#if Ed was in this universe he would be Owen

[eimehh]

thinking about a stizzy bly manor AU

[m3talmunson]

Any reasonable person would think, with the sheer length of Eddie's hair, that he would have the slightest idea of how to care for it.

If you thought that, you'd be wrong. He was flying by the seat of his pants, with a bonus of simple luck. It was astonishing that his hair didn't get matted throughout day to day life, let alone the end of the world.

Yes, Eddie obviously went to a hospital after it all. Nobody could have survived that level substantial of injuries without it. But no matter the NDA's, or the "freedom from prosecution," as Dr. Owens puts it, it didn't come with a clean-wiped slate in the public eye.

So Eddie chose to lay low. He got the treatments that were deemed necessary by the doctors, and then he got the hell out of there.

At least, from all of this, Eddie learned only to run when he needed to.

Part of him was scared he and Wayne wouldn't be able to swing the bill. That part of him was satiated when Owens's team swung the bill and replaced the... mangled Munson trailer. These government reparations didn't anywhere near touch the damage that was done, but Wayne and Eddie would take what they could get. Like they always had. Of course, the universe saw fit that Eddie take a little more.

Eddie was told -putting it politely- to stay the fuck out of that trailer park. Just because his name was cleared legally doesn't mean he should be anywhere he would normally go about his business. Not for the next couple weeks, at least.

And Steve Harrington, ever so giving, offered up his home as sanctuary.

And of course, Eddie was immediately trying to find a way out of it. When that didn't work, he started asking how soon he needed to leave. He didn't want to feel like a burden, especially not to Steve.

"Stay as long as you need, Eds. Forever, for a little while, on and off, literally anything as long as I don't have to carry you out of hell again. That's the one condition."

Sure, living with Steve had it's perks. He had some semblance of privacy, walls with ANY soundproofing, and company. What more could a boy ask for, you would think.

Not living down the hall from his crush while looking like a walking nightmare, Eddie thought, was a perfectly reasonable thing to ask for. He did not get that.

Despite living in the same house as him, he avoided Steve like the plague. Steve had made it clear his 'what's mine is yours' attitude was open to Eddie, but Eddie preferred his room. His boxes from the old trailer were there, his guitar, his sanity (or what remains). The moment he limped his way out of that door, he was in the realm of Steve. And he did not feel up to the task of being presentable in front of his literal crush.

Still, Steve came into his room every so often. Eddie went to the hospital, but he wasn't magically better. Steve changed his bandages, helped him when he needed it, brought him homemade soup? Because, somehow, Eddie is in an alternate dimension where Steve Harrington is making him his grandma's chicken noodle soup recipe for him. And it is PHENOMENAL.

Eddie could have never expected any of the past month's events. He was still grappling with the fact that life would just... return to normal somehow after the end of the world.

He had enough on his plate. However, the universe thought fit to throw some more on.

During one of his Steve-check-ups™, Steve just absentmindedly mentioned something Eddie was dreading.

"How have you been dealing with all that hair? I mean it's been in a new bun every day this week but you can barely lift your arms?"

"Well, actually Steve," Eddie started, "I haven't. This is the same bun you put in on Wednesday." He tilted his head down, he didn't really want to look Steve in the eye when he said that.

"Well shit Eddie, what can I do to help?"

And wasn't it oh so nice when Steve looked up at him with those big eyes, knocking on the door of his soul. How could Eddie turn his gaze from that?

"What can be done? I can't wash it until these fuckers-" He pointed at the sides of his abdomen, to the bandages that Steve had just finished replacing, "have healed enough for me to lift my arms, which should be almost any time now. Then, we can take these bandages off, I can get out of your hair, and I can clean my own."

It was pretty obvious that neither of the men liked that agreement, but Eddie saw it as the only option. Wait a week, lift his arms, get the hell out of dodge. Easy enough.

"I could wash your hair. You know I know how to." Steve replied, a genuine offer, not a throwaway or handout that was just a kind gesture.

"No, Stevie, you don't need to worry about m-"

"Checkmate, I already do. You lock yourself in here except for food, I don't even feel like you're enjoying yourself! What's the point in breaking out of hell, fighting tooth and nail, just to sit in your room? C'mon Eddie, let me do one thing to make your life easier." Steve was interrogating him, but for his own good? And only two weeks ago he thought Steve was just some highschool douche that he just had a little crush on once upon a long time ago. Here he is, caring for him like they've known eachother for years.

"You do enough for me." Eddie hid the blush building on his face by looking to the ground across from Steve. Steve just moved his head there.

"I want to do more. I'm offering to do more."

"You're not going to let me say no, are you?"

"It's your hair, your body! But no, not really."

"Let's go," Eddie said, swinging his legs carefully over the edge of his bed.

And that's how Eddie ended up in a T-shirt and boxers, head laying back in the kitchen sink. He hadn't really gotten to the standing-for-long-periods-of-time point of recovery, so Steve pulled up a stool and a towel for Eddie's shoulders, and got ready to work above his head.

"I'll tell you when to put your head back, don't want to freeze you with the water."

Steve turned the faucet to the hottest setting, then throttled back a little. He carefully took Eddie's hair out and brushed through the ends. It had been in a bun for ages, so at least it didn't get knotted.

"I don't really know much about how curly hair works, but-"

"Oh me either," Eddie interrupted. "Barely even knew I had it. Don't worry about me big boy, no special treatment needed."

"Oh you're getting special treatment, whether you like it or not," Steve said. "Tilt your head back."

And so Eddie did. And he would be flat out lying if he said that he didn't love how gentle Steve's hands felt running across his scalp. He would be lying if he said he didn't like being pampered, just a little. He would be a liar if he told you that this wasn't somehow sensual, or that he wished it had more meaning.

Something about the way Steve was massaging his scalp made him think there could be.

"I'm gonna block your forehead from the water, just warning you." Steve used a cup to get the water to the base of Eddie's scalp, he was thorough with the details and everything.

It made Eddie feel loved. That's new.

Eddie nearly blacked out until it was done. He just soaked it all in, feeling cared for. He had felt cared for before, but never loved, not by someone who wasn't obligated to.

"Why do you do all of this for me?" Eddie truly wanted to know.

"Why shouldn't I?" He replied, as if it was nothing.

"Nobody does." Eddie wanted to say more, but now wasn't the time to throw a pity party and cry in front of Steve Harrington.

"All the more reason to."

"Harrington," Eddie tried to sit up as he talked, "you don't-"

Steve pushed him back down by the chest, conditioner and water soaking into his shirt.

"Don't strain yourself, seriously. Let me rinse this out, then you're free to go back to whatever you were doing." He left one hand on Eddie's chest, not keeping him down, but just resting there. Like he forgot about it, but it felt intentional.

Eddie dragged his hand up to Steve's on his chest.

"Thank you. Really," was all he could muster up without those tears rushing back.

"Of course, Eddie. Wouldn't rather be anywhere else." He continued to work around the ends of Eddie's hair, slowly turning the water off and doing some final slow scrunching motions with the towel not around Eddie's shoulders. "You're all done. Let me help you up."

Taking Eddie's hand in one of his and lifting from Eddie's back, he got Eddie sitting up right. The hand on his back let go, but not the hand in Eddie's.

"Well? Anything you usually do that I can help with?" Steve asked.

"You've done enough," Steve got ready to cut him off, but Eddie beat him to the punch, "I can't do any more without bending over, which is off the table. Seriously, Stevie, you've done more than enough. You've been insane amounts giving and patient with me. You've given me enough."

"I wish I could give more."

"I know."

"I could give more." Steve offered, ready to give all he had in the world.

"Steve," Eddie said, some type of begging look in his eyes, "I don't want to read too much into this but you've offered me more than I could reasonably take. You've given me sanctuary, food, care, what more is there?"

"Love."

Steve laid it all out on the table. All he had left to give was hope that Eddie would take it.

"Can I kiss you?" Eddie asked.

"Please."

And when Eddie took it, it was magical. Just for a moment, all the pain, and bad memories, and nightmares, they just stopped. Suddenly, for a second of time, their was no ring of pain around Steve's neck, no searing, or scorching, or stabbing in Eddie's sides.

