#also i wonder if i'll ever see one here in texas.

[nimchimpskyphd]

"The white witch occurs from Uruguay to Mexico, and appears as a stray as far north as Texas in the U.S.[2] 

Given the enormous geographic range of the adult, and observations that date back 300 years, it is striking that the immature life stages of this species have never been documented.”

Today’s bug joy: people with white witch moths, Thysania agrippina. The white witch is the largest moth in the world by wingspan (30cm). They are Big

This species is found from southern Mexico through southern Brazil.

Photo 1 by julianbiol, 2-3 by sesernam, 4 by ruperl_h, 5 by michellem_, 6 by gcwarbler, and 7 by gerryvantonder

[scarlet-witchery]

Day 9 — Femslash February — Post-Finale

Sandy/Debbie, at the Alibi. (ao3)

@m4ndysk4nkovich @holymurdock @lovekenney

“I'm definitely not sticking around here. I'm going to Texas, day after tomorrow. Hopping a bus and getting the fuck out.” Heidi looked at Debbie and grinned. “You could come with me, you know. Bring your kid, too, if you want.”

For a minute, Debbie thought about the possibility—leave everything behind and start fresh. Get away from all the bullshit and find a new place she could go with Franny. She couldn't deny that it sounded tempting, especially with all the shit going down in her life lately.

But then she thought about Franny and the rest of her family—Carl, Ian, Liam, Mickey, even Lip and Tammi—and she knew what her answer would be.

“Thanks, but…I'm gonna stay here. Even with all the dumb shit going on, it's still my home. But thanks, anyway.”

Heidi shrugged, pulling the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “Your loss, Debbie,” she said, nonchalant. “Maybe I'll see ya around sometime.”

Doubtful, thought Debbie, almost glad to see the back of the other woman as Heidi got out of the booth and headed for the door with a spring in her step. Debbie sighed and took a drink of her beer, wondering what the hell she was gonna do now. Lip probably still wanted to sell the house—her house, the only home she'd ever known—and in spite of everything he'd done lately, she was worried about him. Fighting with her siblings made Debbie's stomach churn, and she'd been feeling like shit since…well.

The day Lip took a sledgehammer to the wall had been bad enough—she remembered Ian holding onto her, both of them never expecting their brother to lash out like that—but then everything that had gone down with Sandy…shit. Debbie put her head in her hands for a moment before she took another drink of her beer.

Thankfully Franny had been commandeered by her uncles for dancing, and Debbie managed to wipe her tears away quickly when she heard her daughter call, “Mommy! Look at me, look at me!” as she and Mickey danced around with one of the Polish girls. Debbie waved at Franny and smiled, though it wasn't the easiest thing. But she didn't want Franny to know she was upset—this was supposed to be a fun night for all of them, not “Debbie wallowing in her own misery” night. She could drown her sorrows tomorrow while Franny was at school.

The door to the Alibi swung open, and Debbie looked up—and she had to do a double take. The woman who'd just walked through the door certainly looked like Sandy Milkovich, but…different. Whereas Sandy usually let her hair fall down all stringy and a little messy, now it looked clean and put together, pulled back in a low ponytail behind her ear so it fell over her shoulder. She wore her usual leather jacket, but her shirt and jeans were nice, no holes in the material to be seen. Even her high-tops looked cleaner than they should have from walking around the multiple construction sites nearby.

“Oh, fuck,” Debbie said under her breath, then hurriedly took a swig of her drink as Sandy caught her eye and walked right towards the booth where Debbie sat, climbing in on the opposite side. She looked—well, angry, but Debbie knew that was just Sandy's regular face. But she also seemed nervous, linking her fingers on both hands together as she sat there, not speaking.

“...what are you doing here?” Debbie finally asked, crossing her arms and sitting back. Sandy looked awkward at the question and didn't answer right away. It made Debbie roll her eyes in frustration, and she started to get up. Sandy reached out and grabbed her hand to stop her. “If you're not gonna say anything, then why the hell are you even here, huh?”

“I…I need to say something. To you.” Sandy's words were said through pursed lips, her voice strained. “...I'm an idiot. And I-” she stopped, frustration written on her face. “I'm sorry. I fucked up.”

An apology from a Milkovich was a rare thing, that was for sure. She'd spent enough time with Mickey and Mandy over the years to know that one of the first rules about being a Milkovich was never to say you're sorry for anything. And yet here was Sandy, admitting she'd screwed up. Debbie couldn't agree more.

“Damn right you did,” she said, an edge in her voice. So maybe she was still hurt from the whole thing, give her a break. Things had been really good with them, and then they'd fallen apart in what felt like an instant. Sandy had left her in one of the worst places of her adult life, and she'd spiraled, hard. “You didn't just put the knife in my chest, Sandy, you fucking had to twist it, too. So why should I listen to anything a deadbeat mom like you has to say?”

Maybe that jab was a little cruel, but at least it made Debbie feel a tiny bit better. Sort of, anyway.

“Look, it's…a bullshit situation. I never wanted to be a mom. You know my family. Mickey said you were around when he was going through all his shit. If they can't beat the gay out of you, they just get you married off and start popping out kids.” Sandy sighed, and started to reach for the bottle in Debbie's hand before she pulled back, fingers twitching.

“...I'll get us some drinks,” Debbie finally said. If they were going to have this conversation, they would definitely need something stronger than beer. She snagged two glasses of bourbon from Kev and went back over to the booth, sliding one across the table to Sandy.

After getting back into the seat, Debbie took a long drink from her glass. “Look. I get that things weren't easy for you. I saw some of the shit Mickey went through with his dad, having to marry Svetlana, all of that. But you have a kid, Sandy. You left him—and yeah, I do know what it's like to be that kid. And then you hurt me. You fucking…stabbed me in the heart, okay?”

“I was pissed off—I never asked for that kid in the first place. I tried to get an abortion, but I couldn't get the money in time.” Sandy took a drink, glancing away. “I figured…it'd be easier if he didn't have to deal with a mom who never wanted him.”

Debbie shook her head. “Every kid wants a mom. And you were always so good with Franny; why is Prince so different?”

“Because I knew Franny was part of the deal when we got together!” Sandy said. Her eyes were wide, now, almost scared. Like she was backed into a corner. “At first we were hooking up, things were really good…then that skank Julia showed up, and I got-”

“-punchy?” Debbie said with a snort of laughter. Sandy actually blushed a little, and Debbie felt it in her stomach. She pushed the feeling away, though; she didn't want to make this easy. If they were going to fix shit in any way, shape, or form, Sandy had to say what Debbie needed to hear from her. But…it was still nice all the same, to know that Sandy wasn't completely over her. And she could maybe admit to herself that she wasn't over Sandy, either.

“Yeah. That. And I guess, well—things were good. I didn't wanna fuck it up. I've…” Sandy trailed off in favor of taking another drink. “Shit. We really gotta do all this talking?”

Debbie nodded. “Yep,” she said, popping her lips on the last letter. “Might need to get some more bourbon for this conversation.” She paused to take a slow sip, catching Sandy's gaze with her own. “...I gotta get Franny home soon, but…we could always sit on the porch. Have a smoke. Talk.”

“Mickey was right,” Sandy said, finishing off her glass. “You Gallaghers really like talking a lot.”

Debbie smiled in spite of herself. “You'd be pretty amazed how good we are at it.” Sandy just laughed, and Debbie's heart ached.

Things wouldn't get fixed right away—it just didn't work like that. Debbie was still hurting, a lot, and the two of them were both broken, damaged people. She trusted too easily, and Sandy barely trusted at all. But there was a kernel of hope in her now. Maybe Sandy had left her, had ripped her heart out, but she'd also come back, and the fact that she was willing to talk was almost Sandy's way of holding her own heart out in apology. It took a lot of work to be with a Milkovich—Debbie had seen it fail with Lip and Mandy, and eventually succeed with Mickey and Ian. Maybe part of Debbie, deep down, wanted to make it work out for herself, too.

She and Sandy had been good together, all things considered, and in spite of Sandy's issues with being a mom, Franny had adored her. And sure, Sandy had screwed up big time, but maybe…maybe Debbie wanted to hear what she had to say. They were capable of having a conversation instead of a screaming match. And Sandy had gone through all the trouble of looking nice for her, too. At least that's what Debbie hoped.

So maybe they'd take Franny back to the Gallagher house, tuck her into bed, then grab some drinks and head out to the back porch. They'd light cigarettes and talk quietly, sitting next to each other on the wooden, peeling steps. And maybe Sandy would say enough, say the right thing that Debbie could forgive her. Maybe it would take longer than a night to get there. But she at least was willing to try.

[simplyclary]

Of All Places, Why Paris?

(Screenshot by me)

*This is a break from all the purely TZP related content I've been putting out here and that content shall resume in a day or two but for now, have a Henry related post* ;)

Have you ever wondered about the specificity of Henry's answer to Alex when Henry said that he would live in Paris if he was an anonymous person in the world? Like why Paris? Henry could've chosen Italy, Germany, Switzerland, or Greece which are all lovely places but no, he chose Paris, France specifically.

I pondered on his answer for a little bit and I think I have an explanation for it. This is me sharing that explanation with you guys, if you also wondered about the reason why Henry wanted to live in Paris.

Paris, the capital of France is known as many things, the "City of Love (and Romance)", the "Fashion Capital" of the world and the "City of Lights". To be completely honest, Paris is one of my dream cities to visit since I was a young girl. I've always wanted to see the lights of the Eiffel Tower, go inside the Louvre Museum, visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, eat authentic French food and more.

I'll move on to the main point here before I get sidetracked by my random thoughts...

Henry was so specific when he told Alex that he wanted to live in Paris given the chance of being an anonymous person in the world. I think that given the chance, Henry wanted to live a life that is authentic to who he is and far from the conformities and traditions that force him to not live his life as a gay man.

Back in the olden days and even until now, being gay is not considered to be illegal in Paris. The city even has a very lively queer night life that celebrates all types of sexualities. This is the exact opposite of what is in the traditional English way of life, especially in the Royal Family, which is where Henry belongs in.

To quote what Nora said to Alex "Princes aren't allowed to be gay". Key word is allowed and so that means that until tradition changes, Henry is trapped in his "closet" and is forced to conform to something that is not authentic to him. Merely thinking about this just breaks my heart.

I also want to share some insights from an interview of a favorite author of mine, Cassandra Clare. For those who don't know, Cassandra Clare is the author of the bestselling Shadowhunters Chronicles (which is one of my favorite sagas of all time) and she has introduced me to a lot of my favorite queer characters, some of them also share the same predicament as Henry.

In one of her interviews, Cassie shared that queer people, especially gay men during the Victorian and Edwardian era, go to Paris for one thing: freedom. In Paris, these gay men can live their authentic selves without the fear of being judged by society and even those closest to them like their family and friends. This is also one of the biggest reasons why in one of her trilogies, about a couple of queer characters always reference going to Paris.

