#as in the penultimate(?) scene from blue valentine

[dorminchu]

wip wednesday -- Marley Reunion [Draft A]

Scene takes place during an alternate Marley Arc. NSFW below the cut. For context, Annie goes back to Marley and becomes Vice-Captain. Eren is still here for the reason he was in canon. After four years of not seeing each other and lots of unresolved tension (romantic? emotional? sexual? take your pick!) only NOW do these two get the opportunity to resolve anything w/o distractions. And there's only one week before Tybur declares war on Paradis, during the festival!

@lunarcrystal

"How long will you be staying in Liberio?"

"Only 'til the festival."

His voice neutral. Enemies did not look at each other this way. She always told herself the next time they spoke would be to the other's grave. How simple it was for him to rebel, when he made it his prerogative. He saw her cool veneer and the fear beneath it because of his simplicity.

"You don't look drunk," said Annie.

"The clerk at the general store calls me a heavyweight drinker," Krueger answered, shifting his weight on his good leg. "I suppose that's true."

Her image reflected in his working eye, drowning in his desolation. This hunger shared between them. In four years, the outspoken idealist into a man whose conviction sucked the life from him. The same vacancy in Braun's eyes, when he thought he was alone. Annie licked her lips, in a silent battle with herself over what to say. The responsible thing to do. The silence between them so thick a knife couldn't cut it.

"Vice-Captain," he said slowly. Like he was tasting it. His voice lowered. Eyes a little wider. "Annie. It’s you?"

The first hit caught him on the mouth, knocked his head back. She got on top of him, fist in his shirt, the well of blood where she'd cut her knuckles. This was less than what he deserved. To see him spitting up blood and unable to explode in on himself, designated to the same human frailty as anyone else. "You stupid son of a bitch," she hissed, tugging him up by the collar. "I thought you were dead."

His eyes hardened. Trickle of blood from his lip. "I thought you'd recognise me sooner."

The only Eldian who looked at her without hesitation. Always happy to train with her. That boy didn't exist. Civilians accepted her as the symbol of a dying military regime, and men like Krueger as the byproduct of that sacrifice in Marley's name. Eren Jaeger, the devil of Paradis, the latest pariah to pit all of Marley's unresolved hatred against.

She lowered her fist. Bowing her head, closing the distance and sinking her teeth into the wound. He took her face in his hands and answered with the rapacious fever of a man ready to die. Threading fingers through his oily hair, tongue against teeth—iron, cheap whiskey. They could only get so close without trying to devour one another.

Eren pushed her back. Inhaling, exhaling, as if he could redirect some blood to his brain. “That—wasn’t what I meant.”

"You still don't know how to talk to girls."

His eyes flickered to hers. "You could teach me."

She got to her feet. "You're out of your mind."

Eren studied her, impassive. A far cry from the cadet of fifteen who couldn't stop running his mouth. He pushed himself up to sit. "Most days I wake up and try to convince myself I've always lived in this tenement. Perhaps, in such a life, I could have met you. We'd take a train out of Liberio, somewhere nicer, where we could just—talk." His eyes glazed over, looking through her. "But it won't change anything, will it?"

Annie shrugged out of her jacket, folding it up and setting it aside on the dresser. Unfastening her wristlet, hairpin. Working on the buttons of her shirt, avoiding her eyes in the mirror to find his face. Wide-eyed, fixed on her. The slope of her back, bending down to have a seat in the rickety chair, unlacing her boots.

Rasping movement over floorboards. She watched him drag himself to sit before her feet. Easier to internalize him as Krueger. The serviceman from the pub, hiking her dress over her knees. His hands, slender like a poet's, caressing her legs in slow, measured strokes. One of life's ironies, that he insisted on using them to fight.

Tugging her underwear to her ankles, he left the cashmere stockings. Cheek to her thigh, scrape of day-old stubble. His eyes hooded. A little worshipful. She slid her leg across his shoulder and his mouth curled.

Time fell away. Distant bustle of traffic outside. His head between her legs, lapping without finesse but a unhurried easiness, as if they’d been shacking up for months.

This wasn't really about the letters, or Grice's choice in friends. Not Marley or Eldia or the war inherited. The wounded serviceman who'd trapped her heart between his teeth, sucking a bruise into her thigh. Annie dug her heel into his spine. Her fingers threading through oily hair, curled a fist.

Picturing him in hospice. Adjusting to the crutch, marching a path around the courtyard, a young orderly on his arm. The hospitals were flooded with Marleyan volunteers. Younger women turned relicts, with the death of so many men. Such a pity that Krueger was Eldian. Trapped in his façade of shellshock, unable to express any meaningful connection.

His nose bumped the pulse between her thighs. He took it in his mouth. Annie tamped her thighs over his head, moaning through her teeth. He was groping at her legs, pinning her to the armrests. She’d only confined herself. Muscles spasming. She took her hand off his head to muffle a shout.

He sat back on his haunches, blotting his mouth. He got to his knees.

Palms under her ass, hauling her from the chair. She threw her legs around his waist once she was close enough.

His lame leg gave out and they knocked over the chair. Sprawled on top of him, he grunted. Indifferent, aside from the tent in his chinos.

He had a little come on his nose. She thumbed it away, the way Dreyse used to correct her lipstick. Annie snorted. The look of confusion on his face made it very difficult to stay composed, so she pushed her thigh into his groin.

He inhaled sharply. Annie feigned indifference. Mouthing his carotid artery. If she were to sink her teeth into him, he'd bear that mark for a while. Unbuttoning his chinos, feeling over his thighs. No flaky, peeling skin. He'd been stifling his regeneration for a couple weeks, at least.

Palming him through the button-down underwear, his eyes fluttered shut. He could hide a flush, thanks to his complexion. She licked her palm, wrapped her hand around him. Thick enough to give her pause. She'd be the only Warrior in the board-room with an inexplicable limp.

His fingers pushed into her. Swiped over her slit like a kiss goodbye. Coating himself. Slick prints on her thighs.

Lowering onto him, it barely hurt. Impaling herself completely, it wasn't as comfortable. Thighs a bracket around his waist. Each thrust into her, there was a dull sting. She grit her teeth. She wouldn't ask him to be gentle or kind. In a week, they'd be on opposite sides.

Rolling her hips, taking pace. A Warrior could empathize, though it wasn't enough to spite the hollow in her chest. She planted one palm to his chest and to her clit.

"Like this," her voice a stranger's, soft and girlish. "Touch me."

His hand joined hers. Circling his fingers. His mouth to her shoulder. Cupping her ass and pivoting into her. His shaky breaths escalating into a choked-off groan.

Falling across him as if she'd just been shot. Her forehead to his shoulder, damp with sweat. Tracing the notches of her spine to nape, where skin met scar tissue.

Medical staff in Marley didn't talk specifics beyond venereal disease. Pregnancies were a faster path back to the fields, in wedlock or disgrace. Warriors were not encouraged to make families of their own—the women couldn't carry a child to term. Defying the odds, it would be an Eldian bastard.

