#parachutes for melissa

[numinousmysteries]

For the prompts: Mulder peering into the wondrous world of his fishtank.

This prompt is ancient now but the muse strikes when the muse strikes. Origin story of Mulder’s fish tank comes from @sagan-starstuff's brilliant post here. (I also don't actually. think I answered the prompt but this is what happened.)

A true one-bedroom in a good neighborhood—”in walking distance to Old Town,” according to the matronly realtor—2630 Hegal Place wasn’t a posh address but it wasn’t a total shithole either. Despite his burning instinct for self-flagellation, Fox Mulder’s trust fund parachute and Brooks Brothers upbringing would only let him stoop so low. Still, it was dreary enough to feel like a punishment.

He wasn’t naive enough to think that apartment 42 would be the answer to life, the universe, and everything, but it was an appropriate answer to the question of where to put a brooding man, ears still ringing from the shellshock of a failed six-month marriage. A fitting habitat for a 20th-century Heathcliff in virgin wool Zegna suits locked on course to ruin his professional reputation in the name of a long-lost sister and memories he didn’t fully trust. 

It was meant to be a stopgap. He signed a month-to-month lease. Months turned to years.

Late at night, dozing on the couch (beds are for men deserving of rest, who have the luxury of shutting off their brains a third of each day with no need for constant vigilance), the only light came from the fish tank. 

He hated the fucking fish at first, resented their glorious ignorance, their freedom from the burden of comprehension and consequence. The tank and its occupants were a housewarming/divorce gift from the Gunmen; a poorly-considered insurance policy against what they expected was his impending suicide. Fuck them, he thought, let the fish die. Let it all burn to the ground. After two days of mutual starvation, though, he locked eyes with a translucent molly and felt his humanity pulse beneath callused layers of cynicism. He tipped the container of freeze-dried flakes into the tank. He made himself a piece of dry toast. 

Newton’s first law of motion governs that action begets action. He kept rising every morning, searching for the truth, and feeding the fish. 

He was assigned a new partner. She fed the fish when he was detained in military custody, quarantined with a parasite of unknown origin, or chasing radio signals in Caribbean jungles.  

But Scully didn’t belong in his fox den. His newspaper-plastered bile nest. 

Her home was light where his was dark, soft where his was hard, warm where his was cold. She displayed framed family photos out in the open. Apple-cheeked baby nephews. A younger Scully in a cap and gown with her father grinning beside her. He hid an album of patrilineal co-conspirators under the false bottom of a desk drawer. Unsmiling men quietly plotting the demise of all mankind over cans of Rheingold in well-manicured backyards. Demerol-dazed wives trading their children for Givenchy dresses and empty promises of a valiant future. 

All her blonde wood Pottery Barn furniture and Yankee Candle torches couldn’t protect her from his darkness, though. Duane Barry stepped right into her sanctum and tore her away from him.

He took off on an ill-fated West Coast vampire hunt that ended in a bloodless climax and a three-alarm blaze. Somehow, all but one of his fish survived. He flushed down the fallen soldier, contemplating the shortcomings of mortality and the prison of eternity. 

Bleary-eyed and broken, he sat in the darkness, his gaze darting between his loaded gun and the glowing tank. This new knowledge of himself—that he was a man who’d kill in cold blood for vengeance—threatened to obliterate his reluctant detente with the fish. By tomorrow morning, he would no longer be their worthy steward. 

A knock on the door. Melissa Scully entered, her presence a tauntingly inaccurate facsimile of the woman he wanted to see. She was a few inches too tall, her hair several shades too dark, her rosy worldview miles off base. But she wasn’t that different from his partner after all. She called him out on his masochistic bullshit and saw the light within him. 

Newton’s second law of motion states that an object requires a commensurate force to launch it into action. He doesn’t believe that. These wispy Scully women with their birdlike bones and feather-soft breath shouldn’t have the power to lift him out from under two decades of self-hatred—but they do. So he put his faith in this patchouli-scented witchy sister with her silk choker and mall-bought crystals, bid the fish (and his blood-stained, testosterone-fueled revenge fantasy) goodbye, and went to see his dying partner.

[whatsagirltoblogabout]

What are your favourite White Collar episode(s) and why?

I’ll start. My favourite episode is season 3 episode 10 Countdown, because I’m a huge fan of shenanigans. There’s just so much subterfuge and excitement packed into this one episode, I love it!

Spoiler warning, I’m going into detail under the cut.

First and foremost, the whole “throwing his fedora off the top of a building and then jumping after it, parachuting down and then picking it up and putting it back on” thing is everything to me. Like, that’s peak Neal Caffrey™️. The sheer audacity has me swooning.

That whole caper involves so much great stuff. A classic Caffrey forgery, some mind games in getting Peter to lock him in the closet, Mozzie running the technical side of things while wearing an elaborate disguise, delightful banter, a daring last-second escape that lands him right back where he started in the nick of time. It’s just *chef’s kiss* peak shenanigans.

And that’s not even all of it! There’s the whole thing with Agent Melissa Matthews from DC Art Crimes, which plays almost like psychological slapstick comedy as Neal tries to maintain the facade that he’s an Interpol agent without any of the White Collar team catching on. And it all comes crashing down at the end, but Melissa is so cool about it! I feel like she doesn’t get enough appreciation for taking it as well as she does, considering she’s an FBI agent who just got taken for quite a ride by a notorious con man. And she just gives him a respectful “well played” and peaces out! Legend behaviour. Especially compared to her boss, who’s the picture boy for sore losers LOL.

Speaking of Kramer, while he does have his annoying moments in this episode, he also has some really fun ones. His first meeting with Neal is pretty enjoyable, though I’ll admit to being biased because I adore chocolate. And the end, when Neal authenticates his own painting and then Kramer gets to plant the seed in Peter’s mind about Neal being the forger? Peter’s moment of realization is so good, it’s one of my favourite shots in the whole episode. The rest of the season didn’t quite deliver as much intrigue on that front as they seemed to promise with that moment, but they do have a fun callback in the season finale when Peter asks how Neal pulled off the switch and doesn’t believe the real answer.

-

My other favourite episode is 5.11 Shot Through the Heart, because the dynamics of two liars lying to each other is so delicious. But I’ll spare y’all the in-depth ramble about that one ;)

You, of course, do not need to go on for as long as I did, though you are more than welcome to if you’re so inclined. I’d just like to know why you’re choosing the specific episode(s) that you are, in whatever way and however many words you want to use :)

[indynerdgirl]

For all of my fellow Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick fans out there, this weekend is the 2023 NAS Oceana Air Show where they will be celebrating 50 Years of Women in Naval Aviation! ☺️🎉

You can watch it live, for free, via the LiveAirshowTV facebook page & YouTube channel.

Day 1 starts on Saturday, September 16th at 10:30am EDT and Day 2 starts on Sunday, September 17th at 11:00am EDT.

