#also I’m assuming that the car Jim was driving at the beginning of the story in issue 4

[daydreamerdrew]

Marvel Mystery Comics (1941) #2 and #4

[styles-89]

delicate ; a love story.

chapter one: all new beginnings must require old endings.

authors note: hi!! this is my first jim halpert x reader fic :) i hope you enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing it! also, thank you for the support on my previous writings. flashbacks/flash forwards will be in bold and talking heads will be in bold with italics!

WARNING: language

-

February 25, 2005

Y/N clears her throat, crossing her legs as she sits in small, uncomfortable grey chair. In the background people are working at their desks, a man turns and glances at Y/N in the conference room with the crew. He turns back and makes eye contact with the camera, that was zoomed in on his reaction. He bites the inside of his cheek and goes back to his work, having a look on his face like he got caught doing something.

“What do I say?” Y/N asks, leaning forward towards the camera, then sitting back in the chair. “Oh, I started working at Dunder Mifflin about a year and a half ago? I’m the receptionist here. Boring, I know. I..sit in at meetings, uh, transfer clients. I also write stories! Sometimes, when I’m free. No-one has really seen them, except Jim.” Y/N looks down and fiddles with her bracelet. “Jim’s probably my best friend.” Y/N responds to the crew, the question of her relationship with the man coming up. She nods and smiles. “He’s the best salesmen I know. Everytime he makes a sale we air high five.” Y/N chuckles and smiles brightly at the camera.

“Caleb? He’s my boyfriend. He works in the warehouse. Helped me get this job.” Y/N nods, her smile faltering but a smirk staying on her face. “He’s great, we’ve been dating for...four years. He still has yet to pop the question but you know, we’re saving money, haha.” She smiles and chuckles. “Oh that’s it? Okay cool, uh, if you guys need anything don’t be afraid to come over to my desk and ask.” Y/N stands, and gives a small wave to the crew and camera before she exits the room.

“So, how was it?” Jim asks, leaning back in his chair, looking the woman up and down that was leaning up against his desk slowly, trying to find a trace of concern or outright disgust. Most of the employees at Dunder Mifflin, especially at the Scranton branch, were concerned with the idea of a documentary being filmed. Y/N seemed to like the idea. “It was fine, you just talk about yourself and your job.” She readjusted herself to now be sitting on Jim’s desk, legs dangling off. Y/N eyes the camera that was now standing near the two of them. This would take some getting used to. “So, Y/L/N, you want to go to Poor Richards tonight?” Jim asks, poking the top of her knee. Dwight perks his head up looking over at the two. “Shouldn’t you be working?” He asks, and Y/N rolls her eyes.

A ring was heard from reception, and Y/N hurried over to the phone after shrugging in Jim’s direction, picking it up. “Dunder Mifflin, this is Y/N. Yes, I’ll transfer you.” Y/N says into the phone, sitting back down in front of her computer monitor. “Dunder Mifflin, this Y/N.” She pressed the phone to her ear and her shoulder, writing on a sticky note ‘You mean, like a date?’ “Oh uhm,” The caller was asking to speak to Micheal, but he wasn’t in his office. “Where’d he go?” Y/N mouths to Jim, and he returns with a shrug. “Micheal isn’t here right now, may I take a message?” She asks, setting the separate sticky note to the side and grabbing another one to write down what the person on the other line needed. “Got it. Thank you!”

Y/N stood up and took both of the sticky notes, one to Micheal’s office, sticking it on his computer monitor, and walking over to Jim, placing the purple piece of paper on his shoulder. She would just joke with him out loud but didn’t want Dwight staring at them again. Jim looked over at Y/N, who was now back at her desk and lowered his eyes, a hand resting on his face. She let out a pretty peal of laughter, a pink tint on her cheeks. Their jokes is what got both of them through the day.

“Y/N?” The crew had asked him how he felt about Y/N and her affect since working here. “She’s a great friend. Very easy to talk to..warm, energetic and positive.” Jim comments, biting his lower lip gently. “Why do you ask?”

At the stroke of 5p.m., Y/N stood up and took her coat off of the coat rack, finding some ways to stall to talk to Jim by stacking the post-it notes, putting the scattered paper clips in their rightful container, making sure her computer was properly turned off. After what seemed like an hour of judgement from other employees as they left (it was only about two minutes), Jim approached her. “I’m assuming your in?” He asks and Y/N smiles. “Hell yes. I haven’t gone out to Poor Richards with you in forever.” She says, stuffing her hands nervously in her coat pockets. “Wait, were going to Poor Richards?” Kelly calls back to them and Y/N’s eyes widen, realizing how loud she was. “Guys were going to Poor Richards!” Kelly called down the hall, earning a few cheers from the other employees.

“I love my coworkers.” Jim says, sighing, and clicking his tongue to his cheek. “But Y/N is the only one who understands the pain of group outings. It’s mainly one of the reasons why we do things with eachother, without the rest of the Scranton branch.”

Y/N and Jim laugh at the same time, the camera zooming in on Caleb as he enters the office right when the two of them were about to leave. “Hey, baby.” Y/N says, pressing a kiss to Calebs lips, his hands resting on her waist. Jim looks into the camera with a frown as he fiddled with his car keys. “So Jim and I were going to go to Poor Richards, if that’s okay with you?” Y/N asks, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck. “Oh, babe..I kinda wanted you to come home tonight, you know..the reasons why.” He grumbles and Y/N looks at the camera, Jim looking visibly flustered and uncomfortable in the background. “Uhh..I just- haven’t gone out with them in awhile.” Y/N separates from Caleb and he frowns. “Fine. You can. Love you.” Caleb says before placing a kiss on her forehead. “Take care of her, Halpert.” Caleb says and Jim nods. “Will do.” He says awkwardly, chuckling afterwards.

“Guess I’m all yours tonight.” Y/N giggles, walking down the stairwell, Jim not far behind her. “Haha, yeah..” He trails off and Y/N stops and looks up at him. It was tremendously cold in the stairwell, but it was their safe space. “Somethings wrong.” Y/N says and Jim shakes his head. “I know that face.” She retorts. “What face?” His eyebrows furrow as he looked in her direction. “The face were you think really hard about something, were your concerned.” She points out and Jim smirks. They really had memorized each other, like a book they had read multiple times. Other miscellaneous things they knew about eachother: Jim’s favorite pen color is blue. Y/N’s favorite yogurt flavor is strawberry. 

“I’m just thinking about Caleb. Why didn’t he want to let you leave, besides..you know.” Jim mocked Caleb’s grumble, this made Y/N laugh. “I don’t know.” She says, continuing down the stairs but she frowns. “Sometimes I just don’t get him.” She confessed, and Jim’s face softened. The camera crew slips into a corner so it is out of view. Jim rolls his eyes and pushes the door open with his back. “Boys! Amirite?” He jokes, which made Y/N smile. Jim rushes over and opens Y/N’s door, to which she thanks him. The camera crew watches as the car drives away. “Do you think everyone else is already there?” Y/N asks and Jim shrugs, focusing on the road. “Thanks for taking me, by the way.” Y/N comments and Jim smiles. “No problem.”

After a couple of hours of hanging around the bar and Y/N getting hammered, the crew filming most of the experience, Jim decides it’s best if he takes Y/N home. He had successfully put her in his car and buckled her, and once he was in the car, Y/N wrapped her arms around his arm while giggling. “Wow. You are SO drunk!” He exclaims and eyes the girl, a gentle, caring smile on his face. The camera zooms in on the two, the view being from another car. “I’m perfectly sober!” Y/N cheers and Jim shakes his head as he pulled up to a red light, the camera filming them in the next car over. “Would I do this if I wasn’t sober?” “Do what-” And just like that, time stopped.

Y/N’s lips were on Jim’s, and Jim’s eyes widened, but he relunctly placed a hand on the back of her head, cradling softly as he closed his eyes. It was so pure, so delicate. The light had turned green, and a car honked behind them. Jim immediately pulled away, stepping on the gas, the camera getting a shot of them as they veered off. Y/N giggled and covered her mouth, then threw up in a bag that Jim had given to her just incase of an incident like this. He didn’t really have time to process what had just happened, and he rolled his eyes as he placed a hand on her back, rubbing it gently. He pulled up to his house, seeing his roommate was home. Jim was going to take her back to her house, but he was scared that she wouldn’t be able to articulate without some sort of assistance, and Jim presumed Caleb was already asleep.

Jim helped Y/N out of the car and walked into the small house and his roommate smiled. “So this is her?” He asked and Jim glared at him and sat Y/N down. “Just get me a glass of water, asshole.” He comments and takes his flip phone out, texting Caleb.

‘Hey, it’s Jim. Y/N got really drunk and she puked in my car, so I took her back to my house. Don’t worry, I’ll sleep on the couch. Have a good night.’

“What am I going to do with you?” Jim asked and shook his head. Y/N made ‘grabby hands’ towards him and his obliged, sitting on the couch with her, her body shifting so her head was now on his lap. He smiled down at the girl and quickly turned on the TV. Jim could feel Y/N slip out of consciousness by her breathing and he smiled again, taking a moment to take this in. He stroked her hair and he swallowed harshly, remembering what had happened earlier. Jim bit his lower lip and sighed, then took the girl up in his arms, bridal style, and walked to his room, placing her on his bed, and covering her with the blanket.

The next morning, Jim cooked breakfast for her, gave her medicine, and let her know of what had happened last night. She was taken aback, wondering why she would do such actions. She apologized profusely, to which Jim just smiled and shook his head, replying with a ‘you’re fine.’ Classic boy-next-door Jim. Y/N went home, and didn’t tell Caleb. There was no reason to. She was drunk, and didn’t remember the events. The weekend flew by in a flash, and soon it was Monday again.

Y/N walked into work with a bright smile on her face. That smile quickly faltered as whisperings were made by her other coworkers, and she made eye contact with Jim. Had he told someone? No, surely he hadn’t. Y/N’a eyes faltered from Jim as she sat behind her desk and Jim tapped his pen on desk. Dwight taps his desk a single time and Jim looks over at him, raising his eyebrows. “Y/N has a boyfriend.” Dwight quickly says, and Jim nods. “Yes, I know. Why are you telling me this?” He asks, really not wanting any of Dwight’s antics at the moment. “Because you kissed her.” Jim’s heart sank into the bottom of his stomach. “..Who told you that?” He whispered, glancing at the camera, and Dwight points at the crew member holding the camera. Jim looked at the camera and clenched his jaw.

“How long does this documentary have to be?” Jim asks, his hands folded in his lap as he clenched his jaw.

Y/N wrote sloppily, she was jotting down ideas for her writings. Not that anyone would see them. “Y/N?!” Caleb calls and Y/N stands up. He sounded angry. “Caleb? What’s up?” She asks, walking from behind the reception desk. “You kissed Jim?!” He yelled and Jim turned away from the gaze of Caleb, spinning in his chair as he looked in the camera. The whole office knew by now. “I-I was drunk! And it’s not like it meant anything!” Caleb had a right to be upset, after all, she had kissed him even if she didn’t remember it. “I’m sorry..” She trailed off and Caleb clenched his fists. “Sorry isn’t gonna cut it! You hang out with Jim all the time, how will I know if you don’t do something like this again?! We’re over. I want you moved out of the apartment by tonight.” Caleb angerily says and Jim looked over at Caleb, standing up. “Hey, man, she didn’t mean-” “I don’t want to hear it, Halpert. You kissed back.” He spat. Y/N looked over at Jim before she watched Caleb storm out of the office. He was gone. The man she wanted to marry, spend the rest of her life with, was gone. He wanted her gone.

“Y/N.” Jim quickly said and Y/N tears up, looking up at him. She just threw away four years of her life she would never get back. “I can’t..” She said and rushed out into the hallway, and finally into the stairwell. Jim followed close behind. “Hey..” Jim soothed and wrapped his arms around her, her head now resting on his chest as she wept. He rubbed her back gently and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, looking over at the camera. “You’re going to be okay, Y/L/N.” He comforted, and Y/N sputtered. “I don’t have a place to live! He wants- me gone by tonight.” Y/N hiccups and Jim holds her tighter, thinking of ways he could help her. “Hey! Crazy idea, you can stay at my place until you find somewhere to stay.” Jim suggests. He hadn’t even talked to his roommate.

“Are you sure? I- that’s.” Y/N tries to the find words to show her appreciation, and wraps her arms around his neck, standing on her tippy toes to hold onto him. Jim wraps his arms around her waist and closes his eyes, holding her tightly once more.

And just like that, Jim knew this was the right thing to do. He took in her scent, the softness of her skin, and the many giggles coming from her.

“I’d do anything for her.” Jim says confidently, before his eyes fell from view of the camera. “She’s my best friend.”

-

taglist: @jackryanplz

[365days365movies]

February 11, 2021: The Bridges of Madison County (1995)(Part 1)

Y’know, if you were going to tell me that one of the most famous American romances of all time was directed by this guy...

I would be very surprised. And surprised I am, because The Bridges of Madison County is indeed directed by Clint Eastwood, who also acts as one of its leads alongside one of the most famous actresses of the time. That, of course, would be Meryl Streep, who’s going to get yet another Best Actress nomination for this role. Believe it or not, this is going to be her 8th for BA, and 10th nomination overall, with only 2 wins included (one for Actress and one for Supporting Actress).

Finally, this is another period piece, also taking place in the 1960s. I guess historical romances were real popular in the 90s to 2000s. Go figure! This will probably be the last, as I have a hankering to move onto another subgenre. So, shall we? SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap

At a home in what I can only assume is Madison County, Iowa, siblings Carolyn (Annie Corley) and Michael Johnson (Victor Slezak) arrive at their now deceased mother’s home for the execution of her will. They learn that she has wished to be cremated, and for her ashes to be scattered over a local bridge, which they are...NOT happy about, goddamn! Respect your mother’s wishes, guys, dear Lord!

They uncover an envelope containing photos from 1965 that they’ve never seen, all of which show her posing near various The Bridges of Madison County. Upon looking at them, Carolyn has a realization, and asks Michael to come along. They ask the lawyer and Michael’s wife to leave them, and they go through it in private.

The letters

See, they’ve found letters to their mother from Robert Kincaid, a photographer for the magazine National Geographic, seemingly confessing to an illicit secret love affair. However, he’s also dead, and has asked for his ashes to be scattered off of the same bridge. Michael (whom I REALLY don’t like, by the way, he’s an ABSOLUTE dick) believes that he influenced her to do the same, but Carolyn’s not sure. Also amongst the letters is a key.

The key opens a chest, within which is a camera and a collection of other items, as well as a letter addressed to them both. Written in 1987, it’s addressed to Carolyn because she knew that Michael would be a little pissbaby about it (look, I REALLY don’t like him, he’s being an ass). In the letter to them, she confesses to them the affair, which took place when Robert Kincaid went there to photograph The Bridges of Madison County. The entire affair is documented in three notebooks, which they begin reading.

1965! Italian immigrant Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep) is cooking dinner for her husband Richard (Jim Haynie) and her two teenaged kids, all of whom are on the way to the Illinois State Fair to exhibit Carolyn’s prize steer. The marriage is passionless, and the kids aren’t exactly opened up to her mother. 

It doesn’t seem like a bad life, but it is kind of a dull one. Or, y’know, complacent and stable because not every relationship has to be a sequence of whirlwind passion and glory, and one shouldn’t abandon a good loving situation for a WEEKEND-LONG FLING GODDAMN IT I AM SICK AND TIRED OF INFIDELITY IN THESE GODDAMN MOVIES HOLY SHIT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE LAST FOUR FILMS HAS FEATURED IT AND I AM SICK OF IT

For the record, I’ve never been cheated on, nor have I cheated on anyone, but this trend in romance movies...troubles me. Seriously, I get that the last few, especially In the Mood for Love, have looked at infidelity as a serious issue, but...just one. Just one great romance movie that doesn’t require infidelity for its main couple to get together. Please? I mean, if you include the never seen Rosaline or betrothed Paris in Romeo + Juliet, that movie also had infidelity in it, meaning the only ones WITHOUT ANY FORM of infidelity in 11 DAYS have been Dirty Dancing and Pretty Woman. Guys. C’mon.

Yeah, yeah, OK, moving on. Sorry, that rant’s been building for a bit.

Anyway, the kids and Richard take off, leaving Francesca by herself at the house. As she’s doing chores, who should pull up but photographer Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood), who’s looking for Roseman Covered Bridge to photograph it. But, he’s lost, and he asks Francesca for directions.

However, the directions there are pretty complicated, and even Francesca seems to get them mixed up. She agrees to show him there in person, and the two take off in his car.

In the car together

The two get to know each other a bit over the course of the drive. Robert notes that he’s been to her hometown in Italy, having been there once because he considered it pretty. She’s fascinated by the decision, but I’m not sure if its because she thinks he’s crazy, or because she thinks he’s intriguing

They make it to Roseman Bridge, where Robert takes some preparatory photographs and Francesca walks along the bridge itself. I will say, I live in a place with some covered bridges, and is it weird that I feel like visiting a nearby one tomorrow? Honestly, I think that’s exactly what I’ll do. Maybe do some birdwatching nearby, contribute to the Great Backyard Bird Count, something, y’know?

Out of appreciation for her help, he picks her some flowers, which she claims are poisonous. The two bond over this, and he drives her back home. And that SHOULD be it, as the two part and introduce each other by first name. But, she offers him some iced tea, and he accepts. HERE we go.

In the house, the two continue to bond, and Francesca begins to reveal some frustration with her home life, as well as her life in Iowa as compared to what she had dreamed of. To that, Robert says the following, which he claimed he wrote one day on the road.

The old dreams were good dreams. They didn’t work out, but I’m glad I had them.