Maybe Eddie won't live in Steve's house forever, but he might live in this moment forever.

~~~~~

Thank you to @warlordess for giving the prompt in the comments of my last post! SO sorry it took so unbelievably long, but my show finally closed! Everyone, feel free to leave any prompts in my asks from now on! All of my previous posts as well as this one will be on AO3 soon, then I'm going to make a pinned post with my account! Thank you all so much for the patience you graced me with, hopefully it won't happen again!

[flu5zn]

✼⠀⠀.⠀⠀⠀،،⠀SO S!CK⠀┉⠀is a fictional co-ed band formed in new england by its members as an independent act in january 2011. consisting of COREY, DEVIN, KIAN, and BILLIE, the band began playing college bars across the region while simultaneously posting song covers to youtube.

the early beginnings of attention placed on the band were first drawn from their respective universities. with corey and devin both attending yale university, they quickly became established as a popular college band, appearing across new haven before eventually being invited to perform at bars associated with other ivy league schools in the area. with kian joining the band's older members at yale and billie beginning to attended columbia university, their popularity would skyrocket, eventually allowing them to notoriety necessary to rent out a small studio for the formal recording of their first original body of work.

securing their manager, DENVER OWENS, would prove to be instrumental in so sick's rise in national prominence before the band would sign an exclusive recording contract just five years after forming.

though active in both the asian and western markets, the band has notably struggled to grasp commercial attention in south korea. despite this, members corey and kian frequently appear in korean programming due to their status as members of the highly influential kim family. similarly, billie, has become a rising star within vietnamese media, even securing a spot as a judge on vietnam idol in 2023.

&.⠀ʿʿ⠀✹ ﹕ it's all romanticism, nonsense, rottenness, art.⠀⸻⠀MEMBER PROFILES.

CORNELIUS ALFRED KIM, better known by his stage name COREY KIM, was born the eldest son of business mogul charles kim and his wife, gemini inc. chairwoman, johanna yeun kim on july 27, 1993 in hamburg, germany. from a young age corey made it known that he was a square peg in a family of perfectly rounded circles. he was thoughtful to a fault, much too sensitive for the ruthless expertise necessary for the businesses he would inevitably lead in his fathers' stead.

a torublemaker at heart, corey's interest in the heavy rock records he collected on vinyl only initially served as a rejection of his impending responsibilities. convinced musical success could free him from his imagined shackles of affluence, corey was the one to first bring the band together in 2011. undeniably, corey continues to be the glue of so s!ck, often acting as the mediator between the ambitions of devin and the sober rationalities of kian.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: COREY

BIRTH NAME: cornelius alfred kim

OTHER NAME: kim jaeyoung

DATE OF BIRTH: july 27, 1993

ZODIAC SIGN: leo

PLACE OF BIRTH: hamburg, germany

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: south korean

NATIONALITY: german & american

LANGUAGES: german, english, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, guitarist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: frontman, lead vocalist, guitarist

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 6’2” (188 cm)

TATTOOS: n/a

PIERCINGS: n/a

FACECLAIM: woo dohwan

born and raised the third of five daughters, CHRISTINA XIE has never been a stranger to inconsistencies. from her parents' secret divorce to the six cities she had called home before her 16th birthday, her family was never anchored anywhere long enough for devin to care much for anything.

from a young age, she was quite aware of her surroundings. aware of the tension between her parents, aware of her changing environments, but most importantly: aware of the pressure to succeed. the daughter of two celebrity lawyers, devin recognized very early on that she only ever truly fit in with the other misfit kids who stuck to the back rooms of the fancy galas she couldn't stand.

her family's move to new york city in devin's freshman year of high school brought not only new vices to get high off in the school bathrooms, but also a blossoming friendship with a dark haired boy with darker under eyes and an impressive vinyl collection to match. corey and devin's friendship slowly moved from listening to his grungy recordings of their favorite bands to crafting recordings of their own in euphoric stupors in the early mornings before classes.

though corey would never admit it, devin's slow source of joy in the music they'd made together would eventually lead him to assemble a band of their own the summer before their freshman year at yale. as so s!ck's lead guitarist, devin takes an active role in the composition of the band's music, drawing influence from bands like fleetwood mac, paramore, coldplay, and u2.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: DEVIN

BIRTH NAME: christina xie

OTHER NAME: xie ting

DATE OF BIRTH: august 21, 1993

ZODIAC SIGN: leo

PLACE OF BIRTH: santa ana, usa

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: chinese

NATIONALITY: american

LANGUAGES: english, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, composer, lead guitarist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: vocalist, lead guitarist

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5’4” (163 cm)

TATTOOS: thirteen total

PIERCINGS: seven total

FACECLAIM: amber yang

born the second son to charles and johanna kim on october 15, 1995, MARKUS KIM, usually referred to by his middle name, KIAN, often found himself happiest when he was on his own. the title, "corey kim's younger brother" never bothered him much considering the fact that his brother's peers would never be his own. if anything, in kian's mind, he often reversed the misconceptions people had founded about their family based on his older brother.

the overachieving, know-it-all of the family, kian never struggled with knowing what his place was within the family. frequently, he would even find himself picking up the responsibilities corey had left behind in favor of whatever it was he did in the early hours of the morning. he had his mind set on the future much earlier than most even decide what their favorite color was.

his initial interest in music was brushed off by his family who knew better than to believe he had found an interest other than the family business. but as he began to use music as a free release of negative energy, they all began encouraging him to pursue the industry in hopes of what opportunities it might present him. along the way somehow, corey managed to convince kian to join his band. although apprehensive at first, kian joined the band, figuring he would follow in corey's footsteps for once. currently, kian is the bassist of the group, often lending his talents to playing keyboard for the band as well.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: KIAN

BIRTH NAME: markus kian kim

OTHER NAME: kim jaehwan

DATE OF BIRTH: october 15, 1995

ZODIAC SIGN: libra

PLACE OF BIRTH: hamburg, germany

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: south korean

NATIONALITY: german & american

LANGUAGES: german, english, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, bassist, keyboardist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: vocalist, bass guitarist

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5’11” (180 cm)

TATTOOS: n/a

PIERCINGS: n/a

FACECLAIM: im changkyun

WILHELMINA HUỲNH was born to her parents on a quiet night in december. that quietness seemed to be a common theme throughout her young life. speaking very sparingly until the age of 5, billie always had an appreciation for stillness. it was often in the stillness that she was able to get away from the constant doting of her parents who were particularly protective over their youngest daughter.

early on, billie ventured into child modeling even being featured by major brands throughout elementary and middle school. although she loved getting all dressed up, it wasn't uncommon for billie to throw silent, pouty fits to her parents' dismay.

always a girl of very few words, her parents enlisted the help of a close friend to teach billie to play the piano. unknowingly, they ushered in a love for music within the young girl that would continue to determine her dreams for at least another decade.

becoming friends with kian kim and his older brother corey in her freshman year of high school proved to be the greatest decision billie ever made. particularly so when corey begged her to join his band after discovering her musical talent. continuing to be a girl of few words, billie is regarded as the most elusive member of the band and therefore, one of the more popular members.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: BILLIE

BIRTH NAME: wilhelmina mai linh huỳnh

DATE OF BIRTH: december 27, 1995

ZODIAC SIGN: capricorn

PLACE OF BIRTH: atlanta, usa

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: vietnamese

NATIONALITY: american

LANGUAGES: english, vietnamese, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, drummer

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: vocalist, drummer

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5’6” (168 cm)

TATTOOS: n/a

PIERCINGS: n/a

FACECLAIM: lynhci

[natalynsie]

Swerving Down a Backroad Away from the Police (Noco Oneshot)

Was driving at the age of eighteen with seven passengers in the car in Canada legal?

No.

Was driving at all under the age of eighteen in Canada legal?

No.

What was Noah doing?

Seventeen years old, one of seven passengers in the car, 10 at night, swerving down a backroad away from the police.

How did he get here?

“LORD HELP ME!” Duncan shouted, jumping in the front seat of Eva’s sister’s van, dropping a backpack full of alcohol into Eva’s lap.

“What the fuck, Duncan?” Eva asked.

“SHUT UP AND LET ME DRIVE!”

Duncan hit the gas and started driving out of the parking lot.

“What happened?” Trent asked, holding onto the car door handle on the right side of the car as Duncan turned onto the road.

“I didn’t know there were police right outside! I usually get away with this!”

“He stole beer and… other stuff,” Eva said, making a disgusted face aimed at the bag.

“Ooh! Sounds fun! I haven’t been in a police chase in a while!” Izzy exclaimed happily, leaning forward onto the central console.

“I hope Eva’s sister isn’t mad we stole her car,” Owen added, peeking up over Izzy to look at Eva.

Eva clutched her brow. “I’m so gonna get grounded.”

“Well I’m gonna get arrested and you are too, you’re accomplices now,” Duncan yelled.

“Fuck you Duncan,” Gwen began, leaning over a now smiling Cody in the backseat to get a better look at Duncan. “You did not have to drag us into this.”

“If I get anything on my record, I’m going to be very mad,” Noah stated, arms and legs crossed.

“Well what are you going to do about it?” Duncan asked.

“Go faster,” Izzy suggested.

“Sounds fun.” Duncan smirked, taking a sharp left.

Cody’s shoulder smashed into Noah’s.

“Ow,” Noah deadpanned.

“Sorry,” Cody apologized.

“Did you ever take driver’s ed, Duncan?” Noah questioned.

“I got a D+,” Duncan grinned, taking another sharp turn on the windy road that they were on, trying to throw off the cop car now following.

Cody grabbed Noah and Gwen's legs to avoid crashing into anyone. Noah tensed up and his heart skipped a beat.

“Sorry again,” Cody repeated.

“Not a problem,” Noah articulated.

It was about this time Noah realized.

With all this extra speed, Noah was now pressed flush against Cody. Cody was holding onto him for dear life.

Noah began to feel hot.

Noah already knew. He knew he liked Cody for a little while now. He knew both Gwen and Owen, who were both in the car, knew he knew. He knew Izzy knew before he did. He knew Gwen was looking at him.

Noah looked at her.

She smirked at him, glancing between him and a blissfully unaware Cody with a clenched jaw.

Noah turned back to facing forward, and just wondered when Izzy and Owen would take a peek in the backseat.

And at this point he noticed everyone was shouting.

“So, are we going to just be okay with the fact that Duncan just came in and decided we were all going to die?” Gwen asked.

“I mean, what choice do we have?” Trent asked. “The deal's been done.”

“Unless you have anything to say about it. I'm talking to both of you nerds in the backseat.”

Owen turned around.

Cody was currently wincing at the latest turn, which shoved him harshly onto Noah's side.

Noah didn't know if this was the correct moment to get butterflies in his stomach, but the universe decided it was.

Owen wiggled his eyebrows, and Noah cringed. All he could do was hope Cody didn't see.

“This is bullshit,” Eva stated, picking up her phone. “I’m calling my sister.”

Duncan started shouting about something, but Noah tuned it out. He looked over to Cody, who had moved his hand from Noah’s leg to clench his sleeve, and pulled on it as they took a right turn, falling onto Gwen’s side of the car.

At this point, Cody was clutching Noah’s wrist. Noah couldn’t focus. His head was pounding not only from Cody but also from the driving. His heart was beating quickly not only from the driving but from Cody.

Noah thought he was bold in his head.

He grabbed Cody’s hand.

A thousand sparks rushed through his body.

God, I’m pathetic, he thought to himself.

Noah was never fond of romance as a child. He thought everyone involved was weak. Or stupid. In most cases, both. He was pretty embarrassed that he ended up having a crush. His younger self would probably taunt him.

Maybe he was weak. Well, not maybe, he knew he was weak. He couldn’t run, never mind a ten-minute mile. Back to the topic- maybe he was stupid. This was most definitely pathetic. But he didn’t hate it.

Cody’s eyes were squeezed shut as they took a turn onto a dirt path. Noah heard screams of “JESUS CHRIST” and “DUNCAN WHAT THE FUCK” but he was preoccupied.

He was holding Cody’s hand.

While crashing through the woods being chased by police.

But a win’s a win.

“Did we lose them?” Noah heard Duncan ask.

Noah turned behind them as they began to drive a little less violently.

“I think so?” Noah replied.

“Did they get the plate?” Trent asked. “Eva could be in big trouble.”

“It’s way too dark and we were way too far ahead for them to see anything,” Gwen responded.

Duncan sighed, parking the car at the end of the dirt road.

Eva actually put the setting in park.

The car unloaded, Owen threw up somewhere, and Noah leaned against a tree with Eva and Izzy.

“So, did you call your sister and tell her about the whole ordeal?” Noah asked.

“Yeah. We yelled about that for like, an entire minute. You really didn’t catch it?” Eva asked.

“No, he was too busy making googly-eyes at Cody,” Izzy smiled.

“No I wasn’t!”

“Yes you were.”

“Not.”

“Were.”

“Was not.”

“Were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were!”

“Uh, I can break this tie,” Trent began, leaning over to the group. “He totally did.”

Noah stopped as Trent walked back away. “I have no comment.”

Eva snickered. “Pathetic.”

Noah facepalmed. “I know.”

“Well hey,” Eva smiled, “I don’t know. Maybe you have a chance. When he isn’t all Gwen it seems like he’s pretty into you.”

“He’s into Gwen.”

“He could be into you too.” Eva shrugged. “Now I gotta tell my sister where we actually are so she can drive us home. I figure Duncan’s already gone before we can actually do anything about it. See you guys.”

She walked off a bit farther, and Noah looked around. She was right- Duncan was gone. But Noah wasn’t going to call the police. If Eva’s sister wanted to do that, she could. Noah didn’t care enough.

Izzy smirked. “So, gonna go talk to Cody?”

Noah glanced over his shoulder to see Cody talking with Gwen.

“Nah. Maybe later.”

“If you say so,” Izzy smiled, and skipped off to find Owen.

[wrestlinghistorywithkay]

From Football Star To The Loose Cannon: The Story Of Brian Pillman

TW: Guns , Death, Mentions of Disease

In honor of what would’ve been Brian Pillman’s 62nd Birthday, this article is about his life and career.

Brian William Pillman was born on May 22,1962 in Cincinnati , Ohio to a Welsh woman, Mary. He had a brother named, Phil, and three sisters named Linda , Angie , and Susan. Pillman’s father tragically passed away from a heart attack when Brian was only three months old. As a child , Brian was admitted to the hospital multiple times due to developing throat polyps and having to have multiple surgeries. The only time he would be able to spend time at home was during Christmas. Mary sent her son to a public school so he would be able to spend some time with his friends and soon, he became the only Presbyterian in his Catholic family. Pillman was also an athletic child, participating in various sports such as hockey and basketball. However , Pillman dealt with bullying from other students due to having a raspy voice from having multiple surgeries. Mary encouraged her son to learn to stand up for himself by enrolling him in boxing lessons. Pillman soon found himself excelling at football.

