#I’ll buy that from the Apple TV too.

[rls475]

I cannot for the life of me figure out how to copy text from a post.

There were fun tag games from @professormcguire and I cannot figure out how to put them in a new post. Anyway…

8 tv shows - unfortunately, I haven’t watched tv shows in years, so I don’t think I can come up with 8.

1 - Game of Thrones - This is the only one I’ve rented a streaming service for.

2 - Good Omens - I bought this one from the Apple TV.

3 - American Gods - I bought this one on Blue-ray. I lent out season 1 to someone who lost it and then claims that I never lent it to them. I never, ever learn about not lending out my stuff. It gets returned less than half the time.

4 - Animaniacs - Yes!! Just Yes!! I have these on dvd. I don’t think they make them on blu ray.

5 - Drunk History - This is hilarious!! I think it’s from Comedy Central. (Watched through the app on my Apple TV.). They get these historians who are experts in their field totally drunk on lots of hard liquor and then have them tell the story of their field. If you like history, I highly recommend.

… Um, I think this is all the tv shows I’ve watched in the last 30 years. I have a Big Ass TV, but it’s only used for video games, occasional movies or dvds, and Buckeye football games.

Oh! Bonus 6! My ex used to play the tv A LOT, and when I was nursing my kids, Friends was on rerun and it would be playing on the tv when I got home from work and had to nurse a child for a while. So, I suppose I’ve seen a fair bit of at least parts of episodes, but can’t even tell you how many Friends are in the show.

[babylonqaf]

Finished watching Silo with my dad, I have Opinions. I read the books a long while ago and barely remember them (I had a terrible habit of reading so fast I barely remember entire series of books), but from my spotty memory I remember things that don’t fit in with the show, and I feel like the very last scene was a mistake. It’s just not as impactful as it should have been. Juliette should’ve just gone through the door and found the other silo.

Imagine the last scene being Juliette opening this giant steel door and going through a tunnel and arriving to the door named “Silo 17” intercut with scenes of the raiders going through the Down Deep.

The very last shot is Juliette dropping her bag and looking up awed at the number, zoom in on “Silo 17” and then black.

Much better.

Idk, I have opinions. I really need to re-read the books though, I can’t tell if my memory is fucking with me or not, at the very least about the outside being different in the book.

And about Lukas.

[betterbooktitles]

"I’m certain I’m not the only millennial who feels we as a nation have taken a dizzying turn when it comes to drugs. I remember a uniformed police officer showing up once a week in 5th Grade (a year before Sex Ed) to explain how to avoid buying and taking drugs. Luckily, I already knew the dangers of the drug trade because I had seen The Usual Suspects. I knew cocaine was a bad thing to buy, sell, or steal, especially from a drug kingpin. The D.A.R.E. program, however, let me know how important it was to say no to anything fun, including alcohol. At least until I understood a little algebra first. We did role-playing exercises where we walked one by one toward the portly police officer and he casually asked if we wanted to hit a mimed joint with him. All we had to do was say “no” and walk to the other side of the room, defying the only rule I knew about improv. We wrote essays about how important it was to preserve our pristine bodies and minds, obviously unsullied since we had yet to take the class teaching us how puberty was going to defile them both. I’m still mad that my friend Nicole’s essay beat mine in a contest, and she got to read hers in front of the whole school all because she had the benefit of an older brother who took too much acid and sat in her room all night talking about why the existence of light proved God was real. My essay about a time I saw my friend’s dad drink a beer and then drive his truck somewhere was also good! We signed pledges to enter the new millennium drug-free. We took the red pencils that said “Friends Don’t Let Friends Do Drugs” and sharpened all of them down to say “Let Friends Do Drugs,” “Friends Do Drugs,” “Do Drugs,” and simply “Drugs.” Despite that little rebellious act, my friends and I spent a solid six months swearing we’d never put any harmful substance into our bodies besides every form of candy available.

Imagine how I feel now as a D.A.R.E. graduate becoming my dad’s drug dealer. It’s less thrilling than I thought it would be. Between my father’s warning not to hang around one specific neighborhood in Cleveland as a kid and nearly every TV show about drugs, I thought I’d always be buying marijuana from an intimidating dude who definitely had a gun and would use it immediately if he thought I was wearing a wire. Instead, I now buy marijuana from a well-lit storefront that looks like the Apple Store. I’ve even gone to a place where a guy with an iPad explained what each available strain would do to me. I buy what sounds good with all the confidence of a man pointing at items on a menu written in a language he can’t read. I put it all in a cardboard box. I place a book on top. I mail the box to my dad from my local post office. I tell myself the book is to hide the contraband crossing state lines, but in truth, the book is what clears my conscience. I want to send my dad something edifying while also sending him the drug that all of America worried would make me unable to read if I tried it once. The unrequested book is a red herring to distract from the vice, like when you were young and didn’t want to buy condoms outright at the store so you cushioned them between a pack of peanut M&Ms and a magazine. Hmm, what else did I need, — right, while I’m here — might as well pick up a few condoms.

Right as marijuana becomes legal in most states, I’m about done with the drug. I’ve had three good times on edibles, and one of them was when I felt nothing and fell asleep at 9:30 PM. I’m flabbergasted that my dad likes edibles. He seems to be a man free of anxiety. Case in point, I once brought him some THC lozenges to our summer holiday in Chautauqua, and around dinner time I told him “You might want to only take half of what I gave you” to which he replied, “I took it hours ago.” He was stoned and no one noticed.

While I’m stuck in my head, stoned or sober, wondering why I didn’t take some acting gig 15 years ago, wondering if I’ll ever make enough money, worrying I’m doing everything wrong including in this moment as I write this sentence, my dad is enjoying himself.

Judith Grisel, the author of Never Enough: The Neuroscience And Experience of Addiction, describes using marijuana as throwing “a bucket of red paint” on your brain. She was approaching the stimulant clinically in terms of how it differed from the laser focus of other drugs (THC reacts with many receptors in the brain, cocaine focuses on one), but now every time I smoke, I think of the red paint metaphor. While other people seem able to crank an entire joint and do insanely complicated stuff like function at their jobs, I am reduced to a gelatinous blob, on top of which my eyes and brain are navigating a dream state that, like many dreams, isn’t all that interesting the next day. Mostly, I get high and can’t decide what I want to watch on TV or what video game I want to play, I realize how hungry I am, and then I fall asleep with cereal still stuck to my teeth. Pot, for me, is like the squid ink hitting the screen in Mario Kart: I can still see where I’m going, but everything gets a little harder to do, and the panicked half-blindness makes everything slightly more chaotically fun."

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Other articles include:

An essay on Claire Dederer's book Monsters and movies made by monsters.

Writing inside a Toyota Service Center.

Writing mistresses.

[waltzingwithyourenemyattheball]

PICK A CARD: MESSAGES FROM THE SUPER BLUE MOON

Left: 111; Right 333 Disclaimer: Take what resonates and leave the rest. You are not allowed to copy my work under any circumstances. All personal readings are paid. All thing mentioned in disclaimer in my pinned posts applies here.

🌑111🌑

You are worried about something that you have just started or will begin soon. It could be college, job offers, but something has you worried. You are doubting everything suddenly and no matter what you do or where you go, it creeps up on you. You need to observe, the more you reject the awareness of the negative thoughts, it feels the more powerful they get. Do not think yourself as the thinker of the thoughts, you are a mere observer, so identify as such, tell them, now that they have spoken, now you are aware of them , and later say ‘ I do not consent to this’ and let it be. The key is to simply observe not control and when they do not get the attention they so wanted, they’ll leave you be.  You are extremely intelligent, mental gymnastics is your thing, some of you are good chess players, logical, love to deduce things. Here you are being told to use your creativity, you have being given a tool, whatever that might be in your specific case, you are being told to use to to go to calm waters, or the ruffled ones will wash all over you. Do not be afraid of the shadow, see it, learn from it. Acceptance is key here, for a lot of you, denial is your coping mechanism, but it is not working in your favour anymore. You have suppressed feelings for too long and now they want to come up, clear limiting beliefs, become aware of them. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR SHADOW WORK JOURNEY(for a lot of you).  There is more to the problem, like you can’t even put your finger on it, there is self doubt, you go one way and the other seems more like it, you are in a mental maze, what is your strength is not applying here and you my friend, are frustrated, FIND A NEW ANGLE, A NEW WAY. For you are dealing with the subconscious, not an easy fae.  (The messages won’t stop, if I go on, I’ll go on forever)  COMMENT' 111' to claim healing. 🌙DM for a personal tarot reading to heal your shadows.🌙

🌕333🌕

Word channeled: GRATITUDE JOUNRAL.

You have a lack mindset. No matter how much balance you achieve, or growth, you focus on what you don’t have and let that affect how you feel about the rest. The main important thing is money, you feel insecure about it, at this point, you just want a lottery or someone to spoil you. You are tired and desperate. You are being told to see abundance in other areas, like look at this example: person sitting in the shade of the tree crying, all they think is if I had some money, I could buy an apple, what he doesn’t realises is the tree he is sitting underneath is the apple tree. You have it right there. Sometimes, abundance is you, your skills to get the fruit. Whether you buy a dress or make one, at the end you still have a dress, and during the process, you still have to make effort, whether at the dress or somewhere else. BASIC NECESSITIES ARE OF COURSE NECESSARY, but this is not we are talking about. This is different, someone blaming and self pitying. You are being told to keep a gratitude journal, the more you thank for recieving the more the universe gives. It only understands the word yes. So if you say ‘I am poor’ it is so be it. So affirm good things especially while eating, me mindful to not watch anything while eating because it goes straight to the food, whatever they are saying on the tv. ESPECIALLY NO NEWS AND CRIME DRAMAS.  The good news is you are almost there, almost there to reaching equilibrium, at the end it’s all about balance and trust me when I say, it’s not far away. Keep focusing on the good, be happy with what you have while working towards what you want. This is healthy attitude, remember the universe does not respond well to desperation.  COMMENT' 333' to claim healing. 🌙DM for a personal tarot reading to heal your shadows.🌙

-

EL TAROT

[girlleon]

BEAUTIFUL AND BAD

leon kennedy x demon!reader

warnings: suicide mention, self esteem, internal misogyny. snuff. you eat him and it’s a good time. you kill him while you’re fucking him?? you’re also kinda mean. title taken from beautiful and bad by nicole dollanganger.

note: sorry that it’s short, i hope it’s still satisfying to you guys :)

You’re so fucking hungry.

It’s been a few days since you’ve last fed and torn a jock to shreds: you thought that would feed you for maybe a week, but after three days, you’re not feeling so hot.

Your skin’s dry, your hair’s flat, you’ve got dark circles, and your stomach is trying to eat itself.

You look like a normal girl who hasn’t got much sleep. To you, you should just kill yourself for daring to even get out of bed because you look so bad. You’re a woman, you should be beautiful all the time instead of just average.

You trudge through campus with a rumbling stomach, scoping out your latest prey haphazardly.

