#patricia lookalikes call me

[teethburied]

Desert Hearts (1985) dir. Donna Deitch

[eve-lullabye]

Where you don't want to pair up with a certain survivor

Based off IDV

(I kind of imagine the eels in there merform floating off the ground like Naiad)

You were chatting with Patricia when Kevin walked up to you.

"Hey, Doll, Sugar," he smiled flirtatuously. You were no stranger to Kevin's harmless flirting. It was his way of saying he cared about you. Of course, that didn't mean that all the girls appreciated it. "You got yourself a match comin' up, Sugar."

You were Sugar. "Oh? And who are my teammates, Kev?" You raised a brow while resting your chin on a propped hand.

"Pretty sure, 'twas Kurt, Andrew, an' Jade."

"Hold on," you straightened your back. "Jade?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kevin slid into the seat next to you.

"Well, I'm out then," you raised your hands. Patricia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Not this again." She buried her face into her arms, slumping against the table.

"What! I don't like him. He gives me the creeps, and I find him unpredictable. Plus, who knows what kind of conniving plan he's concocting!"

Kevin drummed his fingers against his leg, "If you need, I can step in for ya, Sugar. Of course, we're makin' a switch."

"Please do," you grasped his hand with wide eyes. "I swear if the two of us were on a raft with enough rations for one, Jade would chuck me into the water."

"I'm rather offended you think lowly of me," a smooth and slimy voice called out beside you. You shrieked, turning to see Jade giving a closed-eye smile. Then he opened his eyes, and those heterochromatic eyes caught your attention. You admit it. You were a sucker for heterochromatic irises. There was something about them so beautiful, so captivating. "Shall we go?" Jade bared his sharp teeth. You looked one last time at Kevin with a desperate look. He just shrugged.

[~]

Of all the maps you hated Leo's Memory and it hated you. It always spawned you next to the hunter, and you would be out of the game in a couple of seconds. Vera had told you that you could move away from the hunter. Oh GEEZ, LIKE YOU HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE! If ONLY you know from which direction the hunter was in, you then could avoid it. The other reason for disliking this map was the fact that it was freezing.

Currently, you were hiding behind some boxes in hopes that the hunter who was not budging would move. You couldn't even look to see who or else you would be discovered. Around you shouts from your other teammates rang in your ears as they gave an update on the status. You had long ago told them that the hunter was near you. Now, your clothes were wet, your body - numb, and your patience wearing thin.

It was then you heard voices talking. One, you recognized as Jade; the other, you believed to be the hunter. Around your waist wrapped a coil of teal flesh, and you held your breath. It squeezed you tightly before two arms captured you. When you were dragged out of your hiding spot and released, you whirled around to be right in front of Jade who seemingly turned into a merman.

"Jade, what the heck?!" You brushed yourself off, taking a step back.

"I'm right here," he answered behind you. You stopped moving, slowly moving your gaze to look at the Jade-lookalike. You whipped your head to see Jade fully clothed and looking humanlike. Behind him stood Azul. You scowled suspiciously at Azul and the other Jade. "That is my twin, Floyd." Floyd smiled at you showing off those same sharp teeth that Jade had.

"I'm out of here," you threw up your hands and trudged off.

"Aaaawwwww, Shrimpy, don't you want to hang out," Floyd called out in a crooning tone.

"No! I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible before I get sick," you retorted. At the end of your sentence you sneezed. Great! You were getting sick.

"I'll see you later, brother," Jade spoke before following you. "I need to take care of my dear teammate."

"Dear my ass," you growled. Brushing off the collecting snowflakes from your hair. With long strides, the teal-haired survivor caught up to you and placed his blazer over your shoulders. You looked up in shock before looking away with pink cheeks, "Thanks." It was sweet in a way. Well, maybe that was your thinking since no one had ever done that for you.

"I expect compensation after this match," Jade smirked. You stopped in your tracks while the male continued forward. You were prepared to shove the blazer back into his arms when you thought better than to receive a lecture from Emily. Especially, since Jade would be there telling how you refused his "generosity". You sniffed the material which smelled like men's body wash and shampoo.

"Well, at least he thinks about hygiene." You heard the cipher pop.

"Smelling my clothes is unnecessary to find out if I keep my personal hygiene," Jade glanced at you with a raised brow teasing you while he decoded the gates. Caught red-handed.

