#earth 4 linda park

[sgiandubh]

Out of the OL bubble

Sidenote: this post owes everything to the incredible sleuthing skills of an already longtime trusted friend, who wishes to remain discreet. All credit goes entirely to her - this is such an idiotic topic, yet the Ur Troll insists.

I answered one of you in the comment threads yesterday, that once you get the hell out of the OL bubble, things begin to make sense. Why? Well, because of distance and context, I suppose. And also because this always was the dirty little secret of our Dedicated Manipulative Trolls: to make you believe in a terribly poor narrative, fit for a linear world. A world without compromise, drama, secrets and lies. Collective lack of time, perspective and/or Internet research skills did the rest and gave birth to this monster: the OL Fandom.

We are now told and are supposed to believe that because Scottish Xena apparently chose on purpose (with this and only this, I could agree, but for opposite reasons) to show us she trains in a Cumbernauld gym, that means... well, you know the rest and it involves The Magic Golden Dirk. That troll was never exactly subtle, was she, bless her heart?

That mother and entrepreneur has a life of her own and an entourage of her own and business collaborations of her own and her own agenda. Some of it is shown on her Instagram account, most of it can be speculated. Connecting dots just for the sake of it is neither productive, nor remotely interesting.

Let's see, for example, how she reacts to a very insistent fellow German athlete, whom she is going to meet at the Hyrox Cologne event (13-14th of April, during the Landcon week-end):

😬😱

What is Flamingos Club? Nope, not an ikebana society, no:

Tee-hee.

They were there before, in good company, last year, when they actually first met (rings a bell?):

(April 2023, ok? I am still waiting for my own DeLorean)

Who is this guy?

Fellow athlete, HYROX Ambassador (something I bet the farm she wants to achieve) and a contestant in this year's German reality show First Dates Hotel, on VOX (https://www.vox.de/cms/sendungen/first-dates-hotel.html):

The concept is simple: a renowned German chef, Roland Trettl (no idea!) now takes his blind date cooking show to the next level, with singles from all over the country parked into a Spanish dream holiday resort (Mallorca), shake, stir and see whatever happens. The classical Endemol recipe, now produced by Twenty Twenty. It also has an UK version, running on Channel 4 (coincidence? I doubt that very much, thank you!).

On set, Max's 'love interest' is a certain Linda. He recently wrote her ' a sweet love letter', taking the good advice of his namesake cast friend Max-the-Bartender:

(I swear to God, I feel like I am prostituting my 🧠, right now).

There is obviously nothing to see, here (or is it, such as two wannabes desperately wanting limelight?). She leads the typical no strings attached life of a single mom and he is still looking for a real job:

Since VOX does not give his full name, neither will I. It took five minutes to find him, with a bit of luck.

Why on Earth would one connect that woman to S, rather than to this nice, ambitious Bavarian?

I know why. It's almost too damn easy.

Two words: Channel 4. Truman Show. Ginger and Fred (oops, these are Our Couple).

Is it anything we haven't seen before?

Nope. We've seen way worse. But gone are the Days of Flukenzie Floozy.

[Edited] - there is no need to further expose our people.

[usafphantom2]

This was a guidance group, and this technology was long, LONG before GPS. It has used uploaded star chart software to look at stars viewed through an upward-looking telescopic device. This accurately determined where both it and the airplane were. This device as a package was called ANS. NASA maintainers nicknamed it R2D2 because of a vague resemblance. Here, it is shown on its support cart; it was installed and removed from a cavity in the airplane using a crane and was considerably heavy. Built by Northrop. ( Davenport Kirk James)

The astro-inertial navigation system (ANS) of the SR-71 Blackbird was a remarkable feat of engineering that allowed the aircraft to navigate with unprecedented precision and accuracy, even over long distances and in challenging conditions. The system's ability to track stars through a quartz glass window, even in daylight, was a critical factor in its success. The quarts glass was fused to the hule which was a breakthrough technology.

Here's how the ANS worked:

1. Primary relationship Alignment: Before takeoff, the ANS's gyroscopes were carefully aligned with the Earth's magnetic field. This initial alignment was crucial for ensuring the accuracy of the system's position calculations.

2. Star Tracking: Once airborne, the ANS would track stars through a circular quartz glass window located on the upper fuselage. The star tracker used a photomultiplier tube to detect the light from stars, and its computer system would then identify the stars based on their positions and brightness.

3.Position Calculation: Using the positions of the tracked stars, the ANS's computer would calculate the aircraft's position relative to a known reference point. This position information was then updated continuously throughout the flight.

4. Navigation Guidance: The ANS could provide the pilot with navigation guidance, including the aircraft's current position, heading, and course. This information was crucial for maintaining accurate flight paths and reaching designated targets.

5. Daytime Star Tracking: The ANS's "blue light" source star tracker was a unique feature that allowed the system to track stars even in daylight. This was achieved by using a special filter that selectively passed only blue light, which is scattered less by the atmosphere than other wavelengths.

6 Redundancy: The ANS was designed with redundancy in mind, incorporating multiple gyroscopes and star trackers to ensure continuous operation even if one component failed.

The ANS played a critical role in the SR-71's success, enabling it to perform reconnaissance missions over vast distances and in hostile environments. The system's combination of precision, reliability, and all-weather capability made it a revolutionary technology in its time. Michael Rutchland #Habubrats

I need to add one of my Dad’s Richard “Butch”Sheffield stories from his book about testing GPS parking lot of the Pentagon with some Generals.The Army and the Navy were very impressed by what the Air Force had….a new thing called GPS. ~Linda Sheffield Miller

Photo of the quartz glass was taken by Curt Mason

@Habubrats71 via X

[fallinggravity678]

12 for Boblin (or whoever I’m not your mom)

This is soo late Im sorry but hopefully whatever this is makes up for it <3

I had another ask that also boblin but with #4, and I think that one can technically fit here too so I used both!

12- Write about your ship going somewhere new together for the first time.

4- Write about your ship holding hands in a happy moment. 

As he pulled over to park on the curb, Bob couldn't help but feel joy rushing through him as he gazed at the building; the building that would hopefully be theirs after today. It was perfect. The perfect place to fulfill his dream of opening a restaurant.

Linda gasped from beside him. Although she had seen the building before from photos Bob had eagerly showed her, this was her first time seeing it in person. “Oh, Bobby, it's perfect! Even better in person!”

Bob smiled in response. It was a beauty, aside from perhaps needing a few repairs here and there, but he supposed they could find someone to help them with that issue at a later time.

Bob got out of the car, followed by Linda, and looked around, looking for their landlord as they planned on meeting him there. Though evidently, they'd arrived early.

While they waited, the couple sat atop their car. Bob rambled to Linda about the floor plan he spent all night making, he already knew where everything would go. Linda listened intently, adding in her own commentary occasionally. A reason why Bob loved Linda, she was always eager to listen to him talk about the things he was passionate about when no one else would. He didn't know what alternate universes he saved to deserve a girlfriend like her, but he's eternally grateful he had her.

They stayed that way for who knows how long. As far as they knew, it was only them and nothing else. Their own little world.

The honk of a horn interrupted Bob mid-sentence. He saw a go-kart pull onto the curb in front of their car. Their landlord. They had met him once before, back when they were looking for a place. He seemed nice enough, albeit a bit… odd. Bob tried not to be too bothered by it, the man was offering this place as their new restaurant and home.

A wave of nervousness came over Bob right then. It wasn't unusual for him to suddenly worry about opening up this restaurant. But now they were here and faced with the possibility of the restaurant being a reality, and that thought equally scared and excited him.

Linda seemed to notice the shift. She moved her hand from rubbing her stomach and laid it on top of Bob's, their fingers intertwining. The gesture helped, as Bob felt his breathing ease. How she always managed without fail to bring Bob down to earth, he still had no idea.

“Bobby,” Linda said in that soft tone she did when she comforted him. “Are you ready to go in? Or do you want to stay out here a little longer?”

Bob looked up at the restaurant, their landlord who stood by the front door, waving, and then to his girlfriend, who looked at him with the softest, most loving gaze anyone has ever given him in years.

He sighed, squeezing Linda's hand. “I think…. Yeah, I'm ready,” Linda smiled at that. Hand in hand, the couple got off their car roof and followed the strange landlord into their soon to be home.

