#ambrose kim the man that you are............

[vilnan]

i'm so bad at this game i can't get rosy's approval above 30% sksksksnwb

[rosykims]

just one date.

mind blind — ambrose kim x f!button (gracie wiseman) | (but mainly platonic nick wiseman x grayson black) | rated T for language | 1198 words | cw for profanity & alcohol.

Nick Wiseman wilts into his malt whiskey. "This is a goddamn nightmare."

"Mm-hmm."

"I'm serious. The end is nigh."

"I know."

"This is like . . . it's a calamity. A cataclysm. This is my fucking Ragnarök, Grayson."

Gray sighs, beer in one hand, head in the other. "Wow. You're really breaking open the thesaurus for this, aren't you?"

Nick glares up at him, appearing about a decade older than he did not two hours ago, back at Unity before he'd first caught wind of the terrible news. "I want to break open something with a thesaurus," he mutters. "Preferably Kim's thick, delusional skull."

"You don't mean that," Gray says.

"Yeah, you're right," Nick snorts. "A thesaurus isn't heavy enough. Rookie mistake. You know, I think Gracie still has that old Miss Marple collection back home. Hardcover, leather-bound, four thousand pages, give or take. That should get the job done."

Gingerly, their waitress sets down Wiseman's third spirit of the afternoon, shooting Gray a sympathetic grimace as she regards the sorry sight of his friend, currently face down on the table and groaning Spanish profanity into the wood. Gray dismisses her concern with a reassuring smile, leaning across to awkwardly pat at Nick's shoulder once the server's out of earshot.

"I think you might be overreacting, somewhat," he says gently.

"Overreacting?!" Nick's head snaps up, eyes glazed over and glaring daggers. "It's Kim! If anything, I'm under-reacting! I'm reigning limbo champion of Reaction Island!"

"It's just one date."

"With my baby sister!"

"Your sister is twenty one, and —" Grayson bites his tongue before it does something stupid. He really needs to stop drinking on an empty stomach.

But the damage is done. Nick's eyes narrow, and he takes a swig of his drink as if there were some vile taste in his mouth needing to be washed away. "You were about to say something awful, weren't you?" he asks miserably.

"Not awful," Gray winces, "just —"

"— Awful. Go on. Say it. She's going to invite him to Christmas dinner with us this year, isn't she? Oh, God."

"No!" Gray laughs. "Well, maybe. And, I'm sorry, mate, but that would be really funny."

"Screw you, too, Black."

"Imagine if they get married. You and Kim — brother-in-laws . . . "

"What the hell happened to 'it's just one date'?!" A visible shudder of nausea rolls over Nick's slouched frame, which only makes Grayson laugh harder. "You're getting some sort of sick, twisted, British satisfaction out of this, aren't you?"

Grayson takes a sly sip from his pint. "Maybe just a little," he grins.

"Great," says Nick. "Where's another coma when you need one?"

The bar's Friday afternoon revelry swallows up any real cynicism in Nick's tone — a small mercy for Grayson, who still has nightmares about the whole messy affair. Music drowns out the thoughtful silence between them for a few brief moments, before Gray, swallowing a handful of peanuts, sighs and opts to give in.

"Look," the taller man say earnestly. "What I was going to say was — and, sorry in advance for this — Ambrose and Gracie make a lot of sense, when you think about it. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I saw it coming, but . . . it also doesn't surprise me, exactly."

Nick blinks, his face drawn and blank and dangerous in that UCRT Commander Justice way that clearly informs Gray he's overstepped. He hasn't been on the receiving end of such an expression in a while, and fights the ever-instinctive urge to apologize. Unfortunately for both of them, the occasional overstep just comes with the territory of being UCRT Commander Justice's best friend. He recants that in his mind as Nick continues to glower across from him.

"My little sister," Nick says quietly, "is an angel. A saint. She's never done one single thing wrong in her whole life, and now you're suggesting that she and Ambrose 'I Get Off On Human Suffering' Kim are — what? Compatible?"

"Sure," Gray shrugs.

Nick shakes his head in dull horror. "I may have to duel you over this. Pretty sure there's a law about it, somewhere."

Gray rolls his eyes and doubles down. He may love Nick, but that doesn't exempt him from any much needed reality checks. "I don't get how you don't see it. They're both ambitious, methodical, confident. They work well together, they get along . . . they both say shit like, I don't know, 'myopia' and 'ennui'. . ."

"That's different! Gracie is eloquent — Kim's just pretentious."

"Uh-huh."

"Ok, we are definitely duelling."

Despite the irritation thick in his voice, Nick shows no intention of moving. Instead he stares absently into the last quarter of his glass, seemingly search for salvation at the bottom of it. He opens his mouth to speak, and then promptly frowns, closing it again. He takes another, more forceful gulp. Gray sighs.

"You've had too much to drink." He scoffs as Nick raises his glass in silent toast to the fact. "You're acting like a right pillock."

Nick rolls his eyes. "What the hell is a pillock, anyway? I'm picturing a bird."

"Picture a guy slumped over a table like the village idiot, instead. Drowning his sorrows in shit whiskey because his sister's going out for coffee. That's a pillock."

"Very informative, Fortitude, thank you."

"Any time."

Nick downs the last dregs of his drink before calling it quits, holding up his hands up palms open to appease Gray and his chiding stare. A moment of comfortable silence passes between the two of them, only interrupted by the same waitress now returned to collect their empty glasses. As she leaves, looking somewhat relieved, Gray spots a flash of something like true hurt shadow the features of his friend. He says nothing, only pursing his lips in understanding and waiting for Nick to make the next move.

Finally, Nick lets out a long slow breath, as if he'd been holding it in for an hour.

"I just don't get it," he says. "I mean — you're smart, funny, nice. Objectively attractive, in a hairy, oversized Beach Boys kind of way — joking, I'm joking! — and you have the added benefit of an actual soul. Why can't she be obsessed with you like every other self respecting young adult in Chicago? Ugh! Why does it have to be him?"

Gray raises a single brow. Waits. Holds Nick's eye until a steady, self aware blush begins to creep up the other man's neck.

"Fine," he concedes. "I sound like. . . ugh, a pillock. I hate that word, by the way."

"It's just one date," Gray repeats.

"And if it's more than one?"

"Then that means she's happy. Which is what you really want, I think. Even if it means happy with Kim."

"That's . . ."

Nick looks down at his hands, splayed out against the sticky cedar wood table. He sighs. "That's obnoxiously insightful."

"That's what I'm here for," Gray laughs. "That, and mooching off your food."

"Do you think I should get Kim coal for Christmas? That would be hilarious, right? Gracie wouldn't be that mad."

"For fuck's sake, Nick."

"Okay, okay. Dropping it."

"Pillock."

[rhaenyratargeryn]

Title: soboro-ppang (소보로빵)

rating: T for suggestive themes at the end

Fandom: Mind Blind (if)

Pairing: Ambrose Kim x Ellery Wiseman

Summary: how I imagine the scene from the ask Jo answered about the ROs reacting to Button telling them there is a “bun in the oven” as well as how they would propose. I use they/them pronouns throughout for Ellery but they are a person who can become pregnant in this scenario! Also the title is based off a Korean streusel bun because 🖤

***

Pinterest was awash with ideas and recommendations for how to best break the “big news”— and not just to one’s partner but to their family and social media and before Ellery knew it one rabbit hole let to another which had in turn led to Ellery now staring at a video of a bunch of tiny kittens playing with ducklings.

All in all, really good progress, if they were being honest. Except they still didn’t know how to tell their husband they were pregnant.

Three years of dating. One year since the trip to Korea where Ambrose had simply handed over a small black box to Ellery, expression more intense than they had seen in a long while. There was no mistaking what it was, what it meant. Ellery opened the box and what caught their eye was not the ring, but the date written on the inside of the lid.

It was a week after they had decided to date.

Of course they had asked what it meant and Ambrose had, in the simplest terms, confessed it was the day he bought the ring.

One week. One week was all it took for this man to decide that Ellery was it. Ellery was his endgame, his forever-person— enough to offer them his name. And why not? They had his heart.

He’d kept it simple. Direct. Ellery couldn’t wait three years to tell him for obvious reasons, but in the end they closed out of pinterest because they had found their answer at last.

--

Ellery waited until after work. When the day was done and Ambrose was out of “uniform” even if he was still flipping through student papers. Ellery would never get used to how young he looked like this—wearing a soft faded t-shirt and jeans, his hair a bit mussed from no longer suppressing any urge to run his hand through the dark strands.

He was only thirty-four. Older than them to be sure, but hardly a man who had all the answers to life, the universe and everything. Even if he carried himself like he did.

Ellery came to sit across the kitchen table from him, a warm mug of ginger tea in their hands. They’d been quietly battling feelings of nausea for days now, their discomfort not going unnoticed by the keen eye of their husband. He would figure it out on his own if Ellery let him, but instead they took a sip of their tea and waited.

Ambrose eventually looked up from his work, caught their expression and now he waited too. Knew they had something they wanted to say.

“There is a bun in the oven.” Ellery said—simple. Direct.

Ambrose said nothing. His expression gave away nothing. Not even surprise. And right when Ellery was beginning to feel their stomach churn for a different reason he spoke.

“You’re not talking about food, are you?”

Apparently not direct enough. Ellery let out the nervous bubble they had been holding in with a short laugh and then nodded.

“I’m not talking about food. I’m pregnant.”

Ambrose set down his pen.

“How long?” he said and judging by the way his brow winced, he had not meant it to come out as strained as it did.

“Six weeks.” Ellery said, running their thumb across the lip of their mug with a wistful smile. Six weeks. Thirty-three left, give or take. Their thoughts were already beginning to unfurl with possibility. Warmed and content by the idea of the tiny little spark inside. That they did that. Together. They made this. A family of their own.

Ambrose hadn’t spoken again and Ellery looked up from their tea to smile at him only to find his eyes were blocked from their view. His hand was over his face, his other hand clenched into a fist against the table as his jaw worked tightly.

Anxiety blossomed out over their feelings like tea staining paper. Ellery stood up abruptly, moving around the table to his side, his name a worried question on their tongue.

But it was Ambrose who reached out to them first. Turned in his chair, face buried against their chest and his strong arms latched around them. The breath he took in shuddered wetly in his lungs and Ellery felt their heart constrict and throb with the sudden knowledge—Ambrose Kim was crying. Weeping silently against them.

They fisted one hand into the back of his shirt, holding tightly while the other petted gently through his hair. It didn’t last long, but Ellery held him through it all.

When Ambrose finally extracted himself, he still kept an arm around their waist, roughly scrubbing his face with his hand and taking in a few settling breaths. Ellery gave him a gentle nudge, a fair warning they were shifting in to settle themselves on his lap. Ambrose was quick to make the necessary room.

Ellery wrapped their arms around his neck and pressed their forehead against his temple, rubbing into the spot and enjoying the secureness of his arms, the solid sureness of it that matched the feeling in their chest.

“Have you told your brother?” Ambrose said, voice low and rough, but quickly recovering.

