#must a film be good? is it not enough to simply contain several moments that make me crazy?

[charlottenewtons]

Hannibal (2001) dir. Ridley Scott

[neilbruce]

Jon put his heels into his horse.

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You hear the carousel wheeze into motion, then izraeli kézműves ékszerek gradually accelerate until it reaches full swing. BRIAN PETERS LINDSEY KARPLUK Co chairs Provincial AA Basketball Committee In horno teka hc 610 me blanco search of Norkam '73 grads The Norkam Class of 73 is holding a reunion Labour Day weekend 2012 and we are trying to reach all our classmates. And I can assure you that given the hardline attitudes of current Hall of Famers, many of whom comprise a voting bloc on veterans committees, neither Bonds nor Clemens stands any chance of being enshrined after their dolce gabanna adidași bărbații BBWAA eligibility is up.. Prices are subject to change at any time and are expected to sell out. Thanks to the target pace function, I was motivated to speed up at the end of a recent run, rather than dragging myself home as usual.. Limeburners Creek Road and the Bucketts Way are expected to remain closed for some time but the Pacific Highway has reopened.. 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This is a perfect opportunity for a great Wisconsin Idea that will once again inspire the world. “Rory, Pate, stay with the horses.” He might have given that duty to the recruits, but they would need to be blooded soon enough. 239 E. Of the following children all were present except John; Nancy Beamer wife of Adam Beamer; Mary Marlatt, wife of Paul Marlatt; Catharine Terryberry, wife of James Terryberry; Margaret Zimmerman, wife of Joseph H.

[sceptilemasterr]

Defenders of the Flame (TE Rewrite) Act 1, Scene 9 - Theory and Practice

Title: Defenders of the Flame (A CIU Screenplay)

Main Pairings: Shreya x F!MC, Beckett x F!Atlas

Other Pairings: N/A

Genre: Full Rewrite (The Elementalists, Book 1)

Rating: PG-13 for violence, blood, swearing, alcohol, and sexuality

Summary: Fiora gets a wake-up call to the dangers of stoichi in her first practical lesson.

Previous Scene: The First Day

Masterlist: Link

INT. TUBIGAN HALL - AUDITORIUM 4 - DAY

Auditorium 4, which features seats that are much more spaced-apart and have large counters between each pair of seats, is filled with background chatter as Fiora and the other students file in. Fiora and Shreya find a pair of seats together; Zeph sits across the table from Fiora, while Beckett ends up beside him, across from Shreya.

BECKETT: Ah. If it isn’t “Mr. Lost Forces” himself.

ZEPH: Ugh. I’m never gonna live that one down, am I?

SHREYA (laughs): Doesn’t sound like it.

ZEPH: Well, I’ve got a name, you know. It’s Zeph.

BECKETT: Beckett.

ZEPH: Okay, at least we’re getting somewhere! Nice to meet you, Beckett--

He is interrupted by a door at the front of the auditorium slamming open forcefully, propelled by a huge clod of earth in the shape of a hammer. The hammer dissolves into mud, then re-forms into a wave of earth that slides across the podium. Atop it rides a large man with short black hair, wearing a blue sweater and striped tie. He makes a powerful, sweeping gesture with his arms, and the mound coalesces into a pillar that raises him up until he is almost to the ceiling. This is DR. ENGLUND, another Penderghast professor. With a powerful, booming voice, he declares:

DR. ENGLUND: Students! Welcome to Applied Stoicheal Technique and Practice!

He gestures again, and the pillar of earth slowly lowers him back to the ground to resounding applause from the students. Fiora grins eagerly.

FIORA: Okay, I think I’m gonna like this class!

BECKETT: Certainly an impressive demonstration, to be sure.

ZEPH: That. Was. AWESOME!

DR. ENGLUND: Thank you, thank you all. I am Dr. Englund, and I will be your ASTP teacher for the year. However, I won’t be your only teacher in this course; being an Earth-Att, there is only so much I can teach once we get into unique types of stoicheal techniques. Other professors will be giving guest demonstrations when needed. But that won’t be for a while, yet, so don’t worry. For now, we’ll be doing only the basics of channeling stoicheal energy: things that, with minor variations, any Attuned can perform.

He stomps one foot and gestures behind him, and the pile of dirt he rode in on dissolves into nothingness. Where the dirt had been sits a stack of covered mason jars, each containing a small amount of an elemental object: blue-dyed water, swirling wind that has been colored light green, small flickering candles, tiny clumps of dirt, a small plant shoot, or a little cube of metal.

DR. ENGLUND: I will need volunteers to help me pass these out. Anyone?

Beckett raises his hand, along with a few others. Dr. Englund selects him and two other students, one of whom Fiora recognizes as Shinelle from the Test of Attunement. Dr. Englund and the students each take a tray of jars, walking through the auditorium and asking each student for their Attunement before passing out the corresponding jar. Eventually, Beckett is the one to reach Fiora’s row first.

BECKETT: And you are?

FIORA: Uh, fire?

SHREYA: Oh, me too!

Beckett nods, and passes out a jar with a candle inside to each of them. He places a jar with a metal cube on his own table, then frowns at Zeph.

BECKETT: If you’re about to say something ridiculous like “Time-Attuned,” so help me--

ZEPH: Oh, come on. It’s not like I’m... (sighs) Whatever, look, I’m a Water-Att. Okay?

Beckett starts to say something, then stops and simply hands Zeph a jar of water before moving on. After Dr. Englund has finished handing out his own jars, he walks back to the front of the room where a single jar of dirt sits on the table.

DR. ENGLUND: As they finish passing out the remaining jars, let me start going over today’s exercise. Now, Attuned are capable of creating their respective elements from nothing, but this is a more challenging technique that we will get to later in the course. For now, we will tackle the relatively simple task of manipulating an existing source of stoicheal energy.

He holds up his jar of dirt and opens the lid.

DR. ENGLUND: What we are going to do today is get our element to cover the top of the jar without touching it ourselves. Observe.

He closes his eyes and stretches out a hand toward the top of the jar. The dirt inside twitches, then starts to flow up the sides of the jar and toward the top, finally consolidating into a perfect recreation of the actual lid of the jar.

DR. ENGLUND: Not as flashy as my entrance, I admit, but it should be easy enough for you all to manage by the end of today’s class. The key to accomplishing this is to focus on the center of energy within the object in question. Stoicheal energy is bright and easy to sense in an external object, but likely most of you have never tried to directly tap into a center of energy before.

Fiora leans forward, trying to focus on the professor’s words.

DR. ENGLUND: That is the easy part. More difficult will be covering the top of the jar. To do this, you must be in tune with the external object, using your innate stoicheal foundation to coax the object to where you want it to go. I don’t expect any of you to make a lid this perfect, of course!

He laughs and indicates his own perfectly formed dirt lid.

DR. ENGLUND: Just a simple cover will suffice. Keep in mind that stoicheal energy does not like to be contained once released; when you cover the jar, make sure to keep it covered and not allow your element to escape all over the lecture hall! ...And that goes double for the Fire-Atts here in the room, for reasons that should be obvious.

Fiora glances over at Beckett, who has already unscrewed the lid of his jar and begun concentrating on his cube of metal. Fiora and Shreya exchange a glance.

DR. ENGLUND: If anyone has trouble with the assignment or needs help, please raise a hand and I will be there as soon as I can. When you are finished, bring your jar to me at the front of the room for approval. Ready? Begin!

He stomps forcefully with one foot, and a light shockwave ripples out through the floor of the auditorium. Fiora lets out a small shriek when it reaches her, then looks around to see that everyone else have already begun opening their jars. Blushing slightly, she pulls her jar toward her and unscrews the lid, setting it aside.

FIORA (muttering): ‘Innate stoicheal foundation...’ okay, but how do I do that?

She closes her eyes and scrunches up her face in concentration, stretching out a hand toward the open jar. Nothing happens for several moments. Then, Shreya yelps in surprise, and Fiora opens her eyes to see Shreya’s flames beginning to creep up the sides of her jar.

SHREYA: Oh! I think I--

As soon as Shreya starts speaking, the flames abruptly recede back into the candle flame. Shreya frowns.

SHREYA: Zut! I almost had it!

FIORA: Hey, at least you did something. Mine won’t even budge.

SHREYA: Oh, right... here, let me help you with the basics. What you have to do is--

BECKETT: Amateurs.

The two girls look over to see Beckett holding his jar in his hand, a neat metal circle perfectly covering the top of the jar. Their mouths drop open in astonishment.

ZEPH: What, already?!

BECKETT: Naturally.

He stands and walks away toward Dr. Englund at the front of the room. Zeph slaps his hand down onto his table in frustration.

ZEPH: Sure, make me feel dumb, why don’t you...

Shreya takes Fiora aside and starts whispering the basics of stoicheal manipulation to her. As the two of them start attempting to control their candle flames, Zeph grips his jar tightly in both hands and holds it up to his face, frustration evident in his expression.

ZEPH: Okay, water... it’s just you and me.

He closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them again.

ZEPH: C’mon, let’s go! Up!

He shifts his hands so that his left hand is holding up the jar by the base, and gestures with his right hand up toward the top of the jar. The water twitches, then starts to ripple, and then finally begins climbing up the sides of the jar.

ZEPH: C’mon... just a little further...

Fiora watches, enraptured, as Zeph continues gesturing around and around the jar. The water starts to swirl upward, hugging the inside of the jar, until it reaches the top and begins to form a neat film over the top of the jar. Zeph keeps his concentration, sweat forming on his brow, as he brings his palm up and over the jar and starts moving it in slow circles.

SHREYA: Wow. Nice!

FIORA: I guess the hand motions help?

SHREYA: Might be worth a try...

As Zeph continues moving his palm in circles, frost starts accumulating on the watery lid. He stops and nearly drops the jar in surprise, and the water completely ices over. He looks down at the icy lid in confusion.

ZEPH (shrugs): Okay, that’s not what I meant to do... but I guess it works?

He flashes a triumphant grin to Shreya and Fiora.

ZEPH: Good luck with yours! I’ve always heard fire’s a bit trickier to learn than the other Attunements...

He nods toward the front of the room. Fiora follows his gaze to see the group of students lined up with their jars for Dr. Englund. Not a single one among them has a fire jar.

SHREYA: Well, that’s good to know. Guess there’s no shame in taking a bit longer, then.

ZEPH: Exactly! That’s the spirit!

He walks off to join the line. Shreya and Fiora turn their attention back to their jars.

SHREYA: Okay, so... he did something like this?

She holds her hands out to either side of her jar, palms facing inward. Then, she closes her eyes and concentrates. Fiora watches as the candle suddenly twitches and starts burning brighter, and Shreya opens her eyes again.

SHREYA: Found the center! Now...

She starts experimenting with various hand motions and gestures, gradually coaxing her flame into spreading outward toward the walls of the jar. After a moment of watching, Fiora turns her attention to her own jar.

FIORA: Okay. I can do this. Fiora, just... breathe.

She closes her eyes and takes a steadying breath.

FIORA: The center. The center. The center.

After a brief moment, her own candle flares brightly, and she opens her eyes.

FIORA: Whoa! Okay, don’t lose it!

SHREYA: Nice, Fiora!

Shreya’s own flame has begun slowly but surely creeping up the sides of her jar, coaxed along by her swirling hand gestures. Fiora stays fixated on her own flame, but attempts to copy Shreya’s gestures.

FIORA: Okay, c’mon, up we go...

Shreya’s flame reaches the top of her jar and starts to flare up and into the room. She pulls her arms back, dropping them to the table.

SHREYA: Non! Oh, no you don’t!

The flames recede, quivering shakily between the inside and outside of the jar. Fiora, whose flames are still at the base of her own jar, closes her eyes again, concentrating even harder.

FIORA: Okay, fire... up we go. Up. UP!

She overenthusiastically sweeps both her arms upward. The fire within the jar roils, then jets upward in a spectacular geyser of flame. Shreya, whose jar was nearly covered by her own flame, leaps back in shock, knocking over her jar and causing it to shatter on the ground. Other nearby students panic and grab their jars, backing away from the sight. Fiora’s eyes shoot open and she stumbles backward in shock.

FIORA: AAH! Wait, no, stop it! Go back down! Go back down!

DR. ENGLUND (authoritatively): Everyone, remain calm! I’ve got this!

Dr. Englund stops what he is doing and immediately starts sprinting toward Fiora and her rogue flame, which has now spread to the nearby tables, gathering strength. Zeph follows closely behind Dr. Englund, his jar with its icy lid clutched in his hands.

FIORA: Help! Sorry, Professor, I didn’t mean--

DR. ENGLUND: Stay back!

He raises his arms, then crosses them in front of his chest. A pile of earth begins to form in front of him, growing in size as he focuses. Then, he extends his arms outward and sends the earth flying toward the fire, extinguishing a large portion of it.

SHREYA: Fire, go away! Begone! Vanish!

Shreya gestures frantically at the remaining flames, but to little effect. As Dr. Englund begins gathering the dirt back around him, building the pile back up, Zeph stretches a hand out over his jar, then gestures toward the remaining flames. His small piece of ice lifts off of the jar, then melts back into water and splashes itself onto the flames. Dr. Englund nods in approval as he sends his dirt pile flowing back over the flames, putting the remainder out. Fiora breathes a sigh of relief, then gulps as Dr. Englund turns and looks down at her sternly.

DR. ENGLUND: Are you okay? Are you hurt?

FIORA (nervously): Uh... no, I think I’m okay... I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to--

Dr. Englund raises his voice, addressing the entire class along with Fiora.

DR. ENGLUND: As I made clear earlier: stoicheal energy does not like to be contained. Isn’t that right, Ms. Luxen?

FIORA: Yes... yes, that’s right. I’m sorry--

DR. ENGLUND: And I believe I even specifically said that this goes double for the Fire-Atts. Correct?

FIORA (ashamed): Yes, sir.

Dr. Englund waits in silence for several moments. No one says anything.

DR. ENGLUND: Clean up your jars, both of you. Ms. Mistry, you are excused from the exercise owing to these exceptional circumstances.

Shreya bows and crouches down to pick up her broken jar. Dr. Englund turns to face Zeph.

DR. ENGLUND: As for you... I am impressed. You showed quick thinking and expert stoicheal manipulation in a time of crisis. Though your actual assignment left a bit to be desired, I will nevertheless award you full points for today’s class. Well done!

ZEPH (surprised): Wow! Oh, uh... thank you, Dr. Englund!

DR. ENGLUND: Right. As for the rest of you! Class is still in session; those of you who have not yet been graded, please return to the line at the front of the room. As before, when you have been graded, you are free to leave.

As the other students start lining up at the front of the room, Dr. Englund crouches down beside Fiora.

DR. ENGLUND (quietly): Ms. Luxen. A moment.

FIORA: Uh... right. I’m seriously so sorry about this, I didn’t mean to--

Dr. Englund waves her apologies aside.

DR. ENGLUND: I know from Dr. Swan that you have a very unique Attunement. One that grants you incredible stoicheal energy and the potential that comes with that. But let this be a lesson to you: great power does not mean everything will be easy.

Fiora nods.

DR. ENGLUND: Some students struggle to accomplish any stoicheal techniques at all. You, however, will have the opposite problem: your Attunement means that your greatest challenge will be learning to modulate your power to a manageable level. Do you understand?

FIORA: I... I do, sir. Thank you.

DR. ENGLUND: Good. Now, be sure to practice on your own time. Preferably with your Water-Att friend nearby, just in case.

He stands and strides off back toward the front of the room. Shreya and Fiora exchange embarrassed glances.

SHREYA: What was that all about?

FIORA: I’ll tell you when it’s just us. It’s about my... y’know...

SHREYA: Oh. Oh, right. Your Attunement. Gotcha.

They return to their task. As they pick up the shards of glass and pieces of candle wax on the ground, Shreya laughs.

FIORA: What’s so funny?

SHREYA: Just... well, I’d spent all week hoping for an exciting first day of class. Can’t say this was what I had in mind!

FIORA: Be careful what you wish for, right?

They smile at each other, then return to their cleanup work.

_______________________

Scene Notes: And so the first-years have their first practical lesson! Accidents are inevitable, and doubly so when you have a Light-Attuned in your midst. Worldbuilding notes:

Earlier, we established that Attunements are much stricter in terms of cross-element overlap. Hence the jars of different elements: though it’s fundamentally the same exercise, an Attuned needs their exact element to perform well. And as Dr. Englund said, manipulating an existing element is MUCH easier than creating it.

_______________________

Next: New Routine

CIU Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlesshero1122 @bbaba-yagaa @acidsugar0 @shaylan211 @griselda1121 @acanthisorbis @marmolady

DotF/Elementalists Tag List:

[kdtheghostwriter]

SNK # 127 - End of the Night

In terms of pure composition, this is one of the best double-spreads Isayama has ever produced. I love it so much that I’m starting this meta with a breakdown of the different elements. From a wide angle this honestly looks like a Renaissance painting. The linework is crisp and the shadows are gorgeous especially in relation to Pieck’s Titan, but I want everyone to take notice of the way Isayama has blocked this scene off.

Every faction is cordoned off. The Survey Corps, The Volunteers, and The Warriors are all sat together in an attempt to break bread. The tension, however, couldn’t be more tangible. Our attention has literally been directed to it. This is so genius not only as an artistic choice but also as a cheeky answer to those critics of the closing panel of Chapter 126. No, we’re not all friends here. No, no one wants to be here doing this. Yes, we have a long way to go with not lots of time to cover. If you were to purchase the physical copy of this volume you could literally cut the tension with a knife.

I have been accused before of being afraid of confrontation. A pushover if you will. Even though I see myself as a pacifist it is not because I shy away from confrontation. Simply put, it’s much easier to disengage and go about your day. As humans, our goal on any given day is to procure our sustenance and return to our shelter. Everything else is extracurricular. It must be pointed out, then, that there is a difference to be had between being assertive and being combative.

These two have been building to a proper rematch for a minute now and despite what Annie says in the following panels you don’t just say something like this unless you’re looking for a fight. I don’t care if it’s true or not (it’s not). She knows these people well enough. She knows what buttons to press.

And this guy. Maybe this will be the end of hope that Magath is in any way reasonable. He has a soft spot for the Warriors because of his proximity to them, but he is firmly in the “My Eldians are the Good Eldians” camp. PSA: this is still racist and Not Cool, folks!

