#Return to Isla Nublar part one

[jurrasicworldcc]

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous: Return to Isla Nublar fanfic (Part 1)

Characters: Darius Bowman, Kenji Kon-Bowman, Casey Johnson (OC), April Turner-Johnson (OC), Ben Pincus, Brooklynn, Yasmina “Yaz” Fadoula-Gutierrez, Sammy Gutierrez, The Ultra Rex, Tiff, Tommy Oliver (OC), Lana Williams (OC), Edie (OC), Audrey (OC), Caroline Johnson (OC), Mae Turner

Context: So, I made a post recently about a JWCC sequel idea and I apparently decided to make a fanfic series to incorporate the full story. Hope you enjoy part 1!!!

Warning: Blood, Mentions and future scenes of Child abuse, Gore, Violence, Intense & Frightening scenes, Language

I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC WORLD!!!

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San Antonio, Texas - Gutierrez Family Barn - March 12th, 2023

Casey adjusted his tie and sighed. He, Darius, Kenji, and Ben were sitting in the chairs that were set in rows in the barn. It was Yaz and Sammy’s wedding.

“Man…I totally bet Sammy’s scared shitless..” Kenji whispered.

Casey chuckled quietly and turned on his walkie. “Brooklynn? What’s taking so long??”

“We’re fine!” Brooklynn’s voice replied. “We’re just dealing with some bridal stress relief right now.”

He could hear Sammy hyperventilating and her sisters trying to calm her down. “Quick, calm her down and get ready. Yaz is sweating profusely from where I can see!”

“Okay, okay, calm down.”

The walkie shut off and Casey sighed. Darius smiled and said, “Can you believe it? Yaz and Sammy are getting married.”

“Yeah, we kinda knew this would happen.” Ben replied. “I just wish Bumpy were here.”

“You can tell her about it when you visit Isla Mantah again.”

“Thanks, D.”

Suddenly, the piano music came and the audience stood up.

“Finally!” Casey whispered.

Brooklynn, April, and Sammy’s sisters made it to the altar and Mr. Gutierrez walking Sammy down the isle. Yaz was so happy and giggled.

After what seems like an eternity, Bessie (the cow) came with the rings and Yaz and Sammy got their rings on each finger. With that, the pastor said, “Now, with the power invested in me, I now pronounce you both married partners for life. You may kiss the bride.”

The pastor stepped back and Sammy pulled Yaz in for a passionate kiss and hugged her tight. The audience erupted into cheer and laughter and the pastor loudly announced, “I now introduce Samantha and Yasmina Gutierrez!”

Casey clapped and April waved at him. With that, Ms. Fadoula burst into tears and wailed, “My baby’s married now!!”

Yaz smiled at her new wife and said, “Hi, Mrs. Gutierrez.”

Three Months Later - Costa Rica

Casey finally placed the last piece of science down and stretched. “Man, that was the last piece of sodium placed and now…quitting time for the day.”

April sat down and said, “Hey, hon.”

She planted a kiss on his cheek and Casey returned the favor with a peck on her lips. April giggled gleefully and said, “We gotta meet up with the others for that picnic that Yaz and Sammy planned with us after their honeymoon.”

“Yeah, I know, April. Sammy reminded us twelve times.” Casey chuckled.

“Yeah…”

The two proceeded to exit the lab part of the house and Caroline smiled. “Took you two long enough.”

“Mom…” Casey chuckled.

“How about I go get ready and we head on over to the park?” April asked.

“Sure, babe.”

April pecked Casey’s lips and left the room. Caroline smiled and asked, “Casey, what is it?”

Casey chuckled and looked at his mother. “Mom…I’m gonna plan to ask April to marry me!”

Caroline covered her mouth keep her screaming from joy and hugged him. “Casey! I have been wanting this moment to happen ever since you first introduced me to her!”

“You okay?” April’s voice called.

“Nothing!”

Caroline smiled and went to a cabinet in which she took out a small ring box which she opened and showed a silver ring with a beautiful diamond on it. “This was my grandmother’s engagement ring. She hoped that I would eventually use it and then give it to my children…and I now give it to you.”

Casey looked at the beautiful ring and suddenly put it in his pocket as he heard April’s footsteps and she appeared with a basket and her blue skirt well-ironed. “Ready?”

“Yep.” Casey replied.

The two proceeded to leave the house and walked to the Parque Okayama park where the others were sitting on a beach towel over one of the grass fields. Ben waved for the two. “Hey! April and Casey! Over here!”

The couple smiled and sat down. Darius said, “Hey, guys!”

“Hey, Case!” Sammy said.

“Hey, guys!” Casey said. “Sammy, Yaz, how was your honeymoon?”

Yaz laughed gleefully. “We loved it! A honeymoon in Italy was the best day we’ve had since our first kiss! Thanks, Kenji, for paying for all that.”

“I’m just stuck paying the bills.” Kenji chuckled. “It’s the least I can do to make you two ladies happen.”

Sammy chuckled and gazed lovingly at her wife. “And spending that week in Italy with my wife is the best experience I could have.”

“I love you, Sam.” Yaz smiled.

“I love you too, Yaz.”

The two kissed and Brooklynn said, “This was way better than when you spam your flirty stuff on the Discord DMs.”

Yaz playfully chucked a leaf at Brooklynn and the two girls giggled. Sammy wrapped her arms around her wife and said, “Guys! We gotta get eating!”

Kenji pulled out the pizza box and Casey asked, “Is this Papa Johns?”

“Yup.” Kenji replied. “ Aaaaaaannnddd, I forgot a pizza cutter.”

“Oh, honey.” Brooklynn soothed a hand on his shoulder.

“No need.” Casey showed his hand which formed into his raptor claw and cut the pizza in separate slices.

After a while, it nearly became sunset and then Brooklynn asked Kenji, “Hey, Kenj? Should we tell them?”

“Tell us what?” Casey asked. “I mean, Ben and Darius are dating and we were shocked by that, Yaz and Sammy are married, so what’s gonna shock us now?”

Brooklynn showed her right hand which had a shiny little ring and Kenji said, “We’re engaged!”

Sammy squealed and Ben cheered. Yaz clapped her hands and Casey yelled, “Holy shit! Congratulations!”

“Yeah! Congratulations!” April added.

“Awesome! Congrats, bro!” Darius said.

“Y’know, I’m soon to become a Bowman.” Brooklynn replied. “Just thinking about it…”

She squealed like Suzie Q from Jojo. “It makes me blush!”

“This is crazy…” Sammy said. “This all started eight years ago, back on Isla Nublar. We went from strangers, to friends, and eventually family.”

“Yeah…Yeah, we did.” Casey smiled.

“Now look at us. Now we’re-”

“Immortal.” Ben said.

“In-laws.” Brooklynn said.

“Survivors.” April said.

“Celebrities.” Darius said.

“I was gonna say, “Soulmates” and together.” Sammy replied.

“And to think that Sammy would become my wife.” Yaz added.

“And to think that most of us are about to be married.” Darius said.

“Also, it’s June. This is the seventh anniversary of when we escaped Nublar.” Casey said. “Happy Nublar-escape anniversary!!”

“HAPPY NUBLAR-ESCAPE ANNIVERSARY!!!” Everyone said.

Around an hour and a half, the six of the Nublar Seven returned to the hotel and Casey and April walked back to their home.

April chuckled and got her night clothes on. Casey looked in his pocket and got the box with the ring in it. April sat on the bed and said, “It’s nice that the others are staying in Costa Rica for the rest of the week for that anniversary that you made.”

“Yeah.” Casey walked over to her with the ring box behind his back. “Hey, babe. I have a massive question right now. Since Kenji and Brooklynn are engaged now and, well, April…I love you so much and now that Mae has a girlfriend and a lot of things are going good in our lives right now, I wanna make our lives even better than those experiences on Isla Mantah and with TJ, Angel, Rebel, and Firecracker…So, April Turner, will you…” He opened the box in which April gasped. “…marry me?”

“Casey, YES!” April exclaimed.

Casey and April hugged and he slid the ring onto her finger. The two kissed and Caroline walked in. The scientist smiled and asked her son, “So, what’s the answer?”

“Yes.” April has happy tears down her face.

Caroline screamed of excitement and hugged the two. Casey smiled and before the two went to bed, he got on his phone and got into the group chat.

DrCaseyJohnson: Hey, guys!

TrackOlympicsYaz (Mrs. Gutierrez): What?

Farmgirl2022: Yeah, you woke me and Yaz up. What’s the news???

BrooklynnUnboxesTheWorld: What’s the news, Dr. Johnson?”

DrCaseyJohnson: I proposed to April tonight and she said, “Yes!!!!”

JungleBoy5000: WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Dinonerd2001: THAT’S AMAZING!!!! I’m so happy for you two!!!!

BrooklynnUnboxesTheWorld: When’s the wedding????

DrCaseyJohnson: I just proposed! I had not thought of anything else yet. To quote Yaz from 2015, “I did not think this through.”