“Not yet, which is a miracle all in it’s own.” Ellery said with a soft laugh, “He thinks I’m contemplating telling you I want a dog.”

Ambrose scoffed, the sound lighter than normal. Almost a laugh itself.

“But he’s next. I wanted to make sure you were the first.”

A kiss to his hair was evidently insufficient as Ambrose shifted around to capture another with his lips. And there it was again—all their hopes and ideas, all the things that could be and were, like how they loved him so much that it was everywhere. In every sense. He filled up every inch of their heart and Ellery wondered how they could possibly fit anymore in. How they could love two people so much without even having met one of them yet.

When they parted, Ambrose hesitated only for a moment before he said quietly, “I never thought I’d have a family again.”

And it aches. From his words to their heart and to his, it aches with grief and happiness. Of wishes that his own family could be here, but the joy that Ellery is. That he found them. That they found him. And when he kisses Ellery senselessly they know it is to show them that they are everything he has ever wanted. Ellery. This child. Everything.

Silence had never been so comfortable. Punctuated only by the faint hum of approval Ellery gives when Ambrose stands and carries them with him to the bedroom. He laid them down on the bed, making them smile at how he still didn’t treat Ellery as if they were fragile, even now. He settled himself above them and began making quick work of getting out of that t-shirt.

“Are you happy?” Ellery asked, a mumbled contented question between the kisses he pressed to their jaw and then down their neck.

“Yes.”

His breathing was ragged already, hands working on removing Ellery’s own shirt.

“Really, really happy?”

They always said not to play with fire and right now beneath their hands, Ambrose Kim was burning. He tangled his fingers in their hair to force their chin up, tilting their eyes up to meet his own. Blown out and dark, heavy with wanting and just the tinest spark of amusement. His lips curved into a slight smirk.

“Since words seem insufficient, I suppose I’ll have to show you.”

The shudder that ran up the length of Ellery’s body had nothing to do with the chill on their bared skin.

[homeformyheart]

Oohh 44 with Rosy plss? 💕

THANK YOU Soso for the request!! I love IvyRose and exploring Married Life (TM).

author’s note: thank you for the request, @sosolenoo! i wanted to feature korean terms of endearment and was inspired by several of the soft/private rosy asks from jo’s blog. shout-out to @mepheesto and @captainsaku, who helped me with some brainstorming. i’m still getting the hang of writing for these two, so this may not hit quite right but hope you all enjoy! copyright: all characters, except my oc button, are owned by jo o’connor @mindblindbard. series/pairing: mind blind – ambrose kim x f!button (ivy park wiseman) rating/warnings: 16+; married life/mature relationship based on/prompt: dialogue prompts // 44. “Cuddle me.” (in bold) word count: ~800 summary: ambrose is upset when he finds out that ivy skipped work for seemingly no reason.

ambrose diligently put his shoes away before stepping into the living room, leaving his briefcase and keys in their designated spots in the entryway.

“ivy?” he called out, his tone tense.

he paused despite the silence to unbutton his shirt meticulously. with each button undone, he mentally removed the stresses and worries from the day one by one from his body.

the one stressor he couldn’t leave behind in the entryway to their shared home was ivy herself, or rather a decision she made. it caused him both worry and stress – two things he had long since learned to manage separately as a survival tactic.

when the two combined, like they did today, it wreaked absolute havoc on his ability to control his emotions and he knew that, despite his best efforts, he probably took some of that out on his students.

ivy had skipped work that day without telling him. he had to find out from alavidze that she had called in sick and it was an understatement to say that he was upset. there was no justifiable reason for his wife to skip out on a job that she normally took very seriously when he also knew for a fact that she. was. not. sick.

she seemed fine in the morning when they left for work. he had gone straight to his class while she headed to her office per their routine. she had been quieter than usual during their commute but chalked it up to being a bit overloaded with work lately.

he had resolved to help her unwind tonight, even planning to pick up some cheese and a bottle of her favorite wine on his way home. but here he was now, emptyhanded, standing in the threshold of their bedroom and staring at the large lump in their bed.

any remaining feelings of irritation vanished as soon as he took in her hunched figure buried underneath their duvet.

ivy’s entire body had tensed once she realized ambrose was home. she was fully expecting an angry rosy lecture, complete with perfectly valid points about not running from her responsibilities just because she didn’t feel like it. she knew he’d be a bit more understanding once he knew exactly why she chose to ditch work for the day.

but she figured she’d still have to get through the lecture first.

“yeobo?”

dear wife, look at me.

it was a term reserved for each other, in the privacy of their home. as natural as the air they breathed and the sound of her name on his tongue.

as fateful as his heart in her hands.

ambrose was not known as a soft man to most, but ivy knew no other man besides her husband when he said her name. dear wife.

her shoulders sagged with relief before she remembered why she had disappeared for the day and didn’t even bother to tell him where she was.

“i don’t want to talk about it yet,” she said quietly, closing her eyes. “cuddle me.”

she couldn’t see the conflict between worry and fear in ambrose’s eyes as he lifted the duvet and climbed in beside her, bringing his warm body flush against her back and wrapping his arm around her stomach.

ivy squeezed her eyes tighter at the feel of him around her, his hand on her stomach sending a wave of emotion through her body.

“i’m pregnant,” she finally said quietly, pausing for a beat before twisting in his arms and willing herself to look him in the eye.

ambrose was not a man of many facial expressions. but she had learned how to read him and his little tells. the slight upward furrow of his brow indicating he was overwhelmed and processing. the widening of his dark pupils taking her in and reinforcing his absolute adoration for her. the pressing of the corner of his lips together letting her know he was trying to find the right words.

so she wasn’t surprised when tears started pooling in his eyes and falling down his face instead.

“i know we said we’d wait a while,” she said, wiping his tears with her thumb. “say something.”

he just leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, taking a few deep breaths until the tears stopped. she tilted his head back until she could see herself in his eyes, see the way he breathed her in with just a glance.

ivy gave him a small smile, her goofy one, reserved just for him. “jagiya?”

you are me and i am you.

“i love you,” he murmured, the intensity of his voice contrasting with the softness of his tone.

“i love you too,” she said, letting herself finally express the joy on her face. “you’re going to be my eigi appa.”

ambrose was done with words. he captured her lips with his with an intensity she had never experienced before, and she knew this was just another beginning.

* * * * * *yeobo – Korean term of endearment used exclusively between married couples

*jagiya – Korean term of endearment usually used pre-marriage and is seen as more “cutesy”

*eigi appa – Korean term of endearment used to refer to spouses once there’s a child ([baby’s] father in this case)

from these dialogue prompts (always accepting)

* * * * * taglist: @anotherbeingsworld; @sosolenoo; @fhauvilles; @wayhavenots;

[olivershen]

Locked in Love (Ambrose Kim x f!Button)

A/N: Self-indulgent fic of Rosy and Button sightseeing in Korea. Also, introducing my Button, Alon Poppy Wiseman (I just thought she should have a middle name that matches Nick’s Hyacinth). 😌✨ Also thinking about that one ask saying that Rosy buys the ring within the first few months of dating, so idk keep that in mind lol.

"Why the hell did you drag us all the way to this tourist trap, Wiseman?"

Ever since Amrobse Kim and Alon Wiseman started dating about a year ago, Alon had slyly coaxed Rosy, through some consistent underhanded flirting, to use her first name more and more. However, he will occasionally revert back to her last name when he's (1) annoyed or (2) teasing.

Tonight, it's more of the former than the latter.

Alon had hoped to get a full day of sightseeing around Seoul before they were scheduled to drive up to Ambrose's home town but it seems her jam-packed itinerary and the jetlag had made Rosy a bit cranky. (Well, crankier.)

She loops her arm through his as they step into the elevator going up to the top of Seoul Tower.

"Tired, Ambrose?" She leans on his shoulder and smirks up at him. "Don't tell me you're getting too old to handle a little jetlag, Rosy?" She hadn't meant the teasing to come out as a purr but it's hard to keep your voice down in a crowded space.

Ambrose, for his part, merely scowls and glares at her. But judging by the barely concealed heat in the look he throws her, he wasn't entirely pissed.

Alon knows she'll be paying for that little jab tonight. The thought of it was almost enough to tempt her to call it a night and drag him back to the hotel.

Almost.

She was here on an important mission, after all.

After nearly ten minutes of wading through the crowd (mostly lovers, she notes as Rosy glares) and five more minutes of pleading with Ambrose to stay put near the railing overlooking the city, she runs off to find what she came here for and comes back with a single heart-shaped lock and a permanent marker.

"And what on earth is that?" Ambrose feigns exasperation flawlessly but Alon has been with him long enough to know that he's at least a little bit amused. One of the corners of his mouth threatens to curve up and she stops herself from nearly kissing it all the way to a smile. There was simply far too many people here tonight and any one of them may overhear the not always chaste thoughts she has when she's kissing Ambrose.

"Come on now, Rosy. You're a smart man. Surely, you can figure out what this is for?" She gestures to the railing filled end to end with locks of all kinds of shapes and colors - all of them filled with names and dates and messages of friends and lovers hoping for happiness.

"You're smarter than me, Wiseman," his smirk indicates he might not entirely believe that is true, but Alon takes the win anyway. "You know this is just a scam to boost tourism."

Alon pretends to think but she's already uncapped the marker and is halfway to writing down Alon + Ambrose on the hot pink lock. "Oh, don't be like that, Rosy."

She gives him a little pout for good measure. "Don't you want to make sure we'll stay together forever?"

Ah, shit. She regrets the word the moment it flies out of her mouth. Yeah, she wants this one to last but surely, it's too early to be talking about forever forever! 

She winces, thinking Rosy is definitely planning to run for the hills. She hazards a peek and finds him surprisingly calm, as if she had just said the most mundane thing in the world. In the dark, against the twinkling lights of the city, he almost looks fond.

"What?" Alon raises a brow at him.

Moment broken, Ambrose merely rolls his eyes and takes the lock, signing his name underneath hers.

"What?" It's Rosy's turn to be confused as he looks up to find her watching him with a puzzled expression.

"I just thought you'd fight me more on this."

"And why the hell would I do that?"

She smirks, "It's what we do, Rosy. Who would we be if we don't do a little sexy back and forth to entertain the masses?"

He covers his laugh with an unconvincing cough. "If you want a tussle, Wiseman, you only need to ask.”

Then he gives her a look that has her absolutely regretting not dragging him back to the hotel much earlier.

"You know what? I think we should head back to the hotel, after all." She grabs the lock and unceremoniously latches it onto the railing with the others. "Like, right now."

"What's the rush? It's such a beautiful evening.”  He makes a show of gesturing towards the city lights, making it clear that he's teasing. “And we have such a spectacular view." 

Alon groans. She drags him down by the collar and plants a firm, demanding kiss on his lips, Ment and non-Ment audiences be damned.

"Now, Ambrose Kim."

Ambrose smirks against her and returns the kiss with a surprisingly chaste one. He then takes her hand in his and leads them down the tower towards the promise of a memorable night.