Pillman graduated from Norwood High School in Norwood , Ohio, a suburb of his hometown of Cincinnati. He was a standout as a defensive lineman for Miami University in Oxford , Ohio , and soon being drafted by the NFL ‘s Cincinnati Bengals in 1984. He was a free agent during this time period. Pillman also won the Ed Block Courage Award for his team. He also played for the Buffalo Bills during preseason in 1985. Thus, being released from the team before the season started. Pillman also played football in the Canadian Football League for Calgary Stampeders in 1986. During his time in college, Pillman was roommates with Baltimore Ravens head coach, John Harbaugh. His jersey numbers were 41 and 58.

Once Pillman’s football career came to an end, he stayed in Canada and began his professional wrestling career. He was trained by legendary wrestling promoter Stu Hart and his family in the legendary Hart Dungeon. Nevertheless, Brian made his debut in the Hart Family owned wrestling promotion, Stampede Wrestling in November of 1986. His first tag team partner was Bruce Hart, Stu’s son and the brother of Bret and Owen Hart. Their tag team name was called Bad Company ( not to be confused with the other wrestling tag team called Badd Company. ) . Pillman and Hart won the tag team championship for the promotion in 1987 , their reign ending in 1987. Pillman used his then girlfriend , Trisa Hayes ( soon to be known as Beulah McGillicutty ) , as his sibling to get over with fans and as a Babyface. He left Stampede in 1988 and joined Jerry Jarrett’s Continental Wrestling Association ( CWA ) . He briefly became part of the New Japan Pro Wrestling ( NJPW ) roster in 1989.

Pillman returned to America in June of 1989 and became a member of the World Championship Wrestling roster ( WCW) and earned the nickname ‘ Flyin’ Brian ’ due to his aerial ability and skills as an athlete. He was one of the first wrestlers along with Bobby Eaton to incorporate Lucha Libre skills into his wrestling move set. He held the NWA United States Tag Team Championships along with a wrestler named The Z - Man in February and May of 1990. Pillman soon started a storyline with Barry Windham , who he started to harass while dressed as a character named the Yellow Dog after losing a ‘ Loser Leaves WCW ’ match, thus, Pillman was reinstated. He also held the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship in 1991 and 1992. Pillman soon turned Heel in 1992 . In 1993 , Pillman formed a team with ‘ Stunning ’ Steve Austin ( soon to be known as Stone Cold Steve Austin ) , being known as the Hollywood Blonds. They feuded with teams such as Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas , and The Four Horsemen. They separated the same year. Pillman became a Babyface during this time and feuded with his old tag partner.

In late 1994, Pillman joined the Extreme Championship Wrestling ( ECW ) and teamed with Shane Douglas as a part of the talent swap between WCW and ECW. Pillman and Douglas were managed by the ‘ Sensational ’ Sherri Martel. Pillman returned to WCW in 1995 under the name California Brian. This gimmick was scrapped within a week of his return to the company. He soon became a tweener and feuded with wrestlers such as Eddie Guerrero and Buff Bagwell. He also formed a team with Arn Anderson and feuded with Ric Flair. The Four Horsemen soon reunited with Pillman and Chris Benoit being new members alongside Anderson and Flair. Pillman soon developed his ‘ Loose Cannon Gimmick ’ the same year. He returned to ECW in 1996.

Brian Pillman was signed to Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation in 1996. This signing was announced at a press conference along with Marc Mero’s signing to the company. Pillman was on the commentary desk for a period of time due to having a broken ankle. He soon moved into a role as wrestler after going after an unruly fan in June during an episode of WWF Superstars. His major feud was with his long time friend and former tag partner , Steve Austin. During the storyline , he took the side of Austin’s nemesis, Bret Hart. During their feud , the infamous ‘ Pillman’s Got A Gun ’ angle took place. This angle was when Pillman pulled a gun during an interview with Kevin Kelly and Austin visiting Pillman and his family . The WWF Camera Crew and Kelly surrounded the house to protect Pillman and his family during this incident. Austin was soon attacked by Pillman’s friends. Vince McMahon , WWF , and Pillman all had to issue an apology due to the incident.

Pillman took some time off from the company and returned in 1997 to align himself with his long time friends , Bret and Owen Hart , The British Bulldog , and Jim The Anvil Neidhart. They became known as the new Hart Foundation. Pillman was the only member of the faction to not be blood related or married into the famous family. He also feuded with Goldust , with their biggest match having the stipulations of Marlena being Pillman’s valet for a month if Goldust lost and Pillman leaving the WWF if he lost. Pillman won and had Marlena as his valet for a month.

In 1997, Pillman and his wife , Melanie , were in the midst of a hostile divorce. Melanie claimed that this was going to be a wake up call for Brian. They still lived together with Pillman living in the basement. Brian Pillman would be found dead in his hotel room by the maids on October 5 , 1997 in Bloomington, Minnesota. He was 35 years old. Pillman’s cause of death was found to be a heart attack. Thus , Steve Austin explained that this caused by a case of undetected Heart Disease. This condition also killed his father.

Pillman’s legacy lives on for the new generation of fans. WWE Superstar, Lexis King , is the son of Brian Pillman. King is currently signed to the NXT brand.

My Final Thoughts:

Brian Pillman was one of those wrestlers who I call ‘ Once In A Lifetime’ . He had the total package as a wrestler which I love. I wish I could’ve seen him live. I hope this article did him some justice.

Love You All,

- Kay

[stormbreaker101]

Emma Titansong - Nordic Champion and Honorary Bosun

Age: 20

Level: 80/160 Life, levelless Buccaneer

Personality: Resilient, thorny, blatant, gruff, loving but not flowery about it.

Status: Holding on his own with a crew of her own, though desperately trying to make it back to her family in one piece.

Story: The Spiral used to be a game. Emma was one of the more hardcore of my characters from the get-go. A soloist Life wizard who primarily quested simply to challenge herself and his own capabilities. He 100%'ed Grizzleheim and Wintertusk, earning her title as Nordic Champion, and made it through Avalon's storyline before Nora's divine meltdown corrupted the Spiral and made it an entire universe rather than a family friendly MMORPG. The timeline was forced to catch up to Nora's consequences, stripping Emma of her own role as a The Wizard.

Emma's reputation was not completely lost, however. He still retained her status as Nordic Champion, and so was called to Grizzleheim to help them face their dose of Aberrant magic that Nora released: overwhelming Ice that roused Ymir and triggered the Everwinter. This was a task Emma could not take on solo, however, and so found herself having to ask some of Nora's old associates, the Arcanum, for aid.

Ugh, having to treat NPCs as people. Emma had raised a real stink about the corrupted nature of the Spiral. However, it was only with their help (as well as some more of Nora's old NPC friends, Mellori and Bat) that Emma was able to take down and lull Ymir back to his divine sleep. This great victory and the prosperity it meant for Grizzleheim earned her the surname Titansong.

However, Emma was now officially roped into the Arcanum, as were her two sisters Star and Savannah. Which meant getting officially involved in cleaning up more of Nora's mess. Nora had become an antagonist on the same tier as Malistaire and Morganthe, in Emma's eyes.

Nora's death in Karamelle hit Emma's family far harder than it hit Emma herself. When Star suggested the idea of finding a more stable home for Savannah and Nora's baby sister Iridian, multiversal friend Owen Macheca (@saturniidaze's main OC) offered to let the girls move in with their adopted family in the (Multiversal) Reconstructed AU (@clockwork-fiends). Emma at first thought it a pointless change for himself because as the 'oldest', she's still going to be responsible for cleaning up the Aberrant magic, so what does it matter where she lives? But, it's not like he could say the same for Savannah and Iridian, and Emma refused to leave her remaining family to face a change by themselves.

Emma found peace but a sense of dissatisfaction with her new life. As much as Wizarding had been about cleaning up the villains' wrongdoings and saving the Spiral, there was also always the prospect of actually defeating the villains themselves, the final bosses. Such a prospect could not happen in Corrupted Spiral, as Nora was already dead. It felt futile.

Emma wanted to be a classic Wizard so bad, like old times? Enter the Butterfly Effect AU (@klaraflamez). Its villains had discovered the presence of the multiverse and wanted to spread their influence throughout it. One such villain kidnapped Emma and imbued him with the magic and memories of all of canon up to that point, pulling him from 80 to 160 in an instant. The magic overwhelmed Emma and fed on both her preexisting Life magic and her preconceived notions of canon superiority.

Emma was eventually saved and that one villain defeated in glorious fashion, but not without consequence. Weakened and horrified, Emma wanted nothing to do with Wizarding ever again. She would need a long while to recover physically, magically, and mentally before daring to reclaim magic on his own terms again.

Thankfully, her adoptive family was able to give Emma the time and safety and stability needed to heal and cope. The only thing that couldn't recover was Emma's sense of purpose. With absolutely no desire to return to Wizarding proper (not even with the Arcanum), Emma struggled to find something to do, something to challenge her in a way she wanted.

A new opportunity sailed up to her doorstep, in the form of the Stray Dogs (also @saturniidaze), a crew of pirates whose captain was the estranged sister of Emma's adoptive dad's partner. (It's not as complicated as it sounds.) Emma took to the Stray Dogs and especially their captain, Kindra, like a duck to water. The only thing holding her back from joining the Stray Dogs full-time was his devotion to his family, which had extended to include the Macheca family as well. But being distant is not the same as being disloyal. The family encouraged Emma to follow her heart. And Emma's heart yearned for challenge.

Pirating was great! With a mix of melee and magic at her disposal, Emma became a versatile fighter as well as a sturdy and eager hand on deck. At last, Emma had found something that truly spoke to her ever since her first Spiral fell from canon.

Her reputation spread beyond the Stray Dogs, however. The Armada caught wind of Titansong's power as a mage, and so captured her for study and technological development. His excess of magic would prove a valuable test for the Bishop's extra-strength magical inhibitors. After a torturous few weeks and Emma finally convincing the Bishop that "neither of us fucking want this. Letting me go and dealing with the consequences is better than suffering my bullying forever. Twink", she escaped.

But now Emma is a wanted fugitive of the Armada, and with the inhibitors still on her (taking them off would force her to recover from all the mana drained) & weeks of wasting away in an Armada cell, Emma certainly can't survive the skies on her own. Enlisting the help of jaded Valencian Resistance soldier Gaspard du Vole, Emma is now on the hunt for two things: a way home and a safe method and time to take off the inhibitors, all while evading capture again.

Sure as the goose makes its migration, the newly-fledged Flock will find its way.

[lightyakami]

I wanns know Canadian L playlist

oh this is from one of my aus! it’s a story about L working in a queer centre in a canadian university.

details on this beloved au of mine:

it takes place in the fictional city of nantes, canada, which is somewhere in the very outer edges of the greater toronto area

centred largely around this very idyllic queer centre which has loads of soft couches and an endless supply of tea

L is from toronto, and light is from japan. beyond is also a major character in this and he’s from winnipeg

beyond & L are both fourth gen japanese-canadian (relevant bc that’s the generation whose family was interned during ww2)

at some point this whole little queer group pools their money together and rents out a cottage on a lake. (it is gull lake.) i feel like this is a very Classic Canadian Experience but i may be wrong

lots and lots of late nights/early mornings in very run-down tim hortons; lots of Deep Talks in the university’s three tims

misa has very strong opinions on whether or not its okay to include grilled chicken or jalapeños in poutine (she votes no)

near isn’t a major player in this but he’s from stratford

contains my beloved headcanon that L is an occasional cane user & also the group’s resident manic pixie dream boy

anyway as for the actual playlist, sadly it’s locked away on apple music bc apple has me by the throat BUT i will post screenshots of the curated version of the tracklist:

i’ve tried to include some niche canadian artists on here but honestly i have no idea what is/isn’t popular outside of canada. dala’s ‘who do you think you are’ is one of my favourite L songs; ‘red sun no. 5’ has lyrics which don’t quite match but imo the energy is there & also owen pallet just makes such good music that i wanted to share. ‘hello my old heart’ is a song i absolutely adore for any kind of fic that depicts L in a softer sort of way. the kind of concept behind this is that it moves from happiness to Deeply Conflicted Feelings and eventually through to a more solid and stable kind of joy. (i have one story from this au up but i would like to flag that it’s a h/c fic with an extremely explicit focus on disordered eating. the rest of the au also deals heavily with this subject but it won’t be like, a Classic ED Fic the way this one is so you may want to wait for the fic proper)

[lokiondisneyplus]

Yes, Loki series director Kate Herron knows about your fan theory about the show, the analysis you posted to social media. No, she won’t tell you what she thinks about it, or whether you were right.

“I follow all the conversations on Twitter,” Herron told Polygon in an interview shortly after Loki’s season 1 finale. “I don’t always weigh in on them, because I made the show, so they don’t want me weighing in like, ‘Actually, guys…’ I think that’s the whole point of art — it should be up for debate and discussion.”

[Ed. note: Spoilers ahead for season 1 of Loki.]

Loki has been a hit for streaming service Disney Plus — episode 6 of the show, the final installment for this season, was reportedly watched by more households than any of the platform’s MCU finales to date. The series has been a popular source of fan conjecture and argument, with one particularly big rolling conversation focusing on whether the budding romantic relationship between trickster Asgardian Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alternate-universe counterpart Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) is a form of incest.

Herron is willing to speak up about that one. “My interpretation of it is that they’re both Lokis, but they aren’t the same person,” she says. “I don’t see them as being like brother and sister. They have completely different backgrounds […] and I think that’s really important to her character. They sort of have the same role in terms of the universe and destiny, but they won’t make the same decisions.”

Herron says thematically, Loki falling for Sylvie is an exploration of “self-love,” but only in the sense that it’s Loki learning to understand his own motives and integrity. “[The show is] looking at the self and asking ‘What makes us us?’” Herron says. “I mean, look at all the Lokis across the show, they’re all completely different. I think there’s something beautiful about his romantic relationship with Sylvie, but they’re not interchangeable.”

Directing the final kiss between the two characters was a complicated process because it had to communicate something about each of them over the course of just a few seconds. Herron says the primary goal was creating a safe, comfortable environment for Hiddleston and Di Martino, and after that, she had to think about how to bring across Loki and Sylvie’s conflicting goals in that moment.

