#Comete Paradis

[persolaise]

Etat Libre D'Orange Story Of Your Life, Sana Jardin Air Of Aquarius, Puente Havana 1825, Nose Republic and other reviews - 2025

We've got our first reviews of the year, featuring Etat Libre D'Orange, Parle Moi De Parfum, Nose Republic, Puente, Sana Jardin and Ffern. Enjoy!

Brands both familiar and entirely unknown featured in this year’s debut instalment of Love At First Scent, with reviews of releases from Etat Libre D’Orange, Puente and Parle Moi De Parfum, as well as a showcase of the entire collection of Nose Republic fragrances. Here are links to the broadcasts, followed, as always, by timestamps and some further reflections on a few of the perfumes: Etat…

[cosmoswagbean]

CAPTAIN JUPITER

Jupiter : the guardian of inner planets.

When comets from the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud venture towards the inner solar system, Jupiter’s gravitational pull acts as a cosmic shepherd, either redirecting them away from Earth or capturing them into its own orbit.

[cloneloverrrrr]

Hello everyone! It’s finally here Chapter 9 Part 2. I’m soooo sorry it took months longer than expected but I’m sooo excited & hope you all enjoy 🫶🏻 This chapter is kinda dark and there may be some trigger warnings so please DO NOT read if any bother you.

Big thanks to my amazing girls @hellhound5925 and @lune-de-miel-au-paradis for their help on this 🩷🩷& again @hellhound5925 for letting me use her BOUJEE BAD B character Raven 🤩🤩

Dividers by the best always @idontgetanysleep 🥰

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘃𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗱 ⠀

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟵 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:🔞 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁

𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗹𝗳𝗳𝗲 𝘅 𝗙𝗲𝗺!𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁, 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝘅, 𝗢𝗖 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗻, 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗖 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 , 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝟱𝟬𝟭𝘀𝘁, 𝗥𝗲𝘅, 𝗔𝗿𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱, 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙨

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 3540

𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗡𝗜 𝗶𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶���𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂- 𝗢𝗖 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩 , 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁 , 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆, 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻

The sun goes down and the light has betrayed you. The compact room you had been thrown in was bleak, icy and almost completely dark. The only illumination came from the energy binders secured around your wrists. The chill danced across your body as darkness engulfed you- it was not merely the darkness that came out of absence of light. No it was much more sinister.

The continuous rolling your shoulders to try and relieve some of the stiffness from your body grew tiresome. If the cold bite of the permacrete floor beneath your knees is any indication of the treatment of the men who captured you then you only hoped for an end. Another moment felt like another eternity. Yet of course you longed for Wolffe to hold you, to save you- to be completely safe in his embrace, but there was no arms just chains to hold you.

It hurts physically and mentally. Your heart feels like it’s about to burst into fire. Your mind racing with the same question over and over. Is this my end.

Unsure if this is reality or some fucked up dream.

It had been 3 days. Three long, tiring and completely wasted days, to no avail any step closer to finding the only thing he cares about. The image of you wavers so bold in his mind but the guilt is slowly overtaking him, the pain he is carrying weighs heavy on his shoulders, the utter agony and weakness he feels would be enough to decommission him if the Kaminons still had control.

Weak, he is fucking weak and he knows it.

He had seen his world change and tomorrow may fall but today has already gone.

The night air was crisp, like shards of ice in Wolffe’s lungs. His skin was pulled taught beneath his eyes, completely sleep deprived, weary muscles ache as a low dull thump lays into the base of his skull.

His two fingers pinch the bridge of his nose hoping to relieve the tension that continues to build up behind his eyes, the clenching pain bubbling away through out his body only exacerbates the prickling feeling of guilt that torment his soul.

“Copy that brother.”

The beep of Fox’s commlink snaps Wolffe briefly back to reality.

Fox clears his throat quietly before placing a caring hand across Wolffe’s broad shoulder.

“Ner vod, I’m sorry but Hound and his team have lost track of her. The massiff’s can’t seem to pick the scent back up…”

Wolffe rubs his temple sucking in a deep sigh. A single tear rolls down his cheek splashing against his scratched armor.

“Fuck” he curses under his breath pained.

“Rex and his team have joined forces with Boost, Sinker and Comet from what I’ve been made aware they are currently in the lower levels.”

“We will find her brother.” The hoarseness in his voice apparent, determined to find you. The close bond you and Fox shared was evident to Wolffe.

The caf had gone cold still Wolffe continued to sup away, the now bland and unsatisfying taste began to vex him, his mind was racing with thought after thought- but he couldn’t pervade his head with such a dark concept, it was becoming a struggle to stay favourable.

“Fighting and war was all we had been bred for Fox…at least that’s how I truly felt until her….finally I had found something I never had”

“Never dreamed I could have and it’s slipping through my fingers” The perturb was visible, deep in Wolffe’s eyes.

“SHE is slipping through my fingers” his last sentence began to crack and waiver.

The agony presented itself as clear as day nothing like his usual cocksure but cold manner.

Stiffness clouded the air, a quiet soreness that silenced the room- only the light raggedy breathing of the Commanders could be heard.

The moonless night was dark, enveloping the planet below casting a mysterious shadow across everything in its path. Yet scattered stars that danced across the vast expanse of sky began to illuminate the upper levels of Coruscant with their gentle glow. A glimmer of hope that this nightmare could soon be over.

The velvety coal canvas seems to stretch almost endlessly and in this moment as the moon hides it face, the sharp shrill of commlinks and the loud clunk of the boots from the battle hard clones drowns out any other sounds from the citizens wandering the lower levels of this bustling metropolis.

“Two lifeforms have been following us for the last 25 minutes brother..” Tup quietly nudges Fives.

“Well spotted Tup, comm the Captain. Now!”

Fives stops and turns his sight to the men leaning ever so cocky against the building of a brightly lit Neon bar across the way. The larger of the two holding a small vibroblade scraping his finger up and down the sharpness of the object before dropping his head only so slightly - a spine chilling smile splashed across his face as he lets out a chuckle.

“Captain Rex- the two unfriendlies less than 10 feet behind Fives and I have been on our tails for well over 30 minutes” Tup calmly speaks into his comm.

Jesse and Rex stop almost instantly in their tracks with the Wolfpack up ahead turning around and following suit joining the rest of their brothers.

The commanding officer of the 501st removes his helmet,whilst the other hand grazes across his DC-15A blaster - the stern look on his face directed at the nat-borns only mere few feet away.

“We clocked them too sir” Sinker says as he takes his place next to Rex.

“Call it in to Commander Wolffe and Commander Fox they must be informed”

Rex prompts Sinker unfazed as the two men begin to make their way over to the group of soldiers.

“Squadron stay alert.” Rex warns over the comms.

He turns nodding at Sinker as the Nat-borns move in closer like a Gundark stalking its prey. The larger of the two stopped and stood afore Rex. Sizing him up.

Silence. One with a life of its own.

With a scoff, the elevated man turns to the other before rotating his attention back to the Captain.

“That freak with the scar not here eh? Can’t even make the effort to come for his stuck up bitch?”

Each of the clones clench their firsts at their sides, the ire plastered rather blatantly in their stance. The air so thick with tension. Tension like a dark black smoke from each of the burning fires that were Clone Troopers.

Boost grasps tightly at Comet’s wrist as he pushes his way forward- a firm way of explaining to his brother the time is not right.

Rex’s brows furrow for a second or two. The acute eye contact between himself and lofty man only intensifies the uncertainty of the current situation.

“The boss… he wants a holo meet with that freak”

“This evening 23.00 hours, here are the details …. Clone”

The word spit as if they weren’t even real men. As if they would never measure up. The contemptuous in tone only angers and each trooper further.

“Does your boss have a name?” Rex grits out between a clenched jaw.

Of course the battle hardened leader of the 501st keeps a cool yet calming aura.

“Finn.”

The name reverberated off the walls of the alley crawling over his skin. Rex puffed his chest out further to suppress a shiver. He of course would stand his ground until the men walked away. It’s what any leader, it’s what your lover Wolffe would do.

A small shit eating grin creeps the corner of his mouth. The two men turn to leave not before the few words that leaver Sinker’s mouth has his skin producing goosebumps.

“His name is Commander Wolffe”

“And he will end you and your fucking boss- you would do well to remember that.”

The nat-born stops in his tracks, the tension now almost palpable.

Another scoff.

“Yeah alright clone…”

The long and drawn out silence broken only by the thunder roaring furiously as the superiorly thick smoky clouds rolled in like boulders- ready to crush anything that stands in their way. Flashing lightning electrifies the dark skies and without warning the rain-fall came gushing down throwing its self onto the cold ground below.

The walls of room seemed to be closing in on Wolffe. He was that one step closer to finding you, that much was certain- yet those cruel thoughts still plagued his mind.

Back in Fox’s office tensions run extremely high. Wolffe tuned out the chatter from his brother and the unknown female voice on the comms. The burning desire running through his blood to find you grows with each second. The dull roar filling his ears.

Yet he continues to scan his datapad over and over, not noticing the hiss of the doors sliding open as Rex enters the room closely followed by the Wolfpack.

Rex pats his brothers shoulder softly before removing his helmet- a gentle gesture.

Wolffe finally lifts his head, behind his eyes pain and a deep sadness lingers. He lets out a long sigh grabbing the bridge of his nose anything to ease that discomfort he feels hacking away at his mind body and soul.

“Commander it seems the person who is holding Crystal is called Finn… from what we know he must be part of some crime family. He wants a holomeet… 23.00hrs this evening”

“Thank you Rex”

“Brothers there is someone I’d like you all to meet..”

Before Fox can finish his sentence the doors to his office slide open revealing a female Mandalorian. Her long blonde hair falls in a neat plait over one shoulder. Wolffe’s eyes fall to the helmet tucked neatly under one arm. She offers a curt nod, looking over the troopers standing before her.

“It’s nice to finally meet you all. I’m sorry it has to be under such circumstances. I’m Raven Skirata.”

A silence falls over the group. Raven Skirata. She spent most of her time training Clone Commandos on Kamino. A glimmer of hope beams throughout Wolffe.

“I’ve got operatives running classified missions here in Coruscant. One of them has been chasing a crime syndicate, collecting data on their whereabouts. I’ve come to learn through Commander Fox you are in need of help tracking someone down who you believe has been taken by one of the syndicates members. Is this correct?”

“That’s correct” Wolffe’s words were quiet.

“We had been informed by two males their boss- Finn he wants a holomeet arranged for this evening. We are 99% sure he has Crystal.”

Raven pushes her neat blonde plait behind her back , the Skirata Wolf that sits on her left shoulder pauldron gleams against the dim lights that flicker in the office. A look of trepidation is shared between herself and Fox.

“Finn Salazar - His family was killed during the war - unfortunate collateral, and ever since then has blamed the GAR and the Clones.”

That long silence is back.