Going back to Henry, this idea can be applied because he wants to live his life freely and openly. He even mentions it to Alex during their Paris stroll that only his sister Bea fully knows about him. His mom probably suspects, his brother Philip is completely oblivious and his grandfather, the king, is a cold and hard realist.

Henry also mentioned to Bea after he returns to Kensington from Texas that the idea of royalty in the 21st century is antiquated, which is true because the royals live by tradition and most of them are not willing to change it, which is heartbreaking.

Also, in the film, Henry's grandfather states that the nation simply will not accept a prince who is homosexual. This hurts and angers me at the same time because they already live in the 21st century and yet they're acting as if it's the Victorian or Edwardian era where being gay is not allowed.

This turned out to be pretty lengthy and I may have veered off the tracks a bit at some parts but the main point is that Henry wanted to live in Paris because in Paris, he can live his life as a gay man who has nothing to worry about, not bound by traditions, simply free and happy in his own authentic self.

That's all my thoughts, folks. Note that all of these are my personal thoughts. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.

I did like writing this post and sharing my thoughts with you. Henry deserves the biggest hug and lots of support after everything he's been through and I'm happy Alex is with him.

Now, back to regularly-scheduled TZP-related posts for the rest of the year....(Partly kidding because a thought about Henry/Nicholas might pop up in my brain randomly and if I feel the need to share it, I'll definitely share it here).

Be well and all my love. Have a lovely day/night wherever you guys are.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Grey's Anatomy: If You Leave (21x07)

Oh man, this is so sad...

Cons:

I feel like going into this season knowing Yasuda would be leaving at some point, it just really made the stuff with Chloe feel strange and awkwardly placed? You introduce a whole subplot with a sister who has cancer, you make that be the reason why the Yasuda/Jules romance isn't fully lifting off, you set it up as a way for Mika to maybe leave the show to take care of her sister, then you do a big scary car accident but Mika doesn't die... and then Chloe does? I understand drama for drama's sake, that's what this show is built around! But it just felt like a lot of setup for the payoff to be so tragic and then Mika's going to leave anyway? I guess we'll see how it all plays out, but I kind of wish this was setup for a character to deal with their grief, instead of setup for a character to depart.

I guess I'm glad Owen apologized to Teddy for his big overreaction but also, just, ugh - every second spent on their relationship feels like a waste of my time as a viewer. Not to be harsh or anything.

Pros:

So let's start with the Schmitt subplot! I suppose given the fact that he does feel rather separate from the rest of the main characters, it was nice that we saw him have his Helm moment last week, then a Jo moment here, and the little montage of flashback bits with him was honestly really sweet and plucked at my heartstrings! He's been around for a while, he really did leave an imprint on this show's DNA even if I feel like they often lost sight of how to develop and include his character. With all the setup of Levi leaving for Texas, I thought his romance with James would have to be cut short, that he'd choose his career over love. But instead - our boy Levi gets to have both! Yay! Honestly it makes me so happy that he gets to take his hot new relationship along with him as he pursues his career. And they've definitely made this a soft exit for Levi, one that has guest star potential written all over it. If he can be like a Jackson Avery moving forward, popping in for an episode here or there as he's in the area visiting, that would make me so happy!

I also really did love the stuff with Jo. I had straight up forgotten about their awkward sex thing, and I loved how Jo framed that as the best mistake she ever made, because of what a good friend he turned out to be. And making him the godfather of her twins! Oh my goodness, be still my beating heart. That's so sweet. Seeing him with the babies in the NICU, really taking the time to personally connect with them, also emphasizes why this is the right place for him to be in his career.

And then to the main plot - you know, I don't think I'll ever feel the emotional highs of early Grey's again, the way I felt when George died and the reactions of the rest of the core cast to that... but in terms of late-stage Grey's Anatomy, I honestly thought they did a wonderful job with this classic dramatic scenario. One of their own is on the table fighting for their life, and the rest of them are all having a breakdown about it. It's classic stuff, and I really did love it. You've got Simone, who mostly takes on a support role here for Jules as she fights not to feel useless. You've got Kwan, who honestly tugged at my heartstrings the most of anyone, sitting beside Mika in the bed and telling her what a terrible roommate she is. You've got Adams, trying to be useful by helping Chloe, and his horrendous guilt when he has to call time of death. And you've got Jules, stuck in this awful in-between of her relationship, where it seemed like they were on the verge of really solidifying something, but now who knows? I really liked seeing all of the interns scrambling on how to feel and what to do, with one of their own in such dire straights.

I also liked seeing Bailey's reaction to the situation. Her moment with Ben towards the end of the episode was really nice, and I liked getting that little check-up on the kid situation as Ben recounts what's been going on at home. And then the scene of Bailey sitting with Mika as she wakes up, and asks about Chloe... serious kudos to Midori Francis for her performance as she realizes her sister is dead and starts to break down. It was heart-wrenching, I felt so terrible for her! How is she going to recover from this, especially given that she was the one behind the wheel when the accident happened? Oof, it's going to be so brutal.

The reboot of these five interns really has worked out - I feel invested in them, I care about them, I even found Lucas mostly tolerable this week. I'm going to be so sad to lose Mika, but I'm relieved she's alive!

8/10

[regulusrules]

Hey 😅 idk if ur an expert but since you mentioned studying orientalism & stereotypical depictions of foreign places in western media, do you have any specific resources or advice for creatives who want to break the cycle of harm? Obvs "do research" but I guess asking you is part of that, ahaha

Heya love. This is INDEED breaking the cycle and doing research, so thank you for popping up here to ask!

For resources on what to read/watch in order to break free from the eurocentric grip, I wrote a long ass post here dividing references to videos, documentaries, books, and literary works. If you're done with these and looking for more, definitely DM at any time! I would be more than happy to provide additional references, since it's been my field of study for so long :D

As for advice, well, I'll tell you this:

DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK!

Literally the common problem that I always find between western and eastern discourse is being misunderstood. The language barrier causes shit, believe me, especially in the historical context of how this whole east/west thing had happened. Orientalism stems from the fact that the west propagated an image of the east without actually seeing where they come from or what they're trying to say. The east is misunderstood because the interpretations of the west of them is what stuck instead of their actual thoughts and beliefs.

So, if you have a Muslim-Arab friend, don't be afraid to ask them why they pray five times or why women choose to wear hijab. If you have a Christian-Arab friend, don't be too quick to dismiss the fact that they exist (typical western stereotype that Christianity is ours only) ((even though Jesus was from Bethlehem, Palestine lool)). If you have a Jew-Arab friend, ask them what they think about the situation in Palestine, and you will be shocked by how genuinely supportive they are of Palestinians. And if you have any Arab friend who identifies with any other religion/doesn't at all, p l e a s e be willing to ask and listen.

Every person in this world is so unique. And trust me, you won't find two middle eastern countries similar, let alone the typical propagated western message that "all Arabs are the same." I kid you not, cities from cities there also differ, just like in states if one day you go to texas and the other day drop at hawaii. The beautiful uniqueness of eastern cultures has to be experienced first-hand to be conveyed.

So whenever you're looking for an answer, ask. Ask and never be afraid of not being answered, because people actually want to be heard. I've learnt sooo much more from engaging with people than from my theoretical studies, so if you have the opportunity, go book a plane to the pyramids you've always wanted to see and actually experience the wonder of communicating with the people there and learning their cultures. These countries are safe, safer than I have personally ever felt in Europe, because they are so people-oriented and warm. Videos won't tell you that. You gotta see it for yourself, love, and you gotta talk about your experience and convey their actual beliefs to those around you in a similar position.

Ask, and you will always be answered. And in the process, you will have the time of your life. Believe me.

[tilbageidanmark]

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS WEEK #201:

The best films of the week: 'A taxi driver', 'Sudden fear', 'Sharper', 'The eloquent peasant', 'Rocks in my pockets', 'If anything happens I love you', 'Windy day', 'Late autumn', 'The big wait'.

2 BY KOREAN DIRECTOR JANG HOON, BOTH WITH STAR SONG KANG-HO:

🍿 A TAXI DRIVER (2017), my first by director Jang Hoon, is one the five best Korean films I've ever seen. What style! What a balance of emotional complexity, technical proficiency and political subtext! It's based on true events which happened during a perilous time in South Korean history. Song Kang-ho (The father in 'Paradise') is a street-smart taxi driver, who takes a German journalist into Gwangju and witnesses with him the student uprising and massacre that occurred there after the 1980 Coup d'état. Maybe even better than Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver'?... 10/10.

🍿 Jang Hoon directed only 4 features, and all were huge money makers in Korea. But his 2010 SECRET REUNION disappointed me greatly. It was just a standard police action film revolving around a North Korean sleeper cell of trained assassins, and it was unremarkable. 2/10.

🍿

"Who are you? Another relative? You have broken 18 dicks! I'll kill you, all gorillas, all policemen and all the Dutch"

THE SUNDAY WOMAN is an unusual Italian comedy about a murder investigation. An eccentric architect is bashed on the head with a large stone phallus, and the clueless police force is scrambling to solve the high-society death.

It's definitely worth watching for the star power of "Commissioner" Marcello Mastroianni (with his sexy baritone voice), Jean-Louis Trintignant as a secret gay patrician and Jacqueline Bisset as the radiant, bored wife of a wealthy businessman. Also for the unmistakable score by Ennio Morricone's.

The director's ambiguous style makes the confusing 'Chinatown'-like plot even more convoluted. It's also wonderful to see the streets of Turin as they were in 1975. 7/10.

🍿

2 OF DIRECTOR DAVID MILLER'S (??) BEST FILMS:

🍿 How come I never even heard of the stylish, smashing Noir thriller SUDDEN FEAR from 1952?? Milf'ish Joan Crawford is a rich and successful San Francisco playwright, who falls for younger actor Jack Palance, while he schemes to murder her for her inheritance. He looks here like one of the greatest film villains, with his chiseled jaw and piercing eyes, and his side-lover Gloria Grahame is just gorgeous. (Interesting side note: Crawford mentions that there were 2,174,000,000 people in the world at that time. Mmmm...) 9/10.

🍿 "If it didn't take men to make babies, I wouldn't have anything to do with any of you..."

LONELY ARE THE BRAVE is a 1962 new revisionist Western with Kirk Douglas as the "last" old-fashioned cowboy, a rugged individual and independently free. He's a 'Rebel without a cause', a freewheelin' ranch hand who refuses to join the contemporary society of mortgages and driving licenses. Unfortunately, he's now roaming a modern New Mexico which is filled with highways, Jeeps and helicopters. It's obvious that it's going to end up badly. Still, I did not expect the symbolism of his horse getting hit in a rainstorm by a long-hauling truck carrying toilets. (and chauffeured by Archie Bunker!). With young wife-of-a friend Gena Rowlands.

