#captain Catalina silver

[captaincatalinasilver]

Ugh I miss the old Bonnie Anne and Ratbeard voice actors so bad :’)

Maybe the new VAs will grow on me.

[pardoncaptainkidd]

The Quedagh Merchant was Captain Kidd’s last big capture. This ship had been missing since 1699, with only a burned rope tied to a tree left behind. It had been a mystery for centuries what had happened to this vessel and if it had housed treasure on board that Kidd had claimed on his voyage. Kidd had only reported supplies, guns/cannons and a few goods on the ship, however people did not believe he told the truth since he was accused and wanted for piracy. In 2007, cannons were discovered 25 meters off the shore line of Isle de Catalina in the Dominican Republic by a snorkeler. The Dominican Republic’s Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático (ONPCS) was contacted, who then contacted the Indiana University to have their archeology department come out and investigate the findings.

In 2008, the shipwreck was investigated and it was confirmed that this was the Quedagh Merchant’s wreck, thanks to cross referencing historical records, documents and data. One document they used was the written testimony from William Kidd himself, reporting a description of the Quedagh Merchant and its cargo:

“And that there is on board the same the Several Goods following first About one hundred and fifty bayles Seventy or eighty Tons of Sugar About ten Tons of Iron in short junks About fourteen or fifteen anchors Forty Tons of Salt Peter About Twenty Guns in the hold Thirty Guns mounted being the Guns lately belonging to the Adventure Galley There is no gold or silver on board that he knows of saith he The Ship is about four hundred tons in burthen built at Surrat by the Moors. All her seams are rabbeted.”

After surveying and identifying the contents at the shipwreck, it was confirmed that all of the non organic matter matched Kidd’s testimony. Having this evidence helps further argue Kidd’s honest intent with his return to the colonies. He did not want to hide or run, because he knew he had not committed any piracy.

You can read more about this shipwreck and its history in Captain Kidd’s Lost Ship: The Wreck of the Quedagh Merchant by Fredrick H. Hanselmann

[tony-stark-ing]

Hi, I have been looking at your blog (I am following you!) and I love it! I am a huge Marvel fan too and Tony Stark is one my favorites too!

And I agree with all the things you say about him and I also love how you give his female counterpart, Natasha Stark love too because she deserves it! (I am sad Marvel only gave her one panel and that is it! She would’ve been fun to show up in Multiverse of Madness, but no, Marvel wanted to show other counterparts, don’t get me wrong, they are awesome too but I feel like Marvel should be giving their underrated characters and alternate counterparts love too)

I also draw Marvel fanart too! I have an art blog here, @grabbergirlarts you can look at if you want to. I’m on Instagram too and I put direct links in my art blog because the artwork is on Instagram too. I just draw Marvel fanart and they are of how I see the characters and what kind of fates I want them to have (I call it “My Marvel Fanon”) (I draw Natasha Stark sometimes, my version is different from your’s because I see her as a woman with short hair and I also see her as a stressed out mom, you can’t tell me that her and Captain America did not have children after that wedding in her dimension, I bet they did, in my fanon, in her dimension, she adopted the Maximoff Twins and had 3 children with CA. My last fanart is of her pregnant because I was drawing something that they should’ve shown in MoM, Dr. Strange getting America Chavez’s little sister that Marvel does not care about, her name is Catalina, I depict her as a newborn because that’s how I see her and I imagine that she’s in Natasha Stark’s dimension, where America and Dr. Strange are greeted by a broken NYC, a pregnant Natasha Stark in tears (she’s crying because she saw lots of parents die, including America’s, I can see her being very upset whenever she sees parentless children), and her Vision (who is silver) handing them a charred birth certificate).

Also, are those drawings your art? You’re amazing! Happy to meet another Marvel fan who loves Tony Stark and draws fanart of him and the other characters!

Hi!

I love Natasha Stark and wish more people did stuff with her as well. I'd love to see a comic set in that universe where she is married to Steve. I think it would be really interesting, even if it was a limited run.

I went through your art blog and enjoyed your work. Keep it up! Glad you are showing Natasha and all those characters some love! Really interesting fanon!

Thank you! ❤️ I really enjoy painting with watercolors. I need to do some more, haven't touch my paintbrushes in a few weeks.

[adrienneleclerc]

Sirius Black Must Die: Chapter Two

Sirius Black X Ravenclaw Fem Reader

Disclaimer: Since it’s an AU in the present day without Voldemort, the muggle-borns and half-bloods can use present day technology. I like to think the pure bloods have their version of muggle technology, wiz-tech if you will

MASTERLIST

Before heading to detention, Alessia talked to Sirius in the Gryffindor common room, Ximena talked to Sirius in the Great Hall, and Catalina talked to Sirius in their transfiguration class. Sirius said the same thing to the three of them.

“You know, I don’t know why girls say stuff like that. I mean, I think they’re just jealous of what we have. Because we share something special. Something we don’t have to label. You know it’s an unspoken bond and I love how secure you are.” Sirius said to them and they end up making out.

The three girls went to McGonagall’s office to receive their punishment and they saw that YN was already there.

“Because you four fought each other during Defense Against the Darks Arts, the four of you will have to polish the silver in the trophy room without magic. 5 points removed from each of your houses, now get to work.” McGonagall said. The four girls made their way to the trophy room and Alessia spoke up.

“So I talked to Sirius, it was sweet. He said he felt bad for you and that you were jealous because we share something special. Something that we didn’t have to label because...” Alessia was interrupted.

“Because it’s our unspoken bond and I just love how secure you are?” Catalina filled in the blank. YN was just watching this whole thing unravel

“And it hurts me to hear you question it? Because you’re the..” Ximena started

“Only girl for me?!?” The three girls completed in anger.

“I can’t believe that total arse said the same thing to all of us.” Catalina said as she stopped on the middle of the corridor.

“Figures. First he makes up with us, then he shags us..” Alessia started but was interrupted by Ximena.

“Wait, The two of you shagged?” Ximena asked curiously.

“Sirius and I share something special.” Alessia said as she begins to walk down the corridor and they finally make it to the trophy room. YN was the only one that started polishing the silver because apparently the girls haven’t finished her Sirius Discussion.

“Like what? Like how you both have been in your pants?” Ximena accused. YN winced, Ximena seemed so sweet, never saw this side of her.

“No, of course not. We both like quidditch, have similar music taste, and have excellent stamina.” Alessia said, YN gagged as she was polishing.

“Gryffin-whore” Catalina said in between coughs.

“Oh right, like you haven’t been slithering in his bed like the snake you are?” Alessia replied. “Besides, I don’t know about you two, but Sirius and I belong together. We’re co-captains of the quidditch team, we’re both Gryffindors, and we’re both incredibly hot.”

“Oh, like he’d take either of you two seriously” Ximena said, tired of Alessia and Catalina fighting.

“Don’t lump me with her!” Catalina said pointing at Alessia.

“So what, now you think you’re better than me?” Alessia questioned angrily and offended.

“Just shut up.” YN said quietly but it seems like they heard her.

“Excuse me?” Ximena questioned offended.

“What?” Catalina and Alessia questioned annoyed.

“Sorry, forget I said anything.” YN said and went back to polishing.

“If you have something to say, say it, we won’t get mad. At least I won’t, don’t know about the other two.” Ximena said sweetly and gave YN a shy smile. YN smiled back.