[bespokeredmayne]

Celebrating Mum

On this Mother’s Day in the UK, a look at Eddie Redmayne and Patricia Burke Redmayne, his lookalike mum (even he admits it) through photos, quotes and vignettes. A very happy day to our followers celebrating today!

His earliest recollection of his mother:

Being pushed in my pram by my mum across Albert Bridge when I was three. It was pouring with rain but I was so cosy and I remember looking up and seeing my mum’s face drenched with rain.”

On being called ‘Eddie’:

I’ve never been ‘Edward’—except occasionally when I was younger and mum would get pissed off with me.

Eddie took his mother as his date to the Tony Awards in NY in 2010 when he won as Best Featured Actor for “Red.” He forgot to thank her in his acceptance speech but more than made up for the omission in his post-awards interviews:

“Any opportunity to thank my mum...and it is my mom’s birthday today. And she’s staying in a hotel in the Bowery and all, and she had a dress fitting, trying on all her dresses, and she’s wearing a dress she bought 25 years ago, which I think is pretty damned good going. She looks amazing.”

Her concerns about his career:

“...when I was younger and I was showing interest, that perhaps if you get knocked by bad reviews and stuff she would see that it would hurt a bit. And she’s like, “Darling, have you thought about becoming a lawyer? I mean, lawyers are basically actors. It’s the same thing.” And she would occasionally repeat this. And I’ll be like, “Mom, have you ever seen me win an argument?” And she’d be like, “No.” I’m like, “So…?”

On shooting ‘Theory of Everything’ at his alma mater, Cambridge University

“I was in such a myopic bubble,” he said. “About three days into filming in Cambridge, I got a text message from my mum, to the effect of how amazing that, ten years on, you’re back where you were lucky enough to go to university.”

Her excitement at ‘The Theory of Everything” and his Oscar nomination:

"I think it was an extraordinary film and after a time watching it I forgot it was Eddie. I just thought it was Stephen Hawking. He's a performer and has been ever since he was five and he first started singing at school. I remember at his 21st birthday one of his friends gave a speech saying they were looking forward to seeing him at the Oscars...We're absolutely delighted and over the moon with the news. I found out this afternoon and I had some champagne with some friends to celebrate. I think there are so many great actors out there at the moment, I think he has done so well to be nominated."

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 13: Bismuth Casual (originally posted on April 12, 2021)

AN: This chapter may seem innocent, and it is, but after this it'll only be two more chapters till we see Black Rutile again. But enough about her for right now, let's give Bismuth some lovin'! And a certain Rose-like human will be along for the ride too.

Synopsis: Bismuth learns how to forge relationships when she becomes Pearl's wing-Gem on a roller-rink date.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Deedee Magno Hall as Pearl, Brandish

Grace Rolek as Connie

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth, Khadijah

Lamar Abrams as Jaime, Daniel

Tahani Anderson as Patricia

Brian Posehn as Sour Cream

Dan Castellaneta as Skate Rental Guy

Featuring Kristin Chenoweth as Sheena Synstylae

And Emily King as herself

--

One night on a road away from Beach City, Steven was driving his Dondai Supremo with Connie next to him in the front seat and Pearl & Bismuth sitting in the back. Bismuth was dressed for a night out in a white dress shirt and her multicolored dreadlocks being done up in a ponytail. As the four continued driving, Connie began to turn up the radio.

"Oh, I love this song!" Connie cheered before she started singing along to the Emily King music on the car radio. "You can't hold me now, hold me now, ooh."

"And that was "Can't Hold Me", by Emily King." Sour Cream's voice came from the radio as the song ended. "Just one of many songs you can request your beloved host to play at the Starlight Roller Rink every night! And now a word from our sponsors."

"I'm so excited that you're coming along with us to the roller rink tonight and experience some interpersonal relationships." Pearl said to Bismuth while rolling up her shirtsleeve, causing the blacksmith to blush. "Ooh, don't be afraid to show off your gem." She added, opening up Bismuth's shirt to expose the gem on her chest. "Everyone's going to love you there."

"Hope I can keep up." Bismuth chuckled lightly. "Can't wait to meet your date too."