[green-arrxws]

📁| KIMIYO HOSHI/DOCTOR LIGHT II READING GUIDE

» READING GUIDE

ESSENTIAL READING

Crisis on Infinite Earths: #4-7, #10, #12

Justice League (1987): #1-4, Annual #1

Justice League International (1987): Annual #3

Justice League Europe: Annual #1, #19

Suicide Squad (1987): #52

Justice League America (1987): #54-56

Justice League Quarterly: #7, #11-12, #15

Justice League Spectacular

Justice League Europe: #37-50

Justice League International (1993): #51-52, Annual #1, #54-58, #60-64

Judgment Day (crossover storyline): Justice League America (1987): #89 / Justice League Task Force: #13 / Justice League International (1993): #65 / Justice League America: #90 / Justice League Task Force: #14 / Justice League International (1993): #66

Justice League Task Force: #15 / Justice League International (1993): #67

Justice League America (1987): #96

Showcase '96: #9 ("Illumination")

Doom Patrol (2001): #4-6

Green Arrow (2001): #54

Infinite Crisis: #5

Action Comics (1938): #877, #883-885

DC Universe Holiday Special ("Let There Be Light")

Justice League of America (2006): #27, #30-43, #47, #51, #56-59

Action Comics (1938): #877, #883-885

Supergirl (2005): #50, #53-55

Generations Shattered

Generations Forged

additional reading ↷

The New Teen Titans (1984): Annual #2

Justice League Task Force: #1

Showcase '93: #10-11

Bloodbath: #1-2

Justice League Europe: Annual #3 / Eclipso: The Darkness Within: #2

Wonder Woman (1987): #174-175

Birds of Prey (1999): #100

Booster Gold (2007): #9-10

Superman (1939): #688-690 #692

Justice League of America 80-Page Giant

Justice League: Cry for Justice: #6

Justice League of America/The 99: #1-3

» POST-FLASHPOINT

NEW 52

Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S.: #3

INFINITE FRONTIER

Dark Crisis (crossover storyline): Dark Crisis: #1, #3, #5, Dark Crisis: The Dark Army / Dark Crisis: #7

» OTHER MEDIA

ANIMATED

Justice League Unlimited: S2: EP13 / S3: EP8

Justice League: Gods and Monsters

LIVE ACTION

The Flash: S2: EP5-EP6 (Linda Park)

The Flash: S6: EP10, EP19 / S9: EP17 (Kimiyo Hoshi)

[theweekinarrowfic]

Completed Arrow Multichapters on AO3, September, 2022

NOTE: I’m now crossposting to https://theweekinarrowfic.dreamwidth.org. Need more Arrow in your life? Why not try one of the multchapter fanfics recently completed by our talented fic writers?

Olicity

Trouvaille by SmoakingGreenArrow (Oliver/Felicity, 2/2, 2022-09-24) - When Tommy has to bail on giving his best friend Felicity a ride home from college, Oliver takes his place. The problem? Felicity hates him. And she thinks Oliver hates her back. If they can survive a 12 hour car ride together, could it lead to forever?

Other Arrow Ships & Characters

Second Chances: Artemis - Rough Draft by Lauriverfanboy1 (Thea/Roy, 25/25, 2022-09-24) - My name is Thea Queen. In another life, I spent years fighting by my brother's side as a vigilante but in this one, I now plan to become my own hero outside of his shadow. Hopefully some day, I'll become just as great as he is. I am Artemis. Part 8 of Second Chances.

【明日传奇】末日传奇电影俱乐部：第一夜（末日军团&冷队&原子侠） by buwei (Ray & Damien, 6/6, 2022-09-16) - 命运之矛被摧毁了。雷蒙德·帕尔默给自己选择了最糟糕的庆祝伙伴。比那更糟糕的是，他们或许是成立了一个末日军团与传奇版的电影俱乐部。但另一方面，谁知道他们也会给彼此做心理治疗呢？

Second Chances: Arrow - Rough Draft by Lauriverfanboy1 (Laurel/Oliver, 25/25, 2022-09-24) - My name is Oliver Queen. After dying to restore the multiverse, I found myself back at the beginning of my story and now I plan to rewrite it to not only save my city, but save those I lost before. A lot of things have changed in this new world but one that hasn't is me. I will always protect my home. I am the Green Arrow."

One More Time by Ray_Writes (Laurel/Oliver, 24/24, 2022-09-10) - Upon her death, Laurel is made an offer by a being named Mar Novu to be sent back in time and correct Earth-1’s timeline, as it is rapidly spiraling out of the Monitor’s control. Now, just under five years into her past and armed only with a partial knowledge of the timeline and a certainty she is not the right person for the job, Laurel must unite six Paragons and as many additional heroes as possible to face a coming Crisis. What changes will she make, and will they be the right ones? Time is ticking to save the world."

The Other Side of Lonely by paynesgrey (Laurel/Cisco Ramon, 5/5, 2022-09-07) - Fighting alone on the streets of Starling City, the Black Canary could use a little help from a friend. Enter: Cisco Ramon.

el orbe by Pedroedu (Laurel & Thea-centric, 11/11, 2022-09-13) - esta historia esta basada en un universo alternativo de la tercera temporada de arrow aunque aquí laurel y thea ya asumieron sus alteregos

Laser Tag by sspace_invader (Damien/Malcolm/Eobard Thawne, 2/2, 2022-09-03) - “Remember, no cheating.” Eobard sighed, preparing to just ignore Malcolm’s stupid rules and speed around the course, shooting the other team, easily winning. But doing that would cause them to get kicked out. Plus Damien and Malcolm would be mad at him. He didn’t think it was worth the risk. He mentally kicked himself for letting his partners make him soft, The Flash would laugh in his face if he could see him right now. Or The Legion plays laser tag and leads to other things.

Non-Arrow

Wedding For the Wilders by FuegoCreativeFlow (Sophie Moore/Ryan Wilder, several Arrow characters listed, 6/6, 2022-09-06) - This is the next series in my Batwoman Stories that’s connected. This story takes place four months after the “Gotham’s Drama” Series. You finally get to see Ryan and Sophie explore marriage, family, and still being badass Superheroes. I hope you all enjoy. And yes, Alani is back!!

Der Bote des Wahnsinns, das Gefängnis des Multiverse by God_of_the_stories_I_heve_written_0 (Marvel-centric, John Constantine listed as character, 4/4, 2022-09-25) - Stepfen Strange wird durch einen Streit mit Wanda Mazimof auferstehen in eine andere Welt gebracht und landet direkt vor dem Lux. In einer anderen Wersion der Arrowverse, wo John Constantine dort Stammgast ist. Er hasst die Welt und will nach Hause.

Second Chances: Kid Flash - Rough Draft by Lauriverfanboy1 (Linda Park/Wally West, several Arrow characters listed, 25/25, 2022-09-23) - My name is Wally West. For years I've traveled, trying to find my place in a world of heroes, trying to find peace. But after getting struck by lightning in a new world, I think I've finally found my place as I become the hero I was always meant to be. I am Kid Flash. Part 9 of Second Chances.

Love at first sight. by Batwoman2019 (Kate Kane/Reagan, Kara Danvers/Sara as side pairing, 7/7, 2022-09-28) - What if instead of Kate and Reagan meeting during Tommy Elliott's party they both met during crisis on infinite earth.

Crisis by WhatIfUniverse (Barry Allen/Caitlin Snow, several Arrow characters listed, 8/8, 2022-09-28) - Last year, the multiverse had a visitor named the Monitor who warned them of a crisis coming to end all life. Now the Avengers, SHIELD, and the heroes of Earth-1 must join forces again to save their universes from being destroyed, with help from a new member who has traveled back in time to help stop it. Is it enough, or will all of reality be destroyed?

