#Sports Shot Collector's Book

[cryptocollectibles]

Michael Jordan Sports Shot Collector's Book (1994) by Scholastic Inc

By Devra Newberger

[omegaremix]

25 Vinyl Records That Influenced My Vinyl Collecting Habits.

‘Top ten’ lists - they were so commonplace on social media before the pandemic that half of the people you knew participated in them. Your friends involuntarily posted lists of their top ten favorite albums, songs, movies, sports moments, video games, books, or whatever came to mind. Then they’d nominate you to do the same if you even cared. All of a sudden they stopped and for a few months everyone did tournament brackets. These days no one does either. Now, tag a band and see if they acknowledge you exist, solve a simple math problem where everyone with a Facebook diploma in mathematics are out to prove you wrong, or answer some useless questions to find out what your new gang initiation name is by removing your first and last letter and any surviving vowels.

But I don’t care about childish entry-level entertainment that everyone will forget about five minutes later. I’d watch Fox News for that. Longtime Ω+ followers know our ‘top tens’ are much more than that: they are playlists, mixtapes, end-of-year finds, and best-of decade results. That’s what I’m into. I’m into what’s important and that’s identifying with people. It’s not a contest or a be-all-end-all game of right-or-wrong. It’s all fully subjective. Without personal results, how special or unique would these lists be?

The last survey I was nominated to do was from WUSB’s Mister Edison, the station’s only cylinder aficionado in its’ 45-year history: top ten vinyl records that influenced your collecting habits. I did volunteer to do it and I was halfway there, then somehow along the way I deleted it. Now, here it is. But, instead of a top ten, we’ll do a top twenty-five because I’m compulsive and 10 is not a square number. All records shown here regardless of size, speed, color, or print run are those that have changed not only my record-collecting habits but also have shaped my musical tastes to an extent.

The record that started it all? KMFDM’s “Power” 12”. It was the very first vinyl record I bought with my own money, just mere months after purchasing most of its discography in one shot at my local record store. I ordered it from the TVT / Wax Trax mail order - my very first mail-order to be exact - numbered to 3,000 copies as a single-sided etched vinyl record in a clear plastic silk-screened jacket. That also came with Underworld’s “Rowla”. Shizuo’s High On Emotion e.p. was my third. Found at what was Port Jefferson’s Music Den, that’s a record I had to have at first sight because I knew it was extremely rare. Glad I made the right call because I never saw it again. Even though I didn’t have a turntable, I bought them anyway thinking I could hold on to them until I finally got my hands on one. Turned out my ma’ and dad had one: a wooden box smaller than the records it played. It literally had no sound and was deemed almost unplayable, so a close “friend” of mine gave me his father’s 1972 Panasonic and a copy of Autechre’s We Are R Y 12”. I was now in business.

From there, another one-time pressing of theirs, the “Keynell” e.p., introduced me to the panic of now-or-never buying. Booth & Brown collectors know how insanely rare their limited edition e.p.’s are and also how they and Warp divided up their Cichlisuite and Envane e.p.’s in two parts. And that was nothing to when Aphex Twin released not one, not two, but eleven e.p.’s as the Analord series through his Rephlex label. Ten regular platters and two versions of Analord 10: either you got the Aphex logo picture disc or, if you were really lucky (we mean that in a literal sense), one that came with the Analord binder which is fetching impossible prices right now. Some of them even came with the mythical Analogue Bubblebath 5. We’re just happy to have purchased all eleven editions for regular price when they first came out. Amazingly in that same year, I did my first-ever label run and purchased $300.00 worth of vinyl and disc releases from DHR.

The first hardcore record I got my hands on - Kill Your Idols’ This Is Just The Beginning - was also the very first music purchase I made at any show. Three years after one of my close friends introduced me to Sick Of It All and hardcore / punk in general, This Is Just The Beginning flung the doors wide open for crushing similar-styled tough-guy finds. Most Long Island record stores sold them when they came in, and places like Hicksville and Centereach’s Utopia (when they did sell them) offered many easy one / two / three-dollar bargain bin purchases of many 7” records, 45’s, and 12” LPS. The Howards & Checkerboard Charlie split is one example of that and one of many local acts I possess. Jemini The Gifted One’s “Funk Soul Sensation” is the only hip-hop record on the list. Ten years ago I re-discovered golden-era hip-hop and realized there was a treasure trove of white-label and 12” singles I never heard of from that time. Those hip-hop / rap singles can be found on the cheap in the same manner as those discount hardcore records. I’ll be on a life-time hunt for them as at this point I don’t have enough of them.

It’s no surprise to see that more than half of this list is made up of Seventies’ jazz / fusion records. If not for Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes Astral Traveling, I would not have the size of vinyl library I have now. One of our former hip-hop dee-jays at the station played “Expansions”, “Aspirations”, and “Colors Of The Rainbow” and those three cuts literally changed my life. It opened up an avenue for me to re-discover who I was and revisit a certain era of time I missed out on. From that point on, it was all about that era’s sounds, sampling, and personal favorites. John Tropea’s A Short Trip To Space, Les McCann’s Music Lets Me Be, and Roy Ayers’ A Tear To A Smile - those three records define my final years at Stony Brook. Phil Upchurch’s 1979 solo outing, Stuff’s self-titled debut, Emily Remler’s Firefly, Steve Khan’s The Blue Man, Ramsey Lewis’ Tequila Mockingbird, Eric Gale’s Multiplication, and Ronnie Laws’ Pressure Sensitive tie me in and keep me connected to those years.

Karla Bonoff’s Restless Nights and Urbie Green’s The Fox influenced my collection in an amusing way. I had no idea who both artists were until I pulled them out of the bins. What had me purchase them? I bought Restless Nights and The Fox solely based on the year of release (1979 and 1976 respectively). One listen of each and I knew I made two right calls.

Remember when we posted our entry about our close friend Syke who rescued a pile of old records from being thrown out to the curb? Of the 500+ he found, he gave us 50 and we still have most of them. We selected Pete Shelley’s “Telephone Operator” as a reminder of that free giveaway.

I could list both volumes of the original Dirty Dancing motion picture soundtrack which my ma’ had, her only surviving childhood vinyl record of Disney’s Cinderella, or The Pac-Man Album 12″ picture disc written by Patrick McBride and Dana Walden. But those three mentions aren’t influential; just early Atari-youth memories. My first-ever childhood memories I still remember (not photographed) are also vinyl-related: J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” and The Cars’ “Shake It Up”; the latter which I have in my possession and are the markers of all classic rock records I own around that era. (Think Dire Straits and Donald Fagan’s The Nightfly to name a few.)

Another Atari-youth moment I remember is The Chambers Brothers’ A New Time, A New Day. My dad cut out the album sleeve and used it as a paper holder in our garage. That very record made me think of whatever few platters I remember him having before he sold his entire vinyl library and our library of Atari 2600 games…for a paltry $50.00. “He needed the money” he told me; which is always a pathetic man’s answer to everything. Had he’d seen how enthusiastic I was into music collecting, he would’ve handed his entire collection to me. Roberta Flack’s Quiet Fire, Kiss’ Rock & Roll Over, and The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers and Their Satanic Majesties Request were the four in his collection he parted with and I have three of them, not including The Chambers Brothers release. He tried to make it up to me, however, by bringing home two separate piles of records he rescued from the curb. One heap was full of polka records which I donated to WUSB’s resident polka lady before she died the same year. The other heap? Since you didn’t ask: loads of classic hippie rock records, showtunes, and celebrity albums. Jim Nabors on wax? Stop before I deactivate this account.

Finally, Boulders’ Rock & Roll Will Never Die. Look it up and you’ll see it’s a near total obscurity only confined to hipster circles who know what’s up. A five-track Wharf Records release picked up for less than $3.00 is the one 12" that may as well get me into the Discogs purchasing game for all rare releases (not found in stores) I’ve been looking for in the past seven years. I’ve played many of them on Omega WUSBand soon after bought a substantial chunk of their discographies in one shot (three Happy Meals / Free Love LP’s and three Black Marble discs, for example). As a nice side effect, it’ll be the the same for cassettes as well such as Believer/Law’s Matters Of Life And Death and JS Aurelius’ Machines Water The Plants Now - if the seller’s price is right, that is.

Notice how we went from KMFDM to Boulders? You can’t get any more disparate in styles and worlds between the two. The first purchases, public library finds, donations, record fairs, mail orders, samples, jazz-fusion and soul, hardcore and hip-hop buy-outs, record-store victory tours, and many other moments I might have missed…that’s 25 years of buying vinyl records spanning many different collecting eras and genres for me. That’s only one format, and also not counting acquiring music by other means such as radio and downloads which also shaped my collection. The bingo board jumble you see is only a tiny pinch of my musical tastes and not the whole story of my listening habits that’s usually broadcast on Omega WUSB or always posted here on Ω+.

After making this list, I’m reminded that I’m the most diverse person I know. I’m proud that my low-lying threshold for accepting and liking sound and concept allowed me to make that diversity into a science and have that mind-blowing knowledge I have of it. I’m as consistent, thorough, and far-reaching as I possibly can while hitting as many targets as possible. Would there be more bingo boards like this? Only if I make sure of it.

Phil Upchurch: self-titled

Lonnie Liston Smith: Astral Traveling

Karla Bonoff: Restless Nights

Steve Khan: The Blue Man

Chambers Brothers: A New Time, A New Day

Emily Remler: Firefly

Boulders: Rock And Roll Will Never Die

KMFDM: “Power”

John Tropea: A Short Trip To Space

Les McCann: Music Let’s Me Be

Shizuo: High On Emotion

J. Geils Band: “Centerfold”

Aphex Twin: Analord 10 picture disc

Jemini The Gifted One: “Funk Soul Sensation”

Roy Ayers: A Tear To A Smile

Ramsey Lewis: Tequila Mockingbird

Pete Shelley: “Telephone Operator”

Autechre: “Keynell”

Kill Your Idols: This Is Just The Beginning

The Cars: Shake It Up

Ronnie Laws: Pressure Sensitive

Stuff: Stuff

Eric Gale: Multiplication

Urbie Green: The Fox

Checkerboard Charlie b/w The Howards split

[stupittmoran]

Babe Ruth is the single most famous baseball player in the entire world. Babe Ruth is also one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game. The Bambino's slugging ability was so great, his last name became an adjective — "Ruthian" — used to describe performances of heroic proportion. We could effortlessly write an entire book (more books about Babe Ruth have been written than any other player) here, but will stick to a mere handful of career highlights.

Babe Ruth the "champion": Ruth was a World Series champion seven times (1915, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932), the American League home run champion twelve times (1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931), the RBI Champion six times (1919, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1926, 1928), the On-Base Percentage Champion ten times (1919, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1932) and the Slugging Average Champion thirteen times (1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931)!

Babe Ruth the "home run king": Ruth was the first player in Major League history to hit 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 home runs. In 1919, Ruth hit 29 home runs becoming the all-time single-season home-run leader. A year later Ruth hit 54 home runs, breaking his own record as the all-time single-season home run leader and became the first player to hit over 50 home runs in a season. The very next year, he hit 59 home runs, breaking his own record yet again. Finally, in 1927, The Sultan of Swat hit 60 home runs, breaking the mark and establishing a plateau that was legendary for decades. Currently, Ruth still holds records for most home runs in any decade (467 in the 1920s), fastest player to hit 600 home runs (2,044 games) and fastest player to hit 700 home runs (2,418 games).

Babe Ruth the "best left-handed pitcher in baseball": Ruth was 18-8 with a 2.44 ERA his first full season on the mound (1915), twenty-wins club (23-12) the very next year (and the ERA Champion, 1.75), and twenty-wins club (24-13) the year after that. Ruth still holds pitching records for most shutouts in a season by a lefty with 9 (tied by Ron Guidry in 1978) and most innings pitched (14) in a World Series game, on October 9, 1916, a complete game 2-1 victory.

Babe Ruth the "postseason prince": Ruth set World Series records with 3 homers in a game (and did it twice) and 12 total bases in a game. His 15 postseason home runs, all hit during World Series games, were a record until Mickey Mantle tied him in 1963 then eventually passed him in 1964. And let us never forget the 1932 World Series, legendary and debatable still to this day, courtesy of "The Called Shot".