"Well, she's not really my date, we just talked to each other on the phone a few times in the past and now we've decided to hang out tonight." Pearl stated. "But the most important thing is-"

"Are you tired of shady mechanics bleeding you dry?!" a commercial suddenly interrupted Pearl and got her excited. "Then come on down to Cam's Camshafts!"

"Turn it up, I love this!" Pearl cheered.

"What, you mean this car salesman ad?" Steven chuckled at Pearl's excitement over a commercial of all things.

"Yes, turn it up!" Pearl answered as she reached over to turn up the volume and began singing along to the jingle. "Cam's Camshafts is the place to bring your wreck, get your car repaired for cheap and fair without risking your neck! Cam's Camshafts!"

"Pearl, you absolute dork!" Bismuth roared happily while Steven and Connie laughed just as the car drove up to the Starlight Roller Rink. "Hey, here we are!"

"You got that right Bismuth." Steven declared while parking his Supremo in the parking lot and the four got out of the car. "Come on everybody, let's get inside."

As the group made their way to the rink's entrance, Bismuth turned to Pearl with a question. "So Pearl, what's your mystery girl like?"

"Well, she's rather quiet and bears a shocking resemblance to a certain Rose," Pearl answered. "but she did like how forward I was about fighting to defend the Earth thousands of years ago and gave me her number."

"Wow, sounds like she could be nice to hang with." Bismuth laughed.

--

"Here we are!" Pearl exclaimed as she, Steven, Connie, and Bismuth stepped inside the Starlight Roller Rink and looked around at the humans and Gems skating around the very 80s-like establishment.

"Wow, so humans can pay to have wheels attached to their feet for fun?" Bismuth wondered. "That is really something else."

"Hey, there's Sour Cream over there!" Steven pointed over to the Cool Kid running the DJ booth.

"I don't know about this you guys." Bismuth said uneasily while Pearl began looking around the rink. "I've never really skated before."

"That's okay Bis, I never skated before either." Steven comforted his mother's old teammate. "Once I discovered my powers, I never really had time for all these popular human activities myself. But hey, I'm sure it can't be that hard, right?"

"Yo Pearl, over here!" a woman's voice called out to Pearl.

"Oh, there you are!" Pearl exclaimed as she skipped over to four human women awaiting her. One of the women had dark skin and a pink Mohawk, another had blue hair and a punk style of clothes, the third looked like an elderly hippie, and the fourth bore a striking resemblance to Rose Quartz.

"So that must be Pearl's little fan club, huh?" Bismuth asked as Pearl gave the mohawked girl a roll of toilet paper from her gem and the Rose lookalike a kiss on the cheek. "They seem so friendly and interesting."

"Steven, Connie, Bismuth, I'd like you to meet some of my human friends." Pearl called her three friends over to meet her human pals. "This is Khadijah, Jaime, and Brandish. And Steven, I think you might be familiar with Sheena here."

"Yeah, you were at the Big Donut when Pearl made a fool of herself trying to hit on me." Sheena chuckled as she shook Steven's hand. "Yeah, the name's Sheena, Sheena Synstylae."

"So, you guys have known Pearl long?" Khadijah asked Steven, Connie, and Bismuth.

"I've basically known Pearl my entire life." Steven answered.

"Pearl taught me how to use a sword." Connie added.

"And I've known Pearl for like, a few thousand years." Bismuth said.

"That's right, Bismuth's an architect!" Pearl exclaimed in response.

"A builder, huh?" Jaime asked with great interest as she and the rest of Pearl's human posse took Bismuth to the rink, leaving Steven & Connie by themselves.

"Anything you've built that you're proud of?" Sheena added.

"Little Homeworld for one, with a little help." Bismuth answered.

"Ooh, tell us more!" Brandish said excitedly.

"Come on Steven, let's get our skates." Connie said to Steven as she walked him to the skate rental desk.

"Okay." Steven replied before they turned to the man handing out roller skates.

"Welcome to the Starlight Roller Rink. Can I get anything in your shoe size?" the squeaky-voiced young man asked the duo.

"Um," Steven muttered as he looked down at his feet, trying to think about his shoe size before picking up one of his shoes to hand over. "Got anything in this size?"

"I'll see what I can do." The teen at the desk answered before he turned to Connie. "And as for you young lady?"

"Same for me." Connie replied, handing over one of her shoes as well.

"Alright then, enjoy your night." The teen said before he handed over some pairs of roller skates that were just the right size for Steven and Connie.