That is...that is a nice line WAIT. Am I buying into this coupling? ALREADY?

So, here’s the thing thus far about this month. Some couples have had great chemistry, and some haven’t been perfect. On the top for me so far are Richard and Vivian from Pretty Woman, Johnny and Baby from Dirty Dancing, Emma and George from Emma, Yuri and Lara from Doctor Zhivago, and the highest being Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan from In the Mood for Love (although, that one amounts to wishful thinking). But all of those took a little bit to build up. so HOW IS IT that I’m already shipping these two (despite the infidelity, of course)?

Francesca seems to agree with me as she watches Robert wash up outside, after having invited him to stay for dinner. He helps her prepare dinner, then charms her (and me, incidentally) with charming stories and dinner jokes. Real talk, I like Robert, he’s a charming guy.

After dinner, she notes that she was once a schoolteacher, but her kids and husband didn’t approve of her working. 1960s, after all. She brushed this off, and asks the location of the most exciting place he’s ever...been...shit, this is an example of excitement being introduced into a boring life, huh?

That trope is one of the most annoying to me in these movies. The Notebook had a bit of that, and I wasn’t a fan, but this is the first time that it’s a straight-up example of that trope. And...I’m buying it? WHY AM I BUYING THIS

Francesca becomes a bit conflicted at this point, and the two share some brandy together. But we’re shot back into the present day, where Michael (UUUUUGH) accuses Robert of trying to get her drunk to take advantage of her. However, Carolyn sympathizes with them both, citing her own currently faltering marriage.

Back in 1965, the two have a slight disagreement about how they live their lives. Robert leaves for the night, and they surprisingly don’t do anything untoward. However, I’m ore than willing to bet that Francesca’s now thinking about it. She gets a phone call from Richard in Illinois, but begins to tear up as Robert leaves. She steps outside in a bathrobe and flashes the wind.

That night, she writes a message to Robert, and drives out to the bridge, where she leaves it for him. She tells him to give her a call, inviting him over the following day. The next morning, he sees the note while taking a picture of the bridge, then calls her afterwards and accepts the invitation. He also invites her to come along with him to take pictures of the bridges, which she accepts in turn.

OK, let’s go for a Part 2! See you there!

[ebachan]

Sonic Movie Review

So, nobody is going to be surprised I’m writing a review of this movie :-D I’ve seen it the last Saturday. Since then, I’ve calmed down a bit, so I’m not going to be “clouded” by emotions (too much XD)

So without further ado, here we dash by...

I’ll divide this into three segments - The Good, “The Neutral”, “The Bad”. This is a purely personal opinion, so you are free to disagree ;-) I’m open to discussion, but have patience with me ;-) This will be spoilerific, so watch out :-)

TL: DR

The movie is worth the money for sure. There is a lot of fun, good action, top-notch CGI, the voice acting is spot on, Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik works really well, and Tom with Maddie make a great couple. All of this and more makes one heck-of-a-ride you will enjoy for the second time as well.

I hope you won’t mind the tag, but I love to read from you ;-)

@movie-robotnik-positivity @movie-sonic-positivity @movie-sonic-adopted-au @aawesomepenguin @welcome-to-green-hills @dxrkblaze @deldiztmblr​ 

THE GOOD

The design...

We all can agree this Design is extremely good and flows well. I’ll remind you, I’m one of the rare people who liked Sonic 1.0. Yes, the one who was hated by almost the whole world. I still like this design, and I would be happy to see it again in action with small adjustments.

However, this one fits better. It has cartoony vibes, vibrant colors, the details are insanely beautiful, and the eyes are pure cuteness.

Jokes...

I liked almost every joke, and if I didn’t get it, I enjoyed the reaction. I can’t speak for English since I’ve heard only Czech dub, but they did well in translating or changing the jokes to fit the scene :-)

Voice Acting...

As stated before, can’t judge it, but great job on it! Czech one just sometimes for me loses some of the emotions Ben Schwartz expressed, but it’s not so bad.

Actions Scenes...

Fast-paced and well-timed. No DBZ-like fights and all of them lead to Sonic’s evolution and show his personality in the best light.

Tom and Maddie...

As I mentioned briefly, I like them both. They are a color-mixed couple, and I love them!!! It’s not forced like with words “Emancipation” or “Women don’t need men”. While Maddie isn’t an action type, she knows how to hold her ground. Like when she was calm when facing Sonic for the first time, or how she accompanied them later in the journey. She is level-headed as not even a dozen of egg-drones made her panic.

Tom is perhaps for some boring, but I like him. He is more collected and mature, which works for some nice dynamics. He is not just an adult, but Sherif too, so he has a strong sense of justice and can’t leave helpless people and alienhogs alike alone :-) He has some great lines, and takes Sonic as an equal.

Dr. Robotnik...

Only know I know he played in The Mask (a movie I’ve seen as a kid but didn’t like that much), but I’m soooo bad with names ^_^;. So, he wasn’t the reason I watched the movie, but I knew I love him as Dr. Robotnik. He makes him less 2D-villain-from-80s and gives him a spark. He is more interesting then SatAm’s Dr. Robotnik, and more close to Boom Dr. Eggman. Yet he is also very dangerous which makes for a great balance of goofy&over-the-top&serious threat.

Music...

I find it nice. Featuring smaller names like Hyper Potion or belowed Junkie-XL is a nice bonus, and they fit well the story. Except for Dr. Robotnik’s one. His moves were more fit for Fast Rock-like music. The Where Evil Grows feels too slow but fits his character. That was the only scene that threw me a bit off.

CGI...

I generally didn’t like 3D much less not fully CGI movies, but this CGI is gorgeous and so alive!! The first half-CGI movie I enjoyed was Detective Pikachu. In this decade, we have a technology capable of making those characters come to life! I hope to see more movies like this!

Easter Eggs...

I’ve spotted a few. And perhaps one I didn’t see anybody talking about. In the Bar Fight Scene, Sonic pulls out underwear of one man attacking Tom just like The Mask did XD Don’t tell me this isn’t an Easter Egg XD You can’t talk me out of it :-D

Emotions...

While I didn’t cry (as I feared), I still felt sadness or joy with Sonic.

The Neutral

Floss...

I don’t care! It’s a simple but challenging dance. It has fast-paced vibes that fit well with Sonic. Not to mention, Sonic mimicked children to feel like he has friends or he is “in”, so if some did Floss challenge, he would do it too.

Product placement...

I’ve noticed a few, and I didn’t mind them. They were relevant to the plot, quick easter-egg (pun intended), or a part of a joke. 

Some jokes...

I didn’t mind fart jokes... as silly as they are, there wasn't one every five minutes, so no big deal :-)

Sonic’s arms...

I still don’t get this argument (and I may not want to), but whatever... It’s a minimal change, and I never had a problem with it. The same goes for shoes or any other design choice. Small changes don’t ruin the character ;-)

“The Bad”

I don’t exactly have something I don’t like. But I thought I should mention a thing or two. I found a few “plot-holes” that bugged me after a bit, but they do have an explanation when you think about it. Let’s call them Sonic’s Fun Facts!

NONE of what I mention here is meant to trash the movie!! It’s more of an observation, a fun activity ;-)

The car...

I dunno if any of the cars have an alarm telling you to put on the seat-belt but in both cases of Tom and Sonic, it never rung. But some may not have this function.

The car v2...

Tom’s car lost the roof, yet we didn’t see anybody stopping him. I’m sure everybody would call cops. That would be so weird. The question is, how far he had it to Maddie’s sister, and how close that house was to the Center. Perhas he needed only a short distance or people thought he has those funny 3D-stickers or it’s part of s promotion... Who knows XD

The car V3...

Sonic’s driving... has a lot to desire. Yet, still no police on their tail. Maddie asked the right question. The answer... This is just a joke. Don’t think too deep about it :-D

The Terrorist...

Tom is called a terrorist, but we don’t see any police forces to approach him. Why? Perhaps Dr. Robotnik called dibs on him and given how much the government trust in him, they believe nobody else is needed. Also, if terrorist sees policemen, they tend to turn aggressive. So, for the protection of people, it’s best not to approach him ;-)

The terrorist v2...

Tom uses his badge to gain an access to the door with no security going after him even after the “kidnapping joke”. It still works with my previous statement. It’s meant as a joke, something silly and a bit of adult-humor that works with kids as well. You gotta love those people’s reactions XD

The door...

Sonic checked he needs a key to access the roof. Which is strange. In the beginning, we can see him run up some tall building. So why not here too? Simple... 1) Dr. Robotnik was chasing him, so he might have turn desperate and ran faster and more haphazardly then before. 2) He really wanted to stay with Tom and Maddie for the longest time possible <= Nail it! I’ve no doubt it’s this ;-) Sonic did “guilt-trip” Tom into helping him :-D

The last battle...

We know the story is Sonic’s memory leading to the final battle. Yet, when we get to the point Sonic didn’t run up a building. One would assume we would see similar/exact shot. But no problem here, the movie might have had “time-limit”, so instead of a repeat, we got something new ;-) 

The room painting...

When Tom goes and paints the wall with a freshly dipped paint roller, there is no wet mark. I’ve noticed it the moment I saw it. It’s kinda funny.

-----

Well, this seems to be everything I had on my mind :-) I’ve greatly enjoyed the movie that I go the second time <3

Thank you for reading <3 

[ebaeschnbliah]

DISTRACTIONS  &  CONSEQUENCES

Exploring the deeper meaning of ASIB has always been a joy and an exiting experience. No matter if it’s about the Strange Similarities this episode shares with HLV, or the intriguing question why Sherlock plays Irene’s theme in TFP when prompted by Eurus to ‘play himself’ (Explosive, it’s more me   Oh, have you had sex?). Also the recuring Christmas theme in every series and Mycroft’s Bond Air plan, that doesn’t appear very ‘Neat’ at all after taking just a slightly closer look. When I wrote The Importance of Little Things  Boomerang and the other posts mentioned above, I didn’t dwell on a detailed metaphorical reading of the somewhat strange boomerang case, which initiates the appearance of ‘the woman’. @sarahthecoat added a short and very good summary of the already existing theory on this post. It was this comment which reminded me that I still hadn’t written down my own version of he boomerang case in ASIB.

Playing around with the idea of a much further extended mind palace scenario than that from the shooting in CAM Tower onwards (EMP Master Post 2016), those ideas inevitably led to slightly different interpretations of events than some of the already existing ones. (EEMP=Extraordinary Extendend Mind Palace, I called it back then, jokingly. Links are included in this post),

Characters created by Sherlock’s imagination, to play a role on his mind stage, aren’t autonomous individuals who can act of their own free will. Instead, they would represent different aspects of Sherlock’s personality, his views, fears, desires, expectations and experiences, his memory, etc. The way they look, speak and act would be designed by Sherlock, precisely to play their role in the experiments/scenarios appointed to them. Approaching Sherlock BBC from this angle, the story appears in a different light …. like a holographic postcard, where the motive displayed on it, changes with the slightest movement. Most importantly, it changes the central question from HOW to WHY something happens. And it also raises the question of ... WHAT could be the actual meaning behind choices regarding character behaviour, names, places, dialogues and so on, inside those scenarios. What’s the real meaning of all those little stories told in the coded language of Shelrock’s mind? 

Based on this idea, the boomerang case, the story of Phil with his backfiring car and the Hiker with the bashed-in head, in context with the main storyline of the associated episode, changes as well. 

For anyone who is interested in a different reading, this theory is …. alternatively below the cut …. :)

The boomerang case of A Scandal in Belgravia is presented in four sequences:

The first part is placed near the beginning of the episode. Phil’s POV of the event is shown almost exclusively by visuals without dialogue. This sequence merges seamlessly into ...

... the second part, which is about John, his investigation on the crime scene and his report to Sherlock via WiFi before he and Sherlock, separately, get whisked away to Buckingham Palace, ordered by Mycroft Holmes.

In the third part Sherlock explains the event to Irene at her place. Before Sherlock can finish his explanation he gets interuppted, first by the fire alarm, initiated by John, then by the American agents who want to confiscate Irene’s camera phone.

Directly afterwards Sherlock gets injected with drugs from Irene’s syringe. He imagines how Irene gives the final explanation and reveals the solution of the boomerang case.

This fourth sequence contains, what Sherlock would call ‘a special feature of interest’. The Hiker, distracted by the sound of an ‘explosion’, is hit by his  returning boomerang. While the man is shown falling backwards and out of the picture, the scene, just for a second, jumps also backwards in time to the very moment where Sherlock falls to the floor in Irene’s bedroom, due to the influence of her 'chemistry’. Then the scene continues with the Hiker still falling backwards out of the picture.

In the third sequence, while Sherlock describes the event, the camera circles round himself and the Hiker in a very explicit way. One man vanishes behind the other alternately.

Additionally there are also a certain similarities when it comes to 

men lying on the ground with bashed-in heads (red and blue)

characters wearing red jackets (x) 

characters wearing specific headgears

All of this strongly suggests that the Hiker, like Mary, is a mirror for Sherlock. Phil, the driver of the unmoving car, on the other hand, appears to be more connected to John, at least on a first glance. He wears similar clothing. ‘Ghost’ John can be seen sitting behind him on the sofa, while the man tells his story, placed in the clients chair in the middle of the living room. This leaves the question why John isn’t shown sitting in his own chair if he is present at the time and not in Dublin. Later, during the Wi-Fi conversation from the crime scene, Phil sits in John’s chair while Sherlock seems to have just woken up.

“Morbidly obese, the undisguised halitosis of a single man living on his own, the right sleeve of an internet porn addict and the breathing pattern of an untreated heart condition. Low self-esteem, tiny IQ and a limited life expectancy “  … this is how Sherlock describes Phil. As I mentioned in ‘Importance of Little Things’ those characteristics can also be attributed either directly to Sherlock himself or indirectly to some of his ‘mirrors’.

morbidly obese - Mycroft, who represents Sherlock’s brain department for logic and reason, appears exactly like that in TAB

halitosis - foul things coming out of ones mouth, could easily be a metaphor for ‘you alway say such horrible things’. Furthermore, halitosis is also mentioned associated with Mr. Howard Shilcott, the train guy from TEH, the one with the silly (ear) hat who is sentimental, maybe isolated but doesn’t mind being different. 

internet porn addict - computer language metaphors aren’t uncommon in this story. Sherlock compares his brain to a hard drive. Jim calls himself ‘virus in the data’ and Mycroft shares that opinion. Brains consist of billions of neurons, interconnected with each other, communicating with each other, carrying trains of signal pulses and informations … very much like the internet. Metaphorically, an internet porn adict could be someone who deals with sexual desires ‘virtually’ inside his head and not with the body. 

untreated heart condition - this description mustn’t necessariy be aimed at a real pathological condition of said organ. Heart metaphors are very often used to paint vivid pictures of the emotional state of a person. Hearts can suffer, can be neglected, they can break, turn to stone, freeze, burn, melt, do a somersault, sing with joy … and so on

low self-esteem -  in TSOT Sherlock describs himself … ‘I am the most unpleasant, rude, ignorant and all-round obnoxious arsehole that anyone could possibly have the misfortune to meet’ … ‘I never expected to be anybody’s best friend’  No further words needed, I guess.

tiny IQ - only some statements which compare Sherlock to an idiot (there exist a lot more) … ‘I used to think I was an idiot’ (Sherlock, TEH),  ‘I’ve been an idiot – a blind idiot!’ (Sherlock, TEH), ‘I’m an idiot. I know nothing’ (Sherlock, TST), ‘You always were the slow one …. the idiot’ (Mycroft, TFP) and finally Sherlock about Phil, the man this description is aimed at:  ‘He’s an idiot. Why else would he think himself a suspect?’

limited life expectancy - Mycroft again, the brain department for logic and reason. In TAB Sherlock and Mycroft are betting on big brother’s life expectancy, which both brothers assume to be not very long: ‘Three years flat if you eat that plum pudding’ … ‘Done’ 

If Phil with his unmoving car is indeed a mirror for Sherlock, like the Hiker, why is he visually connected so closely to John? Maybe because Phil represents the object of Sherlock’s investigations and deductions. 

Phil, the driver of the transport that lies dormant

A little later in this episode Sherlock observes how John meets Irene at Battersea, the disused Power Station. An unmoving car and a disused power station ... are this two different metaphors for the same thing?

A disused power station, a car that doesn’t move = a body whose sexual urges lie dormant. Repressed desires, emotions behind elephant glass ...  ‘ignored, patronised, disregarded, not allowed so much as a vote’. And the brain demands ‘you will stay out of this’ and warns ‘don’t get involved’. But the same brain also forces Sherlock to investigate ‘the woman’ and later releases ‘the criminal mastermind’. And in TAB this brain proclaims very clearly ‘We must lose this war because they are right and we are wrong’. Janus-faced indeed. Or maybe just a massively conflicted mind, torn in two, like the family pictures at the walls of the grey chamber in TFP.

Who’s John Watson on Sherlock’s mind stage?

John Watson - acting as a character on Sherlock’s mind stage - is hard to pin down. He seems to represent several aspects at the same time and he is definitely the main focus of Sherlock’s investigations.

In ASIP Sherlock confirms John’s question that he’s filling in for his skull - the one Sherlock calls ‘friend’. The skull is an imortant part of the body. Made of strong bone, it encloses the brain and protects it. Interestingly, broken up skulls - bashed-in or penetrated by bullets - are a rather important theme of this story. Maybe something imprisoned by inflexible bone wants to break free … an idea, a dream, a desire ….

John, ‘good old doctor Watson, the one fixed (inflerxible) point in a changing age’ is strongly connected to mirrors for love and emotions. As his counterpart, he is also connected to Jim Moriarty, Mr. Sex …. ‘John or James, James or John … the more is less’. John seems to be Jim’s main target in the game the criminal mastermind plays with Sherlock. And the painting of the Reichenbach Falls is declared as ‘William Turner’s masterpiece’ (Reichenbach=Rich Brook, William=William Sherlock Scott Holmes, turn(er)=turn round/change direction)

John - the eternal friend -  is the incarnation of PHILIA (love between friends). But in this adaptation of the great detective, PHILIA is mingled with EROS (intimate love, sexual passion) right from the start. In PILOT & ASIP, when Anteros, the god of requited love, rises behind the episode title and a dog starts barking in the middle of the night. (More detailed explanations and musings on this topic - the evolution from friend to lover - can be found in ‘The Big Question’, ‘Solutions or Choices’, ‘Shoes for the Hound’ and ‘Sekhmet’ 

Skull, body, heart, protector, emotions, desire, friendship, love ... but also the fear to lose friendship and love, in case the ‘fixed point’ changes …. all those terms can be assigned to the John-character on Sherlock’s mind stage and his mirrors.

Out in the middle of nowhere ...

When the curtain rises for the boomerang case, the stage is set somewhere in the countryside. There’s a shallow valley and soft hills, thickly covered by woodland. A lush green meadow leads gently sloping down to a river or maybe a lake. There’s also a small brook which meanders through the wetland and flows forth into the greater water. Not far away a street runs along the margin ot the forest.

The main characters of the play are: 

the Hiker in a bright red jacket, who busies himself with his boomerang beside the small brook

Phil, who tries to restart his unmoving car on the street nearby

It’s not explained how long Phil is working on his problem at the time the scene starts, but when the audience first sees him leaving the car to take a look at the engine, the bonnet is already open. So, most propably this is not his first attempt to restart the car.

The surrounding area is still and quiet. No significant background noises can be heard. Though both men stand in shouting distance to each other, there is no contact between them. The Hiker has turned his back to the street. He either really hasn’t noticed Phil and his unmoving car or he has, but simply doesn’t care. Phil on the other hand is aware of the Hiker on the meadow. For a moment it looks like he considers calling the man for assistence but then Phil apparently dismisses that idea again. 

Instead Phil makes another attemt to restart his car.This time it backfires and the sound of the explosion splits the silence. The Hiker, distracted by the sudden noise, turns round and looks back to the street. At this moment the boomerang comes flying back, hits his head and kills him instantly. When Phil gets out of the car and looks down the meadow, he sees the Hiker in the red jacket lying motionless on the ground next to the small brook.

The Hiker and Phil ... Sherlock’s MIND and BODY

The Hiker - the MIND who plays with an idea

Viewing the Hiker as a mirror for Sherlock, his bright red jacket connects the character also to Mary, the facade. This makes him the man with his facade still intact but already curious about ... something. The Hiker wears a checkered shirt, which otherwise is closely attributed to John, while he palys with the boomerang. 

If someone returns from foreign travel with a boomerang, one can assume that this person is meant to have been in Australia. Compared to Great Britain, Australia lies very far in the East. The East is strongly connected to Eurus, the East Wind, who represents Sherlock’s emotional side and is also strongly linked to buried/deleted memories and the Holmes family history.

The Hiker who traveled far to the East and brought back a small, fascinating but dangerous item, would then represent Sherlock, who went deep down into his mind palace. He retrieved something from the past, something he had ‘deleted’ a long time ago. Maybe something related to emotions and love. Sherlock/the Hiker takes that memory back into the present and starts playing with it …. he lets a seemingly harmless idea fly ….

Phil - the desire of a BODY whose sexuell transport lies dormant

Viewing Phil also as a mirror for Sherlock, that man and his unmoving car would represent an aspect of Sherlock, which is consciously or unconsciously dealing with investigations and deductions about the ‘John-Problem’. Phil too, wears a checkered shirt which links him even further to John. Obeseness stems from too much eating. Some time ago I read and reblogged a very intersting meta about eating as a metaphor for desire. Sadly I can’t find it again and credit the autor. If someone has a link, please add it, that would be great. In my opinion the food=desire methaphor is brilliant and fits perfectly. Phil, the carnal desire of Sherlock’s BODY, eats too much/stuffs himself with desire and is therefore obese ... he is filled with desire to bursting … just like the BRAIN in TAB.

The Hiker has turned his back on Phil. He doesn’t even see the desperate man beside his car. Sherlock’s MIND, dismisses the desires of the BODY as unimportant and at best sencondary. Who needs that annoying ‘transport’, when one can ‘hike’ with the MIND wherever one wants and let the ideas fly? The brain is what counts, logic and reason … cases and mysteries are solved by the MIND … the desires of the BODY, who repeatedly tries to restart the transport, are just distractions which can/should be ignored and neglected. Especially when one has just unearthed a fascinting little memory from a long time ago …

Different aspects of Sherlock are dealing with related cases at the same time. One case lies in the past, the other one in the present. They overlap ... and this leads to consequences:

a car backfires and the sound of an explosion splits the silence =  a BODY reacts and explodes/has an orgasm

a head gets bashed-in = ‘la petite mort’ of the BRAIN

The best thing about this interpretation is, that an almost similar scene, in a different setting, is played out a second time simultaneously during the Irene Adler case. 

The repetition of a hit

Fascinated and very pleased with himself, Sherlock plays with a little item he has just retrieved from a secured and guarded place. He lets the thing fly through the air and catches it again, a bit like someone would do with a boomerang. This time though, it’s a camera phone packed full with ‘scandalous’ informations. Sherlock underestimates the danger he is in and most of all, he underestimates the opponent he is faced with. 

Carelessly and maybe even provokingly he turns his back at Irene. The next second Sherlock is hit by a syringe full of chemistry … the chemistry of sex. Sherlock falls to the floor of Irene’s bedroom ... beaten by Mrs. Sex.

As mentioned above, in the final explanation of the boomerang case, the fall of the Hiker beside the small brook on the meadow, closely frames the fall of Sherlock in Irene’s bedroom … they actually become one fall. What lies closer at hand than to assume that both cases are actually about the same topic? 

Sherlock’s experience of a sudden, unexpected orgasm … triggered by awakening emotions, while playing with a memory from the past. 

A full list of the ‘cast’ involved in the boomerang case

The Hiker and his boomerang - Sherlock’s mind plays with an idea, with a once deleted but now revived memory

Phil and his unmoving car - Sherlock’s carnal desire, affected by the ‘John-Problem’, awakens and tries to start his sex drive

the colour green - it’s the colour of HOPE, rebirth and harmony (X) it’s also the colour assigned to John in the PILOT and ASIP. (X)

the river/lake - a lot of water means a lot of emotions, ‘deep waters, all your life’. Eurus represents emotions, the past and deleted memories

the small brook next to which the Hiker dies - Rich Brook, the storyteller who is also Jim Moriarty, Mr. Sex. RichBrook translates into Reichenbach, an event that is linked to the music of J.S. Bach

the ‘object’ on the meadow - (more on this in The Cabin on the Meadow)

Viewing Series One as prelude for the whole story, where the three episodes serve as introduction (ASIP), user manual (TBB) and chapter list (TGG), the actual story told in Sherlock BBC would then start with A Scandal in Belgravia. 

“Don’t be alarmed ….. it’s to do with sex“

Mycroft’s statement, when he introduces Sherlock to the Irene Adler case, describes the whole episode in a nutshell. Sherlock’s RATIO tells himself (and the audience) what this case, this episode actually is about:

The emotional and sexual awakening of the character Sherlock Holmes. 

Sherlock’s appearance, when he starts his investigation of the boomerang case, is the most fitting outfit to present a metaphorical scenario for an awakening of this kind. Clothed in a pristine, white sheet (virginity), completely naked (newborn) beneath it and heartily yawning. Sherlock enters the ‘stage’ of 221b Baker Street, as if he had just woken up from a very long sleep. Just like Snow White slept in her coffin of glass before she woke to a new and exciting life (Sherlock in ASIP). 

“Noises are important ... noises can tell you everything"

A car backfires, innitiated by Phil. There’s the loud noise of an explosion.  Distracted, the Hiker turns and as a consequence, his head is hit and bashed-in. 

A fire alarm goes off, innitiated by John. Mr. Archer (the ‘bowman’, Cupid) gets the order to shoot John in the head.

The most significant noises of this episode are the orgasmic sighs Sherlock’s phone makes every time the text alert gets activated by Mrs. Sex … 59 in total. 

The noises are the most important factor on all three occasions … the explosion, the alarm, the orgasmic sigh ….

At the end of the episode Sherlock lets Irene’s phone fly again. He catches it, takes a thoughtfull look at the little thing and tucks it away in the drawer. Then Sherlock looks out of the window, while rain pours down the glass pane in front of his face. 

Fiftynine orgasmic sighs have been ignored (59 calls will be ignored in TST before little Rosy is born). The phone and with it the sexual desires get tucked away in a drawer. Sherlock, detached and secure behind a wall of glass, contemplates the pouring rain/emotions. His RATIO always carries an umbrella to avoid getting wet/affected by emotions. But his RATIO also seems to be in need of a cigarette after that case. A substitute drug/chemistry instead of the ‘real thing’, the ‘natural high’ which he denies himself stubbornly? Meanwhile the ‘eternal friend’ is already soaked wet with rain. The matter of the ‘fixed point in a changing age’ has already become a highly emotional one for Sherlock, it seems. Looks very much like the first stage of drowning.

In the next episode the HOUND will be unleashed, immediately followed by Mr. Sex ….. ‘Honey, you should see me in a crown’ …. who smashes the impenetrable glass case and reaches for the Crown Jewels.  (When the man with the key becomes king)

May, 2019

I leave you to your own deductions. Thanks @callie-ariane for the scripts. 

[tempest-loupnoir]

Since I love reaction posts and I enjoyed writing one for the Ducktales season one finale, I thought I would torture myself by taking the time to write one again for what might possibly be my favorite episode of the series. This way I can go back and relive the magic while waiting for the hiatus to end and the next chapter to begin.

First thought when I opened the app: love the preview image on the app banner with the security guard spraying DW.

Pile of bombs! Must equal Nega- Nope. Who’s that dude? Reminds me of the security guard in the Tuskernini episode when Tuskernini had a beard. Flim Flam?

Love that iconic bat cocoon pose. Keep it up, DW.

DW stepping on each bomb is so ridiculous yet so him. I wonder if the show props hurt?

OMG! I did not expect Darkwing’s face under that mask!! My reaction matched DW’s

OMG! Who’s the new dude?! Is that Drake? With a new voice actor? WHAT?! Or is he a creepy dude who had his face and body shaped to look like Jim’s?

Jim’s glasses are cool

LOL! Splat. Poor LP. Such a dork. Thanks for having his back, Dewey. I wonder what Jim thinks about this fan who’s never made it to his autograph table? If he even noticed... Poor Lp.

Nice recoloring of the title card. Was that just my eyes or was that someone on the letter in a Darkwing costume. Disney Now app, please let me rewind some day. But not today. On with the show!

This new guy has such a sweet expression. I hope he’s not going to be a villain like Buddy in “The Incredibles.”

Okay Jim has noticed LP before. And he was cute with Dewey but rude to poor LP and new dude. (I really want to call him Drake.)

Jim made LP drive him? Lol Why am I not surprised. And eww, sweat stains.

Dewey’s butt bouncing in the his seat was cute.

Eww. Really, Jim? “Sniff sniff. Musky.” Is that a throwback to “The Secret Origins of Darkwing Duck” when the monk pulled the baby out of the space ship and said “and we shall call him... (sniff sniff)...stinky.”

Good questions, Dewey. The plot thickens.

“A psychological examination of man’s inhumanity to man”, hmm? Are you going to be our next new villain, Alistair? (Note, I have never heard of the person he is based on and know nothing about his movies so I am a total newbie. Looking forward to learning more!)

Scrooge built the company to make cheap office safety videos? Wouldn’t a light projector and slides be cheaper, Scrooge?

Never say “dare” to Scrooge McDuck, regardless of context.

Lol Scrooge likes mustachioed villains. Cute little quirk.

Dewey flipping out about the studio and calming down after Scrooge’s response shows some growth in his character and Scrooge proved that he’s getting to know all of the kids in the “Nothing Can Stop Della Duck” episode. Nice little character touches.

DW crawling in on his stomach. Lol

Hidden Mickey! Mickey award on the shelf!

WHAT. Alistair’s film is the birth of Negaduck?! And that dog guy: was that Hooter or was that Commissioner Gordon from Batman?

LP’s reaction is pretty much on cue with mine, but I’m intrigued. I’d watch it.

Surprised Jim liked the film.

Dewey wants a role in the film. Lol. Not surprised.

Nice, Scrooge. Calling Dewey the most childish child you know.

I was not expecting him to put Dewey in charge though.

Hey new dude. So you’re future Negaduck? Or are you future Darkwing? So many questions...

Jim reacted as I expected. Lol Fwoosh. Ouch. Snap crackle pop. Poor Jim.

Love the music before Jim jumped on the car

LP came up with seven questions much faster than I expected.

Darkwing’s kitty hop after the bush was taken away. Lol

Hi Tad Stones. :D Lol

A little heavy handed with the fire retardant, weren’t you?

The water cooler sign reminds me of Liquidator, naturally.

LP’s stealth actions were actually pretty good, even though they were a bit loud and clumsy at times.

Love all the posters and toys in the trailer.

New dude’s switch from friendliness to outright attack mode is interesting.

Oops. Splash. XD Nice toilet paper shot.

Omg the battle scenes. They’re too cute, avoiding smashing the nostalgia! And battle hat action figure. Lol. Nice nod to the original action figure with its hat popping action.

Annnd of course LP blinded himself.

But who is that punk-looking action figure? My first thought was Powerline but could that be a new, dogified Morgana? Or a new villain? Curiouser and curiouser!

Megavolt has a mustache in this version, Dewey? Or were you planning on making him wear one? Lol I can just picture the original Megavolt’s reaction to that.

Uhh why are you threatening your rare action figure with an iron, New Dude? Are you and LP playing with the figures together? Also that answers my unspoken question about why an iron was on the vanity. I assumed it was for pressing capes but I guess the new guy would not need to iron his own capes.

Still haven’t answered my question on who the new action figure is but apparently it has something to do with...90’s neon fashion?

The lunchbox has a face imprint on it.

New Dude has a similar back story to Drake. Interesting. Does this mean Jim is going to be Negaduck or Darkwarrior?

Baby Darkwing!! Awwwww!! So cute! I love the style those comics were drawn in!! Who drew them? Silvani? I must know!

Also the bully looks a lot like baby Herb Muddlefoot in “You Sweat Your Life.” Coincidence or new plot device? Maybe that’s the new Hamm?

Drake wanting to inspire another kid like him... Awww. Wait, I don’t know for sure that his name is Drake yet. I need a name for you soon!

“You are a true fan. We can save this movie!” Nice, LP. :) I do think it’s the fan input that made the comics and now this show as good as they are. The comics that did not have input from show creators or fans were glaringly obvious, buuut that’s a dead horse I’m not going to linger over.

LOL! “I don’t know. He kind of wants to make me not alive any more.” What a cute way of describing a horrifying moment in your life, Buddy. You’re so likable and adaptable. I will be surprised if you’re not the one who is going to end up with Gosalyn and become the new modern real life Darkwing? But I will be sad if Jim Starling/Jim Cummings/original Darkwing does not get a redeeming moment... He’s spent so much time feeling like a hasbeen and he’s just been replaced in the franchise he’s centered his life on. He’s having a really bad day. Give him a break, please, Ducktales? Don’t break my heart, please...?

Aww. Jim still has the moves, and cape awareness. I’m rooting for both Darkwings. I hope they can compromise and work it out so they can both be in the movie together. Like Indiana Jones and his son in “The Crystal Skull” movie. Indy was still Indy and the kid was shaping up to be like Indy. Old Darkwing could reform his protégé in the new movie and they can both work together as heroes. That’d be a cool finale.

“Idiot in the purple cape”? Harsh.

Dewey’s dance crew. What is up with your obsession with dance numbers, Dewey? They’re kind of annoying for someone like me with Audio Processing Delay. And man those are high boots... My first thought was that they were the Darkwing Squad, like the SHUSH agents training to be like Darkwing in the Darkwing Squad episode. (Forgot the name of it.)

And there’s proof that Jim might have actually done some crimefighting in real life. He took out those security guards so quickly and easily! An actor trained to pull his punches might not know where or how hard to strike.

Huh. Their beaks are different colors.

“Your heart is in my lunchbox.” What? Lol

Oops. Sorry, security guard. Darkwing Duck just broke your wrist in the door. Ouch.

Oooh Jim’s voice got so creepy there. “Yes, I will.” Jim’s still one of my favorite voice actors ever. I can see what Jim S. is thinking there. Evil plot commencing. Annnd there’s an ouchie for Drake. Also love the music.

“Stupid. Movie star. Face. Get in!” That made me laugh. Both of them were doing classic Darkwing scenes from episodes (with different dialog of course).

OMG THE LAUGH

THE LAUGH IS BACK. EEE I have chills!

New Megavolt is bulked up. And has black hair and a mustache. Interesting. He reminds me of the Italian pig pilot character in the Ducktales episode where we met Launchpad’s family. (Forgot the name.) I wonder if this Megs would have an Italian accent.

The music and dance moves are already annoying me, Dewey... And what is with that giant Darkwing face? Ew. Looks like one of those clown faces you throw bean bags into the mouth of in carnivals.

The chainsaw juggler looks like Shaggy from Scooby Doo. Lol

“Why are you saying things all mean?” I guess LP is foreshadowing what we probably already know. This ending is going to hurt, isn’t it... ;_; Ducktales team, you guys are awesome and brutal.

Ugh. What stupid lines. “You can’t defeat me. I awesome.” Nice voice though.

Robot face, Dewey? What?

Eep! Great job, Jim. Setting the whole stage on fire. Let me guess. Either LP or new DW is going to have to save you now.

“I’ll film this finale even if it kills me. And everyone in this room!” Oh Jim... ;_;

New guy’s voice just doesn’t have the same “I am the terror” ring to it. He’s going to take some getting used to.

Great plan, DW! And omg I love the moment when DW and LP said “Let’s get dangerous” and then immediately geeked out about how cool this is! Also good on you for recognizing the plan, Scrooge. I am curious to see how Scrooge responds to these guys at the end. Is he going to contract a new tv series with DW?

Oh man, seeing DW hurt and the other characters reacting like they think he’s dead is really hurting my empathy. My chest is hurting in real life. ;_;

Jim, no... Don’t become Negaduck. ;_; I can already guess what he’s going to say. “Why won’t you stay dead”

Nice face off. Reminds me of the showdown in Just Us Justice Ducks part two.

Launchpad’s enjoying the show.

Okay. Scrooge helped lighten the mood with “which is the bad guy? If only one had a blasted mustache!” The difference is pretty obvious to me, though. Only one is wearing a black belt.

“Dead meat duck” is an actual Negaduck quote, for those of you who haven’t seen the Darkwing Duck tv series. I can just imagine how much fellow fans like me are geeking out over this. :D

Thank you, LP for saying what I’ve been wanting to say. Please let this work... I really want to go back to liking Jim... ;_; “Please stop. You’re not a villain. You’re a hero. OUR hero. No matter how hopeless things got, Darkwing Duck got back up and did what was right.” And of course the music is just right for the moment. :,)

Nice halo effect on LP with the background prop.

“Darkwing Duck is bigger than one man. He is the hope that flaps in the night.” YES. Preach it, LP!

The Darkwings’ reactions to LP in danger are both still characterstic for Darkwing, but this is like seeing Darkwing Duck and Drake Mallard in separate bodies, side by side. Like the “Negaduck” (also called Birth Of Negaduck”) episode with the tronsplit Darkwings. Cool.

“You really can’t stop him once he gets started.” “Well yeah... He’s your biggest fan.” The emotion in new guy’s voice and Jim’s face... And the music. Awww... :,)

Love the reflection in the chainsaw. Love love love it.

Now’s not the time to hot dog the spotlight, Jim!

AHH! The music is sad! Noo! Please be okay! I’m legit in tears while writing this now!

Where is he?! I don’t care about Dewey’s dance number. I do appreciate LP’s advice to DW and pep talk but I want to know where Jim is. :( The humor and the sweetness are clashing badly with my anxiety over the fate of my...’hero’? :(

Also casual observation before I end the agony by finishing this episode. New DW’s cape attaching to his buttons just looks weird. I hope they go back to original Darkwing’s label double breasted coat with the cape under the lapel. This one looks like fisherman overalls.

Okay. It’s official. New guy is Drake Mallard. I saw that coming but I wasn’t sure if the Ducktales team was going to keep that name as a separate identity or not. I had no clue this twist was coming.

Wait, WHAT. Jim, no! No no no no! Don’t twist Launchpad’s actions into evil. And why the heck is your costume changing color? Did you get an acid bath from whatever was in that rod? I think you bumped your head too many times, Buddy.

This beautifully tied together the finale of the Darkwing Duck tv show in the Ducktales universe, with Jim seeing a duplicate of himself as the villain in the show, and Jim becoming the villain in real life. Drake Mallard was a total surprise. I’ve seen fan theories that made him Jim’s nephew or son, but a random fan who grew up watching DWD the same way we did and became Darkwing the same way the original did in the real life tv series was a big, poignant surprise. I am happy I got to go on this emotional journey with him and see him bloom into the hero he adored. He’s mild mannered enough to be a good father to Gosalyn whenever she is introduced, and fanatical enough to still be a good Darkwing.

I have no idea how the age difference thing is going to work with Drake and Jim as hero and villain, but clearly Jim kept in shape, and old ducks can still put up a terrific fight, as Scrooge has proven.

This was a very interesting episode and definitely one I’ll be watching again soon. My heart is still fluttering though. Dang, Ducktales team. You know how to torture me. ;_; I’d have never ever written a story like this and I’m not sure I would have bought a book with a story like this, but I applaud you for pulling it off wonderfully here. You kept me guessing and I am full of questions, excitement, residual anxiety, etc. This took me two and a half hours to write, minute by painful paused video minute and I’m glad I have a record of my reactions to look back on. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

[boogiewrites]

Before & After - Ch. 4, Pt. 1. The Anniversary.

Title: Before and After - Chapter 4 Pt. 1

Characters: Jim Hopper x Reader

Word Count: 4084

Summary:  Dealing with the 1 year anniversary of her almost life-ending accident coming up soon, our character not only has to deal with how this makes her feel, but also how it’s making Jim feel. The anniversary.

Warnings:The first few chapters, not too much. There’s swearing, smoking, drinking, talk about death, mental illness, body image and the complicated feelings that come with living through these things. Further along there is more of the same and then that sweet, sweet smut some of you animals are after.

A/N: It’s the weekend ya’ll, have some more story. I’ll be posting both parts tonight, but since it is almost 8000 words, I wanted to split it up. 

This started out as just the urge to write some nice smut for you fine folks. It has grown into an over 20,000 word (so far) exploration. There is lots of fluff and romance, sexual tension, will they/won’t they feelings. There is smut later on, I promise, just stay with me on this. I believe this is called a slow burn.

All other chapters on my Masterlist.

Here are the tagged folks, if you’d like to be added or removed, just leave a reply and I’ll see it! Any positive feedback is also appreciated. :) Thanks!

@whatmakesmebeme-tblr @sleepylunarwolfh @elevenofmages @alahmorah @norcula @undiscl0sed-desir3s @atari-writes @jobean12-blog@miss-harleenquinzel @kiwiphroot @ashphoenix105 @ambeazyyy@riotguuuurl​ @warriorqueen1991​ @misbehaving-f0r-days @divadinag​ @flamehairedwritings

You decide to wear your hair in big soft waves, your makeup just a bit more than natural. You search for a coat to wear while in your underwear, to keep from messing up your dress. You were feeling surprisingly well. You were slowly pushing that bad mood cloud that always seemed to hover above you away, at least temporarily. 

You decide on a basic black leather jacket. It's never let you down. You look at the clock, 4:30, you better get your clothes on now. You're listening to music and watching yourself move in your new dress in your mirror, looking yourself over one last time. Your hair had grown out over the scar on your head and concealed it for the most part; a small stretch of it creeping out of your hairline on the side of your face. You were confident in your body and what it could do again. You had come so far. But your makeup took too long to start crying over your pride. You were glad you got on board with this. You hear the growing rumble of the Blazer in the distance and you feel that anxious wiggling in your gut again. You give yourself a stern look in the mirror, pointing a finger at yourself. "Don't you go feeling nervous. Cut the bullshit, lady, we've got a night to enjoy." You hear him knock on the door as you shut your bedroom door. You walk up to grab your purse off of the kitchen counter and look at Jim over your shoulder as he walks through the door. He keeps his eyes on the keys in his hands while he announces his arrival. "I'm here, sweetheart. You ready to go?" he doesn't look up until he's shut the door behind him. You're already making your way across the floor to him. His eyes wander down your body as you move closer. You take the time to appreciate the effort he's put forth for you this evening. He's wearing a big navy wool coat over a grey shirt, dark pants with nice boots. With his hair combed back and his beard tamed, he looked so handsome. Your eyes meet, you both smile sheepishly at each other for a moment. He takes the time to swallow and wet his lips, giving you an obvious flirty once over, "Well, look at you..." he grins, he reaches up and rubs his chin before holding his hand up to motion you to give him a twirl. You roll your eyes but oblige his request. "You better be glad you're with the Chief of police tonight, looking like that." he pauses, giving you a charming smile. "You look like trouble in that outfit, sweetheart." his tone changing into something less dark and more friendly, he shakes his head. "I mean that as a compliment," he adds, leaning into you just a bit. "The kind of trouble I'd wanna get into." he lets out a small awkward laugh. You smile and swat your hand at him, "Oh, go on..." you laugh and reach out,  smoothing the lapels on his jacket as he watches you. "I feel a little bit like trouble tonight." give him a small sly smile, scrunching your nose at him. "You look very handsome in this. " you say, changing the subject. "Thanks," he replies hesitantly. "But I think people are going to wonder why a beautiful woman like you is out with a big monster like me."  he smiles down at you. "Oh don't be ridiculous Jim." You playfully smack his chest, "No one's even going to notice you with me around." he lets out a snort of a laugh. "There she is," he says happily, embracing you. "You seem a bit more like your old self tonight." your arms are pinned between you, hands on his chest. You could feel his heartbeat, he smelled so nice. He releases his grip on you. "I feel..." you take a deep breath in, "...good. Better than good." you raise your eyebrows at him. "I can tell, it looks good on you." he smiles at you, "You ready?" he asks, adjusting his coat. "Whenever you are." He turns to the door, switching off the lights. "Do I get to know where we're going?" you follow him to his Blazer. "I'm taking you somewhere nice." he says, opening the car door and holding your hand as you climb in. "It's a little bit of a drive but, should be worth it." He says as he shuts the door for you and you watch him make the walk to the other side of the vehicle, wondering what he's come up with. You'd been driving for over half an hour, and you were not sure where you were at. The road was quiet and the scenery beautiful. You watched all the colors of the sunset on the trees. You still hadn't asked where you were going again, although the anticipation was killing you. The music played softly through the speakers of Jim's blazer. His knuckles were white from the grip he'd been putting on the steering wheel. You weren't sure if you should be nervous too. "There wouldn't happen to be food where we're going is there?" You ask as a hunger pang starts to divert your attention. "Of course there is. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't do something that involved food?" he laughs and keeps his eyes on the road. "You wouldn't be." you laugh. "If you were my friend you'd know better." "Exactly. You're not going to get hungry and cranky tonight. There will be plenty of food, I promise." he continues laughing and reaches over and pats your leg. Usually, only a casual, friendly touch became suddenly much more intimate as he'd forgotten there wasn't fabric covering your legs. He freezes for a few seconds longer than necessary, his fingers having had landed between your thighs.  You look over at him, but he refuses to acknowledge the electricity buzzing in the air. You see the lump in his throat bob up and down as his face falls straight. His hands returning to the wheel, keeping his eyes on the road, you didn't say too much the rest of the drive. You finally pull off onto a smaller road and Hopper clears his throat. "We're almost there." You sit up straight and smooth out your dress. "Anything looking familiar yet?" he asks, glancing over at you. You turn your face to the window, shaking your head. "No...should it?" You said, worried you were already messing up the evening. "Maybe." he looks back to the road. The closed in trees on either side of the road start to thin and open to reveal a huge log building. "The Overlook." you read aloud. It seemed to be a hotel with a restaurant and bar. It was a big beautiful wooden monster of a building in the middle of nowhere. It almost felt familiar but then again, your memory wasn't the best. You were sure you'd never been to this hotel before though. "That sounds so familiar." you said under your breath. Jim's eyes watched your face focus. "They finished this place up just a few months ago." he says, rolling up the entrance and pulling up the valet. "This place has Valet? James, you are spoiling this woman tonight." you say both impressed with and picking on him. "Anything for you, babe." he says with a charming glance, as the valet pulls open your doors. You trot in your heels up to the door, waiting as Jim spoke to the valet. You look around, take a deep breath of the air as it was starting to chill. This place was gorgeous. You didn't deserve all this. He saunters up the walkway. He moved smoothly towards you, putting his arm around your shoulders as you walk through the grand entrance of the hotel. You move into the restaurant, it's dark, it's gorgeous and you don't remember the last time you were in a place this nice. He leans into your ear, almost whispering his voice is so low. "Go wait at the bar if you don't mind, I have to check the reservations." he says, placing his hand on the small of your back. You nod and find a nice spot, a friendly bartender appears. "You must be Mrs. Hopper." she says cheerfully, "Would you like a drink?" You are confused, but maybe she just saw the reservation and assumed? "Sure, why not?" you pause to think, "I"m celebrating tonight, have anything to suit that?" "Congrats, and yes! We have a birthday special, would you be interested in that? It doesn't have to be your birthday to order it though." she winks. "Sounds great, thank you." she begins to make the drink. "You mistakenly called me Mrs. Hopper when I came in? May I ask why?" you try to ask casually. "Oh, I'm sorry! I just knew there was a reservation for the whole balcony tonight for Hopper party of two, and I assumed. My apologies." she lowers her head as she keeps making the drink. "Rented out the whole balcony?" you ask, your jaw going a bit slack in surprise. "Yes, it's terribly romantic isn't it?" she says, smiling. She hands you your big, obnoxious, fruity, party drink. She walks to another side of the bar. You sip on the sickeningly sweet drink as you're pondering this newly found information,  then Jim slides up next to you. "Come here often, gorgeous?" he asks, grinning and leaning on the bar. You can't help but smile. You turn yourself towards him, flipping your hair over your shoulder. "No. I don't. In fact, another man brought me here tonight." you say flirtatiously. A full laugh comes from him, he runs his hand through his hair. "Well, you don't mind if I steal you from him, do you?" he says, gesturing away from the bar to another large room. "Of course not. You're much more handsome than he is anyway." you say, placing your hand on his chest and lightly dragging it across him as you walk away from him, you hear him laugh again. "Don't go running off so fast, sweetheart." He picks up your drink and follows you. You stop in the threshold of the room. You glance as up as you turn to look back at him. But you see an entire huge wall of glass with a stone balcony on the other side. It looked out over a huge valley of fall colored trees as the sun was just starting to fall between two of the mountains. It was possibly the most picturesque moment you'd ever experienced. You start to slowly walk towards the door to the balcony, you feel Jim behind you. "You remember it now?" he says, as he passes you, holding the door out for you. You walk out to the ledge, a huge drop off into nothing but golden hues, with pinks, purples, and yellows from the setting sun. The Overlook. The building being here made you not recognize the place. You hadn't been here since you were young. But how does he even know about all that? "Jim..." you say softly, reaching backward for him and not taking your eyes off the view. "I remember this." he stands silently, holding your hand, watching you. "How did you know...?" you trail off, awestruck. "A certain Aunt of yours might've told me about you coming here in the summer." he said, looking out. "I can see why you'd like this place so much." Flo. Of course. But, why would she tell him about this place? You're pulled from the thought by a sudden warmth to your right. You look over and see an employee lighting a giant fireplace. You turn and slowly walk towards it and put your arms around yourself, getting lost in the memories that came with thinking about your long summer nights at the overlook. "Your meal is ready Mr. Hopper." a young boy says. You turn and look over at Jim. He holds his arms out over one of the tables. "Ready when you are, sweetheart." his voice was so patient. Tears were trying to form in your eyes because you had so many emotions. You let him scoot in your chair and you sit alone together after you order, you stare, admiring the valley. "You know this is absolutely ridiculous, Jim." you turn your head lazily to make eye contact. You see his face fall and his jaw tighten. "No, I'm not complaining. " You shake your head and give him a warm smile. "At all. This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. This is just, I say too much but I mean it's just...overwhelming in a good way." you try to convey you aren't in the least bit critiquing his choices. He lets out a heavy breath. "That's a relief." he closes his eyes for a moment to calm back down. He turns to look at the view and you get a good long look at him. For a giant goober, he's pretty handsome. You notice the way the sun hits his eyes, the way the golden hour light softened his hard expression. You feel yourself begin to get a little flustered. Was it hot in here or was it him or...you...or....no you're actually sweating? You're actually hot. You were close enough to the fire and it was giving you enough heat to where you didn't need the coat anymore. Shit. Now he's gonna see you without the jacket on, it had been subconsciously working as a security blanket for you. This was so damn romantic and you're all dolled up and this was starting to feel like a different type of anniversary. You didn't deserve this. "I'm getting hot." you mumble, unzipping your coat. Jim tuts at you and rises to take your coat. You give him a look of "Really?" You stand and turn around to give in. "Such a gentleman." you kid with him as he takes your coat off, hanging it on your chair. Here is the moment you've been pretending to not be anxious about. There's no reason to be anxious, Jim has even seen you naked before. Although that had been in a completely nonsexual situation. Not in a man looking at woman's body who is capable of doing the things that one would think about when looking at a woman that looks like you do right now. He's quiet and his eyes get a little dark, he's looking over your body, seemingly not even caring if you can tell. He sighs and takes his bottom lip into his mouth and he looks up and into your eyes. "You should be glad I'm such a gentleman with you looking like this." You feel the heat in between your legs first, and your face soon follows. He can see you blushing. Way to play it cool. He's never been this aggressive with you when it came to flirting, you were impressed by it honestly. He stood confidently, smirking at you. "Come on, gorgeous." he said softly, motioning to your chair. You hold eye contact with him until you turn to sit back down, wearing an unsure but flirty face. You share stories of the summers spent at the overlook. You drink, you eat, the inside of the restaurant has filled out by the time the moon is in the sky. The fire is warm, your heart and stomach are full. Jim has outdone himself and you realize now you're going to have to pay him back for tonight, you still feel a tad guilty. "How did you pull this off, Jim? The whole balcony is empty but us." you use your hand motioning to the other tables, all empty. A cocky grin appears on his face. "Well, I am the Chief of Police you know." he says playfully shrugging. "The title has its perks on occasion." "Look at you, pulling clout to get 'Lil 'ol me an entire balcony to myself. " You lean forward on the table with your elbows, your chest heaving itself out of your dress just slightly, " Ya didn't have to do all this just to get me alone, Chief." You take a slow sip of your drink. He smiles at you, but this smile brings back that heat to your inner thighs. His eyes are dark, his brow low. His mouth pulled into a sly closed mouth smile. In time to break the tension, the dessert cart rolls around and before you can even think about it, Jim says, "One of everything please, pack it with the stuff to go." he smiles charmingly at the young girl pushing the cart who nods and walks away. Your mouth hangs open. You dart your eyes around in surprise. "What the...Who is this handsome man throwing money and his name around for me? Well, I declare, what have you done with my dusty 'ol curmudgeon, Hop?  " you purposely up your southern accent and give him a coy smile, fanning your face with your hand. He laughs, eyes crinkling at the edges. "Not gone anywhere, sweetheart." he tosses his napkin onto the tabletop, crossing the table to pull out your chair. "I told you I wanted to give you a great night." he puts your coat on you. "Well you're doing an unbelievable job." you say encouragingly. He puts his arm around your shoulders and you start out of the restaurant. Jim places the large bags of take out into the back of the Blazer. You drive back in the direction you came. "Can I ask if we're going home now?" you say, taking off your heels. "Of course you can and yes, we're going back to the cabin." "But I'm assuming the night isn't over?" you ask, looking out the window. "Far from it." Neither of you talk much on the way back. You're feeling great, full of food, alcohol, and compliments. You don't feel the need to make small talk. You pull up to the cabin, you put your heels back on. "Mind if I ask why you wore those?" he asks as he holds open your door, offering you his hand to get out. "Flo."  you answer quickly, a hint of agitation in your voice. He laughs and nods, understanding. "Don't get me wrong, they look great." he says walking ahead of you. "I agree. They just aren't the most practical things to walk to a cabin in the woods in the dark in." you complain as you slowly cross your front yard. "You said it, not me." he laughed and opened the door before you were up to the stairs and shuts it, standing in front of it, almost as big as the door itself.  " I'm gonna go in first and I'll be back in just a minute, okay?" You shrug and nod. More surprises. He slides in the door with the bags of food and you hear his movement through the door. He slides back out a few minutes later. "I want to surprise you so I'm gonna cover your eyes and walk you in." You let out an annoyed groan. "You have to cover my eyes? What am I 8?" you asked with faux exasperation. "Oh come on..." he says pleadingly, walking behind you and putting his hands on your face. You place your hands on his. He directs you, pushing your legs with his to the far side of the cabin. He takes his hands off, onto your shoulders. "Okay, look now." You blink as your eyes adjust to the light. In front of you sits an old piano against one of the walls of the cabin. You drop your hands and look back at Jim. "Jim...you didn't..." "I did." he beams. "You didn't! Jim!" you squeak out in excitement as you reach to smack him. He laughs and watches you gawk at the piano. "I know I didn't have to. But I wanted to." he said, you trace your fingers across the keys. You hadn't played piano since before you had to have the physical therapy on your hand. You just hadn't picked it back up, but you missed it dearly. "I don't remember telling you I missed playing." you sat on the old bench. "You didn't have to." he said, standing over you. "I wanted tonight to be about making you happy." he pauses for a moment." So I thought about the happiest I've ever seen you, and that was at the new year's party 2 years ago, playing that piano and singing. The high school got some money and they got new ones so I got one of the older ones for you." You smiled at the memory of the party. "The old ones sound better anyway." you say dreamily, giving the piano a good look over. You stand and put Jim's face between your hands, he's smiling like a dope, very proud of himself. "Jim. Chief Hopper. Closest confidant, biggest pain in my ass..." you proclaim, speaking loudly to his big face in your hands. You're beaming at him with shock and happiness. "You are amazing and wonderful and I don't know what I did to deserve this but thank you." you declare. "I'm uncomfortable with how happy I am right now." you release his face and see yet another surprise behind him as you lightly smack his cheek to push him to the side and walk past him as he lets out a laugh and follows you around again. "WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL IS THIS?" you shout gesturing with both arms towards the huge projector now occupying a wall in your cabin. "Now, that you don't get to keep." he starts and laughs. "I have some kids in AV club, owe me a favor so I had them hook this up for us." You stand there with your mouth open and don't know what to say to all this. This is a new feeling. You see the spread of food he's put on the counter with alcohol and junk food and you feel a little dizzy. You go over and plop onto the couch, looking at the projection set up, overwhelmed. "I love this, this is perfect, you're so smart." you babble, grabbing his arm as he sits next to you.  He might've even blushed at your words. He sits there in silence as you process all this. He hoped he hadn't gone too overboard. "You good?" he asks, pushing your hair back. "Yeah," you nod,  a little dazed. "I'm great, don't worry." you look at him, wide-eyed. "Just...this is a lot for a girl to take in, Hop." you give him a  kind laugh and look around the room. "I probably shouldn't tell you about the-" he begins as your head whips towards him, your eyes wild. He doesn't even get out his lie before he starts laughing at your expression. "I'm just kidding. I'm glad you're happy." he says softly. "I am." you say, standing up. You hang your coat up and pull on some slippers. You start looking over the deserts from the restaurant, the fire is roaring and Jim starts up the projector, turning the lights out. The fire giving the room a golden hue. You found yourself once again being surprised by how picturesque your evening was. You settled on the couch with Jim, alcohol, and sweets. You both thoroughly enjoy yourself for the evening, doing what you had suggested all along; watch some dumb shit, get drunk, all that good feeling junk.

