#hope you had a lovely weekend and enjoy this return to dale

[moonshine-nightlight]

Nothing's Wrong with Dale: Part Twenty-One

It’s been a week, but you’re fairly certain your fiancé accidentally got himself replaced by an eldritch being from the Depths. Deciding  that he’s certainly not worse than your original fiancé, you endeavor to keep the engagement and his new non-human state to yourself.

However, this might prove harder than you originally thought.

Fantasy, arranged marriage, malemonsterxfemalereader, M/F

AO3: Nothing's Wrong with Dale Chapter 21

[Part One][Part Two] [Part Three] [Part Four] [Part Five] [Part Six] [Part Seven] [Part Seven.5] [Part Eight] [Part Nine] [Part Ten] [Part Eleven] [Part Twelve]  [Part Thirteen] [Part Fourteen] [Part Fifteen] [Part Sixteen] [Part Seventeen] [Part Eighteen] [Part Nineteen] [Part Twenty] Part Twenty-One [Part Twenty-Two] [Part Twenty-Three][Part Twenty-Four] [Part Twenty-Five] [Part Twenty-Six] [Part Twenty-Seven] [Part Twenty-Eight] [Part Twenty-Nine] [Part Thirty] [Part Thirty-One] [Part Thirty-Two] [Part Thirty-Three] [Part Thirty-Four]

You barely contain a sigh of relief as you sit down next to Grandmother.

Perhaps yesterday’s gala’s events were more mentally taxing as you tried to keep Dale’s hands out of sight long enough for the detection colors from Dr. Louisa’s gloves to fade—not to mention the conversation preceding that mess—but today was tiring in an entirely different manner. You’ve been kept on your feet nearly the entire day and you are exhausted. Between inspecting various buildings all over the city for hours to start with and an evening spent dancing, you want nothing more than to be still.

Some of that sentiment must still be evident from your facial expression as Grandmother reaches over to pat your hand. “Have you been enjoying the dancing, dear?”

“Yes, Grandmother, but I believe I am finished for the night,” you reply and she smiles.

“I am glad you have been taking advantage of the vigors of youth while you have them,” Grandmother says. She looks over to where Grandfather is sitting and talking to a musician across the room. “Would that we were able to still dance as you do. Alas, all we have to show for our years are aching joints and lovely children.” She winks at you.

You smile back and gratefully accept the water glass your maid pours for you with a murmured thanks. While you rest, Grandmother bids good night to a number of said children and grandchildren, leaving you longing to follow them. Yours and Dale’s roles as the guests of honor make it unclear when exactly it is socially acceptable for you to depart. You’ve often been staying at least as long as Grandmother and Grandfather, if not an hour beyond them so as to ensure you spoke to all guests and showed your hosts proper respect.

You truly hope that will not be the case tonight because you’re not sure you’ll make it that late.

Dale joins you with Francesca and Charles, his cousins, who then depart themselves having sent their children up with a maid hours ago. Dale sits next to you but talks primarily with Grandmother, chatting about the others he’s been speaking to while you resist the urge to fall asleep in your chair.

A few moments later Dale says your name, rousing you. Straightening, you find you’ve indeed ended up leaning quite heavily against the back and side of your chair closest to him. Heat warms your face at practically falling asleep against Dale at a gala. “Yes?”

“Do you wish to retire for the evening?” Dale asks, his expression kind and nonjudgmental. You can hear the offer to retire as well and are grateful for it.

“I know that it is not as late as some nights have been,” you say, unable to keep from feeling somewhat defensive—after all it wasn’t even midnight yet, though it was close. “But it has been a long day. I am ready for sleep.”

“I agree,” Dale replies easily, he reaches down and squeezes your hand where it sits on the arm rest closest to him. “And we have plenty of errands to run tomorrow.”

He’s right. There are no balls or galas tomorrow. Instead you’ll be taking advantage of the time in the city to inspect the progress on the completion of various wedding clothing, decorations, food and so on to be sent on ahead to the estate. In fact, the only social event is a small dinner at the mayor’s home in the evening which is fine with you.

Besides, there’s another reason you want to be well rested for tomorrow. That had been the day marked “SECRETS” on the astrologer’s calendar. You still have no notion as to what that could mean, however, you do expect that you should be well rested for whatever it turns out to be.

“If you young ones are all already turning in, then I shall too,” Grandmother announces. “Dale, your aid, my boy.”

Dale is nearly already standing up to walk over to his Grandmother’s side, picking up her cane along with his own. You try to perk up enough to be helpful, finishing off your drink and supporting Grandmother’s other arm as she gets to her feet.

Grandmother’s maid is sent ahead to prepare her rooms, while the three of you, in addition to your own maid, begin to make your way to the guest quarters you’ve occupied this week in the Governor’s home. You’re grateful he’s allowed you to have an entire, if smaller, wing to yourselves. Such privacy means that any continuing festivities don’t upset your sleep, which given how busy these days have been, is critical.

You’ve made it halfway across the room when Grandfather walks over to you at a pace too quick for how tiring a day this has been, even if he hasn’t danced as much as you have. “Dale, there you are,” he looks triumphant as he continues, “Marquis Tiffin has finally stopped occupying Duke Yoral’s sole attention. You wished to speak to him, did you not?”

Dale’s eyes light up—only metaphorically—before he turns to you and Grandmother. “I did, however…”

“If you wish to stay, dear, do not let us steal you away too soon,” Grandmother says. “You’re a good lad, wanting to accompany me back to my rooms, but your fiance will be help enough. Enjoy yourself.”

“Yes,” you encourage him. “I know you had been attempting to talk to him all evening.” This Duke was the brother of a friend of his from abroad and he wanted to discuss sourcing certain ingredients for more foreign meals with him, in addition to comparing general travel stories as he had helped Dale’s group plan their trip.

“Thank you,” Dale replies with a grin at you both. After resettling Grandmother’s hold to your arm instead of his, he turns to Grandfather, “Are you sure you want to join us? Perhaps even the discussion of certain spices might cause your cough to come back.”

Grandfather elbows Dale in response to his teasing, “Impudent lad. Introduce me to your friend with all due respect and perhaps I shall refrain from sharing tales of your foolish youth.”

They leave in a cheery mood while Grandmother smiles after them. “I am so pleased to have Dale home where he belongs. He went through such a trying adolescence after being away at the capital.”

You hum noncommittally, but Grandmother needs no real prompting to continue to reminisce as you make your way through the quieter and cooler halls away from the main ballrooms. She only interrupts herself when you reach a large branching path before your wing. “Miss Adir, could you please go to the kitchens and see if there are any pasties that can be sent up to my granddaughter’s rooms?”

“Yes, my Lady.”

“Thank you, Grandmother.”

“My eyesight might be going, but I can still make observations. You never eat enough at these events, she fusses. “We shall have to have your measurements checked at the final fitting tomorrow.”

“The food at these events are so rich,” you protest. “Surely there hasn’t been such a difference in only a few weeks.”

“And still we shall verify the truth,” Grandmother insists. “Dale as well, though for the opposite eventuality. I informed those tailors of his ill state, reminding them to leave room for him to return to his healthier weight. I shall be interested in seeing if they listened.

“If there is anything else that needs doing, we must ensure that it is done tomorrow or our next free day in two days time. This is our last week in Connton before we return to the Northridge estate for your wedding,” Grandmother reminded you unnecessarily. “Only two more galas here. A pity, these have been so invigorating.”

You can’t help but shake your head silently to yourself, unable to find these events anything but exhausting, even if you enjoy aspects of them. Grandmother is an entirely different sort, seeming to be rejuvenated by so much activity and people.

Even now, she seems far more awake than you are, easily chatting while you feel as though you’ve used up all your words an hour ago.

You roll your shoulders, trying to dissipate the tension in them from so much activity—the danger of hosting a ball and inviting a dance troupe and their sponsors. The fewer candles and torches in this area of the house leave the light sparser and make you feel sleepier, makes the promise of slumber whisper more convincingly in your ears.

Still, you remember exactly what tips you off that something is wrong. 

Habit from these last few weeks has you watching every shadow and steering others away if they move oddly, in case Dale has a lapse in control. You’re only reacting on instinct when you see the candlelight flicker dramatically, the shadows pool unnaturally on Grandmother’s right. You pull Grandmother closer to you and quicken your step abruptly, wanting to get out of the way, not wanting her to notice.

 It’s the clash of metal the next second, the force and crack of something whizzing by both of you and into the opposite wall that makes you jump, heart hammering in your chest. Your mind catches up with your actions because Dale is nowhere in sight. Who is causing these things to happen? Are you under attack?

“Guards!” Grandmother calls out. Her voice rings through the space with all the command of a general on a battlefield and causes one of the people who are in fact attacking you to curse. 

There isn’t any way for you to tell if someone heard your call for help even as she repeats it. Without thinking about what to do next, you hitch up your skirts with your free hand and start to run down the hall with her in tow. More figures come after you from behind and out of the corners of your eyes. 

A wordless cry has you stumbling to the side as a person overshoots past you and through a doorway. Multiple people, at least three, dressed in dark clothing have come as suddenly as if they had materialized from nothing—all heading after you.

You dodge another projectile and turn the corner, flattening against the far wall. Frantically you try to remember where exactly you are in this stranger’s house and you realize you missed the turn back towards the more inhabited portion of the building in your haste. 

You don’t know what to do, paralyzed with fear and indecision, until the wall at your back falls away causing you to take a surprised step backwards. “Hurry,” Grandmother says, having realized you were backed against a door and gotten it open while your mind had still been trying to understand what was happening.

You turn and both go through, slamming the door behind you as you try to gain your bearings. You can barely take stock of the study you find yourself in before continuing forward as fast as you are able to. Your shoes are thin and pretty and so you feel the stone floor in this room harshly as you race across it. Your palm is sweaty from where it’s clutching Grandmother’s as you steer you both, her having lost her cane at some point and relying on you for that speed of movement you’re desperately trying to gain.

Adrenaline courses through your veins, every instinct attempting to help you to survive, for all the good it's doing. Your mind races wildly, thoughts of escape and who these people could be flickering through. Why are they attacking you? What do they want? Where can you go to get away?

Then all you can think of besides ‘get away’ is the ache in your arm, the burning in your lungs, the soreness in your feet.

Unfortunately, there was no way to lock the door you came through and so soon it’s quickly kicked back open. The sound of it hitting the wall makes you run faster, trying to get through this suite of rooms to the courtyard entrance you spot on the other side, where you can feel the cooling breeze beckoning you to escape—or get somewhere someone would be able to hear you.

Two arrows fly by your head and another causes Grandmother to yelp and falter, nearly tripping as she suddenly leans much heavier on you. You can’t check to see if the arrow grazed her, too focused on trying to get to the other door, when the shadows darken in those billowing curtains. At the last second you turn to the right, propelling Grandmother that way too. As you do so, you see the thinner of these, these assassins appear, daggers drawn and ready to impale you exactly where you’d been running too.

Not that you’re convinced you’ve managed to end up in a better position. You steered the two of you to the other side of the room, hopping for another door out, but the one you pull open in the end is only a closet. You whirl around to see four figures in black, fanned out and blocking any possible escape route. Panting, you brace Grandmother, who you haven’t looked to but sounds to be in worse shape given her age and possible injury. Her heavy breathing has a wheeze to it you don’t like. So does the fact that she’s not speaking up any more.

“Well now ladies,” the tallest man speaks, his voice low and condescending. He’s smug too, like the cat that got the mouse, as he steps forward twirling a dagger. “You don’t seem to have our prize stallion with you as we expected, but I’m certain his filly and granny will make perfect bait.”

[Part Twenty-Two]

[aerinsfables]

I would die for a part 4.... You have me hooked.

HDJSKAKDJJR IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE MY SPUR OF THE MOMENT THINGS THAT TURN INTO UNINTENDED PROJECTS!!!

——

Flower Shop AU, part 4 (I should probably give this thing a name at some point)

Read part 3 here!

——

After Bracken opened the store the following day, he sat down in front of the computer near the register per usual and started the day off with his normal routine; check emails, send a few out, check for online orders, then get started with phone calls and new floral arrangements. His father would be joining him again later in the day, but he’d mostly be doing deliveries, which left Bracken alone with the store for a large portion of the day. He didn’t mind. It wasn’t that he didn’t like having company, because he did, but he was also comfortable being by himself for long stretches of time.

He took a sip of his morning tea and opened the shop’s email, then scrolled through a few messages which contained more returned surveys and a couple of general inquiries. Upon replying to one of said inquiries, he clicked “next” and found another message from Kendra. Bracken sat up straighter in his seat and read her words. She’d apparently sent the email long after closing last night.

I’m safe. Thank you for your concern. And thanks again for your help earlier… I don’t know what would’ve happened if you and Warren hadn’t been there.

Bracken paused before he chose to reply. Social interactions were admittedly not his strongest suit, and he didn’t want to inadvertently stick his foot in his mouth, nor did he want to make her feel uncomfortable, but ultimately his curiosity was eating away at him.

If you don’t mind my asking - and feel free to ignore me if you don’t want to talk about it - who was that man?

Again, you can ignore the question if you don’t want to answer it. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I hope you were able to get some good rest last night and are feeling a little better today.

There were no other emails in the inbox, so he opened a new tab and checked for new online orders. Three had been placed between last night and this morning, one for an apology bouquet as a rush request to be picked up that afternoon - he’d need to prioritize that - a “get well soon” arrangement, and a “congratulations” basket with both flowers and balloons to celebrate a new baby.

Bracken examined last night’s prepared arrangements for today’s customer pick-ups, called the customers to whom the flowers belonged, and started working on the apology arrangement. He idly wondered who was apologizing for what. They’d specially chosen an interesting flower as a focal point, as well, but Bracken wasn’t sure if they actually knew flowers like he did; most people chose flowers based on colors and styles, not symbolism. This particular patron had indicated that they wanted a purple calla lily in the center of the bouquet, which, sure, went well with the purple hyacinths and the scarlet geraniums and white tulips, but purple calla lilies indicated passion instead of ‘I’m sorry.’ Whatever. Maybe the flower held special significance for the recipient and/or the gifter.

The bells on the front door chimed, and Bracken turned to greet the newcomer. This one was a tall-ish young man, maybe 21 or 22 years old. He looked Bracken up and down, then stuck out his hand for a handshake. “Hi,” he said.

“Hello,” Bracken replied, a little confused as to why he was shaking hands with this person. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Seth,” he explained. “Kendra’s brother. Warren said you helped beat up Gavin, so I came to invite you over for a barbeque this Saturday. One o’clock. Are you busy?”

“I normally work on Saturdays-“

The bells chimed again, and Bracken’s father walked into the store. “Good morning,” he greeted. “Give me a moment to get settled, Bracken, and I’ll dive in.”

“You’re working on Saturday? Ugh. We’d all hoped you’d be free,” Seth stated. “Another time, I guess. We’ll shoot for a Sunday.”

“What’s this about?” Father spoke up.

“I’ve been invited to a barbeque on Saturday,” Bracken explained. “I normally stay ‘til closing those days and won’t be able to make it.”

Father seemed to think for a moment. “You covered your sister’s shift yesterday,” he said. “She should be able to return the favor.”

“I don’t want to bother her,” Bracken replied. “She’s young and in love. Let her have the weekend with her new fiancée.”

“I’ll take your shift for you, then,” Father stated.

Bracken opened his mouth to say that wouldn’t be necessary, but Seth responded first.

“Seriously? That’d be great! Everyone’s looking forward to meeting this guy!”

“It’s settled,” Father said. His eyes crinkled in the corners, and seemed to glimmer with his cheerful smile.

Bracken felt his mouth bob open and shut a few times before he asked, “How many people? I’m sorry. I’ve only just met you, and I hardly know Kendra. A barbeque with a bunch of people I don’t know doesn’t sound particularly appealing.”

Father clamped his hand on Bracken’s shoulder, which caused him to wince in surprise. “Go make friends,” he encouraged. “This young man seems particularly delightful.”

“Warren and Dale will be there,” Seth said. “You know them, right? They own the cafe across the street.”

In passing, Bracken wanted to say, but Father answered for him.

“Yes. Wonderful people, both of them.” He looked at Bracken. “What do you say? I’ve got your shift covered, you’ll know a few of the people in attendance. I think you should go.”

The hidden message was clear to Bracken: Agree to go, or I’ll tell your Mother and you can deal with her nagging until you agree to go.

Bracken held up a hand in surrender. “Okay,” he relented. “I’ll need the address.”

“What’s your phone number?” Seth asked. “I’ll text it to you.”

He couldn’t believe he was giving out his personal cell phone number to someone he’d just met only a handful of minutes ago, and yet before he knew it, he received a text message from Seth with the address for Saturday’s gathering.

Seth waved a cheerful goodbye soon after and exited the shop.

“He seems nice,” Father stated. “He’ll make a good friend.”

“I don’t even know him,” Bracken replied.

“All friendships start somewhere, son,” Father said. “And it’s about time you started to make real friends of your own. You’ve been focused on work for much too long. Time for you to get out of your shell.”

Bracken supposed his father was correct, but what none of his family seemed to understand was that he enjoyed working. He liked interacting with customers, he liked working with flowers, and he liked being in the shop. If he was going to give up time in the shop, he wanted it to be for a reason he would equally enjoy, and he wasn’t sure that a barbeque with a few people he barely knew and more that he flat out didn’t know would be worth the cost.

Oh well, he thought. I can always leave early and go home if it’s terrible.

It wouldn’t be terrible, though.

——

Read part 5 here!

[antiquecompass]

If you’re new here (or been here for a bit longer) you’ll have seen me talk about Journeys ‘Verse. If you’re reading @pawsnread‘s new SongXiao fic set in that world, you may, possibly, wonder what Journeys ‘verse is.

I’ve never really sat down and properly written about how and why it came to be, but since it’s growing again, I thought it was time. Below contains both why I started writing the initial story: CW for discussing death of a close relative and how the ‘verse evolved from there:

Back in 2011 my year started off with a tragedy. At the end of January my beloved grandmother died on my birthday. It was a shock. She’d just had surgery the day before and came out of it fine and well. But a blood clot formed and while I was downstairs with Carrie, my twin sister, I heard my mother upstairs answer the call with an ‘oh no.’ I’ve heard that ‘oh no’ before, when I was six and my father died. When I was nine and my other grandma passed away. I knew those words and that tone and I knew what had happened before my mother had even come downstairs. That started a hell of a year that nearly saw Carrie also die (seriously my life went like this that year: birthday/death Jan 30th--funeral that weekend--home for a few days--Feb 12th/13th started Carrie’s months long battle and hospital stay that didn’t end until April) and just, the entire first half of the year was the worst sort of hell I’d been through in a very long time. 

The back-half of the year saw me start to deal with the fall out of all that stress. 

And like someone who has been in fandoms for years uncounted, I started writing a fic. 

My favorite genre of stories to read outside of fanfic is Fantasy. High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Southern Gothic Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, you name it. I love it. I love it when magic is just an accepted part of life, or when it’s a hidden part of life. When magic exists in the mundane only for people to stumble across it and into something fantastical. Magic in the everyday is a theme that runs through a good portion of my fics (not so much in MDZS/The Untamed, but I’m still new here). It’s a genre I’ve loved since I was a child and the one I will forever be the most drawn to when it comes to the need for escapist pursuits. 

So, taking my love for that, and me trying to work through shit, and being a fanfic writer, I started writing a fic where someone from our everyday world dropped through a magical portal and ended up in Faery. It combined an original story idea I’d had bouncing around my head for years with a fandom that I was in the thick of and let me work through some things.

I was active in the HBO War Fandom at the time and through James Badge Dale’s portrayal of Bob Leckie I found a character just enough of a bitter asshole to work with and to deal with grief, of a life lost--not actual death, but the potential of what could have been, or what was. The burden of trying to be who you think you SHOULD be and what you SHOULD want versus who you actually are and what you actually need. The year was hell so the fic stalled out, but that’s when one of my dearest friends, Nat, decided we’d basically do our own Fic Finishing Fest. If it wasn’t for her support, and the support of so many fandom friends I’m still so close to (hello my darling Kailey and the ever-amazing Ray), the fic and the ‘verse would have never seen the light of day. 