“However his family had links to the Pykes so we can only assume he has taken it upon himself to carry on their work- prostitution and narcotics seem to be his thing. Thats all I’m allowed to say on him but we do have a possible location.”

The pitter-patter of the rain thrumming against the window of Fox’s office breaks that silence.

“Wolffe…. It’s almost 23.00 hours… the meet”

Fox reminds his brother nodding at the holoprojector on his desk. Raven, Rex, Fox and the Wolfpack took a few feet back allowing Wolffe the space they know he will need.

Wolffe lets out a small grunt before nodding.

Anger and vexation burned inside of Wolffe’s chest, his dense hold of the desk grew stronger as his brows furrowed. The blue light from the hologram shone against his face, His cybernetic eye glistened - emphasising the rage splashed across his features.

“Tut tut, I do not usually appreciate tardiness Commander…”

“However seeing as I have something belonging to you this once I will allow it.”

The sick pleasure in Finn’s voice only added to the growing frustration bubbling away inside the Commander.

He was going to fucking kill him. And by the maker he would cause this syndicate boss untold agony.. pain this fucker had never once felt in his pathetic life.

“Where is she?” Wolffe hisses.

Wolffe’s jaw started to tick, his foot tapping relentlessly.

“Oh don’t you worry Commander Wolffe she is being well cared for, isn’t that right darling?

Finn’s tone was vindictive and cold. It trickled through your veins like rusty daggers.

Suddenly the view had been shifted around to you. For what seems like an eternity your gaze flickers up to Wolffe. Like every star system in the galaxy had come to screeching halt, his eyes search yours. He can see the pain and angst that was so desperately lingering across your face.

“Wolffe….” Your words oh so quiet.

Tears begin to form in the corners of your eyes adding to their already delicate shine.

Your beautiful face he has loved since day one. And stars above did it break his fucking heart.

Yet within a spilt second that heartache was gone replaced by agonising rage that inflamed his whole being.

Finn’s hand slithers up your bare arm towards your neck before his hand started to caress your face in such an unholy manner. His lips placed against your pulse point inhaling your scent.

“She’s a pretty little thing isn’t she Wolffe I do however believe she would look even better with a little less on… don’t you?”

His dark chuckle infuriates not just your lover but every single person stood in Fox’s office.

Finn’s voice seeped its way down your spine causing a shiver as his hand slapped you. Hard and with intent. The sting travels from your face radiating pins and needles throughout your body. Your whimpers do nothing to deter him.

Finn glides his calloused thumb across your full lips snagging your chin in his fingers. The contrast between your softness and his roughness makes you squirm. Your attempt to wriggle away fails as he takes out a razor-sharp vibroblade slicing through one of the straps holding up your silky dress.

A small gasp falls from your lips as you feel the dress slipping down exposing your partially naked chest. The blade scrapes across your collarbone, causing your blood to leak from the cut.

"Even her blood smells sweet. I can see why you are so fond of this one Commander. "

"I bet she would look even sweeter underneath me at my mercy …. and under my blade as I touch her like you do Commander. "

The syndicate boss uttered the rank of Commander so contemptuously, almost spitting it out like some sort of disgusting verb.

His wicked chuckle had Wolffe seething with an incandescent ire. Murder was on his fucking mind.

A harsh thump rings in the room as Wolffe slams both his fists onto the cold metal of the desk in front of him.

“I swear to the fucking maker if you touch her like that again I will kill you”

“But it won’t be fucking quick”

Wolffe bared his teeth and his words roll out like a snarl.

“Shabuir” Raven grunted through a clenched jaw.

Her eyes flit across the room noticing the distress across each of the clones faces. The men she cares for like her own brothers.

Her heart pained for them.

“He won’t get away with this” Fox directed to his brothers.

A stillness falls the room.

Finn glares at Wolffe sadistically , as a vile scowl tugged at the corner of his lips. His eyes as green as poison- a look of malice. This just added to his growing fixation of wanting to gut the bastard from stomach to throat. His blood boiling like the fiery lava that ran free on Mustafar.

Slowly with intent to cause the upmost unbearable affliction.

"What I do not seem to understand is why is her interested in YOU clone? I guess even the pretty ones like her can have these type of fucked up brains wired ever so severely incorrect …. “

“But the question stands- what sould I do about it? Hmm? We must tip the balance of normality back. A beautiful thing like her belongs to a normal being. A real man.”

Finn plays with the blade across your cheek so nonchalantly, yet his eyes fixated on the father of your unborn child.

“It does however seem that she wants you…”

“Maybe once I’ve shown her what it’s like to be with a REAL man and how a REAL man can make her feel she might change her mind”

His dry lips graze against the bob in your throat.

Each and every single hair on the back of your neck stands to attention, the chill almost becoming unbearable . You remained as still as could be- the sinister aura from this man held you in a tightening grip. Slowly you closed your eyes, your stomach churning. You were immobilised. Terror sucked the very breath from your mouth.

Finn turns his attention back to Wolffe as Fox appears next to his Vod. The wrath that painted a picture on his face oh so obvious.

“So I will make you and the rest of the experiments in that room a deal, from now on you and the Coruscant Guard will pay no mind to the Salazar syndicate. You will allow us to continue our work with the Pykes in exchange for your little bitch here.”

Wolffe studies his face before holding Finn’s stare with cold and narrow eyes. He tenses and his jaw clenched in annoyance. The blood that ran through his veins began to burn his tanned skin.

“No deal. Let her go and I will think about allowing you to live.”

Finn’s laugh was baleful. It caused you to recoil in terror. As each moment that passed the thought of being back in the arms of your lover faded more and more.

“My my- that is not the answer I was looking for…maybe this will change your answer”

With one hand Finn yanks your dress further and further down, the cool of the air hits your naked flesh like a thousand blaster bolts. The other hand found its way to your neck tightening his fingers, cutting off your air supply. Your face began to turn into a sickening colour as your sight started to close in on you, the feeling of your life ebbing away. Your mouth falls open, a strangled groan pathetically leaving you. His grip was too strong to wriggle out of.

Finn’s eyes glint in amusement. He meets Wolffes gaze. Neither man backs down.

Fuck. The realisation sets in, shooting him directly in the gut and he stiffens.

“Let her go she’s carrying my child”

Wolffe finally yields. He’s fucking seething.

By and by the solid grip around your neck begins to detach, your body gives way as you crumble to the ground below.

A tear forms in the corner of Rex’s soft eyes, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Raven stands in front of the Wolfpack. Her stance wide, positioning herself between the clones - who are so much like her brothers - and the threat. Her only way to protect them from the abhorrent scene unfolding in front of their eyes.

Raven looks like an animal ready to pounce. Her hands twitch at her sides as if they ache to be around Finn's throat. She exchanges a quick look with Fox who sharply nods before turning his attention back to the holocall.

“Think about it clone. You have 24 hours.” Finn taunts.

As your face vanished from view Wolffe inhaled a painful breath- the first of many.

Wolffe hadn't noticed but Rex did. Raising a brow at his brother and the Mandalorian.

Once the link closes Rex questions them.

"Want to fill me in?"

Raven nods to Fox to explain.

"We were able to tract the location of the signal. Thanks to Ravens brother - Captain Ordo - for the tech."

“I want them destroyed and I want Crystal safe. Brother I’m sorry but the 501st must ship out to meet Cody and his troops… a slight situation has gotten out of hand”

Wolffe and Rex’s eyes meet before they clap another’s forearm with their gloved hands above their wrists. As the 501st bid adieu to the rest of their brothers and Raven , Wolffe turns around catching a glimpse of his misty reflection of the office- one he fails to recognise.

His features replaced by an almost other-worldly demon that haunts his very soul.

“He will find his own grave” Wolffe spits out as he turns to Fox.

TAG LIST - @n0vqni @trixie2023 @hellhound5925 @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @idontgetanysleep @eternal-transcience @clonelovr @reader6898 @the-rain-on-kamino @dukeoftheblackstar @kimiheartblade

If you want to be removed or added LMK😃

[playedlist]

night sight (for nourishing the soul)

Lofi, Jazz, Soul, R&B, D&B, Electronica

Track List:

1. Sur une chanson en Français - Paradis

2. Toi et moi - Paradis

3. Asylums for the feeling feat. Leila Adu - Silent Poets, Leila Adu

4. goodbye - Mk.Gee

5. Nostalgic Montage - Salami Rose Joe Louis

6. Double Astral Move - Rejoicer

7. Chowdr - Mndsgn

8. Afternoon Shuffle - Mndsgn

9. Instantané - Paradis

10. Recto Verso - Paradis

11. Setting Out - Daedalus, Amir Yaghmai

12. TRACK ONE - Sam Gendel, Sam Wilkes

13. Teardrop - Massive Attack

14. Butterflies - Dardust

15. Næturflug - Yakamoto Kotzuga Remix - Dardust, Yakamoto Kotzuga

16. In Dark Trees - 2004 Digital Remaster - Brian Eno

17. The Big Ship - 2004 Digital Remaster - Brian Eno

18. Intro - Mk.gee

19. cz - Mk.gee

20. dimeback - Mk.gee

21. Song For Spirit Flights - Rejoicer

22. Earth Talk - Rejoicer, Sam Wilkes

23. My Beans - Rejoicer, KerenDun

24. Lemons - Rejoicer, Jenny Penkin

25. Eternal Loop - Sam Gendel

26. Waraku3 - Sam Gendel

27. They B All Like - Sam Gendel

28. Summer Madness - Kool & The Gang

29. Bahia Dreamin' - Karriem Riggins

30. kometostai.aintreallynootherwaytoputitro - Knxwledge

31. Auntie's Lock/Infinitum - Flying Lotus, Laura Darlington

32. Licorice - MF DOOM

33. Swimming - Maple Glider

34. if you're not the one for me who is - keshi

35. Mockingbird - Uma

36. Jazz Club After Hours - Barry Can't Swim

37. Time Moves Slow - BADBADNOTGOOD, Sam Herring

38. Nice & Shiny - Slohmo

39. And We Go Gentle - Hiatus Kaiyote

40. Red Room - Nick Hakim Remix - Hiatus Kaiyote, Nick Hakim

41. Action Line - Dorothy Ashby

42. Imagineering - Nightmares On Wax

43. Ghostride - Crumb

44. Stone Or Lavender - Hiatus Kaiyote

45. Atari - Hiatus Kaiyote

46. Time, Being - Johnny Nash, Suzanne Kraft

47. Locket - Crumb

48. Crust - Flying Lotus

49. Them Changes - Thundercat

50. QACHINA - Damien Jurado

51. Camel - Flying Lotus

52. Melt! - Flying Lotus

53. Comet Course - Flying Lotus

54. Merry Go Round - The Equatics

55. Imprint After - Toro y Moi

56. Koko - E.VAX

57. Eagle In The Lodge - Rejoicer

58. Plantasy - Resavoir

59. Some Thing's Coming - I Monster

60. Summer Nights - Lonnie Liston Smith, The Cosmic Echoes

61. Together Is A Beautiful Place To Be - Nala Sinephro Remix - Nubya Garcia, Nala Sinephro

62. Gentle Persuasion - Keith Mansfield

63. Thomas The Fib - Red Snapper

64. Be Right With You - HOMESHAKE

65. She Wakes Up / First Dimension - Salami Rose Joe Louis

66. ache for - always centered at night, Moby, José James

[coaxol0tl]

Ooh, so much shit is happening

[itsthecomet]

[itslieutenanthawkeye]

Lucky Guy

Day 7 of Jeankasa Week: College AU

AO3

Sasha and Connie dragged him forward; they’d loaded him up on caffeine that very afternoon, picked up a set of clothes for him and tried to shave his stubble. Jean hadn’t allowed them to do the latter. The night was starting, and he already felt tired.

Final exams had worn him out, consumed all his energy for the sake of a pass, for the sake of a chance of a good job in the future, a nice home for his family. Not that he had any prospects at the moment, mind you. All he seemed to have was stress, and exhaustion nowadays.

He understood that the two dragging him to the party wanted to help him wind down, but Connie had already started taking over for his family business and Sasha had graduated culinary school a year ago. They were living the adult, independent life already.

Meanwhile Jean was stuck with physics and mathematics. At least the artistic portion part of his classes was fulfilling.

“So, where’s Niccolo?” Connie asked as they got on the tramway.

“He had to close up, but he’ll meet us at the party later.” Sasha said, taking them to the long seat at the back of the tramway. Jean sat in between the two, listening to their chatter in silence. “Aren’t you going to lighten up, Jean? You look like someone just died.”

Jean lowered his head, the repetitive rattling of the cart almost lulling him to sleep. “My will to live has died.”

“Come on, man, is it that bad since Marco left?”

“That traitor.” Jean said, with a tone of voice that spoke longing instead of anger.

Marco and he had decided to study architecture together; Jean driven by his knack for drawing, Marco driven by his desire to be by his side. A year into their university course, however, he’d gotten that scholarship to study photography in Hizuru. A great, one-in-a-lifetime opportunity that didn’t come around twice.

An opportunity that would force them to stay apart for four full years. Since neither had enough money to fly back and forth and Jean had not wanted to give up his studies in Paradis, they’d decided to remain friends. They’d been friends since the beginning, after all.

After the first months of heartbreak, Jean had realized that Marco had left him with just about enough money to pay for three months of rent. Although he couldn’t blame him, Jean had gotten the habit of cursing him lowly for the past year, whenever he was forced to balance his part time job and his ridiculous physics lessons.

“I still don’t understand why you don’t get another roommate.” Connie said, scratching the back of his ear. “Are you just holding out until a cute guy shows up at your door?”

“Or girl.” Sasha added, opening a bag of potato chips sneakily.

“Oi, Sasha,” Jean said, frowning. “We’re gonna get a fine because of you.”

“I’ll pay for it,” Sasha said, waving her hand to undermine the matter. “You guys want some? They’re new spicy ones.”

Jean reached out under her jacket and took a few chips into his mouth. “I take it the restaurant is doing well? With you being okay for paying fines, I mean.”

“Niccolo said that breakfast menu I came out with put us on top. If we keep it up, in about two years we’ll be able to set our next location,” she said proudly, her mouth also half full of chips. She gave Jean a significant look. “We’ll need an architect for the place. And someone here will be almost finished with uni.”

He smiled. “Thanks. I’ll make sure to remind you.”

“You know you can ask for money, right, Jean?” Connie said, resting his back against the seat. “You don’t need to work yourself to death when you’ve got us.”

Another lazy smile came to his face. “I don’t want to be a burden to you guys.”

“You’re more of a burden when you don’t come with us to these things,” Connie said. “First, you missed all barbecue nights at Niccolo and Sasha’s. And now you didn’t want to come, and you know Reiner throws the best parties. His little cousin took down that Galliard guy the last time.”

“Isn’t she a kid?” Jean blurted out.

“She likes to sneak in to get in fights with the college kids.” Connie explained, laughing. “I think she’s been in martial arts since five or something.”

“Now that’s a surprise,” Sasha said, elbowing Connie as the tramway arrived at its next station. Jean looked at the person getting on and his breath caught. Wearing a corseted black dress, her hair up in a high ponytail and wearing a choker around her elegant neck, Mikasa Ackerman stood out as a comet across a blue sky.

“I didn’t think she’d come tonight,” Connie said. “You know, considering Eren.”

“What happened with Eren?” Jean asked.

“Don’t you check her feed?” Connie asked, wiggling his eyebrows. “You know, since you had that huge crush on her in high school and whatnot.”

“I’ve been busy.” Jean said, too tired to try and deny that crush he’d had on her in their school days, the crush that had always irked Marco somehow. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m too busy to be concerned about other people’s drama.”

“They broke up,” Connie said in a gossipy tone, as if Jean hadn’t just snapped at him. “Around six months ago. He skipped town. Didn’t want to be tied down or something, wanted to be free as birds or whatever. He’s backpacking in the continent, I think.”

Jean sat straighter on his seat. That dick. That stupid, nihilistic piece of shit. “Why didn’t you guys tell me? Isn’t Sasha her best friend?”

“Because you disappeared the whole semester, man. That’s why I told you to ask for money instead of working yourself to death,” Connie said, shaking him by the shoulder. “You miss out on parties and gossip.”

“Stop it. She’ll hear you,” Sasha said, lifting her arm to wave at Mikasa. “Hey! Mikasa, over here! Come sit with us!”

Jean felt heat in his cheeks. “Sasha, don’t. She’ll come.”

“That’s what I want.”

“I can’t talk when she looks this pretty.”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “Stop being an idiot, Jean.”

Mikasa’s eyes caught sight of them and she made her way to their seat, not bothering to hold onto anything to keep her balance as the tramway moved forward. They had known each other from high school and little things had changed about the way she moved; she carried herself with the elegance of a swan, and the strength of a mountain. He remembered teasing Eren about her being the boss in their relationship during their very last year of school, when the embers of jealousy had begun to die for Jean, and chuckled lowly at the memory of the enraged response he always received.

“Hi, everyone,” she greeted them. Sasha scooted to the side, and Mikasa sat between her and Jean, close enough for him to smell her perfume. “Are you guys going to Reiner’s?”

“Best parties in Trost.” Sasha said, offering her the bag of potato chips. “Want some?”

Mikasa dipped her hand in the bag. “Aren’t you scared you’ll get a fine?”

“She says she’ll pay it,” Connie explained, reaching over Jean and Mikasa to grab more.

“Sasha,” Mikasa said sternly. “How many more fines are you going to pay?”

“She’s paid more this month?!” Jean said.

“She has. It’s getting ridiculous, she can’t go on a tramway without getting hungry…” Mikasa stopped herself from talking and settled her eyes on him, with a vague surprised expression on her lovely pale face. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’ve been busy with work.” Jean said, shrugging, hoping that she wouldn’t see the blush in his cheeks that look of her had caused. He waited a second, wondering if he should bring up that he had, in fact, seen her. “I saw you, though. Drawing, in the Maria building.”

Understanding washed over her face, and her mouth fell open. “You should’ve said hi, Jean.” She said. “It’s a huge classroom, there’s no way I could’ve seen you.”

“I’m sorry.” Jean muttered. Truth was, he hadn’t wanted her to see him in the state he’d been in two weeks ago. With his double shifts at work and his assignments for the end of the semester, Jean had resembled a walking corpse more than a human.

Mikasa was an anthropology and history major and, much like Jean himself, worked part time jobs. However, with her looks, most of her part time jobs were related to modeling. That morning at creative drawing, she’d been hired to pose for the class covered only by a thin sheet. And despite being a class full of professionals, Jean had still not wanted the girl who resembled a goddess to see him bordering a mental breakdown.

“Have you been getting enough sleep?” She asked him.

“Does it show that bad?”

Mikasa’s mouth made a perfect O in terror. “I didn’t mean to sound like that.”

Jean chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. It shows. If uni wasn’t free, I would’ve gone broke already.”

“You need to look after your health more, Jean. Have you even been eating well? If you don’t sleep and don’t eat well, you’re just going to burn out,” Mikasa said, then froze, grabbing the hand that was going to reach out to him. “I’m sorry. I just sounded like a mother there.”

“You’re right, though.” Jean replied, smiling at her. “I haven’t been eating well. With work—”

“Is that why you haven’t been to any of the barbecues?”

“You went?”

Mikasa nodded. “We missed you.”

Jean’s head came up with a thousand names to call himself in that moment. He missed his friends enough during the semesters without the knowledge that she’d been hanging out with them at barbecue night. “I’ll make it next time.” He managed to say. “Did Armin go?”

“He’s been busy with moving in with Annie.” Mikasa said, sighing. “I don’t think I’d talk to anyone outside work if it wasn’t for Sasha and Mina.”

“Wait, Armin moved out too?” Jean asked, growing concerned. “Did those two just up and left you alone in that huge apartment?”

“Armin left me some money to pay a couple more months’ worth of rent.” Mikasa said, almost apologizing in Armin’s behalf. Jean’s fists clenched automatically; he’d seen how smitten he was with that marleyan girl, but leaving Mikasa alone to pay for that huge apartment by herself…

“Besides, I insisted,” Mikasa added with a low voice. “I didn’t want him to wallow in self pity with me when he has a perfectly lovely girlfriend.”

Jean sighed tiredly. He should’ve known. Even heart broken, Mikasa cared more about her friend’s happiness than her own economic safety. In a way, it was something that made her all the more charming in his eyes.

“Hey, are you two going to ignore us all the way there?” Connie asked, slapping the back of Jean’s head. “Why did you have to sit in between us if you’re just gonna talk to each other?”

“He’s right,” Sasha said, shaking Mikasa by the shoulder. “Mikasa, pay attention to your best friend now! She brought chips for you!”

Mikasa narrowed her eyes in Sasha’s direction. “Since when do you carry food for anyone but yourself, Braus?”

Sasha’s face contracted into a miserable expression, and she threw herself over Mikasa, hugging her while kissing her head. “Not the last name treatment, Mikasa!”

Maybe a few years ago, Mikasa would’ve thrown Sasha back onto her seat. This time, however, she limited herself to exchange an amused look with him and Connie, patting Sasha’s head in a conciliatory manner. “Alright, alright. Control yourself,” she told Sasha. “Don’t you have a boyfriend? What will Niccolo say if he sees you hugging a woman like this?”

“He’ll probably think we look hot.” Sasha replied innocently.

“What a perv.”

“Mikasa!”

_________________

The tramway took them to the west end of Trost, where high skyscrapers and fancy apartment buildings rose into the sky. The elevator took them a whole thirty floors up to Reine’rs apartment. As soon as they walked in, Jean stared at the ceramic floors, the balcony with its hot tub and view of the distant mountains in the island. When Reiner came to greet them with a hug for each, Jean held him by the shoulders.

“When did you get this rich?” He asked, baffled. How had everyone gotten rich so quick before him?

“My mother and I won the alimony trial last month,” Reiner laughed, hugging him again to then make a wide gesture with his arms at the people in the room. From the way he moved, Jean guessed he was already drunk. “Nineteen years’ worth of unpaid alimony, all paid in full!”

The crowd cheered, raising their beer bottles in the air to celebrate his makeshift toast. “Galliard, Pieck!” Reiner said, stumbling back into the crowd, being caught by the two exchange Marleyan students. “Get the karaoke machine going!”

Sasha and Connie dived into the party in full, going over to Mina, who had her hands full while pouring two bottles of vodka into a large crystal bowl filled with fruits and juice. Jean rubbed his temple; getting drunk wasn’t on his list of priorities, not with so little sleep in his system.

He turned to look at his right, realizing Mikasa stood by the door, watching the crowd move around Reiner’s apartment with apprehension. He took a couple of steps in her direction, leaning against the wall with his hands crossed over his chest, perhaps in a subconscious attempt to appear nonchalant. “See anyone you know?” He asked.

“Too many people.” She muttered in response, rubbing her arms. “Sasha said this was going to be like the barbecue.”

One would think that with her looks and strength, Mikasa would be a little more popular. She’d been an introvert since secondary school, shielded behind the personalities of her two childhood friends. And despite that a few people had managed to break through the cold outer layer of her personality (like Sasha, who’s might as well have gone through it with a war hammer) it always seemed to Jean that there as hidden sadness behind her eyes, a brake of sorts that didn’t allow her to express herself to the fullest.

“Let’s go to the balcony,” she said, pulling his sleeve. “Bring beers.”

Jean almost -almost- felt bad for Reiner’s father as they walked along the balcony. Trost had skyscrapers aplenty, but very few had a perfect look of the suburbs and mountains, and very few had an infinity pool with a hot tub included. The place must’ve costed a fortune. He could almost see his own neighborhood from this height.

They found a set of unoccupied pillowed seats at the corner, far from Reiner’s infinity pool, and sat there to watch the city in silence.

“I live there,” Mikasa said after a while, pointing south to a cluster of colorful buildings. “It’s the big tall one, with the red lights.”

“Ah, party town,” Jean said. He and Marco had tried to find a place there, but the rent had been astronomical, given its strategic location near the universities and clubs. “Was it a big change from the suburbs? That’s where you grew up in, right?”

“It was a huge change from my uncle’s house,” she said, her eyes set on the red building, amused at some memory Jean wasn’t aware of. “He was grossed out when he visited last year.”

“College neighborhood isn’t for him?”

“He said it was too dirty,” Mikasa said, sighing. “Although I’m sure he was terrified at the number of teenagers that threw themselves at him. He said I was to visit him from now on.”

Jean giggled at that. “Girls threw themselves at Levi?”

“Apparently he’s got something that makes university students go crazy.” Mikasa said, making a disgusted noise. Jean laughed again; Levi had been their teacher in middle school. How any college girl found him so appealing, he didn’t understand.

“Well, at least you can have fun in that neighborhood.” Jean said.

Mikasa made another disgusted noise. “I was only there because Eren suggested it. It was too loud for my liking. Too many creeps on the streets. And the rent is too high.”

“How did you guys manage to afford that? I mean, Eren and Armin aren’t precisely rich,” Jean said, covering his mouth as soon as he realized what he’d blurted out. “I’m sorry, Mikasa! I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay,” Mikasa said, shaking her head in amusement. “Eren’s brother paid for most of the rent. He works in Marley and sent him money.”

She finished with a sigh, setting her eyes on the floor for a second before taking a sip of her beer. When she turned to look at him, Jean recognized annoyance in her eyes. “Now that he’s gone, Zeke stopped paying for that big chunk of the rent.”

“And Armin moved in with Annie,” Jean finished saying.

“And I’m in that huge place all by myself,” Mikasa said, taking another sip from her bottle. “Scraping my bank account to pay utilities, taking any modeling job that comes up besides working at Sasha’s restaurant, two months behind on rent.”

“Did Sasha offer you money yet?” Jean asked, recalling all the times their friend had tried to hand him checks for his rent.

Mikasa smiled. “A couple of times. But I don’t want to be a burden to her. As good as the restaurant is doing, having her own business can be tricky. One bad luck streak and she’ll be needing that money she offers me.”

“What about a roommate?”

“Nobody I know can afford rent there. I don’t want to disturb Niccolo and Sasha, and Levi has plenty on his plate. And it’s impossible to find a place this late in the year,” Mikasa said, sighing tiredly again. “Do you know how close I am to modeling underwear? A man in this shady company offered me so much money for nudes the other day—”

“Move in with me.” Jean blurted out, and his words were followed by excruciatingly long minutes. Mikasa rested her back against the seat, scrutinizing him with those perfect, serious eyes. “I don’t mean in a weird way. I mean, my rent is much less than yours must be. But ever since Marco left, it’s been harder to afford it on my own. I could use a roommate, and all the people I’ve interviewed were weirdos.”

“Won’t Marco be angry?” Mikasa asked politely. “Won’t he be upset that a girl is living with you?”

Jean smiled. “We’re not together anymore.”

“No?” She said, looking genuinely surprised. “Why? What happened? I thought—”

“Neither wanted a long-distance relationship, or had the money to afford one,” Jean explained, surprised at the lack of pain in his words when he spoke of what had happened. Perhaps, the exhaustion throughout the year had forced his heart to get over a heartbreak quickly.

“Besides,” Jan added, arching his eyebrow in her direction. “I know for a fact that hizuran people are beautiful. I couldn’t deny him having fun over there. So, we decided to stay as friends.”

Mikasa smiled, and Jean blushed. “You’re a good friend.”

“I’m not,” Jean replied, leaning back against his seat as well. “I had no idea about you and Eren. You’re our friend since high school, and I had no idea you’d gotten your heart broken too this year. So, I’m not that good of a friend.”

Mikasa rested her hand at her sides, her pinky almost touching his, leaning back to catch sight of the night sky. “You’re in no obligation to carry anyone’s pain, Jean, let alone mine.”

“What do you mean? You’re my friend.”

“I know. We are friends,” Mikasa said quickly, as if noticing the hint of pain her previous words had caused in him. “What I mean is…I knew it was going to happen. I saw the change in Eren. I knew he wouldn’t want to stay put. He was more in love with the idea of freedom than with me. I should’ve ended it a long while ago. So, no need to carry pain that was dragged on for no purpose.”

“And you didn’t want to go with him?”

Mikasa thought about it for a moment. He could hear Reiner and that Pieck girl singing at the top of their lungs inside, as well as Connie’s laughter. And yet, all his mind was set on was her, how her eyes focused on his as she spoke every word, how a bit of lipstick had smudged on the edges of her mouth due to their drinking. Jean had always been aware of Mikasa’s beauty, but he hadn’t been truly enthralled by it in a very long time.

“I don’t think I would’ve gone,” she said at last. “I love the island. I love my home. I want to have a peaceful life here, grow old here. I like seeing new places, but I don’t want to spend my life wandering. He did.”

Jean nodded, understanding her fully. All he’d ever dreamed of was a nice house in the inner districts, alongside the wife -or husband- of his choosing.

“Besides,” Mikasa said with a quiet laugh. “He never asked me to come.”

“What a fucking idiot.”

Mikasa blinked in surprise. “I’m not mad at him, Jean. You don’t need to be in my behalf.”

“I’m not mad on your behalf,” Jean said, shaking his head, a deep crease forming between his eyebrows, feeling all of that frustration he’d had towards Eren in high school come back in full. “What kind of idiot do you have to be to break the heart of someone like you?”

“Someone like me?”

“You’re fucking amazing!” Jean said, shocked by the confusion in her face. “Mikasa, you’re gorgeous, smart, strong. You can lift a whole hundred pounds without breaking a sweat…who would want to break your heart?”

Another chuckle escaped her throat, and she gave him a look that he could only describe a sweet. “Thank you,” she said, tilting her head to the side. “My heart was breaking the whole last year we were together, though. I guess in a way, him leaving helped me heal.”

“I hope he falls into a pit.” Jean muttered, then shook his head. “No, I hope I fall into a pit, for not noticing you were hurting before.”

“You had your thing with Marco moving away,” Mikasa replied. “If anything, I was the jerk for not helping you like Connie and Sasha did. I was too focused on trying to force Eren to be happy with me.”

“Still, I should’ve helped.”

“You’re helping now,” Mikasa replied, lifting her pierced eyebrow. “You’re letting me be your roommate, aren’t you?”

Jean took a deep gulp of his beer before speaking. “So, you are taking up on my offer?”

“Yes,” Mikasa said, setting her eyes on the section of town in which he lived in. “If you take up on my offer.”

“Which is?”

“The agency wants a couple male models,” she said, elbowing him playfully. “I heard from Sasha how you’re killing yourself at that part time. This money won’t be great, I do warn you, but it will be better, and you’ll have more time to study.”

The color traveled to his cheeks yet again. “I-I’m not a model, Mikasa.”

“No need to be modest, Kirstein,” she said, scrutinizing him again, her gaze sensing a shock of electricity across him. “I saw you on that beach trip we did. You’ve got nothing to envy from the models.”

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, and Jean’s mind became a storm. Had she just told him she found him attractive? No, it couldn’t be. She’d just said he had nothing to envy from male models. But that was just a creative way to call someone hot, wasn’t it? She had no reasons to call him hot, however.

“Jean, I think—”

“Niccolo!” Sasha’s shouted drunkenly, startling the two in their seats. It wasn’t until they turned in her direction that Jean realized how close their faces had been to each other.

“Alright, alright. Do it again.” Niccolo laughed, sounding quite drunk himself. Sasha grabbed her shirt and tightened it around her waist, showing him her bloated stomach.

Niccolo giggled. “It’s adorable! It does look like you’re pregnant,” he said between snorts. “How many garlic buns did you eat back there?”

“Why are you calling your baby a garlic knot, Niccolo?!” Sasha half-laughed, half cried, only causing Niccolo to laugh harder. They were soon on the floor, struggling to catch their breath because of their laughter, and Jean was grateful for the protective mesh at the edge of the balcony.

“They’re drunk.”

“They’re high.” Mikasa said, casting a glance inside. “Ymir and Historia are here.”

“No wonder they’re high.” Jean chuckled. Historia wore a beautiful pink dress, looking as happy as ever with Ymir’s hands around her waist. Ymir, as always, wore a dark suit. As always, she was more focused on kissing Historia’s neck than the conversation around her. They’d been inseparable since their wedding, and from the sparkling necklace around Historia’s neck, Jean supposed their business was growing well.

Mikasa grabbed his sleeve. “Do you want to go get some?”

“You smoke that stuff?” Jean asked, wondering when he’d smoked anything last.

“Not really.” Mikasa admitted, looking at Sasha laughing on the floor while placing a thousand drunken kisses on Niccolo’s forehead. “It looks like they’re having fun, though.”

“We could do it to celebrate,” Jean said, shrugging. “You know, each of just found a good roommate and we might not be as broke from now on.”

“You are sure about the roommate matter?” Mikasa asked, frowning. “You’ll have to take a few visits from my uncle.”

“I’ll cope.” Jean said, looking at Niccolo and Sasha. “Are you sure? What if Eren returns and gets mad?”

Mikasa rolled her eyes. “He can get as mad as he wants. I won’t care.” She said, and from her tone of voice , Jean knew she was done talking about Eren for the time being. She looked more annoyed at the inconveniences that Eren had caused her than heart broken. Perhaps, the exhaustion had forced her to get over a heartbreak quick, as well.

Jean offered her his hand. “Shall we, my lady?”

“You’re still an idiot,” Mikasa said, intertwining her arm with his. “Thank you, by the way.”

“No, thank you,” he said, using his other hand to take their bottles. He offered one to her and lifted his own. “Toast? For roommates?”

“For roommates.” Mikasa said. Their bottles clang together, their sound foretelling a change of wind for the two, perhaps.

______________________

Gabi walked along the bookstore holding onto Falco’s arm. She and her mother spent summers with her cousin Reiner in the island. And despite this being her fifth year visiting him and despite the luxuries of his apartment, she missed him terribly each time she left. So, she clung to him before and after her journeys, enjoying their time together as if it were a treasure.

“Want to get an ice cream afterwards?” He asked.

“The place by the zeppelin museum?” Falco nodded in response, and Gabi smiled widely. “Alright, then. But it’s my treat this time.”

“Let me buy the comic books this time, at least,” he said, pulling out a book with a few giants on the cover. “This looks good, doesn’t it?”

Gabi frowned at the sight of the naked giants. “I hate historical fiction.”

“It’s not like titans were real, Gabi,” Falco said, running through the pages. “This is mostly political-oriented. See? They even consulted a historian from Paradis to write it.”

“Hey, I know her!” Gabi said excitedly, looking at the picture of the main consultant from the work. “She’s the head of the anthropology museum at the island. She’s Reiner’s friend.”

“Is she?” Falco said, his eyes wide as he stared at the picture of Mikasa, who wore a fancy pantsuit and had her hair up in a ponytail. Unlike at the parties, her make up in this was formal, no bright pink lipstick, no dark eyeshadow. “She’s really pretty, isn’t she?”

“Falco!” Gabi said, then took a second look at the picture. “You’re right, she’s really pretty. Her husband is a lucky guy. He always says it himself.”

“Oh, she’s married?”

“Yeah, she married a friend of hers, I think. It was a late spring wedding, so I didn’t get to go. They’ve got a baby on the way and everything,” Gabi said, scrunching up her nose. “He’s friends with Reiner too, but I can’t recall the guy’s name.”

“Gabi, you see those people every summer,” Falco said, his kind face showing a slight hint of repeoach. “You should at least learn their names.”

“Reiner has way too many friends for me to remember,” Gabi replied, not wanting to admit that she did need to be a little more polite to them. “I do remember he had a bit of a horse face.”

“A horse face?” Falco said, horrified. “This woman here married a guy with a horse face?”

Gabi smiled amusedly. “She seemed quite smitten by him. Every time I go and they’re there, they’re always all lovey dovey. Kissing, hugging, they can’t keep their hands off each other,” she said, tilting her head to the side with a flirty smile. “Besides, it was just a nickname. The man is handsome, and taller than most guys, too.”

“Gabi, don’t talk so kindly about married men.” Falco said, closing the magazine with his cheeks flushed. Although his expression caused her own smile to grow wider.

“Are you jealous?” She teased, then placed a fleeting peck on his lips. “You’re way more handsome than horse face. And, you still have more years to grow. I’m sure that you’ll be taller than him by when we get married.”

“Gabi!” Falco said, flushing harder.

[apocrypals]

#92 is finished & I am caught up! Now I have a question and/or topic for discussion (and am not on discord). 10 or 15 years ago I was up really late and watched a PBS documentary about something like the contradictions between what the Bible says and what we're taught. I remember they used context evidence to argue that Jesus would have been born in July based on all the lion imagery meaning he would be a Leo and that the Star of Bethlehem was probably a particular comet 1/2

2/2 that wouldn't have been present in December. And there was a section about Judas and his reputation. I remember something specifically about the word that is translated as 'traitor' in relation to Judas is translated elsewhere in the Bible as 'dutiful' or 'upholding a distasteful duty/responsibility' A- is there any truth to this and B- Do you have any idea what I watched?

To answer B first: Nope, no clue. Someone out there might know, though, but there is no shortage of such specials and documentaries.

As for A: Well, it's easy to find people arguing that Jesus wasn't born in December. It is, in fact, extremely common to the point that even my very religiously conservative parents will admit it is a possibility that the traditional date of Christmas is not Jesus's actual birthday. The main argument I've seen is that shepherds wouldn't be watching their flocks by night in the wintertime, hinting at a springtime date. I've also seen a lot of talk about the Star of Bethlehem being a comet, to the point where there are people who think they can nail down Jesus's birth to a specific year and month because of that comet. Our good friend @weirdchristmas had one such person on his podcast

https://weirdchristmas.com/2019/08/28/weird-christmas-on-patreon-and-wc16-xmas-summer-comet/

The "Leo imagery" argument is a new one for me, though.

Likewise, lots of people will argue that Judas was actually extremely faithful and not traitorous--this is, notably, understood to be the argument at the heart of the Gospel of Judas and other apocryphal texts.

I don't know that I've personally heard the argument that the word used to describe Judas and his actions within canon could be translated as "did a tough duty" (lol), but you can look at this dictionary entry for the word used in the original Greek and decide for yourself:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=paradi/dwmi

[arlert0]

Space Talk

Ahah, this wasn’t requested or anything but I was in my Armin feels and I thought this idea was really cute since I’m really interested in space related things, so I hope you enjoy !! <3

- May or may not have included a parallel too oops, maybe you'll spot it - I also included a picture I took of the moon a few months back under the cut !

Words: 1,106 Warnings: None - besides slight season 4 spoilers !!

Hearing footsteps sound in the grass behind you, you turned around from your tripod telescope with a smile growing on your face. “Hey!” You greeted Armin as he came up to you with his eyes glued to the bright white orb in the sky. “Hey, what did you say that was called again? I remember hearing you explaining it a little to Hange..” The blond asked, standing above your seat on a pink and yellow blanket in the grass. You answered him as sat down next to you and crossed his legs. “It’s called a telescope!” You squinted one of your eyes shut and peeked back into the eyepiece, adjusting it’s view a little so the moon was in the center. Scooting yourself over a little you gave him a small head tilt towards your telescope and he gladly hurried over to look into it. “Wow!” Armin shouted immediately, lifting his head to grin at you in fascination before gazing back into the eyepiece. “You can see all of the details..!” He spoke in an almost shocked tone.

You were from Marley, being forced on Paradis when Eren had carried us ashore; though you would’ve been here anyway since you had been aside Yelena and Onyankopon with Zeke’s plan. But being from Marley meant you had newer technologies and other ‘not-inside-of-the-walls-’ items and knowledge. You had always being interested in space, your eyes constantly staring through the dark vastness or at the moon in deep thought. “Mhm.~” His reactions made you giggle and you ran a hand through your hair as the soft breeze blew some strands in front of our face.

“Well what else is out there?” Armin asked as he pulled his face away from the telescope to look at you with a bright expression on his face. You blinked, wondering where to start. “Uhm, we’ve discovered that there’s other celestial bodies aside from the moon-” “HUH?” Armin perked his back straight when he cut you off. “Sor-sorry, continue.” He sat down the way he was a moment prior with a small blush unintentionally blooming on his cheeks. You giggled once again at his excitement and continued anyway. “There’s these things called planets, like where we live; this big world. There’s a handful in our solar system- which is like a group of planets?” You tried your best to explain to him so he would understand. Armin was so intrigued, he nodded fast signaling you to continue. “And we think each planet rotates around the sun.” You added, taking notice to the look in his eyes, sparkly and big. “It does?!” He asked, almost bewildered. “We think.” You smiled and Armin turned his head back to look beyond the moon, his lips slightly parted in thought.

You had been closer to Armin than anyone else on this island, gaining his trust pretty fast from being one of the ones working together with him and Hange to help them understand Marley tech or on tasks concerning the port. You soon realized that not everyone on Paradis was supposedly bad as everyone always said they were. The strings in your heart began to be pulled by him not even long after you had made it here, his sweet and smart demeanor catching your eye very quick. You cleared your throat as you turned your head away, hoping he didn’t notice you had been staring at him for a moment since he was so lost in thought.

“Is there anything else? Is that it?” Armin asked you and you shook your head and you could’ve sworn you heard a cute little gasp. You turned to look back at him, his eyes still bright and sparkly. “There’s asteroids, and comets too, which are really small rocks or chunks of ice rock that we think orbit the sun as well.” Armin’s hair shifted slightly with the breeze that blew again, his long yellow locks framing his pretty face, making you stutter slightly as your brain couldn’t help but take notice.

“A-and we can see them e-every so often. Uhm, sometimes the really,-” You pinched your index finger and thumb together. “Really small ones called meteoroids come t-too close to Earth and burn up high in the air.” “Earth?” Armin had been listening intently, his head tilting slightly. “You don’t know what that is?” Armin shook his head this time. “The planet we live on. It’s called Earth.” You told him and he repeated the name back to you. “I think that’s really pretty.” He said in realization and you hummed in response, his eyes gazing from you down to the grass at the edge of the blanket you two had been conversing on. “Means ground, or soil..” You continued, pulling your knees to your chest as you watched him reach his hand into the grass, running it through the short blades.

You rubbed one of your eyes with your balled up fist and the pocket watch that you had in your pocket had slipped out onto the fabric under you from your movements. You lifted it up to open the cover to check the time. “Oh! It’s so late, Armin why are you even still awake?” You gasped and sat up straight, bringing your eyes back up to him to see him shrug. “I couldn’t sleep and when I got up to get a drink across from the barracks I saw you over here so..” He admitted. You sighed and puffed out your cheeks at him. “Yeah but you should at least be in bed resting from training earlier..” You said as Armin stood up, reaching his hand out to help you stand. “I think I’ll be okay.” Armin gave you a smile and bent down to lift up the blanket from the grass once you stepped off of it.

You stood still for a moment, yawning in exhaustion as you watched him fold up the blanket. Your thoughts wandered in the small amount of silence it took you to fold up your tripod and put the lense cap on the telescope. You replayed the expressions and words of excitement he shouted to you earlier. “Do you think you could tell me more tomorrow at breakfast?” Armin turned to ask you as you both began to walk back towards the barracks. You blinked and nodded, your heart starting to beat fast from already getting excited. “Yeah! Definitely, uhm I have a journal I’ve written things in a while ago, if you want me to bring that?” You suggested and his eyes lit up just like they did a bit ago. “Please!” He jumped in front of you and walked backwards as he spoke, throwing his arms in the air with the blanket in hand. “I’ll even bring my own to write down some notes, or you could let me borrow yours?” He suggested. A big smile grew on your face at the blond’s eagerness; it made your tummy flutter. “Yeah,” You giggled. “That’s fine.”

[ronyandre]

Teoría: El padre del hijo de la Reina Historia Part.4 - Snk

4. Como padre, como hijo.

En el capítulo 89, Eren Kruger presenta una advertencia muy interesante sobre la "repetición de la historia" y la idea de cometer repetidamente los mismos errores.

Hay muchas interpretaciones de lo que Kruger quiso decir. ¿Está sugiriendo ciclos de tiempo? ¿O simplemente está sugiriendo que una generación está viviendo la misma historia y repitiendo los mismos errores que una anterior? En esta sección, exploraremos la segunda posibilidad y veremos si Isayama está estableciendo intencionalmente paralelos entre Eren/Historia y Grisha/Dina.

+   Grisha fue uno de los líderes de las fuerzas antigubernamentales (Restauradores de Eldia) en Marley y Dina fue el último miembro sobreviviente de la familia real de Eldianos en Marley.

-   Eren es uno de los líderes de las fuerzas antigubernamentales (Yeageristas) en Paradis e Historia es el último miembro superviviente de la familia real de Eldiana en Paradis.

+   Grisha tenía 6 pies de altura y 19 años en el momento del nacimiento de Zeke.

·    Eren tiene 6 pies de estatura y 19 años de edad cuando el hijo de Historia está concebido.

+   A partir de una edad temprana, el hijo de Grisha y Dina fue preparado para heredar el Titán Bestia.

·   Antes de que el hijo de Historia haya nacido, el niño será preparado para heredar el Titán Bestia.

+    En la imagen de la izquierda, vemos a Grisha defendiendo a Dina, lo que hizo que ella se desgarrase de las emociones. Se casaron en el siguiente panel.

·     En la imagen de la derecha, vemos a Eren defendiendo a Historia, lo que hizo que ella se desgarrase de las emociones. Cronológicamente, esta es la última vez que vemos a Eren e Historia juntos, lo que lleva a una enorme brecha de tiempo en la que no sabemos qué sucedió. Lo único que sabemos es que Historia quedó embarazada en algún momento de la brecha temporal.

Como se ve, hay muchos paralelos claros entre ‘Eren / Historia’ y ‘Grisha / Dina’ y es posible que Isayama intencionalmente establezca estos para mostrar a Eren en el éxito donde Grisha falló y rompió el ciclo sobre el que advirtió Eren Kruger. Grisha y Dina fueron padres horribles para su hijo Zeke y solo vieron a Zeke como una herramienta, un arma para usar en la revolución. Sabemos que Eren es inflexible contra los titanes que pasan y si Eren puede proporcionar una solución estable a largo plazo a la crisis actual y potencialmente abolir el cambio de titanes, quizás él e Historia puedan proporcionarle a su bebé un futuro feliz y libre que Grisha y Dina no pudieron darle a Zeke.

[oni-girlfriend]

what's gonna be on our playlist? :o

❤️❤️❤️

1. Conseula - ICYTWAT

2. Paris - Friendly Fires

3. Gooey (stripped) - Glass animals

4. Hémisphère - paradis 

5. Six ten w/ des McMahon - Louis Futon

6. Only way out - Madeon 

7. Perfect Form feat. Shy Girls - Cyril Hahn 

8. You Won't Forget Tonight (feat. Comets We Fall) - Jessie Andrews

9. Where the sky hangs - passion pit  

10. You’re the one feat. Syd da kid - Kaytranada 

my music taste is all over the place but i made it where you could talk but also sleep to it 

[cquadavre-debil]

Chapitre III

II

            Avant même que nous eussions posé un pied à l’intérieur de l’immeuble de la rue Jacques-Cartier où habitait Bouchard, de francs éclats de rire et le tintement de bouteilles s’entrechoquant dans leur caisse nous avertirent du party qui s’y déroulait. Pierre nous avait prévenus qu’il serait chez ses voisins, en bas, de l’autre côté de la maison de chambres, et que nous n’aurions qu’à cogner à la porte de droite.

            Sans rancune du sabordage de son rendez-vous, il était de fort bonne humeur.

            « Content de vous voir ! Venez, je vais vous présenter. »

            À peine eûmes-nous franchi le seuil qu’un borgne à la joue gauche balafrée du cache-œil de pirate jusqu’en arrière de l’oreille nous accueillit avec une hospitalité à laquelle son aspect endurci ne nous avait guère préparés.

            « Vous êtes des amis de Pierre ? Salut ! Moi, c’est Nicolas. Venez prendre une bière ! »

            S’étant précipité dans la cuisine où résonnait le brouhaha d’une demi-douzaine de buveurs, il ramena deux Budweiser qu’il décapsula d’un agréable « pschitt » et nous les mit dans les mains sans que nous pussions protester. En jeans élimés, t-shirt Screamin’ Eagle et bas de laine Kodiak, le colosse d’environ quarante ans, aux énormes bras dont le gauche était marqué d’un 81 et au poing encré des lettres F, T, W, au crâne tondu assez ras pour qu’on y vît des points de suture et un tatoo de serpent, avait l’air de ce qu’il était : un Hell's Angel.

            « Vous êtes étudiants ? C’est bien. L’école, c’est important. Ça vous évitera de finir comme moi. L’ill��galité, une fois qu’on est dedans, c’est dur d’en sortir ; c’est de l’argent facile. Entre faire mille piastres en un jour dans le crime ou laver la vaisselle à neuf et cinquante de l’heure…

            – Le salaire minimum vient de passer à neuf et soixante-cinq, rectifia un rappeur à casquette des Expos qui roulait un joint à l’autre bout de la table.

            – Quinze cennes de plus… Wow ! On va s’mettre riche avec ça ! »

            L’hercule revenu de l’ombre, marmoréen d’une carence en vitamine D, soulevait parfois chez lui des haltères, non dans le but de conserver une apparence propre à impressionner des cover-girls, mais dans celui d’effectuer le travail « au noir » qu’il accomplissait de temps à autre afin d’arrondir ses fins de mois, lorsqu’il jouait l’homme de main de créanciers du monde interlope : quelques fois par année, suite à une préparation mentale exigeant la réclusion et l’effacement durant des semaines, il se vêtait d’un chandail kangourou à capuchon low profile, sortait dans la rue, marchait jusqu’à l’adresse qu’on lui avait indiquée, cognait à la porte, attendait qu’on lui réponde, s’arrangeait pour assommer l’individu, puis, s’il en avait reçu l’ordre, sans être reconnu, s’emparait de sa victime, lui cassait le bras et redevenait un fantôme.

            « On s’habitue jamais au bruit des os qui craquent. »

           Cette confession nous fut relatée par Pierre, plus tard, lorsque nous fûmes seuls dans sa chambre, selon ce que lui avait raconté Nicolas, une nuit qu’ivre, il avait épanché la nostalgie de son ex-femme et de ses enfants qu’il avait laissés derrière lui en quittant le Nouveau-Brunswick où il s’était fait arrêter pour trafic de cocaïne alors qu’il était marin dans la Garde côtière. De ce paradis perdu au bord de l’océan Atlantique, il ne lui restait qu’une ancre de bateau sur l’avant-bras.

            Dans la salle à dîner où festoyaient les chambreurs se trouvait un réfrigérateur sur la porte duquel était collée une mise en garde à l’intention de celui qui se nourrissait de l’épicerie des autres :

            Avis au voleur :

            Si on te pogne, tu vas le regretter.

            – La Direction

            À côté du frigidaire dévalisé s’ouvrait la chambre du « Doc ». Depuis son fauteuil, il avait une vue sur la cuisine où nous étions réunis – et sur la laveuse-sécheuse qui, elle aussi, avait été cambriolée, ainsi qu’en témoignait le défonçage des compartiments de métal munis d’une glissière à monnaie qui, malgré leur verrouillage à clef, avaient été vidés des huards de nickel plaqués de bronze et des caribous d’acier qui s’y accumulaient au gré des lessives.

            « C’est la deuxième fois que ça arrive, cette année. »

            Autour de la table, un moustachu à mullet graisseux, pantalons de camouflage et coton ouaté de Harley Davidson fumait un joint avec le type à casquette de baseball qui venait de le rouler en compagnie d’Ahmed, travailleur sylvicole qui saluait toujours Pierre en l’appelant « l’intellectuel ». Le « Doc », à moitié léthargique dans son La-Z-Boy, était distrait par de vieilles parties de golf de Tiger Wood enregistrées en VHS. Au-dessus de son lit le Sacré-Cœur de Jésus nous faisait les yeux doux. Le vétéran à moitié soûl sursauta à notre approche.

            « Hé, salut !... Tirez-vous une bûche ! »

            D’abord grognon, il émergea de sa sieste en prenant une gorgée de la bière qu’il oubliait de boire. Puis, l’austérité de ses traits de hibou fit place à une figure avenante. Il discuta avec Nicolas, Pierre et Simon jusqu’à l’arrivée d’un individu à cheveux gomin��s, t-shirt de Metal Mulisha et jacket de Fox Racing qui mâchait une gomme dont il faisait parfois une bulle éclatant comme un élastique ou un ballon d’anniversaire. Invité à se servir dans la caisse de Budweiser pour le choix de laquelle nos hôtes ne manquèrent pas de féliciter Bouchard, qui l’avait ramenée du dépanneur, le nouveau venu, assis sur une chaise de patio, rendu prolixe par quelque stimulant, étala son érudition quant aux détails de l’acheminement de ce qu’il appelait « la patente » au Québec à partir de la Colombie.

            « Les universitaires qui pensent avoir accès à de la qualité me font rire ! Ils savent pas avec quelle cochonnerie ce qu’ils achètent est coupé… Dès le départ, on prend la ‘‘pure’’ et on la mélange avec la moitié d’autre chose, n’importe quoi : Ajax, Comet, ‘‘p’tite vache’’, craie, poudre qu’on met sur les terrains de soccer, vitre cassée[1]… C’est la même chose à chaque fois que ça change de mains. Plus il y a d’intermédiaires, plus il y a de coupe. On rajoute quelque chose à chaque étape. Y a pas dix pour cent de ‘‘pure’’ dans ce qui arrive ici… Les gros dealers se gardent toute la bonne et récompensent les petits avec. Et puis, encore là, même pour eux, c’est déjà coupé. La minute où ça traverse une frontière ou que c’est racheté, c’est coupé.