Performers include:

- The Blue Angels

- F-22 Raptor Demo Team

- F/A-18F Rino Demo Team

- US Navy EOD Jump Team

- US Navy Parachute Team - The Leap Frogs

- Aerobatic Pilots Melissa Burns, Rob Holland, and Bob Carlton

- Greg Koontz and the Alabama Boys

- Aaron Fitzgerald with Red Bull Aviation

- Mark "Mutha" Hubbard and the Corsair Legacy Flight

- Hot Streak II Jet Truck

- F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets Air Power Demonstration

- The Fleet Flyby

[jllongwrites]

I have reached the stage of shipper brain worms where every single love song reminds me of Them, I freely admit, but I really do think these songs in particular scream Ineffable Husbands:

Jules' Ineffable Husbands Playlist

"Parachute" by Cheryl Cole

"The Lovers That Never Were" by Paul McCartney

"All of Me" by John Legend

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John ft. George Michael

"The Story" by Brandi Carlile

"Take Me to Church" by Hozier

"Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls

"Be My Baby" by the Ronettes

"We Found Love" by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris

"Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole

"The Man Who Sold the World" by David Bowie

"Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley

"Come to My Window" by Melissa Etheridge

(full playlist on YouTube)

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

Y'all xd

Oh gosh lol

:O hey sir!

Well not protesting you but your removal xD

LOL XDD poor Jacob

Ah so he's admitting he was the one now then xD

Oope?

YAYYY :DD

Aww sorry guys xdd

But hey it's a small locally run business, I'm happy for him :)

This is probably his livelihood guys lol

Yayy 🥰🥰

Sorry guys lol

NAURR Melissa that's crazy 💀💀 xD

YAYY he likes it :DD go off Ava 🥰🥰

XDD yeeahh they do hate Janine

Idk if a lot of the people do personally (I don't think those two people could, and Manny doesn't I don't think), but yeah xD

Ahh so it was for a social studies assignment :)) cool!!

Aww that's sweet 🥰🥺🥰🥰

YEAH it is chaos here lol o.o but we love it/em for it 🥰🥰

I couldn't have handled it if he listed real important life lessons lol (not that those aren't)

Lol :')))

Cuuuute

Aww :'D

Is he gonna have a whole wall of gloves lol

Okay yeah no xD

Awww :')))

AYYY go off Ava :DD!!

Eat it up 🥰🥰

Okay okayy :D

Nice phrasing girl loving that :))

Ooh okay a question

Ahh yeah

Lol I don't think Ava concerns herself about that but xD

Ahh yeah :)- lol, the no XDD

Okay nice niceee

Sounds funny knowing the context but xD

That it wasn't quite that "noble" lol

Awww nice 🥰🥰

Go off Ava :D

And that's a fair strategy too!

Nice :)))

Yeahhh 🥰🥰🥰

Love that for her :'DD

Ayy and talking to them and stuff, all fun :))

Yeah you did great honey <33

Thanks for volunteering (/agreeing, though volunteering by the end lol) 🥰

Oop lol!

Yeah!

Not here but xD- okay good glad he said it lol, didn't want her to think they were just lying xD

Ayy she's gonna go off and do those like right now, sign up xD

LOL NAHH that's crazy 💀 xDD

So funny lol

Those poor people xD sorry bestie she serious

I love her lol <33

AWWW, that's sweet guys :DDD!!

He tries to satisfy the need/want anyway :'))) 🥰🥰❤️

So sweet

I bet they're not gonna be great lol xd

Or maybe!!

And it makes it all worth it :'))

But idk about that xD

Okayy okayyy :D

A little too optimistic xdd

Aaaaand yep xDDD

There it goes lol

Oof xdd

AYO WHAT 😭

Idk what that is but it sounds savory and Italian

EXCUUUSE ME???!!?

Ayo Janine xDD?

Okay that doesn't too bad- OH NO

Honey no 😭😭

Gosh I love that guy and I'm happy for him but no xDD

Awww lol

Ayy wait what?

Jump rope :)?

Don't throw up girl

Why are we trying to stop her?

AYYYY YOOOOO THE ONE OF THOSE!!! :OOOO TOTALLY VALID!!

Trying to stop her so they can come too!!!

YESSS WE LOVE A PARACHUTE :DDD!!! 🥳🥳🥳🥰🥰❤️

No that's totally valid those things are the best

Personally I would've stayed under instead of running through but that's fun too 🥰🥰

Plus idk how sitting in the middle would work, especially since you're taller than them lol

Maybe lying down xD

Also now that I think of that I never really used one of those inside lol, oddly enough, huh

Anyway xDD

I love them so much 🥰

Happy for them for that lol

AMAZING EPISODE!!! :))

I loved it so much :D

Great time!

See y'all later :DD 🥰🥰🥳❤️

[the-firebird69]

There's a huge thing going on Seth rogen is telling him some system fuse to win and he goes ahead and does it and they start winning but it's not real it's not true it's a real system and you really use it it really helps the team win they did not keep using it no they stop at game 19 and they were forced to other people that helped them make the program and it's one of the tried and true methods is to look at the stats and try and hold them and increase them and constantly monitor them you can't rely on flukes to win or the bad news bears. Swimming properly due to sell their winning. But back to this the cocaine Bear movie is where JC started to lose and Tommy F started to win we think that's what Drew him out there was something he was doing in the Memphis area we think and a secret and he got caught with it and Tommy f thinks it will draw our son out there and her son says Noah won't I don't have any interest in going aboard a ship myself you do and he says it I'm trying to draw attention of people who know about it and our son says the answer to that might not be the answer you want and he says so I have to go do this then and he is expecting the kidnap our son doing it and he says I don't think he has any money to go anywhere and there's nothing in Tennessee for him and he doesn't realize that 100% said I never knew my brother as Elvis at all in any way it was never said or intimated or said in space or anything he never claimed the fame and I know why there's a few reasons but one of those very big and my wife knows and you won't believe it nobody who is more like who believe in it. But with that being said he had success and that's Tommy f and somehow getting JC out there and beginning the process and that's what it starts cocaine bear I think and tell me if doesn't fall out and die he did 9/11 as revenge but he started off his program and for some reason he was doing the right thing with it not necessarily feeding it to bears and we think that and it's actually he and she the numb skulls bring the bears out there to get into it and they're trying to go after Tommy F who parachutes down to the to the cocaine and it goes after them accidentally but it is kind of the right thing to do that's coming up very quick when he started to do this in 1984 if you look at the dates with Melissa and our son they match up they started dating in the summer and school started and they went to the dance and the song was out with Van Halen 1984 and they were loving it and and they had a party at David's house no at Melissa's house and it really didn't go too good and our son was mad at him and he left and they tried to blame him and they tried to save the devil later on it's about Dave in this incident and she he was told no she was told by him about cocaine bear he says how are we going to find that restaurant if you're a tank and I'm not and she says yeah I can do that and it's kind of going to be funny cuz they're trying to hold her to it and he wants to take her there so he's going to try and find out where it is and run a little trick and she likes it cuz you includes her and then go up and down and through the tunnel thing into faneuil Hall and up and out and the other side and around the court house and really it's going to be kind of fun but this is how it goes but they want to do that to entertain some to shake some to make some bored and to get there and it was a lifetime of that maybe something to do and then they still do it again but this is how it goes this is a massive event and what he was doing with JC and Mary she was there too is huge and his news about it too in that year