So the first story of Journeys ‘verse, So Spoke the Wanderer, went up in February of 2012. And as I went into other fandoms, other stories followed. As it stands now stories in Journeys ‘verse go from HBO War to Spartacus to MCU to In the Flesh to the Umbrella Academy and now to The Untamed/CQL/MDZS. On Ao3 you’ll only find the HBO War and Spartacus ones, but if you do a little digging on my tumblr, you’ll find the others. 

As for what it’s about?

If you can dream it, be it. Essentially.

Our world, the mortal world, exists as is, but because of the Veils dropping between the worlds four times a year (on each solstice and equinox) there is a long cross-veil travel and trade. People from our world who end up on the Other Side/Faery are called Wanderers. People from that side who end up on ours are called Wayfarers. In each world both of these groups have their own little establishments and communities. Since magic is still ‘hidden’ in our world the Wayfarer establishments serve as sanctuaries, homes, and schools for the Wayfarers who decide to settle down in our world, or have to for political/safety reasons.

Both sides had long-influenced each other: the magical side has a meeting of magic and technology, our side has a few magical things it shouldn’t, and yet does.

There are special people, called Realm Jumpers, who can basically punch a hole through space and time at will, crossing the Veils as needed. They’re rare and it takes a lot of training, but for the right price (or the right friendship), they’ll do it for you. 

As for the type of magical creatures?

Sidhe, Dragons (often in human form, but watch out, they’ll still singe you), and Sirens hold the most power. Wizards and Weres are in the second tier. 

Oracles are of their own class, largely unconcerned with the politics of either world. They’ve got more important, immaterial things to handle.

Ghosts are real and their own form of Undead. They can either stay resting and wait for a rebirth, or they can linger on as ghosts, becoming corporeal during those Veil Drop days. Ghosts can be made alive again, but there is always a price to pay, and that price varies in each case.

Healers and Reapers and Necromancers. Readers of the Last Thoughts, Sprites, and Goodfellows. Pucks (an entire other class of Goodfellow), Bards, and Minotaurs and so much more. They’re all here and they all mostly co-exist. 

And so many Changelings. Children born of human and magical parents or with some seriously magical recessive traits. Changelings are all over both sides of the Divide and a reason why some of those Wayfarer and Wanderer establishments exist. 

Most of the Other World we see is concerned with Ville, a major city where the Sidhe Queen lives, or with Merrymec, a village where a Sidhe Prince and his Siren husband live and where a university and library that are a very safe and welcoming place for Wanderers is connected to their manor. 

For the MDZS/Untamed fics coming, an entire new aspect of the verse is introduced. The Winter Court is the home of the Winter Sidhe. They exist outside of the political realm and intrigue of the Sidhe Queen, long-ago deciding they’d rather stick to their mountains and focus on their magic and their part of the world than get into all the pointless b.s. of  Ville. Our favorite Lans and a few other familiar faces are members of the Winter Court.

In Lotus Pier are the Jiang Wizards, though their family line is a bit more interesting.

The Jins and the Nies are wolves, shapeshifters, and well, their story is for another time.

And the Wens? Either Fire Demons or Healers depending on the branch. So either the problem makers or the ones who have to fix it.

This verse is truly a labor of love and everything I’ve written, probably contains some of the most personal writing I’ve done. I was adrift in 2011, I was 2 years out of grad school with an MA in history and working in a grocery store (where I still am, because, holy shit does life throw some curveballs). I had to move back home, leaving my beloved Boston behind, because I couldn’t afford rent and student loan payments. I felt both stuck and lost at the same time, and a lot of that went into So Spoke the Wanderer, because at the end of the day, some things are about choices, but some things do happen for a reason.

If I hadn’t left Boston and returned home, my sister would’ve died in September of 2010. I was the one who found her after she had a seizure, barely breathing in her bed. If I hadn’t been home, if I hadn’t woken up and gone downstairs---well, choices. And intuition. Sometimes you can’t dwell on the What-Ifs because it’ll drive you mad.

The verse is named Journeys for a reason, from a Frank Turner lyric:

But in the end the journey's brought joys that outweigh the pain.

And as I learned to accept a new lot in life, the stories themselves changed. Not that any of them are dark or tragic, but the subsequent stories are far more light-hearted, and more about hope than the first one.

But the one universal thing in every last one of them: found families.

So, if you’re just coming into Journeys or if you’ve been here for a long time, I hope you enjoy what’s to come. You don’t need to read the previous stories/fandoms to understand the ones that will be posted this year, just treat the unfamiliar names as original characters and you should be fine. (For people who HAVE read the other stories, know that Reaper Roe is going to be showing up, as he always does, in everything.)

Any questions? My askbox is always open.

[fanficcreator]

Naively in Love (Bucky x Reader) Part 3

//Word count: 2,999

Part 1 Part 2

Warnings: None

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy! Sorry for the wait!

Tags: @fuckthatfeeling @iheartsebastianstan @super-marvel-dale @secondstartotheright-imagines @wtfholland @delicatecapnerd...

...

When Bucky awoke to his blaring alarm the next morning, his drowsiness blanketed over his guilt from the past night, causing the whole situation to leave his mind for a few blissful moments. In those moments, he stretched his limbs from the head to the foot of his bed, his eyes were squeezed tight and his hands balled into fists. A small smile stretched across his lips as he let his body settle; his mind content and clear as the morning.

When his guilt returned, it hit the front of his skull like a freight train.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he ran his hands over his face and through his hair, trying anything to get his mind off of the horrible game he had decided to participate in. He stared blankly at his cream colored ceiling, as if he was watching the events of the past night unfold before him. He really couldn’t believe that he would drop so low.

He let his hands drop as he shifted under his blankets, turning to rest on his side with his forearm resting under his head. His eyes fell on an old Polaroid of him and Steve hung up on his mirror, causing him to cringe as he caught Steve’s smiling eyes.

A hint of sorrow shadowed over his face as he bit his lip. He was already hearing the words of disapproval from his friend. “I know buddy, I know…this is so wrong.” He muttered, as if Steve could hear him, “But you would understand, right?” He paused with his brows furrowed and his eyes still locked on the polaroid, as if it could answer him. He needed some kind of justification for his actions. A ball of wet nerves sat at the pit of Bucky’s stomach as he let his mind loose on a whirlwind of worries and doubts. He had no idea how long he would be able to keep this up. His guilt was already making its way up his throat, and he had only spoken to (y/n) for the one day.

As if on cue, his phone chimed with a notification, causing him to jump a bit as it fully ejected him out of his own mind. With a sigh, he stretched his arm over to the nightstand beside his bed, and plucked his phone off of its charger. He scanned over the name, and let a small smile creep onto his face. It was an instagram video sent from (y/n).

(y/n): I thought you would find this funny :)

He opened the video out of pure curiosity. The video only deserved a pity chuckle, but it warmed his heart that he thought of her.

bbarnes: That was cute. Thanks for thinking of my me ;)

He then locked his phone threw it on the covers beside him, and turned onto his back with his forearm over his eyes. He was dreading seeing her at school for the day, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to look her in the eyes.

“It’s just another day, buddy, c’mon…” he muttered to himself as he pushed his body up and out of his covers. And on he went to get ready for the day.

…

Bucky’s hands were gripped on his steering wheel as he drove into the school’s parking lot. His mind’s worries were quelled as he went on getting ready in the morning; he took upon himself to play some calming music throughout his routine. He had no other means of comfort. His friends would all call him a wimp, his mother would shake her head in disdain, same with his father, and Steve would...well, he’s not sure what Steve would do. But he wouldn’t approve. His own brain couldn’t even help him out of the hole that he dug. Music was passive enough to at the very least take him out of his own reality for a few minutes.

Once he pulled into his designated spot, he cut the engine, and let out a heavy sigh that fanned across his hands still gripped to his wheel. He unlatched them, and pushed back his hair, a nervous tick that he picked up from one of his friends, and scanned the hoard of students funneling into the school.

He really did not want to get out of his car. He knew that only more lies were ahead of him once he stepped out of his seat. But his academics were waiting for him, and the muffled sound of the warning bell told him that he barely had the time to get to them. So, steeling his nerves, he fixed his hair a bit in his rearview mirror, grabbed a hold of his bag in the passenger seat, and opened his door. The cold rush of air that hit him barely fazed him as his legs poured out of the side.

He threw his bag onto his shoulder, and kept his grip tight on the strap as he began his strides towards the doors of the building, waving at some of the students that he made eye contact with. The love-sick sighs of the girls around him faded into the background, he no longer paid them any mind seeing as they happened every day for him. They treated him like a celebrity.

“Hey, Buck!” A sturdy hand clapped on his shoulder, and Bucky merely raised a brow, already knowing who it was, “You ready to go hunting today?”

“To go what?” He asked, his face twisted into confusion.

“Eli and I had planned to walk around after school, you know, feel around for some contestants. You in?”

“No.” Bucky said definitively, “I’ve already got my girl.”

“After one day? You work fast, man.” Jason said, nodding his head appreciatively.

“I just want to get this thing over with.” He said, “I already feel bad enough, Jase.”

“You haven’t done anything, yet, have you?”

“No, but-”

“Then you have no reason to feel bad.” He said nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders.

“‘You really don’t see what’s wrong with what we’re doing?” Bucky said, holding the door open for his friend.

“It’s not that I don’t see it, I just don’t care.” Jason said, diving under his arm and striding down the hallway, “Honestly , buddy, you need to grow some thicker skin.”

“Grow some thicker skin? Jase, I’m not weak, you’re just being an asshole. Sorry to break it to you, man.” Bucky said, walking after him and chuckling at his jab.

“Say what you want, man, you can’t make me feel guilty about this.” He was smug, with his hands in his pockets and his chest puffed out.

Bucky just sighed as he reached his locker, shaking his head as he rolled in his combination, “You’re hopeless.”

Once he gathered his book and slammed his locker closed, he noticed (y/n) across the hall from him. She was standing on the tips of her toes, trying to reach something in the top of her locker. Her arm was bent over the top shelf, and she was scrambling around trying to elongate her body to reach that item. Bucky found himself smiling as he watched her struggle. He took it upon himself to saunter over to her, stealing Jason’s smug gait and leaning against the locker beside hers. He chuckled to himself as he heard her disgruntled mumbling.

“Need some help there, doll?” He asked after a moment.

She jumped and turned to him with wide eyes before registering who he was, “Uh, yeah, help would be nice…” She chuckled and settled back down onto her feet, “My friend thought it would be funny to throw my phone into the top corner of the locker.”

“Doesn’t sound like a very friendly thing to do.” He said, easily reaching the phone and displaying it by his head, “Here you go.”

“Thank you, I would’ve been here for hours trying to reach it.” She replied as she took it back and shoved it into her pocket.

“I’m not gonna lie,” he started, a smirk resting on his lips, “it was highly entertaining to see you scrambling around like you were.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes as she turned on her heel, and began making her way to her class, “I wish there was a way to bully tall people.”

“Oh trust me, I’ve been through plenty of that.” He said, following after her, “I couldn’t count how many times I’ve been called a tree by my friends, it’s really very frustrating.”

“I didn’t ask for your sarcasm.” She replied, chuckling through her words, “You’ll never know the pain of being taunted over something you can’t control. My sisters have placed so many of my things on high shelves, and they knew that I couldn’t do anything about it.”

“You’ve got sisters?”

“Yeah, two of them. And they’re both giants.” She had a fond smile on her face, “I wouldn’t trade their taunting for the world though. I’m numb to it now.”

“That doesn’t sound too fun to me.” He said, “Seems like it’s made its mark on you.”

“I didn’t say that it didn’t, I just said I don’t pay attention to it anymore.” She slows down as she arrives at her classroom door, “And between you and me, they’ve called me a lot worse.” She chuckled, “See you later!”

He waved at her as she dove into the classroom, then turned on his heel to head to his own class. As he began on his way, which he’d just realized was in the opposite direction than he was walking with (y/n), he let his mind wander back to the reason he’d begun talking with her in the first place. His spirits dropped as soon as the thought crossed his mind, leaving him with a weight throughout the rest of the way there.

Once he settled into his seat, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he rolled his eyes upon seeing who it was that texted him.

Eli: Plans changed. We’re doing this this weekend.

Bucky: Why so early?

Eli: If you win, I want you to have all spring break to visit your buddy. I’ll cover you for the pot. You can give me your money when you get paid next week

Bucky smiled as he read over the message. Eli has a heart, he just doesn’t show it often. When he does, it’s something special.

Bucky: Did Jase agree to this too? It seems a little short notice

Eli: We found our girls during lunch

Bucky: Alright. I’m down. Where is this happening?

Eli: This little fifties themed diner place about half an hour away. My aunt told me about it a while ago

Bucky: so are we renting this place out, or…

Eli: My dad rented the floor out for us

“Barnes,” His teacher waited for him to look up at her, “Phone away.” She stood in the front of the class looking at him over her glasses as she waited for him to put his phone away. He merely flicked his eyes up at her, sighed, then pushed his phone back into his coat pocket.

“Sorry, ma’am” He said apathetically. As the class continued, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and hoped that it wasn’t anything important. His eyes were glued to the clock throughout the rest of class, and he sat with his chin in his hand as he observed the incessant ticking.

…

When he finally got out of that class, he whipped out his phone on the way to the next one. He had received two messages, both from people that he would rather not have on his conscience. They were both so oblivious.

(y/n): Are you free after school today? There’s this new greek place down the street and I really wanna try it!

How could she possibly have known that his favorite food was gyros? A fond smile found its way to his lips; it would be a fun little distraction for the time being.

Bucky: Yeah I could eat

As soon as he sent that message on its way, he steeled himself to prepare for whatever Eli had to say to him. Good lord, he didn’t know what else he could possibly need from him. He hesitated going into their message thread, but pushed himself to click on it.

Eli: Jase and I are gonna rent out a little jukebox that that greek place is selling. We’re gonna find a song to dance with our ‘dates’. You should too.  It’ll add to the feel of it. See you during lunch man

Of course it would have something to do with his plans for the afternoon. Even their hangout is gonna be fake-

“Hey! Did you get my message?” (y/n)’s hand clapped onto his shoulder causing him to jump and quick lock his phone before she could see anything.

“I responded to it a little bit ago, did you not see that?” He said challengingly, turning towards her, “You need to check yourself before you start checking other people, doll.”

She sighed through a cheeky smile and uttered a small, “Shut up…” Her cheeks were warm, and she revelled in that wonderous feeling.

“It’s a fair warning, I don’t want you getting knocked on your ass one day for something that could’ve been avoided.”

“I can take care of myself, thank you very much.” She said, her nose turned up in the air and her arms crossed across her chest. “I don’t need you to babysit me.”

He put his arms up in surrender, a playful grin spread across his lips, “Whatever you say.”

“Shut up, You’re treating me like one my sisters!” She exclaimed, shoving him with her elbow, biting her lip as she tried to shrug off her cheeky smile, “I’m not a baby.”

Bucky just chuckled as he spotted his next class up ahead, “Where are you headed to next?”

“You’re kidding me, right?” She asked, looking at him slightly offended.

Bucky’s brows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“Unbelievable...” She muttered under her breath, “Honors anatomy?”

Bucky just raised his brow and shook his head, completely dumbfounded, “That’s where I’m headed-”

“Jesus Christ, we’re in the same class, Bucky.” She said, slightly amused at how flustered he was.

Oh. he's never really noticed her before. Obviously he can’t tell her that, but he can’t think of any way around that fact. He could feel the color drain from his face; he felt terrible. “I-I’m sorry-”

“Relax,” She stopped him from spewing apologies at her, “it’s no big deal. We weren’t friends before yesterday. It makes sense that you paid me no mind.”

“You definitely made it seem like it was a big deal.” He replied, a smile over-taking his features, “I was ready to apologize the rest of the way to class.”

She chuckled, “You have a big heart, Bucky, but I was just messing around wtih you.” As she finished her statement, she squinted down the hallway, and saw that the door to their Bio class was slowly being closed. “We’ve gotta hurry or we’re gonna be late.”

“I’m not running to a class that I don’t care about.”

“Well, that sounds like a you problem.” (y/n) replied as she quickened her pace.

He chuckled as he watched her scamper down the hallway, her bookbag bouncing behind her.

He’d only known her for twenty four hours, and he could already tell that she was a good person. A great person...a delight to be around, honestly. Their chemistry together was unable to be ignored, and Bucky knew was he was feeling deep down wasn’t just a friendship type of affection. It wasn’t anything serious, just the very beginnings of a crush, but if he was already there after having known her for only one day, he has no idea where he’ll be by the end of that week. With every moment he spent with her, his plan was getting harder and harder to follow through on. He was gonna get so much karma after he was done with her.

When he sauntered into the classroom, he noticed (y/n) waving and big smile, and her bag plopped in the seat beside her. He smiled back at her, feeling it reach his eyes, and crossed the room to sit beside his new found friend.

Throughout the class, he would let his eyes flit over to her as she diligently took notes; the smile was gone from her face, and she had completely focused her attention in front of her. She was entirely in her zone. She genuinely enjoyed learning, or at the very least note taking. He wasn’t gonna find another girl like her.

‘Is it even worth it at this point?’ he thought to himself. He knew that doing what he was planning to do to her would absolutely tear her down, as it would with anybody, but will she be able to take it as well as anyone else?  

[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND September 20, 2019  - VILLAINS, BLOODLINE, DOWNTON ABBEY, AD ASTRA, RAMBO: LAST BLOOD

It’s hard to believe that September is almost over, and we’re just sailing through the September festival season with the New York Film Festival starting (for real) next week.  There are three wide releases, but I will only have seen one of them before writing this, so instead, I’ll talk about a couple genre movies opening Friday, both of which played at Lincoln Center’s “Scary Movies XII” last month.

I remember writing quite extensively about VILLAINS (Alter/Gunpowder and Sky) when I was over at the Tracking Board, mainly about the casting of Bill Skarsgard from It, Maika Monroe from It Follows, as well as Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick. It’s the new movie from Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, who directed the horror sequel The Stakelander and have written a pretty amazing comedy-thriller twist on the home invasion movie. Skarsgard and Monroe play a young couple who hide out in a seemingly abandoned house after robbing a store. They soon learn that not only is it not abandoned, but there is a young girl chained in the basement. The owners of the home, played by Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Donovan, then return and things go sideways for the young couple as they find that maybe their petty crimes make them the good guys in this scenario.  Villains is getting a fairly hearty release into roughly 100 theaters across the country, so check your listings to see if/where it will be playing near you. (It mainly seems to be playing in Regal theaters across the country.)

Another interesting genre film opening Friday is Henry Jacobson’s psychological thriller BLOODLINE (Momentum Pictures), starring Seann William Scott as Evan, a high school social worker with a secret – he’s also a serial killer who tries to help his patients by ridding them of their issues. Evan is also experiencing a new baby with his wife, which might keep him from his killing habits, except that his mother (Dale Dickey) has shown up to help them, and she was the one who taught him his ways. This is a really dark and gory film that I quite enjoyed in a similar way as some of my favorite serial killer thrillers, from Hitchcock’s Psychoto Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer and others. It honestly can’t be a better time for this with all the true crime television we’re getting, and I was pretty blown away by Scott’s performance in this. Bloodlineisplaying at the IFC Center for Friday and Saturday late night screenings and probably will be available On Demand as well.

You can read my interview with Seann William Scott and the directors of VILLAINS over at The Beat, the latter posting Friday.

