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 Loc King, first met in Chapter 2, part of the Felis species and Lionus tribe. Starting the week strong here is chapter 3 of "The Emissary of Veritas." Last week introduced Goody, Loc King, and Sir Wordplay here, and this week continues the story with them. Strong language and adult situations below. Chapter 3Chesterfield stands behind the bar, mixing up something special when he hears the joyful laughter of his wife from upstairs. A small grin graces his face. “Seems she’s been able to have her fill of fun tonight after all,” he ponders to himself while pouring the mixture into the 3 various sized mugs before him. Being the head butler of Queen Chersei is a full time job in itself, but at least a few nights a week one can find Chesterfield behind the bar of “Goody’s Bits for Tips” helping his wife, Goody. “Goody’s” is a chain of “barthels” all across Onyx, with the main hub in the Capital Kingdom Lagina Atlas first established around 50 years ago. While each of the 100+ locations are tailored for the area and clientele they serve, the basic layout is generally the same. The first floor holds the main bar hall and lounge, where people can drink, eat, and have themselves a generally good night. This is also where others working as companions can be found either enjoying themselves or being enjoyed by the customers interested in their services. "Goody’s" is a place known for its open mindedness, regardless of race or form. Once a patron’s type is found and the business portion is settled, they are led to the second floor, for a more intimate atmosphere. There are over 20 rooms to choose from- all soundproof, fully stocked, and with private bathrooms. All surrounding a magically sealed sauna area, where the real fun happens. The third floor is where the companions and other staff live, as well as Goody’s office space. This floor magically compressed, so while the outside keeps the shape of the building, it’s usually three to four times bigger on the inside. This allows staff members to have personally sized rooms with a bathroom and balcony. The floor also includes a staff-only complimentary bar, lounge area with kitchen, garden area, and swimming hole. The rest of the floor is solely Goody’s office space and home; in truth, her space is more of a large floor penthouse in another establishment than an office. Its desk is positioned looking east towards the Atlas Ocean, which the capital is partially named after. Connected to the office is the master’s suite, and while it’s smaller than Queen Chersei’s room, isn’t that much smaller. The room is filled with fabrics, trinkets from around the world, and furniture that just screams “lay in me and never want to get up again!” With a bed that seems to be made big enough for the mountain giants. Connected to the room isn’t just a bathroom, but an entire bath house. Across the hall from this area is a lounge living area looking out towards the ocean with a shaded balcony . In the middle of this small housed size area itself, is a dining room and kitchen with an island bar/counter separating it. The other side of the area are two guest rooms across from each other and hallway leading to an outside patio with Goody's private magical garden, and exercise area. The whole area is in shades of blue, black, and white with most areas open in the style of Onyxian design and vaulted architecture. In fact, there was only two doors in the whole area, the one leading into the office space itself, and a simple all white door that can almost be missed in the master suite. Assumingly for storage and such. “Even though as head of the house for Queen Chersei we are given our own quarters in the palace, it is nice to have a place to call our own. Rarely that I am actually there…” Chesterfield thinks solemnly, just as Goody comes downstairs with Loc King and Sir Wordplay behind her. She smiles and slightly nods as she sees her husband in his favorite area in the whole building...well second favorite. Chesterfield nods back, falling always in love with his wife's smile even though he knows part of her happiness is from the mischief she participated in earlier. “Better them than I…” he thinks only half seriously. While she clears the ceiling wall coming down the stairs with no issue, Loc has a moment of serious contortion to make sure his head doesn’t smash the wall. Standing almost 7 feet tall and broad shouldered packed with muscle. Covered head to toe in a light brown and dark fur that signifies his Lionus tribe coming from the southern regions, most Onyx doorways are too small for his frame. With the addition of his long mane of locs, dark beard, and hands that could palm any regular mans head Loc was an intimidating being too see, as truthfully most Lionus are to the other species. The fact personality wise Loc was the exact opposite of his appearance was usually a shock for most people. It was in fact how Loc and Goody and by association Chesterfield became friends over 5 years ago. Apparently even in work situations usually involving violence as a for hire bowman and tracker, Chesterfield has heard his personality doesn’t change much, outside of the focus needed to do whatever he is assigned to do. And do it very well is his reputation, hence Chesterfield making the decision to hire him for the task at hand. Well him and his...sigh….”partner”. Sir Wordplay being the ghost that he is, simply floats through the ceiling directly behind Loc, almost as if being pulled to follow. Similar in appearance enough to Loc to clearly be family, Wordplay was a little broader with dark and grey fur, see through as he is. Wearing (can ghosts actually wear anything...isn’t it all just... them?) a simple long tunic and cloak, he looks like the appropriate image that a respected Ancestral Spirit would be. Then, of course, he talks. “So who do you want us to kill, or fuck, for 5,000 Onyxians? Can I, er I mean Loc receive like discounts at all your fine establishments? Can we OWN one of them? Did Chersei finally hear of our prowess and has deemed us to be her official concubines?!” At the disrespect given to his queen Chesterfield sharply looks at Wordplay and with a calm but stern voice says “Apologize.” Goody makes a face of oooh shit looking back and forth between the two. Loc meanwhile, sidesteps to sit at the bar making sure to be completely out of the path of the