#Quinn & Costa 5

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan

Quinn & Costa #5

Excellent addition to the series ~ wrapped some issues up and opened doors for many more wonderful books to look forward to ~

What I liked: * Kara Quinn: LAPD police officer on loan to FBI’s Mobile Response Team, has worked many times undercover, parents were con artists, has trust issues, bright, quick, impulsive, street savvy, can hold a grudge, in a relationship with Matt Costa, has some big surprises and issues to deal with

* Matt Costa: FBI special agent, team leader of the Mobile Response Team, bright, team oriented, calm, sees the bigger picture, protective, traditional, not impulsive, in love with Kara and “sees” who she really is, good with and for Kara

* Violet Halliday: IT savvy, works for Los Angeles City Hall, volunteers with First Contact NGO, had difficult childhood, has trust issues, tends to shy away from people, central to this story, might have a future with Will

* Will Lattimer: military veteran, started First Contact NGO, has a nine-point plan he believes would work better for the homeless than what is in place in this story, bright, aware, compassionate, realistic, might be interested in Violet

* Michael: Kara’s work partner, strategist, tactician, protective, difficult childhood, would like to know more about him

* Sloane: FBI newbie undercover in LA-FBI office, ex-Marine, bright, calm, family oriented, intriguing, hope to see her in future books

* The look into corruption, fraud, homelessness, and the impact it has

* The plot, pacing, setting, character development, and how it all was wrapped up at the end

* Knowing/hoping that there will be a book six to read in the future

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about how callous, selfish, corrupt, and evil some people can be and then thinking about the impact their behavior has on others. Won’t name names but there were quite a few I would gladly see behind bars in this book

Did I like this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and HQN-MIRA for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

When a key witness goes missing, Quinn & Costa must find her before a killer silences her for good…

Detective Kara Quinn is back in Los Angeles to testify against a notorious human trafficker, finally moving past the case that upended her life. But when the accused is shot in broad daylight, the chaotic scene of the crime turns up few reliable bystanders. And one witness—a whistleblower who might be the key to everything—has disappeared.

After another person close to the case is killed, it’s clear that anyone who knows too much is in danger, and tracking down the witness becomes a matter of life-and-death. But as explosive secrets surface within the LAPD and FBI, Kara questions everything she thought she knew about the case, her colleagues and the life she left behind months ago.

Now with FBI special agent Matt Costa’s help, she must race to find the missing witness and get to the bottom of the avalanche of conspiracies that has rocked LA to its core…before it's too late.

EXCERPT

1

My parking garage off Fifth was nearly a mile from where I worked at city hall. I could have paid twice as much to park two blocks from my building and avoid the rows of homeless people: the worn tents, the used needles, the stinking garbage, the aura of hopelessness and distrust that filled a corner park and bled down the streets.

I was listening to my favorite podcast, LA with A&I. Amy and Ian started the podcast two years ago to talk about computer gaming, technology, entertainment and Los Angeles. It had blossomed into a quasi news show and they live streamed every morning at seven. They’d riff on tech and local news as if sitting down with friends over coffee. Like me, they were nerds, born and bred in the City of Angels. I’d never met Amy or Ian in real life, but felt like I’d known them forever.

We’d chatted over Discord, teamed up to play League of Legends, and I often sent them interesting clips about gaming or tech that they talked about on their podcast, crediting my gaming handle. Twice, we’d tried to set up coffee dates, but I always chickened out. I didn’t know why. Maybe because I thought they wouldn’t like me if they met me. Maybe because I was socially awkward. Maybe because I didn’t like people knowing too much about my life.

Today while I drove to work, they’d discussed the disaster that was city hall: all the digital files had been wiped out. The news story lasted for about five minutes, but it would be my life for the next month or more as my division rebuilt the data from backups and archives. It was a mess.  They laughed over it; I tried to, but I was beginning to suspect the error was on purpose, not by mistake.

Now they were talking about a sweatshop that had been shut down last week.

“We don’t know much,” Amy said. “You’d think after eight days there’d be some big press conference, or at least a frontpage story. The only thing we found was two news clips—less than ninety seconds each—and an article on LA Crime Beat.”

“David Chen,” Ian said, “a Chinese American who allegedly trafficked hundreds of women and children to run his factory in Chinatown, was arraigned on Monday, but according to Crime Beat, the FBI is also investigating the crime. And—get this— the guy is already out on bail.”

“It’s fucked,” Amy said. “Look, I’m all for bail reform. I don’t think some guy with weed in his pocket should have to pay thousands of bucks to stay out of jail while the justice system churns. But human trafficking is a serious crime—literally not two miles from city hall, over three hundred people were forced to work at a sweatshop for no money. They had no freedom, lived in a hovel next door to the warehouse. Crime Beat reported that the workers used an underground tunnel to avoid being seen—something I haven’t read in the news except for one brief mention. And Chen allegedly killed one of the women as he fled from police. How did this guy get away with it? He kills someone and spends no more than a weekend behind bars?”

“According to Crime Beat, LAPD investigated the business for months before they raided the place,” Ian said. “But Chen has been operating for years. How could something like this happen and no one said a word?”

I knew how. People didn’t see things they didn’t want to.

Case in point: the homeless encampment I now walked by.

I paused the podcast and popped my earbuds back into their charging case.

“Hello, Johnny,” I said to the heroin addict with stringy hair that might be blond, if washed. I knew he was thirty-three, though he looked much older. His hair had fallen out in clumps, his teeth were rotted, and his face scarred from sores that came and went. He sat on a crusty sleeping bag, leaned against the stone wall of a DWP substation, his hollow eyes staring at nothing. As usual, he didn’t acknowledge me. I knew his name because I had asked when he wasn’t too far gone. Johnny, born in Minnesota. He hadn’t talked to his family in years. Thought his father was dead, but didn’t remember. He once talked about a sister and beamed with pride. She’s really smart. She’s a teacher in…then his face dropped because he couldn’t remember where his sister lived.

Four years ago, I left a job working for a tech start-up company to work in IT for city hall. It was barely a step up from entry-level and I couldn’t afford nearby parking garages. If I took a combination of buses and the metro, it would take me over ninety minutes to get to work from Burbank, so factoring the combination of time and money, driving was my best bet and I picked the cheapest garage less than a mile from work.

I used to cringe when I walked by the park. Four years ago, only a dozen homeless tents dotted the corner; the numbers had more than quadrupled. Now that I could afford a more expensive garage, I didn’t want it. I knew most of the people here by name.

“Hey, Toby,” I greeted the old black man wearing three coats, his long, dirty gray beard falling to his stomach. He had tied a rope around his waist and attached it to his shopping cart to avoid anyone stealing his worldly possessions when he slept off his alcohol.

“Mizvi,” he said, running my name together in a slur. He called me “Miss Violet” when he was sober. He must have still been coming down off whatever he’d drank last night.

I smiled. Four years ago I never smiled at these people, fearing something undefinable. Now I did, even when I wanted to cry. I reached into my purse and pulled out a bite-size Hershey Bar. Toby loved chocolate. I handed it to him. He took it with a wide grin, revealing stained teeth.

One of the biggest myths about the homeless is that they’re hungry. They have more food than they can eat. That doesn’t mean many aren’t malnourished. Drug and alcohol abuse can do that to a person.

A couple weeks ago a church group had thought they would bring in sandwiches and water as part of community service. It was a nice gesture, sure, but they could have asked what was needed instead of assuming that these people were starving. Most of the food went uneaten, left outside tents to become rat food. The plastic water bottles were collected to return for the deposit, which was used to buy drugs and alcohol.

But no one gave Toby chocolate, he once told me when he was half-sober. Now, whenever I saw

him—once, twice a week—I gave him a Hershey Bar. He would die sooner than he should, so why couldn’t I give him a small pleasure that I could afford? Toby was one of the chronics, a man who’d been on the street for years. He had no desire to be anywhere else, trusted no one, though I thought he trusted me a little. I wished I knew his story, how he came to be here, how I could reach him to show him a different path. His liver had to be slush with the amount of alcohol he consumed. Alcohol he bought because people, thinking they were helping—or just to make themselves feel better—handed him money.

As I passed the entrance to the small park, the stench of unwashed humans assaulted me. The city had put four porta-potties on the edge of the park but they emptied them once a month, if that. They were used more for getting high and prostitution than as bathrooms. The city had also put up fencing, but idn’t always come around to lock the gate. Wouldn’t matter; someone would cut it open and no one would stop them. Trespassing was the least of the crimes in the area.

I dared to look inside the park, though I didn’t expect to see her. I hadn’t seen her for over a week. I found myself clutching my messenger bag that was strapped across my chest. Not because I thought someone would steal it, but because I needed to hold something, as if my bag was a security blanket.

I didn’t see her among the tents or the people sitting on the ground, on the dirt and cushions, broken couches and sleeping bags, among the needles and small, tin foils used to smoke fentanyl. I kicked aside a vial that had once held Narcan, the drug to counteract opioid overdoses. The clear and plastic vials littered the ground, remnants of addiction.

There was nothing humane about allowing people to get so wasted they were on the verge of death, reviving them, then leaving them to do it over and over again. But that was the system.

The system was fucked.

Blue and red lights whirled as I approached the corner. I usually crossed Fifth Street here, but today I stopped, stared at the silent police car.

The police only came when someone was dying…or dead.

Mom.

I found my feet moving toward the cops even though I wanted to run away. My heart raced, my vision blurred as tears flashed, then disappeared.

Mom.

Excerpted from The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan, Copyright © 2024 by Allison Brennan.

Published by MIRA Books.

AUTHOR BIO

ALLISON BRENNAN is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of over forty novels, including The Sorority Murder. She lives in Arizona with her husband, five kids and assorted pets. The Missing Witness is the fifth thriller in the new Quinn & Costa series.

