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steddiehickeys · 2 years

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edge of seventeen

pairing: robin buckley x guitarist! female reader

requested?: yes!

content warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, steve being an ally, neck kissing, teasing, face riding, oral giving & receiving (female), soft dom! reader, switch! robin kinda i guess, fingering (reading giving), robin being a goofball, short cute fluff at the end

word count: ~ 2,000

summary: our girl robin has a girlfriend, aka the reader, who’s the lead guitarist in a band. her watching your shows and watching your fingers play so expertly makes her want you even more than she did in the first place.

a/n: edge of seventeen by stevie nicks came on while i was writing up the summary so if you wanna give that a listen while you read jus click the link :)))

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Robin and Steve's smiles beamed from the back of the small venue you and your band were playing in. (She usually stayed in the back because she doesn't like tight crowds).

Just like the white-winged dove

Your fingers strummed across the strings so easily, never, ever missing a beat.

Sings a song, sounds like she's singing

If you were being completely honest, it was a tad hard to focus because of how mesmerized Robin is by you. The way she clapped and held her hands together while she jumped along to your songs.

Having someone so fucking beautiful so obsessed with you; it's hard to keep your thoughts clean all the time. Especially when she wears outfits to your shows she knows to make your mind race.

The only thing on your mind at the moment was taking Robin out to your van after the show and giving her a night she'll be thinking about for weeks. Focus on your strumming, y/n.

Ooh, baby, ooh, said ooh

After finishing up your final cover of the night and thanking the audience, you headed backstage so you could wipe your face and pack up all your things.

Once you walked out to the back where your van was parked, it didn't take long for you to notice that cute head of short fluffy brown hair. Well, two of them I guess; Steve was there too.

Robin's back was to you, so you do a "shhh" motion to Steve before tickling her sides and then pulling her backside into your before she could pull away.

You gently kissed where her neck and shoulder met, "You look stunning tonight, Robin." She smelled like vanilla and amber; you swore you could get high just off her scent.

Robin's giggles eventually slowed down as she blushed and turned around to face you. "And you looked stunning up there! Are you kidding? You looked so frickin cool!"

You couldn't stop the huge smile that crept up on your face. "Thank you, babe. I try to look all super-sexy-rocker-chick for you." You put your fingers under her chin to make her look you in the eyes; that just causes her to blush more.

"Well, you definitely looked all super-sexy-rocker-chick tonight." She bit her lower lip and leaned in closer to you. She gets so flustered by you she can forget other people exist. You hear Steve clear his throat.

"As cute as you two are, I have to pick up Henderson from Mike's house in 20 minutes. Do you need a ride home, Robin?" He leans against his car with his arms crossing over his chest.

You both smiled at Steve's generosity, but you interlaced your fingers with Robin's before saying, "Don't worry, Harrington, I got her."

He ran a hand through his hair before giving you and Robin both a quick hug. "Amazing job tonight, Y/N. Make sure you save Eddie a ticket for next time, he keeps talking about how he can 'out-shred' you on the guitar." He laughs and turns on his heel to get into his car.

"Will do." You chuckle as you both watch Steve drive away.

"Shall we?" Robin takes your hands and starts walking backward toward your van; you know the look she has on her face. She keeps running her teeth over her bottom lip and she has a slight darkness to her eyes that gives you a tingle between your thighs.

"Oh, we shall." You devilishly retort back to her as you give her a quick peck on the lips and open up the back doors of your van. Once you had your guitar and amps loaded and off to the side, you offered your hand to help Robin into the back.

She smiled sheepishly at you and crawled into the back, purposely arching her back, exposing the lacy black underwear she decided to wear today.

Robin quietly giggled to herself, as shy and nervous as she could be sometimes, she basked in the way she made you squirm. Her ego would boost just a little whenever she would see you swallow a bit harder or play with the rings on your fingers as you stared at her.

You both sat cross-legged on the Baja blanket you have sprawled across the floor of your van; her almost straddling you while you run your fingers up and down her legs.

You feel the goosebumps form on her skin underneath your touch; an imaginary puppeteer pulling your lips up into a smirk. You ever so lightly grazed your fingers all the way up her legs until you reached the hem of her dress.

You softly connect your lips to hers and her eagerness shone through when she spread her legs a bit more. You took this opportunity to slide her dress up her thighs, exposing the rest of her legs and her underwear.

Your hands found their way to the hem of her underwear; you looked up at Robin and she gives you a small, quick nod, giving you permission to continue.

Robin's breath stuttered as she felt the cool air hit her pussy, which was dripping wet for you. "Please touch me." She pleaded as you kissed your way down her neck, a whimper escaping her lips as you sucked on the sensitive spot on her neck.

"Be patient, Rob. I wanna taste you first." Her mouth fell slightly agape and you licked a final stripe where you were sucking on her neck before moving onto your stomach and laying your head between her legs.

You leave agonizingly slow kisses along the insides of her thighs, causing her to attempt to clench her legs together; only to be blocked by you.

She breathes out a raspy moan as you lick a stripe from her hole all the way to her clit, attaching your lips to the bundle of nerves. You flick your tongue around in a frantic yet choreographed way; you know how to eat her pussy like you know how to write your name.

Robin feels like every nerve in her body is on fire. The only thing she can think to do as this extreme sense of euphoria flows through her body is grab hold of your hair and pull, hard.

You groan at the pressure on your scalp, taking in the pain and pleasure she was giving you. You groaning into her pussy only made her pull even more, you weren't complaining.

"It f-feels so good." She says through her shallow breaths. You smile up at her and prod your middle and ring finger at her entrance. She basically grinds down onto your fingers, allowing you to press both of them inside her.

She purred and arched her back as you started curling your fingers in and out, in and out, in and out...

"I know, baby, I know." Her hips and legs started moving at a more rapid pace after a few minutes of your tongue flicking her sensitive clit and your fingers consistently curling against that spot inside of her.

Before you two started dating, Robin just knew how good you would be with your fingers. Why do you think she likes coming to your shows so much? Watching your fingers move so quickly and professionally across the neck of the guitar and pluck the strings makes her want to scream to the world how much she wants to fuck you. God, being gay in the 80's SUCKS.

"You gonna cum for me, pretty?" You sweetly look up at her fucked-out face; chest going up and down, cheeks painted with red, tears welling up in her eyes from pleasure. You take a mental image of her at this very moment.

She nods quickly and you continue the pace at which you're going. She continuously grinds into your mouth and fingers until she's borderline pulling the hair out of your hair. You feel her cum when her walls clench around your fingers and she lays there with her eyes closed, just taking deep breaths.

You gently brush the strands of hair sticking to her face out of the way. "How do you feel, Rob?" Her silver-blue eyes beamed back at you. "Amazing. But now I want to make you feel amazing."

It was hardly a second before Robin was grabbing your hands and pulling you close to her, crashing her lips onto yours again while she fumbles trying to take off your jeans.

After she eventually gets your pants down your legs and thrown to the other side of the van, Robin wastes no time in laying down and pulling you so you were hovering over her face.

"Your throne awaits." You giggle at her ability to be silly even in these moments; but that's why you love her so much, she's able to make you comfortable in every situation.

You lower yourself down slowly and you can tell Robin grows impatient when she grips your thighs and pulls you down, harshly attaching her lips onto your throbbing clit.

You watched her eyes stare up at you while her expert tongue lapped up your arousal; she intertwined one of your hands with hers as your other hand made its way to her hair.

You weren't pulling, but something about just running your fingers through Robin's hair while she went to town on your pussy made both you and her whine in desperation.

Your breath caught in your throat when you felt Robin start tongue-fucking your hole. It was so fast yet so gentle, the warm sensation of her tongue against your wet pussy was having you see stars.

The way you taste turns Robin on so much. She could feel herself getting wetter again by the second every time her tongue touched your sweet juices.

After focusing on your hole for a few minutes, she went back to flicking her tongue up and down, side to side on your clit. She used her two hands to spread your lips apart so she could focus completely on your sensitive bud.

You could feel tingles in your stomach and pussy grow more intense as you ground your hips against Robin's face. "Please, baby. Cum all over my face, I wanna taste all of you."

Her words made your head spin and your body go numb. All of your senses felt like they were on steroids. You felt Robin's hands grip your hips tightly as she held you up so you wouldn't topple over.

She continued working with her tongue as you came down from your high, then she gently just rubbed over your slit with a few fingers to make sure you were okay.

You made your way off of her and laid down on the side next to her. You grabbed part of your blanket to wipe off the wetness that was still coating her chin and lips. (You stole a quick kiss before doing that of course, she likes when you taste yourself on her).

She laid on your chest and held your hand; you could feel her tracing "I LOVE YOU" into your palm, which would make your heart flutter. You would reply by giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Music played over the radio as you two lay there talking about mindless shit for hours on end. You think it's about 2 AM now, but you think you could genuinely just stay up all night looking into Robin's eyes.

"Have I ever told you how much I love it when you come to my shows?"

reblogs & feedback are so so appreciated!

also just as an fyi, i'm not going to be doing requests completely in order, because I get writer's block if I try to do that! I'm just gonna go through my requests and write when I have the inspo :)))

taglist: @youssssuckbowers @m00nkn1ghts @evermartinsstuff

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styleofdiamandis · 7 months

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PHOTOSHOOT: MARINA FOR DIY MAGAZINE

Marina Diamandis graced the pages of DIY Magazine, captured by photographer Mike Massaro. Styled by Soki Mak with Leila Afghan's assistance, her makeup by Maria Asadi and hair by Benjamin James Moth, the photoshoot was a stunning collaboration of talent, showcasing Marina's unique style and beauty.

The Welsh-Greek singer-songwriter, often celebrated for her unique style and artistic flair, donned an unforgettable ensemble for the shoot—a piece that was nothing short of pure artistry.

Marina exuded an air of timeless elegance as she proudly showcased the Un-Nye Spring/Summer 2013 Emerald Fleetwood jumpsuit. This one-of-a-kind creation was a testament to the fusion of fashion and art, perfectly encapsulating Marina's penchant for the extraordinary. The jumpsuit featured a mesmerizing display of art nouveau-inspired sequin lilies, which cascaded gracefully down the sides of her legs.

But Marina, never one to shy away from pushing the boundaries of fashion, added an unexpected twist to this already extraordinary ensemble.

To complete the look, she slipped into a pair of Christian Louboutin‘s Fall/Winter 2014 So Kate pumps, not just any pair, mind you, but a pair that featured a mesmerizing blue & yellow gradient, encrusted with a cascade of crystals. These pumps were nothing short of footwear alchemy, turning every step into a dazzling performance of their own.

For the second look Marina delved into her treasure trove of fashion once more, showcasing her penchant for the extraordinary. This time, she tantalized our senses by draping herself in a luxurious burgundy & pink striped faux fur coat, a masterpiece crafted by the London-based emerging designer, Clio Peppiatt.

Underneath, she sported a boxy two-tone denim crop tee and matching wide-leg pants from emerging designer label Yui Atelier's Fall/Winter 2015 collection titled "Exist & Appear".

#March 2015 #Clio Peppiatt #Outerwear #Un Nye #Jumpsuits #Yui Atelier #Tops #Pants #Christian Louboutin #Pumps

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nickyysharmi · 4 months

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Digitizing The Financial Symphony: The Impact On NBFCs

Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) are experiencing a digital metamorphosis in this ever-changing world of finance. Abhay Bhutada, MD of one of the biggest NBFCs in India, likens it to a mesmerizing magic show, where the rabbit of financial efficiency is pulled out of the digital hat. As we delve into this transformation, it's akin to witnessing an orchestration of ones and zeros orchestrating a financial symphony.

A Digital Evolution

One of the most profound changes in NBFCs is the shift from paper to pixels. Bank statements, once cumbersome reams of paper, now elegantly exist in the realm of PDFs. Abhay Bhutada points out that this transition has streamlined processes, sparing borrowers the arduous task of sifting through stacks of paperwork. The digital metamorphosis ensures a smoother, more efficient financial experience.

Also Read: All About Professional Loans: Your Complete Guide

A Game-Changer For NBFCs

In the grand scheme of the financial world, efficiency is the golden ticket, and technology, according to fintech influencer Mike Quindazzi, is the game-changer. Aligning his insights with the NBFC transformation, Quindazzi highlights how technology acts as the conductor, orchestrating a seamless performance in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector. In this digital symphony, NBFCs find their rhythm, enhancing their efficiency and customer experience.

Paperless Loan Processes

One of the star attractions in this digital magic show is the paperless loan process. Thanks to the digital footprint left by e-KYC, GST, and ITR, the loan approval process is no longer a labyrinth of paperwork. Borrowers can now apply for loans from the comfort of their homes, uploading digital documents with a few clicks. It's as if the financial rabbit appears effortlessly, eliminating the need for borrowers to navigate through paperwork jungles.

Digital Footprints In Financial Inclusion

In the intricate world of finance, the impact of digitalization extends beyond efficiency—it reaches the shores of financial inclusion. With the ease of digital transactions, NBFCs can extend their services to remote corners, bringing financial solutions to areas where traditional banking struggles to tread. The digital footprint becomes the compass guiding financial inclusion efforts, making services accessible to a wider audience.

Also Read: Understanding The ABCs Of Personal Loans

Digitalization As An Investment

Now, let's bring in a heavyweight perspective. If Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, were to weigh in on NBFCs' digital transformation, he might see it as a wise investment. The efficiency gained through digitization aligns with Buffett's philosophy of investing in businesses with sustainable competitive advantages. In this digital era, NBFCs armed with technological prowess can navigate the financial markets with a competitive edge.

Risk Mitigation In The Digital Domain

Beyond the glitz of the digital show, NBFCs find practical benefits in risk mitigation. The digital trail left by transactions, coupled with robust data analytics, allows NBFCs to assess risks more accurately. It's as if they have a digital crystal ball, foreseeing potential pitfalls and navigating the financial landscape with greater precision.

The Digital Imperative For NBFCs

In the dynamic realm of finance, adaptation is not a choice but a necessity. The digital wave sweeping through NBFCs is not just a trend; it's the new normal. Abhay Bhutada emphasizes that those who fail to adapt risk being left behind in a financial landscape that evolves at the speed of digital. The magic show is ongoing, and NBFCs must keep pace with the digital tricks to stay relevant.

Also Read: Why Digital Lending Is A True End-to-End System

Closing The Digital Curtain

As we conclude our exploration of the digital transformation in NBFCs, it's evident that the show is far from over. The pixels and codes continue to shape a financial landscape that is efficient, inclusive, and resilient. In this digital saga, NBFCs emerge as the protagonists, navigating the complexities of finance with the agility of a digital magician. The integration of technology not only enhances efficiency but also propels NBFCs into the forefront of financial inclusion. As we look ahead, the script is unwritten, and the pixels are ready to paint a future where NBFCs stand as beacons of innovation in the financial realm.

#NBFCs #banking #digitalization #OTP

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staliaqueen · 4 years

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bittersweet | 19

pairing: stiles stilinski x oc a/n: this chapter is a bit different from the rest and I’m not really that confident in it so I would really appreciate it, now more than ever, if you told me what you think. warnings: implied psychological abuse, jealousy. wordcount: 3393

<<prev || masterlist || next>>

Valerie

I had to admit, I wasn’t as scared to talk to Stiles as I had been previously, but I was still thankful to see that he was gone when I walked out of the Sherriff’s Station. Since my house was the closest, the deputy decided to drop me off first, and I couldn’t tell you how relieved I was when I saw that my father wasn’t home. I couldn’t deal with him right now. I didn’t know how he’d react to this situation, but he would probably find some way to blame me.

Unfortunately, he was now my only legal guardian, so he had to be informed. Therefore I gave the deputy the number to his work and got out of the car after saying a quick goodbye to Kira.

I didn’t know what my father did when he was away at night. The times I’d asked he’d claimed he was doing work, but the bank he worked at closed in the evening. He could work on a separate computer, but why didn’t he just work from home then?

I stopped caring about two years ago. Having nights to myself about twice a month was actually really nice and relaxing. Now I was certainly thankful for it. I decided to go to bed immediately so I could wake up as early as possible. If I got out early enough tomorrow I wouldn’t have to see him at all that morning.

But first, there was something I needed to do.

After changing into my pajamas I turned off the lights in my room. I opened my desk drawer and reached in, but hesitated as my hand hovered over the matchbox. I made a quick decision and closed the drawer. Instead of using the matches, I concentrated on the candle I’d placed on my desk. I pinched the candlewick between my thumb and my forefinger, and when I removed them, the wick caught aflame. It burned blue for a couple of seconds before it cooled down and turned yellow.

