp and absurdity of the story and characters, DC has actually created an emotionally poignant and strong framework. The sky's the limit if they continue on this path, and I am all in for the ride. The next series up is slated to be Swamp Thing (a personal favorite of mine), and if the constant success and critical acclaim that DC Universe has received so far continues , it will herald something new. Not great in any means for the masses in terms of the streaming wars, but for fans who want to see dedication and passion placed in the projects of our favorite characters and pastimes, well, I’ll just say this. This may be the perfect time if your a DC fanboy or girl to put your money, where your mouth is.


Doom Patrol: A+


Jay

Wondering what type of power he would get from eating a radioactive burrito while driving an experimental hooptie through a wormhole.

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Absolver First Impressions

3/6/2019

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Greetings, NJLers! Wanting to give a little more shine to some of the interesting games our Twitch team were able to get their hands on, this week, we will highlight Absolver developed by Sloclap and published by Devolver Digital. Absolver is a martial art themed action RPG with online multiplayer. You play as a created  character called a ‘Prospect’ putting your skills to the test all across the world of Adal. Your Goal? See if you're tough enough to become an Absolver! Doing his best to see if he can be the best like no one ever was, Uncle K himself took to these mean Adal streets. Here's his impression on his journey to becoming Number One!

***SPOILERS BELOW***
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Jay: So to give folks a kind of BTS moment for how we pick not just the games we play, but also who plays them. We usually have a conversation before the week begins letting folks pick the games they want to play first when we have new content to share. What made you decide on Absolver for Indie Week?

    Uncle K: I’ve always had a passion for beat ‘em up games, prefer third-person games over first person,  and I love open world concepts. Absolver hits all three of these check marks with a flair that’s hard to describe at the moment. The graphics do something for me too. I don’t know if rustic is the right word for it, but it’s what I’d use...and I like that too lol. No player can be too overpowered in Absolver and I really like that. It’s a deep but simple fighting system with simple abilities that makes it all fair. You get as much as you put in.


Jay: So safe to say your expectations of Absolver were well met! It reminds me of Jade Empire in a lot of ways, and watching you play made me want to download it off  Steam myself. I don’t know graphic-wise if it’ll look as good as it did with you on the PS4 compared to my laptop, but I want to try it lol.

    Uncle K:  Yeah, exactly. Very satisfied. I mean I’d love more choices, fighting styles, etc...but only if it’s still balanced. That is key.


Jay: So when you mean more choices…


Uncle K: I really hate when games don’t explain enough or have enough tutorials readily available/easily accessible. I also don’t like games that send you on an adventure lacking a good, well explained story. Which gives the player a lack of choices, when the game makes you feel like you should in an open world like this.

Jay: Gotcha. So final thoughts?

Uncle K: It was an interesting game, really fun to play.  But to be an “A” game for me, it would have to grip me to the point I want to play it, and almost nothing else, for a week plus. So it’s a solid B- but I think with updates and some of my suggestions from earlier it could reach A status easy.



To watch the rest of Uncle K's Absolver stream, and more of the NJL shenanigans follow us on Twitch here!


Jay

Once worked with a certified black belt Ninja in Japan. No seriously.

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RIOT - Civil Unrest First Impressions

3/1/2019

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​Last week was Indie Games Week for the NJL on our Twitch channel. One of the unique games we had fun playing and hope our viewers enjoyed to watch was RIOT - Civil Unrest. Developed by Leonard Menchiari and published by Merge Games, it is described as a “Riot simulator based on real events that have been influencing the Western civilization in the past few years.” With campaigns based all over the world like Italy, Greece, Spain etc., each area and scenario has its own background, history, and story to tell. Who better to play this game than the NJL’s own anarchist to all things timely and respectable Mr. Mike is Fired! After giving us some of his time and a few “Aaaaaaaahaaaaaaaas!” Mike was kind enough to discuss his initial feelings about RIOT - Civil Unrest, and why this may just be the Indie game to keep an eye on.


Spoilers below​


Jay:  So usually I’d start off with what you like from the game first, but after watching your stream let's go with what you didn’t like off rip lol.

Mike is fired: As far as dislikes go I don’t have too many. I felt like the graphics could have definitely been better, but that is mostly because I don’t care for the 8 bit genre in today’s games. That’s more of a personal thing so I won't knock the game for it too much haha. Also to be real, what I would like to see the developer add is more riots from America. The only riot I remember seeing was the LA riots from the 90’s, and we all know America has a much darker pass. So I would like to see them touch on some of those things in our past in the future.
J: It’s funny with you saying that I only was able to think of the LA Riots, but in truth over the last few years we definitely had some important riot situations in America. The Dakota Access Pipeline, Fayetteville, The Occupy movement even. Maybe not as big as the riots overseas, but big time major for America’s history with the type of situations that can lead to riots.

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MIF: Right! RIOT is way more interesting than I originally expected it to be. I liked how they took some of the worlds biggest riots, and put you right in the middle. They allow you to play as either the cops or the rioters, and personally I enjoyed playing with the civilians the most. The rush of taking on the law while trying to rally the troops, and keep all four groups of rioters in line is definitely something that will keep you engaged.

