MANic Monday

Sorry, no Jon Snow today. Although I'm going to start stalking him forthwith. Is it possible to stalk a fictional character? No? Hmm. Then I'll have to put off stalking this guy, too.

Ladies *and maybe gents?* I know I have issues. But I get attached to characters easily, especially knowing how much time and effort goes into crafting them. So, today's offering is quite possibly one of the manliest Final Fantasy characters I've seen. *Vincent is also a good candidate*

Today, we have Auron. I. LOVE. AURON. He's one of the best characters from ANY series I've played and I have a total thing for him. Why?

Because Auron is the shit.

Oh. You need better reasons? Well fine.

Auron is one of those men who is blunt when he has to be and silent when he should be. He's somewhat of a father-ish figure to the protagonist Tidus, and he's by far one of the most useful characters you'll have. I can't remember a major battle where I didn't have Auron on the front line. He's a heavy-hitter, dependable, and can kick serious butt.

But...I...yeeeeah...

Also, he's not irritating. Granted, I loved FFX. I loved the story (even the super-confusing ending which angered me so much I bought FFX-2 just to figure out what the hell happened). I loved the different species, the set-up, the locales. But above it all, I loved Auron. His no-nonsense attitude was refreshing after the countless games where dialogue was frilly and poorly thought-out, and I appreciated how blunt he could be. He isn't necessarily the most charming or humorous character, but he's tough-as-nails. And let's face it. A guy who can use a two-handed sword with one hand is kinda sexy.

Six Sentence Sunday 10/30

Happy day before Halloween! Glad to be back with Six Sunday this week. I missed you guys last week.

If you want to see the super-amazing authors who make Six Sunday so much fun, click here.

Today's snippet follows last week's, just a little farther in the chapter. This begins a showdown between the crazy spider woman (Maggie) and Dr. James (the asshat). "Caleb" is the name Maggie's been saying over and over through the scene.

“Caleb’s dead,” James snapped.

At that, Maggie froze; the rage swelling inside her drifted out of every pore. Her chest heaved. Her hands balled into fists. After a few breaths, little trickles of blood snaked between her fingers and dropped into little puddles on the perfect white tile.

James remained unfazed and started to walk away, but Maggie made one swift movement toward him and grabbed his lab coat, smudging it with red. 

Kick-ass Chicks Thursday

AKA How to Write Strong Female Characters or whatever I was calling it.

Today we get to talk about Alexandra Andros from Jennifer Armentrout's Half-Blood.




Why is Alex a kick-ass chick? Well, there are a variety of reasons:

1. She's not perfect.
2. She has major issues with authority (including her dad, but really, what girl doesn't?)
3. She's reckless.
4. She knows what she wants--damn the consequences.

So, these probably look like flaws to you, and you'd be right. Alex is a little selfish, can be harsh, brash, and definitely has temper issues. What makes her strong is the fact that she rises above all that to do what she feels is the right thing--which, for her, is incredibly difficult and, in the end, selfless. Alex is a great example of a woman finding strength in her weaknesses.

And the best news? Half-Blood is available for purchase *FINALLY* so you get to follow Alex's adventures and find out for yourselves why I love her so much.

Half-Blood at Amazon

Half-Blood at Barnes & Noble

Worldbuilding - Your Characters and Your World

So much WANT.

Am I reusing a picture of Jon Snow? Why yes. Yes I am. Can you blame me, though?

Also, can you tell I'm in severe Game of Thrones withdrawal? Cuz I am.

Anyway, I keep picking GoT because a) it's awesome, b) it allows me to use gratuitous Jon Snow photos, and c) I just finished it last night and OH MY GAWD.

And it's a fantastic example of worldbuilding and how the world you create impacts your characters, something I covered briefly in the last post but wanted to expound upon because it's kiiiiiind of important.

And I'm going to use Jon as an example ^_^

In Westeros, a bastard's surname is typically called by region. In the northlands, where Ned takes Jon, that surname is "Snow." In the river region, the name is "Rivers." You can see how that works, I'm sure.