look Chesterfield is giving Wordplay. “Uh, heh...apologies to the Queen Chersei, Chesterfield. Of course, a thousand apologies. You know my mouth even in death is known to cause trouble.” “Trouble I seem to always have to deal with...” mutters Loc as he lifts the glass nearest to him towards his mouth. “No disrespect meant at all, just the sum your wife spoke of has my mind reeling from the possibilities.” Wordplay states as he moves his beard to show his bare neck, lifting his head up in the Felis gesture towards apology. Recognizing the importance of the gesture, Chesterfield nods deeply “Accepted and honored. Yet, for me to be perfectly honest, there is truth in Queen Chersei interested in retaining your services.” Loc jerks, spilling some of his drink upon his beard. “Cat’s paw elf! Chesterfield are you serious?! I knew the work would be for a serious backer, but the Queen! She knows about us!?” Chesterfield shakes his head firmly, “Oh absolutely not my guy. No, no , no, no, no. The Queen Chersei has no idea of your two’s existence, let alone your work reputation. I am tasked by her behalf to find suitable help for a situation, and entrusted with her sovereignty to make decisions on her absentia.” Loc looks from out the mouth of his mug, one of his eyebrows piqued up. “So you are voice, and ears on all decisions for this task, is that it? The Queen Chersei minus Chersei...Interesting.” “I see the focus towards a task others speak of. Definitely deeper than the stream seems to be.” Chesterfield thinks nodding approvingly of Loc’s quick understanding. “As such, gentleman. With that I offer you two said job. Understand two things. I will give you information as I seem fit to give you. That does not mean all the information, and even if you complete said task you may never know. Secondly, once you accept you are tied to this task, and only this task. You will either complete it, or you will die trying. There is no other options.” he places his hands, palm down, on the bar and looks at both Loc and Wordplay earnestly “That-that type of deal seems a tad more expensive than even 5,000 Onyxians. Each.” Sir Wordplay states while giving his great-great-great nephew a look of slight trepidation. Chesterfield bows his head deeply “My deepest apologies for the misunderstanding. The 5,000 Onyxians is just for accepting the job. Each day you work after you will have all expenses in the path of completion paid for by the crown. While earning 50 Onyxian coins on top a day.” he looks at Wordplay than Loc quickly “Each.” Wordplay starts smiling a toothy grin as his eyes start turning the brightest shade of green. “And yes Sir Wordplay, if you wish at the end, you could own one of “Goody’s Bits for Tips”. If you wish to ac-” “WE’LL TAKE IT!” Loc King says excitedly while grabbing Chesterfield’s hand and shaking it firmly. Chesterfield glances over at Goody, as he notices her trying her best to keep her demeanor civil. “The mischief demon is wanting to rear its head again it seems.” He thinks, with a small smirk showing up on his lips itself. “I’m glad you have accepted the job so eagerly. It soothes me to see such eagerness towards completing one’s future work. With this part behind us now, let us actually get to the task at hand, shall we?” JayWaiting for all the men with locs to claim Lionus status after this lol.
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 Goody Winthrop, owner of "Goody's Bits for Tips". Hey guys welcome to this week's continuation of "The Emissary of Veritas" ! Thanks so much for the positive love so far, and hope you enjoy chapter two! You can check part 1 here, starring the introduction of Queen Chersei and Chesterfield, the husband of Goody pictured above. Strong language and adult situations below. Chapter 2Goody Winthrop stares down at the masses of bodies, sprawled around the room and along a bed not big enough to fit them all, and wonders how exactly should she handle this situation. As the Owner and Madame of the many brothels and bars (“barthels” for short) called “Goody’s Bits for Tips,” she is not unaccustomed to seeing certain things. But this? Well this is definitely a Top 5 moment. The center of the storm, so to speak, was a massive and very tall Lionus in deep slumber and snoring loudly. Lionus are a tribe and part of the feline-like people, known as Felis. They come in different shapes and sizes, similar to their smaller domesticated cousins. They, especially the males, are known to be the biggest of their people with long manes they tend to loc up and beards just as long. This particular one had his mane of locs and beard apparently occupied with the feet, or is it the hands, of the several species of women sleeping on top of him. One human woman seemed to have nestled in between the top of his mane and the headboard, like a little mouse. Her foot crossed over his chest and on top of the Onyxian curled deeply into his right shoulder. The Onyxian woman’s arm draped across his chest interlocking with another woman who twinned her position on the other side. Their positioning was actually quite ironic being that the two women were actually twins. Lastly, for the bed portion anyway, laid two dwarven women hugging each other and sleeping soundly. They found themselves occupying the space between the long legs of the same Lionus. Around the room in chairs, on the floor or even floating laid other women. Separate, together, of all shapes and types, using covers, clothes, books or whatever else to cover themselves as they slept. All of them naked, of course. “Bits and tips. This is a masterpiece of hedonism if I’ve ever seen one.” Goody thinks to herself. “I almost feel ashamed for waking him up, but I also can’t wait to see the look on his face when I do!” Deciding if it’s worth it to get the picture apparatus her husband built for her as a gift, she decides against it and will just savor this moment in her personal petty bank. “AHEM!” as she clears her throat loudly. Not a body stirs. “Excuuuse me, heathen and heathenettes? Yoohoooo!” Someone stirs in the puddle of sin and lust but still no one awakens. Now annoyed by her polite approach of waking them up being ignored, Goody grins devilishly. Closing her eyes for a moment, she raises the pointer and middle finger of her left hand pointing them towards the ceiling. Maintaining this gesture, she spins them in a circular motion once and smirks. A