#Pod Brooklyn

[laurastudarus]

Micro hotels, or hotels offering pint-sized rooms for travelers, might not sound glamorous, but they make a lot of sense. While we’re not opposed to cavernous hotel rooms, let’s be honest—how many vacations have you been on where the hotel was the main attraction? Ultimately, you’re paying to have a really big place to store your luggage while you go sightseeing. On top of that, today’s micro hotels aren’t just penalty boxes; many of them boast eye-catching design and considered details to rival more traditional options.

(via Best Micro Hotels Around the World | Men's Journal)

[greensparty]

Preview: 2023 IFFBoston

To paraphrase Nirvana: “Spring is here again...IFFBoston time”!  It is now my favorite time of year in Boston! My favorite film festival in Boston, in Massachusetts and possibly the world is Independent Film Festival Boston (read my coverage here).  I have a special place for this festival: in 2014 my documentary Life on the V: The Story of V66 had its World Premiere at the festival, and in 2015 I was on the Documentary Jury. Due to the pandemic, the scheduled 2020 festival was canceled and 2021 was virtual, so last year felt good to be back in-person. The 2023 film festival is at Somerville Theatre (Somerville), Brattle Theatre (Cambridge), and Coolidge Corner Theatre (Brookline) from Wed. April 26 to Wed. May 3, 2023!

2023 IFFBoston logo

Here are just some of the Official Selections that are on my radar:

Wed. 4/26/23: 

Opening Night Film is the documentary Love to Love You, Donna Summer. So fitting that the pop icon Donna Summer was from Boston and now she is getting the documentary treatment co-directed by Roger Ross Williams and her daughter Brooklyn Sudano and it is opening IFFBoston!

Thurs. 4/27/23:

Legendary writer/director Paul Schrader has been on a roll in recent years with First Reformed and the highly underrated The Card Counter (my #5 Movie of 2021). Now he’s back with Master Gardener with Joel Edgarton. In the modern comedy Free Time, a New Yorker decides to leave his job to re-assess his life, only to want his old job back.

Fri. 4/28/23:

Penny Lane has made some great docs in the past: Nuts! was one of my 10 Best Documentaries of 2016, Hail Satan! was one of the highlights of the 2019 Boston Underground Film Festival, and Listening to Kenny G. was really good too! Now she has turned the camera onto herself as she donates a kidney in Confessions of a Good Samaritan. Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) has made a doc about one of the most well-liked actors of the last 40 years, Michael J. Fox. I’ve been a fan since Family Ties and Back to the Future and I’ve been hearing nothing but great things about Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie since it’s Sundance premiere. A Brooklyn brownstone in 1945 is the setting for a seance in Brooklyn 45.

Sat. 4/29/23:

The Student Shorts Showcase is on Sat. afternoon and it’s free admission! My buddy James Rutenbeck has his short Nixon’s Reversal in the Shorts Gloucester Documentary program. 

When I was making my V66 documentary a few years back, I interviewed members of Boston garage rockers The Dogmatics because they were popular on the 80s music video TV channel V66. Skip ahead to 2019, I had heard about a documentary being made about The Dogmatics, so I reached out to director Rudy Childs and producer Jada Maxwell. We met up, talked shop and I stayed in touch with them about the project over the years. A few months ago I was lucky enough to see an early screener of The Dogmatics: A Dogumentary and I am proud to be a Consulting Producer. It’s really great to see this band get the music doc treatment and that there is a segment in the doc about their popularity on V66! I’m like a proud parent!

Sun. 4/29/23:

Join or Die is a doc about Robert Putnam. Aurora’s Sunrise is a doc about an Armenian Genocide survivor, told through animation. One of my favorite documentarians Steve James (Hoop Dreams is one of the greatest docs ever) returns with A Compassionate Spy about controversial Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall. Pod Generation stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Emilia Clarke in a not-too-distant future as they explore a new technology for fertility. Never Be a Punching Bag for Nobody is a doc directed by and about Naomi Yang who was in Galaxy 500 and is now learning to box. Speaking of Boston music, Beautiful Was the Fight is about several Boston female musicians and their struggles.