“I’ll say what’s on my mind when the three of you start helping me, we will get this done a lot quicker.” YN said and the three girls started polishing the silver after they picked up the rags that was left for them. “Okay so about this Sirius Black guy. Did he call you guys “love”, “darling”, or “sweetheart” when you went on your so-called dates? Yeah, he doesn’t do it out of affection, it’s so he doesn’t mix up your names. He’s all about an unspoken bond or something special but never about a real relationship? Like he never asked you guys to be his official girlfriend. This whole arrangement was your idea so you feel guilty he cheated. Tell me if I’m warm.” YN said.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were the fourth girl Sirius was hooking up with.” Alessia commented, laughing a little as she was polishing.

“Um no, but I knew a guy like him back home.” YN said.

“You’re right, he’s always making me feel guilty.” Ximena said as she turned to YN.

“It seems to me that if a guy treats you like that..” YN started but was interrupted by Alessia.

“That you’d break up with him, blah blah blah blah.” Alessia said as she put down the final piece of silver.

“Sirius would have another girlfriend in a second.” Catalina said,

“I didn’t say I’d break up with him, I would get even.” YN said,

“Who are you?” Alessia asked,

“She’s YN, she’s in our DADA class, a ravenclaw, and a year below us.” Ximena explained to Catalina and Alessia. “I’m a Hufflepuff, I know everyone.”

“I’m glad to see that we’re in first name basis.” YN commented.

“I mean if we’re gonna take Sirius down, we kinda have to be.” Alessia said and that’s when YN had a small stroke.

“I’m sorry what?” YN asked confused.

“Your plan to get even with Sirius? Like if we want this to hit hard, we need to start planning ASAP.” Catalina said.

“Ooh yes, we can meet in the kitchens, just tickle the pear in the portrait and it will open. This way we can plan this in secret and have snacks.” Ximena suggested. “Do we go after detention or wait a little while so no one gets suspicious?”

“Maybe wait a little while. And if all else fails, you can come to the Ravenclaw common room, just Google the riddle on your phone if you guys get stuck.” YN said. A few minutes later, they were finished polishing the silver and YN went to the Ravenclaw common room after answering the riddle correctly. She saw Charlie studying.

“Hey, Squirt, how was detention?” Charlie asked.

“I guess it was fine. Still hate the fact that I got detention for ‘vulgar language’ like what the fuck.” YN said and Charlie laughed.

“Can believe that. You swear like a sailor.” Charlie said.

“Yeah whatever, I’ll be in my room listening to music if you need me, dear Charlie.” YN said as she went to her dorm room and put on her headphones to listen to music until she dozed off.

When she woke up from her nap, she saw Alessia, Catalina, and Ximena by her bed.

“For fucks sake, what are you guys doing in my room?” YN asked.

“Your friend Charlie let us in. He’s really cute, sadly he’s younger than me.” Alessia said.

“He was held back, you can go for it. You’re here for the plan?” YN asked as she sat up on her bed.

“Yes actually. How do we go about killing Sirius Black?” Catalina asked.

“I mean there’s always the killing curse...” YN muttered.

“Not literally, my dear Ravenclaw, I meant like killing his reputation and everything he stands for, you know? Like he’s the face of the Marauders, he’s basically worshipped by every guy at Hogwarts minus the Slytherins obviously. And literally every girl drools for him.” Catalina said as she started to fidget with a stuffed bear on top of your trunk.

“I guess that depends. I mean what made you attracted to Sirius?” YN said.

“Well because of quidditch, his body is toned. His long fluffy hair that frames his face perfectly, his perfectly plump lips that are so soft against yours, how he knows how to kiss every spot just right..” Alessia said as she started to close her eyes, imagining everything,

“Hey, Gryffin-whore, please pay attention.” Catalina said and Alessia looked at her with squinting eyes “Sorry, Alessia, stop day dreaming about fucking Sirius.”

“I guess it’s just everything. Like he’s cocky but not so cocky that he’s unbearable. He has this sort of arrogance and confidence to him. Like he knows he’s hot and he owns that shit when he’s walking down the corridor. He’s incredibly charming, knows the right things to say, and like Alessia said, he knows how to kiss.” Ximena said, the two girls agreed. YN was writing all of this down on her laptop that her father gave her.

“What are you doing?” Alessia asked,

“Documenting our plan to destroy Sirius, we can’t just wing it, it has to be well thought out.” YN said. “Know, how do we destroy a man like Sirius Black?”

“I mean, he’s literally ALWAYS with someone, you know? Like he always has a girl with him or around him or literally all over him.” Ximena said.

“Yeah, I know, I saw him and Cat making out at the Three Broomsticks.” YN commented. “Wait, Can I call you Cat?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. And I can’t believe you saw that. Wait, that’s how you found out!” Catalina exclaimed.

“Yeah actually, I should have said something earlier.” YN said.

“Nah, we probably wouldn’t have believed you anyway.” Cat shrugged it off.

“I got it? To destroy Sirius Black we have to make him undatable! But it can’t be superficial, it has to be like his manliness, his ego, we need to destroy his confidence so that way he thinks twice about cheating.” Ximena said.

“Ooh, I like it, Hufflepuff. Didn’t know you had a dark side, Sunshine.” Alessia commented making Ximena smile shyly, she’s adorable. “But how do we do that?”

“We could always brew a Bulgeye potion to make his eyes swell.” Catalina said.

“But that’s a superficial thing.” Ximena said.

“Not if it happens when he’s on a date. I can slip the potion into his drink and when he’s on a date, his eyes bug out like crazy.” Cat said,

“Ooh that’s good, I like your thinking, but how about we go a little stronger, maybe a fungiface potion, make his face break out in fungi.” YN suggested.

“Evil, I like it, how long does it take to make?” Alessia asked.

“I’m not sure, probably 5 days.” YN said.

“Great, we can start tomorrow, I can ask professor Slughorn if he can let us use the potions lab for some extra practice, he will just eat that up.” Cat said.

“That’s good, that’s good. Give me your numbers so we can have a group chat.” YN suggested.

“Perfect, that way we can talk and no one will be suspicious about the four of us hanging out and being friends all of a sudden.” Ximena said. The girls exchanged their phone numbers and it was all good.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how come none of you noticed or why did you guys stay with him if he made you feel guilty?” YN asked.

“The three of us never got along. I think it was because of the train ride going to Hogwarts first year.” Alessia said.

“I remember that we were talking about which house we wanted to get into and we started bad mouthing each other’s houses. I guess we just never got over that, until now I mean.” Cat said.

“Well I’m glad you’re over it, and now go to your dorm before my roommates come in.” YN said, they all said goodbye and left, that was when Amara came in the room.

“What are you doing with them? They literally couldn’t stand each other yesterday.” Amara said.

“It’s nothing, Amara, we were just hanging out. You know, being in detention together actually helps you make friends.” YN said.

“Are you referencing The Breakfast Club, Lemonade Mouth, School Gyrls, or that one scene in the Power Rangers movie?” Amara asked.

“Breakfast Club, but I’m glad you understand Muggle pop culture.” YN said.

“Yeah okay, I hope you know what you’re doing, YN. Wouldn’t want to you to forget who your real friends are.” Amara said,

“I could never, you’re like my big sister. You up to watch a movie?” YN asked,

“Sure, I pick the movie though” Amara said as she sat next to YN to pick a movie from her laptop. YN was thinking about what Amara said and the plan for Sirius Black. What they were doing wasn’t bad, it was more like prancing him. He pranks the younger students all the time. It was perfectly harmless.