🍿

HEAVY TRIP, (2018), a sweet comedy from Finland about 'Impaled Rektum', a Heavy Metal band from a small rural town which after 12 years of practicing, still have never played a live gig. I have absolutely zero interest in "symphonic post-apocalyptic reindeer-grinding Christ-abusing extreme war pagan fenno-scandian metal" or any other kind, but this was highly entertaining. Its mood reminded me of "Miss little sunshine", even though story wise the two had no connection whatsoever. 7/10.

🍿

THE GETAWAY, Sam Peckinpah's suspenseful action-thriller of a Texas bank heist and Lovers on the run. Starring real-life, super-cool married couple Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw. Also co-starring both "Virgil Sollozzo" and "Al Nery" (which makes sense as this too was filmed in 1972), as well as Silm Pickens.

Also with Quincy Jones' distinct jazzy score, highlighted by Toots Thielemans' mournful harmonica sound. In Peckinpah's usual misogynistic manner, there are multiple incidents of guys slapping women around, including the otherwise-loving McQueen. Also, the famous bad guy who kidnap a meek husband and his naughty wife, and then humiliates him by sleeping with the wife in front of him. I've seen a similar story multiple other times, but can't remember where. Re-watch♻️. 8/10.

RIP, Quincy Jones!

🍿

THE ELOQUENT PEASANT (1969) is the most unusual film I saw this week. It's an Egyptian morality tale based on a 4,000 year old story from the 'Middle Kingdom' of Egypt. A poor peasant is robbed by a noble man of all his possessions, and he's seeking justice from a Pharaoh, by applying flowery arguments to make his case. His language skills are so appreciated by the ruler, that he delays his verdict, just so he can hear him speak longer. It's composed in the most beautiful Technicolor brushes, and has a striking, radiant look. It was restored and preserved by Martin Scorsese's 'World Cinema Foundation' (together with the director's 'The Night of Counting the Years' which is next on my list).

🍿

ANYTHING FOR HER (2008) is a French thriller by a first time director. Diane Kruger and her husband are an ordinary couple with a kid, when she is suddenly arrested for a murder she didn't commit, but is wrongly convicted for it and is sentenced to 20 years in prison. The first two acts are okay, but unremarkable. The last suspenseful 30 minutes are dynamite!

🍿

FILMS WITH 100% SCORE ON ROTTEN TOMATOES X 2:

🍿 ROCKS IN MY POCKETS (2014), "A funny film about depression", is the most amazing adult animation feature from Latvia I've ever seen! I simply cannot understand how come there are original and amazing masterpieces like this out in the world which are completely off the radar. For. ex., it was submitted by Latvia as their official entry for the 87th Academy Award, but was not even nominated.

The trailer is all one needs to see before deciding if the movie is right for them. 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes. 10/10! [*Female Director*]

🍿 Re-watch ♻️: IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU won the Oscars in 2020. A married couple is wordlessly grieving the death of their 12 year old daughter [in a school shooting]. Inspired by (and reminiscent of) the Dutch 'Father and daughter' which also won the Oscars (in 2000). 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes. It's Devastatingly Sad.

🍿

Re-watch of the clever thriller SHARPER. An excellent long-com game, equal to the best of the 'Grifters' genre (in spite of the final, improbable twist). With an exceptional score that includes both Talking Heads and Cole Porter at the right moments. 9/10. ♻️.

🍿

PUT OUR MÄRTA FIRST OR AS LUCK WILL HAVE IT is a traditional Swedish comedy from 1945. I watched it only because I was led to believe that it was some "obscure science-fiction comedy about drag queens", but it wasn't. It's obscure all right. But the sci-fi element was limited to a 2006 opening scene, with an old man telling his granddaughter the story about a hero from 1945, and the rest of the movie is just a flashback. The exact cross dressing plot was later used better on 'Some like it hot': 2 unemployed musicians can only get a job with a traveling women's band, so one of them has to dress up as a woman. [it even has some important scenes on a train, just like Wilder's!]. Unsurprisingly it morphs into a straight-up feminist message film, a-la-Tootsie, with a call for equal rights and free love. But it is told in a very dated, low-brow, broad comedic style. The director, Hasse Ekman, was apparently the most acclaimed Swedish director after Sjöström and before Bergman. 2/10.

🍿  

WHO KILLED JAZZ (Documentary, 2021) is a skillfully-made and impressionistic analysis of the economics of the live jazz music scene. The genre as a whole still flourishes, but the musicians themselves cannot make a living in it. Recommended.

🍿  

ITALIAN POETIC REALIST VITTORIO DE SETA IN 1955 X 3:

🍿 ISLANDS OF FIRE, a wordless natural documentation of fishermen and villagers on the island of Stromboli during a volcanic eruption in 1954. He did 10 ethnographic shorts like this during this time.

🍿 THE AGE OF SWORDFISH, another awesome story of Sicilian fishermen spear-fishing a large swordfish, a custom that disappeared around that time. 8/10.

🍿 PEASANTS OF THE SEA is even more brutal; A fleet of boats capture a large school of Tuna, and kill them all in an orgy of blood and guts. CW. 9/10. De Seta was really talented.

🍿

“Ouch-e-megouch!"

MAGIC TOWN (1947) was the last movie I anxiously watched the night before the election, while being depressed by opposing polls predicting the winner. It was recommended because city slicker James Stewart played a public opinion pollster (for time on film) who moved into Small Town USA, believing that there he can find a perfect reflection of the country as a whole. But this Frank Capra-lite was terrible all around, with a lame-ass romance, and reactionary politics, including the outlandish proposition in one of the polls that "79% favor a woman for president" [Screenshot Above]. Ridiculous! 1/10.

🍿

A BUNCH OF SHORTS:

🍿 BORED ON EDUCATION (1936), my first 'Our gang' episode, and the only one (Out of 220) to win an Oscar. The series was notable for featuring black & white children acting as equals during the Jim Crow era. I didn't realize that the series lasted for 22 years, and employed many sets of kids replacing others who grew out of their roles.

🍿 WINDY DAY (1968) was an adorable animation about two cute little sisters who chatter over each other's as they play and playact, in the cutest, most natural voices. 9/10.

🍿 GOD OF LOVE won the Oscars in 2010. It's a quirky independent comedy in a French New Wave style. A goofy-looking, young Brooklynite lounge singer receives an anonymous box of 'Love Darts' and becomes a local Cupid. Cute. 7/10.

🍿 LATE AFTERNOON (2017) a tender Oscar-nominated Irish story about an old woman who doesn't remember much of anything anymore. 10/10. [*Female Director*]

🍿 In LUCKY FISH (2022), two Asian-American girls exchange glances across the tables at a Chinese restaurant, and then meet by the magical gold fish tank to kiss. Pretty adolescent and not very deep. [*Female Director*]

🍿 PORTRAIT OF GOD (2022), a short horror story about a religious girl who prepares a presentation about a painting of God. Everything I don't like about the Horror genre is here: The eerie soundtrack, the mystical questions that remain unanswerable, the scary jump-cuts, the implied danger, the ambiguous undertone of evil. It's all so unnecessary. 1/10.

🍿 THE BIG WAIT (2023) is a lovely Australian documentary about a couple who lives alone in the middle of nowhere, and maintains a 6-cabin B&B in pristine condition, for visitors who hardly ever come there. 8/10.

🍿 MNEMONADE, a brand-new A.I.-generated short about the Sands of Time and an old woman with dementia. It's not quiet yet there, but as I said a year ago here, I'm sure that within a year, two max, we'll start seeing 'Good' A.I. features, and that in 2025, I'll be viewing some of them. (Via).

🍿

(ALL MY FILM REVIEWS - HERE).

[justagalwhowrites]

3, 21, and 24! 😃

Hi Bestie!

I've answered these here for 3, here for 21, and here for 24 BUT I'll add some more!

This will be another long one so please see below the cut :)

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year - The one I linked above are bigger things but here are some smaller moments that I really treasure when I think about them:

Some of the first real physical intimacy we have with Joel and Bambi in Yearling, AKA the smuttiest not smut I've ever written.

Joel tried not to think about kissing you. Tried not to think about slipping into your warm, soft body, about how close he would be to you if he were inside you. How no one would ever be able to hurt you if you were that close.  “Joel,” you said his name so softly he wondered if he imagined it.  “Hm.”  He felt you take a deep, shaky breath before you slid your hand over his arm that was draped over you, your palm brushing over him until you reached his hand where it rested on the mattress, lacing your fingers with his own. Your hand trembled as you took his and brought it, slowly, to your stomach, slipping his palm beneath your shirt and pressing it gently to your warm, soft skin. Joel’s breath caught in his throat and he was hyperaware of your every move. You held your hand there, intertwined with his, before you eased your hold on him and pulled your hand away, leaving him touching your skin with nothing to hold him back. He tried to relax without getting hard against you, without letting his hand reach further up your body to feel as much of you as he could reach. He managed to let his arm and hand loosen, his elbow in the gentle curve of your waist, his fingers spreading wide over your bare skin, so soft below his callused touch.  “Bambi,” he breathed, voice shaky.  “I…” your voice broke. “I want you to touch me. I like when you touch me. Anyone else and… But I like when you do.”  You pressed yourself back against him and Joel closed his eyes tight, like it would somehow ease the desperate, clawing want building inside him.  “I’ve got you, Sweetheart,” he whispered instead. “I’ll take care of you. I have you.” 

Also, pre-outbreak Bambi seducing Justin lol because she's a hellion and I love her.

“You got some kind of problem with me, cowboy?” You snapped, getting so close to him that the brim of your hat almost caught his chin.  “No I do not,” he replied. “Unless you count the fact that your ass looks way too damn good in those jeans to be doin’ nothin’ but ridin’ horses all day. Otherwise, I got the opposite of a problem with you.”  “Oh,” you stepped back from him, looking him up and down. He was tall, broad, handsome. He reminded you a bit of the boy you’d lost your virginity to when you were 16 and he’d been working on your parents’ ranch back in Texas. “Well, I’m done for the day, headin’ back to my room. You’re welcome to join if you want to see what else I’m good at ridin’ on.” 

Doll trying to figure out where she and Din stand.

It made sense, this arrangement. You were convenient. You got along well. You really couldn’t complain, not when he was making you orgasm several times a day. It was your fault if you had feelings. You weren’t about to ask Mando “just out of curiosity, are you cumming inside me as a friend or is there more to it than that?” 

And, from one of the few things of mine that I do actually go back and read again, from chapter 21 in Lavender, Joel finishing off McCarthy.