When Ned brings Jon to Winterfell, no one can understand why, including Jon. Step-mom Catelyn despises him and little half-sister Sansa (who kinda sucks at life anyway) never accepts him into the family. He's called "bastard" as often as "Jon." So...how does all this fit into the worldbuilding?

Because of the cultural and societal implications of Jon's standing, he's seen as little more than a parasite. Alienated and alone, no matter how hard Arya, Robb, Bran, and Ned try to make him feel included, he's not. Never seated with his family at banquets, never allowed to take the name "Stark," Jon has no true family, though he'd die for Ned or his half-siblings without a second thought. So, where do men with no hope of establishing a house go?

TO THE WALL.

BRRRRRRRR.

The Wall is where bastards, some nobles (like poor Sam Tarly who is a horrible disappointment to his father) , rapists, murderers, thieves and other low-born ilk have a chance to make something of themselves defending the northernmost part of the Kingdom from...well, lots of things. Jon's uncle Benjen "took the black" himself, and it's through him Jon learns of the opportunity and decides to go himself.

Like most fraternities (not Phi Kappa Gamma, beer-guzzling fraternities, but actual brotherhoods) a committal vow is required of all new initiates. It's this vow, and its importance within the world, that compels Jon to stay when he doesn't want to. Deserters from the Wall are as good as dead. In fact, in the beginning of Game of Thrones (book or movie), the first scene with the Starks is Ned beheading a deserter from the Wall. Makes Jon think twice a little bit, and thusly affects his decisions and thought-process.

So, how do you apply this to your world?

What George RR Martin did with Jon (and really, I could go on for weeks just on Game of Thrones alone) is he took the time to figure out how the world affects his character. What's true in both fiction and life is that our upbringing and the society in which we're brought up affects us as we get older. The key is deciding how your world dictates your character and whether your character chooses to rise above it.

Case in point: Katniss Everdeen. Yes, I KNOOOOW but I loved the Hunger Games. So anyway, here's what society dictates for Kat: Be poor, participate in Hunger Games, die.

What did she do? *SPOILER*

She takes down the freaking President. Not herself, mind you. She misses the important action *GRRR*. But rather than take everything lying down, Kat becomes a symbol of hope for an oppressed people. She rises above the expectations set for her.

That's all well and good for the protagonist/main character/whatever, but since it's hard to pinpoint a main character in Martin's multi-POV epic, I kinda consider Jon to be more of a secondary character. He's important enough to warrant his own POV, sure, but in the end, the book finds its focus around the Lannisters vs. the Starks, and Jon's got bigger (and undeader) fish to fry.

This leads into using your world to round out your secondary characters too. We'll discuss that at a later date ;)

MANic Monday

Guess who totally balked on setting up MANic Monday? MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Sorry. Just kinda spaced over the weekend. This whole lack of a laptop thing is really cramping my style, yo.

Onward to today's offering: Castiel from CW's Supernatural.

Now, I don't watch the show, but I know oodles of people who do. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND, yeah. Castiel's usually the talk (although Dean and Sam are yummy too). Of course, while compiling this post, I definitely understand why.

Castiel is an angel. Not a Touched by an Angel kind of angel, though. Not a helpful guardian angel or a benevolent angel who wants to help mankind. Castiel says his allegiance is to Heaven and that's about it. He helps Sam and Dean because "God has work for them." However, he does start to feel an attachment to Dean, and that's where Castiel's trouble comes through a sort of "demotion."

Unsurprisingly, Castiel has a few powers which come in handy, most notably his insta-death touch, lethal to demons. And since Dean and Sam are always doing something stupid (like getting stuck in Hell; really, Dean?), no doubt those various abilities will come in handy.

But I must say, if ever I need angelic interference, I hope he looks like this guy....




And now, for picture spammage ;)

***Dude, I really need to start watching this show...*

I haz an award, again!

Thanks to Beckah-Rah I haz a new award ^_^ Also, today I'm a zombie. I *think* I got about 2 hours of sleep last night *thanks Jasper*.

Anyway, on to awards!

"The purpose of this award is to ask bloggers to identify their own blog posts in certain categories." Simple enough, I guess.

Hrm. Maybe not...

