#veneers Melissa

[melissadentalandorthodontics]

Do you have chipped or cracked teeth? Or do you have permanent stains that won’t budge? With dental veneers in Melissa, you can transform your smile and have a successful restoration. 

[melissa-dental-and-orthodontics]

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[ladyriot]

Thinking about how despite the fact that both Melissa Schemmenti and Ava Coleman are both almost always perceived incorrectly by shallow understandings of their initial presentations, they'd immediately see right through to the core of each other. They are very different on the surface; Ava presents herself as too cool to deign to care about or value the care of anyone else and Melissa presents herself as this rough-and-tumble kind of distant. But both of them are protecting an underlying want to be cared about and valued in ways they don't know how to be. Neither of them are always valued as intelligent and they both seem to have some insecurity there. Neither of them seem to know love in any way that's not either shallow (the men in their lives) or expectant (both of their family lives). Like are either of these women ever just entirely loved for who they are? Maybe Melissa's teacher's aide liked what she saw of Ava immediately but that was mostly her cool veneer. Maybe Barbara loves Melissa, but she struggles with the part of her that "plays in the mud." Where is unconditional love?

Ah, it makes me think of Janine seeing Ava and her grandmother, understanding Ava no longer as flighty but dedicated to her family. And Janine seeing Melissa secretly care about her sister as soon as her sister's not there to see the vulnerability expressed.

All that and all I want now is to see Melissa proud of Ava for overcoming this thing she understands more than most about what vulnerability has to be expressed to really let the mask drop when she says she's going back to school. I'm dying for it.

[lizmitches]

8, 7, 12 or 25 for the hurt/comfort prompts :33 (i couldn't pick :'p)

25. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Melissa slams the side of the vending machine in a fit of rage, earning nothing for her efforts except an aching palm and a candy bar that hangs precariously in the balance. Leave it to this ancient piece of shit to eat her last dollar and her last nerve.

She’s winding up for a second attempt when her phone starts ringing in her purse. “Hey, sweets,” she answers.

“Any news?”

“Nothing yet. Your dad’s still trying to hunt down the doc for an update. You girls doing okay?”

“Just worried.”

“I know, hon, but listen. She’s gonna be okay. They got her in as soon as they could and they’ve been workin’ on her ever since.” Gerald enters the waiting room as she says it, looking exhausted but no worse for wear. Melissa internally sighs with relief; as long as he’s upright it means that Barbara’s still breathing.

Next to her, he successfully retrieves a soda from the other machine, taking it to the table in the middle of the room. She purses her lips as she looks at her own purchase—one that’s not so easily retrievable—and bends down to try and reach it through the slot. Her hand outstretches as she attempts to make contact, fingers curling to try and give it a nudge, but she can’t get close enough. Her bad shoulder protests the action, inspiring a string of expletives that make a nurse pop her head into the room with concern.

“What happened?” Taylor asks through the phone.

She tucks the phone underneath her ear, waving off the nurse with her free hand. “Oh, nothing, I’m just having a standoff with the world’s worst vending machine. Che cazzo, who runs these things?” She grunts as she finally withdraws her arm, standing back up and glaring through the glass. “Listen, You should get to bed, okay? It’s been a long day. I’ll pick you up first thing in the morning.”

“Okay,” Taylor replies. “Love you.”

The sound of it is music to her ears; that even as a college student, Taylor would still say such a thing. “Love you too, kid.” She drops her phone back in her bag–the one she'd hastily packed with only a hairbrush, a novel, and a change of underwear. In her rush to get to the hospital, she’d forgotten something: sustenance. She stares longingly at the candy bar once more before turning to the table where Gerald sits.

“What’d you learn?” she asks.

He runs a hand over his eyes, opening his can of Coke with an echoing pop. For better or worse the ER is deadly quiet tonight, and so far they’re the only ones who have sequestered themselves amongst the bad coffee and broken snack machines. In the corner, the local news recaps the Groundhog Day festivities. Looks like the damn chipmunk saw his shadow after all.

Just what we need right now, Melissa thinks. A never-ending winter.

“They couldn’t tell me much—just that she’s stable and they’re still running tests. They won’t know the damage to her heart until they get the results back.”

Melissa joins him at the table. “Lotta help that is.”

“One of the doctors asked me if she’s been stressed lately. I told him what I knew, but figured you may know better. With how much she’s at the school these days it seems like I only see her when she’s sleeping.”

“I mean, not to break best friend confidentiality or anything, but…” Melissa sighs. “Work’s really been getting to her. A bunch of office politics mixed with a really tough handful of kids. No budget to speak of, not enough hours in the day. I mean, you know her better than I do, but it does feel like this year’s the toughest she’s had in awhile.”

Gerald’s attention is focused solely on the can in front of him, his fingers catching the drips of condensation before they can hit the cheap veneer of the table. “Sometimes I question that,” he says.

“That things are tough?”

“That I know her better than you do.” He looks into the hall as another nurse passes by. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s my number one, but that head of hers. Man.”

Melissa smiles knowingly. “Hard as a brick, huh?”

Gerald chuckles; a hearty, warm thing that brightens up the otherwise cold and drab setting they’ve found themselves in. Just as he laughs, though, his expression turns, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “If I’d known she was so stressed I could have done something. Taken her to see someone. Forced her to get off her feet.”

“Hey, c’mon,” Melissa lays a gentle hand on his forearm. “You’re husband of the year. Your wife loves you, your kids adore you. You did all you could. Sometimes it’s just a bit of bad luck.”

Her phone buzzes again in her purse, but she knows without looking that it’s not one of the girls. The two of them sit and listen to the sound—accompanied by an insurance commercial that plays at a low volume—until it stops. “Speaking of which,” Gerald says, changing the subject. “How is Joe doing?”

Melissa’s shoulders droop. “She told you?”

He shakes his head. “Didn’t have to. She’s been over at your place so much I figured either something happened or she was about to come home with a penchant for eating Italian.”