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.allisonbrennan.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllisonBrennan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Allison_Brennan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abwrites/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52527.Allison_Brennan

Buy Links:

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-missing-witness-a-quinn-costa-novel-original-allison-brennan/20078550?ean=9780778369653&ref=&source=IndieBound&title= 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/077836965X/httpwwwalli0f-20

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Books a Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/product/9780778369653 

[newstfionline]

Sunday, February 18, 2024

The Case for Spending Way More on Babies (The Atlantic) There’s a strong case that Congress should be spending way more money on kids. As a general point, the United States, despite being the richest society Earth has ever known, tolerates astonishingly high rates of child poverty. Kids are two or three times as likely to grow up in poverty in the United States as they are in most of our rich-country peers. That is a direct consequence of the United States spending such a small share of its GDP on family benefits such as public child care, home visits, and payments to new parents—a smaller share than all other OECD countries except Turkey, Costa Rica, and Mexico. The country is also an outlier in lacking a comprehensive paid-family-leave program and child care for kids 5 and under.

Hefty fines, penalties will rock Trump family’s business and fortune (Washington Post) For more than 100 years, since Donald Trump’s grandfather started buying land in New York City, the Trump family has run a real estate business in New York. Barring a successful legal appeal of Friday’s decision by a New York Supreme Court judge, that could change. In his ruling on a months-long civil trial brought against Trump and his business by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), Justice Arthur F. Engoron prohibited Trump from serving as an officer or director of any New York firm for three years. He barred Trump’s elder sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, from doing so for two years. “There is no one at the financial helm. There’s no CFO, no controller, and now you don’t have Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. or Donald Sr. running it,” said Boston College law professor Brian Quinn. After finding that Trump Organization executives had engaged in years of fraud by inflating their property values to get better insurance and tax rates, Engoron ordered that the company operate under the close eye of two overseers to ensure compliance with financial reporting obligations. In other words, Trump can remain the owner, but he has lost control.

To fight dengue epidemic, health agents in Brazil scour junkyards and roofs for mosquitos (AP) The small team of state public health workers slalomed between auto parts strewn across a Rio de Janeiro junkyard, looking for standing water where mosquitoes might have laid their eggs. They were part of nationwide efforts to curtail a surge in Brazil of the mosquito-borne illness of dengue fever during the country’s key tourist season that runs through the end of February. Earlier in the month, just days before Rio kicked of its world-famous Carnival festivities, the city joined several states and the country’s capital in declaring a public health epidemic over this year’s greater-than-normal number of cases of dengue. So far this year, Brazil has recorded 512,000 cases nationwide, including both confirmed and likely cases—nearly four times more than those registered in the same period a year ago.

Avdiivka, Longtime Stronghold for Ukraine, Falls to Russians (NYT) Ukraine ordered the complete withdrawal from the ruined city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine before dawn on Saturday, surrendering a city that had been a military stronghold for the better part of a decade, in the face of withering Russian bombardment and relentless assault. The fall of Avdiivka, a city that used to be home to some 30,000 people but is now a smoking ruin, is the first major gain Russian forces have achieved since May of last year. In recent weeks, Russian forces have been pressing the attack across nearly the entire length of the 600-mile long front. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the head of Ukraine’s forces in the south, said there had been no choice but to withdraw, given the Russian advantage in firepower and the number of soldiers they were willing to throw into the battle.

Israel Was Behind Attacks on Major Gas Pipelines in Iran, Officials Say (NYT) Israel carried out covert attacks on two major gas pipelines inside Iran this week, disrupting the flow of heat and cooking gas to provinces with millions of people, according to two Western officials and a military strategist affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps. The strikes represent a notable shift in the shadow war that Israel and Iran have been waging by air, land, sea and cyberattack for years. Israel has long targeted military and nuclear sites inside Iran—and assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists and commanders—both inside and outside of the country. Israel has also waged cyberattacks to disable servers belonging to the oil ministry, causing turmoil at gas stations nationwide. But blowing up part of the country’s energy infrastructure, relied on by industries, factories and millions of civilians, marked an escalation in the covert war and appeared to open a new frontier, officials and analysts said.

ICJ declines new protections for Rafah despite ‘perilous situation’ in city (Washington Post) The International Court of Justice on Friday declined South Africa’s request to introduce additional safeguards for Palestinians ahead of Israel’s planned offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians are seeking refuge from Israeli bombardment. In its response to a Feb. 12 request from South Africa, the ICJ said the “perilous situation” in Rafah required Israel to abide by its previous ruling last month, which included taking “all measures within its power” to prevent the crime of genocide and to allow more aid into Gaza. South Africa is pursuing a case against Israel in the ICJ, alleging it is committing and failing to prevent genocide in Gaza, accusations that Israel denies. A verdict on the question of genocide could take years. The situation in Rafah is becoming increasingly dire, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its most recent update, with people “desperate, hungry, and terrified” ahead of the expected attack. OCHA said that the number of aid trucks allowed to enter the Gaza Strip had declined over the past week, with only 20 entering on Thursday.

US diplomats warn of lasting anti-American sentiment in Middle East (ABC News) The State Department has received multiple warnings from its posts in the Middle East during recent weeks about the lasting impact from U.S. messaging on the conflict in Gaza, triggering a meeting in Washington with intelligence agencies to evaluate the fallout, according to internal communications reviewed by ABC News and officials familiar with the matter. One cable from the American mission in Morocco said that former collaborators in the country asserted that the U.S. had become “toxic” because the administration’s support for Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack had been widely perceived as a “blank check for the Israeli response.” An enduring hit to U.S. popularity in the Middle East could have extensive implications for American diplomacy. Some State Department officials say it may take a generation to rebuild U.S. standing in some countries.

Thousands homeless after DR Congo's worst floods in sixty years (Reuters) In a makeshift camp for people displaced by floods in Democratic Republic of Congo, father-of-three Cyprien Seka anxiously watched his baby nap on the floor of a crowded tent and wondered if it would ever be safe to return home. Torrential rains swelled the Congo river to its highest level in over 60 years in late December and forced around 500,000 people to flee the rising waters. "It's been almost a month since we left our homes because of the flooding... We are suffering," Seka said at the camp on the grounds of a Catholic church on the outskirts of capital Kinshasa. Like many others, Seka's family lost almost all their possessions in the rush to escape. Sixteen of Congo's 26 provinces are grappling with the fallout from the floods, which killed at least 221 people, damaged tens of thousands of homes, and exposed already vulnerable communities to increased risk of malaria and typhoid

Nigeria’s Capital Blames Rickshaws for Crime (Bloomberg) In Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja, rickshaws are essential for getting around absent a working public transit system. But officials are planning to ban the three-wheelers, citing their role as getaway vehicles in a crime and kidnapping crisis that’s engulfed Nigeria’s second-richest city. The rickety vehicles struggle to climb the city’s hills at a maximum speed of just 43 miles per hour. And rickshaw drivers who have come to the capital to escape poverty say the government is making them scapegoats for its own inability to protect residents.

[therealimintobooks]

The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan @Allison_Brennan @htp_books #blogtour #bookpromo

About The Book The Missing Witness : A Quinn & Costa Novel  Allison Brennan Series: A Quinn & Costa Thriller (#5) On Sale Date: January 23, 2024 9780778369653 Hardcover $30.00 USD Fiction / Thrillers / Crime  416 pages When Kara Quinn is framed for the murder of an FBI agent, she’ll have to go rogue to clear her name without putting her partner, Matt Costa, in danger in this latest…

[blkgrlsread2]

3 and 10 for the end of the year book asks?

Hey! I'm a complete romance whore so fair warning 😂.

3. What were your top 5 books of this year?

This is hard and I literally had to search through my goodreads.

In no particular order:

Dima by Kenya Wright

Crazy in Love by Annabelle Costa

Susix by Amelia Rademaker

Ensnared by Rebecca Quinn

Molly Molloy and the Angel of Death by Maria Vale

10. What was you favorite new release this year?

So I normally don't keep up with new books I just kind of gravitate towards books that catch my eye so I could of read a story I enjoyed more that was released this year that I just didn't notice was released this year, with that being said I'm going to to with Berries and Greed by Lily Mayne. I literally stumbled across this book and it was way better than I thought it was going to be. It was a totally different story and I was totally hooked. I hoped she drops more stories in this world.

Thanks for the asks!

[stillintoeddie]

london boy | joseph quinn

warnings: none pairing: joseph quinn x oc (but feel free to use your own name)

madeline looked at her phone first thing in the morning and she knew one thing.

she’s fucked.

it’s 7:30 in the morning and she has exactly 30 minutes to get ready and go to work. and everything would be fine because 30 minutes is a lot of time, but the catch is: she was supposed to open today and clean the mess she didn’t clean last night. because her boss, valentina made her work longer than she was supposed to. so she had a closing shift that ended at eleven. and opening one today, that was starting at 7. so, yes, she’s fucked. 

‘fuck this stupid damn broken clock and this stupid damn job, and this stupid damn-’ the phone ringing stopped her action of putting her work uniform on and made her jump a bit. ‘what?!’ 

‘ciao, madeline’ she heard her boss on the other  side of the phone. ‘may i ask where are you?’ 

the strong italian accent was making the whole conversation seem a little bit more intimidating than it already was. her boss was...scary. especially when she was mad. or upset. or annoyed. which was very, very often. the last thing anyone wanted to do was make her angry. this is why madeline froze as she heard her boss repeat her name on the phone.

‘if you are not here in the next 10 minutes you are fired.’ 

that was the last thing she heard before the loud noise that meant the end of the call. madeline quickly brushed her teeth, took her purse and ran out of her flat. luckily she lived 5 minutes away from the restaurant she was working at, so it wasn’t that bad. but as soon as she entered the building the look valentina gave her made her die in the inside.

‘okay listen, i know i was supposed to open at 7 but i got back home late and was really tired and-’ 

‘basta!’ madeline froze again as her boss interrupted her. ‘no more talking, madeline. non voglie sentirlo. get to work.’ 

she just nodded avoiding the eye contact with her boss. her colleagues were already here as well, she had a shift with people she didn’t really talk to that much because they didn’t know english that well and she barely spoke italian. she was only here for a bit because she wanted to “experience her childhood dream and live in a italian village for a while” but after a month here she realised it’s not that fun if you’re not a rich celebrity that doesn’t have to worry about money so she had to find a job. and she had. but with her poor italian knowledge it was... hard.

it’s been a few hours now, her shift was ending at 5pm today and it’s now 1pm. she was not having the best time since she barely got ready in the morning, didn’t eat anything except a few bites in between people arriving and leaving the restaurant. it was not a big restaurant so there were only 2 waitresses per day. unless there was an event going on, then they had all of them working at once. but today it was just two. 

madeline took a deep breath and went to serve the next table. it was a man, a very handsome man. he was wearing a simple black button up shirt and jeans. he didn’t look italian, but who was she to judge someone by their looks? she walked up to him and smiled. 

woah, she thought. 

‘buon pomeriggio, costa ti porto da mangiare?’ she asked with a smile on her face. 

‘hi,’ he replied also with a smile. she couldn’t really recognise the accent just after hearing a one word but something was telling her he was from her area. ‘potrei avere un vodka martini and, uh-’ he said with a very obvious not italian accent. ‘wait. sorry. my italian is a bit rusty. i, uh, ordino-’

‘oh, you’re good!’ she interrupted him mid sentence. ‘i speak english, it’s okay. well, i’m not supposed to speak english with customers but it’s easier in this situation. for both of us really and-’ she realised she started rambling to a literal stranger she was supposed to just take an order from. ‘i am so sorry-’

‘thank god,’ he laughed with relief. ‘i’ve not talked in italian in so long. it’s embarrassing actually.’ 

‘oh not at all, i’ve lived here for 4 months and all i can say is all these waitress’ stuff and how to ask about the toilet.’ madeline’s words made him laugh. and she could swear that this stranger was one of the most beautiful men she’s ever seen. and she’s barely attracted to men ever. ‘so, what can i get for you?’ 

‘well, a glass of martini, some pasta salad and maybe some blue cheese stuffed olives?’ he said as he looked up at her and smiled.

‘interesting choice,’ she said as she wrote it all down. 

this is the weirdest order she’s ever taken, she thought. 

‘in a good or bad way?’ he asked again.

‘well, i’m not a fan of olives to be fair. but this pasta salad is amazing, you’re gonna love it.’ she said and looked at him once again. ‘is this all?’

‘yes, thank you...’ he looked a bit closer to her. she frowned her eyebrows at him. ‘madeline.’ the way he said her name made her stomach feel in a certain way. but in a good way.

‘alright then,’ she tried playing it cool. ‘i’ll be back with your food in a minute.’ 

madeline walked towards the kitchen and handed the cook the note with the order. in the meantime she took orders from other people as well and when the time came she brought food to every table, when it was time for his food.

‘there you go, blue cheese stuffed olives, pasta salad and martini.’ she said as she put the plates on the table. ‘i hope you enjoy it, if there’s any problem just call out for me.’

‘thank you, it smells absolutely delicious,’ he replied with a smile and walked her as she walked back to the kitchens. 

half an hour passed, no more other customers came in and the ones that were already inside finished their meals, paid and left. she noticed she was being called to the table number 3 which was the table the handsome british man was sitting at. she took a deep breath and walked up to him. he was smiling at her and all his food was gone.

‘i see you enjoyed the meal,’ she started a conversation as she stood next to the table.

‘it was absolutely delicious. i really enjoyed it. and you were right, this salad was amazing.’ he replied, still smiling. ‘can i get a bill?’ 

she took the bill out and gave it to him. they had a quick talk before he left the restaurant and after all this time she realised, she never got his name. but maybe it was a good thing? there’s no chances she’s gonna meet him ever again so why does she need his name for? madeline took the bill box and opened it and saw a bit more than just the money for the food. she also found an extra 15 euros inside. 

‘what the fuck?’ she whispered to herself. ‘15 fucking euros? i barely ever get a one.’ but she wasn’t complaining. she can get herself a full dinner for that. and wine afterwards. this definitely made her day better than it already was. 

as 5pm hit on the clock she left the restaurant, still avoiding her boss since she knew she’s still upset with her. 

she didn’t even go back home, she went straight to a restaurant a few blocks away and ordered a take out so she can eat it at home. as she was walking on the pavement she bumped into someone.

‘woah, mi scuso-’ she sad and looked up and saw a face of someone she thought she would never see again. ‘oh god, it’s you-’

‘sorry to disappoint,’ he joked as she took a step back. but she still had to look up to see his face. he was taller than her, but not that tall. but still tall.

‘that’s not what i-’ she was interrupted with a laugh. ‘not funny!’ she hit him gently on the arm. ‘but for real, i’m sorry i didn’t see you, my thoughts were somewhere else.’

‘that’s totally okay, it’s not everyday when a pretty girl bumps into you.’ he said with a wink and she feel her face going red in a second. 

she laughed it off and finally looked at him again, ‘i’m actually glad i bumped into you because i didn’t get to thank you for the tip. but it was definitely too much. but i got to buy dinner so i can’t complain.’ 

‘what tip?’ he asked and madeline froze. ‘i’m joking! god, you should see your face right now.’ he laughed and his laugh made madeline laugh, too. which also hid the fact that she was double red right now. 

‘i hate you,’ she said and rolled her eyes. ‘i swear if i got tips mixed up this day would be even worse than it already is. so thank you for making my heart skip...’ she said with a long pause as she looked at him. 

‘oh! joseph. i’m joseph,’ he said and smiled. 

‘madeline, but you already know that.’ they shook hands and as their hands met they both felt this weird feeling in the air. ‘so, are you...?’

‘was just going from my hotel, i wanted to get some beverage. but i dunno what yet. what’cha got there?’ he pointed at her bag. 

‘just some vegetarian pasta and wine, it’s the best one. i got it it from this one store, so if you want a good but cheap alcohol go there,’ she pointed at the store that was visible from here. ‘and you’ll love it. unless you don’t like wine, they have some good whiskey as well. and martini, since you like it.’

she was rambling and rambling and joseph swore he could listen her talk for hours. she had such a beautiful, soothing voice and her english accent made it all mix up perfectly.

madeline was also beautiful. joseph’s never seen anyone quite like her. she was absolutely breath-taking. and what he enjoyed about this whole interaction the most was that he was just joseph here. not joseph quinn, the actor. just joseph. and she didn’t seem to know who he was anyway, or she was just very good at pretending. but he didn’t think so. 

‘oh sorry, i’m talking a lot aren’t i. you’re probably in a rush-’ she said and he stopped her. 

‘it’s okay!’ he assured her. ‘not in a rush or anything. just getting some alcohol for later. i’m meeting up with some friends.’ 

‘oh, that sounds fun.’ madeline said and looked around. ‘what are you guys doing? wait, sorry. that’s not my business, i’m so sorry-’

‘you really need to stop apologising for everything, you know?’ he laughed and put his hand on her shoulder, but took it off as soon as he realised what he did. ‘we’re just hanging out really, nothing specific on mind.’

‘that sound lovely and sorry, yeah. i mean, i’m not sorry but- anyway. i should go. my dinner’s getting cold.’ 

‘oh, yeah- uhm, of course. have a nice meal and don’t drink too much. wine is a killer.’ he said as she took a step back. 

‘yes, sir.’ she made this funny hand movement as she replied. ‘that was dumb, sorry. okay, i gotta go-’ and as she said it she gave him the last smile and walked towards her flat building. 

joseph wanted to stop her, to ask her to join him tonight. he would even cancel on his friends just so he could hang out with her but he didn’t because he realised how strange it would be. a stranger man, a man that she served at the restaurant, asking her out after they bump into each other on the street. a scene like from some kind of romantic comedy movie. 

but he swore to himself that if he ever sees her again, he’s gonna ask her out. 

a/n: i dont speak italian fluently i just know some phrases and if its not right feel free to tell me so i can correct it xx

[marvellfashion]

Here is the full list of the 783 votes

Ororo Munroe 206 votes

Remy LeBeau 168 votes

St. John Allerdyce 52 votes

Peter Rasputin 41 votes

David Alleyne 27 votes

Anna Marie 25 votes

Raven Darkholme 20 votes

Jean Grey 19 votes

Alison Blaire 15 votes

Kwannon 13 votes

Charles Xavier 12 votes

Eden Fesi 10 votes

Monet St. Croix 10 votes

Rachel Summers 10 votes

Laura Kinney 9 votes

Emma Frost (outfit 3) 8 votes

Trevor Hawkins 8 votes

Dani Moonstar 7 votes

Emma Frost (outfit 2) 7 votes

Jeanne-Marie Beaubier 7 votes

Julio Richter 7 votes

Kurt Wagner 7 votes

Betsy Braddock 6 votes

Illyana Rasputin 6 votes

Joanna Cargill 6 votes

Max Eisendhert 6 votes

Meghan Quinn 5 votes

Alex Summers 4 votes

Everett Thomas 4 votes

Hisako Ichiki 4 votes

Kitty Pryde 4 votes

Tommy Shepherd 4 votes

Xi'an Coy Manh 4 votes

Jubilation Lee 3 votes

Scott Summers 3 votes

Warren Worthington III 3 votes

Abigail Brand 2 votes

Alani Ryan 2 votes

Bennet Du Paris 2 votes

Emma Frost (outfit 1) 2 votes

Jamie Braddock 2 votes

Jean-Paul Beaubier 2 votes

Kyle Jinadu 2 votes

Lorna Dane 2 votes

Meggan Puceanu 2 votes

Sam Guthrie 2 votes

Selene Gallio 2 votes

Bobby Drake 1 vote

Carmen Cruz 1 vote

Christian Frost 1 vote

James Proudstar 1 vote

Jason Wyngarde 1 vote

Khora 1 vote

Nathaniel Essex 1 vote

Roberto Da Costa 1 vote

Sean Cassidy 1 vote

Shiro Yoshida 1 vote

Takeshi Matsuya 1 vote

[mind-reader1]

All of Me (Jake x MC)

This is for @princesstopgunswife 

A/N: The Jake and MC reunion that everyone wanted. 

Find a link to my masterlist here

Warnings: angsty, fluffly. 

Word Count: 2,743

Five years, none of them could believe it had been that long since they’d all been together in one place, since they’d all left the island...well almost all of them. 

Everyone had mourned the loss of their friend, the person who brought them all together and of course the one who saved them all. Despite mourning her, they still moved forward with their lives, graduated college, got jobs, reconnected. Grace and Aleister got married, Sean and Michelle decided to give it another chance. Even Estela worked to move on, accepting that she could have a life without vengeance. That wasn’t the be all and end all of her existence. 

Then there was Jake. He’d lost Mike, he’d lost his wife all in the course of 24 hours. Lundgren was dead, eliminating all his hopes of clearing his name; of going back to the states to see his family again. He stayed in Costa Rica after flying the newfound group of friends off La Huerta. The first few months he would drink himself into a stupor every night, replaying her voicemail until he fell asleep, desperate to hear her voice again. 

They had all come to visit him at one point or another, worried about him and how he was coping. Especially Diego, he’d lost Varyyn, he understood Jake’s grief. Diego tried to convince Jake that Taylor would’ve wanted him to find happiness with someone else, but Jake never did, he couldn’t do that to her. Even if they didn’t get to spend their year and one day together, they’d had thousands of lives together on La Huerta and they would always be connected. No one would ever fill that hole in his heart and he didn’t want anyone too. Diego didn’t push, he felt the same way about Varyyn, connected forever. 

The five year reunion was upon them now though, Jake leaned against Deliah trying to play it cool, but he was nervous to return to the island, unsure of what to expect. He’d thought so often about going back there himself, about trying to find any trace of her but he’d never been able to bring himself to do it. 

“How does he get to look the same after all these years baking in the sun when he doesn’t even use moisturizer!” Jake cracked a smile, he’d recognize that voice anywhere. 

“I think it’s the rum Maybelline, you should try it.” Michelle rolled her eyes. 

“Good to see you Jake.” 

“Cap.” Sean came up and dropped Michelle’s bags before clapping Jake on the back. 

“Caught your last game. Talk about a hail mary, guess that’s why they pay you the big bucks though.” 

“Chyeah! Only because I made it possible for him.” “Drax.” Sean and Craig had gone pro and been drafted together, the dynamic duo of the NFL. 

“Don’t you nerds have anything to talk about besides football?” 

“Skrillex. Hack any foreign governments recently?”  Zahra smirked. 

“Whenever you want that record cleared, you better have my money.” Jake smiled, Zahra had offered to hack the government and clear his record so he could return home to his family. He felt like he would only be a burden though, were Taylor still with him, things may have been different.

 “...the laws of quantum physics clearly state-“ 

“Malfoy, brain trust! Heard y’all got married. Congratulations!” Grace beamed at Jake and pulled him into a tight hug. 

“Thank you Jake!” Grace swiftly hit Aleister on the arm. 

“Yes, thank you Jacob.” 

“Let’s see, still missing Petey, Ariel, Julio Child and Katniss.”

 “I’m right here.” Jake jumped and turned to see Estela staring at him, Diego walking up behind her. 

“Dammit! You don’t need to sneak up on me like that.” Diego chuckled as Estela smirked and climbed onto the plane. 

“What are you laughing at Petey?” Diego innocently held up his hands and boarded the plane.

 He heard the laughter of the last two before he saw them, Raj was licking something off his fingertips, no doubt something that had come from the container Quinn was carrying. 

“Jake, dude, you have to try one of these cupcakes.” Raj happily rubbed his belly. 

“I’m sure they’re great Ariel, but I don’t want to get frosting all over the cockpit. Save one for me once we land?”

 “Of course!” Quinn also wrapped him in a big hug and kissed his cheek before boarding the plane. 

“All right. Well we’ve got the whole Brady Bunch now….so let’s do this.” 

The plane was eerily silent as they flew over the water, their minds inevitably drifting back to the first plane ride they’d taken together. Diego made his way up to the cockpit and took a seat, Jake was rigid at the controls, a death grip on yoke. 

“Jake...how are you?” Jake didn’t take his eyes off the horizon, his body trembling softly with adrenaline. 

“I’m fine Petey. It’s an island. Been here probably a hundred times.” 

“Jake, you know what I mean.” He hated being vulnerable, sharing his feelings, anyone he opened up to he inevitably lost. Diego was the closest connection he had to Taylor these days, he was the sole reason Taylor had even existed. 

Talk to him Jake. He could hear her voice in his mind, encouraging him to keep making those connections.

“I miss her Diego. So damn much. I thought I could do this with you all but I’m not sure.” It was the first time Jake had ever called Diego by name. 

“I miss her too. I think this will be good for us Jake, maybe we can leave the ghosts behind.” 

“I don’t want to forget, I never want to forget.” 

“You never could, I’m just saying...maybe it’s time to leave behind the guilt that keeps haunting us.” He had a point, Jake felt guilty still, like he hadn’t done everything he could’ve to make her stay. Deep down he knew that was wrong though, he knew it was her decision and she was a selfless person. She chose the world over herself, so that he could have a life to go back to, maybe it was time to stop feeling guilty about living that life. 

“Thanks Petey. Now get back to your seat so I can land.” Diego smiled softly and returned to his seat as Jake made a smooth landing on La Huerta.

 Since Rourke’s arrest, Aleister had taken over the Celestial resort. When the world had returned to normal, so had all the guests and the island had continued to operate as if nothing happened. For this weekend though, Aleister closed the entire resort to outside guests and staff. It would be the eleven of them alone. 

They all collected their room keys, staying in the same rooms they’d had before, except for Jake. He stared for ages at the honeymoon suite key, it was the room where they’d spent their first night together, something he would never forget. He wasn’t sure he could face it again though. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his nerves and swiped the key, riding the elevator up to the room, it seemed to move at an agonizingly slow pace.

He entered the room and sucked in a breath, flooded with memories of that night. 

Hey you. 

Hey. 

Jake wandered over to the large pane windows overlooking the island. He remembered every moment of that night, this is where they’d kissed each other, he’d pushed her back up against the glass, desperate to feel her body pressed against his for the first time, what he wouldn’t give to feel that just one more time. 

“I’ve never wanted anything as badly as I want you.” He whispered in longing. 

Then have me. She had said that back to him their first night together and that was the beginning of the end for him. He was hooked. They’d thrashed that room and didn’t give a damn, it was strange to see it put back together. He opened the window to get some fresh air but he could swear he smelled her perfume drifting to his nose over the ocean breeze.

 He slammed the window shut and laid down on the bed still in his clothes, staring at the canopy. The bed felt cold and foreign to him, he tried turning on his sides but he couldn’t fall asleep, every time he closed his eyes he would see her beside him in bed only to reach over and find it empty. He slipped out of the room and went down to the beach, snagging a hotel towel on his way out. Maybe a night out under the stars with the ocean waves could help him clear his mind. 

\\

Vaanu had been made whole again and should have felt at peace, but there always seemed to be something keeping it from its eternal rest. Just a sliver that felt like it was missing, the feeling only grew the closer the 5 year anniversary of becoming whole came. 

Why do I feel as though I am still broken? Vaanu bellowed in despair. Desperately searching for the beacon from its missing shard, it followed it to a well known place, La Huerta. Vaanu summoned the physical manifestation of Taylor that had been created by one of the shards, it could sense that she was the part of itself that was still missing a piece.

 “Where am I?” 

Why am I still broken? Memories came flooding back to Taylor like a tsunami, saying goodbye to Jake and the others, then it was all black until waking up here. She could hear its voice in her mind and feel exactly what it was talking about, she felt a sense of emptiness. It took her only a moment to realize why. 

“Jake.” That feeling of emptiness only grew, she longed to see him again, to hear his voice. She could feel the ghost of his touch on her skin, lighting it on fire with pleasure, a feeling only he could give her. Something she couldn’t live without. 

Jake?

“Jake and I fell in love over 1,000 times in different timelines. I promised him a year and a day, a part of my soul will forever be with him.” Taylor wondered how long it had been, wondered if he moved on, if she still felt this broken though she knew he hadn’t and that somehow hurt her more.

 Broken. 

“Let me be with Jake. If we’re together then the shard is together, you’ll be whole again.” She didn’t know how, but she could tell Vaanu was thinking. “Please, you know you won’t feel whole until he dies and that will be years. Years you could have spent being whole again if you just let me go to him.” She pleaded, desperate. 

There was a bright flash and when Taylor opened her eyes she was on the familiar beach of La Huerta, there was a towel on the beach, void of an occupant. She needed to get her bearings, find a way to get in touch with Jake. She was back! 

\\

Jake had been unsuccessful trying to sleep on the beach as well, he’d turned to his last resort, alcohol. He’d found some rum but what he really wanted was the good stuff, some strong whiskey that would knock him right out. 

Someone poked him in the shoulder and he turned to see who it was, it was Taylor, smiling at him in her blue tank top and khaki pants. He must’ve been hallucinating another memory again. 

“Help ya with something Princess?” He turned away, his focus back on liquor, he didn’t notice her frown. She thought he’d be more excited to see her, like she was him. Maybe she’d been mistaken, maybe he had moved on. 