Taglist:

@blackpinkdolan

Hope you enjoyed this chapter 😊

[single-hot-pirates-in-your-area]

"The Wailing Mer" (one Galleon), "The Leatherback" (one Dutch Fleut), "The Twin Calfs" (two Schooners)/Lasses of Solitude: Over 320 women and children lead and live in these boats, all led by Giovanna. The "Wailing Mer", a large Galleon ship, is used as the Lasses of Solitude's base, holding tons of ammunition, cannons and treasure. The "Leatherback", a Dutch Fleut, is used as a merchant and trading ship, filled with lesser goods and items, but provides adult services and prostitutes for lonely men out at sea. The "Twin Calfs", two Schooners, are used for raiding, hunting and fishing, and traveling for small groups of women. The Lasses of Solitude is a women-only pirate crew that consists of young women, mothers, children and elderly. Everyone has a role to play on each of the ships, either being cooks in the kitchen, swashbucklers mopping up the floors, inventory keepers, treasurers, "sparrows" in the Crow's nests or nannies taking care of the little ones. Any rivals or thieves that aboard the crew's ships rarely return to theirs alive. Several sloops that consists of two or individual pirates are used as spies that guard the surrounding waters. Each ship has a certain number of row boats, depending on how much weight it can carry.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Ship_compartments

https://www.pirateshipvallarta.com/blog/pirate-ship/varieties-of-pirate-ships

Micaela "Siren Mica" Rackham: [27] A woman of aristocratic blood who was stranded at sea during a thunderstorm after her rich uncle's deck boat/ship was turned over by a tsunami, causing it to sink. All of the guests, including her parents, uncle's family, and grandfather, drowned and was taken down with the beloved ship, leaving Micaela as the sole survivor. As she hold on to a barrel for dear life, praying to God for a miracle, sirens found her and pulled her underneath the surface. But before she could become one with the sea in death, they feed her three enchanted siren gems and one mermaid gem that turned her into a half-siren, and now was able to breathe and speak clearly underwater. After the storm passed, Micaela resurfaced. After 2 hours of floating in the water, a small ship passed by. The owner, a solo pirate named Giovanna, helped the poor girl onboard. After spending a week together, discussing about their pasts and futures, Giovanna allowed Micaela to join as a crew member. Micaela is a young adult with slightly tan skin, black hair that fades into a sea-turquoise blue due to the magic of the sirens, and dark brown eyes. As the result of being born into an aristocrat family, Micaela is well-educated in mathematics, history, calligraphy and literature. She knows how to handle different weapons, but prefers her silver cutlass and small pistol. Often times at night, when she can't go to sleep, she'll go out into the deck and sing one of the songs she wrote or wail a sad tune to the sea; her voice is enchanted by the gems to be as emotional and beautiful while she's singing. [Bisexual] (Sea of Thieves/Pirates of the Caribbean)

https://seaofthieves.fandom.com/wiki/Siren

https://seaofthieves.fandom.com/wiki/Siren_Gems

https://seaofthieves.fandom.com/wiki/Merfolk

Captain Giovanna "Gia" Marino: [29] (Italian)

Irie Rasta: [26] (Jamaican) (inventory keeper)

Catalina "the Sparrow" Gorrión: [27] (Spanish/Spaniard) (always in the Crow's nest) (has multiple pet parrots)

Aruna "La Luna" Runaway: [22] (former slave; blacksmith and armorer) (has multiple moon phases tattooed on her arms, torso, and legs)

Ondine: [300?] (A water spirit that protects the crew use hydromancy and black magic)

https://powerlisting.fandom.com/wiki/Water_Magic

[catherine-parr-1512]

SixVengers - The Beginning (Fic 1) Chapter 4

Dr Anne Boleyn walked through the narrow corridors of the T.O.W.E.R. by herself that Friday afternoon. The director Meutas had phoned her earlier that day, asking her to meet with her as soon as possible. Fortunately for Meutas, Anne was free for the next few days and all calm so no risk of becoming Hulk during a meeting. The director didn’t specify what the meeting was about but Anne suspected it had something to do with her powers and how she accidentally became Hulk after she got angry during her Twitch stream. Anne, as a semi-professional gamer, said to herself that it wasn’t her fault that she had the misfortune of playing with one of those stupid kids. The only positive thing from that is that she gained 1.5 million new subs, after all, who wouldn’t want to watch a literal superhero play games and then change form when angry?

Anne had now reached the meeting room after asking for directions from one of the agents that she had passed on her way there. The room was located at one of the top floors of the T.O.W.E.R. headquarters, allowing a great view of most of London during the meetings. Boleyn didn’t bother to knock and just opened the door to the room.

Inside there were already 4 people. Anne, of course, recognised 3 of them - one of them being Director of T.O.W.E.R as expected, Joan Meutas. Next to her sat the darling of the United Kingdom and World War II hero, Captain Seymour. Then there was Catherine Parr, the owner of Parr Industries (created by her grandfather William Parr and is the greatest tech company in Europe when her father Thomas Parr became the owner) who was also the one and only, Iron Woman. Next to her sat the last woman, who was wearing the black uniform of T.O.W.E.R. with gold details showing that she was a high ranking agent.

“Good afternoon, Dr Boleyn. I’m glad you could join us.” Stood up Director Meutas as she made her way to Anne, shaking her hand in greeting when they met halfway through the room. “Allow me to introduce you to the others. They are; Captain Jane Seymour, Miss Catherine Parr aka Iron Woman and Agent Catalina de Aragon.” she pointed at each woman as she introduced them. “We’re just waiting for 2 more people to join with my 3 agents. They should be here soon.”

“I hope they will be here soon, Director. Not all of us can sit around all afternoon without knowing why they’re here.” Said Parr, getting up from her chair, stretching and making her way towards Boleyn. “People just call me Catherine or Parr, none of that Miss business.”

“Well, Parr, most people don’t bother with Dr Boleyn so please call me ‘Your Highness' .” The woman said with a wink.

“That will be a problem as you are rather short.” Said someone from behind Parr and it turned out to be Agent Aragon. Parr just chuckled and made her way back to her seat while Seymour shouted “ Catalina! ” from where she was seated.

“And here I thought that we would be friends but agent Aragon here has decided that’s not the case. I hope I won’t have to see you that much in the near future… Catalina… ” Smirked Anne, clearly enjoying annoying the other woman.

“It’s Agent Aragon for you, Boleyn.” replied Aragon, stepping closer towards Anne, enjoying being taller than the woman before her.

Meutas seeing that the situation could get out of hand rather quickly decided to intervene.

“I think it would be better if all of us would sit down. I got a message from Agent Salinas that they will be here soon with the other two. When they get here, I will explain why we are all here. It will be easier that way.”

“Maria is helping you with this? Huh, that’s why I hadn’t seen her earlier today.” Mused Aragon, taking a seat back at the table.

“Yes, Agent Salinas along with Agents Lee and Blount were tasked with helping us in this situation,” Joan said, taking a sip of water, mentally thanking herself that at least only two women were at odds with each other and not all 4 of them in this room. That would be a disaster.