Leon, guy in your soil science class, bumps into you. Those little piercings around his lips are so cute when you think about it, they kinda remind you of your fangs. “Shit, hey, sorry about that.” He rubs the back of his neck and eyes you, blond brows pulling together. “Hey, are you okay? You look exhausted, have you been sleeping?”

No, I’m just ugly, you wanna tell him. You mime a yawn into the back of your hand instead and nod dazedly. “Yeah. Studying and—all that stuff. Had to pull a couple all nighters.”

He winces sympathetically. “Can I… buy you a coffee or something?” Leon asks after a second, turning a pleasing shade of red that makes you want to bite into him like an apple. Actually… that’s not a half bad idea.

“How about a movie? At my place.”

That’s cute, he looks so pleased when you suggest that. “Sure! Sure, whatever you wanna watch.”

“I’m a horror fan.” You say with a coy smile, head cocked to the side. “Can I see your phone? I’ll give you my address.”

He passes it over and you’re sure to touch his hand just a little as you take his phone, inputting your number and address before handing it back. “See you then.”

You popped Sinister into the dvd player a little before he got here. That one scared you off from TVs for a while, kinda like The Ring did.

You guys lost track half an hour into the movie, your mouth attached to his neck and your hand down the front of his pants.

He sounds so sweet, you can taste the licorice in the air with every sound he makes, pretty face a pretty shade of red. Leon whines a little when you pull away, then goes docile when you start pulling off his pants, then yours.

His big hands settle on your thighs as he looks up at you lazily, blinking slowly and petal mouth parted just slightly.

You duck down and kiss him, rocking back and forth on his thighs until he’s whining again, panting and barely able to kiss you.

You’re many things, but never let people say you can’t be a tease when you really wanna be.

“Come on, come on,” one hand grabs your ass and brings you so you’re stable on his pelvis, “quit fuckin’ teasing me…”

“Aww, poor baby.” You pout down at him, smoothing sweaty strands back from his face. “Am I teasing you too much?”

“Yes.” Leon says seriously, pouting for realsies.

You click your tongue at him, petting his head and face until he’s not pouting anymore, dazed under the scope of your affection. “Poor thing. Your little heart just can’t take it anymore?”

He shakes his head, then opens his big blue eyes to blink at you. He’s so pretty, with that doll face of his.

You’re gonna miss him.

Leon’s mouth opens in a soft sigh as you finally have mercy and sink down on him, soft tummy flexing just a little beneath his shirt.

You push up his shirt, pushing your nails into his soft tummy to see the skin dimple the way dough does. You want to tear him apart immediately.

“Lift your arms, blondie, come on.” You murmur, rolling your hips into his.

He does so obediently, you briefly kiss his knuckles before pulling his shirt off and depositing it to the side. That same pink across his face had spread down his chest, touching where his ribs meet.

His head falls back when you raise up and drop back down, a low groan leaving him.

Saliva builds in your mouth, that hunger rearing its ugly head. You keep swallowing it down as you ride him like a workhorse, thighs burning with the strain.

Leon starts fucking up into you, that pink turning a splotchy red across his chest and face as his pants and groans turn high pitched.

You latch onto his throat and bite through the skin like a peach, blood flooding your mouth.

He cries out in pain, trying to push you away. You pin him back against the couch and he comes, going rigid as you chew on his flesh.

His larynx is rather chewy, but that’s what you get for going for the cartilage. You bite down on his shoulder and he cries out again, almost similar to when you were fucking him.

When you lift your head, Leon’s crying. “What are you doing?” He sniffles, weakly trying to staunch the bleeding in his neck and shoulder.

You feel a pang in your chest. “I’m sorry.”

“What?” That pink face and chest slowly turns pale.

You stare at him, licking his blood off your mouth. “I’m hungry.” And you’re sorry. But you’re so fucking hungry. You don’t want to be this way, but you are.

He looks betrayed.

And you can’t stand to see it on his face, so you move on his lap as you tear another chunk from his chest.

He doesn’t stop fucking crying from pain, or betrayal, you don’t know which, and you don’t want to know.

So you place a palm on his cheek and turn his head, jerking it at just the right angle to show him one last mercy.

Now that he can’t feel it anymore, you rip his arms off like a little girl playing with dolls. His legs. Torso.

You’ll leave his face intact, you always thought he was adorable.

When you’re done, you wipe your face with a forearm, smearing his blood as you just stare at his corpse.

It’s like you just defaced a work of art.

You sob as you gather his corpse and clothes into a garbage bag, leaving it off to the side as you clean up your fucking couch, squirting peroxide on it and scrubbing at it for hours.

You were too hungry, you were too hasty because you hated feeling hungry. So that leaves you with a ruined couch and a dead classmate.

You drive out to the woods and cry a little more as you just dump his body and drive back home.

You hope he understood. That you had to. That you were sorry.

But you’re so fucking hungry.

[fleckcmscott]

Pillow Talk

Summary: While Y/N spends some time away, she and Arthur find a way to play.

Words: 3,992

Warnings: Smut, Swearing

A/N: This story stems from a request made by @jokerownsmysoul​. I really hope I got it right. 😂 Please enjoy, everyone! And thank you for reading! 💜

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask. Requests for Arthur and WWH are open!

Y/N's happiness at attending the Atlantic Legal Society's conference had rubbed off on Arthur. Made her upcoming absence worth it.

Often he'd tag along, see the sights while she worked. Check out clubs, sign up for open mics where no one would ever see him again. Low-risk refinement. But this week's jobs were too good to pass up, and Amusement Mile's opening day meant lots of families and plenty of tips.

He could hold down the apartment. Hell, maybe he'd even enjoy it. Pour condensed milk over frozen strawberries, smoke as much as he wanted, catch a movie on Gothamvision. (When their rabbit ears had required aluminum foil to get a TV signal, he'd convinced her cable was a dire need.)

He wrapped an apple in a paper towel, tore a banana from the bunch, and stuck both in her purse. A breakfast that'd tide her over for the three-hour ride to Baltimore. Stirring milk into her coffee, he side-eyed the oven clock. When the java was halfway cold, he made his way to the bathroom.

Toes flexed in annoyance, Y/N grumbled around her toothbrush. "I can't believe I overslept."

"You'll get there," he said, and took the hairbrush from the shelf. "Here, let me." He drew horsehair bristles through her untamed mane.

"Thanks." The foam in her mouth made it sound more like fankhs. She spat into the sink, rinsed and spat again. "I don't want to buy another ticket."

A soft scowl crossed his brow. "You shouldn't've had to buy the first."

"Well, you know my boss. He didn't think it was necessary, which is silly with the WARN act being passed. That kind of ridiculousness makes me want Phil to come out of retirement." She hung her robe on the door hook and jogged to the bedroom, calling over her shoulder. "At least they're paying me!"

Minutes later Y/N emerged, frazzled around the edges but smart. She straightened a ruffle at her collar, tugged the corner of her blazer. She wore her age and era with pride. She guzzled her coffee like an engine on empty, poured herself another and skipped the dairy. "I'll regret this on the train."

They dashed to the elevator, vinyl suitcase in his grasp, her hand hooked at his elbow. As the steel doors parted, he made a show of holding them open with his foot. A beam to rival the rising sun crossed her face. 

"Thank you, sir," she said, and curtsied. The gesture made him want to lift her, spin around. They were running late - and she'd still taken a spare second to be playful.

God, how he loved her.

At this early hour, only a handful of Gothamites rode the subway. A guy sat in a corner seat. Sixty, gray stubble, wearing a flat leather cap. His outstretched arm held a wrinkled centerfold. Ms. December, judging by the Santa Hat, the sole fabric in the photo. A familiar friend that must've been in his pocket for a while.  

Y/N grasped the stanchion at the other end of the car. Arthur moved to stand behind her, a protective arm at her waist.

At every stop she inched towards him. Her round bottom nudged his thighs, her back grazed his chest. She smelled good, like the strawberries he'd eat tonight. He pressed his nose to the crown of her head, filled his veins with her scent.

A scarlet stripe bloomed from collarbone to temple, her ear a crimson shell. The corner of her mouth threatened to curl. Pink tongue darting to wet satin lips.

He squeezed her hip. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," she said. An obvious untruth given how her neck tightened.

Suspicion slanted his stare. But he let it lie. For now.

Wayne Central Station was a Beaux-Arts beauty smack dab in the middle of modernization and commercialization. And it had far too many flights of stairs. After the ups and downs of finding the right track, they landed on thirty-seven, the platform for the commuter line.

"You know," Y/N said, steps slowing to an amble. "I bet there are clown conferences. You could learn to juggle."

His days of working with other clowns were long behind him. But the suggestion was sweet, so he smiled. "My hands are already busy. You're a handful."

She stopped at a concrete column and riffled through her purse. "I'll call you when I check-in and give you the room number. There'll be a direct line." Then her riffling escalated to a frantic search. Patting her coat, the inner breast pocket. Checking her bag one more time. Taking advantage of her distraction, Arthur reached into his jacket. Anticipation tickled his shoulders into a shrug.

"Oh no," she said. "I could've sworn I put my ticket with my credit card."

He reached as if to tuck her hair back. Pulled a green card from behind her ear. "Is this it?" A relieved huff as she snatched her prize. She swatted his chest, wound her arms about his neck.

The squeal of metal on metal bounced off tile walls, announcing the oncoming train. A gust of wind whirled her silvery brown locks. Despite the mundanity of it all, the thousands of people about to step onto public transportation, the moment felt like a movie. A bona fide blockbuster. The ordinary suddenly extraordinary.