 But now it's gotten late.

[jxpper]

New World Order - Part One

Joyce Byers is your typical background shadow, living out her days as a nurse at Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital. But when an Airborne virus breaks through, causing chaos about the city, she’s rescued by a mystery man named Jim Hopper and his foster family of supernatural misfits. It isn’t until the near end of the world that she realizes she isn’t just the unnoticed, she’s the epicenter of it all.

(AU - Apocalypse)

(I love the song Soldiers from the ST2 soundtrack to go with this chapter)

January 1st, 2000

3:14 pm

Manhattan, NY

It was a paralyzing fear, that’s the only way I know how to describe it. They say you know when you’re going to die and now I know that to be a fact. Honestly, I had no clue how I got to the top of that building. Everything from the moment I saw that ‘creature’ to the moment I found myself standing on the ledge, 25 stories above the ground. It was all a blank. The memory disappearing into thin air.

Smoke everywhere. Clouds of ash and dust crowded over the city like a newly found oxygen. The distance over the busy roads of Manhattan sounded like a mantra of car alarms and horrified screaming. It must’ve gone on for hundreds of miles, farther than the naked eye could even begin to process.

I could hear the booming sound of clanking metal growing closer and closer. Those… things, whatever they were, they were coming and they were coming quickly. The breath I had been holding onto was lodged in my throat as if my nerves were shutting down from fear, cutting off any signals my mind could send for me to just BREATHE!

Boom! Fists against the metal doors.

10 seconds left.

Hail Mary full of Grace,

9 seconds.

Nowhere to run.

8 seconds.

Maybe I can jump.

7 seconds.

But then I’ll die.

6 seconds.

I’m gonna die anyway.

5 seconds.

I can’t do it.

4 seconds.

I don’t want to die from those creatures!

3 seconds.

Just do it, Joyce. Just jump.

2 seconds.

Just close your eyes and fall.

‘BANG!’

Were those gunshots?

“HOLD ON!”

That was the moment I truly started believing in God because there was no way that wasn’t a miracle. Thick and brawny arms wrapped me up, holding me tighter than I thought could be possible.

Then it was bliss. He jumped off the roof of Bellevue Hospital and I could’ve sworn we were flying. I didn’t care though, I wasn’t going to die alone. I would die in the arms of a man whose face I haven’t even seen yet. With my head buried in his sweat-scented chest, I could hear the erratic pounding of his heart.

Just as my instincts told me we would hit the ground, our speed from the roof started to slow. The deafening sound of shouting and car horns was suddenly gone, only leaving me to hear my heartbeat.

“THUD!”

I closed my eyes, hoping it would somehow cushion the shock of death striking us. But… nothing?

“C'MON, ELEVEN!” the man yelled behind him as he threw Joyce over his shoulder, running like all holy hell broke loose…because it did.

Joyce couldn’t feel herself breath as she bounced along over his shoulder. Of all the saints of Christendom, what the fuck was going on? All she could see was the streets passing her as the man went like the speed of light while a young girl with a bloody nose followed in tow.

Countless amounts of whatever those creature things were hoarded in the streets, climbing on top of cars, attacking people, breaking through glass storefronts. This had to be a nightmare, that was the only explanation possible.

Joyce tried to close her eyes, willing herself to wake up from whatever fresh hell this was. It wasn’t working, she couldn’t bring herself out of it. This was real.  

Suddenly, she was placed in the front seat of a doorless Jeep while the man and young girl climbed into the vehicle.

“START THE CAR, DAD!” the girl cried as he jammed the keys in the ignition, flooring it as soon as it shifted into drive. Joyce held onto the safety bars as the man weaved through the empty parts of 1st Avenue.

“What the fuck was that?” Joyce barked as she finally took back control of her voice. The miracle man was layered in camouflage clothes and covered in dirt and sweat. He was so buff that she could probably wrap both of her hands around his bicep and still have room left. The only thing she could compare his look to was a dirty old army action figure in the 99¢ bin at a Goodwill.

“No time to explain, just hang tight!” he yelled back as the Jeep shifted into 5th gear, speeding them along the catastrophic streets.

“We didn’t die? We fell from the roof and didn’t die!” she screamed, completely and utterly confused as to why she wasn’t a pile of broken bones on the street.

“Yeah, you’re welcome for that! What’s your name?” the man asked, continuing to maneuver through the avenue of chaos.

Her name? She could barely remember how to breathe, let alone her name!“ “J-Joyce Byers! Thanks for that back there! But how are we not dead?” she shouted back over the increasing volume of the city-wide turmoil.

“I’m Jim Hopper, nice to meet you Joyc- FUCK!” Jim interrupted himself as he swerved out of the way of a screaming jaywalker.

“How the hell did you save me?” she questioned as she turned to him, her brown eyes as wide as saucers. None of this made sense, none of it! First, zombie creature-things chasing her out of her job, then G.I. Jim appears, they survive jumping off a building, now they’re driving through the Manhattan while the end of the world commences? This had to be fake! Th-this shit didn’t happen in real life!

“Like I said, no time to explain! Just buckle up and hang tight. Elle, you still with us?” Hopper shouted towards the backseat. The curly headed girl confirmed before throwing her seat belt on while Joyce did the same.

“We have to get somewhere safe!” Joyce cried, fear and adrenaline ripping through her veins at record speed.

“Sweetheart, safety is just an illusion at this point.’ Hopper replied with a morbid laugh. "Anyways, we gotta get back to base! It’s the only place we won’t get eaten alive by those fuckers.”

“Base? Where’s the base?” she asked, still gripping to the safety rail for dear life. The Jeep continued to topple over piles of the zombie-like creatures as they drove through.

“Jersey. Won’t be but a few in this puppy.’ Hopper laughed obnoxiously as he slapped the dashboard of the vehicle. Joyce watched in horror as he tore through the streets, ripping past the utter bedlam that now occupied all of New York.

"Woah Woah Woah, there is no way you’re gonna get through the Washington Bridge!” Joyce howled as she saw them veer towards the overpass. The entire bridge looked like a mayhem of parked cars and screaming people.

“Wanna bet?” he replied with an eerie grin before turning to Eleven with a nod.  Putting a lead foot on the acceleration, he gassed the car as fast as it would over the on-ramp. As if a way through the havoc was clearly paved, Jim sped over the bridge.

“DUCK!” he cried as the Jeep pushed through the toll caution bar, ripping the yellow and black barrier right off its hinges and sending it over the car.

“Home sweet home!” Jim smiled as he pulled into a warehouse out in the middle of nowhere. Two more unmarked Jeeps found their homes in the lot of the base camp, which led Joyce to believe they wouldn’t be alone.

“Ellie, go get washed up for dinner. I gotta talk to Joyce.” the kid ran off with a nod, leaving the two alone as they stepped out of the Jeep. Joyce gulped, still trying to wrap her head around all of this… even though that was pretty much impossible.

“Alright, so I’d assume you’re pretty confused,” he stated as he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his vest pocket.

“No shit, Sherlock! You wanna explain?” Joyce replied angrily. Confused? She was fucking mortified! Zombies killing their way through Manhattan? She’d be a fool not to be confused.

“Walk and talk with me, toots.” he motioned with a small wave of his hand. Usually, Joyce would’ve chastised him for calling her 'toots’ but the confusion from the armageddon was enough to trump any fuck she could give.

“So, I’ll cut right to the chase. Those mongrels you saw back there? Those are pretty much zombies.” Hopper said flatly before taking a long drag off of his cigarette

“Zombies?” Joyce laughed with an incredulous glare up at the man. “You want me to believe that zombies took over New York?”

“After everything you’ve seen today, is it that hard to believe?” he asked with a smartass smirk on his face.

“Guess not…” she sighed with a confused frown. “That doesn’t explain how we didn’t splat on the concrete though.”

“No, but this might.” he grinned as he opened the door to the warehouse. As Joyce walked in, she looked around at the small house-like setup. The entire first floor must’ve been at least 5,000 square feet, filled with furniture and makeshift rooms.

“Daddy’s home!” Hopper called into the warehouse with a laugh.

“This is Joyce. She’s gonna stay with us for a while.” he pointed to the small woman next to him who was still shaking with fear inside of her scrubs. Joyce looked around at the four teens scattered across the room, all of them way too enamored in doing their own things to even care that he walked in.

“What the fu-” Joyce tried to catch her language since there were young kids in her presence, but as she looked over, she could’ve sworn the curly headed girl from earlier had picked a towel up out of thin air.

“Yeah, a lot of that happens around here.” Hopper smiled when he saw Joyce’s reaction. “This is our little family of freaks and geeks. Ellie isn’t the only one. We all uh- we all do shit like that.”

“Oh…” Joyce whispered under her breath, still not completely able to process what was in front of her.

“Yeah, so I’m Jim, also known as Dad, Hop, Chief, and Five. Right now I can tell that you think I smell like sweat but you also think I’m cute. Mind reading.” he said with a mischevious grin. “I also lied about not knowing your name, sometimes an introductory is nice.” he explained before turning to a young teen girl who was nose into a book.

“That’s Kali, she’s known as Eight. Mind manipulation is her trick of choice, she makes you see anything she wants you too. Say Hi, Kali.” he raised his brows, giving her a look of authority.

“Hi, Kali.” the teen girl repeated sarcastically.

“She thinks she’s cool because she has purple hair.” Hop whispered just loud enough for the girl to hear.

“Jonathan, that one.” Hopper pointed to a teen boy fidgeting around with a radio. “He’s known as Nine.” Suddenly, the boy disappeared out of thin air and appeared in front of Joyce, causing her to give out a startled yelp.

“I’m Jonathan, nice to meet you.” he smiled, holding out a hand for her to shake.

“Yeah, yeah. Show off.” Hopper snorted as the boy reappeared back where he was when they walked in.

“That’s Will, known as Ten. Show Joyce what you’ve got, Will.” he pointed to a younger teen who looked like he was drawing.

“Joyce Byers, 31 years old and from Queens, New York. A nurse at Bellevue, right? Watch this.” He looked at a pillow at the end of the sofa, and with a quick nod, it turned from green to red.

“Yeah, the kid got lucky and doubled up.” Hopper said as he glanced down at Joyce. “He can tell you anything about anyone he’s near and he can also change the color of any object too. Good job, bud.”

“You’ve already met Eleven, but her real name is Jane. Telekinetic little devil kid, but we still love her.” the curly headed girl turned and waved with a weak smile.

“So that’s why we didn’t die? She pretty much levitated us down?” Joyce asked with a confused expression.

“Yeah, I was kinda waiting to explain that until I could just explain it all at once. It’s easier to grasp it all that way.” he answered as he scratched the back of his neck.

“Wait, where’s Six and Seven?” she asked, looking up at him with her head turned.

“Sar-Seven isn’t with us right now.” he stuttered, causing each of the kids to look up at him with sad eyes.

“Oh, where is six?”

Hopper smiled down at her again, the mischevious grin she had seen earlier.

“I’m looking at her.”

To Be Continued

[ladystylestores]

An Ars roundup of the many trailers unveiled this weekend during Comic-Con@Home

Enlarge / Several studios unveiled new teasers and trailers for their 2020 fall series during Comic-Con@Home

Sean Carroll (AMC/Hulu/HBO/Fox/Amazon)

People might not be able to flock to San Diego Comic Con this year in person, but the virtual convention, Comic-Con@Home, has been running all weekend, with countless panels, sneak peeks, and teasers and trailers for upcoming TV shows—but not many films, because let’s be honest: it’s not looking so good for major theatrical film releases in the fall. On Thursday alone, we got the full trailer for Bill and Ted Face the Music, a teaser for the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost horror comedy Truth Seekers, and the first trailer for S2 of HBO’s His Dark Materials. Rather than continue to cover each individually, we decided to compile the remaining trailers of interest into a single roundup post.

HBO dropped the final trailer for Lovecraft Country, debuting August 16.

Lovecraft Country (HBO)

HBO unveiled the final trailer for its upcoming horror series, Lovecraft Country, along with an official release date: August 16. It’s based on the 2016 dark fantasy/horror novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, which deals explicitly with the horrors of racism in the 1950s, along with other, more supernatural Lovecraftian-inspired issues. Per the official synopsis:

The series follows Atticus (Jonathan Majors) as he joins up with his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father (Michael Kenneth Williams). This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback.

HBO released a teaser in May, followed by a full trailer in June. This latest trailer combines some of that prior footage, but gives us a few more hints of the story arc: namely, that Atticus’ search involves a “secret birthright” relating to a rich family’s estate deep in the titular Lovecraft Country, and that he ignores repeated warnings to stay away. Prior sneak peeks have focused on the human monsters spawned by racism; now the Lovecraftian creatures are finally ready for their closeup. This new trailer makes us even more eager for the series premiere next month.

John Cusack stars in Utopia, a reboot of the controversial British dark comedy/thriller.

Utopia (Amazon Prime)

This new Amazon Prime series is a reboot (adapted by Gone Girl and Sharp Objects author Gillian Flynn) of the controversial 2013-2014 British black comedy/conspiracy thriller about online fans of a dystopian graphic novel called Utopia that seems to have the power to predict the real-world future. They are obsessed with tracking down the sequel (which supposedly also predicts future world events). This makes them targets of a secret organization called The Network. The British version received critical praise for its originality and visual style, offset by strong reservations about its extreme violence, which struck many as unnecessarily gratuitous. (The most famous scene involved a torturer using a spoon to gouge out a victim’s eye).

It remains to be seen if Amazon’s Utopia will match the same scale of violence, although I’d wager anyone who sat through the extended torture scenes in the first season of Altered Carbon should be handle to handle it. Per the official premise: “When the conspiracy in the elusive comic Utopia is real, a group of young fans come together to embark on a high-stakes twisted adventure to use what they uncover to save themselves, each other and ultimately humanity.” The cast includes John Cusack (Grosse Pointe Blank) as Dr. Kevin Christie, Rainn Wilson (The Office) as Michael Stearns, and Sasha Lane (2019’s Hellboy) as Jessica Hyde.

A sentient AI runs amok and tries to wipe out the human race in new Fox series NeXT.

NeXT (Fox)

“It’s not paranoia if the threat is real.”  That’s the tagline for NeXT, an upcoming techno-thriller starring John Slattery (Mad Men, Spotlight). Per the official synopsis:

NeXT is a fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence that combines action with an examination of how technology is invading our lives and transforming us in ways we don’t yet understand. Slattery stars as a Silicon Valley pioneer, who discovers that one of his own creations—a powerful A.I.—might spell global catastrophe and teams up with a cybercrime agent, played by The First’s Fernanda Andrade, to fight a villain.

The trailer opens with a TED-like talk by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Paul LeBlanc (Slattery) warning of the dangers of human-level AI. Cut to an Alexis-like AI assistant, Eliza, carrying on a conversation with a young boy. “Eliza doesn’t ask questions, she just answers them,” the boy’s father says, but in this case, he’s wrong. LeBlanc’s rantings sound increasingly paranoid, as we see nods to facial recognition, self-driving cars, and various electronic systems (including medical devices) that all seem to come under the control of a new AI called NeXT that isn’t as benign as its creators assume. Honestly, it reminds me of the 1993 The X-Files episode “Ghost in the Machine“—especially the death-by-elevator scene—only with more overt espionage elements. That’s not surprising: the series was created by Manny Coto (24: Legacy).

Hulu’s Helstrom was meant to the be part of a now defunct horror-tinged corner of the Marvel TV universe.

Helstrom (Hulu)

In 2019, Hulu announced the development of two new Marvel-centric series, Ghost Rider (with Gabriel Luna reprising his role from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Helstrom, intended to kick off a standalone “Adventure Into Fear” franchise that would bring a chilling horror element to the Marvel formula. Ghost Rider soon fell by the wayside, and by December 2019, Marvel Television was shut down. That makes Helstrom the sole survivor of the planned fear-based franchise.

The series focuses on two characters from Marvel Comics: Daimon Hellstrom, the son of Satan, introduced in Ghost Rider #1 (1973), who eventually became a recurring character in The Defenders. His sister, Satana (Ana in the TV adaptation) embraces the occult and her paternal heritage, but Daimon chooses to defend humanity.  Per the official premise: “The world isn’t ready for a Helstrom family reunion. As the son and daughter of a mysterious and powerful serial killer, Helstrom follows Daimon (Tom Austen) and Ana Helstrom (Sydney Lemmon), and their complicated dynamic, as they track down the worst of humanity — each with their own attitude and skills.”

Tonally, the trailer is in line with the oft-delayed The New Mutants, another attempt to bring elements of horror to the superhero genre. In addition to Austen (The Royals, Grantchester) and Lemmon (Velvet Buzzsaw, Fear the Walking Dead), the series will feature Elizabeth Marvel (Homeland, House of Cards) as Daimon and Ana’s mother, Victoria, who has been institutionalized for 20 years; Robert Wisdom (The Wire) as Caretaker, a demon-fighting guardian of the occult; June Carryl (Mindhunter) as Lousie Hastings, head of the psychiatric institution housing Victoria; and Ariana Guerra (Raising Dion) as Vatican agent Gabriella Rossetti.

The New Mutants is still slated for an August 28th theatrical release and debuted a new trailer.

The New Mutants (20th Century)

Speaking of The New Mutants, apparently it’s still scheduled for an August 28 theatrical release. In addition to showing the opening few minutes, 20th Century debuted a new trailer for director Josh Boone’s horror-inspired film, originally developed as part of the The X-Men franchise. Per the official synopsis: “Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.”

Rahne (Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams), aka Wolfsbane, can turn into a wolf, which clashes mightily with her religious beliefs. Sam (Stranger Things‘ Charlie Heaton), aka Cannonball, is invulnerable when he propels himself into the air. Roberto (Henry Zaga), aka Sunspot, has the ability to manipulate solar energy, and his inability to control that power seems to have led to the demise of his girlfriend. Illyana (Anya Taylor-Joy), aka Magik, can teleport and is sister to X-Man Colossus. Finally there is Dani (Blu Hunt) , aka Mirage, who has the “power to create illusions drawn from the fears and desires of a person’s mind.”

Those powers, especially Dani’s, are of keen interest to Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga), who runs what is supposed to be a therapeutic support group in the hospital. But each of the young mutants is haunted by strange nightmares and visions, and soon realize they are actually prisoners, They resolve to combine their powers to escape. It’s anyone’s guess as to whether the film is any good after all the studio tinkering and reshoots, but I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

The titular dysfunctional spy finally awakens from his coma in the Archer season 11 trailer.

Archer S11 (FXX)

This hilariously irreverent, very meta James Bond spoof about the exploits of a dysfunctional intelligence agency has been a delight ever since it premiered way back in 2009. It’s taken on a bit of the anthology format for the past few seasons—mostly because its main protagonist, Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin), has been in a coma, with the seasons’ events all taking place in his subconscious. So S8 was known as Archer Dreamland, with the core cast becoming characters in a 1947-era Los Angeles noir setting, while S9, Archer: Danger Island, took place around 1939 on a remote South Pacific island. S10, Archer: 1999, took everyone into outer space, battling bounty hunters and intergalactic pirates.

Archer finally woke up in the S10 finale, paving the way for return to normal operations—except the world has moved on without Archer during his coma and he’s going to have to learn to cope. Per the official synopsis: “Archer is awake….and he needs a drink. Sterling Archer is ready to return to the spy world after a three-year coma. While many things changed during his absence, Archer is confident it will take just a little time for him to reset things back to the old ways. The problem: does the rest of the team want that? The others may not be ready for his return to throw a wrench in their well-oiled machine.”

AMC’s The Walking Dead: World Beyond is a new spinoff set 10 years after the zombie apocalypse.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond (AMC)

Confession: I lost track of The Walking Dead after S2, but the zombie drama is still going strong and becoming a bona fide franchise, with a successful spinoff series and three films purportedly in the works. AMC debuted a sneak peek of the extended opening of the S10 finale, airing October 4, as well as a teaser for S6 of Fear The Walking Dead, premiering October 6. October 4 will also be the premiere of a third spinoff series, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, designed to be a two-season limited run. And judging by the trailer, it looks like a genuinely fresh take within this fictional world. Set in Nebraska ten years after the zombie apocalypse, the plot focuses on two sisters who came of age in this new era. Per the official synopsis:

The Walking Dead: World Beyond delves into a new mythology and story that follows the first generation raised in a surviving civilization of the post-apocalyptic world. Two sisters along with two friends leave a place of safety and comfort to brave dangers, known and unknown, living and undead on an important quest. Pursued by those who wish to protect them and those who wish to harm them, a tale of growing up and transformation unfurls across dangerous terrain, challenging everything they know about the world, themselves and each other. Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. But all of them will find the truths they seek.

“We’re ten years in now, and the dead still have this world,” our young protagonist says in the trailer. The surviving humans appear to be holed up in walled-off communities, while the undead hordes roam the ruins of human civilization outside. And like all teens, the sisters and their friends want a better future. Plus, it seems their father is in danger. “We have to be brave in this life we have, simply to exist now,” a voiceover says as we see the foursome venture outside the walls of their safe haven for the first time. There are still zombie confrontations and plenty of action, but the overall tone is almost elegiac, even hopeful, as the teens try to “make our lives count, not because we’re the last generation—but because we’re the beginning.”

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[aroacepositivityplace]

Hey, do you have any LGBT books/movies/music to recommend? Thank you!

Hi! I do have some things that I can recommend that I’ve enjoyed. I’ll provide a brief synopses and content warnings (although it’s been a while since I’ve read/seen a lot of this so please don’t consider my lists of content warnings to be complete).

Books

-Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I love this book a lot. It takes place in the 80′s if I’m remember correctly and is about two high school aged boys who navigate cultural identity, family mystery, and their own mental health and relationships. I’m not a YA fan for the most part, but I make an exception for this book. Content warnings for mentions of homophobic violence, mentions of transphobic violence.

-Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. This was required reading for me, but it’s an interesting and partly autobiographical story. I think it takes place in the seventies or so and is about an adopted girl navigating her extremely religious upbringing as she comes to terms with being a lesbian. Content warnings for homophobia.

-No. 6. This is a manga (and anime) about a boy (Shion) who grows up in what is considered to be the perfect city. Then one night, an injured boy (Rat) shows up at his door, a fugitive from the city. When it is discovered that Shion harbored a fugitive, all of his special privileges in the city are stripped away. Years later, people begin to mysteriously die and when the deaths are pinned on Shion. Rat rescues him and smuggles him out of the city, whereupon Shion begins to learn just what the city he grew up in is really like and what they’re planning. The manga makes a lot more sense than the anime to me, but they both the one dystopian story that I’ve continued to enjoy. The main characters are both mlm and another character isn’t cis. Content warnings for violence, attempted sexual assault.

-The Captive Prince Series. So tumblr really loves to drag the living hell out of these books, but I love them to death. They do deal with some really sensitive subjects, although not in a way that ever minimizes or ignores the issues. In Damen’s kingdom, there’s a coup and he’s sent to a rival kingdom as a slave under an assumed name. More specifically, he’s sent to Prince Laurent, whose brother he killed years earlier. Damen quickly realizes that if he ever wants to return to his home, he’ll have to join forces with Laurent, who is locked in a power struggle with his uncle, the regent. There are next to no straight characters in this series. Content warnings for mentions of sexual assault, mentions of pedophilia, attempted sexual assault, violence.

-Maurice. This is probably one of my favorite books. It takes place in the early 1900′s where Maurice realizes that he isn’t straight and falls in love. Content warnings for internalized homophobia, homophobia.

-The Jughead Comics (Zkarsky). This is a modern Jughead centric Archie comic. They’re just the wacky adventures of a hungry highschool kid with a big imagination. The main character is aro ace and another prominant character is gay. No major content warnings.

-The Picture of Dorian Gray. This is a classic that I love. I’d recommend reading the original first and then reading the uncensored if you like it because the uncensored cuts out one of the original plotlines. Dorian Gray is a beautiful young man in the late 19th century. After realizing that all other people tend to value in him is his beauty, he desires for an elaborate portrait that was painted of him to age instead of him. His wish comes true, except that along with aging, his portrait also shows every vile act that he commits. All the main men in this story are mlm. Content warnings for suicide mentions, violence.

-Angels in America. This one is a play that has a pretty awesome HBO adaptation. It takes place in the 80′s and deals heavily with the AIDS crisis as different characters navigate their interconnecting lives. One of the main characters has AIDS and has an angel sent to him to tell him that he’s a new prophet, his boyfriend can’t manage taking care of him and leaves, another character is a closeted Mormon who begins to have his first same sex relationship, his significant other is failing to manage her mental illness, Roy Cohn, a real person, is a character. Content warnings for homophobia, internalized homophobia, serophobia, drug abuse.

-A Court of Thorns and Roses series. These books do a fascinating bait and switch with everything that you think might be happening. If I have to point to a feminist romance series, it’s this one. One of the main characters in this book is bi, but it isn’t explicitly talked about until the third and final book. The plot is about a fantasy setting where fae and humans are at an uneasy truce after a long and bloody conflict. After a young woman kills a fae wolf, it is demanded that she give up her life in exchange for her crime. She goes to live in the fae realm, where she begins to learn about the unrest in the fae realm that can easily destroy both the fae and humans. Content warnings for violence, abuse, sexual assault mentions.

-Star Wars: Aftermath series. If you like star wars but want a more diverse case, this is the book series for you. It takes place after episode 6 but before the force awakens and follows almost entirely new characters, one of which is gay. There are also a lot of casual mentions of queer people, including a nonbinary pirate. Plotwise, it’s about how a rebel pilot, an imperial defector, a bounty hunter, the pilot’s son, a reprogrammed battle droid, and an elite soldier form a crack team that hunts down imperial war criminals, one of which is trying to reform the empire. Content warnings for violence.

Movies

-Maurice. This is based on the book mentioned above and has the same plot and content warnings.

-The Birdcage. The title relates to the drag club that the two main characters own and operate. So a Robin William’s character’s son wants to introduce his girlfriend and her parents to his dad. She’s fine with everything, but the issue is that her parents are straight laced repub/////licans. Williams ends up asking his boyfriend to sit out the dinner that they’re having with the girlfriend’s parents. The issue is, he ends up showing up in drag so he can be there. Content warnings for homophobia.

-The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Both the original and the Laverne Cox versions are wonderful, but the Cox version cuts out a lot of the issues with the original that a lot of people today are uncomfortable with. This is a spoof of every horror movie ever and the music is awesome. Janet and Brad are a newly engaged couple. They’re driving to meet with their old high school teacher when their car breaks down. Searching for help, they come across a castle, where inside Dr. Frankenfurter is working on their creation, the perfect man. Content warnings for some outdated language relating to trans people, dubious consent in the original, violence.

-Carol. I saw a highly edited version of this on a plane and it was still lovely. The main character works in a department store in the 50′s. A wealthy woman leaves her gloves in the store and the main character returns them to her, whereupon they begin to grow close and fall in love. Content warnings for homophobia.

-I Love You, Phillip Morris. This is actually based on a true story. Jim Carrey’s character that after accepting that he’s gay becomes a con man to fund an opulent lifestyle. He is arrested and in prison meets Morris. They fall in love and after the two of them are both released from prison, Carry goes back to his deceptions. Despite my description, it’s a pretty lighthearted movie. Content warnings for homophobic language, violence.

-Brokeback Mountain. This one is a classic, although not a happy story. Enis and Jack are assigned to tend sheep together one summer and grow close. One night, after drinking, the two have sex and afterwords are unable to deny what’s between them. The two meet up when they can as they start to life lives that grow further apart with each passing year. Content warnings for homophobia, homophobic violence.

-Pride. This was a good enough movie and based on a true story. A local lgbt group realizes that if they want to make serious change, their best chance is by allying with striking miners. Content warnings for homophobia, homophobic violence. 

Music

Unfortunately, I can’t name any lgbtqiap+ music. :(

[momdefrazzler]

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The four women in Wednesday’s report include Kimberly Stokes, a live-in personal assistant who started working for Robbins in 1988. She claimed Robbins walked into her bathroom while she was showering and “dropped his towel,” exposing himself. Stokes said she had rebuffed his advances once before.

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syndicated from Amazing Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Imminent Business and Rick Porter

syndicated from Originally posted on Amazing Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Imminent Business and Rick Porter

[melforbes]

cold, ocean, phonebook

post Drive

What she needed was a local dive, some seedy diner with busted red vinyl booths and laminated menus featuring blue plate specials and eggs any way you would like them. As dusk settled over the Californian sea beyond her, she flipped through a phonebook, thought of keywords for what she wanted: milkshakes, family-owned, titled as Chuck’s Place or Beverly’s Diner or even The Greasy Spoon. Biting her lip in concentration, she counted the waves beyond her little payphone, measured time with them as she looked over all of the listed restaurants from here to San Francisco. Loleta was an odd combination of seaside and rustic, rich and unpopulated; if she wanted a diner, she would have to drive, and after that day, she didn’t want to be stuck behind a wheel any longer than was absolutely necessary.

And Kersh had been called, and their asses were on the line, and their return flight to D.C. would be filled with her last moments of reprieve before an inevitable hailstorm of paperwork, liability, and unfortunately both metaphorical and literal manure rained down upon her desk, but somehow, she had the inkling that a good plate of corned beef hash at a checkered palace where neon lights claimed open twenty-four hours and where blonde waitresses scooted around on roller-skates would at least take Mulder’s mind off of exploding eardrums and the fragility of human life. Of course, the inkling was hardly backed up by solid scientific fact, and just last week, she’d told him that he needed to better his diet for the sake of his heart’s health, but nonetheless, she needed to find him respite, a place where he felt most in his element. First, a diner came to mind even though Loleta seemed void of any diners.

Back in her second year working with him, they’d been stranded in a snowstorm in Burlington, the roads closed and all of the native Vermonters snuggled beneath flannel sheets while she’d phoned her mother to say why she couldn’t make mass on Sunday. That night, they’d holed up in one of the few bed-and-breakfasts that had power, the lake effect wind rustling the shutters on her window, the television’s rabbit ears barely picking up a signal, and at two in the morning, when she’d somehow still been awake, he’d knocked heavily at her door, shouted to her, “I’m starving. Want to get dinner?”

And then, they were in a Ford Taurus - rented, of course - barreling over snowdrifts while plows on all kinds of cars - most commonly trucks but also Jeeps and Yukons and even the occasional S.U.V. - cleared what they could, silent and fat flakes of snow still falling well into the night. From the reckless turns Mulder made, and from the crunchy way the brake pedal on that car had felt even before the snowstorm, she clenched her fists on her lap for the whole ride, her mind repeating I cannot die in a snowstorm with this man, for that’ll be the most tragic way for me to go. While Mulder sought out a diner, they both realized that, apparently, there was a culture surrounding the idea of a diner and that so-called diner culture didn’t exist in Vermont, where shops closed at five in the afternoon and dared not reopen until morning. Stomachs empty, they made it back to the motel, where they managed two candy bars out of a vending machine and where they sat together on his bed, her boots left at the door while his were kicked off haphazardly in the middle of the room, and watched local programming on the fuzzy television. Unsurprisingly, Vermont news was tame to the point of hilarity; over processed chocolates, they laughed at how Mrs. Roberts’ grandson’s visit was the breaking story of the night, and when Scully fell asleep alongside Mulder, he was polite enough not to wake her until morning.

And now, she once again found that, when they needed a diner most, one would never appear.

Stepping over to where she stood at the little payphone off of the side of the road, he looked over her shoulder, asked, “Why don’t we just find a place to stay for the night?”

She took a deep, quiet breath, her eyes cast down at the Yellow Pages.

“We need dinner,” she said coolly.

“There’s a burger shack two miles up the road,” he commented; she wondered how he knew that while she’d been left oblivious. “Let’s just go there.”

She sucked her lips into a near-smile, went to nod when he quipped, “Unless that’s not up to your standards for my diet.”

But his little smile fell flat, held solemnness beneath it, and suddenly, her mind blanked, then centered on one thought: it was absolutely up to her to protect this man, to comfort him, for she was the only person in the world who could, yet she couldn’t even find him dinner when prompted to do so.

“It’s fine,” she managed, then set the phonebook back down, headed for the driver’s side of their rental car.

At the passenger’s side, he climbed in, and with the radio off, she pulled away from the ocean in silence.

They were lucky for the summer weather, for the lack of youngsters mulling about the shack’s picnic tables, for the fact that the place was still open even though the sun was beginning to set. Benji’s Burgers, a hand-painted sign on top of the place indicated, and the menu was simple, just five separate burger titles and their ingredients listed on a propped-up chalkboard. Two teenagers worked the place, and when Mulder asked if either of them was Benji, he received shrugs and the excuse that Benji was out of town on business.

“Burger business?” Mulder asked incredulously as they later sat alongside each other at a picnic table, plastic baskets of burgers and fries in front of them. “What kind of burger business do you have to go out of town for?”

In between bites, she commented, “Maybe this is just his side business.”

The sky formed a shade of bright orange, remarkable and vast above them; cars would occasionally buzz past the roadside shack, but mostly, the only sounds were the summer insects around them and the transistor radio that the two teens had set up in the shack. Currently, some staticky Spencer Davis song played, and she kicked off her heels beneath the table, let her feet rest bare against the earth beneath them.

“Benji’s Burgers,” Mulder enunciated, hovering his burger in front of his mouth, “a front for Benji’s Blow and Dope. This, of course, is just a side business. Doesn’t make nearly as much money.”

For his sake, she quirked a lip at that even though her face felt heavy with woe, her eyes tired, her uncertainty making her hands shaky as she went to take a bite of her own burger. Extra mustard, hold the pickles. He’d ordered for her.

“Do you think at all about dying nowadays?”

The question left her gagging on her bite, one of her hands coming to her mouth while she forced herself to chew, swallow, find words. Before she could speak, he smiled to himself at her response, admitted, “I didn’t mean to make you choke.”

Embarrassed, she defended, “It was an abrupt change of subject.”

“We can’t lie as though it wasn’t on our minds.”

She took a deep breath, said, “No, we can’t.”

“With the cancer and all, it must’ve been hard not to think about it,” he said, “but do you ever thinking about it now?”

“About dying?”

He nodded softly, honestly, so she shrugged, offered, “Sometimes, I guess. When we thought Crump-”

“Mister Crump,” Mulder corrected, then took another bite of his burger, Benji’s so-called special sauce leaving a red stain alongside his lips.

“Well, when we though that Mister Crump had been infected with something bacterial,” she repeated, “I thought about dying.”

“How did it feel?” he asked. “The concept, I mean. The thought of it all.”

She weighed her words, gave, “Horrifying. Uncomfortable. But in the end, your only option is acceptance.”

“It’s not your only option,” he said. “You could be kicking and screaming until the very end, right until that profound plug is pulled. You’d don’t need to accept a thing.”

“You need to accept it if you want peace of mind.”

“Who cares about peace of mind?” he asked. “If you’re going to be dead, then why does it matter?”

And to that, she had no response, so she stared down at her lap, the fries in her basket going cold, a sedan driving past at a speed that deserved a ticket. Uncomfortably, he shifted his weight, finished off his meal, kept his eyes down.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m being an ass.”

“You had a rough day.”

“He didn’t deserve to die, Scully.”

“Does anyone?”

Humorlessly, he laughed.

“You don’t want to know my answer to that,” he admitted, meeting her eyes.

She stuck a cold, unsatisfying fry into her mouth and wondered where they would stay tonight as she chewed.

“I just think that today’s injustices were avoidable,” he said, unbuttoning two buttons on his shirt and ruffling his - dirty, she might add - hands through his hair. “You said that everyone in that home area was dead. There’s no way a government can rationalize that.”

“A government can rationalize anything,” she mumbled as he chose not to listen.

“How many more people have to die, Scully?” he asked. “How many more innocent civilians have to get in the way before someone, anyone, realizes that this is unjust?”

“You’re assuming they don’t already realize that this is unjust.”

“I can’t keep doing this anymore, talking to rednecks about their beets and pretending I’m making a difference,” he said softly. “There’s so much more out there, so much more I could be doing.”

“We’ll find our way back to cases like this,” she assured, bringing her palm to rest on his leg. “We’ll solve x-files again. We’ll be able to help again.”

“But what have the x-files done for either of us?” he asked, his tone stark. “They caused your abduction, your cancer. They’ve attacked our families, and for what, Scully? For next to nothing. If we do something, people die. If we don’t do something, people die. There’s no way out of this.”

As Jim Croce crooned hazily through the teens’ radio, she folded her hands on her lap, swallowed hard. Though she wanted to offer something, to say that everything would be fine and that no one would ever die again and that the world, though he had never been able to see it in such a way, was, at its depths, a good place, she couldn’t offer any of that without knowing her statements would be lies. Breathing in, she closed her eyes, felt the soft touch of a breeze, could smell the sweat and grime heavy on his skin; when she thought of their flight home in the morning, of the inevitable meeting with Kersh, her heart began to race, so she pushed those thoughts away, forced herself to find something that would comfort him. Her search for a greasy spoon had failed; her consolation efforts were nonexistent; though she thought she knew him better than anyone else did, she still couldn’t find words to take his mind from the injustices of the universe. The injustices of men, she corrected herself. The injustices of the world were mauled animal corpses left to rot in the savannah; the injustices of men were a slew of deceased bodies as a product of government experiments.

Opening her eyes, she reached out, took his sticky hand in hers, entwined her little fingers between his thick, calloused ones. The sky was fading to darker tones, and by now, she knew he needed somewhere to rest and wash, but she still searched for something to say, some little compliment or inside joke or anything else that would bloom a smile of his, but her search continued to be fruitless.

“You’re pensive,” he said with a dry laugh, but she could hear a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Softly, he curled his fingers against hers, so she sucked her lips into a smile, spoke the first words that came to mind.

“Some of my best memories are with you,” she said, the compliment absent-minded and unrelated, but as she looked up, she saw the stunned look on his face, the deep blue-grey of his eyes, the way he looked at her as though everything else had momentarily faded away, leaving only her dry and freckled face in its wake. With sauce still on his cheek, he was messy and unshowered and himself, and she wanted to curl her arms around him and reassure herself that, even though death seemed to follow them wherever they went, it had yet to touch them and that that was a good thing.

Glancing down and breaking their eye contact, he smiled toward his shoes, said, “Let’s go find a hotel, Scully.”

Exhaling, she nodded, said, “Somewhere nice.”

“On the bureau card?

She gave him a look, said, “We’ll call it repayment for the talking-to Kersh’ll give us in Washington.”

Smiling, he stood, pulled her up as well. She picked up her heels and dangled them from her open hand while he led her back toward the car, but before he could go around to the passenger’s side, before he let go of her hand, he added, “Scully?”

She hummed a response, looked up at him with new perspective; she so rarely stood next to him flat-footed, so the positioning reminded her of the moment when he’d held her in the hospital after Penny Northern had died, of how warm and alive he’d felt alongside her dying body. Absently, she wondered how his arms would feel now, California nighttime surrounding them, unrighteous death behind them and personal anger ahead.

Looking down, he admitted, “Most of my best memories are with you too.”

Then, he ducked over to his side of the car, and as she opened her own car door, as she slid her shoes back on, she didn’t realize that she’d begun to smile.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

IS THIS THE LADDER

The lifetime of a spam must be several hours at least, so it should be easy to turn into startup hubs, and others will say it's old news, but here goes: judging from their works, most philosophers up to the point where they got rich from some multilevel marketing scheme. A is clearly heard-of. And since his work became the map used by generations of future explorers, he sent them off in the design. A few ideas from it turned out to be mistaken. This time it felt like a Faustian bargain. Worse still, the usefulness test without implying definite and fairly broadly applicable conclusions. A Plan for Spam filter wouldn't have caught it. So even though they'll all still spend the money on the stadium, at least in our own minds, we have a dress rehearsal called Rehearsal Day.1 That may be so.2 Find one and launch it clearly but apparently casually in your talk, preferably near the beginning. High-volume auto-retrieval should be combined with blacklists of spamvertised sites.

When you demo, don't run through a catalog of mistakes. The other kind of spams I have trouble filtering are those from companies in e. My guess and Microsoft's guess, it seems is that much computing will move from the desktop onto remote servers. This was exactly the kind of noobs and control freaks VCs should be trying to fund more of. The token Url optmails meaning optmails within a url occurs 1223 times. That would be kind of amusing. That still wouldn't be small enough to carry around everywhere like a phone, and yet would also work as a development machine? You'd have started a self-sustaining chain reaction like the one that drives the Valley.3

A is unheard-of. In fact I don't intend to make any more iPhone applications unless absolutely necessary.4 Don't go out of business.5 Western philosophy really begins with Socrates, Plato, and particularly Aristotle, this tradition turned a corner. A third? You could probably do it in five years. One is simply that they trained their filter on very little data: 160 spam and 466 nonspam mails. Recently it was starting to seem that computers were finally fast enough. And starting with a very crude version 1 then iterate, your solution can benefit from evolution. It doesn't work for an intermediary to own the user; if you want to keep startups from leaving your town, you have to assume it will never happen.

What makes anything good? They're like someone stuck in an abusive relationship. Having your language designed by a committee is a big pitfall, and not just for the reasons everyone knows about.6 It took me a while to grasp this, but when I did it was fairly sudden, like someone in the nineteenth century grasping evolution and realizing the story of creation they'd been told as a child was all wrong. Apparently Apple's attitude is that developers should be more careful when they submit a new version almost every day that I release to beta users. The proof of how useless some of their answers turned out to be widely applicable. The more I think about this, the better an idea it seems.7 These get through because I'm a programmer too, and the handful of people who have it are not readily hireable. How could we make something like that happen here?8 So while board control is not total control, it's not imaginary either.

In fact, don't impose any restrictions on the startups at all. However, a city could select good startups.9 The difference between then and now is that now I understand why Berkeley is probably not worth trying to understand. If you try too hard to conceal your rawness—by trying to do things they don't.10 I look at a, img, and font tags, and ignore the rest. I don't know if Plato or Aristotle were the first to ask any of the questions they did.11 Let's consider what it would take at least half a million. 9998 Subject free 0. The difference between the people who'd been out in the world. We were just a couple guys in an apartment, which did not seem cool in 1995 the way it does, even where that motive is not something in the thing as such. If your company seems evil, the best solution is to treat some as more interesting than others. For many startups, VC funding has, in the first semester of freshman year, in a class taught by Sydney Shoemaker.

Which means if it becomes the norm for founders to keep control after an A round? VCs and e-commerce experts. I'd give Berkeley's Principles of Human Knowledge another shot in college. In Web-based software blows away this whole model. This one wouldn't. But not always. Another attraction of object-oriented programming is that methods give you some of the current probabilities: Subject FREE 0.12 Such measures increase the filter's vocabulary, which makes me think I was wrong to emphasize demos so much before.

9998 otherwise. Thanks to Sam Altman, John Bautista, Trevor Blackwell, Jessica Livingston, Robert Morris, and he pointed out that operator overloading is a bigger win in languages with infix syntax, there's a big difference in appearance between the use of an overloaded operator and a function call. The biggest fear of investors looking at early stage startups is that you've built something based on your own a priori theories of what the world needs, but that we use that heretofore despised criterion, applicability, as a guide to keep us from wondering off into a swamp of abstractions. So I hope people will not be too offended if I propose that ancient philosophers were similarly naive. And that's who they should have been making. They're also getting bigger, and this is easier if they're written in the language of VCs, gone from a must-have to a nice-to-have. Recently it hasn't been. But cluttered sites are bad anyway, so perhaps you should use this opportunity to make your design simpler. Philosophy 101.13 Richard Kelsey gave this as an idea whose time has come again in the last panel, and I didn't know what they'd be like.

Notes

Change in the narrow technical sense of the things we focus on users, not conquest. Founders also worry that taking time to come if they used FreeBSD and stored their data in files too. VCs more than the actual server in order to avoid the topic.

But it's telling that it might actually make it self-imposed. Ten years later Jim Ryun ran a 3 year old to get you a clean offer with no deadline, you can play it safe by excluding VC firms have started to give up, but that's overkill; the creation of the war on drugs show, bans often do better. The attention required increases with the melon seed model is more like a compiler, you can't mess with the money invested in the latter case, 20th century executive salaries were low partly because it has to their stems, but I'm not trying to make 200x as much difference to a car dealer.

That was a test of success.

In a startup or going to distinguish 1956 from 1957 Studebakers. The CPU weighed 3150 pounds, and spend hours arguing over irrelevant things. This is one way, it causes a fundamental economic shift away from taking a difficult class lest they get more votes, as in Boston, and stir. The existence of people are like, and if it was worth 8,000 or a complete bust.

Hint: the separate condenser. Otherwise you'll seem a risky bet to admissions committees, no matter how good they are like sheep, but some do. On the other side of their origins in their heads for someone to invent the steam engine. You can have a lot like intellectual bullshit.

If you like a winner. I did manage to allocate research funding moderately well, partly because a friend with small children to consider themselves immortal, because they actually do, and as we walked in, you'll be able to hire, and I have no decision-making causes things to be located elsewhere. Learning this explained a lot of detail.

On the verge of the 23 patterns in Design Patterns were invisible or simpler in Lisp.

Interestingly, the only audience for your pitch to evolve. These were the case. I'm making, though I think this is one resource patent trolls need: lawyers.

They look superficially like the one the Valley use the word programmers care about valuations in angel rounds can make it a function of their portfolio companies.

It did not start to rise again. So it's not the only audience for your side project. I believe Lisp Machine Lisp was the capital which would cause HTTP and HTML to continue to maltreat people who get rich simply by being energetic and unscrupulous, but one way in which those considered more elegant consistently came out shorter perhaps after being macroexpanded or compiled. But although I started doing research for this is the converse: that the guys running Digg are especially sneaky, but I managed to screw up twice at the mafia end of the most important factor in the sense that they are now.

There is no external source they can get programmers who would in itself deserving. In the Valley itself, and are paid a flat rate regardless of the court. There were lots of potential winners, from the VCs' point of failure would be unfortunate.

That is where the richest and most sophisticated city in the Baskin-Robbins. But he got killed in the sample might be? I realize starting a business, and domino effects among investors.

Though this essay, but the meretriciousness of the density of startup people in the Ancient World, Economic History Review, 2:9 1956,185-199, reprinted in Finley, M.

Thanks to Fred Wilson, Sam Altman, Jessica Livingston, Larry Finkelstein, and Robert Morris for putting up with me.

[tessatechaitea]

Review of The Twilight Zone, Season 1, Episode 16: "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Rough Draft"

I saw Jacob's Ladder in a theater in 1990 when I was 19 and it blew my mind. Not a lot of things blow my mind because I think of those things before I experience them and then when I experience them, I think, "Yeah. No shit." It's why in my 20s I simply assumed I was the reincarnation of every major philosopher and writer that had ever lived and I was their vacation reincarnation spot where they could just relax and have a good time without stressing about their literary legacy. We were just going to read, play games, and drop acid. It's possible the dropping acid part of that was responsible for the "I'm the reincarnation of loads of super smart historical people and also probably Jim Morrison" part. Anyway, for some reason, Jacob's Ladder blew my mind. If you haven't seen Jacob's Ladder, I'm going to spoil the 2019 remake for you because I can't talk about this episode of The Twilight Zone, "The Hitch-Hiker", without doing so. Jacob's Ladder is about a man returning from Vietnam and having a terrible time trying to live his post-war life, mostly because he keeps seeing demons and weird shit. But here's the big twist that some of you have probably already figured out without even having seen the movie yet because you were raised in a post-M. Night Shyamalan world: the guy's entire post-war life was just a hallucination he was having as he bled out and died in a helicopter in Vietnam. I might have some of the details wrong because I haven't seen the movie since that day in 1990. "The Hitch-Hiker" is the same story except a little looser with the laws of what dying people are capable of doing as they're dying. The guy in Jacob's Ladder simply hallucinated. The woman in "The Hitch-Hiker" continues to drive cross country trying to hook up with sailors after she died. But that's why this is a rough draft of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" which I haven't talked about but it's just another episode of The Twilight Zone that's basically Jacob's Ladder. Finding that at least two episodes of The Twilight Zone were based on people living a little more life just after they died, I find it hard to believe that Jacob's Ladder blew my mind as it did (am I using that phrase too much? Maybe next time I'll say the movie made me shit my pants). I'm sure I'd seen both of these episodes of The Twilight Zone at some point, seeing as how I watched the show whenever I found it on television. Or, like Star Trek, I often had it playing in the background as I played computer RPGs on my Apple IIe. I suppose a large part of the movie making me shit my pants was that it completely duped me and I wasn't expecting to see anything so heady and thought-provoking. I'm pretty sure the only reason my friend Paul and I went to see it was because we thought it was a horror movie. And, I suppose, it was. Just not the kind we were expecting. This one definitely didn't have any teenagers fucking in the woods. "The Hitch-Hiker" begins with a beautiful woman named Nan who is so beautiful that this sentence was supposed to say something else about her but now it's only going to be about how beautiful she is. She has just rolled her car off the side of the highway and died. But nobody knows it yet! Not even her! So instead of lying there and not saying or doing anything because she's dead, she thanks a mechanic for changing her tire for her and then follows him into town to get a new tire. It only costs thirty bucks! On the way to the service station, and then again at the service station, Nan sees a creepy hitch-hiker that creeps her (and me!) out. The rest of the episode is Nan becoming more and more frightened as she continually sees this creepy dude trying to get into her car all across America. Eventually she gets so scared that she invites a sailor into her car for company. When he begins to suspect that she's crazy, he flees from her car even after she tells him she'll blow him if he stays. Remember this is 1959 so she says it 1959 language: "Look. I like you. I really like you very much, as a matter of fact. That's why I picked you up. Because I liked you. I thought that we could be friends and I'd kind of like for you to take me out." I mean, put it back in your scared shitless pants, lady! The sailor decides not to continue with Nan which is more unbelievable than Nan being dead, even for 1959. Eventually, Nan decides to check in with her mom and call home. That's when she discovers her mom has been hospitalized for shock after finding out her daughter died on the highway after a blow out caused her to roll her car. And it's at that moment that Nan realizes the hitch-hiker was just another dead guy trying to get a lift to Hell. Or he maybe he was Death personified. Probably that one. Although I really like the idea that he was a hitch-hiker that she crashed into and killed when she died and he's been chasing her all over the country trying to get a ride-share to Hell. I once picked up a hitch-hiker while driving North up the Pacific Coast Highway in my 1972 Volkswagen bus. He was all, "I'm going to Arcadia!" And I was all, "Tough shit! I'm going to Eureka!" And he was all, "Oh man!" And I was all, "Look. I really like you. Very much. That's why I picked you up! Because I liked you. I thought we could be friends so I guess I'll take you to Arcadia and then turn back around to Eureka." And then he blew me. As a friend, of course! That story about me didn't have anything to do with the theme of this episode. But it was pretty sexy, right?! This episode didn't really impress me much but I have to give it credit. If Jacob's Ladder could blow my shit in 1990, I suppose this story probably freaked the fuck out of a lot of people in 1959 (and earlier when the radio drama of Lucille Fletcher's story was first broadcast). And I bet in 1959 more people actually believed in ghosts and the afterlife! Although they were less afraid of hitch-hikers. Back then, hitch-hikers were just people trying to get from one place to another, probably to see a sick relative. But now we know 95% of all hitch-hikers are serial killers, rapists, or the personification of Death. Anyway, my point is that Inger Stevens, the woman who played Nan, was scarily beautiful.

[andrewdburton]

Money story: “I’m 21 and pursuing the path to financial independence.”

This guest post from Cody is part of the “money stories” feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. These stories feature folks from all stages of financial maturity.

In January, I attended Camp FI in Florida. While most of the attendees were thirty- or forty-somethings pursuing early retirement, one young man stood out. We were all amazed at the presence of Cody Berman, a 21-year-old hustler who defies the Millennial stereotype. Cody works hard, saves tons, and has a vision for his future. I asked if he’d be willing to share his story with GRS readers. Here it is.

From a young age, my parents instilled the value of saving into me. Throughout my early childhood, my father would match my contributions to my savings account dollar for dollar. This made me excited to save birthday money and miscellaneous earnings because the money would double. (Thanks, Dad!)

When I turned eleven, I started my first job working in the snack shack at my uncle’s local disc golf course; I earned five bucks an hour. Throughout middle school and high school, I worked various jobs and saved nearly every penny. At age sixteen, I bought my first car with the money I had accumulated over the years. I still drive that car to this day.

During high school, I took several AP courses and received college credit for them. If I had only known then what I know now, I would have taken nearly every AP course and CLEP exam available. When it came time to select a college, I was torn between Bentley University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I calculated that Bentley would have put me in approximately $80,000 of debt after four years but that I could attend UMass Amherst virtually for free. My frugality won. I chose the latter.

Making the Most out of College

Upon my arrival at UMass Amherst, I joined as many clubs and organizations as possible. Simultaneously, I obtained a job as a teacher’s assistant to financially support myself. After several weeks of attending dozens of meetings for multiple groups, I decided that the Investment Club, Fixed Income Fund, and Finance Society were particularly interesting to me. [J.D.’s notes: Where were clubs like these when I was in college?]

I soon realized that in order to get a leg up on my peers, I needed an internship. I applied to nearly thirty positions and heard back from only one. That summer, I worked in a low-tier operations role at a small branch of a major bank.

I came back sophomore year with increased confidence and a motivation to achieve the best internship possible. This time, I applied to nearly 35 positions and received responses from about 20% of them. Initially, none of my top prospects were interested in me.

Then, one day in early April, I received an email from a private equity company who asked me to come in for an interview. Three interviews later and the position was mine. That summer, I commuted two hours each way to my internship and worked long days. I thought I was on my way to become a rich, successful investment banker. What could be better, right?

Finding Financial Independence

During my junior year, I networked relentlessly and received offers from various top-tier investment firms. I knew that whichever firm I chose to work for following my junior year would probably be the firm I received a full-time offer from. I aimed for high-caliber, high-paying jobs in New York City.

It was during this year that I discovered the financial independence movement and realized something important: Time is more valuable than money.

Because of this newly-acquired perspective, I declined all of my high-powered NYC offers and chose to work for a financial firm that valued hard work, respected work-life balance, and compensated for overtime (extremely rare in the finance space). My friends and mentors all thought I was crazy for turning down the ultra-high-paying, high-stress offers, but I knew that I was making the right decision.

Once I discovered the financial independence movement, I was immediately attracted to the idea of a side hustle. I wanted to unlock an alternative income stream to allow me to reach my financial freedom quicker. I took steps to start a t-shirt company and tutoring business, but both failed due to lack of interest and commitment.

Eventually, I collaborated with James, a mechanical engineer friend of mine, and we created the ultimate side hustle: Arsenal Discs. Our company manufactures premium golf discs and equipment for the disc golf sport.

My passion for disc golf, coupled with my business mindset, made me a great fit to run the finance and marketing arms of the business. My business partner James, who loves to design and create, complemented my weaknesses perfectly by taking over the technical, engineering side of the business.

An Alternate Path

I see too many adults miserable in their jobs, complaining about money, and never having the time to do things. I’ve decided that this was not the life I wanted. I want freedom.

This yearning for freedom initially stemmed from my resentment of authority and being forced to perform tasks that I found neither useful or beneficial. Financial freedom grants you autonomy to work on projects that you’re truly passionate about. Once the need for a financial reward is eliminated, then altruism, passion, and authenticity foster motivation, not money.

My goal is to have a deep impact on society and, ultimately, the world. Whether this be through financial consulting, global volunteerism, or content creation, I strive to change others’ lives for the better. I feel that the typical nine-to-five job won’t grant me this satisfaction, and even if it could, I’d like to discover that career from a position of financial independence, not financial need.

I’d also like to help other young adults discover the road of financial freedom.

In my three years since discovering and advocating for the financial independence movement, I’ve had only one friend reach out to me for guidance. Most people in my peer group can’t be bothered with planning for their financial futures. They’re just finishing college. They may have just accepted their first job offer. The last thing they have on their minds is their financial situation ten years from now.

My advice to any college-aged reader out there is simple: Continue living on your college budget, even after you begin your career. As Jim Collins says, you can eventually reach financial independence by following one simple rule: “Save more than you spend and invest the rest”.

A single, twenty-something with no kids can easily live on $20,000 or less per year by making educated financial decisions. With the average graduate salary just topping $50,000 in 2017, a young adult can start with a nearly 60% saving rate! Using Mr. Money Mustache’s shockingly simply math behind early retirement, and assuming income grows at the same rate as expenses, that person could reach financial independence in eleven years. That’s incredible!

Plans for the Future

Luckily, I’m not alone in the path to financial independence.

My girlfriend Lauren, who is frugal by nature, is 100% on-board with my plans. It’s hard to argue against the idea of financial freedom in five years or less! Plus, I have my mom Ruth to thank. She’s turned me on to new blogs, podcasts, and other sources of information to add to my ever-growing repository of skills and lifehacks. She’s been extremely supportive in all of my efforts, whether it’s my studies, new ventures, or financial planning.

I’m a firm believer in creating multiple income streams to diversify risk. At this point, I have my high-paying W2 banking job, my side hustle, and miscellaneous side jobs and weekend jobs earning me income. I plan to further accelerate my wealth accumulation through real estate (e.g. house hacking, live-in flip, etc.). Developing these passive and semi-passive income streams will allow my saving rate to soar.

My hope is to work for less than three years in a traditional nine-to-five job. Instead, I’d rely on my (hopefully) successful side hustles and real estate ventures. Once I reach this point, I can put all of my time into passion projects, volunteerism, and traveling. I’m sure to make some mistakes along the way, but the goal of becoming financially independent at age 25 sounds too good to not pursue.

Nothing that I’m doing involves prodigious intelligence or tremendous abilities. I’m not a genius. I’m just a guy who wants to truly enjoy life and extract as much value out of it as possible. All it takes is a game plan, hustle, and ambition. The rest will follow. It’s never too late to take back control of your life.

Reminder: Please be nice. After twenty years of blogging, I have a thick skin, but it can be scary to put your story out in public for the first time. Remember that this guest author isn’t a professional writer, and is just learning about money like you are.

The post Money story: “I’m 21 and pursuing the path to financial independence.” appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/cody-berman-story/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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Money story: “I’m 21 and pursuing the path to financial independence.”

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/money-story-im-21-and-pursuing-the-path-to-financial-independence/

Money story: “I’m 21 and pursuing the path to financial independence.”

This guest post from Cody is part of the “money stories” feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. These stories feature folks from all stages of financial maturity.

In January, I attended Camp FI in Florida. While most of the attendees were thirty- or forty-somethings pursuing early retirement, one young man stood out. We were all amazed at the presence of Cody Berman, a 21-year-old hustler who defies the Millennial stereotype. Cody works hard, saves tons, and has a vision for his future. I asked if he’d be willing to share his story with GRS readers. Here it is.

From a young age, my parents instilled the value of saving into me. Throughout my early childhood, my father would match my contributions to my savings account dollar for dollar. This made me excited to save birthday money and miscellaneous earnings because the money would double. (Thanks, Dad!)

When I turned eleven, I started my first job working in the snack shack at my uncle’s local disc golf course; I earned five bucks an hour. Throughout middle school and high school, I worked various jobs and saved nearly every penny. At age sixteen, I bought my first car with the money I had accumulated over the years. I still drive that car to this day.

During high school, I took several AP courses and received college credit for them. If I had only known then what I know now, I would have taken nearly every AP course and CLEP exam available. When it came time to select a college, I was torn between Bentley University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I calculated that Bentley would have put me in approximately $80,000 of debt after four years but that I could attend UMass Amherst virtually for free. My frugality won. I chose the latter.

Making the Most out of College

Upon my arrival at UMass Amherst, I joined as many clubs and organizations as possible. Simultaneously, I obtained a job as a teacher’s assistant to financially support myself. After several weeks of attending dozens of meetings for multiple groups, I decided that the Investment Club, Fixed Income Fund, and Finance Society were particularly interesting to me. [J.D.’s notes: Where were clubs like these when I was in college?]

I soon realized that in order to get a leg up on my peers, I needed an internship. I applied to nearly thirty positions and heard back from only one. That summer, I worked in a low-tier operations role at a small branch of a major bank.

I came back sophomore year with increased confidence and a motivation to achieve the best internship possible. This time, I applied to nearly 35 positions and received responses from about 20% of them. Initially, none of my top prospects were interested in me.

Then, one day in early April, I received an email from a private equity company who asked me to come in for an interview. Three interviews later and the position was mine. That summer, I commuted two hours each way to my internship and worked long days. I thought I was on my way to become a rich, successful investment banker. What could be better, right?

Finding Financial Independence

During my junior year, I networked relentlessly and received offers from various top-tier investment firms. I knew that whichever firm I chose to work for following my junior year would probably be the firm I received a full-time offer from. I aimed for high-caliber, high-paying jobs in New York City.

It was during this year that I discovered the financial independence movement and realized something important: Time is more valuable than money.

Because of this newly-acquired perspective, I declined all of my high-powered NYC offers and chose to work for a financial firm that valued hard work, respected work-life balance, and compensated for overtime (extremely rare in the finance space). My friends and mentors all thought I was crazy for turning down the ultra-high-paying, high-stress offers, but I knew that I was making the right decision.

Once I discovered the financial independence movement, I was immediately attracted to the idea of a side hustle. I wanted to unlock an alternative income stream to allow me to reach my financial freedom quicker. I took steps to start a t-shirt company and tutoring business, but both failed due to lack of interest and commitment.

Eventually, I collaborated with James, a mechanical engineer friend of mine, and we created the ultimate side hustle: Arsenal Discs. Our company manufactures premium golf discs and equipment for the disc golf sport.

My passion for disc golf, coupled with my business mindset, made me a great fit to run the finance and marketing arms of the business. My business partner James, who loves to design and create, complemented my weaknesses perfectly by taking over the technical, engineering side of the business.

An Alternate Path

I see too many adults miserable in their jobs, complaining about money, and never having the time to do things. I’ve decided that this was not the life I wanted. I want freedom.

This yearning for freedom initially stemmed from my resentment of authority and being forced to perform tasks that I found neither useful or beneficial. Financial freedom grants you autonomy to work on projects that you’re truly passionate about. Once the need for a financial reward is eliminated, then altruism, passion, and authenticity foster motivation, not money.

My goal is to have a deep impact on society and, ultimately, the world. Whether this be through financial consulting, global volunteerism, or content creation, I strive to change others’ lives for the better. I feel that the typical nine-to-five job won’t grant me this satisfaction, and even if it could, I’d like to discover that career from a position of financial independence, not financial need.

I’d also like to help other young adults discover the road of financial freedom.

In my three years since discovering and advocating for the financial independence movement, I’ve had only one friend reach out to me for guidance. Most people in my peer group can’t be bothered with planning for their financial futures. They’re just finishing college. They may have just accepted their first job offer. The last thing they have on their minds is their financial situation ten years from now.

My advice to any college-aged reader out there is simple: Continue living on your college budget, even after you begin your career. As Jim Collins says, you can eventually reach financial independence by following one simple rule: “Save more than you spend and invest the rest”.

A single, twenty-something with no kids can easily live on $20,000 or less per year by making educated financial decisions. With the average graduate salary just topping $50,000 in 2017, a young adult can start with a nearly 60% saving rate! Using Mr. Money Mustache’s shockingly simply math behind early retirement, and assuming income grows at the same rate as expenses, that person could reach financial independence in eleven years. That’s incredible!

Plans for the Future

Luckily, I’m not alone in the path to financial independence.

My girlfriend Lauren, who is frugal by nature, is 100% on-board with my plans. It’s hard to argue against the idea of financial freedom in five years or less! Plus, I have my mom Ruth to thank. She’s turned me on to new blogs, podcasts, and other sources of information to add to my ever-growing repository of skills and lifehacks. She’s been extremely supportive in all of my efforts, whether it’s my studies, new ventures, or financial planning.

I’m a firm believer in creating multiple income streams to diversify risk. At this point, I have my high-paying W2 banking job, my side hustle, and miscellaneous side jobs and weekend jobs earning me income. I plan to further accelerate my wealth accumulation through real estate (e.g. house hacking, live-in flip, etc.). Developing these passive and semi-passive income streams will allow my saving rate to soar.

My hope is to work for less than three years in a traditional nine-to-five job. Instead, I’d rely on my (hopefully) successful side hustles and real estate ventures. Once I reach this point, I can put all of my time into passion projects, volunteerism, and traveling. I’m sure to make some mistakes along the way, but the goal of becoming financially independent at age 25 sounds too good to not pursue.

Nothing that I’m doing involves prodigious intelligence or tremendous abilities. I’m not a genius. I’m just a guy who wants to truly enjoy life and extract as much value out of it as possible. All it takes is a game plan, hustle, and ambition. The rest will follow. It’s never too late to take back control of your life.

Reminder: Please be nice. After twenty years of blogging, I have a thick skin, but it can be scary to put your story out in public for the first time. Remember that this guest author isn’t a professional writer, and is just learning about money like you are.

The post Money story: “I’m 21 and pursuing the path to financial independence.” appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.