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J: What were some highlights for you then Mr. “N.W.A.” lol?

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MIF: There are a few things that I enjoyed from the game, like how well equipped, and resourceful the rioters were. One of the levels allowed you to shoot rockets at police generators and throw bombs all over the place! I didn’t spend too much time on the police side of things so I can’t say much about them, but I will say that the tear gas they have is no joke. I played one level as the police and cleared so fast because the crowd could not get pass the gas.
Watch INDIE WEEK: Riot: Civil Unrest w/ #MikeisFired from BlackNerdCast on www.twitch.tv


​J: Yeah for an 8 bit design, which I’m not too big a fan of either, it was surprising how layered and detailed it was. Even watching how the two forces would oppose each other was crazy.  This definitely took me by surprise watching you play. Any final thoughts? Grades?


MIF: Seeing as this was the first time I’ve played a game like this it was much better than I originally thought it was going to be. Keeping it 100, for me it isn’t something that I would pick up and play on the regular, but I can see this game being appealing to a lot of people. I’d have to give the game a C+ for what I like, but it definitely is heading in the right direction and am interested to see what it can become in the future.


Jay

Who knew political discord and angst could be so fun to play?

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The  Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Young Justice pt.3

2/18/2019

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The hardest DC mixtape cover evaaaaa....

​For the previous posts check out part 1 here, and part 2 here.

Last post we were speaking of growing up and fam. The fact DC is now in charge of this completely, not Cartoon Network or even Netflix means it can jump into some adult themes and not get in trouble. Where once if someone was hurt or possibly died you would see a little blood splatter on them, or oozing from their lips. That’s if their death isn’t just done off scene period. Not season 3 tho. Naw season 3 with the shitz and they want you to know lol. Halo a character whose back story and various powers, is told throughout the season dies enough times to be low-key called Kenny . She gets murked like someone yells “ FINISH HER!”, and all the villains want smoke. There’s legit a shot where she is killed, graphically shown how, and her body is just dropped on the floor with us looking at her dead eyes. I could have sworn I heard Vandal Savage in my ear whispering “ If she dies, she dies.”

There’s even a very obvious sex scene done were the usage of someone being called Dick is used like a straight Austin Powers Monty Python gag. It had me clutching my pearls,
sweartogod. The reason the DCAU has been generally critically acclaimed is because even though they are cartoons and animated movies, they masterfully ride the fence of never straying from the adult themes that make sense for strong storylines and adult characters. While also still being young adult and teen friendly. This makes the action scenes especially much more visceral in a series that already had great attention to action detail already, with the one on one fights seen in Episode 10 with Batman, Katana, and Metamorpho being extra bueno.
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Episode 4. That's all we're gonna say. 

There are some issues with the series though, I’m not gonna lie. One major issue is the scope of how big the overarching story has become, making it clearly hard for them to balance like they use to the large multi team characters. Previous fan favorites like Aqualad,
excuse me my bad, HNIC Aquaman, are now taking support roles to give the new characters room for their story to be told in one season. Also there’s like 6 teams led by 7 people and unless you actively pay attention it can become a bit confusing at times tracking what team is doing what and why. In story they explain this as being the good guys using the guerilla tactics as the bad guys to play catch up, but for the audience itself it could be explained better. Just because the villains need to be in the dark does not mean the audience does.
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Batman's Outsiders team or what I like to call them  the " I wish a meta would" squad

Another issue as 
well is DC’s decision to make this only available for their streaming service, meaning they are solely responsible for the costs to make it. Which shows in the earlier episodes as the animation not being as tight and crisp as previous seasons, especially with slight character remodels that aren’t as clean as their previous Young Justice iterations. It is still levels above most animated shows, but the dip in quality is clear (something most folks would notice as well in a lot of the DCAU’s recent movies too). It also means money wise they use who they can. Which is why Khary Payton who we love for the black voice excellence he brings, is playing 4 different characters in the series. FOUR. All of them black men, and all of them sounding hella related. I mean he tries and I am not knocking him getting his check, but ya’ll... it is definitely noticeable. Especially when you have 2 of his characters yelling “BOOYAAAH” at different times in the same episode.. The biggest negative though is the most obvious one. It’s on DC’s streaming service. Right now as of this writing the only 2 original series the service has is the Titans, and Young Justice, with Doom Patrol coming next. That is not enough to pay over $10 monthly, with all the other more robust services out there. DC knows this as well, which is why they only air a certain amount of episodes a week to stretch out viewership, but that can only work for so long. Most people fear DC will see folks dropping their service after Young Justice finally ends and may decide to let it go again. I doubt that since it’s one of the only strong fanbases who will follow shows they have right now, but hey the cancelled over toy merchandise before so who the hell knows what metrics they use for this. Either way the series is great, and I did enjoy having to wait another week to catch new ones and not binging it.  The fact remains however, that without more to offer their service doesn’t offer enough for most to stay with it, and that is a bottom line that puts anything they put on it in danger.
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Only Young Justice could make "Sportsmaster" somewhat legit

Young Justice is a series no one asked for, that became a huge fan favorite and success, that was cancelled just for the love of fans to have it brought back. It’s a hero origin story in real life, and for those who can watch it, they will fall in love all over again. While the DC service makes it hard to just jump into right away for those internet savvy enough, it’s not a real challenge at all to find ( not to say we at the NJL would EVER do such things), and is just as binge worthy as previous seasons. It has some growing pains to deal with for sure, but the pros vastly outweigh the cons, leaving you not just whelmed but overwhelmed with how the season ends and will leave you wanting more.