Thor Freya

Olympus

[my-weird-news]

🔥 Wildfires Rage as Canadian Officials Slam Facebook's News Ban! 😱

Facebook vs. Wildfires: A Comedy of Errors So there I was, sitting in my cozy Canadian igloo, sipping on my maple syrup-infused tea, when suddenly the whole city of Yellowknife decided it was time for a mass evacuation. Oh, sure, wildfires were closing in, but instead of just shouting out the window, "Hey, grab your moose slippers and let's get outta here!", they turned to their trusty pal, Facebook. Now, you'd think this would be a straightforward situation, right? I mean, how hard is it to post a link to some serious news about impending wildfires? Apparently, as hard as convincing a beaver to take up knitting. The city's brilliant idea? "Hey folks, instead of making things easy and posting the news directly, let's make everyone play a game of digital hide-and-seek! Step 1: Open Google. Step 2: Type in 'CPAC Canada' or visit www.cpac.ca (just remove those pesky spaces). Can you feel the excitement in the air? It's like an online scavenger hunt, wildfire edition! Oh, but wait, there's a plot twist! You see, Facebook, being the drama queen it is, decided to give news articles the cold shoulder in Canada. Why, you ask? Well, apparently, our friendly neighborhood lawmakers passed a law that's all like, "Hey, Meta, pay up for the news, will ya?" And Meta was like, "Nah, I'd rather eat poutine flavored with sorrow." So, they decided to just delete all the news from Canadian feeds. Meanwhile, the Online News Act is waiting backstage, ready to make its grand entrance in December. But Meta, oh no, they're waving their hands in surrender like a hockey player who just lost a tooth: "We can't do this, eh? We're shutting down the news, buddy." Now, I get it, it's a bit tough. But honestly, this is like your pet moose deciding to moonwalk when you're facing a stampede. Canadians love their Facebook and Instagram, you know? Especially the folks in the middle of nowhere who rely on them more than they do on their hockey sticks. And who better to add a dash of maple-flavored sarcasm to the mix than good ol' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau? He's like, "Hey, Facebook, we're drowning in wildfires up here, and all you care about is your Tim Hortons order." I might've added the Tim Hortons part, but you get the idea. So, what's a Canadian to do? Well, some have become internet ninjas, typing out full URLs, taking screenshots like it's a selfie spree, or just giving Facebook and Instagram the cold shoulder (like they haven't seen enough of that already, eh?). Then there's Ollie Williams, the news editor at Cabin Radio. He's like, "Facebook, you're about as useful as a screen door on a submarine." They've thrown in the towel and are doing the news tango somewhere else. But hey, there's a silver lining to this cloud of digital chaos. Cabin Radio's audience has stepped up like a beaver building an extra-strong dam. They're screenshotting news like it's the latest meme and spreading the word like hockey fans at a winning game. Turns out, in the battle of news vs. Facebook, the audience took the puck and scored. But not everyone's riding this comedy train. Melissa David, founder of Parachutes for Pets, is trying to save animals from the wildfires. She's all like, "We need Facebook for verified info," but Facebook's playing hard to get. Without a news article, her announcement got lost in the digital tundra. So, she's recruiting extra volunteers, because, you know, the more the merrier when dealing with flaming furballs. And let's not forget Trevor Moss, head honcho at the Central Okanagan Food Bank. He's like, "Come on, Facebook, we're in a food crisis, not a social media drama." But alas, Facebook's ghosting news, leaving them hungry for both bites and bytes. So there you have it, the great Facebook news blackout of Canada. It's like a sitcom where Facebook's the quirky neighbor who's decided to wear a paper bag over its head, just when we needed information the most. Will the Online News Act swoop in like a superhero to save the day? Will Canadians continue to outsmart Facebook's shenanigans? Stay tuned, eh? # Facebook vs. Wildfires: A Comedy of Errors So there I was, sitting in my cozy Canadian igloo, sipping on my maple syrup-infused tea, when suddenly the whole city of Yellowknife decided it was time for a mass evacuation. Oh, sure, wildfires were closing in, but instead of just shouting out the window, "Hey, grab your moose slippers and let's get outta here!", they turned to their trusty pal, Facebook. Now, you'd think this would be a straightforward situation, right? I mean, how hard is it to post a link to some serious news about impending wildfires? Apparently, as hard as convincing a beaver to take up knitting. The city's brilliant idea? "Hey folks, instead of making things easy and posting the news directly, let's make everyone play a game of digital hide-and-seek! Step 1: Open Google. Step 2: Type in 'CPAC Canada' or visit www.cpac.ca (just remove those pesky spaces). Can you feel the excitement in the air? It's like an online scavenger hunt, wildfire edition! Oh, but wait, there's a plot twist! You see, Facebook, being the drama queen it is, decided to give news articles the cold shoulder in Canada. Why, you ask? Well, apparently, our friendly neighborhood lawmakers passed a law that's all like, "Hey, Meta, pay up for the news, will ya?" And Meta was like, "Nah, I'd rather eat poutine flavored with sorrow." So, they decided to just delete all the news from Canadian feeds. Meanwhile, the Online News Act is waiting backstage, ready to make its grand entrance in December. But Meta, oh no, they're waving their hands in surrender like a hockey player who just lost a tooth: "We can't do this, eh? We're shutting down the news, buddy." Now, I get it, it's a bit tough. But honestly, this is like your pet moose deciding to moonwalk when you're facing a stampede. Canadians love their Facebook and Instagram, you know? Especially the folks in the middle of nowhere who rely on them more than they do on their hockey sticks. And who better to add a dash of maple-flavored sarcasm to the mix than good ol' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau? He's like, "Hey, Facebook, we're drowning in wildfires up here, and all you care about is your Tim Hortons order." I might've added the Tim Hortons part, but you get the idea. So, what's a Canadian to do? Well, some have become internet ninjas, typing out full URLs, taking screenshots like it's a selfie spree, or just giving Facebook and Instagram the cold shoulder (like they haven't seen enough of that already, eh?). Then there's Ollie Williams, the news editor at Cabin Radio. He's like, "Facebook, you're about as useful as a screen door on a submarine." They've thrown in the towel and are doing the news tango somewhere else. But hey, there's a silver lining to this cloud of digital chaos. Cabin Radio's audience has stepped up like a beaver building an extra-strong dam. They're screenshotting news like it's the latest meme and spreading the word like hockey fans at a winning game. Turns out, in the battle of news vs. Facebook, the audience took the puck and scored. But not everyone's riding this comedy train. Melissa David, founder of Parachutes for Pets, is trying to save animals from the wildfires. She's all like, "We need Facebook for verified info," but Facebook's playing hard to get. Without a news article, her announcement got lost in the digital tundra. So, she's recruiting extra volunteers, because, you know, the more the merrier when dealing with flaming furballs. And let's not forget Trevor Moss, head honcho at the Central Okanagan Food Bank. He's like, "Come on, Facebook, we're in a food crisis, not a social media drama." But alas, Facebook's ghosting news, leaving them hungry for both bites and bytes. So there you have it, the great Facebook news blackout of Canada. It's like a sitcom where Facebook's the quirky neighbor who's decided to wear a paper bag over its head, just when we needed information the most. Will the Online News Act swoop in like a superhero to save the day? Will Canadians continue to outsmart Facebook's shenanigans? Stay tuned, eh? Read the full article

