#Kincaid Park

[thorsenmark]

Instead of Waiting to See, I Went and Saw by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A view from a high point along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, looking to the west across the Cook Inlet to Fire Island. By angling my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward, I felt I was able to create more of a sweeping view across the nearby hillside covered with high grasses that would then lead the eye to the beach and finally the waters with the island off in the distance. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 3 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

[iz1331]

From the exclusive clips 'Til Death Do Us Park: Beetlejuice/Betelgeuse and Lydia's First Dance from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice digital extras. (Full vid in the source link)

No wonder that set piece was "levitating", Michael was moving it away so Winona won't bump into it 🥹 (so it won't get knocked over and break, but y'know, small details 🙂‍↔️)

(Michael actually brought it over as a bouquet to say congratulations when the scene got wrapped. Over the top, but I like it, something Beej would definitely do 😭😆)

[iz1331]

Obsessed, addicted, devoted, hypnotized, spellbound, you freaking name whatever it is, I'd watch this everyday.

for everyone else who is obsessed with this scene

[mutant-distraction]

"Saw this big fella at Kincaid Park, Anchorage"

📷 - John Pyeatt

[lordgrimoire]

The Goonion would Like a Word, Chapter 3

[Goonion Headquarters, Gotham, New Jersey]

“ORDER! ORDER I SAY!” The warehouse, once a hideout for a minor gang operating out of The Narrows, fell into a hush as the hundreds of gangsters shuffled back into their seats or places of observation, keeping their hands occupied with papers, phones, tablets, as long as they were out in the open and away from their weapons, that was good. “Alright.” The haggard voice of Bill, the local head of The Goonion, echoed across the room. 

“The Ghost Investigation Ward, or the Guys in White as some call them, have been confirmed by the Red Hood Gang to be encroaching upon Gotham, Bludhaven, and Metropolis.” The crowd murmured at that, distress and frustration in their stances. “Yeah yeah, I know, It’s a crappy situations, specially since they want to do some unethical experimentation on the whole lot of us, Crane may actually be better than that now a days but the Joker is at The GIW’s level of things, on a good day, at worse they may be WORSE than the Joker’s “Experiments”. So keep your eyes peeled and if you see em grabbing any of ours, that includes your local Vigilantes, then make a call and get involved, the Bats may steal our bones and make our work difficult but at least they have rules. unlike these petty punks. QUESTIONS! DO YOU HAVE ‘EM?” 

The room became a shouting match for a moment before settling into several people bullying their way into the center of the warehouse, at the base of the pile of crates that Bill was using for his podium. After some muttering a short man stepped up onto one of the lower crates. “We recognize the leader of the Goonion members serving under The Red Hood, go ahead Mister Kincaid.” Kincaid nodded.

“What are the rules of engagement? Or are we suspending those since these White Suited Bastards seem to look at the Geneva Conventions and the Laws of the Alley as more of a checklist than a warning?” Bill looked around before straightening.

“I’ve spoken with the Reps from as far East as Boston to as far West as Anchorage, until the Anti-Ecto Acts and GIW are suspended and disbanded the rules of Engagement will be To The Hilt, expect No Mercy, if they catch you, they will torture you, so give back as good as you can, unless you have your bosses or your local Cape nearby. Make Noise in that case, try to get the Bat’s attention, he likes them less than we do.” The room rippled with laughter as Kincaid surrendered his stand to a well dressed woman in a three piece suit and top hat, one of Penguins Goons. “We recognize the Icebergs head of security Miss Eliza Smith.”

“What do we do with anything we take from them? Their, Ecto-Blasters? They use Bazooka’s for Pete's sake!” Bill scratched his jaw as he looked around at the amassed Goons.

“Alright, we can keep those guns stashed away, until we know what they do you keep them as secured as possible, Remember we DO have a warehouse for such things.” The crowd murmured, if the GIW was packing THIS much heat then some plans had to be made. As Miss Smith stepped back down back into the swarm of other Penguin Goons another man stepped forward, wearing a bomber jacket with a question mark stitched on the breast pocket. “We Recognize Jonathan O’Brien of The Riddler’s crew.”

“Why are the GIW here? I read the brief but I’m not all that sure what “Ectoplasm” is.” Agreements were uttered by others in the crowd as Bill reached into the backpack by his feet and drawing out a sheaf of papers.

“Gotham,” He began, “Is on a thin patch of reality, the other side? The Afterlife? That’s on the other side, the only other thin patch in the US is a place called Amity Park and that place has been under siege for YEARS by the GIW, but there's the possibility of a portal opening here in Gotham, so the GIW is planning to put us to the same type of siege, few in, few out. Ectoplasm is the equivalent to matter, to molecules and the like, in the realms of the dead, it’s radioactive to a degree, with people exposed to it for long amounts of time becoming “Liminals”, living beings who gain some abilities, usually becoming more durable and observant, blending more with their environment, hell I think the bats and birds are liminal to some degree, and some of our bosses, some of US, and some of our common civvie friends who live in Gotham are Liminals, Jason Todd-Wayne, the primary rep for The Red Hood Gang, was dead for a while, and came back somehow, current assumption is that he’s a Liminal of a higher order of magnitude. If you have friends or family members who have experienced something similar, please show them the documents regarding Liminals that were with the brief, that answer your question O’Brien?” O’Brien nodded and stepped down, no one else stepped forward. “Alright then, all leaders stick around for information packets, everyone else, go home, keep an eye on things, and try not to walk on any graves. I call this meeting of the Goonion to a close.” With that Bill slammed his foot on the crate and the crowd began flowing out of the Warehouse, mostly in small groups and pairs, but no one left alone.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a small town called Spittoon in Arkansas a small family of four waited, watching from a tree line as darkness filled the sky, drowning the last of the sunlight as instead the sky filled with specks of light, the stars coming into visibility as The Sun’s rays dimmed.