           – Parlant de ‘‘couper’’…, dit Nicolas, je te coupe la parole… As-tu nos ‘‘affaires’’ ? Parce que je voudrais régler ça.

           – Oui, pas de trouble », répondit celui qui s’avéra être un maillon de la chaîne qu’il venait de dénoncer. Il sortit de l’une des poches de son blouson de motocross un sac à sandwich rempli de pilules.

            « Combien t’en veux ?

           – Donne-moi-z-en pour cent piastres. »

           Le borgne échangea cinq billets à l’effigie d’Elizabeth II contre vingt comprimés que l’autre compta en les lui remettant, puis, ayant conclu sa transaction, se tourna vers ceux qui s’esclaffaient dans la cuisine.

            « Les gars, le père Noël est arrivé ! C’est l’heure des cadeaux ! »

           Ils se ruèrent dans la chambre.

           « C’est quelle sorte ? demanda un jeune culturiste à jersey de basketball avec sur le devant de sa casquette noire le M vert fluo des boissons énergisantes Monster.

           – Pepsi.

           – Celle des Canadiens est meilleure…

           – J’ai déjà écoulé tout mon stock du CH… Mais ça, c’est l’équivalent !

            – Il paraît que la Red Bull est malade… »

           Ce débat sur la meilleure marque de speed en fonction du logo creusé sur la face du cachet à l’allure d’aspirine n’empêcha pas les connaisseurs d’en acheter plusieurs dont l’emblème en yin et yang était comme une vague de Coca-Cola.

            « J’ai entendu dire que la Pepsi était bonne », osa Simon.

            Il sacrifia dix dollars au trafiquant.

            Pierre lui emboîta le pas et se départit du triple.

            De l’instant où il eut acquis ce qu’il était venu chercher jusqu’à celui où, s’étant décidé à remonter dans sa chambre avec son butin, il trouva le moyen de se défaire de la joyeuse compagnie à laquelle il s’était mêlé, ce temps fut assez long pour lui éviter d’avoir l’air de n’être descendu là que pour acheter de la drogue, et assez court pour trahir l’opportunisme de sa démarche dont la subtilité ne bernait personne, considérant l’écart entre la durée du moment passé à ce qu’on pouvait déduire être l’attente d’une occasion de s’emparer de la marchandise convoitée et le subséquent empressement à partir auquel il avait tenté de donner une apparence normale. Cependant, nul ne s’en offusqua. Durant une heure, ils fumèrent tant de ‘‘plombs’’ aux couteaux sur le poêle que je renonçai à en faire le décompte. Lorsqu’ils furent tous bien stones, l’un des fêtards se plaignit des rigueurs de sa concubine.

            « Toutes des… », suivi d’un adjectif misogyne, jugèrent-ils à tour de rôle.

            Le Doc fut le seul à ne point apporter sa pierre à l’édifice de leur lapidation verbale. Il demeura dans la pénombre à l’écart de la rancœur, et le besoin d’étayer par quelque escalade ce concours de bile s’estompa. Le silence qui s’ensuivit offrit à Pierre un prétexte pour justifier son départ. Il s’informa de l’heure, affirma qu’il se faisait tard et se leva en saluant tout le monde tandis que nous le suivions dans l’escalier où nous laissâmes errer son voisin schizophrène qui, ayant oublié de prendre ses médicaments, parlait de « la reine des motards », du gouvernement qui voulait lui ouvrir le cerveau et de « la police féministe qui donne des tickets quand on lui regarde les seins ».

[1] Ammoniac, javellisant, soude caustique, bicarbonate de soude, calcaire, chaux, nez qui saigne…

[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND May 3, 2019  - LONG SHOT, THE INTRUDER, UGLYDOLLS, EL CHICANO

This is another one of those infamous “lots of new movies taking on a juggernaut��� weekends and surprise, surprise, I’ve actually seen three of the movies, although I’m going to recuse myself from actually reviewing them for reasons I choose not to get into.

Definitely my favorite of the three new movies is Lionsgate’s LONG SHOT, the new romantic comedy pairing Seth Rogen with Charlize Theron and directed by Jonathan Levine of 50/50 fame. It’s a fun politically-tinged comedy that surrounds Rogen and Theron with a great cast including June Diane Raphael, O’Shea Jackson, Jr, Bob Odenkirk, an unrecognizable Andy Serkis and Alexander Skarsgard. You can read my interview with Levine over at The Beat, and my interview with Jackson will go up sometime later this week.

I also liked director Deon Taylor’s THE INTRUDER (Sony/Screen Gems), a super-creepy psychological thriller, starring Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy (keep an eye on this guy!) and Meagan Good, who I’ve been a fan of since she starred in Rian Johnson’s Brick. I’m really impressed with Taylor as a director, as he continues to crank out films via his Hidden Empire production company. He actually has about four or five movies in various stages of post-production, including two that will be released by Screen Gems, so if you aren’t familiar with Taylor’s work, don’t worry… you will be. The Intruderis certainly a fun introduction, a simple psychological thriller with three solid performances. If you’re looking for something to see this weekend, you could definitely do worse than this.

I’m not sure that Ben Hernandez Bray’s action-thriller EL CHICANO, released by new distributor Briarcliff Entertainment, is my cup-of-tea, though I’ve long been a fan of the movie’s co-writer and producer Joe Carnahan. It stars Raul Castillo in the dual role of an L.A. police detective investigating a brutal gangland murder, as well as his gangster twin brother who was killed years earlier. The title character is a vigilante who comes around to stop gang violence by any means necessary, and Castillo’s character believes that it was actually his dead brother. the movie  also stars George Lopez and a mostly-Latino cast, which is quite an achievement for Bray and Carnahan. I think some people will really dig the action scenes and the character, and I hope it does well because there’s definitely some more room to tell more stories about the characters. (You can read my interviewwith Bray and Carnahan on The Beat.)

Not sure if I have much to say about STXfilms’ UGLYDOLLS, which features a musical voice cast including Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monae, Blake Shelton, Pitbull and Gabriel Iglesias. As you might guess, it’s the one movie this weekend I haven’t seen, and I have absolutely no interest or plans to see it ever. I just don’t care. Maybe there are kids or parents out there that do, so good for them!

Anyway, none of the above matters since Avengers: Endgame will still be doing huge business in its second weekend. By the way, I finally got around to seeing that and I quite enjoyed it, especially how it defied almost all of my expectations despite not really knowing anything about the movie in advance. In fact, the only scene I saw from the movie at CinemaConended up being a bit of a red herring, something you’ll totally understand if you’ve seen the movie.

You can see how I think those movies will do at the box office on my Box Office Preview at The Beat!

LIMITED RELEASES

I’m going to start with the docs this week, cause there are some good ones… okay?

Opening at the Metrograph Friday is Gretchen Hildebran and Vivian Vazquez’s timely DECADE OF FIRE about the South Bronx in the ‘70s and how Black and Latino neighborhoods were abandoned by the city government as building after building burnt to the ground, destroying those neighborhoods until the people stood together to rebuild. (If you saw Baz Lurhmann’s Netflix series The Get-Down, you could see some of the results of what happened.) I saw the movie at Doc-NYC last year and was blown away by how well the story was told. The screening will be accompanied by a number of related panels at the Metrograph over the weekend and also next week. You can learn more about those here.

Speaking of the Bronx, the Netflix documentary KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, directed by Rachel Lears, looks at some of the amazing women who ran for the House against incumbents last year, including the Bronx’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The movie won the Audience Award for documentary at Sundance in January, and it’s opening at the IFC Center and Film at Lincoln Center in New York on Weds and will also be streaming on Netflix. I really liked this documentary a lot, mainly because like many, I’m endlessly fascinated by the amazing Ocasio-Cortez and how the ardor towards her keep growing the more she gets out there. I certainly will vote for her if she ever runs in an election I can vote for her. Lears’ movie is quite fantastic as it’s on the ground with these women throughout the political campaign process.

The next two docs played at Tribeca this past week, but I just couldn’t find the time to see either. The first is Werner Herzog and André Singer’s MEETING GORBACHEV (1091, formerly The Orchard), which compiles three conversations that Herzog had with former Soviet head of state Mikhail Gorbachev, who is now 87 years old, talking extensively about the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. It opens at the Film Forum in New York Friday.

I’m a little more annoyed with myself for missing Hulu’s ASK DR. RUTH, directed by Ryan White, because I’m definitely interested in learning more about Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the Holocaust survivor who became known as the country’s most famous expert, as it follows her leading up to the days of her 90thbirthday. This doc opens at the Landmark at 57 West and Quad Cinemas in New York on Friday, plus it will be on Hulu on June 1.

Also back this weekend is one of my favorite French filmmakers Olivier Assayas with the dramedy NON-FICTION (IFC Films), which I previously saw at the New York Film Festival. It’s about an author (Vincent Macaigne) who bases much of his work on his own life (kind of like Assayas?), and it once again teams Assayas with Juliet Binoche, who plays the wife of the author’s publisher who has an affair with him. What I liked about this over some of Assayas’ more verbose character-driven dramas is that it’s actually kind of funny, especially with its spoof of the publishing industry. I’ll probably try to see it again, but it’s opening in New York at the IFC Center and probably a few other places as well.

Normally, my favorite movie of the weekend would be a Zhang Yimou martial arts film like SHADOW (Well GO USA), because I’m such a fan of Heroand some of his other films in this ilk, but for whatever reason, this one just did not connect with me. Part of that was that I just found this story confusing, and it really dragged in between the action scenes, which certainly looked lovely, like a good ballet, but still kind of disappointing.

Abramorama is releasing Dan Pritzker’s BOLDEN about the life of jazz artist Buddy Bolden, known as the “first Comet King of New Orleans,” as played by Gary Carr, into select citiesFriday. The film also stars Ian McShane and Michael Rooker. I’m shocked that I hadn’t heard much about this movie, especially since I saw commercials during SNL over the weekend.

This week’s Bollywood release is Student of the Year 2 (FIP), directed by Punit Malhotra. As you might guess, it’s a sequel to the 2012 romantic comedy, this one involving a love triangle between a guy and two girls.

There’s lots of other odds ‘n’ ends, none of which I’ve had a chance to see including Tell It To the Bees (Good Deeds Entertainment), Clara(Screen Media), Hesburgh(O’Malley Creadon Productions), The Convent (Vertical Entertainment) and the movies Dead Trigger and Bardo Blues. I’ll be honest that I’m a little burnt out this weekend trying to cover Tribeca (which I hope to write about very soon) as well as all the other theatrical releases. I’m not sure any of these will make that big a difference in the grand scheme of things, and this is my column, so I decide what I write about and how much I write about it.