Joel sat back, panting for breath for a moment, looking McCarthy up and down. He was covered in blood. He was weak, slumped over like he couldn’t hold himself up.   Joel wasn’t done with him.  “You know she was pregnant when you did that?” He asked. McCarthy lifted his head just enough to look at Joel. He shook his head. “Well, she was. With my kid.”  He stood up, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows.  “I wasn’t there to protect her then,” he said, flexing his fingers before curling them into fists. “But I am now. Can’t let you live with what you did, McCarthy. I have to kill you for her. But when I make it hurt? That’s for me.”  He swung, punching him in the middle of his stomach, knocking the air out of him.  “And I’m going to like it.” 

Sorry for the length on those!

21. most memorable comment/review - I feel like I've gotten so much love and support it's so hard to narrow down! But I think the ones that mean the most are the ones when people share that my work has helped them through a hard time or has inspired them to start writing, too. I've been so lucky that so many people leave comments on my fics that picking one specific one is really hard but yeah. I also love the genre of comment where people reference a specific moment in the chapter. I love seeing what resonates with people!

24. favorite fic you read this year - More recommendations! Take Care of You by @theidiotwhowritesthings and When My Time Comes Around by @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin!

Thanks for asking! Love you!!

End of the Year Asks

[muggle-born-princess]

Updates/Plans for August:

(Copy and pasting this on all of my blogs)

Hey everyone, well today is the last day of July, thus August and the end of summer will begin. It's been a month since I last updated and I can't blame anyone who's still wondering where I'd been ever since I lost power during the storm. Well, here's a few updates:

First off, my arm has been injured since Friday. I ended up getting a second degree burn on my left forearm while working outside, so I had to go to the E.R. Honestly, it hurts more than when it first got burn. Hopefully through with some physical care, it will heal just in time.

Speaking of working outside, that's what I been doing lately or at least been trying to do lately. It's honestly been a pain in the ass to due to the hot heat here in Texas and my mom also being very specific on how to do it right. It's stressful, but hey it's the price you pay when living on rural land. Lol.

My partner MajesticPrincePowers started a new job at Domino's to help get by a little faster since his hours at his first job got cut. I am, however, in the process of whether I should reopen my PayPal and open up commissions just so I can earn a little cash myself; but we'll see where we're at.

Fandom/Interests Wise: To those who watch me or like me just for Miraculous Ladybug content, sorry to burst your bubble, but towards the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, I'm officially gonna retire from the show. I'm sorry to those who liked my content relating to it, but I think it's about time I put my passion for it to rest. I'll still do fanwork for it, but I'm gonna call it quits on the show for good once I begin S5 and watch the movie on Netflix. I'd already explained this before, so I won't repeat myself anymore. On a positive note, I’d recently got into The Owl House and the American Girl dolls and while I may not get the latter anytime soon, I do adore the characters and their stories, and how each of them talk about a specific time in History. ^^

As for plans for August and for the rest of the year, personally I don't think I should write down a big list due to my injury, so I'm just gonna stick with the usual routine and try to make the best of it; even if it's one piece of art or a writing prompt.

I hope you all can understand and thank you for your patience.

[chelleztjs18]

Hello you mrs. rebellious and not an alcoholic honey nut cheerio lefty eyebag 😅

Poor you, I bet once you guys come back from Texas, all you would wanna do is take a break hahaha are you guys spending another week away or just a few days?

Sounds Iike it will be a fun and loud new years over there lol does Emily enjoy the fireworks? I used to always get so scared when they do that cone one, and the one the looks like a snake.. I don't know their names 😅

Hm you're going to get drunk? You be careful and not run into any doors or walls or drunk text people lol I'll try that coconut rum with coke. Does it taste a bit sweet then?

Nah, you're just a rebel! See, I asked for 3 scary movies and you gave me more again ahahahaha

I haven't watched knives out yet, but I want to. I also want to watch the glass onion one that came out. They both have good reviews. Also,Rent is a musical 😅 it's about a group of friends who struggle with life in New York.

Hm, that list is good. So you don't really like gory movies? Cause to me, Saw and Wrong Turn movies are just gory. Not really scary. Maybe if you were in their situation lol

Mine would be:

1. Annabelle

2. Any filipino scary movies - I don't know why it hits different but I just can't watch anything that has horror stuff and supernatural stuff based in the Philippines.

3. The Nun

Okay, next question, 3 movies that were rated badly but you actually enjoyed.

-CuriousGeorge

Hello hello u long nickname expert righty eyebag! 😅

Also, before i forget again, i wanna respond to what u told me about ur separate account n u start to write.. i forgot to respond to it twice.sorry! 😅

That's awesome that u start writing.. so u write something like incorrect quotes? Is it always funny? Because i always find incorrect quotes r funny n i love it! I know u wont tell me whats ur other tumblr account, but it worth a try, whats the tumblr? 🤭😆

I think it's a good start though n i hope someday u will start to write n i will gladly help u on it. 😊 also, as curious as u r, im wondering if ur other tumblr follow mine too? 😁

Haha i doubt that i can take a break, as soon as we get back, i will have to clean up again.haha. being a mom is endless hour kind of job.hahha. anyway, we will drive back home on 1st afternoon. Thats the plan.

Yeah emily likes fireworks. N the ones we gonna bring is something that really a long one when it blows up.. it's quite a show.. 😅

Hahaha im not sure yet if im gonna get drunk.. u r lucky that i dont know ur tumblr, so u r in clear zone n wont get any of my drunk text 🤣🤣 just kidding. I might reply ur ask in giberish text.. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yes, it's sweeter n it smelles good too. If u like coconut.

Haha yeah i can be a rebel sometimes 😅

Oh gosh, Knives Out is a very awesome movie! It blew my mind. The plot ,twist n turns.. the detail on it. My mind couldnt move on from thinking about it for few days after i watched it. U'll know what u meant after u watch it.. please watch it n let me know.. so i can have somebody to talk about that movie.hahahaha. i havent got the chance to watch glass onion, i plan to watch it as soon as i get the chance. Maybe i will watch it with my cousin. Not sure yet because i cant remember if she is that kind of audience who talks a lot while watching movie or not..i hate it whn people do that. 😅

Ah i see.. im not a fan of musical movies. I dont hate it but not my first choice.

Yesss i cant watch gory movies. I used to love it when i was younger but as i got older i guess my heart gets weaker n cant watch stuff like that. 😅🤣 but here i am writing a dark gory fics.hahaha.

Oh god, ur list of movies r crazy scary for me. I wont ever watch it. When i was still in indonesia, i dont really watch indonesian scary movie..but i watch the hollywood scary movies but since i movef here i dont watch it anymore because i feel like the "ghost" r closer..😅🤣

Hmm for this question i dont know what to answer because i dont really know if the movie i watch r rated poorly or not.hahaha. so i dont know about it. 😁 what about urs?

Next question?

Cheerio! (Not the cereal ones)

[zealoushound]

Hi hi

As promised I was going to send you a request.

I was wondering if you write something inspired by a song from Halestorm

The song is called Break In.

Looking forward to read your creation 😊❤

Break In

Summary: August Walker unexpectedly meets his soulmate.

Pairing: August Walker x reader/unnamed ofc

Word Count: 2,327 (including lyrics)

Warnings: angst, major character death, blood, brief mentions of nudity, sex/oral sex (not graphic), violence, retaliation

A/N: Inspired by @mary-ann84’s request. I’m sure this didn’t go in the direction you thought it might but I got this idea stuck in my head and I just couldn’t shake it!

Also, I know nothing of the way the CIA works so all this was just floating about in my head, any likeness to anything that actually takes place in the CIA just came from old movies or something.

Disclaimer: Do not copy any part of my material to use as your own. Do not repost my work, or any portions of my work on any site and claim it as your own. Like all my other fics, this was written on my phone and not beta’d.

***

Put your lighter in the air and lead me back home When it's all said and done I'll follow the echoes I hear you night after night calling out my name And I find myself running to meet you I didn't want to escape From the bricks that I lay down

“Welcome to the team.” I heard Erika Sloane saying to the newest group of agents. I joined in at the back of the room. It wasn’t required for us to be there, but I happened to be in the building this time, and it had been years since I’d actually seen them welcoming in new agents. Then I saw her. She was beautiful. Not like any of the other women that worked here. They couldn’t compare to her; she was breathtaking.

I wanted to meet her. I had to. We’d end up working together eventually, right? She was talking to her colleagues by the buffet table when I came up.

“Nice spread they went with today.” They'd held the ceremony early this time so someone was smart enough to elect the catered meal to be breakfast. She nodded politely, smiled. My heart flipped.

“The names Walker by the way,” Not that she’d asked. No one asks. Either they already know or they’re too busy to care.

“Walker? Like the Texas Ranger?” She smiled. God, I want to make her do that again.

“Uh... no.” I smiled back. No one had ever asked me that before. I was just surprised to get a response from her. “August Walker.”

“August? I like it. It definitely suits you.” She said as she looked me over, “Thank God you didn’t say Johnny cause I would have had to leave.”

You are the only one The only one that sees me Trusts me and believes me You are the only one The only one that knows me And in the dark you show me

How did you do it? How did you make me fall in love with you? Why did I let myself fall for you? Lying next to you, feeling your warmth as I watch you sleep, I can’t believe the situation I’ve let myself get into. Two months and I’m in love?

I groan softly, “What is it, Aug?” You shift your position slightly, pressing your naked chest closer to mine, sneaking your hand under my torso from the opposite side to pull me closer.

I’ve noticed you can never have me close enough when we’re alone. It’s strictly professional when we’re on a mission, but as soon as we come home you have your hands all over me. Maybe that’s how you did it. Some sort of magic? Sleight of hand? Voodoo? It doesn’t matter. You have me. All of me, and I don’t mind at all.

“Nothing, baby.” I gently press a kiss to the top of your head. Then I feel soft warm lips fluttering down my ribs, kissing over old scars. Each one with a story that you’ve asked about, or seen take place. Soft lips taking me places that only you can.

Yeah it's perfectly reckless Damn, you leave me defenseless So break in Break in

“I love you.” A confession that wasn’t supposed to leak out. Not here at least, maybe in the comfort of our home. I was just so damned excited. You were radiant.

“Oh really now, Walker?” We’d just completed another successful mission. Your face was ecstatic. Our teammates coming up to greet us, shake hands with the ones who brought in the bad guys. Only two more, and we’d finally be done.

I grinned at you, watching you intently, “Yeah, really.” We’d been dating for months, nearly a year, just no time felt good enough. We’d grown comfortable in love, we’d known it without saying it.

I wrapped my arms around you in front of everyone, you looked at me with shock, and happiness playing in your gaze. I’ve never been one for public displays of affection. The room fell silent, or I blocked out the noise, I’m not sure. Linda, the eldest comms lady on the team let out a little gasp of adoration as I brushed your hair back. “I love you. I’ve loved you since the day I met you.”