The one wide release I have seen this weekend is Focus Features’ DOWNTOWN ABBEY, a continuation of the PBS series with an absolutely amazing British cast that includes Dame Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton and so many more that I won’t name all of them. I feel that I’m not the best person to properly review the movie since I haven’t seen a second of the series, but I generally liked what I saw and might give it a look if I can find a good streaming source on which to binge it. I actually liked the movie enough to recommend it without having any previous knowledge of the series.

Probably my biggest disappointment of this week is that I didn’t have a chance to see James Gray’s AD ASTRA (20thCentury Fox), starring Brad Pitt, before Thursday night, because I wasn’t able to get to the press screening. It’s been one of my more anticipated movies of the year, mainly because I generally love outer space movies, but I also have been interested in seeing what Gray and Pitt do with the material, especially with such a great supporting cast.

Another movie that I only got to see just before this column posts is Sylvester Stallone’s RAMBO: LAST BLOOD (Lionsgate), which I reviewed over at The Beat. I had very few expectations for the movie, as I’ve never been a huge Rambo fan. I’m not sure why, but I guess I just never got into the Rah! Rah! USA! Stuff that permeated the United States in the ‘80s, and I was more into music than movies at the time. Reading my review, it’s obvious that Stallone’s latest attempt to revive a franchise didn’t do much for me.

You can read what I think of the above’s box office prospects over at The Beat, as well.

LIMITED RELEASES

I’m not quite sure why there are so many limited releases this weekend –I count almost 30 (!!!!) over on Rotten Tomatoes– but I’ll see what I can get to this week since I’m already a little behind. If you missed, Rob Zombie’s 3 FROM HELL on Monday and Tuesday night and more importantly, missed my scathing review of it over at The Beat, well, then you’ve missed it since this column is posting after it played its last night before its blu-ray release next month. Sorry!

A fantastic documentary opening at the Metrograph this week is Jacqueline Olive’s directorial debut ALWAYS IN SEASON (Multitude Films), a stirring film about the history of lynching, circling around the death of 17-year-old Lennon Lacy from Bladenboro, North Carolina, which is ruled as a suicide but his mother Claudia is convince that her son was lynched. Olive’s powerful film provides a background for how lynching became so prevalent in the early part of the 20thCentury, including an eerie annual reenactment by the town of Monroe, Georgia that wants to make sure that the county’s atrocities aren’t forgiven or forgotten.  Narrated by Danny Glover, Olive’s directorial debut is powerful and moving and a film that must not be missed – maybe it’s no surprise that it won a Special Jury prize at Sundance Film Festival for “Moral Urgency” earlier this year. I was pretty shaken up when I saw it at this year’s Oxford Film Festival.

The Metrograph is also screening two National Geographic shorts, Alexander A. Mora’s The Night Crawlers and Orlando von Einsiedel’sLost and Found, over the next week. The Night Crawlers looks at a group of Filipino journalists known as the “Manila Nightcrawlers” who seek to expose the truth about President Duterte’s war on drugs and the number of people who lost their lives over it. Lost and Foundi s a new doc short from the director of the Netflix doc The White Helmets which looks at the Myanmar’s ethnic violence against the Rohingya people through the eyes of a man in a refugee camp seeking to reunite children with parents.

Japanese animation house Studio TRIGGER’s first feature film PROMARE (GKIDS) will get a limited release on Friday, following Fathom Events showings on Tuesday (already passed) and Thursday (tonight). It will then be opening in New York at the Metrograph and AMC Empire on Friday for a one-week run. It’s an apocalyptic sci-fi thriller set in a world thirty years after a race of flame-wielding mutant beings called the Burnish set half the world on fire an the battle between the anti-Burnish Burning Rescue and Lio Fotia, leader of the aggressive new “Mad Burnish” mutants.

Paolo Sorrentino, director of the Oscar-winning The Great Beauty and its follow-up Youth, returns with LORO (Sundance Selects), about a young hustler named Sergio (Riccardo Scamarcio) managing an escort service who sets his sights on the egotistical billionaire Italian ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (Tony Servillo) who is trying to bribe his way back into power. It will open at the IFC Center Friday.

A couple other docs opening this weekend, the first two opening at New York’s Film Forum…

Now playing is Hassan Fazili’s Midnight Traveler (Oscilloscope) about how the filmmaker received death threats from the Taliban in 2015 for running Kabul, Afghanistan’s Art Café, a progressive meeting place, so he, his wife and two young daughters must travel 3,500 miles over 3 years across four countries to get to Hungary, a journey documented via mobile phone cameras. It will open in L.A. on October 4.

Then on Friday, there’s Matt Tyrnauer’s new film WHERE’S MY ROY COHN? (Sony Pictures Classics) looks at the lawyer and power broker who was part of Joe McCarthy’s anti-Communist activities and who was pivotal in molding a young Queens developer named Donald Trump. I wanted to like this movie more because Roy Cohn is such an interesting human being in such a despicable way, but this doc really didn’t do much for me.

Opening in New York (Cinema Village) and L.A. (Laemmle Glendale) is DIEGO MARADONA (HBO Sports), the new doc from Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna), which will show on HBO on October 1. If you don’t know international football (or soccer), the Argentine Maradona is one of the most famous footballers of all time, a bit of a legend since signing to Naples in 1984 for a record-setting fee. I haven’t watched this yet but hope to soon.

Opening at New York’s IFC Center Friday is Max Powers’ Don’t Be Nice (Juno Films), focusing on the Bowery Slam Poetry Team as they head to the national championships, and there will be QnAs almost every night in its week-long run, and then it will open in L.A. on September 27.

Completely unrelated but also at the IFC Center is a full-week run of National Theatre Live: Fleabag, screening a pre-recorded performance of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s one-woman show that inspired her hit Emmy-nominated show from the Soho Playhousein London’s West End. Heck, I might try to get to one of these since it won’t be on television or any other format for at least a year.

After opening for “one night only” on Tuesday, Louie (The Cove) Psihoyos’ new movie The Game Changers will get a release on New York this Friday and L.A. the 27th. Exec. produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan, it explores the rise of plant-based eating in professional sports along with Special Forces trainer James Wilks and features segments on Schwarzenegger, Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton, tennis player Novak Djokovic and NBA star Chris Paul.

Demi Moore, Ed Helms, Karan Soni (from the “Deadpool” movies) and Jessica Williams star in the horror-comedy Corporate Animals (Screen Media), the new comedy from Patrick Brice (Creep, The Overnight) about a corporate team-building adventure that turns to cannibalism when an office group find themselves trapped in a cave system. The movie has a great cast but the strange concept and weak screenplay really keeps the movie from delivering.

Other movies out this weekend include James Franco’s Zeroville (MyCinema), co-starring Megan Fox and Seth Rogen; Nicolas Cage’s new movie Running with the Devil (Quiver DIstribution), a drug thriller co-starring Laurence Fishburne, Barry Pepper, Leslie Bibb and more; and the award-winning Chinese drama Send Me to the Clouds (Cheng Cheng Films), opening in L.A., NY, Toronto and Vancouver.

STREAMING AND CABLE

Maybe the movie I’m most excited for this week is Zak Galifianakis’ BETWEEN TWO FERNS: THE MOVIE (Netflix), which I’m sure is going to be silly, maybe even stupid, but I’m still amused by his style of humor. I also haven’t seen the new Netflix doc Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates, and I also no absolutely nothing about the movie other than what’s in the title.

REPERTORY

METROGRAPH (NYC):

On Tuesday, the Metrograph began a series called “Bleecker Street: The First Five Years” running through Thursday withsingle screenings of Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace, Sebastian Lelio’s Disobediance and Brett Haley’s I’ll See You in My Dreams with talent doing QnAs. On the weekend, the theater has special screenings of the dance film The Red Shoes   (1948) on Saturday with an introduction by Jillian McManemin – I honestly have no idea who that is. On Saturday, the Academy is back with its monthly series, this month showing Milos Forman’s 1979 musical Hair with actor Treat Williams and Annie Golden in person. On Sunday, there’s a similarly special screening of Martin Scorsese’s 1990 crime classic Goodfellas with producer Irwin Winkler and screenwriter Nick Pileggi -- $35 tickets, a little pricey for me. You also have just two more days (today and tomorrow) to see Satoshi Kon’s Millennium Actress on the big screen.

This weekend’s Welcome To Metrograph: Redux offering is Jean Vigo’s 1934 film L’Atalante,  Late Nites at Metrograph is showing Fantastic Planet(again) and the Japanese horror film Hausu (1977). This weekend’s Playtime: Family Matinees is Alfonso Cuaron’s fantasy A Little Princess (1995)

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE BROOKLYN (NYC)

The Alamo is also celebrating “Arthouse Theater Day” on Wednesday with Robert Downey Sr.’s Putney Swope. They’re also doing a “Rambo Marathon” on Sunday to tie-in with Stallone’s latest Rambo movie -- $35 for all five Rambo movies. Now THAT is a great deal, and there are a few tickets left. On Saturday afternoon, the Alamo is showing Almodovar’s 2000 classic All About My Mother to celebrate the Spanish filmmaker before the release of his newest film Pain and Glory.  Monday’s “Out of Tune” is Lars von Trier’s 2000 film Dancer in the Dark, starring Bjork. Next week’s “Terror Tuesday” is the amazing Vera Farmiga thriller Orphan from 2009, and the Alamo is also playing Almodovar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown from 1988. Next week’s “Weird Wednesday” is 1995’s Tank Girl, starring Lori Petty.

AERO  (LA):

Wednesday is (or rather, was) a screening of the 1969 film Putney Swope as part of Art House Theater Day 2019, Thursday is a screening of the 1984 adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s 2010: The Year We Made Contact. In honor of Downton Abbey (I guess?), the Aero is beginning a series called “Upstairs, Downstairs,” beginning Friday with a 70mm print of 1993’s The Remains of the Day, starring Anthony Hopkins an Emma Thompson, then Saturday is a double feature of Hitchcock’s Rebecca  (1940) and Carol Reed’s The Fallen Idol  (1948), and then on Sunday is a double feature of Ruggles of Red Cap (1935) and By Candlelight  (1933), as well as a separate free member screening of Downton Abbey with some of the cast in person.

FILM FORUM (NYC):

Robert Altman’s classic 1975 film Nashville will screen as a new 4k restoration for the next week with screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury appearing on Saturday night. This weekend’s “Film Forum Jr.” is Howard Hawk’s 1940 movie His Girl Friday, starring Cary Grant.  Joseph Losey’s Holocaust drama Mr. Klein ends on Thursday.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

The Quad is back with another great series called “Laws of Desire: The Films of Antonio Banderas” beginning Wednesday, showing so many films starring the Spanish actor who is likely to get nominated for his first Oscar for Almodovar’s Pain and Glory.  It will even show Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming The Laundromat, which premieres on Netflix next week. Instead of going through all 13 of the movies, click on the link above and get ready to be Banderasized!

IFC CENTER (NYC)

Weekend Classics: Staff Picks Summer 2019 is Tony Scott’s vampire flick The Hunger (1983), chosen by “Todd,” Waverly Midnights: Staff Picks Summer 2019 is the anime classic Akira, chosen by “Katie,” and Late Night Favorites: Summer 2019 is Satoshi Kon’s Paprika(again?)

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

This weekend begins a “See It Big! Ghost Stories” series with the Japanese horror Ugetsu from 1953, then Saturday is The Phantom Carriage (1921) – this is with live piano accompaniment! --The Ghost and Mrs. Muir(1947), and then Sunday they’re screening Olivier Assayas’ more recent Personal Shopper (2006) with Kristen Stewart.

FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER (NYC):

Although Lincoln Center is preparing for next week’s New York Film Festival, this weekend it’s holding special screenings of two Gershwin films, Otto Preminger’s 1959 musical Porgy and Bess on Thursday (with panel) and then Vincente Minelli’s An American in Paris on Friday.

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

“The Purpose and Passion: the Cinema of John Singleton” ends on Friday, but there are screenings of his 2000 Shaft movie, starring Samuel L. Jackson, and another screening of Boyz n the Hood before then.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

Thursday night is a screening of David Lean’s The Bridge on the River Kwai  (1957), but the rest of the weekend is the “Guadalajara Film Festival.”

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART  (LA):

Friday night’s midnight offering is John Waters’ 2004 movie A Dirty Shame, starring Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville and Selma Blair.

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

The New Bev continues its “time out” at the bottom of this section as long as Tarantino uses his repertory theater to show Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, and currently it’s booked through the end of September. Since this week’s column is late, you already missed the 1952 film The Narrow Marginas the Weds. matinee, the New Bev will also show the Hanna/Barbera animated feature Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear (1964) as this weekend’s “Kiddee Matinee.” Tarantino’s Jackie Brown is the Saturday night midnight movie, and then on Monday, the theater will show David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive  (2000) in two matinees (the 2pm is already sold out).

A quieter week with only one wide release, the Universal/DreamWorks animation fantasy-adventure Abominable.

[gorogues]

Johns and Kolins interviews, part 3

Cut for length.

Part One and Part Two are available at the links.  This was supposed to be posted more three years ago, and it’s been sitting in my Drafts folder all this time.  Oops.

I occasionally clarify things or add my comments in [ ] brackets and italics.

Geoff Johns

CBG: Here's a fanboy question: One of the familiar aspects of the Silver Age Flash was silly plots and transformations taken with utmost seriousness. Is this light-hearted element toast in today's grim-and-gritty environment? Or will you sometimes turn someone into a puppet just for fun?

Johns: You know, it all depends on the story. For Flash: Rebirth, there's going to be a lot of heart in that series, but we're not going to go back to 1960s-style stories where we have stand-alone stories where Barry Allen turns into a puppet. That stuff's fun and if you have Abra Kadabra, you can have a story incorporating those elements. But it's certainly not the main thrust of where I'm taking the book.

CBG: So you're saying there's no editorial edict, you're just following your story.

Johns: Yeah, there's no editorial edict saying “you have to do this or that.” I'm just kinda exploring what I want to explore with The Flash. For me [Flash] being turned into a puppet or being turned fat, those are `60s stories that are the same thing like with Superman, where they did a lot of great Superman stories back in the day involving red kryptonite, and since then they've done kinda modern-day versions of that.

<<snip>>

CBG: Another topic: I guess the Rogues are no longer guilty of murder with the return of Bart? Maybe just attempted murder?

Johns: They're all each guilty of murders multiple times over.

CBG: And they're still going to be a major element of the title?

Johns: Absolutely. For my money, I can't do a Flash book without the Rogues.

CBG: And Flash: Rebirth #1 brought back Mr. Element. Haven't seen him for a while.

Johns: I used him in my Flash run.

CBG: Which name was he using?

Johns: Dr. Alchemy. But I never really got into him and he's a character that might be coming soon.

CBG: Well, with the Philosopher's Stone, he's not exactly a lightweight.

Johns: No. To me, he's always the character that the Rogues were kinda like "We don't want to be anywhere near him".

CBG: Because he's crazy? Or dangerous?

Johns: Yeah, he's psychotic. The Rogues each have their issues, and they're all psychotic in their own way. But they're also sane enough, and lucid enough, to understand camaraderie and loyalty and stuff like that. They have their own code, and that's something Dr. Alchemy....he's just too far gone. The Rogues think they have honorable motivation at times, especially Captain Cold -- he knows he's a criminal, but he has standards. Alchemy doesn't have standards.  He's scary.

CBG: I guess they regard Professor Zoom the same way?

Johns: Professor Zoom -- when's this [interview] come out?

CBG: June.

Johns: I can't really talk about Professor Zoom yet.

CBG: OK. But just in regard to how the Rogues think of him, though, do the Rogues kinda exclude him from the ‘clubhouse’ because he's kinda wacky?

Johns: Absolutely. But he also doesn't want to have anything to do with the Rogues.

CBG: Because he considers himself a hero, he helps heroes grow-- 

Johns: He has his own motivations.

*****************

Geoff Johns

Geoff Johns: I got a Facebook message today from someone who had never read a Superman comic book, even though they work at a comic store, until Superman: Secret Origin #1. And now, for the first time, she is reading a Superman comic and enjoying it. There are so many discussions about accessibility to today's monthly comics and my purpose with both Green Lantern: Secret Origin and Superman: Secret Origin is to introduce them, and in the case of current readers re-introduce them, to these characters. My hope is to continue these, most likely with The Flash: Secret Origin, which would include the beginning of the Rogues as well.

[Something we've never gotten, at least yet.. --Lia]

******************

Scott Kolins

Q: You've done a bit of work with The Flash of late with "Rogues' Revenge" and the upcoming "Blackest Night: The Flash," but are you excited to be back with The Flash on an ongoing basis?

Scott Kolins: Yes, very much. Working with Geoff is always a dream job, but it feels really nice right now to be back in the Flash universe for a while. It's very exciting. I love drawing Flash and the supporting cast. And he's got some of the best villains.

Q: Of The Flash's rogues do you have any favorites to draw and will we be seeing him during your run on the book?

SK: Grodd's always been my favorite and Geoff has planned a special Grodd story for me somewhere along the line. But really, I like them all. I'd love to do another Weather Wizard story. And of course Cold and Zoom are incredible so anytime to draw them is special. Geoff even mentioned another Cicada story he'd like to get to sometime. And there are others I haven't really gotten to, like Computron, or even bring in other aliens, like the Dominators.

*****************

Geoff Johns

CBR: The other project you announced this weekend was "Blackest Night: Flash." When you were developing "Blackest Night" as a maxiseries, was a Flash tie-in series always in the plans?

Geoff Johns: Yes. It's always been part of the project. There's so much you can do with 'Blackest Night' and the Black Lanterns. If we were going to explore other characters, it was going to be Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, JSA and Titans. And so I always knew Flash was going to be a part of it. And I knew Scott was going to do it. We have a lot of dead Rogues and a lot of live Rogues, and Flash has to fight them, so it should be fun.

CBR: You and Scott obviously have a special bond. I mean, you always have a great relationship with the artists you work with, Ethan [Van Sciver] and Ivan [Reis] and Dale [Eaglesham] and Gary [Frank] and all the others, but you and Scott, appear to anyway, to feed off one another. Is it the character of Flash that you both love? Or just similar takes on storytelling? What is it that makes Scott such a perfect fit for you?

Geoff Johns: I think for me and Scott, it goes deeper than that. Scott and I started off together. We started off working on "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E." So we did issues of "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E " and then we did "Flash" when nobody else wanted to do it. They said, "You and Scott are following Mark Waid." And it was going to be a disaster. But we did our own take and our own spin and took Flash in a different direction, especially with the Rogues and Keystone and everything else.

With me and Scott, it's almost like a childhood friend. It's a different kind of bond, and I think with the Rogues, and Flash in particular, we're just extremely comfortable together in that universe. We're really happy to be working with those characters and we feel like we helped usher in those characters and again, especially with the Rogues.  We actually first worked together when I first got into comics. So there's just something special about working with Scott.

In "Blackest Night: Flash," it's the Rogues versus the Black Lantern Rogues and Flash is caught in the middle. And Captain Cold will be facing off against Black Lantern Golden Glider. And Scott can do that. Scott can excel at that. There's just something about working with Scott that's just really a lot of fun and kind of magical for me. I love working with Scott Kolins.

CBR: When you were plotting "Blackest Night," were the dead Rogues characters that immediately came top of mind as possible Black Lanterns?

Geoff Johns: Absolutely, because there are so many dead ones. You've got Mirror Master, you've got Trickster, you've got Captain Boomerang, you've got a lot of dead Rogues and a lot of speedsters too.

***************

Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver

Geoff Johns: For a lot of the work, both on the Flash and his villains and surroundings, what we're harkening back to and looking at are the original comics by Carmine Infantino.

Ethan Van Sciver: Oh, and he was a genius! Geoff, I wasn't a big fan of that stuff until you turned me on to it.

GJ: He's a genius.

EVS: Really, you go back and you read those first 25 issues of Barry Allen, and that guy created some of the most original, interesting, compelling-looking characters, and not just The Flash, but all those Rogues were so...

