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seamsterspell · 3 years

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Do You Have a Membership?

Summary:

Levi went to a convenience store, and he was welcomed by a dazzling cashier. [LH Modern AU]

Words: 2081

A/N: A Oneshot that was Inspired by a real life event that my friend had experienced. It was so funny and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Hence, I want to immortalized their story by turning it into a Levihan fanfiction.

LINK: AO3 / FFNET

DISCLAIMER: Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan belongs to Hajime Isayama.

Levi had visited this gas station a few times before, but he had never bought something from the convenience store. However, one day, when he was driving Isabel to her university, he found himself in needed for gas. At the same time, he had also promised Isabel to buy her snacks for her faculty camping trip. Hence, to save some time, they decided to go to the convenience store after filling his car with gas.

Well, at least, that was the plan. But he should have known that Isabel is far too rebellious for his plan, no matter how simple it is. Because, in a quick motion, Isabel unfastened her seatbelt and went straight to the store, leaving Levi to queue for the gas alone.

Few minutes later, after he got what he needed, he parked the car in front of the small store. From the look of it, the store seemed to be vacant. Levi opened the glass door and heard a bell ring.

"Welcome to Rose Mini Mart!"

Additional voice was heard alongside the ringing of the bell. Levi was quite taken aback by a cheerful greeting that he got, which was a bit jarring from the usual greeting that he got from tired and underpaid retail workers.

Levi threw a quick glance at the cashier and glanced away. However, soon enough he found himself glancing back at the cashier. It was proven to be a bad decision because he locked eyes with the person. In an instant, he glanced away and walked further inside the store, focusing on his task to find a teenager with bright red hair. Fortunately, the store was small, so it was not hard for him to find her. She was standing in an alley that was filled with snacks and candies.

"Jesus, Isabel. Do you want to rob the entire shop?" Levi commented as soon as he saw Isabel—who was trying to fit various selection of potato chips into her hands.

"What do you mean? I just want to be prepared. What if I got lost in a forest?" Isabel replied nonchalantly as she grabbed another bag of potato chips.

"Don't be over dramatic. It's a fake forest, a playground for adults. You have to be stupid enough to get lost in there." Levi took two pairs of potato chip bags from her before putting it back on the rack. "It's only three days, Isa. Just buy what you need."

Isabel pouted and reluctantly put back most of her snacks, muttering under her breath as she did that. Levi insisted that he would not pay if she bought a lot, but Isabel kept persuading him to let her to buy another package. After throwing arguments back and forth, in the end, Isabel's haul consisted of a bag of chips, a bar of chocolate, two cartons of strawberry juice, and a package of dry toasted almond.

"Wow, you got a lot in there." The cashier remarked with a chuckle when Isabel put her snacks on the counter. "You're going somewhere?" She asked Isabel.

Isabel then proceeded to tell the cashier about her faculty camping trip. The cashier nodded to Isabel's story as she took each item and scanned it.

Now that Levi stood near the cashier, he was able to scan her appearance. She was wearing a long black sleeves shirt and a green apron. Her hair was knotted into a messy updo from which a few baby hairs could be seen coming out. She also wore rectangular glasses that sat on top of her roman nose.

There was nothing special with the way she dressed or styled herself. Nevertheless, Levi was somehow captivated by her, and he did not know why or how it happened. Was it because she looked so genuine when she smiled? Was it because the way her auburn hair shines from the sun that peeked through the store window? Was it because her genial attitude toward Isabel? Or was it because she looked—

"Alright, that will be $20.50, sir."

Levi was brought back from his stupor to meet a pair of sweet chocolate eyes. He blinked once as he muttered, "Ah."

"Will that be cash or charge?" She asked.

Levi took his wallet from his pocket and grabbed two pair of 10 dollars bill and a coin. "Cash." He said as he gave her the money.

"Do you have Rose membership?" She inquired when she took the money and count it.

"No."

"Do you have coupons?"

"No."

She nodded, "alright, you paid exactly $20.50 so there will be no change." The cashier clicked a few keys on the keyboard, put the money on the register, and gave him the receipt. "Thank you!" She said with the same smile that never falter since the beginning.

After making sure the receipt was right, Levi took Isabel—who had already put the snacks inside her canvas bag—by the elbow and led her outside.

"See you again." She told them before they left.

•──────✦──────•

Levi started his car and drove his car away from the gas station. However, he found himself lost in a haze of his own mind. He could not even focus to hear Isabel's rambling because his thought was filled with a certain someone. It was strange, because he did not even know her name, but she had caught him by surprised.

Levi thought that maybe it was because he did not expect someone like her to work as a cashier in a gas station convenience store. Granted, nothing is wrong with the job, but Levi had never met a cashier that… that is… that is so…

"LEVI!"

Levi jolted in his seat from the sudden loud voice that came from the girl that seated next to her. He looked on the road, expecting the worst, but luckily nothing happened. For a second, he was scared that they would die or something. After regaining his composure, Levi furrowed his brows at her and exclaimed, "What the fuck, Isabel?"

"I had to scream because you didn't respond!" She said in her usual high voice. However, Levi noticed a hint of urgency on her voice.

Levi sighed and clicked his tongue. "Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah, apology accepted. Now that we have made our peace, I want us to go back to the store."

"Huh?" Levi could not believe her request. He was barely driving for ten minutes, and she already want to go back? Well, it is not like he did not like that idea…

"We need to go back." She repeated as she sat awkwardly on the seat. Her countenance was nothing out of ordinary, but there was a sign on her forehead that said, 'something is definitely not right'.

He narrowed his eyes, scanning her suspiciously. "What do you mean we need—"

"WE NEED TO GO BACK!"

"I HEARD YOU!" He replied in an equally loud manner before lowering it again as he asked, "Why? You forget something?"

"Not really..." Isabel muttered before finally looking at Levi with much seriousness in her face. It was rare for her to make that face, so whatever this thing is, it must be so important. "Okay, listen Levi. I need to buy a tampon."

Levi raised one of his brows. "What? How could you forget something as important as that?"

"Well, I didn't know I got it until now." The words easily flew from her mouth, almost like she just told him about the weather today.

Levi paused before his face finally turned horror as he glanced at Isabel with bewildered eyes. He opened his mouth and asked in a low voice, "… Are you freaking serious?"

"No, it’s a prank."

Silence.

"OF COURSE, IT’S NOT. I'M SERIOUS, LEVI." Isabel grabbed his shoulder to shake him. "That's why we have to go back! Do you want me to—"

"Fuck no!" Levi shook his head in disbelief before looking at her again. "Are you even sure about it?"

"YEAH, I'M SURE! I KNOW MY BODY, OKAY?!"

Levi grunted before finally taking a turn to go back to the gas station. They parted away as soon as they arrived at the gas station. Isabel went to the toilet, walking in slow and painstaking steps. Meanwhile, Levi sprinted and barged into the store, making the bell rang loudly as he did.

"Welcome—Oh, it's you again."

Levi gave her a nod before walking to the personal care aisle and grabbed Isabel's usual choice of brand. He went to the cashier in hurry and immediately pocket his wallet from his pocket.

"You came back." The cashier remarked in a voice that was buoyant and tender.

"Yeah."

She grabbed the package and scanned it. "Oh, seems like your sister forgot this, huh?"

"Yeah—" He answered before furrowing his brows at her. "Wait, how did you know?"

"Deduction, I guess." She chuckled as she took a glance at the monitor. "From the way you two argued over potato chips and dry toasted almond, I knew immediately that you two are siblings."

On one hand, Levi was taken aback, and a little bit impressed by her observation. He and Isabel do not look exactly alike, so there had been some awkward instances where people would mistake them as any other but siblings. Although, on the other hand, Levi was kind of embarrassed by the fact that he and Isabel quarrelled loudly in public.

"Alright, that will be $6.68." She looked back at him with gleam in her eyes. "Will that be cash or charge?"

"Cash" Levi opened his wallet, grabbed two bills, and put it on the casher table before opening the small compartment where he put his coins. Levi then grabbed a few coins and started to count it.

"Do you have Rose membership?"

"No."

"Do you have coupons?"

"No."

"Do you have a partner?"

"No— What?!"

Chink.

Series of metal sound hitting ceramic was heard loudly on the quiet store. Levi stared blankly at his coins that scattered all over the floor. Then, he heard a feminine laughter coming from the cashier. Levi's started to feel his cheek burning from the event. He immediately crouched down and started to collect his coins.

"I'm sorry." She said before leaving the register and went to kneel in front of him. She helped him to grab some of the coins, she even willing to grab the coin that got stuck under the table. He was grateful for her help, but she just could not stop laughing while doing so, and it made him even more self-conscious.

Oddly enough, he was able to let it slide. He just could not find himself angry at her, not when she laughed like that. Her laughter was so sweet, so enchanting, and so addicting. So much so that he let the corners of his mouth lifted for a second.

After making sure that she did not miss any coins, she stood up and returned to her post. A few coins on her hand and she counted it. Then she grabbed the money that he had left on the counter and said, "six dollars…" before showing him the coins that she had on her hand, "…and sixty-eight cents."

“Ah, yeah—" He muttered in a croaky voice, a clear sign that he was being betrayed by his body. He cleared his throat and repeat his sentence in a clearer voice. "Yeah, thank you."

"You're welcome." She giggled and gave him the receipt.

Levi nodded as he took the receipt and the item. He glanced at her and at the door, contemplating on what he should do. In the end, his pathetic self decided to nod at her again before turning his body to the door.

"I'm Hange, by the way." She suddenly told him in a soft voice, almost like she was hesitating to speak it.

Levi halted on his step and returned to look back at her. A subtle flush could be seen on her cheek and Levi had to mentally stopped himself from staring at her like an idiot. He rubbed his nape and said, "Levi."

She was beaming with joy at his response. "Then, see you again…?"

Unlike the one that she said to him and Isabel, this time she voiced it more like a question than a statement. Levi smirked before he walked to the exit and answered, "only if my sister forgot something again."

Well, if there is one thing he knew about Isabel, she tends to forget things.

-fin-

#cha cha real smooooottthhhh #this was fun!!#it's nice to write in a more casual english #tftae is slowly turning me into shakespeare #ngl I went to walmart page to check on the price bcs idk the value of dollar :D #it's been so long since I wrote them in modern AU #levihan #levihan fanfiction #bluemallow

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introvertguide · 3 years

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The Life of Roman Polanski

The director of our current movie under review, Roman Polanski, is a man that has been surrounded by sadness and controversy. I think that he is a great director and an amazing creator of the visual arts, but he has a major flaw that makes me very glad he is nowhere near me. I think a statement like that deserves some explanation, but know that a lot of my take is based on opinion. I was not alive when a lot of his issues occurred so I base my opinion on news and official record statements. I will try and rely on recorded facts as much as possible and make a point to mention if something is not proven. I also encourage anyone who is interested to find out more because it is a fascinating story.

Polanski started off the in a pretty bad way as he was born in 1933 in Paris during the height of Nazi reign in Europe. He was moved to Krakow in 1937 right before the German invasion and his parents were taken in raids. He was kept alive in foster homes under an assumed identity and was lucky to survive. His mother died in Auschwitz, but he was reunited with his father after the war in 1946. Roman had quite the artistic eye and used it for both photography and filming. He attended the National Film School in Lodz, Poland and started directing short films that gained recognition. One film in particular was called Bicycle. It was a true story of a thief that tricked Polanski out of his money when purchasing a bicycle and instead beat Polanski around the head with the butt of a gun. The thief was found and eventually executed for past crimes including 3 murders.

After graduating in 1959, Polanski went to France and continued to make short films. He reported that there was a problem with xenophobia at the time since so many Polish people had dispersed around Europe after the war. He went to England and made three movies between 1965 and 1968 that gained recognition in America: Repulsion, Cul-de-sac, and Dance of the Vampires. A young woman named Sharon Tate played a role in Dance of the Vampires and Polanski fell in love. He married her in 1968 in England, and they moved to the U.S. so he could make movies in Hollywood. His first film in the states was a horror film entitled Rosemary’s Baby, one of the highest rated horror films of all time. Polanski had a beautiful young wife, a son on the way, a hit movie with more work coming, and great prospects for life in the United States.

As horrific as his formative years were, I am surprised to find myself writing that this is when Polanski’s life really went out of control. On August 9th, 1969, cult members who followed a man named Charles Manson broke into the Polanski home in Los Angeles and murdered the 8 month pregnant Sharon Tate and four friends that were at the home. Polanski had been working in London on a new film and wasn’t there that night. He says to this day that it is by far the greatest regret of his life. Remember this. It seems that some wires got crossed as far as Roman’s thinking process because his behavior really took a turn.

His films had been dark and violent in the past, but they started to have sexual undertones with more graphic nudity. His first movie back after the loss of his wife was Macbeth, a movie that was rated X at the time for graphic nudity and violence. Polanski later said that he was in a dark place, but the media would find things in his movies always looking for a story. He hated the media after the sensationalism and lack of privacy involved with the loss of his wife and son. Next came an extremely odd road trip sex comedy that was appropriately called What?. And then came his last work filmed in the United States and the film he was probably best known for, Chinatown. I don’t want to go over the film too much since it is the film currently under review for the group, but it is very dark and has an extremely down beat ending.

And then another crime was committed in Polanski’s life that would haunt while simultaneously erasing any good will the American public had for him. He was charged for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl who modeled for him during a Vogue photoshoot. It was recorded as occurring at the Bel Air estate of Jack Nicholson. There is no question about this encounter as Polanski was arrested and confessed to the charges. He thought he was going to receive probation and timed served for a guilty plea, but the judge was reported to have changed his mind and was planning to reject the plea and give Polanski prison time for all charges. This would result in up to 50 years in jail and what amounted to life in prison. Polanski would not serve this sentence so he fled the country to France where he would not be extradited.

The charges are still pending and there is no statute of limitations on rape in the United States, so Polanski is on a list of people that if found outside of certain countries will be immediately sent back to the U.S. to face charges. He has dual citizenship in France and Poland; both countries do not extradite citizens. He went on to make one of his best works, a film called Tess, while in Europe. It was a great success and Polanski was nominated for Best Director. The film ended up winning three Academy Awards (none for Polanski). So it seemed that this acclaimed director would live in France and hope that things would blow over. He settled a civil suit in court with the girl and she went on to marry and says she forgives Polanski. But it didn’t end...

Because the woman was in the U.S. and Polanski was not, she was harassed by the press to speak out and tell her story. She reported that the media did much more harm to her and her family than Polanski did. That is a very strong statement considering the charges. Things finally cooled down somewhat when Polanski married an actress from one of his films, Emmanuelle Seignor in 1989. The couple have two kids together and things were apparently going fine in France.

Things remained well through the 90s although nothing Polanski did got much attention. It seemed he would simply live out his life quietly in France. Then in 1999, he came out with a film called The Ninth Gate that garnered attention since it starred the very popular Johnny Depp. Polanski was back on his game and he directed and produced a film called The Pianist. It stars Adrian Brody and told the story of a Polish-Jewish composer who survived the concentration camps because of goodwill received from German officers that appreciated his work. It is a masterpiece and earned Polanski the award for Best Director. He could not accept the award in person because he would be arrested, so Harrison Ford accepted it on his behalf and took it to him in France. A strange little detail about this is that The Pianist was also up for best picture, but stirrings about Polanski’s past were brought up by a competing producer to throw the award. There is no real proof of this, but the man said to have done this was quite powerful in Hollywood at the time. Ironically, that man who was said to remind people of old rape charges was none other than Harvey Weinstein. I don’t have proof of this, but it is an interesting story. One of those “I heard it is said that” kind of things from TMZ.

Anyway, these reminders had people trying to interview Polanski and his wife about the past and he basically said that people needed to move past it. This does not tend to go over very well with the American public or the legal system and Polanski was arrested while in Switzerland and held in Zurich. Public sentiment in America, France, and Poland leaned towards Polanski being sent to America to face trial. The Swiss judge denied extradition and Polanski was sent back to France. There were requests in 2014 by US courts that Poland send Polanski to stand trial since there was question concerning the conduct of the original judge in Polanski’s case. It was believed that Polanski would be given some form of probation, but it also meant he could travel. Polish courts ruled that Polanski had served his punishment and should not have to face U.S. courts again. In 2016, it was presented by Polish officials that no amount of time could account for the crime of rape, but the decision of the lower court was held.

In 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences removed Polanski as a member. Strangely, that same year, they offered a membership to his wife (who loudly said no).

So the final say about how to feel about Polanski and his works lies firmly on the individual. Here is all the information about the trial that can keep it nice and ambiguous for you. The judge, the lead prosecutor, and the LA County Deputy DA at the time all admitted bias against Polanski. He would not have gotten a fair trial and would likely have ended up in prison for life. The prosecutor said later in an interview for a documentary that he was not surprised at all that Polanski left and it would have been a media circus. Polanski paid the victim almost a million dollars in civil settlement money and she said she doesn’t want to see any further prosecution. Okay. In 2017, a website run by Matan Uziel was sued by Polanski for libel when it was posted that 5 other women had come forward and accused Polanski of sexual assault. Polanski did not show up in court so Uziel was dismissed of charges. Uziel requested specifically that the cases not be dropped so that Polanski could not try and sue him at a future date. It is true that, in 2010, an English actress accused Polanski of “forcing himself” on her during filming of the movie Pirates. In 2017, a Swiss woman accused Polanski of raping her in the 70s when she was only 15. The same month, another woman accused him of assaulting her in 1975 when she was only 10. Finally, in 2019, a former actress model from France said that Polanski violently raped her at a Swiss chalet in 1975.

So what can you say about the man? His early life was tragedy and misery. The loss of his wife and child was horrific. He seemed like he was in a very bad place in the 70s. I don’t want to give credence to accusation without proof, but it can be sure that he committed at least one sexual assault of an under aged girl. He ran from his trial because he knew it would not be fair, but he was still never held accountable in a court of law for what he did. He has been forced to stay in Poland and France, but he is wealthy with a wife and kids, never seeing the jail time for what he did. And if it is true that he has committed other crimes like this, then he needs to be in jail. But could he ever get a fair day in court at this point? The man is 87 and will likely die soon, likely before any sentencing could occur. Also, how reliable is testimony from any parties about things that happened between 40-50 years ago? Everything he is accused of seems to have happened after the death of Sharon Tate and before his marriage to his current wife, so it seems like his behavior was linked to his state of mind and he is no longer in that state. That may explain things but it does not forgive them.

I don’t know. This is probably why I chose psychology instead of law enforcement or criminal justice. Trying to decide if someone has adequately paid for crimes they have committed is not my specialty. It will be a moot point soon enough because he will be dead. So what do we do with the guy? He has encountered both great suffering and great joy in his life. He as also caused great suffering and great joy. I guess it is more about how he will be remembered at this point. I would be curious to hear what others think.

#roman polanski #sharon tate #chinatown #rosemary's baby #film director #extradition #court charges #life and times #assault #70s #media coverage #introvert #introverts

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yomarvel · 3 years

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Why Adult Hot Girls Is Attracting Men With Tiktok Videos

Did you just happen to stumble upon an amazing website that features adult hot girls having sex right in front of your very eyes? If so, you're not the only one. Millions of people turn to adult video websites each and every day to find something new and exciting to view. That's why these websites often have such amazing and taboo content. People are looking for something that is not available anywhere else. They want to be able to see it first hand and if you happen to have the same type of thrill and desire that people are after, you might want to try looking at the tiktok videos.

You may be thinking that it is cruel or unusual to see an adult woman being penetrated by a man. You would be surprised at how many men think that is totally okay. You can see tiktok videos all over the internet. Many of them involve women being penetrated by older men. That's because they want to see what it is like to be penetrated by a man and they want to be able to make their partner know that they are capable of doing whatever they want.

A lot of people have gotten into this business very successfully and they have a thriving business online. They provide people with amazing and sometimes steamy footage of ladies getting penetrated. There are a lot of people out there that have made quite a bit of money from selling tiktok videos to couples and individuals. The amount of people that want to see these types of things is increasing constantly. That is why you will see so many tiktok videos on websites all across the world.

The thing that sets tiktok videos apart from other adult videos is the fact that they are produced for real life pleasure. That means that they are real life sexual experiences that the women in them are having. All of the people who are promoting them do this because they want to make people happy and satisfied with their own personal experiences. That is exactly what tiktok videos offer. They are meant to satisfy people, and give them the satisfaction that they have been looking for. That is the primary reason why they are so popular with people.

These types of videos are not advertised on television. The reason is because they are adult oriented in nature. If someone saw a video of an adult woman having a titty kick session with a well hung man they would be turned off. People are turned off by the very thought that a woman is performing a sex act for another person and that she could be doing anything she wants. That is why these sites only showcase the best, most beautiful and sexiest women that the adult community at large would enjoy watching.

When you see one of these tiktok videos you will get what is known as a "milking shot". This is a shot where the woman slowly enters the man's world just enough to tease him a bit. Then, she takes control of the whole situation. She pulls down his pants, she makes him look like a dog, and then she takes him right where she wants him. In fact, some men simply cannot resist her once they are in her presence.

You can find many tiktok videos on several adult dating sites. However, you need to make sure that you find the best ones to begin with. Some of these sites will try to sell you a membership while others will try to charge you for each video that you watch. You need to find a site that offers high-quality, fresh tiktok videos to watch. If you don't mind paying for a membership you can find many of these adult dating sites on your own without having to spend a lot of time looking.

It is very easy for women to be seductive to men. After all, the average woman has been groomed and trained by the entire society to be beautiful and desirable. Women know how to turn men on and they know how to tease them until they are begging for sex. With tiktok videos to help you learn how to do this in the privacy of your own home, you can easily use this to your advantage when it comes to seducing men and pleasing them in the bedroom.

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murderborn-of-vengeance · 4 years

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Czarna Wdowa 2021 Cały Film Online

Welcome back everyone this is going to be my new marvel black widow movie video there's a bunch of announcements about what disney is going to be doing disney and marvel with the actual release of the movie people been asking about them putting it on disney plus apparently there's some news about that now so i'll explain what's going on and a lot of it has to do with what warner brothers is doing with their movies in 2021 and what's happening right now

The world just in general with movie theaters so if you're new to the channel be sure to subscribe to get all the videos we're obviously in the middle of Wandavision i'm doing episode videos for all that we're going to have falcon and winter soldiers starting in march so there's a lot of really really cool marvel stuff coming up we're doing that disney plus memberships giveaway all you have to do to enter is be a subscriber and just leave all your predictions about the black widow movie on the video so if you didn't see the news in the past week there's a new report from variety's insights team which is a very insidery business report that they publish about the movie and tv financials studio politics them releasing movies and tv shows and in it they talk about how disney is making some changes to their plans for the black widow movie release date because of what's been happening the last couple of months and now at the beginning of 2021 in january you may have seen that a lot of studios just delayed all their big movies pretty much up through april and last week kevin feige was doing a bunch of interviews to hype up the wand division episodes during those he talked about everything from deadpool 3 to the fantastic four movie to their new rebooted x-men movies they're doing in the mcu but he also talked about what's happening with the Czarna wdowa film online because now everybody's wondering if they're going to have to delay it again you probably saw when all the movie delays were happening people were making jokes

In their timelines like just wait for it disney's going to announce they're going to delay that black widow movie one more time it's already been delayed almost as many times as the new mutants movie last year when a lot of things got delayed they figured that by this time and by march april 2021 things would be better theaters would be open but so far that has not been the case the uk is currently under a big lockdown the u.s has been under a big lockdown there's still a lot of other places around the world where theaters are not open and won't be open for a while that's why warner brothers came up with their real grand plan to release all their 2021 movies on hbo max last year like we need subscriptions and it doesn't look like things are going to get better so why don't we just put all of our movies on hbo max and in some theaters on the same day for all of 2021 but in terms of the Czarna Wdowa film right now just nothing beyond april has been delayed again so there's still a chance that they could hit that may release date

But the big problem that marvel has that a lot of other studios don't have with their movies is that if they delay black widow again they have to delay every other marvel movie into like 2023 like pretty much every future marvel movie one of marvel's biggest strengths the connected nature of its movies also becomes a big problem too like we're at the beginning of marvel phase 4 right now all the movies happen in a certain order for a reason because each one tells a little of the overarching infinity saga style story that helps connect everything building up to avengers 5 it's like you're watching a tv show that's serialized and each of the episodes cost 200 million dollars so they delay black widow again it means they'd have to delay the shang chi movie which is coming this summer the eternals movie then spider-man 3 doctor strange 2 thor 4 love and thunder and so on the dominoes keep following well into 2023 most of you who are still in school right now if they kept delaying movies you would probably be married with children by the time avengers 5 rolls around but back last year in 2020 when the lockdowns first started happening after the first few movie delays everyone just started asking why don't you just put black widow on disney plus why not put the movies on disney plus disney pretty much has infinite money and they can just take it on the chin a little bit for a couple movieswhat do we have here there's also that extra thirty dollars that they charge for some of their disney premier movies like the mulan movie where you get it on disney plus but you have to pay an extra thirty dollars to get it early they're also doing that again with another movie raya in the last dragon in march so i'll talk about that in a second too that's another quote-unquote hybrid

Release movie that they're doing and apparently the reason why marvel did not do that with the black widow movie last year because originally they were going to release it in november didn't have anything to do with them being worried about losing money because yeah they'd lose a little bit of money according to the rumor it had more to do with the specific clauses in scarlett johansson's contract that prevented disney and marvel from releasing it on disney plus like apparently scarlett johansson's contract for the czarna wdowa movie has some special terms in it about how they're allowed to release the movie and how she earns a ton more money from a theatrical release from the box office earnings than from streaming earnings so apparently disney and marvel were legally obligated under the terms of her contract

To have to release the movie in theaters in some way they couldn't just put it on disney plus even if they wanted to what's changed recently though why there's all this renewed talk about a hybrid release for black widow then putting it on disney plus and in theaters on the same day has more to do with what happened with the wonder woman 1984 movie that was the first real big comic book movie this past year to do the hybrid release this last christmas releasing the movie on streaming on hbo max the same day that they release it in theaters where theaters are open around the world because there are some places where theaters are open so warner brothers is doing this hybrid release strategy for all of its movies in 2021 the big difference between what warner brothers is doing and what disney is doing is that warner brothers isn't charging the extra 30 dollars premier access money that disney is charging for some of its films but per this variety insights report disney and marvel are starting to feel like delaying the black widow movie straight up will just cause more problems than it will solve so they're thinking about a hybrid release strategy to fix everything they get to release the movie with no more delays meaning we get to see shang qi this summer and eternals in november no more delays for marvel movies because right now just based on the rate of how fast the virus situation is resolving itself most summer movies seem like they're going to be fine like theaters will mostly be open by later this summer and per this hybrid release strategy because they'd be releasing black widow in some theaters

Even if it's not a ton it would be enough to keep scarlett johansson from suing disney for the tens of millions of dollars she would potentially lose out on also on the side they'll probably pass her some extra change like here please take a couple extra million dollars don't sue us warner brothers kind of had to do that with gal gadot and patty jenkins when they released wonder woman 1984 on hbo max they gave him a bunch of extra money up front because they weren't going to be earning a lot of extra money on the back end you probably saw patty jenkins making a huge stink about all this christopher nolan got really pissed off about this too when they announced their big 2021 movies plan in fun fact 2 all the newer marvel phase

5 movies that they've announced like the fantastic four reboot movie the deadpool 3 movies ryan reynolds marvel is apparently also altering all their standard movie contracts with everyone to allow for streaming releases if things like this happen in the future so actors directors producers can't sue them if a big problem comes up or another big pandemic and they have to release movies on streaming so if you're wondering why you didn't see a lot of disney movies on disney plus last year it's not so much about them losing money it's more about lawsuits from people in studio contracts the next big disney plus test that they're running is for the raya in the last dragon movie is basically disney's version of avatar the last airbender they just released a new trailer for that this morning as i'm posting this video that's going to be released the first week in march so we won't have to wait too long to see what happens with that but they're charging the extra 30 dollars for the disney premier access just like they did with the mulan movie so if they're doing that for a pixar movie then you can bet that they're going to charge an extra 30 for the black widow movie this may if they also go with the hybrid release strategy like variety is saying they will what will probably happen you'll see in the next couple of months

Is marvel will wait till the last possible second that they have to before committing to an actual release strategy like they'll just wait till april to see if things get better and they don't have to worry about it and they can just release it normally in theaters like they originally wanted to right now everyone's assuming that things will mostly be back to normal by the summer so may is just sort of that in-between period like kevin feige himself is hopeful that things will be fine but he also said that he's trying not to make too many assumptions before we actually get to may so let me know in the comments if you think that marvel is going to pull the rip cord and do a hybrid release strategy for black widow in may or if you think the theaters will be fine by then thank you so much for wriging everyone stay safe and i'll see you in the next post!

You can see this video here:

https://myfilmyonline.pl/caly-film/czarna-wdowa-2021-film-online/

#Czarna wdowa #Czarna Wdowa online #Czarna Wdowa film

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sashatrr · 5 years

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Breathe with me. Chapter 19

Chaptere 18 here

Hana entered her room and threw Masquerade mask on the bed. She was more excited than usual but also very stressed. For a months following that night when Liam threw her away like a broken toy, she was trying to find something that would destroy his marriage. He didn't look at her once since she came back to court and Hana was smart enough to understand that she doesn't attract him anymore. But would it change, she will take any opportunity. Despite the pain he caused, despite his disinterest in her, she loved him desperately and couldn't imagine a better thing in this life than to be by his side, to be held by him like once before and to be loved back.

And now, after months she spent, desperately looking for a tiniest hint of scandal, tiniest weakness in Liam's privacy, she finally heard something interesting.

If Muhammad doesn't come to a mountain then a mountain will come to Muhammad. I might never get another chance so I must to orchestrate the situation, to make sure that there will be a scandal that will ruin this marriage. But how? Good thing that I can use Rashad but this is not enough. Maybe if I had someone who is close to Liam all the time. I need someone who will give me the information. So far I have nothing.

Hana found her phone under pile of clothes and dialed a number.

-Good morning, father. I hope I didn't wake you up.

-Good morning, Hana. No, you didn't. I am already working. Everything is fine? - she heard reply.

Hana knew that her father didn't like when she called for no reason and even more than that he hated his work to be interrupted so she went straight to the point.

-Father, I need a help. Dad, it's very important. Can you find a way to bribe one of Liam's bodyguards or something?

-Liam? As a king of Cordonia? Hana, my girl, why do you need me to bribe one of his bodyguards? First of all, this is impossible. Second, I don't like sound of that. Have you lost your mind? What do you want to do to Liam?

-I am not going to do anything to Liam and I haven't lost my mind. It's opposite. I want to do what you sent me here for. - Hana replied to her father.

-We sent you there to find a good match, Hana. The King is married already so you must focus on Lord Rashad. That's why you were sent back to the court.

-And what if I tell you that I can change that? - Hana was desperate to convince her father. Without her parents help she was designed to fail. She had no needed connections.

-Is that a possibility, Hana? Do you think that its possible? You failed when he was single and looking for a bride. What makes you think that you can succeed now when he is married? - There was confusion in Mr. Lee voice.

-Now he doesn't have Constantine to make choices for him, dad. - Hana was bluffing and she knew it. Even without Constantine she was far from conquesting Liam.

-We can't talk about it on the phone, my child - Mr. Lee replied after a minute.-Come home so we can discuss everything.

-OK, father… - Hana started but was interrupted.

-No, me and your mother will come to Cordonia. If what you are saying is possible, I need to be there and see what I can do.

Hana said goodbye to her father and unzipped a dress. On a bright side, she already had a friend in Madeleine's entourage and Penelope was clueless enough to become Hana's tool.

***

Madeleine was sitting in front of the mirror removing make up. She was restless, a desire was driving her crazy but there was no way to satisfy it right now. Finally she was done, Madeleine rubbed night cream into her skin and grabbed phone to check a schedule. Adjusting to the role of Queen kept her busy and somewhat distracted from what her body needed.

According to her schedule, this week her and Liam had to attend European Union leaders summit in Paris. While Liam would be meeting with presidents and prime ministers, she would be stuck with their wives smiling for the pictures. But at least she will have nights all for herself.

That's my last chance before I am getting pregnant.

After that it will be to dangerous for a baby.

Liam wasn't kidding when he said that her funds will be very limited but she had money from her estate.

Just this one time. Luck is on my side, Paris is the place I need. It won't be cheap but I can't resist. Time to renew my membership.

Madeleine walked to the bedroom, got in her bed and turned off the lamp. Her fingers touched a swollen bud and she moaned loudly.

***

Meanwhile in New York Lina just came home after having coffee with Thomas. They met right after she called him and Lina suspected that he had to cancel a few meetings for it but she wasn't sure.

She felt very awkward at first but Thomas didn't touch any sensitive subjects and after thirty minutes it felt like a meeting of two friends.

Lina didn't love him, her heart belonged to Liam but just now she realized that she was missing him. The evenings they spent in his apartments talking about anything and everything, that feeling of stability he was giving her. But at the same time Lina knew that it would be cruel to string him along. He needed to forget about her and the best way to do it was to never see her again. With a heavy heart Lina said that it's their last meeting. He needed closure and she gave it to him.

Lina took a quick shower, changed and then got a phone out of her purse. It was dead, she forgot to charge it a night before. She wondered if Liam tried to call her while her phone was dead but laughed at herself. Wistful thinking. He hasn't called her for days and it made her to feel forgotten and neglected. At least she could comfort herself imagining that he tried to call her but her phone was dead.

She plugged the charger in, waited a minute and turned the phone on. In thirty seconds the screen lighted up and Lina entered her pin. Almost immediately the phone in her hand buzzed and she saw Liam's picture on the screen but before she could answer the call, the phone went dead again. She put it in the night table and sat on the bed. Her heart was beating so fast that she heard every beat. A happiness washed over her.

He didn't forget about me. He called.

But as quick as it came, her happiness was replaced with disgust.

Lina was disgusted with herself. It took only seeing his name on the screen to make her a completely happy person. She realized what a huge power over her he has now.

This is really scary. God, I am so scared. He isn't mine, he is many kilometers away hidden behind palace walls and bodyguards. He can toss me away any second and I'll never see him again. Who am I in his life? Just a toy he can play with for a few months? For a year? Or maybe he doesn't want me anymore? He can have any woman he wants. How will I survive it? Will I survive it when he will want to move on? Or maybe that's what he wants now.

He had a power to smash her heart into million pieces and she will never be able to gather those pieces together again, she just knew it somehow. Right in this moment she realized that this is it, her "once in lifetime" love. Even if they spent together only one month, it was enough to make Liam a center of Lina's universe.

With a shaking hand she reached for her phone and tried to turn it on again. The battery was at ten percent already so she dialed Liam's number.

Liam answered almost immediately.

-Lin, are you alright? - she heard his voice even before she had time to say hello.

-Yes, yes I am. And you?

-Not so good- he replied. - Your phone was off, then you declined my call so I was worried. Mara wouldn't tell me anything.

Lina giggled quietly.

-Did you call her? Because I sent her home after an interview.

-What interview? - Liam asked, there was a concern in his voice for some reason.

-Job interview. I had one earlier today. Haven't Mara told you?

-No, she refused to say anything about you. Said that I gave her some order not to report to me.

Lina giggled again.

-Well, anyway, this interview went really well and I am hoping to have this job. Then Mara can return to Cordonia because there is no way she would follow me to my work. - Lina said remembering her earlier decision to put an end to this elitarist madness. She wasn't some kind of celebrity to be followed by bodyguards.

-Mara is not returning to Cordonia. If you don't want to have her with you all the time that's alright. But at least allow her to be there, just in case of emergency. It's a life, baby. Anything could happen.

-Okay, she can stay here as my roommate then. This place is to big for me anyway. - Lina was glad that she managed to solve this so quick. There was no point to insist for Mara to leave. They hardly ever met inside of penthouse, Mara's room was in another wing. - So enough about me. How are you doing for real?

Lina heard Liam's breath, like something was waging him.

-I am okay I guess. The Masquerade is wrapping up right now, I left early.

-A Masquerade-Lina repeated. - Sounds fancy. Did you have fun?

-It was okay but honestly, I wish I could skip it and talk to you instead. And sleep for some twenty hours after. - His voice really did sound tired.

Lina closed her eyes enjoying the sound of his voice. She missed him so much. She wanted nothing more but to be held by him again, just to put her head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat.

I wish. He won't be returning to me after hard day at work like it happens with everyone else.

Lina snapped out of her thoughts.

-Baby are you there? - she heard Liam asking.

-Yes I am, sorry. What did you say?

-I said that I might come to New York in two weeks.

Lina's heart dropped. Two weeks. It was too long. She needed to see him sooner, much sooner.

-That's great. - she couldn't hide disappointment in her voice but Liam interpreted it in his own way.

-You don't sound to happy about it.- his voice now mirrored hers, full of disappointment.

-I am. I'll be glad to see you. - Lina held her tongue back, she didn't want to sound desperate. Anything to hide how desperately she missed him.

-Me too. I miss you. I really do. - Liam added quietly and Lina's heart melted a bit, he sounded so sincere.

-Me too, Liam. I miss you too.

They spoke a bit longer but Liam sounded so tired that Lina finished a call sending him to get some sleep.

Next morning a phone call woke Lina up. Without looking at callers ID she picked up and heard female voice in the other end.

-Good morning, miss Andrews. It's Rebecca Mason from Nixon Technologies.

Lina sat straight in her bed trying to sound like she woke up hours ago and not just now.

-Good morning, miss Mason.

-Your candidature was approved. Thought not for a position you originally applied for.

Lina rubbed her eyes in confusion.

-What does it mean?-she asked.

-You see, miss Andrews, there was a situation. To keep it short, mister Nixon needs to replace his assistant and he approved your resume for it.

Lina gasped. Even she knew that Nixon from Nixon Technologies had to be some nob on the very top.

-But I wasn't applying for assistant position. I don't even have a necessary experience.

-Nevertheless the position is yours, Miss Andrews.

Lina wanted to pinch herself to check if she was still sleeping and all of it was just a dream.

-Who is mister Nixon anyway? - she asked.

There was a few moments of silence on the other end before woman answered.

-Mister Nicholas Nixon, a chief executive officer of Nixon Technologies, miss Andrews. - there was less patience in woman's voice now. - So are you interested?

Lina doubted for only a few seconds. After so many failures she finally got a job and not just any job. She had to try. Even if she will fail, at least she tried.

-Yes, yes I am. When do you need me to start? - Lina said quickly.

-Yesterday, miss Andrews. The sooner is better. Normally you would have two weeks before you could take the position but mister Nixon can not exist without assistant for so long. Could you start tomorrow?

-Yes of course. - Lina discussed some details and finished a call.

Immediately she opened Google on her phone and searched the name. She scrolled through several articles and images and rolled her eyes. Hundreds of pictures from charity galas and other red carpet events, always with different women. Not even two pictures with the same one. She wasn't surprised though. Who could resist such a man?

Great, she will be working for famous New York playboy.

***

Liam was sitting on a boring meeting with his cabinet of ministers preparing for a Paris summit. He didn't need to listen to them because he heard all of it a hundred times before and read it all in their reports to him but years of training were paying off, he was nodding in all right moments and asking all the right questions even if he knew the answer already. Every minister thought that his area of responsibility is the most important one and his matters should be brought up first and discussed with one or another European leader. But Liam wasn't going to discuss any of that with any of the leaders. It was all internal affairs of Cordonia, he was going to keep his country independent as much as its possible in current global political situation. Economically the country was thriving thanks to his father and Liam was going to follow his steps keeping at heart only interest of his people, no ones else.

Finally the meeting was over and Liam raised from his chair. He walked through long palace halls to his study and opened a door to see Drake pacing the floor nervously.

-Drake? Is everything alright? - Liam asked concerned for his friend.

-I don't know. - Drake answering stopping to pace just long enough to look at Liam. - I found a lead.

-A lead? - Liam asked confused.

-I know where Savannah can be. - Drake answered impatiently.

Liam smiled and crossed the room to his chair.

-That's great, Drake. Finally. So where is she?

-I think that she is in Paris. You are going there this week, right? - Drake asked hopefully.

-Yes, we are heading there tomorrow night.

Drake's shoulders dropped. He was clearly impatient to check this lead but feared to do this alone.

-But we can leave in two hours. I can clear my schedule. There is nothing that can't wait till next week.-Liam continued.

-Yes! - Drake was almost yelling by now.

-Very well.

Liam dialed his secretary number.

-Stavros, let Bastien know that we are heading to Paris in two hours. Also cancel all my meetings and let her Majesty know that her and her ladies in waiting must be ready by then. Also warn a staff in my Paris residence that we are arriving earlier than expected.

-Yes, Sire. - he heard a reply and finished a call.

***

Hana was walking palace corridor when she saw staff hurriedly carrying bags from Liam's and Madeleine wing of the palace. She knew that they shouldn't leave until tomorrow.

Hana stopped one of the footman and asked him what's going on.

-Their Majesties are leaving early, Mylady. - footman answered and hurried away.

Hana wondered if this change of plans had anything to do with conversation she overheard last night on Masquerade.

It could be. Liam might be impatient to see what Paris has to offer him. Anyway I must be there.

Hana hurried to her room and pulled an app on her phone. She checked when the next flight to Paris leaves. It was in four hours from now. Enough time to pack a bag and get to airport. Hana booked a place in the first class and called a maid to prepare her bag. She didn't need to pack much. Anything she lacks could be bought there. The only thing she really wanted couldn't be packed or bought.

@indiacater @drakesensworld @annekebbphotography @hopefulmoonobject @jared2612 @dcbbw

#the royal romance #trr #trr liam #choices trr #choices fanfiction #choices liam x mc #liam x mc #trr liam x mc #Breathe With Me

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tessatechaitea · 4 years

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Justice League Task Force #1 (1993)

Martian Manhunter looks like he's doing the most painful Boob/Butt Showcase ever attempted.

I know J'onn J'onzz's entire body is supposed to be facing forward on this cover but it really looks like he's turning all the way around at the waist. If there's any character that could successfully do that, it's Elongated Man. And also Martian Manhunter. So I'm less worried about J'onn's stance than I am about Gypsy's torso. Unless it's her ass that's the problem. Maybe the entire problem with this cover is simply Sal Velluto. This seems to be the only issue of this series that I own. That's good because the cover art by Sal is not promising. Also, I don't recognize any of the names in the creative team. Was this one of those "Let's give some new talent a project nobody at DC really cares about" kind of deals? It would seem that way judging by the roster. Even though Martain Manhunter was the backbone of the Justice League for many years, he's still kind of a nobody, nothing, bottom-of-the-barrel hero. And Gypsy?! You can't even say her name anymore without somebody canceling your shit. I don't have any complaints about The Flash because I have to save them for the members of the team on the back cover.

Ugh. Aquaman and Nightwing! The worst! Even worse than those two in the corner, Amanda Waller's younger sister and Alfred Hitchcock in a toupee.

Some of you younger jerks might not remember a time when Nightwing sucked. He fucking suuuuuuuucked. The absolute worst. He was like when you're wearing boxers and the tip of your dick pops out of the pee gateway and starts rubbing on the inside of your Levi's. He was like when you take a shit and you feel the loss of the turd's momentum right at the end and you just know you're going to have a huge hanger and probably a good inch or two of shit still up in your asshole which you'll be dealing with for the rest of the day. He was like when you're a guy and having a really good sex dream and suddenly you realize it's a dream and if you complete the act, you're going to have a huge mess to clean up and then you wake up because your brain is all "I don't want to clean up the mess!" but you're all, "You stupid brain! I was getting laid!" Man, he was just awful. And Aquaman was worse! This issue is called "The Tyranny Gun" and I'm pretending I understand that. I'm just nodding my head and enthusiastically saying out loud, "Yeah! Yeah! A gun! That shoots tyranny! Get fucked, motherfuckers!"

I get that J'onn J'onzz is probably an approximation of his real Martian name but I wouldn't call it "convenient." John Jones is his convenient name!

Martian Manhunter has been tracking down French separatist terrorists who want Quebec to secede from Canada. Yeah, okay, 1993. What an innocent time! This plot sounds like the plot of a slapstick comedy. The French version of Stripes. Why the fuck would a bunch of French people want Quebec to secede from Canada?! As if it's not already practically France anyway! I'm sure they're angry that some people fuse English words with French words, sullying their perfect fucking language. I'd be more apt to believe the Dungeon & Dragons Club in my junior high school had been running dog fights after school. You might be thinking, "That's not that ludicrous!" But then you didn't see the absolute nerds in my Dungeons and Dragons club.

I don't know why that one kid's face was blacked out by the Year Book Staff. Maybe he was so handsome he made the other guys feel bad. Or maybe...maybe he was the lead guy running the dog fights?!

As Martian Manhunter is roughing up the Quebecois terrorists, he thinks, "'Politically correct' murder." What does that even mean?! Is he suggesting French Canadians think it's okay to murder as long as you murder somebody who isn't French? Does he think Canadians murdering is politically correct? Trying to parse that statement is reminding my brain what it was like to read an Ann Nocenti script. Martian Manhunter pats himself on the back (which he can do because he has every super power in the book including Plastic Man arms) for stopping the French terrorists. He's proud that in a world with little justice, he can provide some of his own. I mean, sure! It's easy to create justice when you're the only one you have to consult in the justicing of things. Technically, I think that's called authoritarianism. But I suppose if enough people can agree that what you did without any input from anybody else at all was a decent thing, you can get away with doing it over and over again. Like Superman and sort of like Batman. I say "sort of like Batman" because I think a lot of people hate the way Batman acts and Batman just doesn't give a fuck. Meanwhile, some government types in Washington need a new Suicide Squad. But different! One composed of heroes that don't ask too many questions instead of dangerous criminals who do ask lots of questions but also know that they can have their heads blown off at any second. They need these heroes to help keep a leader of an allied nation in power. The leader has a habit of murdering political rivals so the United States doesn't want to be seen helping him. So they need a covert team of super heroes to defend the bastard. I guess those heroes will be Martian Manhunter (because he doesn't really understand Earth's ways and if you point out he's creating justice, he'll jump at the chance), Aquaman (because he needs the money), Nightwing (because he needs to prove he can make it on his own without Batman), The Flash (because he's kind of dumb, especially when it comes to politics), and Gypsy (because she can hide well, I guess).

The comic includes a Justice League Task Force membership card which I never filled out and removed.

You can tell I didn't buy into this whole government Justice League bullshit because I didn't fill out the card and stick it in my wallet for years. And I didn't not do it because I was 21 at the time! I carried around my Elfquest Fan Club card and my Wizardry Baltec's Trading Post charge card from Wizardry IV until the day I stopped carrying a wallet that closes with Velcro (that was probably in my late mid-twenties!). Hannibal, the Alfred Hitchock in a toupee looking guy from the back cover, is the man chosen to lead the Justice League Task Force. He approaches Martian Manhunter by walking into his apartment uninvited. Martian Manhunter, knowing that every cop is just looking for an excuse to shoot him with a flamethrower, acts like it's no big deal that this guy intruded on his privacy. Hannibal tells Martian Manhunter that the government needs a strike force that could save millions of lives and Martian Manhunter blurts out, "Justice!" Then he composes himself and he's all, "I'm probably in. But tell me about it first. And don't lie! I'll know if you're lying! I have all the super powers, remember!" Meanwhile in London, Justice League Europe are fighting a sewer dinosaur.

I've eaten enough sandwiches in a dark room to know Dr. Light is wrong.

Sometimes I'll read a comic book like Watchmen or The Sandman and proudly think, "This is why I read comic books!" And other times, I scan a panel of Dr. Light bending over so that you can see her lady package and I shamefully think, "This is why I read comic books!" Dr. Light is upset that Justice League Europe eventually has to kill the sewer dinosaur. But Flash is all, "It killed a bunch of people! No one ever said being a hero was full-time fun." (The second sentence of that quote is exact. I know I used quotes so you would think the entire thing was exact. But I like to embellish sometimes.) So according to The Flash, killing people for justice isn't fun. He should get that message across to American gun owners. They're all salivating looking for an excuse to murder somebody.

It's canon! Aquaman smells like shit!

Hannibal calls up Justice League Europe and he's all, "Martian Manhunter needs Aquaman and The Flash for a UN sanctioned mission!" But The Flash, who I thought would be the easiest pushover, is all, "I don't like being told what to do and just going to do it! What are we, a bunch of trained monkeys?" (Again, the second sentence is an actual quote!) But Aquaman is all, "You said it yourself! This isn't always fun. If we're needed for a vague mission where we're doing the work of the United States Government to protect the interests of shadowy men and multi-billion dollar corporations, who are we to refuse?" And The Flash is all, "You're right! Well argued! I am a trained monkey! Let's go!" Martian Manhunter recruits Gypsy in the middle of a shopping spree that's totally not a racist stereotype at all. I don't think. Maybe it is. It was 1993! Nobody knew gypsy was a slur even though if you somebody said "gypsy," everybody in the room would immediately picture the exact stereotype. You'd think we would have realized how that's like the epitome of being racist. It really made it tough on young lazy girls to put together a quick Halloween costume when everybody realized how terrible we all were. At least as a guy, we were able to get away with being hobos and tramps a little bit longer! Gypsy agrees to work on the Task Force because she needs money and a place to stay and maybe a new moniker. The team decides they're ready to go because they can't get Batman. But that's when Nightwing comes in through the balcony window and says, "Will I do?!" And everybody goes, "Aww. Batman would have dropped through the skylight!" Nobody wants to work with Nightwing because he's not in the Justice League. But Hannibal is all, "Oh, you're working with him! And that's not the only thing you're not going to like to hear! Because your job is to protect a despot and a tyrant! You need to make sure a bunch of people on some shitty island keep their terrible living conditions!" Gypsy, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and Aquaman all make sour faces and do face palms. But Nightwing is all, "Yes! Let's do this! Suck it, Batman!" Justice League Task Force #1 Rating: C. It's as average as a comic book about a super hero group doing the terrible work of the government. I suppose that isn't always average since Suicide Squad was really good. But then they weren't heroes and they were forced to go on terrible missions. So that's why that worked. I don't see how forcing Justice League members to do terrible things in the name of the United States government is a good idea for a book. That's probably why I never purchased Issue #2!

#Justice League Task Force #DC COmics #DC #Martian Manhunter #Gypsy #The Flash #Nightwing #Aquaman #David Michilinie #Sal Velluto #Jeff Albrecht

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ink-and-flame · 5 years

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Kinktober Day 11: Intensifying Further

Kinktober Day 11 Prompts: Head (giving fellatio) || Riding crops || Being serviced (sexual) Fandom: [None] Original Tags: Exophilia, sexual role play, fellatio, sexual service, riding crops, Dom/sub, face fucking, cum marking, Pairing: Orc(m)/Human(F), Darnok/Lia

[Authors note: I am really happy to bring these two back. I have a couple more entries in the month that have the potential to feature them.]

The move to Auchendale had proven to be even more fortuitous for Lia that she had originally realized. At first she had just needed a change of pace, and had chosen this town due to the diversity. While she knew that it was the next chapter in her life and that she would find some adventure, what she had not expected to find was Darnok.

Their initial meeting had gone so well that Lia had found herself quite a bit smitten with him. Yes, they had met at a BDSM club, and yes, she had sex with him before really knowing anything about him. Regardless of this, they had connected. Maybe it was only physically but it was a connection and that connection had blossomed into something more.

Having exchanged phone numbers before leaving the club that night, Lia made it clear that she was fine if sex was the only commonality they found. She was perfectly happy to be a bit of a booty call for him. The sex had been incredible and she wasn’t willing to give it up. It had been Darnok that had suggested they see if there was something more there. Lia had reluctantly agreed, not wanting to rush into anything serious.

Their first real date had been painfully awkward, something they both laughed about later when they met up at the club more than a week after it had occurred. It was clear that functioning as a normal couple might be beyond them and perhaps kink was really all they had in common. Darnok was not really forthcoming about his life or his work, being a private man by nature, and Lia felt she just wasn’t interesting enough for someone as clearly sophisticated as him.

That first date had clued Lia in that whoever Darnok really was, he was rich and he was powerful. None of that mattered to her though. He had a nice cock, could fuck like a beast, and he was charming to boot. His money held no real interest for her and neither did his possible influence. She really only focused on how he was in the bedroom and he was something else.

Darnok was demanding, but not cruel. He clearly had experience as a dominant and could easily bend Lia to his will. Something she was eager to do. No one had ever made her desire submission as much as Darnok had. It was the only regret she felt when she thought about how they didn’t seem to mesh on a more personal level. Right now having a purely physical relationship was fine, but eventually Lia was going to want more and she would have a difficult choice to make at that juncture.

While Darnok had marked Lia that first night, they had sat down and discussed whether or not it was practical for Lia to be his sub. Did she want to be owned by him, and could she abide by the restrictions that came with that. In the end they decided to stick to a more casual agreement and would meet up every couple of weeks at the club, which soon turned to weekly meet ups.

Lia was dressing for this week's meet up. He had arranged for one of the back rooms in specific and had provided her with a list of items she should bring with her and what he would like her to wear. Of course she would dress normally for her arrival and change into her intended outfit once at the club. It wouldn’t do for her to wear anything too suggestive in public. She didn’t really have it in her to do public scenes, not yet anyway.

Darnok had been clear in his desires and laid out the plan for this evenings scene. It would be a little less extreme than some of the scenes they had done previously. This one seemed a bit more personal for him and Lia was intensely curious. They had spent the last few weekends pushing her limits and she had confessed to him that she was a little worn from it. Perhaps this lighter scene was his way of helping reenergize her, give her mind and body a bit of a break before they tried pushing her limits again.

Tonight’s scene would be in one of the rooms mocked up to look like an office. Darnok had sent a few photos showing her the layouts of the different options to see if any were displeasing to her. They both had a preference for the modern looking office with the mock up city skyline, and the large heavy looking desk. Lia was pretty sure they could fuck on that desk and it wouldn’t collapse under them, given Darnok’s size that was a concern she had for some of the furniature in the other rooms they had tried.

For this scene Darnok would be posing as a businessman, a little on the nose if anyone had asked Lia, but she didn’t mention it. He always looked so incredibly sexy in his suits and she kind of wanted to see if his attitude changed at all. She would be playing the part of his boss, acting as the CEO of the company. At first Lia had been confused thinking he wanted her in charge, something she wasn’t sure she would be good at, but Darnok assured her she would remain in a submissive role, there would just be a bit of playful back and forth where he wanted her to resist before submitting. That Lia could easily do and was kind of looking forward to. It would allow her to push some of his limits and be a bit of a brat instead of a well behaved sub.

As Lia had done office work she had a few nicer clothes that would work, she had one dress suit that she thought might be perfect for play and she wasn’t too worried about it being ruined. Darnok had explained that he would happily replace any of her clothing that he damaged and that if she had anything irreplaceable, to not wear it while they do scenes. It was a simple enough arrangement, though one that Lia was a bit uncomfortable with at first until Darnok explained that he sometimes enjoyed ruining clothing but she shouldn’t have to suffer through having all her clothes destroyed without some form of compensation.

In reality Dar had purchased Lia a few outfits specifically for their play scenes and Lia was flattered by the gifts. It made their failed date feel more harsh as she really had hoped they would have a significant connection. Still, something was better than nothing, and Darnok was more than something in bed. He was honestly the most experienced person Lia had ever been with and the genuinely best lay of her life.

Lia was giddy as she walked into the club, now a full member and recognized by the staff she didn’t have to keep her membership card visible. She did carry it with her, but it was more a formality at this point. Her and Darnok were frequently seen together and had been approached by other individuals for play. So far Lia had always declined, she wasn’t comfortable asking Darnok if he had as well. Lia knew herself well enough that jealousy did not look good on her and could ruin what they had.

Heading back to the room they had reserved Lia found that she had arrived before Darnok and took the chance to change and get ready. Making sure that anything they could need would be in reach of the desk and that she had laid out all the items he had requested. Changing had not taken long and Lia got comfortable sitting in a chair, though as time passed she worried that she had gotten the wrong date as Darnok had not arrived just yet. Sending a text she was relieved to see he was only held up in traffic and promised to make it up to her.

When Darnok arrived Lia looked up and was a bit speechless. He was in a suit yes, but this one was nicer than any he had worn before. He had a bag over his shoulder and a briefcase in his hand. Setting the case on the desk he stepped to the side with his bag and Lia felt her skin flush as he looked her over.

“You look lovely sweet Lia. I apologize for my tardiness. I hate making you wait like that. Will you forgive me? Darnok swept over and leaned down kissing Lia softly. “Are you ready to play darling?”

The pet names and his deep voice were sure to be the end of Lia. She nodded and gave him some time to get himself set up. The bag was left to the side for now as he situated himself at the desk and opened the briefcase. She watched with rapt attention as he seemed to have brought real office supplies and that just tickled her. Though she wasn’t prepared for just how shockingly attractive he was with glasses on. That was a bit of a surprise.

“Whenever you are ready.” Darnok cleared his throat and gestured for the scene to begin.

Lia was nervous starting the scene, feeling awkward with the role play aspect of it and it took her a moment to find the character she should play. Having never really had a high ranking position at her office job it felt awkward trying to boss Dar around, especially with how intimidating he always looked. Those glasses though, they did something to her.

“Mister Sinros, I believe the deadline for that report was yesterday? Yet here we are, and I still do not have it. Really, if you expect to ever receive any kind of traction in this company then I suggest you manage your time better. I believe there is a position opening up and it would be a shame for you to be passed over, again.” Lia had adopted her haughtiest voice and was surprised at how easy it was to lorde over him in play. It still felt awkward but Lia was enjoying herself.

“Of course Ms. Doran, I have the report right here. Would you like to look at it now, or should I have it taken to your office.” Darnok was a bit surprised at how much he was enjoying this. He wasn’t a fan of being bossed around, but Lia seemed to fall into the role and he was certainly enjoying it from her. It helped that he knew how this scene was going to end.

The scene continued with Lia lightly berating Darnok while he acted in deference to his boss. Lia was enjoying herself and sat on the desk, crossing one leg over the other as she spoke to him. Her garter was showing as was some of her hip and looking down she could see that Darnok was already sporting an erection.

“Mister Sinros, would you care to explain yourself?”

Darnok swallowed, falling into the role a bit more than he had intended. “I apologize, you are just so beautiful, so aggressive. I find you irresistible.”

“Hmmm, well I am flattered.” Lia smiled and moved just a bit closer. “Perhaps I should leave you to take care of your work. Just for a few moments.”

Lia moved away from the desk to let Darnok prepare for the next part of the scene. She was looking forward to this as she usually either saw him fully dressed, or completely naked. Not really ever in any sort of in between state. Turning her back she waited, moving to a far spot in the room so that it would feel as though she left and came back at a different time.

When Darnok was ready Lia approached the desk again. The sight of him made her wet with anticipation. His jacket was off, hanging on the back of the chair. Tie undone, but still under the collar. The first few buttons of his dress shirt were unbuttoned, showing a peek of his hairy chest. The sleeves were rolled up right above the elbow and secured. Though how he found shirts that could hold his muscular arms and not tear she never knew. He was quite a sight and Lia felt herself falling for him all over again. The glasses just made the look more perfect.

“It is good to see you staying late to get some work done for a change. Maybe you aren’t as lazy as I thought. Perhaps I could put in a good word for you, we’ll see.” Lia hated to sound so cruel, but she was also having so much fun. “You seem annoyed, am I interrupting your concentration? Surely you can work and converse. You are awfully chatty in the break room. Or does conversation with me not interest you.”

“Something about your mouth interests me.” Darnok mumbled under his breath and waited, wondering if Lia would have heard him or not. He was escalating things, pushing the scene forward faster. His balls were throbbing and he knew he was already leaking precum. Lia was just too irresistible and he wanted her now.

“I beg your pardon? Would you like to repeat that, or perhaps explain what is so interesting about my mouth?” Lia waited, hoping the set up was ok.

Leaning back in the chair, Darnok leveled Lia with a look. “Well, your mouth isn’t interesting right now, but it could be.”

“Enlighten me orc.”

“Well, it would certainly be more interesting with my dick in it.” Darnok found it difficult to keep a straight face. Lia’s look of shock was precious and he almost wanted to call the scene off just because she looked so genuinely offended.

“Mister Sinros, I cannot believe you. That is the second time you have been entirely inappropriate.” Lia moved closer so she was on the same side of the desk as Darnok.

Turning in his chair he allowed Lia to see just how hard he was before he spoke. “Are you saying you aren’t even a little bit curious?”

“I…” Lia bit her lip. It was hard to stay in character. She wanted him, and she really just wanted to be bent over the desk and fucked into unconciousness if she was honest. “This won't guarantee a promotion.”

“Hold that opinion until after. Now, on your knees.” Darnok used a commanding tone, knowing Lia would pick up on the signal. The scene had changed from just the role play aspect to the actual sexual content of the scene. He wasn’t going to be a stickler if she didn’t stay in character, at this point he was too aroused to really care.

Lia waited for Darnok to move the chair so she could kneel in front of him. Her eyes were locked on his large hands as he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his trousers. When he pulled his cock out the head was already slick with precum. His foreskin shiney and slightly retracted with how hard his cock was already. Remaining still Lia waited for Darnok to instruct her.

“You have such a sweet looking mouth, I can’t wait to ruin you girl.” Growling Darnok reached forward, cupping the back of Lia’s head and pulling her forward. “Lick it.”

Not needing to be told twice, Lia began to trace up the shaft with her tongue swirling over the head a few times before moving back down the shaft. She had serviced Dar this way a few times and it was always a struggle to take him in her mouth. Lia loved trying though. Each time she was able to get more and more of him in, soon she hoped she might be able to deep throat him.

Darnock groaned watching as Lia serviced his cock with her tongue, lavashing it with soft licks and gentle kisses. He was growing impatient though and wanted more. As good as this felt, part of him wanted to force his cock in her mouth and fuck her face, she just wasn’t ready for that. Reaching into his pants he cupped his balls pulling them up so they were free of their confines. He was a fan of ball play and didn’t want them neglected just because his pants were still on. “Lick them, suck them, maybe I will reward you if you do a good job.”

Moving down Lia lapped at his balls sucking one into her mouth and teasing it with her tongue. Switching between them she sucked each one, then licked over the sack. Darnok had a strong scent here and it weirdly turned Lia on, thought she never mentioned it to him. She quite enjoyed playing with his balls and was always excited when he allowed her to do so. Everything about him was huge and this was no exception.

Grunting Dar began to lose patience again. It all just felt too good. “Suck it, or I am forcing it in your mouth.” He growled his grip on her hair tightening ever so slightly.

Lia paused for just a moment and licked up the shaft making a decision. She teased over the head with her tongue, mouth open, hot breath tickling his foreskin, but she did not take him in her mouth. Instead she just licked, teasing him, tempting him, curious to see if he would actually make good on the threat, and make good he did.

It only took a few moments before Darnok had gripped the shaft of his cock with one hand, the other hand still gripping the back of Lia’s head. Moving her slightly he angled his cock to align with her mouth and pushed her down, forcing the tip and some of the shaft into her mouth. It felt so incredible he kept going forcing his cock into her throat, a little farther than he usually would to start, but he simply couldn’t help himself.

Moaning loudly, Darnok threaded his fingers into Lia’s hair and guided her down on his throbbing dick, pushing as much in her throat as he could until he felt a small tap on his thigh. Looking down he could see Lia struggling a bit and he eased up releasing her hair and letting her set the pace for a bit. “Next time, do as you're told, and these things won't have to happen.”

Darnok watched Lia as she worked her mouth over his cock, taking more and more of him into her throat as she swallowed around him. It was clear she was challenging herself and Dar liked that. Reaching next to the desk he grabbed the riding crop he had set next to it and out of the way. Not wanting to interrupt the earlier scene with a visual reminder of what was to come. “Be a good girl for me, don’t stop what you are doing, but I want you to hike that skirt up to your waist so I can see that sweet ass while you take me in your throat.”

Lia, being ever obedient, moved her hands from his shaft and balls and reached back to hike up her skirt. Tugging it up so it was around her waist, revealing the garter belt and thong she was wearing. Her asscheeks were bare save for the lace strips of the garter belt hooking to her thigh highs. She never stopped servicing Dar and once her hands were no longer needed to move her skirt, she placed them back on his cock.

She stroked Dar’s shaft as she took as much of his cock in her mouth as she could. She couldn’t deep throat him, not yet, but she certainly was trying. She had gotten farther tonight than before, his initial force helped a bit but her throat was a little sore from that.

Darnok rubbed the riding crop against her ass, smoothing it over the skin before tapping lightly. He didn’t want to startle her or injure her by ramping up the pain too quickly. It also forced his focus away from the pleasant sensations he was experiencing. “Slow down a bit, wouldn’t want to cum too soon. You aren’t getting out of this that easily.” He chuckled a bit as she whined around his cock, but did as was told.

Her slowing down helped him focus even more and brought the intensity level down a bit. Instead of feeling his pleasure climbing quickly to release, it was more of a warm slow build. “Good of you to realize your place.” He popped one cheek a little harder with the riding crop and smiled as she made an adorable little squeak. Since her mouth was full the sounds she was making was muffled, but it just added to his pleasure.

Slowly Dar worked the riding crop over her ass, randomly choosing which cheek to strike and how hard. He kept it varied so she wouldn’t be able to acclimate to the strikes. A particularly sharp smack had her jumping and taking his cock much farther than she had before. It was so pleasant that Dar gripped her head and held her in place, keeping his cock shoved deep in her throat.

Lia whimpering and wiggling was what caught Dar’s attention and he looked down, having not realized he had tilted his head back and closed his eyes. She was struggling but had not tapped his thigh. Loosening his grip he let Lia pull back so that she was more comfortable, and he could see that her eyes looked shiny and wet. He was tempted to pull her off and pause the scene, but she knew how to code out and for some reason had chosen not to. Allowing this Darnok kept a closer eye on her as he paused in the spanking and watched her.

Repeating the action, Dar forced her down and held her there as he watched. She was struggling a bit, though she could still clearly breath. Lia wasn’t tapping out or signalling her distress despite looking like she clearly was. He smiled, proud of her for challenging herself and pushing her limits, but his worry overrode his desires and he released her again as she took deep breaths through her nose but did not try to pull away.

Lia was beautiful in her submission and Darnok found himself growing ever more attached to her. Each time they met he found new reasons to want to keep her all to himself. This was just one more to add to the ever growing list and Dar was concerned at where his feelings were leading him. Pushing the heavier thoughts out of his mind he forced himself to focus on the scene and his building pleasure.

“You are such a good little cock sucker aren’t you? Do you like it when I force it in your throat? Do you like me controlling you, striking you? Do you want to be my little pet, servicing me whenever I want?” Darnok was technically asking in character, but there was a part of him that was ready to collar Lia as his sub and make everything between them official.

Darnock felt his throat tighten as Lia lifted her eyes, locking on to his, and simply nodded without stopping. He came close to release in that moment as he damn near lost control. Remembering himself he raised the riding crop and smacked her ass again, far more gently than he had before, but enough to sting a bit. He watched her wiggle and could feel her moaning around him. It was becoming too much and he would cum soon.

Setting the riding crop on the desk Darnok tightened his grip behind her head and pushed her down slowly on his cock. “I am going to fuck your throat girl, and you are going to take it.” Growling Dar forced Lia down on his cock, keeping a careful eye on her expressions and breathing just in case he went too far too fast. Hoping she would tap out if she really needed to and didn’t just allow this to impress him.

Lia felt a little light headed as Darnok forced his cock further and further into her throat. Still not able to take him all the way, Lia was nevertheless pleased with how far she could get. Her vision was getting fuzzy around the edges, but she remembered her breathing exercises and focused on remaining relaxed as Dar face fucked her.

She could feel her own wetness between her thighs, turned on not only by the scene but his voice and how much he was clearly enjoying this. Lia desperately wanted him inside of her, but she could wait. Right now she needed to focus on her breathing and helping him to reach his orgasm, which was clearly building quickly as his cock had begun to swell in her throat.

Reminding herself not to panic, Lia felt her air cut off for a moment as Darnok forced her head down until he met resistance. He wasn’t fully in her throat, but somehow she managed to take him more than half way. She could feel herself gagging slightly as his cock swelled up even more with his impending release. Suddenly her throat was free and Darnok was stroking his cock in front of her face.

“Don’t you dare close your mouth.” Dar ordered with a snarl as he jerked himself the rest of the way to release. His thick ropes of cum landing in her open mouth and on her face, some getting in her hair and on her chest and clothing.

Panting Dar looked down at Lia, her face and clothes covered in cum. Her mouth still obediently open as a pool of cum sat in her mouth. “You are such a good obedient girl. Close your mouth and swallow.”

It wasn’t easy sitting there with cum in her mouth, not swallowing, it was actually worse than taking his cock in her throat. However his praise was worth it and Lia dutifully swallowed when ordered. Her eyes remained closed, not wanting to get ejaculate in them.

“You look so perfect like this, I almost want a picture.” Darnok commented, knowing that was completely out of bounds. “Don’t move.”

Getting up Dar walked over to the sink, there was one in every room, and wet a paper towel, bringing it over and wiping her eyes, leaving the rest of her face covered in cum still. He wanted to admire it just a bit longer. Maybe he could get her to agree to a photograph just this one time.

#exophilia #orc x human #orc dom #kinktober 2019 #Darnok/Lia

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madamehearthwitch · 5 years

Text

After Rapture Pet Care

American christians are wild y'all.

https://twitter.com/chick_in_kiev/status/1114391567572393984

Dear Fellow Christian:

As the Apostle Paul describes in Thessalonians as quoted above, at some point in the future Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. This is known as the Rapture and it will be glorious. But what of our pets? Who will take care of our pets when we’re gone?

I’d like to help answer that question. First, let me tell you a story.

The After The Rapture Pet Care Story

The idea came from seeing someone else’s joke. An atheist created a site in England that said she’d take care of Christian-owned pets after the Rapture, and asked for 70 pounds as a “donation.” She promoted it as a joke, and it virally made the rounds amongs non-believers who enjoy making fun of Christians. My husband saw it (he’s an Internet geek) and told me about it. Admittedly, it seemed funny. I told my friend, Carol, who is not a Christian, and she brought up a question: “Hey, if you get raptured, what happens to Petey?” It was an excellent question, and I didn’t have an answer.

A couple weeks later Carol came back and suggested we start After The Rapture Pet Care together. She said she had asked several Christian friends the same question she’d asked me, and every one of them would pay for a service to ensure the care of their pets after the Rapture. I had also asked some fellow Christians their thoughts. In every case they wished there was a way to prepare for their pets’ survival.

I agreed – it’s a real concern, and a legitimate concern. Our pets are given to us by God for us to care for. We are stewards of their lives. Should we simply forget them at the Rapture, allow them to starve or worse?

While planning our system, we thought about the stories of pet rescues in New Orleans after Katrina. Imagine how many more pets would have been saved if there had been a database of pets and volunteers activated immediately. This is something we could do for Christian owned pets.

Carol began recruiting other non-Christian animal lovers nationwide to volunteer to take care of left-behind pets if the Rapture occurs. As a Christian, my role has been to put together a program that is Biblically appropriate and provides true value to Christians. I believe we’ve come up with a plan that is affordable, unique, Biblical and practical.

We have created a database structure that is stored on multiple secure servers, with multi-location online and offline password-protected backups. While I don’t intend to be here when the Rapture occurs, we are building a network of non-Christians who have agreed to rescue and care for our members’ pets if we all disappear.

Yes, it seems funny at first. But, if you believe there is a coming Rapture, and you love your pets, it becomes serious. And that’s what we are – serious about the safety and care of your pets, as well as your peace of mind.

Here’s where our story lead from there:

› We started with a monthly fee, and people accused us of running a scam of some sort.

› We wanted to eliminate that stumbling block, so we tried having the registry be free and using Google Adsense and other ways to bring some money in to pay our expenses.

› Then, a lot of anti-Christian jerks started submitting fake memberships and cluttering up our database.

So we have settled on charging a one-time 10 dollar registration fee to discourage fake sign-ups, while being only a small amount for serious people. You will never pay another dime, your information is kept secure (never ever shared with anyone outside our organization), and you have peace of mind.

This is what will happen for all pets registered with us immediately after the Rapture:

Our non-Christian administrators will activate our rescue plan.

Volunteers will be alerted immediately by email and telephone that they have been activated.

Pets will be assigned to our Volunteer Pet Caretakers based upon location and other factors.

Our administrators and Volunteer Pet Caretakers will do whatever it takes to find and rescue your pets. If your pet has a location chip, they’ll use that, or they’ll go to every location you’ve registered with us, and, if your pets are not at one of those locations, they’ll search for your cars as well as stay in contact with the local pet shelters. If they are unable to reach a Volunteer Caretaker in your area for whatever reason, our administrators will communicate with local animal organizations, like the Humane Society, to advocate for your pet’s rescue and care.

Our administrators will stay in touch with our Volunteer Pet Caretakers regarding each and every pet to be sure everything is being done to rescue and care for them

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csnews · 6 years

Photo

This baby sperm whale was tangled in ocean trash for 3 years

Craig Welch - January 2, 2019

A thick strand of rope, a wayward piece of quarter-inch cord from a fishing net, dangled off the tail of a young sperm whale. To the untrained eye, the line looked harmless—a lasso cinched near the base of the animal's fluke. But Gero knew the rope was a killer.

The photographs emailed from a colleague showed the heavy rope weighing down the animal's tail. That could prevent her from diving, which is how sperm whales hunt food. As she grew, the constriction would also slice through her flesh, strangling tissue like a garrote. The line might even amputate her fluke, though infection or starvation would probably do her in first.

At home in Ottawa, Gero pushed back from the computer. He called his wife and tried not to cry.

Digit the sperm whale was not quite four, but Gero had known her family for years. Each spring for a decade the Canadian behavioral ecologist had abandoned his own brood to spend months with these whales in the Caribbean Sea near the tiny West Indies island nation of Dominica. Though not yet 40, the assistant professor at Aarhus University in Denmark was rapidly becoming the world's foremost expert on baby sperm whales. Digit and her relatives were his star subjects.

Digit's very existence was significant. Thousands of sperm whales traverse the world's oceans. But 12 of the 16 whale families that returned each year to this stretch of the Caribbean were dying off. Each family could be down to a single whale in just 15 years.

Also, sperm whale families are matrilineal. Adult males eventually get cast out, and females bear the exclusive burden of rearing the young. For years, the family had produced a string of males. Three of them—Thumb, Tweak, and Enigma—had died already. Scar would soon disappear.

The family needed a female calf.

So Digit's arrival in 2011 left Gero's research team ecstatic. The crew watched Digit wean herself from her mother, Fingers. They cheered when she flipped her fluke up for her first deep dive. With Digit's arrival, the most-studied sperm whale family in the world seemed poised to carry on.

Then, in 2015, Gero received the images.

Sociable leviathans

In literature, sperm whales are ship-splintering beasts—monsters of "inscrutable malice," as Ahab seethed in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. In reality, that is far from true.

The world's largest toothed whales have the animal kingdom's biggest brains. The deep-diving nomads share membership in clans that can number in the thousands. Each clan chatters in its own dialect using a unique set of click patterns. These whales are social and playful. They roll and rub against each other near the surface. Some engage in hide-and-seek games, swimming circles around scientists' research boats and rolling sideways to eye the inhabitants. Sperm whales also are quite curious, especially when spying unfamiliar debris.

Gero, a National Geographic Explorer, could guess what had happened to Digit. Caribbean fishermen anchor nets to the sea floor to lure marlin, tuna, and mahi mahi. Whales rarely disturb that fixed gear, but container and cruise ships often accidentally shred it. Flapping ghost nets draw inquisitive creatures, and those loose lines are to whales what spider webs are to flies. While there are no reliable global statistics, at least 76 large whales, including humpbacks, blues, and minkes, got trapped in nets, lines, or debris in 2017—just in United States waters. And the vast majority of entanglements go unseen.

Gero suspects Digit simply snagged a loop of loose line. Three other whales in the region had recently been snared by fishing gear. One, a mother with a broken jaw, was forced to drag her dead calf for days after both got trapped in the same nest of lines. (The mother's injured mouth suggested she'd tried gnawing the calf free.)

Gero and colleagues reached out to Michael Moore, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. He had helped untangle endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Moore's assessment was bleak. The pictures showed Digit's noose was tight. Only a dozen feet of line trailed her—too little to attach buoys to keep a deep-diving sperm whale near the surface. That was essential for rescuers to work. Without more line, a team would struggle to get close.

"There was so little gear on her," Moore says. "It was not going to be a slam dunk."

There were other complications. Dominica isn't New England. There wasn't a trained disentanglement crew for hundreds of miles. Getting one would take money and time. No one knew how much time they had.

"We were confronted with the long-term, chronic, slow death of an animal we see every day—one we thought we'd know forever," Gero says.

It felt personal.

Getting to know them

Gero had studied under sperm whale guru Hal Whitehead, at Halifax's Dalhousie University. Whitehead believed these sophisticated leviathans deserved the same respect as primates. Whitehead mostly studied adults. As a student, Gero wanted to learn about the young: Which family members raised them? When did they first dive deep? How did they learn their dialect—and from whom?

So in 2005, the young scientist arrived in Dominica aboard Whitehead's 40-foot research sailboat, Balaena. There he found a gathering of whales he would dub the Group of Seven, named for a collective of famed Canadian painters.

The Group of Seven tended to spend weeks near this coast. They were spotted more often than other whales. That first year, Gero's team spent an astonishing 40 days cataloging this one family's behavior.

"We'd go into shore and get groceries and come back and we'd still see the same animals just offshore," Gero says. "That's unheard of."

It's why their names seem flip—Gero needed to tell them apart, but had never expected he'd see them again.

As with Jane Goodall's chimpanzees and Dian Fossey's mountain gorillas, intimate access revealed each animal's distinct habits and personality. Over time, Gero began to see these whales as individuals.

Fingers appeared to be in charge. She usually broadcast the "coda," four clicks that identified the family to other whales, like a surname. When her offspring, Thumb, died, Fingers helped watch over others' young. She steered clear of people and was known for spectacular dives, muscling her fluke high before plunging straight down.

"It's hard to describe how beautifully she flukes to someone who doesn’t watch hundreds of whales do it," says Gero, whose research is conducted through Aarhus University's Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory. "It feels like she is demonstrating to others the way."

Fingers' niece, Pinchy, was mother to Scar, who was so comfortable with humans he'd become a star in Dominica's swim-with-whales tourism industry. There was sickly Quasimodo, and Mysterio, so named because she appeared rarely.

Gero felt a growing kinship with the cetaceans. "The whales were becoming a part of my life," he says. "My kids knew these animals by name even though they'd never met them."

The whales prompted him to rethink his views on conservation. In many sperm whale families, calves get milk from other calves' mothers. The Group of Seven's young only got milk from their actual mothers. If behaviors and communication were unique to clans or families, didn't that suggest conservation should be about more than total population numbers? Wasn't each clan special in its own right?

In 2011 a documentary crew arrived, led by a filmmaker who'd co-produced the Fossey biopic, Gorillas in the Mist. When Fingers gave birth to a new calf that week, Gero knew what to call her.

He named the new calf Digit, after Fossey's favorite silverback. Only later would he recall what humans did to Fossey's gorilla.

Wasting away

Before arriving in Dominica for the 2015 research season, Gero had only seen Digit's injuries in emailed pictures. In person things looked even worse. Before she got tangled, the young whale had just started swimming and diving alone. Now she only appeared with adults. She was reserved instead of curious. She kept her distance from boats and people.

"It was like she was trying to say, 'This is all your fault, you humans,'" says Pernell Francis, who has worked with Gero.

Gero could see the rope gouging her flesh. More troubling still: Digit couldn't raise her fluke. The rope was creating too much drag. As he'd feared, she could not dive deep, which was hampering her hunt for squid.

Word of Digit's condition spread. Ted Cheeseman, who took clients swimming with whales, raised money to hire a professional disentanglement team. Whale advocates whispered about cutting the rope themselves. Gero knew that was too dangerous.

"There are Internet videos where people have done it, but they're bloody lucky they didn't kill themselves," Moore says. A trained rescuer would die in 2017, after being struck by a whale he'd just freed.

Eventually someone took the plunge anyway. The diver shortened Digit's rope, but could not cut the noose. The shorter line reduced the drag on Digit's tail, but now even less cord remained for pros to work with.

Ultimately, no rescue crew would be coming. Cheeseman ended up using the money he'd raised to buy and stash equipment for future rescues. He paid to assemble and train a future Dominica disentanglement crew.

Digit, meanwhile, grew ever thinner. No longer able to catch her own food, she returned to being nursed by Fingers.

"It was like watching your child go back to crawling," Gero says.

People care

One afternoon in Dominica a boat zipped by and a woman shouted: "Hey Shane, how can I help Digit?" Gero was taken aback. Even strangers were worried.

That night Gero ate on the deck of his research boat, beneath a dangling headlamp. The Group of Seven was in trouble. That family was now on the brink, down to just three whales: Fingers, Pinchy, and Digit. But the stranger's query was a reminder that Digit's story held real power.

While humans are attached to dolphins and orcas, many can't even identify a sperm whale. Fewer still understand the gantlet of threats these nomads face: pollution, climate change, ship strikes, fishing gear.

"But people can understand a mom caring for a kid who is suddenly facing a chronic injury," Gero says.

Gero vowed something useful would come of Digit's wounds.

Over the next several years, Gero expanded his research's focus on conservation. He wrote and lectured more. He spoke at museums and even mentioned Digit's quandary during a TEDx Talk. He and a team mapped whale and vessel movements and urged the government to restrict ship traffic to areas that whales avoided. Gero hoped that might help fishing-boat operators find ship-free places to set nets.

"Digit changed the whole perspective of our project," Gero says. No longer was whale behavior his sole interest. Now he asked: "What can we do to ensure we all co-exist?"

Still he couldn't help Digit. She had not resumed fluking. Her flesh began to grow around the rope, closing over it. Gero suspected he was watching Digit die.

Miracle

Then last spring he saw her again from the bow of Balaena. Days into the 2018 field season, Digit popped to the surface. Gero knew immediately that everything had changed.

The outline of Digit's spine was no longer so visible. She had gotten plump. Looking closely, Gero could see abrasions and marks where the rope had rubbed. The line itself was simply gone.

A few months earlier, a colleague in Dominica had emailed to say he'd heard Digit had lost her rope. Gero had been hopeful, but skeptical. Now as Digit moved to slip below the surface, Gero's entire team fell silent. Digit flipped her fluke and dove. A cheer erupted from the boat. After three years, Digit was free.

Later, the scientist and his team would attach a tracking device to Digit's back. When they eventually reviewed the tag's data, Gero was overwhelmed. Digit was diving more than 3,000 feet. She was slurping up squid. Digit was behaving like a healthy seven-year-old whale.

No one knows how she got free. Cheeseman suspects that sunlight, time, and pressure weakened Digit's line until it finally broke. Moore says if Digit swam near a sharp rock or crevice, she might have scraped the deteriorating rope off. Other whales might even have helped.

"If someone told me two sperm whales had a tug of war over the line and it broke, I'd believe it," Moore says.

Gero has another idea. He saw fresh scars on Digit's fluke. He suspects predators may have attacked her and unwittingly ripped off the gear.

But Gero knows he'll never be certain. He almost prefers it that way.

"It's easy to forget that that there are thousands of species right next to us with rich and complicated worlds, living their lives in parallel with our own," Gero says.

A new generation of Eastern Caribbean sperm whale was swimming free. Knowing that would be enough.

#news #long article #whale #cetacean #sperm whale #wild #entanglement #conservation

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bythebigcoolingtower · 6 years

Text

I Wrote a Simpsons Script...

Over the last couple of months, when I’ve had time, I’ve tried to write something that was not only better than what’s currently being produced but could also find a place lower down the seasons. I don’t think I’ve been successful but I thought I’d share my endeavors for an important reason: It made me realize how hard coming up with an idea, writing and editing a script for a cartoon was. For some background, I write scripts for films part time and try to sell them, so far (obviously, because I wouldn't shut up about it if I had) I’ve not been able too (partly because it’s tough to sell scripts in England and partly because I don’t have the money/time/resources to make them independently) but I do have some experience in shaping a narrative, the structure of scripts and other techniques, so I’ve not walked into this blind. Whether it’s good or not is your opinion, seriously, feel free to criticize it, if you think it’s bad, tell me, I’m a grown man, I can take criticism. If you like it, that’s allowed too, but the main question is this: What season do you think it’d fit into?

Be warned, it’s 30 pages on Word so it’s a long read, it’s your choice, you don’t have to. For reference: Italics are description, bold is who’s talking, normal is dialogue, (Beside name is ‘Off Screen’, under name is the way the line is delivered).

(Disclaimer: I obviously don’t own the rights to the Simpsons, this is a non-profit idea and simply a writing exercise to keep me amused, so I believe it falls within fair use, please don’t sue! If you want me to take it down, I will.)

OPENING CREDITS

COUCH GAG: The family sit on the couch, Maggie is a baby’s bottle, Lisa a plastic cup, Bart a glass, Marge a wine glass and Homer a beer mug. They are then filled with drink, Maggie with milk, Lisa with orange juice, Bart with Buzz cola, Marge with Wine and Homer with Duff.

EXT. CHARITY FUN FAIR – DAY

We move down from a clear blue sky past a sign, ‘CHARITY FUN FAIR: WHERE ONLY THE CHAIRTY IS OBLIGATORY’, down into the park which has been taken over by various things.

There’s a puppet show, some games and a stage. It all looks very cost effective, as if they wanted to bare minimum to maximize profits.

Walking around are the Simpson’s, looking a bit bored, except Marge who’s seems disappointed. Lisa holds a brochure about the fair.

MARGE

Fifteen dollars for cotton candy, what charity would charge such high prices?

Lisa consults the brochure.

LISA

‘Quimby retirement homes’.

(she reads more)

He wants a place in Tobago.

BART

I thought he already embezzled funds for that?

LISA

No that was for his golf club membership in Bermuda.

HOMER

(wistful)

I wish I could retire.

BART

What’s stopping you?

HOMER

Burns had us sign contracts in perpetuity in exchange for a second ice machine.

STAGE, CHARITY FUN FAIR – LATER

Quimby is on stage, along with a few others, and has a big smile on his face. Something sits under a sheet on a table beside him. He approaches the microphone to address the crowd, which includes the Simpsons.

QUIMBY

Thank you ladies and gentleman for your tremendous charity. I’m one step closer to getting a holiday home in Trinidad.

There’s scattered applause, murmurs. Quimby doesn’t care, carries on as an assistant walks over with a bucket.

QUIMBY

To show my appreciation I will now draw a winner from this bucket of parking tickets, that’s worth more than the prize in question, this-

Quimby unveils the prize, a toaster oven, has to be told by his assistant what it is.

QUIMBY

Toaster oven, I didn’t want as a gift.

No applause this time, just coughs and confused looks. Quimby draws a ticket.

QUIMBY

Marge Simpson.

The family react with little enthusiasm. Scattershot applause as they move up onto the stage.

QUIMBY

(to Lisa)

Congratulations, Marge.

He shakes Lisa’s hand, she can’t be bothered to tell him, it’s over quickly enough.

QUIMBY

(to his Assistant)

Bundle the cash, my flight leaves in an hour.

Quimby and his assistant leave, the stage is vacated by all but the Simpsons and a reporter, TOM, 20′s, The crowd disperses.

TOM

This is headline stuff, can I get a quote?

LISA

This is your headline? I thought you reported on real news, like your stories on the upcoming winter.

TOM

That was a Game of Thrones review.

LISA

Oh.

TOM

We haven’t printed a real news story since the town got high speed broadband. No one reads the paper anymore.

MARGE

Well, it would be nice to be named in the paper in a context other than: “we apologize for erroneously reporting the death of Homer Simpson”.

TOM

(to Homer)

Oh hey, I thought you looked familiar.

HOMER

Can you print a different picture of me this time? That old one makes me look fat, I’m portly.

TOM

Sure, we’ll send our new guy round later.

LISA

I thought Fred was your photographer?

TOM

He was until 7/11 poached him. They offered him something we couldn’t.

BART

Job satisfaction?

TOM

A wage.

(pause)

Oh and that.

INT. DINING ROOM, SIMPSON HOUSE – NIGHT

The family are sat around the table eating.

HOMER

This is great pasta honey.

MARGE

It’s Shepard’s pie.

HOMER

Do you want the compliment or not?

Moe enters, camera in hand.

MOE

Hey everyone.

HOMER

Hey Moe-

(sees camera)

Are you the Shoppers new photographer?

Moe looks around, stutters.

MOE

Uh... yeah... I sure am.

LISA

How did you get in?

Moe panics slightly.

MOE

Gather round, picture time.

There’s a knock on the door.

MARGE

I should get that.

Marge walks past Moe, who stands awkwardly at the top of the room, to the front door.

DOOR

Marge opens the door to CLIVE BREWER, 38, average looking, gentle.

CLIVE

I’m Clive Brewer, from the Shopper.

MARGE

If your-

Marge turns right to find Moe has gone, then left to see an open window at the back of the living room.

MARGE

Never mind. Please, come in.

DINING ROOM

Marge shuts the front door and walks Clive into the room, then sits back down.

CLIVE

Hi, it’s nice to meet you all. I thought it’d be good to have the toaster oven in the picture.

HOMER

The what?

CLIVE

The prize you won.

Nothing, the family don’t remember it.

CLIVE

Earlier today.

Nope.

CLIVE

It’s the reason I’m here.

HOMER

You should probably just take the picture.

CLIVE

Alright, big smiles.

The family bunch up, Clive takes the picture.

THE SPRINGFIELD SHOPPER

HEADLINE: LOCAL FAMILY FILLS PICTURE SPACE

SUB STORY: FRED PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT MANAGER

INT. GROCERY STORE – THE NEXT DAY (MORNING)

The family are out shopping, Marge reads the newspaper, very proud that they’re on the front.

MARGE

What a great picture, we’ll have to ask Clive for a copy, he’s so talented and nice.

HOMER

Pfft, he’s no nicer than me, Carl, Lenny or Moe.

MARGE

Last week you told me Moe throw a mug at you.

HOMER

(laughs)

Oh, honey, that was only because I hit Lenny in the head with a pool cue to stop him biting Carl after he’d bruised Lenny’s arm in Moe’s annual pain Olympics.

Marge stares at him, doesn’t like any of that.

EXT. SPRINGFIELD SHOPPER – LATER ON

The shopper is housed in a wide, one storey building, Marge’s station wagon is parked outside.

INT. FOYER, SPRINGFIELD SHOPPER – SAME TIME

Marge carries Maggie with her as she stands at the reception desk, a woman, FELICITY, walks over to her.

FELICITY

Hi, can I help?

MARGE

I was looking for Clive Brewer, the photographer?

FELICITY

He should be at his desk. We can look after your baby while you talk to him. We’re running a day care to add a little extra cash until our readership picks up.

MARGE

You are? I didn’t know that?

FELICITY

You didn’t? We advertise it all the time-

(pause)

Oh.

OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

Marge enters what should be a loud bustling office, full of journalists and writers, but instead finds around twenty very unenthusiastic employees, mainly students, not doing much at all.

Clive stands out like a sore thumb, not least because he’s stationed by a window with the sun is beaming through it.

Marge walks over, Clive sees her, smiles.

CLIVE

Marge, hi, I assume you’re here because we referred to Homer as a “buffoon” in the article.

MARGE

Well, he is really more of an oaf but I was actually hoping I could get a copy of the picture you took. It’d be nice to have one were Homer isn’t giving the kids rabbit ears.

She takes out her phone, opens up the picture folder and shows Clive several photo’s as she’s described. The shadow on the wall behind the kids makes them look like characters from ‘Life in Hell’.

MARGE

I just don’t get why people find it funny.

Clive laughs. Stops when he really hears what Marge said.

CLIVE

Sure, I’ll print you off a copy.

Tom, walking past at the time, overhears the conversation.

TOM

The printer here doesn’t work.

CLIVE

It doesn’t?

TOM

No, wasn’t this explained when you were given the tour?

CLIVE

I was supposed to have had a tour?

Tom looks around.

TOM

(covering)

No.

He walks off. Clive sighs.

CLIVE

I guess I can’t print you off a copy.

Marge can see his disappointment, smiles trying to perk him up.

MARGE

Don’t worry, we have a printer a home, you can bring the picture there.

CLIVE

(trying)

Sounds like a plan.

EXT. PARK – THE SAME TIME

Bart, Lisa and an annoyed looking Homer walk around the park, it’s barely been cleaned since yesterday, or the days before that.

HOMER

How many days do I have to do this for?

LISA

Dr. Hibbert said you need to walk for at least an hour a day for the next three months.

HOMER

Three months! What’s the point?

LISA

(concerned)

Dad, he said in your condition you could die at any moment.

HOMER

(grumbling)

That can’t come soon enough.

Lisa gives him an off look, concerned but confused as to whether Homer actually understands.

BART

Why am I here?

LISA

You were supposed to be walking Santa’s Little Helper.

BART

Oh, yeah.

(pause)

I’m sure he’s getting plenty of fresh air.

CUT TO: The basement of the Simpson house, pitch black, SLH barking incessantly.

BACK TO: Homer and the kids walking, Lisa now concerned by the amount of rubbish about.

LISA

Did they even bother cleaning up from yesterday?

They pass a crumpled sign: 2017 CHARITY DRIVE. QUIMBY WANTS A PORSCHE.

LISA

Or last year?

HOMER

Lisa, fly tipping is a part of nature, ever since the caveman.

LISA

It’s destroying the natural environment of the animals.

BART

Looks like there adapting to it.

We pan across the rubbish, which the animals are using, including a family of raccoons operating the toaster oven.

LISA

Well, it’s not right, animals deserve to live with the same rights as us, nature deserves to flourish and not be cluttered by plastics that should be being recycled. I’m going to start a group to clean this place up.

Homer gets down to Lisa’s level, puts his hand on her shoulder to calm her.

HOMER

Lisa, is this the type of thing were you ask me to join and I keep saying no and you just keep asking and interrupting while I’m trying to drink beer and watch TV, until I eventually cave?

LISA

(shyly)

Yes.

HOMER

Then consider me in.

INT. KITCHEN, SIMPSON HOUSE – A LITTLE LATER

Marge carries Maggie into the kitchen, leading Clive through with her.

She puts Maggie in the high chair.

MARGE

Take a seat, I think the printer’s in the basement.

Clive takes a seat at the table, takes his bag off as he sits, from that he takes out his laptop and opens it on the table.

Marge walks to the basement door, opens it, SLH rushes out.

MARGE

Hmmm.

She disappears downstairs. Clive begins clicking through his laptop, trying to find the image.

He goes through various folders, opens one that he hadn’t meant too, it’s full of beautiful shots, landscapes of parks, woods and forests.

Clive opens one, a melancholic look upon his face. Maggie begins laughing.

Turning, Clive sees that it’s the picture Maggie is amused by.

CLIVE

You like it huh?

(pause)

Yeah, it’s alright.

Marge can be heard coming back up.

CLIVE

Let’s just keep it between us.

He backs out of the folder, Maggie stops laughing.

Marge re-enters, carrying a really old looking printer.

MARGE

Here we go. We only use it when Lisa wants to print out protest leaflets. Luckily she’s boycotting paper right now.

CLIVE

I’m sure it’ll work fine.

Marge puts it on the top, plugs it in, it comes on immediately. She hands Maggie the bottle she’s reaching for.

CLIVE

It’s connected. Here-

From his bag Clive takes a ream of paper, hands it to Marge.

MARGE

Do you always carry so much paper?

CLIVE

Oh, I took it from the office.

(pause)

I mean, there not actually paying me.

Marge shrugs, puts the paper in. Clive clicks on the picture, selects print, the process begins immediately.

He backs out of the folder, leaving him on the page with all the folders on.

Quickly the picture prints, Marge is very pleased with it.

MARGE

What a great shot. You really do have a talent.

Clive is non committal, modest.

CLIVE

Maybe.

MARGE

I’ve got the perfect frame for it too, hold there.

Marge leaves Clive sat with Maggie again, she sees the situation, ‘accidentally’ drops her bottle on the laptop, the printer starts up again.

Clive turns, looks panicked once he sees that it’s printing the pictures from earlier.

CLIVE

What are the odds?

One after another they print, Clive tries to grab them as quickly as he can, to hide them but can’t. Maggie laughs.

MARGE (O.S)

It fits perfectly.

Marge enters to see Clive stuffing a couple of the printed pictures into the toaster, she looks suspiciously at him, wondering what he’s up to.

At that moment the printer jams. The final fully printed picture flies out, lands at Marge’s feet.

Putting down the family portrait, she picks up the printed picture, a glorious shot of the early evening.

MARGE

Clive, did you take this.

Clive looks embarrassed, by both his actions and Marge seeing his work.

CLIVE

(nervous)

Yeah.

MARGE

It’s so expressive-

She moves around, fishes another from the oven.

MARGE

They all are. Why would you hide them?

CLIVE

I guess because they remind me of what I had, lost.

MARGE

Please, sit down, tell me.

Clive takes one of the pictures from the toaster, gives it to Maggie, then sits down.

INT. GYM, SCHOOL – 30 YEARS EARLIER

An eight year old Clive sits on a stall.

CLIVE (O.S)

My passion for photography came from my dad.

A photographer stands behind an old camera, readies the shot, beside him is Clive’s dad, DANIEL BREWER, 36, taking multiple pictures.

CLIVE (O.S)

He was always taking pictures of me, the whole family.

MONTAGE - OVER THE FOLLOWING YEARS

Daniel takes pictures of Clive in the bathroom, sleeping, at school, playing sports, as he has his first kiss, first date and even through the window of his first ‘adult sleep over’.

CLIVE (O.S)

I just started doing the same.

Clive takes pictures of Daniel in the bathroom, sleeping, at work, watching sports on TV, watching Clive play sports whilst Clive plays and while Daniel is taking pictures of Clive.

MARGE (O.S)

Are you two still close?

CLIVE (O.S)

We haven’t been close for a while.

EXT. TRAIN TRACKS – DAY, 20 YEARS AGO

Daniel stands in the middle of the tracks, camera ready.

CLIVE (O.S)

He was trying to take a picture of the front of a train.

A train can be heard approaching, Daniel takes his stance.

The train approaches from behind Daniel.

EXT. FUNERAL, CEMETERY – A COUPLE WEEKS LATER

Daniel’s headstone is a camera, his picture is a picture of him taking a picture of the picture taker, presumably Clive.

The family weeps in sadness, as does a now eighteen year old Clive. Still, he continues to take pictures.

CLIVE (O.S)

After that I vowed to take my time in my work and for a while that went well.

INT. HIGH END MAGAZINE COMPANY – TEN YEARS LATER

A happy Clive, now twenty eight, shows off the negatives of his work to his boss, MR. HARTFORD, 44.

He gets the thumbs up, which he takes a picture of.

CLIVE (O.S)

But it didn’t last, with smart phones, people wanted shots quicker and I just didn’t work fast enough.

EXT. TOWN SQUARE – TIME LAPSE, OVER 12 HOURS

Clive arrives in the empty town square to take a picture of a new sculpture, he takes his stance and waits.

Over the course of the next twelve hours, hundreds of photographers, selfie taking tourists and interested locals take pictures.

There’s also a protest about the statue, people with banners and plaques turn up, then the police arrive to stop them, there’s a conversation and then the police join in with the protesters.

Lastly a work crew turns up and removes the statue, Clive is alone again, finally takes the picture.

INT. KITCHEN, SIMPSON HOUSE – THIRTY MINUTES LATER

Marge has sat and listened, she and Clive have also drunk coffee in the interim. Maggie is asleep, holding the picture Clive gave her.

CLIVE

Eventually the work began to dry up, now I’m wherever here is, taking pictures for nothing.

MARGE

Clive, I’m so sorry.

He sits upset, but he’s been like this for a while so it’s almost normal to him.

CLIVE

It’s not the work or money I miss, it’s the feeling. That passion I used to have when I was an eight year old, like there was nothing more important.

(sigh)

I wish I could capture that again.

HALLWAY – AT THAT MOMENT

The door bursts open, an impassioned Lisa enters as SLH bolts out the house.

LISA

(loud, excitable)

Mom, get the printer, were making flyers!

EXT. PARK – TWO DAYS LATER (MORNING)

Lisa has organized an impressive line-up, along with the family, her and Bart’s school classes, Skinner, Willie and Grampa, Jasper and the old Jewish man. Each has a rubbish picker, bag and hi-vis jacket.

Skinner looks annoyed and anxious, walks over to Lisa, who’s reading through her to-do list.

SKINNER

Exactly how many more favors does the school owe you? I feel this is bordering on absurd, especially since you already hijacked the band to play for sick children at the hospital.

LISA

Your right, maybe I have been abusing my power.

Skinner relaxes, but Lisa isn’t done.

LISA

Although I’m quite sure the building shouldn’t be held together with driftwood and crazy glue.

All Skinner’s good thoughts have gone, he groans.

SKINNER

Young lady, I’d like to see you run a school on two hundred and seventy five dollars a month without resorting to crazy glue and criminality.

LATER ON THAT DAY

Everyone is picking rubbish up, rather un-enthusiastically, but slowly the park is looking a little better.

Sat under a tree, watching, is Clive he eats a toasted sandwich. Marge walks over to him.

MARGE

Clive-

(sees the sandwich)

Where’d you get that?

CLIVE

A raccoon gave it too me.

MARGE

Oh.

(pause)

Is any of this inspiring you?

CLIVE

It’s great to watch your daughter care so much about nature and boss around her principal but it feels like something’s missing, I can’t put my finger on it.

Lisa, seeing Marge and Clive talking, has come over.

LISA

Mr. Brewer, maybe joining in will inspire you, being involved with the experience.

Clive stands up, sandwich in hand.

CLIVE

Your right, it’d certainly be more helpful than me just sitting around. Hand me a stick.

In comes a stick, held by Homer, his bag and jacket in the other hand.

HOMER

Have mine.

Clive takes it, Homer runs off, drops the rest of his stuff.

LISA

Dad!

He walks back to Lisa.

HOMER

Lisa, honey, I wouldn’t leave unless it was very important.

LISA

But-

Homer snatches Clive’s sandwich-

HOMER

Yoink!

Then runs off.

CUT TO: Close up, Homer, moments later. He laughs to himself.

HOMER

Got away clean.

He looks around, finds he’s back in the park, gear on. He stares at his legs, accusingly.

HOMER

(to his legs)

I said go to Moe!

Homer looks back up, finds Moe stood there, in full gear.

HOMER

Moe!

(confused)

What are you doing here?

Moe laughs, looks away, remembering.

MOE

Well, you remember the other day, when I was in your house?

He looks back to Homer, who’s gone, his stuff on the floor.

Moe sighs, looks away, finds Homer stood the other side of him, chastising his legs, he looks up.

HOMER

Moe!

(confused)

What are you doing here?

TIME LAPSE – OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS

Lisa, Clive and the rest pick up what rubbish they can, but it’s a losing battle.

First the other kids leave at three o’clock with the school day over, then the old folks at four being called back for bedtime, then Skinner and Willie leave.

Now with only Clive and the family they face other residents openly fly tipping as they clean up. For everything cleaned three more things are dropped.

It hits early evening, everyone bar Lisa is exhausted.

7:10PM

Maggie is asleep on Marge’s shoulder, even she is yawning.

MARGE

Lisa, I think we should stop for today, we need food and rest. We’ll come back tomorrow.

Lisa puts another can in the bag, knows that Marge is right but has a hard time accepting it.

LISA

(sadly)

But we aren’t even close to half way done and Clive-

She looks across the park, to the tree Clive was sat under earlier, where he is now, grabbing his stuff.

MARGE

It’ll be better tomorrow.

Lisa well’s up.

LISA

But if we don’t do the work today, there won’t be a tomorrow.

In goes another can, her bag splits, the rubbish falls out and she bursts into tears.

The family stand, as sad as Lisa but unable to help her.

From the tree Clive can hear Lisa, he turns and sees her, his eyes ache over her pain, he can feel his own, the rejection, the loss of his father, in the pit of his stomach.

Grabbing his camera, Clive steels up, he aims and takes a picture.

INT. OFFICE, SPRINGFIELD SHOPPER – LATER THAT NIGHT

ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN: The picture of Lisa crying, rubbish at her feet, family beside her. The headline reads: TOWN MUST CLEAN UP ACT.

Alone, Clive writes the story himself.

PRINTING ROOM – LATER

The paper runs through the machines, Clive snaps the process.

At the end of the process, the papers are bundled, Clive snaps it.

INT. BACK OF VAN – EARLY MORNING

Paperboys throw bundles of the paper onto the street for waiting sellers, Clive is in the van handing the papers to them and, of course, taking pictures as he does.

EXT. STREET – MORNING

A young paperboy rides his bike quickly, throwing papers to the doors.

Behind him Clive runs, struggling to keep up and take pictures at the same time.

INT. BEDROOM, CLIVE’S APARTMENT – A LITTLE LATER

Clive sleeps, exhausted, his finger on the resting on the button of his camera which faces him.

INT. LISA’S ROOM, SIMPSON HOUSE – 7:30AM

Marge is waking Lisa up, but Lisa is reluctant.

LISA

(sleepy)

Do I have to get up?

MARGE

No, honey but at least read the paper first.

This intrigues Lisa, she gets up fully and is handed the paper by Marge.

Her eyes light up seeing the headline and picture she reads the story below. The sub headline is: FRED FIRED. PAGES 3-12.

LISA

Do you think it made a difference?

MARGE

I wouldn’t have woke you up if it hadn’t.

EXT. PARK – 9AM

The whole town, inspired by the picture or perhaps feeling really guilty for making an eight year old cry, are out picking up rubbish.

Lisa watches over them, helping herself.

Clive enters the park, having just got back up, Lisa spots him immediately.

LISA

Oh Clive, thank you!

She gives Clive a hug, he half smiles, a little embarrassed.

CLIVE

Wow, I didn’t think it would have so much of an impact.

LISA

Then why did you do it?

CLIVE

Because I didn’t want you to give up, I wanted you to keep that passion, that fight that I lost.

LISA

Do you think you’ll rediscover yours?

CLIVE

Maybe in time, but right now I want to take pictures to show what can be achieved with a passionate spirit.

PICTURE MONTAGE – OVER THE REST OF THE DAY

We start with a picture of Lisa stood in front of a large group of helpers. Lisa working within that group.

Moe, Homer and the other barflies picking up cans and bottle’s of beer.

Skinner picking up bricks. Skinner putting the bricks in his car.

Homer picking up the toaster oven. The raccoons fighting Homer for the toaster oven. Marge, Bart and Maggie helping Homer take the toaster oven. The raccoons crying.

Jimbo, Kearney and Dolph putting together a bin. Then putting Milhouse in the bin.

Shots of people cleaning, the park changing and eventually being clean.

Finally the whole town together in a photograph, in the background is a plane.

5PM

The town talks as it begins to disperse, rolling past the park is a black car, Quimby’s. The window rolls down.

INT. BACK, QUIMBY’S CAR – CONTINUOUS

Quimby, very well tanned, takes off his sunglasses to look at the scene in the park.

QUIMBY

Someone find out what’s happening.

One of his bodyguards exits the car.

Through the window we watch the bodyguard, who is dressed top half in a suit and bottom half in shorts and sandals from the holiday, walk over to Carl and talk to him. He walks back to the car, leans in at the window.

BODYGUARD

Apparently the town came together to clean the park and Lenny’s having an ice cream party, can we go?

QUIMBY

No you moron, but this park thing, that we can exploit.

(thinks)

How much money do we have left from the holiday?

BODYGUARD

Around three hundred dollars sir.

QUIMBY

Perfect.

EXT. SPRINGFIELD MUSEUM OF ART – THE NEXT NIGHT

Lit up and looking good the museum has a stream of patrons entering it.

ENTRANCE – SAME TIME

A doorman stands selling tickets, beside him there’s a sign:

TONIGHT – CLIVE BREWER EXHIBITION (ADULTS: $30, KIDS $20)

TOMORROW – PICTURES FROM YESTERDAYS EXHIBIT.

INT. MAIN, SPRINGFIELD MUSEUM OF ART – SAME TIME

Everyone in town is about, looking at the various pictures on the wall, a photographer, FRED, takes pictures of them.

Lisa stands looking at one of the pictures holding a program from the evening, Clive walks over to her.

CLIVE

What do you think?

LISA

They’re so good, I’m really impressed.

CLIVE

I’m glad you like them. Honestly I’ve never had a crowd this big for my work before, where’s the money going to?

Lisa consults the program.

LISA

It’s going to pay off Mayor Quimby’s tax bill.

CLIVE

Well, I would complain and say something like “if only you could clean up the corruption in the mayors office like you did the park”, but he did pay me two hundred dollars for tonight.

MAN (O.S)

How would you like to make twice that a year?

Clive turns. His old boss Mr. Hartford is stood there.

CLIVE

Mr. Hartford? What are you doing here?

MR. HARTFORD (MAN)

We were in town to do a story on small town mayoral corruption, until Mayor Quimby paid me fifty dollars not too. Then we saw the sign, figured we’d see your work.

CLIVE

And?

MR. HARTFORD

It’s impressive, so how about coming back on staff?

CLIVE

Last time we spoke you said as long your daughter had a smart phone you wouldn’t need me?

MR. HARTFORD

(laughing)

Yes, what a four years it’s been.

(serious)

Unfortunately Stephanie has gone from a cute twelve year old to a sullen sixteen year old.

Across the room STEPHANIE, 16, is sat on the floor, headphones on, in her own world.

MR. HARTFORD

The only pictures she takes now are of herself looking unhappy. I need a true photographer, I need you Clive.

CLIVE

Okay, but not for four hundred pound a year.

MR. HARTFORD

How about four hundred pounds a day?

CLIVE

Deal.

He almost snaps Mr. Hartford’s hand off shake on it, which Hartford doesn’t quite understand.

MR. HARTFORD

(thinking)

Did I say a day or a month?

LISA

A day.

MR. HARTFORD

Darn it.

(sighs)

Nevermind, I probably fire you in a couple weeks anyway, I fire everyone eventually.

Mr. Hartford walks off.

MR. HARTFORD (O.S)

Stephanie, you’re fired!

LISA

I guess this means you’re leaving?

CLIVE

If it’s any consolation I probably would have left anyway, the paper hired Fred back.

Fred walks over at the same time.

LISA

Are the rumours true, Fred?

FRED

(staunch)

No comment.

He takes a picture of Lisa and Clive, then leaves.

CLIVE

Thank you, Lisa. You’ve given me a taste of the passion I had for photography and a chance to have another go at making it into a career.

LISA

Well, thank you for helping me clean the park.

CLIVE

I have something to give you.

From his pocket Clive takes a picture, an image of train tracks, hands it to Lisa.

CLIVE

This is the last picture my dad ever took. I want you to have it.

LISA

Clive, I can’t take this.

CLIVE

Why not? It’s just a copy.

LISA

Oh.

QUIMBY (O.S)

Yes, alright now.

Lisa, Clive, and the rest of the patrons turn to see Quimby at a hastily set up mic stand.

QUIMBY

I’d like to welcome everyone, from art lovers to lovers of free food-

Cut to Homer holding two bowls of food that was supposed to be for everyone.

QUIMBY (CONT’D)

To this celebration of our town and it’s ‘do it anyway’ spirit. And now, welcome the man who took the pictures you see here tonight, without permission, Clive Brewer.

Clive looks surprised, walks over to the mic, applauded.

CLIVE

Wow, what a reception, but your applause should be for Lisa, she’s the one who inspired all of this.

He waves Lisa over, drops the mic stand to her size and moves away from it. She gets even greater applause.

LISA

I believe strongly that this town can be truly great if we all work together and to better ourselves each and every day.

She looks across to where Clive was, he’s gone, she looks back at the crowd, all of whom are fully engaged by her words.

Taking a deep breathe she continues on.

EXT. SPRINGFIELD MUSEUM OF ART – SAME TIME

Clive watches Lisa through the window, smiles, takes a picture of her, then moves on.

CREDITS

We see Clive’s journey back to his job, then his work on the job.

We end on three pictures. The first of the front of a train. The second the back end of that same train and the third a picture taken of Clive by a nurse as he lays in a full body cast in a hospital. Big smile on his face.

END

#The Simpsons #Not tall or wide

40 notes · View notes

mylifeasaserver · 6 years

Text

Do you work here?

Yesterday was Sunday. And the final day before I actually have to pack shit for my trip.

In true John Server fashion, I decided to wait until today to pack because I’m lazy as hell and procrastinate like a true professional.

Anyway, I’d finished with my workout and was doing some cardio when I’m grabbed by the elbow and asked “DO YOU WORK HERE?”

YES I DO BUT NOT TODAY.

This middle-aged soccer mom gone wrong then began unloading on me because her swipe card didn’t work.

I tell her again, I don’t work today. Nobody does. It’s Sunday. Go away.

She didn’t even slow down her bitching when I turned to go back to my cardio - which by that point was almost done so I looked like a rain-drenched flood survivor, not somebody EAGERLY ANTICIPATING HELPING THE CUSTOMER.

She just kept going at me so finally I turned to her and said “Fine, I’ll look into your swipe card problem even though I don’t work today, and the hours on the door clearly state we’re not staffed today. Anything to shut you up.”

Of course that started a whole new reason for her to be bitchy at me, but at least she had good reason now. I don’t have to be nice off the clock (though I usually am, but most people aren’t usually this stupid either.)

I boot the computer up, all the while she’s complaining about the poor service she’s getting. I hand her my managers card and point to the cell number on there and tell her to go wild.

Finally get her account pulled up and she hasn’t paid the last 2 months because of insufficient funds. I relay this to her, including the cost of the fees that I absolutely could waive but will not because she’s so fucking impatient that she couldn’t wait one more stupid day for a gym membership she hasn’t been using anyway.

She tells me I can waive the fees.

I tell her she’s correct, I can. But I won’t. For starters, it’s my day off. It’s also a day we’re not staffed. And it’s her fault the swipe card won’t work to boot.

I give her the total and tell her that if she wants to use the facility she needs to pay what’s owed.

She tells me this is the “worst service I’ve ever received and I’ll be talking to the manager.” I tell her again, go wild. I tell her I’m putting a note on her account that all the fees are due and none will be waived, and ask how she got in if her swipe card didn’t work.

She tells me it’s not my business, so right in front of her I pull up the cameras and see her use a different card at the door. We have a log showing when everybody swipes in, and I was the only one there. Made it easy to find it.

That person’s card is now shut off too.

She points at me, business card in hand, and tells me she’s going to make sure my manager knows how awful I am. It’s pointless, she already knows. I tell her it’s time to pay the dues she owes or leave. I don’t care which.

She puts her credit card on the desk, and tells me that if I don’t charge her the fees for insufficient funds she won’t tell my manager how rotten I was. No dice. I tell her to go right on ahead and give my manager the whole story.

I charge everything, including fees. She signs, and storms off to do whatever she’s gonna do. I close the register down again because of course there’s a process to it. I email my manager and let her know what happened. She asks me what was wrong with her. I suspect entitlement.

Today I have off. My manager runs the show, and this lady comes in and tries to get her fees back plus “a free month because of the rude employee that wasn’t very helpful yesterday.”

Manager tells her she’s getting nothing back and I should have thrown her out instead of opening the register up on my day off when we’re not staffed.

She cancelled her membership - after paying the early cancel fees - presumably to teach us that poor customer service makes people take their money elsewhere, but she wasn’t real good about paying anyway.

I hate people, and retail is why.

With a little luck, by this time tomorrow I’ll be at my hotel room half asleep waiting to storm chase Wednesday. I’m too excited. -J

#retail

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tourguideexpert-blog-blog · 6 years

Text

How to Fit Two Weeks' Worth of Clothes in a Carry-On and Other Travel Tips

New Post has been published on https://travelqia.com/trending/how-to-fit-two-weeks-worth-of-clothes-in-a-carry-on-and-other-travel-tips/

How to Fit Two Weeks' Worth of Clothes in a Carry-On and Other Travel Tips

Jessica Nabongo was born and raised in Detroit after her parents immigrated from Uganda. Since then, she has lived everywhere, from Japan to rural Benin, charting her travels in her blog, Catch Me If You Can.

Nabongo turned her passion into a business when she started Jet Black, a boutique travel company that focuses on encouraging tourism to throughout the African diaspora—Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. But she isn’t desk-bound, despite her clients’ demands; working remotely, so far she’s logged 75 countries and counting of the world’s 195.

Nabongo visits a leather tannery in Marrakech.

Photographer: Elton Anderson

Nabongo’s airline of choice? Delta. “I usually do 120,000 [miles] per year, but this year, as of last week, I’m already at 90,000, so I’m going to do closer to 250,000 [in 2017].”

Don’t trust the photos on a hotel’s website when you can do this instead.

I use the geotag feature on Instagram—it’s my new method of checking out hotels. You find a hotel that has four or five stars, and you’re looking at the pictures on the website thinking, This is amazing. But I want to see what [guests] are posting there. When I was looking for hotels in Zanzibar, for instance, many of [the geotagged photos] didn’t look like their pictures on their websites at all. People had geotagged them, and I could see it wasn’t a very nice beach.

Checking on the geotagged Instagram photos from the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti in Tanzania will tell you what it really looks like.

Photographer: Andre Perry

You can always avoid checking your carry-on, even on a full flight.

On a recent trip I traveled between Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Djibouti, Qatar, and Bahrain with my handy-dandy Away bag. I love the way it rolls and charges my devices [with a built-in battery]. Depending on the region of the world you are in, [airlines] can be pretty strict about the weight of your carry-on bag, often asking to weigh it. Generally the maximum is 14 kilograms, or 30 pounds, which somehow for me is never enough. So when I approach the counter and they say I have to weigh my carry-on, and I know it’s too heavy, I say, “Actually, it’s camera equipment, so I can’t check it.” Airlines don’t want liability for electronic equipment. It works every time, even if they tell you to check it at the gate. And it is true, as I have a camera and a lens in there. It’s just the isn’t camera equipment.

How to fit two weeks’ worth of clothing in a carry-on.

The first thing I do before packing is write down a list of where I’m going, and I put in the climate as far out as I can tell [from weather reports]. I count up the number of days and count out my underwear to make sure I have enough. Then I lay out all my bottoms and my tops, then use Flight 001 spacepaks for them. They are absolutely the best thing on the market. I’ve tested them, trying to pack without them, and it doesn’t work. Using them, though, I can usually get two weeks’ worth of clothes to fit in a carry-on bag. I recommend the number 2, 3, and 4 models. And I use a long wallet from Flight 001’s T5 collection to keep my boarding passes and my passport together.

Nabongo says the best thing about Bali is that "every city is different. Ubud is all about relaxation and being one with nature. The energy is serene and calm, yet so very alive."

Photographer: Elton Anderson

A two-point plan for scoring the best flight deals every time.

Every morning I read flight deals like they’re my I check The Flight Deal, Secret Flying, and Airfare Spot. If there’s a place I haven’t been, I allow them to dictate where I travel next—like when I went to Bali, because I found a ticket for $450 from L.A. And Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best thing that’s ever happened to me; it blows the American Express Platinum card out of the water for anyone who calls himself a real traveler. It comes with a membership for Priority Pass, which is at over 1,000 lounges around the world. Sometimes, when I fly a small regional airline, it’s given me access to lounges in places like Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. And the rewards system is insane. I have not paid for a plane ticket in four and a half months because of Chase. The annual fee is $450 per year, but you get a $300 travel credit every year, so if you charge a flight from New York to L.A? Boom! You get a $300 credit, so now the annual fee is really only $150.

"When in Kampala, be sure to stop at National Theatre in the city center," Nabongo says. "It's my favorite place in East Africa for shopping. Visit my aunt in stall 14!"

Photographer: Sarah Waiswa

Where to shop in Africa.

I am obsessed with the National Theatre in Uganda [which also features local artists’ work], because your money goes so much further with the exchange rate of the Ugandan shilling to the dollar. If you’re going to Kenya, I highly recommend stopping in to Kampala on the way and going there: The craftsmanship is amazing, on everything from bags to serving utensils. I love walking around a city [in America] with one of the bags, which are practical and fashionable.

Embrace the rain—for the right reasons.

I always recommend traveling at the end of the rainy season. I’ve done this in East Africa, the South Pacific, and Southeast Asia. I just Google “rainy season” plus whatever country to find out. Most recently, on that trip to Bali, I went toward the end of the rainy season. The lodging is cheaper—I’d estimate around 30 percent cheaper, on average—and I love taking pictures without other people in them! I got lucky, as I spent two and a half weeks in Bali, and it rained the day I arrived but never again. And I always travel with this footwear: little hunter green ankle booties from J.Crew, which are easier to walk in [than knee-high Wellington boots], take up less room in your case, and are really cute. And I have a pair of bright yellow rubber Chuck Taylors, which are waterproof.

Take that, St. Barts or Ibiza. The best island you’ve never heard of? It’s in Africa.

Nabongo says Lamu Island is one of Kenya's best-kept secrets. "There is a lot of local tourism to the island, but most outside visitors travel to Mombasa and Diani. The food in Lamu is incredible, the people are super nice, and the sunset dhow boat rides can't be beat."

Photographer: James Anthony

Lamu is a quaint, quiet island off the coast of Kenya, which all my Kenyan friends told me about. It’s a short flight from Malindi, where most tourists go, and like much of the East African coast, it’s largely Muslim. I went during Ramadan, so it was extra quiet, very calm and peaceful. We stayed at Forodhani House, which is really good for a family or a group of friends. But if you want more of a hotel, try Majlis. The architecture and culture of the island is a mash-up of Swahili and Arabic influences. Like Zanzibar, it’s a spice island, dating back to the old trade between the Arabian Peninsula and India. So the best part of a trip there is the food—the best samosas I’ve ever tasted, and I grew up in a home eating a ton of Indian food, with a Ugandan mother who makes samosas. I already told her, “Mommy, you’ve got to rethink your recipe.”

How to chop onions without crying, wherever you are in the world.

When I graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science, I spent an extended stay in Benin, working with a small Italian NGO. We were living about 250 kilometers from [the largest city] Cotonou, in one of the world’s poorest countries, so you can imagine what life was like. We lived with some nuns in a convent, because there was a cave nearby where people came for pilgrimage. The convent was the only place in that area with electricity and running water, but not hot water. One time, when I was cooking my own meal, I was struggling with chopping onions, and my eyes began to water. One sister, from Nigeria, handed me a matchstick and told me to put it between my teeth, flammable side out, and it would prevent my eyes from watering while cutting onions. To this day, I always put a match in my mouth when cutting onions, and it works like a charm.