“Just seeing what you’re up to.” She said deflated. 

“Trying to see if we got any good whiskey left so I can stop reliving all these damn memories. Like this one of you asking me to come to your room. You?” 

“Jake...this isn’t a memory.” 

“Must be dreamin’ then. Guess I did find the good whiskey.” 

“Jake look at me! I’m actually here!”

“You say that in all my dreams and then I wake up Princess.” He whispered heavily, sounding emotionally tired, it would go away if he’d just listen to her! She hit him in the arm and scowled at him until he looked at her. 

“Ow!” 

“Jake, please. It’s really me.” He shook his head, she could see the pain in his eyes. 

“No. You went with Vaanu and that was it. My wife is dead!” He was fighting back tears. 

“Jake, what do I have to do to prove to you I’m real, that I’m here?” He turned and grabbed both sides of her face, their lips meeting in a fiery kiss with years of longing poured into it. Taylor melted against Jake and he pulled away, breathing heavily his eyes still closed. 

“If I open my eyes, are you still gonna be here Taylor?” 

“Yes, Jake. Now please, open your eyes and look at me.” She whispered, cupping his cheek. Her touch felt so real, Jake didn’t want to risk it. He wanted to stay in this moment for just a little longer.

“I can’t Princess. I can’t.” Stubborn ass, she thought to herself. 

“Come with me.” She had one last idea up her sleeve to convince him, dragging him to the elevator, she kept their hands laced together as she pulled him to their room. 

“I’ve got to give myself credit, this is my most elaborate hallucination yet.” 

“Jacob Lucas McKenzie. I am right here, right now, with you. Your wife. Your naked wife. So help me god if you don’t open your eyes to look at me I will go back to Vaanu.” Taylor had in fact stripped down to her red lacy bra and underwear set, she knew it was Jake’s favorite and if this didn’t convince him, nothing would. “Dammit Princess.” Jake opened his eyes and stared. There she was. Still there. In front of him. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He rubbed them and blinked a few times but she was always still there. He was overcome with emotion. He didn’t know if he should cry, kiss her or give into the desire coursing through him. 

“I have never wanted anything as badly as I want you right now.” 

“Then have me.” 

They came together and years of pent up energy came pouring out. Sure they’d wrecked the room the first time, but this was 5 years of pent up sexual energy between newly-wed soulmates, it was a whole new level of destruction before they finally made it to the bed. 

As they laid there after, Jake couldn’t stop staring at her, tracing every line of her body. 

“I missed you so much Taylor.” He whispered. 

“How long was I gone Jake?” 

“5 years.” Her heart sank, imagining him alone for 5 years, they could’ve had kids by now. 

“I’m sorry Jake, I’m so sorry. I'm never going to leave you again.” He pulled her close and pressed his forehead to hers, their noses gently brushing. 

“I wouldn’t survive it if you did Princess. I don’t understand though, how are you back? I would’ve sold my soul if it meant getting you back but I didn’t think it was possible..” 

“It’s because of you Jake.” His eyes shot open in confusion. “When we got handfasted, after spending all those timelines together and falling in love every time, a part of me is literally in your heart Jake.” 

“I don’t follow.” 

“Vaanu wanted me to return so it could be whole, but we’re soulmates Jake. A little shard broke off and resides in you. When we’re together, we’re whole, because we’re whole, so is Vaanu.” 

“So you really are back for good? You’re staying forever?” 

“Forever top gun.” Tears of joy began to stream down Jake’s face and Taylor wiped them away as Jake wiped hers. 

“Good, because it’s going to take a long time to catch up on those five years of married life we missed.” Taylor let out a soft laugh. 

“I guess it’s a good thing we don’t have to leave this bed until morning. Now, tell me everything.” Jake laid on his back and Taylor rested her head on his chest, looking up at him as he told her about everything she’d missed. 

Finally, I am whole again. 

@drakesroyalromance​

[genderbinaryisforlosers]

Within the Wires season 2 - Museum Audio Tours

1. Falling by Florence + the Machine

Because falling's not the problem, When I'm falling I'm at peace, It's only when I hit the ground, It causes all the grief.

2. Bad Self Portraits by Lake Street Dive

Stuck taking landscapes, Stuck taking still lifes, Stuck making sculptures, I'm out here taking bad self portraits, Of a lonely woman.

3. North by Sleeping at Last

Let the years we’re here be kind, be kind, Let our hearts, like doors, open wide, open wide, Settle our bones like wood over time, over time, Give us bread, give us salt, give us wine.

4. She Belongs to Me by Eliza Rickman

You will start out standing Proud to steal her anything she sees, But you will wind up peeking through her keyhole Down upon your knees.

5. A Case of You by James Blake

Oh I am a lonely painter, I live in a box of paints, I'm frightened by the devil, And I'm drawn to those ones that ain't afraid.

6. Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush

Is there so much hate for the ones we love? Tell me, we both matter, don't we? You, it's you and me, It's you and me won't be unhappy.

image credits under cut

Museo Nacional del Prado (can’t find the specific image on their website but it’s sourced from there)

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine - Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Costa da Morte 1 - Carla Andrade (original image - edited unknown)

unknown

Little Moments 2 - Kate Miss

untitled (personal work) - Micaiah Carter

unknown

Galway Bay Ireland - Meridian Quinn

background: A shipwreck off a rocky coast - Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg

[felipearkell]

Oi, Bridgerton?

O que dizer sobre uma das séries mais assistidas dos últimos meses? Tá, demorei um pouco para me pronunciar, mas, quem me conhece sabe que não sou muito fã de redes sociais. De qualquer forma, deixo aqui um pouco de minhas impressões sobre uma obra aclamada pela crítica.

Baseada nos livros de Julia Quinn, Bridgerton se passa na Inglaterra, no século XIX, a série faz um retrato de uma família nobre de Londres.

Já deixo bem claro que adorei a série, porém, vou abordar algumas opiniões particulares:

O começo não me prendeu e acabei demorando duas semanas para finalizar o primeiro episódio. Entretanto, depois disso a coisa fluiu como nunca! Como é uma série cheia de detalhes, optei por assistir a um episódio por semana, com o a grande observação de que os três últimos vi em dois dias.

Gostei da maneira que incluíram as músicas contemporâneas na série e de como os conflitos familiares se estenderam, particularmente de Anthony Bridgerton, Eloise, Daphne e Penelope. Muita sofrência para uma única série e, para quem pensa que não há profundidade, está tremendamente enganado. Apesar de se passar por uma realidade da nobreza, podemos acompanhar situações de preconceito e claramente uma influência latende da lei sálica pela sociedade inglesa em pleno século XIX. As mulheres com poucos ou nenhum direito, restando-lhes apenas a procura por um casamento que lhes sustentem.

Sobre a trama principal, a de Daphne com Simon, tenho algo a dizer:

Passei MUITA raiva! Parte pelo excesso de fofura da protagonista, parte por ela também segurar os conflitos nas costas, sentir (e de fato tinha) a responsabilidade de desencadear um futuro para suas irmãs. Foi de grande aflição vê-la tendo que segurar o nome dos Bridgerton’s nas mãos, enquanto Anthony apenas brincava de “pega-pega” com seus descompromissos.

O lado de Simon também me deixou inquieto, pois o conde tinha sua promessa para cumprir, o que o impedia de viver uma história, não só de amor, mas também de vida.

Apesar de tudo e de minha “agonia” com o plot central, me senti satisfeito com o que aconteceu no final. Fiquei surpreso com a série, não imaginava que fosse me prender e que tivesse questões relevantes. Além do clichê que todos esperamos, a série tem um toque requintado de inovação, com elementos contemporâneos sutilmente distribuídos.

Nota: 4,7/5.

[1-800-slater]

TOP FIVE CHRISTIAN SLATER MOVIES!

(determined by casting, performance, script, cinematography, set design, prop design, character design, character appeal, soundtrack, plot, etc.)

TRUE ROMANCE (1993)

overview: R, action/crime, 2h 1m

description by ella: an elvis presley fanatic named clarence worley (christian slater) falls suddenly in love with a peachy romantic call-girl named alabama whitman. (patricia arquette). to prove to her his willingness to protect her, he goes to take back her belongings from her former pimp. after a violent change of plans, clarence leaves the club with the pimp’s blood on his hands and a mistaken suitcase filled with cociane, not clothes. they decide to live a glorious on-the-run life by selling the coke, with the help of friends. but, will clarence and alabama’s movie lifestyle have a happy ending, especially with the mob on their tail?

directed by: tony scott

script by: quentin tarantino

music by: hans zimmer and others

starring: christian slater, patricia arquette, michael rappaport, dennis hopper, christopher walken, brad pitt, & gary oldman.

why it’s #1: with a movie directed by tony scott and a script by the legendary quentin tarantino, nothing can go wrong. clarence worley and alabama whitman are some of the most interesting characters to ever be in a bonnie/clyde scenario. the movie is always moving, but the cliches of a crime/action movie are thrown out of the window when it comes to true romance. the cinematography and overall design is very unique, is quite beautiful. pretty much one of the sexiest, if not the sexiest, movie, ever.

PUMP UP THE VOLUME (1990)

overview: R, drama/comedy, 1h 45m

description by ella: a outcast with a way of words, mark hunter (christian slater), finds his voice in a pirate radio show, going by the name happy harry hard-on. every night a 10 o’ clock, he empowers the teens of arizona to be who they are, be crazy as shit, and live their life, no matter how ridiculous and crazy, all while nineties hard rock plays and his hormones rattle. but when he’s discovered by nora diniro (samantha mathis), everything falls apart. suddenly the government and the school are after him for his out-of-line behavior on the air, and he’s falling in love for the first time. jeez, somebody give mark hunter a break!

directed by: allan moyle

script by: allan moyle

music by: concrete blond, pixies, peter murphy, urban dance squad, etc.

starring: christian slater, samantha mathis, annie ross, cheryl pollak, andy romano, billy morrisette, & ellen greene.

why it’s #2: pump up the volume is one of the most controversial and eye-opening movies of it’s era. with mark hunter (christian slater) boiling over with truth about society and how it beats down it’s youth, it’s bound to be fantastic. the set design is gorgeous and really matches the aesthetic of the 1990s. the plot is easy to follow, but wild and interesting, and really is a good watch. plus, who doesn’t want to see christian slater and samantha mathis drooling over eachother?