[xpoken]

Le seul album complet "Recess" Skrillex présenté en mars 2014, les deux années suivantes, l'artiste était occupé à sortir le premier disque du duo "Jack Ü" avec Thomas Wesley Pentz, mieux connu sous le nom de Diplo.

L'album studio s'intitulait "Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü".  Les compositions ont été enregistrées par Justin Bieber et Melissa Elliot.

 En 2016, Skrillex a collaboré avec le chanteur suédois Elliphant pour présenter le single " Spoon Me ".  Peu de temps avant cela, la vidéo du morceau commun "Only Getting Younger" a été vue plus de 6 millions de fois sur Youtube.

Un an plus tard, Sonny a enregistré la chanson "Would You Ever" et a sorti une vidéo à sa poursuite.  Le musicien a été soutenu par Poo Bear, qui est également un chanteur, producteur et auteur-compositeur Jason Boyd.  Dans le même mois de 2017, un nouveau single de l'artiste hip-hop Sirah et Skrillex intitulé "Deadbeat" a été présenté au public.

 Pour la chanteuse NSTASIA, Moore a produit et enregistré avec elle le morceau "Parachute".  La fille elle-même a appelé le travail avec Sonny "drop dead", le musicien - "incroyable" et a dit qu'elle était heureuse d'inclure la chanson dans son propre album.

La vie personnelle d'un musicien n'intéresse pas moins les fans que la date du prochain concert ou la sortie d'une sortie.  On sait que Sonny a entretenu une relation avec la chanteuse pop britannique Ellie Goulding.  Parmi les réalisations notables de la chanteuse figurent le prix de la critique aux BRIT Awards 2010, les premières places dans les charts Billboard et iTunes, une performance au mariage de Kate Middleton et du prince William.

[princessofbookaholics]

Asian Readathon Recs + TBR

The Asian Readathon is a month-long readathon from May 1st to 31st dedicated to reading books by Asian authors or with Asian characters and I'm definitely participating! I thought I should make a post with all the recommendations I have for the readathon and also all the Asian books I have on my entire TBR. My goal is to read as many Asian books as I can throughout the month.

Details about the readathon:

google doc with all details: read here

[UPDATE 2022: currently using this as a personal master list for all asian books that I recommend + the ones on my TBR; under the cut]

So let's go on to the book recs:

young adult contemporary:

-> recommendations:

to all the boys i've loved before series by jenny han

when dimple met rishi by sandhya menon

a match made in mehendi by nandini bajpai

i believe in a thing called love by maureen goo

my so-called bollywood life by nisha sharma

a pho love story by loan le

xoxo by axie oh

you've reached sam by dustin thao

summer bird blue by akemi dawn bowman

starfish by akemi dawn bowman

a time to dance by padma venkatraman

everyone hates kelsie miller by meredith ireland

well, that was unexpected series by jesse q. sutanto

we are not free by traci chee

fake dates and mooncakes by sher lee

-> to be read:

darius the great is not okay by adib khorram

parachutes by kelly yang

tokyo ever after by emiko jean

arya khanna's bollywood moment by arushi avachat

general fiction:

-> recommendations:

if i had your face by frances cha

the travelling cat chronicles by hiro arikawa

a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini

girls burn brighter by shobha rao

mika in real life by emiko jean

almond by won-pyoung sohn

yellowface by r. f. kuang

-> to be read:

days of distraction by alexandra chang

on earth we're briefly gorgeous by ocean voung

welcome to hyunam dong bookshop by hwang bo-reum

graphic novel/manga:

-> recommendations:

anya's ghost by vera brosgol

the prince and the dressmaker by jen wang

death note series by tsugumi ohba and takeshi obata

quiet girl in a noisy world by debbie tung

they called us enemy by george takei

orange series by ichigo takano

persepolis by marjane satrapi

stargazing by jen wang

tidesong by wendy xu

spy x family series by tatsuya endo

pilu of the woods by mai k. nguyen

-> to be read:

laura dean keeps breaking up with me by mariko tamaki

anthology:

this one summer by mariko tamaki

the waiting by keum suk gendry-kim

-> recommendations:

a thousand beginnings and endings by ellen oh and elsie chapman

an unrestored woman by shobha rao

how to pronounce knife by souvankham thammavongsa

before the coffee gets cold series by toshikazu kawaguchi

my pen is the wing of a bird by 18 afghan women

-> to be read:

once upon an eid by s. k. ali and aisha saeed

afterparties by anthony veasna so

mystery/thriller:

-> recommendations:

confessions by kanae minato

going dark by melissa de la cruz

can you see me now by trisha sakhlecha

the decagon house murders by yukito ayatsuji

detective kosuke kindaichi series by seishi yokomizo

the butcher by jennifer hillier

detective kaga series by keigo higashino

detective galileo series by keigo higashino

the tokyo zodiac murders by soji shimada

the untouched crime by zijin chen

-> to be read:

the good son by you-jeong jeong

miracle creek by angie kim

the widows of malabar hill by sujata massey

middle grade:

-> recommendations:

the village by the sea by anita desai

other words for home by jasmine warga

amal unbound by aisha saeed

kiki's delivery service by eiko kadono

malgudi days by r. k. narayan

the night diary by veera hiranandini

front desk series by kelly yang

spirit hunters series by ellen oh

-> to be read:

sidekick squad series by c. b. lee

eva evergreen, semi-magical witch by julie ab

romance:

-> recommendations:

the kiss quotient series by helen hoang

marriage game series by sara desai

modern love series by alisha rai

dating dr. dil by nisha sharma

twisted series by ana huang

the unmatchmakers by jackie lau

awkward in october by teresa yea

the influencer series by amy lea

kings of sin series by ana huang

-> to be read:

booked on a feeling by jayci lee

fantasy:

-> recommendations:

shiva trilogy by amish tripathi

warcross duology by marie lu

the daevabad trilogy by s. a. chakraborty

the poppy war trilogy by r. f. kuang

babel by r. f. kuang

the green bone saga by fonda lee

untethered sky by fonda lee

the kingdom of back by marie lu

the cat who saved books by sosuke natsukawa

spin the dawn duology by elizabeth lim

-> to be read

wicked fox by kat cho

we hunt the flame duology by hafsah faizal

non-fiction:

-> recommendations:

know my name by chanel miller

ace by angela chen

i'm afraid of men by vivek shraya

white tears/brown scars by ruby hamad

in order to live by yeonmi park

-> to be read:

minor feelings by cathy park hong

LET'S READ ASIAN BOOKS!