“Sorry about that.” She winces. Here she is taking up all of Barbara’s free time and now the woman's booked herself a week-long stay at UPenn Presbyterian. “He, uh, actually served me divorce papers this morning. So at least the chapter is finally closing on that one.”

Gerald leans back in his chair. “Ah.”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell Barb that yet, actually. When you called from her phone I thought—“ She has to swallow the lump that’s in her throat, ignoring the pain as it settles in her chest. “Anyway. Looking back on it I should’ve given her a break from all my bitching and moaning. Hell, maybe it was her heart’s last straw.” She cautions another glance to the vending machine; the forbidden candy still dangling behind the glass. She can’t help but feel, briefly, that she always wants what she can’t have.

“Look, Melissa, I know we haven’t done a lot of one-on-one bonding since you entered the picture, but from the way my wife talks about you, well. You’d think you hung the moon.” Gerald looks at her with such kindness in his eyes, and Melissa wonders what’s in the water at the Howard house that gives all of them the ability to hold onto her heart so tightly.

The tears fill her eyes now, and she has to look up at the fluorescents in an attempt to stop them them from falling. Tissues. That’s another thing she forgot to bring.

“What I’m trying to say is that after a day like today…” He inhales shakily. “Thanks doesn’t even begin to cut it. The way you take care of my girls—all three of them—it’s good to know I have someone like you in my corner.”

Melissa clears her throat, dabbing at her eyes. “Jeez, and I thought Barbara was the only one who could dole out a life-changing compliment.”

Gerald smiles softly, and in his eyes Melissa can see no one else but her.

“Come on, big guy. You’ve had a long day.” Melissa stands, pushing a few of the chairs together to construct a makeshift bed. “You should get some shuteye. If we get any updates you’ll be the first to know.”

At his hesitance, she adds, “Don’t worry. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Thank you, Mel. For everything.” He lays down, bringing his arm up to cover his eyes from the light. For a guy that usually stands so tall, Melissa thinks he’s looking awfully small right about now.

“‘Course,” she says softly. Across the room, there’s the sound of a hollow thunk. She almost thinks she’s imagined it, save for the fact that—when she looks over her shoulder at the vending machine—her candy bar is no longer hanging by a thread. Cautiously, she approaches, retrieving the fallen treat before it can change its mind.

Despite its treacherous journey, the wrapper is pristine; shiny and enticing under the bright lights of the waiting room. Even so, as she holds it delicately in her hands, she can’t bring herself to open it—as if at any moment it could disappear. Resigned, she drops it into her bag for safekeeping. She’s not hungry anymore anyway, her stomach still tied in knots from worry. Either way, she thinks, it’s hers.

She’ll just have to hold on to it until the time is right.

[mirabel393]

🦋Before 🏵(Floydrey)🏵After🦋

the Book of Once Upon A Time: A Tale of Madrigal Triplets: Beauty and the Troll

Juliano Pedro Madrigal

Meet Juliano Pedro, the youngest brother of Audrey Elena and the son of Julieta and Agustin

Full name: Juliano Agustin Pedro Madrigal

Age: one years old

Species: troll

Family: Abuela Alma (adoptive grandmother) Abuelo Pedro (adoptive grandfather) tia Pepa (adoptive aunt) tio Felix (adoptive uncle) Dolores (oldest cousin) Camilo (cousin) Anontio (youngest cousin) Josefina Sunnie (younger triplet cousin) Elio Pepito (younger triplet cousin) Pepe Felix (cousin) Alberto (eldest cousin) Alba (cousin) Billy (cousin) Marko (cousin) Martin (cousin) Esperanza (cousin) Gabriela (cousin) Adelita (cousin) Octavio (cousin) Amira (second youngest cousin) Pepo (cousin) tio Bello (biological uncle) tia Adama (biological aunite) Bena (cousin) Beau Rose (cousin) Isabelle (twin cousin) Bella (twin cousin) Emmo (cousin) Brianno (cousin) Odelia (cousin) Susie (cousin) Lila (twin cousin) Myla (twin cousin) tio Bruno (adoptive father) Oscar Anthony (youngest triplet cousin) Allyson Brunda (youngest triplet cousin) Brune Alma (cousin) Miguel (cousin) Melissa (cousin) Margo (cousin) Kuik (cousin) Fillip (adoptive cousin) Coraline (cousin) Bianca (cousin) Slivia (cousin) Rosa (cousin) Miya (cousin) Manuel (cousin) Juancho (cousin) Catalina (cousin) Bruna (cousin) tia Naveena (biological aunt) tio Tiano (biological uncle) Tasho (cousin) Talio (cousin) Tio (cousin) Tamera (cousin) Nathana (cousin) Naveena Jr (cousin) Jaime (cousin) Glooby (cousin) Lofty (cousin) Gooby (cousin) Kevin (cousin) Charlotte (cousin) Clarabelle (cousin) Opal (cousin) Clarity (cousin) Ralphie (cousin) Julieta (adoptive mother) Agustin (adoptive father) Isabela (eldest sister) Luisa (middle sister) Mirabel (youngest sister) Audrey Elena (twin older triplet sister) Spinel Juliano (twin older triplet brother) Priscilla (triplet sister) Fabiana (triplet sister) Sabina (triplet sister) Thumbelino (older brother) Tam Thumb (adoptive older sister) Nicholas (eldest older brother) Tobias (second older brother) Marta (third older sister) Luiza (fourth older sister) Petunia (fifth older sister) Jancinta (youngest sister) Natalia (second youngest sister) Pamela (third youngest sister) Ryian (older sister) Loren (older sister) Julieto (older cousin) Abuelo Constantino (biological grandfather) Abuela Maxine (biological grandmother) Cinderello (biological father) Christophel (biological mother) Chadae (oldest sister) Chleo (second oldest brother) Chrissie (third older sister) Cookie (younger brother)