5 women sat in silence for 5 minutes, waiting for the others to arrive and not knowing  each other well enough to make small talk. Parr, Boleyn and Aragon were on their phones while Seymour looked through the windows at the side of the room, enjoying the view of London and the sun entering the room.

The not-so-comfortable silence was broken by the sound of the door opening. Everyone turned their heads towards the newcomers.

First came in 3 women in T.O.W.E.R. uniforms, similar to the one that Aragon had but instead of gold details, they had silver details, Anne noted. The one that walked in first was of a similar age to Aragon while the other two were younger but not by much. Next walked in a dark-skinned, small woman dressed in red and black with short hair. She walked with a confidence that Anne liked. She recognised the red woman as Anna Von Kleves, the Scarlet Witch from Germany. Rather powerful but nobody knew how powerful. It was the last person that caught her attention the most.

A young woman (maybe even a teenager?) with light brown skin, brown hair that had pink ends. She didn’t walk as confidently as Scarlet Witch but more carefully as if trying to sense the danger. She didn’t remind Anne of anyone she saw on the internet or TV so it could be anyone.

Meutas introduced them all yet again, confirming to Anne the identity of the red woman as Kleves and the kid as Katherine Howard… Boleyn heard that surname before but knowing how names like that were common, she just accepted that and waited for the Director of T.O.W.E.R. to say more about her during the meeting.

As they sat down, Meutas stood up, gaining all the attendees’ attention.

“Thank you everyone for being here. I want to say that normally I would try to do something like this, as in all of you meeting for the first time, in a more… orderly manner however, the time we have left doesn’t allow us to do it.”

“Um, sorry but what do you mean ‘ time we have left ’?” Everyone turned towards Katherine and the young woman blushed, not expecting that. “I mean, it’s not like the world is ending, right?”

“I was getting into that but you are wrong, Miss Howard. The world is ending and you six, are the only people who can stop it.” Meutas sighed. Every single person looked at her in shock, clearly not expecting those words.

“Excuse me but can you repeat that? The world is ending? I mean, there is global warming killing our planet but I don’t think we can help with that.” Anne joked and Anna chuckled from the other side of the table while Katherine just smirked.

“The world is in danger of an invasion that will start tomorrow in London at 2pm according to our calculations. An invasion led by a man named Lord Henry.”

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss: I suppose you can assume what happens next

Having seen Top Cat and his crew off after a night's soaking in the hot springs making Palm Springs what they are (and, presumably, back at some motel before heading back to their Hollywood haunts), yours truly makes the rounds of Palm Canyon Drive (alias Hwy. 111), eventually becoming Gene Autry Boulevard, looking for something by which to kill the desert nighttime ennui, or what passes for it. And finds it, by sheer happenstance, in an all-night diner close to Downtown Palm Springs, itself close to several boutiques and a European grocery which happen to be run by Hollywood celebrities who otherwise would have nothing productive to make use of their Palm Springs cachet.

Order me some coffee and a Western omlette with Egg Beaters, just as I prefer it ... and who should come along not long afterwards than none other than--HUCKLEBERRY HOUND "HIMSELF"!! As I was to discern from Ol' Chuckleberry "himself" not long afterwards, it was just sheer boredom and happenstance that drove him to said diner, unaware that yours truly would be there that time of the desert night. He, too, chose coffee--but decided to add a cinnamon roll to same. Otherwise, not excepting the owl-shift staff, the diner was practically ours.

And whatever did you know--Huckleberry H. was coming up with another target for a Character Convocation: As in the last Saturday in February ... as in Catalina Island ... as in Avalon Harbour ... as in the Underwater Harbour Cleanup, the only time in the year divers would be permitted in Avalon Bay, ridding Avalon Bay of all manner of trash and debris left by boaters who inadvertedently throw such overboard. "Which reminded me," saith I, "of all the stories I recall reading of local boys who would greet the steamers coming into Avalon back in the day, hoping to catch the silver dollars of tourists throwing such overboard and into the harbour."

"Mighty amazing there, Snagglepuss," Huckleberry responded.

To which I remarked, "I understand some of our fellow Funtastics happen to be decent SCUBA divers themselves--as in Wally Gator, Peter Potamus, Breezly Bruin, Hokey Wolf and Ding-a-Ling, Lippy the Lion--"

"I bet you didn't know," Chuckleberry himself interjected, "that Captain Caveman happens to be a decent freediver himself."

"You mean--CAPTAIN CAVEMAN? THE Captain Caveman who's part of the Teen Angels?!!"

"Quite correct, Snagglepuss. And I bet you also didn't know that the Teen Angels themselves are also decent divers themselves."

"As in Brenda, Dee-Dee and Taffy."

"However did you know their names?"

"When you're one of the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera--or, for that matter, with the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera--it's obvious."

"I certainly think I had forgotten all about that prospect, Snagglepuss."

To which we had something of a hearty laugh, even as we were discussing where TC and crew have been making a habit of visiting Catalina on occasion, finding dates with the local female felines ... and enjoying the diving experience which The Magic Isle affords in its own unique way, by and large. Not to mention Spook's fondness for sitting in on the all-night jazz sessions in downtown Avalon, making him a sort of audience mascot.

(Oh, and did I mention my omlette?)  

[kovacissues]

There’s No Way I’m Falling (Dejan fic) Chapter 24

A/N: This is it, the last chapter! this is so bittersweet but I hope You all have liked this journey. Again, there is a link to the dress that is referred to in the text.

HERE you can find the rest of my fics!

Chapter 24: Badass Mother

*Dejan’s POV*

Seeing his wife look all happy and excited made him feel so amazing. Seeing her drunk was even better. It was something about seeing the love of his life dancing on top of the table in her third wedding dress. Luckily, the kids had already gone to bed because seeing this would be disastrous for them.

He leaned on the wall taking in the view, knowing he had to savour everything as he did not want to forget this glorious moment. She was probably the only woman he knew who could pull off being drunk, she looked so amazing in the dress and her hair cascaded her face perfectly.

“She is literally the female equivalent of me” Sime teased as he leaned on the wall next to him, making Dejan laugh ever so slightly.

“Are you saying I’m in love with you?” he replied, looking over at the man next to him, smiling at him. This could have made anyone think these two were in fact dating, but most of the people in the room were too drunk to even notice the smiles shared by the two of them.

“Aren’t you?” the shorter man kept teasing, sharing a wholehearted laugh with his best friend.

“I’m going to ruin this moment between us and say that nope” he answered sharper than he would have to, as he saw the devil incarnated enter the venue. “Anita” he hissed under his breath, making Sime look in the same direction as him.

“I will make her leave! It’s my duty as your best man” he stated and walked away before Dejan could stop him. He knew it was for the better that his friend did this except for him, but a huge part of him wished he could be the one throwing her out. He wanted to show Mimi she was the only one he even cared about.

He looked over at his wife, seeing her dancing cluelessly still on top of the table made him calm down a huge amount. When he got her attention, he smiled widely and walked over to her extending his arms. “look at you having fun” he cooed before she basically jumped into his arms and he twirled them around.

“This is the best day of my life” she squealed, hiding her face into the crook of his neck. “Thank you for trying to hide the She-devil from me, but I saw her” She whispered and he yanked his head back to look at her.

“I didn’t want her to ruin…”

“She didn’t… you came to me not to her” she reassured him and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Now I gotta go find her because I told her to get her ass here, I have some unfinished business with that skank.” After she had said that she got out of his arms, making him stand there confused.