GJ: They're so varied. I love that you've got, like, Abra Kadabra from the 64th Century, you've got Gorilla Grodd and the Gorilla City.

EVS: As good as Spider-Man villains, at least.

Newsarama: Will the Flash Rogues be in The Flash: Rebirth?

EVS: A few of them.

GJ: It can't be a Flash book without his Rogues, in my opinion.

****************

Geoff Johns

Q: Mark Bailie is a long-time fan and was wondering about a plot thread from your previous run on "The Flash."   "At the end of your run on "The Flash" Vol. 2, we see Captain Boomerang dropped into the future during The Flash/Reverse Flash battle, and we also have the re-animated Captain Boomerang telling Ashley Zolomon that Owen's mother is Meloni Thawne; thus making Bart Allen the half-brother of Owen Mercer/Harkness. Has this been touched upon at all, and if not, will this be an eventual topic in your new run on "The Flash?"

GJ: It has not been touched on at all. But yes, that happened.  

Q: Frank W. wanted you to know that he recognized Paul Gambi from "The Flash" #239 on the last page of "The Flash: Rebirth" #5.

GJ: Thanks, I'm glad somebody recognized him. Gambi will be in "The Flash" in 2010. For those of you who don't know Gambi, he's a tailor in Central City. He was the guy who created the Rogues' uniforms, and one thing that I am really proud of that Scott Kolins and I did in "Rogues' Revenge" is the subplot where he gets the hell beat out of him by these fake Rogues and Heatwave confronts one of them and says, "Did Gambi make your uniform? Because he made mine and it can withstand insane temperatures."  

And he burns the other guy's costume right off because Gambi is the guy who makes their uniforms. And though his tastes are a little wacky, you can tell by their uniforms, he builds them to last and to take the kind of beating the Rogues usually take on a daily basis.  The Rogues will be a major force in the new "Flash" book.  

***************

Geoff Johns

Alex Segura: Geoff, first off -- thanks for doing this. The Flash is a special character and it's only fitting that we make his return to monthly comics special here on The Source. Now, being a huge fan of The Flash myself, and Barry Allen in particular, I have a very vivid memory of my first encounter with the character -- what about you? What's your earliest Barry/Flash memory? What made him a cool character for you even then?

Geoff Johns: My first encounter with Barry Allen, outside of comics, was in animation in the Challenge of the Super-Friends cartoon. I guess that's where I also met Captain Cold. Those two characters, the Flash and Captain Cold, became my favorites. (Oh, and does anyone remember how Hal Jordan had that weird tan? I guess because he was from California? :) ) Anyway, those are my very memories, along with the Flash Super Powers figure, but when I finally got into comic books one of my very first comics was CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #8, which featured the death of the Flash. I don't remember the details well, but I do remember I was blown away by the issue. From there, I started buying back issues of the Flash. It was before everything was collected, before eBay, so I really had to hunt those comics down to read the stories. The powers, the Rogues and the uniform were what always drew me in.  

AS: It's often said that you can judge a hero by his villains, and one of the things I remember most about your initial Flash run — and was very thankful for, being a fan of Barry -- was how you not only brought back and polished some of the classic Flash villains -- Captain Cold is a great example -- but also reinvigorated the Rogues with some great, creepy new additions like Murmur and most notably Hunter Zolomon/Zoom. What makes a great villain? What do you look for when you sit down and create one? And, in addition to reuniting Barry with some of his deadliest foes, are we going to see new ones appear in your first year?

GJ: The Flash has arguably the best villains in comics. Batman's are amazing and psychological, but the Flash's are from the far future and super scientific Gorilla Cities. Not to mention the core group of Flash's foes, the Rogues. They were always a massive part of what made the Flash cool to me. He fought all these guys, sometimes at once because he could. When I first worked on the Flash the Rogues hadn't been touched really more than an odd appearance here and there. I knew that they were going to be a huge focus for me and I continued using them in Rogues' Revenge and Blackest Night: The Flash, but now with the new monthly book they'll be playing a bigger and ongoing role in Barry's life. There are some pretty big changes for the Rogues coming up that tie in to the very center of the DC Universe. Barry will be meeting some new villains, one in particular that is going to be the strangest killer he's ever faced. And I think with 64th Century magicians and talking gorillas that's saying a lot.

*****************

Scott Kolins

Q: What can you tell us about the Blackest Night: Flash mini you’re working on with Geoff Johns?

Scott Kolins: That’s it’s gonna be great! Geoff has really moved into high gear with this Blackest Night stuff and he’s got some amazing stuff planned. Both and Wally and Barry will be in the story – and the Rogues! Dead or Alive! How awesome is that?! I’ve been waiting years to draw a book like this! This will be even better than Blitz or Rogue’s Revenge!

Q: Who are some of your favorite characters to draw?

Scott Kolins: I have very few I don’t like to draw. I love super-heroes and monsters and fun stuff and serious stuff. Monsters like Grundy, Bizarro and Grodd are pure delight. Villains Zoom and Cold are great too. I’d love to get to Sinestro or Brainiac. But I’m dying to do a big Wonder Woman story or Shazam! Hawkman or Aquaman! I LOVE Kirby stuff, so Omac, New Gods, or I’d love to do a Mister Miracle & Big Barda book! Or even the Legion of Super-heroes! I love it all. Plus I’d really love a chance to add to some of the mythologies. I wanna create incredible villains for Hawkman or Aquaman!

****************

Scott Kolins

GL SPOTLIGHT: Well first let’s dive into Blackest Night: Flash, the miniseries that reunites the highly praised Flash team of you and writer Geoff Johns. How different were these three issues than your time on Flash previously? Have Geoff's scripts become any more visually demanding than before?

SCOTT KOLINS: Rogues Revenge was only loosely connected to Final Crisis. The Blackest Night Flash series story is tied more to the central plot of Blackest Night. Barry is a pivotal figure on Blackest Night and he's 1/2 the story in Blackest Night Flash. The Rogues 1/2 of this story is a little looser but still connected as they fight some Black Lantern Rogues. Geoff's scripts are about the same - which means great and very much based on the core story being told. In Rogues Revenge was about revenge (Duh!), and here it was more about survival - against undead friends and villains! The only new thing - which is actually very old school is that Geoff was so busy working on all aspects of Blackest Night that he would sometimes call me on the phone and we'd discuss the next page or scene and break it down over the phone. Then I'd rough out the page or pages and email that back to him for his approval. It was actually kinda fun this way and we got the book done on time!

GL Spotlight: It was definitely a fun read. We know that Flash: Rebirth artist Ethan Van Sciver designed many of the Black Lanterns for this event. Were you able to design the Black Lantern outfits for the Rogues, Reverse-Flash, and even Solomon Grundy, yourself?

SCOTT: Yes I did. Design may be a bit too big a credit because they’re all working off the basic Black Lantern design already set up – but I did sketch out Solomon Grundy and Black Lantern Reverse Flash. Grundy’s was a natural as he is already a walking dead creation - just add the triangle and some pants stripes. I played more with Black Lantern Reverse Flash. The five “fingers” on top of the inverted triangle were squared off at first but I showed a pointy version to Geoff which he preferred. Then balance out how much lightning would work with the extra pant Black Lantern lines and he was done. The Black Lanterns are an awesome concept and were tons of fun to draw.

******************

Geoff Johns 

Q: Will Barry face any new villains in his series?

Geoff Johns: You will see new characters in "The Flash" #1.

Q: But he asked about new villains?

Geoff Johns: I will not say anything other than you will see new characters in "The Flash" #1. But they're kinda villains. Kinda.

[He's talking about the Renegades. --Lia]

********************

Geoff Johns

Q: Let’s start with “The Flash.” The first story arc is a lot of fun and Francis [Manapul] is really bringing his ‘A’ game.

Geoff Johns: Francis is a genius. And that’s the tone I wanted to do, very accessible and a lot of fun. That’s what The Flash is all about. I wanted the book to have a lot of heart, a bit like our run with Superboy in “Adventure Comics.” I love writing that book. Coming up, we’ll see a new supporting cast member, a new villain, the return of the Pied Piper, more on Captain Boomerang and, of course, the Flash Family as we race towards “Flashpoint.”

[I'm including this because we did not in fact see Piper in the book. --Lia]

Q: William Schwartz had a question about continuity. He asked that you explain the continuity of Professor Zoom, a.k.a. Reverse Flash, between “Blackest Night,” “Blackest Night: Flash,” “Flash: Rebirth” and “Brightest Day.” He's alive and then imprisoned in “Flash: Rebirth,” which also hints at his soon-to-come resurrection. He's a Black Lantern in “Blackest Night: Flash” but also alive and imprisoned before being frozen by Captain Cold. He's then resurrected at the end of “Blackest Night” and escapes, yet he is still in prison. Is that right?

GJ: You’ll see more with Reverse Flash in “Brightest Day” and then “The Flash.” But he definitely has the timeline right. I mean, if you look at it from our point of view, in a linear timeline, he was resurrected by the Black Ring, brought back to life by the White Lantern, he then time traveled, brings Barry Allen back, gets stopped by Barry Allen and he’s get imprisoned in Iron Heights. I know. [laughs] Does anyone have an aspirin?

********************

Geoff Johns

WILSON: Do you still draw and do you include thumbnails with your scripts for artists?

JOHNS: I do thumbnails when I write my scripts, but I never send them off. It’s just for me really to get a visual sense of how the pages are going to lay out. I make these grids that are divided into six sections that essentially represent six pages and I take a stack of them and staple them together, and it then represents one comic book. From there, I draw it out, very bare bones, just to see what it’ll look like visually flipping through it because you want it to vary anyway. You know, where is it going to open up because there’s a big moment? So I illustrate that way.

I do some design work. I designed Pied Piper’s current costume. I’ve done some other design work here and there. I leave the illustration to the professionals. I just like doing it for fun.

WILSON: With such an avid love of comics and putting so much of yourself and your time into producing them, what is the most important thing you would like readers to take away from your body of work?

JOHNS: Well, I hope a positive message. I think superheroes are positive and have positive messages. I’ve never thought about it in that way, but people are going to take what they’re going to take; I hope it’s something they can apply to their life. You meet a lot of people who are inspired by heroes to be better people or to live a certain way. I hope they love the heroes. I do it because I loved Captain Cold. Great character, but crazy, so why do I love him? He’s this blue-collar, down-and-out super-thug, but he has a weird moral code and he has a heart deep down in there despite the cold exterior. He has a heart that is beating and I explored that in an issue with Scott Kolins in The Flash #182, which is one of my favorite issues I’ve ever written. Scott did a great job on it and I got to explore Captain Cold.  People are always asking Scott at conventions for sketches of Captain Cold, and I still get to work with the character and I think he resonates for people. I hope they take away a growing love and appreciation for these characters and what they represent, but what they take away is going to be up to the audience.

******************

Scott Kolins

Q: Well the big thing to talk about is Citizen Cold. That’s a three issue mini-series?

Scott Kolins: Three issues that are self-contained but are part of the whole Flashpoint hoopla this summer.

Q: I know it has already been hinted in the books that are out that Cold may not be the hero that everyone thinks he is. Can you hint a little more about what to expect?

SK: You’ll find out in the first issue (out this week!!) that even Iron Heights that was the prison for the Flash villains before had an area called the Pipeline. It was a special place for all Flash’s super villains. Now it’s the special place for all of Citizen Cold’s villains and they call it the Freezer. And you’ll see a bunch of the Rogues are in there and you’ll see they’ve all suffered for the fact that Citizen Cold is now the hero.

He’s not a nice guy who puts them in prison. They’re all hurt pretty bad for tangling with him and being villains in his city. One of the fun bits is that you’ll actually see that the Rogues form because of Citizen Cold. That’s part of the plot of the story is that they really aren’t happy with him at all.

Q: Since this is an alternate reality story or a kind of reboot did you think about tweaking Captain Cold’s costume or did you know you wanted to keep it the same?

SK: No, that was definitely part of the process. Should I tweak stuff, how much should I tweak stuff? I did do some changes to Trickster; his pants and even his color scheme. I added some red to it, where before it was mostly yellow and blue. I got to do something that Geoff Johns laughed about; I gave Weather Wizard that goatee. It’s a reference to when we had originally changed his costume in the Flash books years ago and made his pattern green with yellow stripes on it. At that time when I did sketches for him to show DC what we wanted to do I had given him facial hair; at that point it was a handle bar mustache. Geoff was like, “This looks great...lose the handlebar mustache.” So this time when he saw the goatee he was like, “All right, fine. You finally get to put it on him.” I also think he looks more like a wizard this way. Stuff like this is mostly just fun for me, but they can either use it later if they think it’s cool or we can just use it for this one time thing.

Q: You mentioned the Trickster, is it going to be Jesse or Axel?

SK: No, it’s still Axel the kid. I know everyone likes James Jesse and I do too. That was one of the fun, personal things I got to add to the Flash universe. When we were working on the Rogues, James Jesse was already set up as an FBI agent. So he was definitely in the good guy camp, so we couldn’t use him as a Rogue. So I suggested what if we made Trickster like an evil Robin. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a kid with all those tricks, toys, and everything? Geoff thought it was an awesome idea, so we went with it from there. So when ever we can use him, I push him because he was my idea.

Q: The surprise to me when the new Trickster came out was you had a full grown Flash socking a teenager and no one objected, “Hey you’re hitting a kid!” Obviously he was a villain, but you never saw a reaction to that.

SK: That is an issue that we’ve kind of side-stepped. It is something I wanted to get into with Citizen Cold, but I don’t think I’m going to get into that one since I have so much going on with Cold himself. In my mind even though he looks young, but he might be on the cusp of 18. At least 16, so in some areas he’d be tried as an adult.

[More details on Axel’s age. --Lia]

Q: You probably can’t say what it is, but do you have your next book lined up?

SK: Yeah, I do have my next assignmnt lined up. It’s nothing I can talk about at this time. But I will be doing more writing and drawing. They’re very happy with that, Geoff was extremely happy with how Citizen Cold has come about and fit into the whole Flashpoint package. DC has been too. They’re like, you’ve really come a long with Grundy and everything else you’ve been doing and they are really cool with it.

Q: Any new Rogues popping up in Citizen Cold or just the established ones?

SK: Mostly just the established. There are some changes for them. Not even just Weather Wizard’s goatee. I don’t want to spoil the real cool one. But one of the favorites of the bunch that I changed, it’s just the context of the story they are stuck in. There are hints on the cover as to how it is different for one of the Rogues. It’s big time different, but no new Rogues.

*****************

From Geoff Johns’ AMA on Reddit

Q: Why do you love Captain Cold so much?

Geoff Johns: I love Captain Cold because he doesn't want to rule the world or kill people. He's just some dude who stole a cold-gun and is trying to get by in this crazy, insane super-powered world.

*******************

Geoff Johns introduces some of the Rogues for new readers

Leonard Snart was a career criminal who would pull heists and often work with a crew, until one day this blur, this speedster, shows up and suddenly he has to contend with this brand new thing called a super hero who’s stopping criminals like him from doing what they do. In order to continue, Snart has to up his game. He’s not a scientist. He’s not a doctor. He’s a career criminal. So he steals a cold gun that’s capable of slowing things down to absolute zero.

The thing that makes Snart so interesting to me is that cold is actually the opposite of speed. We talk about this a bit in the [Captain Cold] episode. Speed is defined by how fast things are moving. Temperature is also defined by the same thing—how fast things are moving at the atomic level. The faster they’re moving, the warmer something is. When things stop moving at the atomic level, the lower temperature it has. It’s called absolute zero when there’s absolutely no movement at all.

That I found very fascinating. Temperature and speed—it was all connected. Cold was essentially the opposite of Barry Allen in every way. He was a normal person who had to equip himself to become more than he was.

The character doesn’t want to rule the world. He doesn’t necessarily want to kill the Flash because, at the end of the day, the Flash is celebrated by everybody, and killing him would bring a lot of heat. Also, he’s not a killer. He just wants to pull his jobs and continue doing what he’s doing, and in order to work in a city that’s protected by a super hero, he has to become something more than he is. Until finally, working alone isn’t enough and he has to gather with others that are in the same situation. Like Heat Wave, a pyromaniac who Snart’s worked with before.

Everyone knows that Mick Rory, AKA Heat Wave, has a problem. His love for fire and the arsonist that he is will often divert him away from the mission at hand. But Cold is able to wrangle that pyromaniac. He gives him a heat gun and basically gives him a gimmick. He tells him that if he holds on to the gimmick, he’s not going to be sick anymore. He’ll fit in and belong.

He does that with each one of the Rogues. When he brings in Axel Walker, the Trickster, he’s a kid who’s out of control. He doesn’t have any focus, and Cold brings him focus. Same with someone like Mark Mardon, the Weather Wizard, who’s obsessed by guilt because of the way he got the weather wand. His brother’s death is really a big part of who he is.

It goes on and on with all the Rogues and we’ve talked about a lot of these characters and bringing them onto the show. They work for The Flash because only someone like the Flash could take on five guys at once.  What Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and I are trying to do is slowly bring in these wonderful villains, and really they become characters all their own. They have their own stories. They’re more than just villains-of-the-week characters. They’re a part of this world. They live in this world, and we’ll be seeing them again and again.