second later, a large portal seemingly opens up over the bed and water from the warm bath she had prepared for herself earlier splashes over the bodies before closing. The Lionus, shocked awake from the water jumps up flinging the women on, over, and under him across the rooms, proceeding to hit his head on the roof above. “FUCK!” he yells as he lands back down in the bed rubbing the top of his head, naked, wet and confused as hell. He looks at the culprit of his personal hell, as the others in the room awaken themselves due to the chaos of the last few seconds. “So Loc, will that be coin or credit for your night’s adventure?” Goody says matter of factly. As she tries to not let a cheshire-like grin cross her face, she performs a quick hand spell that evaporates the water in the room before it does more damage than humor to her place of business. “What the hell do you me-!” Loc growls out before he realizes the complete scenery of naked sprawled bodies, moaning and shuffling as they all tried to get up. He then realizes he is not in the original room he is renting from Goody this week and, more apparently, that he is as naked as one covered in light fur can be. Quickly realizing the angle of his dangle is front and center of the proprietor of this fine establishment he resides in, Loc reaches for the pillow next to him and covers himself sheepishly. “Bits and tips, I should have gotten the device just for this alone!” Goody thinks as she tries to control the laughter inside her. “Just a few more minutes girl, just hold it in for a few more minutes.” “This is NOT what it looks like Goody!” Loc King pronounces with one hand in front of him like he’s waving someone to stop. The other hand palms the pillow that keeps him modest. “Oh really?” Goody questions with a smirk. “Yes, not at all!” Goody proceeds to look at her two Onyxian twins as they help themselves out of the tangle of bodies they landed in as a result of Loc’s reenactment of the storm summer of 5 years past. “Lotus? Lavender? Is this what I possibly could think it is?” The twins look at their Madame and nod in unison. Lavender, or is it Lotus, then says, “Oh yes Ma’am. It’s definitely what you think it is...and has been for half the night if the dawn breaking is any indicator.” Loc, with this statement, sighs and simply hangs his head down in defeat, losing the battle before it even started. “Oooh kitty, don’t be upset. We enjoyed every moment of it immensely. It was the most fun we had in ages especially since we’re getting paid for it too!” innocently said to Loc by Lotus, or is it Lavender, as they both kiss his cheek. The twins pick up their clothes and almost on cue like the rest of the girls, quietly and quickly exit the room letting their boss and favorite new customer have some privacy. “So.” Goody says while using her fingers to do the math “I counted a baker’s dozen of my girls. Five of them my top earners. For at least 3 hours in the Soldier’s Suite. With no protection from what I saw.” “Wait, a min-!” “Hush now darling, I am doing the math in my head. So like I was saying, with no protection, which as company policy states, I have to whip up a spell to do a blanket cure all, just in case. I’m sure you’re clean Loc. I trust you, but you know...company policy. What else? OH! How could I forget, the twins! Both of them together doubles their individual and group pay. We don’t kink shame here, but quality services, deserve quality prices! If we add it to the tab you left with me earlier tonight at the bar and the warm prepared bath you just to-” “YOU SOAKED ME!” Locs shouts incredulously. “Yes, pretty kitty, and with it being a spelled bath that once you are fully soaked in all ailments, dirt and sores from the day are removed, so you’re very welcome for that by the way. That leaves your total at….1,847 Onxyian coins. Whatever equivalent you have on your person in foreign coin we accept as well. We are a certified currency exchange for all major denominations around the world with just a small 5% fee.” Goody looks at Loc with a smile on her face as she sees the number hit the Lionus like a siege battering ram against a flimsy door made of kindling wood. Loc becomes deathly silent, while his muscled furry chest starts rising as he breathes in and out as if hyperventilating. “Here it coooommmesss…” Goody mischievously thinks to herself, cupping her hands against her ears right in time. “WOOOOOORDPLAAAAAAYYYY!” Loc angrily roars, the look on his face making Goody glad it wasn’t herself his current mood was for. Lionus’ roars, when just used for communication between themselves, can be heard for miles easily on a quiet night. When a Lionus, like Loc King, roars out of anger for those not prepared, it’s a shockwave of primal force that has been known to turn the tide of battles more than once. “Welp, there’s definitely going to be some very pissed off people this morning. Thank the Dark Divine I am friends with Chersei or I could actually be in trouble here.” Goody muses to herself, right before a spectral figure seems to float from outside the second floor window into the room. “Funny for you to call me, since I was just on my way back with the night being over” the ghost says nonchalantly. “Morning Goody, looking as lovely as ever.” “Morning Sir Wordplay, I would say you look almost alive...considering. Had a good night out I assume?” Seeing the wolfish grin on Sir Wordplay’s face at her observation, Goody coughs in her hand to hide the laughter coming forth. Meanwhile, Loc stares Wordplay down and yells “CAT’S PAW, YOU DID IT AGAIN YOU SELFISH BASTARD, DIDN’T YOU!? YOU WAITED UNTIL I PASSED OUT AND USED ME AS YOUR FUCKSUIT AGAIN! WHAT KIND OF ANCESTRAL SPIRIT DOES THIS TO THEIR DESCENDANT?” In a scary whisper, almost to himself, Loc continues “Do you have any idea how much you cost me tonight…? ONE THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN ONYXIAN COINS!! WHERE THE FUCK IN LIONUS BLOOD AM I GONNA GET THAT MUCH COIN?!” Goody, realizing Loc is likely to roar again, places a quick sound barrier spell around the room and magically floats a pillow towards Loc. He catches it in mid air and just pushes it against his face letting it block the roar he lets out. After 30 seconds, the roaring subsides and Goody hears a slight muttering covered by the pillow “ 1,847...1,847...1,847...I’m just gonna have to sell my body...” At this Goody finally loses it