Also notice the framing here. We see the older Magath stubbornly debating with Jean over his right to keep breathing; just below him we see Reiner and his cadets. It’s much easier for people to accept and interpret new information before they are 25. Reiner is in his early 20s while Falco and Gabi are just now pubescent. They know the truth now of how the Island came to be and the war that lead to Eldia’s exile. If we assume that Magath is in or around his 40s, chances are that even with Founder Ymir’s story in hand he would find a way to blame all Paradisians (and Jean personally) for their current shitstack situation.

This gets broken up by Yelena. Abandoned by her god Zeke she sees no need to cooperate even when it is revealed that she was a Marleyean all along. Yes, the same Marley she literally volunteered to destroy because even if you’re from there it’s Fuck Marley Season.

She stirs the pot well as the one character with no more skin in the game. She brings up the fairly salient point that all of the soldiers around her have spilled way more blood, much more violently than she has. Yelena takes the cake for flamboyance but if you really stop to think about it…

Reiner’s plan to bust open the wall on that fateful day lead to the culling of one-third of Paradis’ population. Annie’s rampage through Stohess ruined countless lives beyond repair. Armin simply transforming in Liberio essentially nuked the town. Because this violence was not interpersonal like the assassination of Zackley, it doesn’t feel as extreme. This is how the Jaegerists came to exist in the first place.

And you had to figure this was coming at some point. After so much time passed Jean had certainly given up on ever learning Marco’s true fate. He’s never had a root cause to associate with his friend’s half-eaten corpse because…well, he never needed one. Humans got eaten by Titans. Most Scouts didn’t survive their first mission. And even this was after more excruciating detail offered by Reiner with no further prodding. I’ve seen some wonder why he kept talking but there’s an easy enough explanation.

The 2011 film Shame follows a young New York professional named Brandon who is a sex addict. Much ado with the title, he purposefully seduces women in relationships in hopes of getting caught and assaulted by their jealous partners. He has several reasons for doing this but it’s mostly an attempt to feel anything besides...well, you know.

Reiner is not an addict of any sort but he is very much dead inside, having suffered a series of mental breakdowns of increasing magnitude. He already hates himself for being an Eldian. He hates himself for living a lie. He hates himself for leaving his friends behind and getting Marcel killed. He sees his chance, not for forgiveness, but for human engagement. The fact that Jean is bashing his face in is a bonus for him.

This whole entire update was such a great exploration of Hange’s character but I like this scene especially because of how it mirrors Erwin during his final stand. I don’t consider it an explicit death flag or whatever. To me it’s just a natural progression of human emotion when you’re finished with running for the time being and get a chance to gather yourself. When the adrenaline wears off you really begin to question every choice that brought you to this point.

The knowledge of an outside world beyond their own should have been a triumph. The joy of discovery. The anticipation of adventure. None of which is possible because their entire island is Ex Communicado like John Wick with the Whole Entire World waiting for the first moment to end their whole career. It’s crushing and Hange sold that weight. Yet they still acknowledge that their comrades would not have wanted this outcome even if the cost was their security. It sucks! But genocide sucks more, so they have to get up and try.

Dude, tell me about it.

  Stray Thoughts

- We get a window into the multiverse that contains the Jean that followed through on his promise to have an easy life in the Central District. I like the choice to slow down the narrative a bit to have a check-in of sorts. It’s important to let your characters feel and absorb what’s happened to them. You can’t do that if you never stop moving.

- It’s cool to have Annie back but I don’t really know what to think of her yet. Does anyone else she’s going to be a wrench in whatever plan they come up with? Is that just me?

- Speaking of: killing Eren is the only way to stop him in my opinion and I think he’s counting on it. My big question is how do they get that chance? He has an army of Colossal Titans in front of him and his own Titan is gargantuan to an unimaginable degree. Nevermind the struggle of finding him and getting close. With the Coordinate under his control, he can command all of the Eldians on this team to halt their advance entirely should he choose. Mikasa is literally the one person on Earth who can stop this. Welp.

“I took a personal interest in her,” Pieck says. I mean, she’s not alone tbh.

- My initial reaction to seeing the final panel was [eeeeeks in @falcon94ssy]. Jokes aside, I have wondered for months where Kiyomi was. She is always conspicuous in her absence whenever it occurs. By the look of things, Floch (who looks gigantic here) is looking down past Kiyomi. I would be less worried for her well-being and more focused on whomever it is she’s conversing with.

[aion-rsa]

WandaVision Finale Ending Explained

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This article contains WandaVision spoilers.

After eight near-perfect episodes, the story of WandaVision has concluded with a finale installment that sticks the landing on all fronts, including multiple cinematic battles, several heartfelt goodbyes, and a long-overdue moment of agency for a heroine who has so often been denied a choice in her own future. 

But while “The Series Finale” is a deeply satisfying coda to what is probably Marvel’s most emotionally satisfying outing to date, it leaves us with more than a few questions about where these characters go from here. Let’s break down what happened in the WandaVision finale, and what it might mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward.

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Wanda Transforms Into the Scarlet Witch

Thanks to Agatha’s pronouncement last week, we already knew that Wanda was the legendary Scarlet Witch but in “The Series Finale” we see her fully embrace her chaos magic, right down to an amazing contemporary riff on her traditional comics costume. (That headpiece! The cape! We love to see it!)

There’s even a return of the mind control visions we saw her deploy to such great effect in Avengers: Age of Ultron. What can’t this Wanda do?

Granted, we still don’t know what all this power now means for her character in a larger sense, but to be fair, neither does she. Wanda’s abilities as displayed in this episode are fairly tremendous, as she uses witch runes to neutralize Agatha, wipes her mind, and brings down the Hex she’s built around Westview, freeing its residents. 

In the episode’s post-credits scene, however, her abilities appear to have grown even further, as she’s able to take in a scenic lake view even as her astral self is also busy reading the Darkhold, right down to making its pages turn on their own. 

This is a move we’ve seen Stephen Strange pull before, but according to Agatha, Wanda is even more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme. So….what else will she be able to do? That seems to be what she’s trying to find out.

Westview Returns to Normal (Sort of)

During her (quite frankly pretty badass) battle with Agatha, the older witch frees several Westview residents from Wanda’s mind control, forcing her to face what she’s done to the townspeople in her quest to build a perfect life. The simultaneously angry and desperate crowd of Westview residents – who look like nothing so much as a suburban take on a horde from The Walking Dead – confront Wanda and reveal a bit of what it must really like as a person who lives under the town’s spell.  

The most harrowing victim is certainly town queen bee Dottie, who comes to herself long enough to beg Wanda to allow her to see her daughter, or perhaps write her into the larger storyline as one of the twins’ friends. But we also learn that Wanda has been projecting her grief and pain into Westview’s nightmares, forcing them to suffer right alongside her, rather than providing a peaceful, perfect escape. 

What Happened to Agatha Harkness?

At least one resident of Westview won’t be returning to normal, however. After Wanda defeats Agatha by scattering witch runes around the Westview Hex to neutralize her magic, she uses her own power to wipe Agatha’s memories and essentially turn her into nosy neighbor Agnes, the WandaVision “role she chose,” for good. 

Your mileage may vary on whether this is an acceptable ending for Agatha – a character who was, admittedly, often monstrous, even though she was right about the way that society is all too willing, even eager, to vilify powerful women out of fear (and often just because it can). On the plus side, since nothing lasts forever in the Marvel Universe and Agatha Harkness is a pretty powerful witch in her own right, there’s every chance this character will reappear down the road. After all, Agatha was Wanda’s mentor in the comics and she tells Wanda here that her magical expertise will be needed in the future. 

We Said Goodbye to Wanda’s Kids (Or Did We?)

As products of the Hex, young Billy and Tommy Maximoff’s fates were always going to be tied to it, so in choosing to break the illusion, Wanda also accepts that she’ll have to say goodbye to her sons. In one of “The Series Finale’s” most heartbreaking scenes, she and Vision, knowing what’s coming, tuck the boys in for bed one last time, as the red glow of the shrinking boundary line edges closer to their house. 

Wanda also thanks the boys for choosing her as a mother. Reader, I cried. Plus, this basically confirms that Billy and Tommy aren’t entirely constructs of Wanda’s imagination. They’ve come from somewhere, and possess something like souls. How that all happened is anyone’s guess – here’s your entry point for Mephisto, folks! – and it’s something future series can explore, but it’s certainly the way I’d prefer to read it. 

But, since the last thing we hear on WandaVision is also the voices of Tommy and Billy shouting to their mother that something is wrong, it seems pretty likely we’ll see some version of these characters again. There’s precedent in the comics after all, and finding her lost boys is a pretty powerful narrative throughline to carry over to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

What Happened to White Vision?

Paul Bettany’s dreams of essentially working with himself are realized, as Vision and the White Vision come to blows in the skies of Westview. But despite the epic battle between the synthezoids – or, synthezoid and Mind Stone-fueled recreation of that same original, as the case may be – physical combat isn’t the most compelling, or even interesting part of their encounter.

Instead, it’s philosophy. Yes, you read that right. Upon realizing that the two are too evenly matched for either to emerge victorious, Vision decides to engage the White Vision in a thought experiment about their shared existence, and whether either of them is truly the man (robot?) they claim to be. The two end up in a sort of pseudo-philosopher’s debate about The Ship of Theseus, a thought experiment centered on issues of identity and meaning, and what makes a thing real. 

This is surprisingly deep stuff for a Marvel property but the conversation contains tantalizing hints about what we could expect as we head into Phase 4 of the MCU. After all, it will likely contain stories full of magic, mutants, and transformation of all types; this is simply WandaVision giving us a metaphorical anchor to hang onto throughout. Well, that and providing a way to bring Vision – or some version of him – back for good, as Westview Vision restores White Vision’s memories and gives us all a reason to hope that he and Wanda will one day be reunited again.

Was the Vision in Westview Real? 

Yes and no. The Vision that lived in Westview and shared a house with Wanda wasn’t physically the Vision we’d previously seen in the Avengers films. He was a flesh and blood construct, created by Wanda’s power, informed by her grief memories, and born from the piece of the Mind Stone that lives inside her. (This makes sense, given that the rise of Wanda’s magical abilities was connected to her initial exposure to the Mind Stone. As Agatha puts it, the Scarlet Witch is forged, not born, and for Wanda, that crucible was her time with Hydra and the Infinity Stone that served as a sort of cosmic gasoline on her sleeping abilities that might never have stirred otherwise.) This Vision represents Wanda’s hope and sadness, but mostly her love. 

And, as a result, even Westview Vision doesn’t greet his oncoming demise with sadness, or even fear. Instead, he reasons, he and Wanda have been here before twice already, forced to say goodbye before their time. And since their relationship has survived before, there’s every reason to believe it will again, and they’ll find their way back to one another.

Monica’s Powers, the Skrulls, and Captain Marvel 2

Unfortunately, thanks to everything else going on in “The Series Finale,” Monica Rambeau doesn’t have a ton to do here. However, she does get a straight-up hero moment, where she throws herself in front of a bullet (or four) for Wanda’s kids and reveals a heretofore unseen ability to phase through objects and slow them down. She also frees the real Ralph Bohner, and happily helps send dirtbag SWORD director Tyler Hayward to prison. 

Happily, however, despite her limited screentime in this episode, Monica’s MCU future looks bright. In the mid-credits scene, she’s approached by a Skrull disguised as a SWORD agent who takes her aside and reveals she was sent by a friend of her late mother, Maria’s. And that friend, who is most likely Nick Fury, would like to see Monica – in space. 

We’d all basically assumed that Monica, who is Maria’s daughter and clearly has some as-yet-unprocessed resentment toward Carol Danvers, would be a significant player in the upcoming sequel Captain Marvel 2, but perhaps there’s an even broader future in store for her, as part of the SWORD-like organization Fury and the Skrull named Talos formed at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. 

Who Was the Fake Pietro Maximoff?

Sadly, the character played by Evan Peters in WandaVision was not actually Wanda’s brother Pietro ported over from the FOX X-Men universe like we all hoped. So, yeah, unfortunately, that means mutants technically still do not exist in the MCU, and that’s a problem another movie or series will have to address.

While trapped in his self-described “man cave”, Monica discovers that the Fake Pietro is really just Ralph Bohner, the mysteriously absent husband Agnes was constantly complaining about throughout the season. Agatha kept him under her spell using an enchanted necklace, and when it was removed his real identity returns. Whether the fact that Agatha’s punishment to live as her Agnes identity involves being really married to Ralph is unclear but in Westview, anything is possible, I guess.

Wanda’s Future and Doctor Strange 2

Wanda has long been confirmed as a major player in the upcoming sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but we haven’t known how exactly she would fit into this story, having never exactly met Stephen Strange before. But since the WandaVision post-credits scene confirms that the new Scarlet Witch is determined to learn more about her powers, it seems that will change fairly quickly. The only question is, how?

Stephen Strange has served as a mentor to many magic users throughout Marvel Comics history and could certainly be someone that Wanda seeks out to help her access and control her new abilities. But, given that she’s also currently DIY-ing her knowledge of witch history with a magical item that is basically subtitled the “book of the damned” it’s also very possible that she and Strange will end up at odds over the Darkhold’s existence, her possession of it, or both. Plus, there’s that interesting wrinkle of her still hearing the voices of her construct children that shouldn’t still exist outside of Westview thing. Time to explore the multiverse, anyone?

The post WandaVision Finale Ending Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[mwolf0epsilon]

B lea se, pblea se give us a full continuation of the Cameraman comic I beg 😔🙏

Summary: After accidentally growing to the size of a giant, Cameraman makes some poor decisions that lead him into colossal trouble.

A written continuation of my one page Cameraman comic!

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[[MORE]]

     It wasn't uncommon for the Society for the Shellacking of Souper Boris's HQ to suffer considerable damage on occasion, especially since there were three villains living there. Plotting their next big hit with varying degrees of ingenuity and force, which often left things quite the mess in general.

But nothing that the big burly wolf with the volatile temper, or even the twisted demoness with sharp tongue and coiled arms ever did, could come so close as to compare with the absolute madness of Cameraman's more, shall we say, cinematic plots…

It was true that he was the least aggressive and troublesome of the trio when working with them in causing mischief. More often than not he even opted for the easier things in their plans, like petty thievery and slight vandalism, while the Brute and Miss Twisted handled the flashier things that really got the cops angry with them. 

When he did things solo however… Well he'd wanted to make it big as a movie director once, and it showed.

His one-man plans were convoluted and honestly quite ambitious.

They also ended with him wrecking the base with whatever invention he came up with that week.

Never on purpose really! He was just a little clumsy.

Although, at this very moment, he was anything but little...

     By his reasoning, the plan would have been flawless. Finish calibrating his shrink ray that took him weeks to construct, use one of the Society's inconspicuous vehicles to cart it all the way to the city, and then use it to shrink Steven Spigberg's annoyance of a studio all the way down to miniature size. Knock it down to its actual level, since it did nothing but hash out the same stale unnecessary sequel plots over and over again.

A spectacular lesson in humility, or at least Cameraman had envisioned it as such.

He hadn't accounted for accidentally bumping and reversing the controls, causing his machine to zap him instead of the test subject he'd been placing upon a little pedestal (just to see if he didn't accidentally disintegrate his target), and ending up in a completely avoidable colossal sized mishap instead.

But then he supposed he could still make part of the plan work. After all, the idea was that he'd be able to fit the studio in his hand… 

  "Oof… My head…" he could really do without the aches, but then again he'd just grown a whole lot in mere seconds. The fact he hadn't simply exploded should be more than reason to overlook the growing pains. Patting his own head carefully to check if he hadn't cracked his casing, he felt his pinky brush against something odd and that should be there. "Hm?"

Feeling over it with his index finger, Cameraman carefully searched for some manner of grip before carefully pinching the unknown object between two fingers and bringing it over to his lens to inspect it.

To his great surprise it was the Society's base. Mostly intact, although missing a large part of the bottom from him outgrowing it. The upper floor looked intact enough, albeit the horn fixture he was holding onto was now bent from him gripping it.

  "My goodness it's so small… or rather, I'm the one who's quite big…" he squinted, shutter zooming in on the damaged windows. He could sort of see his two roommates staring out at him with expressions he couldn't quite make out. "Oh! Hello there, sorry for the state of the base. Things took quite the unexpected turn as you can see..."

Rather than get a reply, both of his partners in crime seemed to huddle up in a corner and cower.

That was odd… Missy and Brute weren't the type to be intimidated. Especially not by him. Maybe it was the heights.

  "Right… I'll set you down now. I've much to do still, even if not everything has gone according to plan." He carefully set the damaged base back onto the swamp grounds, being mindful of the shallows so his two friends didn't end up sinking and drowning. "It's as they say. The show must go on!"

Once the base was safely on the ground, Cameraman began standing up. He was surprised by the sensation of vertigo as he did, groaning as nausea hit him.

He felt… Heavy. Stumbled a bit as he righted himself, and nearly toppled all over again. Had gravity increased on him? Probably… his feet were sinking into the marshy ground as well, so his new height and weight were not any easier to handle on such unstable terrain.

  "Walk it off, it'll be fine you worrywart… Just a matter of getting used to this." he shook his head and took a few tentative steps forward. His shutters clicked in annoyance as he kicked up the murky water as he moved. "My poor socks are going to be soaked through… I hope to dry up once I've reached the city. It wouldn't do to enact revenge while drenched… I might catch a cold."

He kept on walking, finding it steadily easier to move as long as he kept himself going. Just a matter of getting used to it as he'd thought.

Luckily his growth hadn't just brought unpleasant side effects. It had greatly improved his perspective as well!

He could just about see the big city in the distance and he was quite excited to look it over up close.

The once-little camera toon had seen the rooftops plenty of times (mostly from being either thrown by his partners in crime or from being carried by that no-show lupine interloper, and then a chowder enthusiast of an angel), but never at this scale. He assumed it would likely be like looking down at an impressive maquette, a much more detailed one than the miniatures he'd whittled out for the base's planning room (which had been reduced to rubble he was sure). More detailed. More deserving of more than a slight glance.

Wouldn't hurt to take a few photos before he took what he wanted.

-

     Bouillonburg wasn't the largest of the cities in the country, but it was still considered a major location in of itself. It was home to several hundreds of toons, had multiple quaint businesses, and at least two very nice parks to fill in the picturesque idea of an urban zone. 

The perfect place for a myriad of Pluto's youngest legions to prove their worth through acts of both evil and mischief.

Today however, trouble presented itself not in a grinning imp with a head shaped like a half-moon, but in something tremendously massive lumbering towards the unsuspecting city at a slow but long-reaching pace.

The first warning was a slight tremor spaced out like rhythmic thumping. The kind that caused liquids to ripple in their containers. 

Then the intensity of the shaking gradually climbed, and people began to grow nervous when objects began to fall off shelves, or when the glass windows began to creak and shake against their frames.

When the shadow of what could only be considered a colossal sized monster fell upon the city, that's when folks really started to panic.

Crowd dispersal went as you'd usually see on a disaster flick, with lots of screaming and running as several hundreds of toons attempted to flee the giant's humongous steps. Not that Cameraman noticed this. 

He was much too distracted staring at all the buildings he was so used to look up at, rather than examining from up and above.

  "This is all so very adorable!" He marveled as he peered into an office building, squinting at the many workers in their little cubicles. "I wish I could make miniatures as detailed as the real deal…"

He reached over to poke one of the windows, and winced when his finger went through.

  "Oops…" he withdrew his finger and stared down at the many shards of glass embedded in it. It didn't hurt, the fabric had kept it from piercing skin, but it had still startled him. He was so focused on it he didn't see the toons inside running for the stairs and elevators in pure terror. "That's a lot more fragile than I thought… I should refrain from touching glass."

     Shaking off the shock, Cameraman's gaze went downwards and his attention was caught by a phone booth. 

Crouching down he peered at it with his curious lens.

At his regular size he needed his portable step ladder to reach the phone (yes he was quite short, so what?), but at this height he was more than capable of reaching over the rooftops of the tallest buildings.

  "Well it's not like I need to make a call right now either way… But it sure looks charming." He focused on it and took a picture. His flash went off with a loud crackle, all around him more toons fled from the noise and bright light that hurt their eyes.

With more effort than should be necessary, Cameraman got back onto his feet and carried on his merry way. He stopped on occasion to take more photos of the many buildings and tiny structures.

Completely oblivious to the damage he was causing as he trekked forward.

His footsteps caused the ground to quake violently, the sound of his reverberating voice made glass crack and ears ring, and his weight was splitting concrete apart as if it were made of styrofoam.

To him this was all in good fun. Good harmless fun, because he wasn't antagonizing anyone. 

Just seeing the sights and appreciating his new perspective on life.

This quickly changed when he reached his destination.

  "Right… There it is." The object-headed toon rubbed his hands together eagerly as he caught sight of his target. Steven Spigberg's studio. That fat swine's precious little cash grab factory was about to get literally uprooted by the very toon that horrid film director scoffed at and turned away. "Let's see who's insignificant when I'm the one owning your precious little studio…"

Sights set Cameraman walked on, not once looking where he was treading and his thick shoes making quick work of benches and parked cars (and really anything else) that were unfortunately in his path. It didn't occur to him that he should be watching his step.

     The studio was nestled between another office building and a coffee shop that also serviced object and object-head toons (a rarity since most others disliked non-food based smells near their pastries and beverages of choice). It had the best hydroquinone and nicest rolls of film he'd ever had, so it was a shame such a blight ruined it for him.

He wondered briefly what they'd build on the soon to be vacant spot. Hopefully a book store to compliment the aesthetic of the coffee shop.

  "Let's see… there's going to be pipework in there, so best to go down and up, like carefully picking a flower, roots and all." He rested the back of his hand on the ground and pressed his fingers against the very bottom of the studio and then, in one swift motion, he dug his fingers under and pulled up. He expected the building to just pop out of the ground with ease, not for his hand to pass through like it was made of sand. "O-oh!"

Startled by the destruction of the building he'd planned to steal, Cameraman pulled his arm back abruptly. Swinging it to the right and crashing right through a section of the office building.

Yelping in fright he moved back, his left foot coming down on top of the coffee shop and crushing it as if he'd stepped on a cardboard box. Bringing his hands up in horror Cameraman stepped back once more in a panic. He stared down at the rubble in dismay.

  "Oh goodness… I… I didn't mean to do that!" He knelt down hoping to find a way to correct his mistake, but as soon as he grabbed hold of any solid looking debris they crumbled in his grasp into fine dust. "F-fiddlesticks…"

He was too big to fix what he broke.

Looking back at the slightly damaged office building, Cameraman stood back onto his feet and peered inside. The stairs and elevators were blocked by rubble and there were several people trying to unblock the way out.

  "Oh… wait I can help you down!" He reached in, hoping that helping these people would compensate for ruining their workspace but, as soon as the toons saw his hand they began scrambling away, their high pitched shrieks barely registering in his audio receptors. The fear in their movements however… "You don't need to be afraid. That was an accident I swear!"

He tried to reach the group, leaning forward just a little bit more. Then gravity caught up with him and the camera toon's shutter widened as he realized too late that his balance was way off. He tumbled forward, taking out the rest of the building with him.

  "AUGH!!!" He hit his head hard on the ground, a sharp pain in his shoulder causing him to instinctively prime his laser and blast the nearest "threat".

Except there wasn't a threatening foe causing him any harm. Just the helpless cityscape.

Taking a second to sit up and shake his aching head Cameraman looked down at his shoulder, wincing when he saw a long metal bean stabbing through it.

His gaze then locked on with the damage he'd caused up ahead.

There was fire, a lot of it, and just now he could make out the terrified city folk scrambling all around like scared ants.

Glancing around at the path he'd taken, the object-headed toon noticed all the destruction he'd caused while having his silly little fun.

  "Oh no…" he was a villain, that much he accepted. But he'd never really done something so terrible that it hurt several hundred people on such a scale.

He'd never killed anyone before, or dreamt of doing such a thing.

Looking down at the three buildings he'd crushed, and the ones currently ablaze, he doubted that was true anymore. "This wasn't what I wanted…"

He needed to get out of the city, before he destroyed something or hurt anyone else.

Looking around once more however… well easier said than done.

     The path ahead was on fire, the way back was already in quite the state, and the only other exit he could see looked a little narrow. Still it was worth risking considering all the people heading towards where he'd come from in the hopes of escaping. Escaping, as if he were doing this on purpose…

Narrow streets it is. He'd just have to suck in his belly and keep his arms up for however long it took to get past this new hurdle. Hopefully his arms wouldn't tire before he was clear.

Taking a deep breath, Cameraman stepped forward, now very aware of just how cramped the tiny sidewalks and roads were.

  "Oof…" he winced as his heel just about crushed the front of a parked car "I hope that was insured…" 

His knee caught the side of a tree, snapping it like a twig, and he pulled his hand away from the way of a power line as he tried to maneuver through the streets.

Sideways should do the trick…He sucked in his gut and began side-stepping through the cramped pathway he'd picked.

What was it with apartment complexes and tiny balconies that faced alleyways?

The escape ladders he could understand, but why the balconies?

The camera toon groaned as his chest and back got poked and scratched by hard edges and sharp rails.

His aching shoulder was already bothering him enough.

  "Just stay calm and you'll be through in no time…" he told himself as he kept on moving. And then he gulped nervously as he felt the alley narrow further. "... Oh this is a problem."

Against his better judgement he continued… And immediately stopped as he felt his hips jammed against two buildings.

Trying to push or pull away made both buildings shake dangerously.

  "... Come on…" his arms were starting to tire. He needed to figure out how to get away without breaking anything else. Glancing down to see if there was a safer way to unwedge himself, his shutters fell upon one of the balconies of the building ahead of him. He focused on a tiny lady surrounded by several flowers that was staring up at him with wide eyes. "... Uh… hello?"

The lady shrieked and immediately started throwing her potted plants at him.

He winced and kept his lens well away from her range. Impressive that she thought a few hits with a few vases would save her from something more than twice her own size, but also quite annoying.

  "Please stop." If he tried anything he might just hurt her, and honestly that wasn't really his style. Taking punishment like this was also not his style. "If I could I'd be out of your hair already."

He leaned back from another hit and yelped as he felt his back bump against the other building. The pressure suddenly giving away and sending him tumbling back like a house of cards falling in on itself. Kicking up dust and debris up into the air around him.

Once the cloud settled he sighed. 

Great, at this rate he'd be known as Klutzzilla, destroyer of private property...

Blinking his shutters he looked back up at the lady with a glare. She seemed to get the hint and fled back inside of her apartment.

  "Right…" he went back to the laborious chore of getting back on his feet. He was really starting to get tired of this repetitive charade.

If it weren't the guilt keeping him from bashing through the city to get back home he would have already done it. "No, no that's not the correct way to do this, don't let this get to your head… the Society only needs one big brute…"

He wondered what his two friends might be doing. Likely fixing up the base and waiting to chew him out for making a mess of things.

They might want to wait for him to tell them how to rebuild his shrink ray so that he'll be easier to scold, rather than both yelling up at him.

     Back up and at it again, Cameraman left what remained of the alleyway and began to tiptoe over the various urban obstacles. Phone booths, more parked cars, benches, the occasional straggler running by and performing an impressive Wilhelm impression, and even a kiosk or two (the first one he couldn't help snap a picture of, despite the circumstances everything still looked gosh darned cute to him!). It was a little like being a child all over again, playing hopscotch. 

Only someone had strewn legos and other toys all over the rectangles.

He was also not particularly good at hopscotch, and jumping around with an injured shoulder was really not a good experience.

The people and infrastructures were also not liking the impact of each jump.

Cameraman winced when several clothes lines and other miscellaneous objects began to fall from the sides of buildings.

  "And they say misfortune only doubles on Friday the 13th, the moment I gained a few feet I've been nothing if not plagued by bad luck!" He poked the metal bean protruding from his shoulder and fought back the urge to scream. "I hope this doesn't get infected. I'd be very upset with myself if that happened… or worse, what if I get tetanus?! My shots aren't due until Thursday!"

Well if the clinic he frequented hadn't yet given out and collapsed from all his mucking around that is…

  "Ok Cameraman, don't freak yourself out like this... Think of home." Yes, home, away from this poor city. Back with his friends who'd no doubt take pity on him as soon as they saw him hurt.

Villains or not, they weren't heartless spawns of evil… err, well at least two of them. But even Missy had a heart. They weren't monsters. "Yes home. Home…. The swamp is that way, just avoid stepping on anyone."

Renewed vigor carried him forward, only stopping to make sure fleeing citizens weren't accidentally crushed underfoot. 

He really did not want murder to be added to his criminal records.

Although he was pretty sure involuntary manslaughter would end up there somewhere after this ordeal was dealt with.

  "There we go, nice and easy. No more tomfoolery." He was pleased with how the streets were opening up. The smoke back there was getting pretty thick in the air though... Was the wind blowing his way or was he imagining it?

It was irritating his ventilation system for sure. Irritating it quite a bit actually.

  "Gosh darn soothy smoke!" He scrubbed at the discrete vents irritably, almost like someone scratching their nose.

He shook his head vigorously, finding it difficult to see now that his shutter and lens were welling up with lubricant, trying to dislodge the sooth filtering in through the seams. "Oh it itches!"

Helplessly scrubbing at both the leaking lens and his ventilation system, Cameraman was suddenly overcome by the enormous need to sneeze.

Uh-oh.

  "Do not sneeze, you know what happens when you sneeze!" His desperate scrubbing and scratching increased in intensity as he tried to prevent the inevitable. The moment the mechanism to prime his laser sight clicked on, he immediately looked up as a way to prevent further devastation. "A-ah… Aah...AACHOO!!!!"

The laser shot out of his lens as he stumbled back, zooming upwards at high speed and hitting a previously unnoticed news blimp that had been flying overhead. The object-headed toon said nothing as he watched the darn thing fall out of the sky like a swatted fly, and collide with another building further away before bursting into flames.

He covered his face and groaned in frustration. Was there anything in this city he hadn't broken yet?!

  "Dang it…" If not take pity on his physical injuries, then surely Missy and Brute would take pity on his bruised ego instead.

-

It took far too long to get out of the (ruined) city. No matter how careful he'd tried to be, Cameraman had simply brought tremendous devastation with each tentative step towards being home free.

If he stopped to think about it, it made perfectly logical sense.

He was used to his actual stature and weight, so suddenly becoming some sort of titan had completely tipped the scales for him.

His regular clumsiness cranked up tenfold as he tried to navigate a world that was suddenly more fragile than he was accustomed to.

Of course in his current state he didn't really have the time to sit around for a moment of introspection, nor to contemplate on the fact he'd been an idiot and gone through with an idea that was doomed from the start.

From the moment he'd bumped the controls to this very moment in time, where he was tiredly stumbling back to the Society's HQ.

The metal beam stuck in his shoulder yet to be pulled out, since every instinct told him that doing that right now wouldn't be good for him. He needed to be sure he had help to deal with that.

And, as that thought entered his mind, something slowly clicked.

Stopping in his tracks Cameraman looked around in confusion.

Where… where was the base?

He was sure as all heck that he'd placed it in the shallows, and that was right there, next to that rotten log wedged by that one rock that looked like a hippo.

"Where…?" He scratched his flash's connection point in confusion as he glanced around. "I could have sworn I placed it here…"

He squinted, focusing on the murky water before crouching down to try to look for the distinct devil shaped building.

He even went so far as turning on his light, but it didn't pierce deep into the filthy water's depths.

Racking his memory to be sure he wasn't mistaken, he recalled placing the base right there and leaving.

He'd stumbled a bit, but he hadn't moved anywhere near the base, just splashed up a little water over his boots and… and…

His building sized boots…

Horror struck him as it suddenly dawned on him that what he'd perceived as little splashes were likely waves several feet in height, with the crashing force of a freightliner colliding with a steam boat…

"Oh no…" he carefully placed his hands in the water and began to feel around for the base, dragging himself forward and searching desperately not just for home, but for his friends as well. "Please be ok!! Please be ok!!!"

All that came up was random junk people had carelessly thrown in the swamp. The SSSB's base was nowhere to be found, and neither were Cameraman's only two friends for the matter… likely washed out into the deepest part of the swamp.

Likely… likely dead, from being trapped in a sinking base, because their friend was an incompetent fool.

"Oh goodness… no, I… I didn't…" the combination of the pain on his shoulder and exhaustion made him stop his fruitless search. As realization sunk in deeper, grief took hold. "I didn't mean to…"

Sniffling loudly, the camera toon hid his leaking lens in his hands and began to cry.

He'd ruined everything because of some stupid vendetta against a film studio! And now he'd be stuck as a klutz of a giant, alone and cold forever!

Sobbing loudly into his hands, Cameraman didn't notice the sounds of even splashes as someone rowed towards him, and was too caught up in his own sadness to register something beginning to tap against his knee.

He thought it was probably just flotsam that he'd loosened during his desperate rummaging.

When the tapping was replaced with a sharp jab, however, he did pull his hands away and rub at his lens to clear up the tears.

Staring up at him looking a complete tired mess, were Miss Twisted and Brute, both standing atop their base which they'd strapped to some sort of bizarre makeshift raft they'd fashioned up of logs, branches and whatever they could find that could make it as buoyant as possible.

The rows they'd improvised were also just several sticks tied together, and Missy had used the gripping end of hers to poke him to get his attention.

He was so dumbstruck he didn't say anything, which seemed to annoy the demoness.

"CAM YOU BETTER BE READY FOR A WALLOPING BECAUSE ONCE WE FIX UP THIS MESS I'M GONNA BEAT YOU SO HARD OVER THE HEAD YOU'LL BECOME AN INSTANT CAMERA INSTEAD!" He could just barely make out her high pitched screeching, but lord if it wasn't the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard! Shutters welling up all over again, the object-headed toon carefully scooped up the base from beneath the water and carefully brought it closer.

"HEY PUT US DOWN! WE'RE NOT A TOY YOU BIG… Big… Cammy are you crying?" The embers of Miss Twisted's ire were quickly extinguished by concern as she caught sight of the big fat tears dripping out of his lens.

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE BOTH DEAD!" He cried out, choking back another sob as he watched them both flinch and grab at their ears in pain. "P-pardon my outburst… I'm just so relieved I… I thought I'd drowned you both accidentally!"

"No, but that almost happened! Cam what were you thinking, making yourself into some big behemoth? How's that gonna help you at all?!" She tapped her foot impatiently. "Take it from a demon pal, the bigger they are, the harder they fall! I've seen archdemons topple like dominoes because they thought bigger was better… it's a stupid macho sentiment that ends in tears and humiliation."

"This wasn't what I was going for, believe me… I err… I merely miscalculated the calibration of my machine and this sort of… Ended up being the result." He looked as sheepish as one could without an actual face.

"You messed up and tried to save face uh?" She deadpanned as she dropped her arms again at her sides. Brute merely watching the exchange.

"Yes…" he admitted hesitantly as he glanced back towards the city. He could still see the smoke. "In hindsight, I should have realized that was foolish of me… Where's the fun in being a villain if there's no city left to practice villainy upon?"

"Cameraman destroy whole city?!" Brute gawked up at him in dismay.

"Not ALL of it… just err… 75%?" An explosion in the distance made him flinch. "Make that 95%..."

"I'll say… there's also something frigging stuck to your arm!" Missy pointed out, grimacing at the sight of the embedded metal beam currently still on his person.

"I know… I didn't want to touch it until I knew for sure I could have it looked at… which I can't right now." He also didn't want to touch it again. It really did hurt quite a bit when he poked it!

"Uh… how do fix Cameraman?" Brute asked. "Me no think lab ok…"

"No, no it's not. Cammy crushed it with his big fat butt." Missy groaned. "Please tell me you know how to rebuild your machine so we can revert this…"

"I do recall how to recreate it, yes. However, at this size I can't do so myself…" he carefully set down the base onto his knees so that he could rest his arm a bit. Making sure to stabilize it, he brought his knees closer to himself and leaned his head down so that now his lens was overing close to his two friends.

His shutter clicked shut as both reached up to pat the rim lightly in an attempt to comfort him. "I know you've likely gone through an ordeal already due to my carelessness… but could you perhaps build it for me? I really don't think it'd be wise for me to ruin any of the building materials."

"So needy, you big dumbo…" the demoness chuckled "Fine, we'll clean up your mess. But you're so doing our chores for the next month."

"And help with Brute's and Miss's plans!" The beefy wolf added.

"Deal." He held out his pinky so they could shake on it. Once both the smaller toons grabbed it with their little (cute) mitts, he carefully raised it up and down.

"Right! Off to work we go!"

-

It ended up being more of a one girl job to build a replica of the ray gun that Cameraman had created, so while Miss Twisted busied herself with that particular task, Brute had gone ahead and repaired the base. He was used to doing it by now, with just how often it got wrecked.

It was only natural he was picking up a few tricks on how to fix it up nice and quickly, without sacrificing stability and comfort.

He thought it was nice to have a home for a change, rather than some dingy alleyway or a prison cell, so he made sure to maintain it when needed. He was sure his two friends appreciated that tender act on his part. His way of showing a softer less thuggish side while still getting to show off his impressive musculature.

Call him a meathead all you wanted, he liked showing off what got him somewhere in life (through his own effort).

Once done, Brute nodded to himself in satisfaction before going to check in on the others. He came out just in time to see the metal beam once piercing through his friend's shoulder crashing down into the water, and then the femme fatale of the group firing a well aimed energy beam at the wounded object-head looming over her.

Brute covered his one eye to avoid looking at the bright light, and then uncovered it once the world dimmed back to its normal lighting. Not that there was that much sunlight left anymore, the sun was setting pretty quick as it was late in the afternoon.

Still he could just about make out a familiar tiny figure just hovering up in the air for a few brief seconds, before gravity caught up and brought him back down and crashing into the freezing water.

"10 points for that spectacular belly flop! What's your score, big guy?" Missy grinned impishly as she watched their friend resurface and splutter a bit from the shock of getting drenched by the swamp's murky embrace.

"Meh… Brute gives it an 8. Brute has seen better." The lumbering wolf shrugged as he moved over to pick up the trembling toon that was barely able to lift his arm. The wound looked very nasty and needed to be disinfected asap now that it had come into contact with a direct source of filth and bacteria "Cameraman need nurse Brute now. Fix up arm real good!"

"T-thank you big fella… I do f-feel a little woozy…"

"You boys go on ahead, I'm getting rid of this hunk of metal… More trouble than it's worth." She pointed at the ray gun "From now on, no mucking around with sizes!"

"Yes ma'am" both replied at the same time before Brute carried the injured Cameraman inside.

Missy watched them go before simply reaching over to the main panel and ripping out the wiring, disabling the miserable piece of mechanical junk for good. Once that was done, she simply kicked the ray gun into the water and dusted herself.

Satisfied with the deed, she briefly glanced towards the thick smoke in the distance and shook her head.

"What a shame... But hey, at least Cammy brought some scrap metal back…" she glanced at the half submerged beam. It was stained by whatever chemicals the little guy had to pass for blood, but it was an easy enough thing to clean off "Should get to stripping that before it gets too rusty…"

She went inside looking for that one big saw she'd gotten as a reward from Papa Pluto, for ruining some rich snob's party by dumping laxatives into the punch.

That had been a fun night, and that saw could cut through almost everything including solid metal.

On her way back out, she peered into the Society's shared bedroom and nodded at Brute who had just walked out holding the first aid kit.

"How's that shoulder of his?" She asked.

"Cameraman will live. Him asleep now, like little baby." He stepped aside to show her this and, sure enough, there was the shorter of the three curled up in his drawer bed. Tucked in and capped lens tucked under his uninjured arm. It was kind of cute watching him sleep so peacefully after such a rough day.

"Aww… poor little guy tuckered himself out. Must have had a pretty long day playing in the city."

"Ah-yuh." Brute nodded in agreement as he set the kit aside. He looked back at her almost curiously "What do Brute and Missy do now?"

"Well I was gonna strip that beam for scrap, but that'll be noisy… Cammy needs his rest, so why don't we go to the city and loot some goodies while everyone is too busy to stop us?"

"Me like plan!"

"Knew you would, big guy! Come along then!" She made sure to carefully close the bedroom door, but not before looking at the sleeping camera toon one more time. Yeah, he'd earned his rest. "Sweet dreams, you little weirdo…"

And with that done, off they went to cause some more trouble.

All the while their friend dreamt of the simpler things in life, like causing minor mischief with his two (and only) greatest pals in the whole world.

No more dreaming too big, he'd stick with the small-fry stuff thank you very much!

[feuilly-cakes]

Twilight - review

I'm now revealing myself to be twilight trash, but let's talk about it! In this review you'll find the good, the bad, and the ugly (in list form even!) I know this story like the back of my hand, and this is a reread, so although I've only read this particular book once before, I can't be unbiased here. I am a more critical reader now than I was at 14 though, so hopefully this review counts for something. There will be a warning before the section with the spoilers if you haven't yet given in to the curiosity.

I loved it. I gave it 4*. I also found certain parts offensive. Some parts were very funny, and others just as dramatic as you'd expect from a book published for teens in 2005. The love story was, dare I say it, good. It's an enemies to friends to lovers, with a very quick progression on those last two. Both Bella and Edward acted just like regular teens around each other, and if there wasn't a vampire aspect involved it wouldn't have been criticised too heavily on the relationship front. I pretty much sped through the book, even with life getting in the way and pausing every 5 minutes to stick annotation tabs in. We are given a good amount of information about vampires, the history of the characters, and also the kinds of people these characters are. Aside from the offensive/insensitive parts, the entirety of which I will be listing below as I picked up on them, there are only a few moments of genuine real life creepiness not related to the Port Angeles scene right up until the epilogue, which made me very uncomfortable for reasons I shall be explaining. As a random note, I noticed 9 obvious instances of foreshadowing. She must have known where she was going with this series, or else that was a strange coincidence. The rest of this review will contain spoilers Let's begin with how this differs from the movie, since pretty much everyone has seen the movie. First and foremost, there are the characters - Bella and Edward specifically. Bella in this book is a typical teenager with a strong personality. As a child she had tantrums over going to Forks, saying she 'hadn't made a secret of [her] distaste for Forks.' She has a fierce temper, but she is also kind, frowning upon Jessica Stanley's judgement of Esme for adopting kids because she can't have any biologically. She's not vain but she cares about her looks, fussing over her skin being paler once she got to Forks - 'My skin could be pretty' 'I had no color here.' Sarcasm is her thing, and she despairs that none of her new classmates seem to get her sense of humour. She's friendly though an introvert, smiling and waving at everyone who greets her after a week of school while not knowing all of their names. She loves girls nights, and finds being around other girls 'invigorating'. She's independent and won't let Edward question that: "No, she did not send me here. I sent myself." However, she notices she has a very strong crush on Edward that is almost obsessive and finds it 'pitiful' and 'pathetic'. At least she's self aware. 

Bella is very funny at times, especially when referencing her clumsiness (I won't spoil this because humour should never be spoiled). Bella is very smart and resourceful, but not in the obvious way. Schoolwork is a breeze for her because she's done most of it at her old school, but she's smart in other ways. It's Bella who figures out about Edward's mind reading abilities and questions him about it, and who flirts with Jacob Black to get information about the Cullens and why they aren't allowed on the reservation. It's Bella who tells Edward that men and women should be equal or as close to equal as they can, each saving each other the same amount of times. It's also Bella who feels that Mike Newton understands her, because they both were new in Forks at one point, and both lived in sunny places and probably both experienced the chain link fences and metal detectors that Bella was shocked were not at Forks High School. (Personally that threw me for a loop too, that schools could have metal detectors.) Edward is closer to the movie characterisation, but acts more like a typical teenage boy. He's moody but charming, awkward at times but also mischievous. At one point he cuts Bella off in the school car park and then deliberately stops his car to wait for his siblings, causing a queue behind them and giving Tyler Crowley the opportunity to ask her to the dance. He does all this to anger Bella, and it was absolutely hilarious. He flip flops between cheerful and broody, and finds Bella utterly fascinating. He is constantly relearning boundaries and ways to make Bella and himself feel more comfortable. An interesting aspect of his character that was definitely unintentional and handled poorly was the way he was coded as demi-sexual. He states that he has never wanted anyone before Bella, and his adoptive mother Esme thought there was something missing in him. As this is offensive I'll be bringing it up again later. Back to some positives, he likes to sing under his breath in a very fast speed that looks like his lips are trembling, and finds the heat of Bella's hands very pleasant. I thought this was cute, and I had to tab it for future reference. A not so cute thing is how he can 'dazzle' Bella by being close to her face and breathing on her. She describes this as her mind going blank, after which we see her agree to whatever he says while she is in this state. It's a bit creepy but he doesn't take advantage of it at first after being made aware of it, he only does so towards the end, which we shall get into later. He also hears the minds of others as a background hum that he can then focus in on, which I found interesting. Now, onto actual plot things that differed, we have Bella never buying that book on Quileute legends, instead simply flirting with a 15 year old Jacob to get his information and then combining that with a google search, and coming to her conclusions that way. Next, we have the Volturi being mentioned but not by name, firstly on vampires a-z in the section: 'Stregoni benefici: An Italian vampire, said to be on the side of goodness, and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires.' and then in a scene that wasn't a part of the film at all, wherein Edward and Bella are in Carlisle's office, talking about his history, and they are brought up simply as Carlisle's artistic friends from Italy. They are named but the word Volturi is nowhere in this book. In a similar vein, several backstories are revealed in this book that we didn't really get to see until later in the series. Bella gets some meaningful interactions with Jasper, who actually sits next to her and touches her to calm her down in the hotel. It's also implied somewhere in those chapters that Alice possibly knew about Bella planning to sneak off and let her go anyway. Finally, Bella is awake after the venom gets sucked out. This is important because she tells them that the venom is gone and thanks Edward before passing out. She was awake and aware the whole time, though in incredible pain. Another difference happens but I'll be discussing that with the other creepy things. Next, I would like to discuss a few things we learn about Vampires. Did you know that despite their physical perfection, a hungry vampire looks like they are recovering from a nose job? The bruises are very prominent, and likely not pretty to look at. Did you also know that they a venomous in the true sense of the word? Alice tells Bella that the venom is to incapacitate victims with the pain, and becoming a vampire is just a side effect, not the true function of the venom. The pain is there for a reason, and that reason is to torture victims with the burning sensation so they can't get away. These vampires may sparkle, but they aren't cute. I will never get the image of snake fangs out of my mind in conjunction to twilight vampires. Am I the only one who didn't realise the inherent creepiness of that because there's no mention of it in the films? Alright, now onto the offensive/ creepy stuff. I'll be bullet pointing these with elaboration where needed. -Bella refers to herself as an albino simply because she is pale. This one just didn't sit right with me, for reasons I can't explain. Stick with me here, it gets worse. -A casual comment about suicide: 'I guess he considered me old enough now not to shoot myself by accident, and not depressed enough to shoot myself on purpose.' This one is tricky, because everyone has made jokes like that, but it made me personally uncomfortable and didn't need to be in there considering the tone of the rest of the book. -Upon Edward talking to her again after the car park incident, Bella says this: "Do you have multiple personality disorder?" This needs no elaboration. Buckle up, it gets worse. -Jacob. He tells Bella his people's legends after she flirts with him, all the while telling her he didn't believe them himself. Then he asks her: "So do you believe we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" As someone who is not native american, I can't give a personal perspective here, but I don't believe this is something she should have had a native character say. Stephenie Meyer is a white woman and had no place essentially calling the people she culturally appropriated a bunch of superstitious natives. It was jarring to read that line knowing that it's not her culture and she has no right to say that, only someone from the culture has the right to say that. As I said, I'm not native american and I haven't looked deeply into what exactly she stole and changed, but I know she did it, so that can of course be a pretty major offence to many people. -She compares her clumsiness to being 'almost disabled'. Gross. -The watching her while she sleeps thing. Let's talk about it. She guesses he's been spying on her when he knows where the key is after the meadow date, and he says he's been watching her sleep. It's undoubtedly creepy, but Bella isn't concerned about that. Oh no, she's concerned about what he heard while she was sleep talking. She actually seems unbothered by the stalking aspect, which is why I think these actions flew under the radar for so many people. If Bella thinks it's fine then it must be fine, right? This should have been handled differently. -The Aphobia. Edward tells Bella that Esme was 'afraid that there was something missing from [his] essential makeup'. This is really harmful, but it wasn't intentional. I have no doubt that Stephenie Meyer had no clue and perhaps still has no clue that asexuality is a thing and that she accidentally made Edward demisexual, by simple fact of him being interested in no one before Bella. Nonetheless, it needs to be warned for. -There are heavy implications of p*dophilia here, by choice of language. Regarding Bella's class, full of people her age. Edward calls them a 'class full of children' then on the next page calls Bella 'an insignificant little girl' and then a few chapters down he calls jacob a 'child' to which Bella responds that he is not much younger than she is and Edward cheerfully replies that he knows. It's beyond creepy and I wish it wasn't there, because if it had gone the opposite way of Edward making old man jokes it could have been funny and not horrifying to think about. -Lastly though not leastly, the epilogue. All throughout the book Bella has under no circumstances wanted to go to prom. She is tricked into going to prom. Alice sees the future, Edward reads minds, they knew she wouldn't want to go but bamboozled her into going anyway, and when she starts shouting and crying, Edwards tells her "Don't be difficult". This is creepy and horrifying, that they are taking away her agency and treating her like a child when she tries to refuse. Although she goes and has a goodish time, it still wasn't right to force her into that position. Thus concludes this review, and I leave you with the knowledge that if you read this you get to see the part where Charlie Swan tells Bella that Carlisle Cullen is very attractive. Good day.

[gluestickcherrybum]

Happy Earth Day peeps! ヾ(@°▽°@)ノ

I haven’t written in a while but I wanted to write something for this occasion, and more posts about environmentalism since its something i’m quite passionate about. Coronavirus is pretty much all anyone’s talking about lately. And as a result , our entire way of living has been adjusted due to the outbreak: Staying indoors, washing our hands, and social distancing has become the new normal.

But just because we’re experiencing difficult times doesn’t mean we should lose sight of the bigger picture which is caring for the earth. 

Thinking about sustainability is even more important now because it connects us to the world at a time we’re told to quarantine ourselves. We’re told now more than ever to purchase single-use hand sanitizers, face masks, gloves, and other products. 

Unfortunately, these items will likely end up in landfills, or worse - the environment. Already, face masks are polluting the shores of Hong Kong. Also, people fear reusable items like never before - some businesses flat out refusing reusable mugs, containers and produce bags. While I understand we want to stay healthy, and prevent the spread of the virus, we should still make a conscious effort to think about how our decisions effect the Earth too. So, with this in mind, here’s how to stay zero waste during the coronavirus outbreak.

Why should we care about zero waste right now?

Sustainability probably isn’t on the forefront of anyone’s mind right now, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still care or talk about it. As I mentioned earlier, thinking about sustainability helps us connect to the world in a time we’re told to bunker down and stay inside. It helps us appreciate things and maybe view the world a little differently. And, as scary and disheartening as all of this is - there is some good news too.

For example, there have been several reports of clearer waters in Venice where fish are now visible. Air pollution has dropped significantly in Italy due to the fact that fewer fossil fuels are being burned from people staying indoors. Even New York, Los Angels, Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta have reported significant drops in air pollution.

I’m well aware these positive changes come at a cost - so they’re bittersweet, at most. However, they can’t be ignored. It would be fantastic if, after the emergency is over, we could remember the beauty we’ve seen reappear in the world and do our best to preserve it.

There’s of course negative news as well, single-use items are being disposed on the daily and ending up littering up our community. Worst part is, these gloves and masks are not biodegradable or good for the environment - they’re made with petroleum. They’re also a health hazard because you can’t exactly pick these items up without worrying you’ll catch something.

That’s why it’s so important to think about sustainability right now. And zero waste does figure into all of that. By remaining zero waste during this time, we’re acting on our commitment to bettering the planet as a whole. 

How can I stay zero waste during the coronavirus outbreak?

Thankfully, there are several ways to make an impact during this time. All hope is far from lost.

Make the most of your food by reducing food waste

In this hard time, the food we eat should be cherished. With so many people struggling to put meals on the table due to job loss, we need to make our food last us. One way we can do this is by cooking with leftovers. For example, if you have some leftover rice and vegetables - make fried rice. Or turn boiled potatoes into mash.You can also get creative and make vegetable stock out of food scraps, turn mushy berries into jam, pickle some fruit. Or getting into some good old composting.

Invest in reusable masks and gloves

During this time, you’ll likely see a ton of people walking around with face masks and gloves on. Most of them are single use too. As I mentioned earlier, lots of face masks and gloves are being littered right now. 

It’s bad enough these items are single use only, they should be disposed of properly. Face masks have already started to wash up on the shores of Hong Kong in addition to other ocean polluters. Yikes.

Cloth masks havent been proven to be as efficient as clinical face masks in filtering the air, but for those who are sick and would like to prevent infection to others, the cotton does aid in catching water droplets from coughing and such. Just make sure to wash them regularly.

Instead of plastic gloves, consider using those reusable rubber gloves that people use to wash dishes sometimes. You can wash them with soap or even boil them to disinfect.

Decluttering

If you haven’t yet read Marie Kondo’s book “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, now’s a good time to get inspired. Time to go through all of your items and find the items that truly “spark joy” and be rid of the rest. Unfortunately during this time, you can’t exactly donate items to thrift shops. More than likely, thrift shops will be closed. However, you can at least set items aside to be donated once all of this is over. If you’re not comfortable waiting that long, you can always try selling it online like on Depop or Carousel.

That said, don’t be afraid to throw certain things out. I know that may seem kind of counterproductive, as I’m advising you to stay zero waste during this crisis.However, I’m fully aware there are some items we hold onto as zero wasters because we hope to keep them out of the landfill as long as possible. Items that are hard to recycle, or we don’t know how to recycle; items we believe we can fix but never get around to fixing; items simply destined for landfill one way or the other.

I know it hurts to let these items go, but you have to. It’s good for your mental health, and for the sake of your home. Remember: There is no such thing as being fully zero waste. We can get very close, but the truth is, our economy is a linear one. And every living creature creates waste of some sort. Now, this doesn’t mean I want you throwing out perfectly good items. Try to find items homes first! See if your friends or family want items you don’t first. Then, if not, seek to donate or sell. But obviously things like clothing tags and junk mail must go.

Invest in reusable period products

At this moment of crisis, with everyone panic buying basic necessities, menstrual pads and tampons are starting to get scarce so much so, you might have a hard time finding those items these days . This might be a good time to try out some sustainable alternatives. Women spend an enormous price in period products throughout their lifetime, so investing in reusables not only keeps a phenomenal amount of waste from landfills, but also saves the time going to the store and a whole lot of money.

Personally i use a menstrual cup (which i might write a whole post about it later), but for the less adventurous there are a good few other choices like reusable cloth pads and period panties (which sounded like a miracle when i first heard about them, but i haven’t seemed to be able to find any sold locally for now)

Heck, invest in reusable anything…

Its not just pads and tampons with reusable counterparts, if you want to get a little advanced in zero waste, try swapping out any disposable items possible, like stainless steel safety razors for plastic ones (ask your granddad), the infamous metal straw for plastic straws, or even things as simple as bar soap for bottled body soap.

Shop for food without the waste

During this time, please only stock up on what you need. You don’t have to hoard food - there’s plenty to go around. There’s more than enough food for everyone. Just take what you need and leave some for others.

To continue shopping sustainably, you can bring your own reusable shopping bags or produce bags (or you can diy some from old pillow cases)

I understand not everyone will be able to shop in bulk during this time for dry goods. So, you should shop as if you have no bulk food options. This means opting for items packaged in paper, cardboard, glass and aluminum.

If you must get something packaged in plastic, get the biggest container you can afford. Smaller plastics especially cling film are harder to or even impossible to recycle. Less than 9% of plastic is actually recycled so the less we consume, the less will likely end up in the landfill or oceans.

And thats all for today’s post, im sorry if its posted a bit later on Earth day than expected. I hope everyone is safe and healthy during these hard times. And if youre a student, i hope the online classes arent as bad as people say (im conveniently on a special leave of absence this semester (see my last post) so i have no idea how its going down) and if youre interested in more tips and tricks in being zero waste, feel free to hit me up and maybe ill write more posts like these. Thanks for reading ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

[aseriesofunfortunatetexts]

Fic snippet time! We never got around to fawning over Dewey, did we? A gross oversight. Y’all remember this? This takes place a few scenes after.

You find yourself in a small room, its walls lined with drawers, and its doors adorned with the same symbol that graces your left ankle. The sight of it fills you with a sense of ease you haven’t felt since leaving the Mortmain Mountains.

A large desk takes up most of the space, a single thing lying on its surface; your file from the VFD, open on the first page. You’ve never actually read it yourself, and you’re tempted to take the opportunity, but before you get the chance the door to your left opens, and the third Denouement brother steps through it.

You take back what you said about Ernest looking friendly and open right from the start. Dewey’s smile when he sees you is stunningly bright, and his eyes are glinting with pleasure, as if just meeting you is enough to excite him. You find yourself smiling quite stupidly in return, and you can just imagine what Frank would have to say about that.

“You must be my new apprentice,” Dewey says, holding out his hand. “I’m Dewey Denouement. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” you say, grasping his hand. His grip is firm, his fingertips ever so slightly calloused, no doubt from handling books all day long. “I mean, it’s an honor, really.”

Dewey lets out a chuckle. “I assure you, I’m not that special. At least not as special as you might have been led to believe.”

‘I’ll be the judge of that’ you think to yourself. Out loud, you tell him, “You’re the finest librarian our organization has to offer.”

Dewey smiles broadly at your praise, the slightest hint of a blush lighting up his cheeks. “I try my hardest,” he says. “Although I’ve never had an apprentice before, so you’ll have to excuse me if I do it wrong.”

“That’s okay, I’ve never been a librarian’s apprentice before,” you joke, too late realizing how silly that sounds. And your tone was borderline flirtatious too, this is outrageous.

“Meaning you don’t know what to expect, or that you’re willing to put up with anything?” Dewey asks playfully.

“Probably a bit of both,” you admit. “Although I imagine we’ll get a hang of it easily enough.”

“That’s what I’m hoping,” Dewey says. He gestures at the door he just came from. “Allow me to show you around.”

He leads you into what turns out to be part of the VFD tunnel network, which brings you the same feeling of comfort as the insignia on the doors. You read all the signs as your move past them, smiling at the familiar names.

You reach a pair of double doors by the end of one tunnel branch, and Dewey throws them open with a noticeable level of theatricality. You get why once you enter.

The library is gorgeous. And huge. Dozens upon dozens of bookshelves are visible from just where you’re standing, so tall that they tower over you. You walk further into the room, noting that it’s several stories tall, with walkways on every level to allow you access to all the books along the outer walls. The place is softly lit by golden light from several lamps, but there’s a rippling blue light coming from above as well. You crane your neck back and discover that you’re currently standing under the pond that you saw outside the hotel. The slight blueish glow lends the room an ethereal quality.

You make your way further inside, passing desks with comfy-looking chairs standing by them, finally reaching a fireplace, in front of which stands two very large padded armchairs with reading lamps on small tables by their side. Above the fireplace hangs a painted portrait of a Denouement sitting in the small office you were in earlier.

“You, I presume?” you ask Dewey, gesturing at the painting.

“Indeed. Although the painter thought it was Ernest he was painting.”

“Of course.” You continue looking this way and that, itching to explore.

“You can snoop all you want to,” Dewey tells you in an amused tone of voice. “There’s lots to see, and you will be working here, it’s given that you’ll have to know where everything is.”

You smile at him and do as you’re bidden, continuing deeper into the library, Dewey trailing behind you at a respectful distance. You notice several little reading nooks, all of them containing two chairs. That’s a bit odd, considering that Dewey works alone down here. Sad, somehow.

You reach a closed set of doors and throw a glance over your shoulder to confirm that you’re allowed to enter. Dewey nods at you, looking like he can’t wait to see your reaction to what’s inside.

It’s a movie theatre. The screen covers the entire wall, and there are a dozen chairs in green velvet in front. “You watch a lot of movies?” you ask.

“For work, mostly,” Dewey replies. A lot of debriefings are sent to me in the form of recorded films, I transcribe them for posterity. Film erodes over the years, as I’m sure you know. I’m also a great fan of Sebald’s work.”

You laugh. “For the artistic value?”

Dewey grins mischievously. “Don’t write them off as simply a mode of communication.”

“I guess I never saw them as anything else,” you confess.

“You should. There’s much to be gained from studying modern cinema.”

“You’ll have to show me some films then,” you say.

Dewey beams at you. “I’d be happy to.”

You don’t quite remember the last time you met a man who is so effortlessly likable and easy to get along with. It’s a damn shame that he has to spend his time down here, you imagine he would love spending time with people every day of his life, and they would love spending time with him.

“It’s amazing,” you tell him, mostly meaning the library. “I’m very much looking forward to spending time down here.”

“Don’t think it will be all lounging about, reading and watching movies. A librarian’s work can be tough, and it’s never finished.”

“I’m ready for whatever comes,” you say. “I managed my first day as a concierge all right, didn’t I? I never did that before either.”

“Is F working you hard already?” Dewey asks, half joking and half sympathetic.

“Not yet, but if I imagine he will be in the future.”

Dewey tilts his head. “Got off on the wrong foot, did you?”

You’re torn between being honest and being respectful of your new boss. You settle on something in between. “You might say that.”

“Frank isn’t entirely thrilled that you’re here, as I’m sure you’re aware,” Dewey says. “He thinks bringing other people in is a risk to my safety. And he isn’t in the business of hiding his disapproval.”

“I can sympathize with his concerns,” you begin, “But I have to believe that the VFD wouldn’t have sent me here unless they trusted in my discretion.”

“You should probably try telling him that,” Dewey suggests. “In those diplomatic terms.”

“How do you know I haven’t?” you ask.

“He was down here earlier,” Dewey says, and he doesn’t have to say anything else, you can imagine how it went.

“Right.” You sigh. “It’s important that we get along, I get that.”

“It’s for the best,” Dewey agrees. “Nothing good comes from having an antagonistic relationship with your boss.”

“Even if I have a perfect working relationship with my other bosses?”

Dewey lowers his chin and smiles. “You mean Ernest.”

You frown. “And you.”

“I am, aren’t I?” Dewey replies, looking like he only just realized that and is very pleased. “Your boss. I could ask you to do anything.”

You snort. “I have a feeling you won’t.”

“You’re a very trusting person,” Dewey asserts. “Which is why you should probably watch yourself a bit around Ernest. Just to be on the safe side.”

“What did Frank tell you exactly?” you ask, understanding full well how defensive you’re coming off.

Dewey chuckles to himself before answering, “Something about inappropriate, immature swooning.”

Your jaw drops. “That’s bullshit.” you insist, not caring about your crass choice of words. “I’ve been perfectly professional around him.”

Dewey obviously delights in your swearing. “A little defensive, aren’t we?”

“Defending yourself when you’re being unfairly attacked is an entirely warranted reaction,” you argue.

Dewey holds up with hands in an appeasing gesture. “A fair assessment. And don’t worry, I don’t believe F’s every word just because he’s my brother, I believe in forming my own opinions.”

Well, that’s a relief. “Thank you.”

“That’s enough chatter, I think, we should get to work. Or at least introduce you to it.”

You’re more than happy to put talk of Frank and Ernest behind you at the moment, so you nod. “I’d like that very much.”

“I’ve got plenty of incoming reports from associates all over the world coming in every day, they need to be read, categorized, and filed away correctly. That will be your main job on most nights. It can be tedious work, but it’s important to keep the library updated and functional.”

“Of course,” you say. “Show me where to begin.”

“I admire your attitude,” Dewey tells you, obviously pleased. “I think we’ll get along swimmingly.”

You assume you aren’t blushing, although you’re certainly smiling like an idiot. “I hope so too.”

[scifigeneration]

How did the Rebels beat the Empire in Star Wars? The answer is closer to home than you think

by Alastair Marsh

NeONBRAND/Unsplash, CC BY-SA

It may all have happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but there’s a secret weapon in every Star Wars film that’s found almost everywhere humans live on Earth. It explains how the scrappy Rebel Alliance were able to defeat the mighty Galactic Empire, with all its high-tech weaponry, vast space armada and the Death Star.

Even with the help of Jedis, The Force, ewoks and a wookiee, Luke Skywalker and the rebels skirted annihilation on many occasions. We believe that their ultimate victory owed less to their mystic powers and allies, and instead to something more down-to-earth.

In several key moments throughout the series, the survival of the rebels depends on their ability to escape the Empire’s clutches, by retreating to, and defending, fortified bases. These are spread out on remote planets throughout the galaxy, in often hostile environments, from snowbound Hoth to desiccated Crait.

It’s time to finally give the Rebel Alliance’s engineering corps the credit it deserves. The fate of the galaxy was decided not by light sabres – but by concrete.

The Snows of Hoth

At the start of The Empire Strikes Back, things are looking grim. The Empire have cornered the remnants of the Rebel Alliance on the ice planet, Hoth. Fortunately, General Leia and co are able to defend Echo Base long enough for their allies to evacuate. The base is built into subterranean caves, but concrete is still needed for the roofs and floors of the spacecraft hangars, and the defensive laser cannon emplacements.

But how could they make all that concrete when temperatures on Hoth are consistently below 0°C? Concrete doesn’t set by drying out, but by a hydration reaction, which consumes water. If the water in the concrete mix is frozen solid, it can’t take part in the hydration reaction, and so the concrete can’t develop its strength.

So how did the Rebel engineers get around this? A cheat solution for small structures is simply to make the concrete in a place it’s not freezing, and then bring it in. This is known as “pre-cast” concrete. Engineers are currently using this to upgrade the Rothera research station in Antarctica – the most similar place to Hoth there is on Earth.

But shipping all that concrete through space isn’t practical. Engineers on Earth have a better solution – they use special rapid-hardening cement that contains calcium aluminates. This reduces how long the “danger zone” lasts, during which the cement must be protected from freezing. This quick-hardening ability allowed the French Army to build gun emplacements quickly in the first world war, and could have helped fortify rebel defences on Hoth.

The salt lakes of Crait

In 2017’s The Last Jedi, the rebels were almost wiped out again by the pursuing Imperial fleet. They take shelter on the barren planet of Crait, covered by flat, dried up salt lakes. The rebels regroup in an old base built into a mountain that’s protected by colossal, metal blast doors, supported by a reinforced concrete structure. Outside lie the vast salt flats and the attacking Imperial forces. Compared to the laser cannons of the First Order, salt would seem the least of the rebels’ worries. But in fact, salts can be one of the most destructive substances for reinforced concrete.

Reinforced concrete contains steel rods to make it stronger and resist bending. But if CO₂ in the atmosphere and chloride in the salts diffuse into the concrete, the steel can corrode, blister and weaken the concrete by expanding. This is sometimes known as “concrete cancer” and has been a contributing factor in several engineering disasters on Earth, including the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa in 2018. In that particular case it is believed that salts carried in the sea air accelerated the deterioration of the structure.

Were the Rebels foolish to build reinforced concrete bases where salt is everywhere? Actually, this type of corrosion needs a certain level of humidity in the air. Crait has very little water, or none at all. In such a dry environment, corrosion wouldn’t happen. So thankfully for General Leia and co, the mountain base was in a good enough condition to resist the bombardment – just long enough for Luke Skywalker to intervene. But how did they make all that concrete in the first place with so little water?

Given that concrete needs water to set, a planet without water would prove tricky. The Middle East on Earth is largely desert, but there’s still a lot of concrete production, much of it made with desalinated seawater, which is expensive. On planets where there isn’t even seawater, water is too dense and precious to use for anything but keeping humans alive. There’s no easy fix for this, but it’s possible the rebels took a similar approach to scientists designing constructions on our Moon – using alternative binding materials instead of cement, such as sulphur, which could be mined from lunar rocks.

Tattooine is the desert planet on which Luke Skywalker grew up. 20th Century Fox

Back on Earth

While the battle for the fate of the galaxy concludes in the cinema, the battle for the future of humanity continues here on Earth. Cement is the largest manufactured product on Earth by mass, and generates about 8% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than all of aviation. Concrete is the second most-used substance on Earth – only water is used more. The world as we know it would not exist without concrete.

But the concrete saga is by no means over. At the UK’s National Centre for Infrastructure Materials, our research is helping to tackle two of the biggest challenges – reducing the environmental footprint of producing concrete and making the sure that the lifetime of concrete infrastructure is as long and robust as possible. May The Force be with us …

About The Author:

Alastair Marsh is a Research Fellow in Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds

This article is republished from our content partners over at The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

[joonsdiary]

a small price.

pairing: namjoon x reader genre: angst / idol au wc: 3,1k+ summary: where namjoon ponders the worth of being an idol.  warning: mentions of possible depression. also mentions some scenes on their recent movie regarding jungkook’s injury and them being/feeling overworked in general. a/n: based off of namjoon’s recent post on weverse.

Namjoon reads the prose repeatedly, making sure that there are no words amiss or there wasn’t anything that the fans could potentially spin to be incriminating against the company. Just don’t get us in trouble, Namjoon, is what they had said, but he feels it is more than that—they won’t just brush it off if he does make a mistake. He knows his musings aren’t new to the fans, so he hopes this one can just fly under the radar, too, undetected.

“Again, post something that will show your…more humane side,” one of the coordinating staff responsible for their social media had said. “Just don’t get us in trouble, Namjoon.”

The conversation plays over and over in his head as his palms begin to sweat profusely. What does it even mean—to be more humane? Namjoon questions the authenticity of the words he had written himself, doubting whether or not it was good enough to be considered “humane”. He finds himself questioning if anything is ever good enough these days, whether it was for him or for the company.

One sentence stands out at him: “I think I understand how an actor feels when they’re in a drama.”

He’d read a book recently, titled, “Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” and that’s where he got the actor statement from. The author suggests that human beings were like actors, whose actions change depending on who they interact with in their everyday lives.

Namjoon feels that way. As RM, as the leader of his company’s group, there are certain things he must and must not do, things that he can say openly, and things that he cannot. He knows he has a clear grasp on his mind of what he wants to convey when he’s performing RM, and a simple rehearsal always makes sure of that.

But as Namjoon? He isn’t so sure.

As Namjoon, standing in front of his bathroom mirror, he has the urge to question if the eyes staring back at him from the reflection was his own. When was the last time he had the freedom of just standing in front of the mirror for hours to just ponder about existence, anyways?

He doesn’t know either if the sincerity containing the letters actually reach across those he wants to send a message to; was anyone even paying attention anymore, or are they all caught up in mundane things so they completely miss the point? Does anyone still care that he writes these things out for the whole world to read?

What’s worse is that the days become a blur to him now, each event moulding into one whole incomprehensible memory. He remembers watching the movie that the company made and he almost laughs at himself for not recalling the events he watched.

“Did this really happen?” he leaned over to Jimin, wondering if he knew about the scene playing out on the screen. Jimin merely shrugged in response.

“I think so, but I don’t remember it being like this.”

It’s odd, having little to no recognition of what is supposed to be the most memorable moment of his life. Namjoon is partially sure he does not have anyone in his family who has Alzheimer’s—even his own grandmother could still remember events from her youth as if they occurred just yesterday. This bothers Namjoon to an extent, but he figures it could just be fatigue. The members agree and the staff reiterates the fact that it was normal to be exhausted.

“Would you rather be swamped with work or doing nothing at all, lounging in the dorm like an unemployed person?”

Namjoon smiles ruefully at the memory. If he does remember something distinctly, it would be the fact that they were reprimanded a couple of years back—during their “Love Yourself: Her” promotion—for questioning the intentions of the company. Taehyung was the victim that time, though, because he just so happened to faint in front of the fans during one of their comeback stage specials. Being the leader, Namjoon approached the staff, full of concern about Taehyung’s physical well being. That was what the staff said in the middle of their altercation of words: be tired, but have comebacks and do promotions, or rest and do nothing in the dorm with no paychecks in sight? Taehyung would thank him later that night, nonetheless, for sticking up for him. Namjoon had merely ruffled the hair of his teary-eyed friend.

“How exactly is this more humane?” Namjoon recalls hearing Yoongi whisper under his breath when the movie cuts to the part where Jungkook was agonizing over his lacerated ankle. Namjoon simply turns back and reminds him that they had mic’s on and were filming for a reaction video.

That seems like a very recent occurrence for them—filming reactions of themselves to be re-sold on some form of “season’s greeting” DVD. He isn’t entirely sure. Namjoon finds it odd, too, watching something that you hardly remember happened.

“It’s why I should start writing things like these here, right? Before I completely forget them all,” he reads the post aloud for the nth time. His words feel redundant but foreign at the same time, because he thinks he’s written this before somewhere on one of their several social media platforms a few months back. He is unsure. Though it didn’t matter, because he is here making a damned post again, anyways. It feels laborious to him, like anything is these days, but he hopes fans will appreciate it.

Here goes nothing. Hopefully the company deems it clean enough to post. They did say to be more authentic.

“I believe that we all have it in us—the ability to shine in our own way. Sleep tight!”

He ends the post, hits send and goes to bed.

His phone buzzes around three a.m. and he grapples around the bed to find it.

“I’m just wondering if you’re ok,” the text reads. It’s from you, a friend he’d known since middle school. You kept in touch and texted occasionally—which means it was either a greeting of “Congratulations on the BBMAs” or “Congratulations on being artist of the year” a few times a year. The last time you truly saw each other in person was five years ago, shortly after their debut.

Namjoon is perplexed at the text. He searches his name hurriedly on the web, trying to see if there is news of him that came out, even though he knows well enough that he hasn’t done something incriminating or scandalous. Just to make sure, he tells himself.

Nothing comes up, of course.

“Yeah I am, why do you ask? And at this hour?” he texts back.

The reply is almost instant.

“I saw your long post circulating on social media. It seemed like you were having troubles with life in general, so I’m just checking up on you.”

“I’m ALWAYS having trouble with life in general,” Namjoon grins playfully at his reply, not caring if he was being bothered so late in the hours. It’s been awhile since he caught up with you and his other friends so he didn’t mind the current company.

“Are you being sarcastic with me right now, Joon?”

“No, just being realistic,” Namjoon says and you don’t reply for awhile, which makes him think that you had fallen back asleep.

“You said on the post that you’re hardly remembering stuff from even just a year ago?” you text again.

“Yeah.”

“The same thing happens to my dad. But you see, he has two jobs, right? And so what happens is he ends up working everyday, Monday through Sunday, with only holidays as a day off. Sometimes that happens after months, so he’s constantly grinding with only sleep as his time off.”

You pause before hitting send, your fingers somehow shaking as you do. But you continue nonetheless.

“He tells me that he’s starting to confuse what events happened in which days because he’s so exhausted to the point where his body would break down sometimes at work, and I worry for him. I feel like…as his child I should be doing more to prevent him from overworking himself.”

Tears are now welling up in the corner of your eyes as you told him your story, but you know it didn’t matter because Namjoon couldn’t see you. And you’re thankful for that fact, otherwise you would’ve burst out crying like an overfilled dam.

“So as your friend, I feel obliged to check up on you. Please tell me that you’re getting proper rest.”

Namjoon did not know what to say. Looking at it from his friend’s perspective makes it seem like what he’s doing was exactly that: being overworked to the point of mental and physical fatigue. Days would blend into nights, and he felt terrible to the fans that he could not remember which concerts happened where, and when. He wants to say thank you to the company for filming the movie and reminding him of these things, but he recalls the disturbing scenes of them crying, Jungkook’s agonizing groans as he was being treated for his injury, and the fact that they were followed by the camera relentlessly, that he takes those thankful thoughts back.

He realizes he would rather forget. For what use is the memory when most of them are painful reminders of how exhausted they all always are?

“It’s worth it, for the satisfaction of fans,” their staff would always say, and they would all nod in agreement, almost robotically at times. Did Namjoon still believe that, truly, in his heart?

“It’s all worth it though, for the fans,” Namjoon doesn’t answer his friend’s statement of getting rest and instead mimics the phrase he’s heard from the company a million times.

You roll your eyes once you read the message.

“I get that without the fans, you guys will not be where you are currently. But surely they understand that you are human beings too, right? If one member bows out of the group because they can no longer handle it, then who is to blame?”

Namjoon blinks for a moment and doesn’t respond. The fans surely know they’re human beings, right?

“That’s the point of connecting to them and posting things like that on social media and stuff; so they can feel the authenticity. The company shows that too by having clips of us crying and being vulnerable—according to them it enables fans to connect to us more as human beings.”

Your mouth is agape at his statement, unable to process if what you’re reading is satire or if Namjoon is being truthful.

“That’s great and all, it’s a good example to show that men can be, and are allowed to be vulnerable. But being filmed exhausted and having cameras on you all the time when you’re crying and in pain, then selling it to the masses is not healthy. There should be a boundary between personal space and what can be shown to your fans.”

You shudder as you recall the movie your friends have forced you into going to the theatre to watch. Most of the viewers were young, impressionable teenagers who wept at the sight of their idols in distress and laughed at moments that seemingly was intended for humour; in essence, scenes that involved the guys attempting to speak a different language. It made you feel odd that the company did not cut explicit scenes of them having a hard time physically and emotionally. You get the part where touring is tough and that there are accidents that can occur due to the nature of the job, but you can see how the company is also incriminating themselves by showing on film that the members are being pushed to the brink of total collapse. You are by no means an athletic trainer but you know that they will advice against their athletes pushing themselves too far. There has to be a balance, and you hope the company is doing the same for Namjoon and the others.

You did not know the extent of their exhaustion but you can feel it in Namjoon’s post; it’s the reason why you chose to message him so late to see if he is okay. He had always been overtly sentimental and a little too dramatic for his own good at times, but the post you saw seemed different. It alarmed you enough to text him at odd hours of the night, just to see if he was okay.

“I mean no disrespect to your work and your fans. I’m just worried, Namjoon. I know you’re an adult capable of making your own decisions but sometimes it’s not bad to see things in a different perspective,” you hit send when he doesn’t reply to your previous text.

It is at that point Namjoon realizes what exhaustion truly meant. After reading your last text his heart felt hollow, chest constricting in a way that makes him feel like the air is getting thinner, therefore harder to breathe. He tries to swallow the lump forming on his throat as he begins typing a response. His head throbs painfully and he winces, trying to suppress the awful sensation.

“Honestly it’s hard, trying to keep up with everything. I see the pain in each of the members eyes every time they try to mask their exhaustion. I know it’s hard for them but as a leader it feels like I have no choice but to tell them to keep moving forward, keep looking at tomorrow, because looking back at the past is too painful.”

Namjoon hits send and sighs, feeling slightly cathartic after venting to you even for only a little bit. He fights the urge to break down and cry, reprimanding himself for getting carried away.

“There are times where I doubt if this is all worth it. Back then it used to be just about making music and—,” Namjoon pauses and re-reads the words he had just typed. His hand hovers over the erase button before pressing it and deleting the message.

The key is to be positive. All the time. Love yourself, right? That’s what BTS preaches. Namjoon thinks that if he doesn’t think positively like RM does, what is even the point of continuing? So he buries it; all the emotions he feels like he needs to let out—he suppresses them all.

“I just have to simply keep moving forward. The members trust that I can guide them to a more promising tomorrow, and that’s what I have to do.”

He waits for your response.

“I think that’s the problem.” You reply to Namjoon without supplying much, and he is astonished to read what you have to say. What do you mean, which one’s the problem?

But his question will soon be answered because he sees you typing.

“You focus too much on tomorrow that you lose sight of the present. Now. What’s bothering you now, Namjoon?” You ask but don’t wait for his reply as you begin once again.

“Also the fact that you’re focusing on getting through today in hopes for a better tomorrow means that your present currently feels suffocating and distressing. Are you truly okay?”

He hates that you are right. He hates that you see right through him, despite only talking to him via messages. He hates that now he has to mull about things that have happened already, hoping to prove to you that you are wrong—that the present he once lived through and are now his past, are in fact not suffocating and distressing.

“You are bothering me now, for making me think so much about these things at ungodly hours of the night,” he sends you, which is a weak attempt at humour. He hopes to steer you away from that conversation because he is afraid of the grim truth he might uncover. “For real though, I think I’ll be okay. We’re currently on vacation, you know.”

“Did you have to film something to be released later?”

“Yes,” is his guilty reply.

“Then that’s not a real vacation.”

“We can’t just stop working, the company needs us.”

“AH! And there it is. I’m a sociology major so don’t fight me on this, Namjoon, but no matter how angelic your company’s visions were when debuting you, the fact is right now you’re top commodity. They can’t let you rest until they’ve maximized profit from you and the guys. Corporations will always care about profit over their worker’s right first and foremost.”

He tries to be open and non-biased about what you are saying and despite him not liking your choice of words, he does have to agree. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the company currently profits the most out of them.

“Okay you’re right. I must admit though, it’s not all bad. We get to go to places we’ve never gone to before, ate food I don’t think I’ll ever get to try otherwise, and met people that have changed my life.”

Namjoon nods at himself, satisfied with his answer.

“At the expense of your physical and mental health? Of your privacy? Your right to walk alone in the streets without being constantly mobbed?”

Namjoon isn’t going to be a saint and say that he obviously doesn’t think about those things for the sake of the fans, but he does. Despite that, he knows contemplating these things is useless because bringing these issues up with the company is the equivalent of spitting at an image of a deity at church—it’s taboo, and you could get kicked out for doing so. He loves music enough to keep himself and the guys in line, willing to do what the company tells them to. Deep in the crevices of his mind, he knows that an opportunity like this will never come twice in his life, and that’s what makes it so lucrative, so addicting.

“A small price to pay.”

He hits send. You don’t reply and he thinks you have either fallen asleep (for real this time) or you simply choose to ignore his stubborn answer. Either way, he will just have to find out if he wakes up the next morning.

“Thank you for worrying about me, nonetheless. You’re a better therapist than our actual psychiatrist,” Namjoon chuckles as he delivers the final message before turning his phone off and sliding it underneath his pillow. Several thoughts swim his mind and he doubts whether he’ll be able to fall back asleep.

“A small price to pay,” he says out loud, as if trying to convince himself of the con he’s been told half of his life.

A small price to pay, is what he hears from the CEO himself when they were all in his office during the time they re-signed their contract.

A small price to pay, is what he lectures the members when the going gets tough.

But is it just a small price to pay?

Namjoon is unsure, deep down, and it terrifies him.

[heshefamilytree]

“ TENDER MERCIES FROM HEAVEN, A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE”

This Christmas Season has been quite incredible with tender mercies from my Heavenly Father of which I am so grateful. So grateful in fact, that my heart has been overflowing with love this entire season.

My children live all over the nation and as I have thought about each of them with a melancholy heart missing them so, it is natural that my thoughts in turn, focused on my two sons on the other side and how much I miss them. Each of my children are so good, kind and loving to me, that I am constantly in awe at the love they pour out towards me, even though I cannot see them as often as I want to. They make my heart happy.

This past month I have had a myriad of special things happen to me that are highly unusual in my world. They are simple things really. Normally one would not think twice about such things, however as these little blessings continued to happen in an unusual abundance I wondered what was going on and felt very special. They were little things like getting massive discounts on movie seats and treats, receiving an $80 coupon for a coveted item at my favorite shop, a very special letter came in the mail about my daddy who crossed through the veil some 20 years ago (now that was something!), a completely unexpected gift from a general friend who was waiting for me as I walked out of a building, ministering angels (those who wear bodies) from an exquisite art show filled with love of the Savior, to simple kindnesses from others in whose paths crossed mine. Of course, I try to be kind and loving in return – always, however all of these things piled up upon each other, continuing to happen to me as I muddled through each day with a prayer deep in my heart and love and kindness for my sweet Jesus on my mind.

Things culminated as I was at the JSMB building writing (working) listening to the choirs that came from all over the valley to perform and sing Christmas Carols in the beautiful one-hundred-and-eight-year-old ornate lobby while sitting on the velvet settee with my work spread out all over the marble table. I saw a sweet elderly sister missionary cross the lobby floor after speaking with someone. She looked so beautiful as I watched her walk toward the elevator. She was in a lovely white ankle flowing skirt and blouse with the most gorgeous multicolored crocheted vest worn over the blouse. The yarn loops were loose so the white beneath could be seen. The lavenders, light greens, soft blues and white were stunning. I remember smiling as I saw how beautiful she looked and then she was gone. I continued to write and work on my Irish case. I decided I was going to quit at 4:30 and reward myself with a spiritual uplift of watching “Mr. Kruger’s Christmas” in the gorgeous large theater room with the plush seats. I felt that would be a rewarding way to end the workday.

I walked upstairs and headed down the hall to the theater with a very loving full heart and lo and behold, the missionary that greeted me was the sweet lady in the colorful vest and lovely flowing white skirt! I was quite surprised at this after seeing her downstairs a little earlier. Up close, I could see a colorful owl pendant that was about 2 inches in length in the same colors as her vest, pinned in the center of the vest to hold it closed. It was beautiful! I spoke up and told her how lovely her outfit was and especially the vest with the owl pendant to top it off. She thanked me and told me her daughter in Alaska crocheted the vest for her and she had received so many compliments on the vest and owl today, so many so that she was really surprised. I responded that I could understand why and her daughter must love her very much. I proceeded to tell her how special owls were to me.

You see, after my second son Luke had had a tragic accident at the dairy and had crossed through the veil to Heaven, I received little messages of his safety and love. In fact, it was made known to me that both my sons were watched over, cared for, and very very fine and happy-after all, it was Heaven! The cemetery was one block from my house. For many many nights, I had trouble sleeping. I would wake about 2 AM, and remain awake for several hours. In the quiet of the night, I could hear a hoot owl calling. The night was so still and calm and peace permeated the air rich with consoling tranquility. I fell in love with the wise old owl immediately. I had to find him, to see him, so I could thank him for this sweet music in the middle of the night when I was alone with my grief. I was on a quest! Day after day, when I had a moment alone, I went for walks in the cemetery trying to spot the owl. One day, just a jaunt up from my son‘s grave was a row of very old pioneer graves, about four or five tall narrow stones with a type of pineapple shaped top, all in a row. These stones had been there for about a hundred-and-twenty-five years. As I walked towards the boys’ graves passing the old stalwart tall stones with the pineapple tops, there was the hoot owl! He was perched on the second stone watching ME. I stopped dead in my tracks. I was alone in the cemetery-not another person in sight. He had obviously seen me long before I saw him. He was beautiful, white feathers speckled with browns of varying shades. I quietly begin talking to the wise old owl. I thanked him for watching over my boys and staying up all night to protect these children of mine. He kept looking at me, then blinking those big black eyes of his, looked to the right towards Luke’s grave and back at me. I told him how consoling his hoot-call was in the night, music to my ears, and I felt at peace with the turn of events. I knew this beautiful creature understood me and was a messenger for my boys, Luke and Matthew, telling me not to worry that all is well and as it should be. This wise old owl blessed my heart.

I shared this story with my new friend and we both shed a few tears. I went to find my seat in the auditorium and was waiting for the Christmas film to start when I saw the sweet lady come my way. I was surprised that she was coming straight to me. When she reached me, she promptly stated with a smile on her face, “Open your hands.“

I could see her hands closed tightly. I thought she was smuggling me chocolate, haha! When I opened my hands she dropped her beautiful colorful owl pendant into my hands. Tears immediately sprang to my eyes as I shook my head and firmly remarked, “I cannot possibly accept this pendant from you. Your daughter in Alaska made this vest for you and this pendant is perfect! It is special to you! Everyone loves it and it goes with your lovely outfit!“

She instantly responded, “I was prompted to give this to you and you will take it.“

At that moment I knew my two sons, Luke and Matthew, were right there and telling me this gift of the owl and all the tender mercies (which I thought at first was simply good luck since I was an Irish lass) were from them and they were trying to convey they received permission from our great Lord and Savior to come and visit me (yes, ‘lil ‘ole ME!) this season and give this humble little mother a Christmas gift of love from them. (Which in turn, I realized just how much Heavenly Father and sweet Jesus love me to give me this gift of my sons near me.)

Many people have served as ministering angels in their behalf over the past few weeks, but it took this sweet senior missionary to go the extra mile communicating with me and acting on her prompting, for me to realize what was going on. I will always be beholden to her for listening to my sons and being close enough to the Holy Spirit to hear and act. She is a wonderful example to me.

Since this event last week, tender mercies have continued to happen to me, and my heart is still filled to the brim with such love that it cannot be contained and spills over. I just pull into myself and feel the love of my sons, my Lord, my children who graciously remain on this side of the veil, grateful for all of my blessings.

It is so easy during the Holidays to feel sad and lonely, but this season I feel so much love and so blessed, so so grateful for these tender mercies from Heaven. I watch daily for opportunities to pass this love along in some small way and give to another in an effort to show my gratitude and love to my Heavenly Father and sweet baby Jesus. For all of these things I am so grateful.

Love, one humble mother.

[vfdbaudelairefile13]

Chapter Forty-Four:

The One Where Olaf Takes Over the Hospital

The children did not like the prospect of sleeping in the half-finished wing of the hospital but Violet was right. What choice did they have? If they weren’t able to find vacant beds in a more secluded part of the hospital that was what they were going to have to deal with. The three children stood in silence waiting for Hal to come back. The entire time, Violet debated taking Klaus and Sunny and just leaving the hospital altogether. She assumed Olaf would never be the wiser. She could hotwire a car and drive the kids far away to that little town that her father had taken her several times during his many years of hiding. She knew of a coffee shop that they could hide at even if the owner was there, the woman with the green eyes who was just as secretive as her father might be there, but she was sure that if she explained her situation the woman would be kind enough to allow the siblings to hide out there. She wasn’t sure if the woman would actively help her and her siblings clear their names but she had hidden her father a few times. Violet could just casually mention her father’s passing and maybe the woman would still help. But a nagging part of Violet, a part that hadn’t shut up even when her father was alive, wondered what in the world the secrets behind VFD would tell her.

Now all three siblings were very desperate to learn around the real VFD and the secrets and mysteries revolving them, their parents, their enemies, and their overall misery. But if anyone was more desperate for answers it would be Violet. She had sought them out when her father was alive, even going out of her way to disguise herself to follow him, breaking into his personal belongings and even confronting him with a mountain of evidence in hopes of getting him to admit and explain everything. That last part definitely did not go as Violet had planned, although it did go how she expected. Her father continued to lie to her and even claimed that she didn’t need to know. This, of course, ended in Violet saying three words that she had never said to him in her whole fourteen years of living and it was three words that still haunt her to this day. Casually replaying in her head reminding her of the day she broke her father’s heart and the night she lost him for good. Unable to take back the words that she screamed to him. I hate you! She remembers shouting as loud as she could. Violet sought desperately to answers because these answers might explain to her more about the lives of her mother and father and maybe even shed some light on what had happened for her upbringing to be untraditional and not what either of her birth parents had wanted. So the nagging voice in her head convinced her to stay as she hoped that Brandon Spats was correct when he had told the kids that Heimlich Hospital’s Library of Records could, in fact, answer all of their nagging questions.

Her thoughts were put on hold as Hal walked in right at the time that a loud thudding noise was ringing above the children’s heads. The three children glanced up at the two chutes that Hal had indicated were for incoming files.

Hal sighed happily. “There’s nothing like the sound of a file coming down those chutes,” he said as the file hit the empty basket with a loud thud.

“It looks like a film,” Violet noted confused.

“Yes, a lot of our recent files are films. We have projectors along the south wall for anyone who wants to view them, but no one does because no one is allowed.” Hal explained as he picked up the file and squinted at it for a very long time. Finally, he turned to the three children. “Could you three excuse me? They have very specific instructions about where to file anything marked Volatile Film Document.” He held up the film that was titled ‘The Snicket File’ in front of the children’s faces.

It was a brief moment, but it was enough for Violet to read the title and predictably the film’s title sent Violet’s heart to the ground as she stared at her own last name appearing in front of her face. Even if she only was given a moment to glance at the film, her eyesight was far better than Hal’s and even Klaus’ and she noticed that right under the file’s title, there was a white sticker with black lettering that indeed declared it a ‘Volatile Film Document’. Hal turned to walk away as the children stepped closer to one another so they can talk privately unsure if Hal’s hearing was as bad as his sight.

“Volatile Film Document,” Klaus repeated looking at Violet.

“VFD,” Sunny chanted, intrigued. She may have good eyesight like her sister but her disadvantage was that she had been standing on her own two feet when Hal had shown the document’s title to the children, so she, like her brother, was blissfully unaware of what the file was named after.

“...you guys...it was…” Violet said, currently staring into space as if the film was still directly in her face and she was simply reading her name over and over again.

“What?” Klaus asked as Sunny turned towards Violet concerned.

“Did you guys see it’s title/” Violet asked unsure of what to think.

“No,” Sunny replied.

“It was entitled ‘The Snicket File’,” she whispered putting a strong emphasis on her last name.

“ What?” Klaus asked incredulously. “Are you sure?”

Violet simply nodded her head.

“That...that file can help us...we have to see it,” Klaus freaked as Sunny nodded her head in agreement. Klaus looked desperately around the hospital’s Library of Records. Snicket file? That file is either about Jacques Snicket. Or maybe it was about Violet? Or even her father...Lemony, I think his name was. It could have all of the answers that we have been desperately seeking. He thought to himself. His eyes scanned the large room looking for Hal.

“How?” Violet asked but almost immediately Klaus followed it up with, “Hal?!”

“Yes, Nick?” Hal called back immediately.

“We…” He began. He took a breath. He had to convince Hal to break his stupid rules so that the siblings could see that damn file. “We need to see a specific file,” he called out frantically.

“A file? Why do  you need to see a specific file?” Hal asked confused.

“We need to watch it,” Violet called out as they tried to get closer to Hal’s current location. Sunny walked in front of the two older siblings hoping that her height was more of an advantage than a disadvantage in this case. With Hal’s poor eyesight, Sunny was sure he wouldn’t see her coming at all.

“Watch?” Hal repeated. “Our job is to file files, not read or watch them. We just went over this, Lilac.”

“Yes, we understand that but…,” Violet began.

“It’s very important, Hal,” Sunny interjected, still trying to locate the man. The two older siblings took a second to smile down at Sunny, who was actually starting to speak in a manner where everyone around her could understand her. Sure, there was still times where she crafted only one or two-word sentences or used her baby talk to articulate her ideas but for the most part, Violet and Klaus could tell that even through their hardships, Sunny must have been taking the time to learn how to speak so she can back up her siblings in arguments with either their enemies or ineffectual adults to where Klaus and Violet didn’t have to translate for her much anymore. And although this did spark some pride into both of her siblings, it also sparked a bit of sadness in both. For Violet, she felt like she had missed a pivotal moment in Sunny’s growth seeing that she had just met her baby sister recently, but for Klaus, it felt as though, Sunny was once again showing off how she no longer needed him and with each passing day as he watched Violet and Sunny operate through the siblings’ misfortune Klaus felt more and more unneeded and useless.

“It’s...it’s a matter of life or death,” Klaus explained desperately.

“Life or death, you say?” Hal repeated as he appeared in front of the children. None of them could tell which direction he had come from. “Well that does sound important…” he began as he pondered it. After a moment, he sighed. “I’m sorry, children. But rules are rules.”

“But…” Violet began.

“Enough,” Hal said sternly. “Now, I’m very appreciative that you three children wanted to volunteer here, but if you continue to argue with me I will have to ask Babs to find me three new volunteers.”

“No,” Klaus cried desperately. “We’ll...we’ll drop the subject,”

“Thank you,” Hal said as he held out his hand for Sunny’s. “Solitude. Follow me please,”

Sunny glanced towards her siblings with a small frown as she followed Hal down the Z aisle. Half-heartedly Violet and Klaus got to work filing the information that was falling from the chutes, some were paper files and some were films like the file that they were desperate to see. While Sunny followed Hal throughout the library using her teeth to open the file cabinets that he had lost keys to. But the children’s minds were not on filing, or on the file cabinet locks, their minds were strictly on the Snicket file.

Just about everything in this world is easier said than done, with the exception of ‘systematically assisting Sisyphus’s stealthy, cyst-susceptible sister,’ which is easier done than said. But it is frustrating to be reminded of this fact. As Violet filed a piece of paper containing information on cuttlefish under M, for mollusks, she said to herself, “I’ll just walk down the S aisle and look under Snicket,” but Hal was already in the S aisle, filing away paintings of sewing machines, and she could not do what she said. As Klaus filed a survey of thimbles, under P, for protection of the thumb, he said to himself, “I’ll just walk down the F aisle and look under F, for ‘fires’, but by the time Hal had moved to the F aisle and was opening a file cabinet to rearrange biographies of famous Finnish fishermen. And Sunny twisted her teeth this way and that, trying to open one of the locked file cabinets in the B aisle, thinking that perhaps the file was inside, filed under ‘Baudelaires’ but when the lock finally broke just after lunch, the youngest sibling opened the cabinet to find it was absolutely empty.

The three children sat together unhappily in the antechamber as they ate a few pieces of fruit. True to his word, Hal had used his lunchtime to get the kids fruits that they preferred even bringing a bundle of raspberries, which Klaus and Sunny were surprised to find out were Violet’s favorite, too.

Klaus leaned in close to his sisters as he peeled an orange for Sunny. “How can we get ahold of the file, when Hal is always around?” he asked.

“Maybe we can just try asking him again?” violet suggested. “Maybe...we should explain ourselves.”

“Do you want to go to jail?” Klaus whispered.

“No, of course not,”

“Then we aren’t ‘explaining ourselves’,” Klaus said sternly. “Besides, that never worked. No one listens to us.”

“Maybe we can leave some details out when we explain ourselves?” Violet suggested.

Sunny looked towards Violet and shook her head. “Too risky,” she said. “Can’t lose you,”

Violet smiled down at Sunny. “You ain't losing me anytime soon, Sunshine,” she said caressing the toddler’s cheek gently. Sunny leaned into Violet’s touch, smiling. Violet reminded her so much of their mother.

“Solitude,” Klaus whispered, reminding Violet.

“Shit, sorry,” Violet said sighing. “We need to see that file. I’m open to suggestions,”

Klaus and Sunny looked at one another and then glanced at Violet. Both shrugging their shoulders.

“Then what’s wrong with my idea?”

“Your dad was on the run, correct?” Klaus asked.

“Yeah? Why?” Violet asked.

“Would he ever suggest explaining himself?”

“No,” she admitted sheepishly.

“Well, maybe we should follow the expert,” Klaus suggested.

Violet sighed. “I guess you’re right,” Violet agreed. “But I still think it wouldn’t harm to ask Hal again. This is a library, right? If this was a regular library, we would as the librarian for help. In a library of Records, we should ask Hal,”

“But you heard him…,” Klaus began before Hal appeared in the antechamber.

“You can ask me anything you want, Lilac,” Hal said smiling. “But first I have to ask you something,” He walked over to the children and pointed at one of the fruits. “Is that a plum or a persimmon?” he asked squinting at the fruit. “My eyesight isn’t what it used to be, I’m afraid.”

“It’s a plum,” Violet said, handing it to him.

“Oh, good. I wasn’t in the mood for a persimmon,” Hal squinted at the bowl and chuckled a little. “I see you kids really liked the fruit I bought you,” he said. “The bowl is nearly empty,”

The kids blushed. “S-sorry,” Klaus muttered. “We...didn’t have breakfast,”

“Or dinner,” Sunny muttered sadly. She glanced at her two siblings and realized that she was the one who had devoured most of the fruit in the bowl. But her siblings didn’t blame her, she was recently in Olaf’s captivity and the two older siblings doubted that he properly fed Sunny and the Quagmires.

“Oh, don’t be sorry. I rather you three eat as much as you please than allow the fruit to go to waste,” Hal explained.

Violet sighed and pulled out her father’s wallet. “We can pay to refill the bowl,” she offered. “How much?”

Hal shook his head. “No, no. You three are helping me for free. Consider the fruit as your payment,” he said patting Violet’s shoulder. “Now what was your question, Lilac?”

“We had a question about that specific file,” Klaus said carefully, not wanting Hal to become suspicious. “I know it’s not customary for us to read the files, but if we were very curious, would it be okay to make an exception.”

Hal bit into the plum and frowned. “Why would you want to read that file?” he asked curiously. “Children should read happy books with bright pictures, not official information from the Library of Records,”

“But we’re interested in official information,” Violet said. “And we’re so busy filing things away that we don’t get a chance to read anything in the files. That’s why we were hoping to take one home with us and read it.”

Hal shook his head. “Paperwork is the most important thing we do in this hospital,” he said sternly. “That’s why the files are only allowed out of the room if there’s a very important reason,”

“This is important,” Sunny explained.

“As we said earlier, it’s a matter of life and death,” Klaus reiterated.

Hal opened his mouth to reply to the kids. But he was interrupted by the intercom.

“Attention! Heimlich Hospital! This is Babs, Head of Human Resources, hospital administration, and the party planning. Due to budget cuts, the cafeteria will be closing in nine minutes, the gift shop will be closing in three minutes. And the library of Records is closing right this very second,” Babs announced and all three children’s hearts fell to the ground at the same time as the lights around them and Hal turned off. Klaus looked around desperately as Violet wiped a tear from her eyes. Sunny stomped her tiny feet on the ground in response.

“Looks like you can’t see that file, after all,” Hal remarked as he leads the children out of the library.

The children watched in dismay as Hal locked the door to the library. He bid the children goodnight and left the children stranded outside the door of the Library of Records.

“I just don’t understand it,” Klaus muttered, which was something he rarely ever said.

Violet sighed, nodding her head in agreement. “It’s a puzzle I’m not sure we can solve,”

“We need that file,” Sunny whined, stomping her feet again.

“We can worry about that later,” Violet explained picking her sister up. “Right now, we need to find a vacant room with a bed or two,”

“Hospital beds are small,” Klaus explained. “We’ll need two,”

Violet shook her head. “We’ll take what we can find. Most hospital rooms have chairs for visiting family, I’ll sleep on that.”

“I’d fit better,” Sunny volunteered.

“No, Sunshine. You just spent the last two weeks sleeping in cramped spaces. You and Klaus can have the hospital bed.”

“Or you and Sunny can,” Klaus interjected. “I slept in the firetruck. You didn’t. Someone should stay up and keep watch. Olaf is here, he made the mistake of making that obvious. We need to keep the upper hand.”

Violet sighed. “Look, let’s just find somewhere to sleep and we’ll go from there,” Violet said irritated. Sunny positioned herself to where she was hiding Violet’s face while she held the balloon tied to her wrist in front of Klaus’ face. The children wandered around the hospital, Violet was busy looking out for Olaf and his troupe while Klaus was looking to make sure no one recognized him or Violet from the paper. While Sunny did her best to not look at anyone directly since she was unaware if Mrs. Poe would have included a picture of her seeing that she was considered a kidnapped child. As they wandered, they whispered to each other different ways to convince Hal to allow them to see the file. Finally, after a half an hour of wandering around, it had seemed that violet had finally found a vacant room in a somewhat secluded part of the hospital.

“This seems secluded,” she said looking around.

“We may be in the quarantine area of the hospital,” Klaus said.

“Is that good or bad?” Sunny asked.

“Well, it depends on how we look at it. Right now, it’s entirely empty...but if they get a case that needs to be quarantined...we may be trapping ourselves,” Klaus replied.

“Do you guys want to sleep in beds or not?” Violet asked. She walked closer to the door and reached for the handle, but as she touched the door’s handle. The intercom started up once more.

“This is Babs,” the children could hear Babs’ voice coming from the intercom but something seemed wrong to the children. The woman’s voice that came from the intercom sounded scared which caused the children to be scared. Violet let go of the door’s handle and held on to her siblings’ tightly. “Head of human resources, hospital administration, and the party planning committee. I’d just like to announce my super unexpected, super early retirement. My replacement will begin immediately.” her frightened voice called out.

“ Thank you, Babs,” a new voice called out from the intercom. The three siblings looked at one another in shock and horror. The voice was familiar to the children. It was faint and scratchy, some would even call it wheezy.  It was a voice that the three siblings heard wherever they went, no matter where they lived or who tried to protect them, and even though the children had heard this voice so many times before, they had never gotten used to its sneering tone, as if the person talking were telling a joke with a horrible and violent punchline. “You certainly appreciate all my hard work over the years,” he said smirking. “Attention! Greetings...Heimlich Hospital! This is Dr. Mattathias Medical-School with an important news bulletin.”

Sunny whimpered at the sound of Olaf’s sneering tone and Klaus shuddered, grabbing onto Violet’s shoulder tightly. Violet glared at the door in front of her as if she was staring at the cruel smile that Olaf always had on his face when he was tormenting her and her siblings. “Some murderers have been spotted in the hospital,” he sneered. “So we will be conducting a thorough check of each and every bed until they’ve been caught.”

Klaus glanced up at his eyes widened when he noticed a security camera. “Vi…?” he whimpered.

“What?”

He didn’t respond, he merely pointed at the camera. Violet looked from the camera to where the room number was posted. She slammed her fist against the door when she realized that the camera could clearly see the room number.

“After all, no one wants to be murdered to death in their sleep,” Olaf continued, his voice still sneering at the children. They didn’t know it, although they suspected it, he could see them in one of the many security monitors that were inside Babs’ office. “ Goodnight and sweet dreams,” he said laughing into the intercom until the children could hear Esme whispering to him that the intercom was still on.

The three children stood frozen in fear, unsure of what to do and unsure of how to react.  Violet pulled her two siblings around a corner as she started to frantically think.

“Violet, he’s taking over the hospital,” Klaus whined.

“I can see that, Klaus,” Violet replied angrily.

“Leave?” Sunny suggested.

“We need that file,” Violet insisted.

“Are you sure that file was named the Snicket file?” Klaus asked as Violet grabbed on to his wrist and began dragging him along.

“Yes,” Violet replied.

“What are we going to do?” Klaus asked.

“We’re going to hide,”

“Where?”

Violet didn’t answer because she wasn’t sure. She knew the kids had to hide from Olaf and anyone who had read the paper. “We need to find somewhere in the hospital that they won’t look,” she whispered.

“Half,” Sunny suggested.

Klaus frowned but nodded his head. “If there are no walls, there can’t be any security cameras,” Violet explained. “Good idea, Sunny.”

“Now all we gotta do is get there without getting caught,” Klaus whimpered.

“Which is easier said than done,” Violet grumbled under her breath.

[forever-rogue]

Our Little Secret

Request: Can you please do one where the reader and Tom Hiddleston are on set for the Avengers movies and since she’s a huge fan of Loki (and Tom, obviously) she asks him for a hug in his Loki costume??

A/N: I just adore Loki and Tom so much! I like to think this could actually happen. I hope you all enjoy! Taglists and Requests are open! xx

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: FLUFF -> so much fluff!

MASTERLIST

Y/N marveled at the set all around her, eyes scanning quickly to take in every minute detail. Everything was so intricately crafted and lovingly made, down to the last tiny cracks, crevice, and grooves. How she actually had gotten lucky enough to be here was beyond her  - but things had worked in her favor and she had won a radio contest. Fast forward and she was wandering through the sets of the latest Avengers movie.

“This is insane,” the girl, Sirah, next to her said as they looked through the props, “these are all so cool.”

“I know,” Y/N agreed as she ran her hand over one of Thor’s props, “everything is made so beautifully. You can just see how much love and craftsmanship went into all of these things.”

“Right?” Sirah said as she looked up and her eyes suddenly widened - she had spotted a group of the actors milling about, getting ready to film. She nudged Y/N’s arm and tried to guide her line of vision to what she was looking at without being too obvious.

“Wow,” Y/N whispered as the two girls squealed. Their tour guide had noticed that they were falling behind, indicated for them to follow, but slowed her pace.

“You guys are very lucky,” the tour guide had a smile on her face, “I didn’t know anyone was going to be on set today - there wasn’t anything scheduled. Must be some extra shoots.”

“Can we meet them?” her companion asked in a giddy voice, giving the guide her best puppy dog eyes.

Y/N looked between the two of them before looking up at the small group. She studied them for a second when none other than Tom Hiddleston himself looked up and made eye contact with her. He gave her a warm, glowing smile before turning back to the group he was chatting with. She felt her eyes cheeks heat up as she realized what happened - Tom Hiddleston had just noticed her!

“Let me go on and check with them, it’ll be just a minute,” the tour guide said as she started to head towards the group. Y/N’s heart almost stopped with nervousness and excitement. What would she say? What would she do?

“Oh my God! Can you believe we might get to meet them!?”

“I feel I’m gonna forget how to breathe!” Y/N said as she watched the tour guide speak with the group of actors. They all appeared to be playing some minor characters, other than Tom of course. She could see them listening intently before several heads were nodding in agreement.

She went back to studying the props, trying not to stare and seem over eager.

“Good news ladies, they’d love for you to come and say hi!” Y/N and the other girls quietly cheered, not believing in their own luck. She chuckled at the star struck girls before ushering them over to the group, “guys, these are our very lucky contest winners, Sirah and Y/N. Thank you for taking the time to say hi to them.”

“Lovely to meet you all,” Sirah said as she flashed the actors a stunning smile, “I can’t wait to see you all in the new movie! Thank you for letting us come onto the set when all working so hard.”

She is charming, Y/N thought to herself as she hoped she didn’t seem awkward and boring compared to her. The group seemed all seemed very kind and made small talk easily with them. Y/N largely chose to remain silent and observe, rather than forcing herself into her conversation.

“Guys! We need to get back to shooting!” Tom’s head turned in the direction of the director’s voice as they were needed back in front of the camera. He held up a hand indicating that they were coming.

“You all best get going, thank you for your time,” the tour guide smiled at them as they said their goodbyes and started heading off. Sirah enthusiastically waved them off and Y/N gave them a round of smiles. She noticed Tom was hesitant to leave. He watched Y/N closely for a moment as someone shouted his name.

“Y/N, it was lovely meeting you,” he said in his voice, soft and rich like honey, as he leaned over and gave her a big hug. She couldn’t help the giant smile that appeared on her face and stretched from ear to ear. He looked down at her and said quietly, “I know this is forward and all, and I don’t ever do this, but I can’t help myself - would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

Y/N looked at him in amazement, unsure if she just heard him correctly. She stared at him dumbly for a moment before properly processing and nodding slowly, “yeah, okay.”

“Wonderful! Do you know where Luigi’s is?” he asked as he was called again. Y/N nodded as a small smile formed on her face, “perfect. I’ll meet you there at 7?”

“I’ll be there,” she promised as he grinned at her and gave her an affirmative nod. He headed off to where everyone was waiting for her - leaving Y/N standing in a haze. The tour guide and Sirah seemed oblivious to what just happened as they continued looking through the props and set piece. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Tom Hiddleston had asked her out. Her! Of all people. She clasped her hands together in delight as what had just happened. She had a date with one of the most handsome and talented men in the world!

Y/N stood in front of the agreed upon restaurant, looking at the time on her phone. It was just a few minutes before Tom was supposed to meet her. All sorts of thoughts were racing through her mind, including wondering if this was some sort of set up. Would he actually do that though? It seemed unlikely that he would be the type of person to do that, but he couldn’t help but wonder.

She smoothed her dress down and wondered if this was a mistake. She sighed quietly to herself and wondered if she should just leave before anything embarrassing happened or she was stood up.

Just as Y/N made up her mind to leave, she heard footsteps approaching her, followed by a quite throat clear. She looked up to see Tom standing there, looking dapper as ever, a big smile on his face, “hello there, Y/N. I’m so pleased you could make it!”

“Tom, hi,” she said, at a loss for words by his sudden appearance, “I-yeah, thanks for asking me to come.”

“I don’t normally just be so bold and ask women out in such a brash manner,” he explained as he ran a hand through his curls, “but when I saw you, you just took my breath away. I just had to say something.”

“Really?!” Y/N asked with wide eyes. Needless to say, she had never just had someone approach her in such a matter before - it was a shock, but a welcome one at that.

“I don’t think that should come as much of a surprise,” he stated as he observed her and gave her an up and down look. She bit her lip before shyly looking away, “well, I hope I don’t make you nervous!”

“Oh no,” she stuttered a little bit, “I get asked out by some of the best looking celebrities all the time!”

Tom burst out laughing, throwing his head back, and she couldn’t help but laugh too. She hadn’t actually meant to say that out, it sort of just happened, but she was happy to come off as amusing rather than the nervousness she felt. Once he stopped his beautiful laughter, he opened the door to the restaurant for her and ushered her inside.

The evening ended up much less awkward than Y/N had anticipated - the two of them ended up having a lot of chemistry and conversation followed easily.

As Y/N was taking a swig of the dark red wine that Tom had selected when she noticed he was staring at her intently. She felt a pang of self consciousness as she set the glass down and wiped her face, making sure no bits of food were sticking to her face.

“What is it?” She asked shyly as looked at him, and he shook his head as he noticed her trepidation.

“Nothing, please do forgive me,” he said quickly as he laid his napkin on the table, “I didn’t mean to stare.”

“You made me think I had something on my face!” she laughed, “quit making me so nervous!”

“It was an accident, I swear!” He laughed as she mockingly narrowed her eyes and relaxed a little bit, “besides, can you blame someone for admiring such a beauty?”

“Are you always this much of a dork?” she asked as he simply nodded in response.

“I’m afraid so, darling,” he agreed, “I hope that won’t be too much of a problem. I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to it.”

She paused when she heard she processed what he had said - get used to it? As in he wanted to see her again? 

“Get used to it, eh? Does that mean you want to see me again?” she asked with a bit of trepidation. Biting her lip, she focused on her plate and pushed around the last bits of food on it.

“Yes, of course I’d like to see you again,” he said as he cocked his head to the side and studied her, “that is, if you’ve had a good enough time to see me again. I hope I haven’t bored you half to death!”

“Boring? You?!

“Believe it or not, I have had several women tell me I’m quite boring. The personality of blanched celery, one of them said,” he shrugged with a smirk as she barely managed to contain her laughter.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she wiped a tear from her eye, “but it just seems hard to believe anyone would ever say that about you. I mean, you’re you! I do, however, plan on using the term blanched celery from now on!”

“But see, now you’ve been cautioned; if you end up finding me boring eventually, you can’t blame me. I gave you full disclosure,” he said as he leaned forward in his seat and gently placed his hand over hers. She felt her cheeks warm up a little bit, but didn’t move her hand, enjoying his touch instead.

“I’m sure I won’t mind,” she said quietly, trying to keep herself grounded.

“What do you say we get out of here and go for a walk? It’s a nice evening out, and there’s this killer ice cream place at the park a few blocks down the road,” he asked and she nodded eagerly.

Y/N enjoyed the cool evening breeze as she and Tom walked side by side in the quite evening. Their conversation was quite and intermittent, but it never felt awkward or forced - just two people enjoying each other’s company. After a few minutes, Tom reached for Y/N’s hand and gently entwined his long slender fingers with hers, his hand grasping her firmly. Neither of them said anything, but they both were feeling giddy on the inside.

“How much longer are you going to be here?” she blurted out suddenly and cringed at herself.

“I’ll be here for a few more months,” he responded quietly, “and after that I have to return back to London for a bit, but I don’t want you to worry. We’ll figure things out. Besides you never want to rush the best things in life.”

“That’s a bold statement to make this early on,” she chided lightly as she swung their hands back and forth, “what makes you think this is so special?”

“I feel like sometimes you just know,” he said, “to be quite frank, and I hope this doesn’t scare you off,  I haven’t felt this way about anyone in a long time. The moment I saw you, it was just this weird rush, and I wasn’t quite sure how to handle it.”

“That’s...so weird,” she responded quietly as she looked anywhere but at Tom.

“Too much?”

“No, it’s just...no one has ever said anything like that to me before,” she admitted and Tom let out a quite sigh of relief, “it’s crazy to hear. Not that I think it’s bad or crazy, just..different. But in a good way.”

“I’m glad I haven’t scared you off yet,” he guffawed as he held onto her hand and stopped her from going walking further. She looked at him and he smiled at her, as she studied the features of her face. She almost felt naked under his touch. He almost whispered, “can I try something?”

She didn’t verbally respond but nodded slightly as she spied him coming closer. He softly kissed her, his lips moving in time with hers both gently, but with a sense of purpose - and dominance. She noted almost immediately that he was the best kisser she’d ever had. His hands slipped down to her waist, and held onto her hips firmly, but not hard enough to leave marks.

Y/N sighed peacefully into his mouth as they continued to kiss, refusing to break apart. She wrapped her arms his neck and held onto him tightly. Eventually she pulled back from him and smiled, her cheeks flushed from the excitement of the moment.

“Too forward?”

“Not at all,” she giggled as she playfully slapped his chest, “but - and don’t let this get to your head - you are a phenomenal kisser.”

“Oh?” He said cheekily, “I’m glad you think so. Does that mean I’ll get to do that again?”

“Hmm,” she shrugged as she stepped back from him. She chuckled as she headed down the sidewalk and continued walking towards the park. Tom watched her go for a second before taking off after her, taking only a few strides with his long legs to catch up with her, “oh hello there.”

“You never answered my question,” he said hastily as he reached for he hand, “I’m hoping it’s a yes?”

“It’s a hell yes,” she confirmed as she put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. He smiled into the kiss as she answered all of his questions. Whatever this was - whatever it ended up being, it was amazing now and that was all that mattered.

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[dccomicsnews]

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Director: James Wan

Screenplay: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Will Beall

Story: Geoff Johns, James Wan Will Beall

Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

  Summary

Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, the city of Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm. With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans to conquer the remaining oceanic people — and then the surface world. Standing in his way is Aquaman, Orm’s half-human, half-Atlantean brother and true heir to the throne. With help from royal counselor Vulko and Princess Mera, Aquaman must retrieve the legendary Trident of Atlan and embrace his destiny as protector of the deep.

  Positives

It’s been 5 years since the DCEU started, and along the way, there has been some definite stumbling points.  The only bright, shining star among the bunch was Patty Jenkins’ 2017 hit, Wonder Woman.  That is, until now.  The latest installment in DC’s ever growing cinematic universe, Aquaman, picks up after the events of Justice League and takes us on an exciting, worldwide adventure with Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry.  It plays as both an origin story and a follow up to what we saw last year, something you rarely see in superhero films.

James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring) managed to assemble a fantastic cast for this film, pulling out wonderful performances all around.  And what he brought to the screen visually was simply stunning.  From the vibrant underwater city of Atlantis, to the sprawling desert of the Sahara, this film showcased some of the best visual effects I’ve seen all year, and I’d be absolutely shocked if it didn’t receive an Oscar nomination in that category at the very least.  The underwater work was especially impressive, seeing these characters seemingly floating in the water, hair freely flowing.  And the battle scenes were all incredible, both in visual appeal and dynamic scope.

This is one of the films I was most looking forward to this year, while at the same time being extremely nervous of how it would turn out.  Another dud for DC would spell certain doom for future films, and could effectively be the end of these films for several years to come.  Luckily, that is not the case here.  This is a superbly entertaining film with something for everyone.  There’s action, humor, love, loss, huge battles, and even quiet moments… all the things a great superhero film should have, and Aquaman delivers.

The best thing about this film is, hands down, the amazing cast, including Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Temuera Morrison, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and even Dolph Lundgren.  Momoa definitely stole the show, and rightly so as it is his movie.  Even though his version of Arthur Curry isn’t what comic book fans may be used to, he did a stellar job of capturing the essence of the character while making it his own.  I loved what he did in Justice League, but this took it to a whole new level.  And this film has made Amber Heard a star in my eyes.  She brought a ferocity to Mera that was absolutely perfect, doing justice (no pun intended) to this, sometimes, underutilized character.  And she was really able to show the audience just how much of a badass she really is.  She’s just as awesome as Aquaman, maybe even more so, and it’s great to actually see that come across on the screen.

Another standout  here was Nicole Kidman.  I was shocked when I first heard she was going to be in this, but I figured she wouldn’t have a very big role, and I was right.  But what I didn’t expect was just how incredibly badass she’d be.  That opening scene with her fighting off the Atlantean guard was one of the best fight scenes in the whole film, not just because of how well it was shot, but because of how Kidman was able to harness the action star within.  I would love to see her take on another action role as she was great here.

Negatives

The CGI here was incredible, as there was so much that could’ve gone wrong.  There was really only a couple of instances were I was taken out of the movie due to the effects, but even then, it wasn’t a big deal.  It’s not like Mustache-gate from Justice League, or the end battle from Black Panther, both of which were glaringly bad CGI.  These instances were small enough that I could easily move past them.

  Verdict

Overall, Aquaman has become one of my favorite DC films of all time, and I’m truly looking forward to seeing it several more times once it hits theaters this coming weekend.  If you’re a fan of DC (which I hope you are), or even just a fan of good action flicks, go check this one out.  I truly think you’ll enjoy it.

  Movie Review: AQUAMAN (2018) Director: James Wan Screenplay: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Will Beall Story: Geoff Johns, James Wan Will Beall…

[regrowgumstissuenaturally-blog]

Gum Regrowth Products

Do Gums Regrow?

Gum Disease is actually an infection of the tissues that border and also back your teeth. It is a major source of tooth loss in adults. Since gum disease is actually normally pain-free, you may not know you have it. Likewise referred to as periodontal disease, gum disease is brought on by oral plaque buildup, the sticky film of micro-organisms that is constantly forming on our teeth. Read More About Gum Regrowth Products Below are some indication that can signify a concern:

gums that bleed effortlessly red, swollen, tender gums gums that have actually retreated from the teeth consistent halitosis or even negative flavor long-term teeth that hang or even dividing any sort of modification in the way your teeth fit together when you bite any kind of modification in the match of partial false teeths

Some aspects enhance the risk of cultivating gum disease. They are:

inadequate oral cleanliness smoking or eating cigarette genes misaligned teeth that are actually tough to keep clean pregnancy diabetic issues drugs, consisting of Anabolic Steroids, particular forms of anti-epilepsy medications, cancer treatment medications, some calcium stations blockers and also birth control pills

See your dentist if you think you possess gum disease given that the quicker you manage it the much better. The beginning of gum disease is actually gotten in touch with gingivitis. If you possess gingivitis, your gums may come to be red, puffy as well as hemorrhage simply. At this stage, the disease is still relatively easy to fix and can usually be actually done away with through a professional cleansing at your dental office, observed through everyday brushing as well as flossing.

Regrowing Gum Tissue Naturally

Advanced gum disease is called periodontitis. Persistent periodontitis affects 47.2% of grownups over 30 in the United States. It can bring about the loss of tissue and bone that assist the teeth and also it may become extra intense gradually. If it carries out, your teeth will definitely feel loosened and begin moving around in your mouth. This is the most popular type of periodontitis in adults yet may occur at any sort of grow older. It commonly worsens little by little, but there may be periods of fast progress.

Threatening periodontitis is a very destructive type of periodontal disease that occurs in individuals who are or else healthy. Typical components feature fast reduction of tissue and bone and might occur in some places of the mouth, or even in the whole entire mouth.

Analysis between systemic conditions as well as gum illness is on-going. While a web link is not definitive, some research studies show that serious gum disease might be actually linked with a number of various other health conditions including diabetes or movement.

It is possible to have gum disease as well as possess no warning signs. That is one reason regular dental exams as well as gum observations are actually really crucial. Treatment methods depend upon the kind of disease and exactly how much the ailment has progressed. Really good dental treatment in the house is actually vital to aid maintain periodontal disease from becoming much more severe or even recurring. Remember: You don't need to lose teeth to gum disease. Brush your teeth twice a day, tidy in between your teeth daily, eat a balanced diet, as well as timetable regular dental gos to for a lifetime of healthy smiles.

Exactly How To Reverse Receding Gums Naturally With Pulling Oil

Receding gums is actually a common complication in adults over the grow older of forty, however it can easily develop in folks of any ages. This triggers direct exposure of the roots of the teeth as well as loss of gum tissue. Exactly how to reverse receding gums normally? Many people undergo treatments Of gums get back severe, like surgical operation, to treat the trouble. Having said that, there is actually a popular natural treatment, called taking oil, which has actually aided many individuals to stay clear of gum surgery, and also Improved gum retraction-- also helped them replenish shed tissue.

Regrow Gum Tissue Naturally

Reverse Receding Gums Naturally With Pulling Oil

Taking oil is recognized not simply for its own proven advantage of retraction of the gums, yet likewise for teeth lightening, to refresh the respiration, turning around gum reduction and also cease bleeding gums. The antibacterial residential or commercial properties of the oil fully renew There are numerous claims that.

Grip can easily likewise purify the physical body of dangerous toxins although there is actually little bit of clinical documentation to support this. The truth is actually that traction oil has assisted hundreds of individuals recover and also reverse reversal of the gums and numerous other health issue. Attempt this recoil Gum treatment basic, natural and also completely benign, and learn for yourself.

What can you drop?

Traits You'll Need Oil Detergent Antibacterial Sesame (optional).

Directions.

Take a taste of sesame oil and area it in your mouth. Oil drawing to treat gum retraction (or even some other ailment) must be actually performed very first thing in the morning, just before breakfast, as well as on an unfilled belly.

Snap the oil inside your mouth slowly, as if you wash it with mouth wash and turn around receding gums typically. Shutoff the oil as well as "tug" it by means of your teeth, over and over again. This will carefully blend the oil with the saliva through the teeth for 10 to 20 moments.

Regrowing Gums

Spit the oil when it has actually ended up being thin and white colored. If the oil is yellowish and thick have actually certainly not helped make the oil taking long enough. Proceed till you have actually altered color and texture, for the most profit to your shrinkage of the gums.

Washout your mouth thoroughly along with water to be sure that all micro-organisms is actually cleared away from the condition of the teeth, tongue and also retraction of the gums. Massage the gums with well-maintained hands to ensure that nothing at all is lost, and also to induce the blood circulation.

Replay the oil procedure through locating to three times a time, for 10-20 mins each time, to increase the healing of retraction of the gums. Consistently execute the method prior to foods as well as on an unfilled stomach.

Tidy the sink container carefully along with an antibacterial cleansing soap, if you spit in the sink. You may intend to spew in the toilet, to prevent this. Take note that the oil has lots of poisons as well as bacteria once it comes out of your Mouth, as well as take measures. Tips & Warnings.

If sesame oil is certainly not offered, you may utilize sunflower oil rather. Both work for treatment of retraction of the gums via oil drawing.

Will Gums Regrow?

Do not swallow while traction oil any time. After hissing for numerous moments, the oil becomes hazardous as well as loaded with germs in the mouth. The oil will just help your retraction of the gums if the above steps are complied with precisely.

You need to have to keep your possibilities open for the different type of procedures that are available for the puffy gums disorder. The toxic substances triggered by the micro-organisms and fungis in your mouth have the ability of damaging the mouth, gums and also the teeth substantially and also thus it is a have to for you to get a dentist to get rid of all indications of the concern that are actually related to the puffy gums treatment. Changing basic factors like that of brush, toothpaste, and also mouth wash can easily additionally generate a substantial influence on your teeth. How To Strengthen Loose Teeth? Reverse Receding Gums Naturally With Natures Smile Gum Balm.

Usage Natures Smile Gum ointment, this product has 100% natural removes such as Oak, Silver Fir, Chamomile, Yarrow, Greater Celandine and Nettle.