B+


Jay

If I could have one superpower it would be being treated in the world like a nice rich white man.

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Kingdom Hearts 3: First Look

2/13/2019

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On January 25, 2019, something millions of fans all over the world have been waiting for finally happened. After fifty-eleven million years, (Ok, more like over a decade which is forever to millenials) Kingdom Hearts 3 was released. “Magic Stick of Vigor” Sora, “I am a damn DOG, not a cow” Goofy and “Get da strap!” Donald jumped into a new adventure against evil  chock full of as many heroes, villains and in betweens Square Enix and Disney could muster. Of course, here at the NJL, we have been awaiting this very day; some of us more than others. And by some of us, we mean Chesterfield, NJL’s Chief Technology Officer. Our residential IT guy was not only preparing himself for this new release, he’s even been preparing all our fans and friends on Twitch by playing the remix OG editions of Kingdom Hearts. Check that out  here !

Seriously Goofy...what are you doing?
With new bosses to beat, awesomely heroic team ups and old friends to save from the heartless, Chesterfield dove into KH3 like Uncle Scrooge into his money bin right here on our Twitch. So we thought to share his thoughts and feelings about playing the first few dozen hours or so with you guys here. Make sure to check back with us later and subscribe to our Facebook for our actual review of it on our new gaming podcast “NJL Presents: The Gamer’s Club.”

Jay: So after this long wait and the day finally arriving, what do you think about KH3? What are you like/loving about it so far?

Chesterfield: There’s so many things I already really like about the game! From the new selfie side quest which is fun, the level of detail in the art, even the nostalgia from the control layout. Plus, finally getting to wrap up a story that I've waited well over a decade for. Also, just for those who care,playing this on a 4k TV with surround sound definitely beats playing it on a regular HDTV. Oh! Also, a major highlight for me is relearning how to travel in the Gummi ship. As frustrating as it can be, I truly appreciate the revamping and essentially turning it into its own adventure!

Jay: So is there anything you could even dislike about this game, considering your love of the series already?

Chesterfield: My guy, definitely. It’s disappointing that a lot of the original voices weren't in the game at all. Jim Hanks as Woody? Wow. Phil was a mute, Mickey was “off”, etc.
Zero to Hero, just like that....

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Jay: Yeah Danny Devito has definitely been getting that Always Sunny money since the last game came out, so I guess he wasn't stressed on joining back up as Phill lol.


Chesterfield: *Sigh* I guess. Also, the attraction rides. They were cute the first couple of times and necessary, but after a while they just got in the way. I wish they had saved them for boss and mini-boss battles honestly. Another issue is the situational commands. At first, I thought we had no control over it, but apparently, we can cycle through them, but I definitely don't remember seeing instructions on this.
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Watch Kingdom Hearts 3 w/ Chesterfield PART 1 from BlackNerdCast on www.twitch.tv
Jay: Yeah, watching the first few hours of you streaming KH3, I don’t remember seeing any tutorial or anything like that for them till they just started happening in game. Which I guess in a game taking this long to develop small things like that can happen. Do you hope for any DLC for this game considering it could very well be the last?

Chesterfield: I haven't beaten the game yet, but I'd love to see an arena if there isn’t one already. Also Verum Rex, but I won't say anything else about that lol.

Jay: Any final thoughts on what you’ve experienced so far? Are you satisfied with what KH3 has been providing you as the end game of this series you hold so near and dear to your heart?

Chesterfield: I’m pretty happy with what I’ve experienced so far. It feels like they took a little bit of everything from the previous entries of the series and brought them all together to end the story in grand style. I can't give this an A until I beat the game and get my closure though, so a B+ until then. ​


Jay

Is still waiting for the 4k remake of the SNES Aladdin game. Any day now.....

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The  Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Young Justice pt.2

2/11/2019

1 Comment

 
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So when during even the better second season there was discussion of “Young Justice” being cancelled already due to issues with not selling enough girl toys (seriously), fans were shocked. We voiced on forums, and twitter how stupid DC was being with this decision. We sent messages on all the social media sites for DC to not do this to prove the fanbases commitment. Even at the NJL we did a review of season 1 when it hit Netflix ( way back in episode 13 ), and have often talked our love about the series.  I mean seriously, WTF DC? Why you make it so hard to love you?