TrackOlympicsYaz (Mrs. Gutierrez): Please do not quote me the day I broke my ankle, that was not a pleasant moment for any of us.

Casey smiled and looked at the sleeping fiancée besides him. Life could not be any better.

[elbiotipo]

Also, the point I always make: Jurassic Park is all about "PLAYING GOD!!!1!!1!!" because of cloning dinosaurs, and then sequels are all about "we must save the poor dinosaurs!" while canonically taking place in large islands off the coast of Costa Rica. Those islands, or at least the inspiration for them, actually exist, though much smaller.

And you know what they are? They are strictly protected reserves, because of their unique ecology and endemic species. In fact, one of the main worries is precisely the introduction of invasive species.

Could you imagine if instead of Isla Nublar, Jurassic Park was set in say, the Galápagos Islands? Could you imagine someone in real life trying to build Disneyland in the Galápagos or the Great Barrier Reef?

I know that joke that Jurassic Park is about "capitalism gone wrong" but it's even more fucked up if you think about the imperialist part too. A first world billionarie tycoon comes to a third world country, somehow achieves control of islands (it's implied that the Costa Rican military is at Jurassic Park's call; fun fact, Costa Rica has no military) which by all means should be protected as fragile ecosystems, to build a gigantic theme park with all the ecological disruption it implies, for first world tourists too. The theme park just so happens to be cloned dinosaurs, but Hammond might as well have razed the whole island and planted soybean fields and it would be the same horror story we in South America are very well acquainted with.

And then the sequels are about "saving the dinosaurs!" like they're a natural part of the ecosystem! No man, fuck the dinosaurs, they're giant walking GMOs in the most literal way possible. Hammond SHOULD have built it in Orlando, at least Florida (which has its own deep ecological troubles) is large enough so you can actually set preserved areas, wildlife corridors, better ecological practices... building a park in Isla Nublar is the same as destroying the Galápagos.

And no, the movies don't adress this fact, that Isla Nublar and etc. HAD A PREVIOUS ECOSYSTEM BEFORE JURASSIC PARK that is most likely wiped out. The book does worry a bit about dinosaurs introduced to the mainland before returning to its main message: "GENETICS IS PLAYING GOD!11!!1!!!!", yeah man, I'm a bit more concerned about the islands you're destroying for your stupid theme park. I don't mind you cloning the dinosaurs so much as much as the fact that you're destroying whole natural ecosystems to host them and then there are a bunch of freaking kids who want to preserve them even if they're THE case of an invasive species, you might as well try to preserve Pedro Escobar's hippos in Colombia.

(I did learn about island ecology and I'm reminded that during the Cold War, the paradigm of island ecology was used to use actual islands as test laboratories, including for nuclear weapons. Islands are never truly 'isolated' or 'blank slates', and at the same time they're incredibly fragile ecosystems, but if I keep writing I'm going to search actual papers and I have to do my actual work)

[addledmongoose]

Good Omens Fanfic Friday (01 Nov 2024)

Heavenly Bodies (70K; Rated E) by @nicetryfed

Human AU. Crowley a yoga teacher at a gym that Aziraphale joins with his cousin, Archer (Gabriel). The attraction is immediate, but naturally, the two fight over the one working brain cell they share. The author has a fantastic, dry humor, and all the characters are so fun to read about. There's no serious angst here, and I really liked the way Archer and Bee are written. I've recommended this like twice already this week.

A sample of the humor:

He had to face the potential unpleasantness of the situation he found himself in, and that could only be dealt with by having an open and honest conversation. He decided to face it as directly as he could- by asking a series of seemingly non-related questions in a roundabout way until he had enough partial blurbs of information to formulate what he was sure was the entire story in his head and then never confirm it.

***

An Angel and a Demon Walk Into a Therapist's Office (16K; Rated T)

Outsider POV. Aziraphale and Crowley attend couples therapy to work through their issues, and after the therapist insists she can't help them if they keep lying to her, they reveal what they really are. What follows are months of therapy in which she helps them work through 6,000 years of trauma. This isn't a story heavy on the angst, but she does help them see how they've been affected by their respective sides' treatment of them (and points out you can't undo millennia of behavior in just a few months), and there are sad and angry moments.

She takes the news of Heaven/Hell/angels/demons and an averted apocalypse pretty well (though I expect she went home to her wife and in response to "How was your day, dear?" said, "Well, I know for a fact Heaven and Hell are real now.")

***

Return of the Living Dead (12K; Rated E)

Set during the years when Aziraphale and Crowley were raising Warlock, the Nazi zombies want their torture on Earth to end and come up with a plan, crashing a Dowling Halloween party in the process.

***

The next two are part of the DIWS Silver Screen Bang.

Under My Skin (36K; Rated E)

Human AU. An AU based on Pretty Woman, with sex worker Crowley and businessman Aziraphale. Fairly low angst, and the two have an instant connection. Has moderately NSFW art.

***

Couples Therapy - Jurassic Park Edition (42K; Rated M) by @rainwritings

Human AU. It's what it says on the tin: Jurassic Park but make it Good Omens. Aziraphale and Crowley are recently divorced exes who find themselves working together on Isla Nublar after a storm and power outage shuts off the electric fences.

If you've seen any of the Jurassic Park movies, you have an idea of what to expect. During the course of their adventure, the two finally talk about their marriage. There's a happy ending, and while the story is rated M, I honestly think a T is more accurate. It's basically the same PG-13 rating of the movies: lots of peril; very little on-screen violence.

[ren1327]

A Look Back at my Benji Fics 1: Kenji's Family

So the first fanfiction I wrote was called Sweet Survivor. This was right after season one and before we knew when season two was coming out.

I had written it as a gift to my sister, as we both fell in love with one Benjamin Fitzgerald Pincus.

However...all I had was my knowledge from the books and movies. I had no idea where the story would go. So like those Pteranodons...I winged it.

But seriously. It led to my own lore when it came to the campers. If I was going to write my own ending, I had to make some guesses and choices how I saw characters. And I would reuse these characters again and again.

So first: The Kons

(Btw, this was pre-Daniel Kon. And I will collapse as not to cause endless scrolling for passers by)

Kosei Kon

Kosei was what I hoped Daniel could’ve been.

I had created him between Season 1 and 2 of Camp Cretaceous when writing Sweet Survivor and kept him as “Kenji’s Dad” in every one of my fics since.

Kosei was someone who was selfish and needed a reality check. Someone who pushed his son to the side, but would do anything to keep him safe and sound. Who would be able to look at himself and do anything for Kenji’s safety.

Daniel Kon, he is not.

A lot of the background with Kosei was he was in construction and/or finance. I also put in a few fics he and Simon were best friends in their twenties and while Simon got more whimsical, Kosei got more serious. He was also from a traditional family who valued hard work, but not really family ties.

A very "I bust my ass, so you don't have to" mentality that backfires tremendously.

This would change during his second marriage and the Jurassic World incident.

I’ll go into Candy later, but she was the fuse that started the fire under his ass when it came to not only finding his son, but repairing their relationship. Most fics also had him a little awkward with his younger daughter, another OC,  since I had a theory Kenji was only raised by nannies and saw his dad once a day in person or on facetime. So he being around for nightly feedings and the terrible twos and first everythings were something he had yet to experience.

 Another funny quirk is he tries to learn about things he doesn’t understand, like phrases or other sexualities, hence why he’s a little overenthusiastic about Kenji being bisexual because “You’ve trained for this possibility, Kosei!”

A big part of making Kosei was making him terrible at poor communication and posturing instead of comforting his obviously emotionally neglected son. He would find it hard and way too new, but he was always written to, despite being a bit aloof and closed off, ready to finally step up when his son needed him for life advice or just to pass the time.

He’s also not afraid to put his career and reputation on the line when it comes to his children.

Candela "Candy" Kon

Candy was kinda a throw away line from Kenji and never mentioned again.

We didn’t know back then if she was his dad’s girlfriend, his stepmom or just an assistant for Mr. Kon. I went to the stepmom angle cause it almost felt like the scene from “Up” when Russel talked about his dad.

I really really reeeeeeally am tired of the evil stepmother trope.

So I created Candela Kon, Kosei’s wife.  (I will be referring to my OC Kosei Kon rather than Daniel Kon as Kenji’s father.)

I wanted her and Kenji to have an awkward relationship rather than a hostile one. It was more important to me that she was trying, and it just was…awkward. I 100% believe Kenji’s Dad, Daniel or Kosei, would marry without informing Kenji or Candy. And she would ream him out and immediately try to bond with Kenji, cause her husband may be a clueless dolt, but there’s a child now and his feelings are the most important thing right now.

Since Jurassic Park is located on Isla Nublar set in Costa Rica, I wanted her to be an orphan who grew up there and later immigrated to America before returning to work at Jurassic World.

Her being an orphan was never really touched on, but it would help her connect with Kenji, as she knows how it is to want parents and they're not there.