“It’s an interesting one, right?” she says. “Emotionally, from Sylvie’s perspective, I think it’s a goodbye. But it’s still a buildup of all these feelings. They’ve both grown through each other over the last few episodes. It was important to me that it didn’t feel like a trick, like she was deceiving him. She is obviously doing that, on one hand, but I don’t feel the kiss is any less genuine. I think she’s in a bad place, but her feelings are true.”

Herron says directing Hiddleston in the scene mostly came down to discussing the speech Loki gives Sylvie before the kiss. “That was really important, showing this new place for Loki,” Herron says. “In the first episode, he’s like, ‘I want the throne, I want to rule,’ and by episode 6, he isn’t focused on that selfish want. He just wants her to be okay.”

Loki writer and producer Eric Martin recently tweeted that he wished the show had been able to focus more time on two of its secondary characters, Owen Wilson’s Time Variance Authority agent Mobius M. Mobius, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Ravonna Renslayer. “I wanted to explore her more deeply and really see their relationship,” he says, “But covid got in the way and we just didn’t have time.”

Asked if Loki and Sylvie’s relationship suffered from similar necessary edits, Herron says it’s true that the show’s creators and audience still don’t know everything Sylvie went through to make her so different from the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s original version of Loki. “We’ve seen her as a child, but she’s lived for thousands and thousands of years, in apocalypses on the run,” she says. “I think there’s so much more to delve into with Sylvie […] You’re filling in the blanks. You see [her on the planet] Lamentis, and it’s horrific. And you’re like, “Well, what kind of person would she be, growing up in apocalypses? What kind of personality would that give her?”

Herron says Sylvie’s backstory actually reminds her of the 1995 movie Jumanji, where a young boy is sucked into a magical board game in 1969, and emerges 26 years later as a full-grown man, played by with typical manic energy by Robin Williams. “It’s such a weird reference, but…” she says. “He’s a little boy when he ends up captive in that game, and when he comes out, it’s obviously been a life experience. With Sylvie, it’s similar. She was a child when she had to go on the run, so she’s had a very difficult life. I would love to see more of it. As Eric said, she’s a rich character, there’s so much to be explored.”

Herron says, though, that during her time on the show, material about Sylvie was added rather than cut — specifically, those scenes of her as a child, being kidnapped by the TVA. “This was before my time, but I know in the writers’ room, there were lots of avenues exploring Sylvie on the run and what her life was like,” Herron says. “I wouldn’t want to speak more to those, because I wasn’t there when they were being discussed. But something wasn’t in there that was important to me — I felt we should see her [history] in the TVA. Me and the team were talking about how it made complete sense, because episode 4 is all about twisting the idea that the TVA might be good on its head. And so that’s something that came in later, once I joined, was seeing her as a child. I think we needed to see that, not to understand her completely, but to get an idea of her motivations, why she’s so angry at this place.”

Talking more broadly about the series finale, Herron says the last few episodes weren’t as heavily referential as the first episodes, which she intended as “a love letter to sci-fi.” While early images like the TVA’s interrogation rooms had specific visual references from past science fiction, episode 6’s locations were drawn more from collaborations with the crew.

“The idea of the physical timeline being circular, our storyboard artists came up with that,” Herron says. “I had in the scripts, ‘We move through space to the end of time,” and then me and [storyboard artist Darrin Denlinger] discussed how we could play with the idea of time, while also adding MCU nods. He was like, ‘What if the timeline is circular?’ I think that’s such a striking image, like the Citadel at the End of Time is the needle on a record player. I just thought that was such a cool image, but it wasn’t necessarily taken from anything.”

Episode 6 focuses heavily on the mysterious figure He Who Remains and his citadel, a space she says was largely conceived by production designer Kasra Farahani. “I remember he brought in the art of the Citadel, and I thought it was beautiful,” Herron says. “He said, ‘The Citadel has been carved from an actual meteorite,’ which I thought was such an inspired idea. And He Who Remains’ office is the only finished portion of it.”

She says there are only a few direct homages in episode 6, including the zoom shot through space, which directly referenced a similar sequence in Robert Zemeckis’ 1997 film Contact.

“And then I have my Teletubbies reference for episode 5,” Herron says. “I wanted the Void to feel like an overgrown garden, like a kind of forgotten place. And I realized I’d pitched it as the British countryside. I remember trying to explain it to ILM, who did the visual effects, and saying, ‘Oh, you know, it’s like the Teletubbies. It’s just rolling hills, but they go on forever.’ That actually was quite a helpful reference in the end, which is funny.”

Asked for her favorite set memory from shooting the season, Herron says it comes down to Tom Hiddleston starting a mania for physical exertion before takes. “Sometimes he runs around set to get himself in the right mindset before he performs,” she says. “He does pushups. You know, you’re going into an action scene, you want to look like you’ve just been running. And it became infectious across all the cast. We’ve got so much footage of — I think Jack [Veal] ended up doing it, who plays Kid Loki. I’ve got [shots of] him and Sophia doing pushups and squats, just to get ready. It was so funny watching that echo across all the cast. I think all of them ended up doing those exercises with him at some point. It was so funny.”

“That might be my favorite set story, but it’s honestly, not a sweet one,” she adds. “I would say my favorite thing is his enthusiasm. He’s a very kind empathetic person. We were filming this in quite tough circumstances, a lot of people were far from home and isolating, and he brought this warmth and energy and joy to the set every day. And I think that made everyone feel very safe and very bonded. I’m forever grateful to him for doing that.”

[christinepanas]

Legacy

(A short fiction story)

“Do you want to take a spin in it?” Duncan asks Mallory as they stand in the parking lot of the high school, itself almost as newly minted as her driving license. Mallory doesn’t answer. She just stares at the shiny red sports car with the brown leather seats and chrome wheels. Her shoulders hunch forward, as if the added weight of her license makes her backpack too much to bear. She hesitates.

“I have to get home,” she says.

“But aren’t your parents away?” Duncan asks, opening the driver’s side door.

“Yes,” she says.

“What’s the hurry home?”

“I have chores.”

“I can drive you.”

“That’s okay. I always walk.”

“It might rain. I’ll drive you,” he presses.

He points with his eyes to a heavy grey cloud that has arisen in the distance. Mallory gives in and walks to the passenger door. The interior of the car is finished with wood. She runs her fingers along the elegant dashboard as he starts the engine. The aroma of the new leather seats reminds her of a pair of gloves her mother once had. They had been expensive. When she lost one of them, its mate lingered in her handbag, until one day it too disappeared.

“Waddya think?” Duncan asks.

She sits mute, watching as the sunroof silently opens to reveal the blue band of heaven high above them. A puffy, angelic cloud floats into the frame, and then disappears. She buckles her seat belt and folds her hands in her lap.

“Ready?” he asks, then puts the car in reverse and backs out of the parking spot.

Mallory knows that her parents wouldn’t approve of her taking a ride home alone with Duncan. They are strict, especially now that she attends public school. They can no longer afford private school tuition. Most of her parents’ money and time now goes to the Rhys Owens Foundation and the Living God in Christ Pentecostal Church. But it doesn’t matter. She likes public school. It is noisy and colorful and filled with smells and sounds and voices that she otherwise would never have experienced.

The town is small. Many people know Mallory’s father from when he coached Little League. Duncan played on one of the teams. Everyone knows Duncan’s father because he owns one of the two banks in town. He bought Duncan this car for graduation. Lots of kids get cars for graduation and then they go off to college. Both she and Duncan will be graduating next month. Duncan will attend the same university as his father and grandfather and will one day take over the bank. Mallory’s parents have been too busy to help her with college applications to the Christian colleges they have chosen for her. Summer is coming and this year she will be running the Bible Camp. She can’t think beyond that.

“So, have you driven on the highway yet, I mean, besides for driver’s ed?” Duncan asks.

“Not really,” she replies. “Just to church and back. Around town for shopping. Once out to Table Rock lake.”

She is not all that keen on driving but there is no other way to get around. Some kids ride bicycles to school. A horse. She would be happier with a horse, she thinks. Once, Jonelle Williams rode her horse to school. It was a big deal.

“Do you want me to put on the A/C?” Duncan asks. She shakes her head.

He’s not a bad person, she thinks. He is polite and well groomed. She has never heard him swear or raise his voice in anger. But she only sees him in class or at the football games on Friday nights. Sometimes, he sits with her and her parents, but not all the time. He has lots of friends.

Once, her mother told her to invite Duncan to church. She didn’t. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to come to church. It was that she knew her parents would never condone her attending a Presbyterian service. It didn’t seem right that the invitation could never be reciprocated.

“So, where are your parents?” he asks.

“Dallas again,” she says. “Something for the Foundation.”

“You wanna listen to some music?” he asks.

“No,” she replies. “That’s okay.”

The drive home from the school is no more than five minutes, but they manage to pass by everyone in town who can and will report to her parents that they saw her in Duncan Wilson’s car after school.

As they pull into the driveway, a few drops of rain clink against the windshield. Duncan closes the sunroof. She sits watching as it shuts itself against the darkening sky.

“Do you wanna come in for a minute?” she asks.

“Sure,” he says. “As long as it is okay with your parents.”

She knows that it is not okay, but she tells him that it is. Old Mrs. Barnes from next door is no doubt watching them now, she thinks. She imagines walking over there and ringing the bell and giving Mrs. Barnes the name of the hotel where her parents are staying and then telling her to go ahead and call them. But she knows she won’t. She looks down at the ground as she counts the steps to the porch. Twelve today.

The house is large and is relatively new. Her parents built it when she and her sister were still attending the Christian Children’s Academy. Each time she opens the heavy front door, the first thing she sees is the memorial. The memorial honors her sister, Rhys. It occupies the wall that separates the foyer from the kitchen. In the center of that wall is a large photo of Rhys. In it, she looks over her shoulder at the camera, her smile bright and wide. Rhys smiled like a movie star. Everyone said it. The portrait is surrounded by seventeen smaller photos of Rhys, one for each year of her life. Below these photos is a table weighed down by ribbons and trophies and awards.

“Here’s the shrine,” she says. “The wall of memories.”

Duncan stares at the display for a few seconds and then gives her an uncomfortable smile.

Moving around the wall, she leads Duncan into the kitchen. He takes a seat on one of the four stools stowed under the kitchen counter.

“Do you want a glass of iced tea?” she asks.

“Sure,” he says.

“It’s sweet tea.”

“Okay.”

She pours him a glass and tells him she’ll be right back. Her intention is to go to her room and change into her cleaning clothes, but she finds herself moving down the hallway, counting the steps to Rhys’ room. It is spacious - almost as large as her parents’ bedroom. The carpet is pink. The canopy bed has twinkle lights. She turns them on and then looks around. This room, indeed, the whole house, seems to be waiting, as if Rhys will be back any moment. All her things are here, almost exactly as she left them. Her mother dusts and vacuums the room and washes the bed covers every week.

Mallory slips off her shoes and climbs onto the bed, staring up at the canopy. When she was ten, she was so jealous of this bed. It was like something for a princess, magical. Now, she feels nothing.

“Hey, where are you?” Duncan calls out.

“In here,” she replies.

Duncan follows her voice and finds her there, on the bed.

“What’re you doing?” he asks.

“I’m not allowed to be in here,” she says. “But it’s not like I don’t miss her, too.”

She glances at a large photo that occupies a space where once there was a poster of a blonde Jesus praying, his blue eyes cast upwards towards heaven. Now, from under a tiara, Rhys the beauty pageant contestant smiles through the glass of a bejeweled frame.

“She was my parents’ pride and joy,” Mallory says.

Duncan is silent. She looks up at him. He is staring at the photo.

“My mother still cries every day,” she says.

It has been five years since Rhys died. And every day, Mallory’s parents grieve as if they have just received the news. She remembers that day, too. She was there, sitting on the sofa as two state troopers gave them the news. Her mother began to wail. Her father held his head in his hands. The troopers apologized as if they had been responsible.

“Our house is sad now,” she says.

“I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.”

“I better go,” he says.

She follows him outside to the car. As he opens the door, she stops him.

“I’d like to take you up on that drive,” she says.

“Okay,” he replies. “After supper?”

“Can you pick me up?”

“As long as it’s okay with your parents,” he says.

“I’ll call them.”

He agrees to pick her up at seven.

Inside, Mallory wanders the spotless house. She finds herself moving in numbered steps to Rhys’ room. Rhys’ baby shoes sit on the dresser. They are white leather with pink laces. She picks them up and sniffs at them, at the faint odor of leather and talcum. She opens the dresser drawers and stares at Rhys’ clothing. In one drawer are baby clothes, fancy little dresses and frilly little socks. In another drawer are pretty pajamas and little panties with the days of the week printed on them. In another are sets of shorts and t-shirts, and in another, socks and jeans. She takes out a pair of jeans and holds them next to her. They are too long. Rhys was tall and thin. She is not.

In the walk-in closet she finds Rhys’ Barbie doll house and the Barbies and their clothes. Dozens. They wear gowns, like the ones hanging in the closet. She feels strange and sits down. Everything sparkles. She picks up a Barbie, examines it, then pulls off its head. She does the same to the rest. Then the arms. Then the legs. She abandons their corpses in the bottom of the closet, leaving the door open and the lights on. She counts the steps as she moves down the hall to her parents’ room, her mind blank, her hands and feet numb.

The dressers in her parents’ bedroom sprout dozens of photos. Most are of Rhys. There are a few of Mallory. In one of them, she is ten, standing next to Rhys, who is fifteen and the recipient of a trophy. They are both smiling and holding hands. She feels an ache in her chest. She loved Rhys, too. They had been so close. The emptiness she feels has no words. Rhys was special. She was thoughtful and she loved Mallory and always knew how to make her feel special, too. Rhys never excluded her and always told her that she would grow up to be beautiful and talented. But that didn’t happen.

One by one, she relieves the frames of their photos. She rips the photos into strips as she goes, leaving them in the middle of her parents’ bed. She looks again at the photo of her and Rhys and slips it into her back pocket.