​For fans it also felt a bit salty what DC was doing, since at the time it live action movies were not hitting like we wanted, and the animated movies were being pumped out so much that the quality was clearly being neglected for quantity. Also it brought back bad memories of Teen Titans being cancelled on a cliffhanger, just when it was reaching a point of truly being great. All of these factors made the cancellation seem less about a lack of viewership, and even not about the stacks, but DC just being stupid and no longer knowing their audience. So when DC announced a season 3 would actually happen, we all clapped for joy, danced a jig, whipped our hair back and forth...till we found out it was only coming to DC’s stream service. Yaaaaaaayyyyy.
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 20 points to your Hogwarts House if you know who this awesome guy next to Superman is. Hint...he's iconic.
The stream service, remind you, that at the time did not even exist. That wanted a strong subscription base like Netflix, with not even a quarter of the content. That only had this, a “Titans” live action show definitely being planned, and a fairly high entry price for a niche limited library streaming service. This was all found out too, after the show was cancelled when Netflix was and is still Stream God and had the first 2 seasons on it already. Shade aside tho, fans were ecstatic! I mean,  it seemed that our wishes were being granted by a low rent unemployed fairy godmother, but still granted nonetheless! Every time DC released a little bit more of what the upcoming series was going to bring, what characters were coming back or added, the more fans were prepared it seem to try out DC’s streaming service test run. So when the day finally happened in January, year 2019 of our lord and savior Beeboo, that Young Justice Outsiders came out for all our streaming pleasure the voice of all its fans unanimously said one thing. “Ay mane, who got a password for the DC Universe stream I can borrow real quick?”
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From L to R: Katana, Geo-Force, Forager, Halo, Metamorpho, and Nightwing
Season 3 starts with a time jump that has become almost expected with Young Justice and their overarching storyline of the League and all its teams fighting the Villains group called “ The Light”. The storyline of young metas being weaponized against their will continues, and throughout it we are introduced to new characters in the series. Black Lightning who deals with issues with his powers after a fight where a young meta dies, and who he tries to become after. Halo, Forager, and Geo-force are also introduced as new characters early as the young metas who make up the Outsiders team.

Black Lightning went from "Agent Negro 47" to " New phone who dis?" Perfect example of why  Black Beards Matter.
They are led now by mid 20’s Nightwing, Miss Martian, Superboy, and Arrowette, who ironically are in the exact spot their adult counterparts where at over 5 years ago with them. Which I LOVE. It’s rare in a cartoon series for the characters to actually age so clearly, especially from teen to adult. I mean Superboy went from this angsty teen upset his clone dad Superman wasn’t giving him no love. To a grown man with patience, wisdom, a job building bikes, and giving his own dad advice on things. Arrowette is living with the original to us Roy Harper, who is actually a clone, and now called Will ( long story, but not nearly as convoluted as it seems...promise). Who owns a security business ( Episode 4 dealing with his company is also one of the funniest in the whole series). Aqualad is now Aquaman ( Which if Cherry’s suggestion for MBJ to play him didn’t make sense, it definitely makes sense now) and runs the whole Justice League. It’s sad we don’t see much action from him this year honestly, but to see him go from not thinking he mattered in season 1 to being HNIC, is great. Nightwing is well, still Nightwing but has better understanding of why Batman does things the way he does. It’s all very well done, and gives moments in the new season where you see their glow up and understanding the headache their mentors had dealing with them, and it's great.

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To be concluded with the final part 3 Friday ….
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Jay

Has been known to be a strong follower of Dionysus from time to time

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The  Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Young Justice pt.1

2/8/2019

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​This is the part 1 of a 3 part series discussing the history of the show Young Justice, its critical acclaim amid cancellation, and its new life provided by DC’s new streaming service DC Universe.  Part 1 this week will discuss the moves that lead to the series creation, and its fan base growing love before cancellation. Next week part 2 will discuss its cancellation, and the move to DC’s streaming service DC Universe. Finally, part 3 we give a review of season 3 and our hopes for Young Justice’s future.
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Original OG comic book lineup: Superboy (Connor Kent), Impulse (Bart Allen), and Robin (Tim Drake)
Spoilers Ahead

Batman: The Animated Series. Superman: The Animated Series. Justice League Unlimited. Teen Titans. Fam, there was a solid 10-15 years where the DCAU ran point on all things amazing and animated. Marvel honestly could not catch up on the animated front (let’s be real they still can’t, but they trying lol), and no one really cared because the DC Animated Universe was so trill! This was still a bit before the huge Comic Movie Universes that boomed from 2008 with Iron Man and kept running till this day, that now has Marvel in the clear spotlight. So for us comic book geeks and all things Marvel or DC back then, our attentions were focused on these shows as kids and young adults. Even as an adult rewatching, let me tell you they stand the test of time. They may have moments of corny, because let’s be real, these were shows made for the Saturday morning cartoon crowd, but the overall gangsta can not be denied. Then in 2010, several years after its similar theme predecessor “Teen Titans” was cancelled, DC showed us once again why they reign King in the animated land with the drop of “Young Justice.”
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“Young Justice” was based on the comic book series of the same name created in 1998. that usually involves the characters of Robin, Superboy, Impulse, Arrowette, and others who were either permanent or temporary members throughout its first few volumes.. It was DC’s way of having a Teen Titans during the late 90s and early 2000s, but without needing all of the backlog of the actual Teen Titans mythology. It was meant to have the freedom to try fresh new stories with at the time new iterations of Robin ( Tim Drake ) Impulse/Kid Flash ( Bart Allen), and Superboy (Connor Kent). It was a really fun series, that started off light hearted, but delved into really deep stories of identity, legacy, and carving your own path when your not the first or even second version of your public hero image. The show included new iterations of Aqualad Kaldur'ahm (who’s super black boy magic fyi), and a “niece” of John Jones the Martian Manhunter in Miss Martian. It came at a perfect time too since it was a few years after the Teen Titans highly acclaimed show was cancelled in 2006 on a cliffhanger, so fans were ready for what promised to be another great series, and my guy did they deliver.
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HAIC *Head Aquaman In Charge*