[dustedandsocial]

Top Several Hundred Records of 2020

My Top 11: 1. Slum Of Legs - Slum Of Legs (Harbinger Sound / Spurge) 2. Oily Boys - Cro Memory Grin (Cool Death) 3. Model Home - SE (Future Times) 4. Valentina Magaletti & Marlene Ribeiro - due matte (Commando Vanessa / Horn of Plenty <O) 5. Kris & Tavi - Kris & Tavi (Misophonia) 6. Still House Plants - Fast Edit (Bison) 7. None - Khneï Khneï Thnacapata Thnacapata (Unknown Precept) 8. Rychlicki / Kostkiewicz - Zapis (Absolute Fiction / Maternal Voice) 9. Rosso Polare - Lettere Animali (Klammklang) 10. Patois Counselors - The Optimal Seat (ever/never) 11. Impatiens - Scene At The River (Altered States) Favorite 20 That Weren't My Top 11: 12. Irma Vep - Embarrassed Landscape (Gringo) 13. FRKSE - Desecration Anxiety II (Iron Lung) 14. Merula - Sleep (Men Scryfa) 15. Al Karpenter - If We Can't Dream, They Can't Sleep!! (ever/never) 16. BbyMutha - Muthaland (the muthaboard) 17. Pose Dia - Front View (Bureau B) 18. SIR E.U - Midnight Train To Velvet (Self-Released) 19. Nightshift - Nightshift (Cusp) 20. Massicot - Kratt (Harbinger Sound / Spurge / Bongo Joe / Red Wig) 21. Alessandra Novaga - I Should Have Been a Gardener (Die Schachtel) 22. Zeroh - BLQLYTE (Leaving) 23. Swallow - Body Horror (ANA) 24. Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin - FlySiifu's (Lex) 25. Balans - Sam pravm (Kapa) 26. Bruch - The Fool (Trost / Cut Surface) 27. P22 - Human Snake (Post Present Medium) 28. ovrkast. - Try Again (do more.) 29. Chapelier Fou - Méridiens (Ici d'ailleurs) 30. Schisms - Speech Copy Rap Master (Fort Evil Fruit) 31. Új Bála - How the Cookie Crumbles (Czaszka Records)

Mozo Mozo - Mozo Mozo (Epileptic Media) Orion Moustache - EP02 (Noorden) Mentira! - Mentira! (Harbinger Sound) Leyden Jars - Gone (Outer Reaches) Last Call At Nightowls - Ask the Dust (Subsound) Gaffer - Gaffer (Helta Skelta) Inturist (Интурист) - Action! (Incompetence) Директор Всего (The CEO of Everything) - Самый занятой гражданин (Doing Great Music) Christos Chondropoulos - On Nature (12th Isle) Uptown XO - Culture Over Corporate  (1 Force United) Lichen Gumbo - Altered Village (Ikuisuus ‎/ Jumatsuga ‎/ Lal Lal Lal) The Worms - Back To The Bog (Hidden Bay) Kneeling In Piss - Music for Peasants EP (Anyway) Taste - Rope In The Closet ( If Society / Half Bear Half Cat / Roge Records) Flogging A Dead One Horse Town - Old Scum EP (MUZAI) BIG $ILKY (Psalm One & Angel Davanport) - BIG $ILKY Vol. 2 (Self-Released) Dame Area - La Soluzione É Una (Màgia Roja / B.F.E Records) Enir Da - Silence (Too Soon Tapes) Obnox - Savage Raygun (ever/never) Mike Cooper - Playing With Water (Room40) Nape Neck - Nape Neck (Self-Released) S.U.V. - Neoliberal Folk Songs II (Otomatik Muziek) Patrick Shiroishi - Descension (Thin Wrist Recordings) Pink Siifu - NEGRO (Self-Released) En Attendant Ana - Juillet (Trouble In Mind) Sergei Demin - Not Music Of The Day (Klammklang) Brandy - The Gift Of Repetition (Total Punk) Nyx Nótt - Aux Pieds De La Nuit (Melodic) Bearer - Precincts (ANA) Norms - Háború és fű (Mindig Otthon Punk Discs) Vertical Slump - Oubliette (Blank Editions) Lau Nau - Själö (With Sound Environments by Janne Laine) (Fonal) Model Home - One Year (Disciples) WOW - Falene (Maple Death) Santa Sprees - Sum Total of Insolent Blank (Leapantique) Edd Sanders - Sun Bleached & Hollow (Cadmus) Charlemagne Palestine - Ffroggssichorddd (Staalplaat) Loopsel - Loopsel EP (Mammas Mysteriska Julebox) Kuupuu - Plz Tell Me (KRAAK) (I forget whether I put the oriinal version of this on my year-end list last year. Here it is again though) QQ - Vanguard Youth (Skrot Up) DJ Speedsick - (All Releases) Armand Hammer - Shrines (Backwoodz Studioz) Lewsberg - In This House (12XU) Ubiquitous Meh! - Fecund With Love (Buried Treasure / Damnsonic) Schulverweis - Suppe (Neoprimitive) La Chasse - Meretrix ∕ Doloris (Donnez-moi du feu) No - Vol. 1 (Faustian Haus) David Nance - Staunch Honey (Trouble In Mind) Hun Bed - Brood I (Het Generiek) Młody Kotek & Niemy Dotyk - New Age Speedball (Enjoy Life) Aurat - Zeher (Etang Brulant) Addict Ameba - Panamor (Black Sweat) Sunset Flips - Between Two Sheds (Altered States) Small Bills (E L U C I D & The Lasso) - Don't Play It Straight (Mello Music Group) Nail Club - Collected Methods (Hot Releases) Maximum Ernst - Time Delay Safe (ever/never) Tim Hicks X The Dirty Church - Bullets (Humble Monarch) Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon - GOD Body & Soul Side B (Self-Released) Red Bennies - Futurist, Nihilist Post-Rock, Cyberpunk, Anti-Humanist Music (Chthonic) Tsap - Flickering Lyghte In Campsite (Altered States) Latex Cop - Privacy Policy (Cadmus Tape) Ka - Descendants of Cain (Iron Works) Violent Quand On Aime - The Movie Star (Simple Music Experience) Flaner Klespoza - Przygody i tajemnice (Nagrania Somnambuliczne) Budokan Boys - So Broken Up About You Dying (ever/never) Datblygu - Cwm Gwagle (Ankstmusik) Pays P. - Pays P. (Gravity Music) Somaticae - Amesys (In Paradisum) Kipp Stone - Homme (Self-Released) Sada Baby - Bartier Bounty 2 Tribalism3 - April on Mars (Collectif Coax) Men With Secrets - Psycho Romance and Other Spooky Ballads (The Bunker) Brainbeau - Infinite Ways (Good Samaritron) Landowner - Consultant (Born Yesterday) Jay & Yuta - Condemned Compilations (Research) Machine Woman - Dj Dolfin Snare 808 Machine (Take Away Jazz) Slowburn - Folketro (momeatdadrecords) Twinkle³ - Minor Planets (Marionette) Unglee Izi - notice & initiation au monde alterné T.1 (Lost Dogs Entertainment) Sick Urge - Structures of Domination (Puukotus-Levyt) German Army - Pulling at Principles (Flophouse) NAPPYNAPPA - IFEELJUSTLYKTHEIRART (Bad Taste) Social Stomach + Body Shame - Split (Bento) Pacific Yew - Squeeze Demo (Hot Record Societe) Isabella - Magnetica (Ehse) Trrma´ & Charlemagne Palestine - Sssseegmmeentss Frrooom Baaari (Jazz Engine) Astute Palate - Astute Palate (Petty Bunco / Eternal Soundcheck) Axel Larsen - Les Éléments Du Crime (Macadam Mambo) Post Spiderhole Ensemble - False Alarms and Excess Baggage (Kitchen Leg) Cash Kidd - No Socks Senyawa & Stephen O'Malley - Bima Sakti (iDEAL Recordings) Henny L.O. - Sages (Mutant Academy) True Sons Of Thunder - It Was Then That (Total Punk) Tim Gick - Não Há Laranja ∕ Scrying Glass Eye (Working Man Lay Down) Junk Magic - Compass Confusion (Pyroclastic Records) Person of Interest - All Tomorrows Parties (Exotic Dance) Pumice - Table (Soft Abuse) Max Nordile - Building A Better Void (Gilgongo) Mrs. Dink + Magnum Opus - Mrs. Dink / / Magnum Opus  (Soil) Swamp Harbour (Stinkin Slumrok, Bisk, & Sam Zircon) - Swamp Harbour (Blah) Camden Malik - Understand Me (10k) Heckadecimal - Critters (Kajunga) Geld - Beyond The Floor (Iron Lung) Drakeo the Ruler & JoogSzn - Thank You For Using GTL Senketsu No Night Club - 沈丁花 (Signora Ward) Jef Mertens - NO AMP (291) Tomaga ‎– Extended Play 2 (Self-Released) [R.I.P. Tom Relleen] Boldy James & The Alchemist - The Price Of Tea In China Shoreline Mafia - Mafia Bidness pisse - LP (Phantom / Harbinger Sound) Reymour ‎– Sarabande A Deux (CAF?) Goldblum - Goldblum (Het Generiek) Phil Struck - Schleswig-Holstein Aufnahmen (Séance Centre) Maths Balance Volumes - A Year Closer (Penultimate Press) Body Double - Milk Fed (Zum Audio) Low Flung - Oil in the Mangroves (Bedroom Suck) Chris Crack - White People Love Algorithms (New Deal Collectives) Krypton 81 - Tranquility Base EP (Dalmata Daniel) Akai Solo - Ride Alone, Fly Together (Break All Records) Gad Whip - Fanimal Arms (Gad Whip Recordings) Tygapaw - Get Free (NAAFI) Pamela_ and her sons - Pink Room (Self-Released) Etceteral - Ama-Gi (Kapa Records) Ghostie - Self Hate Wraith (Self-Released) Young Nudy - Anyways DrxQuinnx & Chase Baby - God Gooch & Blue Jesus EP (Bit Tape) Museum Of No Art - Museum of No Art (Séance Centre) Terrible Signal - The Window (Heart of the Rat) Bambi OFS - Yakka (B.F.E Records / Subsist) Zarabatana - Cum Raio (tsss tapes) Soberin Exx - Normal Islands (Liquid Library) Sylvain Darrifourcq, Manuel Hermia, Valentin Ceccaldi - Kaiju Eats Cheeseburgers (Full Rhizome / Hector) Günter Schlienz + Jeans Beast - Split (Econore) Hasufel - Lamentations of the Foul High Priest (So Called Hell) Delphine Dora - L’Inattingible (Three:four / Meakusma) Suburban Cracked Collective - Swimming Amongst The Dregs (A Colourful Storm) Military Genius - Deep Web (Unheard Of Hope) Mesa Of The Lost Women - Les Tables Noires (Specific) Ferocious (Bill Direen, Mark Williams, & Johannes Contag) - Ferocious (Rattle) Domestiques - Vol. 1 (Glass Modern) gogoj a.k.a Sheng Jie - oviparity (Maybe Noise / WV Sorcerer Productions) Midnight Mines - Live From The Mystery Plane (Independent Woman) Muro - Pacificar (Beach Impediment) Satan - Toutes Ces Horreurs (Jungle Khôl / Throatruiner) Scarlatine - Mimosa (Le Syndicat Des Scorpions) Vanligt Folk - Allt E'nte (Kess Kill) VOLE - Dej Bůh Pěstí (Stoned To Death) Upsidedown Flames - Creeps At Shows EP (Fuck Yoga) Zurich Cloud Motors - Do More Than Deconstruct​-​o (Zazen Tapes)