[fictionz]

New Fiction 2020

Previously: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013

Short Stories

“Evolution Never Sleeps” by Elisabeth Malartre (1999)

“Sexual Dimorphism” by Kim Stanley Robinson (1999)

“Game of the Century” by Robert Reed (1999)

“In a Tub” by Amy Hempel (1985)

“Tonight Is a Favor to Holly” by Amy Hempel (1985)

“Celia Is Back” by Amy Hempel (1985)

“The Glitch” by Rebekah Frumkin (2013)

“John Starks” by Salvatore Pane (2012)

“The Jon Lennin Xperience” by Rachel B. Glaser (2010)

“The Adventure of the Speckled Band” by Arthur Conan Doyle (1892)

"The Witness for the Prosecution” by Agatha Christie (1933)

“Sadie When She Died” by Ed McBain (1972)

“The Adventure of the German Student” by Washington Irving (1824)

“The Apparition of Mrs. Veal“ by Daniel Defoe (1706)

“Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament” by Clive Barker (1984)

“The Soul of the Great Bell” by Lafcadio Hearn (1887)

“In the Water Works (Birmingham, Alabama 1888)” by Caitlin R. Kiernan (2000)

“The Damned Thing” by Ambrose Bierce (1898)

“A Visit” (prev. “The Lovely House”) by Shirley Jackson (1952)

“Night Surf” by Stephen King (1969)

“The Lonesome Place” by August Derleth (1948)

"The Phantom Coach” by Amelia B. Edwards (1864)

“Afterward” by Edith Wharton (1910)

“The Demon Lover” by Elizabeth Bowen (1945)

“The Tower” by Marghanita Laski (1955)

“Don’t Look Now” by Daphne du Maurier (1971)

“███████” by Joyce Carol Oates (1998)

“Vampire Princess” by Ryuki Mao (2004)

“Cruel Sistah” by Nisi Shawl (2005)

“The You Train” by N.K. Jemisin (2007)

“Hello, Moto” by Nnedi Okorafor (2011)

“Pearls” by Priya Sharma (2012)

“Monstro” by Junot Díaz (2012)

“Bugs” by Ageha (2013)

“The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis” by Karen Russell (2013)

“How to Get Back to the Forest” by Sofia Samatar (2014)

“Sixteen Minutes” by Premee Mohamed (2016)

“Wish You Were Here” by Nadia Bulkin (2016)

“A Diet of Worms” by Valerie Valdes (2016)

“None of This Ever Happened” by Gabriela Santiago (2016)

“The Taming of the Tongue” by Russell Nichols (2016)

“Wet Pain” by Terence Taylor (2007)

Novels

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1926)

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (1930)

The Crazy Kill by Chester Himes (1959)

The Dark-Adapted Eye by Ruth Rendell (1986)

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith (1950)

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012)

Comic Shorts/Single Issues

“The Enigma of Amigara Fault” by Junji Ito (2001)

“Out of Skin” by Emily Carroll (2013)

Video Games

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order dev. Respawn Entertainment (2019)

Hogs of War dev. Infogrames Sheffield House (2000)

MASSIVE CHALICE dev. Double Fine Productions (2015)

Far Cry Primal dev. Ubisoft Montreal (2016)

Star Wars: Republic Commando dev. LucasArts (2005)

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II dev. LucasArts (1997)

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith dev. LucasArts (1998)

Ape Out dev. Gabe Cuzzillo (2019)

The Last of Us Part II dev. Naughty Dog (2020)

Prehistoric Isle in 1930 dev. SNK (1989)

CARRION dev. Phobia Game Studio (2020)

Drakengard 3 dev. Access Games (2014)

South Park: The Stick of Truth dev. Obsidian Entertainment (2014)

The Walking Dead: The Final Season dev. Telltale Games and Skybound Games (2018-2019)

EarthBound dev. Ape and HAL Laboratory (1995)

Spider-Man: The City that Never Sleeps dev. Insomniac Games (2018)

Spider-Man: Miles Morales dev. Insomniac Games (2020)

Short Films

“Dcera (Daughter)” dir. Daria Kashcheeva (2019)

“Hair Love” dir. Matthew A. Cherry & Karen Rupert Toliver (2019)

“Kitbull” dir. Kathryn Hendrickson & Rosana Sullivan (2019)

“Mémorable” dir. Bruno Collet (2019)

“Sister” dir. Siqi Song (2018)

“Henrietta Bulkowski” dir. Rachel Johnson (2019)

“The Bird and the Whale” dir. Carol Freeman (2018)

“Hors Piste” dir. Léo Brunel, Camille Jalabert, Loris Cavalier, Oscar Malet (2018)

“Maestro” dir. Florian Babikian & Victor Caire (2019)

“A Sister” dir. Delphine Girald (2018)

“Brotherhood” dir. Meryam Joobeur (2018)

“Nefta Football Club” dir. Yves Piat (2018)

“Saria” dir. Bryan Buckley (2019)

“The Neighbors’ Window” dir. Marshall Curry (2019)

“Papers, Please – The Short Film” dir. Nikita Ordynskiy (2018)

“Playdate with Destiny” dir. David Silverman (2020)

“Black Box” dir. Monica Garrison (2010)

Movies

Michael Clayton dir. Tony Gilroy (2007)

Little Women dir. Greta Gerwig (2019)

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

1917 dir. Sam Mendes (2020)

Sonic The Hedgehog dir. Jeff Fowler (2020)

Onward dir. Dan Scanlon (2020)

The Invisible Man dir. Leigh Whannell (2020)

Bloodshot dir. David S. F. Wilson (2020)

The Hunt dir. Craig Zobel (2020)

Cabin Boy dir. Adam Resnick (1994)

Manos: The Hands of Fate dir. Harold P. Warren (1966)

The Castle of Cagliostro dir. Hayao Miyazaki (1979)

Misery dir. Rob Reiner (1990)

The Descent dir. Neil Marshall (2005)

The Descent Part 2 dir. Jon Harris (2009)

Black Rock dir. Katie Aselton (2012)

The Nightingale dir. Jennifer Kent (2018)

Labyrinth dir. Jim Henson (1986)

Dark City dir. Alex Proyas (1998)

Night of the Hunter dir. Charles Laughton (1955)

In the Mouth of Madness dir. John Carpenter (1994)

Sorcerer dir. William Friedkin (1977)

Paperhouse dir. Bernard Rose (1988)

Strangers on a Train dir. Alfred Hitchcock (1951)

Gone Girl dir. David Fincher (2014)

Dune dir. David Lynch (1984)

Nosferatu the Vampyre dir. Werner Herzog (1979)

Blacula dir. William Crain (1972)

Splice dir. Vincenzo Natali (2009)

In the Tall Grass dir. Vincenzo Natali (2019)

Fright Night dir. Tom Holland (1985)

Near Dark dir. Kathryn Bigelow (1987)

Don’t Look Now dir. Nicolas Roeg (1973)

The Ritual dir. David Bruckner (2017)

Thirst dir. Park Chan-wook (2009)

Hush dir. Mike Flanagan (2016)

A Tale of Two Sisters dir. Kim Jee-woon (2003)

The Invitation dir. Karyn Kusama (2015)

Bird Box dir. Susanne Bier (2018)

Jennifer’s Body dir. Karyn Kusama (2009)

Pee Wee's Big Adventure dir. Tim Burton (1985)

Smooth Talk dir. Joyce Chopra (1985)

The Muppet Movie dir. James Frawley (1979)

Police Story dir. Jackie Chan (1985)

Tomorrow Never Dies dir. Roger Spottiswoode (1997)

The World Is Not Enough dir. Michael Apted (1999)

Die Another Day dir. Lee Tamahori (2002)

Quantum of Solace dir. Marc Forster (2008)

Skyfall dir. Sam Mendes (2012)

Spectre dir. Sam Mendes (2015)

Just Another Christmas dir. Roberto Santucci (2020)

A California Christmas dir. Shaun Piccinino (2020)

Soul dir. Pete Docter (2020)

TV Episodes

The Simpsons - "Treehouse of Horror XXXI" (2020)

Bob's Burgers - "Heartbreak Hotel-oween" (2020)

TV Series

Gargoyles - Seasons 2 & 3 (1995-1997)

Star Trek: Picard - Season 1 (2020)

Star Trek: Discovery - Seasons 1 & 2 (2017-2019)

Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018)

Star Wars Forces of Destiny (2017-2018)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Season 7 (2020)

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Seasons 12-14 (2017-2019)

American Horror Story: 1984 (2019)

The Legend of Korra (2012-2014)

The Magic School Bus - Seasons 1-2 (1994-1995)

What We Do in the Shadows - Seasons 1-2 (2019-2020)

Hannibal - Seasons 1-3 (2013-2015)

Bee and PuppyCat - Season 1 (2014-2016)

The Twilight Zone - Seasons 4-5 (1963-1964)

The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Seasons 6-7 (2019-2020)

The Good Place - Season 4 (2019-2020)

BoJack Horseman - Seasons 5-6 (2018-2020)

House of Cards - Seasons 5-6 (2017-2018)

[dippedanddripped]

One cannot look back on 2001 R&B/hip-hop without paying homage to the fits, the fits, the fits! Designer monogrammed wigs, bedazzled denim from head to toe, the occasional inexplicable trend (Nelly, looking at you), and, of course, Destiny's Child never leaving the house without three glamorous variations of the same fabric.

"[Hip-hop fashion] was creative and custom," says Derek Lee, former stylist to R&B icon, Aaliyah. "It wasn't driven totally by designers, you could still show up with some street stuff and it'd be acceptable." Lee, who styled the beloved singer from 1996 to 2001, pioneered the "sensual tomboy" aesthetic, central to today's fashion landscape, and evident in the wardrobes of R&B stars like Ciara, Teyana Taylor and Rihanna.

Lee recalled his own customizing experiences, adding glitz to streetwear pieces for the late singer. "We were flying to Paris and I'd be bedazzling Enyce sweatsuits for Aaliyah," he explains. Lee paid homage to fellow stylist June Ambrose for her work with Missy Elliott in further establishing the craze surrounding bedazzled pieces.

Ambrose, who styled over 200 music videos, was Missy's right-hand woman, costume designing for every major Missy Elliott production including "Get Ur Freak On," "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)," "One Minute Man," and "Lose Control." She was a go-to designer for R&B/hip-hop heavyweights including Diddy, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey, and currently works as a creative director for Puma.

"We didn't have a point of reference that came before us," explains Ambrose. "We took the risk for the future." The "Rain" designer discussed the role of late '90s to early '00s designers as trailblazers, bursting through barriers between high-end labels and R&B/hip-hop culture. "I bridged high fashion with urban music," says Ambrose, "What felt so rebellious was taking a high fashion piece, and still keeping the same demeanor and swag that you wore in your neighborhood."

Dionne Alexander, the hairstylist behind Lil Kim's monogrammed wigs and Mary J. Blige's '90s updo's, agrees. "Look how free we are here," Alexander says. "It was very exciting, we were able to be extremely creative and we had to pull it from within. We didn't have Instagram, we had to go out and get magazines.