I picked up my phone with shaking hands, turned the flash on, and took a picture of myself. As I opened the picture, I saw just what I was afraid of seeing.

I was surrounded by a blue aura, and in my eyes danced blue flames.

---

Stiles

“Class starts in five minutes!” bellowed Coach. I knew there was a blackout and all, but whosever idea it had been to give that man a megaphone was probably going to burn in hell for the rest of eternity. “Just because there’s no power, don’t expect there to be no school!”

“That’s a triple-negative,” I said. “Very impressive, Coach.”

“Copy that.”

As I tried to pick my math book out of my locker, I accidentally knocked my keys down on the floor. It was when I picked them up that I noticed a key I hadn’t seen before. “Hello. Where did you come from?”

The thought quickly disappeared from my mind when I saw Scott walk into school. I gestured for him to get over here, but his gaze was stuck on something else.

I turned around and locked eyes on what he was staring at.

Kira.

Seeing both of our gazes on her, Kira quickly turned around and headed for her locker. Scott set after her, but I stopped him.

“No. No. Stop. Stop.”

“What?” he questioned. “I need to talk to her.”

“No, you need to remember someone left a coded message telling Barrow to kill her.”

“Which is why I need to talk to her.”

“Scott, no way. Until we figure out if she’s just another psychotic monster that’s gonna start murdering everybody, I vote against any and all interaction.”

“But what if she’s like me?”

“That girl walked through 1.21 gigawatts of electricity. She’s not like you.”

“Aren’t you being a bit hypocritical, or do I need to remind you who else did that?” Scott asked. “Who you also wanted to talk to about it right after it happened but I stopped you.”

“Valerie’s different,” I insisted while urgently trying to fight the blush that was rising to my cheeks. “We know her. We have since we were ten years old. All signs point to that she has no idea what’s going on. Kira just transferred here. We don’t know anything about her.”

Scott nodded as he finally seemed to understand my point. “So, are you going to talk to her now?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I can’t. She skipped school today.”

Scott’s brows furrowed in confusion. “How do you know that? School has hardly started yet. She could just be running late.”

I shook my head again. “Valerie’s never late. She always gets here before me. Always. Every day since freshman year I’ve walked into school and seen her standing by her locker down the hall. It was even the same in middle school. She’s never even had a sick-day. The only exceptions were during that one week at the end of freshman year.”

---

“This is where her scent led you?” I asked, slamming the jeep-door shut and stepping out into a remote corner of Beacon Hills I’d never been in before.

Scott took off his helmet and nodded. “She’s in there.” He pointed at the building in front of us. The top floors seemed to be apartments, but the lower floor took the form of a small pub. I could hear music coming from inside, and a red neon sign at the top read: Marcel’s.

My brows rose in skeptical surprise. “In there? Really?”

Scott nodded. “I’m not lying. Now, why don’t you go in there and find her? I have to ride back and pick up Kira,” he said, putting his helmet back on.

“Whoa, whoa. Hold on,” I protested. “You’re just gonna leave me here alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? Why would you do that?”

“We don’t have much time, and I’m pretty sure she’ll listen to you more than me.”

Before I had a chance to protest some more, Scott drove off, leaving me alone to go inside a pub to convince a girl who kind of hates me and kind of doesn’t to help us break into the Sherriff’s Station.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. I also need to tell her that werewolves exist.

How did my life come to this?

Stepping into Marcel's, I was immediately hit with the intense smells of sweat and alcohol. But despite that, there was still an inviting feel to the place. So much so that the number of people there on a weekday evening didn’t surprise me.

The door opened right into the dance floor, which, to my luck, was relatively tame right now since no music was playing. I kept my eyes on the crowd, scanning it for Valerie, but I could hear the rustle of a band getting on stage.

Just as I started moving to get a better look around, the first cords of a song I recognized rang through the speakers, and a voice I recognized started to sing.

“There's only two types of people in the world The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe Well baby I'm a put-on-a-show kinda girl Don't like the backseat, gotta be first”

I froze. I knew that voice. It was that voice I came here to talk to.

My eyes locked on the stage and sure enough – there she stood. With mike in hand, on top of the stage, singing her heart out, stood Valerie Thomas.

“I'm like the ringleader I call the shots I'm like a firecracker I make it hot”

I had never heard her singing before, and I regretted it deeply. I wished I could’ve listened to it every day of my life. Her voice was mesmerizing and angelic. As she sang and danced around up there she was just oozing natural talent. I had never seen her look so at home before. Everyone in the room could see that she was born to do this. She was born to be on stage.

“When I put on a show I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage Better be ready, hope ya feel the same”

I stood there staring at her like a fool. I was absolutely and completely mesmerized. If I was surprised at the fact that Scott said she was in a pub, it was nothing compared to the fact that she was actually singing in that pub. Pair that with pure etherealness of her voice and you could probably understand why I couldn’t move.

“All the eyes on me in the center of the ring Just like a circus When I crack that whip, everybody goin' trip Just like a circus Don't stand there watching me, follow me Show me what you can do Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor Just like a circus”

I finally managed to compose myself enough to break out of my hypnotized-like state. I headed towards the bar, deciding it was best to just sit there and wait for Valerie to get off of the stage. I couldn’t exactly talk to her right now.

I took a seat in one of the barstools, looking back at the stage again. I realized that I had no idea how long she’d be up there. We didn’t have much time, so what would I do if I ran out of it? Should I just leave her here and then try and talk to her tomorrow. I could, but I didn’t like the idea of postponing this even more. Maybe I could just scream her name when the song was over. It would be embarrassing, but I’ve done worse (which Valerie has reminded me of several times), and it would definitely catch her attention. No, that was stupid.

“Do you wanna order something?”

I almost jumped out of my skin as the new voice interrupted my thoughts. The source of the voice stood on the other side of the bar. He was a chubby Hispanic man in his mid to late fifties. He had bushy black eyebrows and a big mustache. His voice was deep and gruff, but he had kind eyes that instantly made me trust him.

I guessed this was Marcel.

A deep chuckle escaped from him at my reaction.

“Sorry, kid. Didn’t mean to scare ya’.”

“It’s fine,” I managed to choke out. “I’ll just take a coke, please.” I hadn’t exactly planned on ordering something, but it felt rude not to. I slid him the money, muttering for him to keep the change, and he picked up a coke bottle out of the freezer.

I took a sip before clearing my throat and pointing to the stage. “Do you know when that girl gets off?”

A loud and good-humored laugh that caught me of guard escaped his throat. “Don’t even think about it, kid,” he said. “She’ll eat you alive.”

My face immediately heated up. “NO! No, no, no, no! It’s not like- that wasn’t what I- I... I just go to the same school as her and I really need to talk to her. It’s kind of urgent.”

“Oh, I see...” Marcel mumbled, his humorous expression immediately morphing into a concerned one. “There’s just one more song left before she’s taking her first break. You can talk to her then.”

“Thanks,” I said, smiling, but at the same time desperately rubbing my cheeks hoping the blush would disappear. I don’t know what I was thinking, you can’t rub away your blush, but it made sense at the time.

Marcel gave me a pointed look. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Stiles.”

“Stiles Stilinski?”

I nodded hesitantly, wondering how this man knew my name. “Yeah.”

Instead of offering an explanation, Marcel turned around, cupped his hand around his mouth and shouted, “Julia, come over! The Stilinski boy is here! You owe me twenty bucks!”

The backdoor behind the bar opened and a beautiful Hispanic woman hurried out, who, judging by the wedding rings on both of their fingers, was Marcel’s wife. Her dark-brown hair was long, thick and curly. She was wearing a turquoise blouse and an apron, and her lips were painted dark-red.

Julia’s eyes were locked on her husband as she hurried towards him, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. ”What are you talking about?”

Marcel pointed at me.”That’s him right here. I told you he’d show up here one day. Now hand me my twenty bucks.”

Julia’s intense stare immediately shifted to me. “You’re Stilinski?”

“Yes, but hold up,” I said, holding up my hands. “Can you please backtrack and tell me what the hell is going on here?”

Marcel shrugged. “It’s simple. I thought you would show up, Julia didn’t. You did show up. Julia owes my twenty bucks.”

“How do you even know who I am?”

“She talks about you a lot,” Julia said simply, nodding her head towards the stage. I looked over at Valerie once again, processing the news. This day was certainly full of surprises.

“All bad things I guess,” I said once I turned back to them.

Marcel shrugged. “Not so much recently.”

I fought the urge to smile. Marcel and Julia seemed nice and all, but I wasn’t comfortable being that vulnerable in front of them.

Julia turned to her husband and muttered something about getting ice before walking back into the backdoor.

“Remember my twenty bucks!” He called out after her.

“We have a shared economy, tarado!”

“It’s the thought that counts!” With that final statement, Marcel began working at something behind the bar and I was left alone with my thoughts, and boy were there a lot of them.

But coincidentally, juts then Valerie got off stage. She strutted towards the bar without noticing me and flopped down in a bar stool on the far left.

“Julia!” she called out and once again the backdoor opened. This time Julia was holding a glass of water with a couple of ice cubes floating around in it. She set down the glass in front of her and Valerie shugged it in one go.

I opened my mouth to call out her name, but she interrupted me.

“Thanks, Julia. You’re a lifesaver,” she panted.

Julia laughed. “It’s just what I do. Now, how are you feeling?” Her face morphed from humorous to concerned just as quickly as her husband’s as she reached out and began stroking Valerie’s hair. “You feel like talking about that Barrow thing now?”

Valerie shook her head. “Not really. But I feel much better. You know coming here always cheers me up. I can’t thank you guys enough for letting me sing here.”

“Oh, please! You’re so talented. We get more business when you sing. And Colin and the others love playing with you.”

Valerie’s cheeks tainted pink and her lips pulled up in a giddy smile. “Thank you. How’s it going with... you know,” Valerie’s gaze fluttered down to Julia’s stomach for a brief moment.

A bittersweet smile tugged on Julia’s red-painted lips. “We have an appointment booked for tomorrow. Hopefully, everything will be cleared up then.”

“Well, I wish you good luck then.” Valerie mirrored her bittersweet smile, and the two of them fell silent. I knew that was a perfect moment for me to get her attention, but their moment seemed so personal and intimate. I didn’t want to interrupt that.

But then Julia decided to do it for me.

“There’s someone here who wants to speak with you.”

Valerie frowned. “What?”

“A boy.”

“A boy?”

Julia nodded and pointed her finger at me. Valerie looked where she was pointing and our eyes met.

I don’t think I’d ever seen Valerie so surprised before. She was so completely caught off guard that she just stood there and stared at me. Not even when I gave her an awkward smile and wave did she budge. Eventually, I just decided to speak up. It’s not like her ears weren’t working.

“Hi, could I talk to you for a minute?”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Well, that wasn’t an answer.

“I need to talk to you.”

It didn’t seem like that one registered with Valerie either. She just continued staring at me with that dumbfounded expression and asked, “How did you even find me?”

“I have my ways,” I said. That one seemed to finally burst Valerie’s shocked bubble.

She let out a heavy sigh. “Keeping it vague, are we?”

I smiled. “It’s my specialty.” Valerie nodded in agreement, and I decided just to get over myself and stood up to take a seat in the stool next to her.

“Look, we need to talk. We have for a while now. I know that’s why you’ve been avoiding me, but that’s over now. I’m so very sorry about keeping things from you, but if you come with me right now I promise I’ll explain everything.”

Valerie looked skeptical, and a bit scared. It wasn’t ideal, but it was a huge improvement so I took it as a win.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“To the Sheriff’s station,” I said. “We’re breaking- well, Scott and Kira are breaking in.”

“To steal Kira’s phone back,” she guessed.

I nodded. “Exactly. Now, look, I’m not gonna force you to do anything, but you coming with me would be the best for both of us.”

Valerie still looked a bit uncertain. I could see the conflict in her eyes. She wanted to go with me – of course she did. She wanted to know what had happened with her best friend. She wanted to know what had been happening with her. She wanted to stop the confusion.

But at the same time, she was scared. She knew whatever I had to tell her wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“Val,” I said quietly while taking her hand in mine. The intimate gestured paired with me using her nickname seemed to catch her off guard. But this was in a different way than when I’d shown up here. It was more subtle, but so much more powerful. “I know that this is scary, but I have experience with this. Trust me, it’s always much better when they know.”

Valerie locked eyes with me. It was extremely different from the way she’d looked at me in the past couple of weeks, and I can’t express how good it felt to have her look at me like that again. She was no longer avoiding or hiding from me. Now I saw all of her again. This wasn’t a mask or persona she tried to put up. This right here, was the real Valerie.

Her lips parted, and she was just about to say something when she was interrupted.

“Hey Val, what’s going on?”

Valerie immediately broke our eye contact and removed her hand from mine at the sound of that voice. I looked up angrily to find the source of it. My eyes met with the source, and I immediately felt insecure.

I remembered him as the guitarist of the band that Valerie had been singing alongside of, and now that I got a closer look at him, it was clear that he was Julia and Marcel’s son.

He was tall. Like, extremely tall. Six four at least. He had swooping black hair, thick eyebrows, and deep-set brown eyes. There was no escaping the fact that he was extremely handsome.

When Valerie turned around to look at him, he got a clear view of my face. His eyes widened as they locked with mine, and he turned back to Valerie.

“Whoa, what’s Stilinski doing here?”

What was the deal with everyone knowing who I was?

Valerie opened her mouth, but no good response seemed to come to her. After gaping for a couple of seconds, she finally opted for, “That’s not important. Look, Colin,” she stood up, “I’m really sorry but I have to go. I wish I could stay and play but it’s really important.”

Colin looked concerned. “What’s going on, Val?”

“I’ll tell you later, I promise. Just tell the other guys I’m sorry, okay?”

When Colin nodded, Valerie turned back, took a hold of my arm and led me out of the building.

(not my gif)

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ymnfilter · 4 years

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He Found A Love [Klaine FF, One-Sided Sam/Kurt]

Summary:

Set somewhere between Born This Way and Rumors. Sam is jealous that Kurt doesn't have a crush on him anymore and is in a relationship with klaine.

Sam had first noticed Kurt when he first entered the Glee Choir Room. It's not surprising. Kurt demands attention. Not in a way Rachel does, with her loud voice and questionable actions. Kurt demands attention silently. As if he knows all he'll have to do is exist and everyone will always just look at him. He dresses like he wants to impress the world, acts like royalty even when he thinks no one is looking at him. During the weeks Sam has spent in the school, he has never once seen Kurt Hummel's facade slip.

But back to the point, Sam noticed Kurt when he first performed in the choir room. Mostly because Kurt had been staring at him quite intently. But Sam hadn't known then, hadn't really thought much about the other boy's glasz eyes, paper-delicate skin, or pretty features. He had just turned his head slightly more to the left and found himself mesmerized with Quinn instead.

It was easier to pin his affections on her. Because Quinn was a her.

He should've known it wouldn't last, though. He spent most of his time, that wasn't being spent chasing Quinn, looking for Kurt, or staring at Kurt, or wanting to talk to Kurt. Kurt had one of the softest voices he had ever heard. At the same time, he also had the coldest tone. He could tear you to pieces just with a few words and then heal you back to health with even less.

And Sam soaked in the attention Kurt gave him. It might be slightly childish but Sam liked that Kurt liked him even if he was going out with Quinn. He was on the football team, had the head cheerleader as his girlfriend, and had the (beautiful) resident gay kid in love with him. It was like he was living in a teen rom-com.

Nothing could go wrong.

But then, well. Then Blaine happened.

Suddenly there was another boy for Kurt to dump his affections onto. And he seemed to like this Blaine kid even more than he liked Sam. He was positively smitten, and while the rest of the glee club might find it cute, all Sam could do was find it irritating.

Because now Sam couldn't look for Kurt and find him looking back at him. Now whenever Sam looked at Kurt, it was to find the other boy grinning at his phone.

He couldn't talk to Kurt without realizing that the softness of his voice was gone. The gentle tone of his voice was reserved for quiet phone calls to his boyfriend in front of his locker in the middle of hallways. Or the parking lot, or sometimes even the choir room.

Sam hated it, but he could tolerate it. And it was fine, because even when Kurt texted Blaine between classes, he had to look up from his phone at some point and look at Sam instead. And just because Kurt wouldn't talk softly to him anymore, doesn't mean Sam couldn't make him laugh with his mad impression skillz.

Yes. Skillz with a 'z'.

But then Finn invited everyone over for game night, and Sam had all this excitement contained in him. Excitement for some undivided time with Kurt (and the rest of the boys, but at least not Blaine) excitement for getting to talk to Kurt. Maybe if he made Kurt laugh enough, Kurt will start using the soft voice with him again. Sam was really just very excited.