[trymains]

Tinymediamanager homeland

#TINYMEDIAMANAGER HOMELAND REGISTRATION#

This example configuration enables the use of RSA keys with SSHv2 on a Cisco IOS device: ! ! Configure. Once created, the iACL must be applied to all interfaces that face. A secure protocol choice includes the use of SSH instead of Telnet so that both. abc6e5c29d zavejanįortify the Simple Network Management Protocol. when I say "ssh-keygen -t rsa" it says "error unknown key. hates sysadmin stuff maybe a simple ftp with a tar.gz. Im also still searching :-) All the risers at mini-itx face the card. Vlaeminck: Reactivation of microbial nitrogen cycling conversions after Lower Earth Orbit Space exposureģ:10-3:30: Alexandra Fumasoli: Modeling the population dynamics during nitrification of urineģ:30-4:00: Keynote Talk 3 Kartik Chandran: Industry university partnerships for translational research Glass: Isotopic and Kinetic Investigations of Abiotic Nitrous Oxide Formation from Nitrification Intermediates and Redox-Active Metals in SeawaterĢ:50-3:10: S.E. Session Chairs: Ellen Lauchnor and Ryan BartelmeĢ:30-2:50: Jennifer B. talks including 3 min question/discussion period) ġ1:40-12:00: Linda Hink : Differences in nitrous oxide yield from bacterial- and archaeal-driven soil nitrificationġ:00-2:00: Poster Session with coffee/teaĢ:00-2:30: Keynote Talk 2 Christa Schleper: Planning your scientific career (?) – the truth Session Chairs: Hanna Koch and Jessica Kozlowskiġ1:00-11:20: Jong- Geol Kim: Hydrogen peroxide detoxification by α- keto acid oxidation is required for stimulation of growth of a marine ammonia-oxidizing archaeonġ1:20-11:40: Mee-Rye Park: Impact of hydroxylamine on the growth kinetics and gene expression of enriched Nitrospira spp. Session 2: Physiology and Adaptation of N-cycle organisms E.Alves: Phylogeny, diversity and evolution of the archaeal ammonia monooxygenase subunit A – a framework for classification and ecological analysis of ammonia- oxidising archaeaĩ:30-9:50: Andrew Giguere a: Uncoupling of ammonia oxidation from nitrite oxidation, and its impact upon nitrous oxide production in a grassland soilĩ:50-10:10: Xuefeng Peng: Nitrification in the eastern tropical North and South Pacific OMZsġ0:10-10:40: Keynote talk 1 Graeme Nicol: Nitrogen networks: forming collaborations and making them work Session Chairs: Petra Pjevac and Chris Sedlacekĩ:10-9:30: Ricardo J. Session 1: N-cycle Ecology, Ecogenomics, and Niche Differentiation

#TINYMEDIAMANAGER HOMELAND REGISTRATION#

7:00–10 pm Welcome reception for workshop attendees and early arrivals (Aurora Room Lister Hall) Workshop registration with room check-in (Lister Hall)ĩ:00-9:10: Opening remarks and welcome from workshop organizers Jessica Kozlowski and Hanna Koch: Overview of workshop attendee survey results

[agentmarymargaretskitz]

Earth-4 Team Legends

[ukingk24]

Now that The Flash is back from break, I think I figured out why I haven’t been enjoying this season as much as I should be. I think the season, the characters, the story could be so much better if there were some small changes from the start of the season.

First off, Barry wouldn’t have come back in episode 1. Instead, Wally is the new Flash of Central City. This way, we get to see his growth as a Speedster and a hero, see him come into his own. Cisco would be the sort of “leader” of team Flash. Barry said they’d look to him before he went into the Speedforce, and Cisco would’ve taken that to heart. He’d be in the field and giving direction. Harry would also be there from the start running back end in Star Labs. This way we get to see more of his genius and Cisco and Wally would banter with him on the comms. Now, I know you’re probably asking ‘what about Iris?’ and I haven’t forgotten about her. Iris wouldn’t be at Star labs. The place would just be too much for her. She’s lost both her fiancee’s there and countless painful events have taken place there and she just doesn’t want to go back to a place where she’s gone through so much hardship. Instead, she’s at Central City Picture News, practically running the place. She’s writing front page articles week after week, and she’s well on her way of earning her comicbook title ‘Ace reporter Iris West’. I think that’s been my biggest issue with her character because that’s such an iconic part of her character and we don’t see it anymore. Also, Team Flash would occasionally go to her for info. She’s one of the best reporters in the city so she has sources on sources on sources, so we’d get some more of that ‘Brother-Sister Crime Fighting Unit’. This would also be a good way to expand more outside of Star Labs and give more people like Linda Park some screen time. Caitlin’s arc would mostly stay the same, she’d help the team bring back Barry or maybe she’d come back earlier to help with a Meta. The Thinker would play out a little differently. He’d be testing Wally at first, giving him problems in the city and steadily ramping up the difficulty each time. It would give Wally and the new Team Flash a chance to shine without Barry and would add more layers to DeVoe, making him more methodical and less ‘all-knowing’. Finally, in episode 4 or 5, DeVoe would send the team a problem they can’t beat on their own and they have no choice but to bring Barry back. Then the season plays out pretty much the same as it is now. Ralph and the Bus-Meta’s, DeVoe frames Barry for murder, Barry and Iris get married but Nazi’s from another Earth invade, same old, same old. 

[ladyofpride]

Wishlist for this season...

Just a few things that would be nice to see (even if they aren't 100% possible in the show (yet)):

(1) Hartley Rathaway. I miss his sass, but it's also good to see him in good cheer. I was half hoping he'd show up in last year's musical episode, but alas...

(2) Linda Park---especially Doctor Light, because I honestly can't remember if she's still on the run or not. Did she ever get her suit back? Is she still thieving??? Did she flee to Italy and open her own cafe????? I need to know.

(3) Earth 2 Barry Allen and Iris West. As a CSI and Detective, they're already their own little crime fighting duo. Jesse deserves her own Team Flash and they'd definitely fit the bill. Plus, they're adorable.

(4) Len and Mick. Len, just because, and Mick, because he's hilarious and Legends has taught me to appreciate his character in a newfound way.

[dailydccomics]

our Wally & Linda Park of Earth 32 in Flash Forward #4

[angelicamerlinbarnes]

Okay but like I feel like Diego is the kind of person to flirt with really bad pick-up lines and Klaus is just Not Having It

featuring: Diego being a flustered Mama's boy and Klaus being a disaster dumbass and the two of them being completely in love with each other anyway

DISCLAIMER: None of the pick-up lines are mine, but the responses and ensuing shenanigans are :)

(there's fifty of these so buckle up kids :) sorry not sorry <3)

seriously though some of these are really bad

#1: He A Snack

Diego: Baby, you belong in the vending machine because you’re a snack.

Klaus: Diego you know I’m claustrophobic.

Diego: Don’t you mean Klaus-trophobic??? *finger guns*

Klaus: *blinks*

Klaus: I want a divorce.

#2: I’m From Hell

Diego: Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

Klaus: I’m a veteran addict and abuse victim who can see ghosts, Diego.

Klaus: Everything hurts.

#3: Animal Puns

Diego: *points to TV screen playing the Discovery Channel* Hey Klaus.

Diego: You’re my otter half.

Klaus: Diego those are meerkats.

#4: Stars

Diego: The stars are beautiful tonight.

Klaus: Yup.

Diego: You know who else is beautiful?

Klaus: Ben.

#5: Get Out Your Handcuffs Mister

Diego: You’re under arrest… for stealing my heart.

Klaus: Diego you got kicked out of the police academy like five years ago, just give up.

#6: Bad Boys

Diego: *leaning against the doorframe like a moron* So. I hear you like bad boys.

Klaus: Diego you cried because you accidentally stepped on a bee last week.

Diego: Well yeah but -

Klaus: You held a funeral for it. You made us all speak. You had Allison fly in from California. It was a fucking bee, Diego.

Diego: … I wear leather?

Klaus: So does every other kid who shops at Hot Topic. You’re not special.

#7: Prince Charming

Diego: Your knight in shining armor is here -

Klaus: One, that’s a turtleneck, not armor.

Klaus: Two, you’re covered in blood. That’s the opposite of shiny.

Klaus: Three, you smell like dead fish. Go take a shower.

#8: Chemistry

Diego: Did we have a class together? Because I could’ve sworn we had -

Klaus: Chemistry? Yup. Also English and math and foreign languages and history and like every other fucking thing because we grew up in the same sadistic boarding school, Diego.

#9: The Store Can’t Just Give Away Things For Free. That’s A Terrible Way To Run A Business.

Diego: I like your pants.

Klaus: Thanks. I got them out of a dumpster. And yes, you can have them 100% off.

Diego: *voice cracks* Really?

Klaus: No.

#10: Boyfriend Material

Diego: My jeans are made of -

Klaus: You’re wearing leather pants Diego.

Diego: Okay but -

Klaus: So they’re made of leather and they’re not fucking jeans.

#11: Digits

Diego: I lost my phone number. Can I have -

Klaus: None of us have phones, Diego.

Diego: I can… buy us some?

Klaus: Fine. I want my number to be 1-420-420-4201.

Diego: Baby no.

Klaus: *pulling out the puppy dog eyes* Pwetty pwease?

Diego: Fine, but mine’s gonna be 1-696-969-6969.

Klaus: I love you so much. Marry me. Have my babies.

#12: Love At First Sight

Diego: Do you believe in love at first sight or -

Klaus: If I did I’d have already fallen in love with a lot of hot ghosts.

Diego: - should I walk by again?

Klaus: You’ve been pacing for the past ten minutes, Gogo. I think if it was gonna happen it would’ve by now.

#13: You Have Fine Written All Over You

Diego: Are you a parking ticket? Cause -

Klaus: Diego I can’t drive.

#14: His Eyes Are Green Not Blue You Dipshit

Diego: Your eyes are an ocean, and I’m lost at sea.

Klaus: ... can’t you, like, hold your breath forever?

Diego: *blinks* Baby, I love you, but you’re ruining this with our childhood trauma.

Klaus: Well since you’ve refused therapy I just thought this was the next best option.

Diego: I take back what I said about loving you.

#15: Math Is Dumb And I Wish School Would Stop Teaching It

Diego: Are you a forty-five degree angle?

Klaus: Actually, because humans have non-linear body shapes, it’s impossible for their specific angles to be measured -

Diego: Are you high or have you been defiling Five’s books again?

Klaus: *blinks* Why can’t it be both?

Diego: *rethinking life decisions*

#16: Baby I’m All Yours

Diego: Do you have a name?

Klaus: Klaus.

Diego: Or can I call you mine?

Klaus: I mean I prefer “baby”, but sure.

Diego: *super wide eyes* Really?

Klaus: *melts into a puddle of glitter* Yeah, Gogo.

#17: (Not) Bookworms

Diego: Thank god I brought my library card. Cause I’m here to check you out.

Klaus: *through a mouthful of waffles* God isn’t real. We all die and rot beneath the earth to be eaten by maggots. There is no such thing as a higher power.

Klaus: *swallows waffles and takes a really loud slurp of an orange juice and chocolate milk combo*

Klaus: Oh, and the library’s closed for renovations til, like, Christmas so you’re outta luck, sorry.

Diego: I thought you met god? Little girl on a bicycle?

Klaus: Her? Nah, only Satan’s got that much sass. Plus, that wasn’t heaven.

Diego: And you know this how?

Klaus: *squishes Diego’s face with both hands* Think about it. Do you really think dear ol’ dad’s in heaven?

Diego: Can you let of my face please?

#18: Bad Move, Buddy

Diego: Are you a pre-historic fossil? Cause you’re my missing link.

Klaus:

Klaus:

Klaus:

Klaus: Did you just call me old?

Diego, backing out of the room slowly: What? No! No of course not! No, obviously no, absolutely not -

Klaus: *releases savage war cry*

Diego: *runs for his goddamn life*

#19: I Rate This 0/10

Diego: Are you from Tennessee? Cause you’re the only -

Klaus: I don’t know where I’m from. I’m an orphan.

Diego: Oh… I know, baby -

Klaus: And the piece of shit that adopted me lived in New York anyway. We’re in New York right now actually. Do you need a geography lesson? I think Pogo’s got a map -

Diego: Klaus.

#20: Oh Shit

Diego: If nothing lasts forever, will you be my nothing?

Klaus:

Klaus:

Klaus:

Klaus: *tears up* I’m nothing?

Diego: Oh no. No no no. No, baby, you’re not nothing, don’t cry, I’m so sorry, that’s not what I meant, baby - oh my god please don’t cry -

#21: You’ve Got Everything I’m Searching For

Diego: Is your name Google? Because -

Klaus: Diego. For the last time…

Klaus: My name is Kimberly Linda Aerealia Ulysses Saffron Hargreeves the Twenty-Fourth. I don’t know why I need to keep explaining this to you -

Diego, kissing him quiet: You’re my favorite person in the world, you know that?

#22: Don’t Make Bets You’ll Lose, Luther.

Diego: Luther bet me a hundred bucks I couldn’t talk to the prettiest person here. How do you wanna spend his money?

Klaus: Drugs.

Diego: Baby -

Klaus: *beams* Nah, I’m just kidding. Stuffed giraffes.

Diego: *grins* For Five?

Klaus: *nods* For Five.

Diego:

Klaus:

Diego: He’ll hate them.

Klaus: Exactly. Let’s go.

#23: Deja Vu

Diego: Have we met before?

Klaus: Yes. Obviously. Are you also high?

Diego: No -

Diego: Wait, you’re high?

Klaus:

Diego:

Klaus:

Diego:

Klaus: No?

#24: Such An Optimist

Diego: Are you a time traveller?

Klaus: No, that’s Five.

Diego: Cause I think you’re my future!

Klaus: *stares blankly*

Diego: No? Nothing? Nada?

Klaus: In the future we’re all dead dipshit.

Klaus: Because. Ya know.

Klaus: THERE’S A FUCKING APOCALYPSE COMING.

Diego:

Diego: Okay then.

#25: Please Go To The Hospital.

Diego: Are you my appendix? Cause my stomach’s fluttering and I think I should take you out.

Klaus:

Klaus: Did you drink water from the fish tank again?

Diego: *turning green* Luther dared me to okay???!!!!

#26: Suicidal Tendencies

Diego: Hey gorgeous -

Klaus: Let me guess. I should drop dead?

Diego: What?! No! Baby -

#27: Infinitely On The Naughty List (And Not The Good Kind Of Naughty List (If There Is One I’m Asexual I Don’t Know))

Diego: Are you Santa Klaus? Cause you make all my wishes come true.

Klaus:

Klaus:

Klaus:

Klaus: You have five seconds to run.

Diego: *already two streets away* Fucking shit -

#28: You Can’t Use That Every Time We Have An Argument, Tony.

Diego: Kiss me if I’m wrong, but dinosaurs still exist right?

Klaus: I mean, there’s one in the corner of our living room right now, so I guess?

Diego:

Diego:

Diego:

Diego: *squeaks* You - you can see dinosaur ghosts?

Klaus: I mean, there’s a chance that thing Ben’s petting is just a super deformed ostrich, but yeah, I think so.

Diego:

Diego:

Diego:

Diego: *tearing up* That’s so cool.

#29: A Whole New Kind Of Thirst Trap

Diego: I’m thirsty. But guess whose body is 75% water?

Diego: *smirks*

Klaus: *frowns*

Klaus: Hold on, I know this one…

Diego: Klaus -

Klaus: *snaps fingers* Oh, I know! Luther!

Diego: *horrified* What the fuck Klaus why the fuck would you say that -

#30: What A Tragedy

Diego: You must be a campfire. Because you’re super hot and I want s’more.

Klaus:

Klaus: Diego sweetheart, you’re allergic to marshmallows.

Diego: *tearing up* I know.

Klaus: You wanna hug, baby?

Diego: *crying* Yes please.

#31: That Can’t Be Allowed

Diego: Don’t tell me if you want me to take you out to dinner. Just smile for yes, or do a backflip/somersault/counter-spin gymnastics combination for no.

Klaus: *smirks*

Klaus: *does a triple flip and lands perfectly on the top of the bar counter*

Diego: *turns bright red* That was h-h-hot.

Klaus: *beams and jumps down into Diego’s arms bridal-style*

Klaus: *kisses his cheek* I know, baby.

#32: Merry Christmas

Diego: You’re the reason Santa started the Naughty List.

Klaus: *blinks*

Klaus: *pouts*

Klaus: No fair! He told me last week I was on the Nice List!

Diego: What? Klaus? What does that -

Diego: OH MY GOD KLAUS IS SANTA DEAD???!!!!

#33: I’ll Keep You Safe, Honey.

Diego: I lost my teddy bear. Will you sleep with me instead?

Klaus: *pulls out a stuffed tiger*

Klaus: He got lost in the kitchen. Don’t worry, I rescued him for you.

Diego: *takes soft tiger*

Diego: *voice cracks* Oh. Thanks.

Klaus: *kisses his forehead* You’re welcome, baby.

#34: Excuse Me?

Diego: The only thing your eyes haven’t told me is your name.

Klaus, internally: Shit. What if he finds out I stole like five of his knives and all of the cookies last week?

Klaus, externally: *blinks*

Klaus: Um… Stefonopolis?

#35: I Am Not Apologizing For This One

Diego: If you were a steak, you’d be well done.

Klaus: But I’m so unique…

Klaus: I talk to the dead, Diego.

Diego: Okay…?

Klaus: *smirks*

Klaus: So wouldn’t I be medium rare?

Ben: Ooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

#36: Leonardo Da Vinci Was Arrested Multiple Times For Homosexual Activity.

Diego: Is this a museum? Cause you’re a work of art.

Klaus: *dancing to the soundtrack of High School Musical 3* Actually Five took me back to Italy once. Leonardo da Vinci and I had some fun.

Diego:

Diego: Oh my god. Seriously?