Babe Ruth the "nickname collector": Babe (which some actually believe is his real name due to its use) probably had more well-published nicknames than any other player and here are but a few we have seen in print: The Bambino, The Sultan of Swat, The Colossus of Clout, The Wazir of Wham, The Maharajah of Mash, The Rajah of Rap, The Caliph of Clout, the Behemoth of Bust, The Mammoth of Maul, The Mauling Mastodon, The Mauling Monarch, The Wali of Wollop, and to his teammates, Jidge.

Babe Ruth the "hall of fame legend": Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on February 2, 1936, by the Baseball Writers Association of America, as part of the inaugural class of inductees. At the time of his induction, Ruth held literally hundreds, and we mean hundreds, of baseball records. The single most prolific hitter in baseball history, a key component in "Murderer's Row" and a charismatic personality — both on and off the field — that made him a larger-than-life figure and one of the greatest sports heroes, not just in baseball, but in American culture.

Babe Ruth is part of an elite set of pitchers in Major League history whose career on the mound spanned at least ten seasons and NEVER once included a losing record! The other aces: Spud Chandler (11 seasons), Dizzy Dean (12 seasons), Dave Foutz (11 seasons), Joe McGinnity (10 seasons), Andy Pettitte (18 seasons), Deacon Phillippe (13 seasons), Jay Powell (11 seasons) and Urban Shocker (13 seasons).

[xtruss]

Babe Ruth’s ‘Called Shot’ Jersey From The 1932 World Series Could Fetch Over $30 Million At Auction

Heritage Auctions Believes It Will Become The Most Expensive Sports Collectible Ever Sold at Auction.

— By Rachel Cormack | May 22, 2024

Heritage Auctions

Collectors will have the chance to catch one of the most important pieces of baseball memorabilia in history this summer.

A Gray New York Yankees Jersey Babe Ruth Wore During Game 3 of the 1932 World Series will go under the gavel at Heritage Auctions in late August. The auction house estimates the rarity could hammer down for $30 million or more, setting a new world record in the process.

“Ruth’s World Series jersey is the most significant piece of American sports memorabilia to be offered at auction in decades,” Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage, said in a statement. “Given its history, its mythology, we expect that when the final bid is placed, it will hold the record as the most expensive sports collectible ever to cross the auction block.”

The Jersey Has Been Photo-Matched and Authenticated. Heritage Auctions

The “Called Shot” jersey, which bears Ruth’s No. 3, was a part of one of baseball’s most famous (and often debated) moments. The Sultan of Swat was sporting it as he stepped up to the plate in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series to face Chicago Cubs pitcher Charlie Root. With the score tied between the Cubs and Yankees, the slugger failed to hit the ball not once but twice. In between strikes, Ruth pointed to the center-field bleachers. Whether he was calling out his shot, pointing at the pitcher, or just gesturing to the stands is still debated. With the next pitch, Ruth sent the ball over 440 feet to the section he had indicated. The Yankees went on to win that game seven to five and knocked the Cubs out of the Series the following day.

The Front of the Jersey. Heritage Auctions

In the slugger’s 1948 book The Babe Ruth Story, he said he pointed toward the center field bleachers before Root threw his first pitch and again on his third. “I guess the smart thing for Charlie to have done on his third pitch would have been to waste one,” Ruth wrote. “But he didn’t, and for that I’ve sometimes thanked God. While he was making up his mind to pitch to me I stepped back again and pointed my finger at those bleachers, which only caused the mob to howl that much more at me. Root threw me a fast ball. If I had let it go, it would have been called a strike. But this was it. I swung from the ground with everything I had and as I hit the ball every muscle in my system, every sense I had, told me that I had never hit a better one, that as long as I lived nothing would ever feel as good as this.”

The Back of the Jersey. Heritage Auctions

According to Heritage, Ruth later gifted the jersey he wore on that fateful day to a Florida man following a round of golf. It remained with the man until his daughter sold it for $940,000 through Grey Flannel Auctions in 2005. Should the jersey hammer down for as much as expected in August, it will become the most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold at auction. That record currently belongs to a Mickey Mantle baseball card that sold for $12.6 million at Heritage in August 2022. At least the top spot will still be occupied by a Yankee.

The jersey will lead Heritage’s Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction, which will take place in Dallas, Texas from August 23 to 25. You can check out the featured items here.

[f1]

Jacky Ickx His Authorised Competition History: book reviewed | Reviews

Jon Saltinstall’s ‘Niki Lauda: His Competition History’ was my favourite book of 2020, and its long-awaited (in this household) follow-up ‘Jacky Ickx: His Authorised Competition History’ is heading my table of 2022 releases. All the best bits of the race-by-race format are supplemented by gratuitous shots of 1970s F1 cars, Group C Porsche’s and Dakar Rally-Raid Peugeots. Saltinstall enjoys two benefits from Ickx’s support and participation in the book. Firstly, without consent of the subject, this level of detail about someone else’s life normally results in a restraining order. But more importantly, it means great access to photographic archives and details that elevate the book from must-have to essential. That’s not to say this will be for everyone. Ickx’s circuit racing career came to a close 37 years ago, and he’d been out of a full-time F1 ride for most of the decade prior to that. Coming in at £95 (and about five kilos) this is a substantial book aimed at collectors and, in-particular enthusiasts, of the 1960s-1980s eras of the sport. But be under no illusion – if this appeals to you then this book is truly essential. Covering Ickx’s career from his days in motorcycle trials right though to recent demo runs and historic event public appearances, no driver could hope for a better, or more comprehensive chronicle of their entire life’s work behind the wheel. Once again, Evro’s production is to the highest standard, with impeccable design throughout. The risk with such an approach is that it could become dry or repetitive – this is neither. The narrative doesn’t linger where not needed, and there are always enough nuggets, anecdotes or surprises to keep things lively. It helps that Ickx is immensely likeable, he has spent over half a century as one of the foremost ambassadors of the sport. It also helps that Ickx, the cars he raced, and the eras he raced in are cool – yes, retro for many modern fans, but still cool. This is a magnificent achievement and while I can’t wait to see the fruits of Saltinstall’s next project, I fully intend to spend much of the winter buried in this fantastic book. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free RaceFans rating Read all the RaceFans book reviews. Jacky Ickx – His Authorised Competition History Author: Jon Saltinstall Publisher: Evro Publishing Published: 2022 Pages: 592 Price: £95 ISBN: 978-1-910505-80-9 Reviews Browse all Reviews via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

[hunterwritings]

get to know me!

this is a lil thing I originally wanted to do for 900 followers but now it's also apart of my 1k special! I am doing more for my 1k special, don't worry guys! This is just a small thing I wanted to do for fun :)

so send me a number through my ask box here, and I'll respond!

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

What is my fondest childhood memory?

What is my favorite comfort food?

What’s my favorite way to exercise?

Am I a morning person or a night owl?

If I could have any superpower, what would it be?

Do I prefer cooking, baking, or neither?

Am I an introvert or an extrovert?

What superhero do I find most relatable?

What is my favorite season of the year — and what do I love most about it?

Do I believe in the existence of angels?

What are my favorite TV series?

What was the last movie I watched (or the last movie I enjoyed)?

Am I a tidy person or a messy one?

Am I afraid of the dark?

Am I more of a coffee person or a tea person?

What talents do I possess that I’m proud of?

Do (or did) I like school?

Did I go to the prom?

What is my idea of a perfect date?

Do I enjoy DIY or crafts?

Do I forgive others easily?

Do I have a nickname — or did I ever have one?

Do I have any phobias?

Have I ever met one of my heroes? If yes, who was it, and how did it go?

Do I speak any other languages?

Have I ever traveled outside my native country?

If money were no object, what would I want for my next birthday?

Have I ever been addicted to something?

When I was a kid, what did I want to be when I grew up?

Have I ever won something?

Have I ever narrowly escaped death (or serious injury)?

Do I prefer baths or showers?

How am I feeling right now?

Have I ever played any sports?

Do I prefer the beach or the mountains?

Do I prefer a Mac or a PC?

Do I prefer dogs or cats (or some other pet)?

Do I have any piercings or tattoos? Would I like to get any?

Do I have kids?

Do I have siblings?

What do I do on a typical Friday night?

If I could go anywhere in the world with unlimited funds, where would I go?

What do I do to relax?

What do I do to wake up or boost my energy levels?

Would I rather have unlimited energy or unlimited money?

Am I a collector of anything? If yes, how big is my collection?

What sort of gift would I want from my significant other on Valentine’s Day or on my birthday?

Which would I rather avoid — excess heat or extreme cold?

Would movie genre would I rather watch: action, romance, fantasy, or horror?

Have I ever been on a diet? If yes, how did it go?

If I could live anywhere for a month with whomever I choose, where would that be?

Have I ever gone camping? Or do you look at a tent and think, “I feel like that’s the wonton wrapper, and I’m the filling.”

What’s the last song I listened to?

What’s my current obsession, and how much have I spent on it?

What’s a favorite book of mine?

What should I be doing right now?

What’s my best feature?

What’s the most expensive article of clothing (or shoes) that I own?

What is one thing I could not live without?

What’s one thing I can’t leave the house without (other than keys and my wallet)?

What’s one of my pet peeves?

What wild animal would I love to have for a pet (as long as it didn’t eat anyone)?

What’s my favorite drink?

What’s my spirit animal, and do I own anything featuring that animal?

What’s my favorite restaurant, and what’s my favorite splurge order?

What’s my favorite movie — or the best one I’ve seen in the last three years?

What’s a favorite hobby of mine?

What’s my favorite go-to snack?

What are my must-haves for watching a movie in a theater?

What’s my favorite kind of competition to watch (sports, cooking, etc.)?

Would I rather get an electric shock or get an intramuscular shot (tetanus, etc.)?

What’s my dream car?

What are the must-haves in the home of my dreams?

What’s my favorite sandwich?

What’s my favorite kind of dinner? (comfort food, four-course, take-out Chinese…)

If I could change my eye and hair color, what color/s would I choose?

Who is my favorite fictional character (or one of them)?

What’s my longest relationship so far (other than family)?

What is my star sign — or do I usually avoid that question?

What is my lucky number, or what is a favorite number of mine?

What city do I live in now, and what’s my favorite thing about it?

What state do I live in now, and what do I love about it?

If I had to move to a different state, where would I rather go?

Have I ever colored my hair? If yes, what’s my favorite hair color experiment so far?

Whom do I miss right now?

Have I ever made a mistake that someone else refused to forgive me for?

Do I have a celebrity crush? If yes, who is it?

If I could meet any celebrity for coffee/tea and a chat, who would it be?

As desserts go, would I rather have ice cream or cheesecake?

Would I rather live in a house or an apartment, and why?

Would I rather live in a treehouse, a cave, or a submarine?

What is one big goal that I want to accomplish this year?

What do I want to do for a living?

When I feel sick, where do I usually feel it first or most noticeably?

What sort of smartphone do I use, and what made me choose it?

What’s one movie that I’ve watched repeatedly? What do I love about it?

What is one food that I refuse to eat?

What exotic food would I be willing to try?

What is one item on my bucket list, and what made me choose it?

If I could afford one, would I rather hire a chef, a personal assistant, or a housekeeper?

If I could master one highly-valued skill in one day, what would I choose?

Would I rather be able to manipulate the weather or the stock market?

Would I rather own a house, or would I rather rent and retain the freedom to move wherever my work takes me?

If I drink alcohol, do I prefer beer, wine, or spirits?

If I could do anything today (including something on my bucket list or someone else’s), what would I do?

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Event! SP Granny’s Tailor Shop: The Issue of the Gold Delivery Man, Chen Fei Chapter 1: Chance Encounter (偶然相遇) Translation

“I didn’t expect this to be how my encounter with the gold-awarded delivery man, Chen Fei, went.”

*Light and Night Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join my Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Event story tag will be #For Light and Memories

It was a rare weekend without any customers. I was flipping through the design books on the shelves of granny’s little store and taking down notes as I went.

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon, it was evening. After packing all the materials away, I gave a big wide stretch, ready to head home for the day.

❖☆———————————★❖    

However, I was greeted with a mountain of express delivery boxes as soon as I opened the door. 

When did they get here?

And right beside the piled heavy boxes was a young man who had his eyes shut tight. His head was tilted to a side and he was leaning heavily on the post behind him, with dense beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

Even the gentle evening breeze didn’t seem to do anything to help him.

MC: What's going on here!?

Waste Collector: Hu? Kid’s not gone yet?

I was just about to voice my doubts when the waste collector slowly rode past in his tricycle. He stopped to explain.