And then all his excitement turned to shit when he rang the doorbell to the Hudson-hummel household and a completely unfamiliar boy opened the door.

Sam had never seen him before, but he knew who he was. And he hated him for it.

"Who're you?" Puck asked from behind him, and the boy smiled, all straight white teeth and crinkled laugh lines. He looked like a fucking showman. Sam hated him more.

"I'm Blaine. Kurt's boyfriend."

"Ah. You're the boy my boy is smitten with. I'm Puck. This is Sam, and this is Mike." Puck made the introductions as Blaine opened the door wider to let everyone in.

"It's nice to meet you all. Kurt talk about you. I hope you don't mind Finn inviting me for game night too."

Finn invited him? Finn? Sam felt betrayed. With the way Finn always rolled his eyes whenever Kurt brought Blaine up in conversation, Sam was sure Finn hated the guy. And now he's inviting him to sacred game nights?

"Nah man, the more the merrier." Mike said with a smile, and Sam wanted to gasp dramatically in outrage.

"But the real question is, are you any good?" Puck asked with a smirk.

"I board an all boys private school. Trust me when I say that before Kurt, video games were the only way I could spend my nights and stay sane."

Sam bristled. Before Kurt? How did he spend his nights now then?

Sam was about to open his mouth and say something that was no doubt offensive. Maybe something about the guy's crazy curly hair, or how no matter how dapper he looked or acted, it still wouldn't change that he was still at least half a foot shorter than Sam.

Thankfully, they reached the living room by then, and Sam's attention was completely directed towards Kurt, who was sprawled across the small love seat, his head on the cushion and legs dangling from the arm of the chair. Those beautiful eyes looked up from where he was reading some girly magazine and smiled at Sam (and the rest of the guys, but really at Sam.)

"Hey, Kurt." Sam said and casually took a seat at the front of the sofa closest to the one Kurt occupied. Hah. He inwardly cheered, where you going to sit now, Blainey boy?

"Hey Sam." he said and smiled and Sam preened. Kurt turned to the others, "Hey, you guys."

Sam was still smirking silently as the others answered the greeting, but it dropped pretty fast when he saw Blaine making his way to the love seat Kurt was laying on. There was no space. Where was he going to sit? On Kurt's stomach? But then, Kurt silently raised his upper body up a bit, and Blaine sat on the space cleared, only for Kurt to drop his head on Blaine's lap the next second.

No.

Sam looked around, no body was looking at the two of them. Why wasn't anyone looking at the two of them? Mike just put on the Call of Duty 3 CD of the play station and Finn casually passed the controllers to everyone, including Blaine.

Why wasn't anybody going to say anything about those two essentially cuddling with each other on sacred game night?

"Dude, where's your mom? I thought you said she had a day off?" Sam said after a while. It was to mostly serve as a distraction whilst he tried to shoot at Blaine as subtly as possible. Sure, it wouldn't be good for their team (Blaine was a good player, for someone who's gay) but it was the only thing Sam could do not to snatch Kurt's hand where it was lightly caressing the back of Blaine's neck.

But then again, maybe if Kurt's dad and Finn's mom were home, they wouldn't let their son and his boyfriend act so couple-y and cozy in the middle of the living room.

"She and Burt went grocery shopping. They should be back in a bit."

From where he was sprawled on the couch, Kurt pouted,

"I really wanted to go too. I heard there's a sale on sea food this week."

"Dude, you always grab stuff that no body's even heard of before. And you won't let Burt get the good beer." Finn said as an explanation.

"That's because I would really like my dad to hit his 90s." Kurt snapped back, and before Sam could say anything to back Kurt up, Blaine piped up,

"Maybe they just wanted to spend some alone time together. It is the weekend."

"Grocery shopping? They wanted to spend some alone time together grocery shopping, Blaine?" and Sam snickered. Mike looked at him weirdly for a moment but Sam payed him no mind.

"Hey, come on. You love getting groceries with me."

Kurt was silent for a moment, and Sam's heart dropped, because when Kurt spoke next, it was a whole new level of soft voice.

"Well yeah, but it's shopping with you." Blaine looked away from the screen to grin at Kurt, and on screen his avatar died. Sam killed him. No body noticed.

"I rest my case." Blaine mumbled, and Sam cursed himself for sitting so close, because from this distance, he could hear the awe in Blaine's voice. He could also hear a soft, pleased , almost silent hmm that Kurt let out as a response.

"Hey Kurt, how's the French homework going?" Sam blurted out the first thing that came out of his mouth. And it was a very reasonable thing to ask, in his opinion. After all, everybody knew French was Kurt's favorite subject in school, a school that he didn't share with Blaine. Sam couldn't have thought of a better conversation topic to freeze Blaine out. But it back fired. Again. Because of course it did.

"You don't take French, Sam?" Kurt asked him with an adorable head tilt. Sam's mind went into overdrive,

"Yeah, but my friend, Brett does. He told me that your teacher was kind of really dragging you all through the mud this week."

Kurt scoffed,

"Brett? You mean that boy that smells homeless? I would hardly expect him to enjoy a language as sophisticated as French. I have no idea why he's taking it if he finds even the basic tenses difficult."

Sam didn't know what to say to that, but apparently Blaine did,

"You guys are still on tenses? In your junior year?"

"The rest of the year is. I myself, am already quite fluent. But, I really wouldn't mind someone I could practice it with. I can only talk to myself so much in French."

"You do know that you have a boyfriend who's also fluent in French?" Blaine teased him, glancing at Kurt for a moment before going back to looking at the TV screen,

"You wouldn't mind doing that for me?"

"Of course not. I'll just hit you up whenever I'm studying it, and we can practice together."

How does Sam manage to kick himself so thoroughly?

Before Sam can say something that would inadvertently end up with Blaine and Kurt spending even more time together, he hears the lock of the main door turn, and Mrs.H's voice calling out a sweet we're home! to the boys. Blaine deliberately dies onscreen and both him and Kurt get up to help Mrs. H and Kurt's dad with all the bags. Sam feels like he should help to, but it's probably like his 2nd time at the Hudmel's , and he is predominantly Finn's friend (who himself is still playing) even though he'd much rather be here as Kurt's boyfriend, so the whole thing would probably just be super awkward,

"Oh, Blaine dear, I didn't know you were coming over today! I would've made some of that custard you like so much."

"I hope it's no trouble, Carol. Finn invited me to game night. Plus, dad's off to Costa Rico on business." Blaine grins, "As for the custard, I was hoping you could teach me. Just in case I start showing withdrawal symptoms."

Carol laughs, "Oh honey, if I taught you how to make the custard, I'm afraid we might just not see you again."

"Yes." Kurt drawls, good naturedly, "That's why Blaine's my boyfriend. Because of custard."

"Darn it, you figured me out." Blaine retorts, but pulls Kurt closer to press his lips to the other boy's temple.

"My, aren't you too just the cutest!" Carol sighs and turns to Kurt's father just as he's coming in through the garage, "Aren't they just the cutest, sweetie?"

"Yes. That's how I'm going to end up in the hospital again. Diabetes from my son's relationship." Burt grunts before turning to Blaine with a grin, "Hey, kiddo. Didja watch the game yesterday?"

"Hell yeah. Buckeyes won 25-11. It was awesome."

"Yer damn right, it was. You staying over for dinner?"

Blaine smiles cheekily, "If you don't mind."

"Of course not, we haven't seen you in a bit over a week."

"Yeah, school's been a bit rough. Mid terms are coming up."

And the conversation continues between the four members as they put away all the grocery. They sound like a regular family, with Blaine blending seamlessly with his boyfriend's parents. It's all Sam can do to not groan out loud. If Mr. And Mrs Hummel are so supportive of Blaine and Blaine and Kurt's relationship, Sam can't really see any way to break them up so that Kurt would pay attention to him again.

It's a childish thought anyway. Sam thinks. It's not like he wants to date Kurt anyway. Sam's straight. He is. It's just, attention and hero worship directed towards him is good for his self esteem, regardless of the gender of his admirer.

And Sam admires Kurt, Kurt is beautiful and strong and elegant to the point where it's almost regal. To have someone like that admire Sam had gone to his head way too fast.

And yeah, maybe watching Blaine and Kurt together hurts Sam's stomach a little. But he's pretty sure he'll get over it eventually. Maybe he'll skip some of the Hudmel house game nights from now on. It'll be a step in the right direction.

#klaine #glee #old fic #kurt hummel #blaine anderson #kurt and blaine #klaine fanfic #klaine fanfiction #ao3

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alarawriting · 4 years

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Inktober #26: Dark

My name’s Mike London, and I hunt vampires, and that’s why I don’t love the darkness anymore.

Yeah, I know, I know. At this point you’re probably thinking “do we really have time to unpack all that?”, but the thing you’re getting hung up on is vampires, because vampires aren’t real. How could creatures who are technically dead survive only on blood, and if they were running around turning people into vampires every time they drank blood, why isn’t the world overrun with vampires? How could anyone function if they burst into flames when exposed to sunlight, why wouldn’t they show up on mirrors, does that mean they don’t show up on cameras, so on and so forth.

Okay, so most of the myths are wrong. You can see a vampire in a mirror… unless the vampire is positioned to see into your eyes, or their reflection. Vampires are stronger than humans but not by much – you know about that hysterical strength “mom lifts car off child” thing humans can do in extreme circumstances? They can do it all the time, because their bodies are constantly resetting to a perfect state based on what they were like at the moment of undeath, plus their self-image, with bodies that are perfectly healed except for anything that’s part of the self-image, like a scar that they’ve grown to identify with or a piercing. They’re faster than most humans, but they still have human muscles, so we’re talking Usain Bolt, not the Flash, or even a cheetah. They do burst into flames when exposed to strong ultraviolet light, a condition I can kind of sympathize with myself. And they aren’t created when a vampire drinks your blood, but when you drink a vampire’s, when your own blood levels are very low. As soon as a person has more vampiric blood than human blood in their system, boom, vampire.

They have only one really magical superpower, aside from the fact that they’re alive when they shouldn’t be, and it explains all the others that humans believe they have. If they can look into your eyes, and hold your gaze, they can control your mind. Make you think they’re invisible, make you think they just exploded into a hundred bats, make you compelled to do what they say.

It doesn’t work on me, because I’m an albino. And that’s why, despite the fact that all I ever wanted was to write programs, I am stuck hunting vampires as a side hustle. I’m still physically weaker and slower than they are, and while I see better in the dark than you do, I don’t see as well as they do. In light without UV components, such as standard indoor lighting, my vision’s more impaired than theirs, and a lot more than yours. But they can’t mesmerize me, and frankly, your average vampire has gotten so used to being able to mesmerize humans, it’s crippling for them to run into a human where it doesn’t work.

You probably haven’t got the vaguest idea why being an albino protects me. Maybe you have some notion that albinos have weird superpowers, since frankly in fiction we almost always do. You probably don’t know exactly how my disabilities work – in movies and TV, albinos never get to play albinos, it’s always white men in makeup.

Albinos have bad vision. Lack of pigment in the retina when we’re developing gives us vision problems that can’t be corrected with glasses. It’s like we have fewer pixels to see the world than you do, so everything’s going to be fuzzy no matter how strong the prescription lenses are. And a side effect of bad vision from birth is something called rhythmatic nystagmus, where our eyes go back and forth like an old DVD using pan-and-scan to show a movie on old-school near-square CRT televisions. (Old technology’s a hobby of mine.) I don’t have any conscious control or even awareness of it; I couldn’t stop my eyes from moving like that if I tried, short of closing them. My brain does post-processing on the moving image to make it look to me like my eyes aren’t moving, combining multiple snapshots from different angles into a single image. It means my ability to see a moving object is crap even if it’s close enough that I should be able to see it otherwise, but in theory it lets me see more detail than I would otherwise.

The thing is, there’s a reason the legends all have the vampires going “Look into my eyes”. They need to be able to make and sustain eye contact, the kind where you stare into each other’s eyes, and they can’t do that with eyes that are moving constantly. It’s not that I can’t see their eyes, because for me things don’t look like they’re going back and forth while my eyes move. It’s that they can’t look into mine.

I found this out the hard way last year. I was working at a big financial company, and I was behind schedule on the software I was building for them, and they had security rules that didn’t allow me to work from home. The boss used to say not to stay after hours, but I figured this was the kind of thing bosses say to make the company sound friendly and accommodating but is actually a control freak thing intended to benefit the morning people, which I have never been one of. I can’t drive – the state won’t give me a license, with my eyes – and I have chronic insomnia and equally chronic problems with waking up in the morning, making it impossible for me to rideshare with any of my co-workers. So I generally have an intermittently employed friend of mine who shares my apartment drive me places, and this means I’m usually late to work. If I can’t stay late and I can’t bring work home, I fall behind on my projects. Also, I do my best work late at night when there are no distractions. So I was in the habit of going to the bathroom with all of my stuff around 5:30 and then coming out at 6 after my boss had left. I could sit on the toilet with my laptop and continue to work, answering emails and setting Outlook to send them at 8 am in the morning the next day to make it look like I work normal hours, and then when I came out I could get back to the serious programming work, because my boss wasn’t a programmer and had no idea how to check the timestamps of my build check-ins.

It turned out it wasn’t corporate bullcrap after all. It was vampires. Vampires would come into the building to hold meetings on some kind of irregular schedule that meant something to them. I’d been working late for almost two weeks when they showed up, mesmerized my housemate and nearly ate both of us, and I had to kill a few of them with the combination of a steak knife from the kitchen and the cheap bamboo chopsticks I have a few hundred of in my drawer because I’m always getting Chinese takeout for lunch. See, you can’t actually stab a chopstick into a vampire’s heart – it’s too fragile – but stabbing with a regular knife only takes them out of commission for the two minutes or so it takes them to heal. But if you then stick a wooden chopstick in the wound, it prevents them from regenerating, and bamboo is apparently wood for vampire-killing purposes.

Also, I had a black light in my laptop bag, suitable for detecting whether my cats have peed on my laptop bag before I take it to work because they’ve done it so many times I’ve gotten desensitized to the smell of cat pee, and while I don’t like looking at UV light – my eyes have zero protection from it, so it’s painful – it’s a lot worse for vampires, whose skin will burn from very tiny amounts of UV exposure and can actually set on fire. And it’s just astonishing how often vampires will stand there trying to mesmerize you while you walk up to them and stab them in the heart, because they just can’t comprehend “human who cannot be mesmerized”.

And now that I know vampires exist and that I’m immune to their most powerful weapon… well, shit. I’m kind of stuck. I don’t actually know any other albinos, or anyone else with rhythmic nystagmus, and for normal people, wearing the kind of dark glasses that make it so the vampires can’t see your eyes will completely prevent you from seeing anything in the kind of darkness vampires like. I’m the only one I know who can do this. And they don’t kill humans constantly – they don’t need to – but they spread disease (they can’t get blood-borne illnesses but they can sure carry them) and they tend to pick on weaker humans to begin with, people who have less resistance to the bad effects of losing a lot of blood, because if chronically ill people seem sick and lethargic everyone assumes it’s their illness and not vampires attacking them. They’re like humanoid rats, in other words. If you had a well-behaved pet one who never harmed humans and only drank from volunteers, that one would be fine. But the rest of them are vermin.

Now, the best time to kill vampires is during the day, when they’re sleeping. Vampires know this. You are not going to find them when they’re sleeping, and if you did, you’d have to fight your way through their security guards, who are human, and do not know they’re protecting vampires, and really don’t deserve to have to deal with people trying to kill them. Also, being security guards, they are better at mayhem than I am; I’m an IT guy. So, lucky me, I have to go after them at night, when they have all the advantages except one: they expect to be able to mesmerize me, and they can’t.

Nighttime used to be my time. No bright sun glaring in my face and giving me a sunburn. Everyone around me having such poor vision from it being dark that my bad eyesight isn’t a disadvantage anymore, and when it’s dark enough, my eyesight gets better than theirs because my eyes collect every single photon that hits them, no filters. I’d walk around at night, or crank up my stereo and write code until 4 am.

But every time it’s dark, now, I know: they’re out there. They’re hunting. Feeding. And if I don’t track them down and get rid of them, people might die.

And that’s why I can’t love the darkness anymore.

#inktober 2019 #mike london #albinism #actually accurate information about albinism

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themagiciansreccenter · 5 years

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Five @ Five @thursdayeuclid

As a part of our author spotlight, we’ve asked each writer to highlight 5 fics and tell us a little about their experience writing (or reading) them.

Modified Aspect Ratio by @sabrinachill

Quentin flinches when party hats suddenly appear on all three of their heads - the pointy, cardboard kind, with elastic straps that bite into the soft underside of their chins. Crepe paper streamers float in the air and balloons drop from where a ceiling should be, drifting down to scatter across the white expanse that serves as a floor. Tiny multicolored fireworks explode into shapes like smiley-faces and stars, and a three-tiered cake coated in yellow and red icing pops into existence in a puff of flour, hovering to the monster’s right.

But the biggest decoration - and weirdest, by far - is the enormous blue neon sign with the words “Welcome to Hollywood!” strobing insistently against the white blankness.

The monster is now wearing a wizard costume, for some unknown reason, and bouncing up and down while clapping its hands and performing a horribly off-key rendition of “Party in the USA.”

“This is officially the worst party I’ve ever attended, including the one where we murdered a couple of gods,” Eliot mutters.

Quentin’s answering sigh is epic and professional-grade, containing all the exasperated resignation in the galaxy. “Why is it that everything that happens to us is always equal parts absurd and terrifying? I mean, I could accept regular old fear and tragedy, sure, whatever, everybody gets those. But it’s like the universe gets off on dicking us around.”

He wants to slump, all dramatic and defeated, but he’s still pinned in place by the monster’s powerful will, like a butterfly in a display case.

This has to be my favorite Queliot AU. It's patently ridiculous but just believable enough to really touch your heart. Which, honestly, is most of the show too. I laughed and cried reading this. It's amazing and unpredictable and goes places I would never have imagined.

to be unbroken or be brave again by @milominderbindered

After the fourth time it happens, Josh decides to go for it, and as they’re bathing in the sweaty afterglow, he asks Margo if she wants to go on a date.

Margo looks at him, up and down, and says, “No offence, Hoberman, but no.”

“Oh.” Josh’s stomach sinks a bit. He pulls up his pants and takes a joint out of his pocket. “Okay, that’s chill too. Wanna smoke?”

“Oh, don’t look all sorry for yourself,” Margo says, rolling her eyes as she picks herself up from the bathroom floor and inspects her hair in the mirror. “It’s nothing personal. You’re nice, the sex is good, whatever. But, listen. Eliot is my best friend, and he’s going through this incredibly shitty time right now. Specifically to do with love. It’s been a couple months since that Mike shit went down, but he’s still seriously messed up, and he’s my first priority, capiche? I’m not gonna start dating someone and just leave him by himself half the time, or shove a bunch of lovey-dovey crap in his face. No way. I’m not gonna date anyone until Eliot’s dating again, too.”

“Right,” says Josh, slowly, as he lights his joint and thinks about it. “Not until he’s dating someone too. Got it.”

He thinks about the party raging downstairs, and about what he knows about Eliot. Eliot’s had no problem hooking with guys recently, everyone knows that, but he’s not kept anyone around for more than a night. He’s heard Margo calling it Eliot’s attachment freak-outs when he drops the guys as soon as they suggest sucking his dick more than once , which makes sense. Except. Well, there’s that one first year, with the floppy hair and the Lord of the Rings t-shirt. Eliot and the first year with the weird name haven’t hooked up, according to Josh’s well-informed rumour mill, but he certainly seems to be the only person other than Margo who Eliot’s remotely interested in spending time with when he’s not drunk.

There aren’t a lot of things in life Josh Hoberman has an excess of. But he’s not hard up for money. He’s got a trust fund and a drug hustle. And he’d spotted Eliot’s first year at the school noticeboard taking the number for a three-headed-dog walking ad, the other day.

So, just like that. The threads tangle together.

So this is a 10 Things I Hate About You AU (which was itself a reimagining of Taming of the Shrew), and I'm living for it, just right off the bat. I love Hoberman wanting Margo so badly he goes to all this trouble. I love Quentin being morally compromised but just wanting to spend all his time with Eliot... I love it. This story deserved more attention. It made me laugh and 'aww' and have feelings, plus it's on the shorter side so you have no excuse not to read it.

we can kiss like real people do by VeryImportantDemon

“No offense,” Quentin began, squinting at the stranger, “but I don’t know you, um… Janet.”

“None taken,” the man said. “And my name’s not Janet, it’s Eliot. None of the names on these things are right, we just grab a nametag.”

“Oh,” Quentin said. He supposed that made sense. “But I still don’t know you.”

Eliot shrugged again, taking a sip of his coffee and licking his lips afterwards. Q tried to pretend like he wasn’t staring, but he and Eliot both knew that he was. “In that case, it can’t hurt to tell me, then,” he added.

“Why are you even here?” Quentin asked, stalling for time. Maybe the ridiculously attractive barista was on break and if Quentin talked long enough, that break would be up and he wouldn’t have to confess his embarrassing predicament.

“You’re sad and cute and I was bored,” Eliot said. “Now, spill.”

He was not to be deterred so Quentin didn’t have very long to dwell on the fact that he’d just been called cute. “I, um… I kind of lied to my dad,” he said.

“Ooo,” Eliot said, leaning forward. “Exciting. About what?”

“It’s not that exciting,” Quentin said. “I just… He’s worried I’m lonely and he keeps asking if I’ve met someone. I just told him I had a boyfriend once to get him to stop asking and now he wants to see a picture of us.”

“Mmhm,” Eliot said. “I think I’m following. Why didn’t you get that snack that was here earlier to take a pic with you?”

“I can’t,” Quentin said, wondering how his life had gotten to the point that he was having an impromptu therapy session with a barista. “That’s Penny. He’s my… Sort of friend? And he’s kind of an asshole.”

“Pity,” Eliot said. “This your phone?” he added, gesturing to the phone on the table.

“Yeah,” Quentin said. Before he said anything further, Eliot scooped it up, unlocked it with Quentin’s face, and then set about doing something Quentin couldn’t see. “Hey!” he protested. “That’s my phone!”

“I know,” Eliot said. He rose from his chair, crouched down beside Quentin, and flashed a mesmerizing smile. Quentin was sure he looked a little startled and confused in the selfie because he really was confused. Eliot moved fast. He tapped on Quentin’s phone for a few more seconds as he crossed the table and sat down in the chair he had previously occupied before tapping a few more times and sliding the phone back to Quentin. “There,” he said. “Problem solved.”

I am a complete sucker for fake dating, and this story has a delightful array of truly ridiculous fake dating tropes. Also, it has transgender Penny dating Margo, and as a trans man, I can only aspire to such absolute game. Well done, trans Penny. Godspeed you, good man. There's a scene where I was freaking out and very upset and the author had to reassure me in comments it would be okay, so I kept reading, and everything was lovely in the end.

The Honor of Your Presence by Page161of180

One of the first years-- Elliott (oh no, that is too confusing, even in his own internal monologue), ah, Todd doesn’t remember her name, not because he doesn’t care, but because there are two Emilies and an Emilia in the new class and he hasn’t quite sorted them out yet. Maybe he should ask them about their middle names?-- makes it halfway down the stairs, before coming to a dead stop at the sight of the PKC’s friendly neighborhood post-grad locked in a silent stare-off with a six-foot-something R-rated Disney prince in head-to-toe-- Todd’s pretty sure it’s brocade? It’s very shiny and kind of between mint and seafoam. Definitely a nice color, against pale skin and dark hair. Which Todd knows from dressing himself , not because he spends that much of his time thinking about-- Not that there’s anything wrong with--

Ha. Ha ha. What? Not the point.

Todd shakes his head frantically at Emily, Emily, or Emilia, and she gets the message, turning back up the stairs and retreating to the safety of her room. Todd wishes he could go with her. Not, like, with her , specifically; he’s more into Emily (other Emily? Or maybe she’s Emilia?), honestly. But, you know, away . Would be good.

Neither Eliot nor Quentin seem to notice she was ever there.

Eliot has been staring at Quentin for one minute and forty-five seconds, Todd’s face going more ashen with each moment that slips away, when the former (still?) king finally says, “I’m sorry. What ?”

And if it were Todd facing down Eliot like that (not that it would be; why would he be dating Eliot? Crazy.), he would have basically just, become one with the carpet, because that only sounds like a question. It is very clearly, obviously a trap. But Quentin-- man . Quentin has always been, just, super brave. Way braver than you would probably expect from someone who’s all, sort of, pocket-sized and, um, no judgment but, not really all that good? At magic? Like, not bad-- definitely not bad! Just. Kind of normal and-- soft? If that makes sense? He just sort of always looks like he needs a hug. Which is maybe why Eliot basically always has at least one arm wrapped around him.

Not now, though. Now, Eliot has both arms down at his sides, hands dangerously still, while Quentin crosses his own over his chest and sets his jaw.

This is just one of the greatest fics I've ever read in any fandom, for any pairing, and it's hilarious and feelsy and I had to keep pausing when I was reading it just to sit with my emotions for a minute. I recommend it to absolutely anyone who likes Queliot at all.

Ask Me, I Won't Say No by @veganshailseitan

None of them linger too long in their booth after they collect the gift certificate that will almost cover their drinks for next week-

Wednesday Night Trivia Rule 2: Only Penny and Alice are allowed to handle the gift certificates because they are the only ones who won’t lose them.

-exchanging hugs and kisses on cheeks. He’s walking out of the bar while texting —a grave mistake he should have learned from by now, but he just has to let the sitter know he’s going to be late real quick— when he suddenly smacks into something solid, sending his phone clattering to the floor.

Something solid which oh, fuck happens to be a person.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” the stranger says, despite the fact that Quentin should clearly be taking the blame here.

He’s ducking to pick up his hopefully-not-shattered phone before he can even spare a glance at the person, “You’re fine, I wasn’t paying attention to-” he loses the sentence as he stands back up, looking up to a face he’s only seen from across the room “-you?”

His brief interaction with the enemy-

”I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Eliot. Waugh.”

“Um, yeah, I’ve seen you here before, hi. Quentin Coldwater.”

“Quentin Coldwater?” -sticks in Quentin’s mind for the next week. He’s excited for trivia. More excited than the usual eagerness for his night out of the house with grown-ups, and nervous for the first time since he could remember. Which is so dumb and shows Quentin how painfully out of practice he is at interacting with other human beings.

He and the guy —Eliot— had barely exchanged two sentences and he’s pretty sure one of them had just been Eliot making fun of his name. But then again, his type has always been the ones that pulled his pigtails on the playground —which, yeah super healthy there Quentin, way to go— except for Arielle.

And there it was: the surefire way to kill whatever ill-advised excitement he’d been holding onto for the night.

He’s early this week, for reasons he’s already overthinking, so he goes ahead and grabs their usual table. It’s his week to pick-

Wednesday Night Trivia Rule 1: The person in charge of choosing the team name will rotate on a weekly basis in alphabetical order. That week’s decider can only be overruled by a unanimous vote from the rest of the team (per the March 2018 addendum).

-so he lets the group chat know he’s there, checks them in with the Quizmaster as To Be Perfectly Queer, (because he’s at least self-aware at this point in his life) and heads to the bar, trying to focus on whether or not he wants to try the new local craft brew they were pushing this month-

And immediately runs into Eliot.

Thankfully not literally this time.

“Well, hello, Quentin.” Eliot looks as surprised to run into him as Q is, which is stupid on both their parts.

“Uh, Eliot. Hello. How are you?” just talk like a normal human, Quentin, Jesus.

Eliot smiles, sultry and so over the top that Quentin almost laughs, “Fraternizing with the enemy, are we? I’m sworn to hold our knowledge in secrecy, so don’t you dare try to seduce it out of me.”

Quentin does laugh at that, somehow put at ease by Eliot’s carefree flirtation, “I’ll try to restrain my charms. Scout’s honor.”

I actually -just- got around to reading this one and I liked it so much it made me squee out loud on a couple of occasions. It's hot, it's kidfic, it's sweet, and there's feelings and fluff and smut. Basically a ridiculous AU where Eliot and Quentin are on opposing pub trivia teams. However, that premise accounts for only a fraction of this story's considerable charms. I didn't expect to love it like I did--I did, in fact, expect to love it in a totally different way--and then it hooked me and dragged me panting and squirming through a smorgasbord of emotion.

#the magicians rec center #five @ five #author spotlight #author spotlight: thursdayeuclid

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sowhatisthisfor · 6 years

Text

Movies 2018

List of films I watched in 2018 from best to worst.

Updated soon after I’ve seen them.

A Ghost Story [David Lowery, 2017, United States] No film has made me feel this melancholic ever. This is a film so profound, it examines existence in the simplest yet most esoteric way possible. It surely goes straight to the top of my all-time favourite list. 10/10

Burning (Boening) [Chang-dong Lee, 2018, South Korea] Shows the interrelation of hunger and class, the truths and the unknowns. Of how desires could either free you or cage you in unhappiness and despair. A mystery of misery that parallels its political viewpoint. 10/10

Roma [Alfonso Cuaron, 2018, Mexico] Its technical expertise in every element of every frame and composition is overwhelming. It's a movie about contrasts and how each opposite gives life balance, told with such authenticity, it's luxurious cinematic experience. 10/10

Women of the Weeping River [Dayoc, 2016, Philippines] A film about a generational blood feud, and also a metaphoric portrayal of the unending armed conflicts in Mindanao where the vulnerable is the most at risk, and the strong isn’t really unbreakable. 10/10

Kung Paano Hinihintay Ang Dapithapon [Carlo Catu, 2018, Philippines] a small film that tackles layers after layers of things too close to heart. Sincere and profound, definitely my favourite. 10/10

Loveless (Nelyubov) [Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2018, Russia] cold and chilling in all aspect from start to end. It has such great observation of the recognizable societal apathy. 10/10

Beats Per Minute (BPM) [Robin Campillo, 2017, France] Goosebumps. This is a film clear of its objective, it is exhilarating and exhausting in the good kind of way. 10/10

Cold War (Zimna Wojna) [Pawel Pawlikowski, 2018, Poland] Makes something despairing so beautiful with its artful composition, rightly-paced narrative transition, and cold but affecting character treatment. 10/10

Faces Places [JR, Agnès Varda, 2018, France] Wow. This is the film to watch when your soul is dying for art. Tears, I can't help them from falling. 10/10

Sid & Aya [Irene Villamor, 2018, Philippines] It’s too beautiful, I’m crying halfway through the film for how beautiful it is. You can watch this film without audio and understand it by its lighting, it’s that amazing. 10/10

Arrhythmia (Aritmiya) [Boris Khlebnikov, 2017, Russia] For a movie with characters of increasingly tenuous emotional bond, this is teeming with sensitivity and sensibility. It has so much love, neutrality, and longing, yet so cold and fleeting. Definitely, an emotional rollercoaster of my liking. 10/10

Shoplifters [Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2018, Japan] a film that questions if blood is thicker than the ties that bind us. Here’s Kore-eda capturing our hearts again with his gently-observed humanism. 10/10

Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus [Dwein Baltazar, 2018, Philippines] a genius anti-romance that plays along the lines of loving the thought of being in love and making yourself believe in your own ethereality. I love it. 10/10

Balangiga: Howling Wilderness [Khavn, 2017, Philippines] Disheartening and provocative in all its hypnagogia. 10/10

A Star is Born [Bardley Cooper, 2018, United States] If only for its music and its astounding performances, I'm already sold. 10/10

Oda sa Wala [Dwein Baltazar, 2018, Philippines] Is an ode to nothing, to the unseen, to the nobody, to the dead that's more alive than the living and to the living that's more dead than those who died. Baltazar has this gilt-edged technique that leaves its audience wretched yet buoyant. 10/10

The Shape of Water [Guillermo del Toro, 2017, United States] Elegant in its visuals, storytelling, and performances. It is del Toro’s best yet. 10/10

The Guilty (Den Skyldige) [Gustav Möller, 2018, Denmark] Is clever in its minimalism. A fast-paced action thriller and a psychological suspense, all shot entirely between four walls. 9.5/10

Hereditary [Ari Aster, 2018, United States] Unsettling down to the core with a convincing cast and a powerful storytelling. 9.5/10

Batch 81 [Mike de Leon, 1982, Philippines] In its subversiveness and its sardonic undertone is a remarkable spectacle of expertise, bravery, esoterica, and dynamism. 9.5/10

Dogman [Matteo Garrone, 2018, Italy] Examines a man's need to be recognized as a chihuahua in a shepherd's world. 9.5/10

BuyBust [Erik Matti, 2018, Philippines] a spectacular display of astounding filmmaking where every element is designed and choreographed fittingly well. Entertaining yet harrowing from start to finish, it's the kind of film that stays. 9.5/10