You wrapped your arms around my neck, holding the back of my neck. “I love you too, Walker.” You guided me, not so gently, to kiss you. The teeth playing at my bottom lip told me I was in for a treat later.

You let me fall apart without letting go Then you pick up the pieces and you make me whole I didn't want to escape From the bricks that I laid down

The next mission was almost a disaster. Three out of the six of us didn’t make it back. “We’re all prepared to die in this line of work. I just can’t get used to the idea that I may force you to come home without me one day.” You were on the balcony of the hotel we were staying in. Your hair gently moving in the breeze.

You looked like you’d seen better days. There were bruises covering your left thigh, you’d caught your right leg on a fence they’d cut running from the warehouse. You sucked your teeth applying alcohol to your wound. Your stomach was turning purple from where they’d hit you, trying to get information from you. Your lip was swollen and busted. The cut across your nose had stopped bleeding, and your eyes had dark circles forming underneath.

“I want you to retire.” I said softly, you looked up angrily.

“August.” You warned.

I kept on. “I want to have a family with you, I want to marry you. I would really hope you’d want to be alive for all that.” You laughed, and shook your head.

“We all gotta die, Walker. I’m not quitting. If I go, I go, but I wanna do it on my terms.” You had accepted the possible consequences long before I had. “How’d you feel if I told you, Hot Shot August Walker, to hang up the towel, hmm?” You had a point. “Now, marry me if you want, but I'm not quitting until I want to. Or you put a baby in me. Whichever comes first.”

“Oh is that a challenge?” I grinned at you.

“Obviously.” You came down from your perch, and with one finger to my shoulder, pushed me back onto the bed. “Also, the mustache?” I figured you’d hate it when I tried to grow it out, just seeing what it would look like. “Stays. That is as long as I get free mustache rides anytime I want?”

“Oh angel,” I was instantly hard, “you just say the word.” I helped her climb up, and into position.

You are the only one The only one that sees me Trusts me and believes me You are the only one The only one that knows me And in the dark you show me Yeah it's perfectly reckless Damn you leave me defenseless So break in

We got married as soon as her face had healed. She said her grandmother would never forgive her if she took wedding photos looking like that.

You were the most beautiful bride I’d ever seen. You’d found this simple little white dress in a vintage store on a mission once. You told me on our wedding night that you’d known you were going to marry me so you’d been keeping it till the time came.

I vowed to love you the rest of my life; to carry you through whatever life threw at us. I vowed to protect you.

I broke that promise.

It was supposed to be our last mission. We were going to take some time off. We were going to try, and start our family. We’d been married two years, you’d been asking me to give you a baby so what better time than after this mission?

We should have started before. If you were pregnant you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be dying in my arms.

Why didn’t I give you what you wanted? Why didn’t I make you stay with me on this mission? These questions will haunt me as long as I live. Just like your voice begging me to stay.

And take everything I have Until there is nothing left Until it's just your voice in my head And when the lights come on You see me as I am You're still inside me

Our team of eight was broken down to two teams of four. You went left, I went right. We were supposed to cut them off in the middle. Take down the boss, and leave. It was an ambush. Someone had tipped them off that we were coming. The boss wasn’t even there.

I could hear the shots from the other side of the building. I could hear shouting. I tried so hard to listen for your voice. I wadded my way through the people shooting at us. I knew the layout of this building, and my team had taken the more dangerous route. I could hear my team being picked off behind me, but none of them mattered. Only you.

I made it through the last door as I heard a call go over the comms. “A Team is down.” A man's voice. No. I ran harder than I’d ever ran. You had to be ok. Wounded I can handle. She has to be ok.

He called out again “B Team, I need your status. Tell me you're alive at least.” I could tell the man was weak, probably dying, and I was going to radio back to tell him help was coming, but he came over again. “August... if you can hear this you need to come quickly. She’s been shot. It’s... it’s not good, August.”

I slid around the corner. The sound of my shoes echoing down the long hallway. There were bodies littering the floor. I called out your name. My broken voice echoing back to me. There was an eerie silence when the echo stopped. Then I heard you.

“Aug?” You weakly reached out for me. My heart pounded in my ears. No.

“No, no, no, no.” I clambered over bodies and weapons. Reaching you I assessed the situation. Years of training trying to kick in, but I couldn’t make sense of all the steps in my head. You were shot in the lower right quadrant. Apply pressure. I can’t stop the bleeding. It was profusely pouring out of you. There was a voice in my head, a nagging, consistent voice, ‘she’s not going to make it’. The fuck she isn’t. If I could just stop the bleeding.

You reached for me again, touching my face. “August. Sweetheart, look at me. You can stop, honey.” No I can’t. I promised you. “August.” You said as firmly as you could. I stopped. The bleeding didn’t. I looked into the only eyes I’ve ever loved. My chin shaking, trying my hardest not to cry, failing miserably. “Hold me, August. Please? Stay with me.”

I picked you up, and held you to me. Cradling your head against my chest. “August, I love you.”

“I love you. I’ll love you forever.” You blinked slowly. “Don’t leave me. Please. You can’t leave me.” I was begging.

“It’s ok, Aug. I’m ok. I love you.” Your breaths were becoming more, and more shallow. I leaned down to gently kiss your lips.

I whispered to you, “I love you”. The last coming out as a broken sob as I watched the light fade from your eyes. I looked to see no rise, and fall in your chest. Your hand slowly loosened its grip on my arm, slipping to the floor. “NO!” I called your name but you were gone.

You are the only one The only one that sees me Trusts me and believes me You are the only one The only one that knows me And in the dark you show me Yeah it's perfectly reckless Damn you leave me defenseless So break in Break in

I was the only one to survive that night. Only I don’t think I did. Something inside me changed. I’m different. I’m not the man you met, the guy you fell in love with. I’m cold. I’m dead inside. I’m nothing without you.

Sloane tried to pull me from the mission after your funeral. Saying this was too personal now. I wouldn’t be able to react rationally. “I’m going to find him, Sloane. With or without a team. With or without your permission. I’m going to kill him. I’m gonna make him suffer.”

She knew I’d find him before she could so she kept me on. She knew she shouldn’t have but she knew if anyone could find the bastard it would be the man seeking vengeance. The man with nothing else to live for. I would hunt for this man without stopping for as long as it took.

It took three years. I’d moved up in ranks. I’d become ruthless. The Hammer, Sloane began calling me. I only cared about one thing. Killing the man responsible for killing you. Then suddenly he slipped up. Someone spotted him in a faraway country. I was there before day break.

Finding him. Torturing him. Watching him slowly bleed to death. Killing him. Brought me no peace. I knew it wouldn’t. I needed to be cleansed. The world needed to be cleansed. There needs to be peace. I’ve suffered for so long, there should be peace now.

I’ll bring peace to the world. I can do that. They just have to suffer for a while before. A baptism by fire. Yes. Because there has never been peace without first a great suffering, the greater the suffering, the greater the peace. Yes.

Put your lighter in the air and lead me back home

***

Tag list: (As always if you want on or off please let me know!)

@foodieforthoughts @wendimydarling @hope-to-hell @littlefreya @nuggsmum @killjoy-assbutt-1112 @summersong69 @oddduckthatgirl @fallenangelbb @winter2112rose @christhickevans @ladycavillry @mary-ann84 @twhstuckylover @cavills-little-princess @luclittlepond @beck07990 @eldarwen333 @littlewrenofrivia @viking-raider

[eugesounds]

My Road Manager

I'm in the teaching studio this morning for one more day of lessons before a well deserved Spring Break...if I do say so myself. I've been reflecting on a busy, long, and ultimately emotional weekend. The Captain and Camille gang was back at the friendly confines of the Barley House on the eve of St. Patrick's Day in Dallas. It was a chilly and crazy (as usual) Friday night there, and it was great to see a slew of familiar faces digging the bands brand of smooth 70's grooves.

C&C really does have a "family" vibe and it's easy to see that we all enjoy each other as we perform. I've said it before but I'll say it again, there are many moments when I am simply just listening and smiling on stage, happy to be just another fan with an amazing seat.

Hearing Michelle Sanguinetti rip into Rhiannon, or Camille Cortinas egging me on during Logical Song just never gets old. Throw in the mad scientist Mike Finkel on keyboards who somehow manages to duplicate every piano, organ, synth, flute, Vocoder etc. sound ever created between 1970 and 1980, and Josh Hammond nailing the bass lines in lock step with Matt Trimble's killer drumming, well...what's not to smile about?

Then there's the lead raconteur John Lefler, who sort of nudges the crew forward each night from the helm. And when they collectively harmonize, it's truly a beautiful thing. If you haven't seen the band, do yourself a favor and catch a show in the next month or two before we take a little sabbatical this summer. You won't regret it! Follow us on Facebook for more info and dates.

Part 2 of my busy weekend came Saturday night with the Bastards of Soul album release party and memorial concert for our man Chadwick Murray. There were a slew of great articles posted this week that cover Chad's rocket-like trajectory as a front man, the impending birth of his son, and ultimately, his battle with a rare autoimmune disease. Here are a few links in case you missed them:

Texas Monthly - Chris Vognar

D Magazine - Zac Cain

You can also listen to Bastards Danny Balis recount a bit of the story and spin a few cuts from the new album "Corners" by clicking HERE.

It was a beautiful, fun, and emotional show at the Kessler Theater where we've had so many great evenings before. The first album release party was held there, and the band backed up Black Pumas at the Kessler in front of a large and welcoming home-town crowd. And during the height of the pandemic we recorded with Skip Martin (of Dazz Band and Kool and the Gang fame) there for an EarthX festival that was held online.

But Saturday was all about the memory of Chadwick Murray and Master of Ceremonies Max Hartman started off the show with some funny and special stories about his longtime friend. There were terrific performances by Paul and the Tall Trees and Michael Lee as well as a wonderful slide show of photos before Bastards took the stage. I have to admit it was difficult to see tears on some of the faces in the audience as I was playing, but the overall vibe of goodwill and love won out in the end. I maintained until the debut of the new video after our set and finally succumbed to emotions once I was backstage.

It was beautiful to see Chad's wife Hannah and to finally meet new baby Lennox as well. There's no doubt he will be so proud of his dad and the legacy he left, no only as a musician, but more importantly as a person. It was a great event and with all the moving parts involved, it seemed to go incredibly smoothly.

And through it all, by my side for the entire ride, was my trusty side-kick, my better half, my "road manager", Lady Sax. She kept me grounded, made sure we arrived safely to each venue, and never complained about the schlepping and sitting-around she did all weekend. We were talking about being a "roadie" (a term that she definitely does NOT admire) and I came up with the Road Manager alternative which she thinks is a lot better and admits is more apropos. I can and have done it without her, but it is way cooler and much more fun to have her there whenever possible. I am a lucky boy.

I have one more bit of teaching to do and then it's time for some down time filled with a little golf, some good cooking, and afternoons of sun on my face. Cheers to Spring!