---

“I really need a shower now… I can’t believe I felt clean enough to sleep last night” she said and looked down at her chocolate covered body.

“You tasted really good, though” he said, laughing at her before she threw the rest of her clothes at him and went to the bathroom.

“Don’t forget to sign the papers on the bed stand!” she exclaimed before she slammed the door shut.

Ever since she put those papers there he had wanted to check them out, but she had been pretty adamant about him not touching them before after the wedding. They had stayed at the hotel room the whole week before, and that entire time those papers had been there. Now was finally his time come, he was allowed to read them.

they were obviously written by some kind of legal team, it stated that both Anita and Mimi would have the right to be considered mothers of Elena and Josip. He knew she had said she had a surprise that would make the kids very happy, but he would never have expected this. They had actually come to an agreement about Mimi being in charge of the day to day issues about the kids, and Anita would, along with Dejan obviously, take care of more important cases. It was perfect.

“We didn’t want adoption because Anita IS still their mom, but we figured it was easier that someone living close to them had the day to day responsibility over them, along with you of course” Mimi explained as she emerged from the bathroom.

He looked up at her, unable to hide the huge smile he had on his face. “you really sat down with her to make sure the kids… you’re amazing” he told her as he stood up and embraced her.

“We don’t have to tell the children… they’ll be excited enough about us going to Disney World with them for our honeymoon” she smiled widely as she kissed him.

---

*Mimi’s POV*

“CROATIA DID IT! THEY ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!” Mimi couldn’t believe her own ears as the commentators at the stadium shouted out the verdict. All she wanted to do was to run down to the pitch and embrace her husband, the captain. She looked at Elena and Josip who were on their way down to their dad who was making his way over to the crowd to give his family hugs before going to get the trophy his country had dreamed about, to lift it above his head to the cheers of many thousand people. The twins started dragging her arm, getting her to follow them along with their siblings and she couldn’t help but oblige.

As she reached the railing and saw Dejan kissing his kids all over the face she felt her smile become even bigger. “You did it kapetan” she told him, making him look over at her showing all the tears on his face.

“The team did that” he stated, hugging the twins tightly before giving Mimi a huge kiss on her lips. “I have to go now, but I will come back here for you after” he informed them before running off with the team to applaud the silver medalists, before going up to get the trophy themselves.

Her eyes were now filled with tears, watching her husband lift the world cup trophy over his head, cheering with the rest of the team. “I wish I would be a part of that” Luka told Mimi as they watched both their men celebrate this incredible occurrence.

“You’re always with them Luka… They couldn’t have done this without you” she assured him, before they both grabbed their respective kids and got down to the pitch to meet the team. Catalina and Marina, Luka and Ivan’s daughter, walked hand in hand down making both Mimi and Luka smile widely as they watched them. “adoption was really the right thing for you two” she told him, and he nodded eagerly while holding their son, Mario.

As they reached the pitch, the kids instinctively ran towards their dads and clung to them for dear life. Ivan and Dejan, cute as they were, instantly started embracing their kids before moving over to their spouses. Almost simultaneously both of them grabbed their loves, before kissing them passionately putting all their love and excitement in it.

“Dejan Lovren, world champion, captain for Croatia” Mimi stated proudly as she gazed up at him.

“Noèmie Catalina Lovren, owner of your own company and badass mother” he replied, if possible even more proudly, before once again hugging her closely and letting go of her to gather the kids for a family picture with the trophy.

[captaincatalinasilver]

My eldest pirate Captain Catalina Silver. Witch doctor and musketeer 💚

[jonathanbelloblog]

A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear

Yesterday I crossed the street to visit Marilyn Monroe. The platinum-haired beauty wasn’t much of a car enthusiast—the only automobile she’s said to have ever owned was a 1956 Ford T-bird she received as a Christmas gift—but she did appear in the 1950 John Huston movie The Asphalt Jungle, the title of which I appropriated for the monthly column I’ve been writing for roughly 15 years now. So she’s in my “club.” Playboy founder Hugh Hefner lies immediately to Marilyn’s left, having long ago purchased the marble crypt so he could be assured of sleeping forever next to the star whose photograph became his magazine’s first-ever centerfold.

Hugh was a car enthusiast; he especially loved German metal. Among his wheels: a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limo, a 1959 300SL roadster, and a 1972 BMW 3.0CS. Some folks even say the name of Hefner’s groundbreaking monthly was inspired by the then-newly defunct Playboy Automobile Company. (Playboy co-founder Eldon Sellers’ mother worked for the car company’s sales office in Chicago.)

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park is tiny at just 2.5 acres and, if you didn’t know where to look, all but impossible to find. Its entrance is hidden away behind a few nondescript office towers on Los Angeles’ busy Wilshire Boulevard. But I walk there often. It’s nearby, quiet, and peaceful. Filled with flowers and handsome trees. And on a per-square-foot basis, it hosts more celebrities than the lunchtime dining room at Spago.

When I walk past the graves of Monroe, Hefner, and the many other storied names at Westwood Memorial, I can’t help but pause and try to imagine the lives they led—working under the lights, the parties, the beautiful homes, the interactions with fans and critics, stardom’s delirious highs and crushing lows. But of course I also wonder: What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

Near the Monroe and Hefner crypts rests crooner and actor Dean Martin. (He died on Christmas Day in 1995.) The Sinatra pal and Rat Packer owned a slew of sweet rides, including a ’76 Stutz Blackhawk and a car I once profiled in Motor Trend Classic, the avant-garde 1962 Italian-American Ghia L6.4—one of just 26 ever built. (Sinatra had one, too.) Edgy as it may have been (the L6.4 was based on the striking 1957 Chrysler Dart concept car), the Ghia wasn’t cool enough out of the box for “The King of Cool,” so Martin had famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris (of original Batmobile fame) tweak his with an extra helping of suave. A little research suggests the car was last sold in 2012 with an asking price of $199,500. The Ghia was said to be in immaculate, unrestored condition—with only 46,000 miles on the odometer. I’ll have to whisper that to Dino on my next visit.

Actress Natalie Wood is buried under a tree amid the central lawn, having mysteriously drowned off SoCal’s Catalina Island in 1981. She was just 43 years old. Two-plus decades before her death, at age 19 and already a huge star, Wood purchased a brand-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster—and promptly had the car painted bright pink. A subsequent owner, not surprisingly, had it repainted back to its original Silver Blue—but the red leather interior and highly desirable Rudge wheels remain as Wood enjoyed them. The car—restored to concours condition—sold at auction in 2014 for $1.84 million, well above estimate. Whenever I stop here, Wood’s grave always seems to be adorned with flowers, but the day of my December visit, someone had also placed a small Christmas tree. It had tipped over in the wind, so I set it back up straight and tucked it in, remembering how gorgeous Wood looked when I first saw her in 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause. And how alive.

What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

His crypt not far from Monroe’s, actor Robert Stack, like Wood and Hefner, was also the proud owner of a Mercedes 300SL roadster. Although probably best known to contemporary audiences as the blundering Captain Rex Kramer in 1980’s Airplane! or as the host of Unsolved Mysteries, in 1960 Stack was the rising young star of ABC’s hit drama The Untouchables, where he played famed Chicago law-enforcement agent and Prohibition enforcer Eliot Ness. It’s said that every day Stack would drive down Sunset Boulevard on his way to the studio and, passing an auto showroom, stare at a bright green ’57 SL on display. Finally, his wife, Rosemarie, threw up her hands and said, in effect, “Just buy the darn thing!” Yet Stack didn’t do so, telling a MotorTrend writer in 1998, “I’d never pay that much money for a car for myself.”

