#event: bad times at the el royale

[millennialsalkin]

hello have not been on here in literal years and reactivated simply to post my modern bridgerton hcs that came to me as i was falling asleep would not let me go until i wrote them down! enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~

the entire family is still very much british upper class - they regularly interact with the royals and attend all the family event like wimbledon and ascot. they are regularly featured in the pages of the tabloids much to their annoyance. they also went to either oxford, cambridge, or st. andrew’s (franny)

- anthony - still who he is, took over edmund’s position in the family business. huge company either a law firm, business like real estate or holdings. he’s ceo and damn good at his job. still viscount but it is really in name only.

- kate - still very much who she is, i can see her either going very much a lawyer or the artist route but i like to think of her as leaving her art as a hobby that she does simply for the pleasure of it.

- benedict - artist can do either painting or photography but has become very famous for it, initially it was because of the family name but then people started seeing his talent for what it is. his photos have been featured a bunch of times in british vogue and he is one of their go to photographers.

- sophie - very much a primary school teacher because of her experience with araminta as a child she was determined to not let that happen for other children so she makes damn sure that while they are at school in her class they know some one is looking out for them.

- colin - travel writer. he works for some magazine and has his own column. the magazine is owned by like some big media company that has their own building.

- penelope - pen works for a different magazine that is owned by the same parent company as colin’s so they work in the same building when colin is not on assignment. she secretly still runs lady whistledown that is like deux moi and once she gets outed she starts her own mini media empire. still besties with eloise.

- daphne - she is very much the perfect socialite philanthropist that is so perfect she seems like she would be a bitch but truly is that nice. is still married to simon after they fake dated due to some media scandal. lives her absolute best WAG life and has the season down to a science.

- simon - is a huge sports star, think david beckham. technically was still the duke but officially gave up the title to piss off his father. this man was born to be girl dad.

- eloise - once she realized just how much privilege she has, she put her money where her mouth is and is constantly going to protests much to anthony’s annoyance (not because he doesn’t agree with the cause just because she is giving the family a bad name in the press, he actually super proud of her.) el went to school for a degree in women and gender studies and is super involved in academia when not getting arrested.

- phillip/a - a botany professor at the university where el is based out of. still has the kids from their previous relationship with marina but they were able to get a divorce because it is the 21st century and co parent the twins quite well. their gender honestly doesn’t matter for this, they love plants and eloise - the order of that is not important.

- francesca - autistic, it is important to me that you know that. she is a film composer, she loves getting to create the score for movies and that it doesn’t require that much human interaction.

- john - still unfortunately passes away, but prior to that was some kind of finance guy. was generally the nicest guy and loved fran with his entire heart.

- michael/michaela - hot. like the most beautiful human being you have ever laid eyes on. they work as an actor because it’s fun but secretly are insanely smart and like build computers for fun.

- gregory - anthony’s mini me and he wouldn’t have it any other way. he works for the family company and loves it. generally small bean like but is insanely tall, like taller than benedict much to everyone’s annoyance but no one more than hyacinth. he worships the ground lucy walks on but they only have three or four kids because they have access to birth control.

- lucy - a mini kate. also a lawyer who’s family firm got bought by kate’s and then started working under her where she eventually met greg when he was visiting his favorite sister kate for their monthly lunch date. has ocd.

- hyacinth - a child prodigy, started university at like 15 (which she never lets greg forget) works as a ta (or whatever the uk equivalent is) for agatha who is an old family friend through whom she meets gareth. her field is like archeology or some other super niche thing. (agatha does not have to teach, she does it because if she doesn’t how else will the new generation ever be taught the right way to do things)

- gareth - is so fucking chill but absolutely matches hyacinths freak. no one is quite sure what he does, he has explained it many times but no one truly knows even hyacinth.

- violet - was besties with princess diana (old money england) she unfortunately passes around the same time as edmund and she just loses it. luckily it is the modern days was able to get help but it took a little while. though once she is back on her feet she is a force to be reckoned with. she runs the family foundation which focuses on mental health and allergy awareness.

thank you for reading this! i will take no criticism at this time but welcome any addition thoughts!

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

My OCs Majour Historical Figures

Part 3 of my world building posts! I'm gonna arrange these guys in order of their importance to the Plot™, and how much I dote on them.

So, without further ado,

The Godhuntress, Ina

She's literally my PFP :)

Lived: 2000-4050AC

Height: 3.5m (11'6 for Americans)

Pronouns: She/Her

Race: Angel of Nature (her halo is just flowers)

Was completely loyal to the Gods until her husband got killed for abandoning his post to pluck some flowers for her

Then she went completely apeshit and genocided the gods

Possessed a secret Voidic ritual to drain magic from others, which gave her the power to defeat the Gods

Killed her daughter, Isobel, in a fit of rage after Iz tried to stop her from killing the last goddess, the Goddess of Dreams, who was just a child

Massacred the Fae, elves, and forest spirits

Jumped into the Void out of grief when she realised she had become a monster like the gods (see it here)

Speaks like she came out of the bible

Basically the biggest deity in modern Triworld

Been living rent free in my head since I was 6

2. The Spirit Emperor, Hans-el

Obsessive midgeted psycho

Lived: 3595- AC

Height: 130cm/4'3 (145/4'9 in his high shoes)

Pronouns: He/Him (caps included)

Race: Forest Spirit

Has an everlasting grudge against Ina for killing his best friend, the Goddess of Dreams, in front of him

Knows her power ritual because he saw her do it, and used it to gain enough power to become Emperor for vengeance

After she died, he set all the souls of the gods free for the heck of it

Like Ina, is power-corrupt and evil. Unlike her, he doesn't give a shit about it

Bastard has his little fingers in every bit of the Plot™

No seriously, if the story's set after Ina, it's events are probably his fault

You'll find him cameoing as either Hans or just 'the spirit'

Will murder you if you call him short (he is, even by spirit standards)

Inexplicably in love with Hash

3. Hash Brown

Nobody knows her real name

Lived: 1998- AC

Height: ? (145/4'9 in his favourite form)

Pronouns: she/he (and never it)

