#thread: hit movie cube

[goldoanheart]

Kurthnaga glances at the pieces of glass now that he has all of them, counting them quietly to himself. Of course, his companion probably already knows how many there are, and yet he cannot help himself.

Ah! There are indeed six!

But how in the world was that supposed to relate to the final passage? Maybe he if he put them together, then there would be some sort of hint in the puzzle.

"Most likely, or else they wouldn't have been hidden in the spots from the underlined passages," Kurthnaga says, focusing back on the glass, observing them quietly with his head cocked to the side like a curious little owl, trying to figure out how they fit together.

"Give me a moment and I'll fit them into place. Perhap then we'll be able to see what they were meant for," He purses his lips, "... Hopefully."

Hit Movie Cube (1997)

Anniversary | Authority +1

[superboy1992]

AI in Supply Chain Management: Streamlining Logistics and Distribution

Once upon a time, in a world not so different from ours, businesses were entangled in the complex web of supply chain management. Picture this: a bustling warehouse filled with stacks of inventory, a logistics manager frantically trying to coordinate with multiple vendors, and a delivery driver navigating through labyrinthine routes. It was a world where chaos was the order of the day, and efficiency was as elusive as a unicorn. Enter Artificial Intelligence, or as I like to call it, the superhero of the supply chain world. With its cape of algorithms and shield of data, AI swooped in to save the day. It promised to untangle the knotted threads of supply chain management and weave them into a seamless tapestry of efficiency and productivity. And boy, did it deliver! Chapter 1: The AI Revolution in Supply Chain Management The story of AI in supply chain management is nothing short of a revolution. It's like the plot of a thrilling movie where the underdog rises to the occasion and changes the course of history. In this case, the underdog is AI, and the history is that of supply chain management. Before the advent of AI, supply chain management was like trying to solve a Rubik's cube in the dark. Businesses had to grapple with unpredictable demand, fluctuating prices, and logistical nightmares. But with AI, it's like someone turned on the lights and handed them the solution. Take the example of a global retail giant. In the pre-AI era, managing their vast supply chain was a Herculean task. Predicting demand was a game of hit and miss, and inventory management was a constant balancing act. But with AI, they were able to accurately forecast demand, optimize inventory, and streamline logistics. The result? Increased efficiency, reduced costs, and happier customers. The revolution didn't stop there. From small businesses to multinational corporations, AI has transformed the way companies manage their supply chains. It's like a magic wand that has conjured up a world of possibilities and opportunities. Chapter 2: The Magic of Predictive Analytics Now, let's dive deeper into the magic of AI, starting with predictive analytics. Imagine having a crystal ball that could predict the future. You could foresee market trends, anticipate customer demands, and plan your inventory accordingly. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, with AI-powered predictive analytics, this dream has become a reality. Let's take a trip down memory lane to the days when businesses relied on historical data and gut instinct to predict demand. It was like trying to hit a bullseye while blindfolded. But with predictive analytics, it's like they've been given a pair of x-ray glasses that can see right through to the bullseye. Consider the case of a popular online fashion retailer. In the past, they struggled with overstocking and understocking issues, leading to lost sales and wasted resources. But with AI, they were able to analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and predict future demand with remarkable accuracy. It's like they had a personal stylist for each customer, who knew exactly what they would want to wear in the future! Chapter 3: The Power of Real-Time Tracking Next on our journey is the realm of real-time tracking. In the olden days, tracking a shipment was like trying to follow a treasure map without the 'X' marking the spot. But with AI, it's like having a GPS that guides you right to the treasure. Real-time tracking is a game-changer in logistics and distribution. It provides businesses with visibility into their supply chain, enabling them to monitor the status of shipments and respond to issues promptly. It's like having a pair of binoculars that can see across continents and oceans. Take the example of a global logistics company. With AI, they were able to track shipments in real-time, predict delays, and proactively inform customers. It's like they had a crystal ball that could foresee obstacles and navigate around them. The result? Improved efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced customer satisfaction. Chapter 4: The Efficiency of Automated Warehouse Management Now, let's step into the world of warehouses, where AI has brought a wave of efficiency and automation. In the past, managing a warehouse was like playing a game of Tetris with oversized blocks. It required precise coordination, strategic planning, and a touch of luck. But with AI, it's like having a warehouse manager who never sleeps and always knows the best move to make. Imagine a bustling warehouse filled with shelves stacked to the ceiling. In the pre-AI era, workers would spend hours manually searching for items, trying to navigate through a maze of boxes. But with AI-powered automated warehouse management systems, it's like the warehouse has come alive with intelligence. These systems use advanced algorithms to optimize the layout of the warehouse, determine the most efficient routes for picking and packing, and even automate repetitive tasks. It's like having a team of robots that work tirelessly to ensure everything is in its rightful place. A prime example of AI-powered warehouse management is a leading e-commerce company. They implemented AI-driven robots that can navigate the warehouse, locate products, and even assist with packaging. It's like having an army of efficient little helpers who never tire and never make mistakes. The result? Faster order fulfillment, reduced errors, and increased productivity. It's like the warehouse has been injected with a dose of superpowers, transforming it into a well-oiled machine. Chapter 5: The Role of AI in Last Mile Delivery Ah, the last mile delivery—the final leg of the supply chain journey. It's a critical phase where businesses strive to deliver their products to customers' doorsteps with speed and precision. In the past, it was like trying to navigate a maze without a map. But with AI, it's like having a GPS system that knows all the shortcuts. AI has revolutionized last mile delivery by optimizing routes, improving delivery time estimates, and even exploring innovative delivery methods. It's like having a delivery driver who can anticipate traffic jams and take the fastest route possible. Consider the case of a food delivery service. With AI-powered algorithms, they can optimize their delivery routes based on real-time traffic data, weather conditions, and customer preferences. It's like having a delivery superhero who always knows the best way to get from point A to point B. Furthermore, AI enables businesses to explore alternative delivery methods, such as drones or autonomous vehicles. It's like stepping into a sci-fi movie where robots deliver packages to your doorstep. While it may sound futuristic, companies are already experimenting with these technologies to enhance the efficiency of last mile delivery. The result? Faster and more reliable deliveries, delighted customers, and a competitive edge in the market. It's like the final piece of the supply chain puzzle falling perfectly into place. Chapter 6: The Future of AI in Supply Chain Management As we near the end of our journey through the realm of AI in supply chain management, let's take a moment to gaze into the crystal ball and explore the exciting possibilities that lie ahead. The future of AI in supply chain management holds immense promise. It's like opening a treasure chest full of innovative solutions and endless opportunities. Here are a few glimpses into what the future may hold: - Smart Inventory Management: Imagine a world where AI algorithms can predict demand fluctuations, optimize inventory levels, and automatically place orders when supplies are running low. It's like having a supply chain fairy godmother who ensures you never run out of stock and never hold excessive inventory. - Autonomous Supply Chain Networks: Picture a supply chain network where machines communicate with each other, make real-time decisions, and adjust operations to meet demand. It's like a well-choreographed dance where every participant knows their steps and moves in perfect harmony. - Ethical and Sustainable Supply Chains: AI can play a crucial role in promoting ethical practices and sustainability in supply chain management. Imagine algorithms that can trace the origin of raw materials, verify fair labor practices, and ensure environmentally friendly operations. It's like having an AI-powered conscience that guides businesses towards responsible choices. - Collaborative Ecosystems: The future of supply chain management lies in collaboration and partnership. AI can facilitate seamless collaboration between suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. It's like a symphony where each player contributes their unique expertise, resulting in a harmonious melody of efficiency and success. Of course, the path to this future is not without challenges. Privacy concerns, data security, and ethical considerations must be addressed to ensure the responsible use of AI in supply chain management. But with proper safeguards and regulations, the potential benefits are boundless. Conclusion In the ever-evolving world of supply chain management, AI has emerged as the catalyst for transformation. It's like a magician's wand that has turned complexity into simplicity, inefficiency into productivity, and chaos into harmony. From predictive analytics to real-time tracking, automated warehouse management to last mile delivery optimization, AI has revolutionized every aspect of the supply chain. And this is just the beginning. The future holds even more exciting possibilities, where AI-driven innovations will shape a new era of supply chain management. So, as we bid farewell to our journey, let us embrace the power of AI and embark on this transformative path together. With AI as our ally, we can streamline logistics, enhance efficiency, and create a supply chain ecosystem that is both resilient and responsive. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless. Let's seize them with open arms and embrace the AI-powered supply chain revolution.     This article was originally published on my blog: https://www.cosgle.com Read the full article

[infinitycircuit]

marriage story (2019) | hellraiser | re: results

Wait.

No. 

Uncross her right this instant.

This didn’t have to happen. That’s always been Tomie’s argument toward people who derail trials, who hit betray every time, who pick fights. This was all avoidable. You did it, but you didn’t have to. You never had to.

So how could this have been prevented from happening? It wouldn’t have happened if—

If a group of Kurozu-cho drunks had not broken into the Katsukawa home in 1873 and the story of Tosa Katsukawa biting off three of a man’s fingers in self-defense had not become family folklore, a story about getting hit by the outside world and hitting back so hard no one ever thinks about touching you again.

If Tomie were not fundamentally an egotist, neither good nor evil but viciously defensive of the self she’d worked so hard to create after being hurt for so long.

If Hideaki Sato, her dad, had loved cheesy American musicals instead of horror movies and gifted her a set of candy-colored plastic horses for her twelfth birthday instead of a Rubik’s cube painted to look like the Lament Configuration. She could have grown up a perfectly respectable horse girl. 

If Alice had worn black lipstick or bleached their hair in high school, if Tomie’s thoughts of kissing them on the mouth had ever been more serious than a wouldn’t-it-be-funny-if during a late study session and they’d fallen for each other in that way, in a way that would seal them even tighter than best friends and leave no room for anything to get in between.

If those emails had been returned. If she’d taken an extra few days in America to see Alice when Cradle screened at Sundance.

If Emma de Lacey had perhaps been kicked in the head by a horse at a formative age.

If Jinki and Ume had not solved puzzles and chatted with Tomie during their first week here, when it seemed like this might all be a joke, kindling a sense in her heart that they were a team, sort of. They were her friends, sort of. They had so much in common with her, right?

If Jinki had not sidled up to her casually at the bar the following week and asked her which secret she’d gotten, then revealed that he’d gotten hers and he intended to hurt her with it. She upended a bottle of whiskey over his head. You fucking bitch, he’d sputtered at her. You dim-witted, cowardly rat, she’d returned. 

If Ume Karasu had said anything but I will be sure to congratulate him on failing when Tomie told her she didn’t want to solve puzzles with the pair of them anymore because of what Jinki had done.

If Alice had reacted even a little to the news, if they had gotten angry at Jinki instead of clinging to Ume’s side and chasing Jinki into the hall when he huffed out of the talent show. 

If Tomie hadn’t, in that moment, begun to register that a web was being spun between three people she’d once considered her friends and her wounded pride was entirely irrelevant to all three of them.

If she had not begun to believe the only thing she could do to keep even one hand on Alice was placate, placate, placate, since Alice did not appear to care in a way she recognized. 

If Ume hadn’t tampered with the crime scene and then explained to Tomie it amused her to do so, tried to make Tomie guess the answers to her own questions instead of providing them, permanently convinced Tomie that — exactly the opposite of the uncomplicated, honest person Alice and Keiji knew — there were no constants in her behavior except choosing to be a problem.

If Tomie had been able to say You hurt me, you are hurting me, I am in pain, instead of saying You made me angry or trying to pave it over with shrimp tacos and stupid movies, hoping she could invite other people into the halls of her heart through the door that was fucking House of 1,000 Corpses.

If her attempt to get things straightened with Ume did not end with Ume saying what the wrong people had always said, which is that she loved Tomie, that she did this all out of love, that Tomie was wrong for not seeing it.

If Tomie did not love Keiji Tsutsumi so fiercely and promise him over a meal in a facsimile of her fathers’ kitchen she would take care of Kazuya Sato until Kazu could take care of himself again. 

If Kazuya Sato had not been the victim that Alice — indirectly, through Larcei Magnolia — relieved of his life as though it were a favor.

If Tomie had not gently brushed up against Alice’s mind midway through her own interrogation of Jinki and Kakeru, asked You want me to take a look so I can vouch for you?, sent her an image of Ara and Katashi and Mugen stanced up around them like 

to protect Alice’s privacy.

If Alice had not refused and then gone silent and then answered: No one is allowed to look or come closer other than you. I will turn around, and use my coat to hide us. When you look, your expression will betray nothing. Clear my name. Please. People will trust you.

Alice.

If Tomie had not realized in that moment that Alice killed Cloudspotter, and someone else killed Kazu with at least Alice’s express knowledge and help. 

Tomie. I am putting my life in your hands. If we can get through this, then I'll explain.

If Jinki had not been rude and fidgety and in denial, if he had not called her a bitch again, giving her another sign that every effort to bond with these people was like swallowing glass.

If there were anything Tomie wanted, anything that did not absolutely repulse her, on the side of Jinki Noguchi and Ume Karasu.

So I burn everybody else. For you. I burn Kei and Akaji and Lindsay and Mugen so you can do what, exactly?

If Tomie had not come to believe, the thought screaming through her mind, that this was it, that Alice had walked into this room ready to kill her for the sake of Jinki fucking Noguchi. Ready to apologize afterward, maybe. Ready to kiss it better with lips that could not get enough of the people who treated Tomie like the vacuum of space treats a beating heart, maybe. But ready to kill her until she asked the right question.

If Alice had not been wrong: Love is not Tomie’s only desire. It’s one of two. The other is to hunt down and kill everything that has ever hurt her. 

And she has never, ever believed there is such a thing as enough suffering for someone who has hurt her heart or loved her wrong or —

until now.

The waves of hate she has been funneling toward Alice crest and break. And all she is left with is love, love, love, a crater where love smashed into love like an extinction event. 

“If you’d just told me the whole truth,” she manages, choked and quiet, to Alice, after the votes and the memories come in. "Or if you'd told me ahead of time, I could've helped you pick."

No one else gets to hear it. The doctor would probably be unable to hear the words, only the consonants clicking in the back of Tomie’s throat, if they were not threaded with emotion that reaches whatever of them is left to reach. 

The doctor is dead.

But Tomie can speak to the dead now. They all can.

“We could’ve rolled on it. If you'd told us everything right away, I would’ve fought for you, I would’ve argued it was worth taking a chance on —“ 

Is this true? Tomie doesn’t know. Would one thing have changed it?

There are so many other ifs piled up on both of their backs.

And the pain down her spine, splintering her bones as she attempts to carry them all, is love, love, love.

[ohthatsviolet]

Liar, Liar - Cryptane

(1,721 words. Ao3 link will be in the RBs as usual). 

Octavio knew him as Hyeon Kim, and he was fine with that...until he wasn’t. 

He wasn't expecting to get attached. He wasn't attached. Not really. It was just a way to pass the time. Octane liked to talk a lot, and Tae Joon tended to like that in people, because it meant he didn't have to. He introduced himself as Octavio Silva, but he was positive that he "would have already known that," because he "was probably the most famous person here." The hacker did already know who he was, but not for the reasons Octavio thought. It wasn't difficult to do a little snooping on the Legends, to see who might be the best asset to him if he was forced to align himself with some of them, to keep up the facade that he was just a regular competitor like the rest of them. Octavio made it almost too easy, seeming to enjoy posting most of his life on social media. 

"You shouldn't post so many personal details about yourself online," Tae Joon had told him, only to receive an obnoxious snort in response. 

The speedster's attention was focused on the Rubik's cube in his hands, while he lay back in his beanbag chair. 

"Whatever, amigo. No one has tried to kidnap me yet." 

Conversation with Octavio seemed to always come easily. He liked to talk about himself. 

"Do you like puzzles?" he asked, listening to the quiet clicking of the plastic as the runner rotated it in his hands, failing to get the coloured squares into a desirable pattern. 

The younger legend signed somewhat dramatically, and tossed the cube over his shoulder, hitting it against the wall with a dull thud. 

"No. I fucking hate them." 

The corner of Tae Joon's lip curled into a small smile, at the remark. It seemed to happen a lot around Octavio. It was difficult to not find him amusing. 

He wasn't expecting for them to continue spending time together like this. The only reason they'd gotten talking in the first place was because Octavio was having issues with his computer and the hacker had simply gotten tired of listening to him complain about it, so he decided to help him out. The speedster's desk was a mess; covered in candy wrappers, empty energy drink cans and crumbs. It was pretty gross if he was honest, but as his eyes traveled over the small piles of trash he spotted a figurine of a character he instantly recognised from one of his childhood favourite video games. He couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch it. It wasn't possible that Octavio was a fan of this franchise. It would be far too obscure for someone like him. Right? 

"Careful, compadre," the runner warned, glancing up from his phone. "That's signed by the developers. You break that, I break you." 

Tae Joon turned the statue over in his hands, checking the underside of the base. A cocktail of childlike excitement and jealousy pooled in his stomach. He wasn't lying, it was definitely signed. Holy shit. 

"You're a fan?" the hacker asked, feigning nonchalance. 

"Yeah, dude. That's like...only the best RPG I've ever played." 

"My sister used to make fun of me for liking it," Tae Joon continued, with a small laugh. "She used to say it was only for 'mega nerds'."

"I could never keep up with all the lore," Octavio admitted, shoving his phone into his pocket, fully engaged in the conversation now. "But I heard there was a really cool story part that was only available in the co-op mode. I never got to play it myself, so I had to watch videos on it." 

"Really?! I...never knew that. Now I wish I convinced her to play it." 

The space between them fell silent, but Tae Joon noticed the way Octavio looked him up and down as if he was doing some sort of appraisal. He shouldn't have mentioned his family. That look made him feel paranoid, and that maybe he should consider leaving soon, until the runner spoke up. 

"I...probably still have my copy lying around somewhere," he began, fidgeting with a loose thread on his shorts. "If you wanna try it sometime. None of my friends liked it either." 

Despite his better judgement telling him not to, he agreed to play through the co-op campaign with him, and it ended up being more pleasant than he thought it would be. Octavio was actually pretty good at the game, and seemed to appreciate him pausing at certain points to explain the plot points he found confusing. They would meet up most nights to play, and these hangouts continued even after they'd completed the game a few times on different difficulties. It turned out Octavio had lied about his friends not liking the game, and the truth was he barely had any friends growing up; something he'd confided in him after their first few sessions. It was something Tae Joon could relate to, especially around here. He wouldn't consider any of the Legends his friends. Except Octavio of course. Were they...friends? Octavio had begun to confide in him, but due to the position he was in, he couldn't really do the same. The speedster told him short stories from his childhood and teenage years which, if Tae Joon was honest, sounded very sad and lonely. Part of him wanted to share similar stories to perhaps comfort the speedster a bit, but as soon as he opened his mouth to begin, he stopped. It was too dangerous to share too much, especially with someone who shared so much of themselves with the entire Outlands. He felt conflicted, though he knew he shouldn't. 