In the living room, more photos of Rhys with various family members smile into the emptiness of the house. These she has dusted every day for five years. A strange rage seizes her, and she begins hurling them into the fireplace, one by one, frame and all. All of the photos. All of the family. All of them, together in the fireplace. She stands there, holding the last one in her hands.

The last thing that Rhys had said to her was, “I’m sorry, honeydew, but you can’t come with me this time. I promise I’ll take you to the lake tomorrow. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.” But she didn’t come back.

Mallory wanders into her own room and digs with anger through her crafting supplies until she finds a Sharpie. She blacks out the eyes and mouths of all her photos, even the ones in her yearbooks. She dumps the contents of her memento boxes onto the bed and finds the necklace that Rhys gave her for her twelfth birthday - a silver chain with a delicate crystal cross. She puts it around her neck and resumes wandering the house, counting the steps as she tries to remember the sound of Rhys’ voice.

Now, standing before the memorial, she stares at Rhys’ forever blue eyes. Her arms hang at her sides. She stands there, frozen in place until the sound of the doorbell startles her. Duncan is back. She can’t believe it’s seven already. He has changed clothes.

“I’ll be right out,” she says, and closes the door, leaving him on the porch.

She takes off her blouse and replaces it with one of her sister’s t-shirts. It is dark purple. Fancy white letters spell out “Be the Light Matthew 5:14.” The words are surrounded by delicate flowers and vines. She brushes her hair with Rhys’ hairbrush and puts on a pair of Rhys’ earrings and applies some of Rhys’ lipstick. She leaves the house, not bothering to lock the door.

“Where do you want to go?” Duncan asks.

She has no ideas but manages to smile. They end up in the parking lot of the county electric cooperative, where a group of Duncan’s friends have gathered in their cars. They all admire his new red BMW and start asking him technical questions. Duncan is polite and introduces her, and they say hello, to be polite, she thinks. She says hello back.

“The sound system is great,” Duncan is telling everyone, and turns up the radio.

She gets out of the car and wanders the parking lot while Duncan shows everyone something in the trunk. The sun will be setting soon. She is supposed to call her parents at eight. They want to know that she is not doing something she shouldn’t. She never does. She is a good, dutiful daughter. She does all her chores and never complains. She tends to their daily needs. But they don’t see her. She is not their beloved Rhys, to whom they always devoted their lives. Even now. Rhys is still their entire life, even though she’s gone. What they have left is Mallory, the one who isn’t their golden girl or shining light. Mallory knows that she is just ordinary. She will never be Rhys. And no one will ever love her like Rhys loved her. She aches for that love.

Overhead, the sky is bright. There is a slight breeze. Duncan and his friends have moved on and are now looking at the engine of someone’s giant pickup truck. She doesn’t know most of these boys. She doesn’t want to.

She picks a few flowers that are growing alongside the road. They are purple, Rhys’ favorite color. She remembers being in awe of Rhys, tagging along after her and intruding on her and her friends. Rhys never complained and would pick her up and hug her and kiss her. Rhys would hug her to sleep when she was sad. Now the sad never leaves.

Mallory admires the flowers, then drops them on the ground next to Duncan’s car. The boys are now revving up the truck’s motor and laughing and whoo-hooing. It is noisy. She takes the opportunity to slip into the driver’s seat of Duncan’s car. The music is so loud it almost hurts. And then, she watches herself start the car and put it in gear, as if she is someone else, someone now tearing out of the parking lot in Duncan’s red car.

Her hands feel strange, gripping the wheel. Her heart pumps. She speeds towards Eagle Ridge, to that bend in the twisting road, where the cross stands, decorated with silk flowers. Rhys had been with her friends that day. She had been driving the brand-new car that her parents gave her for graduation. A shiny red convertible. Five years ago, almost to the day. She was late. Speeding to get home. She lost control. Too fast, the state troopers said. She had been going too fast and lost control. The car hit the rock wall. She died instantly, they said. Her friends survived. The rock wall saved them from plunging over the cliff.

The tragedy had brought the whole town together, everyone said. They had all loved Rhys. Hundreds and hundreds of people came to the funeral. They cried and hugged her parents as Mallory stood there off to the side and invisible, listening to all the condolences. Everyone kept saying, “what a tragedy. Such a beautiful young girl.”

Such a beautiful girl. Our princess. The light of our lives. Such a treasure. A real talent. How lucky you were to have those years with her. She’s with her father in heaven now. Jesus had called her home, they all said. And Mallory stood there alone, watching her mother’s lips move as she thanked everyone. And then later, after the kitchen had been piled high with baked goods and casseroles and platters of fried chicken, her parents wept and held each other as she watched, uninvited, her grief silenced as she went about her chores.

Behind her, Mallory hears police sirens. More than one. She imagines three or four police cars are following her. She imagines that in one of the cars are the same troopers who stood in the living room and told them that Rhys was dead.

She hits the gas. The curve is coming up. She knows it well. They drive up here every Sunday after church to tend the cross and honor her sister’s memory. Now, she can see it, the rock wall, and next to it the opening in the ridge that leads to the valley below. She veers toward the opening, looking up through the sunroof at the blue band of heaven above, ready to join Rhys there.

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Emilio (The Rat Pack)

Full name- Emiliano Garcia (no middle name)

Birthday- April 24th

Age (in novel)- 18

Place of birth- Miami, Florida

Favorite color- Purple

Favorite season- Summer

Favorite food- Hawaiian Pizza

Favorite ice cream flavor- Dulce de Leche

Favorite Cuban dish- Ropa vieja

Favorite dessert- Lemon meringue pie

Favorite sandwich- Cuban sandwich

Other info- He's Cuban-American & fluent in Spanish.

Emilio has a job at the restuarant his parents own in Little Havana. He's a waiter & he sometimes handles the delivery orders. He also has a part-time job at a latin dance studio, owned by a family friend.

He's openly gay. Emilio came out to his friends & family when he was 13. His father asked jokingly, "Are you still Catholic?" to which he responded, "Yes." His father smiled and said that's all that matters.

He smoked his very first Cuban cigar with his father, as a congrats when he recieved his admissions letter from the University of Seattle in Washington. Emilio hopes to obtain a law degree and become a lawyer, practicing human rights law.

He was voted "Class Clown" in the yearbook!

Emilio is nicknamed "Mr. Suave" & "Señor Dulce" by his friends and most people in school.

His first kiss (with a girl) happened at his Sunday School with a girl named Angelina. He was nine. Emilio's real first kiss happened with Harry, the love of his life & ex-boyfriend.

Emilio first met Harry when he was sixteen at Giselle Blanco's pool party (and belated quinceañera). He was doing Jell-O shots as he noticed Harry swimming in the pool. Later in the party, the two struck up a conversation & Harry ended up dropping Emilio off at home. For the next few weeks at school, they hung out at lunch (as they didn't share any classes) and messaged each other. At a school carnival fundraiser, Harry won a stuffed koala which he gave to Emilio. On the weekend, when they were hanging out at an arcade, Emilio suddenly felt the urge to kiss him, so he did. Although taken aback, Harry smilied, saying, "What took you so long?" The two began dating afterwards. They would always surprise each other with love notes they stuffed in each other's lockers. They had to keep their relationship a secret (so Harry's conservative family wouldn't find out). A year later, they had sex for the first time with each other in Harry's car at a cliffside beach. As time went on, Emilio grew tired of having to be a secret & and the fact that Harry publicly had a girlfriend. During a huge blowout argument, Harry abruptly ended things- threatening to beat him up if he ever told anyone about their relationship. Emilio tried to win him back (by taping a dandelion on Harry's locker- his favorite flower), but Harry sent him a text, telling him that he had to start living right for the sake of his family. A few days before the senior prom, Emilio was visited by Harry & they later hooked up.

He loves listening to merengue and bachata music! He also loves listening to Bruno Mars, Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Jennifer Lopez, Ed Sheeran, & Celia Cruz.

Emilio's recieved gifts from his friends including a magenta "Cubans Do It Better" T-Shirt from Iris, a caricature portrait and aquamarine stone ring from Roseline, a surfboard from Hudson, & a special DVD edition of the movie Selena from Owen.

[thebookreader12345]

Kiss and Tell

Pairing: Crockett Marcel x reader

Summary: Y/N and Crockett both work at Med and have been dating for a few months, and one day, Y/N finds out that Crockett kissed April while they were together

Requested: Yes, by anonymous

Warnings: slight swearing, mentions of blood

Word Count: 1,311 Words

“So, what? You just thought I’d never find out?” I ask Crockett as we were standing at the nurses station.

“No! I meant to tell you. I was just trying to figure out the right time,” Crockett spoke.

“Yeah, well, you’re too late. I had to find out from Ethan that you kissed April,” I whisper harshly.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just sort of did,” Crockett pointed out.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to kiss April, but I did, and I hid it from you,’“ I mock. “That’s a real bullshit explanation.” By now, I could feel the eyes of everyone in the ED on us, but I didn’t care. Crockett and I needed to sort things out.

“Hey,” April greeted and walked over to us. “You guys should probably take this somewhere else.”

“Stay out of our business, April,” I sneer. “You’re the one who started this whole problem in the first place.”

“Y/N, don’t get April involved,” Crockett defended.

“A kiss is mutual, Crockett. You kissed her and she kissed you. Just forget it. I’m done,” I say.

“Y/N wait!” Crockett called out. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around, storming back over to him.

“If you want to be with April so bad, then fine. You’re off the hook,” I state and slip the promise ring Crockett had given me off of my finger, slamming it down onto the counter. “We’re through.” Later that night, after shift, because Crockett was going to be at our shared apartment, I packed a bag and headed to the one place I knew I would be welcomed; Natalie’s. I knocked on the door, and when Natalie opened it, she saw me standing with a bag at my side. “Hey, Nat. Can I come in?” Natalie nodded and ushered me inside, closing the door behind me.

“I heard about what happened with Crockett today,” Natalie brought up.

“Which is why I’m here,” I tell her. “I can’t go back to that apartment and see him. Can I stay here for a few days?”

“Of course you can. Stay as long as you need. Owen loves you, and you’re my best friend,” Natalie admitted.

“Thanks, Nat. You’re the best,” I exclaim.

Time-skip to next shift...

“Crockett’s been staring at you for the past 5 minutes,” Natalie alerted me as we were standing together at the nurse’s station.

I shrugged. “I don’t really care at the moment.”

“Y/N, you’re up!” Maggie shouted just as a gurney rolled into the ED.

“What do we got, Courtney?” I ask the paramedic.

“Emma Milne, 19. She’s been complaining of stomach pains,” Courtney informed me.

I nodded. “All right. Transfer on three. One. Two. Three. Courtney and I along with the other paramedic transferred Emma to the trauma bed, and as they left the room, I started doing my job. “So, Emma, are you attending college right now?”

“Yeah,” Emma muttered weakly. “University of Chicago. I’m studying English. I want to be a writer.”

“No way. I went there for college too. Kudos to you though. I could never stand English as a kid,” I tell her. Emma laughed softly, but soon after winced in pain. She then leaned over the side of the bed and vomited blood all over the floor. “Hey! I need some help in here!” I call out into the ED and rush to grab a kidney dish. Once I had grabbed one, I handed it to Emma and held her hair back as she continued to throw up a bit of blood. And then, the person I didn’t want to socialize with most entered the room.

“Everything okay?” Crockett questioned and slipped on some gloves, his voice thick with his southern accent.

“I think she’s got an ulcer. I was thinking-”

Crockett cut me off. “Triple therapy? Yeah. Got it.” As Crockett left the room, Emma groaned and turned to me.

“Did I just embarrass myself in front of that hot doctor?” Emma asked.

I chuckled and pat her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Dr. Marcel has seen far worse. Trust me when I say that.”

“So what’s an ulcer?” Emma quizzed.

“They’re little sores that can grow on the stomach. Most of the time they’re caused by stress, which makes sense seeing as you’re in college. We’re just going to give you some medicine, keep watch on you for a little bit, and send you home with a prescription. It’s nothing too serious,” I explain.

“Okay. Thank you...” She stopped and looked at my coat. “Dr. L/N.”

“No problem, Emma. Dr. Marcel will be back in a minute or two to get you started on those meds, and I will swing by later to check on you,” I say and leave the room. A few minutes later, after Crockett had given Emma her meds, he walked over to me.

“Can we talk?” Crockett requested.

“About Emma?” I implore.

“No,” Crockett replied.

“Then no,” I exclaim and set my tablet down.

“Y/N, please,” Crockett begged.

“Crockett, I don’t want a repeat of last shift, so I don’t think talking is the best idea,” I declare.

“And I completely understand that, but I really want to talk to you. I need to explain myself,” Crockett spoke. 

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, letting out a small breath. “Fine,” I breathe out. “After shift, meet me out in front of the hospital. We can talk then, but as for now, I’ve got to get back to work.” That same night, once my shift was over, and I finished up everything I needed to, I walked to the front of the hospital where Crockett was already waiting. “All right. What’s up?”

“I didn’t kiss April,” Crockett claimed. “We were working on a case together, things went better than expected, and after we hugged, April kissed me. I didn’t kiss back. I actually pushed her away. I didn’t want her to say anything because it meant nothing to me, but she went and told Ethan, and then it became a whole thing. I would never do anything to hurt you, Y/N.”

“Did you know that the night of the shift where I broke up with you, I cried myself to sleep? You made me feel like I wasn’t good enough,” I confess as tears welled in my eyes. “That I was never going to be good enough for anyone. You made me feel like shit, Crockett.”

Crockett frowned and pulled me to his chest, rubbing his hand up and down my back. “I never meant for things to get this out of hand. As soon as I heard that April told Ethan, I wanted to tell you. But you were busy doing stuff with Natalie and your family, so I pushed it off. That’s not an excuse though. I should’ve told you sooner. You mean the world to me, Y/N. And I’m sorry that I made you feel bad.” I then pulled myself away from Crockett, and he produced the promise ring he had given me from his pocket. “I would really like for us to get back together.” I took the ring from his hand, rolling it around in the palm of my hand.

“Promise me that you’ll be honest with me from here on out, and that something like this will never happen again,” I insist.

“I promise,” Crockett replied quickly. I smiled and slipped the ring back onto my finger, and as soon as I did, Crockett swooped down and pressed his lips to mine. My hands found there way to Crockett’s neck, and my fingers ran through the hair at the nape of his neck. After a few seconds, we pulled away breathless. “Come home with me,” Crockett breathed out.

“I would love to,” I murmur. “Lets go.”

_________________________

Tag List:

@prettypyschoinpink @securityfriendly-jay @scarletsoldierrr @lorenakaspersen @virtualreader @carnationworld @caitsymichelle13 @king-crockett​

[troutfishinginmusic]

Article: The story of Marcy, the least nu metal band on Flip Records