Mon. 5/1/23:

Mary Tyler Moore was a true entertainment legend, especially Mary Tyler Moore Show (re-watch that Chuckles funeral episode if you don’t believe me). Now she’s getting the doc treatment with Being Mary Tyler Moore.

Tues. 5/2/23:

The doc Time Bomb Y2K looks back at the Y2K anxiety that was building closer to the Jan. 1, 2000.

Wed. May 3:

The Closing Night Film is the romance Past Lives.

I’m excited about this year’s lineup. For info and tickets go to: https://iffboston.org/

[thezombieprostitute]

Breathless

A/N: Kept seeing a batch of gifs of Steve just after he got out of the pod and then had this idea.

Steve knows what it is to be breathless. Growing up with asthma in the 30's will give you plenty of experience with the sensation. The first time he ever felt like he got enough breath in his lungs was right after the transformation. His body relished finally having enough oxygen.

Since then he's only ever truly felt breathless once more: when he met you. You shook his hand, smiled at him and suddenly he was that scrawny kid from Brooklyn who couldn't get enough air.

It's not enough that you're beautiful, but your kindness, your smile, is genuine. He's used to people putting on a fake smile, or an overly enthusiastic one. You're kind to everyone, not even shying away from Bucky.

Steve finds himself following you around like a lost puppy, hoping for another smile from you. You keep asking him if he needs something but every time you do, he's too breathless to speak.

[metallicmikus]

Modern Newsie headcannons: NYC edition

i know the newsies live in nyc but a lot of the headcannons aren’t about them living in nyc so i came up with some

- Race sleeps a lot on the subway, mostly when he’s with albert cuz he knows albert will get them off at the right place. When they’re standing on the subway, and race is leaning his head on albert’s shoulder, al will keep his arm around Race’s waist so he doesn’t fall. If he’s asleep while they’re sitting down, albert will make sure his head doesn’t hit the wall.

- race and al use one pair of air pods on the subway to listen to the same music

- jack hates the subway (country boy at heart)

- finch will always ask someone if they would get up for crutchie to sit down if they’re are no empty seats

- race just knows the manhattan subway and streets by heart (native new yorker lookin ass)

- david carries hand sanitizer with him for after using the subway cuz you don’t know where everyone’s hands have been (the other newsies catch on cuz it’s smart)

- david is TERRIBLE at navigating the subway system. it’s overwhelming to him. he has cried while trying to figure out where they’re supposed to go when going somewhere new and jack takes over and never lets him navigate again. (unless he really wants to)

- race fanning albert while they wait for the subway (it’s hot as fuck down there)

- i know a very popular hc is that one of the newsies (usually jack) has a van, but realistically, these mfs don’t own cars 😭

- albert and jack will almost always take the stairs over the escalator

- race has fallen asleep alone on the subway and ended up somewhere completely different than where he was headed, which is why he now usually only sleeps if he’s with someone else

- most of the newsies live in lower manhattan (duh), but some of them live uptown north of central park. jack and crutchie live in the bowery with medda. the jacobs live in the lower east side (many jewish families settled there when they moved to nyc). races family lived in east harlem, but they moved to lower manhattan when race was a baby. spot and elmer are roommates (they live in brooklyn)

- race family is the classic italian roman catholic family

- david, sarah, and les are first generation immigrants from poland

- finch has picked up a pigeon off the streets on multiple occasions

- most of the newsies have never really left the city

- you know the newsies are constantly joining broadway lotteries

- race works at the broadway dance center (sky flaherty core)

- albert has no patience for slow walkers, he weaves in between people. he always looks like he’s on a mission.

that’s it for now !!

[brooklynbridgebirds]

American Redstart hangin' on a catalpa pod! Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1

[ladylooch]

Will David answer questions on the teams podcast about his relationship with Mack Hischier?

David does not talk about Mack when they are dating. At all. Ever. ( see below). After they are engaged though, he is happy to discuss her. Once they are married, he is full on “my wife” guy. Cannot shut up about her. Every other answer starts with “well, my wife says” or “My wife and I were talking about…” 

Let’s see more below about his response when they are dating...