[emachinescat]

I've decided to watch MacGyver from the beginning (again), and I'm live tweeting the experience with every tweet tagged with #savemacgyver. I thought it would be fun to share my collected thoughts from the episodes on here as well.

My Thoughts on S1E2, "Metal Saw"

Seriously love the music in this show!

THE FREAKING BELT GRAB. You can tell they've done this kind of thing before.

I always love it when Jack and Mac have heart-to-hearts in the middle of super intense, dangerous situations. Like... it's sweet, but time and place, guys?

"Hi, I'm Jack." Nervous Jack is bebby.

Ew, sweat. Like, I know it's "realism" to have sweat stains on clothes in situations like these, but that's one bit of realism I can always do without. Gross.

Is that a bit of PTSD I'm seeing with Mac there on the couch? That's a kind of realism I can always get behind.

Riley finding Mac and Boze in that compromising position will never not be funny. "But he was on top." I love Riley more every episode.

Riley is a really good liar from day one.

I love the joke about ex-cons benefiting from being in relationships with stable people (i.e., fake boyfriend Bozer), then the immediate cut to Bozer with his whole arm inside the vending machine. Great stuff.

Love the Riley and Bozer bonding... right up until the cringe-tastic "Slide me your digits."

"Soon, I'm gonna woo you the same way Romeo would have wooed Juliet if they had Snapchat back in the Renaissance." Bozer and his surprisingly accurate pickup lines. The Renaissance did in fact start in Italy around the 14th century, when R&J is thought to take place.

I love all this psychoanalyzing of Mac. "Adapting is his survival mechanism." Also I'm living for Jack sticking up for Mac to Patti.

"This place has been searched by everybody and their dog." Is this a Texas thing or an old guy saying? Either way it's great.

Nothing beats the early days of Mac and Jack. Nothing. I wish we had gotten more interactions where Jack has to parent Mac: "Stop touching that. Look at me." ❤️❤️❤️

Jack so concerned about Mac and putting on the kid gloves = everything I could have ever asked for and more.

Jack has such a big heart. Poor guy, the look on his face when he sees that the reporter is actually Sarah...

Paperclip sculptures: When I first started watching the show, I thought they were lame. Now I miss them so much. Does that mean I've gotten lamer or that they were always cool and I was always lame?

"Closest time I ever came to coming home in a box." Oof. This line hits different now, and not in a good way.

I just love how Jack is this big tough ex-Delta who is so open about his emotions, particularly with Mac. And the way Mac reassures him... Their bromance is top-tier.

"Oh, like when they invented fire!" Another zinger.

Mac grabbing that giant cigar right out of that dude's mouth 😂😂😂

Love some good fight-scene Mac whump! 👏👏👏 And bar fights are always a blast!

Riley with the car door - such a boss. "What? You told me to stay in the car, and I did."

I've seen some people say they don't like S1 Mac's hair. I kind of dig it, to be honest. He looks like he's 5, but I love it.

Mac has made a lot of DIY cutting torches in his time, but they never get less impressive.

Jack trusting Mac to save Sarah while he keeps watch is just *chef's kiss*!

These early episodes have so many MacGyverisms. One right after the other. It's awesome.

I've never been a big fan of the dark either, Mac.

The first scene with Mac and Sarah is so beautifully tense and whumpy (he way he scrabbles for purchase, gasps for breath, that hitch in his voice as he tries to squeak out Jack's name) that I had to rewind and watch it again.

The hopeful disbelief in her voice: "Jack Dalton came for me?"

Sarah can kick some serious ass. I can see why Jack likes her. Too bad she's about to lead him on the rest of the episode, while actually having a fiance...

Sarah: *leans out of car, shooting her weapon with deadly, terrifying precision* Riley: I agree, this woman should not have kids. 😂 Everything that comes out of Riley's mouth is gold.

Riley asleep in the back of the car while Mac sits quietly and Jack and Sarah have a sweet moment is like mom and dad with the kids in the backseat. Except mom has a fiance and hasn't told dad yet, even though she's had ample opportunity.

Because seriously, Sarah. It's not that hard to tell him the truth. Giving him those big eyes and flirting with him, thinking he has a chance is just cruel. I have never liked her character, and this is why.

Mac and Jack giggling about Jack's crush on Sarah like middle-school girls is life.

"You're just gonna have to let that go." Man, I love their relationship.

Gosh, the scene where they find Luis always hurts so badly. These early episodes did not play around.

"There isn't always time to beg some suit back home for permission to do what's right." I'm not a fan of Sarah, but I love this line. Also, this is pretty much the synopsis of the whole show.

Riley's hair used to be so LONG! 😍

The loyalty of these three! And I love the OG trio so much.

This sleazy guy in the computer place makes my skin crawl.

Love how Patti's like, "Mac will be back by then." Not Jack, not Riley. Just Mac. Can we say teacher's pet? I actually lowkey love this though.

"Who is this guy?" Much like Doctor Who's "It's bigger on the inside," I never get tired of people being equally amazed and confused at the stuff Mac can do.

I've never been the biggest car chase junkie, but Barrios jumping over the car using that log in the road is pretty dope.

Sarah's rage is chilling. And Jack talking her down breaks me every time.

Again, I love the loyalty of our team. Everyone sticks up for each other, ending with Mac's totally unbelievable but still somehow 100% genuine "It was me. I forced them." TOO good.

First mention of Oversight this early. Just thinking about who it is that doesn't like unsanctioned ops just makes me 😤 I wonder if the writers knew who OS was at this point or if it was a later development.

I do wish we could have gotten more conspiratorial, approving Patti. She's so much better than expressionless, bland Patti.

The way Sarah never told Jack about her fiance Jeff (who is in fact a cinnamon roll but still a discount Jack) pisses me off. "I tried to tell you." Yeah, right. It's not that hard to say, "Yo, I'm in a relationship."

Jack NEVER should have found out about Jeff the way he did. There's no excuse.

It's not okay, Jack. She did you wrong. You didn't deserve that. Stand up for yourself, man. Gosh, he's so broken here, and I hate it.

"At least we have each other... Don't look at me. I know how weird it sounded." THESE TWO I SWEAR 🤣🤣🤣

Poor Mac. I do love how we get his obsessive tendencies so early in the show, and how they keep coming back, even as late as season 5. As someone with clinically diagnosed OCD, this makes me feel seen and I love being able to relate to my favorite character.

Love the found family antics at the end. Riley and Bozer making dinner while Mac and Jack play basketball? Perfection.

Lol, Bozer calling Riley a "caramel goddess" has such Schmidt/Cece vibes from New Girl, and I dig it!

Ew. More sweat. I know some people find sweaty men attractive, but that is NOT my vibe. I prefer my men clean and freshly laundered.

The way Riley glances back over her shoulder at them as she walks away, as if to make sure they're really there, that this is actually real!!!

"That's not even... that's true, actually. That's sad." Jack 🤣 Also, "I'm hungry." Big mood.

As a Grandpa Harry stan from the OG show, I eat up any mention of him in the new one. I just wish we'd gotten more of that wonderful man in the reboot. Still, I'll take what I can get!

I'd honestly forgotten how much I enjoy this episode! So solid, full of bromance, found family, and lots of good-natured bickering. Can't wait to watch the next one, hopefully tomorrow! In the meantime, please keep fighting for our show! Together we can #savemacgyver!

If anyone wants to join me in my re-watching and tweeting adventure, please do! It's my way to take about an hour a day in my busy, busy life to commit to the #savemacgyver movement. (And to enjoy my favorite show yet again!) If you do tweet as you watch, make sure to tag EVERY tweet with ONLY #savemacgyver so we can keep that hashtag trending! :)

Thanks for letting me share my (numerous) thoughts on this episode. This was really fun, and I hope it's something you all enjoy, too. I'd love to know what you all think of the episode in the comments! ❤️

[lixiepixie]

94

94. Favorite season

Oh god all of them. They all have a little something that makes them wonderful.

Right now it's just starting to get snowy, which means that the sunrise turns everything pink. And the days are getting shorter so the sun doesn't ever come up all the way so there's always a little color left in the sky. We haven't had any really really cold days yet but I can't wait for the feeling when you first step outside and get hit by the freezing air and feel SO alive. You know that one scene from the first time Lucy steps into Narnia? That. That's the feeling. It's even more magical on certain nights because sometimes the conditions will be just right for the water in the air to freeze and when you walk under a streetlight you can see it sparkle.

Then it'll be spring and the ice on the river will start cracking and and everything will start waking up. I love the cold but there's something magical about the first day that you can sit outside in the sun and feel warm. The only downside to being up north for spring is that I really miss bluebonnet season.

Summer here is strange compared to Texas because the wind is always cool. But since AC isn't really a thing here, that's really a blessing. Summer is when all the warm colors start coming out. Winter and spring are tinted blue and green but summer paints everything golden. Golden grass, golden sunsets, golden late night camp fires. And it all glows. I think this was when I fell in love with the prairies. Just. Middle of the summer, lying in the grass, watching the sky and the plains and the day go on forever. Also, who can say no to a good summer storm?

I didn't actually like the color red until I moved here. And then I saw fall and everything changed. It was like all of the heat from the summer suddenly became visible and it was glorious. Then there are the first cool days and getting to wear cozy things and drink warm things and all that good stuff. Fall was my first season living by myself and I'll always associate the vibrant colors with freedom.

TLDR- I'm indecisive and love weather.

Anyways. Probably a way longer answer than you were looking for but I was feeling Sentimental and Wordy so.

[portergage]

BONJOUR PATATE 👀🥔

Flesh out your OCs, the world demands it.

Therefore: 🌹🍄🍁🍂🌻🌾💐🌿🌳🌲🌺🌸🥀🌼💫☄🌠💦

For ferret man AND Marlene!!!

Enjoy 👀

JESUS PATATE JFDJFDKFKDJFDJK 🥔🥔

Well, let's go, I'll answer those who haven't been asked before, it's gonna be one hell of a field trip ✨

I'm putting the answers under a cut because it's super long. I also wrote and didn't check for typos and all, so sorry if I annihilated English, I speak croissant 🥐

🌹 Where in the world does your OC feel most at home? Is there any reason why? If it’s not the place they were born, where were they born? Is there a certain somebody that makes them feel at home where ever they may be? What does home mean to them?

Nate: Nuka-World. It's his home, where his people live, where he can be free and feel safe. He was born in Austin, TX, but moved to Boston after his discharge from the army; before the vault, Nate has actually been to Nuka-World with his friends and sister several times. Who would have guessed then that he would become a raider warlord there?

A certain somebody being home as well? Uhm, I wonder who. Who could it be? Maybe something that starts with Art and ends with hur? ✨

Marlene: With Cait. She has been on the road for a long time, and never found a place after raiders took over the military base in Texas, where she was born.