Fingers brushing his, she took her bag, speaking between kisses. "I love you. We'll talk soon."

~~~~~

The McKeldin Exhibition Center seemed a blunt, bulky building for the Atlantic Legal Society's twenty-fifth conference, a number Y/N would've considered celebratory. Four stories of concrete, cold steel, muscular exterior. A once modern design that now represented an idea of the future that, if the first five months of 1990 were to go by, wasn't bound to happen.

The registration attendants were friendly and professional. But Y/N wasn't a member of the guild, so she was directed to a line at the other end of a vast, airy hall. The additional hundred dollars she'd paid to attend included extra exercise. A gilded stripe ran along the top of her name tag, like she was a flake of gold to pan for, from which extract a membership fee.

Goodie bags contained the usual swag. A pen with the organization's logo, two legal pads, a folder to hold her notes. At the bottom were a blue stress ball and a gavel pinback button, which she'd pin on Sylvia back at the office. The young intern had received so little recognition in her short life that it'd thrill her.

White tablecloths and serving trays covered the tables in the reception area. Y/N maneuvered to a buffet to the right, snapped a napkin, two cheese and pepperoni skewers, and a paper cup of goldfish crackers. Munching away, she took the temperature of the room.

Lawyers and attorneys general, magistrates and judges swarmed, chatting and laughing, giving handshakes and back slaps. Legal secretaries and paralegals circled up to chat amongst themselves. Judging by overheard introductions, their origins stretched from the Eastern Seaboard all the way to Chicago.

Y/N recognized a former Gotham District Attorney, a lawyer from one of Shaw & Associates' satellite offices. The passing years had salt and peppered his hair, too. The city's newest criminal court judge was on the premises, one Henry Jake. An upset after an affair with one of his legal aides, his promotion from magistrate had been splashed on all the front pages.

He appeared eager to continue the scandal, proceeding to flirt in the way of men who like to wield their authority. A palm on the forearm here, an unwanted compliment there. It made Y/N want to chuck a stress ball at his head.

She stirred powdered creamer and irritation into a styrofoam cup of coffee, noted the restroom sign on the left wall. A woman in a floral shower curtain of a dress approached with tiny steps. Said she'd never been to a big city before, took a sip of Lipton and pushed her plastic glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"I'm Flossie Barteux, but all my friends call me Flo." The red stripe on her nametag denoted her as a fresh recruit.

"Nice to meet you, Flossie." Though maintaining distance, Y/N spoke with warmth. "I moved from the Ozarks to Gotham ten years ago. The lobby has some brochures. I think there's an aquarium on the waterfront, a couple museums, too. You should take advantage while you're in town." Then she gave a friendly nod and excused herself to the Industry Auditorium to sign up for presentations.

Whistleblower protections sounded interesting, considering past capers; she made a note to review Gotham's statutes for the next. Tips for wage and hour investigations filled an entire notebook. The presenter droned on in one agonizingly long sentence. It was impossible to keep up, even in shorthand. Y/N's fingers grew so fatigued she dropped her pen. It took several tries to regain the ability to make a fist.

When the conference broke for the evening, Flossie hopped in the same revolving door as Y/N and suggested dinner at a chain steakhouse across the street. A good number of attendees already stood in line.

To be honest, she could've used a break from the whole thing. But she didn't want to hurt the woman who sorely needed a work friend. She put their names on the waitlist and browsed chalkboard specials. Listened to Flossie's story of how going through probate for custody of her granddaughter had led her to the legal profession.

By the time Y/N stumbled back to her hotel, she could've dozed upright. At the bar, she ordered a variation on a Sidecar, a little number called Between the Sheets. She didn't ask for permission to take it to her room. She dropped a dollar bill in the tip jar and turned towards the lobby.

It was well equipped, a fax machine and pay phone in one corner, a stand with free chocolate chip cookies to the right. In the center of the far wall stood a bookshelf, flanked by overstuffed aqua chairs. A sign was propped on the coffee table: "Please read and return!" A set worthy of Donahue's photo studio.

She stepped onto the woven rug to browse the plethora of outdated bestsellers. Self-helps with mountains on the covers, charlatans offering poor financial advice. Children's books were piled haphazardly on the bottom shelf. And right in the middle was an entire row of romance novels, the ones in which every heroine's bosom heaved and bodice ripped. Ragged covers told the tale of how popular they were, spines split from overuse. As a pre-teen, Mabel had caught her reading a few. ("Why's your face red, Y/N? Are you sick?") Amused, Y/N took the one with the deepest seams.

Forbidden Seas was a terrible if fitting title, given the coverhunk's puffy shirt. He was alarmingly muscular, as though a bee had stung him, and he desperately needed an ice bag. Long, blonde tresses brushed the careening cleavage of the woman bent over his knee. Arthur's wiry frame held a hidden strength, cleaved her tightly whenever they danced, but that position would've ended with her on the floor.

Cackling, she returned the paperback to its place, betting the hunk would be at full mast by chapter four.

When she reached her room, she stretched her arms over her head, pushed herself to her tiptoes, released a short squeal. The conference center's folding chairs had next to no padding. Soreness nagged at her tailbone, a deep-seated throb ached her rear. She could really use a bath. She checked her watch. Arthur would be calling in about fifteen minutes. Luckily, the restroom had a phone.

Pantyhose rolled down her legs, a nail caught on the reinforced toe. The star-patterned vinyl floor was cold on her feet. A claw clip kept her hair off her shoulders, spare tendrils falling to her cheeks. Steam coated the mirror as the room filled with a pleasant heat. She dabbed away her mascara and eyeliner before it could streak. She sipped her cocktail, stepped into the bath. Gave her breasts a casual squeeze and sighed out the stress of the day.

The ringer rang right on the dot.

Voice as light as a game of I Spy, she said, "This isn't reception telling me to pipe down, is it?"

On the other end, Arthur's smile sucked his teeth. "No, it's just me."

"I'm glad it's just you."

The day had gone well, he told her. One of his gigs had cancelled, but that was all right. It let him get some work done around the apartment. He'd replaced the window shade that no longer rolled up, mopped the kitchen, sorted the drawers of his desk. He'd just tuned into a movie on TMC, a screwball comedy she'd deem too silly and dislike.

When he asked how the conference was going, she told him about Flossie, how she hoped the woman's eagerness to excel wouldn't result in her being suckered into membership upgrades. That the WARN act - while a step forward - put some guardrails on the mass layoffs that'd become the norm in the last decade but didn't prevent them. And the overeager judge she was happy to never have to face in court.

"You should teach a class on how to be a gentleman." She slunk deeper into the heat. "I'm learning a lot, but I'll be happy to be home."

"You're not missing much."

"I'm missing you."

"But you saw me this morning!" His protestations didn't fool her; he was pleased as punch.  A hitched giggle, one of his many laughs she loved. "Me, too. I mean, I can't wait to see you. But don't worry. I'm fine. Talk to me more. Tell me about the hotel."

"We'll have to stay here someday. There's a bar with a player piano, and I'm having a cocktail in the bath."

"You- You're on the phone in the tub?" The sound of him puttering. A drink set on the coffee table, a middle-aged groan as he sat on the sofa. "There is one thing I can't get out of my head." Nervous tongue smacked his lips. "What were you thinking about on the subway?"

Mercury threatened to crack the thermometer. But still. She was reticent to go there. "I already told you. It was nothing."

"Come on. You were as red as my clown nose."

She pressed the cool glass to her sweaty forehead. The flight of fancy had been completely inappropriate, not to mention out of character. She knew exactly what telling him would lead to, the direction in which this conversation would race. Tacky and cheap, belonging to a $3.99 a minute hotline.

And yet. She was grateful to have a husband she could blush around, whom she could fantasize about, whom she wanted to fantasize about. Besides. It'd been a stretch since they'd last made love. Tacky and cheap might be just what the Doctor of Laughter ordered.

She let the cognac trickle down her throat. Knuckles dragged up and down her breastbone. Her forearm brushed her pebbled nipple. A drop from the faucet plopped.

"Do you want to continue this?" she asked, an eager if uncertain invitation.

"Yeah," he purred. That rasp, the one positive of his cigarette addiction. "But I'm- I'm not sure what's next."

Neither was she, not quite. The next steps felt at once natural and as if they belonged to an unread novel on a hotel bookshelf. But it was him, so it would turn out all right. They'd figured it out every time before. "Tell me what you're wearing," she said. "Or what you're thinking about. Whatever you want."

"I'm in my pajamas. Um. I found my old journal when I was cleaning. I hadn't read it for years - it has everything from when I met you. Anyway, I read what I wrote our first night together? I'd wanted to touch you so badly and-" He gave a throaty laugh. "And all I knew what to do was squeeze your breast too hard."

The recollection struck a match in all the right places. She'd wanted him, too, more than was smart after such a short acquaintanceship. There'd been something that'd set him apart immediately. Whenever he'd looked at her, her heart had skipped to a new but familiar beat. His good looks, his kindness. Passion and flair hiding beneath a surface shyness, a mask you could see through if you took an extra minute.

"You knew how to look at me. How to listen. How to be gentle." She caressed her hip absentmindedly, a movement that soon became deliberate. "And when not to be."

Her knee shifted to rest on the lip of the tub, opening herself to the warm water. "I wouldn't want you to be gentle now," she whispered, and tugged at the curls between her thighs.

"I wouldn't be." Ragged breaths tempted over three hundred miles. A muted moan that meant he was palming his shaft. Her own palm felt empty. How she hungered for him to be in her grasp. Then he asked, "What- What did you pack for bed?"

"The blue nightie you gave me. The one that ties at the neck." It was six years old but a perennial favorite for both. The approval that'd radiated from him when she'd modeled it flashed in her memory. Strokes blazed at the crease of her thigh. "I'll wear it tonight - unless you want me to sleep naked."

A husky chuckle before he pressed her. Again. "Tell me what you were thinking about on the train. I wanna know."

Fingertips dipped to where she ached for him. Lower to tease plush, squishy flesh, plump with desire. Her eyelids fluttered shut, returning to the occasions she'd pleasured herself in front of him, both when he was inside of her and out. Even on the occasions he wasn't able to get hard, he loved it, asked her to do it again. Holding her. Stealing her breath from her mouth. Covering her hand with his. His thumb taking over until she cried his name.

Fever rippling through her arteries, she tapped her slick nub, body throbbing with need. She cleared her throat. She thought she'd lost her ability to be bashful with Arthur. But dirty talk didn't come as naturally now that she was alone, not the way it did when it was foreplay. When she'd beg him to fuck her, plead for more, more, more.

Yet, she wasn't alone. Though he was afar, she was abuzz with his presence. Spreading joy and happiness to others, always entertaining his audience, he was the performer in the relationship. Tonight the performer became the audience, and she was putting on a show for one.

A show she'd drag out a bit longer. Make it worth his while. "I'm touching my clit, Arthur. Slow and soft, like your tongue. God, I wish it was your tongue. You feel so good."

He groaned. Her grip on the telephone tightened, knuckles gone white. "When we were on the train," she began. "I imagined you shushing me. Your breath was hot on my ear. I wanted you to put your hand on my skin, down my skirt." Her strokes halted while she laughed. "I don't know why. I wasn't even horny."

"You're horny now."

"All hot and bothered."

A grunt came through the copper wire, luring her along. Her foot pressed the tub's curved rim. Splashes of imagery knotted her belly. The play of light on his slender abdomen when he'd put on a shirt. How his biceps flexed when he'd wash his hair. The tightening of his brow the second he lost himself to euphoria. The musky weight of him on her tongue.

She rubbed herself a little harder. A steady, firm pace. "When I come I feel your cock at my back-"

"Keep talking."

"-and I have to bite my lip to keep from moaning, because I know you'll fuck me as soon as we walk through the door."

"Oh, fuck..."

Water licked at her labia with each flick of her wrist, awakening every nerve ending, cresting wave upon wave of sensation. She shoved the receiver under her jaw, lifted her shoulder to lock it in place. Cradled her breast, nipples just at the waterline Lapping, lapping, lapping. She circled the right with her middle finger, wishing her hand was as large as Arthur's, so that she could play with the left. Shivering, her knees drew together and upward, pelvis striving towards her wanton touch.

Splish, splash. Splish, splash.

A growl rumbled out of him. "I- I'm gonna come."

"Yes."

She was there. She was there. About to fly over the edge, her feet about to leap. Gasps caught in her throat. Half his name lost in a whimper. The peak of delight finally reached...

The phone tumbled off her shoulder and plunged into the water. Landed on the fiberglass. An unenthusiastic thud.

"Shit, shit-"

Locked in spasm, she watched air bubbles rise from the sunken plastic. It was hard to move mid-orgasm. Her legs weren't yet in the Jello stage. Hanging onto the towel bar, she stood on very shaky ankles.

She plucked the receiver from the water, shook it out over the tub. Yanked the drain and placed the handset on the rim. Fingers a blur, she dialed their home number on the bedside phone. How quickly had Arthur realized she wasn't on the line?

Had he heard any of the denouement?

Nine rings and Arthur answered, out of breath but with a laugh. "What happened?"

She covered her face. "I dropped the phone. It's ruined." It would be the one time she would pay a fee for damages.

"Oh. Well, I was just cleaning up."

The cord twined through her fingers. "Did you?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Me, too."

"I know. I heard half of it."

Giggling, she excused herself to dry off. Pulled the clip from her hair, retrieved her nightie from her bag. She crawled between cool sheets, fluffed her pillow, pressed Arthur to her ear.

"What'll you do tomorrow," he asked, scratching his cheek.

A Department of Labor inspector would give a presentation on the Severe Violators program, a list of closely monitored companies that violated labor laws like it was a talent and never lifted a finger to change their ways. The padding to their bottom lines was bigger than the fines. She'd chatted with the inspector during a break.

"ACE Chemicals being on the list isn't a surprise. But Wayne Steel?" A sharp inhale before she yawned the rest. "I hadn't even heard of them."

"You're tired.”

"No. Relaxed. Happy. But not tired." She curled up on her side, burrowed deeper into the blankets. "This bed is empty. I have no one to press up against." Another yawn betrayed her.

At her third, Arthur interrupted. "Y/N, go to sleep." A grin in his words, like he was about to call her cute. "You need your rest."

"And why is that?"

His voice lowered to the volume of secrets. "Because when you get back, I'm going to fuck you as soon as we walk through the door."

Her eyes went wide, then she burst out laughing. A wave of dizziness swept through her. She brought the heel of her hand to her forehead. "What time'll you wake up tomorrow?"

"Six, probably. Maybe 5:30?

"Let's have coffee together. I'll make a cup at 6:15."

He agreed before she'd completed the request, said how dearly he loved her. And, yes, to her consternation, called her cute. She kept the eyeroll out of her reply. "You're wonderful, too. Now take your own advice and get some sleep. No journaling until dawn. All right?"

"All right. Have a good night. And Y/N?"

She was already fading, his lilt her favorite lullaby. "Yeah?"

"Wear your blue nightie for coffee. I’ll be in my briefs."