In a sound proof media room, David Carlson stretches out his long legs beneath the table. He clasps his fingers together, leaning back in his chair as he lists off answers to the rapid fire questions the two podcast hosts are shooting at him.

“Last Binge Watch?” 

“Ah…” He thinks about what him and Mack are watching. “Brooklyn 99.”

“Nice! Favorite musician?”

“I’m an old school guy. Big into Garth Brooks right now.”

“Okay. Favorite thing to do on an off day.”

Have his face buried in Mack’s tits. He grins and blinks that thought away quickly.

“Go for a walk or meet up with friends. I can’t sit still for long. It’s the farm kid in me.”

The rapid fire questions have done a good job breaking the ice. David doesn’t love doing these things but knows he has certain obligations he has to do from time to time. He would rather do this than be pulled out of the locker room between periods.

The questions begin to shift from quick hits to longer, hockey focused ones. David fills them in on his trajectory to the show, what college was like, and if he really goes back to Iowa and works the farm every summer.

“What do you mean do I really do that?” David shoots back, cracking up. “Yeah, man. I really go work my farm in the summer. I've got pictures if you need 'em."

“That is insane. How do you do that and play hockey at such a high level? That is two high intensity jobs.”

“I’ve got staff. My farm manager, Felix, looks after the place for me. Couldn’t do it without him. We’ve got a group of farm hands, but mostly in the winter it’s maintenance and getting ready for the next season. Pretty cold. I’m glad I get to miss that part of the year. But yeah, it's my family farm, I grew up on it and couldn't see myself selling it off for someone else to run that land."

“Wow, that’s crazy. Do you ever sleep?”

“No.” He answers immediately, smirking.

David and the hosts chuckle in unison. 

“I have a great group of people back home who help. If I have to head back East early, my buddies Cody and Trevor will come help the group get the farm ready for harvest. I’m lucky. Nothing better than a small town helping each other out.”

“Speaking of harvest and fall activities…. what’s Thanksgiving dinner like for you and Woody?"

“What?” David asks, raising his eyebrow.

“I don’t know that they would celebrate Thanksgiving? They're Swiss.” The other host questions.

“Yeah, I guess, let's start there do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Cause Woody’s wife and your girlfriend are sisters.”

“Yeah, they’re half American tho.” David answers with an awkward laugh. He didn't see this going in that direction.

“Who cooks dinner?”

“Woody and his wife. I pick up the pie wherever Lucie Wood tells me too. That’s about all I’m good at contributing. Woody is a really good cook though. Him and Lucie kept me fed most of the time the last few years because we lived in the same building.”

“Is that how you and your girlfriend met?” The directness about Mack makes David shift in his chair. He reaches up, rubbing at his nose to hide his awkward lip scrunch.

“Sorry, boys but we aren’t going to go there today. I’m gonna keep that part of my life off the pod. She deserves her privacy.” 

“Oh shoot, sorry man. Didn’t mean to intrude.” The hosts genuinely answer. "We can cut that out."

“No worries.” David waves the concern away. He isn’t upset that they asked about her, but he isn’t going to say anything else about her. Mack has been clear that unless there is something more permanent between them- like a ring- she won’t be talking about him publicly. He feels it’s fair to respect her wishes in this space too.

David plans on telling Mack as much when he stops by her place after work. She swings the door open then shoots herself into his awaiting arms. She has had work events the last two days and they haven’t seen each other. He breathes her in then maneuvers his face to kiss hers.

“Mmm.” She sighs, then threads her fingers through his hair. Her hands grip his head, keeping his head to hers to kiss him again. “I’m gonna ignore what’s in your mouth right now cause I missed you so much.”

“Shit. Sorry.” He mutters. He uses his tongue to pull the tobacco pouch from his cheek. He meant to toss it as he was walking in but Ron distracted him with pictures of his newest grandchild.

“It’s fine. I guess. Cause you're cute and all.” She rolls her eyes at him teasingly. “How was your day?” She saunters back towards the kitchen, giving David a nice show of her ass in her blue leggings. 

“Good.” He murmurs distractedly. It isn’t until she rounds the island that he is able to raise his eyes away from her peach of an ass.

“Nice.” She laughs. David shrugs. “How did the podcast go?”

He had mentioned it to her earlier in the day, saying he was staying at the rink later and wouldn’t be able to catch lunch with her. Another reason to hate having media obligations: less time with his girl.

“It was good.” He murmurs, reaching into her bowl of popcorn and popping a kernel in his mouth. “This dinner?”

“No I ordered Indian.”

“Cool.” He nods, then grabs a handful. “Ah, they tried to ask me about you.”

“Really?” She turns to him with a scrunched look on her face. “Why?”

“Baby, it’s so funny to me that you have no idea who you are in the hockey world.” 

“Is it that I don’t know or that I don’t care?” David raises his eyebrows in a ‘fair’ response. “What did you say?”

“I said I wasn’t going to talk about ya.” He walks behind her, letting his hand cup her ass as he goes. He opens her fridge and pulls out a Coke. He wants a beer, but he has been lagging too much ass on the ice this week to be hitting the sauce.

“Thank you.” She smiles at him, clearly appreciating that he understands where the line is for her.

“Didn’t want you to get all embarrassed about dating a dumb hockey player.”

“You know that’s not it.”

“I know, honey.” He says, coming back to her. This time he grips her ass in both hands. “How was your day?”

“Good.” She smirks at him, purposefully keeping her answer short as she works her hands under his t-shirt to touch his abs. “Dinner is still a half hour away…”

“Hmm, what should we do?” He mumbles against her lips. She grips the waistband of his jeans and begin to tug him back towards the bedroom. He halts her with his hands on her hips. “What we gonna do in there that we can’t do here?”

Then he swoops her up into his arms to lay her back on the hard floor. 

Yeah, this part of his life is just for him.

[mtaartsdesign]

In Jason Middlebrook’s "Brooklyn Seeds" (2011) at Av U (B,Q) station, a larger-than-life garden of wildflowers ascends the stairway wall leading from street to platform. The glass mosaic depicts local wildflowers that grow in unlikely places, through cracks in the sidewalk, alleys, and walls, exploring the intersection of the human-made and natural. These flowers, often weeds, include such local specimens as spotted knapweed, burdock, golden rod, aster, milkweed, and daises. Above the plants are airborne seed pods floating away to germinate, on a journey of their own.

📸: Etienne Frossard

[duckapus]

Marggy Childhood Friends AU

So I finally came up with enough details to make a proper au out of my icon pic.

To begin at the beginning, Meggy ends up as one of the hundreds of babies that present-day Bowser and Kamek kidnapped while looking for the Star Children in Yoshi's Island DS. And, despite not being one of the Star Children (because I didn't change the lineup), she manages to be an extra sixth escaped yoshi-riding baby because she's Meggy. Of course, she's a tiny gooey baby squid the whole time but she's already got that Spletzer Family Ink Production so she can still shoot at her enemies. Also she's in a little bucket the whole time and it's both funny and adorable.

Anyway, after all that she's brought back home to her parents by one of the storks, and you wouldn't think anything would come of that but a few months later her dad gets a massive business opportunity in the Mushroom Kingdom and they move to Toad Town right next door to the Mario family, and she turns out to get along so well with their twin baby boys you'd almost think they already knew each other from somewhere.

From then on the three of them are practically joined at the hip (though it obviously takes a few years for Meggy to actually have hips), to the point where you'd think they were triplets instead of twins and a close friend. The Bros are even there on that fateful day when Meggy saw One-Shot Wren in person and fell in love with Turf War.

And then they're fourteen, and the Great Mushroom War is starting up, and the Marios are moving to Brooklyn because they remember the Shroob invasion and they just know their boys are going to get caught up in this if they stay, and the Spletzers are going back to Inkopolis both for that same reason and so Meggy can pursue her Inksports Career. The three of them stay in touch afterwards and meet up as much as they can, of course, but it just isn't the same.

And then, years later, when they're in their 20's and the Bros are getting their new plumbing business off the ground and Meggy's scouting for a profreshional Splatoon, they find out that Bowser and Peach's parents are dead, and Bowser's kidnapped Peach and is turning Toads into bricks, and, completely separately, they drop everything and go back to the Mushroom Kingdom, because Peach is their friend and that's their home. They run into each-other in the first fortress and it's like they were never apart.

Anyway, after they beat Bowser they decide to actually move back to the Kingdom together and become Peach's semi-official bodyguards in case Bowser tries something again, because he was kinda-sorta their friend too back then and they know how stubborn he can be. Thankfully they're not giving up on their dreams, since Mario Bros Plumbing is still new enough that they can set it up pretty much anywhere and Inkopolis Plaza is just a pipe away.

And from there we get "The Mario Series But Meggy Is Also There," up until the end of Super Mario 64 when the pods drop, where it's now "SMG4 Except The Game Adaptations Happen In Order And Are Somewhat More Accurate And There's A Lot More Of Them (And Meggy's There From The Start)." Also, the canon Splatoon plotlines happen, but Meggy doesn't actually get involved in this AU so it's just background flavor.

As you can imagine Meggy being around so much earlier has significant consequences, the big one being that since she's around to be a good influence Mario stops being a complete jerkass waaaayyyy sooner, which keeps his relationships with Peach and... really everyone besides Luigi from falling apart. Except Toad. The vast majority of Toad's issues have surprisingly little to do with classic era Mario.

(Of course, this presents a bit of a problem since I still want to do at least a version of the Anime Arc so Meggy can get her transformation trauma, but this version of Peach wouldn't do That and the greater adherence to Mario Canon means Francis still lives in the Bitlands and has completely the wrong personality for leading a crime syndicate.)

[radioactive-metal]

songs for The aurora Cycle

Radioactive-Metal - Stealing ideas for content since 6 days ago

ok some random songs for random parts of the books, if they were made into a show

Ca Plane Pour Moi: when Tyler is flying the phantom(?) out at the very start of the first book

Wouldn’t it be Nice: Zika and Nari Kim in the Escape pod

Fly me to the moon (Frank Sinatra): Scar and Fin kissing. Time the second verse for when they realize they aren’t dead

A sweet song (St arnaud): as the squad treks across Octavia

Bones in the Ocean (Longest Johns): when Tyler thinks he’s the only one left.

Black hole sun: a For all mankind style end cut at the end of book one when the squad leaves Octavia.

(Don’t fear) The reaper: when Tyler leaves Sardis and flys to aurora academy

Rocky Road to Dublin (longest John’s): Auris training in the echo

My way(Frank Sinatra): the final battle in the future where there’s a ton of cuts of Tyler’s life when he dies.

Take Me out: As all the fleets assemble over Octavia

(They long to be) Close to you: when Kal realized he’s feeling the pull for Auri

Bad reputation (Joan Jett): Cats intro song, simple as

back in Black: Saedii (shamelessly stole this one but you can’t improve on perfection)

No sleep till Brooklyn: the final battle at the Academy

The boys are back in town: when all the squad reunite at the end of the book

tubthumping (chumbawumba): the time loop in the past

All day and all the night: Tyler fighting the drakkan (Saediis POV)

that’s life (frank sinatra): when Tyler meets his squad

[kvetchlandia]

Mochizuki Gyokusen       Mouse Eating Pea Pods (Now in the Brooklyn Museum)     c.1850

[lboogie1906]

DeRay Mckesson (July 9, 1985) has emerged as a key 21st-century civil rights activist and educator. His documentation of the protests in Ferguson, Missouri following the unjust murder of Michael Brown solidified his role as a leader in the national Black Lives Matter movement.

He was born in West Baltimore. His father, Calvin Mckesson, and great-grandmother raised him and his sister. He was a community organizer and the Chairman of Youth As Resources. He served as president of his class and was active in student government. He graduated from Bowdoin College with a BA in Government and Legal Studies. Teach for America gave him the start of his career with a position as an elementary school educator in Brooklyn.

He traveled to Ferguson to join the protests following the murder of Michael Brown by local police officers. He had spent all of his days off with people from Ferguson and other suburbs demanding justice. Utilizing his social media accounts, he provided insightful live reports of the unrest. The nation relied on his real-time updates for news regarding the protests. He co-launched “Mapping Police Violence”.

He spoke at the GLAAD Gala about his life experiences as a gay African American man and urged LGBTQ+ individuals to “come out of the quiet” to fully embrace their identities. He announced his candidacy for the Baltimore mayor election (2016). He finished sixth in the Democratic Party primary.

After the shooting of Alton Sterling, went to the city, and was arrested during a protest while live-streaming the event. Charges against him were dropped, and he and other activists met with President Barack Obama to discuss friction between African American communities and police officers.

He has traveled the country to take action against injustices towards marginalized communities. He’s the host of the “Pod Save the People” podcast and continues to serve as an engaged advocate, educator, and leader. He published his first book On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[noloveforned]

putting together stuff for tonight's no love for ned on wlur at 8pm. you can catch a repeat of last week's show immediately after at 10pm to give you four solid hours of whatever it is i do on the radio. as is the new norm, last week's show is below and streaming on mixcloud for those of you with more exciting friday night plans!

no love for ned on wlur – july 21st, 2023 from 8-10pm

artist // track // album // label the certain someones // sad salvation // murderecords 7" singles 1993-1998 compilation // murderecords the edsel auctioneer // slouch // simmer // decoy cheerbleederz // cute as hell // even in jest // alcopop! guardian singles // pit viper // feed me to the doves // trouble in mind the ape-ettes // hearing protection // simply the ape-ettes // snappy little numbers the dad // 2nd best friends // 7 a.m. 7" // unread snooper // pod // super snõõper // third man dr. sure's unusual practice // carol // remember the future? live from the future // marthouse keel her // boner hit // with me tonight 7" // o genesis uppendix // desire's not the one // bliss is solipsis // discontinuous innovation famous mammals // comets for poets // instant pop expressionism now! // siltbreeze private lives // hit record // hit record // feel it andrew savage // thanksgiving prayer // several songs about fire // rough trade prairiewolf // sage thrasher // prairiewolf // centripetal force matthew sage // tilth dawn rustles // paradise crick // rvng intl. laraaji and kramer // ascension // baptismal // shimmy-disc anton lukoszevieze, alexander hawkins and heather roche // variations vii and ix (excerpt) // jack cooper 'arrival' // astral spirits carlos niño // brooklyn zoom, brooklyn zoom // international anthem at public records volume four, december 10th, 2022 // international anthem mike reed featuring marvin tate // call off tomorrow // flesh and bone // 482 music john coltrane // impressions // evenings at the village gate // impulse! napoleon da legend and giallo point // game plan // coup d'etat // fxck rxp billy woods and kenny segal featuring quelle chris // soundcheck // maps // backwoodz studioz kenny g featuring barry johnson // hi, how ya doin'? // g force // arista wendell harrison // the glamorous life // the carnivorous lady // rebirth snoh aalegra // be my summer // be my summer digital single // atrium bernice // underneath my toe // cruisin' ep // telephone explosion ivy // get out of the city // apartment life demos // bar/none bonne idée // it will be back // a dream of you 7" // cloudberry lily konigsberg // at best a #3 // the best of lily konigsberg right now // wharf cat u.s. highball // see you in hell // no thievery, just cool // lame-o the particles // driving me // 1980s bubblegum // chapter music

[maffickingcowplants]

Day 5 of 7, Winter 2005 All Bella can do now is wait - wait for Fay to finish working on a vaccine that will cure the Mother's victims from her influence. Bella returned home to spend time with her children, however when she entered Cassandra's room she found her pacing her room, her limbs moving in a disjointed manner and her eyes void of recognition.

Bella tries to get her daughter's attention, snap her out of the spell she's under, but Cassandra turns on Bella in a fit of aggression. Bella's shock and heartbreak in this moment are nearly palpable, up until this moment Cassandra's behavior had been a concern but her distance from the source had created for Bella a false sense of security - but here she was, nursing a headache from the barrage of slaps her own daughter rained down on her. She cannot wait any longer.

Unable to endure any further delay and driven by a mother's determination, Bella returns to the brilliant Dr. Brooklyn Fay, who has been tirelessly working on a vaccine to counteract the insidious influence of the aline flora. Fay shares with Bella the fruits of her own labor: the vaccine, ready to be synthesized. With precision and urgency, Fay instructs Bella on the vaccine's application, emphasizing the use of a sleep pod to ensure the recipient's safety during the process. Bella listens intently, absorbing every detail, the weight of her mission etched in her expression.

With the vaccines in hand, Bella summons her daughter Cassandra to meet her at Acumen Consulting's headquaters in StrangerVille. The urgency in Bella's voice leaves no room for hesitation or disobediance. Bella, full of nervous energy, meets Cassandra at the gate and swiftly escorts her inside, revealing only that she has something important to show her.

Proceeding to the lower labs of the agency's headquarters, Bella confronts the reality of her double life with Cassandra. She unveils the truth behind her "business" pursuits, admitting her role as an agent of an intelligence agency dedicated to protecting national security and combating global threats. "In Darkness, We Prevail," she recites the agency's creed, a testament to their commitment to operate in the shadows for the greater good. Bella unfolds the narrative of the alien plant's arrival in StrangerVille, detailing its capacity to manipulate and control living beings. Their conversation escalates into a heated dispute, with Cassandra's skepticism clashing against Bella's desperate need to make her daughter understand. As they enter the room with the sleeping pod, Bella asks Cassandra about her own experiences with lost time, a final attempt to bridge the chasm of disbelief that Cassandra stands firm upon.

In a moment charged with emotion, Bella takes a decisive step: she pushes her daughter roughly into the sleeping pod and quickly administers the vaccine in a bid to free her from the alien influence.

As the pod releases Cassandra, Bella gently assists her daughter, now groggy and disoriented, to a recovery room, hoping the vaccine has liberated her from the plant's control. This act of maternal love and desperation marks the beginning of Bella's final push against the Mother Plant. With Cassandra now hopefully free from its grip, Bella must now prepare to administer the vaccine to three key individuals, to rally them to join her cause in a climactic battle against the extraterrestrial menace that threatens StrangerVille.

Posts about Bella: « PREVIOUS / BEGINNING / NEXT »

Posts about Operation Mother's Influence: « PREVIOUS / BEGINNING / NEXT »

Posts about Cassandra: « PREVIOUS / BEGINNING / NEXT »

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Sneak Peeks

I’ve been writing while I’ve been away. I’m still not fully back until February, but here are a few sneak peeks to get you through.

Thanks for the support and love! Please share your reactions and what you’re excited about or your predictions.

THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE ~ 13

Steve felt like you had a second instinct when it came to ignoring and avoiding him. Not that he knew what he’d say when he saw you anyway. Steve knew that sorry wouldn’t be enough of an apology—for either of you. No one ever deserves to be called a bitch. It was a cruel, disgusting word. His Ma made sure he knew that growing up. Oh, how disappointed his Ma would be if she found out what he had called you.

Though Steve wanted to see you so desperately, he understood why and knew that you deserve the respect of time and privacy.

THE BOND BETWEEN US ~ 73

“Y/N and I are endangering the mission,” Luke said, eyes still glued on the ship. “We shouldn’t have come.”

“It’s your imagination, kid. Come on. Let’s keep a little optimism here.”

“He’s right, Han,” you spoke up, feeling more uneasy with each passing second. “Is there an escape pod on the ship?”

“No, besides it would be too risky to release one right now.”

“Sister.”

Vader’s voice in your head caused you to gasp.

“Y/N,” Leia’s voice was full of concern as her hand came to rest on your knee, “are you alright?”

“You should have stayed away,” Vader continued.

“Why do you care?” You felt Vader’s frustration grow. “You won’t kill me. I know you won’t.”

“You know nothing.”

I’M FROM BROOKLYN, TOO ~ 157

Y/N carefully walked out of the house, noting that Geraldine had disappeared into Wanda’s house. She slowly walked toward the house, purple tendrils glowing around her fingers just in case. Suddenly, Geraldine flew out of the door and into the air, surrounded by Wanda’s red magic. Wanda marched out of the house, hands glowing red.

“Wanda!” Y/N called, only to go ignored.

“The drones, the missiles,” Wanda continued, holding Geraldine up in the air. “Pietro?”

“No, wait, Pietro, no, no, no, that wasn’t us,” Geraldine insisted.

“All you do is lie!”

Wanda threw Geraldine down. Geraldine caught herself, causing Y/N to gasps in realization that she had powers. Geraldine panted as she stood up straight.

“The only lies I’ve told are the ones you put in my mouth,” she told Wanda.

LESSONS IN LOVE ~ 7

Obi-Wan truly didn’t know how to help you. You were clearly in an extreme amount of pain and he didn’t even know why. He sat down behind you, his hand moving to touch you. He stopped himself before making contact, hovering over your arm. What if his touch makes your pain worse? The one thing he truly knew was that he was not leaving you. Standing up from the bed, Obi-Wan slipped his phone out of his pocket.

“Where—where are you going?” You croaked, trying your head back slightly to see him.

[miela]

Two Peas in a Pod

Thank you for this request! 

I assume this is for Shattered Memories so I'm basing on that! 

excuse the horrible grammar.

• Stark & Stacy friendship?

• yes. Instant besties.

• you and Michelle are besties, yes, but you guys are besties who compliment each other.

• you and Gwen are besties who are two sides of the same coin.

• Peter is relieved that you two get along because you two are so similar he couldn't help but imagine you guys as friends.

• Both lgbtqia+ 

• I imagine y/n as under the bisexual umbrella (i mentioned that y/n had a crush on Wanda).

•  People see Gwen as trans and I say "valid" to that.

• (it's ambiguous in the story rn but for this drabble she's trans).

• So when Gwen tells you, you're supportive and cool with it!

• Which only makes your bond stronger.

• You both play an instrument. Gwen plays drums and you play guitar. You guys have mentioned creating a band, but for the time being you guys just rock out. 

• both did ballet and dance. 

• pirouette battles!

• Omg both of you as spiderheroes? You guys are literally the Spiderman pointing meme. 

• when you guys find out your true identities it's the pikachu meme. 

• team-ups would be hilarious because you guys would wear the same spider suit just to throw enemies off. 

• it throws Peter off for a moment but he's just gonna have to pay attention to what his senses are so he can tell who's who.

• (same with Miles if he's also a spiderhero in here).

• on the subject of Peter, Gwen would tell you EVERYTHING about how Peter feels about you. 

• "This guy, I swear to god. The number of times I tried to get him to link up with someone or even hook up with someone before we knew about you-"

• he's a faithful boi

• she would tell you about how much happier he is with you back in his life. 

• you would tell her how you and Peter met. You were defending him against Eugene “Flash” Thompson and since then you built up a friendship until it was crime-fighting partners, and then lovers.

• she would tease you about it.

• But it's similar to how her and Miles met at Brooklyn Vision Academy.

• now Gwen is a biochemistry major and you're advanced at technology, robotic engineering and computer engineering.

• you made her an AI with a Bestie feature and she loves that thing.

• She's good at making gadgets and gizmos of plenty too.

• high key would probably build something together. 

• much like how Harry and Gwen tag team people you two together are just as bad.

• the way you guys playfully bully Peter all the time.

• you two are r e l e n t l e s s because of your shared sarcasm.

• (you get punished with tickles and playful kiss denials and cuddle denials by him later.)

I hope you like this! Can't wait to also develop their friendship in the main fic Thank you for this request again! 😊