[imaginedilestrade]

The Midnight Lovers

Summary: After an argument you leave your boyfriend, Greg. Months later your friends ask you on a road trip, only Greg was invited too. What the two of you don’t know is your friends have planned this trip to try and get the pair of you to rekindle. But will it work? Warnings: Some angst A/N: This has honestly been so fun and surprisingly easy to write (mainly because 90% of the things happening in the fic have been from my previous and present life experiences 😅) Hope you guys enjoy and as always, feedback is welcome! 😁 Have a great weekend! The Midnight Lovers Playlist —————————— Chapter 7 —————— You could barely see, your tears were making your vision blurry. You don't know why you were getting so worked up over this. You shouldn't be. You let out a scream that burned your throat and lungs as you kicked a nearby log before falling to your knees and burying your head in your hands. John found you in the middle of the clearing loudly sobbing away, he let out a sympathetic sigh and made his way over to you "Come here, Y/N" he knelt down beside you and hugged you. You sobbed into John's shoulder before pulling away and wiping your tear stained cheeks "Why? Why am I feeling like this? I shouldn't be!" You raised your breaking voice at John. "It's alright-" "No John! It's not alright! Why the hell would he bring her back?" You screamed "To get back at me? To prove some kind of stupid point that he's moved on and needs to rub it in my face?!" Your voice cracked again and you sniffled, perching yourself on the log. John had tears welling in his own eyes, it hurt him seeing you like this. He could see that you were conflicted, a war was waging between your heart and your head. "I don't know why he did it," John told you and you looked up to him "But I can tell you this, I'll have a word with him". "No," you sighed out and wiped away your tears with your sleeves, trying to clean yourself up a bit "What's the point?" John exasperatingly folded his arms and let out a huff "I suppose, you coming?" "I will in a minute," you told him "I just want some time to myself. You go back, I know the way" you groggily told him and you heard his footsteps crunching the twigs and leaves beneath him as he walked away from you. John made his way back to a path and decided to go to the shops and grab a paper for himself. You composed yourself and slowly made your way back to the camper van. Sherlock sympathetically smiled at you and followed you in, Jim was at the wheel "We ready to go?" He asked starting the ignition. "Yeah..." You mumbled and sat beside him, grabbing your book and taking out the bookmark at the page that read; 'When I wake in the morning I wish I was waking to her eyes'. Your eyes flickered up to the noise of a door shutting and you met Greg's eyes with your own, your heart tightened in your chest and you returned to reading your book. About an hour later you were re-reading your book again with your fingers pressed against your lips, deep in focus. Your legs were stretched out and crossed at the ankles and occasionally you'd look up out of the windscreen. The camper van was quiet. Jim was driving, Sherlock was on the sofa catching up with some uni work, Molly and Anderson were in the room you shared with her chatting away, Greg was in his room minding his own business and Mary was taking a nap. "What's your favourite poem in that book?" Jim asked, breaking your focus from reading. You flicked it to a page and read it aloud to him "I love them all but one of my favourites has to be; 'Then he looked at the stars one night. He'd seen them countless of times before. Then he looked beside him and found her. She was the only star that mattered.'" You finished the poem with a smile on your face. Jim glanced at you before focusing on the road again "That's beautiful, almost as beautiful as the girl reading it..." he smirked and you lightly pushed his shoulder. "Shut up, we all know you're the most beautiful!" You teased him with the same tone he used. "Obviously," Jim muttered with a smile. You rolled your eyes and continued reading, "Put the radio on," you asked Jim who looked at you, raising a brow. You let out a sigh "Put the radio on, please." "Better" Jim uttered and pressed it on. You began moving your feet to the beat and hummed away. Jim glanced over to you and let out a snort of laughter as you began to lip sync to 'Don't you forget about me'. You looked up to him and let out a quiet giggle seeing him mouthing the words with you "Sing! You have a great voice" you told him and he smiled. "Only if you sing with me," you rolled your eyes at him and placed down your book "I mean, I know you sound like a dying cat but-" You jabbed his side and he let out a laugh as he flinched "You're such a dick, you've just encouraged me to sing even more". You opened your mouth but it quickly snapped shut when you heard someone frantically banging on the bathroom door. You turned your head around and quickly looked to the ground when you noticed Greg standing there banging his fist on it. Sherlock raised his head up from his paperwork and let out a sigh "What are you doing?" He asked, slightly irritated that he disturbed him, and from earlier this morning. "John's in the bathroom is he not?" Greg asked. Sherlock shook his head "No he's sleeping with Mary I'm sure". "What did you say about me?" Mary peered her head out from the small ledge that was the barricade between the bedroom and the living quarters below. Sherlock and Greg looked up at the same time "Not about you, about John," Sherlock told her. "Isn't John down there with you?" Mary rubbed her eyes while yours widened in realisation. "Oh god! We've left John!" As quick as you could blink everyone, apart from Jim who was driving like a maniac, grabbed their phones. "I've got forty missed calls..." Mary mumbled and tried to phone John again. The roads were fairly quiet so Jim would get there quicker than this morning when you left. "I've got twenty five," you told Jim "God I feel terrible, this is my fault! He came after me! We should have walked back together." "This isn't your fault," Jim reassured. "I can't get though to him," Mary tried again "Maybe his phone's on silent or something". "Or he could be dead," Sherlock muttered out, completely unfazed by the situation "Well there is a change he might-Ouch!" Mary kicked his foot. "Don't say that! Jim how long till we get back to Skegness?" Mary asked panicking. "Uh...about ten minutes" he told her. Your eyes caught onto a small figure in the distance "Wait! There he is!" You pointed and Mary let out a sigh of relief. The door opened and you all turned to face John, Mary wrapped his arms around him and kept kissing John's cheek. "I'm so, so, so, so sorry!" You apologised over and over but John happily reassured you it was alright and soon enough you were all on your way to your next destination which was Scarborough. You would be stopping there for two days and then travel to The Yorkshire dales early the morning after that. You didn't acknowledge Greg for the entire day and he noticed this. Jim pulled up to the campsite which was right on the beach. It was late by the time you all got there and you were all starving. Night started to creep in and the soft crashing waves echoed around the camper. Molly and Anderson lit and placed candles all around the chairs that were stuck in the sand on with a campfire in the middle. You were sitting perched up on your chair with your nose in your book again, glancing up to the stars before reading the next page; 'The stars are magical yes, but you...you are pure magic.' You smiled at the page and continued reading, you didn't even notice Greg glance up at you, smiling as you smiled. Then he began to feel guilty from this morning, he didn't even do anything! He and the barmaid walked back to the camper van together, kissed for a bit and then the both of them fell asleep from exhaustion. Everyone glanced to Sherlock when they saw him move "I'm going in for a shower," he announced "Does anyone need in?" A choir of 'No's' answered his question and he headed inside. "Ohh antiques roadshow will be on soon!" Jim cooed, checking his watch, Molly let it a snort of laughter. "You sound like an old woman Jim!" She teased and you looked up to Jim who was beginning to blush. "He only watches it because Sherlock likes it..." You told the group and they all let out a teasing 'Ooh'. "Shut up..." Jim muttered and rolled his eyes. You let out a small snort of laughter and shut over your book before extending your legs and letting your feet sink into the cool sand. "I watch it because it's fun to guess the price of things! Unlike you who watched 'The Night Manager' only to see Tom Hiddleston and his bare arse for like a minute!" "I did not!" You protested with a giggle "I watched it because Hugh Laurie was in it too!" Jim nudged you knee with his "You're such a perv". "Says you who goes for a piss while I shower," you retorted back with a playful smirk. Mary was bent over laughing at the pair of you with tears of laughter streaming down her face "Oh I love the two of you together, you're like an old married couple". "We-" Jim was cut off by a high pitched scream coming from the bathroom. The group sent concerned glances to each other, your eyes connected with Jim's and yours and his simultaneously widened "Run Y/N!" He told you and you leaped out of your seat, clutching into your book as the pair of you ran on the cool sand. Sherlock emerged from the camper and John was the first to see him "Oh...my...God!" John let out a roar of laughter and Mary turned around to see what he was laughing at before she burst into a fit of laughter. Anderson, Molly and Greg also laughed hysterically seeing the bright orange, gaudy blonde man standing by the door. Sherlock roared out at the top of his lungs "I'm going to kill those two!" ——————— Tags: (Let me know if you'd like to be tagged/Untagged) @adorablebadger @musingsofophelia @damnitman-jamlocked-inthetardis @lock-sherlock @wcsteland @katie27hp @cutie1365 @holmes-maev @rikkachloechan @becky--dixon @daynaan @dontaskmemyfavoritesong @ladygrey03 @elenangzie @ccorpuz1214

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For many of us the May long weekend signifies the unofficial beginning of summer. Summer – with its warm days and long nights, gathering with family and friends to enjoy good eats, fine weather and the great outdoors.

Q the music…

CBC Music and Live Nation had a recipe for success when they teamed up at Ontario Place’s RBC Echo Beach in Toronto on Saturday May 27th, to kick off the start of summer (and Festival season) with the CBC Music Festival.

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

This 1 day festival was packed with land and water activities (SUP, kayak), food and beverage vendors, a VR tent, a scavenger hunt and showcased 20 Canadian artists performing across 4 stages for 9 solid hours.

And perform they did, for large and small crowds alike – including an impromptu gig by Scott Hellman in the commons with an intimate gathering of lucky fans. There really was something for everyone to enjoy, as was proven by the number of families in attendance. The fact that kids under 12 were admitted for free wasn’t just a brilliant marketing maneuver.

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

The Kid Zone had a wide range of activities for the little people, including a Rock N’ Roll Hair Salon and Tattoo Parlour (of the washable variety), an instrument petting zoo, as well as their own stage shows – hosted by CBC Studio K’s ‘Cottonball’. The area in front of the Kid’s stage became very crowded in the hour before Walk Off The Earth swung by to hang out for a Q&A session. Many in attendance wondering “What kind of instruments do you play?” “What’s your favourite song?” and “Who’s your favourite Super Hero?” to which each member of this down to earth group took turns answering. Before leaving the stage, they left their indelible mark on one tiny fan when they all agreed to sign her ukulele.

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

The first act to grace the Main Stage was an all-girl indie rock band called The Beaches, appropriately named for the Toronto neighbourhood they hail from. The smallish crowd that had gathered against the security fence surrounding the stage started growing from their very first electrified notes. Don’t let the idea of girl band confuse you, this wasn’t a Spice Girls performance; their sound was more Blondie meets The Runaways. Comprised of vocalist & bassist Jordan Miller, guitarist Kylie Miller, keyboardist Leandra Earl and Eliza Enman-McDaniel on the drums, these chicks know how to Rock N’ Roll and they brought it loud and hard! Performing a couple cover songs in between their own hits like “Little Pieces” and “Give it Up”, which is gaining radio play. This quartet quickly set the bar high for the rest of the day, and I’m sure gained more than a few new fans, myself included.

A wander past the food trucks and assorted market vendors was up next. It was a good thing too, because you couldn’t get near them later in the day. A sampling of pulpo, duck tacos, and curry fries filled the gap, washed down with a refreshing sudsy beverage. One nice thing about Echo Beach is that that the entire grounds are licensed, so attendees could wander from stage to stage with a can in hand, able to enjoy the music in person instead of relegated to far corner tent.

Needs sated, I detected a rhythmic hum filling the air, seeming to beckon me closer and drawing me in. It worked as I found myself standing outside the Tent Stage, catching a part of the Birds of Bellwoods set. These four young men from Toronto know how to bend the strings! Chris Blades on the electric guitar, Adrian Morningstar on the acoustic guitar, Steve Joffe on the Mandolin and Kintaro Akiyama on the upright bass (think cello). Their harmonies were smooth and I found myself wishing that I’d caught more than their last few songs. Definitely watch out for these up and coming talented musicians!

CBC Music Fest: William Prince. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Back at the Main Stage we were treated to the stylings of William Prince. A phenomenal singer, songwriter, and storyteller, there’s a reason he was nominated for Aboriginal Artist of the year and won Juno for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year in 2017. His thought provoking lyrics and soft baritone voice were hauntingly beautiful. As people lounged on blankets around the stage soaking in the folk-country musical tales that were being sung, it seemed metaphorical of the ease with which William interacted with the gathered crowd, relating history and personal stories between songs. It’s hard to understand how we’ve not heard more from this Winnipeg native, but there is no doubt that we will be treated to future performances. In fact you can catch him for free at the NAC in Ottawa on July 13th at 6pm. Head to their website to secure free tickets.

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

I didn’t want to miss BROS over on the Q Stage, and arrived just in time to catch their introduction. You may know them from a little group called The Sheepdogs, however if that’s what you were hoping to hear, then you might have been disappointed…. but not really. Ewan and Shamus Currie added a brass ensemble to their keyboard and guitar and turned the funk WAY UP. An initial gathering of mainly classic rock fans exploded into an all ages dance-athon. From the tiny toddler wigglin’ his way into inadvertent splits, to the would-be Willie Nelson, and every type of stripe in-between, BROS got the crowd moving, grooving and loving what they were offering up. And when they broke news of the passing of Gregg Allman and dedicated a song, it only put pause on the festive spirit out of reverential respect.

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Heading back to the Main Stage where I would ultimately end up the rest of the evening; the upcoming entertainers being part of the draw, the massive growing crowd being the other. Staking out a spot close to the stage would have required a lawn chair, a bottomless bladder and an unwillingness to enjoy any other artist since The Beaches took the stage hours before. Scott Helman was up next, and the squeals of teen and tween girls rose as he began his set with a little ‘PDA’. Relegated to standing on a small strip of pavement leaning against the VIP area, we were entertained by many of Scott’s familiar radio tunes, including: ‘That Sweater’, ‘Kinda Komplicated’ and ‘21 days’ – my personal fave, but that’s likely more a result of it being a song about zombies, and love, or maybe zombie love… but I digress. Whether he’s of the school of thought that “no press is bad press”, or he was experiencing overwhelming excitement, the crowd responded with amusement when he strangely exclaimed “Keep stealing my music!” Then realization set in, and he recovered with …. “or pay for it, if you want!” Scott’s genuine love and appreciation of his family was particularly evident when he enthusiastically exclaimed “That’s my Grandpa!” as one of many video cameras covering the event panned to a shot of a very proud looking patriarch grinning ear to ear, projected upon the side stage big screens. Scott ended his set with the catchy tune ‘Bungalow’ which brought more than half of the attendees to their feet, dancing and applauding.

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

I made the unfortunate decision to get food before Ruth B took the stage. However as mentioned previously this would become a futile exercise which resulted in missing most of her set. Hungry and dejected I gave up my quest and returned just in time to catch her original song ‘Lost Boy’ which was thoroughly enjoyable.

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Up next was the day’s first headliner, Walk Off The Earth. By this point the sun had started its descent in the western sky and Echo Beach lived up to its name. The crowd’s thunderous greeting of the band’s arrival on stage was only the beginning of one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. Gathered with Whirley Tubes, and bells (and a back-up band) they opened the set with a recognizable YouTube cover of Adele’s ‘Hello’. They had the entire park on their feet from the moment they stepped on stage. Gianni, Sarah, Marshall, Joel and Mike Taylor aka Beard Guy, brought high energy and familiar tunes, of both original songs and covers, and were flawless in harmony and execution. Covering Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of you’ and Pharrell Williams ‘Happy’, the audience certainly was as we moved and danced along. They also delighted with a number of originals such as ‘Gang of Rhythm’, ‘Fire in my Soul’ and ‘Home we’ll go’ – a song written while on the road about missing Canada.

When the band asked for a song suggestion someone in the crowd yelled out ‘Queen’, to which Beard Guy agreed to play Bohemian Rhapsody on the piano as long as the audience sang along. It’s a good minute and a half into the song before I realized the other band members have disappeared from the stage, as myself and the other karaoke Kings and Queens in attendance belt out the lyrics. The rest of the band returned in time for the head banging guitar solo, and we all continued to jam out like it was one big backyard party. The night wouldn’t have been complete without a 5 peeps 1 (modified) guitar setup, and again the group delivered, playing Goyte’s ‘Someone that I used to know’, and morphing into snippets of a variety of familiar covers, including ‘Twist & Shout’. With beach balls flying through the air, the palpable feeling of inclusion, the pyro and glitter, the on stage Ninja fight during the ‘Tae kwon do’ song, the entire show was brilliant from beginning to end. As fireworks exploded overhead signifying the end of the set, WOTE walked off the stage and into the hearts of all in attendance.

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Most of the families with young children headed out before the final act, but a couple of young girls camped out next to me told me they had waited all day to see their idol. Six time Juno award winner Serena Ryder took the stage and owned it for the remainder of the night. Opening with Stompa and like an implanted suggestion, the crowd got moving. The stage filled with lights and smoke, three guitarists including herself, drums, keyboard and two backup singers, she engaged the audience with her jazzy pop hit Electric Love. We were also treated to a song from her brand new Album ‘Utopia’ released just the day before. She returned to more familiar tunes such as ‘What I wouldn’t do’ before slowing the pace a little with a few songs like ‘Baby Come Back’ and ‘All for love’, which had the crowd swaying in unison. An intimate acoustic setting was created on a portion of the Main stage, complete with side table and night lamp, for which she asks the audience’s permission to continue. (Yes please! Do we mind?!) Serena’s song writing prowess speaks for itself, but to combine her powerful voice which conveys such emotion with gut wrenching lyrics can actually make one ‘Weak in the knees’; the performance of which had the crowd serenading her. Every phone in park swaying high overhead in her honour.

All in all the end of the night came too soon. So many Juno and various other award winners, many new up and coming acts, what an amazing way to showcase Canadian talent in a setting that is family friendly and that invites inclusion and participation. There were many other artists I didn’t get a chance to check out, but that gives me an excuse to return next year. I was blown away by the whole experience and would urge anyone that has any interest in music to check out the show. In fact you can catch highlights from the day, in a 1 hour special broadcast on CBC on Canada Day. For more information visit CBC Music Festival online

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CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: William Prince. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: William Prince. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: William Prince. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Reviewed and Written by: Leann Kennedy Photos by: Dale Sinclair | @dalesinclairphoto

CBC Music Fest: A Tale of Four Stages For many of us the May long weekend signifies the unofficial beginning of summer. Summer – with its warm days and long nights, gathering with family and friends to enjoy good eats, fine weather and the great outdoors.

[hawkland]

for the in depth fandom questions: svu

@adarafaelbarbas also asked for my SVU thoughts, so here you both go! 

And it got long, so I’m putting it all behind cut….

Top 5 favourite characters: Top 2 are no surprise to anyone: John Munch & Fin Tutuola of course. After that? At the moment I’d probably have to say Casey Novak, George Huang, and Don Cragen. But that can vary a bit depending on which episodes/seasons I’ve been watching recently.

Other characters you like: Hmm, well, I’d say I “like” most of the regulars through the years, or else I wouldn’t be a fan in the first place, would I? If I had to pick say five more to round out my top 10, though, I’d probably go with Melinda Warner, Alex Cabot, Olivia Benson of the early seasons, Nick Amaro, and Rafael Barba. 

Least favourite characters:  Chester Lake, any of the ever-changing ADAs from seasons 10-12, Dale Stuckey (you bastard you killed O’Halloran!), Elliot Stabler from about season 6 onward, Olivia Benson from at least season 16 onward (though she started annoying me at times far before that, especially in her attitude toward Rollins and Amaro in Season 13).

Otps: Munch/Fin, of course, before any others! I also ship Cabenson pretty hard; it was probably my first ship when I was watching the show originally. 

Notps: Eeeeeh, I always sort of tread lightly around declaring NOTPs because there are a lot of ships I don’t particularly care for, but my reasons can be weird/personal and I don’t like stirring up wank talking about them or the reasons why. But I will say that I definitely never liked E/O as a romantic ship, only as friends. And I have a personal squick for shipping Fin with anyone but Munch because I just want them to be together (and yet I’ll ship Munch with pretty much anyone else, though maybe not as an endgame ship, so I’m kind of a hypocrite that way? IDK…) I didn’t care for Tuckson, and Barisi…I just honestly don’t really see it, and while I’ve tried reading it in fic I’ve rarely found a story that convinced me or felt in character to my mind.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Favourite friendships: Munch/Cragen, Fin/Amanda, Munch/Amaro, Munch/Benson, Bensler (early seasons before it all got fucked up)

Favourite family: I guess I’ll say Fin, because as messed-up as it may be, I do enjoy the episodes featuring Ken & I love the idea of Fin becoming a grandfather. I also really really want Ken & Alejandro to be together and be happy!

Favourite episodes: With so many seasons it’s hard to narrow it down to even a top 10. But some of the ones I will always rewatch when they��re on include Remorse, Nocturne, Legacy, Manhunt, Countdown, Denial, Careless, Painless, Haunted, Scavenger, Parts, Raw, Screwed, Alternate, Cold, Authority, Zebras, Anchor… ie, most of the very Fin and/or Munch-centric ones.

Favourite season/book/movie: Seasons 2 and 5 are my favorites—2 for the way the team really came together and so many of the cases/episodes featured ALL of the detectives working as a unit. 5 for some of the most interesting cases and the whole loss of Alex/introduction of Casey storyline.

Favourite quotes: Ah, so many but a few off the top of my head:

“If you don’t question authority, you lose your humanity.”

“I just know stuff.”

“That’s my Jew.”

“Once god gives you a uterus, then I’ll listen to your sermon.”

“Even a turd can float.”

Best musical moment: The final montage in Screwed set to Mark Isham’s “Sense of Touch”. The music is perfect and the ending of that episode always gets me emotional.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: How do I even narrow it down?!?! Munch and Fin sharing a motel room in Manhunt, maybe, and finally having a bit of a heart-to-heart. That or when Ken has dinner with John to introduce Alejandro because I still insist there is no possible heterosexual context to that scene whatsoever.

When it really disappointed you: Oh so so many times but, probably one of the biggest disappointments for me was last year, all the hype about “Munch returns” when he ended up having all of about 2 minutes screen time—and really didn’t get to have any good interactions with anyone other than Benson & Noah.

Saddest moment: Munch’s retirement. You know, I still cannot watch that episode in its entirety? I’m not ready for the emotional gut-punch.

Most well done character death: Mmm…I might go with Sonya Paxton on that, because it was emotional and sad and yet she also was able to at least, in her death, provide evidence to catch her (and others) killer. Unlike Sister Peg and O’Halloran’s deaths which just felt cheap and unnecessary…and I won’t even go into how I feel about how they killed Mike Dodds (that’s why @ladyzootie and I are working on a story to set THAT right!)