1.  Most Beautiful Post:  Puppies!!!! Because...well...puppies! What more do you need? Or any of my MANic Monday posts, Jon Snow in particular (Kit Harrington is effing gorgeous)

2.  Most Popular Post: Thinking Outside the Box - Or: Other publishing options besides agent + editor + waiting forever. I think it's solely because I talk about Jennifer Armentrout.

3. Most Controversial Post: ...I don't really have one. Apparently I just don't stir the pot enough or something...

4. Most Helpful post: Well, since I'm here.... Granted, it's more gratuitous talking about Julian Sands, but it's also a helpful reminder about the importance of perseverance  on our writing journeys. 

5. Most Surprisingly Successful post: Thinking Outside the Box. Seriously. I still can't believe it's that popular...

6. Post that Didn't get the Attention it Deserved: Um...all...of..theeem? Oh? I have to be specific? Hmm... I'd have to go with my interview with Phoenix Sullivan or Xakara's guest post. 

7.  Post I am Most Proud of: At this point, any of them that make sense. OK, there's one that I'm really happy with, which is Worldbuilding: Fantasy & Society because I get to talk about 3 of my favorite things: creating new worlds, Dragon Age: Origins, and Game of Thrones (Jon Snow *sigh*)

And now I get to tag 3 more blogs! W00t!

Six Sentence Sunday 10/16

It's the first REAL Sunday of Fall... At least for me. The weather's a little cooler, leaves are covering the ground, and that fabulous cool-scent is tainting the air. *Le sigh* I love me some early Fall....

Glad you guys keep coming back every week. Makes me all warm and fuzzy that you guys want to spend part of your Sunday with me and my weird story. Your comments give me a lot of motivation each and every week...

Don't forget to check out my fellow Sixers at the official site (where you can also sign up for next week!).

Today's six follows last week's, just a bit farther in the scene. Dima's recovering from her fight with the sixteen and asking Sylvia the all-important question:

“Did Lorenzo call me by my real name?”

Hesitantly, [Sylvia] answered, “Dima, I don’t know.” Her words were clumsy. She darted out of the room.

“He did,” I whispered. “He knows me.”

Book Review: Wildefire by Karsten Knight

I'm a big girl. I can admit that I HAD to have Karsten Knight's Wildefire when I first saw the cover on a website displaying upcoming YA book covers. However, when I read the blurb, I REALLY had to have the book. Polynesian volcano goddess? So. There.

I'm sure that everyone and their brother/sister/bff/third cousin twice removed has heard about this book, and if you haven't, then...I dunno. BUT if you haven't and you're reading this, you're hearing/reading about it now.

There's a reason why I have yet to find a less-than-stellar review on this book. It's just that good. Actually, it's not good. It's AWE-wait for it-SOME.


Here's the blurb from Goodreads:

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

I love a good sister vs. sister story from time-to-time. Loved The Other Boleyn Girl. Loved My Sister's Keeper (the book, didn't see the movie), even though it's not so much sister vs. sister as it is "little sister wants freedom from being her big sister's organ donor." 

What Wildefire has in common with the above stories is liberation. Mary lived within Anne's shadow her entire life. Anna was born specifically to help Kate through blood/marrow/organ transplants. Ashe has had to grow up with a psychotic sister storm goddess. Trust me, this book has drama. Not melodrama, as in "oh why must my sister vex me so with her presence when I simply want to be freeeeeeeeee?" but drama drama, as in "holy crap, my sister just electrocuted the b*tch who's been giving me a hard time. Oh, look. Eve's now throwing her off the roof. FML."

That is both the pivotal point and driving force beneath Karsten's sister vs. sister rollercoaster ride.  After above girl-electrocuting-flinging-off-roof fiasco, Ashe moves to above-mentioned school in California where she actually succeeds in having a social life. However, the normalcy doesn't last. Eve finds Ash, and Ash's past catches up with her. 

The cast of characters Karsten puts together is what makes the book so fantastic. It draws from mythology of all kinds: Polynesian, Greek, Norse, Japanese, Creole. And what amazed me as I read was that these characters seamlessly blend together to form the fabric of his story. No one seems out of place, regardless of the mythological background. They're almost like the X-men of gods and goddesses. Yeah. They're that cool. They all have their own fabulous personalities. The surfer dude in particular was my pick.