On top of that, she often had the stereotypical health crazes, though toned enough that it was more a pursuit of knowledge to see what was good or beneficial to her family. Hence why she would like Ben so much, as I wrote him not only as food conscious, but also with an interest in herbology for medical purposes. (More about that later.)

Before the series, she and Kosei would meet and start their romance because of a pregnancy that unfortunately didn’t make it to term. Candy would have built a relationship with Kosei, and both agree to stay married as they make each other happy and both love Kenji.

Carmen Kon

Carmen was the daughter of Kosei and Candy, and Kenji’s baby sister. In most stories, she is Candy's rainbow baby.

Most of the time she’s between the ages of yet to be born and 15. At any age, she’s a pretty chill little kid who loves games, her babysitter/nanny Dave and Kenji.

As a kid under 6, she’s obsessed with Kenji and later Ben. Usually getting very excited any time Kenji enters a room, she’s often corralled by Dave, who I love too much not to come back in every fic.

As a teen in Sweater Weather, she is very self-conscious, as she’s being bullied for not being like her brother by other schoolmates. She keeps to her games and loves the mall, but will have bad days where she shuts off her phone and walks around the properties. She bonds with Ben over being bullied and shares her interests in video games and gender studies.

So that's the Kons.

Thank you guys for dealing with my breaks. I am trying to write when I can. Have a good summer.

[airbender-dacyon]

Friendsgiving

“Stop it, Fadoula.” “Stop what?” “You know what,” Ben replied with a grimace.

Summary: As the first Thanksgiving comes around for the Nublar Six following their return to civilization, they choose to celebrate the holiday together. And perhaps Yaz and Ben's friendship drifts towards something more thanks to an unexpected food item.

A/N - This is the first story in my Benmina one-shot collection "The Track Star and the Wild Child" on ao3 that I posted almost a year ago, but since it was a belated Thanksgiving themed story then, felt appropriate to finally also post it on here for this year's Thanksgiving.

And just a quick note, this takes place Post-Season 5 of Camp Cretaceous, but prior to the Epilogue. Also it’s obviously an AU because Yaz and Sammy are not together in this universe.

“Stop it, Fadoula.”

“Stop what?”

“You know what,” Ben replied with a grimace.

Yaz smirked as she remained where she was, which was standing right beside Ben as he worked at one of the kitchen counters. Their little Friendsgiving celebration was winding down and Ben was working on dividing up the meat from the turkeys.

While the original plan had been for it to only be the six teenagers, their parents and siblings had insisted on joining in as well. And despite the distance many of them had to travel, it was decided that the Gutierrez ranch was the best location to host Sammy’s friends and their relatives.

While all the teens had helped prepare parts of the meal, Ben had been allowed to prepare the turkeys, despite several of the adults originally planning to handle the messy job themselves. However, Ben’s mother had to step in and stop them. As Ben’s mother explained to the other adults, this was the closest Ben got to ‘field dressing and quartering a kill’ aside from the fish he sometimes caught. While he’d adapted back into civilization, there was always going to be a part of him that longed for the jungles and the pseudo-hunter-gatherer lifestyle he had developed on Isla Nublar. And so, the adults relented and offered the job to Ben, who had eagerly started the task. And after the meal, Ben had volunteered to carve what remained of the turkeys and this time, no one protested.

As for the others, Sammy was having to serve as a referee for a surprisingly intense match of checkers between Kenji and Brand. Originally the two had asked Brooklynn, but she joked she wouldn’t be impartial since Kenji was her boyfriend. Then they’d asked Darius and the youngest of their group had declined on similar grounds, saying he couldn’t pick between his brother and best friend. Yaz then volunteered, but Kenji shot her down immediately, claiming she would sabotage the match and he might as well just proclaim Brand the winner in that case. While she hadn’t been planning anything, Yaz had just shrugged and smirked at Kenji’s reaction. And so, with Ben occupied with the turkeys and the other adults either engaged in conversation or playing equally intense games of Uno or Yahtzee with Sammy’s younger siblings, the boys had pleaded with Sammy to be referee.

And so, while Yaz had originally remained to spectate the match, she only had so much patience for the back and forth between Kenji and Brand as they took several minutes to complete their turns. Despite all the food they’d already consumed, Yaz herself had forgone dessert earlier and so decided to take the moment to get some pumpkin pie.

Serving herself a slice of pie, she’d then gone to the fridge to add the traditional topping: whipped cream. Without a second thought, she walked past Ben, set her plate down on the counter beside him, and opened the fridge door. Popping the cap off, she sprayed a small amount of whipped cream over top of her pumpkin pie. After she’d returned the topping to the fridge, she was met with a glare from Ben.

And then she remembered.

“Whipped cream, for some reason,” Sammy had added after Darius had begun listing Ben’s many phobias, as the monorail had sped them across Nublar, seemingly on their way to freedom.

“The way it moves,” Ben had replied with a shudder.

Yaz grinned as she opened the fridge door once more, retrieved the whipped cream and added a generous portion more to her plate.

Ben’s face softened as she returned the container to the fridge again. His glare returned quickly, however, when Yaz leaned up against the counter beside him and began to eat her pie, making sure to move the plate just enough so the whipped cream wobbled about.

“Stop it, Fadoula.”

“Stop what?”

“You know what.”

“I’m just enjoying some pie, Pincus,” Yaz replied, smirking around her plastic spoon as she took another bite. They’d only had just enough forks and other actual cutlery for the main meal earlier, which were now being cleaned in the dishwasher. So, Yaz had to resort to plasticware. She scooped some of the whipped cream off of the plate and pointed her spoon at Ben, “I don’t see what the problem is.”

Ben directed his irritated gaze at the condiment, “It’s one thing to have people eat it at the dinner table, it’s another to deliberately taunt me with it. It’s weird.”

Yaz raised an eyebrow, “Says the boy who loves bugs and is currently wrist deep in a roasted bird.”

Having carved away as much meat as possible with the knives long ago, Ben had resorted to using just his hands to pull away meat from the bones. He twisted one of the turkey wings until it dislocated from the shoulder. “Your point?”

Switching tactics, Yaz asked, “Have you ever tried it?”

“No and I still don’t want to,” Ben answered. “Not with how it acts.”

“Look, if you try some whipped cream right now, I’ll stop bothering you,” Yaz promised. “You enjoy grubs that are actively alive and wriggling-”

“They’re a natural food source, Fadoula, not whatever artificial abomination that is.”

“-but can’t handle a little whipped cream.” She waved the spoon closer to his face, “And if you don’t, I’ll have to tell Bumpster next time I see her that you’re still scared of-”

Without giving her time to finish her sentence, Ben’s head darted closer and his mouth closed around the spoon. His initial grimace gave way to a softer expression, his blue eyes holding Yaz’s surprised gaze as he pulled back.

Yaz felt her cheeks warm, “I-I thought you’d take the spoon.”

As he realized what he’d done, Ben’s own face flushed red, “Well, m-my hands are greasy. Didn’t want to dirty your spoon.”

“Makes sense,” Yaz agreed.

Ben cleared his throat, “Yep, sorry for surprising you.” It was his turn to raise an eyebrow, “Happy now?”

Yaz nodded, “Just one question, what’d you think? Was it as vile as you feared?”

“Honestly, it might be a little too sweet for my liking, but I didn’t hate it,” Ben conceded. “It still doesn’t look right though.”

“Fair enough,” Yaz accepted as she took another bite of pie, her smirk returning. As she started to wiggle her plate once again, Ben scowled and walked away from the turkey, heading to the sink. She frowned at the turkey, “Uh, I think you missed some meat on that bird.”

“Just going to wash my hands and take a short break,” he told her as he quickly scrubbed away the grease, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“What for?”

“To take that plate away from you, Fadoula,” Ben declared with a smile as he quickly dried his hands.

Yaz looked to the open porch and the cool evening air outside. Quickly, and being mindful of her pie, she darted outside, also grinning, “Catch me if you can, Pincus!”

Alternate ending, but probably moving way too fast for these two relationship-wise and it doubles-down on the food cliche:

When Ben refused to take the spoon, Yaz simply took the bite herself. As she began to dig her spoon into her pie for more, Ben cleared his throat.

As her brown eyes met his gaze, she raised another eyebrow, “What?”

His own blue gaze flickered lower, “You, uh, you got some whipped cream on you.”

Internally, Yaz cursed as she tried to see where the stain was on her outfit. Not that she was too concerned, but it was annoying that she had managed to go the entire day without spilling anything and only when she had decided to get some dessert as a treat, she spilled it on herself. When she couldn’t find anything, she scowled at Ben, thinking he’d said it to get back at her for teasing him. “Nice try, Pincus,” she said before taking another bite.

“N-no, Yaz, you, not your…,” Ben floundered before glancing at his greasy hands. When he looked back to her, Yaz was surprised at the intensity of his gaze. And before she could realize what he was doing, he had leaned over and all but kissed her on the side of the mouth. As he pulled away, his face was aflame and Yaz was certain her own face was equally red. “It was, uh, on your face. I got it.”