LOCAL FESTIVALS

The 18thTribeca Film Festival continues through the weekend but if you feel like going out to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, you can check out Panorama Europe 2019, which runs from Friday through May 19. It also takes place at the Czech CenterAND the French Embassy. It opens on Friday night at MOMI with Barbara Albert’s Austrian drama Mademoiselle Paradis, starring Maria Dragus (The White Ribbon), who will be there in person. I haven’t seen the film but I love some of Albert’s previous films, Free Radicalsand Falling, both of which I think I saw at the New York Film Festival in years past? The festival continues through the weekend with new films from all over Europe, mostly playing at MOMI but with single repeat screenings at the other two venues. This is a festival I wish I had more time to cover, as I’m sure there are some great underrated films in the festival, but sadly, I just do not have the time right now.

STREAMING AND CABLE

I’ve been wanting to see Joe Berlinger’s Ted Bundy movie EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE, starring Zac Efron, since I first heard about it, and I’m happy to say that it really lived up to my expectations. It’s as much about Bundy’s relationship with his girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall (Lily Collins) as it is about the trial against Bundy for kidnapping and murder dozens of women. I’m a big fan of Berlinger’s documentaries, and this is a fantastic second foray into dramatic work, working from a screenplay written by Michael Werwie based on the book by Kendall. Efron works well as the charming serial killer who is constantly in denial about his actions, but I also really liked Collins’ performance as the woman trying her best to support her man despite the horrible allegations against him.  Berlinger combines actual archival news footage with the performances by his cast to create something as compelling as any of Netflix’s crime docs. The film also stars John Malkovich, Jim Parsons, Haley Joel Osment, Brian Geraghty and more.

As mentioned above, Netflix will also stream the doc KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE starting Wednesday, and other movies premiering this week include William Bindley’s coming-of-age film The Last Summer and Gabriela Tagliavini’sDespite Everything (A pesar de todo) on Friday. Clearly, there’s a lot of variety and options on Netflix this weekend… but lots of stuff in theaters, too (as seen above and below).

REPERTORY

METROGRAPH (NYC):

A bit of slower weekend for repertory stuff but the latest episode of the Academy Presents takes place on Saturday with Costa-Gravas’ 1969 film Z. Late Nites at Metrograph  will screen Gus Van Sant’s 1991 film My Own Private Idaho, starring Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix on Friday and Saturday night, and Playtime: Family Matinees  will screen Henry Koster’s 1950 film Harvey, starring James Stewart.

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

At Tarantino’s rep theater, people will have a chance to see Vincente Minnelli’s Gigi (1958), based on Colette’s novella, in a matinee on Weds.  On Weds and Thurs, there’s a double feature of cool indies with Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know  (2005) and Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank (2009), starring Michael Fassbender. Friday and Saturday sees double features of Kathryn Bigelow’s 1987 vampire film Near Dark and Karyn Kusama’s Jennifer’s Body  (2009). The weekend’s KIDDEE MATINE is the 1994 Little Women, while Tarantino’s Death Proof (2007) will show at midnight on Friday. The Monday matinee is the Val Kilmer comedy Real Genius from 1985.

MOMA (NYC):

A couple new series start here on Wednesday, including the shorterModern Matinees: On the Move series, which will show Raoul Walsh’s 1930 film The Big Trail on Weds, Alfonso Cuaron’s Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) on Thursday, and Harold Ramis’ 1993 film Groundhogs Day on Friday. Abel Ferrara: Unratedwill also begin on Wednesday with screenings of Ferrara’s 2000 film Mulberry Street, his 1995 filmThe Addiction (with the filmmaker onhand for a QnA), Ferrara’s Chelsea on the Rocks (2008) and New Rose Hotel (1998) will screen on Thursday, then his 2014 films Welcome to New York and Pasolini on Friday. (Oddly, the latter will get its first official theatrical run at the Metrograph starting Friday, May 10.) This is a fairly extensive retrospective with Ferrara and many of his actors talking about the movies after they’re shown, and that alone might be enough to get me into midtown. MOMA is also in the midst of another series called Roberto Gavaldón: Night Falls in Mexico, running through Sunday and showing rare screenings of the works of the Mexican filmmaker’s work from the ‘40s, ‘50s and 60s.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

The Egyptian continues to slaughter… in a repertory way … with its new series Cassavetes & Scorsese: Love is Strange, a series of double features starting Thursday with Shadows (1958 and Who’s That Knocking On My Door (1967), followed by The King of Comedy  (1982) and Opening Night  (1977) Friday and Scorsese’s 1976 film Taxi Driver and Cassavetes’ Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) on Sunday. Also, the Egyptian will have the great Jean Pierre-Jeunet on-hand to talk about his Oscar-nominated film Amelie (2001) after it screens on Saturday night.

AERO  (LA):

Meanwhile, at the Egyptian’s sister theater, we get “The Fiction and Non-Fiction of Olivier Assayas” including a double feature of Irma Vep (1996) and Summer Hours (2008) on Thursday. Edward Zwick’s 1989 film Glory will be screened on Saturday followed by a QnA with Zwick, while Jean Pierre-Jeunet appears on Sunday to show his recent film The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet as well as a double feature of The City of Lost Children (1995) and Delicatessen (1991).

FILM FORUM (NYC):

The Film Forum’s “Trilogies” series continues with Aki Kaurismäki’s “Proletariot Trilogy” of Ariel, Shadows in Paradise and The Match Factory Girl, Roberto Rossellini’s “War Trilogy” and Satyajit Ray’s “Apu Trilogy” screening screening one final time next Tuesday. You’ll also have one final time to watch Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “Three Colors Trilogy” over the weekend. The weekend’s Film Forum Jr. is the 1962 monster battle movie King Kong vs. Godzilla.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

James Ivory’s 1981 film Quartet is getting a 4k restoration rerelease via the Cohen Films Collection, and Ivory himself will be there Friday night for a QnA. Isabelle Adjani won the Best Actress Award at Cannes for her performance as a woman who finds shelter with a couple played by Alan Bates and Maggie Smith after her husband is imprisoned in this adaptation of Jean Rhys’s 1928 novel set during Paris of the ‘20s.

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

Starting Friday and running through the month is Black 90s: A Turning Point in American Cinema, beginning with Charles Burnett’s 1990 film To Sleep with Anger, starring Danny Glover, and running along with Burnett’s short When it Rains. (Burnett will be there on Friday for a QnA after his films.) Also showing Saturday is Zeinabu Irene Davis’ Compensation (1999), Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust(1991) and Haile Gerima’s 1993 film Sankofa and the series will run through May 22.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

Waverly Midnights: Parental Guidance  shows the classic 1973 horror film The Exorcist this weekend, while Weekend Classics: Love Mom and Dad  goes with Mike Nichols’ Postcards from the Edge (1990) and Late Night Favorites: Spring shows John Waters’ Female Trouble (1974).

FILM OF LINCOLN CENTER (NYC):

The newly-renamed uptown is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year by taking part in a FREE program of classic films as part of the Block Party celebrating Lincoln Center’s 60th Anniversary this Saturday.

Next week, we get more new movies including Warner Bros’ Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, the Anne Hathaway-Rebel Wilson comedy The Hustle from U.A. Releasing and STXfilms’ Poms.

[itsthecomet]

[veraaler]

CIGARRO NA GRAVIDEZ PODE CAUSAR FUTURO DESVIO DE CONDUTA DO FILHO

Se a administração Trump estiver  seriamente empenhada em comutar  o crime , provavelmente  queira considerar desistir de sua expedição  anti maconha e se consagrar-se  em um tipo alterado  de cigarro: o tipo pretérito  e cheio de tabaco.

A pesquisa recém publicada no BMJ frutifica  a melhor evidência, no entanto, de que fumar através de  a gravidez aumenta as conveniências  de que a guri  se envolva em exercício  antissocial, tanto como menina  quanto como adulto. E isso encerra  cometer um crime violento".

O risco elevado de conduta  antissocial é independente de resto  atributos familiares mais comuns  entre as mulheres que fumam  durante a gravidez, como uma narrativa  de doença mental e ordinário  status socioeconômico", relata uma esquadra  de pesquisa liderada por Angela  Paradis, da Brown University.

Assim, "pode ​​ser bem  atribuível à exposição ao cigarro". E você pensou que achava-se  apenas prejudicando seus pulmões  e coração .

Os frequentes  foram os filhos e filhas  de mulheres matriculadas nos sites  de Boston e Providence  do Collaborative Perinatal Project  entre 1959 e 1966. O projeto enfocou a confraternização  entre a saúde e os padrões  das mães e as "habilidades  mentais, neurológicas e físicas"  de seus filhos. Em uma sucessão  de visitas, as grávidas  notaram se fumavam (59%)) e, em caso harmonioso, com que frequência.

O CRESCIMENTO DE UM PACOTE POR DIA NA COMPRA  DE CIGARROS FOI LIGADO  A UM AUMENTO DE 30% NAS PROBLEMÁTICAS COMPORTAMENTAIS ANTI-SOCIAIS. Por volta do seu 40º data, 1.684 dos filhos dos presentes  foram entrevistados sobre suas vivências, incluindo comportamentos problemáticos através de  a adolescência. Além disso, as buscas de comentários  criminais foram realizadas por 3433. participantes do site de Providence.

Os resultados: O tabagismo misericordioso  foi "associado ao comprometimento  auto-relatado no comportamento arreliado  juvenil", escrevem os pesquisadores. Utilizando a definição clínica da corporação  Americana de Psiquiatria, eles descobriram  que um aumento de um volume  por dia no despesa  de cigarros estava sujeito  a um aumento de 30% nos grilos  comportamentais anti-sociais.

E os procedimentos  problemáticos não pararam enquanto  completaram 18 anos. Um aditamento  de um pacote por dia achava-se  associado a uma ensejo  muito maior de maneira  anti-social quando adulto.

Talvez o mais fantástico  é que "um escassez  de maço por dia no vício  materno foi associado a uma ensejo  2,34 vezes maior de ter um tonalidade  de crimes juvenis não violentos", escrevem os pesquisadores, "e mais do que inclinou  as chances de um crescido  violento ofensa."

Os pesquisadores não especulam  sobre como a vapor  do cigarro pode abranger  adversamente o desenvolvimento fetal. Eles também não ostentaram  em conta o requerimento  de álcool da mãe (se houver); É possível que aqueles  que fumavam mais do mesmo modo que  bebessem mais, o que presumivelmente  seria outro fator de risco.

No entanto, os resultados fornecem  evidências de que as matérias  que uma mulher grávida  ingere podem afetar seu legatário  muitos anos depois, de norma  inesperadas. O experimento da Filadélfia  em moradias públicas sem vapor  parece uma idéia cada vez alto.

[cosmoswagbean]

Jupiter : the guardian of inner planets

Jupiter’s gravitational influence is so significant that it can alter the trajectory of comets, preventing them from reaching the inner planets, including Earth. This protective role is not only a consequence of Jupiter’s size but also its strategic position in the solar system.