Buncha other records

Sweeping Promises record wasn't that good though. But if you guys like it when people take singing seriously, you should check out some of this music called "R&B"

[dansnaturepictures]

21/02/20-More pictures during a working day: Peregrines, Lakeside blossom and early spring colour

2 weeks after last doing it and taking all sorts of photos from the categories above I brought my bridge camera to work with me today with the main focus being to try to photograph signs of spring at Winchester Cathedral in possibly a bit of sun. As it happened the sunny intervals that were likely never really materialized with the sun only threatening to break through a few times whilst I was out of the office but it was still really fun to be out with the camera. This was a way to raise my photography spirits a little after two weekends with dark days due to storms. 

As I walked to the railway station I noticed a big sign of spring as I walked by Lakeside Country Park, the white cherry blossom on trees. I have not cut across Lakeside on the way to work or on the way home for months because it’s too muddy to be going there in work gear. But passing it in the mornings and some evenings a little bit lately with them drawing out now I had noticed the blossom on many of the trees there throughout the landscape. This evening I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of a tree in blossom at Lakeside. It always looks so remarkable and stands out so well against a bare and therefore dark landscape at this stage in a year as winter’s end seems near. I also admired a tree in pink blossom when in Winchester on the way to work. 

This lunch time I relished the opportunity to look for the Winchester Peregrines and try to photograph them again. I felt very nostalgic as I noticed yesterday the webcam of the nesting area (with an additional camera to last year) has been switched on, link to it here: https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/the-peregrines-return-in-2020/ So just like the initial period where I started following these birds more regularly this time last year and photograph them occasionally a period of time I look back on fondly which I am celebrating being 12 months from of late, I could have a look on the webcam and see if the birds were there and they were just before I headed out to lunch. It informed my decision not to visit St. Thomas Church the other place they go but go straight to the cathedral. That I did today and when I got there after taking the view in the first picture in this photoset I felt the magic of then seeing these iconic birds in the flesh. I took the fourth, fifth and sixth pictures in this photoset of the two Peregrines today. 

I watched for a little bit and took photos of both birds. One flew away but then noisily flew back in. The other moved around a bit on the north tower ledge and dropped in above the nesting tray for a bit on the webcam I had seen one on the nesting tray this morning. I was humbled once more to be observing and getting the chance to photograph these amazing birds. All the exciting and joyful feelings I have obtained when watching these birds over the last year were there today. I was even more honoured by the fact I’ve seen both birds at both locations on Fridays I had my camera this month after photographing both birds at St. Thomas Church two weeks ago today. I just feel extremely lucky I’ve been able to do this adding to a portfolio of pictures I’ve taken of these birds which I am really happy with. 

I am so happy that February was the first month I managed to take pictures of both these birds at both locations in as February was the month it all started in 2019 for my regular Peregrine photos or photo attempts when I first took my camera in my work bag to photograph a Peregrine. I shared today as I did last year on Valentine’s Day when there with my camera that immense excitement for the spring ahead with these birds and generally this time of year. I think my heart swells for the Peregrines even more in breeding season which it’s hit me we’re now in really due to how lucky we are to have the birds nesting in Winchester. It’s a unique buzz around the whole thing I had today that I also had that day last February. 

As I went through the cathedral grounds to Abbey Gardens and a look at the River Itchen where I ate lunch I captured more of the sights of early spring with some in between these locations today too. I took the second and third pictures in this photoset of Snowdrops and Daffodils two flowers I have been enjoying here so much recently. I took the seventh picture in this photoset of pink blossom when walking through Colebrook Street car park. At Abbey Gardens and the river I felt I got a bit creative with getting lovely bright flowers photographed by taking ones of them with the landscape behind. The one I did in Abbey Gardens the eighth in this photoset. Something it was fun to try out and the bridge camera does so well. It was also interesting to for my first time ever see some water from the river over the footpath a little after all the rain recently. I took the ninth and penultimate picture in this photoset of this I have seen fields beside the River Itchen flooded this week in the area of the scene I captured from the train two weeks ago. Another fantastic and varied working day with my bridge camera this month which I felt lucky to have. 

Wildlife Sightings Summary: One of my favourite birds the Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, House Sparrow, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull and I heard Blue Tit and Song Thrush.

[amplesalty]

Halloween 2021 - Day 22 - Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018)

The Graboid world tour continues...

Like Nightmare on Elm St, Tremors is another franchise we’re starting to get towards the end of here. This marks the penultimate entry in the series to date, with the likelihood of an eighth film up in the air. Burt Gummer might well be indestructible but Michael Gross probably isn’t, dude is like 74. He can’t keep fighting these Graboids forever. Just looking at his filmography, I didn’t know he was in that Vanilla Ice vehicle ‘Cool as Ice’. Isn’t it weird the kind of people that got put in movies purely as marketing exercises?

Anyway, the idea of Gummer’s mortality is something that is explored within the movie when it’s found that he’s actually poisoned and it’s suggested this was as a result of that time he got eaten by a Graboid in 3. Hey, callbacks! There’s more of a focus on Jamie Kennedy’s character too, him wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps and take over as the great Graboid hunter once the old man has to hang up his seismic activity meter and lock his gun cabinet for good.

And speaking of callbacks, we even get a new character, Valerie, who is the daughter of Valentine and Rhonda from the first movie. C’mon, Kevin Bacon, you wanted to do that new TV show so you clearly want to give something back to the series, this would have made the perfect opportunity to do a cameo. Even if it’s just a Skype call to your kid it’d still be something.

As the title would suggest, this one has some snowy leanings but not nearly as much as you would expect. It starts out cold enough with a small team of researchers taking samples from the ground but their drill seems to hit something hard and all of a sudden this goop starts coming up from the ground. Hey, wait a second, isn’t this just the start of Reptilicus?!

Seems like they struck a Graboid though and it don’t take too kindly to being drilled into like that so it promptly erupts from the ground and starts devouring them. Thus leading to the call to the world’s one and only Graboid hunter to come save the day.

But Graboids are a desert phenomenon, surely? What are they doing in these Arctic conditions all the way up here in Canada? Well, it’s explained as a mix of evolution and global warming. Perhaps these Graboids have laid dormant in the ice for generations, where some of their kin may have migrated South to warmer climates to become the Graboids we came to know. But with the increase in the Earth’s temperature and melting ice caps, the ground in this location has become easier to move through, leading to this appearance. Okay, I wasn’t expecting Ferngully, Avatar type environmental movie to be this franchise’s next move.

They explain that it’s unusually warm which accounts for the lack of snow around the place. Apparently they filmed this is in South Africa which doesn’t really seem like the most appropriate place to film an Artic tundra. Even the snow they do have is all digitally altered sand from a desert location. Cheats!

They do slap a bunch of filters on to give a more cold feeling atmosphere to the place. It’s really noticeable when you jump from the warm looking scenes in Perfection to these Canada ones where everything’s got this blue tint to it.

For all that talk of evolution though, this movie doesn’t really present the next great change in the line of the Graboid. Before we’ve had the Shriekers, Ass-Blasters and the detaching mouth tentacle things but there’s no such development to be found here. At best there’s a moment where a scientist is killed whilst standing in some sort of sea or lake which I think would be a first for the series but it’s not really acknowledged as something noteworthy. I guess just the fact that they’re in the snow rather than sand is gimmick enough for this movie. Bit of a shame, I was hoping for some sort of mutation based on the icy conditions. Like maybe you could have a scene where the survivors think they’re being smart by moving to a building that the Graboid’s can’t break into, so the Graboid’s are able to breath ice or something that makes the building really cold and flushes everyone out.

I suppose the idea that they have to capture a Graboid alive in order to extract antibodies to help cure Gummer’s poisoning is a new twist as well. It actually adds this interesting dynamic where Gummer is being very selfless and would rather kill all the Graboids rather than risk anyone’s life by leaving one alive, to the point where it looks like he might be a hindrance to the plot to capture one.

And it does give us a gratiuitious ass shot.

As with the last movie, Jamie Kennedy isn’t nearly as annoying as I was worried he would be when I was going into Tremors 5. Which is a good thing since he actually is a much bigger part of this movie with the Graboid poisioning putting Gummer out of action for certain sections of the movie, leading son Travis to step in and be the big hero. There’s even a passing of the torch somewhat when Travis puts on the old man’s aviators and baseball cap. Though, it’s a Cubbies one this time around rather than an Atlanta Hawks one. They win a World Series and suddenly Gummer is a big fan?! What a glory hunter!

Maybe they were testing the waters for moving Travis into the leading man role to carry the series forward into new sequels but I guess that didn’t pan out since I don’t think he’s even in the next one. You know who is though? Napoleon Dynamite himself, Jon Heder. Makes it feel kinda odd to put this investment into spending more time into Travis’ character if he wasn’t going to be sticking around but I suppose it does form a bit of an arc to have him mature somewhat and become this more responsible person.

All in all, it’s your standard Tremors sequel fare. Nothing groundbreaking in the world of cinema but a fairly watchable romp propped up by the strong personality of Gummer. Can you believe they weren’t even going to put him in that new TV series? Maybe that’s why it never got off the ground, forget Kevin Bacon, Burt Gummer is the real heart and soul of this series!

[obsessivesarcasticgayliving]

Holiday Traditions

you can also read over on ao3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/13108377

Christmas was Alex Danvers favorite holiday when she was younger. The day after Thanksgiving, her parents started the decorating process. They put up all their outside decorations. The next day, they spent putting up their artificial tree and decorating it while dancing around to Christmas music. In the beginning of Eliza and Jeremiah’s relationship, they always got a real spruce tree. One year, however, a dry needle ended up underneath Jeremiah’s toenail, the next year they purchased an artificial tree and never looked back.  

Once all of their decorations were up, the real fun began: Christmas light search rides. Alex loved the lights that lit up her entire street from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Every year, starting in the second weekend in December, The Danvers clan would drive through different neighborhoods in Midvale to search for the houses that were decorated in the prettiest, brightest, most colorful, most classy, tackiest way.  Each member would point out their favorite parts, and they would judge the houses on a scale of 1 to 10 in each category.

Every night when they arrived home from their hunt for Christmas lights, Alex sat squished between her mom and dad, drinking hot Chocolate and watching that night’s holiday special on ABC. Her favorites were Rudolph, and Santa Claus is Comin' to town. On the nights when one of her parents had to work late or later when she had too much homework, they would take a break from everyday responsibilities and play games. Alex loved how much time she got to spend playing games with her parents, a fire roaring next to them, and laughter filling the air. Her parents were always attentive and present when she needed them most, but during the holidays, it always seemed like they were around more often.

Her favorite day of the holiday season, however, was Christmas Eve.  She and her parents always went to the Christmas Eve service before dinner. When they got back, Alex was given two presents. The first were her special Christmas eve pajamas. The second was a gift sent by her paternal grandpa. After she changed into her PJ’s and called her grandpa to thank him, she climbed into bed for her favorite part of the night. Her mom settled on one side of her and gently rubbed her face and pushed her hair back helping the excited child relax. Her father got settled on her other side with “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” in his hands. She loved how her father dropped his voice even lower when reading Santa’s lines from “‘ Twas the Night Before Christmas;” the sound of his voice, rhythm, and timber the only reason a little Alex Danvers calms down enough to sleep.

When she woke up Christmas morning, she would always open her door to find that Santa left a stocking on the outside of her door. Every year it had coloring books and crayons, a movie or two, and a mind puzzle. The presents in this stocking always made the time from when she woke up, 5:30 or 6 am, and the agreed upon time she could get her parents up, 8:30, go by much faster. Every year, however, she could help sneaking downstairs to see if Santa had left presents for her and her family.

At 8:30 on the dot, Alex Danvers could be found running down the hall, throwing open her parents’ room, and lunging onto the bed.  She would scramble to her feet and start jumping up and down shouting, “It’s Christmas,” over and over again.  The shouting quickly became squeals of delight and excitement when Eliza and Jeremiah grabbed her, pulled her down onto the bed, and tickled her relentlessly.

Eventually, they stopped the tickle fight to catch their breath, and Alex would remember that presents were waiting for her downstairs. Alex sat on the floor in front of the couch where her Eliza sat.  Jeremiah made his way to the tree and began passing out presents to his daughter and wife. Every so often He opened a present himself at Alex’s insistence.  Once all the presents were opened, the Danvers family spent the rest of the day playing with the toys and games they opened, watching movies, and enjoying time as a family.  The day ended with ham and turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and apple pie.

The traditions stayed the same throughout the years even after Kara came to live with them. Everything stayed the same except they had another person to buy presents for and share their traditions. The holidays were, in fact, one of the first times Kara and Alex got along with each other before Jeremiah died.

Nothing changed for the Danvers family during the holidays until Jeremiah left and never came back, presumed dead. After that devastating realization, nothing was ever the same. Alex had no desire to participate in the holiday season. She hid in her room until Eliza forced her to come out and be a part of the family. The year after she and Kara bonded through the tragedy of Kenny’s death and finding his killer, though, Alex decided to try a little to get into the holiday spirit.  As more years went by, Alex started participating just slightly more than the year before. But this year, this year Alex Danvers dove head first into the Christmas spirit and it was all because of a certain National City Police Detective, from the science division, who stole her crime scene.

Maggie Sawyer fell in love with Christmas at an incredibly young age. In Blue Springs, Nebraska, Christmas brought snow to play in, presents to open Christmas morning, and time spent with her parents filled with laughter. Other Holidays were great. Sure, Thanksgiving had good food, and her mom sewed her the best costumes for Halloween. Before her fourteenth year, she partook in the cheesy Valentine’s Day festivities, giving and receiving chocolates from her friends and parents. Easter brought with it new life outside and baskets from the Easter Bunny. The important of Easter was not lost on young Maggie Sawyer. Her parents made sure that she knew the importance of the Son of God’s sacrifice on Good Friday, Christ’s crucifixion washing away the sins giving new life to his those who followed the Christian faith. Her parents made sure she knew what that sacrifice meant for Maggie’s future, and Maggie took that lesson to heart.

So, Maggie loved Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Easter for different reasons. But, Christmas was the penultimate holiday in Maggie’s eyes.  It was a joke in her household that she was born loving Christmas. Everything about the season was her favorite. One of her favorite activities was going and picking out a tree the first weekend in December and watching her dad cut it down. Once they got home, they spent the day drinking hot chocolate, eating their hearts out on homemade comfort food and decorating the tree.

Every year the Sawyer family would go to a craft show and buy handcrafted, personalized ornaments. Her parents always joked that by the time she was graduating from college, they would have enough of those ornaments to fill two trees. She loved watching her mother meticulously place the bulb ornaments inside the tree to that every hole was covered. Her favorite part of decorating the tree though was when her dad lifted her in the air to put the Angle on top.

The night after decorating the tree, the Sawyer family sat snuggled on the couch watching Frosty the Snowman and Dr. Seuss’: How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Maggie always fell asleep before the second movie ended and was carried up to her bed by her dad.

Through the next few weeks leading up to Christmas, the family of three would watch a movie or Christmas themed episode of T.V. after dinner and then go to sleep. For the first fourteen years of her life, her entire family gathered on Christmas Eve. Just after dinner, Maggie’s father would read ‘”Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Then, they all went to Midnight Mass. They would head home once Midnight Mass ended, Maggie carried into the house by her Papi after she fell asleep in the car on the way home. She’d wake up early in the morning, running into her parents’ room, launching herself onto her parents’ bed squealing with excitement. Waking her parents’ up with shouts of, “it’s Christmas” and “Let’s open presents” and “come on mommy-come on papi-I want to see if Santa came.” Barely able to contain her excitement, Maggie still knew the rules, she wasn’t allowed downstairs until her parents told her otherwise. She would run circles around her parents’ room and down the hallway, but she never set one foot on the stairs. Then eventually, Maggie’s dog-tired, loving father would go downstairs first, while she and her exhausted, loving mother would come down a few seconds later hand in hand. They would sit and open presents painstakingly slow in young Maggie’s opinion. That night, her family would gather again. The adults ate in one room, the children in another. Then they would sing Christmas Carols and open family presents. The children would have a sleepover at grandma and grandpa’s; parents would come gather their tireless children the next morning.  The next week would be spent blissfully ignoring all the bad in the world, instead focusing on the good and on family.

The holiday became bitter for Maggie after her parents kicked her out on her 14th Valentine’s Day. For the next few years, she spent the holidays mostly alone. This changed when she was a rookie police officer in Gotham. When her training officer, Mike, learned that she and her family were estranged, he and his wife insisted that she spend them with their family. The first couple years she was in National City for the holiday season, she spent it alone in her apartment. This year though was possibly Maggie’s favorite Christmas to date. It was the first of many Christmas’s spent with a certain agent of the non-existent DEO who couldn’t understand that it was her crime scene.

It wasn’t their very first Christmas as a couple, but it was Maggie’s first Christmas as part of the Danvers sisters made-from-love-not-just-blood family.

Their first Christmas together, their relationship was still new. They were wrapped in a bubble of happiness. They were still learning the big things about each other. Which side of the bed did they prefer? How do they take their coffee? Which gun is their favorite? They were still learning the little things too. Like how Alex loses the ability to think, briefly, when Maggie brushes her lips lightly against the nape of her neck. Or how Maggie almost undetectably blushes when she finds the handmade notes Alex left for her in her overnight bag.

So, their first Christmas together they celebrated it a few days early on December 23rd.  They set a price limit, no more than $20 on a gift. Coincidentally, they gave each other the same thing, and it was much less than $20. After their dinner date at one of the fancier restaurants in National City, they made their way to the park that leads to Maggie’s apartment. Walking hand in hand, meandering slowly towards their destination, they both fiddled with the long thin wrapped box in their respective pockets.

Once they reached Maggie’s apartment, Alex waited for Maggie to unlock the door. Confusion contorted her face when Maggie turned away from the door and to her instead. Maggie’s hand clasped around the box for a second before she extended it to Alex. “Merry Christmas,” she whispered.

“Maggie, you could have waited until we were in the apartment,” Alex whispered back.

“Just open it.” Maggie chuckled.

Alex slipped the bow tied around the box and took the top off. When her eyes fell on the item inside the box, it took everything she had not to burst out laughing.

At Alex’s reaction, Maggie exclaimed disgruntledly, “Why are you laughing? It’s not supposed to be funny!”

“I’m sorry-Maggie I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s not a funny gift. It’s actually an amazing gift.”

“Then why did it look like you were holding back a laugh?”

Instead of answering with words, Alex pulled a box similar in size and shape and held it out for Maggie to take. “Merry Christmas,” Alex repeated the words Maggie spoke earlier.

“Alex, come on, I don’t want that right now. Just tell me what’s so funny about the gift.”

“Just open it, Maggie.”

Maggie sighed, opening the box slightly less gently as Alex. When she so what was in the box, she closed her eyes a smile playing on her lips, her shin hitting her chest.

“I was almost, basically, laughing, Maggie Sawyer, because I got you the exact same gift. Well, not the exact same gift because I gave you a key to my apartment and I’m assuming that you gave me a key to your apartment. But the idea and sentiment are exactly the same, so it’s basically the same exact pres-“

Alex was cut off by Maggie’s lips crashing into hers. They pulled apart when breathing became a necessity, pressing their foreheads breathing in the other’s essence. “Sorry, but it didn’t look like you were going to stop talking anytime soon and I really just want to say thank you, unlock the door, and do more of the kissing. So, after you Alex.” Maggie stepped back, bowing and sweeping her right arm in front of her inviting Alex to use her newly gifted key to let them into the apartment.

That was their first Christmas together as a couple. Their next Christmas though, they spend together in entirety. They spent it together as family. They spent it together as the soon to be Danvers family?  The soon to be Sawyer family? The soon to be Danvers-Sawyer family? The soon to be Sawyer-Danvers family? They were still deciding, arguing really, about what their Last name should be. But the important thing is that they were together, happy, soon to be married, and in love with each other and life.

This year though, they didn’t focus much on the past that was bad. Their focus was on the present. Their focus was on the people that surrounded them as they all sat in the townhouse that Alex and Maggie bought just after Halloween once both of their leases ended.

They moved in the second week of November; with both of their precision skills, the entire house was unpacked and livable in one weekend. It was weird for the couple to come home every night knowing that they would leave work and go to the place that, together, they are turning into a home. The first major holiday that rolled around after they moved in was Thanksgiving.  The couple wasn’t ready to host their family just yet so they all headed to Kara’s as per usual. This year, however, Eliza had someone in the Kitchen helping her, Maggie Sawyer. Both women enjoyed cooking with someone that knew their way around a kitchen and learning tricks of the trade from the other. Thanksgiving was a great time for the family of misfits.

The best part for Alex and Maggie was the feeling that one can only feel when surrounded by loved ones. It was a feeling of hope, contentment, happiness, love, and excitement. For the first time in over a decade, both women were so incredibly excited for the upcoming holiday. They couldn’t wait to make their own traditions together. They were so impatient, in fact, that they started their traditions Thanksgiving night.

Arriving back at their home at 11 pm, Alex and Maggie changed into their pajamas and went to sleep. Four hours later, a blaring, repetitive, annoying sound broke through their deep slumber. It was a sound they were used to hearing and most days it was a sound they hated more than the mountain of paperwork they have to fill out every time they get caught making out in a supply closet at their respective places of work.

Slowly but determinedly, they climb out of bed and put on clothes appropriate for public viewing. Between the two of them, they had most everything they needed for their new home but they still needed a few things, and the Black Friday deals were too good to ignore.

The first store they waited in line for was Target. The doors opened at 6, and in order to stay warm they traded places in line and sitting in the car with the heat blasting. They headed to the kitchenware first. They were in desperate need of new pots and pans; Maggie’s were worn from almost constant use and Alex’s were ruined from the many cooking mishaps they endured. Once they secured their cookware, they slowly traveled through the store. They gathered movies and books and games they thought their friends would enjoy and made mental notes of things the other mentioned for ideas later when they were alone.

The other reason they were at Target was to get a multitude of different toys, games, and knickknacks they planned to donate to toy drives around the city.  They both figured that they made enough to live comfortably and then some, so it only made sense to spread the holiday cheer.

Maggie brought up the idea when they were looking through the black Friday adds the previous Sunday. It was something she’d done since she started making a little more money. She knew what it was like waking up with little to nothing under the tree. It was sad no matter what age a person was.  She knew that the holiday wasn’t about gifts, it was about family and showing people you love them. For some, though, that love was shown and felt through the power of presents. Maggie wanted to make sure that all kids, no matter how old, knew and felt that people in the world cared for them even if they’ve never met. It was one of the biggest reasons Maggie became a cop in the first place. When Maggie suggested she and Alex do this, Alex was 100% on board.  She couldn’t wait.

When they reached the toy section of the store, they found total chaos. Parents were nearly tackling other parents for this year’s hottest gifts. Both women had seen this before, hell, Maggie had worked black Friday before. Knowing what it would be like, they entered the store with a game plan. Maggie being the smaller of the two, would go down each aisle and grab what they had chosen in the ad and bring it back to Alex who was waiting in the main aisle with the cart. By the time they checked out, it was almost 9:30 am, and their DEO borrowed SUV was packed to its maximum capacity. One thing was for sure, though, they had just started their first-holiday tradition. Next year, however, they planned on starting to gather the toys, movies, books, and games earlier than Black Friday.

The Next place they went to was Macy’s for a new mattress. They loved both of their old mattresses because of the amazing memories they’d created on them. But both mattresses were in pretty rough shape. So, they decided as an early wedding gift; they would pick out and buy a new mattress.  Finally, they arrived home exhausted and satisfied by 12:30 pm.

The first weekend of December marked their second future tradition. This one came from Maggie’s memories. Alex woke Maggie early in the morning and ushered her into her car. Maggie sat confusedly as Alex drove, trying to figure out what was going on. After a quick breakfast and coffee, they made their way to a cut down your own tree farm.  When Maggie realized where they were, she could barely wait for Alex to park before crashing their lips together in excitement. It took a few hours to find the perfect tree, but there was no question once they did. They picked a beautiful, full, 7 and ½ foot tree. They got to work with the battery-operated chainsaw they brought and had a tree ready to be transported in what seemed like no time at all. They took it home and set it outside so it could dry out for the required amount of time. The rest of the day, they sat in their living room in lounging clothes watching all of their favorite holiday movies.

A few days later, they moved the tree into the house and invited all their friends over to help decorate it and host their first ever game night in their new place. They drank hot chocolate, sang Christmas Carols, and decorated one of the most beautifully decorated trees any one of them had ever seen. The night ended with everyone taking turns singing their favorite Christmas songs karaoke-style in-between decorating the rest of the townhouse with homemade and store-bought decorations.

The next night they both had off ended up being Alex and Maggie’s favorite night of the season so far. They decided that it was the perfect night to drive around National city to look at all the decorated houses. They spent hours driving around and admiring the twinkling lights and blow-ups.

Alex’s favorite house was one of the brightest houses wither woman had ever seen. There were blue LED lights on every other tree in the front yard. On the bushes in the front laid multi-colored strands of lights that zig-zagged their way up the lamppost that sat in front of the house back towards the garage. In front of the bushes was a tree that had two geese sitting on either side. The lamppost had a flag that read “SANTA STOP HERE” in flashing green white and red lights respectively. On the left side of the house sat a lighted Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and friends. Clarice, Hermie, Bumble, Cornelius, Rudolph, the polka-dotted elephant, and a blow-up Santa could be seen. Near the front door, on the other side of a brick wall sat a blow-up flamingo and dachshund. On the other side of the front door, a small tree and Santa were found sitting on top of an old school desk that could only be recognized in the daylight. Above that, greenery with lights began outlining the entire front of the house including the garage. On the right side of the house, a wire tree with green lights wrapped entirely around it sat behind a light-up penguin and snowman. The couple passed this house slowly a couple times because it took a while to see everything.

Maggie’s favorite house wasn’t quite as bright but just as magical. On the lower roof sat a light-up sleigh with reindeer. Below that on the ground were candy cane lights that changed color. In front of the candy canes, sat two lighted deer. One’s head moved up and down, while the other’s moved side to side. A pang of nostalgia pulled at Maggie’s heartstrings as she remembered helping her mother set up similar lighted reindeer when she was little. On the other side of the house was a decoration that once was a headless horseman Halloween decoration. The people that lived they're turned the horseman into Santa riding a reindeer with a bag of presents on its back. That was Maggie’s all-time favorite Christmas decoration so far. There was a tree that partially obscured the front door that had snowflakes and giant lighted bulbs hanging from it.  This house didn’t have as many decorations up as the other, but it was just as beautiful.

After both Alex and Maggie had their fill of holiday lights, they went home with a magic that only comes from sharing moments like these with loved ones’ coursing through their veins. They snuggled up on the couch and watched Rudolph and Alex’s urging followed by Frosty and Maggie’s.

Between their night exploring the city for Christmas lights and Christmas Eve, both women barely had a minute to breath let alone relax. On Christmas Eve, Alex, Maggie, Kara, Lena, Eliza, James, Winn, J’onn, Lucy, Clark, and Lois could be found somewhere in Alex and Maggie’s living room. They arrived back at the house after an 11 o’clock Christmas Eve service at the church they were going to get married. They were all dressed in matching or similar pajamas, red and black plaid pants and a shirt that read we believe with Santa’s face in the middle. Maggie picked them out, to surprise Alex, on-line and surprised everyone when they showed up on December 24th. It was just after midnight, a huge pile of presents could be found under the tree, and a majority of the people were starting to yawn more and more frequently.

Alex scanned the room quickly before she quietly got up and walked over to a bookshelf. She grabbed a book and made her way to J’onn.  Without saying a word, she held the book out to J’onn who took it slightly puzzled. “When I was growing up, my dad always read this to me. I know it’s childish and probably stupid, but I miss hearing the story. I was hoping someone would read it to us-all of us- tonight.” Alex glanced down and then back up quickly, “I was hoping you’d read it to us. You’ve kinda become a father figure to a lot of us here tonight, hell you saved my life, literally, before it could spiral anymore out of control. So, anyway, would you mind reading us the story.” She ended catching the eyes of the man she couldn’t wait to have to walk her down the aisle in a few short months.

“I’d be honored, Alex.”

Alex walked back to Maggie settling in behind her. As she walked, she pointed a look around the room landing on one person in particular. “If any of you mention a word of this to anyone ever, I won’t be responsible for my actions.” Winn gulped as he kept eye contact with Alex the entire time she walked back to her spot.

J’onn waited until everyone was settled and ready before he began. “’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house…” He read in a voice that could soothe even the crankiest of babies, or badass DEO agents and NCPD detectives, as the case may be. He finished the story and the large family of misfits talked and laughed for another hour or so.  It got to the point where everyone was yawning and fighting their bodies need for sleep.

Eliza, ever the mother, began ushering all of her children off to bed. Alex and Maggie went to their room and fell asleep almost instantly wrapped in the other’s arms. They tried to insist that others take their bed, but everyone refused. Instead, they piled air mattresses, and cot’s in one of the spare bedrooms, living room, and basement. Once everyone including J’onn was asleep, Eliza set to work. She set stockings for everyone outside of the rooms they were sleeping. She also brought out a bunch of presents that were waiting in her car. There were several presents for everyone. She had heard so much about Lena and Lucy, the two newest additions to the family, from Kara, Alex, Maggie, and even Clark that she felt she already knew them like a mother should. Every present that she brought in had a tag that read from Santa. No one was too old to receive a gift from Santa. Eliza finished her task and made her way to the second spare bedroom that everyone left for her.

The only years that Alex wasn’t up early on Christmas morning were the first few years after her father “died.”  This year, however, may have been the worst one yet. She woke up four hours after they went to bed ready to start the day. She rolled over expecting to find a still sleeping Maggie. Instead, she found empty cold sheets.

“Maggie?” She whispered sitting up and searching the room for her fiancé. What she found made the biggest smile she thinks she’s ever produced cross her face. Maggie’s face popped up looking at Alex with wide, shocked eyes. A slightly guilty look flitted across her face before she relaxed and half smiled at her groggy fiancé.

“Hey, sorry, did I wake you?” Alex shook her head in the negative. “I woke up, and I was really thirsty, so I went to get a glass of water. When I opened the door, I saw two stockings hanging on the door. One of them had my name, and I got excited. It’s been so long since I’ve had a stocking with my name on it. And I just-I felt like a kid again, and I needed to open it. There’s some real throwback stuff in here.” Maggie said as she held up Jax, pick-up sticks, and a bunch of candy one after another. “There’s one for you too.” Maggie jerked her head toward their bedroom door.

Alex squealed and shot towards the door as fast as she could. She got tangled in the sheets in her haste and almost ended up falling flat on her face. If she didn’t have the reflexes, she did she would have. Alex straightened up and shot a playful glare at Maggie who was doing her best to stifle her laughs. Finally, Alex made her way to their door stepped into the hallway for a nanosecond and then made her way to where Maggie was sitting on the floor.  

Alex started digging through the stocking when she found a note. As she read she started to laugh uncontrollably. This laugh was Maggie’s favorite. It was the laugh that Alex only let slip when she was completely comfortable in her surroundings or for when she “totally and completely exhausted. Alex caught her breath and finally realized that Maggie was staring at her quizzically.  “Mom and dad always left stocking outside my room when I was little, and mom continued the tradition when Kara and I were teenagers. I was always up before dawn, and this is how they kept me entertained until I was allowed to get them up,” Alex explained as she held out the note in her hand.

Alex,

I’m so happy that you are finally loving Christmas like you did as a little girl again. And I can’t express enough how amazing Maggie is. You two are lucky that you found each other. I hope that you enjoy sharing this Christmas tradition with your fiancé. You know the rules though, no waking me up until at least 8:30. I love you, sweetheart.

To the moon and back,

Mom

Maggie finished the note and smiled at Alex as she saw the time on her phone. “We still have three hours ya know!”

“I know.”

“How would you like to pass the time?”

“Ya know, I’m not 100% sure. We do have several fantastic games to play here.”

“We do.”

“I was always pretty good at pick-up-sticks when I was a kid.”

“Pick-up sticks is definitely a fun game.” Maggie slowly moved toward Alex, her eyes flitting between Alex’s eyes and lips.