Surprising herself, Yaz asked, “And, what did you think?”

Ben licked his own lips, “Sweeter than I expected.”

Suddenly feeling bold herself, Yaz asked, “You sure you got all of it?”

Ben frowned, “Pretty sure-”

The younger teen stopped short as Yaz took another bite of pie, this time being sure to leave a little whipped cream directly on her lips.

This time, when Ben leaned in, Yaz didn’t hesitate to meet him.

And if Brooklynn, who had volunteered to grab some drinks for herself and the others from the kitchen, had happened to catch Ben and Yaz’s first kiss on her phone, well, she was sure they’d appreciate the video and pictures sometime down the road.

Apologies if they seem OOC at all. Rereading it now, I feel it's a little rougher than I remembered. This was written well before we had any info on Chaos Theory. But they’re a bit older than the end of the show (though they’ve not reached their ages in the epilogue yet) and again, Yaz and Sammy aren’t a thing in this universe, so Ben and Yaz have maybe both caught some level of feelings for the other, but they’re not sure how to show it yet. I’ve already got a Christmas-themed sequel to this and perhaps even a New Year’s one as well. We’ll see where it goes. If you’ve made it this far, thanks again for reading! And again, if you have any short story ideas, I welcome any and all suggestions, though it may take time for me to write them (I also reserve the right to decline if I already have a similar story in mind or I don’t agree with the idea; if it’s the former, I’ll be sure to let you know I’m working on something and if it’s the latter, I’ll just say I’m not comfortable with the idea). (Also, I know field dressing and quartering an animal is for pretty much immediately after an animal has been downed, but given that they’re cooking whole turkeys, presumably purchased at a store (though if they’re having Thanksgiving at the Gutierrez ranch, it’s not outside the possibility that the Gutierrez either raise turkeys themselves or know people who do, but I digress), giving Ben the chance to ‘field dress’ and ‘quarter’ the birds by prepping them and later carving them seems like something up his alley.)

[satoshi-mochida]

Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection adds Genesis titles

Gematsu Soure

Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection will include the Genesis games Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition in addition to its previously announced titles, publisher Limited Run Games announced.

Here is an updated overview of the game, via Limited Run Games:

Hold on to your butts! The 8-and 16-bit era of Jurassic Park games has returned, commemorating 30 years of the iconic film! The Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection will come with the following fan-favorite titles, originally released across Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Genesis:

Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park Part 2: The Chaos Continues

Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition

This release includes a lineup of classic titles and adds new features to the games, including save states for each game, new in-game maps, and various quality-of-life fixes that bring these titles into the modern era of gaming! Explore Isla Nublar in each of these releases, recreating the excitement and thrills of the historic franchise. Play as Dr. Alan Grant, or in some releases as a Velociraptor, as you collect eggs, survive dangerous local wildlife, restore power to the park and collect new weapons and eventually escape! Re-experience these classic games in one collection. Return to the park and enjoy your stay!

Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam. A release date has yet to be announced.

Watch a new trailer below.

Trailer

We've got a JURASSIC piece of news to share with you! The Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection gets tougher, faster and more dangerous than ever with the inclusion of MORE classic titles from the 16-bit era! Jurassic Park & Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition, both originally… pic.twitter.com/ib2VBHmj9u — Limited Run Games (@LimitedRunGames) 

[jurassicparkpodcast]

‘Hidden Adventure’ Is A Return To Form For Camp Cretaceous – Non Spoiler Review

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Hidden Adventure is just around the corner – providing an interactive adventure which immerses us within the camper’s time on Isla Nublar after the fall of Jurassic World. Despite my initial cynicism about how an interactive Jurassic story would work, I was surprisingly impressed with the production quality and in-depth decisions which go into making this a compelling story which feels like a return to form for the highs of Season 1, 2 & 3 which I really enjoyed.

Join me as we go a little bit deeper into how the interactive adventure works, and also how it connects to other parts of the show. Don’t worry - we’ll keep it non-spoiler for this article!

Before we dive into another story with the Campers themselves, I think it is really important to acknowledge just how well the interactive components of this story work. As someone who consumes most of my media through my Xbox, I was slightly hesitant about how well optimized the interface would be for this experience – but it was flawless. The episode is explored from the perspective of Darius Bowman – and the direction does a really good job of making it clear when you are about to be prompted to make a decision by zooming into a first-person view from his perspective. I was really impressed by how much thought has gone into making the decision making in Hidden Adventure immersive and engaging – and I can imagine younger fans having a lot of fun going through and making different decisions at different points throughout the story to see what else may unfold.

Moving onto the story itself – it is fair to say that this is more of what we have come to expect from Camp Cretaceous – but in a good way! Set between the events of Season Two and Season Three, this story explores how the campers continue to fight to survive on Isla Nublar as they wait for an opportunity to escape the island. I loved how this episode really grounded itself in the Season One & Two themes of the show – really feeling like this is a return to form for the show before the inclusion of Mantah Corp in later seasons. Don’t get me wrong – there isn’t perhaps as much connection to the other areas of the story here as there could be, but as a standalone adventure it fits well within the pre-established structure of the show and is a welcome return to the remnants of Jurassic World.

There are some interesting connections to the wider Jurassic universe in this short – with some fun nods to the history of Jurassic World and also a couple of cool easter egg moments packed in throughout. I really enjoyed the fact that we got to explore new locations on Nublar which felt a little more grounded with the theme park aesthetic I had been longing for. This is something which I wish we had got more of in the original run of Camp Cretaceous – so getting it in the short was a welcome divergence from the familiar locations we see in the first three seasons of the show. Don’t get me wrong – there are a lot of familiar locations again in the new short, but I think they are well balanced with new areas and a story which keeps itself moving at a decent pace. It would also be remiss for me to not mention the new ‘big bad’ dinosaur – which plays an interesting role in the Hidden Adventure. I enjoyed its inclusion and think that although it adds another new animal to the roster of Nublar, it works pretty well in this instance.

Overall, I think Hidden Adventure is a fun opportunity to revisit the Isla Nublar era of Camp Cretaceous. The story is well-rounded, the set-pieces grounded enough to be believable, and it does a good job of exploring some additional areas of the island with some fun nods to the wider franchise thrown in. Hidden Adventure fundamentally has all the components of what I feel makes a good Camp Cretaceous episode – and that’s why it’s a successful way to round out the series in my opinion!

Camp Cretaceous Hidden Adventure arrives on Netflix on November 15th.

Huge thanks to Dreamworks and Netflix for providing us with early access to the episode to produce this review.

Written by: Tom Jurassic

[a-ratt]

So, I started watching Camp Cretaceous

From an aspiring screenwriter’s perspective, I’ve gotta give this show a pretty high rating. I mean, at the start I had some critical thoughts on how a dinosaur park doesn’t have a lot of cameras watching the hijinks these kids get up to, but of course this show is aimed at a younger audience so I allowed it some room to get away with a few things.

Once things picked up, I got really, REALLY invested in it. Things progressed really well, the pacing was really good, the characters and their development was done in a way that was believable.

Ben going unhinged after suffering through a repetitive cycle of survival he didn’t want any part in was honestly amazing.

The kids’ desire to protect dinosaurs no matter the cost was something I went back and forth on. On one hand, they should be focusing on survival, on another they’re kids with bleeding hearts. Ultimately, I decided that it was believable, especially when the characters themselves argued over what was the right call, such as in the end of Season 3.

Season 4, however, has me questioning the writers’ decisions.

After three seasons of being trapped on the island, they decided to take risks and leave the main franchise’s location behind. Its a daring move, but it gives them a lot of creative freedom to work with.

However, they end up on another dinosaur infested island, but it’s also a secret testing ground for the rival corporation of Masrani, the guys who own Jurassic World? I feel like someone would have noticed, and I don’t know how much legal control there is over owning dino dna or breeding them or whatever, but I feel like there’s some plotholes here.

The use of advanced, sci-fi tech I can be alright with, except this new island uses a lot of advanced tech that hasn’t been seen before. It feels a lot like I’m watching a Mass Effect show now, minus the space and aliens. 

There’s also the sudden addition of romance, which I think is a good direction to explore the character dynamics, but the romantic relationships they chose is something I don’t agree with.

Kenji and Brooklyn are similar, but their characters don’t share that much chemistry, in my opinion. They haven’t had the build up or foundation as, say Darius and Brooklyn, both acting as the main leadership during times of crisis. Kenji himself has felt more like a sibling to the rest of the cast, and at times I feel like he’d pair better with Darius, due to how many times they rely on each other across the many seasons, if the show allowed it.

Besides the romantic aspect of the season, there are some highlights, such as the return of several dinosaurs from the franchise and the exploration of PTSD that these kids have yet to acknowledge over three seasons prior.

So, my final verdict for the current four seasons?