“Your sure you have everything?” Jazz looked over at her Aunt, still hovering near, still armed with a rifle that could probably take someone’s head off.

“Yep, just waiting on Extract.” Her Aunt nodded, patting her shoulder before ruffling Ellie’s hair and walking over to Danny. He had taken their parents alleged deaths the hardest, after they had begun accepting his Ghostly half and trying to understand more. Unfortunately when they presented their “New Research” to the GIW, they were deemed compromised. Once they had found that out they had enacted contingencies, locking the portal from the Living side, ensuring the only blueprints were with their children for ANY of their designs, and then taking the GIW on a goose chase as far in the opposite direction of where Jazz, Danny, and Ellie had fled as possible.

They made it to Olympia in Washington State, where the Ops Center had finally been forced to ground. Danny hadn’t felt anything but the reports that the “Mad Doctors Fenton” had been killed in a standoff had dealt a blow to him. 

“Danny?” The boy looked up at his Aunt Alicia, “You’ll make it through, Maddie has always been built of sturdy stuff, and Jack is just the same.” The boy nodded, seemingly dragged from whatever thoughts were clouding his mind. The wind picked up an hour later as the four of them sat in the grass, no one had pulled out flashlights but the descending aircraft turned a single floodlight on, bathing the clearing in light before the hatch opened, and out stepped Red Hood. 

Alicia turns her attention to her younger Nephew and Niece, allowing Jazz and Hood [one Jason Todd, apparently] and checked them over one last time before hearing a cleared throat behind her. When she looked over she saw the giant of a man who had taken an interest in her niece and suffice to say, he was not as tall as Jazz had made him sound. “He’s shorter than I thought he’d be.” Danny and Ellie cackled behind her as they began lugging their bags over to Jazz, Hood’s helmet not giving away his expression as he slumped slightly.

“Really?” Alicia smiled and patted his shoulder. 

“Your not the biggest person I’ve met, these pipsqueaks will take after their Father more than likely, a little collection of giants if you will.” She could hear the poor bastard rolling his eyes. “Anyways, everything set up for them?” She crossed her arms, watching as Red Hood straightened out more. 

“Yes, Jazz’s college credits have been transferred, their identities have been hidden and new ones have been confirmed, by the way I still want to know who made those, their good. And I think I’ve found a school for Danny and Ellie.” The Groans that sounded from the two youngest was like music to her ears, she nodded in approval. “I also told some of my extended family about, well, all the stuff going on, so they’ll have people looking out for them who are in the good end of the law.” Alicia raised a brow.

“Like the Bat?” Hood seemed to still and turn slightly. “It’s not hard to figure out if you have some of the pieces, Jazz didn’t even tell me, you were the Second Robin I take it?” Hood stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Alright, good to have that theory confirmed, we’re all a little too curious for our own good, us Walkers always have been, you take care of them, got it?” Hood nodded again, seeming far more sure of himself now, good, she’d hate to spook him too badly. “Good, now,” She unslung her rifle, unloaded the old bolt action, and handed it handle first to Hood, “A little something, that thing’s been in my family for years, This was my Grand Uncle’s first, then my Pop’s, then mine when Maddie didn’t want to have a “Live Firearm” in the house, I know the GIW will come snooping, but I’ve got my own plans for them, if they work out, expect me or a letter within six months.” She turned to her Nieces and Nephews who had come up behind Red Hood. “Be good, be safe, and don’t let them take you quietly, I love you all.” She stepped past Hood, embraced each of her Sister’s children one last time and stepped back, nodding to them before retreating to the edge of the clearing. When she turned around to watch as her the floodlight shut off and the plane rose into the sky, she knew she’d see them again, it may just take longer. She stayed in that clearing for a time after they were well out of eyesight, a fistful of rifle rounds in her pocket, a bowie knife in her boot, and plans, ever churning, in her mind. Alicia Walker had work to do.

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[BEGIN TRANSMISSION, PENTAGON TO JL STATION:WATCHTOWER]

PENT: Prepare for Information Packet.

PENT: [FOLDER.FEDGOV.GIW.A-EA]

JLWATCH: Pentagon whose authority is this coming from.

PENT: Negative, Good Luck. Check on Captain Marvel.

JLWATCH: Pentagon?

JLWATCH: Pentagon Respond.

-SESSION TERMINATED-

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: Batman, Superman, WanderWoman

From: Comms Officer Sam Thule

Subject: The Anti-Ecto Acts and Ghost Investigation Ward

Boss, the Pentagon just sent us some stuff, I think you need to see this. If you can get Captain Marvel up here too we’ll need him here soon.