Tre Major, hairstylist to legendary celebrities including Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, Patti LaBelle and Naomi Campbell, says the early '00s was "the best" era for fashion and hip-hop. "I was like an architect on the outside," Major explained. "Building the visuals, landscaping and making it gorgeous." Major was responsible for ushering in the lace-front wig into the world of R&B/hip-hop. "[The other stylists] were just geek because they never seen anything like it," says Major. "Now you can find a lace front wig on every corner, every boutique, every website."

On the 20th anniversary of this iconic, enduring year in fashion, Billboard caught up with the architects of the era, June Ambrose, Derek Lee, Tre Major and Dionne Alexander, to discuss some of the most memorable looks in '01 R&B/hip-hop and how these moments shaped the culture for decades to come.

Missy Elliott's Rhinestones, "Get Ur Freak On" Courtesy Photo Missy Elliott "Get Ur Freak On"

Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" bedazzled denim

In '01, rhinestones were all the craze, and we have June Ambrose to thank. "It was all about making Missy a rock star," says Ambrose. "I got her hooked on rhinestones -- and once that happened, forget about it." The 200-time music video stylist says the glittering look from Missy's Dave Meyers directed video was meant to create a dichotomy between Elvis-like glamour and sportswear. "The jean jacket silhouette was very comfortable and relatable to her, but taking a Bootsy Collins over the top approach is what made it really tangible and special."

Aaliyah's Catsuit, "More Than A Woman" Courtesy Photo Aaliyah "More Than A Woman"

Aaliyah's "More Than A Woman" Chanel catsuit

Aaliyah's Dapper Dan-designed faux Chanel catsuit from the "More Than a Woman" video is one of the late singer's most iconic moments. "I knew that it was going to be a feature, that it would be striking, if it was different from anything she has done before," says Lee. The decision to choose Chanel was a step away from edgier brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli, which the sweet singer was typically dressed in. But why not have Chanel design the piece themselves? "[The major brands] didn't want to be associated with rap music and this street culture," explains Lee, "That's why we had to create our own stuff or have it knocked off by [Dapper] Dan." When Aaliyah saw the design, Lee says she was feeling it. "I had decided to move Aaliyah into almost a cartoon character," he tells Billboard. "I was going down to Little Tokyo and getting all these anime books and had this entire idea."

Lil Kim Steve Wood/Shutterstock Lil Kim photographed at the Versace Haute couture show, Spring /Summer 2001 in Paris, France.

Lil Kim's monogrammed wigs

Monogrammed tresses have popped up on the heads of the rap's most iconic first ladies, including Nicki Minaj and Cardi B -- but similar to countless other signature hip-hop trends, it started with Lil Kim as the blueprint, and hairstylist Dionne Alexander the architect. "The inspiration totally comes from [Lil Kim] and who she is," says Alexander, the mastermind behind Lil Kim's Versace wig and equally iconic blue Chanel wig. "It was such a flow of creative energy, like a power that was coming through."

Alexander recalls coloring the Chanel wig Lil Kim wore for Manhattan File Magazine late into the night, until 5:00 in the morning. "I went to the art store and got trace paper and created the logo, then I cut it out." And her secret? Black magic marker. "With the Versace wig," Alexander says, "She called me and left this message on my machine that I literally kept for years. She went nuts, and it was the same with the Chanel."

Alexander says the present-day response to both wigs is surprising. "It's more of a buzz now than it was then. I'm so shocked at how many people call me about it now."

Outkast "So Fresh, So Clean" Courtesy Photo Outkast "So Fresh, So Clean"

Outkast's 'So Fresh' and 'So Clean' looks

The evolution of men's fashion in hip-hop is inextricably linked to the genius duo best known as Outkast. The pair defied longstanding tropes of how rappers were expected to present themselves and sent the media into frequent frenzies, with their delightfully shocking red carpet looks. In the "So Fresh, So Clean" music video, the eccentric Georgian duo rock a myriad of hairstyles, from a sleek, flipped perm, to a combed out, asymmetrical afro.

"That's some Southernplayalistic s--t right there," says Lee, in reference to the pair's '01 look. Alexander says Andre 3000 and Big Boi "revolutionized male confidence" through their unapologetic expression of creativity. Of Andre 3000, Major says, "He took a real gamble and went for it, just being his true artistic self and everyone loved it."

Macy Gray Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect Macy Gray arriving at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York City on Sept. 6, 2001.

Macy Gray's Vocal Dress at the MTV Video Music Awards

It was the dress seen (and read) around the world. Macy Gray, a performer known for her unconventional style and music, decided to transform her award show dress into a walking billboard. "That was totally Macy's idea, I just had to execute it," says Ambrose, the designer of Macy's immortal dress. "Working with Macy Gray was so much fun because she was an anomaly," Ambrose remembers. "In that moment, it was important that she sold albums, and she had she wanted to capitalize on the moment. It's like, where's the return on the investment? I'm getting hair and makeup and spending money on wardrobe. Is it gonna help me sell records? We wanted to just make sure that it did."

Destiny's Child "Survivor" Courtesy Photo Destiny's Child "Survivor"

Destiny's Child's coordinated camo

There are few things more memorable about the late '90s and early '00s than DC3's coordinated looks. Whether it was award shows, music videos or MTV appearances, you caught the trio out and about without perfect coordination. "Tina Knowles strikes again," says Ambrose, of Beyonce's mother and the group's resident designer. "Utilitarian was such a celebration of being tough and dominant," Ambrose explained. "It showed females in military can be sexy, that it's not just a man's game." Major drew comparisons to another always coordinated, ever-influential girl group. "Every time I looked at them, I saw the modern day Supremes," he said. "Everyone wanted to follow the camouflage trend."

Nelly Charles Sykes/Shutterstock Nelly photographed on Sept. 7, 2001.

Nelly's inexplicable face band-aid and double headbands

There are countless rumors circulating the World Wide Web about the explanation behind Nelly's little white Band-Aid and criss-crossed headbands. But regardless of the backstory, Nelly's creative face accessory was all people could talk about. "He created his own thing, like a left-eye kind of moment," says Major, who remembered considering rocking a Band-Aid himself. Ambrose says the bandage symbolized a "thug badge of honor," as iconic to Nelly as eye black is to football players.

Alicia Keys Anthony Barboza/Getty Images Alicia Keys photographed in New York in 2001.

Alicia Keys' beads and cornrows

Before Alicia Keys arrived on the scene, cornrows and beads were seldom seen in mainstream music. Ambrose, who styled Alicia in the early years of her career says the pianist extraordinaire's team always kept her identity in mind. "We wanted to always keep a sense of that New York girl and celebrate all the things that that spoke to her Blackness," says Ambrose. Not only was Alicia's hair aesthetically striking, it also played a roll in representation of Black women's natural tresses. "Universally, it told other young Black girls and it's okay to wear your braids and your beads," explained Ambrose. "That this isn't a Bo Derek moment, this is an African moment."

Mary J. Blige "Family Affair" Courtesy Photo Mary J. Blige "Family Affair"

Mary J. Blige's avant-garde "Family Affair" wigs

It's hard to say what part of the "Family Affair" experience was most unforgettable. Was it the futuristic outfits? Iconic choreographed moves? The fact that Mary basically invented three new words? In the world of fashion, it was most definitely the wigs. Tre Major, Mary's long-time hairstylist, says the chart-topping singer was ever-evolving, setting trend after trend along the way.

"I gave her edge and femininity," says Major. "I named that wig the Marvin Martian," Major says of Mary's salt and pepper avant-garde wig, a nod to the Looney Tunes character. Major says he custom made the wig on the R&B diva, since her head was "so small" compared to the mannequins. "She was the best muse because she was so daring," he explains. "She trusted me."

[aion-rsa]

Best Romantic Movies on Netflix

https://ift.tt/3a6cb9I

Romance movies are not that different from horror movies. Both are incredibly hard to pull off, are heavily watched during a cold time of year, and hopefully end with every character covered in blood.

With that in mind we present to you a list of the best romantic movies on Netflix. Because romance deserves it, damn it. Virtually every song ever written is a love song but poor romance can’t get a fair shake at the movies. Whether it be a rom-com or just a straight-up soul-enlightening/crushing romance, our list of the best romantic movies on Netflix will get you back in touch with your cold, dead heart.

Set It Up

Set It Up is Netflix’s most accomplished original romantic comedy yet.

Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell star as overworked assistants Harper and Charlie. Harper is an assistant to Kirsten (Lucy Liu) the woman behind a sports media empire. Charlie works for finance maven Rick (Taye Diggs). Harper and Charlie realize that their respective workloads might lesson if their bosses were more focused on their love life and less focused on work. So they…set them up.

Set It Up is a fun, novel high-concept romance movie positively filled with chemistry on all sides.

Outside In

We embrace every kind of love on our list of the best romance movies. Sometimes that includes some questionable, and some would say “icky” kind of love. So…Outside In is a teacher-student romance. But don’t panic! It’s ok.

Jay Duplas stars as Chris, a man who was wrongly imprisoned at age 18 and who is relased at age 38. When Chris is released, he immediately meets up with his old high school teacher, Carol (Edie Falco), who was his penpal when he was in prison. He wastes little time before he declares his love for her.

Despite its subject matter, Outside In is a mature, well-handled exploration of love and what it means to love someone for themselves as opposed to what they do for us.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

With a name as long as The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, the movie better be good to justify how many times we poor cultural commenters must type it out. Thankfully Guernsey is quite good!

Based on a book by the same name, Guernsey is a historical love story set in 1946. Lily James stars as British writer Juliet Ashton. Juliet begins exchanging letters with residents of the islands of Guernsey, which was under German occupation in WWII (so like two years before the movie starts). While there she meets the dashing Dawsey Adams (Michael Huisman) and romance begins to blossom.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is an excellent, watchable classical romance

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Oh hey! Another Netflix original with a long title based on a book. Like the Potato Peel Pie Society, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is another effortlessly enjoyable romantic romp – this time of the teen variety.

Lara Jean Song Covey (Laura Condor) experiences every young person’s nightmare when private love letters to five boys she has or has had crushes on suddenly and mysteriously become public. But fear not. This is a romance movie, not a horror movie. So this sudden reveal has to go well for Lara Jean, right? RIGHT?!?

To All the Boys P.S. I Still Love You

The To All the Boys team returns for a sequel that teaches kids the harsh lesson that there’s no such thing as happily ever after! OK, so that’s a bit harsh, but To All the Boys P.S. I Still Love You does bring back its characters for another round of romantic angst.

Read more

Movies

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Review

By Delia Harrington

Movies

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Review: A Pleasurable Netflix Rom-Com

By Delia Harrington

Lara Jean (Lana Condor) is now officially Peter’s (Noah Centineo) girlfriend. But before they can relax and enjoy their lives together, an old flame of Lara Jean enters the frame. That’s right, John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher) is here and he wants to steal your girl, Noah Centineo.