~~~~~

Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolve​​​​​ @ithinkimaperson​​​​​ @sweet-nothings04​​​​​ @stephieraptorr​​​​ @rommies​​​​​ @fallenstarsabyss @gruffle1​​​​​ @another-day-in-chuckletown​ @hhandley80​​​​​ @jokerownsmysoul​​​​​ @rafaelbottom @ralugraphics​​​​​ @iartsometimes​​​​​ @fleckficgirl​

[claireelizabeth85]

Come Home To Me - Chapter 7

John Egan x OC Female

Summary: When the idea of a past life turns out it isn't just an idea or a dream.

Warning: Military inaccuracies, Lizzy needing a slap up the side of the head and Sarah being a badass MF. Other than that - enjoy.

AN: This is a work of fiction and is based on the TV characters from the Apple TV series. No disrespect is intended towards the real men of the 100th BG.

All previous chapters can be found here

--------------------------------------------

Sarah's sharp gaze cut through the bustling crowd, her eyes fixing on Abigail amidst the sea of faces at the air show. She quickly suited up, her movements sharp and determined. 

"You know, this could be considered stalking," Sarah snapped, the edge in her voice cutting through the noise as she confronted Abigail. The woman's presence was unsettling, her motives unclear.

Abigail's response was hesitant, her words failing to fully conceal her true intentions. "We... I just wanted to see you off. Make sure that everything goes well," she offered, her voice tinged with a hint of unease.

Sarah's eyes narrowed, she wasn't buying it, not convinced by Abigail’s faltering concern. “Listen, Abby, is it? If you don't want me to know who you are, that’s fine. But there's definitely something you're not telling me. So how about you come clean or stay out of my way? Sarah crossed her arms, waiting for a response, but Abigail remained silent, her apologetic expression betraying the depth of her secrets. 

Sarah's frustration mounted as she waited for a response, but none came. With a final, terse remark, she turned and walked away, leaving Abigail and her brother, Jonathan, who was approaching the two women, standing alone amidst the crowd.

Jonathan's confusion was palpable as he stepped out in front of his sister, blocking the view of Sarah's retreating figure. "What the hell was that all about, Abby?" he demanded, his tone tinged with exasperation. "You say we can't get involved, and yet you're out here handing out photographs and cryptic messages to GeeGee. How is that not getting involved?"

Abigail exhaled deeply, her gaze drifting back toward the airfield. "Because, Johnny," she began, her voice heavy with resignation, "GeeGee told me herself to do it. She told me to ensure that they both got on the plane, but also warned us to stay away from..." Abby gestured towards the B-17 and Lizzy’s arriving figure.

Jonathan's brow furrowed in confusion. "She told you to stay away from Nana? Why?"

Abigail sat down on a nearby bench, her eyes tracking Lizzy as she inspected the bomber. “For starters, GeeGee specifically warned me about letting you near her.”

“Me? Why?” Jonathan scoffed, disbelief lacing his words.

“Really, Johnny?” Abigail raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of amusement and seriousness. “Do you think she won’t recognize who you are, or at least who you’re related to? You’re the spitting image of Grandpa—tall, dark hair, those aviator sunglasses, and, let’s not forget, those big ol’ ears. GeeGee fears that if you get too close, Lizzy might back out from the flight. No one really knows what might happen if she doesn’t get on the plane, but it’s best for everyone if we keep our distance.”

Digging into her jacket pocket, Abigail pulled out two sealed envelopes, cursing under her breath when she saw what they were. “These are the flight plans. If all of this is going to work, we need to nudge them into place—one needs to go to the tower, and the other to the bomber.”

Jonathan extended his hand, ready to take on part of the task. “I’ll take one to the bomber, and you take one to the tower.”

Abigail hesitated, her grip on the envelopes tight. “I mean it, Johnny, not a damn word. Don’t go in there and screw this up.”

Pushing his sunglasses up, Jonathan flashed a reassuring grin. “I know, Abby. Don't worry, I got this.”

As Jonathan headed toward the bomber, Abigail watched him for a moment, a mix of hope and anxiety in her eyes, before turning to make her way to the control tower. Each step was heavy with the weight of their family history, threading the past with the present, as they both played their part in shaping the uncertain future.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lizzy's anxiety churned within her as she approached the beautifully restored B-17 Flying Fortress. Though she was intimately familiar with the controls, akin to muscle memory, the jittery unease persisted. Beneath the wing, she dropped her flight bag, her hands trembling slightly. Needing a moment to ground herself, she embarked on a walk around the aircraft. With each step, she peeled off her gloves, her fingers tracing the smooth metal surface, feeling every rivet and indentation. 

Despite the reassurances echoing in her mind — no troubles, no fear, no fighters, no flak — the anxiety persisted like a haunting echo. Restless sleep had plagued her the night before. She knew she needed to sleep so instead of it coming immediately, she tossed and returned. It seemed like only yesterday she had soared through the sky in these majestic beasts, yet the reality was starkly different, more than 80 years had passed.

"Jesus Christ, who the hell am I kidding" she muttered under her breath, the weight of uncertainty crashing over her like a tidal wave. Dragging her feet, she headed back to her flight bag, steeling herself for the talk with Sarah. Part of her was already tempted to bail on this crazy plan.

As she retrieved her stuff, Sarah and a member of the ground crew had arrived to start the external pre-flight checks.  Lizzy rubbed her face, trying to get rid of the fear and anxiety.  Sarah pulled her hand away and yelled in her ear if there was something wrong. 

“I don’t think I can do this Sarah! I can’t do….we’ve been through so much, you can’t expect me to do this on my own!” Sarah could see the panic in Lizzy’s face.  The noise of the planes around them and the people watching the airshow amplified everything. Sarah could barely hear what was being said until one of the ground staff handed her a set of headphones.

“Lizzy, look at me!” she grabbed her friend’s hand.  Lizzy looked the part.  She was dressed in an original flying suit, a dark brown, freshly cleaned sheepskin flying jacket and an original and serviced Mae West, topped off with gloves and her officer’s cap. 

“You need to get out of your own head! You’re right, we’ve been through so much; boys, uni, this crazy ass situation, but right now, I need you to be the brave, bad-ass pilot that I have read about. I know you can do this Liz! I’ll be right here, all the way.” 

Lizzy’s brain tried to focus on what was going on around her, the thrum of the planes around them all starting up and getting into position. It was only when she truly looked at Sarah did she realise her best friend was also suited up in full flying gear and Mae West. 

“Sarah! What are you doing?  You can’t come with me! You’ll leave everything behind!” Sarah shook her head.  “Do you really think i’m going to let you fight the fucking Nazi’s on your own?” Lizzy’s jaw hung lax at Sarah’s new found confidence. 

“Besides, we need to take this” Sarah handed over the final piece of the whole puzzle.  A small black and white photograph of Lizzy and Sarah standing in front of her original fortress. 

“What the fuck?!” Lizzy couldn’t take this all in. “You drop this on me NOW!” Sarah laughed, “Well, I thought no time like the present, or is it the past.  Anyway, there’s something else.  You need to give this back to someone.”  Sarah grabbed Lizzy’s hand and placed a tarnished silver cross on a delicate chain in her palm. “Where the hell did you get that? It’s…”

“John’s. I know! Turns out I’m a snooper and I had a rummage around your trunk!”  Sarah smiled.  She patted Lizzy firmly on the shoulder.  “We’ll do this together Liz, all the way.  But right now, we need you to get on the fucking plane Lieutenant!”

Lizzy watched as the ground crew brought a ladder over for them to climb onboard.  Sarah being inexperienced and vertically challenged, appreciated the gesture and climbed up and got herself sorted.  Lizzy waved it away.  “I’ve done this hundreds of times and never with a ladder.” Placing the silver chain over her head and kissing the cross, more because of the previous owner than a religious sentiment, she then threw her bag and cap through the catch.  Jumping up, Lizzy grabbed the inside top of the hatch and like a gymnast, curled herself up and into the bomber.  Asking the ground crew to keep the hatch open until all pre-engine start-up checks were complete, Lizzy made her way to the cockpit. 

Everything felt so familiar.  For the first time in days she felt truly at peace, at home even.  Climbing into the left hand seat with a wry smile, she started the pre-flight checks. Sarah had situated herself in the flight engineer’s seat just behind Lizzy. 

“Sarah, do we know who else is flying with us?” Sarah popped up over her shoulder, taking in the cockpit in a moment of awe.  “No I don’t, sorry.  Thought Geoff said that he was going to step in but he’s over at the tower.  Don would have been copilot but he’s not here.”  Lizzy attached her throat mic and started talking to the tower, requesting confirmation. 

“Tower, this is Queen Bee”, She waited for them to respond. “Geoff, who’s flying with me?”  The pause was followed by a sigh “well shit! I know I’m a good pilot but there’s no way I can get this bird off the ground on my own!” Lizzy sounded exasperated. “Because, you spanner monkey, it takes two pilots to get her off the ground and the last time I flew one of these things, I had the best pilot as a command pilot - and no I don't mean Don. ” Lizzy ran her hand over her face. “Yeah, yeah.  I can get Sarah to sit in the other seat.  There’s not much she needs to do.  Yeah, we’ll be fine.  No! Don’t you dare scrub us! I said we’ll be fine. Queen Bee out” 

Lizzy twisted around to look at Sarah.  “Guess you’ve been promoted, come and join me in my office!” As Sarah climbed her way into the cockpit and into the right hand seat, she stared around at all the switches and dials, her eyes wide with panic as though she was about to be tested and she hadn’t done the homework. 

“Erm, Liz, you know I don't know how to fly right?” Lizzy chuckled.  “Sure you do Tink, it’s either a case of flapping your arms really fast or you need to think of a wonderful thought!” The pair of them laughing at the stupidity of Lizzy’s joke eased Sarah’s nervousness. 

“There’s not much you need to do.  Here, put this round your throat, push either side to talk and you’ll need to put these on so you can hear the tower. Sarah got herself situated.  She could hear chatter over the radio. She remained silent, only replying when Lizzy required her assistance. Lizzy walked through the checks from memory, the actual list laying across her knees. Her final check was the fuel gauge. Humming to herself in contemplation of something, she made a note and placed the checklist to her right. 

Radioing to the Tower, Lizzy informed them they were ready for engine start up as all pre-flight checks had been done and the hatch could be closed. Sarah tried so hard not to fidget in her seat.  “I really hope you remember what you’re doing Lizzy, cos if you don’t, I don’t have a goddam clue and this’ll be the first crash of a B-17 in about 80 years.” 

Lizzy turned to her best friend, amazed that she was making the decision to come with her.  “I got this, don’t worry.  I will need your help in a minute to get us off the ground but I will coach you through it.  But once we’re in the air, you can sit back and check out the view.”

Interrupting their final checks, there was a call from the hatch and Abigail’s brother, Johnny, appeared at the entrance to the cockpit.  Sarah’s eyes narrowed, unhappy by his presence in the aircraft.  Johnny acknowledged them both and handed Sarah an envelope with the instruction “DO NOT OPEN UNTIL AIRBORNE” written across it in red capitals. 

“I’m here with your orders and flight plan ma’am.  Also, I’m to collect your signed pre-flight check-list”  Lizzy just stared at the man.  Her hand gripping the check-list as he tried to take it from her.  She couldn’t get over how familiar he looked.  She felt like she knew his name, that it was at the end of her tongue. Sarah wanted to know what was going on as well, considering she’d told them both to stay away. 

“Ma’am?  Are you finished with your list?” Sarah stared at the exchange and then nudged Lizzy’s knee to get her to focus.

“Erm no…yes of course. In fact, just one second, please” Lizzy checked the sheet and the fuel gauge again. 

“Tower, this is Queen Bee, over” Lizzy studied the checklist, her fuel gauge and the fuel gauge on Sarah’s side as she waited for their reply, 

“Queen Bee, this is Tower. Go ahead Lizzy, over.”

“Tower, Geoff, tell me again how much fuel I’m meant to have, over?” Lizzy didn’t need to do the maths, she knew how far she could get on her current tanks. She was currently sitting on enough fuel for 1700 miles. 

“Queen Bee, Lizzy you should have one full tank, over.'' She frowned, checked Sarah’s gauge to make sure that she wasn’t messing up the maths, and even the reserve gauge, which was flat. 

“Tower, you sure? Cos I’m looking at two full fuel tanks here.  You’re not planning on packing us off somewhere are you?” They both chuckled. “Geoff, we’re either gonna need to go first or last, cos we are heavy now.  We can take off with everyone else and stay in a holding pattern which is fine, cos I have the flight plan here. I’ll talk to you when we’re ready for take off.  Queen Bee out.” Lizzy made a final note on the check-list and handed it over. 

“Thank you.  Please tell the ground crew to stand clear and we’ll do the engine start up.” Johnny nodded acknowledging Lizzy’s request and shooting Sarah an apologetic smile and then turned to leave the cockpit, before looking over his shoulder, calling out to Lizzy.

“Lieutenant?”  Lizzy twisted in her seat. “Yes?” Lizzy took a moment to look at him. His short hair, cut in a modern military short back and sides style, he was clean shaven and there was just something about him that made him feel so  familiar. His face was beautiful, with angled cheeks and a strong jawline. His eyes were a gorgeous ocean blue that twinkled with mischief. His soft but defined cupid’s bow was prominent when he smiled at her. Lizzy tried to fit the pieces together from her mind to work out who he was, but he spoke before she could get her answer.

“I’ve been asked to remind you that you’re not to do any stupid shit” and before Lizzy, or Sarah, had the opportunity to say anything, Johnny was gone. 

As he slid out of the hatch, he knew he had gone against what Abigail said but he’d needed to talk to her, to see her in person, even if she didn’t know him. He remembered the stories from when he was a child, about how Nana was always reminded not to do anything stupid while Grandpa was at work. “It’s because she gets a little careless when I’m not around.” Johnny walked back towards the tower, a smug smile on his face, Abigail meeting him beside a replica jeep.

“What the hell was that all about?” Sarah asked, as Lizzy stared at the space Johnny had occupied. “I don’t….he knew…did you tell him?” Lizzy looked at Sarah, with a questioning eye. “Tell him what?” Lizzy realised that Sarah wouldn’t know.  “Nothing, never mind.” Shaking her head to clear her mind, Lizzy focused on the task at hand. 

Leaning out the window to her left, she acknowledged the ground crew waiting for her to start the fortress’ huge engines.  As both engines one and two spluttered to life and the cockpit started to vibrate, Lizzy relaxed both mentally and physically.  

Talking Sarah through what she needed to do with the choke for the engines on her side, all four were now humming.  Oh how she had missed that sound.  Even in her modern life, there had always been something missing, some piece of her that she couldn’t quite find.  This was it.  

“Tower this is Queen Bee, over” 

“Tower, go ahead Lizzy.” 

“We have four engines hot and ready to go.  Your guy dropped off the orders and flight plan and took our checklist. You decided if we’re first or last, over?” Lizzy watched as the ground crew stood themselves in clear view of her window. 

“Tower, We haven’t issued any orders or a flight plan Lizzy.  As far as we know, your checklist is still with you.”

She looked down at the clipboard and to her confusion, Geoff was right. She looked over at Sarah who still had hold of the envelope that said it should not be opened until they were in flight.  Sarah went to open it before Lizzy stopped her.  “Don’t open it. Not yet…it’s… bad luck.” Lizzy touched her throat. 

“Tower, my fault, the checklist is still here.  Can return it when we get back. Are we first or last over?” Lizzy wanted to get this going, the waiting and the apprehension were making her jittery. 

“Queen Bee - you’re the star of the show Lizzy, you’re up first. Have a good flight.  See you when you get back. Out.”  Lizzy pushed out a breath.  Finally, she thought. 

Giving the ground crew a thumbs, Lizzy eased off the brakes and gently pushed the throttle forward slowly rolling the aircraft forwards. She made slight adjustments with the brakes as she worked her way towards the runway.  

“This is it Sarah - now or never.” Sarah beamed a smile so wide, it went from ear to ear.  “You got this Liz. You just tell me what you need and I’ll try my best.”

“Tower, this is Queen Bee. Holding on the runway. Waiting for green, over.” Lizzy took a deep breath in.  There were no nerves to steady, just one of those things she always did.

“Queen Bee this is Tower. Green will appear to your west. Runway is yours. Good weather with clear sky and no haze. No aircraft in our space and holding pattern is at 10,000 feet. Good luck Liz. Tower out.” 

Seconds later, the green flare from the Tower lit up even in broad daylight. Lizzy gently guided Sarah’s hand to the co-pilot throttle.

“Nice and easy, we don’t want to be down the end of the runway and still be on the ground.  We’ll pick up enough speed and then when I say let go, start to gently pull back on the yoke.” 

Sarah, as instructed, started to call out the ground speed as Queen Bee started to gently thunder down the runway.  Lizzy, taking a last look out, caught sight of the man who had dropped off the flight plan. He was sitting on top of a replica army jeep, his feet crossed, leaning back on his hands.  A pair of aviator sunglasses protected his gaze from the afternoon sun. 

For a split second, Lizzy could have sworn it was John, waving at her.  She shook her head and refocused on the runway and their speed. Lizzy told Sarah to keep going and she released her throttle and started to pull back on the yoke.  

She could feel the wheels start to lift, pulling ever so slightly harder to bring the nose up and the stunning plane, beautifully restored, took flight as they climbed up into the clouds. 

Taglist:

@victoryrollsandredlips @bobparkhurst @prettyinlimegreenboots @ginabaker1666 @instructionsnotincluded @luminouslywriting @thedeviltohisangel

AN: If you enjoyed this chapter and want to gossip about it, then my DMs and asks are open, come and chat!

[roo-bastmoon]

BTS Tutorial: WEVERSE SHOP

WeVerse is a platform where we can watch BTS content and interact on the forums with the artists.

WeVerse SHOP is where we buy official and exclusive merch.

Gonna recommend you bookmark those two links.

Did you know you can even set up WeVerse on your smart TV and watch content on your big screen? For tutorials on how to set up accounts, go here:

Before we get into it, I’m just gonna make a plug that you try to purchase your ARMY annual membership. Even and especially while the boys are in military service, your membership lets HYBE know there’s still interest and engagement for our boys and that they have SOME funds and fans they can depend on coming in from BTS-related content. I can’t afford the fancy exclusive expensive membership but the $22 a year gets me a free pass to all kinds of cool paid media like behind the scenes footage and extra content, too.

Okay, now back to the shop. So far, I’ve found WeVerse shop to carefully package their folios and albums. I honestly can't afford much because I want to prioritize purchasing the music more than the merch. However, for international ARMY, WeVerse Shop purchases often come with steep shipping costs and delays, so just be mentally prepared to wait for your hoodie or whatever several weeks if not months longer than our K-diamond ARMY have to. Them’s the breaks.

In terms of helping your bias chart, physical albums (CDs, vinyls) sold on WeVerse USA Shop WILL count toward Billboard 200 if you live in the US. (So will physical albums in Target—and some physical albums on Amazon IF they come from the official BTS source. You absolutely gotta check the fine print and see if they tell you which charts their sales might count toward, or just don’t risk it.)

Sales on WeVerse GLOBAL Shop will NOT count for Billboard 200, but those will count toward Hanteo and GaOn charts. If you are a non-US-based I-ARMY, please go ahead and purchase from the GLOBAL STORE to help the boys win awards in their home country if you have the funds.

Also note that WeVerse digital albums are basically QR codes that you get access to the day an album drops. You scan the code and you can play the songs in WeVerse only. None of those plays in the WeVerse app count for our charts so I highly recommend you prioritize Spotify, YouTube, Apple, and Amazon for streaming.

For more information US ARMY can use about WeVerse items for sale, including FACE presale releases, I recommend following this account:

Please go ahead and share this so the word gets out. If you know of better information, please let me know so I can keep these tutorials evergreen, and thank you!

DISCLAIMER:

I am a Dope Old Person and have been ARMY since January 2022. So I still have a lot to learn.

I’m making mini-tutorials for people like me who are comfy with technology but totally new to voting, streaming, and buying Kpop stuff.

If you know of better, more up-to-date information, please comment or DM me so I can make sure I’m not spreading misinfo. Please be polite about it, though—we are on the same team!

Feel free to apply whatever you learn here to other BTS members and other artists; I’m Jimin-biased so I am focused on helping Jimin at this moment in time, but I’m OT7 so rest assured I’ll put my shoulder to the wheel for all our members!

[evansbby]

my best friend introduced me to the mcu like in 2021, and i was immediately down bad for steve rogers when i saw the FIRST scene of him 🫠 no face it was literally his BACK and him hitting a punching bag (my friend thought i was going to be into thor but i guess that’s not what qas going to happen 😶)

then after a while i saw snowpiercer, by this time i’ve familiarized myself with MOST of the cevans characters (curtis included) and that’s when i thought i saw the best cevans movie (but all i really had to compare him to was the mcu and canon steve rogers literally against everything i stan for and the godawful ENDING 💀)

i feel like i tried WAY too hard with ari levinson and lloyd hansen, like i’ll admit that ari is hot but his character CANONICALLY is just meh at best, and with lloyd is the opposite (where his personality is 🫣 but his looks is just 🤢) rsdr and the grey man have interesting premises but when i watched them… 😶 maybe it’s just me but these were movies i just can’t help but to skip to scenes where chris is in like they were NAWT it for me

then when i watched the LOSERS on my returning flight from the philippines 😭 jake JENSEN has my heart and to this day i STILL can’t figure out for the life of me what it IS about him that has me all 😍🥰🫠🩷 maybe it’s his uncle energy, his negative rizz, just— i’m sorry that is my DADDY

i stopped having netflix since my uncle canceled his subscription this year and i refuse to buy stuff from apple tv so until then pete BRENNER coleslaw turner and andy (tw) barfer are IRRELEVANT to me and don’t get me started on the time when lightyear was in theatres and i really showed up looking like i was on a whole ass date 😭 at the club 💀 as if buzz lightyear himself was going to grind on me and i was going to get impregnated all in that one night‼️

anyways sorry for that entire ramble i saw snowpiercer in your asks and i thought i’d chip in my 2 cents 😭

- 🫶🏼 anon (jenneyquinn)

I love how all of us girlies have a personal story about how we discovered Steve Rogers and how hot he was all bc of the boxing scene 😭😭 that scene literally started it all fr 😌😌

and honestly bestie, I get you with the trying hard with characters in order to like them. Luckily with Ari… well, it wasn’t love at first site for me bc I already liked Steve and I don’t like change or switching to other unfamiliar characters but then.. slowly Ari just became IT for me. But I get not wanting to force it tbh, that’s what I tried doing with Lloyd and it didn’t work at all 😭😭

I’m happy for you finding Jake Jensen! I have never seen his movie 😭😌 so idk about him but he seems cute! Also bestie you don’t need Netflix or Apple TV to watch all those movies 😭😭😭 just use bflix 😭😭😭😭

ALSO LMFAOOO Lightyear had the girlies going crazy I remember girlies on my dash talking about how buzz lightyear’s voice was hot 😭😭😭 LIKE PLEASEEE THAT IS BUZZZZZ 😭😭😭 I still haven’t seen that movie it does not appeal to me in the least 😭 I can kinda see why it failed lmfao.

[purplesurveys]

1682

When was the last time you wore eyeshadow? Idk, maybe a month ago. I’ll occasionally borrow my sister’s makeup and dabble with her eyeshadow, but I don’t use it every time I put on makeup. Only when I’m in the mood and time for it.

What is your favorite color eyeshadow to wear? I largely use nude shades but sometimes I’ll feel a little bolder and use purple.

Which gas station in your town do you think has the best snacks? I don’t buy snacks from gas stations. I just think food from them are dirty, even if they’re packed and even if they’re in the comfort of a convenience store lol.

Would you rather work with animals or work with children? Eh both can be pretty tricky but I think I’d pick the animals. With kids, I’d probably lose my cool in like half an hour.

Would you rather work with children or work with teenagers? Ew, but kids.

What is the most frustrating health issues you've been dealing with recently? For the first time in forever I’ve got a cold – the Full Package™ at that – so I’ve got a cold, dry cough, and a sore throat (which I initially thought was just a side effect of my vaping...until the soreness lasted a day). I feel like I’m terrifying people every time I let a cough out so that sucks too lol.

Do you own a pair of red pants? More burgundy than red, but sure.

Would you rather watch a movie, watch a TV show, or watch a YouTube video? YouTube video!

When was the last time you walked outside barefoot? A month ago when I was playing a prank on my mom.

What is your favorite alcoholic beverage? 🍷 Long Island Iced Teaaaaaaaaaa. That, or peach soju.

Do you like the taste of wine? 🍷 No. I’d drink it socially but I’ll be faking my pleasure the entire time because wine for me has just never tasted good.

Do you like the taste of beer? 🍺 No, that’s even worse. At least wine isn’t fizzy haha.

Do you like the taste of vodka? I never drink it straight but it’s fine when mixed with other alcohol or like juices.

Have you ever taken a jello shot? Nopes.

Would you say you are more spiritual or more sexual? Sexual, if anything. I’m really neither though.

What is one unpopular opinion that you have? I don’t believe in forgiving.

Do you think you look good in yellow? Mustard yellow sure, but I avoid all other shades of yellow not just because of personal preference but because I also think the others don’t suit me well.

What was the last type of cookie you ate? 🍪 It was like a healthy-ish apple cinnamon oatmeal cookie. Bea gave it to me before I went on That Hike that killed me.

When was the last time you had a cookie? 🍪 I had that ^ at the end of April.

When was the last time you had a donut? 🍩 IT’S BEEN SO LONG I CAN’T EVEN REMEMBER AND I HATE THAT.

Have you ever planted sunflowers? 🌻 No.

What is your favorite thing about growing older? Being able to call the shots on your own life. The independence from “what are my parents gonna say?” “what are people going to think” is just really freeing, especially in a country and culture where older people think they can dictate your fate. I think a perfect example is the fact that I was able to plan out my Thailand trip on my own and informing my parents instead of asking permission.

How old will you turn on your next birthday? I will be 26.

What is your favorite type of frosting for a cake? Chocolate or peanut butter.

Which department store do you shop at the most? I don’t really shop at department stores.

Where do you buy most of your clothes from? Shopee is the key.

Who in your family has been in the military? My maternal great-grandfather.

Have you ever volunteered at a homeless shelter, and if yes, what was your experience there like? Did you enjoy it? Would you want to do it again? I’ve never.

[nickgerlich]

Here, Take My Money

The era of streaming has found viewers with plenty to talk about in the hallway or wherever you gather to chat.“Watched any good shows lately?” “Let me tell you about…” “You really need to watch…”

In fact, finding, watching, and sharing shows has become a new social norm, and to be into certain shows is almost a badge of honor. So much so that now we want to tell the world how cool we are by wearing our favorite shows. I’m guilty. I wore my Stranger Things stocking cap yesterday for a chilly morning walk. And I have a t-shirt and sweatshirt in the closet.

The networks have watched this, duly noted the trend, and obliged us with merch. There’s plenty of stuff available online from them for their big shows, like Hulu’s Only Murders In The Building (You really ought to watch this!) and What We Do In The Shadows (Oh man, have I laughed during Season 4!), and Max’s The Righteous Gemstones (I’m probably going to hell for liking it, but it is so good!).

In recent years, Netflix even opened pop-up shops around the country. I visited the Stranger Things store last year at Grapevine Mills Mall near Dallas. It was over the top, part TV show museum, part retail. The whole idea was customer engagement, which is a big deal these days. It worked.

And now Netflix is taking it to the next level in announcing they will open two permanent stores in 2025. Netflix House will invite visitors to immerse themselves into the show, buy merch, eat themed food, and maybe even try a Squid Game obstacle course.

Whaaaat? Everyone who failed those courses in the show died straight away. I presume there will be no losers in Netflix House. I hope. Would I do it? Oh yeah.

The goal, of course, is just basic marketing. Yes, it will certainly add to revenues, but more importantly, it will keep subscribers engaged and paying their bill each month. This is increasingly important with rising subscription fees and tight consumer budgets.

This all makes sense. Whereas Disney has theme parks to reinforce their movies, the streamers have nothing aside from those pop-ups Netflix has been doing. And while Netflix House is a big step forward, it still pales compared to going to see the Mouse in Florida or California.

Now compare this to linear broadcasting. When was the last time you saw folks doing this for a weekly show? I’ll wait. Sure, they had eyeballs, but not wallets. It’s too bad that AMC did not see the future in this, because it took my two friends to open the Breaking Bad Store in Albuquerque on their own. They have done exceedingly well, and although they opened after Breaking Bad’s run, they were open for part of Better Call Saul, the prequel. AMC aired both shows linearly via cable, so I guess it is not surprising they were stuck in the old-school mode.

If you want to hear my friends’ story, check out my podcast interview with them in Season 1 Episode 25 of BuffSpeak. These guys are too funny.

The root of all the excitement can be found in one word: Fandom. I’ve written about this before, particularly in regard to sports teams. The digital era has allowed for fandom to take off in new ways, connecting like-minded people around the world, not just in your local market.

Basically, it is easier than ever to find your people, your tribe. Better yet, thanks to streaming, we do it all in our own time. The M.A.S.H. finale drew 105 million viewers in February 1983, but they all had to tune in at the same time. In contrast, 142 million households—arguably much more than just individual viewers—watched Netflix’ Squid Game. I got so sucked in that I was watching it at 3:00 in the morning, consuming it the way precisely how Netflix intended.

I bet that Hulu, Max, and the others will be watching closely. Paramount+ (owned by CBS) could do well selling official Yellowstone merch (I have a couple of hoodies my daughters found online). Apple+ could do likewise with some of its excellent shows.

Meanwhile, my Funko Pop Squid Game characters are watching me as I type, more evidence that this fandom thing is here to stay. And whatever the next cool show to come along, you can bet there will be a huge push to monetize it.