God’s Own Country [Francis Lee, 2017, United Kingdom] Features a kind of romance with such carefully-observed realism. It was very well portrayed. Very well. 9/10

Sunday's Illness (La Enfermedad del Doming) [Ramon Salazar, 2018, Spain] Scene after scene of mesmerizing mystery and such powerful attention to detail. 9/10

Annihilation [Alex Garland, 2018, United States] Though at times flawed, it ended with such thought-provoking, ambitious, and lasting impact. 9/10

Captain America: Civil War [Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, 2016, United States] it’s hard to point out which part of the film I didn’t like, that’s if I hated anything. 9/10

The Florida Project [Sean Baker, 2017, United States] Kids, no matter the social class, are still just kids in search for adventure, friendship, and love. This movie doesn't feel like a movie at all, it's brilliant. 9/10

Signal Rock [Chito Rono, 2018, Philippines] Very raw and phenomenal. Each character formidably plays an important role in characterizing a small town of heartwarming spirit. If not for its distracting bad CGI which I think is unnecessary, I’d give it a perfect 10. 9/10

Beti [P. Sheshadri, 2017, India] manages to oppose patriarchy in Indian culture in such an innocent yet intelligible perspective. 9/10

Train to Busan [Yeon Sang-ho, 2016, South Korea] When everyone's becoming a monster, humanity is the way to survive. Fast-paced. Thrilling. Heartfelt. I honestly feel like Train to Busan lacks a stronger female character, but it's interestingly very human that I'm completely captured by it. 9/10

ML [Benedict Mique, 2018, Philippines] teeming with ingenuity and masteful filmmaking, it’s a suspense too relevant for anyone to miss. 9/10

Liway [Kip Oebanda, 2018, Philippines] Is at most powerful when it exposes the correlation of facts and fiction. Doesn’t hit you right away but when it does, it hits hard. It hits still. 9/10

Sicilian Ghost Story [Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza, 2017, Italy, France, Switzerland] Cinematic and poetic. Beautiful in all its mythological symbolism. 9/10

Get Out [Jordan Peele, 2017, United States] a satire of utmost significance, it lives. 9/10

Si Chedeng at Si Apple [Rae Red, Fatrick Tabada, 2017, Philippines] Hilarious with punchlines, intelligent with comebacks. This is comedy with brain, soul, and heart. 9/10

Happy as Lazzaro (Lazzaro Felice) [Alice Rohrwacher, 2018, Italy] a charming small film with a subtext of such vivid social allegory. 9/10

I am Not a Witch [Rungano Nyoni, 2018, United Kingdom] For a debut film, this is quite a remarkable take on exploitation, abuse, and misogyny. 9/10

A Quiet Place [John Krasinski, 2018, United States] For a film that’s supposed to be silent, I find it quite overscored. Still a good watch though. 9/10

Ang Panahon ng Halimaw [Lav Diaz, 2018, Philippines] Sarcasm at its best. Quite fun. 9/10

L'amant Double [Francois Ozon, 2018, France] Wild and mindblowing, a film of endless curiosity. 9/10

Seklusyon [Erik Matti, 2016, Philippines] a thought-provoking jewel on the corruption of divinity and an examination of people’s inner evils. 9/10

BlackKKansman [Spike Lee, 2018, United States] Although satirically exaggerated, this film is teeming with entertainment and importance. 8.5/10

In This Corner of the World [Sunao Katabuchi, 2017, Japan] It stays. Films like this, they always do. 8.5/10

Euthanizer (Armomurhaaja} [Teemu Nikki, 2018, Finland] An examination of how suffering is commensurate with cruelty. For something so bleak, it is surprisingly a good exemplification of moral values. 8/10

Padman [R. Balki, 2018, India] Speaks volumes in a humorous way. Something enlightening and empowering, I love it. 8/10

Gutland [Govinda Van Maele, 2017, Luxembourg] For a debut feature, Van Maele is a master of slow-burn tension. 8/10

The Square [Ruben Ostland, 2017, Sweden, Denmark] An ironic and satiric take on elitism, privilege, and humanity. 8/10

A Prayer Before Dawn [Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, 2018, France, Thailand] For something that feels hesitant in showing violence, this is already quite a tough watch. 8/10

We Need to Talk About Kevin [Lynn Ramsey, 2012, United States]

A Taxi Driver [Hun Jang, 2017, South Korea] an entertaining yet affecting tribute to nameless heroes. 8/10

Memoir of War (La Douleur) [Emmanuel Finkiel, 2017, France] Sadly, its visual choices, experimental scoring, and drawn out structure don't match Marguerite Duras's poetic writing. 8/10

The Wound (Inxeba) [John Trengove, 2017, South Africa] More than the physical wound from a boy's transition to manhood, this movie tackles a deeper kind of pain, the kind that scars forever. 8/10

Pan de Salawal [Che Espiritu, 2018, Philippines] a hard-hitting reminder that the most painful challenges people overcome are also the most rewarding. Don’t be afraid to feel them all. 8/10

The Great Buddha+ [Hsin-yao Huang, 2018, Taiwan] Not sure if saying "this is my kind of humour" is something I should be proud of but damn this film is hilarious! Oh and really clever too. 8/10

Leave No Trace [Debra Ganik, 2018, United States] a small film of massive authenticity and warm touch. It will leave a trace. 8/10

Manila by Night [Ishmael Bernal, 1980, Philippines] a classic representation of the realities of how Manila is a witness to the city's moral lethargy. 8/10

Coco [Lee Unkrich, 2017, United States] Understands what La La Land doesn’t – relationships shouldn’t suffer when achieving our dreams. 8/10

Don’t Breathe [Fede Alvarez, 2016, United States] Alvarez has some serious skills to make this suspenseful with only a blind villain inside a small house. 8/10

The Other Side of the Wind [Orson Welles, 2018, United States] Not for a Welles beginner but is surely a completist's delight. 7.5/10

Felicite [Alain Gomis, 2017, Senegal, Congo, France] With such lyrical tone, its narrative was thinly sketched that some of its elements don't match. 7.5/10

Malila: The Farewell Flower [Anucha Boonyawatana, 2018, Thailand] A beguiling narration of existentialism, redemption, and the philosophy of Buddhism. All told in such calming gaze, it's actually hypnotic. 7.5/10

Revenge [Coralie Fargeat, 2018, France] Caution: explicit cursing while watching and cheering to this. 7.5/10

Aria [Carlo Catu, 2018, Philippines] Could have gone deeper and darker to make a more harrowing but lasting impact. It borders on the safe side, but still able to tell something important. 7.5/10

Billie & Emma [Samantha Lee, 2018, Philippines] There's magic in its production design and an amusing chemistry that would remind you of what it's like to fall in love the first time. It is everyone's teenage romance, the kind that buries heteronormativity. 7.5/10

Of Love & Law [Hikaru Toda, 2017, Japan] Questions the intricacies of Japanese culture through a collection of simple yet meaningful moments. 7.5/10

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom [JA Bayona, 2018, United States]

Saving Sally [Avid Liongoren, 2016, Philippines] Is the freshest and has the most creative visual style I’ve seen in a long long time. I want more of it. 7,5/10

One Week Friends [Masanori Murakami, 2017, Japan] There’s a good reason for my sunken eyes right now, right? 7.5/10

Room 8 [James Griffiths, 2013, United States] Unique and smart. Too amazed, I had to share it with everyone. 7.5/10

Isle of Dogs [Wes Anderson, 2018, United States] A quirky imagination of a simple narrative, told in a hyper-stylized artistry. 7.5/10

Black Panther [Ryan Coogler, 2018, United States]

Hintayan ng Langit [Villegas, 2018] I'm not completely sold on a couple of its elements but boy, Gina Pareño is a gem. A sparkling one. 7.5/10

Avengers: Infinity War [Anthony and Joe Russo, 2018, United States]

The Invitation [Karyn Kusama, 2016, United States] I know a psychological thriller like this is effective when I find myself so uncomfortable, wanting to leave, cautious of being brainwashed. 7.5/10

Ready Player One [Steven Spielberg, 2018, United States] Too amusing to the point of apathy. Still entertaining though. 7.5/10

Disobedience [Sebastian Lelio, 2018, Ireland] Depicts the beauty of internal turmoils and hidden desires, it’s gripping. 7.5/10

Apostasy [Daniel Kokotajlo, 2017, United Kingdom] the more it rolls, the more I loathe religion. 7.5/10

Wonder Woman [Patty Jenkins, 2017, United States] More than it being a feminist is it being human and that I think is more important. 7.5/10

Meet Me in St Gallen [Irene Villamor, 2018, Philippines]

Never Not Love You [Antoinette Jadaone, 2018, Philippines] Beautifully and realistically written. It’s just really hard for me to like Reid’s character. 7/10

Eight Grade [Bo Burnham, 2018, United States] One of the most important and most natural teen movies of the year. 7/10

Cam [Daniel Goldhaber, 2018, United States] Pushing its flaws aside, this is actually quite an accomplished thriller of a possible near future. It didn't end with an impactful resolution though. 7/10

The Miseducation of Cameron Post [Desiree Akhavan, 2018, United States] Provocatively presents how emotionally abusing conversion therapy could be. 7/10

Crazy Rich Asians [Jon Chu, 2018, United States] Important and feel-good, but that's just it for me. 7/10

Distance [Perci Intalan, 2018, Philippines] a tender family drama with powerful performances of characters who choose to love no matter how wrong or right. 7/10

Showroom [Fernando Molnar, 2014, Argentina] is a showroom of how beautiful and luxurious an artificial world could be. 7/10

Contagion [Steven Soderbergh, 2011, United States] Believable but somehow lacking in its scare tactic. 7/10

Zodiac [David Fincher, 2007, United States] Intelligent drama, boring thriller. Not a fan. 7/10

The Greatest Showman [Michael Gracey, 2018, United States]

Smaller and Smaller Circles [Raya Martin, 2017, Philippines] Suspense done right but there's something about its exchanges that seems unnatural. 7/10

Pop Aye [Kirsten Tan, 2018, Thailand, Singapore] Is as slow but as heavy as its lead. 7/10

The Day After Valentine’s [Jason Paul Laxamana, 2018, Philippines] Brilliant in its canny use of language to illustrate people's tendency to miscommunicate emotions. 7/10

Thoroughbreds [Cory Finley, 2018, United States] The kind of film that doesn't lead to what you think. It's black comedy of my liking. 7/10

Nearest and Dearest [Kseniya Zueva, 2017, Russia] displays the weakening social and moral values in contemporary Russian society. 6.5/10

Hearts Beat Loud [Brett Haley, 2018, United States] Magical in its little ways. 6.5/10

Me Casé Con Un Boludo [Juan Taratuto, 2016, Argentina] Nothing much in here but laughter after laughter. 6.5/10

Delinquent [Kieran Valla, 2016, United States] a small-town thriller with a set location that breathes on its own. 6.5/10

Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wifi [Jun Lana, 2018, Philippines] I thought it was just a cutesy take on appreciating moments and living life in the present, but heck no, prepare to find your tears falling. 6.5/10

Bakwit Boys [Jason Paul Laxamana, 2018, Philippines] a warm and light-hearted family drama with beautiful original songs to brag about. 6.5/10

Musmos Na Sumibol sa Gubat ng Digma [Iar Arondaing, 2018, Philippines] At times, it feels like it's trying too hard both to make a point and to sound subtle to a point that it feels a bit disconnected. 6.5 /10

What If It Works [Romi Trower, 2018, Australia] Delightfully charming amidst the chaos of mental disorders. Works quite well. 6.5 /10

Eternity Between Seconds [Jan Alec Figuracion, 2018, Philippines] There’s comfort somewhere between the discomforts of bad acting here. 6.5 /10

Love, Simon [Greg Berlanti. 2018, United States] It’s a very familiar coming-of-age romance, but that familiarity is what made it stand out. 6.5 /10

Blockers [Kay Cannon, 2018, United States] Definitely my kind of humour. The sarcastic wit is overflowing. 6.5 /10

Alex Strangelove [CraigJohnson, 2018, United States] Nothing too new but isn't short of likeable. 6.5/10

Lobster Cop [Li Xinyun, 2018, China] Hilarious. I’d like it to be more brutal with its action scenes but it’s already otherwise quite entertaining. 6.5/10

Ant-man and the Wasp [Peyton Reed, 2018, United States] Funny as always, but I'm in love with Paul Rudd so I must be biased. 6.5/10

Kuya Wes [James Mayo, 2018, Philippines] explores the fundamental need of being appreciated in a light yet stinging narrative. I don't like a number of things, but the soundtrack works well, it's satiating. 6.5/10

To All the Boys I've Loved Before [Susan Johnson, 2018, United States] There's substance in its shallowness, it's charming. 6.5/10

The Snow White Murder Case [Yoshihiro Nakamura, 2014, Japan] It’s a little too long to keep it entirely interesting. 6.5/10

Cardinals [Grayson Moore, Aidan Shipley, 2018, Canada] It was burning slowly until it was shot to the head. Could have been more painful if not for its loose ending. 6.5/10

Unli Life [Miko Livelo, 2018, Philippines] Not a fan of its comedic banters but I find its rare seriousness quite a gem. 6.5/10

The Cured [David Freyne, 2018, United Kingdom]

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance [Park Chan-wook, 2002, South Korea]

Berlin Syndrome [Cate Shortland, 2017, Australia, Germany] Cold and riveting with a third act that would push you to the edge. 6.5/10

Wonder [Stephen Chbosky, 2018, United States]

12 Strong [Nicolai Fuglsig, 2018, United States] All that technical expertise and still end up saying nothing. 6/10

Goodbye, Grandpa [Yukihiro Morigaki, 2017, Japan] depicts the kind of mourning we tend to overlook and is only intensified by the bonding of family. 6/10

Deadpool 2 [David Leitch, 2018, United States] Started off fun, ended up exhausting. 6/10

Bird Box [Susanne Bier, 2018, United States] a film with no emotional connection, no proper climax, and therefore no sensical resolution. 6/10

Madilim Ang Gabi [Adolf Alix, 2018, Philippines] seems like a show-off of stars after stars after stars playing bit roles to the point that it already feels unauthentic. 6/10

Call Her Ganda [PJ Raval, 2018, Canada, Philippines] I'm not convinced of its storytelling, still an important one to watch though. 6/10

A Million Happy Nows [Albert Alarr, 2017, United States] Despite the smallness of this film, it actually hits big. 6/10

Bomba [Ralston Jover, 2017, Philippines] is brave in its defiance, bold in its commentary but it somehow failed to deliver. 6/10

Oceans 8 [Gary Ross, 2018, United States] Slow and mediocre, quite a waste of powerhouse cast. 6/10

Koxa [Ekrem Engizek, 2018, Turkey, Germany] Uninteresting for the kind of fact it exposes. 6/10

2 Cool 2 be Forgotten [Petersen Vargas, 2017, Philippines]

Beastmode [Manuel Mesina III, 2018, Philippines] ingenious and inventive but it’s not the kind I enjoy. 6/10

Dedma Walking [Julius Alfonso, 2017, Philippines]

Can We Still Be Friends [Prime Cruz, 2017, Philippines]

The Belko Experiment [Greg McLean, 2017, United States] The experiment and the film are both pointless, but pointless sometimes is entertaining. 6/10

Hooked [Max Emerson, 2018, United States]

Sierra Burgess is a Loser [Ian Samuels, 2018, United States] I was enjoying it until its last act which felt rushed and unnatural. 5/10

Skyscraper [Rawson Marshall Thurber, 2018, United States] Plot after plot of action-packed impossibilities. 5/10

Glorious [Connie Macatuno, 2018, Philippines] Watching it is like riding a taxi cab with a clutch driver, it’s making me dizzy. 5/10

Rampage [Brad Peyton, 2018, United States] Feels like a bargain with nothing much to offer but cool CGI. 5/10

Je Ne Suis Pas Un Homme Facile [Eleonore Pourriat, 2018, France]

Mga Mister Ni Rosario [Alpha Habon, 2018, Philippines] Entertaining but also miserably problematic. 5/10

Carrie [Kimberly Peirce, 2014, United States] Is quite an urban myth version of a school shooting. 5/10

Rough Night [Lucia Aniello, 2017, United States] Watched it on a plane, not sure if it's as fun if landed. 5/10

Bomba [Rolston Jover, 2017, Philippines] is brave in its defiance, bold in its commentary but it somehow failed to deliver. 5/10

Avengers: Age of Ultron [Joss Whedon, 2015, United States] Boring with a capital B. 5/10

The Meg [Jon Turteltaub, 2018, United States] Mediocre. Very mediocre. 5/10

Final Score [Scott Mann, 2018, United States] It has potential but didn't quite scored a goal. 5/10

Uncle Drew [Charles Stone III, 2018, United States] I can't force myself to get comfortable watching this. 5/10

A Piece of Paradise [Patrick Alcedo, 2017, Canada, Philippines] It’s okay but there’s nothing much in there. 5/10

Happy Death Day [Christopher Landon, 2018, United States]

The Flu [Kim Sung-soo, 2013, South Korea] Stupid but fun. It's the kind of silly you enjoy. 5/10

Ali and Nino [Asif Kapadia, 2017, Azerbaijan, Georgia] Badly-acted, badly-designed production. Offers nothing much of excitement. 4/10

Unexpectedly Yours [Cathy Garcia-Molina, Philippines, 2017] Fun at times. Corny at most. 4/10

Forget About Nick [Margarethe von Trotta, 2017, Germany] is as if made as an example of movies that failed the Bechdel test from supposed to be feminist directors. 4/10

I Love You, Hater [Giselle Andres, 2018, Philippines] I find its main plot gender insensitive so it’s a nope nope for me. 4/10

The Mumbai Siege: 4 Days of Terror (One Less God) [Lliam Worthington, 2018, Australia, India] That’s an annoying take on a siege that marked world history. 4/10

Life is What You Make It [Jhett Tolentino, 2018, United States, Philippines] For some reasons, I’m not sold on how it tries to inspire. 4/10

We Will Not Die Tonight [Richard Somes, 2018, Philippines] If you're looking for brutal action and relentless stabbing where blood and sweat are like fireworks, go see it. If you're looking for sense or better fight choreographies, go somewhere else. 3/10

Bleeding Steel [Leo Zhang, 2018, Hong Kong] Feels like switching between channels. 3/10

Citizen Jake [Mike de Leon, 2018, Philippines] Is like a collection of everything de Leon wants to try. Not effective at that. 3/10

On Again Off Again [Arsalan Shirazi, 2017, Canada, India] Undesirable characters in undesirable performances. 3/10

Jigsaw [Spirieg brothers, 2017, United States]

Tomb Raider [Roar Uthaug, 2018, United States] Impossible but fun. 3/10

Insidious (The Last Key) [Adam Robitel, 2018, United States]

Pitch Perfect 3: Last Call Pitches [Trish Sie, 2018, United States] The worst of them all pitches. 3/10

When We First Met [Ari Sandel, 2018, United States]

Attack on Titan: Part 1 [Shinji Higuchi, 2015, Japan] Lacks character development, lacks plot continuity, it’s the movie adaptation disappointment of the decade. 3/10

Alright Now [Jamie Adams, 2018, United States] is said to be a feel-good movie but more like a feel-regretful for the time wasted watching this. 3/10

Hostel [Eli Roth, 2006, United States] Nothing here is pleasing. Not its concept, not its execution, and not even its gore. Down to the trash bin. 3/10

One More Chance [Cathy Garcia-Molina, 2007, Philippines] I’m sorry, I really can’t stand this movie. 3/10

Slumber [Jonathan Hopkins, 2018, United States] Is a snoozefest as simple as that. 3/10

In Un Giorno La Fine (The End?) [Daniele Misischia, 2018, Italy] Is funny in a bad way. 3/10

Peter Rabbit [Will Gluck, 2018, United States] RBF the entire freaking time. 3/10

You, Me and Him [ Daisy Aitkens, 2018, United Kingdom] Just one of those films that pass you by. 3/10

The Dawnseeker [Justin Price, 2018, United States] With that kind of premise, I honestly wanted it to be at least a decent watch. It isn’t. 2/10

Mara [Clive Tonge, 2018, United States] Generic. Mediocre. Forgettable. 2/10

Office Uprising [Lin Oeding, 2018, United States] Dumb. 2/10

School Service [Louie Ignacio, 2018, Phiippines] the intention is there but the concept isn’t concrete enough to be decently executed. 2/10

The Strangers: Prey at Night [Johannes Roberts, 2018, United States] What a freaking stupid family that was. I could go on and on and on with my disgust towards this movie, but the bacon is cooked and bacon is more important. 1/10

The Matchmaker's Playbook [Tosca Musk, 2018, United States] a misogynist piece of bullcrap. 1/10

The Do-Over [Steven Brill, 2016, United States] Wow. That was boring. 1/10

Aswang [Michael Laurin, 2018, United States] a film perfect for when you can’t sleep. 1/10

The Lookout [Afi Africa, 2018, Philippines] is a joke after joke after joke, so unfunny, it deserves a laugh. 1/10

#movies

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entirebodyexercise · 6 years

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Race Like A Pro: Top Tips From Mike Barnow

The Westchester Track Club coach talks racing strategies, pacing and also establishing a finishing kick.

If there's any person that understands concerning racing, it's Westchester (New York) Track Club's coach Mike Barnow. Barnow has actually been helping joggers of all capabilities because he started the club back in 1973. He currently coaches exclusive jogger Lindsey Scherf, that won the Gasparila Half Marathon earlier this year.

What are some pointers or approaches that runners can try out to stop them from going out too fast in a race? How could they learn how to keep back early as well as not obtain mesmerized in excitement?

Our club trains out at Rockefeller Park. We have these lengthy loopholes. One that I really like is 40 backyards over a mile, and I commonly have my joggers doing two laps on there. Depending on their race. For marathoners, I could have after that doing 4 x 2 for instance. I tell them that I want them to run a negative split for them. If I'm talking to Lindsey [ Scherf], she runs with a team of rapid people, I will certainly inform her to run it just under 12 minutes, so maybe the very first lap is 5:55 to 6 mins. It rolls and it's uneven. We'll do three of them and also I desire the last one to be the fastest of all 3. If she comes via the very first lap in 5:30 and their following lap is 5:58. That's a 28-second downturn. That's no good. So I tell them, "Allow's attempt it once again." They will inform me, "However this is so very easy." As well as it does really feel easy at an early stage. So I want to do long repeats on a loop where you are running the same loophole a 2nd time-- or perhaps a 3rd time. The clock does not exist. In a long race, it ought to not feel hard at the start.

What do you inform your athletes at the beginning line to consider this advice?

I tell them this the moment. I assume in the big races, everyone is really excited. The majority of joggers head out too quick. I inform them, "Do not fret if so as well as so is ahead of you at the start. You obtained to run something realistic early. You could get involved in difficulty. You need to run fairly also splits." Below's an instance: Lindsey was down at eviction River Run this year. Before the race, I told her, "Shalane Flanagan is completely from your organization, exact same with Janet [Bawcom]" Lindsey has this thing in her head that she's visiting beat Janet. I claimed, "Maybe at some point. I know that Janet remained in Kenya for the last few weeks training in warmer climate. This is her initial race and also she will certainly be most likely extremely in shape. I think right now that she's a bit far better compared to you. I stated that if Lindsey ran reasonably also [divides], then possibly she might damage 50 [minutes for 15K] The day of the race, I went to practice [in New york city] and also a bunch of the club participants were asking just how she [Lindsey] did. I told them that the race is taking place. I obtain a text 5 minutes later from her that she obtained 5th place. I was actually delighted. After that she created that she made the blunder and competed Janet. After practice I called her as well as asked her exactly how rapid she ran the first mile. I was believing also pace like 5:15 or 5:18, and also she informs me 4:57. She claimed that Janet preceded her.

Lindsey desired that if Janet heads out that quick, she will go with her, yet I said that following time, Janet will go out as well quick and maybe you capture her. Lindsey admits to me that if she hadn't have gone out so quickly, she might have obtained 3rd or 4th. She ran great despite that opening up mile and also the warmer climate, but she requires to gain from it. Still, I'm really delighted keeping that outcome and also I informed her that she need to be, as well. So from all this, you reached be realistic and your race needs to be fairly even paced unless the training course is like a Boston training course where you recognize that the very early divides are sometimes quite quick, since it's downhill.

About the race itself: When is a great time to draft as well as when is a great time to lead?

The easy response is that you want to prepare on a windy day. It's nice if you understand a few the joggers that you are competitors with as well as you accept work with each other as well as share [the lead] each mile. You want to make your run for house at a certain factor. If you know that a person can outkick you right at the end, then you have to make your step earlier in the race. You need to evaluate your personal level of fitness as well as that you are competing.

Is there ever a hard time to lead?

Yes. I would state if I have a professional athlete as well as they are everything about even in regards to health and fitness. I would certainly tell them do not lead the entire way. It's difficult to judge the pace right. You view these races where individuals head out as well fast as well as you state, "Child, they would certainly like to have that back." They open up this substantial lead as well as the wheels come off. When you enter problem, you are powerless.

How could you work on your finishing kick in training?

I don't care what kind of form you are in, you have to rate your race. You have to be reasonably fresh at the end. You have to discover by doing. So I have people dealing with adverse splits in method. So the loop I was discussing, I would desire them running something like 6:10, 6:10, and also 5:55 for example. Do that a couple of times.

Can you do various other points besides running adverse divides for that kick? Can you do quarters or something shorter?

Lindsey pertained to me with a similar inquiry. She say that [Renato] Canova was having his half marathoners do 400s and also 200s. Really quick things. I informed her that I don't want her doing that at all. You do not require to do 200s for 400s to build up your speed. The many things that I've been making use of for several years and years at the Rockies [Rockefeller State Park] is a hillside with just like 3 or 4 degrees. It's an uphill, but it's not steep. It's softer surface area without any turns. It merely climbs, as well as I have the joggers doing 2-minute or 1-minute runs up it and also jogging back and also going once again. I state to them that it need to seem like the last 30 secs of that 2 minutes is your finest running. Do it once more, as well as again, and also again. That's exactly what I've been doing. I have actually gotten away from the track for quite a few years now. When I was running, back in the ancient times, the tracks were cinder. They were dirt, and you could possibly do a great deal of quarters. They are all-weather now. They are great for racing, however very hard for doing extreme exercises and not getting hurt. That's my take. You see on social media all of [Galen] Rupp's exercises after a race. [Alberto] Salazar has him training after a race. I believe all the senior high school instructors are considering this. The children are considering this, and I assume it's a great way to obtain harmed. Exactly how do you do an extreme race on an interior track, a hard track, and then do a HALF AN HOUR exercise on the same surface?

Are there any other racing approaches that you could suggest?

How concerning this: Unless you remain in Central Park as well as run there at all times, I recommend to my runners that they should heat up on the program in reverse. They require to understand the last 2 miles of the course. Know where you are. If you've run the training course 5 times and I've never ever been there, then you have a benefit over me. If you start pressing at the end, you have to recognize where you are. You have to know the surface of the course if you are really competitive. Another point I would say is to relieve right into your season. As soon as you have actually got a few races under your belt and also you are much more in shape, you could be much more hostile. In early-season races, you are so much better of running traditional.

#cardio workouts #exercise #fitness #health #health and fitness

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junker-town · 4 years

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The 30 best men’s college basketball players of the decade, ranked

These are the players that defined college basketball in the 2010s.

Determining the best men’s college basketball players of the decade is no easy task. As we reflect back on college hoops in the 2010s, we wanted to put together a list of the best players the sport has seen over the last 10 years with an emphasis on two things: individual dominance and impact on winning.

This list weighs contributions from men’s college basketball players between the 2009-2010 season and the 2018-2019 season. It features one-and-dones like John Wall and Trae Young whose single-season impact on college basketball earned them a spot on this list. It features four-year players like Draymond Green whose body of work includes both dominance and longevity. It includes two players who won multiple national championships.

This ranking doesn’t include the long list of spectacular contributions from women’s college basketball. From Breanna Stewart and her four national championships at UConn to Kelsey Plum’s star-studded career at Washington to Arike Ogunbowale’s big shots at Notre Dame, women’s college basketball players provided so many indelible moments this decade. Read Matt Ellentuck on the four best seasons in women’s college basketball in the 2010s.

30. Caleb Swanigan, PF, Purdue

“Biggie” entered Purdue with sky-high expectations as the program’s first Mr. Basketball from Indiana since Glenn Robinson. He exited after two years with a Big Ten Player of the Year award and an All-American nod to his name. A double-double machine who was immediately unstoppable as an interior scorer and rebounder, Swanigan eventually expanded his skill set to add a three-point shot to his arsenal as a sophomore, when he finished the season averaging 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game on sparkling 62 percent true shooting.

29. Grant Williams, F, Tennessee

Williams was an unheralded recruit with eyes on the Ivy League before Rick Barnes took a chance on him at Tennessee. He turned into one of the great players in the history of the program during his three years in school: a two-time SEC Player of the Year, a consensus All-American, and the leader of a team that tied the record for most wins (31) in program history. Williams was an ace defender and rebounder who doubled as a smart passer and primary scoring option. Big men this accomplished with such high-level skill and smarts don’t come around often.

28. Bonzie Colson, F, Notre Dame

Colson would have led Notre Dame to the NCAA tournament all four years he was in school if not for a foot injury his senior season that caused him to miss two months and tanked the Irish’s at-large chances. At his best, Colson was something like Draymond Light, an undersized big man whose incredible rebounding and defensive chops mixed with crafty scoring ability made him a unique weapon for Mike Brey. He was a lock to be an All-American and contender for the Wooden Award as a senior before the injury.

27. Monte Morris, PG, Iowa State

Morris led all of college basketball in assist-to-turnover ratio from the moment he stepped on the court as a freshman at Iowa State — then he did it again the next three years. In addition to being the preeminent “pure point guard” in the country, Morris was also a double-figure scorer every season after his freshman year. While his teammate Georges Niang (who was also considered for this list) put up bigger raw numbers, there’s a case to be made with superior box score plus-minus and win share numbers that Morris had a greater impact on the Cyclones.

26. Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma

Young grew up in Norman and chose to play for his hometown school at Oklahoma over offers from bluebloods. With the team built around him from day one, Young put together some of the most incredible single-season numbers of the decade: 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game built on a barrage of three-point shooting that drew comparisons to Steph Curry. Young’s production slipped a bit during the second half of his freshman season under the weight of needing to carry the offense on every possession, but his most brilliant moments — four 40+ point games, 11 double-digit assist efforts — helped make him one of the most dazzling one-and-dones in recent memory.

25. Josh Hart, G, Villanova

Villanova averaged 32 wins per season during Hart’s four years in school. Add in a national championship, a Big East Player of the Year award, two Big East tournament MOPs, and a nod as a first team All-American, and Hart’s resume is unassailable. A defensive-minded wing who eventually grew into a primary offensive option, Hart put up huge BPM and win shares numbers all four years with the Wildcats. He was the type of player every coach would love to build their program around.

24. John Wall, PG, Kentucky

Wall was so big and so fast that he felt like he arrived straight out of the future when he showed up at Kentucky. Already blessed with a signature dance and mountains of NBA hype by the time he got to campus, Wall more or less lived up to the hype. He led John Calipari’s first stacked freshman superteam at Kentucky alongside DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe, taking the Wildcats to the Elite Eight before falling to West Virginia. Wall was named a first time All-American and SEC Player of the Year before going on to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.

23. Fred VanVleet, G, Wichita State

A two-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year, VanVleet was the hard-nosed point guard who led Wichita State during its golden age under Gregg Marshall. VanVleet was a reserve on the 2013 team that ran all the way to the Final Four before becoming a star as a sophomore the next year on a team that entered the NCAA tournament undefeated at 34-0. The Shockers fell victim to a tough draw against Julius Randle and Kentucky in the round of 32, but FVV would take them back to the Sweet 16 the next year and win another tournament game as a senior. VanVleet and Wichita running mate Ron Baker survive as the decade’s most iconic mid-major superstar duo.

22. Gordon Hayward, G, Butler

Hayward’s college career will mostly be remember for a shot he missed, the halfcourt heave that would have stunned Duke in the national title game were it not a tad long. Hayward was already a bonafide scorer as the Horizon League’s Player of the Year even before Butler’s mesmerizing tournament run, but his offensive performances against talented Kansas State and Michigan State teams made him a national star. It was always destiny that Brad Stevens and Hayward would link up together once again in the NBA on the Boston Celtics.

21. Jared Sullinger, C, Ohio State

Sullinger was a consensus top-three recruit entering Ohio State and lived up to every bit of hype. One of four players this decade to twice be named a consensus All-American, Sullinger was a monster inside scorer and forceful rebounder who averaged a double-double as a freshman and just missed it as a sophomore. Flanked by Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas, Sullinger helped lead Ohio State to the Final Four in his sophomore year before jumping to the NBA. Before he was plagued by back issues, Sullinger felt like the most dependable offensive big man in America.