--

"Okay, are you ready?" Connie asked Steven after they laced up their newly rented skates.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Steven replied, then the two stood up as two other kids around their age skated by and noticed Connie.

"Then let's get skating!" Connie declared before one of the kids called out for her.

"Hey, is that Connie?" a girl in a pink hijab and red-framed glasses exclaimed before she and a boy skated over to Steven and Connie.

"Patricia, Daniel!" Connie exclaimed, then she turned to Steven. "Steven, I'd like you to meet Patricia and Daniel, they're some friends of mine from cram school."

"Hi, I'm Steven." Steven introduced himself to Connie's friends. "Uh, how's it going?"

"Going good." Daniel smiled at Steven.

"You should've seen Daniel earlier," Patricia smirked. "his mom really tore into him for some bad scores on a test, and he's all bent out of shape about it."

"Augh!" Daniel groaned. "I was doing real fine until you brought that up."

"I know what that's like." Steven laughed awkwardly. "One time, White Diamond tore into me by taking my gem out of my body." Patricia and Daniel just stared at Steven, having no idea what he was talking about until he revealed his gem on his belly. "I'm part-Gem by the way. When I mean she took my gem out, I mean she pulled it out like a splinter."

"Ooookay then." Patricia replied with a raised eyebrow. "So, what grade are you in?"

"Grade?" Steven, having not been given a proper education like most humans his age, began getting grades mixed up with age. "Uh, I'm sixteen!"

"Sixteen?" Daniel gasped.

"So you're taking AP classes then?" Patricia guessed.

"Uhhhh, AP what now?" Steven asked, now having no idea himself.

"You want to skate with us?" Connie offered Patricia and Daniel.

"Heck yeah!" Patricia laughed and the three friends rolled to the rink, leaving Steven alone and embarrassed.

"You really blew that one Steven." Steven groaned to himself. "I bet if they were Gems trying to kill me, we'd treat it like water under the bridge after a fun song or an inspiring speech."

"Hey Steven, you're missing out!" Connie called for Steven as she entered the rink, where she started laughing and hanging out with Patricia & Daniel.

"I'm coming!" Steven replied and tried to skate himself, but he unfortunately slipped and fell on his face.

"Are you okay?" Connie asked comfortingly while skating over to her half-alien friend.

"Yeah, it's only my first time." Steven reassured Connie while trying to get up. "But I'm sure I'll get it right somehow. Just go on without me."

"If you say so." Patricia said while she and Daniel skated away.

"Call us if you change your mind." Connie added as she followed the pair.

As his friend departed, Steven slowly got back up again and tried to skate. This time, luckily, he was finally able to take it slow.

"I'm finally getting the hang of this." Steven muttered happily to himself.

--

Meanwhile, Bismuth was skating with Pearl, Sheena, Khadijah, Jaime, and Brandish, and started showing off some skating moves of her own, to the humans' excitement.

"Dang Bismuth, you're already, like, a natural at this." Khadijah complimented Bismuth's grace.

"I love your flow." Brandish added.

"And you said this was your first time!" Sheena chuckled in response before she turned to Pearl. "Though she's still not as graceful as you are."

"Oh stop Sheena!" Pearl blushed at her human lover's comment.

"Well, y'all ain't seen nothing yet!" Bismuth yelled before she picked up Pearl and began swinging her around on the rink, cackling all the way.

"Bismuth, you're a natural!" Pearl yelled happily as Bismuth put her down. "Here's another thing you should know. When humans want to see each other again, they exchange little codes called "phone numbers". You should try it yourself sometime, it's fun."

"What you talking about Pearl?" Bismuth laughed. "I'm having fun already."

"That reminds me." Pearl realized before she plucked a roll of toilet paper from her gem and placed it in Bismuth's big purple hand. "Every human has at least one of these in their homes. Sometimes it's even used for vandalism."

"Oh Pearl, you're so bad!" Bismuth chortled just as Pearl began skating away with Sheena. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I've taught you all you need to know for the moment Bismuth, now go out and have fun!" Pearl exclaimed as she skated with Sheena to a nearby old man. "Sheena and I are going to make some connections of our own!"

"Excuse me, sir," Sheena tapped an old man's shoulder and presented him a toilet paper roll from Pearl's gem in her hands. "could we interest you in some TP tonight?"