Diego: *looks up picture of Mona Lisa, now titled Mona Klausa*

Diego: How the fuck -

#37: Why Would You Say That Though

Diego: Am I sleepwalking? Cause I’ve only seen you in my dreams.

Klaus: *sitting on the counter and eating a donut in one bite* Are they dirty?

Luther: *chokes on a pickle*

Diego: Oh my god no -

Diego: Well sometimes -

Diego: I mean no of course not -

Luther: *praying to whoever’s up there to just kill him already*

#38: Be Safe Kids!

Diego: Can you hold this for me?

Klaus: Sweetie, you need to wash your hands.

#39: Apocalypse Averted!

Diego: If looks could kill, you’d be a weapon of mass destruction.

Klaus: *blinks*

Klaus: I thought that was Vanya.

Diego:

Diego, panicking: Holy shit Klaus you can’t just say things like that -

Vanya: *crying from laughter*

#40: Attractive

Diego: Do you swallow magnets? Because you’re -

Klaus: *shoves him up against the wall*

Klaus: How did you find out? Who told you? Was it Ben? I swear to god I’ll kill him -

Diego: *squeaks* What?

#41: First You’ve Gotta Propose Diego

Diego: Wouldn’t we look cute on a wedding cake together?

Klaus: Diego. Did you buy me a cake?

Diego:

Klaus:

Diego:

Klaus: I’m waiting.

Diego: Right sir yes sir right away sir -

#42: He May Not Be A Kitten But He Is As Soft As One

Diego: If I followed you home, would you keep me?

Klaus: I’m homeless, Diego.

Diego: What? You are? Oh no, baby - you can come stay with me?

Klaus: *looks up from Disney Princess coloring book and raises an eyebrow* Is your bed available?

Diego, blushing: Ye-yeah, b-ba-baby. Whe-whenever you-u w-want.

Klaus: *smiles*

Klaus: *takes Diego’s hand*

Klaus: Okay.

Diego: *dies a little bit inside (in a good way)*

#43: It’s Just You.

Diego: Is it hot in here or is it just you?

Klaus, blushing: I -

Five: DIEGO. THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE. NOW IS NOT THE TIME.

#44: ‘Scuse Me, Mate?

Diego: You know, penguins mate for life. Wanna be my penguin?

Klaus: Eh. I’ve always been more of an iguana man.

Diego:

Diego:

Diego:

Diego: What?

#45: You Look Like… Antonio Banderas With The Long Hair.

Diego: How’s the most beautiful person in the world doing today?

Klaus: *buried in a Vogue magazine* I don’t know I’m not Antonio Banderas.

#46: What The Fuck Klaus

Diego: Do you have a map? I keep getting lost in your eyes.

Klaus: *hands him a Candyland board* Here. I stole it from Pogo.

#47: You Dumbass

Diego: I hate my last name. Can I borrow yours?

Klaus:

Klaus:

Klaus:

Klaus: We have the same last name, Diego.

Diego: *blinks*

Diego: Fuck you’re right -

#48: Okay But Diego Would Make A Great Aladdin Though

Diego: I’m not a genie, but I can still make your dreams come true.

Klaus: *wrinkles his nose*

Klaus: You can get me a pink elephant with jaundice?

Diego: *blinks*

Diego: What the fuck Klaus -

#49: HELLO

Diego: Is that a knife or are you just happy to see me?

Klaus: I don’t just have random knives on me Diego, I’m not you.

Diego: So you are happy to see me?

Klaus: I mean you just interrupted a very riveting episode of Sesame Street, so… we’ll see.

#50: It’s Always Best To Start With The Truth.

Diego: I love you.

Klaus: *beams* That’s all you had to say, darling.

[gorogues]

Spoilers for comics in May!

These are from the official solicits for that month, which you can see at CBR.

The Rogues Black Label series continues that month, and Tar Pit appears in the Flash movie prequel; you may recall that Girder appeared last month.  Plus, Rogues in Iron Heights and...a Legends of Tomorrow story?

ROGUES #3 Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON Art by LEOMACS Cover by SAM WOLFE CONNELLY Variant cover by MAX DUNBAR 1:25 variant cover by LEOMACS $6.99 US | 48 pages | 3 of 4 | Prestige Plus | 8 1/2" x 10 7/8" ON SALE 5/24/22 17+ "Book III: The Heist"! Captain Cold had a plan to steal from Gorilla Grodd. A plan that was going to make the Rogues rich and change their lives for the better. But now that plan has exploded, and Rogues blood is splattered all over Gorilla City. If the remaining members are going to survive, they need to think fast and work together. But a betrayal by one of the Rogues brings the heat to a whole new level! Continuing this groundbreaking neo-noir take on some of the DCU's greatest villains!

Sounds ominous....

THE FLASH #782 Written by JEREMY ADAMS   Art by FERNANDO PASARIN and MATT RYAN Cover by BRANDON PETERSON and MICHAEL ATIYEH Variant cover by TODD NAUCK $3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 5/17/22 The Speed Force on lockdown! Some of the Rogues are plotting something big inside Iron Heights, and the Flash goes inside to root out the plot. Meanwhile, Wallace figures out his future, and Linda tries to find out if she really has powers...

Can’t wait to find out which Rogues are in it!

And here’s the movie prequel.

THE FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE #2 Written by KENNY PORTER Art by JUAN FERREYRA Cover by SEBASTIAN FIUMARA Variant cover by ANDY MUSCHIETTI $5.99 US | 48 pages | 2 of 3 | Variant $6.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 5/24/22 Barry Allen's early days as the Flash continue! Barry struggles to balance his new job as a hero with his internship at the crime lab. The pressure starts overwhelming him, literally, when the monstrous molten menace called Tar Pit appears in Central City looking to put an end to the Scarlet Speedster's interference in his family's business! Barry's anxiety kick-starts his powers, sending him phasing through objects with explosive results. Can Barry get a handle on his abilities and stop Tar Pit in his tracks, or will he be tarred and feathered out of Central City for good?

EARTH-PRIME: LEGENDS OF TOMORROW #3 Written by LAUREN FIELDS and DANIEL PARK Art by PAUL PELLETIER and ANDREW HENNESSY Cover by KIM JACINTO Photo variant cover $5.99 US | 48 pages | 3 of 6 | Variant $6.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 5/3/22 Hold on to your Beebos, everyone! Ray Palmer assembles the retired Legends for one last go-round after he learns Mick Rory's Necrian children have been kidnapped by a group of mysterious Necrian assassins. But is this universe-spanning mission really what it seems?

Nice to see that Mick and his kids haven’t been forgotten, but I sure didn’t expect to see this.

Plus, a trade reprinting a story featuring Eobard.

TALES FROM THE DC DARK MULTIVERSE II Written by SCOTT SNYDER, COLLIN KELLY & JACKSON LANZING, PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON, VITA AYALA, and STEVE ORLANDO Art by DEXTER SOY, BRYAN HITCH, ARIEL OLIVETTI, MIKE PERKINS, and KARL MOSTERT Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ  and ALEJANDRO SANCHEZ $24.99 US | 456 pages | 6 5/8" x 10 3/16" | Softcover ISBN: 978-1-77951-535-3 ON SALE 6/7/22 The twisted timelines that showed the Dark Multiverse and all the devastating danger that it contains are collected in Tales from the Dark Multiverse II. What dark realities exist within the realms of the Dark Multiverse? Follow Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League as our heroes through these crumbling and shattered worlds!

[sapphire374]

Soy Sol: Chapter 8 (Long Story Short, It was a Tough Day)

Wattpad Link

Ch.1 / Ch.2 / Ch.3 / Ch.4 / Ch.5 / Ch.6 / Ch.7 / Ch.9 / Ch.10 / Ch.11 / Ch.12 / Ch.13 / Ch.14 / Ch.15 / Ch.16 / Ch.17

Simón approaches the doors of the Jam and Roller. He pulls out a set of keys from his pocket and selectively picks the one with the J&R emblem engraved on it. He’s surprised when he grabs the doorknob and is able to open it without unlocking it himself. He walks in cautiously. “Is anyone here?” No one answers. Everything seems to be intact. He wonders maybe Pedro forgot to lock up last night?

He keeps walking around and gets a little startled noticing a person sitting in front of the main desk in the office. He shakes his head and rubs his tired eyes. Sitting there is Ámbar, crying in her arms.

“Linda que paso? What happened?” He worriedly rushes by her side. “It’s official, no one’s buying this place. No one wants it. Vidia is planning to tear it down and sell the land on its own.” More tears begin to cover her face. This place grew to be extremely close to Ámbar’s heart. After everything that happened with Sharon, the only constant in her life was the Jam and Roller. Being able to skate help relieve her from her anxieties and at least have one moment to be alone with the world. When she got offered the position to be manager, she couldn’t be more thrilled. Putting her heart and soul into setting up events for the gang and making sure everything was in place helped her feel more in control with her life. She was able to calm down the mess that surrounded her and pick up the pieces one by one. Hearing the official news coming from their lawyers was earth shattering for her, it was too surreal.

Simón didn’t know what to do in this moment. He ‘can’ say things will get better, but he doesn’t want to give her false hope, doesn’t want to sugarcoat it. He feels that saying an advice in this instant would only make things worse so he does what he knows best, he hugs her. A quiet display of showing you’re there for that person, always.

When they hear Pedro enter the cafeteria with Delfi, Ámbar and Simón get up from their chairs and go back to work. Ámbar wipes away all the tears with her sleeve and tries to put more makeup to cover her puffy skin.

After two hours pass by, Luna enters with Nina. “Wow Luna I can’t believe he stood you up,” Nina replies. Simón overhears Nina’s comment and hurries over to Luna’s side. “Is this true? Matteo stood you up?” Luna starts trembling and tries to find the right words to say but nothing comes out of her mouth. “I-I- …... okay how do I explain this. Yes, he left me alone all night till the restaurant closed. When I was sitting on the bench in front waiting for my taxi, he arrived. He tried to explain to me that he lost track of time because Viviana was bothering him on filming more scenes for their music video. Basically, it’s all mess. This whole relationship has turned into a mess. He lied to me by not telling me he was going to be with Viviana. If he had told me, it would’ve been okay, but he didn’t, which is why I’m upset. If you lie to someone about being with another person that means you don’t want them to know, which most of the time indicates you’re hiding a secret.” Luna sighs from her mouthful of words.

“Luna, I don’t want to make it sound worse but you’re right. If he lied to you about being with Viviana, there’s a chance he’s hiding something. There’s no necessity to lie about filming with a coworker…. Unless he has feelings for that coworker. Sorry you have to go through all of this.” Simón hugs Luna and tries to console her. “Amiga, remember these are all assumptions we’re making. We don’t know the full truth so maybe he was keeping everything a secret for a reason. We are still missing parts of the story,” Nina advised. “I don’t think so Nina. I think I should just start moving on and start focusing more on me and you guys of course. Oh, that reminds me. How are those wedding plans going Simón?” Simon widely opens his eyes in shock and covers his mouth with his hand. “No no no nooooooo”

“Que paso Simón? Why are you so upset suddenly?” Luna asked.

“Ámbar and I have been so caught up with issues pertaining to the Jam and Roller that we completely forgot to prepare the wedding and plan everything out.”

Luna lays her hand on Simon’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore because I can help with whatever you guys need.” “Yeah, me too,” Nina tags along.

“Also, what issues do you guys mean when ‘pertaining to the Jam and Roller?’” Luna questions.

“You’ll find out soon, and by soon I mean around…. now.” Simón states while staring at the clock.

Ámbar leaves the office carrying a clipboard and heads to the stage of the cafeteria. “May I get everyone’s attention! I have some disappointing news to say. For a while, Simon and I have constantly tried to negotiate with Vidia, in hopes that this beautiful place stays as it should. Sadly, our wishes were not met and Vidia has officially announced that it will be tearing this place down and selling the land. Sorry to be the bearer of this awful news, I wish I didn’t have to. I wish that the Jam and Roller can stay for generations and generations on. This place has been the spot where many of us have shared experiences together and won a few competitions. It deserves to stay here, but the owners disagree.”

Everyone gasps in astonishment. Some covering their mouths, some leaving it open, some having visible tears coming out. Everyone reacts as if the place was already completely gone and become a deserted land. Eric (Jandino) enters the place. “Hey guys what did I miss?” Everyone’s red puffy faces glance towards him. “Oof tough crowd huh?” Nina is the first to respond and make the situation a little less awkward. “The Jam and Roller is going to be teared down.” Eric stays speechless and just nods in response.

“This can’t be the end of this place. Are we really going to give up so quickly? Vidia tried to sell it and we were able to convince them not to. This time could be the same,” Luna exclaims.

“This time is different though because the investors don’t need this place anymore and no one wants to buy a skating rink since it’s ‘old fashion’ and ‘not modern.’ This place was in the market for months. Simón and I hoped someone would buy it but no one did. The only way for us to even have a chance to keep it is if someone purchased this place,” Ámbar refuted.

“That shouldn’t be so bad. All we have to do is find someone who is rich and has a kind heart,” Luna proudly states. “Luna are you insane? Where we are we going to find a kind, rich person? This isn’t a cartoon where stuff magically appears out of nowhere to help and save us. Yeah, that’s right Mickey, I’m talking about you and your “musketeer named Toodles,” we all know that’s fake.” Jazmin argued in front of her tablet camera.

“You are right... well on the first part. But I have an idea, maybe I can afford it!” Luna confidently states.

Ámbar gently brings Luna’s hopes down again. “I’ve already checked how much I have in the bank from the half you gave and doubled that and it’s still not enough for the place Luna.” Luna pouts, facing the ground. “Oh... well I guess never mind then.”

Delfi comes up with an idea. “Hey what about Matteo? He is rich now from being a star and all.” She then points to the man in sunglasses who had been staring at Luna ever since he arrived. Luna didn’t realize it till now. “If that’s what you guys want, I’ll buy it. How much does it cost?” Ámbar walks to Matteo. “I’m showing you in secret, so you don’t get embarrassed with your net worth not being enough,” Ámbar explained. “Oh please, it can’t be that bad.” Ámbar show’s him the clipboard and points to the bottom. Matteo begins to sweat. “Oh…... um guys I can afford it but then I’ll be broke with no where to live.”

“Great! I guess that means the Jam and Roller is saved then! Yay!” Jazmin yells out. “Jazmin we can’t force Matteo to do such a grand gesture either,” Gaston responds. “And why not?”

“Jazmin are you really asking that question after he said he would be broke?” Gaston added. “Yes, I don’t see the problem.” Gaston shakes his head and covers his eyes with his fingers from annoyance.

“You guys, it’s hopeless,” Ámbar announces and walks away, heading straight to her office.

Nina walks over to Luna’s side. “Why aren’t you so sad Luna? I mean of course I wouldn’t want you to be sad, but I thought the news would be devastating for you since you love this place so much.”

“This place isn’t getting teared down. At least not under my watch. I will find a way to keep this place the way it is. I will just need to do some research,” Luna persists. “Luna you never seize to surprise me. Whatever help you need, I’m right here,” Nina chuckles.

Eric approaches Nina and tries to comfort her. “Yeah, I bet this must be awful news for you guys. I know I wasn’t here long enough but one thing I know for sure is that this place is certainly magical.” Gaston views Eric close with Nina and he immediately rushes over. He places his arm around Nina’s waist. “Your Corazon will really stop going wowow if you keep flirting with my girl!” “Gaston!” Nina is shocked and tries to calm him down from his jealousy burning his own skin.

“Guys I think I’m going to head home. It’s been a rough morning and I barely got any sleep,” Luna waved goodbye to the gang. Gastón gestures over to Matteo letting him know Luna is leaving. Matteo runs over to the parking lot.

“Luna wait, can you give me a second to explain everything.” Matteo calls out to her. “Matteo, you’re the person I least want to talk to right now.”

“Luna I’m sorry. I’m sorry for arriving extremely late and standing you up. I’m sorry for not replying to all your calls and messages. I’m sorry I lied about the video with Viviana. I didn’t tell you though because I was worried you would get upset and think I remotely like the girl,” Matteo confesses.

“Hah so you’ve even noticed that she’s been extremely close and has been flirting with you,” Luna attested.

“What no? It’s not like that at all. You’re just jealous.” Luna turns around and displays a furious expression, this is the moment when Matteo noticed he had chosen the wrong set of words. “Jealous? That’s what you think of me? Maybe you’re just too blinded by fame to realize she’s constantly glued to you. Haven’t you noticed that when she talks to you, she gradually grows closer and closer to you and whenever you two go out she tries to hold your arm and pull you in tight. I’ve seen all the paparazzi videos so I know. Plus, she’s always calling you. She calls you more than your own manager does,” Luna argued.

“Oh please Luna, you’re just being delusional.” Matteo hears his phone ringing. He pulls it out and notices it’s Viviana calling him. “Yet I’m the delusional one, you have just become so full of yourself you can barely even notice what’s actually going on,” Luna walks away. “Wait, Luna please don’t go.” This time she doesn’t listen to him and keeps walking away without a slight turn of her head.