The Danish Girl

2015’s The Danish Girl tells the story of a kind of love nearly unprecedented for its early 20th century time. Eddie Redmayne stars as artist Lili Elbe, who was born Einar Wegener and is believed to be one of the first individuals to receive sexual reassignment surgery. The film follows Lili’s journey and her love with wife Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander).

When Gerda asks her husband to stand in for a female subject in her painting, Einar does so and quickly comes to terms with the gender identity he’s been suppressing. The newly confirmed Lili and Gerda navigate this new dimension of their relationship and Lili continues her work as a subject for Gerda’s now very much in demand paintings. 

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Beauty and the Beast

2017’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast isn’t the best depiction of the classic fairy tale ever but that’s ok. It doesn’t have to be. All Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast really needed to be was a fun little dip into nostalgia with sumptuous visuals and a believable romance. On that front, everything goes according to plan.

Read more

Movies

Emma Watson on Beauty and the Beast: ‘I’m Very Grateful That This Character Exists’

By Don Kaye

TV

Beauty and the Beast Disney+ Prequel Series Set with Luke Evans and Josh Gad

By Joseph Baxter

Emma Watson stars as Belle and Dan Stevens is her beast. Belle heads off from her small French town to the Beast’s castle to rescue her father. What follows is Stockholm Syndrome: The Movie. But sexier. Beauty and the Beast really does look good and Watson and Stevens have just enough chemistry to make this a worthwhile romantic experience.

50 First Dates

50 First Dates has a somewhat disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score. Ignore that. It’s probably partially due to many critics’ distaste for at least one of the actors in the above screengrab. Not that they can be blamed. The presence of Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider in any comedy is rarely a good sign. In 50 First Dates‘, however, it’s not an issue at all. 

50 First Dates is a legitimately funny and romantic romantic comedy. Drew Barrymore stars as Lucy Whitmore, a woman with short-term memory loss. Due to a car accident, every day she wakes up believing it is October 13, 2002. Sandler’s character Henry Roth meets her in Hawaii and the two must overcome this bizarre condition to establish a lasting relationship.

Carol

Todd Haynes, director of Carol and Far From Heaven knows longing. And if there’s an element that makes for an excellent romantic movie experience its longing. That desperate sense is baked into nearly every frame of Carol. Based on a 1950s romance novel, Carol is the story of a young photographer (Rooney Mara) and an older woman going through a divorce (Cate Blanchette) undertaking a forbidden affair.

Forbidden because, you know, ’50s. And that’s where the longing comes in. Nothing is more romantic or sexier than a forbidden romance. Carol channels that romantic energy into something mature, fascinating and heartbreaking.

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook is all about how generally terrible it is to be a Philadelphia Eagles fan. OK, fine – it’s only a little bit about that. This star-studded 2012 film from David O. Russell is more about the challenges in finding love when one isn’t sure they even love themselves.

Bradley Cooper stars as Pat Solitano Jr., a young man with bipolar disorder living with his parents after being released from a psychiatric hospital. Pat is determined to win back his ex-wife and to that end enlists the help of young widower Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence). The two become closer as they train for an upcoming dance competition and share their respective damages with one another.

Silver Linings Playbook works because Lawrence and Cooper have a real crackling chemistry. And they both just happen to be devastatingly, almost supernaturally attractive.

Runaway Bride

From stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts to director Garry Marshall to conspicuous usage of enormous cell phones – Runaway Bride is an intensely ’90s film. And to the rightly organized mind, that just makes it the platonic ideal of a low-stress romantic comedy.

Roberts stars as Maggie Carpenter, an alluring young woman who has made a habit of leaving multiple fiancé’s at the altar. Gere is Ike Graham, a New York columnist seeking to tell the definitive story of this “runaway bride.” Runaway Bride is a charming experience that will make you think long and hard about how you really like your eggs prepared.

Loving

It feels reductive to call Loving a “romance” movie, as its more of a historical exploration of the very real, very tragic legacy of American racism. At its center, however, the film is about love.

Loving tells the story of Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred Loving (Ruth Negga), a mixed-race Virginia couple challenging their state’s law against interracial marriage in the Supreme Court. The details of the Lovings struggle for basic human rights are astonishing. Edgerton and Negga’s empathetic performances make sure the film never loses sight of the humanity at play amid all the legal drama.

Always Be My Maybe

Everyone always talks about “the one who got away”, but what about “the one who was always kind of around”? 2019’s Always Be My Maybe tells of one such story.

Ali Wong (who wrote the film) stars as Sasha Tran and Randall Park stars as Marcus Kim. Marcus and Sasha grew up next door to each other and also embarked on a brief, ill-fated relationship in their teenage years. When Sasha returns to San Francisco to open a restaurant, she discovers that romantic energy remains between her and Marcus. But is that enough to spark love in the busy, chaotic adult world?

Always Be My Maybe has a lot to say about family and growth. It also features a truly winning performance from Keanu Reeves playing…Keanu Reeves.

The Kissing Booth

There’s an interesting dynamic at play in teenage romantic comedies. Oftentimes, the worse they are, the more watchable (and rewatchable) they become. The Kissing Booth is a prime example. Based on a book by the same name from Beth Reekles, The Kissing Booth isn’t exactly celebrated for its realistic portrayal of American teenagers.

Thanks to charming lead performances from Joey King, Jacob Elordi, and Joel Courtney, however, that doesn’t really matter. The Kissing Booth is all about how one girl’s first kiss turns into an emotional minefield of teen angst. That alone is enough to support 105 minutes of pure high school drama…and two sequels!

The post Best Romantic Movies on Netflix appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/38Fd7ho

[katy-133]

ALSO, I haven't finished Disco Elysium (tho I've been spoiled on some plot points but I still wanna finish the game), but one thing I love so far is that despite being mentally FUBARed, Harry retains remnants of his past skill. He wasn't just a cop. He was a DAMN GOOD one. I know a lot of people probably love going for wacky shit, but I enjoy playing the straight man despite the situation, and I love it when Harry is, SOMEHOW, right and Kim just HAS to accept that. He just goes along with what Harry does and, a lot of times, enjoys it. It's nice.

I’m on my second playthrough, trying to find things I missed in my first (before the big Final Cut update drops) and have been having a lot of fun with it. I’m glad you have been too!

I tried to keep Harry as sane as possible in my first playthrough, so I’m trying out more wacky choices this time around. And I love how there’s stuff like foreshadowing that I didn’t notice the first time.

I kinda jokingly describe it as: My first playthrough is a Tuski Brown build (high Intelligence and Psyche, Logic main) and my second playthrough is a Mel Ambrose build (high Psyche and Motorics, Inland Empire main). Which is funny to me, since Tuski and Mel are partners, so they are direct foils. XD

[lostanarchymagazine]

Planetary is an American comic book series created by writer Warren Ellis and artist John Cassaday, and published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics. After an initial preview issue in September 1998, the series ran for 27 issues from April 1999 to October 2009.

Planetary was previewed in issue #33 of Gen¹³ and issue #6 of C-23, both dated September 1998. The first issue of the series was cover-dated April 1999. Originally intended to be a 24-issue bi-monthly series, the series was on hold from 2001 to 2003 due to illness of writer Warren Ellis and other commitments by Cassaday. Laura Martin (also credited as Laura DePuy) colored almost every issue of the series. The series recommenced in 2004 and concluded with issue #27 in October 2009.

Ellis intended the focus of the book to be the superhero genre, rather than the superheroes themselves. "I wanted to do something that actually went deeper into the subgenre, exposed its roots and showed its branches" and stated in his proposal for the comic series: "What if you had a hundred years of superhero history just slowly leaking out into this young and modern superhero world of the Wildstorm Universe? What if you could take everything old and make it new again?"

Rich Kreiner described John Cassaday's artwork in The Comics Journal as being "close to the gold standard for fabulous realism in mainstream comics".  Tom Underhill noted colorist Laura Martin's contribution as "every bit as compelling" as Cassaday's in his review for The Comics Journal.

One of the main features of the series is the portrayal of alternate versions of many figures from popular culture, such as Godzilla, Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, and Doc Savage. This extends to comic book characters from both DC Comics (e.g. Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman) and Marvel Comics (e.g. the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, and Thor).

Ellis also introduced the concept of a multiverse to the series, drawing upon the mathematical concept known as the Monster group for inspiration. The multiverse is described as "a theoretical snowflake existing in 196,833 dimensional space", a reference to the visualization method used by some mathematicians when describing the Monster group.

Describing themselves as "Archaeologists of the Impossible", Planetary is an organization intent on discovering the world's secret history.  Funded by the mysterious Fourth Man, the field team consists of three superhuman beings: Jakita Wagner (strong, fast and almost invulnerable); The Drummer (can detect and manipulate information streams, such as computer data links and radio waves); and new recruit Elijah Snow (can create intense cold and extract heat). Planetary member Ambrose Chase (can create a "selective physics-distortion field") was also a member of the field team until he was killed. It was later revealed that Ambrose Chase was still alive and had used his powers to manipulate time and suspend himself in a time distortion bubble where the effects of his mortal injuries proceeded at an incredibly slow pace. Elijah Snow and the rest of Planetary, using technology based on Randall Dowling's notes, were able to recover Ambrose Chase and save his life.

The field team travel the world investigating strange phenomena - including monsters, aliens and other superhumans, unusual relics and suppressed military secrets - for both the betterment of mankind and out of sheer curiosity.[10] The group is, first covertly and later more and more openly, opposed by a rival group of metahumans called the Four, a parallel Fantastic Four (Dr. Randall Dowling, Kim Süskind, William Leather and Jacob Greene) who are using the secrets of the world for personal gain.

[vilnan]

hahahaha i'm in danger

[fictionismyoxygen-blog]

hello, everyone!

if you've read my embarrassingly awkward introduction post, you will have come to gather that i am a struggling fangirl with a desperate need for fanfiction. and, well, seeing as i've read most of it, i've decided to make the brave idiotic jump from fanfic reader to fanfic writer. god help us all.

in leu of that decision, i thought it would be useful for my nonexistent followers to have a list of the fandoms and characters that i write for, plus a list of guidelines for requests.

here we go!

fandoms and characters

the avengers universe : tony stark, steve rogers, natasha romanoff, bruce banner, ,, clint barton, loki, sam wilson, wanda maximoff, peter parker, vision, t'challa udaku, erik killmonger, bucky barnes, carol danvers, maria hill, shuri udaku, peter quill, gamora, nebula, drax, mantis, steven strange, scott lang, hope van dyne, valkyrie (brunnhilde), peggy carter (1940's).

the x - men universe : wolverine, professor x, beast, storm, jean gray, cyclops, quicksilver, mystique, magneto

shadowhunters : clary fairchild, jace wayland, alec lightwood, isabelle lightwood, magnus bane, simon lewis, raphael santiago

the 100 : clarke griffin, bellamy blake, octavia blake, john murphy,

divergent : tris, four, peter, christine, eric

the hunger games : katniss everdeen, peeta mellark, gale hawthorn, finnick odair, johanna mason

teen wolf : scott mccall, stiles stilinksi, liam dunbar, allison argent, lydia martin, malia tate, derek hale, brett talbot, kira yukimura, theo raeken

pretty little liars : aria montgomery, hanna martin, spencer hastings, emily fields, alison dilaurentis, jason dilaurentis, mike montgomery, noel kahn

titans (netflix, 2019) : dick grayson, starfire, beast boy, jason todd

riverdale : archie andrews, jughead jones, betty cooper, veronica lodge, cheryl blossom, toni topaz, sweet pea, fangs fogarty, reggie mantle

the chilling adventures of sabrina : sabrina spellman, ambrose spellman, harvey kinkle, nicholas scratch, the weird sisters (prudence, agatha and dorcas)

hp: the golden trio era : harry potter, ron weasley, hermione granger, neville longbottom, draco malfoy, ginny weasley, luna lovegood, george weasley, fred weasley, oliver wood

hp: the marauders era : james potter, sirius black, remus lupin, lily evans

peaky blinders : tommy shelby, michael gray, john shelby, ada thorne, arthur shelby, isaih jesus

shameless u.s : fiona gallagher, lip gallagher, ian gallagher, mickey milkovich, mandy milkovich

sherlock bbc : sherlock holmes, john watson

merlin bbc : merlin, arthur pendragon, guinevere, morgana

game of thrones : daeneys targaryen, jon snow, sansa stark, robb stark, theon greyjoy, jaime lannister

the maze runner : thomas, minho, newt, gally

chicago med : will halstead, connor rhodes, natalie manning

chicago fire : kelly severide, matt casey, brian otis, jimmy borreli, sylvie brett, gabby dawson, stella kidd

chicago pd : jay halstead, erin lindsay, adam ruzek, kevin atwater, kim burgess, antonio dawson, hailey upton, greg gerwitz

criminal minds : spencer reid, derek morgan, jennifer jareau, penelople garcia, luke alvarez, emily prentiss

percy jackson and the olympians : percy jackson, annabeth chase, grover underwood, nico di angelo, thalia grace, rachael elizabeth dare

heroes of olympus : jason grace, piper mcclean, leo valdez, hazel levesque, frank zhang, reyna arellano

attack on titan : eren, mikasa, armin, levi

brooklyn nine - nine : jake peralta, amy santiago, rosa diaz

justice league : superman, batman, wonder woman, the flash, cyborg, aquaman

gotham : bruce wayne, jim gordon, barbara kean, selina kyle, jerome valeska, edward nygma, oswald cobblepot

the hobbit / lord of the rings : bilbo baggins, thorin oakenshield, aragorn, legolas, thranduil, fili, kili, frodo baggins

suicide squad : deadshot, harley quinn, captain boomerang, el diablo, rick flag, the enchantress

no doubt that this list will continue to grow, so if you don't see a favourite character or fandom of yours here, there is every possibility that it will be there at some point in time.

until next time!

xoxo

fictionismyoxygen

[rosykims]

ten minutes.

mind blind, ambrose kim x f!button (gracie wiseman) | mature rating | 2000 words | established relationship, fluff, mostly just spiciness lol | based on the response to this ask.

As far from ideal as it may be, Gracie thinks there's something to be said about the intimacy of a 5AM wakeup. In this case, that something being the rare, quiet thrill of waking up before the man in bed beside her.

In the low light, she leaves him undisturbed for twelve long minutes, supressing every base urge to reach out and run her fingers over his warm, bare skin. It's a courtesy mostly – normal mornings wouldn't see Ambrose up for another half hour – but she'd be lying if she said she lacked ulterior motives.

Sleep transforms him. Smooths out his brow, softens his jaw, takes all the hard, sharp parts of him and blurs them at the edges. Ambrose has always been handsome, but sleep makes him pretty. Delicate, almost. Peaceful, in a private, vulnerable way that feels reserved for her eyes only. It's only right that she should lie with him in the dark and appreciate the moment. Only fair that she should leave him his peace, just for a little while.

And then that little while is up. Under the duvet she shifts closer, wrapping an arm around his torso and squeezing lightly. He stirs, and now her hand travels upwards, palm gliding across his chest and shoulders and throat to settle neatly at the curve of his cheek. Her thumb traces gentle strokes along his cheekbones and he sighs, low and soft, just for her.

It's 5:15AM, and his alarm won't go off for another fifteen minutes – Gracie's own third-year classes don't start until eight. Vulnerability is all well and good, but when it comes to opportunities like this, there's only so much peace she can stomach.

Ever the light sleeper, it takes very little effort on her part to rouse him. She's barely pressed her lips to the hollow of his throat when she finds him kissing her back; soft, idle kisses against her temple from above, careful fingers threading absently through her long, dark hair.

"Good morning." Two years sharing his bed means she's got his routine down to its finest details. Without lifting her head, she halts his free arm as it reaches for his phone on the bedside table. "It's 5:16. We have time."

Gentle but firm, he tilts her chin up, brushing back flyaway strands of hair to regard her with an equal mix of fondness and suspicion. Even fresh from sleep, the intensity of his gaze never fails to catch her off guard. "Time for what, exactly?" he muses.

"That is entirely up to you and the limits of your imagination," she replies, supressing a smile.

( continue reading on ao3. )

[mightystargazer]

2018 Readinglist

Drew Hayes Bloody Acquisitions

Drew Hayes The Fangs of Freelance Fred

Drew Hayes Second Hand Curses

Gregg Hurwitz The Rains

Gregg Hurwitz Last Chance

Dean Koontz Oddkins

David Timson Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

Kay Hooper Stealing Shadows

Kay Hooper Hiding In Shadows

Kay Hooper Out of Shadows

Kay Hooper Touching Evil

Kay Hooper Whisper of Evil

Kay Hooper Sense of Evil

Kay Hooper Hunting Fear

Kay Hooper Chill of Fear

Kay Hooper Sleeping with Fear

Kay Hooper Blood Dream

Kay Hooper Blood Sins

Kay Hooper Blood Ties

Kay Hooper Haven

Kay Hooper Hostage

Kay Hooper Haunted

Kay Hooper Fear the Dark

Kay Hooper Wait for Dark

Hunter Shea The Jersey Devil

Matt Haig The Humans

Terry Goodkind Nest

John G. Hartness Cold as Ice

John G. Hartness Into the Mystic

John Conroe God Touched

John Conroe Demon Driven

John Conroe Brutal Asset

John Conroe Black Frost

John Conroe Duel Nature

John Conroe Fallen Stars

John Conroe Executable

John Conroe Forced Ascent

John Conroe College Arcane

John Conroe God Hammer 

John Conroe Rogues

John Conroe Snake Eyes

John Conroe Winterfall

Bentley Little The House

Terry Goodkind Nest

Stephen Blackmoore Dead Things

Stephen Blackmoore Broken Souls

Stephen Blackmoore Hungry Ghosts

Peter Cawdron Alien Space Tentacle Porn

A. American Hope

Dean Koonz Richochet Joe

Sarah Lyons Fleming Until the End of the World

Sarah Lyons Fleming So Long Lollipops

Sarah Lyons Fleming And After

Sarah Lyons Fleming All the Stars in the Sky

Robert Bevan Critical Failures V

Perrin Briar Genesis Flowers

Larry Correia The Adventures of Tom Stranger

Larry Correia A Murder of Manatees

J. R. Ward Covet 

J. R. Ward Crave

J. R. Ward Envy

J. R. Ward Rapture

J. R. Ward Possession

J. R. Ward Immortal

Milo James Fowler Captain Bartholomew Quasar

James Smythe The Echo

Ian Tregillis The Mechanical

Ian Tregillis The Rising

Ian Tregillis The Liberation

Harvard Lampoon Bored of the Rings

Barry J. Hutchison Return of the Dead Guy 

Mark Tufo Demon Fallout

Mark Tufo Defeat's Victory 

Morgan Hobbes The Totally True Adventures of Gustav Gustavson

Barry J. Hutchison Dial D for Deadman

Christopher Moore Practical Demonkeeping

Christopher Moore Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

Christopher Moore The Stupidest Angel

Richard Johnson Weekend at Vidu's

Brian Keene The Rising

Brian Keene City of the Dead

Daniel Fite The Zombie Chapters

Edward Zajac A Swift Kick in the Asteroids

Donald E. Westlake The Busy Body

Dean Koontz The Whispering Room

Christopher Moore Bloodsucking Fiends

Christopher Moore You Suck

Christopher Moore Bite Me

Sue Perkins Zoopedia

Anthology Zombies, The Recent Dead 

Anthology Zombies, More Recent Dead 

Brett J. Talley That Which Should Not Be

Christopher Moore A Dirty Job

Christopher Moore Secondhand Souls

Christopher Moore Coyote Blue

Al K. Line Hidden Spark 

Al K. Line Dead Spark 

Al K. Line Wild Spark 

Kim Stanley Robinson Icehenge

Bentley Little The Mailman

Zach Bohannon Empty Bodies

James Peters Black Swan Planet

Peter Meredith The Edge of Hell

Peter Meredith The Edge of Temptation

Gerry Griffiths The Beasts of Stoneclad Mountain

Christopher Moore Fluke Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings

C.G. Mosley The Island in the Mist

C.G. Mosley Monsters in the Mist

Russell James Cavern of the Damned

Mike Bockoven FantasticLand

Michael  McBride Snowblind

Michael  McBride The Killing Grounds

Kevin Hearne Scourged

E.F. Benson's Ghost Stories

Donnie Eichar Dead Mountain

Corey Taylor A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven

Viktor Zarkov Megatooth

Steven Bird Erebus

Robert Bevan 5d6 Caverns and Creatures

Richard Kadrey Suspect Zero

Keith C. Blackmore Mountain Man Prequel

Dave Jeffery Frostbite

Christopher Moore Fool

Christopher Moore The Serpent of Venice

Seth Shostak Confessions of an Alien Hunter

P. K. Hawkins Titanoboa

Matt Serafini Island Red

Christopher Moore Island of the Sequined Love Nun

Ambrose Ibsen Asylum

Ambrose Ibsen Forest

Ambrose Ibsen The Occupant

Lucas Pederson Leviathan Ghost Rig

Kara Cooney The Woman Who Would Be King

Jonathan Maberry Mars One

John J. Rust Reptilian

Greig Beck Beneath the Dark Ice

Greig Beck Dark Rising

Greig Beck This Green Hell

Greig Beck Black Mountain

Greig Beck Gorgon

Greig Beck Hammer of God

Greig Beck Kraken Rising

Michelle McNamara Ill Be Gone in the Dark

Stephen R Donaldson The Kings Justice

Jerry Dubs Imhotep

Christopher Moore Lamb The Gospel

Barry J. Hutchison Planet of the Japes´

Bentley Little The ignored

Marty Essen Time Is Irreverent

Thomas Tryon Harvest Home

Dean Koontz The Bone Farm

Dean Koontz The Crooked Staircase

Christopher Moore Sacre Bleu

Benjamin Wallace Junkers

Alex Laybourne Terror from the Deep

Christopher Golden Ararat

Alice Hoffman The Museum of Extraordinary Things

Jim Butcher Storm Front

Jim Butcher Fool Moon

Jim Butcher Grave Peril

Jim Butcher Summer Knight

Jim Butcher Death Masks

Jim Butcher Blood Rites

Jim Butcher Bombshells

Jim Butcher Proven Guilty

Jim Butcher White Night

Jim Butcher Small Favor

Jim Butcher Backup

Jim Butcher Turn Coat

Jim Butcher Changes

Jim Butcher Ghost Story

Jim Butcher Cold Days

Jim Butcher Shadowed Souls

Jim Butcher Skin Game

Jim Butcher White Night

Jim Butcher Working for Bigfoot

Stephen King The Outsider

The World of Lore Wicked Mortals

Hugh Howey I, Zombie

C. Gockel Archangel Down

C. Gockel Noa's Ark

C. Gockel Heretic

Anthology Aliens Bug Hunt

Shea Ernshaw The Wicked Deep

John F.D. Taff The Bell Witch

Adrienne Lecter Incubation

Adrienne Lecter Outbreak

Adrienne Lecter Escalation

Adrienne Lecter Extinction

Adrienne Lecter Resurgence

Adrienne Lecter Unity

Adrienne Lecter Affliction

Adrienne Lecter Catharsis

Barry J. Hutchison The Time Titan of Tomorrow

The Cabin at the End of the World

Chuck Wendig The Blue Blazes

Larry Correia Saints 

Dirk Patton Voodoo Plague

Dirk Patton Crucifixion V Plague

John Connolly Every Dead Thing

John Connolly Dark Hollow

John Connolly The Killing Kind

John Connolly The White Road

John Connolly The Black Angel

John Connolly The Unquiet

John Connolly The Reapers

John Connolly The Lovers

John Connolly The Whisperers

John Connolly The Burning Soul

John Connolly The Wrath of Angels

John Connolly The Wolf In Winter

John Connolly A Song of Shadow

John Connolly A Time Of Torment

John Connolly A Game of Ghosts

Barry J. Hutchison The King of Space Must Die

Dave Itzkoff Robin

Greig Beck The Void

Jim Butcher Furies of Calderon

Jim Butcher Academs Fury

Jim Butcher Cursors Fury

Jim Butcher Captains Fury

Jim Butcher Princeps Fury

Jim Butcher First Lords Fury

Mark Tufo Etna Station

Bentley Little The Resort

Rebecca Roanhorse Trail of Lightning

Michael Rutger The Anomaly

Scott Smith The Ruins

Zach Bohannon Empty Bodies

Zach Bohannon Adaptation 

Zach Bohannon Deliverance

Zach Bohannon Open Roads

Zach Bohannon Damnation

Zach Bohannon Revelation

Stevens, Marc First of my Kind, 2nd Edition

Peter Clines The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe

Nathan Hystad The Event

Michael Crichton Next

Graeme Reynolds High Moor

Graeme Reynolds Moonstruck

Jim C. Hines Janitors Of The Post Apocalypse

Thomas Sweterlitsch The Gone World

Michael McBride Subhuman

Jeremy Robinson The Others

Jeremy Bishop The Sentinel

James D. Prescott Extinction Code

Alan Dean Foster Relic

Bobby Adair Dusty's Diary

Adam Cesare The Con Season

Richard Kadrey Hollywood Dead

Margaret Atwood Angel Catbird

Bethany Blake Death by Chocolate Lab

Bethany Blake Dial Meow for Murder

Bethany Blake Pawprints & Predicaments

Jeff Strand The Haunted Forest Tour

Adam Cesare Tribesmen

Adrienne Lecter Exodus

Ted Dekker The Bride Collector

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Survivors

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Escape

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Humanity

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Command

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Refuge

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Conquest

T.W. Piperbrook The Ruins 1

T.W. Piperbrook The Ruins 2

T.W. Piperbrook The Ruins 3

T.W. Piperbrook The Ruins 4

T.W. Piperbrook Outage 1

T.W. Piperbrook Outage 2

T.W. Piperbrook Outage 3

T.W. Piperbrook The Reckoning

Bobby Adair Zero Day

Bobby Adair Infected

Bobby Adair Destroyer

Bobby Adair Dead Fire

Bobby Adair Torrent

Bobby Adair Bleed

Bobby Adair City of Stin

Bobby Adair Grind

Bobby Adair Sanctum

Tony Peak Signal

Steven Brust Good Guys

Stephen King & Bev Vincent Flight or Fright

Myke Cole Control Point

Myke Cole Fortress Frontier

Myke Cole Breach Zone

Graeme Reynolds Blood Moon

Michael Hodges The Invasive

Jeff Strand Dead Clown Barbecue

Echoes of Evil

Dean Koontz The Forbidden Door

James D. Prescott Extinction Countdown

Sam Sykes Humane Killer

Dan Simmons Summer of Night

Dan Simmons Children of the Night

Dan Simmons A Winter Haunting

Myke Cole Gemini Cell

Myke Cole Javelin Rain

Myke Cole Siege Line

Adam Cesare Video Night 

Deborah Sheldon Devil Dragon

Peter Meredith Generation Z

Peter Meredith The Queen of the Dead

Peter Meredith The Queen of War

Tim Powers Alternate Routes

Richard Roberts I Did NOT Give That Spider Superhuman Intelligence!

Richard Roberts Please Dont Tell My Parents Im a Supervillain

Richard Roberts Please Don't Tell My Parents I Blew Up the Moon

Richard Roberts Please Don't Tell My Parents I've Got Henchmen

Richard Roberts Please Don't Tell My Parents I Have a Nemesis

Richard Roberts Please Don't Tell My Parents You Believe Her

Michael McDowell BlackWater

Hunter Shea Mail Order Massacres

Jeff Strand Dweller 

Adam Cesare Zero Lives Remaining

Ezekiel Boone Zero Day

Ted Kosmatka Prophet of Bones

Steven L. Kent 100 Fathoms Below

Keith C. Blackmore The Missing Boatman

John Connolly Bad Men

Jeremy Robinson Forbidden Island

Chuck Wendig Under the Empyrean Sky

Chuck Wendig Blightborn

Chuck Wendig The Harvest

Shingles Audio Collection

Robert E. Howard The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard

Paul E. Cooley The Black

Paul E. Cooley Arrival

Paul E. Cooley Outbreak

M.R. Forbes Forgotten

M.R. Forbes Forsaken

M.R. Forbes Unforgiven

Jeremy  Robinson Kronos

Jeff Strand I Have a Bad Feeling about This

Mark Tufo Whistlers

Mark Tufo Atlantis

Mark Tufo Convergence

Mark Tufo Valhalla

Laurie Forest The Black Witch

Simon R. Green

Simon R. Green Man with the Golden Torc

Simon R. Green Daemons are Forever

Simon R. Green The Spy Who Haunted Me

Simon R. Green From Hell With Love

Simon R. Green For Heaven's Eyes Only

Simon R. Green Live and Let Drood

Simon R. Green Casino Infernale

Simon R. Green Property of a Lady Faire

Simon R. Green From a Drood to a Kill

Simon R. Green Dr. DOA

Simon R. Green Moonbreaker

Simon R. Green Night Fall

Rob Dircks You're Going to Mars!

Stephen King Elevation  

Drew Hayes Pears and Perils

Alma Katsu The Hunger 

Hunter Shea One Size Eats All

Joseph Fink Alice Isn't Dead

Jonathan Mayberry Glimpse

Jack Ketchum Off Season

Jack Ketchum Offspring

Jack Ketchum The Woman

Chuck Wendig The Blue Blazes

Bobby Akart Yellowstone Hellfire

Bobby Akart Yellowstone Inferno

Laurie Forest wandfasted

Greig Beck Abyss

Barry J. Hutchison Dial D for Deadman

Barry J. Hutchison Dead Inside

Barry J. Hutchison Dead in the Water

[thethingssafhaslearnedsofar]

52 things I learned in 2019

Each year humanity produces 1,000 times more transistors than grains of rice and wheat combined. [Mark P Mills]

The maths of queuing are absolutely brutal and counter-intuitive. [John D Cook]

Emojis are starting to appear in evidence in court cases, and lawyers are worried: “When emoji symbols are strung together, we don’t have a reliable way of interpreting their meaning.” (In 2017, an Israeli judge had to decide if one emoji-filled message constituted a verbal contract) [Eric Goldman]

Harbinger customers are customers who buy products that tend to fail. They group together, forming harbinger zip codes. If households in those zip codes buy a product, it is likely to fail. If they back a political candidate, they are likely to lose the election. [Simester, Tucker & Yang]

Baijiu is the world’s most popular spirit, with 10bn litres sold each year, almost entirely in China. The second most popular spirit in the world is vodka, with just 5bn litres sold. [Feyi Fawehinmi]

A Python script, an Instagram account and quite a bit of free time can get you free meals in New York City. [Chris Buetti]

At least three private companies have fallen victim to ‘deep fake’ audio fraud. In each case, a computerised voice clone of the company CEO “called a senior financial officer to request an urgent money transfer.” [Kaveh Waddell, Jennifer A. Kingson]

Drunk shopping could be a $45bn /year industry, and only 6% of people regret their drunk purchases. [Zachary Crockett]

Placebos are so effective that placebo placebos work: A pain cream with no active ingredients worked even when not used by the patient. Just owning the cream was enough to reduce pain. [Victoria Wai-lanYeung]

Since the 1960s, British motorways have been deliberately designed by computer as series of long curves, rather than straight lines. This is done for both safety (less hypnotic) and aesthetic (“sculpture on an exciting, grand scale”) reasons. [Joe Moran]

Between 1880 and 1916, Ireland had its own timezone, which was 25m 21s behind Greenwich Mean Time. After the Easter Rising, the House of Commons in London introduced GMT in Ireland and abolished Dublin Mean Time [Elena Goukassian]

Drug names are changing: X and Z names (Prozac, Seroxat) are giving way to names ending in O or A (Natesto, Qsymia) which are more appealing to speakers of Romance languages in Europe and South America. [Pascaline Faure]

The UK male suicide rate is the lowest since accurate records began in 1981. [Office for National Statistics]

The goal of walking 10,000 steps per day may have originated when a Japanese pedometer manufacturer noticed that the 万 symbol (which means 10,000) looks a little like someone walking. The actual health merits of that number ‘have never been validated by research.’ [Amanda Mull]

People hate asking sensitive questions. However, it turns out that people don’t hate being asked sensitive questions. So talking around difficult questions in research interviews is a waste of time and money. [Hart, VanEpps, Schweitzer]

The Korean Police force includes five labradors who are clones of ‘Quinn’, a bomb-sniffing dog who found fame after finding a missing girl’s body in a 2007 kidnapping. [Kim Tong-hyung]

As mobile phones became mainstream in the US in the early 1990s, the murder rate fell sharply. Street drug dealing became less popular, so gang-related turf wars were less common. (Other factors were also involved, obviously.) [Alexis C. Madrigal]

Mechanical devices to cheat your phone pedometer (for health insurance fraud or vanity) are now all over AliExpress. [Matthew Brennan]