"Uh, okay?" the old man reluctantly accepted the offer before skating away. "Dang young people these days."

"Um, I'm actually thousands of years older!" Pearl corrected the gentleman.

"Have fun?" Bismuth muttered while watching the happy couple skate around and hand out toilet paper to other attendants of the rink. "I mean, Pearl's friends already love me."

"Hey Bis, wanna show us some more of your moves?" Jaime asked as Pearl's human friends skated over to Bismuth.

"Well, if you insist." Bismuth shrugged and began to show off more moves for the humans to cheer about.

--

Back to Steven, he had just made it back around the rink to the entrance, and he stumbled back onto the shooting star-patterned carpet in exhaustion. "One lap around the rink. I think that deserves a break."

"Hey, Steven." Connie greeted as she skated back to Steven.

"Hey, Connie." Steven responded tiredly while grabbing onto the edge of the railing to pick himself up. "Hey, where are Daniel and Patricia?"

"They're still out there on the rink." Connie answered, thumbing back to her cram schoolmates having fun. "Did you want to hang out? You know, we could just return our skates and chat."

"No, you're here to have fun." Steven wheezed. "You're so busy studying, so you should just take this time to be with your friends."

"You're my friend too." Connie comforted Steven. "You want to sit down to some tater tots?"

"No, this is your night." Steven rejected the offer. "Just forget about me and go have fun."

"Okay then. Catch you later." Connie replied as she skated back to her friends.

"What am I doing?" Steven groaned in defeat before Bismuth saw him depressed.

"Something the matter, my lil' lion?" Bismuth asked Steven.

"Can't believe I'm saying this Bismuth," Steven responded. "but I think I've forgotten how to talk to humans. Crazy, right?"

"Yeah, that is pretty nuts." Bismuth agreed before she presented Steven with toilet paper. "You want one of these? Pearl and Sheena keep handing these out cause they say they're supposed to help."

"Maybe later." Steven responded sadly.

"I mean, how could you say that?" Bismuth asked. "You're so dang great at talking to everyone, like your dad or Connie for instance!"

"Greg's my dad, so he doesn't count." Steven stated while looking at Connie, Patricia, and Daniel from afar. "As for Connie, I was perfectly fine when it was just us. But now that's she got those two with her, I have no idea how to talk anymore. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"You got that right." Bismuth replied. "Sheena, Khadijah, Jaime, and Brandish are all great, but they're not what I'm here for."

"Then who are you here for?" Steven asked. Bismuth just answered by shifting her pupils over to Pearl, which gave Steven a good idea of what she was talking about. "You're here for Pearl?!"

Bismuth shushed Steven by covering his mouth while waving over to Pearl, who merrily waved back before she started slow-dancing with Sheena. "In case you're wondering, I am a bit jealous! But I don't wanna admit it because Sheena's a great gal and I'm happy Pearl's found someone."

"Are you trying to hide this from them?" Steven asked as he moved Bismuth's hand off his mouth. "Why can't you just join in on their relationship? I mean, I saw a few couples like that around here made up of more than two people."

"I just don't want to take away from what Pearl's got." Bismuth answered morosely while spectating on Pearl having the time of her life. "She's got her own thing going on, perfectly happy with her life with lots of human friends and even a girlfriend. She's like the Pearl I remember, but a bit happier. I just needed to catch up."

"Yeah." Steven sympathized with the Gem veteran. "When Connie and I fought side by side to save the universe from the Diamonds, things were a lot easier between us, barring some infractions. We were fighting the same fight, but now it's like we're living completely different lives now. I wonder if she even wants to be my best friend anymore."

Bismuth slammed her arm on the edge of the rink in shock, giving Steven a little fright. "How long has this been going on?"

"Past couple of months." Steven revealed. "I think it started when she went to space camp before Spinel came to Earth."

"Listen, Steven," Bismuth comforted her former leader's son. "Pearl brought me here to set me up with her friends and to be with her girlfriend, but Connie came here to be with you. You got nothing to mope about."

"But her friends probably think I'm weird." Steven admitted. "You should've seen their faces when I told them about what White Diamond did to me."

"Of course you're weird, you're a Crystal Gem!" Bismuth declared. "The Crystal Gems were all a bunch of Gems deemed too weird by society to fit in, and the same goes for you! Connie's known that, she's always known, but that never stopped you two from being buddies!"

"You're right." Steven began taking Bismuth's motivational speech to heart. "Connie knows who I am. She's my friend, and she always will be!"

"So what do you want to do?!" Bismuth kept on pumping the boy up.

"To spend time with Connie!" Steven answered with determination.

"And what are you gonna do?!"

"Skate with Connie!"

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Bismuth roared triumphantly. "Don't let your dreams be dreams, so JUST DO IT!" With that, Bismuth shoved Steven back onto the rink and he skidded rapidly towards Connie. "Gotta thank Peridot for showing me those motivational vids later."

--

"CONNIE!" Steven screamed as he zoomed towards his human friend, but then he skidded past her and began to trip & fall flat on his face yet again.

"Steven?" Connie heard Steven call her name and raced over to find him on the ground. "Steven, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry Connie, I just didn't want to hold you back." Steven apologized while he was helped to his feet.

"I don't mind, I just wanted to hang out." Connie replied earnestly.

"You've got cram school and new friends." Steven admitted. "You're going places and I'm proud of you for how far you've come since that time I got us stuck in the bubble, but I feel like we've been drifting apart. I wish we could reconnect but," Then he started to get nervous and abruptly changed the subject. "I don't know how to skate!"

"Skating's what you're worried about?" Connie laughed in disbelief just as Sour Cream turned on his microphone.

"Alright skaters!" Sour Cream announced. "It's time for our nightly skate contest. The skater with the sickest moves in the rink will be crowned skater of the night! Any takers?"

"C'mon, I know just what to do." Connie declared as she took Steven's hand, causing the pair to glow pink and emerge as Stevonnie while Sour Cream prepared some music for the competition and turned the lights from blue to pink.

"In the night, in the middle of the day." Emily King's voice began singing as Stevonnie handed over Connie's skates and got some new ones that were just their size. "Used to tell me we should leave it up to fate. I call you over, but you always hesitate. Now I know that I'll never have to wait."

Despite some initial stumbling, the fusion found their footing and began showing off their moves with utmost grace & style. "Close my eyes, let down my hair. I'm thinking 'bout what I want, gonna take me there.”

Patricia and Daniel gasped in wonder as Stevonnie whizzed right past everyone else at the rink and towards Bismuth. "Turn the dial, on the on the stereo." When they reached Bismuth, Stevonnie leaped over the Gem and gave her a midair high-five. "And I'm thinking 'bout who I want, and I won't let go."

"Who's the new kid?" Sheena asked Pearl before her alien lover was spun around by Stevonnie as the chorus began. "You can't hold me now, only I can do that. You can't hold me now, only I can do that. You can't hold me now, only I can do that. You can't hold me now, hold me now, ooh."

With a split by Stevonnie that would make an entire gymnastics team blush, the other skaters applauded loudly at their skill while the lights returned to normal. "I know them!" Pearl cried out to the crowd.

"I think we know who the winner is," Sour Cream declared from his booth. "unless someone wants to one-up them."

"Who can possibly top that?" Sheena commented as the crowd shook their heads.

"Well, guess that means the winner, by default, is Stevonnie!" Sour Cream congratulated the fusion of Steven and Connie before they defused into the two youths, each of them wearing a skate on one foot.

"Thanks, Connie." Steven said gratefully. "I really needed that."

"Steven, Connie, that was amazing!" Patricia exclaimed as she and Daniel skated over to the two.

"What the heck was that?!" Daniel inquired excitedly.

"That?" Connie responded with a blush. "That was fusion. It's kind of our thing."

"Just something I got from my mom's side of the family." Steven added.

"The one thing I got from my mom was tons of stress!" Daniel joked.

"Same." Steven laughed.

"Yo, Steven!" Sour Cream called for Steven. "You and Connie get to pick the next song as your prize for the contest."

"Next song?" Steven wondered while looking Bismuth's way as she skated over to Pearl and Sheena. "I think I got an idea. C'mon Connie."

As Steven led Connie away, Bismuth stopped to talk with Sheena. "Hey, Sheena was it? I know you might find it weird, but I have a bit of a thing for Pearl too, though I've had it longer than you have, but I'm just a bit jealous of how happy you two are together yet I didn't want to admit it. Hope you're not mad?"

"Eh, at least you're taking it better than some of my last dates." Sheena laughed. "Maybe we can make room for one more."

"Excellent idea." Pearl agreed with her human girlfriend and let Bismuth sandwich herself between the two just as an announcement was made.

"This next song is a request from Steven and Connie." Sour Cream declared. "And they're dedicating this to some special friends of theirs." With that, a certain commercial was played and brought a smile to Pearl's face.

"Bismuth, it's my favorite song!" Pearl cheered, causing her two loves to laugh at her taste in music.

"Cam's Camshafts is the place to bring your wreck, get your car repaired for cheap and fair without risking your neck!" Bismuth started singing along with the ad.

"Cam's Camshafts!" Pearl and Sheena added in harmony before the three gazed lovingly into each other's eyes and skated off with Khadijah, Jaime, and Brandish following behind.

Once again, the music changed as Steven and Connie began skating arm in arm, followed by Patricia & Daniel, and they began laughing.

--

Well, that's one relationship taken care of! After all, Pearl has two hands and has the power to make more of them. But with that out of the way, next chapter will also feature a certain relationship, but this one is a little more controversial. Can you guess which it is? If you already looked at the episode list on my DeviantArt page, you already know what's coming. See you next week!

[lifejustgotawkward]

365 Day Movie Challenge (2017) - #151: Lost Highway (1997) - dir. David Lynch

Much like my memories of Dune from last month, my recollection of viewing Lost Highway is strange and foggy. Unlike the big-budget, unintentional mess of Dune, however, I consider Lost Highway one of David Lynch’s greatest works of art. I can’t remember when a lot of scenes happened or how they flowed into each other; mostly I just remember brief flashes of imagery and music from the two halves of the film, a nightmarish set of journeys into the darkest elements of the humanity and, for lack of a better description, non-humanity.

Jazz musician Fred Madison (Bill Pullman) is framed for his Bettie Page lookalike wife Renee’s (Patricia Arquette) murder, but somehow, while sitting in his jail cell, Fred mysteriously transforms into a much younger man named Pete Dayton (Balthazar Getty). A nearly identical femme fatale haunts Pete: he has an affair with Alice Wakefield (also Patricia Arquette), the alluring blonde girlfriend of a psychotic gangster called Mr. Eddy (Robert Loggia). As Pete tries to figure out who he was/is and what kinds of crazy crimes he’s mixed up in, the ghosts of both his and Fred’s pasts come back to haunt him/them. I suppose only David Lynch truly understands everything that happens in the film, but however you interpret the story - or at least the parts of it that can be pieced together - it’s fascinating.

In Lost Highway, Lynch clearly cites the influences of Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid’s Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) and Robert Aldrich’s Kiss Me Deadly (1955), a potent blend of surrealism and film noir that, when mixed with the soundtrack featuring David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, the Smashing Pumpkins, Lou Reed, Marilyn Manson, This Mortal Coil and Rammstein, creates a real knockout cocktail of Lynchian horror. Unlike some David Lynch films, where you may feel the need to overcome the weirdness in order to pay attention to some semblance of narrative (Eraserhead, Dune, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire), with Lost Highway you can just sit back and accept that, like many a classic noir tale, the story makes no sense.

I mentioned earlier that Patricia Arquette’s “Renee” character resembles Bettie Page, but I also love the fact that the “Alice” persona is a sort of Marilyn Monroe or Jayne Mansfield type. Not only that, but everywhere you turn in the film you meet another fascinating character: besides the aforementioned actors, Michael Massee, Gary Busey, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Richard Pryor (!), Jack Nance (in his final film role), Henry Rollins, Giovanni Ribisi and even Marilyn Manson show up. Most chilling, however, is Robert Blake as the “Mystery Man” who supernaturally controls the dark forces in Fred’s and Pete’s conjoined lives. I do not exaggerate when I say that Blake’s character is the creepiest in David Lynch’s entire filmography, Frank Silva’s Killer BOB included. Maybe my feeling is mostly attributed to the fact that Frank Silva was apparently a really sweet guy in real life and Robert Blake is... well, Robert Blake, but whatever the case, Lost Highway’s creepiest villain unsettled me to the point that I’m surprised he didn’t materialize in my dreams.

Damn you, David Lynch, for making Lost Highway such a freaky, misunderstood masterpiece.