and starts laughing as if all the laughter in the world is being funneled through her. As tears roll down her eyes, she quickly leans against the wall before she falls backward from laughter. Wordplay and Loc look at each other, then nervously at her. “Uh...Goody? Are you ok? “ Loc says with a level of concern and sweetness in his voice that Goody cherishes him and this whole night more for it. “Yes, my dear, this laughter makes me feel either you have lost your mind or maybe there’s a joke we are not fully aware of?” Wordplay asks quizzically. Goody, through the laughter, works on catching her breath amid the tears, finally able to compose herself after a minute or two. “Bits and tips I enjoy you two so damn much. You are never a disappointment in entertainment when this happens and it never gets old!” As she wipes the final tear from her left eye, she chuckles “Don’t ever change you two.” Loc realizing finally the turn of events this night, while mostly Wordplay’s fault, had a hint of the Kingdom’s renown mischievous and playful nature of Goody Winthrop, says hopefully “So you knew about this? This was all one of your jokes right?” Goody barks out a laugh almost as loud as before and just shakes her head “Oh fuck no, you definitely owe me my money. Luckily though, Chesterfield is downstairs waiting for you two with a job. From my understanding, if you accept it he’ll cover the costs of the night….and pay you 5,000 Onyxian coins extra. Each.” At the sound of “each,” Loc and Wordplay finally look like the family they are, with eyes as big as saucers with shock. “Best night ever!” Wordplay says with a huge smile gracing his face. JayRecommends listening to Anita Baker in the morning for daily affirmations I like to consider myself an artist. Or a creative person, when self-identifying as an artist seems to bourgeois. Yet honestly, between my work, volunteering, traveling, and this NJL life, I wasn't getting to create enough. It's why while working in Asia I was doing a lot of baking and creating recipes from scratch. Or taking more pictures, as ways to engage even a little bit my need to create. Luckily enough in October I was able to do the #Inktober2018 challenge, where every day I had to draw something. For 31 days I was given a theme and drew something from that. I really loved it, and I don't want to stop creating so I decided to do another challenge for November. This time it wasn't a drawing challenge, but a writing one. Specifically to write a novel or 50,000 word equivalent. That's when the idea of "The Emissary of Veritas" came along.  Sir Chesterfield Winthrop the 3rd. A character in the story "The Emissary of Veritas" For the next month and maybe longer if there's real interest for it, I will share a chapter or two of 'The Emissary of Veritas". It isn't going to be perfectly edited, but shout out to the few who do help do some light editing and insights. The characters and story are one's I have been wanting to bring to life for a while, intertwined with the NJL itself. From main characters, inside jokes, or even story beats, there's a bit of the League everywhere in this story. Hopefully I am able to write a novel in the next month, but if not at least enjoy this story from a humble heart. Strong language and adult situations below. Emissary of Veritas
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption is the newly released game from indie game studio AnotherIndie, created by Darkstar. The official description is:
“ A man without memories struggles to understand and deal with his past. Adam must face the incarnation of his greatest sins as he unlocks his memories and sacrifices to atone. But will Adam attain redemption or will he wallow in his past?”
Screenshots courtesy of anotherindie.com/sinner
Over on our Twitch stream (Twitch.tv/blacknerdcast) Chesterfield Winthrop III had the chance to play Sinners. For our Twitch audience and his own pride as a man, he braved the dark realms and went toe to toe with the 7 Deadly Sins in the game to...victory? Redemption? Viewer’s personal amusement? Who really knows but he did have a few things to say for us on his adventures into the dark realms of Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption
Jay : Let’s just jump right into it, what did you like about the game?
Chesterfield: I liked the premise of the game story using the 7 deadly sins, and having to sacrifice something in order to fight. For example, your health, or half your inventory. The diversity in the fights was also appreciated. Jay: Yeah, definitely while watching you fight it was really apparent how much the designers put into the diversity of the fight mechanics. From fighting long range, parrying just right, or even making sure to watch the surroundings it was really interesting. Especially when you were handicapped in some way before each fight. Did the difficulty of the fights with the addition of losing important game elements at times make you not want to play at all ?
Chesterfield: Haha, contrary to popular belief, I didn't mind the difficulty of the game, but the controls were what made it tough for me. I wish I could edit the controls, or have options for different control layouts. Also I really loved the way they played with draw distance and focus on items depending on your distance, which was awesome. You definitely could feel the difference between the weapons as well.
Jay: For an indie game it seemed really polished while watching you play. Even though I never played myself I could see the difference in game weight going from the sword and shield to the big buster-like sword for example. The stance of the character Adam just holding the bigger sword, or swinging it around was really excellent. Are there some things you would love to have added in like DLC or a sequel if one ever happens? Chesterfield: More bosses will always be fun. Maybe a multiplayer arena?
Jay: I don’t know how many more sins can be added after the OG 7, but multiplayer would be awesome! AnotherIndie sells it as a mixture of the Dark Souls series and Shadow of the Colossus on their website. After watching you play, it is exactly that combination in all the good yet frustrating ways! If you had someone who could jump in, for example, when you were fighting Envy who splits up into two sisters, that would add a whole new dynamic to the game. Any final thoughts and grade for Sinners: Sacrifice for Redemption?