In 2017 Google and Facebook lost $100 million between them to one scammer who sent them fake invoices. [Jeff John Roberts] [found by TomBot*]

Teenagers with acne get higher marks, are more likely to complete college and, if female, eventually get paid more than people without teenage acne. [Hugo M. Mialon & Erik T. Nesson]

72% of classical musicians have taken beta blockers for performance anxiety. [Composed]

Black women in the United States die in childbirth at roughly the same rate as women in Mongolia. [Annie Lowrey]

Sometime in the 1990s, it seems the US forgot how to make a critical component of some nuclear warheads. [Nick Baumann]

“Mushrooms and truffles are fungi, more closely related to humans than they are to plants.” [Lynne Peskoe-Yang]

In the US Northwest, rain can damage the fruit on cherry trees. So helicopter pilots are paid to fly over the orchards, using their downdraft to dry the fruit as it ripens. For the pilots, it’s a risky but potentially profitable job. [Maria Langer]

Gravitricity is a Scottish startup planning to store energy by lifting huge weights up a disused mine shaft when electricity is cheap, dropping them down to generate power when it is expensive. Using a 12,000 tonne weight (roughly the weight of the Eiffel tower), it should be half as expensive as equivalent lithium ion battery. [Jillian Ambrose]

Spotify pays by the song. Two three minute songs are twice as profitable as one six minute song. So songs are getting shorter. [Dan Kopf]

Fashion++ is a Facebook-funded computer vision project that looks at a photo of your outfit and suggests ‘minimal edits for outfit improvement’ like tucking in a shirt or removing an accessory. [Wei-Lin Hsiao & co] (In 2019, Fluxx helped launch Vogue Business.)

Three million students at US schools don’t have the internet at home. [Michael Melia & co]

No babies born in Britain in 2016 were named Nigel. [Jonathan Ore] (Correction: Robert Colvile, who broke the original story, points out that there could have been one or two Nigels in 2016 — the ONS only reports names with three or more examples)

Using machine learning, researchers can now predict how likely an individual is to be involve in a car accident by looking at the image of their home address on Google Street View. [Kinga Kita-Wojciechowska]

In 2018, the Nigerian government spent more on subsidies for petrol than on health, education, or defence. [Andrew S Nevin]

According to WaterAid research, women spend 97 billion hours a year looking for a safe place to go to the loo. That equals 46 million working years, which is the same workforce as Germany, the fourth largest economy in the world. [Caroline Criado Perez via Tanya Gold]

28% of people like the smell of (their own) urine after eating asparagus.[Rolf Degen]

AliBaba is investing $15m to research Chinese dialects, hoping to improve the performance of their voice recognition systems. [Emma Lee]

At least half of the effort of most AI projects goes on data labelling, and that’s often done in rural Indian villages. [Anand Murali]

Worldwide, growth in the fragrance industry is lagging behind cosmetics and skincare products. Why? ‘You can’t smell a selfie’. [Andrea Felsted and Sarah Halzack]

CD sales still make up 78% of music revenue in Japan (compared with less than 30% in the UK). Japanese pop fans have been encouraged to buy multiple copies of their favourite releases to win rewards (buy 2,000 copies, win a night at a hot spring with your favourite star). One 32 year-old fan was charged with illegally dumping 585 copies of a CD on the side of a mountain. [Mark Mulligan] [found by TomBot*]

Two disgruntled game developers wrote a script to generate and release identical but differently-named slot machine apps (sample names: Deer Antler Spray Slots, 3D Ravioli Slots). Eventually, the slot machine apps earned them $50,000. [Alex Schwartz & Ziba Scott]

80% of prisoners released late 2018 in a presidential pardon have opted to return to Kinshasa’s infamous Makala jail due to lack of means to live. [Olivier Kalume]

Disco, a Japanese high tech manufacturing company, has introduced an internal billing and payment system, where every cost is charged back to workers. Renting a conference room costs $100. “People really cut back on useless meetings,” says one staffer. [Yuji Nakamura & Yuki Furukawa]

A man who bought the personalised number plate NULL has received over $12,000 of parking fines, because the system records ‘NULL’ when no numberplate has been recorded. [Jack Morse]

The islands of Orkney generate 120% of their energy needs using wind and solar. However, 57% of homes in Orkney are in fuel poverty, where a household spends more than 10% of income on fuel. [Chris Silver] (This year I worked briefly with Community Energy Scotland on a project with Energy Systems Catapult)

Some blind people can understand speech that is almost three times faster than the fastest speech sighted people can understand. They can use speech synthesisers set at at 800 words per minute (conversational speech is 120–150 wpm). Research suggests that a section of the brain that normally responds to light is re-mapped in blind people to process sound. [Austin Hicks & R Douglas Fields]

SpottedRisk is a disgrace insurance company built on data: “Firstborns are at slightly higher risk of disgrace, as are those… who’ve suffered recent breakups — until the passage of time sends the bereft partner back down the ‘risk-decay curve.’” [Boris Kachka]

SDAM (Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory) is a rare syndrome where otherwise healthy, high-functioning people are unable to remember events from their own life. There is also an exhausting syndrome called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, where people can remember precise details about every single day of their life. [Palumbo & Alain]

“Polling by phone has become very expensive, as the number of Americans willing to respond to unexpected or unknown callers has dropped. In the mid-to-late-20th century response rates were as high as 70%… [falling to] a mere 6% of the people it tried to survey in 2018.” [The Economist]

In 2012, only one sports team (Manchester United) was worth more than $2bn. Today, there are 52 sports teams worth more than $2bn. [Kurt Badenhausen]

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were invented by a cleaner at a Frito-Lay factory. He’s now VP of multicultural sales for PepsiCo America. [Zachary Crockett]

Six reluctant Chinese hitmen who hired each other to carry out a murder went to jail when their outsourcing scheme collapsed. [Eric Cheung]

Fast fashion is hitting the wiping rags businesses, because some clothing is just too badly made to be sold as rags. [Adam Minter] (In January, Fluxx worked with Fibretrace to develop new ways to make the circular economy work in fashion.)

Asking ‘What questions do you have for me?’ can be dramatically more effective than ‘Any questions?’ at the end of a talk. (Many more good tips in this thread. [Jacqueline Antonovich]

[chainsawcorazon]

Gimme your thots. Angle, Booker (I already know the answer but go off), Commentary, Enthusiast, Gear, Girl Power

ajfakdjkdjgsdgs don’t expose me like this *creying*

Angle ~ Your favorite storyline(s)? Why?

I have…….. so many……

FINE, LET’S TAKE IT FROM THE TOP

WWE

Jeff/Matt/Lita/Edge/Christian clusterfuck

Jericho/Steph clusterfuck

Undertaker/Randal Orson Legend Killer Feud

Trish/Lita feud

Team Hell No storyline (Kane/Dbry was a good ship)

Dean Ambrose/Bray Wyatt feud

NJPW

THE ACE WARS, BITCH, I TRULY BELIEVE IT AINT DONE YET, WATCH TANAHASHI COME THROUGH WITH THE BIGGEST SWERVE IN THE HISTORY OF PRO WRESTLING AND TAKE THAT DAMN TITLE OFF KAZU, WATCH NAITO NOT WIN AT WRESTLE KINGDOM, BITCH!!!!

ahem, the Shin/Tana clusterfuck

Tana/Shibs clusterfuck

Apollo 55/Golden Lovers megafeud

Devitt/Ibushi jr heavyweight beef

Suzuki-gun/CHAOS clusterfuck

Taichi/Taguchi beef since birth

Apollo 55/Unione beef

Ishii/Kenneth Omega beef

Hiromu Takahashi/Dragon Lee cross-promotional beef

Apollo 55/Time Splitters beef

NJPW vs NOAH storyarc

Suzuki-gun invading NOAH storyarc

Naito/Tanahashi beef

Kota Ibushi/Shinsuke Nakamura beef

THE CURRENT LOVE STORY BETWEEN TANA AND KOTA

general Apollo 55 storyline that ran across several promotions

Taguchi/Kenneth beef

Los Ingobernables general story arc

Bullet Club vs NJPW during Devitt’s reign ONLY

Taguchi/Bullet Cub beef

Kota Ibushi/Kenny Omega beef

RYUSUKE TAGUCHI VS PRINCE DEVITT, THE UNSUNG SONG OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING, I DEMAND YOU PEOPLE WATCH THEIR FEUD GODDAMMIT

Booker ~ List people whom you think are good and/or bad at booking matches?   

Gedo’s headass is, unfortunately, the best booker in terms of heavyweight singles. He sucks ass at everything else.

WWE hasn’t booked a single interesting thing since the Bray/Dean feud I enjoyed for like, one month. Before that, it was all a scatterbrained mess, Dubya just can’t book for shit.

In terms of single-wrestler booking, AJPW really doing amazing things with Kento Miyahara right now.

NOAH is a dumpster fire that shoulda been deleted centuries ago, but I love Nakajima, Marufuji, Kotoge, and that bitchass moron Shiozaki, so I can only pray that their shit bookers can turn enough of a profit so that my faves can eat and pay rent.

Uh, Dragon Gate is a dumpster fire, but I’d lay down my life for El Lindaman, Yosuke Santa Maria, and Yamato, so I guess their booking aint been so bad???

what the fuck is going on with AAA man

CMLL has good bookers.

Stardom’s doing great.

DDTPro god-tier rn, don’t even play.

*Commentary ~ Your favorite commentators/announcers/interviewers?

Milano Collection A.T, Shinpei Nogami, and the regulars on the NJPW Japanese commentary team.

Fave announcer tho? Lilian Garcia

*Enthusiast ~ Wrestlers whom you have a crush on -OR- Wrestlers whom you are a fan of? 

My wives include:

Noamichi Marufuji, Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rush, Harashima, Pentagon Dark, Fenix, Dragon Lee, Hiromu Takahashi, Evil, Atsushi Kotoge, Yamato, El Lindaman, Katsuyori Shibata, Kenta, and Cedric Alexander.

My husbands include:

Kota Ibushi, Kento Miyahara, Bushi…. that’s it, I don’t bottom for nobody else.

*Gear ~ Your favorite and/or least favorite wrestling attires? 

Fave gears rn include Taichi + Miho combo, Tanahashi’s gear, Kento Miyahara’s gear, Io Shirai’s gear, Asuka’s gear, and Naomichi Marufuji’s gear.

Least fave? Man, what in the ever-loving hell are the Young Fucks doing.

*Girl Power ~ Your favorite female wrestler(s)? 

I have……….. so many………..

LET’S TAKE IT FROM THE TOP THEN

Trish Stratus, Lita, Kanako Urai, Io Shirai, Mayu Iwatani, Aja Kong, Gail Kim, Rosemary, Bull Nakano, Akira Hokuto, Torrie Wilson, Christy Hemme, Ashley, Mickie James, Nikki Bella, Meiko Satomura, Natalya, Charlotte, Naomi, Kairi Hojo, Beth Phoenix, and Chyna.

Uh, wow, I really did expose myself today :o