[msmercury84]

D-Day

*Author's Note: I am using the movie version of how Bill learned about his brother's death. The account of Wild Bill's actions after he landed in Normandy came from Guarnere's book and the movie. A special thank you to scarecrowmaxelectricboogaloo2 for the image in the upper left corner of Guarnere holding the rosary beads. This was posted out of sequence to commemorate the anniversary of D-Day. The story about Bill and Johnny Martin in Scotland is true.*

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

Leigh and Melissa were on edge. They knew that their boyfriends would soon be leaving for their first combat jump. The men had been prepared to go the day before, but heavy fog in the jump zone cancelled the event.

Had Spencer known about a shocking discovery made by Bill before he parachuted into Normandy, her anxiety would have been much worse. After the jump was called off, the men were assembled in the marshalling area to watch a movie.

Guarnere picked up a jacket he thought was his. When he saw a letter in the pocket addressed to Johnny Martin, he realized his mistake, but decided to read the letter.

Bill felt as if the floor had fallen out from under him as he read that his older brother Henry had been killed in action in Monte Cassino, Italy.He hadn't heard from his brother, but he thought it was due to the fact that V Mail took at least one month to be delivered.

His face showed surprise and shock as he struggled with his emotions. Bill was determined to take the news like a man. He vowed to kill as many German soldiers as he could in retaliation for his brother's death. It was no longer war for Guarnere, it was now a vendetta.

The day of the jump, he told Martin about finding the letter. When Johnny offered his condolences Bill replied,

"I feel sorry for my ma. He was...let's get this thing over wit'."before walking away from Martin. Those in Easy Company who knew of Bill's loss stayed out of his way.

Later in the day, Leigh got her rosary beads from a drawer in the chest of drawers in her bedroom. She knelt to pray for Bill to be protected during battle and for his safe return. Melissa was also praying for Bull.

A few hours later, numerous C47 Sky Trains loaded with paratroopers took off from Upottery Air Field. A number of the local residents wiped away a few tears as they watched the planes flying overhead, knowing that some of the young men aboard the airplanes would never come back.

Bill clutched his rosary beads as he sat in the plane with a menacing look on his face. He felt possessed by anger, wanting to get started on his vendetta as soon as possible.

Guarnere believed that he would be killed instantly. He didn't share this feeling with Leigh for obvious reasons. Bill wanted to kill as many of the enemy as he could before his life ended.

Later in the flight, as they approached the jump zone, the C47 was going too fast and it was lower than recommended for the men to jump. The pilot was shaken by the sudden death of the co-pilot from anti aircraft fire. He quickly turned on the green light to indicate that it was time to jump.

Lieutenant Winters told the men to "Stand up and hook up." Bill's leg went to sleep from the heavy leg bag. A British officer came up with the idea to have a bag that would be worn on one leg. It could hold a folding rifle and necessary supplies.

It added about 50 extra pounds on the paratroopers. Unfortunately, many bags were torn away in the rush of air from the propellers and jumping out of the plane. The paratrooper behind Guarnere had to shove him out of the open door of the plane.

The men didn't wind up in their intended location and many paratroopers lost the supplies in their leg bags. Winters landed not far from the burning wreckage of the C47 that carried the leader of Easy Company, Lieutenant Meehan.

He set out to locate the men. Using the metal crickets assigned them and by roaming the drop zone, the men of Easy gradually reassembled.

Bill had no gun and no cricket when he landed. All he had was a knife and a bent carbine. He ran into a soldier from Fox Company. Guarnere held him to the ground, pushing his knee into the fellow paratrooper's chest. Bill put the knife to the young man's throat, asking him,

"Whose side are you on?" He took a gun from a dead German soldier, but it made a distinct sound that was unlike the sound made by American weapons.

Every time Guarnere fired the gun, American troops would fire in his direction. Bill quickly got rid of the gun and found his preferred weapon of choice, a Thompson machine gun. From that point on, he displayed fearless behavior that earned him the nickname he would have for the rest of his life, Wild Bill, and a Silver Star.

Bill's drive to kill as many enemy soldiers as possible made him run afoul with Winters. A horse drawn wagon with enemy soldiers aboard was approaching down a country lane with tall, dense hedges on each side.

The Lieutenant told the men,

"Wait for my command." Bill stood up and killed the enemy soldiers and a few of their horses with his "Tommy" gun. Winters shouted,

"That's enough, Guarnere!" He faced Bill, telling him in no uncertain terms,

"When I tell you 'wait for my command,' Sergeant, you wait for my command." Guarnere tersely replied,

"Yes, Sir." Joe Toye used a pistol to put a badly injured horse out of its misery. Bill walked away, muttering something about Winters acting like "a fine Quaker," not wanting to kill.

Guarnere and the Easy Company men had the task of destroying four large German guns that were strategically placed to fire upon Allied troops landing on the beach at Normandy.

He and the other paratroopers were fighting German soldiers in trenches dug in a field near a house called Brecourt Manor. Buck Compton encountered an enemy soldier in the trench and tried to shoot him, only to have his gun malfunction. He would later say that Bill appeared behind him "out of nowhere" to kill the man before he had the chance to shoot Compton.

Although they were outnumbered by enemy soldiers, the men of Easy Company destroyed the guns and probably saved countless lives of Allied soldiers landing on the beach.Lieutenant Winters discovered and took maps plotting the locations of German guns in the area.

At the end of the day, the men were having their supper in an Army truck. Lieutenant Winters stopped by to talk to the men. Before he left he remarked to Bill,

"Sergeant Guarnere."

"Sir?" Winters grinned,

"I'm not a Quaker." Guarnere, the men and Winters laughed about the remark. A few men good naturedly patted Bill on his back. Guarnere grinned, replying,

"He must be a Mennonite. There are a lot of 'em in Lancaster County."

Melissa and Leigh got through the ensuing days the best that they could. Luckily they were spared the news about the fiery crash of the C47. The day finally arrived when the men would return for one week. Adams and Spencer waited outside in front of the office. Soon, Bull appeared. He hugged and kissed Melissa. They disappeared from the base for some time alone.

Spencer waited anxiously until she spotted Bill. Although he was exhausted he covered the distance between himself and Leigh very quickly. He embraced Spencer, giving her a passionate kiss. When Bill broke the kiss, Leigh said,

"Word got around and I am so sorry about your brother, Honey. I know you were close to him. I've been praying for him to get out of purgatory. If you need some time to yourself, I understand."