As long as she has Cait with her, everywhere can be home

🍄 What are your OCs favourite snacks? Their favourite comfort food which always cheers them up when they’re down? Favourite meal to make? Do they enjoy baking and cooking and are they any good in the kitchen?

Nate: s m o k e d n u k a l u r k, forever. It's his favorite snack, favorite meal to cook, comfort food. Seriously, he could eat just this and be just fine. Nate loves cooking and he's really good at it; he picked it up with his French grandma 👀

Marlene: here my beloved 💚

🍁 Where does your OC go when they need to have some time to themself? Would they ever have their own “comfort corner” filled with all the things they like? Do they have a favourite spot outside that feels like its theirs and theirs alone?

Nate: the Fizztop Grille's patio, his place. This is where he feels comfortable, and where he can be alone. He just needs to keep the outdoor elevator up for people to understand he doesn't wish to be bothered.

Outside, there is the Prydwen's forecastle, for reasons I can't disclosed just yet (as if you didn't know already fdjfdfj) 👀

Marlene: under the Angry Anaconda, where she doesn't hear much of Nuka-World hubbub. No one goes there most of the time, and she knows it will be quiet

🍂 Does your OC enjoy hugs? What do they do as a show of affection for: their friends, their family, their significant other(s) or for strangers? Over all what are they like with receiving affection from others?

Nate: with his friends? So damn much, he could spend all day hugging Arthur people he loves. He's very tactile but with a small amount of persons

Marlene: right here patate 👀

🌻 What little things do they notice about people or the world around them that make them happy? What tiny little treasures do they find in the normal every day that makes the world seem a little brighter for them?

Nate: being full Nate here, people doing cringe stuff or anything that gives him material to make fun of them (did I ever tell he's a bastard?). Someone falling? Glorious. Someone spilling their food? Brilliant. Nate is a douche

Marlene: here my beloved 👀

🌾 Describe your OC through the eyes of someone absolutely head-over-heels in love with them

Oh this is going to be fun ✨

Nate, seen by Arthur: He hates him. He loves him. He hates him again. He loves how fun he is. He hates how much of a prick he is. He sees Nate being a twat to people, then wonder how on Earth can this man be the softest person he knows when they're together. Nate is the first of many things: first kiss, first sex, first love, first close person outside the BoS. He's everything Arthur despises and yet, he's everything Arthur has ever needed. Nate is his way out of the expectations, of his role, of everything his life has been forced to be. When Arthur looks at Nate, he doesn't just see the man he loves, he sees freedom

Marlene, seen by spoiler: She's the lighthouse in the dark of a new beginning. She's the hand reaching to help the escape from hell. She's a beacon of hope. She's so much, and could become everything

💐 How does your OC handle being unwell or forced to rest in bed? Who cares for them and in what ways? Does your OC enjoy being doted on or are they a terrible patient? Reversed: is your OC good at taking care of others who are ill or in need?

Nate: I think several chapters of DMNWS speak for themselves dkfjfkd Nate basically has a deathwish and do not give a fuck about being injured and staying out of bed. It's a waste of time and the best way to heal for him is to get back in action. Does it work? Just look at all the scars he got and you'll get your answer ✨ On the opposite side, good lord you better listen to him if he tells you to rest, or things are going to get ugly; he's a really patient man, so when his people cooperate and stay put, he can take care of them for hours

Marlene: being a medic, she understands the importance of resting. She won't fight it, and will fight people to do so

🌿 What way does your OC show that they care without using words? What way do others show your OC that they’re cared about without using speech?

You got this one right here 💚

🌳 What is your OC’s favourite way to relax after a stressful day? Do they have a favourite book to curl up with? A hobby? Or do they have a nice bubble bath and have an early night to bed?

Nate: sex, and if not possible, then he opens a book (Apollinaire) or go out for a drink with his raiders

Marlene: drawing, especially since she doesn't have as much time as before; when she was a teenager, she used to draw all the time

🌲 How deeply does your OC feel? Are they typically empathetic or do they have a hard time connecting with others in this way? What are they like when offering support and comfort to someone they care for?

Nate: he tried to close off most of his feelings after his accident in Alaska, but he hasn't been really good at it. He doesn't have trouble connecting with people, yet he's completely apathetic and doesn't care at all about the people who aren't close to him. His best way to comfort people is either banter, or cuddling

Marlene: right here my beloved ✨

🌺 What does your OC do to calm down when they’re scared or after a nightmare? Do they have any special comfort items or need to be reassured by a specific person? How do they handle this if they’re alone?

Nate: drink, sadly. Even with people around him (most of the time, it's Gage who pulls him away from his PTSD episodes), he feels the need to drink to settle his mind

Marlene: she draws, draws and draws until her mind has forgotten what was the matter. She doesn't like being helped when it happens, and just handle herself

🌸 What are some of their favourite things and why? List as many as you can think of!

Nate: his knife, his sister's necklace, his NW jumpsuit, Overseer's Guardian, that BoS hoodie with Arthur's smell on it

Marlene: her notebook, the Carter family ring, her jacket, an expired stimpak she considers a lucky charm

🥀 How would your OC decorate a notebook or journal? What kind of things are written in there? Could you give an example of a nice entry?

Nate: doesn't know how to write I'm kidding, he doesn't have the time for this, but it would be filled with stupid jokes and dick drawings

Marlene: right here patate ✨

🌼 Who are this characters friends and found family? How did they meet, how long have they been friends for, could they ever be something more than just friends? What do they look for in a friend or a romantic partner?

Nate: the NW raiders are his found family, his friends, his everything. He met them after he defeated Colter and they became his reason to live. He did become more than friends with some of them (best example being RedEye, with whom he shagged for like six months). He also now has Arthur, and good lord, how much place that fucker takes in Nate's heart 💚

Marlene: juste ici maggle 👀

💫What is your favourite fact about this character and why?

Already answered this one as well but gonna answer again jkjggf

Nate: his slut tattoo, written just above his dick; he got it during his time in the army to embrace his slut reputation in the ranks

Marlene: she can crack so many joins it feels like she has additional bones

☄️ Does this OC deserve better treatment from you? Do you make them suffer just a little bit too much? Be nice to them!

Nate: lmao SO MUCH, like, making stop drinking for a start jfdjfdkfd I may be making him suffer a bit too much, but at the same time, he has a lot of quality time with his crush so gotta balance things out 👀

Marlene: god, yes, sweetie I'm so sorry for always putting you through raiders, I love you

🌠 On a scale of 1 - 10 how Baby is your OC? BONUS when asking this question rate the OC yourself as see if the reply matches up!!

Nate: 12, ma'am, this trash lord is my child

Marlene: 7, which will rise up when I finally get to her story ✨

💦 If you as the writer could erase one traumatic event from this OC’s life what would it be and why?

Nate: n o t h i n g, suffer you little piece of shit

Marlene: the raiders attack on the military base, she lost everyone she loved that day

PUTAIN LIV, here's some reading for you and the people interested in those two disasters ✨✨

[m34gs]

For the Halloween ask: 🎵 🧹 🔪 🩸

Thank you for the ask, friend! (from this post here)

🎵 - Favorite Halloween song?

OOOOH! I love Halloween so much! Ok, so, I have a couple songs that I really like right around this time, so not so much a favourite as it is a list:

- This is Halloween from The Nightmare Before Christmas, because that song is a lot of fun to listen to, and I like to try to sing like all the voices in the film :D

- Deadwalker Texas Ranger by Sleeping with Sirens, because it is actually about a zombie apocalypse and while that is one of my least favourite type of horror movie, I find it entertaining in song form. I also like the specific phrase "don't bother sleeping without both eyes open", it's rather fun to sing, lol.

- Thriller by Michael Jackson. I don't know if I really need to explain this one...it's iconic.

🧹 - Have you ever made your own costume?

Yup! When I was 12 I wanted to go as a drowning victim, specifically as a victim of the Titanic (I kind of had a phase where I was obsessed with that ship and the history surrounding it...not the movie though. I honestly can say I've never watched it and I don't really intend to because I'm not interested in the story in the movie. I am interested in what happened and what events led up to the sinking and reading about the precautions that have been taken since on ships because of it. It is sort of a morbid curiousity.) So anyway; costume. We made it out of old white curtains stained with tea and sewn together to form a ripped dress, my mother's old boots with the heel and the laces and used some white paint on them to make them look faded, bought black lace gloves and bleached them until they were as light as they would get (an orange-brownish colour that looked like aged fabric), gel in my hair to make it look wet, and a metric shit-ton of makeup on my face, chest, neck, arms, and hands. My mother helped me work on it, and we cut off a piece of cardboard from a box and painted it to look like a plank, and labelled it 'S. S. Titanic'. It was a lot of work, but I was so proud.

🔪 - Favorite Horror movie?

NO. YOU CAN'T ASK ME THIS. IT'S LIKE ASKING ME TO CHOOSE BETWEEN CHILDREN. HOW DARE.

Just kidding. I mean, I don't know if I have just one, and likely my answer will vary as the years go by and more movies come out, or even just because people can change...but I'll list a couple I highly enjoy and why:

- Sweeney Todd. It's a horror-comedy musical. So, of course I adore it. Love the soundtrack, the characters are interesting and their motivations are diverse throughout the cast. I love singing along to it.

- Malignant. I just went to see this one in theatres recently, and it's fairly new so I won't say much. However, I did enjoy the plot twist, even though I guessed it early on. You know why? Because they laid good groundwork for it, and even though it is a completely unrealistic concept in terms of reality, the way they set it up made it logical in the universe of the movie, and that is what matters to me. So yes, very good. Also, creepy movements and chase scenes? Yeah those are scary as fuck, and I enjoy that!

- The Saw Franchise. I won't go into my full rant and explanation with all the crazy red strings and corkboard like I usually do for this one...but you've heard me say it enough times. I really like this series not for the gore or the traps (though the mechanics of some of the traps are interesting and sometimes I wonder if I would survive or not) but for the plot. What? Saw movies have plot??? Yes. They do. I enjoy the character of John Kramer (Jigsaw), and I find it interesting how his 'students' follow him or break away from his teachings and all the interesting motivations they have. Also, like the way some of the movies intertwine. And that is all I will say, for risk of launching into a rant so long I won't be able to put it all in one post.

🩸 - Do you like Haunted Houses?

Yes! I like the rush of adrenaline and to see all the hard work and effort the scare actors put into their roles! Best experience in one was at Universal Studios where I went to the Walking Dead one with some friends. Although I'm not a huge zombie person, I did get a thrill from the haunted house walk through, and I actually at one point got so startled I ducked and slammed right into a shopping cart prop that was bolted into the floor lol. I was fine, just a bruise on my arm, but I think I actually startled the poor scare actor, because he kind of broke character for a moment to make sure I was ok. And I do appreciate that very much. Despite me being clumsy, that was my absolute favourite Haunted House experience.