"Of course there are always other things that we can do to pass the time too."

"Hu-huh."

Alex and Maggie both closed their eyes relishing the still mind-blowing feeling that was kissing the woman that they loved. “This….is….definitely………a better…way….to..pass….the…..time” Alex mumbled between kisses.

“Mhmm, that’s what I thought!” Maggie responded pushing Alex onto her back.  Maggie’s hand finds its way under Alex’s shirt. Slowly, Maggie moves her hands up Alex’s stomach, all the while she and Alex were still kissing. She smirked into the kiss as Alex squirmed underneath her. Her hands moved up until they brushed against Alex’s breasts. Alex’s back arched up, trying to create more contact but Maggie pulled away slightly.

Finally, hearing Alex’s whine, Maggie gave in, taking both of Alex’s breasts in her hands, massaging them gently at first.  Every time Alex moaned or squirmed, Maggie applied more and more pressure. After a few minutes, she took Alex’s nipples into her hands, squeezing and twisting them between her thumbs and index fingers.

When Maggie felt she had paid ample attention Alex’s breasts, she let her hands travel back down Alex’s abdomen. Alex was growing impatient, and her need was becoming unbearable.  Alex reached up, tugging on Maggie's shirt. Maggie, paused her actions momentarily to let Alex remove her shirt.  Alex stared hungrily at the sight of her topless fiancé.

Still staring, Alex moved into a sitting position to connect their lips again. Maggie shifted so that her legs were bent on either side of Alex’s waist.  

Maggie's hands mimicked Alex’s from a few moments ago, pulling her shirt up and over her head. Alex grabs Maggie's face connecting their lips again. Her tongue sweeps over Maggie's bottom lip, quickly gaining access to Maggie's open mouth. Alex’s hands slide down Maggie's neck and chest stopping at her breasts. Alex paid similar attention to Maggie's breasts as Maggie had to Alex's.

Maggie’s head fell back, breaking the kiss, as she leaned into Alex's hands. Slowly regaining her composure, Maggie placed her hands on the waistband of Alex's pajama pants. Pausing quickly to ask permission she met Alex's eyes and smiled. Alex nodded her head almost imperceptibly and started to lean back again so she could lie down. Maggie slid Alex's pants and underwear down, Alex raising her hips to help. Maggie quickly removed her pants and underwear as well, hoping to minimize any further interruptions.

When Maggie made her way back on top of Alex, she moved so that one of her legs rested between Alex's, just far enough from Alex's center that no relief would come just yet.  

She leaned down kissing Alex for the umpteenth time that morning. She pulled back pecking Alex as she did and moved her lips to her neck. She sucked on the skin over her pulse point. After several seconds Maggie bit the skin beneath her mouth, immediately soothing the pleasurable sting with her tongue. Maggie made her way down to the top of Alex’s breast, sucking and biting and soothing the skin there in the way she had learned drove Alex insane early in their relationship. She moved down Alex’s stomach repeating the process over and over again stopping at Alex’s hip bone and making her way back up on the other side of Alex’s body.  

By the time Maggie made it back to Alex’s neck, Alex could barely control the desire she felt, the only thing she could focus on was the throbbing between her legs.  “Mags, please?’

“Please what baby?”

“I n-need you. Please” Alex stuttered as Maggie ever so slightly ground her hips down causing her thigh to rub against Alex’s clit while her own rubbed against Alex’s bent thigh. Alex bent her thigh so that Maggie had something to grind down on helping her relieve some of her own built up tension.

“Where do you need me, Al?” Alex moaned in response feeling Maggie’s thigh applying pressure again. “Come on Alex, be a good girl and use your words for me.”

“Inside-pl-please. An-and pressure. Please, Maggie please.” Deciding that she’d tortured Alex enough, Maggie put her right hand on the bundle of nerves that was currently driving Alex insane. She circled her middle and ring fingers around Alex’s opening collecting her juices before moving up to her clit, rubbing slowly at first. Every so often, Maggie continued to grind down onto Alex’s leg, using her own hips to apply more pressure on Alex’s clit.

As Maggie sped up her ministrations, Alex bucked her hips trying to increase the pressure as much as possible. Maggie knew the second Alex couldn’t handle anymore slow teasing. Alex was panting, struggling to speak, and trying to beg all at the same time. At that moment, Maggie lowered her hand again. This time, however, she slid two fingers roughly into Alex.  She pumped her fingers in and out a few times before adding a third. She sped up her movements, and in seconds Alex was on the edge of orgasm. One more thrust in, Maggie curled her fingers at just the right moment, sending Alex over the edge. Maggie soon followed her fiancé over the edge, throwing her head back in ecstasy, as she ground down onto Alex’s thigh one more time. Maggie continued pumping her hand in and out of Alex helping her ride out the orgasm for as long as possible.

When Alex had relaxed, Maggie slid her hand out of Alex and wiped her hand on her pants that were still lying next to the pair. Maggie then shifted so that she was lying on the ground next to Alex, both women panting, trying to catch their breath.

A few seconds passed before Maggie said, “Merry Christmas!” the same time that Alex uttered, “Best gift ever!” Alex and Maggie both started laughing hysterically, seeing once again how alike yet different they were.

A sudden knock on their door startled both of them and they scrambled to find their clothes, most of which had been haphazardly thrown around the room. Before they could completely redress kara’s voice called out, “When you two are-finished-come down to the basement. We’re all going through the stocking’s Eliza left for us.”

Alex shot a horrified look to Maggie, turning bright red. “We’ll be right there Kara. We’re just waking up.”

“Alex, you may be a DEO agent, but you are still a horrible liar,” Kara responded before making her way back to the basement.

Ten minutes later, Alex and Maggie walked into the basement finding their friends sitting in a circle, a game of pick-up-sticks currently being played. Winn’s tongue was sticking out slightly in concentration as he tried to flip a single stick out of the messy pile. Alex and Maggie took the spots that were left open for them between Kara and James.

At 9:00, Eliza and J’onn found their children sitting in the same circle, this time playing Jenga. J’onn cleared his throat startling Winn as he moved a piece from the middle of the tower causing him to knock down the entire stack.  

Since the game was over, they collectively decided to move to the living room to open the waiting presents. Gathered in the giant group that made up the best family any of them had ever had, Alex and Maggie’s eyes met. Neither said a word, but they knew they were both thinking the same thing. It didn’t matter what was in the wrapped packages under the tree. What mattered was the love they felt for the people surrounding them and the love those same people felt for Alex and Maggie.

They smiled at each other, quickly kissed, and turned back to the presents and family waiting for them.

“Alex,” the room went quiet as Eliza’s voice raised. “What’s that on your neck?”

“Alex’s eyes widened in embarrassment as her hand went to cover her neck. “Nothing,” she denied glancing glaringly towards Maggie.

“Uh-huh! Whatever you say, dear. But just so you know, there’s one on the other side as well.

Alex put her arms on her bent knees and dropped her head onto her arms.

“I love you, Alex,” Maggie spoke.

“I hate you” Alex mumbled.

“No, you don’t.”

“No...I don’t.” Alex agreed, lifting her head and kissing Maggie again. She lingered near her ear whispering, “Paybacks are hell.”

“Can’t wait!”

After two hours, all of the presents had been opened, smiles adorned the faces of all in the room, and it had already been deemed the best Christmas yet by the misfit family.