One of the more annoying trends in writing, to me at least, is unnecessary detail about an author’s journey to write an article. As a reader, I usually don’t start reading to hear about how you couldn’t quite write about (insert high profile celebrity’s name here) the way you wanted to. I just wanted to learn about something new.

So, I’ll save you all of that and sum it up this way: I’ve been wanting to write this article for 2 years and haven’t been able to figure it out. I’m going to try my best. Marcy is a band you should know.

It starts out with Atlanta teenager Lisa Fletcher tinkering with a 4-track in the late ‘80s that her parents’ bought her. She showed the recordings to her brother Brian. He played drums in some local bands (such as A Few Kids with Bicycles) and, in the early 90s, suggested they go record the demos in a studio.

Daniel Owens, Marcy’s original bassist, said the band was originally named Thumper. For reasons not entirely known, they upended it for something from the Peanuts universe.

“To me, and I could be wrong, there was subliminal reference behind the name,” Owens said via email. “It could be construed as a direct tribute to the [Charles] Schulz cartoon, where the character Marcie was a tomboy and best friend (?).  To that point and in retrospect, the name was a good fit. The fact that in the early to mid 90’s women in indie rock were becoming such a driving force and finding their own individual selves through it, that was us."

Owens, who played bass on Marcy’s demo and first 7,” met Fletcher through her brother Brian.

“I knew of Lisa, the little sister, during this time,” Owens said. “She was super cool and aloof, wore a shit ton of black everything. Brian would tell me about how talented she was, writing these bits and pieces of songs. Even though we never really knew each other, I was always intrigued where she would end up.”

Owens remembers being back in the area during college and jamming with Lisa.

“We jammed a few times in her parents’ basement with a couple of friends trying to not to sound like Throwing Muses, but still hoping to at the same time,” he said.

Brian helped the song “Arthur,” one of Lisa’s demos, get some airtime on the University of Georgia's radio station. This helped generate some buzz.

“I think we recorded 3 songs with no plans beyond that,” Lisa said via Instagram messenger. “The songs got passed around town and got a lot of interest, so we decided to start playing out and shortly after signed a deal with a local indie label.”

“Since I guess I had time spent with the both of them, they asked me to go into the studio to start fleshing out Lisa’s 4-track ideas at Furies [a studio in Marietta, GA] with Ed Burdell,” said Owens. “A band was born from that studio session.”  

From there, the band put out the Pilot/Charlotte 7” in 1994 on Henry Records. The single is abrasive yet sweet noise pop. It’s catchy but not cloying. It’s clear from the start what would make Marcy stand out in the crowded field of alternative rock in the ’90s.

This all takes a weird turn when Marcy signs to a larger label.  

Ichiban International, a distributor that also ran Ichiban Records, had a partnership with Flip Records. If Flip sounds vaguely familiar, it should. It released some of the most popular nu metal albums during the genre’s heyday including Limp Bizkit, Cold, Dope and Staind. This was the label that signed Marcy (through Ichiban).

Early on, Flip hadn’t found its niche and tried out a few different sounds. This ranged from art pop to hard rock to George Hamilton’s son’s band. For more about the other releases, go here.

Marcy gets signed to a label that has a sizable distribution. To add to the excitement, they got Mercury Rev bassist and Flaming Lips’ go-to producer Dave Fridmann.

“We were all huge Mercury Rev and Flaming Lips fans, so when it came time to find a producer for our record Dave was the obvious choice,” Lisa said. “I remember when we got the news that he had agreed to do it we all just lost it...it was so surreal and exciting and, at least for me, kinda terrifying...because, you know, it was Dave Fridmann.”

Marcy guitarist Calvin Florian helped set things in motion.

“I took a Polaroid of myself waving, wrote a letter and sent a demo cassette (King Mattress) to Dave and mailed it to him,” Florian said via email. “Basically, said we were looking for a producer and liked his work and would he be Interested...then, as you know, I think he called me and we chatted about him coming down and that’s when he came down and hung out at our practice space. Months after he said they still kept the Polaroid on their fridge at home.”

When listening to the two songs from the Henry Records 7” against the versions that ended up on the Fridmann produced album, it’s clear there weren’t big compromises. The vocals are a bit clearer and there are some other minor touches (this is not my field of expertise, please don’t try to make me elaborate more). Otherwise, the band’s vision stays intact while bringing things into sharper focus.

The album cover is honestly why I bought this CD and why I’m writing this in the first place. A very ’90s stripe composed of blue, silver and orange lines runs across the middle. A confused (sad?) looking polar bear is above the strip. Below the strip simply reads Marcy. Between that and the Flip logo, who wouldn’t take a chance on it? The cover was done by John Otto.

My first thought might be yours too. This is a John Otto designing a cover for a Flip Records release. But this isn’t Limp Bizkit’s drummer. In a truly bizarre coincidence, this is another John Otto entirely.

“I had forgotten that there were two Johns,” Florian said. “John Otto was the design guy at Flip.”

The band recorded its 1997 self-titled debut with bassist Steve Quinn. To be honest, this album grew on me a bit with each listen over the two years I’ve had it. It features these big, hulking guitars but slips just as easily into gentle passages. If there’s an overarching theme it’s trying to a make sense of a world that’s often unkind to women. It’s catchy but has this odd, otherworldly quality. It doesn’t feel like a forced posture. It showcases a band brimming with potential.

According to Brian and Lisa, the band broke up a few months after recording the album.  

“It isn’t clear to my brother and I if the breakup is why they decided not to release it or if there were other factors involved (one theory being that we didn’t fit into their roster, style-wise, anymore),” Lisa said. “Flip decided to release it after all, so I assembled a new group of guys to tour in support of the record. I have no memory of playing shows with them, but Brian confirmed that I played a record release show with them and he talked about how surreal it was for him, watching other people playing our songs.”

Florian doesn’t remember Flip stalling the album, though he said it does make sense given the direction the label was heading in. He said he thinks John Broadus, who assisted the band in getting a record deal, helped push the album to get released.

Marcy did a small east coast tour supporting The Velvet Underground drummer Moe Tucker. Tucker was touring her album I Spent A Week There The Other Night. The album, which is fantastic, came out on Sky Records and was distributed by Ichiban. Marcy also shared stages with Yo La Tengo, Juliana Hatfield, Seam, Spell, Archers of Loaf, Swirlies and Man Or Astro-man?.

And that’s where Marcy’s story generally ends. The band didn’t release anything else and its original members moved on to other things. Brian played drums with Magnapop on its album Mouthfeel. Owens played guitar and sang in New Roman Times. Florian went on to work with bands like Sugarsmack and Dropsonic. Lisa continues to release music, at a very prolific clip, on Soundcloud. 

Owens summed up the end of Marcy this way:

“We were young and idealistic whose wants and desires were different, no matter how much we wanted them to be the same. It will never change the fact to how much these 3 other people mean to me and still do.”

Photos courtesy of the band, except the album over photo from discogs.com

[anotheronechicagobog]

sarah reese headcanons?!

Sarah would not stay in psychiatry

Psychiatry wasn't even what she wanted to do to begin within, she just realized that pathology was not for her and that she wanted to interact with patients, and only got that opportunity via Dr. Charles

(Also she absolutely despises Dr. Charles now, he manipulated her to get her to have a relationship with her father because he was projecting his own issues on the situation because he has abandoned at least two of his children)

But she didn't want to throw away all the time and effort she put into psychiatry, so she went into the neuropsychiatry (i.e. psychiatry as it relates to neurology) branch of psychiatry before deciding to pursue an internship in neurosurgery

She ended up taking an internship in Halifax, Canada and totally fell in love with the scenery

She learned how to surf

She ended up adopting a labrador retriever from a shelter, her name is Lola, and they go to the beach all the time

She didn't date for a long time, she didn't want to have to talk about her family ever again

But she found a group of close-knit friends and started to feel a little more whole

She got really into learning how to cook, especially seafood because of all the local fish

She drives all over Nova Scotia and PEI to go hiking with Lola and has discovered that she loves being outdoors

She has absolutely flourished

She walks into the ED for a consult to find Natalie there and is totally surprised

After Natalie left Gaffney she decided to take a job in Canada to get as far away from all the drama as possible

They decided to order in while unpacking Natalie's new house, but she didn't end up needing to tell Sarah anything, she already knew

'I still follow Doris on Twitter. She posts about EVERYTHING. Did you know that the head of HR was having a fling with the new cardio intern?'

In a crazy turn of events, April ends up in Halifax to go to university, and Connor is going on a lecture tour in Canada about hybrid ORs, the four (plus Owen and Lola) meet up together and have the strangest reunion ever

[asfaltics]

subfluence merged in an ornamental lake

  but these very subfluences       1 subfluence over boundaries or lands       2 subfluence which natural causes have on the limity of the reflection       3 subfluence, recording occurrences       4 subfluence over ennui. I had not the       5   subfluence. What do we do? What does the       6 subfluence, discoverable or unexplained       7 subfluence, at nights       8 subfluence in production or waste, used freely       9 subfluence literally incalculable, the principle on which       10   the heart-beat is subfluence.       11 subfluence diffused       12 subfluence full of romance       13 lies, and other caustic or irritant subfluence       14 subfluence, the signaling, the adjustment of huge mechanisms       15   subfluence merged in an ornamental lake       16 subfluences subdued       17 his special subfluence, for he was an omnivorous reader, and had a picturesque and even romantic outlook on       18 subfluence, with the colors still       19 subfluence the entire cotton trade       20   subfluence spread far and wide.       21 subfluence, the possibility of human flight       22 subfluence for lack of language : error       23 Subfluenz-Prozesse       24 Subfluenz, einer varistischen       25  

sources (most, and mostly OCR misreads)

1 OCR misread for “substances,” at “Of points wherein we and Papists differ, viz., Transubstantiation, &c.,” in John Rawlet (1642-86 *), A dialogue betwixt two Protestants, in answer to a Popish Catechism (Third edition, corrected; London, 1686) : 82 2 ex “A sketch of the life and public services of Gen. William Henry Harrison.” in (Isaac Rand Jackson?), General William Henry Harrison, Candidate of the People for President of the United States (Baltimore, 1840) : 6 Harrison (1773-1841) would have a short (31-day) tenure as president, but had done enough damage in previous roles, particularly with regard to indigenous people. see wikipedia 3 ex “Scripture and Geology” (by N), in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction (Saturday, August 14, 1841) : 99-103 (100) see wikipedia for its publisher John Limbird (1796?-1883) 4 ex “Druids and Bards,” being an extensive notice/review of three books — J. B. Pratt The Druids Illustrated (1861), John Williams, ed., Brut y Tywysogion (1860), and Godfrey Higgins, The Celtic Druids (1829), in The Edinburgh Review, 118 (American Edition; July 1863) : 20-36 (35) 5 ex “A Rolling Stone.” By George Sand, translated from the French by Carroll Owen, in Library of Famous Fiction 2 (1879) : 1-113 (109) 6 OCR cross-colum misread, involving M. H. Cobb, “Common Sense Applied to Living” (pp 5-7) and “A Parlor Drama, in Two Acts” by Augusta De Bubna (pp 7-13), in The Brooklyn New Monthly Magazine, Henry Morford (1823-81), editor and manager; 1:1 (January 1880) : 7 7 ex A. Ernest Sansom, “The Dyspepsia of Infancy,” in The New York Medical Times 19:2 (May 1891) : 33-37 (34) 8 involving obituaries (memorials) for James Holmes and David Wright, in the section “Connexional Biography” in The Primitive Methodist Magazine 73 - London, 1892) : 51 on “Connexionalism” (and its relation to “network”), this, from wikpedia — “The United Methodist Church defines connection as the principle that ‘all leaders and congregations are connected in a network of loyalties and commitments that support, yet supersede, local concerns.’ Accordingly, the primary decision-making bodies in Methodism are conferences, which serve to gather together representatives of various levels of church hierarchy.” 9 ex “Brief Gleanings : The treatment of Leanness and Obesity” in The Medical Brief (A Monthly Journal of Scientific Medicine; J.J. Lawrence, Proprietor) 20:10 (St. Louis, Mo; October 1892) : 1240 10 ex W. Garden Blaikie, “St. Paul’s Pastoral Counsels to the Corinthians.” in Exegetical and Expository Section, The Homiletic Review 29:5 (May 1895) : 451-453 11 Aloysius O. J. Kelly, “Essential Paroxysmal Tachycardia — Report of Four Cases.” (Read October 14, 1896), in Proceedings of the Philadelphia County Medical Society 17 (Session of 1896) : 166-180 (171) Kelly (1870-1911) obituary at Boston Medical and Surgical Journal (now NEJM) March 9, 2011) : 360 12 out of chronology (and unlinkable snippet, only), mea culpa, ex The Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle 21 (1813) : 328 13 snippet only, evidently from Chapter 9 “Signs and Tokens” of Charles Dickens, Bleak House (1852-53), here ex Works Volume 3 (1899) : 374 14 misread involving “Milk a Universal Antidote” and “School-Meals for Underfed Children” in The Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette (A monthly journal of physiological medicine) 16:1 (January 1900) : 20 15 ex Edward Nelson, “Electricity in Service on British Battleships,” in Electricity 29:23 (December 6, 1905) : 311-313 16 preview snippet only, at (Commonwealth of Australia) Parliamentary Debates 57 (1910) : 3207 17 ex index of volume, Proceedings of the American Society for Psychical Research (Section “B” of the American Institute for Scientific Research) vol. 5 (New York, 1911) : 771 18 ex entry (by “C. L. G.”) for Meredith White Townsend (1831-1911), in Dictionary of National Biography, edited by Sidney Lee. Second Supplement vol. 3, Neil – Young (New York, 1912) : 532 19 preview snippet only, ex The American Year Book 5 (1915) : 300 20 § 816. Corners... in William Herbert Page, The Law of Contracts Second edition; revised, rewritten and enlarged with forms. Volume 2. (Cincinnati, 1920) : 1441 21 ex “Balboa Day, September 17th, 1919 in Honolulu,” in Bulletin of the Pan-Pacific Union (January 1920) : 6 22 misread, involving report on “The Langley Flying Machine” (and some controversy between S. P. Langley and the Wright brothers), and “The Impurity of Pure Substances” (review of A. Smits, Theorie der Allotropie (1921)) in Nature 108 (November 3, 1921) : 298 23 misread, involving Booth et al v. Floyd (No 2358) and Blackstone v. Nelson, Warden (No 2457) in The Southeastern Reporter 108 (August 27 - December 3, 1921) : 114 24 H. J. Behr, “Subfluenz-Prozesse im Grundgebirgs-Stockwerk Mitteleuropas.” Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft 129 (1978) : 283-318 25 K. Weber, “Das Bewegungsbild im Rhenoherzynikum Abbild einer varistischen Subfluenz.” Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft 129 (1978) : 249-281 referring to the Variscan Orogeny (wikipedia)  

method

1

There is no word “subfluence,” or only barely one. This started with the self-written biographical note of poet Jack Hirschman, in A Caterpillar Anthology (Clayton Eshleman, ed., 1971) —

“They are lyrical poems, in verse or free-form, as distinguished from the poems in this anthology, which are breath forms reflecting a more total slavery to the conditions of the spirit’s war-torn years. The major influences on my works are influence itself, in as many levels of order, disorder, disaster, paranoia, joy and ecstasy as the deathless magic of being alive permits a vessel now of fire, now of air, to spark, glow, flame and ember according to the law of nature.”