Chesterfield: It’s honestly a great game that definitely requires patience. It is very rewarding when you win, and painful when you die . I give it a “B”. Review Grade - B  I’m gonna be honest with you guys... Forget Mr. “I’m only dangerous if you sleep, Christmas ugly sweater wearing” Freddy. Or “My momma started it because I was bullied (but rightfully so, for being a butterface-with-no-butter ugly)” Jason. Don’t even come at me about that punk “ It’s just a damn Cabbage Patch doll” Chucky. Why? Because since day 1 I’ve been a Michael “Mike” Myers fan. Mr. “I been murking since I was a child just because.” He who has the hardest ‘ I WILL KILL YOU’ music with the piano keys and heavy organ, and you know it’s low key a trap beat. Michael Myers is the MVP of this slasher-horror game, the one who never gets the respect he deserves for his consistency with the basic ‘scare’ fundamentals. That’s right, Michael Myers is the Tim Duncan of horror. He has the rings and hall of fame career, but because he doesn’t have flashy hand knives, or a stupid hockey mask, he isn’t given the proper respect. I thank GOD for this new Halloween screenplay written by Danny McBride (of all people). Maybe now people will put more Respeck on Mike’s name. By the way, Spoilers Ahead.  This screenplay basically starts Halloween Eve with two millennial reporters who have a hard-on for social justice ( yes, as a fellow millennial big on social justice, I know my people) and go to the prison where Michael-- played TO PERFECTION by James Jude Courtney-- has been imprisoned. This man is not talking to anyone, just standing there like a living avatar of Death since being imprisoned. They ask questions about himself and the new move that all the inmates will be taking to the new facilities. All this is fine until… these idiots bring out his original mask. The whole courtyard of mentally unstable and dangerous folk start whooping and hollering like Excalibur was just pulled out the stone, with Michael Myers as their King Arthur. Michael of course says nothing, or even acknowledges what is happening, but you know and I know that he KNOWS. Now, I don’t know about y’all, but I would have “Nope’d” the hell out of there so quick that Barry Allen would have had to show up and give a warning about possibly messing with the time stream. What’s really great about this scene is though you are staring at Michael’s back the entire time, his presence is undeniable. This man isn’t a killer, or mentally tortured in some way; he is categorized under ‘other’ and it shows.  Meanwhile, in Haddonfield, Illinois, Laurie Strode (played amazingly well by Jamie Lee Curtis) is being considered the crazy old lady by both the town and her family because of how she has never got over what happened that horrible night 40 years ago. In one poignant part shown early in the movie, someone mentions how Michael really only killed 5 people that Halloween night and the world has had to deal with so much worse since then, so what’s the big deal? And they are right, because compared to 911, police brutality, and TRUMP, what is 5 deaths? But Laurie knows that Michael isn’t just some guy who killed a ‘few people’. He is Death incarnate and it’s only a matter of time before he’s free again. So Laurie stays vigilant, even though her daughter Karen (played by Judy Greer) hates her for a childhood of living in fear and preparation, and her grandaughter Allyson (played by Andi Matichak) just wants Laurie to move on so she can be a part of her life again. And thank God she did! The Mental Health Ally in me cries out for her PTSD trigger and the survivor’s guilt that she deals with throughout the movie. Yet, she is the ONLY ONE prepared for the inevitable escape of Michael, and the path of destruction he makes towards her doorway. I was kind of expecting an eventual “I told you so” from Laurie when shit hits the fan, but Curtis plays Laurie with a no nonsense attitude that makes her validation even sweeter.  His poker face is immaculate From the moment Michael breaks away from the prison bus, he’s cutting, slicing, dicing, and eviscerating a path that makes you think “Well... clearly no one is gonna complain about only 5 murders this time.” I refuse to explicitly spoil these scenes because the visceral visuals is an absolute must-see for horror fans. However, I will say there is one continuous long shot of him coming back to his old stomping grounds without missing a beat. Michael had to have been practicing inside somehow because ain’t nan piece of rust on his swing. He’s lifting 250 lbs. like it’s lightweight. His cardio is immaculate, which makes sense when you realize he power walks everywhere. I will admit there’s some slippage here in plot with people who seem important but don’t really show up later. There is also teenage drama that seems wildly misplaced for a bit, but honestly, these are minor gripes. It’s so exciting to see Michael Myers vs Laurie Strode in this movie. In my opinion, it’s better than Freddy Vs. Jason simply because Laurie and Michael have history and go at it ON SITE.  While everyone else is fearing for their life and trying to run the hell away (little black boy was gaaaaaawn), Laurie, her family, squares up as if to say “Come through playboy, we got ALL. THE. SMOKE. for ya brisket headass.” Now, to be fair, it’s not nearly as easy as she thought it would be. Even with her training for 40 years. ESPECIALLY since he’s fresh out of Kill Krazy Kamp, eating jello everyday and what not. But that’s what makes this movie so good. You really don’t know how it’s going to end; and when it does, you sit back and let the breath out you’ve been unconsciously holding for the last fifteen minutes. When I first heard Danny McBride was doing a reboot of the Halloween series, I rolled my eyes like everyone else. Not because I didn’t want to see Big Brother Mike from 1978 cross the screen again, but because I assumed this movie would be another Hollywood cash grab on my nostalgia. I am rarely this happy to be so wrong (shut up Cherry). If I ever see Danny McBride in person, I owe him a personal apology. Not only did he do this movie right, but he also gave much respect to the character and mythos of the Halloween franchise. And while I have no idea how they could possibly start a sequel, with the way this movie is making money it’s almost sure to happen. I put my trust in their hands. Now, if I could just find out Michael Myers’ workout plan so I can move like he does at 46 years old, I’d be a happy man. A happy man who would definitely NOT kill people... making sure to put that out there. Final Grade: A JayThe voices in his head helped him write this. They all sound like Pooh Bear.  Courtesy of Snap Finger Click The Negro Justice League is known to love all things nerdy and black. What some people don't know is we also really, really love being petty, ESPECIALLY with each other. So as luck (and some hard work behind the scenes by our resident tech support specialist, Chesterfield) would have it, we've been given the chance to play the game Awkward on PS4 and stream it for our Twitch and YouTube viewers! Developed by Snap Finger Click, Awkward is a digital version of a tabletop game were friends can play together in person and with others online. Players answer increasingly personal questions ranging from "I have no shame, so don't judge me" to "I'm low key, high key hoping my momma don't find out about this" levels. For three weeks, starting August 28th, check us out on Twitch, at 7pm EST and watch the awkwardness go down! Plus, just so you can't say we don't do anything for ya, we will be giving out a PS4 copy of the game for FREE during each stream! Make sure you keep up to date by following us on social media and make sure you watch the stream for your chance to be Awkward. JayTravelling the world looking for One Piece, and the perfect cup of coffee  Photo Cred: Starz SPOILERS for S5E6 of Power If you missed the previous review click here! Power has some issues this season, but I’ll get to that at the end. Our latest episode starts us off with James learning that his estranged wife and side-piece are bff’s. I’m thrilled that these three decided to let it all out on the table instead of delaying the reveal any further. We’re over the halfway mark in this season and it’s time to push the narrative toward its resolution. James was absolutely bewildered and his feelings toward the absurdity of Tasha and Angela working together reflects my feelings about the show Empire as a whole: It doesn’t make a lot of sense. Why doesn’t it make sense? ANGELA Angela is the reason why the wheels are still spinning with the FBI, NYPD, and Dre conflict when you think about it. She could’ve easily left well enough alone when she first discovered that the NYPD was investigating the death of a dirty cop, but nope! She deleted the ballistics and is now dangerously close to being taken down. Truthfully speaking, she’s the real antagonist of this season but that’s a topic that will have to wait. James is on this whole “kick” about becoming a better man, but everyone sees through the bull***t (except Angela, of course). I’ve always said that Ghost creates his own issues and nobody else matters as long as he makes it out ok. James was ready to abandon his family for the love of Angela, and I’m behind any other character that calls him out on his s**t. Kanan has said several times that Ghost is only out for himself and he has plenty of examples to support his position. I want to see how long this change in James’ character lasts before he reveals his true self again. That alliance with Dre can’t be legit, right? RIGHT?!?  Photo Cred: Starz Tasha Ain’t No Snitch Detective Rodriguez did her best to fill Tasha’s head with N***a Plot Twists, but the woman is too damn smart for that s**t. Rodriguez suggested that maybe Angela set everything up for Tasha to take the fall for Ghost’s (but really Tariq’s) work and the picture she painted was plausible. The scene was well crafted, ramping up the tension to the point where you bought the idea of Tasha ratting out her husband and his thot. Seriously, at this point I wouldn’t have blamed Tasha if she decided to say “f**k these folks” and sing like a bird. She’s gotten the short end of the stick from jump, so it would make sense. This episode actually set up something I’ve been waiting for since Silver said he would never lie to protect a criminal. Tasha explicitly implicated Silver in her lie to Rodriguez, and judging by the preview it looks like he’ll be asked about his part in Tasha’s story. I’ll bet the house that he lies and it comes back to bite him in the ass like the postman from Man’s Best Friend. For everyone wondering what the f**k that is, it’s the movie John Witherspoon is watching on Friday when he says, “That’s yo ass mister postmannnn.” It’s actually pretty entertaining. But I digress…  Photo Cred: Starz John Mak Ain’t Playing Man, Mak is a M*******A!!! He went out of his way to make sure Proctor would perjure himself. Proctor can’t even go and see his degenerate cousin with Han showing up with the disrespect. However, He wasn’t done there. As a matter of fact, that’s not even where Mak started. HE STARTED BY GOING TO PROCTOR’S EX AND PROMISING HER A BETTER CHANCE AT GETTING CUSTODY OF THEIR DAUGHTER IF SHE HELPED HIM TAKE PROCTOR DOWN!!! This savage is a damn Sith Lord. I just sat and looked at my TV in savage admiration. Between Mak and Saxe, everybody is going to jail on this show. The Rest… This season of Power has been painfully slow. It’s like we’re waiting in place for all the big stuff to happen. Floyd Mayweather (while explaining his beef with 50 Cent) said what everyone has been saying. This season isn’t close to as great as the prior four seasons. It’s decent, but not a great watch. Dre is in way over his head and I appreciate the show constantly pointing this out. His journey to find a reliable Spanish translator gave us a lot of funny moments, though. Speaking of Dre and his uneasy alliance with Ghost, I’m looking forward to seeing how Ghost plans to kill Diego. Some of his best scenes in the show’s history are when he lets the killer out. Kanan is so great of a character that he makes you like Tariq. That’s s**t is CRAZY!!! Overall: C+ J2, the Unapologetic GeekLaces is a national treasure...  