Waste Collector: I saw him doing deliveries this afternoon. It’s such a hot day and he was sweating buckets, but he didn’t seem willing to take a break. He said it was the last one and that he’d rest after.

Waste Collector: I had other recyclable materials to collect, so I left after giving him a bottle of water. Never thought that he’d still be here.

My gaze fell upon the bottle of water that had been placed to the side, just as the waste collector had mentioned. The plastic bottle was completely drained and was also slightly deformed after an entire afternoon of exposure to the scorching sun outside.

The bottle’s already in such a sorry state; there’s no way a person would be any more comfortable being in the vicious heat.

❖☆———————————★❖    

I thought about it for a while before pulling the key out of the door’s lock and re-entering the shop.

I’d return to my grandmother’s shop every week, but sometimes, I wasn’t able to head back to Guangqi City on the same day due to bad weather or things that suddenly cropped up. Hence, I always kept some commonly-used daily necessities in the shop, just in case.

❖☆———————————★❖    

I pulled out a U-Shaped pillow from the cabinet and was about to put it around the back of the delivery man’s head. But, what I didn’t expect was for his eyes to snap right open the moment I touched him.

He didn’t seem completely awake, but the words that he uttered in confusion were inherently panicked.

❖☆———————————★❖    

????: Mngh? Why am I asleep?

????: No, wait. Wasn't I doing a delivery?

????: I'm gonna be late!!!

He blinked, looked around in a daze. His eyes, sporting two huge and dark eyebags, widened in shock when he saw me.

????: Huh? ...And you are…?

I picked up the U-Shaped pillow that had dropped onto the ground and tapped on the signboard of my grandmother’s shop.

MC: I’m the owner of this shop. I just found you lying in front of my shop with all the delivery packages.

He seemed to snap back to his senses almost immediately. He instantly shot up, hastily bowing and apologizing.

????: S-Sorry for troubling you!

????: These deliveries are supposed to be my last, but I was too tired, so I leaned against the post, thinking of resting for a bit. I never expected to fall right asleep like that.

MC: Don’t worry about it. I’m not in a hurry. Do you want to rest a while more?

????: N-No thanks! Please sign these; I need your signature for the express deliveries!

He handed me the delivery papers. I was just about to sign on it when a brief and cheery ringtone sounded.

????: Hello…? I’m gonna be done soon. You want me to help you deliver your stuff for you? What happened? Mmhm… mmhm. You have something on again today? Okay… Yeah, I’ll be right there.

He stuffed the papers I signed back into his pocket, turned around, and sprinted off into the distance. However, he’d been in so much of a rush that he seemingly missed the fact that there were stairs beneath his feet, stepping into thin air.

I quickly rushed forward to catch him.

MC: I don’t think it’s wise to be pushing yourself that hard… And, if you were to go on a delivery run like this, you may make a mistake, or worse, lose the package you’re to deliver.

The delivery man pondered my words for a while before nodding gravely.

????: You have a point… Can I sit here for a while? I’ll be fine in a bit.

❖☆———— ⊹ The Issue of the Gold Delivery Man, Chen Fei ⊹ ————★❖

⊹ Next Part: (Chapter 2: Deeply Troubled)

[brokehorrorfan]

Blu-ray Review: King Kong (1976)

The recent release of Godzilla vs. Kong revived the age-old debate about which giant monster is superior, but it's not exactly a fair fight when you consider their respective quantity of output. By the mid-1970s, Godzilla had already appeared in 15 films, while King Kong only had a mere four to his name: the 1933 original, its same-year sequel Son of Kong, the 1962 crossover King Kong vs. Godzilla, and its 1967 followup King Kong Escapes.

The first remake of King Kong arrived in 1976 at the behest of Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis (Dune, Flash Gordon, Army of Darkness). Lorenzo Semple Jr. (Flash Gordon) was hired to pen the script, based on James Ashmore Creelman and Ruth Rose's original screenplay, and John Guillermin (The Towering Inferno, Death on the Nile) assumed the director's chair. Richard H. Kline (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Soylent Green) served as cinematographer, while John Barry (Dances with Wolves, Goldfinger) composed the score. The plot largely follows the same beats as the 1933 version, although some alterations and expansions were made along the way.

Hoping to sail into the history books with the biggest oil strike in history, oil magnate Fred Wilson (Charles Grodin, Midnight Run) leads an expedition to an undiscovered island in the Indian Ocean hidden by a perpetual fog. Paleontologist Jack Prescott (Jeff Bridges, The Big Lebowski) sneaks aboard the vessel, as he believes an animal occupies the island. In the middle of the ocean, the ship happens upon a life raft with struggling actress Dwan (Jessica Lange, American Horror Story), who quickly hits it off with Jack. Upon arriving at its destination, the crew discovers that the island is not uninhabited when they interrupt the native's ritual. The tribesmen proceed to kidnap Dwan and offer her as a sacrifice to the giant primate known as Kong.

The big reveal is impressive considering the limitations of the time. Per the closing title card, Kong was designed and engineered by Carlo Rambaldi (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Alien), who also constructed it with Glen Robinson (Logan's Run, Flash Gordon), with “special contributions” by Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, Men in Black). Since Rambaldi's attempt at a full-scale electronic Kong failed, however, the majority of creature work is accomplished with Baker in a costume with mechanized masks. It's fairly convincing as such, although the seams of the composite shots are clearly visible in high definition. Perhaps more than any other kaiju, it's important for Kong to be expressive, and this iteration successfully conveys pathos.

Semple's script drops the filmmaking angle from the original plot yet retains that the female lead is an aspiring actress and the human antagonist wants to exploit Kong on stage - which, smartly, becomes a corporate-branded event here. Kong only fights one monster on the island - a bloody battle with a giant snake - but his path of destruction in New York is much grander, rivaling and often upstaging the Godzilla films of the time. Instead of the Empire State Building, Kong is drawn to the then-new World Trade Center this time around, as the Twin Towers parallel his habitat, leading to his tragic downfall and a brilliant final image.

After Barbra Streisand passed on the role of Dwan, De Laurentiis sought to pluck an unknown actress from obscurity and make her a star. He did just that with Lange, who receives an "introducing" credit. It's easy to see why she won out over innumerable other aspiring actresses, as she radiates on camera, and her naivety works to the advantage of her character. Bridges is serviceable as the leading man and has good chemistry with Lange - but the film's focus is, rightly, on Kong and Dwan. Their bond is palpable, although the sexualization of their relationship is an odd choice.

While the supporting roles are largely one-dimensional, they're filled by a number of keen character actors: John Randolph (Christmas Vacation) as the ship's captain, Ed Lauter (Family Plot) as the first mate, Rene Auberjonois (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) as a geologist, Jack O'Halloran (Superman) and Julius Harris (Live and Let Die) as oil drillers, Dennis Fimple (House of 1000 Corpses) as a crew member, John Lone (The Last Emperor) as the cook, John Agar (Revenge of the Creature) as a city official, Walt Gorney (Friday the 13th) as a subway driver, and a young Corbin Bernsen (Psych) and Joe Piscopo (Saturday Night Live) as uncredited reporters.

King Kong has been released on Collector's Edition Blu-ray by Scream Factory with reversible artwork featuring a new design by Hugh Fleming and John Berkey's classic poster. The two-disc set includes the 134-minute theatrical version and the 182-minute TV cut, with its additional footage newly scanned in 2K from the internegative. (NBC paid De Laurentiis $19.5 million for two showings; the highest amount a network ever paid for a film at the time.) It features DTS-HD 5.1 and newly restored theatrical DTS-HD 2.0 stereo audio options.

This version of King Kong lacks the awe-inspiring spectacle of the three other major iterations (the 1933 original, Peter Jackson's 2005 remake, and 2017's Kong: Skull Island reboot), but it has moments of greatness that shine in high definition. De Laurentiis successfully spearheaded a sincere remake that shows reverence for the cinematic icon, and the theatrical cut is smoothly paced despite the lengthy runtime. The TV version doesn't fare as well, as it's padded by nearly an hour of additional footage (along with trims to the more crude sequences). They do little to add plot points, character depth, or anything else of potential value; instead they serve only to fill a programming block at the expense of the pacing. Still, it's nice to finally have a restored version for diehard fans.

King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon author Ray Morton provides a new audio commentary on the theatrical cut. It's very dry but full of information, especially when it comes to the drama between Rambaldi and Baker over the creature design. Having "outgrown the boundaries of a featurette," per disc producer Justin Beahm, an interview with Baker was turned into a second commentary. It's not as long as the whole film, which is fine, but it frustratingly forces the viewer to sit through gaps of the film's audio while awaiting the next soundbite rather than presenting it all in succession. It's unfortunate but worthwhile, as there's a lot of firsthand insight.

Beyond that, there are over 45 minutes of new video interviews with O’Halloran, assistant director David McGiffert, production manager Brian Frankish, sculptor Jack Varner, second unit director William Kronick, photographic effects assistant Barry Nolan, and production assistants Jeffrey Chernov and Scott Thaler. Most are conducted over video chat with mostly fine results (O’Halloran's picture quality is particularly bad), although a few are traditional on-camera pieces, and some subjects are paired together. They all seem proud of their contributions and happily share anecdotes about working on the massive production, even if the experiences weren't always positive.

Other special features on the first disc include the theatrical trailer, seven TV spots, three radio spots, and four still galleries (stills, posters and lobby cards, newspaper ads, and behind-the-scenes photos). The TV cut disc, meanwhile, sports an hour-long panel with Baker, O’Halloran, Kline, Dino De Laurentiis' widow Martha, and Barry's agent Richard Kraft, from a 2016 event at Santa Monica, CA's Aero Theater. Hosted by Morton, it's an entertaining and informative discussion.

King Kong is available on Collector’s Edition Blu-ray now via Scream Factory.

[lovelivingmydreams]

A story by heroes and Villains

Season 2: Secrets revealed Logan Anker: Old wounds and worries

Master list book 1

The wounds of the past can hurt. Not just you but your surroundings. No wonder we keep those secret to protect them... or is it ourselves we are protecting mort that way?

Waiting until the end of patrol was torture.

