Fair warning: there is absolutely nothing "constructive" in this review and it's basically just me waxing rhapsodic about how much I enjoyed every bit of this chapter.

This ticked so many wish fulfillment boxes it isn't even funny.

"Radne suggested a way for her to get rid of me for good, lettin' me fall to my death. Interesting. " - Nice call back to his own convo with Radne about what he does and doesn't deserve. Also brought back that scene in Pitch Black : "I want you to remember this moment. The way it could have gone and didn't."

Their leap into the void just shot straight to the top of my favorite FF scenes. Besides tugging *hard* on the heartstrings (how and why am I so conflicted about these fictional characters?), your description of the Underverse absolutely *popped*. Clouds of butterflies, monstrous trees, curious wildlife, and looming darkness. Very vivid. Like some grimdark Disneyesque enchanted forest. With Cthulhu. The sign to R'lyeh was perfect, tied it all together.

"A squirrel ran down the trunk besides them, scolding them as it went." :)

Man, the introduction to her father was...really well done. I like that we get to experience what must be a tremendously emotional moment through Riddick's warped filter of insecurity, suspicion, and anger.

""Does that mean you won't help me-us?" she asks. "If so, I need to get going. You said mom's here?"" / "Fuck that, dad," she said. "Did you have an Underverse blade? Did you have a Furyan supersoldier? Did you have the Elementals?"" - Hell. Yes. Love seeing how unshakable her resolve has become, especially after how she grieved for her family in previous chapters. Her character development has been crazy satisfying and I find myself rooting for her more and more as the story goes on. Wish fulfillment right?

"Are you two . . . dating?" - Fantastic. Hilarious, in a grim kind of way given their background, but also oddly sweet.

The tenderness-menace dynamic between these two is way more satisfying than it should be, which probably says something about me. Jack *not* playing the prey animal here is good stuff, but the idea of him looming in the background like a temperamental pet monster is...intriguing.

Hilarious (and believable) that Riddick would be more concerned about seating arrangements than the fact that they are riding on the back of a fracking dragon through the land of the dead. That apathetic acceptance of the incredible reminds me a lot of Shadow. Although Shadow drank the mead in the end...

Goddamn, that was fun. Definitely looking forward to what comes next.

I was so worried when the update didn't come in last week. Really happy to see it. Things are getting trippy and I'm here for it!

yay love your writing so much. thank you for the amazing inner dialogues and believable characters

"Like you're any match for Riddick," Toombs sneered. Jack snorted. "What?" "None of you are a match for Riddick. Collectively or individually." Hah! Well. She's not lying.

"She asked, feeling small, "do you think he'll stop idealizing me? Stop -loving me?" Oof. Feeling conflicted for wanting to love and be loved...this poor girl. I did like that she came to reluctant terms with the fact that she wields some kind of power over him. Shitty burden to bear but, ya know, heroes...

Personally a fan of how reluctant Jack is about showing Riddick her feelings v how adamant she is in her convo with Radne about wanting him safe. Every move she makes seems carefully weighed and considered. Makes her character really compelling. Also, these mind-meld sessions do a great job at summarizing where we're at in the game so far, and giving enough background info to move the plot along.

Cool to get some background on Logan's character. I'm still torn on her. She's not Toombs, but she's more than complicit..
Military past rang true - she *is* all about the mission.

"Kid, that's why he likes you. I can't tell you how hard he laughed when he found out it was you who pulled that trigger, not Riddick." ...well, that's ominous as all hell.

"He put something in her hands. The crown. She exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She had not been entirely confident he was taking her where she wanted to go. "Thanks," she said, with real warmth. She put the crown on her head." Big fan of the whole handing over the crown symbolism. Handing over the control, the power. Getting out of the gd way so Jack can come into her own. Especially liked the fact that she was still a little suspicious of his intentions. Smart girl. I dig it. Might be hope for Little Cthulhu yet.

"She's still wearing the crown tying her to Radne's table and still wearing the collar tying her to Toombs and all those other assholes" - Excellent way of bringing the "ties that bind" theme back to the forefront - and showing us Riddick's contempt for the idea.

All sarcasm aside, major warm and fuzzies that he didn't eff this up. Yet. The crazier life gets in the real world, the harder I'm rooting for our heroine.

Very much looking forward to the romp through the Underverse!

thank you for this chapter!

Ya know, I really don't think I'd love Riddick as much as I do if he was a well adjusted individual. (Which probably says something about me, but let's not examine it too closely.)
I wonder if the fact he's Furyan will make any difference in whether he continues to idolize Jack or not. None of his other reactions are entirely human so why should this be different.
As much as I enjoy the interaction between Riddick and Toombs, all good things must come to an end. Toombs' palms are about to be completely furry, I predict.
As always, I wait impatiently for the next update because I love this story entirely too much.

You oughta see me checking for updates every day!

I'm going to miss the interaction between Toombs and Riddick. Because... I'm just going to assume that Riddick is going to drop Toombs straight down the first air shaft he sees if he *ever* watches that vid. You have a way with conveying rage/tension so I am DEFINITELY looking forward to seeing the fallout.

Oh, man. Imaging Fry and Riddick soaring off on some huge swan-shaped pool floatie made me laugh for a while. Fantastic. Reminded me of that scene in Riddick Rides the Pale Horse for some reason. Maybe the flying animals part.