Photo Cred: Starz SPOILERS for S5E5 of Power If you missed a previous review, click here. Power applied the Sith Lord’s “rule of two” principle to Kanan and Laces (played by a show-stealing Kendrick Lamar) and the results were stupendous. I want more of this alliance NOW! In the 4 ½ seasons of Power we’ve seen Kanan do some low down dirty s**t, but to this date he’s only shown compassion for two characters: Tariq and Laces! Anybody that comes on the screen yelling, “My n***a, my n***a, my n***a” and then proceeds to jump between two languages effortlessly has my attention. What’s even funnier is the fact that he’d say some real profound s**t in the middle of his rambling that would make you stop and think. Kanan used his newfound strung-out friend to take out members of the Tainos in comically deadly fashion. Nothing can prepare you for how funny it is to see Kanan do a drive-by on a stolen bike that looks like it belonged to a little girl. Then… THEN after Kanan kills they guy, Laces asks if he can have the victim’s wallet. Kanan responds by telling him that he can, while also suggesting that he should take the victim’s shoes as well. Bruh… LACES LEFT BOTH BECAUSE HE’S ON THAT S**T AND PROBABLY FORGOT WHAT WAS GOING ON!!! This team-up had me in tears from the onset, but at the end of the friendship I got something I didn’t expect. After Laces helped Kanan with one last kill, Kanan pulled his gun on the loveable dope addict. Laces turned around and psychoanalyzed his would-be executioner in such a way that Kanan paused and contemplated what was being said. When Kanan saw that Laces was not a threat, he let him go. I WAS DELIGHTED!!! Kendrick Lamar was exceptional in this role, and 50 Cent continues to shine in a part he was clearly born to play. I’m hoping we get more of Laces in the future. Especially if we can get another exchange between him and K that’s as funny as the vegetarian discussion!  Photo Cred: Starz Tommy is Still Scary Tommy had to remind us how he is when you try to press him. Angela made a gutsy move by using Proctor to get a face-to-face with Tommy, and I’m not exactly sure how to feel about the outcome. I know Angela has some sort of endgame in mind now that she knows Mak and Saxe are on her ass, but going to the man she hates above all others seems desperate. Whatever the case, Tommy turned the tables on her silly ass quick when he pulled up to her doorstep and requested the same tracker she attempted to use to gain his trust. The most eye-opening thing about Tommy getting the tracker is that the request came after a discussion he had with his father about what the definition of a “rat” is. I think it’s a good and creative choice to have Tommy wise up and realize his father isn’t loyal to him. I don’t know what he’s going to do with the tracker, but I’m sure that it’ll lead to Tommy taking Teresi down… maybe even Mak and Saxe. Speaking of Tommy wising up, he got on Tariq’s ass during their little joy ride. It’s great when you don’t have to wait until the end of a season to see something you already know brought to the forefront. Tommy confronting Tariq about snitching to Dre and helping him escape was the exact talk Tariq needs right now. He’s playing a dangerous game. Although Tommy didn’t directly threaten him, the threat was apparent in his tone. Tariq knows now that although he is loved, Tommy will probably kill his ungrateful ass if he crosses him again.  Photo Cred: Starz Drunk Ghost is HILARIOUS!!! Man when he’s drunk, James St. Patrick is a whole FOOL! I see why people were worried about him drinking again. James went the legal route to get Dre booted as head of the club, which also meant he stole the Queen’s Child Project event right from under Dre’s strong ass nose. James was cool until Tate brought Dre to the event any way. Tate is so damn disrespectful. How are you going to walk over the man whose deceased child is the reason for the Queen’s Child Project? Politics as usual, I suppose. So after the project gets the funding it needs, Ghost takes all of the Henny to the head and turns into the drunk uncle at the cookout. It started when Pastor Macedon (BRUH HIS NAME ISN’T “MASTODON”) offered counseling services to James and was met with “I’m not your son n***a!” Then Tate tried to talk him down and James got up and choked him. After all of that, Ghost went home and almost got his ass whooped by his son because he was too damn drunk to properly square up. All of this was hilarious to me. Of course it all ends with him going to the one thot who will accept his thottish ways… Angela. The Rest
J2I'm mad as hell that they named this dude "Macedon". This is WORSE than "Mastodon"!  Photo Cred: 50's Instagram, breh SPOILERS for S5E4 of Power If you missed the last review click here! Don’t you just love Kanan? From his first appearance on season 1 to now, he has been a national savage treasure. 50 Cent’s acting career has had a lot of rough spots. I mean, he didn’t even do a good job playing himself in Get Rich or Die Tryin’, and we’re not going to talk about that movie that played on BET where he lost all of the weight. (I’m not even going to type the name of it) But with Kanan, 50 has found the perfect role to match who he is as a real life villain. Kanan was messy af for revealing that Tommy’s dad was out of jail to Ghost in the way he did. I loved the looks Kanan gave that revealed just how much of a piece of s**t he was when other characters weren’t looking. K’s finesse game is official. Somehow, despite the odds being stacked against him, he has gotten both Tommy and Ghost to trust him. Ghost confided in Kanan a little in the beginning of the episode when he spoke on how worried he was about Tommy and Tommy’s father. This is the second time Ghost has confided in him (is that what happened??) this season, and he still doesn’t realize that he is no longer in control of the situation with Kanan. Tasha has pointed out several times that it makes no sense for Kanan to still be alive both to Ghost and Tommy;however, neither of them can provide her with an answer for why he’s still necessary. That’s some GRADE A finessing right there. In this episode, Kanan sets two idiots up to pull a fake drive-by on Tommy’s newfound family, JUST so he could come in and look like a hero by killing them. Furthermore, it looks like it may have worked… for now. There are a lot of people that I wouldn’t mind seeing die this season, but to me, Kanan can stick around forever.  Photo Cred: Starz, fam. Dre Ain’t Ish Breh… Tate got tired of Ghost not wanting to play the role of the mourning father who wants to build a legacy for his daughter, so he unknowingly hires the man that was part of why Raina was killed in the first place. I’m all for this s**t right here son. Since this show began, Omari has had some great performances, but his reaction to Dre being appointed as the face of Tate’s project was perfect. He was menacing yet professional, and Dre played it well by showing how he just didn’t give a f**k about Ghost. The day Ghost gets his hands on Dre will be glorious. This season, while slow, has done a good job of building tensions in various stories, but the build between Ghost and Dre has been benefited the most from the slow burn. This twist makes Dre more dislikable and paints a darker picture of him.  