Favourite guest star: Robin Williams in Authority, though I also loved Jeremy Irons, especially in his second appearance in Totem. As much as I love Huang, I would have enjoyed seeing more of Dr. Jackson as well; Irons was perfect in that role and brought a lot to the show with his character.

Favourite cast member:  Don’t make me choose between the Belz and Ice-T! I love them both too much to pick a favorite.

Character you wish was still alive: Mike. Dodds.

One thing you hope really happens: That the show either brings on a new full-time detective for the unit or starts using more supporting characters again: show the detectives going to the morgue, working with TARU, working with a psychiatrist instead of having Benson diagnosing and doing everything herself. But, I’m not holding out great hope for that.

Most shocking twist: Shocking in a not-good way: Tuckson. Sorry, I never bought it, I don’t see all this so-called evidence that the writers were “setting it up” for seasons before it happened. Total WTF??!?! for me.

When did you start watching/reading?: I actually vividly remember watching the pilot episode when it first aired in 1999. I’ve pretty much followed it on and off since then, watching regularly at least on thru Season 9 or so and I think that’s about when I lost at least some of my interest. But that said, I was mostly a casual fan until about 2 years ago when I really fell hard into it in a “fannish” way, after rewatching old episodes in reruns.

Best animal/creature: THE MONKEY IN THE BASKETBALL

Favourite location: The original squad room.

Trope you wish they would stop using: SAINT BENSON IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN DO EVERYTHING IN THE SQUAD. ENOUGH ALREADY.

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: Errrr…hmm. These days I can’t think of anything it does better than other shows besides bore and/or annoy me, sorry. In the earlier seasons I’d say it was unique in the way it tackled messy, painful, and often controversial issues of sexuality and “sexually based offenses”. It wasn’t always perfectly PC but it did a good job of presenting complexity and showcasing how societal ideas were changing and being challenged—without just feeling like a soapbox.

Funniest moments: All of Wildlife is pretty hysterically bad but in an entertaining way. In fact Mr. Hawkland just saw it for the first time this weekend and was laughing hysterically at some of the lines in it. But also Countdown, for having such a dark plot, is one of my favorites for all of the great one-liners and funny scenes ( “I’m not tipping all of you”, Munch and the empty coffee can, etc.)

Couple you would like to see: Ha ha ha ha, well of course Munch & Fin, but I know that will never happen. And honestly, even if it did I wouldn’t want it to be acknowledged as canon until the very last episode. Because the writers would surely fuck it up otherwise the way they do every other romance on this show. Otherwise I do kind of like Rollisi, not in an OMG I LOVE THEM sort of way but I do see potential for chemistry, and that Carisi could be a good kind of stabilizing influence on her with her crazy family life. But, would she in turn be good for him? That I’m not so sure about.

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: I would SO love to see more of Bayard Ellis. His character was great and such a good foil to Benson. I’d love to see Andre Braugher return to the role.

Favourite outfit: Any of Fin’s suits in season 2.

Favourite item: Fin having a picture of Spartacus and Maximus (Ice’s dogs) on his desk (which I never noticed until @sammael77 caught it!)

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: A few fan-produced t-shirts, magnets and other odds and ends, my MunchFin iPhone case, and seasons 1-15 on DVD

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: My “squad goals” would be the team from seasons 5-8: Munch, Fin, Benson, Stabler, Cragen, Novak, Warner, Huang. That’s my all-time favorite team. 

Most boring plotline: Anything involving the Stabler family.

Most laughably bad moment: “Redchannit”

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Eh, I think the few times they’ve done as much haven’t been very good. I know I really disliked the way they repurposed season 1 footage for Manhattan Vigil to change what those scenes were initially about.

Most layered character: All right so it’s maybe my bias talking, but Munch! Especially because I “cheat” and include all of his Homicide characterization too. But honestly…Munch really is a lot more than a sarcastic conspiracy theorist. I think where I really love the complexities of his character coming through are his struggles with issues like suicide and assisted suicide, which came through not just in Painless but also Mercy. On one hand he’s such a strong personal choice advocate and on the other, he knows first-hand how difficult it is for family members when a loved one commits suicide. And what about protecting those who are not being given the choice to end their life or live?

But also, I love that he’s one of the few (main) characters the show ever allowed to remain childfree, yet he was also shown to be incredibly caring and good with children (illustrating that not all childfree people hate or are bad with kids; they just know they aren’t meant to raise one full-time.) He has complicated feelings about women, sometimes (especially early on) seeming incredibly bitter and cynical but deep down he is a lonely romantic. 

Most one dimensional character: Honestly, at this point, St. Benson the Holy Redeemer of All Rape Victims. 

Scariest moment: Hmmm…I’m having a hard time pinpointing this or narrowing it down to a single “scariest” scene. In general I get freaked out any time they show a serial killer’s “work den”, like in Manhunt or Signature. Because thinking about what those victims had to go through before being killed just makes me really feel sick to my stomach and horrified.

Grossest moment: Hyena vomit

Best looking male: Dammit, don’t make me pick between Munch or Fin because I can’t.

Best looking female: Casey Novak

Who you’re crushing on (if any): Of the current cast, only Fin, who just seems to be getting hotter with every passing year. Of all years, of course Munch, but I also crush on Casey and early season baby!butch Benson. 

Favourite cast moment: I think I’ll just say all of the episode Countdown, because to me that was ensemble perfection.

Favourite transportation: Eh, doesn’t really seem to apply here to this canon, does it?

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Still gonna go with the end of Screwed, because I love that final scene with Fin, Ken and Darius on the courtroom steps.

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: 

Hahahahahahahah so many so many….

Continuity/plot error: It still bugs the crap out of me (especially as a fic writer who is anal about canon facts) that in Season 2 they messed with Munch’s background from Homicide, and tried to make it sound like he grew up in New York. THAT IS WRONG WRONG WRONG. I’m not going to throw away the family/childhood details we got in Homicide just because the SVU writers were lazy. And it really pains me because it comes up in two of my otherwise favorite episodes (Legacy and Manhunt), so when I’m writing anything where that might come up I have to go through mental gymnastics to explain why he might lie. Or just ignore SVU’s “canon” on that

Unanswered question: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO KEN & ALEJANDRO’S BABY? THAT POOR SURROGATE HAS BEEN PREGNANT FOREVER. Unless that’s just something they’ve completely forgotten about and we’re just to assume Fin is a grandfather now and never talks about it at work while everything and anything Olivia or Amanda does has to relate to them being mothers.

Best promo: Well, I really liked USA Network’s recent “Fin-a-thon” promo…especially for Ice talking about Fin & Munch.

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book:  I’ve mentioned this before, but the funny moment when I went from being a casual viewer to developing my current obsession was in Spousal Privilege when Fin said to Amanda: “ I learned two things in my 15 years here at SVU. One: you can’t take this job home to you. Two: you can’t take anyone from this job home with you.” I hadn’t been watching regularly for a number of years so immediately I was like, “WAIT A MINUTE DID HE JUST ACKNOWLEDGE HAVING A THING WITH MUNCH?!” It’s weird the things that set my shippy brain off. Suddenly I wanted to catch up on everything I missed, and that made me then want to rewatch EVERY episode, and mild fannishness became a total obsession.

[theflashgrant-archive]

Always Your Valentine → Granielle

Tagged: Grant Gustin & Danielle Panabaker @hyfdanielle Location: Vancouver Time Frame: Tuesday Night, February 14th Notes: Danielle brings Grant to the spot he proposes and they have a romantic Valentines night.

Danielle bounced on her heels for excitement. Valentine’s Day didn’t always use to be her favorite holiday to celebrate, but ever since Grant got her started on some surprises, she was thoroughly excited to get going with what she had planned. There were already posts on social media that had started on her surprise, and the brunette was already glad that it was going so swimmingly. Now at this point, she just had to get her husband out of work and right on towards the rest of her surprise. It was well into the night and she was mostly dressed in jeans and a loose t-shirt where she could fit a heavy jacket over if need be. Where they were going to go wasn’t anything too fancy, but it was still a big surprise nonetheless. With their daughter in good hands for the night and the dogs just the same, Danielle was pumped to start their little date night. Knocking on the door to Grant’s trailer, she shifted on her feet once again, looking down at the white shoes that she was wearing and hoping it was enough to keep her feet warm.

Grant was having a nice day at work, even if it was Valentines Day. He was lucky enough to celebrate with Danielle all weekend and while he knew that she had a surprise for him later on, he expected that he'd have to put in a full day of work first. It went pretty quickly and the cast and crew made it fun, always going all out on holidays no matter what it was. Grant got a lot of cheesy cards as well as candy and chocolate and once he finished wrapping for the day, he was in a good mood. Now Grant was back in his trailer, changing into the clothes he wore to set when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he yelled out, assuming that it was going to be his wife. When he saw that it was, Grant smiled. "Hello my beautiful wifey," he said once he finished getting dressed. "I'm excited to spend the rest of the night with you," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her sweetly.

Danielle walked into the trailer when she heard Grant’s voice on the other side of the door. Immediately, she was met with a still dressing Grant and that was a sight that she’d never give up for anything. With a soft smile, she returned his happy sentiment with some of her own, looping her arms around his neck in order to steady herself against her husband. “My Tommy just knows all the ways to my heart”, she let out, teasing her husband gently because of the greeting she had managed to get; but that didn’t change now as she started to return the kiss that he had given to her now. Last weekend had been all Grant that surprised her for Valentine’s Day—and now it was Danielle’s turn to return the favor. “I’m glad I caught you before you finished”, she said as she pulled away from her husband’s kiss. “If you can wear closed toe-shoes to this, this evening would be great. Something with a bit of traction so you won’t fall.” After all, she was concerned about safety.

Grant grinned and nodded, glad that they were both done at the same time so that now they were able to spend the rest of the night together. Chuckling softly at his wife, Grant shook his head. "Well I don't think I'll be wearing flip flops in the middle of February in Vancouver so we're safe there," he teased. "I hope you aren't bringing me somewhere dangerous though. You know I can be pretty clumsy..." He said, a little nervous now that Danielle pointed out he needed good shoes so that he wouldn't fall. Once he had everything, Grant grabbed his backpack and led the way out of his trailer, making their way to the car so that they could leave work now. Grant wasn't sure if they were stopping home first or going straight there but since he had planned the weekend and didn't allow Danielle to give any hints, he wasn't going to ask her for any and was just going to follow her lead.

Danielle held up her hands. If anything, she wasn’t going to be giving in to doing anything dangerous at all. That wasn’t her, but it was amusing that her husband would think of her that way. “If you’re clumsy and I’m clumsy, I feel so sorry for Alison when she gets older”, she started speaking now, leading the way out of the trailer and towards the car. She was thankful that there were clear skies now, the sunset starting to fan out in the horizon and twilight settling in. “I promise you that we’re not going to be doing anything too drastic. It’s just a bit of walking.” Her tone of voice was light and carefree at this point, saying her hellos to the driver and whispered out now that they were ready to go. They were going straight there after work. It was the best way to do so, and her hands laced with Grant’s on the car ride there. The trail should have been familiar to them. It was the same trail that Grant had proposed to her on. “We’re here”, she mused out when the car came to a stop. “We have to hike up all the way to the top.”

Grant chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, I feel sorry for her too. Hopefully she won't get our clumsy genes," he said to his wife. Nodding when Danielle said they would be doing a bit of walking, Grant didn't mind that since it was actually a nice day out and not too cold. He looked out the window and was starting to have an idea as to where they were going but he wasn't sure exactly. Once they stopped at one of the places they loved to hike, more importantly the trail he took Danielle on the day he decided to propose to her. "I know this place," he said to his wife when she said that they had to hike up to the top. "Are we going to the very spot I proposed to you at?" He asked while grinning. Thanking Dale, Grant got out of the car and grabbed Danielle's hand so that they could start walking. "Let's hope we don't fall, it's getting dark out here," he chuckled.

Danielle gave her husband a look. “I can’t tell you the surprise”, she told him cheekily, but that had been her plan all along. She had a bit of help with the rangers that were there, but basically she was going to take him all the way to the top where he did propose to her, and there would be blankets and champagne as well as other desserts waiting for them for that night. Her gifts for her husband would be home, but that can be given at another time. “I got that covered”, she said as she pulled out a flashlight for them both to share. Their hands would be connected and there were no cars allowed on this trail either way. They’d be safe if they managed to keep the flashlight together. She handed the flashlight over to her husband, thanking Dale for driving them to the place, and started to walk up the steps needed to get to the top. “If it gets too cold, I’ll keep you warm”, she even mentioned out, her tone confident in her words. Without the dogs, they got to the top with ease and sure enough, all of what she had discussed with the rangers was there. A picnic table with blankets, desserts, and champagne were set up in an area so that they could see the most amounts of stars had been set up—and it was like they were just in time for the beginning ones to show. “Okay, so I did take you to the place where you proposed to me, but this has sentimental value. It was the perfect day to spend Valentine’s Day at, don’t you think?”

Grant rolled his eyes playfully when Danielle said it was a surprise. He knew that they had to be at this spot for that reason, otherwise they wouldn't be going on a hike in the middle of February. Choosing to humor his wife, Grant stayed quiet and started walking up the trail with her, glad they had a flashlight to use so that they wouldn't fall or bump into anything. When they got to the top, Grant smiled at everything that was up there. There were tons of blankets with a picnic table and food along with champagne and Grant smiled widely. "What's all this?" He asked his wife. "Of course it does. This is the perfect place to celebrate Valentines Day," he told his wife, moving closer to where everything was set up. "How did you do all this?" He asked his wife curiously before sitting down at the picnic table. It was dark out now but they had the flashlight and looking up at the sky, the stars were now glowing and it made the whole scene look incredibly romantic.

Danielle laughed gently at her husband’s reaction. “Baby”, she cooed out and moved towards the picnic table that was set up for them. “We’re going to have a picnic under the stars. There’s food and champagne”, she continued on and only broke away from her husband’s touch now in order to pick up the two empty flutes that were next to the champagne bottle for them. There was a tinge of pink that appeared on her face now that Grant had asked how she managed to get this done, and she shrugged her shoulders to begin answering. “It wasn’t easy”, she told him truthfully. “I had to ask the park to open later than it normally does and then getting those permits weren’t easy. There’s a ranger that has to stay behind with us and we have him on radio if we need him. It should be in the picnic basket there”, she told him. inside there would be various desserts for them to have as well as a walkie-talkie should they need to use it to radio in the ranger station. But with that entire aside, Danielle made to walk over to her husband and sat beside him, handing the flutes before huddling close to his frame. “Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.”

Grant listened to Danielle explain how she got everything set up like she did and while he assumed she had help, he didn't realize all the lengths she had to go to make this happen. "Well thank you. It was definitely worth it. This is perfect," he said, grabbing his camera to take a picture of the whole scene. He wanted it as a memory and now he was ready to enjoy it with his wife. As they sat next to one another by the picnic table, Grant smiled once they both had flutes full of champagne, clinking his glass to Danielle's. "Happy Valentines Day, my love," he replied, taking a sip of his champagne after. Letting out a content sigh, Grant looked up at the sky and started looking at all the stars. "So beautiful, right?" He said to his wife. "We don't ever really get a chance to appreciate nature like this. And this is as far as I can handle it, as you know I'm a terrible camper," he chuckled while shaking his head. "But it's so nice up here and just...peaceful. I love it."

Danielle smiled softly. It was nice to hear that Grant appreciated what she did for their date night on Valentine's Day. It was just a lot of work and to see his face light up and how much he enjoyed it meant the world to her. Now with the camera put away and they were able to toast each other, everything was complete. "I love you", she said before she took her first sip of the drink, letting out a sigh now and tilting her head up. The stars were beginning to glow wider and brighter. The city wasn't the best place to see them and being up high like this just to see it was breathtaking. "You know that's not why I married you, right", Danielle started out. "I didn't marry you because you were a terrible camper. I married you because you cook an amazing burger. I had to have it in my life." Of course, she was merely teasing her husband at this point. Danielle loved Grant genuinely and wholly. There wasn't anything that she wouldn't do for him. "Do you want to hear the world's cheesiest pick up line ever?"

Grant smiled. "I love you too," he whispered, kissing the top of Danielle's head gently. He continued star gazing until Danielle spoke, chuckling as she spoke. "Well good, because I was hoping that wouldn't be a deal breaker," he teased. "But of course, I knew it had to do with my burgers. I haven't made them in a while though, are you sure that's the reason? It must be something else if you can go this long without my burgers. It's my Superman cape, right? Really gets you going?" He teased, winking at his wife. Grant enjoyed when they could be playful like this and they didn't get a chance to do it enough due to how busy they were. When Danielle asked if he wanted to hear the cheesiest pick up line ever, Grant grinned. "Go ahead, lay it on me."

Danielle took a sip of her drink and nodded her head. "Oh yeah", she started out, her tone of voice dry but meant to jest. "It's really the cape. It's so silky and smooth and turns me on so much." There were a multitude of fantasies that she would have going on in her head about the cape--but that would be all in due time. It was just nice to be able to sit like this with Grant, watching the stars and having a few drinks. It was hard to find time to relax with just the two of them now, considering work was always a big hand in when they would have time together and having a daughter meant that there were few times when they could be alone. Danielle was just glad that they would be able to have tonight in order to do so. "There's a billion stars in the night sky, but none of them shine as bright as you", she whispered out, giving into her whim of telling him a pick up line; but that had been true too. There was no one in the world that was meant for her other than Grant and she couldn't and didn't want to live in a world where he wasn't right there with her.

Grant stared into Danielle's eyes, waiting for her to say the cheesy pickup line and once she did, he couldn't help but burst out into laughter. "Wow, you weren't kidding. That is the cheesiest thing ever," he said while shaking his head. "It's very cute though and I would say the same about you," he said, licking his lips. "You shine the brightest to me out of everything and everyone. Especially when you smile. It's the most beautiful thing in the world," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her sweetly. He was enjoying the fact that they were eating and drinking and just enjoying each other's company under the stars, making it a perfect Valentines Day night. "This has been great. It's the perfect way to end the night. Even if we had to work today, it was still a good day and I appreciate everything you did to set this all up. You always continue to amaze me with what you do for me."

Danielle scrunched her nose at the compliment, but there was a soft spot to her husband's words. That smile only came out because of him and the happiness that radiated from her when he was around. She just couldn't find the time to tell him. Instead, her words were stopped because of a kiss that he had given her and she returning it wholly. There was one hand that went up to his cheek to lay upon it while they were connected like this, eyes closing to enjoy the closeness that they could get from the action. "Wow", she whispered to herself as they pulled away, looping both arms now around one of his arms in order to gain back some of the closeness that they had for each other. The next few compliments brought a smile to Danielle's lips and she hummed gently. "You're worth it", she told her husband now. "You deserve it. Everything that you are, everything that you have been and could be gravitates me towards you. You're my life, my love, and my happiness. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you." All of her words were true and she said it with such a soft conviction. After a few more minutes of just watching the night sky and eating what snacks they had, she turned her attention from the stars to her husband. "Do you ever think about what could happen? Life, work, whatnot because we're together? Does it make you happy?"

Grant smiled softly and stared at his wife in slight disbelief. Even after all this time of them being together, a part of him still wouldn't always believe the words his wife was telling him. He had lost a lot of confidence in himself due to his relationships always failing and while he has gotten better with it and Danielle helping him immensely with it, there was a still a part of him that would always doubt himself. It felt crazy to him to think that Danielle thought so highly of him but he appreciated it and it made him love her even more. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you either," he told her honestly. When she started asking him if he ever thought about what could happen, Grant furrowed his brows. "What do you mean? You know I'm not a look into the future kind of guy. What else is there to think about what could happen? We're married, we have a child together, we have stable jobs. Of course it makes me happy. All of it. There's nothing else to think about."