Seasons 1 to 3 are pretty good, because they explore the characters, the setting, and some of the mysteries of Isla Nublar.

Season 4 is iffy, because it addresses the interpersonal relationships of these teenagers that have accrued a lot of trauma, but also feelings for each other. Though, how it handles them, and how it handles a new setting for the show, is rather precarious at best.

Also, give these kids a break man

[joe-mazzello-archive]

the year is 2018. you’re selected to be part of a team of experts returning to the infamous isla nublar, abandoned for twenty-five years as a result of the incident. your task? determine the status of the island on behalf of its mysterious new owner. sounds easy enough....now if only the team wasn’t being led by your arch rival, tim murphy.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

she’s baaaaaaaack.

what: an enemies to lovers, jurassic park fix-it fic all in one!

who: tim murphy x fem!reader, plus some ocs

when: coming soon!

details: this fic takes place in a universe where only the first movie happened (no other sequels, tv shows, novels, etc) and explores what would happen if the island were completely abandoned for 25 years.

let me know if you would like to be tagged!

regular taglist (let me know if you’d like to be removed): @im-an-adult-ish @queenlover05 @mrhoemazzello @sadhwstudent @johndeaconshands @stardust-galaxies @rogerfuckintaylor 

tagging some others who may be interested: @deacyblues @six-bloodyminutes @hijackmy-heart @imcompletelylost 

[thebigmick284]

Jurassic World: Dinosaur Protection Group- Part 01

A six part fanfic- taking place after directly after Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

I’ll be releasing these monthly in the lead up to Jurassic World: Dominion

In a children's clinic somewhere in Northern California, a mid-wife is typing on a computer and asking a woman about her newborn child. In the next room we see her child lying in a wicker bassinet. The mother looks very distressed as she lists the symptoms her child has. As they speak, they suddenly hear a chirping coming from the next room and the baby starts crying loudly as if in distress. The women rush into the room and see around the rim of the bassinet, three dark-green lizards (Compsognathus). The three Compys have blood dripping from their snouts. Softly chirping, one Compy bends down and tears a ragged chunk of flesh from the baby, the women run forward screaming but the child is already dead and the three Compys scatter out of the room leaving behind only bloody three-toed tracks.

Claire returns to the Dinosaur Protection Group headquarters with Zia and Franklin. The place is in an uproar since dinosaur sightings are increasing exponentially daily and no-one knows what is going on since the eruption of Mt. Sibo and Claire, Zia and Franklin's disappearance on Isla Nublar. Claire urges everyone to remain calm while waiting for the US government to make announcements. Newcomer Stephen Calibaz asks what the future of the DPG will be with dinosaurs now on the mainland and what exactly happened to her, Zia and Franklin on Isla Nublar.

Another newcomer, Brooke Silva, suddenly races in turning on the TV. It is a breaking news report from the capitol. Ian Malcolm makes his case that humanity is causing its own extinction with genetic power now out on the mainland and declares the beginning of a neo-Jurassic Age, where humans and dinosaurs must now coexist. Politicians announce the US Fish and Wildlife Service will face a massive overhaul as they assess how many dinosaurs are out in the wild and how to properly deal with them. While DPG members complain about Malcolm overreacting, others including Claire are more relieved that it doesn't sound like the dinosaurs will be hunted down and killed.

Stephen and another DPG member Ed James once again ask what the DPG's role will now be and Claire responds that they do the same thing they have always been doing while she arranges a meeting with Fish and Wildlife Services to make sure the dinosaurs are treated like all endangered species. Zia speaks with Claire worried what the group will think if they learn about what transpired at Lockwood Manor. Claire says that they should focus on one thing at a time but it will need to be addressed.

A clinic coordinator returns home from an exhausted day of work. She looks tired and ready to quit. She opens a bottle of wine and relaxes by the TV when she hears noises coming from her backyard. She grabs a large knife and cautiously heads to the backyard but is puzzled when she hears snorting sounds. She charges outside ready to face whatever or whoever is and is stunned to discover a dinosaur (a Stygimoloch). It is eating her prized plants and she just stares at it in dumb shock before trying to shoo it away from her plants. The Stygimoloch instead tries to headbutt her, leaving her to take cover inside her house.

At night, somewhere in California, Blue explores a neighbourhood. She appears like a cat going back and forth from house to house investigating and smelling. It's a brand-new world for her after all and everything is new and exciting.

In the morning at the DPG, the group listen to news reporting the Mosasaurus has been spotted in Hawaii devouring surfers as Claire announces she has managed to secure a meeting with Fish and Wildlife Services. The news elates the group as Claire continues that the group will face massive changes and she hopes that they will all stand by her. She reveals after discussing with him Ed Regis will now be the Public Relations Manager for the group and that for now the group should focus on dinosaur sightings until she gets more information from the department.

The woman who encountered the Stygimoloch is about to leave her house for work again. She looks outside her backyard nervously to see if she can see it again but there appears to be nothing, so she leaves. As she does some chirping can be heard and the bushes rustle.

Meeting with Martha Williams who is the acting director of the department of Fish and Wildlife services, Claire explains what the DPG can offer and that they have people who worked at Jurassic World with them at their organisation. To Claire's surprise the department is very willing to work with them and was considering contacting Claire. Claire is introduced to Richard Levine a palaeontologist who has been appointed to them as well as Jack Thorne whose company, Thorne Mobile Field Systems, has been assigned to make new vehicles and equipment to help with dinosaur related works. Claire is elated.

In an office, a man calls two men to him to discuss the recent events of dinosaurs now being on the mainland. He says that Eli Mills failed but it doesn't matter, with Wu working for them, and the technology out there in the world, things will start to become more interesting. He suggests sending a spy in to work with the Department of Fish and Wildlife Services as well as with the DPG so they can always be on top of everything that is going on. One man, Howard King, says he has men already lined up and that it's already being taken care of. The man asks the other man, George Baselton if this will work to their advantage and Baselton thinks it will. With InGen and Masrani still dealing with the fallout over Jurassic World, it is the perfect time for Biosyn to fix its image with the public. 

Lewis Dodgson smiles.

[theuntitledblog]

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) - REVIEW

SYNOPSIS

Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live and hunt alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history's most fearsome creatures.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom effectively killed any enthusiasm I had for this series with an uninteresting story about ... actually I can't remember the story of Fallen Kingdom at all which says a lot. It is an understatement therefore for me to say that I was not expecting good things from Dominion. The synopsis I've posted above doesn't help things much either; it's a generic synopsis that you can find with a simple Google search and it's also rather dishonest. While the end of Fallen Kingdom does set up this premise, Dominion chooses to ignore it completely. For the most part, these continuing story threads from FK remain disinteresting and unengaging for me BUT, despite my lack of enthusiasm going in, there is an entertaining film stuffed inside Dominion that does its best to show itself.

This is a film that I enjoyed all the way through and got never bored with which is something worth saying considering how bored I got with Fallen Kingdom; but there are lot of caveats with that. This is not a perfect film by any means and for all the things it does right, it does a lot that frustrate even more. Where it doesn't disappoint is when it comes to the visual effects and scale because the Dinosaur effects in particular that look very convincing. The film also benefits from some outstanding dinosaur based action sequences (Bryce Dallas Howards encounter with a Therizinosaurus and the whole group trying to escape from a Giganotosaurus) which introduces some new dinosaurs but also brings back some familiar ones as well. Jurassic World: Dominion is at its best for me when it takes things back to basics with the characters stranded in Dinosaur infested territory trying to survive one confrontation to the next. As it is though, the film does feel over stuffed with two separate plot threads that involve too many characters who get out alive and thus reduce the sense of peril.

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have carried this series playing two characters who are solid but sadly rather forgettable in the grand scheme of things. Jurassic Park was successful as it was because it had the right balance of spectacle, plot based ethical discussions, action set pieces and compelling characters. The Jurassic World series lacks this elegant balance and try as it might, Jurassic World: Dominion also fails in this respect. It does compensate slightly however and is elevated the most by the return of Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum's Alan Grant, Ellie Satler and Ian Malcolm respectively. It is their scenes mixed with terrific set pieces and some musical notes that reference Jurassic Park that give Dominion flashes of brilliance.

VERDICT

Jurassic World: Dominion is superior to the most recent two films and is filled with some terrific set pieces and the return of classic characters. But it is still filled with the same issues that have plagued the previous films with an overly complicated plot and too many forgettable characters. If anything, Jurassic World: Dominion and the Jurassic World series as whole left me feeling an even greater appreciation for Jurassic Park.

3/5

[mcbitchtits]

verdantrivers reblogged your post “i will not do theme park analysis of the jurassic...”