From the first few episodes involving the initial team lineup rescuing Superboy and their interactions with their adult counterparts, fans knew we were in for a treat. In fact it was loved so much that even after 2 seasons it was in a lot of circles being compared to the gold standards of Batman with the overarching stories and new origin mythos being given for heroes and villains alike. While also doing an amazing job of having an ensemble cast with some amazing action set pieces just like in the JLU series. The cadmus escape, and the attack in Atlantis are perfect examples of the use of multiple characters done well in action scenes, and there are so many more throughout the series.

It is ridiculous honestly. Strong building blocks like this in the superb action scenes, intense story, and seeing new versions of loved characters that for fans Young Justice seemed like a  damn sure thing. We all thought it was another solid investment from DC, a new series to love and make a classic. If we only knew.



​To be continued with part 2 next week….


Jay

Remembers when he thought Superboy's leather jacket was amazing.  He is totally not looking to buy one online.

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Queen of Zazzau by J.S. Emuakpor Review

2/5/2019

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​“The Queen of Zazzau” novel is a story I needed without knowing it. Like most NJLers, I am a heavy consumer of stories and fantasies in all formats I can afford (and some I can not). Cherry and I both have an affinity to anything with strong world building, flawed yet interesting characters, and honestly overall fun to read. So please try to understand my excitement when I found out about the “The Queen of Zazzau”  by J.S. Emuakpor. A story about an African princess, turn warrior, made queen, with gods, and magic written BY a black woman?! *Cue God’s plan playing in the background.* To add to the awesomeness of such a premise, when I  later found out that this is based on a true story, that there was an actual Amina who was a Hausa  queen in Northern Nigeria….fam. Did you know Xena the Warrior Princess was loosely based on her exploits as a warrior? That she ruled for almost 40 years as woman in a time that certainly was not easy in the 1500s? Or how about she ruled historically one of the largest and extensive Hausa kingdoms ever? Hell, to this day there are still signs of her legend through statues and the standing walls around her trade cities. Talk about Black Girl Magic for real.


Spoilers below.

The novel centers around Amina the princess of Zazzau, and how prophecy and destiny makes her into a both queen and legend. It starts with Amina in her mid to late 20’s with her bodyguard/best friend Jaruma during a confrontation with an enemy state called Kwarafa. The conclusion of this initial contact leads the audience to a strong impression of Amina’s character and why she makes the decisions that contribute to her rise. I enjoyed J.S. Emuakpor’s decision to reveal early in the story the prophecy surrounding Amina from birth that she was destined to become the Wife of War and be the cause of hundreds of deaths. Amina, being strong willed and having a kindness of heart, tries her best to prevent this from happening at all costs. However, her naivete as a princess slowly loses to the reality of responsibility as a future queen.

What was great to me reading this is even though I am well versed in the tropes of a hero’s journey and the genre of fantasy itself,  I had to look deeper into African cultural aspects to better grasp this story. For example,I know what a “ Duke”, a “ Knight”, and a “ Halbert” are because of the Western European fantasy I have read. Yet, I had to Google and refer to the glossary for definitions of  “Gimbiya”, “ Takouba”, and “ Sarauniya.” From stories like “ A Song of Ice and Fire” to “ Lord of the Rings.” the majority of today’s popular fantasy is written with that European background in place almost as a default. Some would say this makes sense, considering the historical background shared between most readers...but that argument in itself is a lie. Even sci-fi and  fantastical stories written by persons’ of color have this default narrative, whether there is a tone or perspective from a P.O.C. or not. Emuakpor writes from a African ( Nigeria specifically) backdrop, and does this with an apparent bias. There is nothing more special to me than reading about a person of color and feeling like the writer wrote them with such authenticity that, as a black person, I instinctually pick up on. A good example is when Jaruma, who technically is her servant, throws shade at Amina. Her love and manner of showing it reads truthful.  It is a sisterly bond I have seen with black women in real life and it grips me to the story organically.

