#unsuspecting Peter 2

[dilf-rights-activist]

Another Life: part 4

Pairing: Miguel O’Hara x gender neutral reader

Summary: Miguel brings himself out from the four cozy walls of a little cafe and into the shaded canopy of the large trees in a local city park. Here, he learns about the dangers of parasitic fungi and, more importantly, about the cute barista that has somehow tumbled their way into his life. Or, the one where you run into Miguel after a grocery run and you go for a walk in the park together.

Word Count: 2.9k

Content: eventual sugar daddy AU, coffee shop AU, no use of (y/n), slow burn (we’re gathering the sticks now), sfw, swearing, a brief history lesson about a tree

AO3 part 1 part 2 part 3

New York’s cool autumn breeze wafted through the air as you made your way out of the market, two grocery totes in tow. You adjusted the heavy straps on your shoulders and began your commute back to your apartment to show Hobie the fruits of your labor (some of which were actual fruits!).

Commuters and pigeons milled about the busy sidewalk before collectively coming to a stop at a crosswalk, a rhythmic ticking crackling through the old speaker as everyone waited for their chance to cross the street. You nodded your head along to the automated beat before a colorful sign caught your periphery.

You turned (mindful to keep your baggage from smacking unsuspecting onlookers) to face a small shop that sold an array of teas and smoothies. Your eyes lingered on the shop’s colorful widow, and you allowed yourself to take the smallest step in its direction. The bags hanging from your shoulders suddenly suddenly seemed much heavier, and you wanted nothing more than to sit at the cute shop and enjoy a fun little beverage.

And why shouldn’t you! Why not enjoy a little treat?

Reality hit you like a freight train as you recalled how you had barely stayed within your budget during your grocery run and groaned. Right, that’s why not.

Before long, the crosswalks’ crackly speakers notified you that it was time to make your way across the road, and you reluctantly turned away from the cute cafe. You sighed through your nose as you felt your phone vibrate in your back pocket.

You jogged down the remainder of the cross walk and adjusted the heavy grocery bags that were (painfully) digging into both of your shoulders. The cracked screen of your phone lit up to greet you as you opened a text from Peter, a photo of him posing playfully with your water bottle (and a smiling May in the background).

Stop leaving personal items at work, he texted jokingly.

“That’s where I left that,” You chuckled and stepped to the side of the sidewalk as you worked to reply to his message.

I’ve been looking everywhere for that lmao im omw

You looked down the horizon and swiftly pivoted to change your course from your apartment to the cafe, eager to see your boss and to retrieve your water bottle (while secretly hoping that May will offer you a croissant for your troubles).

—-

It wasn’t long before you heaved your bags through the heavy metal door of Cafe May, the groceries having placed a strain on your sore shoulders that was too great for you to bear (you had resorted to hauling each one in your hands, the bottom of the canvas totes just barely scraping the dirty asphalt). Peter waved you and and you made a beeline for the counter, walking right past a large man who was quietly hunched over his charging laptop.

“Hey, you.” Peter smiled before bending down to pick up your water bottle from the back of the register. He patted the lid lovingly before sliding it over the counter. “She missed you.” He said playfully.

“And I missed her.” You smiled up at him as you wrapped your hands around the cool metal surface of the bottle, placing it securely in your tote. “Has it been busy?”

“No more than the usual rush,” May said from behind Peter, smiling warmly at you.

“You doing okay in the cold, hon? Would you like a cookie to go?”

Your eyes lit up at the thought of finally, finally getting a little treat before nodding and thanking May enthusiastically. Her gentle face smiled at you, just as she has hundreds of times before, and she turned your blue eyes towards her dessert case to pick something out for you.

Little beeps rang through the air as May preheated the oven and you allowed your eyes to wander around the familiar cafe, looking to see if any tables needed to be cleared. Your gaze bounced from table to table, and were pleased to see that every surface was clear of excess clutter (Of course May and Peter had been on top of it. You didn’t expect any less of them). You lingered on a familiar looking mess of curly brown hair and a pair of obscenely broad shoulders.

“Miguel?” You thought quietly to yourself. The brunette looked comically large at the small table he was seated at, hunched over his (also small) laptop as he furiously typed…whatever he was typing, an (even smaller) espresso cup lying empty and cold to his side. You blinked as you stared at him before turning to face May once more.

“Actually, May. Would you mind if I had that cookie for here?” You smiled. “Please?”

She nodded as she moved to get a small ceramic plate for your pastry. She plated your cookie and gave it to you with a soft “There you go, hon.” And you smiled warmly at her before turning towards Miguel. You walked briskly across the laminated floors of the cafe (eager to relieve yourself of your groceries) before reaching his table and shuffling your bags to the ground, he hadn’t even looked up. You kneeled down next to him and cleared your throat, holding in a laugh when he blinked and abruptly straightened to look down at you, glasses slightly askew.

“Hi,” you grinned up at him. “I’ll trade you those empty plates for this warm cookie.” You smiled warmly at him while presenting a small plate with the fresh pastry. “I know it’ll be hard to let them go, I really need them back. Deal?”

Miguel blinked a couple of times before pushing his glasses up his nose with a strong finger. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” He smiled lightly.

You placed the cookie on the table before picking up his old cup and plate. “What? I’m not always working.” You laughed a little mirthlessly, because you were. You literally always were.

“One sec,” you said before bringing his dirty dishes to the bar, and May took them with a hasty “Stop working off the clock!”. You walked back to Miguel and gestured at the empty chair in front of him. “Could I…?”

“No.” he said definitively as he looked up at you. You froze as you fell silent before him. “Oh, shit.” You thought “Did I interrupt his work just now? Does he hate cookies? I should’ve just left-“ your mind ran a mile a minute as you mentally berated yourself for being stranded in such an unfortunate situation. You looked over to May and Peter, who had stopped what they were doing to watch your awkward exchange.

Miguel could see the distress on your face and decided to step in before you busted a vessel.

“I mean,” he smiled. “I’ve been here for a couple of hours and my ass is starting to go numb from sitting for so long.” He chuckled.

“I’m actually about to go on a walk. Got any frozens?” He asked, gesturing to your grocery bags that were slumped against the wall. You looked down at the damp tote bags and thought of the frozen dumplings you had picked up from Fu Zhou Wei Zheng Wei earlier, and just knew they were getting sweaty.

“Oh…” you began, getting ready to turn him down. “I-“

“They have it covered.” May said as she stepped behind you. You nearly broke your neck as you turned to look at her, where did she come from? Peter gave you a wide grin as he bent down and picked your groceries.

“We’ll keep these in the fridge for you!” He said brightly. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Wait-“ you started, but Peter was already hauling your bags to the back. You looked at the woman beside you. “May-“

“Aunt May.” She said firmly.

“Aunt May,” you started. “It’s alright, I don’t want to trouble you. I can just-“

“It’s no trouble.” She said with a sweet smile and fierce eyes. “Go. Have fun with your…friend.”

You blinked, not quite liking how she said that. You looked to Miguel, who had already packed up his things and was waiting for you with an amused grin on his face. He got up and pushed his chair in politely while you turned to face the older woman in front of you. You whispered a quiet “thank you,” before facing him once again.

“So…a walk?”

—-

Miguel blew out a deep breath of fresh autumn air as he looked up at the tall American Elm trees of Tompkins Square Park. It had been nice to get himself out from underneath the high ceilings of his apartment and into the warm colors of the New York sky, he couldn’t remember the last time he had stepped into this park. Central Park was his usual choice, as it was the closest one to him in the Upper East Side, but you were clearly more familiar with this area. You ran your hand along the worn, black railing that lined the park’s walkway as you strolled down its old cobblestone path, and you smiled.

You had a cute smile.

So cute, in fact, that he hadn’t noticed you asked him a question until you were staring at him expectedly for a few moments too many, your eyes shifting to the side awkwardly.

“What?” He asked dumbly.

“I said, ‘did you get your work done?’” You grinned politely at him, not minding that his head was lost in the pink clouds of the sunset.

He smiled grimly. “I’m never done with work.” You looked up at him and frowned before nodding to yourself.

“I understand,” you sighed and he pursed his lips. Miguel knew you were busy as well, with your two jobs and heavy schooling that you had to tend to. He hoped you were remembering to take care of yourself. His mind wandered to the cafe, and how both of your coworkers were eager to help you spend time with him; he was glad you had someone looking out for you.

Your shoes crushed the dry, crisp leaves that decorated the cobblestone path before you as you both approached your favorite part of the park.

“Could we stop by the dog park?” You looked up excitedly, and who was Miguel to say no to a face like that?

“Of course.” He smiled before pivoting off course to visit the lush patch of grass in the middle of the park. You half jogged ahead of him, excited to see what dogs were at the park today. Miguel watched you fawn over the animals before you, your eyes lit up as you cooed down at them, and your smile somehow got even bigger when their owners gave you the okay to pet them. The larger man came up behind you and kneeled down, his broad body shielding you almost entirely.

“Do you like dogs?” You asked as you gleefully gave a belly rub to a senior pitbull mix that happily rolled over in front of you.

“Love ‘em.” He said, and you looked up at him then.

“Switch with me.” You said before grabbing his hand and placing it on the elated dog. He blinked at the sudden contact and tried to focus on the dog’s wide smile as it panted on the ground in front of him. You rummaged in your bag for a while before producing a small zip-lock baggie filled with…biscuits?

“Are those dog treats?” He asked.

“Yeah!” You smiled. “You never know, right? Right, buddy? Huh?” You cooed at the dog below the two of you, and smiled happily as its tail wagged excitedly. You handed him a treat, pressing it into the warm palm of his hand with more tenderness than you had any right to.

“Here, old girl.” He said softly as he brought the treat up to her snout. The dog happily took the treat from him, making sure to lick his fingers for any remaining crumbs.

The two of you spent some more time in the dog park before eventually leaving and making your way down your original path. The conversation that flowed between the two of you went on naturally, as if you had known each other for years.

“What do you like to do in your free time?” You asked as you sat beneath the large Hare Krishna Tree in the center of the park. Miguel sat next to you, his large shoulder so very close to brushing against yours.

“I like to work out,” he began.

“And?”

“And…” he trailed off before falling silent. He blinked to himself, what did he like to do in his free time? He worked a lot…but that wasn’t really “free” time, was it?

“Uh…exercise.” He finished lamely. You playfully shoved him then.

“Exercising is the same thing as working out. Try again.”

“Sports?”

“Sports are competitive exercise!” You laughed. “Fine. What sports do you do?”

“This and that.” He sniffed. “Baseball, weight lifting, Judo…”

“Wow, that’s a lot.” You said, impressed with his athleticism.

He also did kickboxing, gymnastics, rock climbing, tae kwon do, soccer, cross country, and swimming, but who’s counting?

“You don’t have any other hobbies?” You asked him, a small, worried crease appearing between your brows.

Truthfully, he occasionally allowed himself to binge watch old telenovelas while eating more chicharones than he’d care to admit. In years past, he watched the cheesy soap operas with his daughter, her favorite being El Secreto de Selena. Now, he watches them alone when he can do nothing else but think of the life that he used to have, of the man that he used to be (but you didn’t need to know that).

“Not…really.” He murmured as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“We gotta change that.” You said before looking up at the large canopy of leaves above you. “You gotta be like this tree.” You said.

He looked at you then, because what the hell.

“Sorry?” He asked.

“This tree.” You kept your eyes upwards. “It’s an American Elm. The park is full of them, actually.” You gestured around you.

“It’s pretty rare to have so many of them in one place. A lot of the American Elms were killed off by fungus.” You continued. “Not this one though, the Hare Krishna Tree. Back in the sixties, an Indian spiritual leader founded the Hare Krishna religion in the United States, right where we’re sitting.” You gestured to him. “And now, it’s a protected piece of nature that’s recognized as a historical site. None of that would have happened if it were killed by a fungus.” Your eyes fell from the tree line and onto his face. “Don’t let yourself get killed by fungus.”

He blinked at you, in awe at the sudden profundity.

“Que maravilla…how did you know all that?”

“A friend taught me.” You smiled. “And also, I read the plaque that’s right over there.” You pointed to a chain link fence that held a metal sign that detailed the Hare Krishna Tree’s significance and laughed. You pulled out your phone to check the time and frowned before looking up at him.

“I should get going, my roommate is expecting me with groceries.” You said a little dejectedly.

“Oh,” he said quietly, a little disappointed that your date day had come to an end so soon.

“Here,” you held up your phone and opened the phone app. Or you tried to, at least, as the poor thing was unresponsive to your touch.

Jesus, he thought. This thing’s gotta be at least 4 iterations behind.

“Sorry, it uh…it takes a while.” You lightly smacked the side of your phone in an attempt to speed up its processing.

Maybe 5 iterations.

“Here!” You said excitedly once the cracked screen had finally displayed the number pad. You handed him your phone, prompting him to put his number in. He obliged, adeptly entering in the 10 digits that would allow you to keep him in your life. He handed the device back to you with a smile.

“Text me when you get home.” He said before getting up.

“Sure,” you dusted your clothes off. You appreciated his concern for your safety, and only barely resisted the urge to playfully call him dad.

Miguel watched as you turned and made your way down the old park’s path and back to the cafe. You pulled out a (tangled) pair of wired earphones and plugged them into your phone, your stride slowing as you scrolled on your device to pick out a song (or maybe a podcast). He looked on as you came to a stop at the crosswalk and startled as you suddenly turned on your heel to look at him.

“Mierda,” he thought, sure that you caught his staring. His concerns were quickly quelled when you smiled (that damn cute smile) and waved at him. Miguel couldn’t help the small grin that appeared on his face as he held his hand up in acknowledgement. You gave him one last wave before turning to cross the street, and his eyes followed your receding form before you turned the corner, out of sight.

Miguel placed his hands on his waist and blew out a deep sigh, not noticing how the flush in his cheeks wasn’t caused by the frigid evening air, but by something different.

Something else entirely.

Notes: i was lowkey cringing when i wrote about the tree and dog treats i hope it didn’t come off to manic pixie dream girl-y lol (or the Absolutely Insufferable Lead In An Indie Film who says people are like a bag of chips)

the ooc miguel o’hara allegations are beating my ASS lmao i watched his whole 8 minutes of screen time and he is a vile, putrid man in each and every one of them. how can i write him as a person who asks someone to text him when they get home when in he is fully choke slamming children on the subway i am a sham

Tag! @deputy-videogamer

[theroseceleste]

Mafia Miguel - Part 2

The SECOND instalment to Mafia Miguel.

You can find part 1 here > Part 1

Contains : Female reader, brief mention of gore, kidnap attempt.

Word count - 3024

Hope you enjoy chapter 2!

----------

The June temperatures rise even higher over the coming days. Mornings and early afternoons usually have brilliant sunshine but an hour or two later, thunderstorms roll in, lighting up the skyline in its own spectacular fashion.

Just after midday, a rather large man in a suit, sits in his heavily air conditioned office. A meaty hand taps the end of his cigar, ash drops into an expensive looking glass ashtray. A column of smoke dances into the air after he raises it to his mouth to puff on it again.

His office is at the top of a high rise building called Fisk Tower. Wilson Fisk is his name.

He looks at the pictures you took of the street where O’Hara’s base entrance was. Word got to him that there was an opposing gang hidden in the depths of Nueva York. A victorious grin forms on his face, creasing his cheeks and chin. You have done a good job gathering intel on where the man’s “Web” resides.

A high pitched ding rings out inside his office at the far end. Someone has just arrived in the lift. Wilson looks up at the visitor, puffing on his cigar still.

A smartly dressed man enters carrying a box and places it on Mr. Fisk’s desk. It is addressed to him.

“Open it,” the large man demands sharply, as if he is too important to open his own mail.

A small blade swiftly clicks out of the other man’s pocket knife and drags along the top, breaking open the copious amount of tape used to seal it.

The flaps of the box opens and with it comes a foul stench, causing the unsuspecting man to gag before he even saw what was inside. Seizing the box, Fisk opens the flaps to see what has caused such a reaction. Holding a handkerchief against his nose and mouth, he peers inside. Three bloody, severed fingers are pinned down. Accompanying them are three name badges belonging to nearly all of the missing men from Alchemax.

“Sir…” the man who delivered the box says sheepishly as he points at the opening.

The large man’s attention moves away from the gruesome sight to the underside of the top flaps. Two words written in blood, reading; “You’re next.”

Slamming the flaps of the box shut, Fisk wrenches the receiver from his desk phone and demands his PA to fetch the man who does his dirty work.

***

Gabriella sits in her class, nibbling on the end of her pencil considering her next answer on her math pop quiz. The room is silent apart from the scribbles from other students.

The quiet in the class is disturbed the moment someone knocks on the door. Gabriella’s teacher, Miss Jones, gets up from her desk and goes to see who’s knocking. She steps out briefly and hushed voices are heard momentarily. Eventually, Miss Jones returns and speaks out.

“Gabriella, please get your bag. Your father has requested for you to come to the reception of the school with your escort immediately.” Miss Jones’ voice is calm but she sounds irritated that her student’s learning time is being interrupted by what seems like a demanding self-important parent.

The girl grabs her things and packs them away quickly in her bag. She silently waves at her teacher before leaving her classroom. Closing the door behind her, she stops in her tracks. Before her stood a different escort, someone she is unfamiliar with. Peter is her only armed escort.

“What happened to Peter?” she asks, eying the suited man suspiciously.

“Sick,” the stranger replies stiffly. “Come with me-“

“Peter was fine this morning,” Gabriella retorts, her heart pounding as she considers going back into her classroom.

“Well, he isn’t fine now. Come with me Miss,” the stranger insists.

Miss? Everyone from her father’s work knows her name.

“Come on, call me by my nickname. Everyone else does.” She remains pressed resolutely against her classroom’s door, refusing to move.

The strange man huffs impatiently. “I’ve forgotten it, okay? Now, come on you little brat- AHH SHIT!” As he spoke, he took Gabriella’s hand and yanked her away. His sentence is cut off as she bites his hand hard. He lets go immediately, stopping to check the damage. The smart girl runs off down the corridor, her fingers fumbling for her necklace under her dress.

Out came a gold spider pendant which has a hinged cap on the top. With a pounding heart, she flips open the lid and presses a button nestled within the body of the spider. She continues to run as her GPS location is sent immediately to her father’s, Lyla’s and Peter’s phone.

After bursting out of a side exit of the school Gabriella makes her way out of the grounds, getting away as quickly as possible.

***

You live nearby the school and are enjoying walking out in the glorious sunshine. Out of nowhere runs a young girl, frantically trying to get away from something or someone. Looking ahead you see she’s about to run out into the road in front of an oncoming truck. At the last second you grab the girl and pull her back onto the sidewalk. The sound of the truck’s horn blasts at you two as it speeds past.

The girl struggles in your arms but begins to calm down when you instinctively wrap your arms around her and rub your thumb against her shoulder.

Pulling away, you try to look in the girl's tear filled eyes, she sobs as she shakes.

“Hey sweetie, what’s wrong?” you ask as softly as possible, your hands holding her shoulders firmly.

She drags a hand across her cheek wiping tears away.

“A stranger tried taking me from my school. I ran away but…” she hesitates.

“What is it?” you encourage her to tell you tilting your head to try and look into her eyes.

“I have to hide and wait for someone I know to come and find me.” She sobs again. “I’m scared!”

Your heart breaks. Wrapping her up in your arms you hold her close.

“It’s alright sweetie. You’re with me now. I won’t let anything happen to you - I promise.”

Looking around, you spot a cafe across the road for the both of you to take refuge in. It was a busy, public place. If anyone is dumb enough to try and kidnap a child in a bustling cafe, many people will bear witness to it.

***

The girl sits quietly at a table inside the cafe, sipping on a chocolate milkshake you bought her. Her feet idly swing as she stares blankly out of the front window, waiting for a familiar face to show up. Sitting next to her, you place a gentle hand on her shoulder, making her look at you.

“I’m sure someone will turn up soon sweetheart,” you whisper to her.

Sure enough, a car screeches to a halt outside the cafe and two men come rushing out, both looking at their phones intently. You watch in shock as the towering mafia man you spied on the other day storms into the cafe wide eyed. His intense gaze lands on you with your hand resting on his daughter’s shoulder. She looks just like him, except with a rounder, more feminine face. You take your hand away as you stare back at the intense man who is now swiftly approaching.

“Gabi!” He gasps in relief, stepping past you and picking up his daughter.

“Papa…” His daughter sobs again as he holds her head close to his chest.

Serious but handsome brown eyes stare down at you, then they look at the half drunk milkshake on the table. Weighing up whether you might be a threat or not.

The other man who came with the girl’s dad, stood next to the doorway outside, watching out for anyone suspicious. He has slightly scruffy light brown hair and his nose looks as though it might have been broken a couple of times at least.

You watch as the clearly concerned father strokes his daughter’s hair soothingly and whispers to her to calm her down.

“It’s okay mija, papa’s here… papa’s here…”

Nervousness washes over you as you realise you’re working for Kingpin and you’re sitting amongst another mafia gang who would rip you to shreds if they knew who your employer is. You simply rescued a young girl and got her to safety. You had no idea of who her father was. 

Uneasiness follows your nerves. Suspicion of Kingpin being behind the abduction attempt rises within you. Most of your job doesn’t bother you, but you never thought an innocent child could get caught up in this. You think about how she shook and cried in your arms, how your heart broke for her. You don’t want to be a part of this.

Standing up slowly, you turn to subtly make your way out of the cafe.

“Wait…” You hear the father say.

Your heart stops as you freeze and turn back to face the man. The little girl comes out more from the protective shell of her father and looks at you.

“This lady saved me and kept me safe, papa. She bought me a milkshake too, she’s okay.” the girl mutters as her sobs ease.

Her father looks at you with a stern expression before picking up his phone from his trouser pocket and calls someone. Slowly he lowers his daughter to the floor but keeps a protective hand hovering behind her, ready to grab her if anyone dares to try to take her. His eyes land on you again as the call connects, nonverbally demanding you to stay.

“Lyla, get me CCTV of the school and the street outside. I want it in an hour.” He hangs up, not even waiting for a response and stuffing the phone back in his pocket.

“You saved my daughter?” he asks, his voice carrying a serious tone.

You nod. “Yes-“

“Did you see anything? Anything suspicious? Anything at all?” he interrupts you.

Now you shake your head, you didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“No, sir. I was just walking along and then your daughter came dashing out of the school grounds looking scared.” You hope your answer will suffice.

The man’s gaze falls back down to his daughter who is now finishing her chocolate milk, looking much happier now she is reunited with her father. His face softens slightly, before looking back at you.

“Thank you,” he says as he extends his hand to you, waiting for you to take it.

You reach forward trying not to show a shaking hand before taking his. He feels hot as his large hand wraps around yours. His grip is firm but gentle as his eyes lock onto yours. It seems his thanks is genuine.

“You’re welcome.” Is your quiet, nervous response.

His gaze is intense, causing your heart to thump and a dangerous feeling hangs over you. The man’s daughter looks up from her milkshake, her eyes locking on your hands joined together as you officially greet each other. She begins to smile.

A small hand tugs gently on the man’s rolled up dark blue sleeves, taking his attention from you. Looking down at his daughter, he notices her gesture to listen to her whisper. His eyes widen as he hears what his darling daughter has to say. Looking back up at you shortly after, you spy a very slight hint of pink across his face, but he shakes his head to steel himself.

“My daughter, Gabriella, suggests I should thank you properly. How does dinner sound?”

Your face blanches as his suggestion echoes in your mind. If you weren’t holding onto his hand, you could well have fallen over in shock. The leader of the opposing mafia gang has just asked you out on a… date? Oh shit…

“Oh… that’s not necessary.” You try to play down the situation, wishing to get away before you get too deep in lies and with him… Stepping back slightly, you tug your hand in his grip but he holds it slightly tighter.

“I must insist, Miss?” The man raises his eyebrow, expecting to learn your name.

The feeling similar to a cave crumbling within you, giving in to his intense gaze, you surrender your name to him. You didn’t dare lie. Your hand feels a firm squeeze as he tells you his name.

“I’m Miguel,” he begins as his grip loosens slightly. “Give your address to the man outside, he’ll tell my regular chauffeur. My limo will be outside yours tonight at seven. Alright?”

All you can do is nod at this point. Words seem to fail you as you feel his hand finally release yours. The cold, conditioned air inside the cafe swarms your hand as his overwhelming heat leaves you.

“O- Okay…” you stutter in shock as your hand falls to your side.

Gabriella beams brightly as you agree. A cheerful gleam shines in her eye.

***

Emerging from the lift in the Web, Miguel taps a message to a new contact in his phone as he walks to his office.

“(Y/N), table reserved at the Frevo, 7:30pm. Wear something nice. M.”

Stuffing the phone back in his pocket, he sits down at his desk. Lyla walks in after him carrying a folder, her heeled boots clicking against the tiled floor.

“The CCTV footage is on your personal drive, Miguel. I’ve already taken a look through it and printed out some pictures of interest.” The PA pulls up a chair and sits down next to her boss while he searches for the footage he requested.

The first video shows a man dressed in a black suit entering the school. He asks the receptionist for directions and then leaves. The footage cuts to the next frame where the stranger knocks on Gabriella’s classroom door. The teacher answers and they talk. Shortly after, he sees Gabriella realise something was wrong the moment she saw the man. A proud smile grew across his face when he saw Gabi bite the stranger’s hand and run off.

“Good girl…” he mumbles as the next frame appears.

Now he’s watching the road in front of the school. The mafia boss spies you in the camera shot and also the truck on the road. His heart almost leaps out of his mouth when he witnesses his daughter run out into the road.

“Mierda!” he yells suddenly forgetting momentarily that he’s only watching a recording.

Then he sees you, his daughter’s hero wrapping your arms around his child. Soothing her, calming her, protecting her. His heart pounds momentarily. That sight is something he hasn’t seen for five years. Gabi being held by someone resembling a mother figure. It seems he owes you big time.

“Lyla; contact the school. There should only be one person other than myself who can get Gabriella out of class. That man shouldn’t have been cleared to go through. I want a meeting with the headmaster tomorrow to give him a piece of my damn mind.”

The PA taps away dutifully on her tablet.

“Sure thing boss,” she chirps in response.

Picking up the folder that Lyla left on his desk, he looks at its contents. Closeups of certain screenshots from the CCTV footage, including the man who attempted to kidnap his daughter. Tapping his index finger on the culprit’s face, he turns to his personal assistant.

“I want this man’s head on a platter.” His voice is a low growl with a clenched jaw.

“Of course you do,” she pauses before looking up at her boss. “Shall I assign someone to find him?”

“Mhmm - please,” he hums in delight; just the thought of revenge soothed his vexed mind.

Looking at his watch, he realises it’s time to get ready for his evening outing with you. He wants to go home, shower and grab a change of clothes.

***

Rain pours down through the humid air over Nueva York in the evening. Droplets pitter patter and roll down your window panes.Your clock displays 6:58 pm. With a pounding heart you wait nervously for the limo to arrive. You feel sick with anticipation. On one hand, you feel excited to spend the evening with a handsome man. On the other hand, you’re fearful that the very same handsome man could easily kill you if he knew who you’re working for. You hope this will be for only one evening and then you can continue with your life.

On top of this problematic situation that you’re in, you worry that you’re underdressed. When Miguel mentioned the restaurant in his text to you, your legs turned to jelly. Frevo is an expensive place to eat. A place you could never afford to even lick the plates clean. You hope your faithful little black dress will suffice…

A knock on your door jolts you out of your train of thought and you’re pretty sure your heart just stopped for a second. You look at your clock - 7:00 pm. Talk about punctuality... Opening the front door, a creak fills the air. You find Miguel standing there waiting patiently. He holds a folded umbrella which is dripping on the wooden floor outside your apartment. His eyes wander up and down your body, taking in your choice of clothing; a sleeveless short dress, black tights and high heels to match.

“Buenas noches,” he mutters softly, his cold expression softens as he holds out his arm for you. “You ready?”

You attempt to smile as you nod, it seems your throat has suddenly gone dry and you are unable to speak. Taking his arm, your fingers glide over the material of his shirt, his warm skin heating up his clothing from underneath. For a split second you both look at each other when you make physical contact, just the two of you, alone. A spark jumps between you and him. You draw in a sharp intake of breath as your eyes connect with his.

“Come - I hope you’re hungry~” he coos with a slightly playful smirk threatening to break across his face.

----------

Part 3

I'm currently open for commissions. If you have a scenario you'd like to be written about your OC and our lovely Miguel, please check out my carrd.co or get in touch via email (also on the website)

If you wish to support me on Twitter you can find me here.

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Epitaphs from the Abyss #1 by Stephanie Phillips, J. Holtham, Chris Condon, Jorge Fornés, Peter Krause, Phil Hester and more. Cover by Lee Bermejo. Variant covers by (2) Andrea Sorrentino and (3) Jay Stephens. Out in July.

"THE MOST NOTORIOUS NAME IN TERROR IS BACK — WITH A VENGEANCE!

From the publisher that drove Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, and many more into the depraved hearts of an unsuspecting world, the immortal EC COMICS returns . . . with its first ALL-NEW series in nearly 70 years! In our first extra-sized, 40-page dose of fear, witness shocking tales of torment and tension in the undying EC tradition — as wrenched from the grave by the vile intentions of acclaimed writers Brian Azzarello (Batman: Damned, 100 Bullets), Chris Condon (That Texas Blood, Night People), J. Holtham (Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale), and Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn, Grim) and realized into bloody reality by 'all-slaughter' artists Jorge Fornes (Rorschach, Danger Street) Phil Hester (Family Tree), Peter Krause (Irredeemable), and more! What the Comics Code Authority couldn't kill has only made it stronger . . .  EC COMICS LIVES AGAIN IN EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS!"

[the-gershomite]

What The?! #2 -September 1988

Woof'R'Eam!

story by Al Milgrom

art by Mike Mignola

inked by Al Williamson

letters by Phil Felix

colors by Petra Scotese

The Secret, Unsuspected Sanctum Sancyouverymuch of Doctor Deranged Cosmic Truths-Mystic Might-Lottery Tickets

story by Peter Gillis

art by Phil Foglio

letters by Jim Novak

colors by Bob Sharen

[the-acid-pear]

welp, going to bed after i type this, but have this other random dsaf headcanon of mine:

so like. Henry can sorta kinda astral project himself out of the Void (not really astral projection but y'know. It's Along Those Lines), but only if he attaches himself to a person or other living being in the Real World.

now, you'd think that he'd either attach himself to like. an unsuspecting Freddy's employee and just do a repeat of Dave or something (just less physical abuse and without the surgery. because he can't do that now). or y'know. reattach himself to Dave.

nope! he picked Jack.

y'know. The Guy That Literally Fucking Hates Him.

so uh. Dsaf 2 Was A Time.

you've got Jack, who's getting whiplash from several things at once (Dave behavior around him has escalated drastically to near-violent levels, Dee's in the same building as him, his brother is literally his manager), and is also being forced to deal with Henry's Bullshit. which Definitely helps and doesn't cause a single problem nope not a one (< lying)

so like. they're practically at each other's throats the whole time. Jack is being (understandably) very passive aggressive about the whole Peter Death Thing. Dee also knows Henry's here, and She Fucking Hates It. Blackjack is freaking out because This Wasn't Supposed To Happen.

oh, and if you thought the hatred only applied to the Good Route? you'd be wrong!

Dave: Hey, Sportsy, did you ever meet Henry?

Jack, knowing full well Henry's in the room: Oh no, never met him, never even heard of the guy. Henry? Who's Henry? I don't know a Henry :)

Henry: Well, fuck you, too.

- dogboyjackkennedy

I LOOOOOOVE THAT he's such a turbo cunt I need to take a bite out of his bone. The migraines Jack be dealing with Christ ALIVE 😭😭😭😭

[sterek-ao3feed]

H2O: just add water

Read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56570848

by Lotusxpop

Stiles has been hiding his whole life and does not plan to stop now. He is good at it, nobody have ever suspected that he is more than just a normal human and Stiles likes it that way, likes the anonymity it gives him. That's the plan anyways, just keep being an unsuspected human.

A pool, a grumpy werewolf and a murder lizard puts a kink in that plan.

(Takes place during season 2 of Teen wolf) (also this fic has nothing to do with the series H2O: just add water, I just found it hilarious)

Words: 8002, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale, Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Allison Argent, Lydia Martin, Jackson Whittemore, Vernon Boyd, Erica Reyes, Isaac Lahey, Peter Hale, Sheriff Stilinski (Teen Wolf), Gerard Argent, Chris Argent

Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Sheriff Stilinski & Stiles Stilinski, Isaac Lahey & Stiles Stilinski, Erica Reyes & Stiles Stilinski, Vernon Boyd & Isaac Lahey & Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd & Stiles Stilinski, Allison Argent/Scott McCall

Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Creature Stiles Stilinski, POV Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski Needs a Hug, Protective Derek Hale, Derek Hale's Pack Feels, Angst, Fluff, mermaid, Stiles is a mermaid, Stiles Stilinski is a Mess, Teen Wolf (TV) Season 2, Bad Friend Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), he is really neglectful to stiles, not beta read we die like my sanity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56570848

[brokehorrorfan]

Ghoulies will be released on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on September 12 via MVD as part of the 4K LaserVision Collection and Rewind Collection, respectively.

The 1984 horror-comedy is directed by Luca Bercovici (Rockula) from a script he co-wrote with producer Jefery Levy. Peter Liapis, Lisa Pelikan, Michael Des Barres, Scott Thomson, Mariska Hargitay, and Jack Nance star. Charles Band (Puppet Master, Subspecies) executive produces.

Ghoulies has been newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision/HDR and 2.0 Mono DTS-HD Audio. Each edition comes with a matching slipcover and mini poster.  Special features are listed below.

Disc 1 - 4K UHD:

2015 audio commentary with writer-director Luca Bercovici

2016 audio commentary by writer-director Luca Bercovici

Disc 2 - Blu-ray:

2015 audio commentary with writer-director Luca Bercovici

2016 audio commentary by writer-director Luca Bercovici

Introduction by writer-director Luca Bercovici

From Toilets to Terror: The Making of Ghoulies - 2015 featurette

Interview with writer-director Luca Bercovici 

Interview with editor Ted Nicolau

Interview with actor Scott Thomson

Theatrical trailer

4 TV spots

Photo gallery

Take a creepy old Hollywood mansion, a naïve young man and a pretty girl. Add an over-the-top orgy and some slimy, winged goblins who crawl out of toilets, and you have Ghoulies, a horrifying and hilarious ride into the darkest regions of hell! Conjured during a party thrown by the mansion's new owner, the hairy, fanged demons waste no time wreaking havoc on the scene - and declaring the unsuspecting owner their new lord and master!

Pre-order Ghoulies.

[firstwizardingwarfest]

Hi everyone! We are pleased to present the roundup for the second week of the fest. We will post two more fics on Monday, then a final masterlist with author reveals on Tuesday!

Browse the collection and give our creators some love if you get the chance.

Week 2 roundup:

Stronger (Dorcas/Marlene) [Art]:

Some couples are driven apart by the war, twisted by fear and suspicion, but it only brings Dorcas and Marlene closer together.

Auror Potter and the Vices of Men (Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort) [Fic]:

The Ministry sends Auror Harry back in time to defeat Voldemort before the prophecy. During his mission, Harry falls in love with someone unexpected.

A Way Out (Peter/Regulus, Peter & Regulus) [Digital Comic]:

Peter Pettigrew and Regulus Black hanging out in a random park. They have a nice little chat about the future and question their life decisions. (Spoiler: They're not very good at it.)

Damage Control (Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy; Gen) [Fic]:

Realising that he was now very much on his own in this life Draco Malfoy goes back in time to try and fix the past. He thinks can change things. Set everything back on the right path. He didn't expect to meet someone so important that the future would not exist without her. He never expected to be battling in a warzone whilst trying to protect someone completely unable to protect themselves.

Here to Honour You (Regulus Black/Barty Crouch Jr.) [Fic]:

Before walking into his death, Regulus says goodbye to an unsuspecting Barty.

love like the blood in my teeth (marlene mckinnon/dorcas meadows) [Fic]:

Some couples are driven apart by the war, twisted by fear and suspicion, but it only brings Dorcas and Marlene closer together.

leave a message in the dirt (Remus Lupin/Fenrir Greyback) [Art & Fic]:

Remus is reeling after the Order sends Sirius Black on a suicide mission. Remus doesn't want to be human anymore. Fortunately—or unfortunately—he has a built-in solution for that.

Nyctophobia (Bella/Lily) [Fic]:

The time for playing by their rules is over.

In a Mirror, Darkly (Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter) [Fic]:

Lily Evans Potter would do anything to protect her family from Voldemort. Even seduce her ex-best friend Severus Snape.

cauldron smoke and fresh paper (Barty Crouch Jr./Voldemort) [Fic]:

If Barty Crouch Sr. spent time at his manor, he might have noticed how often Voldemort did the same.

[kumezyzo]

Peter 3 x OC | Chapter 1.... Chp.2....Chp.3 m.list

enjoy bitches. im tired. im not making this a whole extravagant description. enjoy.

The hallway was crowded. Not abnormally, just as much as the day before. And the day before that. And the day before that. And everyone was just as self-absorbed as before. It made it easy to walk through the hallways and just go undetected. For the most part.

"AJ!" I stopped at the call of my nickname coming from someone I didn't know. I pulled out my earbud and looked at the blonde girl blankly. "Hey! So-"

"Don't call me that," I told her monotonously. I went to put my earbud back in my ear and walk away before she grabbed my wrist.

"Wait, I have a question!" I pulled my arm out of her grip harshly, her acrylic nails scraping against my skin. I sighed at her and nodded at her to continue. "So like, I'm having a party this weekend. And It's gonna be, like, super huge. So I was wondering if like… your dad would do a piece on it?"

I looked at her strangely, wondering if she actually thought that would happen. "You want my dad, a reporter who doesn't cover big events, to do a piece on your… party?"

The blonde nodded, her beachy curls moving with her animatedly. "Uh-huh!"

I scoffed and put my earbud back in, continuing on my way to my locker. Then she called out again, "Wait!!"

I rubbed my eyes and turned my head to look at her. "What?"

"I'll let you come to the party," she said defeatedly. I raised my eyebrows in amusement before laughing.

I tried to hold in my laugh, but it just came tumbling out again. "Yeah, no. My dad is an actual reporter, and you're just throwing a party. There's nothing to report." I looked at her, scoffing again and walking off to my locker.

"The Brock Report isn't even that good anyway!" She called out after me. I shook my head and, without looking back, flipped her off.

Again, usually undetected. Especially when your best friend was just as undetectable as you, and he didn't mind going unnoticed. So many of the people here treat schools like popularity competition, as cliche as it sounds. But it's sadly true. And with a school like ours, almost everyone knows everyone.

I turned the corner down the hallway where my locker sits nicely on the wall. As I got closer, I noticed the two people leaning against it, very publicly and shamelessly making out against my locker. Just past them, I saw my best friend standing there awkwardly.

He looked at me and shrugged as I approached, disgusted. I stood there for a second, hoping for them to notice. When they didn't, I cleared my throat. Then louder when they didn't notice that. I looked at Peter with an irritated expression before clapping loudly right next to their ears.

They jumped apart, looking at me with fearful eyes. "Hey! These are our lockers!" I said with a large smile, motioning between me and Peter. "And this," I motioned to them. "Is an act of public indecency. So, if you could so politely fuck off, that would be perfect!"

The girl scoffed offendedly as she pulled her boyfriend away. Her boyfriend glared at Peter, "Really man?"

Peter shrugged, "She has a point."

"Maybe find a janitor's closet?" I called out after them as they walked away, shrugging. "Or an empty classroom!"

I finally turned to Peter, who just looked at me, completely amused. "How has your day been, Aj?" He opened his locker, pulling out his AP Chem textbook.

I opened the locker right next to his, "Well, ya know, destroying the institute, protesting social norms. The usual," I listed off, smiling cheekily at him. I grabbed my journalism binder out of my school bag and put it in my locker, replacing it with my AP Physics 2 book.

"And who was your poor unsuspecting victim today? Mr. Kwas?" He asked, shutting his locker and leaning on it, watching me swap books out. I looked over at him with a grin, then faltered for a moment when I noticed how close he was. I gulped when I saw him watching me intently. I looked back into my bag, trying to remember what else I needed.

"Um," I paused, trying to remember what we were talking about. "Uh… No. Kwasnicka is alright. It was Locke, who I almost made cry." I zipped up my bag and shut my locker.

"And how did you almost make Mrs. Locke cry?" Peter asked me, throwing his arm loosely around my shoulder as we walked down the hall.

"She misquoted Shakespeare," I said simply. I giggled when I looked over and noticed his concerned expression.

"Only you have Shakespeare memorized," he said, shaking his head.

"It was from Hamlet!" I said in disbelief. "Everyone knows 'to be or not to be'! How do you fuck up, 'to be or not to be'!"

"Well, you'd have to be Locke," Peter said in amusement.

"Exactly," I said, failing to hide my smile. Peter pulled his arm off of me as we approached a push-to-open door. He pushed ahead of me, holding the door for me as we made our way out to the courtyard.

Then Peter stopped in his tracks. I looked at him strangely before looking up to where he was looking. It was Gwen Stacey, sitting on one of the picnic tables, reading a book. I looked down at my feet uncomfortably for a second before I heard a camera shutter.

"You should just ask her out, you know." I said, snapping Peter out of his trance. He looked down at me and shook his head.

"You know, I think I'm okay," he said, shaking his head.

Just as I was about to say something, we heard yelling to the left of us. That is where we saw a large group gathered around beginning to chant. "Eat It!"

We quickly made our way over to the crowd that seemed to be growing by the second. We pushed our way to the front, seeing Flash holding Gordon up. He was pushing Gordons face into the school pizza, repeatedly telling him to eat it.

"Hey, Parker, come on!" Flash called out once he saw us. "Get a picture of this!"

"I'm not gonna take a picture," Peter said, "Put him down, man."

"Come on," Flash taunted. I rolled my eyes.

"Put him down, man," Peter repeated louder this time. "Gordon, Gordon, don't eat it."

"Take the picture, Parker," Flash said pointedly in an attempt to sound intimidating. "And Brock, how about you get your dad to report it, huh?"

"Put him down, Flash," I said, motioning for him to put Gordon down.

"Take the picture," Flash said again. He kept his eyes trained on Peter.

Peter just shook his head, "Put him down, Eugene!"

The crowd went silent in anticipation. Flash stopped and threw Gordon on the ground. I gasped and stepped over to help him. I wasn't even five steps in front of where I was standing before I heard the sound of Flash punching Peter.

"Come on! Get up, Parker!" Flash yelled as I whipped around quickly. I dropped my bag and shoved Flash as Peter quickly got up on his feet again.

Flash turned around quickly and swung at me. I stepped back, his large fist missing my face by a few centimeters. I took that moment to swing my fist around, hitting him square in the jaw.

Peter had tried to cross around us to get to Gordon, but even in his disoriented state, Flash grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him to the ground again. He took that as a chance to kick Peter in the stomach again. I tried to pull him off, only to get shoved straight into the round picnic table.

"Shit," I groaned, feeling my back ache as I heard Peter grunt out something. I sat on the bench, doubled over as I tried to regain the breath that was knocked out of me.

"Stay down, Parker!" I heard Flash yell. I forced my eyes open and saw Peter rolling over on the ground in pain. "Who wants some more?! Huh?"

I achingly stood up and stumbled over to Peter. He slowly stood up and I reached out my hand to help him.

"Flash!" I looked behind me to see Gwen walking up to the delinquent in question. "We still on for after school today? My house, 3:30?"

Peter wrapped his arm around me again, much like earlier. But this time, I winced when I felt him put some of his weight on me. I watched as the crowd grew quieter watching Gwen interact with Flash.

"Okay, move -"

"No, how 'bout we go to class?" She asked, ushering him away from us just as the bell rang. "How about it?"

I saw him glance behind her at us, contemplating it before walking away. I sighed in relief, trying to take a step forward with Peter as the crowd dispersed. His knees buckled, causing me to stumble slightly. Then we heard clattering behind us. Someone was walking away from Peter's kicked camera.

He groaned and let go of me as he went to pick it up. I shuffled over to my bag that had also been kicked. When I turned around, I saw him holding up the camera, inspecting it for damages. I walked over to his bag and picked it up for him, struggling to put mine on for a brief moment.

"Is it alright?" I asked, looking at it with him. He sighed and closed the back piece, silently motioning for me to hand him his bag and skateboard. He took it from me and slung it over his shoulder.

"Let's just go to class, Alina."

yeet yeet. statistics-statistics. water-splish-splash-splash. AYY NOW CHOP. wassssup dickhead! -Nony quoting Timothee Chalamet

ps. if yall want the 2nd chp, just send an ask. it's already written. and on my ao3. but again, just ask.

[doggiewoggiez]

My 75 gallon Central African tank!

Stocking and such below

Fish/Inverts

Senegal Bichir (Polypterus senegalus) x2

AKA Dinosaur Bichir. They get 9-12 inches, they're badass predators but the tankmates will be safe, too big to be aggressed upon. I've got one albino and one normal one. Their names are Bulk and Skull, like from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. They have true lungs and can breathe people-air! It's cool to watch them do it.

Leopard Bushfish (Ctenopoma acutirostre) x1

AKA Spotted Climbing Perch. Gets about 5-9 inches but is a slow grower, so considering moving him to a 20 long with one of my Krib pairs and my Synos when I eventually move them and he can return to the 75 when big. In the wild these guys drift along until they're close enough to nab some prey that thinks they're just a leaf. His name is Demi because of the famous Demi Moore photo.

Peters's Elephant Nose Fish (Gnathonemus petersii) x1

AKA Ubangi Mormyrid. By far my most interesting guy. He's an electric fish, and that silly proboscis is called a Schnauzenorgan, covered in electroreceptors, which he uses to snuffle around for worms. He has an organ in his ass that generates an electric field. No, really. They've also got the highest brain to body oxygen usage ratio of any vertebrate. He's super cute and full of personality! Wild caught, too, so this guy traveled across half the planet to get to me. In ancient Egypt these guys were believed to have eaten the penis of Osiris and were worshipped in the city of Oxyrhynchus.

Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher) x4

AKA Rainbow Cichlid. An African cichlid that's not an asshole? Sign me up. Well, they're still assholes but only to each other. You probably could spot a full grown 4" male, a pair of 2" female and male, and a 1.5" female in the video if you look closely. Incredibly beautiful fish, very aggressive when they breed, so I plan to separate one pair of kribs into a 20g and leave the other in the 75. One of the rare instances where the females are the flashier ones!

Congo Tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus) x6

One of the larger tetras kept in aquaria, they get about 4 inches or so too. Semi-aggressive, which here just means they steal everyone's food and get fat, so I have to distract them with flakes on one side of the tank so everyone else can eat. Beautiful, shiny blues and reds and clear fins. Love 'em. Way overpriced for tetras though, like 8 bucks per! Comparably sized South American tetras are still $2.50 at PetSmart.

African Butterfly Fish (Pantodon buchholzi) x1

You've probably seen them in nature documentaries. They're those guys that float at the waters surface looking like a butterfly or a leaf until they see some unsuspecting bug above the water and then BAM! They jump way up and snatch 'em. Relative of the Arowana. Beautiful little guy, goes bananas bonkers when I feed him crickets.

Upside-Down Catfish (Synodontis nigriventris) x3

AKA Blotched upside-down catfish. Adorable little guys with naturally tubby bellies. They're friendly and I love them, though they'll be moving to the 20 gallon long with kribs and Demi. They really do swim upside down!

FALSE Upside-Down Catfish (Synodontis nigrita) x2

Ohohoho, you fool, you fucker. You thought you bought upside down catfish, didn't you? Well, now I'm gonna get a foot long and poop a lot and suck the slime coat off your expensive fish and kill them and look so sillycute while doing it. AND I won't even swim upside down. Will be banished to local fish store rehoming tank to be sold under the correct name this time.

Snails (Various sp.) x999999999

I've got Malaysian Trumpet Snails (intentional), Nerites (intentional), Ramshorns (unwanted hitchhikers), and Bladder Snails (unwanted hitchhikers).

Plants

Jungle Val (Vallisneria americana)

AKA Eelgrass. Not technically African but it was cheaper than the African-native Corkscrew Val.

Narrow Crinum (Crinum calamistratum)

AKA African Onion Plant. Slow growing and small so far but looks cool fully grown.

African Water Fern (Bolbitus heudelotii)

AKA Congo Fern. Really sickly and shitty from PetSmart but should improve.

Cameroon Moss (Plagiochilaceae sp.)

Really pretty moss I attached to some driftwood in small bunches, should grow in soon enough.

Anubias (Anubias heterophylla, Anubias barteri)

Probably the most well-known African aquatic plant besides lucky bamboo, you'll find this in a TON of fish tanks.

Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri)

Still just a wee baby, eventually this'll grow into some rockin' red lily pads.

Ammania (Ammannia gracilis)

Beautiful stem plant with red-tipped leaves. Lovely pop of color.

Duckweed (Lemna minor)

Fuck this guy kill this guy. Duckweed hell one million years forever!!!!!!!!!!

Tank Setup

75 Gallon (idk brand) I believe dimensions are 48x18x21

Fluval 407 Canister filter w/ spray bar

Secondary sponge filter with air pump rated for up to 100gal

Tertiary filter running water softener pillow and establishing spare biomedia

Substrate is pea gravel and Black Diamond Blasting Sand, coarse grit.

Wood is California driftwood/ghost wood iirc, got it at a reptile expo.

Light is Finnex Planted+ 24/7 (I just leave it on auto mode)

Heaters are 3 preset tetra 100W heaters. Nothing fancy.

There's caves made out of PVC piping covered with pond foam.

That bag you see is weighing the driftwood down since it's a little new, it still wants to float.

Leaf litter is mostly oak and live oak and a bit of catappa.

This shit all cost me way more than was reasonable at all jesus christ it was pricy but it's so worth it.

[inevitablemoment]

SHIP QUESTIONS: For Egon x Cathleen

PRE-RELATIONSHIP

1. How did they first meet?

2. What was their first impression of each other?

3. Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

6. What would their lives be like if they had never met?

GENERAL

1. Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

2. Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

3. What was their first kiss like?

4. Were they each other’s first anything?

5. What’s their height difference? Age difference?

6. What’s their relationship with each other’s families?

7. Who takes the lead in social situations?

8. Who gets jealous easier?

9. Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear?

LOVE

1. Who said “I love you” first?

2. What are their primary love languages?

3. Who uses cheesy pick-up lines?

4. How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

5. Who initiates the kisses?

6. Who’s the big and little spoon?

7. What are their favorite things to do together?

8. Who’s better at comforting the other?

9. Who’s more protective?

10. Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

11. What are some songs that apply to their relationship, in-universe or otherwise?

12. What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

13. Who remembers the little things?

DOMESTIC LIFE

1. If they get married, who proposes?

2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

3. How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like?

4. Do they have any pets?

5. Who’s the stricter parent?

6. Who worries more?

7. Who kills the bugs in the house?

8. How do they celebrate holidays?

9. Who’s more likely to convince the other to go back to sleep in the morning?

10. Who’s the better cook?

11. Who likes to dance?

PRE-RELATIONSHIP

1. How did they first meet?

During the summer of 1957, Cathleen's family moved from Madison, Wisconsin to Cleveland, Ohio. On her first day of school, Cathleen accidentally crashed her bike into an unsuspecting Egon. She got pretty scraped up on her knees and elbows, and he offers to walk with her to the nurse’s office, which she agreed.

2. What was their first impression of each other?

Cathleen found Egon to be unique to the other men in her life, and she liked that he was more worldly than her deeply religious family. Because of the chaos of being in a big family, she also liked how quiet and calm he was, and she could sense that there was more to him underneath his neutral mask. Meanwhile, Egon loved seeing how passionate she was about her love of storytelling, and he was surprised how intently she listened when he told her about an experiment that he was working on, when he usually bored others to tears.

3. Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

Egon's family was glad to see that he had made a friend, and they weren't exactly surprised when they started dating. However, Cathleen's devout Catholic family didn't approve of her fraternizing with a Jewish boy, even without factoring in Egon's neurodiversity.

4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

They both felt the first spark in Spring 1958 when Cathleen was playing Peter Pan in the school production, but it fully came to the forefront of their minds during the summer before they began high school. They went to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the cinema, and Cathleen laid her head on Egon's shoulder, and they both felt... something...

5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

At first, yes. With Egon, it was mostly out of insecurity because he never thought anyone would look to him as a possible romantic partner, and because he wanted to spare Cathleen from further scrutiny from her family. Cathleen's reluctance was out of her wish to preserve her friendship with him in case he didn't reciprocate her feelings.

6. What would their lives be like if they had never met?

No comment.

The rest of the answers are under the cut.

GENERAL

1. Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

At a school Halloween party, while they were both outside to take a break from the crowd, Cathleen told Egon that she had romantic feelings for him. At first, he was silent, and Cathleen was afraid that he didn't feel the same, but he quickly told her that he did, he was just surprised.

2. Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

Egon surprised Cathleen with tickets to see a production of Much Ado About Nothing at Playhouse Square; after the show, they went walking around the block and they shared their first kiss.

3. What was their first kiss like?

It was a little awkward at first, as it was the first time that they had kissed anyone. But as they continued, it felt... so natural and right. Cathleen felt a sense of safety that she had never felt before, and Egon... he began to know what it meant to be loved so deeply. Everything in the world felt right in those moments.

4. Were they each other’s first anything?

Oh, they were each other's first... everything. First date, first kiss, first time.

5. What’s their height difference? Age difference?

Egon is 6'2" and Cathleen is 5'5", so she's nine inches shorter than him. Egon's birthday is November 21st, 1944 (same as Harold Ramis), and Cathleen's birthday is January 2nd, 1945, so their age gap is one month and thirteen days.

6. What’s their relationship with each other’s families?

Cathleen was welcomed with open arms into the Spengler family. Egon's mother, Ruth, treats her like her own daughter; his father, Edison, and her often exchange books and discuss them together; and she finds that his twin, Elon, is a better brother to her than her brothers are. However, Cathleen's family, of course, aren't so welcoming. Though Cathleen tells Egon that she will no contact with them for him, he tells her that he can deal with it. After Callie's birth, Cathleen finally does cut off her family. The last time she really hears from them is after her mother's death in 1992.

7. Who takes the lead in social situations?

Cathleen.

8. Who gets jealous easier?

Oh, Egon. Cathleen finds it entertaining.

9. Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear?

Cathleen.

LOVE

1. Who said “I love you” first?

Surprisingly, Egon.

2. What are their primary love languages?

Words of affirmation, physical touch, and food.

3. Who uses cheesy pick-up lines?

Cathleen. She could recite the sappiest, most trite and treacly Shakespearean sonnet, and Egon would think of it as Christians think of the Sermon on the Mount.

4. How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

They do cuddle in public, but that's mostly in dark theaters and auditoriums. Egon and Cathleen will hold hands or exchange a brief kiss in public, but he's not one for public makeout sessions. One of the things that Cathleen does to greet him is squeeze his hand three times to say "I love you."

5. Who initiates the kisses?

It's about even.

6. Who’s the big and little spoon?

Cathleen's definitely the little spoon. She's very smol, and she loves cuddling, and she just wants Egon's arms wrapped around her, thank you.

7. What are their favorite things to do together?

For date nights, they like to go to the movies or catch a show, maybe grab some dinner. At home, they like to snuggle up and watch a show. Sometimes, while Egon's working in the lab, Cathleen will sit at one of the desks and work on one of her story ideas so that they can work and be in the same room together.

8. Who’s better at comforting the other?

They're both pretty good at comforting each other, especially considering all that they've had to deal with. Cathleen helps Egon when he's coming down from a sensory overload, and Egon helps Cathleen when she's tempted to relapse.

9. Who’s more protective?

While they're both protective on the job, Cathleen is definitely the most protective of the two. It's what earns her the derogatory sobriquet of "the Ghostbuster's Guard Dog" in the tabloids.

10. Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

They have a good mix of both.

11. What are some songs that apply to their relationship, in-universe or otherwise?

"A Thousand and One Nights" from Twisted, "I See The Light" from Tangled, "Falling Slowly" from Once, "I Choose You" by Sara Bareilles, "Ours" by Taylor Swift, "Neverland" by Zendaya, "A Million Dreams" by Jessica Vosk, "Home" by Phillip Phillips, "For The Dancing and The Dreaming" by Peter and Evynne Hollens, "All That Matters" by Christina Perri, "In Whatever Time We Have" from Children of Eden, "Heart of Stone" from Six, "Tightrope" by Michelle Williams, "You Love Who You Love" from Bonnie & Clyde, "I Know Him So Well" from Chess, "Dyin' Ain't So Bad" from Bonnie & Clyde, "Someone Else's Story" from Chess, "Timeless" by Taylor Swift, "Always Starting Over" from If/Then

12. What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

Egon commonly calls her "Cath," or "sweetheart"-- the latter of which is when he's feeling especially affectionate. Cathleen refers to him as "love."

13. Who remembers the little things?

Egon.

DOMESTIC LIFE

1. If they get married, who proposes?

Egon proposes to Cathleen on New Year's Eve 1973.

2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

They have a very short engagement, marrying on May 7th, 1974 in a traditional Jewish ceremony. The wedding is held at the New York Botanical Gardens in The Bronx, mostly family (which included Peter and Ray) and a few friends. Egon and Cathleen initially wanted a small wedding, but her family kept trying to guilt her into inviting these relatives that she hadn't seen since her youngest sister's christening. Still, it was an intimate, romantic affair, followed by a European tour as their honeymoon.

3. How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like?

They decide to wait a few years to have children, and begin trying after Egon receives his second doctorate. Cathleen becomes pregnant in 1978, but unfortunately miscarries at eighteen weeks. The baby, a girl that they name Felicity Ruth Spengler, is cremated and her remains are placed in a small urn. Cathleen is told that it is unlikely that she'll ever conceive again, and if she does, it's unlikely that she'll carry the baby to term. Eventually, in 1980, as Egon is studying in an accelerated doctorate program at MIT, she does become pregnant again. She and Egon welcome Callie Violet Spengler on January 21st, 1981. Callie inherits her mother's looks with a few features from her father, but also has their shared stubbornness, her mother's creativity, and her father's resourcefulness. Surprisingly, in 1989, Cathleen finds out that she's pregnant again. While shocked, as they considered Callie as their "miracle baby," she and Egon are thrilled, and Callie takes the responsibility of big sister very seriously. In the early hours of New Year's Day 1990, after the defeat of Vigo the Carpathian, Marie Rae Spengler is born. Marie looks and acts the most like her father, and is on the spectrum like him. Compared to Callie, she is a quiet and reserved baby, but no less curious about the world around her.

4. Do they have any pets?

They've considered it, and they almost permanently took in a stray cat during their time in Massachusetts; but since they would be going back to New York after Egon graduated, they decided to find it a nice home instead. Callie has certainly begged for a pet on more than one occasion, but the complex where their townhouse is doesn't allow cats or dogs.

5. Who’s the stricter parent?

They're not particularly strict, as Cathleen still has some unresolved issues from her own restrictive upbringing, but they do try to maintain a routine and make sure that the girls stick to it.

6. Who worries more?

Usually depends on what they have to worry about. Cathleen certainly has a freak-out when she and Egon are left unemployed within minutes of each other.

7. Who kills the bugs in the house?

Oh, Egon... unless it's a spider, then it's Cathleen. He takes care of the ones that sting, she takes care of the ones that spin and bite.

8. How do they celebrate holidays?

They mainly celebrate the major Jewish holidays, i.e. Passover and Hanukkah, by either inviting Egon's side of the family or traveling back to Cleveland. On Christmas, they stay in their pajamas, watch old home movies, and look at their family photo albums while cuddling on the couch.

9. Who’s more likely to convince the other to go back to sleep in the morning?

Being a performer, Cathleen has a rough schedule, so Egon always tries to make sure that she gets enough rest before her call time.

10. Who’s the better cook?

Cathleen's better at baking, Egon's better at cooking. But that doesn't mean that he's not good at baking, it's just that Cathleen's better. She chalks it up to a lifetime of being told that all she was good for as a woman was cooking, cleaning, and making babies.

11. Who likes to dance?

Well, Cathleen's a theater kid, so obviously her. But unless she has a choreographed routine, she's so bad at it. It's why she looks like such a fool at parties.

[skippyv20]

Definitions Don't Vary

Hi Skippy & Friends-Pilgrim here confirming real meanings starting with the definition for "documentary film." NON-FICTIONAL MOTION-PICTURE=Documentary film. (Whoops!)

Wikipedia says: A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record ".

Webster says: “a movie or television program that tells the facts about actual people and events.” The conventional thinking about documentaries is that they document reality. Also, conventional thinking suggests they represent the objective truth and do not include fictional elements.

There are 6 primary types of documentaries according to Peter Biesterfeld-a seasoned script-to-screen writer and producer/trainer. 1. The Expository Mode-heavily researched essay films that air to educate and explain events, issues, ways of life and things we know little about. 2. The Observational Mode-called cinema verité, for fly-on-the-wall documentary; gritty realism produced in the 1960-70's using new, faster, lighter filming equipment. 3. The Participatory Mode-involves the meeting between filmmaker and subject recorded with the filmmaker engaging in the situation they are documenting. It presents the filmmaker's point of view. 4. The Reflexive Mode-These try to provoke audiences to question what is being presented! Reflexive documentaries challenge assumptions/expectations about the form itself. 5. The Poetic Mode-the definition of poetry in applied, creating an impression or a mood rather than show a point. It is an abstract or avant-garde production, emphasizing cinematic value over content to create visual poetry using shot design, composition and rhythm. 6. The Performative Mode-this is the opposite of the observational mode where the story is told in an unobtrusive way following the subject's narrative. Performative docs emphasize the filmmaker's own involvement with the subject, becoming the film's personal guide filled with raw emotion and what it is like being there-perhaps a culture of event in history. They may include found footage telling the tragic story of the subject matter.

Conclusion: the Archewell effort for producing a documentary has actually created a new catagory called REVERSING TRUTH MODE. By using all of the above techniques, the intention is to create such a mix up of information it becomes worthless visual pollution, causing severe raw reactions. Caution is advised with this form of documentary with its overly dramatic, scary music used to accentuate the non-existent danger while triggering stress!

Back to reality...I want to know, when do the movie regulators start to question this fake documentary legally? Netflix should be fined along with any other group that participated in this creation of FICTION. Advertising it as a documentary, defined by traditional dictionaries used worldwide, they have perpetuated FRAUD to an unsuspecting public.

"Big mistake! Big! Huge!" said the character from the scene in the movie Pretty Woman.  Over and out for now.

Excellent post! Thank you Pilgrim!❤️

[themculibrary]

Coffee Shops & Cafes Masterlist 3

part one, part two

all i’ve ever known (is how to hold my own) (ao3) - notapartytrick mj/peter T, 38k

Summary: Michelle Jones, begrudging waitress at Peter Pan Donuts, comes across a customer who feels strangely familiar and decides to do what she does best - solve the case.

all of the while (i never knew) (ao3) - middlecyclone darcy/natasha T, 4k

Summary: Darcy works in a coffee shop. Natasha isn’t her favorite customer, technically, but she’s definitely the hottest. And the most secretive.

and cookies, too? (ao3) - SilverRowan_Ivy630951 steve/bucky T, 6k

Summary: “So, what made you come to Wakanda?”

“Steve thought Stark was joking and agreed to the position right on the spot.”

“Hey!” Steve protested. “There hadn’t been even a single rumor that he was going to open another Shield Coffee Shop, much less one in another country. Not even a whisper. How was I supposed to know that the man was legitimately asking?”

“You’re just lucky that you chose me for who you’d want to work here with you. I’ll be damned if I let my husband move to another fuckin’ country with someone that wasn’t me.”

coffee and chocolate (ao3) - SherlocksHound loki/tony, jane/thor T, 8k

Summary: Coffee shop AU, kinda. In which Loki lives as a famous chef and has a re-encounter with someone he thought he would never see again: Dr. Tony Stark. Add a nice little Family meeting with drama and get a FrostIron special.

Daredevils Don't Drink Decaf (ao3) - orphan_account matt/foggy T, 20k

Summary: “I really, really want to make a joke about bats and blindness. Will you punch me if I make a joke about bats and blindness?” Matt shakes his head, grinning. “Okay, so we’re Superspud and Blind-As-A-Batman.”

In which Foggy uses his law degree to peddle coffee to unsuspecting caffeine junkies, and Matt is his favorite customer. Who may or may not be Batman.

diggin’ on you (ao3) - adashofhope mj/peter T, 2k

Summary: the coffee shop au that no one asked for.

“i write a bad pick up line on your cup every time i’m your barista.”

espresso memories (ao3) - Infinitywrites steve/tony G, 4k

Summary: Steve smiled as he heard the door of the almost empty coffee shop open at 2:00 in the morning and there’s only one person comes by now.

(AKA)

Steve is a new barista at the coffee shop near the Tower and Tony is his 2 am regular

falling in love at a coffee shop (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor cooper/peter T, 2k

Summary: After the events of No Way Home, Peter finds himself working at a coffee shop in order to distract himself from no longer having MJ and Ned in his life. Then, a customer by the name of Cooper Barton shows up and turns Peter’s life upside down.

how may i help you? (ao3) - yachi_kinnie druig/makkari G, 13k

Summary: Makkari is a barista at a coffee shop. One day, a serious-looking man enters.

how to get steve rogers approval: a guide by bucky barnes (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor G, 3k

Summary: Bucky Barnes is the new employee at the coffee shop that Steve has been working at, and Steve doesn’t like him from the start, but Bucky is determined to get Steve to like him one way or another.

jack-o-lanterns and kittens (ao3) - captain_wintersoldier steve/bucky, clint/natasha, jane/thor, darcy/loki T, 9k

Summary: Steve works at a Coffee shop. Cue attractive customer named Bucky Barnes. Steve falls in love and ends up embarrassing himself, but scoring a date anyway. Yay relationships.

just like coffee, i look forward to a cup of you (ao3) - lowqualtom mj/peter G, 3k

Summary: The one coffee shop AU where MJ sits and reads everyday and Peter makes her coffee.

on a wednesday, in a cafe (ao3) - TaraLy gilgamesh/thena T, 111k

Summary: Thenamesh Coffee Shop AU. No angst, no plot, only love (and food).

steve rogers: always surprising, never delightful (ao3) - powercrow steve/bucky T, 7k

Summary: aka a coffee shop-prank war AU wherein Bucky is beleaguered and long-suffering and Steve is a shithead with the emotional maturity of a five year old.

there was a star danced (ao3) - tosca1390 jane/thor T, 6k

Summary: This is the familiar rhythm of her days; the coffee shop until one pm, five days a week, then class and the lab, then home or the library. Here, in her last year with a future dark ahead of her, she doesn’t see anything to change her ways.

Jane and Thor, meeting at a coffee shop.

territory negotiations (ao3) - Desiderii steve/tony E, 20k

Summary: The Kill for a Cuppa is the the number-one parahuman stomping ground in the city. For Tony, a feral, it’s one of the only neutral territories he’s willing to frequent (where frequent means both drink coffee and nap on the couch as well as proposition likely strangers for a quick fuck in the alley). When his attempt to publicly seduce a gorgeous golden tabby named Steve Rogers backfires, Tony is forced to decide how far past 'lust’ and into 'the real Tony Stark’ territory he’s willing to go.

(A the Avengers are catpeople who work in a coffee shop AU that is, more or less, subtitled Five Times Steve Rogers Left Without Tony Stark, and the One Time He Didn’t.)

the view when you’re falling (ao3) - peculiarblue mj/peter G, 24k

Summary: MJ decides to cash in her good deed of the week by covering her best friend Ned’s night shift at the local coffee shop and gets a lot more than she bargained for when a masked hero swings in for a late night order.

alternatively: MJ falls in love with Spider-Man one night on the rooftop of the coffee shop she works in. and the next night. and every night after that.

Three Days, One Week, and a Lifetime (ao3) - swtalmnd steve/bucky, steve/bucky/tony E, 121k

Summary: Bucky and Steve work at a coffee shop. Tony meets them when they actually make his insanely caffeinated order. Sparks fly and pants drop. 50% Actual Porn, 40% Schmoop, 10% clothes & coffee porn.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Atlas Shrugged Part III: Who Is John Galt? (2014)

There’s something deeply satisfying about the failure that is Atlas Shrugged Part III: Who Is John Galt?. The first film had a budget of $20 million. It tanked at the box office. The sequel had a budget of $10 million and tanked as well. This third chapter was made with a budget of $5 million and earned less than $1 million in ticket sales. All three films feature a completely different cast despite being released only 1-2 years apart. If these movies were good, or even passable that would be depressing but these films are part nut-job parable, part cheezy romance. If there’s an entry in this series that’s so bad it’s good, it’s Part III: Who Is John Galt?, though whether it’s worth sitting through two films to have a couple of laughs at its expense is another story…

After pursuing Quentin Daniels to a remote part of the country, Dagny Taggart (played this time by Laura Regan) crashes into an invisible barrier. She’s discovered Galt’s Gulch, a hidden valley where the United States' brightest minds have retreated to avoid the government's oppressive over-regulation of companies and products. Dagny is told by John Galt (Kristoffer Polaha) that she and Henry Rearden (Rob Morrow) are the only people missing from this new hidden society of free entrepreneurs and inventors. Is Dagny ready to abandon Taggart Transcontinental and the rest of the outside world, or will she continue a fight everyone else thinks has already been lost?

At the end of Atlas Shrugged: Part II, I wondered what the point was. So much of the second movie reiterated what we had already been told. What unsuspecting plot points or revelations could possibly justify this book by Ayn Rand being turned into a trilogy? As this film begins, you’ll double-underscore that question because Rearden, who for the most part has been an important secondary character, is basically written out of the film to make room for John Galt, whom Dagny instantly falls for. It’s like a demented version of a fairytale conjured up by some loony objectivist. After falling into Galt’s magical kingdom, Dagny is confronted by the mystery man whose name is spoken like a curse in the outside world. What a surprise! He’s handsome and charismatic. Best of all, he believes that unfettered self-interest is good and altruism will ruin society. If that doesn’t make a lady want to take off her clothes, I don’t know what does.

The film tries so hard to make John Galt into a hero it becomes comical. At one point, he hijacks a broadcast by the President of the United States - oh, sorry. I mean the “Head of States” (Peter Mackenzie) - so he can deliver a message of rebellion and hope to the people. We're supposed to see him as some Bizarro world version of V. After heroically giving himself up, he is tortured by those goons in the White House in a way that resembles a crucifixion way too much to be a coincidence.

Who Is John Galt? is so hammy you might lose track of the film’s message, which is the same as before. The big enemy is the government. Yeah, there’s been some interference from Dagny's useless brother, the President of Taggart Industries (Greg Germann, whose character has a sub-plot that amounts to so little it must have been included solely because it was in the source material) but it’s those meanies up on Capital Hill that have been causing all the trouble. They insist on breaking up monopolies, taxing the rich, forcing wealthy states to share their money with poorer states, etc. Remember that last one. A turning point in this film that shows just how evil the Head of States is comes when we learn that a trainload of grains meant for a poor state is being diverted to another. “But the people will starve!” screams Dagny. “Why does she care?” you’ll ask. “Didn’t she previously tell us that altruism is for dummies and soft-headed care-bears?”

The biggest joke in this whole movie comes during the end credits when we see that the film’s budget included contributions from Kickstarter supporters. It’s so ironic I wonder how many of them sent money to director J. James Manera so they could metaphorically piss all over this film and on Ayn Rand in the process. If she believed in half of what this film exposits, she must’ve been one of the most uncompassionate, cold-blooded reptiles to ever disguise herself as a human being.

It’s easy to find things to say about a movie like Atlas Shrugged Part III: Where is John Galt?. My friends and I watched it together and our collective suffering will make us a more tightly-knit group. That doesn’t mean I recommend you watch it. The first two parts are so dull and infuriating that the “homework” needed for you to understand the irony of this cinematic blight just isn’t worth it. (On Blu-ray, April 7, 2023)

[ulkaralakbarova]

An unsuspecting, disenchanted man finds himself working as a spy in the dangerous, high-stakes world of corporate espionage. Quickly getting way over-his-head, he teams up with a mysterious femme fatale. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Morgan Sullivan: Jeremy Northam Rita Foster: Lucy Liu Finster: Nigel Bennett Callaway: Timothy Webber Virgil C. Dunn: David Hewlett Diane: Kari Matchett Amy: Kristina Nicoll Digicorp Technician #1: Joseph Scoren Digicorp Technician #2: Stephen Brown Pilot In Mensroom: Arnold Pinnock Stewardess to Buffalo: Jocelyn Snowdon Fred Garfield: Boyd Banks Buffalo Speaker #1: Dan Duran Buffalo Speaker #2: Valerie Buhagiar Stewardess to Omaha: Roberta Angelica Rita’s Agent #1: George Santino Rita’s Agent #2: Nelson Tynes Speaker Omaha: Denis Akiyama Desk Clerk Boise: Vickie Papavs Hotel Janitor Boise: Murray Furrow Convention Waiter Boise: Scott McLaren Speaker #1 Boise: David Bolt Speaker #2 Boise: Len Carlson Man In White Coat Boise: Les Porter Businessman Boise: Bruce McFee Elderly Woman In Elevator: Judy Sinclair Gate 15 Clerk Boise: Shanly Trinidad Stewardess Boise: Anne Marie Scheffler Sunways Security Guard: Mike O’Shea Sunways Neuro Technician: Andrew Moodie Sunways Technician #1: Malcolm Xerxes Sunways Technician #2: Matthew Sharp Vault Security: Peter Mensah Pilot #2 In Washroom: David Bryant Digicorp Technician #2: Alec Stockwell Digicorp Technician #3: Matt Cooke Jamison: Marcus Hutchings Tomas Street (uncredited): Sevaan Franks Waiter Buffalo: Steve Jackson Film Crew: Director: Vincenzo Natali Screenplay: Brian King Executive Producer: Shebnem Askin Producer: Paul Federbush Executive Producer: E.K. Gaylord II Producer: Wendy Grean Producer: Casey La Scala Producer: Hunt Lowry Original Music Composer: Michael Andrews Director of Photography: Derek Rogers Editor: Bert Kish Special Effects: Brock Jolliffe Stunt Coordinator: Alison Reid Movie Reviews: AirGordon: A very unique spy / corporate espionage film. I don’t want to give too much away due to the way the plot unfolds. This movie is one of those hidden gems that many look over or miss; don’t be one of those people!

[theprayerfulword]

June 5

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away…! 18 All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Isaiah 54:10 “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the LORD Who has compassion on you.

May you see with the eyes of God to understand the purposes behind actions and discern the motivations of choices, lest what seems a simple option to the natural mind bring the chastisement of God against a prideful and arrogant heart. 2 Samuel 24

May the offerings you give to the Lord come from deep in your heart and carry meaning and value, rather than being casual and uncaring in your thoughts and words, for what God has given you is His dearest and best-loved. 2 Samuel 24

May you be willing to give that which you have received from the Lord to those He brings you to, who hunger for and desire after the deep and eternal things of God, the healing of the soul and the confirming of His word by the healing of the body, that all may see and know the truth of the glory of God. Acts 3

May you humbly acknowledge the Source of the blessings which are poured out by the Spirit, reverently pointing others to Jesus, keeping none of the glory and desiring none of the praise, but joining with all to honor the Father for His love toward us. Acts 3

May you daily live in the joy of forgiveness and times of refreshing which come from repentance and the wiping away of your sins, knowing you are in right standing and full fellowship with the Father, communing with the Son, as you are led by the Spirit in the work of the kingdom. Acts 3

My child, will you follow Me? You joyfully answered this question before when I asked it of you, and you left the place you were and the things you were doing when I first approached you. The road we have walked has taken you to unexpected places holding unsuspected surprises, bringing, in their turn, unanticipated sorrows and unimaginable joys. You have grown fit and strong in faith, and you have gained new perspective and greater wisdom in My Word and Spirit. The road turns upward here, My dear one, and the path grows more rugged. More will be required of you. Much of what you have been allowed to carry along the way this far will have to be left by the wayside. Your heart will know greater gain, but your flesh will know greater loss. I extend the same invitation now, offering a higher plane, if you are willing. Will you follow Me?

May you lift up your eyes to the One Whose throne is in heaven as the eyes of a slave looks to the hand of his master till He shows you His mercy for you have endured much contempt and ridicule from the proud and arrogant. Psalm 123

May you be known for the intelligent understanding and prudent discernment which the Lord gives you with pleasant and gracious words that promote instruction and increase learning, as the wise-hearted are known for. Proverbs 16:21

May the Lord give you good sense, prudent insight, knowledgeable discretion and wise understanding which will be a wellspring of life to you and a life-giving fountain to those God wants to bless. Proverbs 16:22

May the Spirit of God renew your mind and the Word of God regenerate your heart to give you wise and prudent speech, filled with grace, which is persuasive and instructive to those who will hear what God has given you. Proverbs 16:23