Luna’s Home

Luna enters her room and throws herself in bed. It’s barely Sunday and Luna feels a whole tornado of emotions have taken over her body. She doesn’t feel like doing anything, not even taking off her socks from wearing her shoes or wiping off her light makeup. She grabs her blanket and tries to fall asleep on top of her bed.

After an hour has passed, her mom knocks on her door and gently opens it. She sees her daughter sleeping and tries to lightly pat her. Luna’s eyelashes wiggle and brush against her skin. She slowly wakes up. “I brought you some breakfast, just thought maybe you haven’t eaten and were probably hungry.” Luna happily smiles. “Mom you know me too.” Monica smiles back too and hands her a tray of waffles with strawberries. Ah strawberries. The least she needed was to be reminded of “el chico fresa.” Her smile slowly disappears and turns into a frown.

“Hija, lately I’ve been seeing you all down in the dumps. Always depressed and never wanting to do much other than sleep. Are you okay? This isn’t normally like you,” Monica sincerely concerned, looks at Luna in the eyes.

“Everything just seems to be falling apart. Not just dealing with Matteo and I’s relationship ending but also the Jam and Roller too. Apparently Vidia is planning to tear it down and the only way for us to be able to have the chance to keep the Jam and Roller intact is to purchase it but none of us can afford such a high price.”

Monica nods and tries to conjure up an idea. Eventually one crosses her mind. “Luna, I’m shocked you didn’t think of this earlier, especially since it deals with your favorite hobby in ‘el mundo mundial,’” Monica says.

“What does skating have to do with this?” Luna laughs.

“Competitions. I know there’s some competitions out there in which the grand prize is a sum of money. Why don’t you guys enter one and try to compete.” Luna lets go of her fork and soon becomes energetic. “Mom that is genius!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!” Luna yells out and tightly hugs her mom.

“Well you know what they say, us moms are geniuses,” Monica chuckles. Luna hastily grabs her computer and retrieves to her bed. She opens up the laptop and begins typing and searching through. “Well Luna I guess I shall leave you to it. Glad I was able to help. Love you hija.” Monica kisses Luna’s forehead and leaves. “Love you too mom!”

After searching for hours, Luna is able to find a competition in which the grand prize pays most of the Jam and Roller price tag. When calculating the percentages, Luna notices that what’s left to pay after all the costs are taken up, is affordable for the whole gang. She jumps up and down all around her bedroom with content pouring out of her. The Jam and Roller finally has a chance to stay. Maybe things can even go back to old times when they all skated together.

[buzzdixonwriter]

The Purple Monster Strikes

Recently in an online discussion of 1950s sci-fi films, the old Republic serial The Purple Monster Strikes came up.

Why is came up I’ll mention later, but first let’s note it: 

was made in 1945 

was the last 15 chapter Republic serial

is awful

Not eyeball gouging / brain melting / soul scorching awful the way The Lost City or Gene Autry And The Phantom Empire or Captain Video are awful, but awful enough…

…yet at the same time, worthy of comment (as we’ll soon note).

1945 is a crucial year.  Despite the Nazis last ditch Battle of the Bulge, WWII is clearly winding down to an Allied victory in both Europe and the Pacific. 

American audiences feel tired of the war wand want something else in their entertainment, even low brow / low rent entertainment like movie serials.

Republic produced three serials that year:  Federal Operator 99 proved surprisingly good, Manhunt Of Mystery Island (their next to last 15 chapter serial) tried some new ideas that while interesting didn’t prove interesting enough to be tried again, and The Purple Monster Strikes brought interplanetary thrills back to the theaters, only this time instead of visiting Mars, Mars (at least two of ‘em) came to Earth.

As noted in my overview of Federal Operator 99, Republic serials of that year looked…inexpensive.* 

This is especially true of The Purple Monster Strikes which really needed a bigger budget, a better script, and adequate production time for the type of story it was trying to tell.

That story?

In a nutshell:   The Purple Monster is a one-Martian invasion come to steal the secret of the “jet plane” (the script uses the term interchangeably with “rocketship”) from Earth and take it to Mars where it can be mass produced and used to attack our world (Why?  WTF knows or cares?).  To achieve this The Purple Monster bumps off the scientist in charge of the project, physically possesses his corpse by turning into a ghost-like entity, and tries to kill a nosy investigator and the late scientist’s niece.  In the end The Purple Monster tries to escape Earth only to get blowed up real good (Did I mention this is silly, stooped, and trite?  I did?  Good).

So why am I interested in The Purple Monster Strikes?  Well, for two reasons, the second and more important one we’ll save for the end, the first is that when watched with fully informed eyes, it’s a testament to the single greatest contribution the serials made to filmmaking:  The production board.

Lemme ‘splain what that is.

In the old days of movie making it was a folder with slots for narrow strips of colored cardboard to be slid in.  The strips were color coded for interior or exterior scenes, night or day, specific locations, second unit or special effects, etc.

These strips were grouped together on the production board so all the exterior day shots at one location could be filmed back-to-back, followed by all the night shots there before moving on to a new location.

The colored carboard strips were further broken down to match production numbers in the shooting script (“Scene 37:  The bandits take the town”), key props and costumes, stunt work, but most importantly actors / characters in the scene.

You want all your most important / expensive / difficult stuff grouped together…but you also need to figure out what you didn’t need so you could pare down your budget.

For example, if you need someone to play a policeman in Scene 1 and in Scene 12 but those scenes are shot two seeks apart, maybe it’s cheaper to have two different actors playing two different policemen for one day each than keep one actor on call for two weeks.

Likewise, if you’ve got an actor in a key supporting role, put all his scenes together.

This necessitates shooting out of sequence, but shooting out of sequence is now pretty much the industry norm for any filmed or taped production.

The serials invented the production board and the rest of the industry speedily glommed onto it.

Once you know what to look for in The Purple Monster Strikes, you can pretty much break down which scenes were shot when.

Case in point: Masked heroes and villains aside, serial characters rarely change costume except to match stock footage from earlier productions.  It’s not especially notable for male characters but females typically wear The Same Damn Dress in Every Damn Scene.

So when heroine Linda Sterling gets dunked in a water tank midway through The Purple Monster Strikes, you can bet that was her last day of filming since they were no longer worried about ruining her costume.

Likewise when a female reinforcement from Mars arrives, the exact same location right down to the same car parked in the same spot are used even though the female Martian doesn’t arrive until 2/3rds of the way into the story.

You wouldn’t notice this week to week in a movie theater, but they’re painfully obvious when bingewatching.

Case in point: There are never more than four characters onscreen at any time; this was all the production could afford on any given day.  If a fifth character showed up, one of the others needed to be knocked unconscious (if they were lucky) shot and fall off camera (if they were unlucky), or disintegrated (if they were really unlucky).

For example, the hero and heroine could be talking to a scientist (day 1 / shot 1) when three baddies show up at the door (day 2 / shot 1).  The first baddie shoots the scientist, who falls off camera then enters the frame and knocks out the heroine, who conveniently falls behind a counter (day 1 / shot 2).  The other two baddies enter and a huge brawl erupts (day 2 / shot 2).  The heroine revives (day 1 / shot 3) and shouts a warning at the hero.  The hero blasts a minor baddie who falls off camera as the other two baddies flee the scene (day 2 / shot 3), then the heroine rejoins the hero (day 1 / shot 4).

Binge watching also reveals a lot of sets and props reused again and again.  The same footstool is used as a weapon more than once, a prop valve in one chapter serves an entirely different function in another, and while serials frequently reused stock special effects shots, The Purple Monster Strikes doesn’t just use the same exploding car shot twice in the same serial, not just twice in the same chapter, but twice in the same car chase!

(Speaking of which, whenever they get in Linda Sterling’s car you know the odds are 50-50 it’s going off a cliff in a big flaming fireball.  The Purple Monster Strikes has her going through so many identical make automobiles you’d think she owned stock in a car dealership.)

Anybody familiar with Republic serials is going to find a lot of reused sets and props here.  Having seen Manhunt Of Mystery Island recently, I immediately recognized their ubiquitous warehouse set, the Republic Studios loading dock doubles as two different factory exteriors, and having lived in Chatsworth several years I can practically name each and every rock in the exterior scenes.**

On the plus side, bonus points for some impressive looking props, including a rocket test engine that provides the explosive cliffhanger for the first chapter, a double-barrel disintegrator that looks like a giant set of binoculars (I wonder if it was originally a military surplus training aid), and a spaceship seen under construction for most of the serial that proves to be the most striking design the redoubtable Lydecker brothers ever created (a pity it’s glimpsed only briefly before being blown up in the last chapter; Republic should have reused it for their later sci-fi serials instead of the dull unimaginative designs they went with).