[SEE ATTACHMENTS]

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Tag Section

@cass-brightwood @justwannabecat @luckykittens198 @vythika96 @ultimatebluff @amercurio @tkiesai @escelia @jaggedheart11 @lexdamo @ascetic-orange @botwadtict @nutcase8691  @delicioushologramperson @sailor-goddess @meira-3919 @icedbluesoul ALRIGHTY TAGGED FOLKS! IF YOU WANT TO CHECK ON THIS SERIES I WILL BE UPDATING THE LIST BELOW WHENEVER I UPDATE! SO USE THAT! [I may or may not link this chapter or further ones in a similar way, my brain is like, non operable at the moment.] 

Links to other Chapters

Chapter 1 

Chapter 2

[demifiendrsa]

Jurassic World Rebirth - Title reveal announcement

Overview

A new era is born. Next summer, three years after the Jurassic World trilogy concluded with each film surpassing $1 billion at the global box office, the enduring Jurassic series evolves in an ingenious new direction with Jurassic World Rebirth. Anchored by iconic action superstar Scarlett Johansson, breakthrough talent Jonathan Bailey and two-time Oscar® winner Mahershala Ali, this action-packed new chapter sees an intrepid team racing to secure DNA samples from the three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air. Also starring acclaimed international stars Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, the film is directed by dynamic visualist Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp. Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind. Academy Award® nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades. Ali is Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s most trusted team leader; Emmy nominee and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton) plays paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis; Emmy nominee Rupert Friend (Homeland, Obi-Wan Kenobi) appears as Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, Murder on the Orient Express) plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the shipwrecked civilian family. The cast includes Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Reuben’s family. The film also features, as members of Zora and Krebs’ crews, Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF) and Ed Skrein (Deadpool). Jurassic World Rebirth is directed by BAFTA winner Edwards from a script by Koepp (War of the Worlds), based on characters created by Michael Crichton. The film is produced by Oscar® nominee Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, both longtime Jurassic franchise producers and of this summer’s blockbuster, Twisters. The film is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart and Jim Spencer.

[whatpandorasaw]

Moose cow and calf, Kincaid Park, Anchorage, Alaska, USA

[where-dreamers-go]

Jurassic World Rebirth

"A new era is born.

Next summer, three years after the Jurassic World trilogy concluded with each film surpassing $1 billion at the global box office, the enduring Jurassic series evolves in an ingenious new direction with Jurassic World Rebirth.

Anchored by iconic action superstar Scarlett Johansson, breakthrough talent Jonathan Bailey and two-time Oscar® winner Mahershala Ali, this action-packed new chapter sees an intrepid team racing to secure DNA samples from the three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air. Also starring acclaimed international stars Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, the film is directed by dynamic visualist Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp.

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

Academy Award® nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.

Ali is Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s most trusted team leader; Emmy nominee and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton) plays paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis; Emmy nominee Rupert Friend (Homeland, Obi-Wan Kenobi) appears as Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, Murder on the Orient Express) plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the shipwrecked civilian family.

The cast includes Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Reuben’s family. The film also features, as members of Zora and Krebs’ crews, Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF) and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).

Jurassic World Rebirth is directed by BAFTA winner Edwards from a script by Koepp (War of the Worlds), based on characters created by Michael Crichton. The film is produced by Oscar® nominee Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, both longtime Jurassic franchise producers and of this summer’s blockbuster, Twisters. The film is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart and Jim Spencer."

[truecrimecrystals]

Kaitlin Ashley Kincaid has been missing since March 1st, 2022. The then-34-year-old was last seen in Los Angeles, California. She has never been seen or heard from again.

On February 7th, 2024 - nearly two years after Kaitlin's disappearance - her car was found and towed from a parking garage in the 8000 block of Osage Avenue. According to Charley Project, the car's keys were found taped to the inside of the bumper. 

The discovery of Kaitlin's car inevitably leads to more questions than answers. Despite these suspicious circumstances, there is very little additional information available about Kaitlin's case. At this time, it does not appear that there has been any news reporting about her disappearance.

The Los Angeles Police Department is in charge of investigating Kaitlin's disappearance. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please call the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at 216-996-1800. Anonymous tips can be submitted online using this form.

[lightsonparkave]

The past is where we come from. The past shapes who we are today. The past is both immutable and malleable; it is set in stone and what we make of it.

The theme for Lights on Park Ave Round 50 is the past. As a reminder, each round will now be two months long, at least for the time being.

Here are the prompts:

Theodore reflecting on his relationship with Catherine in Spike Jonze's Her

A quote about being on good terms with your past selves from Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

"I Am Running into a New Year" - Lucille Clifton

Haesung asking his married childhood sweetheart Nayoung who she thinks they are to each other in the next life in Celine Song's Past Lives

A gifset of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park

Dialogue from Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express about wishing memories could be stored without expiration

Photos of male couples from Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love 1850s–1950s collected by Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell

A prompt about choosing three things to remember about your current life if you get to start your life over

bell hooks's explanation that you're only able to love and be loved after coming to terms with your past love

Amelia K.'s analysis of Lot's wife's decision to look back in “I: Vision - Eurydice, Mangan’s Sister, & Lot’s Wife”

Rita and William going over the steps that she took in previous time loops to get through the invasion and Rita getting killed each time in Edge of Tomorrow

A photo of Penn Station in 1926 by Drahomir Josef Ružicka

"Yesterday" - The Beatles

Tony instructing Scott to give his alt 2012 self a heart attack in Endgame

Dialogue about not knowing how much of your idea of a past relationship is real from Jonás Trueba's La virgen de agosto

Heedo and Yijin letting each other go by expressing gratitude for each other as friends and first loves and the way they helped each other grow as people in Twenty-Five Twenty-One

A quote from The Autobiography of My Mother by Jamaica Kincaid about loving her father only after his death

A manual on dining and wining in 1934 New York

"Summer of '69" - Bryan Adams

Meta about Succession's title sequence and what it says about the construction and mystery of the past and how it haunts the present

Roman's refusal to think about his relationship with his father growing up and Shiv's denial about her father's abuse in Succession

Round 50 will end on December 31, 11:59 PM ET (what time is that for me?).