Logan didn’t like talking about the past. At all. He had trouble talking about Hannah and Caleb in any capacity to Virgil, or Patton, or Thomas or even Picani. And the Collector… Logan wanted to forget about him. But he couldn’t. If he was honest, that man showed up in his nightmares to this day. And he likely would keep showing up until he was behind bars. Patton and Thomas did their best to comfort him. A gesture he appreciated even though it wasn’t very effective. Finally Prince arrived. The young hero took in the atmosphere in the room and was clearly annoyed. “Listen, I promise I was safe. But I could’ve been in the middle of talking someone out of making a bad decision at the time. You can’t just shout in my ear out of nowhere. That was dangerous and frankly, I expect you to be more levelheaded BS. Anny other night and Logan would have insisted Prince gave him a detailed debrief on what exactly was so important that he couldn’t even let them know he was okay. But today… “That isn’t what this is about Prince. Take a seat,” Thomas instructed. Giving Logan a moment more to collect his thoughts. “Ok…” Prince said as he sat down, Looking around confused. Logan took a last moment to calm himself before he started his story with an apology. “Prince. I must offer you my sincere apologies. I didn’t want to tell you this right away, and maybe I should have.” Had his decision really been about allowing Prince to live his dream before burdening him? Was withholding the truth for Prince’s benefit? Or his own? “You shouldn’t have gone out without knowing the risks… We talked a little about nemeses during your training.” Prince nodded. Clearly still confused. “Yeah, but I doubt I’ve done anything that warrants one yet. Those come later in a career unless…” Prince paused, frowning. “But you were a villain. Any nemeses you had would be heroes… Right?” Prince was a good student indeed. He’d realized that Logan was telling him he was about to inherit his mentor’s past. And he had a good point. A nemeses of Logan would be on the side of the heroes. “Technically, the collector isn’t my nemesis. At least not in the traditional sense,” he agreed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Ever since he stopped using his powers, high stress situations got him small headaches that got worse over time. “I’ll start from the beginning,” he said, thinking back to a time he’d erase from his life all together if he could. “I became a villain because I needed the money and fast. Plain and simple. Any legal means were insufficient, so I made a name for myself and eventually, when I said ‘give me 10.000 dollars or I destroy this building,’ people handed me the money because they knew I very easily could make good on my threats. I always picked an amount they could easily provide without harming the business or individual too much financially. One day I found myself running from the police force. I had misjudged the time it would take them to arrive,” he had gotten arrogant with success. “And I got helped by a stranger in a haphazardly put together disguise. When we lost them and caught our breath, he introduced himself as ‘the collector’. I fairly quickly understood him to be a fanboy of sorts. He was a big fan of my ‘work’, though he misunderstood the intention entirely. Not that I could get him to understand that.” Everything he said that didn’t fit Collector’s narrative was ignored or dismissed. “He thought I was taking the money as proof that I was superior or something like that. I didn’t listen too closely to his speech at the time. I was concerned with getting away. He said he wanted to help me. Gifted were still considered fairly new. Nowadays most people alive have lived most of their lives in a world with gifted.” The first super powered individuals had appeared around the time Logan was born. “But back then, most of the population still saw it as strange and there weren’t any real initiatives to help train the powers. So the gifted that were around often were untrained and had their powers act up without warning. Which could be quite destructive.” Logan recalled the park bench and every instance of loss of control after that, all the way up to a wine glass in a restaurant less than a year ago. He looked at his pupil to make sure he hadn’t lost his attention. The wide, attentive, green eyes and firm nod told him he still had an audience. “Anyway, the collector thought that people should respect and celebrate our existence. He compared the stigmas we faced to those of people of color, or the LGBTQ+ community, then still called the Gay or Queer community. He said it very nicely, it almost sounded reasonable, if you ignored the slight notes of supremacy. And if I had been trying to ‘stick it to the man’ as they say, I might have been tempted. But I just wanted…” to pay form my sisters treatment and my research for a cure. “I was selfish in my actions and therefore not interested in his big revolution, which turned out to be a good thing in some ways.” He didn’t want to even imagine the kind of person he’d be then. He wouldn’t have Patton that was for sure. And Virgil… No. He was glad Virgil was kept away from that madness. And he intended to keep it that way. “I told him I wasn’t interested in leading any resistance, thanked him for the assistance and left. Shortly after this, I encountered Manifestor for the first time. He blessed one of the people in the building with super speed.” Said gifted was now one of the heroes patrolling the city. He was actually one of the heroes who’s territory Prince shared. Thomas hadn’t gotten the hang of permanent and temporary power boosts yet at the time. It was always a game of chance. Thomas chuckled. “I remember. I was so pleased that it worked.” Pleased was one word for it. “You were insufferably delighted, even though I defeated your champion.” While he and StarBucker were amicable nowadays, at the time, Logan had been thoroughly annoyed at the inconvenience. But thinking back to Thomas’ triumphant smile he could not quite help his own amusement. “You did retreat though,” Thomas pointed out. “I stalled you long enough to make you give up that mark and head out. So it was a win for me.” Logan let out a sigh, he couldn’t argue with that, but they were getting of topic. “I saw the Collector a few more times after that, though I managed to avoid conversation. One day, during a stalemate with Manifestor, he asked me about him. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who’d been approached about his plans. He had actually advanced them. He was now not only collecting gifted, but also individuals worthy of a gift. Be it they joined him out of free will, or got persuaded through different means.” Blackmail, intimidation, manipulation. Those were the collector’s tools. “And he wanted me to ‘grant them that blessing’,” Thomas added uneasy. Logan patted his old friend on the back in support. A conversation with the collector had never been a fun experience for either of them. “Manifestor had enlisted the help of others to free some of his victims,” Logan continued. “The Collector claimed I was championing his cause. I assured Manifestor that I had no intention of assisting in his plans. That is about the time Manifestor started winning me over to redemption.” He thought back to those times with a bittersweet feeling. He’d been so excited by the idea. A nice place for him and Hannah to live. A good job that would let him take care of her and have her be proud of him. Things hadn’t gone quite how he’d wanted, but at the same time, one thing had gone better than he could ever have imagined. “Next time I spotted Collector, I told him in the plainest possible terms that I was not interested…” It should have been a firm ending to this story. Or so he had thought. That was naïve of him, he now knew that. Obsession and fanaticism don’t disappear just because one piece of that craziness did not cooperate. He’d been arrogant once again. Thinking too highly of himself. It took him a moment to continue. “He assured me I would be…” He suppressed a shiver as he recalled the polite, almost pleasant way he’d spoken. Sort of soothing. As if Logan had merely been a child afraid to go in the swimming pool and Collector was indulging him for the moment. “I haven’t seen him since, but that promise… I don’t know what exactly he has been up to in the past 14 years. But one can only imagine how someone like that matures... Or what he has planned for me when he finds me.” Or much more importantly, his loved ones. Thomas, Patton, Virgil, the Bullards who despite the current situation were still family to him, and Prince too if he was completely honest. There was no telling what Logan would do if any of them… Not now. “Prince, the collector will not consider you his enemy. But he is yours. Anyone who meets his criteria of ‘worthy’, is at risk. And he does not take no for an answer.” The words had barely settled in the room or Prince shot up panicked. “Phantom!” he exclaimed. “Phantom might be in danger! What if someone on the chief’s team passes on information to Him? Or what if he has connections to these crime organizations!? I’ve got to go out now and find him…” Prince was clearly about to head out again right away. Admirable, but not very prudent given the circumstances. “Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow you can try again. Even if you find him, you are not in the right state of mind to deliver this kind of news delicately.” Prince paused, clearly contemplating his words. Seeing, or feeling, an opening, Patton added his two cents. “You’ve done great today sport! You just go home and sleep on what you’ve learned. Tomorrow night there is another patrol and you might run into him then.” And to make the set complete, Thomas finished: “I’m glad you are so eager to meet this young hero Prince. Just know that there is no pressure. They’ve been evading unwanted contact for almost a year now. It is okay if you don’t find them right away. And we’ll give you the support you need.” Prince clearly did not like it but he conceded. “Can I ask a favor though? Can I bring him some of that dye and a modulator? I doubt he’ll have a very sophisticated disguise if he’s on his own. It could be a sign of comradery?” he explained awkwardly. Logan nodded. It made sense, and it wouldn’t take him long. He led Prince through a few doors to his lab. Once he got to his desk he put his family picture down. It was a digital picture frame that played an album of family pictures once the camera registered his face in front of the desk. Even if Prince didn’t look at it on purpose he might catch a glance of Virgil, Patton or him in passing. And Prince was a curious person. His territory included Logan’s new neighborhood, he might see Virgil on one of his runs while he was on patrol. Or see any of them in passing. For Prince’s safety and that of Logan’s family, he wouldn’t take risks. He handed Prince a black hairdye stick. Fitting for a gifted who relied on stealth. He picked up a dark purple modulator, the darkest color he had and plugged it in to program it. Prince clearly had an idea of how Phantom’s voice should sound. “Could you make it so it’s like, deepened by an octave and doubled? With an echo effect?” Logan nodded. It fit the moniker Phantom was given, that was for certain. “Thank you. This should help a lot,” Prince grinned as he took the modulator. “I shall be heading home now,” he bid before leaving the lab, followed by Logan who watched him get in the elevator to leave the facility. Logan let out a relieved sigh. “Come on. Let’s go home and see Virgil,” Patton said gently, knowing what Logan needed right now. Logan smiled gratefully and as they headed up, he handed Patton the keys. He didn’t feel clear of mind enough to handle driving tonight. He let Virgil know they were on their way so he would know to expect them. Otherwise he might think they were burglars.

When they got home they found Virgil on the couch with his headphones on. He looked up and smiled as he spotted them. “Welcome back. I gotta ask though. Who’s your fourth guy?” he asked playfully. Logan blinked confused. “What do you mean?” “For your poker nights,” Virgil joked. Patton giggled at Logan’s side, taking the lead. “No cardgames I’m afraid kiddo. We’ll tell you about the project once it’s finished. It’s all confidential for now I’m afraid,” he said. Virgil cocked his head and studied Patton for a moment, then he shrugged. “Okay, Keep your secrets,” he sighed as he stretched and got up. “Night Pat, night Lo,” he said casually as he headed to the door. Logan cringed a little at that. Lately his son, on occasion, used his surname. He was assured by Picani that this was in no way a reflection of Virgil’s affection for Logan as a father. He had no less than 3 fathers now. Him, Patton and an unknown biological father. To differentiate between the three he likely used surnames in his head. Which may slip out verbally on occasion. Even knowing that, it stung a little. “Goodnight Virgil, I love you,” Logan replied, trying not to show his inner discourse. Virgil paused in the door and looked back with a smile. “Love you to dad.” And just like that the tightening in his chest loosened. “Love you three kiddo!” Patton added. “Love ya Pat,” Virgil snickered before disappearing to his room. Logan kept staring at the door for a moment. Patton hugged him from the side. “What do you say I make us a nightcap before bed?” he suggested. Logan nodded. “That would be pleasant,” he told him.

The next morning, Logan woke up to hearing Virgil move about and singing to himself downstairs. That boy never sleeps in. He let out a yawn and stretched, feeling Patton curl into his chest. “Do you regret moving in with us yet?” he teased. “Never,” Patton muttered sleepily. “I smell bacon,” he hummed. “First awake makes breakfast in the weekend. It’s a tradition we have. He was ten the first time I found him trying to fix me breakfast in bed,” Logan recalled fondly. “He made a mess, but it was really sweet. He was following all my rules. He didn’t touch the knives or the stove without me there, which of course limited his options. I helped him make breakfast the that day. After that I made sure to lay some things ready for him on Friday and Saturday nights in case he tried again. Which he did.” “That is adorable,” Patton squealed with a kiss to Logan’s cheek. “Let’s see what our son has in store for us today,” Logan suggested as he got up. He waked to the closet to select some clothes for the day. He felt Patton’s eyes on his back and turned around. “Everything alright Patton?” Patton bit his lip. “It’s just… Our son. I really like the sound of that,” he explained. Logan nodded. “I do too.” Patton bit his lip. “I was thinking of maybe looking into… what it would take for me to adopt him? Make it official?” he suggested. Logan’s heart skipped a beat. Patton had mentioned adopting Virgil in a burst of emotion before. But it seemed like he meant it. He knew that it would mean the world to both him and Virgil to have Patton be an official part of their family. “That would be excellent Patton,” he told him sincerely. Patton’s face lit up at that. “Would you help me figure it out? I want to know what steps I have to take.” Logan walked back to the bed and sat himself next to Patton, taking hold of both his hands. “It would be my greatest pleasure,” he told him gently. Patton’s shoulders relaxed, his gaze still thoughtful, and then he let out a giggle. “May I inquire where your mind has taken you now?” Logan wondered fondly. “It’s just. Look at me being practical. You have rubbed off on me,” he scolded playfully. “Well if it helps, you have changed me too. For the better that is,” Logan assured him with a kiss to his forehead. “Now get downstairs before our breakfast gets cold.”

Breakfast was pleasant. Virgil rolled his eyes and teased them with how ‘cute’ they were being this morning. Logan responded by giving Patton an extra kiss to his cheek. And then Thomas picked Virgil up for their trip to the zoo. Logan and Patton distracted themselves by preparing classes for the next week, answering email and spending some quality time together. Logan had told Thomas that he could tell Virgil about his teenage years. If the topic of parents and siblings came up, he could mention what he knew. Logan knew that he was risking moving up his time table. But part of him hoped he’d be forced to tell Virgil everything tonight. He should have told him long ago. But he kept finding excuses to postpone. He had still not decided whether he’d talk about BrainStorm or not. “I’m home!” Virgil called all of a sudden. Logan glanced up from his book. Time had flown by. Patton was almost done with diner after which they had to leave for Prince’s next patrol. Logan was torn on that subject too. On one hand he knew the young hero wouldn’t need constant supervision for much longer. But on the other, he’d worry about Prince the whole evening if he didn’t personally keep an eye on him. “Dad!” Virgil grinned brightly as he gave him a hug. Effectively ending his inner turmoil. “Virgil? Not that I do not appreciate you seem excited to see me. But is there a particular reason?” he wondered. Virgil let go and stepped back. Logan absentmindedly took note of the fact that the height difference between them was almost gone. Would he outgrow him? Caleb had been a little taller than him. “Uncle Thomas told me about your teen years. I didn’t know you were on the debate team!” he grinned excitedly. Logan was a little flattered that this little bit of information seemed to mean so much to his son. “Well, yes. It was a bit of a hobby of mine, as well as an attempt to get better at socializing,” he confessed. Virgil’s eyes sparked at that. “You were a socially awkward nerd,” he chuckled. Logan frowned at that. “Hey, that’s a complement. I’m a socially awkward artsy kid. Sounds like I’m your son after all,” he chuckled happily. “Speaking off. Uncle Thomas told me you wrote poetry back in the day.” “Really?” Patton exclaimed from the kitchen. Logan was flushing bright red. “I… Experimenting with different forms of self-expression is a natural part of discovering one’s identity as a teenager. It was a phase. I would like to forget about it,” he said stiffly. “Aw, but poetry is so romantic,” Patton pouted. Logan made a mental note of that. Just because he didn’t write anymore didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy reading it from time to time. There was something soothing in the format and he knew of a few poems Patton may enjoy. As far as Virgil was concerned though, poetry was firmly in his past. “That’s too bad. I thought I could maybe make a project around your old work for art class,” Virgil said disappointedly. Oh, that was not fair. “I’ll see if I still have one of my old notebooks,” he allowed. “Just ask my consent before you pick one.” And before he knew it he was once again hugged tightly by his son. “Thanks dad. You won’t regret it. I promise.” Virgil’s excitement was worth any embarrassment that his pubescent ramblings may cause. During dinner Virgil told them about the trip to the zoo and the many sketches he’d made. He also informed them that his session with Picani had gone well. After dinner Virgil bid both of them goodnight in case he’d be asleep when they got back from the university. Patton was smiling the whole way there. “What is on your mind?” Logan wondered. “Did you ever write something for a crush?” Patton asked giddily. He had sort of expected this. “I… Didn’t really have a romantic interest in high school. Thomas was the only person my age I got close to. I was… Well you know what I was going through back then. Between my mother and school… All I had on romance was rather resentful or, once Hannah introduced Caleb to me, from the eye of an observer. Perhaps I can find one of the latter. It might be nice for Virgil to use something inspired by his parents as a base for whatever project he is working on,” he mused. “That sounds like a lovely idea,” Patton agreed.

