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murphismycat · 4 years

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*SPOILERS* My Thoughts on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes before I Forget

Ok, first of all, I actually really loved this book. I think it is beautifully done, even if it is almost nothing like I expected. There were a few things that I thought were going to be in the book that actually were: the development of the Hunger Games as we know them by year 74, the first mockingjays, the first district 12 winner of the Games, and the beginning of Snow’s use of poison to rise to power. I was worried that this single book would not be able to capture the complexities of the original trilogy, but I actually think it did. No, there is not quite the same sense of calculated manipulation in this book, but that is because we are the ones watching Snow become that manipulator. The way he thinks is fascinating. He’s basically a textbook Slytherin obsessed with political theory, and we are able to witness his transformation into who we know he becomes. I feel like this is one of those books that I will grow to appreciate the more I think about it.

There were some things that I thought were odd, particularly in the first half of the book. The fact that the Hunger Games had been operating as they had for ten years was almost unbelievable to me. They would literally just bring in these kids and dump them in the arena with no food, water, or change of clothes. Also, it was the same arena every single year. No one even watched the games. If the entire point is to force people to remember what happened, and understand why control is necessary, why would they not make a greater effort to make it more of a spectacle? I feel like the way we see the Games in Katniss’ years makes more sense, and I understand that Snow was instrumental in forming the games that we know, but it seems odd to me that the geniuses that are supposed to be in charge let the games exist as they did for so long. This year, the tenth games, was supposedly the first year that they had kept the tributes for more than a night before the games. Did they not think that the tributes would die without food and water? And why are these Capitol parents, who actually seem relatively normal so close to the end of the war, bring their small children to see the tributes in a monkey cage? It feels like the people of the Capitol still had an understanding that this was wrong. It hadn’t been sensationalized yet. So why would they just be okay with watching these kids starve in a cage? Also, this is the first year that the tributes have sponsors. How could anyone be expected to fight to the death without food or water, as they had apparently been doing for ten years? The only water source in the arena was the puddle that came when it rained. What if it didn’t rain? They would all just die. Quickly. The only motivation for fighting for your life would have been to kill the others so that you could get food or water faster. Also, they didn’t check the tributes’ pockets before going in? I understand why Snow gets in trouble for cheating with the snakes, but honestly he should not have been able to get away with the food and rat poison.

Other than the whole situation with the games, I also didn’t really like how half of the tributes, and some of the mentors, died before the games even began. I think it was to give the impression that Snow and the Capitol children were all part of the Games themselves, similar to how Katniss feels she’s still in the Games in Mockingjay. I just don’t think it added a lot to the story, and I also think the bombing of the arena could have been fleshed out more. There were many points in the first third of the book that I felt were there purely for the development of Snow’s character, but didn’t make a whole lot of sense in the larger picture. I know some people thought him and Tigris being cousins was random. I felt that a little bit too, but there was definitely some sort of relationship hinted at between them when Katniss meets Tigris in Mockingjay. Katniss assumes Tigris was kicked out of the Games by Snow for not being pretty anymore. Tigris never really confirms or denies her theory, leaving a mystery that I think we got a little bit of clarity for in this book.

Aside from that stuff, I really loved this book, especially towards the end. The parallels and meaning that come up from the songs are quite beautiful. For example, Lucy Gray always says that it’s not over until the mockingjay sings. I very recently reread the original trilogy, and I remembered the chapters after Katniss assassinates Coin. Snow dies laughing, blood pouring out of his mouth, smothered by the people he worked so hard to control (which is actually quite disturbing to think about after reading this book about him). As Katniss is waiting to die in her old room at the training center, she starts, almost unconsciously, singing. It’s over. The mockingjay sings.

I love all of those types of parallels. Snow hates the mockingjays right away, and his first act of initiative as a peacekeeper is to have them killed. I know some people didn’t like the mentions of katniss root, mockingjays, and songs, but I loved them. I was excited to read about them because I love the original books, but I also think it added a lot. We see how Snow would associate each of these things in his mind, and how that impacts his actions in the original trilogy. Katniss is a symbol of chaos. The root amidst the nature that he loved and then learned to disdain. He felt safe and at peace the first time he encountered it, spending a pleasant Sunday outing with Lucy Gray and the Covey. The next time he hears about it, Lucy Gray lies to say she is finding some before she runs away, knowing that he has changed his mind. Running away and living in nature, like an animal, is not what he wants. He desires civilization, control. Katniss root, and therefore Katniss Everdeen herself, symbolizes the opposite: chaos. Katniss’ use of the mockingjay and the songs of the Covey immediately tip Snow off to the beginnings of rebellion. He know what they mean, and where they came from. It makes his actions in the original series seem so much more personal.

I think this is a common theory, but I’m pretty sure Maude Ivory is Katniss’ paternal grandmother. I had a little fangirl moment the first time Snow goes looking for Lucy Gray. First he stops at the bakery, and then he goes to the Seam. He meets both Peeta’s and Katniss’ ancestors in the same half hour, which is crazy to think about. Every time a place familiar to the original books was mentioned, I couldn’t help thinking about what happens in 64 years.

The Hanging Tree was crazy to read about. I love that it can apply to so many relationships and on so many levels throughout the book. On the one hand, it’s between Lucy Gray and Billy Taupe. It’s also about Lucy Gray and Snow himself, but Snow never really sees it that way. In the end, Lucy Gray realizes that both she and Snow are doomed to their fates. They will not live simple, good lives as good people. They can’t. A necklace of rope, side by side with me. When Snow hears her sing this for the last time, he thinks she’s pointing out his role in Sejanus’ death. In a way he’s right, but he completely misses the bigger picture. His way of thinking, both in general and specifically about Lucy Gray, is so flawed. It becomes increasingly clear the more he talks about owning her. I’ve heard that people don’t think Suzanne Collins properly addresses Snow’s flaws, but I think it is done very well. It’s never specifically stated that he is a bad person, but it would feel cheap if it was. In fact, he states over and over that he is an exceptional person. At the beginning of the book, it’s almost easy to believe that he is. We are the ones that get to watch his transition. Sometimes characters are really bad, but it works out in their favor anyway.

All in all, I think this book is a great addition to the original series. It adds history and context, exploring the making of both a villain and a society. The Capitol, districts, and Games that we see in this book are so different from those of the original series, but Suzanne Collins beautifully closes this book so that we can see where the path is taking these characters and institutions, eventually leading them to the ones we know.

I’m pretty sure no one is reading this, but this is more for me and my memory than anything else. I have a lot of thoughts and no one to share them with. If anyone is reading this, thank you and I hope you’re staying safe in this pandemic.

#the ballad of songbirds and snakes #Suzanne Collins #The Hunger Games #coriolanus snow #tbosas spoilers #book review #tbosas #tbosas review #catching fire #mockingjay

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elsb-hrngtons · 4 years

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We can help each other, You and me- Chapter 4

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Links to Ao3 in notes

Well isn't this a pleasant surprise, Steve fucking Harrington caught literally with his hand down his pants. Billy is delighted if not a little awkward, the situation isn’t exactly ideal, but it's a vast improvement from the last time he and Tommy ran into Steve.

How he managed to sneak in without either of them hearing him he’s not sure, he guesses he was too caught up with Tommy’s dick in his ass to really pay attention to his surroundings, which is very bad form especially if you’re fucking at your work place. Billy would be pissed, and very worried about being caught in an incredibly compromising position, with another guy no less, if it were not glaringly obvious that Steve the dirty little pervert, had just got himself off to the very same compromising position.

In fact this whole thing actually presents them with a pretty sweet opportunity, and if handled well all three boys could be a winner in this. Or it could all go wrong again and Billy and Tommy will be left licking their wounds.

Harrington looks like he’s ten seconds from throwing up, and honestly Billy can sympathise, getting caught jerking off has to be embarrassing, and well he and Tommy are no better, he did just have Tommy’s railing him not 5 minutes ago. If he didn’t know any better he’d say Steve has a really severe case of sunburn with how hard he’s blushing, avoiding their gaze sat uncomfortable with cum drying on his hand and no doubt in his shorts, but when Billy chances a look at Tommy, the poor boy’s not faring much better, freckled splattered skin, complemented by a rather deep shade of pink, he’s staring down at Harrington, mouth agape as if he can’t quite believe what he’s witnessed, and to be fair Billy can’t either, but Billy is the only one in the scenario who appears to be functioning like a human being, so to break the tension he decides to open his big mouth.

“Ya know Harrington I’m glad you showed up” he smirks trying for cool, collected, aloof. Steve still closely resembles a tomato and had been avoiding making eye contact up until now looks shocked, visibly flinching, probably preparing himself for an onslaught of insults, maybe even a beating, he’s biting his lip with an adorable little crease between his brows and then shifts his gaze back onto his lap, incapable of holding their stares for very long. “Freckles here was just talking about a little get together he’s having at his place tonight” Billy slaps Tommy on the back as he moves closer to Steve, taking up the seat next to him and nudging Steve in his side with his elbow. “Weren’t you Tommy?”

Tommy looks as if his brain is still malfunctioning, on a 10 second delay or some shit, Billy swears he can actually see the cogs turning in his mind as he clues into what Billy is doing and his trademark boyish grin splits his face.

“Oh yeah. You know nothing major, just a few beers, maybe some weed. You should come!” Tommy slides in on the other side of Steve, who once again looks around at the two, complete surprise etching his pretty features, he still hasn’t said two words and Billy’s not convinced he’s not lost all ability to talk at this point, that the shame hasn’t rendered his vocal cords permanently useless.

“Tell ya what.” Billy states leaning in closer, not missing how Steve tenses ever so slightly at this intrusion. “I’ve invited Heather, how about you invite your lady friend, the one who’s always hanging around you, and we make a night of it” Billy’s all charm now, laying it on as thick as he possibly can, maybe it's for Steve’s benefit, maybe it's for his own to save face or something, he doesn’t care, all he cares about is Steve’s response, if Steve ever does respond.

Steve swallows hard, throat bobbing jaggedly as he tries to regain composure and the ability to speak.

“Err yeah.. Sounds… sounds good.” Steve’s voice is harsh, but at least his blush is receding slightly, he appears to be choking down on his embarrassment.

“Great!” Billy claps his hands together as he jumps up. “We’ll see you at nine Pretty Boy” and with that Billy is dragging Tommy back out of the locker room, and back out into the heat of the Indianna summer.

###

Fucking great. Not only was Steve a monumental pervert, he was caught being a monumental pervert. It's like life's one big joke and he’s the punchline.

He’s mortified and all he wants to do is drown himself in the pool. But if he did that there would be no ‘party’ at Tommy’s, no chance to right his wrongs of the last time he attempted to test the waters with Billy and Tommy, and sure he feels right at this moment like he could die of embarrassment, the other boys appeared to take it in their stride and brush off Steve’s indiscretions like they were nothing. He’s not sure if that's a good thing or not.

Steve’s in a daze, in shock as he attempts to clean himself up best he can, but even standing under the spray of the shower for 15 minutes won’t wash away the dried spunk in his trunks, the very tangible evidence of his shame and apparently newly discovered hobby of voyeurism. He loosely wraps a towel around his waist to hide the obvious cum stains and steels himself in the mirror before making his way out into the pool area.

The brightness of the day is almost blinding and Steve has to give himself a moment for his vision to adjust from the darkness of the locker room before he can focus on where he and Robin had set up base. No surprises, she isn’t where he left her, he scans the general area, quickly averting his gaze from where Billy sits atop his makeshift throne and Tommy just beside him, he’s still recovering from the severe dent in his pride, he glances over the pool and still can’t see her. Then as he’s about to give up his search to go sit back on the lounger and wait for Robin to appear from wherever she disappeared to, he spots her a few feet away, blue slushie in hand talking animatedly to Heather Holloway of all people.

He knows he should probably hang back, give Robin at least a fighting chance at talking to the literal girl of her dreams, but Steve’s two seconds away from an emotional breakdown of his own making and while he’s come on in leaps and bounds in the last couple of years, he isn’t entirely selfish and right now he really needs to get out of here, he needs Robin to talk him through his impending anxiety attack, and maybe to stick his head between his knees and to breath in and out of a brown paper bag.

He strides over as smoothly as he can holding on tightly to the towel around his waist as if it's some kind of life line, and in a sense it is, if anyone were to see the state of his shorts he’ll probably die. Robin spots him and she ushers him over.