Race: Shapeshifter

Possibly the oldest being alive in Modern Triworld, not that she'd let anyone know it

Wears an elf body because that's what she pretended to be during the Runic Wars

Goes by Hash Brown because the Lich-Queen said it would be cool, and he's possibly forgotten his own name by this point

Actually pretty smart but pretends to be a ditz

Pathological trickster who feels bad getting people in trouble

Moved into Hans' castle one day, became his partner in crime (and everything else) and never left

Feels bad for deserting his people during the Ruinic War (cos he couldn't accept genociding humanity) and as such looks after the remaining shapeshifters

Drinking buddies with the Luxatian Exorcists, who all actually believe she's an elf

Fakes an incredibly strong Paliodaen accent

Secretly, deep within his heart, a good person

4. The Lich-Queen, Iraela Foundling

Cracker of bad quips

Lived: 2800-4003

Height: 165cm/5'5

Race: Human turned Lich

Found in the End of the World along with her sister, Ramaeria, and brought into Ceredellian Royal society

She showed no powers so she stayed hidden away while her sister, an Oracle, danced with nobles

Met and fell in love with a minor duke

When she discovered she was a necromancer of epic proportions, she tore Ceredell apart and remade it into the Deadlands

Has a god-awful inferiority complex and deep rooted jealousy

Still somehow trying to live up to her dead sister's image

Cannot stop cracking jokes at the worst possible timing

Thought it was funny to tell a young shifter to name himself Hashbrown

Main proponent of the Ruinic War, because she hates humanity (she doesn't want to be reminded that she was one)

Bonus: Luna Iverius Delacroix, Mind-mage

Absolute tech boomer

Age: 6012-

Height: 150cm

Race: Human

Actually pretty important to the Plot™

Main character syndrome in every meaning of the word

Make-up fiend

Ran away from home at age 11 and made herself a cult of personality

Cannot drive, cook, use a phone or take care of herself

Insanely lazy, but skilled enough at magic to make up for it

Does not know the meaning of playing fair

Neither booksmart nor streetsmart, but a secret third option (not smart)

By the way, all the images were made on picrew.me ! Go check it out, it's super fun to play with!

[lewmagoo]

Leah! Imagine dancing with Miles Miller before the events of Bad Times and then hearing that same song after Bad Times.

i only have eyes for you.

you stood amidst rubble and ash. the ruin of the place you had once worked. you couldn't believe that this place had once stood so big and imposing, a landmark between two states. now, it was nothing. burned to the ground by a fire that had consumed it from the inside out. and along with it, your heart and soul had been taken by those flames.

you were standing by the place where the front desk would have been, and your eyes caught sight of something in the rubble. with a trembling hand, you reached down, brushing the ash aside and retrieving what was left of the bell that had sat upon the desk. holding the bell to your chest, you let out a soft cry. you'd lost everything to these flames. your livelihood. your possessions. but most of all, you'd lost the man you loved.

you'd watched him die, right before your very eyes. you'd held his trembling hand in yours and sobbed over him as he slipped away. he'd begged the old preacher, albeit the con man that he was, to absolve him of his sins. he so desperately needed to know he could be forgiven. needed to know he would cross through those pearly gates without fear of being cast into the fiery pits of hell.

he believed so deeply that he was unforgivable. that he was evil. no matter how many times you told him he wasn't. he refused to believe you, insisting that you had no idea of the magnitude of the wickedness he'd committed. but you did know, and you loved him all the same. you did not judge the person he'd been in the war. it was a brutal, senseless war, and it had forced even the best of men to commit acts they never even dreamed of committing.

but every time he got in his head about his past, you were there to soothe him. even though you knew it never took the hurt or trauma away, not truly, it did ease his pain a little. when you held him in your arms and told him how much you loved him, he almost felt okay. you would spend hours with your arms around him, swaying around the lobby of the el royale, his face buried in the crook of your neck. your favorite song would play over the victrola. i only have eyes for you.

its dreamy notes would relax you both, and lull you into a sense of security. but that safety was false, and you both knew it. nothing was safe in this place. the only place you both found safety was in each other. so you clung to one another, protecting the others from the horrors of the world around you. that was, until the horrors caught up with you. until your haven was invaded, violated, destroyed. you would never forget watching your love stumble into the room, his beautiful face bloodied and marred from the buckshot that had hit him.

they hadn't let you tend to him. no matter how much you cried and begged. "please, he's hurt! let me take care of him!" you exclaimed. the woman with the dark hair and bangs had told you to shut up. and then, all hell broke loose. you were plunged into a sick game of life and death. miles was trying to bargain for your life. begging billy lee to turn the gun on him, and not you. "i deserve it. i've sinned! i deserve to die!" he wailed. "stop!" you pleaded. "miles, stop!" and then he locked eyes with you. "i can't let you die. you're the only good thing in my life."

billy lee had laughed at that. "ain't that sweet?" he cooed, creeping into your space, fingers stroking your jawline. that gesture had miles jerking against his bind, shouting at him to get his hands off you. "prince charming over here is willing to sacrifice himself for you." but billy would get his comeuppance soon enough. it wasn't long before miles allowed himself to slip into the man he was during the war. he was driven by his need to protect you, to save the only one he'd ever truly loved.

and he succeeded. soon, the room was silent, save for the soft sobs of rose, the girl billy had manipulated for his own personal gain. and miles, your sweet, precious miles, with that bleeding, empathetic heart, had approached her, trying to offer comfort as she wept. but her anger an grief drove her, and she stood, trembling as she turned to face him. you saw the knife before he did, glinting in the orange glow. "no!" you shrieked, but it was too late. you caught him as he fell, just as father flynn stopped rose from going any further with a bullet.

all that was left was you, kneeling on the floor, holding your darling boy in your arms, wailing with an agony you had never known. "f-forgive me father, for i have sinned!" he whimpered. and father flynn gave him what he was searching for. only then did miles finally let go, and you were left holding his body as his life force slipped from him. they tried to pull you away as you sobbed, holding him tighter still, refusing to leave him. but the place was going up in flames around you, and it was either leave, or be consumed along with it.

you refused to leave him there alone. "we have to bring him out! he needs a proper burial! i can't just leave him!" you wept. flynn looked at darlene, the only other survivor of this fateful night, and she sadly nodded. together, the three of you carried his body out into the stormy night. you cried, and cried, and cried, until you had no more tears left to cry. your heart was broken beyond repair. miles was gone, and he wasn't coming back.

a few days later, you found yourself back at the place where it happened. the front desk, where miles always stood, ready to greet guests as they came in. the lobby, where you danced the night away with your lover. it was all gone. all that was left was that little bell that you held clutched to your chest. you closed your eyes, and you could almost hear the beginning notes of i only have eyes for you. there, you began to sway back and forth, humming softly. "my love must be a kind of blind love. i can't see anyone but you..." and if only for that fleeting moment, you pretended you were back in that hotel lobby, swaying with your lover, safe in each other's arms.

[nevertem]

Mahad is actually the only priest who comes from common heritage.

Priest Seto has Akhenaden keeping him from being derided of course.

Isis and Shada are relatives of the old priests, Seth is Iry-Pat at the suggestion of Akhenaden (but his mom was noble anyway) and Karim is an overseer official's son.

Mahad comes from tombkeeper lineage himself at Dier El Medina. That's why he's usually stuck with gravekeeper duties.

Except Shimon who designs them of course

He's the second youngest to become priest. Seth is a year younger than him. Hence why Seth bullies him as he's got a lot to prove.

Mana is a nobles daughter

A lot of bullying also comes from the fact that Mahad wasn't TECHNICALLY ready to become High Magician or a master. He was promoted by necessity when his master died. He didn't go through the inheritance ritual. The Ring was just put on him and he was told to get to work.

He also didn't go through the selection process with the Items. The Ring had to have someone holding it though so here you go, kid, have the demon Item.

Compound that with the new Pharaoh's obvious favoritism to his friend over the technically more qualified Priests to be the fan-bearer of the King's Right Hand, and you get a lot of accusations of incompetence and nepotism.

Priest Seto more or less sees Mahad as a slap to the face for his hard work, utterly oblivious to the favors and personal tutoring he gets because of his father.

Karim, Shada, and Isis are all like 19-25 by the time of the events of Memory World. They were all only teenagers at most during Kul-Elna. It's ridiculously tragic that literally nobody in the court was there except Akhenaden. Something about bad people dying without facing consequences.

Shada genuinely considers Seto his friend. Nobody knows how he can stand him. Shada is just genuinely a patient and kind person.

The one who gets into the Royal Beer Storage and asks for the pretty girl entertainers? Isis. When you see everything all the time sometimes you need some cute girls and booze.

Isis has more than three girlfriends at all times. Yes they smoke blue lotus.

Karim is down with the people most often as the construction overseer, and is thus kind of the face people think of the most. He also just kind of doesn't bother him with pomp and circumstance. He's busy. Go away. He doesn't want the palanquin. He can walk.

He's just kind of a straightforward guy.

Seto can't fucking stand him because he just doesn't rise to provoking.

He just kind of says "k"

Besides Mahad, Karim is Atem's favorite because he's got such a dry sense of humor.

"I believe they call that back on his bullshit, sire."

"Rest assured Seto, it will be recorded how mad you are that you lost this Diaha."

All with the most flat expression possible.

Shada is constantly trying to get people to be nice to Seto.

Shada just thinks we should all be friends.

[a-reader-and-a-writer]

AI-Less Whumptober 2023 Moodboards

Main Masterlist

AI-Less Whumptober 2023 Fic Masterlist

Thank you to @ailesswhumptober for hosting the event! All of this year's prompts can be found here.

Day 1 with Drugging - Batman Begins (2005)

Day 2 Insomnia - The Killing (2011-2014)

Day 3 Isolation - For All Mankind (2019-)

Day 4 Betrayal - One Bad Day.... (Batman x Batmom!Reader)

Day 5 Held at Gunpoint - Sympathy for the Devil (2023)

Day 6 Mind Control - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Day 7 Flatline - The Suicide Squad (2021)

Day 8 with Alt Disowned by Family - Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Day 9 with Presumed Dead - The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Day 10 with Collar - Star Wars IV: Return of the Jedi (1983)

Day 11 with Paralyzed - Iron Man (2008)

Day 12 with Sacrifice - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Day 13 Alt 25 with Stalked - Friday the 13th (1980)

Day 14 Alt 29 with Prison - Daredevil (2015-2018)

Day 15 with Experimentation - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Day 16 with Hospital - The Last of Us (2023-)

Day 17 with Heat Stroke - Better Call Saul (2015-2022)

Day 18 with Alt 20 Mutilation - Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

Day 19 with Left Behind - The Martian (2015)

Day 20 with Alt 13 Grief - The Mist (2007)

Day 21 with Near Death Experience - Jurassic Park (1993)

Day 22 with Alt 2 Gunshot Wound - Killjoys (2015-2019)

Day 23 with Forced to Watch - iZombie (2015-2019)

Day 24 with Failed Escape - The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)

Day 25 with Flashback - Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Day 26 with Magical Injury - Train to Busan (2016)

Day 27 with Alt 3 Separated from Loved One - Warehouse 13 (2009-2014)

Day 28 with Alt 30 Silent Treatment - A Quiet Place (2018)

Day 29 with Forced to Choose - Titanic (1997)

Day 30 with Possession - Legion (2017-2019)

Day 31 with Alt 9 Forced Feeding - Fright Night (2011)

[momo-de-avis]

On May 29, 1900 there was a total solar eclipse visible from Portugal that made news all over but please allow me to share perhaps the funniest piece written at the time by a Republican newspaper who persistently used this event to mock the royal family:

«El Rey [the king] did not want to see the solar eclipse where such observation was the most interesting. He did not go to Viseu nor Ovar, where the wise and the scholars went... He went to Vila Viçosa [where the royal palace was located]! His Majesty did well. These things called eclipses don’t truly matter to Government and the State. In Vila Viçosa, there are rabbits to hunt, rabbits and the fastest of hares, by the way, and in Viseu there were phenomenons of interest only to the realm of astronomy. Well, Mr D. Carlos is not king of space but of a small litte piece of land... Hunting is the nourishment of the people and stars are the menu of poets. And then, eclipses were always signs of bad omens... the fall of a king, of a government, or something of the sort...»

[hederasgarden]

Fic writing lightning round:

-What fandoms have you written fics for?

-Do you have any original stuff?

-What's your oldest fic?

-What story are you most proud of?

-What stories are in the works?

-Where can I read your stuff?

This ask has sat in my inbox for a very long time. I am so sorry I haven't gotten to it before. My goal this year is to answer every ask I get!

-What fandoms have you written fics for?

Bad Times at the El Royale, The Batman, Blade Runner, Crazy Stupid Love, Drive, The Fall Guy, The Gray Man, Halo, House of the Dragon, Moon Knight, Outer Range, Top Gun Maverick, and Vikings: Valhalla

I am a major fandom hopper!

-Do you have any original stuff?

I have been working on some original stuff, but I'm not sure my writing is strong enough for that or that there would be an audience.

-What's your oldest fic?

New Beginnings, my Harald Sigurdsson x Fem!Reader fic.

-What story are you most proud of?

It's a toss up between Stand By Me (my longest fic to date) and Interlinked (which was a real labor of love!).

-What stories are in the works?

A lot. 😅

First I am hoping to finish up my Stand By Series and Sins of the Father before moving on to some other fics like:

Colt Seavers x Fem!Reader fic where the reader is Gail's niece and she get roped into fake dating Tom Ryder to help repair his reputation but ends up falling for Colt

Biker!Jake AU where reader is a small town waitress that the morally grey Jake falls for.

Continuation of Safe with Me that is a Sierra Six x Fem!Reader and takes place during the events of the movie.

-Where can I read your stuff?

Tumblr and AO3

[kp777]

By Olivia Rosane

Common Dreams

Oct. 3, 2023

In another sign of the climate crisis, September of 2023—following the hottest summer ever recorded over June, July, and August—also seems to be one for the record books.

A data set out of Japan found that September 2023 was 0.5°C warmer than the previous warmest September on record and around 1.8°C warmer than temperatures in the preindustrial era, climate scientist Zeke Hausfather wrote on Tuesday on the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

"This month was, in my professional opinion as a climate scientist—absolutely gobsmackingly bananas," he said.

Hausfather was looking at the the Japanese 55-year Reanalysis (JRA-55), which draws on a wide range of weather observations dating back to 1958. The more than half-a-degree jump from the previous September record is the steepest increase between monthly records to date, The Washington Post reported.

"We've never seen a record smashed by anything close to this margin," Hausfather told the Post.

"This September would not have been out of place as a typical July this decade in terms of global temperatures," he added on X, formerly Twitter.

Another data set, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts' ERA5, also shows September shattering the previous record by around the same margin, according to Hausfather.

"I'm still struggling to comprehend how a single year can jump so much compared to previous years," Finnish Meteorological Institute researcher Mika Rantanen tweeted of the ERA5 data. "Just by adding the latest data point, the linear warming trend since 1979 increased by 10%."

The JRA-55 and ERA5 data sets are more immediately available than the monthly analyses from NOAA and NASA, which take longer to complete, The Washington Post explained. The satellite-based data from the University of Alabama in Huntsville is also showing a record September.

2023 has been a record-breaking year in part because an El Niño weather pattern emerged in June, but the primary driver is atmospheric warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of natural carbon sinks. This year has been much hotter than the previous El Niño years in 2015 and 2016.

On a local and regional level, many countries experienced their hottest Septembers on record, among them Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, and Switzerland, according to The Guardian. France's September beat the previous record by more than 1°C, and Belgium's September was even hotter than its July and August for the first time since 1961.

"Belgium has never experienced a month of September this warm," David Dehenauw of the Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute told The Guardian.

On the other side of the world, Japan also had its hottest September at 2.66℃ higher than normal.

"We can't believe just how high temperatures got," a representative from the Japan Meteorological Agency toldJapan Today. "It became a record-breaking phenomenon after multiple factors overlapped on top of climate change."

September also saw a number of extreme weather events, from deadly flooding in Libya to record-breaking rainfall in New York. Warmer temperatures are linked to heavy rainfall, as warmer air can hold more moisture. Separate studies also said the climate crisis made both events more extreme.

So far, October looks set to continue the historic weather trend. The central U.S. began the month with record heat, according to The Washington Post. And Spain had its warmest start to October on record, Reuters reported.

"The bad news is that we don't see any sign of global temperatures reverting to what is normal for this time of year," Hausfather tweeted. "They remain close to to the highest anomalies we saw in the month of September as we go into October."

See original article with functional X links.

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.

[claygoestothemovies]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR is not the film I was expecting to get. I think, perhaps, this is a good thing. The marketing had led me to believe this was going to be a very politically fraught film, a vision of the United States at war with itself. Instead what we are presented with is a look at what journalists and photographers who document war go through on a day-to-day basis, and the cost that it brings along with it.

The story is set near the end of a present day civil war scenario within the United States. We get zero details on what led to the fracture, aside from a few comments about dissolving the FBI, the decision to drop bombs on American soil, and comparing the President (played excellently in what amounts to a cameo by Nick Offerman) to a couple of well known dictators. I’ve seen this criticized for not really having anything To Say, and for playing it safe. While the criticism is valid, and I personally would have loved a scathing indictment of what a Trump second term could look like (for example), that would have been fitting for the film that had been marketed, but not necessarily for the film that we got.

That said, the film that we did get I still found absolutely chilling. This has some of the best urban modern day warfare since BLACK HAWK DOWN, with some truly harrowing sequences that were extremely effective at placing you in the center of the action in a remarkably visceral way. It was also impossible to watch without thinking about the possible future this could hold. Even with Garland’s comments about the morality of politics, and with the commitment to not taking a side in the film, the very real divide in the country during an election year made the situation feel all too prescient.

The performances at the center of the film are uniformly excellent. Kirsten Dunst is putting in some of the best work of her career here - and that is saying something! Cailee Spaeny continues to be a fascinating actress to watch, and has been on my radar since her unnerving performance in 2018’s BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE. Dunst’s real life husband Jesse Plemons also makes one of the most terrifying one-scene appearances I’ve ever witnessed. Seriously, I might have nightmares about it. The performances were raw, lived in, and never not riveting to watch.

I can’t end this review without bringing up the sound design. Garland, if nothing else, always uses sound in a way that feels nothing short of revelatory - remember the scene with the bear in ANNIHILATION?! - and this is no exception. I found myself marveling constantly about how he used the sound to more fully immerse the viewer into the story and what the characters were experiencing from moment-to-moment. I can’t wait to watch this again at home and push the sound system to its limits!

CIVIL WAR was always bound to be a controversial film. No matter the execution, a large amount of the moviegoing public were going to have *opinions* on this one. Personally, I think Garland walked the minefield about as well as he could have, but wonder if maybe the story would have been better served, at least commercially, if it was set in a real life historical event. I loved this, and cannot wait to see it again, but for the reasons I outlined above, your mileage may vary. We’re a third of the way through the year, and in my opinion, this is the first great film of 2024.

5/5

[jungle-angel]

A Giant Load Of Christmas Prompts

Ah once again, tis the season and I love every bit of it (lol). Taking requests for Top Gun Maverick, Outer Range, Bad Times At The El Royale, Catch 22 (Hulu), Salem's Lot, Press Play, Lessons in Chemistry (I wanna do Calvin so bad, lol) and Yellowstone.

The babies trying to help decorate for Christmas

Chaos in the grocery store while they're trying to get the fixins for Christmas dinner

Prepping the little general store and cafe for Christmas

"You um......you've got a little cream from your latte still on your lip, do you want me to get it?"

Trying to perfect a recipe for when the family comes for dinner so their s.o decides to help

Coming home after a long day and getting to watch their favorite Christmas movie

Sneaking the perfect Christmas gift into their s.o's stocking

Baby's first Christmas

"I made this for you, it might not be perfect but at least I tried"

Their s.o coming home after being away for a little while

The whole family in matching pjs

One of the kids messing up a line in the Christmas play at school

"You did all this while I was at work? It's so beautiful!"

Putting the kids to sleep on Christmas Eve

Sewing a new stocking for one of the family members

"Oh my God! What'd you put in this? It's delicious!"

Trying to recreate a dance scene from White Christmas

That one special ornament for the tree

Getting married on Christmas Eve

Making a Christmas sweater for their s.o and the family dog

Decorating the barn/stables for the critters

Christmas barn dance

Making Christmas cookies for people at work or family friends

Singing Christmas carol parodies in the kitchen

Reading a Christmas story/fairy tale to the kids before bed

The kids waking everybody up on Christmas morning

Taking their little girl to see The Nutcracker

"I think I have one extra surprise left for you"

Going to the town Christmas market

Taking sexy Christmas photos for their s.o (SMUT)

Ugly Christmas slippers

Sleeping in on Christmas morning

"This little tree reminds me of the one from Charlie Brown"

Snuggling by the fireplace

Making an ice rink in the backyard so everyone can play the annual Christmas hockey game

Seeing their s.o in a fancy Christmas dress for an event

Making homemade Christmas candles

Elf on the shelf

The babies leaving cookies, milk and food for Santa and his reindeer

Looking at the family Christmas photos from when their s.o was a baby

Making food and baked goods for an elderly neighbor for the holidays

"Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Playing Secret Santa

Sleepover under the tree

Going to pick out the Christmas tree

Candles in the window

Christmas walk through the woods (St. Lucia walk)

Making birdseed Christmas ornaments for the birds that come to the bird-feeder

The kids writing letters to Santa at school

Kissing under the mistletoe (sometimes leads to SMUT)

[hard-deckpilots]

Shaking hands.

Fandom: Bad times at El Royale.

Pairing: Miles Miller × Reader.

Summary: After the events at the hotel, Miles invest in an extra rifle and goes to teach you how to use one.

Warnings: Miles lives after the events of the film. Mentions of shaking hands. Mentions of PTSD. Mentions of nightmares. Use of rifles for non threatening purposes.

Wordcount: 1.16k

Tags: @sebsxphia

Walking around the hotel, Miles felt his hands shake. The shaking of his hands annoyed him, and he didn't really know why they shook. Clicking the pen a million times on his walk rounds. The Hotel was finally back in order, the gun shot rounds in walls had been covered.

The rifle Miles had picked up, he had kept it locked away. But he kept thinking about it, not in a dark way but almost in a way of curiosity. It had been almost two years since Miles had come back home. Two years since he picked up a gun.

You had been out for a while, Miles left to his own devices. So he decides to get the rifle out and disassemble it. Walking through the door with a bag fall of groceries, you saw the mess that was on the floor with Miles sitting in the middle of it. Well it wasn't a mess so to say, each piece was methodically placed in the order he took it out.

"Miles, what are you doing?" You asked placing the bag down,

"Fiddling around. Was curious about the rifle." Miles responded smiling up at you.

"Okay? Well when you're ready honey, put it back together and clean up for dinner." You responded with a small smile.

You turned around to put away the groceries, and heard clicking a few slaps. It wasn't long until you turned back and saw the rifle complete and he was testing that the safety and the firing pin worked.

"Damn Miles, that wasn't even a minute." You spoke slightly shocked,

"I guess... I guess all my training is in the back of my mind." Miles replied looking down at the rifle. It took him a moment and then placed the gun away again. He looked down at his hands as he washed them.

Miles remembers a day in particular. One that had made him pray harder than ever to get home to you. But he didn't want to think about that right now, he was home with you finally. You ate dinner together, and finally fell asleep in your shared bed.

*******************************

04:45am

You felt movement in the bed. It's what woke you up initially and then you heard a some crying. Opening your eyes, you looked towards Miles. The shine of the early sun, showed you that he was sitting up his knees tucked to his chest and tears running down his cheek.

"Miles? What happened?" You asked sitting up next to him,

"D-don't worry about it. Go back to sleep." Miles mumbled wiping his eyes.

"No. Miles you need me right now, I'm your wife I'm here for you always." You responded gently reaching for his hands. As you touched them, he flinched slightly but let you take them.

"I was in that field again. Where I woke up amongst... Amongst my friends and my brother's." Miles sobbed and let you take him into your arms,

"You're not there anymore Miles, you're so far from there now. You're home." You tried reassuring him but just let him cry.

"I can't.... I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT ANYMORE!" Miles screamed making you jump, his hand going to his hair and gripping it a bit too tight but he didn't notice.

He hadn't had a moment this bad in a while and it truly scared you, but you had to be with him so he didn't hurt himself. You grabbed his hand softly, convincing him to let go of his hair.

"Stars shining bright above you, night breezes seem to whisper 'i love you'. Birds singing in a sycamore tree, dream a little dream of me." You sung softly calming Miles down. You sat and waited, knowing at some point he'd sing the next verse.

"Say 'nightie night' and kiss me, just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me. While I'm alone and blue as can be, dream a little dream of me." Miles sung quietly, his voice a little hoarse from the scream. He hugged you tight and just sat there for a while.

"M'sorry if I scared you." He mumbled finally calming down,

"You didn't honey, don't you worry about that. Just wanted to make sure you are okay." You responded stroking his hair back, going softly over the bit he tugged at.

"I'm not going to lie and say I am okay. But thanks to you my darling I'm better than I was." Miles explained taking your hand and giving it a soft kiss.

A few hours go by, Miles attempted a nap but couldn't. The dreams and the memories made him fidget. So he decided to test how well his shooting was after what happened in the hotel.

Setting up some old cans on a piece of wood, Miles stood with the rifle in his hand. Shooting the first can, it pinged off the wood. The second pinged off the wood as well. You came out and watched him, he looked calm firing the rifle. Much calmer than standing at the hotel desk.

"Do you wanna try honey?" Miles asked,

"Sure." You responded taking hold of the rifle. Well Miles jaw had never dropped so fast before. The two remaining cans pinged off the wood almost instantly.

"Miles, close your mouth honey you might start catching flies." You smiled innocently,

"Who? Who taught how to shoot a gun?" Miles asked bewildered.

"My papa. Taught me, cause we had some animals killing the chickens. It was his idea." You stated,

"Why don't we have a competition?" Miles asked be all overconfident with his shooting abilities.

"Okay, I'll get the watch. If you win, I'll make dinner. If I win, you make dinner. Sound fair?" You responded heading towards the door,

"Yeah that sounds fair." He smiled setting up the cans again, four cans each. You came back out with the stopwatch.

Miles went first and he was quite quick. The concentration on his face was obvious, he smiled after he'd finish and turned to you holding the rifle out.

"When you're ready baby." Miles spoke. The four shots rang off, and he now realised that despite his experience he would be making dinner.

Though his mind was cruel to him, showing images he didn't want. Just letting off a few rounds even just at soup cans, made him feel a lot better.

"How you feeling Miles?" You asked sitting on the stairs next to him after dinner,

"A bit better baby. It just got to me this morning, and I couldn't handle it. Thank you for everything." He kissed you softly,

"Don't have to say thank you my darling. Remember I am with you always, no matter." You responded holding his hand close to your heart. He pulled you close to him, and let you rest your head on his shoulder.

"Where would I be without you?" Miles asked rhetorically. He wrapped his arms around you, and he was just glad he was alive and with you. The only place he wants to be is hugging you.

[lewmagoo]

✨weekend sleepover!✨

thought it would be fun to do a little sleepover event. this is a little test run to see how it goes since i’m considering doing one of these for my birthday weekend in a couple weeks. anyway!

this is, of course, an 18+ event. grownups only, thank u.

what will this sleepover entail, you might ask? well, allow me to give you some options.

my inbox is wide open. please feel free to send in thots and drabble ideas. go crazy with it.

ask about my wips. i’m writing a series right now so feel free to send in any questions about it, pertaining to the characters or storyline or anything at all.

confessions. tell me your deepest darkest secrets. idc, i don’t judge 🤭

ask for song recs/playlists. if you’d like, i will happily make you a spotify playlist!

prompts. below are a few prompt lists. lots of angst. some smut. send me a number(s) and a character and i will attempt to write you a drabble.

*please be sure to clarify which prompt list you're sending numbers from!

whump

smut

more whump

characters i'll write for: bob floyd, rhett abbott, miles miller (bad times at the el royale), bradley bradshaw, jake seresin, natasha trace

but i also wanna try my hand at writing floydshaw, floydsin, or all three at once, so feel free to send in things for them and i'll attempt? to write something. no promises tho because i am terrible lol.

thanks for joining in on the fun!

[willel]

What was the point for Vecna to possess Will and use him as a spy in S2? And after it failed and the particles escaped Will’s body, he isn’t mad at him (or Joyce, or Nancy) in S3 nor tries to flay him? The S2 plot doesn’t really make sense to me after S4.

I don't think we have all the puzzle pieces yet. There is still plot to be revealed that I'm sure will slot into place.

Here's something to consider. Season 2 is an extension of season 1 moreso than Season 3 and 4. You can place a separator between season 2 and season 3.

In season 1, Will is rescued from the Upside Down while the Demogorgon is distracted and defeated. Based on what we've seen of the Demogorgon in previous seasons, it would have definitely attacked and killed Joyce and Hopper if not for Nancy and Jonathan's plan (and later, El killing the goons attracting it with their blood)

Will being rescued probably wasn't the plan.

We see in season 2 after (and even a little before to be honest), Will becomes a bit antagonist against Joyce specifically.

Will hates the lab pretty much right away. Is it because the boys have told him all about El and the lab from season 1? Maybe. is it because he's spent a year going for suspicious "check ups" and just doesn't like it? Maybe. Is it because he's subconsciously being influenced to hate it? Maybe.

Right after he's possessed, despite how absolutely traumatic it is, Will sits at that table and lies right to Joyce's face probably for hours.

At some point off screen, he makes her promise not to take him to the doctor. We all know how Joyce is. How bad off must Will have been to get her to promise not to take him to a doctor??? Would Will really not want to go to a doctor after that happened to him??

And then the antagonism really starts seeping in for Joyce. Refusing to get into the tub she made for him for example. Skipping ahead to after the burn, the absolute hostility seeping from his body when he wakes up again.