"Hyeon, man! Come on!" 

The call of that name snapped him from his thoughts, and he realised he was still lingering near the entrance to Octavio's room. Sometimes he still managed to forget this was his name now, or at least what some of the people around here knew him as. He didn't mind normally, but hearing that name come from Octavio's mouth made something in his chest shift uncomfortably. Tae Joon tried to shake it off, quickly finding his way to the small sofa that the runner was already making himself comfortable on. 

"Did you finally manage to pick a movie?" 

"Yup!" Octavio replied, taking the opportunity to remove his prosthetics, allowing them to collapse to the floor with a clatter. 

Tae Joon looked him up and down, observing how he rubbed his hands up and down his thighs. 

"Pain?" 

The speedster seemed to think about his answer before responding. 

"Nah. It's not too bad today." 

"Good." 

"Thanks for...not telling Ajay about it," Octavio continued, turning to face him more directly. "She'd just...overreact. And it's not a big deal."

The hacker merely nodded casually in response, but as Octavio began to play the movie, he couldn't quite focus on the plot. He was suddenly overwhelmed by an intense feeling of guilt. How could he continue living like this? They'd been spending time together for a while now, and Octavio knew almost nothing about him; anything he did know was a fake or vague answer he'd given him to get him off his back. He wanted to tell him things. He wanted to tell Octavio how he grew up, his favourite food, and take him to his favourite hangout spots before his life got turned upside down. He wanted to tell him how he couldn't sleep at night, how he missed his family dearly and how he always wanted a pet cat. He wanted to tell him that the time he spent with him was the only time he'd felt the slightest bit happy or normal in years. Fuck, he just wanted to tell him his real name. But he couldn't. He couldn't risk everything he'd worked for. He couldn't risk losing whatever this relationship with Octavio was becoming. 

Why was he thinking so much about all this? He kept trying to tell himself, the moments he spent with Octavio was just a way to pass the time. He kept trying to tell himself that he didn't care about him. But he did. And it hurt. Tae Joon stared at his bedroom ceiling that night, thinking back on the evening they shared. Octavio made things feel easy, even if it was just for a few hours. Would everything become easier if he just told him the truth? He shut his eyes tightly, trying to force the intrusive thoughts from his mind. He felt like he was going crazy. How could he ever consider telling Octavio who he really was and what he was really trying to achieve by being in the games? He remembers watching the footage of the Repulsor tower collapsing and how Octane had almost been crushed to death in the chaos. It didn't matter much to him back then; one less Legend was one less person to stand in his way. He felt sick to his stomach, thinking back on it now. How could he ever have felt that way about Octane - about Octavio? He wasn't disposable, though part of the hacker was beginning to wish he was, because it would make it easier to get him out of his head. How was it becoming possible, that he cared more about being rejected by him, than he did about being exposed, if he came clean? He could be thrown in jail, framed for more crimes he didn't commit, or worse. And somehow that didn't compare to the possibility of never seeing Octavio's scarred lips smile again, or the apples his freckled cheeks when he laughed. Tae Joon hated feeling this way, he was usually so focused but now his attention was being directed elsewhere. He wanted to hate Octavio for this, but he couldn't help but smile, his stomach fluttering, when he received a text from the runner, sending him a screenshot of a movie synopsis asking him if he'd be interested in watching that one next. Tae Joon fell back against his pillow, with a sigh, rubbing his tired eyes with the balls of his hands. He could keep lying if it meant they could spend time together. 

It didn't matter who he was; Tae Joon Park, Hyeon Kim or Crypto. When it came to Octavio Silva, all three of them were thoroughly, thoroughly fucked. 

[bunnitears]

Nervous Habit Chapter Two

Thank you so much for 100 notes on the first chapter of this story! It means  so much to me to know that people like my writing! I’m sorry this took longer than I wanted, but I have a lot of ideas for this story. It won’t be too long either, just a few chapters. Thank you so much! Let me know what you think of this chapter, if you want! 

"I didn't believe her, but I'd really, really like to…" 

-----

The rain started to pour down on Maya and I as we stood outside of the Hybrid Shelter. People were scrambling all around us trying to find their way out of the rain. The booming thunder and the blindingly bright crack of lightning against the darkening sky broke me from my anxiety induced state. 

"Y/N come on, we need to get inside!" Maya shouted over the sound of running footsteps and rain hitting the pavement. 

She dragged me by my arm and my feet quickly followed. I know why I'm so nervous, but I feel stupid for feeling this way. 

"Not all men are dangerous. There's some who may have bad intentions, just like there are women who have bad intentions, but not everybody is like that, Y/N" I hear the voice of my therapist echo inside my head. Her words calming me down as Maya holds the heavy glass door open for me. 

The freezing air hitting both of us like a wave crashing on the sea shore, causing us to shiver as we walked inside. If I didn't know better, I'd say I just walked onto a film set for some sci-fi movie. Everything in this building is white and it's kinda unsettling. The floors, walls, countertops, furnishings. There's canvases on the wall, which should be holding marvelous works of colorful artwork, but they don't. They blend into the wall because they've been whited out, as well. What's the point of having a blank canvas on the wall? To remind you of what could have been there? That's a little morbid. 

"Geez… this place could use some remodeling." Maya says with a sneer. I nod my head, agreeing wholeheartedly. You know what,  I wanna go home now… nothing would make me happier than being at home wrapped in my big fluffy comforter with a bag of chips and a cup of iced tea. 

"Okay, let's go check in, yeah?" Maya asks.

The receptionist is sitting behind a very long white desk, typing something into her computer. She looks up at us and smiles, waving us over to her. Her blonde hair is pulled into a high ponytail and her makeup is flawless. Some people just always look pulled together, always look their best. Her white dress was probably ironed this morning and is without a single stain or pulled thread. Well, in my jeans and oversized hoodie, with my hair dripping wet and hanging in my face, I'm starting to feel out of place. 

The receptionist glances at me and says, "How may I help you today?" More so talking to Maya and sort of ignoring my presence, but I don't mind at all. Maya's more of a talker anyway. 

"So, my friend here has an appointment at 3:30. She's looking to adopt a Hybrid today!" Maya claps with excitement. She has always had a way with people and I envy her for that, just a little bit. She makes people comfortable, I make them worry. 

"Excellent!" The receptionist exclaims. She asks me for all my information, my name, address, estimated income, credit score. I feel like I'm buying a house with all the information she needs. 

I fidget nervously, tapping on the counter top, as she types my information into her computer. I'm nearly frozen from my wet clothes and the air conditioning that's probably on full blast. Does it have to be that cold in here? Maybe for sanitary reasons? Like a hospital, I'm guessing. I really don't know, but I do know that I'm gonna be an ice cube before I leave this place. 

"Alright… I see that you have an appointment with Dr. Jung Hoseok. He is amazing, really one of our best! I'm sure he'll help you find the perfect Service Hybrid." She says with a smile. 

"He…?" I say hesitantly. I look at Maya and she must have seen the panic in my eyes. She thanks the Barbie Doll-looking lady and leads me to a couch in the corner of the room, far away from anybody. She starts telling me to take deep breaths and not to worry. She says he's a doctor and doctors don't hurt their patients. Yeah, they're not supposed to but I've seen the news. I know not all doctors obey their oath. I feel myself start to zone out, all these "what if" thoughts doing laps in my mind. 

"Y/N?" Maya says. I hear her, but I'm stuck staring at the ground. Has that ever happened to you? Like when you stare at something and you can't seem to look away, no matter what? That happens to me a lot and I don't really know why. Maya starts shaking my shoulder and calling my name, I feel like a child. Why am I like this? "Y/N, I think that's him." 

I look up to see a man in a white coat walking joyfully over to us. He's got dark brown, almost black hair that bounces as he walks. He's smiling like he hasn't got a care in the world. To be honest, he wasn't what I was expecting. He looks like he takes care of himself, lean but not too skinny. I mean, he's attractive… I've never had a good looking doctor before. 

He locked eyes with me and I must have looked nervous because, all of a sudden, his whole vibe softened. He walked a little slower and his smile went from blinding bright to a warm glow.  There was no other seat for him to sit down, so he slowly crouched down in front of me. The way adults do when they talk to children… 

"Are you Y/N?" He asks gently while looking up at me. If I wasn't as still as a stone before, I certainly am now. How am I expected to function at an normal human level, when those beautiful eyes are staring at me like I'm a precious diamond. Like I'm not just a socially anxious girl with a low self esteem and a very great need for a hot chocolate and a hug right now. 

"I'm sorry doctor, she's a little nervous…" I hear Maya say. I feel bad for staring at Dr. Jung, so I resort to staring at my hands resting in my lap instead. My mom always said it's not polite to stare, but I feel like if you're as attractive as Dr. Jung, you have to expect some stares. 

"That's not a problem, I understand." He takes a quick look in the folder he brought with him, and I steal a quick glance. He nods like he understands whatever's in that file, and looks at me once more. His eyes meet mine for a brisk second and I have to abort mission and stare at my hands again. Why is my heart racing? This is my doctor, and even though he's painstakingly handsome, I can't think about him like that. He is my doctor. And that is all. 

"Would you like Maya to join us during our appointment Y/N?" All I can bring myself to do is nod my head and that seems to be enough for him because he stands up and Maya and I follow. We follow him through the lobby and into an awaiting elevator. He pushes the button for the 35th floor and away we go. 

Dr. Jung's office is not exactly what I expected. It's very… colorful. I just assumed that a professional's office would be sophisticated and refined, but his office has cartoon figurines everywhere and paintings of sunflowers on the walls. His wall to wall windows have no drapes or coverings, always allowing the sunshine through. If his office was a person, it'd be just like Dr. Jung; happy. 

"Alrighty Y/N, I have thoroughly evaluated your file and I have no doubt in my mind that you'd benefit from adopting a Service Hybrid." He says. Maya and I take our seats, as does he behind his mahogany desk that's covered with loose papers and knickknacks. A pair of headphones, a couple picture frames, and a bottle of water. 

"See, I told you." Maya whispers as she elbows me jokingly. Her smug smile making Dr. Jung chuckle. Man, his smile is so contagious. No wonder he's a doctor for people like me; he makes people happy. 

"The process is quite simple, all things considered. I have already personally chosen a few that I feel would help you the most, so let me pull up the list." He starts typing away on his keyboard. Maybe this is a good thing. If he really thinks I need a Service Hybrids help, I might actually need it. And as much as I wanna go home right now, I can’t help but feel this is the right move for me. 

"So," He begins. “The are the hybrid I chose is named Min Yoongi. And I know, I know, you have a little bit of a phobia of men, but I assure you Y/N,`` He clasps his hands together on top of his desk and looks at me. "I assure you, this is a good man who will not hurt you. He’s been training for 5 years to be a Service Hybrid and he’s one of the best ones we have." Maya squeezes my hand in an attempt to comfort me. I smile nervously; even though the thought of a man living with me is more terrifying than getting shot, this has to be something I need, right? I can’t continue living my life afraid of men, they’re everywhere. There’s a man less than 5 feet in front of me and he’s not trying to hurt me. I just gotta keep reminding myself that not all men are bad. I’ve gotta trust Dr. Jung and believe that this Yoongi person is only trying to help me. And well, here we go… 

--- 

Dr. Jung brings Maya and I into one of the meeting rooms. It’s supposed to be a calm and comfortable place where Hybrids meet their potential “owners” and get acquainted, but I don’t feel comfortable at all. It’s so cold I can barely feel my hands and the room is all white; save for the Hybrid toys that look too much like dog toys and bright red circular carpet under a semi decorated Christmas tree. At least there’s some festivity in this building… 

“Alright ladies, why don’t you two have a seat and I’ll go and get Yoongi, okay?” Dr. Jung says as I sit down at one of the round tables. Maya starts looking around the room with her hands in her pockets. She always shoves her hands in her pockets when she’s nervous. I’ve known her for too long to not know her habits and little ticks. “Wow… I’m so surprised there’s a Christmas tree here.” She laughs and walks over to me. I giggle, but I’m trying to maintain my heart rate so I don’t have a panic attack, you know? 

“You ready Y/N? This is a huge step for you! I feel like  proud mom right now.” She sits down in the seat next to mine and takes my shaking hands in hers. She keeps reminding me that this is a safe place with people who want to help me and that’s it. All they wanna do is help me, right? I mean, that’s what everyone keeps saying, but I can never really tell. I’m not a great judge of character and I’ve been hurt for being gullible and naive. Can you tell? 

The door behind Maya and I starts to open and we look back to see a smiling Dr. Jung holding the door open for one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen in my entire life. What is up with all of the guys here? Is there something in the water in this building that makes them all so unbelievably good looking? Or is this just how guys look now? I’m so confused… 

The man Dr. Jung gestures inside is as pale as snow with hair blacker than the sky at midnight. His eyes are sharp and nearly covered by his fringe, but not quite. He’s smaller than Dr. Jung but he looks just as healthy. A little on the skinny side, but maybe he just has a fast metabolism. I’m so distracted by his beauty that it takes me a second to notice the black tail swaying relaxingly behind his legs. And then I look up and notice the tufty, black ears sitting atop his head. What do I do? I’m staring and I can’t look away. Maya help! 

“Y/N, this is Min Yoongi.” Dr. Jung says as he and Yoongi take the seats across from Maya and I. Yoongi seems to be a very relaxed person, or he just doesn’t care about anything. He doesn’t seem mean… His eyes are kind, but I can tell he’s putting up some kind of a front. Probably in case this doesn’t go well and he can just wipe me from his memory. I’ve read that some Hybrid species can get attached to someone incredibly easy, so I don’t blame him for the icy exterior. He’s just protecting himself. 

Yoongi and Maya exchange greeting and then Dr. Jung begins to explain my situation. He tells Yoongi about my stupid fear of men and that I have some serious social anxiety and depression. All Yoongi does is nod, he doesn’t say anything throughout Dr. Jung’s explanation. Neither do I. He sometimes mumbles a grunt of understanding, but not much more than that. All he’s doing is staring at me the way a student stares a textbook; like he’s studying me. 

It surprisingly doesn’t make me nearly as uncomfortable as it normally would. Maybe the cold is causing hypothermia to numb my brain. Dr. Jung’s and Maya’s voices starts to fade out of my ears and all I can focus on is the man sitting in front of me. My eyes meet his and I can’t look away. There’s kindness in there, I’m sure of it. 

“Yoongi, why are you so cold?” I ask out of nowhere, interrupting what Maya was saying. I didn’t even realize I was speaking until Maya snaps her head to the side and looks at me in disbelief. I don’t think she was expecting me to say anything for the entirety of this meeting, and honestly, neither did I. Yoongi’s eyes widen a bit, but he plays it off. His body noticeably relaxes, no longer stiff with tension. His gaze falls from my eyes to the top of the table. 

“I’m just uh… trying to get a feel for who you are.” Smooth, I guess? I probably caught his off guard, and I didn’t mean to. Was I rude? Did I come off as a bitch? I messed up, didn’t I. 

“I’m sorry, I just - I didn’t mean to - I don’t know why I - “ What in the world is wrong with me? Why can’t I just conjure up some sort of coherent sentence. I think my mouth disconnected from my brain again. And now my breathing is quickening; great. I love life when I’m wishing I’m dead. 

“No, no Y/N, it’s okay.” Dr. Jung jumps in. He’s a smart man; he probably sees my oncoming panic attack. 

“It’s great you asked! And I’ll tell you something about Yoongi.” He says. “He’s a very caring person. In the 6 years I’ve known him, he’s always been the most generous and nurturing friend. He just has this cold front up because Cat Hybrids like him get attached very easily. If you decided you didn’t want him as a Service Hybrid, it would be easier for him to get over the rejection.” So I was right. Wow, that hardly ever happens. 

“But he’s a very kind person Y/N, I promise.” He nudges Yoongi with his elbow and smiles at him. They must be pretty close because Yoongi smiles back; finally letting his shield down for a second. Maybe this is what I need. Somebody so calm and easy must balance out my unstable and nervous personality somehow. 

Yoongi looks at me while he’s smiling and I can honestly say, I’ve never seen something that made me relax so quickly. Despite his icy shield, I can feel the warmth radiating out of his personality. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all…

[roommatesandwiches]

Movie Night

For context: This WIP is set in The Consequences Of A Magic Sandwich, a series (with currently only one fic) based off that 'demon sandwiches' thread; Reader is a human that pals around with demons and serves them sandwiches when they come visit. It's supposed to be Vox-centric, but I somehow ended up writing about other demons more. (this one is set a bit after Reader's met Vox for the first time)

I wanted to write a one-shot of Reader hanging out with the VVV but realized I had zero idea how to write proper dialogue, especially with characters I'm not all that familiar with. I chickened, basically, because we have little to no information what all of their personalities are, but this came out decent enough so I thought I'd share.

Viv mentioned that all of the stuff in Hell are 'off-brand', and the following is kinda how I interpret the meaning of that as well as Velvet and Valentino's personalities while we still know little about them.

-----

The ice cubes clink as they touch the bottom of the glasses. Following after them is your fresh, homemade lemonade that you pour carefully from the jug. You then pop the straws into the glasses before carrying the tray over to the table where your demonic guests are sitting. Valentino is casually eating a sandwich, his eyes glued to his hot-pink phone, while Velvet is wolfing down your cookies one after the other like a homeless person who hadn't eaten in weeks. You place the tray down and the demoness immediately snatches a glass at the speed of light and knocks it back like a shot of vodka, ignoring the straw entirely. Her haste is rewarded with the ice spilling out and onto her face, some bouncing down her chest to her lap. "Slow down," you tell her as you hand her a napkin. "It's not going anywhere." "I know, but your food is just so good!" she draws out the words, and your worry that she'd get brain freeze disappears as she continues to be just as chipper as ever. Do demons not get brain freeze? Maybe she's just too hyped up to notice. Do demons get adrenaline rushes? You consider asking, but Velvet's stuffing her face with cookies again and Valentino is distracted. "Thank you," you say and you take a sip of your own glass of lemonade through the straw. You turn to the taller demon across from you, effectively catching his attention with your gaze. "You're not texting one of your workers, are you?" The pimp is quiet for a moment. "...'Course not." he says, but he puts his phone down. You sigh disappointedly, earning an annoyed look from him that you brush off easily.