Danielle let out soft giggles at Grant's answer, not because it was funny but because it was completely him. "I meant in the sense where we are now, like a goal you want to set for yourself to have happen", she started to explain to him. While Grant didn't look towards the future at all and just went with the flow, Danielle was the type of person to have everything planned in some form. They balanced each other out in a sense. Being with Grant had mellowed out Danielle some. She wasn't so hyped up on deadlines and keeping as tight of a schedule as she used to do anymore. Everything in life came with a balance and Grant was definitely Danielle's. "Like, I hope this summer will be a good one. Because you'll be there and Alison will be there. That makes me happy."

Grant thought about what Danielle was saying and shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I haven't really thought about it. I mean I like how things are right now. Work is going well, we're doing well and Ali is growing up and we're seeing her experience the world. There's not much else to think of to want," he said to Danielle. "The summer should be good, yeah. It's hard to think about it when we still have a bit to film though. And who knows, one of us might end up doing a project over the hiatus. It's still a little too far away to try and plan it out or think about what could happen. I feel like I didn't even have a hiatus last year so it all just depends," he said. "I'm sure we'll get in some good family time regardless," he said, smiling softly. Once they had finished eating and drinking, Grant looked at his watch and realized it was getting late, especially since it was now cooler than it was when first getting there. "Wanna head back down? We should probably get home."

Danielle listened and knocked shoulders with her husband. Grant was right. They'd be able to have family time regardless of what happened in the future. Finishing up everything, the brunette nodded her head and started to clean up as best as she could, throwing the glasses and the bottle into the picnic basket and grabbing onto the blanket to wrap around her frame now. She didn't do well with the cold and it was getting nippy. "You can come under here with me if you want", she goaded her husband, bouncing on her heels for a little bit before radioing in the ranger that they were heading back out. The basket wasn't heavy at all and she could hold onto it while having the blanket around her at the same time; but she still walked closer to Grant just to be able to have some form of affection. "Perfect chill night", she whispered out quietly, the soft smile never leaving her lips.

[samsegrist]

Twin Peaks Time Capsule

By Sam Segrist

May 21, 2017

Tonight, in less than half a day, I’ll be seeing something I never thought I’d see: a new episode of Twin Peaks. For fifteen years, there’s been an ache in my heart at the lack of resolution to the season two finale, which—for my money—is television’s greatest unresolved cliffhanger. Perhaps this is why I’ve grown fond of making a semi-annual vacation to this strange and beautiful mountain town which reminds me of my own home, Scottsbluff: a place of weird, desperate, flawed, good people. Repeated viewings never fail to allow me to savor the bittersweet quality of this enigmatic narrative puzzle, a 29-episode loop which compels viewers who fall under its spell to return to the scene of the crime, always just outside of the Martells’ estate, by the lake and the big rock, where millions of people can find, over and over again, the plastic-wrapped bouquet of Laura Palmer’s body.

Over the years, if there’s one thing I’ve discovered, it is that everyone who loves Twin Peaks has a story about when, where, why, and how they fell in love with the show. Mine was back in 2002, when I was working overnights as a telephone switchboard operator for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I was a college student, spinning my wheels academically while finding out that working from midnight until 7 AM, while good for my grades, was not so good for my social life.

This job entailed sitting in front of a computer, with one other operator in the elevated cubicle behind me, waiting for an emergency call to come in or (usually) a false fire alarm. Most nights, nothing happened in the quiet call center of Nebraska Hall. I worked with two other nerdy, but nice enough, guys: a middle-aged David with a mustache who looked like Van Dyke Parks, and a guy named Clay, who resembled a much less creepy Jacque Renault.

There was a television in the upper corner of the call center that was always on. Back then on boring nights, we’d flip through channels to find something, ANYTHING, to watch that was remotely good. We found out Bravo broadcast two back-to-back reruns of Twin Peaks between the hours of three and five A.M. (Before this exposure, I had seen Dune, Blue Velvet, and Lost Highway, and, while they disturbed me, they didn’t hook me with the same fascination as Twin Peaks.) I can’t remember what my first episode was, but I do remember the odd magnetism of the show, how it pulled me out of the sterile cubicle environment and into its dream-world.

Going to work often meant leaving house parties-in-progress or Halo marathons with my roommates, but I looked forward to this mid-shift excursion when I hoped no calls or flashing lights would break the dream reality of the show. (“Through the darkness of future’s past/One magician longs to see/One chants out between two worlds/Fire alarm don’t interrupt me…”) The one-two punch of weirdness which I viewed every shift was compounded by the fact that I missed several episodes on my nights off. Over the course of several months, I saw every episode, but never in consecutive order. A few nights ago I was relating this to my friends Chelsea and Dylan (pronounced Dye-lan), and the realization struck me that I saw Episode 29 several times before realizing the finale, with Dale and the toothpaste and the cracked mirror, was the end of the show! I remember being somewhat mystified when I would show up for work on the next night only to be right smack back at the beginning with the pilot episode. My lack of context regarding the show’s history only added to the mystery and the yearning for resolution.

So, every two weeks, the show would start over, and I would tune in. Both David and Clay seemed to enjoy revisiting the show. I distinctly remember Clay exclaiming “Coop! I love that guy!” when Kyle MacLachlan first showed up on screen.

I eventually lost that overnight switchboard job because I realized I was missing out on too much college life while living at the Blue House. (I had called in sick so I could go on a date with a beautiful girl named Sarah. ((I remember us grilling shish kabobs at my drummer’s house.)) Someone at work somehow knew about this, squealed on me, and my boss figured they’d give me the benefit of the doubt, give me the chance to explain myself, but I was a no-call no-show the next night. D’oh! I guess I was so lovestruck I didn’t care about the consequences. No worries, though, it all worked out: my next job at Blockbuster was to be a much more significant place of employment, but that’s a subject for another entry…)

One thing which initially appealed to me about Sarah was her love of similar things dark and quirky, things like David Lynch. It was at one of the infamous Blue House parties where our conversation led us down this path. I figured any girl who was into Twin Peaks was all right in my book. I later found out her mother was a big fan from back in the day and had programmed her VCR to record the episodes. That’s dedication to truly can’t-miss-television back in the day! As the years go by, Sarah reminds me more and more of Norma, which I suppose makes me more and more like Big Ed. C’est la vie for sweethearts of the past…  

It was sometime after that in the middle-aughts that a couple named Nick and Sara Arling invited me to their apartment for a biweekly Twin Peaks viewing. It’s funny, but I don’t remember meeting these two wonderful people at all; all I remember is how fun it was to go to their house in the Near South of Lincoln every other Sunday evening to watch three episodes with a group of people. This was how I also met a great young couple named Justin and Noel (pronounced No-elle). Years later, they would invite me to a Halloween party at their house where I met a stunning brunette named Stacy. I was dressed as a chocolate shake. She was dressed as Audrey Hepburn’s character from Breakfast at and was impressed when I complimented her on her Holly Golightly costume. (Any other schmoe could have just said “Nice Audrey Hepburn outfit.”) It was only later on, I realized how striking of a resemblance she had to Sherilynn Fenn BKA Audrey Horne. Funny how the love of a show can lead to love in real life.

One final thing about this Sunday Night Twin Peaks Club is that it was the first time I saw the entire series in chronological order with the Log Lady intros. The entire series was not yet available on DVD, so seeing the show in its grainy VHS was probably the closest I’d ever get to seeing the show the way it was originally seen.

To augment my love of the story, I hunted down the out-of-print books The Autobiography of FBI Special Agent: Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes and The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer. Besides being good reads, they were inspirations for how to write an epistolary story for my master’s thesis and first book.

In the spring of 2005 (or 2006?), I drove to Fairfield, Iowa to attend a weekend conference on Transcendental Meditation at the Maharishi University of Management to hear David Lynch speak. It was like getting to spend a weekend with an eccentric and groovy uncle, but perhaps the best thing that came out of it was I was able to ask him two questions during a Q & A which I then put on YouTube. You can check it at this URL (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1E5SJaXc30&t=87s) or by searching for “David Lynch Q & A on Season 3 of Twin Peaks “ to see what he has to say about my idea finishing Twin Peaks. Keep in mind, I never thought they’d ever actually make another season though!

One sticky point of contention, I’ve only ever seen Fire Walk With Me once. I was one of many fans who was disappointed that Lynch didn’t use the movie as an opportunity to finish the story. The cinematography is gorgeous, but it veers too far in tone from the delightful mix of the television show. I also find it way too disturbing, obscene, and unnecessary to actually see the rape scenes. Now that the new show is almost upon us, I worry the R-rated freedom Lynch will have will mean these new episodes will also be more darkness than light. Say what you will about censorship, but I think Lynch thrived under the limitations of broadcast television because there was a line he could press up against, but not cross. When there is no line, some creators don’t know when to stop…

Fast-forward to 2007-2008 and I was a first-year teacher in Omaha. I was so excited that the Gold Box, the complete edition of Twin Peaks was coming out on DVD that I spent more money than I should have at the Borders at 72nd & Dodge (R.I.P.) and watched them all with my girlfriend Rachel in my little one-bedroom apartment in the Old Market. That was a really hard year for both of us. I was woefully unprepared to teach children of poverty and she was trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life after graduating from St. Andrews College in Scotland. Though there was much tension and drama, I do believe we helped each other get through that year. One of the many things I love about this show is sharing it with people who’ve never seen it before, to see their reactions.

The last girlfriend I would ever watch it with was Abby in the fall/winter of 2008. Things were not going well with our whirlwind of a romance, and I remember sensing things were darkening and souring between us. As we neared the end of the show, there was a sense of an ending brewing. She didn’t know about the cliffhanger finale, and I remember her wondering aloud how the show could possibly wrap up all its threads in the last episode, but as soon as Episode 29 ended, it was like she felt like it was okay to end the relationship because we had concluded the business of our mutual vacation in Twin Peaks. It wasn’t meant to be, and that’s okay.  

Fast-forward to Christmas 2014. My brother and I have an annual tradition which we picked up from our grandmother Betty where we send each other a list of potential gifts we’d like to get, not knowing which one will actually be chosen. This way we always get something we’re sure to enjoy, but there’s still an element of surprise. That Christmas was one of the best ever because my dear brother Mark got me the Complete Mystery box-set on Blu-Ray. (Hint, if you ever want to feel creepy, just run your finger over the front of the set and you’ll be able to feel the contour of Laura’s eyeballs through the blue eyelids. Who thought of that? Who greenlit that icky detail? I want to know.)

 And then it was 2015 and the internet found out the rumors were true and the show was coming back. I suspected at the time (and still think) the whole “David Lynch is walking away from the revival because they’re not going to give him enough money to do it right” was a publicity stunt to drum up a fervor online, to measure just how many people care about the show coming back. I remember thinking, Oh, the dispute was about money? And now they’ve doubled the number of episodes from 9 to 18? I wouldn’t rule it out in this day and age of innovative and unorthodox market research, but I digress…

Once I heard they were bringing back the show, I thought it’d be fun for my wife Maddie and I to watch the show together, but she can’t get past the quirky cheesiness or kitsch of it all. She just thinks it’s a bad show and rolls her eyes. I hope she gives it another shot in the future, otherwise our trip together to Snolqualmie, WA to see the locations of the show will not be as much fun! Haha!

[When I think of the Giant’s warning that “It is happening again” I just think that’s such a cryptic and terrifying statement. What is “it”? When did it last happen? What happened? What was the result? Wait a second, the verb “happen” is in the present progressive tense! It’s occurring right now! When will it stop?!? J I’ll likely write about this at greater length later on, but I believe there is a Holocaust subtext to Twin Peaks, and something about the dark return of this show somehow anticipates and foreshadows the rise of Trump. That’s all I’m going to write about that today…]

As the big date of the return has drawn nigh, I’ve enjoyed listening to the vinyl reissues of the soundtracks and reading the 33 & 3rd book about Angelo Badalamenti’s score. It’s also been a treat finding out that cool students of mine like Caitlyn are interested in the series. I’m an (old) millennial fan, which means I only got into the show AFTER Twin Peaks mania. It’s a strange feeling to become so fanatical about something that was once SOOO popular which then became a weird cult show. I wonder what it will be like to revisit Twin Peaks: The Return in 25 years.

My most recent reviewing of the show happened this spring. I had the joy of watching it all with my sister Katie. She got hooked on the show like crazy. I’m glad we were able to watch the show together because in about a month she is moving to Alabama, and we may not ever live in the same town again, but we’ll have had this brother-sister bonding experience.  

Anyhow, I’m cutting this real close, but the show will be live in about forty minutes! So I thought I’d wrap this up briefly outlining what some of my fears and desires and questions about the new show will be. I wonder how the show will maintain the atemporal vibe. Will there be cell phones and texting in Twin Peaks? How will they advance the story and resolve leftover mysteries from Season 2? I know Showtime probably wants the show in widescreen, but I feel like the 1.33 aspect ratio is practically a character or a force of nature in the show, forcing the director, cinematographer, and actors to compose every shot a certain way. I suppose what would be the best of both worlds would be if they stream/broadcast it in widescreen and then make a Blu-Ray collection where there is a full-frame option. I doubt that will occur, but you never know.

I know, I know it will never and can never be the same, but I am cautiously optimistic that Frost and Lynch will find a way to capture the magic again and transport millions of viewers to that sublime place we call Twin Peaks. In this age of Netflix-pioneered season dumps, I find it exciting that the Summer of 2017 will be ineffably tied to a weekly installment of this show, so that we’ll get the opportunity to watch each episode as they come out and then run to the Great Online Watercooler to converse with all the other fans. If the show is bad, I know I will not be able to unsee it, and I’ve been down this pop-cultural road before where long-awaited and unexpected returns/revivals/installments become bitter disappointments, which are sometimes so bad that they retroactively taint the way one thinks of the earlier work. (I’m looking at you, George Lucas.) It is for that reason I wanted to make this memory time capsule, documenting just how much this show has meant to me throughout these last fifteen years.

There’s less than half an hour until the new show starts. I was almost done when I got a call from my best buddy Zach. He recently watched all 29 episodes and didn’t know that the new season was about to start tonight. We’ve made plans to talk as soon as the premiere is over. I told him he’d be a part of this document. I like to think he and I have the kind of love for each other that FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper and Sheriff Harry Truman have for each other, and hey, we do!

So, now it’s getting dark and the trees are not stirring on this windless May night in Lincoln, Nebraska. All these words are now written down for posterity. They may not be wrapped in plastic, but they’re still beautiful. I know I will write about this show more in the future, but for now, I’ll just have to trust that I’ll see you in the trees.

[itsworn]

Two Deaths Darken Nostalgia Drag Racing And Cackling Events In California

Scene: 26th NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion

Those fans and cackle-car teams who showed up for NHRA’s 26th “Bakersfield reunion” seemed glad to be there. Spectators found closer parking than usual, for starters, and could select a seat or fence spot anywhere, even at peak Saturday attendance. They had to be happy about the return of extracurricular activities that made this event so unique and irresistible since 1992, pulling people back year after year from all over the world. Some say they come just to hang over the fence while period-correct, 1950s and ’60s American push cars with big V8s accelerate nitro-burning race cars to life close enough to feel heat from fiery zoomies and weedburners. Folks were denied that luxury last time, among other things. (Read all about it in the Mar. ’17 HRD.) The resultant outcry must’ve gotten awfully loud before the museum board voted to spend 30 grand for a full-length Armco barrier that evidently satisfied the Mother Ship’s nannies.

The racers themselves just want to race, of course, immune from trash talk about boycotts and loyalties. As always, CHRR’s contestants came through with either the best or second-best nostalgia show on the planet (rivaled only by the independent March Meet here). Final determination of season champions in NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series categories is a built-in bonus. Fans were further treated to Firebird Raceway’s rain-postponed pro finals, wherein Jim Murphy defeated Adam Sorokin in AA/FD, and Jason Rupert dropped Ryan Hodgson in AA/FC. Those outcomes helped secure points titles for both winners. Their fellow season champions are Kin Bates, A/Fuel; Don Enriquez, Jr. Fuel; Bobby Cottrell, 7.0 Pro; Dustin Lee, Nostalgia I; Dave Lawson, N-II; Ed DeStaute, N-III; Brendon Frye, A/Gas; Rich Harrison, B/G; Brian Smith, C/G; Mike Raberner, D/G; and Dale Hicks, Hot Rod.

CHRR’s jam-packed pits dictate fewer categories for this grand finale. Event winners were Jim Young, T/F (in the absence of runner-up Murphy, who’d brushed the wall past the finish line in the semis); Bobby Cottrell, F/C; darkhorse Englishman Nick Davis, AA/FA; Bates again, A/F; Gary Reinero, AA/G; John Marottek, J/F; Pete Peterson, 7.0; Lloyd Harden, Nostalgia; Terry Newton, A/G; Jeremy Hanger, Pro Mod; Bob Moreland, A/FX; and Bob Tingler, S/S.

The unavoidable elephant in the joint this year was last year. Despite ideal weather all but Friday morning and NHRA’s mighty promotional machine, revenue required to fund year-round museum operations suffered obvious hits in cackle-car entries (fewer than half of last year’s record 100-plus), attendance, souvenirs, even auction items. Nothing gets the attention of upper management like sudden revenue reduction. By reinstating the old attractions, NHRA’s directors gave hope that they’ve learned not to fix what ain’t broke. Only time—and their customers—will tell.

Fire Dancer: Amazingly, a dozen traditional AA/Fuel Altereds showed up (two more than AA/FDs) and stole the show during qualifying. The Bradford family’s Fiat got straightened out past the finish line, but Randy’s pedaling fractured four connecting rods. Veteran photographer Paul Sadler got the shot.

Iceman Returns: Leading Friday night’s honoree ceremony was grand marshal Rick Stewart (right, with emcee Bob Frey), whose 25 years working NHRA starting lines followed success in fuel and gas dragsters. “The Iceman” also starred—and crashed—in famed director Robert Abel’s first project, 1965’s Seven-Second Love Affair. Gene Adams’ slingshot was destroyed, but student photographer Les Blank’s onboard camera and microphone kept rolling along with the cockpit. Stewart went to the hospital, where he awoke to a bright-orange sky that he figured was hell, but proved to be the first night of the Watts riots. Cameraman Blank went on to become an award-winning documentarian. His color film may have been the earliest audio-visual footage ever shot from a crashing drag racer’s perspective.

High-Riser 302: Sean and Anna Clason’s freshly finished Model A is no stranger to the streets of Bakersfield, but it’d been a while; so long that nobody under 50 was alive the last time this car disturbed the peace. Sean’s late uncle, John DeWitt, drove it everywhere in the late 1950s (flathead-powered) and early ’60s (Chevy V8) before starting a restoration around 1965. Progress would be slowed by family obligations and health issues, then stopped by his 1998 passing. The chopped ’31 body, complete with original glass in all but one window opening, sat another eight years before the young couple scored a used rolling chassis. The rest has been accumulated or fabricated over the last decade. They rebuilt the 302 Ford—the first engine for both—in their kitchen. The biggest challenge turned out to be adapting not two, not three, but four reproduction Strombergs—inline, yet—to an early, carbureted engine plucked from a generous pal’s parts car (along with the C4 tranny that’s still behind it). The only affordable solution that occurred to Sean, Anna, and buddy Sean McDougall (whose Nov. ’16 HRD cover coupe is in the background) was mating a fuel-injected 5.0L Mustang’s manifold with a Speedway adapter plate designed to put four 97s atop a 6-71 blower. Anna made wood patterns for a sheet-metal power tower that merges induction technologies, topped off with irresistible stacks appeal. Flawless welding throughout illustrates years of oil-pipeline experience by both Seans. The cowl lights are now turn signals.

Muffler Magic: This 1959-vintage local fueler inspired applause just rolling through the pits. Oldtimers hadn’t seen the Scotty’s Muffler Service Special since Charles Scott replaced it with a super-light slingshot a half-century ago. The proud caretaker just happens to be named Scott and run a family muffler shop. HRD followed Scott and Kelly Cochran home to Washington and shot a full feature, coming soon.