Allies: his family

Likes: Audrey and Floyd singing together and sleeping with Floyd and Audrey too, telling a story of his big sister, spending time with Audrey and Floyd, Branch, Spinel, Thumbelino and Tam Thumb, Chrissie and Cookie, Oscar and Josefina, Allyson and Suvan, Tamera and Emmo, playing his plush elephant Dumbo, sing and dance with Barney on Audrey's Dino doll, eating his vanilla pudding and vanilla milk, singing lullaby, playing dressed up, art and crafts, hanging with Bruce and Clay, John Dory, Poppy and Viva, eating cookies and helping baking with his big sister, Audrey's Fairy Godmother, Qwerty the Disney Computer, hanging out with Audrey's Disney friends, going circus, befriend Veneer and Crimp, adventure, used a imagination and playing pretend, to the funhouse and Funny too, live in stage in the play, listening to her voice

Dislikes: nightmares, Audrey getting hurt, Floyd was under a sleeping spell by Evil Godmother, his cousins and family in danger, scared of dark like Audrey, Petunia being guilty and mean, boogie monster under his crib, Audrey being captured, brozone fighting and arguing, sleep alone

Backstory: Juliano Pedro was in his egg, Audrey promised her Nana Pippypuff to taking care of her new baby sibling in encanto in fifty years ago, before Audrey got captured by Velvet and Veneer in the Mount Rageous

[iyelastudio]

Veneer Study

Melissa Meier Skin Series

1. egg shells 2. sunflower seeds 3. popcorn and beans 4. eucalyptus 5. pistachio shells

[dankusner]

GM now means gay marriage

Unbeknownst to the queer-friendly auto giant, General Motors has already paved the way for legalizing same-sex matrimony

By DANIEL KUSNER | Jan. 16, 2009

DETROIT — We're immersed in a ne-queer revolution.

Across the U.S., our LGBT family has galvanized.

Recently in Dallas, we've seen angry protests against First Baptist Church, the Catholics’ California voters, Cinemark screenings of "Milk" and no-trannies-allowed bars.

We should be damn proud of our family.

And maybe this is the Melissa Etheridge Kool-Aid that's talking, but let's consider alternatives to angry rallies.

Perhaps we could harness our "label queen" superpowers and — without permission — seize control over GM's corporate queer image.

Every time you see a GM product — Cadillac, Chevy Saab, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Saturn and Hummer — just say the words "gay marriage."

This week, General Motors invited me to attend the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Even though I was an auto show virgin, it was obvious that this year was seriously fucked up.

There was no getting around it: After jet-setting into Capitol Hill, GM's ass was still beet red from that bailout spanking.

Beneath the promising alternative-fuel veneer of their 2010-12 line, you could taste a hint of "We're scared shitless."

And in Detroit— a city that's been white-knuckling it for a long time — there's no shortage of economic fear.

GM's already earned some major queer props.

Their PR outreach has been courting the LGBT market since the dawn of Y2K.

And at the Motor City auto show, GM proudly rolled out their queer employees — designers, trend watchers, technical writers, marketing peeps: This global conglomerate hires some of the best and brightest queer minds.

And let's put it out there: Some auto companies (Porsche) still pretend gays aren't buying their cars.

What's new this year?

It's all about shifting away from the piston and toward the lithium-ion batteries.

Out of the 17 newbies, GM's launching two biggie hybrids: the 2010 Chevy Volt and the jaw-droppingly snazzy 2012 Cadillac Converj.

With it's low-sloping roofline, the five-door hatchback Volt (around $40,000), is Chevy's first plug-in hybrid.

The electric motor will power the car up for up to 40 miles.

The gas engine is a generator that kicks in and recharges the batteries when they're near empty.

When the Cadillac Converj rolled out, it was like Posh Spice just made a surprise entrance.

The unveiling was breathtaking.

The Converj (probably gonna hit the $100K mark) kinda looks like a CTS coupe.

But this hybrid is the epitome of sleek styling.

If someone asked Bobby Trendy, he'd say the Converj was, "Luxurious!"

What's gay marriage got to do with it?

My first real auto show experience was a breakfast powwow titled "Adapting to the State of Business'" where GM's diversity spokesper- son Roderick D. Gillum, talked about the auto giant's commitment to social responsibility.

He mentioned civil rights crusader and GM board member Leon Sullivan, who played such an integral part in the success of the anti-apartheid movement — the man who helped GM realize that voluntarily withdrawing from doing business with South Africa was a bold and phenomenal change.

And when apartheid finally crumbled, South Africa's rebirth ended not just racial discrimination, it abolished all discrimination, which gave same-sex couples the right to legally marry and enjoy the same full, equal marriage rights as their hetero brothers and sisters.

Yep, as fucked up as South Africa once was, their new constitutional bill of rights is light-years ahead of ours.

At GM's diversity powwow, This Writer asked if Sullivan's legacy in South Africa is still alive in the U.S., and if GM supported same-sex marriage rights in America?

A mild gay panic-attack erupted, and someone from the back of the room quickly trotted out GM's Corporate Equality Index rating and the fact the company offers benefits for same- sex partners.

As the Asians and African-Americans in the room scratched their heads, the Q&A sharply shifted direction and GM's social responsibility to same-sex marriage was purposefully left unanswered.

After that, this reporter started feeling like the gay "Roger & Me" dude of the Detroit Auto Show.

The marriage question just made people more nervous.

And the last thing I wanted to do was mess with a company that's trying so hard to get it right.

Initially, I wanted GM to publicly say that they support full, equal same-sex marriage rights in the U.S. — just like the gays they helped in South Africa.

However, during this crisis-management situation, GM can't afford to do anything so publicly risky.

But after three days, I couldn't let it go — all that gay protest anger was bubbling inside.

Who needs GM's permission?

Then it dawned on me.

GM has already helped make gay marriage a reality — in South Africa.

And for three days, everywhere I looked those initials hovered over me: GM.

Because of South Africa, GM supports gay marriage whether they realize it or not.

I don't need them to say it.

We can just usurp their approval by using the initials of their company — let's always remind them that they first did it in South Africa, and now they're going to help us in the U.S.