Natalie Wood had her 300SL roadster painted pink.

As fate would have it, though, Stack didn’t have to spend a dime. Unbeknownst to him, Untouchables producer (and I Love Lucy star) Desi Arnaz bought the car for Stack, a gift for his having won the Best Actor Emmy for 1960. Stack owned the SL right up until his death in 2003. A decade later, the car—now painted dark red but otherwise almost completely original—sold at auction for $808,500. Sorry, Mr. Ness, but that good news merits a cold martini.

Actor Jack Lemmon, who died in 2001 at the age of 76, has the best headstone in Westwood Memorial. It reads simply: “Jack Lemmon”—then, below, “In.” Yet the two-time Oscar winner was the complete opposite of a car guy. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lemmon’s son, Chris, confessed: “[My dad] was the worst friggin’ driver. He wrecked a magnificent sports car for pretty much every film he ever did. For How to Murder Your Wife, he wrecked an Aston Martin. During Tribute, he wrecked a vintage MG that he bought from Bill Bixby [late star of the 1977–82 hit CBS series The Incredible Hulk].” Lemmon’s grave lies in a prime spot, at the end of a line of four that includes actor Carroll “Archie Bunker” O’Connor, legendary writer-director and Lemmon favorite Billy “Some Like It Hot” Wilder, and actor Peter “Columbo” Falk. It’s a 12-foot walk of fame.

For me, Westwood Memorial isn’t a sad place; it’s a celebration of lives lived uniquely—and full-up. It’s also, at times, a reminder of the utter absurdity and unpredictability of existence. (The child star of the 1982 horror hit Poltergeist, Heather “They’re heeerrrre!” O’Rourke, rests in a crypt near the entrance; she was only 12 when she died of septic shock in 1988.) Thankfully, near Lemmon lies comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield; inscribed under his name on the headstone: “THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.” Mr. “I don’t get no respect” died in 2004, just shy of his 83rd birthday. Whether Dangerfield gave one whit about cars, I don’t know, but every time I come to Westwood Memorial, I’m uplifted by memories of the comic’s hilarious stand-up routines, many of which revolved around his wife and her lousy driving. One of my faves: “My wife took her driver’s test . . . oh, she was happy. She got 18 out of 20! Yeah, two guys jumped out of the way!”

The post A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jesusvasser]

A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear

Yesterday I crossed the street to visit Marilyn Monroe. The platinum-haired beauty wasn’t much of a car enthusiast—the only automobile she’s said to have ever owned was a 1956 Ford T-bird she received as a Christmas gift—but she did appear in the 1950 John Huston movie The Asphalt Jungle, the title of which I appropriated for the monthly column I’ve been writing for roughly 15 years now. So she’s in my “club.” Playboy founder Hugh Hefner lies immediately to Marilyn’s left, having long ago purchased the marble crypt so he could be assured of sleeping forever next to the star whose photograph became his magazine’s first-ever centerfold.

Hugh was a car enthusiast; he especially loved German metal. Among his wheels: a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limo, a 1959 300SL roadster, and a 1972 BMW 3.0CS. Some folks even say the name of Hefner’s groundbreaking monthly was inspired by the then-newly defunct Playboy Automobile Company. (Playboy co-founder Eldon Sellers’ mother worked for the car company’s sales office in Chicago.)

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park is tiny at just 2.5 acres and, if you didn’t know where to look, all but impossible to find. Its entrance is hidden away behind a few nondescript office towers on Los Angeles’ busy Wilshire Boulevard. But I walk there often. It’s nearby, quiet, and peaceful. Filled with flowers and handsome trees. And on a per-square-foot basis, it hosts more celebrities than the lunchtime dining room at Spago.

When I walk past the graves of Monroe, Hefner, and the many other storied names at Westwood Memorial, I can’t help but pause and try to imagine the lives they led—working under the lights, the parties, the beautiful homes, the interactions with fans and critics, stardom’s delirious highs and crushing lows. But of course I also wonder: What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

Near the Monroe and Hefner crypts rests crooner and actor Dean Martin. (He died on Christmas Day in 1995.) The Sinatra pal and Rat Packer owned a slew of sweet rides, including a ’76 Stutz Blackhawk and a car I once profiled in Motor Trend Classic, the avant-garde 1962 Italian-American Ghia L6.4—one of just 26 ever built. (Sinatra had one, too.) Edgy as it may have been (the L6.4 was based on the striking 1957 Chrysler Dart concept car), the Ghia wasn’t cool enough out of the box for “The King of Cool,” so Martin had famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris (of original Batmobile fame) tweak his with an extra helping of suave. A little research suggests the car was last sold in 2012 with an asking price of $199,500. The Ghia was said to be in immaculate, unrestored condition—with only 46,000 miles on the odometer. I’ll have to whisper that to Dino on my next visit.

Actress Natalie Wood is buried under a tree amid the central lawn, having mysteriously drowned off SoCal’s Catalina Island in 1981. She was just 43 years old. Two-plus decades before her death, at age 19 and already a huge star, Wood purchased a brand-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster—and promptly had the car painted bright pink. A subsequent owner, not surprisingly, had it repainted back to its original Silver Blue—but the red leather interior and highly desirable Rudge wheels remain as Wood enjoyed them. The car—restored to concours condition—sold at auction in 2014 for $1.84 million, well above estimate. Whenever I stop here, Wood’s grave always seems to be adorned with flowers, but the day of my December visit, someone had also placed a small Christmas tree. It had tipped over in the wind, so I set it back up straight and tucked it in, remembering how gorgeous Wood looked when I first saw her in 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause. And how alive.

What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

His crypt not far from Monroe’s, actor Robert Stack, like Wood and Hefner, was also the proud owner of a Mercedes 300SL roadster. Although probably best known to contemporary audiences as the blundering Captain Rex Kramer in 1980’s Airplane! or as the host of Unsolved Mysteries, in 1960 Stack was the rising young star of ABC’s hit drama The Untouchables, where he played famed Chicago law-enforcement agent and Prohibition enforcer Eliot Ness. It’s said that every day Stack would drive down Sunset Boulevard on his way to the studio and, passing an auto showroom, stare at a bright green ’57 SL on display. Finally, his wife, Rosemarie, threw up her hands and said, in effect, “Just buy the darn thing!” Yet Stack didn’t do so, telling a MotorTrend writer in 1998, “I’d never pay that much money for a car for myself.”

Natalie Wood had her 300SL roadster painted pink.

As fate would have it, though, Stack didn’t have to spend a dime. Unbeknownst to him, Untouchables producer (and I Love Lucy star) Desi Arnaz bought the car for Stack, a gift for his having won the Best Actor Emmy for 1960. Stack owned the SL right up until his death in 2003. A decade later, the car—now painted dark red but otherwise almost completely original—sold at auction for $808,500. Sorry, Mr. Ness, but that good news merits a cold martini.