Great job pulling us into Jack's mind as she takes stock of Riddick's mental state. I felt torn just reading it. And kinda sad. Like she got everything she *thought* she wanted all her life and it turned out to be...not super. Even without the looming threat of the Necros, it's a shitty situation.

Ooh. I like Fry and Johns representing the angel/devil on his shoulder. Lots to read into there.

"She grips the sink like she's not done." Liked this - like she's refusing to be moved around like a gorram doll. Good for her.

"...a huge public building that looks like a fucking temple" :)

"Fuck civilization. I will rain fire down on Helios for making you think it matters more than you. It doesn't. Even if I'm dead. I will find a way." Wow. What a thing to say to the person willing to risk her life to save that world. Don't die, or I'll undo everything you fought for. Ass. Hole.

Really enjoying the Lovecraftian elements in this new story. Fits in nicely with the Necromonger/Underverse story.

So much awesomeness in this chapter. Sociopathic love is really sweet. Toombs is digging his own grave a teaspoon full of dirt at a time and I really can't wait to see what happens when Riddick watches the video.
Every time you update I start looking for other Riddick fics to keep myself occupied till the next time and I never find anything comparable. I think I'm just going to reread all of yours.

Oh, boy. Some home truths in this chapter. In industrial-strength-drug-cocktail veritas.

So glad Jack straight up called him out. No minced words. No room for mental gymnastics. Glad she didn't buckle just because he said some nice stuff.

"Jesus fuck, dude. So you weren't just sitting in the dark cutting yourself thinking of me for thirteen years? That would have been REALLY NICE TO KNOW the last few days, Riddick." - This is perfect. Especially since we know that *he* knew it was freaking her out. Asshat.

The whole dinner scene was fantastic. There were so many good bits in here with all the menace and the humor: Irresponsibly sized wine glasses. Sommelier to the unrepentantly alcoholic. Swamp water. Jack trying to avoid talking about Yunas in front of Riddick. Riddick playing with his silverware and almost gutting everyone over the extradition order.

The fact that Angela is *technically* a princess AND a lawyer made me so happy. As did the fact that we get another reminder that Jack DOES have people who care about her as more than just a means to and end.

Toombs continues to spiral, I see. I think this might be my favorite characterization of Toombs ever. So skeevy, so entertaining. So close to stepping on a shiv landmine.

Again: Jack. Is. So. Freaking. Gracious.

If Riddick bungs it up twice...

Man, I'm loving this first person POV and I am shocked that Toombs made it through that second scene with his spine intact. Very nice job conveying the rage there - it came through loud and clear.

I like that Jack and Riddick have basically switched roles in that she's the one calling the shots and the one with the technical know-how. Their mentor-mentee dynamic is basically canon at this point, but I'm really enjoying the swap here. It evens out the power imbalance a little and makes it more plausible that she's going to be the one to save the day.

It's a relief to see Riddick actually *exercising* restraint instead of just *thinking* about it. Although the "this time" part threw me off. He's going to fumble it, isn't he?

One thing I need to know: why aren't these people WAY more concerned about the amount of booze the dude with all the really big guns and developing sadistic streak is consuming?

Watching Riddick trying to woo-sah his way out of a murder spree is ... kind of hilarious in a really dark, grim way. Suits the character and the situation perfectly. Even more so with Jack continuing to run interference.

You never disappoint. I love the way you manage to keep Riddick on the knife edge of insanity. He loves her, but knows he might love hurting her with the control collar. You're brilliant, and I love this story like a chubby kid loves ice cream. Lol.
If you aren't publishing original content already, you should be, and if you are, please drop the details in your Authors note. I'd buy anything you wrote.

Awww. They got back on the same page! Excellent chapter, and super informative for Riddick. There's no way he's going to let her bed down with Dahl, but I can't wait to see the reaction next update. I'm almost looking forward to Toombs' demise more than them making up completely.
As always, you are the goddess of all things Riddick. Nobody captures him in all his sociopathic glory the way you do!

Just occurred to me that Riddick is probably a whiz with legal jargon, being educated in the penal system and all. Is that fun to write?

"Jack opened her eyes in fear and hope". Like how this sums up her relationship with just about everyone she knows at this point. Radne, Nara...even Logan and Dahl to a certain extent. And Riddick, of course. Imagine it's terribly tempting to just let him go mental on the mercs.

What is this I'm seeing? Cthulhu and Eliot in the same chapter? Fantastic.

Very much enjoyed the crown weaving scene. Very cool idea and I liked how it called back to her convo with Radne. Also, I can't pinpoint why, but it seemed oddly...intimate? Riddick helping her create something that gives her power. Or maybe just because he wasn't being a raging dickhead for once...

"Pilates class in the parts of town I get escorted out of" - This is great on so many levels.

You're the *ONE* who's fucking her ...?

"They tortured Jack because we're playing this ridiculous game that I'm not Riddick and they're not all going to die." So, he's already written the mercs off as dead in his head then. Very cold. Nice.

Oh, Logan. My hopes for her dwindle. She provides artistic tips during Jack's assault, shoots her up with drugs, has the audacity to beg a favor, and then STILL has the nerve to act like she's just an innocent bystander? Eff. Right. Off.

Damn, I really like how these last few scenes are written. We get rage, fear, confusion, tenderness, loyalty, and understanding all at once? Well done.

I'm not going to lie, having the chapter end with some hope for redemption was SO nice.

Again, blown away by your updates. Riddick & Jack’s motivations for their actions are clear and not bs over reactions for the sake of drama. It’s tension that’s built, not over fabricated. Please more!