20. Shabazz Napier, G, UConn

The 2014 UConn Huskies were the most unlikely national champion of the decade and it only happened because Shabazz Napier willed it into existence. A No. 7 seed heading into the tournament, UConn rode Napier’s tough shot-making off the dribble all the way through the field, with his 22 points against Kentucky sealing the title. Napier must have been studying Kemba Walker when he came off the bench to help UConn win the national championship as a freshman. In addition to his two rings, Napier was also a consensus All-American, the AAC Player of the Year, and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 NCAA tournament.

19. Denzel Valentine, G, Michigan State

Valentine’s senior year numbers at Michigan State — 19.2 points, 7.8 assists, 7.5 rebounds per game — have never been equaled since sports-reference started tracking data for the 1992-1993 season. Valentine’s breakout junior year helped Michigan State reach the Final Four, setting the foundation for final season that nearly saw him steal the national player of the year award from Buddy Hield. Valentine felt like he was in complete control of every game he played for the last two years, orchestrating the offense, draining better than 40 percent of his threes, and making an impact on the glass. The Spartans’ first round loss to Middle Tennessee during Valentine’s senior season felt like the biggest upset in tournament history until that whole UMBC thing happened a couple years later.

18. Malcolm Brogdon, G, Virginia

Here’s a brief list of Brogdon’s accomplishments at Virginia: he was a two-time consensus All-American, the ACC Player of the Year, the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, and still earned his master’s degree in public policy during his four years in school. Brogdon was never the most athletic lead guard, but he made up for it as a knockdown shooter and heady passer who made his biggest impact on defense. Virginia has already retired his number. UVA’s charmed run to a national championship in 2019 never could have happened without players like Brogdon to lay the foundation of the program under Tony Bennett.

17. Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

A young Karl Towns was such a big deal as a recruit that a) he was good enough to play on the Dominican Republic’s national team as a 16-year-old, and b) John Calipari agreed to coach DR teams for two years as a way to get closer to him. Calipari’s persistence would pay off when Towns arrived at Kentucky and led the team to an incredible 38-0 start before losing to Wisconsin in the Final Four. The Wildcats were so stacked with talent that season Calipari resorted to a platoon system to get everyone on the floor, but there was never any doubt Towns was the group’s biggest star. Calipari made it his mission to turn Towns into a post scorer, essentially forbidding him to take the three-pointers that he’d make a critical part of his offensive arsenal in the NBA. Despite only finishing fifth on his own team in field goal attempts per game, Towns feels like one of the greatest pure talents to come through college hoops in a long time.

16. Frank Mason III, G, Kansas

Perhaps we should have known Mason would turn into a legend when he got his own theme song shortly after arriving at Kansas. Initially the forgotten man in a Jayhawks recruiting class that also included McDonald’s All-Americans Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, and Wayne Selden, Mason would eventually grow into dynamic 5’11 point guard who could shoot from anywhere and played with a toughness that belied his size. After averaging 21 points and five assists as a senior, Mason swept the national player of the year awards in 2017. ‘

15. Doug McDermott, F, Creighton

All Doug McDermott did during his four years at Creighton was rewrite college basketball’s record books while drawing comparisons to Larry Bird. At 6’8, McDermott was a prolific and efficient scorer who used his combination of size and elite shooting ability to punish opponents. He left Creighton as college basketball’s No. 5 all-time leading scorer and as the sport’s first three-time All-American since Patrick Ewing.

14. Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

Jahlil Okafor was a man born in the wrong decade for the NBA, but his incredible post-scoring touch still worked to devastating effect during his one college season at Duke. It’s possible college basketball hasn’t seen an interior scorer this gifted since Shaq. A massive 270-pound center with huge hands, long arms, and soft touch, Okafor was damn near automatic when he established deep paint position on offense. The gravity of his post-ups allowed his Blue Devils teammates to thrive. Behind Okafor, Duke outlasted Wisconsin to win the national title with 60 of the team’s 68 points coming from four freshmen.

13. Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

Kaminsky was only considered the No. 11 recruit in the state of the Illinois when he entered Wisconsin as a three-star prospect. He would go on to have perhaps the most impressive career of any player in the program’s esteemed history. A 7-foot shooter who felt like he was born to play in Bo Ryan’s offensive system, Kaminsky made a major jump to become a First Team All-Big Ten player as a junior before blossoming into the national player of the year as a senior. He took the Badgers all the way to the national championship game, a run headlined by knocking off a 38-0 Kentucky team in the Final Four.

12. Jimmer Fredette, G, BYU

Jimmer Fredette was something like college basketball’s answer to Tim Tebow at the turn of the decade: a legitimate national sensation who felt like he was plastered across every television in the country. Fredette used impossibly deep shooting range to go some remarkable scoring tears: in his last 20 games as a senior, he put up three 40-point games and one 52-point performance in the conference tournament on his way to averaging 29 points per game for the season. He led BYU to the NCAA tournament all four of his years in school, including the program’s first run to the Sweet 16 since 1981.

11. Victor Oladipo, G, Indiana

Oladipo entered Indiana as a three-star recruit outside the top-100 of prospect rankings before blossoming into an explosive two-way guard during his three seasons at Indiana. He first earned minutes under Tom Cream as a defensive stopper as a sophomore. By his junior year, he was regularly carrying the scoring load for the top-ranked Hoosiers and stunning crowds with his above-the-rim acrobatics. By leveraging his incredible athleticism on both ends, Oladipo turned into one of the most impactful players of the decade. He put together the best box score plus-minus for a guard and fifth-best overall since 2010-11.

10. Brandon Clarke, F, Gonzaga

Clarke’s transfer from San Jose State to Gonzaga felt like an afterthought nationally until the entire basketball world realized how breathtaking his talent was. Despite not even being the biggest name on his own team during his one season in Spokane (that would be Rui Hachimura), Clarke established himself as the best defensive player in the country while also being a historically efficient scorer. A truly elite athlete, Clarke’s pogo stick hops made him an intimidating shot blocker and mesmerizing alley-oop threat. His massive two-way impact was illustrated in his sterling box score plus-minus rating, which surpassed even Anthony Davis to be the second highest of the last 10 years behind only Zion Williamson. Expect Clarke to be productive from day one in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies.

9. Evan Turner, G, Ohio State

Here’s how good Turner was during his final season at Ohio State as a junior: his numbers — 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and six assists per game — have never been matched since sports-reference’s data sample started in 1992-1993. His rare combination of size, inside-out scoring, and the ability to run the team as a de facto point guard made him arguably the most complete college guard of the last 10 years. Buckeyes fans will never forget his deep buzzer-beater to stun Michigan in the Big Ten tournament. Turner has had a long but unspectacular pro career after riding his monster junior season to become the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA, but at the college level it felt like he could do it all.

8. Russ Smith, G, Louisville

Few nicknames in the modern age have ever felt as fitting as “Russdiculous” did for Russ Smith. Known for his signature speed and high-flying forays to the rim, Smith was the catalyst for Rick Pitino’s best Louisville teams, including the 2013 national champions. In addition to leading being the Cardinals’ No. 5 all-time scorer, Smith is also the program’s all-time leader in steals. While Smith was never national player of the year, he was a consensus All-American as a senior and was twice named KenPom’s player of the year. No one summed up the two-way intensity of the Pitino years in Louisville better than Smith.

7. Buddy Hield, G, Oklahoma

There was a time when Buddy Hield put on the best show in college basketball. After productive sophomore and junior seasons at Oklahoma, Hield’s star exploded as a senior. His deep shooting range and explosive scoring outbursts became the stuff of legends by the time he dropped 46 points at Kansas and drew a standing ovation from the away crowd. It was merely a precursor for the damage he’d do in March, first hanging 39 points on Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament, and then 36 points on VCU and 37 points on Oregon to push the Sooners into the Final Four. Even beyond being the national player of the year and a top-10 NBA draft pick, Hield was perhaps most memorable for briefly making every game feel like an event. It was impossible not to love Buddy.

6. Trey Burke, PG, Michigan

Though he only stood 6’1, Trey Burke was a giant on the court during his two seasons at Michigan. After a productive freshman season as a day-one starter, Burke blossomed into the best player in America as a sophomore, leading the Wolverines to the national title game and sweeping the player of the year awards. Burke had the total package for a point guard. He had deep shooting range (just ask Kansas), the quickness and power to burn anyone off the dribble, and the skill to set up his talented teammates. Michigan had five players in the rotation from its 2013 team who would go on to have NBA careers, there was never any doubt Burke was the engine.

5. Draymond Green, F, Michigan State

Long before he was the glue of the NBA’s newest dynasty, Green was a four-year marvel at Michigan State whose game refused to be put in a box. Green was a role player on Final Four teams as a freshman and sophomore before eventually growing into one of the best players in the country. As a senior, Green was Big Ten Player of the Year and a consensus All-American who owned the glass as a rebounder, passed like a guard, and led his team with 16 points per game while still being arguably the best defensive player in the country. Green’s impact has never been fully captured by statistics or accolades. Just know you want him on your team.

4. Kemba Walker, PG, UConn

Walker was a talented but enigmatic scorer during his first two seasons at UConn. As a junior, he turned into a legend. Walker went on a run for the ages at the 2011 Big East tournament, hitting an iconic buzzer-beater against Pitt in the quarterfinals and powering the Huskies to the conference tournament title by averaging 26 points per night over the five-game run. It was a prelude to an even more memorable tear in the Big Dance. Walker hung 33 points on Cincinnati and 36 points on Kawhi Leonard and San Diego State to help put his team to the Final Four. There, he knocked off John Calpiari’s Kentucky team and then Brad Stevens, Gordon Hayward and Butler to bring a national championship to Storrs. Walker didn’t win that title single-handedly, but it sure felt like he did.

3. Jalen Brunson, PG, Villanova

Brunson spent three seasons at Villanova becoming the most accomplished college player of the decade. He entered the program as a McDonald’s All-American and quickly established himself as a freshman starter on the 2016 team that went on a wild run to the national championship, capped by Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beater shot. Two years later, Brunson led the Wilcats to another national title, this time as the best player in the country. No one else on this list has two titles and a Wooden Award. Brunson’s resume speaks for itself.

2. Anthony Davis, C, Kentucky

Anthony Davis was the best player in the country by a mile during his one season at Kentucky, yet it always felt like he was capable of so much more. Davis led the decade’s most dominant national champion back in 2012 when he powered the Wildcats to a 38-2 record while winning every national player of the year award and eventually becoming the first pick in the NBA draft. What’s incredible is that Davis was only No. 7 on his own team in usage rate. Despite a sometimes limited offensive role, Davis was the singular reason for Kentucky’s success, a preposterously long and athletic big man who maintained the agility and ball skills of a guard after a late high school growth spurt. The Wildcats had other players who could carry the scoring load for the night, but it was Davis who keyed their supremacy on both ends. His numbers were still excellent — 14.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game on 65 percent true shooting -- but his impact was even greater.

1. Zion Williamson, F, Duke

Years of mixtape hype made Williamson a household name well before he ever put on a Duke uniform, but it also failed to prepare the world for just how good at basketball he would be. Williamson proved to be so much more than just a dunker during his one and only year in Durham: he was an unstoppable finisher, a defensive wrecking ball, and a selfless teammate who played every possession with a non-stop motor. Though his Blue Devils lost in the Elite Eight, Williamson combined historic efficiency with unprecedented impact to put together one of the sport’s most bulletproof statistical profiles ever. No college player this decade had a higher box score plus-minus and no one in the modern era has ever matched his sterling 70.2 percent true shooting percentage while averaging at least 13 shots per game. College basketball has seen plenty of freshman phenoms, but it has never seen one quite like Zion.

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aion-rsa · 5 years

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Neil Gaiman's The Sandman Explained: What to Expect from the Netflix Show

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Ahead of the forthcoming Netflix adaptation, here's our guide to Neil Gaiman's classic comic series and what you can expect from the show...

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This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

A Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s breakout hit The Sandman is on the way to the delight of goths and geeks alike. But what is The Sandman, and why is this comic book series such a big deal? If you’re new to the DC Universe’s most miserable cosmic entity, we’ll try and get you up to speed below...

What is The Sandman?

We’ll start with the easy one. The Sandman was an ongoing comic series written by superstar author Neil Gaiman, when he was merely British comic book writer Neil Gaiman, and drawn by legendary artists such as Sam Keith, Kelley Jones, Dave McKean, Matt Wagner, Jill Thompson, Marc Hempel, Mike Allred, and many more.

This horror/fantasy epic stars Morpheus, the anthropomorphic embodiment of dreams. Coincidentally, he is also known as Dream, a member of the Endless, the dysfunctional family that also includes Death, Desire, Delirium, Destiny, Despair...and one other... The series shows how all of these forces interact with humanity in a variety of ways throughout the life of the universe. And if that sounds grandiose, that’s because it is, in an “encompasses all of human (and often non-human) experience” way.

Further Reading: Why The Sandman Is the Essential Horror Comic of the '90s

From the immortal who meets with Dream once every hundred years to Death harvesting souls with an impeccable bedside manner, from a war for control of a Hell abandoned by Lucifer to a tragedy at a serial killer convention, there’s a lot going on in The Sandman's 75-issue original run. But don't worry, the series is a mesmerizing ride through the world of dreams and every realm in between that you won't be able to put down. Once you're hooked, you're absolutely hooked.

The Sandman wasn’t just a good story – it changed the medium. If you’re the sort of person who picks up comics and reads them in collections, well, that’s probably The Sandman’s influence too. As one of the formative comics of the Karen Berger-headed Vertigo line, this series pioneered the idea that ongoing comics series would live longer in the bookstores as six-eight issue collections than as monthlies on the newsstands.

In short, it’s kind of a big deal.

What is happening with the TV version?

After years of false starts and a number of unproduced TV shows and movies, The Sandman has finally landed at Netflix. Gaiman – who refers to himself as “a retired showrunner” following the completion of Good Omens – will be co-writing the pilot, but no scripts have been produced yet. We can only hope that his influence on the script does justice to what is arguably his finest contribution to literary culture.

Previous versions of Sandman that never happened - which may or may not inform the upcoming one - include a 1990s movie version by Roger Avary and Jon Peters, a 2010 TV version for HBO by James Mangold, a 2011 TV version by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, and a long-stalled 2013 film project produced by David Goyer and Joseph Gordon-Levitt with a script originally by Jack Thorne.

Further Reading: Upcoming Neil Gaiman Adaptations

Like Dream himself, the list of canceled adaptations seems endless. Fortunately, the popularity of Gaiman’s other creations such as American Gods and Good Omens has clearly left Netflix hungry for a piece of the action. And if you’re going to pick anything to adapt, Sandman is undoubtedly the one with the most potential. Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman) will be showrunning, so fingers crossed it gets more than a Netflix two-seasons-and-out.

What will we see?

As a story collected in 10 volumes, the first season of The Sandman won't be able to adapt the whole thing in one go – which will probably be a relief to most fans of the comic series. One of the beautiful things about Sandman is that the concept works both as a long-running epic about Dream’s adventures and the consequences of his actions, and as simple, one-off stories about the members of the Endless touching the lives of humans and other DC characters. Gaiman confirmed that the initial season arc will adapt the first volume of the comics – Preludes and Nocturnes – plus “a little bit more.”

Expect to see the main story of Dream escaping mystical imprisonment after a century or so and going on a quest to recover his totems of power – a pouch of sand, a helm, and a ruby – as well as visiting a former lover he damned to hell, engaging in a battle of wits with Lucifer, and visiting his sister, Death.

Further Reading: Neil Gaiman Wants to Write a New Doctor Who Episode

But on a smaller scale, we might also see adaptations of "Thermidor," in which Morpheus influences the French Revolution; or "A Dream of a Thousand Cats," in which we learn what our feline friends imagine when they sleep (spoilers: it’s not very nice for us); and perhaps even "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," the story in which Dream (first) encounters Shakespeare that won Gaiman & Co. a World Fantasy Award. If any single issue is guaranteed to get an adaptation in season 1, it’ll be The Sandman #8, a story titled The Sound of Her Wings, in which Dream’s sister, Death, is first introduced.

Is this a DC Universe thing?

The answer here is: sort of. Technically, yes, the characters and events of Sandman take place in the DC Universe, although you don't need to know any DC continuity to follow Gaiman's comic. It's unlikely you'll see many recognizable DC characters on the show, though it could result in some fun cameos if the rights line up. John Constantine was a recurring figure in Sandman’s mythos, and a newly-announced Constantine comic series is even branded as a Sandman spin-off, so maybe that's a possibility.

Further Reading: How Stardust Became a Modern Fantasy Classic

Perhaps more interestingly, Lucifer – a TV show currently owned by Netflix – is based on the comic version of Lucifer that originally spun out of The Sandman and into his own comic series, having abandoned Hell. It’s hard to do Sandman without including Lucifer in some capacity, so one question hangs in the air: will Tom Ellis reprise his role on Sandman? It’s far, far too early to say. But if you’re a fan of Lucifer, cross your fingers…

How can I read Sandman?

If you’re interested in reading Sandman – and you absolutely should be because it’s one of those series that absolutely lives up to the hyperbole – there are a number of ways to do so. The main series is collected in ten trade paperbacks, numbered Volumes 1 to 10. Frustratingly, Volume 1 is the ropiest of them all, but once you get halfway through, it gets really good. It’s worth persevering.

A “Volume 0”, Sandman: Overture, forms a prequel to these ten volumes, while the original graphic novel Sandman: Endless Nights presents stand-alone tales of The Endless, best read after the main series. Sandman: Dream Hunters is a stand-alone prose story which has been adapted into a comic, while Death got two series of her own, now available as collections: The High Cost of Living and The Time of Your Life.

If you’re only going to read ONE book, Fables and Reflections (Vol. 6) is the one to try – it’s a collection of several standalone stories that don’t rely on the ongoing story to make sense.

So, fingers crossed the TV show does this justice. And even if it doesn’t, well, let’s not worry too much. The comic still exists, after all, and that’s more than good enough.

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Feature

James Hunt

Jul 12, 2019

Netflix

The Sandman

Neil Gaiman

from Books https://ift.tt/2xKIqY5

#aion-rsa #Books

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latinalesbi · 7 years

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Do you have a feeling one way or the other if The Fosters will be renewed for a 6th season? With them only shooting 18 shows instead of 20 made me wonder. (I read that somewhere). But then last night someone asked Bradly and he said there are rumors.

Peter also mentioned season 6 in an interview. Freeform doesn’t really have a more successful show (even though last week’s ratings were the worst ever, not surprising considering how awful the episode was). I think if they can’t get key players in place it’s not going to be possible. So, I imagine that’s what the rumors are about.

Anonymous said: Hopefully Callie doesn't do anything with Russell. Her going there was so stupid. Thx just adds another traumatic even to her life. She doesn't need anymore trauma. Hopefully we don't see her acting out like she has been. I think she got some trauma from being in juvie.

Doesn’t do anything? You mean like get raped? I don’t think we’re going there. Peter pretty much said that but the trial isn’t over either (sigh, le sigh, fuck me). He said, this is it for her though, a turning point. We will see. I am sick of her story.

Anonymous said: this was one of the worst episodes this season, if not ever. last week's episode with the whole kyle twist was the right move. take this stupid storyline and make it about callie's character development and turn her whole "the system is rigged" ideology upside down. this could've been big. but no they had to make troy guilty, make callie right (wow! teen detective cracks the case! does it illegally! yay for criminal justice!!!).

Yeah, I agree. And so did Vulture.com, which is usually up the producer’s ass. The Kyle twist would have had far reaching consequences for Callie. This just lets her be just as self righteous as before. I am sick of it, no one is always right, and Callie does not have a clue on how to do things right. I can’t stand it. I can’t stand the quick confession. It was terribly written with characters we don’t give a shit about and they’re doing it again with Diamond, literally no one cares.

And just so you feel a little angrier, they cut a Stef and Lena scene according to Peter on Afterbuzz.

Anonymous said: So sick and tired of Callie getting in to truble like every 5min!!! Really hope season 5 will be less of these drama and more of the family love..

Well, as Peter said:

Final thoughts on what to expect next season?Season 5 is a little bit of a reset to our family, our home, and the sort of simpler and brighter and happier times that our family really needs.

Let us hope that is true, it’s what the audience needs.

Anonymous said: In the picture you post of Bts of Maia, Sherri and Teri.. The 4 picture in one. The one of Teri, looks like she got hit in the face. Might be just my eyes.

Good call. There does seem to be something... Stef has some explaining to do in terms of her role in getting Callie in this particular mess. She wasn’t really looking out for her. Another terribly written story.

Anonymous said: I hope AJ is still in the show a lot, despite not being with Callie anymore. Like it'd really upset me if they just stop his character from having screen time. I really like his character and he's more than just a love interest. I just noticed how he was on the show often when he was dating Callie and then suddenly after they break up he has no screen time. At least he is more of a main character compared to people like Wyatt

Peter said he’d be around but obviously not as much. Too bad we get rid of AJ and have to put up with more odious Aaron.

Anonymous said: If Maia is in "Callie" clothes and is shooting a scene ifo the house, that must mean that Callie's okay, right? Like, the whole trafficking monkey business is short-lived?? I hope.

I think she gets out of that in the first episode but that means another season opener filled with complete bullshit drama.

Anonymous said: I finally saw last weeks episode. Now, Mariana has always been my favorite of the kids. But last week was the first time I ever disliked her. It was Emma's choice to have the abortion. I hope in 4x20 she apologizes and the two reconcile.

Mariana who self invited her bio daddy to a house she doesn’t pay a single bill for, that Mariana? Yeah that Mariana is unlikable.

Anonymous said: I miss the old Jesús :( I was re watching the first episodes and seriously, everything about him is so different now. I liked him because he was so protective over his moms and the family in general (Even when he was together with Lexi) and now it seems like everything is just about Gabe or Emma. I don't why I haven't noticed before, but this Jesús sucks a lot.

This Jesus has been Jesus for nearly 2 seasons and he just now had a nice scene with the moms. It’s ridiculous. I know this question is old but I feel exactly the same way, new Jesus is all about his bio daddy and his penis. I am sorry but that’s all I see. Old Jesus was handsome, gentlemanly and most importantly Latino.

Anonymous said: I've noticed fosters ff has been super slow lately.. do you think it's because of a lost of interest in the show?

I don’t know because I only follow Stef and Lena fanfic and that’s always been slow.

Anonymous said: My finance, myself and many of our friends are die heart Fosters fans. We used to watch episodes live, now we DVR them & watch when we have nothing else to do (weeks later-fast forwarding most of the episode). These storylines (Daimond, Aaron, Gabe, Anna) are really sucking the want to watch out of us. Unfortunately, this has made us unsure if we will DVR or tuned in for the finale or next season. Hope the show producers/showrunners do better & hope they don't lose more viewers due to this.

You aren’t alone. It bothers me more than the fact that Stef and Lena weren’t allowed to kiss. The last few shows, I mean, I watched hoping they’d surprise me. I watched, hoping for some neat moments. I didn’t care at all about any of the main plots. AT ALL.

Anonymous said: I just saw Maia Mitchell's instagram story and she was in the car with Robert and why does it look like Gabe is going to be meddling in family affairs I'm so done with this show

There does seem to be at least a Stef and Lena scene, still, I know episode 2 won’t be my favorite.

Anonymous said: As someone who was born to a teenager, I definitely identify with Mariana being angry with Emma, as my entire existence is predicated on my birth mother's decision to not terminate her pregnancy. A abortion as an adopted kid is always a touchy subject, and I would like to see both pro-choice and pro-life arguments being presented.

Wrong person to send this anon to. There’s only one person that gets to decide and that’s the pregnant woman. There’s no such thing as a pro-life argument for me. Sorry. I mean, not to get personal but since you did, how many of us are accidents? How many of of our lives were dependent on a such a choice. I was. I totally support any choice my mother might have made. If she had made the opposite choice, I wouldn’t care because I wouldn’t exist. It’s really a silly argument.

Anonymous said: sherri has MASTERED the look of love when looking at stef. in the episode when frank passed in the bathroom Lena is leaning on the sink mesmerized by her woman before she rallies the troops. that wonderful kitchen kiss scene when stef is having flashbacks. & in the making out in the rain scene. it's really beautiful to look at how much she loves her woman. also love stef stroking lena's face & then she pulls her chin up right before the kiss. these woman are absolute goals

Anonymous said: i'm the anon who just wrote about sherri mastering the look. in the making out rain scene one thing i love is seeing sherri smile into a kiss. she's so relaxed with teri now which means more from lena. after the cut back from jude clapping, that is my fav. angle they captured because you can see how close they are, like physically, second because we can see sherri smiling & then putting a bit more force behind the passionate kiss. i'll never be over that kiss. we're blessed

Yep, gonna go watch it again!

Anonymous said: Why is Stef so cool about what Callie did ? I know the girl isn't going to prison and I know Stef has to be supportive and all but Callie did all of this. It's on her and I don't understand why Stef and Lena are son nice with her. Even if they don't want her to suffer, I wish someone could tell her that what she did was wrong. Now we are supposed to feel sorry for her. I'm so tired of Callie. I wonder what happened to this character.

They took her too far. This isn’t life is so unfair to me Callie that we could relate to. This is self destructive Callie who gives a shit about everything and it’s hard to relate to.

Anonymous said: Does Lena have an EdD? That could help her a lot in terms of future employment if Anchor Beach goes private.

My great big hope is that Anchor Beach goes fully public. Peter said it won’t be resolved in the way we expect so that’s what I hope. The charter has been revoked or whatever, if it’s an affiliated charter as it has been portrayed then the San Diego Unified school district would take over. The school is worth more than 10 million btw. That’s my opinion.

Lena having a PHD? I would assume so. Mike said she did but I have been unable to identify it on her wall.

#speculation #boy i was behind on these #Anonymous

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yeskhanzadame11 · 4 years

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Europa's Ocean Is Only Skin Deep!

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep--A Proverb

Europa is a fascinating, icy little moon that orbits the gasoline-massive planet Jupiter. This frigid little global, determined in 1610 through Galileo test, harbors a significant ocean of liquid water beneath a shattered, tortured crust of ice. Europa is the 6th largest moon in our Sun's mesmerizing circle of relatives, and few our bodies have enticed astronomers as a great deal as this cracked and jumbled little world, because wherein there may be water, there is the possibility--although not the promise--of life as we know it to exist. In March 2013, planetary scientists introduced that the substantial ocean of liquid water underneath Europa's shattered egg-shell of an icy crust, in all likelihood makes its way to the floor in a few locations. This suggests that astronomers might not need to drill down very deep a good way to look at it!

Europa is one of the four huge Galilean moons of Jupiter, named in honor in their discoverer, who discovered them whilst he was watching up into the darkish night sky over Papua together with his small, primitive "spyglass"--one of the earliest telescopes. The different Galilean moons, the bewitching sisters of Europa, are Io, Ganymede, and Callisto. Both Ganymede and Callisto are icy-rocky worlds, and Ganymede is the most important moon in our Solar System. Io, however, is a bit ball of hell, pockmarked with volcanoes, and heavily splotched with sulfur.

For a long term, bizarre and jumbled regions of ice disruption on Europa, referred to as the chaos terrains, have been considered by means of astronomers as bizarre areas whose origins had been cloaked in mystery. Regions just like the chaos terrains had been discovered no where else in our Solar System. Now, it's far thought that those strange terrains were formed through the sloshing of a subsurface body of liquid saltwater.

Although Europa became visited via the 2 sister spacecraft Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 inside the early Nineteen Seventies, and the dual Voyagers in 1979, these early flybys frustratingly sent lower back to the curious eyes of fascinated astronomers only a few very dim and grainy pics. However, those early photos discovered enough about the tantalizing moon to make it interesting. Pale yellow icy plains were observed within the Voyager photos. The plains were additionally mottled with crimson and brown areas. Long cracks had been visible, and they prolonged for heaps of miles over the shattered icy crust. On our very own planet, similar cracks suggest functions like deep canyons and tall mountains. However, nothing higher than some kilometers become found at the little moon. In truth, Europa proved to be one of the smoothest worlds in our whole Solar System!

NASA's particularly successful Galileo spacecraft (1989-2003) imaged Europa throughout a flyby on September 7, 1996. Galileo regarded Europa's floor a whole lot extra closely than the Pioneers and Voyagers, and it discovered to astronomers a very bewitching and weird floor crust that seemed like shattered glass, repaired through an icy paste that changed into oozing up from below.

The maximum exact snap shots of Europa display even more signs of slush lurking under its icy coating. Europa is barely smaller than Earth's very own Moon, and its surface temperature should without problems freeze an ocean solid over a span of simplest numerous million years. However, planetary scientists think that warmth derived from a recreation of tidal tug-of-struggle between Europa and its figure planet, Jupiter, as well as with other sister moons, is retaining Europa's subsurface ocean in a life-pleasant liquid country. This manner, termed tidal heating, refers to a series of actions whereby the gravitational tugs of a close-by item (or objects) flex and bend and contract and amplify some other item mercilessly. This constant churning causes the victimized item, in this example Europa, to warm up considerably and be a lot more balmy than its huge distance from our searing-warm Star, the Sun, could otherwise allow it to be.

Based on evidence launched in March 2013, astronomers now recommend that chloride salts bubble up from Europa's global ocean of liquid water, and jitter-computer virus as much as the icy surface in which they are closely pelted with sulfur from the many volcanoes p.C.-marking Jupiter's innermost, hellish sister-moon, Io. As a March 5, 2013 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Press Release notes: "If you could lick the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa, you would surely be sampling a chunk of the sea below."

Only Skin Deep

A March 2013 paper by means of Dr. Mike Brown, an astronomer at the California Institute of Technology (Cal tech) in Pasadena, California, and Dr. Kevin Hand from the J PL, additionally in Pasadena, info the most robust proof to date received that there is certainly a vast salt water ocean sloshing under Europa's shattered, frozen crust--and that during a few places the liquid water genuinely makes its manner to the floor!

The astronomers have spotted chemicals on Europa's frigid surface that could handiest originate from the huge international liquid-water ocean under. This shows that the 2 are in touch, and this will doubtlessly provide a peek into the watery surroundings that probable can host life.

"We now have proof that Europa's ocean is not isolated--that the sea and the surface speak to every other and change chemical substances," Dr. Brown, the observe's lead creator, defined inside the March 6, 2013 Space.Com. "That way that strength is probably going into the sea, which is important in phrases of the possibilities for life there. It additionally means that if you'd like to know what is in the ocean, you can simply go to the floor and scrape a few off," he persisted to observe.

This finding is primarily based on a number of the excellent records of its kind obtained for the reason that NASA's Galileo mission indicated that a chemical interplay became taking area between the salty worldwide ocean and the icy crust of Europa.

Europa's ocean is assumed to cover the complete moon, and is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) thick, sloshing beneath a totally thin cracked icy coating that composes the crust of the little international. The infrared spectrometer aboard Galileo become incapable of supplying the details necessary to identify a number of the chemical substances on the surface. However, with the aid of using the Keck II Telescope perched on Sauna Ea in Hawaii, and its OSIRIS spectrometer, Brown and Hand have succeeded in figuring out a spectroscopic function on Europa's crust that suggests the existence of a mineral called sodomite, which is a magnesium sulfate, that probably shaped by using the oxidation of a mineral that originated in the global ocean underneath.

Brown and Hand commenced their investigation through mapping the distribution of natural water ice as opposed to the whole lot else. The spectra found out that even Europa's leading hemisphere sports a big quantity of non-water ice. Then, at low latitudes at the trailing hemisphere--that is the region displaying the greatest awareness of non-water ice--they found a very small, and now not-formerly detected dip inside the spectrum. After undertaking a chain of exams, the two researchers determined that that they had spotted the unmistakable signature of magnesium sulfate.

The magnesium sulfate is most in all likelihood fashioned via the irradiation of sulfur shot off from Io and, Brown and Hand deduce, magnesium chloride salt born in Europa's considerable subsurface ocean. Chlorides like sodium and potassium chlorides, which might be expected to be gift on Europa's icy, cracked crust, are not commonly detectable because they display no definitive infrared spectral capabilities. However, magnesium sulfate does display itself, and the authors of the study assume that the chemical makeup of Europa's ocean may additionally intently resemble the salty oceans of our personal planet.

Europa is a prime goal within the search Galileo test for existence beyond Earth, Dr. Hand stated in the March 5, 2013 J PL Press Release. He further noted to the press that "If we have learned anything approximately life on Earth, it is that wherein there's liquid water, there is usually existence. And of path our ocean is a pleasing salty ocean. Perhaps Europa's salty ocean is likewise a brilliant location for life."

The look at might be posted inside the Astronomical Journal.

Judith E. Brahman-Miller is a creator and astronomer whose articles were published for the reason that 1981 in numerous journals, magazines, and newspapers. Although she has written on a selection of subjects, she in particular loves writing about astronomy as it offers her the opportunity to speak to others the various wonders of her field. Her first e book, "Wisps, Ashes, and Smoke," might be published quickly.

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