As always, you’re free to jump in whenever you’d like during the round, a wide variety of work types is accepted, and there are no minimum work requirements. Unfinished works and works for other fandom events are allowed. You can find more information about Lights on Park Ave and the participation guidelines here.

[thorsenmark]

Coming in for a Landing to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While walking the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and a view looking to the northeast as this United Airlines airplane came in for a landing to the nearby airport. In composing and metering this image, I used some time before an airplane flew over to kind of get an idea of what I wanted to capture with a plane flying over and landing as well as getting the right shutter speed to capture as much of the dynamic range of the setting that I could. It was the focus part that was a little trickier for me. I decided to use the 3-D tracking on my Nikon D800E camera, even though I had not experienced as I might want to be. This was definitely a great place to try it out and learn!

[bs-fangirl]

Jurassic World Rebirth

News has dropped for the newest Jurassic World movie, titled Rebirth! An announcement video revealed the title, logo, and a synopsis as well as cast. Two stills from the movie were also shared on social media. The synopsis is below:

A new era is born.

Next summer, three years after the Jurassic World trilogy concluded with each film surpassing $1 billion at the global box office, the enduring Jurassic series evolves in an ingenious new direction with Jurassic World Rebirth.

Anchored by iconic action superstar Scarlett Johansson, breakthrough talent Jonathan Bailey and two-time Oscar® winner Mahershala Ali, this action-packed new chapter sees an intrepid team racing to secure DNA samples from the three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air. Also starring acclaimed international stars Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, the film is directed by dynamic visualist Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp.

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

Academy Award® nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.

Ali is Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s most trusted team leader; Emmy nominee and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton) plays paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis; Emmy nominee Rupert Friend (Homeland, Obi-Wan Kenobi) appears as Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, Murder on the Orient Express) plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the shipwrecked civilian family.

The cast includes Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Reuben’s family. The film also features, as members of Zora and Krebs’ crews, Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF) and Ed Skrein (Deadpool). Jurassic World Rebirth is directed by BAFTA winner Edwards from a script by Koepp (War of the Worlds), based on characters created by Michael Crichton. The film is produced by Oscar® nominee Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, both longtime Jurassic franchise producers and of this summer’s blockbuster, Twisters. The film is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart and Jim Spencer.

[miashyperfixations]

HONEY REVENGE

07.12.2023 @ Camden Assembly, London (220 Capacity)

Written Dec 2023

I started listening to Honey Revenge at the start of 2023, caught in the promo of their single ‘rerun’ & after seeing other artists I follow repost their content, I went back to listen to their discography & was hooked. Their debut album ‘Retrovision’ is one of my favourites of 2023 and all time (see review here). They never fail to miss with banger after banger - not just at first listen but the songwriting & production is amazing too. Naturally, as soon as this show was announced, tickets were bought. The band itself is made up of Devin on vocals and Donny on guitar, but are accompanied by their touring members, Tay Kincaid (bass) & Matt Arsenault (drums). They have played numerous tours this year alongside The Home Team & Broadside, Loveless, Finish Ticket & Arrows In Action. a US headline tour in the fall, and now The Home Team & The Used, here in the UK, with plans to open for Meet Me @ The Altar across the United States in the new year.

The fist opener was a rock band hailing from Leicester called Mouth Culture, taking inspiration from a range of musicians from Bring Me The Horizon to The 1975 to Harry Styles. THeir music is a mashup of all genres with a distinct heavy, edgy vibe. The second openers were a Scottish band called happydaze who are label buddies with Honey Revenge (Thriller Records). Their set was much heavier and had everyone hyped up for Honey Revenge’s set afterwards with heavy rock tunes that have a clear pop influence.

Seeing my favourite songs live was an unreal experience. I’ve been a fan of this amazing band for so long now and with all their concert content online, it’s safe to say that my expectations were high. But that didn’t matter because they were blown out of the park anyway. Due to the fact that this was a headline show, they were able to play every single song in their discography with no breaks, meaning that everyone in the crowd was able to hear their favourite Honey Revenge song. I never realized until I listened to the retrovision album in full, but Devin’s vocals are phenomenal and being able to sing so many belters back to back AFTER having rushed through London from an opening set down the road to this headlining gig is a real show of her talent - I know many of today’s new up-and-coming singers wouldn’t have been able even think about it, let alone actually doing it. Based on where we were in the crowd Ami & I watched both Donny & Devin kill it in real time and it was clear that everyone in the room enjoyed themselves the entire night.