Half an hour later, Logan was pacing the floor. Prince should’ve called in ten minutes ago. He might just be late, but… Then a beep announced that Prince’s communicator went active. Logan rushed to the comstation. “DreamPrince you are late. What is yours status?” Had he ran into trouble? Was he hiding? Or had he simply forgotten about his com until now? “I am currently debriefing Phantom. I’ll let you know when I’m done here. Tell chief I’ll stop by with a package,” he informed them swiftly. “Radio silence until further notice.” And just like that, the line went silent once again. “He has him…” Logan muttered. Almost in disbelieve. “Oh thank goodness,” Thomas breathed in relief. They’d all be worried about the child out on their own. But it seemed like they were quite a few steps ahead of Collector. An advantage they sorely needed.

Hero au

@cirishere​ @hestianerd1​ @moonlightshow00​ @naturallyunstablegamer​ @alias290​ @meowthefluffy​ @frida0043​ @angelic-cali​ @selenechris​ @theblackveilinreverse​

[peachfaeryy]

Hi 🌙

It's my birthday right now. I'm 26 now.

1. What is my fondest childhood memory?

My fondest childhood memories definitely consist of the lovely people who I grew up with and derived my sense of humor/silliness from: my cousins Anna & Emily, Savannah -- my childhood best friend, and Kaleb, my eternal crush. These memories consist of them in elementary school, camp, and my grandma's house in San Antonio.

2. What is my favorite comfort food?

Probably nachos/chips/chips & queso.

3. What’s my favorite way to exercise?

Uh...DANCE.

4. Am I a morning person or a night owl?

I lean more towards night owl but I try to avoid both.

5. If I could have any superpower, what would it be?

The currency of youth.

6. Do I prefer cooking, baking, or neither?

I love both cooking and baking :) I find both extremely rewarding and cathartic.

7. Am I an introvert or an extrovert?

Ambivert strongly introvert-leaning.

8. What superhero do I find most relatable?

None, I detest all superheroes.

9. What is my favorite season of the year — and what do I love most about it?

Winter because it provides me with the most amount of physical comfort. I love sleeping in a very cold room, opening my windows with no AC on. Sitting in my car listening to music/eating with engine off. Less humidity. Food is tastier. Style is better.

10. Do I believe in the existence of angels?

Not particularly? Well, yes but I believe they have absolutely no role or effect on our world.

11. What are my favorite TV series?

American Crime Story (OJ & Versace), Fleabag, Atlanta...90 Day Fiance, Game of Thrones

12. What was the last movie I watched (or the last movie I enjoyed)?

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (let's gooOoo)

13. Am I a tidy person or a messy one?

I used to be very messy but not I'd consider myself pretty tidy. My nature is messy though.

14. Am I afraid of the dark?

Nah.

15. Am I more of a coffee person or a tea person?

Mostly coffee.

16. What talents do I possess that I’m proud of?

I don't have any natural-born talents but I suppose my ability to teach myself a new skill over time.

17. Do (or did) I like school?

I loved school and literally work at a school.

18. Did I go to the prom?

Unfortunately, yes.

19. What is my idea of a perfect date?

Definitely grabbing pizza at a nice restaurant.

20. Do I enjoy DIY or crafts?

Not at all, sounds awful, lol.

21. Do I forgive others easily?

Yes. But not so much anymore now that I'm older and more experienced. My instinct/nature is very forgiving.

22. Do I have a nickname — or did I ever have one?

None.

23. Do I have any phobias?

I'm scared of most anything anything everything...I'd say my daily fear is mistaking my razor for my toothbrush in the shower.

24. Have I ever met one of my heroes? If yes, who was it, and how did it go?

No?

25. Do I speak any other languages?

No, but I told myself I would learn Spanish before I die.

26. Have I ever traveled outside my native country?

Yes! I have been the Mexico and Ireland.

27. If money were no object, what would I want for my next birthday?

Maybe a trip to South Korea/Germany/Rhode Island

28. Have I ever been addicted to something?

Yes. But as far as substances? I'm addicted to Nsaid.

29. When I was a kid, what did I want to be when I grew up?

I wanted to be a wildlife photographer when I was a kid-kid.

30. Have I ever won something?

$75 with scratch offs

31. Have I ever narrowly escaped death (or serious injury)?

I'd say so, yes.

32. Do I prefer baths or showers?

Showers.

33. How am I feeling right now?

Changed.

34. Have I ever played any sports?

Soccer, Basketball, and cross-country

35. Do I prefer the beach or the mountains?

Beach, but I feel connected to both.

36. Do I prefer a Mac or a PC?

Uh...PC?

37. Do I prefer dogs or cats (or some other pet)?

Cats...I honestly do not like dogs at all.

38. Do I have any piercings or tattoos? Would I like to get any?

I have three tattoos: three rune, a sword, and a butterfly. All of which are on my arms.

39. Do I have kids?

Not right now.

40. Do I have siblings?

None.

41. What do I do on a typical Friday night?

Same thing I usually do: practice dance/choreo for a couple of hours. Read, cook, watch Youtube. If I’m going out, I’ll maybe grab dinner/hang with my friends. I MAY go to ~the club~ in a blue moon.

42. If I could go anywhere in the world with unlimited funds, where would I go?

SOUTH KOREA

43. What do I do to relax?

Shower, listen to music. Do my makeup for fun.

44. What do I do to wake up or boost my energy levels?

Blast Stray Kids

45. Would I rather have unlimited energy or unlimited money?

Unlimited money

46. Am I a collector of anything? If yes, how big is my collection?

I collect Kpop bullshit...(albums, photo cards, posters, etc.) essentially merch from my favorite artists.

47. What sort of gift would I want from my significant other on Valentine’s Day or on my birthday?

JUST flowers. All I care about it getting flowers on both of those days.

48. Which would I rather avoid — excess heat or extreme cold?

Excess heat.

49. Would movie genre would I rather watch: action, romance, fantasy, or horror?

Of those choices: horror. I also like a solid journey story.

50. Have I ever been on a diet? If yes, how did it go?

More like a mini eating disorder, lol? I went through phases where I only consumed 1500 calories.

51. If I could live anywhere for a month with whomever I choose, where would that be?

Greece with I suppose...someone I get along with.

52. Have I ever gone camping? Or do you look at a tent and think, “I feel like that’s the wonton wrapper, and I’m the filling.”

Yes, several times. I actually thoroughly enjoy camping.

53. What’s the last song I listened to?

Ribs -- Lorde

54. What’s my current obsession, and how much have I spent on it?

Anything kpop...hours. I’m talking hours and hours.

55. What’s a favorite book of mine?

We Need to Talk About Kevin

56. What should I be doing right now?

Sleeping.

57. What’s my best feature?

Physically? Boobs.

Personality? I would say kindness but that’s basic. Witty? Self-discipline.  

58. What’s the most expensive article of clothing (or shoes) that I own?

Damn...shoes...? $100?

59. What is one thing I could not live without?

Music. My one coping mechanism and literally the reason I’m alive and functional.

60. What’s one thing I can’t leave the house without (other than keys and my wallet)?

Phone... BC packet?

61. What’s one of my pet peeves?

Slow walkers

62. What wild animal would I love to have for a pet (as long as it didn’t eat anyone)?

Maybe like...a toucan?

63. What’s my favorite drink?

An ICE COLD fizzy SODA boiii

64. What’s my spirit animal, and do I own anything featuring that animal?

I guess I’m very cat-like. I used to have a lot of cat stuff, but not anymore...

65. What’s my favorite restaurant, and what’s my favorite splurge order?

I like basically any fast food joint. I’m also a sucker for Chili’s. I’m really basic. A splurge order for me would be ordering a margarita with my meal.

66. What’s my favorite movie — or the best one I’ve seen in the last three years?

I’ve been obsessed with We Need to Talk About Kevin, Pirates of the Caribbean...I’ve been wanting to rewatch Little Miss Sunshine

67. What’s a favorite hobby of mine?

Dancing :)

68. What’s my favorite go-to snack?

Health-wise: apples and peanut butter. But if I don’t care: chips

69. What are my must-haves for watching a movie in a theater?

True interest in the film

70. What’s my favorite kind of competition to watch (sports, cooking, etc.)?

Not really into competition shows.

71. Would I rather get an electric shock or get an intramuscular shot (tetanus, etc.)?

Electric shock?

72. What’s my dream car?

Bella’s shitty red truck let’s gooooo

73. What are the must-haves in the home of my dreams?

LOTS of open space, sunlight, heated bathroom floor

74. What’s my favorite sandwich?

Chicken salad, BLT, plain peanut butter

75. What’s my favorite kind of dinner? (comfort food, four-course, take-out Chinese…)

Comfort food

76. If I could change my eye and hair color, what color/s would I choose?

I would DEF change my eye color to a warm brown and my hair to very dark brown. I’m growing my natural hair out. I’m going dye-free right now.

77. Who is my favorite fictional character (or one of them)?

Jack Sparrow

78. What’s my longest relationship so far (other than family)?

4 years...

79. What is my star sign — or do I usually avoid that question?

I DO NOT care about this but I’m a Leo

80. What is my lucky number, or what is a favorite number of mine?

Uh? N/A

81. What city do I live in now, and what’s my favorite thing about it?

I still live in Denton and I detest it.

82. What state do I live in now, and what do I love about it?

Texas, its diversity.

83. If I had to move to a different state, where would I rather go?

New Mexico

84. Have I ever colored my hair? If yes, what’s my favorite hair color experiment so far?

Yes, most of my teen and adult life. But my “crazy” hair experiment right now is going dye-free and wearing my natural color.

85. Whom do I miss right now?

My 14-year-old self

86. Have I ever made a mistake that someone else refused to forgive me for?

Apparently.

87. Do I have a celebrity crush? If yes, who is it?

JOHNNY DEPP and all of Stray Kids lol. Jungkook?

88. If I could meet any celebrity for coffee/tea and a chat, who would it be?

Marina Diamandis

89. As desserts go, would I rather have ice cream or cheesecake?

Ice Cream

90. Would I rather live in a house or an apartment, and why?

A small house.

91. Would I rather live in a treehouse, a cave, or a submarine?

Treehouse

92. What is one big goal that I want to accomplish this year?

Move out of D*nton.

93. What do I want to do for a living?

I’m happy being a teacher, but ultimately I’d like to counsel kids.

94. When I feel sick, where do I usually feel it first or most noticeably?

My head.

95. What sort of smartphone do I use, and what made me choose it?

Uh? Android?

96. What’s one movie that I’ve watched repeatedly? What do I love about it?

I watch signs pretty frequently. Midsommar? I connect with its characters because they seem like real actual people? I’ve been wanting to rewatch the Lovely Bones.