This is the deal: Every time you see a GM car, just say, "That's a gay marriage car."

Go ahead — flaunt the GM logo; place the words "gay marriage" beneath it.

Make the letters GM as ubiquitous as rainbow flags, pink triangles and HRC bumper stickers.

And if some- one says "General Motors," correct them and say, "Oh, you mean 'gay marriage."

On this journey for full, equal rights, GM has met us halfway.

Now let's just take advantage all of their corporate branding, their beautiful advertising and lovely fuel-efficient cars, and mold it into our new Gay Marriage brand.

During this corporate crisis, GM has no choice.

To say they don't support full equal marriage rights or that they disapprove of gays using their brand as a Pride marriage badge ….

Well, that would be grounds for a corporate divorce.

MEET GM'S TRANS PIONEER One of General Motors most valuable employees is Steven Hanses, pictured, a senior product-assembly-document processor, who's been with the company since 1984. This native Detroiter is out as transgender at work, but Hanses (also known as Thora Lars) doesn't "cross" at the office. He says some co-workers have met Thora outside of work, "And they have been remarkably good to me." Hanses also works on the board of GM Plus, the company's LGBT affinity group. Last year, he brought GM sponsorship to the Southern Comfort Conference, the largest transgender gathering in the country, which happens in September in Atlanta. At the 2008 conference, the GM logo was on SCC billboards, programs and on the sleeves and shoulders in the fishing competitions. You go, Thora!

GM'S PLUG-IN HOTTIES: The 2010 Chevy Volt, left, and the recently revealed 2012 Cadillac Converj concept.

GAYER THAN PINK INK One of GM's brightest queer superstars is the vivacious British import Christopher Webb, manager of GM's color trends. Does Webb look familiar? He appeared on "Project Runway 5," when the designers recycled Saturn car parts into fashion. And Webb's been to Dallas. He's the hotshot whom Mary Kay Inc. tapped to design the new shade of pink for Mary Kay's 2006 Cadillac. Webb's a brilliant walking encyclopedia — an expert about tinting, pigments, vacuumized flakes and hand-sprayed substrates. His passion for color is mesmerizing. I'd describe something as "looks silvery." Webb would say "liquid mercury" "gunmetal" or "chrome." Remember his name. Webb's this close to being the next Tim Gunn.

Memorial Service Honors the Life and Legacy of James A. Washington, Pioneer in Journalism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The family and friends of the late James Washington, former Publisher of the Dallas Weekly, will gather to celebrate his life and enduring legacy in recognition of his significant impact on the journalism industry.

Dallas, TX - May 1, 2024 - A heartfelt memorial service will be held at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas on Saturday, May 4, 2024, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, to honor the memory of James A. Washington, a respected figure in journalism and community advocacy.

Officiated by Reverend William White, the service welcomes the Dallas community and friends from around the globe to join in commemorating the remarkable life of James Washington.

Mr. Washington, former Publisher of the Dallas Weekly, touched the lives of many with his pioneering spirit and unwavering dedication to the field of journalism.

His passing on April 2, 2024, in Atlanta, GA, was deeply felt by all who knew him. Well-known as a trailblazer for the Black Press,

James’s legacy transcends borders, leaving an everlasting mark on the industry.

Throughout his career, Mr. Washington earned widespread acclaim and recognition, including the prestigious Legacy Award from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in 2019.

His commitment to championing Black businesses and fostering future leaders was evident in his stewardship of the Dallas Weekly, where he served as Publisher in 1985. Under his guidance, the publication became a beacon of journalistic excellence and a platform for aspiring writers and reporters.

Today, the Washington family continues James's legacy, with his son and daughter-in-law Patrick and Jess Washington leading the helm of the Dallas Weekly. Their dedication ensures that the vision lives on, inspiring generations of journalists to come.

For those wishing to pay tribute to James Washington, the memorial service offers an opportunity to share cherished memories and stories, reflecting on the joyous moments shared with a true legend.

In honor of James Washington's memory, the family kindly requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the James A. Washington Foundation, Inc.

Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony.

The formal repast will be exclusively for family members and close family friends.

About The Dallas Weekly

Since its establishment in 1954, the Dallas Weekly has served as a pivotal hub for the Black community in one of the nation's fastest-growing regions.

With an unbroken streak of publication spanning 70 years, the Dallas Weekly has solidified its position as the premier and most relied-upon voice within the African diaspora of North Texas. Today, the Dallas Weekly, affectionately known as the DW, stands as a dynamic multimedia entity, wielding influence not only on a national scale but also venturing into international discourse, particularly with the rising presence of Black immigrants. In addition to our award-winning traditional print edition, we have expanded our reach through a cutting-edge multimedia website, an engaging e-edition, a burgeoning community of social media followers, and the recent launch of our internet radio station. These diverse platforms underscore the Dallas Weekly's evolution into a distinctive niche brand operating on a multifaceted multimedia landscape. At the heart of our mission lies our commitment to delivering compelling content that resonates with our community and celebrates our rich culture. Memorial Service Location: Friendship-West Baptist Church 2020 W. Wheatland Rd Dallas, TX 75232

[my-mt-heart]

[This is really loooong, but since your questions in both posts tie into one another, I figured you'd rather have it in one go. It's also speculative and I encourage anyone reading to do their own critical thinking.]

Late last year, like @kryptoniancape suggests, seems to fit the timeline for the change of gear, but I don't think it has anything to do with Melissa and her supposed leave. AMC doesn't mention this clean and easy out, and their press release would have had to pass through Legal. They struck franchise wide deals with the actors and the only reason you 'exit' a project is if there's a paper trail to complete. MMB was locked into the first season of the spinoff.

Remember when the talk about the subpar feature scripts resurfaced? Whatever options deal Gimple had with AMC expired at that point. That's when the studio had to decide how to bring Rick back.

Melissa might have wanted to have the summer off, but do you believe she's naive enough to assume she'd still have a career if she takes a leave of absence? An actress woman her age retires if she takes an extended leave. (A vacation after a crazy long season isn't leave.) We only have this assertion from NR and JDM, and honestly? It sounds like publicist spin to make an actor more likable, "Look, he has his costar's best interest at heart. Isn't he a sweet guy? Watch his show!" Both of these guys have quite a lot riding on those spinoffs being successful.

What is Lauren Cohan saying? She also has a stake with AMC. Has she told anyone that her good friend Mel needs a break, so quit being so toxic and watch her show instead?

Take what I say with a grain of salt since most of this is conjecture, even if it's based on my experience in the industry, but always pay attention to what isn't said. Most often, there's a wealth of information in silence because like MT has said before, TV operates on personal connections and you need to keep at least a glossy veneer with people. Circles are small. You don't want to make enemies if you can avoid it and we all love plausible deniability.

This whole mess is managed by studio executives and the legal department, and to a degree, NR and his management team. There's a host of people making a tidy sum off their earnings, so an actor's opinion in these types of situations is very rarely their homegrown output. There will have been meetings discussing what their opinion should be, with outcome probabilities for those options.

I don't think there needs to be crazy editing for the finale. Whatever we end up with is what AMC intended all along.

Remember how AK said there were discussions of how to end Leah and what we got was because "Norman wanted to just shoot her"? Take a moment to think about that and its implications. Good showrunners keep an open door to their actors, but they don't have an invite to the writers room to break the season arc. AK also isn't telling us who was part of that talk and most people probably infer it was an informal chat between her and NR. What's her point in sharing? Do we think that's a funny anecdote of how approachable she is and what a cool dude NR is?

The fact that Daryl has hoarded over a decade's worth of Clairol should also tell the viewer things. NR's team is trying to sell the image of a virile man in his prime, a panty dropper. That's why he hasn't wanted any romance for Daryl, claiming there's already enough of that on the show to go around. His brand is alluring bad boy and tying his character to an age appropriate woman who hasn't dipped into Daryl's secret stash of hair color?

His team is looking at the bottom line and trying to ensure their livelihood. Why do you think he's diversifying his income, with whiskey and novels?

I wouldn't be at all surprised if 'Daryl is the most popular character' is pure marketing. He's the only character original to the show (without a comic book template) so AMC owns the rights outright. I think viewers like Daryl a lot, but he's a reactive character, not an instigator and he needs Rick and Carol to come into his own. Obviously, I don't have access to AMC's market research, but I suspect that those two characters are the ones who are drawing an audience.

Think about TV shows in general (and a decade back in time), why would a show that keeps killing off its cast, keep Carol alive for the duration of its run? Whether you love her or love to hate her, the network has people talking about their show and Rick is a conventional hero, so you have another segment of the audience right there.

AMC will want to keep the Caryl viewership because it's not an insignificant number, so they'll dangle that possibility as long as they can. I have a few theories on what might happen and they're depressing enough that I'll just keep them to myself.

The only thing I can claim to know for sure is that the Daryl solo spinoff isn't a recent development. Pre-production takes too long for a shoot to happen this summer if you didn't start planning before April. That's the only thing I can say to be objectively true. Everything else I've said is subjective to varying degree and I hope I'm wrong.

Thank you for taking the time to explain. Like I said, I find your insight very helpful even if it is just speculation. You are always welcome to share your theories even if you think they're depressing. Honestly everything is just depressing now anyway.

[honeylemony]

I love things that just intensely reveal the dark, twisted, psychosomatic inner lives of bland suburban women. Janet thinks about how she's had to essentially kill her true self every day to love her husband. Melissa writes a very intense facebook post about how she doesn't feel like she exists anymore but doesn't post the draft. Like, that kinda stuff immediately juxtaposed with the snapping-back of the veneer over their fucked up and complex selves. Like. Haha I just think about baking and my kids :) . It's like. Lol these people are messed up. For real.

[melissadentalandorthodontics]

If you live in Melissa, dental veneers are an excellent option to enhance your smile. Learn how veneers in Melissa can help you get the perfect smile.

Melissa Dental & Orthodontics

2302 Sam Rayburn Hwy Suite 100, 

Melissa, TX 75454, United States

[ashnadir]

How did you choose your character's name? Their FC? If your character has ex-partners/current partners, did you find their FCs objectively attractive before the relationship?

When Maggie was trying to convince me to give RP another try, she made up the name:  ‘Cardero’ is a street in Vancouver, and ‘Iann’ with two ‘n’s to make it ~special~ like OC names tend to be, lmao.

I chose Pedro because I RP’d Kyle Rayner (Green Lantern) before and I’d chosen Pedro as my older!FC for Kyle Rayner.  Pedro Pascal had nice resources and an upcoming show with Boyd Holbrook (coincidence!), so I kept him.

Most Hollywood celebrities are ‘objectively attractive’ as per the requirements of their career.   Emily Kinney is a skinny white blonde with some distinct features, and Melissa made her irrepressibly cute to me.  Miguel Angel Silvestre is a pretty man and a good comedy actor with pathos, and Tuah made him adorable to me.  I root for Zoe Saldana’s kickass success because she is an actor of colour who skews on the darker skintone, and Ciara made me feel even more affection to her, like she’s my cousin who I want good things for, lmao.  

The better question is if I find people unattractive, and could never romance in RP.    I don’t think I could ever ever romance a character with a Timothee Chalamet or a Benedict Cumberbatch or a Keira Knightley FC.  I personally feel viscerally repulsed by their faces hard enough that it pierces through the RP veneer of make-believe.  This has nothing to do with objectivity, this is purely my subjective and superficial rejection of the attractive-factor of these actor’s faces.

And ftr, I don’t find Pedro Pascal attractive either.  He’s like a dumb older cousin who I want to ignore but he won’t stop bothering me with his stories, and sometimes I really do enjoy his company.

[lookherecomethewormies]

Some drawings I’ve done over the past month.

