#The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

popculturebuffet · 1 year

Text

Sam and Max Telltale Retrospective: Save the World: Situation: Comedy (Patreon Review for WeirdKev27)

Hello all you happy frelance police and welcome back to my monthly look at Sam and Max's telltale adventures. Last month we delt with annoying child stars who i'm apparently stuck with every chapter for the next. TWO. GAMES, less annoying child star mind control schemes, David Lynch esque dream sequences, and comitting some police brutality. What could top that? Well a lot of things, as this time we deal with a talk show host holding her staff hostage and the only way to stop her? 15 minutes of fame and a mild electrocution of course! So join me as Sam and Max use questionable cakes, game rigging and feces to make their way to stardom under the cut

So first off just a heads up for those reading this all at once as I intend to put out a post with links to every one of the reviews once this game is finished in june, the format's changed a bit. Culture Shock was my first game review, and an adventure game at that and I overfocused on my play experince as was like a text let's play, when it makes more sense for my format to do it like my other reviews; I.e. a plot summary. I'll still interject my personal experinces and what not, the review wouldn't be nearly as fun without it, this will just make it more orderly and only really means events won't be in the EXACT order I did them sometimes, as it's often easier to just cover all of a section at once instead of come back to it when you can sovle the puzzle as intended. z Our heroes get their usual call from the Chief and I was delighted to find that the "I got it gag" is back baby! I thought they just werne't doing it but it was simply absent from episode one since getting the phone back was the tutorial poster. In this case Sam just shoots Max with the salad spinner.

Our case this time is Myra, a popular daytime tv host, has been holding her audience hostage.I'm not entirely sure who she's parodying. I get it's part Opra as the funniest part of this is she keeps giving her audience more and more stuff Oprah style for hours on end, but I can't tell where the motherly no nonsense part of it comes from as Oprah seemed less confrentational and didn't relaly seem to get into "old woman yells at cloud rants". And unlike the former child star explotation boom of the 2000's, this is something you really need to specifically know what hteir talking about.

That's a theme with Situation: Comedy as the parodies are a bit more direct, it's just the other ones, which we'll get to, I have a better frame of refrence for, and even years on long after things like American Idol and Who Wants To Be A Millionare stopped being relevant, the jokes themselves are strong enough to carry it like Myra.

Before we can go get her, our team has to check in on our recurring cast. Sybil is running a weekly world news type deal, naturally important for later, and Bosco is.. british. This is the start of a running gag with Bosco taking on a new gimmick each episode to escape whoever he thinks is following him this week. While we'll have to buy his voice modulator later, we find out for once his paranoia is justified as Jimmy Two Teeth and a friend have been pretending to be "Skinbodies".. .i..e shaving themselves and stealing shaving cream to continue this brutal cycle

The resulting chase is.. frustrating as the puzzle's solution is maddingely hard to figure out and once again it was my old friend guide that had the solution: you have to guide the skinboddies to the middle of the street and let them fall down a manhole.. a manhole you can't see clearly and is only marked by a construction sign. Now this may just be playing on switch: the smaller screen may of hid it.. but given once I was told it was a manhole I looked for it closely and coudln't find it till I was told about the sign, I somehow doubt it. Either way we get the shaving cream.

This comes in handy at the studio, as we meet the Director, the mvp of this chapter, a very tired woman whose frustrated by most of her crew being held hostage and does most of the work. To get in we have to do an audition of old yeller and i'm proud for relalizing the solution: simply get the shaving cream, use it to pretend to be rabid and get shot by max

With that gunshot wound, the duo's audtion is succesful and they land a part on Midtown Cowboys, a sitcom about two cowboys trying to make it in new york city. it sounds like a sitcom you could find now for free on crackle. Turns out this is one of three things our hero need to do to get to Myra: She requires a recording contract, a tv show and a scandal, which sounds like a LOT , but the 2000's were a wild west of people hungry for fame kids and getting those three things was way easier back then. I mean they gave Kevin Federline all of those things. And if you don't know who that is.. good your a happier human being than I.

So we have to shoot it and I love a new addition to the cast for this: Philo Pennyworth, a british classically trained actor.. who is essentially playign Don Knotts on camera. THe contrast is just great. The bit itself is fantastic as you have to figure out what to do to make the scene, the cowboys hiding the cow in thei rapartment work and the responses are gold, as usual. The only frustrating part is the chain is LONG, and has no conversational checkpoints so you have ot take it from the top EVERY time. Eventually I went to the guide not because I coudln't figure out the puzzle entirely but just because it was so freaking long. And in fairness "feed the cow's feces to your landlord" is not a solution I would've pegged. Maybe three's company had John Ritter trick Don Knotts into eating shit once an episode. I do'nt know. The take works, you get the video and it's on to another tv show that while not helping the demo reel, wil lhelp later.. and it's easily the best part of this chapter: Cookin Without Looking, a bachelor cooking show.. which is really an excuse for Sam and Max to put any amoutn of ungodly things my faviorites being roofing shingles, sulfiric acid, uranium pellets, abestos pellets and dried dingo kidneys. It's pure chaos and you'd better belivie I went thorugh every ingredient avaliable and while my messy recipie meant the cake ended up crazy, I still had a cake.

Next is who is never going to be a millionare? With the host trapped inside the Director brought in a sub: totally not elron hubbard stand in hugh bliss, who can change his color at will

He can be blue, red, or even green, the last we need for the tabolids so our heroes snap a pick. As for who this weirdo is , picture if pops from regular show founded sceientogy and you have him pegged. I was proud to figure out both the Hugh puzzles myself: I used an earlier hint ot make sure he was green, and figured out I just needed to swap his cue card son the show with impossibly hard questions with Peepers lyrics to his songs, giving us the easy question of "Am I blue?" which naturally dpeends on what Hue you have Hugh, but is still a softball. IT's a fun puzzle and with that we have the million dollars for the voice modulator.. if in foodstamps since the last guy who didit also got the million and their a tad short…

Which Bosco is forced to take as he didn't ask for it in american dollars.

So with that we have our final challenge: Embarassing Idol. Can't imagine what their making fun of but Max becomes a judge, as he was desgined for so Sam needs to win. The judges are… Specs.. and Whizzer. Okay not too bad.. so who are we competting against?

YUP THIS MUMMY'S CURSE IS BACK. The good news is he apparently isn't in the next episode.. the bad news is he SINGS HERE. Something a certain SOMEONE paying for this review didn't warn me about

I have to wow the judges. Specs once again proves himself to be the only one I don't hate as he's fair, he just wants a high note. Whizzer.. somehow out annoys a singing peepers. Which medically shoudn't be popular but he refuses to budge his vote, and it took looking at the guide to realize I needed to get rid of him. The good news is that means I can punish him for his hubris, so Sam feeds him the cake.. and since that does nothing to him, we have to slather it in ketchup, so he has a violent allergy attack

So with that annoyance peepers looses on national television, Whizzer is trapped in the bathroom, and i'm at peace having once again gotten my vengance on the little shits.

With that there's one test left: Myra herself. This puzzle takes some doing but the interview itself is a lot of fun, so it's not too frustrating and it's ismple once you knwo it: get her to spil lher water, then invite over bessie the cow, accusing her of being part of your hugh bliss polycule, and when moira pulls the mic to her

She's freed, her audience is freed and our work here is done. The lingering part though is WHY she was brainwashed, which we don't know.. we only know something called the toy mafia did it, which we'll see next month

Situation Comedy is a massive step up. The Soda Poppers are used better, the puzzles are more intuitive, and the writing is at it's best. Cooking without Looking would be worth it alone. The first chapter wasn't bad but this one's far better paced, with it's mostly open ended nature fitting better than the more linear with one or two paths first chapter, but working better where it is: the first chapter eases you into how this kind of game works if you haven' tplayed a ton of adventure games. This chapter lets you look. A really good time and while I recommended buying the game already on the strength of chapter one it bears repeating: if you haven't played this game do and then meet me back here next month as our heroes deal with the mole the mob and the meatball.

#sam and max #telltale games #skunkape games #sam #max #sybil panemik #bosco #it's me bosco #myra #video games #adventure games

4 notes · View notes

fyperrymason · 4 years

Photo

“The affection between the two performers was obvious. Raymond told me over lunch one day that he planned to end the series of movies with one in which Mason and Della finally got married. The films began to include genuine expressions of love between the characters, even a kiss or two (the original series had been much more coy about what was an obvious long ongoing relationship between boss and secretary).” - Max Allan Collins

#Perry Mason #Raymond Burr #Barbara Hale #Max Allan Collins #Della Street #gif #cue Whitney Houston's 'Didn't We Almost Have It All'#Perry Mason Returns #The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host #The Case of the Reckless Romeo #The Case of the Maligned Mobster #The Case of the Murdered Madam

174 notes · View notes

perrydellapaul · 5 years

Photo

“I made you a fresh pot of cocoa.” “Cocoa?” “Mmmhmm” “Cocoa? I haven’t had cocoa since I was a boy.” “So?” “So. So, I’ve been waiting a long time.”

Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host (1993)

#perry mason #perry mason*#the case of the telltale talk show host #my gifs #gifs #perry #della #movies #(full disclosure i haven't actually watched this movie yet but nevertheless here i am)

65 notes · View notes

suddencolds · 3 years

Text

Bad Timing | Genshin Impact

During Windblume festival, Diluc ends up hosting in an event in a venue that’s suitably decorated. Unfortunately, he just happens to be allergic to the flowers.

(This might be the most self-indulgent allergy fic I’ve ever written, haha. DIluc snzfic + pollen allergies + company from someone... unexpected.)

—

It starts as a miscommunication.

It’s harmless enough. Donna, whom Diluc vaguely remembers seeing outside of the flower shop just adjacent to Angels Share, makes an arrangement with Charles to decorate the Dawn Winery. An act of gratitude, or something along those lines—just in time for Windblume Festival.

At least, that’s how Charles tells him about it, just as Diluc is about to leave from his shift the night before the party.

“Decorations?” he asks. “I see. I will have to give her my thanks. Did she speak to Adelinde about it?”

Charles ponders this, taking his place behind the counter. “I’m not sure,” he says. “She says she hopes it’s to your liking, though.”

It’s all Diluc can do to nod. Decorations for Windblume usually mean one thing, but there’s a reason why the tavern is scarcely decorated, and it’s not that he doesn’t have the means to decorate. The tavern’s current undecorated state—with the exception of pressed-dry flowers or flowerless vines strung around the second floor railings—is meant to accommodate… well.

He doubt Donna knows, because he’s never had a reason to bring it up in conversation. As far as truths go, it’s somewhat embarrassing. For now, he can only hope that her act of kindness isn’t as extensive as he thinks.

—

It’s an oversight, for sure, but it’s not until he steps foot into the main hall of the winery, two hours before the event’s inception that he realizes the extent of it.

The winery is crowded with flowers. There are snapdragons and cecilias strung up around the balconies, windwheel asters in neatly arranged bouquets on every available table, dandelions and wolfhooks cresting the fireplace. Vines of ivy and windwheel aster blossoms are woven around the staircase railings.

Instinctively, he raises a hand to cover his nose and mouth, as if to shield himself from it all. There’s a telltale itch already settling in his nose.

It’s a beautiful sight. But Diluc is very, very allergic.

He flings every window open—surely the air from outside must be an improvement—and bolts out of the building as soon as he can. Just from a few minutes of occupying the winery, he’s already congested, and his eyes are brimming with allergic tears.

The event—a celebration of the anniversary of the Dawn Winery’s founding, that happens to align closely with Windblume every year—is going to last for five hours. Moreover, there will be esteemed guests present, with which he’ll have to discuss business matters, which means that he has to be present.

Diluc shuts his eyes. Seasonal allergies are not anything that will cause him lasting harm, he’s sure… except, perhaps, to his professionalism. The winery has been in a financially good place these past few years, which means there’s barely any pressure on him to prove his own competence. His presence is more for show than for anything else. This should be fine. A five hour celebration, and then he’ll be out of here. He can ask the maids to deal with taking down the decorations later.

—

He arrives early, stands as far from the floral decorations as he can—it’s difficult; they’re everywhere—to make sure everything is in place. Despite his efforts, the winery is practically a flower garden, thanks to Donna’s well-intentioned arrangements. It’s not long before he’s sniffling again.

His eyes are starting to water, too. He wipes them gingerly on the cuff of his sleeve, sniffles, and nods his acknowledgement to the guests that are starting to file in.

“Sir Ragnvindr,” someone he recognizes as a business associate says to him, holding a flute of champagne. “How are you on this fine evening?”

How does he look? Diluc sniffles again. “I’m well,” he says, rather curtly.

“Mondstadt’s Windblume Festival is certainly a sight,” the associate is saying. “I’m glad I stopped by town at such an opportune moment.”

Diluc can’t think of anything he’d want to do less, right now, than entertain someone’s small talk. “It is one of Mondstadt’s most… hiIh!— most esteemed annual traditions… hiih-!” Damn it. Not now.

The itch in his nose is back. Luckily, the associate either doesn’t notice his predicament or doesn’t find it worth commenting on.

“Is that so? Tell me more about it.”

Diluc sniffles again. Anything to keep his nose from openly running. “I’m... sure… hiIIH-!” Barbatos, he needs to sneeze. He doesn’t want to be having this conversation right now. “...There are many people here more qualified to recount Mondstadt’s hiIhh-!… history… snf!… than I am.”

The associate raises an eyebrow, cocking his head. “Have you not lived here all your life? The previous owner of the Winery was Crepus Ragnvindr. I was under the impression that he was—”

“My father,” Diluc confirms, before he’s ducking away to stifle a sneeze, almost perfectly contained, into his wrist.

“hiIH’NGxt!” He gasps, sniffling, and presses his wrist closer to his face for the second. “hh…. hiiIH’NDGxt!”

It’s two sneezes, but they’re barely relieving. He raises his head, blinking. “Excuse me. Your assumptions are correct, though I…” he makes the mistake of rubbing his nose—something about the gesture just makes him need to sneeze. “hiIH… it’s been awhile since I’ve, snf, had the chance to properly celebrate, and longer still since… hIIh-!... since I’ve heard the history.”

“That’s strange,” the associate says. “You have lived in Mondstadt your whole life, yet you don’t know it’s history? Then again, I heard that you left for a few years, so maybe you feel no attachment to it.” It’s a thinly-veiled insult, but Diluc is too distracted to address it. He wants nothing more than to sneeze freely, but he’s sure that it would be loud, and it’d draw more attention than he wants right now. For now, he settles for raising a hand to—

“hiIH’DGXxt!” God, his eyes are watering, and the sneeze—though stifled—is forceful enough to jerk him forward, his shoulders shuddering.

The associate cringes. “It is a shame that you are spending the festival unwell.”

“I’m fine,” Diluc says, “Just… snf, just… hih!… HIih’GGKXt-shiu! ngh...” He needs to get out of here. Stifling offers virtually no relief at all, and he’s not going to stop sneezing anytime soon, from the looks of it.

He sighs, rubs his nose on the back of his hand, tells himself he can handle a few extra decorations. “Sorry. Did you, snf, have business matters to discuss?”

The associate’s expression hardens. “As you know, we have been ordering from the winery for a couple months now. I regret to inform you that there have been a few—”

Diluc blinks quickly. He can already feel his breath wavering—the start of another long, embarrassingly desperate buildup, probably.

“—troublesome incidents, specifically regarding the delivery of the wine. The delivery vehicles have been delayed on a handful of occasions—”

“hiIH! snf… hIIiih…”

His nose is tickling with such ferocity it’s almost torturous. He needs to get outside. His allergies are tolerable out in town in the open air, as long as he walks quickly enough and avoids all of the more festive installments. But here, in an enclosed space so thoroughly decorated, in a living room with mediocre circulation at best, surrounded by more flowers than he’s ever seen in his life…

“—just last week, the delivery cart was stopped by an assembly of hilichurl archers that destroyed nearly half the stock. Three weeks before that, the carriage caught the notice of one of Liyue’s Ruin Guards. I expect you are aware of these incidents?”

Diluc clears his throat. “I am. An excess of wine was sent back—hiiH! … in both cases, snf!- as soon as word of these setbacks… hIIH... reached the winery, snf.” The congestion is starting to settle in his voice, dulling his consonants. “You yourself… HIIh-! verified that the shipments m-made… hIIH-! it back to you… HIIIh!”

Sevens above. He doesn’t want to sneeze again, in front of someone who’s looking at him with a combination of disgust and condescension. But he knows, by now, that the most he can do is delay the inevitable.

“Ah,” the man waves a hand dismissively. “We did get the wine eventually. But it was still delayed, you see. Quite—”

—Diluc gasps sharply. “HIIIih-!”

“—an unprofessional experience, to say the least.”

His shoulders tense, as he jerks forward again, catching a barely restrained sneeze between the pinch of his fingers. “hihH'GXNt...! snf, hIIH… HIIH’NGDTtsh!” His body shudders with the release; he can feel the pressure of the sneeze settle behind his eyes, along with a dull ache—he’s going to give himself a headache if he keeps this up. “hiih-!... hiihHH…” This would be less humiliating if he could just sneeze and be done with it. Instead he finds himself caught in buildups that go nowhere, with a tickle in his nose that refuses to abate. “HIIIH… hIH’GZSchhh! snf… hhH-!”

Barely a breath in, his breath is already hitching again. He ducks into his sleeve, cringing, just in time for—

“hh… hiiH!... hh... HIIH’GXnT—shEw!!” The failed attempt at stifling is strangely relieving, all things considered, and he exhales shakily, wiping his nose on the back of his hand.

“Sir Ragnvindr,” The associate says pointedly. “I’m sure you can see where the problem lies. Delays are not exactly conducive to business.”

Diluc bites back an irritated retort. Delivery to Liyue from Mondstadt is bound to have its complications, given the concentration of enemies outside of the two cities; he’s sure this associate is aware of that, too. He has no control over whether the deliveries get interrupted, and he’s pretty sure it’s the associate’s fault for not putting the orders in in advance.

“What… snf… would you suggest, then?”

The associate smiles. “Given our longstanding role as customers, I believe monetary compensation would only be fair.”

Diluc sighs, scrubs at his eyes with one hand. “You can bring it up with Elzer. He is usually the one to handle these sorts of things,” Diluc says. “In the future, though, to save both of us the trouble, it would be best if you would... snf!... take care to place your orders in advance.”

The man stares back at him, his lip curling. “I beg your pardon?”

“The roads between here and Liyue are dangerous. I cannot always guarantee a safe delivery,” The tickle in his nose is back, relentless. If he’s going to sneeze again, the last thing he wants is to do it in front of this associate. Instead, he turns on his heels, sniffling. “Excuse me.”

He just about bolts from the room, past the floral decorations and up the staircase. The second floor is darker, lit only by the ceiling chandelier. He all but slumps against the wall. His nose is still itching, and he raises a gloved hand as his vision goes watery and indistinct—

“hiIIH’IISCH’iiuu! Hh… hDDt’TTZCSh’u!”

He doesn’t have time to wonder if anyone’s heard. Suddenly he’s gasping again, fumbling for a handkerchief, pulling up one sleeve so he can wipe his nose on the back of his wrist when he doesn’t find one. “Hiih… hiIIIH… snf-!”

The tickle falters just as suddenly, leaving him on the precipice of a sneeze, suspended in ticklish wait. He rubs his nose again, in hopes that the pressure on the bridge of his nose will be just irritating enough to coax out a sneeze, but...

It leaves him panting, his eyes still shut as he stands there, his breath still shaky with anticipation.

“hiIIH…! snf…” Nothing, still. “HIIIh...”

He rubs his nose again, hard, on the back of his wrist. Maybe if he could just sneeze—give his body relief in the fit it so clearly wants—it will solve his predicament for the next fifteen minutes, at least.

He just has to find somewhere quiet.

He rounds the corner on the second floor, stumbles through the door at the end of the hall out onto the balcony. The fresh air is immediately relieving, and he sucks in a long breath, leaning forward on the balcony railing. With the exception of some of the Dawn Winery staff, no one’s outside, and he doubts any of the guests will have reasons to spend enough time on the second floor to find the door that leads here. He figures it’s as good a place as he’ll find, for the time being.

The itch in his nose still burns, almost intense enough to make him shiver. Cecilias are wound around one of the balcony’s wooden rungs—he wonders, momentarily, if it’d be worth it to—

The door behind him swings open. He startles.

“Oh,” someone says from behind him. “...sir Diluc.”

It’s Rosaria, from the church. He doesn’t know much about her—he can probably count the number of words they’ve exchanged on one hand. She’s at the Angel’s Share every Thursday with Kaeya, downing drinks faster he thinks could possibly be healthy—though she must know her limits, given that she never seems to get as drunk as some of the knights do. Now, she eyes him warily.

There’s a windwheel aster clipped to the lapel of her shirt.

“Didn’t expect you to see you here,” she says, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you like, the most important person here?”

“Something like that,” he says.

“Then I suspect there’s a reason why you’re hiding out here.”

He doesn’t answer. How can he? “Ah, well, it’s fine,” she says, sounding unbothered. “Whatever reason you have, it doesn’t really matter to me. Hope you don’t mind if I smoke.”

He sniffles, turning away to wipe his nose on his wrist. “I… don’t.”

“Okay. I figured you’d be happier if I did it outside, anyways.” She steps into place next to him, digs through her pockets for a cigarette. “Think you could light it?”

He lowers his hand and turns to face her. Before he has a chance to light it, though, something about the proximity of the flower on her shirt is just enough to set him off — the next breath he takes leaves him gasping, his eyes watering immediately as he ducks violently into his elbow.

“hiIH… nGKTt!”

He’s not even close to done. “hiIH… hiiihH…. HH-!! snf-! hHiih’NDGXtT!”

“Bless you,” she says. “Are you sick?”

“Your… shirt…” is all he manages to gasp out, before he’s pressing his elbow tighter to his face, muffling another sneeze into the fabric of his sleeve—

“hiIH’IIIGXTtt… HIIiH-! Hiih… HIIH’IISsch’iu! Excuse me... HIih’GGKXt!!...”

“Oh,” she says, sounding like he’s just let him in on a secret. “You’re allergic.”

“Unfortunately,” he admits, feeling his face grow hot.

“You should’ve said.” She unclips the windwheel aster from her shirt, gives it half a look, and flicks it over the edge of the balcony.

“Wait,” Diluc says, his eyebrows furrowing. “I didn’t mean to… hiIIh-! snf... imply you should get rid of it.”

Rosaria smiles unreadably. “I wasn’t wearing it by choice. A friend coerced me to. Is it just windwheel asters that set you off?”

“It’s… hiiiiH… it’s just about everything… hiIH’ITTSChh! hiIH… NGKTT-shiiu!” It’s getting harder and harder to stifle, but it’s already embarrassing enough to sneeze in front of her in the first place.

“Everything, huh? Sounds awfully inconvenient.”

He lights her cigarette with his vision. “Thanks,” she says, and immediately pulls it in to take an appreciative drag. “Kind of suffocating to be inside with so many businessmen for so long, if you ask me.”

He sniffles harder, rubbing his nose on the cup of his sleeve.“I… snf…! I’m not going to be stopping anytime soon. You should probably… hiih... find somewhere else to smoke… hiiH... hiih’GKTT-!”

“You know,” Rosaria says, after a beat. “You’d be done sneezing sooner if you didn’t hold them back like that.”

If Diluc wasn’t blushing before, he’s sure he must be blushing now. It’s embarrassing to hear her address his sneezing in such a straightforward manner—he’s starting to see why she gets on so well with Kaeya.

“I’m fine, thanks… hiih… hiiH’NGXT’Sshh! HIIH’GKTT-! ugh...” Maybe she has a point—the stifling is starting to make his head hurt, and he hunches forward, still sniffling, to lean more heavily on the railing.

She shrugs. “Okay. I’m just saying, I wouldn’t mind. Why’d you decorate the winery like that, anyway? It seems awfully… masochistic.”

“A misunderstanding. Donna’s doing, though… hiiiH!... it would have been ungrateful if I had taken the decorations down... hiiih... hiIH’GkkT!!” — caught neatly in the palm of his hand. “hIih… hiIIH… nGSSCHh! snf…”

“Sevens, Diluc. Drop the formalities and let yourself sneeze. I’m getting a headache just listening to you.”

He frowns, lifts his hand from his face, only to clamp it back on when he realizes what a mess he’s made out of himself, his skin prickling with embarrassment. “If you’re certain...”

She scoffs, taking another drag of the cigarette. “Trust me. I couldn’t care less.” Usually, smoke doesn’t bother him—his pyro vision would be significantly more inconvenient if it did—but now, with his nose so sensitive, it’s exactly the last push he needs to send him over the edge.

“hIIH.. HIIH…” He blinks through teary eyes, his grip tightening against the railing. “HiiH… iHH'GZCHh-iiu! Hihh… hhD’TTschH’iu! snf.. hiIH... HIHH'iischHiew!”

The relief from letting himself sneeze is immediate and almost dizzying. He gasps again, taking a step back from the balcony. The next sneeze snaps him forward at the waist.

“hiIH’ISCHhiuu! hiIih… GKKTT-’SHiuu!” Rosaria disappears back into the manor, so quietly he almost doesn’t hear her leave, but he’s too out of it to properly react. “Hiih… hiIh… HIIH’ISCCHh’yuu!” He sniffles against his wrist, his shoulders just about slumping with the relief, before they’re tensing again just a few seconds later. “hiih… hiiih.. hiiIH’NGTTT-SHIu! Hiih… HiiH’IIIISCCHh’iuu!”

He groans, sniffling, resisting the urge to bury his head in his hands—it seems like an appealing enough option, if not for the fact that he’s been covering with one of them. The door behind him opens again.

“Thought you might need this,” Rosaria says, and hands him a handkerchief. He takes it gratefully. It’s only after he’s blown his nose into it—quietly—that he trusts himself to speak.

“Thank you,” he says. “I’ll find a time to give it back when it’s clean... snf.”

She blinks at him, her eyebrows furrowing as she looks him over. “Geez, you look awful. I’ll ask Kaeya to stop by later so he and I can take down the decorations for you.”

It’s surprisingly sweet. “You don’t have to,” Diluc says, wincing at the congestion in his voice. “I can get it... dealt with… hiih’IISSSH’iuu!”

“Your maids can, you mean. Still, it will be faster if we help out... your bedroom’s on the second floor, isn’t it?”

When he nods, she shrugs, leaning back casually against the doorframe. “Even more reason to get it cleaned up faster, then. Would it kill you to accept some help for once in your life?”

Diluc sniffles, folding the handkerchief neatly. “I suppose not. I... appreciate it, then.”

She smiles at him. “It’s the least I can do. I’ve been leeching off your free alcohol this whole afternoon, so we can call it even.”

#sneeze fic #snzfic #snz fic #sneeze kink #snz #gen/shin im/pact #i wrote the first 1.7k of this in 1 day -> told myself it was too indulgent and shouldn't see the light of day -> left it for 2 weeks #sucked it up and finished it today #so here we go. my first allergy fic on this blog #(maybe my first allergy fic ever..?)#so it was new for me... please forgive me if it doesn't rly work #my fic

140 notes · View notes

katekaned · 3 years

Text

i want your midnights

my @lgbtincomics secret gift exchange gift for @kaurwreck!

“So… I heard you have a date for tonight’s party, Hel.” Dinah’s voice thrummed with barely contained glee, even over comms, as Black Canary and Huntress sped through the streets of Gotham toward that night’s (really, early morning - it was 2 am) target.

Helena’s reply came tersely through Dinah’s earpiece, “It’s not a date.”

“Well, I heard from Babs who heard from Steph who heard from Tim who heard from Kon who heard from Lois who heard from Maggie who heard from Kate… that a certain ex-detective Montoya will be accompanying you to the Clocktower festivities tonight. Sure sounds like a date to me.”

“Can we try and keep our personal lives out of the field tonight?” Barbara broke in to reprimand them.

Dinah cheerily responded, “Well, we never have before, so I don’t really see any point in starting now, O.”

A deeply resigned sigh came over the comms to which Dinah cackled and Helena gave a begrudging smile under her motorcycle helmet.

Barbara’s voice crackled across the comms again. “This is a simple mission, guys. Get in, make sure Seeber gets the message, then get out. Got it?”

“We’ve got it, O. After spending the past month taking down this dick’s trafficking business, tonight will be a breeze,” Helena replied.

“It’s just too bad Zinda’s not with us - she could really put the fear of God in this bastard,” Dinah chimed in.

“Canary, we agreed this was a two-woman job - and besides, Zinda’s been hard at work decorating the Clocktower since midnight.”

“Only because you wouldn’t let me start any earlier!” Zinda’s brassy voice came through their earpieces loud and clear. “This clocktower will not become party ready all by itself!”

“Ooh that reminds me,” Dinah said in a sing-song tone. “Hel - you need to look like an absolute BABE for Renee tonight. Please let me take you shopping for a date outfit this afternoon?”

“Not! A! Date!”

____________________________________________________________

Is tonight a date?

Renee’s mind was always filled with a hundred different thoughts at any given moment - cases she was working on, what to have for dinner, various exercise regimens and dozens of other things, all competing for her full and undivided attention. Most days, she’s a consummate pro at multitasking but, this December 31, one thought returned again and again to the forefront of her mind.

She paced all around her apartment, careful to step over the piles of gear strewn haphazardly on the floor, as she pondered whether or not Helena Bertinelli, her occasional (though more and more frequent) partner in vigilantism, had invited her to a New Year’s Eve party tonight as a friend-date or … as a date-date. The party was being hosted by Helena’s crime-fighting team, the Birds of Prey, and, according to her, was going to be a relatively small affair attended by teammates and a few affiliated heroes. Which did little to assuage Renee’s anxiety.

Renee Montoya is not typically one to worry about such silly and mundane things as whether the girl she (potentially) likes likes her back. Renee Montoya sleeps with women and breaks their hearts and she doesn’t do the whole dating thing. (Not anymore. Not after Daria. Not after Kate.) So to feel her heart jumping in her throat like she’s a damn schoolgirl again is not a familiar sensation and she doesn’t like it, not one bit.

Outside her windows, the telltale early signs of a winter storm were taking place. The wind picked up, whistling sharply through the alley below and carrying white flurries along the way. Overhead, thick, gray storm clouds menaced the city of Gotham, giving no indication that they were going to dissipate any time before midnight.

Just as Renee felt herself about to begin dissecting and analyzing every interaction she’d had with Helena since she asked her to attend the party with her, a sharp rap sounded from her door. Trying to ignore the sweat gathering under her armpits, she ran her hands through her hair one final time and went to open the door.

“Hey, I know I didn’t buzz up, but your doorman recognized me, I think from when we had drinks a few nights ago, uh, and he just let me up, so, yeah…” Helena trailed off as she took in the funny expression on Renee’s face. “You feeling okay, Montoya?”

Renee was not, in fact, doing okay. In fact, the very sight of Helena Bertinelli standing in her doorway, looking absolutely, drop-dead gorgeous had driven all the air out of her lungs and all coherent thought out of her brain. Helena’s dark curls were piled high on her head with a few stray curls framing her face and she wore a black cropped turtleneck with the tightest pair of leather pants Renee had quite possibly ever seen. Fortunately, at Helena’s confused expression, a few synapses in Renee’s brain began firing again and she managed to stop looking like she had recently been concussed.

“Oh, um, I was just, uh, thinking … it’s kind of cold for, y’know, a turtleneck.”

Oh, God, now she knows you were looking at her abs! Say something different! Anything!

“Not that there’s, uh, anything wrong with that, you look great, I mean, you always look great. Um. D’you wanna come in and drink something?”

Great save, Montoya. How are you the same suave lesbian who managed to bed a woman in Kahndaq of all places?

As Renee held the door open for Helena to enter her apartment, she tried to keep her eyes from gazing too long at any ... particular part of her body and, in doing so, missed the shy smile on Helena’s lips at Renee’s flustered greeting. Helena sauntered into the kitchenette area and sat down on a barstool at the counter.

“What do you have?”

“I’ve got lemonade, OJ, water, of course, and some non-alcoholic eggnog that Kate and Mags brought over earlier this week!”

Renee managed to find two clean glasses and turned to Helena, waiting for her response. She noticed an almost pensive furrow in her brow that definitely wasn’t there before. The playful light in her eyes also seemed to have vanished.

“Just some water will be fine. I’ll need to be well-hydrated to withstand even one of Zinda’s drinks tonight.”

“Alright, then,” Renee shrugged and grabbed a pitcher from her fridge, filling the two glasses and handing one over to Helena. “Are Zinda’s drinks really that potent?”

“Oh, God,” Helena snorted in the middle of her first sip. “Just be grateful you don’t drink anymore because that shit could take down a fucking elephant.”

Renee inhaled sharply through her nose as she drank deeply from her glass of water.

Helena flushed deeply and shot an apologetic look across the counter. “Shit, Renee, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make light of -”

Renee cut her off, “It’s fine, really, Helena. We should be heading out now anyway.”

She made her way briskly over to the entrance table where she kept her wallet and keys and shoved both into her jacket pockets. As she opened the door, she turned back to look at Helena, who was still looking rather like a kicked puppy, and gave her a sharp smile.

“Come on, princesa, you’re the one who knows where the fuck where we’re going.”

As Helena rushed out the door and started toward the stairs, Renee turned to lock the closed door behind her and took a slow, deep breath.

So not a date.

______________________________________________________________

As soon as the elevator doors slid open, Renee and Helena were hit by a barrage of sound and lights from the loft space at the top of the Gotham Clocktower. Stepping out into the brightly lit, colorfully decorated and rambunctious party from the cold, damp and dark streets of Gotham was a jarring experience. Seeing the party already at full tilt, sent a fresh prickle of nerves through Renee, when she felt a cold hand slip into hers and squeeze it tight.

She glanced up at Helena’s face. Much of the tension from the motorcycle ride over and the brief yet eternal ride up the elevator seemed to have disappeared upon their entrance into Helena’s second home. Helena smiled softly at Renee.

“Don’t worry. I’ll show you around.”

As Helena tugged her further into the celebration, Renee felt her heart give an involuntary skip.

Stop it, she admonished internally. She’s just being friendly.

“This is the kiddie table!” Helena’s face looked almost completely different with the giant, shit-eating grin she sported as she gestured to six young girls grouped around a flat-screen television, all with video game controllers in their hands and surrounded by bowls of various snacks and bottles of soda.

“Just because you guys are ancient doesn’t make us kids,” fired back a tall, blonde girl in a purple sweater without even looking up from the TV screen. “Anyways, Cass and I are only here because Zinda promised to slip us one of her special cocktails at midnight.”

Helena narrowed her eyes at the shorter, dark-haired girl sprawled out next to the blonde, who just smiled and gave a what-can-you-do shrug.

“Not under my watch, she’s not. Unless we’re suddenly a year in the future and you both are 21, there will be no underage drinking tonight.”

“Can’t be watching us… when you’re busy watching her,” the dark-haired girl replied smugly.

Helena sputtered violently at that and the entire group dissolved into giggles. Renee noted that all of them were teenagers with the somewhat incongruous exception of a nine-year old who was busy shoving handfuls of M&M’s into her mouth. Two of the girls were blonde, three, including the nine-year old, had black hair and one of them had bright red hair.

Blushing furiously, Helena spoke loudly over their snickers, “ANYWAYS. These gremlins are Stephanie, Cass, Mia, Lori, Charlie and Sin and they are all little shits. Enjoy your video game, girls, Renee and I are going to go talk with the adults now.” She said the last part pointedly, giving a killer stink eye to the rambunctious group. Tilting her head, she signaled to Renee that it was time to move along.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Helena…” Renee began talking as they weaved their way past countless obnoxious New Year’s themed decorations.

“What the hell are the Birds of Prey doing partying with a bunch of kids?” Helena flashed her signature sharp smile at Renee who felt her treacherous heart thump a little harder.

“Yeah, pretty much,” she’d only worked with the Birds a few times but she’d never seen any of those girls with them before. Although, a few of them did look awfully familiar.

“They’re family,” Helena replied. When Renee only looked more confused at her response, she explained further, “Steph and Cass are Spoiler and Batgirl. Cass is basically Babs’ daughter and where Cass goes, Steph goes. Mia is Speedy and like a surrogate daughter to Dinah and Sin is Dinah’s actual, adopted daughter. Lori and Charlie tried to get into the superhero business a while back and Babs basically took them in. She keeps them housed and fed and going to school and loves them like daughters, too. So, yeah, they’re family.”

Renee and Helena had stopped walking at some point in their conversation and were now standing between a set of giant, glittery numbers spelling out the upcoming year and the largest, most elaborate display of cupcakes Renee had ever seen. While Helena talked, Renee tried her hardest not to stare at her exposed abdomen or her leather-clad legs and, in doing so, found herself watching her full, dark purple-painted lips move as they formed words that Renee was definitely supposed to be listening to. After they’d stopped moving for a few seconds, Renee’s gaze snapped up to Helena’s sparkling brown eyes and blushed at her knowing look.

“That’s … pretty awesome that you guys have, like, a superhero family,” Renee ended up saying.

“Yeah, it kind of is.” Helena’s hand brushed against Renee’s.

Renee stopped breathing for a second.

“HEY YOU LOVE BIRDS! Stop hiding over here and come join the par-tay!”

Popping out from behind the giant, glittery 2 came Zinda Blake in all her obnoxiously loud and exuberantly happy glory. She was wearing the classic bartender outfit of slim, dark pants and black vest over a white shirt and her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She had a devilish smirk on her face as she wiggled her eyebrows at Renee and Helena.

“Zinda! We weren’t even-” Helena started to snap at her but Zinda just laughed and turned back the direction she came from.

“I’m just bustin’ your chops, Hel. But you really should come say hi to some more people or they’ll start wondering what you two are up to.”

Zinda winked at the two of them then began walking toward another group of women, clearly expecting Helena and Renee to follow, which the two women did after only a brief glance at each other’s embarrassed face.

In quick succession, Helena greeted and Renee was introduced to a Cindy, Kendra (who she was pretty sure was freaking Hawkgirl), Sonia, Kate (Spencer, not Kane) and Dawn. They were all friendly and welcoming (and evidently more than a little drunk) but Renee could have sworn as soon as Zinda led them away, they all started whispering and … did money exchange hands?

Renee still wasn’t sure whether she’d made the right decision, deciding to come to this party with Helena. She obviously enjoyed spending time with her and the party wasn’t awful or anything, but she just felt … out of place among all these team members, who knew each other so well. She had turned down a quiet night at Kate and Maggie’s for this! And why? Because she thought, just maybe, Helena had invited her because she was interested in her as more than a friend? Renee felt stupid for even thinking that could be the case. Even if Helena did think she was attractive, she’d never once done anything to truly indicate that she felt something romantic for Renee. And after her comment back at Renee’s apartment … well, they didn’t talk much about Renee’s past struggles with addiction but Renee felt surer than ever that anyone who knew that about her would never be able to feel anything more than pity for her.

Lost deeply in thought, Renee hadn’t even realized that they had reached the elaborate bar at the other end of the loft. Zinda slid behind the counter and started mixing, in Renee’s opinion, far too many liquids from different bottles together in an enormous mixer. Seated right by the bar was Barbara Gordon, Oracle herself, and Renee’s old boss’s daughter. She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around Jim Gordon’s little girl being the mysterious and all-knowing Oracle that every superhero and vigilante had asked for help from at least once. And sprawled across Barbara’s lap, her fish-net clad legs dangling over the arm of her wheelchair was Dinah Lance, the Black Canary. Even though Renee had met Dinah and even worked briefly with her before, she still felt a bit awe-struck in the presence of the stunning blonde. Her reverie was quickly ended, though, as Black Canary was, well, pretty damn plastered, if the empty glass in her hand and the glazed look in her eyes was any indication.

“Whatever was in this drink, Zind, is fucking magical,” she slurred in Zinda’s general direction while Barbara ran her hands through her sweaty, messy hair. “I feel unshtoppa- umshoppab-”

Dinah frowned as she struggled to articulate the word, then shrugged, “I feel like dancing! Take me back to the dance floor, Babs!” She ordered imperiously while stumbling off of her lap and beginning to stagger back to where some of the others were dancing to some music that was undoubtedly selected by one of the teenagers. Now that Dinah was out of Barbara’s lap, Renee could see that the mighty Oracle was also wasted, though not nearly as much, and she watched as she wheeled off after Dinah.

Helena had a funny look on her face as she also followed her two best friends progress across the room. After a minute, she realized she was staring and turned back to Renee, who was feeling and looking quite lost again.

She started to apologize, “I’m so sorry, Renee, I really didn’t think they’d be this drunk already. I know they’re the only other ones you really know here and I thought -”

Renee cut her off. “It’s New Year’s Eve, people get drunk, it’s fine, Helena. It really doesn’t bother me.”

Helena continued to look upset, though, so Renee turned to Zinda and asked, “Any chance you’ve got something non-alcoholic back there that’s not soda?”

Zinda paused mid-shake.

“On New Year’s Eve, lady? You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me! I’ll mix you up something so divine, you won’t even taste the alcohol-”

As Zinda spoke, three things occurred in quick succession. Helena attempted to leap over the bar, whether to slap a hand over Zinda’s unthinking mouth or strangle her, it’s impossible to know, because even Helena Bertinelli can only do so much while wearing the world’s tightest leather pants. Instead of cleanly soaring over the bar, she crashed into it, knocking bottles and glasses every which way. As everyone in the tower started to look toward the commotion, Renee Montoya took off toward the closest set of doors, which turned out to lead to a small balcony on the south-facing side of the tower. And, lastly, Zinda Blake’s brain caught up with that fast-shooting mouth of hers and she remembered that Helena had already told them that Renee abstained from drinking, and while she could be around alcohol, maybe don’t offer her any?

“Hel, sweetie, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t even thinkin’,” Zinda said, as Helena peeled herself off of the bartop and ignoring Zinda’s apologies and the mess of glass and liquor, rushed to the very doors Renee had just gone through.

Helena burst through the double doors out into the freezing, wintry air. She wasn’t sure what she expected to see out there but it almost certainly wasn’t Renee laughing her ass off, already covered in melting snowflakes and surrounded by an assortment of incongruously green plants.

Pausing in confusion, Helena managed one word, “What-”

Renee caught sight of her disheveled and distraught appearance and just started laughing harder.

“How are there … fucking tropical plants growing out here?” She wheezed. “It’s below fucking freezing.”

Still baffled, Helena responded, “Um… during a mission, we, er, liberated some of Poison Ivy’s experiments and after Babs determined they weren’t dangerous or anything, she put them out here. Turns out they’re, like, immune to the weather or some shit.”

“That actually makes a lot of sense.”

As Helena was talking, Renee slowly pulled herself together and grew more somber. Helena started to move toward her.

“I should’ve known this was a bad idea.”

“...what?” Helena stopped in her tracks at Renee’s words.

“Coming here. To a Birds of Prey New Year’s Eve party. I don’t belong here… I’m the Question not fucking Hawkgirl or Black Canary or whatever.”

“I don’t have any special powers, either.” Helena frowned. “And you do belong here. Because I invited you.”

Renee shook her head and turned to look at the view from the balcony. “Kate said this was a bad idea. I should’ve just listened to her.”

Helena’s frown grew bigger. “Of course, this is really about Kate Kane,” she muttered.

Renee whipped around. “What the fuck do you mean ‘of course it’s really about Kate Kane?”

“I mean that you’re still in love with her! And you can’t let yourself be happy with anything or anyone that’s not her!” Helena’s eyes widened as the words left her lips and she slapped her hand over mouth, but it was too late.

Renee’s eyes narrowed. “You think I’m still in love with Kate? And so, what, you invited me to this party to try and protect me from her? Just like you’re trying to protect me from alcohol? I don’t need your fucking protection, Helena!”

Helena reeled backwards at that. “No! I-I didn’t- I never-” She slowed. “You think I’m trying to protect you, Renee?”

“Well, yeah,” Renee answered. “That’s why you can’t act normal around me and alcohol and you freak out whenever I talk about Kate…” She trailed off at the look on Helena’s face.

“Renee… I don’t think I need to protect you. You’re just about the biggest badass in Gotham City, if not the entire planet!” Helena exclaimed.

“Bigger than Batman?”

“Easily bigger than Batman.” Helena started to move toward Renee again. “I - I was acting so weird tonight because I’m really fucking nervous, okay? And, I know I can be an inconsiderate bitch sometimes, and there’s so much alcohol on New Year’s Eve and I just didn’t want to act or say anything bitchy. And so I acted like a fucking idiot instead who thinks you can’t handle being around alcohol. I’m so stupid,” Helena spun and slammed her fist against the wall of the tower.

In the span of just five minutes, Renee had gone from feeling completely and utterly foolish and desperate to this wild, electric buzzing under her skin as Helena explained her actions. She licked her dry lips.

“And… the stuff with Kate…”

Helena didn’t face her. Staring at the wall, she said quietly, “I act weird when you talk about Kate because I know you’re still in love with her and … I’m so in love with you it physically hurts me to hear you be in love with someone who doesn’t love you back.”

Renee tapped on Helena’s shoulder. As Helena turned around, slowly, to face her, Renee slid both her hands up Helena’s muscular arms and grabbed her face gently.

“You idiot,” but she said it like she didn’t really think Helena was an idiot. At all. And she stretched up on her tiptoes and placed the lightest kiss on those stupid purple lips of hers.

Helena’s eyes fluttered shut and Renee couldn’t help admiring the way her long, dark lashes brushed against her cheekbones.

“You’re … not in love with Kate?” Helena whispered, too scared to open her eyes or move a muscle, lest Renee vanish into the dark night.

“Kate… is my best friend. My first love. But she has Maggie, now, and I … I … have you. If you’ll have me?”

Helena smiled tearily and pressed her lips against Renee’s again. This time it was not light and it was not gentle.

And they stood like that, wrapped in each others arms, kissing in the snowy night air, until Zinda opened the doors, Dinah and Babs (both far more sober then they’d been earlier in the night) behind her.

Simultaneously, the trio’s faces moved through showing concern, shock and, finally, happiness, entirely unnoticed by Renee and Helena.

Dinah finally cleared her throat and spoke, “You guys okay out here? Well, midnight’s in ten minutes. if you were curious, but it, uh, seems like you’ve got this handled.”

They so had it handled.

#sorry this is a little late #i hope you like it!!!#dc #helena bertinelli #renee montoya #helenarenee #i mightve got a little carried away

8 notes · View notes

i-dream-of-twilight-sparkle · 3 years

Text

Chapter 17: The Royal Ball, Part 5 - The M.I.L.F. Club

Twilight returns to the table with most of her Canterlot friends, still without Moondancer as she’s probably going to be spending the rest of the night with her special somepony, Prince Theandri the 2nd. The ponies at the table notice Twilight has tears in her eyes, but also see she’s smiling.

Minuette: Welcome back, Twilight! You look like you might be in a mix of emotions, what went on over there?

Twilight: Nothing but liquid pride, Minuette. I am so proud of Moondancer right now…

Twinkleshine: So… what did they want to speak to you privately about? Moondancer did say you could tell us what it was, when you returned.

Twilight: Admittedly it was strange they even did that, but what basically happened was Moondancer confessed her feelings. Not for the Prince... since that was already known when he was at our table, but for me. It turns out Moondancer held a secret crush on me.

Lemon Hearts: I KNEW IT!

Lyra: Wha..? Lemon, you knew about this?

The rest of the group including Twilight also surprised that somepony else had known

Lemon Hearts: My name isn’t Lemon Hearts for nothing!

Twinkleshine: Heh, I thought it just meant that you loved lemons.

Lemon Hearts: Well that’s still true of course!

But I always had that strange feeling that Moondancer wouldn’t have considered her courtyard party a bust and then become a house hermit, if she only wanted to see Twilight again platonically.

Lyra: I guess in hindsight that makes sense. If I had invited you all to a party, there’s really only one pony here that I would be upset if they didn’t go without saying why, and that’s Bon Bon. I’d understand if you all suddenly had other plans, but I’d want to know why my Bonny couldn’t make it.

Bon Bon: I would never abandon a party you hosted without telling you why, I promise.

Bon Bon gives Lyra a smooch, d’awww’s coming from the rest of the table.

Twilight: Does make me wish I was able to get telltale signs of romantic feelings easier. But I couldn’t quite help it, when I wasn’t even exactly into friendship back then either. It would of helped to have that even a little earlier, so I could of told the Prince I wasn’t interested, as I ended up just egging him on and probably added to his frustration on our “date”.

Twinkleshine: How did that confession go? And did Moondancer actually confess to you IN FRONT of her current date?

Twilight: She did, but that was actually what the Prince wanted her to do. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t betraying her true feelings, and if hypothetically I had decided I’d be open to give a relationship with Moondancer a try. Give her the decision to choose between us.

Lyra: Dang, he helped set that up... Even if that could of meant losing another chance at a special somepony?

Minuette: The Prince really is a nice guy!

Twilight: He sure is, he even said again in the hypothetical situation where me and Moondancer started a relationship here instead. He’d fully support us, Moondancer’s story really moved him to that point. But luckily for him I suppose, I never really felt the same way about Moondancer back then and I don’t really do so now either. The act of kindness he showed though makes me even happier Moondancer is ending up with him.

Lemon Hearts: Yeah, good for Moondancer. She absolutely has a keeper.

Twilight: Anyhow, thanks for the good, long chat all of you. I think I’m going to see my family’s table. Where my parents, my brother, Princess Cadence, and my niece Flurry Heart are.

Twinkleshine: No problem, Twilight. Always a nice time talking with ya.

Minuette: Seeya, Twilight!

Twilight and most of her old Canterlot friends wave off to eachother. And heads off to join her family, most of the rest of the Elements are also with their families tables while Twilight was with her Canterlot friends. Rainbow Dash for perhaps for the first time in a while had a nice chat with her parents, Rarity talked about gossip with her mother, Fluttershy sitting down with her parents and brother, and Pinkie had jokes aplenty to tell her sisters and parents. Spike’s immediate family is only Twilight, but he’s spending time with friends like Thorax, Ember, and Gabby. He’s just as much a part of Twilight’s family and would gladly join the table Twilight’s heading to, but he also wants some of his own individual time at the ball for himself.

As Twilight approaches her family’s table, it’s Flurry Heart who first notices she’s approaching.

Flurry Heart: Auntwi! Auntwi!

Princess Cadence: Yes that is Auntie Twilight, isn’t it Flurry! Hello Twilight!

Shining Armor: Hi Twily!

Velvet: Good to see you, at this lovely ball.

Night Light: Thank you so much for inviting us, we’re loving it here.

Twilight: Good to see you’re all enjoying the ball. I’ve been having a pretty great time myself.

On stage, the same Palace staffer from before comes up on stage

Velvet: Oh! Looks like you got here just in time for the next performance announcement.

Twilight: Sweet! I wonder who’s coming up next.

The crowd quiets down as the Palace Staffer reaches the mic in the middle of the stage.

Palace Staffer: Thank you all for remaining a wonderful audience, we are very proud to announce that our next performer is none other then the world renowned singer, Coloratura!

Big cheers are heard upon hearing Coloratura’s name, she’s super popular in Equestria of course. But even as far as Saddle Arabia her music seems to have touched many a heart. Particularly loud cheers coming from a certain apple farmer.

Applejack: WHOO! Let’s go, Rara!

Back at Twilight’s family table, they express excitement for this as well.

Velvet: Oh my gosh, I love Coloratura’s music. This is going to be awesome. I have all her records! Even... the ones that Coloratura has made public that she’s not proud of. She had a terrible manager during the release of those records, but she did have some pretty catchy tunes when she went by The Countess…

Twilight: Yeah, this should be pretty great

Some large palace guards move a huge piano onto the stage. In most cases, the Piano being brought out usually meant a particularly popular song was going to be performed.

Velvet: OOOOOH, Looks like she’s going to do The Magic Inside! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

((Story continues after the break))

Coloratura walks out on stage as the whole audience claps. And she begins playing.

((The Magic Inside))

Rara: I’m here to show you who I aaaaam…

Throw off the veil, it’s finally tiiiiiiimmmeeeeee…

There’s more to me then glitz and glam… oh whoa…

And now I feel my stars aliiiiggggggnnnnnnnn…

For I had believed what I was sold

I did all the things that I was told

But all that has changed, and now I’m bold

‘Cause I knooooooooooow

That I am just a pony!

I make mistakes from time to time!

But now I know, the real me!

And put my heart out on the liiiine!

And let the magic in my heart stay true-oo-ooo

Whoa-whoaaa-a-whoa-whoa!

And let the magic in my heart stay true-oo-ooo

Whoa-whoaaa-a-whoa-whoa!

Just like the magic inside of you

And now I see those colors!

Right before my eyyyyes!

I hear my voice so clearly!

And I know that it is riiiiiiight!

They thought I was weak, but I am strong!

They sold me the world, but they were wrong!

And now that I’m back, I still belong!

‘Cause I knooooooooooow

That I am just a pony!

I make mistakes from time to time!

But now I know, the real me!

And put my heart out on the liiiine!

And let the magic in my heart stay true-oo-ooo

Whoa-whoaaa-a-whoa-whoa!

And let the magic in my heart stay true-oo-ooo

Whoa-whoaaa-a-whoa-whoa!

Just like the magic inside of yooooooou-oo-ooo

Just like the magic inside of yoooooooooooooooou

Coloratura’s performance is over and loud cheers and applause heard throughout the entire ballroom. She steps out and takes her bows after another well-received performance before she speaks to the crowd.

Rara: Thank you, thank you! It’s alway nice to perform for an audience whether they’ve been to a show before or this is the first time you ever listened to my voice. I’d like to thank the Royal Family of Saddle Arabia and Princess Twilight for setting up this absolutely fantastic ball. Though most of all I want to thank my dear childhood friend, Applejack for personally inviting me here. I owe her a deep gratitude for many things lately, so please give a round of applause for Applejack!

A spotlight shines on the table Applejack’ sitting and applause is done for the well-known apple farmer. Applejack sheepishly grins, blushes, and puts a hoof behind her head.

Applejack: Aw shucks, it was nothing. She’s the famous musician, Ah just invited her…

Coloratura walks off stage and following up is the Palace Staffer.

Palace Staffer: Thank you so much for a wonderful performance, Coloratura. Absolutely lovely, we’re once again in another intermission before we go the next one. There are now only 2 performances left before we soon move on to opening up the dance floor below everyone’s hooves or feet to end the night.

Back at Twi’s family’s table, Twilight herself is clapping while her eyes are closed happily for Coloratura.

Twilight: Now that was indeed a fantastic performance, huh Mom?

Twilight realizes Twilight’s mom isn’t even at the table. In fact, Cadence is gone too. Though Shining Armor, Flurry Heart (Now on Shining Armor’s back), and Night Light are left at the table

Twilight: Shining, where did Cadence and our Mom go?

Shining: They went off on their own to another table, I think Cadence recently joined some sort of club that our mother is also in. And they decided that after the 3rd performance they’d move to have said meeting somewhere here

Twilight: Hm, I guess I’ll see what this club is myself. I’ll see you later, Dad and Shining!

Night Light: Bye, Twilight!

Her father and brother wave off to Twilight as she heads off looking for her mother and Cadence’s table. Though as it turned out, many of the Moms of Equestria coincidentally went off right after Rara’s performance finished. Windy Whistles, Cookie Crumbles, Posey Shy, Cloudy Quartz, Twilight Velvet, Princess Cadence, Stellar Flare, and Mrs. Cake. All of them told their husbands they planned on doing this, or in the case of Stellar she just went herself since her husband is still far away.

Soon though, Twilight finds them all at one large-sized table off on their own. Twilight approaches the table, and her mother is the first to notice.

Velvet: Oh hey Twilight! I’m happy to see you here! You’re just in time for Cadence’s first meeting with our little club!

Twilight: About this club, what exactly is this?

Windy: We’ll give you a guess, what do we all have in common… besides the obvious that we’re all mares.

Twilight ponders for a moment looking at the ponies at the table. And it becomes increasingly obvious with each member.

Twilight: You’re… all mothers?

Windy: CORRECT! Princess Twilight, and daughter of our very own co-founding member Twilight Velvet… you are looking at the M.I.L.F. club!

Twilight: …M.I.L.F. club? Should I even ask what that means?

Windy: Gosh! Why does everypony assume it’s something questionable whenever we mention our club’s acronym?! M.I.L.F. stands for Mothers In Loving Families!

Twilight: OOOOOOOOOH, okay… though how did this club even get started.

Velvet: Me and Windy Whistles are the founding members. We first met on another of my barrel riding and bungee-jumping escapades! And when things settled down, I Iearned Windy was Rainbow Dash’s mother.

Windy: And I in turn learned Velvet was your mother!

Velvet: So we thought of possibly rounding up the rest of the Elements of Harmony’s mothers that are still around and some of a few friends of yours as well. That’s why Stellar Flare, Mrs. Cake, and our newest member Princess Cadence are here too.

Cadence: Thank you all for letting me join! I’m not sure if I can be there for every meeting with an entire empire to run, but I’m more then happy to be a member.

Twilight: Not that isn’t cool that you’re all meeting each other, but what exactly does this club do?

Velvet: Simple! We just gather around, talking about what happened with our families lately. Maybe a little gossip, and sometimes even have field trips to stuff like zoos, bowling alleys, and more! I’d get more then Windy to also join me on some of the escapades I get into if I could, buuuuut I understand the others aren’t quite adrenaline junkies *grins sheepishly*

Twilight: That sounds great, but this doesn’t sound much different from just being friends.

Windy: Let’s be honest, most clubs are basically a group of friends hanging out. There’s not really much of a huge difference other then clubs perhaps being more narrow in it’s scope on what we do. But really, we just wanted to have a fun thing to ourselves.

Velvet: Besides, some of our husbands sort of have their own club together, though they deny it. And that’s when a big sports game is happening! Some of us are also into sports like me, Windy, and Cookie

Cookie Crumbs: I even married a former hoofball star!

Velvet: But we want to be fair to every member if they’re not so much into the big game, and can make some of them feel a little less left out. Besides, with enough scope... maybe our club will kind of find a purpose other then simply being a group of friends who also happens to be moms like… maybe… hm… I’m trying to think what our group could accomplish… but I can’t quite put my hoof on it…

Twilight decides to try to think and help out her mom, and comes up with an idea.

Twilight: Well... what if you used your club to the full extent of the Loving Families part of your acronym. Promote good parenting, list the do and do nots for young mares looking to become mothers, tell your stories of what it was like to raise me and my friends… though try not to share foal pictures too often…

The whole table giggles madly at that last sentence.

Velvet: Regarding our many, many combined albums of our kids’ foal pictures. We make no promises… *winks*

Twilight: Oh no…

Windy: But you are right! That is something we could end up doing as our club gets older and reaches out more.

Stellar Flare: That does sound like a good plan for the future.

Posey Shy: Sounds wonderful!

Cloudy Quartz: I’m not sure everypony’s going to take much from my experiences raising a family on a Rock Farm as it’s... an acquired taste of a lifestyle. But I’d be more then welcome and do my part.

Cookie Crumbles: I’d absolutely love to do what I can

Mrs. Cake: I’ll do my part as well!

Velvet: Yes, thanks for the wonderful idea Twilight. Though you know, this reminds me…

Twilight’s mothers looks smugly at her daughter

Velvet: You’re a mother too, Twilight. How would you like to join us?

Twilight: Huh? Well, I could… but aren’t I kind of unusual? You all gave birth to your children, I hatched Spike out of his egg and only years later I would consider him my son and adopt them, and I’m also a lone parent. That won’t feel… out of place?

Windy: Of course not! An adopted mother is still a mother, and so are single mothers.

Velvet: And at least some of us personally know how close you are with Spike. You very much embody what we’re looking for, you have a loving family even if it’s just you and Spike.

Twilight smiles as she looks around at all the mothers on the table eagerly wanting her to join.

Twilight: Ok, I’ll join. Is there some kind of initiation thing?

Windy: Weelllll… we do have an oath of membership. Albeit it’s just kind of a silly semi-professional thing we tried out, and nothing that necessarily needs to be said for us to consider you a member.

Twilight: I’ll still say it, if this is going to be a longstanding club. We should absolutely have some official wording and rules when including members. So please, let me take the Oath.

The mothers huddle all together and whisper

Cookie: So… who’s going to hold the initiation book

Windy: I think it’s only appropriate that Velvet takes this one. Twilight is her daughter after all.

Velvet: Yes, I’d be more then happy to do it!

They’re out of the huddle and finally Twilight’s mother faces her daughter, levitates a book.

Velvet: Please put one front hoof on the cover of this book, and with the other keep it raised next to your head. And repeat after me… I solemnly swear…

Twilight: I solemnly swear…

Velvet: That I have and will continue to …

Twilight: That I have and will continue to…

Velvet: Raise and support my children through thick and thin…

Twilight: Raise and support my children through thick and thin…

Velvet: Maintain a happy home to the benefit of myself and my children…

Twilight: Maintain a happy home to the benefit of myself and my children…

Velvet: And will to the best of my ability…

Twilight: And will to the best of my ability…

Velvet: Love, support and defend my loving family.

Twilight: Love, support, and defend my loving family

Velvet: I promise I will help prepare them for the future, that they so choose.

Twilight: I promise I will help prepare them for the future, that they so choose.

Velvet: To motherhood!

Twilight: To motherhood!

The initiation is over, and the entire rest of the table claps for Twilight. Who is now an official member of the Mothers In Lovely Families.

Stellar Flare: Very nice! That’s two royals in a row, they’re even going to be the only remaining active Princesses come next year.

Windy Whistles gets a jokingly sinister face

Windy: Yesssssss… mua ha ha ha ha! Our club now penetrates the highest levels of office, we’re like a… secret society or cabal who’s ultimate goal is…

Then she suddenly goes all cheery again

Windy: Raising happy families!

The entire club at the table laughs

Windy: But in all seriousness, welcome to the M.I.L.F. club Twilight, we’re glad you decided to join us. Come on everymother, let’s give our newest member a big, group hug!

They all rise out of the chairs and surround Twilight with one big hug. Twilight smiling getting some love from her mother along with many of her friends own loving mothers.

Twilight: I suppose while I’m a member now, I can point you all to another good choice for you to recruit that I just met at this ball.

Velvet: Oh? Who is it?

Twilight: Trixie’s mother, Dandy Lion! I met her after Trixie’s show ended, she’s an absolutely peppy mother that Trixie herself loves very much. She’d be perfect for the club. I suppose there’s also Sultana Elona, but I imagine there’s a reason you haven’t got her down here right now.

Windy: Yeah, we tried to access the Sultana but they have guards to the halls towards the balcony where she’s sitting and might be awkward asking a royal to come down. Maybe one day we’ll see if we can get the Sultana to join us. That just isn’t going to be today, but we’ll more then happy to have both you and Trixie’s mom added to our ranks! Do you think you could get Trixie’s mom over here yourself?

Twilight: Sure thing!

Twilight sits up and starts on heading to Starlight, Trixie, and Sunburst’s table. Dandy Lion has been there the entire time getting to know Trixie’s friends and proving to them without a doubt that Trixie’s description of a cheery, supportive mother was accurate.

Twilight: Hey there!

Starlight: Oh hey Twilight, what brings you back to our table?

Twilight: Is it ok if I bring Trixie’s mom elsewhere for a little bit?

Trixie: Depends, where exactly are you taking her to and why?

Twilight: There’s a club of mothers of Equestria that includes my mother, and many of the other mothers of my friends. Including yours, Sunburst.

Sunburst: Ahhh right, the M.I.L.F. club. I recall my mother mentioning it to me.

Dandy: M.I.L.F. club… this isn’t some weird club that will want me to do provocative things will it?

Twilight: Don’t worry, Dandy. The acronym stands for Mothers In Lovely Families.

Starlight lowers her head and she looks away from the table and whispers to herself.

Starlight: In that acronym, is two things I don’t have right now…

Twilight: Did you say something, Starlight?

Starlight: No no no no, it’s nothing Twilight. Go ahead and go along with Trixie’s mom to that club’s table. Ahehheheh... (I will be seeing you tomorrow though, to help me out with this…)

Dandy: Alright, I’ll go! I’ll be back soon Trixie, dear!

Trixie: Ok mom! Seeya back soon!

Starlight watches Twilight lead Trixie’s mom to a table where other Moms are seated. She didn’t want to admit it, but even though she plans to get the situation with her Mom solved as soon as tomorrow, she still couldn’t help but feel a little envious of the members of the M.I.L.F. club and their children. Even if it turns out her Mom is around, and there was actually some misunderstanding of why she’s been gone for so long, and they have some happy reunion. She wouldn’t have had her mother for her entire childhood like most of the Elements of Harmony and Trixie have. She can’t redo her entire childhood, even if she does find her mother.

So as she watches the club’s table, and already she can see Trixie’s mom is laughing and probably already being set up to join this club. She just sighs and tries to look away, though suddenly she catches the sight of somepony who might at least be feeling similarly. She sees Applejack is on her lonesome, perhaps Big Mac and Sugar Belle left to have a little bit of a honeymoon by themselves at a different table. She too is looking at the club of mother’s table with a rather sad face. Starlight decides that maybe talking with a friend that feels similarly, even if not for the exact same reasons, since Applejack’s mother is known to be deceased.

Starlight: Sunburst and Trixie, I’m going to see Applejack for a little bit if that’s ok.

Sunburst: Sure, no problem Starlight.

Starlight walks on over and sits next to Applejack. Applejack still kind of staring at the M.I.L.F. club’s table doesn’t make her realize it until Starlight speaks up.

Starlight: Hey uh… Applejack…

Applejack yelps a bit in surprise

Applejack: Oh! Uh… Howdy… Starlight… Whatcha want from me?

Starlight: You feeling kind of left out, as the only one out of the elements that can’t have a mom over there?

Applejack: *sigh* ….Yeah, mah face made that pretty obvious didn’t it.

Starlight: I came over here… because I actually feel somewhat similar.

Applejack: Oh, is ya mother… deceased as well? Ah’ve never heard ah thing about her, come t’ think o’ it…

Starlight: I… actually don’t know… she disappeared 2 weeks after I was born. And there’s been no real hints or clues to where she is now. There is at least still a possibility she’s still around, but even if she is. I would of never had her around for my childhood like all the other mothers over there had been or at least will be.

Applejack: Oh gosh, Starlight. Ah’m so sorry t’ hear that… wait, ya’ll still have ya father right? Why hasn’t he told ya?

Starlight: To add to my frustration he refuses to tell me who she was. He finds every excuse in the book to get out of telling my mother’s name...

This makes Applejack angry.

Applejack: How dare ya father do that t’ you! He’s failing one o’ the most basic things ah good parent should be doing… Ah ought t’ go over t’ his table and buck him in the face right now…

Starlight: Exactly, that’s how I’ve felt for much of my life towards my father. Though please, don’t harm him. I don’t want my family drama to ruin a night like this.

Applejack: How many other ponies have ya told this t’?

Starlight: I’ve mostly held it secret for a long while. As I’ve had other things to focus on. But now that we’re finally in a place where we can get a bit of a breather. Perhaps it was time to finally take the time to tell more of my complicated past. 2 weeks ago, I told Trixie and Sunburst that I never knew my mother, and I then also told your little sister Apple Bloom and the other 2 Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Applejack: Ya’ll told Apple Bloom about this? That sounds like ah rather heavy subject t’ tell ah filly like her…

Starlight: AJ, you and her parents are dead. Kind of hard for her to avoid heavy subjects. Though I admit I would of spared telling her… If it didn’t turn out that my mom is likely connected to my Cutie Mark in some way.

Applejack: What do ya’ll mean by that?

Starlight: I told them how I got my Cutie Mark, and I knew that their group talent would perhaps help me at least understand things a little more. I could tell you too, but I think if I tell you it’d be better that the rest of the Elements, or at least just Twilight so she can share it with you later. And after the ball, so I don’t end up just dragging you all into hearing about my personal drama, while all of you are just here to have a good time.

Applejack: Gotcha, ah can wait t’ hear the story. But at least tell me what the CMC deduced afterward?

Starlight: Well… I suppose first I should just give the short version for proper context. Basically, I had a magic outburst in the basement of my home that was similar to Twilight’s during her entrance exam after trying a super powerful spell from a spell book only meant for top unicorns.

Though unlike Twilight, I hadn’t been studying magic for hours upon hours as a filly, I just simply was born with raw power. And the CMC deduced that if I hadn’t worked for my raw power, then I had inherited my magic power from someone in my parents lines. My father’s line is however full of average unicorns, so that unfortunately points to it likely being connected to my missing Mother in some fashion.

Applejack: Oh well ain’t that one heck of ah summary… Starlight, Ah wish ya’ll had told me and mah friends this ah lot sooner. We would o’ absolutely been sympathetic… Ah bet Twilight would gladly do something with her genie magic t’ help ya’ll find ya Mother’s identity.

Starlight: I did actually finally think about that a little while ago, while talking with Sunburst and Trixie here at the ball. And I absolutely plan on getting Twilight to help me but again... I don’t want to force my family drama while she or anypony else here is having a good time. So, I plan to get her help tomorrow. The fact that I’ll have it solved one way or another has helped calm me down on this matter, though at the same time it means the day is moving more slowly. Because now I’m only just less then 24 hours from knowing the answer to a mystery that’s loomed over me my entire life.

I may need a sleeping spell in order to even get some rest tonight, cause while I don’t know who my mother was. Whoever she is, I’ll get some actual solid answers about myself and the full context of my past.

Applejack: Yeah, that’ll be good. Ah hope ya’ll find ya mother, and ah also hope she’s ah good pony.

Starlight: I’m kinda scared about the latter if she is indeed still out there somewhere, but... Somehow or someway, I’m getting answers tomorrow... And I can’t wait.

Starlight and Applejack look on over to the M.I.L.F. club table one more time. Trixie’s mother by this point already having taken the same oath and received the same group hug Twilight received when she joined. Starlight looks over at Applejack, and proceeds to ask her a question.

Starlight: Applejack, what was your mother like?

Applejack just looks over to Starlight, tears welling up but also smiling

Applejack: Mah mother was the sweetest pony in all o’ Equestria…

Applejack would proceed to tell Starlight some stories about her childhood back when her mom Pear Butter was still alive to Starlight. If nothing else, being some of the few ponies there that couldn’t have their mom around for one reason or another. Starlight and Applejack gain a stronger appreciation between eachother, as they bond over similar circumstances.

UP NEXT: Chapter 18: The Royal Ball, Part 6 - Sweetie Belle’s Performance

6 notes · View notes

noona-clock · 4 years

Text

All I Want for Christmas is You 🍰

Genre: Neighbor!AU

Pairing: Dowoon x You

Warnings: None

Words: 2,428

I don't want a lot for Christmas There is just one thing I need I don't care about the presents Underneath the Christmas tree I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true All I want for Christmas is you

Dowoon had been your neighbor for over a year now. You had moved into the apartment next to him, and you had seen him in the hallway and around the complex several times before actually meeting him. One day, a package addressed to him had been delivered to your mailbox by mistake, so you’d knocked on his door and given it to him.

When the door had opened, you’d grinned at him and said, “Hey, this package is for you, but it was put in my mailbox by mistake.”

A bashful smile had spread across his lips, he had taken the package from you gingerly, and he had softly thanked you. And that had been it. He had closed the door without another word.

And you had instantly fallen in love.

Ever since then, you had tried your best to talk to him, get to know him, actually become friends with him. You’d waved at him in the hallway. You’d said ‘Hi’ at the mailboxes. You’d pretended like you were out of some super important ingredient you needed for something you were baking and knocked on his door to ask him for it.

He had waved back at you in the hallway. He had said ‘Hi’ back to you at the mailboxes. He had either regretfully told you he didn’t have that super important ingredient you needed or he had lent it to you with a small, shy smile.

But that was it. He returned your interactions, but he never initiated them.

You could tell he was just shy, though, because he was always super friendly! He never acted like he didn’t want to wave or say ‘Hi’ or lend you an ingredient if he had it. He was always happy to, he just never did it first.

By the time Christmas rolled around, your crush had only gotten deeper. Dowoon’s shyness, however, hadn’t changed. So, you decided that your Christmas present to yourself this year -- the only thing you truly wanted -- was to get closer to him.

You didn’t want a fancy new smartwatch or a new pair of shoes or a pastel-colored stand mixer for all the baking you were now doing.

You just wanted Dowoon.

I don't need to hang my stocking Thereupon the fireplace Santa Claus won't make me happy With a toy on Christmas day I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true All I want for Christmas is you

Against your better judgment, you decided to throw a Christmas party.

I say ‘against your better judgment’ because a party truly didn’t seem like the best way to reach Dowoon’s heart. He was shy and quiet, and he seemed like he was probably an introvert, so why would you think he would want to come over to your apartment when a bunch of other people were there?

But you had come up with a plan in case he ended up not coming, so either way, things should work out!

Hopefully.

You invited friends and neighbors over to your apartment the Saturday before Christmas, waiting to invite Dowoon last. Maybe because you were nervous or maybe because you expected him to decline, and if he did, you knew you wouldn’t feel like even having the party, but since everyone else was already coming, you had no choice...

Either way, you waited to invite Dowoon last.

Just a couple of days before the party, you happened to run into him in the mailroom. You greeted him as you normally did, and he said ‘hey’ back with a smile, as he normally did. You unlocked your mailbox, shuffled through the letters inside... glanced at him covertly...

Your heart began to beat a bit faster inside your chest, and just when you heard him close his mailbox, you cleared your throat.

“Hey, so, uh --” you began, and out of the corner of your eye, you saw him turn to look at you. “I’m having a Christmas party on Saturday. You’re welcome to come if you want. A lot of our neighbors will be there.”

You held your breath, waiting for him to say he was busy or ‘no thank you’ or something along those lines.

So, imagine your surprise when you heard him murmur, “Yeah, sure. What time?”

Your eyes widened, and you blinked, stammering out the time you’d decided on and watching as his lips spread into a tiny grin.

“I’ll be there,” he said quietly before nodding at you and then turning to leave.

It took just about everything in you not to jump around and squeal when he left the mailroom. He had actually said ‘yes’?! He was coming to your party?!

You were now officially one step closer to your Christmas present.

I won't ask for much this Christmas I won't even wish for snow, and I I just wanna keep on waiting Underneath the mistletoe I won't make a list and send it To the North Pole for Saint Nick I won't even stay awake To hear those magic reindeer click 'Cause I just want you here tonight Holding on to me so tight What more can I do Oh, Baby, all I want for Christmas is you

It was Saturday evening, and your party was in full swing.

You weren’t surprised that Dowoon hadn’t arrived yet; you figured he certainly wouldn’t want to show up early in case he was the first one there and had to make awkward small talk with you. In a shy person’s eyes, it was much better to show up to a party late since it upped the odds that someone you knew would already be there.

While you weren’t surprised, you were anxious. You hoped he hadn’t said he’d come just to be polite but he actually wasn’t going to show up. As you flittered around your apartment performing your hosting duties (filling up snack bowls, chatting with friends you hadn’t seen in a bit, etc, etc), you couldn’t stop your eyes from darting to your front door, even when nobody was opening it.

The past two days had just been so filled with both anxiety and longing that you were almost to your breaking point.

Ever since Dowoon had accepted your invitation, you’d let yourself hope that your one Christmas wish could actually come true -- would actually come true -- and you now so desperately wanted to become closer to him that if you didn’t, if he didn’t show up tonight, you would be more disappointed than you could remember being.

Truly, all you wanted for Christmas was him. But you’d done your part. You’d invited him here tonight, and now all you could do... was wait.

All the lights are shining So brightly everywhere And the sound of children's Laughter fills the air And everyone is singing I hear those sleigh bells ringing Santa won't you bring me The one I really need Won't you please bring my baby to me I don't want a lot for Christmas This is all I'm asking for I just wanna see my baby Standing right outside my door

“Yeah, go for it!” you grinned when one of your neighbors requested turning the volume of the music up so all the guests could engage in a sing-along.

Honestly, you really didn’t care what everyone else did at this party. You only cared if Dowoon showed up!

As everyone gathered around the Bluetooth speaker (well -- not everyone; some of your neighbor’s kids were playing with the toys they’d brought and giggling in the most adorable way), you headed into the kitchen to prepare some hot chocolate and coffee and start putting some Christmas cookies on a tray. If your guests were going to be caroling, you figured they should have some appropriate refreshments.

Just as you set the kettle down and flipped the switch to start it, you heard the telltale squeak of your front door opening. As they had been for the past hour or so, your eyes flew to the door to see who was --

Oh, god.

He was here.

A smile pulled at your lips immediately, and when Dowoon’s gaze landed on yours, your heart began to race inside your chest.

A bashful expression, one you knew well by this point, immediately appeared on Dowoon’s face, and the tips of his ears began to turn red. But he started walking over to you anyway.

And it wasn’t until he was about halfway to you when you realized he was carrying something. A small, wrapped box.

Your heart started beating even faster. What could it be? You hadn’t told him to bring anything, so whatever it was, he had brought it of his own accord.

And that made you more excited than you were willing to admit out loud.

“Hey,” you greeted somewhat breathlessly when he finally arrived next to you in the kitchen. “You made it.”

“Yeah, it was a long trip,” he replied with a soft chuckle. “Sorry, I’m late.”

“No, you’re not late at all,” you assured him, leaning your hip against the counter as you faced him.

Dowoon simply smiled shyly at you before shifting his gaze down at the box he was holding. “I, uh...” he began.

He cleared his throat and moved his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly, causing even more heart palpitations. He seemed nervous, in a good way.

“I got something for you,” he murmured, his voice just loud enough for you to hear over the singing and laughing but soft enough so nobody else could. He held out the box toward you and just barely met your gaze.

“Oh -- thank you,” you replied as you tried not to smile like a complete idiot. “That’s so sweet. You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Well, I... I wanted to,” he replied. And then he rose his eyebrows slightly, clearly waiting for you to open it.

You took it from him and began to gingerly unwrap it, wanting to save the paper solely because it was Dowoon’s. He had (presumably) taken the time to wrap it for you, so it was now the most special wrapping paper in the world.

Once you’d carefully broken the tape and taken the paper off, you lifted the lid on the small, white box. Inside was a colorful glass ornament shaped and painted to look like a cupcake.

“You’re always asking me for baking ingredients, so I figured you like to bake,” Dowoon explained as you delicately lifted the ornament out by the ribbon loop, holding it up so you could admire it.

While you didn’t actually love to bake, you had come to enjoy it since you’d started finding recipes with ingredients you didn’t have so you had a reason to knock on Dowoon’s door. And now that Dowoon had gifted you with a cupcake ornament because he thought you liked it? Well, you would probably end up opening your own bakery one day.

“Dowoon,” you grinned. “This is so thoughtful. Thank you so much.”

And then you realized you hadn’t bought a gift for him.

“I don’t have anything to give you in return, I’m so sorry, I didn’t --”

“No,” Dowoon interrupted, and you noticed the tips of his ears began to turn red again. “You -- you don’t have to get me anything. Inviting me here tonight is my present.”

Your heart suddenly went from beating uncontrollably to not beating at all.

Was he... saying what you thought he was saying?

“Inviting... what do you mean?” you managed to stammer out.

“I haven’t been able to work up the nerve to really talk to you,” he explained with a bashful shrug. “When you invited me to your party, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to finally -- finally get to know you.”

After hearing his words, you weren’t quite sure how you were still standing. Or, at the very least, how you hadn’t dropped and shattered your new ornament.

“Really?” you whispered hopefully.

He nodded, and it was all you could do not to throw your arms around him and confess your feelings right then and there.

“I want to get to know you better, too,” you said instead.

While Dowoon’s smile remained shy, his eyes lit up when you returned his sentiments, and your heart soared and leaped up into your throat.

And... you might as well just be honest.

“I actually threw a party just so I could invite you,” you admitted with a chuckle. “You seem shy so I figured it might be easier than something one-on-one, and --”

Dowoon interrupted you by reaching over and taking the ornament from you, his fingers brushing over yours.

“Should we... go hang it up?” he asked with a cautious lilt to his voice.

You took a breath and then nodded, your lips spread into the widest, brightest grin possible. “Yeah,” you breathed.

I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true Baby all I want for Christmas is you All I want for Christmas is you, baby

Dowoon stood closely next to you as you slid the ribbon onto one of the few bare branches left on your Christmas tree, and your arm brushed against his when you took a small step back to admire it.

“It’s perfect,” you said. “I love it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Dowoon murmured. “...Merry Christmas.”

Your breath caught in your throat because you had the strongest urge to turn and kiss him... so, you did. You looked over at him, you leaned in, and you placed a quick but sweet kiss on his cheek.

“Merry Christmas,” you replied.

Dowoon’s ear turned even redder than it had been before, and you almost regretted your actions...

But then you felt his fingers brush against yours. You felt him gently take your hand, linking your fingers together.

And you let out a huge sigh of relief.

Your Christmas wish had come true -- his Christmas wish had come true -- and... you had a feeling you were going to be baking a lot more cupcakes in the future.

But that was more than fine with you.

326 notes · View notes

spaceexp · 4 years

Text

Runaway Star Might Explain Black Hole's Disappearing Act

NASA - Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) patch. July 16, 2020 The telltale sign that the black hole was feeding vanished, perhaps when a star interrupted the feast. The event could lend new insight into these mysterious objects.

Images above: This illustration shows a black hole surrounded by a disk of gas. In the left panel, a streak of debris falls toward the disk. In the right panel, the debris has dispersed some of the gas, causing the corona (the ball of white light above the black hole) to disappear. Images Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech. At the center of a far-off galaxy, a black hole is slowly consuming a disk of gas that swirls around it like water circling a drain. As a steady trickle of gas is pulled into the gaping maw, ultrahot particles gather close to the black hole, above and below the disk, generating a brilliant X-ray glow that can be seen 300 million light-years away on Earth. These collections of ultrahot gas, called black hole coronas, have been known to exhibit noticeable changes in their luminosity, brightening or dimming by up to 100 times as a black hole feeds. But two years ago, astronomers watched in awe as X-rays from the black hole corona in a galaxy known as 1ES 1927+654 disappeared completely, fading by a factor of 10,000 in about 40 days. Almost immediately it began to rebound, and about 100 days later had become almost 20 times brighter than before the event. The X-ray light from a black hole corona is a direct byproduct of the black hole's feeding, so the disappearance of that light from 1ES 1927+654 likely means that its food supply had been cut off. In a new study in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, scientists hypothesize that a runaway star might have come too close to the black hole and been torn apart. If this was the case, fast-moving debris from the star could have crashed through part of the disk, briefly dispersing the gas. "We just don't normally see variations like this in accreting black holes," said Claudio Ricci, an assistant professor at Diego Portales University in Santiago, Chile, and lead author of the study. "It was so strange that at first we thought maybe there was something wrong with the data. When we saw it was real, it was very exciting. But we also had no idea what we were dealing with; no one we talked to had seen anything like this." Nearly every galaxy in the universe may host a supermassive black hole at its center, like the one in 1ES 1927+654, with masses millions or billions of times greater than our Sun. They grow by consuming the gas encircling them, otherwise known as an accretion disk. Because black holes don't emit or reflect light, they can't be seen directly, but the light from their coronas and accretion disks offers a way to learn about these dark objects. The authors' star hypothesis is also supported by the fact that a few months before the X-ray signal disappeared, observatories on Earth saw the disk brighten considerably in visible-light wavelengths (those that can be seen by the human eye). This might have resulted from the initial collision of the stellar debris with the disk. Digging Deeper The disappearing event in 1ES 1927+654 is unique not only because of the dramatic change in brightness, but also because of how thoroughly astronomers were able to study it. The visible-light flare prompted Ricci and his colleagues to request follow-up monitoring of the black hole using NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), an X-ray telescope aboard the International Space Station. In total, NICER observed the system 265 times over 15 months. Additional X-ray monitoring was obtained with NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory – which also observed the system in ultraviolet light – as well as NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and the ESA (the European Space Agency) XMM-Newton observatory (which has NASA involvement). When the X-ray light from the corona disappeared, NICER and Swift observed lower-energy X-rays from the system so that, collectively, these observatories provided a continuous stream of information throughout the event. Although a wayward star seems the most likely culprit, the authors note that there could be other explanations for the unprecedented event. One remarkable feature of the observations is that the overall drop in brightness wasn't a smooth transition: Day to day, the low-energy X-rays NICER detected showed dramatic variation, sometimes changing in brightness by a factor of 100 in as little as eight hours. In extreme cases, black hole coronas have been known to become 100 times brighter or dimmer, but on much longer timescales. Such rapid changes occurring continuously for months was extraordinary. "This dataset has a lot of puzzles in it," said Erin Kara, an assistant professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a coauthor of the new study. "But that's exciting, because it means we're learning something new about the universe. We think the star hypothesis is a good one, but I also think we're going to be analyzing this event for a long time." It's possible that this kind of extreme variability is more common in black hole accretion disks than astronomers realize. Many operating and upcoming observatories are designed to search for short-term changes in cosmic phenomena, a practice known as "time domain astronomy," which could reveal more events like this one. "This new study is a great example of how flexibility in observation scheduling allows NASA and ESA missions to study objects that evolve relatively quickly and look for longer-term changes in their average behavior," said Michael Loewenstein, a coauthor of the study and an astrophysicist for the NICER mission at the University of Maryland College Park and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Will this feeding black hole return to the state it was in before the disruption event? Or has the system been fundamentally changed? We're continuing our observations to find out." More About the Missions NICER is an Astrophysics Mission of Opportunity within NASA's Explorer program, which provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas.

Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). Image Credit: NASA

NuSTAR recently celebrated eight years in space, having launched on June 13, 2012. A Small Explorer mission led by Caltech and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, NuSTAR was developed in partnership with the Danish Technical University and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The spacecraft was built by Orbital Sciences Corp. in Dulles, Virginia. NuSTAR's mission operations center is at the University of California, Berkeley, and the official data archive is at NASA's High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center at GSFC. ASI provides the mission's ground station and a mirror data archive. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. ESA's XMM-Newton observatory was launched in December 1999 from Kourou, French Guiana. NASA funded elements of the XMM-Newton instrument package and provides the NASA Guest Observer Facility at GSFC, which supports use of the observatory by U.S. astronomers. GSFC manages the Swift mission in collaboration with Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems in Dulles, Virginia. Other partners include the University of Leicester and Mullard Space Science Laboratory of the University College London in the United Kingdom, Brera Observatory in Italy, and the Italian Space Agency. For more information on NuSTAR, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/nustar/main/index.html https://www.nustar.caltech.edu/ For more information on NICER, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/nicer https://nicer.gsfc.nasa.gov For more information on Swift, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/main https://swift.gsfc.nasa.gov/ For more information on XMM-Newton, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/xmm-newton Images /mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Tony Greicius. Greetings, Orbiter.ch Full article

#space #science

18 notes · View notes

spacetimewithstuartgary · 4 years

Photo

Runaway Star Might Explain Black Hole's Disappearing Act The telltale sign that the black hole was feeding vanished, perhaps when a star interrupted the feast. The event could lend new insight into these mysterious objects. At the center of a far-off galaxy, a black hole is slowly consuming a disk of gas that swirls around it like water circling a drain. As a steady trickle of gas is pulled into the gaping maw, ultrahot particles gather close to the black hole, above and below the disk, generating a brilliant X-ray glow that can be seen 300 million light-years away on Earth. These collections of ultrahot gas, called black hole coronas, have been known to exhibit noticeable changes in their luminosity, brightening or dimming by up to 100 times as a black hole feeds. But two years ago, astronomers watched in awe as X-rays from the black hole corona in a galaxy known as 1ES 1927+654 disappeared completely, fading by a factor of 10,000 in about 40 days. Almost immediately it began to rebound, and about 100 days later had become almost 20 times brighter than before the event. The X-ray light from a black hole corona is a direct byproduct of the black hole's feeding, so the disappearance of that light from 1ES 1927+654 likely means that its food supply had been cut off. In a new study in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, scientists hypothesize that a runaway star might have come too close to the black hole and been torn apart. If this was the case, fast-moving debris from the star could have crashed through part of the disk, briefly dispersing the gas. "We just don't normally see variations like this in accreting black holes," said Claudio Ricci, an assistant professor at Diego Portales University in Santiago, Chile, and lead author of the study. "It was so strange that at first we thought maybe there was something wrong with the data. When we saw it was real, it was very exciting. But we also had no idea what we were dealing with; no one we talked to had seen anything like this." Nearly every galaxy in the universe may host a supermassive black hole at its center, like the one in 1ES 1927+654, with masses millions or billions of times greater than our Sun. They grow by consuming the gas encircling them, otherwise known as an accretion disk. Because black holes don't emit or reflect light, they can't be seen directly, but the light from their coronas and accretion disks offers a way to learn about these dark objects. The authors' star hypothesis is also supported by the fact that a few months before the X-ray signal disappeared, observatories on Earth saw the disk brighten considerably in visible-light wavelengths (those that can be seen by the human eye). This might have resulted from the initial collision of the stellar debris with the disk. Digging Deeper The disappearing event in 1ES 1927+654 is unique not only because of the dramatic change in brightness, but also because of how thoroughly astronomers were able to study it. The visible-light flare prompted Ricci and his colleagues to request follow-up monitoring of the black hole using NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), an X-ray telescope aboard the International Space Station. In total, NICER observed the system 265 times over 15 months. Additional X-ray monitoring was obtained with NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory - which also observed the system in ultraviolet light - as well as NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and the ESA (the European Space Agency) XMM-Newton observatory (which has NASA involvement). When the X-ray light from the corona disappeared, NICER and Swift observed lower-energy X-rays from the system so that, collectively, these observatories provided a continuous stream of information throughout the event. Although a wayward star seems the most likely culprit, the authors note that there could be other explanations for the unprecedented event. One remarkable feature of the observations is that the overall drop in brightness wasn't a smooth transition: Day to day, the low-energy X-rays NICER detected showed dramatic variation, sometimes changing in brightness by a factor of 100 in as little as eight hours. In extreme cases, black hole coronas have been known to become 100 times brighter or dimmer, but on much longer timescales. Such rapid changes occurring continuously for months was extraordinary. "This dataset has a lot of puzzles in it," said Erin Kara, an assistant professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a coauthor of the new study. "But that's exciting, because it means we're learning something new about the universe. We think the star hypothesis is a good one, but I also think we're going to be analyzing this event for a long time." It's possible that this kind of extreme variability is more common in black hole accretion disks than astronomers realize. Many operating and upcoming observatories are designed to search for short-term changes in cosmic phenomena, a practice known as "time domain astronomy," which could reveal more events like this one. "This new study is a great example of how flexibility in observation scheduling allows NASA and ESA missions to study objects that evolve relatively quickly and look for longer-term changes in their average behavior," said Michael Loewenstein, a coauthor of the study and an astrophysicist for the NICER mission at the University of Maryland College Park and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Will this feeding black hole return to the state it was in before the disruption event? Or has the system been fundamentally changed? We're continuing our observations to find out." More About the Missions NICER is an Astrophysics Mission of Opportunity within NASA's Explorer program, which provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas. NuSTAR recently celebrated eight years in space, having launched on June 13, 2012. A Small Explorer mission led by Caltech and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, NuSTAR was developed in partnership with the Danish Technical University and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The spacecraft was built by Orbital Sciences Corp. in Dulles, Virginia. NuSTAR's mission operations center is at the University of California, Berkeley, and the official data archive is at NASA's High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center at GSFC. ASI provides the mission's ground station and a mirror data archive. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. ESA's XMM-Newton observatory was launched in December 1999 from Kourou, French Guiana. NASA funded elements of the XMM-Newton instrument package and provides the NASA Guest Observer Facility at GSFC, which supports use of the observatory by U.S. astronomers. GSFC manages the Swift mission in collaboration with Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems in Dulles, Virginia. Other partners include the University of Leicester and Mullard Space Science Laboratory of the University College London in the United Kingdom, Brera Observatory in Italy, and the Italian Space Agency. IMAGES....This illustration shows a black hole surrounded by a disk of gas. In the left panel, a streak of debris falls toward the disk. In the right panel, the debris has dispersed some of the gas, causing the corona (the ball of white light above the black hole) to disappear. Credit: NASA/JPL Caltech

#space #science #Astronomy #physics #news

8 notes · View notes

tabloidtoc · 3 years

Text

National Enquirer, December 14

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Prince William’s secret cancer crisis

Page 2: Chris Martin is caught between girlfriend Dakota Johnson and ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow who are both hawking sex toys -- Gwyneth is accusing Dakota of copying her Goop brand and she’s letting Chris know it loud and clear -- Dakota signed on as co-creative director with the sexual wellness brand Maude to launch a line of hip sex products and Dakota’s gotten wind of Gwyn’s whining and thinks she’s being ridiculous -- Chris is proud of Dakota and he feels for Gwyneth but he really wants to be left out of this

Page 3: Martha Stewart has whipped up a new recipe for romance which is red-hot dates with a string of men ordered up online and she may be 79 years old but she’s still cooking with gas in the dating department -- Martha’s getting more dates now than she ever has and she’s saying it makes her feel younger and hotter than ever but all the guys know the deal that there’s no pressure and no commitment and it’s just for the fun and the good company because Martha’s not looking for a relationship

Page 4: Just weeks after Blake Shelton popped the question to longtime love Gwen Stefani they have something else to celebrate as Gwen is expecting a miracle baby at 51 -- after years of trying and failing to have a child together new photos show Gwen sporting what looks like a telltale baby bump -- after years of enduring grueling rounds of IVF treatment without any success Gwen had given up hope of being able to conceive again and she and Blake even looked into adopting but their baby dream has come true naturally

* Reba McEntire’s romance with actor Rex Linn is less than a year old but she’s already driving him crazy -- it was wonderful for the first few months but Reba is so controlling Rex is begging her to give him some space -- Reba wants to be together 24/7 and while Rex loves being with her he’s starting to find her a bit suffocating -- Reba also sees red whenever Rex mentions his former fiancee Renee DeRese and she’s worried Rex is talking to his ex when he’s not around and he has a good relationship with his ex and believes that’s none of Reba’s business

Page 5: Britney Spears lost her bid to have her father Jamie Spears removed from a controlling role in her conservatorship so she’s spending whatever money she can get her hands on to exact her revenge -- Britney is worth about $60 million and she gets a very healthy stipend from that so she’s going through it like water to thumb her nose at her dad and her recent no-holds-barred trip to Maui to celebrate her 39th birthday was more than a little payback because dropping $50,000 on a birthday trip to Hawaii was a satisfying slap in the face to her dad

Page 6: Matthew McConaughey is taking his midlife crisis to an all-time high by planning to do a stand-up comedy tour -- after baring his soul in a memoir the 51-year-old star is totally gung-ho about the comedy thing and he’s cleared his schedule and hired a coach to work on his timing and punch up his jokes -- he’s written a lot of jokes and tried them out on his wife Camila and friends but they’re already tired of his cheesy one-liners and dad jokes and fart gags -- Camila wants to be supportive but she can’t fake it and friends wonder if Matthew’s lost the plot and others claim he might get more inspiration is he took up smoking weed again

Page 7: Grieving Bobby Brown worries he’s cursed after the tragic death of his 28-year-old son Bobby Brown Jr. -- his son’s death follows the deaths of his ex-wife Whitney Houston in 2012 and the couple’s 22-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in 2015 -- Bobby has suffered through so much pain in his life and it’s left him feeling like he’s cursed and he’s a loving father who always does the best he can and what’s right for his kids but there seems to be no escaping tragedy -- no foul play is expected in the death of Bobby Jr. but the coroner has yes to release the cause of death but Bobby Jr. seemed fit and healthy and had never been a drug user and was excited about a singing career after releasing his first single in September

* Donny Osmond is heading back to the Vegas strip to do a one-man show without his sister Marie Osmond and she’s fuming over the betrayal -- Marie is still smarting after getting dumped by The Talk and she thinks Donny could have been sensitive enough to at least invite her to join him -- Marie’s jealous co-stars on The Talk drove her off the daytime chat show because they couldn’t handle being overshadowed by her -- Donny will debut his new solo show at Harrah’s in August

Page 8: Doting Dolly Parton swooped in to save goddaughter Miley Cyrus from a meltdown after Miley trashed her sobriety during a boozy bender -- Miley has been on the wagon for six months after years of indulging in weed and alcohol but the boredom of lockdown pushed her over the edge -- Dolly has been a source of inspiration and strength to Miley during this difficult time and she’s never lectured Miley about her lifestyle only shown her unconditional love and understanding and that’s what Miley’s responded to

Page 9: Lady Gaga hopes to tango with Brad Pitt and they’re close to making a love connection -- the two have been in deep talks about working on a big-screen thriller and the conversations have turned up close and personal because the two have more in common than people realize -- Brad has always been a huge music nerd and Gaga wants to throw herself into movies in a big way after the success of A Star Is Born -- Gaga is ready to cash out of her latest relationship with businessman Michael Polansky because they quarantined together and things got a little too close for her tastes and she’s now set her sights on Brad who recently became unattached after giving the brush-off to German model Nicole Poturalski -- Gaga’s interest in Brad has not gone unreciprocated because Brad is fascinated by Gaga saying she’s cool and talented beyond words and he’s made it clear she’s his number one choice to star alongside him in next movie and as a result the new duo is set to spend months together in Japan filming the racy thriller Bullet Train and they both think that this will be a great opportunity to see if the chemistry they’ve shared in conversations is real

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Julia Garner filmed her role as a phony heiress in Inventing Anna in NYC, Gary Busey picked up a copy of the National Enquirer at a Malibu newsstand, Jay-Z tossed around a football with pals during a Hawaiian getaway, Heidi Klum shot Germany’s Next Top Model in Berlin

Page 11: In the latest tragedy to strike the Getty dynasty 52-year-old John Gilbert Getty was found dead in a Texas hotel room -- he was a descendant of J. Paul Getty the oil tycoon who was once the world’s richest man -- the Getty fortune is worth an estimated $5 billion but the family has been rocked by a string of tragedies

* Gutsy Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman kept his colon cancer diagnosis secret from his own brothers Derrick L. Boseman who is a pastor in Murfreesboro in Tennessee -- but when Derrick called Chadwick to congratulate him on his career the actor broke the tragic news -- Chadwick’s last words to him still echo in his heart: Chadwick said, “I’m in the fourth quarter and I need you to get me out of the game,” which Derrick understood to mean it was time for him to go -- Chadwick died on August 28

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- the scrawny look of the holiday tree at Rockefeller Center revealed something that happens every year -- the tree is always filled with faux branches because that’s the only way the tree can sustain 50,000 LED lights

* Marie Osmond hasn’t spoken to Sharon Osbourne since she left The Talk because Marie and Sharon were professional but never friends

* Scarlett Johansson is worth $165 million while her new husband Colin Jost tops out a $6 million but despite the difference Colin bought both wedding rings -- some men may be intimidated by a wife who’s rich and famous but not Colin and paying the bills is something the two have worked out together

* Woody Harrelson chats with police after a day filming The Man from Toronto in Ontario (picture)

Page 13: Conan O’Brien is putting on a happy face on his retirement from late-night TV but he was forced out -- after nearly three decades hosting a daily show Conan announced he’s leaving his TBS talker for a weekly variety series on HBO Max but he knew he had to go even before he was asked because he was made aware months ago that his show would not be renewed because the ratings weren’t great and the network was looking to replace him so he started looking for other opportunities

* Lizzo wailing about the pitfalls of fame in an emotional TikTok post has sent out the alarm among her friends who fear she is days away from a full-on meltdown -- she seems to be hanging by a thread and is trying to numb the pain with endless cycles of comfort eating and she already weighs 350 pounds -- Lizzo’s unhappy with her weight and hates the sight of herself when she looks in the mirror but she’s unable to stick to a diet and ends up binge eating through the night

Page 14: Crime

Page 15: Emboldened by his legal victories last year accused sexual abuser Kevin Spacey is denying all the allegations in a 2020 lawsuit in New York against him and demanding the case be brought to trial so he can clear his name -- Kevin is feeling pretty confident after two sexual harassment cases against him in Los Angeles and Massachusetts were dismissed last year and he wants his day in court to prove he is not the monster these charges paint him to be -- in the September suit two male accusers charged Spacey sexually assaulted them when they were 14 and the first accuser alleged Spacey assaulted him on multiple occasions after they met in an acting class in the ‘80s -- in the same suit actor Anthony Rapp charged Spacey invited him to a party at his home and grabbed his buttocks and lifted him onto a bed and lay on top of him

* Serial killer Ted Bundy relived the details of one of his horrific killings in his final conversation before he was fried in the electric chair in 1989 -- Bundy who was convicted of killing 30 women and suspected of doing the same to many more across four states in the 1970s and ‘80s spilled his guts to a psychologist just hours before his execution death and it can be heard in its frightening entirety on the Crimedoor app -- Bundy details the murder of Georgann Hawkins

Page 16: Accused Jeffrey Epstein madam Ghislaine Maxwell is under quarantine in a federal pen after being exposed to a guard with COVID-19 and now sources fear she could die before facing justice on child sex trafficking charges next year

Page 17: Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton’s kids are devastated after their best friend Lupo the family dog passed away -- the beloved dog had become a fixture in family photos but sadly died at age nine leaving Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte and especially Prince George enormously upset -- for George especially this is a tremendous upset as Lupo was his best friend and he has been there his entire life and this is his first experience with loss and he’s been crying nonstop and asking where Lupo is now

Page 18: American Life

Page 19: Russia is using a brain-frying microwave weapon to target American envoys in the U.S. and around the world -- a team of doctors and scientists at CIA headquarters determined the mysterious illness that’s plagued embassy workers in recent years was the handiwork of a weapon that can send a mind-scrambling sonic beam through windows and walls from two miles away -- since 2018 the weapon has zapped 26 diplomats in Cuba who reported suffering from migraines and ringing in the ears and dizziness and vertigo -- Some has longer-term effects such as fatigue and loss of vision and difficulty sleeping symptoms dubbed the Havana Syndrome

* Elon Musk is already designing posh planetary digs for residents of his future city on Mars and he said the first million Earthlings to arrive will live in glass domes -- Musk’s outer-space enterprise is still a little sketchy on details of how to ship a million people to Mars by 2050 and change the atmosphere by terraforming or planting the right stuff to create oxygen

Page 21: American Pie singer Don McLean’s daughter has blasted him as a verbally abusive tyrant who left her with deep psychological scars -- Jackie McLean claimed her father insulted and degraded her and forbade her from following in his musical footsteps and even threatened to exclude her from his $50 million fortune if she spoke out against him -- despite her dad’s warning Jackie has embarked on a musical career with her husband Shawn Strack forming the group Roan Yellowthorpe

Page 22: Hey, Big Spender! Hollywood’s tippers and tightwads -- Jessica Simpson, Mick Jagger, Rachael Ray, Taylor Swift

Page 23: Russell Crowe, Donnie Wahlberg, Jeremy Piven, Johnny Depp, Bill Cosby

Page 25: Justin Bieber is questioning his future in the scandal-scarred Hillsong church after his former pal and pastor Carl Lentz was booted out in disgrace -- the singer has long relied on Hillsong which some have branded a cult and Lentz to help him navigate fame -- Justin’s at a crossroads right now because he definitely felt betrayed by Carl and now he and his wife Hailey Bieber are deciding whether to stay with the church

Page 26: Viola Davis has revealed how growing up poor in Rhode Island affected her self-worth saying what comes with poverty is invisibility and we just want to be somebody desperately -- Viola says her feeling of I’m Important helped drive her career which has led to an Oscar and two Tonys and an Emmy

* Hollywood Hookups -- Vanessa Hudgens is dating Cole Tucker of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jordan Fisher and Ellie Woods married, Luann De Lesseps dating Garth Wakeford

Page 27: Nicole Kidman has revealed there is only one cure for her desperate struggles with loneliness which is in the arms of husband Keith Urban -- Nicole said she practices psychological discipline to keep her career and home life separate but isolation still plagues her

* Dallas star Linda Gray is mourning the death of her son Jeff Thrasher at the age of 56 -- she’s heard from some former Dallas colleagues who have rallied around her and expressed their condolences -- no cause of death for Jeff has been revealed

Page 28: Cover Story -- Prince William is trapped in a cancer nightmare after medical tests have led doctors to suspect the heir to Britain’s throne may be fighting a slow-moving form of the deadly disease and now the 38-year-old royal and his family are terrified he is in severe danger and medical experts are monitoring his health for any symptoms of the illness -- there’s talk around the palace the prince’s decision to reveal he tested positive for COVID-19 during the spring is really an attempt to explain away his condition because doctors found something funky when they checked for the virus -- if William’s health takes a turn for the worse it could further erode confidence in the monarchy which has already endured Prince Andrew’s sex scandal and the defection of Prince Harry -- when William’s doctors dropped their cancer bombshell his wife Duchess Kate Middleton locked herself away with just their kids for five days and she’s practically had a breakdown but she’s learned to be a royal and is now coping very bravely and confronting the future with steely resolve but she is urging William to mend fences with his estranged brother Harry

Page 32: Health Watch

Page 36: Jessica Simpson is preparing her windpipes for a post-pandemic musical comeback -- she hasn’t released an album since Happy Christmas a decade ago but wants to storm the pop charts once again and recruit some of her wider family to give her a disco edge because Jessica has always looked up to Diana Ross who is sister Ashlee Simpson’s mother-in-law and Jessica has been bugging Ashlee to hook her up with Diana and she thinks they could do an incredible duet

Page 38: Paul McCartney has taken a seething jab at a two-faced gold-digging mystery woman in his new song Lavatory Lil but insisted it’s not about his ex-wife Heather Mills

* Lil Wayne’s ex-girlfriend fears he will go insane behind bars -- the rapper is a convicted felon banned from possessing a weapon and now faces up to 10 years in jail after federal agents in Miami caught him with heroin and cocaine and ecstasy and marijuana and a gold-plated gun -- former girlfriend Melissa Howe says he won’t cope and it took him years to get his life back to normal after his last trip inside so for it to happen again for him to be put behind bars it would really get to him mentally

Page 42: Red Carpet -- American Music Awards -- Kristin Cavallari, Christian Serratos, Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, Megan Fox

Page 45: Spot the Differences -- LeAnn Rimes holding a dog on Hallmark Channel’s Home and Family

Page 47: Odd List

1 note · View note

renzywenzy · 4 years

Text

Joker Review

*Disclaimer* I held off posting this review until Phoenix won the Oscar. I promised myself that if he hadn’t won, I would have just left this in the drafts forever. That’s how much faith I had in this man and now here is my critique of my favorite film of 2019.

I have a tattoo on my right arm. The tattoo is actually the Batman logo but altered. One half of the logo is normal but the other half is made up of red “HAHAHAHA’s” all over. There’s a reason why the dynamic between these two is my favorite of all-time. It’s two different interpretations of insanity colliding in an eternal battle. It’s two iconic, well-written, captivating characters having epic confrontations.

Needless to say, I love the characters of Batman and The Joker. I grew up on them and they have played a huge part of my life. My ideologies, my way of thinking, my perception of the world, my behavior in private and in public have been directly and/or indirectly impacted by these two characters.

Any film or any form of media that have these two, separate or together, is already met with my high expectations. So obviously, my expectations for this film were through the roof. If this film was nothing short of great, I would have been really angry.

I would have been the first to say how disappointed I was, I would have been the first to say that Joaquin Phoenix should never play The Joker again, I would have been the first to say that Todd Philips should stick to raunchy comedies and stay away from the character as far as possible....but that’s not the case here.

I’m singing a different tune. A tune that I’m gonna be letting everyone hear with every chance I get. A tune that I’m gonna be playing in my head whenever I dance on the street.

Ladies and gentlemen... please welcome Joker.

The Tragedy

First of all, I’ll begin with some faults that I found in the film. Not a whole lot but I have to get these out of the way so that I can end the review with high points.

1.) The origin story we didn’t want but the one we got anyway

Now when I talk about origin story, I don’t mean Joker’s. I mean Batman’s. I’m really sorry to say but I am getting absolutely sick of seeing THAT scene.

I have to point out that it felt like this scene was rushed. It wasn’t shot as well as the other scenes. Every other scene in Joker felt like there was a beautiful story behind it. As if there was a creative progress going through the minds of the people in the scene and off the camera but this scene felt rushed and was treated like an afterthought.

I must admit, of all the films that showed Bruce’s parents in the alley, this one might be one of the weakest I’ve seen in a while. Even that piece of garbage Batman V. Superman had a slightly better way of showing that scene. If you’re going to show us a scene that’s been overly done since the beginning of Batman films, you gotta add a little more flavor and cinematic flair to it. Sad to say that for a film that was shot so well, this scene stuck out like a sore thumb.

2.) A little too much dancing and a few too many ribs

As it says in the point, there’s a little too much there. Don’t get me wrong, I love most of his dance scenes but there’s maybe 1 or 2 too many. I personally would have kept the first dance scene when accidentally shoots a gun, the one after his first kill, the one with his mother, and all the dance scenes once he completely transforms. These particular dance scenes were showing us a slow evolution and allowed to see how his mind was slowly changing. But there were a few dance scenes that didn’t really do that and instead was just kind of there. For example, the few dance scenes where he’s half-naked can be taken out completely and it wouldn’t make a difference.

And speaking of him being half-naked. I understand the film wants us to see how weak he his and in some scenes, it wants to show you the literal scars he got from society. However in some of these scenes, it gets a little distracting. The first scene where he’s half naked and trying to adjust his shoe is just perfect because for one, you don’t know really know what he’s doing at first so it leaves you wondering for a few seconds and two, you get to see how much his frail body struggles with something so simple.

But then you have a few scenes where he’s unnecessary shirtless like the one where he’s smoking and watching TV. It seemed needless for him to be shirtless for this scene because the main point of it was his reaction towards what was being shown on TV. Again, it’s no problem to show us how skinny and weak he looks but it has to be the point or a point of a scene or else it’s just distracting.

Small gripes but I had to find some criticisms for the film. But now that that’s out of the way, let’s put a smile on that face (I know they’re not the same. Just be like Joe and Chill).

The Comedy

1.) Romero, Nicholson, Ledger, Hamill, and now...

...Phoenix

There have been numerous people who have played the Joker with each actor adding their own twist to the Clown Prince of Crime. Romero embodied the camp and goofiness of the Silver Age iteration, Nicholson provided a more laid-back and mafia-esque performance, Ledger portrayed him as a true anarchist who “wants to watch the world burn”, and the legendary Hamill basically performed multiple layers of Joker’s persona for his 20+ years as the character and is THE definitive voice (and laugh) of The Joker.

Joaquin Phoenix joins this hall of fame (or infamy) by giving us a closer, more in-depth look at the mentally ill, physically battered, and emotionally abandoned man behind the smile.

I honestly can’t give this guy the praise he really deserves but I’ll do my best. My lord...this man blew me away like I was a talk-show host. Powerhouse performance doesn’t even begin to describe his acting.

This film, as well-made as it was, wouldn’t have worked nearly as well had it not been for its main star. This film hinged on how well Mr. Phoenix played the titular character and he absolutely delivered.

The film had a tough job in its hands: portray how a man was slowly dissenting into madness to the point that he lets the madness in and indulges in it. It was going to be a deliberately slow process that required an actor who can be significantly subtle enough to convey to the audience how a character is evolving but taking small steps to do so. Phoenix did that with flying colors.

If you look at the first scene where we’re introduced to Arthur, it’s clearly not the same Arthur when the film reaches its ending. We went from a man who walks with a slouch and a noticeable stiffness to a man who vigorously dances in the streets without a care in the world.

Don’t get it twisted, though. Phoenix didn’t play two different people nor did he play a man who takes a sudden huge leap in his personality. He played a person who displays slight changes to his psyche in each scene and these small changes eventually pile up. Arthur was meant to be a man who was layered like an onion and Phoenix’s performance mirrored that perfectly.

Is he the best Joker? I can’t say that. Each Joker I’ve been introduced to, while having a different spin, is ultimately the Joker at his peak or even at the twilight of his criminal life. This is the first time where I’ve witnessed a Joker who is still truly staring out. And no, Nicholson doesn’t count because Jack Napier was an established criminal way before he became the Joker. So I’m not too sure yet where to rank Phoenix’s actual full-blown Joker as it doesn’t last long however excellent it was AND a huge factor for me when it comes to ranking Jokers is the interactions with Batman. There was no Joker and Batman clash here. Only Arthur and Bruce. As it stands, Phoenix’s spot on the all-time Joker list may not be the highest but in terms of pure acting, he may very well be #1.

I know this sentiment has been repeated multiple times but I do honestly believe Phoenix deserved the Oscar here or at least a nod.

2.) Familiar punchline, fresh set-up

For any Batman/Joker fan, you’ve probably heard of this following quote:

“If I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice.”

It’s an iconic quote and one that you will hear in almost any review of this film but there is a good reason for it. The line encapsulates one of the best things about The Joker: the mystery of his origins.

As mysterious as the character is, it’s hard to keep The Joker interesting these days. He is the most over-exposed Batman villain of all time and quite possibly the most over-exposed villain in fiction period. Comic books, video games, tv shows, live-action movies. The Joker has been in EVERYTHING. Like his heroic counterpart, the Joker has been exposed too much to the point that there’s really not a lot of fresh things you can do with him.

The last time any media brought something refreshing to The Joker was in Telltale’s Batman video game where you meet a man named “John Doe” who’s still looking for himself and finding out which path in life he wants to take. In the game, whatever John becomes is based on your actions. That was in 2017.

The last time before that was in 2011′s Flashpoint where Martha Wayne became The Joker in an alternate timeline where Bruce dies in the alley. Even though this version of the Joker had a clear backstory and no mysterious origin, it was still fresh because of the sheer novelty of seeing Bruce Wayne’s mother as The Joker and his father as Batman.

So there are stretches of time where there’s nothing new and exciting for The Joker character but I’m happy to say that this film does breathe new life into the character.

The filmmakers understood how this specific character should be handled and they did it in ways that are plausible. His abusive but vague childhood and his delusions help in keeping the film from being straightforward.

Let me give some examples. In the scene where Arthur steals his mother’s files in the Asylum, it’s said that he was adopted by Penny and that he was abused by one of her boyfriends.

Some people I’ve talked to believe that it was Thomas Wayne who put Penny in the Asylum and forged adoption papers. Some people even say that it was Thomas Wayne who abused them when Arthur was a child. Some people say that it’s true and Arthur really was adopted.

We don’t know these things definitively and that’s the best part. It’s whatever you want it to be. Multiple choice.

I personally want to believe that Arthur really was adopted because that just adds another air of mystery to him. If he was then we don’t know his actual birth name or who is real parents are.

All in all, even though the evolution of Arthur into The Joker remains the ultimate goal, the film lets you make up your own path into how he got there. It’s handled beautifully and the script is clearly made with a lot of knowledge of and love for the character.

3. A problem tackled with grace

I just wanted to point how well this film handles the issue of mental health and illness. This topic will forever be relevant and is an issue that’s been tackled in media before. Some handled it terribly, some handled it bad, some handled it ok, some handled it well. And then there’s Joker that handles it amazingly.

As someone who sees mental illness on a regular basis, it was so sublime how accurate this film was. The image of a decaying mind and one that descends further and further down is so powerful in this film and it just never half-asses it and I loved that.

My girlfriend is a nurse and she interacts with mentally ill people far more than I ever will and she praised it more because everything she saw from Arthur is something that she has personally had to deal with in her patients. I asked her if there was even one inaccurate and she said “No” because everything was completely plausible and has actually happened in real life on multiple occasions. Delusions of grandeur, uncontrollable ticks (like a laugh), murderous tendency, self-harm, stalking, hallucinating, you name it and most likely, this film shows it.

Not only is Arthur’s mental illness accurate but what makes it better and why I praise it is how others deal with him. It’s scary how much it mirrors reality. Some people may know how to interact with him while others just get annoyed with him. Even those who are accepting of mentally ill people can still have be irritated with them when they come in contact with them.

Arthur is beaten not just because he’s mentally ill but because he just looks like a weak man who can be pushed around. People don’t care if he’s sick, they’ll kick his ass or make fun of him regardless and in some cases, they’ll have even more incentive when they learn he has mental problems which is sadly similar to the world we live in today.

Joker is arguably the best adaption of mental illness for this decade (I say arguably because Bojack Horseman is up there) and I can’t believe that the director of the Hangover films got it right and speaking of which...

4. He directed what??

Todd Philips, the man behind the Hangover trilogy, Starsky and Hutch (2004), and Old School directed this film. Imagine late 2018 and you just heard who the director was and you search for the films he directed prior. Did you honestly believe, in your heart of hearts, he was going to pull this off?

Don’t get me wrong, comedic talents have proven to excel in other genres. Jordan Peele is a great example of that but that doesn’t necessarily apply to every comedian...However, it applied to Mr. Philips.

His direction, his vision, his execution was top-notch and I have to apologize to this man because I honestly doubted him when I initially heard about it. I knew Phoenix was going to do well and I thought that the film would just rely solely on his performance but no. Todd Philips deserves a lot of credit here. Yes, he takes some ideas and cues from Scorsese (not a bad inspiration by the way) but he handles the psychological aspect in his own style.

In terms of performers, this was close to a one-man show as you can get but Philips’ contributions behind-the-scenes should to be given as much appreciation. Phoenix was the master painter and Philips gave him the tools.

Honestly, if Philips wants to direct more dramatic and heavier films akin to this, I’m all for it. If he wants to stick around and maybe direct some more DC films, I am definitely on board. In this time of uncertainty towards DC films, Philips gave me hope. Yes, I know this film isn’t part of the DCEU but if they want to create more films in the Elseworld universe, Philips should still be part of it in some way.

5. The sound of laughter

I’m not going to lie. I rarely appreciate film scores. While I do believe they enhance a film’s quality, I’m not actively seeking it out unless it truly stands out. The only scores I truly remember and appreciate is the opening score for Star Wars, the Superman score, the main score for Indiana Jones, the Back to The Future action sequence score, Danny Elfman’s Batman score, and all of the scores from The Godfather films.

By the way I realized the first three examples I gave all sound similar but it makes sense since John Williams made them all.

So out of the hundreds (possibly thousands) of films I’ve seen, these are the only scores I can truly remember and now we add one more to the list: the dark and beautiful score by Hildur Guðnadóttir.

She absolutely gave me a much better understanding of how music can not only enhance a scene but be worked around it. Apparently, the music was made first and Todd Philips would shoot scenes with the score playing in the background so that he can craft scenes based on which part of the score he was listening to. This is the first time something like this has ever happened in the filmmaking process and it absolutely worked wonders. No wonder why each scene tied in so beautifully to a specific part of the score.

Hildur has made it and I hope to hear more of her work in future projects.

6. To a bright future (hopefully)...

This section is more of a call to action than a positive point for the film. That being said, Joker’s success has opened up many possibilities for DC films moving forward.

Let’s be honest here. The recent attempt of DC keeping up with Marvel in terms of films has not been great. DC is Marvel’s biggest competitor but when you just look purely at movie success, you wouldn’t think that.

That’s because Marvel started something solid over a decade ago and is currently having the biggest and most epic film franchise today and, quite possible, of all time.

DC tried (and is still trying) to do the same but it has been a roller-coaster with some enjoyable ups (Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, Shazam) and terrible downs (Batman V. Superman, Justice League, Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey).

Now with the huge commercial and critical success of this film, Warner Bros. need to take advantage of this while they have the chance. Joker is a film that is set in its own universe and not a part of the bigger DCEU and this could be DC’s way of being as successful as Marvel. Elseworld stories. Detective Comics was the first to put huge emphasis on a multiverse in their comics and I believe it’s time to bring that to the films.

They’ve already implemented a multiverse with the television shows but now is the time to let the silver screen experience this.

Unlike Disney, Warner Bros. has the movie rights to ALL of the DC characters. All of them. From heavyweights like Superman and Batman to less popular characters like Question and Red Tornado. They need to make use of that advantage because there are plenty of characters who have not had successful film ventures yet. Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Batgirl, Constantine (sorry Keanu) Lobo, Zatanna, Static Shock, Booster Gold (a personal favorite) and so many more. Give these characters a chance. They can shine in their own standalone movie that doesn’t have to do with the DCEU. However, if you want to put all of them in the same universe, you’ll need visionary writers capable of that.

Consider this my call to action for Warner Bros. because I’m admittedly more of a DC fan than a Marvel. Don’t get me wrong, I love both franchises but DC was my first so I am biased towards them. I’m happy that Marvel has continuous success but it also makes me melancholic because it makes me question why DC can’t experience the same.

Only time will tell if DC can keep this up because right now, they’re doing well overall but even if they ultimately never catch up, they can be proud of this one.

Overall...

I love this film and its portrayal of an iconic character. They took an overused and overexposed character and somehow made him fresh again without taking away what made him so popular in the first place.

Todd Philips had a vision and he took it to a level that I didn’t think he was capable of. Joaquin Phoenix just absolutely killed with a performance that’s going to be remembered forever.

As I write this review, talks of a sequel have already begun. I’m honestly not sure if they can do outdo themselves. My expectations will be even higher but they are most certainly welcome to exceed them again.

3 notes · View notes

fyperrymason · 4 years

Photo

#Perry Mason #Raymond Burr #Barbara Hale #Della Street #The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host #gif #Ken Malansky #William R. Moses #1990s #1993

64 notes · View notes

ghosthunthq · 6 years

Text

Possession- chapter 3

From @frenchcirce

For @misskiku

Unedited and un-beta-ed, so I apologize in advance for any glaring mistake. Also, I lack sleep. Forgive me.

4 days prior- 6:00 PM

“Why is it not looking like it should?” Mai cried, exasperated.

The mirror she was kneeling in front of was showing a rather disappointing reflection. The obi she had tried to tie by herself wasn’t sitting on her back and hips properly, thus doing a poor job at keeping the kimono in place.

Masako, kneeling beside her in her own perfectly fitted kimono, chuckled wholeheartedly.

“There there, I’ll help you,” she offered placatingly, the corner of her mouth still twitching under Mai’s indignant glare. “Get up,” she ordered.

Mai complied, grumbling.

“How can you wear this every day? Not only it is hard to put on by yourself, but it is kind of uncomfortable!”

“Tying the obi is an art, you know,” Masako remarked, not without pride, while rearranging the silken belt. “If not worn properly it may be bothersome indeed. Thankfully for you I had more than enough time to practice.”

The last part had been added with a hint of bitterness, and Mai could only wonder how much of a choice Masako’s clothing style was.

“Done,” Masako announced after a minute, letting her friend admire her work in the mirror.

“Thank you Masako,” Mai smiled gratefully. “You really saved me there. I had no idea we would need formal clothes.”

“You are welcome. You lend me your clothes during the Yoshimi case, we are now even,” the medium stated, eyeing her friends’ attire critically before giving an approving nod.

The team had been invited by Miss Akiyama in the ryokan’s restaurant for dinner, and considering the high standing of the place, Mai was pretty sure they were expected to come dressed up accordingly. Except her poor, part-timer and still in high-school self didn’t have anything suitable to wear. Thankfully she was almost Masako’s size, and the latter, having packed several of her kimonos, had been kind enough to lend her one of her spare.

Ayako, looking dashing in a deep burgundy dress, entered the room to tell them it was time to go.

“The boys are waiting for us outside, but we can make them wait if you need more time,” she offered.

“There is no need to, we are ready,” Masako replied, and headed toward the shoji door with her usual poise.

Mai flattened her hair, making sure for the last time there were no stray locks, and followed her roomates, praying she would make no faux-pas tonight.

The men were standing outside the building wearing their regular clothes. Of course, Mai thought with annoyed envy, their outfits were classical enough to suit the place. Hers on the other hand… She glanced subrepticely at Naru, clad in his usual dark outfit, and tried to ignore how disappointed she was of not seeing him in his yukata. Though it was probably a blessing he wasn’t wearing it, she wasn’t sure she could handle a whole evening with him dressed like that without having a nosebleed.

“Woah Mai, you look great!” Takigawa whistled when she appeared.

She blushed, half-embarrassed and half-pleased by the compliment, waiting with anticipation Naru’s reaction. She immediately berated herself for doing so. Since when had she become so vain?

Naru turned toward her and she held her breath nonetheless. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed her outfit, but the telltale of his surprise immediately turned into something darker, a confusing mixture of annoyance and guilt. She deflated. This was not what she had expected.

Ayako’s voice behind her was complaining. “And what about us, you ill-mannered monk?” she shouted, an irked eyebrow arched. “There are two other women here, shall I remind you? It is rude to play favorites.”

“Rude?” Takigawa repeated, outraged. “Because fishing for compliments isn’t? ”

“I would ask you to refrain to cause a commotion,” Naru’s cold voice commanded.

That effectively quieted the bickering pair, temporarily at least. Even Mai recoiled, still troubled by the strange reaction he had shown. Then she realized her boss had ordered her to rest earlier in the morning, and that she hadn’t given him a report of whatever dream she could have had. Maybe that was the reason of his displeasure.

She walked toward him in small, careful steps, unused to the way her kimono was entraving her legs.

“Ah, Naru,” she spoke, scratching the back of her head nervously, “I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you. I, uh, I tried to sleep like you suggested but I didn’t have any significant dream. Sorry.”

He frowned imperceptibly.

“I didn’t expect you to have one so soon. We haven’t monitored any activity either.”

“Oh.” That was surprising. He wasn’t mad at her then? “Well, it was worth a shot, I guess.”

Hesitation flickered on his features before he opened his mouth.

“Mai–” he started.

“Shibuya-san, Taniyama-san,” the manager of the ryokan greeted, before realizing the two of them had been talking. “Oh,” she gasped, putting a hand on her mouth. “I am really sorry I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“No no, it is okay,” Mai smiled politely to the middle-aged lady. “We were about to head to the restaurant. Thank you for your invitation,” she bowed.

“My pleasure. Your table has been prepared, please let me lead the way.”

Naru nodded and the team followed their host. Thankfully their pacing was slow enough for Mai to walk without tripping.

In the restaurant they were led to a separate area, where a table filled with food was waiting for them. Mai took place on the sitting cushion gingerly, afraid to stain Masako’s kimono.

“The drink will be served soon,” the manager bowed. “We have taken your special diet in consideration,” she addressed Lin and Naru. “Enjoy your meal, with the thanks of the Akiyama family.”

Monk stared at the food with hungry eyes while Ayako glanced at it appraisingly.

“Did I already told you I love this case?” she smirked.

“You did,” Masako confirmed. “I am starting to greatly appreciate it myself,” she admitted.

“As long as whatever is haunting the place doesn’t choose this moment to bother us,” Yasuhara joked. “You haven’t sensed anything yet, am I right?” he asked Masako, seated next to him.

Masako hid her mouth with her sleeve reflexively. “No I haven’t, the spirit may be hiding still,” she defended.

“Of course,” he placated with a sincere smile, “I am just glad you haven’t been importuned. Cases are often hard on you.”

Masako blushed slightly, and Mai made a mental note to tease her for that later.

“I haven’t sensed anything either,” she mused. “But ghosts are shy, the activity will more likely increase in the next days.”

“The later, the better,” Ayako shrugged.

“The shinkan is almost entirely covered, if anything moves an inch or if a breeze passes through the room Lin will know it,” Takigawa exclaimed.

Lin nodded graciously in confirmation, and the manager choose this moment to reappear with tea, beer and a bottle of sake.

“May I ask if you are satisfied with your accommodation?” she addressed Naru while pouring the drinks. “We encourage our guests to enjoy the hot springs in the most traditional way, so to stay true to the atmosphere we did not add any electronic device. The room we prepared for your equipment was the only one with enough power outlets.”

Naru assured her that they were perfectly content and that everything had been done for the best.

“I am relieved to hear it,” the lady smiled. “I scheduled the interview you requested with my mother for tomorrow.”

Mai’s eyes widened. Naru had requested an interview? Wait, without telling her? She had been promoted to investigator, yet Naru didn’t trust her to interview their client. She frowned, feeling betrayed, somehow.

“I would ask you to be extremely tactful, she had been bedridden since my father’s passing away,” Akiyama-san added, sorrow maring her features. “They had spent a lifetime together, parting with him has been quite the shock.”

“Naturally,” Naru offered his best business smile. “Rest assured we will take her grief into consideration.”

The whole table looked at him dubiously. Mai perked up. This meant she should be the one in charge, it was a well-known fact that their boss was terrible at handling people’s emotions.

“Thank you,” the lady bowed.

As soon as she left, Mai leaned toward Naru, who was seated across the table.

“Naru, when are we interviewing Akiyama-san?” she asked eagerly.

He raised an eyebrow.

“We?”

Mai was struck speechless for a second, disappointment washing over her. She felt dejected that Naru didn’t rely upon her. Maybe he was really mad at her after all.

“Well, I am your assistant, so I figured you would need my help. For, uh, taking notes,” she suggested meekly, hating that it sounded like a question.

“Lin will take care of it. Tomorrow I expect you to tour the facilities with miss Hara and miss Matsuzaki.”

Mai nodded wordlessly, her throat tight and her eyes stinging. She wanted to ask for explanations, to complain, to have a shouting fight with Naru if needed. But everyone was having fun, eating and laughing, and she couldn’t bring herself to ruin the mood.

So she stayed quiet and looked forlornly at a food that had lost all of its appeal.

If only she had spoken up, she would think later. But then, she didn’t know how much she would regret it.

#Ghost Hunt #GHW2018 #GHHQ #frenchcirce #misskiku #submission

21 notes · View notes