#do a theme park analysis of the jurassic world movies

so it’s worth noting I only ever saw the first jurassic world, and i thought it kind of sucked, so I never watched the rest of them.

my main reaction, aside from “i need seventy Margaritaville Isla Nublar” shirts, was that their whole park capacity was extremely low and the resort price of getting a single person in the park was going to be, like. $10,000 a day per person. so i think there’s a lot lacking in the sequels by way of the park conceit, but given the rest of the writing that’s not really surprising.

free range ride vehicles? lol. lmao. i mean i guess at $10K a day and negligible hourly capacity it becomes sort of a moot point, but i think the interesting thing about all of that is that the inevitable result is that this “theme park” is actually an extreme luxury resort. not “a luxury extreme resort”, but an “extreme luxury” resort. already the insanely wealthy are the only people who can afford to go, but you know what’s interesting about that? it’s kind of the same problem disneyland has right now.

DL has a capacity problem. they own a lot of land in anaheim but not enough for the number of people who want to go there. so for the past 20-30 years (i’m really approximating here), they’ve been jacking up ticket prices. supply and demand, right? if you only have so much capacity, then to drive disinterest, you increase the ticket prices. it hasn’t exactly worked; disney is so successful in being THE place that people want to go to and return to that there is definitely an amount of “we will pay anything” to go there. and now a one-day park hopper ticket for DL/DCA on a high capacity day are OVER TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS. just to get in the door! that doesn’t include parking ($30), or food, or souvenirs. or hotels. the highest DL pass (yeah yeah, it’s not a Pass anymore, whatever) is something like $1400.

and you know what? disney is not disincentivized for their parks to be seen as a “luxury” product. the disney parks are the most consistently profitable part of the entire disney company. and i can assure you that profit is not going back into the parks much; relatively no more than any other product arm gets funding. in fact, in mostly just gets bled dry. (RIP to all the great live entertainment that has suffered lately.)

so what happens when you drive prices up for decades, completely detached from actual value? (unrelated: did you know it costs like $30K annually to be a member of club 33?)

well, you have a new problem: an american “middle class” family is starting to realize that disney dream vacations are way out of their budget. WDW is up there too, not just DL, because the hotels and travel are expensive as hell also. but do you know what the number one predictor of a family taking their kids to disney parks is? if they went as a kid themselves. so what happens when you have a generation of people who couldn’t, who can’t, afford to go? well, we don’t know yet, and also disney doesn’t care, at least in DL, because their problem right now is they have too many people. they jacked up the prices and tried to limit capacity and all that’s done so far is get them sued by passholders! (i don’t imagine this suit will go anywhere, but i’m not a lawyer, so who knows.)

anyway, what does this all have to do with jurassic world? again, I didn’t see the latest two or three or whatever we’re on. so this really lacks significant nuance and is mostly a reaction to the post about how Dominion felt empty because it was suffering the same problems “as a park” that the movie suffers “as a franchise”. I.E. the park designers trying for New and Novel and Big and Exciting when really it’s all messy and empty and totally lacking the critical elements that make it substantial and interesting.

I do agree with that analysis as a franchise problem; I think it haunts almost every franchise, any kind of episodic storytelling-- the urge to up the narrative stakes by upping the risk. I think that’s a mistake though, because 1) you eventually run out of room narratively, if you’re continually successful, and 2) as you grow the scale of the story, you also start moving away from the intimacy of your characters. And it’s very, very, very difficult to maintain a consistently growing ensemble. the characters we see in dominion are flat and empty and the stakes are impersonal and vacuous and there’s no narrative tension anymore because we’re not invested. (theoretically, i say, having not seen it.)

But anyway.

so my understanding is that the company that owns the dinos is doing this in a bid to create Bigger and Better and Newer, regardless, of, you know, ethics and sustainability and safety and whatnot. and the tumblr post is saying that this is a critical part of theme parks, which I think is a little bit inaccurate, or at least enough to bother me, even if it isn’t wholly untrue. theme parks are, generally, always building new attractions, and safety and interest are all parts of what goes into them. advertising the biggest/the fastest is a part of that (and it can get you killed).

but you know who doesn’t have to do that? disneyland.

of course, disney the company wants to see marketing putting up advertisements and driving sales to the park and whatnot. but disneyland has too many guests. they don’t have to actually drive people to come here because their problem right now is they can’t stop people from coming!

so why would Jurassic World have to? people keep coming to see the dinosaurs, generation after generation, enough where they’re willing to pay X thousands of dollars per person PER DAY likely, to do so. at that point, just having dinosaurs really might be “enough” of an attraction. you don’t have to dig into it being a zoo or not a zoo (or nahtahzu), because it probably already succeeds financially at its most central directive, which is get paying customers in the door to see dinosaurs. 

I don’t think Jurassic Park(s) are quite a 1:1 to Disneyland, and when it comes to the storytelling, I can assure you that the limited plot construction makes zero nuanced understandings to theme parks; it’s just the conceit. But I do think it’s interesting that there is this IRL luxury ticket problem, and in my estimation Jurassic World has to be a luxury resort of a kind. I doubt they’re trucking in guests with $50 tickets just to get capacity up; the park couldn’t sustain those numbers.

On the other hand-- maybe this is completely the wrong way of looking at it! Disney also just rolled out the Halcyon galactic starcruiser vacation, which is the star wars immersive experience, and they pitch it akin to their cruise line packages. (From my recollection, it’s all-inclusive sans souvenirs.)

Aaaaaand it’s potentially flopping. It’s $1200 a night, per person. (Roughly.) It’s moderately popular, but the general consensus seems to be that the prices are too expensive to maintain full interest. And it’s not because it’s bad (though, god knows they also suffered from a lot of design cutbacks), it’s just fucking expensive. From observation, after the initial months, reservations seem to have opened up a lot. However! Disney is also hinting that they want to build one in Anaheim, which also could be that it’s popular enough with the wealthier crowd.

And then Disney also just went and did this:

The luxury market may be well and truly solid, and that wouldn’t surprise me, to be honest, since wealth inequality is greater than ever. (Interestingly, I feel like this offering from Disney strikes about right on par with my Jurassic World estimation-- it’s about $10,000 per “park”, or $5000 per day per person. Presumably including flights-- which I would assume the Isla Nublar ticketing would also.)

So! There’s two ways of looking at Jurassic World imo. I really do think they are a luxury vacation in all likelihood, and in that sense you are on a completely different playing field. People don’t buy $5000 gold-plated donuts because they like them, after all. And regardless of that, I don’t think you spend decades building and rebuilding dinosaur parks if they were 1) unpopular on their own, 2) people keep going despite the fact that people have died and the parks have imploded.

OR, and this is more in line with the original plot, it’s all capitalistic roulette. Maybe it’s so absurdly pricey that they can’t attract enough guests and they can’t feed the animals. Maybe they’re cutting corners on design to save money. It’s not impossible. But again, beyond the primary conceit-- it’s a theme park, and the attractions are inherently dangerous to the point of death, beyond mere injury-- the text doesn’t bear out much detail. (Again, I say, having not seen the newer ones.) So all we’re left with is a lot of talking around stuff, analytically.

On the other hand, there is this weird thing about theme parks: they already are inherently dangerous. The animatronics in pirates of the carribbean won’t bite your face off, but you can certainly get injured trying to climb out of the boats. And how much electronic/hydraulic force do you think is behind the motions in one single animatronic figure? Now multiply that to moving a false room that’s bigger than a literal boulder. I mean, hell. The yeti cracked its foundation, and now it’s turned off for esssentially ever. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous! That’s kind of the whole magic of it!

Theme parks and amusement parks and even carny rides are all about perceived risk. There is inherent thrill from walking that line between safety and danger. These are novel problems but they’re not unheard of. I don’t think dinosaurs would really be that much different. It really all comes down to execution, which is different than design (guess who cuts the checks).

Jurassic Park/World is weird, but in some ways I don’t think it’s unrealistic. It really is a matter of hitting the right or wrong market in the right or wrong ways. And where the movie flopped, out of a sense of lacking coherency or relevance or whatever-- I completely think the park could succeed, as an attraction, commercially and profitably. New custom dinosaurs or not.

[newsspoilersalert]

Jurassic World Dominion: Everything you need to know!

It has been a while since the fans of the Jurassic Park series have laid their eyes on a new entry. And now, after four years, it is finally back with Jurassic World: the Fallen Kingdom arriving in theatres later this year. But before that happens, Universal Pictures has unveiled an exciting full-length prologue for its upcoming film - Jurassic World: Dominion.

The footage is just over five minutes long and returns to when dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago. Titled "Jurassic World: We Still Do," the original 5-minute-long prologue takes audiences 65 million years back to a world filled with all kinds of dinosaurs, big and small, herbivores and carnivores.

The clip was released online but won't be part of the upcoming feature film. Universal Pictures is set to release Jurassic World: the Fallen Kingdom on June 22, 2018. The latest film in the franchise began with Steven Spielberg's 1993 classic stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprising their lead roles as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, respectively.

Jurassic World Dominion: The epic action-adventure

 The epic action-adventure will be helmed by J.A Bayona (The Impossible), with Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow serving as the executive producer. The movie takes place four years after the events of Jurassic World and follows the story of Claire Dearing, who is returning to Isla Nublar now that it has been declared safe.