Having come directly from their show with The Used, the band came on after happydaze had packed up their stuff and with Camden Assembly being such a small venue, the entire crowd was able to see them set up their equipment. Not just the drumkit and guitars, but the pedalboards, multicores & mic stands too - everything. Being a sound engineering student, I loved seeing this with a different lens than most people in the crowd, watching the team set up as quickly as possible just like how I’ve been doing in college with my classmates tells me I’m not too far from a professional standard within the industry and I can’t wait to be doing just that someday. Security was pretty tight at the venue (as one would expect in London). I wasn’t able to meet the band after the show due to me being underage and the band wasn’t able to come out of the bar but Ami was able to go in and get them to sign my ‘are you impressed?’ postcard & their CD lyric booklet that I had bought with me, so all was not lost and I was still able to buy a t-shirt from their tour manager, Em.

It's rarely heard of for a band like Honey Revenge to be able to come and do an international tour (even if it's as a support act) within their first year of touring. To be able to do a show as a headliner is unheard of outside of viral success and them being able to both so just proves that they’re here to stay and take over the music industry. Camden Assembly is an iconic venue with multiple star acts of the music scene such as Ed Sheeran, The Strokes & Adele starting out there and to be able to see my favourite band was a perfect close to the year.

[mutant-distraction]

Young Bull, Kincaid Park. Alaska

Photo - Lacee Johnson

[maria021015]

“Are you sure this is gonna work?” Kira hissed into the receiver end of her phone as she waited, back pressed against the cold and wet brick wall of the Sheriff’s station as her heart thundered in her chest.

“It has to,” Lydia repeated the urgency of the situation from the other end. “Call me when it’s done.”

With the steady beep of the hang-up tone, Kira slipped her phone back into her pocket, casting worried glances over at Scott and Allison beside her. She hoped that the thick darkness of the night was enough to keep them shrouded away from the eyes of any officers. When they’d stolen back her phone and Scott, Stiles, and Zaida had mentioned they’d done something similar before, Kira had never imagined just how true that statement was. Only now, Stiles and Zaida weren’t there to help them. Lydia had mentioned three times over how the two were the pack’s fiercest investigative minds. The rest of the pack attempting to pull off a plot like this to save them was somewhat ironic. Kira was just hoping they’d be able to manage it. They all were.

“You’re up,” With a solemn nod that said ‘It’s time’, Allison handed Kira a small device - a military-grade GPS tracker.

Where the Argents got their seemingly unlimited supply of weapons from, Kira didn’t ask. She simply dipped her chin and checked that the coast was clear before darting out from behind the building and making a beeline for the armoured truck waiting to depart. The tracker locked onto the truck with a soft click, and just as she was about to run back to their hiding spot, she heard the sound of heavy footsteps. Officer boots. Frozen in place, Kira pressed her back flush against the truck, hoping not to be seen.

“Okay, let's get out of here.” Deputy Parish - the same officer who had ventured onto the bus to disarm Void’s bomb - opened the door to the vehicle with a slight squeak. The clicking of metal alerted them all to the fact that something was wrong. Peering around the corner, Scott and Allison had a clear view of the officer sweeping a gun across the inside before turning to check the perimeter of the bus. Allison glanced at Scott with a questioning expression, and as he sniffed the air he caught a whiff of blood.

“The driver’s hurt,” He whispered with the barest of volumes. “We have to do something…”

Just as the words left his lips, the back doors burst open and a large figure launched himself at Parish, grabbing him and smashing his head against the truck. The officer dropped to the floor, immediately knocked out cold.

“Who the hell is that?” Scott questioned as the man rifled through the back of the van.

“Kincaid,” Allison answered recognising the massive werewolf that had been Katashi’s primary bodyguard - one of the only ones not killed by Zaida and framed on Derek and Chris.

Stepping out from behind the building and positioning themselves firmly between the giant man and the rest of the back parking lot, Allison and Scott waited for the man to turn around. “We need that finger,” Scott broke the silence.

“Why should I give it to you?” The deep-voiced werewolf challenged, holding the silver prosthetic between the fingers of his oversized hand.

“There's a briefcase in there with one hundred and fifty thousand in it.” Allison offered as a bribe, fixing the aim of her crossbow on the man threateningly. At hearing the exchange, Kira scaled the front of the truck, pulling herself up atop it in wait for the inevitable fight to break out.

“The scroll inside this prosthetic finger is worth three million.” Kincaid challenged in amusement, not feeling at all threatened by the two teenagers in front of him.

“Give me the finger” Scott demanded, knowing they had nothing else to bargain with. As Kincaid blinked at his wording, Scott realised exactly what he’d said. Silently pursing his lips, he corrected his mistake. “...You know what I mean.”

The werewolf grinned menacingly, and Kira launched herself from the roof of the truck, landing on Kincaid’s back. He shrugged her off with enviable ease and the Kitsune fell to the ground. “I guess negotiations are over.” The werewolf’s eyes glowed and he bared his teeth in a snarl.

