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chooseywoozy · 6 years

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Veil of Secrets, Book One: Chapter 1 - Missing Persons

(NOW PLAYING AS JUICY)

You sit in a cold metal chair in a police interrogation room, watching the minutes tick by on the clock.

Juicy: (How much longer are they going to keep me here?)

As if answering your question, the door at the end of the room swings open, and a man in a sharp suit enters, flashing an FBI badge.

Agent Michael Kim: Special Agent Michael Kim, FBI. And you are… Juicy?

Juicy: That’s right.

Agent Michael Kim: Well, Juicy. I’m hoping you can answer some questions.

He sits down, flipping open a heavy folder full of photos…

Agent Michael Kim: See, I’m just trying to make sense of what happened in this town. Looking at this report here, I’ve got a kidnapping, multiple break-ins, an arson, and at least four homicides… And you think you know who was behind it all.

Juicy: What can I say? It’s been a wild month.

Agent Michael Kim: Can you tell me what happened here? From the beginning?

Juicy: Well.. It all started with a wedding…

Letter: You are cordially invited to the wedding of Katherine O’Malley and Tanner Charles Sterling to be held at Sterling Manor in Birchport, Massachussetts.

Your taxi pulls up outside an imposing family estate in the village of Birchport, Massachussetts.

Juicy: Wow…

The doors swing open, and a handsome stranger walks out, smiling at you.

???: Welcome to Sterling Manor! You’re here for the rehearsal dinner, I assume?

Juicy: I’m Juicy. A friend of Kate’s. Uh, Katherine’s.

???: You can relax. She’s Kate to me too. Looks like you’ve never been here before. I’m Grant Emerson. I’d be happy to show you the way.

Juicy: You’re so kind to offer.

Grant Emerson: Really, it’s my pleasure.

Grant leads you through the doors into an elegant foyer.

Grant Emerson: So how do you know Kate?

Juicy: We were best friends in college, but we kind of lost touch since. I was honestly surprised to get the invitation.

Grant Emerson: She’s told me some stories about her college days. It sounded like the two of you were a force of nature back then.

Juicy: You could say that. Let me guess. You’re… best friends with the groom.

Grant Emerson: Best friends? I wouldn’t call us that. Our families have… a long history. Both with Birchport, and with each other. Our families have been rivals for years. But Tanner and I are friendly.

Juicy: So do you live in a mansion too?

Grant Emerson: Define ‘mansion.’

Juicy: If you need me to define mansion, you live in a mansion.

Grant Emerson: Touche.

You pass a massive spiral staircase and a door leading to a gallery of expensive art. You can’t help but gawk.

Juicy: Man. Kate always joked about marrying a rich guy, but I didn’t think she’d follow through. Especially not on this scale.

Grant Emerson: Believe me, you’re not the only one surprised. The town’s been buzzing for months. Let’s just say it’s not every day the heir to the town’s richest family gets engaged to a dockworker’s daughter.

Juicy: Way to go, Kate.

Grant Emerson: What about you? Anyone significant in your life?

Juicy: Does my editor count? We spend nights and weekends together, she calls me all the time just to check in… on my deadlines.

Grant Emerson: So you’re in publishing?

Juicy: A journalist.

Grant Emerson: I’ve seen this movie. The hard-working journalist pounding coffee at her desk, no time for a personal life…

Juicy: Well… I believe in work/life balance.

Grant Emerson: Me too. I work hard, don’t get me wrong… But I don’t want to end up like my father. The man’s taken two vacations in thirty years… And one of them was a day trip to the state clerk’s office to file some documents!

Juicy: Yeah, that’s never appealed to me. I like what I do, but I’m not married to my work.

Grant Emerson: Well that’s good. I’d be awful jealous of your work if you were.

Juicy: Very smooth. What about you, Grant? What do you do?

Grant Emerson: I’m a lawyer. Following in my father’s footsteps.

Juicy: Really? Let me guess, some kind of fancy corporate law?

Grant Emerson: Criminal defense, actually.

Juicy: So if I wake up tomorrow in the drunk tank after going full whirling dervish on Birchport’s streets…

Grant Emerson: I’m the guy to call. Listen, I’d love to have you all to myself for the rest of the afternoon, but we should probably join the party.

Juicy: Lead the way…

Grant escorts you to a dining hall full of wealthy East Coast socialites. As you enter, a young woman with a beaming smile rushes over and throws her arms around you.

Kate O’Malley: Juicy! You’re here! You have no idea how much I’ve missed you!

Juicy: Kate! I’ve missed you too!

Kate O’Malley: Ahhhh! I’m so glad you came! It’ll be just like old times.

Juicy: … Except slightly less hungover, right?

Kate O’Malley: Not if I can help it! Can you believe I’m getting married?

Juicy: I honestly can’t believe it’s taken this long for someone to try to lock it down.

Kate O’Malley: Who said no one else tried?

Juicy: Well then, it must have taken a lot for this guy to succeed.

Kate O’Malley: You could say that…

Kate shows you her engagement ring… and its enormous diamond.

Juicy: Holy rock, Kate! Doesn’t that thing make your arm tired?

Kate O’Malley: That’s just an added bonus… Crossfit arms without even hitting the gym!