Something else I really enjoyed was the unconventional romance. Ash is pursued by a somewhat goofy park ranger named Colt with secrets of his own. Regardless of what random horrible things happen while they're together, like Ash's hand burns him (putting a new spin on "hot and heavy"), Colt sticks around for his own reasons. It's not an easy romance by any means, but hey, if a guy's willing to walk through fire *snicker* to be with you, he's a keeper.

Wildefire is fabulously paced. I was hooked from the very first sentence and didn't want to stop reading (but had to since I was on vacation and had to be all social and stuff). There were times when I'd gasp, or my breath would simply catch. Karsten's definitely one to watch, and I'm so anxious for Embers & Echoes. I need more Ash in my life.

Or just more Colt.

World-building - Fantasy & Society

This goes for SF too, but I'm in the mood to talk about fantasy today for some reason. I guess between reading Game of Thrones and playing Dragon Age: Origins, I've got fantasy on the brain. Also, I really wish I'd developed this a little better, but hey, I'm not a teacher, so I can get some slack, right? :D

Anyway, one of the most important aspects of building your world, be it SF or fantasy, is the society in which your characters live. This is something Dragon Age does fantastically. In the game, you can choose from three races: Human, Elf, Dwarf. Within those races are classes. For Human, you can choose Mage or noble. For Elf, you can choose Dalish (elves who live in the forest), Mage, or commoner (in which case you live in the alienage, which is an impoverished, sectioned-off portion of a city ). For Dwarf, you can choose noble or commoner. Whatever you choose decides how other characters in the game see you.

If you're a Human noble, for example, everyone treats you with optimum respect, referring to you as "my lady" or "my lord" depending on your gender. If you choose Mage, people are afraid of you because they don't like/understand magic. If you choose Elf, people are more likely to talk down to you because most elves are servants. Regardless of your standing as Gray Warden, people will still refer to you by your previous social status. Most of the time, you have to tell them you're a Gray Warden to get a little respect.

So, what do you need to think about in order to construct your society? Well, a lot, actually. Now don't be alarmed. There are a lot of wonderful tools to help you along your way.

Some important ones:

• Economic/class model - This one is probably THE most important one because this will shape how your characters view the world and themselves. Is it a commerce-based society? Are merchants the at the top or close to the bottom? Is there a gap between haves and have nots? Are you shooting for more of a communist-based society where there's no wealth?
  
         Ex. Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy uses the world's economic model as the catalyst for the Hunger Games. Basically, it's all for rich people's amusement.
  
  
• Technology - Are you writing steam/cyber/other punk? Basing your society around the Middle Ages when people still rode on horses? Is it an era of invention?
  
         Ex. Steampunk is all the rage these days. Kady Cross' The Girl in the Steel Corset utilizes the steampunk automatons and advanced technology. The plot centers around automatons being used for dastardly deeds.
  
  
• Religion/Spirituality - This is probably tied with Economic model in terms of importance because it will help shape your characters, whether they're believers, non-believers, or just don't care either way.
  
         Ex. In Dragon Age (I know, I know, but really, it's a good example), the central religion (Chantry) is built around a prophetess and a higher power referred to as the Maker. Chantry belief dictates everything from the lore surrounding the evil critters you have to kill (Darkspawn) to how Mages are treated to curses and praises. There are people within the Chantry called Chanters who can only speak the religious text the religion is based around.
  
  
• Geography/Setting - The actual world part of your world-building. If you are setting your story anywhere besides present-day Earth, you're going to have to figure out the geography. Draw *really crappy, if you're like me* maps. Figure out important places. Mountain ranges. Deserts. Flat lands. All these things (and more) will determine how your character travels and the potential hazards therein.
  
          Ex. Star Wars. Dune. Game of Thrones. Pitch Black. Each of these uses setting to show something about character, whether it concerns how the character grew up--Luke was raised on a desert planet with 2 suns--, a character's attitude--Ned Stark is often referred to as cold because of his "northern blood" while characters from around Kings Landing are "those southron folks"--or a character's adaptation to his environment--Riddick's night-vision.
  