Hope you enjoyed these answers! This was fun :D

[aidanrgallagher7]

Love in The Midst of Doomsday~

Five Hargreaves × Reader

Chapter Two

Chapter Three: Day Three

Word Count 2.3k

Warnings: few cuss words

....

As the night goes on and on, your anxiety just got worse and worse. Questions such as these kept rushing through your mind: why isn't he back yet? Is he hurt? What is happening to him? So you paced your apartment rooms and waited and waited. Your father tried to calm you down but his words only made you worry more. 

"Dad, why don't you wake up Lila? I'm sure that she wouldn't mind chatting with you."

Elliot "She's the one that tied me up!"

"Because you almost shot my husband!" 

Elliot shushes you, "Only because I thought that he was lying."

"Look dad, I can't go back and forth with you right now. I don't know what happened to Five and I don't know why he hasn't come back yet-"

Elliot "Okay, okay. I am sure that he and Diego are fine, sweetheart. For all that we know, they could be having a pleasant conversation with their father." You open your mouth to respond but you see a flash of light coming from the front of your building. You run to the window to find Five holding Diego up with his arms. 

"Oh my god, Lila! Wake up!" She rushes to you in a panic, "Something is wrong with Diego, help me help Five." She nods and you too bolt out the front doors. 

When you meet Five in the hallway, you see that he too is bleeding.

"Oh my god, Five-"

Five "I'm alright, just help me get him upstairs." Lila takes his other arm while you help Five. 

Lila "Who the hell stabbed him!?"

Five "Our father." He grunts.

"Long story?"

Five chuckles, "Not this time hun." Once you four get upstairs to the apartment, Five pretty much collapses from exhaustion. 

"Five, let me see it." He lets go of his neck and shows you scratch marks that were bleeding. 

Five "It's nothing-"

"Who did this?"

Five sighs, "Pogo."

"Pogo?!"

Five nods, "He is younger, just like all of us but for him, it makes sense."

"And he didn't remember you."

Five "No. He did what he was trained to do. I'm alright, just need to get it cleaned." 

"I'll go get everything." He nods and then looks over at Lila who is cleaning Diego's wound very intelligently.

Five "How do you know how to do that?"

Lila "My mother. Oh..did you cut yourself shaving? I can teach you, y'know. Like a big boy-"

Five "Just ran into an old family friend." Lila nods, "and I don't you dare treat me like I'm a kid, I am way older than you-"

Lila laughs, "Okay."

"I have the stuff, c'mere." He was on the verge of knocking Lila out but when he saw you, he lost the urge. You keep him sane, you keep him right. He follows you to the bathroom and sits down on the side of the bathtub. You take out an alcohol pad and wipe the area clean. Five has been through much worse so he does not even flinch at the skin contact. You almost lost Five after one of his more intense missions that the Handler put him on. You remember that fear, that gut wrenching fear of losing your everything. 

You sigh, "I knew that something was wrong."

Five chuckles, "You were always intellectually connected with me."

You snicker, "I guess the connection comes with being with the love of my life so I'll take it." He looks at you with puppy-dog eyes and a small smile forms on the corner of his lips. 

Five "I don't think that you will ever know how much I love you."

"I do." You quickly kiss his lips before you turn his face so that you can clean and bandage his cuts. He flinches only when you had to place the bandage on him because you had to slightly push down to secure it in place.

"I'm sorry." He does not respond, he only crashes his lips to yours. The kiss was long and passionate. When you both pulled back, you both were out of breath. "What was that for?"

Five smirks, "I was going to do that when you kissed me the first time but you pushed my face away."

"I had too-"

Five "I know. Thank you for helping me baby."

"You're welcome. Let's go check on your brother- wait," you just remembered that you didn't ask him how and what happened in that place. "Why did your father stab him?"

Five "I don't know. I was dealing with Pogo when Diego was with our father. I just found him laying there afterwards."

"Well you both are here now, that's all that matters."

Five "I know but it still didn't solve the problem. We have to talk to him, Y/n."

"And you will. Tonight was just not the time."

Five "We are running out of time."

"Hey, look at me." He stops walking and looks at you, "I know that we don't have a lot of time. But we can fix this. We've been through a lot of shit together, and we've made it through it all, didn't we?" He nods, "So we can get through this tough time. We will figure out how to fix the timeline and stop doomsday." He nods and places his head upon yours.

Five "I'm sorry for lashing out."

"I'm not mad, you have every reason to be stressed out. But the important thing is, is that we have each other again. And together-"

Five "We can do anything." You nod. "Let's go check on him..then can we go to bed?" He says with a pleading voice.

"Yes," you laugh, "Bed sounds nice." He laughs and checks on Diego and Lila. She tells him that he stopped losing blood and she stitched him up with your father's help. 

Five "Thank you, Elliot." He nods. "And thank you Lila." 

Lila "No problem. Your brother has been there for me when no one else has..I owe him. I'll see you two in the morning."

You both, "Good night." Soon after she went to bed, you, Five and your father went to bed yourselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the sun seeps through the curtain, you and Five wake up. You have a migraine from all of the stress and anxiety that you had all last night and Five can tell by the way you pause at the edge of the bed. As the husband he is, he maneuvers himself to your side and he wraps his arms around your waist and begins to kiss your shoulder. You hum from his affection.

Five "What do you need?"

"Nothing, just my head-"

Five "I know, I can feel it." You huff as you place your head in your palms, "Is there anything I can do?"

"You do enough, babe." He kisses your shoulder again and again until there was a knock on your door.

Five mumbles, "Everytime.." 

"What is it?"

Elliot "We have something, come on out." You and Five hurry out if your room and find Elliot stuffing his face with a bowl of cereal by his cluster of signals and equipment.

Five "So..what do you have-" and then he heard an alarm go off. "What is that?"

Elliot "The atmospheric radar...wha-what are you tracking?"

Five "Sound waves." He looks at you and he smiles.

Elliot "Why-"

Five "You're coming with me." He takes your hand as he blinks before Elliot could ask any more questions. Elliot huffs and just rolls his eyes.

Before you knew it, you and Five were in the middle of a corn field. He never once let go of your hand as the both of you made your way through the tall weeds.

"Five, why are we here?"

Five "A sibling of mine is here, I just don't know which one yet." You continue to walk on with Five until he slows down suddenly. Then, he let's go of your hand and kneels down in front of something.

Five "Hello Vanya."

Vanya "Who are you?"

Five "I am your brother."

Vanya "And..who is she?"

"Hello, my name is Y/n. I'm your brother's wife."

Vanya "Hold on...I have a brother."

Five "You don't remember?" She shakes her head, "Well, the Ikea mafia will come back for you if you do not come with me.."

Vanya "Why are they after me?"

Five "Because you are not supposed to be here, Vanya."

Vanya "In Dallas?"

Five "No, here..in 1963." You three make your way to the middle of the cornfield. But it is not just the middle of the field, it has been made into a perfect circle. Five knew that Vanya was the cause of it.

Vanya "Holy shit."

Five "Yeah, crazy right?" She nods and then she remembered that she herself was the cause of this art piece. 

Vanya "Will you explain to me what the hell is going on?"

Five "When we get to our next destination."

Vanya "Which is-" before she knew it, he blinks us three into a cozy coffee shop in downtown Dallas. "How-"

Five "Long story." You can see the concern and confusion in her eyes and you can't help but feel sympathy for her and her situation. 

Vanya "Just tell me who I am."

Five sighs, "When you were a baby, you were bought by an eccentric billionaire. He raised you in an elite academy with six other siblings with extraordinary powers. But in the year 2019, to avoid the apocalypse, we jumped into a vortex but we ended up scattered throughout the timeline in dallas texas." You huff because you know that that was way too much for any human being to process all at once. But at the same time, you also know that we do not have much time to chit-chat. "Any questions?" 

Five "You really don't remember anything?"

Vanya "W-what causes the apocalypse?" 

Vanya "No I um, I had an accident. When I fell I hit my head and I lost my memory." He looks at you with sadness in his eyes because he knew that she was the cause of the first horrific apocalypse in 2019. He looks down at his black coffee and thinks for a second and figures that if he lied, it would hurt her less than her knowing the truth.

Five "An asteroid impact. It is night and day from the first one but...it all ends in the same result."

Vanya "The first one?"

"There is another one coming-"

Five "It followed us. In eight days from now, the world ends in a nuclear doomsday." 

Vanya's eyes start to water at the thought, "That can't be right."

Five "I saw it. You were there. We all were. I wish I could unsee it but I can't."

Vanya "I have to make a call-"

Five "Vanya, we don't have the time! We have to find the other's."

"Five, just let her make the call. I'm sure that it won't take long." She thanks you and then runs to the phone that is by a booth. 

He sighs and leans against the barstool, "She took that well, at least."

"Mm, as well as she could."

Five nods, "I wonder who she's calling."

"Maybe she will tell us when she is done."

Five "I'm just glad that I have her back."

"You will get the other's back too, Five." He kisses your cheek and begun to tap his foot on the ground in aggravation because his sister is still on the phone. 

Five "We don't have time for this."

"Five-" he does not listen to you this time, he walks over and takes the phone out of Vanya's hand and hung it up.

Vanya "What the hell?!" He grabs her so that she calms down and focuses.

Five "We do not have time for this Vanya!"

Vanya "THAT WAS MY FRIEND YOU HUNG UP ON!" 

Five "We have to find the others and figure out how to stop doomsday!" She huffs and walks away from her brother and he does not know what to do in the moment. So you take his hand and you follow Vanya to her car. Five explains a little bit more before we all got to a wrestling match. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you three got out, you and Vanya were both confused until you walked inside.

Vanya "Hey, I know that guy! He showed up to my friend's barn..apologizing to me. Who is he?"

Five "He is your brother." She understands that fairly quickly and rushes over to the rink to watch Luther begin to fight his opponent. He lets her go ahead before he joins her to spend some time with you. "At least she knows Luther."

"Only because he went and talked to her. Only God knows what he said to her."

Five rolls his eyes, "Knowing Luther, he probably told her too much."

"How did you know that he would be here?"

Five "I found him first remember?" You nod, "Well his boss makes him fight for money so, I figured that we would have a good chance of catching tonight's big win." He said sarcastically, making you giggle. "Come on, he's about to start." He takes your hand and you both walk towards the sidelines. As it started, Luther was winning. He was getting in really good and strong punches on his opponent. That was until he got his first knock to the ground that he shifted his mindset and he pleaded to be knocked out. 

Luther "Give me what you got!"

Five "What the hell is he doing?!"

Luther "Come on, HIT ME!" He gets what he asked for, "I want to feel all of the pain." After that, he got hit so hard that he was flung up in the air and passed out. 

Five and Vanya "Shit…" 

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