However, when she realizes that an active volcano threatens to take down her beautiful creation, she tries to save her dinosaurs once again before it's too late. In the film, Owen Grady also returns alongside other characters like Maisie Lockwood, where they try to rescue Blue - one of the last remaining dinosaurs in existence to prevent an even greater catastrophe in this new chapter set on a volcanic island.

The movie will also see the return of several characters from previous films, including BD Wong, Jeff Goldblum, and of course, the three Velociraptors - Blue, Delta, and Charlie, who Owen trained in Jurassic World. The star-studded cast includes James Cromwell playing Benjamin Lockwood, a wealthy business associate of Hammond who was left behind on Nublar when InGen collapsed.

Ted Levine will be seen as mercenary hunting down dinosaurs while Justice Smith plays an ex-Marine named Franklin Webb responsible for training Maisie in handling dangerous animals. Rafe Spall plays Eli Mills, who works with Ben Lockwood to save Blue with the help of Claire and her team, Zach and Gray.

Miller is joined by an all-star cast, including Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, and Daniella Pineda. The sequel was announced shortly after the release of Jurassic World, with Universal setting June 22, 2018, for the release date. It is directed by J.A Bayona (The Impossible) and is set to be released in IMAX 3D and 4DX.

[deliriousgeek]

She’s the Alpha (Owen Grady x Reader) .7

Masterlist:

Okay! Finally up to date! I’m so excited for chapter 8. Also, if you were expecting Owen and Yn meeting right away, my apologies. Yes this is a Owen x Yn fanfic buttt I really want to set up her position in the story. Don’t worry tho! Owen will be here very soon. So stay tuned! Enjoy <3

p.s. lemme know if you wanna be tagged :)

Chapter 7

My Apologies Ma’am

She couldn't believe her eyes. The monorail zoomed into the main part of the park. The ride started from the docs and passed all the way through a lush green forest, from there it went over a deep blue lake.

A lake?

(Y/n) had opted for a window seat. This way she could take in the gorgeous view of the tropical landscape. To say the island was beautiful would to be an understatement, it was absolutely breathtaking. (Y/n) almost entirely forgot the reason she was here.

You're not here to vacation, you're here to review.

Reprimanding herself (Y/n) pulled out her journal and began writing her discoveries. The park had a promising future. The main theme of the park, dinosaurs, had yet to be seen and visitors would still be enthralled with the landscape that served as a teasing preview of what was yet to come.

A light bustle of conversation filled the monorail once the conductor had announced over the PA system they would be entering the park. On Y/n's lap sat her journal, a gift from her father. (Y/n) tried to jot down the feelings and sights she was absorbing, but was slowly tuning out her thoughts as the PA system spoke.

Claire stood up at the head of the monorail and announced as the monorail went through the refurbished entrance gates. "Ladies and gentlemen welcome to, Jurassic World."

The gates opened and the monorail pushed through. A collective gasp of intrigue was heard through the cabin as the passengers got their first glimpse into the park. The monorail passed over a gorgeous deep blue lake that was said to hold one of the main attractions of the park, the mosasaurus. (Y/n) wrote down in her journal that having the monorail built just outside the mosasaurus exhibit, while being an aesthetically pleasing architect choice, may not have been the most passenger safety option. She also observed that overlooking the mosasaurus lagoon was the hotel and directly under the hotel was a beach. This beach, which was connected to the mosasaurus lagoon, was separated by two fences. Although the fences looked highly durable and built to keep the gigantic reptile from chomping on park goers, it didn't seem like the most viable plan. (Y/n) was sure to mention this to Mr. Masrani once they met.

Nit picking at first sight was not in (Y/n)'s personality, however, after hearing stories of the old unsuccessful park and their death count, she was not willing to over look any details.

The paleontologist side of her began to kick in and she was instantly intrigued by the creature lurking in the depths. How old was it? Was there only one? Did it hunt for itself? How deep was the pool?

Y/n would ask all these questions once she met with Mr. Masrani himself, which would be very soon.

The monorail had come to a slow halt and the passengers were directed off the vehicle into the hotel lobby. Claire was at the head of group announcing the schedule for the day.

"If you'll follow me," She smiled. "Your passes and wrist bands which give you access to the whole park will be in your room. Your rooms will be located on the 25th floor. My assistant Zora will be passing out room keys and numbers." A woman stepped out from behind one of the employee doors with cards in her hand, which she began to pass out accordingly.

Claire spoke again. "Once you receive your keys please feel free to head up to your room for a quick freshen up or roam the park if you wish. The meeting with Mr. Masrani will be held in the Apatosaurus Room in one hour. If you have any questions, I'm all ears." Her sentence ended with a business smile.

Y/n waited her turn for Zora to pass her the room key. After receiving the key and doing a once over of the group, y/n decided it was best to stay away for now and head up to her room.

Upon entering the luxurious hotel room Y/n was greeted with a wonderful view. She was greeted with the nicest scent of a freshly made hotel room which instantly soothed her body from the Isla Nublar heat. Once stepping in the room and shutting the door the AC began working wonders on cooling her heated skin. On top the queen sized bed that sat in the middle of the room laid a tray containing all the necessities for visiting the park. Her luggage was sitting in the corner the room near the entrance onto the veranda. A set of wide, brown-stained, rolling shutter doors blocked off her view from the rest of the park. Noticing the obstruction in her view she promptly set her bag on the bed, slipped off her shoes, and slid the doors open to the balcony.

With a short exhale of breath Y/n was astounded by the grandeur of the island. She could nearly see the entirety of the park. In her direct view the grand, green mountains served as a back drop for everything below. The Innovation Center stood like a beacon in the middle of everything. Leading to the Center was main street, full of shops, restaurants, bars, and things of that nature. To the sides of the street were enclosures, but for what she couldn't see. Observing the enclosures from a far wouldn't help her in determining an opinion on them. Y/n mentally noted that she would have to see those enclosures for herself. They seemed much too small, and Y/n hoped she was very wrong.

Letting her eyes roam over the deep, jungle green of the mountain terrain, Y/n saw a grey, out of place, building. It was nearly the color of rocks and probably could not be seen from the ground level. It was quite a distance away from the park and there were no monorail tracks leading to it. Y/n assumed it had something to do with the operations of the park and wondered if she could have a peak inside. A little digging into the park's business side wouldn't hurt. After all, that's what she was asked to do.

After letting the Costa Rican sun settle into her bones once more Y/n returned to her room, closing the door behind her. She checked her phone for the time and quickly donned herself with one of the passes on the bed and placed everything else in a purse she brought with her. Y/n unloaded only the necessities from her backpack into the purse. Heading to the bathroom of the suite Y/n did a once over in the mirror. Deciding the the humidity of the island was doing her hair no good she took it out of it's current state and redid it into a much more frizz-free style. Before heading out the door she briefly glanced in the mirror then, deeming her appearance business worthy she walked out the door in search of the conference room.

Y/n took the elevator down the lobby in which she asked a receptionist where the Apatosaurus Room was. After being given directions Y/n thanked the woman before heading a lounging area of the lobby. Checking the time again Y/n noted that there wasn't enough time to spare before the meeting to the explore the park. Although, there was time to jot down her first impressions of the it. Sitting down in the lounge area Y/n took her journal out from her purse and began to write.

She didn't write about the interior of the hotel or that there were not mints left on her pillow, but rather on the fact that when looking at the overall view of the park she was not impressed with the size of the enclosures she saw. Concern over powered the beauty of the park, though she did appreciate the island's well landscaped state it was not the reason she came. Concluding her writing with a note that said:

Opinion on enclosures will be revised after further inspection of park.

Y/n closed her journal and stood while placing it back in her purse. While Y/n's vision was occupied by securing her purse, her direction was veered into the path of the man walking opposite of her.  With a general sense of direction, lack of attention to his surroundings, and briskly paced walk, the man did not notice the woman slightly shifting into his path either. His focus was entirely absorbed in the files that he held and getting to his meeting on time. Before either of the two could register the collision, Y/n stumbling backwards until she was on the floor. This caused the man's head to snap up then back down to the woman on the floor.  Other passers by looked as well. The man's mouth moved quicker than his brain and before he knew it he was offering her a hand and an apology.

He helped her off the floor. "My apologies ma'am. I didn't see you there." When his eyes finally met hers he starred with an almost stunned gaze. Maybe it was the impact from their collision or the sincere gleam in her eyes, either way he nearly forgot how to breathe.

"Oh no sir, the fault is mine. I wasn’t looking where I was going." After dusting herself off and actually securing her purse she looked up and offered him a smile. "Sorry for the inconvenience. I'm in a rush." Noticing his lingering stare she cleared her throat, suddenly feeling like a display looked at through a glass.