Another strength the“ Queen of Zazzau” has for itself is the magical world offered through African mythology. In most European-viewed fantasies, things like fetishes, or non Abrahamic religions, are considered taboo and almost always linked to evil or savage like moments in the adventure. So to have a story that discusses them without a negative connotation, or makes them seem as natural as spell incantations in the “ Harry Potter” series is refreshing. A perfect example is seen in the character of Ruhun Yak’i, the God of War. From his demeanor towards Amina, to the magic he is able to do, and even the limitations of his magic as the God of War are clear examples of the black lens this is all being done through. So while the reader can clearly see the character template of most Gods of Wars seen in stories in Ruhun, Emuakpor gives him a distinctive personality and way of doing things that is strongly African. As we watch the transition from first brutish interaction with Amina to his docile-like nature that stems from Amina’s own strong personality later in the book, it is clearly told from a person of color’s perspective, and is a joy to read from start to finish.

I never realized how thirsty as a reader I was for Afrocentric fantasy works until this story and I look forward to more from J.S. Emuakpor. “The Queen of Zazzau”  is a great introduction to the author, and a thrilling adventure I could hardly put down. While I personally would have loved to have seen this story fleshed out into multiple books, I know that is more my personal taste and will bear with a great story ending early. Amina is a strong black woman with a heart for her people and a sensibility of balance between her people and herself that I admired. The afrocentric backdrop makes this story feel culturally important to the reader, which I imagine is one of the goals Emuakpor had in mind when creating this story. Lastly, the fact that all of this is based on a real-life Amina Zazzau and her powerful 34 year reign in Nigeria makes this a tale I plan to share with as much friends as possible, out of my own sense of duty and love.

Grade: A

For more from J.S. Emuakpor
Twitter/IG:  @JemSMcBride 
Website: www.jsemuakpor.com
MugwumpPress, LLC: mugwumppress.com





Jay

An avid procrastinator of starting multiple books at once and never finishing them.

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NJL Retreat 2019

1/30/2019

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NJL members met in Orlando, FL for a weekend of work and team building.
From January 18th-20th, members of The Negro Justice League (NJL) met in Orlando, Florida for their first Strategic Planning Retreat. Though the event was filled with fun and laughter, a lot of work was accomplished as well.
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Jay (left) and Jaslyn (right) take notes during the planning portion of the retreat
Prior to this retreat, NJL leadership consisted of three hardworking individuals, Cherry, Jay, and Delano, who were handling much of the day to day operations. Now, there is a new organizational structure complete with an Executive Board and Project Managers to increase the brand’s capacity to produce quality content.
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(From left to right) Cherry, Jay, Jaslyn, Chinyere, and Uzo discuss roles and responsibilites
As the President and CEO, Cherry will continue to provide leadership and direction for the activities of NJL. Jay, the Chief Content Officer, will oversee social media content as well as continue to develop ideas for The Negro Justice League: A Black Nerd Podcast. Delano  will continue to supervise gaming content with the official title of Chief Technology Officer. This position includes developing new branding as NJLgames, in addition to oversight of NJL’s Stream Team which consists of resident and guest streamers.

New to the group, Jaslyn, will be acting in an official capacity as the Chief Public Relations Officer. She will be spearheading an initiative to increase NJL’s outreach through public appearances and conference attendance. Our new Chief Operations Officer, Chinyere, will work primarily behind the scenes providing business consulting and project management assistance. Lastly, Uzo will be leading a new project under the NJLgames brand. Stay tuned as more information is to come!

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(From left to right) Delano, Jaslyn, Uzo, and Chinyere enjoy low-sodium ramen curtsey of Mama Pat's Foods.
Along with the improved organizational structure, NJL defined it’s mission: 
"To engage black audiences across a variety of platforms and create a community with those of similar cultural experiences"
After the work was done, NJL members headed to Universal Studios and Universal Studios Islands of Adventure for a day of fun, team building and fellowship.
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This trip proved to be an excellent bonding experience and laid the foundation for an exciting future.​
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NJL on their way to Platform 9 3/4
The Negro Justice League would like to give special thanks to Mama Pat’s Foods for providing low-sodium ramen for lunch during the retreat.

All NJL merchandise pictured in this article is available in the Negro Justice League Store found here.​
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The Emissary of Veritas Pt. 4

11/30/2018

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Queen Chersei, Ruler of the Onxyian Elves, Protector of the Kingdom of Onyx.
Hey guys, it's your boy Jay with this weeks continuation of  "The Emissary of Veritas" story! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday, and ate like the fat kids I know you are lol. I originally started this as part of the #NaNoWrimo (National Novel Writing Month)  challenge to write either a novel, or a 50,000 words equivalent. I have always had the major plot points and certain characters in mind, but was too afraid to ever start. So thanks to the challenge, and sharing my weird imagination with you guys I finally took the plunge keeping myself honest to try it lol. I also really want to thank all the NJLers who allowed me to superimpose some of their funnier traits or ideas to my characters, which made writing this even more fun to share with them. Also special shout out and thank you so much to Jaslyn, Chichi, and Jen who have helped me edit this just enough to share with you guys. Pray for them having to deal with my writing style ya'll, cuz whoooo child lol.

So to thank you all, this week will be  chapters 4 and 5! Click here, here, or  here to catch up if your new to the story. Like always, please like, share, and comment and let us know if you want more of "The Emissary of Veritas" story!  Strong language and and mature situations below.