  As you can see, when you build a world, you literally build a world. You design it. You make its history, its culture, its classes and all of that. Everything, be it where a character's from to what he believes in, will shape your characters and their reactions to the world around them. 

MANic Monday - Double Trouble

There are TWO (yes, two) Alucards in the world who hold me captivated. Today, I'm doing a double-shot. Daylight and dark (ironic since they're both vampires), yin and yang... One is the son of Dracula, while the other IS Dracula (also, Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards). 

Ahem. 

It is only when you refuse to give in with all your heart that you begin to transcend your humanity. 

OK. So y'all know how I like my men all broody and morose? Well, there's another kind of man who, for some unknown reason, gets my blood boiling. That would be the complete psychopath. The crazier they are, the better. And for my money, there's no one better at making total psychopath hot than Hellsing's Alucard. Oh. Sweet. God. This man is a pile of out-of-his-mind lunacy.

Also, he's Dracula. Vlad Tepes. Turned vampire (somehow) and now *ironically* a servant of the Van Hellsing family. He's sired a fledgling he cares for greatly, and now he uses his awesome vampire gifts to help the Van Hellsings hunt vampires. 

Nothing I shoot gets back up again. 

Also, he's a fabulous dresser. Obviously, he got the "Red is awesome" memo, because he simply rocks it. I don't know of many men, vampire or not, who can do what he does while wearing a long red duster and wide-brimmed floppy red hat. Sounds odd, yes, but with an attitude like his (the You Do NOT **** with ME), you'll still be begging for mercy no matter what. 

What I love about Alucard is his complete bad-assery. Though he sometimes regrets his decision to become a vampire, he doesn't dwell on it, really. He doesn't turn all emo and lament his life and blah blah blah. No. Not this guy. He. Kills. Everything. EVERYTHING. 

And no, he doesn't sparkle. In fact, sunlight has no effect on him at all. AT ALL.

Now, to the other side of the coin: Alucard of Castlevania fame. Admittedly, I have only played Symphony of the Night (because I need to get a freaking Wii and DS and play the others), but considering SOTN is one of the BEST EVER 2-D side-scrolling games in existence, I think I'm okay. 

This incarnation of my beloved Alucard (AKA Adrian) is the son of Lord Dracula, menace to all farmland communities in Europe and incredibly over-dramatic lord of the most insane castle ever. In SOTN he wakes from a centuries-long slumber to take down Dracula one. More. Time. Dracula's like Cher, you just can't get rid of him, and he'll somehow live through nuclear winter just to feast on the survivors. 

Alucard couldn't be more different if he tried. He's only half-vampire, and his attitude belies the humanity he clings to. He is the ultimate Momma's Boy, but considering he basically hands Death the ass-kicking of an eternity, he's allowed.

This Alucard is also a snappy dresser. One of my favorite parts of the game is messing with the color of his cape. Yes, I'm a dork like that. However, destroying everything in a hot pink cape is AWESOME. And it looks great with Alucard's coloring ;) 

This guy goes through not one castle, but TWO to put an end to his father's reign of terror (and the second one? UPSIDE DOWN). His abilities are similar to the above Alucard's. He can transform into a wolf, bat, or mist, and can use familiars like bat, fairy, and imp (I love the imp; he's funny). 

Alucard spends most of his time detached. Focused. He always has a plan (something we share) and is willing to do whatever he must to see his plans to fruition, no matter the danger it puts him in. He sees his vampirism as a curse as well, saying his blood is tainted, but he uses the abilities it grants him to bring an end to what he sees as the ultimate evil. Also, he kills an evil priest named Shaft. How hilariously awesome is that? *Shaft!*

Whichever your preference, deliciously evil Alucard or almost saintly Alucard (sans that whole blood-sucking thing), they both rock pretty hardcore. For me, it's difficult to choose. So, I say, both! :D

Six Sentence Sunday 10/09

Hello, hello! It's that majestic time of year when the world erupts into a plethora of colors, pumpkin pie is on every menu, and football season is in full swing. I. LOVE. FALL. At least the beginning of it. The part that bows down to winter, meh, not so much. ;)

Welcome to this week's edition of Six Sentence Sunday! I'm glad I get to spend it with y'all, and glad that y'all chose to spend some of your time with me. Your comments make me smile. 