“Influence” — that word — led to thinking about variations, e.g., effluence, outfluence, pre-fluence... “subfluence” — an underground stream a less-than fluency (stammering, stuttering) a brittleness?

Little — or nothing — surfaced in a google books search, save for errors — typically a “sub” at the end of one line, a “fluence” at the start of the next (in a different column). Quite enough for present purposes. And so these subfluence derivations are built around a word that isn’t quite a word. Some license has been taken with the text in this post: dispensing ellipsis or [brackets] where text is erased (or rather, dropped); in some instances, some words that preceded the subfluence, are moved to follow it.

2

And yet, the word does appear, in some (and only a few) geological texts, typically having to do with the geotectonic unterströmungshypothese (undercurrent) concepts — and field work done in the Northern Calcareous Alps — of and by Otto Ampferer (1875-1947). More on Ampferer to come. For now, these references —

Wolf-Christian Dullo and Fritz A. Pfaffle, “The theory of undercurrent from the Austrian alpine geologist Otto Ampferer (1875-1947) : first conceptual ideas on the way to plate tectonics,” Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 56 (2019) : 1095-11 here

Karl Krainer und Christoph Hauser, “Otto Ampferer (1875–1947): Pioneer in Geology, Mountain Climber, Collector and Draftsman,” in: Geo.Alp Sonderband 1 (2007) : 91–100 here (pdf)

wikipedia (in German)

Dr. Otto Ampferer. “Über das Bewegungsbild von Faltengebirgen” (On the movement pattern of folded mountains), in Jahr. Geol. Reichsanstalt (Yearbook of the Austrian Geological Survey), 56:3-4 (1906) : 539-622 “Mit 42 Zinkotypien im Text” here

3

“Subfluence” also surfaces as a company name, social media handle, &c., &c.

—

all tagged subfluence  

[blurhawaii]

Yuletide 2019

dear yuletide writer,

hello and happy yuletide! this is my fifth year taking part and my longest letter yet so i’m just going to jump right in. the suggestions are guidelines. if you’ve got a great idea, go for it. i only ask that you steer clear of my dislikes.

feel free to go through my tumblr for each of these fandoms. i should have tags for them, tho your mileage may vary. i might even have more stuff on my side blog: here. likes:

dysfunctional relationships eg. codependency, messed up father/son dynamics, enemies to lovers, power imbalances.

found family

big loyalty kink. love it when trust is earned and kept.

praise kink

vulnerability in men

open and honest communication between partners

i love ot3s. it’s the journey of them getting together and making it work that interests me the most. or how an established pair goes about bringing in a third person.

stories set in canon. or a divergence of canon.

dark/bleak fics. don’t be afraid to drag characters through the mud. happy endings are welcome but i like the struggle.

i’m fine with anything from gen to porn but would be happiest with something in the middle. i love first times.

canon typical violence is fine and to be expected from some of my choices of fandoms.

detective stories/film noir

magical realism/cosmic horror. weird hints of it in an otherwise normal universe

redemption arcs

characters and relationships are more important than plot for me

dislikes:

AUs that are completely disconnected from canon e.g. coffee shop AUs.

established relationships

crossovers

genderbending

feminisation of male characters

fics that are entirely fluff

A/B/O fics

PWP

mpreg 

scat/watersports

first person fics (i have no problem with second person fics tho if you think that could work. they really wow me when done well.)

The Departed (2006) *Billy Costigan             *Sean Dignam

one of my favourite films ever. i request it every year so you can't really go wrong with this as i am thirsty for anything. most of my love is for dignam and his tough love attitude towards his job and the undercovers he's responsible for. it's obvious he cares, i don't think you could do a job like that and not care, but those rare and few moments when he softens around billy --we need you, pal-- that's what i would like to see more of. i have written a couple of departed fics myself, centred around costigan/dignam, but in all honesty, i would be happy with anything involving them both. shipping is preferred but whatever you are comfortable with is fine. due to the nature of the film, i am perfectly comfortable with violence and the screwed up relationship they are bound to have. the friction born of the situation vs the fact that they need each other to get through this is what i am all about.

codependency, power imbalances and enemies to lovers tropes are abound here.

fics where billy lives are my usual go-to. the survivability of being shot in the head, that kind of stuff can be hand waved away in fic, and i'd love something that explores the angst of billy's ‘where the hell were you when i needed you’ reaction towards dignam following that ending.

or a canon divergence fic with their totally antagonistic relationship being front and centre. i just ask that there be an underlying level of affection, no matter how buried. when billy is undercover, there’s a special kind of relationship that comes with dignam and queenan being the only people he can talk to.

something i’ve never seen for this but would actually love: a time loop/groundhog day fic

Jurassic Park Original Trilogy (Movies)

*Sarah Harding                  *Ian Malcolm                  *Nick Van Owen

i originally wasn’t going to ask for this again this year (i was lucky enough to get treated with a fic a couple of years ago) but then someone other than myself nominated nick van owen which surprised and delighted me and i figured why the hell not.

my passion here is the ot3 potential. i view these three in the same way i view the trio in the first film, meaning i see them as three people who have bonded over a traumatic experience and come out of it forever linked in some way. they spend the entire film looking out for each other and keeping each other safe, and they all separately take care of ian’s daughter at one point and i am fascinated by this and how that could continue in the future. (in fact, i love stories where adults treat kids like adults, not talking down to them–see any shane black film.) i’m looking for an actual relationship between them but would be happy with anything that showcased a connection with every side of this triangle.

anything post-film with them dealing or not dealing with what happened would be amazing. there are quite a few fics based around this idea for the first film’s trio, i’d love to see something like that for these three. (i’ve always been kind of bitter about the way nick just disappears for the last act but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ that’s what fics are for, i guess.)

i don’t like the jurassic world films but i’m fine with fics that take that future into account. a lot of the trauma for these characters comes from the idea that the parks still exist and continue to fuck people up.

Godless (TV 2017)

*Roy Goode                 *Bill McNue                 *Alice Fletcher

i’m a massive fan of westerns. the harsh way of life, the violence, the isolation, drawn out revenge plots, the murkiness of good vs evil or sheriff vs anti-hero, the importance of honour and heroism and how that differs for men and women, especially in this universe with its town full of widows. having said all that, i’m still very much a sucker for cool cowboys in a shallow female way.

as you’ve probably already gathered my favourite thing is turning every love triangle into an ot3. so i’d love a fic post canon where roy comes back after realising found family is just as important as real family despite frank’s influence. i imagine bill would try to do the gentlemanly/self depreciating thing of bowing out and letting roy and alice be together but i’d love for alice to actually get a say in this where she wasn’t allowed in the show. however you jigsaw them together my main thing is that bill doesn’t get left out.

i feel the roy/bill aspect in particular could be explored a lot more. i love that they don’t hate each on sight. they learn mutual respect and then smoothly move around each other during the gunfight at the end. (bill’s deteriorating eyesight side plot also fascinates me, how it goes with his loss of purpose -”losing his shadow”- and comes back when teaming up with roy to defend the town. maybe there’s a fic possibility where it flares up again due to his insecurity of roy coming between him and alice. either way, the hints of magical realism here and with frank’s repeated insistence that he’s seen his death and this ain’t it are great and i wouldn’t mind seeing more of that.)

the usual ideas of western masculinity get all twisted around when roy and bill are in the presence of alice and they both seem kind of subby towards her, which yes please. the way alice kisses the scar she gave roy and the fact that he simply lets her is *chef kiss* because i also love the parallel that bill got shot in the hip trying to get revenge for alice. they all have scars that tie them together.

i’m actually very okay with letting them be soft with each other after all of their tragedy.

honest communication between partners could work wonders here.

Barry (TV 2018)

*Barry Berkman                     *Monroe Fuches

i expected to like this show. dark comedy, depressed hitman, henry winkler, it’s a perfect combination of things. i didn’t expect to get obsessed with barry’s obvious fucked up father-figure hangups. but hey ho, i was pleasantly surprised.

pretty much every one of barry’s relationships in this show has an element of fucked-upness but the barry/fuches one is by far the worst. it’s codependent, it’s manipulative, it’s a little abusive, the power is constantly flip-flopping and most importantly there’s the father/son dynamic that could so easily tip over into something sexual. it’s everything i love. any time fuches calls barry “his boy” it kills me. and i am fascinated by the way barry can go from needy and touch starved to a rampaging killer hunting fuches down by the end and still have that dynamic going strong.

the parallels between them and the barry/gene cousineau relationship, which is fucked up too just in a very different way, are great. love the jealousy it brings and i would even be into a fic set post the season 2 ending, if you could find a way to swing that. though, while i like a little darkness, i would still rather see them fall back into old unhealthy habits than kill each other.

any kind of prequel fic would be amazing too.

and just to be clear i’m more than okay with a sexual relationship between these two but if you don’t want to write it that’s fine. I’d just like all the other aspects of their shitty relationship delved into.

L.A. Confidential (1997)

*Bud White                         *Ed Exley

pretty much all of my bullet pointed likes come into play here. i’ve nominated two characters but i’d be happy with almost any combination of the characters available in the tagset as long as exley is involved in some way.

ships i like: bud/exley,  exley/vincennes,  bud/exley/lynn

but if we matched purely on both bud and exley then:

i love the opposites attract partnership bud and exley have and i like that they both seem angry at their attraction to each other. hate-sex with reluctant feelings? always good. i'd love anything that deals with their perceived difference in intellect and/or education. bud being turned-on by exley's smarts, exley realizing how much he's underestimated bud, them being mutually impressed by each other.

if you choose to go down the ot3 route then:

i love fics where exley shows up in arizona and they fall into weird domesticity. i love seeing how three people--especially three people who aren't used to the idea of poly relationships--work their way towards realizing and accepting what they want.

and while i’m not sure what you could do with this knowledge, i’d just like to add that i’ve read the book and i’m somewhat obsessed with the existence of dream-a-dreamland in general. if you could incorporate that in any way i’d be hugely impressed.

POKEMON Detective Pikachu (2019)

*Harry Goodman                        *Hide Yoshida

this is totally a last minute request that i’ve edited in but is by no means less wanted than the others. i watched this film back when it came out and was honestly surprised by how much i enjoyed it. i’m a massive pokemon fan and have been since i got my pokemon red when i was seven years old and, let me tell you, getting to see all those growlithes waddling about the real world was like a childhood dream come true.

i had a good time and i moved on.

a few days ago i stumbled on a piece of art : here : and it was like the little goblin that is my brain just sat up straight. the very concept of these characters together had never crossed my mind before that but then suddenly the desire for this just casually strolled through my entire headspace, turning on every light as it went.

i love detective stories, i love cop partnerships, i love hot single dads who happen to be cops with cute little pokemon cop partners. i love that harry is kind of a shitty father but he’s now trying his best. i love that hide had nothing but praise and respect for harry when he meets with tim and that he knew things like tim wanting to be a pokemon trainer when he was younger (meaning he and harry had talked about stuff like this.) i love that hide inexplicably has a spare key to harry’s apartment in his desk drawer. i love how absolutely certain hide was in saying harry loved his son more than anything in the world.

there’s history there is what i’m saying, and i’d love to know more about it.

anything set pre-film would be cool. loose cannon harry throwing his whole being into his job to deal with the loss of his wife and his fractured relationship with his son. hide the tired lieutenant trying to rein him in, quietly talking about tim together, keeping him grounded and safe. all up until he can’t, that is. (great angst potential with hide genuinely believing harry is dead.)

anything set post-film would be even better. harry struggling to find balance between being a father and a cop. probably doing a shitty job at it in the beginning. hide trying to help. would love for tim to be an actual presence (outsider POV could be amazing here.)

may sound strange but my favourite thing that used to happen in digimon a lot is when characters would interact with each other digimon partner. i would be massively into a fic about the two of them growing closer through each other’s pokemon partner.

thank you writer and best of luck.

[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND June 28, 2019  -  YESTERDAY, ANNABELLE COMES HOME, MAIDEN

I’m going to do things a little different again this week, because while I normally would begin with the bigger movie of the weekend, I actually have a lot of stuff about ANNABELLE COMES HOME (New Line/WB) over at The Beat, as you can see below, so instead, I’m going to put a little more focus on Danny Boyle’s YESTERDAY (Universal), because... well, read on...

It’s not often a movie comes along that combines all of my favorite things into a completely unexpected movie that works, but Yesterday, written by Love, Actually’s Richard Curtis and directed by Danny Boyle, does just that. It takes a fairly high concept premise of a world without knowledge of the Beatles and their music and turns it into a hilarious comedy about fame and love and plenty of other things.  Maybe that’s to be expected when it comes from a writer who has helped define British comedy and one of my favorite directors, but that doesn’t always mean that it will always work.

We meet Himesh Patel’s Jack Malik as he’s doing his regular busking around Sussex at any gig his best friend and manager Ellie (Lily James) can get for him, but it’s not going well and Jack is ready to give up. One night, after coming back from one such bad gig, the lights go out across the globe for 12 seconds and in that 12 seconds, Jack’s bike is hit by a bus. He ends up in the hospital with two missing teeth but when he gets out he starts playing “Yesterday” on an acoustic guitar bought for him as a gift by Ellie, and realizes that none of his friends realize who the Beatles are. Jack immediately realizes that it’s up to him to preserve the songs so he tries to remember them and incorporates them into his shows, at which point he suddenly starts getting more attention.

The first thing about Yesterday that’s immediately apparent is the talent and charm of Himesh Patel who really carries the film and has you constantly rooting for him. I’ve long been a fan of Lily James, especially after her turn in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, but I feel like the role of Ellie allows her to be more of herself than some of her other ones.

There are quite a few other levels to the humor, the first one being when Ed Sheeran, played by the real Ed Sheeran, contacts Jack Malik about his music and becomes involved in his story. The next level is when Kate McKinnon enters the picture as Sheeran’s manager who wants to turn Jack into a money-making superstar ala Sheeran. Sheeran ably makes fun of himself and his own talent as a singer/songwriter, but McKinnon takes her character so far into the world of sleaze that she’s hysterical (especially to someone who has worked in the music biz and has seen this first-hand). It’s also good to mention Joel Fry as Jack’s bumbleheaded friend/roadie Rocky and Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal as his parents, all who bring even more laughs to the movie.

Probably the most interesting turn is when Ellie is ready to say bye to Jack as he heads off to L.A., and she suddenly realizes that she’s in love with him though those feelings aren’t reciprocated. As Jack tries to navigate the music business with his sleazy new manager, he realizes that he has to go to Liverpool if he wants to remember the last of the Beatles songs, and once there, he reconnects with Ellie as they try to sort out their feelings.

That’s all I’m going to say because the last act is so full of surprises that really helps bring the whole thing home. And then on top of all that, you have the music of the Beatles, which still gives me goosebumps as performed by the talented Patel. (Once I buy this soundtrack, it will be the second record this year I’ve bought of an actor performing classic pop/rock songs and selling them as well as the original artist(s).)

I don’t think you have to be a Beatles fan to appreciate what Curtis and Boyle done with this premise, and maybe it’s because I’ve been in Ellie’s shoes, falling in love with a friend who just sees me as a friend that I really connected with the romantic angle of the film, one that really pays off.

Yesterday is just wonderful, and it’s easily one of my favorite movies of the year.

Rating: 9/10

Interview with Writer Richard Curtis over at The Beat

Getting back to Annabelle Comes Home, I’m sure that New Line’s latest entry into the ConjuringVerse is going to prove popular, especially with Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson back as Larraine and Ed Warren. It’s screenwriter Gary Dauberman’s directorial debut and it stars the amazing McKenna Grace (Gifted) as the Warrens’ daughter Judy, as it shows what happens when the Annabelle doll is released in the artifact room, drawing a gaggle of malevolent spirits to the Warren home as Judy and her babysitter (and friends) fight them off and try to figure out how to stop them.

My Review over at The Beat

Interview with Writer/Director Gary Dauberman at The Beat.

LIMITED RELEASES

Another movie I’m really excited for people to finally see, one which I saw way back in January around when it premiered at Sundance is Alex Holmes’ doc MAIDEN (Sony Pictures Classics), which tells the amazing story about how Tracy Edwards put together an all-woman sailing team to race in the 1989 Whitbread Round the World Race despite all the odds against them. I loved this movie, not only because it’s an amazing story but also I’m a sailing enthusiast who sadly has not been able to get out and go sailing as much as I’ve hoped. But Edwards’ story and what she and hew crew 

Over a year since it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley stars as OPHELIA (IFC Films) in Claire McCarthy’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamletwith Ophelia taking center stage as the lady-in-waiting to Queen Gertrude, played by Naomi Watts. George MacKay from Captain Fantastic plays Prince Hamlet, and the movie will open at the IFC Center as well as select theaters across the country.

Also opening at the IFC Center on Friday (and then in L.A. on July 12) is Jan Zabelle’s Three Peaks (Greenwich Entertainment), starring Alexander Fehling and Bérénice Bejo (The Artist). Fehling plays Aaron who wants to be a family with his girlfriend and her 8-year-old son in the Italian Dolomites, but has trouble gaining the boy’s acceptance.

Opening in select cities is Mitch Davis’ THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN 2: FIRE OF FAITH (Artaffects), a sequel to the 2001 faith-based film which grossed $4.7 million.  Christopher Gorman returns as the missionary John H. Grober who returns to Tonga with his wife and five daughters, where they have a sixth child who is suffering an illness.

Opening at New York’s Film Forum is Lila Avilés’ The Chambermaid, set in a deluxe Mexico City hotel where chambermaid Eva spends her days making beds and dealing with needy clients, partially inspired by Sophie Calle’s The Hotel.

Opening at Film at Lincoln Center is James N. Kienitz Wilkins and Robin Schavoir’s experimental film The Plagiarists (KimStim) starring Lucy Kaminsky and Eamon Monaghan as a couple stranded by a snowstorm while visiting a friend in upstate New York and are put up for the night by a strange guy named Clip (Michael Payne from Parliament) only to discover that his hospitality was not what it seems. The filmmakers will be on hand for QnAs after the screenings Friday and Saturday night.

Opening at the Quad Friday is Eddie Mensore’s Mine 9 (EmphatiCinema/Levey Distribution)about nine coal miners in West Virginia trapped underground after a methane explosion.

Also opening at the Quad (and at the JCC Manhattan) is Avi Nesher’s Israeli film The Other Story (Strand Releasing) about two rebellious young women from Jerusalem who clash in unexpected ways.

From China comes Derek Tsang’s thriller Better Days (Well GO USA), opening Thursday in select cities, about a female student preparing for the important “gaokao” college entrance exam tests, who teams with a small-time criminal named Bei when she’s being bullied over a classmate who committed suicide. (NOTE: I just read that Better Days was pulled from Chinese release a few days ago, so I’m wondering if maybe it’s U.S. release will be delayed accordingly, as well.)

Alicia Vikander and Eva Green star in Swedish filmmaker Lisa Langseth’s English-language debut Euphoria (Freestyle Releasing) as two sisters travelling to a mystery destination in Europe. It also stars Charles Dance and Charlotte Rampling and opens in select cities.

Last, there’s Martin Owen’s Killers Anonymous (Grindstone Entertainment) about a support group for killers, which stars Gary Oldman, Jessica Alba and Suki Waterhouse. This is probably a mostly VOD movie that might be released into a few theaters.s

LOCAL FESTIVALS

I had to omit this section last week due to time constraints, but this weekend begins one of my favorite annual New York film festivals, and that is the New York Asian Film Festival, mostly taking place at Film at Lincoln Center and then the SVA Theater.  This is the 18thannual festival, dubbed “Still Too Young to Die,” and I have to admit that over the past few years, I’ve been somewhat neglect in my attendance and coverage of the festival. I hope to change that as there are definitely some things I’m hoping to catch. You have to remember that many of the films that play this festival NEVER receive U.S. distribution so NYAFF is the only chance to see some of them.

This year’s festival opens with Bernard Rose’s Samurai Marathon, a period piece set in the 1850s with an all-star cast and a Philip Glass score. This year’s centerpiece is

Eguchi Kan’s The Fable, adapting the Manga about a Yakuza hit man trying to lead a “normal life.” For a third year in a row, NYAFF has a competition for the Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film with seven films from different Asian countries in competition, many having their North American premieres:  Moon Sung-ho’s 5 Million Dollar Life, Kim Yoon-seok’s Another Child, Huang Chao-liang’s Han Dan, Nojiri Katsumi’s Lying to Mom, Kenneth Lim Dagatan’s Ma, Yi Ok-seop’s Maggie and Wu Nan’s Push and Shove.

Legendary martial arts choreographer and director Yuen Woo-ping will be receiving the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award, and they should be showing some of his best work at this year’s festival including Donnie Yen’s Iron Monkey, The Miracle Fighters and more.

This year’s festival will run until July 14, although the Closing Night film has yet to be announced.

STREAMING AND CABLE

Streaming on Netflix starting Friday is Paul Thomas Anderson’s musical short Anima, starring and scored by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. 

REPERTORY

Before we get to the individual theaters, be aware that Spike Lee’s all-time classic Do the Right Thing will be receiving a 30th anniversary rerelease both in a new 4k digital restoration and in some cases, on an archival 35mm print. Check your local theaters to see if it’s playing near you, and if you haven’t seen it yet after 30 years, then you have no excuse not to go see it this week.

METROGRAPH (NYC):

When it comes to music docs, Les Blank is one of the pioneers and thankfully, Les Blank Films (along with Argot Pictures) is issuing two restorations of the ‘70s films he was involved with including Chulas Fronteras  (1976) and Del Mero Corazon  (1979) that look into the amazing music crossing the border between Mexico and Texas. Chulas, translated as “Beautiful Borders,” is a fascinating hour-long film that uses the music as a backdrop to show the everyday lives of those who live on the boarder. Del Mero (“Straight from the Heart”), co-directed with Maureen Gosling (who will be on hand Friday and Saturday night), Guillermo Hernandez & Chris Strachwitz is a shorter film mostly about the romantic songs from Mexico. Honestly, as someone who frequently has to listen to Mexican “mariachi” music on the subway while I’m trying to relax and listen to my own music, I wasn’t sure whether and if I’d connect with either film and while Chulas is definitely a stronger overall film, they both offer some great insights into the Tex-Mex music and musicians that have paved the way for others.

The Metrograph joins other New York arthouse in closing off Pride Month with Films of Pride and Protest: Stonewall at 50 with two series of films by various filmmakers documenting the groundbreaking rallies and protests that have helped the LGBTQ movement get to where it is today.

This week’s Late Nites at Metrograph  screening is the Safdie Brothers’ Heaven Knows What  (2015) while the Playtime: Family Matinees  offering is Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid (1921) in 35mm!

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

This week’s Weds. matinee is Alfred Hitchcock’s Topaz from 1969 – I guess the new Bev is still going through the movies of the late ‘60s, a running theme the last couple weeks. Weds and Thursday’s double feature is Krakatoa, East of Java and The Boston Strangler (from 1969 and 1968, continuing that theme); Friday and Saturday sees a double feature of Steve McQueen’s Bullitt (1968) and George Sheppard’s Pendulum (1969); and then the Sunday/Monday double feature is Liza Minnelli’s The Sterile Cuckoo (1969) with 3 in the Attic (1968; in 16mm, no less!). The weekend’s KIDDEE MATINEE is another Steve McQueen movie, The Reivers, also from 1969, and then the midnight movies are Tarantion’s Inglourious Basterds on Friday night and Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant(1969) on Saturday night. Chris Nolan’s Inception (not from 1968 or 1969!) will screen as a matinee on Monday and then next Wednesday’s matinee is the James Bond film From Russia With Love  (1963).

FILM FORUM (NYC):

On Friday, the Film Forum begins screening the Coen Brothers’ 1998 comedy classic The Big Lebowski for a week for no particular reason… but who needs a reason to catch up with Jeff Bridges’ The Dude and friends? It will also screen Elaine May’s classic bomb Ishtar, starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, again for no particular reason. Maybe because it’s summer? This weekend’s Film Forum Jr. is the 1982 John Huston musical Annie, and then on Sunday, the Forum will screen Otto Preminger’s 1954 film  Carmen Jones, introduced by Donald Goble.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

Cinematic Void presents a double feature of Ti West’s The House of the Devil(2009) and Wolf’s Hole (1987) on Thursday and then on Friday, the Egyptian goes further into the Czech New Wave with The Anarchic Cinema of Vera Chytilova, a double feature of Daisies (1966) and Fruit of Paradise (1970) as well as a couple shorts by the Czech director. The series continues on Sunday with a double feature of Panelstory and The Very Late Afternoon of a Faun. I honestly don’t know much about the Czech New Wave (or actually, nothing) but it certainly seems to be back in style. Also Sunday is a Barbara Stanwyk double feature as part of The Style of Sin, showing Ladies of Leisure (1930) and Baby Face (1933).

AERO  (LA):

Thursday, there’s a screening of the new The Doors: The Final Cutwith director Oliver Stone and Val Kilmer in person, and it isn’t sold out, as of this writing! Friday is a screening of Charles Shyer’s Irreconcilable Differences (1984) with special guests and then the weekend is all about one of my favorite filmmakers, Lynn Shelton! After a preview of her excellent new movie Sword of Trust on Saturday, there’s a TRIPLE feature of Your Sister’s Sister (2011) on 35mm, Touchy Feely (2013) and We Go Way Back (2006) on Saturday and then a triple feature of Humpday (2009) on 35mm and 2017’s Outside In.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

The Quad continues to show its 2k restoration of Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg’s Before Stonewall (1984) through the weekend

ROXY CINEMA (NYC)

On Wednesday, the Roxy is screening Humphrey Bogart’s classic Casablanca on a 35mm print, then Thursday, it’s showing the 2002 dark comedy The Rules of Attraction. Getting into the Pride spirit, Saturday sees a 35mm screening of the 2000 lesbian comedy But I’m a Cheerleader, presented in conjunction with Flaming Classics, as well as a 35mm print of the 1969 doc Portrait of Jason about black, gay sex worker Jason Holliday, which will screen one time on Saturday and Sunday.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

Waverly Midnights: Parental Guidance wraps up with Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie (1976), Weekend Classics: LoveMom and Dad is Ingmar Bergman’s Autumn Sonata (1978) while the Late Night Favorites: Spring concludes with David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001). The IFC Center will be one of the theaters showing Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing on an archival 35mm print, but only for the 7pm showtimes for the next week. Also in celebration of Stonewall (just a few blocks away), the IFC Center is premiering a 4k restoration of Frank Simon’s 1968 film The Queen (a Cannes selection), which looks at the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant, organized by LGBTQ icon Flawless Sabrina with judges including Andy Warhol, Larry Rivers and Terry Southern. It will be shown with the 1967 short Queens at Heart.

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

On Thursday, BAM and FAB Flicks will show the 1961 musical classic West Side Story outdoors at the Brooklyn Plaza Medical Center. On Friday, BAM joins the celebration of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing with a 30thanniversary rerelease. The Beyond the Canon series continues on Saturday with a double feature of Dibril Diop Mambety’s 1973 film Touki Bouki with Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960)

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

Astoria, Queens’ premiere arthouse continues its Grit and Glitter: Before and After Stonewall series this weekend with John Waters’ Multiple Maniacs (1970) on Friday, Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon (1975)and Stephen Frears’ My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) on Saturday. Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s 2004 film Tropical Malady will screen on 35mm on both Saturday and Sunday. The See it Big! Action series will screen Pam Grier’s Coffy (1973) in 35mm on Saturday and Sunday.

FILM OF LINCOLN CENTER (NYC):

Lincoln Center’s 50thanniversary celebration continues with 50th Mixtape: Free Double Features with Agnes Varda’s Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962) and Jane Campion’s The Portrait of a Lady (1996) on Thursday night.

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART  (LA):

This Friday’s midnight movie is Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke (1997)… subtitled!

Next week, it’s the extended 4thof July weekend and Sony’s seventh Spider-Man movie Spider-Man: Far from Home will go up against Ari Aster’s sophomore effort, Midsommar.