A handsome sharply-dressed man approaches. His bearing is aristocratic, and a little distant.

Kate O’Malley: Oh, perfect, here’s my fiance, Tanner Sterling. Tanner, this is Juicy. We were inseparable at Hartfeld!

Tanner Sterling: So lovely to meet you, Juicy. Kate speaks well of you… and often.

Juicy: Thanks, Tanner. It’s great to meet you.

Tanner Sterling: I hope the B-and-B is comfortable. We would have had you stay here at Sterling Manor, but it’s been a little chaotic with all the wedding prep.

Juicy: I only had time to drop my bags off and change, but it seems charming.

Tanner Sterling: Please let us know if you need anything. We’ll be happy to provide anything that might make your stay more comfortable.

Juicy: That’s so thoughtful, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.

An exceptionally well-dressed young woman squints at the three of you, assessing, then stalks over.

Scarlett Emerson: Don’t Kate and Tanner make such a cute couple? At least now that she’s dressing on the Sterling family’s dime…

Tanner Sterling: Scarlett…

Scarlett Emerson: I’m kidding, obviously! Kate knows how much I love her.

Kate O’Malley: Totally.

The woman glances your way.

Scarlett Emerson: Sorry, but if we’ve met, I’ve totally forgotten you.

Kate O’Malley: Scarlett, this is Juicy, my best friend from college. Juicy, meet Scarlett Emerson, my… maid of honor.

Scarlett Emerson: Oh, of course. I should have known you were Kate’s college friend. You both have that same spit-shined blue collar thing going on. Such an adorable look. I’m almost jealous of how well you pull it off. You’re the journalist, right?

Juicy: That’s me.

Scarlett Emerson: I saw you talking with my brother before. Just a tip from a friend, flirt all you want, but don’t get your hopes up. Quaint’s not really his thing.

Juicy: I’m sorry, I think we got off on the wrong foot. Can I just say you look stunning?

Scarlett Emerson: I… uh, thank you, I guess.

Juicy: And forget what everyone else is saying, okay? That outfit works. At least for you.

Scarlett Emerson: What everyone… is saying?

Juicy: If you ask me, your whole ‘no makeup, all my flaws out there for the world to see’ look is empowering. Keep rocking it just like you are, okay? No matter how much people whisper about it.

Scarlett Emerson: I… well… I mean, that…

She clears her throat.

Scarlett Emerson: Right. Well, I don’t know who you are, but… don’t try anything.

She walks off, shaking her head, vaguely confused.

Tanner Sterling: Huh. I can’t say I’ve ever seen someone handle Scarlett like that.

Kate O’Malley: It was incredible! Like some Jedi mind trick!

Juicy: I grew up in the Midwest, remember? Passive-aggressive is in our DNA.

Kate O’Malley: Still, that was amazing. She’s never that nice to anyone!

Juicy: If that’s Scarlett being nice, I’d hate to see her mean. Why is she your maid of honor? You don’t even seem to get along…

Kate O’Malley: It’s complicated…

Tanner Sterling: The social circles of Birchport often are. Now come, darling. Mother wanted to talk to you about flower arrangements…

Juicy: Find me when you’re free, Kate?

Kate O’Malley: Yes! God, yes.

Kate hugs you and leaves with Tanner. You stand there, shaking your head…

Juicy: (Kate O’Malley… what have you gotten yourself into?)

Guests start to move to their seats in the dining room. Feeling out of place, you slink to the back of the hall and find an empty seat next to a ruggedly handsome man.

Juicy: Is this seat taken?

???: I was hoping to put my feet up and take a little nap when things got boring, but sure. You just go ahead and take my footrest.

Juicy: What, you’re not absolutely riveted by rehearsal dinners?

???: Not when it’s my sister getting married to that… Never mind.

Juicy: Whoa. You’re Kate’s brother?

???: Yes? Have we met or something?

Juicy: I’m her friend Juicy. From Hartfeld?

???: Juicy? She talked about you all the time.

He offers his hand, and you shake it.

Flynn O’Malley: Flynn.

Juicy: Flynn, huh? I’d have never guessed you and Kate were related.

Flynn O’Malley: Not sure I know how to take that.

Juicy: I mean, you’re both attractive, obviously… Sorry, that wasn’t what I… It’s just that she’s so… and you’re so…

Flynn O’Malley: Yeah, yeah. She’s sunshine and pastel rainbows, and I’m…

Juicy: A midnight motorcycle ride?

Flynn O’Malley: I’ll take that.

Juicy: Has Kate changed much? I mean, I never would have pictured her marrying into a family like the Sterlings.

Flynn O’Malley: I’m as surprised as you are. Not that I’ve ever thought much of her taste in men… But I didn’t think she’d wind up with a walking sense of entitlement like Tanner.

Juicy: He seems like a nice enough guy…

Flynn O’Malley: ‘Seems’ is definitely the operative word in that sentence.

Your conversation is interrupted by the sound of a spoon tapping the side of a glass, signalling a toast. A stern older gentleman at the head table rises, a champagne glass in his hand. Diamond cuff links twinkle at his wrists.