100. If I could afford one, would I rather hire a chef, a personal assistant, or a housekeeper?

Housekeeper!

97. What is one food that I refuse to eat?

Liver

98. What exotic food would I be willing to try?

I’d be open to trying most any food.

99. What is one item on my bucket list, and what made me choose it?

I’m kind of working on it now. I want to put a few years in while I’m young and able to become a very good dancer. I know that to obtain that it IS going to take years. It’s something that’s really important to me because I’ve always wanted that for myself but never made actual steps to obtain/execute it. And ultimately, I want it because it allows me to feel like my true self.

[cryptocollectibles]

Shaquille O'Neal Sports Shot Collector's Book (1994) by Scholastic Inc

Mini paperback, by Marilyn Souders

[random-imagines-blog]

Fiction {Andy Serkis x Reader One Shot}

Requested by: @madarin-of-the-sharingan​ Wordcount: 3829 Summary: Growing up with Peter Jackson as your best friend had perks, such as getting you your dream job as set designer on one of the biggest movie franchises to ever exist - and introducing you to your celebrity crush.

Growing up next door to someone like Peter Jackson - yes THAT Peter Jackson - was a life-altering thing. Perhaps if it had been a jock, you would have gotten into sports. If it was a cool, popular girl, you might have joined her clique and married some rich man and have a yacht. But luckily for you, it was nerdy Peter, a couple of years older than you, who lived next door to you and your parents, and who let you hang around despite the teasing. No one wanted to be the teenager who hung out with little girls. But Peter never minded - mainly because you would listen to him go on and on about the things that he liked, and you in turn began to like them as well. Lord of the Rings in particular - oh, how the two of you could talk about Lord of the Rings for hours on end. All day if your parents would let you. While you both went different paths - he into directing and you into art - it all came together when Peter became the director of the Lord of the Rings films and hired you on the spot to be the set designer.

When Peter would read the books aloud to you as a kid, you would lay on his living room floor on your stomach, knees bent, feet kicking in the air, drawing what you imagined Rivendell to look like. You had a very particular image of graceful waterfalls, elegant columns, intricate architecture, and an almost pastel but not too child-like color palette. Eventually, that was how Peter learned to see it too. It indefinably became Rivendell to him, and he would accept no other person bringing it to reality other than you. It meant there was a high expectation on you but you were up to the challenge. You’d been dreaming about this your whole life.

You had some pictures drawn to show to Peter. You brought them in to the studio where they were finishing up figuring out the casting. They had the videos rolling, and a couple of the chosen cast already there. Including someone that you were extremely excited for - Andy Serkis as Gollum. You’d helped to pick him, since Peter had trusted your judgment. No one else had the correct voice for him. And then Andy surprised you all by being open to the motion capture and was able to move in weird ways. It was like these films were meant to happen. Everything was absolutely perfect.

“There you are!” Peter said with a big grin once he saw you. Even after all of these years, he considered you to be his best friend. “What have you brought for me?”

“More Rivendell, as tradition,” You said with a big grin, knowing that it was one of his favorites. “And some ideas for The Shire. I also have some rough sketches for the Mine of Moria. I was rereading Fellowship last night,” Your eyes wandered past him towards Andy who was talking to some of the crew. Everyone was allowed to have at least one weird crush, weren’t they? Yours was Andy without a doubt - though you were careful never to let it show. Peter would have teased you endlessly, and called the choice of him being cast biased. “So what are you doing here today, then?”

“Just finished up watching these. I’m liking this kid for one of the hobbits,” Peter pointed towards the screen that he was watching. A man was talking, and you could definitely see his resemblance to the hobbit creatures.

“I was thinking about scouting a few spots for The Shire that are on the approved list. Did you want to come with?”

“I’m a bit busy - you should bring Andy, and take some pictures.”

Thank God he was looking at the screen and not at your face, because your expression would have given your secret away. “Uhh - sure, sounds good boss.”

-

It had started from there and then began to snowball. Andy was a gentleman, and very professional on set but off of it - oh boy, was he ever a massive flirt. Hardly a day seemed to go by that you were there and he wasn’t making some sort of comment on how lovely you looked that day, and that you should be a part of the scenery because you were as beautiful as the nature around. And you fell for it hard. Not only that, his influence fell upon you and you found yourself becoming a more confident woman under these compliments.

On a rainy Wednesday afternoon, when you were stuck in the studio because it was too wet to film anything outside, you were in a secluded corner with your sketch book. Though The Hobbit hadn’t been greenlit (yet), you were already working on your designs. Thranduil was a favorite characters of yours and imagining the Woodland Realm was an old past time.

“My precious...” Andy’s best Gollum voice said, his fingers going towards your work. You laughed and swatted him away. “No show me the precious?”

“They’re not done and only half thought out,” You said, closing the book before he could take another look. “Not precious at all.”

“Everything you draw is precious. Come on, show me,” Andy urged. He had that look in his eye - the same one that he sometimes got after a hard day of filming. The one that showed that he wasn’t going to give up until he had completed what he set out to do. And right now, that was to see his drawings.

You sighed, giving in easier than you would have with anybody else. You handed it over and hid your eyes behind your eyes, too scared to see what his reaction was going to be. Other than a couple of hmms, he didn’t have all that much to say. He just kept flipping. Apparently he wasn’t limiting himself to what was recent, but going all the way back. If he didn’t stop....

“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” You said, going to take it back from him. The first few pages in this particular book were occupied by sketches that you had done of Andy and of Gollum. You’d seen what the CGI team was planning, and Gollum was looking amazing. You weren’t ashamed of those pieces of work but that didnt mean that you wanted the focus of them seeing it. “So what do you think? Or rather - does Smeagle approve of the Woodland Realm?”

“Smeagle doesn’t like elves,” Andy said, making you laugh. He was good at staying in character. Almost too good. The way that he contorted his face was more than just a little bit frightening. But when he relaxed it and went back to his ordinary self - that was how you liked it best. “It’s really good. Better than most of the art that I have in my house.”

“Do you consider yourself an art collector?” You asked, having never heard about his house before.

“No,” He shook his head. “Just stuff from my nieces and nephews - and don’t tell them I said that about their art.”

“If I ever come across them, I’ll keep silent,” You slid an invisible zipper over your mouth and pretended to throw away the key. This was the early two thousands after all, such things were still ‘cool’.

“Oh you’ll meet em,” He said with a grin. He threw his arm around you, sitting on the arm of the chair. “I’ll fly you out to one of our big barbecues, you’ll love it.”

“Oh my, is that a privilege that you extend to all set designers?” You asked playfully.

“Just the special ones,” He said with a wink. “Just let me know if you want to bring a plus one.”

“Ha!” You laughed, shaking your head. “I wish. I work too hard to ever have a plus one. Though maybe I’ll extend it on to Peter, you know how much he loves a barbecue.”

“That he does. Anyway, I’m off to my trailer since there’s nothing more to be done. See you tomorrow!”

“See ya,” You said with a wave, watching him go. Once he had disappeared out the doors, you went back to your sketchbook. The room went back to being quiet - or it was until you started to overhear a conversation.

“That was obviously just his way of making sure y/n was single,” A young voice said, with laughter hidden within it. You kept your head low, drawing over the same spot over and over, but still listened. Eavesdropping was a terrible habit, but it was about you, so that made it okay... right?

“He’s only been in love with her for the past four years!” The undeniable voice of John Rhys-Davies said, chuckling. “The poor sap.”

“I don’t feel bad for him one bit,” The other voice said. You tried to place it without looking over, for that would surely just make them be quiet. You wanted to go on listening. They were telling you exactly what you had dreamed of hearing. “She’s obviously into him too, but neither of them will say something. It’s just getting painful at this point. Did you know that Peter has-”

“-bets? I already lost mine two years ago,” John grumbled.

“Ha! Mine is for not until after the premieres. I think I’ve got it in the bag.” You finally placed a face to that voice. Dominic Monaghan. The very one that Peter was judging to be right for the role when he sent you off with Andy to look at places for the Shire. “Though Orlando has within the next two months, so it might go to him.”

“Smarter than he looks, that one.” John said, appraisingly. “Did you hear that even Ian is in on it? He said he knows enough about repressed sexuality that it will be well into the development of Hobbit films! Hobbit films!”

“I’m not prepared to lose though,” Dominic said, and you could hear him rubbing his hands together. Oh, if they could only see the mortified look on your face, they would surely stop talking then, but you were much too humiliated to turn in their direction.

-

Dominic did end up losing. You saw him with a sour expression on his face during the last premiere. There had hardly been a conversation between you and Andy after he had invited you over to England for a barbecue, since things had gotten way too chaotic. Putting the movies together, reshoots, editing - it took a lot of hard work, even though the majority of your job was done. You had to move onto other projects, only coming back for the award ceremonies and the premieres. You thought about going and telling Dominic that you felt bad for him, losing the money in a bet about you, but he deserved it. He was wrong. If Andy was seriously flirting with you, you would have known it - surely.

Andy had gone off to other projects as well, and not much was said between the two of you. An occasional hello email but even those started to slow.

That was until you got the phone call from Peter that The Hobbit films had been greenlit, and he obviously wanted you and your designs to come back. This was what you were waiting for - and you couldn’t have been more happy. Peter had even added on that he wanted you to reach out to Andy before his manager did, because he deserved to have the good news come from a friend. You were a bit surprised by that, not knowing if Andy really did consider you a friend, but since it was Peter asking, you were obviously going to do it. You still had his emails, and one of them had a phone number that you had always been too anxious to use. You dug it up, tapped the number to your phone, and lingered by the green call button. Were you prepared to hear his voice after so long? You supposed the worst thing that could happen was this wasn’t his number anymore, so with that in mind, you pressed on the button.

“Ello?” Andy’s voice sounded just as you remembered - his actual voice, not the one that was Smeagle. He had picked up on the second ring, before you even had the chance to think of what you wanted to say. You were caught off guard until he greeted you a second time.

“Andy, it’s y/n y/l/n,” You said, finally. “I know it’s a bit weird to call you out of the blue like this. I have some good news though, it’s not one of those dark phone calls-”

“Y/n!” Andy said, sounding much perkier now. Almost as if he had just gulped down three cups of coffee within fifteen seconds. “I was hoping that I’d hear from you! Finally cashing in your offer of coming down for the barbecue? I never did forget about that.”

“Oh, well, not exactly,” You said, rubbing the back of your neck.  You never forgot that either. There were times when you wanted to bring it up but it just seemed like a weird thing to do. You didn’t want to just throw yourself into his life like that. You thought that the invitiation was a joke, something that Dominic, the prankster of the group, had put him up to, then taunted you with that conversation. “I wanted to tell you the good news. Or rather, Peter wanted me to tell you because he thinks you’ll like it best coming from me, for some odd reason. I’ll just get on with it then, heh. The Hobbit movies are a go, and obviously, we’re hoping to have you back for the riddle scene.”

“Excellent!” Andy said, sounding genuinely excited. “That is good news! Obviously my manager will be in touch to figure out the details but I am there!”

“It’ll be nice to see you again,” You agreed. That was one of the bits that you were looking forward to. That and seeing your artwork come to life once again. It was a magical feeling, and nothing compared to it.

“So, are you good to come down this week? The weather is supposed to be smashing,” Andy continued. “Perfect timing for you to fly on over. Do you have a preferred airline?”

-

You don’t know how he did it, but Andy had convinced you to get on a plane over to England. You were a bit antsy as you packed your solitary bag, not knowing what you should wear to something like a family barbecue. Should you bring a swimsuit? Would that be a bit too revealing for the friendship that you had going on? Should you bring a dress or something a lot more casual, like jeans? Why was this so damn difficult?

After spending far too much time over thinking, you chose a bigger bag to bring, and packed all of the options. You zipped it up, and decided that’s that. No going back now.

The flight was smooth, a little turbulence, but the movie was good. You could have designed the sets better, you thought to yourself slightly smugly, but all in all, it wasn’t bad. It was enough to keep you entertained until you landed on British soil.

Andy himself was there to pick you up, hiding behind a hat and sunglasses. But you could make out the distinct facial features anywhere. “Hello darlin,” He said with a grin once you walked up to him, wheeling your bag behind you.

“It’s so good to see you,” You said, accepting the hug that he offered to you. To your surprise, he grabbed the handle of your bag away from you, so he was the one carrying it along. “You don’t have to, I packed light.”

“I’m honored you came at all, so let me do this,” He said. You shrugged and let him, since it seemed to mean so much. “Things are already getting set up back at home, so we’ll have to hurry.”

