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ahgaseda · 5 years

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to kill an empire || chapter 21

⇥ synopsis : when you agreed to marry Jaebeom, the heir to a lucrative but not quite legal organization, you never expected the boy who was once your greatest rival would inevitably become your most powerful ally...

⇥ warnings : this story in its entirety includes but is not limited to strong language, recurring gang violence, mentions of drug or alcohol abuse, and explicit sexual content, and is intended for an adult audience only!

The street was dark. Night had fallen. As the car pulled up to the driveway of your house, you slid out of the backseat before the wheels could come to a complete stop. You dragged your feet to the porch, standing before the front door and staring at the doorknob.

You didn’t know who was inside, but you weren’t surprised there were no police involved. Your families handled situations like these internally with deadly private security. If protocols hadn’t changed, Jaebeom would be watching his cell phone, waiting for a ransom call or the like.

Deep down, he knew one wouldn’t come. Because he knew exactly who had taken you.

Tears threatened your eyes, but you held it together. With one last steadying breath, you stepped inside the home you shared with your husband for the last time.

The moment you entered the foyer, you could hear a number of voices speaking in hushed tones. Jaebeom’s was not among them. Following the sound of the conversation, you appeared in the opening of the dining room and your chest ached.

Jaebeom sat near the middle, his head in his hand with a glass of alcohol in the other. His hair was a mess, obviously from the number of times he had run a hand through his tresses. A dark shadow had clouded over his face and his eyes were bold red.

You imagined him in a fit of rage destroying whatever room he had decided to hide and cry in. What would have won in the end? His infamous rage or his fear, newly found when he realized just how much of his heart he had given you.

Mark, who stood watchfully behind his boss with arms folded, was the first to see you and he blinked rapidly to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Then, he called your name.

Everyone glanced up, reactions of shock and confusion filling the room.

Jaebeom was the last to lift his gaze and the sight of you, seemingly unscathed, sucked the air out of his lungs.

Before anyone could bombard you with questions, you declared, “I’m leaving.”

Jaebeom stood abruptly. That was it? He had expected you to run into his arms, because god knows he needed you in his grasp that very moment or he would die even more inside. But that was when Jaebeom finally noticed the expression on your face.

Pain.

Jaebeom had fallen in love with every part of you, but he had become a master of reading your eyes. He marveled how expressive you became. Taught for many years to hide your emotions, you had allowed yourself to be free with him, unafraid to let your beautiful face show what you were feeling.

Rage billowed in the pit of his stomach. Someone had hurt his baby. And he was ready to burn the world to the ground if it meant you would smile again.

Without another word, you turned and headed straight for the bedroom. It came as no shock that your husband was hot on your heels, chasing you down, and once within reach, he grabbed your arm.

“What the hell happened?” he exclaimed.

You yanked your arm loose, avoiding his eyes, and continued on your way. “I said, I’m leaving.”

Jaebeom recoiled, but stayed a step at your side, asking, “And where do you think you’re going?”

“That’s for me to know,” you snapped harshly.

“Me, too,” Jaebeom countered. “I’m your husband.”

You hissed, “Not for much longer.”

Jaebeom stopped dead in his tracks, clenching his jaw.

Grabbing one of your suitcases from the closet, you finally looked at him and it broke your heart. “I already contacted my family’s attorney. We haven’t been married that long. We’re eligible for an annulment under the grounds that I was coerced into this union for the sake of a corporation.”

The floor fell out beneath him when Jaebeom realized you were serious. The words coming out of your mouth had clearly come straight from a lawyer. Jaebeom whispered your name and his voice shook, “Let me fix it. Just tell me what’s wrong. I can fix it.”

His pleadings were too much. You felt your resolve wavering, but then you reminded yourself of what was at stake. Clenching your hands into fists, you replied, "Guns... Really, Jaebeom? Really?!"

The blood drained from his face.

“That’s what I thought,” you murmured, hoisting the suitcase on your bed and yanking it open.

Jaebeom watched you, dumbfounded, as you tossed different articles of clothing into the luggage, opening and slamming dresser drawers as you did so. His adrenaline was high, so high it made his ears pound. His body was in a fight or flight response.

“You can’t leave me,” he finally said, sounding fragile and small.

With a shake of your head, you scolded, “I didn’t choose any of this and I sure as hell don’t want it. I don’t want to be the heir to an arms dealer.”

Jaebeom whispered, more so to himself, “I had no choice.”

Zipping the bag closed, you added shakily, “I don’t want to be married to one either.”

Jaebeom called your name again, forbidding himself from reaching out to touch you lest you push him away again.

Little did he know it would have stopped you where you stood. It would have broken the last of your resolve. You would have fallen into his arms and collapsed, telling him everything.

Jaebeom blinked through tears gathering in his eyes, his vision blurring. His tone was flat when he murmured, “You’re really leaving me?”

You finally turned to face him and your answer was firm, “Yes.”

His eyes narrowed, almost into a suspicious glare. “I don’t believe you,” he said slowly.

In that moment you felt he could see right through you, his stare piercing your soul. You donned your callous shield now more than ever. With a shrug, you deflected, “I don’t care.”

When you tried to move toward the door with your suitcase, Jaebeom stepped in your path and demanded, “Tell me the truth!”

Anger pushed through and you were quick to shoot back, “You want the truth? After all you’ve ever done is lie to me?”

Jaebeom was silent.

“The truth is…,” you lied. “I hate you.”

Jaebeom flinched. His world was falling, crashing down around him. For a man who prided himself in always being in control, he had never been more helpless. Panic bubbled in the back of his throat. He didn’t know what to do.

“You’re lying to me,” he finally said.

You scoffed. “Am I? Wouldn’t that be a role reversal?”

“You’re a horrible liar,” your husband added, but by his hesitation you weren’t sure who he was trying to convince. “You always have been.”

“Well, maybe I’ve learned from the best,” you retorted, making for the door with stomping strides.

Jaebeom moved into your path again and held out both hands to stop you, but still too afraid to touch you. “If you’re trying to hurt me…,” he trailed weakly and you could hear him breaking.

You recognized that you and he were at an impasse. You had to be out of that house before he broke down. Your heart would never survive witnessing the damage you caused. “Let me go, Jaebeom.”

“I can’t,” he choked, dropping to his knees before you.

Now it was your turn to panic, eyes going wide at the greatest gesture of vulnerability he could physically offer. "What are you doing?" you choked.

Jaebeom hung his head in shame and lowered until his brow touched the ground at your feet.

"Stop,” you said, face tensing with tears. Never would you have imagined in a million years you would see Jaebeom on his knees, begging you to stay with him. He hated bowing, despised it with every fiber of his being.

Life had taught him never to put himself in such a position so dangerous to his survival.

You hated yourself in that moment, reaching down and grazing his shoulders for a fleeting second before resisting the urge to comfort him. Yuto’s threat was echoing in your mind.

Jaebeom rocked back on his heels at your touch, but he still dared not look at you and kept his head bowed. "If I lose you…,” he whispered. “I lose everything."

With a roll of your eyes, you spoke with disdain, "Yes, the business. The alliance. The power."

Jaebeom peered up at you and tears rolled down his cheeks. "No, you. You are my everything."

The moisture that had been clouding your eyes immediately streamed down your face. "I hate you.”

Jaebeom shuddered.

“I hate you for getting me involved in this.”

He nodded, knowing damn well he deserved that.

You sucked in a breath between sobs and cried, “I hate you for making me fall in love with you."

Jaebeom blinked. You loved him. You were in love with him. That was all he needed to know.

You could see the fire spark in his eyes. The will to fight had returned.

Your husband reached out and took your hand, rubbing across your knuckles gently with his thumb. "Stay. Please, baby."

Resistant, you shook your head. "No."

He gave one last plead, "I'm begging you."

Pulling your hand away, you strode past him and to the door. "Goodbye, Jaebeom.”

Jaebeom sat there for god knows how long. His mind reeled and his chest felt empty, hollow. Once he had run out of tears, anger replaced sorrow and he picked himself up, calling for his loyal assistant.

Jinyoung stepped timidly into the bedroom. “Yes, boss?”

Jaebeom turned toward him, face flushed, and growled, “Get him on the phone.”

Somewhere in a dimly lit study, Yuto paled when he saw who was calling him. After letting a ring or two pass, he finally answered, “Hello, brother.”

Jaebeom hissed, “You took her away.”

Yuto swallowed the lump in his throat.

“I was happy for the first time in my life and you took her from me.”

Yuto felt his blood run cold. He had never heard his brother’s voice so low, so dark. He had evened the playing field. Now Jaebeom had nothing left to lose either.

“Jaebeom, I only did what...”

“You wanna play this game so bad,” Jaebeom interjected, squeezing the glass in his hand until it shattered to pieces in his grasp and blood mingled with the burning alcohol. “Hurting my girl is going to be the biggest regret of your life if it’s the last thing I do.”

Yuto opened his mouth to reply, but the line went dead.

chapter 20 ⇤ chapter 21 ⇥ chapter 22

Hey there, beautiful! If you enjoyed this, please leave a like or reblog or follow me! Or maybe buy me a coffee so I can keep writing? Or check out my masterlist here for more stories! Thanks for reading :) - Katya

This work is fictional and for entertainment purposes only, but is licensed and protected under a creative commons attribution-noncommercial-noderivatives 4.0 international license. Any instances of plagiarism will be dealt with accordingly. Do not re-post or translate without my permission.

#got7 fanfiction #jaebum smut #im jaebum smut #got7 smut #jaebum scenarios #got7 scenarios #jaebum fanfiction #jaebum fanfic #got7 fanfic

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newstfionline · 4 years

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Headlines

Trump administration backs off plan requiring international students to take face-to-face classes (Washington Post) The Trump administration on Tuesday dropped its much-criticized plan to require international college students to leave the United States unless they are enrolled in the fall term in at least one face-to-face class. The abrupt reversal, disclosed in a federal court in Boston, came a little more than a week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an edict that stunned U.S. higher education leaders and students worldwide. Under the July 6 policy from ICE, international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities for the fall semester faced a mandate to take at least one course in person. Those students, ICE said, “may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States.” That mandate posed a major obstacle to plans for online teaching and learning that colleges are developing in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had sued to block the new policy. In a hearing in that case on Tuesday, held before U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs, the judge announced that the schools and the federal government had reached an agreement that made the lawsuit moot. Separately, 20 state attorneys general had also challenged the guidance in court in recent days.

Patients are still delaying essential care out of fear of coronavirus (Washington Post) Jim Johnson was elated when his hip replacement, canceled in March along with other elective surgeries, finally was performed in May. For months, his pain had been so severe he couldn’t sleep, golf or do his job. Just a few weeks after the operation, he tossed his cane away. Hospitals and doctors practices across the country are hoping there are a lot more Jim Johnsons out there—patients willing to shake off fears about the coronavirus and come back for tests and treatments put on hold early in the pandemic. Yet persuading them to return for non-emergency care is a tricky message right now, with the virus slamming the South and West. In parts of Texas, Arizona, Florida and other states, elective procedures have been halted again. For some patients, the spike in infections is reigniting fears about catching the virus in a hospital or a doctor’s office. Doctors worry that could undermine their efforts to win people back, and lead to more lives being lost from other, often preventable causes, such as cancer and heart disease. Doctors say “elective procedures,” including for cancer, can’t be delayed indefinitely without ill effects. Hospitals, meanwhile, see orthopedic, cardiac and cancer surgeries as their key to survival after losing billions of dollars on the shutdown of lucrative procedures.

Global surge in coronavirus cases is being fed by the developing world—and the U.S. (Washington Post) When the United States began shutting down this spring, a virus that emerged months earlier as a mysterious outbreak in a Chinese provincial capital had infected a total of fewer than 200,000 people worldwide. So far this week, the planet has added an average of more than 200,000 cases every day. The novel coronavirus—once concentrated in specific cities or countries—has now crept into virtually every corner of the globe and is wreaking havoc in multiple major regions at once. But the impact is not being felt evenly. Poorer nations throughout Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia and Africa are bearing a growing share of the caseload, even as wealthier countries in Western Europe and East Asia enjoy a relative respite after having beaten back the worst effects through rigorously enforced lockdowns. And then there’s the United States, which leads the world in new cases and, as with many nations that possess far fewer resources, has shown no sign of being able to regain control.

Rules once lifted are reimposed to try to curb new outbreaks (AP) Virus restrictions once lifted are being reimposed, shutting businesses and curbing people’s social lives as communities try to curb a disease resurgence before it spins out of control. Residents of Australia’s second-largest city were warned on Wednesday to comply with lockdown regulations or face tougher restrictions. Melbourne’s 5 million people and part of the city’s semi-rural surroundings are a week into a new, six-week lockdown to contain a new outbreak there. Indian authorities will impose lockdowns in high-risk areas in nearly a dozen states as the nation’s coronavirus caseload approaches 1 million. Renewed restrictions took effect in Hong Kong on Wednesday, with public gatherings limited to four people, restaurants restricted to takeout after 6 p.m., and a one-week closure for gyms, karaoke bars, and selected other businesses. Masks also are mandated on public transit for the first time, with the non-compliant being fined. In the U.S., places including Washington state are delaying timetables for reopening their economies. Gov. Jay Inslee said counties will remain at their current stage of economic reopening at least until July 28.

Chaotic protests prompt soul-searching in Portland, Oregon (AP) Nearly two months of nightly protests that have devolved into violent clashes with police have prompted soul-searching in Portland, Oregon, a city that prides itself on its progressive reputation but is increasingly polarized over how to handle the unrest. Divisions have deepened among elected officials about the legitimacy of the more violent protests—striking at the heart of Portland’s identity as an ultraliberal haven where protest is seen as a badge of honor. Small groups of protesters have set fires, launched fireworks and sprayed graffiti on public buildings, including police precincts and the federal courthouse, leading to nearly nightly clashes with police who have used force that’s caused injuries. Similar unrest engulfed many U.S. cities when Floyd died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck on May 25. But in Portland, which is familiar ground for the loosely organized, far-left activists known as “antifa,” or anti-fascists, the protests never stopped. Lost in the debate are the downtown businesses racking up millions in property damage and lost sales and the voices of the hundreds of thousands of Portland residents who have stayed off the streets. “The impact is terrible because what people have seen on the TV ... has scared people who live outside the downtown. They feel it’s that way 24 hours a day,” said David Margulis, who said the protests have caused sales at his jewelry store to drop more than 50%. “I talk to people, on the phone, who tell me: ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever come downtown again.’”

Drug cartel ‘narco-antennas’ make life dangerous for Mexico’s cell tower repairmen (Reuters) The young technician shut off the electricity at a cellular tower in rural Mexico to begin some routine maintenance. Within 10 minutes, he had company: three armed men dressed in fatigues emblazoned with the logo of a major drug cartel. The traffickers had a particular interest in that tower, owned by Boston-based American Tower Corp, which rents space to carriers on its thousands of cellular sites in Mexico. The cartel had installed its own antennas on the structure to support their two-way radios, but the contractor had unwittingly blacked out the shadowy network. The visitors let him off with a warning. The contractor had disrupted a small link in a vast criminal network that spans much of Mexico. In addition to high-end encrypted cell phones and popular messaging apps, traffickers still rely heavily on two-way radios like the ones police and firefighters use to coordinate their teams on the ground, six law enforcement experts on both sides of the border told Reuters. Traffickers often erect their own radio antennas in rural areas. They also install so-called parasite antennas on existing cell towers, layering their criminal communications network on top of the official one. By piggybacking on telecom companies’ infrastructure, cartels save money and evade detection since their own towers are more easily spotted and torn down, law enforcement experts said.

Massive flooding in Southern China (Foreign Policy) Floods in Southern China are a recurring threat, but they are worse than ever this year—with some 38 million people evacuated and at least 141 dead. Rainfall has been double than the predicted amount in many places, threatening millions of lives and numerous important cultural sites. Thousands of soldiers have been dispatched to help shore up defenses against the rising tides. Water control has been a preoccupation for every Chinese ruler, and it will only worsen with climate change. China’s worst-known flooding, in 1931, killed over 2 million people.

South China Sea positions (Foreign Policy) The United States has dispatched two aircraft carriers—likely to be backed by British support—to the South China Sea, increasing the possibility of a regional flash point. It has also declared its formal alignment against China’s disputed claims for the first time, saying that it would use “all tools” to oppose them. In the last decade, China has made significant gains in the South China Sea, building a formidable infrastructure of artificial islands to act as bases while strengthening its naval militia. It is also increasingly aggressive in challenging rival claimants, including stalking Vietnamese oil ships and clashing with fishing boats. The U.S. move is long overdue, but it’s also risky: Xi stakes considerable credibility on the South China Sea claims, and there’s no likelihood of Beijing backing down. The pressure on Chinese officials and military personnel to demonstrate their nationalist enthusiasm is growing, increasing the chance of serious conflict similar to the deadly clash on the Indian border.

Trump signs Hong Kong sanctions law (Foreign Policy) On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump continued a week of moves against China by signing a new law that imposes sanctions on Chinese banks doing business with Chinese officials involved with new national security laws in Hong Kong. The president also signed an executive order, largely mirroring existing policy, that revokes the special treatment Hong Kong had received from the United States under the “One Country, Two Systems” doctrine.

Red alert in Tokyo (Reuters) Tokyo raised its coronavirus alert to the highest “red” level on Wednesday, alarmed by a recent spike in daily new cases to record highs, with Governor Yuriko Koike describing the situation in the Japanese capital as “rather severe”. The resurgence of the virus could add to the growing pressure on policymakers to shore up the world’s No. 3 economy, which analysts say is set to shrink at its fastest pace in decades this fiscal year due to the pandemic. “We are in a situation where we should issue warnings to citizens and businesses,” Koike told a press conference, urging residents to refrain from unnecessary travel.

Lebanon looks to China as US, Arabs refuse to help in crisis (AP) Facing a worsening economic crisis and with little chance of Western or oil-rich Arab countries providing assistance without substantial reforms, Lebanon’s cash-strapped government is looking east, hoping to secure investments from China that could bring relief. But help from Beijing risks alienating the United States, which has suggested such a move could come at the cost of Lebanese-U.S. ties. A tiny nation of 5 million on a strategic Mediterranean crossroads between Asia and Europe, Lebanon has long been a site where rivalries between Iran and Saudi Arabia have played out. Now, it’s becoming a focus of escalating tensions between China and the West. In recent months, the Lebanese pound has lost around 80% of its value against the dollar, prices have soared uncontrollably, and much of its middle class has been plunged into poverty. Talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout have faltered, and international donors have refused to unlock $11 billion pledged in 2018, pending major economic reforms and anti-corruption measures. Left with few choices, Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government—supported by the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies—is seeking help from China.

#headlines #news

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chicagoindiecritics · 5 years

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New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: EDITORIAL: Movies and the 9/11 effect

(Image: pathtoparadise.com)

EIGHTH EDITION: UPDATED SEPTEMBER 11, 2019– In an update to my annual editorial (after the original post on the 10th anniversary in 2011), I’ve got new movie inclusions in several sections, including the most recent section of faded and relaxed sensitivity in films. I plan to make this an annual post and study for at least until the 20th anniversary in 2021. (All poster images are courtesy of IMPAwards.com)

Never forget. There’s no doubt that every American over the age of 25 won’t soon forget where they were 18 years ago at 8:46AM on September 11, 2001. The world and our American lifestyle changed forever that day in more ways that we can measure. I know movies and cinema are trivial pieces of entertainment compared to the more important things in life, but movies have always been two-hour vacations and therapy sessions from life, even in the face of immense tragedy. Sometimes, we need movies to inspire us and help us remember the good in things, while still being entertained. In seventeen years, they too have changed.

I’m here for an editorial research piece on the anniversary of 9/11 to showcase a few movies, both serious and not-so-serious, that speak to that day whether as a tribute, remembrance, or example of how life has changed since that fateful day. Enjoy!

MOVIES THAT WERE OPENING THAT FRIDAY EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO

Call this a time capsule, but these were the notable movies that opened Friday, September 7, 2001 and Friday, September 14, 2001, the two Fridays surrounding 9/11. Such a different time, huh? Needless to say, few people were in the mood for a movie in those first weeks and the fall 2001 box office took quite a hit until the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone showed up in November 2001, followed by Ocean’s Eleven and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring that December.

The Musketeer (September 7th)

Soul Survivors (September 7th)

Rock Star (September 7th)

Hardball (September 14th)

The Glass House (September 14th)

All were box office bombs at the time. The Musketeer garnered a good bit of overseas earnings and Hardball got some of the best reviews of Keanu Reeves’s post-Matrix career and grew to be a DVD hit. Still, talk about bad timing.

EXAMPLES OF 2001-2002 MOVIES CHANGED BECAUSE OF 9/11

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Spider-Man— Many of you may remember seeing this teaser for the big comic book blockbuster before it was pulled post-9/11. (New remastered video in 2019)

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Donnie Darko— Suggested by Feelin’ Film Facebook Discussion Group contributor Josh Powers. Released months before 9/11, few remember how much this film was somewhat buried and forced to become an underground cult favorite due to a pivotal moment involving a horrific plane crash.

Lilo and Stitch— See a side-by-side video clip of differences in Imgur. The trivia notes behind it are explained on IMDb.

Collateral Damage— The Arnold Schwarzenegger terrorism movie had its release date bumped and terrorist overtones mellowed down. (trailer)

City by the Sea— The production on this Robert DeNiro/James Franco thriller was moved from New York to Los Angeles in July 2001, dodging the terrorism attacks that would have threatened their home Tribeca studios. (trailer)

Sidewalks of New York–– Edward Burns intermingled love story movie was bumped to November and had to have its posters changed. See right here on the left for an example. (trailer)

Men in Black II— The original scripted ending of the movie was scripted to have the World Trade Center towers open up to release a barrage of UFOs. (trailer)

Serendipity and Zoolander— Both movies had shots of the WTC digitally removed from the skylines of their finished films before they hit theaters that fall.

The Time Machine— Had its December 2001 release bumped to March because of a potentially sensitive scene of meteor shower over New York (which it cut). (trailer)

Big Trouble— It too had its nuclear bomb-centered plot cause a release delay well into 2002. The delay didn’t help this already awful movie. (trailer)

MOVIES ABOUT 9/11 ITSELF

September 11 (2002)– International directors from around the world, including Ken Loach, Mira Nair, and future Oscar winner Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, made a two-hour anthology of short films showing creative expressions of other cultures and their reactions to the tragedy.

United 93 (2006)– Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass took an unknown cast and directed a harrowing real-time account of the flight that fought back. Hard to watch, but undeniably powerful without exploiting the tragedy. (trailer)

World Trade Center (2006)– Conspiracy specialist Oliver Stone turns off the urge to dig into his usual musings and delivers an incredibly humble, respectful, and understated (words that hardly ever describe an Oliver Stone movie) true story of the last two men (Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena) rescued alive at Ground Zero. Worth every moment to see and a great tribute to the first responders and their families. (trailer)

9/11 (2017)– I think we all knew a day would come where some hack film was going to come around and exploit the tragedy that is the 2001 terrorist attacks. That award goes to Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, and director Martin Guigui’s straight-to-VOD trash heap. Sheen, a noted conspiracy theorist on 9/11, took it upon himself to make a glamour project stepping on history. Do not waste your time with this film.

MOVIES WITH PROMINENT 9/11 CONNECTIONS

The Guys (2002)– One of the first reactionary films to 9/11 came from Focus Features in 2002 and starred Anthony LaPaglia and Sigourney Weaver. Based on Anne Nelson’s heartfelt play, LaPaglia plays a fire captain who lost eight men on 9/11 and Weaver plays the editor who helps him write eulogies for the fallen. The film is only available on disc from Amazon. (trailer)

WTC View (2005)– Gallows humor bubbles to the surface in this off-kilter indie romance from Brian Sloan about a SoHo man who placed an ad to find a new roommate and September 10th and now lives through a more difficult and trying landscape. (trailer)

Reign Over Me (2007)– In a rare dramatic turn, Adam Sandler plays a fictional wayward man who lost his wife and daughters on 9/11 and tailspins through life fiver years later when an old college friend (Don Cheadle) tries to help keep him from being committed to a psychiatric care. (trailer)

Remember Me (2010)– Billed as a coming-of-age film starring Twilight star Robert Pattinson, it features a fictitious family affected by the tragedy, including the fall of the WTC. Most critics found the 9/11 connections exploitative and offensive. (trailer)

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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)– Speaking of exploitative, the Tom Hanks/Sandra Bullock Oscar nominee from this past year definitely rubbed more than a few audiences the wrong way in using 9/11 as a backdrop to a fictional family tragedy. Critics (including this one) clamored that if you’re going to bring 9/11 to the big screen, use a real story. (trailer) (my full review)

September Morning (2017)– Independent writer/director Ryan Frost crafted a small drama about five college freshman staying up all night after 9/11 weighing the impact it will have on their present and future. The film won a youth jury award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. (trailer)

MOVIES ABOUT THE WAR ON TERROR

In the decade since September 11, 2011, our largest response as a nation to the terrorism of that day has been a pair of wars overseas in the countries of Iraq and Afghanistan. The “war on terror” has quickly grown into a ripe orchard for possible movie storylines.

Home of the Brave (2006)–Rocky producer Irwin Winkler earns the credit for the first mainstream Hollywood movie depicting the Iraqi War and the initial soldiers returning home to re-acclimate to society. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Jessica Biel. (trailer)

The Hurt Locker (2008)– Of course, the best-of-the-best is the 2009 Best Picture winner from Kathryn Bigelow starring Jeremy Renner as a driven, yet dark Iraqi bomb specialist. Its quality needs no introduction. (trailer)

Grace is Gone (2007)– In the Audience Award winner of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, typical gender roles are reversed when John Cusack plays a homefront father (in my opinion, the best he’s ever acted) who has to find the best way to tell his two daughters that their soldier mother was killed in Iraq. This movie is “guy-cry” level brilliant. (trailer)

Rendition (2007)– Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, and Meryl Streep get together for a movie calling out the wrongs of detainment, interrogation, and torture. (trailer)

The Kingdom (2007)– Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, and Jason Bateman investigate a bombing and throw down in the streets of Riyadh. (trailer)

Lions for Lambs (2007)– Robert Redford delivers a three point-of-view discourse on U.S. war affairs before home and abroad with the help of Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep. (trailer)

In the Valley of Elah (2007)– Crash director Paul Haggis leads Tommy Lee Jones (in an amazing Oscar-nominated performance) and Susan Sarandon as parents investigating with a local detective (Charlize Theron) the disappearance of their AWOL son returning home from Iraq. (trailer)

Body of Lies (2008)– Ridley Scott’s fictional take on the CIA’s involvement in preventing Jordanian terrorism starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. (trailer)

Stop-Loss (2008)– Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt play three young Texas schoolmates who are finally home from overseas but are forced back via the stop-loss clause. (trailer)

The Messenger (2009)– Woody Harrelson was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a U.S. Army Casualty Notification Team officer mentoring recent veteran (Ben Foster) on the uniquely difficult job of informing families the bad news. (trailer)

Taking Chance (2009)– Along the same bringing-bad-news-home lines is this gem of a HBO film starring Kevin Bacon (like Cusack earlier, in arguably his best performance as an actor) as a desk officer who never saw combat but takes on the duty of escorting a young fallen soldier’s body back to his old hometown. Even though this wasn’t in theaters, it is outstanding and worth your time on DVD. (trailer)

Brothers (2009)– Jake Gyllenhaal takes care of his older brother’s wife (Natalie Portman) while he (Tobey Maguire) is declared MIA in Afghanistan, from director Jim Sheridan. (trailer)

Dear John and The Lucky One (2010 and 2012)– These two adaptations of Nicholas Sparks romance novels briefly touches on the War on Terror through Channing Tatum and Zac Efron’s lead characters’ return home to romance. (trailer and trailer)

Green Zone (2010)–Director Paul Greengrass followed United 93 with his Bourne series star Matt Damon in this taut and marginally-dramatized account of the early unsuccessful searches and the possible cover-up of Baghdad’s supposed stores of weapons of mass destruction. (trailer)

Restrepo (2010)– The highly acclaimed National Geographic documentary film follows a one-year look at the real men of the platoon embattled in the deadliest fortified valley of Afghanistan. (trailer)

Act of Valor (2012)– Disney pumped up the military with this fictional anti-terrorism film using active duty Navy SEALs. Coming out after the death of Osama bin Laden, this was a welcome and well-promoted hero picture and recruitment reel. (trailer)

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)– The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow made a film about the SEAL Team 6 men and their story of taking down Osama bin Laden. The film was my #1 movie on my “10 Best” list for 2012. (trailer) (my full review)

Lone Survivor (2013)– Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) directed an outstanding and patriotic film based on the Afghanistan saga of Marcus Luttrell starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, and Emile Hirsch that echoes another true-life story from the ongoing War on Terror. Very good movie! (trailer) (my full review)

A Most Wanted Man (2014)– Spy novelist John LeCarre’s multi-layered 2008 novel about the world of inter-agency espionage happening in Hamburg, Germany, the same city where the 9/11 conspirators hatched their plans, is an excellent and different post-9/11 film with an international flair and flavor. It will also be remembered as one of the last performances of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was phenomenal in the film. (trailer) (my full review)

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)– This modern reboot or update of the famed Tom Clancy character, now played by Chris Pine, roots his pre-spy origins in the aftermath of 9/11 and the War on Terror that followed. (trailer)

American Sniper (2014)– Clint Eastwood’s Best Picture nominee war drama about the real-life story of the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (played by Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper) went on to become the highest grossing film of 2014 (north of $350 million). Kyle’s journey from the heartland to the front lines was spurred by a sense of duty and patriotism that started from the attacks of 9/11. This is, by far, the most high profile movie to date to feature the War on Terror directly correlating 9/11. (trailer) (my full review)

Good Kill (2015)– On the smaller side, but just as solid with warfare and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is this under-seen film which had a limited theatrical release during the summer of 2015. Andrew Niccol (Lord of War, Gattaca, The Truman Show) shifted his focus to the War on Terror by showcasing a Las Vegas base of drone pilots dealing with the ramification of their actions and the war being waged on their screens and with their joystick controls. (trailer) (my full review)

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)– Director Michael Bay’s slanted look at the September 11, 2012 embassy attacks that have become a political firebrand since certainly qualifies to make this list. (trailer) (my full review)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)– Tina Fey shed her comedic image for a heavyish war drama loosely based the true story of Afghanistan/Pakistan television journalist Kim Barker. (trailer)

Snowden (2016)– Renowned politicized filmmaker Oliver Stone brought his brush of dramatic license to the story of whistleblowing former spy Edward Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The paranoia of the post-9/11 digital age was the mission field for Snowden and many other young men and women who sought the security and counterterrorism industries. (trailer) (full review)

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016)– A company of soldiers who lost their commanding officer in Iraq are making a victory tour of press dates and public appearances when the reflections of the title character (newcomer Joe Alwyn) fill the day. Ang Lee’s film felt ten years too late and was not well received. (trailer) (my full review)

Thank You For Your Service (2015) and Thank You For Your Service (2017)– This popular conversation sentence was the title of two different works. In 2015, Tom Donahue’s documentary opened eyes to the shoddy mental health governance for modern veterans and made waves that changed actual policies. The 2017 feature film borrows inspiration from David Finkel’s 2013 nonfiction bestseller dealing with the PTSD topic of returning Iraqi tour soldiers adjusting to civilian life. Miles Teller is the headliner and is joined by Haley Bennett, Beulah Koale, Joe Cole, and Amy Schumer. (trailer) (trailer)

Megan Leavey (2017)– 2017 was a busy year for War on Terror-connected films with five new entries. Taglined “based on the true story about a Marine’s best friend,” Megan Leavey stars Kate Mara as the soldier leader of a bomb-searching pooch on deployment in Iraq. Touching film! (trailer)

The Wall (2017)– Nocturnal Animals Golden Globe nominee Aaron Taylor-Johnson and emerging WWE movie star John Cena play two soldiers pinned down by an Iraqi sniper in a single-setting thriller from action specialist Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow). (trailer)

War Machine (2017)– Enough time has passed now in 2017 where the War on Terror has reached a point of being a target of satire. Animal Kingdom and The Rover director David Michod puts a witty spin on things creating a fictionalized account of U.S. General Stanley McChrystal with Brad Pitt in the lead. Netflix is the exclusive carrier of this one. (trailer)

Last Flag Flying (2017)– The last and best of the 2017 bunch is Richard Linklater’s dramedy about three old Vietnam veterans (Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne) who come together when one of their sons is killed in Iraq and coming home for burial. The excellent acting trio and Linklater’s writing (adapted from Darryl Ponicsan’s novel, a spiritual sequel to his The Last Detail) deliver touching brevity and sharp commentary on the echoes of war across generations. (trailer) (my full review)

A Private War (2018)— Documentary filmmaker Matthew Heineman made his feature film debut with a biopic on British photojournalist Marie Colvin, who made her stops through the hellfire of Iraq and Afghanistan in her storied career. Rosamund Pike was snubbed for an Oscar nomination that year. (trailer) (my full review)

Vice (2018)— Speaking of biopics, writer/director Adam McKay brought his machete for satire to the life of former Vice President Dick Cheney. The film dove deep into the manipulated machinations from Cheney that engineered the War on Terror during the Bush administration. While not as good as The Big Short, Vice did earn eight Oscar nominations (winning one for makeup), including Best Picture and Best Actor for Christian Bale in the leading role. (trailer) (my full review)

Official Secrets (2019)— When invading Iraq was on the table to push the war to the ground, the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Tony Blair were lockstep next to the U.S. on seeking United Nations approval. The true story of whistleblower Katharine Gun unearthed secrets that led to questioning the war’s legality before it even began. This is a nice step-up for Keira Knightley. (trailer) (my full review)

The Report (2019)— Not yet widely released in 2019 after huge buzz at the Sundance Film Festival, frequent Steven Soderbergh screenwriting collaborator Scott Z. Burns made his directorial debut with this searing docudrama of the use of torture by American agencies during the War on Terror. Check out the film’s trailer:

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MOVIES ABOUT THE CHANGES IN AMERICAN LIFE (BOTH SERIOUS AND NOT-SO-SERIOUS)

25th Hour (2002)– New Yorker Spike Lee was quick to not shy away from the post-9/11 pulse of New York City following Edward Norton’s character’s last night of debauchery and unfinished business before going to prison. Filled with scathing social commentary and visual reminders of 9/11 and Ground Zero, its amazing opening credits sequence alone set the tone as only Spike can. (trailer)

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Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)– Documentary maverick Michael Moore’s slam at the handling of 9/11 and the war on terror became one of the most successful box office documentaries of all-time. (trailer)

Sorry, Haters (2005)– Robin Wright played a professional woman who receives conversation and unexpected interaction with an Arab New York cab driver in this IFC production. (foreign trailer)

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)– By contrast, in a small snippet and computer graphic on melting glaciers in this Oscar-winning documentary, Al Gore lets us know that half of Greenland or Antarctica’s melted ice would put New York, including Ground Zero, underwater within the next 50 years. (trailer)

The Terminal (2004)– Airports are now covered in bureaucratic red tape. Heaven forbids, you’re not from America. (trailer)

Anger Management (2003)– Showed us that you can get kicked off a plane now for just about anything. (trailer)

Soul Plane (2004)– Then again, come on, guys. Air travel can still be cool, even with the new security rules. (trailer)

Snakes on a Plane (2006)– OK, maybe not so much… (trailer)

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)– You’ve got to hate racial profiling as much as you equally love a good parody. (trailer)

Iron Man (2008)– Marvel’s steely hero had his Vietnam origin story conveniently and modernly flopped for an Afghanistan-connected one. (trailer)

Bridesmaids (2011)– Now, that’s how an Air Marshall gets down! (trailer)

Source Code (2011)– Our fear of catastrophes on planes can easily be translated to trains as well. (trailer) (my full review)

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2013)– For a serious look at the warped view of Muslim citizens post-9/11, take a look at Mira Nair’s dramatic thriller about a young Pakistani man (newcomer Riz Ahmed) who is successful on Wall Street but viewed differently through profiling after 9/11. (trailer)

The Fifth Estate (2013)– The film story of the WikiLeaks of Julian Assange carry a loose connection to the changed post-9/11 landscape of security and more. (trailer)

Boyhood (2014)– Richard Linklater’s huge biographical opus was filmed over the course of 12 years with the same cast growing up and aging to tell their family story. The film starts in 2002, where the incidents of 2001 are fresh on the minds of the characters and discussed openly during the first year sequence of the journey. Later on, political mentions of Bush, Obama, and the War on Terror make it into a reflective conversation as well. (trailer) (my full review)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor (2018)– A key moment in the extraordinary Fred Rogers documentary chronicled when a retired Rogers was brought back for a special televised message to young viewers about reacting to the 9/11 tragedy that played on-screen for so many viewers. It’s a touching historical moment. (trailer) (my full review)

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MEMORABLE PAST IMAGES OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN MOVIES

Sometimes, all it takes is the camera making a fleeting, yet memorable, glance at those beautiful and now-gone skyscrapers to immediately remind us of a different time. The WTC towers have been shown in innumerable establishing shots. We’ll highlight some great ones. Beginning with the closing credits to New Yorker Martin Scorsese’s 2002 film Gangs of New York, here’s a great montage of cinematic views of the WTC from various pre-2001 movies.

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Superman (1978)– Even a passing fly-by over “Metropolis” feels different.

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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)– Tell me this clip didn’t just go from cute to eerie to sad. Wonderful then, but different now.

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Godspell (1973)— Submitted by friend-of-the-page and larger-fan-of-musicals-than-me Josh Powers, enjoy this dance number from the summery musical filmed and completed before the skyscraper’s ribbon-cutting.

King Kong (1976)– While it may not match the iconic 1933 image of the original ape towering on top of the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center plays a big role in the 1976 remake starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange. (trailer)

Independence Day (1996), Deep Impact (1998), Armageddon (1998), and The Day After Tomorrow (2004)– These all constitute the prominent disaster movies that leave New York (and, in three cases, the WTC) in destructive shambles.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Godzilla (1998), Cloverfield (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), and Watchmen (2009). Kind of not so entertaining for few seconds anymore, huh? See for yourself. Here’s a montage of NYC movie destruction:

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MOVIES THAT FEEL DIFFERENT IN THE POST-9/11 WORLD

I don’t know about you but a lot of movies just don’t resonate or feel the same as they did before September 11th. We’ve changed and the perception has changed. For some movies, their message and impact is only made stronger (in good ways and bad) since 9/11. In other cases, what was entertaining then doesn’t feel so right anymore.

Airplane! (1980)– Farce or not (and still funny to this day), we could never get away with anything that happens on an airplane from that movie now. (trailer)

Passenger 57 (1992)–Let alone this movie… (trailer)

Executive Decision (1996)– …and this movie… (trailer)

Turbulence (1997)– …and this movie… (trailer)

Pushing Tin (1999)– …and probably this movie too… (trailer)

True Lies (1994)– Slammed even then for its depiction of Arab terrorists, it likely has picked up a little more egg on its face. Adding to its burial, the movie hasn’t been released on any physical media format since 1999, which includes zero Blu-ray editions in its history (factoid from Josh Powers). Do you think 20th Century Fox wants that movie to go away or what? (trailer)

The Siege (1998)– This frightening martial law thriller with Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, and Bruce Willis makes True Lies look like G.I. Joe starring Ken from the Barbie dolls toy line. Scary and eerily prophetic in its over-the-top terrorism and bombing scenarios. (trailer)

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)– Though fictional with Pittsburgh standing in as Gotham City, the New York imagery and parallels occurring during its terrorist takeover led by Tom Hardy’s Bane have eerie 9/11-inspired ramifications. (trailer) (my full review)

Syriana (2005)– George Clooney won an Oscar, but the touchy subjects of torture, terrorism, and the oil industry evoke a little dose of fear. (trailer)

Munich (2005)– The Black September assassination of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the Mossad’s reaction was probably the last time before 9/11 that terrorism made worldwide live media headlines. (trailer)

Arlington Road (1999)– While this resonates more as a comparison to Oklahoma City-style domestic terrorism, the Jeff Bridges/Tim Robbins underappreciated thriller is no less scary now than then. (trailer)

Fight Club (1999)– Watching Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt/Edward Norton) destroy New York’s credit district is another example of domestic terrorism and destruction that rings a little louder post-9/11.

The Sum of All Fears (2002)– Many people found the Super Bowl bomb plot far too soon to see those images just a year removed from 9/11. (trailer)

V for Vendetta (2006)– Urban terrorism in London via a Guy Fawkes fan resonates a little different for a public scare on our side of the Atlantic. (trailer)

Courage Under Fire (1995)– Our first trip to Iraq foreshadows a lot of the equal futility, bravery, and loss experienced in our second trip… (trailer)

Jarhead (2005)– …especially when told from the true account of a disillusioned soldier who was there. (trailer)

Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)– The same foreshadowing can be made out of our 1980’s Cold War involvement on the side of Afghanistan versus the Soviet Union as outlined by a gem of a Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman film. To think that we could have stuck around and cleaned the place up before they became our enemy. (trailer)

Rambo III (1988)– Speaking of an American fighting on the anti-communism side of the Afghans! (trailer)

Air Force One (1997)– Not that George W. Bush or Barack Obama ever channeled Harrison Ford here, but don’t you now root a little harder for a take charge President… (trailer)

The Patriot (2000)– … or a flag-carrying American hero from 230+ years ago… (trailer)

Pearl Harbor (2001)– …or the last great American tragedy that galvanized a nation and sent us to war. (trailer)

MOVIES SINCE 2001 THAT RENEW THE AMERICAN SPIRIT

These examples (as well as the aforementioned World Trade Center) will get your patriotic heartstrings going and boost your down spirit.

The Last Castle (2001)– Opening just over a month after the tragedy, the military and flag-waving patriotism of Robert Redford’s underrated drama undeniably stirs you. (trailer)

Behind Enemy Lines (2001)– Leave it to Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson (of all people) to win macho patriotic points for loosely re-enacting the famous pilot Scott O’Grady Bosnian prisoner escape story. (trailer)

Black Hawk Down (2001)– Released during the 2001-2002 awards season, Ridley Scott’s powerful depiction of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu showed the uncompromising courage of U.S. Army Ranger and Delta Force soldiers at a time when our current soldiers were likely preparing for going overseas to similar urban warfare. (trailer)

We Were Soldiers (2002)– Mel Gibson may be embroiled in unpopular headlines now, but his 2002 action-drama from his Braveheart writer about America’s first official military action in Vietnam is as powerful and it is impressive. Like Black Hawk Down, it added to the heroic mystique of the American soldier, even if it was set in the past. If you don’t cry watching those wives deliver those first casualty letters, there’s something wrong with you. (trailer)

Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004)– New York’s #1 resident superhero always fights for a way for the citizen of the city to stand up together. I suppose you can throw in the pair from the reboot (The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2) for some of the same reasons. (trailer)

Gangs of New York (2002)– Martin Scorsese is a quintessential New Yorker and his mid-1800’s history piece (while definitely violent) was a love letter to the city’s great history. (trailer)

Elf (2003)– Will Ferrell put the Big Apple back in the Christmas cheer. (trailer)

Ladder 49 (2004)– Though it wasn’t set in New York, you can’t help but think of the 343 NYFD men and women that lost their lives on September 11th and ardent first-responders when you watch Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta as macho Baltimore firemen. (trailer)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)– America loves a good underdog story and Clint Eastwood gave the public a heck of a good one that went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. (trailer)

Miracle (2004)– What better way to boost American spirit than to relive our greatest Olympic triumph. (trailer)

National Treasure (2004)– How about a history lesson to make you feel good about our great country? Why not? (trailer)

Hitch (2005)– Will Smith brought popular romance back to the City That Never Sleeps. (trailer) He would capture hearts for a different reason the next year with The Pursuit of Happyness. (trailer)

We Are Marshall (2006)– Another real-life airplane tragedy sets the stage for an amazing story of athletic and community rebirth. One of the most underrated football movies out there. (trailer)

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)– Why not give NY’s best bad-ass cop a chance to save the nation’s capital? (trailer)

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)– Last but not least, you can’t get more patriotic and underdog than this skinny guy from Brooklyn transformed into a red-white-and-blue super soldier. He followed it up this past summer saving New York in The Avengers. (trailer and trailer) (full review and my full review)

American Sniper (2014)– The tremendous reception Clint Eastwood’s film had to become the highest grossing movie of the year made Chris Kyle a household name and heavily amplified a previously dormant red-blooded (and “red state-d”) surge of patriotism and soldier appreciation. (trailer) (my full review)

Sully (2016)– Both the incredible true story of Flight 1549 from 2009 and Clint Eastwood’s respectful retelling featuring Tom Hanks as Capt. Chelsea “Sully” Sullenberger remind audiences of the strength of New York City. There’s a great line in the movie where someone is trying to thank Sullenberger and says that it’s been a long time since the city has had good news about anything like the “Miracle on the Hudson,” especially about a plane. (trailer) (my full review)

Patriots Day (2016) and Stronger (2018)– The way the city of Boston rallied from another terrorist attack on American soil during its marathon has key inspirational value. It’s too bad the film was the Mark Wahlberg show rather than a well-rounded ensemble approach. (trailer) (my full Patriots Day review) (trailer) (my full Stronger review)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018)– Much like the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield web-slinger movies that came before, Tom Holland’s take on Peter Parker is a born-and-raised New York kid that supports and protects his neighborhood and city from dangers foreign and domestic. His protection, joined by fellow New Yorker Doctor Strange, expands with the united effort with The Avengers when Thanos shows up in Avengers: Infinity War. One part down on that with one to go in the summer of 2019. (trailer) (my full Spider-Man: Homecoming review) (trailer) (my Avengers: Infinity War review)

Only the Brave (2017)– Just as with Ladder 49 thirteen years before it, you can’t beat the sympathy generated by the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice of firefighters. Forest fires aren’t terrorists, but the feels are all there. (trailer)

The 15:17 to Paris (2018)– Four years after American Sniper, Clint Eastwood dipped his filmmaking brush in the hero worship paint again to tell another true story. The wrinkle of this one is that Eastwood called upon the actual heroes that thwarted the 2015 Thayls train attack to star in their own movie recreation. Results were mixed, but the Eastwood prestige is there. (trailer) (my full review)

THE UP-AND-DOWN PULSE OF CONTINUED SENSITIVITY AND/OR CENSORSHIP TO 9/11 SIMILARITIES

For 2014 and going forward, this is a new section I’m adding to this study. Now that enough time has passed since 2001, I’m beginning to notice that movies are starting to go back to some of the images and themes of violence, destruction, and terrorism that were hands off for so many years after 9/11. Like all history, even 9/11 will fade. What we were offended by after the horrific incidents have returned, in some cases, to be more tolerated and even acceptable and celebrated again. Sure enough, there are plenty who vividly remember 2001’s events and images and are quick to point out when something is in possible poor taste. That shaky barometer has led to some allusions and reminders to 9/11 and some flat-out censorship changes and corrections. Some get flak and slaps on the wrist while some don’t. Here are some examples in recent years.

Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down (2013)– Both competing White House takeover films from 2013, one from Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and one from Roland Emmerich (Independence Day) had a bit of split audience reaction to their violent and terrorist content. Some rooted and cheered as if it was the 80’s again and America is always going to win. Others were not so keen or ready to see the White House become a target and battleground, even if it was just a movie. Between the two, Olympus Has Fallen, the R-rated and more severe one of the two, was the bigger hit. In a way, no one batted an eye. (trailer and trailer) (my full Olympus Has Fallen review)

Man of Steel (2013)– Despite being one of the most all-American heroes around, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel gave Superman a very serious tone that, in a way, can’t be included on the category before this one of movies that renew the American spirit. Also, many people were not very pleased with the immense city-wide destruction scenes of Metropolis during the film’s climax. Even though Chicago was the filming location of a fictitious comic book city, there were staunch critics who had a problem with huge office buildings and skyscrapers in very 9/11-esque rubble. Its 2016 sequel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice mildly addressed that a city can’t be destroyed without consequences, even on Superman’s watch in a colorful comic book setting. (my full review)

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)– Much like Man of Steel, the third Michael Bay Transformers movie features a great deal of city-wide destruction (again, in Chicago) that rubbed a few people the wrong way. (trailer) (my full review)

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)– Throw in the terrorist label for the villain and his bombings and the big San Francisco starship wreck during this film’s ending action that was clearly a larger scale to a passenger jet taking out buildings. (trailer) (my full review)

Godzilla (2014)– Add the King of the Monsters to the list of more city destruction that raised an eyebrow for some. (trailer) (my full review)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)– Outside of this string of modern and accepted examples of urban attacks and destruction, is the minor amount of hot water the makers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got it for a promotional poster that had an exploding skyscraper that cut too close to 9/11 similarities. The study pulled the poster and had to apologize. Censorship and sensitivity won that argument and mistake. (trailer)

The Walk (2015)– A very big test to peoples’ memories of the World Trade Center will be coming in the Fall of 2015 with Robert Zemeckis’s film The Walk, the true story of the French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s quest to tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 1974 (previously featured in the Academy Award nominated 2008 documentary Man on Wire). Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the film will prominently display, thanks to Zemeckis’s stunning use of CGI, a tremendous amount of imagery of the two lost skyscrapers. Even though it’s a period piece to a non-turbulent time, no film since 2001 has attempted to show this much of those building. Public reaction was mixed and the film was not a box office hit. (trailer) (full review)

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)– I guess it’s OK for patriotic mass city destruction again. London gets it worse than New York, though. (trailer) (full review)

Ghostbusters (2016)– Well, New York was safe for at least a month anyway between Independence Day: Resurgence‘s release and the new reboot (which conveniently made sure its city destruction in Times Square and other places be easy to erase). Not far behind was the fictional Suicide Squad and its over-the-city halo of supposed death. (trailer) (my full review)

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Rampage (2018)– Larger in size than the old World Trade Centers used to be, Chicago’s Willis Tower, the former Sears Tower and tallest building in the world, was the targeted collapsed skyscraper spectacle of choice in the Brad Payton/Dwayne Johnson live-action video game adaptation. Monsters aren’t terrorists, but the imagery hits close as the Willis Tower was one of many skyscrapers across the country evacuated on 9/11 out of fear of becoming another target. See the collapse clip above. (my full review)

I hope everyone enjoyed this little (OK, large) retrospective about the impact of 9/11 in movies for the last 18 years and counting. Take some time this coming weekend to appreciate the freedoms we have the people fighting to keep them for us. Support your troops and first responders and, again, NEVER FORGET!

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writtingchallengeararepair · 6 years

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30 Day “Rare Pair” Writing Prompts -- #6 : “Quirk Swap!”

Note -- Due to not having his actual hero name revealed yet, I decided to run with a reddit suggestion that states his name in some of Kōhei’s notes is Ground Zero, so that is his official hero name in my stories. Also, this story may seem a bit Bakugo-centric, but trust me, Izuku and Tsuyu do feature in it. . . . ~= Ossus Harbor, Near Musutafu, Japan; (Four Years After Graduation) . . . . =~

The villain cackled like a madman, even as Bakugo slammed him into the planks of the pier with brutal force. “Y-you may have . . . captured me, but . . . heh-heh-heh! You’ll never stop all of us!”

“Shutup, you idiot!” Bakugo made quick work of applying hand-encasing shackles to the villain, snarling under his breath. “Stupid, what were you thinking!” He gave the shackle’s locking points a last check, before sitting back on his heels. “Bad enough we have to curb insane jerks like you, especially after the mess you made just now!”

Coming up to where he crouched, the 18+ Only Hero Midnight gave him a terse nod. “Is he contained, Ground Zero?!”

“Yeah,” Bakugo said with a note of finality. “After the beat down I gave him, He’s not going anywhere!”

“Good.” Midnight took a quick stock of the surrounding docks. “We’ve captured nearly every other villain that didn’t bolt or scatter, and the goods they were attempting to steal are all accounted for.” She shot Bakugo an approving look. “You’ve handled yourself well, today. You’ll do your agency proud, if you keep this level of performance up!”

Grinning, Bakugo smacked his fists together. “That’s what I wanted to hear! Thanks!” Rising, he looked out towards the deep, half-bowl shape that made up the larger part of the harbor. “What about the others? I heard Deku and his bunch were engaged--?”

“It . . . it didn’t go well, I’m afraid.” Midnight sighed. “They, ah . . . ran into a problem. Come on. They should need our help. The Police will handle this villain.”

Bakugo rose and followed Midnight, who’d started moving at a quick clip. Jogging to keep up with the older Pro Hero, he asked, “What problem did they get? I thought Deku and his group could handle a few mid-level thugs and low-lifes!?”

“It’s not so much who they ran into,” Midnight explained. “It’s what happened during the fight to bring the villains down.” She nodded towards the open water of the horseshoe-shaped bay beyond the next pier. “You’ll see in a moment.”

Bakugo frowned slightly, even as they picked up the pace to round a tall stack of shipping containers. What happened? Deku’s not the nerdy idiot he once was. Well, most of the time. he told himself. What sort of trouble--!? His internal question came up short as they came around into the open . . . and he caught sight of something he didn’t expect to see!

Several Police officers and Harbor Security were surrounding a few of the villains that had been part of the heist -- holding them off to the side near a blasted-open warehouse door -- while the lead Inspector was speaking to Ingenium and Creati. On the ground nearby was a figure that appeared to be Mt. Lady, though to Bakugo she appeared different somehow.

But it was the sight behind this group that made him pause, even as he and Midnight approached.

“Ingenium?!” Midnight called out.

Turning, the younger Hero nodded and said crisply, “Ma’am. We’ve managed to capture five more of the thieves attempting the robbery this night. Inspector Sato and his people have been most helpful in detaining them.”

Midnight nodded. “What about Mt. Lady and Froppy? Any word on what’s happened?”

Creati shook her head. “We think it might be some villain’s Quirk,” she said. “At least, it would explain for their current state.”

By then, Bakugo had gotten closer to the edge of the larger slip way, and could see the massive shape in the water. Off to the side, some yards down the length of the slip way, stood Deku; his arms crossed, two fingers pinching his chin as he was clearly muttering to himself. In the water, he could see a giant head that looked like Froppy, but her features were far too . . . normal. Even in their enlarged state. With a scowl, he turned back to look at the body sprawled on the dock -- that of Mt. Lady -- whom he could see now looked far shorter and skinnier than her usual, curvaceous self. As well, he noticed the distorted features on her face; now looking more frog-like than before.

“Swell,” he grunted. “I can guess . . . one of the villains had a Quirk Swapping Quirk, right?”

Ingenium nodded with a soft grunt. “The problem is we lost track of that particular villain during the melee. As far as we know, they either escaped, or . . . .” He turned and looked towards the cluster of captives surrounded by the Police officers. “One of them might well be the culprit!”

At that point, Deku arrived from where he’d been standing, deep in thought. He nodded to Bakugo. “We need to work fast, here,” he said firmly. “We can’t be certain this swapping ability will wear off in time, or remain permanent! Besides, I don’t think Mt. Lady will be able to control herself when she wakes up. Tsu-I mean, Froppy’s already said she’s afraid to move, or else she might do serious damage to the pier.”

Bakugo looked back over at the figure in the water, seeing the gigantic head of Tsuyu turn to look at them. “One question. Why is Frog-face staying in the harbor? Can’t she stand out here with the rest of us? There was plenty of room for Mt. Lady before.”

Deku shot him a sharp, if embarrassed look. “She can’t come out because . . . well, she’s, um--!”

“I think what Deku is trying to say,” Creati said, getting Bakugo’s attention, “is that Mt. Lady’s costume could change size along with her Quirk. Tsu’s couldn’t.”

At that, Midnight caught the gist of what they were saying, just as Bakugo did. “Oh! So her hero costume couldn’t withstand the strain of her size change, right?” She made a soft sound with her lips. “Poor thing. I can see where that might be embarrassing for her!”

Deku nodded. “We’re going to have to find this villain, and work fast.” He turned to look back at Froppy in the water -- seeing her cheeks flush with blush -- before adding, “Any ideas? I’m at a loss, here.”

“Do we have time to interrogate the villains we caught?” Ingenium asked. “The few we’ve got here could possibly be the villain we seek.”

At that point, Bakugo turned and started eying the cluster of captured villains closely. “Hey, Deku,” he said, getting his attention. “Go see to your girlfriend for the moment.”

“What?” Deki asked. “Why?”

“Just GO, okay?!” Bakugo snapped. “You’re not thinking straight, and it’s annoying! Go look after her, while we sort this out.” He softened his tone as he looked over at Deku, adding, “Trust me, we’re not gonna let her stay like that permanently.” He turned back to focus on the villains, not watching as Deku walked away . . . . . ~= xXx =~ . In the water, Tsuyu was trying hard not to draw attention to herself. Even though in her enlarged body she could easily touch the bottom of the harbor’s floor, she kept very still. I’d start making waves or doing something else to damage the surrounding area, she reasoned. Plus . . . I’d rather not let anyone see me like this! She consciously tightened her arms around her torso, hiding her nudity from anyone or anything that might see, but it was the sudden frission of cold that made her blink. Kero! I should ask if someone can get me something to cover up with! I can’t stay in this ocean water long, or I’ll get ill or worse!

She picked up the approaching footsteps on the dock planking, and turned to watch as Izuku approached the spot he’d been standing in before. Rising up clear of the water to allow herself to talk, she asked, “Is everything okay, Deku?”.

He looked up and nodded, though his expression was still fixed in a worried state. “The others are working on seeing if that villain that swapped your Quirk with Mt. Lady’s is still about,” he explained. He tried to smile as he asked, “Are you--? D-do you need anything, Tsu-chan?”

Hearing him use her real name -- instead of her Pro-Hero name -- made her smile. “I could use something to cover up with,” she said, her body shivering again; making the water around her ripple. “I don’t think I can stay in this water for much longer. Kero. It’s getting colder by the moment.”

Deku nodded. “Yeah, you could go into hypothermia, if you stay in for too long!” He glanced around the docks. “I’ll see what I can do! Maybe some tarps, or a sailing canvas might help,” he reasoned. “Anything to . . .well, cover you up if you get out of the water, that is.”

Tsuyu looked at him fondly. That’s my Izu-kun! Always looking out for others. Before she could say anything, there was a shout and the sound of one of Bakugo’s explosive blasts further up the docks. “Kero?!”

“Stay here, Tsu-chan! I’ll see what’s happened,” Deku told her as he started bolt towards the source of the blast.

He only got a few steps when another shout extolled from near the warehouse, and to Tsuyu’s ears it sounded triumphant. “They must’ve found something,” she said.

Moments later, it was Ground Zero and Ingenium dragging one, helpless villain by his feet down the pier that emerged into view. Following close behind was Creati, Midnight and the Police Inspector and a few of his men; who were carrying the unconscious body of Mt. Lady. “Hey, Deku! We found your practical-joker,” Ground Zero said. “I thought it was weird, when out of all the other captured villains, this guy--!” He dropped the goon ungently. “--was grinning like he pulled something off!”

Ingenium nodded. “He’s right. He only had to threaten to use an explosive blast to make him confess,” he said, frowning at Ground Zero. “Not a method I would have preferred--.”

“Hey, it got the job done, right?” Ground Zero growled. “So, let’s get this chump to reverse-swap their Quirks and be done with it.”

The villain in question looked up from the planks and scowled. “Heh, fat chance, Hero!” He would have said more, but he was cut off when Deku suddenly snatched him up and held him high in the air by his throat.

“Deku!? Kero?” Tsuyu gasped. My boyfriend isn’t usually this violent, especially with villains they’d already subdued.

“You’re going to do just what Ground Zero said!” Deku’s voice was firm and hard as iron, and he had one fist cocked back, already glowing with his powerful Quirk. “Or else, I’m going to punch you into the air, and then HE can use you for target practice!!” he said, nodding to Ground Zero.

“Deku, no!” Ingenium snapped.

“Wait a moment, just let this play through,” Ground Zero said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tsuyu watched with shivers and a nervous look as the tableau played out in front of her. Izu-kun! I don’t want you hurting anyone . . . even if that villain deserves it! she told herself. Please! Don’t do something you’ll regret!

The villain was blubbering, trying to stop Deku from making good on his threat, but from where Tsuyu stood, it was clear that Deku was finished with niceties. It took a “count to three” to make him agree, which got him dumped unceremoniously onto the pier again. Motioning to both Tsuyu and Mt. Lady, Deku said, “Do it, now, before I forget that I’m a Pro-Hero.”

At that point, Creati stepped up and said, “Hold it! Before he does that, Froppy is going to need something to cover up with! Just a moment!” She triggered her Quirk, and began making a large, thermal blanket.

“We’ll need to be ready to pull her out of the water as well,” Ingenium stated. “Deku, we’ll both help her.”

“While Midnight and the rest of us keep watch on him,” Ground Zero growled, taking up a position behind the villain while Ingenium got on his knees at the pier’s edge.

“Here,” Creati finished forming her blanket, tossing it to Deku to hold. “I’ll help Ground Zero.”

Nodding, Deku looked over at Tsuyu. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be. Kero.” She lifted one hand clear of the water, holding it out for the villain to make contact with.

Seeing that things were ready, Deku stared at the villain and said, “Do it. Now!”

The next thing that Tsuyu saw was the villain putting his hand on Mt. Lady, before he touched her . . . then the whole world seemed to grow as her body suddenly shrank. Dizzy from the sudden transition, she nearly went under the surface, only to find herself yanked out of the cold waters of the harbor as Ingenium placed her quickly on the dock. There was another moment of disorientation, as a sudden field of orange obscured her vision.

“It’s alright, Froppy!”

“I’ve got you!”

“How’s Mt. Lady? She looks normal--!”

“Give us a minute, Ground Zero! Just keep that idiot in check!”

When she could clear her eyes, Tsuyu gave a massive shudder as her body settled back into her original form. “Keeeroooo?” The transition from the water to dry land wasn’t the problem. It was the cold water still clinging to her body in the open air that was making her shiver now.

“Deku, take Froppy over there,” Midnight was saying. “That van the Police have has interior heating. She’ll be fine after she warms up. We’ll have Creati make her some temporary clothing, after we’ve dealt with the villains!”

Feeling the presence of two, strong arms lifting her, Tsuyu reached up to pull the edge of the blanket away from her face. She looked up, seeing the concern on Deku’s face as he moved swiftly towards the police vehicle parked to the side of the dock entrance. Another shiver raced through her body, and it made Deku look down at her.

“Are you all right? I’m sorry about the cold,” he told her. “We’ll get you warmed up as quick as we can!”

Tsuyu nodded, saying softly, “It’s o-okay, Izu-kun. I’m g-going to be okay.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and heaved a deep sigh. “I’m j-just s-sorry.”

Deku looked at her and frowned a bit. “What are you sorry for?”

“I s-should’ve paid m-more attention in the f-fight,” she admitted. “I really need t-to be more prepared, s-so I don’t end up i-in trouble, like th-this!”. Another shudder wracked her body. “Keroooo, I’m so cold!”

Deku reached the van, where an officer was quick to assess the situation and get the rear door to the van open for them. Nodding a quick thanks, he told her, “Hold on! We’ll get you warmed up fast!”. Climbing up inside, he moved them close to where a vent for the interior heater was placed. “Please, turn up the heat, and thank you!” he told the officer, as he sat down on a long bench on the side of the compartment.

The officer nodded, closing the door before he moved to the driver’s compartment.

Alone, Tsuyu felt Deku shift so she was seated on his lap. “Kero,” she murmured sadly.

Deku proceeded to rub her arms and legs while she was still clad in the blanket; keeping silent for a few moments, before he signed at looked her in the eyes. “Tsu-chan . . . no one can predict how fights or actions against villains can go. We have to be prepared, sure, but we aren’t fortune tellers! We went into this fight tonight, with the best knowledge had.” When she ducked her head, his touch turned gentle as he implored her to look back at him. “Honestly, we have to expect the unexpected, and just deal with it as it comes.” He touched her chin and smiled weakly. “I’m just glad you weren’t hurt!”

Tsuyu felt herself turn warm at the tone of his voice. “I’m glad, too. Kero.”

Deku nodded, stretching up to kiss her forehead. “We got through this, and we’ll do so again. No matter what comes. After all, we’re Heroes, aren’t we?”

She made a happy sound, and ducked her head to nuzzle into his chest. “Heroes . . . and partners, too.”

Deku smiled at her. “Partners, always, Tsu-chan.” . . ~= Fin =~

#boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha #midoriya izuku #tsuyu asui #bnha deku #bnha froppy #30 days #writing challenge #writing prompts #romance #fluff #action #quirk swap #manga #anime #katsuki bakugou

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hollowedrpg · 5 years

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CONGRATULATIONS, BEC! — You’ve been accepted for the role of Alastor Moody. To be honest, I was so so so worried about applications for Alastor. Frankly, with a character as multi-faceted as Alastor, there were so many ways it could have gone wrong, but reading your app was like a giant sigh of relief. Not only did you completely understand who Alastor is, but you even convinced me into parts of your app with your characterization (I never thought Alastor could have been a Hufflepuff, but boy was I wrong.) Do me a favor and keep convincing me into things; you’re right on the money.

Thank you so much for applying. Please create your account and send in the link, track the right tags, and follow everyone on the follow list. Welcome to Hollowed Souls!

ooc.

Name: Bec

age: 26

preferred pronouns: She/her

timezone: EST+10 (AEDT)

activity: Ok, so I do work fulltime and often that entails 10 hour days but I’m often able to get on when I get home for a couple of hours. I might not be able to get on every single day, but I should be able to remain within the activity requirements!

are you applying for more than one character?: Nope :)

how do you feel about your character dying?: I mean it’s definitely plausible when it comes to Alastor considering how headstrong he is. He would absolutely die for a cause that he truly believes in (getting the fuck rid of Voldemort is certainly one). Let’s hope I don’t regret saying so in the future, but I think I’d be okay with him dying. I generally love causing my characters pain (I know), I basically breathe for in character drama.

anything else?: I just wanted to say that this place is beautiful, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on here whether I get accepted or not! Thanks for the opportunity!

ic details.

full name: Alastor Moody

date of birth: July 19th, 1947.

former hogwarts house: Hufflepuff

There is no question that Alastor could have fit in at any Hogwarts house. Sure he’s ambitious and some would say that he would just about do anything to achieve what is necessary. However, Alastor lacks the need for notability as a direct result of his actions. He carries out what is necessary because it is simply that, necessary. There is no doubt that he is clever, but knowledge is not something that he seeks merely for his own desire or curiosity. Frankly, he would have had no joy in solving that silly riddle each and every time he had to return to the common room, far too impractical for his liking. He was almost placed in Gryffindor. He’s certainly brave and determined, but once again, his actions are never designed to seek his own means. He’s brave because the situations he’s placed in simply demand it, in his eyes, he has no other choice. Despite what many believe, Alastor lacks much of the impulsion that other Gryffindor’s harbor, instead he’s much more calculative. That left him with Hufflepuff. A house that helped level his impatience over the years, and establish that good does exist. Being placed in Hufflepuff is largely what saved Alastor. A teen who was so fragile when he first stepped into Hogwarts that it took him years before he started to open up.

sexuality: Heterosexual

gender/pronouns: Cisgender male. He/him

face claim change: Michiel is a God.

more.

how do you interpret this character’s personality? how will you play them? include two weaknesses & two strengths.

It’s probably safe to say that Alastor, he’s had it tough. Growing up he was always told that emotions were not made for wizards like the Moody’s, that they’ll only make him weak. And weakness is not something that a great Auror can afford to have. Despite now knowing that this is not always the case, Alastor’s always been a little silent. As a teenager his silence often came across as brooding, as an adult it’s matured with wisdom. He’ll only speak when necessary, not the sort to fill the air with words of flair and uncertainties. While Alastor does know how to smile, his need for constant vigilance often means he’ll be the last one to loosen up at a social gathering. He possesses an inflexible will, ever pushing forwards with what must be done, his purpose always clear and forever at the forefront of his mind. This might mean that he may be a little brash with you at times but you can’t always take his curt mannerisms to heart as he only does so with no partiality and only when necessary. He possesses a zeal so great that his actions are often misdiagnosed as those of impulsiveness, but he is anything but. Every action has been carefully premeditated.

+ Pragmatic: At his very core Alastor is a pragmatist. He doesn’t allow himself to wander too deep into ideals and what might be as this leaves him open to the possibility of failure. At this point in the war, failure is not an option. His pragmatism is largely attributed to his upbringing. Gone are the days of believing that fairytales exist, that someone else will come in and save the day. While he certainly doesn’t believe himself a hero, Alastor is a firm believer that only he can shape his own future, and perhaps the future of their world too.

+ Committed: Alastor has already sacrificed so much to the order and has every intention on continuing with the same zeal. In his opinion, it’s not sacrifice if the cause is one that is a necessity to fight for. If they stop fighting who will take their place? He spoke an oath, wand to the sky, hand over heart. An oath of the aurors that he does not plan to break. He won’t rest until their world is exonerated by the evil that threatens, he won’t hide away as thousands of muggles, half-bloods and their defenders are slaughtered.

- Distrustful: After years of emotional and physical abuse alike, it’s hard to not let some of that filter through. When the two people in the world who you’re supposed to be able to trust wholeheartedly betray you beyond repair, how are you supposed to have faith so easily. Alastor has a hard time trusting people. The easiest way to judge a person’s character is to not let them close enough to find out if they have good or bad intentions. Perhaps this isn’t a healthy train of thought, but for the most part it’s kept heartbreak at bay. He’s managed to find methods of coping with what some would call an issue, and that is with keeping himself occupied. Alastor’s almost always constantly busy, on his toes working, a rather well welcomed distraction if he’s honest.

- Guile: Alastor knows how to navigate a bad situation to make it the very best that he is able to. Sometimes his methods can erre on the side of manipulation but he will usually try and avoid as much collateral damage as possible. He’ll only use his guile methods when absolutely necessary, and in situations when he’s got to think quick on his toes.

how has the war affected this character, emotionally and otherwise?

Alastor feels as though he’s been in a constant war almost all his life. He’s been involved in this particular war since the very beginning and has since allowed it to consume every aspect of his life. He’s never had a serious romantic relationship, despite often receiving interest from various women over the years. It’s not that he’s oblivious to the attention, but more so that he believes that there are higher things at stake. Is there really a point in getting attached to someone when the future’s so uncertain? When tomorrow may not even be an eventuality?

Alastor has become particularly good at mastering his emotions. It’s perhaps the one skill his parents taught him, for better or for worse. It’s made him function under pressure better, hard decisions are made by him with more ease.

where does this character currently stand? with those who wish to hide in godric’s hollow until the war ends, with those who wish to rebuild the order and continue fighting the war, or on neither side? Why?

He knows that they’re currently sitting ducks just waiting to be fired at one by one. That they must act sooner rather than later. Hiding doesn’t fix anything, hiding doesn’t reverse the lives lost or guarantee that no more will be lost. In fact, hiding in Godric’s Hollow means guarantees that thousands, if not more, innocent lives will be lost. They’ve already wasted far too much time in Alastor’s opinion.

extra.

Mock Blog: https://amoodymood-mock.tumblr.com

Character questions:

How have the setbacks the Order has faced affected Alastor?

Alastor already feels as though they’ve wasted time. He’s truthfully disappointed in many of the members in the Order who are happy to take a backseat. He believes that no matter what they believe, pretending that they’re in a safe bubble doesn’t change the reality that the more time they spend at Godric’s Hollow twiddling their thumbs, Voldemort is only re-charging his strength and gathering his forces. Each minute they spend in hiding he only grows stronger. With each day his patience wanes, and with it he’s losing more and more control over keeping his anger at bay. His irritation is becoming more evident with the occasional unwarranted snipe at the wrong people. He can only hope that they understand, but only Merlin knows how much of it they’ll be able to take.

What does he think the Order should do next?

Alastor wants to continue with recruitment. He also wants to continue gaining intel from his internal informants amongst Voldemort’s ranks.. He also wants to attack. Moody knows that now is the time to strike, the Death Eaters are at their weakest point too. They also has those Order members still in captivity and those that are missing on his conscience. Alastor knows that they’d been far too careless the first time that they’d gone in, with more wands ready to fight, they might have a better chance at saving their fellow members. That is, if they aren’t already too late.

#hp rp #rp #marauders rp #lsrpg #roleplay #accepted

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otsegox · 5 years

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The Disappearing Islands of the Chesapeake Bay

Many years ago, when I was a child, I remember riding on a boat through the Chesapeake Bay. I leaned against the bow of the old fishing boat and felt the breeze whip through my hair. Far off in the distance I saw an old house, barely standing, surrounded by water with no land in sight. I thought to myself “how did this house get here?” Seeing my puzzled gaze, my uncle explained to me that there was once an island with hundreds of people living on it in that very spot not even a hundred years ago. He drove the boat closer so that I could get a better view. The loud engine of the boat startled a few pelicans away that were nesting on the roof of the house. So many thoughts racing in my mind, but before I could ask another question, he told me “the Bay has taken her back”. From that day I’ve remained intrigued by Holland Island and the old house in the bay. Since then I’ve learned that climate change has played a major role in many of the problems residents in the bay are feeling today. What will they do, and where will they go? Through this research I have learned there are other factors at play, and that most can be combated through updated policies and raising awareness as well as helping to prevent this on a larger scale. Many residents of small coastal and island communities such as Tangier Island, are losing their homes and way of life due to relative sea level rise as a result of Climate change. If we continue to inadequately address these issues and ignore the main problem, we will lose these islands and the Chesapeake Bay will irrevocably bear the scars of our failed attempts and lack of trying. Holland Island is a stark reminder of our failures at combating climate change, and Tangier island gives hope that there is a possibility of saving it from the rising sea, given its dismal future from many scientists. Tangier and Holland islands are a good example of issues that many other countries are facing as well. With the best scientific evidence and more “common sense” policies our government can make more sensible laws to help save the bay and the pockets of the American taxpayer. It’s important for us to understand how responsible Climate change is to the disappearing islands of the Chesapeake Bay and what processes can be adapted to slow the rising sea level globally.

Holland Island was destroyed by climate change and island abandonment.

Holland island was a largely inhabited island that was abandoned due sea level rise as a result of climate change and is an example of the worst-case scenario of Climate change. Holland island was once located in the Chesapeake Bay just west of Salisbury, Maryland. It was settled in the 1600s and boasted a community of over 360 residents, making it one of the largest inhabited islands in the Chesapeake Bay. The islanders made their living on crabbing and fishing the Bay for hundreds of years. The dramatic change in Holland Islands population and land loss has sparked interest and drive in many people who wish to learn from this example. A Physical Scientist, Sheila Gibbons, has spent years conducting studies on the history of Holland Island and the Chesapeake Bay. She has a double major in Geography and has worked with the Strategic Environmental Assessments Division of NOAA for the state of Maryland. In her detailed report published on the rise and fall of Holland Island she concluded the first signs of land loss on the island were documented in the 1850’s and continued into the early 1900’s. (Gibbons, 2011, p. 44). Holland island was roughly five miles long and one and half miles wide when residents began to react to the first serious signs of land loss. In her research she explains that the island was declining in size over the years and forcing residents to move closer inland, or to the main land completely. In 1918 a severe storm struck the island, pushing the community church from its foundation, nearly destroying it. This event was considered the final blow for the last remaining families on the island. The declining size of the island and with the sheer drop in the population, it forced the last remaining residents to make the decision to leave. By 1922 the island was completely abandoned. The island was abandoned in the early 1920’s due to sea level rise and a loss of faith of its people in their future in the island (p. 46). Abandonment is discussed in many scientific descriptions regarding the longevity of islands around the world. It acts as the final accelerator that contributes to the ultimate demise of an island, once the residents lose hope, the island disappears. For Holland island the loss of the community church was the final straw.

Jenna Miller is a multimedia journalist for USA Today and frequently writes on topics involving Climate Change. She published an article on the grim future of the bay saying it is “on the worst-case pathway” (Miller, 2018 p. 1) regarding sea level rise. Holland island is a perfect example of “worst case scenario” because today, nothing remains of the island. The community and its residents that once lived quietly for hundreds of years will all but remain a memory. Efforts were made to preserve the last standing home on the island, but for many years gained little traction. Without adequate financial support and little time to reverse the damage to the island all attempts ultimately failed. In 2003 Hurricane Isabel decimated the last remaining house, and it currently sits dismantled below sea level. This island is an important reminder of what may be to come for several other islands located within the Chesapeake Bay. Without preemptive planning and careful consideration of scientific research, other islands may face abandonment just as Holland Island did.

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An animated ballad, by Lynn Tomlinson, recounts the story of the last house on Holland Island.

What other islands in the Bay are at risk?

There are other islands in the Chesapeake Bay that are threatened by the effects of Climate Change. Just a few miles south from where Holland Island once stood is Tangier Island. It is known for its distinct dialect of American English and its quiet water-man way of life. The island is currently home to roughly 500 people and every resident on that island is currently facing homelessness. Tangier Island is one of the last two inhabited offshore islands in the Chesapeake Bay (Smith Island being the second). David M. Schulte is the managing partner at Chilmark Partners, LLC and he provides reconstruction information for geological land masses and has spent many years studying the complex dynamics that are affecting the island. He conducted an in-depth study on the history of the island and what can be expected for its future. The data he collected shows that Tangier Island has lost most of its landmass since 1850 (Schulte, pg. 4). This data coincides with the time frame of when Holland Island began to lose its shoreline as well. The area that was abandoned was once called the “Uppards” and it was the largest residential portion of the island. It was populated in the early 1900’s. This specific area of the island has been losing 15 feet of shoreline or more each year. Today it is almost entirely submerged with a few remaining headstones from the local graveyard. All the houses and boating docks have since been washed away. The gradual loss of habitable land forced the residents that decided to stay on the island to move more inward to higher ground. Future projections of the island are grim although most residents remain hopeful. Tangier Island has less than 100 years before it is lost to a combination of RSLR (relative sea level rise) and storm surge-induced erosion (p. 4). The Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to build a levy and a large rock wall to help reduce some of the erosion on one side of the island, however building is not scheduled to start for several years. This gives some of the resident’s hope, but others are cutting their losses and moving to the mainland. The residents fleeing the islands could accelerate the process of abandonment as people lose faith in the future (Gibbons, pg 47). On any given day at high tide major portions of the island become covered in water several inches deep. Water that used to graze homeowners’ properties has now risen to greet them at their front steps. Leaving all who reside on the island with a daily grim reminder that the bay is rising and will only continue to do so. Future projections show the entire Town of Tangier will likely have to be abandoned in less than 50 years due to sea level rise and erosion (p. 6). These projections leave little for the residents of Tangier to cling to. Many hope the construction projects will give them more time in their homes. As the population of their community decreases, the more they worry of becoming the next Holland island and disappearing. Without swift major intervention the residents of Tangier island will become the first documented case of Climate Change refugees in the United States.

A look at Tangier's past – and it's possible future.

How is the Government Getting Involved with Climate Change?

Rising sea levels have caused irreversible damage to the islands as well as placed a heavy financial burden on the American taxpayer. The islands inhabitants have been pushing for more government assistance to slow the effects of sea level rise, but for some residents feel their requests are falling on deaf ears. Annalise Kenney was a Maryland Sea Grant communications intern in summer 2014 and wrote numerous articles for the “Bay Journal”. In one of her articles she discusses the different projects that the residents of the Bay are requesting funding for from government officials, and what responses they are getting in return. To do what is necessary to protect against the effects of sea level rise, there are basically three options. One is armoring: property owners and governments can protect shorelines with hardened structures like stone jetties and seawalls. Another option is adaptation: governments can require that homes be raised, and property owners can do so voluntarily. A third option is retreat: moving away from places that people have called home. (p. 54)

For the islanders in the bay moving away from home is not an option so they have been petitioning their local politicians for years to assist in building up the island and their homes. To preserve their homes and way of life these construction projects are necessary to protect the future of the island. Tangier island has been very vocal in their request for government assistance and projects to include seawalls and jetties to protect what is left of their community. (Kenney, p. 57) A construction project with the Army Corps of Engineers was finally approved in 2018 with plans to create a $2.6 million-dollar jetty. This jetty will protect the inner harbor from further erosion and will reduce the amount of damage the island receives during especially bad storms. The approval for this project took over six years. In hindsight it may not seem long, but with the rapid rate in which the island is losing land mass, every year is crucial to its livelihood.

Pressuring local officials is important to keep the legislative process moving. Because without government intervention the residents have little to no hope to fund the necessary projects to protect the island from further damage. Their greatest battle is fighting the perception that their survival is not worth the effort. Millions of dollars in taxpayer money is needed to protect so few, many politicians feel the money could be better spent. (p. 57) This mindset has been apparent during the jetty project. The issue was originally brought to Congress in 1994, and the Army Corps of Engineers were tasked to study Tangier island to determine the best way to protect the islands harbor. The Army Corp of Engineers concluded in 2009 a jetty would be the more effective and feasible construction for Tangier. There was a long period where nothing moved forward with the project, until finally in 2018 the federal approval process concluded. The approval of the jetty project is good news for Tangier island residents; however, this is only a short-term solution. Gaining governmental support has been difficult for residents of the Bay when they simply wish to preserve and protect their traditional way of life.

Sea levels are rising around the world, although some remain less effected.

Rising sea levels due to Climate Change is not solely affecting the Chesapeake Bay, its financial cost is being felt around the world. Alice Klein is a reporter at New Scientist Magazine and writes about technology, science, space, physics, health and environmental developments. In her article she discusses a study that focused on the islands near Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Micronesia. The Solomon Islands have been a focus point for scientists because this area is suffering the effects of erosion and sea level rise more quickly than anywhere else in the world. Giving scientists a brief glimpse into the future. Sea levels are currently climbing by an average of 3 millimeters per year around the world due to climate change but is occurring faster in the Pacific Ocean, where a natural trade wind cycle has caused an extra build-up of water over the last half-century. (Klein, p. 1)

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Visual understanding of sea levels around the world.

These changes are a preview for other low-lying nations around the world. The higher than usual sea level from the trade winds has increased the rate at which the islands are eroded. This threat is forcing residents out of their homes much faster than in the Chesapeake Bay. At least eight low-lying islands in the Pacific Ocean have been lost due to sea level rise, with two islands having been lost just in the past 50 years. This research provided scientists with interesting information as to better prepare for rising sea levels. The islands with the trade-wind “bulge” in the Pacific Ocean have eroded more rapidly than islands in other locations. However, some of the islands in the same area have had minimal damage from erosion and in the higher than usual wind. How could one island not far from the other erode and completely disappear, while another remains virtually unaffected? Researchers found that the islands covered in Mangrove trees had the lowest levels of erosion, if any at all. The tree forests broke the severity of the trade-wind and reinforced the sediment of the island, therefore providing a vastly greater level of protection from the elements. The conclusions of this research provide scientists with a more cost-effective method to combating erosion. This information provides researchers with insight to better determine the future of other islands around the world. The best available science is imperative to prevent and protect the remaining coastal areas of the world. Planning for projected sea-level rise increases should be based on credible science, engineering, and economics to ensure careful consideration of cost-effective methods for sustaining the coast. (Williams, p. 55) Planning for sea level rise must be based on the best science available. Researching these islands provided scientists with a greater idea of what is to come for any low-lying area and for other islands around the world. Higher than usual sea levels are financially burdensome for more than just residents on the islands of the Chesapeake Bay.

Future projections for specific east coast cities.

Future planning and lots of science is our best available option at preventing further financial burdens.

Failure to plan for rising sea levels is affecting all low-lying areas in the country would be a costly mistake. A coastal marine geologist, Jeffress Williams discussed future projections of sea level rise and how there are not enough policies that address these issues. He goes into detail about different avenues that can be taken to re-enforce and plan for future erosion because Climate Change is only projected to get worse. He states it is “a global responsibility and will ultimately be more expensive for society if planning isn’t being projected with the best available science”. (Williams, 2015, p. 189). With active planning and building with the future in mind it would help reduce costs in several areas. Raising homes that sit in low-lying areas would prevent damage and reduce costs that accumulate after a significant storm. Many homes in storm/high flood risk areas are more frequently being built on tall pillars that raise the homes enough to save them from high water. As well as building homes farther from the coast to further prevents homes from being damaged. History has shown that Americans and their leaders have tended to react to coastal-flooding disasters rather than prepare for them. Prime examples are shown with the devastation caused from Hurricane Katrina and Sandy. (Kenney, 2013, p. 52) Although the areas hit by these bad hurricanes were not damaged due to climate change or sea level rise directly, it’s important to take notice of how these cities were damaged by the water. Many American cities were built without climate change in mind, thus resulting in incidents such as Hurricane Katrina and the city of New Orleans. Disasters such as these must be kept in mind when building homes and towns in areas near large bodies of water that are susceptible to flooding. As sea levels continue to rise, as its projected to, future planning will become more important in development of coastal communities. Like the Mangrove trees in the Solomon Islands acting as a “buffer” to prevent erosion and slow down winds that further push waves inland and increase erosion. This is a good example of a cost-effective answer to Climate Change induced erosion. As with Tangier island the best option for that island would be the projected building of a levy/jetty which is ultimately a less cost-effective method. All of which provide relief to the immediate areas most effected by erosion and sea level rise. As rising sea levels will continue to be an issue for every coastal city and island across the globe if preventative measures are not put into place in a timely fashion.

Elevated houses on the Bolivar Peninsula in Texas survived Hurricane Ike’s 20-foot storm surge with minimal damage. Homes that were not elevated in this area no longer exist. Image Credit: Greg Henshall/FEMA, Flickr.

The land loss of the islands in the Chesapeake Bay is important to humanity for a multitude of reasons. It is a stark reminder of what could be lost if mankind cannot take better care of its surroundings. The massive amounts of coastal land that has been lost is relative to everyone. It is also an important reminder that planning for Climate Change in the future is something politicians, governments, and everyday people should have more regard for. Every person plays a part in controlling how climate change effects the area in which we live. Holland Island is an example we should strive to never repeat. The inhabitants of Holland Island didn’t have the science of our time and knowledge available to them to save their island. Time was against them, as it currently is for all islands in the Chesapeake Bay as well as every single low-lying area globally. Improving our planning and building with Climate Change in mind we can reduce the speed at which we are losing our coastal communities. Research on the effects of land loss and how it drives inhabitants of islands to abandonment is our best chance at reversing these effects. This research gives hope to the hundreds of people still currently living on Tangier Island who could very possibly lose their homes, but by no fault of their own. The likelihood of abandonment in many coastal communities continues to increase with the rising sea level, as does the cost of maintaining them. Preventative and planning measures and cost-effective building in conjunction with the best available science is the only solution to combating the rising sea level across the globe.

The most current picture of Holland Island and the last remaining home, taken 2017.

References

Arenstam Gibbons, & Nicholls. (2006). Island abandonment and sea-level rise: An historical analog from the Chesapeake Bay, USA. Global Environmental Change, 16(1), 40-47.

S Jeffress Williams, & Nabil Ismail. (2015). Climate Change, Coastal Vulnerability and the Need for Adaptation Alternatives: Planning and Design Examples from Egypt and the USA. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 3(3), 591-606.

David M. Schulte, Karin M. Dridge, & Mark H. Hudgins. (2015). Climate Change and the Evolution and Fate of the Tangier Islands of Chesapeake Bay, USA. Scientific Reports, 5(1), 17890.

Cronin, W. (2005) The Disappearing Islands of the Chesapeake. Baltimore, Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press.

Kenney, A. (2013). Come high water. Metropolis, 32(7), 50-83.

Nunn, P.D., Kohler, A. & Kumar, R. J Coast Conserv (2017) 21: 719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-017-0531-7

Subramanian, M. (2018). They Know Seas Are Rising, but They’re Not Abandoning Their Beloved Cape Cod. InsideClimate News. Retrieved 1 May 2019, from https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23102018/cape-cod-sea-level-rise-trump-voters-climate-change-questions-science-based-coastal-building-codes

Draper, H. (2010). ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS & CASE STUDIES: Keeping below the Tipping Point: A Literature Review of Climate Change with Attention to NEPA. Environmental Practice, 12(2), 144-157.

Mayfield, D. (2015) Tangier Island Projections. [Photograph by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

FEMA - 39260 - Elevetated homes remain stading on the beach in Texas.jpg. (2015, August 20). Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Retrieved 20:12, May 1, 2019 from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:FEMA_-_39260_-_Elevetated_homes_remain_stading_on_the_beach_in_Texas.jpg&oldid=169152167.

Tomlinson, L.(2015, March 26). The Ballad of Holland Island House. [Video File] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eKks8-npNs&t=57s

Verge Science. (2018, October 2). Sea level Rise is so Much More Than Melting Ice. [Video File] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA5zh3yG_-0&t=107s

Union of Concerned Scientists. (2014). How Sea Level Rise and Tidal Flooding Threaten US East and Gulf Coast Communities over the Next 30 Years. https://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/impacts/effects-of-tidal-flooding-and-sea-level-rise-east-coast-gulf-of-mexico

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spiderlingdaya · 7 years

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Because of Her

Pairing: Peter x Michelle Words: 1635

The war was over. The world was saved. Thanos was defeated. But the damage remained.

Not the physical damage-the wounds had healed, the city’s were taken care of due to damage control-it was the emotional damage.

Peter had not returned to school, it had been a week since the infinity war and the world was mourning Iron Man’s death-but no one mourned as bad as Peter Parker.

Peter’s phone had been silenced due to the plethora of calls and messages he’d been receiving. Some from Happy, the roles being reversed as now he double text him to ask how he was doing knowing he wouldn’t get a response. Some were Ned, asking him to open the door or if he was coming back yet-but Ned knew better and would visit almost every other day to check up on him. Some were from May, letting him know when she’d be home or if he’d wanted her to pick up something to eat-she too knew he wouldn’t answer but she felt hopeless not trying.

Peter received many texts throughout the day, some from people he didn’t even know he had the number to.

May had called the school and made up an excuse of a stomach bug that he caught and luckily they bought it, as long as he kept up with his work so he wouldn’t fall behind.

He didn’t. He hadn’t even lifted a book since he came back, his brain too numb to comprehend anything other than “pain.” It was useless, and May stopped trying to persuade him to do even a problem of a algebra.

Numb. Peter thought it was ironic, his entire body felt numb-yet the part of his body he wanted to be numb the most was what was the most active; his memories.

He laid in bed staring at the ceiling, recognizing every crack and deformity it possessed due to his constant stare, as he replayed every memory he had of Tony Stark.

From the first moment he saw him on TV confirming he was Iron Man, to seeing him in person as he saved his life and telling him “good job kid”, to being iron man for Halloween twice in a row, to seeing him on his couch conversing with his aunt and following him to Germany to fight alongside him, to him offering him a spot on the avengers and a new suit, to going to space to defeat evil and seeing him take his last breath.

He was his hero, and then a mentor, then became a friend, and was finally family when he was brutally taken away from him.

They had plans to go over Peter’s college essay to MIT when they returned. Peter was invited to his wedding. Tony promised to be at his graduation. And now that wasn’t possible.

Peter threw a pillow over his head, trying to get the image of Tony reaching up to him as he spoke his last words. He tried to forget staring into his eyes until his eyes didn’t stare back. He tried to forget Steve holding him back as Peter screamed in agony. He tried to forget-but he couldn’t.

His phone lit up catching his attention, he grabbed it from his bedside table ready to lock it when he saw who text him.

He reread the text over and over. He tried making sense of it but his brain fell short circuit.

Michelle -I’m sorry for your loss. Would you mind if I stopped by?

Peter thought he was seeing things. How could she know? Did May call the school and give another lie? Was she being literal or sarcastic about the loss of his “appetite” due to the stomach bug?

Without a second thought, peter unlocked his phone and typed “sure.”

Less than 15 minutes later, there was a knock on Peter’s apartment door. He willed himself to get off his bed and open the door, not really caring how he or his room looked.

He opened the door to a nervous Michelle biting lip and playing with her fingers, she looked up as the door swung open and her eyes met his tired ones.

“Peter” she sighed subconsciously

“Hey Mj” peter responded, a weak smile trying to make its way on his lips.

She bit her lip again, hitching her breath and internally cursing herself for forgetting what she had planned to say.

“Can I come in?” She hesitantly asked, hoping she wasn’t intruding-he did say sure didn’t he? Oh shit what if he meant “sure” as in he would mind? She was already beginning to apologize and leave when peter stepped aside and said “oh yeah, sure come on in.”

Michelle tightened her grip on her backpack strap and walked in. This wasn’t her first time here-in fact she had been over almost as much as Ned to study or to accompany Ned and Peter while they had their movie nights-but walking in that day felt like entering a brand new place.

She didn’t know how to react or what to say, so she silently followed peter to his room. Usually she’d make a sarcastic comment about how dirty his room looked or joke about all the clothes scattered on the floor but right then she didn’t even pay attention to his room, her eyes only on peter as she saw him sulk back onto his bed.

She stayed silent pressed against his door, waiting for him to say something while raking her brain to find something-anything to say.

Luckily she was saved from further making the situation awkward when peter opened his mouth.

“Sorry about not being there for chemistry, I know it sucks when your partner is absent. What have we been learning?”

Michelle laughed, actually laughed and Peter looked up at her in confusion.“Peter you’re such a dumbass. You think I actually give a shit about chemistry?”

Peter continued to stare in confusion. “Peter you went off to space to fight this big powerful purple alien dude and get brutally hurt while having to simultaneously witness your hero die in front of you and you don’t come back to school for a week while you sit here looking like all the life was sucked out of you and you wanna talk about chemistry?!”

Peter stayed silent and stunned as he watched Michelle pant due to her long speech.

He didn’t know what to say, he didn’t even know if words were acceptable at the moment. They stayed staring at each other in silence, both too scared to make a move or look away from each other. Finally, after what felt like hours of silence, Peter spoke up.

“How did you know he was my hero?”

Michelle let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and softly chuckled.

“Are you serious Peter? You had an Iron Man lunch box all throughout elementary and you went as Iron Man for Halloween two years in a row, you would of went for a third if you didn’t out grow the costume.” Michelle started walking towards his bed and sat down, facing him. “You also have an Iron Man sticker on your binder. Peter as soon as I found out you had the “stark internship,” she paused, putting air quotes around it, “I knew you were probably geeking every chance you had over the fact that he knew your name.”

Peter was in awe, he was speechless and wanted her to continue but was already fighting the tears threatening to slip out. As if Michelle could read his mind, she continued.

“Peter,” her tone got softer as she reached an arm up to rest on his shoulder, “he was a good man. He was misunderstood and one of the best superheroes this world has seen. He wasn’t just your hero, he was mine too,” she admitted timidly. “6th grade and every girl was a princess or an animal and I was Iron Man.” she softly laughed, Peter’s eyes glossed over as he huffed out a small smile, somehow hearing this from her was mending his heart while simultaneously breaking it.

And then she said it. She giggled and raised and eyebrow, saying just above a whisper “Maybe this year I’ll dress as Spider-man since he’s my new hero.”

And that’s all it took.

Peter looked up, his eyes meeting hers; maybe it was the sudden rush of a week's worth of emotion he had lacked, maybe it was because she just admitted that Iron Man was her hero, maybe it was the way her eyes lit up with the hope his eyes once possessed, maybe it was the fact that he’d been in love with her for the past year-but he kissed her.

Full on the mouth, before she had a chance to blink, before any other word was said, he kissed her.

Michelle’s eyes widened with the realization that Peter Parker was kissing her. She would have pushed away if it weren’t for her heart melting right in her chest and the intense feeling she felt erupt in her stomach. With pink cheeks and shaky hands, Michelle kissed back.

They both pulled away, taking in shaky breaths as the reality of the moment set in. Peter gazed into her eyes, waiting for a slap or scream, but instead was met with a blushing Michelle-something he had never seen before.

They both smiled at each other, Peter finally feeling again. She quirked and eyebrow with her head tilted to the side;

“It was you picturing me in the spidey suit wasn’t it?”

And then Peter laughed. A real laugh. Out loud and full of life. It was the first time he had laughed in over a week. It was something Tony would have laughed at.

And it was all because of her.

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auburnfamilynews · 4 years

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See if some of us are superstitious enough to go with the reverse jinx...

Well, tomorrow is the Iron Bowl. It’s the big one, and this year things may be in doubt more than they’ve been in any year in quite some time. Alabama’s a slim favorite, but without their starting quarterback and a shaky, injured defense, Auburn’s offensive woes may not matter as much as they have in other games this season.

When it comes to this game, many of us get a little stitious and may not want to show our true feelings. Do we all think Auburn is going to win this game? Maybe. Will us saying that Auburn is going to win affect this game’s outcome? IT COULD, YOU DON’T KNOW. That said, here are our opinions.

AUBURN vs ALABAMA (-4) (O/U 49.5)

Marlon Davidson has gained a One Honor lead over Derrick Brown in the Race for the Most SEC Player of the Week Honors (TM). It sounds like they are very serious about this internal competition. In other words, I would not want to be the backup quarterback these gentleman are both trying to tackle on every snap.

Folks, Auburn can beat this team. This isn’t the offense that put 40 on LSU. This isn’t the defense Saban typically has. But Bo has to rise above his standard level Saturday. He has to be a super star. His arm needs to quickly (and accurately) get the ball to his receivers. Here I am, placing my trust in this team once again.

Auburn 24, alabama 22

-Josh Dub

I wish I believed but I have nothing that shows me the offense will score more than 16 points on a defense with half a pulse. Our defense will keep us in it but that will make it hurt that much more.

uat scores a late garbage TD because I hate football and its basketball season and soon to be baseball season.

uat 24-16

-Drew Mac

My oh my how the result of this game will change perceptions. A win puts us at 9-3 with a win over Alabama, which would for sure knock them out of the Playoffs. A loss puts us at 8-4 with losses to the four best teams on the schedule, and 4-4 in conference. Gus won’t be gone either way short of a 49-0 bloodletting, but still, how this game plays out will write the script for this offseason’s debates.

If Auburn is going to succeed in this game, it’s going to come down to if we can run the ball. Alabama’s rush defense is 41st in explosiveness rate and 48th in success rate, while Auburn’s ground game is 42nd in explosiveness rate and 34th in success rate. That’s also with a limited/out Boobee Whitlow for half the season, who looked back to form against Samford last week. I think if Auburn can establish the ground game early, Bo has shown he’s confident enough in JHS to get some things done in the passing game.

On the other side of the ball, I’m fully confident in our defense. Alabama’s game this year has been to pound the ball for 3-5 yards a pop consistently, then take the top off the defense with elite QB and WR play down the field. But without Tua, we’ll see how the passing game responds. Najee Harris and the ground game haven’t been great at busting big plays, even if he’s been one of the best in the country at getting consistent yardage. That actually mirrors Auburn’s rush defense, who specialize in stuffing you at the line but may let you bust a few big gains each game. My money’s on Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson, but there’s going to be a ton of NFL talent on both sides of the ball in this matchup.

Just like the UGA game, this one’s a toss up. I think Auburn pulls it off with a familiar 28-24 score.

-Ryan Sterritt

It’s cliche to say this, but it remains true…this game being played in Auburn matters more for who we are than the outcome. That’s not to say it isn’t wildly important to win this game, but for those that were there and understand the significance of what happened 30 years ago on December 2, 1989, you understand that who we are today is not possible without us dictating where we play this game.

In essence that is what Alabama is to us. It’s the measuring stick every 365 days of whether or not Auburn is living up to who we say we are and who we aspire to be. Are we the program that is unafraid of going up against the best in America, competing our hearts out, and coming away with our share? Or are we a program that cowers back into exactly what someone else wants to dictate we are. It’s all one big identity crisis that we play out each and every day here in this state, but you already knew that. So let’s get down to it…

These bastards can be beaten. The field doesn’t tilt in their direction the way it used to, primarily due to not being as talented as they are accustomed to being, but also because they’ve got maybe the weakest coaching staff they’ve had in over a decade. They’re a shell of their former self defensively; not really being sure of what their identity is. They’ve had their best offensive weapon taken out due to injury, and now must throw back there a kid who has never seen anything like what he’s about to walk into trying to throw to 4 NFL-caliber wideouts and handoff to another great running back.

I have a ton of respect for that football team in Tuscaloosa and for Nick Saban. What they’ve done is unprecedented and will never be seen again in our lifetimes. I love my good friend Bo Hicks and Druid City Brewing Company. I get along well with our Roll Bama Roll brethren here on this network of sites. The issue I have is not even the arrogance and complete identity being wrapped up in winning, but the idea that we aren’t allowed to be who we are in the same space without them feeling threatened by us, or them actively trying to cause us harm or damage.

Those fans outside of SEC Nation the weekend of the Alabama/LSU game cheering Harvey Updyke when he called into Finebaum’s show represent the worst of what is a large portion of the Alabama fanbase the simply wants us to never have any joy. Those people can go to hell. Those people don’t deserve the success they have. And those people are the reason why winning this game is always so sweet.

But those people aren’t why Saturday matters. Saturday matters because it’s a day for us to get back on the same page as a group of people. If we’re honest we’re all divided as to how we feel about the “state of Auburn” and the direction of our football program. Some reasons are totally valid. Some are so batshit insane that it makes me question how the folks throwing out their grievances are able to normal, everyday life. But we should all be able to agree that the negativity, the students leaving early against Ole Miss, the backlash to the students leaving early against Ole Miss, the wanting to spend an immoral amount of money for the unknown, the anger at a 19 year old quarterback who was in high school 6 months ago, and the general toxin we all are carrying is unhealthy. For us, and for Auburn. Saturday matters because it’s a chance to get right. Come before the altar and release all of your burdens and get behind this football team. Get behind these coaches. And get back to who we are, which is a fiercely loyal group of people who are completely, totally, and undeniably unified by the desire to beat Alabama’s ass.

Keys to victory:

Throw downfield to Schwartz (beyond 25 yards) 4+ times. Make the Alabama defense respect the pass.

Let DJ Williams touch the ball 15-20 times. This is not a game where Boobee is going to win it for you. We need the best running back on the team to carry the load.

Run pace. Let Bo Nix flourish in the system he’s most comfortable with. It’s also the system the head coach is most comfortable calling.

Play straight up defensively. No 3-1-7 look will beat their receivers. Line your men up and make Mac Jones beat you through the air.

Do NOT kick FGs outside 40 yards.

Knock Mac Jones’ ass into the dirt. Hit him. Make him associate the breath of Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson with pain.

To hell with Alabama. Let’s beat their ass. Auburn 23 Alabama 21

-Josh Black

Who says the Iron Bowl doesn’t matter? Both of these teams can be 0-11 and guess what folks, THE IRON BOWL MATTERS! EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

Here’s the reality folks: Auburn very well could be America’s team this Saturday. Why? Because I truly believe that if Alabama wins this game, they’re gonna back their way into the playoffs..... again.

We all know the powers that be are gonna do everything in their power to make sure that happens. So how do you stop them? You protect your house unlike 2 weeks ago and shut em all up.

Auburn won’t be feeling sorry for Alabama starting Mac Jones instead of Tua at QB but Mac has done well so far since taking over full-time after Tua’s injury. It’s the last time we’ll see Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson and others play in Jordan-Hare Stadium. They can’t lose to both Georgia and Bama at home this year. It simply can’t happen. I’ve felt pretty good all week about this game and I truly hope my good feeling holds true on gameday and throughout the game. War Damn Eagle ya’ll!

Auburn 24 Alabama 17

-Will McLaughlin

I don’t have much in the way of preview for this game. It’s pretty simple. If Auburn can run the football and Nix converts on the available big play opportunities then the Tigers win and possibly comfortably. If they don’t, it will unfold as it did in Baton Rouge, Gainesville and two weeks ago in Jordan-Hare. Give us a Happy Thanksgiving Gus

Auburn 31 Alabama 23

-AU Nerd

I have alternating really good and really bad feelings about this. So it’s honestly a normal Iron Bowl. I hate this game so much. I hate losing to these assholes so damn much. There’s no way I can stomach picking them. As far as game analysis, Auburn has to have explosive plays on offense. Auburn’s best chance to win this game is to have at least 1 touchdown from more than 30 yards out. I feel comfortable with the defense getting enough stops to keep us in the game. It’s just a matter of making the plays on the other side.

Auburn 24, Alabama 19

-James Jones

I’m honestly not seeing what Vegas is seeing. Sure Auburn has blown it against some teams this year, but I’m not sure any of those teams are worse than Bama without Tua. Feels like the degenerates are just seeing that mullet A and going with it.

Anyway, I think the best defense in the country does their job, and Auburn manages to score just a little bit more than they need to. I expect us to see Gus throw everything at them, like we’ve seen before, and give this worse than their average Bama defense all sorts of trouble. We are at home. We will be loud. These defenders that came back to win something only have one left thing to win: this game. War Damn Eagle.

Auburn 30, Alabama 17

-AU Chief

A long time ago I worked as a student assistant in the auburn athletics department of media relations. My job was a lot of data entry and also wrangling players for interviews. It remains one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever had, to be honest. At least once a week Athletics Director Emeritus David Housel would poke his head in the office where all the student workers were, and ask one question, “What are y’all doing today to help beat Alabama?”We all play a part. If you’re in the stadium, be loud. Play your part.If you’re on the couch at home, be loud and be quasi positive on Twitter please, recruits read that. Play your part.If you’re on the field, hit them in the mouth and don’t stop until the clock hits triple 0. Play your part.Auburn is going to do enough to beat this Alabama team. And no one will be able to take anything away from it. Tigers 35, Tide 25.

-Son of Crow

I haven’t lived in the state of Alabama for nine football seasons. I left on the heels of a winged Heisman winner named Cam Newton, and my last memory of experiencing football in Alabama was of winning a national championship. Some of us on this site have stronger negative feelings toward Georgia, but to me, the Iron Bowl never had that brotherly quality.

The first football game I ever really remember watching and understanding was the 1995 Iron Bowl (YES, YES, YES AUBURN, YES!). It was only the third Iron Bowl played at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and when the two teams came onto the field, Auburn ran out of the tunnel while Alabama walked. My dad told me that the team that runs onto the field wins the game, and my small mind took that as gospel. It’s not true, but it was that day.

Since then, I’ve watched Auburn football run the gamut from complete joy and jubilation to total failure. The final game of the season has run that string of emotion as well. 2002 — the unexpected dominance; 2003 — a cathartic experience in the face of disappointment; 2004 — the capper on a perfect season, 11-0 eleven years after 11-0; 2005 — a complete joke and the least pressure I’ve ever had watching an Iron Bowl; 2006 — the feeling that we may never lose the game again; 2007 — not even their god-king can take down Jordan-Hare at night; 2010 — throwing it back in their faces; 2013 — setting Alabama on the wrong side of college football history forever; 2017 — just beating their asses. Those are just the wins.

It’s been equally wild on the other side. Blowouts in 2001, 2008, 2012, 2012... close and tough loss in 2009, the frustrating ones where you play hard and just get out-gunned in 2014, 2015, 2016... but you get the sense that these wins mean less and less to the Tide. Their students are increasingly from areas outside of the state. The focus comes more and more into the national picture, and anything less than a title is a down year. You have to wonder if the same mindset leaks into the team as well. A bunch of these guys have no scope when it comes to thinking about the Iron Bowl as the heated rivalry it’s always been. With their shot at a national championship hinging on this game, but still out of their control, will we see a team that doesn’t quite have the gas in the tank?

For Auburn, we saw what Jordan-Hare Stadium can become. Against Georgia, it was back to the November levels we experienced two years ago. Tomorrow, it’ll be the same if the game is close. Our defense will feed off of that and will have an impact when it comes to affecting Mac Jones and his ability to move the ball. Now, I don’t think the drop off from Tua to Jones is as big as everyone thinks. Tua wasn’t the key to that offense, it was the ability of the receivers to get open and make big plays out of slants and screens. Jones can still have success if he can just get the ball to the weapons on the outside. However, he’ll have to deal with the defensive front of Auburn while trying to make that happen.

Auburn hasn’t allowed more than 24 points all season long. LSU scored 23 at home against us. They scored 46 in Tuscaloosa. It’s not a stretch to say that our defense can clamp down and keep the Tide in a rhythmic rut. I’m not worried about that side of the ball. They’ll do their part.

Offensively, Auburn has to get the best game of the year from Bo Nix. We have to be able to find our receivers in good one-on-one matchups, and we have to try to hit this defense up the middle on the ground. They don’t have the beef in the middle, nor the experience. They’re still fast, and we likely won’t be able to beat them to the edges as much as we’d like. We need the ground game, and the slants, and the running ability of Bo Nix. I think we get just enough.

It won’t be a field goal return, or a fourth down conversion that wins this one. It’ll be the defense standing tall and holding Alabama when we need them most. Backed up into the students, we’ll get the clinching turnover and Bo Nix will have the distinct honor of kneeling down as the clock ticks to zeroes, scoreboard reading Auburn 27, Alabama 24.

-Jack Condon

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/11/29/20987520/staff-picks-15-auburn-vs-5-alabama

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articleabouthealths-blog · 5 years

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Joyelle Derma Cream : Does This Anti Aging Cream Works? Read

Joyelle Derma Gives You That Elegant Outlook! Hurry Now! It is the quintessential desire of every woman to look elegant and charming, forever. The desire to look attractive and exquisite compels every woman to resort to every kind of skin enhancing supplement or surgery, regardless of the kind of expense or the time involved in these undertakings. As far as enhancing the appearance of the face, and, improving the texture and quality of the skin is concerned, no efforts are spared to achieve the same. However, what is fascinating is the uniformity of claims that are made by the various products and supplements in the name of skin enhancement. One quick glance at their working and its evident, that they spare no efforts in fooling the unsuspecting customer of his time and money. Stash these unworthy and useless products aside. They are out to rob you of your hard earned money. Joyelle Derma is a truly effective and skin enhancing solution that will lend grace and charm to your skin. Don’t just take my word. Experience it!

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Rich in Ingredients Apart from Vitamin C, listed are some of its other active anti-aging ingredients:

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Ethylhexyl Palmitate PEG-100 Stearate Glycerin PEG-100 Stearate Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil And many more… Joyelle Derma1

All these ingredients have gone into the making of this product have been meticulously selected from nature. Further, they have undergone rigorous tests and trials before being released to the customers. Resultantly, the question of this amazing cream containing any spurious chemicals and dubious elements simply does not arise. The safety of the customers has been placed as the topmost priority by the manufacturers. You can rest assured regarding the efficacy and safety of this product.

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How To Order? Joyelle Derma Cream

To order your own bottle of Joyelle Derma, simply visit the website. Fill out the address and payment details, and click on the icon “rush my trial”. It’s only a matter of time before you experience these changes for yourself. Hurry now!

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