As the werewolf reached for Kira once more, Allison squeezed the trigger and loosed an arrow straight into Kincaid’s side. The werewolf tore it from his flesh instantly with enough time to still didge Kira’s swing, lifting the kitsune into the air by her throat. Kira grunted, trying to fight off the man’s grip, but it was to no avail as she was tossed through the air and into the brick wall of the Sheriff’s station. Allison lowered her crossbow and tried to take a swipe but was swiftly backhanded, joining Kira in a heap on the floor. Scott landed several slashes in Kincaid’s torso, but the werewolf did not so much as flinch. Instead, he caught Scott’s arms, pinning them to his side and swinging his head forward in a mighty blow to collide with Scott’s own scull. The teen wolf staggered backwards, disoriented for a moment. However, he didn’t let that stop him from trying again. This time, none of his swings landed and instead, he received a wind-sucking punch to the gut, followed by another blow to his back. The pain and lack of air left in his lungs sent him to the cold, wet ground. Before he could recover, Kincaid launched another kick into Scott’s gut, ridding him of whatever air he still held in his deflated chest.

Kincaid crouched down to his level as Scott clutched his undoubtedly broken ribs, and gasped for breath. “You have the eyes of an Alpha...but where's the strength?” The werewolf taunted.

“It’s up here!” Ethan interrupted and both Kincaid and Scott looked up to where the sound had come from. Surely enough, standing on the fire escape of the building were the ex-alpha twins who then launched themselves over the railing. They pounced on Kincaid, and having been too caught off guard to prepare himself, the massive werewolf took blow after blow until he was backed against the wall. The larger wolf was sagging against the structure, barely able to hold himself up anymore.

“Ethan, Aiden, stop!” Scott growled, stopping the twins before they went too far. He got to his feet as his body mended itself.

“You want him to come after us?” Aiden looked back at Scott incredulously.

“Scott, we've seen guys like this. Trust us - he's dangerous.” Ethan agreed with his brother. A swift dispatch would prevent any future problem with someone who could be a formidable threat. The werewolf’s size alone was enough to concern them.

“So are we. And he looks smart enough to remember that.” Scott pointed out, cocking his head at Kincaid as Allison helped Kira to her feet. Scott reached out to take the silver finger from the larger werewolf’s clutches - without a struggle this time. Waiting with anticipation, he reached into the prosthetic and pulled out a small scroll of paper. It brought all of them a sense of relief. Allison has been right. Discarding the silver finger with a sharp clatter, he handed the scroll to the huntress, reminding them all of what they were truly here for. “We're here to save a life...not end one.”

“Here,” Malia grunted slightly as she broke the handle of the door to the basement, effectively snapping off the lock as well. The door opened noiselessly and Zaida recognised the steps leading into darkness that she and the others had descended into what felt like a lifetime ago now.

“Thank you,” Stiles nodded to the werecoyote gratefully, the first to step through the doorway. Zaida was about to follow him, but something tugging at her gut forced her to look back at the girl.

“If we don’t come back, don’t come after us,” She advised Malia in a low whisper so as not to alert Stiles to anything amiss. “Go to Morrell and tell her that Zaida sent you. Tell her that you need to find Scott McCall. She’ll get you out of here and point you in the right direction.”

“Thanks,” Malia dipped her chin slightly, waiting until Zaida followed into the basement after Stiles before closing the door behind them.

As their eyes adjusted to the light they came to the bottom of the staircase and turned the corner. “Okay, so what exactly are we looking for down here?” Zaida questioned the boy’s urgency to venture down here.

“That night that I was sleepwalking and I thought I was in a basement, but I was actually in Malia’s den?” Stiles began to explain his reasoning for wanting to break into the space.

“How could I forget?” Zaida snorted, running her fingers along the wooden railing of the staircase. “Lydia heard voices that led us here for some strange, unknown reason.”

“Well Lydia was right,” Stiles’ jaw locked grimly as he scanned the area. “When I was dreaming, I was here. I saw it through the grate in the floor after Malia punched me.”

“Why would you have dreamed you were here?” Zaida mused, recalling a fact she’d learned years ago. “I thought you could only see things in dreams that you’d seen before in real life. But you’ve never been here before, have you?”

“No, but I don’t think I was in my head. I think I was in the Nogitsune’s.” The boy realised. “He had control over everything that was happening.”

“So you think that the Nogitsune’s been here before?” Zaida deduced his line of thinking, her curiosity spiking slightly despite the void within her heart.

“He’s either been here, or has a connection to this place. That’s gotta be why Lydia was led here that night.” Stiles confirmed with a nod, turning to the wall just beside the staircase. “In my dream, there was a marking on the wall.”

Zaida followed him towards the flat expanse of grey concrete and surely enough, there carved in the stone was a familiar symbol. “It’s the Japanese kanji for ‘self’. It’s what the Oni marked behind our ears when they were searching for the Nogitsune.” She identified, approaching and running her fingers over the deep grooves. “Why would it be here?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Stiles let out a heavy sigh, moving to the shelves full of boxes brimming with papers. “There’s gotta be something here.”

Following his lead, Zaida helped him scour the old records, pulling out pile after pile. She wasn’t exactly sure what they were searching for, but there were definitely a few things that stuck out to her. “This place definitely used to be a lot more fun - electroshock...ice baths...trephination?”

“Together we’re running two out of three,” Stiles snorted sarcastically, calling attention to the fact that they had endured both electrocution and an ice bath between the two of them. Unwittingly, he’d just given her an idea...

“No wonder this place is locked up so tight…” Zaida mumbled, putting the files back where she’d found them on a shelf just above her head.