You were glad you brought along jeans and a nice top because that seemed to be the dress code for the casual barbecue. There were kids running around in muddy clothes, having the time of their life, adults were sitting on lawn chairs with the grass between their bare toes. It was as un-formal as it was possible to be. You were introduced in turn to each of his siblings who greeted you like you were family. It was odd but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. They had all heard so much about you from their brother, and loved the work that they had seen of yours. One of them even remarked on a drawing of yours that Andy had framed up inside of his house.

“I bribed Peter for it,” Andy shrugged when you looked to him for an explanation. “What? I told you that you were fantastic.”

“You could have just asked me,” You laughed. “I have enough spare drawings around that I could probably wallpaper your house with them.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” Andy winked.

The company was amazing. You got along well with everyone, and managed to find things to talk about with each one of them. The kids were adorable, and they showed you their artwork inside of the house, pointing at it proudly. They also talked your ear off but you didn’t mind. They reminded yourself a little of you at that age - not because of how chatty they were but because of how much passion they had behind what they were talking about. The adults were all kind without being condescending in any sort of way. The food was mouth-wateringly delicious - you had no idea that Andy could cook like that. You ate so much you felt like you were going to burst, but still helped yourself to the ice cream that was passed around after. As the sun began to go down, the kids began to get sleepy and their parents began departing to take them home until it was just you and Andy, sitting in the messy backyard beneath the darkening skies.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He asked, slightly hunched over in his chair.

“Not at all. And notice how I kept the secret?” You teased, taking a drink of the beer that you had been nursing most of the evening. It was only your second of the day, and it seemed a perfect way to bring together the night. “You have an amazing family.”

“They thought the same of you,” Andy stated. You could feel his eyes on you, though you were looking up towards the sky most of the time. You were still too shy to look over, knowing that your feelings were all over your face. Truth be told, seeing him like this, in a casual environment surrounded by loved ones - it made you fall even harder. You felt like a school girl with a crush rather than a grown woman.

“That’s flattering,” You said with a nod, lowering your head. “Thanks for inviting me. And making me stick to it.”

“Well I wanted you here,” Andy got to his feet, and had a good stretch. He made a lot of noise as he did it, which made you grin. Old man noises, you used to call them, when your father did the same thing. He then offered you his hand. “I’m thinking about taking your drawing from the frame so you can sign it. Do me the honors?”

“I’d be more than happy,” You said, taking his hand and getting to your feet. But it didn’t stop there - he continued to hold onto your hand as he lead you into his house, which was growing familiar to you. Your bag was in the spare bedroom, and you could see the faintly muddy footprints of the kids running through the halls. He took you into the living room where your drawing was. It was one that you had done of Rivendell - one of your specialties. You remembered giving it to Peter for work, not as something to keep. You had almost entirely forgotten about it.

The frame came down off of the wall, and Andy skillfully opened up the back of it to slip the drawing out. He even grabbed you a pen and watched eagerly as you scrawled your signature in the lower corner. “There you go,” You said, pushing it back towards him.

“You always made the sets feel more like reality than fiction,” He said, taking a look at it again. You could see appreciation all over his face, and damn if it didn’t make you feel good. Fiction was something that you always wanted to make a reality, so even him saying that was just so in-tune with yourself.

“Thanks Andy, that really does mean a lot,” You nodded, sitting down on the couch. He joined you after securing the drawing back into it’s frame, and looked over at you with a smile.

“Did you have fun today?” He asked.

“The most fun that I’ve had in a long time,” You admitted. “Seriously, I didn’t know that I needed that until it happened. You have a great family - no wonder why you’re so happy all the time.”

Andy laughed at the last bit, surprising you. “You only see me happy all the time because I’m around you!” He stated, resting a hand lightly on your shoulder.

“I make you happy?”

“Of course! Why do you think I invited you here? I like being around you.”

“Enough to perhaps consider this a date?” You ventured, the little bit of alcohol in your system and the euphoria of the day had given you enough confidence to push that forward. Andy seemed a little taken aback by that, and just as you were about to tell him that you were joking, he started to speak.

“Normally I don’t introduce to my family until we’re official but I knew that you were special,” He said, a big grin spreading on his face, making him look near child-like. “But yes, I’d like today to be considered a first date. And a second tomorrow, perhaps?”

“I’d love that,” You hummed, resting back against the couch, gazing upon his face. It might be a bit soon to be thinking of the l word but - damn, you loved his smile.

[vintiquebooks]

@vintiquebooks https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsj-11kn4R4/?utm_source=ig_web_button_native_share

[edharrisdaily]

Ed Harris talks Kodachrome, Westworld and the state of America

Riding high with his killer role in television’s Westworld, Ed Harris continues to bring the flinty characters that have been the hallmark of his career to the stage and the big screen.

Ed Harris has become something of a symbol for the single-minded American man. He’s used his resonant voice and intense blue-eyed gaze to play cowboys and astronauts, soldiers and sheriffs, artists and assassins.

That means he’s worn many hats: a beret as Kristof, the genius reality-television puppetmaster in The Truman Show; helmets – diving ones and space ones – in The Abyss and The Right Stuff respectively. The latter, in which he played Mercury astronaut John Glenn, proved a career breakthrough: a shot of him as Glenn made the cover of Newsweek just as the real Glenn headed into politics.

There have been plenty of Stetsons, too. He wears a big black one as the merciless Man in Black in the television series Westworld. That character could be a distant relative of the black-hatted title character he played in 1987’s Walker, the craziest movie of his career – well, until last year’s Mother! – about the American who appointed himself president of Nicaragua in the 1850s. It lives on in cult infamy.

On the line from New York, Harris laughs at the millinery-oriented overview of his career. “Ha, ha, ha. I just like wearing hats – especially as I don’t have any hair on top of my head.”

In his new film, Kodachrome, he sports a jaunty Panama to play a famous photographer who embarks with his estranged adult son on a road trip from New York to Kansas, to the last laboratory still processing the colour-slide film of the title.

It’s a relatively low-key role for Harris, not least because his prickly character is dying. “It was a great character to play. I had a really good time doing it.”

He is a man who, it must be said, sounds much friendlier than some of the characters he plays. “How are things in New Zealand?” he asks. Good, thanks. How are things in the US? “Good God almighty,” he chuckles. “Pretty pitiful situation, I guess, at the moment, eh? It’s embarrassing.”

At 67, Harris is a man whose career remains on a steady roll. In the past couple of decades, he’s appeared in plenty of big films but also managed to direct two of his own – notably the acclaimed Pollock, a biopic of the abstract artist Jackson Pollock, in which he also played the title role – and spend time treading the boards of Off-Broadway theatres.

When we talk, he and his wife of 35 years, Amy Madigan, are coming to the end of the season of the David Rabe play Good for Otto in New York. They were on stage together in London early last year, too, in Buried Child by the late Sam Shepard, who was also a Right Stuff alumnus. Do husband and wife come as a package?

“We have of late. It’s been really fun, you know.”

Born in New Jersey, Harris was a high-school athlete and football star before he attended Columbia University, and didn’t take up acting until his family shifted to New Mexico. He studied drama at Oklahoma University, then in Los Angeles, where he’s been based ever since.

He met Madigan when they were both cast in the Depression-era film Places in the Heart, starring Sally Field. They’ve since appeared in nine movies together, including Pollock, in which she played art collector Peggy Guggenheim.

The idea for the film was sparked when Harris’ father gave him a copy of a biography of the artist, but it took 10 years for the actor to get it to the screen.

It won him a best-actor Oscar nomination (co-star Marcia Gay Harden lifted the statuette for best supporting actress) and cemented Harris’ reputation as a single-minded tough nut. He famously smashed a chair on set to give Harden’s performance a jolt.

The film took its toll on the Harris-Madigan family finances. “I spent a ton of my own money on that film. You know I didn’t need to, but I had to. So I wouldn’t have changed that for the world.

“I had spent so much time working on developing the script and working on this guy and painting and getting to know people that knew him and getting the rights to his works … I was totally immersed in it. And I didn’t care what I had to do to make the film right.

“I mixed that film twice completely and went to three different composers. I would have done whatever I had to do to get it what I wanted it to be. I didn’t even think about it. I mean, my wife was kind of going ‘Ed, what are you doing?’. But we survived.”

If Pollock was an artistic triumph in step with his challenging stage work, in the movies Harris remains better known as a go-to guy for a voice of authority: in Apollo 13, he was mission controller Gene Kranz (“Failure is not an option”), and he’s played a fair few sheriffs, colonels and generals.

Nasa – the real one – has asked him a few times to perform narration duties on commemorations. He can’t get away from it in the movies, either. When Sandra Bullock’s stranded astronaut calls Houston in Gravity, that’s Harris responding.

“I mean, I am fascinated by space but it’s not something that’s like a major thing in my life.”

Harris’ commanding tones haven’t always been that commanding. “I used to have a really thick Jersey accent when I was going to college,” he says, “and just over the years, you know, part of my craft is to be able to use my voice appropriately for whatever given character.

“And I actually feel really good about the whole vocal stuff in Kodachrome, because it’s lower-register and pretty relaxed.”

The last time he played a dying man on screen – a poet with Aids in The Hours in 2002 – he got the fourth of his four Oscar nominations for it. Playing another one – and another difficult artist – in Kodachrome was harder than it looks.

“He might not be that active but physically it’s really challenging because he’s hurting, he’s aged, he’s frail. His mind is still sharp. Even to play an invalid you have to be in pretty good shape because you have to be able to use your body in a way that allows you do that.”

The film is also a meditation on the cultural change that has come with an increasingly digitised world. So where does Harris, a man who plays a robot-killing cowboy on television, sit on the digital-analogue spectrum?

“I’m a bit of a dinosaur, I’m afraid. You know it’s passing me by big-time. I am decent on the computer and that kind of thing but first of all I really like film films.

“I take a few decent photos I have a great old Leica camera that I actually used in the movie and I’ve taken some pretty good photographs. But I haven’t done much of late. I’ve been toying with the idea of building a little darkroom and getting to shoot some black and white but that’s just in my head at the moment.”

Presumably the photos would go up on the wall chez Harris-Madigan next to the Pollocks he painted in character.

“Well, a couple of friends got some, and one of the things about making that movie was you would shoot what he might be doing on canvas and you see that. But then to save time and canvas they put the camera back on me painting, and I will be painting over stuff that I thought was actually not so bad and just totally f---ing it up. So there wasn’t that much work left that I thought was decent.”

Harris is hoping to direct a psychological thriller based on Kim Zupan’s 2015 book The Ploughmen, about a Montana deputy sheriff and a local serial killer. Until then, Westworld gives him a regular pay cheque and keeps him busy for most of the year. So does figuring out what is going on in the show.

No, he didn’t know the twist about his character – that another regular character in the wild west android theme park was actually the Man in Black too, at a younger age. And that he owns the place. It was all bit of a surprise.

“You never know where they are going to take you. I’ve never worked on something where you find out in episode six something very basic about your character that might have been nice to know in episode one.

“I think they think that it’s going to keep the actors fresh or something. I told them, ‘Well, you know, last year I did 125 performances of Buried Child, and I knew what the script was going to be and what was going to happen with the character, and the 125th performance was just as fresh and alive as the first one. I don’t have a problem understanding and knowing what is going to happen to my character.’ But whatever.”

He’s not complaining. He has steady work in a high-profile show that is kind of a western, a genre he loves. He directed his own very good one, Appaloosa, in 2008. That one featured Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons, Renée Zellweger and no killer robots. In Westworld he’s enjoying being a gun for hire and wearing that hat of his.

“I like putting on my Man in Black outfit. It makes me feel good.”

[plaidstiel-wormstache]

Asleep

Summary: The boys and reader have a night off after a hard hunt, but questions still arise as to how they justify their work. Word Count: 1961 Characters: Dean, Reader, Sam Warning: no real warnings here “Genre”: Fluffy A/N: This makes mention of the movie The Bone Collector, apologies if you haven’t seen it (recommend). Beta: @wi-deangirl77 - thank you for going over something out of the blue, and thanks for your encouragement!

Dean was slumped over, back arching, head slowly lowering towards his lap, getting heavier by the second. The boot in his hand slipping, millimeter by millimeter, his elbow on his knee sliding towards its edge.