[thecinephale]

Super Girl: The Effort to Look Female

Harrisonburg is not rural Virginia. It’s a city. It inhabits over 50,000 people, includes James Madison University, and has gone Democrat every presidential election since 2008. Still, I spent the last few weeks with my stomach in knots, working out a strategy for my weekend there. While the wedding I was attending was right on the JMU campus, our Airbnb was deeper into Rockingham County, my girlfriend’s grandma lives in Stuart’s Draft, and we had to drive through all sorts of places to get there and back from Brooklyn. 

And as my friend Kelly said, “It’s a college town, sure, but there IS a Cracker Barrel.”

***

Next week marks my one year on hormones. Some trans people call this a second birthday, but for me that date is too nebulous. Do I claim the doctor’s appointment that acted as a first consultation? Or the first time I let a green oval of estrogen slowly dissolve under my tongue? Maybe it’s a month further when my bloodwork came back normal and I began taking a proper dosage?  

I prefer to think of transitioning as a process with many beginnings. If I had to pick a date, it would be May 12, 2017, when I fully came out to myself. But even this erases the person I was at 16 who dressed in drag for the first time. 

A year on hormones doesn’t feel like a landmark. It feels like I’m running out of time. Everyone is different, but I know generally there’s a timeline of when changes occur and when they stop. Some people claim it’s a four year process, but most people see the majority of changes in the first two years. I’m halfway there.

***

Sunday night the first trans superhero appeared in mainstream media. Nicole Maines portrayed the character of Nia Nal on The CW’s Supergirl in its fourth season premiere. Like hormone birthdays, this monumental event can’t be reduced to a single day. Nia isn’t a superhero yet, for now just a reporter working under Kara/Supergirl. And her transness has not been discussed. Both are known because they were announced at Comic Con back in July. The first trans superhero in mainstream media, played by a trans actress. 

Nicole Maines knew she was trans when she was 3 years old. By the time she was able to vote, Maines had successfully sued her school district, ensuring basic human rights for all transgender students in her home state of Maine. The CW’s marketing team has played up the “real life hero plays on-screen hero” angle and they’re not wrong. 

I knew I was trans 20 years later in my life, after I’d finished my first puberty and voted in two presidential elections. Maines and I have drastically different experiences of transness, and yet I spent the last several months watching 65 episodes of Supergirl (plus crossovers!) to prepare for her debut this week. Sure, most trans women don’t look like Nicole Maines. Most cis women don’t look like Melissa Benoist. This is how this works.

***

Once I decided to go on this trip to Virginia, I also had to decide how I was going to present. I’ve been, as they say, full-time since February. Some days I just wear jeans and a t-shirt, like most women, but it’s been a long time since I’ve actively pretended to be a man. It always made me feel awful and as my breasts grew (now at a C cup!) it became more and more difficult. My girlfriend’s extended family knew she was dating a woman, but didn’t know I was trans. I felt up to the challenge. This weekend I was just a woman. Period.

It’s been my experience that the most mindlessly validating individuals are those I’d least expect: catcallers and the elderly. My guess is they have limited knowledge of transness and classically feminine signifiers like a skirt or long hair makes their animal brain think woman. Of course, if they notice their “mistake” the catcallers will be especially cruel. Still, these experiences factored into my expectation that a high femme presentation would get me through this weekend. 

I have no idea what I look like. I’m not sure I ever will. Intellectually I know my face has feminized, but I don’t know how much. I don’t know why sometimes I get correctly gendered, but mostly not. I don’t know if people are just humoring me or saying what they’re supposed to or being kind when they say “Miss.”

I appreciate this effort, but it’s not what I want. I want to look in the mirror and see a woman, I want the people in my life to look at me and see a woman, and I want strangers to look at me and see a woman.

In Virginia, nobody saw a woman.

***

The most trans-related scene in Nicole Maines’ first episode didn’t feature her at all. Martian J’onn J’onzz (David Harewood), recently retired, has joined an alien support group. While Supergirl has previously leaned hard on the alien as immigrant analogy, this scene isn’t the first time the show has equated alien status with queerness. Season two introduced an underground alien bar that was obviously meant to evoke the historic haven of the gay bar.  

An alien that looks human begins by saying he’s at the group to share his happiness. “For the first time since I’ve been on this planet I feel like I fit in,” he says with a smile. “And it’s because of this.” He taps a device on the side of his head that reveals his true alien form, before switching back to the human veneer. 

An older alien who looks human but has pointed ears and tusks on his forearms pushes back. “Who decides what’s normal? Why should we have to wear these devices that change our appearance so we can be tolerated?”

The first alien responds with the obvious: “Well, that’s easy for you to say. You just look like a Tolkien fan.”

***

Whether we want to look cis and whether we have the ability to look cis is certain to be a heated topic between trans people, because it’s often a heated topic within ourselves. Everyone is taking stock of what they have and what they want. And sometimes it’s impossible to distinguish what we truly need to feel okay and what society tells us we need. I identify as a binary trans woman, not because I believe in the gender binary, but because I’m close enough that I can live (for now) with that conformity. The more gender non-conforming you naturally are and the more gender non-conforming you desire to be the more external pressure you’ll receive.

I’m 5’5 and 110 pounds and within my first three months on hormones I’d developed breasts. These are my natural privileges. My body hair, facial hair, and Adam’s apple are my negatives. The curly hair on my head and my masculine but not that masculine face are up for debate. Every week I get an hour of electrolysis done on my face, which is the process of hot needles and tweezers manually killing every hair follicle. It’s more painful than it sounds. I’m one year into this process and have at least another year left. It costs $75 per session and my ability to afford that at all is another privilege, while the huge chunk of my income that takes up is another negative.

My facial hair is my biggest insecurity and whenever I get misgendered I assume that’s the reason. My mom regularly insists it’s my Adam’s apple and if I would just get that surgically reduced I’d be able to “pass.” The truth is probably more complex. A mix between stubble, the Adam’s apple, and the small characteristics that are targeted in a comprehensive surgical process known as Facial Feminization Surgery. 

I’ve never wanted FFS. I can’t even decide if I want the Adam’s apple surgery. Going on hormones was such an easy, obvious choice for me, but these surgeries can feel like a betrayal of my transness. I don’t want to look cis. But I do want to look like a woman. I’ve started to worry that for the rest of the world those will always be the same thing.

Due to my size I thought I would be like the alien who looks pretty normal but just has tusks on his arms. I could proudly be like, “Look at my tusks/Adam’s apple! I’m an alien/trans. Deal with it.” Maybe I’m really the other alien, whose life is consumed by their alien status unless they change themselves. Or maybe we’re all both aliens and the support group is our minds. Two sides debating, one that looks in the mirror and sees a woman with some unique qualities, another that looks in the mirror and sees a man who needs to change.

***

I wasn’t misgendered until halfway through the wedding reception. I certainly got stares, but it was unclear whether those were lesbian couple stares or transgender stares. I chose to think lesbian couple. Last week my electrologist worked under my jaw so I could wear a full face of makeup. I wore a blue and white Kate Spade dress that was conservative yet flattering. I had on heels and my hair was up. It was the most femme I’ve ever looked. If a random catcaller correctly gendered me the week before when I was wearing a sweatshirt and no makeup, then surely my gender had registered now.

Again, the goal is not that no one knows I’m trans. The goal is for people, without thinking, to say “she.” If afterwards they go “Hmm is this one of those transgendereds I’ve read about?” then fine. But I want to win over the gut instinct. I know this is wrong. Our identities shouldn’t require any external validation. But they do. 

Once I began interacting with people and there was cause to gender me, I did about 50/50. But even when correct there was a pause. I suddenly felt very foolish. This idea I had that I was my harshest critic, that the man I saw in the mirror would look like a woman to these Virginians, was painfully misguided. I look how I look. It will continue to change gradually as I continue hormones and electrolysis, and this may or may not change how others perceive me. I can then choose to alter my appearance further with surgeries or, simply, accept the way I look.

***

“There’s nothing slight about fashion,” Nia says pitching a story. “It’s one of the most visceral forms of art. What we choose to wear tells a story about who we are.” A trans woman believing in the power of presentation is not exactly groundbreaking. But the show has always been filled with clichés that work because they’re true. 

What struck me most watching Maines’ debut was the immediate fondness I had for her. This, of course, has as much to do with talent and charisma as it does transness. Maines injects Nia with an immediate likability, an awkwardness that recalls season one Kara, but with an added vulnerability. I’d framed this character as a necessary first step. Sure, she looks like Nicole Maines… still a trans superhero! But watching her on screen I became very aware that I don’t know Nicole’s insecurities and I don’t know Nia’s. I don’t know anybody’s experience of transness except my own. I don’t even know what gender is or what it means to be trans. Nobody does. We may craft personal narratives to decipher our wants and needs. Cis society may craft narratives to understand, or, more commonly, to erase. But we don’t know. I don’t know why sometimes I look one way to some people and a different way to other people. I don’t know why I have some insecurities and not others. I don’t know why some clothes feel good. Or why some do not.

What I do know is that it felt good to see Nicole Maines on screen. I know that when Kara looked at her and said, “Oh my God. You’re me,” I thought, no. She’s me.

[pyrhiic]

“can I sleep with you?”

send  “ can i sleep with you ? ”  for my muse to go into your muse’s room in the middle of the night after having a nightmare.  /  accepting !

“ can i… can i sleep with you ? ”

toshinori shrinks in on himself as soon as he says it; wilts underneath the weight of the admission, a phrase that carries weakness. proves that he’s not as in control as he once was. his breath still comes out in a shuddering stutter, broken from the aftershocks of the nightmare, half whimper & half sob. when david so much as nods in the scant moonlight, he immediately crawls into his bed & latches onto him, mind still murky, but desperate for contact with something, desperate for something grounding amidst the darkness the nightmares always leave in their wake.

“ dave… don’t leave me, please don’t leave me…”  the fallen hero rasps, suddenly, breath wheezing & small droplets of blood catching on his chin, gleaming like dark rubies,  “ i don’t… please, i don’t want to be alone again, ”  his eyes scrunch close & he fists dave’s shirt in his hands, the cloth almost ripping in his desperate hold, like he’s truly scared that the other man would get up & leave. to toshinori, he had every right to.

“ i almost lost you & it would’ve been my fault, my fault… if i had been stronger, if this crippled, useless body of mine just had more time… ”  he’s rambling, nonsensical; the incident on i-island. nightmares about losing those closest to him in the most macabre way possible were common, & rarely did he ever wake up so shaky anymore, too old & numb now. but that deplorable villain, & how helpless he had been / his best friend, bleeding out in his too fragile hands / melissa, gutted on the ground not too far away  —  

toshinori scrambles for dave, hands burrowing into his shirt, searching for purchase, fingers clenching & unclenching, touching everything, clothes, hair, warm skin… the need to feel the other man is overbearing.

“ damn it… ”  he whispers, leaning into the curve of dave’s warm neck; into darkness, into safety, but feeling guilty all the same. soft chestnut hair blocks his vision, blissfully curtaining him off from the rest of the world; he wants to drown further into the other man, who smells of trace chemicals & petrichor & home home home, & whose warmth so soothingly envelops him, as he keeps rocking him back & forth.

fingers push gently through his hair, damp from sweat, & the panic goes down little by little. toshinori shudders himself to silence & stillness & white in that embrace. look at who was saving who now; or maybe it’d always been this way. dave was his first support beam, held him aloft when he had first donned the cape; if he hadn’t, all might would have surely crumbled. dave had always given him what he had been denied before: the chance to be vulnerable. the chance to let go of his smile, let go of the veneer that feels so heavy & painful at times, the jagged edges of a porcelain mask  —  the facade of an ever-smiling invincible hero  —  cutting into his flesh.

he just wanted to give up control, be safe with somebody  —  but then, wasn’t that terrifying ?

control was ingrained in toshinori on every level. all might was not allowed to be out of control, less for concern of broken bones than of broken people. for years, he was safety. the pride of the world, the symbol of peace. there were so many things he wasn’t allowed to do & he was so happy to shoulder those restrictions that he’d hardly thought of them as such until he was injured & walking the sidewalks like everyone else  ( like everyone else again, the nasty voice in his head adds ).

toshinori compressed himself into the shape he thought the world needed, particularly what he had needed as a quirkless child, & there wasn’t much he wouldn’t give up to be all might. but as the costs became more visceral to be that, painted in bloody handkerchiefs, toshinori had to wonder what he had left outside of that control & that identity.

a safe place to be afraid,

toshinori cries, shoulders heaving with each hiccuping sob that’s wrenched from his too thin body. he drowns himself into dave, the familiar man gently rocking him, hand rubbing soothing circles over his back, easing the fits of coughs that oft follow when his remaining lung is overworked from sobbing. slowly, it feels like ages, toshinori calms down, the steady beating of david’s heart pulling him back to the surface, but a lifetime of self-doubt & abandonment still gripping his own malfunctioning heart.

“ please. please, please don’t leave me. ”

&&. @ofsmash !!

[lesbiancosimaniehaus]

Melissa Benoist was so cute in whiplash, pre-veneers

[jmsa1287]

Netflix's 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' Justifies TV's Reboot Obsession

hi i wrote about Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” 

Peak TV requires more content than ever and creators and network suits are reaching deep into their back catalogues to bring back shows that have been off the air for years or in some cases, decades.

Over the last few years, fans have seen some of their favorites return. Some shows came back with their tried-and-true format: The gang on "Will & Grace" reunited without missing a beat and, despite its inevitable demise, the return of "Roseanne" earlier this year became one of the most-watched sitcoms of 2018. Other shows like CBS's "MacGyver," Fox's "Last Man Standing," Netflix's "Lost in Space" and the CW's "Dynasty" have been rebooted without much notice, adding to the fatigue some audiences feel with TV's obsession over resurrecting old programs.

Some series have returned with something to interesting say and weren't a simply nostalgic cash-grabs. "Twin Peaks: The Return" on Showtime was a work of art and nothing what fans expected. Netflix's "One Day at a Time" is an emotional and lovely sitcom that takes on a number of today's biggest issues. And that streaming services revival of the beloved "Mystery Science Theater 3000" — with new hosts and writers — was a welcomed surprise.

Unsurprisingly it seems that Netflix has had the most success with rebooting and brining back TV shows. It's "Fuller House" reboot is said to be one of the company's most-watched shows. The "Gilmore Girls" returned for a highly anticipated new season in 2016 and the streaming service was also praised for picking up "Arrested Development" after Fox bailed on the beloved comedy. So it makes total sense that Netflix is releasing "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," a new teen drama from Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who developed the hit "Riverdale," based on the Archie Comics, for the CW.

Most people who are now in their 20s and 30s know Sabrina Spellman from their youth. "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," starring Melissa Joan Hart, was a staple on ABC's essential T.G.I.F. line-up on Friday nights in the mid 90s. Based on the Archie Comics of the same name, the light-hearted and charming sitcom had more in common with "Home Improvement" than "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." But "Chilling Adventures" is based on a new set of comic books, written by Aguirre-Sacasa (who also serves as the chief creative officer for Archie Comics), which launched in 2014. It's a darker reimagined take on the teen witch that trades in a saccharine veneer for spooky horror tropes. With some changes, Aguirre-Sacasa's new TV show brings back a classic story but with a totally fresh and thrilling take. It's one of the few new shows that justifies networks' hungry reboot phase.

Fans of the T.G.I.F. sitcom looking for a return to Westbridge, Massachusetts will be disappointed. But if they do decide to stick around in Greendale they will treated to a haunting delight. Sure, "Chilling Adventures" is closer to a teen version of "American Horror Story" than "Pretty Little Liars," but it's a refreshing take. Like the 90s sitcom, Sabrina (played here by the wonderful Kiernan Shipka) is being forced to chose how she wants to live the rest of her life. On her 16th birthday, which happens to be Halloween, Sabrina, half witch and half human, will have to pick between her two identities: Leave all her human friends behind and start a new life at a new school as a witch, or forget about that enticing and mysterious world and give up her powers to live life as a normal teen girl. Her decision is what sparks most of the tension and drama in the first season, especially when it comes to her family: Her two aunts Hilda (Lucy Davis) and Zelda (Miranda Otto), and her cousin Ambrose (Chance Perdomo).

Of course, "Chilling Adventures" has plenty of similarities to "Riverdale" (the two shows are set in the same universe) and Aguirre-Sacasa's over-the-top writing (a la Ryan Murphy) is imprinted all over the new show. Fans of the wild Archie Andrews teen drama will surly binge watch the ten compelling episodes of "Chilling Adventures" as it's just as addicting and soapy as what made "Riverdale" a cultural hit.

Like "Riverdale," the new series is pretty woke and diverse, taking on a number of hot button issues that teens face today, including bullying and assault, censorship and women's rights. It also has actors of color and queer characters, including Ambrose who is pansexual and Sabrina's confidant. (Though, he's a tragic figure who is bound to the Spellman house and cannot leave the property.)

While Season 1 of "Chilling Adventures" is sharp, witty and straight up scary at times (it makes "Haunting of Hill House" a cakewalk) it's hard to tell how long Aguirre-Sacasa and Co. can sustain this enchanting tale. "Riverdale" is already approaching its third season and has absolutely gone off the rails. Teen shows develop ardent fan bases but, like a many network programs, the quality of the shows quickly deteriorate. Having to come up with plot and twists for dozens of episodes is a hard task. But even if the solid first season of "Chilling Adventures" is all that's in the (spell) books, it still proves that reboots can yield exciting and fresh TV shows.