“There's nothing here,” Stiles huffed, shutting the box he’d been searching through when he realised they were getting nowhere. Swallowing nervously, his amber eyes flickered to her. “Could you do me a favour? Could you just check the lines on my back? Just…tell me if they're fading?”

“Sure,” Zaida nodded and as she slowly moved over the boy turned around, allowing her cold fingers to brush over his spine as she drew the hem of his shirt upwards. She knew the effect she had on him. She could hear it in his sharp intake of breath at her touch. The darkened lightning strikes zigzagging over his back were almost completely retracted, and what little was left had almost faded too. A tickle of satisfaction rose within her and it brought a smirk to her lips. It wouldn’t be much longer now… “They're almost gone.”

Again, as she let the shirt drop leisurely, her nails scraped the warm skin of his back and he hummed with a slight shudder. “Too cold?” She questioned in a purring voice, leaning closer so her lips brushed the shell of his ear. She knew his reaction had less to do with the temperature of her hands and more to do with the fact that it was her touching him.

“Uh, a little,” He admitted in a hoarse voice. Stiles felt his heart race as Zaida's breath danced across the back of his neck, her proximity sending a shiver down his spine. He swallowed hard, his thoughts spinning like a whirlwind. Her touch, her voice, everything about her seemed to ignite a fire within him, one he struggled to contain.

“I can think of some ways you could help warm me up,” She challenged him, her hands snaking around his torso, venturing beneath his shirt once more to grip at his chest. She spun him around to face her, pressing her palms flat against his abdomen to push his back flush against the shelving. Looking up at him beneath a curtain of long, dark lashes, she watched his skin turn scarlet.

“Y-yeah, that would be...nice,” He managed to stammer out, his gaze locking with hers, the intensity of her amber eyes stirring something deep within him. Zaida's lips curled into a knowing smile, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes. With a slow, deliberate motion, she closed the distance between them, her hand reaching up to brush against his cheek, sending sparks of electricity through him. Stiles couldn't tear his gaze away from her, his breath catching in his throat as he leaned into her touch, his heart pounding against his chest. In that moment, with her so close, he felt as though everything else in the world drifted away, leaving only the two of them suspended in time.

His eyes finally fluttered shut as she neared, dipping his chin and expecting his lips to be met with her own. Zaida had planned to kiss him - she truly had - but there was a sharp tug in her heart that made her pull back at the last second. Something cried out to her to stop, and she realised that despite it all she didn’t want her first kiss to happen like this. So she shifted her movements subtly, and instead of meeting his lips, her mouth traced a tantalizing path along his jawline. Her soft lips left a trail of featherlight kisses down his neck as her nails scraped along his abdomen, dragging towards his sweatpants. Stiles let out a shaky breath, his whole body trembling with anticipation. Her lips continued their exploration and Stiles felt a surge of heat rush through him, his pulse quickening with every touch. He tipped his head back slightly, offering her better access, a low moan escaping his lips as her kisses grew more urgent. Her warm breath sent waves of pleasure coursing through him, igniting a fire that threatened to consume him whole. With each kiss, Stiles felt himself falling deeper under her spell, lost in a haze of longing. Zaida's touch was intoxicating, her every movement sending him spiralling into blissful oblivion.

And as she finally pulled back, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips, Stiles could do nothing but stare at her in awe, his heart pounding in his chest. She disconnected from him only long enough to grasp his hand and lead him over to the old, sagging couch further into the basement. At that moment, he knew that he was completely and utterly enthralled by her, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Neither would she. There was a certain thrill that pushed through the emptiness in her chest, joined by a sorrowful ache that she forced herself to ignore. She had to do this - it was the only way to distract him and force him to drop his guard long enough for the Nogitsune to filter through and regain control. Whirling to push him down onto the dusty couch, Zaida climbed onto his lap, her thighs pressed against either side of his own as she lowered herself onto him. Stiles found himself blinking in disbelief, his chest heaving with the effort to catch his breath. His trembling hands rested on her hips, hissing through slightly gritted teeth when she pressed down upon him, feeling his body respond beneath the layers of fabric. Again it sent a jolt into her stomach, and she paused.

His eyes searched hers, trying to decipher the enigmatic depths behind them, but all he found was a glimmer of something he couldn't quite place. Before he could voice his confusion, Zaida slid her fingers over his body, weaving them into the hair at the nape of his neck before tugging lightly. His jaw tipped back at her coaxing, baring his prominent Adam’s apple to her. Stiles felt a surge of anticipation coursing through him, his blood thrumming in his ears, his eyes locked onto hers with a mixture of longing and anticipation. Zaida leaned in - battling her own consciousness threatening to creep back in - and pressed her lips to his throat in open-mouthed kisses. He tilted his head further back, pressing into her bruising touch as a coil wound tightly deep in the pit of his abdomen. Being touched by her was dizzying, but he needed more. His own hands shifted from her hips up to brush her hair back from her face, straightening his posture and tilting her face towards his own.

“I want to kiss you,” His voice tumbled from him in a low grumble, betraying his growing desires. As Stiles leaned in, his lips tantalizingly close to Zaida’s, he silently urged her to close the gap, longing for the connection he craved. But just as he felt her breath ghosting over his skin, a sudden hesitation rippled through her movements. She didn’t want it to happen now - not like this. Stiles furrowed his brow in confusion as Zaida's lips veered away from his, tracing a path along his jawline instead. Confusion clouded his features as he tried to guide her mouth back to his, but Zaida deftly avoided his attempts, her touch sending a shiver down his spine. A lurch of disappointment shot through him, mingling with a growing sense of unease.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he broke away from her, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he searched her eyes for answers. Was he doing this wrong? Did she not like it?

“I…” Zaida’s mouth parted to speak but no words would flow, her mind racing as she wrestled with conflicting emotions. He’d managed to break through to her in a way only Stiles ever could, and in that moment she wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to confess that she had brought him here to seduce him - to lower his guard so that the terrifying spectre could regain control over his mind. “I have to tell you something.”

“What is it, Zay?” His thumbs brushed her cheeks soothingly, striking guilt into her bones. Before she could confess to it all, images flashed behind her eyes. Images of him on this very couch with his head lolled back, throat sliced open and eyes wide and glassy with lifelessness. It was a haunting reminder of the darkness lurking within her, threatening to consume everything she held dear. She swiftly recalled why she was doing this. If she didn’t, the Nogitsune would make her kill him, and Malia, and everyone she loved. At least this way, they would still have a chance. This way, Scott, Lydia, Allison, and the others could still find a way to save them. After all, Scott always found another way.

"I...I'm sorry. I’m just…not ready yet," Zaida finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. It was only a partial truth, a carefully crafted facade to conceal the turmoil raging within her.

Stiles's expression softened, a flicker of understanding in his eyes as he gently caressed her face. "That's okay," He reassured her, his touch warm against her skin as he allowed her to slip back off his lap and onto the couch beside him. "This isn’t exactly the most romantic place.”

“That’s for damn sure,” She snorted, and he lay down across the sofa, gesturing for her to lie next to him. Relief washed over Zaida as she sank into his embrace, her heart heavy with the weight of her secrets. She rested her head over his bicep as though it were a pillow, feeling the reassuring weight of his arm curl around her waist.

They lay there for a while, Stiles mindlessly playing with the loose strands of her hair soothingly as his mind wandered back to the symbol carved into the wall. Who had put it there? How long ago? And why? Dozens of questions rushed through his head. Questions that he needed answered. Trying not to stir Zaida in case she had drifted off to sleep, she slowly untangled himself from her, sitting up.

“Where are you going?” She asked him in a tired voice, watching him walk back over towards the staircase.

“I just wanna check something,” He muttered, and the sofa creaked as the naiad got up to join him. She followed him over to the same wall as before, watching his rap his knuckled over the carved stone.

“What are you doing?” A stir of panic and anger rose within her that she recognised as foreign. Whatever was behind that wall, the Nogitsune did not want them to see it.

“Do you hear that?” The boy pressed his ear against the wall and knocked again, listening for an echo that should not be there. Reaching for a heavy metal sledgehammer on one of the nearby shelves, he pulled his arm back, preparing to swing.

“Stiles, don’t!” She cried out, but it was too late. The head of the hammer crashed into the wall and parts of the concrete crumbled away. “Stiles!”

The hammer landed against the structure again, and again, and again, until it gave way and revealed a dark opening. Dropping the hammer to the floor with a deep clatter, Stiles peered inside, and Zaida fought against her stiff muscles to do the same. Inside was a body, deflated into all but bones and wrapped in bandages. A sheathed katana lay cradled in the figure’s stiff body. Her stomach twisted as she recognised the figure from her nightmares.

“This is him,” The boy explained dryly. “The Nogitsune.”

“I know,” She croaked out, dread encapsulating her heart like lead.

“You’ve seen him too?” Stiles’ head whipped around to face her and she nodded solemnly as a slow knocking resounded through her head. She knew what that meant. She knew who was coming.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Reaching into the cavern, Stiles’ fingers opened the breast pocket of the body’s army jacket and pulled an old photograph from inside. His eyes scanned the faces of the two lovers in the image, immediately landing on the Japanese woman. “Recognize her?” He held up the image for Zaida to see what he was talking about. Next to an American soldier was a woman with dark hair and almond eyes who bore a striking resemblance to someone they knew.

Knock. Knock! KNOCK.

“Kira?” Zaida frowned in confusion as she felt herself slip away and her heart go numb. The photo had to have been several decades old. There was no way it was their kitsune classmate.

KNOCK. KNOCK! KNOCK!!

“Or an ancestor,” The boy suggested, pocketing the photograph. “I have to get this to Scott.”

Stiles slowly got back to his feet from where he crouched and as he turned a sudden urge overcame Zaida. She could do nothing but watch through the windows of her own eyes as her fist crunched into Stiles’ jaw. The boy fell to the floor, his skull hitting the concrete as he immediately blacked out. Trapped in her own mind, her limbs moved while she screamed at them to stop. The Nogitsune’s laugh echoed against the walls of her head as he controlled the strings that puppeteered her body like a marionette. She was helpless against it.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Cloud formation over Palmer Park, Colorado Springs, CO. Photo: Christine Miles Kincaid (June 28, 2023) :: [Robert Scott Horton]

* * * *

"follow the cloud to a new place. see the grace in undoing everything you’ve done."

from “moving” in There Is a Future: A Year of Daily Midrash by Amy Bornman, p. 43