"No working when you're here, remember?" you say. "This is a place for demons to relax. If you wanted to work over sandwiches you can do that in Hell." He frowns at your mothering, crossing his lower pair of arms poutily. "Fine, fine." He finishes his sandwich and finally takes his glass and brings the straw to his lips. He takes a sip and his eyes widen. "Dang, baby! This is f*cking delicious!" It tastes pretty average to you. "Don't you have lemons in Hell?" "Kinda?" Velvet made a face. "They taste gross. Everything tastes gross." "We have lemons, they're just... Off-brand," You raise an eyebrow. Off-brand lemons? "Just like everything else down there. We've got all the food and all the products you have up here but they're all sh*tty as f*ck." So that's why they like your food so much. It's not really great, it's just leaps and bounds better than the food in Hell. Velvet sighs and leans into her palm. You wonder if the brain freeze finally caught up to her. "Yeah... Even the Oreos are terrible." She suddenly perks up again and gasps sharply. She leans into you, filling your vision with her face. "Do you have—?!" "Oreos?" You push her back a bit by the shoulders as you try to remember. "I'll go check." You get up and make your way upstairs. Behind you, Velvet squeals and hits Valentino's arm excitedly. You hear the pimp say, "Calm down, Vel." but he sounds a bit excited, too. You go into your room and look into your snack drawer. After pushing aside a package of candies you spot a blue Oreo package hidden within and pull it out of the drawer. You grab some scissors before you bring it downstairs and show it to the demons triumphantly. They visibly brighten at the sight of it and won't stop looking at it in awe even as you cut it open. You hand them each a pack and they waste no time in tearing them open. They each toss a cookie into their mouths and simultaneously moan with delight as they bite into it. "So... So good," Valentino says with his mouth still full. Some drool drips down his chin and your fingers twitch with the urge to wipe it with a napkin. Velvet crams the other two Oreos into her mouth without even swallowing the first one and gets crumbs all over her dress and your tablecloth. Valentino at least takes his time to savour the sweet, sugary goodness. The demoness next to him reaches for another packet but you pull it out of her reach. She pouts like a puppy but you remain firm. "If you eat them all there won't be any left for other demons," is your reasoning, but really you don't want them to eat too much and get sick. You know how terrible that feeling is. Besides, you mother them enough as it is. "Just buy more." Velvet whines, making grabby motions with both her hands. "I'm not made of money," you say. Valentino opens his mouth so you add, "I can only get promoted so many times." "Actually, what I was going to say was that you could get a better job. We can easily make that happen, baby. You've just gotta ask." He winks and snaps his fingers with a flourish. "Thanks, but I like my current job," you say with a polite smile. "It's not the best pay, but it pays good and I like doing it." "Suit yourself, then." the pimp sighs and takes another Oreo. "I mean, with the extra money you could get some better clothes," Velvet comments, glancing at your outfit. You furrow your brows at her and she shrugs. "A change could be nice." "My clothes are perfectly fine as long as they fit me." you state with finality. "There's nothing wrong with looking good, sugar." You cast Valentino a look at that. "Not that you don't look good, I'm just saying that you could look better." "Well, I don't care about looking better. I like how I look right now." When clothes shopping, you usually just get whatever you think looks good, comfortable and is affordable. You've never really thought about how good anything looks on you and you don't really have any regard for style and brands. It was less of a hassle that way. "Are the clothes in Hell off-brand, too?" you wonder aloud. "Oh yeah, totally," Velvet says as she snaps a picture of the Oreo pack with her 'Hellphone'. She picks at the fabric of her dress. "A lot of the stuff for sale are tacky as Hell. If you want good clothes, you gotta make them yourself or pay really good money." "All my clothes are custom made and cost more than your house." Valentino adds. He gestures with all four of his arms and you easily understand why that could be. A lot of people in Hell probably didn't care to make clothes that accommodated demons that are shaped less like average humans. "That sucks." "It's Hell, babe," Valentino shrugs. "Everything sucks." "Even movies?" you question. "Yeah. Well," the pimp smirks. "Not our movies." Oh right. They make porn. You're not into that stuff, but you understand how some people are. All to their own. "Drugs don't pay for themselves!" Velvet laughs hysterically before adding, "We sell drugs too." Well, no wonder they were so stinking rich and high up Hell's hierarchy. Sure, power played a part, but down in Hell stuff like porn and drugs are likely really high in demand, you'd think. Velvet suddenly gasps again and turns to you with wide eyes. "O. M. G. Do you have—" Drugs? "—Movies?!" You look at her quizzically. "Of course I do—" "Ohmygoshohmygosh!" She's practically vibrating with excitement and her pupils dilate to the extreme. She's so excited that you're afraid that she might explode and get blood all over your dining room. Her claws snag on your shirt as she pulls you close. "Can we borrow them?!" You're about to say "Yes." when you second-guess it. You close your mouth and take a moment to think about it, prying Velvet's hands off of you as you did. "I... Don't know." you end up saying. Honestly, you don't doubt that she'd slit your throat and snatch up all your DVDs (or just steal them without going through the trouble of killing you) if you said "No." Velvet grins maniacally, giggling. "Don't trust us with your movies, huh? Haha! I wouldn't either!" "How about a movie night?" Valentino suggests. You look up at him and you swear his eyes are sparkling with excitement at his own idea. "Instead of borrowing them, let's watch them all here!" He grins expectantly at you and you suspect that he expects you to hate the idea, but surprisingly, you don't. Having a movie night with some demons isn't a bad idea. It'd be just like having a movie night with humans, but demons. It's been a long time since you've had a movie night with anyone, anyway, so it'll be nice. "That sounds fun," you say truthfully and Valentino frowns. "I can prepare the snacks, but oh—Don't you guys have work, though?" "We already have a night set aside for movies!" Velvet pipes up. "Ooh, Vox's gonna love it!" That makes you pause. "Vox?" "Um, yeah! We can't have a movie night without Vox!" she says as if it's the most obvious thing. "The point of movie night is so that we can hang out, duh."

(That's pretty much it. Thanks for reading y'all.)

[xoexoxhoe]

Ateez Reacts: S/O Sex Scene on a film set

@wonhosgyrl​ Request: “Omfg can I please get an Ateez reaction on how they would react to their significant other acting and having to do a sex scene with someone else. Thank you so much. Love your writing”

A/N: Let me tell you; When I say my co-writer and I had fun creating this thread, that would be an understatement henny cuz we were SCREAMING. Thank you so much for the support and here’s the thread! Hope you love it! 

ATEEZ & Y/N 

Hongjoong:

He’d be supportive at first, ultimately congratulating you on your success as an actress no matter how big or small the job may be.

He’d come to every single one of your shoots with coffee in a canister for you as well as all of your favorite snacks, being there for you at your beckoning call.

BUT- as soon as the camera started rolling, he wouldn’t be able to watch you. He’d probably have to sit in your trailer, watching his youtube and partaking in the onset food that PD’s probably give to him to hold him back from stressing for you.

“How is she doing? I swear to God- Hey! Hey, you! Is Y/N okay? Is she drinking water? You know how she gets when she has to do a crying scene! She gets dehydrated!” *PD’s eagerly handing him free choco pie and choco puffs in order to distract him as they politely push him back into your trailer*

When you told him about your sex scene, his eyes widened, leading him to stutter, “You’re- With another- Wait, like- It’s not me? But… I’m baby.”

You’d laugh, reassuring him that you loved him, and he’d hug you, still being the most supportive little bean ever.

Seonghwa:

Seonghwa would basically be your manager, standing in the back of an episode reading with dark shades on, his starbucks in hand, just monitoring how everyone does.

He most likely jumps the director on set one morning when you are in hair and makeup

“Um hi, I was wondering why y/n doesn’t have more parts in today’s shoot.”

“…..Seonghwa, she’s the lead.”

“Exactly. That’s why I made a few revisions to the script to fit her in some more. Like you know, what are you trying to say, that I’m dating a mediocre actress? I think not, she needs more parts.” *Flips non-existent hair*

He gets your script for the sex scene before you do. You were on a different set, preparing for the wardrobe change into what is, of course, scandalous bedroom attire.

Snatches you away from your touch-up artists and starts to haul you to the car

“Y/N, you aren’t gonna do anything of this sort. We are going home.”

When you protest, not sure of the situation, he swirls around to face you and places a hand on your shoulder

“You don’t get paid enough to do this. Tell them to use your stunt double.”

The movie is literally a rom-com; you don’t have a stunt double.

Yunho:

He packs a lunch for you every day, sometimes surprising you at the set; but sadly, lunch in his eyes means a PB&J sandwich because you won’t let him touch the stove at home.

He loves to watch you, telling every single person walking past him that you’re his girl, sometimes too excited, but you love it.

Yunho takes advantage of all of the free food on set, sometimes sneaking cheese cubes too often resulting in a stomach ache.

The day of your shoot for your sex scene in the most recent episode of your tv show, Yunho sat behind the PD team quietly eating the PB&J sandwich you refused to accept and allowed him to eat.

You walk quickly out of hair and makeup with a long robe on, darting your eyes toward his beaming face. “Wow! Y/N; Babe. You look amazing, but why the robe? I mean it’s flattering-” *Male lead walks in on the set with a matching robe and only boxers* “WHAT IN THE GOOD LORD’S NAME IS HAPPEN-”

He most likely shoves the PB&J into a PD’s face, “Hold my sandwich.” He then proceeds to stomp on set, hitting his chest and staring at the director, “Yah! Mr. Director, PUT ME IN COACH. RIGHT. NOW.”

The PD rubs his temples, looking at you disappointedly as you just shrugged and gave him a sheepish smile while running to stop Yunho. You grab his hand, telling him you love him and it’s just acting.

“I took an acting class in high school, Y/N.” You pushed him out of the door, pecking his cheek, “Honey, it doesn’t work like that.”

As the door to the set began to close you saw him drop to his knees in the parking lot, “BUT SOFT! WHAT LIGHT THROUGH THE YONDER WINDOW BREAKS?”

“BYE YUNHO.”

Yeosang:

Yeosang normally loved to let you work, allowing you to be private and come home to a stress free environment. But, on this day on particular, he came to set early to pick you up.

He parked near the staff lounge side of the set, reclining his seat as far as he could sporting a black hat and the darkest sunglasses money could buy.

PD’s and other staff pass his car, whispering about your potential sex scene for the movie and how it was to be filmed today.

His eyes ripped open, “Not today, Satan.”

He marched on set and into your dressing room where hair and makeup were working on you quickly. You looked up to him, “Yeosang!” You turned to your friends helping you, “Guys, this is my boyfriend, Kang Yeo-”

“No.”

“Wait, what?” You tilted your head and he dismissed the makeup artists with a flick of his hand. He went up to your ear, trying to whisper but still being ~ hella ~ loud, “You don’t think I know what you’re filming today, Y/N?! This is SIN… Ister…” He pouted.

“Babe… it’s a movie, it’s my job. I have to-”

“No.”

He began to pull you away but you stopped in your tracks, “Kang Yeosang, wait.” You explained to him the logistics, giving him the rundown of how safe it was and how a lot of it was fabricated.

With hesitant eyes, he nodded and just pulled you into an embrace, leaning down to whisper into your ear once more, “Fine… But I get to stay on set and watch this asshole.”

San:

Choi San might as well be the lead role in your movie as he and Shiber were even more popular on set than you; but you wouldn’t change it for the world.

He was always cheering you on and sitting in your chair while you were filming. He cried when you cried, got angry when you got angry, and of course, he ate when you ate in the movie.

San always commented on how good you looked in your outfits, sometimes even attempting to dress you up himself, confidently presenting you to your stylist who always  shot him down, saying that he can’t dress you in leather pants every day, nor can he place a turtle neck on you when it’s 80 degrees outside.

You and San were sitting on the couch in your trailer during downtime on set when you decided to tell him of the impending sex scene.

San looked up, screaming while pressing his chest against Shiber, looking to his stuffed animal, “Shiber- Did she really just say that she was gonna do a…” He whispered, “sex scene?”

You smiled, taking Shiber into your own arms and looking to the puppy, “Please tell San that his baby will be safe and does not love the male lead, only Choi San.”

San stole the plushie back, putting Shiber to his ear, “Shiber says that this is NOT a viable option in this situation.”

You stood up to San, laughing while using your free hand to flick his forehead, “Let me work, San!”

He rubbed his forehead, pouting but eventually giving in, “Fine. Just don’t let Shiber catch you staring at the dude or he’ll have to have some words with you, got it?”

Mingi:

Mingi never did pay attention to your rants at home, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t supportive. He always reassured you that you were the woman for the job, kissing you constantly and reminding all the staff around him that you were his and you were the best.

Mingi was especially interested in this movie you were filming as it was an action film, and the male lead was someone he really liked to watch.

He was very polite to all of the staff, always helping them to reach things off the top shelves of the prop-set as most of the PD’s were too short.

During a production meeting with the entire set, Mingi sat quietly in your chair, holding your purse and watching you intently. The director stood on the podium, “So today, we’re filming the love scene between Y/N and Lee Min Ho.”

Mingi’s jaw dropped, he stood up from your seat, shadow boxing the air and gritting his teeth before composing himself and raising his hand. “Um- I object, your honor.”

You dropped your face into your palms. The director tilted his head back, trying to disguise his laughter, “Mr. Song, Y/N is gonna be fine.”

“I PLEAD THE FIFTH, SIR.”

“MINGI!” You yelled across the set, bursting into laughter.

“WE, THE JURY, FIND THE DEFENDANT-” *Points at Lee Min Ho, attempting to hold back his own laughter* “GUILTY OF BEING TOO HANDSOME FOR THIS SCENE AND KNOWING Y/N WILL GIVE INTO HIM.”

Wooyoung:

Wooyoung was always cocky on set, yet all of the staff adored him as they knew he was in the popular group Ateez. They enjoyed his snarky comments and charm.

He never bothered you at work, just continually took selfies and posted them on the Ateez social media but sent them to you first for approval.

On the morning of the sex scene shoot, he was strangely calm. You told him about the situation way before hand where he just nodded, giving you a kiss and telling you that you were gonna be amazing.

“Babe… I’m nervous.” You closed your eyes as he pulled you into an embrace, laying his head on yours and rubbing your arm.

“You’re gonna kill it, Y/N. You always do. And I’ll be right there if you need me.”

You smiled, thanking him and kissing him before sauntering onto set and taking your robe off, smiling and bowing slightly to your male lead who bowed back.

Wooyoung just looked at you, waving a little and winking at you. The director of the set shouted to his PD’s, “We need the mood music, people. Where’s the playlist?”

All types of ~ mood ~ music began to play but lo and behold, your Jung Wooyoung walked up to the aux cord, unplugging the old ipod and throwing it behind him. “You people call this mood music?” He scoffed, “I got a song for ya’ll.”

Wooyoung saw the surprise in your eyes and grinned. Desire by Ateez blared on the speakers, causing your heart to race, getting flushed just thinking of Wooyoung and the song and what it did to you.

As the scene proceeded, he never took his eyes off of you. Everytime you looked to him throughout the song, he mouthed the simple words: “I own you.”

Jongho:

Jongho never liked to come on set with you. He always stated that, “Movie sets are like scary dreams. Every time I see a green screen, I just imagine Spy Kids and the scene where they’re being chased through lava by tinker toys.”

You took his hand, “Baby, it’s not that kind of movie. This is a rom-com.” He pulled his hand away and shivered, “That’s even scarier.”

On the day he found out you had a sex scene, he just so happened to buy you your favorite lunch, marching onto set happier than you’ve seen him all week, but stopping dead in his tracks when he noticed your skimpy attire. “Um- Hi? Yeah, why are you,” He motioned his hand towards your body, “Like this?”

You told him about what was to happen in the scene and he dropped the bag of your lunch on the floor, “Oh- and now’s a good time to tell me? Yeah- Where’s the security?”

“Jongho, why do you need security?”

He paced the set, “I’m literally gonna break something, they need to hold me back.”

“Babe- No- NO!”

He screamed, “JOHN CENA- TOO LATE.” He swiftly punched through a prop door that a PD was carrying onto the sound stage, causing the poor boy to falter and ultimately get slammed by a fist.

Jongho had no remorse, kissing your cheek, “Fuck, at least you look amazing…” He began to walk away as the crowd of staff members watched him with wide eyes. “I gotta go before I start breaking more shit-” He looked to the director, “Yeah buddy and you BEST BELIEVE I am NOT supporting this film- hell no.” He punched the door on the ground again and the PD, still pinned beneath it whimpered. Jungho let out a frustrated sigh and turned to face everyone while pointing to you, “By the way let’s just set it straight now that this is coming out of her paycheck.”

[ontherockswithsalt]

Resisting the temptation for 5, so 15? Please?

15. Kissing someone to stop them blurting out a secret/something they’ll regret

OMG @gimme-that-fluff. This was supposed to be a stupid nothing drabble and turned into THIS. lol Okay, let me just say that #15 is a typically absurd tv/movie device that like, never happens in real life. So it plays out that way. PLEASE NOTE that while this is The Penthouse universe, it’s branched-off a bit here. I’m not saying that this is indicative of anything in the future. But I’m not saying it’s not. Enjoy!

---

"Wait, Ben doesn't know you guys broke up?" Vinny questions me while we wait at the bar for our drinks.

I shrug like I don't want to get into it. "Nick and I are still friends. It's not a big deal," I explain. "So it's not some contentious situation." Glancing back over my shoulder, I survey the crowd at Mary's, the reserved section of tables near the karaoke stage in honor of Ben and Scott's engagement that we're all here to celebrate -- including Noble. 

"No, I just mean if Ben knows you're single now,” Vinny says. “He might reconsider marrying Scott."

A laugh puffs out of me as I take my beer that's set on the bartop and we turn back toward our table. "I sincerely doubt that."

"If you had told me a year ago that I was in love with my best friend--" Ben's on the microphone at the front of the bar. “I would have said, you’re gross.” 

Everyone crowded around the front of the stage cackles and reacts with a variety of shouts to Ben’s drunken rambling and he continues, “Not because Scott’s gross, but because I was so… in denial that I was in love with this guy who I’ve known half my life, who’s seen the worst of me, who still wanted to hang out with me when I tried to make those blond highlights happen, but we won’t talk about it. You know, sometimes people meet… that person and they just know. He’s the one. And other times--”

I return to my table where Noble’s parked himself at the chair next to mine. We had hung out for a minute when I first got here, but then wandered around separately to be social with all of Ben and Scott’s friends. It was easier than trying to pull off this act side by side like we’re still together. It’s not some big secret that we’ve broken up. Noble and I both decided, though, that this wasn’t the time or place to make that kind of announcement to these friends we had accumulated together.

By this point, one of Ben’s friends has taken up the microphone to make a speech of his own, as if we’re actually at the wedding. But everyone’s wasted so people just run with it. 

Noble angles back in his chair beside me and takes a sip of his drink before he leans closer. “So are you gonna sing, or--?”

I exhale a soft laugh. “Yeah. I’m up next.”

“I would fucking weep, Jamie,” he tells me. “If you went our whole relationship refusing to sing karaoke, and then you come to this circus and sing something. I’d be so damn heartbroken.”