“Oh there you are! Where the hell have you been!?” she both asks and exclaims as if she’s accusing him of something, chastising him like a mother.

“I’ll tell you later,” he mutters.

“Oh this is Heather by the way!” she says excitedly gesturing towards the female lifeguard, who’s smiling something genuine, even though he can’t see her eyes through her sunglasses, he knows Heather well enough to know she’s a nice girl who’s entirely incapable of being a dick.

“Oh actually, me and Steve already know each other” she says sweetly.

“Hey.” Steve turns to Heather before entirely dismissing her, he knows he’s being rude, being a bad friend, but he’s also desperate and he’s hoping he can convey the urgency enough in his voice without coming across as too much like an asshole. “Robin. We have to go.”

“What!? Why? We just got here Steve” Robin sputters, she sounds exasperated and to be fair she’s justified, he realises, Steve’s being completely unreasonable out of context.

“I’ll explain later. We have to go.” he states, grabbing Robin by the elbow, jerking her away from Heather and dragging her towards the sun loungers where their things have been left.

“Okay, okay” Robin snatches her arm back, looking over her shoulder “See you around Heather” she calls out.

“Sure! Look forward to it” Heather calls back, giving a little wave.

Robin looks disappointed yet hopeful as they reach the loungers, Steve gathers up his stuff and awkwardly waits while Robin shoves her towel in her bag, he decides to throw her a bone.

“Don’t worry, you’ll see her tonight.” she shoots up to stare at him, one eyebrow raised a picture of scepticism.

“Wait. What?” she asks.

“You’ll see her tonight, we’re going to a party” he explains shuffling from foot to foot, getting increasingly antsy.

“A party?” she asks, they’ve finally started moving towards the entrance, Steve takes one quick look around the pool as they go through the turn-style in single file.

“That's what i said.” he deadpans.

“Who’s party?”

“Tommy’s”

Realisation dawns on Robin’s face as she rounds towards the passenger side of Steve’s car.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.” Steve agrees, unlocking the car and shoving their things in the back seat. “Now c’mon we’ve got a party to get ready for”

###

Steve’s pretty sure he’s gonna throw up, why he originally thought that going to Tommy’s was a good idea was beyond him, especially considering the events that lead to the invitation. He was excited, sure, but his gut is trying its best to qualify for the Olympics with all the gymnastics it's currently doing. It is far worse than the gentle and oddly pleasant sensation of butterflies, resembling closer to angry wasps just buzzing away down in his gut.

He and Robin are walking to Tommy’s from his, because honestly it's not that far, and he fully intends to take advantage of the alcohol that will most likely be on offer, although he swears to himself he won’t let himself get into a state like last time, much to Robin’s scepticism and to be fair even he was pretty sceptical himself.

He thinks the best thing to do right now though is to distract himself from his own existential crisis, and perhaps for the first time today be the good friend he knows he is and discuss Robin’s own crush on Heather.

“So i’m pretty sure i never apologised” he leads with, because honestly he does feel kinda shitty about interrupting the two girls.

“For what?” she asks.

“For interrupting your little flirt fest with Heather” he says wagging his eyebrows suggestively and softly nudging Robin in the side.

“Flirt Fest!? When?” she’s practically choking out eyes wide like a bug

“Earlier at the pool.” Steve explains “don’t act all coy with me, i saw what was going on”

“There was no flirting, we were just.. I don’t know.. Talking” Robin shrugs, she looks bashful, it's cute.

“Looked a helluva lot more friendly than ‘just talking’” he emphasises his point by making air quotations with his hands, it's lame but it does the trick.

“ and what would you know? Huh?” She stops walking mid sentence to stare up at him “ you” she pokes him in the chest to emphasise her point “were there all of 1 minute, before you dragged me away, because you jizzed your pants!” she’s smirking clearly amused at Steve’s anguish.

“ROBIN!” he squeaks, eyes bugging out of his head in a poor reflection of Robin’s earlier reaction.

“Steeve” she sing-songs all high pitched and nasally, mocking him. She turns back towards the direction they were walking in and leaves Steve behind to catch up.

Steve finally with the program strides back up alongside Robin in less than 3 steps, he’s pouting but not willing to drop the Heather thing, especially not now Robin’s been acting all defensive about it.

“Whatever. I still think she likes you.” he says

“Duh. I’m delightful” Robin says obviously sarcastic and flourished with an exaggerated eye roll.

“I’m being serious”

“Oh I know, you’re just wrong”

“I know i’m right” he teases

“you don’t know shit Harrington. And anyway i’d prefer not to take dating advice from a guy who literally got caught jacking off, by the guys he likes.” she snaps at him, but smiles triumphantly when Steve gapes back a little dumbfounded.

“Okay…” Steve huffs “now you’re just being rude.”

###

Tommy’s buzzing with so much pent up excitement he’s practically vibrating as he whips around his basement trying to make it as presentable as possible for their impending guests, he doesn’t want to make it look like he’s making too much of an effort, still wants to keep an air of cool collectedness about him, wants to remain nonchalant, but he can’t help the excited little squeele he lets out when the doorbell rings.

“Christ will you calm down” Billy chastises him from where he’s sat, legs spread wide across the couch, nursing a beer and giving of his usual ‘ i don’t give a fuck vibe’

“Sorry” Tommy says over his shoulder sheepishly as he makes his way up the stairs, out of the basement and towards the front door. Thank god his parents aren’t home, away with his little brother visiting some family in Chicago, or this little get-together might not have been possible. Not that they would care if he had friends round, or that they were drinking , it's just easier when you have free rein and don’t have to be mindful of the other people living in your house.

He gets to the front door and all that excited energy turns slightly nervous as he tries to tamp down the butterflies in his stomach and not make a fool of himself when he answers the door. He can’t help but be a little disappointed when it’s Heather and not Steve, but he guesses with her already here it might make things a little less awkward and a little more easy when Steve and Robin do eventually turn up, if he turns up.

“Hey” Heather smiles warmly, all sugary sweetness and girl next door, she’s holding out a bottle of something , and Tommy’s instantly reminded of Steve and his past insistence that ‘it’s rude to turn up somewhere, without something for the host’, he figures it must be some rich people bullshit, considering Heather and Steve were both practically raised in a country club.

“Hey Heather! Thanks for coming” He accepts the bottle and holy shit on closer inspection it's the good stuff, some expensive brand of whisky that Tommy would only bother giving the time of day if it was either gifted or stolen, because there ain't no point in spending stupid amounts on money on booze when the cheap stuff gets you just as drunk, for a fraction of the price.

He leads Heather down to the basement, where Billy has shifted slightly on the couch to make room for other guests, Billy’s also taken the honours of selecting a tape from Tommy’s collection and playing it full volume, no doubt grumbling to himself about the poor taste in music. He smirks up at Heather and gives a little salute before knocking back the rest of his beer.

There’s a slightly awkward atmosphere at first, heather just standing there probably waiting to be asked to sit, like the good polite girl she is, Billy’s not saying anything, which is a little unusually, but he is distracted by rolling a joint and well Tommy doesn’t often play host, and when he does he’s at least already half cut, and has been chatting shit all night anyway, so the awkwardness never happens. Now though, they’re all relatively sober and Tommy doesn't know Heather that well to just start shooting the shit at her, he’s kinda relying on Billy to be a little more social here.

Eventually Heather sits next To Billy who’s finished rolling the joint and is sparking it as he scoots further up the couch to make room, Heather offers him a small smile.

“I thought you said Steve and Robin were coming?” She asks

“They are.” Billy replies around a mouthful of smoke, passing the joint onto Heather.

“Oh cool, coz otherwise this is a little bit of a sausage fest” she quips, inhaling and relaxing back into the couch.

“Nothing wrong with a bit of sausage Heather” Billy laughs and she laughs too

“No I know, just would be nice to have some female company” she leans across the coffee table and passes the joint to Tommy who’s still stood up like an idiot shifting from foot to foot, still a ball of pent up energy.

Tommy chills out a little as the evening goes on a bit, still anxious that Steve might not turn up, but he’s well distracted by Billy and Heather bitching about work and telling stories of snot nose little kids who quite frankly deserve to drown alongside their entitled mothers. All three of them are giggling away, comfortable in each other's company when the doorbell rings.

Each one of them looks wide eyed up at the basement door, frozen to the spot. Tommy soon comes to his senses and bolts up, jogging up the stairs and towards the front door, he straightens out his t-shirt and unnecessarily fluffs up his hair a bit and then opens the door, signature cheeky grin firmly in place as he greets Steve and Robin.

“So glad you could join us”

Steve’s got that deer caught in headlights look about him, as if he didn’t expect the door to actually open, his mouth is slightly agape and he swallows thickly, Robin elbows him in the ribs and he extends his hand out, in it another bottle of expensive booze.

“Uh hey.” He says and Tommy accepts the bottle.

“Damn Harrington” he whistles, “knew i could count on you for the good stuff” he holds the bottle close to his chest with one arm, gesturing for them to come in with the other. Steve smiles weekly hands in pockets as he and Robin follow Tommy inside.

“Heh well you know, it's rude to turn up to someone's house without something to offer the host”

“I thought this was meant to be a party Hagan, where is everybody?” Robin cuts in as the make it to the basement door, music heard faintly behind the door and the distinct smell of weed wafting in the air.

“Right this way Buckley” he opens the door and holds it open for the two new guests before following them down the stairs.

###

The evening’s going by quite nicely in Tommy’s opinion, Steve and Robin have settled into the group rather well and the atmosphere in the room is rather pleasant, Robin’s settled herself next to Heather on the couch, while Steve is sat on the arm of the couch next to Robin. Tommy’s on the other side of the room in an armchair that’s seen better days and is in a more sorry state than the couch if that could even be possible. Billy’s next to Heather and they’re all grossly involved in a game of ‘Never Have I Ever’.

Tommy thinks maybe it's a little middle school to be playing it, like days gone by where the height of entertainment was playing spin the bottle or seven minutes in heaven, but he’s enjoying himself so he can’t complain.

“Okay okay I’ve got one” Robin pipes up giggling behind a solo cup. “Never have i ever been punched in the face” all three boys take a drink, indicating that they have in fact all been punched in the face, nervous glances are shared between Billy and Steve atmosphere going just a little tense at the memory of their fight the previous year, but then Steve giggles and the tension is broken.

“Pft that was blatantly a set up Robs.” he grins at her and she rolls her eyes.

“Don’t see you coming up with anything better” she quips back.

“Sure i can!” he argues between laughs “ ohh i got a good one! Never have i ever played a musical instrument” at that Robin and Billy both drink, which triggers a few questioning looks towards Billy.

“You play an instrument?” Robin asks excited

“Used to” Billy shrugs

“What instrument?” Heather pipes in

“Guitar wasn't very good at it though so gave up” he shrugs again , downing the rest of his drink and throwing the cup onto the table. Robin looks as if she’s about to say something when the doorbell rang, they all glance around the room at each other doing a mental headcount, wondering if they were expecting anyone else.

It takes monumental effort but Tommy gets up and jogs up the stair for what feels like the hundredth time this evening, he’s ready to tell whoever is at the door to fuck off when he opens it. He’s struck speechless however when it's Carol who greets him with a nervous smile and glassy eyes.

“Hey Baby, can we talk?” she can obviously hear the voices from the basement “You having a party?” she asks one eyebrow raised and arms crossed, Tommy’s in shock, he wasn’t expecting this, and he’s a little too high for this.

“What do you want Carol?” it comes out a little harsher then he intended, but if it gets him the desired effect of Carol to fuck off so he can return to the basement then so be it. Her expression softens and she uncrosses her arms.

“Please, I just wanna talk Tommy” she pouts a little “I feel real bad about the way we ended things and i just wanna make sure you’re okay” Tommy’s thoughts are still a little sluggish, and if he’s being honest he’s still a little hurt by Carol just dropping him at the beginning of summer, but Tommy still has a soft spot for Carol and she does look pretty miserable, so against his better judgement he decides to humour her and invite her inside.

He takes her to his kitchen and offers her a seat at the breakfast bar. Thye sit there like that in awkward silence for a moment, avoiding eye contact neither one of them daring to speak, it remains like that until ultimately they both work up the courage to speak at the same time

“Would you lik-” Tommy says as carol blurts out

“I’m so sorry”

They both giggle nervously at that

“Sorry you go ahead” Carol speaks first giving room for Tommy to finish his sentence

“Would you like a drink?” he offers, already jumping from the stool and walking towards the fridge “We’ve got beer, wine, some pretty fancy whisky that Heather brought round” He lists off grabbing a beer for himself in the process.

“Heather’s here?” Carol asks “and i’ll just have a beer please” she’s picking at her nails nervously as she tracks Tommy’s movements.

“Uh yeah actually, and some others” he grabs another beer out of the fridge and hands it to Carol, taking a swig of his own.

“So.. you are having a party then?” she asks, acquisition clear in her tone .

“Uh yeah kinda, what did you expect Carol? For me to just be moping around here by myself? Just waiting for you to turn up?” Tommy’s trying really hard not get pissed off, not to get angry, he was having a good time up until now and he really doesn’t want to have his night ruined because of Carol.

“No.” She says rather petulantly.

“Then what?” despite his best effort he’s getting a little heated

“I don’t know Tommy” She throws her arms in the air clearly just as frustrated as he is “ look i’m sorry i shouldn’t have come here” she’s getting off the stool now, making her way to leave “I just wanted to smooth things out with you, apologise for hurting you, maybe see if we could still be friends.”

Tommy grabs her by the elbow and spins her to face him.

“Don’t go” he pleads, for a second she stares him down, narrows her eyes as if she’s trying to figure him out, but then she relaxes and rests her forehead on his chest, a little stuck for what to do, Tommy hugs her closer and pets her back, strokes her hair.

“I just miss you so much Tommy, i miss hanging out with you” she cries into his chest, Tommy’s a little at a loss, emotionally he’s all over the place all he wants to do is comfort Carol, he knows he’ll always love her in some kind of way, but gone are the days where he could ever think about taking her back, even if Billy wasn’t in the equation.

“I know, i miss hanging out with you too” he speaks softly into her hair, rubbing comforting circles on her back trying to calm her down.

“I just don’t wanna lose you, y’know? Like we’ve known each other since we were 4, that doesn’t just go away” she continues her muffled sobs nuzzling into his t-shirt, he inwardly cringes imagining all manor of snot and tears ruining it. He grabs her by the shoulders and holds her at arm distance, bends his knees slightly so he can be at eye level.

“Hey, hey” he says gently “you’re not gonna lose me alright?” he sighs guiding her back to a stool giving him a moment to figure out what he’s gonna say next. “ look i’d love for us still to be friends” with that she looks up swiping her tears away.

“Really?” she squeaks

“Of course I do, like you said that kinda thing doesn’t just go away, but…” he trails off look nervously down at his hands, wishing he had something, anything at all that he could keep his hand busy with to try and channel the nervous energy building.

“But what Tommy?” she asks, he lets out a long exaggerated sigh, preparing himself for the next part.

“But, me and you, we can’t ever get back together” there he said it, it's out in the open now and he can’t possibly make his intentions any more clear. “You really hurt me babe, and don’t get me wrong, I understand why you needed to do it, really I do! But i can’t go through that again, and anyway i’m kinda seeing someone” he explains, there's no point sugar coating it, he needs to make it clear he’s no longer available for Carol to pick back up and then drop again on a whim.

“You are? Who?” She sounds kinda like she’s accusing him, which is rich coming from her, he can feel anger begin to bubble to the surface and if he’s not careful he might snap again, he needs to keep a level head, at least try to remain as calm as possible.

“It doesn’t matter who, the point is, me and you, it can’t ever happen again” he gestures between the two of them. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t try just being friends” he offers a weak attempt at a smile.

“God, it sounds like you’re the one doing the breaking up” she cries out before letting out a quiet giggle. “Okay then, friends” she extends her hand for Tommy to shake, he looks down at it and back up at her quizzically.

“Get away with that, come here” he steps closer and drags her into a tight hug “I’ll always care about you Carol, you know that right?”

“I know” she says

“Right c’mon, since you’re here, you might as well join the party” He says, releasing her from the hug and guiding her down to the basement with his arm slung around her shoulder.

###

Tommy’s been gone for some time now and Billy’s not worried per say but he is curious. He makes his excuses about going to find Tommy and maybe some more beer, leaving Heather, Steve and Robin to their conversation. As he gets closer to the basement door he hears voices, one is obviously Tommy’s and the other is distinctly female, he can’t quite make out who’s exactly with the door closed so he gently opens the door so he doesn’t bring too much attention to himself. The conversation he hears is getting a little heated and he wonders if he’s gonna have to step in at any point, make sure something doesn’t get broken, at least that's what he tells himself as he creeps round the corner and listens in on Tommy and what he can now clearly hear is Carol.

He’s not spying, he assures himself as he continues to listen in out of sight, he’s just curious as to why Tommy’s ex-girlfriend of all people might have turned up at his house at 11pm on a friday night, nothing good he concludes. A pang of jealousy blooms in his chest as he hears snippets of their conversation, watches as Tommy consoles Carol with a hug, petting her hair and everything.

He’s about to lose his shit when he’s brought out of his thoughts by a hand suddenly appearing on his shoulder from behind, he jumps having not heard Steve leave the basement also and swings around ready to attack.

“Woah woah, hey man take it easy” Steve jumps back hands out in a ‘i surrender motion’. Billy huffs, heart rate slowly returning to normal.

“Jesus Harrington, you can’t just sneak up on people like that” he whispers

“Sorry, i was just wondering what you were doing” He whispers back “hey why are we whispering?” he asks and Billy has to try really hard to suppress an eye roll, he learns further out of the corner to try and get a better look at Tommy and Carol, Steve catching on leans in too.

“Carol’s here” Billy grunts, he doesn’t want to have to explain himself, and he knows Harrington isn’t that stupid, so he hopes quietly that maybe he might clue on without needing much of a push.

“Oh” is all Steve says. They share a look before Steve is walking away towards Tommy’s back door.

“Where are you going?”

“To get some fresh air, you coming?” Billy stays put for a second weighing up his option, follow Steve or stay and listen to Tommy making nice with his ex, if Billy were a stronger man he'd just return to the basement and forget all this happened, but he’s not and he does have a petty streak. So he follows Steve out into the yard and into the night air.

###

It’s a warmish night but with the slightest of breezes which causes goosebumps to rise on Steve’s skin, he’s secretly glad he has the benefit of a belly full of alcohol to keep him from shivering. He’s not sure exactly what he’s supposed to do now, but he’s glad Billy followed him.

Tommy’s parents aren’t exactly rich but they’re not poor either, they’re well off enough to have a nice back yard, complete with a smallish patio, with a stone wall about a foot wide around its perimeter, overlooking a spacious grassy area lined with flower beds right up to the very end. There's an old swing set under a large oak tree that’s home to the tree house Tommy’s dad built one summer back when they were kids.

Steve perches himself atop the patio wall, crosses his legs and the ankles and inhales deeply. Billy joins him eventually, sitting beside him, legs spread wide taking up as much space as humanly possible. Steve thinks maybe it's a dominance thing, demanding more space and forcing others to make do with the little he’s been gracious enough to gift them, or maybe it's just more comfortable for him considering he has thighs the size of tree trunks. Steve lulls his head to the side so he can look at Billy, he looks lost in thought, staring at the ground, little crease in between his eyebrows, lips set in a hard line.

“Any chance I can bum a smoke?” Steve asks, hoping it might break the ice a little, relieve some of this awkward tension. Billy says nothing just reaches in his jean pocket for his packet of Malbros and hands it to Steve. Steve takes one, handing the packet back and watches intently as Billy takes his own out and lights it, Billy holds the flame closer to Steve and he leans in to light his own, making eye contact with Billy and holding it the entire time.

“What?” Billy asks when Steve still hasn’t broken eye contact. Steve’s heart rate picks up, he’s consumed with a sudden burst of confidence, bravery to finally address the elephant in the room, to stop dancing this tentative dance around Billy and Tommy, to finally make his feelings clear and to hopefully confirm theirs in return, worst case scenario he gets a fist to the face, but if he plays his cards right, he might just stand a chance here. Sure he would have preferred Tommy to be here too, but he has to work with what he’s got and well for the first time he’s actually got one of them alone, and he’s not a complete mess, he hopes the stars might have aligned tonight and luck is on his side, so maybe he might just get a win out of this.

“Why’d you invite me here tonight?” he asks on an exhale of the cigarette Billy had gifted him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Billy says voice gruff, there’s not much light outside, only the gentle glow of the moonlight and the light seeping out from Tommy’s back door, but even in the dim lighting Steve can see a faintest blush creep across Billy's cheeks.

“Oh i think you do” Steve’s feeling bold, brash so he leans in a little closer, this close he spots the light dusting of freckles across Billy’s adorable sun-kissed nose, his gaze darts down briefly down to his lips and back up again to hold eye contact with Billy, he swallows thickly and Billy mirrors his actions. “I think you invited me here because of an ulterior motive” he smirks.

“Oh yeah? And what's that?” Billy asks, quiet, he looks bewitched by Steve.

“Why don’t you tell me” Steve’s inching closer and closer, they’re barely a breath apart

“Seems like you already know” Billy’s eyelashes flutter as he breaks his stare and instead focuses on Steve’s lips.

“I do. But i want to hear you say it” the atmosphere is thick around them, anticipation building, they’re so close yet so far, all it will take for them to close the gap is from one of them to lean in further ever so slightly, but they both seem to be playing chicken with one another. Just as Steve is about to give in himself, lean closer, brush his lips against Billy’s, admit defeat yet claim the victory, the back door swings open.

Just like that the spells broke, they both separate and look in the direction of the house. Tommy’s stood there and he’s absolutely seething, breathing hard. Steve breathes a sigh of relief, happy in the fact that they hadn’t just been caught in an incriminating position by Heather or Carol. The relief is short lived however because Tommy’s storming towards them, fists clenched, jaw tight, anger rolling off him in waves.

“What the fuck.” is all he bites out. He swings for Billy and catches him square in the jaw, giving him no time to recover as he grabs Billy by the shift and hoists him close, getting in his face.

“What the hell Tommy!” Steve shouts, trying to get in between, trying to break them up. Billy’s not reacting, he’s not swinging back or trying to defend himself and Steve thinks that's odd, from personal experience he knows that's not Billy’s style. “Tommy, get off him”

Tommy snarls, letting Billy go and stalking to the wall, throwing himself down in a huff

“You two looked cosy out here” he spits, arms crossed against his chest as he kicks at the dirt, picture perfect tantrum in the works. “Sorry to interrupt”

“Oh yeah like you weren’t getting reacquainted with Carol in there!” Billy argues back.

“It’s not like that and you know it Billy”

“No, i don’t think i do”

“Yes you fucking do, stop being such an asshole Billy!”

“Oh I'm the asshole, you punched me in the face!”

“You were kissing Steve!” Tommy’s got in Billy’s face again, looks like he could throw another punch, Steve decides to step in.

“Guys will you shut the fuck up!” he shouts over them. “No one was kissing anyone!” Both Tommy and Billy look over at him both with one eyebrow raised, their disbelief written all over their faces. “okay well maybe i was about to kiss Billy” Tommy looks hurt, Billy looks a little smug.

Tommy shoves a bit at Billy still angry.

“See!”

“Tommy!” Steve whines “Stop!” Steve drags a hand down his face, trying to wrack his brain of how he’s gonna explain himself with words, he had kinda hoped actions would speak louder than words tonight, but so far everything just been one horrendous misunderstanding after one horrendous misunderstanding. “Look I like you. Both of you.” he bites his lip, preparing himself for a rejection. “And i think maybe you both like me too?” his voice is 4 octaves higher than it should be and Steve cringes at that. Smooth real smooth.

They both stare at him, dumbfounded, mouths agape, comically blinking as if they can’t quite believe what they’ve heard.

“Wha?” Tommy whispers

“You do?” Billy asks.

It's adorable how they’ve been essentially struck speechless, when usually neither one of them has the ability to shut up, Steve just rolls his eyes shuffles closer, grabs Tommy by the face with both hands and kisses him chastely on the lips, and then does then repeats the action with Billy.

“Yes you fucking idiots.”

Both boys break their own unique signature grins.

“Well thank god” Tommy says, turns to Billy and kisses him, before laughing like an idiot, a contagious laugh that had Steve and Billy join in too.

“C’mon you two, I think we’ve left the girls alone, long enough” Billy says, dragging both boys by the hand back into the house.

#Keg Boys #Keg Girls #Keg Gang #Steve Harrington #Billy Hargrove #Tommy H #Robin Buckley #Heather Holloway #Carol Perkins #Steve harrington x Billy Hargrove x Tommy H #Robin Buckley x Heather Holloway x Carol Perkins #Stranger Things #my fic #Fanfic

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nashnearysports · 5 years

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NBA Free Agency Day 1 Review:

NBA fans went to sleep last night, awaiting to wake up to the much anticipated ‘Woj Bombs’ on Twitter this morning. In the past, day 1 of the NBA Free Agency period has usually been nothing exciting; rumours are spread, and the top tier players take time to make their decisions, making sure they make the correct one by meeting with the various teams that are set out to sign them. This year was completely different and special.

Kemba to give his all to Boston:

Kemba Walker has been one of the beloved players in the league by all fans. Playing on terrible teams for the last few years, he had given everything he had for the Hornets organisation, becoming the all-time leading scorer for them. Now he’s ready to begin his new chapter with the Boston Celtics who offer him much more than Charlotte ever did. Kemba is an All-Star and will continue to star with the Celtics. Replacing Kyrie is tough but after the toxic situation that was developed in his time there, they gain a new leader and calm body in Kemba Walker. He joins Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown in an attempt to get out of the east and win a title. Losing Al Horford is a tough hole to cover, especially lacking depth at the centre position. Whilst it was a tough season for Boston, I expect them to return to be the dangerous team we expected them to be.

Brooklyn; The new Kings of New York:

Brooklyn are walking away as one of the biggest winners of this period. Signing superstars and past champions, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, puts them in a serious position for the upcoming NBA seasons. The pair also both agreed to take a salary that leaves them earning just below the max to help the team sign DeAndre Jordan, who is one of the league’s best rebounders and a former All-NBA First Team member. The Nets are now contenders, yet they will be going into the 2019-20 NBA Season without Durant after tearing his Achilles in this year’s NBA Finals. They’re going to be good, potentially a top four seed and once Durant returns to the team, they will be even scarier.

It is crazy how far the Nets have come from five years ago when Billy King traded away everything to the Celtics, leaving them with no picks, eventually becoming the laughing stock of the league. It has been the culture that this team has built over the last few years that has been the main role in recruiting these two superstars to the team. Kenny Atkinson has been a fantastic coach for them and has developed their young core that includes the likes of the ‘Fro’ Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert. The future is bright for the Barclays Centre. An incredible feat to say the least.

Warriors D-Load:

The best team in the NBA was looking to be done and dusted when Durant left for nothing. The formidable super team that was the Golden State Warriors have been the villains for so long, that people were happy to see this team broken up however this only lasted a few hours. In a move that no-one saw happening, Golden State and the Brooklyn Nets agreed to a sign and trade for D’Angelo Russell, the 23-year-old All Star who had a great season last year leading the Nets to the 6thseed in the Eastern Conference. The acquisition of Russell led to the team having to trade one of the hearts and souls of the dynasty, Andre Iguodala to Memphis to avoid being in the hard cap. Iggy is a key player who is going to be missed come playoff time.

The team also resigned sharpshooter and elite defender Klay Thompson to a max deal worth $190 million over the next five years. Klay is likely to miss next season with a torn ACL but is a key piece of the Warriors organisation. Just when you thought this team was down and out, they come back with an All Star to replace a hole in their side. You have to wonder where D-Lo fits on this team once Klay returns so a potential trade for more fitting pieces could be a future possibility.

Fans of the Garden losing faith; time for Dolan to go?

It wasn’t long ago when the fans of the New York Knicks were excited for this time of year; considered a huge chance to get the number 1 pick, Zion Williamson as well as the seeming frontrunners to sign both KD and Kyrie. The team has been in shambles since trading their best asset for the last decade, Kristaps Porzingis, in the hope that it would all come together with the pieces fitting into place. Unfortunately for the Knicks and their fans, it’s been nothing but the complete opposite.

It all began when the Knicks struck out in the lottery, falling to the number 3 pick in the draft. Drafting R.J Barrett seems to be a fantastic selection as he is going to be a stud in the league but missing out on the messiah that is Zion crushed their fans. Today, the team didn’t sign either of Durant or Kyrie and missed out on all the top free agents that they’d guaranteed would be a part of the organisation. If it couldn’t get any worse, the team wasn’t even willing to offer a max contract to KD which fans didn’t take too kindly to. The team walked away from day 1, signing three power forwards which doesn’t make too much sense; Julius Randle, Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson. Knicks President Steve Mills literally issued an apology to the fans of the Garden stating,

"While we understand that some Knicks fans could be disappointed with tonight's news, we continue to be upbeat and confident in our plans to rebuild the Knicks to compete for championships in the future, through both the draft and targeted free agents,".

You know you have failed if you have to write to your fans an apology. Knicks fans are fed up with the direction the organisation has taken whilst being led by James Dolan and you have to question his future and whether or not it is time for him to sell the team.

Philly make the big moves- but have they gotten better?

The Sixers began the day on a high-note, signing Tobias Harris to a five-year deal worth $180 million. Not long after, they completed a sign-and-trade with Miami for Jimmy Butler, receiving Josh Richardson in return who is a very nice piece for the team and should fit comfortably in the team’s structure. The deal is on hold for the time being, but it seems likely that it will get done within the next day as Miami is working with the Mavs to help get the deal done.

In a move out of nowhere, the team also acquired Al Horford on a four-year deal, who has joined the enemy moving from the Sixers rival that is Boston. Both J-Rich and Horford are excellent players and are both elite defenders. Horford has been the ‘Embiid stopper’ for the past few seasons, so Joel can battle with him rather than against him in the upcoming season.

Can this new line-up compete for the title next year after losing their second-best player and key shooter J.J Redick is the real question? Horford and Richardson will help space the floor and bring a new level of defence that is already being led at the front by Embiid. For the money that Harris just got paid, he will need to play at a higher level for the team to compete this upcoming season.

Jimmy Butler headed to South Beach… not just yet:

It was reported that the Miami Heat had completed a sign-and-trade with the Sixers to gain star two-way player Jimmy Butler for Miami’s best player Josh Richardson however currently it appears that the third team involved, the Dallas Mavericks, want Derrick Jones. Jr to be a part of the deal but Miami are reluctant to move him. Whilst this is causing problems, it is safe to assume that Butler will be in a Miami uniform very soon.

Miami is in a good position and there are rumours of the team making a big play for Washington All-Star Bradley Beal who would be a great asset for the team. With the likes of young talent that includes Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow, as well as a lot of money coming off the books for Miami in 2020, the team’s future is bright. Hopefully, first-round pick Tyler Herro can also provide for the team. The trade to acquire Butler could be the start of a return to the top for South Beach.

Pelicans looking better than ever, even without Anthony Davis:

David Griffin is a magician; he landed the number 1 pick Zion Williamson, traded superstar Anthony Davis for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, the number 8 pick Jaxson Hayes, pick 17 Nickeil Alexander-Walker and three future first-rounders. Not only does he gain these pieces, but he also opens up enough cap space for a near max contract.

With this cap space, the team traded for a solid veteran in Derrick Favors from the Jazz and also signed one of the best shooters in the league, J.J Redick. Throw in the two-way player that the Pelicans already own in Jrue Holiday and this team is better than any of the teams AD was ever a part of. This Pelicans team has length, athleticism and youth; if you’re a Pelicans fan, you can’t help but be excited and proud of the direction this team is taking. They’re going to be fun to watch.

Is Utah really being slept on for a potential competitor for the title?

The Jazz have finally added someone to take the pressure off Donovan Mitchell come playoff time in the form of Mike Conley, who is a great ball handler as well as an excellent defender, which we know has been the culture Quin Snyder has built in Utah. The team also signed Bojan Bogdanovic and added elite rebounder, Ed Davis, to backup two-time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert.

I think people are getting carried away with the defensive potential of this team- don’t get me wrong, they’re going to be the number one ranked defence in the league, but I question whether they have gotten that much better to compete for a title. The team lost Ricky Rubio, Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and Derrick Favors, all who have been contributors for the team in recent seasons. All players they acquired are upgrades, but is it enough to get past the second round? The West is now an open playing field and perhaps they’re the team to push through.

Where will the Board Man get paid?

The biggest question leading up to this free agency period was where will Kawhi Leonard sign? Kawhi held off any contract talks today with it being reported that he will begin his search for a team tomorrow. The race all but seems to be down to three teams; the Clippers, Lakers and the Raptors.

Before free agency began, the Clippers looked a very good chance to sign him. Kawhi has wanted to return to California for some time and the Clippers have a great coach in Doc Rivers and a promising, young team. However, with almost all the top free agents off the board, if Kawhi was to head there, he would be going alone. Whilst still a possibility, it is seeming less likely for Clippers fans that he will join the team.

The Lakers offer a potential three headed monster that would include LeBron, Anthony Davis and Kawhi, which would be absolutely scary for the league. The team would almost be certain favourites for the title, with rumours of adding Andre Iguodala if he is bought out by Memphis as well as signing Rajon Rondo for the minimum. It has been reported that LeBron has been in touch with Kawhi but you have to wonder if Kawhi really wants to be the second or third option on a team. The Lakers are the growing favourites but are still no guarantee to sign him.

And finally, there’s the Raptors. The team who he just won a championship with. So why would Kawhi leave? The reports of him wanting to return home is a strong indication that he wants to go to a team in Los Angeles and if that was to happen, he’s given the nation of Canada more than they could ever ask for. He could also return to the team and continue to build with his teammates a potential dynasty for the future in Toronto.

Day 1 of the 2019 NBA Free Agency was explosive, exciting and is building a strong and intriguing narrative for the 2019-20 Season. We wait and see where the remaining free agents will land for the upcoming season.

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gillywulf · 7 years

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you’re a problem but you’re mine (you’re a winner even though you think you’re not)

The pet Hotel AU.

AO3

Summary: Jason needs a job and PetStay needed him.

Pt. 2 (warning: this does include a dog bite)

It turned out that prepping for mealtimes wasn’t as hard as Jason initially thought. Like Billy, he’d needed to develop a system before it made sense, but eventually, once he’d started separating the labels stating the dog’s name and food into dry and wet, the process went far quicker. He was midway through preparing dinners when the door to the kitchen slammed open and a middle aged man with neat, short hair. He stopped short at the sight of Jason.

“Who are you?” Blunt. Jason held out his hand.

“Hi, I’m Jason. I’m new. Ish” The man takes his hand and it’s surprisingly gentle.

“Tommy Oliver. I’m the trainer here and my kid works the night shift” Jason remembered the walkie chart with Tommy Junior written next to green and nodded.

“Oh yeah, I haven’t met him yet” An odd look crossed Tommy’s face.

“Uh, Tommy Junior is-”

“Tommy! What up, dude?” Zack’s boisterous voice filled the small kitchen, shoving whatever the trainer was going to say out of their minds. “I haven’t seen you in like, two weeks” He set down the stack of used dog bowls and spread his arms, offering a warm hug. Tommy was clearly uncomfortable.

“Good to see you, Zack. Oh, whoops, I have class in two minutes. Nice to meet you, Jason” He slipped from the room with a quick wave.

“I can not figure out why he doesn’t like me” Zack mumbled, perching his hands on his hips. The whole image - the confused face, the posture, the situation he’d just witnessed - as truly a masterpiece. Jason laughed.

“Never change, man”

“Have a nice day” Kim beamed at the pet parent until they rounded the corner out of eye sight. She dropped her falsely peppy face instantly and rolled her eyes to Jason. “‘I ordered a nail trim and a suite!’ They did neither so he got neither. I literally hate people. They over feed and under care and get upset at me when they’re the one who messed up” she huffed, turning back to the computer and tapping in last minute pay information. He laughed.

“I mean you’re not wrong, but that’s like all retail”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t still hate them”

“That’s fair,” he shrugged, “you get off in five minutes too, right? Do you want to go to Krispy Kreme with me and my little sister? My mom’s dropping her off in a bit” Kim twisted the watch on her wrist and shrugged.

“Sure. I bet she’s funnier than you”

“Says the girl who literally can’t make a joke that gets anyone laughing” She scowled and crossed her arms.

“I will have you know, I am very funny”

“No, I think Pearl will definitely be funnier than both of us”

The dog squirmed and wriggled with all its might, crying all the while. The high pitched squeals were definitely starting to hurt Jason’s ears. None of it was helping the nail grind get done any faster. He stepped back with a resigned sigh and punched the talk button on his walkie.

“Red could use some help with a nail grind” The dog leveled him with her best pleading stare. Maybe if she looked sad enough, he would stop.

“Blue to the rescue!” Billy’s voice announced over the radio. Less than a minute later, the boy strolled in and took a firm hold of the dog’s body. Thankfully, it was enough for Jason to finally get a full paw done with the promise of stillness for the rest. He quickly moved on to the next paw. If she wasn’t going to stay this calm long, he needed to be fast.

“Billy, you are an absolute lifesaver” Why did dogs need to much hair over their feet? It just made everything harder and slightly more dangerous. He could get it stuck in the grinder and pull out a chunk if he wasn’t careful.

“My pleasure, Jason. Hey, do you think I’m weird?” Jason stilled, stopped the grinder, and straightened to look Billy dead in the eye.

“I’ve seen Zack eat a burger off the ground even though the bun fell off”

“No, I know- I mean, yeah, that’s kinda weird, but I mean like, you know-”

“Did something happen?” he asked. Concern clawed its way up his throat and the dog sat happily on the table between them, clearly believing she was out of the woods. Billy looked hesitant for a moment.

“I brought Summer up to her mom and I was really excited because we don’t really get all that many Corgis, so I was telling her neat history about their breed, like ‘corgi’ means ‘dwarf-dog’ in Welsh where they originated from and because they are herders, they are the same type of dog that huskies are, which no one really expects because they are so different. And she looked at me like a lot of people do when I start to talk a lot, like there must be something definitely wrong with me” His hold on the dog slackened, his hands instead stroking along her side.

“Billy,” Jason wanted so badly to lay his hand on Billy’s shoulder, to really draw his attention, but he knew his friend didn’t like to be touched, so he reigned himself in, “you are the kindest, smartest, most caring person I know. Hands down. Having a diagnosis doesn’t make you weird, it’s another part of who you are, just like your love of country music” Billy smiled at that and Jason accepted the small victory. “One rude lady isn’t going to change any of the awesome things about you. Don’t ever forget that” Billy’s eyes shone and it looked like he might even cry. Jason wouldn’t be able to stop himself from following if that was going to happen.

“Thank you, Jason”

“Honestly any time. Thank you for coming to me. Now let’s get her finished up, okay?”

It was almost funny watching Trini try and hold back such a fat chocolate lab. Tucker was definitely not built to easy walking.

“Fuck you, dick! Stop pulling!” She grit her teeth and dug in her heels, but it was no use. Tucker was headed to camp at his own pace. “You wanna help at all?” she shot back to Jason behind her.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I have to keep holding Gus to make sure he doesn’t kill anyone. You know, because he’s so lethal” Gus was in fact a toy fox terrier, shaking constantly and peeing himself in fear as Jason spoke.

“Dick, Tucker, stop!” Kim chose that moment to step into the hallway from the relief room. She calmly took in the scene; Trini being pulled by an overexcited fat dog and Jason, with his tiny shaking mess. With a roll over her eyes, she reached out and jerked Tucker’s lead in a direction he wasn’t expecting, surprising him enough to get him to stop.

“Tuck, walk nice” she demanded. “If he keeps doing it, just stop and wait for him to settle. He needs to learn not to pull” Her eyes bore into Trini’s and even from his not great angle, Jason could see how struck Trini was. The girl’s eyes didn’t move away once Kim headed to the grooming room.

“You good?” he asked, almost concerned.

“Fuck, she’s so hot”

When things were busy, things were busy. Jason barely had a moment to breathe between shuffling dogs into their rooms, cleaning, juggling dogs in camp, and a whole host of other duties.

“Red, I need Maximus when you have a moment; he’s going home” Kim’s steady voice broke through his dinner prep concentration. He sighed. He was never going to get anything done.

“Sure, pink” He left the kitchen and speed walked to where he knew Maximus the giant yellow lab would be waiting by the kennel door, his tongue lolling out and his tail wagging non-stop. Sure enough, that was the sight that greeted him. The dog was clearly excited to go home, if the way he pulled at his leash was any indicator. His owners beamed and hugged him while obliviously clogging up the reception area. But of course, there was no time to stand there and wonder whether or not it was just a little too much, another family stood waiting to say goodbye to their German Shepard.

“Jason, could you please take Grant to 211? Thank you” Kim was already staring back to paperwork, highlighting on a chart the days certain services were being received.

“Sure,” he smiled politely to the family and slipped a lead over Grant’s head, his other hand extended for the leash, “I can take him, have a great day” Grant followed him easily to the door and through it, all the way to the door of kennel 211 where he promptly planted his feet and refused to move. “Bud, c’mon, I need to finish the lunches”

The pleading must have worked, because the dog gave in just enough to allow himself to be guided inside the kennel. Jason knelt to pull his lead and unclip the collar. Grant seized the moment. He shot out from under Jason’s knee in a desperate bid to escape. Jason did nothing but act on instinct. His hand shot out just as fast and just managed to grab a hold of Grant’s paper ID band.

The ID band around his neck.

While all Jason could think was to beg higher powers to keep the ID band in tact long enough for his to slip the lead back over his head, Grant wanted nothing more than to be away from him. So he rolled onto his back and turned his head to take Jason’s hand into his mouth and bit. Hard.

For a long second Jason didn’t even register what had happened. He was so focused on holding on that his brain excused the bite like that from a puppy, painful, but only for a second and completely harmless. That is, until his brain caught up with the sheer pain and the sight of blood. Needless to say, he let go.

Grant took off out of Jason’s view. His hand was mangled, that was the only word he could associate with the way it looked. He must not have registered Grant’s frenzied shaking like a chew toy he was on the other end of. He tried to make a fist and failed.

“Hey Jason, what’s taking- holy shit” Trini wasted no time. She marched over to him and took the hand in hers. She whipped the grey beanie from her head and wrapped it as tightly around it as possible. “Keep this tight, you need pressure,” she tugged on her walkie, “birdhouse” she said simply before pushing him off towards the kitchen. “Go wait there. I’ll get him in the kennel and we’ll take you to the hospital”

Jason blinked in awe at her take-charge attitude, but managed a weak nod. She was gone in the blink of an eye, her tiny voice gruff and furious as she called out Grant’s name. He definitely heard an aggressive ‘ass-fucker’ as he headed towards the kitchen.

Billy was already there, gauze and light antiseptics at the ready. He was so careful and gentle and Jason was eternally grateful, he just wished his head was clearer to express that appreciation. He’d do that later when he wasn’t bleeding profusely. Kim burst into the room just as the cleaning stage finished. She did a quick examination before motioning to Billy to continue.

“We’ve already called Grant’s parents. They were only in the parking lot and he’ll be refused for the rest of the month. Okay, wow that’s a lot of blood. Trini’s going to drive you to the hospital because Billy can’t drive, Zack’s stuck in camp, and I have to man the front desk. She’s usually a good driver, I promise” Before Jason had long enough to process the statement and ask what exactly she meant by that, Trini swept into the room and grabbed his bicep.

“C’mon, homeboy, let’s get you to the hospital before you bleed out” The next few minutes are a whirlwind of racing out the store in an attempt not to alarm customers and to reach the hospital as quickly as possible. Kim’s ‘usually’ begins to make sense on the highway. Trini darts her car into small spaces and slams on the brakes and accelerator so often that Jason began to worry a heart attack might kill him before his hand.

There was something incredibly calming about her hard demeanor cracking only enough for her worry to trickle out in barely-there ways, like the way her eyes constantly darted over to him, or the way her hands tightened over and over on the steering wheel. Maybe she did like him. He’d like to be friends.

Jason wordlessly held out the tray of steaming coffee cups while trying very hard not to chug from his own. With a small sigh of relief, Kim took the tray and then the cup marked with her name.

“Zack’s running late” she mumbled after a long sip. Jason laughed.

“Some day, someone who’s not us will realize and he’ll get fired”

“Let’s hope not. We’re still super understaffed”

“Good thing I’m here, right?” The two whirled around to find a girl with closely cropped hair and a grin too bright for the early hour standing on the other side of the front desk, already in the customary PetStay navy polo. Jason and Kim shot one another confused glances.

“Uh, I’m sorry to ask, but who are you? I only have one person for training on my list today” Kim thumbed through her schedule post-it notes, looking for any name she didn’t recognize.

“That’s probably me. I’m Tj” she beamed. Jason couldn’t help but notice the startlingly bright green eyes she had. Kim didn’t stop frowning.

“I’m sorry, I don’t see a ‘Tj’ anywhere” Tj seemed to sag at that.

“Is there a ‘Tommy Jr’?” Her entire body deflated with the question with a resignation so bone deep that Jason thought she might just collapse under the weight of it. Kim blinked dumbly.

“Yes”

“That’s me”

“No it isn’t” Tj rolled her eyes and dug around in her back pocket for a moment until she produced a drivers’ license, complete with her picture and ‘Tommy Oliver Jr.’ printed beside it.

“My dad’s the trainer here. I’m the overnighter. I’m transferring to day shift. I’m Green” Even though the evidence was nothing short of indisputable, Kim’s face couldn’t free itself of the bafflement she felt. Thankfully, Zack chose that moment to sprint up to the counter and diffuse the tension.

“Guys, I’m sorry I’m late-”

“Zack, this is Tj, bring her into Bigs with you” He swiveled on his heel and froze. Jason watched as his face got progressively redder with each passing second.

“Hi- er, hello. Welcome to PetStay. I will be your trainer, or uh, senior, today,” he stopped his rambling, “let’s load up” He shuffled awkwardly to the back with Tj on his heels. Jason took a slow sip from his coffee and leaned against the counter.

“He likes her”

“Two damn seconds in”

“He also forgot his coffee”

On days where there were only enough dogs for one camp, everyone seemed to mill around aimlessly, trying to find something, anything to do. Jason knew that Zack was having plenty of fun in camp, but Trini, Kim, and Billy would all be restless, not to mention himself.

Jason decided to do a little tidying in the grooming room, picking up and throwing out old ID bands, sweeping up shed fur, and bringing dirty, wet towels to the laundry room. Maybe he’d even throw a load or two in. Between beds, blankets, and towels, there was almost definitely enough.

He hefted the pile of wet towels into his arms (while attempting to keep them from soiling his shirt) and march near-blind to the laundry room. Of course, it could never be that simple. He couldn’t just walk in an do his job.

Instead, he was greeted by Kim pressing the full length of her body into Trini, hands wandering and lips moving as one, together.

Of course he had to walk in on them making out. He was happy for them, naturally, but he didn’t need to keep seeing the PDA. Especially when Trini’s hand was definitely undoing the unbutton on the front of Kim’s pants.

Jason turned on his heel and dumped the towels into a nearby cart. He had to stop himself from sprinting to the kitchen. When he walked in, Billy looked up from the dishes and smiled, perpetually happy to see him. The long purple rubber gloves were pulled up to his elbows to keep his hands from feeling all of the left-over food residue.

“So,” Jason began, leaning against the sink, “don’t go into the laundry room, okay?” Billy’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“Why?”

“Kim and Trini are...you know” He gestured vaguely in the hopes that he wouldn’t have to say it.

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking” Jason sighed and scrubbed his face, maybe it would dislodge the discomfort.

“Just trust me, you don’t want to go in there for a while. Maybe an hour, just to be safe” Billy’s confusion and suspicion didn’t disappear.

“I trust you”

“Thank you, Billy” The two of them spent the next fifty minutes filling the time, talking about the dogs, the cats, the store, and their co-workers. It was pleasant when Jason’s mind didn’t wander to why they were doing that and not something else.

Kim and Trini stumbled into the room, looking far too disheveled and satisfied. Their grins were too wide and their limbs too loose. Jason crossed the room and laid a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Well,” he really meant the excited smile he gave them, “congratulations guys, but not here, please. I beg you”

District management almost never made in store appearances. Those were reserved for big changes, good news, or bad news. As the entire store was crowded together after hours, Jason couldn’t help but fear the latter. Alvie clapped his hands together for the crowd’s attention.

“Excuse me, thank you everyone for showing up tonight” Zack nudged Jason in the ribs.

“Wasn’t this mandatory?” They sniggered together as Alvie plowed on.

“I want to take the time to thank each and every one of you for your time and dedication into this store” He took a long pause to try and make eye contact with as many people as possible. “However, I regret to tell you all that our store will be closing at the end of the month”

A chorus of gasps, sighs, and groans filled the air and Jason, between fish tanks and dog harnesses, felt his heart break. Alvie continued to talk about what the chain will do for them as if it could measure up to what it would provide if it stayed open. The rest of the meeting went by in a daze. He barely took in more than three consecutive words.

The hotel staff lingered in the parking lot, no one quite sure what do do or say. And Jason had come to a conclusion that these people were his friends, no matter what happened next. He loved the big way Zack felt everything. He loved Billy’s never ending affection. He loved the quiet way Trini expressed her protectiveness. He loved the simplicity of Kim’s humor.

He loved them. Even when he was scooping poop.

“So this sucks” Trini mumbled once they were alone on the pavement. Kim, her arm around the smaller girl’s shoulders, hummed in agreement.

“What the hell are we going to do? I want to keep hanging out with you guys. Forget trying to get someone else to hire me” Zack ruffled his hair and Billy laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“What if we all applied at the same place? There’s another PetStay a few miles away. If we don’t all get it, we apply somewhere else. I know it feels like it right now, but it isn’t the end, not by a lot, okay? We’re blue,” he gestured to Billy, “black,” then to Zack, “pink, yellow,” Kim and Trini stood a little straighter, “and red. Take us or leave us” His breathing was labored by the end, but his heart felt big and hopeful. Kim snorted and ducked her head.

“You’re such a nerd. Come on Mr. Leader. Let’s go to Krispy Kreme you guys. I could use some sugar” She threw her other arm over his shoulders, even though it was a bit of a stretch with his height. He shook his head but extended his own arm to Billy, who after a quick deliberation nodded and pulled Zack close.

“I’m the nerd. You play Pokemon Go every day”

“Holy fuck, really? What team are you?”

“Zack, you know it literally does not matter, right?”

“Actually, there have been studies about what the choice says about people, Trini”

“I didn’t know that, B. Tell us about it”

#power rangers #fanfiction #mine

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furederiko · 7 years

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Surprise, surprise! It's the 2nd Random-News-Digest of the month... Just like last one, it's gonna be a shorter one than usual...

Disney Live Action

Production for Guy Ritchie's "Aladdin" has begun in Longcross Studios, UK. FINALLY. It was planned to start in Summer, but then casting was reportedly hit a hurdle, and it was postponed until August. I guess it's now September, then! Will Smith personally announced this via his social media, and it was later 'reblogged' by Disney.

The announcement also confirmed the core cast of the live action remake. As we all know, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott will play Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, while Smith himself will portray the iconic Genie. Marwan Kenzari is playing the antagonist Jafar, while the Sultan is played by Navid Negahban. This core cast will be joined by several new characters, that to my knowledge, were NOT in the animated movie (unless my eyes have been deceiving me all these years): Jasmine's handmaiden, played by Nasim Pedrad. She might likely serve as the comic relief, considering Pedrad's comedy background; Jafar's right hand Hakim, played by Numan Acar. I seriously hope his inclusion doesn't mean we won't be seeing Jafar's sneaky parrot Iago. THAT would be a huge miss, especially when most Disney live action remakes so far, have been very close to the original animated versions; and last but not least, surprise surprise, Prince Anders, who will be played by Billy Magnussen. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Turns out the movie still NEED a white actor anyway. Anders is said to be Jasmine's suitor and potential husband who hailed from Skanland. This isn't the first time Magnussen plays the only white character in a foreign-setting movie, with the very recent "Birth of the Dragon" as his first.

To be completely honest, I'm still on the fence for this particular remake. Not just because Ritchie's "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" somehow tanked in the box office. I'm not keen on Smith's casting, and that hasn't changed. There is however, one thing that easily caught my interest: Alan Menken is providing the score, and is in charge with bringing the original songs from the animated movie! Now THAT... is an okay, for me. Not just him, recent Academy Award winner Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (the guys who did "La La Land", in case you forgot their very specific names) contributed two new songs for the movie. The first one might be Jasmine's very own solo song, not unlike Dan Stevens' Beast in "Beauty and the Beast". The other one? With Magnussen's musical background, I have an inkling suspicion that he's going to perform the other new song. Anyways, here's hoping we'll hear more about this movie soon.

Star Wars

Meanwhile, the hurdle that stumbled "Aladdin", had probably moved on towards another Disney property. Yes, in case you haven't heard, Colin Trevorrow will no longer be directing "Star Wars: Episode XI". Creative differences, as they say. As they ALWAYS say. Certainly not unlike Chris Miller and Phil Lord, right? Lucasfilm themselves announced the termination of their collaboration with Trevorrow, so it's not just a whistleblown rumor, but an actual thing.

What happened to Trevorrow? The reason is not perfectly clear until now, but I suspect it has something to do with the performance of his latest work, "The Book of Henry". Not only it had a tremendously weak opening, but its stars were a no-show during the preview too, sending all the wrong message. Apparently, that might truly be the case. Vulture has published a follow-up report since then, and revealed that the split wasn't really a mutual one. It is said that Trevorrow was fired because he was... NOT easy to work with. Other reports claimed he had a strenuous relationship with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, that led to her decision to boot the brash and overconfident Trevorrow out of the project.

It's now unclear who will take over Trevorrow's seat. Fans immediately began throwing around names, from the most obvious like J.J. Abrams, Ava Duvernay, to the unlikeliest. The latest report from Deadline, revealed that "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"'s writer/director Rian Johnson is currently on top of the shortlist. No confirmation yet on whether he will take it or not. Judging from Johnson's genuine enthusiasm to the franchise, how much he enjoyed working on his "Episode VIII", and the studio's positive response to it, I won't be surprised if he ends up really stepping in to get a second run. That's the most logical turnout, anyway. Thankfully, the final capper of the modern trilogy isn't expected to begin production until January 2018 (for a May 24th, 2019 release). So it's not a similar situation to what happened with "Han Solo: A Star Wars Story" (tentative title), which have almost completed its filming when Ron Howard entered. If Lucasfilm can get a replacement for Trevorrow right away, the new director will have 3 whole months to adjust the script with new scripwriter Jack Thorne, while preparing for the directorial role.

By the way, have you heard that Joseph Gordon-Levitt might be in "The Last Jedi"? Oh and yeah, there's an "Obi-Wan Kenobi" movie on the works too, with Stephen Daldry signed as director. Will Ewan McGregor return to portray the amazing Jedi master? These are important questions for another day...

James Bond

"Bond 25" has been confirmed, with actor Daniel Craig returning (for the last time?) as the lead. Problem is, the 2019 movie no longer has a distributor, after the agreement with SONY expired with "Spectre". Should fans be worried? Probably not, because several major studios like Warner Brothers, FOX, and Annapurna have entered the bidding for the movie. And they are not alone, because surprise surprise, even Apple and Amazon are among them too. Apple's the one that surprised me, but Amazon? Not really. Just like Netflix, they have been on a streak in producing their own movies and series lately. Adding a franchise as beloved and well known like "James Bond", would be a possibility too big to ignore for the company. Sure, it turns out the franchise doesn't give much profit to its distributor, but I imagine the appeal would benefit it anyway. Let's just wait and see how this turns out.

DC Films

They don't call it Warner Bros, if it's not thinking and talking big, and/or doing things and trying anything without snob and grand ambition. That's mostly why discussing about DC Films tend to be on the... 'annoying' side for me.

You've already heard the recent news, right? WB has approached the great Martin Scorcese to... *drumrolls* create a stand alone solo movie for "The Joker" (obviously not the title, for now). According to recent report, this project will NOT take place in the current DCEU. Which means, WB is already planning on a replacement, just in case the Zack Snyder vehicle continues to perform weak. A good idea and all, but isn't it too ambitious? I get it though, they want to be 'different'. But I digress. The fact is, WB is STILL trying to ape or mimic if not downright copy Marvel's current situation: having multiple Cinematic Universes (Marvel Cinematic Universe, FOX's, SONY's Spider-Man, and now Marvel TV, and Netflix) due to the movie rights being hold by various owners. WB is the single owner of DC properties, but it also wants to have the same thing: that questionable DCEU, and various anthology-style spin-offs NOT bound/related/connected to it. Apparently, having David F. Sandberg's "Shazam" being worked by New Line Cinema (also a WB label), and CW TV Network with its "Arrow-verse" is simply not enough! Yikes... greedy much?

Here's where it got more interesting. Scorsese and Todd Phillips won't be using Jared Leto, because apparently, WB is already thinking BIG, setting their eyes on a much promising name: Leonardo Dicaprio. Make sense really, because Dicaprio has been Scorsese's golden boy in the past few years. Will he take the job though? That one is unclear, leaning towards UNLIKELY (he's currently eyeing a marvel-ous project instead LOL). It was also reported that Leto has not taken this turnout comfortably. I might have totally disliked his pointless-exaggerated performance as the supervillain in "Suicide Squad" (he's a metaphor of how bad the movie as whole), but seriously... Poor Leto.

Speaking of the 'Skwad' movie, "Suicide Squad 2" has possibly found its writer and director! Gavin O'Connor, who previously worked on... WB's "The Accountant" (classic WB, always rotating around their own), has been signed to pen the script and has also entered negotiations to direct. It seems WB is keen on getting the script done right away. The filming however, will not be able to start until Fall 2018, due to Will Smith's other commitments. Unless... speculation and all, Smith is written out from this direct sequel, allowing for production to begin earlier. This is WB, so you can never tell what its bigwigs are thinking, huh? Beside, they need to service an angry Jared Leto, and a growingly important Margot Robbie before the two walks away, so sidelining Smith could still be a possibility in their agenda. What do you think, would you like to see a Deadshot-less Suicide Squad? I'm fine either way, because I'm totally NOT watching this sequel (I'd rather see one for "The Accountant", to be honest). I've already made a fatal mistake watching the first movie anyway... LOL.

All eyes are on Patty Jenkins now, who has just officially signed up to write, direct, and produce another "Wonder Woman" less than 24 hours ago. And not just for double the initial prize, but so much more, which probably explains why the negotiation took a lot longer than usual. Will she continue to do wonders with this sequel for the DCEU, being the only director who had accomplished that so far and all? Her upgraded demand, was it justified, or perhaps a little too much? Can the sequel really do better, or was the first movie's success just an example of an unexpected flux, a one-time-wonder influenced by US current political condition? We'll just have to wait and see...

X-Men Universe

Drew Goddard almost had his major comic book adaptation with SONY's "Sinister Six". He even left behind Marvel TV's "Daredevil" project for that. But then SONY decided that the Spider-Man universe was working, and rebooted it... again. So that super villain team up movie only remained a vague dream. Well, dream no more, because Goddard has finally found a project with prospect.

It's back with Marvel, folks. Not Marvel Studios, nor Marvel TV (although he remained as executive producer for "Daredevil" and "The Defenders") though, it's for... FOX. Yes, according to The Wrap, Goddard has been signed to write and direct that "X-Force" movie. I guess this implies that Joe Carnahan is no longer involved, huh? Pretty sure HE was going to direct and not Goddard. This "X-Force" movie is expected to not only serve as yet another FOX' ensemble movie (they have X-Men, and New Mutants so far), but also a direct spin-off to "Deadpool". That means we can expect Deadpool, along with Domino, and probably Cable to be in it too, right? Then why not just call it... "Deadpool 3"...? O_o

This news can either be good or the opposite. I liked most of Goddard's work before this, so I think it's in good hands. But I'm also quite surprised how "The Defenders" that he executive produced, ended up becoming such a bore. Suffice to say, I'm not so sure about it anymore now. Let's just wait and see...

Oh, one more thing. Turns out Jessica Chastain might NOT be playing Empress Lilandra Neamani in "X-Men: Dark Phoenix". Who is she playing? Don't know and don't care, please consult the nearest X-Men movie enthusiast near you. LOL. Then again, this COULD be related to that statement by writer/director/producer/whatever Simon Kinberg, who stated that this movie would be 'grounded'. Considering the movie will somehow be set in Genosha, which character is your lucky guess? Magneto's other child Polaris? Great goodness, I sincerely hope it won't be FOX' version of Scarlet Witch... O_O

Marvel Studios

Filming set can be a tricky little thing. Sometimes it reveals a little too much, even if it isn't really supposed to (mostly due to fans taking candid pictures and all). The scene of Tilda Swinton's Ancient One's death in New York for example, hit the internet months prior to "Doctor Strange" official release. Such is with the case of UNTITLED 2019's "Avengers 4". Had the movie was filmed concurrently with "Avengers: Infinity War", things wouldn't be as bad. Problem is, Marvel Studios decided to do these two movies one at the time. Production for "Infinity War" had been wrapped in July, and continued with the next movie sometime last month. That means, any behind the scene takes that flew around the internet lately, automatically serve as spoiler for "Infinity War". Regardless of how big or small.

*WARNING: the following paragraphs include reports that might/could(should?) be considered spoilers for "Infinity War". So if you're avoiding that with all cost, then please skip the remaining Marvel Studios category and just move on to the next one.*

Look no further than the actress who was spotted on set late last month. Yes, Gwyneth Paltrow's presence on set, pretty much confirmed she would be returning as Pepper Potts in the movie. Problem is, she was NOT alone. She was doing a scene with... Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Jon Favreau. You see where I'm going with this, right? That's right, it's proof that Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Happy Hogan all make it out of "Infinity War" alive. Meanwhile, a Marvel Studios actor showed up and joined the production of now-Ron Howard's "Star Wars" spin off. Paul Bettany! Wait, why is he NOT among the Marvel Studios set? Could it be because... something bad truly happens to his Vision? It's uncertain for now (the super tall Bettany can still join production later on), but it's one of that undesireable possibilities.

Then there's that generous inspiring "Day of Giving" charity video from the cast of "Avengers 4" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp", dedicated for the Hurricane Harvey's survivor in Texas. It might seem harmless, but pay attention to which actors are included there. We got Scott Lang's Paul Rudd (a spoiler too, though it's pretty much logical if we consider the release dates of his solo sequel), and Hope van Dyne's Evangeline Lilly. Make sense, right? But hold on, who's next...? Zoe Saldana (the spokeperson in behalf of everyone) and Karen Gillan, reprising their roles as Gamora and Nebula. Please don't tell me you think they are in the "Ant-Man" sequel! And how about Don Cheadle, who was also spotted in Atlanta precisely a week ago? Last but not least, a Japanese-esque set was build for the movie, hinting that the movie will probably visit an East Asian country (like it did before with South Korea). The interesting part though, is because it is rumored to feature Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff taking down criminals! And she might not be alone, because someone else is reported to be joining her, but with a new moniker. MCUExchange reported that... Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton will also be in the movie, but no longer as Hawkeye. He's going to be in it as the elusive anti-hero... Ronin, due to being "in a very dark place". Japan? Ronin (a term for a master-less Samurai)? That's too much to be a coincidence.

In case you're somehow missing out on my points here... Pepper, Iron Man, Hulk, Happy, Ant-Man, Gamora, Nebula, War Machine, Black Widow, and Hawkeye/Ronin are pretty much confirmed to be in the movie, while Vision probably isn't (or is he?). More are coming too! Do you think that's NOT enough to be called spoilers? I rest my case.

Journalist's set visit, is equally dangerous when it comes to harbouring potential spoilers. Usually released a few months before a movie premieres, it's primarily used as an effective marketing tool. Yet it's also a double-edged sword, because while it can generate buzz and attention, it also unleashes a horde of new information that... depending on the case, probably should've been best to be kept as secret. That's right folks, before I move on to the next category, let's talk about "Thor: Ragnarok" quickly!

Arriving alongside that catchy bright-colored individual character posters, embargo for set visit reports has also been lifted. That obviously led to various discoveries and scoop from the movie itself, like: when the movie is set, how it connects to or is influenced by previous Marvel Studios movies, the overall plot rundown and confirmation of a flaming Marvel character, what happens to an absent character, to Asgard, and the antagonist. If you're not privileged with extra time to read the original sites one by one, you can head on to Birth.Movies.Death for a quick digest of what has been reported there so far. I must say, though some of these are really great, there were also some 'sensitive' facts that I would've wanted to discover as I watch the movie late next month (or November 3rd, in other countries). A double-edged sword indeed, and I've already stumbled upon it rather intentionally. Here's hoping this won't ruin my movie-going experience...

And yeah, you can already pre-order your tickets for the movie right now. Don't pretend like you don't give a darn about it, I KNOW deep inside you're already itching to see this movie right away. Am I right? LOL.

Marvel TV

To be honest, I've been thinking about dropping, or at least skipping the upcoming 5th season of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.". The 4th started great, but it ended in a rather disappointing way. Top that with my genuine distaste to that Inhumans series (it premiered on theatres here, but apparently only for one/two days before it's burried under the sand), the WTF disappointment that was that highly anticipated Netflix crossover mini series, and basically... it's an instant JACKPOT.

Well... good job AoS, now you've got my attention (again). Why? Due to the news reported by Entertainment Weekly. Yes folks, the witty and pointless chitty-chatty Lance Hunter is back!!! Hunter is among my very few instant favorites of the show (the other is... duh? Iain De Castecker's Fitz. What can I say, I have a soft spot for Brit smartasses LOL), so of course this is good news. At least, it works in... convincing me to reconsider my initial plan to drop/skip this season.

The big question though, is how and/or why is he back? And what about Adrienne Palicki's Bobbi Morse? The pairing was ceremoniously retired from the show back in Season 3, to pave way for their own series Marvel's "Most Wanted" that sadly never saw the light of day. We never even got to see the pilot episode, while a wasted potential like Inhumans got an IMAX debut. Talk about one truly unfair world, huh? Ever since then, Palicki had scored a leading role in FOX's and Seth McFarlane's scifi comedy "The Orville", so she likely don't have time to join actor Nick Blood's return. Now that I think of it, this fact does make me more worried instead. I can only hope that Hunter's not coming back to be killed off, nor joining the new season because Bobbi has been killed off-screen. That would be an aggravating disservice to both characters. Then again, this IS Marvel TV we're talking about, with the tendency to kill a character as much as they pleases. Should we even expect better? Not really... *sigh*

DC Television

Last we heard, DC was developing a "Titans" series for their very own dedicated streaming service, that is set to be available in 2018. And apparently, it's slowly progressing nicely. Greg Berlanti, the Godfather of the Arrow-verse at CW, is set to executive produce, eventhough it's still unclear whether this new show will take place in the continuity to the other CW superhero series.

Casting is moving forward too, with young teenage actress Teagan Croft being the first cast member to portray the supernatural hero Raven. I haven't heard of Croft until now, mainly because she's more popular in her home country Australia, being part of the soap opera "Home and Away". I've said this over and over again, that Australian show is basically the gateway to Hollywood for Australian actors. Croft is just another name in the long list of talent who are its alumn!

Comparing this casting to the animated series "Teen Titans GO!", it seems "Titans" will be slightly 'younger' than the CW shows. But that's not the case, due to the next casting announcement. African-american actress Anna Diop has been cast as... Koriand'r, an alien character more popularly known as Starfire. Intriguingly, 29 years old Diop is obviously way older than Croft, which means the show could be taking an 'older' route instead. With Dick Grayson's Nightwing and not Robin being said to be the team leader, he might hold the key to this question. Don't forget, Grayson IS famous for being romantically connected with Starfire.

Turns out, the 'older age' route is what the show is aiming after all. This was confirmed by the official casting of Grayson, and he's a name that I doubt any of you would expect. 28 years old Aussie Brenton Thwaites, is DC TV's choice for Robin/Nightwing (apparently, it's still unclear)! If you think his name sounds familiar, that's because he's yet ANOTHER "Home and Away" alumn, and has been featured in numerous Hollywood movies. He was the lead human character in the mythological sci-fi "Gods of Egypt", and his most recent work was "Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales", where he played the son of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knighley's characters. Calling him a rising star would be an understatement, because he's been everywhere.

I have to admit, I had a pretty unfair reaction when I first read the news. I actually shouted, "Is this for real? What WERE they thinking?". No offense to Thwaites, I think he's a good actor to his own's worth, but certainly NOT Dick Grayson material. A Tim Drake/ Red Robin or Damian Wayne/ (new) Robin perhaps, but not a Dick. He somehow lacked the physicality and charm I've always expected from former circus performer Grayson, so this casting news was a HUGE let down for me. Then again, this has always been DC's game of beef against me. The company always casts actors I'm not too fond of when it comes to my favorite characters *sigh*. Poor Steven R. McQueen, since the beefier 'dreamboat' is the guy I've been rooting for the character *sigh*. He's around the same age to Thwaites, and has always wanted to play Nightwing (and openly public about it). I guess his stardom (departure from "The Vampire Diaries") just wasn't in the right alignments when DC was casting for this show. Too bad... (dear Steven, please try out for that Nightwing movie instead. Or head over to Marvel Studios for better result!)

Following Thwaites, Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly joined the series as recurring characters Hank Hall and Dawn Granger. The two is famous as the Hawk & Dove duo, and the plan is for them to have a spinoff series in the future. Wow, already thinking ahead, huh? Their casting also pretty much confirmed that the series is definitely not a "TEEN Titans" adaptation, but the grown-up version.

I was initially kind of genuinely excited about "Titans", because it's going to debut one of my favorite DC characters (mind you, I only have a few). Unfortunately, thanks to this casting... not anymore. To be fair though, the prospect of me paying a subscription to an entirely new streaming service that ONLY has DC titles, is VERY low anyway. My days with DC shows have long gone, I've dropped "Arrow" after Season 2, and never could catch the appeal of the other CW series. "Justice League Action" is the only thing I'm currently following, and clearly that says a lot. Why would I subscribe to a service that I won't probably use? Seems like DC TV is just not fated to be with me...

Super Sentai

As wildly enjoyable and vastly entertaining as it may be, "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" has passed its halfway point last month. That means it's most logical for TOEI to start moving forward with their plan for next season. Thanks to that, a very strong rumor for the upcoming 2018 series has landed. Courtesy of the ever-helpful and informative Power Rangers aficionado Dukemon. This is not officially confirmed for now, but as proven by past years, it's usually close to being highly reliable. How so? It's customary for TOEI to announce the title sometime around the month of September, so details about it are usually already set to be promoted via toy catalogues.

The source of this rumor, J-Hero, recently posted a report that somehow combined two previous rumors into one. Said rumors were: a vehicle-themed series to celebrate Go-Onger's 10th Anniversary; and a Fairy-Tale themed storyline that incorporated folktale characters like Momotaro, Cinderella, and others. J-Hero claimed, that the title for the next Super Sentai series might be called "Shinsha Sentai Racerranger", with a mix-match theme of Cars + 3D + Fairy Tale. The quantity of members are down to 5 personnels, and the story involves them using racing cars to travel through time, and meet Fairy Tale heroes of Legend.

There were additional technical details as well. Similar to Go-Onger, the Racerrangers will still use 3D cars, but they are also a hybrid of mythical creatures from various Fairy/Folk Tales: Shisha, Kyuubi, Kirin, Buffalo, and Mermaid. Transformation device will be called Mechanitime Changer, with the form of engine and a clock. The collectible gimmick is a 'number 8', which falls in line with the year it's released (2018, duh? And the pattern of decreasing number pattern with 10/Zyuohger, 9/Kyuranger, and then 8) and the quantum theme (8 is also generally used as symbol of Infinity). These members belong to the "Speed Association of Time", and has a logo called RCT (Racing Club Timer). Perhaps, something similar to those Space Police/Quantum Patrol on "Doraemon"?

Considering Kyuranger is currently doing a time travel twist, and 2015's "Kamen Rider Ghost" had already approached the use of historical figures (referring them as... heroes), this rumor might very well be true after all. Do you think these sound interesting? I think it does. At least, TOEI is trying to do something new, not just rehashing the same concept over and over again. That alone will easily persuade me to give it a chance. Of course, all we can do for now is just wait and see. Here's hoping it would be as good if not better than Kyuranger...

#Random-News-Digest #random thoughts #news #movie #Disney #Aladdin #star wars #james bond #dc #Suicide Squad #X-men #Marvel Studios #Avengers #infinity war #thor: ragnarok #tv show #Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.#Teen Titans #SuperSentai

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junker-town · 7 years

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U.S. Open 2017 picks and predictions: Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson favored for another national title

The U.S. Open has been marred by course and rules controversies the last two years. The USGA needs a drama-free championship and we could be set up for a classic at Erin Hills. Here’s what to expect.

It seems like we were just watching Sergio Garcia pour in that putt at the 18th hole after sunset in Augusta. But the Spaniard has been strutting around in his green jacket for two months now and that means the second men’s major of the season is here.

The U.S. Open tees off Thursday from Erin Hills, a new venue to the national championship rota and one that almost no player in the field has experience playing under competitive conditions. Players, caddies, media, and maybe even the USGA a little bit, are trying to figure out what this public course is all about in the middle of Wisconsin. What kind of game will it favor? Will we avoid the controversy, or disaster, similar to the last time the U.S. Open visited a new venue, Chambers Bay, in 2015?

With the course a bit of an unknown, that makes an already unpredictable major that much tougher to get a read on. But we march on with our thoughts and predictions for the 117th U.S. Open.

Who's your darkhorse pick to make a run and be in the mix late on Sunday? (ideally odds at 60/1 or higher here)

Emily: Francesco Molinari is 80/1. The 34-year-old Italian is 17th in the world rankings and, with just one missed cut to go with four top-10 finishes and seven other top-25s in 14 events, is enjoying his best season on the PGA Tour by far. He does not hit the ball far off the tee (ranked 101st on tour with a 290-yard average) but ranks second in driving accuracy, which will be key considering Erin Hills’ nasty rough that awaits those who stray from the fairways.

Brendan: I will go way down the board to 200/1 and take Peter Uihlein as my sleeper pick here. He’s obviously a blue-chip prospect that most who follow golf closely have known about for years. He plays sparingly on the PGA Tour, but has not missed a cut in four starts and posted three top 25s. Uihlein seems completely comfortable in his own skin so maybe there’s less pressure to live up to some hype or benchmark that we tend to put on once-top prospects. It’s a longshot, but I could see his game putting him in contention here on Sunday.

If you want me to go with a more reasonable choice, I might take Billy Horschel at 80/1. Billy Ho, who had been in a lull, may be hitting one of those notorious hot streaks he catches after winning in Dallas and contending last week in Memphis.

Kyle: Ross Fisher’s available at 200-1, which seems low for a top-50 player in the world in relatively good form. A slew of nice high finishes at big tournaments this year, and a guy with experience being in contention on a Sunday at the U.S. Open. Those are favorable indicia alone. Hard to tell how this course sets up for too much of anyone with the weather set to come, and I don’t think he’ll win this week -- but I think the Englishman is a good bet to linger in the top-15 or so.

Who's a big name, or multiple big names, that you expect to fizzle and miss the weekend?

Emily: Bubba Watson — The two-time Masters champion may be rounding into some type of form in three of his last five starts (T9, MC, T5, MC, T6), but he has missed the cut in half of his 10 U.S. Open starts, with his best finish a T5 way back in 2007 and a second-worst T51 last year. Also — and we can’t stress this enough — the forecast calls for rain this week at Erin Hills and any Bubba-o-phile knows how well the tightly strung Watson enjoys “water on the club face, bro,” a situation that sent the bombs-away southpaw to an early exit from Valhalla in 2014.

Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Bubba and the U.S. Open, usually not a good relationship.

Brendan: I’ll always take Bubba here. His mental game and the U.S. Open are just never a good mix. This may be a different test but I’m still going to stay away. Also — and I know this is allegedly a perfect setup for him — should we be at all concerned at Rory McIlroy coming off an injury and with a new putter in his bag? No? Ok.

Kyle: Nah, I’ll take the bait. I’ve got concerns about Rory’s return this week. Lots of equipment changes, the injury, the layoff — it’s all reason to be concerned ahead of golf’s ultimate pressure-cooker. If there is a current weakness or flaw in one’s game, a USGA layout will find it. I won’t be on the grounds at Erin Hills until Friday afternoon, and I won’t be shocked if Rory’s already off to Cromwell, Connecticut (what?) at that point.

Do you prefer the traditional style and scoring of a U.S. Open? Enjoy or hate it? Where does it rank among the other majors? Will we get that at a new venue like this?

Kyle: As the resident U.S Open stan here, yes, yes, hell yes. This is the best major of the year. Please send me your hate mail now.

For whatever reason as a young player and through my college years, this was the one event I always dreamt about playing — perhaps because it seemed attainable. As a washed, never-play-anymore college player, I am still theoretically three rounds of catching lightning in a bottle from playing in the US Open. That’s super cool. As much flak as the USGA gets for course setup, it should get equal praise for making its signature event open and accessible to the people in every way. Exclusion sucks. Hi, Augusta.

As for the layout and the style of play specifically, I love it. We watch these amazing dudes tear up tracks every week, there’s nothing wrong at all about watching the best in the world have to chop it around like ams for one weekend a year. Carnage is fun. I’d watch the third round of the 2004 event at Shinnecock on a loop for hours.

Sure, sure — perhaps your thoughts are different when you’re trying to make a living out there week to week. I’d be pissed as hell if I had to hit out of that cabbage left and right of the fairway, too. But, I’m not playing this week. I’m watching.

Give me all of this you can.

Brendan: I do not prefer the style and scoring but I enjoy it, if that makes sense. My preference is to watch the style of The Open or the scoring movement of the Masters. But I am perfectly happy to have the U.S. Open, which can be a more tedious march to par, one week out of the year. It’s fun to have players and fans and analysts get worked up about some course minutiae. The screaming and yelling and carnage is great drama, so long as you’re not involved and watching from afar.

It does not seem like we will have that kind of carnage this year. Erin Hills, by all accounts, is a fair test. The USGA, of course, can always get in its own way and trick up some setting or have another rules mishap. But I think this will be a relatively controversy-free week and one with low-ish scores.

What do you expect to be the winning score?

Brendan: I think we could have score similar to the Masters, where 9-under was good enough to get in the playoff. Jordan Spieth said he envisioned a winning score from 5- to 10-under. I think the rain will make it a little easier and from all accounts, these greens are reasonable speeds and should roll true as they’re the best conditioned putting surfaces ever at a U.S. Open. Four par-5s also give the best in the world some cushion to post a number. I think the winner gets to 9-under, which is pretty dang low for a U.S. Open.

Will Phil Mickelson play? (If so, how does it go for Phil at championship that's tormented him his entire career?)

Emily: Phil once again will not win the only major title he needs to complete the career grand slam, but that’s because he won’t play. Should the heavens open up on Thursday long enough for Mickelson to parachute into Erin Hills, he will still leave Wisconsin empty-handed, and probably before the weekend, because a guy renowned for his meticulous preparation has not seen the course, let alone played a single practice round on the newest U.S. Open track. And should he actually find himself in contention, his concession that seeing himself atop the leaderboard in Sunday’s FedEx St. Jude Classic finale “shook” him as if he had “never won before, as if I was a rookie” and was “not as mentally focused as I needed to be” is certainly cause for concern for the nearly 47-year-old five-time major champ who hasn’t won a PGA Tour event for four years.

Brendan: In a word — No.

Kyle: This is a weather question largely, so I’ll pass. Not following the computer models this week. Four hour Thursday morning delay is what he’d need!

What should we expect from __________

Rory McIlroy

Brendan: I know I floated him as a possible bust this week but the more sensible prediction is to expect big things from Rory. I think he’s in contention again at a U.S. Open, a major where he’s had his struggles at times. It’s long. It is now wet. Rory seems to be in love with it and feel like he’s got a big advantage with his driving “skill,” as he repeatedly reminds us. While his body may be shaky after injuries have stunted his season, he seems to be relishing this particular U.S. Open challenge and that always makes him dangerous. I think he finishes inside the top five.

Kyle: Quick thing, don’t be mistaken: There’s no player more talented in the game right now than Rory McIlroy. I still think that’s inarguable. Having said that, I think we had both golf media members and fans give Rory a pass to compete at times where it’s unrealistic. Rory’s everything we want in a modern player, the most suited of the lot to fill the largest portion of Tiger’s shadow. But injury layoffs matter. Equipment changes take time to become comfortable. I think he wins at Quail Hollow later in the year. This week? There’s just too much up in the air to make that call right now.

Emily: Sure, the adage goes “beware the injured/sick golfer,” and Rory has proclaimed his love for the course (“It’s perfect”) that should, with its wide fairways and potentially soft conditions, fit him like a golf glove. But the newlywed with a nagging rib condition has been limited to five PGA Tour events this year prior to the Open and is lacking, as his brother-in-infirmities, Tiger Woods, is wont to say, in competitive reps. Then there’s the issue of becoming familiar with his bag of new TaylorMade gear, including a new putter, and that did not go so well the last time he changed sticks. Still, though he missed the cut last year at Oakmont, and but for his 2011 runaway victory, the U.S. Open has not been his most successful event, Rors will likely make the cut after a shaky start and could find himself hovering around the top 10.

Jordan Spieth

Emily: One of the only players with competitive experience at Erin Hills (2011 U.S. Amateur), the two-time major champion can grind it out with the best of ‘em. His short game is stellar (he leads the tour in strokes gained/approach to the green, but his traditional strong suit, his flat stick, is suspect, as he has dropped from second last year in SG/putting to 40th. It would not be a shock if Spieth finishes out of the top 10 this week.

Dustin Johnson

Brendan: Like Rory, it’s hard to pick against DJ and make a case for why he won’t do well. Maybe you’re scared off by whatever that was at Memorial? He’s stepped back a little bit since his tumble at the Masters, but that pre-Masters pace was Tiger-like and impossible to sustain. It’s so hard to say any of these guys — DJ, Day, Rory — will have some middling finish when the course characteristics and their game seem like such a natural fit. DJ gets another U.S. Open top 10 but does not defend his title.

Jason Day

Emily: A top-10 result would be par for the course for Day, who owns five such finishes (including 2nd place in 2011 and 2013) in the six times he has played this event. The former world No. 1 has only two top-10s this season, a couple of MCs, and some ugly results (T64 at the Genesis Open and T60 at The Players), but that could work in his favor since he enters the week flying under the radar.

Who's your winner of the 117th U.S. Open?

Brendan: I am not going with one of the bombers at this alleged bomber’s paradise. Instead, I’m rolling with the 2015 champion, Jordan Spieth. I think he’ll putt out of his mind on these perfect greens. And course architecture guru Andy Johnson of the Fried Egg noted this week, the uneven lies of the natural terrain of this course seem to play in perfectly to Spieth’s self-proclaimed comfort hitting from such uneven spots. He thinks he has an advantage with this kind of terrain and cited Augusta and Kapalua as examples. If it’s possible, I think he’s a little under the radar too, as most of the coverage fixates on the crop of big bombers. I like Spieth to take his second national championship in three years.

Emily: A dad for the second time just days before he begins his U.S. Open defense, Dustin Johnson is everyone’s prohibitive favorite to become the first U.S. Open champion since Curtis Strange in 1989 to go back-to-back, so I’m jumping on the bandwagon and bringing the Kay Curse with me. While his putting can be problematic, Johnson has the big-hitting ability to tame a 7,700-plus-yard track and (according to swing coach Butch Harmon) a set of humungous plums that serve him well in otherwise pressure-packed situations. He is coming off an unsightly missed cut at the Memorial (78-74) and has not set the golfing world on fire since missing the Masters after that accident on the stairs, but with three wins this season and four top-10 finishes (including last year’s W) in the past five years at his national championship, why not DJ?

Kyle: Of the favorites, I don’t love anyone this week. I’d take the field. DJ’s childbirth might have him short on prep and I don’t like obvious picks. Rory’s injury, Jason’s very meh year, Spieth’s less-than-great putting of late. I can perhaps come up with a logical reason to pick Sergio this week to win his second straight, but I think I’m barred by statute from doing that. So!

If we’re looking for an emerging long-hitter coming off a nice Masters showing with major-level game, give me Thomas Pieters this week. I think Erin Hills sets up well for him. Can he hold up through the mental test of the event? That’s a tougher question.

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