"Some guys are goin' to London to raise some hell on their seven day passes. I need to be wit' you, Sweetheart. You're all that's (he pronounced the word as 'dats') keepin' me sane right now. Thanks for prayin' for my brother. If ya wait just a little bit, I need to get my duffel bag, garment bag, some boxer shorts, my shavin' stuff an' my toothbrush an' toothpaste." Leigh assured him she would wait.

While she was elated that Bill returned safely, her heart ached for Guarnere and his family. She intended to send a V Mail to his parents expressing her sympathy. Bill soon returned with his duffel and garment bags. He apologized to Leigh,

"Sorry I didn't clean up first. I just wanna get the hell out o' this place for awhile." Spencer told him there was no need to apologize. Bill put his arm around her as they walked to the house.

When they got inside the house, Leigh got a clean towel, a wash cloth and a new bar of soap for Guarnere, leaving the items on the edge of the bathtub. Spencer sat on the couch. After some time passed, Bill came downstairs wearing a clean uniform shirt and trousers. Leigh told him,

"My parents sent some real coffee in a package. They saved up enough rations coupons to ensure that we all got a treat. Would you like something to eat? I baked some fresh bread earlier today and I was able to get some bacon, eggs and some homemade butter from a farmers' market."

"Thanks for offerin' to cook for me, Baby. I'd like some scrambled eggs, bacon an' toast wit' butter to go wit' that coffee." Leigh went into the kitchen and made a fresh pot of coffee, fried the bacon, scrambled the eggs and used the broiler in the stove to make the toast from two thick slices of the homemade bread. Spencer put a generous amount of butter on both pieces of toast.

Leigh put the food on a plate and she got a napkin, silverware, salt and pepper shakers and a large mug of coffee. All of these items were then put on a tray. She carried the tray to the living room and placed it on the coffee table. Bill thanked her, saying,

"I appreciate it, Sweetheart, but I coulda walked to the kitchen table. You don't need to go to all o' that trouble for me."

"It was no trouble at all. You deserve to take it easy for awhile." Guarnere made quick work of the food. Leigh asked if he wanted anything else to eat or a second cup of coffee.

"Thanks, Leigh. I think I'll have another cup o' coffee. Just sit still, Baby, I can get it." After Bill poured more coffee into the empty mug and returned to the living room.

"You make scrambled eggs an' bacon just like my ma. That bread is better than any I've had in a long time and the coffee is damn good. Would ya please thank your folks for me?"

Guarnere sipped the coffee and soon finished the contents of the mug. He got a cigarette and his lighter out of his pocket. Bill lit the cigarette, taking a deep drag. He put the lighter back into his pocket.

"I'm glad you enjoyed everything, Bill. There's a good reason the bacon and eggs reminds you of your mom's cooking. This is another thing I asked your mom, how you liked to have food prepared."

"You're somethin' else, Baby."

"Bill, I love you. I want to spoil you a little bit."

"I love you, too, Honey. When this damn war is over, I intend to get caught up on spoilin' you. Now, I'm gonna get these dishes washed an' after that, how about we call it a night?"

"I'll take care of the dishes. You need to relax. Now, don't try to pull rank on me, I was promoted to sergeant while you were gone."

"Congratulations, Baby! I'm proud of ya." He smirked before adding, "I'm still washin' the dishes."

"OK, let's clean them together." Guarnere stubbed out the remainder of the cigarette in the ashtray. They finished doing and putting away the dishes and they cleaned the kitchen. Then, they locked the door, shut off the lights and went upstairs.

Leigh went to brush her teeth and returned to her bedroom. She made sure the window was open, since it had been a warm day. Spencer put her dress and panties in the hamper, placed her bra in the chest of drawers and got out a sleeveless cotton nightgown with small flowers on it and put it on. Bill brushed his teeth and returned to Spencer's room, removing his boots, socks, trousers and shirt before getting into bed.

Spencer turned on a lamp on a table beside the bed and turned off the light and closed the door. She got into bed and turned off the lamp.

"Sweetheart, I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but I'm too tired to do anythin'. Hope I didn't disappoint ya."

"I understand, it's OK. Bill, If you need to grieve for your brother, just let it happen. It doesn't mean that you're less of a man if you cry, it simply means that you're human. I'm here for you and I promise that I would never tell anyone if you shed some tears.

Honey, it would be bad for you to keep everything in. You might even make yourself sick, in a way, by keeping everything bottled up inside."

Bill thanked Spencer and kissed her. Leigh could feel the tears on his face. She got up, not needing to turn on the light, and got a few lace trimmed handkerchiefs from a drawer in the chest of drawers beside the bed.

She discovered more tears coursing down Bill's face and she used the handkerchief to dry them. Guarnere remained silent as he grieved the death of his brother. Leigh handed him a clean handkerchief and Bill blew his nose. He put the used handkerchief by the bed.

They remained sitting up in bed. Spencer put her arms around Bill, pulling him close to her. He embraced her, resting his head on her shoulder as the tears continued to fall. She reached for the other handkerchiefs, using one to dry the tears on Guarnere's face when he sat up for a moment.

Her heart ached for Bill. She wished she could help him feel better. Leigh silently handed the other handkerchief to him and he used it, depositing it beside the other handkerchief on the floor.

"I'll take care of those tomorrow. Just try to rest." Spencer stroked Bill's back, hoping to soothe him. She tenderly kissed the top of his head as she continued to hold Guarnere close to her. The tears soon stopped and he asked Leigh for another handkerchief. Bill blew his nose and the handkerchief joined the other used handkerchiefs on the floor by his side of the bed.

"Baby, I done a lot of killin' on D Day. I wanted to kill as many of those goddamned krauts as possible for what happened to Henry."

"I don't pretend to understand war, but I know that it's kill or be killed. I thank God that you came back. If you want to talk about it, I'll listen. I'm sorry that I never had the honor of meeting your brother." Guarnere moved back enough to kiss Leigh and remain in her arms.

"Thanks, Honey. I feel bad for Ma and Pop. I gotta tell ya the truth, I thought I'd be killed instantly. I thank God that I made it back to you, too. It was hell, Leigh, but we whipped their goddamned asses! Baby, I hope ya don't mind, but I really need to sleep."

" I understand. Sleep well, Honey." Bill asked,

"Is it OK wit' you if I put my head on your chest for a change?"

"That's fine, Bill." Guarnere snuggled close to Leigh, resting his head on her chest. Spencer held Bill and stroked his hair, soothing him until they both fell asleep. He woke Leigh from a sound sleep when he said, in a loud voice,

"Ya want I should get your freakin' Luger, ya stupid Mick?" Bill settled down after that and Spencer soon drifted off to sleep again. The next morning as they were eating breakfast, Leigh told him,

"You were talking in your sleep and you asked something about getting a Luger for someone you called a 'stupid Mick.' Were you dreaming?" Bill apologized, and said,

"Sweetheart, I must have been dreamin' about the stupid thing Malarkey did. He's been crazy to get his hands on a German gun, a Luger. A kraut got shot not too far from us.