With a smile, I shake my head as I bring my beer bottle to my lips. “You wouldn’t be like, ‘man, I’m so proud. Look at him up there… thriving,’” I muse.

An unexpected laugh rumbles in Noble chest and he nearly chokes before he sets his glass on the table. “More like you’ve lost your damn mind and I’d be concerned for your mental state if you were up there singing.”

“Yeah, that’d be me at rock bottom,” I admit. “Which I might be. We’ll see.”

“Don’t give me that rock bottom shit,” he mutters, his gaze fixed ahead at whoever’s on the stage. “You look way too damn good.”

Swallowing hard, I glance over at him. It’s like he’s trying his best not to look at me and he just absently picks up his glass and sets it back down.

“I’m not--” he speaks up again, waving his hand across the air between us. “Being like that--”

“No, I know.”

“I’m allowed to say you look good. I’d tell you if you looked like shit too, so it’s more about honesty than trying to hit on you.”

“I appreciate it.”

Reaching forward, he grasps his drinks and tips it back, swallowing the rest and crunching on ice cubes before he moves to stand up. “I’m getting another one.”

He crosses behind me and with a casual pull from my beer, I glance back to watch him walk to the bar. 

We had a clean break. It had to be that way because the moment one of us indulges some impulse to cross back over that line, teases the other to see if he’ll take the bait, or starts playing games, we can’t be friends. Our friendship is too important to fuck up with lousy impulse control. 

But at the same time, I haven’t managed to pursue anything with anyone else. After Vinny’s initial depression over our break-up, he offered to set me up with any number of the gay guys that he knows. But I figured the connecting thread between me and those guys was most likely one singular interest. And right now, I’ll pass.

It’s not that I’m still hung up on Noble. Just because the entire inside of my chest felt like it caught fire when he went in to hug me earlier tonight, smelling the way that he smells -- like fucking Italian espresso beans and the best sex I ever had -- doesn’t mean I haven’t moved on. 

Instead of coming back to his seat, Noble passes beside me on his way to the stage, snapping me from my faraway focus.

“Yes, Nick, get up here!” Ben calls out.

Easily, Noble agrees, his newly filled drink in hand, and steps up beside him. “Hey I have a speech,” he starts, grasping the microphone that Ben’s holding.

Ben tugs the mic back to his own mouth long enough to say, “Nick’s hands are huge, everybody please give it up for Nick.”

“I just wanna say--” Noble announces, then waits a moment for the whistling and clapping to taper off.

Already, I pull my brows together and feel like I need to hold my breath.

“--That I’m really happy for Ben and Scott. You both… get to spend the rest of your lives with your best friend. And you know, Ben, you talked about finding that person you actually want to live with… But to me, what's lucky is finding that person you can’t... live without.” He pauses for a thoughtful few seconds, glancing down to press his lips together before he goes on. “And I know you both found that person.”

It’s a perfectly suitable end point and I sit back, prepared for him to toast the newly engaged couple. But instead, Noble drapes his free hand on top of the empty mic stand and lingers a moment. “So that’s cool,” he offers with a sigh. “Not everybody finds that. You guys are lucky bastards.”

“Listen, you’ve got Jamie,” Ben pipes up from the secondary microphone that was apparently lying on the karaoke host’s equipment. “So if you wanna talk about lucky--”

“Let’s talk about Jamie,” Noble interjects, picking up the mic stand to move it back and out of the way.

“Oh god,” I mumble, sliding a nervous hand across my mouth. Meanwhile, everyone just laughs with a few whooping cheers.

“Most of you know that Jamie here is a police officer. And when I first met him, his name wasn’t Jamie, it was Jimmy--”

“Nope,” I chirp to myself and immediately push my chair back to stand up. 

“There he is,” Noble announces as I approach the stage. “This is a good story.”

I don’t rush. I merely slip my fingers into the pockets of my jeans and come closer, stepping up to join him. “I don’t know if you need to tell them,” I offer.

But he goes on. "And Nick Salcedo was a different person--"

"Nick--" I warn, wondering how difficult it would be to take over that microphone in his hand.

But Noble’s on a roll now, amusing himself. I know his state of mind is as fucked as mine. Or I guess more, because I’m not convinced he’s going to put a stop to his own confession. "--Who didn't like cops. And was pretty fond of cocaine,” he narrates. “His name was--"

Moving in closer, it takes one stride before I catch his head between my hands and land my mouth on his. 

I’m pretty sure the crowd around the stage erupts in a fit but all I can feel is the way Noble instantly gives against me. There’s hardly a second where he tenses in confusion; he’s just all in. Panic grips me, though, for a few moments longer but melts away when I feel him squeeze my side. 

Holy shit, kissing that person does something to the senses. I taste him and my heart hammers in my chest, so hard I feel it in my throat. 

When I pull away, my bottom lip throbs, my pulse racing there. But I channel that jumpiness when I hold his face between my hands and murmur, “Don’t tell that story” against his cheek. 

Then I reach down for Noble’s hand that’s still holding the microphone and bring it to my mouth to announce, “Congratulations Ben and Scott” before I bolt off the stage.

I make my way off to the side and watch as Noble blinks in surprise and coughs out a stunned laugh. He seems to search for his words and I hate that I’m charmed by that twitchy little pull at his cheek. “Uh, what I was about to say before… that very handsome, rude person came barging up here…” He manages.�� “--Is that when you find someone who… makes you want to be.. The most honest version of yourself… That’s pretty fucking special.” 

Fuck me, I should have just let him tell everyone his real name. That would have been far less painful than this crushing ache that knocks the wind out of me when I hear him say that. 

People around us hoot with their applause and Noble scratches the back of his head, getting himself on some kind of track to finish this off. “And I’m so happy you two get to share that. Congratulations.”

[shreyamistry]

Valentine’s Day Together - It Lives Series

Pairings: Ava, Andy, Dan, Danni, Imogen, Lily, Lucas, Noah, Parker, Stacy, and Tom x MC

Summary: How you spend Valentine’s Day together. 

Word Count: 5.4k+ All Together

A/N: Hi all, happy early V-Day!! This is my Valentine’s Day series, if you recall I wrote ‘Realizing You’ve Fallen In Love’ - ILITW edition back in October for ILITW Appreciation Week and dedicated I wanted to another one of those, but for Valentine’s Day. My friends voted and Spending Valentine’s Day Together won the vote! Includes all It Lives Series LIs (Does not include Connor, because I don’t know how to write for him. Sorry about that). With that said, each ficlet is about 500 words and is in alphabetical order (excluding ava & andy, i forgot my abcs it seems lol.)! Hope you like it, thanks for reading! Find the first one and this one on my masterlist, link in bio!

Thanks for reading! I hope you like it!

Ava:

Ava invites you over to her apartment on Valentine’s Day, she promises to watch movies with you and enjoy the ‘commercial’ holiday with you. When you get there, she has bowls of candy on the table along with an array of pizzas from Pizza Overlord. She’s even gotten your favorite toppings on the pizza.

She wraps the both of you in a blanket and turns on her favorite Valentine’s Day movie, The Silence of the Lamb, she doesn’t even flinch during the scary parts or suspenseful parts. Instead, she laughs at you any time you jump and throws candy at you when you least expect it to freak you out. By the end of the movie, you’re certain you’ll have nightmares about this movie but at least you got to spend time with Ava wrapped up in her blankets cuddling.

“That was a good movie.” She says as she slides off of the couch approaching her Blu-Ray player. She rummages through a few select films before holding them up in your direction a wicked grin on her face. “1981 My Bloody Valentine or Let The Right One In, with subtitles. The remake was garbage.”

“My Bloody Valentine, I guess.” You reply and she pops the movie into the Blu-Ray player with a smile you rarely see before she falls onto the couch beside you holding a twizzler between her teeth. She raises her eyebrows at you, earning a laugh from you. You take the other end of the candy into your mouth meeting her in a cherry flavored kiss before she pulls you into her arms kissing you.

She presses your back into the couch leaning over you, her kisses on your neck and jaw, as the movie plays on with a lot of screaming. Not that you’re bothered to look when you have your goth girlfriend on top of you. After a while, she pulls away a smile on her lips before she leans over grabbing the remote off the table.

“You hear those screams, makes it sound real.” She hits the volume button a few times. You watch the film a few moments seeing a woman in paled by a man on a spike. Ava shakes her head with a laugh, “That’s a classic. Want to recreate it?” She pretends to stab the remote into your chest causing you to scream in surprise leaving her to fall into a fit of laughs. You shove her shoulder pouting at her.

“I hate you.” You huff, taking a handful of M&Ms tossing them into your mouth.

“Happy Valentine’s Day babe.” She replies, laughing to herself as she tunes into the movie pulling you back into her arms, snuggling up against her form as you finish watching the movie the both of you falling asleep before the movie ends.

Andy:

Andy invited you on a date to play Paintball for Valentine’s Day where his team practices. They held a couples competition for anyone interested with a grand prize of a gift card to a restaurant and bouquet of roses to give to your significant other. Andy and you decided you needed to win and try out this place for a free dinner date. When the match starts the two of you pair up together and explore the arena to take out your enemies. Before long the two of you have dominated much of the field together, luckily you’ve been able to be a strong distraction so he can get precision shots in.

The both of you finishing wiping out another team, you get the final close-range shot on the girl who stepped into your way by accident trying to flee from Andy. She smiles and congratulates you on the shot before making her way off the field. You and Andy pant catching your breath.

“You’re fucking killing it.” He grins, he gives you a high five. “If I knew you were this good, I’d have added you as the new team member when Jason quit.” You smile in response leaning onto Andy’s frame for support,  running a hand through your hair to brush it out of your eyes.

“How many people are left?” You ask as Andy inspects the leader board on his phone.

“Two people.” He replies, “We have 12 points and they have 12.”

“You ready to kick some ass than Kang?” You grin at him and he grins back.

He pulls you close to him, his hands around your body holding you close to him. “They don’t call me King Kang for nothing.” He laughs, brushing his fingers over your face, tucking your hair out of the way of your face. You can’t help, but smile at him leaning in slightly, his lips brushing against yours as his hands fall onto the small of your back. His mouth moves against yours perfectly, making you dizzy and intoxicated with the scent, feeling, and taste of Andy.  He lets out a moan, as you tug on his lower lip with your teeth before pulling away from him with a smirk.

“You’re going to give away our position, Kang.” You warn as he shrugs, trapping you against the wall, both arms on either side of you. You wrap your arms around his torso as he captures your lips in another kiss, enjoying the feeling of his kisses. Your hands running over his back with excitement, as he flicks his tongue across your lower lip when you hear someone tripping coming from the column beside you. You break apart sharing a secret smile, he nods in response, raising his paintball gun. “Give em hell, Kang.”

“Naturally.” He radiates confidence, turning down the other side of the column. You wait for him to reach the end, giving each other thumbs up before jumping into the other lane surprise attacking the team from both sides leaving them splattered with paint as you and Andy cry out in battle.

Dan:

Dan’s roommate leaves for the night to stay at his boyfriend’s house leaving the two of you to stay in his dorm alone together. He gathers a bunch of blankets and sheets building the both of you a tent out of the furniture in his place, cozying up with you on a homemade bed made out of pillows and his thicker blankets he didn’t use to make the canopy. He sneaks his tiny TV under there along with a cardboard box loaded with foods and snacks.

He cuddles up to your side, taking a handful of cheese off of the tray popping them into his mouth as your favorite Disney movie plays on the screen. You can’t help but stare at him. Your heart weighed down by how much you loved him as you stare at his handsome features, ducking your eyes down from him when he notices you staring.

“I’m glad we got the place to ourselves.” He takes your hand into his own, threading his fingers through your own. You rest your head on his shoulder nuzzling up against him. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here with you.”

“You say the sweetest things,” You kiss the football captain on the lips. His free hand falling onto the back of your neck holding you to him as tilts his head to the side granting him easier access to kissing you. His lips are sweet and gentle against yours, the hand on your neck sliding down to your shoulder and down your arms resting on your shoulder. You break the kiss with a soft pant as he leans in kissing your nose. “I love you, you know that?”

“I love you more, you know that?” He smiles brightly. “You’re perfect in every way.”

“Flatterer.” You grin, kissing the corner of his mouth. “You make me want to be my best self.” He smiles at you, brushing the back of his hand against your cheek lovingly. You brush your nose against him at the closeness. He reaches out to take another few cubes of cheese off the table popping one into your mouth and the other into his own.

“This cheese is fantastic.” He comments, “Almost worth the twenty dollars I spent.”

“You spent TWENTY DOLLARS on cheese!?” You ask in shock as he blushes with a laugh.

“Guilty as charged. I wanted today to be special for you.” He shrugs, “And my therapist says it’s nice to splurge on yourself and your loved ones.” You brush your hand against his cheek this time, laying a sweet kiss to his lips.

“You being here, makes it special enough for me.” He smiles at your words cozying up to your side against letting your head fall onto his shoulder as the both of you continue to snack on cheese and grapes, ignoring the shitty wine he stole from his roommate content with your boyfriend and Disney film.

Danni:

It surprised you to find Danni invited you on a late night hike for Valentine’s Day, the air was cold and crisp and you were both bundled up in sweaters as she leads you through a patch of trees. When you realize you’ve stumbled upon a meadow out of bloom.  You notice the blankets, a glass of sparkling cider, and a cookie tin.

“Danni?” You ask as she grins at you with no words leading you up the path to the blanket. She pulls you onto the blanket the both of you cuddling up to one another as she encases you with blankets. Your head on her chest listening to her beating heart in her chest as you stare at the sky. The sunset nearly there as the skies hues of purple fades a deeper shade as the sun disappears.

“I love coming out here,” She says, “the view is stunning. I wanted to share it with you, it means a lot to me. My mom used to take me here when I was younger.”

“Danni.” You whisper in response kissing her cheek. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“Someone’s gotta appreciate the view and I sure as hell wasn't going to bring Eagle Scout here.” You laugh at her comment thinking of her and Parker sitting quietly watching the sunset and then going home without saying much else. “The view is better from here. Okay, that was so cheesy, I feel stupid saying it.”

“I hope it was worth the endless teasing the group chat will give you.” You laugh, as her hand cups your cheek brushing your hair out of your face.

“Not the group chat.” She reigns fake horror and the two of you laugh until your stomachs hurt. “Do you care if I take a picture? This scenery and that outfit are too good to pass up.”

You shove her shoulder playfully as she fishes her phone out of her pocket opening the camera app. “I demand you be in the picture too.” She rolls her eyes, but obliges anyway, she holds the phone out in front of the both of you and just as she captures the picture you catch her lips in a kiss. She gives in instantly after stiffening being caught off guard, her free hand on the back of your neck and she snaps a few more pictures. You relish in the moment, her lips are soft and sweet, she smells delicious as her perfume catches in your nose. Your hands running over her sides, holding her close to you by the waist.

You break the kiss to catch your breath and Danni can’t stop staring at you. She brushes her thumb along your lower lip, kissing you again gently. “I love you.” She whispers against your lips.

“I love you more.” You roll on top of her straddling her hips as the two of you plant sloppy kisses on one another, her hands in your hair and yours cupping her cheeks. After your make-out sessions, she insists on doing a photo shoot of you and the view, the two of you spend a lot of the night cuddling under blanket taking pictures and enjoying yourselves together, laughing into the wee hours of the night. You don’t even mind the cold you’ll get in the morning.

Imogen:

Imogen invites you to an ice cream parlor for your date, she buys the both of you the extra large cones of your favorite ice cream. After paying the tab and loading up your cones with different toppings, she walks hand in hand with you down the town square telling you her adventures of Pine Springs she and Kyle had together.

“Look at this!” She pulls you towards the edge of the town square overlooking a cove leading to the beach. She smiles brightly as she turns to you licking some of her ice cream that dribbles down her fingers. “This is where we ran away too. I forget what happened, but Mom was mad at the both of us and she asked him to go home and I said I wouldn’t let her do it. And she sent me to my room. He stood outside hiding, and I snuck out of the window and we met down by the cove and planned our new lives in that cove. That was my rebel moment.”

She laughs excitedly. You can’t help, but smile leading her towards the steps off towards the side leading down to the cove. She giggles chasing after you before the both of you fall into the sand looking at the sky keeping your ice cream from spilling.

“What’s our future look like?” You ask, turning to look at her. Her eyes are sweet and kind as she smiles at you, brushing her hand against your cheek, stroking your skin for a few moments before turning her attention to the sky.

She smiles, “We’ll have a horse. And a kitty cat or two.”

“Two kitty cats?”

“Obviously.” She laughs, “And we’ll be happy. Yeah, most importantly we’ll be happy. We’ll have a cute little town house big enough for both of us and Elliot, maybe even kids. We can always adopt.”

“It sounds like a perfect future, Genny.” You grin taking her face into your hands. “Because I’ll have you.” She blushes leaning in and kisses you sweetly on the lips, her hand holding up her ice cream cone from falling as she delves your hands into her hair kissing her deeper. You break apart briefly to grin at one another brushing a few strands of hair out of her face.

“I love you.” She whispers.

“I love you too.” You whisper back, kissing her nose.

The both of you untangle yourself standing from the sand and she looks at her ice cream that’s mostly gone. She frowns softly turning to you with a hopeful smile. “What do you feel about another ice cream cone?”

“Hell yeah.” You smile, throwing your arm over her shoulder leading her back towards the ice cream parlor. She goes back into another story about her and Kyle, enjoying the warmth of your body against hers in the breeze of the February cold.

Lily:

The cat café near the gaming studio Lily works at was hosting a lover’s tea set party with cats evening. Lily was super excited to go, and she knew you’d love hanging out with cats with her. You met Lily there since she had to work beforehand and find her wearing a pretty laid-back with her hair up in a cute style.

She blushes as your mouth falls open, “Oh hush!” She pushes on your arm. “The girls at the office heard we were coming and thought it’d be cute to do my hair for me.”

“You look stunning, babe. As you always do.” You place your hands on her forearms holding her there, smiling at her as you lean in to kiss her sweetly on the lips. “I feel underdressed now.”

“You’re gorgeous, you always are.” She smiles back, encasing you a hug. She tears away from you, taking your hand before leading you into the cat café. She talks to the hostess and before long the two of you are in the café sitting by yourself with cups of tea and cats surrounding you. Dewey the Cat naps in Lily’s lap, occasionally waking up to lick her paw or glare at Lily for laughing too loudly at your jokes.

You pet the cat that continues to brush against your arm, taking a sip of the sweet berry flavored tea. “I can’t believe you managed a reservation here, on a Valentine’s Day special.”

“I may have woke up at 6am to call as soon as someone got in.” She giggles, taking her half-eaten finger sandwiches popping it into her mouth. “My girlfriend deserves it.”

“You’re the best, Lil.” You smile as you place the mug of tea back onto the table. You lean down and place a chaste kiss to the top of the cats head half in your lap before crawling over to Lily’s side of the table. She smiles as you slide up next to her, scratching the chin of the cat in her lap your other hand falling on her cheek. “I’m happy we got to do this.”