Chapter 4

Loc King has never been past the 2nd floor of a        " Goody's Bits for Tips " before. When he first walks through the door tied to the magic entrance to the 3rd floor, there is a moment his brain needs a second to catch up. He stops completely in his tracks in a slightly defensive stance, his mind working overtime as he thinks  “ OK, ok, ok. This is not, uh, this is not...SHIT!This is clearly bigger than it should be. Two, three, hell maybe even FIVE times bigger than...Cats paw this is some serious magic. The ability alone for this level of magic is crazy. To use it to create an entire neighborhood without any hint of magical leaks or seepage? What master sorcerer do they know who’d even be interested to do such work? Oooh fuck, I am NOT high enough for this.” “ Is everything ok?” asks Goody looking at him with concern from behind, as she closes the door  reactivating the barriers and wards. Eyes wide staring in front of him Loc responds with a paranoid look on his face.  “ I am not going to lie to you Goody, I think our friendship is important enough for that. So I will let you know that I am slightly on nerve a bit finding a small town square on the 3rd floor of your nice, yet modestly built building.” Loc proceeds to sniff the air as he walks cautiously, “ And if my nose is not fooling me, there is a large swimming hole scented with jasmine and honey air up here.” “ You like it huh? Designed it myself when we first got started. Only a few aesthetic changes really since then.” Goody says beaming while grabbing Loc’s furry arm and leading him along to catch up with the others. “ Goody, I know first hand how fine a sorceress you are, but if you can do this you should be in Chersei’s Celestial Corps.! Hell, you’d be leading it!” “ Aaawww, how sweet of you to say that.” Goody coos while petting his furry arm she’s holding. “ What can I say Loc? I really like bits for tips”. Loc simply looks down at her for a bit and laughs following her lead to Sir Wordplay, and Chesterfield at her office door.

“ Glad to see your head clear up with that talk from Goody, cub. Because we need to talk.”  Sir Wordplay telepathically says toward Loc. He enters through the (one..two...three….four…!) barriers leading into Goody’s office space as Chesterfield holds the door open for the  group. Bowing at Chesterfield’s constant professionalism and invitation, Wordplay enters the Winthrop’s domicile. Loc and Sir Wordplay never knew if the permanent telepathic connection they have is due to Wordplay being his Ancestral Spirit, or if possibly by his necromancy magic somehow.  Either way, as annoying Loc thought it can be at times having literally two voices in his head, it most definitely helped serve the purpose of keeping him alive. “ Took a moment to adjust, but a cat always lands on his feet. I am still all in to doing this job, whatever it is.” Loc replies to Wordplay “ Hah, good! This is literally the job of a life time, and since I’ve lived more than a few, I know what I am talking about. I just wanted to make sure we had an understanding on a few things while we still have time.”  “ Of course my most honorable and respected Elder.  Please show me the enlightened path you see so clearly before I.”  Loc sarcastically thinks while rolling his eyes for dramatic affect. “ Ya momma cub, but I’m gonna lead your ass anyway. For one thing, with us now knowing now Goody did all of this, she is clearly way more than we thought she was; magic wise. In that same vein, it stands to reason her dearest spouse is more than he appears as well. That’s including the fact he is able to speak for the Queen. ”  “ Damn, you guys have a beautiful space Chesterfield.” Wordplay says while walking by Chesterfield looking at the oceanic view with the sunrise in the distance. “Wait a minute, why am I not burning to my death?” Wordplay says almost to himself in shock, while he looks for the nearest shaded area. “ Well as you may have noticed- ” Chesterfield starts as Loc and Goody come through the entrance for him to close “ - the space is protected by several magical barriers. One of them keeps certain free-forming types out of our place without invitation. Apparently, one of the side effects to this is if one of them is invited it protects them from the consequences derived by direct sunlight. ” “ A ghost-proof and safety house, all in one. That must have been that last barrier I felt.” Wordplay thinks amazed, while walking towards the large balcony with the first sunset he has see in decades. “ Goody is amazing, cub. I think I may love her now. ” thinks Wordplay to Loc. “ I could understand why Elder. Knowing how amazing she is magically, yet the person she is at heart is still humble. I almost feel lucky to consider her friend. ” “ Ayy. ” Wordplay says while he places his hand towards the glass, wishing to feel the warmth from the sun.  His mind playing cruel tricks on him, he could almost swear.... “You CAN, elder. Since you’ve walked in you have been as solid as any other living thing I have placed eyes on.” Loc  says with a smile to his elder while pushing his hand with his on the sun warmed glass. Chesterfield quietly walking towards his wife grabs her hand while kissing her forehead tenderly. If those two near the window only knew she had modified the spell just a bit earlier this evening when leaving the warmed bath she had prepared for herself. “ Simply because she wanted her friend to enjoy the comforts of her home and feel happy. Darkness, I am truly blessed.” Chesterfield thinks while letting the two families enjoy this moment separate, yet completely together.