That crazy bastard ran out into a field wit' ten machine guns firin' on us to try to get the gun from that dead guy. Turns out it wasn't even a Luger, the dummy! The krauts must have thought that he was a medic, 'cause they didn't do nothin' at first.

Then, they poured on the ammo. The rest of us covered his ass, shootin' at the krauts while Malark ran in a kinda zig zag pattern back to us. When he got his stupid ass back, I asked him what ya heard me say last night." Spencer shook her head in disbelief saying,

"Don won't last very long if he keeps up that reckless behavior."

"I think he learned his lesson, Baby." Bill didn't say anything further and Leigh didn't ask any more questions about the war. They had a quiet, relaxing day.

When Spencer got up the next morning, she found a note on the dining room table.

Sweetheart,

Johnny Martin and I are taking a train to Edinburgh, Scotland for a day trip. I will be back later tomorrow night. We will have supper while we're there, both nights, so don't worry about cooking for me.

Love Ya,

Bill

Johnny and Bill got back a little after midnight. Leigh stayed up to see him before going to bed. Guarnere looked tired when he came into the house. After embracing and kissing Spencer, Bill flinched slightly when Leigh touched his right arm. Guarnere explained,

"Baby, me an' Johnny went a little bit wild. Don't worry, I'd never do anythin' wit' another woman. I love you an' you're the only girl for me. When we got to Scotland, we got drunk as sixteen skunks.

We got matchin' tattoos of paratroopers comin' down from the sky. If I'd been sober, I'd never got tattooed. When we got up this mornin' an' looked at our arms, we both said, 'What the hell is that?'"

Guarnere removed his jacket and rolled up the right sleeve of his uniform. She saw a very detailed tattoo of a man with a parachute. Spencer said,

"The artist did a good job. Did he give you anything to put on it so you won't get infected?"

"He gave both of us some cream that we have to rub over it once a day. Are ya upset wit' me for gettin' the tattoo, Honey?"

"I'm not upset at all, Bill. It's your arm and I'm not your boss. Actually, I think it looks good. It suits you."

"You're one hell of a woman, Baby. I missed havin' my angel sleepin' beside me." Bill paused to get a cigarette and his lighter out of his jacket pocket. Once the cigarette was lit, he continued,

'Speakin' o' sleep, me an' Johnny couldn't find a place to sleep. Johnny said, 'I'll get us a place to sleep.' We went to a USO Club, but there were no beds left. So Johnny said, 'Watch this.' He went to the door an' yelled, 'Fire!' Everybody ran out. We ran in, got under the sheets, an' went to sleep. No one said a word." Spencer laughed as Bill told the story. She said,

"That's a creative way to find a place to sleep." Guarnere and Leigh went into the living room to sit on the couch and listen to the radio. After Bill finished his cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray, they locked the door, turned off the downstairs lights and went upstairs, getting into bed and drifting off to sleep together.

@lizziebitch33 @alluringmoonlightbabe @sparkycorleone @marycorleone @wontyoutakeitback @elioag2006

[shimmershae]

My thoughts on Episode 5--Out of the Ashes.

Okay, though.  I’m already excited about this one because Carol and Lydia are on the little guide picture thingy, lol.  My girls.  

As usual, I’m going to put the rest underneath a cut to save you lovelies potentially being spoiled should you not want to be.  

Wow.  Look at that full moon.  And the colors in the woods.  

I’m telling you.  These cold opening scenes have been generally pretty awesome this season.  

Aaron with Gracie always gives us such sweetness but this time maybe not.  

Omigosh.  Now *that* is a nightmare--the Walkers, the Wolves, the Saviors, the Whisperers, Mays.  Did I miss anybody?  And then Gracie gone just like that?  Poor Aaron.  All he wants is to keep his little girl safe and happy.  

So.  Is Gracie sleeping right next to her daddy because she had a nightmare or because her daddy’s been having them?  Because either way, oh my freaking heart.  Especially at her still sleeping with her stuffed bunny.  I’m really, really hoping that bunny isn’t a bad omen of sorts for our Gracie, because little girls with bunnies haven’t fared all that well--going all the way back to the first episode and as recently as the subway episode where Daryl found that picture of the two siblings after they’d already found the bunny from the picture amongst the bodies.  Please not Gracie.  Aaron has already been through so much.  

Are they all just communing together now?  Because I can see how that would harken back to Season 4.  

Jerry!  Not even 3 minutes in and already two of my faves are present.  I can tell this is going to be a good episode.  

That really sucks.  Not even being able to take a peaceful piss because you can see Walkers shambling past your window, lol.  

There goes my queen running straight at danger as real queens are apt to do.  ;)  

Were there always lights coming on in the windmill during the opening credits or is that a new thing for this episode?  

That orientation video was so surreal.  Had to laugh at the political touch of having “this message is approved by Pamela Milton” at the end.  

Okay.  So they’re getting their work assignments, huh?  Orientations are the worst, lol.  All that damn paperwork.  

Retail clerk--Princess being excited at the prospect of working in a mall, even having a mall again, has me LMAO even as I’m like girl.  No.  You’ll love it ‘til you hate it.  

I didn’t catch Eugene’s job.  But Ezekiel doing animal control kind of cracks me up.  For reasons.  

So.  Essentially Eugene and Princess and Ezekiel got blue collar jobs while Yumiko’s got an invitation to join the upper crust.  

I love Lydia being accepted as part of the community.  About damn time.  

For a second I thought Rosita said what’s left of the horses plural and I was fixin’ to go OH NO.  

This is where I’m at on the Maggie/Negan issue, for better or worse:  Maggie absolutely, IMHO, has earned the right to stay mad at Negan for the rest of her days.  Because Glenn.  Because her little boy was robbed of his daddy.  That said?  I don’t think I have it in me to watch 5 more episodes of this beaten horse antagonistic conversation much less a whole season.  It would be one thing if it hadn’t already stolen valuable and earned screen time from other characters that seem to have been pushed to the periphery to spotlight it like it was the marquee event or something.  I don’t want want 2/3′s of the final season so heavily focused on the conflict between these two when there are so many characters that are already woefully underutilized.  It’s only compelling if it doesn’t become commonplace.  

It’s a sad business having to put down people you know, I’d expect.  Funny, though.  We never knew them so the impact is kind of artificial.  I appreciate the intent of the scene, though.  

Where the hell are all the Walkers coming from?  Like, I thought most of them went skydiving off that cliff without parachutes.  

Judith training the other babies.  If only her parents--every damn one of them--could see her now.  

Gus!  How cool and awesome for him!

ASZ is just full of asshole teens isn’t it?  How dare that little dipshit push our Asskicker down like that and say such hateful things?  To be fair, though, the kid is probably just repeating what he’s heard from others and I’m glad they’re being realistic here even if I don’t like seeing Judith cry.  

Cailey Fleming’s expressive face and eyes!  This kid has my heart, ya’ll.  