Actor Jack Lemmon, who died in 2001 at the age of 76, has the best headstone in Westwood Memorial. It reads simply: “Jack Lemmon”—then, below, “In.” Yet the two-time Oscar winner was the complete opposite of a car guy. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lemmon’s son, Chris, confessed: “[My dad] was the worst friggin’ driver. He wrecked a magnificent sports car for pretty much every film he ever did. For How to Murder Your Wife, he wrecked an Aston Martin. During Tribute, he wrecked a vintage MG that he bought from Bill Bixby [late star of the 1977–82 hit CBS series The Incredible Hulk].” Lemmon’s grave lies in a prime spot, at the end of a line of four that includes actor Carroll “Archie Bunker” O’Connor, legendary writer-director and Lemmon favorite Billy “Some Like It Hot” Wilder, and actor Peter “Columbo” Falk. It’s a 12-foot walk of fame.

For me, Westwood Memorial isn’t a sad place; it’s a celebration of lives lived uniquely—and full-up. It’s also, at times, a reminder of the utter absurdity and unpredictability of existence. (The child star of the 1982 horror hit Poltergeist, Heather “They’re heeerrrre!” O’Rourke, rests in a crypt near the entrance; she was only 12 when she died of septic shock in 1988.) Thankfully, near Lemmon lies comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield; inscribed under his name on the headstone: “THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.” Mr. “I don’t get no respect” died in 2004, just shy of his 83rd birthday. Whether Dangerfield gave one whit about cars, I don’t know, but every time I come to Westwood Memorial, I’m uplifted by memories of the comic’s hilarious stand-up routines, many of which revolved around his wife and her lousy driving. One of my faves: “My wife took her driver’s test . . . oh, she was happy. She got 18 out of 20! Yeah, two guys jumped out of the way!”

The post A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[eddiejpoplar]

A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear

Yesterday I crossed the street to visit Marilyn Monroe. The platinum-haired beauty wasn’t much of a car enthusiast—the only automobile she’s said to have ever owned was a 1956 Ford T-bird she received as a Christmas gift—but she did appear in the 1950 John Huston movie The Asphalt Jungle, the title of which I appropriated for the monthly column I’ve been writing for roughly 15 years now. So she’s in my “club.” Playboy founder Hugh Hefner lies immediately to Marilyn’s left, having long ago purchased the marble crypt so he could be assured of sleeping forever next to the star whose photograph became his magazine’s first-ever centerfold.

Hugh was a car enthusiast; he especially loved German metal. Among his wheels: a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limo, a 1959 300SL roadster, and a 1972 BMW 3.0CS. Some folks even say the name of Hefner’s groundbreaking monthly was inspired by the then-newly defunct Playboy Automobile Company. (Playboy co-founder Eldon Sellers’ mother worked for the car company’s sales office in Chicago.)

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park is tiny at just 2.5 acres and, if you didn’t know where to look, all but impossible to find. Its entrance is hidden away behind a few nondescript office towers on Los Angeles’ busy Wilshire Boulevard. But I walk there often. It’s nearby, quiet, and peaceful. Filled with flowers and handsome trees. And on a per-square-foot basis, it hosts more celebrities than the lunchtime dining room at Spago.

When I walk past the graves of Monroe, Hefner, and the many other storied names at Westwood Memorial, I can’t help but pause and try to imagine the lives they led—working under the lights, the parties, the beautiful homes, the interactions with fans and critics, stardom’s delirious highs and crushing lows. But of course I also wonder: What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

Near the Monroe and Hefner crypts rests crooner and actor Dean Martin. (He died on Christmas Day in 1995.) The Sinatra pal and Rat Packer owned a slew of sweet rides, including a ’76 Stutz Blackhawk and a car I once profiled in Motor Trend Classic, the avant-garde 1962 Italian-American Ghia L6.4—one of just 26 ever built. (Sinatra had one, too.) Edgy as it may have been (the L6.4 was based on the striking 1957 Chrysler Dart concept car), the Ghia wasn’t cool enough out of the box for “The King of Cool,” so Martin had famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris (of original Batmobile fame) tweak his with an extra helping of suave. A little research suggests the car was last sold in 2012 with an asking price of $199,500. The Ghia was said to be in immaculate, unrestored condition—with only 46,000 miles on the odometer. I’ll have to whisper that to Dino on my next visit.

Actress Natalie Wood is buried under a tree amid the central lawn, having mysteriously drowned off SoCal’s Catalina Island in 1981. She was just 43 years old. Two-plus decades before her death, at age 19 and already a huge star, Wood purchased a brand-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster—and promptly had the car painted bright pink. A subsequent owner, not surprisingly, had it repainted back to its original Silver Blue—but the red leather interior and highly desirable Rudge wheels remain as Wood enjoyed them. The car—restored to concours condition—sold at auction in 2014 for $1.84 million, well above estimate. Whenever I stop here, Wood’s grave always seems to be adorned with flowers, but the day of my December visit, someone had also placed a small Christmas tree. It had tipped over in the wind, so I set it back up straight and tucked it in, remembering how gorgeous Wood looked when I first saw her in 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause. And how alive.

What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

His crypt not far from Monroe’s, actor Robert Stack, like Wood and Hefner, was also the proud owner of a Mercedes 300SL roadster. Although probably best known to contemporary audiences as the blundering Captain Rex Kramer in 1980’s Airplane! or as the host of Unsolved Mysteries, in 1960 Stack was the rising young star of ABC’s hit drama The Untouchables, where he played famed Chicago law-enforcement agent and Prohibition enforcer Eliot Ness. It’s said that every day Stack would drive down Sunset Boulevard on his way to the studio and, passing an auto showroom, stare at a bright green ’57 SL on display. Finally, his wife, Rosemarie, threw up her hands and said, in effect, “Just buy the darn thing!” Yet Stack didn’t do so, telling a MotorTrend writer in 1998, “I’d never pay that much money for a car for myself.”

Natalie Wood had her 300SL roadster painted pink.

As fate would have it, though, Stack didn’t have to spend a dime. Unbeknownst to him, Untouchables producer (and I Love Lucy star) Desi Arnaz bought the car for Stack, a gift for his having won the Best Actor Emmy for 1960. Stack owned the SL right up until his death in 2003. A decade later, the car—now painted dark red but otherwise almost completely original—sold at auction for $808,500. Sorry, Mr. Ness, but that good news merits a cold martini.

Actor Jack Lemmon, who died in 2001 at the age of 76, has the best headstone in Westwood Memorial. It reads simply: “Jack Lemmon”—then, below, “In.” Yet the two-time Oscar winner was the complete opposite of a car guy. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lemmon’s son, Chris, confessed: “[My dad] was the worst friggin’ driver. He wrecked a magnificent sports car for pretty much every film he ever did. For How to Murder Your Wife, he wrecked an Aston Martin. During Tribute, he wrecked a vintage MG that he bought from Bill Bixby [late star of the 1977–82 hit CBS series The Incredible Hulk].” Lemmon’s grave lies in a prime spot, at the end of a line of four that includes actor Carroll “Archie Bunker” O’Connor, legendary writer-director and Lemmon favorite Billy “Some Like It Hot” Wilder, and actor Peter “Columbo” Falk. It’s a 12-foot walk of fame.