HEATHERS (1988)

overview: R, dark comedy, 1h 43m

description by ella: a teen girl lost in societal standards, veronica sawyer (winona ryder) falls for a rejected and dejected jason dean (christian slater), with a taste for a clean slate. it seemed perfect at first, her prince coming to her rescue on his motorcycle. but, after a line of murders with her knight in armor, veronica finds herself pushed off the edge. before she can stop the madness, she must stop jason dean.

directed by: michael lehmann

script by: daniel waters

music by: david newman

starring: winona ryder, christian slater, shannon doherty, kim walker, lisanne frank, patrick labyorteaux, lance fenton, & carrie lynn.

why it’s #3: the set design of this movie is absolutely gorgeous, with each piece seemingly handcrafted to fit. the script is one of the best of it’s kind, as it’s unique catchphrases and dialogue assigned to each character is brilliant. the plot is so fun to watch unfold, and you’ll find yourself torn between rooting for veronica sawyer or jason dean.

UNTAMED HEART (1993)

overview: P-13, romance/drama, 1h 42m

description by ella: caroline, a bubbly waitress,(maresi tomei) falls victim to the tender trap of love after a series of breakups. with the help of her best friend cindy (rosie perez) she finally feels herself again. but, comes along thugs from her past, who follow her home and attempt to rape her. a shy busboy named adam (christian slater) who is hopelessly in love with caroline, comes to her rescue. as their romance blooms, caroline falls even deeper in love with adam than she ever imagined.

directed by: tony bill

script by: tom sierchio

music by: cliff eidelman

starring: maresi tomei, christian slater, rosie perez, kyle secor, willie garson, & lotis key.

why it’s #4: untamed heart is one of the most tragic yet heartwarming romance stories ever told. maresi tomei and christian slater play their roles with ease, and their romance is believable and awe-worthy.

MOBSTERS (1991)

overview: R, crime/drama, 2h

description by ella: four mobsters, charlie luciano (christian slater), meyer lansky (patrick dempsey), bugsy siegel (richard grieco), and frank costello (costas mandylor) rise from nothing a build an empire. but, the original big guys of the mob world are sensing the quartet are more trouble than they thought.

directed by: michael karbelnikoff

script by: michael mahern

music by: michael small

starring: christian slater, patrick dempsey, richard grieco, costas mandylor, lara flynn boyle, anthony quinn, & michael gambon.

why it’s #5: armed with a tommy gun and a craving for revenge, christian slater and his gang of mob maniacs stop at nothing to make their acting perfect in this movie. the set design is the best i’ve seen in a mob movie ever, and does justice to charlie lucky luciano’s legend.

[beyond-the-yellowbrickroad]

movies watched in 2020 (part one)

1. Little Italy (2018) Directed by Donald Petrie

2. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (2007) Directed by Zach Helm

3. Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2017) Directed by Morgan Spurlock

4. Along Came Polly (2004) Directed by John Hamburg

5. Frozen II (2019) Directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

6. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) Directed by Joachim Rønning

  7. The Two Popes (2019) Directed by Fernando Meirelles

8. It Takes Two (1995) Directed by Andy Tennant

   9. Last Christmas (2019) Directed by Paul Feig

10. Christine (2016) Directed by Antonio Campos

11. Head Over Heels (2001) Directed by Mark Waters

12. The Babysitter (2017) Directed by McG

13. Fry Day (2017) Directed by Laura Moss

14. Hair Love (2019) Directed by Bruce W. Smith, Matthew A. Cherry & Everett Downing Jr.

15. The Terminal (2004) Directed by Steven Spielberg

16. Bombshell (2019) Directed by Jay Roach

17. Thanks for Sharing (2012) Directed by Stuart Blumberg

18. The Edge of Democracy (2019) ‘Democracia em Vertigem’ Directed by Petra Costa

19. Klaus (2019) Directed by Sergio Pablos   

20. Little Women (2019) Directed by Greta Gerwig

21. Life Overtakes Me (2019) Directed by Kristine Samuelson, John Haptas

22. The Lego Batman Movie (2017) Directed by Chris McKay

23. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) Directed by Marielle Heller

24. Simply Irresistible (1999) Directed by Mark Tarlov

25. Airplane Mode (2020) ‘Modo Avião’ Directed by César Rodrigues

26. American Factory (2019) Directed by Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert

BONUS  

27. American Factory: A Short Conversation with the Obamas (2019) Directed by Julia Reichert

28. Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) Directed by Jake Kasdan

29. Cats (2019) Directed by Tom Hooper

30. Pain and Glory (2019) ‘Dolor y gloria’ Directed by Pedro Almodóvar 

   31. Missing Link (2019) Directed by Chris Butler

32. Nefta Football Club (2018) Directed by Yves Piat

33. Richard Jewell (2019) Directed by Clint Eastwood

34. Troop Zero (2019) Directed by Bert, Bertie

35. 1917 (2019) Directed by Sam Mendes

36. Labor Pains (2009) Directed by Lara Shapiro

37. Love Wrecked (2005) Directed by Randal Kleiser

38. I Lost My Body (2019) ‘J'ai Perdu Mon Corps’ Directed by Jérémy Clapin

39. Breakthrough (2019) Directed by Roxann Dawson

40. The Cave (2019) ‘غار’ Directed by Feras Fayyad

41. Corpus Christi (2019) ‘Boże Ciało’ Directed by Jan Komasa

42. For Sama (2019) Directed by Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts

43. Harriet (2019) Directed by Kasi Lemmons

44. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020) Directed by Cathy Yan

45. Ad Astra (2019) Directed by James Gray

46. To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020) Directed by Michael Fimognari

47. Charlie’s Angels (2000) Directed by McG

48. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003) Directed by McG

49. Charlie’s Angels (2019) Directed by Elizabeth Banks

50. Overboard (2018) Directed by Rob Greenberg

51. Jenny Slate: Stage Fright (2019) Directed by Gillian Robespierre

52. The Rewrite (2014) Directed by Marc Lawrence

53. Looper (2012) Directed by Rian Johnson

54. Signs (2002) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

55. Margaret (2011) Directed by Kenneth Lonergan

56. All the Bright Places (2020) Directed by Brett Haley

57. Beauty & the Briefcase (2010) Directed by Gil Junger

58. When in Rome (2010) Directed by Mark Steven Johnson

59. Beauty Shop (2005) Directed by Bille Woodruff

60. Vampires Suck (2010) Directed by Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer

61. So Undercover (2012) Directed by Tom Vaughan

62. Think Like a Man (2012) Directed by Tim Story

63. Think Like a Man Too (2014) Directed by Tim Story   

64. Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) Directed by Jeff Fowler

65. Across the Universe (2007) Directed by Julie Taymor

66. Bring It On Again (2004) Directed by Damon Santostefano

67. Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006) Directed by Steve Rash

68. The Invisible Man (2020) Directed by Leigh Whannell

69. The Hunt (2020) Directed by Craig Zobel

70. Step Sisters (2018) Directed by Charles Stone III

71. Swiped (2018) Directed by Ann Deborah Fishman

72. Just Friends (2005) Directed by Roger Kumble

73. Love Don’t Co$t a Thing (2003) Directed by Troy Byer

74. The Gentlemen (2019) Directed by Guy Ritchie

75. Onward (2020) Directed by Dan Scanlon

76. Dolittle (2020) Directed by Stephen Gaghan

77. Love Jacked (2018) Directed by Alfons Adetuyi

78. Two Night Stand (2014) Directed by Max Nichols

79. Hot Fuzz (2007) Directed by Edgar Wright

80. Nine Months (1995) Directed by Chris Columbus

81. Locke (2013) Directed by Steven Knight

82. The World’s End (2013) Directed by Edgar Wright

83. Imagine Me & You (2005) Directed by Ol Parker

84. Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Directed by Frank Oz

85. Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) Directed by Drew Goddard

86. Ibiza (2018) Directed by Alex Richanbach

87. Emma. (2020) Directed by Autumn de Wilde

88. Jexi (2019) Directed by Jon Lucas, Scott Moore  

89. Airplane! (1980) Directed by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker

90. The Half of It (2020) Directed by Alice Wu

91. The Wrong Missy (2020) Directed by Tyler Spindel

92. Possessor (2020) Directed by Brandon Cronenberg

93. Ingrid Goes West (2017) Directed by Matt Spicer

94. El Revenge (2017) ‘La Vingança’ Directed by Fernando Fraiha

95. Unfinished Business (2015) Directed by Ken Scott

96. Rough Night (2017) Directed by Lucia Aniello 

97. Ben Platt: Live from Radio City Music Hall (2020) Directed by Alex Timbers, Sam Wrench

98. Miss Americana (2020) Directed by Lana Wilson

99. The Lovebirds (2020) Directed by Michael Showalter

100. Hannah Gadsby: Douglas (2020) Directed by Madeleine Parry

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Inkayacu paracasensis

By José Carlos Cortés 

Etymology: King of the Water

First Described By: Clarke et al., 2010

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Aequorlitornithes, Ardeae, Aequornithes, Austrodyptornithes, Sphenisciformes, Spheniscidae

Status: Extinct

Time and Place: Between 37.2 and 33.9 million years ago, in the Priabonian age of the Eocene of the Paleogene 

Inkayacu is known from Yumaque Point of the Otuma Formation in Ica, Peru 

Physical Description: Inkayacu was an extinct penguin, and had a lot of similar traits to other extinct penguins - though resembling modern forms, extinct ones were unique in having extremely large bill size and just large body size in general. Inkayacu was about 1.5 meters long, which is a significant jump from the biggest living penguin (the Emperor Penguin at 1.2 meters long), and Inkayacu wasn’t even the biggest penguin at the time. It had a long, pointed bill, much longer than those seen on living members of the group. And - uniquely - we know the color of Inkayacu! Unlike living penguins, which are all varying shades of black and white with some splashes of other colors elsewhere, Inkayacu was grey and brown. We only known these colors form the flippers (wings), which show grey backs of the flipper and brown fronts, but it’s reasonable to suppose this pattern would follow the patterns of living penguins, where the color of the back of the flipper extends throughout the back of the animal, and the color of the front extends to the front. Thus, we depict Inkayacu with a grey back and a brown front, but this is still a conjecture. The melanosomes are similar to modern birds, long and narrow within the feathers - living penguins actually have wider ones. Other than that, the feathers of Inkayacu are similar to modern penguins in other ways, indicating that it had the same aquatic lifestyle. As such, it was flightless.