Recovering from being stunned, he offered her a weak smile of his own. "I was too-” Realizing he was still late he closed the file, “-am too." He nodded his head. "Sorry again for knocking into you, ma’am. "

She nodded and replied swallowing thickly, her throat suddenly parched, "Right, I gotta go too. So sorry for bumping into you, bye." 

"Goodbye ma'am."

Then each walked their separate ways.

Pushing aside the uncomfortable interruption Y/n headed to the meeting. Approaching the halls that led to the conference rooms she began to prepare questions for Mr. Masrani in her head. If there was a time for questions she would be sure to ask them. Seeing a sign that read "Apatosaurus Room: 2:30 Meeting" next to a closed door Y/n made her way to the door, and walked in.

Who's the man? 👀

Lol, see ya next time

@littlegangrel @thebadassbitchqueen

[astoldbygingersnaps]

#wip wednesday

since the latest chapter of star trek au continues to elude me (i swear to GOD i’ve been working on it; it’s about 2/3 of the way done and should hopefully be posted in a few weeks), i figured i’d go ahead and post a snippet of one my next projects, a fic i very briefly mentioned in my end of the year wrap-up post: the jurassic world au. 

this is an idea i’ve always wanted to work on as a) a HUGE fan of the jurassic park franchise and b) a person who spent years as a dog trainer who was both puzzled and horrified by the raptor training in that movie. while this will probably be The Most Niche Fic of all my Very Niche Fics, i’m super happy with it so far and hope other people will be, too. 

currently this project is sitting at about 18k and i’d like to have it completed, edited, and posted within the next few months. until then, enjoy this preview!

Itachi has never been the kind of person that believes in fate. As a boy his father had drilled the importance of hard work into his head, and it had been a lesson Itachi had carried with him long after he realized the man’s guidance wasn’t actually worth all that much. It wasn’t luck or good fortune that had led to Itachi many successes in life. Truthfully, fate had always seemed like a childish concept to him, an excuse for people to hang their hats on when things went wrong in their lives and they weren’t willing to take responsibility for their own actions. 

That said, it’s hard for Itachi not to feel some sort of cosmic influence is manipulating his course in life when one day Uchiha Fugaku summons his eldest son into his office at the heart of Isla Nublar. Given his position as the puppetmaster of InGen, it isn’t often that his father actually finds himself on the humid and sandy shores of Jurassic World. But every time he does Itachi feels a familiar, childish pull of anxiety, a little voice in his head that drives himself to push himself to succeed, to please. It’s as if the last four years Itachi has spent almost single-handedly managing this glorified amusement park suddenly vanish in a puff as he meets his father’s judgemental black gaze. 

“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me,” Fugaku tells him, waving a hand to silently order Itachi to sit. And, as always, Itachi obeys his father’s commands. 

“It’s no trouble, Father,” Itachi assures him as he settles into the immaculate white leather chair that no doubt costs half of his yearly salary. “Was there something you needed?”

“Yes and no,” Fugaku replies, which is fittingly ominous for the man. “I wanted to discuss a recent change that Hiruzen is implementing to the park.” 

It takes an extraordinary amount of restraint on Itachi’s part to keep his comments regarding the CEO of Jurassic World and the sheer effort he spends weekly cleaning up the man’s air-headed messes to himself. For all the years he’s lived on the island--first as a boy while his father built his career, then as an intern after college, and finally as yet another cog in the Jurassic World machine--he’s regarded Sarutobi Hiruzen with an almost bleak sort of awe. It was shocking to Itachi that a man would possess such power and wealth, yet seem almost clueless when it came to maintaining that empire. Then again, he thinks dryly, perhaps all rich and influential men were nothing more than fools in the end.

Unaware of Itachi’s thoughts on the matter, Fugaku continues, “As I’m sure you’re aware, the board has been planning for sometime now to come up with a new attraction to boost both ticket and merchandise sales.” Of course Itachi is aware of it; it had been his idea in the first place. But, like most of his suggestions regarding Jurassic World, it had been thoroughly steamrolled until a man with more money and respect to his name could repackage it as his own brilliant, brand new invention. Which, as it were, is exactly what Hiruzen is planning to do. “The project has been in the works for a while now, but it’s going to be quite controversial. We thought it best to keep it under wraps until we were certain it was viable.”

“I take it you’re certain now?” Itachi asks, and Fugaku nods.

“We’ve had great success with the assets we’ve created so far, but as long as this park has been in construction there’s been one species that we’ve been unable to successfully replicate. Unfortunately, it’s also the one species that every dim-witted tourist that sets foot on this island is looking for.”

A chill works its way down Itachi’s spine as he guesses, “Velociraptors.” 

It’s an idea that’s almost too macabre to even contemplate, let alone execute. For better or worse, the general public’s more than aware of the chaos and bloodshed that led to the destruction of the first park. It’s a shroud that lingers over Itachi’s everyday life, as no matter how hard he tries to maintain order and prioritize safety there will always be someone who looks at him as if he’s a capricious madman. 

Because of Jurassic Park’s spectacular failure, the image of the velociraptor--a brilliant and ruthless predator stalking the shadows, picking men off one by one--has captivated the average person’s interest in a way that no other species has. So, ever since that original park, Jurassic World has been chasing the holy grail of a fully operational, successful, and controlled raptor exhibit--and, considering the way his father is currently speaking, Itachi’s sure the board has finally captured that elusive golden ticket. 

“You’re correct,” Fugaku says, though at this point the admission isn’t necessary, and with careful muscular control Itachi holds back a frown. Perhaps this is the reason why no one decided to share this information with him despite the fact he’s the Operations Manager for this entire establishment; given the way he’s previously spoken about subjects such as animal welfare and reducing employee hazards, perhaps they sensed he wouldn’t exactly be on board with the wild idea of releasing one of the world’s most dangerous beasts onto the Earth again. 

Either way, regardless of his own personal feelings on the decision, Itachi intends to oversee it with the same attention to detail he brings to any other project. “It’s a risky move, but it could prove to be quite lucrative if executed properly,” he eventually replies, evenly as he’s able. “I know in prior years other raptors were bred, but they were culled because they proved to be more trouble than they were worth. What’s changed since then?”

“According to our geneticists, the sequences on the upcoming crop will give them a reduced level of aggression and increased agreeability, though to be honest I’m not convinced that isn’t just smoke and mirrors.” Bleakly, Itachi’s inclined to agree; there was a world of difference between breeding a dog for temperament and trying to strip millions of years of prey drive from a wild--and previously extinct--animal. “Given that I’m not completely sold on their claims, it’s more a question of who has changed than what.”

As if on cue, a knock arrives at his father’s door, and in seconds the visitor’s face appears in the frame. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” the man says--at least, that’s what Itachi thinks the man says, because the sight of him alone causes Itachi’s brain to spontaneously stop functioning. 

“Not at all,” Fugaku responds, completely unaware of his son’s inner turmoil. “As a matter of fact we were just discussing your contract with us.”

“Must have been why my ears were burning,” the man replies, his smile broadening into a full-on grin the moment he catches sight of Itachi positively dying in front of his father’s desk. 

If there was a god in this world, He would open a hole in Fugaku’s freshly steam-cleaned carpet and let Itachi fall to his demise. But clearly there isn’t, as instead of time ceasing entirely it drags on and leads to Fugaku announcing, “Itachi, this is Uchiha Shisui. He’s an expert in the growing field of paleo-behavioral studies, which makes him the ideal candidate for rearing the velociraptors and readying them for the public.”

“We’ve met,” Itachi all but chokes out, clearing his throat to expel the sudden lump that’s formed in it. From the other side of the room he can see Shisui fighting a laugh, and in that moment he wishes Shisui would fall in a hole and die, too. 

“Really?” his father asks curiously. “I didn’t know you two were acquainted. How do you know each other?”

While his positions at Jurassic World and in life have allowed Itachi to conquer a variety of challenges, there’s not a single skill or experience that has prepared him for this moment. Because Itachi has no idea how to explain to his father that the reason he knows this man is that he slept with him four years ago and never returned a single one of his calls or texts.

“It’s a long story.”

[swan2swan]

Really, though, one of the things that made Jurassic World such a great movie was that it didn’t just get lazy and start slapping old Jurassic Park themes onto a bunch of scenes (looking at you Hobbit soundtrack just taking the Nazgul theme and plastering it onto Thorin’s showdown moment, why did you do that again?). There are three moments where the classic Jurassic Park soundtrack comes through in the movie (and one Lost World moment), and all three are actually relevant to the moment: the triumphant fanfare as you return to Isla Nublar for the first time in years and see the park that Hammond imagined, the moment where they’re flying and Masrani talks about Hammond’s dream, and the part where the boys are exploring the old park.

Everything else?

The movie does its own thing. 

Edit: Okay, four. There’s also the “duh-duhhh, duh-DUHHHHH” when Rexy emerges, but again, that’s REXY. The classic Tyrannosaurus Rex returning to do her thing and save the day, as hinted at by the music cue. It’s important to use that theme there!