Fun factoid: Mi amigo Donald F. Glut, filmmaker / NYTimes bestselling author / film historian, knew The Purple Monster hizzownsef, Roy Barcroft, and reports Barcroft had the wardrobe department sew a secret pocket in his costume for his cigarettes! 

Speaking of Barcroft, he’s the best thing in this serial and he ain’t that good.  A perennial bad guy in serials and B-Westerns, he normally turned in a satisfying performance, but the script for The Purple Monster Strikes gives him nothing to work with.

I mentioned previously how Federal Operator 99’s script works more often than not and gives its characters something the actors can work with, but The Purple Monster Strikes?  Nada.

Every line is a clunky flat declarative sentence exposition dump of the “I’ll take this strange medallion we discovered to Harvey the metallurgist to analyze” variety.

Even Linda Sterling can’t do anything with this though she tries to find an appropriate facial expression for whatever scene she’s thrown in.

As for nominal star Dennis Moore, I won’t say he’s wooden but in one of the innumerable fight scenes Barcroft hurls a coatrack at him and for that brief moment the coatrack delivers a far more memorable performance.

Sidebar on the fight scenes: They are choreographed expertly, among some of the best Republic ever staged, but directors Spencer Gordon Bennet and Fred C. Brannon -- both serial veterans who could do much, much better -- really dropped the ball in shooting them.  They’re shot almost entirely in wide angle longshots using slightly sped up photography instead of intercutting to keep the pacing fast.

The rest of the cast consists mostly of stuntmen carefully enunciating their one line before the fists start flying, or older male actors who deliver surprisingly good performances compared to everyone else.

But that script -- oh, lordie, that script!  This was made in 1945 and they’ve got a damn organ grinder in it!  Organ grinders vanished from the public sphere with the damn of movies; by the 1940s they were found only in comic books and animated cartoons; in other words, kid stuff.***

It’s clear the writers on The Purple Monster Strikes (Royal Cole, Albert DeMond, Basil Dickey, Lynn Perkins, Joseph Poland, and Barney Sarecky) considered this mere juvenile pablum, not worthy of even the smattering of sophistication they sprinkled on Federal Operator 99.

An adult can watch Federal Operator 99 and at least feel the story makes some kind of sense and the characters, however imperfectly enacted, at least offer adult motives and behaviors, but The Purple Monster Strikes is just insulting to the intelligence (I mean, they call the female Martian invader Marsha.  Seriously?).

Okay, so why do I think this is worth writing about?

Because The Purple Monster Strikes is the bridge between WWII and the Cold War.

Most of the major tropes of 1950s sci-fi are reactions to Cold War anxieties, and those anxieties are transplanted WWII anxieties.

Before WWII, American moneyed interests waged a relentless PR campaign against communism, socialism, and labor unions (sound familiar?).

Forced to make peace with the Soviets during WWII, these moneyed interests -- now heavily invested in what Dwight D. Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex -- bit their lips as US pop culture portrayed the Russians as gallant allies against fascism (and they were; credit where credit is due).

As soon as the war ended, however, and in fact, even a little before the end (see The Best Years Of Our Lives; great movie), they were already recasting the Russians as treacherous authoritarian atheists out to conquer the world.

As noted earlier, American audiences felt weary of a relentless diet of war related entertainment and in the waning days of the war turned eagerly to non-war related stories. 

Likewise studios, not wanting to get caught with rapidly dating WWII related material nobody wanted to see began actively developing different kinds of stories.

After four years of intense anxiety, the country needed to come down but couldn’t go cold turkey.  Science fiction (and hardboiled mysteries and spy thrillers) provided safe decompression.

1945 marks a significant sea change in Republic serial production.  Sci-fi would become a more predominant theme, infiltrating other genres such as the ever popular masked mastermind (viz. The Crimson Ghost).

Federal Operator 99 would be the last highwater mark for more plausible serial stories, but crime and undercover espionage remained serial staples to the bitter end.

Only Manhunt Of Mystery Island seemed a misfire and even in that case it only meant the masked mastermind returned to more traditional origins instead of the inventive backstory created for Captain Mephisto.  

What The Purple Monster Strikes did was take a very familiar set of WWII cliches and stereotypes then recast them in a (relatively) safe science fictional context.

The closest prototype to The Purple Monster Strikes is Republic’s G-Men Vs. The Black Dragon, as racially offensive as you could hope to imagine, and turn the inscrutable “yellow” villains into malevolent purple ones (later green when colorization was added).

By making the literally other worldly alien the “other”, 1950s sci-fi sidestepped the worst implications of their own themes:  

Invasion 

Subversion 

Fifth columns 

Loss of soul / identity / individuality (personified in bodily possession by alien intellects)

Paranoia

The Purple Monster Strikes lacks the wit and wherewithal to fully exploit these ideas, but it sure could hold them up for everyone to get a quick glimpse.

As childish and as inane as the plot may be, by the end when hero and heroine realize there is literally no one they can trust, The Purple Monster Strikes dropped a depth charge into preteen psyches fated to go off six years later with the arrival of The Thing From Another World and countless other sci-fi films and TV episodes afterwards.

Did The Purple Monster Strikes create this trend?  No, of course not – but as Stephen King pointed out in Danse Macabre regarding the incredibly inane The Horror Of Party Beach’s selection of nuclear waste dumping as their raison d'être for their monsters:

“I’m sure it was one of the least important points in their preproduction discussions and for that reason it becomes very important.”

King’s point is by not giving the matter much thought, The Horror Of Party Beach’s producers simply tapped into a subconscious gestalt already running through the culture and said, “Yeah, nuclear waste, wuddup widdat?”

Likewise, The Purple Monster Strikes’ producers / directors / writers didn’t sit themselves down to analyze Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four but rather picked up on the forever war current already moving through the American body politic.

War without end, war without ceasing.

And if we can’t define an enemy by name or place, so much the better!  The war on crime, the war on poverty, the war on drugs…

The war on terror.

The forever war thrives on the faceless unknowable enemy with the unknown but clearly malevolent anti-American agenda.

“Them”…against…U.S.

As an artistic achievement, The Purple Monster Strikes is sadly lacking in nearly all aspects, but as a cultural artifact, it’s still a clear warning.

Only not about “them” but about…us.

  © Buzz Dixon 

  *  read “cheap”

** Republic’s low budget backed them into an overlapping series of sci-fi serials, loosely referred to as the Rocket Man / Martian invasion serials by fans.  The Purple Monster Strikes’ costume was reused for Flying Disc Man From Mars (which featured a semi-circular flying wing already featured in Spy Smasher and King Of The Mounties) and again for Zombies Of The Stratosphere, but between those two serials the wholly unrelated King Of The Rocket Men was released.  Zombies… is a sequel to both Flying Disc Man… and King Of The Rocket Men but Radar Men From The Moon introduces a new character -- Commando Cody -- who wears the same rocket pack as the heroes of King… and Zombies… but faces a lunar, not Martian menace then he spins off to become Commando Cody:  Sky Marshall Of The Universe in a quasi-serial (i.e., no cliff-hangers, each chapter a complete adventure) fighting a third alien invasion!

***  Or the works of Bertolt Brecht, but that ain’t what Republic’s going for here.

[agentmarymargaretskitz]

Earth-4 Parkthawne board

[afaimscorner]

27. Star Trek: Enterprise

 2001-2005, 4 Seasons, 98 Episodes, US, UPN

 Creators: Rick Berman, Brannon Braga

 Main Cast: Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, Connor Trinneer, Vaughn Armstrong, John Fleck, Matt Winston, Jeffrey Combs, Gary Graham

„Starfleet could've sent a probe out here to make maps and take pictures, but they didn't. They sent us so that we could explore with our own senses.“

The one in which: Earth finally sends their own ship into deep space, but it’s still got a firm case of Vulcan. Jon isn’t too happy about that and does not even end up marrying her, Trip does neither for reasons, neither does Malcom, who at least sees Hoshi topless, or Phlox, who almost spends Pon Farr with her. There is also a Dog. And yes, he does pee against the wrong tree.

Favorite Episodes: Twilight, Regeneration, Broken Bow 1+2, In a Mirror Darkly 1+2, The Forge/The Awakening/Kir’Shara