Now if I could only find the remote…

Dr “Living In The Upside Down” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[sajaffery]

4...

i miss my old laptop. bastard collapesed on me six months ago and i’m stuck using my dads piece of shit. i keep putting off going to the apple store (yes it was a mac. i wasnt always a cheap broke, starving writer[make that pretend writer as i havent actually been published anywhere]) because i’m terrified that theyll tell me that there’s nothing that can be done and i’ll just have to buy a new one. as if i have grand to throw away! oh and something about sweat shop and kids being paid 1p an hour etc etc. lets not forget that! ok im going to cheat and read back on what i was writing before my fucking laptop froze because i’m blanking and that seemed fairly intresting, sorry. not like you care anyway its not like you had to pay for this. always remember something else is only a click away. im wrting this for me not for you. yes I lie aswell. i thought i should let that in evetually, fairly early, of coures i’m writing for you. its why all writers write, to feel worthwhile, to feel substantial and influential. and to get laid ofcourse. define me, define me, love me, love me! thats from friends by the way, no cliched literary refernce today just shitty tv references. OH SHITTY TV. thats what i was talking about, how i use shitty tv as a dont do guide for my writing. i didnt have to cheeat after all. or maybe i did and i’m just an unreliable narrator. hehehehehe you’ll never know. wow i need to stop watching bad tv. i should cancel Netflix. its got so much shit on it. i know seven pounds a month isnt much but still, more then half of thee stuff there is crap and i really dont like how they moniter peoples watching habits to make more crap tv because lets face it most people watch crap tv. oh you know its true, dont call me an elitist, fucking shit like coronation street and eastenders have been running for years and making millions and its just crap. I’d like someone to find me a fucking square with four or five streets ofshooting from it with as many fires, rapes, murders, kidnappings and robberies and i’ll withdraw this post altogether. i’ll leave tumblr even. i’d bitch about corrie except i dont know anything about it, yes yes i used to watch eastenders, get over it, everyoe goes through that phase and that shit is addictive. i’m getting tired. and i need to find more hastags. what the hell is spilled ink? it sounds cool at first, but if you think too much about it, it starts feeling a little silly. oh unless its like one of those ink blots, the kind that shrinks use in bad TV, fuck i’m starting to reapeat myself, which means i should stop wrting this, i’m done for the day. i miss word count. hahaha that came from the heart. if its like an ink blot then its pretty cool. thats essentially what this is i suppose. and ink blot giving anyone reading it a glimpse into me. okay i’ve added it. i’m tempted to add inblot aswell but then i dont want to run the joke too much. i wish i could remember what theyre called. i know it starts with an R. there an o a c and ch in there too. Roch something. i hate it when that happens

[edenbearshaw]

Under-appreciated Gems

So I mentioned in my opening blog post about my desire to finally begin watching the films that many people believe shaped cinema to be what it is. The big hitters. And I will get around to that at some point, but for this post I want to highlight a few films I’ve seen in recent years that I feel have fallen WAY too far under the radar, and would love some suggestions of your own. If possible, please state the streaming service your film is available on…or just tell us if we’re shit out of luck and won’t be able to find it outside of a physical copy.

Titane (2021)

Anyone that knows me and knows how much I love this film won’t be surprised at all to see it mentioned in this post. I’ve only seen Titane once, and it very nearly never happened. It was mid-January 2022 and myself and my girlfriend were looking for something to watch in the cinema one Monday afternoon, and if my memory isn’t failing, we were torn between Spiral (the god awful Chris Rock Saw film) and Venom 2 (which we’ve still never seen). Then I spotted Titane, and remembered seeing a really interesting write up about it. All I had to do then was convince Siân we should spend our Monday afternoon instead watching this French body horror. A very easy task.

I’ll still never understand how this film was overlooked in the Oscar nominations, and also can’t believe it STILL isn’t available to watch here in the UK, unless of course you’re happy to rent/buy via Amazon Prime. It’s a beautiful film that shields itself with a pretty baffling premise (a woman that is impregnated by a car), and for me it’s Julia Ducournau’s best work.

A Wounded Fawn (2022)

Now this is a niche pick, and probably one I’m alone with. This film exclusively streams through Shudder, and I went in totally blind. I was doing my usual thing of scrolling for what feels like hours to find a film, and finally just got annoyed at myself and stuck on anything I could find.

Without spoiling the story at all, this film takes inspiration from Greek and Roman mythology, but does it in a way that makes a pretty simple ‘cat and mouse’ home-horror into something stunning. I wish I could watch this with fresh eyes again.

Wolfwalkers (2020)

I know people will argue that this film isn’t under-appreciated at all, but I’m putting it in here anyway because WHY DID NOBODY EVER TELL ME ABOUT THIS?!

Like so many animated films before it, this is utterly heartbreaking. And I love it for it. There’s something about animation that just taps right into my feels, and this probably did it more than most. It can simply be seen as a magical little tale about two unlikely friends, or something much deeper about colonialism and the patriarchy. Doesn’t matter which way you interpret the film to be honest, it’s on Apple TV and you should absolutely give it your time.

Hellraiser (2022)

Now this one feels personal. I love the original Hellraiser films (the second one being one of my favourite horror films ever), and I was so desperate for them to not mess things up. What I didn’t expect was for them to absolutely nail it.

It perfectly follows the basic blueprint for an entry in the franchise; it HAS to be gory, it HAS to be sexy, and it absolutely HAS to do justice to The Priest (better known as Pinhead). Jamie Clayton knocks it out of the park with the latter point, and I’ll never feel so frustrated that I hadn’t seen a film in the cinema. It didn’t get a UK cinematic release unfortunately, and streaming it still requires you to rent/buy on Amazon Prime, but do seek it out if you can. We have such sights to show you…

Meander (2020)

And finally, we have a French film where a woman mysteriously wakes up stuck in a pipe. Have I sold it to you?

Out of all the films I’ve listed in this post, this one surprised me the most. It isn’t my favourite film here, but it has absolutely no right to be as good as it is. A cool thing I’ve noticed over the past two years or so is the amount of friends that have told me they watched The Platform on Netflix, the Spanish film about a vertical prison with a pretty grim hierarchy system. If you’re one of those people that enjoyed that film, please give Meander a try. The film isn’t all that similar really apart from the fact you’re engaged in it from the first minute. It’s a perfect 90mins long, and it’s available on NOW TV in the UK.

So what would you suggest is an under-appreciated gem of a film?

[missduplicities]

OTASD | Chapter 6: We took a chance, God knows we tried

The final week of classes came, but Nabi’s acceptance letter didn’t. She tried to pretend she didn’t care, but everyone knew she was struggling a lot. Her friends Yuna and Eun-Chae tried to talk to her, but she refused to talk to anyone about the subject. Her parents insisted that she went to the local universities that offered her a place, but she was firm about her decision of leaving.

The school had planned a trip to Jeju Island for the end of the course, right before graduation, but Nabi decided to skip it. If it was for her, she would skip graduation as well. Nabi’s parents were worried, but they didn’t know how to approach her. Besides, they both needed to leave the city, and they really didn’t want her to be alone at home.

“Maybe you can go visit Dani,” her mother suggested before going to New York for two weeks. “I can arrange everything for the trip,”

“She’s in finals,” Nabi explained. “I’ll be ok, mom,”

“You should go to Jeju,” her dad insisted, worried that he would be out for a week. “You’ll regret not having that memory with your friends later,”

“I will forget their names in a year,” she said, going to her room upstairs.

When her peers left for the trip and her parents for work, Nabi was left alone. This was probably the first time in the last month that she felt at peace. She got to read all of the books she had bought in the past year, caught up with her favorite TV show, and even decided to buy a bike in the hopes she found a reason to go outside.

The neighbor from across the street, the one with the baby, had been periodically checking on her. She was very funny, and she had a small dog, so Nabi was quick to befriend her. She wasn’t the only neighbor keeping an eye on her; Mrs. Kim had made it her personal duty to come by every afternoon with food for her, knowing she would keep rejecting her invitation to her house.

On the fifth day of her voluntary house arrest, Nabi felt like going out for an early bike ride. She planned to go to the store, buy some fruit, and return home. Of course, it didn’t go that smoothly. She got lost on the way back home, and she had forgotten her phone back home. Feeling angry with herself, she decided to sit in a park she hadn’t been in before, where she could eat her newly bought apples and probably cry a bit since she had nothing else to do. Just when she found a good spot, hidden in plain sight, she heard whimpering from beneath her. There, she found a small white dog that seemed to be hurt.

“Hi, baby,” she said in a caring voice. “Are you lost?”

The dog seemed to trust her, coming out of their hiding place to meet her. She picked them up with ease, careful not to hurt them; Nabi could see blood in the front paw.

“Let’s find your owner,” she said, putting the dog in the front basket of her bike and going back to the park. She felt a lot of empathy towards the little dog, especially since she was lost as well.

“Dal-i!” she heard a voice call from far away. Since the dog didn’t have a name tag, she didn’t know if it was their name that was being called.

“Is that you?” she asked the dog, pedaling towards the source of the voice that kept calling.

“Dal!” she saw a tall figure yell. The dog started barking, recognizing their owner at the same time Nabi did. Of course, it was Kim Seokjin.

“Is this yours?” Nabi asked. The guy ran towards her with a worried look on his face. He carefully picked up the dog, that started crying as soon as they were in his arms.

“Where did you go?” Seokjin said, stroking his dog. “I was so scared!”

“I found him in the path that leads to the mountain,” she felt the need to explain. “He is hurt, but it doesn’t look too bad,”

“A dog bit him,” Seokjin said, with a worried look. “It happened all in a heartbeat. We were playing catch and a dog came out of nowhere,”

“Poor thing,” Nabi said, feeling sorry for the dog.

“I need to take him to the vet,” Seokjin said, starting to walk.

“I’m sure he’s fine,”

“He’s old,” Seokjin explained. “I don’t want to risk it,”

“Do you even know where to go?” Nabi asked, too ashamed to admit she was the one who was lost. “Yeah, there’s a vet 5 minutes from here. Can you hold him for a sec?” Seokjin passed Nabi the dog, as he looked for his car keys inside his pocket. “I better hurry,”

“Did you come here driving? Are we that far from home?” she asked, now genuinely worried.

“You don’t know where we are?” he asked, low-key judging.

“Well, I took a different route,” she admitted.

“Just come,” he sighed. “My truck is this way,”

Nabi was too tired to get defensive, so she just followed the boy and his injured dog to where a pickup truck was parked. He passed her the dog again as he easily picked up her bike, putting it in the trunk. He walked to the passenger seat and opened the door for her, asking her to carry his dog until they got to the vet. She was in no position to complain, and, at this point, their interactions were not as uncomfortable anymore. This time she knew he was worried, and she decided not to pick up a fight. The dog seemed ok, though he demanded Nabi keep stroking his head during the ride. Seokjin seemed to know where he was going, driving determinately in the streets she still found unknown.

Seokjin took Dal in his arms when they arrived and ran inside the clinic. Nabi didn’t know what to do, so she waited inside the car. He was gone for at least 10 minutes, and she started to fear the doctor had bad news. However, he came back to the car looking less worried.

“Hi,” he said, opening the door of her side. “Dal is okay, they said he still needs a couple stitches,”

“Ouch!” She winced, feeling sorry for the dog.

“He will be okay,” he assured with a smile. “Thanks for finding him,”

“I literally didn’t do anything,” she laughed, thinking of how she was about to have a breakdown when she found the dog.

“I’m sorry about college,” he said out of nowhere as if he had been waiting to tell her. The smile faded from her face, though she tried not to look too upset.

“Why aren’t you in Jeju?” she asked, only realizing that he had missed the trip as well.

“What’s good about Jeju?” he scoffed.

“Hey! No disrespect to Jeju, I was born and raised there, ok?” she said, getting defensively very fast.

“That actually explains a lot,” he laughed. “Islanders are always so proud,”

“I’m not proud!” she knew she was, but she didn’t want him to say that.

“I was joking,” he said with a smirk. A nurse came out of the clinic, looking for him, so Nabi was left alone again. After a while, Seokjin came back to the truck carrying a sleepy Dal with a bandage on his paw. Nabi instinctively opened the door to carry the dog, which Seokjin thanked.

“Is your plan for the sabbatical still going?” Nabi asked, finally addressing the topic she had been avoiding.

“Yeah,” he said with his eyes on the road. “I’m looking for jobs at the moment. I have until November to apply for the next term, so I’ll have time to study and also build a better portfolio for the interviews,”

“Portfolio?” she had totally ignored that part.

“Well, grades are not the only thing that matters. The more you seem like you have to offer, the better. Especially in ivy,”

“Are you applying for Ivy, too?” she asked, a bit jealous.

“Hell, no!” He laughed. “It’s not for me. I’m thinking about Seoul National University or Konkuk,”

“Dad wanted me to apply to Yonsei,” she said.

“Did you?”

“Yeah, but I really don’t want to go there. I want to get as far from here as possible,”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why?” he said, trying to be polite.

“Well,” she sighed. She didn’t have a concise answer to that question. “Sometimes I feel suffocated in here. Trapped. I’ve always followed my parents wherever they wanted to go. I never questioned when they said we’d be moving. But I really don’t want to stay here where I’m doomed to be Ahn Eunjoo and Ahn Hye-Sun’s daughter,”

“I get it,” he said. She knew he didn’t. “My dad was very strict about our career choices. We had a big fight when I left to become a trainee. If it wasn’t for my brother, they wouldn’t have given me a second chance. So now I’m kinda stuck here, working for him, studying in the school he wanted to,”

Ok, he might get it a bit. She thought.

“Is MIT still the goal, then?” he asked.

“Yeah,��� she said.

“They have spring admissions,” he said. “If you want, we can study together during summer or something,”

Nabi thought about Yuna and Eun-Chae, and how they were probably having fun in Jeju with the rest of the school. She thought about how, even though they had been her friends for the past years, she never felt understood by them. She thought about Dani, her only real friend, and how she was miles away in a different country, living her own life and missing hers. And then, she thought about Kim Seokjin, the guy she had been secretly jealous of. She never understood why she was so upset by him, but now she knew it was because they were very similar. She knew if there was someone who understood what it felt to be her, it was probably him. And, for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel alone.

(Previous) (Next)

[jefelen-presents]

“Bridge of the Doomed” (2022)

Saturday, November 5, 2022 (23:32) JEFELEN was pleased to serve as Executive Producer for Mahal Empire Productions™ on their latest horror feature, "Bridge of the Doomed" (in conjunction with Spicy Ramen Productions™), which was based upon the original screenplay by fellow Australian, Adrian Milnes, with direction and cinematography handled with versatility by Michael Su.

http://www.mahalempire.com/bridge-of-the-doomed

A virus has beset the globe, infecting the dead and reviving them as flesh-eating monsters.  In a seemingly never-ending war against these hoards of ravenous zombies, a battalion of dogged soldiers positions itself to defend a strategically advantageous bridge and await the arrival of reinforcements to cross.  But as the days and nights wear on, something more terrifying than the ceaseless waves of undead eventually reveals itself -- a savage monstrosity living beneath that all-important bridge may yet spell doom for them all...

Practical creature prosthetics and effects were crated by the artisans at V.G.P Effects and Design™.  Distribution is being overseen by Gravitas Ventures™.

http://www.gravitasventures.com/bridge-of-the-doomed-2022

Now available digitally to buy or rent through the following reputable streaming platforms:

Amazon Prime Video™: http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B8SKPYCD

Roku™: http://www.roku.com/whats-on/movies/bridge-of-the-doomed...

Vudu™: http://www.vudu.com/.../details/Bridge-of-the-Doomed/2152099

Verizon™: http://tv.verizon.com/.../bridge-of.../GRAV1690000001407040

Google Play™: http://play.google.com/.../details/Bridge_of_the_Doomed...

iTunes™: http://itunes.apple.com/.../bridge-of-the.../id1649814013

Apple TV™: http://tv.apple.com/.../umc.cmc.10ci9186ojqxrnfvx67xkt9rf

Playpilot™: http://www.playpilot.com/us/movie/bridge-of-the-doomed-2020

Microsoft Store™: http://www.microsoft.com/.../bridge-of-the.../8d6kgwz053xs

YouTube™: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hOi95qNrbs

Vimeo™: http://vimeo.com/ondemand/bridgeofthedoomed

Physical media is presently being catered to the US market through Amazon.com, available on the following formats:

DVD: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BC9ZBMVW

Blu-Ray: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BC9Y7J19

No word yet on a localised Australian release, but I'll be sure to present updates on any such commercial prospect the moment information becomes available -- stay tuned.  Promotional material by Trailer Den™.

#MahalEmpire  #BridgeOfTheDoomed  #GravitasVentures  #AvailableNOW

Monday, November 7, 2022 (13:31)

There's also this earlier alternative trailer to consider, taken from a time prior to my being promoted to Executive: http://www.youtube.com/embed/kqC1-hQ7fZQ?vq=hd720&rel=0...

As opposed to the teaser I previously shared, which omitted my name entirely from the closing credit block: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=5393406890690403&id=100000634350634 These things have been known to happen from time to time, mind you -- egos need not apply in such scenarios.  In any case, this promotional material is presently being employed to represent "Bridge of the Doomed" at the American Film Market with the hopes of securing wider international distribution...

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 (23:32) To that end, I hereby present the official one-sheet, with key art laid out by Mouine Omari, to keep a considered eye out for:

Thursday, March 30th, 2023 (13:31) 2023 UPDATE: I'm pleased to report that "Bridge of the Doomed" is now available to stream (with commercial interstitials) for FREE via the Tubi™ ad-supported content platform:

http://www.tubitv.com/movies/100000807

This is particularly exciting news because, unlike many of the announcements I make of this nature, this one pertains to content actually available to stream right here in Australia!  Other territories too, of course.  Physical media is yet to materialise outside of the United States, but watch this space for further developments there (and do feel free to watch the movie itself here in the meantime...).

Sunday, March 24th, 2024 (13:31) 2024 UPDATE: while in the process of conducting routine quadrennial housekeeping, it has come to my attention that the number of streaming options for "Bridge of the Doomed" has expanded to include the following:

Gravitas Ventures™: http://www.gravitasmovies.com/.../Bridg.../ct6Z7iW8/DDgpugGX

hoopla Digital™: http://www.hoopladigital.com/title/15613502

Xumo Play™: http://play.xumo.com/.../bridge-of-the-doomed/XM0JKPUYKOZXVJ

Freecable TV™: http://www.freetv-app.com/.../bridge-of-the-doomed...

Sky™: http://www.skystore.com/.../2cced0a7-aab3-4d50-b214...

Plex™: http://watch.plex.tv/movie/bridge-of-the-doomed

An authorised Australian physical release is looking increasingly unlikely at this stage, but at least there are a couple of digital options available to these distant shores...

[dritaknowledge]

Sony eyeconnect

SONY EYECONNECT SOFTWARE

SONY EYECONNECT LICENSE

SONY EYECONNECT PS3

This is because there may be a setting that needs to be changed on your tv or router to connect the device. Sony TV not connecting to WiFi should not be a problem.

SONY EYECONNECT SOFTWARE

However, sometimes issues arise due to the software or technical problems. Sony TV is the most popular smart tv brand. One of those issues is regarding the Sony TV’s WiFi capability. However, despite all its good points, there are certain issues that have been reported by those who have bought this TV. It offers consumers a good variety of sizes, technologies, and even features such as their motion sensing remote control. In fact, doesn't Sony make their own media server hardware?The Sony TV is one of the bestselling and most popular HDTVs in the market right now. That's what makes things like DLNA possible.ĭoes Sony make software for any of their computing products (desktops, laptops)? Is the software included in their HD camcorders all third-party in origin? I would think this be a natural progression when you take their capture devices (HD camcorders), playback devices (a la Blu-ray), and their displays (flat-panels and projectors). In a way, I'm happy Sony DOESN'T support any MS/Windows platform-specific technology. Can you imagine the support nightmare that it would be trying to get people to put in Workgroup names, user ID's, configure share points. In other words, unless you have network hardware or configuration issues (which is WAY beyond Sony support), your two devices will see each other and all will be right with the world. The whole idea with the DLNA's UPnP server was that it's zero config and self-discovering. NTFS, too?Ĭ) Sony would have the support Windows networking, which would be a support nightmare.

SONY EYECONNECT LICENSE

Why is it required to stream?ī) Sony would have to license NetBIOS or whatever the hell it is from MS.

SONY EYECONNECT PS3

I am bewildered why the PS3 cannot simply read media files directly from shared network locations. Maybe they'll keep adding and improving it now with the new store infrastructure. It's a VAST improvement over the old HTML/CSS/JavaScript store. They did just totally revamp the store with the last firmware update. I can't believe they couldn't integrate it with the Sony Style store so a PS3 user could find a new Bravia LCD or Sony receiver or whatever and order it right on the PS3. The Playstation Store is definitely very lame compared to what it could be. I know - you're not interested in anything OS X so I'll stop. I like it so far, but I'm going to try another one called MediaLink that wasn't out yet when I bought EyeConnect. The other free solutions I tried also sucked, so I bought EyeConnect, which is very good. I've read a lot of posts from Windows users who switched from WMP11 to Twonky. Duh! Why hasn't Sony embraced partnerships with companies like Amazon, Apple, and others to promote and profit their PS3's portal? What a wasted potential on Sony's part.įor instance, unless I open up a web browser, I cannot buy a second PS3 through their own marketplace. In fact, after spending a few hours with the PS3 yesterday, the one thing I could say is that while its a polished product the online features are sadly under-employed. I am surprised that Sony hasn't made available a free Windows-supported software for this. I was wondering if anyone has used any of them (besides Windows Media Player 11). Found a link where someone compared a bunch of media streaming servers that were supposedly DLNA certified: