#last time i saw ventriloquist's dummies

[reginaofdoctorwho]

gotta make a list of stuff to look for next time i go to antique stores. if i had one of those blacklight flashlights i'd put uranium dishware on it but alas, i don't and can't test any.

anything anyone wants me to try to get pictures of?

[passions-and-pupils]

A Closure So Far AKA: Siffren (SASASAAP) giving up from an outside POV

ao3 link if you’d prefer:

Isabeau knew something was off about Siffrin from the moment he saw him walking toward the favor tree. He walked like his shoes were a pound heavier than usual, and when he closed his eyes to blink Isabeau got the impression he had to try very hard to open them again.

“Uh, Hey Isa,” they asked, face twisting into an unnaturally cheery smile. He looked like a shapeshifter trying to replicate human facial expressions. Isabeau couldn’t stop the feeling of unease in his gut.

“Hey, uh, Siff? Are you still half asleep? You should stop taking forever naps Siff. Naps give you cotton brain,” Isabeau half-joked, lacing his words with genuine concern. Siffrin just stared forward, like he was waiting for him to continue

“Anyway I was just looking at the favor tree, isn’t this tree cool?” He once again tried to lighten the mood, that way they could start a conversation before easing into what was wrong, but when Siffrin responded it was like he was only half there

“It’s a tree-mendous tree,” the joke was good but its delivery only served to worry Isa more.

 Siff always made this face before he made a joke, a face Isabeau had come to know quite intimately throughout their travels together. Siffrin’s face didn’t change at all before or after that pun, like a ventriloquist dummy with one expression, they could make.

“Is everything alright?” Isabeau asked, finally deciding to get straight to the point. Siffrin tilted their head down, letting their eyes be covered by the shadow of their hat.

“I’ll tell you when we beat the king,” he said, and Isabeau didn’t believe him for a second. He wanted to push a little, since something was obviously bothering him but, Siffrin continued.

“Can I have some time alone with the tree? please?” that last word was said so genuinely that Isa paused, re-thinking his approach and nodding 

“Take all the time you need, I’ll be waiting when you are ready,” and he meant that on every layer he possibly could.

Siffrin turned to face away from him and toward the tree

“Goodbye, Isa,” 

“See ya, Siff,” Isabeau smiled softly at him, before leaving him alone as requested.

Isa tried to head towards the clock tower but he couldn’t shake the idea that something was wrong, that he needed to be there when Siffrin left the tree.

So he stood near the change god, facing where Siff would emerge, rehearsing what he would say to make his friend feel even a little bit better. He knew things were tough, with the looming threat of the king over their heads but, he had never seen Siffrin look so… defeated. Even when they lost their eye they treated it like a minor setback and almost immediately told Isa about all the new puns they could make.

Isabeau couldn’t imagine what could make Siffrin, the strongest person he knew, want to give up.

Then, a blood-curdling scream rang through Dormont. A scream filled with so much pain, so much grief, it took Isabeau a moment to recognize where it came from.

Siffrin.

Isabeau ran. With all his strength he ran towards the favor tree. The only things going through his head were that he needed to find and protect Siffrin, he didn’t think about what from, or even the possibility that he could be already too late. He just put all his energy into moving as fast as he could.

When he turned the corner he wasn't met with Siffrin or the favor tree, but rather bright light, as if the sun had fallen and landed in the grass. He kept running, now blind, and screamed

“Siff!!!” He didn’t understand what was happening, he didn’t need to, he just needed to see Siff and know they were okay, or at the very least alive.

He could hear gasps for air, a sign he held onto like a prayer before his foot caught on something, sending him cascading towards the ground. 

In an instant, it was over. Isabeau hit the floor and the light disappeared.

“Siff?” He asked, tears welling in his eyes as they adjusted to the lack of light.

In front of him, barely a foot away, was a patch of lightless burnt grass surrounded by a ring of a different, slightly lighter shade. 

Then the air hit him like a brick. The smell of blood and burning flesh and sugar was so strong he gagged on the scent as well as the implications.

 Isabeau rose to his knees and looked at his hands hoping, for the peace in change that he was wrong,

But he was right, his hands were covered in the same substance that covered the grass around the burnt spot, and he was surrounded by blood. 

Isa just sat there in shock. Stubbornly refusing to process any of what just happened, or any of his surroundings, just looking down at the blood on his hands until he felt someone shaking him from behind by the shoulders.

“Isabeau!” He snapped his head towards the voice on instinct and was met by Odile. 

Isa didn’t remember the last time he saw her show so much fear. Maybe when Siffrin lost his eye? No, even then she kept her emotions under control in favor of taking charge. She always seemed to know exactly what to do, even when everyone else froze up.

 Not now. Now she looked almost as scared as Isa felt.

“Isabeau, where is Siffrin?” 

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He knew the answer but he couldn’t say it, even in his head he couldn’t admit it.  He stood and turned around to find Mirabelle looking at him with tears in her eyes and a large, darkless hat in her hands.

Oh. That was what he tripped on. 

Siffrin rarely took off his hat, only removing it when he needed to sleep or bathe or brush his hair. Any situation where he didn’t have it on felt intimate in a way Isabeau couldn’t quite put his finger on.

He had a feeling Siffrin didn’t take it off on purpose this time.

Turning back to Odile he gave a silent answer with his expression before pulling Mirabelle into a tight hug. Mira tensed at the sudden contact but then returned the hug with equal energy.  Isabeau could feel warm tears on his chest and hear Mirabelle's muffled whimpers, but he said nothing of comfort. Neither of them spoke, for if they did the moment would be real, and Siffrin would be gone.

“It all happened so fast,” Isabeau lamented once they got back to the clock tower. “I heard a scream, I ran, there was a bright light, I tripped, the light was gone, and I was alone,”

“What about before then? Was Siffrin acting unusually in any way, or did he say something strange?” Odile asked, writing something on her notepad.

“He did seem really tired and out of it but, nothing that would suggest he was about to… I don't know. Self-combust?” Isabeau responded putting his head in his hands. 

“He did remind me of the carrot method which was strange since I'm pretty sure they don't use that method to teach craft in other countries. I mean, it only really works in Vaugardian,” Mirabelle rambled. 

“Interesting..” Odile wrote some more before hitting them all with “And do any of us know if he has a family we should contact?” 

None of them knew. How pathetic was that? How could they claim to be their friends- to be their family- and yet they didn't even know something as simple as that?

“Do we even know what country he’s from?” Isabeau asked. Would they ever know?

The silence spoke volumes before Odile broke it with a sigh.

“In that case, we should focus on finding him or at least a body-”

The door to the clock tower slammed open. “Hey guys! Guess what I got?” Bonnie practically screamed. Normally someone would remind them to use their “inside voice” but today they were met with silence. 

Bonnie’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as they looked over their somber party.

“What did I miss?” They asked, placing a large bag of food on the table. No one dared to answer.

“Where’s Frin?” The moment those words left Bonnie’s mouth tears left Mirabelle’s eyes and the other two looked away. Bonnie’s heart dropped to their stomach. “Guys?”

“He’s gone Bonnieface,” Odile finally answered

“Where did he go?” Bonnie asked, their hands beginning to shake “We need him here if we are gonna beat the king tomorrow. We can’t just let him go!”

None of the adults knew what to say, or how to put it into words without speaking into existence, so instead Mirabelle reached under her chair and pulled out the hat, handing it to Bonnie.

Bonnie grabbed it swiftly and looked it over as if trying to find something to prove it wasn’t Siffrin’s. They found nothing.

Their lips trembled as tears flowed from their eyes. Mirabelle stood up and pulled them into a hug. 

Bonnie held on like Mira would slip from her arms if they let go.

Mirabelle wished she could assure them that everything was going to be okay, that they were all safe, but she couldn’t lie, not to Bonnie.

Odile cooked dinner that night.

After dark Isabeau wandered the forest with a lit torch, calling out for Siffrin and looking for any sign they were still alive. 

He came home at dawn empty-handed. 

Isabeau stared down at the burnt spot of grass under the favor tree with a neutral expression. 

“We beat the king,” he said out loud, as if Siffrin could hear him through the ground. “Vanguard is saved and everything has unfrozen,”

“We won,” his voice cracked and his bottom lip trembled as tears started to form in his eyes once again. “Crab, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry again,” he let out a weak laugh.

“We are gonna bring Bonnie home to their sister, and then hopefully they are both gonna join us to continue traveling,”

“I know you would have loved to join us as well,” Crying became sobbing as Isabeau uselessly wiped his eyes. It had been days yet it still smelled so strongly of blood and burnt sugar.

“We all miss you so much,” he spoke through uneven, heavy breaths.

“You told me we’d talk after the king so,” he gathered a shaky smile

“Here I am! Ready to talk,” his head turned to the favor tree.

“I just wish I could talk to you one more time,” 

“Be careful what you wish for,” a small voice came from behind the tree. Isabeau’s eyes widened. “Believe me, one wrong wish can ruin everything,” the voice was sickeningly sweet and bitter on the edges, but that didn't stop Isabeau from recognizing it immediately 

“Siffrin?” for a moment, he dared to hope.

From behind the tree came a being of the night sky with a head like a small sun and mismatched eyes that gave an expression of utter exhaustion

“Not anymore,” they said, looking down at the blood around the burnt ground they left. “I’ve been changed irreparably,” they wrapped their arms around themselves subconsciously as they spoke

“What was two days for you has been years for me.  I don’t think I can be “Siffrin” anymore. I’m sor-“

“Can I hug you” Isabeau blurted, catching “Siffrin” off guard.

“I-“ their eyes softened and they hesitantly opened their arms

Isa ran forward, over the burnt grass, and pulled his friend into a big bear hug.

“It’s okay,” he said. “You can explain everything when everyone is here. Right now, I’m just happy that some part of Siffrin is alive,” 

“Siffrin” cautiously placed their arms around Isabeau, beginning to cry as well as they responded.

“I thought I’d never see you again,”

“Me too,” Isa responded with a small laugh. 

They would find the others and get explanations soon, but for now they were together and they were alive, and that was enough. 

[denimbex1986]

'“You talk about no one, ever. You just keep charging on”

Well, that was mad.

Who knew when we all settled down to watch the latest Doctor Who that we were getting The Two Doctors Reboot, nice and early? We basically got a 40 minute episode then a 20 minute episode here, bringing the 60th birthday trilogy to a close, and setting up, well, seemingly everything.

The Giggle, then, is a fairly traditional episode of Doctor Who on the surface. A foe from the past, a fancy corridor to run down, the world under threat. That sort of thing.

What’s more, it’s an episode that wasted no time at all bringing The Celestial Toymaker back from the 1960s, now not in the guise of Michael Gough, but looking incredibly like Neil Patrick Harris instead. Harris with a German accent no less, behind the counter of a 1926 Soho store when we first meet him. He’s dancing to the Spice Girls by the time we watch him drop a ball, and that gives an indication as to just how fast and furious The Giggle would turn out to be.

After the opening credits, we’re in London, and all is not well. Lots of smoke, looting, cars rampaging on pavements. On the surface, a little bit of a horror movie, with a creepy ventriloquist’s dummy mixing in a bit of the 1940s movie Dead Of Night with a dose of Saw.

There was a threatened subplot setup about John Logie Baird, the invention of television, and the seeding of something that’s been subtly threatening the human race since the invention of said telly. But once Russell T Davies had made his point, it was pretty quickly shelved. It’s an idea that at any other time could have happily been explored in a full episode. Here, it was needed to the point that it wasn’t. And when it wasn’t, it was gone.

The point that Davies was making? Well, you could call it subtext, but it was so close to the surface of what was going on we may as well call it text. The unbeatable enemy here wasn’t The Toymaker, it was humans. Worse: the brand of humans who think they’re always right. Facebook comments boards in walking, talking form.

Even UNIT doesn’t know what to do about them.

As Davies points out, they shout, they cancel. They’re even offered Zeedex, a vaccine against trouble of sorts, and they criticise it.

It would be fair to say that The Giggle is not Russell T Davies at his most subtle, but clearly deliberately so. He’s got something to say, and boy, does his script say it.

Yet as soon as he’s done with that, the television and the doll are shuttled off, as there’s much else to get through.

It would, after all, be fair to say that The Giggle had a hell of a lot going on, and much was splashed on the screen.

If last week’s Wild Blue Yonder was the slightly more contained of the three episodes we’ve just had (and my favourite), perhaps saving a few of Disney’s dollars by sticking mainly to a single location with a small cast, here Davies is emptying the piggy bank in ten minutes flat.

Again, it’s not special effects per se (although they were not skimped on – witness the folding up shop): it’s scale. A busy London street looks really busy. Chaos looks like chaos The helicopter flying over London actually looks like a helicopter flying over London.

And that’s before we get to the new UNIT headquarters. The first clues were the branded armour on the UNIT troops. Then, off we pop to a tower that looks like it’s been bought off Tony Stark, and not at a discount.

I think most of us are expecting, thanks to the Whoniverse logo that now precedes episodes of Doctor Who, that we’re going to be getting spin-offs in due course. The scale of the UNIT set and the sheen of its new tower means my money’s on that being one spin-off right there. Especially as it offers a welcome pension scheme for erstwhile Doctor Who companions. There’s a job offer for Donna Noble for a start.

It turns out there’s a second spin-off that’s also set up: David Tennant’s 14th Doctor is still in play, and we’ve now got two TARDISes. Will that be explored as a possible option? Who knows, but I’d not bet against seeing Tennant again in the show.

Let’s go though to what was set up as the meat of the episode: the face-off between Neil Patrick Harris’ much-hyped The Toymaker, and Tennant’s Doctor. All with Donna Noble involved too. A rematch, now in our universe, nearly 60 years in the making.

It’s The Toymaker up against a doubtful Doctor too, one questioning his effectiveness. “Take away the toys, what am I?”, he questions, giving the Time Lord the kind of gravitas and weight that Tennant has always excelled at. At one stage almost a failing Doctor too, one with his confidence stripped away.

Is this the continued weight of the Flux on his shoulders here? It – along with Trial Of A Time Lord – certainly gets another reference here. At one stage, a puppet show even. Heck, the puppet version of the Doctor’s history: we’re up to spin-off number three. Would watch.

Interesting fella then, The Toymaker. He reminded me of when Russell T Davies re-introduced The Master all the way back in 2007. John Simm’s take on that particular foe was played big, a rampaging, loud, scene-demanding antagonist, not shy of a pop song. Certainly a marked difference from how we’d seen The Master before.

Neil Patrick Harris – at his most creepy in a suit in the background, staring at the camera – is more than up to what’s asked of him here, and it’s a not dissimilar approach. The words ‘quiet’ and ‘subtle’ were not part of the pitch.

It’s a whole lot of fun though, if not always a settled and particularly interesting take on the character. When he appears from the sky as a puppeteer, I confess, I wasn’t unnerved. When he was silent, staring in the background, I was.

A doll reciting poetry while walking slowly past a clock in the wall? Yep, that was creepier. A dance with Jemma Redgrave – welcome back! – to the Spice Girls? Again, less so. The smaller the ask, the more unnerving The Toymaker became.

But then, after all the build-up, not actually much time. It was lovely to see Bonnie Langford’s Melanie Bush again – quieter than usual – but again, not much time with her. Perhaps we’ll meet her again. Hope so.

The first 40 minutes then, the episode that we though we were getting, was perfectly decent, entertaining, breezy, and occasionally very funny (Donna knowing exactly when to run). Credit to director Chanya Button for keeping up with it all.

The last 20 minutes? Well, where do you start.

Doctor Who has always changed, always evolved, and rightly so. Right before our eyes tonight, it was rewriting its rule book again, and there was much to take it.

It was, in two words, a lot.

We’ve had a premature David Tennant regeneration before, but when he started getting the glow some 15 minutes from the end of The Giggle, I confess I was expecting a more traditional handover, albeit with Davies giving us an unexpected 15 minutes to get to know, well, the 15th Doctor.

What we got was something new: bi-regeneration.

That, plus a TARDIS with a jukebox. A Doctor parading around in his pants. Fourteen and 15 hugging it out. And an actual happy ending for a Doctor. Bet the BBC gets letters about some of that, too. Probably from the same lot that wrote in last time.

Things just kept on coming. This was full-on blockbuster television, and a very clear sign of where things are heading.

Just one of those things we got in the last act would have been new: in Davies’ latest generation of Who, we got the whole lot in a quarter of an episode. You ain’t going to get much slowdown in a Saturday night slot either.

I should note that a few things have been seeded here alongside the pair of Doctors and their respective vehicles.

The Master’s clearly back in play, and not just because of the namecheck of the Archangel network. The picking up of the tooth at the end (yep) had a ring of the last reel of 1980’s Flash Gordon about it. We know The Master’s in there: but who picked the tooth up? Someone at UNIT presumably. For now, they’re not telling.

There’s more too.

Who are the “legions” that the Toymaker talks of? Again, there’s clearly more threat coming, because he was incredibly easily defeated here after being told how deadly he was. It made the regular batterings of the Daleks look difficult. But also, we’re told of The One Who Waits. Who’s that? Whoever or whatever it is, it’s clearly Ncuti Gatwa’s problem. And it sure looks, from the glimpse that we’ve had, that Gatwa is going to have a lot of fun trying to solve it.

He may even need to invest in a pair of trousers.

Even writing this all down though, what I got from all of this, as much as Russell T Davies was repainting and rewiring the show, was a deep love of it from him. The time taken to pay tribute to Sarah-Jane. The mention of Adric. That aforementioned puppet show. Even protecting moles from Wilf. All of this is the woven fabric of the show, and it’s very, very clear that Davies is building on it, not disposing of it. I love that.

Here, he’s used a trilogy to give fans new and old something. The old farts like me are far more Wild Blue Yonder, I’d imagine, but I had fun with The Giggle, even if I wanted more of The Giggle in it. The last 20 minutes took me very much by surprise, and for a show that’s entering its seventh decade (!), how impressive is that?

It’s been a fun trilogy of episodes, this. And what we got here was the culmination of an ambitious, top-to-bottom reintroduction of the show that’s already got a fresh run of episodes waiting for us, beginning with the festive special.

This, then, is Doctor Who. And this is now the future of the show.

It ain’t going to be everyone. But all signs are, it’s going to be quite a ride. Roll on Christmas…'

[mischief-lies-and-stories]

Reacting to Contemporary Comics (Without Context) 4/?

What's up it's cold as shit here, my bosses said stay the fuck home, so let's read another comic book.

Back at it again at the Thor: First Thunder

I don't like this cover

Spoilers for all of First Thunder now.

My boi living his best life. Out of the tree, took a shower, had a spa day, thriving

I hate Blake's idea of flirting, but I love that Thor had to endure his alter ego carrying around a little statue of the brother he hates for 2+ days

No one in this is likable

Why is Odin punishing Thor? It can't be because he's a violent, angry, destructive little fucker. That would make Odin a hypocrite. Wait. That's absolutely why. Fuck Odin as usual.

Listen, if MCU Loki needed someone to weep over him to get out of the tree like in the comics, he'd be free several times over by now just by me. Fuck, I just saw a gifset of Tom spinning in the cape and tearing up over the crown, and I cried real multiple tears twice on that post.

Loki if you're trying to blend in, dressing like the Riddler is not going to do it

I wasn't gonna comment on how ugly the art is, but god he looks like green Heat Miser. He looks like a ventriloquist's dummy.

Can't believe the Loki show stole his God of Stories outfit from Thor: First Thunder when he's bullying Blake while pretending to be a fortune teller at Coney Island.

Supposedly the fucking fortune teller is "working" (loosely) for Loki but isn't actually Loki himself

Loki taking on a mortal minion (and convincing him he's super mega powerful) is coming back to haunt him

TONY!!!

Odin is such a motherfucking hypocrite and I hate him

Thor, why are you staring at his ass enough to make that observation?!

Thor will never go for it, but god I want them to fuck with Odin.

...I was very very wrong.

Odin really just fuckin went: "Blake, you fix it. I don't wanna. I'm too busy hanging out in the cosmos being inexplicably huuuuuge."

I feel like whenever Odin does these monologues for Thor: "You're my son and you're worthy and I've loved you all along" he means it. Like he's still a dick, but he means it. But when he does them for Loki it's because he's panicking, because Loki outsmarted him again and it's his last-ditch effort to survive before Loki fucking murders him for being a shit father. It's just this moment of Odin giving Loki what he knows he's always craved, love and acceptance, in order to just try to save himself from his lifetime of fuck-ups. And the tragic thing is that Loki buys it every time.

On a different note, do y'all think "Thou art Odin's first thunder" sounds like Thor's conception was the first time Odin came? [I'm very aware this is canonically inaccurate.]

OH MY GOD what in the Christian iconography is this nonsense?! He looks ready for crucifixion and everything.

This comic was... insane. The art was weird, the Christian themes were uncomfortable (and I'm Episcopalian), the issue on China did not feel entirely unproblematic, and Loki was an ass (this was pre-JiM I think, so this is not a criticism to the authors I'm just sad about it). And the scene on the cover never even canonically happened! They just wanted a hyperrealistic rendering of Thor beating Loki to shit. Because they hate Loki and love upsetting me.

[adrianicsea]

I’ve heard of dead silence before in passing, what’s it actually about?

OH so it’s a wan/whannell movie made pretty much immediately after saw 3! lionsgate wanted The Next Saw (never mind that saw was still ongoing), so they got james & leigh to develop it. this is KEY because, to my knowledge, it’s the first last and ONLY time leigh hasn’t walked into a studio with a script already written and set on stone. (more on that shortly.)

ANYWAYS the plot of dead silence is that this young man named jamie ashen is one of the last surviving members of his family. almost all of them have died in mysterious circumstances over the past few years, and now all that’s left is jamie, his estranged father, and his father’s new girlfriend, a much younger woman whom jamie despises. jamie has moved to the city to get away from his hometown of raven’s fair, both to be apart from his family and because there’s a longstanding rumor of a ghost/curse haunting raven’s fair: the ghost of a ventriloquist named mary shaw, who died in mysterious circumstances and is now said to haunt people and look for revenge. she even has a freddy krueger-style rhyme about her!

so one night while jamie is out getting dinner for him and his fiancée, she opens a mysterious package addressed to jamie and sent from raven’s fair, to find that it’s a ventriloquist dummy. she plans to scare jamie with it— but when jamie comes home, he finds his fiancée brutally murdered with her tongue ripped out. of course, the local police doesn’t believe jamie’s alibi that “a haunted possessed ventriloquist doll did it,” so when jamie takes the doll back to raven’s fair to confront his past and investigate the curse, a slimeball cop (donnie wahlberg, yet again) follows him there to “keep an eye on him.” the story goes from there!

it’s... really i can’t say enough in favor of the movie’s aesthetics. wan has said he was inspired by the look of the 1960s british hammer horror films and by the work of mario bava, and that they set out to tell a good old-fashioned ghost story that was more reliant on atmosphere than on gore. dead silence is fascinating to watch as a case study of wan’s developing directorial sense & visual style, and i think it was an INTEGRAL step on the road to insidious.

and honestly, the film’s concept and dialogue are good, too!! it’s hard to say what, exactly, brought the movie down. leigh has said many times that he’s unhappy with the finished product and felt like it was too bogged down by studio interference— and in fairness, the movie’s ending feels VERY MUCH like someone higher up the food chain wanted there to be a saw-style twist ending, even though the movie didn’t really... need that. and it just has the feel of, say, an average blumhouse movie— it’s not BAD, but it sometimes feels like they were just ticking off boxes, or like they weren’t feeling very ambitious that day. which is sad bc we all know what leigh is capable of writing and what he and james can and have pulled off as a team! and i think this movie’s reception, and the experience working on it, is why leigh has never done a studio-involved screenplay again (he writes his scripts FIRST, then shops them around.)

ANYWAYS it’s not a very long movie and it’s also not a franchise or anything so it won’t take too long to watch! it’s very much the red-headed stepchild of the wan/whannell shared filmography, but i don’t think it deserves the bargain bin reputation it seems to have today. it’s a fun time and i genuinely don’t think insidious would have come to be (or at least, not as we know it now) if dead silence HADN’T happened, so like... we should remember her!

ALSO i can’t believe i forgot this until just now but it very much bears mentioning: james has said that dead silence takes place in the same universe as saw. so. ghosts in the saw universe canon, canon that there are TWO asshole wahlberg cops running around, etc. we love it!

[hamoimproviso]

After reading the book for the first time, I went back to the TV series for a second time. Apparently 11 years have passed since I last saw it. Where did that time go? In some ways I liked this even more than the book. The magical elements played out more explicitly; the fish jumping into the boat, the house breathing, its exorcism through the birth of Wax Harry, the talking pigs, the coin emitting parrot, even the eyes of the ventriloquist dummy. Essie Davis gave real life to Dolly in the shadows of her losses and her love free childhood. All the cast were excellent and it was gorgeously done. Accepting a wildly challenging task and running with it. Beautifully moving.

[romanticsloths]

Play Me A Song (Slappy x Reader)

// Middle school me would be fucking quaking right now

You really didn’t have too much going for you before Slappy. The place you called home was a friend’s shed, you dropped out of college, and you couldn’t find a job for your own sake. 

One day your friend knocked on the door of the shed. You rushed to the door, loving the company you had when you got it, which wasn’t very often. 

You couldn’t hide the amount of confusion you felt when you saw him standing there, beaming at you, a dapper ventriloquist dummy in his arms.

“May I just ask,” you started. “What the fuck, Andy?”

“Well,” Andy chuckled sheepishly. “I feel really bad for never being able to be around for you, so I thought the least I could do was offer you company from someone else.”

It was a ridiculous proposition, but you weren’t going to reject the dummy, so you took him. Once Andy left, you ended up throwing the dummy on to a bean bag in the corner of the shed.

Weeks passed before your eyes landed on the dummy once again. You felt a shiver run through your spine as you made eye contact with said dummy. Shaking it off, you walked over to him and lifted him up to get a good look at him.

He had a few chips in his face, but other than that he was in great condition. The thought of selling him crossed your mind but you knew you would feel guilty if you did. 

You sat where the dummy once did and placed him on your lap. “Alrighty, good sir! Lets see how bad I am at this.”

Almost an hour of you trying to figure out how to talk while not moving your mouth, you decided to put the dummy back on the sack of beads. 

As you sat up, the dummy was tilted just enough for a slip of paper to fall out of his pocket. Eyes widening in curiosity, you placed the dummy on the bean bag and knelt down to grab the peace of paper. 

You smiled after you read the small intro on the card. You glanced up at the dummy. “Nice to meet you, Slappy.”

After looking back at the card, you noticed the shadow of more words on the back. You flipped it over and squinted your eyes at the strange words. “Karru Marri Odonna Loma Molonu Karrano?” you said slowly.

You looked back at Slappy in confusion. Your breath caught in your throat as stared at the dummy. You could have sworn you just watched him blink, but that couldn’t be.

You sighed deeply and shook your head. “Great, now I’m going crazy.” You placed the card on a shelf and turned off the lamp, going to bed.

For the next few days, you noticed things would be missing or moved around. You just assumed you had moved them and forgotten about it. You weren’t one to try to spook yourself.

Then finally it all went too far. A envelope full of money that you had been saving for years went missing. Panic set in almost immediately.

You ran around the shed, looking in your desk, under anything you could turn over. Tears built up in your eyes as the fear began to drown you.

“Oh, (Y/N)! I didn’t think you would so worked up over a wad of cash.”

You froze at the sound of the raspy voice. You never noticed anyone else enter the shed. 

You turned to the sound of the voice but all your eyes landed on was the dummy, with a leg crossed over the other and a mischievous smirk planted on his face.

You were paralyzed, part of you wanted to run away as fast as possible, the other wanted your money back.

Slappy’s smirk seemed to widen as he jumped down from the bean bag. “You want it back, don’t you?”

All you could do was nod your head. 

Slappy giggled a highly annoying laugh. “Good! But if you want it back, I’m gonna need your help.”

You needed that money, so you agreed.

As bad as it might sound, having to work for a wooden puppet, it wasn’t all too bad, though you weren’t too on track with the whole taking over the world thing, but who were you to judge.. He actually helped you get back on track.

Slappy helped you get a job, made you save more money than you ever had. He then made you go to college again. You were surprised by the amount of patience he had to put his plans into action, but after learning more about who he was, you guess he had all the time in the world.

You knew Slappy was having you do all these things so you would be more purposeful to him in the future, but it was nice that someone was actually pushing you to be better. When everything started going downhill, no one told you to keep trying, but Slappy has been making sure you stay on top of everything.

After graduating, Slappy made you get a new job, one that paid better. He made you buy a house. After a few more years, you were finally where he wanted you to be. 

You came home from work, it was late at night. It was a rough day. You clenched your fists, trying to make all the negative emotions go away. Slappy didn’t like when you cried, found it annoying. 

You walked into your room and immediately changed into some comfy clothes. Falling on to your bed, you let out a long, deep sigh. You felt like crying, but you really didn’t feel like getting lectured by Slappy.

The tears built up as a lump formed in your throat. Just as a sob was about to escape your lips, your door flew open. 

“(Y/N)!”

You choked the sob, trying to hide it. Slappy didn’t seem to notice.

“I think it’s about time we get into the real swing of things.”

You sighed. “Slappy-”

“As you know,” Slappy said cutting you off. “I need your help in achieving my dreams.”

“Slappy-”

“And I have so many plans!”

“Slappy!” Tears freely glided down your cheeks. 

Slappy’s wide grin fell. “What?”

“Can we please talk about this tomorrow.”

Slappy’s eyes narrowed. You watched as he studied your mixed expressions before finally closing his eyes and sighing. 

“(Y/N)?” he said quietly, as if not to scare you off.

You inhaled deeply. “Yes?”

“Play me a song.”

You shook your head. “Slappy I-”

“Play me a song, (Y/N).”

You watched his eyes follow a falling tear. Slowly, you stood up and walked out of your room. You heard Slappy’s footsteps behind you. 

You walked to the living room where a piano sat against the wall. You pulled the bench out and slowly sat yourself down. 

You had learned some piano as a child, but Slappy wanted you to keep practicing. He enjoyed himself some calming music on the piano.

“Hey,” Slappy snapped, slapping at your back. 

You couldn't help but smile, it always cracked you up when he needed help getting to something. You picked him up and sat him next to you.

“Any requests?” you asked.

“Surprise me.”

You thought for a moment, before remembering a song your mother used to play. You searched through your folder of music, hoping you had it. You smiled once you pulled out the sheet music. 

You placed the music where you wanted it and began to play. You lightly pressed the keys as the soothing melody resonated from the instrument. You had always loved the tune as a child, and that didn’t change now.

As you played the last chord you released the breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

“Very nice,” Slappy complimented. “I haven’t heard you play that one before.”

“I don’t think I ever planned on playing,” you whispered. “Honestly forgot I had gotten it...” Slappy slid off the bench and looked up at you with a smile. “Oh you didn’t get it, I got it for you.”

You turned to him with wide eyes. “Wait what? How did you-”

“I just know.” Slappy started to walk away but was jerked back when you grabbed his hand. He turned to look at you, slightly annoyed.

You smiled at him. You didn’t know when it started, but it felt like he became more like family every day. “Thank you.”

Slappy stared at you for a second before pulling away from you. “Of course.”

[shirajellyfish]

So, Goosebumps

Adult in serious horror film: Hm I saw this creepy and clearly haunted doll walking and talking, but I think that was probably my imagination. Or maybe a dream. Must have been the wind. Lately my family members have been dying in mysterious accidents and this doll has been near the body every time, but that must be a coincidence. I’d better hang onto this for the next month as I slowly descend into madness, which is a thing I’ll only realize has anything to do with this CLEARLY HAUNTED DOLL in the last 10 minutes of the movie.

The kids in Goosbumps episodes: We saw this ventriloquist dummy move on its own. Time to immediately run into the next room, set up an ambush, tackle it to the ground, shove a rag into its mouth, lock it in a heavy trunk, and throw the trunk down a well.

The goosebumps kids don’t play around.

[cornholio4]

Left Behind

Note: Based on a prompt left on the Tumblr of Miraculous-Of-Salt but not Daminette. Sorry but personal opinion and you are free to like the ship if you do but I don't left Marinette X Damien. My fave crossover ship of Marinette is with the Peter Parker Spider-Man. It's mostly due to not liking Damian from the comics and media I have seen with him as a murderous brat. I don't see Marinette actually tolerating him. That's just my view and I have liked Daminette fics I have read (though for the salt) and they are fine.

Ms Caline Bustier had gotten her class back from the long flight home; she had the class on a weeklong field trip to check out Gotham Academy, all the way in Gotham City in the US! It was also funded by none other than Wayne Enterprises as well.

It had taken a lot of work to do and set up along with the permission slips and not everyone was allowed to go, especially not Adrien Agreste due to his strict overprotective father. She never thought she was allowed to directly criticise parenting but Gabriel Agreste was too strict a parent to Adrien, it had only been recently that he even allowed him to go to school like a normal child.

Most of the School Board needed to be convinced and she along with Principal Damocles was sternly warned that anything that goes wrong will be on their heads.

It was mostly due to the infamous status that Gotham had; corrupt politicians and police officers that were replaced by dangerous Villains and insane criminals. She swore she had everything under control.

She was happy to report that everything went off without a hitch; nothing happened. The only disappointment was that Marinette seemed to be distant from her classmates and especially when Lila was nearby. She seemed to go out of her way to talk to the Gotham Academy students instead of joining any conversations that Lila was involved in.

She frowned at this and decided when they got back she needed to have a small little talk with Marinette; she noticed she was becoming more distant from her classmates and it couldn’t be good for her. She had been hoping she could reconnect with her friends which was why she insisted to her parents that she go.

It didn’t work so she would have to do more.

She made sure to check all the names on the list before leaving but there was one that was crossed out weirdly with a pen but she guessed it was a name that cancelled at the last minute.

She made sure everyone was sent home that Friday afternoon when they got back. However on Monday morning she got an urgent email from Principal Damocles that she was to report to his office immediately after arriving. She was stunned but rationalised that he must just want a report on what happened.

However she was met with a unhappy Principal Damocles; several people she did not recognise, Marinette’s parents who looked uncharacteristically furious and several representatives of the School Board. The representative’s fury was only overridden by the Dupain-Cheng couple’.

She could not even begin to ask what wrong before Sabine Cheng went on a tirade about how she left her daughter alone in one of the most dangerous cities on the planet when she assured them she would be totally safe.

She was in the middle of asking what they meant before her brain frozen when she realised something: she did not remember seeing Marinette on the line to come back at the airport or on the plane.

Marinette had phoned them home saying no one had told her when they were leaving so she was waiting at the meeting place at the hotel having been unable to find any of them. She had been found by Bruce Wayne who had to contact her parents arrange for her to be flown back in a private plane.

Ms Bustier was relieved that Marinette had gotten back safely then but one of the representatives passed her a tablet and saw it was the Gotham Gazette website. Ms Bustier was asking why she was being shown it and was about to get back on the topic of Marinette but she was harshly told to read it.

She saw it was about something that happened on the Friday Night after their flight left, the hotel they were staying at was attacked by criminals after a VIP guest who was in a luxury suite. The photo showed several criminals being handcuffed by GCPD police officers, she could make out the dark vigilante of Gotham ‘the Batman’ (a pretty bleak figure if you asked her) and next to her were the superheroine Starfire and the Bludhaven vigilante Nightwing. The two were comforting a teenage girl.

A teenage girl who looked a lot like Marinette....

Oh no..........

The backlash had been enormous and school was cancelled indefinitely for the students; the School Board and Marinette’s parents were furious that not only was Marinette left behind in a different country but it was in one of the most dangerous cities ever with her life at risk by an attack by criminals.

It was a miracle it was not someone like the Joker, the Batman Who Laughs, Killer Croc, the Scarecrow, King Tut or even the Bookworm who was involved. The criminals were being personally led by someone called the Ventriloquist and what had happened was that they were not willing to harm a teenage girl so they let her get to saftey just before the Superheroes had come.

Of course that was the official story; the one Batman had told the GCPD who related it to the Gotham reporters. The criminals were not contradicting the story due to their embarrassment of what had actually happened:

Batman, Nightwing and Starfire had arrived to see the criminals all tied up to a pole with a Yoyo, there was Ladybug there. Tied up was Arnold Wesker a middle aged grey haired balding man with glasses and was tie up along with Scarface his mobster ventriloquist dummy who he still had his hand in.

Ladybug was actually tickling his cheek asking who was a cute mob boss and Scarface was shouting to his men that anyone who lets this go out will be a dead man walking.

The story became everywhere in Paris; Nadja Chamack made sure to get it out through the news media. She was angry that the daughter of her friends had her life endanger by being left behind in a different country.

Marinette was interviewed about it in the investigation and was asked about the record of her having been bullied by the mayor’s daughter for years at the school. She related what had happened and asked about what Ms Bustier had done about it. She had to say that she didn’t do a whole lot and had taken her aside to encourage just be a good example for Chloe after she had ruined a birthday present she had made for the teacher.

That did not look good at all.          

It turned out that when the classmates were asked they said that Lila Rossi promised she would tell Marinette when they were going and didn’t. There were apparently some beef between them and looking into their file they found claims of disabilities, diseases and absences that didn’t have notes.

Her mother was called in for a talk.......

Ms Bustier was on indefinitely suspension but knew she could not count on keeping a teaching profession and didn’t know if Principal Damocles would survive the ordeal. Ms Bustier came to the bakery and gave a well deserved apology Marinette and their parents even knowing it would not do much. Marinette looked apologetic but her parents just said they didn’t have anything to say to her.

She felt that even the look Marinette had given her was more than she deserved.

Marinette had gotten home and despite what happened did enjoy her time in Gotham. She had a few souvenirs including a communication device with a T on it, it seemed like Ladybug was now an honorary Titan.

Her classmates had come to the bakery and given her apologies for what happened along with her parents. She accepted them but was upset about what happened.

She was more than happy with the other classmates (the ones who didn’t go) who wanted to make sure she was okay along with other students. Juleka and Rose had come to make sure she was alright along with Luka.

When she next saw Alya she was enveloped her into a hug that seemed to last forever and tearfully told her that she was glad she was okay. She hugged back. Alya was vehemently refused permission to go by her parents; they knew what she was like in wanting to get Superhero footage in the Ladyblog and the lengths she went.

They did not trust her to do the same in a city like Gotham.

On social media and TV interviews Bruce Wayne talked about making sure the visiting Marinette had gotten home safely and criticised the French school officials who allowed it to happen. Former GCPD commissioner and current Gotham City Mayor James Gordon shared the sentiment.

There were tweets and interviews from Bruce Wayne’s foster son Dick Grayson and his fiancé Kory Anders (a beautiful young woman who most people swore that she did not come from this world) who talked of making sure the poor girl was consoled until they were able to send her home.

Marinette was asked what it was like meeting Bruce Wayne by her friends but she was being humble about it and didn’t like saying anything. It was not like her classmate Lila.

Said girl was angry about the attention her hated rival was getting and the enormous trouble she was in. If she came back to school she knew she would have to face tougher and sharper personnel.

Why did she decide to make sure Marinette was left behind again?

[chenetic]

(1) "I recognized Eddie right away." Richie gestures towards him with his empty glass, fighting a laugh. Bev almost says 'I bet'-- it wasn't something she saw that summer, the brief time she'd known and loved these boys, she hadn't had the chance to see it and she wouldn't have known it if she had, but she's seeing something now, watching the way he looks at Eddie. "I recognized Eddie right away because he's the exact same height he was the last time I saw him."

OMGGG THANK YOU ANON!! THIS IS CUTE!

(2) "What? Fuck you!" Eddie squawks ('fuck me?', Richie laughs, Richie laughs and laughs, like he's been holding it back for twenty seven years or like he forgot how and he's only been faking it all this time). He throws a pea pod at Richie's head, it bounces off his chest instead. "I'm average height! Okay, you're just, your perspective is skewed because someone put you on the rack and stretched you out, you're a circus freak. I'm not the problem."

(3) "The rack? Kinky." Richie pops the pea pod into his mouth, to Eddie's theatrical disgust. He glows over the reaction it nets him, he sits up even taller in his seat. "I didn't say you were a problem, I just said you were little. Like a teddy bear. Where are you the average height, the Lollipop Guild?" (and he breaks into the song, does the voice and everything, while Eddie says 'The Wizard of Oz, really?', and Bev remembers the ghost of a school play, just for a moment)

(4) "Average height for men worldwide, you can look it up! You can look it up! I'm normal." Eddie bristles, defensive, and her memory sharpens. He'd been the tin man, with a funnel strapped to his head. Richie was the scarecrow, mugging for all the parents. Was it second grade? "You're the statistical outlier, your legs are RIDICULOUS." (Richie egging him on, braying with laughter, gasping out 'my legs?', mock-scandalized, throwing one up on the chair between them for Eddie to kick at...)

(5) "That worldwide average is like... taking in little people, right? And countries where everyone is short because of widespread nutritional problems? Because you are little, dude. You could sit in my lap like a little ventriloquist's dummy." Richie says, and Bev's eyebrows go up a good quarter of an inch as he scoots back in his chair and pats a thigh like he really wants Eddie to go for it.

(6) "You're the dummy." Eddie rolls his eyes, has to turn away from Richie to hide how hard he's fighting his smile. "I can't even believe you right now, I'm a normal adult man, I'm not sitting in your lap. I'm not a puppet or a teddy bear or a munchkin or a-- whatever other dumb thing you want to say, dude, it's just that you're a freaking giant... freaking giant freakish gangly bear man."

(7) "Otter." Richie says, and then his mouth clicks shut hard and his eyes bulge comically as he rushes to cover, as Eddie mouths 'what' at him. "I oughtta just-- you're a tiny baby boy, I oughtta pick you up, I could pick you up because you're so cute and little. You're so small I could like... carry you around, or throw you around, you're-- like I could just pick you up, I could do that, it would be easy."

(8) "I'd like to see you try, bro." Eddie shoves Richie's leg down from where it's reclaimed the chair between them, so that he can move into the seat beside Richie's. "I'd love to see you try to pick me up and carry me. What, you've got-- you're just gonna lift me, old man? You think you can lift me? You got some strong arms, you're gonna pick me up with your giant hands?" (She'd think she was crazy if Ben didn't turn to her at last to whisper 'what?', if Mike and Bill weren't staring, too)

(9/9) From 'strong arms' and 'big hands', somehow they wind up arm wrestling, and if it wasn't some kind of weird Richie-and-Eddie mating dance before, Eddie screaming about taking off shirts and kissing would get that message across. The way his eyes darken when Richie slams his hand down on the table. It feels a little like intruding on something, until the moment passes without either of them commenting on it. Really, she thinks, if they're the last to know, it goes to figure...

[everlarkficexchange]

Now Voyager

Written by: @mega-aulover​

Prompt 102: There’s only ONE bed! [submitted by anonymous]

Special Thanks to @everlarkficexchange for hosting the spring fic exchange every year. I’ve been so happy with all of the Everlark stories that have crossed my dashboard. I’ve been trying to keep up. Special thanks to my beta & friend @norbertsmom for her quick Beta work and always inspiring me to write better. Please note their are nods to the movie ‘Now Voyager’ in this fic.

Rated T

Part One of Two

The waves of the ocean sounded beautiful, unlike the advertisements.  Katniss wearily dragged her suitcase behind her, the wheels making a clunking sound on the cobbled streets as she walked from the train station to the Hotel by the side of the ocean. It was hot and steamy and her hair stuck to her neck. All Katniss wanted to do was get to the hotel, check in, and shower.

Her entire life had been flipped upside down because she’d chosen to be safe. Ironically, Katniss avoided love because she considered it reckless and stupid. She’d purposefully chose to be with her childhood friend Gale to avoid what her mother had gone through. When her father died her mother became ill and forgot about her children focusing only on her pain. Katniss, at that tender age of eleven, became the adult in the family and she swore she wanted stability over passion.

Gale, her childhood friend offered that to her. They dated, and as couples do after a certain amount of time together, they became engaged. Little did she know Gale wanted passion and love, something Katniss couldn’t offer him. Days before their small wedding, Katniss walked in on Gale and the cobbler’s daughter in the sack. Oddly enough Katniss was relieved. She quietly called off the wedding and encouraged Gale to pursue Delly.

Her sister Primrose wanted to tear Gale apart when he and Delly eloped just last week. She refused to give them the honeymoon trip. Her sister argued that the person who deserved the vacation was Katniss. Nothing they could say changed her sister’s mind and in the end Katniss was persuaded to travel alone to the honeymoon destination she was supposed to take. Her sister Prim was more than just persuasive, she was like a bull in a china shop. She wouldn’t leave Katniss alone until she took the break. Katniss would rather work and make money, but after weeks of listening to her sister’s arguments, Katniss gave in.  

Her journey began at three in the morning the day before. Trains were the cheapest mode of transportation from district to district, though they took forever. Those with money to burn traveled via hovercraft. Her journey took 21 hours because there was a problem on the rails. The engine broke down and they needed to wait for another. The replacement was derailed causing backups on the main line.

They were stuck in a remote area of the mountains. There  was nowhere for the passengers to go to so they’d been stuck on the train until this afternoon the replacement engine finally showed up. And so here she was, a disheveled grumpy version of herself on the final leg of her trip.  She’d been up for a total of 48 hours and all she wanted to do was get a full night’s sleep.

When she arrived at the hotel the sun was setting. Katniss was greeted by a perky blonde. “Welcome to the Victors’ Village Hotel Suite of District Four, how may I help you?”

“My name is Katniss Everdeen. I believe I have a reservation for a room that is being held?” Katniss pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She didn’t need them, but she felt protected by them, a shield that kept all of the bad stuff away. The day she found Delly and Gale together she hadn’t been wearing them.

“Of course, do you have your Panem Identification Card,” the perky blonde said smiling.

Katniss wanted to roll her eyes, and wondered how the woman was talking without the smile moving from her face. It was like watching a ventriloquist work where the dummy was talkin but the lips of the person handling a dummy weren’t moving. She was speaking without moving her lips.

“Miss Everdeen, you were supposed to arrive here last night,” the blonde said and did that smiling thing that annoyed Katniss.

“I know, I was supposed to arrive here last night but there was a problem with the train that I was on. I called here and I spoke to a woman named Clove who assured me that my reservation would be kept until today,” Katniss politely explained.

“I see,” she said, her fingers flew across the keyboard. “Unfortunately you don’t have a reservation and you should have arrived here yesterday.”

“But I do have a reservation.” Katniss narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking once more. “I spoke to someone named Clove yesterday afternoon, does someone named Clove work here?”

The blonde’s eyes lit up and she smiled. “Of course I know Clove. We’re roommates.”

“Okay, so I spoke to Clove and she said you would keep my reservation until I arrived here today.” Katniss wondered if the girl had rocks in her head, or perhaps if she had used her face to get her places in life instead of employing her brain.

Without blinking or breaking her smile the girl spoke, “Unfortunately because you didn’t arrive yesterday your reservation is no longer valid.”

Now it was Katniss’s turn to pretend to be a ventriloquist and speak through her teeth, “I’d like to speak to a manager.”

“Okay, hold on for a second.” She picked up her phone and dial a number. “Finn, yeah there’s this woman here who had a reservation but didn’t arrive yesterday.  wants to speak to you.” She nodded, “Okay.” Looking at Katniss the blonde said, “He said he would be right out.”

Taking a deep cleansing breath, Katniss was ready to pull her hair out or leap across the service desk and pull the blonde’s extensions out

“Ma'am, if you could just move away from the service desk while you wait for our manager, that would be wonderful,” the blondet said smiling, not a Katniss but at the person standing behind her. Katniss moved to the side and the man standing behind her walk forward.

He was one of them, another good looking blond. His wavy hair fell over his forehead and he gave the girl a brilliant smile showing off his dimples. Katniss saw real emotion for the first time in the girl’s face; her cheeks turned pink and her eyes flashed. “Welcome to the Victor’s Village Hotel of District Four, my name is Glimmer. How can I help you?”

“Hello Glimmer. My name is Peeta Mellark and I don’t have a reservation here. Are there any rooms available for the week?” From some reason there was something about his voice that caused Katniss’ spine to become tingly. It took Katniss a cool minute to figure out Glimmer was going to give the good looking man a room.

“Of course, we have a suite available for you,” she leaned over the counter. “I was supposed to keep it for some old hag who was arriving today, but I think I can help you.” Glimmer smiled politely and batted her eyelashes at him.

Katniss snapped and slammed her hand on the counter “OH NO YOU DON’T!” Her voice caused Glimmer to look up, shocked.

“Hello, I am Finnick,” the manager came out from the back office looking like he had one too many spray tans. He looked like a golden statue.

“She’s giving away my reservation!” Katniss said tightly between her teeth. She’d had enough. If the situation wasn’t resolved, she was going to blow a gasket.

“I am not. You were supposed to be here yesterday night!” Glimmer pouted and blinked with a blank stare on her perky face.

Katniss turned to the manager. “I called here and spoke to one of your employee’s named Clove who said she would hold my reservation because of the train problems. I just arrived and she says she doesn’t have my reservation, but I just over heard her say she was holding a reservation for a,” Katniss looked at Glimmer, “old hag, but that she was going to give away the room to him, who doesn’t have a reservation.”

Finnick smiled when he saw the man, “Peeta, welcome back to District Four Victors’ Village.”

“Hi Finn,” Peeta smiled.

Katniss couldn’t help the scowl that formed on her face.

The manager turned to her, “Glimmer do we have anymore rooms?”

“Only the suite,” the blonde said, “but it’s for a woman who was left at the altar.”

Katniss turned red when she heard the way the younger woman described her life.

“I am sorry miss. Did you provide Glimmer with your ID,” Finnick asked.

“Yes,” Katniss handed Finnick her ID, “the woman in question is me. My fiance left me for someone else. At the bequest of my family I came here to get away from it all,” Katniss quietly confessed.

“It is your reservation,” Finnick said giving the blonde a look. “But Peeta is one of our best clients.”

“What are you suggesting?” Katniss wasn’t sure she was going to like what Finnick had in mind.

“Share the suite; it’s big enough for both of you. I am sure Peeta is more than willing to pay you for half the room for the week.”

“A week! You want to stay in my suite for a week?” Katniss turned to the blond stranger who up to this point was silently observing every thing.

“Finnick let me speak to her,” Peeta said.

“Glimmer, come with me to the back.”

“What about the front desk?” the blonde asked.

“Don’t worry about the front desk.” Finnick walked her to the back office. As Finnick walked away Katniss heard him say, “This is what I get for doing a war buddy a favor.”

Katniss stood in the service area of the hotel with the man. His blue eyes seemed to penetrate past her ability to close off from people.

“I am sorry to hear about your fiance, but I come down here every year to work on the next bakery that I open. My assistant forgot to book my room. I only discovered it when I arrived at the airport. I tried calling around to see if there were any vacancies at other hotels but they all seem to be fully booked. There is a convention about a book with a female hero set in a dystopian society going on. I came here hoping my friend Finnick could help me. I really need the peace and quiet. Back home there are too many distractions to keep me from focusing in on the next branch of Mellark’s that we’re going to be opening.”

He ran his fingers through his blond hair. Katniss noticed the way his eyes were framed by long, nearly see through silver blond lashes that, impossibly didn’t tangle. Katniss couldn’t look away from his face. Normally she wasn’t someone who stared at people, period, but his face fascinated her. He had dimples on both cheeks. His lips were well formed for a man. He had blond stubble, and his nose wasn’t crooked like Gale’s nose; it was straight and perfect for his face. This man Peeta was charming, in that you could trust him easy because he was so laid back. He was intelligent and as she listened to him speak he was someone who words came easily to, unlike Katniss who spent her time in the woods of District Twelve cataloguing wild life, for the District Twelve national park reserve. There  were days where she didn’t see anyone until she came home to her house in the Seam and spoke to her sister when her she was home from college.

Normally hearing people talk annoyed her; even Gale annoyed her at times, especially when they hunted together and he got riled up about something, she couldn’t get him to shut up. This man didn’t and Katniss couldn’t understand why.

“I’ve been expanding on franchising my family bakery one district at a time. I’m headed to District Twelve next and I need to use this week to sort of create a menu that is specific for the district. As Finnick stated, I am willing to pay for half of the suite, all the meals, and any entertainment you want to do for the next week. Besides, the room may come with double beds.”

Having him pay for half of the room meant she could make some money and use it toward her sister’s college tuition. Especially if he paid for the food, which as she discovered on the train was truly expensive. Nearly ten dollars for a hotdog and a drink. She nearly swooned when she saw the prices. Katniss considered his proposal carefully.

“Like I said, I just need a place to sleep.”

“You’ll pay for the meals?”

He grinned at her. “Yep, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, anything you want to eat.”

“Okay, we can share the suite,” Katniss sighed.

“Really?”

She nodded and he hugged her. Katniss froze up; she didn’t like to be touched, yet his scent of cinnamon and dill wafted around her and momentarily she relaxed her shoulders until she recalled he was a stranger. Katniss abruptly stepped away. She cleared her throat and looked at the ground.

“Oh good, you’ve come to an agreement.” Finnick stood smiling at them from behind the counter, next to him the blonde’s fake smile was back in place.  

“Here are your keys,” Glimmer smiled and handed Peeta both cards as if Katni wasn’t standing by his side.

“Finnick, if you could do me a favor and let me know the price of the suite. I am going to pay Katniss for half the cost. Here’s my credit card so that any charges incurred can be put on it.”

“Sure,” Finnick said taking the credit card. Glimmer immediately scanned the card into the system.

“Enjoy your stay,” Glimmer addressed Peeta, but not Katniss.

Katniss rolled her eyes, irritated that the blonde was acting like the suite belonged to Peeta and she was being allowed to stay there. She sighed and waited for the paperwork to be done.  

“If you both will follow me, I’ll take you to your cabin suite.” Finnick took both of their suitcases.

They both followed Finnick through a sliding glass door to the exterior of the hotel past pool.  He took them to a golf cart. “Please take a seat.”

Within moments they were whisked away to a cottage by the sea. “I thought we were getting a suite,” Katniss’ words stumbled out.  

“This is the Honeymoon Cottage you rented. It’s completely private, comes with concierge and butler, a private beach yet still accessible to the hotel.” Finnick pulled up to the quaint cottage. It was the type of place for Honeymooners or people escaping to have romantic getaways. She thought Gale had booked a room, maybe something with a living area.

It was an open concept floor plan with sliding doors in the back that allowed privacy for the bedroom. There was a dining area in the front and a screened porch that wrapped around the cabin with lounge chairs and wicker furniture. There was a wicker sofa facing a fireplace.

The cottage was decorated in a beachside  theme with shells and corals scattered about. Images and paintings of the Seaside Inn Shoreline and sea glass filled Crystal vases, however to Katniss she didn’t notice a thing because there was only one bed, and it wasn’t even a large bed. It looked like a full sized instead of the standard queen beds most hotels boasted.

Getting her voice back, Katniss turn to talk to the manager Finnick, but by that time he was already on his way out. “But there’s only one bed,” she whispered.

“It’s okay, I’ll take the the wicker sofa,” Peeta volunteered.

Katniss blinked several times. She wasn’t someone who could talk and momentarily her brain has gone blank.

“Come on, let’s get settled in,” Peeta said jovially. He walked into the bedroom. “What do you prefer the dresser or the closet or do you want to go halves with each one?”

Katniss didn’t have much clothes with her. She didn’t even know what was packed in her suitcase because Prim packed it for her.

“How about we go half and half. If you don’t mind I’ll take the top drawers.”  Peeta whistled as he put his suitcase on a chair.

Katniss mutely watched him quickly unpack. She had said yes with the belief that there was another place for him to sleep maybe a room set to the side where family could stay with their children, or at least a sofa bed. The wicker sofa was a two-seater and would not fit his frame.

Feeling guilty because of the situation she lowered her eyes and robotically put her things away, when it came time to put her toiletries in the bathroom everything looked so intimate, heat spread to her cheeks and her reflection showed just how red she became. Then it occurred to her, he was the interloper who almost ended up with her suite, she and Gale had paid for this suite as part of their honeymoon. Still that night when he was turning and tossing the guilt crept in. The sliding doors were thin and she could hear every grunt, sigh, and rustle.

Neither one got any sleep and it was apparent the next morning, when they met for the complimentary breakfast buffet the hotel offered. However her guilt changed when she saw Glimmer make a beeline for Peeta. Katniss bristled as she watched Glimmer giggle and flirt.

Katniss rolled her eyes. It made sense they were both blonde’s, much like the blonde she found Gale with. Her eyes narrowed and shoving her freshly cut fruit in her mouth, she wondered what they were so chummy about.

Despite her curiosity Katniss shrugged and read the hotel brochure on the free events going on that week. It was cloudy outside but by the time she finished breakfast it was overcast and Katniss could smell the sweet and yet pungent aroma of rain in the air. Katniss decided to go to the gift shop to get her sister one of those I was here t-shirts that are the rage in Twelve. Not many people travel and things purchased in other districts are highly prized.  

While browsing at the gift shop. She noticed she was being followed by one of the shop girls. Katniss knew this feeling all to well. Some of the older Merchants back in Twelve followed people from the Seam, with the excuse they were afraid they were going to steal. Katniss was going to turn around to confront the sales clerk when Glimmer arrived.

Both women ducked between the isles.

“Is that her?” The sales clerk whispered.

“Yes.” Glimmer said loudly. Obviously the woman did not know how to whisper.

“You’re right she’s so old!” Both giggled.

Katniss rolled her eyes. They were all around the same age. Except these two didn’t have any responsibilities like Katniss did. She was paying for her sisters education, her mother’s therapy,  and all of the house bills. They were obviously spying on her.

“She claimed that she was engaged?” Glimmer laughed.

“How in the world? Have you researched her claim?” The clerk asked.

“I asked my friend, you know the hot one,” Glimmer said.

“Cato’s so beefy,” the girl said dreamily.

“Has she stolen anything?” Glimmer asked.

“No, but I’ve been watching her, she looks so suspicious.”

Katniss was shocked by the question.

“She looks suspicious. There is something about her that rubs me the wrong way. I didn’t like the fact that she got away with taking Mr. Mellark’s room.”

“Maybe you should check up on him, just in case?”

“I did this morning. I even asked him if he had all of his belongings, you know if anything was stolen?”

Katniss fisted her hands feeling humiliated by their conversation. She was well respected in her community. She fought all of her life to keep food on the table after her childhood went belly-up. To hear them think she could steal hurt and enraged Katniss at the same time.

Katniss grabbed a t-shirt of a squirrel with sunglasses in a chair with the caption, ‘Corky At The Beach’. She walked right up to them. “I would like to purchase this for my sister.”

They both stood mouth ajar.

Glimmer gave her that fake smile. “Are you sure? That shirt is quite costly, especially for someone one on a budget.“

“I am quite sure!” The shirt could have been 50 credits at this point and Katniss wouldn’t have minded.

“Glimmer,” Finnick’s voice rang behind Katniss.

“Are you insinuating one of our guests cannot buy a t-shirt for her sister?”

Glimmer’s eyes went round and her face turned pink. “No, I am only…”

“Miss Everdeen I am sorry about this; please take the shirt on the house. I am sorry for the inconvenience. In fact, if you would like I have some promotional trinkets we give to our guests.”

Katniss noticed Peeta was with Finnick. His gaze was intense, and she asked herself if he believed that she was no better than a petty thief. His eyes bore through hers. She suddenly felt like one of the those kids from the home, the kids everyone pitied but no one wanted. Casting her eyes away from Peeta she said, “I am sorry, thank you for your offer, but I can’t.”

She walked away. Outside it was beginning to pour. People ran past her looking for shelter. Katniss walked slowly in the rain. The day she found out about Gale was also rainy. Her mind flashed to that moment.

Delly had that same look as if she pitied her. Katniss recalled how Gale said he was sorry for cheating on her. Katniss reigned in her feelings and didn’t let them affect her behavior, even though she wanted to shoot an arrow through Gale’s eyes for the betrayal. Though it was Delly’s look that affected her the most. It was the same look she received from the people who lived in the Seam when her mother’s mental health unraveled and they knew it was only a matter of  time before she and Prim were shipped out to the Community Home.

Katniss refused to allow those looks to affect her and she refused to allow that same look to affect her now. She walked to a cliff near the ocean. The rain covered her tears.

All of her life she’d struggled to make it, to be more than what people judged she ought to be. She was a girl who hunted in the woods beyond her districts border with a bow and arrow for fresh meat because she couldn’t afford the meat sold in the grocers. She traded that fresh meat to those who wanted something rare or something they themselves couldn’t afford. She traded for everything from string to pieces of leather to repair shoes. Katniss struggled all of her life to balance a measly budget and pay the mortgage and utility Bill’s. Sometimes she refrained from eating just so that her family could. She wore clothing with holes, layered on sweaters because her father’s leather jacket had no lining. She cut Prim’s hair so that her hair always looked nice. Those women didn’t understand sacrifice. They didn’t understand going to sleep hungry or cold. They didn’t understand the value of a credit and how fart it could go.

She scrimped and saved and never finished college because she had to help her mother and decided to put her sister’s education first. No one knew, but she did. She missed the warmth of her father everyday. She missed the bright days filled with sunlight and laughter. She missed the music. She lived in colorless a gray world.

Wiping her face, she looked around her. The wind blew, the ocean roared and raged just like the world she carried inside of her. Katniss was so tired. So tired of carrying the load all by her herself. She dreamt of having someone to talk to, to hold her hand when things got bad, and although she knew Gale wasn’t right for her she hoped he would do that during this trip. She worked hard to pay for this trip to bring that dream to life. The day she found Gale with Delly, that dream died. Gale loved Delly, she could see it in the tender way he held her, protecting her. Katniss walked away just like she’d done today.

Wiping her face she, left the cliff and went back to the suite.

Peeta stood when she entered.

“Do you think you could order some soup?” she quietly asked.

“Sure,” Peeta replied.

“Thank you.” Katniss went and took a hot shower. The soup was waiting for her on a tray on the bed when she exited the bathroom. She sipped it and then laid in the bed, but didn’t sleep. In fact she didn’t eat dinner. She stayed in the room listening to the storm rage outside. In the morning she left, determined to have a good day.

That afternoon when she walked back into the hotel room there was Glimmer giggling.

“You didn’t have too,” Peeta said. He held in his hands a plate of chocolate covered strawberries.

“It’s no problem.” Glimmer laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Katniss rolled her eyes as she passed by to use the bathroom. When she finished she walked out into the main room. Peeta was bent over his laptop and Glimmer was giggling. Katniss quietly stepped outside. As the screen door closed she overheard Glimmer say, “If she gives you any problem, let me know and I can have her kicked out.”

Katniss nearly tripped going down the stairs. It reopened the wound in her heart that was still fresh from yesterday. She wondered what Peeta told the woman, did he agree? Was he looking for a way to get her tossed out of the room? Katniss bit her lip to keep her ire and frustration tapered down.

That woman ought to be fired, Katniss thought. She considered going to the manager and complain, but instead she went to a hotel sponsored free event.  

That night Peeta dressed to go to the hotel’s Four Star Restaurant. Katniss smiled tightly; she didn’t want to go out to eat. She wanted to spend a quiet evening in the hotel suite without him. She’d spent the rest of the day out exploring the beach, caught one of the crafting activities that was filled with senior citizens. She’d met Mags, a sweet little old lady who invited her to go to tomorrow’s bingo. Her plans for tomorrow were set and all she wanted to do was sleep. She hadn’t slept well since stepping on that train.

“Come on, you’ll have fun.”

“No, thank you.” Katniss said as politely as possible, keeping in mind the conversation she overheard that afternoon. She  slipped her glasses on; the tub was calling her.

“Yesterday we didn’t get to do anything. We were stuck inside during the rain. It’s beautiful tonight, and I don’t want to eat alone.”

His argument was persuasive, it was a beautiful outside. From the windows the night was clear and stars twinkled in the sky. Still, even with the promise of a starry night and excellent food she hesitated.

“You skipped out on lunch. You must be hungry.”

Katniss was going to refuse but her stomach growled. It was true she skipped lunch. She’d been drinking the complimentary cucumber infused water to keep hunger at bay. She was an expert at fending hunger away.

“Just put on one of those long dresses women wear to resorts.” He smiled, standing in his crisp white shirt and dress pants.

“I don’t think they allow muumuus at the restaurant.”

He chuckled, as he slipped on a lightweight jacket.  “You don’t have a dress?”

Katniss turned pink. He knew very well she had a black dress and a green dress. They’d hung next to the pants he was wearing.

Peeta raised an eyebrow and grinned, displaying his dimples. Katniss wondered why he had to look so darned cute. But even as the smile crept on her face she recalled he was possibly in cahoots with Glimmer. Her voice was flat when she replied, “Fine.”

Katniss slid the doors shut, her hands shook from nerves. She wasn’t really good in public situations. At home she and Gale never really went out anywhere. They just hung out at in the woods or in one of their houses. Dressing up to go to a restaurant was something new for her. Katniss wasn’t used to wearing fancy clothes. The fanciest dress she never got to wear was her rented wedding dress. There was nothing extraordinary about the dress. It had no beading, no pearls, no crystals, no lace and not a single apliqué. The dress shop owner told her the neck was scoop and it’s skirt was an a-line. Katniss didn’t know what that meant; the price was all she cared about. She rented it for 50 credits because it had a light stain on the collar. The dress fit a little long and was a bit big, but Katniss didn’t mind. She was only going to wear it for a few hours. It just didn’t make sense to buy an expensive gown.

“Dang it, why did you have to say yes, Katniss. He’s trying to get rid of you,” she muttered to herself.

She rushed to the closet and was relieved when she saw the notes pinned to the lining of the dresses. Her sister had left her directions pinned to her clothing. Katniss read the note carefully.

‘If you’re wearing the black dress, use the gold sandals, my black clutch (a clutch is a purse you hold in your hand it has black crystals on it).  If you are going to a fancy restaurant leave your hair down Katniss, and for goodness sake don’t forget to smile!’-Prim

Katniss found the shoes easily, they were the only gold ones. The clutch was the difficult one because there were two black bags, she went back to the dress and reread the note. “Of course the black crystals,” she muttered.  

She showered and she unpinned the small note and stuffed it into the clutch before putting on the shift dress. When it came time to do her hair, she didn’t feel comfortable leaving it down. She pinned it up into a bun, and slipped on her glasses. Looking at herself in the mirror she saw a short frumpy girl and thought this was as good as it gets.

She walked out but did not notice the way Peeta’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of her. Nor did she notice the way he cleared his throat several times while rubbing the back of his neck. Katniss was busily trying to close the clutch. She just couldn’t figure it out. It was ironic that she could shoot a bird in the eye as it flew through the air but she could close the small hand held bag.

“Are we ready?”

Katniss looked up, her mind still debating on weather or not she should bring the clutch with her.  All she really needed was her key card to the room, and that she could stuff in her bra. Then the thought of Peeta watching her stuff her card into her undergarment caused her to rethink that. “Yes.”

Peeta extended his arm toward her and Katniss froze. She had a thing about touching, but he was so earnest she shyly put her hand on his forearm. She told herself this wasn’t anything and he was just being nice to her. It was apparent by what she witnessed today he was into Glimmer.

When they arrived at the restaurant they were whisked right in. Peeta had made a reservation the night before. Katniss sat down and acknowledged she was starving.

“Hello, my name is Rodney, I’ll be your server for the evening. May I start you out with some drinks,” the  server asked handing them the menus.

“Do you have the refreshing water with the cucumber?” Katniss asked.

“Yes ma’am.” The server turned to Peeta, “And for your sir?”

“I’m not sure what I am eating yet, Rodney. I’ll take a glass of the water for now.” Peeta looked at the menu and asked, “What are the chef’s specials tonight?”  

“The risotto is good, the lobsters are fresh, but tonight’s specialty is the filet mignon with tender baby potatoes and a selection of either green beans or asparagus.” Rodney smiled.

Katniss knew exactly what she wanted to order.

“Is Frankie still making the those rolls with the sea salt sprinkled on the top?” Peeta asked.

“Yes, he is, he’s famous for them around here.” Rodney stood straighter.

“Okay can we have a some of his rolls, and let him know Peeta is here.

“No problem, sir. I will give you a few minutes to go over the menu. I will return with your drinks.”

Katniss watched Rodney leave and questioned who Frankie was and just how many times Peeta had frequented this hotel to know staff by their names. She put her menu down on the table. It was funny, Peeta poured over the menu like her sister did when she read one of those trashy novels.

“Frankie updated the menu,” Peeta mused.

“Who is Frankie?”

“Finnick’s brother-in-law. He’s a great cook and makes these rolls that are light and fluffy, with a sprinkling of sea salt on top. Can’t wait.”

“In Twelve we like heartier breads with grains, nuts, and fruits.”

“Good to know,” Peeta smiled.

Katniss looked down and grabbed her purse. She fidgeted with the clasp trying to close it, but it wouldn’t budge. Rodney appeared with the cucumber infused waters and a bowl filled with green fish shaped bread. She watched Peeta grab one and unceremoniously eat it.

“Try it,” he urged.

She skeptically eyed the green bread. Having grown up poor and starving she never turned down food. Slowly she reached out for one, sniffing it before she took a tentative bite. It tasted like bread. It was slightly sweet, but it was balanced by the sea salt. She smiled and reached for another one when her bag fell open on the table. Her note landed on Peeta’s charger plate.

He  looked down at the paper and read Prim’s note to her.

Mortified Katniss didn’t know where to turn. The restaurant was filled with people and she couldn’t make a stealthy escape.

“I think you dropped this.”

Katniss took the note with shaking hands. “It’s my sister. She packed my suitcase. All of the clothing is hers. She wanted me to have a good time after my ex left me, well he married the girl he was…shortly after I found them together.” She nervously fiddled with the clutch. “You could say I’m just an old maid playing dress up.”

“You look wonderful tonight.” Peeta’s voice was warm and it caused a tingle to rush up and down her spine. “That was very nice of your sister. You guys must be very close.”

Katniss couldn’t help smiling at the mention of her sister. “We are very close.”

“Does she have your stunning looks?”

His compliment caused her cheeks to feel warm. She cleared her throat. “Um no, we do not look alike. She actually is a blonde.”

“Really?”

“She’s very fair and burns very easily just like our mother did. I look like our father.”

“My brothers and I aren’t as close. One of my brothers is a surgeon in District Three. The other owns four clubs in the Capitol. The surgeon is on his second wife; the other has multiple partners and doesn’t think marriage is natural. I’m the odd one in my family, I wanted to be like my father, baking is my life. I like the smell of rising dough. I enjoy spending hours inside of the kitchen making recipes. When I open a bakery I spend months there perfecting recipes for the residents.” He smiled then said, “I think I’m boring you.”

Katniss shook her head no.

“What I should have said is you look lovely tonight.”

His words seemed to be sincere and for a moment she questioned if he truly was in cahoots with Glimmer. She cast her eyes down to compose her response. When she looked up Peeta looked like he was going to say more but a man dressed in a chef’s uniform came out and interrupted them.

“Peeta!”

Peeta stood, “Frankie!”

Both men embraced. Peeta stood in front of her and the chef did not notice her. His attention was on Peeta solely.

Katniss was glad to have the attention off of her. She sat back watching Peeta talk to yet another blond. She never noticed how many blonds there were in the world. Growing up, the only blondes she knew were her sister, her mother, and the Merchants she traded with. Her entire life she’d been surrounded by people who looked just like her. Traveling had opened her eyes.

“I didn’t know you were back? Finnick didn’t say anything. Although lately he’s been worried sick about Annie. She’s expecting their first child.”

“I’ll congratulate him when I see him again. So what’s good on the menu?” Peeta grinned.

“Forget the menu. For you I’ve got a few recipes I’ve been toying with. If you don’t mind, that is?” Frankie clasped his hands.

“That sounds great.” Peeta eyes shined brightly.

“Would you like to see the kitchen? I’ve made renovations?”

“I would love to Frankie, but I’m here with someone.” Peeta smiled directly at Katniss. “Frankie this is Katniss, Katniss this is Frankie.”

She wanted to sink in her chair, she thought he’d forgotten she was there.

“Oh, so you do,” Frankie’s eyes widened.

“It’s okay,” Katniss managed.

“Well now I really have to impress you!” Frankie said winking.

“You better get back to the kitchen before the staff stages a mutiny!”

“They wouldn’t dare. I’ve got this place working ship-shape.” Frankie turned to Katniss, “It was a pleasure.”

Katniss nodded.

The chef left, but no sooner did he leave than the food began arriving. A ceviche, shrimp marinated in citrus juice, Chicharon, fried pig. Katniss loved the crunchy slivers of pig. A small sandwich he called a slider. There were two; the one he called a po’boy had fried crawfish, the other called a cubano had slices of tender pig, a pickle and white melted cheese.  They also brought out oysters, steamed clams, with lemons on the side, a fried snapper sauteed with onions and tomatoes, tomato soup Frankie called gazpacho, and finally a plate of rice that had every seafood you can imagine inside of it. Frankie called it Paella.

By the time the desert came out Katniss was stuffed. She couldn’t eat anything more, but she had to try the lemon meringue. It was so light and airy but it did but her eyes were closing. They left the restaurant walking slowly back to the cottage.

She’d never been this full in her life. She was food drunk. Her body was delirious with the flavors of the food she’d eaten. She smiled at Peeta through the haze of the impending food coma.

“You’re whole face changes when you smile,” Peeta said with a grin.

“Feed me like that I’ll give you all of the smiles of the world.”

He laughed. “Your finance was a fool. Most of the women I know would never eat half the stuff they put in front of you.”

“Why?”

“Most of them want to be skinny,” Peeta shrugged.

“Most of the girls back home where I’m from are skinny, too skinny if you ask me, but not by choice. Food is a commodity back home. Only the wealthy can afford to eat. It’s a very poor district, but it’s home.” Katniss yawned, “Oh look we’re home!”

Katniss hummed absent-mindedly as she made her way to the room. She stripped and threw herself at the mercy of her bed. Though she couldn’t sleep much because halfway through the night she heard Peeta getting up and trying to rearrange his sleeping. Guilt crept in once more. He’d been so nice to her this evening and did not make fun of her about the note or how much she’d eaten. She got up and went to the sliding door, reaching her hand out with the intent to open it and check up on him. She withdrew her hand and scurried back into her bed and spent the next few hours listening to him trying to find sleep.

The next morning she got up and noticed the dark circles underneath her eyes. “Not much I could do about that she muttered her to herself.”

She peeked out of her room thinking Peeta was asleep. She was wrong; he was already gone. Sighing, she walked to breakfast. She truly wasn’t that hungry. She simply wanted to thank Peeta for sharing last night’s meal with her. He didn’t have to. She was only going to order the steak and go home. It turned into something more.

Katniss spotted him at the fruit bar. She was about to greet him when Glimmer appeared.

“Hello Peeta,” Glimmer batted her eyes and put her hand on his shoulder. “I wanted to let you know that I’ve reversed the charges of the dinner you paid for last night and charged it to to the room.”

Hearing what she did caused Katniss to see red.

“Glimmer it’s no problem, I promised to pay for our meals.” Peeta took a step back.

Glimmer glanced at Katniss. “You shouldn’t have to pay for anything since the room was available. That woman had no right to claim that room.”  She put her hand on Peeta’s arm. “I feel bad that you have to share a space with her. Is she treating you alright?”

“Glimmer, I thank you for taking such excellent care of me, Finnick will be happy to know you care about customer service. However I would like for you to-”

“Really you think I’m taking good care of you? I am so glad. You know I found out her ex married the woman he left her for.” She glanced over Peeta’s shoulder at Katniss once more. Her lips contained a cruel smile. “It’s no-wonder she was dumped at the altar. I mean look at her she’s so old. Are you sure nothing is missing?” Glimmer winked as she left.

As quickly as her anger rose it quickly dissipated. The comment hurt. Katniss looked at what she was wearing; everything from her shoes to her hat screamed old maid. Putting down her plate Katniss walked away, thinking she was fooling no one. She was the reason Gale cheated. In his hearts of heart Gale knew she didn’t love him, as a cherished old friend yes, but not the way a woman loved a man. Maybe if she put some effort into trying to please him they would still be together.

Wiping her face, she opened the door to the suite and dragged her suitcase out.

“Where are you doing?” Peeta stood in the room.

“I’m leaving.” Her voice sounded flat, though she was a mess on the inside.

“Why?”

Katniss opened and closed her mouth several times.

There was a knock at the door followed by Glimmer’s voice. “Peeta are you okay. After our talk I noticed you left so suddenly. I have your coffee and I’ve made you a plate of food.”

Peeta held up one hand. “Wait let me just..”

Katniss watched him race to the door.

“Hi Peeta, are you okay?”

“Hi thank you so much-” Peeta didn’t open the door all of the way.

“Wait?!” Glimmer tried to look over his shoulder. “Did she do something to you? Do I have to call security?”

“No, and No,” Peeta firmly stated.  

Katniss turned to the dresser and began pulling her clothing out and stuffing it inside of the suitcase. Katniss was tired of the situation, of being treated as if she didn’t matter, and being treated poorly.

“Katniss don’t go. You deserve to be here just as much as I do, Glimmer-”

Katniss had enough. “Don’t you dare defend her. I know what you two have planned.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Of course she likes you with your long blond Lashes in your dimpled cute face. Not everyone has a Miss Congeniality personality that attracts others around them like moths to fire!”

“You think I have a cute face!”

She threw her hands up in the air. “Is that all you heard?”

“Well you think I’m cute.” he grinned. “All the reason not to leave. I think your beautiful.”

Katniss stopped packing. “What?”

“The way you scowl, it’s adorable,” Peeta said. He then proceeded to not only tell her the different way she scowled but contorted his face to look like each one. “You have your ‘I’m mad scowl’, your ‘I’m annoyed’ scowl, ‘I’m ready to shoot you’ scowl and my favorite, your ‘I’m confused or scared so let me hide it with a scowl’ look.”

Katniss wanted to laugh at his faces but then she recalled he was trying to get rid of her.  She stomped to the closet and pulled out her clothing. “I cannot be here. You don’t want me here and you’re plotting with Glimmer to get me kicked out. So you know what, to save you all of that trouble I will leave, I volunteer. I volunteer to leave.”

Peeta took her clothing and hung it up. “Nope, you’re just tired. We’re both tired.”

Stunned, Katniss watched him hang her clothing back. “What?” She was so tired and frustrated she was at the brink of tears.

“I wondered if you heard that. Just for your information, I told Glimmer that would be unethical and that you were a wonderful roommate.”

“I haven’t done anything for you.” Katniss shook her head.

“Yesterday I was looking for you for lunch. I found you making arts and crafts with the elderly ladies. You were zipping around the room smiling at them helping them with the projects. It was sweet to see you smile. You’re a caregiver, Katniss. I bet you do the same at home. You care for everyone and everything and leave yourself for last.”

Once more her anger toward him disappeared. Katniss blushed. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Emotionally she was spent; she couldn’t think anymore.

“Last night I heard you get up.”

“How did you know?”

“The bed made a squeak when you got up and laid back down.”  Peeta explained. “I know you were, in your own way, checking up on me.”

She tiredly nodded her head.

“You have dark circles under your eyes which means you haven’t been sleeping.” Peeta sat on the bed. “Come here,” he patted the spot next to him.

Katniss sat down next to him.

Peeta leaned back to lie down on the bed and pulled her closer, resting her head on his chest. She allowed it because she was so exhausted. “So you’re not trying to kick me out?”

She felt the rumble of laughter in his chest before she heard it, “No.”

He began to gently run his fingers through her hair. His actions and the sound of the steady beat of his heart lulled her to sleep. Hours later she sighed as she woke up nestled on top of Peeta’s chest feeling refreshed and energized. Katniss couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so soundly and so well. She bit her bottom lip as she glanced up to see he was still sound asleep. One arm nestled behind his head, the other draped across her waist. Normally she avoided touching, she was comfortable with Prim or her mother, but they didn’t hug. This was different this was special. Katniss didn’t know what to do with herself. All she knew was this was what she had desired all along with Gale and she had found it in the arms of a stranger.

To Be Continued….for Buttercupbadass…

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Toy Story 4

I have given almost no thought to the fourth entry in the Toy Story franchise. I just felt like we were really DONE after Toy Story 3, you know? It was cathartic, it was meaningful, it made me bawl like a baby. I’d said goodbye and I was doing great. And then suddenly, Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) and the gang are back for round 4 and I’m just supposed to what, welcome them back with open arms? And now there’s a SPORK involved? I don’t know, fam. I was skeptical. But Pixar usually knows what they’re doing, so I sat down opening weekend ready to be transported back to the magic of childhood all over again. Could this entry in the franchise possibly live up to the greatness of all 3 of its predecessors? Well...

Gosh, it’s nice sometimes to be proven wrong. This movie is so delightful my face hurt from smiling afterwards. I think I laughed more at this than any other comedy this year. And its heart is still firmly in the right place, helping kids and grown-ups alike think about what it means to love and be loved, and what we’re willing to give up for a chance at happiness. Essentially, Woody’s new kid, Bonnie (Madeline McGraw) isn’t that interested in playing with him anymore. Instead, she’s made herself a new favorite toy - Forky (Tony Hale), a literal collection of trash barely being held together by silly putty and glue. Even though Woody isn’t Bonnie’s favorite toy, he knows how important it is for her to have Forky, and he will stop at nothing to keep Forky safe when Bonnie’s parents decide to take her (and all her toys) on a road trip. As you can imagine, some toys get lost, some toys get found, and there’s a lot of action-packed close calls along the way. 

Some thoughts:

There is no Pixar short before this one, just FYI.

One thing I love about the Toy Story films is the thematic richness that is always so clear and well-executed. From the very first scene, it’s set up that this is going to be Woody’s movie, and it’s going to be about him choosing between two different types of love - the love of a companion or the love of duty in his role as a Kid’s Toy. All of the Toy Story movies are essentially Woody movies, but this one feels even more so than the rest, and it’s a lovely meditation on aging, change, and parenthood from the perspective of a character that many of us have grown up with for the last 24 years.

Some of the animation is so beautiful I want to cry. Woody lying in the rain. The LIGHT in the antique shop. Have you ever seen light look so ethereal and gorgeous in animation? 

The four abandoned toys in Bonnie’s closet are voiced by the four greatest living comedians of our grandparents’ generation - Melephant Brooks (Mel Brooks), Chairol Burnett (Carol Burnett), Carl Reinerocerous (Carl Reiner), and Bitey White (Betty White). It’s a quick scene but man, what a joy for a comedy nerd like me.

Blink-and-you’ll-miss-them lesbians dropping off their son at Bonnie’s kindergarten class!

Throughout all the marketing, I have been so confused about Forky and why on earth he’s involved in this movie. However, within 2 minutes, I was completely sold. Tony Hale’s performance is perhaps the funniest performance I’ve seen in any media this year. Every single line delivery is gold, and he brings a real sweet earnestness to Forky’s identity crises and his confusion at a big world he doesn’t understand. And those goddamn googly eyes are the funniest fucking thing - it’s so dumb, but when a gag works, it works.

So I saw Child’s Play this weekend as well, and let me tell you - Benson, the ventriloquist dummy in the antique shop, is 10 million times scarier than Chucky will ever be. That motherfucker is going to haunt my dreams.

Now let’s talk about some other members of the ensemble. Is it just me, or does it seem like Buzz is being extra stupid here? I just don’t remember him being this stupid. A little obtuse, sure, but...this feels 10th season of a CBS sitcom bad. The one plot line I really hated was his dumb “inner voice” running gag. It felt like a lame gimmick in comparison to the really interesting nuanced interactions going on in every other plot thread of the film. 

I love the idea of Bo Peep (Annie Potts) as a Mad Max road warrior feminist rebel.

Another thing I appreciate about the Toy Story movies - all of their villains are portrayed sympathetically, and usually due to a lack of love in their lives. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great campy evil just for the sake of being evil villain as much as the next girl, but there’s something to be said for a series of movies that show antagonists as people who are hurting, who have a need that was never filled, and are willing to learn and grow when they are confronted about it. I think that’s a valuable thing for kids and adults alike to see.

I particularly liked the parallel and inversion of Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and Woody here, how they’re both so blindly devoted to the idea of loving a kid that they can’t see anything outside of that, including how their actions might be hurting other people. It’s a tight script overall, and particularly in their stories it digs deep into a lot of interesting emotional material. 

Fun easter egg: in the old toy disco that Bo Peep takes Woody to inside the antique shop, the first toy they interact with is the original tin toy from one of the first Pixar shorts! 

I know he’s having a very it moment right now, which he deserves every single second of because he’s, by all accounts, a truly wonderful human being, but I would die for Keanu Reeves’ Duke Caboom, and I don’t care who knows it.

For people who are interested to know - there is a cat who experiences some toy-chasing antics, but no harm comes to her. 

Did I Cry? Yeah, yeah I did. Nowhere near the waterworks of Toy Story 3, but when Gabby finds her kid, and at that last line, yeah, there was more than a light misting.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but this really is as good as all the other Toy Story movies. You’d be hard-pressed to name a franchise this consistent in quality, and I highly, highly encourage kids and grown-ups alike to travel to infinity and beyond with this crew one more time.

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

[jade4813]

A Lie, Told Often Enough, Chapter 6

Author Notes: Inspired by @fallinginloveinaflash‘s AU prompt. All credit for the idea goes entirely to her.

Title: A Lie, Told Often Enough

Rating: NC-17

Synopsis: Iris just landed her dream job at a PR firm and her first assignment is reforming the bad boy image of celebrity artist Barry Allen. He’s overly cocky and well-known for being a playboy, but Iris has never met a challenge she couldn’t handle.

Chapters: 6/?

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

“Spill,” Linda didn’t waste any time before demanding when she came over to hang out later that day. Barry had left her at the door not long before, claiming to be late to an appointment with his manager. “I want all the details about your date.” Then, after a short pause, she added, “Actually, given that picture I saw on Twitter an hour ago, I suppose I should say dates.”

Shrugging, Iris took a seat on the couch next to her and demurred, “There really isn’t much to say. They were…you know…dates.” At her friend’s skeptical look, she shrugged again and said in a defensive tone, “What? It’s not even real! I doubt you’ll find the details that interesting. What do you want me to say?”

Linda rolled her eyes. “I want all the sexy details! The romance! The butterflies! I don’t care if it’s fake. My last date was six months ago, and the guy brought his ventriloquist dummy along. Give me something! Anything!”

“Wait…a ventriloquist dummy?” She had to take a moment to ponder that. “I guess that’s a little weird, but it’s not too –”

“He asked for a booster seat so ‘Walter’ could join us at dinner.”

“Uh, well –”

“And ordered it food off the kid’s menu,” she added pointedly.

With a grimace, Iris ventured, “Okay, that’s a little –”

Linda glared, crossing her arms over her chest. “As the waitress was delivering appetizers, he told me that, when I was ready to become Walter’s step-mother, I could grow out my hair so that he could make it into a wing. That way, Walter could wear it and carry a piece of both of us. Always.”

It took several seconds for Iris to adjust to that bombshell. Finally, she asked tentatively, “Um, so what part of him did he, um –”

“I don’t know!” she practically shrieked. “I was too busy racing to the bathroom so I could climb out the window and make my escape before he went all Silence of the Lambs on me! Like any woman with half a brain! The point is, I am absolutely dying to hear the details of your glamorous date with your Grammy winning, rock god, made-it-on-the-Sexiest-Man-Alive-list-three-years-in-a-row, fake boyfriend! Throw me a bone, here!”

Iris laughed and reached for her coffee to hide her discomfort with the topic. “Last night was…nice, I guess. I mean, it was a little surreal. I’m still not sure how to date someone without actually dating someone, you know?”

“You didn’t think it would be that hard for him to do it,” Linda pointed out.

She shrugged. “I know. But he wants to be an actor, and he signed up to live his life in the public eye. I didn’t. I’m still not entirely sure how to handle it, if you want to be honest. Hopefully, I won’t have to do it that long.” There had been moments over the last couple of days that it would have been all too easy for her to forget that none of it was real. The last thing she needed was to fall in love with Barry Allen like countless women had done before, only to have her heart broken in the end. But she didn’t know how to explain that without sounding pathetic, so she kept those thoughts to herself.

“Well, that’s a bit of a shame, isn’t it? I mean, you did have fun last night at least, right?”

“Oh, sure. Who wouldn’t have fun being publicly romanced with chocolate covered strawberries, knowing that everything you do is being caught on camera and will be splashed across the front page the next day? I probably should have agreed when he asked me to dance, but I was too nervous.”

Linda pursed her lips thoughtfully. “So what’s he like? In person, I mean.”

Biting her lip, she repressed the urge to shrug again. “I’m not quite sure. I’m still trying to figure him out, if you want to be honest.” Feeling more comfortable with the prospect of discussing his personality than the details of their dates and her feelings about them, she curled her legs under her and turned towards her friend. “He’s just hard to pin down. When I first met him, he came across as arrogant and aloof. He wasn’t very good at hiding the fact he didn’t particularly want to work with me. And getting him to do anything I asked was like pulling teeth, at first. I had to actually fly out to one of his concerts and practically physically force him to take a scarf onstage when I was trying to lay the groundwork that he was dating Patty.”

“But he finally did it, right? So I guess he can’t be completely impossible to work with.”

Iris rolled her eyes, but she begrudgingly admitted, “Sort of. I guess. I mean, he did end up taking mine onstage because the one I brought looked too new. But I guess he did end up doing it. And he listened to me a little too much last night, given that I wouldn’t be in this position if he’d just blown off my directions for one more evening.” At her friend’s confused expression, she explained, “I got mad at him when he was caught on camera acting like Patty was the most boring person in the world, so I told him to be more attentive to his dates. If he’d only done the same to me last night, we could have played it off as a joke on his part and come up with a different supposed girlfriend for him today.” She sighed. “Fat chance of me being able to do that now, with him acting as flirtatious as he did. Though I suppose I should be grateful his behavior meant nobody linked him and Patty together romantically. That would have been a disaster.”

Linda made a soft, thoughtful hum as she threw her friend a contemplative stare. “What?” Iris asked after a moment when she didn’t speak.

“Nothing. Just…isn’t it interesting to you at all that Barry was so different with you? That he took your scarf out with him on stage? That he’s actually acting like he’s devoted to you, when he didn’t with Patty? Has it occurred to you that maybe he wants it to be real?”

Iris snorted. “Oh, please. Trust me, it’s not like that at all. Barry isn’t interested in me. We’re not even friends, really. This is a strictly professional relationship. I’m not even his type! Plus, getting him to kiss me was a bit like pulling teeth.”

“Really? The photo I saw didn’t look like he was reluctant to kiss you.”

She lifted one shoulder in a dismissive gesture. “Looks can be deceiving, and he knows how to make it look good for the camera. I know you’re desperate for a little romance, but you’re barking up the wrong tree. I’m not interested in Barry, and he’s not interested in me.” 

Later that evening, after Linda had gone home, Iris gave her computer a thoughtful look before booting it up. She was firmly convinced she’d been telling the truth earlier. That Linda thought Barry was actually interested in her was ludicrous, given that their entire relationship existed because of a contractual agreement between them. Still, she wanted to see what people were saying about their kiss. If even Linda wanted to be fooled, it was a good sign that Iris’s plan was paying off.

It didn’t take long for her to find the picture – or people’s response to it. Iris could guess the exact moment it was taken.

Though Iris leaned in to the kiss, Barry’s embrace was brief before he pulled back slightly. The touch of his hands when he raised them to cup her face was a gentle caress, the pressure of his lips against hers so soft, she almost could have believed she imagined it After a moment, he broke off the kiss, though he kept his forehead pressed to hers.

“Everything okay?” she whispered, bringing her hands up to cup his elbows. She supposed she’d expected him to devour her like he had in her dream, and it was somewhat jarring to remember that, in reality, he probably wasn’t terribly interested in doing so. He was pretending to be interested in her every bit as she was pretending to be interested in him. 

“It’s fine,” he murmured. “It’s just weird, kissing someone you know is just pretending to want to be there. I mean, when both of you are just acting. I’m not sure I know how to do it yet. I don’t want to cross a line.”

She squeezed his arms gently. “You aren’t crossing a line,” she reassured him. “But I’m glad to know this is a little weird for you, too. It would probably be easier if we were friends, but we aren’t even really that. I guess we’re just going to have to make sure to be honest with each other. I mean, we’re in this together, right? It’ll probably take a little bit of time before we’re comfortable with the charade, but we’ll get there. And in the meantime, I know that a certain level of physicality is required for this relationship, so I’ll let you know if you’re getting close to any lines. Okay?”

“Sure,” he agreed, pulling away. His expression was blank, his smile strained as he turned. “Anyway, I guess we prolonged that moment long enough. I’m sure somebody got a picture of it, and that’s the point, right?”

“Uh, right,” she agreed, trying to read his mood as she hurried to keep up with him, linking her hand in his. He tensed for a moment, but he didn’t pull away. “You sure everything is okay?”

“Absolutely,” he agreed in a level voice. “Just thinking about our next move. You know, I have an interview next week. They’re probably going to want to ask me about my new fake relationship, so we should probably meet before then and get our stories straight.” From his tone, she imagined the thought bored him, but he dutifully threw her a smile as they passed by a group of joggers.

His tone was so at odds with his expression, it took her a moment to mentally catch up. “Ah, yeah. Of course. When can you meet? I can draft some sample questions so you’re all prepped and ready to go.”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure. Give my manager a call; he can put something on the calendar.”

Iris frowned. “I thought you said you wanted to go over our schedules today? Earlier, I mean.”

Barry ducked his head, grimacing. “Oh, right. I just noticed the time, and I realized I’m running late to another appointment. Sorry about that.” He gave her hand a quick squeeze. “I’ll make sure to let Harry know it’s important. We’ll find time to meet ahead of time. I promise.”

So much for Linda’s theory that Barry secretly had a thing for her, she mused as she considered the picture of their kiss. The camera caught the moment just before he pulled away, the expression on his face one of such longing that Iris thought that either Barry was a better actor than she’d given him credit for, or the moment captured was deceptive in its emotion.

She scrolled the comments.

“Oh my god, look at that! He loves her so much!”

“I’m just looking at this kiss, and I’m pretty sure it just got me pregnant. I don’t know how she’s still standing.”

“ASKJAAKAHAJKJKJKJKJLJAJ”

“Find a guy that kisses you the way Barry’s kissing his girlfriend.”

“Loooooookkkkkkk…I don’t know who she is, but I would die for these two. #Perfection”

“SHE IS SO TINY NEXT TO HIM! I’m weak!”

“I wish it were me!!! But he looks so happy with her, I really hope they get married one day.”

A couple of comments were potentially troubling in their implication:

“His kiss is hotttttt, but is she even kissing him back?”

“He looks more into her than she is into him. I hope I’m wrong! How could she not realize she’s the luckiest woman in the world that she gets to be with him?!?”

With a sigh, Iris shut down her computer and leaned back in her chair. Barry had certainly sold the fiction of their relationship. She was going to have to make sure she did the same. How she was going to do it without buying into the fiction herself was going to be the bigger problem.

“So,” Cisco said as Barry collapsed onto the couch next to him. “This thing with Iris. Want to talk about it?”

He sighed. “Not really. It’s fake. You know that. Just…trying to rehabilitate my image. It’s no big deal.”

His friend snorted. “Really? Because it seems to me like it’s a very big deal. I’ve seen you date other girls, remember? You never looked at them like you were looking at Iris when I interrupted your dance. Not to mention the look you were giving her in the pictures I saw.”

“Yeah, right. It’s acting, remember?”

“Dude, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re not that good an actor,” Cisco retorted with a grin, nudging Barry’s arm playfully when his friend would have taken offense.

Barry leaned against the back of the couch, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling. “Well, I guess I must be, because that’s what I’m doing. Anyway, you know as well as I do how impossible a real relationship would be, with as often as I’m on the road. So I guess it’s good that it’s all pretend.”

Cisco frowned, falling silent for a moment. Then, in a soft voice, he remarked, “You know, just because it’s been that way doesn’t mean it always has to be. I know you. If you found the right girl, you’d make it work.”

He shrugged, turning his head so his friend couldn’t read the expression on his face; they knew each other too well. “Maybe. But there’s no point in wondering what I’d do to be with Iris because we aren’t dating. We’re not even friends, according to her. She only kissed me because I told her people were probably watching. Once this assignment ends, she’ll probably be out of my life – and at this rate, she’s probably looking forward to it.” 

When his friend didn’t immediately respond, he glanced over at him. “You can stop looking at me like that, you know. It’s okay. It’s just a few kisses, and then we’ll both move on with our lives. It’s not like I’m in love with her or anything. I guess that means I’m a better actor than you thought.”

Cisco’s look of concern lingered for a moment, and then he grinned and the tension between them was broken. “I remember that time you tried to play a wizard and somehow caught your beard on fire in the middle of the production. Trust me; it wouldn’t take much.”

Barry’s affronted look was belied by a quick bark of laughter as he replied, “Dude, that was in the eighth grade! You’re going to have to let that go eventually!”

He laughed. “Don’t bet on it.”

[markoberposts]

More Fun Movies Seen

     Well, I did yesterday as I’d forecast within my prior posts.  I went out and saw another large group of movies all at once...this time FOUR of them one after the other all at the same theater...this occurring once again at Tempe Marketplace as I’d done the day before as well.  In fact, I’ve just set what I’m sure are 2 separate new records for myself thanks to all of the great new Summer movies that have come out all at once.  As I’d talked about yesterday, I had just seen on Thursday all of the 3 movies: Child’s Play, Annabelle Comes Home, and The Secret Life of Pets 2.  And then on Friday--yesterday--I followed this up by further seeing the 4 movies: Men in Black: International, Anna, Toy Story 4, and then lastly, The Dead Don't Die.  So seeing yesterday’s 4 movies both sets a record for me for the most theater movies seen all in the same day as well as the most--as in 7--theater movies seen all within a short time period...that of a 2 day period.  So I think that the movie-makers have been making up for last year, being that I don’t recall there having really been very many movies at the start of Summer that had attracted my attention in 2018.  But wow...this was a lot of movies for having seen all at the same visit, with my having scheduled them intentionally so that I’d have about a half an hour between each movie if for no other reason but to go outside the theater and get warmed up again!  And I say that with this even being in Phoenix and with it having been 110 degrees at the time!  Yes indeed, they keep our theaters cool by comparison, especially when you are wearing shorts and a thin T-shirt.

     Anyway, to start with, the movie Men in Black: International was a very fun and cool movie, with both of the lead actors of course being great within it and with my particularly enjoying watching Tessa Thompson, even with my not having become a fan of hers before this movie.  And of course all of the cool aliens really make it interesting and fun to watch...it being right up there with Star Wars in this regard and probably even much more elaborately designed within these movies compared to Star Wars or most other Sci-Fi movies.  Anyway, the story was exciting and fun, and the special effects were as great as ever.

     And next I saw the movie Anna.  And although it was a bit different than I’d expected, it was nevertheless interesting and fairly exciting.  I admit that what had attracted me to it the most was the previews where it had showed her literally destroying guys around her with hardly lifting a finger, being such a precise and skilled fighter.  I hadn’t read about it in advance, however, so I was surprised by it being a story about growing up in Russia and working for the KGB.  But that was still by itself somewhat interesting, although I admittedly enjoyed the action scenes quite a lot more.  I was, however, sympathizing with her all along, hoping that she would eventually find freedom.  And even though I’ve always been strongly against killing any life forms (and no I’m not a Democrat...I’m actually an Independent simply because I don’t align with ANY political parties...not even whatever being an ‘Independent’ represents simply beyond being literally independent from all party ideals, my feeling repulsed by ALL political parties), I nevertheless find it odd that I’m able to--for movies such as this--feel completely okay watching her slaughter people left and right, perhaps simply because they’re supposedly the bad guys...or at least they’re agents who align themselves more with loyalties to bad people rather than to upholding what’s good and right on a moral level.  And of course I also really enjoyed the movie because the actress is simply beautiful.  In fact, I had to look her up after the movie for this very reason, finding that she is actually a true Russian actress, and that this film was a French film, even with it also focused on the American C.I.A.  And when I looked her up in Wikipedia and then in IMDb, I was at least happy to see her smiling and happy most of the time, being that she did a great job of appearing so depressed and sad most of the time in the movie, with the couple of sex scenes not really detracting much from this overall dark mood.  But in the end, it actually finished rather nicely.  So I’d say that it was a pretty good movie overall.

     And then I saw the movie Toy Story 4, which I really found to be very pleasant and entertaining, with it actually being just as much a love story as it was a movie about helping “Forky” to get back to its little human female creator kid who was really missing it quite a bit.  And aside from the movie also being a love story involving Bo Peep and Woody, it was also the tiniest bit about it kind of resembling the Transformer movies, at least as far as how a human might be able to cause their toys to “come to life” as happens within the Toy Story movies.  But this movie was really fun and exciting, and the dummies in it were really rather scary.  In fact, I’d always wondered exactly why the ventriloquists had designed dummies to look like that...with their always looking so spooky-like!  We never find out within this movie...but it does work well to make it rather scary.  And I love all of the carnival scenes, being that they reminded me of another recent animation movie that I’d seen of a similar nature called Wonder Park, which I’d enjoyed because of the fantasy aspect of finding a hidden giant place such as Disneyland tucked away in some remote hidden forest.  Anyway, this movie, Toy Story 4, was great and exciting and fun and was well worth seeing.

     And finally, I then saw as my last movie for the night the movie, The Dead Don’t Die, which was a very, very slow-paced but nevertheless campy type of amusing movie about the end of the world zombie apocalypse.  It has a lot of appealing parts to it, although it certainly didn’t follow the typical Hollywood type format of a small group of people--especially the heroes--surviving in the end.  Nope!  We all die in the end...and that is that!  LOL.  It really was a bit sad in this respect, however, because I really wanted the always-attractive Selena Gomez--normally known for her songs--to actually survive in the end.  But SORRY!  She’s a goner just like everyone else is...except perhaps the man in the woods...oh, and the alien-lady, who was VERY interesting to watch because of her always looking...well...kind of like an alien!  But she was really great in this movie with her abilities to strike zombies down with her sword!  Too bad she couldn’t rescue them all in the end.  But perhaps some of the funniest and oddest things were the tendencies of Adam Driver--the bad guy in the latest Star Wars movies who KILLS his father Han Solo (DARN HIM!)--to step outside of character and talk about the script of the very movie itself.  And this is part of what makes it so funny, being that from the beginning, Bill Murray asks him about what’s going on and Adam Driver always responds that he has a feeling that things will end badly.  Eventually, in fact, Bill Murray finally asks him why he always acts like he knows that it’s going to end badly, and that’s when Adam reveals that it’s because he’d read the script!  In response, Bill Murray finally then admits that he’d read the script as well, of course, but that he hadn’t read that it would end badly.  Anyway, there are plenty of other fun jokes within it as well, with the key to the humor being of course the deadpan reactions by most people, especially Bill Murray and Adam Driver, to all of the various events that happen around them, even as they work to both figure out things and at least attempt to see if there’s anyway to help people out.  But of course there isn’t in the end, because when the Moon develops a purple edge to it, and the Earth changes its rotation, then we are all DOOMED for sure!  So we’d best take a lesson from this movie, with that lesson apparently being for us to simply give up!  I mean, if there ever really is a zombie apocalypse to come of this nature, then there wouldn’t seem too awfully much that we could do about it.  But who knows, perhaps a small group of survivors might be able to board one of the rockets from either Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos and somehow make it outside the scope of influence of such a badly-resurrecting type of force!  Or then again, perhaps instead someday a resurrection might occur where the people aren’t really zombies, but actually become once again like normal people, although perhaps with bodies that no longer age nor feel pain.  Wouldn’t that be great?!  One can always hope...   :)

[mademoiselleseraph]

12th Perigee's Eve with Some Minor Celebrities

A very belated secret santa gift for the @hiveswapsecretsanta2018 and @the-bisexual-dumpster about Charun, Chixie, and Cirava spending the holiday together and being best buds

~~~

Charun was running late, but when weren’t they running late? They supposed it was a small price to pay for looking nice.  They knew looking nice for them meant looking like a disaster to others but it was typical for -- what did people call them? -- oh yeah, avant garde types.  They were so avant garde. The avant-est of garde. Yeah.

They had already combed their hair (just to muss it up just right), brushed their teeth (doing what they could to dull their fangs), and washed their face (and applied some blood based paint to the sides of their mouth and one of their temples).  Next step was to say goodbye. They patted the shell of their lion-faced snail lusus, Speedy, promising to be safe. Then they went to the ventriloquist dummy they found one day and had a strange attachment to though they could not, for the life of them, remember where it came from or when they first saw it, let alone what species it was supposed to portray.  Some kind of demon thing? Maybe. They gave it a strong hug and gently placed it back down on the floor. Finally, they went to the wall.

The dummy always gave Charun what a friend of theirs would describe as “weird fucking vibes, man lmao.”  Looking at its glassy eyes and painted smile unsettled them. It gave them a jittery giddiness for pain and destruction that itched and disoriented.  There was a wall in the cave that had the opposite effect. The words scrawled all about in various shades of blood had a somber, melancholy look, but filled them with hope.  They ran a finger under the words where they seemed to start.

“Let it be known before all else,” it read, “that there is no sin in wanting to live.  Second, that to help instead of harm one’s fellow troll is nobler by far. Third, that worth and character cannot be determined by blood.”

And it went on.  Their favorite part of it was the tale of Twelfth Perigee’s eve.  This figure and his group traveled by day as often as they could, shielding themselves from the harsh sun with parasols, cloaks, and scarves.  But the Twelfth Perigee was the darkest of all perigees, and one could could walk freely without fear of burning on that one day. They celebrated the ease of their burden, baking sweet cakes for the orphans and sharing cordial among the adults.

And then they remembered the sweet cakes.  They had baked them in a fit of inspiration from the ancient scribblings to take to their friends for their Twelfth Perigee’s Eve get-together.  Oh right, they were really quite late now. They put the still warm cakes into an insulated bag, and then into another insulated bag to be sure they were kept warm, and then in a basket for that rustic charm.  They slipped on a coat, shaped to look like it had odd growths under the material and decorated with scrap metal, and headed out.

Meanwhile, Chixie was worried.  She was often worried due to various factors, mostly having to do with cameras and what they would capture and what others would do with it.  But it wasn’t entirely about that this time.

Her worrying was a major reason her friends agreed to meet at her place for Perigee’s Eve.  That way no one would catch her walking to anyone’s hive and start rumors that would convince her more powerful and more obsessive fans to take out the competition in gruesome ways.  Would that happen? No way to say for sure, but she’d rather stay on the safe side.

It must have been around the fifth time she looked out the window in the span of twenty minutes when Cirava called to her from the couch.

“Chix, I’m gonna need you to calm down,” they said.  “This isn’t the first time they’ve run late and it won’t be the last.”

“I know,” she replied in as un-snippity a manner as she could.  “but it’s been a while since you got here and you never know what kind of creeps are out there or what they’re seeing or what they’re saying.”

“Are people really watching your hive to see who comes and goes?”

“It’s not like I’m that hard to track down and it’s not exactly difficult to get into the bronze side of town.”  Her breathing quickened and her face contorted in panic as she continued: “And you know whatever they write about me, he’s gonna see it, and --”

“Chixie!”  They clamped a hand on her shoulder, trying to snap her out of it.  “This is ultimately your place so you’re gonna do what you’re gonna do.  But when you get worked up like this, you get agitated, then bitter, then hopeless, and that’s about when you tend to hit the bottle.”

Her shoulders drooped and she sank into the couch under their arm and squeezed the hand still holding her shoulder.  They were a wispy thing and by all logic their bony limbs should have hurt to be held in, but nothing could make anyone feel safer.

“I don’t mean to cross any bounds by sounding all conciliatory and shit,” they continued, “but you said you were tryna cut back, so I figured we should at least wait til Charun gets here.”

“You’re not crossing anything,” she insisted, hugging them back.  “I know you’re not meaning it like that, and I appreciate you trying to help.”

“While we’re at it maybe we could not talk about him today?  Whenever he gets brought up, you seem to feel worse, and I know I don’t have any fond memories of the guy.”

“Yeah.  I could use a break from even thinking about him.  When do you think Charun will get here?”

And just then there was a knock at the door.  Speak of the devil.

Chixie opened the door and drew Charun into a warm hug.

“I know I’m late...” they mumbled.  An unfinished thought, but soon to come again.

“Oh, we’re just happy your safe!” Chixie chirped.

“You had her worried sick, dumbass,” Cirava joked.

“...but I brought food,” they concluded, holding up the basket.  “Cakes for everyone.”

Cirava took the basket to the table and opened the insulated bags.

The lovely smell hit Chixie’s nose instantly.  “Chocolate?”

“And raspberry!” Cirava murmured, mouth already full of a bite.

“Glad you like ‘em...” Charun droned on.  “Made plenty…. Have ‘smany as you’d like….”

They tactfully did not mention the lack of cordial in respect for Chixie’s little problem, or the fact the inspiration came from a wall someone had written on in blood.

They talked fans, making sure to exclude him as promised, and the pressure of fame, and lusii of course.  They were still young after all. Eventually they stumbled on the subject of Chixie’s lovely home and decorating.

“Yeah, I normally don’t get too festive,” she admitted, “but I wanted to go all out for you two.”

“It’s….” Charun mumbled.

“Bitchin’,” Cirava stated.

“....Pretty,” Charun concluded.

She swelled with pride, took a deep breath, and let herself process that pride.  “Yeah, it’s not too shabby,” she said. “Actually, I think I did a great job!” It felt good.  It felt true.  None of that coy oh, you bullshit or false modesty.  She didn’t have to pretend around them because they knew it too.

Her hive really was decked to the nines.  Tinsel garlands, evergreen wreaths, the bones on the mantle, a roaring fire, candles, and of course the behemoth leaving with its own decorations.

“Why is that even a thing?” Cirava asked, gesturing to it.  “Like how did that start? It’s not entirely sanitary.”

“Oh, I know this one!” Chixie said.  “It’s excellent fertilizer. It used to be that you’d keep it in the hive so no one could steal it, and you’d put it on your crops through the planting season and they’d grow like crazy.  The decorations started with cloves and evergreen twigs to make it smell better.”

“And the bones…” added Charun, “...were good for crops too…. But also… after you suck the marrow out… you can string ‘em up like windchimes….  Scares off some aggressive species... if you live out in the middle of nowhere….”

“Speaking of aggressive species,” Cirava noted, setting up their husktop, “you guys wanna shout out to my fans with me?”

The others agreed and sat on either side of them as they got the microphone ready, put on their camera face, and hit record.

“Hey all you funky little weirdos.  I’m taking a break from streaming to spend the holiday with some dear friends, but I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.  Thank you so much for all the love and support, and I’ll be sure to link in the description where you can listen to some of my fresh beats til I get back.  But hey, from me and mine to you and yours--”

And then they all said, more or less in unison, “Happy Eve!” and waved at the camera. Cirava shut it off and posted the video to their chittr and other social media accounts, then put the husktop away.

And with that out of the way, and some touches of worry as to what her fans would make of it, Chixie decided it was best to break out the punch.  She made it in advance and left it to chill and had completely forgotten it. That must have been Cirava’s doing, she realized, keeping her mind on other things and away from the drink.  Though she restrained herself and made it significantly less boozy than she usually did, and apologized if that made it taste funny.

“Actually,” said Charun, “I think it’s… better.”

And she flashed a quick but genuine thank-you smile.  She never really drank it for the taste before.

And they went on like that.  Cirava and Charun passed a pipe between them, offering to Chixie.  She only took one hit, not wanting to dry out her throat. Cirava, on the other hand, blew all manner smoke rings and swished their hand in the smoke to make blurry semblances of shapes.  Charun tried to trace abstract outlines of them with their own finger. Something about it gave Chixie a cheery sense of ease that was quite rare to her. She asked Cirava if the case for their husktop was soundproof, which they confirmed, and she suggested they all put their palm husks in with it.

“So….  What was that about?” asked Charun.Chixie had the beginnings of a mischievous little smirk at the corners of her mouth and replied, “How about singing some carols?”

“Um, are you out of your gourd?” Cirava shot back.

“I already plugged the TV and anything else that might be bugged.  And besides, what’s Twelfth Perigee’s Eve without a little illegal activity?”

“We should steal…” Charun trailed off, “from highbloods!  And leave shit… on their lawnrings.”

And after some scared looks from their companions, they took it back.

“Nah…. You’re right… that’s a death sentence…. Let’s just sing some songs.”

Chixie started with the old familiar melody:

“Oh, merry moon

Lend me your tune

For on my pipes to play”

And then Charun in a surprisingly graceful baritone voice:

“And may the lonesome

Find a home

On this most holy darkest day”

And they both looked to Cirava waiting for them to join.  Eventually they caved.

“They killed him

And they cursed him

But it’s said he’ll come again”

And all of them in unison:

“So merry moon

Lend me your tune

To welcome an old friend”

And they sang songs about respite and recovery and joy to be found among friends and a fruitful new sweep with burdens lifted.  Songs that were outlawed and had to be sung in complete secrecy for fear that they could start a riot. Songs that made one feel like an honest rebel just for singing.  Man, Twelfth Perigee’s Eve carols are hardcore! Well, maybe not outside of that context.

And hours stretched on and on and the three friends drew closer until crammed together on a single couch cushion.  The smiles were genuine and the hands gestured naturally as they spoke about what happened sweeps ago and what might in the sweeps from then.

The softest, weakest bits of sunlight slipped in through the shades as dawn broke, getting a gasp out of Chixie.

“I didn’t mean to keep you out so late!” she apologized.  The light was dim enough to walk in but highblood customs involved drugs and destructive raiding well into the morning.  As one could imagine, it wasn’t safe.

“You’re fine,” Cirava said.  “Cool if we crash here?”

“Sure!” she replied.  “I just have the one ‘cuperacoon though.”

“Cirava can take… the couch,” said Charun.  “I just need… some pillows….”

“Well, actually, if you two don’t mind, maybe we can share it?”

“You sure…?  That wasn’t...virgin punch… it was still spiked….”

“Yeah, Chix, you really okay with this?  We can sleep out here.”

“I’m sure!  If you don’t want to, you don’t have to, but it’ll probably be much more comfortable.”  There was a slight pause as she gathered up the courage to say, “I trust you guys.”

That came as a pleasant surprise to both of them.

“Alright,” Cirava said, followed by Charun some time after.

They barricaded the doors, not that it would really stop anyone, but it did make them feel a little better, and Chixie led the way to her respite block

There they took their waking clothes off and realized just how wonderfully not-awkward it all was.  At no point did they feel like they should be ashamed or that they shouldn’t do it. Though it did get them all cracking up about a conversation they had earlier that sweep, about how if they couldn’t fill their quadrants in adulthood, they’d somehow find each other and pail.

“I really hope that’s not the case,” Cirava said after a good chuckle, “for your sakes.  I wouldn’t want either of you having to fill a bucket with my ugly mug.”

“That’s what…” Charun replied, “...paper bags are for…!”

And there was another round of hearty laughter as they all squeezed in together.  Admittedly, it was a tight fit, but not uncomfortable. Three kids in one recuperacoon.  That would have been some kind of safety code violation if there existed safety codes to violate on Alternia.  Besides the basic “do not fuck with the drones” but that was more common sense.

They realized just before drifting off that they were all holding hands.  And that morning with its cloudy skies and lazy sunshine was the most restful sleep any of them ever had.

[douxreviews]

Gotham - ‘Nothing's Shocking’ Review

Oswald: "Penn, I think you need some rest...and a psychiatrist!"

What a conflicting and contrasting episode this turned out to be. All I could really muster afterwards was "I think I liked it?" Forgive me though, for I realize how that doesn't sound very promising.

After my viewing of 'Nothing's Shocking', I did some additional reading online afterwards and learned that in the process of developing and filming the initial layout for Season 5, FOX gave Gotham the opportunity to air two additional episodes, allowing Gotham to reach the 100-episode milestone. But this can also be seen as a double-edged sword by some, because since Gotham already had Season 5's resolution set, some of it already well into filming too, their new material for the two episodes - pushed into the slots of 5x08 and 5x09 - couldn't display anything that would contradict or upset the narrative's flow. Enter 'Nothing's Shocking' and presumably next week's 'The Trial of Jim Gordon'. These are sure to be filler-episodes in every sense of the word, but even filler can have its redeeming points. Do they outweigh the shortcomings though?

'Nothing's Shocking's story this week is fractured a tad more than its predecessors, with one plot dedicated to Gordon and Bullock pursuing a shapeshifting cop-killer, one centered around Bruce and Alfred investigating the tunnels Joker had been digging all throughout this season, and a third revolving around Oswald and Nygma having a run-in with the presumed-dead Arthur Penn. Each one features a self-contained villain to this week's episode, and cinematography that makes you feel like someone kept leaving the tripod on an uneven stack of thesauruses. (Hasn't the slanted camera shot become an old chestnut by this point? It's about as overdone as the last word of a pop hook being "tonight".)

We should start with Bruce and Alfred's story first, if only because I have the least to say about that one. As it turns out, there are unknown perpetrators now inhabiting the tunnels Joker's troupe had burrowed, and they've begun preying on innocent civilians. Substratum tunnels and sewers, people's flesh being sought after for consumption, and an eerie snarling that is quick to catch Bruce and Alfred's attention could naturally only allow someone like me to assume this episode was giving us the debut at last of Waylon Jones/Killer Croc, and nothing else. Gotham however decided they could top that easily though and instead revealed that Villain-Of-The-Week No. 1 is just a disfigured cannibalistic average-Joe harmed by the radioactive chemicals Gordon dumped in the river last week as part of his "brilliant" solution to foiling Joker. But I did mention 'redeeming points' earlier and this subplot does have it in the form of Bruce using throwing stars or throwing knives of some sort to save Alfred's skin. It's really nothing more than just another allusion to Batman, but David Mazouz has sold me so much this season on his aesthetic that I think he looks even more menacing without the cowl.

Meanwhile, Villain-Of-The-Week No. 2 is a shapeshifter that's begun killing off retired police officers in the city, and it seems that Gordon and Bullock are their next targets. In the process of the investigation, because Gordon discovers that Bullock and the victims all used to work together in the corrupt manner we saw the GCPD operate in back in Season 1, he immediately decides Bullock can't be trusted or relied on in this investigation, and even goes as far as 'benching' him when they obtain a lead on the killer's address. Even if I were Gordon's number one fan, I would still feel that this was really out-of-character for him. Gordon and Bullock have been through how many battles for Gotham's soul now? How many times have they stuck their neck out for one another? But now because Gordon's gotten to reminiscing about the days when Falcone ruled over the GCPD for just a bit, he decides he doesn't want to have Bullock watching his back in this case? Bullock's theory too that Basil Karlo/Clayface could be the perpetrator (a theory also shared by yours truly) held just as much water as Gordon's theory that the GCPD had a hand in covering up the killer's history.

The killer in question is actually Jane Doe, the first villain since Professor Pyg last season that Gotham's actually gotten me to go online and look up. Similar to Absorbing Man from Marvel Comics, Jane Doe has the ability to mimic other's appearances and mannerisms just by touching them. It's perplexing to me that Gotham would bring in another shapeshifter, toyed with by Hugo Strange while at Arkham no less, when there's already one established in Gotham's mythos. At least she does her part here by reminding the audience that Gotham City's police have the precision of your average Death Star-stormtrooper when it comes to trying to hit a limping target. Bullock feels guilt over his hand in indirectly sending Jane to Arkham and tries to make peace with her, but is forced to gun her down when she retaliates.

The final subplot here was by far the most delightful and enjoyable for me. For context, Oswald and Nygma have begun attempting to build a submarine that can carry them out of the city. While bickering away in their workshop, they are abruptly confronted by Arthur Penn, Oswald's former handyman who was presumably shot and killed at Haven several episodes before. But Penn isn't alone - he's got with him Villain-Of-The-Week No. 3: a ventriloquist dummy named Mr. Scarface who wants to cross Oswald off and make a name for himself as the city's newest mobster. As shoehorned in and almost nonsensical Penn's revival is, I am thrilled that we've finally gotten a live-action debut of The Ventriloquist.

Of all the villains inaugurated into Batman's rouges' gallery in the last three decades, Ventriloquist and Mr. Scarface, popularized heavily by Batman: The Animated Series, have been among my favorites. The schizophrenic nature of Arnold Wesker and the ambiguous notion of whether he was controlling the dummy, or the dummy was actually sentient fit right into the maddened nature of Batman's world. And in Gotham, albeit a little stiff, it's fair to say that Penn (Andrew Sellon) has the voice practically down-pat. Nygma manipulating Penn and Scarface into sparing him and giving Oswald a chance to get the upper hand was brilliant too, though I'd say the showrunners are being a little too meta at this point with the sexual undertones concerning Oswald and Nygma. Oswald remarking that he and Nygma may be meant for each other after all before the two of them laugh it off at the episode's end can be left up to your own interpretation.

So now that Mr. Scarface has taken the stage, with the potential of easily shaping up to be the most entertaining villain Season 5 has introduced - for all of ten minutes - it brings us to what is so conflicting about this episode for me. What do Oswald and Nygma follow through with once they've turned the tables? They kill him - Penn and the dummy both. Even if Gotham's jumbled schedule of filming episodes out of order means that Scarface and Penn can't show up in future episodes, my issue is with the notion in itself of introducing lesser-known rouges to the show. By now, I believe Gotham has abandoned the prequel-shtick, and has committed to being the best full-blown Batman television series it can possibly be with only twelve episodes left. But then what's the point of bringing in future Batman rouges if their fate is just to be axed off, never to face the caped crusader, or even young Bruce Wayne for that matter? Penn and Jane bite the dust here, Magpie in last week's episode, Pyg back in Season 4...starting to see a pattern? I'm not surprised by any means by Penn's fate ('Nothing's Shocking' certainly lives up to its name in that aspect), I'm just truly flummoxed by all these hasty conclusions to Gotham's villain-of-the-week stories. Maybe it's for the better that Bruce and Alfred didn't encounter Killer Croc - it probably spared him the likely fate too of a premature death.

'Nothing's Shocking' works best as an independent, even successfully horror-esque at times segment, but as an episode surrounded by four previous seasons and the legacy of Batman in its future, it's clunky and indispensable. Even as a filler episode, the sense that Gotham City is essentially a wasteland, and ammo and rations are scarce values that was felt in this season's first three or four episodes now feels strangely absent here. I think it's fruitless at this point to continue anymore trying to make sense of Gotham's loony state considering it has the worst case of DID I've seen since Kevin Wendall Crumb graced the big screens.

Aaron Studer loves spending his time reading, writing and defending the existence of cryptids because they can’t do it themselves.