YN stood in the doorway, watching him fondly, a warm smile on her face. As the shoe was about to fall, she crossed the room and caught it, placing it gently on the ground, crouching in front of him, she undid the laces of his other shoe and loosened the tongue, glancing up when Dean stirred.

“I got it-” he grumbled, not lifting his head or moving to take off his shoe, eyes still closed. “I know,” YN assured, lifting his leg just enough to slip the boot from his foot. Standing, she placed a hand to the side of his head, pushing his other shoulder. He easily collapsed to the side, guided gently to his pillow by her hand. She moved to his legs, still over the side of the bed, lifting one leg then the other to awkwardly maneuver them onto the bed before his subconscious did the rest and got him comfortable. She stood over him a moment, admiring the quieter side of Dean; the leftover crease of his brow, the smooth line of his slightly parted lips, the weathered wrinkles around his eyes, the deep circles under his eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed, bringing YN out of her reverie, she turned and left the room, closing the door. 

“I thought you were gonna get changed?” Sam asked when he looked up from his laptop. “Dean’s fallen asleep on my pajamas.” YN said with a shrug, toeing off her boots and shedding her jacket before climbing onto the bed. “You wanna borrow a shirt?” He asked, putting the laptop down at the end of the bed before opening his drawers and fishing out a Henley for her.

YN snatched the shirt from the air as he tossed it to her, pulling it over her own, “Thanks,” she said, shedding her top and bra underneath, then dumping them onto the floor. “As long as I get it back.” Sam said, aware of where most of the old shirts disappeared to. He sat down next to her and continued to look through his laptop. “Found it?” She asked, settling back into the pillows, looking over his shoulder. “Yeah, with Angelina Jolie?” He asked, turning when she didn’t answer and catching a nod. Sam placed the laptop between them and hit play.

The movie began, a man and woman climbed into a taxi, the doors locked, a shot of the hanging ornament from the mirror. “Well they’re fucked.” Sam said, arranging the pillows at his back, trying to get comfortable. “Seems it,” YN said with a knowing look before she returned her attention to the movie. Sam finally settled, folding his arms over his stomach and crossing his legs at the ankle.

“You want something to eat? Drink?” YN said after the first build up of the movie had dissipated. “Uhh, nah thanks,” Sam said, not looking up from the laptop. YN nodded and climbed off the bed and headed out the door, stopping and pulling herself back round the door frame when Sam called out, “Bottle of water?” “Sure,” She nodded, disappearing back around the corner. Wandering the hallway she thought about popping her head in to look at Dean, but decided otherwise when she remembered she’d shut the door behind her.

YN flicked on the kettle, fished out a packet of popcorn buried at the back of the pantry cupboard and threw it into the microwave. The hum of the microwave filling the room, YN jumped up onto the bench and pulled out her phone, flicking through Pinterest, adding different holiday pictures to a board she saved for rainy days; days when the job was too much and all she needed was an escape. She didn’t look up when she heard the slap of feet on the concrete, then down the two steps into the kitchen, only glancing up when their feet came into her view. “Oh, you’re awake,” She said, locking her phone and putting it to the side when Dean stood between her legs, letting his head fall to her chest, grunting in response. YN rubbed soothing circles into his back, before suddenly pushing him away when the kettle began to whistle. She jumped down and flicked the switch, then fetched her mug and a tea bag, and poured the boiling water on top. “Come to bed,” Dean muttered, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his forehead on the back of her head. “I’m in the middle of a movie with Sam,” she said, tilting her head to the side and patting at his when it slid to her shoulder, “You can come join us?” She offered, shuffling to the microwave, with him seemingly attached. “What are you watching?” He grumbled, his chin digging into her shoulder when he spoke. YN pulled the popcorn from the microwave and shook it as she answered, “The Bone Collector,” Dean didn’t move or say anything as YN began to juggle her tea and the popcorn, “It’s got Angelina Jolie in it,” YN added, thinking she could tempt him. Dean took a deep breath in and sighed it out, begrudgingly stepping away as she turned toward him, hands almost full as she made towards the fridge. “Nah, I’m beat.” He muttered, watching her hold the fridge door open with her hip, put the popcorn bag under her arm, and grab a bottle of water from the bottom shelf, all while keeping her tea upright. “Alright, I’ll be in eventually.” She said, smiling at him when she pushed the fridge door closed with her foot. He yawned wide and sluggishly lead the way down the hall, back towards the rooms. 

“Took you long enough, they’ve figured out the book and the copycat killings and she’s just saved the drowning kid, grandad’s dead though.” Sam caught YN up as she dropped the popcorn bag onto the bed, handing the bottle to him as she placed her mug down on the bedside table. Folding one leg under herself as she sat on the bed, eyes glued to the screen while opening the popcorn, she didn’t notice when Sam stuck his big hand in first and took out a fistful.

“That was good.” Sam said when the credits began to roll, standing up off the bed and stretching, “I mean, could’ve done without the romance, but it was a good crime movie.” “Yeah,” YN agreed, folding her legs underneath her and facing Sam on the bed, “Remember that case we had, down that mining shaft in bumfuck-nowhere?” She asked, continuing when he frowned but gave a slight nod, “that’s what I was thinking of the whole time we were down there, what if there’s-“ “Oh yeah, you screamed when you saw that rat, and then later you said something about finding a Rhyme or book or something, makes sense know!” Sam said, thinking back to the case where YN had first mentioned the movie. It went quiet for a moment, YN rolling the empty popcorn bag into a tight spiral as Sam changed out of his top into a sleep-shirt.

“You ever think ‘what if this next case is just a twisted, sick human?’ Like, what you’d do?” YN asked, finally looking up when Sam’s head popped through the shirt. “Uhh,” he pulled the rest of the material over his chest and stomach, “We’ve come- we’ve faced a couple cases kinda like that before.” Sam admitted, surprised when she was, “Dean hasn’t told you?” He sat on the end of the bed opposite her. “Was it the one with the clowns?” YN asked, not meaning to make Sam shiver but smiling nonetheless when he did. “Thanks.” He said sarcastically. “No, I mean, was it-” “Nah, it was this weird as shit family, couple of sons and their dad and this little girl, they’d take people and then release them for sport. Chase them and shoot them. They got Dean and, well, I mean, he’s still around.” Sam explained without going into it. “Do you reckon you could you kill a human?” YN asked quietly, “No demon, no possession, just - sick?” Sam ran a hand through his hair, scratching at the back of his neck then letting his hand fall heavy on his lap, eyes cast down and not meeting hers. “If they were coming for me, if they meant me harm, like no one around, dark street, and they were gonna kill me otherwise… I think I would.” YN admitted quietly. “I think,” Sam began, memories haunting him, “I think you don’t know until it happens.” Sam finally said, fingers picking at a loose thread on his bed cover. “I guess you’re right, you just don’t know till it’s there in front of you, hey?” YN said with a shrug. “Right,” Sam was lost in his thoughts, remembering both his own and Dean’s decisions over the years, and how they both justified it at the time. But would YN buy that? She watched him a moment longer then climbed off the bed and picked up her mug. Sam was still buried in his thoughts and didn’t look up till she tapped gently against the door frame. “Night YN,” He said, fixing his face to hide his troubles. “Night Sam.” She said.

Sam closed his laptop and put it on the desk then climbed into bed, still pondering the decisions he’d made, the lives he took. “Sam?” YN’s quiet voice surprised him, “What we do in this… business, it’s a choice between the one or the many. And if you think about the multiple apocalypses stopped before they could even get off the ground-“ YN cut herself off and smiled, taking a few steps into his room. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He said, still thinking about those “ones”, and YN knew it, but wasn’t sure what she could do. She closed the distance and knelt up onto his bed, arms outreached as she met him halfway for a hug. “Maybe tomorrow we can go for a hike?” She suggested when she pulled back. “That sounds nice,” He assured, thanking her once again and bidding her goodnight when she collected her boots, top and bra that she’d discarded earlier.

YN opened the door quietly and dumped her stuff onto the chair near the door, pushed off her jeans and kicked them up to join the other items, then tiptoed over to the bed and climbed in. “Good movie?” Dean asked, though still mostly asleep. “Brought up a lot of questions,” YN said through a yawn. “That’s good,” Dean replied before shifting his arm to her waist and falling back to sleep. “Yeah, Sam and I are gonna go on a hike tomorrow, good for him to clear his head.” YN said, shuffling closer to Dean’s body, resting her head down on the pillow. He hummed but that was all he could muster before deep and even breaths took over. YN’s eyelids were already heavy, sleep pulling her under, fast. With her last bit of consciousness she wanted to tell him she was happy he was safe, home, alive, but ... “I’m glad no one’s murdered you yet,” she managed instead before falling into a deep sleep. “Murdered? Yet? Babe,” Dean’s subconscious had piqued for the odd words, waking him just enough to pick up on the yet. Dean peeked one eye open and then the other, her face barely visible in the light from under the door, but it was obvious she was fast asleep. And in sleep, Dean decided she was no harm to anyone.

***

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[somar78]

BMW Z8 Roadster - 2001 by Perico001 E52 Bonhams : The Autumn Sale 2020 Estimated : € 140.000 - 180.000 Sold for € 138.000 Autoworld www.autoworld.be Brussels - Belgium September 2020 In recent times many motor manufacturers, particularly those with a significant sporting heritage, have felt the need to reference iconic models from the past when launching their latest. BMW has proved adept at exploiting this 'retro' trend, commencing in 1996 with the Z3 coupé and convertible, the styling of which brilliantly recalled its fabulous '328' sports car of pre-war days. Its next effort along similar lines - the 'Z07' concept car of 1997 - took its inspiration from the post-war Alfred Goetz-designed '507', a luxurious limited-edition roadster. The sensation of the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show, the Z07 was received so enthusiastically that BMW took the decision to press ahead with a production version: the Z8. For the most part the Z8 remained remarkably faithful to the original concept, retaining the 507-like twin-nostril front grille and distinctive front-wing vents. A period-style interior had been one of the Z07's most remarked upon features, and that too made it into the Z8. The Z8's body panelling and spaceframe chassis were fabricated in lightweight and corrosion resistant aluminium, while the 32-valve 4,941cc V8 engine, shared with the M5 saloon, was built by BMW's Motorsport division. With 400bhp on tap, the Z8 raced to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.7 seconds and only the built-in rev limiter stopped it from exceeding 250km/h (155mph). Power reached the run-flat tyres via a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox. Needless to say, the Z8 also came with all the modern appurtenances one would expect of a flagship model: traction control, stability control, front and side air bags, GPS navigation, climate control, and power operation of the seats, steering wheel, and convertible hood all being included in the package. The fact that the Z8 was a low-volume model assembled, for the most part, by hand, enabled BMW to offer customers considerable freedom in personalising their cars. Further enhancing its appeal to collectors, the factory announced that a 50-year stockpile of Z8 parts would be maintained. Despite a (US) launch price of over $128,000, initial demand was so high that a bidding war broke out, with many Z8s selling for well in excess of that figure. By the time production ceased at the end of 2002, 5,703 of these fabulous cars had been built. This particular BMW Z8 was delivered new to Mr Jason Claxton in Grand River, Ontario in January 2001, passing to its next owner - Lorenzo Giordano, a prominent member of the Montreal Mafia - in 2003, by which time it had covered fewer than 20,000 kilometres. In May 2007 Giordano was arrested and spent the next eight years in prison; released in December 2015, he was shot dead in March 2016. The car was put on the market a few weeks later with 24,693 kilometres recorded, and early in 2017 was imported into Luxembourg. A major service was carried out by Garage Ginion in Waterloo when the car arrived in Belgium in March 2017 (at 25,148 kilometres), which included converting the radio to European specification (detailed bills available). The most recent service was undertaken by Garage Bilia-Edmond in Luxembourg in 2019. Since the car's arrival in Luxembourg in 2017, a total of €7,200 has been spent on various works including replacing both front lights, the right taillight, and the left door trim cup holder (October 2017); replacing all the cylinder head coolant hoses (May 2019); and fitting a new battery (June 2020). Invoices for all these works and parts are on file together with those relating to the car's importation into Europe in February 2017. Finished in grey with black leather interior, the latter smelling like new, this beautiful Z8 Roadster is presented in pristine condition, with a spotless engine bay, and is still on its original tyres. The car comes complete with windbreak and cover; canopy cover; original radio; coffee table book; two keys; Motorola/Startac BMW mobile telephone (Canadian specification); tool kit; Carte Grise; and Contrôle Technique. https://flic.kr/p/2jGw4Qj