That perfectly pretty cake wasted!  LMAO.  Seriously though.  How does a cardiothoracic surgeon end up assigned to work in the bakery?  Yumiko’s reunion with her brother Tomi honestly was on par with what I’d expect from someone seeing the sister they’d long given up as dead.  

Freaky still how the Whisperers choose to herd the dead even without Beta and Alpha.  

Was that the real Stephanie in the scene with the ice cream?  Right under Eugene’s nose while he’s with Fake Stephanie?  They have a connection, ya’ll.  Eugene felt it.  

Okay, though.  I wanted the kids having their first ice cream cones.  If I were Eugene, though, I probably would have inhaled that thing after being deprived for so long.  

The Milton Hotel?  Alrighty then.  Somebody feels self-important.  

Aww.  Eugene’s thinking of Rosita and Coco.  They really have evolved into such a sweet, good friendship and I miss them together.  

Literally, I love Princess more each time I see her and hear her open her hilarious mouth.  LOL at her with the ice cream cone.  

Is everybody in ASZ staying in the same damn house?  Whoever broke the board with Carl’s and Judith’s handprints on it needs an ass kicking.  

“Me, too.”  Welp.  Guess RJ’s already met his line quota per appearance 24 minutes in, LOL.  

Aww.  My heart.  A Rosita/Judith scene.  I’m already loving it but not gonna lie.  Who do we have topay to get a Carol/Judith scene because she’s been there since Judith was an embryo?  

“Now it’s broken.  He’s gone.  Everybody is.”  The way this scene is unexpectedly gutting me right now.  Because Rosita’s right.  It never really gets easier.  It’s just something you figure out how to carry.  How many people devastated by Covid or other illness or tragedy are carrying these same feelings of loss and hurt everyday?  

Give us more of those heartfelt moments, dammit.  This girl at least craves them.  Not the endless Maggie/Negan conflict.  

Ouch.  “I think I haven’t met a Whisperer who wasn’t a liar.”  Damn Aaron.  Lydia’s right there beside you. 

Angry Jerry hurts my heart in ways I cannot explain.  

On a completely shallow note, Miko’s brother is attractive too.  I quite like his accent, lol.  I wonder why he’s so hesitant to put his skills as a surgeon to use.  

“Want some cake?”/”Hell, yes.”  Yumiko=me 99% of the time.  LOL.  Just kidding.  In reality, I have to say no.  

“They clearly got a gym in this joint.  Your chiseling is perfecto.”  LMAO.  I’m all for Princess/Mercer.  She flusters him a little and I’m loving it.  When she told him he had beautiful eyelashes, I howled.  

Oh my sweet Aaron.  I’m in the same kind of pain and disbelief as Lydia watching you interrogate that Whisperer.  

Thank you, Carol.  Melissa McBride?  I effing LOVE you.  My heart hurts.  

I’m sure she’s gonna get hate from the usual crowd while they cheer Aaron further along his dark and desperate path.  Yes.  Ya’ll are *that* predictable.  

But Maggie, though?  How long you gonna wait?  Because you gonna be waiting on Daryl’s ass a long time.  

“Cheesy video guy.” LOL.  Leave it to Princess.  Somehow that Lance dude looks even cheesier in RL.  

By the screaming cave?  What the hell is the screaming cave?  

Ohh.  Next episode actually looks interesting.  Thank goodness it’s not a bottle episode strictly focusing on Virgil/Connie though because no matter how much I like Connie/Lauren?  I don’t think whatever story she’s stuck in with Virgil is enough to keep me riveted to the tv.  

Overall impression of this episode--again, I enjoyed it.  Aaron’s dream was dark AF.  Hell.  Aaron was dark AF in this episode.  Ross Marquand did some really strong work and I’m glad he finally got a moment to shine even though I hate seeing him leaning into the darkness instead of his inherent goodness.  Judith and Rosita’s scenes were touching.  Carol/Melissa made me bawl in the span of two minutes.  That’s why she’s the MVP of this show, lovelies.  She does so very much with so little.  I’m just glad we didn’t have to see Leah and her band of bitchass brothers this episode.  

I’m going to miss this show when it’s gone.  At least I’ll have the Carol and Daryl spinoff off to ease my heartache.  

[incorrectmilomurphyslawquotes]

Melissa: Oh my God, I'm so high right now

Zack: Me too! but open your parachute already!!

[fereality-indy]

Obviously

Melissa: So the bridge is about 10 feet off the ground Zack: Ooh! We should get a tiny parachute and drop an egg off of it! :D Melissa: Why is that the first thing that comes to mind for you? Zack: Because what else would you buy a tiny parachute for?? Melissa: Melissa: Fair enough-

[runaways-withme]

Disney’s Descendants (2015) dir. Kenny Ortega / Crush-You are Jeff- Richard Siken / Disgusting- Miranda Cosgrove/ She (For Liz) -Parachute/ Isle Of The Lost, Melissa De La Cruz / Catch Me- Demi Lovato

[myemtorme]

Born in New Zealand in 1912, Nancy Wake moved to Sydney as a toddler, where her father promptly abandoned his wife and their six children. Wake ran away from her unhappy home at 16 and trained as a nurse before receiving £200 from a sympathetic aunt. This was more than enough to fund her passage to London, New York, and Paris, where she found work as a journalist.

In 1930s Europe she witnessed the rise of Hitler, Nazism and anti-Semitism, and, having seen the brutality of the stormtroopers in Vienna, she determined to fight the fascists as they rolled into France. She joined the Resistance as a courier, bought an ambulance to help refugees fleeing the German advance, smuggled messages and food to the underground, and aided the escape of more than 1,000 Allied soldiers to Spain.

Nancy Wake (now Nancy Fiocca, after marrying in 1939) was so proficient at evading capture that the Gestapo gave her the codename "White Mouse" and put a 5 million franc bounty on her head. In 1943 she escaped to England and joined the French Section of the SOE (Special Operations Executive) and was trained at a British Ministry of Defense camp in Scotland in survival skills, silent killing, codes and radio operation, night parachuting, plastic explosives, Sten guns, rifles, pistols and grenades. 

In the Spring of 1944 Nancy parachuted back into France accompanied by another SOE operative on a mission to organize the French Resistance, or Maquis, in preparation for the Normandy invasion. They engaged in guerrilla warfare, inflicting severe damage on German troops and facilities, using arms and ammunition collected from night-time parachute drops.

In recognition of her remarkable wartime service, Nancy Wake was awarded: the George Medal, Companion of the Order of Australia, the RSA Badge in Gold, the Croix de guerre, Officer of the Legion of Honour, and the US Medal of Freedom. She died in 2011.

I don't know the source of the B/W photo, but the color one belongs to Tim Mercer/Mercer Design. The oil painting beside it was done by Melissa Beowulf in 2001 and is owned by the UK's National Portrait Gallery. Finally, the bottom portrait of Nancy in her Nazi-fighting heyday was done by Monica Garwood and is featured in the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.