Photo Cred: Starz and 'nem Angela Did Something Right and Still Took a L Angela got the leaders of the Jimenez Cartel, only for the DEA Thot to obstruct justice for the sake of plot and government. I almost felt bad for Angela in this situation. She finally did something right and got hit in the mouth for it. I love the fact that Alicia was willing to let her brother take the fall strictly because she was sick of his s**t. It’s a story that I quickly became invested in, and it must lead to her killing him. He’s far too reckless and sadistic to run an operation as sophisticated as the Jimenez Cartel. I can see Angela taking him out and appointing Dre, who she clearly has a thing for, as her new #2. With this huge loss, Angela turned to the only person that knows how it feels to take a lot of successive L’s. That’s right: the end of this episode brought us the Thot Reunion we’ve been waiting for. Angela called Ghost to meet, and we were give a very subdued but well done scene. I’m sure she’s going to try and use him in some way, but I wonder how that’s going to go once he finds out she and Tasha have been bff’s for a while. Overall: B And I just realized I didn’t give scores for episodes 2 and 3: S5E2: C- S5E3: C+ J2 Linda really did pull a Lady Elouise!!!  SPOILERS for S5E3 of Power If you missed our last review you can check it out here. Ghost has got to be a Gemini. I don’t know how I hadn’t seen it before now. Think about it. He’s hot and cold, has a dual persona, and has a swagger that serves as superior Thot Magic. No, I’m not saying all Gemini’s are this way. However, I AM saying that most of the Gemini’s I’ve met in my life share the same characteristics as one James St. Patrick. This week’s episode saw James leave his Ghost persona behind in favor of the opportunity to show how a real man-harlot does a business deal. Listen, I know women love Omari Hardwick and his hairline that just won’t give up, but Power has given the fellas some nice eye-candy as well. We’ve gotten a chance to see Naturi Naughton and Lela Loren get it in several times, and the world was caught completely off guard when LaLa decided to show every man on the planet that has married her in their minds what she was working with. Despite coming into this episode knowing that we were overdue for a love scene that wasn’t weird (more on that in a second) and having my own ideas on who would get the love scene we were virtually guaranteed, I DID NOT EXPECT GARCELLE BEAUVAIS TO SHOW THEM CAKES!!! I grew up a fan of the Jamie Foxx show. I’m going to tell you right now that I wasn’t a fan because of the comedy. I wouldn’t rank that show in my top 10 black sitcoms. However, if I had a list for the top 10 women from black sitcoms, Garcelle would probably be in the top 5. I was crazy about Fancy and she still got the juice. I’ve watched this episode twice now, but I’ve seen her big scene in this episode three and a half times (don’t ask) and I plan to watch it two more times before the end of this writing. Seriously, though… I want her to come back and be James’ suga mama. And Ghost finally checked Rashad on something only for Rashad to fire back by letting him know that he got played by Linda. (I know I’ve been using her real name, but that’s the name of the character Garcelle played) The thought of Linda pulling a Lady Eloise on James is hilarious to me. If you didn’t catch that reference, your black movie card is under review.  Angela is Slow and Tommy’s Dad Ain’t S**t The FBI is full of idiots, with Angela Valdez being chief among them. Detective Rodriguez pulled up on her and asked her some questions about Raina’s death and the dude Tariq handled. Angela was not only overly vague and defensive during the questioning, but she also decided the best thing to do was to use her authority to get all the evidence the NYPD had about the case taken by the FBI. BRUH!!! I hope she goes to jail by the end of this season. She literally made the target on her back even bigger for Rodriguez. That made me think of something. What if the got d**n NYPD ends up bringing down Angela and Ghost. That would be absolutely stupendous. Why? Because the FBI DESERVES NOTHING on this show. Tommy’s dad has been playing Tommy AND the FBI since he hopped on the scene. He knew Tommy was hot on the streets, got him to come visit him in prison, and built a bond with him all so he could get the FBI to come and offer him a deal… AND IT WORKED FLAWLESSLY. It’s one of the best heel moves I’ve ever seen in any medium, and now savage walks the Earth again. Furthermore, he’s such a gangsta that no one that he knows can fully buy in to him being a snitch, despite the fact that that’s exactly what’s going on. The story that they’re crafting here is worth the price of admission, and it gives us something interesting to follow besides the Ghost vs. Dre storyline, which is moving at a crawl.  I’m Just Going To Say It… Dre Has No Idea What He’s Doing… I didn’t talk about this in the last entry because I forgot, but Dre’s story has taken a hard left. Diego Jimenez is a savage, dawg. And how did they get that point across? By revealing that he has some… peculiar fetishes. Diego came on the scene last episode BLASTING two chicks and forced Dre to stand and watch until he finished, but that’s not where the eye-brows raised. Nah, later you find out that he sent one of the aforementioned women to smash Dre so he’d have the opportunity to walk in and see it going down. All of this AND he enjoys killing and the sight of others being killed. One thing I appreciate is how the acting and writing show that Dre is in way over his head. His inner circle is crumbling because his flunkies don’t know who should get all of the credit, Diego appears to be running out of patience with him, AND he’s trying to keep up a lie that he told to Diego that is surely going to come back with a vengeance. I think he’s going to bite it this season, but my money is on Diego to do the deed now. But for real, though… Can we get Fancy back for a few more episodes?
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