Out To Pasture: It was hardly the brightest car driven into Famoso’s Grove, but the subtly shaved trim and expanded quarters sucked us in. Two tiny tow hooks, barely visible below the bumper, completed the impression of an old warrior. Rex Clifford lusted for it since the day that a straight-axled, tunnel-rammed ’55 first rumbled into his hometown of Mesa, Arizona. That guy sold it to one of Rex’s buddies, who eventually made a teenage dream come true. Forty years later, the old warhorse still runs a 327, tamed by a freeway-friendly combination of single quad, Turbo 400, and 2.73:1 teeth in its nine-inch rear.

Family Legacy: Thirty years since its last, disastrous local appearance in competition, one of Canada’s greatest AA/Gas Dragsters came to cackle with late builder-driver Jack Williams’ daughter under its signature canopy. Wendy Williams rescued Dad’s original trailer from nearly six decades of British Columbia winters. It easily won HRD’s unofficial Best Transporter award.

Flaky Character: A long-roofed shoebox might’ve been the brightest thing on either side of the pitside bleachers. Owner Rodney Lovato was quick to credit Sacramento’s Precision Frame for the stunning finish. A warmed-over 350 pulled his flaky 150 up and over the Grapevine from the San Fernando Valley.

Transport Service: Yes, you saw both local Fords in the last issue (Jan. ’18 HRD), but here’s a brighter view of Rick Davis’ rare AA roadster pickup and Tyler Weeks’ T retro racer. The Bakersfield buddies are members of what claims to be the founding chapter of the Model A Ford Club of America.

Farewell: Brett Henry, who traveled 1,200 miles from Wichita, Kansas, twice each year to challenge the world’s best traditional AA/Fuel Altereds, was seriously injured Saturday and died the next day. Top-end witnesses told us that the 50-year-old veteran completed the run normally and appeared to shut off, momentarily. The nitro-burning Chevy then accelerated through the shutdown area and into the wall before striking a berm along the property’s border. Photographer Kleet Norris captured the popular racer’s final burnout.

Cackling Comes Into Its Own

For his first 47 years of NHRA affiliation, respected racemaster Steve Gibbs never envisioned promoting events of his own. That all changed at the start of the 2016 California Hot Rod Reunion, shortly after Steve’s 48th NHRA anniversary, when the cofounder (with colleague Greg Sharp) of the original, since-trademarked Cacklefest® dramatically stepped down from his official’s role. At issue were unpopular new restrictions from NHRA headquarters on push starts, pit fire-ups, even the traditional Friday-night hotel cackle that gives the public free samples of nitromethane. Soon after, Gibbs resigned from the museum’s board and refused to sign a consultant’s contract that he considered “an insult.” Thus ended 48 years of faithful service, and started—originated, actually—a career. At age 77, together with cackle-car-owner Ron Johnson, Gibbs invented the Nitro Revival, the first commercial drag-racing event for real drag cars, held at a real drag strip, with no drag racing. Perhaps unavoidably, the rookie promoters scheduled it three weekends ahead of NHRA’s reunion. Perhaps coincidentally, NHRA ordered a big signboard for Barona Drag Strip’s starting line promoting the upcoming Bakersfield bash. (“I heard it cost them five grand,” said Gibbs, “and they’ve never bought a sign anywhere. A terrible sign; too much jammed in. You couldn’t read it from the stands.”)

As if the divided nostalgia community needed any additional drama, cosponsor Johnson, a two-time cancer victim, checked himself out of home hospice long enough to enjoy his back-to-back promotions in downtown Escondido (annual Nitro Night) and Barona, then died nine days later. Had he lived a little longer, Ron would’ve enjoyed the irony of accepting the Special Appreciation award that the NHRA Museum presented to his daughter and son at Bakersfield.

War Reenactors: With Ron Johnson watching, two of his tribute fuelers reenacted a routine that Tommy Ivo (seen in foreground) and Chris Karamesines experienced countless times in the mid-’60s’ match-race wars, before burnouts and electric starters eliminated push-down drama. Drivers Kol Johnson, Ron’s son, and Mark McCormick then staged and launched the cloned Chizler and Barnstormer, respectively, before idling downtrack. It was a fitting finale for both the event and cosponsor Johnson, a major player in the cackle movement.

Split Level: Soon to be southern California’s last surviving purpose-built facility, Barona reminds local oldtimers of long-gone San Diego County strips at Paradise Mesa and Ramona. The eighth-mile facility sits on Indian land near Lakeside. Clever carving of the surrounding hills created sufficient flat spaces for pitting and watching.

Royal Friendship: Rookie promoter Steve Gibbs and rookie booksigner Linda Vaughn took a break between autographs to visit with Linda’s sister, Sheila Ann Franklin, and Canadian speed merchant Brant “The Kid” Inglis, who was wrenching on the same 392 Chrysler that Jack Williams last ran in the Syndicate Scuderia. Looking on is Amber Greth, the gearhead granddaughter of Speed Sport legend Red Greth.

Pyromaniac: Retired firefighter Bill Pitts continues to put out flames. Nobody shoots them higher than the godfather of cackling, whose restored MagiCar inadvertently invented an entire exhibition category by lighting off in the Famoso Grove in 1993, during the second NHRA reunion. Golden Age star Jeep Hampshire is back behind the butterfly. Photographer Bob McClurg snapped the shot.

Thunder Lungs: Another reason for trekking to the southernmost part of the West Coast was a last chance—two chances, actually—to enjoy the Voice of Drag Racing. Jon Lundberg called the street action in downtown Escondido the night before Barona’s Nitro Revival. His sidekick here was NHRA Division Seven announcer Mike English.

Colorful Crowd: Barona’s crowd was small but colorful, consisting mostly of cackle-car teams and friends showing support for Steve Gibbs. The fan in the middle was fortunate to score an official shirt before souvenir items completely sold out. Enough money was made, according to Gibbs, to ensure another Nitro Revival on Sept. 29, 2018.

The post Two Deaths Darken Nostalgia Drag Racing And Cackling Events In California appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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[charllieeldridge]

2 Days in Seattle: The Perfect Weekend Itinerary

Wondering what to do with 2 days in Seattle? Read on for a detailed look at how to spend the perfect weekend in the Emerald City!

First of all, let’s talk about the nickname. It’s not that Seattle is full of shiny gemstones, but rather that it’s surrounded by evergreen forests and mountains. 

Located in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle is nestled between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. With views of both the Olympic and Cascade mountains, this is definitely one of the most scenic cities in the United States.

You don’t have to go very far to enjoy nature here, though. There are plenty of beautiful green spaces right in the middle of the city. With a weekend in Seattle, you’ll be able to explore some of them along with iconic attractions like the Space Needle.

As an avid music fan, I’ve always known Seattle as the birthplace of grunge. This is where bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden got their start. Jimi Hendrix was born here, too. There are many things to see and do in Seattle — no matter what your interests are.

Here’s a look at how to spend the perfect weekend in Seattle!

Day 1 in Seattle

With just a weekend in Seattle, you’ll want to take in some of the sights in the city and also get out in nature. On the first day, we’ll take care of the sightseeing aspect and dive into the local culture a bit.

Morning

A busy 2 days in Seattle kicks off at the famous Pike Place Market. This historic farmers’ market has been in business here for over 100 years and is a Seattle institution. 

While we’re on the topic of Seattle institutions, this is where the original Starbucks first opened back in 1971. It actually moved a few blocks away 5 years later to its current location. 

Seattle is known for its coffee, so if you’re more into finding a local gem that doesn’t have a line of tourists out the door, there are dozens of cafes to choose from in downtown Seattle. Around the market, a few solid choices are Storyville Coffee and Ghost Alley Espresso.

With a nice caffeine buzz, you’re ready to explore this bustling market. There’s a lot to see and do here, so be sure to check out their website in advance to plan your visit.

One thing the market is famous for is its flying fish. The fishmongers working there are known to throw the massive fish to each other across the shop.

You may recognize these flying fish from the intro to the “Real World: Seattle.” It’s quite the sight and a very Seattle thing to see.

You can try to figure out where to eat on your own, or you can just leave it up to an expert.

The fine folks at Eat Seattle have a 2-hour culinary adventure called the Pike Place Market Chef Guided Food Tour. Be sure to come hungry for this one, as you’ll stop by ten different vendors for samples!

In addition to the markets, shops, and restaurants, Pike Place has a lot of positive local initiatives. From a food bank to a pre-school, it’s a big part of the community. You can show your support by making a donation at Rachel the Piggy Bank.

Afternoon

Following a busy morning at Pike Place, you have a few options for how to spend your afternoon. With just 2 days in Seattle, you’ll have to make some important decisions!

If it’s a nice day, I recommend heading to nearby Waterfront Park. This is the perfect place to enjoy the views of the Olympic Mountains on a clear day. If you have some change in your pocket you can get a closer look with the coin-operated telescopes.

While you’re over here, you may want to take a ride on the Seattle Great Wheel. Regular tickets are $15 for adults or you can splurge on a glass-bottom VIP cabin for $50. It comes with a t-shirt, a drink, and a photo as well as line-skipping privileges. 

Have a look at this highly rated, 3-hour tour which takes in many of the sights I list. Transportation and guide are included in the rate. Find out more on Viator, here.

The views from land are great and all, but they’re even better out on the water. Argosy Cruises comes highly recommended for trips around Elliot Bay and Puget Sound. 

You can choose from their 1-hour harbor cruise ($34) or 2.5-hour cruise of the Ballard Locks ($47). Both are excellent choices and afford some fantastic views of the city and its surroundings.

On the budget end, you can simply head down to the Colman Dock to catch the local ferry. It heads over to Bainbridge Island and only costs $8.50 for a return ticket. 

If it’s raining on your weekend in Seattle (which is quite possible), you might tuck into a museum for a few hours. The Seattle Art Museum boasts an impressive collection and is well worth a visit.

The SAM has upwards of 25,000 different artworks here so it’s easy to kill some time on a rainy day! Tickets are $29.99 for adults and free for kids 14 and under.

Evening

I didn’t give a specific recommendation for lunch as I’m encouraging you to go big at the market in the morning. Plus it’s not hard to find a quick bite to eat when you’re out and about in downtown Seattle.

Whether it ends up being a late lunch or early dinner, it doesn’t matter. It’s worth it to head back to Pike Place to get a table at Matt’s in the Market. 

They’re known for classic Pacific Northwest fare, such as oysters on the half shell, king salmon, and seared scallops. Here’s a pro tip — between 5 and 6pm you can enjoy an excellent Happy Hour menu if you’re OK with a barstool.

If it’s a craft cocktail that you seek to get your evening going, head over to Zig Zag Cafe. It’s a bit tucked away down a long staircase and definitely has that speakeasy vibe. Just be careful going back up if you decide to have a few drinks here!

Here’s one more solid recommendation for a night out in Seattle. Can Can Culinary Cabaret is a dinner theater below the market and is tons of fun. Click here to check out their schedule and grab your tickets online.

Seattle is definitely a unique city, and it shows in the many interesting things you can get up to on any given evening. Love dogs and craft beer? Then check out this cool Airbnb experience by Dog Gone Seattle. 

This only happens on the weekend in Seattle and it’s a fun way to support a good cause. Your ticket includes your first drink and 100% of the proceeds go to the non-profit organization. 

While Seattle may not be known for its nightlife like New Orleans or Los Angeles, you can still find plenty to do once the sun goes down. 

If you just want to bounce around and check out different bars and clubs, then Pike/Pine is a happening place to go. This area is home to places like Unicorn (a carnival-themed bar) and Rock Box (a late-night Japanese karaoke bar). 

There’s nothing quite like drunkenly belting out some nostalgic tunes to end the first of 2 days in Seattle!

Day 2 in Seattle

Let’s hope the weather is on your side and it’s a beautiful weekend in Seattle. The plan for day two is to spend a lot of time outside, but don’t worry — there will be a backup plan. Let’s start day two off with the most iconic landmark in the city.

Morning

If you’re looking for a place to grab a bite and some coffee, there are a few good spots on the way. Tilikum Place Cafe is a solid choice for a full meal, while Uptown Espresso works for a strong coffee and something light. 

You won’t need directions to our first stop of the day as you can see it from all over the city. I’m talking of course about the Space Needle. 

This funky looking tower has been the symbol of Seattle since its construction back in 1961. Originally built for the World’s Fair, it has received some pretty sweet improvements in recent years. 

Way up at 520 feet (158 meters), the observation deck provides some epic views of the Emerald City. The Space Needle now features The Loupe, which is the first rotating glass floor in the world.

Tickets range in price from $32.50-37.50 for adults. You can also pick up combo tickets that get you access to other Seattle attractions, so check their website for all the info.

Alternatively, you can consider saving your visit to the Space Needle for the evening. It stays open until midnight, so you have all day to figure it out!

Another option is to join a day tour of Seattle, which takes in many sights in the city, including the Space Needle. Transport and guide are included in this highly rated tour. Find out more on Viator, here.

Perhaps you’d rather ditch the city and get out in the mountains. There are plenty of options for doing just that in Seattle! Check out this Meditative Mountain Hike Airbnb experience with a local ecotherapist, for example.

There are also two National Parks within reach of Seattle. Either one will take up the entire day, but it’s worth it for those who really want to see the natural beauty of the area. Check out these two tours – one to Mt. Rainier and another to Olympic National Park.

Afternoon

While it’s definitely the most famous building there, the Space Needle is just a part of the larger Seattle Center complex. There’s so much to see and do that you could spend your whole 2 days in Seattle trying to take it all in.

Some of the highlights include the International Fountain, which is synchronized to music at different times of the day. Another must-see over here is the Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum.  

Featuring the work of renowned artist Dale Chihuly, it’s spread out over three different areas. There’s the garden, an indoor exhibit area, and the stunning glasshouse.

Tickets cost $32 and you can take a free audio tour or sign up for one with a guide. Head over to their website to see all the options and book in advance.

If it’s a typical rainy day in Seattle, there’s lots of fun to be had indoors over here as well. I personally recommend the Museum of Pop Culture. It’s worth heading over there just to check out the building, designed by world-famous architect Frank Gehry.

Inside, there are exhibits dedicated to some of Seattle’s biggest music legends like Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana. It’s far more than music, though — it also covers science fiction, comedy, video games, and more. This just might be the coolest museum I’ve ever been to!

Tickets for MoPOP cost $30, and you can save a few bucks by booking them online. Rain or shine, I think this place is a fantastic addition to any Seattle 2 day itinerary.

There’s always something cool going on at the Seattle Center, from festivals to concerts to fitness classes. Check their event calendar to see what’s happening during your stay.

If you’re traveling in a small group, one way to make your weekend in Seattle just a bit more fun is to try a scavenger hunt. It’s basically a mix of the Amazing Race and a sightseeing tour that you do from your smartphone.

This awesome challenge from Urban Adventure Quest is for a group of up to 5. It starts at the Seattle Center and takes about 3 hours to complete. Click here to check it out!

Finally, if the above options don’t appeal to you, you can visit the Olympic Sculpture Park, the Washington Park Arboretum, or Discovery Park in the north of the city to enjoy trails, beaches, sand dunes, and more. 

Evening

It’s been a pretty huge two days in Seattle, regardless of which options you chose! After covering so much ground in the Emerald City, it’s time to enjoy a nice dinner and maybe an adult beverage or two.

One fun area to check out for dinner and drinks is Belltown. It’s conveniently located between downtown and the Seattle Center and has lots of options for wining and dining. 

Seattle has some pretty fantastic Asian cuisine and Belltown is a great place to try it. There’s Umi Sake House for Japanese, Green Leaf for Vietnamese, and Bangrak Market for Thai. 

Chances are you’ll be feeling a bit worn out after such a jam-packed weekend. Who knows when you’ll make it back up to the Pacific NW, though. It’s time to power through and go out for one more night.

My recommendation goes to catching some local live music. With just two days in Seattle, you have to rock out a bit and honor the city’s musical history. Click here to see what shows are in town.

Insider’s Tips for a Weekend in Seattle

That’s a pretty solid plan for how to spend 2 days in Seattle. You’ll have an even better time if you follow these tips:

Try to visit when the weather is nice – While the weather in Seattle is known to be gloomy and rainy, the city sees plenty of sunshine in the summer months.

As you might expect, these are definitely the busiest months in terms of tourism. Consider planning your visit in May or September to enjoy pleasant weather with smaller crowds.

Be prepared for unpredictable weather – One minute you’ll be comfortable in a t-shirt and shorts, while the next you’re wishing you had brought a sweater. Then it starts to rain and you wish you had a raincoat or umbrella. Be prepared for all kinds of weather.

Have an outdoor and indoor plan – It’s best to have a backup plan if the weather turns on you, which is quite likely in Seattle. Hopefully, you can enjoy the great outdoors, but it’s not a bad idea to have a list of museums or other indoor attractions to fall back on.

Book tickets online – With only a weekend in Seattle, you don’t want to waste time. Decide which attractions you want to visit and book those tickets online in advance. You can also save money on combo tickets if you plan to visit places like the Space Needle. Find out more about the top tours on Viator here.

Getting to Seattle

If you’re flying into Seattle, you’ll arrive at the Sea-Tac International Airport (SEA). It’s about 15 miles south of the city and is a major transportation hub with direct flights all over the world.

By Metro

One great thing about Seattle is that it has a solid public transportation network. You can easily get from the airport to downtown by hopping on the Link Light Rail. 

A one-way ticket costs just $3.00 and it takes about 40 minutes to reach downtown. It runs every 10 minutes during the day on the weekend so you won’t have to wait around too long.

By Taxi

There are also flat-rate and metered taxis at the airport. The flat-rate ones are two colors and give you a set price depending on the area you’re headed to. Metered taxis are a solid color and charge per mile and/or time.

By Rideshare

Three different rideshare apps work in Seattle. You can catch Uber, Lyft, or Wingz from the airport on the 3rd floor of the parking garage. 

Renting a Car

Renting a car is also an option but isn’t really necessary for a weekend in Seattle. As I said, the city has great public transportation. There’s really no need to worry about finding and paying for parking.

By Train

If you’re traveling to or from Seattle via other American cities, you may want to consider taking a scenic train. The Amtrak Cascades, Coast Starlight, and Empire Builder lines all pass through Seattle. Click here to read about your options.

Where To Stay for a Weekend in Seattle

For such a short trip to the Emerald City, you’ll want to stay in a central area. For a weekend in Seattle, it’s best to stick to downtown or the adjacent neighborhoods. 

Staying here gives you easy access to and from the airport via light rail. It also puts you within walking distance to Pike Place Market and Waterfront Park. Public transportation makes it easy to get up to the Seattle Center as well.

Of course, downtown Seattle is also home to a wide range of hotels, restaurants, shops, and bars. This makes it a super convenient place to stay for a short trip.

Here are a few recommendations for downtown Seattle accommodation to suit all budgets:

Budget: Green Tortoise Hostel

Mid-Range: Residence Inn by Marriott 

Luxury: Fairmont Olympic Hotel

If you don’t want to be right in the middle of the city, you can look for options in nearby Pioneer Square, Belltown, or Pike/Pine. There are some awesome places on Airbnb as well, so it’s worth doing a quick search on there.

Enjoy Your Trip to Seattle

I’ve had a lot of fun writing this guide, so I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Seattle is a fantastic choice for a weekend getaway and it’s definitely one of my favorite American cities. If you’re wondering if 2 days in Seattle is enough time, the answer is yes. 

As with anywhere, you could always spend longer, see more, do more, or travel slower. But, if you just have a weekend available, it’s possible to enjoy a fun itinerary.

There aren’t many destinations that have such a wide variety of activities, restaurants, events, and bars on offer. There really is something for everyone in Seattle. Enjoy your trip.

Images in this post are sourced on Shutterstock, a website for finding beautiful royalty-free videos and images. Find out more, here. 

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