Don't forget to check out my fellow Sixers here.

My nose told me Sylvia was nearby; Lorenzo, however, wasn’t, and instead of the expected sense of relief, disappointment crawled through me like a turtle, covering every part of me. He’d saved me, like Jasper had wanted to, and I wanted to thank him. Most of all, he confirmed that somewhere locked inside me was a woman named Janelle, a woman who deserved to understand her fate. 

I closed my eyes again, wishing they’d leave Sylvia and me alone. I needed to know if Lorenzo had said my real name, Janelle. The familiarity of his voice whispering the name gave me hope.

MANic Monday

Oh, I've been chomping at the bit for this week's MANic Monday. If you've talked to me AT ALL, you'll know about my love of Jon Snow from HBO's Game of Thrones. I'm so glad he's older than in the books, because otherwise I'd feel like a perv.

So, onward to the eye candy.

Those doey brown eyes are going to be the death of me...

BWAHAHAHA, hipster Jon!

 Jon is the bastard son of *presumably* Eddard "Ned" Stark (played by the ever-wonderful and kill-offable Sean Bean), patriarch of the Starks in Winterfell. Ned takes Jon to raise as a son alongside his other children, thus giving Jon the foundation of a loosely-connected family. Jon gets along best with his half-brother Robb and his half-sister Arya (one of my all-time favorite characters), for whom he bought a small sword she calls "Needle." Sansa, Ned's eldest daughter, barely tolerates him, but she takes seriously her role as one of the Ladies of the Stark house. He and Bran get along. Bran always misses Jon when Jon's away.

Ned's wife Catelyn despises him, feeling that he shames both the household and her. He's the symbol of a love Catelyn can't hope to share with her husband Ned. She bears no love for Jon whatsoever, and is part of the catalyst that leads Jon down the pathway he's chosen.

Jon joins the Night's Watch, a group of men--thieves, murderers, pickpockets, bastards, high-born, low-born, etc--who have sworn to protect the continent from things called White Walkers, which are basically zombies, and other assorted things that live beyond the Wall. Ned's brother Benjen is a member as well. He's the one who convinces Jon to make the long journey north to the Wall.

There are a million and one reasons to love Jon. Aside from the obvious physical reasons (Those eyes! That hair! Those lips!), Jon is probably the most honorable of the Stark house, even though he's not truly a Stark. He actually behaves above his station as an outcast among a family. Jon is always there for a kind word or reassurance, and the Stark family misses that when he leaves for the Night's Watch.

Jon with direwolf cub Ghost

One of the main reasons I fell in love with Jon was because beneath the calm, almost docile exterior lies a man  who wants nothing more than to belong. Ever since Ned brought him to Winterfell, he's felt like an outcast. The direwolf he finds in the woods is the same. Ghost is an albino direwolf with snow-white fur and red eyes, whom Jon found a few yards away from the rest of the cubs and their dead mother. Like Jon, he's fiercely devoted to those he loves.

I'm anxious to watch Jon's progression through both the TV and book series. He's definitely one to keep an eye on...

You look good on that throne, oh yes you do!

Six Sentence Sunday 10/02

This is me on muscle relaxers

Welcome to another (a)rousing rendition of Six Sentence Sunday! I'm pleased as punch to be back with you guys this week after last week. Oy. The good news is that I'm feeling a lot better, so it won't take me half the week to catch up on posts *yay*! So, onward to this week's post! As always, please spend some time with my fellow Sixers. These are some talented peeps who blow my mind every week!

This week, I'm skipping to the end of Dima's fight with the sixteen because this is the opening to bigger and more important things in Dima's existence as a Humani. She's just been thrashed by the sixteen and is getting some unexpected help.

I felt like a doll tossed around by a rabid dog.

My spine tingled. Arms wrapped around me, perfectly imitating the snake’s body without the pressure. I opened my eyes enough to see Lorenzo by my side. “My God,” he whispered, “I’m sorry, Janelle. I’m so sorry.”

*Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnn*