#that laura interview and extra scenes...

[duskyashe]

CAMP NANO DAY 7

[First] [Next] [AO3]

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Mischief was almost eight when his mama started forgetting things. He'd recently decided he wanted to go by Stiles at school, but his mama kept forgetting to call the office to let them know, which was bad enough, but then she started forgetting why his hair had a streak of white in it, and she'd been there when it had happened, so that's how he knew it was bad. He hadn't known how bad it really was until he overheard his mama and papa talking about going to the doctors about it, though.

Mischief didn't like the doctors, it was loud and it always smelt funny and they liked to stick you with needles. He didn't want his mama to get stuck by needles, so he Wished his mama was nice and healthy so she wouldn't need to go to the doctors.

When a full week went by and his mama hadn't had any more forgetting episodes, all talk of taking her to the doctors was put away, and Mischief couldn't be happier.

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Mischief was ten and primarily going by Stiles when the Hale house fire happened. His papa had been called in to work just as the three of them had sat down for dinner. His papa, still unaware of the supernatural, apologized, kissed his mama and him on the heads, and grabbed his uniform coat on his way out the door, not knowing that Stiles had heard the entire call.

"Stilinski here." "Stilinski, I know you had a nice evening with the family planned, but it's a shit show over here, we need all hands on deck." "What, why, what's going on?" "The Hales house burned down with eleven people inside. There're only three survivors, Peter Hale, who we found miraculously still alive in the basement near an open window, and Laura and Derek Hale, who had stayed late after school for basketball practice." "Sh-shoot, let me grab my coat and I'll be right over. Bullpen or at the scene?" "Bullpen is fine, you're going to interview the kids as a fresh set of ears." "Yessir."

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A month after the fire, Stiles overheard Scott McCall whining to Jeremy Greenberg about his mom not being home as often because "one of the nurses in the long term ward got suspended for some reason and now mom has to take extra shifts to cover until they can hire a new nurse, but now all she talks about when she's home is how sad it is that this guy named Peter is all alone and hasn't had any visitors since the fire."

That can't be right, Stiles thought in confusion. The only fire that happened recently that had a Peter involved was the Hale fire, but he's a wolf, he should be healed by now. Nevermind his niece and nephew also survived the fire, they should be visiting him! Maybe it's a different Peter from out of town? But no, that would have to be too many coincidences to be true. I'll have to investigate after school, he decided.

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It took a lot of sneaking around and looking at files that he maybe shouldn't have been looking at for Stiles to get his answers, though they left him with more questions than before. The Hales had been a fairly respectable wolf pack, maybe not the largest ever, but definitely one of the most influential. Peter Hale was definitely a werewolf, and definitely not the alpha, which meant either Laura or Derek, wherever they were, was the new Hale alpha and they'd just left Peter behind when they left. There had been absolutely no contact with either of the younger Hales since two days after the fire, and absolutely no visitors that weren't hospital staff since Peter had come in.

"This isn't right," Stiles muttered under his breath, staring at Peter's file in his lap as he sat in a chair next to the man. "You're a wolf, you should be healing. You should have your pack with you. None of this is right!" Amber eyes lifted from the pages to look at the man, himself, flashing red briefly as he took in the destressing sight in front of him. "I can smell your pain," the ten year old whispered. "I can smell your fear. This isn't right." Amber flashed red again as Stiles came to a decision. "If I said I could heal you, would you accept?" There was no response, but he wasn't expecting one in the first place. "Your alpha abandoned you, hasn't even called you in a month. As far as I'm concerned, you're fair game. Peter, whatever did this to you, whatever hurt you so badly you can't heal properly, it will never hurt you again," Stiles said, Wishing it so. "You're going to get better, you got that? No more being trapped in this hospital room all by yourself. You're going to get better, and when you do, I'm going to offer you a place in my sleuth, my pack." Amber eyes flashed red one last time and blue eyes flashed back.

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Noah Stilinski rubbed his face with a sigh as he put his cruiser in park. He'd been about to clock out when the department got a frantic call from the hospital. Apparently, within an hour of school ending for the day, one of the newer residents in the long-term ward suddenly woke up and ran off without anyone seeing him. When the monitors had gone off in his room, nurses had immediately flocked to it, assuming the worst, only to find, not the dead body they'd been expecting, but a completely empty room. The door had been shut, the windows latched, and the in room bathroom empty. The police had done all they could to find the man, but after multiple hours of nothing, they had no trail, nothing to go off of, and so they called it a night and sent half the search party home. It was just after nine o'clock at night, Claudia and Stiles should have gotten back from closing up the bookstore about half an hour ago, and he honestly just hoped they had something ready for dinner. Sadly, that wasn't to be. He knew something was off the moment he walked in through the door. Claudia was lecturing Stiles on something, from the sounds of it.

"—know I raised you better than that, young man!"

"But mom, I did ask! He couldn't respond, but I did ask first! And anyway, put yourself in his shoes for a moment, if you were in that much pain, wouldn't you want the pain gone in any way possible? I just did the more morally acceptable thing and healed him. Drink your hot coco, Peter, if Professor Lupin swears by the stuff, then you know it's gotta be good."

Peter. Stiles. Noah walked into the living room to see Claudia standing by the coffee table with her back to the door, arms crossed and foot tapping irritably against the rug, Stiles in front of the couch with a blanket in hand, and a very much not missing Peter Hale sitting on said couch, buried under two other blankets, clutching a mug of Swiss Miss brand hot chocolate and wearing—

"Is that my old police academy sweatshirt?" Noah asked incredulously, instantly gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"Oh hey, papa! Look who I found! And yeah, he only had a hospital gown on, so I dug out some of your old clothes for him, hope you don't mind!" Stiles greeted him with a bright grin on his face, but Noah's gaze was fixated on Peter—and the very wide, very much glowing blue eyes aimed in his direction. Stiles followed his gaze and slumped a little. "Oh. Well, that wolf is out of the bag now, I guess." He perked back up a moment later, though. "However, I did always say great uncle Aleksy's "Humans Can't Be Pack" thing was rather silly, so I'm not too torn up over it!"

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TADA! Chapter two! (And yes, it's gonna be chapter two in the AO3 fic lol) I had a lot of fun planning this one out with my mom, we were throwing ideas back and forth at each other last night after I posted yesterday's ficlet, and I even started writing this before I went to bed to ensure I wouldn't forget them all (⁠✿⁠^⁠‿⁠^⁠) I was originally going to try writing this yesterday, but the only ideas I had were better suited for chapter three or four, so I ended up putting it off until today, and I think both yesterday's fic and today's fic are much better for it <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠>

I'm pretty much planning on continuing this fic, yesterday's fic, and last Saturday's fic for the rest of the month, with a few oddballs thrown in when I can't think of anything for those three series, just letting y'all know (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ all by readers are awesome, whether they're on Tumblr or AO3 (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

[elennemigo]

1st

✧ The Power of the Dog released on Netflix.

✧ More TPOTD press junket! (⚠ Beware of possible spoilers!)

On Demand Entertainment.

Movie Show Plus.

FOX6 News

BackstageOL’s

The Edit.

Netflix France.

3rd

✧ Benedict wins Critics Best Actor Awards. (all of them in this section)

New York Film Critics Circle.

Atlanta Film Critics Circle.

Boston Online Film Critics Association.

New York Film Critics Online

Philadelphia Film Critics Circle.

Phoenix Film Critics Society.

Southern Eastern Film Critics Association.

Chicago Film Critics Association/CFCA.

Portland Critics Association.

Phoenix Critics Circle.

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association.

Nevada Film Critics Society.

Dublin Film Critics Circle.

✧ “Adapting TPOTD” film featurette.

✧ Benedict in this TPOTD promo clip for Netflix.

4th ✧ TPOTD - A Tight-Knit Ensemble Drives Jane Campion’s Award-Winning Western.

6th ✧ Making of ‘Power of the Dog’. THR article.

7th ✧ Virtual Film Q&A: TPOTD. (Event not available.) Fans pics and clips: x x x

✧ Benedict was included in The New York Times’ Best Actors of 2021 list. + New photoshoot (Gallery.)

8th

✧ In Conversation with the Filmmakers and Cast of The Power of the Dog | Netflix

10th

✧ TPOTD behind the scenes | Ari Wegner.

11th

✧ TPOTD | Hair and Makeup featurette.

✧ Benedict in a TPOTD promo clip for Netflix Japan.

13th

✧ Benedict placed first in the gender-neutral Best Performance category of 2021 Indiewire survey.

✧ Benedict joins the cast of “Spider-man: No Way Home” to promote the movie on Jimmy Kimmel live! x x x

✧ “Spider-Man: No Way Home” World Premiere. (Gallery)

Fans clips: x x x x x x x x x Benedict talks to fans, official clip. Interview with Entertainment Tonight. Extra TV. jbwebtv. Access Hollywood. Marvel Entertainment.

14th ✧ Benedict chosen by Time between The 10 Best Movie Performances of 2021.

17th ✧ Interview with The Guardian.

✧Interview with DailyMail.

✧ “How Benedict Cumberbatch Transformed Into Phil Burbank” featurette.

18th ✧ Benedict and Claire Foy talks TELOLW with DigitalSpy.

19th ✧ Benedict  on Laura Whitmore show on BBC Radio 5. (Benedict starts at 1:05:55) - Available for a few days more.

22nd

✧ First official teaser for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”!

✧ First official teaser poster!

✧ Benedict Cumberbatch on TPOTD and toxic masculinity.

25th

✧ TPOTD production book on-line. (Direct link.)

28th ✧ Benedict Cumberbatch, and others, reveal most daunting experiences on set.

✧ Benedict and Claire Foy talks TELOLW with Cosmopolitan.

✧ Benedict and Claire Foy on Louis Wain: The Man Behind the Cats.

30th

✧ Letters Live released a letter from Rifleman Cyrus Thatcher, read by Benedict back in October.

                            »»———FIN———-««

[heymacy]

okay TD fun fact time since i’m in mourning and this is part of my grieving process (spoilers below the cut just fyi, if you’re not 100% caught up don’t you dare click it, you heathens) (these are all little things i sort of wrote in/did for myself but i think they’re fun little extras)

🎵🎸🥁🎹🎧❤️💃🏻📸🎼📝🎇🎳🕺🏼💅🏻💿🧦🥂🏆

the second album cover (“Youth”) is actually a picture of baby noel (no i’m serious)

also, in chapter 4, when ian looks into the photo book on mickey’s dresser with the family photos, all the pictures are all real childhood photos of emma and noel (aside from the photo of laura and the little girl on roller skates, which is “implied” to be laura as a child) (i got all of the pictures from instagram and pinterest, i’m not a psychopath) (well 👀)

when i write scenes with music in them, i listen to the song as i write (usually at least 3-4 times) to make sure the timing of the character’s actions lines up with the timing of the song. i also often go through the physical motions of the scene in tiny movements in front of my laptop to gauge timing. that being said, i want you to imagine me writing the absolutely-must-be-timed-correctly rooftop kiss scene. i’ll leave you with that visual as we move on 😂😇

not that everybody and their grandmother didn’t catch it already, but i made a few references to vegas in the story, since that’s where i live right now. namely, the “welcome to las vegas” shot glass at tiffany’s house in chapter 8 and mickey’s sarcastic suggestion that the gang goes to vegas for a “boy’s trip” (but really though, how funny would that be 👀 mandy would absolutely go with them ofc, ugh i’m having thoughts)

ever since i first heard “bittersweet symphony” when i was younger, i’ve always thought it was an incredibly cinematic song. the very sound of it feels like something that would play in the background as a character is walking into the next chapter of their life. therefore, i chose to use it as the song that played over the speakers at the bowling alley after mickey sang “teenage dirtbag” at the dance and the opening song of their chicagofest lineup (two moments that i felt were pivotal to the trajectory of their stories)

anna asked me this earlier but yes, it was always my intention for the band to experience a meteoric rise to fame in the end. from my very first outline back in…january? that was the plan. 😌 also, someone is reading/looking at a Rolling Stone magazine in almost every chapter, and the epilogue begins with their interview being published in the magazine, so it was always sneakily in the long-term plan 🥰

that being said: yes, it was also planned from the beginning for mickey to write “teenage dirtbag” himself - i had a few people ask me that after the chapter 4 lyric reveal when ian sees his notebook!

i saved/screenshotted over 400 potential photos to use for the photo book before i ever started writing the story, and the playlist had over 200 songs on it by the time chapter 1 was published. [bonus fun fact: the playlist for TLO (my next fic) is at 348 songs and i have over 1300 photos & videos saved (as of this moment). yes i need help shhhhh]

anyway 😇 i’m gonna go sit in denial for a while. it’s not over ahahahaha why would you say that?? ✨squeaky voice✨ i’m fine 😊

[planetchii]

THE MEGA NICHIASA SHITPOSTING REPORT

NOW WITH THAT GREAT 2 WEEK LATE TASTE

Tropical Rouge, Culture Festival! Everyone Together, Let's Put Make-Up On Aozora!: The Tropical girls are getting ready for the best time of the year: The cultural festival. And in true Tropical Fashion, the girls decided to hold make-up classes for all visitors. But while planning just the right make-up to teach the novice children and grown adults, Laura gets suspicious that Minori is looking over to her ex, the Literature Club. I mean, when you up and disappear into the library, it's kinda hard to not think that you're looking for an escape route. But it's fine because they totally have enough people to help with the make-up classes. As long as Minori stays in the clubhouse.

That being said, distancing yourself from the rest of the group isn't very cool, Minori. Now you have a suspicious smug fish being all suspicious. And being a detective. And asking questions. A lot of questions. And she would ask even more questions if Manatsuu and the Smug Fish Laura's homeroom booth wasn't short-staffed because the kids with that shift decided to get an early head start on getting their Yaruki power stolen.

Meanwhile, the Lazy Trio has clocked into work, and Chongiri drew the short straw today. Guys, he just wants to cook. He wasn't trained for this. And he certainly wasn't trained for being kidnaped by a bunch of martial artists to run their grilled squid booth. Even if it's the most fun that he's had. At least right up until the point where he remembered he was still on the clock. At least everyone is busy.

I mean, really busy: Sango is still teaching people how to put on lipstick properly, and Asuka is trying to make sure no one cuts the line. The only one who the Broadcast Club could interview for the Tropical Club was Minori. Who turns out to be a secret master of the make-up arts.

The lesson the monster should have taken away was don't touch books. Books are supposed to bring people joy. I feel like I've heard that before. It also turns out that the reason Minori left the Literature Club is because her sempai quite literally read The Great Book and that story was already written, and therefore boring and too familiar and unoriginal. Again, I feel like I've heard this before. But that's okay because Minori's stronger with the Sword of Logos Tropical Club.

Reviving A Legend! The Pretty Cure's Power-Up Makeover!: After getting the results of a contest that the girls were not aware they were part of, The Tropical Club finds out that they came in second in the "hey, this booth is pretty cool" contest. Everyone is so excited that even Kururun even has to say something in front of the School newspaper. In other news, the girls suddenly develop a love of ventriloquism. Before telling Kururun to do their best impersonation of a statue.

Elsewhere, the Witch is waking up from a nightmare when her ex-girlfriend up and left her. If only her ex just didn't have the energy to leave... she probably should have given her ex's money back. But on the plus side, the Butler finally does something! He heads to the nearest watering hole and figures out a way to make polymer slime. While that is going on, Manatsuu and Laura are having a loving conversation over who is the most Tropicool.

After a nice long conversation, Manatsuu and Laura head to sleep, where Manatsuu meets the legendary Precure in a trippy and glowy dream aquarium. Manatsuu probably shouldn't overeat at dinner. Especially when she nearly drowns in her own dream.

But in the morning, the Girls start heading to school, only to have the Butler's slime experiments come up from the depths of the town's canals. So the girls transform and try to find the source of the Yaruki power, only to have the Aqua mirror 404 error on Cure La Mer. But while trying to find the source of the Yaraneda power, Cure Summer learns that Kururun is a good listener and has not moved since the beginning of the episode.

Meanwhile, the villains really still have no idea what their actual job description is. They're now working to form a union because they don't even know why they have to do all of this extra work. They're just a maid, doctor, and cook respectfully. They have also decided that union dues are due at the end of the month. Nuremi will collect.

Elsewhere, Cure Summer has picked up one (1) Kururun but ends up having to sacrifice herself to save the good sealo. And while Summer is now being farmed for Yaraneda power, Kururun becomes the new Cure Summer. All Hail Cure Kururun. Only to get hit with friendly fire via Cure Papaya's eye lasers. RIP Cure Kururun.

But with the power of Friendship (TM) and a new Mirror (buy our toy) Toei actually giving a good budget for an episode and some new barefoot dancing, The Butler's polymer slime experiment is defeated. This type of leadership should be the Student Council President. Revice, The Devil is Just a Bad Guy?!: It's time for a company review of last week's (lol), super conference where FENIX was super happy to show off their belt and their choice for a Rider in front of the whole world and one over-excited family. Since it didn't go too well, someone's getting demoted as punishment. RIP Hiromi's commandership. Perhaps he shouldn't have tried to be a hero, because now instead of a belt, he has a contract to become a magical girl I mean, have a deadman walking around. And now, the one that they wanted to be Revice in Daiji, has become a go-for to get his older brother to sign a contract to also become a magical girl I mean to work for FENIX, since he's not scared of the belt. Daiji can't win.

Meanwhile, in a golf competition, an older brother and younger brother are fighting over who has the better swinging motion, and who has the better golf knowledge. The fighting gets so... well, not intense, but belittling for the younger sibling, so much so that he gets fired as his older brother's caddy.

Don't work for family. (I say that as a younger sibling too.) But at least he was sold this spiffy new contract by a personified alcohol person. Alcohol for your soul. Salespeople are getting real pushy with their selling.

Meanwhile, back at the bathhouse of Happiness, Daiji has come back home to offer Ikki an offer he can't refuse.

Ikki promptly refuses it. Something about needing more bare butts in the tubs. And probably wouldn't want to trigger Vice's fight or fight harder instincts. But in the mists of the "Please, Ikki, there's a 300,000 yen signing bonus" fight to get Ikki to work for FENIX, the dad apparently found a live stream of the golf fight. Fight or Fight Harder instincts fully engaged, Vice possesses a bike to get to the action faster. Regular bikes are for squares; get your demon-powered bike now at your local bike store.

At the golf course, Ikki and Vice transform. And while Ikki was actually doing his not-his-job, Vice went off to do some selling. He'll be denied no fights. At least until the new VStamp pulls him back in to become an Eagle. After beating the older brother's contract deadman, Vice goes back to selling things. At least until Ikki undoes the transformation.

But good news, everyone! Mama is almost completely healed from almost being eaten unceremoniously. And soothes Ikki's fear and tells him that plenty of people have had 2 jobs before. I mean, look at Vice, selling things. He sold the younger golf brother on visiting the Deadmans and getting his own Deadman. That's some A+ selling.

Not the right selling, apparently, since Ikki is pissed. We're not supposed to be selling the Deadmans, we're supposed to be selling the bathhouse. I mean the bathhouse services. And as punishment, Ikki fights this new Deadman without transforming when Daiji notifies them of this new, totally out of the blue and not sold to, Deadman. I mean we can't have other lives in danger.

Tasked with either apologize and fight properly or not fight at all, Vice agrees not to sell shit like Deadmen again and finally gets that magical girl contract. After beating the second Deadman of the day, the two golf brothers make up as much as siblings are willing to, for the low price of their stamps.

Hostage Trouble, What To Do Brother?!: While hanging out at the best-awarded rave place in town, the Deadmen are trying to look for a way to revive their head of ravers, and peanut butter named villain Jif I mean Giff, with a new recruit, a walking hood. Meanwhile, while Mama is trying to support her middle child, in a surprise to all middle children everywhere, an eviction company came to evict the bathhouse. Ikki proudly states that they will never be evicted from that spot, despite the father's best attempts.

Elsewhere, Sakura and her best friend forever Ayaka are going shoe shopping, where Ayaka finds these really nice sparkly shoes. Since Ayaka was not invited to her little sister's photoshoot (instead opting to bring her mom), it was only fair to bring about the shopping therapy. But it turns out that one of them has a stalker following them. And that stalker has some Deadmen foot soldiers. He really has this thing for Ayaka. But Sakura has a cellphone, and calls for Ikki, since we're not doing hide the identity thing.

When Ikki gets to the scene of the crime, he tells them to run, only for the stalker to throw a Pokeball and catch Ayaka. He also demands Sakura, a woman who could probably kick his ass, or he'll kill off Ayaka. But live your dream dude. No kink-shaming here. But they agree because killing people is bad. But is then interrupted by the Kong Deadman. At least Daiji comes in at the right time with the 555 suitcase, now holding the Revice Driver.

While in the midst of a hard-fought battle, the Deadman runs to where the girls are kidnapped, and while chasing this Deadman, Revi and Vice run against another alcohol personified man who wants to make a bargain: The girls for the stamps. This leads the new Go-For Daiji to go back to the FENIX Inc., and retrieve the new stamps, and takes a look at the new P-Bandai belt. Daiji asks if it's possible for him to use that belt, only for George to do his best Ankh impersonation and laughed in his face.

In a sign of kindness, the stalker allows Ayaka to call her mom, who tells her to bug off, she's watching her daughter work the cameras. It sucks to know you're not the favorite.

Elsewhere, the trade is going down, in the following fight allows both of the stamps to go back to Ikki and Vice who pull off their best Den-O impersonation, and end the fight. And in the confusion, Sakura breaks out of her confinements and kicks the ass of the stalker, proving that if Toei doesn't make her a Rider they are missing an opportunity. Sucks that it seems the stalker isn't the actual contract holder.

Back at the Rave Central, The Hooded Intern has these new sparkly shoes.

Zenkaiger, No. 27-kai! A Great Voyage Through Seven Worlds!: After hearing that his mom is still alive and has escaped her deep sleep can on Tojitendo Kikaitopia, The Zenkaiger group starts looking for Kaito's mom Mitsuko. Despite their best efforts, including a massive Google search by Secchan, they still can't find her. This leads to the thought by Gaon that maybe she escaped to a whole other world.

Since it was a good thought, Kaito asks his boyfriend Vox if he can borrow his pirate ship to go look for her. He promises to fill it back up with gas. What does it take, diesel? Regular?

Vox doesn't allow this because Kaito has no driver's license. I mean, neither does Vox, but Flint does and Flint has the keys.

Meanwhile, Stacey hates his job and now is sent on a wild chase to find a woman he may or may not have let out for the sake of his adopted grandma and ice cream supplier. Truthfully, it wasn't entirely his fault. It's not like he attacked the warp gate like the others when he may or may not have left the sleeping pod open.

Back with the heroes, Vroom and Gaon stay behind because Toei's budget is running a little tight. Can't have all that CGI and stuff after spending all that money on the CGI for the other worlds. There are budget concerns to think about, you know. But the remaining heroes board the Pirate ship and Magine sets about looking for Mitsuko with her crystal ball. But because the Pirates have no time for proper seancing, they just start picking the closest worlds to our heroes' world and work from there. Mr. Su is everywhere, by the way.

And after going to worlds where they are called perverts, nearly arrested, and freeze to death, in that order, Stacey arrives with his entourage of other people looking to cash in on overtime and says that all of the other worlds are getting visited, because she didn't just go back home, and not because they shot themselves in the foot. Instead of searching for clues in the Ice World, the Zenkaigers and Twokaizers head off to the Mushroom Kingdom. They did not see any plumbers, however. But, they "find" "Mama" "Mitsune" before Stacey and his crew of merry overtime workers, and a fight breaks out. After beating this wave, the Pirate ship heads off to Earth, much to the relief of Stacey who just wants to make Yatsune happy. Only to be told to follow them. Leading to another battle on Ice World. Stacey better be getting paid time and a half for this. The Zenkaigers win again and head back to Earth. But after the fight, "Mitsuko" takes off the magical disguise to show that it was Me, Magine! (not actually this writer.) with the hope that the bait and switch will get Tojitendo Kikaitopia to leave the other worlds alone, and just focus on them.

No. 28-kai! Weekly Shonen Manga World of Great Illustrations!: Kaito finally got his learner's permit to drive interdimensional ships and is going on a drive with Flint and some of his friends for practice before his big test with the Experienced Driver Flint. Vox has decided that is not his scene and is hanging out at Colorful, on Kaito's dime.

As someone who loves discovery, Vroom has made a big one: Vox is an Otaku. Vox loves him some manga. This is cool since Vroom is also a Manga Sommelier. And so is today's world, Manga World. And Manga World is working on his new hit piece for not-Shonen Jump about the everyday lives of the People of Earth. The pages even move! Now with exclusive Zyuran and Magine chapters! This is a limited edition, so make sure to get yours soon.

Back at Kikaitopia, the entire Tojitendo is still not happy about losing the Eve to their Adam. It'll be fine guys. It's not like there's someone there who'd sell you guys out for one ice cream parfait or something. He's too busy trying to get intel and how to get the father out to really mess with his own dad.

Back at Colorful, the Comics and the Not-Comics are having a conference about how to deal with Manga World. Kaito thinks that because Manga is just "drawing" and "some words" and some "Ink" that anyone can be a Mangaka. That it's sooo easy. This may or may not piss off Vox (and this writer.) about how people think it's so easy to be a Mangaka and storms off. Probably to an art room to make his Manga.

So because plan A didn't work, they go with plan B and buy the latest edition of the most popular manga. And after unbinding the pages of the latest Tankobon of Kimetsu no Yaiba and laying them off on the floor, Manga World starts trying to collect and read the pages. Kaito, thinking he's a ninja tries to steal it while he's reading, only to be caught and sent to the Manga page world. That Limited Edition now has a Kaito Chapter. Only 50 made! (Use the Ninninger or Hurricaneger gear next time.)

But this gives just enough time for Vox to drop ALL of his doujinshi and Original Works onto the floor. The Manga World loves the fact that they're seeing this new work about a pirate in space, looted, in true fashion, from Mangatopia. So much so that Vox does what pirates do best and swipes the limited edition not-Shonen Jump.

Everyone transforms to fight, including the comic pages. And proceed to fight and win, with half of the time acting it out in comic pages. And all the people are freed from their comic pages. I hope you got that limited edition not-Shonen Jump before it was too late.

And while Vox used that manga to save his family, he'd like to get it back now. Too bad Yatsune has ordered that manga back to Mangatopia. If he doesn't tell, will he get to keep it?

[ae0nx]

FRUITS BASKET S3 EPISODE 1 + 2 RECAP!

Yayyy! Season 3! Finally! I’m hoping this season will make me understand/sympathise with Akito and maybe even Shigure a little bit more because... honestly? My opinions on episode 2?... I might get some flack for my opinions on them...  😬

But, first: I’d like to appreciate how on the Funimation app we got a little interview/message from a few of the english dub VAs! Specifically Colleen Clinkenbeard, Jerry Jewell, Eric Vale, Ian Sinclair and Brina Palencia (Akito, Kyo, Yuki, Kureno and Isuzu). And it was nice seeing some of their opinions of the characters they play and how much they’re emotionally invested in the story. (Ian’s such a nerd ‘I wanna see giant mechs later this season’ 😂 - I lowkey stan him lol)

You should definitely check it out if you’re interested in what they would have to say!

ANYWAYS, let’s get into it...

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EPISODE 1

I really love this depiction of the original zodiac and how you can just tell from the tone of the scene how desperately the God of the Zodiac was clinging on to these connections that they had with the participants in the banquet. How much they clung on to and loved the cat... Also, interesting how Tohru’s narrating this scene... almost like she can relate to the desperation of wanting to keep things the same... but we’ll get to that later. But also, Tohru is a God

This new opening is beautiful, I love the way that camera moves around the still illustrations and how the general tone just hammers down that... this season is gonna be some real shit lol (which makes me nervous for the opening for the second half 😳). It’s so warped and the general blue, grey and black tone that follows around every Akito scene we get in the anime has bled into every scene in this opening concerning the rest of the zodiac. Almost... like something is decaying. It’s great, it’s just very sad lol. I love the song tho, issa bop.

One of my favourite things in stories is when we get a bigger villain than the ‘pronounced’ villain of the story. Ren’s introduction through a manicured outstretched hand towards Kureno and Hatori is so weirdly gross in what it insinuates (especially when you apply her connection with Shigure) but again... I wanna know why she’s such an asshole to Akito specifically besides the bad mental health management within the Sohma compound. I have an inkling of what it is through memory of the manga, but like Akito and Shigure... I just wanna understand why.

Also, Ren is gorgeous and I’m sorry for simping. 

I mean... she’s kinda got a point? She just didn’t need to be so mean about it lol. It’s pretty clear that the connection the zodiac have to each other is real and something they cannot control. BUT, wouldn’t it be easier if this connection wasn’t perpetuated by outer circles of the family and if Akito herself wasn’t so cruel about it? But, I guess Akito - through her relationship with her mother - kinda doesn’t know how to genuinely show love and affection. (Which brings me into my thoughts of how the manga ends and how I kinda... have a few problems with it which I will get to... when that comes lol)

Lol - weeeeeeeee! (flashes back to Tohru being yeeted into the river). Is this a part of Akito’s god-like powers?!

Again. She’s got a point! They’ve both got a point. But, they’re both the source of the problem. It’s really painful to see two mentally ill people duke it out. This whole institution is just rotten.

- I am super curious about what Akira’s relationship was like with the zodiac and if it was just as dark. I’m gonna assume it slightly already was, as the exclusion and degradation of the cat curse is already dark in itself but maybe the rest of the zodiac were just fine with how things were? I dunno if we actually will get the full backstory of Akira and his zodiac but I’m definitely intrigued

Ok, but if four crying children came up to me after I’d just consummated with my partner to reach out at my stomach chanting ‘we’ve been waiting for you’. That would disturb me and scar me for a while too so... 😂. I know it’s supposed to be ethereal and spiritual but... dude, wtf lol

...I don’t like how much I’m into Ren being such a Villain™  😅

- Akito being seen as a crying child by the older zodiac members has always been interesting to me because yes, they could see her as that through mainly the age gap, general empathy and the way she sometimes irrationally acts out. But, also the depiction of Gods being seen as children having tantrums has being reflected in many different beliefs and myths (especially Greek Mythology) and I just like the fact that this all powerful, all knowing being would be compared to a child. It gives you a different perspective on power.

- Is the paper note in the CD case that Kureno gave back to Tohru an extra addition or was it always there?...

Mannnn... I really wanted Isuzu to fuck shit up after seeing Tohru so upset but... *le sigh* (outfit’s still on point)

But, I’m so glad we get an equal Ethereal Goddess to save Tohru! HANAJIMA! We love her, we stan her. <3

- ‘Tohru will be in my custody’ 🤣 I personally think Hana’s bluntness was a kindness in her conversation with Yuki because if I found Tohru upset? I’d automatically start firing metaphorical shots at everyone in that house

- Shigure fearing Hana makes me sleep better at night <3

Hana’s just like ‘hmm... sounds like someone I know... 👀’ I’m here for this parallel between Tohru and Kureno in the hopes that Tohru doesn’t ever get in as bad a situation as Kureno. Ahhh... Kureno... (Also, Laura Bailey was killing it in this scene as always)

- Hmmm... there’s something terribly poetic about Kyo saving Tohru’s scarf from oncoming traffic... but also, Kyo can’t help himself aha

KWEEEN! I love this look for Uo, it’s very Kyoko. I already said this in Season 1 but I STILL need to get wool-lined jacket. Outfit Appreciation goes to her - 3.5 stars.

<3<3<3 Friendship is magic!

- Megumi is such a good egg as always! From him going to get Uo to him being so wise with his outlook on love and how it takes time to really flourish. The best!

- This whole episode ends really nicely from Tohru’s return home and Kyo washing and returning Tohru’s scarf and Yuki being happy to see Tohru and Shigure being somewhat decent. It was nice to get a bit of relief after the tornado of emotions

Also, this was a nice screencap! Even Kyo is smiling!!! :))))

EPISODE 2

*takes sip of wine* ...ok.

👀... later lol

This scene really highlighted how Tohru is starting to see Shigure and the whole zodiac curse in a new and darker way. For the first time, it felt like Tohru was a little bit more guarded around Shigure and I hope they delve more into this season. Her description of her feeling around the curse being like a ‘dark well with no bottom in sight’ is pretty spot on. Ugh.

Aw! Is this the last we’re getting of Small!Momiji?! I love them :3 (Momiji’s shorts look a little shorter too, like he’s growing out of them ahaha)

- I haven’t found the Yuki fan club funny since their first scene in the anime but their poor disguises made me chuckle

- Yayyy! Kyo has an obsessive fan club too? ...Yay?? 😅 haha

- ‘I won’t kill them but they can go to hell’ why is Kyo speaking like me?! 😂

The fact that we got a scene of Yuki kinda admirably looking at a group of friends (boys and girls) playfully physically interacting and he unconsciously reaches out to Machi almost like he forgot about the curse? Heart eyes... 🥰

Again. Relatable. 😂 God, Yuki. You really are an airhead. Bless your soul. <3

And that look says it all. Damn. Kyo’s sense of hopelessness is heartbreaking but I still stand by it being understandable considering his circumstances.

Kyo freaking out about Tohru being visually upset was super cute but I couldn’t even appreciate the fluff because the whole scene had such a morbid tone to it, despite it being so visually romantic:

KYO’S FACE!!! 💔 Ahhh, my emotions!!!! Also, that shot from Tohru’s perspective under her bangs is great.

- Poor Mitsuru, I’d ask for extra pay just for dealing with Shigure’s ass.

Hahah - what a great metaphor!

- Now that Shigure’s ‘true form’, so to speak, has been fully exposed all his comments that are supposed to be teasing come off so much more awful. Him insinuating Mitsuru wasn’t ‘upper class’ enough for Ritsu was awful

COLLLDDDD. AS. IIIIIIICE. But seriously, Shigure this whole episode was cold in many different ways but I definitely felt this personally since I’ve been told something like this by a family member before... 😕 Also, it’s just gross how both Shigure and Akito are taking their own personal issues and mistrust of each other out on to other people. The curse and the institution behind the curse complicates a lot of feelings for sure, but there’s a difference between wrong and right and I get the general feeling that they both are just using the muddy waters to their advantage. Although, I feel like Shigure is taking more advantage of this than Akito but I’ll get into that in a bit.

- There’s also something about this episode that made me sympathise a lot more with Kureno in a more understandable way. But, it also makes me question the ending of this whole story and the resolutions that happen and what life for the whole Sohma institution/family looks like after the curse has broken.. I guess, I should read ‘Fruits Basket Another’ after this, huh?

😳... Shigure is so petty, man. Really?!

So...

I hate this relationship. I’m sorry. I know there are loads of people who like this relationship. And I’m still giving myself space for the show and the story to convince me why it’s worth it. But... I really don’t like this relationship. It’s so toxic. In so many ways. And in a weird way, this scene made me feel a LITTLE bit more for Akito than Shigure. It feels like Shigure gaslights everyone in his life but none no more than Akito, herself. I hate the fact that he keeps saying he loves her while hurting her or disregarding her. You know, almost like he’s treating her like a child. But on the other hand, I hate the fact that Akito has lowkey gaslighted herself into thinking she can treat people however she wants because she is ‘God’. I understand this is part of the way she was brought up and it seems like life in the Sohma compound has been very isolating for her so there’s been no one really to show her better (or have the confidence to show her better). But, at least I can be a little bit more sympathetic on her side than Shigure’s. I dunno... it’s just all very ugly and toxic and I’m hoping that it’ll turn around somehow.

I just hope it’s not one of those relationships that are ‘so good cos it’s so bad’.

...I’ll briefly talk about the ending theme to end this on a good note lol:

I really like this ending! I dunno if they’re gonna have two endings and two openings for this season but this ending definitely feels like it should’ve gone in the second half as it’s almost spoiler-y? But, then again what anime opening and ending isn’t packed with spoilers lol

All the illustrations are gorgeous, I’m assuming they were drawn by Takaya-sensei herself as it seems very much in her current style of artistry but my favourite illustrations are definitely the ones shown above! <3

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Ahhh! Fin! Sorry, about this one being super long and you probably having to scroll past a whole lot on your dash 😝 As usual, I had a lot to say. I’m open to hearing from people who actually like Shigure and Akito’s relationship btw, it’s just that everything before and episode 2 just really didn’t sail the ship for me, personally. I do want to understand! Haha

See you soooon!

[youngbugandtonystank]

Hi, good mornining! I saw your recent post, and I have few questions. 1) have you previously done a review of Og!MJ's character or anything about her actress' interview? Bcs its my first time hearing (reading) that she is like that. I would like to know more about it, please? 2) i've been looking for ages for more information regarding michelle's family, where did you find the deleted scene? I've never heard about that. :( Thank you for your help and contribution to this fandom!

Hi♥

have you previously done a review of Og!MJ's character or anything about her actress' interview? Bcs its my first time hearing (reading) that she is like that. I would like to know more about it, please?

Instead of supporting the new Spider-man (and yes, she’s entitled to her own opinion but c’mon, this comes as really petty from her part), she decided to criticize him back when everyone was criticizing the new spider-man. Back then everyone was doubting Tom; saying he was either too young, looked too skinny to fit in the role, or didn’t have what was necessary to be spider-man. This happens almost all the time with all kinds of actors. This happened with Gal Gadot when she got the role of Wonder Woman, same with Candice Patton when she got the role of Iris West, etc. Kirsten was one of them, she even suggested Tom was doing it only for the money. She didn’t stop and see the effort he was putting into the character, she could’ve even reached out to him or Laura Harrier (who was the female lead at the time) to congratulate them. Andrew Garfield didn’t have a problem doing that;

"If I am being totally honest, I am so excited Spider-Man is back in the hands of Marvel. I think that's a really awesome move.”

This happens a lot with cancel culture too, people are quick to judge something they usually don’t even know. 

She told Marie Claire magazine, “We made the best ones, so who cares? I’m like, ‘You make it all you want.’ They’re just milking that cow for money. It’s so obvious. You know what I mean? I don’t care. Everyone likes our Spider-Man. Come on, am I right or what? Listen, I’d rather be in the first ones than the new ones.”

And this was Holland’s response to her:

“She’s entitled to her own opinion and I’m not one to judge at all. I definitely am not doing this movie for the money. I mean, it’s a job that I think anyone would do regardless of what you were getting paid, you know? All I know is I had the greatest time on this movie and I absolutely loved it and, you know, if she doesn’t want to go and see it, I don’t really care. I don’t dislike her in any way for what she said and she’s entitled to her opinion, so it’s all cool,”

She could’ve handled this with more class tbh. But still, I’m guessing she can change her mind anytime she wants. 

i've been looking for ages for more information regarding michelle's family, where did you find the deleted scene? I've never heard about that.

"There was a moment when they come back from Washington in Homecoming — I don't think it made it into the movie — where you get the sense where she clearly doesn't have someone there to pick her up and meet her at the bus and May and Peter offer to give her a ride home. You get a sense maybe there's some sad home life going on." writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. They wrote the script for Spider-man: Homecoming. 

This is the part that bothers me about her character. They don’t even bother with her. Like, this scene was not even filmed because it’s not between the deleted scenes in the DVD, or at least they didn’t consider the scene to be worthy to be there. If she was going to be an important character, why don’t they let her have a storyline or at least let the audience know more about her? 

Take into consideration that we knew Mary Jane Watson’s family (Philip and Madeline), inspirations and daily life (She was a waitress, a former actress, a Jazz club singer, was in the broadway theater, she loves modeling and worked to develop independence and smarts, etc) and story (In order to escape her abusive, alcoholic father she pursues a career in acting to find more freedom and self-direction) in the Raimi’s films. 

Mary Jane: Oh. They said I needed acting lessons. A *soap opera* told me I needed acting lessons.

Peter: Lemme buy you a cheeseburger. The sky's the limit.

We knew Gwen Stacy’s family (George, Helen, Philip, Howard, Simon), inspirations and daily life (She was a lab assistant to Dr. Curt Connors before becoming the senior research officer at Oscorp Industries, she was the valedictorian of her school, one of Midtown's star students, she’s in the debate team, she used to help Flash with his homework, got the antidote to replace the reptilian serum, she was going to go to Oxford with a scholarship in molecular medicine, etc) and story (her father was the captain of the New York Police Department who strongly wants Spider-man not to involve her daughter in his superhero life while she’s head intern turned senior research officer to Dr. Connors who is the world's foremost authority on herpetology and is studying to follow her dream career in molecular medicine) in the Amazing Spiderman. 

Gwen: I have to go to England, Peter. It's important to me. I mean, maybe we're on different paths right now. You know? I don't know. Maybe we're just going different ways. 

Peter: Gwen. Good luck.

We knew Liz Allan/Toomes’ family (Adrian and Doris), inspirations and daily life (academic goals, has parties, discusses normal things with friends like crushes and superheroes, Betty is her best friend, wants everyone to have a bright future, reads coaching books and watches TED talks to motivate her team, she’s also the head of the dance and planning committee, one of the top students in Midtown, she’s the captain of the decathlon team, she mentioned she struggled to balance school and other priorities as a sophomore, etc) and story (While she was busy studying and building a career for herself, her father was selling illegal alien weapons and was in the trading business behind her and her mother’s back) in Homecoming. 

Peter: Wow, you really... This is really important to you.

Liz: Yeah. It’s our future. I’m not gonna screw it up.

It feels like they’re involved in the story, like they’re actually main characters instead of being the love interest only. And take into consideration that I don’t even like Mary Jane from the Raimi’s films. 

Isn’t it weird that we don’t know anything about Michelle?

We know:

She likes to read.

She is fluent in sarcasm.

She likes to go to protests. 

She’s in the academic decathlon.

But I could say the same about the extra kids in the decathlon team. 

I could go around the excuse of ‘some things happen off-screen’ when it comes to the romance between Peter and Michelle (something that they didn’t even take time to develop either), but what’s the excuse for her character development? We know even more about Flash than her. We know Flash likes being a DJ, he studies hard to be #1, he’s rich, he feels jealous of Peter, his parents are never around and make him refer to them in a detached manner, we even saw Flash’s date in Homecoming and the fact that he took her to dinner first before going to the dance. We even know Flash’s butler lmao. This is why part of me believes she’s only there as fan-service, given that fans love the connection between Tom and Zendaya, and because the actress herself is popular. 

This could also be happening because Spider-man belongs to a bigger world now. He’s part of a big franchise and maybe these details aren’t necessary anymore. Maybe romance is not a big deal because they need to focus on Peter. But I still think it’s unfair. I hope we can see more of her story in SM3. 

[glenngaylord]

OUTFEST 2020 FILM REVIEWS:  The Rest Of The Fest

As the curtain closes on another Outfest, this one presented under extremely unusual circumstances, I sit in awe of the filmmakers and of the staff who put together not only a great group of films, but managed to creatively bring them to its audience online and at drive-in screenings.  Typically, you find yourself having to choose one film over several others, but with this new format, you have a great chance of seeing everything you want.  In past years, I found myself lucky if I saw 15 films.  This year I saw 23 features and 4 shorts programs out of the 160 on the schedule.  

As it’s impossible to get full reviews submitted for everything while the festival is still chugging along, I wanted to write capsules of the remaining films not covered at TheQueerReview.com .  Please visit the website for all the other reviews I wrote as well as those by my colleagues.

THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON ★★★★★

Melding a Groundhog Day-style concept with police violence against black people, this stunning film could not be more prescient and emotionally overpowering.  A black gay teenager relives his moment of murder over and over again, with slight shifts in the narrative taking us to someplace unexpected and earned.  Director Ali LeRoi directs his first feature as if he’s been doing it all of his life and has interpreted Stanley Kalu’s ingenious script with a great cinematic approach.  Gorgeously framed, beautifully acted, written, and directed, this is one of the most powerful films of 2020.

TWO EYES ★★★★★

I can’t form sentences here so I’m gonna vomit out words:  Instant classic. Glorious. Set over three centuries seamlessly melding a triptych of stories about gender identity.  I’m a blubbering mess.  Fantastic and very funny last line.  Travis Fine is a very gifted filmmaker who screams love child of Terrence Malick and Kelly Reichardt.  Heartbreaking. Inspiring. Unforgettable.  Montana is so beautiful.  Barstow is not.  A perfect film for anyone who wants to find their place in the world. I wouldn’t complain if TUNDE and TWO EYES both received Best Picture Oscar nominations.  

DRAMARAMA  ★★★★

Theater nerds rule in this incredibly endearing, early 90s set film about a group of high schoolers discovering themselves in one night at a ridiculous Murder Mystery-themed party.  Hilarious script, vivid and wonderful performances, and the opposite of a “Coming Out” movie in the best possible way.  Jonathan Wysocki has given us The Breakfast Club for air-kissing, mid-Atlantic accented freaks and geeks. 

CICADA ★★★★

What happens when a traumatized, bisexual man who has more sex partners than any standard montage can contain slows things down to concentrate on one kind but also traumatized young man?  This elliptically told film has a fun, flirty side but carries its heaviness with great ease.  A terrific feature debut for director/writer/editor/lead actor Matthew Fifer. 

THE STRONG ONES (LOS FUERTES) ★★★★

From Chile comes this sexy, moving story of two men at cross purposes who form a beautiful bond.  Set against some stunning scenery and mining the chemistry between its two leads for everything it has, I am half-jokingly calling it Brokeback Andes.  It’s so much more than that trite, hackneyed comparison.  

MONSOON ★★★1/2

Director Hong Khaou’s followup to Lilting sets its sights on modern day Vietnam as Henry Golding’s character visits to find a suitable place to distribute his mother’s ashes.  It’s a terrific mediation on a gay man finding a sense of belonging in a place he’s never been and Golding proves himself to be a subtle, compelling actor.  Perhaps a little too quiet and reflective, the film makes up for what it lacks in narrative drive with its awe-inspiring cinematography and immersive qualities.  

P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE ★★★★1/2

What an unexpected surprise.  Michael Seligman and Jennifer  Tiexiera’s documentary about a treasure trove of letters dating back to the 1950s brings us into the world of drag queens from almost 70 years ago.  With many of its subjects not only alive but in fine form telling their stories and the dishiest voiceover readings ever to grace a film, I was not only thoroughly entertained, but I didn’t expect to weep like Laura Dern at the end.  Oh, this is so so so so good. 

MINYAN ★★★★

Eric Steel’s feature debut has its own unique tone and a star making performance by Samuel H. Levine, a spitting image of a young Al Pacino/Sylvester Stallone hybrid.  With its 1980s Jewish Brighton Beach backdrop, this powerful yet subtle film about a young man coming to terms with his sexuality as well as his place within his religion, it’s a stunning debut.  Ron Rifkin is stellar as Levine’s charming grandfather and Alex Hurt (William Hurt’s son) has his father’s intensity.  Fantastic, lived-in production design which feels like its decade without resorting to the usual candy colored tropes and a evocative score makes this a memorable experience.  Reminiscent at times of On The Waterfront, this film puts a fresh new spin on a coming of age tale and finds so many moving moments from first sex to an elderly gay couple hiding in plain sight.  A must-see. 

SHIVA BABY ★★★★

Writer/Director Emma Seligman must have studied Rosemary’s Baby quite a bit with this angsty story set mostly at a memorial service.  Rachel Sennott is fantastic as a young lesbian who moves from one cringe-worthy moment to the next in an attempt to avoid as much conflict as possible.  The great supporting cast includes Polly Draper, Fred Melamed, Dianna Agron, Molly Gordon, and Jackie Hoffman, all note perfect.  Less a comedy and more of an emotional horror story, Seligman knows how to make the best of a cramped space and throw up an endless variety of obstacles.  You just want Sennott’s Danielle to get her goddamned bagel with lox and cream cheese, but the fates have something else, something better, in store. 

COWBOYS ★★★★

Steve Zahn gives a career best performance in this moving story of a father with mental health issues and his trans son escaping into the Montana wilderness.  Sasha Knight makes an impressive debut as Zahn’s son and Jillian Bell expertly walks that fine line between villain and empathetic character.  Its comparisons to Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid are not coincidental.  Not perfect by any stretch, it may feel fairly conventional, but it’s tackling a vibrant subject matter.  Extra points for giving Ann Dowd a role where we don’t hiss at her. 

BREAKING FAST ★★★

Solid romcom with a Muslim backdrop, this very tight, deceptively simple script provides just the right amount of sparks between its charming leads, Haaz Sleiman and Michael Cassidy.  While structurally not breaking new ground, the entry point into a world we don’t see enough of on screen coupled with food porn for days makes this a fun, funny, goes down easy delight.

ASK ANY BUDDY ★★★1/2

Q: Daddy!  Daddy!  What were the 70s like down at the Piers in NYC?   A: Oh shut up and watch this movie.  

An experimental collage of vintage gay porn and archival footage from the disco, pre-AIDS heyday gives this film a mesmerizing, museum installation quality.  While technically without a story, you feel like you’ve gone on a journey nonetheless.  Would pair well with William Friedkin’s Cruising. 

DRY WIND ★★★1/2

Slow cinema meets voyeuristic gay porn in this one of a kind Brazilian exploration an arid small town, a workers’ union crisis, and a man obsessed with the Tom Of Finland drawing come to life who motors into his life.  Overlong and a little too obtuse as it goes along, it’s worth watching this Alice In Wonderland takes a quaalude, gets a very hairy back, and has a lot of sex in the dirt. 

NO HARD FEELINGS ★★★★

This year’s Teddy Award Winner at the Berlin Film Festival, Faraz Shariat’s film uses its backdrop of a refugee camp in Germany to tell the story of Iranians and Irani-Germans searching for a better life.  Its three leads bring a spark and youthful energy to a story with devastating undercurrents.  A wrenching glimpse into the emotional effects an oppressive culture has on its people, yet told with a driving pulse. 

LILY TOMLIN: THE FILM BEHIND THE SHOW ★★★

A look behind the scenes as Lily Tomlin and wife Jane Wagner workshop their legendary 1980s Broadway show, The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe.  It’s great to see these two at the top of their game and get a glimpse of their creative process, but this documentary is almost devoid of incident and feels more like a sweet gift to the fans than a fully realized film. 

SHORTS: WHAT A BOY NEEDS ★★★1/2

A mixed bag here of people searching for excitement, I found a couple of gems here nonetheless.  Not to take away from the shorts I don’t mention, I want to single out two exceptional films. Ruben Navarro’s Of Hearts And Castles looks great, has a beautiful vibe, and shows us a lovely connection forming right before our eyes.  Kiko’s Saints proves highly original as we follow a female Japanese artist on assignment in France become obsessed with a gay couple who have a lot of sex on the beach.  Combining animation with fairly explicit sex, I loved seeing the male gaze from a female perspective. 

THE CAPOTE TAPES ★★1/2

I love Truman Capote. I grew up at a time when smart authors found themselves on talk shows and were treated like superstars.  I’ve read his books and always have been in awe of his ability to be himself.  Featuring never-before-heard tapes of Capote’s friends being interviewed by George Plimpton, unfortunately, I don’t think this repetitive documentary gave me anything all that new.  It’s still touching at times and for the uninitiated, this is a great overview of his life, but I was watching the clock. 

OUT LOUD ★★★1/2

A moving look at the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles as they prepare for their first public performance.  With its ticking clock storyline, director Gail Willumsen expertly interweaves storylines of its founder and members.  As such, you really learn what’s a stake and what it means to them.  I was lucky enough to see the chorus perform David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust a few years ago and basked in the power of its mere existence…and was also ridiculously entertained. 

TWILIGHT’S KISS (SUK SUK)  ★★★1/2

This quiet charmer form Hong Kong shows us something we almost never get to see on film - two elderly gay men meeting and falling in love.  The fact that both have been married to women doesn’t stop them from exploring their feelings.  A little to gentle by half, I still was in awe of this rarity.

[brokehorrorfan]

Twin Peaks: From Z to A will be released on December 10 via Paramount. It collects the entire Twin Peaks saga on Blu-ray, plus a 4K Ultra HD disc featuring the original pilot, newly transferred from film elements, and Part 8 of the Limited Event Series.

Limited to 25,000 units, the 21-disc box set features both seasons of the original series (including both the U.S. and international versions of the pilot), the 1992 film Fire Walk With Me and its deleted scenes, The Missing Pieces, and the 2017 Limited Event Series.

The packaging opens to reveal the Red Room with a die-cut acrylic figure of Laura Palmer kissing Dale Cooper. It also includes a set of 5x5 cards depicting memorable moments in the Red Room, which can be displayed on the included easel.

Twin Peaks: From Z to A is available for pre-order for $139.99 on Amazon. Each package includes a numbered certificate. It has more than 20 hours of extras, some of which are detailed below.

Special features:

4K Ultra HD disc with the original pilot and “Part 8” of Limited Event Series

Behind the Curtain - Making-of footage from all 18 episodes of the Limited Event Series

Interview with Kyle MacLachlan and Sheryl Lee (new)

On the Couch - Featurette with Harry Goaz and Kimmy Robertson (new)

Full-length musical performances from the Limited Event Series

Many special features from previous Twin Peaks releases

[itsdaggerandsheath]

An Introduction to Sex (Part 2)

               To be quite honest with you, I don’t know when Fanfiction first really became popular or mainstream, nor do I know if it’s still those things. What I do know though was that it was a huge influence on my knowledge of sexuality as I was growing up. A good chunk of my education on sex as an… ”activity”, rather than solely a means of reproduction, came from Fanfiction.

               It’s occurring to me that perhaps some people reading this may not know what Fanfiction is, so I suppose I should attempt to explain it before I really get on with the story.

               Have you ever watched a TV show and really wished that your two favorite characters would just fall in love already?! With Fanfiction, you can write your own perfect story on how you picture that special moment happening, then publish it online for other people to read. Have you ever had a massive celebrity crush that you just wish would notice you? You can write a Fanfiction all about said celebrity falling for a character based on you! Anything goes with Fanfiction, really. Do you think the singer of your favorite band is into BDSM? Write a fic about them tying you up and ass-fucking you (or a character that you come up with) until the ropes make your wrists bleed. What about a disturbingly specific and detailed fic about your favorite band members squirting milk up the bottom’s asshole to clean out for anal sex (with more emphasis on the milk than the sex itself)? Yup, that exists. What about a fic involving your favorite YouTubers in which a live hamster is shoved up the sub’s asshole and the dom fills an entire hat with semen? Yes, it’s out there. (Bonus points to anyone who knows which fics I’m referring to).

               While some Fanfictions are wonderfully crafted love stories full of heart and passion, others…aren’t. And hey, smut is fine, I’ve read *cough* and written *cough* plenty of it myself. But surely, you would think, that the more explicit Fanfictions wouldn’t be accessible to those under the age in which it would be appropriate to read them, right?

               Wrong.

               I was eleven years old.

               I’d first come to discover Fanfiction through my favorite Disney television show at the time, Austin and Ally. Yes, that show that Ross Lynch was on. It was my favorite show in my tweens, and I wanted the two main characters – Austin and Ally, obviously – to end up becoming a couple so badly. My original goal was to see if maybe the writers of the show had hinted at the possibility of the two characters becoming a couple in an interview or something. So, I pulled out my phone – because my parents thought it was smart to let an eleven year old have a cellphone with full Internet access – and simply typed in, “When will Austin and Ally get together?”

               I did not find an interview with the show’s writers – instead, I found chatrooms, wiki forums, and YouTube videos from young people like myself who all had the same opinions on the subject as myself. I then clicked on a link that I thought was just going to be a post on some website from someone talking about how they wanted these characters to end up together like I did, but it was actually a link to a story on Fanfiction.net that I read and finished in the same day. From then on, I was hooked.

               Now, right away, I noticed that these stories had a rating system. I’m not sure if the rating system for Fanfiction.net has changed at all since it’s been years since I’ve been on there, but at the time, it was something like rated G, PG, T, and M (there might have been a T+ in between T and M, but I don’t remember). As I was eleven at the time, I stuck to the G and PG stories. Who would write rated M stories about a Disney show anyway? Oh, how naïve I was.

               One day, I read the summary for a new story that sounded exciting, so I opened it up without looking at the rating or the word count. All I saw was how many people at commented, so I figured it was a popular story that a lot of people liked! Turns out, it was a 300-word one-shot (meaning, it was a single chapter) consisting of Ally naked on her knees saying “please” over and over again while Austin rubs one out and eventually comes all over her face.

               I would like to issue a formal apology to Ross Lynch and Laura Marano.

               Seeing as I was eleven, I was traumatized, and was extra careful from then on (for a while, at least) to always check if the story was rated M.

               I was just so confused. I’d grown up being told that touching yourself was wrong, so why was there a one-shot about it on Fanfiction. And why did he do it on her face?! Such a concept had been unheard of to me at the time (because I was eleven). I was disgusted. I felt sick. I felt dirty. I felt wrong.

               I felt curious.

               But I was so afraid that I’d read something else strange or that I’d never known people to do sexually, I was afraid of what I’d learn, that despite my curiosity, I didn’t intentionally click on a rated M fic again until I was twelve. By this time, I’d had my first period and a few more, so I’d officially began puberty and became even more curious about sexuality. So, I began to search specifically for rated M Fanfictions because I wanted to know more about what sex was like and I was too scared to watch porn (we’ll get to that in Part 3).

               What I experienced while I read these sex scenes was something new, exciting. Why did I feel a throbbing sensation in my vulva? Why was I getting a tingling sensation like I had to pee? Why was my underwear getting wet? As I continued to read more and more of this erotic Fanfiction, I read about the female characters feeling similar sensations when they were feeling “aroused” or “horny”, which were new words for me. Why did I have to learn this through Fanfiction rather than in school?

               I then showed my new discovery to all my friends (of course). I remember when my entire cheerleading team had a sleepover, I’d told two of my closest friends on the team that I’d found Fanfiction with sex in it. Later that night, as the three of us lay in our sleeping bags with me in the middle, we huddled together to read the erotica on my phone. I remember them asking me things like, “How do girls come?”, “What does *insert word here* mean?” and “How does *insert sexual act here* work?”. I remember I loved telling them what I knew, like I had some fantastic, secret knowledge, and that it was my duty to share it with everyone I knew my age. So, I did. Soon all my friends were reading smutty Fanfictions.

               While still in my Disney phase, I ventured into the world of gay and lesbian fics as well. I didn’t know how sexual encounters worked between those of the same sex worked, so I read them more so out of curiosity rather than in search for arousal. However, I found that they aroused me anyway. I remember the first time I read a lesbian Fanfiction wishing I was in the characters’ shoes (I hadn’t realized I was bisexual yet, but that was a decent indicator), and then I read a fic with a threesome between two men and a woman and wondered why I hadn’t read it sooner.

               Why hadn’t I learned how same-sex couples have sex at all in school? Why didn’t I learn that males having sex with other males should still use condoms? Or that females having sex with other females should use dental dams? Why did I have to learn about these through Fanfiction of all things?

               By age fourteen, I had graduated from Austin and Ally and Fanfiction.net, and I eventually moved into my emo phase where I ventured into the world of band fics on Wattpad (I would also like to issue a formal apology to Chris Motionless and all of Motionless in White). It was here that I learned about BDSM – and Tumblr, but we’ll talk about that in Part 3. I was reading Wattpad stories about my favorite band, Motionless in White, and I’m pretty sure in every sex scene I ever read involving a girl and one of the band members (I mostly stuck to the ones about Chris because I adore him to this day) had mentions of spanking or some other form of impact play, and bondage was also seen very often, and occasionally a ball gag here and there. A common fantasy, it would seem, among young girls from all over the world who were probably far too young to be writing out such fantasies about men in their thirties. Oh yeah, sexual Fanfiction is plenty toxic too. I was fourteen reading brutal sex scenes about men who were way older than me, and a lot of the rougher/BDSM-esque fics were written in a way that made it seem like the sub was actually being raped as opposed to consenting to what was going on.

               Luckily, I saw this pretty quickly and knew that it was wrong, and I made sure to stop reading a Fanfiction if it seemed to be portraying rape in a romantic light. It’s likely that the person who wrote the Fanfiction didn’t intentionally mean to make the “sex” scene look like rape (although, having a girl scream “No, I don’t want to!” but then all of the sudden enjoying it once the guy forces himself inside of her should very obviously be seen was wrong), and they were just uneducated.

               And then, by age 16, I began reading exclusively gay Fanfiction about my favorite YouTubers, Dan Howell and Phil Lester – who I will not be issuing a formal apology to because they have stated that they whole-heartedly support Fanfiction, and have even gone as far as to read Fanfiction about themselves in videos, write Fanfiction about themselves for their book, and perform a parody of a Fanfiction about them live on stage in front of thousands of people. So. Anyway. I learned a lot about butt sex. Do you think they teach you about lube in school? Nah. But I learned about it from gay YouTuber Fanfiction.

               In Part 3 (which will be the last part of this series) I’ll discuss how websites like Tumblr and YouTube shaped my views on sexuality before I actually started having sex, and both the positive and negative impacts they had on me. In the meantime, have you ever read an extremely sexual Fanfiction that lowkey traumatized you? Did you get the most of your sex education from a probably-not-reliable-source like I did? Tell me your stories in the comments, or feel free to message me on Instagram @daggerandsheath

               I love you all and thank you so much for reading!

-          Dagger and Sheath

[ohbeauregard]

A Summary of the Season 6 bluray extras:

Gag Reel

Featurette Litchfield to the Max (interviews with cast and crew) | Part 1 | Part 2

Commentary for episode 8, "Gordons", with Sian Heder (director), Vega Santamaria (writer), Laura Gomez (Blanca) and Susan Heyward (Tamika).

They all love the theme song.

The new set made everyone feel claustrophobic. Not just the cast, but the writers and the crew, they didn't have the freedom to move around that the old Litchfield offered.

Sian felt like she came back to her family (she left the show after S3).

Daniela (Zirconia) broke her leg while kickboxing but her character was supposed to be injured in the other leg. She showed up on set with a cast on her opposite leg and there were a lot of discussions about how they'd deal with that and if the fans were going to notice.

Danielle was actually smoking that blunt (Sian: "not real, of course"), by the end of it she had tears streaming down her face, her throat was closing. The scene where they're stoned and dancing around was improvised by Danielle and Susan.

Susan and Danielle Brooks knew each other before OITNB, they went to the same art high school in South Carolina, and that translates into the relationship their characters have.

Laura Gomez also knew Selenis from theater, and that friendship translated on screen as well.

Alex coming into Piper's bunk, at first it was decided Laura had to stay by the door to abide by max rules, they tried to keep her with one foot by the door. (unsuccessfully lol)

The "I told you she was a wily no-goodnik" line was added by Jenji.

Taylor and Laura have developed such a great rapport over the years that by now their characters back and forth truly feels like they are an old married couple.

They switched a lot of extras because most of the times some of them looked like they couldn't even hurt a fly and now in max they needed people that looked tougher.

The writers' room enjoyed how well received Carol & Barb were by fans.

The Nicky and Blanca insemination storyline was the writer's way to try to get back at some of the fun they had at minimum where some of the old crew was always coming up with some hair brained scheme.

Sian had to direct Laura G and Natasha in the insemination scene right after Lionsgate made them spend an hour having sexual harassment training.

By this time in the season they missed writing scenes between Nicky and Red, it wasn't easy to get them together because of max, so that scene was a little moment to tide them over until Nicky and Red are able to cross paths again.

Matt Peters was stressed about the scene where he had to dance, so much that some of the writers asked Jenji and Tara to bring someone to give him dance lessons but Jenji refused, said everyone should come up with their own moves in that scene.

They didn't want to make Aleida's storyline of getting involved with a pyramid scheme a case of just "look at Aleida's bad idea", they wanted to show how someone who's struggling with employment or trying to make ends meet would look at it like a good solution and get all caught up in it.

The scene with Taystee and her lawyer was filmed in a real prison and there were times when a bell would ring and they had to stop what they were doing, close themselves into a room and duck, because actual prisoners were walking through that hall.

Sian Heder: "There's always been a line walked by this show where it's never been didactic, the fear of writing a prison show is that you're saying something about prison or you're basically offering a whole political commentary on the state of the prison system, and what the show's done so well is being incredibly entertaining and kind of back you into those issues without you even knowing you got there." She was moved by the speech, by the writing and Danielle's performance.

Vera, Sian and some of the actors got trapped in a real prison, they wandered off from where they were filming and ended up in gen pop.

There are scenes that are always surprising, because they take 1-2 pages in a script, but the actual shooting can take up to 12 hours.

One of the joys in the writing room during the development of season 6 was coming up with and writing new pairings.

The scene where Taystee comes out of her cell and asks Tamika if there's mail for her was supposed to be the last scene of the episode. But then Sian talked with Vera and asked her to switch the scenes and use the flashback to close the episode instead.

Tamika's line about her mom was something they talked a lot in the writer's room, they wanted to show Tamika had someone waiting for her, wondering where she is, and Taystee doesn't, and that could've been the life changing thing that sent them in two different paths.

 The final scene felt like the most important scene and they wanted to show them going in different directions, it was the last moment Tamika and Taystee were connected and together and that was the moment where life would take them in different paths that were irreconcilable.

Commentary for episode 13, "Be Free" with Nick Sandow (director) and Brian Chamberlayne (writer).

Taylor got so comfortable that she fell asleep when they were filming the first scene for ep 13. It was an early call time and she'd fall asleep between takes.

It was Laura and Taylor last day of filming.

They had a lot of conversations whether to shoot above or underneath the sheet. Nick didn't want to because of the complications of having to shoot underneath the sheet, but Brian won that argument, they had to pull the bed out and place it in another space to be able to shoot underneath the blanket.

Uzo is unbelievable, she always does something specific that the writers are not expecting, but they love it and ends up being better than whatever they had pictured.

Brian was happy he got an opportunity to work with Laverne.

Nick and Brian got choked up several times when they were filming the trial.

The coffee beans scene: Laura and Taylor had a lot of discussions with Nick about that scene because so many different feelings needed to happen and they conveyed that beautifully. They were asking Taylor to hit a lot of different notes and she really pulled it off.

The "I can't believe you were gonna ditch all us poor losers without saying goodbye" was ad-libbed by Natasha

Nick thought Yael was a treasure in the wedding scene and they could always cut to her for comedy because she started crying from the moment they started filming, Nick knew her reactions were going to be gold

Nick as a director was a bit scared because the scene was so long, and there was so little action/movement and he thought he'd have a hard time figuring it out but the actresses carried it and it made it easy.

The wedding scene took 8 pages in the script (in this show one scene usually takes 2 or 3)

Laura and Taylor brought the weight of it, they knew it was a moment that was building up for so many seasons of watching Vauseman's relationship come together, and they carried it.

Natasha was so focused because she had the most dialogue and she had to lift the scene up, she killed it because she brought so many different levels (she made it funny but also brought a lot of feeling) to it.

Brian fel a bit overwhelmed at first, because he had to write three speeches for the scene, and it was for the main relationship between two leads that has been building up for years, he thought it had to be momentous & big.

Since the wedding comes in the middle of the episode, in a strange way it worked like a nice intermission from all the gang stuff and the heavy scenes with Taystee and her trial. Brian: "It was a nice moment between these two that you have been rooting for all along".

Nick and Brian were wowed by Taylor's acting during the vows.

It was nice to have Flaca and Cindy come in, because they wanted a bit of the OG crew, they wanted that feeling from the first few seasons of the old crew coming together and holding little events that was lost since they came to max because it's such a harsh environment.

Bottom vs. Bottom is an actual court case.

They loved the scene with Luschek and Gloria in SHU, Selenis was so powerful and so intense in her performance that they all were drained by the end of it.

Taystee's verdict: Danielle was given a standing ovation after they did the take that was used in the episode.

From the beginning of the season they knew they wanted to address the immigration detention center problem.

Yael was hysterical after they finished shooting the scene where Lorna's bleeding and being dragged to the infirmary, Nick had to hold her while she cried and told him that was an awful thing to have to imagine.

Brian felt so stupid for writing that, but it was a storyline they already had thought of before they knew she was pregnant irl

Shooting the kickball scenes was a nightmare because it snowed the day they were supposed to shoot, so they rescheduled for the next day but it rained at night, so the whole field turned into a swamp and it was absolutely freezing, Nick swore he wouldn't go back to Staten Island after that.

Uzo nailed the kick in every single take.

Brian was flattered that he was given the episode where Piper gets out because it's such an iconic moment in the series.

[wackapedia]

Green Gentleman

"Hello?"

"Honey, it's me. I'll be working late tonight. Don't wait up for me." Gwilym spoke from the other line.

"But.. I made dinner..."

"I know, dear. I'm sorry, we're really busy with paperwork tonight."

"I understand. I love you."

"Love you loads." The call ends.

She places the phone down and looks to the dinner table. She sighs.

She's been going to bed alone for almost a week now. Her husband occupied with work even late at night, she couldn't blame him. He loves being a detective but he would often complain about the paperwork. He said he would rather be a detective in action than be stuck in an office all day.

But he loves his job and is very passionate about it. So she lets it slide even at her own expense.

In the morning she wakes up with the sunlight greeting her. The curtains were drawn. Beside her, a tall and handsome detective was lying down, facing her.

"What time did you come in? "She asked, rubbing the sleep off her face.

"Late. I'm sorry." He apologizes.

"It's okay, honey." She moves her face to his chest. He wraps his arms around her figure and pulls her closer.

"can I make it up to you?" He asks.

"You better."

"Where the hell were you?" Gwilym's partner, Ben was very close to losing it.

"Got out of bed late-" due to certain activities. "What's going on? " Gwil asks.

"There's a murder on Peltham street last night. Late 20s, male, two gunshot wounds at the chest and abdomen, worked as a waiter." Ben explains, tossing a folder on Gwil's table. Ben always had a short fuse. A perfect balance for Gwil's calm and collected demeanour especially when they're interrogating. He then reads through the folder. "No possible motives?"

"Not a single one. He lives with his mum, no known enemies, labelled as the nicest guy in the restaurant he works in. And yet..." Ben trails off.

"No witnesses?" Gwil continues to flip through the stapled sheets.

"Nope. No evidence, no suspicious people, nothing. It's a lonely alley."

It's gonna be a long night. Again.

Two days after the first murder, Gwil was driving home late at night after work. He and Ben were visiting the neighbourhood of the crime scene, interviewing people, following possible leads, tracing suspects. All of it was a dead end. He was exhausted.

As he rounded the corner he saw a man in a coat suddenly cross the road, almost hitting the car. He immediately stepped on the brakes and got off the car.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed, mate?" Gwil yelled. But the man in the deep green coat continued to run away.

Gwil carried on driving until he reached home where he parked his car by the curb and let himself in the dark house. He enters the pitch-black bedroom and decided not to bother his sleeping wife. He got dressed for bed and went to sleep beside her, as quietly as possible.

The next day he was jolted awake due to the loud banging on the front door of their flat. The sun hasn't risen and his wife, still asleep, shifts beside him.

"I'll get it." He tells her. He grabs a robe and headed to the front door. He hears his name being called from the other side of the door.

"Oh finally! Gwil, mate, something's happened"

"Ben? What's going on?"

"Another murder. Just by the corner of the block."

Gwilym runs back to the room to get dressed. He notices his wife is sitting upright on the bed.

"Darling, there's been a murder in our neighborhood, we're gonna see to it."

"What? What happened?" She asked, suddenly alarmed.

"I don't know anything yet. I need you to stay here at home. Keep the door locked and call me if there's something suspicious, okay? I have to go." Gwil kept talking while getting dressed and rushed off out of the bedroom

"Be safe!" She yelled before hearing the front door shut and the lock bolted.

"The victim is an American woman, mid thirties, divorced" Ben spoke as they speed-walked through the dim London street.

"Gunshot?" Gwil interrupts.

"No, stabbed to death."

"Christ"

The distressed detectives arrive at the crime scene. Blood pooled around the body on the moist cobble ground. Her jewelry and belongings were intact and nothing seems to be missing. There were already several officers on site, crouching here and there to get a good look of things.

"We found the weapon!" A junior forensic exclaims, holding a small pocket knife in his gloved hand.

"Bag it. Let's get this place cleaned up. Bring everything to the office. The director wants it in now." Ben commands and the whole team mobilises. Gwil keeps looking around. Something's not right.

Ben, Gwilym and their team head straight to the morgue at the basement of their headquarters. Wrapped in a forensic suit, they analyse the victim and the evidence together with the team. The knife had fingerprints but it will take a while to find a match.

Suddenly, the intercom announces: "Inspectors Gwilym Lee and Ben Hardy to the director's office. Now."

The pair then shed their suits and rush to the stairs to the lobby and take the lift from there.

"Gwilym!" A voice rings. He looks around and spots his wife.

"I brought you some lunch since you hadn't eaten when you left." She beams.

"Oh, thank you." Gwilym blushes at his wife's gesture.

"What about me? Where's my lunch?" Ben interjects.

"Find your own wife, Ben!" She jokes.

"Yeah Ben, piss off." Gwil jokingly glares at Ben as he moves to engulf his wife in a hug.

But she steps away.

"What's wrong, love?"

"It's just that you smell... awful. Like chemicals and blood or something" she tries to explain nicely.

"Oh, we just came from the morgue..." Gwil replies, upset that he couldn't get a hug.

"Well you better go and see the director then!" His wife says.

"That's right! I'll see you tonight. Thanks for the lunch! You're the best." He says while Ben drags him to the lift. She waves him goodbye.

"Mate I think your wife is pregnant." Ben says as soon as the doors close.

"I beg your pardon?" Gwilym faces his partner.

"Whoa all I'm saying is that she smelled the formaldehyde and blood on us"

"Formaldehyde smells awful! Of course she can smell it!"

"Yes but we were in suits down there!"

The lift dings, signalling their arrival to the director's office.

"Come in, lads" a voice from the other side was heard before they could even knock. They open the door to the office.

"Director Boynton." They acknowledge the director upon entering. A man stood from the leather sofa as they close the door. "Lads this is Detective Joseph Mazzello, FBI."

"What is the bloody FBI doing here?" Ben is agitated. The FBI man extends his hand "Hi. You can call me Joe." Gwil shakes Joe's hand.

"He"ll be working with you on the murder from this morning." Director Lucy Boynton speaks calmly as she sits on the seat behind her desk. Everyone else in the room sits as well. Except Ben.

"We can handle it by ourselves, thank you very much!"

"Ben, shut it." Gwil whispers to Ben while pulling him down the seat.

"No, inspector Hardy. Two murders within a week you have not a single lead on either one of them. The ministry demands information and we couldn't give them anything because of your incompetence so of course, you need help." Director Boynton firmly states. Ben sits down.

"And besides, maybe some American methods will help." Sipping her tea, her eyes flicker from Ben to Joe. "You are dismissed."

Gwil, Ben, and Joe head to the office to discuss the case.

"We need to see the neighborhood and ask the residents if there were anything suspicious." Joe suggests.

"Gwil. Tell the FBI bloke that that's a standard operating procedure. No need to waste time stating it." Ben interjects in a bratty tone.

"C'mon, dude I'm literally right in front of you!" Joe flails his arms. Gwilym sighs.

After an exhausting day of work, Gwil leaves the office late and heads home. He had to take the public transport because he didn't take the car to work. It took him an extra thirty minutes to finally arrive home. Upon reaching the doorstep, he noticed that the door was unlocked. He enters the house and flips the light switch. He calls out for his wife but there was no response. He rushes around the house to find it devoid of her.

Gwil tries to be calm and rational. Her clothes are still in the wardrobe. The kitchen was still messy, which means she hasn't arrived since leaving to bring him lunch. He calls her friends to ask if his wife is visiting. She wasn't.

Gwil is starting to panic. With a serial killer on the lose, the streets aren't exactly a safe place to wander at night. Gwil leaves a note before leaving the house to look for her.

It was close to midnight. No sign of her around the neighbourhood. He climbs the stairs of their apartment to the building's rooftop. He usually comes to think, to enjoy the sunset, or the night sky. But it's a cloudy night. He sits on the ground, putting his head between his knees. He looks up when he hears someone crying.

From the building's rooftop, he sees his wife crying and looking around as if she were lost. Gwil calls out to her. She faces him. Despite the limited lighting, Gwilym can make out the blood stains on her dress.

"Are you alright? What happened? I've been looking for you! Stay there, I'll come get you" He moves to the staircase.

"Stay where you are." Her voice shaky and hysterical. She raises her blood-stained hand.

Gwilym is confused. He moves closer to the edge of the rooftop. He sees someone lying on the ground near his wife. "What happened?"

She bursts out crying.

"I don't know, Gwil. I woke up and suddenly I'm here and there's blood everywhere and Laura isn't breathing and she's bloody! Please believe me I don't know what happened Gwil!"

Gwilym moves to leave the rooftop.

"Please don't leave me! Please don't go Gwilym" she pleads.

[mcbastardsmausoleum]

The House By The Cemetery (1981) gets a 3-Disc Limited Edition 4K from @blueundergroundfilms on 1/21 Extras: - NEW! Audio Commentary with Troy Howarth, Author of Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films - Deleted Scene - Theatrical Trailers - TV Spot - Poster & Still Galleries - Meet the Boyles - Interviews with Stars Catriona MacColl and Paolo Malco - Children of the Night - Interviews with Stars Giovanni Frezza and Silvia Collatina Tales of Laura Gittleson - Interview with Star Dagmar Lassander - My Time With Terror - Interview with Star Carlo De Mejo - A Haunted House Story - Interviews with Co-Writers Dardano Sacchetti and Elisa Briganti - To Build a Better Death Trap: Interviews with Cinematographer Sergio Salvati, Special Make-Up Effects Artist Maurizio Trani, Special Effects Artist Gino De Rossi, and Actor Giovanni De Nava - NEW!House Quake - Interview with Co-Writer Giorgio Mariuzzo - NEW! Catriona MacColl Q&A - NEW!Calling Dr. Freudstein - Interview with Stephen Thrower, Author of Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Walter Rizzati - BONUS! Collectable Booklet with new essay by Michael Gingold https://www.instagram.com/p/B5wohrUFdwC/?igshid=6mn3pd63ku9m

[ella-superwholocked-universe]

Spider Challenge

Tom Holland x Reader

Warnings: Arachnophobia and nothing else really (not edited)

Author Note: This is based off of Tom’s arachnophobia (I have it too but I feel like if I was in a position where someone I cared about was more scared than I was I’d be able to get some courage to face that spider hahaha.) I was watching compilation videos and that scene popped up bunch of times. Y/n’s going to be the actor for Liz in the movie just because it wouldn’t work with the idea I have to actually include Laura in it (I love her acting) I am thinking of writing a pt. 2 to this from Tom’s POV so let me know if you want that. I’m probably going to post it anyways once I write it. So enjoy this, I know it probably isn’t all that good.

Y/n’s POV:

Tom and I have to do the spider challenge interview with Federico, and I don’t like spiders, and I know for sure that Tom doesn’t like them at all either. I think he has a bigger fear of them than I do, anyways we were both dreading this interview, and we’re both in the car on the way there and I see him bouncing up his knee anxiously and I place my hand over his on-top of his knee and I squeeze his hand gently, “You’ll be fine Tom.” he doesn’t respond just silently smiles and I go to take my hand away for the rest of the trip but he just grabs it and intertwines our fingers together and pulls our hands to rest in his lap and I look at them and laugh to myself a bit.

We get there and we immediately get started just wanting to get this over with, 

“We’re going to play a game, and every question we get wrong we have to get closer to the spider.” Tom answered and explained to the fans who will watch this on YouTube. “That’s right.” Federico said, “Let’s stand right here.” He added having everyone stand against the poster, Tom said, “I am actually not feeling very well.” I felt bad that he had to work when he could be resting but since I am great friend, or I like to think I am. I have a few water bottles stashed under the table since I am always thirsty, I don’t mind sharing one if Tom needs it. “Oh it’s so big.” Tom says, my eyes go wide and I can’t miss this opportunity, I lean over and whisper into his ear and say, “That’s what she said.” trying to lighten the situation for him. He chuckled a bit I think it worked for a second, he squeezed his eyes shut not ready for that tarantula to come out. He’s freaking out and I almost forget about my fear because of how adorable he is when he’s scared, he turns to face me and puts his head into my shoulder for a second and I kinda give him a hug while running my hand over his back to comfort him for a bit. The tarantula is coming out with it’s handler and I’m freaking out as well, “Oh my god.” “This dude is just picking it out straight away.” Tom says and mimics the handler’s actions, I just smile and shake my head a little at his antics. The spider is finally on the table and is starting to crawl towards us and Tom and I freak out. Tom is holding his hand out to try and tell the spider to stay where it’s at and I am trying to stay calm. “Okay. First question.” Federico states, “How many spider species exist, “Four hundred.” I say immediately not sure if it’s right or not, “Twenty thousand.” Federico states, “Eighteen thousand.” Tom pitches “The answer is Forty thousand.” “Darn, I was kind of close.” The spider is getting close to the edge of the table “Okay what is happening right now.” Federico asks and the handler comes over to try and correct the spider’s path and Tom is afraid it’s coming after him so he yelps and runs over to me and tries to make himself small as possible. The handler resets the spider’s position again, and the spider crawls to the edge facing us again and the funny thing is that Tom has this look on his face where he’s concerned about the spider yet terrified of it. “I think it’s going to fall over.” and he’s flexing his muscles because he’s so nervous and scared and I can’t help but smile and not be that freaked out. 

The handler is coming over because Federico called him over and Tom says, “Hello Spider-man.” we all pause for a second and start laughing because of the irony, “Hey!” Tom chuckled and we’re all getting the questions wrong and getting closer to the table and the spider disappeared and Tom flung out his hands looking for the spider freaked out, “Where did it go?” I ask and Tom’s asking “How does it stick to this surface?” referring to the table it’s on, “I should ask it, be like ‘dude, how do you do that bro?’” he said going into a surfer voice towards the end. I laugh and the handler brings the spider back and Tom just ducks behind Federico a bit, we took one more step to the table and we are touching it and Tom gets asked by Federico if he wants to hold the spider, “Yeah, I’ll hold it yeah.” and he rubs his hands together preparing for the spider in his hands, Tom holds his palms out and the handler grabs Ruth and places her in his hands. “I’m like shaking.” and I rub Tom’s back, “You can do this. I believe in you.” Ruth is crawling around in his hands, Tom isn’t moving but is cringing in fear, “Do you want to try y/n?” Federico asked me and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to but I felt brave so I said, “Sure, why not.” so I had Tom face me with his outstretched hands and we gently transferred Ruth into my hands and she was almost off his hands “Get off.” he said while gesturing with his other hand, “Go the extra bit.” She was in my hand now, “There ya go.” he exhaled and put both of his hands on each of his knees, “Oh!” He’s breathing pretty heavily, “I need some water, I’m feeling a little bit faint. I’m not gonna lie.” I reached down with my free hand that doesn’t have a spider in it and I grabbed one of my many water bottles and handed one to him, “Here ya go Tom.” he grabbed it, took a sip and hugged me around the shoulders, “Thank you y/n always looking out for me.” Federico thanked us for coming and after I placed Ruth back with her handler we shook his hand and then said our goodbyes to end the video.

We got back into the car to ride back to our hotel room and all Tom wanted to do was cuddle with me on the way there so his head was laying on my shoulder and his hand entwined with mine, “Aww Tom you’re still shaking.” “Yeah I guess I still am. I thought you were scared of spiders as well, yet you weren’t as freaked out as I was what is up with that?” He asked me, I guess since you were there and I got braver wanting to protect you that my fear didn’t matter all that mattered was yours. If that makes any sense.” he looked into my eyes and nodded sleepily, “Get some rest Tom, I’ll wake you up when we get there.” he smiled and snuggled back into the crook of my neck and I ran my free hand through his brown curls, and he was out like a light and I heard his soft snores and smiled at how lucky I was to know him.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 22 July 2019

Quick Bits:

A Walk Through Hell #12 concludes what has been an excellent horror tale from Garth Ennis, Goran Sudžuka, Ive Svorcina, and Rob Steen with another trip into existential terror as we’re given a glimpse of what this is all about and what’s coming.

| Published by AfterShock

Action Comics #1013 keeps a lot of plates spinning as it works through elements of “Year of the Villain”, Event Leviathan, the ongoing Invisible Mafia story thread, and the Rose and Thorn revival. It’s kind of impressive as to how it remains entertaining and engrossing with as much going on.

| Published by DC Comics

Age of Conan: Bêlit #5 is another ending this week, as we finish off Bêlit’s coming of age origin story, as she confronts the Stygian priest and lays claim to her title of Queen of the Black Coast. Great art from Kate Niemczyk, Scott Hanna, Andrea Di Vito, and Jason Keith.

| Published by Marvel

Amazing Spider-Man #26 introduces us to the new Sinister Syndicate fully as they plan an attack on Boomerang. It’s kind of funny to see him still getting into trouble even now that he’s trying to stay legit. Great art from Kev Walker and Laura Martin.

| Published by Marvel

Ascender #4 gives us a few surprises in the fight between the vampires and the resistance. The grey washes, with mixes of red, from Dustin Nguyen on the vampire’s throneworld is very impressive.

| Published by Image

Batgirl #37 launches the new creative team of Cecil Castellucci, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Jordie Bellaire, and AndWorld Design with part one of “Oracle Rising”. There’s a nice battle with Killer Moth, emphasizing what some villains are doing in order to try to get noticed by Luthor to receive the offer, while playing up the expense that goes into crimefighting. Also, the Terrible Trio unleash something probably not too good.

| Published by DC Comics

Dark Red #5 concludes the first arc as Chip and Evie try to fight off an army of Nazi vampires. It’s good, with some nice funny moments. Great art from Corin Howell and Mark Englert.

| Published by AfterShock

Detective Comics #1008 is a straight-forward single issue story of Batman and Joker at the circus from Peter J. Tomasi, Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, Dave Baron, and Rob Leigh. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the extended arcs, even as it sets up a new threat in the “Year of the Villain” offering.

| Published by DC Comics

Dial H for Hero #5 gets a little meta as we dive into the Multiverse, the Heroverse, and the Bleed from Sam Humphries, Joe Quinones, Scott Hanna, Jordan Gibson, and Dave Sharpe. The use of breaking through panels, reproductions of old comics scenes, and a variation of styles just deliver phenomenal storytelling.

| Published by DC Comics / Wonder Comics

Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish #2 continues to fill in the backstory of the adventurers’ time with the White Sails, introducing us to the pitfalls that harried them, before giving more hints in the present of the nightmare that tore them apart. B. Dave Walters, Tess Fowler, Jay Fotos, and Neil Uyetake are delivering an entertaining fantasy tale here.

| Published by IDW

Fearless #1 is a new three-issue anthology mini-series spotlighting a number of the women of Marvel, both characters and creative talent. This first issue leads off with a continuing lead feature from Seanan McGuire, Claire Roe, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Janice Chiang, as Sue Richards, Carol Danvers, and Storm prepare to visit a girls camp as motivational speakers. There’s also an entertaining Mille the Model back-up from Leah Williams, Nina Vakueva, Rosenberg, and Chiang. And a very funny Jessica Jones story from the Captain Marvel team of Kelly Thompson, Carmen Carnero, Tamra Bonvillain, with Chiang. Though short, that last story is pretty much worth the price of the issue alone.

| Published by Marvel

Five Years #3 sees Tambi meet with Ivy and Julie to discuss that various nations around the world are dangerously developing Phi-alloy technology. Also a surprise appearance of people we thought were out. Great art as always from Terry Moore.

| Published by Abstract Studio

The Flash #75 delivers three stories for this extra-sized anniversary issue. The lead concludes the “Year One” arc. This is some of the best art that I have ever seen from Howard Porter, he and Hi-Fi just deliver amazing artwork here. There are also two back-ups, one hinting at things to come in the future for Barry and the other tying in to “Year of the Villain” as Captain Cold receives Luthor’s offer.

| Published by DC Comics

Guardians of the Galaxy #7 begins the second arc, “Faithless”, from Donny Cates, Cory Smith, David Curiel, and Cory Petit. It really introduces us to the new Universal Church of Truth as they take out an entire squadron of the Nova Corps and then worse things happen as the Guardians go off to investigate. I love the name for the Guardians’ new ship and that final page is one hell of a shock.

| Published by Marvel

History of the Marvel Universe #1 is an interesting project from Mark Waid, Javier Rodríguez, Álvaro López, and Joe Caramagna. It’s framed as Galactus telling Franklin Richards (at least I think that’s Franklin Richards) the history of the universe before it dies and the next is reborn. As expected, it’s dry facts, but it’s fascinating in how it’s comprehensively presented and the artwork from Rodríguez and López is jaw-dropping gorgeous. There are also annotations in the back to show where these events come from. It’s well put together and I highly recommended it to die-hard Marvel fans.

| Published by Marvel

Invisible Kingdom #5 concludes the first arc with an almost entirely one-sided battle between the Sun Dog and a Lux battleship. G. Willow Wilson, Christian Ward, and Sal Cipriano elevate the tension nicely through this issue and give a few surprises when everything seems grim and it looks like the end.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Killer Groove #3 wonderfully showcases one of Jackie’s cases as it intertwines with the music scene and criminal underworld. Ollie Masters, Eoin Marron, Jordie Bellaire, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou are doing a nice job with this series of crafting one larger story out of many separate smaller tales.

| Published by AfterShock

Lazarus: Risen #2 is another dense read. The series has always been hefty, but this new format has elevated things further, doubling up comics content and adding a prose short story, the letters pages, and extra content like gaming material and the usual in-world advertisements. I’m loving it. Greg Rucka, Michael Lark, Tyler Boss, Santi Arcas, Simon Bowland, Adam Christopher, and Crystal Frasier are definitely giving you your money’s worth and more here. Excellent comics content as the war between Carlyle and Morray/D’Souza heats up.

| Published by Image

Livewire #8 pits Amanda versus Jada for a final round. It’s still interesting how practically everyone is trying to portray Amanda’s actions as harmful and villainous. Great art from Kano.

| Published by Valiant

Martian Manhunter #7 sees J’onn and Diane uncover some of the results of the experiments that have been going on with the kidnapped and missing people, it’s horrifying. Incredible and haunting artwork in this one from Riley Rossmo and Ivan Plascencia. 

| Published by DC Comics

Marvels: Epilogue is a short, but sweet, coda to the Marvels series from Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross, John Roshell, and Richard Starkings. It spotlights events from X-Men #98 through the eyes of Phil Sheldon and his daughters, capturing some of the awe, wonder, and terror that Sheldon experienced during the main series. The book is filled out with an interview with Busiek and Ross on their experience with the series and what it’s like to look back on it 25 years later, as well as interviews with the editors who worked on the book.

| Published by Marvel

Middlewest #9 sets out a new quest for Abel as he comes across the Nowak people. Skottie Young, Jorge Corona, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Nate Piekos are continuing to make magic with this series. The art is beautiful and the story is endlessly captivating.

| Published by Image

Psi-Lords #2 continues to investigate these four captives, changed for whatever reason by the Psi-Lords, and the habitat of their prison. An interesting jail hierarchy of gangs is revealed and a bit of a memory of the four’s lives before being captured. Gorgeous art from Renato Guedes.

| Published by Valiant

Star Pig #1 is weird. Very weird. Delilah S. Dawson, Francesco Gaston, Sebastian Cheng, and Shawn Lee give us the story of a kid on her way to space camp whose ship is struck and destroyed by an asteroid, saved by a space pig and a scavenger energy ball. It’s probably one of the more unique tales I’ve seen in a while.

| Published by IDW

Sword Master #1, like Aero before it, features two stories. In the first, Greg Pak adapts into English a tale from Shuizhu and Gunji of the titular hero, Lin Lie, and his quest to find his missing father. It’s an interesting start and the artwork from Gunji is gorgeous. The back up original story pairs Shang-Chi up with Lin in a story from Greg Pak, Ario Anindito, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Travis Lanham. It follows up on their appearance in the New Agents of Atlas tie-in to “War of the Realms” and presents an interesting antagonist on their trail.

| Published by Marvel

Valkyrie #1 is a wonderful debut from Jason Aaron, Al Ewing, CAFU, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Sabino. We get some continued supporting cast from Jane Foster’s time as Thor, although with a new status quo, and an interesting hook in trying to track down Dragonfang, the former Valkyrie’s sword. The art from CAFU and Aburtov is beautiful.

| Published by Marvel

Warlord of Mars Attacks #2 continues this crossover of John Carter and Mars Attacks. It’s interesting how it incorporates Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories as actual things in this world and explains how Mars as a dead planet and one as teeming with life as Barsoom could exist simultaneously.

| Published by Dynamite

The Weatherman Vol. 2 #2 gives us more of a look at the nightmare that has consumed Earth as the crew attempt to find the doctor who might be able to fix everything. It goes about as well as could be expected. The monster designs and execution from Nathan Fox and Moreno Dinisio are incredible.

| Published by Image

Web of Venom: Funeral Pyre #1 is another one-shot catching up on the wider world of Venom as we barrel headlong into Absolute Carnage. Cullen Bunn, Joshua Cassara, Alberto Alburquerque, Jay David Ramos, and Clayton Cowles give us a great story checking in with Andi Benton, the former Mania and occasional sidekick to Flash Thompson’s Venom.

| Published by Marvel

Wonder Woman #75 continues “Return of the Amazons” from G. Willow Wilson, Xermanico, Jesus Merino, Vicente Cifuentes, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Pat Brosseau. This arc basically brings Wilson’s run around full circle to deal with some of the elements that kicked off her first issue as Diana faces off against Grail. Some really nice double page spreads with border art from Xermanico.

| Published by DC Comics

Other Highlights: Archie #706, Archie vs. Predator 2 #1, Bone Parish #11, Books of Magic #10, Clue: Candlestick #3, Curse Words #23, Doctor Strange #16, Farmhand #10, Freedom Fighters #7, Grumble #8, House of X #1, Justice League Dark #13, Lumberjanes #64, Magic: The Gathering - Chandra #3, Magnificent Ms. Marvel #5, Marvel Action: Avengers #6, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #41, Night Moves #5, Redneck #22, Secret Warps: Arachknight Annual #1, Shuri #10, Star Trek: The Q Conflict #6, Star Wars #69, TMNT: The Rise of the TMNT - Sound Off #1, Tony Stark: Iron Man #14, The Wicked + The Divine #44

Recommended Collections: Black Panther - Book 7: The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda Part 2, Go-Bots - Volume 1, Harrow County: Library Edition - Volume 3, House of Whispers - Volume 1: The Power Divided, James Bond: Origin - Volume 1, Lodger - Volume 1, Lumberjanes - Volume 12, Savage Sword of Conan - Volume 1: The Cult of Koga Thun, Self/Made, Star Wars Adventures - Volume 6: The Flight of the Falcon, Thor of Realms, William Gibson’s Alien 3

d. emerson eddy might well be a space lord.

[songoftheknight]

I think I accidentally made a Hazbin Hotel fan character...

So I’m a big fan of amusement parks and I get really obsessed with lore, past, and themes. I recently saw this picture pop up on my Youtube suggestions (it was a video of riding the ride) and did a little research.

For those who don’t know:

Its a roller coaster from Alton Towers in the UK with 14 inversions with a big “spider” structure in the middle of the whole ride that is the centerpiece for the ride. the lore/theme for the structure is to manipulate the riders into smiling and has spinning hypno disks, mist canisters made to look like laughing gas canisters, lights, large needles, and large scrub brushes on the legs and a huge display screen that shows graphics and videos relating to the ride.

In September 2012, the park began the second stage of advertisement through the overnight spray painting of a stencil logo (which resemble a smiling face) all over the park. This was followed in October with new boards around the park, new 'subliminal' advertising on different sections of the main Alton Towers website, and a countdown timer on the Alton Towers mini-site.The countdown timer initially gave a scheduled opening date, but was removed however on January 4, 2013, as the ride hit delays. More overt advertising started in January 2013, when the "Smile" logo was used in various forms across the country. Including billboards in London; ticket barriers at Leeds railway station; projected onto various buildings including Big Ben; and sprayed onto flocks of sheep in areas including Leicestershire, Devon and Perthshire. The name of the roller coaster, The Smiler, was revealed on January 21, 2013, the Metro newspaper, and the opening date. In February 2013 a free game app was released containing a full 3D recreation of the actual ride, and a preview of the rides merchandise was published online. Track designer, John Wardley, confirmed in a radio interview, on April 19, 2013, that The Smiler would feature more inversions than any other roller coaster in the world. Despite construction proving this fact long beforehand, this was the first official confirmation that The Smiler would hold the inversion record. In an earlier interview Wardley had said that The Smiler would have "...5 mind manipulating elements that play around with you on the ride, so it’s more than just a physical rollercoaster." From early April and throughout May, Alton Towers published videos online giving snippets of the ride's fictional backstory. This was followed by footage of weather presenter Laura Tobin riding The Smiler, live on ITV's Daybreak program and an advertising campaign on boxes of Krave cereal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZElC61Bl0sw (one of the ads for the Smiler before it opened)

since the ride has been built it’s had problems I was supposed to open in march of 2013 but kept getting delayed because of construction or other problems but finally opened on the last day in may of 2013. Most incidents after the opening were structural (rods or bars falling from the ride mostly) or technical issues (ride break downs) but it had the worst indecent on June 2, 2015 when a loaded train (16 people) collided with an empty stalled train causing several injuries and severe blood loss to the people in the park. 

The problem was that the ride had been operated in wind speeds of 46 mph even though it was suggested not to operate over 34 mph wind speeds. When the ride had issued a malfunction during the day and was closed down to be fixed, during that time the park had told the operators to add another car because of the high popularity in the park that day but due to a break down in communication the engineers who were working on the ride were not informed about the 5th car. While the extra cart was being added the staff sent an empty car around the track to check if operations were normal, but the train failed to make it up one of the inclines (not specified) and a warning system was activated. the engineers fixed the issue with the empty train. when the ride was restarted and visitors were allowed back onto the ride another empty train was sent around but failed to make the claim and rolled back down the track and came to a rest in a valley between two of the inversions. Because the train didn’t send out a warning signal (probably because it was the car that was not accounted for during the restart) operators had no idea that there was a train stuck on the track and the first car full of passengers were sent around the track. As it climbed the first lift hill the ride system stopped it from moving ahead indicating the track ahead was occupied (as it was designed to do) the engineer, who was still not aware of the fifth train, checked the location of the four he believed were active and unfortunately did not see the stalled train on the tracks. Due to pressure (an engineer stated) of minimizing down time on the rides, overrode the safety warning and the train with passengers was sent through over the lift hill. this train then slammed into the stalled train, creating a horror scene similar to a 90 mph car crash.

the two cars rocked back and forth along the track with passengers at the front trapped between the crash barrier and train. It took almost 20 minutes for the first 999 (UK’s equivalent to 911) was called. Injured passengers sat trapped in the train on the track for hours (4 to 5) before getting rescued. The injuries resulted in leg amputations, shattered knees, and punctured lungs.

The incident’s aftermath resulted in having the Smiler, the Saw-the ride, and two other coasters in Chessington world of adventures park to close down during investigations and Alton being closed for 5 days. During the investigations 6 rides were closed during the 2016 season due to the crash to be updated with safety features. The Smiler was included in the bunch but thanks to the quickness of the addition of the safety features it was reopened to the public on March 19, 2016 for the start of it’s season. The ride is still open to this day but the accident has changed the public’s view on the park and although there are still people who go to the park, since the accident they have lost a 14 million drop.

Anyway

I found it fascinating (and really sad, I do feel sorry for everyone that were hurt), especially the marketing and ended up making a character based on the Smiler logo and came up with this:

I named her Joy (corny I know). I thought maybe she’s a shape shifter that turned into a spider. then when I was done I watched a couple scenes from a new show coming out this year called Hazbin hotel and noticed something...

This looks like

This

And I was like oh god... Does she look like Alastor? so I thought... “don’t panic I’ll just try and draw her in that style next to Alastor” (super hard to do BTW) and low and behold...

oh she’s kinda close... oops

oh well... now Joy is a Hazbin Hotel fan character...

[samwrights]

Master List

As my list of fiction grows, it’s going to get harder to keep track of everything; so here’s the master list!

Homesick Master List

Summary: Tony and Pepper’s daughter Madelyn just graduated from Midtown School of Science and Technology. Without her parents knowledge, she managed to land an internship with her dad’s business to keep her busy over the summer and to prepare her for what she wants to do with her future. But she isn’t the only one with a Stark Enterprises internship—and now she’s stuck working with some overly excited ongoing sophomore named Peter Parker.

Pairing: Stark!Daughter x Peter (OC) Warning: Talks of substance abuse, death, and underage smoking.

Breaking Policy

Summary: First submission for @madmadmilk‘s 5k Celebration! Reader works at Starbucks in LA during the premier of Spider-Man: Homecoming

Prompt: Summer Job AU Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Humidity

Summary: Another submission for @madmadmilk​‘s 5k Celebration. THIS IS NSFW.

Prompt: Netflix and no chill...cause the AC’s broken. Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader Warning: SMUTTY AS HELL.

Perceived Imperfection

Summary: One more submission for @madmadmilk‘s 5k Celebration. Plus size!reader and Tom do an interview for the Ellen Show, where she gets to share what she struggles with as Tom’s partner.

Prompt: Body positivity piece. Pairing: Tom Holland x Plus Size!Reader Warning: Mild talk of eating disorders(s)

The Game Master List 

Summary:  Tom Holland, Harrison Osterfield, and Jacob Batalon started a game back when they first began filming Spider-Man: Homecoming—to sleep with as many different extras as possible before the movie premiered. Their current targets are the ladies of the band Navy Skies, a ragtag group of young adults that were blessed with the opportunity to play in the homecoming dance scene. Fed up with the boys’ sick game, Laura and Zendaya are taking bets on who gets their heart broken first.

Pairing: fuckboy!Tom x OC, fuckboy!Harrison x OC, fuckboy!Jacob x OC, hints of TomDaya  Warning: Language, sexual themes.

I Don’t Mind

Summary: Based off of Defeater’s ‘I Don’t Mind’. You reflect on what ended yours and Tom’s engagement. How, despite moving on and being in a happy and healthy relationship, you could never forget the events that brought you to where you were today.

Pairing: ex!Tom Holland x Reader Warning: This story talks of an abusive relationship--physically and mentally. TW.

Pool Shark

Summary: Written for @upsidedownparker‘s 5K writing challenge. Reader has gotten a little too good at pool, and now her husband wants to play. THIS IS NSFW.

Prompt: Mob AU Pairing: Mob!Tom x Reader Warning: This is incredibly NSFW, and does a bit of kink work.

Remembering Sunday

Summary: Written for @notimeforthemessenger‘s 500 follower writing celebration. Peter has finally rejoined the world of the living after his encounter with Thanos. But was it even worth it?

Prompt: Remembering Sunday - All Time Low Pairing: Peter Parker x Unnamed female character Warning: Indirect mentions of suicide.

How To Fight

Summary: A relationship of any kind is a partnership. You gotta understand each other. You need to know and understand each other’s love languages, how to cheer each other up, how to support each other, and most important, how to fight.

Pairing: Harrison Osterfield x Reader, Tom’s best friend!Reader Warnings: Uncomfortable conversations of borderline verbally abusive relationships?? They tryna get healthy. Also hella angsty?

There’s No ‘I’ in Team

Summary: After years of running, you’d finally had enough. Normalcy, routine; anything was better than being on the run and hiding away from the world. Even in the close comfort of your understanding, warm, vanilla boyfriend: Steve Rogers. Written for @noshitstark 1.4k writing challenge! Congrats, Nikki! 

Pairing: Steve Rogers x super!Reader  Prompt: “Who the fuck?” + “Language” + “Whom the fuck?”

Headcannons can be found [ HERE ]