Chapter 5


“ Please take a seat anywhere you would like.” Chesterfield offers after their moment of silence, pointing Loc and Wordplay towards his living area furniture. Wordplay, eyeing the large armchair next to the drinking case close to the fire pit, dashes over, plumping into the seat soundly. He looks at  the drinking case, and then towards Chesterfield with hope in his eyes. “ Please Sir Wordplay, enjoy yourself with this special gift you’ve received this day. Within reason of course sir. We do need you fairly level-headed this day at least.” “ Aya, don’t worry I am a consummate professional when it comes to being on the work clock. Just a glass. Maybe three. Promise.” Wordplay says licking his lips with his thick Felis tongue while his ears perk up with the choices of delight he has in front of him.  Loc shakes his head in amusement, but dares not ruin the fun of his Elder this day. Wordplay deserves himself a day of drunken revelry all things considered. " Cat’s paw who knows when he’ll ever receive this chance again." Loc King thinks sitting in the large couch directly in front of the fire pit allowing him to fully stretch his arms and legs, while Goody and Chesterfield settle in the lover’s seat next to him. Chesterfield speaks, “ Thank you again for accepting this work before hearing the current details. I would be remiss however, in not giving you those details now. Queen Chersei is needing you to leave Lagina Atlas and find a particular person. We don’t know exactly where they are now, but we know the general area to start looking around, we believe. Your job will be to find this person, and bring them to Queen Chersei herself. Do this and all will be rewarded to you as promise. Any questions so far?” Chesterfield says while sitting somewhat intimately with Goody so she may lay her head slightly on his chest and shoulders. “ Clearly we know who runs their  domain; Chesterfield being the epitome of appropriate behavior or not.” chuckles Wordplay in his mind as he takes his second deep sip of his drink in hand. He then says out loud, “ If you know where this person generally is, why not simply send message to have delivered to them?” Chesterfield nods replying, “ That is because this person would never allow to have anything delivered to them from official sources. Let alone something specifically from Queen Chersei herself. Jayvenn will not initially want to come back.” “ Who exactly is this Jayvenn?” asks Wordplay.  “ That is none of your concern.” Chesterfield says as if the question was simply insignificant. “ You fucked right? You don’t think it matters that we know who the person you want us to catch is?” Loc says gingerly. “ No. You need to know where they could be currently. You will need to know pertinent information on their abilities. You will even need to know the possible ways you have to bring Jayvenn to Queen Chersei." Chesterfield looking at both Wordplay and Loc continues “ Knowing who they are is not necessary, or needed for completion of the task at hand.” “ That’s foreboding as hell isn’t it? Now we definitely need to find out who Jayvenn is.” thinks Wordplay to Loc, finishing his 2nd drink. “ Agree completely Elder. Seems you may have a lot of work ahead of you this time. You might actually earn part of your half for once.”  “ Very well.” says Loc nodding his head, “ You said we can receive info, and to know how to bring Jayvenn back to Queen Chersei, ya? Can we find out that Intel now, or do we wait for bits and pieces as the trip progresses?” “ Very deep indeed.” Chesterfield impressed again thinks to himself, noting to no longer underestimate his Lionus friend.


    “ You are correct Sir Loc King, so here's what I shall tell you at the moment. First, it will not be just you two working to find Jayvenn. Ulong Tea has also been tasked to assist you in this endeavor. I myself will be directly heading out with you to find Jayvenn as well. Since I am the only one who will be able to identify them once found. More importantly I maybe the only one to make them come back with us.” “ Maybe? Make?” questions Wordplay with a tone of concern. “ As I stated before, they initially will not want to come back to Lagina Atlas.  More so, not at the beckoning of complete and armed strangers. My being there will afford a degree of importance, and calm to the situation. Jayvenn will also understand that my presence there is the Queen Chersei’s presence. Now whether that fact will make the task harder or not, that’s based on Jayvenn and their mood.” Loc nods “ Fair enough. Having the official do elf of the Queen makes sense to give status reports, receive updates, bring me food, and such. I feel it. My following question then is what are the abilities we need to know of Jayvenn?” The way Loc says this last part, makes a small part in Chesterfield’s brain, the most  instinctual part say “ The predator is awake now. The Lionus wants to hunt!”

Chesterfield clearing his throat replies “ Yes, well Jayvenn is a very well trained fighter. I doubt there are  truly two handfuls of beings in the known realms who could be Jayvenn's equal. Let alone beat them one on one. Which is one of the reasons in deciding to hire a bowman of well renown. For long distance capturing purposes, if need be.” “ Yes, IF need be.” Wordplay sarcastically thinks to Loc mid way to completion of his third drink.                  “ Remind me to take a look at my equipment, and  stock up on arrows and bolts before we leave on this job. At that one specialist shop with the handmaid I like.” Loc mentally replies back, while actually taking a slight glance towards Sir Wordplay’s direction. “ You’re gonna have to get use to being outside my-” “I know.” Wordplay replies somberly.  “ Why do you think I am enjoying myself so much on the drink this morning? You know when I lived true life, I was never a drunkard like this. My hackles are straight up cub.” “ Yah.” Loc agrees his gaze back towards Chesterfield and Goody. “ It seems Chesterfield wasn’t lying about completion or death at all.”

Jay

Has used Cyber monday to buy some wavy new crocs, and a screen protector. #Winning

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