Yelling at her specifically to let him go when they tied him up in the shed. Again, just glaring at her specifically and barely paying attention to anyone else.

Then we get to the exorcism and the first opportunity he gets, he tries to choke Joyce to death. Doesn't care about his restraints or Jonathan anymore, just goes straight for Joyce's neck and refuses to let go.

Going into season 3, Joyce has 0 encounters with the Upside Down at all. But Nancy does. And we saw that Henry sent two people close to Nancy to kill her specifically.

When she and Jonathan are being chased by that blonde haired one, he says "We're here for you Nancy Drew."

As he approaches, he's only going for Nancy and attacks Jonathan when he tries to protect her. (of course, a second one appears to kill Jonathan too, but I think Nancy was the initial target)

Then we got season 4. Again, Joyce has very little direct contact with the Upside Down stuff. But once again, Nancy does. When all of them are escaping into the Upside Down, he could've attacked any of the teenagers. But he goes after Nancy specifically and chooses Nancy as his messenger.

So here's what I think the actual deal is here and why there is a separator between Season 1/2 and Season 3/4.

It's El. El, Henry's arch nemesis, fully revealed herself AND slammed a door in his face. AGAIN.

This would be the second time where she's personally slapped him in the face (she destroyed the Demogorgon in season 1, but she didn't close the gate). I think this particular event royally pissed him off and completely changed his strategy.

I'm sure he hates the entire party, Joyce, Nancy, Jonathan, Hopper, all of them. They are thorns in his side, sure. If he had the chance to easily kill Nancy and Joyce now I'm sure he would GLADLY take it.

BUT, his hatred towards them pales in comparison to his hatred toward El. He was SO insulted by what El did to him that Joyce and Nancy became an afterthought.

Leading up to season 4, I think getting rid of El became his top priority after opening the gates. As long as she exists, someone will be there to stop his grand plans.

So where does Will fit into this? Well, I think Will is the through line. I think Will was originally taken because he's special somehow and Henry wants to use him as a vessel. Maybe BECOME him. Maybe he can no longer exist in the real world due to his changed body, so Will is meant to be his "avatar".

He has failed twice to do this now. I think it's been made clear to him that as long as the others are around, ESPECIALLY EL, then it's pointless trying to take Will for himself. They will always figure out his plan too quickly. They will always know how to exorcise him.

If this theory is true and Will is still a target of Henry, then Henry has played his cards perfectly. He has completely taken all of their attention off of Will. He's become the third wheel in his whole life. The end of season 4 was probably meant to serve as a massive hint that Will was NEVER in the clear and him being ignored by Henry was only temporary.

The team will be going into season 4 STILL not questioning why Will was taken in the first place. STILL probably thinking it was all a coincidence and Will was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. STILL not questioning why the hell Will is connected to the Upside Down shenanigans.

I think if the team doesn't quickly realize how odd Will's disappearance and survival really was.... if El doesn't put together the pieces that it was truly ALLLLL Henry from the very start.... if Will himself doesn't decipher Henry's intentions and thought process regarding him.... then Will will be in danger.

Season 5 can really tie all 4 seasons back together, or "come full circle" as the Duffers have said.

[cochineal-leviat]

Masterpost: My writing & comics.

Kirby fics

A Royal Visit - Kirfluff with a focus on shenanigans and hijinks from the main Kirby cast. Still one of my favourite written works.

Blueberry Kisses - Kirfluff - a sequel to A Royal Visit. Kirby is a dumbass in this one. (Gijnka)

My Waking-Light - Kirfluff. Sweet fluff. (pun intended. Gijnka)

Waltz of the Oblivious - Metadede. Two pining idiots dancing around each other.

El hijo del Caballero - gen. Focused on Skirby and DMK's father-son relationship and the events before/during KATAM. (Gijnka)

Garden of Dismay Series

A sunrise that will never come - Sectaranza (one-sided). Angst and hurt/no comfort. (Gijnka)

Paradise Lost - Mostly gen. Post Triple Deluxe as Taranza adjusts to living in Dreamland. (Gijnka)

The Balm of Gilead - Metadede. A one-shot set in place during the events of Paradise Lost. (Gijnka)

RosenRot (Kirby Fae AU)

The Midnight Soirée - Kirfluff. Kirby stumbles upon a mansion that transports him into a different and bizarre world. Dark/horror romance.

Bad End Nights - Kirfluff. A compilation of bad endings for the Midnight Soirée. Dark/horror.

Bring mich nach Haus - gen. Kirby escapes Underhill and returns home. But the journey back is easier than confronting his friends. Sequel to the Midnight Soirée. Angst & Hurt/Comfort.

Art ref Kirby & Marquis Fluff

Art ref Kirby chapter 1 & 2

Art ref Marquis Fluff chapter 1 - 5

Comics

Feminine Charms

I Luv mah Pardner

Wrong Dimension

Prince of Felt and Cowardice

Friendship solves everything..., right?

"Boyfriend/friend? What's the difference?"

Zelda fics

The Decoy - gen (for now). Four Swords. An AU with Red Link as the Prince of Hyrule and Vio as his bastard older brother. Drama and Fantasy Politics.

Elemental Surprises - Blue/red, Vio/Shadow and platonic bonding between mulitple charachters. Four Swords. Shenanigans with the Links taking after their respective element during the main story events. Old and on hiatus. (Needs editing)

A Seed Blossoms - Prologue - gen. ALTTP. Really old. I only put it in here as an honourable mention. (Seriously needs rewriting)

A Seed Blossoms - gen. ALTTP. Same reasons as above. On indefinite hiatus. (Really needs rewriting)

Sonic Fics

Mathematical Loneliness - gen. Sonic Prime. An introspection into Nine's psyche from episodes 6 and 8. Angst.

My Heart has grown Grim - gen. Sonic Prime. Sonic has a bad time, and Nine is there to help him through it, supposedly. Dark & mystery.

Pokemon Fics

Gimmighoul for your thoughts? Other (gay pining) KieranxMC. (I'm not sure what the official shipping name is, but MC is the NB version of both Florian and Julianna). Kieran and Flore (MC) talk after the events of Indigo Disk and the Underdepths. (Happens before Mochi Mayhem)

[meatandbones24]

My Favourite Movies (in order)

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Monty Python & The Holy Grail

The Thing

The Truman Show

Whiplash

The World’s End

Spirited Away

American Psycho

The Shawshank Redemption

Superbad

The Indiana Jones Quadrilogy (1/2,3,4)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

The Dark Knight Trilogy (2, 3/1)

The House That Jack Built

Donnie Darko

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Howl’s Moving Castle

What We Do In The Shadows

Turbo Kid

Kung Fury

UHF

Equilibrium

Ghostbusters I & II

Napoleon Dynamite

Beetlejuice

Big Trouble In Little China

Spiderhead

Fight Club

π (1998)

The Princess Bride

Akira

Interface

Jacob’s Ladder

Oppenheimer

The Back to The Future Trilogy (1,2,3)

Bo Burnham: Inside & The Outtakes

Django: Unchained

What About Bob?

Renfield

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

Project X

Bullet Train

Perfect Blue

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Knives Out (1,2)

The Batman

Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse

Hardcore Henry

Dick Figures: The Movie

Johnny Mnemonic

Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy

Conspiracy Theory

Barbie

The Mitchells Vs. The Machines

Nightcrawler

Deadpool (1 & 2)

Hot Fuzz

Shaun of The Dead

There Will Be Blood

Black Christmas

Taxi Driver

Stranger Than Fiction

Knock At The Cabin

Watchmen

Palm Springs

Falling Down

Groundhog Day

The Crucible

Fargo

The Final Girls

Megamind

Monster House

Coraline

Edward Scissorhands

Joker

Rango

The Goonies

Hot Rod

Army of Darkness

Hush

Daniel Isn’t Real

Battle Royale

They Cloned Tyrone

The Whale

Under The Silver Lake

Corner Office

V/H/S/99

Scooby Doo (1 & 2)

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Austin Powers (1, 3, 2)

Redline

MFKZ

Society

Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Suicide Squad

Birds of Prey

Flushed Away

The Road to El Dorado

Sinbad: Legend of The Seven Seas

The Cable Guy

Catch Me If You Can

Over The Hedge

Lilo & Stitch

Nope

The Other Guys

Stand By Me

Juno

Ted 2

The Breakfast Club

Us

Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events

How To Train Your Dragon (1,3,2)

Chronicle

Amsterdam

Up

The Babysitter

Don’t Worry Darling

The Menu

Midsommar

Inkheart

Spaceballs

Slaughterhouse Rulez

Jumanji

Meet The Robinsons

Kronk’s New Groove

The Emperor’s New Groove

Hercules

Dragon Hunters

TMNT

The Lego Movie

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Skinamarink

Fresh

One Hour Photo

Perks of Being a Wallflower

Zathura: A Space Adventure

Paranorman

Push

Dredd

Nerve

Get Out

Zombieland

The Hateful Eight

Jojo Rabbit

Charlie & The Chocolate Factory

Pulp Fiction

Game Night

The Voices

No Country For Old Men

Masterminds

The Fear Street Trilogy (tied)

Cabin In The Woods

Scream

Ace Ventura (1 & 2)

#ALIVE

Die Hard

Memories Of Murder

The Face Of Another

Lord of The Rings Trilogy (1, 3, 2)

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

Paul

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Friday The 13th

Home Alone (1 & 2)

Last Night in Soho

The Matrix Trilogy (1, 2/3)

Lupin III: The First

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Blazing Saddles

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie

The Village

Between Two Ferns: The Movie

The 40 Year Old Virgin

Cooties

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The Babysitter: Killer Queen

Saltburn

They Live

This Is the End

My Neighbour Totoro

Inside (2023)

Pineapple Express

Free Guy

Tick, tick…BOOM!

Se7en

Jaws

Mortal Engines

Liar Liar

Monty Python & The Life of Brian

Looney Tunes: Back In Action

The Three Amigos

Reservoir Dogs

Johnny Dangerously

Goodfellas

Guns Akimbo

Psycho

Love and Monsters

Tucker & Dale vs Evil

Escape From New York

The Boogeyman

House On Haunted Hill

Monsters VS Aliens

Eighth Grade

Speed

Drillbit Taylor

Mystic River

Lake Mungo

The Interview

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl

Arthur And The Invisibles Trilogy (1/3, 2)

Spy Kids Trilogy (3, 2, 1)

Flight of The Navigator

The Hangover Trilogy (1, 2, 3)

Constantine

A Scanner Darkly

Police Academy

Happy Death Day

Freaks of Nature

Five Nights At Freddy’s

Death At A Funeral (2010)

Enemy

Ted

Ready Player One

30 Minutes or Less

Encino Man

Sky High

The Black Phone

Rocketman

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

Good Time

Undercover Brother

Scanners

We’re All Going To The World’s Fair

Escape From L.A.

The Haunted House

Absolutely Anything

Eternals

Big Fat Liar

Arachnophobia

Lucy

Possessor

Hancock

Repo! A Genetic Opera

The Green Knight

Space Jam

Eraserhead

Barbarian

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

The Dead Don’t Die

Inglorious Basterds

Willy’s Wonderland

Tusk

Game Over, Man!

Get Smart

Promising Young Woman

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Idiocracy

[bradshawsbaby]

Hello there, my friend! How about questions 1, 17, and 18? 🥰

1. What are three shows in your watchlist that you’ve been meaning to get to?

Honestly? I can’t even think of any off the top of my head right now 😂 I’m the worst with shows! I’ll just watch endless reruns of my favorites instead of starting something new 🤭

17. What’s the last thing you ordered online?

Last night, I ordered a copy of Lessons in Chemistry and DVD/Blu-ray copies of Press Play and Bad Times at the El Royale from Amazon. All related to Lew Lew in one way or another 🤪😂

18. What’s one historical event that you would have liked to have witnessed?

Oh, so many! But a lot of historical time periods that I’d love to visit are kind of sad 😂 So the first happy event that popped into my mind is the moon landing in 1969!

50 Questions Just Because