Pierce Sterling: For those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting, I’m Pierce Sterling, father to the young man whose nuptials we’ll be celebrating tomorrow. As most of you know, the Sterling legacy in Birchport goes back many generations. Tomorrow it continues onto the next. For any father, his eldest son’s wedding is fraught with emotion. Many of you know our Kate comes from a … different walk of life…

Attendees give each other uneasy glances…

Pierce Sterling: And yet, she possesses a purity of spirit that I can only describe as Sterling. Please, join me in welcoming Kate O’Malley to our family!

Before anyone has a chance to react, a huge, red-cheeked boor of a man stands up and scoffs!

???: Different walk of life? Come on!

Pierce Sterling: Bryce…

Bryce Sterling: Drop the euphemisms, Dad. Just say what we’re all thinking.

Pierce Sterling: I’m warning you…

Bryce Sterling: She’s a gold-digger!

You feel yourself tense with anger. You notice Flynn clenching his fists. You dig your fingernails into the palms of your hands in your effort to hold your tongue.

Juicy: (Just keep your mouth shut. Saying something will only make this worse for Kate…)

Flynn looks like he’s about to burst when Tanner rises to his feet.

Tanner Sterling: My apologies, everyone. It appears my little brother has once again let the party atmosphere go to his head.

Tanner tries to escort Bryce out of the room, but Bryce shoves him away. Wait staff intervene, and Bryce is removed from the dining hall.

Pierce Sterling: I second Tanner’s apologies. Bryce has been under a lot of stress lately. I’m sure he didn’t mean to disrupt your dinner.

He motions for the wait staff to begin serving guests. Across the room, Kate catches your eye. You turn to Flynn.

Juicy: Is it always like this?

Flynn O’Malley: I wouldn’t know. This is the first event the Sterlings have deigned to invite me to.

Juicy: Kate always had a way of attracting drama, but… I don’t know. This seems like too much, even for her.

Flynn breathes deeply.

Flynn O’Malley: Look. She’s my little sister, and I want to protect her. But the truth is… Tanner makes her happy. Happier than I’ve ever seen her.

You look back to the center table, where Kate’s leaning on Tanner’s shoulder, looking up at him with a smile.

Flynn O’Malley: Honestly? If we can just make it through this wedding… I think she’ll be all right.

A few hours later, the dinner is winding down. You’re lingering in the parlor when Kate comes running over.

Juicy: Hey stranger.

Kate O’Malley: Oh, Juicy… I’m so happy I found you.

Juicy: How’re you feeling?

Kate O’Malley: Excited? Overwhelmed? So happy I wanna scream and the same time so nervous I wanna throw up?

Juicy: So… normal night before your wedding stuff, then?

Kate O’Malley: Exactly!

She grins and wraps you in a massive hug.

Kate O’Malley: I know we haven’t talked much the last couple years, but… I think about you all the time, you know.

Juicy: Me too. I’m glad we finally have a chance to catch up now, though.

Kate O’Malley: Yeah, I--

But before she can finish, Grant and Scarlett walk over.

Grant Emerson: Looks like you two are reconnecting.

Juicy: So you guys are Kate and Tanner’s crew, huh?

Scarlett Emerson: I suppose.

Juicy: Oh, that reminds me! How was your bachelorette party, Kate?

Kate O’Malley: I… never had one.

Juicy: What? Scarlett, isn’t throwing Kate a party one of your duties as maid of honor?

Scarlett Emerson: Bachelorette parties are so tacky.

Juicy: They don’t have to be. Besides, this is Kate’s wedding, right? And Kate’s always loved a good party.

Kate O’Malley: ‘Love’ does not begin to describe my feelings about parties.

Grant Emerson: Well, it’s still early. Anyone got plans tonight?

Kate O’Malley: Just beauty sleep.

Juicy: You’re not going to be with your fiance?

Kate O’Malley: Tanner’s family is big on tradition. I’m not supposed to see him again until the wedding day… which means my plan for the night involved a couple glasses of wine to settle my nerves and a lot of Netflix.

Grant Emerson: Well that clinches it. Nothing takes your mind off pre-wedding jitters like a night on the town. Kate, you up for a party?

Kate O’Malley: Yes! Yes! That sounds amazing! Fancy cocktails… college stories… dancing and laughing…. Juicy? Are you in? Not to be dramatic, but… I totally need this!

Juicy: Yes! I’m totally in!

Kate O’Malley: Yay! Where should we go?

Grant Emerson: You’re the main event tonight. Your choice.

Kate O’Malley: Then… let’s head to The Red Grouse. They have a drink there that looks and tastes exactly like a unicorn.

Scarlett Emerson: Uggggggh.

Juicy: Feel free to take a rain check, Scarlett.

Scarlett Emerson: I’m the maid of honor. Besides, someone has to keep you from getting your grubby hooks into my brother.

Juicy: Just don’t rain on our parade.

You look around to invite Flynn… but there’s no sign of him.

Juicy: Huh…

Grant Emerson: What’s up?

Juicy: Nothing. Let’s get going.

A little while later, the four of you sit at a table at the Red Grouse, an upscale cliffside distillery on the edge of town. A waiter approaches…

Waiter: Can I start you off with something to drink?

Juicy: You can start us off with several! We’re having a spontaneous bachelorette party, and she’s our bride-to-be!

Kate beams, looking happier than you’ve seen her since you arrived in Birchport.

Waiter: But it appears you’ve brought a bachelor along with you.

Grant Emerson: Guilty as charged.

Juicy: Tonight he’s an honorary bachelorette.

Waiter: Works for me. What would you like to order?

Juicy: I’d like the ‘unicorn’ cocktail.

Kate O’Malley: Yes! Same! I swear, Juicy, it tastes like sparkles.

Juicy: So much better than those martinis we used to make in our dorm room…

Kate O’Malley: Oh my god, yes. We used that awful vodka that came in the plastic handles....

Juicy: And we didn’t know you needed vermouth, so it was basically just a couple of olives bobbing in a sea of cheap liquor!

Grant Emerson: Remind me never to let either of you make me a drink.

Scarlett Emerson: Right. Well the adult woman would like a pinot noir.

Grant Emerson: And I’ll have the house whiskey. Neat.

The waiter brings out the drinks, and Grant raises his.

Grant Emerson: A toast. To Kate. We should all be so lucky to find someone as amazing as you!

Kate O’Malley: Awwww! To all of you guys for taking me out before I get hitched!

Juicy: To reconnecting with old friends!

Scarlett Emerson: To wine, the only thing getting me through this.

You all toast and drink.

Juicy: Wow, it really does look like a magical creature.

Kate O’Malley: One that gets you drunk.

Juicy: Better yet!

Kate O’Malley: Soooo… who wants another?

Scarlett Emerson: You finished yours already? Are we in some kind of spring break hellscape?

Kate O’Malley: Bachelorette party! Whoooo!

She signals the waiter for another round. Soon, you all start to relax.

Juicy: So, Kate, how did you meet Tanner, anyway?

Grant Emerson: Now that’s a good story.

Juicy: Wait, let me guess. You parked in his VIP parking spot.

Grant Emerson: Kate would park in a VIP parking spot if we had them around here.

Kate O’Malley: I consider myself supremely important, thank you very much.

Scarlett Emerson: That’s probably why we don’t have any of those.

Juicy: Okay, so what’s the real story?

Kate O’Malley: You remember how I always said I’d open a bakery?

Juicy: Riiiight. What did you call it? ‘Tasty Pastry’?

Kate O’Malley: Exactly! And two years ago… well, I did it. I started my own business!

Juicy: Get it, girl! So what, you baked your way into Tanner’s heart? Because if so, I’m calling dibs on the movie rights to that story.

Kate O’Malley: Not exactly. One day we had this terrible storm. Right as I was closing up, this guy walked in just soaking wet. He was on his way to a meeting and he couldn’t go like that. So I went to the cleaners next door and borrowed a left-behind.

Scarlett Emerson: Hard to picture Tanner wearing another man’s suit.

Kate O’Malley: But the storm just got worse, and the power went out. We ate cupcakes and talked, and he blew off his meeting to stay with me. It was love at first sight. Seriously.

Scarlett Emerson: Come on. That’s not an actual thing.

Grant Emerson: I don’t know. I think it can happen. Juicy, what do you think?

Juicy: I agree with Grant. When you know, you know.

You and Grant share a meaningful look. The night goes on. You down more drinks and share more stories. Eventually, even Scarlett lightens up.

Scarlett Emerson: I couldn’t even speak! I just bolted!

Juicy: Pretty sure that’s the only reasonable response to spilling your red wine all over Elton John’s white suit.

At one point, Kate and Scarlett step away to the bathroom, and Grant smiles at you from across the table.

Juicy: What?

Grant Emerson: Well, I did promise to show you around earlier… and I’d be remiss in my duties if i didn’t offer you a chance to check out the best view in town.

Juicy: I swear, if you’re talking about yourself…

Grant Emerson: The balcony, actually. But I’ll take that as a compliment.

Juicy: ...Wow.

Grant Emerson: See? I never disappoint.

Juicy: Thanks for this, Grant.

Grant Emerson: My pleasure.

Juicy: Seriously. What an amazing view!

Grant Emerson: Birchport might be provincial in some ways, but it has a lot to offer.

Juicy: I can see that…

You take a step towards Grant, resting your head on his shoulder. He blinks, surprised… then leans into it.

Grant Emerson: You’re something else, Juicy.

Juicy: You’re not so bad yourself. You’ve really got it figured out, huh?

Grant Emerson: What do you mean?

Juicy: Back in the city, everyone’s always scrambling around, feeling overwhelmed… I can’t remember the last time I met someone as easy-going and relaxed as you. Someone who seems so comfortable in his own skin.

Grant Emerson: Money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it can give you a lot of options other people just don’t have. I… never want to forget how privileged I’ve been. Or how differently my life could have gone. But… I don’t know. I just feel like I ought to give back. Like I need to take the opportunities I’ve been given to do something meaningful with them.

Juicy: Is that why you’re a defense lawyer? Helping the innocent and the powerless?

Grant Emerson: Yeah, actually. Cheesy, right?

Juicy: I don’t think it’s cheesy. I think it’s sweet.

You turn to Grant, smiling softly… when Kate pops out the balcony doorway!

Kate O’Malley: Grant, are you trying to steal my best friend, or what?

Kate stumbles in her heels.

Kate O’Malley: Whoa. I think I had one too many… what are they called? Horn-horses?

Juicy: you should let Grant drive you home, party girl.

Kate O’Malley: Oh fiiiiine. Be boring.

She looks back and forth between the two of you, then grins widely.

Kate O’Malley: My friends are becoming friends! Juicy, maybe you can visit more often… or even move here! You can hang out with me and Tanner, and with Grant, and--

Juicy: Slow your roll there, Katie-bear.

Kate O’Malley: Why? Aren’t we friends anymore?

Grant Emerson: Um, I’m gonna let you two have some one-on-one time… I’m sure Scarlett is getting antsy, anyway.

Grant squeezes your hand and leaves.

Kate O’Malley: I’m sorry, Juicy. Am I being clingy? I always get so clingy when I’m drunk…

Juicy: Oh, believe me, I remember…

Kate O’Malley: It’s just… you know… I’m so lonely out here.

Juicy: Really? What about your family?

Kate O’Malley: You know how it is. My mom’s out of town, and my dad… well, I don’t talk to my dad.

Juicy: What about your brother?

Kate O’Malley: I love Flynn, and we still get beers sometimes, but.. It’s just hard with me marrying Tanner. There’s a distance between us. I don’t know. I can’t explain. And Tanner’s family, they’re like ice, Juicy. I can tell they don’t want me there.

Juicy: What about Tanner, though?

Kate O’Malley: I love Tanner. He’s a good guy, not like the rest. But… but…

You can tell she’s struggling, holding something back…

Juicy: What is it?

Kate O’Malley: He’s… I think he’s…

Kate reaches forward and takes your hand… Just then, the door behind you flies open! It’s Tanner, and he’s fuming!

Tanner Sterling: Kate! What are you doing out so late? The night before our wedding? Do you know how this looks for me?

Kate O’Malley: Tanner! I was.. It’s just I never had a bachelorette, and… Juicy is here now, and…

Tanner Sterling: Got it. So you thought you’d show up to your own wedding hungover. Classy.

Juicy: Tanner… Go easy on her… She just had a little too much to drink…

Tanner ignores you, focusing on his fiancee.

Tanner Sterling: I should’ve known you’d revert to your old patterns, Kate.

Kate O’Malley: My old-- what do you mean?

Tanner Sterling: You know what I mean. Now let’s go. I’m taking you home.

Tanner grabs Kate by the arm and drags her away.

Juicy: Tanner, wait!

… But they’re already gone.

Juicy: (Maybe the Sterlings were right about not seeing each other the night before the wedding…)

You feel something in the hand Kate grabbed… and realise she handed you a note!

Juicy: (Ulysses? What does that mean? What’s going on around here?)

You look around, but the restaurant’s mostly empty, except for one bored bartender. A cold wind blows over you. Shivering, you exit the restaurant and head back to your bed-and-breakfast.

You wake up the next morning to a beautiful, sunny day.

Juicy: (I wonder if the Sterlings special-ordered this weather?)

You’re about to head out, when the innkeeper stops you in the lobby…

???: Hello, dear!

Juicy: oh… hi!

Miss Harlenay: I’m Eleanor Harlenay, the keeper of this little lodge. I hope you’re liking your room!

Juicy: Oh, it’s great! Just heading out for the wedding now…

Miss Harlenay: … in that?

Juicy: I thought so… something wrong with it?

Miss Harlenay: Oh, no, it’s lovely… I just had something in the back I thought you might like more. Something that will be sure to help you impress that special someone!

Juicy: Who are you… what?

She rushes to the back room, and returns with an outfit.

Miss Harlenay: Here! If you wear this, I guarantee you’ll catch the eye of everyone there! Oooooh! You look absolutely stunning! Like Birchport royalty!

Juicy: Thanks, Miss Harlenay.

Miss Harlenay: Enjoy the wedding, dear. I’m sure it’ll be a delight.

You take a taxi to Sterling Manor. You enter the hall, which has been decked out for the ceremony, and the usher asks you where you’d like to sit. You see one seat next to Grant, and another next to Flynn. You take a seat next to Flynn.

Flynn O’Malley: Wow. Just wow.

Juicy: I take it you like my look?

Flynn O’Malley: Let’s just say it’s not every day I get to sit next to the prettiest girl in the room.

Behind you, someone gives a low wolf whistle. You turn around to see Bryce rudely looking you up and down.

Flynn O’Malley: Back off, rich boy. She’s too good for you.

You brace for a fight, but Bryce, who appears to be sober, shrugs as if he’s lost interest.

Juicy: You look pretty amazing yourself. I’ll be honest, I didn’t see you as the suit type.

Flynn O’Malley: I’m not. But it’s not every day you watch your little sister get married.

Juicy: You ready for it?

Flynn O’Malley: Not like I have a choice.

The officiant and Tanner walk to the alter, signaling the start of the ceremony. The attendees turn in their chairs to watch the bride walk down the aisle, but the doorway is empty. Everyone waits… and waits… and waits. By the alter, the Sterlings look at each other uneasily.

Flynn O’Malley: Something’s wrong. Where’s Kate?

Juicy: I… don’t know.

Another minute passes… then another, each one longer and more excruciating. The guests start to shuffle around in their chairs…

Juicy: I should go check on her. Make sure she’s okay.

Flynn O’Malley: Good call.

You head to the dressing room where Kate’s supposed to be, a sinking feeling growing in your gut. The door is locked, and you tug on the handle…

Juicy: Kate? Kate?

You jerk it hard, forcing it open…But the room is empty.

Juicy: ...Kate?

There’s no sign of her.

Juicy: She’s gone.

Thoughts on the episode…

Realistically, even if there wasn’t something suspicious going on and Tanner and Kate were actually ridiculously in love, there is no way this marriage would have worked. His family are awful to her, she doesn’t have any real friends - judging by the guest list the only people she invited were Flynn, her brother and Juicy, her college friend she hasn’t spoken to in years. Scarlett better have a good old reason for being that much of a bitch, too. Kate would be lonely and sad and squashed into this rigid way of living that doesn’t fit her at all, she’d definitely end up depressed and miserable and/or leaving him.

One bit I’m confused by is the ending. I know it was always going to happen that Kate goes missing on her wedding day but… where is Scarlett? Her maid of honor? Did Kate turn up to the venue? If she didn’t, surely Scarlett should have informed someone? If she did, where was Scarlett this whole time? Suspect.

The only two people who aren’t suspects in my book are Flynn and Grant and that’s only because they’re love interests - Pixelberry doesn’t usually include Love Interests in the guilty parties.

Fave Character of the Chapter: Grant

Least Fave Character of the Chapter: Scarlett

#veil of secrets #vos #choices vos #playchoices #choices

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tessatechaitea · 7 years

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Justice League #16

Batman's fist is blocked because you know what he's doing.

The current Justice League story is stupid. That isn't a surprise because Bryan Hitch is writing it. Bryan Hitch is an artist who DC Comics hired to both draw and write the Justice League of America. But then they realized he can't make deadlines if he's doing both jobs so they decided to halve his workload. But for some reason, they thought things would work better if he did the writing instead of the drawing. That might have been a good decision if your main concern was deadlines but it was a terrible decision if your main concern was entertaining DC fans. I wish more editors would carry Tasers on them so that when a writer decides to pitch a time travel story, the editor could just whip out the Taser and shoot the idiot writer in the neck. Most time travel stories are terrible and since Primer already exists, why even bother to write time travel stories anymore? I like that the title of Primer doesn't have to just represent the notes the main character keeps so that he can repeat the past correctly but can also be read as the writer saying, "Hey! All you other time travel writing fuckfarts? This is how you do it. Bitches. I'd drop the mic now but it was fucking expensive and I'm only an independent movie producer."

I guess this means fifteen minutes as experienced by somebody with their family at Thanksgiving.

Growing up, I had three Thanksgiving traditions: eating a ton of mashed potatoes, watching Ray Harryhausen films on Channel 36, and trying to fingerbang my cousin. Time has been changed and that's a bad thing, I suppose. What do I know about good and bad? You read my Thanksgiving traditions! Anyway, time doesn't change immediately like you'd think it probably should. Or maybe you don't think that since you probably think the arbiter of time travel rules is Back to the Future which proved that time changes slowly. Michael J. Fox had a Polaroid to prove that. So now that time has changed, the changes are rippling up through eternity, giving Batman ten minutes to save time! Although if he fails, everything will still exist except a bunch of people will go on the Internet to write, "Does anybody else remember superheroes being real? I remember while growing up, they were real! Is this the Mandela Effect?!" And a bunch of people will answer, "Oh my God! I remember that totally correctly too!" And nobody will write, "You people are idiots who are just remembering something wrong and have decided that reality is subjective and malleable rather than have to admit you remembered something wrong." Although in this case, they'd be right! I hate how comic books are always portraying things opposite of how they are in the real world. In comics, time can be changed but in the real world, no way! In comics, gods are real and all over the place but in the real world, Ha ha! Ludicrous! In comics, nice guys are actually nice guys but in the real world, they're men's rights activists who think women won't fuck them because the women have something wrong with them. THEY THINK IT'S THE WOMEN WHO HAVE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEM! The Infinity Corporation needs Superman to fix the Time Crisis. Who are the Infinity Corporation, you're probably asking? More like "when" are they! OUCH! I just punched myself in the face! The Infinity Corporation aren't being honest with Superman and Batman about who they are. But they make sure to have a conversation about how they aren't who they say they are so that the reader can grip the edges so hard that the comic goes from fine to poor while also shouting, "WHO ARE YOU?! I HAVE TO KNOW! ALSO, WILL I EVER HAVE SEX?!" The other Justice League members have been sprinkled throughout time to stop Time Bombs from going off and changing everything. Aquaman is in Atlantis 47,000 years ago. Coincidentally, it's the day his beloved crystal zodiac figurines were created! The weird thing is that the Atlanteans created the same creatures in their zodiac even though it was 45 thousand years or so earlier than when the Babylonians created theirs. Surely Cancer would have looked more like a frying pan and Libra would have looked like a man drumming on a bucket outside of a department store. And why did they only carve twelve? What about the secret thirteenth symbol of the zodiac, the puking serpent? The Green Lanterns are in 26th Century America. It's a fucking disaster. But everybody is a Green Lantern, so I guess that makes up for the sleeping in rubble living conditions and the dinners of deep fried rat asshole. Cyborg is in Legion of Super-Heroes time and Barry is in Speed Force Creation Days and Wonder Woman is in Greece when the Olympians were created. Each of them has to disarm a Time Bomb or the world will change. So even if they fail, it's not like anything will be destroyed. It's just that new stories will be created! And none of those stories will have superheroes. Except they'll still probably have heroes like Batman and Green Arrow and Blue Beetle since those are just guys with lots of money and a penchant for vigilantism. So actually, it'll be DC Comics' accountants favorite world! Every comic published each month will basically have to star Batman!

It's how you build trust with everybody else! Hypocrite!

Superman, Batman, and the Infinity Corporation are far into the future where the time ripples end. They figure that's where the person behind it all resides. I guess that person's life in the future just wasn't good enough so they had to change some shit. I bet the whole point was to change everything just enough so that this person's dick would somehow be bigger. I can't explain how that would work! Time DNA or something!

The antagonist is a huge, gross baby? I hope Superman punches it!

I bet Batman's plan to save the world is to perform a Time Abortion! The Ranking! No change! This story feels timeless! And not in a good way! In the waiting in line at the Post Office only to realize when you get to the counter that you meant to go to the DMV way!

#Justice League #DC Comics #Bryan Hitch #Fernando Pasarin #Matt Ryan #Brad Anderson

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tyrantisterror · 7 years

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The ATOM Create A Kaiju Contest

All fifty ATOM Kaiju files are now up on Horror Flora for the world to see. You can now look at the designs, stats, and brief bios of the fifty-some kaiju that will appear in my novel-in-progress, The Atomic Time of Monsters. But the event that gives the novel its name – the titular atomic time period – has far, far more than that. In fact, while only fifty or so monsters appear in the novel itself, at least six times that number will be running around just outside the pages – the unseen kaiju of ATOM. But I’ll level with you – I can draw kaiju for days, and have literally done so since about mid-December 2016, but I’ll never be able to draw up 300+ solid kaiju concepts. I mean, ok, maybe if I keep at it till I die, but I have a lot of other stuff I want/need to do. So that’s where this contest comes in.

Like some of the best fiction, I’ve left a tantalizing gap in my story for other writers to fill in. Like a narcissist, I’m hoping people would want to fill in their gap. There are literally dozens if not hundreds of monsters left unseen – how would you like to give them a face?

THE RULES:

1. You may create and submit up to FIVE different kaiju for the contest. They must be your own creations – no plagiarism will be tolerated. You can cheekily reference pre-existing monsters though – we all know the 50+ canonical monsters in ATOM do.

2. The kaiju you create must specifically be created for this contest - no repurposing characters you made for other, wildly different stories. It’s more gratifying to my ego of a fun thought experiment that way.

3. The kaiju must fit the design aesthetics, story themes, and overall tone of ATOM's kaiju. They should feel like B movie monsters from 1950's/60's pop culture. The better they match this aesthetic, more likely you will win the contest.

4. The kaiju must also fit the setting ATOM. Remember that “kaiju” has a story specific definition beyond being just a big animal, that most dinosaurs didn’t exist in ATOM’s world (i.e. no feathery t.rexes), and that the alien fauna of Mars, Venus, and the various made up planets follow very specific body plans. The Atomic Time of Monsters starts in 1954 and ends in 1968 – your entry has to take place in that rough time frame. I plan on posting some ATOM Bonus Files between now and the deadline that explain aspects of the setting in more detail.

5. The kaiju should add something meaningful to the world of ATOM. What would be the point of having another fire-breathing t.rex monster? The more unique and interesting your kaiju is, the more likely you will win the contest.

6. The kaiju must be independent of the main plot of ATOM - not "Tyrantis's long lost evil brother who's the strongest kaiju in the world". These should be to Tyrantis's story what War of the Gargantuas is to Godzilla's movies – heroes (well, monsters) of another story in the same world.

7. Your kaiju must have some sort of description of its physical appearance and its personality - you can submit a drawing or a written description (or both!) for the physical appearance depending on what you’re most comfortable with.

The Deadline for this contest is MARCH 16, 2017. You have roughly two months to work on your submission(s). To enter you just have to make me aware of your submission - tag me in a tumblr post, send me a message, etc. It can be on tumblr or on another website - so long as it exists and I can access it, it works. It

But what about the prizes, you ask? Well, I’ll put that information (along with some other rambling suggestions and tips) after the cut, but the biggest prize will be making a whole shitload of weird retro kaiju.

Ok, so: PRIZES, PRIZES, PRI-ZIZZES!

RUNNER UP PRIZES: I will sketch every kaiju entered in the contest, and compile them all in a great big post with a few sentences of commentary on each one. Every person who enters the contest gets this prize.

THE TOP 5 WINNERS: I will fully illustrate my top 5* favorite kaiju entries and publish them – WITH CREDIT – on HorrorFlora.com as ATOM Bonus Files. This means they will be considered SEMI-CANONICAL in ATOM’s lore – you will retain rights over your creation, of course, but they’ll also be considered part of the ATOM expanded universe. *Note: I may increase or decrease this number depending on how many entries the contest gets, or if I just love a crap load more monster than just 5.

THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER: The creator of the winning entry will not only get the prizes from the previous tiers, but will also get to choose one movie for me to liveblog. It can be any movie – good or bad – so long as 1. I can legally view it in the United States and 2. I don’t have to go into a porno shop to legally view it (thank glarnbodin for bringing up this possibility when I was brainstorming prizes).

TIPS

I’ve got a few tips, but one is so important it needs to be more than a bullet point. The most important tip for this contest is as follows: I’m looking for Beeruses, not Brolys.

What do I mean by that? Well, firstly, you need to watch Dragon Ball Z. Secondly, the hit anime Dragon Ball Z had several non-canonical movies made by people who weren’t the main creator/writer of the manga the anime was based off of. These movies had to fit in the gaps of the original story, and theoretically hoped to add something new and worthwhile to the story. Most of them did not succeed.

Broly is the main villain of three of these movies, and basically was defined purely in relation to the main characters: he was like the hero, Goku, except bigger, more powerful than anyone else, and evil. He didn’t really have a strong motivation, or any personality at all beyond “hates everything and loves destroying stuff”. He was only defined by his ridiculously immense strength and how violent he was. Overall, he contributed very little, didn’t fit the tone of the larger story, and yet was deeply connected too/defined by the main plot – the opposite of what my contest rules ask for.

By contrast, Lord Beerus, a villain introduced in a later movie, brought a lot more to the table. He fit well within the canonical world of the story, both in design and his over the top yet complex personality (unlike Broly, Beerus has many solid motivations and a many dimensions to his character). While he was somewhat connected to the plot of the overall story, he was also fairly distant – he had never met the main character before, and neither one of them knew much about the other. The story of their conflict was similar to previous stories in Dragon Ball Z, and yet had several twists that made it feel utterly unique. Beerus contributed a lot to the world and cast dynamics of the story, fit in with its tone, and was disconnected enough to what came before to feel like he was adding something new. The only reason he’s not a shining example of what I’m going for (well, other than him not being a kaiju) is that he was made up by the original creator of Dragon Ball Z.

But still, the point stands: I’m looking for Beeruses, not Brolys.

In fact, I had to change my original pitch for this contest because of this rule. Originally I thought of this as the “Lost Projects of ATOM” – making the ATOM equivalents of weird, cut kaiju from the Godzilla series. But while I was thinking of oddities like Mogu and Majin Tuol, I realized most people would think of characters like Bagan – the Brolys of the Godzilla world. This is why one of the rules of the contest is that the kaiju have to be separated from Tyrantis’s story in ATOM – if your monster isn’t a foe of Tyrantis, there’s less of a risk of them taking things to Broly style “I made a monster that’s bigger and meaner version of your monster” antics.

So one final time: Beeruses, not Brolys.

Now, the other tips:

• ATOM’s aesthetics are mainly drawn from pop culture of the 1950’s and 60’s. The obvious main inspiration would be the giant monster movies of that time period – the Showa Godzilla movies, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Them!, The Deadly Mantis, etc. – but other sci-fi and horror stories of that time period apply as well. This includes movies that were rereleased in this decade – King Kong was made in the 30’s, but was rereleased in theaters in the 50’s to great success – as well as other forms of media published at the time, like comic books, novels, and even some songs. Silver Age monster comics from Marvel, like Tales to Astonish and other great titles by Jack Kirby, are just as entwined in ATOM’s DNA as Godzilla. • You can also work some modern design sensibilities here and there. Tyrantis’s overbite is far more common in dinosaur art from the 70’s and 80’s, while creatures like Pathogen and the Writhing Flesh owe a lot to body horror movies of the 80’s and video games like Resident Evil. These elements shouldn’t be the PRIMARY aesthetic, however – the 50’s/60’s vibe is still more important to capture. • ATOM works on Hollywood Science and, even more than that, child logic. Scientific accuracy is far from a priority – science is something ATOM uses occasionally for flavor, rather than an essential ingredient. Feel free to get weird, silly, and stupid to an extent . • Kaiju in ATOM are always characters and need to be expressive in some way. That’s important to the story’s theme – even the most wicked monsters in the story (with one possible exception) have a sympathetic side to them, and they need to be able to show it. • If you looked closely at the rules, you’ll notice an inherent contradiction: entries will be judged both in how they fit the story, and paradoxically in how they add something new to it. This might feel like a bit of give and take – a retrosaur would definitely fit, but might feel redundant, while, say, a giant lion might add something new but feel out of place. Don’t be scared to embrace one of the two at the expense of the other: you can make up to five entries to hedge your bets, and you might actually do a lot better focusing on some of the required elements anyway.

You can also feel free to adapt some monster concepts I failed to make work, including (but not limited to - check my old DA gallery or my thirty day kaiju challenges on my art tumblr for more):

Giant grasshoppers

Giant rabbits

A Sabre Tooth Tiger Monster

Basically any amphibians

Basically any birds

A giant gila monster

Giant shrews

Most mammals really

Finally, here are some links to things that helped inspire ATOM’s aesthetic, so they may inspire you in turn: