Undead Nightmare thoughts

- Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare was absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible. The concept of "zombies unleashed in the Wild West" alone teeters on the line between "totally campy" and "TOTALLY AWESOME," and the execution sure as hell delivered. My favorite bits were:

1. John Marston's wife and son are turned into zombies and he immediately ties them up, tells them to "stop biting chunks out of people," and heads off in search of a cure. Gotta love that guy.

2. Professor MacDougal being killed by Zombie!Nastas. Serves that dumbass right. It felt like payback for all the times MacDougal had spoken patronizingly to Nastas and insinuated that he was biologically inferior to MacDougal because of his race.

3. How unbelievably idiotic everyone suddenly became. Sure, it was frustrating at times but also hilarious. "Where's your father?" "Out in the barn rounding up the undead to keep them safe. He should be back any moment." "How long has he been there?" "Oh I don't know... since yesterday, maybe." (Although Bonnie's father's death was actually pretty sad, considering he was the only family she had. It was the only death that I felt was actually taken seriously.)

4. Seth being the only person the zombies wouldn't eat and him using that to his advantage by playing poker and having a dance party with them. Also I was stuck between "wait.... WHAT?" and humor when he swallowed the glass eye that was supposedly the source of the plague (but it wasn't, really). I mean... considering the man already exhumed and talked to corpses in the original game, it makes sense that he'd actually befriend the undead.

5. John Marston being the snarkiest snarker to ever snark. Obnoxious shopkeeper: "[America] was a good country once. Now people are eating each other, and it's all the fault of the Jewish British Catholic homosexual elite and their ideas!. *goes on a conspiracy-theory-laden rant.*" John: "...I must say, it's a rare pleasure to meet someone with such a grasp on human history. You take care of yourself, I'd hate to see you savaged by someone and watch the life force drain from your hate-filled body." Then the shopkeeper steps outside, zombies rush up, and John proceeds to do exactly that. That had me dying of laughter. I'm so glad all the obnoxious bigots from the original game got their just desserts in this one.

6. SHOTGUN-WIELDING NUNS WITH GRENADES MADE OF HOLY WATER. I was so surprised that one of them was the nun who comforts Arthur in a cutscene from RDR2. I'm pretty sure she was featured in a sidequest from RDR that wasn't in the playthrough I watched, because that seemed like a random character to bring back for the prequel if she was only featured in DLC.

7. Despite everything, the story actually kind of had a happy ending? John saved the world from the apocalypse and went home to reunite with his wife and son. (Though it was frustrating when Jack says jokingly upon John's return, "Please don't leave me alone with that woman again!" to which John replies "I won't," and then Jack immediately grumbles, "I've heard that before." Wow, you couldn't put your teen angst on hold even for a zombie apocalypse.) Even though John still died at the end, his death wasn't shown, and he got to return as a zombie, so that somehow makes everything better. I wish that the story went on from there, because I'd love to see Jack and Abigail's reactions to Zombie!John.

The only things that could have made this game even more fun would have been the addition of the gang members as zombies (Zombie!Dutch though- I bet instead of moaning for "braaaains," he'd be going "plaaaaans"), but since their appearances were tied in to some highly emotionally-charged moments in the original game, maybe it was for the better. Would have cheapened the story to put them in this one. I also would have liked to see a Zombie!Luisa exacting revenge against Reyes for playing her (like how Nastas killed MacDougal), but neither of the characters were featured. Also, if the game ever got a sequel, I would love to see Arthur resurrected as the player character (although since the Undead Nightmare story takes place 12-ish years after RDR2, he'd be a skeleton by then, but honestly that just makes it SO MUCH BETTER... I love skeletons even more than zombies) and the goal would be to amass the other members of the gang who died (Hosea, Lenny, Sean, Miss Grimshaw, etc.) and then... I dunno, take over the world or something? I just want an excuse for a skeleton army. Maybe they can meet Zombie!John at the end, too. 

Organizational fanfic/writing thoughts

 I know that one of the only ways I can hold myself to my goals, is if I make a list and post it. Plus I though it would be interesting to look back on the ideas I've rejected for stories.

So. My list of upcoming story ideas, some that are partially written, some that I want to write but haven't started yet, some that are just concepts I like that I encourage anyone else to write if they think they can do justice to it:

RED DEAD REDEMPTION FICS

1. The Fire in Your Eyes: A brief glimpse of how Sadie, Charles, and John came together again to avenge Arthur, from Sadie and John making a pact to kill Micah, to Charles finding and burying Arthur's body, to John's trip to visit his grave after killing Micah. (In-progress- about one and a half chapters to write (three chapters total))

2. Untitled: John's troubled thoughts on becoming a father, culminating in his decision to abandon the gang. (In-progress one-shot)

3. Let Me Be Good to You: A new gang member decides to help Arthur relax after a stressful couple of weeks. (In-progress one-shot)

4. Untitled: Jack is inspired to pursue his old passion of writing after reading the trashy romance novel that Mary-Beth gifted to John. (Concept free for the taking)

5. Untitled: After discovering the poem that Molly wrote, showcasing her unhappiness with Dutch and the gang, Arthur urges her to run away and not look back. (Concept that I would prefer to keep for myself, if I can work out how to write it)

KINGSMAN FICS

1. Born Again: Merlin and Harry have to stop an alien invasion from taking over London and the rest of the world. (In-progress- about three more chapters to write)