“Me too.” She smiles, leaning in close to you. The warmth of her breath on your skin and yours on her. She smells sweetly like floral and roses as she meets you for a kiss. Her hand on your elbow as you cup her cheek with one hand and the other moves to the back of her neck holding her close to you. Cherishing the feeling of your girlfriend’s touch and kiss against you. 

She pulls away after a while, her teeth digging into her lower lip hiding her blush and smile. “I’ve been looking forward to that all day. I almost coded a character kissing a character they shouldn’t in the game!”

“You’re a nerd.” You smile brushing your nose against hers. “I love you with my whole heart.” She smiles back kissing the tip of your nose before saying it back. The both of you sit in a comfortable chill environment talking about anything and everything, treating yourself to cute sandwiches and cats to tasty fish flavored treats 

Lucas:

Lucas invites you on a date to his favorite museum near his university. He leads you through exhibits telling you the history behind it, listing off facts you’ll never remember and have no difference in your life. Despite it, you can’t help your growing smile your hands threaded together looking over the vast historical setups.

“Did you know-”

You cut him off quickly, “Every time you say that I do not understand what you’re talking about.” He laughs in reply running his free hand through his hair to fix the loose strands. “I love you, but you forget I’m kind of a dumbass.”

Lucas rolls his eyes in response, a soft smile spreading over his lips, “You’re not a dumbass. We're getting towards the end of the tour, want to hit the gift shop?”

“Do you think they have food there, I’m starving.” You reply exaggerating the word starving. “Typically, Valentine’s Dates include food for your hungry significant other. No?”

Lucas laughs, pulling you close to him. “I promise we’ll get food after this. The rainforest cafe is towards the entrance.” He kisses you gently on the lips, walking backwards as he faces you holding your hands in yours towards the gift shop. “Starvation takes 30-45 days to kill you if you hydrate correctly. Hopefully, you’ve hydrated before this or you might lie down and die here.”

“Now that you say that, I’m feeling feeble and weak.” You sigh, pulling the both of you to a stop. You pretend to trip over your feet falling into his arms, he catches you quickly his lips curling into a smile. “How will I go on, I am starving and weak. Lucas avenge me.” You lower yourself carefully onto the floor getting a few looks from people passing by.

“So, I lied earlier. You are a dumbass.” He nudges you with his foot. “Are you going to die, baby?” He squats down low to hear your response as you dramatically whisper to him peeking one eye open to look at him.

“No, I need kisses to save me. You wouldn’t let me die would you?”

Lucas laughs at your comment before pressing a kiss to lips softly and sweetly. His hands cup your cheeks and the scent of his cologne register on your nose. You inhale the scent of Lucas and fall into the kiss before he finally pulls away a blush on his cheeks as he glances around at the few people ‘awwing’ at the both of you. “Get up.”

“Fine. But you’re buying me something epic in the gift shop.” He helps you up, wrapping an arm around your waist leading you towards the gift shop with a laugh. The both of you enjoy the rest of your date at the museum ending with the tastiest sandwiches you’ve ever eaten in your entire life.

Noah:

Noah invites you to a concert to see one of his favorite underground artists. The drive there is silent besides their music playing as the both of you enjoy each other’s company without words. Once there, the show is in full supply and you and Noah find yourselves front row. He can’t stop smiling and it makes your heart flutter in your chest as you pretend to know the lyrics while the singer holds the mic out towards the audience.

Noah grabs you by the waist pulling you in close to him whispering the lyrics between the two of you, moving to the beat as he sways you. “You look happy.”

“I am happy.” He smiles, leaning in close to whisper in your ear so you can hear him over the music. “I’m with my favorite person at my favorite show, it doesn’t get better than this, kid.”

You smile back at him, “You should smile more. You look beautiful when you do.” He brushes his hand against your face, letting his cheeks grow red with a blush.

“Shut up.” He shakes his head, despite his words you can still see the corner of his lips curled upwards in a cute smile that he’s desperately trying to ward off. “You shouldn’t tell people to smile more, they’ll think you’re a freak.”

“You already thought that, dummy.” You laugh, the distance between the two of you, even more, none existent. His fingers thread through your hair as you are drawn together into a kiss as the band crashes down the chorus of their best song. The words swarm in your head mixing with the excitement of his lips against yours.

His lips are soft, but you can feel where he bits at the skin on his lip when he’s nervous. His hand on the small of your back the other on your cheek. Yours on either side of his neck holding him close a fear of losing him. The kiss lasts for an eternity and you swear you’re holding the entire world in your hands.

When you break apart you lean your weight against him and he holds you as the band switches to one of their slow songs. A steady sweet rhythm with romantic lyrics fills the room as the lead singer encourages everyone to dance with their partner and celebrate their love this Valentine’s Day.

“Thank you for inviting me,” You glance around at the ground before settling your gaze back on him, his eyes full of emotions he can’t express properly, “I love sharing your world with you, baby.”

“I like having you in my world.” He whispers back before the two of you fall silent enjoying the embrace of one another, the music, and the love in your heart long into the night as the band plays.

Parker:

Parker being the gentleman he is invites you to a small restaurant that he’s been going to since he was a child. He tells you stories of his youth his face bright with excitement and you listen intensely to his story happy and content to be on a Valentine’s Day date with the perfect man. The food comes out and you talk more.

“Do you like it?” He smiles politely.

You take another bite speaking with your mouthful, “It's deliahcous.”

Parker laughs, before taking a fork full of his favorite chicken pasta. Before he can even take a bite, you snake your hand onto his own, taking his fork stealing his food. His eyes widen in surprise before settling into a smile. “Really?”

“Mmmmhm.” You manage out, the hot food burning your tongue slightly, “Perfection.”  Despite himself, he smiles, plucking his fork out of your hand shaking his head. “What?” You ask at the look he gives you, his eyes glossed over with a look you’ve never seen before, but it’s healing and makes you feel loved. He smiles softly from his resting face casting his eyes down at his food before speaking.

“I just love you a lot.” His voice faintly above silence sharing the intimacy of his words between the two of you, a faint blush on his cheeks as he meets your eyes a sincere look in his eyes making your heart flutter in your chest unsure of how to respond his random declaration of love. He reaches across the table taking your hand into his own before scooting his chair towards the side closer to you. He meets your lips in a passionate kiss that tastes like chicken and sends your heart flying. His hand cups your cheek letting his tongue brush against your bottom lip. Before the kiss can last too long he pulls apart. “Wow.”

“Almost as good as the food.” You grin, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before taking another bite of pasta. He laughs to himself, tugging on his tie to reposition it back into place. After the both of you finish eating he invites you back home. On the car ride to his house, he holds your hand in his lap, brushes his fingers back and forth over your skin absently as he concentrates on the road.

You finally break the silence, “You know, I just love you a lot too, Officer Shaw.”

“You better.” He breaks into a grin back, he brings your hand to his lips kissing it. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in life and then some.” His eyes turn back to the road as the light turns green driving the both of you back to his place in a comfortable silence the radio purring a romantic song as you hum along to the beat feeling content and love pouring through your heart, trying to stop yourself from smiling which never happens. You’re too in love with him for your own good.

Stacy:

Stacy invites you to her house, she meets you at the door with a kiss on your cheek. She takes you by the hand leading you into her apartment. Her house smells of fruit and cinnamon and she leads you to the table where she has a set up of a cooking sheet and a microwave and a few bags of groceries.

“I thought you might like to make Chocolate covered strawberries with me.” She pulls out the chair beside her patting it for you to sit down. Her hands pull on the sleeve of her purple crop top blushing softly. “Felt tacky to buy them pre-made.”

“Sounds fun, Stace.” You smile taking the seat and she sits beside you preparing the skewers as you measure out the chocolate into bowls, she bought a variety of colors to make it more fun for the both of you. Shades of pink with matching sprinkles. The two of you melt the chocolate laughing and having fun, stealing chocolate melts while Stacy isn’t looking. She skewers the strawberries and the two of you continue to decorate your Valentine's Day treats.

While she puts them in the fridge to cool, you find a box of Valentine’s Day cards for kids on the table a grin growing on your lip as you think back to your youth of passing them out in elementary school to all of your friends; you remember giving your favorite one to Stacy every year and she’d do the same.

“I thought it might be a good laugh,” She replies seeing you look over the box. She saddles up behind you, resting her hands on your shoulder placing a kiss to the top of your head. She moves her hands up your neck to brush her fingers through your hair styling your hair to her liking giving you a head massage with her fingers.

You open the box, “I think it will be. If they’re anything like they were when we were kids, I’ll give you a vaguely flirty one since I didn’t realize I had a crush on you.” She laughs in reply reading over your shoulder as you show her the first card. “You’re the apple of my eye, Valentine.”

“Shopkin Valentine’s Day cards are so cheesy.” She laughs, taking the next card from your hand. “This one has a smiling strawberry. Have a Berry Happy Valentine's day!” You laugh in reply and she leans against the table.

“Are you having a berry happy Valentine's Day?” She asks.

You think for a minute, “A few kisses would make it even better.” She grins in reply leaning in to meet your lips in a sweet kiss. The taste of strawberries and chocolates on your mouth, as she delves her hands into your hair you arms moving to encase her body holding her firmly against you, enjoying the moment. Before long you break away smiling and blushing at one another and she suggests watching a movie and you curl up on the couch with your treats watching her favorite Rom-Coms.

Tom: 

Tom invites you over to his house the night of Valentine’s Day, when you get there you’re overwhelmed by the smell of chocolate - burning? - coming from the kitchen. You walk into his apartment finding him a mess with hair down falling over his shoulders a burnt tray of brownies in his hands.

You can’t help, but laugh as he turns around and he has chocolate frosting on the corner of his lips and he startles noticing you nearly dropping the brownies onto the floor. With a laugh you take an oven mitt off the counter taking the tray of brownies from him, kicking the oven door closing.

“Wait! I’m treating you, stop doing stuff.” Tom whines, trying to take back the tray.

You lean in placing a sweet kiss to his lips, “Were a team, baby.” He smiles in response taking a breath of relief as he steps out of the way, letting you place the warm tray onto the stove balancing between a tray of Dino Nuggets and tater tots. “Dino Nuggs and Tater Tots?”

“A restaurant seemed above our pay grade.” He blushes, “We can go out if you-” You break him off with a gentle kiss against his lips, your hands grabbing the front of his shirt holding him close to you a few moments enjoying the sweetness of the chocolate on his lips.

“It’s perfect, Tommy.” You kiss him on the forehead. “I’m gonna kick your ass in Lookout.”

Tom laughs shaking his head, “No way in hell.”

“We’ll see!” You grin, grabbing two plates out of the cupboard for you as he grabs two glasses. The both of you load up on food and sweets and the drink of your choice he always carries your favorite drink in his house. Carrying the food you leave to the living room laughing about a stupid joke he made.

Settling onto the couch next to each other yelling and playing videos games, he surprises you with a gift! He gives you a fuzzy stuffed bear holding a heart with a cutesy handmade card. You kiss him and thank him for the gifts giving him your gift before the two of you get back into your intense game play. You try to steal his control away from him when he starts to win the both of you fighting over it laughing until he’s on top of you, looking into your eyes with his sweet smile before he leans in capturing you in a kiss, as both of your characters die on screen, not that either of you notice currently; being preoccupied and all.

“You’re too good to me, Tom.” You whisper as he breaks the kiss, your foreheads against one another. He shakes his head no giving you a quick peck on the lips before climbing off of you.

“You’re too good for me, if anything.” You grin at each other before returning to your gameplay stealing smiles,  distracted kisses, and looks at one another that makes your heart flutter and Tom blush late into the night.

[nowbotjunction]

Power season 2 cast

They both know, had the past played out differently, Davis could be locked up alongside his big brother, but Theo questions if the guilt’s enough for Davis to keep his promise. Patrick case, now the biggest defense attorney in New York City. But now, they sit on opposite sides of the law with Theo serving an extensive prison term, and Davis, off his win in the Tasha St. Theo Rollins used to run the streets with his little brother, Davis MacLean. In a character description for the role, they give some background information on Rollins: Now, his little brother is going to enter the picture.Īccording to TVLine, Starz announced that Redman would be joining the cast of the show as Theo Rollins, the brother of Maclean. The Power spinoff is headed into its second season, one that ended with Meth's character, defense attorney Davis Maclean, securing a big legal battle. Frank plans to expose his police chief for his knowledge of and associations with the drug tests on New Orleans citizens, but we don't see that happen.Method Man's longtime partner in crime Redman has officially joined the cast of Power Book II: Ghost, and in it, he will play the brother of Method Man's character. The father-daughter duo hit the road together before the credits roll, leaving Frank and Robin behind. Project Power ends with Robin, Frank, and Art saving Art's daughter, Tracy, and taking down the operatives who held her captive. We just want to see how the audience feels first." Some questions remain unanswered. "And we did have thoughts about it going in other directions, but I wouldn't want to jinx it. I think that there are definitely many more directions the story could go, and the concept is so much fun, and you could imagine it," Joost told Digital Spy. "We wanted to design it as a fully enclosed, satisfying, entertaining story. I think that there's really, really cool possibilities and I hope we get to make some of them come true." The directors also think there are ways to further explore the film. "You can keep mixing and matching in really exciting ways take Friday the 13th and then put superpowers in the middle of it. "You could do a Power film as a horror movie or as a sci-fi movie or a coming-of-age movie," he explained. Screenwriter Mattson Tomlin is hoping for a sequel, per Forbes, as he originally pitched the film to Netflix as "a way to Rubik's Cube so many different genres." The story of Power can fit into various genres. "And that's the heart of the movie for us-the relationship between Robin and Art.” However, they scaled that back to " more room for the dramatic scenes," Schulman explained. Joost added, "We have a massive list of powers, and their corresponding animals."

"There's a version of this movie that has, like, twice as many powers," Schulman also told Yahoo. Schulman and Joost said there were many more superpowers that didn't make the final cut. In some instances, popping the pill can be fatal, as a few unlucky users are said to have exploded after swallowing the capsule. The catch? One doesn't know what kind of power they will manifest upon taking the drug. But the film's powers also go beyond the animal kingdom: Gordon-Levitt's Frank has bulletproof skin, Machine Gun Kelly's Newt can set himself on fire, and Foxx's Art basically has bomb-like abilities. Many of the superhuman abilities triggered by the "power" pills are based on animals, such as regenerative qualities, joints that bend both ways, or bones that protrude from the skin to be used as weapons. Skip Bolen/Netflix There are many more powers to be explored. Surely enough, the Reddit discussions have already begun. "But I don't think we would ever presume that something should have a sequel until the fans ask for it." "Well if you start a Reddit chat thread, maybe you can get the demand going," Schulman told Yahoo UK of a possible sequel. However, they're waiting to see how fans react. Project Power has not yet been confirmed for a sequel, and its directors, Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost ( Catfish, Paranormal Activity 3, Nerve), didn't want to assume that it would get one. The directors are waiting to see if fans want a sequel. The film just arrived on the streamer Friday, August 14, but there's already speculation over whether the story will continue. The New Orleans–set flick stars Dominique Fishback as Robin, a high schooler selling the drug to provide for her diabetic single mother Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Frank, Robin's police associate who tracks people using the pills but also takes them himself and Jamie Foxx as Art, a former test patient for the substance combating the whole operation to find his missing daughter. On the heels of Extraction and The Old Guard, Netflix has expanded its original, big-budget fare with Project Power, an action film imagining a world where mere mortals take pills that give them superpowers for just five minutes.

[invincible-selfxmade-punk]

TV/Movie list 2018

Inspired by @winteredfall   I have half way kept up with all the movies, documentaries and tv shows I watched last year.  Check your list against mine.  Did we match?  Do we have the same tastes?  Wanna be my watch budy?

*Will never watch again and avoid at all costs, so gross and/or triggering.

Atomic Blonde

Get Out (not your average horror movie, worth all the hype)

Split (terrifying.  Why did McAvoy not get an Oscar for this?)

Filth(IT HAS MOANING MYRTLE!!!)

Before I Wake (very scary, no gore)

Thor Ragnarok

John Wick 2 (Didn’t think it was as good as the first.  Hated the ending b/c if anyone deserves happy ever after it's Keanu)

Annabelle Creation (very good, as good as original)

Alien Covenant (scary as hell)

Personal Shopper (had to watch it 3 times to figure it out b/c I wasn't paying enough attention, but man, if you ever wanted to see a lot of Kirsten Stewart's boobs, this is the film for you)

Lair of the White Worm (Trippy and scary, reminded me of something from the sixties)

Funny People (maybe 12th time I’ve seen it)

Tin Cup(2nd time)

Videodrome (4th time)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (wonderful, best George Clooney movie)

The Belko Experiment (excellent)

The Fate of the Furious

Sylvia (excellent)

Independence Day Resurgence (could not get into)

The Pact (2nd time)

Wakefield (so good, almost no dialogue)

Friend Request (eh...not bad.  It had a chubby main character so it gets mad props for that)

Cloverfield

Rebel in The Rye

Danny Collins

The Perfect Getaway(took 3 times watching to figure out what actually happened)

The Last Jedi

The Host

The Sting

ATM

Flatliners (remake)

Black Panther

Why Him?

Shut In

Jackals

Desperado (6th time?  God, forgot how f'ing beautiful Antonio Banderas was)

Ghosts of Mars  (zombies in space..but at least it has Ice Cube)

Before I Fall (AMAZING MOVIE)

Winter Passing (2nd time, Honestly I watched it just to hear Will Ferrell sing I Can't Tell You Why)

Suicide Squad (second time)

House of Sand and Fog (utterly traumatizing)*

Everything Must Go (second time)

Drugstore Cowboy (second time)

CoCo

Trancendence

The Accountant (of course the ending made me cry)*

Eric Clapton:  A Life In 12 Bars  (sad but excellent)

The History of The Eagles (2nd time)

American Made

Avengers Infinity War

The Collector (gross)*

The Whistleblower (violent and triggering)*

Nocturne (loved it)

Margin Call (third time)

Only The Brave (don't watch if you don't want to cry)*

Life (also known as don't play God and don't fuck with Mother Nature)

The Hollars (broke down sobbing about halfway through, but it was a good movie, just hit too many spots for someone who lost both their parents to terminal illness)

Passengers (the Anne Hathaway one)(What an ending. I cried SO hard)

Don't Sleep (good, strange twist at the end)

Jumanji Welcome to The Jungle (cute)

Welcome to the Jungle (Jean Claude Van Damme does not AGE)

Rupture (crappy)

Kingsmen: The Golden Circle

Batman Lego movie (cute)

BladeRunner 2048

London Town (stumbled on this gem, EPIC, OMG)

Baby Driver (believe the hype,really good)

Gerald's Game (good, not for the squeamish)

Mean Dreams (good)

Carrie (2002) (ok)

Edge of Seventeen

Three Billboards Outside....(excellent)

Nocturnal Animals  (fucking strange)

The Hated

Open House

All I See Is You (seriously fucked up and ending leaves everything unanswered)  

Jigsaw

Shape of Water

Phantom Thread

Tribes of Palos verdes (loved)

Game Night (great)

Lost in Translation

Red Sparrow

Heriditary

Mission Impossible: Fallout

The Nun (awful, omg want my $5.99 back)

Momentum Generation (3 times, loved it so much)

Always at the Carlyle

Korn's Brian Head Welch:  Loud, Krazy Love

Ready Player One

All the Money in the World (not as good as the Trust miniseries)

New Wave:  Dare to Be Different

Bi-Polar Rockn'Roller

Love Means Nothing (ugh freaking sad, made me want to punch the tv)

Kevin Smith: Silent but Deadly

Pulitzer at 100

Hellraiser Judgement (eh...._l)

TV SERIES

Kidding

Billions

Vida

Trust

I'm Dying Up Here

Mr. Mercedes

American Gods

Lucifer

Sharp Objects

SPN

Gotham

Flash

Arrow

Whatever WWE Brand has Jeff Hardy atm

[moistwithgender]

Curry Read 60s Marvel, King-Size, Nuff Said

According to my tag, it took me about a month to get through this decade (eight years, technically), spending most of my free time reading. I’ve been following Comic Book Herald’s “My Marvelous Year” reading guide because it seemed like the quickest way through while cutting out the chaff. This was not...consistently the case. But, I’m still glad I followed it because this started out with me just chewing through early Spider-Man in black and white (don’t do this to yourself, nice flat colors do wonders for these older stories). I’m gonna go ahead and give the disclaimer that because I was following a speedy reading guide, I missed a lot of stuff, so if you know some really good issues I missed feel free to say so.

I’m afraid to type all this out because it’s a lot and idk where to start!

Okay well I have one idea of where to start.

Fantastic Four

This is Marvel’s best series up to this point and the fact that we’ve had so many garbage movies is a tragedy (don’t @ me about The Incredibles, I know). The FF comics are consistently the most fun, the weirdest, and the most creative.

Going through my reading list, I had to skip parts of FF, which is probably going to be where more of the good stuff was. Though, I will say that I prefer the latter half of the decade over the first half. FF started off with Mole Man, Skrulls (something I first realized was a thing back when they showed up in MvC3), The Puppet Master, The Red Ghost... The first few years of FF was probably best whenever it involved Namor and Doctor Doom. I don’t think anyone’s gonna argue with that. The latter half had The Inhumans, Galactus, The Silver Surfer, Black Panther, the Negative Zone... a whole lot of neat stuff! I actually missed the introduction of the Negative Zone, so all of a sudden Reed’s just got a portal to A Very Bad Place in the middle of his lab and he keeps opening it whenever things get slightly inconvenient. Stop doing that, Reed.

Highlights: - Namor being Namor. Usually at his best as a fish out of water (heh) in human society. With his absurd monarchic pride, and his occasional anti-hero tendencies, he’s...kind of like a wet Vegeta in hot pants. - The Thing. For a while he was back and forth as a character I liked or tolerated, and his incessant backtalk would occasionally become one of those “telling an unfunny joke until eventually it’s hilarious” things. - The Watcher. A being so committed to his vow to never interfere with the fate of the universe that he jack-knifes out of his lane every single time he gets the chance. EXCEPT FOR THE TIME HE WATCHED THE BIRTH OF GALACTUS AND DID NOTHING. THANKS UATU. - The fact that Doctor Doom is a Romani character being written by Jewish authors. That’s a lot to unpack. - The Sandman. Wait, you say, you mean that one Spider-Man villain who was played by the guy from the sitcom Wings? Yeah, it turns out once he’s done being a Sinister Six villain, he goes on to harass the Fantastic Four and gets his own Jack Kirby style super villain outfit!

Look at that badboy. Also he teams up with an angry furry made of explosions from the hell dimension that is the negative zone. - The Inhumans. All of these kids are cool, Lockjaw is an adorable giant bulldog that can teleport across infinite distances, and even Maximus is some sort of play on Shakespeare villains. The fact that differentiating these guys from mutants is really awkward. The short version (if I have it right) is that mutants are born with a unique x-gene, and inhumans come from a hidden society that commonly did genetic manipulation on its citizens at birth. - Galactus. He is arguably the weirdest thing Marvel has in this decade. A thirty foot tall man who flies around the universe and eats planets. He’s literally so powerful that he and the narrative both treat his eating habits as natural, and any victims that happen to get in the way as unfortunate but unintended sacrifices because GALACTUS MUST NOT DIE. Galactus is a vegan metaphor (maybe). - The Silver Surfer. The shiniest, angstiest boy in the multiverse. Originally from a planet where global society had literally hit its logical utopic conclusion, he was bored as shit. Galactus comes along, the entire planet gets spooked and blows itself the fuck up on accident, and Norrin Rad agrees to be Galactus’ herald and pick out planets safe to eat if he leaves his planet alone. Sometime after that he gets punished for trying to fight Galactus, and is punished to remain on Earth, where he would play around with being a very obvious Jesus analogy for a while. - That time where a guy impersonates The Thing in order to kill Reed, and then ends up getting respect for Reed and sacrificing himself atop a meteorite speeding off into an atmosphere of explosions. Really fucked up issue, honestly. - Black Panther. Wakanda is not as cool as it would eventually be portrayed, and BP’s first appearance is as an antagonist (he kidnaps the FF and hunts them for sport), but he has a fucking slick cape. - That time Doctor Doom stole The Silver Surfer’s infinite cosmic power and nearly fucked up everything for everybody for four straight issues. Also he got into a fist fight with the Thing, which is like...hell yeah. - The Negative Zone. WHY DO YOU HAVE A WINDOW TO HELL IN YOUR HOUSE, REED. - The Kree. I have no idea why the Kree are just white people in space. Bad move imo, even Namor’s race are mostly blue people. Anyway, there’s a rad fight with a sentry robot, and a decent introduction to Ronan the Accuser, who you might remember was the (reasonably overshadowed) villain in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 movie, where he is blue. - Psycho Man. This guy has a remote control that makes you feel emotions and that’s kinda dumb but more importantly he’s from a microscopic universe and controls a non-microscopic robot version of himself to fight the FF and the implications of all that is absurd. - Reed goes into the negative zone (again) to try and find something he knows nothing about that might help his pregnant wife and unborn child survive the gamma radiation they still have in their bodies. He gets pretty lucky. Jesus christ, dude.

The worst parts of the FF this decade is probably every time Susan gets the shaft because she’s a woman, whether it’s her being talked down to by Reed or whether it’s her being written as way more concerned about ~lady things~ when things are going to hell. In the issue where her life is on the line and the baby is coming and Reed has to go into the negative zone, she doesn’t even make an appearance until like the last page. Susan deserves better. My reading guide actually didn’t recommend any 1969 issues of FF? I wonder what was going on...

Oh, skrulls impersonating 1920s gangsters and doing super-human trafficking, of course. Well, let’s move on.

The Incredible Hulk (Tales to Astonish)

I have had a soft spot for the Sulk ever since...probably the 2003 three Ang Lee film? Where I realized that 1) Bruce has bad dad issues and no one likes him, and 2) Hulk isn’t just a big boy, he is really fast and jumps crazy far and that’s a physical concept my teenage brain had never considered. I hadn’t even considered liking the Hulk growing up because I was so uncomfortable with almost all expressions of masculinity and machismo. My mom in fact was the one who told me “Don’t you want to see the Hulk? He’s big and scary like a bad guy, but he’s a good guy!” and I assume that’s what helped change my mind?

Anyway, Hulk has had a rough time in terms of popularity as well. His magazine lasted some six or seven issues before being canceled and his stories would continue, shorter, in Tales to Astonish, alongside Ant-Man (and eventually Namor’s own series). In the last few years of the decade he’d get a new magazine starting with The Incredible Hulk #102 (following Tales to Astonish #101... comic numbering is extremely bad), and...it’s okay so far! In the modern era, Hulk had a cartoon I never watched, a few nonstarter films, there was that series with Lou Ferrigno I know nothing about... He seems to always function best as a side hero. It doesn’t help that all the villains in his series are, like. Weird? Not like FF crazy weird, just like weird and not seemingly a great match for Hulk himself. Most of the ones that come to mind are dudes who are also mutated by gamma radiation or something else (and sometimes also green? why is the green supposed to be a common thread, that feels coincidental).

Which reminds me, Bruce is almost never present in what I’ve read so far. It’s just Hulk, usually talking way more than feels natural for him (it took a while for him to start speaking mostly in the third person). As a result, Hulk is usually given a very limited range of characterization and expected to coast on that, and it doesn’t often work. You have to put Hulk in casts and settings that complement him. For a while there he has a support character in Rick Jones, a (very uninteresting) teen boy who eventually can’t keep up with the increasingly antagonistic Hulk, bounces over to Captain America as a ward, eventually is confused by a cosmic cube-wielding, Cap-impersonating Red Skull, and fucks off on his own. He is immediately possessed by, and becomes a host for, Mar-Vell/Captain Marvel. I do not give a single fuck about Rick Jones.

In the earliest issues, the Hulk is gray, and also...just a non-furry werewolf. HE changes at night, until issue #102 retconned this.

Highlights: - That first issue has some really nice panels but I’m gonna say that’s all Jack Kirby’s doing. - Ends up harassing the FF, Spider-Man, the Avengers (after being one of them and then getting buttmad and running off), the Silver Surfer, the US military (regularly)... - Hulk goes to the far dystopic future?? He gets back I guess. - Hulk goes to Asgard! This is arguably the most interesting place to put him because all Odin’s warriors try to fight him and then decide lol this guy’s cool let’s go hang out. Meanwhile, Loki keeps fucking with him. But then the Enchantress and the Executioner become the villains and things get kinda boring again. - The Leader (that’s actually the name of a villain) makes a big robot and Hulk throws it into a volcano and then activates said volcano with his FISTS to fuck it up. Then he manually diverts a nuclear missile into the atmosphere after suddenly caring about people even though he has no reason to. Shrug! - Hulk goes to Attilan, the hidden nation of the Inhumans! There’s potential for interesting stuff here, but it’s mostly wasted by a full cast of extremely uninteresting one-off characters. This is all in a double length annual issue with a gorgeous cover by Jim Steranko, but the issue itself is drawn by Marie Severin. She does good stuff! But Steranko’s work is gorgeous.

Whatever!

The Mighty Thor (Journey into Mystery)

Thor’s winged helmet is really dumb, goodnight everybody!

Okay but yeah Thor started out in the Journey into Mystery magazine, and I guess I’d describe his stuff as... Dungeons and Dragons by Marvel? I struggle with it aesthetically but I like some of the ideas. Mjolnir is fucking cool, Asgard is both a real place and an planet (a flat one, even?), fucking Olympus is also a place and Hercules exists, Loki is... well, Loki hasn’t come into his own yet, but we’ll get there one day. On the other hand, some of the villains are dull as dishwater and a number of the good guys took their time getting interesting. Clearly there was some appeal, because he did eventually get his own magazine starting with Thor #126, I think? There’s that bad numbering again.

A big weird problem with Thor is that originally he has a secret identity. Like. Donald Blake is a surgeon who needs to use a cane to walk, and he goes hiking by himself and gets lost I guess and finds a stick and it turns out oops it’s Mjolnir and he becomes Thor! And Thor is not just a new identity, but also a person that is both the Thor of Norse myth, and the actual son of Odin up in Asgard and has been so forever and aaaaaaa

Donald Blake is not super important. He mostly exists to give Thor a weakness in that he can’t let go of his hammer for 60 seconds or he’ll turn back into a guy with a PhD. Eventually, in the latter half of the 60s, they add on to his backstory in a way I like, by saying “oh no no, he was always Thor. At one point Odin punished him by sending him to Earth with amnesia and in the guise of a handicapped guy getting through medical school. For some reason.” Which really only makes his dual identities more confusing, and I actually dig that. The MCU does not fuck with this at all, and I’m assuming the comics throw it out in the decades to come. Also, this semi-retcon was not included in the reading guide, I found it on accident. Anyway.

Highlights: - Thor joins the Avengers! I mean, duh, of course he does. He eventually leaves because he’s too popular and needs his own series or something. He occasionally pops back in to do cool stuff. - Thor accidentally ends up on Olympus and gets into a big sweaty fight with Hercules. They decide they are pals. This was an annual issue. - Thor goes into space! This is where things get good, and I really like Thor’s archaic ass as a cosmic sci-fi hero. Great juxtaposition. - Thor meets/fights Ego, the Living Planet! Okay, I said Galactus was the weirdest thing, and I was wrong. Ego is. Ego is almost as described on the tin, because he is actually described as an entire “bioverse”, and capable of changing the entirety of his physical makeup at any time. It is intensely cool. He’s also kind of evil and wants to spread out to control everywhere. Also, Thor makes friends with a nice recording robot and becomes an ally of robot rights. - Thor dies! A guy with a giant crowbar is accidentally given asgardian power by Loki, and then kills Thor because Thor has lost his power because Odin is punishing him again. And then Hela shows up as the goddess of death and says hey Thor. And he says hold on I got this and gets back in his body and saves the day and it’s fine. Hela does what she does best, stand there and look cool and do nothing else.

god she’s hot

- Thor rescues Ego from Galactus? Kind of on accident, he’s just trying to save the people inbetween who got their planets ate. Actually though, this arc fucking kicks, and he hangs out with the recorder bot too. In the end, Ego is grateful and lets the planetless nomads live on him. - Thor hangs out with Galactus and listens to his tragic backstory! Then Thor decides he’s gonna hit him anyway, and Odin decides “that’s enough for this story arc” and whisks Thor off to fight a robot instead. - Volstagg. - Volstagg.

- VOLSTAGG.

- Thor’s dudes go to the human world and there are shenanigans. It is good.

The Amazing Spider-Man

We all knew this was coming. Marvel’s own Pikachu. Possibly the most popular superhero alive (well, second to Batman anyway). And probably the hero I cared about the most growing up. We got associated a lot because we share a name. Spidey is probably the coolest idea for a superhero anyone has ever had, and they better CGI gets, the better his fights look. I do not care how many QTEs are gonna be in that new videogame, I wanna look at Spidey swing. Spider-man is just cool cool cool cool.

Early Spider-Man comics are fucking boring! Goodnight everybody!

Okay just kidding sort of. Spider-Man takes a while to pick up, in my opinion, and I’m 100% positive part of that is because I’ve seen these early stories retold in better and better definition so many times. I watched the cartoon as a kid, but the Sam Raimi movies are probably what comes to mind when I think of Spider-Man. Steve Ditko nailed a fucking iconic costume design, and did a great job of visually communicating Spidey’s agility on paper. But, in the earliest issues there was rarely any variation in panel size and shape, and action scenes were laid out like diagrams. Both those factors, along with the fact that each panel had dialogue because Peter kind of never shuts up, meant that pacing slowed to a crawl, and I had to chew through those issues. Also sometimes he just fought, like, mobsters with lassos. Jesus christ that’s boring. As the decade goes on, we start getting some good stuff, and to be completely honest, I’m looking forward to the weird dumb 90s stuff the most?

Highlights: - Peter has a persecution complex and uses his secret identity to be an asshole! Even after Peter’s iconic and still very well written origin story, he spends a lot of time harassing people, good and bad. He regularly breaks into JJ’s office in costume and makes fun of him, he crashes the Torch’s party to beat him up and flirt with his girlfriend, he breaks into the Baxter building to fight the FF in hopes they’ll recruit him with pay, he...gets into an argument with black students who are very passionate about affordable housing? He wasn’t even in costume for that one. Jesus, Peter, go to a therapist. - Nobody likes Spider-Man! Kind of makes sense why he’s got those personality issues, though those start with jocks calling him a nerd (he’s a nerd). Half the city doesn’t trust him, he works for a newspaper that is dedicated to anti-Spidey propaganda (Peter, you’re partially at fault for this), even the X-Men just assume he’s a bad guy, and that’s usually a problem they have to deal with. - Really appropriate villains! Wow! The Vulture matches his high up action, Doc Ock is both another victim of weird science and an intellectual rival. Also, like, their namesakes have a lot of legs. The Lizard is...Florida Man. Maybe the better argument is that many of these villains are memorable, in a decade that featured a concerning amount of “large humanoid monster/robot” baddies in all of the running series. - Like the Green Goblin. Who knew that would be Spider-Man’s Joker? Maybe that’s a bad comparison. Also bats and clowns aren’t usually connected with each other. Where was I going with this. - Spider-Man tries to quit the superhero gig twice, I think? He’s the only Marvel hero to consider this, as far as I know. Part of Peter’s appeal is that not only is he a young adult, unlike the rest of Marvel’s adult cast, but he’s also financially disadvantaged, has a non-nuclear model family, and has to look out for his often ailing Aunt. He has to work a side job while going to school while fighting bad guys, and it’s a lot more interesting than what Tony Stark’s doing up to this point. This has all been said so many times by so many people, but it’s an obligatory mention. - Peter donates blood to Aunt May at one point and accidentally gets a radioactive particle in her body. OOPS. Spider-Man goes on a rampage to find an antidote and tears a metal stairwell off its hinges. He also, like, completely destroys a villain’s underwater base and nearly doesn’t get out himself. - The Green Goblin discovers Peter is Spider-Man! Most of the Marvel heroes have this anxiety, but it never ends up a problem, so this is pretty big. The Goblin kidnaps him in broad daylight, ties him to a chair in a secluded place, and infodumps his origin story that he’s actually the father of Peter’s college roommate and is kind of very unhinged and obsessed with Spider-Man? In the end, Gobby gets amnesia and forgets the whole supervillain and mental illness thing and turns back into a good dad. - Spidey goes to the Casbah! Yeah, go figure. He learns his parents were traitors to America, and it fucks him up so much he flies there to find the truth. He ends up exploding the Red Skull and learns his parents were actually double double agents and were spying for America and so things are a-okay!

also peter kills a dude with a missile

- That aforementioned thing about affordable housing happens! Some black college students are unhappy that the university is taking old dorms that could be used as low rent housing for students and instead giving it to visiting alumni, and start a big protest and the narrative actually pins them as sympathetic even when they get overzealous and physical? I’m...kind of surprised, to be honest. Not used to seeing this at all.

Ant-Man, and...other identities. (Tales to Astonish)

ima keep it real with u founding member of the avengers hank pym, this will not improve marvel’s declining sales

This guy is a goddamn mess.

People like to say “pfffft there’s an ant-man? that’s goofy! that’s the weirdest thing ever! that’s a bad idea!” and buddy let me tell you, Hank Pym has a career specializing in bad ideas. Let’s list them!

- Adopt a young woman while she is grieving over the loss of her father and take her in as both a crime-fighting ward (The Wasp!) and also a love interest. Feel bad about it for about five minutes so it’s okay. - Develop a “growth capsule” that allows you to turn huge and decide to adopt two super hero identities, Ant-Man and Giant-Man. Assume this will not confuse anyone. - Eventually do weird science to make it so you can grow and shrink at will. Assume this will not have negative repercussions on your body. - Change the name Giant-Man to Goliath because you feel like Giant-Man is a dumb name. Confuse everyone for multiple issues. - Get stuck as a twelve-foot tall 90s beverage mascot lookin ass motherfucker (you are terrible at costume design, hank) and get real mad at everyone all the time about it. - Create an evil robot called Ultron and forget about it. Oops! Surely this will be fine.

IT’LL BE FINE

- Fail to relate to your robot-grandson-turned-avenger The Vision. Be a bad grandpa. - Inhale chemicals and get all fucked up on temporary schizophrenia (???), adopting a second personality. Call yourself Yellowjacket, claim to have killed Hank, and kidnap your girlfriend and force her to make out with you. - When assaulting your girlfriend makes her, uh, somehow realize that you are Hank, she will rope you into marrying her, thereby...uh...legally cuckolding yourself I guess? Realize you are Hank during/after the wedding, and be perfectly fine with this egregious violation of consent. Nothing about this will have lasting negative consequences. - Adopt the identity of Yellowjacket, and abandon Goliath. Continue to confuse people. On the bright side, finally have a nice costume. - Make a new Goliath costume in celebration of refusing to ever be Goliath again (WHY), and store it and a beaker of growth serum (WHY) in an unlocked locker out in the open (WHY). Hawkeye will steal it and become the new Goliath II.

So far that’s everything about Hank-Man! Stay tuned to see more of this trainwreck.

Iron Man (Tales of Suspense)

YO THIS DUDE SUCKS

I really like Iron Man’s origin story and his overall concept but the tech culture would not advance far enough to match it for a while. Also this was in the era of the Vietnam War and so Tony’s greatest enemy is The Mandarin, an extremely awkward asian stereotype and I! Ain’t! Got! Time! For! That!

Avengers

The Avengers are, at their most interesting, characters already in their own magazines. At their worst, they’re a bunch of characters no one cares about, fighting villains no one cares about, with last second ass-pull victories. There was a brief period there were I suspected the Avengers magazine was going to be true gristle of Marvel I was gonna have to chew on for hours to get through. Thankfully we are eventually given Marvel’s goodest boy, Vision. After that, things start to pick up a lot.

bless him and his little intangible heart

Highlights: - Captain America is found frozen in an ice cube! He’s been in cryo for twenty years, wow how the world has changed. I guess. Another case of time passing eventually making an origin story better. At this point Marvel has revived three 1940s comics properties: Cap, Namor, and the Human Torch (the lattermost in this case being an entirely different person). - Kang the Conqueror! Kang is a hell of a villain concept. He’s a time traveler who once ruled ancient Egypt as a pharaoh named Rama Tut and, uh, will eventually rule over Earth in the 41st century. He keeps harassing the 20th century for some reason. Also he is hint hint maybe related to Doctor Doom, I guess. - Hawkeye joins, having previously been a one-off villain, and proceeds to be an asshole to everyone forever. Eventually he becomes Goliath II because why not I guess. - Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver join, having recently bailed on Magneto’s Brotherhood, and they are...kinda boring, tbh. Wanda’s “hex power” isn’t very well defined (it makes unlucky things happen), and neither of them have much personality yet. At one point they fight Doctor Doom and he uses a machine to cancel out the hex power (???) and outpaces Quicksilver without using any enhancements (???). Some of these issues really blow. Quicksilver’s costume is lazy as hell. - Hercules joins for some reason, even though he says he doesn’t wanna be part of a team.  - Magneto does some sneaky bullshit and tricks Quicksilver into thinking someone at the UN shoots at Wanda on purpose. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch join Magneto again because fuck normies. - The Avengers are killed (sort of) by the Grim Reaper! Their newest member, the Black Panther, rescues them.

Pick a color you trilobite.

- The Vision joins, Ultron-5 is introduced, and things finally settle in for the good stuff. - Ultron rebuilds himself in adamantium as Ultron-6 and replaces his legs with a rocket chariot thing. No one is brave enough to tell him it looks dumb.

no shut up its cool and i can fit still fit through doorways

immediately the next chapter he re-rebuilds himself with legs and calls himself Ultimate Ultron. mmmhm.

sounds like somebody was havin some self esteem issues about their body. sounds like a talk that ultron and their dad hank pym could probably relate to each other over.

- The decade ends with an arc where Kang abducts the Avengers and ends up himself wrapped up in a proxy wargame with the Grandmaster. Kang uses the Avengers as his pawns, and the GM creates four superhumans that he totally didn’t get from DC no sir. Perfectly original characters, do not steal.

I just...I just really feel like that last one could have used a few more minutes in the boardroom.

- Even better, the second half of the arc pits the avengers against Captain America, Namor, and the Human Torch...in their 1940s renditions!

Hank even comments on the fact that Namor’s diction is different. It’s great.

The Uncanny X-Men

So I grew up in the 90s, and despite never really engaging with comics, I was quite aware that Marvel’s hottest shit at the time was Spider-Man and X-Men. The X-Men had a slow start, but once they caught on, they never really dropped off. Actually, I think they might be less popular now? They’re at least not the ever-present icons they used to be, and I suspect that is partially to do with middling-quality movies diluting the brand.

But, the appeal is there from the start. Children born unique but feared by society are adopted by Patrick Stewart and spirited away to a special boarding school that is secretly dedicated to teaching them to use their powers for the sake of fighting evil. This was the proto-Harry Potter, though Snape’s gonna win no contests against Wolverine.

Unfortunately, we don’t have Wolverine, yet. We’ve got...these guys!

(Not pictured: Marvel Girl/Jean Grey)

The creative potential in mutant design has not quite picked up yet, so the main team (of five teens and an old man) includes such marvels as Guy With Wings, and Guy What Got Big Feet. Seriously, Beast’s feet get way too much attention.

I cannot wait until you are a blue cat instead of this.

I wish I could comment on the political commentary on the series, but it hasn’t quite started up yet, whether that is intentional or not. The rampant fear of mutants is there, we’ve even had a Sentinels arc, but it’s mostly just surface stuff. I had a lot to say about Spider-Man, so I feel kind of silly coming up short here!

Highlights: - Magneto. Despite the slow start this series is going through, Magneto is immediately introduced and has his wonderful costume design and his super threatening magnetism powers. I am a bit confused as to how his magnetism affects all things, not just metal, but magnets are an irl mystery and I’m willing to let it slide. - The Juggernaut. The two-issue arc introducing Juggz himself are effectively told, if not sliiightly silly in structure. The first issue has the X-Men building up defenses because he’s coming, and later, as he tears through each single one, unseen to both the kids and the reader, Xavier explains his and the Juggernaut’s tumultuous childhood together. It builds the tension really well, but it’s a bit funny by the fourth time the X-Men are saying “we gotta go meet him before he breaks in here where we are!” and Xavier’s like “I’M NOT DONE TELLING MY ORIGIN STORY.” - The Sentinels. This is probably the last interesting arc in the 60s, published as early as ‘65. It’s almost the last material in the reading guide, next to an issue where they all get into a fight with Spider-Man for no reason. If I understand correctly, the Sentinels are later depicted as humongous robots, where here they’re closer to ten feet tall or so. I’d always thought the idea of “a bunch of mass produced robots designed to kill mutants” seemed uncreative growing up, especially given that they don’t, like, have an x-gene suppressing ray or anything, but it works well enough in the moment. - Wholly unnecessary amounts of sexual harassment towards Jean Grey. All the boys have the hots for her (well, maybe not Iceman (pun not intended)), including even Xavier saying that she’s attractive when she first arrives. What the fuck, dudes.

X-MANS IS CANCELED

Doctor Strange (Strange Tales)

The reading guide included a ton of Strange Tales to read, including an 11-issue arc at one point. Good grief it was a lot.

Steve Ditko, of early Spider-Man, did the art for Strange for a good while, and I found that contrast between the diagram like action of Spider-Man, and the much more fantastic illustrations of Strange to be the most interesting thing. Eventually Marie Severin would take over as the penciller, and it would take a bit of time to adjust, but the more abstract it got, the better. Also, I don’t really like the footie pajamas Severin draws him in.

This is Steve Ditko. He has thin lines and exact shapes and while you don’t see it here, his magic fights are very clear and easy to follow.

This is Marie Severin. In comparison her lines are thick and smudged (well, okay, we have to give credit to the inkers for these as well, though I think she did her own inking?), but is capable of uniquely evocative images like this. Her action scenes are harder to follow, but she is equally capable of the kind of surreality that appears in Doctor Strange’s comics.

Also, while the topic has been touched on a lot, especially around the time the movie came out, it still bears repeating that Doctor Strange is built on a foundation of cultural appropriation and mystic eastern boogie woogie nonsense. I’m parroting the words of people that know this much better than me, but it’s a problematic and somewhat common trope that media will depict a white protagonist in a foreign setting who not just excels but surpasses everyone else, particularly peers who are native to the setting. At best it’s well-meaning and oblivious, at worst it perpetuates a narrow worldview where everything has to revolve around white people.

Anyway, when the comics focus more on the dread dark dimension of Dormammu, most of these problems aren’t around, and you get lots of fun and bizarre imagery and goofy spell casting.

Highlights: - Dormammu. He’s a prideful otherworldy being who refuses to be caught explicitly going back on his word when beaten at a game of skill, but easily breaks down and claws at loopholes with which he can attempt his petty revenge against Strange. He is also portrayed as a necessary evil, in that he uses his power to erect a barrier that keeps his servants safe from mindless laser-eye cyclops monsters that are just perpetually punching each other. That conflict makes for complicated situations where usurping him may be more harm than help. Also his head is always on fire, and that’s cool. - Trippy visuals. Ditko’s backgrounds lean closer to pop art with abstract shapes, bright colors, and twisting pathways. Severin’s art, if I can remember (there hasn’t been a lot yet) leans closer to mysterious and somewhat vague settings. I’m describing it very poorly.

That’s kind of it for Strange, I guess!

Daredevil

oh my god how many of these have I done now im so tired

I haven’t read much Daredevil yet! The reading guide has given me some seven issues so far out of the full decade, and while there has been some good stuff, I don’t know if I can draw a big mental picture.

DD is, theoretically, in that same category as Captain America, where rather than being a super powerful character, he is merely very very good at what he has. DD got hit in the face with a radioactive dildo or something and it blinded him but enhanced his other senses so intensely that if you sneeze he can tell what brand of nasal spray you use. Also, he’s super acrobatic and has a swiss army walking cane that he can use to do just about anything. And he’s a working attorney. Fuck you and your eyeballs, Batman.

Marvel has not begun to embrace noir, and as I understand it, that seems to be the genre most people know DD for aligning with. As a result, things are kinda silly! DD’s first outfit was yellow and he fought a man who had robot stilts in broad daylight.

Highlights: - Killgrave, the...Purple Man.

I can’t believe this is how Jessica Jones starts.

Uhh, Killgrave got some pheromones or something embedded in his skin on accident and now everyone just does what he says to no matter what. He’s purple now, too. This has not been taken to its terrifying possibilities yet, but I’m very excited to see where it goes. - Daredevil fights Namor. Okay, seriously? Seriously? This is my favorite issue, no joke. Namor busts out of the ocean demanding a lawyer (Matt himself) so he can sue the human race. Shenanigans ensue, and a trial is attempted, but ultimately falls apart when Namor decides “you know what? fuck this I’m gonna start breakin shit”. Matt changes into the DD costume and takes on Namor with everything he can think of, including construction equipment, but fails.

Out of respect, Namor leaves.

- Stilt-Man.

Stilt-Man. (Stilt-Man eventually shrinks into a quantum state that he remains trapped in for months until he suddenly isn’t.)

- And finally, Mike Murdock. In an attempt to ward off suspicion that he might be Daredevil, Matt...pretends to be his twin brother who is never in the same room at the same time as him. As Mike, he is a cocky jerk to everyone and insists that he is Daredevil. And people believe him.

As you would expect (for once), this nearly gets people killed.

Nick Fury (Strange Tales, Agent of Shield)

NICK FURY IS THE BEST GOD DAMN SONNUVA BITCH IN THE WHOLE MARVEL LINE UP

Nick Fury is like if you took James Bond and made it not suck. You get to keep all the gadgets and world traveling but swap out the “ooh, I’m so cool and serious” with kicking open doors and telling fascists to go fuck themselves. Most importantly, it’s a near-parody of the overwrought machismo that the series runs on. It’s so busy getting from point A to point B in as fun a way as possible that it’s impossible to take seriously.

Actually, it might be like if Battle Tendency was less sympathetic to real world fascists. Which is to say, it’s the pinnacle of evolution.

Look me in the eye and tell me this isn’t a JJBA action scene. (Also, Jim Steranko blessed us with a shirtless Fury in latex pants.)

A highlights list would be ridiculously long because I love these comics, so I’ll instead focus on one thing in particular.

- Jim Steranko’s art is gorgeous

Yes, these are all Nick Fury title pages.

Captain America (Tales of Suspense)

Steve is just now starting to get interesting, mostly through his own series, but he’s had plenty of time for notable moments throughout his screentime (pagetime?) in Tales of Suspense and Avengers. While talking about Daredevil I mentioned Captain America and how he’s less of a nigh-supernatural being like most heroes, and more of a particularly exceptional human. He hits really hard, but more impressive is his stamina and agility. Something that I’ve liked in the MCU is how they’ve portrayed him as always capable of what is just one step beyond what people think is possible of him. He can’t fly, but he’ll do as many impossible leaps as necessary. He’s not super strong (well, not to the degree of Spider-Man), but he sure can run for miles, and he knows his way around that shield.

I feel like a lot of what I’m writing is surface level readings of these comics, but the characteristics of Steve that really identify him haven’t quite shown themselves yet, I think. When I think of him, what always comes to mind is that his “american good boy” values take priority over allegiances, and so you’ll see Captain America himself abandon his title if America no longer represents the values of protecting the weak. Steve Rogers is kind of a perfect flawless human (when not written terribly), but that’s pretty okay at the end of the day, when a superhero is more of an icon than a person.

Highlights: - That time the Red Skull got the Cosmic Cube (not the Tesseract), and became a god for like five minutes.

- That time Cap fought a giant baby.

- That time Cap pretended to be dead and then stopped Hydra from burying all the avengers alive even Vision who would...be able to just phase out of the grave. I’m not really sure what the plan there was. - That other time the Red Skull got the cosmic cube and then switched bodies with Cap and they made a lot of facial expressions.

- That time Rick Jones thought Captain America didn’t like him, meanwhile Cap was stranded on a desert island and hanging out with The Falcon and it was cool. Nobody cares about Rick Jones.

Namor, The Sub-Mariner (Tales to Astonish)

I didn’t read a fuck shit about this dude! Sorry!

Captain Marvel

we’re so close to being done

The reading guide gave me nearly nothing on this dude. Issues #1-3 and then #17. He’s a Kree (whoa!) named Mar-Vell (lol) who should be helping to fuck up Earth but ends up liking it and chooses to defend it. He’s got a jet pack and a laser and a really shit costume and he’s NOT BLUE.

Marvy, I need you to move over, the more interesting hero is behind you.

He’s got an asshole commanding officer who keeps trying to get him killed because he wants to fuck his girlfriend and SNORE, I do not care. Come on dude. I have been psyched to learn about 

At some point in-between chapters #3 and #17, and...shit, I’ll just quote wikipedia for this:

After aiding humanity several times, Mar-Vell is found guilty of treason against the Kree Empire and sentenced to death by firing squad. Mar-Vell escapes in a stolen rocket, but becomes lost in space. After drifting for 112 days, he is weak and on the verge of madness. He is manipulated by Ronan the Accuser and Kree Minister Zarek into helping them overthrow the Supreme Intelligence. To better help them, Mar-Vell is given a new costume and enhanced abilities. After the conspiracy is foiled, Mar-Vell tries to return to Earth. On the way, he is hit by a blast of radiation that traps him in the Negative Zone.[16]

The Supreme Intelligence enables Mar-Vell to telepathically contact Rick Jones, which he uses to lead Jones to a set of "nega-bands" at an abandoned Kree base. When Jones puts on the bands and strikes them together, he trades places with Mar-Vell and is encased in a protective aura in the Negative Zone. The pair discover they are able to maintain telepathic contact. Using this method, Mar-Vell can remain in the positive universe for a period of three hours.

well what the fuck that might have been worth reading, thanks reading guide

Anyway, so yeah, Rick Jones! Both of these characters were pretty boring, and mayyybe this will help the both of them. Or not. At least the new costume is cool.

Silver Surfer

IT’S THE LAST ONE THANK GOD

Once again, I don’t have much to say here! I wrote all my thoughts on the surfer up in the Fantastic Four section, so you can read that if you haven’t. The reading guide only gave me three issues to read, though they were quite good. The first was his origin story, which I already wrote about above. The second one was about invisible aliens that manipulated the surfer and people’s distrust of him (part of this is because he keeps occasionally attacking humans because he thinks it’ll make them be nicer to each other). And in the third issue, Mephisto kidnaps his long lost girlfriend from his home planet. It works out kind of badly for everyone involved.

begone, thought

And that’s everything for the 60s. Phew! This took a long time and I don’t know if it was worth it. Let me know if you read it, if you enjoyed it, if you pity me, whatever. I got more comics to read.

[phantom-le6]

Film Re-Review - Star Trek: First Contact

Carrying on the re-reviews of the TNG films, it’s time to look in on the film many consider to be the best of the films focused on Picard’s crew, namely First Contact.

Plot (as given by Wikipedia):

Captain Jean-Luc Picard awakens from a nightmare in which he relived his assimilation by the cybernetic Borg six years earlier (shown in the television episode "The Best of Both Worlds"). Starfleet informs him of a new Borg attack against Earth, but orders the USS Enterprise-E to patrol the Romulan Neutral Zone so as to not introduce an "unstable element" to the fight. Learning that the fleet is losing the battle, the Enterprise crew disobeys orders and heads for Earth, where a single, damaged Borg Cube opposes a group of Starfleet vessels. The Enterprise arrives in time to save the crew of the USS Defiant which is being commanded by Lieutenant Commander Worf. After Picard hears Borg communications in his mind, he orders the fleet to concentrate its firepower on a seemingly non-vital section of the Borg ship. The Cube is destroyed after launching a smaller sphere ship towards the planet. 

The Borg sphere generates and enters a temporal vortex. As the Enterprise is enveloped in the vortex, the crew briefly glimpses an Earth populated entirely by Borg. Picard realizes that the Borg have used time travel to change history, and orders the Enterprise to follow. The Enterprise arrives in the past, on April 4, 2063, the day before humanity's first encounter with alien life after Zefram Cochrane's historic warp drive flight. The Borg sphere fires on the planet; realizing that the Borg are trying to prevent first contact, the Enterprise crew destroy the sphere and send an away team to the Montana missile complex where Cochrane is building his ship, the Phoenix, to look for survivors. Picard sends Cochrane's assistant Lily to the Enterprise for medical attention, then returns to the ship and leaves Commander William Riker on Earth to make sure the Phoenix's flight proceeds as planned. The Enterprise crew sees Cochrane as a legend, but the real man is reluctant to assume his historical role.

 Borg survivors invade the Enterprise, and begin to assimilate its crew and modify the ship, planning to use it to attack and conquer Earth. Picard and a team attempt to reach engineering to disable the Borg with corrosive coolant used in the warp core, but the android Data is captured and meets the queen of the Borg Collective, who gains his trust by giving part of him human skin. A frightened Lily seizes the captain but he gains her trust, and they escape the Borg-infested area of the ship by using the holodeck. Picard, Worf, and the ship's navigator, Lieutenant Hawk, stop the Borg from calling reinforcements with the deflector dish, but Hawk is assimilated. As the Borg continue to assimilate, Worf suggests destroying the ship, but Picard angrily calls him a coward and vows to continue the fight. Lily confronts the captain and, reminding him of Moby Dick's Captain Ahab, makes him realize he's acting irrationally. Picard activates the ship's self-destruct mechanism, orders the crew to abandon ship, and then apologizes to Worf. While the crew heads to escape pods, Picard remains aboard to rescue Data.

 As Cochrane, Riker, and chief engineer Geordi La Forge prepare to activate the warp drive on the Phoenix, Picard confronts the Borg Queen and discovers she has grafted human skin onto Data, giving him an array of new sensations. She has presented this modification as a gift to the android, hoping to obtain his encryption codes to the Enterprise computer. Although Picard offers himself in Data's place, the android refuses to leave. He deactivates the self-destruct sequence and fires torpedoes at the Phoenix, but they miss and the Queen realizes Data betrayed her. Data ruptures a coolant tank, and the corrosive substance fatally dissolves the Borg's biological components. Cochrane completes his warp flight, and that night, April 5, 2063, the crew watches as Vulcans, attracted by the Phoenix warp test, land and greet Cochrane. Having repaired history, the Enterprise crew returns to the 24th century.

Review:

Back when I originally reviewed this film, I didn’t quite agree with the consensus of many that this film was somehow the high point of the cinematic run for Picard’s crew, but coming back to it several years later on the heels of watching and reviewing the whole preceding TV series, I’m re-considering my previous position.  It’s certainly an improvement over the previous film Generations, in large part due to the writers not being constrained by a wish list of plot elements from the studio, as well as long-time Trek actor and director Jonathan Frakes being allowed to make his cinematic directorial debut.  The films helmed by Frakes (who of course plays Riker in TNG) tend to be the best TNG films to me, which supports the idea that Trek films are best tackled by people who know Trek from having already worked with it.

 Now annoyingly within the wider TNG timeline, First Contact is the third feature-length time-travel story; we had Picard time-hopping in the feature length series finale ‘All Good Things...’, then Picard and Kirk meeting via the Nexus and doing time travel that way in Generations, and now we have First Contact. However, the reason for the time travel this time has more than enough resonance to compensate for this kind of repetition, because this time we’re going back to the birth of Trek itself. TNG’s best villains the Borg go back in time, and they pick the moment in the franchise’s history where Zefram Cochrane makes his initial warp flight and triggers the eponymous first contact with the Vulcans.

 Original series fans probably had some issues with how the film portrays Cochrane, due to the character having once appeared in that series, but as someone whose interest in Trek began with the Next Generation series, I don’t have that issue.  In addition, I also tend to rail against how much Roddenberry hamstrung the earlier incarnations of Trek with his infamous rules of Trek, known by writers as the ‘Roddenberry box’.  All too often, Roddenberry set the idealism of Trek too high, and at times probably didn’t think all of his concepts through (the no money one comes up in one scene), so I find it refreshing that this film took that character and made him flawed, suggesting the veneration of Cochrane within Trek is a kind of historical exaggeration of the man.

 Of course, it’s largely thanks to actor James Cromwell that Cochrane comes across as a great character, and to be honest all of the cast perform their roles well across the three plot-threads of the movie.  The first thread is an away team on Earth led by Riker helping Cochrane.  Second is that as Borg begin to over-run the Enterprise, Picard begins to fall prey to his past trauma at their hands and has to be talked down from putting vengeance above the greater good, and third is Data’s arc with the Borg Queen.  The last of these is interesting in that it brings Data a bit closer to his goal of becoming human by offering him the chance to take on flesh and experience physical sensation.  It’s a great expansion on Data’s ‘Pinocchio’ arc within the series.

 Picard’s arc used to be a bit non-sensical to me in terms of its timing, as Picard ran into the Borg a couple more times between his assimilation in the series and this film, but what I’ve realised after watching the show again is that actually it does make sense.  Not because of the whole trap of the ‘Roddenberry box’, but because the circumstances of each story in the overall Borg narrative doesn’t really allow Picard’s trauma to really come back at him.  After the follow-up episode to ‘Best of Both Worlds’ where Picard finally unburdens himself of the initial impact his assimilation had on him, he only faced any of the Borg twice, and in both cases, he dealt with one or more individualised Borg.  First Contact is the first story since ‘Best of Both Worlds’ where the Borg collective itself is involved, and rather than being on some distant planet or being on their ships, they’ve decided to hit at Picard on his home ground.

 In addition, the Borg just deal set-back after set-back to Picard and the Enterprise crew as the film goes on, which fuels his speech to Lily (played by Alfre Woodard) when he refuses to destroy the Enterprise;

 “I will not sacrifice the Enterprise. We've made too many compromises already. Too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds and we fall back. Not again! The line must be drawn here... THIS far, NO further! And I will make them PAY for what they've done.”

 I think this line speaks to everyone who at some time or another has been forced to compromise something in their lives to someone or something else.  For Picard it’s having to give ground to a race of cyborgs who violated him, but this could just as readily apply to people seeking equality in the present day, who perhaps to compromise just to make progress or avoid being penalised for seeking equality.  It could apply to people in relationships that are one-sided at best and abusive at worst, always having to give ground to be ok in the short-term.  It’s not something that’s necessarily been with Picard all the time, but something that builds, and it takes the objective viewpoint of someone not of his era to call him on it and bring him back to the Starfleet officer he’s supposed to be.

 This leaves the away team story to provide comic relief (the Deanna drunk scene is a great example), and when you look at the plot and the performance together with a fantastic score and the new-style Enterprise, it really is a great film.  For the benefit of fans of wider Trek, the film even takes care to provide an explanation for the return of Worf, who after the previous films had become part of the main cast on Deep Space Nine, and we get cameos by Robert Picardo and Ethan Phillips of Voyager in the film as well.

 Now discounting the fact this is the third time-travel story in a run as well as past quibbles I used to have with the film and don’t now, there’s not much I can say against First Contact.  I’m a bit concerned that so many men claimed to be slightly aroused by the Borg Queen if the film commentaries I’ve watched are to be believed, but that’s more about the film’s viewers than the films and to each their own, I suppose.  It’s also probably the most accessible film to an audience not versed in the Next Generation, though it requires some patience to reach the areas of exposition in the film that compensate for anyone not having that series knowledge to start with.  So, this time round, I’m going to up the film’s score.  Where Generations went down from 8 to 7 out of 10 on re-review, First Contact had risen like the Phoenix from 8 to 10 out of 10.

[soy-em]

It Happens for the First Time on Dean's 21st Birthday - Part Two

It’s unspoken between them that Dean’s going out tonight. It’s not just his birthday, it’s his 21st birthday. He’s legal, not that he hasn’t been using fake IDs to get into bars and buy liquor for the past three years. But being of age to do those things legally feels like a new era. He’s going bar-hopping tonight just on principal.

But after an hour of showing off his new ID and getting half-hearted congratulations from bartenders and waitresses, Dean finds himself heading home, back to the only person he really wants to celebrate this particular milestone with.

“You’re home early,” Sam comments with a wary frown. Sam’s used to Dean being out most of the night, coming home smelling like perfume and sex. Dean’s not really sure why he didn’t even call that girl he hooked up with the other night, why he didn’t even tell her that tonight was his birthday.

“Yeah, well, I figured I’d spread my celebrating around. Share some good cheer with my pain-in-the-ass little brother.” Dean raises the bag with the whisky he bought on the way home and watches Sam’s look of surprise light up his face.

“Really?”

“Yeah, why not?” Dean shrugs. “You’re sixteen. I had my first real drink when I was about your age. How about we watch a movie and get a little tanked?”

Sam’s so eager and happy-looking it makes Dean’s heart clench. He feels guilty for leaving Sam alone so many nights over the past month. It can’t be fun, being left home to study while Dean’s making out with some girl or getting laid if he’s lucky. Dean recalls some of Sam’s sulky looks when Dean came home earlier this month and he’s glad he decided to come home tonight.

They find a James Bond marathon on TV and settle in, Dean on the couch and Sam on the floor next to him, almost but not quite touching Dean’s leg. Sam opens a bag of Funyuns and they share the bottle of whisky. After Sam’s first sip he coughs and sputters and Dean laughs delightedly and pounds him on the back.

“That’s my boy.”

Sam scrambles to his feet and heads to the kitchen for water, and Dean gets a glimpse of Sam’s red-tipped nose and cheeks, Sam’s watering eyes. When he comes back with a glass of water Dean’s already had another sip of the whisky, tasting the salty onion flavor from Sam’s mouth.

Sam refuses Dean’s second and third offer from the bottle but manages a sip after Dean’s fourth drink, gulping his water afterwards.

“I could water it down for you, Sammy,” Dean offers. “Just put some ice cubes in a glass and mix it with water.”

Sam shakes his head. He’s too tough, too determined to keep up with his big brother, which he cannot do in the drinking department, as Dean’s sure he knows.

Dean grins at the top of Sam’s head and takes another swig from the bottle. He’s warm and loose, and it feels good. He lets his free hand rest on the couch, right behind Sam’s shoulder blades. He feels the urge to touch Sam’s head, to card the soft strands of hair through his fingers. From this angle he can watch Sam watching the movie, and it’s fascinating. Dean rarely lets himself look so closely at Sam, but with the kid absorbed in the TV, Dean can look all he wants.

Sam’s growing up, and it hurts a little. Dean remembers the little snot-nosed kid who used to tag along everywhere Dean went, constantly needing his shoes tied and his nose wiped. Dean remembers Sam’s sweaty little arms clinging to his neck when Dean carried him home after falling off the monkey-bars in the playground, Sam’s hot tears dampening Dean’s shirt as he cried onto Dean’s shoulder. Dean remembers Sam’s little hand finding his under the covers of their shared bed, threading their fingers together.

Sam never sleeps with him anymore, except for the rare times when they’re staying in a motel and Dad comes home late, kicking Dean out of the bed nearest the door so the boys are forced to share. Since he hit puberty, Sam’s been keeping to himself.

Dean leans back and lets his legs open wider, one foot comfortably resting on the other, his right knee falling easily against Sam’s shoulder. Sam’s too absorbed in the movie to notice, so Dean feels emboldened. He lifts his hand and strokes Sam’s neck lightly with the back of his fingers. Sam shivers but doesn’t move, so Dean does it again, stroking Sam’s neck all the way up and under his hair to his scalp. Sam’s hair is just as soft as Dean remembers, and it smells clean from Sam’s shower. Dean cards his fingers through the thick strands, letting them slide easily all the way to his palm, then does it again.

Sam’s sitting almost too still, so Dean grins as he runs his fingers through Sam’s hair a third time.

“Getting so long, Sammy,” he murmurs. His words comes out low and rough, and Sam shivers again. “Could be a real liability in a hunt.”

Sam doesn’t take the bait, doesn’t pull away or protest in that whiney, pouting teenage voice Dean’s used to. Instead, he leans into Dean’s touch, letting out a long, slow breath that’s almost a sigh. He tips his head back so that Dean has a view of his throat, long and lean like the rest of him.

Dean sucks in a quick breath, scoots down in his seat to accommodate his hardening dick. He keeps his hand in Sam’s hair as he takes another sip of whiskey, and that’s when it hits him.

He’s in love with his brother.

To be continued…

#12daysofwincestmas

Ooooh this is so good!  I love Dean playing with Sam’s hair, and him wanting to spend his important day with Sammy is just perfect.  I can’t wait for more! Thank you so much :)

[garywonghc]

So What Is Mind?

by Gelek Rimpoche

Mind is something that governs our activities. With everything we do, we follow our thoughts. I develop thoughts, thinking, “I’d like to get up”, so following that thought I get up. My thought will say, “I should walk” and then I walk. A thought will say, “Sit” and I sit. A thought will say, “Hit” and I will hit. A thought will say, “Eat” and I will eat. We are not robots, however, look at all our activities and we see it is thought that pushes us. Even the subject we study and analyse, even when we analyse the brain, our thoughts will direct us in that. Our thoughts are directing us. That’s why thoughts are really important. You cannot deny that.

Now the question is whether there is something called thoughts completely separate from the brain cells, neurons or whatever. That I don’t know. But there definitely are thoughts. Not only that, but for me, there is mind - and that is also gross mind and subtle mind. And there is a very subtle mind too. When I talk about gross and subtle mind, you will have some idea. So I am thinking of something even much more subtle. When I use “subtle mind”, it is the mind that continuously remains within us - from a previous life to the in-between life to the present life to the in-between life to the future lives.

You may think, “Hey, it must be permanent”. But no, it is impermanent. An earlier Tibetan master in America, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche used the terminology: Continuation of Discontinuity. Some people will describe it like a mala and the mala’s thread. Some people talk about it like ice cubes touching each other while melting and stuck to each other.

Subtle mind is so subtle. It has no idea and no knowledge of right or wrong. It has no idea or knowledge of light or dark. It is so subtle, just capable of growing. It is the continuation of capability; nothing physical, right from the beginning. It is sort of a capability, to be able to grow. So this is like expansion and contraction, and expansion and contraction, and so forth. Like that, it has the capability of growing in detail and functioning. It is capable of reducing and withdrawing to such a subtle level that you are not even sure it is there. It is a very, very subtle thing.

There was a Buddhist school called “Mind Only”. Whether they are right or wrong is a different subject, but mind is that important. And that is where we are. Whether we are going up or down, whether we will succeed in our life and the life after or not, all depends on this mind.

So the mental work is the most important contemplative work. The mental work is the most important spiritual work, because it makes a huge difference. So that’s what I will talk about with you.

What I want you to keep in mind – see I said “mind” again, because I presume you have a mind – is the mind as a basis and how it is and what it is. It accepts suggestions. It perceives ideas. It picks them up like photo print. And it keeps it, it becomes part of it. That’s why many people say, “Think about the positive and you will become positive. Don’t think of the negative, otherwise you will become negative.” This is important.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become action. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. What we think we become.” That’s what Mrs. Thatcher said [in the movie “Iron Lady”]. All of you who are watching and listening are liberal-minded. So Mrs. Thatcher was a little conservative and even she thought that there are thoughts and that they make things different!

[abramsbooks]

RECIPE: Pumpkin and Spinach with Saffron (from Paladares by Anya von Bremzen; photography by Megan Fawn Schlow)

Puré de Calabazas y Espinacas con Azafrán

Alexis Alvarez Armas is also the talent behind this lovely, unusual side dish. It was a big hit on the menu of his short-lived paladar in the city of Trinidad. Alexis layers saffron-scented pumpkin puree and spinach into cups and unmolds them onto dinner plates for a striking effect. Here, we use a baking dish, but feel free to improvise. He also suggests serving the dish with a warm sour orange mojo to heighten the flavors. Serve with a festive main course such as Coffee-Rubbed Pork or Trout with Black Bean Sauce, both from Alexis.

Serves 8

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

¼ cup (35 g) finely chopped onion

4 cups (80 g) loosely packed baby spinach

3 pounds (1.4 kg) pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes

3 tablespoons toasted hulled pumpkin seeds

¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper

¼ teaspoon saffron threads

In a skillet over medium-high heat, combine the olive oil, chopped garlic, and onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add the spinach and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until wilted and the liquid has cooked out.

Bring a pot with 5 cups of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and cook until tender, 20 to 30 minutes, or until easily pierced by a fork. Drain the water and set the pumpkin aside to cool.

In a blender or food processor, combine the pumpkin cubes with the pumpkin seeds and flour, season with salt and pepper, and puree on high speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth.

Spread half of the pumpkin puree in the bottom of a round 1-quart (1-L) baking dish. Cover with a layer of the spinach mixture and top with the rest of the pumpkin puree. Sprinkle with the saffron and serve.

The first book to tell the mesmerizing story of the new Cuban cuisine. A narrative and visual feast from James Beard Award–winning writer Anya von Bremzen and photographer Megan Fawn Schlow—with more than 100 vibrant recipes.

Cuba is experiencing a cultural and culinary renaissance—and its paladares, the private restaurants, are leading the way. Paladares is a fascinating culinary and visual journey through the new Cuba. Born in Soviet Russia in the era of shortages, award-winning writer Anya von Bremzen brings a unique perspective to the stories that Cuba’s chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and food historians share with her. She eavesdrops on passionate arguments about black beans and tamales; pries Daiquirí secrets from legendary El Floridita (Hemingway’s watering hole); guides us to vibrant agros (markets) and visionary organic farms. We learn of Fidel’s obsession with cows, milk, and ice cream. We hear wrenching memories of the Período Especial, the years of terrible privation after Soviet aid vanished. We meet colorful expats who fell for Cuba and ended up opening restaurants—and local hipsters who obsess over global culture gleaned solely from foreign movies and magazines. Fawn Schlow’s evocative photographs frame it all with the ramshackle glamour of old Havana, Cuba’s stunning countryside, dishes that are earthy and innovative, and Cuba’s incredible people.

The more than 100 recipes in Paladares are as intriguing as the characters behind them. Traditional Cuban bean pots, saucy picadillo, crunchy fritters, soulful tamales, Roast Chicken Stuffed with Black Beans and Rice—and a Gulf Stream of cocktails—are all featured here. But the recipes also reflect the current aspiration of Cuban cooks to finally catch up with the world through dishes such as Pumpkin Soup with Blue Cheese, Ceviche with Mango and Black-Eyed Peas, or Coffee-Rubbed Pork. Cuba’s culinary culture is being reborn, and Paladares joyously savors this revolution.

For more information, click here.