Diet: Inkayacu, like other penguins, would have fed on a wide variety of fish and aquatic invertebrates. 

Icadyptes and Inkayacu by Apokryltaros, CC BY-SA 3.0 

Behavior: Though shaped in a lot of ways like living penguins, Inkayacu was different in a number of ways. It had fewer melanosomes in its feathers than living penguins - and these melanosomes provide rigidity in modern penguin feathers that help with deep-sea diving. Without such melanosomes, Inkayacu might not have been as well adapted to deep diving. Still, it was clearly adapted for spending its life in the sea, diving and sea-flying all over its habitat. It would have used its long beak to stab and grab food, especially slippery food that might be hard to get a grip on. Using its flippers, it could propel itself through the water. Its feet were small and not good for moving, so on land it would probably waddle. This is not an uncommon bird to find, fossil-wise, and so it stands to reason that it would have been very social like living penguins. It would have probably laid its eggs on land, and took care of its young with mated partners. Given it lived in Peru, in the Eocene, it was more adapted for warm weather than cold, and wouldn’t have ventured very far south. 

By Julio Lacerda, used with permission from Earth Archives 

Ecosystem: Inkayacu lived along the Pervuian Priabonian coast, the Western coast of South America right as the global rainforest of the Eocene was collapsing and being replaced with more varying and arid climates. This was also a time of notable climate change and effects on the ocean, leading to a small mass extinction (especially in the oceans) at this time - killing off many iconic forms, including proto-whales. The conditions of this mass extinction actually allowed the penguins to flourish, and Inkayacu was a part of that flourishing. Inkayacu lived alongside proto-whales like Cynthiacetus and Mystacodon - a toothed baleen whale. Inkayacu wasn’t the only penguin in this area, but was joined by the larger and longer-beaked Icadyptes. As for proper fish, there were ray-finned fish like Engraulis and Sardinops, and unnamed sharks. There may have also been the marine snake Pterosphenus. There were many kinds of invertebrates as well. Inkayacu would probably have had to look out for the sharks and whales, though the fish would have had to look out for it! The coast that Inkayacu would have spent its time on would probably have been more rocky than sandy, though it’s uncertain either way. 

By Ripley Cook 

Other: Inkayacu is very closely related to living penguins and is just outside the group of modern penguins and their closest relatives, so it showcases the evolution of penguins towards what we’re familiar with today. It’s interesting to note that short beaks seem to be characteristic of the modern crown group of penguins, and that long beaks were found in penguins even as close to the crown group as Inkayacu.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Acosta Hospitaleche, C., and M. Stucchi. 2005. Nuevos restos terciarios de Spheniscidae (Aves, sphenisciformes) procedentes de la Costa del Peru. Revista española de paleontología 20(1):1-5

Clarke, J.A.; Ksepka, D.T.; Stucchi, M.; Urbina, M.; Giannini, N.; Bertelli, S.; Narváez, Y.; Boyd, C.A. (2007). "Paleogene equatorial penguins challenge the proposed relationship between biogeography, diversity, and Cenozoic climate change". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104 (28): 11545–11550.

Clarke, J. A., D. T. Ksepka, R. Salas-Gismondi, A. J. Altamirano, M. D. Shawkey, L. D’Alba, J. Vinther, T. J. DeVries, and P. Baby. 2010. Fossil evidence for evolution of the shape and color of penguin feathers. Science 330

Hoffstetter, R. 1958. Un serpent marin du genre Pterosphenus (Pt. Sheppardi nov. sp.) dans L’Éocène supérieur de L’Équateur (Amérique de Sud). Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 6:45-50

Hooker, J.J.; Collinson, M.E.; Sille, N.P. (2004). "Eocene-Oligocene mammalian faunal turnover in the Hampshire Basin, UK: calibration to the global time scale and the major cooling event". Journal of the Geological Society. 161 (2): 161–172.

Ivany, Linda C.; Patterson, William P.; Lohmann, Kyger C. (2000). "Cooler winters as a possible cause of mass extinctions at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary". Nature. 407 (6806): 887–890.

Köhler, M; Moyà-Solà, S (December 1999). "A finding of oligocene primates on the European continent". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 96 (25): 14664–7.

Li, Y. X.; Jiao, W. J.; Liu, Z. H.; Jin, J. H.; Wang, D. H.; He, Y. X.; Quan, C. (2016-02-11). "Terrestrial responses of low-latitude Asia to the Eocene–Oligocene climate transition revealed by integrated chronostratigraphy". Clim. Past. 12 (2): 255–272.

Marocco, R., and C. d.e. Muizon. 1988. Los vertebrados del Neogeno de La Costa Sur del Perú: Ambiente sedimentario y condiciones de fosilización. Bulletin de l'Institut Frances d'Etudes Andines 17(2):105-117

Martinez-Cacers, M., and C. de Muizon. 2011. A toothed mysticete from the Middle Eocene to Lower Oligocene of the Pisco Basin, Peru: new data on the origin and feeding evolution of Mysticeti. Sixth Triennial Conference on Secondary Adaptation of Tetrapods to Life in Water 56-57

Molina, Eustoquio; Gonzalvo, Concepción; Ortiz, Silvia; Cruz, Luis E. (2006-02-28). "Foraminiferal turnover across the Eocene–Oligocene transition at Fuente Caldera, southern Spain: No cause–effect relationship between meteorite impacts and extinctions". Marine Micropaleontology. 58 (4): 270–286.  

Shackleton, N. J. (1986-10-01). "Boundaries and Events in the Paleogene Paleogene stable isotope events". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 57 (1): 91–102.

Vinther, J., D. E. G. Briggs, R. O. Prum, V. Saranathan. 2008. The colour of fossil feathers. Biology Letters 4 (5): 522 - 525.

Zachos, James C.; Quinn, Terrence M.; Salamy, Karen A. (1996-06-01). "High-resolution (104 years) deep-sea foraminiferal stable isotope records of the Eocene-Oligocene climate transition". Paleoceanography. 11 (3): 251–266.

Zhang, R.; Kravchinsky, V.A.; Yue, L. (2012). "Link between Global Cooling and Mammalian Transformation across the Eocene-Oligocene Boundary in the Continental Interior of Asia]". International Journal of Earth Sciences. 101 (8): 2193–2200.

[hellyeahomeland]

I stayed up until 5 this morning watching season 8. (The last time I did that was a season of The Sopranos, but it was until 6am.) I totally get the Yevgeny thing ya’all have been talking about. He has “it”, doesn’t he?! And I’m a diehard Quinn fan! Q will always be #1 with me, but Yev is a close 2nd. I especially love that left eye of his which always seems to wink at me. I think that’s where I fell under his spell, when he left the Afghan VP’s office, bumped into Carrie, and winked. Sigh. 😍

I just wrote in about Yevgeny. For the record, I’m a huge fan of The Americans, and Oleg did nothing for me. In fact, I thought a lot of his scenes were kind of boring. I know, right!? Same actor. One character is dull; the other sexy AF. Go figure!

Anonymous #2: I realize, watching Costa Ronin in interviews, that the signature Yevgeny slow-blinking left eye is a tic he created just for this character. Brilliant! Could you guys interview him too and ask him about his acting process? He’s so generous with his fans, surely he’d do it? And could we…all send in questions?

Never has a neck shaving done so much good. 

[glee-dsm-events2]

The Headmistress has graciously (and through a lot of teeth pulling, several threats to her trophy case and lack of additional options) allowed the school use of her private island and paradise resort (which is often for Cheerio retreats and was purchased after selling interviews to news reporters and syphoning of Glee funds and donations) for the Winter trip! As it is a private island, it will be left to the school to be on with staff coming in by boat to assist. There will also be daily trips/boat shuttles to Costa Rica a mere 30 minute boat ride away! We will be gone January 15th - January 20th.

RULES:

All students must be in their assigned rooms between 1am-6am daily.

There will be no drug use of any kind tolerated.

Alcohol can be consumed at the resort and on the mainland by all students who are 21 years in age. Any underage drinking is strictly prohibited.

Be respectful to all guards, staff, and other met on the mainland. You will represent the school on this trip - use your manners.

No one can go to the mainland alone - groups of 2 or more only with following the escort rule of the school. Boats will leave and return on the hour to go to the main land the students can use during free times.

ACCOMODATIONS

Students will be placed in groups in different cabins which are equipped with: a living area, 3 bedrooms (with a King bed, two queens, and two twins), 2 bathrooms, a patio to the beach, fire pit, and kitchenette. The cabins are furnished with TV, Bluray (with rentals available) streaming devices, and all major appliances.

Assignments:

Cabin 1 - 

Grace Motta

Remy Hudson

Lucas Smythe

Elliott Anderson

Layla Schuester

Cabin 2 - 

Nathan Lynn

Adam Sylvester

Jackson Schuester

Malakai Sylvester

Ryan Fabray-Lynn

Silas Lynn

Cabin 3 - 

Sam Evans

Hunter Clarington

Blaine Evans

Sawyer Cohen-Chang

Lisette Gilbert

Cabin 4 - 

Eric Anderson

Landon Corcoran

Jeff Sterling

Caleb Duval

Maverick Lynn

Shea Flanagan

Cabin 5 - 

Mateo Lopez

Nick Duval

Jamie Beiste

Tobias Karofsky

Buchanan Wilde

Cabin 6 - 

Gunner Clarington

Frankie Wilde

Noelle Adams

Jaelan Puckerman

Franco Hart

Cabin 7 - 

Noah Duval

Bentley Jones

Ferdinand Abrams

Oliver Smythe

Lennon Corcoran

Quinn Fabray

Cabin 8 - 

Esther Fabray

Deni Sterling

Catalina Lopez

Summer Evans

Clark Abrams

Cabin 9 - 

Sebastian Smythe

Ryder Lynn

Archer Clarington

Beau Adams

Devon Chang

Cabin 10 - 

Daniel Schuester

Kirin Rhodes

Eli Hummel

Skylar Evans

ITINIRARY -

The resort and island are filled with things to do! Swimming, snorkeling, parasailing, surfing, fishing, tennis courts, basketball courts, sandcastles, full workout center, indoor arcade, restaurant, bar, swim up bar, and horseback riding.

As stated before, there will be regular trips via boat to Costa Rico as well as scheduled outings. Things to do on the main land are tattoo shops, hair dressers, street shops/vendors, food vendors, D/s club, dance clubs, bars, restaurants, ziplines, waterfalls, parks, whitewater rafting, biking, golf, hot springs, kayaking and canoeing.

January 15th

Leave Ohio at 5am, arrive in Costa Rica at 1pm.

Resort day

January 16th

Resort Day

January 17th

1pm - Suspended Bridges of Monteverde and ziplining

5pm - return at resort

January 18th 

9am - Tram across the Rainforest

11pm - Lunch at nearby restaurant

1pm - Canyoning

5pm - return to resort

January 19th - 

Resort Day

January 20th - 

Leave resort at 5am, arrive in Ohio at 1pm.

OOC - 

So, same as always, if there are any plots to occur PLEASE run it by the admins first. Remember that there will be guards and staff will be around so if your character breaks a rule, a punishment will occur. Keep in mind, most of this will be F2F interactions, so there’s always a chance people will be seen/noticed/overheard etc. Any questions, hit us up. Also, those strike outs in the beginning are not IC knowledge but a fun HC J and I came up with that Sue absolutely has her own island that she bought from her own fundraising and skimming off the top of the Glee Club budget and that she usually only allows Cheerios there. She probably named it something mean towards Will, but we haven’t come up with it yet.  

[notunwise]

Queer superheroes recs (from the Montreal Comiccon 2019 panel)

Thank you to everyone who came to the queer superheroes panel this year! It had been a while for me, and it changed quite a lot from what I used to do. Mostly I chose to give emphasis to very different issues, and I like it that way (although I’m still a bit nostalgic of what the panel used to be 5-10 years ago, in a way…) So at the end of the panel I gave out some recs, and because they, too, have changed a lot, I’m making a whole new post instead of editing and reblogging one of the old ones. I link all the comics to a way to buy them, even if they’re sold out, mostly so you can have a reference to which run exactly I’m recommending, because let’s be real, there are usually 3 vastly different comic series for every title. TV shows BATWOMAN STARTS ON OCTOBER 6th please watch it!! Black Lightning Doom Patrol Young Justice Runaways Supergirl Umbrella Academy Legends of Tomorrow Arrow (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Flash and Gotham all have queer characters, but not in a significant enough way that I really want to rec them.) Comics: Marvel Young Avengers - Heinberg's initial run, The Children's Crusade and Gillen's run Runaways - all of it: The Complete Collection volume 1 volume 2 volume 3 volume 4, followed by Battleworld and the recent volumes by Rainbow Rowell (3 volumes out so far, volume 4 coming out in October) Dark Wolverine vol. 1 and 2 (there's an omnibus for those that have those and a bunch more things with Daken) Daken: Dark Wolverine 1 X-Treme X-Men (2013) : volume 1 volume 2 volume 3 Venom - Mike Costa's run except volume 1 (volume 1 is before Venom and Eddie get back together, no one needs it): volume 2 volume 3 volume 4 First Host Loki: Agent of Asgard, there's an omnibus coming out in December, just go for it. Iceman (2017) and Iceman (2018) volume 1 volume 2 and volume 3 Comics: DC Batwoman: Elegy volume 1 volume 2 volume 3 volume 4 Gotham Central: the 4 volumes exist separately, but there is also an omnibus Secret Six (2014): volume 1 volume 2 volume 3 volume 4 Harley Quinn (2014) - the entire run + extras is collected in 2 omnibus (omnibus 1 omnibus 2) or 6 regular-size volumes: volume 1 volume 2 volume 3 volume 4 volume 5 volume 6 Midnighter (2015) volume 1 volume 2 Midnighter and Apollo (2016) Comics: Other The Authority (starting in 1999) - there is no way I can link to all the volumes... Wikipedia has a list of the collected editions you can refer to... Enigma (by Peter Milligan) Oath: An Anthology of New Queer Superheroes - this one is a weird rec because I just realised there's no way to buy the ebook anymore? I don't know what happened, but if I'm just bad a Google, know that it exists. Novels: The Posterchildren by Kitty Burroughs - this is the link for the ebook. The paper version exists but is harder to find. Hero by Perry Moore Fanvid: "Straightening up the house" by Eruthros "Superheroes can't be gay" by Kollektivet

[heroicadventurists]

Birds of Prey Early Screenings Available for DC Universe Subscribers

Members of the digital subscription service will be some of the first to witness the latest adventures of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) via limited special advanced screenings taking place Tuesday, February 4 and Wednesday, February 5 in over 30 cities across the country.

The series of fan screenings specifically created to provide early access to DC UNIVERSE subscribers will begin in Los Angeles, San Francisco and in New York’s Times Square on February 4. All other DC UNIVERSE screenings will take place on February 5 in cities including Chicago, Washington D.C, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Houston, and Boston.

Starting on January 31, DC UNIVERSE members will be personally provided with a link to RSVP to the limited event. Those who are not yet subscribed to DC UNIVERSE still have the opportunity to sign-up to take advantage of this exclusive offer by visiting https://www.dcuniverse.com/.

A full list of participating locations and showtimes are below.

SCREENING TIMES & LOCATIONS:

February 4, 2020

LOS ANGELES | 8:00 PM Pacific Theatres at The Grove189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036

NEW YORK | 7:00 PM AMC Empire 25234 W. 42nd St. New York, NY 10036

SAN FRANCISCO | 7:00 PM AMC Metreon 16135 4th St., Suite 3000, San Francisco, CA 94103

February 5, 2020

ATLANTA | 7:30 PM Regal Hollywood 243265 Northeast Expressway, Chamblee, GA 30341

AUSTIN | 7:00 PM Gateway Stadium 169700 Stonelake Blvd, Austin, TX 78759

BALTIMORE | 7:00 PM AMC White Marsh8141 Honeygo Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21236

BOSTON | 7:00 PM ArcLight Cinemas Boston60 Causeway St Boston, MA 02114

CHARLOTTE | 7:30 PM Regal Phillips Place Stadium 106911 Phillips Place CT, Charlotte, NC 28210

CHICAGO | 7:00 PM AMC IMAX Navy Pier700 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

DALLAS | 7:00 PM AMC NorthPark8687 N Central Expy, Dallas, TX 75231

DENVER | 7:00 PM UA Colorado Center2000 S Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80222

DETROIT | 7:00 PM MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16100 E Maple Rd, Troy, MI 48083

HOUSTON | 7:00 PM Greenway Grand Palace3840 Weslayan St, Houston, TX 77027

JACKSONVILLE | 7:30 PM Regal Avenues9525 Phillips Highway Jacksonville, FL 32256

LAS VEGAS | 7:00 PM Regal Red Rock IMAX11011 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89135

MIAMI | 7:30 PM AMC Aventura19501 Biscayne Ste 3001 Aventura, FL 33180

MINNEAPOLIS | 7:00 PM Showplace ICON1625 West End Blvd

ORANGE COUNTY | 7:30 PM Edwards Metro Pointe901 S Coast Dr Unit 205D, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

ORLANDO | 7:30 PM AMC Altamonte433 E Altamonte Ave. Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

PHILADELPHIA | 7:30 PM Regal UA Riverview Plaza1400 S. Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19147

PHOENIX | 7:00 PM Harkins Arizona Mills IMAX5000 South Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe, AZ 85282

PORTLAND | 7:00 PM Regal Lloyd Center1510 NE Multnomah St Portland, OR 97232

SACRAMENTO | 7:00 PM Century Roseville 141555 Eureka Rd, Roseville, CA 95661

SALT LAKE CITY | 7:00 PM Megaplex Jordan Commons9335 State St, Sandy, UT 84070

SAN ANTONIO | 7:00 PM Santikos Silverado 1611505 W FM 1604 N, San Antonio, TX 78250

SAN DIEGO | 7:00 PM AMC Mission Valley1640 Camino Del Rio N, San Diego, CA 92108

SAN JOSE | 7:00 PM AMC Saratoga700 El Paseo de Saratoga, San Jose, CA 95130

SEATTLE | 7:00 PM Pacific Science Center Boeing IMAX200 2nd Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

TAMPA | 7:30 PM AMC Veterans9302 Anderson Rd. Tampa, FL 33634

WASHINGTON DC | 7:00 PM AMC Mazza5300 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015

Source: CBR