2. The Path of a Kingsman: The continuation of Harry Hart's backstory following my earlier fic Prelude to Knighthood. (Complete-ish but in need of edits)

3. Untitled: Harry begins to dream of Merlin after the latter's death. (In-progress one-shot)

4. Untitled: Aromantic!Harry finds validation in watching The Prisoner as a child, and later bonds with Merlin over it. (Concept that I'd like to keep to myself if I can figure out how to write it)

5. Untitled. Merlin deals with survivor's guilt and his seeming insignificance in relation to Kingsman after Poppy's attack on HQ. (Concept that I want to keep to myself but haven't had time to write yet)

OTHER FICS

1. Stay Away: An Inside Llewyn Davis fic that tells the story of Mike Timlin. (In-progress, four chapters left to write (well, two and two halves but no need to specify)

2. Untitled: A crossover between John Bellairs' series, where Johnny Dixon finds a magical amulet and travels with the Professor and Fergie to meet the amulet expert Mrs. Zimmermann, who can tell them its purpose. (Concept that I'm definitely keeping to myself because I've expanded it pretty significantly, I just haven't written it yet)

3. Untitled: The Truman Show fanfic. Filling up the gap in the film between when Truman's father returns and when he escapes the show. (In-progress one-shot, although I doubt I'll ever finish it because I ran out of steam very quickly)

4. 50 Sentences- Truman & Sylvia: A "50 sentences" prompt I stole from somewhere, focusing on Sylvia and Truman's relationship after he leaves the show. (In-progress because it turned into something more like 50 Paragraphs and got out of control- not sure when I'll return to it)

ORIGINAL WRITING

1. Some Velvet Morning: Two loners meet in a post-apocalyptic wasteland to travel in search of salvation, both secretly planning to sell the other out. (In-progress- not sure how much I have to go because I'm writing by the seat of my pants, for fun)

2. Bystander: A detective uses time travel to solve crimes. (Concept that I've developed significantly but haven't started writing yet)

COMPILATION OF REJECTED FIC IDEAS (up for grabs should anyone desire to use them)

1. The Prisoner fanfic. A new No. 2 introduces a religion to the Village, which the prisoner naturally fights against.

2. Mad Max fanfic. While wandering some amount of time after the events of Fury Road, Max returns to the Thunderdome and finds Toast fighting there. 

3. Mad Max fanfic. Max finds the last living dog in the Wasteland and they become best friends, because Max deserves a dog goddammit.

4. Kingsman fanfic. AU/movie fusion with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, where Harry erases the memories of Merlin after his death, and flashes backwards through his memories up to the moment where he and Merlin first met.

5. Kingsman fanfic. All about Statesman agent Ginger Ale and her relationship with a new agent, Julep. 

6. Kingsman fanfic. Tequila adjusts to living in England.

7. Kingsman/The Prisoner crossover/AU. After getting shot in the head, Harry Hart wakes up in the Village. Every No. 2 that he meets has the face of one of the Kingsman agents he worked with (Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot...). 

8. Pushing Daisies fanfic. Ned meets another person who can wake the dead. After an accident, Ned passes away, but the other person revives him, which results in him and Chuck being able to touch for the first time.

9. Back to the Future fanfic. Exploration of Jennifer and Marty's relationship and the common interests they bonded over (like Westerns and action movies).

10. A Clockwork Orange fanfic, following the book's canon. A reformed Alex uncomfortably associates with upper-class acquaintances at a party in an attempt to find a woman with whom to settle down.

11. The Iron Giant fanfic. The Giant does not return until Hogarth is an adult with a child of his own, who discovers him one day just as his father once did.

12. The Iron Giant/Big Hero 6 crossover. Hiro discovers a vintage comic book series written by one Hogarth Hughes, which details a relationship between a boy and a robot very similar to his own relationship with Baymax.

13. John Bellairs fanfic. Johnny Dixon's reaction to his father having to go back to fight in the war, after being discharged. 

14. Original idea. Single-celled organisms found on Mars evolve over the years, to the point that Earth is a dead planet that they observe and wonder if it ever supported life.

15. Original idea. A man and a woman are caught in a time loop where the man keeps dying, but unlike most time loops, he remembers his death every time. The woman tries to save him. 

These rejected ideas might still be written someday if I ever get seized by a strong urge, but I'm pretty cooled down on them right now. Hopefully this will keep me in line with my writing progress, and some of these fics will be seen later this year.

Grammies!!!!

 My favorite band just won their first Grammy! Congratulations to them string pluckin' bois, Punch Brothers, for creating such a beautiful work of art that it was named Best Folk Music Album!! And to think they were joking yesterday about attending the ceremony in order to watch Joan Baez walk away with the award. (I'm honestly surprised she didn't win... I'm happy for Punch Brothers and all but I'd expect a legend like her to receive such an award.) Shame I was able to watch, but not listen to Critter, Noam, and Gabe's acceptance speech because the stream on Grammy.com is muted for some reason, and clicking to unmute it does nothing. Oh well.

David Byrne was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album and lost to Beck, which only reinforces my opinion that I really should listen to a Beck album to see what all the hype is about. Now that those awards have been announced, I'm far less interested in the rest of the ceremony (including the part that's televised). But I feel obligated to watch it now that I'm a member of the music industry (sort of).