For me, Westwood Memorial isn’t a sad place; it’s a celebration of lives lived uniquely—and full-up. It’s also, at times, a reminder of the utter absurdity and unpredictability of existence. (The child star of the 1982 horror hit Poltergeist, Heather “They’re heeerrrre!” O’Rourke, rests in a crypt near the entrance; she was only 12 when she died of septic shock in 1988.) Thankfully, near Lemmon lies comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield; inscribed under his name on the headstone: “THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.” Mr. “I don’t get no respect” died in 2004, just shy of his 83rd birthday. Whether Dangerfield gave one whit about cars, I don’t know, but every time I come to Westwood Memorial, I’m uplifted by memories of the comic’s hilarious stand-up routines, many of which revolved around his wife and her lousy driving. One of my faves: “My wife took her driver’s test . . . oh, she was happy. She got 18 out of 20! Yeah, two guys jumped out of the way!”

The post A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[wakingwriter]

What have you written so far?

So far, I’ve completed and published one novel: The Brotherhood of the Black Flag, a historical thriller set in the Golden Age of Piracy. I also write a movie review blog called the INCspotlight (a pun on my initials), formerly for the website Channel Awesome. As of March 2018, I’ve left Channel Awesome and the INCspotlight is now hosted on my own website. In addition to that, in 2010, I had an essay published in an academic journal about the evolution of Japanese characters in Chinese and Hong Kong martial arts cinema.

Do you work to an outline or plot sketch, or do you prefer to let a general idea guide your writing?

Mostly a general idea. I can see most of the way a plot and character arc plays out in my head as if it was a movie, but I rarely jot down the sequence, and I typically write on the fly. The one and only time I ever wrote out an outline was to get feedback from a beta reader about an upcoming project, just to make sure the plot made sense and I wasn’t missing anything.

Can you share with readers a little bit about your latest book?

The Brotherhood of the Black Flag pays tribute to the classic Hollywood swashbucklers I grew up on as a kid, as well as the literature that inspired them. Michael McNamara, a disgraced former officer of the British Royal Navy, has left the newly-United Kingdom for Jamaica in hopes of finding a new life. He ends up signing on with Captain Stephen Reynard, a notorious pirate turned pirate hunter to win a pardon and the hand of Dona Catalina, a lovely young widow. McNamara’s adventures pit him against treacherous seas, battle-hardened buccaneers, and an international conspiracy that threatens thousands of lives – including his and Catalina’s. Much sword fighting ensues.

Tell us more about your main character. What makes him or her unique?

Michael McNamara is someone I think a lot of people will be able to relate to. Being an officer in the Royal Navy was a childhood dream of his, and he served for thirteen years before he was unjustly expelled. Then he got a gig as a fencing instructor for a year, which worked out for him, but a bad economy and various social trends put an end to that. So he finds himself wondering “well…now what?” I think many readers, for one reason or another, will be able to empathize with his feeling lost, his uncertainty of not knowing what to do with the rest of his life. 

If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast?

I’ve cast pretty much every character in the book, although I changed my mind about casting certain roles after publication. For the sake of conciseness, I’ll just list the three characters I’ve already mentioned earlier in this interview:

Michael McNamara – James McAvoy (Atonement, The Last King of Scotland)

Dona Catalina – Morena Baccarin (Firefly, Deadpool)

Captain Stephen Reynard – Christian Bale (The Prestige, The Fighter)

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

Coming up with what was driving McNamara was unquestionably the toughest. The villains and supporting characters were all easy, but figuring out who McNamara was and what he wanted took forever to figure out. Heck, he wasn’t even Michael McNamara until I became a James McAvoy fan and “cast” him as my protagonist. Before that, the protagonist’s race, gender, ethnicity, and nationality were all up for grabs. Putting a face to the name made it a little easier to have something to build on, but it was a long time before I had an arc for the character I was happy with. I didn’t want him to be driven by revenge or a past trauma, because I feel that’s been done to death. Another character had already been assigned a redemption arc, so that was out for McNamara.

Then I somehow stumbled onto the idea of him not knowing what he wanted or what he wanted to achieve. I worked backwards from there, giving him a backstory that would justify that attitude and what would drive him to seek a new future on another continent altogether.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

In addition to paying homage to my favorite film and literary genre and slipping as many references to swashbuckling fiction across all mediums (enough to have their own page on TV Tropes – literally), I loved getting to work with some lesser known aspects of a somewhat well-known period of time. History’s cooperated with me so perfectly when building backstories and assembling a sinister international conspiracy for our heroes to thwart. The Acts of Union, The War of the Spanish Succession, the War of the Quadruple Alliance, the Jacobite rebellions, even an economic crisis and various social trends – building a mosaic out of all of these different elements and fitting them all coherently into a single story was a heck of a lot of fun to assemble.

What is your next project?

I’ve got a bunch of other projects in the works in various states of progress, and I keep coming up with ideas for new ones all the time. The next one most likely will be The Sherwood Caper, another historical thriller starring Robin Hood. Rather than doing another origin story (although his origin will be told via a few flashback scenes), the bulk of the story involves Robin and his outlaw horde trying to steal a fortune in silver from Nottingham Castle in order to prevent a war. The villains call in Sir Guy of Gisbourne, former crusader, experienced outlaw hunter, and old enemy of Robin, to prevent the theft, setting up a clash of titans as Robin and Gisbourne attempt to outsmart each other. (And outfence each other, naturally.)

What role does research play in your writing?

Oh, it’s absolutely essential. The more in-depth the research is, the more ideas I come up with for interesting plot twists or characters, and the more little details I can slip in to make the setting feel like a fully-realized setting and not just a shallow backdrop. I’ve also learned never to underestimate the importance of minor details. A single stray line in a book or a cautionary FYI from a source can – and has – shaped entire plot trajectories and character arcs. A “by the way” caution from someone on a message board inspired Michael McNamara’s entire character arc in The Brotherhood of the Black Flag, and a single line in a book about Sir William Marshall gave me the idea for what Robin would be stealing and why for The Sherwood Caper – as well as what was at stake if he failed.

Want to learn more about Ian Nathaniel Cohen?

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Ian Nathaniel Cohen, author of The Brotherhood of the Black Flag @INCspotlight #fiction #fantasy What have you written so far? So far, I’ve completed and published one novel: The Brotherhood of the Black Flag…

[captaincatalinasilver]

Finally back on Pirate101 and doing the Sinbad quests. I’m so happy they are finally doing Arc II.

Stuff is a little reused but just hearing new dialog is refreshing to me.

Also seeing other pirates online and continuing quests fills me with hope!

[captaincatalinasilver]

"Witchdoctor? I didn't know you were a witchdoctor! Hoodoo is very fascinating. Could you tell me more about it? My father's banned all magic from where I come from...." (For Catalina!)

Ahoy there! I’d be happy to answer, it’s refreshing to meet a kind clockwork...

Hoodoo is a unique art, comprised of many individuals, such as us pirates! It’s a kind of folk magic that is heavily based in physical ritual. For example, we use herbs and crystals to cast spells and perform curses. Not all of our magic is “bad” however, though it may be perceived that way due to our connection with spirits and the underworld. The interesting thing about Hoodoo is that it is not a religion, such as Voodoo, the two are often confused. Hoodoo lacks organization and leaders, allowing you to do your own kind of thing.

I hope that you will be able to sneak away and perhaps practice some magic! My best of luck to you Kane, if ye ever find yer way to Skull Island I’d be happy to give you some lessons!