Pictures of nicole brown simpson crime scene
IllegallySmol
2019.12.05 01:38 ExperimentalFailures IllegallySmol
Smol crime goes under reported and overlooked too often. If you see a criminal out in the wild, know someone who does or have one living in your home with you right now, don't be alarmed. Calmly post here and we will do our best to help. Don't be a victim, stop illegallysmol before it's too late!
2012.01.23 13:51 xiLikeYourShirt OJ Simpson
Explore the multifaceted world of the ex-NFL running back turned broadcaster, actor, advertising icon, and even convicted felon. Unravel the mystery: Did O.J. Simpson truly commit the infamous crime against Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman? While popular sentiment leans toward guilt, remember that a jury of his peers once rendered a verdict of 'not guilty.' Dive into the discussion and let's uncover the layers of this captivating saga.
2020.01.29 00:23 ExperimentalFailures illegallysmolbirbs
We all love birbs and it is up to us to make sure that crimes committed against humanity by our feathery friends are recorded for posterity. The overall goal of this subreddit is to provide a safe place to post and discuss the most criminal elements of the sky: smol birbs.
2024.05.22 02:39 Rich_Antelope7100 Philip Vannatter had the blood vials of OJ Simpson, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman in his possession for 3 days before booking them into evidence.
2024.05.22 02:24 LunarFrogs Mexican Rice (with spinach) for Littles
| Redoing post with picture of the aftermath of my two year old picky eater getting her rice meal đ˝ď¸ Mexican Rice (with spinach) for Littles To set the scene: my two year old has always been a picky eater, she wonât eat eggs, chicken, ham (nearly any meat really), lettuce, nearly any veggies, she really only wants starches and carbs (pasta, potatoes, rice, etc.) but one thing that always works is my Mexican MILâs recipe for rice plus my addition of spinach (and sometimes leftover corn kernels) for veggies and fiber. Ingredients: - 1 cup [washed] white rice (or brown rice, whatever your preference) - 2-3 medium sized Roma tomatoes đ
- 2 medium sized regular garlic cloves - 1/4 white onion đ§
- 1 cube chicken bouillon (knorr) (if you donât want salt then donât add this) - olive oil đŤ (or butter or ghee or whatever your preference) - handful of spinach (finely and I mean FINELY chopped, think store bought Italian seasoning finely chopped) - liquid chicken stock (or bone broth or just water, whatever preference) Directions: 1. In a medium sized pot (with a lid for it on hand), begin to heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat 2. Once the oil is heated, add in your [washed] white rice (try to get the water out of it beforehand for less splatter) 3. While the rice is browning in the oil (yup, youâre going to stir the rice occasionally but let it get a little golden brown color from the hot oil) blend together the tomatoes, onion, garlic, knorr chicken bouillon cube and about 1/4 cup chicken stock (just enough chicken stock to get everything blended together) 4. Once the rice is mostly golden brown (or turning brown but not burning) stir in your blended liquid (this blended liquid will equal about 2 cups typically - more stock can be added) 5. Stir in your finely chopped spinach 6. Make sure the mixture is gently boiling and then cover and turn the heat down to low 7. Let the rice cook and absorb the moisture 8. After about 15-20 minutes the rice should be done (fluffy, not crunchy) Note: 1 cup rice needs about 2 cups water, as seen above I donât fully measure my chicken stock, and having rice thatâs a little wet is fine for littles, itâs especially nice for reheating purposes. This never fails to disappoint my little one and itâs great for the whole family! submitted by LunarFrogs to foodbutforbabies [link] [comments] |
2024.05.22 00:13 PrincessBananas85 Nicole Brown Simpson's Sister Denise Reacts to 2016 Video of Diddy Assaulting Cassie: 'It's a Shame' (Exclusive)
2024.05.21 22:40 Still_Performance_39 An Introduction to Terran Zoology - Chapter 37
Credit to
u/SpacePaladin15 for the NOP Universe.
Hey, I hope everyone's doing well!
Today we return to the namesake of this fic, an actual lesson about animals. This one focuses on Koalas! One of Australia's most recognisable critters. I hope you enjoy.
It's hardly worth mentioning, seeing as I'm an infrequent poster at the best of times, but I'll not have another chapter out for a few weeks due to limited free time and devoting most of my writing time to an upcoming ficnapping. Be sure to look out for that!
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Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher Date [Standardised human time]: 8th September 2136 âKoalas!â
Bernardâs energised voice boomed through the air as the classroom's monitor flickered into life, images of this paws lecture topic popping up one after the other until the entire screen was filled with a collage of furry quadrupeds.
Squee! Iâll never get tired of this, itâs all so cool! As usual the sight of something new stirred immediate discussion, hushed murmurs swelling into vibrant discourse in little more than a heartbeat. Most of the class swiftly huddled together into small herds to bounce ideas around while the rest opted to stick to the solace of their own thoughts as they took in the display.
Iâd be quite happy in either situation, though seeing as Sandi had already sunk into deep concentration and Kailo had peeled off to talk with Ennerif and Solenk, it seemed the decision had been made for me on this occasion. Wasting no more time on idle inspection of the people around me, I focused my full attention forward, eager to form first impressions before the lesson began in earnest.
Now then, time to make some educated guesses. What traits does this animal have? I wonder if Iâll get any right this paw? Professional assumptions went paw-in-paw with the lectures, examining and coming up with hypotheses about the specimens was only natural. Recently however, Iâd started to make a little game of it to make things even more interesting than usual. A veritable bonfire of ideas had been set ablaze within me, fueled by my newfound knowledge of Earthen wildlife. Every flash and spark of the flame was a fresh theory I could try to apply to the lectures. It was an invigorating exercise that further stoked my unceasing wonderment.
So far Iâd only done this once during the previous class and, to my disappointment, Iâd not done too well.
I was right when I guessed that chickens were omnivores, but wrong in my assumption that they could fly. And that red thing on their head, the um⌠what was it called? The comb! Yes, the comb. I thought that was to attract mates, but it regulates body heat instead. Itâs fascinating. Oh! Stars damn it Iâm rambling! I bapped my tail against my leg, the soft thud being just enough to snap me back from my runaway thoughts before I went completely wall-eyed. I was becoming more and more accustomed to getting lost in my own head while remaining conscious of the fact; it was happening so frequently now that it was pretty much impossible not to. Now I was able to pull myself back to the world around me without having to rely on someone else shaking me out of it. Most of the time anyway.
Sandi still keeps an eye on me, and Kailo even decided to help out once without being too snide about it. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, Koalas. Glancing at the furred animals, two things immediately stood out. Firstly, their eyes were in a more central position on their face. And second, all the images showed them being on or close to trees. There were other noteworthy observations of course, such as the Koalaâs prominent nose and rounded features, but they fell to the wayside as I honed in on these points first.
Hmmm⌠ok. I already know to discount the idea that theyâre predators just from eye position, so letâs get that thought out of here. Maybe omnivorous? Herbivore? Agh no, I canât just guess that for the sake of guessing, thatâs the same problem! Hrm, itâs tough making these assumptions now that everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head. Nevermind, Iâll focus on the other thing. All the trees make me think theyâre arboreal, that seems to be a reasonable assumption. I wonder what else they- Clearing his throat, Bernard broke my concentration, his call for attention silencing the murmuring conversation and redirecting everyone's focus to the lecturer's podium.
His gaze panned across the room as he waited for everyone to settle, a beaming smile lighting up his face, âAs ever Iâm delighted to see you all get so into the subject matter from the get go. Iâm looking forward to hearing what you were discussing should you wish to share. For now though, how about we get started, hm?â
A chorus of merry bleats rang out from across the audience, ears and tails flicking happily in agreement. Bernard's grin grew in tandem with the class's fervour, clasping his hands together enthusiastically as he launched into the lesson, âExcellent! Then letâs get started.â
The pictures on screen dissolved away until only one remained, enlarging to cover the entire monitor with the fluffy grey face of a Koala peacefully reclining in the crook of a tree.
âAh, there we are,â Bernardâs baritone timbre drifted through the room as he looked up at the image, his own tone reflecting the relaxed attitude of the animal on screen, âHe looks so comfortable doesnât he? Perfectly at peace with the world, not too surprising considering they sleep almost 20 hours a day. A full paw!â
A wave of beeps and gasps rippled through the herd, punctuated by a single yawn-dressed comment from Rova, âA full paw? Hwuuu⌠jealous.â
Her drowsy remark elicited several whistling giggles from the herd, Bernard's own jovial chortle joining them as he turned to face her, âLate evening Rova?â
I twisted a little in my seat, panning an eye in Rovaâs direction just in time to see her bleary eyes bulge open and her ears shoot up, now intensely aware of the fact she hadnât been as quiet as she thought she had.
Sitting up abruptly, she hastily tapped down errant tufts of wool thatâd flared in surprise as she composed herself, though her nervousness at becoming the centre of the class's attention was still plain for all to hear, âUh- I um⌠achem, a little bit yes, um- âŚsorry. Lokki dragged me out to a movie viewing in the rec centre. It went on pretty late.â
A melodramatic bray from the other side of the room drew everyone's ears away from Rova to the now
aghast Lokki, paw splayed across his chest in faux indignation, â
Dragged you? Well excuse me for trying to broaden your horizons with human movies. Thatâll be the list time I-
âŚAhaaaaâŚâ
Lokkiâs theatrics were cut short by a heavy yawn of his own, a swell of whistling laughter rolling through the herd as vibrant bloom lit up his snout, a sight that elicited a particularly amused bleat from Rova.
Turning away from the duo I looked back at Bernard, pleased to see that he was chuckling along with us. Behaviour like Lokkiâs would never have been tolerated in my school and university days but, in stark contrast, Bernard revelled in it, the liveliness of his students fueling his own bombastic style of teaching. It was a pleasant change of pace having a teacher who let us all be ourselves in class; provided we werenât
too disruptive to the lesson plan.
Speaking of which. His laughter still rumbling through the air, Bernard clapped his hands to pull everyone's focus back to him, âOk, ok, letâs get back to it then shall we? Rova. Lokki. Hopefully the two of you can stay awake long enough until you can grab yourselves a coffee.â
As the class settled down and the last few giggling beeps petered out, Benard pointed a hand to the screen, âSo, the Koala. Letâs start simple shall we? They are herbivorous marsupials native to the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. Easily recognised the world over, they are a well known and beloved symbol of their homeland, along with other animals such as the Kangaroo and the Emu. The former of which you might remember from one of our earlier lectures.â
Indeed I did remember, along with how angry Bernard had gotten after some speh-head had derided the Yotul after he explained how he held specific disdain for such attitudes.
Uuuggghh⌠I never want to see him angry again. So chilling. I shook my ears in an effort to dismiss the unpleasant memory, panning my eyes back to the monitor to try and distract myself by inspecting the Koalaâs physical appearance once more. Thankfully, by some Star's blessed intervention, Bernard had the exact same idea.
âKoalaâs are rather squat in stature, ranging around sixty to eighty-five centimetres in length and weighing little more than fifteen to sixteen kilograms at their full size. As you can see, the fur of this fellow before you is a lovely silvery grey, but their fur can also sport a chocolaty brown hue as well. Arguably the most distinctive part of their appearance is their head, being rather large for their body size and having rounded ears, a large nose, and a pair of small eyes. These are often brown but variations do occur.â
It didnât slip past my notice that Bernard didnât bother to point out that the Koalaâs eyes were forward facing. I didnât think heâd simply forgotten, so perhaps he just felt it wasnât necessary given that heâd already stated it was herbivorous. Either way, no one stuck up a paw or tail to question him.
âNow this will hardly be surprising considering how long they sleep, but Koalaâs are largely sedentary and itâs rather easy to see why when you have a look into the contents of their diet.â
With the press of a button the Koala on screen was replaced by images of vibrant green vegetation. Soaring trees and flowering shrubbery weaved together across landscape framed pictures pulled admiring trills from the herd, the diversity of the plant life being shown standing as a reminder that it wasnât only animal life that flourished on Earth.
After giving everyone the chance to take in the picturesque scenes, Bernard casually hammered that point home, âThis is eucalyptus or, more accurately, a choice selection of more than 700 plants belonging to the eucalyptus genus, though the Koala itself favours 30 of them in particular.â
700!? Stars⌠Realising that my ears had drooped in my momentary awe, I twisted them back to tune into the lesson, only for them to splay out in shock at the next words to come out of Bernard's mouth.
âThe leaves of these plants are the primary food source of the Koala and there are a couple things worth mentioning when talking about these plants. For starters they do not have much nutritional or caloric value, leading to the Koalaâs low-energy lifestyle. Additionally, they contain toxic compounds.â
A shiver instantly ran through the herd, ears flicking rapidly in confusion and alarm followed by a few quizzical whispers. It didnât take long for someone to decide to give a proper voice to the murmuring.
âExcuse me Doctor. Did we hear that right? Their diet is made up of toxic flora?â Vlekâs grumbling incredulity cut through the herd's mutterings with ease. Until Kailoâs recent change of heart, the fifty something rotation old blonde Venlil had been a close second in terms of scepticism. Mercifully his rebuttals had always been relevant questions as opposed to ranting diatribes, so he at least remained on topic if nothing else.
Bernard nodded in confirmation, smiling back at Vlek while absentmindedly twirling the end of his moustache, âYou heard me right, they do indeed consume plants that are toxic. Just not to
them.â
Any worry or uncertainty still clinging to the herd was swept away by the provision of the glaringly obvious answer, leaving me chuckling inwardly at the oversight.
Ah of course! The plant might be poisonous but theyâll have evolved to deal with that. Stars⌠Iâm so used to expecting the unexpected with Earth that I didnât even consider the simplest solution. âI see, thank you Doctor,â Vlek replied, a tinge of interest still audible in his tone, âI assume theyâve developed some adaptation to become immune to the harmful effects?â
The question immediately evoked a smirk from our teacher, but he hurriedly suppressed it while bobbing his head, âThey have indeed. There are several factors that aid in their digestion of eucalyptus leaves without succumbing to the plant's baleful properties. The first is a part of the intestinal tract called the cecum. It contains a microbiome that allows the Koala to digest the eucalyptus. Coupled with this is an enzyme in the Koalaâs liver that helps them break down the toxins. They are also capable of sniffing out the plants with the least amount of toxins, ensuring that they ingest as little as possible.â
Pausing for a breath Bernard looked back at the screen before turning to face us, another grin curling at the edges of his mouth as he continued with his explanation, âThis is mostly for adult Koalaâs, because while their young also possess these same adaptations, they donât just go straight to munching through foliage right after being born. No, they need a little help making that jump and getting a stomach full of all that good gut bacteria. Itâs nothing bad, but those of a sensitive stomach may wish to prepare themselves for this next part.â
Bernardâs assurances did little to assuage the concern that his warning had foisted upon us. Having been exposed to so much of the weirdness Earth had to offer everyone always ended up on edge whenever Bernard gave advice like this, even if he did say it in jest.
What strange nonsense thing do Koala pups do then? Judging by the way heâs acting it probably isnât something as simple as drinking milk from the mother. Hmmm⌠âSo,â Bernard began, snapping us from our pensive stupor, âYoung Koalaâs, known as joeys, have a gestation period of thirty-five days on average, which is approximately forty-two paws. Once born they travel from the birth canal to a pouch in their mother so that they can continue to develop and grow. In the pouch the joey finds and latches onto one of two teats and these provide the newborn with a steady stream of nourishing milk. It spends the next six to seven months growing in the pouch, its eyes, ears, and fur all developing as time goes on.â
Okay, interesting. But this is exactly how I thought itâd go. Whatâs different? The unexpected normalcy of the Koalaâs birth and growth cycle had calmed everyone's nerves, only to be replaced with an air of suspicion as we waited with rapt attention for Bernard to drop the other claw and upend our expectations like he always did.
Not wanting to keep us in further suspense he forged ahead, the tempo of his voice picking up as the smile started to crease his face once more, âNow to make the switch from milk to eucalyptus, the mother also feeds the joey a substance called pap. It comes from the cecum I mentioned earlier, and contains all the gut bacteria required to help the young Koala in making the switch to eucalyptus.â
He stopped and looked around, searching us for a reaction to what I felt was a rather bland statement of fact. What was it he was saying without actually saying? Koala pups drink milk to mature and then include this pap substance so that they can start eating plants. I donât see what-
The cecum is part of the intestine. I blinked.
I blinked again, the intrusive interruption scouring my brain clean of any other thought bar the one itâd just implanted itself in the forefront of my mind.
Oh stars. They- âThey eat their own poop!?â
The shocked bleat shattered the peace of the room to reveal that most if not all of us had come to the same tail curling conclusion. As the hall filled with unrestrained vocalisations of disgust, an âUghâ over here and a âBleghâ over there, Bernardâs own bellowing laughter joined the throng of voices.
â
Ha! Everytime!
Each and every time. Clearly it doesnât matter if my students are Human or Venlil. Whenever someone learns about the Koalaâs dietary development the reaction is the same!â
Pleased with himself beyond reason, Bernard chuckled away while the rest of us grappled with this ghastly reality. While there were plenty of animals that feasted on things that ranged from simply unappealing all the way to the stomach churningly grotesque, Iâd never heard of an animal that actively consumed the excrement of its own species.
Benefits aside, the prospect of having to do that to survive to adulthood sent a shiver of revulsion down my spine.
Ewww⌠Stars, I hope I forget this feeling by 2nd meal. Theyâre serving sturen and magamroot stew later. I was really looking forward to it. With the herds mood beginning to temper Bernard tapped the podiums controls, removing the verdant collage of eucalyptus to display several similar yet distinct environments, still chortling merrily to himself in the process, âOk then, with that little foray into their diet complete, why donât we look at their habitat in more detail? As you might imagine given their diet and arboreal nature, Koalaâs live in forested regions, and can be found in tropical and temperate zones. About a century ago they were classed as a vulnerable species, however efforts were made to turn this around and increase their numbers. Sadly the largest factor in their decline was human activity, as the fertile lands that gave rise to their bountiful forests were coveted farm land for our settlements.â
It was strange to hear Bernard so matter of factly admit to humanity's negative impacts on other species. Heâd alluded to such things in the past but always with an air of caution, carefully pawing the line between honestly answering a question while not painting humanity as uncaring and destructive. AKA, the âpredatorsâ weâd all initially expected them to be.
Perhaps his comfort in making such admissions was a reflection of the class's comfort with him, for no one so much as batted an ear. Even Kailo, who I wouldâve expected to jump at the chance to use this as a prime example of predatory danger, only flicked an ear in stern yet silent concern.
A cough from Bernard drew my attention back, a new picture on screen that showed a forest from a bird's-eye view. Drawn across the image were around a dozen ringed areas, some bordering one another while others overlapped to some degree. It took me a moment, but I soon recognised that what I was looking at was a map, the rings representing what I assumed to be territories. And it didnât take much effort to guess who each one belonged to.
âFrom habitats we move onto behaviours, so letâs start with territories. Koalaâs are solitary animals. Yes, despite being herbivores. Considering theyâre only awake for roughly four hours of the day I can hardly blame them. Lots to do and not a lot of time to do it. Jokes aside, once they mature they are quite independent, carving out a little slice of land for themselves, as displayed in this example, called a Home Range. That is not to say they go it alone and leave everything else behind however. Rather, as shown in the map behind me, they live in their own space while still being part of a larger social group.â
With another press of his pad the picture was updated to show one of two symbols in each segment, along with a key to the side of the map displayed in helpful Venlang. A quick glance told me that the symbols were representing whether the territory belonged to a male or female of the species.
âAs you can see there is quite a bit of overlap between different Koalaâs territories. It is in these areas that most of the socialising takes place between neighbours. The trees in these locations represent the few areas where intrusion across territories is acceptable for the sake of social interaction. Outside of that the Koalaâs stick to their own territories for the most part, with the exceptions of Koalaâs who are passing through, attempting to become part of the social group themselves, or dominant males who sometimes go off into another Koalaâs range. But how do they know where one range begins and another range ends you might ask? Well, this brings us onto the next part of the lecture. How do Koalaâs communicate?â
Wiping away the map from the monitor, Bernard loaded up a video of a Koala sitting in a tree and pressed play. Head held high, the Koalaâs body shook as it belted out a reverberating call into the wilderness that could only be described as a garbled combination of a car engine failing to turn over mixed with the hiccups of someone with a particularly sore throat.
Thatâs how they sound? Oof that must be rough on the lungs. I clearly wasnât the only one to share such a thought, because I clocked Sandi tracing a paw along her neck as the noise went on, ears fluttering in discomfort at the noise.
Bernard himself cleared his own throat as the video came to an end, minimising it and replacing it with another image of a tree with a Koala rubbing up against the bark, âI think theyâve got me beat on whoâs got the deeper voice!â
His joke garnered several amused beeps, a rare reaction that caused a beaming smile to shine across his face at lighting speed, âOh youâre too kind. Iâll be here all week. Now where were we? Oh yes! Communication. As youâve just heard, Koalaâs are capable of loud low pitched bellows that can carry over vast distances. These express everything from âHello Iâm over hereâ to âThis is my turf, stay awayâ. Bellowing is more common in the males than the females, opting for shouting matches as opposed to outright fights when it comes to asserting dominance. Other vocal expressions include grunts, wails, and snarls if theyâre acting particularly angsty. Mother and joey pairs also communicate through gentle clicking, squeaking, and murmuring sounds. And thereâs one more thing worth mentioning. Something they have in common with Humans and Venlil when it comes to emoting.â
Really? They do something we do? Curious, I pressed myself against the desk, straining as close as I could to once more scrutinise the Koalaâs features. Not a lot stood out to me at first, the grey marsupial not sharing many similarities with a Venlil that I could identify.
Ok think. We show emotion with our ears, tails, and our wool on occasion. They donât have tails so itâs obviously not that. Wool standing on end is more a reaction than a conscious expression. So it must be the ears then. To my quiet satisfaction, my hunch was soon validated by Bernard, âAs well as their vocalisations, Koalaâs are very emotive through their facial features. Just like humans, they use their mouths and lips to show how they feel, but these tend more towards the aggressive side of the scale than what you might see on a human. Regarding yourselves however, Koalaâs utilise their ears in tandem with their mouth movements when showing strong emotion.â
I was delighted to hear that my assumption was correct, a little happy flick twisting out through my tail and bapping against my chair with a muted thump against the plastic.
Hehe yes! Got one right! âNow then, we are getting close to lunchtime so Iâll finish this segment off with something I think youâll find particularly interesting. Diplomacy.â
Perplexed mutterings followed in the wake of the bizarre inclusion to the lecture, my own thoughts being dominated by bewilderment as I tried and failed to make sense of how the two could possibly be related.
Why would Koalaâs, or any animal for that matter, be linked to diplomacy? Hmmm... I could understand dispatching exterminators to deal with a predator issue as a show of goodwill, that at least includes animals, but Humans arenât like that so I think I can safely scratch that off the list. Maybe the humans who live in that region benefited from Koalaâs in some way. Could they have gotten something from them? But what? Hopefully not what the pups get from their mothers. Agh no! Begone awful intrusive thoughts. Blegh! I donât need that in my head. As I wrestled with the short-lived revulsion inflicted upon me by my Star's damned subconscious, Bernard placed a new image on screen, one that was decidedly different from all that had preceded it.
On screen were more than a couple dozen pictures of humans. Some were pictured alone while others congregated in large groups while cameras surrounded them from all angles. Across all the images, I noted two common themes. First of all, a solid majority of the humans were wearing formal wear similar to what Iâd seen worn by UN representatives on TV. If the gaggle of journalists in the background of the photos didnât already confirm my suspicions, then it was this similarity which made me conclude they were all people of some importance. Likely politicians judging from context clues.
Secondly, each of the individuals was interacting with a Koala in some form. Some cradled one against their chests while others were feeding it eucalyptus leaves or pellets of some kind. One of the assumed politicians had become an impromptu bed for a snoozing bundle of fur, a gleeful smile spread across their face as they lovingly gazed down at the sleeping Koala in their lap.
As I continued to stare at the assorted photos something clicked into place, a sudden spark flickering into life. A burgeoning light of comprehension that flared and swelled with every wide-eyed breath I took. Some things still escaped me, things I hoped would soon be explained, but in staring at all of the humans happy smiling faces, I was struck with an instant of pure understanding.
If someone, say a Nevok for instance, offered to gift me a creature that was common to them but which might exotic and breathtaking to a Venlil, how could my feelings not be swayed? How could I walk away from that encounter and not have grown closer to them as a result?
âKoala diplomacy,â Bernard waved his hand up at the monitor, a slight reverence in his tone, âMy favourite kind of soft power diplomacy. Where political leaders take photo ops with Koalaâs and, on occasion, the Australian government loans Koalaâs to other nations for a time to bolster positive relations. It certainly helps that Koalaâs are a beloved animal worldwide, drawing large crowds and revenue for countries fortunate enough to host the adorable critters.â
The truly alien concept predictably sparked instant discussion in the herd, two polar opposite schools of thought swiftly cementing themselves as the most popular opinions. Simultaneously, I heard one voice trill excitedly while another scoffed at what they clearly saw as a ridiculous and offensive notion.
â
Squee! Thatâd be so cool! Iâd love to get the chance to see a Liri from Coila. Remember the Rainbow Boa? Think of that shimmering effect and colour but put it on a bird!
Ah! Iâve only heard their song on video. Itâd be a treat to hear it in person!â
Ooo! Iâve read about them! Iâd love to get up close to one. â
Loaning. As if animals are property to be hoarded and traded?
Pugh! Another predatory trait the humans donât want to acknowledge for what it is.â
Ugh, typical. Jump right to the worst possible option. However, despite my dismissal of their disparaging fumings, an uncomfortable thought pressed upon my mind. While it was plain to see how much humans cared for the Koala, it didnât change the fact that humans did keep animals as property just as the scornful herd member had said.
This begged a rather important, disquieting question. Aside from keeping some animals as cattle, a stomach tightening minefield I had no desire to step a claw onto right now, how else did humans
keep other creatures. And how did they treat them?
Before I was fully conscious of doing it my paw was in the air, the question primed on my tongue.
Noticing my elevated paw Bernard pointed at me, smiling warmly, âYes Rysel? Whatâs on your mind?â
Sorry Bernard. I hope this oneâs not too awkward for you to answer. Flicking my ear in appreciation, and waiting for everyone to settle enough so that I could be heard, I voiced my concerns as neutrally as possible, âThank you Doctor. I uh, just had a thought. We know that humans keep certain animals forâŚ
particular reasons, and we know why. From how youâve spoken about Koalaâs I think it's fair to say that the same cannot be said for them. However, this makes me wonder, what other reasons do humans have for keeping animals and how do you treat them?â
A flash of surprise blinked across Bernard's eyes but vanished so quickly that it felt like Iâd imagined it. Had he not expected such a question? Maybe he was just shocked that itâd been me whoâd ended up asking it?
Stars, am I so predictable that no one expects me to ask difficult questions? Unfortunately, a quick glance at my deskmates seemed to prove that to be the case, as both Sandi and Kailo were looking at me with differing degrees of astonishment flapping in their ears.
Well speh. âA very good point Rysel, certainly one thatâs worth raising. Yet another example of you all anticipating what I have to say before I can bring it up myself.â Bernard tapped the podium, switching off the monitor before returning his focus to me, âWe wonât be needing that. Iâve nothing prepared that I can show you and weâre heading to lunch in a few minutes anyway. Still, thatâs plenty of time to give you a bit of an answer.â
A bit? What does he mean just a bit? Made even more curious by Bernard's preempted admission that he wasnât going to fully answer my query, I dialled both my ears on him, fixing him with an inquisitive stare as he started to explain with a tone that was noticeably more nonchalant than any of his previous explanations.
âSo, animals in captivity for reasons other than what you already know. Honestly I would love to delve into other reasons regarding why we keep animals. However, I have a lesson plan in the works that I hope to share with you all in the not too distant future. Some of it touches upon this very topic and Iâd quite like to bundle it all together. That said, I can tell you how animals in captivity are treated. In short, the answer is very well. There are a mountain of laws both on private and public interests that govern the standards and ethical treatment of animals, and breaches of these laws are quite severe even for relatively minor infractions.â
While Iâd be lying if I said I wasnât disappointed by the vague answer to what was really the bulk of my question, I was at least satisfied by Bernardâs assurances that animals in captivity, such as the Koala, were well looked after. Considering the barely subdued grumbling coming from some corners of the audience it was clear that several of the herd didnât believe Bernard outright, but I trusted him to be honest. Additionally, the mention of an upcoming lecture focused on humans keeping animals caused quite the buzz.
I felt a mix of excitement and trepidation at exploring the topic further. Heâd pretty much confirmed we wouldnât be talking about cattle farms, for which I was relieved, but that still left a huge amount of uncertainty in what was to come.
Humans keeping animals as cattle was a forgone conclusion. As horrifying as that reality was, it was one I could understand from a detached and strictly clinical point of view. Being predators they ate meat and therefore they kept cattle. But the concept of keeping animals for any other reason baffled me.
What could be the purpose? The diplomacy thing makes sense now that I have context, but what other reasons could they have. The class's discussions were interrupted by the recognisable ring of the break bell, the shift in attention eliciting a change in conversation from confused hypotheses to peppy conversation on how everyone was planning to spend their break and what they had in mind for 2nd meal.
âWell I can see everyoneâs excited for lunch, and who am I to disappoint,â chuckling Bernard waved us all up from our seats, pocketing his pad from the podium and heading to open the classroom door for us, âEnjoy your break, get a good rest along with a hearty meal, and Iâll see you all back here at the usual time.â
As everyone else filed out I stayed behind, waving at Sandi and Kailo as they left, and pawing over to Bernard once he and I were the only ones left in the room.
Ears folded down and with an apologetic tinge in my voice I greeted him as I sidled up to him, âHey Bernard, I uh⌠sorry if that last question was unexpected.â
Chortling in reply, Bernard waved a hand through the air in a sign Iâd come to understand meant ânot a problemâ.
âNo need to apologise Rysel. It was a good question and most certainly not a problem.â
Heh, called it. I sighed, allowing tension I didnât realise Iâd been holding to relax itself from my shoulders, âPhew, thatâs a relief. Iâm glad. Iâm curious to hear what this new lesson is youâve got in store for us by the way.â
Bernard wagged a finger at me, throwing up his eyebrows in mock amazement, âOh are you now? Well Iâm afraid youâll have to remain curious for the time being. Itâs going to be quite the surprise if all goes to plan. ButâŚâ
He trailed off, glancing at me before looking to the door like he was making sure no one else was around.
Wait, is he going to tell me? Oh please yes let me know now! Stopping myself from jumping on the spot in excited anticipation, and trying my damndest to stop my tail from wagging in equal measure, I stared up at Bernard as he stewed in his thoughts before turning back to face me.
âI canât tell you the specifics, but Iâm working with Alejandro and Tolim to get something together. A trip thatâs not a trip as it were. And when it happens, Iâm going to need a few of the more
accepting members of the class to lend me a hand. Iâm hoping you and a couple others will be able to help with that?â
A trip thatâs not a trip? What does that mean? Agh who cares about that right now! Bernardâs relying on me to help out! Still trying not to keep myself from bouncing around with pup like glee I swished my tail and nodded my head in joint agreement, happy to help with whatever Bernard had in store for us, âOf course! Anything you need Iâll be there to lend a paw. You can count on me!â
A broad warm smile lit up Bernard's face, a hand patting me on the shoulder in appreciation, âThank you Rysel. I knew I could rely on you but it still warms my heart to hear it. And, as thanks for this and for the many times youâve shown your support, the surprise includes a little something special I think youâd appreciate the most.â
If my earlier enthusiasm had been at a nine, then the implication of a supposed gift sent it rocketing all the way to a hundred in a heartbeat.
âWaitâŚ
WHAT!? What do you mean? What are you doing?â
As impossible as it seemed, Bernard's grin grew even wider as I almost lost myself in wool shaking exhilaration, âCall it my own form of Koala diplomacy. But Iâm afraid thatâs all I can say for now. Wouldnât want to ruin the surprise even for you!â
âOh you ass!â Whistling jovially I bapped my tail against Bernardâs leg in fake indignation, evoking a barking bellowing laugh from the man himself.
Still laughing, the two of us departed the class and made for the canteen, my rumbling stomach leading me on while my mind spun with fantastical thoughts as to what Bernard had prepared for us.
And what specifically he had in store for me.
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2024.05.21 20:43 CDown01 J.'s Journals: The Lieutenant
Previous Entry Writing these things has made me realize how different I sound these days. Back when all this started Iâm not sure I even spoke English and I certainly didnât speak like I do now but to be honest, I donât remember. Trying to recall things to write has made me realize exactly how many little things Iâve forgotten over the years. The sights, the sounds, all those fade into the background of most events.
Even something as visceral as Archerâs basement still takes me a while to recall clearly. I wonder if itâs more than just my long life, we do age after all. I mentioned before that sunlight is not deadly to vampires like myself but very unpleasant, that and it makes us more normal. In the sun I wonât be as strong as I would be in the dark and by my assessment I age in the sun as well. Not any faster than a normal person but I do age, its why I donât still look like that little boy stuck in Paris anymore.
I did spend quite some time in Paris before I left or rather, escaped. Iâm not sure I ever would have left if not for the war. I didnât have many friends there save for other⌠Iâm not sure what to call them⌠entities? Whatever you want to cal it I had some friends in the more supernatural parts of the city. A vampire named Belle had become a sort of mother figure to me over the years spent there.
I met her by chance one night as I sated myself in an alley. I was ready to fight but she just laughed and flashed her own fangs at me, ridiculing me for being so careless. It was under her wing where I learned everything I know now about vampires. Itâs where I realized not all vampires endure sunlight as well as I do, if anything that one trait is whatâs most unique about me according to her. But thats not the story I want to tell on these pages tonight. I want to tell the story of lieutenant Marsh and the real beginnings of the organization that would become Chimera.
When war came to Paris that summer I was unprepared. I never expected the war to spiral out of hand so quickly or for it to force me out of my home. I was with Belle and a few more of her friends whose names escape me waiting out the worst of it and hoping things would blow over in the city soon. Obviously we were completely misguided, it was that sense of invulnerability again just the same as when I was a boy. The world was our playground and nothing could hurt us. It didnât help that in some ways I really was invulnerable and it went straight to my head.
Only flashes of my memory from that day remain. I remember the nazi soldier kicking in the door and firing at Belleâs friends. I remember the screaming that abruptly ended in a single gunshot. I remember the trail of blood leading to her friends body where it lay staked to the ground in the sun. We heal fast, not instantly but much faster than a human. Put us in sunlight though, and weâre just as fragile as a normal person. It was the first time Iâd seen someone with abilities like ours die and it made me feel mortal again for the first time in decades.
The rest of the day is a disjointed blur. Belle and I fled the city, I blank out on the specifics of it but we made it out with some difficulty. After that we hunkered down for the night in a rickety old shack. I remember wanting to push on through the day but Belle protested, she didnât deal with the sun as well as I did. When night finally fell we fled to the coast and managed to catch a ship heading towards the United States.
The trip was unpleasant to say the least, neither of us made good stowaways. We werenât living life in the lap of luxury before by any means but we lived comfortably. This was a far cry from what we were used to in Paris and the welcome we received was even worse. Apparently fleeing for your own survival is a crime, both of us were separated and sent to prison on our arrival to the states for stowing away on the ship.
That was the last time I ever saw Belle, I get letters from her every now and then but I havenât seen her in person since. She does well for herself, works in D.C. as a sort of handler for the supernatural. Regrettably she does work with Chimera, says they have the best interests at heart for the supernatural but she doesnât see what I see out here. She doesnât know the part I played in its creation, what it really stood for in the beginning. Chimera tends to kill first these days rather than actually try to help or give the supernatural some kind of place in the world. I think thats why I havenât been to visit her, I just donât want to argue with a friend as old as her. Funnily enough I donât think anyone knows sheâs a vampire. I doubt theyâd take that very well, sheâd probably lose her position. They must have suspicions though because theres no way sheâd be able to get letters to me without Baelen knowing about it. Every few months they keep showing up though and I always make sure to write her back.
Anyways Iâm getting off topic, back to my story. I was in prison for months until an offer came my way, serve the rest of my sentence or enlist in the army and be a free man when I came back, if I came back. Of course I took the offer, I didnât realize how suspicious that deal sounded at the time but it actually played out exactly as they said. I also didnât have much of a choice in the matter either. It was hard to get my hands on any blood when I was almost constantly under watch and I could feel the effects it was having on me. I figured it would be best to get a change of scenery.
The next week I was off to training then not long after, we shipped out to the trenches and met the commander of the platoon Iâd been assigned to. Thatâs the first time I met Lieutenant Johnson Marsh and what a man he was. That first day I was convinced Iâd never see a smile ever again, the trenches were a horrible depressing place. But there Marsh was, laughing and smiling and just generally enjoying life with the rest of the platoon. He was either crazy or stupid, thats what my first thoughts about him were. I remember those clearly even today but I couldnât have been more wrong. If anything he may have turned out to be one of the smartest men I ever knew.
The first few weeks were spent holding our position from the germans. It was brutal but I found I was a decent shot with the rifle I was given. Marsh on the other hand spent those weeks barking orders at us and keeping us in line. He never used a rifle like most of the soldiers used. Instead he kept a Beretta m9 with him at all times. That weapon was the only one I ever saw him use. I remember the name only because he was so found of explaining everything there was to know about the gun to me whenever I questioned him about it. You could immediately recognize the pistol as his by its strange grip. One side of it had a picture of an idyllic scene of a manor house in the middle of a sprawling field. The other had a painting of a woman, his wife Iâd guess but he never actually told me if that was there case. He seemed to spend the nights staring with longing at each side of the artistic grip.
Iâd never really had a family, even with Belle Iâd always felt like I was a bit of an outsider. There was so much I didnât know about how normal people lived. Even though Iâd had friends in Paris we were always kind of hidden away in our own personal corner. There was this separation between us and normal life, even between the other supernaturals in the area.
Here I felt like I was part of something though. Sure I was still lost but so was everyone else, we could be lost together and Marsh would always set us straight in the end. There was something about the man, some piece of him that just understood what we were all going through. He expected a lot from us but he was never unreasonable and several times even argued with command on our behalf when ridiculous orders came our way. I actually wanted to serve with him. The rest of the platoon wasnât bad but theyâd all been given the same deal as me. They were all just there to get out of prison. Iâm still not sure what Marshâs story was, he always kept that to himself but any of us wouldâve taken a bullet for that man.
Our first real assignment came maybe three months into my period of indentured service. Our platoon was tasked with rescuing a captured American scientist and capturing a German scientist. The scientists in question were Frank Smith and Stein Hoffman and no, the irony of those names is not lost on me, fits the two of them though. Iâm sure doctor Frankenstein wishes he was successful as those two. But before those orders could be acted on we had to overtake a German trench surrounding the compound they were staying in.
That fight was bloody and we lost several good men in the chaos. At one point a trench gun was shoved into my arms and I launched myself into the German trench. I wouldnât be surprised if ghost stories are still passed around of what I did that day. After I made my way over and into the German trench I lashed out with all I had. Moving with superhuman speed and lashing out with both the bayonet affixed to my gun and my fangs, I fell upon the Germans. They stood little chance as I tore into them and all by my lonesome I ensured weâd face no more resistance.
Marsh was the first over into the now silent trench, Iâm glad it was him because Iâm not sure anyone else wouldâve understood like him. I was holding the German officer to the trench wall, fangs buried in his neck as I fed when I heard footsteps behind me. I dropped him and turned to see Marsh staring questioningly at me. I mustâve been a sight to see, blood dripping from my mouth and covering my bullet torn uniform. Marsh steadied himself for a moment and shouted back to the rest of the platoon,
âBoys hold up a second! Just get down and stay up there a minute wonâtcha!â
All of a sudden he took a step forward and a well mannered grin took its usual place on his lips.
âThough You didnât care for sauerkraut J.?â
The joke stunned me, I fully expected him to shoot me then and there, put me down like the abomination I mustâve looked like to him.
âLieutenant IâŚâ
But Marsh raised his hands to cut me off.
âCommandâd probably want me to shootâcha, hell maybe I aughtâa but I donât think itâd be right. You seem decent, little odd sure but youâve got heart, I see it in the way you look out for the boys. Plus I always figured there was someân off about you. The way you stay outâa the light always seem a little faster and stronger than anyone got the right to be just didnât figure itâd beâŚ. That.â
Marsh told me pointing to the punctures in the officers neck.
âThank you lieutenant, Could we keep this between us though sir?â
âDrop the formalities J. Jesus! Weâre all friends here.â
âI just donât want the others to know, they may not be as understanding as you.â
âNo can do, but you can tell emâ yourself. Alright men, get on down here!â
In all my years Iâd never had to explain myself to anyone up until that point. I guess that day my number was up but I never knew just how understanding people, normal people could be. Iâd always lived around the supernatural in Paris, didnât interact much with the normal people I saw in the streets every day, I didnât have to. Iâd always assumed there was a reason for that but in the moment I realized there wasnât, not really. Iâd just avoided normal people because I feared what theyâd think if it came out that I wasnât like them.
Of course There were some of the men that objected to⌠what I was. Most of them took after Marsh though. They didnât really care what I was, Iâd proven to them I was a good person and thats all that mattered. I just wish theyâd been right about me back then because the truth was I still hadnât learned to care, not really. Even the ones who objected came around eventually and that night Marsh finally came clean to me about why exactly he was so accepting.
According to him heâd always assumed there was more out there, things beyond human that lived on the fringes of society. Even he always thought he sounded crazy. I was the proof he needed to convince himself he wasnât. Marsh also told me what we were really doing with the scientists. Both Frank and Stein researched the supernatural, their projects were as secret as secret could be. Marshâs interests and theories, as personal as he tried to keep them showed up in his file somewhere. The higher ups had handpicked him for this mission because of it. The official story was that Frank had been captured but in reality he defected to further his own research with a like minded individual. Our mission was really to force Frank back into the fold and take Stein along with him.
The more he talked the more I could tell his heart was fully committed to this mission and the final assault tomorrow. Iâd never seen someone so⌠alive. In my extremely long life I donât think Id ever felt that kind of conviction myself. So I promised him Iâd have his back tomorrow no matter what.
Morning broke and with it our assault began. Intel on the German defenses was shoddy at best but we never expected what weâd actually run into. At least three times our number acted as guards so a distraction was in order to give us a window of entry. A few of the men would handle the distraction âhowever they saw fitâ to quote Marsh. Then Marsh and I would make our way into the compound itself and the rest of the platoon would cover us.
For what its worth most of the plan went off without a hitch. A tremendous explosion signaled Marsh and I to press the advantage and rush the confused soldiers that lay in front of us. Some actually turned and ran from me, apparently word of my stunt in the trenches yesterday had spread quickly. The rest of the platoon followed behind us but then our luck ran out with the roar of an engine.
An honest to god panzer tank rolled out of a tunnel we hadnât seen that ran under the compound and turned its barrel towards us. I almost didnât hear the blast from how slow time seemed to move. But move it did as the explosion of the shellâs impact scattered bodies left and right. The shell impacted behind us but the sheer force of the blast threw Marsh and I to the ground, knocking us unconscious.
When I slowly came to my eyes couldnât believe what I was seeing. A man dressed in red priestly robes with a matching red top hat was walking between the bodies. When he approached one that groaned out with agony heâd kneel down and whisper things I couldnât hear to them, after that heâd snap his fingers. sometimes the person he was talking with would disappear other times they would fall silent and sometimes it didnât appear that anything happened at all.
Just the sight of the man terrified me and I wasnât sure why. It was an instinctual reaction, the second I lay eyes on him I froze up and ice cold fear crept its way up my spine. When people accuse me of being the devil this man is who I think of. Even today Iâm not sure what it is he does or why. What I do know is that he never looks the same. Iâve seen him appear as male, female, even as an animal on a few occasions but I can always tell. The second Iâm near him no matter what he looks like the same old feeling comes over me.
Once my vision had finally focused in on the man he seemed to notice without ever looking at me. I blinked and suddenly he was there, kneeling over me.
âWould you like to live.â
He rasped down at me with a voice that seemed to boom around me no matter how quiet it mustâve actually been. I felt like a child again, staring at Archer for the first time. Iâd never really had to fear death before but here I was, sure I was about to meet my end right here. In all honestly I wasnât injured all that bad, I probably couldâve survived with or without this man help. But something told me that if I said no heâd make sure I would die right here.
âYeâŚy⌠yesâ
I stuttered out, barley able to form the words through the pain that stabbed throughout my body.
âYou will be my instrument for one night at a time of me choosing.â
The man replied. I stayed silent as I stared into his eyes, trying to determine if the sunglasses he wore were tinted or if his eyes really did burn with an infernal red light. The man cocked his head as if waiting for a response to his question. Iâm not sure if question was the right word though, there wasnât much of a choice for me.
Looking back there was always a choice, maybe I couldâve survived on my own merits, found another way. In the years to come Iâd wish I just said no, even if it wouldâve cost me my life. But thats not what happened. I nodded and the deal maker snapped his fingers. As soon as he had dark clouds flooded the sky and blocked out the sun, allowing my body to begin repairing itself. The man moved on to where Marshâs body lay and probably made him the same deal as I felt my body healing. Despite that, my consciousness faded again as I strained to try and hear what the man would say to Marsh.
We never actually discussed the man at all. Not then and not in the years since. Maybe that was all an unspoken part of Marshâs deal. Maybe both of us just wished that man was nothing more than a waking dream, a vivid hallucination. Whatever the case neither of us ever mentioned that man to each other.
The next time I woke up I was chained to a table next to Marsh. We had been captured and brought before the very scientists we were here to apprehend. There were guards around but they all seemed to be waiting for some kind of order. I was certainly surprised when that order came in perfect English, even more surprised when the order was to let us down so we could talk.
Frank and Stein ended up being quite reasonable people. The two let us stay in relative comfort in the compound as long as we agreed to stay and leave them to their work. That was all the convincing it took for me. I understand that the men Iâd served with were all dead and that these two were in some way responsible. Maybe that shouldâve bothered me more, today it certainly wouldâve. Back then I didnât think the same way, they accepted me for what I was but only briefly, only out of respect for Marsh. What did the lives of people Iâd known for so short a time really matter? Writing this now just makes me realize how cold I was before, I didnât care for anything beyond myself. Iâd made no efforts to find Belle since we were separated and how long had I known her, 100 years, more? I may have pretended I cared but when push came to shove I simply tried to make sure I survived.
Marsh wasnât as cold as me, in fact he almost immediately reached for where his pistol shouldâve been when he was unchained. It took Frank, Stein, and myself weeks to convince him that helping would be the right decision. He didnât like it at first but little by little I think the scientists grew on him. The guards Iâd seen our first day here seemed to thin out the longer we stayed. Wether that was a gesture of trust or simply because they were needed for more important duties I donât know but it certainly eased Marshâs mind.
I merely observed the scientists most of the time until Stein asked me for a sample of my blood. It didnât surprise me that he knew what I was but for obvious reasons I was hesitant to give it to him, especially considering what Iâd seen so called doctors do with vampire blood. Eventually he wore me down and I gave let him take a sample just to shut him up. After that I became more involved in their research though not by choice. They had me showcasing my abilities and tested the effects of sunlight on my blood. On a few rare occasions Stein even injected it into other prisoners that were brought in, something I put a stop to very quickly. T
hat sample of blood is why Frank and Stein are still around today. Somehow they managed to isolate whatever part of my DNA allows me to age so much slower than a normal person. They took that and spliced it into their own DNA against my recommendations. The crazy thing was it actually worked. Sure they had a newfound appreciation for rare steaks but beyond that I didnât notice any of the effects that combining vampire DNA with your own would usually have.
As Marsh and I assisted the scientistâs research however we could we both came to the realization that they needed each other to function. Stein lacked a moral compass and was prone to suggest unethical or risky procedures, sometimes going so far as to carry them out without informing Frank. Frank on the other hand preferred caution in everything he did and sometimes I noticed him personally taking and shredding requests Stein had written for test subjects, hazardous materials, or samples from supernatural entities. The two kept a very delicate dance of checks and balances. Stein ever the daring mad scientist and Frank always playing the role of overly cautious genius.
Marsh and Frank got along extremely well near the end. The two would be up at all hours of the night as Frank explained what kind of things really existed in the world. Marsh always shared these ideas of a world where the supernatural and the normal could live together and I think Frank shared that vision. It wasnât possible, still isnât but treating the supernatural as something other than monsters couldnât possibly be a bad thing. I think thats where the idea of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs really came from, those talks Marsh had with anyone who would listen.
Overtime one of our favorite conversations was what we would do when the war was over and we could leave this compound. Stein wasnât sure he would, if his research wasnât going to a man whoâd simply use it to cause more conflict he wouldnât mind staying. Frank wanted to return home, if that was even possible and he asked if Stein would join him. Those two had also become close friends through our months in the lab. That checks and balances relationship they had made them basically inseparable. Marshâs answer surprised me though, he said he wanted to get out of the military and start a program, something to help the supernatural live closer to normal lives. At least keep tabs on them so that the quality of their lives might improve. I was stunned, I couldnât believe heâd throw his career away just to chase this pipe dream of his. I didnât even know Marsh was concerned with that kind of thing. I didnât have an answer of my own so I said Iâd join Marsh and help with this program idea of his. Actually, even Frank and Stein seemed to agree with Marshâs way of thinking. Little did we know the war would end less than a month after our talk and weâd all get the chance to actually put Marshâs little idea to the test.
Once the Americans had come and discovered the compound pretty much abandoned aside from us we were all taken prisoner and shipped back to America. We were all interrogated and they either heard what they wanted to hear, or decided anyone weâd talk to about our experiences would assume we were just crazy. We were released back into society under constant surveillance. They even gave us a sizable home in D.C., it was certainly bugged to its core but thats exactly what we wanted.
Through the next year we used Frank and Steins knowledge and my supernatural nature to track down entities all over the country. We made sure that everything was discussed and planned out in the house. That way however was listening knew exactly what we were doing and how successful it was. It wasnât all sunshine and rainbows though, some entities would rather we didnât know about them. Others were naturally aggressive but some we were actually able to help.
Our escapades as a group of four didnât last much past the first year. Mostly because our master plan of using the bugs worked perfectly. Olâ uncle Sam had been listening in and wanted his chance at calling the shots but it meant we became a legitimate organization, the BSA. Technically the acronym was already taken but no one ever complained and Marsh never came up with anything better.
We spent 4 years doing everything we could to improve the lives of supernatural beings everywhere. Not every one of our endeavors was a success but we did some good in the world. One such project was blood banks for vampires. While the blood that gets donated is used for transfusions and the like some was put into cold storage for the BSA. That got distributed to vampires who had come to an agreement with us to stop hunting humans for blood. Some vampires were even selected for jobs at these blood banks, under the supervision of BSA agents of course.
The more human supernaturals like werewolves, vampires, and succubi even used us to find jobs in the world. We made in roads for the supernatural in daily life because of it. Werewolves would use their strength for government construction. Vampireâs long lives made them excellent archivists or history teachers because they actually been there for those events. A succubusâs ability to understand and control someones emotions and reactions made them excellent therapists and conflict deescalation specialists. Those are just some of the fields we managed to get the supernatural involved in. While they usually had to hide their natural they were wildly successful.
Everything went well until that fourth year when I first met Baelen. He was headstrong from the beginning, the powers that be were grooming him for leadership. He was everything they wanted, he followed orders and didnât question things to much. In short, he was the perfect solution to the inconvenience the four of us caused running the organization as we saw fit. But baleen had a mean streak, he didnât want to protect the supernatural so much as he wanted to put them in their place. Unfortunately a lot of the research we provided had scared pretty much everyone above us who had never even entertained the idea of the supernatural until now. That meant Baelenâs ideas of monitoring and segregating the supernatural population were popular. So popular that suggesting culling their numbers to keep them in check and under the thumb of the BSA was an idea they actually entertained. That sentiment caught on and our orders became more and more militant.
Every time we disregarded them to do things the way we had envisioned the consequence grew steeper. Eventually Frank, Stein, Marsh, and I just couldnât stand to see what our BSA had become so we left. We couldnât do anything else to stop what was coming from the inside, no point in going down with the ship.
After that Baelen quickly ended up heading the whole operation. He still took orders directly from government officials and when the BSA became part of homeland security it became Chimera division. Why they chose such a stupid name Iâll never know but the organization was a shadow of its former self. Before we looked out for the supernatural, tried to help. Under Baelen Chimera just exists to monitor the supernatural and âcorrectâ any issues uncle Sam decides to have with them. Theyâre glorified enforcers that donât give a damn how the supernatural actually have it. Thatâs not to say some good people donât work for them, people like Belle and even Marshâs own daughter as far as Iâm aware.
It sickens me to think I was a part of it though, for all the good we did maybe it wouldâve been better if Johnson Marshâs pipe dream wouldâve stayed just that. I can do a lot but I canât change the past so I guess weâll never know. A while ago I heard that something had happened in a little nowhere town out in New Mexico. Pretty much dropped off the face of the Earth. The only reason I even heard about it was through Belleâs letters. Apparently Chimera had to do some huge cover up job and decided it was better if the town just never existed. Maybe I should go myself and see if I canât piece what happened together. Could be that someone else out there has it in for Chimera and is a whole lot more direct about it than me. Iâm just imaging it was some runaway experiment Frank and Stein got up to. I wonder where those two ended up, Iâll have to check up on them sometime. This journal writing is digging up a lot of memories for me but thats probably a good thing. Write them down before I forget again. I think thatâll be all for today then, why do I keep addressing these like someoneâs reading them? Not much point to that is there?
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2024.05.21 20:42 CDown01 J.'s Journals: The Lieutenant
Previous Entry Writing these things has made me realize how different I sound these days. Back when all this started Iâm not sure I even spoke English and I certainly didnât speak like I do now but to be honest, I donât remember. Trying to recall things to write has made me realize exactly how many little things Iâve forgotten over the years. The sights, the sounds, all those fade into the background of most events.
Even something as visceral as Archerâs basement still takes me a while to recall clearly. I wonder if itâs more than just my long life, we do age after all. I mentioned before that sunlight is not deadly to vampires like myself but very unpleasant, that and it makes us more normal. In the sun I wonât be as strong as I would be in the dark and by my assessment I age in the sun as well. Not any faster than a normal person but I do age, its why I donât still look like that little boy stuck in Paris anymore.
I did spend quite some time in Paris before I left or rather, escaped. Iâm not sure I ever would have left if not for the war. I didnât have many friends there save for other⌠Iâm not sure what to call them⌠entities? Whatever you want to cal it I had some friends in the more supernatural parts of the city. A vampire named Belle had become a sort of mother figure to me over the years spent there.
I met her by chance one night as I sated myself in an alley. I was ready to fight but she just laughed and flashed her own fangs at me, ridiculing me for being so careless. It was under her wing where I learned everything I know now about vampires. Itâs where I realized not all vampires endure sunlight as well as I do, if anything that one trait is whatâs most unique about me according to her. But thats not the story I want to tell on these pages tonight. I want to tell the story of lieutenant Marsh and the real beginnings of the organization that would become Chimera.
When war came to Paris that summer I was unprepared. I never expected the war to spiral out of hand so quickly or for it to force me out of my home. I was with Belle and a few more of her friends whose names escape me waiting out the worst of it and hoping things would blow over in the city soon. Obviously we were completely misguided, it was that sense of invulnerability again just the same as when I was a boy. The world was our playground and nothing could hurt us. It didnât help that in some ways I really was invulnerable and it went straight to my head.
Only flashes of my memory from that day remain. I remember the nazi soldier kicking in the door and firing at Belleâs friends. I remember the screaming that abruptly ended in a single gunshot. I remember the trail of blood leading to her friends body where it lay staked to the ground in the sun. We heal fast, not instantly but much faster than a human. Put us in sunlight though, and weâre just as fragile as a normal person. It was the first time Iâd seen someone with abilities like ours die and it made me feel mortal again for the first time in decades.
The rest of the day is a disjointed blur. Belle and I fled the city, I blank out on the specifics of it but we made it out with some difficulty. After that we hunkered down for the night in a rickety old shack. I remember wanting to push on through the day but Belle protested, she didnât deal with the sun as well as I did. When night finally fell we fled to the coast and managed to catch a ship heading towards the United States.
The trip was unpleasant to say the least, neither of us made good stowaways. We werenât living life in the lap of luxury before by any means but we lived comfortably. This was a far cry from what we were used to in Paris and the welcome we received was even worse. Apparently fleeing for your own survival is a crime, both of us were separated and sent to prison on our arrival to the states for stowing away on the ship.
That was the last time I ever saw Belle, I get letters from her every now and then but I havenât seen her in person since. She does well for herself, works in D.C. as a sort of handler for the supernatural. Regrettably she does work with Chimera, says they have the best interests at heart for the supernatural but she doesnât see what I see out here. She doesnât know the part I played in its creation, what it really stood for in the beginning. Chimera tends to kill first these days rather than actually try to help or give the supernatural some kind of place in the world. I think thats why I havenât been to visit her, I just donât want to argue with a friend as old as her. Funnily enough I donât think anyone knows sheâs a vampire. I doubt theyâd take that very well, sheâd probably lose her position. They must have suspicions though because theres no way sheâd be able to get letters to me without Baelen knowing about it. Every few months they keep showing up though and I always make sure to write her back.
Anyways Iâm getting off topic, back to my story. I was in prison for months until an offer came my way, serve the rest of my sentence or enlist in the army and be a free man when I came back, if I came back. Of course I took the offer, I didnât realize how suspicious that deal sounded at the time but it actually played out exactly as they said. I also didnât have much of a choice in the matter either. It was hard to get my hands on any blood when I was almost constantly under watch and I could feel the effects it was having on me. I figured it would be best to get a change of scenery.
The next week I was off to training then not long after, we shipped out to the trenches and met the commander of the platoon Iâd been assigned to. Thatâs the first time I met Lieutenant Johnson Marsh and what a man he was. That first day I was convinced Iâd never see a smile ever again, the trenches were a horrible depressing place. But there Marsh was, laughing and smiling and just generally enjoying life with the rest of the platoon. He was either crazy or stupid, thats what my first thoughts about him were. I remember those clearly even today but I couldnât have been more wrong. If anything he may have turned out to be one of the smartest men I ever knew.
The first few weeks were spent holding our position from the germans. It was brutal but I found I was a decent shot with the rifle I was given. Marsh on the other hand spent those weeks barking orders at us and keeping us in line. He never used a rifle like most of the soldiers used. Instead he kept a Beretta m9 with him at all times. That weapon was the only one I ever saw him use. I remember the name only because he was so found of explaining everything there was to know about the gun to me whenever I questioned him about it. You could immediately recognize the pistol as his by its strange grip. One side of it had a picture of an idyllic scene of a manor house in the middle of a sprawling field. The other had a painting of a woman, his wife Iâd guess but he never actually told me if that was there case. He seemed to spend the nights staring with longing at each side of the artistic grip.
Iâd never really had a family, even with Belle Iâd always felt like I was a bit of an outsider. There was so much I didnât know about how normal people lived. Even though Iâd had friends in Paris we were always kind of hidden away in our own personal corner. There was this separation between us and normal life, even between the other supernaturals in the area.
Here I felt like I was part of something though. Sure I was still lost but so was everyone else, we could be lost together and Marsh would always set us straight in the end. There was something about the man, some piece of him that just understood what we were all going through. He expected a lot from us but he was never unreasonable and several times even argued with command on our behalf when ridiculous orders came our way. I actually wanted to serve with him. The rest of the platoon wasnât bad but theyâd all been given the same deal as me. They were all just there to get out of prison. Iâm still not sure what Marshâs story was, he always kept that to himself but any of us wouldâve taken a bullet for that man.
Our first real assignment came maybe three months into my period of indentured service. Our platoon was tasked with rescuing a captured American scientist and capturing a German scientist. The scientists in question were Frank Smith and Stein Hoffman and no, the irony of those names is not lost on me, fits the two of them though. Iâm sure doctor Frankenstein wishes he was successful as those two. But before those orders could be acted on we had to overtake a German trench surrounding the compound they were staying in.
That fight was bloody and we lost several good men in the chaos. At one point a trench gun was shoved into my arms and I launched myself into the German trench. I wouldnât be surprised if ghost stories are still passed around of what I did that day. After I made my way over and into the German trench I lashed out with all I had. Moving with superhuman speed and lashing out with both the bayonet affixed to my gun and my fangs, I fell upon the Germans. They stood little chance as I tore into them and all by my lonesome I ensured weâd face no more resistance.
Marsh was the first over into the now silent trench, Iâm glad it was him because Iâm not sure anyone else wouldâve understood like him. I was holding the German officer to the trench wall, fangs buried in his neck as I fed when I heard footsteps behind me. I dropped him and turned to see Marsh staring questioningly at me. I mustâve been a sight to see, blood dripping from my mouth and covering my bullet torn uniform. Marsh steadied himself for a moment and shouted back to the rest of the platoon,
âBoys hold up a second! Just get down and stay up there a minute wonâtcha!â
All of a sudden he took a step forward and a well mannered grin took its usual place on his lips.
âThough You didnât care for sauerkraut J.?â
The joke stunned me, I fully expected him to shoot me then and there, put me down like the abomination I mustâve looked like to him.
âLieutenant IâŚâ
But Marsh raised his hands to cut me off.
âCommandâd probably want me to shootâcha, hell maybe I aughtâa but I donât think itâd be right. You seem decent, little odd sure but youâve got heart, I see it in the way you look out for the boys. Plus I always figured there was someân off about you. The way you stay outâa the light always seem a little faster and stronger than anyone got the right to be just didnât figure itâd beâŚ. That.â
Marsh told me pointing to the punctures in the officers neck.
âThank you lieutenant, Could we keep this between us though sir?â
âDrop the formalities J. Jesus! Weâre all friends here.â
âI just donât want the others to know, they may not be as understanding as you.â
âNo can do, but you can tell emâ yourself. Alright men, get on down here!â
In all my years Iâd never had to explain myself to anyone up until that point. I guess that day my number was up but I never knew just how understanding people, normal people could be. Iâd always lived around the supernatural in Paris, didnât interact much with the normal people I saw in the streets every day, I didnât have to. Iâd always assumed there was a reason for that but in the moment I realized there wasnât, not really. Iâd just avoided normal people because I feared what theyâd think if it came out that I wasnât like them.
Of course There were some of the men that objected to⌠what I was. Most of them took after Marsh though. They didnât really care what I was, Iâd proven to them I was a good person and thats all that mattered. I just wish theyâd been right about me back then because the truth was I still hadnât learned to care, not really. Even the ones who objected came around eventually and that night Marsh finally came clean to me about why exactly he was so accepting.
According to him heâd always assumed there was more out there, things beyond human that lived on the fringes of society. Even he always thought he sounded crazy. I was the proof he needed to convince himself he wasnât. Marsh also told me what we were really doing with the scientists. Both Frank and Stein researched the supernatural, their projects were as secret as secret could be. Marshâs interests and theories, as personal as he tried to keep them showed up in his file somewhere. The higher ups had handpicked him for this mission because of it. The official story was that Frank had been captured but in reality he defected to further his own research with a like minded individual. Our mission was really to force Frank back into the fold and take Stein along with him.
The more he talked the more I could tell his heart was fully committed to this mission and the final assault tomorrow. Iâd never seen someone so⌠alive. In my extremely long life I donât think Id ever felt that kind of conviction myself. So I promised him Iâd have his back tomorrow no matter what.
Morning broke and with it our assault began. Intel on the German defenses was shoddy at best but we never expected what weâd actually run into. At least three times our number acted as guards so a distraction was in order to give us a window of entry. A few of the men would handle the distraction âhowever they saw fitâ to quote Marsh. Then Marsh and I would make our way into the compound itself and the rest of the platoon would cover us.
For what its worth most of the plan went off without a hitch. A tremendous explosion signaled Marsh and I to press the advantage and rush the confused soldiers that lay in front of us. Some actually turned and ran from me, apparently word of my stunt in the trenches yesterday had spread quickly. The rest of the platoon followed behind us but then our luck ran out with the roar of an engine.
An honest to god panzer tank rolled out of a tunnel we hadnât seen that ran under the compound and turned its barrel towards us. I almost didnât hear the blast from how slow time seemed to move. But move it did as the explosion of the shellâs impact scattered bodies left and right. The shell impacted behind us but the sheer force of the blast threw Marsh and I to the ground, knocking us unconscious.
When I slowly came to my eyes couldnât believe what I was seeing. A man dressed in red priestly robes with a matching red top hat was walking between the bodies. When he approached one that groaned out with agony heâd kneel down and whisper things I couldnât hear to them, after that heâd snap his fingers. sometimes the person he was talking with would disappear other times they would fall silent and sometimes it didnât appear that anything happened at all.
Just the sight of the man terrified me and I wasnât sure why. It was an instinctual reaction, the second I lay eyes on him I froze up and ice cold fear crept its way up my spine. When people accuse me of being the devil this man is who I think of. Even today Iâm not sure what it is he does or why. What I do know is that he never looks the same. Iâve seen him appear as male, female, even as an animal on a few occasions but I can always tell. The second Iâm near him no matter what he looks like the same old feeling comes over me.
Once my vision had finally focused in on the man he seemed to notice without ever looking at me. I blinked and suddenly he was there, kneeling over me.
âWould you like to live.â
He rasped down at me with a voice that seemed to boom around me no matter how quiet it mustâve actually been. I felt like a child again, staring at Archer for the first time. Iâd never really had to fear death before but here I was, sure I was about to meet my end right here. In all honestly I wasnât injured all that bad, I probably couldâve survived with or without this man help. But something told me that if I said no heâd make sure I would die right here.
âYeâŚy⌠yesâ
I stuttered out, barley able to form the words through the pain that stabbed throughout my body.
âYou will be my instrument for one night at a time of me choosing.â
The man replied. I stayed silent as I stared into his eyes, trying to determine if the sunglasses he wore were tinted or if his eyes really did burn with an infernal red light. The man cocked his head as if waiting for a response to his question. Iâm not sure if question was the right word though, there wasnât much of a choice for me.
Looking back there was always a choice, maybe I couldâve survived on my own merits, found another way. In the years to come Iâd wish I just said no, even if it wouldâve cost me my life. But thats not what happened. I nodded and the deal maker snapped his fingers. As soon as he had dark clouds flooded the sky and blocked out the sun, allowing my body to begin repairing itself. The man moved on to where Marshâs body lay and probably made him the same deal as I felt my body healing. Despite that, my consciousness faded again as I strained to try and hear what the man would say to Marsh.
We never actually discussed the man at all. Not then and not in the years since. Maybe that was all an unspoken part of Marshâs deal. Maybe both of us just wished that man was nothing more than a waking dream, a vivid hallucination. Whatever the case neither of us ever mentioned that man to each other.
The next time I woke up I was chained to a table next to Marsh. We had been captured and brought before the very scientists we were here to apprehend. There were guards around but they all seemed to be waiting for some kind of order. I was certainly surprised when that order came in perfect English, even more surprised when the order was to let us down so we could talk.
Frank and Stein ended up being quite reasonable people. The two let us stay in relative comfort in the compound as long as we agreed to stay and leave them to their work. That was all the convincing it took for me. I understand that the men Iâd served with were all dead and that these two were in some way responsible. Maybe that shouldâve bothered me more, today it certainly wouldâve. Back then I didnât think the same way, they accepted me for what I was but only briefly, only out of respect for Marsh. What did the lives of people Iâd known for so short a time really matter? Writing this now just makes me realize how cold I was before, I didnât care for anything beyond myself. Iâd made no efforts to find Belle since we were separated and how long had I known her, 100 years, more? I may have pretended I cared but when push came to shove I simply tried to make sure I survived.
Marsh wasnât as cold as me, in fact he almost immediately reached for where his pistol shouldâve been when he was unchained. It took Frank, Stein, and myself weeks to convince him that helping would be the right decision. He didnât like it at first but little by little I think the scientists grew on him. The guards Iâd seen our first day here seemed to thin out the longer we stayed. Wether that was a gesture of trust or simply because they were needed for more important duties I donât know but it certainly eased Marshâs mind.
I merely observed the scientists most of the time until Stein asked me for a sample of my blood. It didnât surprise me that he knew what I was but for obvious reasons I was hesitant to give it to him, especially considering what Iâd seen so called doctors do with vampire blood. Eventually he wore me down and I gave let him take a sample just to shut him up. After that I became more involved in their research though not by choice. They had me showcasing my abilities and tested the effects of sunlight on my blood. On a few rare occasions Stein even injected it into other prisoners that were brought in, something I put a stop to very quickly. T
hat sample of blood is why Frank and Stein are still around today. Somehow they managed to isolate whatever part of my DNA allows me to age so much slower than a normal person. They took that and spliced it into their own DNA against my recommendations. The crazy thing was it actually worked. Sure they had a newfound appreciation for rare steaks but beyond that I didnât notice any of the effects that combining vampire DNA with your own would usually have.
As Marsh and I assisted the scientistâs research however we could we both came to the realization that they needed each other to function. Stein lacked a moral compass and was prone to suggest unethical or risky procedures, sometimes going so far as to carry them out without informing Frank. Frank on the other hand preferred caution in everything he did and sometimes I noticed him personally taking and shredding requests Stein had written for test subjects, hazardous materials, or samples from supernatural entities. The two kept a very delicate dance of checks and balances. Stein ever the daring mad scientist and Frank always playing the role of overly cautious genius.
Marsh and Frank got along extremely well near the end. The two would be up at all hours of the night as Frank explained what kind of things really existed in the world. Marsh always shared these ideas of a world where the supernatural and the normal could live together and I think Frank shared that vision. It wasnât possible, still isnât but treating the supernatural as something other than monsters couldnât possibly be a bad thing. I think thats where the idea of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs really came from, those talks Marsh had with anyone who would listen.
Overtime one of our favorite conversations was what we would do when the war was over and we could leave this compound. Stein wasnât sure he would, if his research wasnât going to a man whoâd simply use it to cause more conflict he wouldnât mind staying. Frank wanted to return home, if that was even possible and he asked if Stein would join him. Those two had also become close friends through our months in the lab. That checks and balances relationship they had made them basically inseparable. Marshâs answer surprised me though, he said he wanted to get out of the military and start a program, something to help the supernatural live closer to normal lives. At least keep tabs on them so that the quality of their lives might improve. I was stunned, I couldnât believe heâd throw his career away just to chase this pipe dream of his. I didnât even know Marsh was concerned with that kind of thing. I didnât have an answer of my own so I said Iâd join Marsh and help with this program idea of his. Actually, even Frank and Stein seemed to agree with Marshâs way of thinking. Little did we know the war would end less than a month after our talk and weâd all get the chance to actually put Marshâs little idea to the test.
Once the Americans had come and discovered the compound pretty much abandoned aside from us we were all taken prisoner and shipped back to America. We were all interrogated and they either heard what they wanted to hear, or decided anyone weâd talk to about our experiences would assume we were just crazy. We were released back into society under constant surveillance. They even gave us a sizable home in D.C., it was certainly bugged to its core but thats exactly what we wanted.
Through the next year we used Frank and Steins knowledge and my supernatural nature to track down entities all over the country. We made sure that everything was discussed and planned out in the house. That way however was listening knew exactly what we were doing and how successful it was. It wasnât all sunshine and rainbows though, some entities would rather we didnât know about them. Others were naturally aggressive but some we were actually able to help.
Our escapades as a group of four didnât last much past the first year. Mostly because our master plan of using the bugs worked perfectly. Olâ uncle Sam had been listening in and wanted his chance at calling the shots but it meant we became a legitimate organization, the BSA. Technically the acronym was already taken but no one ever complained and Marsh never came up with anything better.
We spent 4 years doing everything we could to improve the lives of supernatural beings everywhere. Not every one of our endeavors was a success but we did some good in the world. One such project was blood banks for vampires. While the blood that gets donated is used for transfusions and the like some was put into cold storage for the BSA. That got distributed to vampires who had come to an agreement with us to stop hunting humans for blood. Some vampires were even selected for jobs at these blood banks, under the supervision of BSA agents of course.
The more human supernaturals like werewolves, vampires, and succubi even used us to find jobs in the world. We made in roads for the supernatural in daily life because of it. Werewolves would use their strength for government construction. Vampireâs long lives made them excellent archivists or history teachers because they actually been there for those events. A succubusâs ability to understand and control someones emotions and reactions made them excellent therapists and conflict deescalation specialists. Those are just some of the fields we managed to get the supernatural involved in. While they usually had to hide their natural they were wildly successful.
Everything went well until that fourth year when I first met Baelen. He was headstrong from the beginning, the powers that be were grooming him for leadership. He was everything they wanted, he followed orders and didnât question things to much. In short, he was the perfect solution to the inconvenience the four of us caused running the organization as we saw fit. But baleen had a mean streak, he didnât want to protect the supernatural so much as he wanted to put them in their place. Unfortunately a lot of the research we provided had scared pretty much everyone above us who had never even entertained the idea of the supernatural until now. That meant Baelenâs ideas of monitoring and segregating the supernatural population were popular. So popular that suggesting culling their numbers to keep them in check and under the thumb of the BSA was an idea they actually entertained. That sentiment caught on and our orders became more and more militant.
Every time we disregarded them to do things the way we had envisioned the consequence grew steeper. Eventually Frank, Stein, Marsh, and I just couldnât stand to see what our BSA had become so we left. We couldnât do anything else to stop what was coming from the inside, no point in going down with the ship.
After that Baelen quickly ended up heading the whole operation. He still took orders directly from government officials and when the BSA became part of homeland security it became Chimera division. Why they chose such a stupid name Iâll never know but the organization was a shadow of its former self. Before we looked out for the supernatural, tried to help. Under Baelen Chimera just exists to monitor the supernatural and âcorrectâ any issues uncle Sam decides to have with them. Theyâre glorified enforcers that donât give a damn how the supernatural actually have it. Thatâs not to say some good people donât work for them, people like Belle and even Marshâs own daughter as far as Iâm aware.
It sickens me to think I was a part of it though, for all the good we did maybe it wouldâve been better if Johnson Marshâs pipe dream wouldâve stayed just that. I can do a lot but I canât change the past so I guess weâll never know. A while ago I heard that something had happened in a little nowhere town out in New Mexico. Pretty much dropped off the face of the Earth. The only reason I even heard about it was through Belleâs letters. Apparently Chimera had to do some huge cover up job and decided it was better if the town just never existed. Maybe I should go myself and see if I canât piece what happened together. Could be that someone else out there has it in for Chimera and is a whole lot more direct about it than me. Iâm just imaging it was some runaway experiment Frank and Stein got up to. I wonder where those two ended up, Iâll have to check up on them sometime. This journal writing is digging up a lot of memories for me but thats probably a good thing. Write them down before I forget again. I think thatâll be all for today then, why do I keep addressing these like someoneâs reading them? Not much point to that is there?
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2024.05.21 20:40 CDown01 J.'s Journals: The Lieutenant
Previous Entry Writing these things has made me realize how different I sound these days. Back when all this started Iâm not sure I even spoke English and I certainly didnât speak like I do now but to be honest, I donât remember. Trying to recall things to write has made me realize exactly how many little things Iâve forgotten over the years. The sights, the sounds, all those fade into the background of most events.
Even something as visceral as Archerâs basement still takes me a while to recall clearly. I wonder if itâs more than just my long life, we do age after all. I mentioned before that sunlight is not deadly to vampires like myself but very unpleasant, that and it makes us more normal. In the sun I wonât be as strong as I would be in the dark and by my assessment I age in the sun as well. Not any faster than a normal person but I do age, its why I donât still look like that little boy stuck in Paris anymore.
I did spend quite some time in Paris before I left or rather, escaped. Iâm not sure I ever would have left if not for the war. I didnât have many friends there save for other⌠Iâm not sure what to call them⌠entities? Whatever you want to cal it I had some friends in the more supernatural parts of the city. A vampire named Belle had become a sort of mother figure to me over the years spent there.
I met her by chance one night as I sated myself in an alley. I was ready to fight but she just laughed and flashed her own fangs at me, ridiculing me for being so careless. It was under her wing where I learned everything I know now about vampires. Itâs where I realized not all vampires endure sunlight as well as I do, if anything that one trait is whatâs most unique about me according to her. But thats not the story I want to tell on these pages tonight. I want to tell the story of lieutenant Marsh and the real beginnings of the organization that would become Chimera.
When war came to Paris that summer I was unprepared. I never expected the war to spiral out of hand so quickly or for it to force me out of my home. I was with Belle and a few more of her friends whose names escape me waiting out the worst of it and hoping things would blow over in the city soon. Obviously we were completely misguided, it was that sense of invulnerability again just the same as when I was a boy. The world was our playground and nothing could hurt us. It didnât help that in some ways I really was invulnerable and it went straight to my head.
Only flashes of my memory from that day remain. I remember the nazi soldier kicking in the door and firing at Belleâs friends. I remember the screaming that abruptly ended in a single gunshot. I remember the trail of blood leading to her friends body where it lay staked to the ground in the sun. We heal fast, not instantly but much faster than a human. Put us in sunlight though, and weâre just as fragile as a normal person. It was the first time Iâd seen someone with abilities like ours die and it made me feel mortal again for the first time in decades.
The rest of the day is a disjointed blur. Belle and I fled the city, I blank out on the specifics of it but we made it out with some difficulty. After that we hunkered down for the night in a rickety old shack. I remember wanting to push on through the day but Belle protested, she didnât deal with the sun as well as I did. When night finally fell we fled to the coast and managed to catch a ship heading towards the United States.
The trip was unpleasant to say the least, neither of us made good stowaways. We werenât living life in the lap of luxury before by any means but we lived comfortably. This was a far cry from what we were used to in Paris and the welcome we received was even worse. Apparently fleeing for your own survival is a crime, both of us were separated and sent to prison on our arrival to the states for stowing away on the ship.
That was the last time I ever saw Belle, I get letters from her every now and then but I havenât seen her in person since. She does well for herself, works in D.C. as a sort of handler for the supernatural. Regrettably she does work with Chimera, says they have the best interests at heart for the supernatural but she doesnât see what I see out here. She doesnât know the part I played in its creation, what it really stood for in the beginning. Chimera tends to kill first these days rather than actually try to help or give the supernatural some kind of place in the world. I think thats why I havenât been to visit her, I just donât want to argue with a friend as old as her. Funnily enough I donât think anyone knows sheâs a vampire. I doubt theyâd take that very well, sheâd probably lose her position. They must have suspicions though because theres no way sheâd be able to get letters to me without Baelen knowing about it. Every few months they keep showing up though and I always make sure to write her back.
Anyways Iâm getting off topic, back to my story. I was in prison for months until an offer came my way, serve the rest of my sentence or enlist in the army and be a free man when I came back, if I came back. Of course I took the offer, I didnât realize how suspicious that deal sounded at the time but it actually played out exactly as they said. I also didnât have much of a choice in the matter either. It was hard to get my hands on any blood when I was almost constantly under watch and I could feel the effects it was having on me. I figured it would be best to get a change of scenery.
The next week I was off to training then not long after, we shipped out to the trenches and met the commander of the platoon Iâd been assigned to. Thatâs the first time I met Lieutenant Johnson Marsh and what a man he was. That first day I was convinced Iâd never see a smile ever again, the trenches were a horrible depressing place. But there Marsh was, laughing and smiling and just generally enjoying life with the rest of the platoon. He was either crazy or stupid, thats what my first thoughts about him were. I remember those clearly even today but I couldnât have been more wrong. If anything he may have turned out to be one of the smartest men I ever knew.
The first few weeks were spent holding our position from the germans. It was brutal but I found I was a decent shot with the rifle I was given. Marsh on the other hand spent those weeks barking orders at us and keeping us in line. He never used a rifle like most of the soldiers used. Instead he kept a Beretta m9 with him at all times. That weapon was the only one I ever saw him use. I remember the name only because he was so found of explaining everything there was to know about the gun to me whenever I questioned him about it. You could immediately recognize the pistol as his by its strange grip. One side of it had a picture of an idyllic scene of a manor house in the middle of a sprawling field. The other had a painting of a woman, his wife Iâd guess but he never actually told me if that was there case. He seemed to spend the nights staring with longing at each side of the artistic grip.
Iâd never really had a family, even with Belle Iâd always felt like I was a bit of an outsider. There was so much I didnât know about how normal people lived. Even though Iâd had friends in Paris we were always kind of hidden away in our own personal corner. There was this separation between us and normal life, even between the other supernaturals in the area.
Here I felt like I was part of something though. Sure I was still lost but so was everyone else, we could be lost together and Marsh would always set us straight in the end. There was something about the man, some piece of him that just understood what we were all going through. He expected a lot from us but he was never unreasonable and several times even argued with command on our behalf when ridiculous orders came our way. I actually wanted to serve with him. The rest of the platoon wasnât bad but theyâd all been given the same deal as me. They were all just there to get out of prison. Iâm still not sure what Marshâs story was, he always kept that to himself but any of us wouldâve taken a bullet for that man.
Our first real assignment came maybe three months into my period of indentured service. Our platoon was tasked with rescuing a captured American scientist and capturing a German scientist. The scientists in question were Frank Smith and Stein Hoffman and no, the irony of those names is not lost on me, fits the two of them though. Iâm sure doctor Frankenstein wishes he was successful as those two. But before those orders could be acted on we had to overtake a German trench surrounding the compound they were staying in.
That fight was bloody and we lost several good men in the chaos. At one point a trench gun was shoved into my arms and I launched myself into the German trench. I wouldnât be surprised if ghost stories are still passed around of what I did that day. After I made my way over and into the German trench I lashed out with all I had. Moving with superhuman speed and lashing out with both the bayonet affixed to my gun and my fangs, I fell upon the Germans. They stood little chance as I tore into them and all by my lonesome I ensured weâd face no more resistance.
Marsh was the first over into the now silent trench, Iâm glad it was him because Iâm not sure anyone else wouldâve understood like him. I was holding the German officer to the trench wall, fangs buried in his neck as I fed when I heard footsteps behind me. I dropped him and turned to see Marsh staring questioningly at me. I mustâve been a sight to see, blood dripping from my mouth and covering my bullet torn uniform. Marsh steadied himself for a moment and shouted back to the rest of the platoon,
âBoys hold up a second! Just get down and stay up there a minute wonâtcha!â
All of a sudden he took a step forward and a well mannered grin took its usual place on his lips.
âThough You didnât care for sauerkraut J.?â
The joke stunned me, I fully expected him to shoot me then and there, put me down like the abomination I mustâve looked like to him.
âLieutenant IâŚâ
But Marsh raised his hands to cut me off.
âCommandâd probably want me to shootâcha, hell maybe I aughtâa but I donât think itâd be right. You seem decent, little odd sure but youâve got heart, I see it in the way you look out for the boys. Plus I always figured there was someân off about you. The way you stay outâa the light always seem a little faster and stronger than anyone got the right to be just didnât figure itâd beâŚ. That.â
Marsh told me pointing to the punctures in the officers neck.
âThank you lieutenant, Could we keep this between us though sir?â
âDrop the formalities J. Jesus! Weâre all friends here.â
âI just donât want the others to know, they may not be as understanding as you.â
âNo can do, but you can tell emâ yourself. Alright men, get on down here!â
In all my years Iâd never had to explain myself to anyone up until that point. I guess that day my number was up but I never knew just how understanding people, normal people could be. Iâd always lived around the supernatural in Paris, didnât interact much with the normal people I saw in the streets every day, I didnât have to. Iâd always assumed there was a reason for that but in the moment I realized there wasnât, not really. Iâd just avoided normal people because I feared what theyâd think if it came out that I wasnât like them.
Of course There were some of the men that objected to⌠what I was. Most of them took after Marsh though. They didnât really care what I was, Iâd proven to them I was a good person and thats all that mattered. I just wish theyâd been right about me back then because the truth was I still hadnât learned to care, not really. Even the ones who objected came around eventually and that night Marsh finally came clean to me about why exactly he was so accepting.
According to him heâd always assumed there was more out there, things beyond human that lived on the fringes of society. Even he always thought he sounded crazy. I was the proof he needed to convince himself he wasnât. Marsh also told me what we were really doing with the scientists. Both Frank and Stein researched the supernatural, their projects were as secret as secret could be. Marshâs interests and theories, as personal as he tried to keep them showed up in his file somewhere. The higher ups had handpicked him for this mission because of it. The official story was that Frank had been captured but in reality he defected to further his own research with a like minded individual. Our mission was really to force Frank back into the fold and take Stein along with him.
The more he talked the more I could tell his heart was fully committed to this mission and the final assault tomorrow. Iâd never seen someone so⌠alive. In my extremely long life I donât think Id ever felt that kind of conviction myself. So I promised him Iâd have his back tomorrow no matter what.
Morning broke and with it our assault began. Intel on the German defenses was shoddy at best but we never expected what weâd actually run into. At least three times our number acted as guards so a distraction was in order to give us a window of entry. A few of the men would handle the distraction âhowever they saw fitâ to quote Marsh. Then Marsh and I would make our way into the compound itself and the rest of the platoon would cover us.
For what its worth most of the plan went off without a hitch. A tremendous explosion signaled Marsh and I to press the advantage and rush the confused soldiers that lay in front of us. Some actually turned and ran from me, apparently word of my stunt in the trenches yesterday had spread quickly. The rest of the platoon followed behind us but then our luck ran out with the roar of an engine.
An honest to god panzer tank rolled out of a tunnel we hadnât seen that ran under the compound and turned its barrel towards us. I almost didnât hear the blast from how slow time seemed to move. But move it did as the explosion of the shellâs impact scattered bodies left and right. The shell impacted behind us but the sheer force of the blast threw Marsh and I to the ground, knocking us unconscious.
When I slowly came to my eyes couldnât believe what I was seeing. A man dressed in red priestly robes with a matching red top hat was walking between the bodies. When he approached one that groaned out with agony heâd kneel down and whisper things I couldnât hear to them, after that heâd snap his fingers. sometimes the person he was talking with would disappear other times they would fall silent and sometimes it didnât appear that anything happened at all.
Just the sight of the man terrified me and I wasnât sure why. It was an instinctual reaction, the second I lay eyes on him I froze up and ice cold fear crept its way up my spine. When people accuse me of being the devil this man is who I think of. Even today Iâm not sure what it is he does or why. What I do know is that he never looks the same. Iâve seen him appear as male, female, even as an animal on a few occasions but I can always tell. The second Iâm near him no matter what he looks like the same old feeling comes over me.
Once my vision had finally focused in on the man he seemed to notice without ever looking at me. I blinked and suddenly he was there, kneeling over me.
âWould you like to live.â
He rasped down at me with a voice that seemed to boom around me no matter how quiet it mustâve actually been. I felt like a child again, staring at Archer for the first time. Iâd never really had to fear death before but here I was, sure I was about to meet my end right here. In all honestly I wasnât injured all that bad, I probably couldâve survived with or without this man help. But something told me that if I said no heâd make sure I would die right here.
âYeâŚy⌠yesâ
I stuttered out, barley able to form the words through the pain that stabbed throughout my body.
âYou will be my instrument for one night at a time of me choosing.â
The man replied. I stayed silent as I stared into his eyes, trying to determine if the sunglasses he wore were tinted or if his eyes really did burn with an infernal red light. The man cocked his head as if waiting for a response to his question. Iâm not sure if question was the right word though, there wasnât much of a choice for me.
Looking back there was always a choice, maybe I couldâve survived on my own merits, found another way. In the years to come Iâd wish I just said no, even if it wouldâve cost me my life. But thats not what happened. I nodded and the deal maker snapped his fingers. As soon as he had dark clouds flooded the sky and blocked out the sun, allowing my body to begin repairing itself. The man moved on to where Marshâs body lay and probably made him the same deal as I felt my body healing. Despite that, my consciousness faded again as I strained to try and hear what the man would say to Marsh.
We never actually discussed the man at all. Not then and not in the years since. Maybe that was all an unspoken part of Marshâs deal. Maybe both of us just wished that man was nothing more than a waking dream, a vivid hallucination. Whatever the case neither of us ever mentioned that man to each other.
The next time I woke up I was chained to a table next to Marsh. We had been captured and brought before the very scientists we were here to apprehend. There were guards around but they all seemed to be waiting for some kind of order. I was certainly surprised when that order came in perfect English, even more surprised when the order was to let us down so we could talk.
Frank and Stein ended up being quite reasonable people. The two let us stay in relative comfort in the compound as long as we agreed to stay and leave them to their work. That was all the convincing it took for me. I understand that the men Iâd served with were all dead and that these two were in some way responsible. Maybe that shouldâve bothered me more, today it certainly wouldâve. Back then I didnât think the same way, they accepted me for what I was but only briefly, only out of respect for Marsh. What did the lives of people Iâd known for so short a time really matter? Writing this now just makes me realize how cold I was before, I didnât care for anything beyond myself. Iâd made no efforts to find Belle since we were separated and how long had I known her, 100 years, more? I may have pretended I cared but when push came to shove I simply tried to make sure I survived.
Marsh wasnât as cold as me, in fact he almost immediately reached for where his pistol shouldâve been when he was unchained. It took Frank, Stein, and myself weeks to convince him that helping would be the right decision. He didnât like it at first but little by little I think the scientists grew on him. The guards Iâd seen our first day here seemed to thin out the longer we stayed. Wether that was a gesture of trust or simply because they were needed for more important duties I donât know but it certainly eased Marshâs mind.
I merely observed the scientists most of the time until Stein asked me for a sample of my blood. It didnât surprise me that he knew what I was but for obvious reasons I was hesitant to give it to him, especially considering what Iâd seen so called doctors do with vampire blood. Eventually he wore me down and I gave let him take a sample just to shut him up. After that I became more involved in their research though not by choice. They had me showcasing my abilities and tested the effects of sunlight on my blood. On a few rare occasions Stein even injected it into other prisoners that were brought in, something I put a stop to very quickly. T
hat sample of blood is why Frank and Stein are still around today. Somehow they managed to isolate whatever part of my DNA allows me to age so much slower than a normal person. They took that and spliced it into their own DNA against my recommendations. The crazy thing was it actually worked. Sure they had a newfound appreciation for rare steaks but beyond that I didnât notice any of the effects that combining vampire DNA with your own would usually have.
As Marsh and I assisted the scientistâs research however we could we both came to the realization that they needed each other to function. Stein lacked a moral compass and was prone to suggest unethical or risky procedures, sometimes going so far as to carry them out without informing Frank. Frank on the other hand preferred caution in everything he did and sometimes I noticed him personally taking and shredding requests Stein had written for test subjects, hazardous materials, or samples from supernatural entities. The two kept a very delicate dance of checks and balances. Stein ever the daring mad scientist and Frank always playing the role of overly cautious genius.
Marsh and Frank got along extremely well near the end. The two would be up at all hours of the night as Frank explained what kind of things really existed in the world. Marsh always shared these ideas of a world where the supernatural and the normal could live together and I think Frank shared that vision. It wasnât possible, still isnât but treating the supernatural as something other than monsters couldnât possibly be a bad thing. I think thats where the idea of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs really came from, those talks Marsh had with anyone who would listen.
Overtime one of our favorite conversations was what we would do when the war was over and we could leave this compound. Stein wasnât sure he would, if his research wasnât going to a man whoâd simply use it to cause more conflict he wouldnât mind staying. Frank wanted to return home, if that was even possible and he asked if Stein would join him. Those two had also become close friends through our months in the lab. That checks and balances relationship they had made them basically inseparable. Marshâs answer surprised me though, he said he wanted to get out of the military and start a program, something to help the supernatural live closer to normal lives. At least keep tabs on them so that the quality of their lives might improve. I was stunned, I couldnât believe heâd throw his career away just to chase this pipe dream of his. I didnât even know Marsh was concerned with that kind of thing. I didnât have an answer of my own so I said Iâd join Marsh and help with this program idea of his. Actually, even Frank and Stein seemed to agree with Marshâs way of thinking. Little did we know the war would end less than a month after our talk and weâd all get the chance to actually put Marshâs little idea to the test.
Once the Americans had come and discovered the compound pretty much abandoned aside from us we were all taken prisoner and shipped back to America. We were all interrogated and they either heard what they wanted to hear, or decided anyone weâd talk to about our experiences would assume we were just crazy. We were released back into society under constant surveillance. They even gave us a sizable home in D.C., it was certainly bugged to its core but thats exactly what we wanted.
Through the next year we used Frank and Steins knowledge and my supernatural nature to track down entities all over the country. We made sure that everything was discussed and planned out in the house. That way however was listening knew exactly what we were doing and how successful it was. It wasnât all sunshine and rainbows though, some entities would rather we didnât know about them. Others were naturally aggressive but some we were actually able to help.
Our escapades as a group of four didnât last much past the first year. Mostly because our master plan of using the bugs worked perfectly. Olâ uncle Sam had been listening in and wanted his chance at calling the shots but it meant we became a legitimate organization, the BSA. Technically the acronym was already taken but no one ever complained and Marsh never came up with anything better.
We spent 4 years doing everything we could to improve the lives of supernatural beings everywhere. Not every one of our endeavors was a success but we did some good in the world. One such project was blood banks for vampires. While the blood that gets donated is used for transfusions and the like some was put into cold storage for the BSA. That got distributed to vampires who had come to an agreement with us to stop hunting humans for blood. Some vampires were even selected for jobs at these blood banks, under the supervision of BSA agents of course.
The more human supernaturals like werewolves, vampires, and succubi even used us to find jobs in the world. We made in roads for the supernatural in daily life because of it. Werewolves would use their strength for government construction. Vampireâs long lives made them excellent archivists or history teachers because they actually been there for those events. A succubusâs ability to understand and control someones emotions and reactions made them excellent therapists and conflict deescalation specialists. Those are just some of the fields we managed to get the supernatural involved in. While they usually had to hide their natural they were wildly successful.
Everything went well until that fourth year when I first met Baelen. He was headstrong from the beginning, the powers that be were grooming him for leadership. He was everything they wanted, he followed orders and didnât question things to much. In short, he was the perfect solution to the inconvenience the four of us caused running the organization as we saw fit. But baleen had a mean streak, he didnât want to protect the supernatural so much as he wanted to put them in their place. Unfortunately a lot of the research we provided had scared pretty much everyone above us who had never even entertained the idea of the supernatural until now. That meant Baelenâs ideas of monitoring and segregating the supernatural population were popular. So popular that suggesting culling their numbers to keep them in check and under the thumb of the BSA was an idea they actually entertained. That sentiment caught on and our orders became more and more militant.
Every time we disregarded them to do things the way we had envisioned the consequence grew steeper. Eventually Frank, Stein, Marsh, and I just couldnât stand to see what our BSA had become so we left. We couldnât do anything else to stop what was coming from the inside, no point in going down with the ship.
After that Baelen quickly ended up heading the whole operation. He still took orders directly from government officials and when the BSA became part of homeland security it became Chimera division. Why they chose such a stupid name Iâll never know but the organization was a shadow of its former self. Before we looked out for the supernatural, tried to help. Under Baelen Chimera just exists to monitor the supernatural and âcorrectâ any issues uncle Sam decides to have with them. Theyâre glorified enforcers that donât give a damn how the supernatural actually have it. Thatâs not to say some good people donât work for them, people like Belle and even Marshâs own daughter as far as Iâm aware.
It sickens me to think I was a part of it though, for all the good we did maybe it wouldâve been better if Johnson Marshâs pipe dream wouldâve stayed just that. I can do a lot but I canât change the past so I guess weâll never know. A while ago I heard that something had happened in a little nowhere town out in New Mexico. Pretty much dropped off the face of the Earth. The only reason I even heard about it was through Belleâs letters. Apparently Chimera had to do some huge cover up job and decided it was better if the town just never existed. Maybe I should go myself and see if I canât piece what happened together. Could be that someone else out there has it in for Chimera and is a whole lot more direct about it than me. Iâm just imaging it was some runaway experiment Frank and Stein got up to. I wonder where those two ended up, Iâll have to check up on them sometime. This journal writing is digging up a lot of memories for me but thats probably a good thing. Write them down before I forget again. I think thatâll be all for today then, why do I keep addressing these like someoneâs reading them? Not much point to that is there?
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2024.05.21 17:07 Khoasy My EW Fan Movie Script (Unfinished)
Act 1 Scene 1
Int. Edd's Apartment Room - Bedroom - Morning
Edd (In sleep bed) SNORE, SNORE, SNORE- (EDDâS face is sprayed with Cola) I SUREDDER! (Looks around room) Oh.
(Cut to) Edd Int. Edd's Apartment room - Closet - Morning (Edd Choses which Hoodie to wear) [Hoodies references to different Hoodie designs] (Picks his Modern Hoodie design)
(Cut to) Int. Edd's Apartment Room - Bathroom Edd (Grabs toothbrush) (Zooms in to show that's itâs Cola flavored) (Brushes teeth) (Grabs cup of Cola) (Gurgles it) (Spits it out) (Makes a big wide smile showing his horrible teeth)
(Cut to) Edd Int. Edd's Apartment Room - Kitchen - Morning (Edd takes bacon in a Oven) (Puts it on a plate) (Edd sits at his table) (Holds up fork and spoon and licks his lips before shoving the entire plate into his mouth) NOM, NOM, NOM MM! The plate is always the best part! Act 1 Scene 2
(Transition to) Int. Edd's Apartment Room - Living Room - Morning Edd (Sits on couch) Ah.. it is a good day to watch Return of the Insane Zombeh Pirates from Hell 4! SLAM (The door goes as MATT and TOM come in)
Matt (Overlapping Tom) BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH I FOUND THIS GUY AND HE SOLD ME CRACK SO I GAVE IT TO A TWO YEAR OLD THEN IT STARTED TO-
Tom (Overlapping Matt) BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH I PULLED AND PULLED BUT IT WOULDN'T COME OUT, SO I GOT A PLANT AND STARTED SAYING NEVER GONNA GIVE-
Edd SHUT UP! (Matt and Tom look at each other) What is itâŚ
Matt He broke mirror #1028!
Tom Nuh Uh!
Edd (Sigh) Tom, did you break the mirror?
Tom No!
Matt Liar, Liar, Dance on Pliers!
Tom (re: notice) Uh, Edd I found this by your door. (Hands to Edd)
Edd (Grabs) Blah, Blah, Blah. Your landlord will require possession of your apartment in 16 days, if rent is not paid! Oh no, I can't afford to paid rent!
Tom Don't worry- well actually do worry bc we all got it.
Matt Can't we mooch off of that crackhead down the street again?
Tom Iâve run out of crack to give to him, and I don't got enough to buy any either.
Edd Can't we get a job?
Tom Donât you remember what happened last time we got a job!
Edd Oh yeah, we got fired for âimmaturity, and irresponsibleâ or whatever bogus they said.
Matt Weâre perfectly mature! They have to have a screw loose!
Tom One time I agree with you Matt. Right Edd⌠Edd?
Edd (Face plants onto couch) Itâs hopelessâŚ
Tom Come on Edd, things could be better!
Edd Do you mean worse?
Tom No, I meant better.
Matt Yeah, you could be friends with a stupid, narcissist and an unsupportive, alcoholic.
Edd (Annoyed, or disappointed face) Well⌠I guess- TOM WHAT ARE YOU DOING!
Tom (Standing on a chair with a hanging rope hanging from the ceiling fan) Whoâs going second bc I'm going first.
Edd Tom, we promised to commit suicide when we get kids!
Tom Oh yeah.
Edd Tom, do you remember that safe in our old house?
Tom Yeah, the one that we left behind when it got destroyed?
Edd Yeah, that one. I was thinking we could go back and break into it. Thereâs bound to be some cash left in there.
Matt But what if the cops catch us?
Tom Relax, Matt. Weâll make sure no one sees us.
Edd Weâll go at night and make sure to cover our tracks.
Edd But we have no mask- (Tom, Matt are suddenly in Goofy Villain outfit) Edd Where did you even get those
Matt Dumpster!
Edd There's no way I'm wearing one of those! Act 1 Scene 3
(Cuts To) Ext. Old House - Backyard
The three friends stand in the backyard, wearing their goofy villain outfits, as Edd adjusts his costume with annoyance.
Edd (Cont'D) "This is ridiculous. I can't believe you two made me wear this."
Matt (Excitedly) "You look great! We're like the Three Stooges of crime!"
Tom (Grinning) "Yeah, but instead of just being fools, we're gonna be rich fools!â
Edd Matt did you cover our tracks?
Matt Yeah, look. (Shows an path of purple path leading right up to their location)
Tom Matt you know when I said I hated you?
Matt Yeah?
Tom I DIDN'T LIE!
Matt Aw...
Edd "Alright, let's just get this over with. We break into the safe, grab the cash, and get out. Simple enough."
Tom (Cocky) "Piece of cake, guys. We're professional criminals now."
Matt (Excitedly) "We're going to be rich!"
(The friends approach the safe and begin trying to open it.)
Edd Uh, does anyone remember the code?
Tom Not me!
Edd Matt?
(Camera pans to Matt admiring a picture of himself)
Matt I thought I lost you forever baby (Matt says as kissing it)
Edd
Tom(drunk) My idea is to blow up an orphanage!
Edd How do you get drunk off of Smirnoff in 4 seconds!?
Tom(drunk) Idk ask the unicorn in the sky!
Edd (Sigh) I'm going home.
As Edd turns to leave, Tom comes to his senses.
Tom "Guys, hang on. What if we try a brute force attack? Like, really give it a good ol' college try?"
Edd (Sarcastically) âOh yes, because that's so much better than blowing up an orphanage.â
Tom (Ignoring the comment) âJust hear me out. We all know that safes have a maximum number of combination attempts before they lock us out. So, what if we just brute force it?âEdd But what brute force would... (Edd's eyes spark up with an idea, and a devious smile form's on his face)
Tom So... what's the idea?
Edd (Raises his eyebrows)
Tom I don't speak eyebrows?
Matt (Raises eyebrows)
Tom What!?
Edd (Overlapping Matt) THROW TOM!
Matt (Overlapping Edd) THROW TOM!
Tom Did I ever tell yall I HATE ALL OF YOU!As Matt and Edd start shoving Tom towards the safe, he starts resisting and shouting obscenities at them.
Tom (Yelling) "What the hell is wrong with you guys?! I'm not a goddamn battering ram!"
Matt (Laughing) "Oh come on, it'll be fine! What's the worst that could happen?"
Edd (Shoving Tom) "Just go with it, Tom. You'll thank us later."
Tom (Reluctantly) "Fine, but if I break anything, I'm suing you two.â(Edd and Matt lift Tom over their head and chuck him head first into the safe making a extremely loud smash)
Edd See Tom, that wasn't so bad!
Tom I think broke one of my hair bones
Matt Is it open?
Edd Nope. It's dented tho!Edd Still dented.
Matt Again-
(The gang hear police sirens)
Matt OH NO I'M TOO PRETTY TO GO TO JAIL!
(The police pull up and get out of the cop car with gun)
Cop 1 PUT YOUR HANDS UP!
(The entire gang puts their hands up with a ton of Matt's pictures falling out of his clothes)
(The police officers look confused as they witness the sight in front of them.*)
Officer 1 (Perplexed) âWhat the hell happened here?â
Matt (Innocently) âWe were just trying to break into a safe. No big deal.â Act 1 Scene 4 Int. Cop Car - Midnight
Tom (Drowsy) âWhy do my eyelids feel like heavy rocksâŚ?â
Matt (Looking confused) âHey, does anyone else smell pickles?â
Edd (Snickering) I knew I shouldn't have put on pickle deodorant!
Cop 1 (Driving) âQuiet, back there!â
Edd (Mumbling) Sorry Angry Mcgee!
Matt (Whisper) Pss, Edd!
Edd What?
Matt Get this! (Quickly throws a picture to Edd with his mouth)
Edd What is- Holy S**t I thought I lost this forever!
Camera pans down to show Edd, Matt, and Tom when they first moved in, including a old friend named Tord)*As the camera pans down to the picture, we see a glimpse of a time long ago. Three friends â Edd, Matt, and Tom â are laughing and smiling, with a fourth boy, Tord, standing beside them. They're holding balloons and standing in front of a house they recently moved into. Act 1 Scene 5
(Transition to) Jail - Cell - Midnight
Edd TOM! I'M DYING HELP ME!
Edd is dramatically lying on his back, holding an empty Cola can, pretending to have a heart attack. Meanwhile, Tom is sitting on a bunk bed and rolls his eyes.
Tom (Sarcastically) âOh, yes, because your Cola addiction is definitely the biggest concern here. Not us being thrown in jail overnight.â
Edd OH WOE IS ME!
Edd writhes around on the bed in despair, while Tom just sits there, clearly agitated by Edd's melodrama.
Tom "Edd, you've been going on about your cola running out for hours now. Can you give it a rest, please?"
Edd (Frantically) "You don't understand, Tom! My cola was my life! How am I supposed to survive here without it?"
Tom (Tired) "Perhaps you should try sleeping or something?âMatt Uh, guys why is there a dude in helicopter trying to shoot us with a bazooka?
Edd (Sarcastically) Well thats just great.
(The group is flung back as the cell window is blasted open)
The man with the bazooka comes through the smoke.
Paul Hello, uh sorry I don't know your names. The Red Leader only refers people as code names.
Tom The Red who?
Matt My name is the beautiful Matt-
Edd covers Matt's mouth
Edd Don't tell him your name idiot!
Paul My name is Paul.
Camera Pans to Matt
Matt Why are your eyebrows 20 feet tall?
Camera Pans back to Paul
Paul They aren't even that big are you blind!?
Camera Pans back to Matt
Matt suddenly wearing blind glasses
Matt Yes
Patryk Hi my name is Patryk-
Paul PATRYK YOUR FLYING THE HELICOPTER!
Patryk Oh.
We hear a Helicopter explosion from outside. Paul and Patryk look down from the exposed cell wall, showing the burning half-destroyed Helicopter.
Patryk Don't worry I'll fix those scratches!
Paul Whatever.
Edd So, are you here to save us?
Paul Nah, we're gonna capture you!
Edd Aw, Bugger
Paul pulls out a "Super cool taser gun" as the label on the taser gun says.
Tom Lame.
(Tom is shocked and knocked out by the taser gun)
(The group watches in shock as Tom goes down from the taser-gun.)
Matt (Panicking) "Oh no, Tom! Edd, do something!!"
Edd (In shock) "What can I do? There's two nut jobs with a taser gun and an assault rifle who are trying to capture us!"
Paul (Casually) "Don't worry, if you don't resist, you'll be safe. The Red Leader just wants you guys for a special project.â
Edd Whatever.
Edd blacks out
(Cut to) Helicopter - Backseat - Morning
Edd wakes up
Edd (Distraught) Ow my head hurts!
Tom (Confused) What happened?
Edd (Deep Voice) Hey Babe.
Tom (Angry) Wtf Edd!
Matt is making muffled sounds because of a mask on his face that says "Beware ugly fish monster behind mask." Edd takes the mask off of Matt.
Edd (Disturbed) EW, the mask was right!
Matt (Angry) Hey!
Paul So you finally woke up!
Matt Uh, yeah
Edd This reminds me of when I flew a Helicopter when I was in the Uk Army!
Paul (Confused) You were in the army!?
Matt We all were can't you tell just by looking at us!
Camera pans to show all of the three boys looking exaggeratedly more stupid than usual.
Paul No.
The three friends look at each other in annoyance, feeling belittled by Paul's remark. Tom speaks up.
Tom (Sarcastically) "Oh wow, thanks for the compliment. Nice to know we look like a bunch of army rejects."
Matt (Defensively) "Excuse me, we are actually highly trained and intelligent individuals... in our own special way.â
Tom (Sarcastically) At least two of us are!
Tom and Edd high-five. Matt not realizing that they are inferring that he's the stupid one, keeps a smile on his face
Edd (Amused) Wait didn't your Helicopter crash like a few hours ago?
Patryk (Proudly) This is my 857th Helicopter!
Edd's Amused face goes to worried.
Edd (Unsettled) âOh boy, this is going to be one bumpy rideâŚâ
Edd At least we're away from the HELI-COP-TER
Everyone looks at Edd because of the horrible pun.
Tom So, where are we going?
Paul To the "SUPER EVIL EDGY VILLAINOUS BASE!"
The camera zooms out of the Helicopter to show that the place is actually called "SUPER EVIL EDGY VILLAINOUS BASE!"
Edd Well that's just silly.
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2024.05.21 16:57 Shagrrotten The Greatest Car Chases in Movie History, Ranked
Taken from:
https://www.theringer.com/movies/2024/5/21/24161120/greatest-movie-car-chase-scenes-ranked-furiosa-mad-max-saga In honor of the imminent âFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga,â weâre shifting into high gear to determine the best chase scene in cinema history
By
Miles Surrey May 21, 2024, 6:30am EDTGetty Images/Ringer illustration
After wowing audiences with
Mad Max: Fury Road, director George Miller returns to the franchiseâs post-apocalyptic wastelands for
Furiosa, the epic origin story of the eponymous heroine (now played by Anya Taylor-Joy), premiering on Friday. As the follow-up to one of the greatest action films ever made, itâs hard to overstate the hype for
Furiosa, and that was
before word got out about a showstopping
15-minute sequence that required nearly 200 stuntpeople and took 78 days to shoot. While
Furiosa will have its own distinct flavor, as is true of every
Mad Max movie, thereâs one thing that unites these projects: intense, jaw-dropping scenes of vehicular mayhem. And what better way to honor the franchise than by celebrating what it does best?
Ahead of
Furiosaâs release, weâve put together our definitive ranking of the best car chases in cinema. There werenât any strict rules in place, other than capping the list at 20âmostly for my own sanityâand limiting every franchise to one entry. (Apologies to
Fury Roadâs kickass predecessor
The Road Warrior.) We also wonât discriminate against scenes that feature motorbikes, so long as cars (and/or trucks) remain part of the equation. As for what, exactly, constitutes a good car chase? Like list making, itâs bound to be subjective, but I tend to gravitate toward two key elements: the skill of the stuntwork on display and the ways in which a filmmaker conveys the action in relation to the story. (Also, the less CGI, the better.) Buckle up, âcause weâre not wasting any time shifting into high gear.
20. Quantum of Solace (2008)
There have been some memorable car chases in the
James Bond franchise: the
first sequence featuring the iconic Aston Martin DB5 in
Goldfinger, the
corkscrew jump in
The Man With the Golden Gun, the
Lotus Esprit submarine in
The Spy Who Loved Me. But Iâm going with a somewhat controversial pick here:
Quantum of Solace. There are many issues with
Quantum of Solaceânamely, it was one of the most high-profile blockbusters
affected by the 2007-08 writers strikeâbut its opening scene isnât one of them. Picking up right where
Casino Royale left off, we find Bond (Daniel Craig) evading henchmen through the narrow roads around Italyâs Lake Garda. The frenetic, furious chase mirrors Bondâs sense of anguish after losing Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), the woman he opened his heart to, and his relentless quest for answers. Itâs a thrilling tone-setter for
Quantum of Solace and one that doesnât overstay its welcome, capped off by Bond sending his final pursuers flying off a cliff:
If weâre being honest, though, it feels like
James Bond has yet to create a franchise-defining car chase. Perhaps thatâs a mission the newest 007, whoever it ends up being, can undertake.
19. Mission: ImpossibleâRogue Nation (2015)
The
Mission: Impossible franchise is no stranger to electrifying chase scenes, the best of which find
Tom Cruiseâs Ethan Hunt working up his heart rate. When it comes to action behind the wheel, though,
Fallout tends to dominate the discussionâeven on this
very website. But I think the vehicular chase in
Rogue Nation is being slept on. What we have is effectively two sequences for the price of one: The first finds Hunt pursuing Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) by car through the narrow streets of Casablanca alongside some nefarious henchmen; the second sees him continue the chase outside the city on motorbike. (Adding to the chaos: Hunt had only just been resuscitated, and heâs clearly not all there.) In terms of death-defying stunts for the audienceâs entertainment, a helmetless Cruise taking corners like a MotoGP racer is childâs play compared to his other exploits, but the actorâs authentic reaction to scraping his knee on the road underlines that thereâs no one else in Hollywood doing it like him:
Weâll be sure to update this ranking if and when Cruise does something even more dangerous down the road, pun unintended.
18. Vanishing Point (1971)
A movie that counts the likes of Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino among its biggest fans,
Vanishing Point is the first of a few entries on this ranking thatâs essentially one extended car chase. The film stars Barry Newman as Kowalski, a man tasked with delivering a Dodge Challenger T 440 Magnum from Colorado to California while eluding police across four states. One of Kowalskiâs most memorable run-ins comes when a guy driving a Jaguar E-Type convertible challenges him to an impromptu race. Incredibly, weâre expected to believe the man in the Jag comes out of
this crash in one piece:
Vanishing Point might not boast the impressive production values of other movies on this list, but considering Tarantino would go on to feature a white Challenger in
Death Proof, its influence in the car cinema canon is undeniable.
17. Fast Five (2011)
Letâs face it,
Fast & Furious has seen better days. Some believe the franchiseâs dip in quality coincided with the death of Paul Walker; others are dismayed by the pivot from street racing to absurd feats of superherodomâemphasis on the Dom. Perhaps itâs a bit of both, but the very best movie in the series,
Fast Five, manages to strike the perfect balance: Itâs a relatively grounded heist thriller that nevertheless takes the franchise to ridiculous new heights. After Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew steal $100 million from a Brazilian kingpin, they drag the entire bank vault holding the money through the streets of Rio de Janeiro, all while being pursued by authorities. Itâs a delightfully destructive sequence that does untold damage to Rioâs infrastructure and features some of the most bone-crunching crashes committed to film:
If the
Fast franchise is going to break out of its recent slump, it would do well to remember that thereâs nothing better than letting its heroes live their lives a quarter mile at a timeâno
detours to outer space required.
16. The Blues Brothers (1980)
A good car chase isnât reserved just for action flicks: Comedies can get in on the act, too. In
The Blues Brothers, starring the recurring
Saturday Night Live characters played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, the beloved bandmates must prevent the foreclosure of the orphanage where they were raised by scrounging together $5,000. Naturally, thatâs easier said than done: Along the way, the Blues Brothers draw the attention of neo-Nazis, a country-and-western band, and local police. While
The Blues Brothers has amusing gags and musical numbers, its chase sequences with the Brothers behind the wheel of a 1974 Dodge Monaco are what really steal the showâand none are better than a climactic pursuit across Chicago. More than
60 old police cars were used in the film, some of which are wrecked in a comically over-the-top pileup:
The sheer scale of
The Blues Brothersâ final set piece is commendable in and of itselfâas is the movieâs commitment to treating real-life cars like a bunch of Hot Wheels.
15. Baby Driver (2017)
For good and for ill, Edgar Wrightâs movies exude an abundance of style, and
Baby Driver is no exception.
Baby Driver is centered on a clever gimmick: The action works in tandem with its soundtrack because the filmâs protagonist, Baby (Ansel Elgort), suffers from tinnitus and constantly plays music to drown out the ringing. When everythingâs clicking into place,
Baby Driver feels like a supersized series of music videos, and nothing hits quite like its opening sequence. Baby acts as the getaway driver for a bank robbery while listening to the Jon Spencer Blues Explosionâs âBellbottoms.â The ensuing chase works around rhythms of the song, as if Babyâs
Subaru WRX were the star of its own dance number. Take nothing away from the actual driving, either, which puts the rally car to good use:
Baby Driverâs gimmick stretches a little thin by the end, but itâs hard to deny the crowd-pleasing power of Wrightâs film when itâs firing on all cylinders.
14. The Raid 2 (2014)
With a trio of kickass Indonesian martial arts films under his belt, Gareth Evans has established himself as one of the most exciting action directors on the planetâsomeone who seems most in his element staging positively brutal hand-to-hand combat. In
The Raid 2, however, Evans also brought his signature brand of carnage to the road. While thereâs some cleverly executed close-quarters fighting within the confines of an SUV, courtesy of Iko Uwaisâs hard-hitting protagonist, what really cements this sequenceâs greatness are the moments when Evans turns the cars into an extension of the charactersâ fists:
This belongs in an entirely new category of combat: car fights. There are so many action scenes in
The Raid 2 worth writing home aboutâthe
kitchen showdown is an all-timerâbut the fact that Evans casually tossed in an unforgettable car chase shows why heâs one of one.
13. The Driver (1978)
Iâll say this for Walter Hillâs
The Driver: It sure lives up to its title. In this stripped-down thrillerâone where none of the characters have a nameâwe follow the Driver (Ryan OâNeal), a getaway driver who has become a thorn in the side of the LAPD. In the filmâs best scene, we see its taciturn protagonist living up to his reputation. With the Driver behind the wheel of a 1974 Ford Galaxie, a cat-and-mouse game unfolds when a handful of police cars are hot on his tail. What I love about this sequence is the pared-down nature of it all: The Driver outwits the cops as much as he outraces them. (Though, ironically, that wasnât entirely by design: As
Hill later explained, an accident on the last night of shooting meant they had to cobble together what had already been filmed.) Frankly, youâd never know the difference from the finished article:
If the general vibes of
The Driver seem familiar, thatâs because it was a major inspiration for
Nicolas Winding Refnâs Drive, which just so happened to feature an unnamed protagonist (Ryan Gosling)
evading police through the streets of Los Angeles.
12. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
The shaky-cam style of the
Bourne franchise isnât for everyoneâjust ask
John Wooâbut credit where itâs due: These movies know how to deliver a good chase scene. (A friendly reminder that
The Bourne Legacy is an underrated gem with an
awesome motorbike sequence to boot.) But thereâs one
Bourne chase that stands above the rest: the Moscow getaway in
The Bourne Supremacy. After being wounded by the Russian assassin Kirill (Karl Urban), Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) hijacks a taxi, with both the police and Kirill in hot pursuit. This isnât the kind of sequence that lingers on any one shot; instead, what makes it work is the frenetic nature of the editing, which allows the viewer to feel like theyâre in Bourneâs fight-or-flight headspace:
If Iâm being honest, Iâm usually one of those people who doesnât like the Bourne moviesâ shaky-cam style, but when itâs executed with such craftsmanship, you canât help but get caught up in its adrenaline-pumping power.
11. The Seven-Ups (1973)
Philip DâAntoni was the producer of two movies featuring Hall of Fame car chases,
Bullitt and
The French Connection, the latter of which won him an Oscar for Best Picture. And with his lone directorial feature,
The Seven-Ups, DâAntoni sought to craft an iconic sequence of his own. The film stars Roy Scheider as NYPD detective Buddy Mannuci (
elite Italian American name; I can practically smell the gabagool), who commands a unit handling major felony cases that lead to seven-plus-year prison sentences; thatâs why theyâre known as the Seven-Ups. Midway through the movie, when one of the team members is killed by two shooters who flee the scene, Buddy chases after them. The 10-minute sequence, which starts in the Upper West Side before moving out of the city, is thrillingly immersive, alternating between close-ups of the characters and wider shots of all the damage theyâve caused. But the chaseâs defining moment comes right at the end, when Buddy narrowly avoids a grisly death:
The sequence isnât
quite at the level of
Bullitt or
The French Connectionâvery few areâbut DâAntoni still manages to leave an unmistakable imprint on the car chase canon.
10. Death Proof (2007)
If you ask Quentin Tarantino,
Death Proof, his knowingly trashy tribute to exploitation cinema, is the
worst movie heâs ever made. But that doesnât mean there isnât a lot to admire about the film, which honors the unsung heroes of Hollywood: stunt performers. The first half of
Death Proof follows three female friends who cross paths with Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), a misogynistic serial killer who takes them out in his âdeath-proofâ Chevy Nova. Fourteen months later, a group that includes stuntwoman ZoĂŤ Bell, playing herself, also lands on Mikeâs radar. As Bell and her friends test out a â70s Challenger, she performs a âshipâs mastâ stunt, clinging onto the hood of the car with fastening belts. Unfortunately, when Mike pursues the women, it puts Bell in a precarious situation. Most of the entries on this list celebrate some next-level driving skills, but
Death Proofâs inclusion is all about Bell pulling off one of the wildest stunts youâll ever see. Sheâs quite literally hanging on for dear life:
If the Academy handed out
Oscars to stunt performersâand letâs hope it does happen one dayâBell wouldâve won in a landslide.
9. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
William Friedkin was already responsible for an all-time great car chase in
The French Connection (more on that later), but the filmmaker made a commendable bid to outdo himself with
To Live and Die in L.A. In this neo-noir thriller, Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) is hell-bent on arresting an expert counterfeiter, Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), who kills Chanceâs partner days before his retirement. To capture Masters, Chance and his new partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow), attempt to steal $50,000 from a jewelry buyer for an undercover operation. The sting goes bad when the buyer, who is later revealed to be an undercover FBI agent, is killed and a group of gunmen goes after Chance and Vukovich. Itâs a clever inversion of the usual car chase formulaâthis time, itâs the lawmen running away from the criminals. The outside-the-box thinking extends to the filmâs most astonishing stretch, in which Chance evades the gunmen by
driving into oncoming traffic:
The fact that
Friedkin shot the chase at the end of filmingâin case anything disastrous happened to the actorsâunderscores just how risky the endeavor was. The pulse-pounding results speak for themselves.
8. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
The
Matrix sequels have never been held in high esteem, but Iâm ready to live my truth:
The Matrix Reloaded fucking rules. (If anyoneâs got a problem with this take, file your complaints with the Architect.) Whatâs more, the film happens to boast the finest action set piece of the franchise: the highway chase. After Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) free the Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim), a program capable of creating shortcuts within the Matrix, theyâre pursued by
the Twins (Neil and Adrian Rayment). Morpheus once warned that going on the freeway was âsuicide,â and it doesnât take long to see why: The chase draws the attention of several Agents, who repeatedly take over the bodies of other drivers on the road. The scene is the best of both worlds: Thereâs some incredible stuntwork on display, including when Moss weaves around on a Ducati, and CGI augments some feats of superhuman strength. But the most jaw-dropping aspect of the sequence is how it came together, as the production spent
$2.5 million to construct its own highway (!) on Californiaâs Alameda Island. If that werenât unique enough, Iâm pretty sure
Reloaded is also the only movie in existence in which a katana takes out an SUV:
The Matrix remains the Wachowskisâ masterpiece, but donât get it twisted: The filmmakers were still cooking with gas in the sequel.
7. Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
Size isnât everything, but for H. B. Halicki, who produced, wrote, directed, and starred in
Gone in 60 Seconds, itâs certainly part of the package. The indie action flick follows Maindrian Pace (Halicki), a Los Angeles insurance investigator who has a lucrative side hustle jacking high-end cars. The plot kicks into motion when a South American drug lord enlists Pace to nab 48 cars within five days in exchange for $400,000. Of course,
Gone in 60 Seconds is best known for what happens after Pace is caught stealing a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1, when he leads police on a chase that lasts a whopping 40 minutes. (More than 90 cars were destroyed in the process.) Halicki, for his part, did all the driving himself, including a spectacular jump off a makeshift ramp of crashed cars:
While Halicki wound up making a few more indies after
Gone in 60 Seconds, he
died in an accident on the set of its sequel. His legacy as a do-it-all daredevil, however, lives on.
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Long before James Cameron immersed himself in the world of Pandora, he was a pioneer of state-of-the-art visual effects. Case in point:
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is credited for having the
first CGI character in a blockbuster, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a killing machine composed of a futuristic liquid metal. But Cameron also understood that the CGI of that era shouldnât be the main attraction: It worked best as a complement to the practical effects, as seen in
Judgment Dayâs epic viaduct chase. When the T-1000 tracks down a young John Connor (Edward Furlong) in a shopping mall, heâs saved at the last minute by the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), giving John a chance to escape on his dirt bike. As the T-1000 gives chase, the David and Goliath vibes between man and machine are further epitomized by the T-1000âs commandeering of a truck. The sequence already has a terrifying sense of urgency, but it hits another level when the T-1000 crashes through the viaduct like the Kool-Aid Man:
Big Jim is still revolutionizing what can be achieved with visual effects in the
Avatar franchise, and while I cherish those movies, nothing beats his old-school showmanship.
5. Duel (1971)
The feature-length debut of Steven Spielbergâperhaps youâve heard of himâthe TV movie
Duel is essentially one extended chase sequence between salesman David Mann (Dennis Weaver) and a sinister trucker determined to drive him off the road. Iâve attached a clip from the ending of the film, but that doesnât do
Duel justice. What cements this movieâs greatness is how it sustains an unbearable level of tension across its 90-minute running timeâwith a budget under $500,000, no less. Spielbergâs masterstroke is never once showing us the other driver, anthropomorphizing the truck itself as a monster. (You can see a lot of similarities with how he would build suspense in
Jaws.) When Mann finally gets the upper hand, tricking his adversary into driving off a cliff, it feels like you can breathe again:
Spielberg would move on to bigger and better things after
Duel, but considering how much the director accomplished with so little, you canât help but wonder what else he could conjure up with limited resources.
4. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Like
Duel,
Fury Road is basically one long car chaseâthe difference is Miller got to work with a blockbuster budget, and made every cent of it count. Itâs hard to pick a single standout sequence in
Fury Road, but if I had to choose, Iâd go with the first attack on the War Rig after Furiosa (Charlize Theron) flees with the wives of Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Hereâs why: Think back to when you saw
Fury Road for the first time, before you fully grasped the vehicular carnage that was in store. And then stuff like
this kept happening:
To quote
Steven Soderberghâs thoughts on
Fury Road: âI donât understand how theyâre not still shooting that film and I donât understand how hundreds of people arenât dead.â Whether or not Miller manages to one-up the action in
Furiosa, the director is already in the pantheon.
3. The French Connection (1971)
We return to the Friedkin-verse for what may be his best film,
The French Connection, the crime thriller based on Robin Mooreâs 1969 nonfiction book of the same name. The story concerns two NYPD detectives, Jimmy âPopeyeâ Doyle (Gene Hackman) and Buddy âCloudyâ Russo (Roy Scheider), and their tireless pursuit of a French heroin smuggler. But while thereâs plenty to admire about how
The French Connection illustrates the thin line between police and criminals, its greatest claim to fame is its car chase. After Popeye narrowly survives a sniper attack, he goes after the shooter, who escapes on an elevated train. The ensuing sequence is true daredevil filmmaking that
Friedkin shot without permits, leading to real crashes with New Yorkers that made the final cut. But Friedkinâs finest touch was mounting a camera to the front of the car, making the audience feel like theyâre part of the action:
My
Ringer colleague Justin Sayles believes
The French Connectionâs chase shouldâve landed at no. 1, and Iâm sure many folks will agree with him. Being the only film on this list to win Best Picture, however, is a solid consolation prize.
2. Bullitt (1968)
When it comes to modern car chases, all roads lead back to
Bullitt. A Dad Cinema classic, the film stars Steve McQueen as Frank Bullitt, a San Francisco detective who pursues a group of mobsters after a key witness is killed in protective custody. In his search for answers, Bullitt realizes heâs being tailed by a couple of hitmen, and then turns the tables on them. From there, the chase is on. Aside from McQueen doing most of his own stunts behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback, whatâs so impressive about the sequence is how timeless it is. Even the little imperfections, like hubcaps repeatedly coming off the wheels, work to the filmâs advantage, stressing just how much these drivers are living on a razorâs edge. Itâs been more than 50 years since
Bullitt revolutionized the car chase, and yet few movies since have felt like theyâre pushing the envelope to such an exhilarating degree:
That the car driven by McQueen was recently
sold at auction for $3.74 million, a then-record price for a Mustang, underlines
Bullittâs enduring legacy.
1. Ronin (1998)
âIf Iâm going to do a car chase,â filmmaker John Frankenheimer said in an
interview with the American Society of Cinematographers, âIâm going to do a car chase thatâs going to make somebody think about whether or not they want to do another one!â Boy, did he ever. In Frankenheimerâs late-career masterpiece,
Ronin, the director actually incorporated
several chases, but itâs the climactic sequence that stands alone as the greatest ever filmed. The movie concerns an international group of mercenaries who are hired to steal a mysterious briefcase; a series of double-crosses and double-bluffs ensue. But for the final chase, all you need to know is that Sam (Robert De Niro), a mercenary with ties to the CIA, is in pursuit of Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), an IRA operative in possession of the case. Winding through the streets and tunnels of Paris, whatâs most striking is just how fluid it all feels. Youâre completely engrossed in the chaseâs forward momentum, captured from every conceivable angle; a symphony of controlled chaos. The driving styles even reflect the characters: Deirdre is reckless and impulsive, while Sam remains calm and controlled.
There are many worthy car chases in this ranking, but in my view,
Ronin takes pole position. And while I canât imagine a movie ever topping what Frankenheimer achieved, Iâd love nothing more than to be proved wrong.
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2024.05.21 16:55 CDown01 Eagles Peak Pt.7
Previous Part âI knew it, I knew heâd pull something like that!â
Was the only thought running through my head as I watched Keith get forced into the truck outside. I was scared for Keith and I was angry, that kind of anger you feel in the pit of your stomach. Not at Keith though, my fury was directed at myself for freezing again. I just sat in the window and watched him get taken. Headache or not I shouldâve done something, anything! Instead I just sat there and watched, powerless as always. My first instinct was to go running back home, maybe Frank and Stein could help somehow. Imagine my surprise when I walked in the door and they were looking for me. Well maybe I wasnât to surprised, I hadnât told them I didnât plan on coming back home when I left yesterday.
âBianca! We were just going to come looking for you, Keith had this idea and⌠are you alright?â
Frank asked, concern covering his face like a shadow. I mustâve looked like a mess, and the hot wet feeling on my face told me Iâd started crying at some point on my way over as well.
âAre you ok? Did something happen?â
Frank repeated in his best fatherly voice. I could barley stammer out the words.
âKeith⌠gone⌠they took him.â
My babbling was enough though, realization shown on both their faces. Stein said something to Frank that I couldnât hear then they nodded to each other.
âHe was almost spot on with the timing. Well we best start getting around to do our part then.â
Stein said in his usual uncaring and mildly haughty manner. I donât know why but it really boiled my blood this time. Keith was gone and heâs just moving on with things?
âDoes no-one care about what just happened?! We agreed to look out for him and what did we do? Nothing!â
I screamed at no-one in particular. Those two just gave me a look like I was a misbehaving child.
âWeâve done what we could Bianca, besides Keith is the one who suggested what weâre about to do next.â
Frank stated, in an even and calm tone that made me stop and realize how ridiculous I was acting. Freaking out wouldnât get us anywhere, even though I really wanted to. So I took a deep breath and stepped back for a second to collect myself.I hated to admit it but in a way their cold, calculating, order of operations approach would probably help here. Those two would never crack under pressure like me. While they didnât talk about it, Iâm sure theyâd seen far worse working with the government.
Stein was rushing around looking for car keys when I came back into the kitchen. Frank however, stopped what he was doing to come over to me. I held up my hand to stop him when he opened his mouth to say something.
âNo, you donât have to try and convince me, Iâll come with you. What was Keithâs plan anyways? What did he put you guys up to?â
I asked, much calmer than before but still a little on edge. I couldnât help but to feel at least a little responsible for what happened to Keith. I know it wasnât my fault but I came with him for a reason. As much fun as last night had been I wasnât taking it seriously. I shouldâve stayed up to watch for Shaoni, maybe looked around for something she left when she was there before. Regardless, I had to be better next time.
âKeith thought that maybe someone from the reservation a little while outside town may have heard legends about Shaoni. Sheâs the Thunderbird, thatâs an important figure in their stories and legends. Being so close to where she had been sleeping for years he thought there might be a connection. So he asked us to go out and ask around.â
Stein answered me before Frank had a chance to, walking into the room and tossing a jacket my way.
âAnd put this on, its cold out there.â
It was actually funny how often Stein tried to care and actually came off as so much colder. Almost like he was doing it because he had to, not because he actually cared about me.
âDonât mind him, heâs just stressed with everything going on lately.â
Frank explained, trying to comfort me. He was right of course, but it didnât change the fact that it still rubbed me the wrong way.
Ten minutes later I was in the car headed out toward the reservation. It wasnât a very eventful ride and the pine trees didnât make for great scenery, Iâd seen it all before anyways. Frank and Stein were quiet the whole time and we couldnât find Rocco before we left. Part of me wondered where he was and part of me didnât want to know. This gave my mind time to wander and I found myself thinking my life before meeting Frank and Stein. It was weird, I usually tried not to think about it at all but something had brought those memories roaring back. Probably due to Keith asking about it the other day. No-one ever seemed to care about that, my past that is. Every now and then Iâd get bored and wander around town. Someone might come up to me and talk but not like Keith did. The only real questions they asked were usually something along the lines of âWhatâre you doing tonight?â And other variations of that. They were usually looking for something I had no interest in. Sometimes it wasnât entirely their choice to talk to me. Iâd just use my powers simply to have a conversation with someone. Keith actually cared about me though, at least I think so.
A loud honk broke me out of my trance, we had arrived on the reservation. The improvised trailer park weâd arrived in wasnât much to look at. A dog or two ran around the cluttered ground, free from any sort of leash. An older car missing most of the front end sat raised on a few blocks of concrete. The trailers themselves were run down and rusted. Despite the sorry sight of the place three men sat around a fire, laughing and generally having a great time. The trio looked up as we walked over, recognition passing over their faces. We mustâve looked out of place here in our shiny SUV and Frank and Steinâs three piece suits. Those two were always overdressed when they went out. The only place they fit in was the lab and they seemed more than fine with that.
âStein! Is that you?â
Exclaimed the man on the left, standing to meet us. He looked happy to see Stein, though I had never seen the guy before in my life. Which meant he mustâve been a friend from before I knew Stein.
âMy friend! How have you been? Have you had any difficulties with your⌠condition.â
Stein replied, cutting his eyes at the other two men like he didnât trust them.
âThey know old friend, no need to beat around the bush here.â
He had to have some supernatural abilities, thatâs the only way Stein knew anyone. The question was, what was he?
The manâs name was Sam, Frank told me as we joined the men at the fire. I asked him for more, like what he meant by condition but he wouldnât budge. Condition usually meant supernatural but a lot of them just looked like normal people. Iâm sure everyone has some picture of a succubus in their head and Iâm⌠not that. So I couldnât even begin to guess at what Samâs âconditionâ was.
âSo what brings you out here Stein? I hate to say it, but I never expected to see you again.â
Sam said, trying to be as friendly as possible while ultimately telling Stein he didnât really want him here. He didnât feel nervous, that much I sensed for sure. No, it was fear that drove him to try and push Stein away, but what did he have to be afraid of?
âI assure you Iâll be gone before I overstay my welcome. I just have a few questions Iâd like answers to. Itâs entirely possible that you know nothing as well, in which case Iâll be gone even sooner. But you wouldnât lie to me just to see me gone, now would you?â
Stein almost threatened, some of the friendliness slipping out of his voice. There was more going on here than what I could see or even sense. Iâve got a really good sense of what people are feeling at any given time but the context of those feelings can get lost on me. Sam was feeling fear, way too much fear for the situation. Maybe he knew what Stein was going to ask but I couldnât tell for sure. I looked to the two scientists, cutting my eyes from Frank to Stein trying to see if they wanted me to step in and calm them down.
âStein⌠I canât⌠if she knew I talked to you sheâd come here. The things Iâve done⌠what you helped me stop doing. She wouldnât see it that way if she came here⌠she wouldâŚâ
Sam blubbered out, completely losing his composure before Stein raised a hand and cut him off.
âShe? You mean Shaoni, weâre aware of whatâs going on. We still do have some questions about her though, ones I hope you have answers to.â
At the mention of her name all three men shot up, so I stepped forward. Frank protested but he was to slow to stop me. Itâs difficult to describe how I can make people do what I want, these days I just kind of will it to happen and it does. I can force an emotion, or a feeling onto someone else by imagining it myself and projecting it onto them. Frank and Stein think it has something to do with pheromones my body produces. These pheromones can induce certain emotions or feelings if I want them too. In this case I wanted these men to feel tired, cooperative, compliant, and thatâs just what they became. Just as soon as they tried to stand they buckled to their knees. I was pushing a little to hard so I eased up a bit, I didnât want to just put them to sleep or something. Sam got back to his feet and sat down in his chair as the others did the same.
âIâd like to know about Shaoni, The full story, as much as you know.â
I commanded more than asked Sam as he just nodded towards me, a vacant look in his eyes.
âWhere should I start exactly little lady?â
Sam asked me, his tone a mix of nervous and compliant.
âI want to know what you know about her, all of it, then weâll go.â
I answered, trying to ignore the looks Frank and Stein were giving me. They knew I was taking a risk, he didnât want to share what he knew so I was forcing it out of him. He wanted to tell me now but it wasnât really âhimâ. I was in his head, and while he wasnât going to fight me on anything now, I was sure a part of him was screaming deep down. Fighting desperately to keep his mouth shut to avoid the consequences of telling me anything. I tried not to think about what I was doing to him as Sam began his story.
âWell to start her name wasnât always Shaoni, Itâs hard to keep one name when youâve lived as long as her. Her name meant âStormcallerâ as near as it translates to your language. She was an elder in a long forgotten tribe in what you know as Canada today. She was renowned for her ability to over see trials and solve debates among her people, always able to set right apart from wrong. The exact name and place of her tribe have been lost to the ages but I do know that it was wiped out. As the story goes the tribe met its end at the hands of âexplorersâ, all save for Stormcaller were killed. She fled far into the forests and eventually stumbled upon four spirits, the original Thunderbirds. At this time they were still great spirits, created by Nanabozho. Those spirits took pity on Stormcaller, allowing her to live with them in the four corners of the world. With them she learned many things, how to fight, how to think as only a spirit can, and most of all she sharpened her already formidable sense of justice. That need to see justice done, and the proper sense to see what was right from what was wrong is what lead the chief of the Thunderbird spirits to bind itself to her, giving her the powers sheâs said to have today, letting her exist as spirit and man made one.
The other Thunderbird spirits eventually followed this example, choosing representatives of their own, each representing an Ideal: Courage, so that our people would never falter in the face of adversity. Solidarity, so that, divided as they may be at times our people were one at heart. Duty, so that our people would never forget their place in the world and the customs and traditions we upheld. Finally there was Justice to lead them all, so that no wrong would be left to stand, and so that one among the ideals would keep the rest in check. These four formed a council that watched over our people for many years.
As imperialism grew in the world and more crimes were committed against their people this council became more and more warlike. Often Stormcaller, now simply known as Justice spearheaded these actions. She sought to right the wrongs committed against her people and hold all responsible accountable for their actions. In accordance with her duties as the embodiment of justice for our people. This war of hers would prove to be her downfall, every day her sense of justice became more absolute, more black and white. She stopped consulting the council to help guide her decisions, believing she and she alone knew what was best for her people and fellow ideals. One thing that changed when the Thunderbird spirits bound themselves was their immutability. As a spirt nothing could harm them, they were eternal, they were and always would be. But once they had become one with a man they could be ended, They would live forever but manâs mortality meant they could be killed unlike before. Something Justice would learn for herself in time.
As her warlike nature grew, Justice began to involve the ideals in open conflict with those who sought to take their peoples land and desecrate their way of life. Eventually Solidarity fell in battle, and those who saw him fall learned of the greater forces at play. These people sought to learn the truth of the power the had seen from Solidarity and doubled their intrusions into sacred land, searching for answers. Suddenly the hunters had become the hunted, perhaps if Justice had not clung so tightly to her convictions everything wouldâve ended differently. Instead Justice doubled down on her pursuit to right every wrong she could lay her eyes upon, spurred on by the death of Solidarity. Eventually Courage fell and so to did Duty, only hardening Justiceâs resolve. It was only when she revealed herself to her people one day and they fled from her, afraid of what she would do. Afraid that they to had committed some wrong that she sought to right in her own violent way. This reception forced Justice to realize what she had allowed herself to become. Justice had become Vengeance, lost in anger for wrongs she could never hope to right she had lost herself, becoming something else entirely.
She shed her name, her duties, her people and disappeared into the world. Watching what would come for her people broke her. She had lost what she sought to guide and guard, let the people the Thunderbird spirits sought to protect so long ago fall to ruin. Her need to see justice done never left her, but what was once a raging inferno became nothing more than a spark. If she came across one that had escaped justice, hidden their tracks or found a way out she would know. She would right the smaller wrongs of the world in her own way, stoking what remained of the flame within and finding her own purpose in the world. Eventually she would take on a new name, Shaoni, why I do not know but it is what she choose. Her sense of justice was still absolute, she saw no shades of grey just right and wrong. But the scale of her judgment was reduced, no longer would she try and right every wrong the world had to offer but only those she could reach. The world is a dark place though, and sometimes a lesser evil can ease pain. Shaoni didnât see lesser evil as something she could abide and so her judgements often left more pain in their place. She grew weary of her pursuit once again, seeing how little she had changed and how much pain she had brought. She chose to settle down and remove herself from the world. Shaoni would never be able to die, not from the passing of time. She could remove herself from the equation in a cave not to far from where we stand now.â
Samâs story hurt to listen too, in some ways it only seemed like Shaoni did what she thought was right. Yet time and time again she failed to see shades of grey, and that cost her everything. It made me think of who I was years ago in a way, not that I was some all powerful spirit thing like her but still. What would Shaoni think of the person I was? How would she judge me for my actions before I meet Frank and Stein? I certainly wasnât a saint, but did that mean I couldnât be better? I shook my head, now wasnât the time to think of things like that. I stopped forcing Sam to answer my question, leaving him to his own devices. There was always some lingering effects after I⌠did my thing. Iâm not sure how exactly it felt for them but I donât imagine it was pleasant. Realizing you werenât really in control of yourself has a way of causing issues for a person. Sam seemed to be shaking it off pretty well though, Iâd seen worse things happen after Iâd finished with someone, like Keith losing hours of time sitting in the kitchen. Playing with emotions can cause stress in the brain, especially since Iâm forcing an emotion or feeling on them. More than once Iâd seen someone left with uncontrollable swings in mood or a complete lack of emotion or feeling of any sort because of me. I hopped that wasnât going to happen again here.
âBianca what was that!â
Frank complained, finally breaking free of the spell the situation had cast over him. He ran over to the other two men that hadnât gotten up from their chairs like Sam. Worry crashed over me like a wave as I realized why Frank sounded so concerned. One of the men was seizing on the ground, his body shaking violently as spasms coursed through him, had I done that? Sam was in a blissfully ignorant sate, he just sat in his chair watching the fire, unaware of what was happening to his friend. Frank and Stein leapt into action, holding the seizing man on the ground. Stein pulled off his belt and placed it in the mans mouth, trying to keep him from biting himself. My eyes were fixed on the third man who lay motionless on the ground. I took small steady steps toward him, hoping against hope that I could find a pulse. As I got closer I realized his chest was rising and falling. He was alive but who knew what he was going through right now. I felt distant, Frank was yelling something at me but I didnât catch a word. I had to do it right? I had to make them tell us what they knew, it could help Keith right?
âWhat did you do to them?â
Sam asked me, apparently free of the aftereffects of my influence. I snapped my head to the side and watched him take a threatening step towards me. I backed away, afraid he might do something rash. I shouldnât have done that, Stein couldâve convinced them on his own.
âWhat did you do to them? Whatâs wrong with them?â
Sam asked again, his voice growing more desperate. Stein picked that moment to appear at my side.
âSam theyâll be ok just give them a minute. She didnât mean to hurt you or your friends, just let it go. Iâm helping her the same way I helped you, sheâs not always in control.â
Sam softened a little bit at that but he was still wary of me. What Stein said was a lie, I had control of my abilities most of the time these days but Sam didnât know that. Frank walked over to where we were standing with a relieved look on his face.
âTheyâll be alright, they just need rest. What about you, are you feeling alright Sam?â
Frank asked, nodding towards him. Sam didnât answer but it was plain to see he was doing far better than his friends.
âIâd like you all to leave.â
Sam ordered, putting his metaphorical foot down. Whatever favor he owed Stein didnât matter anymore, he wanted us out. People were beginning to come out of some of the other trailers, gawking at the scene in front of them. As the three of us were leaving Sam said one more thing,
âStein, this makes us even.â
He growled in an even but angry tone. You could just tell he was staring daggers at us the whole way back to the SUV. I turned back for a moment and I couldâve sworn his skin was wriggling and changing. Like he was just barley holding back something. What concerned me even more was what he felt, not anger or worry, but fear.
The ride back was less than pleasant. You know that feeling when youâve done something wrong but no one really wants to address it yet? Yeah, thatâs what was going on here, the air was practically electric.
âWe needed him to talkâŚâ
Stein cut me off immediately, shouting,
âSometimes you donât need to help! Look⌠I know you meant well but you can hurt people with that power of yours. Iâve never seen it that bad before but then again youâve never done it to a group of people that long. Who knows what longterm consequences it might have. Just⌠be more careful in the future.â
Stein wasnât as angry as he tried to appear, part off him was even relived, maybe because I had been the one to handle the situation instead of him.
âI know, I know its just⌠Keith is stuck out there at that mine with her, I couldnât leave with nothing.â
I agreed, He was right, it was a risk but how could I have just let it be? No-one else was going to look out for him so that fell on us now. As much as I hated having to force things out of people I was good at it, really good. Despite how I felt about what I could do to people that was the easiest way to get Sam to speak back there.
âWhere did this whole drive to help Keith come from anyways? A few days ago you talk him into watching the house and throw some money,
our money, at him for the trouble. Iâve seen you do that a few times before with others so you could come with us when we went to stock up on things. Regardless of our misgivings surrounding your methods. So it didnât go that well this time and he found out about you and us. Something like that was bound to happen eventually. What I canât picture is why you go out of your way to help him. I donât personally have any issue with you jumping to his defense. Its not too hard to understand why someone would, considering his situation. But for you, well it seems out of character for you.â
Frank chimed in with a question of his own. Iâm sure he didnât mean anything by it hurt to see him so surprised that Iâd consider helping another person.
I never answered Frankâs question, I thought about it a lot the rest of the way back though. Why was I so intent on helping Keith? All my life Iâd done things just to survive, even when I was really young I had to find a way to get by on my own. Sure I had my mother but she had her hands full with her own life. She didnât have much after my father left and did everything she could to make ends meet. I just tried to stay out of her way and help where I could. I never complained when she forgot to make dinner, or when there just wasnât food around the house. Iâd just go without or take what I needed from someone else. Even back then I knew it was wrong but I always had looks on my side. Combine that with pity and not a lot of people would say no to the cute hungry kid. After Brooke, I only had myself and I just kept doing what I needed to. This was different though, I didnât have to help Keith but I wanted to help him all the same. I didnât get around town much and I always felt like I just existed around Frank and Stein. With Keith I wasnât just this thing lying around the house, I was a person, a friend even. That was it, the first time it really clicked for me, Keith was my friend, not because I had wanted him to be or because I made him think he was. No, he was actually there for me and it was all his choice. I didnât have to puppet him around myself, he actually wanted to be there. I didnât have to wonder if it was just me and everything I could do pulling him in. For the first time in years someone had actually cared enough to ask about me, Frank and Stein never really did because they knew how much it hurt. Keith didnât know how much it hurt to talk about but still. I needed to actually talk about all that happened to me with someone who listened for real.
Coming to that realization only made me want to do something stupid. Like run up to that mine and try to get Keith out of there myself. But thatâs exactly what it was, stupid. If we wanted to get Keith back weâd need something better than just me. Weâd need a real plan, one Iâd just started thinking of. There was something else eating at me to. Keith had offered to take some burden from Shaoni back in Imalone, I had an idea what it might be and it scared me. If I was right well, Keith was in more danger than we all thought.
When we pulled back into the driveway Tuck was waiting at the door.
âWhereâve Yâall been?! I been lookinâ for ya damn near all afternoon! Someinâ happened oâre at Keithâs place, Heâs gone. I cainât find that âlab assistantâ of yours neither.â
Tuck said hurriedly, his southern accent that he usually tried to hide seeping out into his words.
âWe know, it was those trials he told us about. I presume he told you as well then?â
Stein informed him as he got out of the car and marched towards the door, barely making eye contact. Stein had an idea, I could read it all over him. He got this way when he was away from home and wanted too test something, once he was back there was no standing between him and his lab.
âYeah, the kid told me something like that. Would explain where all those people were goinâ to. Couple of the regulars in town, ones I know look up to that damn bird, left this morning headinâ towards the old mines.â
Tuck spoke to no one in particular, nodding to himself as if to check off the fact that Keith disappearing and people leaving town were two related things.
âWhy donât you come in then, you might be able to help out with the situation. We just learned a few things about this⌠âdamn birdâ of yours. I really wouldâve appreciated if you told us about that years ago. Perhaps youâd like to tell us what you know of the Thunderbird in the lab?â
Stein ordered rather than asked, pointing to the door for no more than a moment before continuing on his march to the basement. Frank and I filed in after them but I didnât join them in the lab.
I looked around the house for Rocco but couldnât find a trace. It wasnât like him not to leave some trail of destruction in his wake. Well hidden or not, we usually found evidence of whatever he was up to but this time there was nothing. I had no clue where heâd gotten off to, maybe I was better off not knowing. After I gave up I joined the others in the basement, to their surprise I actually had decided to make an appearance. Frank and Stein were a little rattled at first but soon went back to their work. Tuck just beamed at me proudly, like he knew something I didnât. We set about comparing notes on Shaoni, and separating fact from fiction based on Frank and Steinâs many years working with the supernatural. It was⌠nice, in a family bonding kind of way. Keith had brought us all together, gave these scientist a new problem to solve. Gave Tuck a chance for some kind of justice for the friends heâd lost in the mine collapse all those years ago. For me, heâd brought me together with the family Iâd fallen in with. Strange as they were, this was my family, or at least the closest thing I had to it. I had to help, not just for Keith but for them. Iâd been a burden, scared to go outside, hateful of what I could do despite using it to make life easier for myself. Worst of all Iâd been stuck in my own head, Iâd gone through awful things, done awful things, used my body and my charm to get through life. Iâd been every bit as evil as Brooke had been to me. I did everything heâd done to me to others, only it was so much easier for me to do it. I hate myself for it, maybe I always would, but I couldnât let that stop me now. I had to set all that aside and be there for the people in my life, I had to be a person again, not just hope everyone would treat me like one.
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CDown01 to
AllureStories [link] [comments]
2024.05.21 16:18 FantasticAd129 Latest Discogs haul
| 50⏠total including shipping from Austria to Belgium, not too bad. - (International) Noise Conspiracy, The - 2001 - The Reproduction of Death [maxi single]
- Amos, Tori - 2004 - Welcome to Sunny Florida [CD+DVD]
- Anathema - 2008 - Hindsight
- Anathema - 2011 - Falling Deeper
- Bambi Molesters, The - 2001 - Sonic Bullets, 13 from the Hip
- Beta Minus Mechanic - 1996 - â69 Camaro [EP]
- Esquivel, His Piano and His Orchestra - 1962 - More of Other Worlds, Other Sounds [1995 reissue]
- Waltari - 1997 - Space Avenue
- White Zombie - 1992 - La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol.1
- V.A. - 1988 - Nettwerk Sound Sampler Volume Two (A Food For Thought)
- V.A. - 1996 - Ultra-Lounge Vol.7 - The Crime Scene (Spies, Thighs & Private Eyes)
- V.A. - 1996 - Ultra-Lounge Vol.8 - Cocktail Capers (Mondo Space-Age Bachelor Pad A-Go-Go!)
- V.A. - 1998 - Disturbing Behavior - Music from the Motion Picture
- V.A. - 2000 - Battle of the Year 2000 - The Soundtrack
submitted by FantasticAd129 to Cd_collectors [link] [comments] |
2024.05.21 15:25 utopian_potential DFV Meme'd us his story: here is my interpretation of it - Pt 5/7
| Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Meme 73: Oceans Crime crew return. Discussing the names of the heist. The hedgies are trying to pin this mess on one person. Meme 74: But you can't pin it on a meme maker... Meme 75: And its not just DFV anymore. There are lots of us. Meme 76: I interpret this as the smear campaign intensfies. They messing with Kitty. Meme 77: Bossmoon night sequence. Kitty is feeling untouchable? Meme 78: Could simply be a reference to the Wu Tang part of the timeline. That really went off around here.. Or it could be a hint that he is the Hooded Man?? Meme 79: Han Solo (GameStop) flying into an Asteroid field. THEY ARE GOING BANKRUPT - screams the media. Never tell me the odds. Meme 79: GameStop logo at the start is facing down. When the character returns its facing up. Gamestop is completing its turnaround. Approaching profitability.. Meme 80: Gamestop is the Agency? They are warned of another short attack.. The Agent \"kitty\" gets a message from the Agency \"gamestop\". Hold position and be ready... Meme 81: This is where I think GameStop, Or RC, tell Kitty they want him again.. But to do more than just trollpost this time... Meme 82: Gamestop turnaround starting to turn heads.. Meme 83: Kitty, the prisoner, has something to say... \"GAAAAAAMMMMEEESSTTTTTTTOOOOPPPP\" Meme 84: I believe kitty gets offered a job. Maybe as social media memelord. Maybe on the board, hence why we had to defeat the board proposal... Either way, Kitty is clearly here talking to RC... Meme 85: So kitty has a new job. And he is going to \"Make bears his victim\" Meme 86: Simple, elegent reminder that the squeeze aint squoze. And the first one is some peoples favourite thing.. But the next one will be better... MOASS. Meme 87: Mr Robot - is playing a game. Where he decides that he is going to stay with his friends as they \"head into a new world\" Meme 88: Because we have subreddits, an awesome picture on place, DD out our ears, a back up for it, a back up for the back up... Meme 89: Is all about us. We are really good at paper work. reading through all the lengthy filings and rule changes, making submissions. We have enthusiasm and team spirit. We are individuals, divers and talented, All People Equal APE's, who happen to like the same stock.. Meme 90: So, They formulate a plan. Summerised above. Just up. Meme 91: Starts with an Agent from the Movie \"the Kingsmen\" Locking the door preparing to fight. Then it cuts to this scene, where the odds are stacked against us. But, one big anime breath and we unleash. Kitty is in. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 submitted by utopian_potential to Superstonk [link] [comments] |
2024.05.21 14:42 Professional-Map-762 Let's Analyze the Inmendham vs Vegan Gains Debate: whether Value-realism is True (How 2 best argue defending it, going forward?)
How can we stop going around in circles with these corrupted nihilists? (basically an extreme religious-nut but in reverse; no meaning, no value, no good/bad, nothing matters) I've compiled some of my thoughts/comments.
But first If you are not caught up yet: 1 Re: Vegan Gains ...The Militant Vegan Raffaela Interview - (May 12, 2024) 2 Vegan Gains is a sub-Jerkivest [5/11/24] 3 Moral Realism Debate w/ Inmendham - (May 16, 2024) 4 WTF #899: The vegan gains debate ... Value realism - (May 19, 2024)
5 Vegan Gains ...Denialism is the only nihilism [5/19/24]
also saw this Controversial Topics with Vegan Gains (Horse Riding, Bivalves, Depression, and much more!) - (May 11, 2024) â â â â â â â â
(he thinks in terms of some dogmatic religious brain-rot morality source of right/wrong, but a kind of reversed/opposite conclusion of it's absence, nihilism) the very reason religion was invented in the first place was because humans by nature had a value-engine driving them & NEED for meaning, that's the irony. value gave rise to religion, religion never needed to grant value. The fact people can't grasp this. 𤌠â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
Now onto the various arguments, sorry how long and out of order it is But the idea is to provoke you coming up with better ideas/arguments, and if you can critic and strenghen my and ultimately inmendham's arguments. The GOAL should be to Create a formal argument AKA a syllogism, modus ponens. Something clear and concise that can't be taken out of context or misinterpreted, as happened with the debate...
On the subject of Efilism, tread lightly, the philosophy and argument extends beyond merely focusing on suffering; it also includes the critical issue of consent violation. Its proponent and creator, Inmendham, argues for value realism, which contrasts starkly with the notion of subjective morality which I find illogical. While objective morality is full of baggage... often linked to outdated religious doctrine so on face value it's not fun or easy subject to broach... many contemporary non-religious ethicists ground it in realism. Personally me, inmendham and others see no use for the term "morality" as it's tainted. value-realism is the subject. Is it a value-laden universe or not?
it is not necessary to call TRUE/REAL right or wrong Objective, because if objective is defined as mind-independent than without minds there's nothing right/wrong to happen to, therefore THE discussion should be just regarding what is TRUE or NOT, subjective doesn't necessarily mean mere contrived opinion or preference but can be logical conclusion, e.g. you can conclude 2 + 2 = 4 as we understand these concepts of numbers to model reality but can you call it objective or mind-independent 2 + 2 = 4, or that math exists? Not really. As you require a modeler to model reality, an observer to make the observation, a mind to come to such accurate conclusions. To me, claiming there is no real right or wrong is akin to asserting that moral standards and ultimately the subject of Ethics is as fictitious as religion or Santa Claus, you just believe it cause you want to or have preference to. Why maintain this pretense if it's all a mere fabrication / contrivance?
Regarding subjective judgments such as determining "What's the tastiest potato chip or the most beautiful painting?", these are not factual assessments about the things themselves, The question itself is misleading, because the thing itself has none of those qualities objectively, Instead, such qualities are OUTPUTs generated by the interaction of our bodies and minds with these INPUT items, the input is quite arbitrary/irrelevant, unlike the highly meaningful & distinct output generated of positive or negative experiences. You might get off more on certain female body part than another, it doesn't matter, the output positives & negatives is more or less same among individuals and that's what's relevant... not what specific fun or hobby gets you or them off or pushes their buttons.
It can be TRUE that a certain food item is the tastiest to that personal individual, or gross to another, and we can talk about intersubjective truths with averages overall. But one's experience of what is tastiest for them doesn't contradict another's, they can both be true for them individually, as you are likely not even sharing the same exact experiences to judge differently. And one's very perception or framing of the experience changes the experience itself, no way around this truth. Some people find bricks tasty or edible, just how their brain is wired.
It's important to recognize that differing opinions of personal taste do not inherently conflict in the way ethical contradictions do. With ethical matters, asserting that two diametrically opposed views are equally valid is problematic, either one is right and the other wrong, or both might be based on flawed reasoning. Pretending 2 opposing ethical views can be both equally right/true/correct is utter contradictory mush, either one of them must be right / wrong, or both are contrived meaningless nothing opinions, just made up. you wouldn't say whether one believes in god or not IS mere personal opinion/preference and such 2 opposing views can be equally right at same time, that's utter contradictory nonsense, by saying 2 opinions that gRAPE is both good & bad at same time are equally right opinons, right loses all meaning and you might as well say neither is right and both are wrong, they each have their own contrived fairytale delusion.
Now with Ethics of right / wrong, it does not depend on one single individual's preference or opinion, but taken as the whole, if you violate one without consent you still have to account for that since you are seemingly putting the weight on the preference otherwise preferences are utterly meaningless and irrelevant.
ALSO, Do you call whatever you prefer what's right, or do you prefer to try to do what is right?
Do you prefer to seek out what is the right most accurate conclusion given all the facts of reality, or contrive right to be what's in your preference/interest or personal gain?
I don't think VG or most these talking heads understand value-realism (problematic events within subjectivity/a non-physical but REAL reality of the mind). Obviously there's no objective divine or otherwise prime-directive moral-rules we must follow. Unfortunately Religion has poisened the conversation so much with archaic ideas and mushy terms like 'Morality'. Understand there is no 'moral truth', let alone an objective one, ofc if you pigeon-hole me or all realists into defending such nonsense it's easy to refute them. What I'm interested in is subject of Ethics, and to start whether or not value/problematic events exist or do not exist.
Here's a silly question by nihilists: "why is suffering bad?"
Response: How do you identify suffering? Based on the fact that it feels bad. (Yes subjectively) Just as we can subjectively understand 2+2 = 4
Or this: "prove suffering bad, objectively"
Also question-begging, obviously it is subjective. If such badness cannot exist mind-independently by definition.
"Prove suffering is bad, objectively"
is begging the question, because...
It strawmans / assumes the badness must be bad mind-independently, it isn't therefore, it isn't bad.
Answer this, evolutionarily do animals PERCEIVE being tortured skinned alive nail in the eye as BAD, or does it impose torture which we RECOGNIZE and define as Bad by definition?
If true PAIN/torture isn't bad then why does it exist evolutionarily? Answer: (problem -> solution) mechanism which functions as ability to learn & improved survival, this mechanism was reinforced over time as it worked.
inmendham & realists like myself argue: it is the case Descriptively, Objectively evolution IMPOSED Prescriptive-value-judgements onto animals which function as a learning/problem solving mechanism. Fact is, the invention of 'PROBLEM' is something I/we/animals had nothing to do with... (no-free-will-choice) but are simply byproduct in observation of this fact.
If real PROBLEM(s) didn't truly exist then Arguably the word and conceptual understanding it points đ to wouldn't exist either. As if beings could be truly blind never seeing colors/vision yet pulling the idea out of thin air and conceiving of such a thing, how preposterous, that'd be giving human creativity/imagination way too much credit. The only nihilist argument then is that by evolution we & all feeling organisms are somehow ultimately deluded or have illusion of problem where there is none, which I find deeply implausible. Run the torture study/experiment a million times putting people's arm in the fire "yep still bad". Filtering out people who lack ability to feel pain of course.
As evolutionary biologists even states pain is a message to the animal "don't do that again". Can't get descriptively prescriptive more than that.
Are You Getting It?
The Ought is literally baked in as an IS. The is-ought gap to be bridged is a complete Red-Herring, yes you can't derive an Ought from an IS, because if you oughtn't do something, then it can never be BAD... problematic/BAD/torture can't mean anything if it doesn't scream OUGHT-not.
All you have to agree to is due to evolution it created torture which is decidedly negative/ inherently BAD, by definition. Otherwise it wouldn't feel bad or be torturous at all... THEN ask yourself, how can something be BAD yet it's not BAD to create that BAD?
This is Checkmate. These are irrefutable Facts & Logical deductions.
So much for it all being false-perception, the very fact placebo patients perceive an otherwise harmless laser as BAD/painful makes it so. It's the TRUE reality in their mind and you can't deny that fact. It's also a fact believing a pain isn't really all that bad can make it so, but this doesn't make these value-laden experiences NOT real/true.
As per evolution, your body/brain's mechanisms must generate & impose a prescriptive-value-judgement / problematic event within your mind,
It's nagging, complaining, telling you keeping your hand on the hot stove is a mistake/problematic/bad. (not in itself but as a consequence)
I believe this brain making me write all this... is making an accurate assessment when it observe certain events to be problematic/bad where it's happening which is within subjectivity, where's your evidence my perceptions are fooling me or I'm somehow deluded? I witnessed the crime take place and you were nowhere near the crime scene yet you have the authority to claim otherwise as fact? (You are not simply agnostic to my problem suffering but a De-nihilist)
Once one accepts this evolutionary fact we can move on to more complicated questions regarding ethics, like how do weigh the good & the bad, conflicting preferences, etc. Otherwise, it's all pointless & futile, like arguing bivalves or wild-suffering with a non-vegan. They're just not on that level yet and it's a waste of time.
revised version of my other comment: I believe that many discussions around morality miss a crucial point about value-realism, which acknowledges problematic events within subjectivity, a non-physical but real reality of the mind. It is evident that there are no objective, divine, or prime-directive moral rules we must follow. Unfortunately, religion has muddied the conversation with archaic ideas and terms like 'morality'.
There is no 'moral truth,' especially not an objective one. If critics pigeonhole realists into defending such notions, it becomes easy to refute them. My interest lies in ethics and whether value/problematic events exist.
Consider this question by nihilists: "Why is suffering bad?"
Response: Suffering is identified because it feels bad, subjectively. Just as we subjectively understand 2+2=4, we can recognize suffering through its unpleasant experience.
When asked to "prove suffering is bad, objectively," this is question-begging, as the question assumes that the badness must exist independently of minds, which it does not by definition. This question straw-mans the issue by requiring mind-independent badness, ignoring the subjective nature of suffering. As if the quality of it being BAD must be granted by something outside the experience itself.
Evolutionary Perspective: Animals perceive and react to torture (e.g., being skinned alive) as bad because evolution has imposed mechanisms that signal harm. Pain serves as a problem-solving mechanism, reinforcing behaviors that enhance survival. If pain and suffering weren't inherently problematic, they wouldnât exist in the form they do.
Realists like myself argue that evolution has objectively imposed prescriptive-value judgments on animals. The concept of 'problem' or 'bad' arises from these evolutionary mechanisms, not from free will. The existence of these concepts indicates the reality of these problematic experiences.
If real problems didnât exist, neither would the concepts describing them. This is akin to how beings blind from birth wouldnât conceive of color. Suggesting that evolutionary processes have universally deluded all feeling organisms into perceiving problems where there are none is implausible.
As evolutionary biologists state, pain signals to the animal, "don't do that again," which is descriptively prescriptive. The 'ought' is embedded within the 'is.' Thus, the is-ought gap is a red herring because prescriptive judgments are evolutionarily ingrained.
Again, How do you identify suffering? Based on the fact that it feels bad. (Yes subjectively) Just as we can subjectively understand 2+2 = 4
All you have to agree to is due to evolution it created torture which is decidedly negative/ inherently BAD, by definition. Otherwise it wouldn't feel bad or be torturous at all... THEN ask yourself, how can something be BAD yet it's not BAD to create that BAD?
Conclusion: By acknowledging that evolution created inherently negative experiences like torture, we accept that these experiences are bad by definition. Denying the badness of creating bad experiences is contradictory. Therefore, once recognizing the true reality of subjective experiences, only then we can move on to complex ethical questions about weighing good and bad and addressing conflicting preferences.
playing devil's advocate let's try Steelman their position and then arrive at the logical conclusions of it and then perhaps refute it. If they say: "veganism = right" realize there is no contradiction IF by 'right' they just mean it's literally nothing but their preference...
There's no goal to prefer to know/do what's right, RATHER what's right is whatever matches our personal preferences, so unlike flat earther vs round earth beliefs/CLAIMs which can contradict/conflict with each other since either 1 is right or both are wrong. Individual tastes don't.
Whereas if VG says 9 people gRAPE the 1 kid for fun is WRONG because he's a threshold-deontologist but Also RIGHT to a hedonistic utilitarian, Those views only contradict/conflict if they are making VALUE-claims or recognizing a problematic event take place. However, with VG apparently he would have to say he's not claiming or labelling anything as TRULY problematic at all but merely describing his preferences like flavor of ice cream...
Now, of course, as the realist, I find such a view more deplorable/worse than if they were merely agnostic on right/wrong. Cause it's one thing to say there's a right answer to questions of Ethics but we have no objective scientific basis to determine it yet or lack knowledge VS saying they have knowledge there is absolutely no right or wrong.
Under Anti-realism nihilism, what they mean by wrong/right, is just their preference, if I understand correctly (which I'm quite sure) Anti-realism nihilism reduces the Subject of Ethics down to nothing but you or someone else pontificating/opining (i.e "me no like torture") . It defends some sort of expressivism, emotivism, normative, prescriptive reduction of Ethics. Which I find lubricious and has to be a mistake,
I don't see anyone playing any different game even the nihilists invest their money and plan ahead for self-interest, no one truly signs up for torture for fun like it's no problem, and runs away from pleasure happiness as bad. Further, it stands to reason... since we can recognize objectively evolution created a punishment mechanism to enforce learning and survival, BAD/PROBLEM as a concept is something I/WE/Animals had nothing to do with. We didn't invent it, we recognize it and respond accordingly. Even evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins stated that pain is a message to the organism 'don't do that again!'
We must address further the flawed logic of VG and other nihilists reducing Ethics down to mere arbitrary preferences like potato chip flavor, or how much salt you prefer in the soup. As it is completely disanalogous & dishonest upon reflection. QUOTE: "There's no arguing against Efilism, it's just personal opinion. Like arguing what tastes better... ice-cream or potato chips?"
Say if you believe that the mona-lisa is beautiful, and I personally find it ugly, this conflicts/contradicts nothing because it claims nothing in terms about that object or reality outside of our own minds.
such qualities are OUTPUTs generated by body/mind from these INPUTs, the input is quite arbitrary/irrelevant, unlike the highly meaningful & distinct output generated of positive or negative experiences.
it doesn't matter what specific fun or hobby gets them off or pushes their buttons in order for it MATTER, those differences don't make it any less real OR all mere subjective opinion. the output positives & negatives is more or less same among individuals and that's what's relevant...
It can be TRUE that a certain food item is the tastiest to some personal individual, or gross to another, one's experience of what is tastiest for them doesn't contradict another's, they can both be true for them individually because it is the reality in their mind, Some people find bricks tasty or edible, just how their brain is wired.
while one person may find a certain food delicious, another may find it repulsive, without invalidating each other's experiences because they are true for them individually. both experiences are valid/correct.
However, actions that disregard another's negative experience invalidate their reality. if you find being boiled alive problematic and I do it anyway believing it's ok, I am invalidating your experience as either not real, relevant, doesn't matter, or my preferences are more important (carry more weight) than yours. Or simply believe it's ALL equal or arbitrary and I just prefer to exploit you so I do that.
Positive or negative experiences are largely consistent among people, making them relevant, regardless of the specific stimuli. Individual truths about taste or preference coexist without contradiction, reflecting each person's value-generated reality.
This cannot honestly be applied to one's mere opinion it's fine to boil kids alive, as you are invalidating the fact that it matters to those victims. You saying it doesn't matter or your gain of pleasure outweighs their loss of pain, is a claim about the reality of events going on in their mind, so there is room for conflict/contradiction. They can't both be right/wrong at the exact same time.
A strong non-intuition argument/claim & facts presented render value-nihilism implausible:
It is Descriptively the case, that Evolution IMPOSED Prescriptive-ought statements... of 'PROBLEMATIC sensation/event' on organisms which functioned as a learning mechanism and improved survival.
Therefore, BAD/PROBLEM isn't mere subjective opinion but something I/we/animals had nothing to do with and are mere by-product reacting to an observation.
This is pretty much the only base-axiom needed to ground my own torture as mattering as the original actual value-currency at stake. That paired with the fact I sampled consciousness and know it matters to me whether or not I am tortured, the fact that I personally observe it as problematic makes it the true reality for my own mind...
...AND it's not mere opinion/proclamation / or idea humans creatively invented out of thin air... as if like everyone could be truly blind yet conceptualizing colovision, makes no sense. plus that's giving humanity way too much credit of imagination.
Can't really have thoughts about information that you don't have. The concept of bad/problem arguably wouldn't even exist if it never was so.
Yes, I agree very semantics. I am attempting to shed clarity on this topic. Looking at the word "BAD" purely in a descriptive sense (e.g., that which can be categorically applied to extreme suffering) it loses all meaning if it's not truly consequential (i.e., it matters whether one experiences bad or not). If it doesn't actually matter ("no problemo") then it can't be bad, only an illusion/delusion of it, yet it's an effective one evolution imposed on organisms as a learning/problem-solving mechanism. The value-realists like myself have every reason to believe evolution created the real thing, not some contrived pseudo-problem organisms feel compelled/obligated to solve.
One only requires the axiom of a Descriptive Bad to ground Ethics. Why? Because it can be argued that a descriptive statement of BAD/problem is prescriptive by it's very nature in the meaning the of word/language.(otherwise its psuedo-bad/fake langauge, redefines bad as aversion/mere preference against) Otherwise, it can't mean anything to be bad, torturously obnoxious, unwanted experiential events couldn't mean anything. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins even state pain is a punishment signal/message to the animal: "Don't do that again!" If those aren't prescriptions imposed, then I don't know what is. The animal doesn't simply decide/prefer to avoid the event and finds it bad, it's told/finds it bad and so prefers to avoid the event/problem. If god or there were some logically or physically possible way it were to be invented how else would it exist?, or what you think evolution's reward & punishment mechanism accomplished? If it didn't synthesize problematic sensations to force organisms to solve?
Evolution prescribes Needs/wants, at the same time imposes a PAIN/PROBLEM of starvation/hunger which by it's very nature is a prescription for solution (i.e. sustenance/relief/comfort.)
By the very nature of "PROBLEM" it prescribes -> "SOLUTION" not merely a contrived or trivial-like on paper math problem, but the origin of why the word even exists: the problem of pain, a true whip/punishment mechanism, real currency to play with, real loss. Idk how you can describe something categorically as a PROBLEM in the true sense of the word if it doesn't come with it a necessary prescription for its solution. Because if there is no NEED for a solution, then it turns into no longer a problem again...
I don't see how it could be any other way because if there's no real game to be playing with value baked into it, then money would be worthless/not even exist, animals wouldn't bother evade standing in the fire, etc.
Saying It is Descriptively the case, that Evolution IMPOSED Prescriptive-ought statements... of 'PROBLEMATIC sensation/event' on organisms which functioned as a learning mechanism and improved survival.
Is the same as saying Evolution IMPOSED torture/BAD, as that's what torture/bad is... a prescribed need for solution to a problem which is some form of relief/comfort.
The prescription arises as a result of accepting step 1. (which nihilists reject/deny) problem solution. The latter does not follow/exist without the former. basic 2+2 = 4 logic. There's no point figuring out the answer to the math equation, if we don't agree first and foremost a problem exists. Nor how to solve a disease, if we don't first and foremost recognize a disease exists. And so, Any debate with nihilists on step 2: of determining what is the most likely solution / right answer becomes irrelevent and a waste of time. Arguing about whether x or y IS the right answer to fixing/preventing diabetes is pointless when they don't even agree the really disease exists. They don't believe an actual real BAD / Problem exists.
VG reduces it down to mere preferences, his reasonings that even if universally sentience prefers not suffebe tortured... Well, just because it is the case descriptively we prefer to avoid suffering doesn't mean we ought/should prevent suffering. He hasn't bridged the IS-OUGHT gap. But he got it backwards,
the claim/argument... ISN'T that because descriptively, sentience universally has a preference to avoid suffering, it is therefore bad,
the claim/argument... IS that it's descriptively bad/problematic, therefore universally there's a deductively logically assigned preference to avoid it,
Again you can't classify/label something as a problem if it's inconsequential whether it is solved or not. The word loses all meaning. If something NEEDs solving/fixing it means there's a problem, if there's a problem it means there's something NEED solving/fixing. Evolution manufactures these needy problems in organisms to manipulate and control them.
Merely what our preferences are IS NOT relevant, preference "frustration" arguably IS. (if preferences couldn't be frustrated "i.e., no value" than it wouldn't matter which way things turned out)
You can have a preference for some art style over another, if we were just programmed non-feeling robots that preferred to avoid standing in the fire, but there was no real kernel of value/bad, then it wouldn't matter.
Let's imagine something was Objectively PROBLEMATIC, an IS statement. What would a real problem look like? something in NEED of a solution. Again, why? because If it doesn't matter whether or not it exists or is Solved or not, it could never be a problem in the first place. So either this problem exists or it doesn't. (NOTE: it doesn't need to be an objective problem to be REAL, "i.e mind-independent")
Next, if ASI or sentient beings were to sample this "problem", would it not be the case they would logically deduce it's in need of a solution? And assign their preferences accordingly to solving it? Cause again otherwise then you just see it as "no-problemo" again.
"If Inmendham's argument is that sentient beings create value, and that the universe has no value without the presence of a sentient being generating it, would it not follow that the ought is inherently built into sensation?" yes but the way VG unfairly reframes it is that we subjectively place value on it, THAT it's entirely subjective, like you prefer salty or sweet, or certain ice cream flavor. emphasizing that it's entirely subjective opinion. Take a look at his unfair silly example: "we can't say pineapple on pizza is objectively tasty or not..." this shows a complete ineptitude in grasping the subject and misrepresenting the argument like crazy, no one is arguing whether Mona Lisa is objectively beautiful or some such thing.
What is being argued: the positive or negative mind-dependent event produced in response to the sensual or perceptual stimuli, the input (object) is irrelevant, only the output (experience) matters and what the value-engine (BRAIN) produced. What pushes your buttons so to speak, blue jelly beans or green jelly beans, could differ between 2 individuals but the shared experience is the same more or less. Whether you wired to find pineapple on pizza tasty or gross is irrelevant, some people find bricks edible.
Main issue is they talking past each other: what inmendham is arguing for was either not expressed as best it could be, and/or VG does not quite comprehend what is being argued... inmendham claims/argues evolution created the real bad/PROBLEM and we respond in recognition of this fact/truth with preferences that follow accordingly, Logic cannot be escaped, once you know 2+2 = 4, you can't will or believe it to be 79. If you know the right answer "torture be Bad M'kay?" obviously you won't act or behave otherwise and say you love it. What could it mean to have a preference against experiencing torture... does such a statement even make any sense? All that is required is a real BAD to exist... and then the preference to avoid it logically follows, an inescapable truth. Unless he thinks I also choose or prefer to believe 2+2 = 4 ?
Essentially VG keeps counter-arguing that: "yes we want to avoid torture, but that's just your preference... just cause universally sentience has a preference against torture (a Descriptive / IS statement) doesn't logically follow some Normative/Prescriptive claim/statement. That just because something IS the case it doesn't follow that we OUGHT / should do X, like help others, prevent suffering, etc. That's a non-sequitur he says. Ultimately it's just a preference." sure but...
His argument only applies/counters a strawman position in his head: Because of this I and other realists can account for / side-step it completely, we aren't attempting to derive an OUGHT from an IS. e.g strawman: "we ALL have preference against torture, Therefore it's BAD." Or "we ALL have preference against torture, Therefore we OUGHT prevent it"
The actual argument is that it's Truly Bad/Problematic by the very nature of the word, Therefore first-hand observation follows universally a deductively logically assigned preference to avoid it. Not the other way around.
"If the only thing that can have meaning in the universe is the experience of a sentient being, ought we not maximize its value just by nature of its experience being the only thing that can matter?" yes the ought is a further logical extension of recognizing it to be a problem, which denotes/demands a solution, otherwise if it doesn't matter to solve it or not then you've turned it into a non-problem again. So it can only be categorically one or the other.
Issue of semantics, different terminology and definitions: as long as VG defines objective as "mind-independent" and sets the goal-post to the realist to find a mind-independent "wrong/bad" as if somehow we need some divine-command or absolute rule in the universe that declares it so... then there is no fruit to the discussion. suffering/bad takes place in the mind/experience, so of course it's unfair to ask one to present a mind-independent suffering/bad in the universe, it is begging the question. To be fair inmendham uses the term objective and could have done better job with defining/pushing his terms "e.g. objective as truth/real/fact" and not let VG impose in his own. However, I don't ascribe a requirement to demonstrate an Objective BAD to ground a BAD as real, valid, and true; it can be entirely based on Subjectivist grounds/axiomatic foundations.
Just because the BAD takes place within subjectivity doesn't make it any less real (non-physical/immaterial sure... but not unreal). VG and nihilists can't understand this. 2+2 = 4 is subjective as is all science ultimately as a root axiomatic-fact... as an observation requires an observer. This doesn't mean realism can't be proven/grounded, it can just like we can know 2+2=4 and the moon exists. If anti-realism is gonna deny subjective truths because it's subjective, then one can't know much of anything and reduces to solipsism. I am more certain I exist and the reality of "perceived" BAD I experience is actually a real BAD... THAN that the moon even exists or any other scientific empirical claim.
PROBLEM is something I/we/animals had Nothing to do with, we didn't invent it.
If Anti-realism nihilism was True and Real "PROBLEMS" didn't exist the word wouldn't exist. It is like being born never knowing or seeing or experiencing vision & color, it's impossible to contrive or imagine it. Some knowledge & information is only accessible through experience.
Even Richard Dawkins stated, "pain is a message to the animal Don't do that again!"
If the ought exists within subjectivity, as preferences, why would them being Subjective vs Objective determine whether or not their violation matters? If one experiences disgust looking at something AND another finds beauty... both are true realities for them, they don't conflict or contradict like empirical or fact claims, but instead both are correct and relevant, not one or the other, BECAUSE when someone says the mona Lisa is beautiful they are just saying it arises in them a sense of beauty, the thing/input is irrelevant whereas the output in mind is what is relevant and true for their reality.
Subjective =/= not true, I don't understand the dichotomy between objective vs subjective ethics, as if there isn't facts to glean about subjectivity.
There's also definition or semantic problems:
objective (mind-independent) vs subjective (mind-dependent)
Under such definition does it make sense to say Objectively evolution created feeling experiencing organisms having sense of taste, smell, sound, hunger, pain, to survive. So can we apply word objective to mind-dependent experiences or not?
And of course under such definition there is no objective mind-independent ethics as without minds there is no feeling subject of concern to even talk about in first place. So how silly...
Yet they take objective to mean True & Subjective made up or mere contrived opinion.
For me these are semantic word games that distract, I just care about what's fact/true. What many don't get is Even science, math is subjective invention, byproduct of subjective tool of language, doesn't mean we can't create an accurate model and picture of reality.
I believe the Is-Ought gap is a red-herring, sure it's true you can't contrive an Ought from just what IS, but with evolution the OUGHT statement is built-in, it's descriptively a prescriptive value statement imposed on me, I/we/animals literally have nothing to do with it, I'm just by-product an observer. This is key understanding.
There exists no objective or divine commandment "you OUGHT do X" written into the fabric of reality, and therefore if you don't that's Bad, No. That's nonsense/impossible logically.
Rather an Descriptive IS statement of X is a real bad/PROBLEM, denotes/demands a solution by it's very nature of the word, otherwise if it doesn't need solving then it becomes into a non-problem again, so either x categorically IS a PROBLEM or it's not.
The claim/argument... Is that it's Descriptively BAD/Problematic, therefore universally there's a deductively logically assigned preference to avoid it. Not the other way around. Our personal preference against torture forever doesn't make it therefore bad. The prescription is built in, forced onto us.
It's like "STOP!" & "GO" What do you say to a dog? "BAD dog!" This is saying it should or shouldn't do something. basically = "No!" "Stop!" That's a prescriptive statement/signal/conveyed message.
Or simply, alls required is Descriptively diagnose Torture as Problematic. Which implies Problem Solution Without necessity of solution there is no problem at all, likewise without problem solution means nothing.
âSo you essentially boiled my position down to: "Evolution programmed preference to avoid torture." or "we evolved preference to avoid torture" Does that sound incoherent or what... as if I would make such a silly claim. Keep straw-manning.
Do you think animals have PREFERENCE by default to avoid being tortured burned alive and have sex, or logically preferences are born out of observing problematic negative / positive assigned accordingly through punishment & reward mechanisms aka prescriptions, think long and hard about this one...
This is why value or ethical nihilism is incoherent to me. IF torture be bad, how can it be NOT-bad/neutral to create BAD?
It either is truly BAD or it isn't. It's either real or it's an illusion/delusion and false perception.
Their position must reduce to there is no MEANINGFUL difference between Torture & Bliss. And evolution didn't create any problematic sensation or true punishment whatsoever. Instead, were somehow deluded to view being boiling alive as problematic sensation/BAD, and relief as good, we can't tell the difference or label which is which...
Vegan Gains or any anti-realist needs to substantiate these anti-realist nihilist claims & concede if he agrees with the statements below:
"The value-laden problematic BAD experience of being tortured boiled alive in a vat of acid indefinitely... isn't really bad, evolution didn't successfully impose a real negative punishment mechanism on animals, torture isn't something I/we/animals had nothing to do with and are just byproduct observing the imposition, NO! Instead our opinion has everything to do with it... what's problematic torture, one is merely subjectively interpreting/inventing/proclaiming it to be so! Evolution failed!"
"Animals run from fire cause they irrationally unreasonably subjectively interpret it to be bad/problematic sensation or experience, not cause DNA molecule made it so objectively for evolutionary reasons"
"It is all subjective preference like flavor of potato chips, problematic torturous experience isn't bad you just think it's bad or have preference against it."
"You don't logically recognize intrinsic problematic torturous experience then logically assign solution to problem which is preference to avoid that experience, No, you merely have subjective delusional preference against a nail in your eye and there is no logic to it"
"Good is Bad, and Bad is Good depending on opinion, no right or wrong, all subjective tho"
value anti-realism nihilism. INSANE! WORSE than a flat-earth theory!
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2024.05.21 14:30 gwhh Kato Kaelin on How He Met Nicole Brown Simpson After She Divorced OJ Simpson (Part 1 of 14)
2024.05.21 13:30 Ishika2337 The 10 Best Movies Coming to Apple TV+ in May 2024
Apple TV+ is one of the strangest streamers out there, with almost no licensed TV or film content and a small number of originals. That makes the best movies on Apple TV+ easy to find. There simply arenât that many! Apple is clearly taking a âquality over quantityâ approach, with its money spread across genres and targeted at making its subscribers (many roped in with a deal that came with one of the companyâs tech products) treat it like a real contender. It also helps that itâs only $4.99 a month, or free for a year if youâve just purchased a new (and eligible) device.
With films from up-and-comers like Minhal Baig, arthouse favorites like Sofia Coppola and Werner Herzog, some A-list music docs, one of the best animated movies of the 2020s and Martin Scorseseâs latest, Apple TV+ is actually making the case that it belongs in the conversation alongside the more established services. As long as it keeps adding good movies to its roster, that is. It recently snagged a few critical darlings like Killers of the Flower Moon and Wolfwalkers.
10. The Pigeon Tunnel
For a documentary about one of the most celebrated writers of spy fiction, The Pigeon Tunnel can seemâat first glanceâdeceptively placid. Clocking in at just over 90 minutes, the film features an extended conversation between David Cornwell, AKA John le Carre, and Oscar-winning docmaker Errol Morris. Itâs just that. Two people talking, with Morris off-screen, their parrying question-and-answers broken up with archival images and re-enactments of Cornwellâs past, as well as snippets from the classic movies or TV adaptations based on his spy universe: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and A Perfect Spy.
9. Hala
Writedirector Minhal Baigâs Hala is an intimate coming-of-age drama held up by its personal writerly touches and a star-making turn from Geraldine Viswanathan as the title character. Halaâs struggling with the same kinds of things we normally see high school characters struggle with: What to do after graduation, how to manage a relationship with her parents thatâs not quite adult and not quite childish, and (of course) boys. Viswanathanâs understated quiet and the warmth in which the situations are shot (almost always centered on her face)âbe they at a family dinner or a walk in a Chicago park or a reading of a high school English assignmentâmake the dramatic ricochet of Halaâs minor rebellion rattle us all the harder.
8. Boys State
The tendency to read too much into Boys State as a representative of American politicsâcontemporary, functional, broken and otherwiseâdoesnât quite line up with the event itself, in which every year the American Legion sponsors a sort of mock government sleepaway camp in Texas for high school boys (girls get a similar program of their own), where attendees join parties, run for office, craft platforms, run campaigns, hold debates, then ultimately exercise their right to vote.
7. On the Rocks
Sofia Coppolaâs new movie On the Rocks starts out as a story of possessive fatherhood, with Felix (Bill Murray) narrating to his teenage daughter, Laura: âAnd remember, donât give your heart to any boys. You are mine until you get married. Then youâre still mine.â The girl laughs off the declaration as a jape, which turns out to be a catastrophic tactical mistake. In her womanhood, Laura (Rashida Jones), does indeed get married to a man, Dean (Marlon Wayans), and they have two beautiful daughters of their own, eldest Maya (Liyanna Muscat) and youngest Theo (Alexandra Mary Reimer).
6. Bruce Springsteenâs Letter to You
The black-and-white behind-the-scenes documentary accompaniment to Bruce Springsteenâs album of the same name, Bruce Springsteenâs Letter to You is a beautiful and companionable tour through the music and its making from an American master. Director Thom Zimny buys into the albumâs concept, which focuses on just how long Springsteenâs been at this thing. Poignant juxtaposition with archival footage and pictures emphasizes just how long the E Streeters have been at thisâand reminds us of who and what was lost along the way.
Also Read: The Last Duel 5. Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds
Werner Herzog will show you multiple clips from Mimi Leaderâs Deep Impact for no other reason than because he likes them, he finds them well-done and evocativeâhe says as much in that even-keeled, oddly accented voice overâthen soon after chastise âfilm school doctrineâ when complimenting a field video shot by a South Korean meteor specialist in Antarctica. Like Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin, his documentary from earlier in the year, Fireball (co-directed with Clive Oppenheimer, with whom he made 2016âs Into the Inferno) is less about what itâs about (meteorites, shooting stars, cosmic debrisâand the people who love them) than it is about Werner Herzogâs life, which is his filmography, which is a heavily manipulated search for ultimate truth.
4. CODA
Sometimes a movie so successfully plunges you into its world that it completely engulfs you in a lived-in experience. From the gorgeous, scenic opening moments of CODA, you can almost smell the Atlantic salt air and pungent scent of the daily catch. The movie transports you to Gloucester, Massachusetts and lovingly drops you into the life of one family. Seventeen-year-old Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is what the title of the movie refers toâa child of deaf adults.
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas
We could get into plenty of arguments over which Charlie Brown animated special is best, but A Charlie Brown Christmas is my favorite pull of the bunch. Charlie Brownâs confrontation with the Christmas seasonâs commercialism (back in 1965 no less) and a sad little fir tree make this a cartoon classic, as the ultimate funny-pages shlimazel suffers endless social indignities (no Christmas cards) and the holiday blues.
2. Wolfwalkers
Wolfwalkers is filmmaker and animator Tomm Mooreâs latest project out of Cartoon Saloon, the animation studio he co-founded in 1999 with Paul Young, and the capper to his loosely bound Irish folklore trilogy (begun with 2009âs The Secret of Kells and continued with 2014âs Song of the Sea). At first blush, the film appears burdened with too much in mindâchiefly thoughts on everything from English colonialism to earnest portraiture of Irish myths, the keystones of Mooreâs storytelling for the last decade.
1. Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese has made a career telling stories that tackle issues of justice, retribution and betrayal. From his overt and poetic crime films, through to his dark comedies, religious parables and character pieces, he has long been drawn to stories where the ambiguities of life collide with the complexities of survival, and where day-to-day choices result in consequences sometimes obvious, and sometimes far more subtle and insidious.
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2024.05.21 12:55 chanma50 'Hit Man' Review Thread
I will continue to update this post as reviews come in.
Rotten Tomatoes: Certified Fresh
Critics Consensus: A deceptively dark thriller that's also loaded with laughs,
Hit Man is an outstanding showcase for leading man Glen Powell -- and one of the most purely entertaining films of Richard Linklater's career.
| Score | Number of Reviews | Average Rating |
All Critics | 96% | 81 | 8.30/10 |
Top Critics | 93% | 27 | 8.00/10 |
Metacritic: 82 (21 Reviews)
Sample Reviews: âHit Manâ is studded with delicious moments, but as amusing as the movie is it has a plot that sprawls forward in a rather ungainly fashion, and it goes on for too long. - Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Smart and steamy screwball fun. - Leslie Felperin, Hollywood Reporter
The comedy is a deliriously entertaining star vehicle for actor Glen Powell. - Ben Croll, TheWrap
âHit Man,â Linklaterâs latest film, falls into the fun-with-a-heart (and brain) category. Itâs got a lot going for it. For one thing, thereâs Linklaterâs deft touch, particularly when juggling comedy and romance (with a little crime drama thrown in).
4/5 - Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
A smartly written, sublimely comedic, and sexy human-scale relationship story with a touch of just enough suspense and hints of criminality to prove that its title is not a complete misnomer.
4/5 - Cary Darling, Houston Chronicle
In the hands of a lesser director, Hit Man would surely have felt rather thin and disposable. But Linklater is a pro, and he manages to make the filmâs fripperies feel borderline profound.
4/5 - Xan Brooks, Guardian
An intelligent comedy that contains plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and references Kant and Nietzsche, it is also a thriller that is darker than it first appears. - Jo-Ann Titmarsh, London Evening Standard
Hit Man trips along on great writing, Linklaterâs witty, light-touch direction and a rich sense of place, but what makes it especially pleasurable is Powell and Arjonaâs naturally steamy rapport.
4/5 - Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph (UK)
... An effervescent comedy from Richard Linklater that simultaneously snubs its nose at the entire genre while easily nabbing the honour of most purely entertaining film to grace the Lido so far.
4/5 - Kevin Maher, Times (UK)
Another, crueller writer-director would have pivoted to scenes of bloody violence, but Linklater prefers to ponder the question of whether you can will yourself into becoming a different person.
4/5 - Nicholas Barber, BBC.com
A sorta-true story about an average guy who finds himself caught in a web of crime and deception, Hit Man is a cute and clever (sometimes overbearingly so) showcase for Powellâs magnetic charm. - Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
The police scenes are just light enough to be funny, the screwball sequences are just dark enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, and Powell... is obviously elated to be handling such twisty material. - Shirley Li, The Atlantic
This genial comedy/noir is a genuine crowdpleaser â funny, sexy, clever and confident in building a low-key humour which hits the target over and over again. - Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International
Itâs a genuinely riotous time at the cinema and concrete proof Powell is perhaps our brightest hope when it comes to keeping the notion of the movie star alive. - Hannah Strong, Little White Lies
Hit Man is hot and hilarious, a winning combination amplified by a story that gets knottier at every turn. - Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
Powellâs ability to power through some dull material on charm alone only reaffirms the credibility of his stardom, and the filmâs general lack of ambition keeps things from going awry whenever a joke doesnât land. Aim small, miss small.
B- - David Ehrlich, indieWire
Iâs just fun to watch good old-fashioned comedy in which love, danger, and happy endings are all part of a damn fine evening at the movies. - Alissa Wilkinson, Vox
With Richard Linklaterâs Hitman, the charismatic Glen Powell has been offered a plum opportunity to shape his image into something more complicated and often poignant.
3/4 - Zach Lewis, Slant Magazine
[A] light-and-lively comedy. - Jordan Hoffman, The Messenger
Comfortably Linklaterâs best movie since Boyhood, Hit Man stands alongside School of Rock for big laughs and good vibes â albeit with a darker streak that slowly kicks in.
4/5 - Philip De Semlyen, Time Out
Powell and Linklater would have done better to take Johnsonâs story as a launching point and then spun off into their far more complicated version of his life without literally tethering the movie to a real person. - Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict
Linklater has long had a gift with playful humor, and he nails the tone here without turning âHit Manâ into the slapstick it could have become. - Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
A comedy/thriller thatâs in equal parts charming, nerve-wracking, and ethically challenging. - Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com
Every interesting aspect of the true story and the imagined story are smoothed out. - Drew Gregory, Autostraddle
The smoldering, wily, wild-but-true Hit Man returns Linklater to his loquacious take on romance, with a man using his gift of gab to shrug off himself. - Charles Bramesco, Inside Hook
A witty, relaxed, and cheerfully fictionalized comedy-caper-romance; in the bargain thereâs some light philosophical meditations on the impermanence of personality. 4/4 - Ty Burr, Ty Burr's Watch List
Itâs as if Linklater is playing posthumous wingman for his subject, giving him the rom-com-slick Hollywood ending he never got in life. - Keith Uhlich, (All (Parentheses))
SYNOPSIS: Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklaterâs sunlit neo-noir stars Glen Powell as strait-laced professor Gary Johnson, who moonlights as a fake hit man for the New Orleans Police Department. Preternaturally gifted at inhabiting different guises and personalities to catch hapless people hoping to bump off their enemies, Gary descends into morally dubious territory when he finds himself attracted to one of those potential criminals, a beautiful young woman named Madison (Adria Arjona). As Madison falls for one of Garyâs hit man personas â the mysteriously sexy Ron â their steamy affair sets off a chain reaction of play acting, deception, and escalating stakes. Co-written by Linklater and Powell and inspired by an unbelievable true story, Hit Man is a cleverly existential comedy about identity.
CAST: - Glen Powell as Gary Johnson
- Adria Arjona as Maddy Masters
- Austin Amelio as Jasper
- Retta as Claudette
DIRECTED BY: Richard Linklater
SCREENPLAY BY: Richard Linklater, Glen Powell
BASED ON THE TEXAS MONTHLY ARTICLE BY: Skip Hollandsworth
PRODUCED BY: Mike Blizzard, Richard Linklater, Glen Powell, Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Stuart Ford, Zach Garrett, Miguel A. Palos Jr., Shivani Rawat, Julie Goldstein, Vicky Patel, Steve Barnett, Alan Powell, John Sloss, Scott Brown, Megan Creydt
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Shane F. Kelly
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Bruce Curtis
EDITED BY: Sandra Adair
COSTUME DESIGNER: Juliana Hoffpauir
MUSIC BY: Graham Reynolds
MUSIC SUPERVISORS: Randall Poster, Meghan Currier
CASTING BY: Vicky Boone
RUNTIME: 115 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 24, 2024 (Limited Theatrical in US; Wide Theatrical in Canada) / June 7 (Netflix)
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2024.05.21 08:26 Fearless_Law6729 Does anyone ever listen to DBM and just remember what it was like back then?
I always see people showing pictures of scene kids and me just being like, man the scene kids where I grew up (Medford, OR) did NOT look like that. We had scene hair, snake bites, stretched ears ("they're not called gauges!1!1! The gauge is the size!1!1"). But everyone wore the same thing: skinny jeans with a dark wash, usually a white maroon or black v-neck, zine hoodie, neff beanie, brown belt. Literally. We all wore the same thing. It was unhinged. And you had to have it all, or you werenât doing it right. We listened to DGD, TDWP, Memphis May Fire, and Of Mice & Men on shuffle 𤣠I listen to DBM and remember when I first heard it. I was 16 and it was 2008 and MAN I feel old đ
Edit: these comments have me tearing up with nostalgia đđđ kids these days just don't know
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2024.05.21 07:38 themainesource 2024/25 NBA Offseason Trades Eastern Conference
Preface: In a lot of these trades you could add or subtract a pick or two based on how you view certain guys, please don't get too caught up if I had a guy traded for 2 1st and you think it should be 3. We see plenty of trades in the league be holy overpays or teams moving off guys for a lower price than we as fans anticipated. Also, a good bit of these trades have big names in them and are just fun/what-if scenarios.
Detroit Pistons - Pistons Receive: Draymond Green & 2029 1st Round Pick Swap via GSW
- Warriors Receive: Troy Brown Jr, 2027 2nd Round Pick via BKN or DAL, 2029 2nd via MIL
Pistons bring back the hometown guy. Help set some semblance of a culture in Detroit. Get a 1st Round pick swap when Cade should be peaking and Warriors are in their post-Curry era.
Warriors focus should be flexibility, would likely have to attach pick(s) to clear cap space, retool around Curry either in free agency or at the next trade deadline cycle (move on from CP3 and others), and could use 2nds to grab other role players.
Washington Wizards - Wizards Receive: Duncan Robinson, Jordan Hawkins, 2025 1st Top 3 Protected via NOP, 2026 2nd via LAL, 2027 1st via MIL, 2029 1st Swap via MIA
- Heat Receive: Brandon Ingram & Kyle Kuzma
- Pelicans Receive: Jimmy Butler
Wizards are in the asset collecting stage. Whether or not it is the Pelicans/Heat that will trade their guysâ the Wizards should look to have their hand in any mid-to-large level trades that take place this offseason and take on cap for assets. It doesnât move the needle for them now but gives them more ammo later.
While Pat Riley may stand firm on his word and keep Jimmy, there is still a chance he gets moved this offseason. Getting back two wing players on relatively good contracts (Ingram expiring) and Kuzma making a fair $23M, which is a good salary-matching number for trades, might be a better alternative than extending Jimmy Butler. The Heat would also maintain a relatively good fit around Bam and see if BI can be a more consistent contributor under Spo-- then decide to extend him or let him walk after the season.
Brandon Ingram has been shown to take a backseat in the playoffs, and the West is only getting more competitive. While Jimmy isnât a prolific shooter he would help stabilize their offense and take their defensive potential to the next level. They should seek more shooting even with the emergence of TM3 to feed off the slashing style of their top guys. The Pelicans would have to extend Jimmy and their cap situation would get tighter but their next goal should be moving McCollum off the books anyway. I'd make that move and figure everything else out later.
Charlotte Hornets - Hornets Receive: Jalen Green, Cam Whitmore, Dillon Brooks, Jock Landale, 2024 1st via HOU (#3), 2025 1st via OKC or BKN, 2026 1st via BKN, 2027 1st Swap via BKN
- Rockets Receive: LaMelo Ball, Grant Williams & 2024 1st via CHA (#6)
Consider this a thought experiment on which side of the fence you are on about the health of Lamelo Ball. Yes, this is a trade that could easily get you fired if he consistently plays 65+ games instead of the ~30ish he has in the last two seasons. Iâm not saying it should happen but if youâre on the side of it probably being a consistent theme that he'll be missing the majority of a season every other year this would be an interesting haul for the Hornets. Swap picks this year and get the future Brooklyn picks which as a franchise seem very lost right nowâ plus it gives you some freedom to push to compete knowing you'll probably have some good picks to fall back on. The Hornets hope to have Jalen Green become a more efficient scorer and get to pair Whitmore's massive frame alongside Brandon Miller which would be intriguing.
Rockets are meddling in that play-in tier. Alperen is him but you may have to take a gamble on another âhimâ to move into that next echelon. The Rockets would be insanely good at playmaking inside and out pairing Sengun and Ball. Move off the Dillion Brooks overpay and get you a guy that if he plays 65+ plus games you might be in the running for the 4-6 seed every year, if heâs hurt you didnât give up your own picks to do it.
Toronto Raptors - Raptors Receive: Karl Anthony-Towns
- Timberwolves Receive: Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, Jalen McDaniels, 2026 1st via IND 1-4 Protected & 2028 1st Swap via TOR
I never really know what the Raptors intend on doing each transaction cycle but with the Timberwolves cap situation forcing them to make some decisionsâ the Raptors might be able to poach KAT for a reasonable price. They can buy a high-level shooting big to play off Scottie and RJ. I could see Masai fighting tooth and nail to only give up 1 moderately protected 1st round pick here.
YES, the Timberwolves have just made the WCF, and if they make it to the finals and win they may bite the bullet and be willing to have one of the highest payrolls in the NBA for years to come. But let's say they don't... they may look to avoid some of the constraints that come along with being over the aprons. They could potentially get under the tax aprons with this move, and get some rotational guys that could play and contribute in a competitive Western conference.
Brooklyn Nets - Nets Receive: 2024 1st via BKN, 2025 1st via OKC or BKN, 2026 1st via BKN, 2027 1st via BKN Swap, Dillon Brooks
- Rockets Receive: Mikal Bridges
Nets get your picks back. I donât care if they didnât accept the Rockets offer, run it back. Or send Mikal somewhere else (Cleveland?) to get those picks back.
I'll give you another Nets trade if you're tired of the Mikal talk.
- Nets Receive: Devonte Graham & Zach Collins
- Spurs Receive: Ben Simmons
The Nets get rid of basketball squatter, Ben Simmons, which is a win in my book. Focusing their time and resources on their other guys.
Spurs finally get someone who will pass the ball to Wemby. The Spurs are no strangers to letting guys rest and fully rehab. Simmons most likely won't ever be that all-NBA level defender and distributor againâ but as a rebuilding team, you might as well see what you can salvage. Also, Simmons is in the last year of his contract-- they could resign him if he shows signs of being a guy who wants to play basketball or use his vacant salary to round out their roster around Wemby.
Atlanta Hawks - Hawks Receive: Marcus Smart, 2024 1st via MEM (#9), and 2026 1st via OKC, HOU or LAC
- 76ers Receive: Dejounte Murray
- Grizzlies Receive: Clint Capela, 2024 1st Pick via PHI (#16) & 2027 2nd via MIL
Atlanta has one of the more intriguing offseason decisions coming up with them now owning the first overall pick in the draft. They have a plethora of tradable contracts and only one true untouchable in Jalen Johnson. They could run it back with Sarr or Risacher added in but I believe Murray will be shipped out of Atlanta to "recenterâ their team around Young, Johnson, and whoever the first overall pick. They get to try their hand at the other renowned defensive guard over the last 8-years to put next to Trae Young. They could also pick up a fake first in 2026 to attach with players in future deals. The Sixers would hope to get Murray back to displaying the defensive tenacity he showed on the Spurs (he has been less locked in as of late) while still maintaining the ability to go after a high-end free agent(s) before extending Maxey. The Grizzlies get an expiring contract and high-level rebounder in Capela after moving on from Steven Adams to put next to JJJ. Losing Marcus Smart would be a tough pill to swallow, heâs the guy you never want your team to get rid of when they have him but the Morant, Smart, Bane lineup is less than optimalâ especially when you can move Bane back to the 2 and slide G.G. Jackson into the 3. Moreover, moving from #9 to #16 may not be that much of a drop off in talent in this year's draft and the Grizz could either stay put and draft or trade that pick for a rotational guard.
Chicago Bulls - Bulls Receive: Chris Paul, Gary Payton II, 2026 2nd via ATL
- Warriors Receive: Zach LaVine
Bulls bring in CP3 as a mentor for Coby White, they hope to flush out the MIP runner-up potential to the fullest. They could also flip GP2 or buy him out later down the line as they have a solid backcourt rotation already. Get off of LaVine's contract.
For the Warriors, they would hope that LaVine can return close to all-star form, he feels like a guy who would fit into the Warriors movement shooting philosophy. Also, feels like he would become a fan favorite in San Francisco.
Miami Heat - Heat Receive: Collin Sexton & Omer Yurtseven
- Jazz Receive: Tyler Herro
It's time for the inaugural Tyler Herro mock trade. If you're the Heat you give Danny Ainge a ring and see if he's still interested in Herro. Check the DARKO DPM, Sexton or the sexGod is coming-- He had a very efficient season in fewer minutes this year in Utah. Get a dog and bring Yurt back for the vibes. Heat could include Duncan and take a gamble on Spo's ability to resurrect Collins or Clarkson.
I don't know why the Jazz would do this. I don't know why Danny Ainge does half the things he does, good or bad. All I know is Danny Ainge likes Herro a lot and maybe likes his ceiling a touch more than Sexton.
I'm picturing Ainge and Riley sitting in a sauna turning the temperature knob up and seeing who submits first... winner gets a pick-swap.
Philadelphia 76ers - Sixers Receive: Deni Avdija
- Wizards Receive: Paul Reed, 2024 1st (#16), 2026 1st via OKC, HOU or LAC, 2027 2nd Round Pick via MIL
A dream scenario here for the Sixers as they need to fill the spaces between Maxey and Embiid. Avdija has great length which shows up on the defensive end and has excellent rebounding efficiency from the 4 spot. His shooting improved this last year and would be a massive payoff if it cracked the 40% percentile on 4-5 3PA per game for the Sixers. Wizards likely view Deni as a cornerstone piece (I just really want him on the Sixers).
The Wizards could fetch a higher price for Avdija by holding onto him for one more year and letting him improve (which I believe he will do). The sell here is you get more 1st Round Pick equity to spend while youâre still searching for a legit franchise cornerstone and a solid rotational big in Reed after losing Gafford (Gafford is better than Reed). The Wizards reportedly want 3 first-round picks this year which the Sixers could supply plus additional capital to sweeten the deal.
Indiana Pacers - Pacers Receive: Luke Kennard
- Grizzlies Receive: Jalen Smith, 2025 2nd via CHA, 2025 2nd via IND & 2028 2nd via DAL
The Pacers move on from a guy who has fallen out of their playoff rotation and snag Kennard who fits their run-and-gun style of play. Grizzlies pick up Smith to bolster their frontcourt depth and could pair his length with JJJ to make for some nasty interior defense.
Orlando Magic *unserious\*
- Magic Receive: Robert Williams & Jevon Carter
- Trail Blazers Receive: Nikola Vucevic
- Bulls Receive: DeAndre Ayton
The Magic are in big need of a real rim protector and Robert Williams is a high-level rim defender. His biggest detriment to the Magic would be his spacing as he'd occupy driving lanes for Banchero and Wagner. The other side of this trade is more of a funny scenario to me as I think the Bulls front office would do this trade to prop up a former #1 pick as a sign to the fans that they are serious about contending, which they arenât.
Cleveland Cavaliers - Cavs Receive: Lebron James (Sign-and-Trade) & Kelly Olynyk
- Lakers Receive: Darius Garland & Georges Niang
- Raptors Receive: Jarrett Allen, 2024 1st via CLE (Draft Night #20), 2025 2nd via MIL, 2027 2nd via DEN
Preface: This only works if Lebron wants out. The Cavs get to roll organically into the Lebron farewell tour and try to retain Mitchell long-term by pairing him with Lebron. Lebron, Mitchell, and Mobley have a very similar feel to the Lebron, Wade, and Bosh Heat⌠not quite as good of course but the archetypes are there. Also, pick up a stretch five in Olynyk which Lebron would appreciate. The Lakers have limited leverage because Lebron can opt out, so they might as well get an All-Star level talent in return for him. Raptors just try to get in the mix, by picking up a young center and some draft capital.
Milwaukee Bucks - Bucks Receive: Cody Martin
- Hornets Receive: Pat Connaughton & Andre Jackson Jr
Donât have much to say here. Pat Connaughton is probably the one contract they could/should move to snag a veteran whoâs a bit younger than Pat but with more versatility at the wing spot, theyâd pray for Cody Martin to pop off their bench. I just donât see Doc playing young guys unless his hand is forced. Hornets take a flier on Jackson. You could toss in some protected seconds to the Bucks to replenish their draft stores.
New York Knicks - Knicks Receive: Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III & 2025 2nd via CHA or MIN
- Trail Blazers Receive: Bojan Bogdanovic, 2025 1st via MIL, 2025 1st via WAS (will likely convey as 2 seconds in 2027) & 2025 2nd via BKN
Who knows how a 36-year-old Bojan recovering from a foot injury will look next year? They'll likely lose Hartenstein in free agency (if they don't use his bird rights) and will need someone who can play a similar role. Get some athletic freaks and depth that Thibs can use to carry out his war crimes.
Trailblazers eat the Bogdanovic contract for draft capital.
Boston Celtics - Celtics Receive: Corey Kispert
- Wizards Receive: Jaden Springer, Neemias Queta, 2024 1st via BOS (#30) & 2027 2nd via POR or NOP
Thereâs something about Kispert that feels like he should be a Celtic⌠I donât know what it is. The Câs need win-now contributors and could look to move the 30th pick. Kispert is a solid rotation guy that the Wizards like and would be somewhat hard to pluck him from them. I think itâd be worth a shot for the Câs to kick the tires and find out his value.
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2024.05.21 04:19 SE81_Skiman Not guilty
Hereâs the reason the TV doesnât report on the facts: THEY ARE PROTECTING THE SYSTEM. The ramifications of all cops being clueless racist dolts is too much to bear for society at large.
Denise Pilnak was a neighbor of Nicoleâs. Her telephone bill shows she was on the phone from 10:25 PM and 10:28 PM. Prior to making this phone call, she and her friend noted how quiet the neighborhood was. Several minutes later between 10:33 and 10:35 PM, she testified thatâs when she began to hear the sound of a barking dog, which is likely when the murders began. Allan Park testified to seeing OJ near the front door of the Rockingham estate at 10:55 PM, and his telephone records also document that. That leaves less than 25 minutes to commit the murders, drive back home, get rid of the evidence, etc.
Both Nicole and Ron had defensive wounds. Ron in particular was in hand to hand combat with whoever killed him, yet OJ had no injuries. The cut on his finger wasnât seen by anyone who interacted with him at the airport, on the airplane ride to Chicago, nor when he immediately landed in Chicago. This includes people who got autographs from him, shook hands with him, and observed his hands. A broken glass was also found in his hotel room and it was documented he asked for a bandage at the hotel.
The FBI searched all of OJâs and Nicole's credit card records and there was never any receipt found belonging to either of them that showed a purchase of Bruno Magli shoes. Every store that sold the shoes in the country was also searched, and they couldn't find anyone who sold him the shoes. The only proof of him owning them are the National Enquirer photos, which show him wearing suede shoes on a very rainy day. It was also found that the shoe soles that were said to be OJ's footprint were actually more popular than the prosecution maintained, the manufacturer sold the pattern to numerous shoe lines.
1.5 millimeters of OJâs blood went missing from its vial. Thanos Peratis, the nurse who withdrew his blood, initially testified that he withdrew 8 millimeters. He took that back when only 6.5 appeared and the prosecution suggested he was mistaken. About a decade later he admitted to William Dear that he was certain he withdrew 8 millimeters because it was the amount he had drawn from patients all of his career, but he was close to retirement and had health problems so he didnât want to cause any trouble.
The glove found at Bundy contained none of OJâs DNA. The other glove found at Rockingham only contained his DNA in the area where Collin Yamauchi testified to spilling OJ's reference blood sample while handling it.
An identical knit cap matching the knit cap found lying on the ground next to one of the gloves was found in Nicoleâs house. Those caps likely belonged to Sydney and Justin Simpson.
Two different people, John Meraz and William Blasini, encountered the Bronco at the lot where it had been impounded days after the murders. They both looked inside it for blood and testified they saw none. There was also only 1/8th of one drop of blood ever found inside it.
New York Times best selling author and journalist Stephen Singular was connected by an anonymous source within the LAPD about the case a few weeks after the murders. He was told Mark Fuhrman made an undocumented trip to Rockingham in the early morning hours after the murders looking for evidence that would incriminate OJ. Rosa Lopez, a housekeeper for OJâs next door neighbor, testified to hearing menâs voices coming from the yard of Rockingham in the early morning.
The source told Singular that Fuhrman used a broken piece of fence from Bundy to pick up one of the two gloves found and placed it in a blue plastic bag. Next, he was told Fuhrman removed the glove from the plastic bag and planted it at Rockingham. A broken piece of fence was eventually found at Bundy and a blue plastic bag was found at Rockingham, and both were introduced as evidence in the trial.
He was also told EDTA would be found in some of the blood evidence if tested, lab technicians had mishandled OJâs blood samples, vials of OJâs, Nicoleâs, and Ron's blood were in possession of an LAPD detective for several hours before being booked into evidence, and that Fuhrman had been acquainted with Nicole in some way.
Singular relayed this information from the source to the defense team and was in communication with them for awhile. Pretty much all of it checked out, including an investigation conducted by the LAPD's Internal Affairs Division which revealed that Fuhrman was overheard by other LAPD officers bragging about being intimate with Nicole and seeing her boob job before she was murdered.
There were 17 fingerprints lifted from the Bundy crime scene that didnât belong to OJ or any of the police officers involved in the case.
Brett Cantor ran a nightclub called The Dragonfly where Ron worked for him as a waitepromoter. Nicole was also a regular at the club. He was murdered a year before them in almost exactly the same way, by being stabbed repeatedly in the upper body and being nearly decapitated. Judge Ito ruled the defense team could review his case. His murder remains unsolved.
Casimir Sucharski, a friend of OJ's, was murdered alongside two female companions in his house in Florida by people with machine guns two weeks after Ron and Nicole were murdered.
Michael Nigg was friends with Ron and also worked at the Mezzaluna restaurant. He was murdered a year later in 1995 by being shot in the head after refusing to give his money to two men outside an ATM. The men who shot him didn't end up taking his money. His murder remains unsolved.
Not saying these murders are necessarily related to each other but it does make you wonder since all of these people reportedly led similar lifestyles which involved the use of cocaine. Faye Resnick, a cocaine addict, was also living with Nicole just days before the murders.
If you listen to the full 1993 911 call, OJ was mostly yelling about drugs and hookers being in the house. When police officers responded to the call, Nicole told the responding officers that OJ hadnât hit her in four years. After the 1989 domestic violence incident, OJ added an addendum to their prenuptial agreement which stated that if he struck Nicole again, she wouldâve been entitled to a settlement of more than 5 million dollars.
OJ wasn't scheduled to be in LA during that week. He had been busy working and made a last minute decision to come back for Sydney's recital. Video taken of him afterwards shows him in a good mood, kissing his kids and the Brownâs goodbye.
Christian Reichardt spoke with OJ on the phone an hour before the murders and testified his demeanor was jovial and not indicative of a simmering murderous rage.
His telephone records also show he made phone calls trying to set up dates with a few models, one of which he told he was unattached to anyone. If he was in a jealous rage over Nicole, why was he trying to date other women?
After the bodies were discovered, Sydney told the police she heard her mommy (Nicole) fighting & crying with her best friend (Faye Resnick) on the phone earlier that night.
Sydney was planning to have a sleepover that night with one of her friends. According to family and friends who attended the recital and dinner, OJ was aware of this. Committing a murder with all those extra witnesses and the possibility of having the kids hurt or things getting out of control, in addition to having a flight to catch, doesnât make sense.
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2024.05.21 04:10 HannahAveryWrites Army Affair: CH 1
As the title implies, this is the first in a series of stories about affairs I had in the military. I've never been married, not really interested in being married, but I have been with four married men in my life. In each case, I knew what I was doing, but I loved the rush of doing something I shouldn't as much as I liked the relationship itself. I'll save you all the negative comments. I was the homewrecking whore, etc, etc. If that's what you're here to comment about, save your breath, I'll just block you so people who want to actually read my content don't have to deal with you. If this is your sort of story, I'd love to hear your feedback on content or how I can improve my writing! One quick author's note, i will not be using people's real names or naming specific units that my stories happened in. I was never caught in my sexual affairs, no wives found out and left their husband over me, and no one's military career ended because of me and I intend to keep it that way. This is for fun writing, not doxing someone's past transgressions to the world. Also let me know if you want to see more stories! <3 Hannah
First, a little about me. I'm 5'5ish, 135ish depending on the day, and have dark brown hair that falls part way down my back with brown eyes. My mom is a Crow and my dad is Italian so the olive complexion genes are active in my family. I've got a fairly petite/athletic build with a 32B chest and a toned butt. My nipples are dark brown, on the smaller side, and I shave everywhere. I'm a fan of tattoos and have a feather on my foot, flower pieces on my right hip into my lower ribs, left shoulder, and lower back, a small script piece in my left side bra line, a green carebear in my left bikini line and a large dream catcher down my left ribs. If there's a detail I've left out, feel free to ask ;)
Without further ado, my story:
I was an 18 year old private, 92F (fuel handler) working on a base in the heart of Bourbon Country. It was a huge culture shock for me, coming from a small town in Maine to a massive military base with more people in my division than my home town. I honestly felt a little lost and overwhelmed, which probably contributed to why I sought out a relationship where I felt wanted. It's easy on a base like that to feel completely ignored. My unit had long been integrated and was about 30-40% female on any given day, so no I wasn't getting hit on constantly, and no I wasn't sleeping with every guy in my barracks.
Speaking of my living situation, I was in a 4-story building with all of the junior enlisted soldiers in my battalion. There wasn't open bays and there wasn't all girls areas. We roomed by company in our own room with a bedroom, closet, bathroom, and a fridge/sink/1 burner stove setup by the door as a kitchenett. Barracks could definitely be a wild time, similar to a college dorm but contrary to your favorite porno, gangbang orgies with 20 guys "running a train" are something I never saw or heard of in my 4 years living there and I was/am a fairly sexually active adult.
Given my situation of being totally new and massively out of my element in terms of culture shock, I quickly turned to Bumble to help sort out my dating scene because the base really was a city and everyone is pretty insular when it comes to their unit, so trying to meet guys who also aren't your coworkers means turning to the swipe game. After a few days online and connections with everyone from the local off base that definitely has fewer teeth than fingers to the obviously fake bot that just screams scam, and swiping left on some guys from my own company (hey, 18-25 year old demographic has the same needs, I get it), I finally matched with a 26 year old, Dustin, from another brigade on our post.
Given 10 seconds on Dustin's profile, I could tell he was an officer and anyone with 10 seconds to spare on my profile could tell I was junior enlisted, but we matched anyway. He was handsome in a gentle sort of way. Sandy brown hair in a military cut, athletic features that let you know he was fit without screaming chiseled gymrat, and a style that screamed more laid back homebody than the stereotypical "bro vet" vibe that you get with some young officers....and a ton of junior enlisted. I took a pause and decided to message him despite knowing our ranks didn't line up because the way I saw it, we were in totally seperate brigades and there'd be no reason we would ever interact or influence eachother at work.
A few minutes later I got a reply back and soon I was texting back and forth getting to know a genuinely sweet guy with a love of the outdoors, fishing, camping, and an eye for photography, particularly some truly astounding landscape photos. The conversation came easy and I found myself happy to have a guy so interested in me. Before I got completely swept off my feet, I brought up the elephant in the room and mentioned that I was an E2 and he was an O3. He dropped the bombshell that "yeah but I'm just a guy on staff, that's not a big issue, the real issue is I need to be discreet because I'm married. Please don't hate me"
Boom. Of course the super easy to talk to makes me feel wanted and moves past my mention of our rank differences drops the counter-bomb of he has a wife. In all of my 18 years I thought I would have run away instantly. Nope. Not me. I was intrigued. I didn't run away, and I came to find out that his wife was doing a year long internship with a major corporation out of state and only really came to visit on long weekends and holidays. So Dustin had turned to Bumble to fill a piece of his love life that was currently 4 states away. Not ideal I told myself, but at least she isn't like...here on post with him and he's not coming home because he's with someone else...right? To 18 year old me trying to convince myself it was okay to be with the guy I obviously was attracted to it was sound logic. It worked. I replied back that I was up for seeing what happened with the understanding that no one was gonna leave their wife over this and no one was gonna get anyone in trouble over the rank thing.
A week of texting back and forth after moving off Bumble found Dustin and I building a fast relationship that came with similar interests and easy conversation. He wasn't overly pushy about becoming anything romantic and wasn't like "Omg send nudes". I guess he was feeling this whole thing out as much as I was. Eventually I got the text one evening of "you know you look really good in that pic you have with your friends at the beach on your profile"...I know the one. I'm wearing an electric blue string sided bikini that has pretty full coverage, rides moderately low on my hips and has basic triangle cups and string ties for the top. Okay, Dustin likes me in a bikini...this is the first obvious flirting from Dustin and I decide to be a little bold and sent him a mirror selfie in the generic black bra I had worn under my uniform that day with my uniform pants still on. I get a reply back in some stereotypical guy lingo that he really likes what he sees. I told him that if he wanted to hang out, I wouldn't put my uniform shirt back on. Cue the FaceTime call, yes Dustin I will video chat with your handsome shirtless self while wearing a bra and my uniform pants thank you very much. We talked for at least an hour and things didn't turn super sexual or anything but we did agree we needed a date that weekend. The week ahead though definitely saw a spike in "tension" between us.
I was more than a little excited by the prospect of being with someone again. I had had a little fling during AIT, but since coming to my first duty station, I had been in a bit of a dry spell. Bumble had finally come through for me, and the combined rush of potentially being with a guy again, plus the fact he was one of those forbidden officers, and married? I was on edge. I definitely had my moments of "holy shit I shouldn't be doing this" but those feelings were replaced by a feeling of almost insatiable excitement that had me counting down the days to Saturday. For the first time since highschool, I found myself putting some serious effort into some scandalous but not too "revealing" snaps to Dustin, teasing him with a peak of which panties I wore to work today, or hoping in the shower after PT with just my black Army tshirt on and sending a pic of it clinging to every curve and hiding just enough below my waist. Like I said, hard-core tease mode for four whole days.
Flash forward to Saturday and I was in my barracks room, getting ready to meet a guy I was 100% falling for just a little and I decided that no matter what happened tonight, I was not gonna be the girl who gives it all up on the first date. Definitely set myself up to potentially cock block myself, but I saw it as I didn't want to be the girl he slept with and left, I wanted to continue to tease him and leave him wanting more. I wanted him to want me. I slipped into a pair of almost painted on skinny jeans with a cute teal thong underneath with a black tanktop and matching pushup bra on top. I drove to Dustin's house somewhere in the on base housing that I'd never been and took a deep breath before walking to the door.
This was it. I was the new Private about to go see a married officer behind his wife's back. I almost chickened out and drove away, but found myself ringing the doorbell and quickly being invited in, pulled into a warm hug and a "wow you look even cuter in person" from the handsome man of my DMs, Dustin. He had apparently spent the day smoking some brisket because he had quite the spread laid out for us in the dining room as I got a quick tour of the common spaces of his home. Definitely nicer than my barracks room.
Dinner accompanied the two of us loudly cheering on a random football game on TV, sorta snuggled on the couch but at a "almost together " sort of distance. There were all sorts of reasons for us to brush up against eachother and it was almost this cat and mouse game of how far do we go as the evening progressed. Don't get me wrong, there was a ton of conversation and it came just as naturally as it had online, but now we had the palpable tension of two of us who had never been this far deciding where the limit for tonight would be.
Eventually Dustin cut the tension, saying, "you really do love to tease don't you?". Yes. Let's talk about how I've driven you wild for days and now you want me. I leaned into him, kissed him quickly but firmly on the lips before pulling away, leaving an inch between us as I looked into his eyes and whispered "yes sir". I found my face immediately in his hands, my lips pressed to his and our tongues intertwined. I gasped as he suddenly held me close and we made every effort to close any space between us as we passionately made out, his fingers running through my hair, my nails scraping his back over his tight tshirt and soon I was hot, breathless, and sure I wanted more.
I pulled away and told him he didn't get all of me tonight but he could still have dessert. I had him sit up on the edge of the couch and pulled his shorts to the floor, tossing them aside towards an end table holding pictures of him and his wife and our dirty dishes from dinner. I in turn lifted my tanktop off over my head, unclasped my black pushup bra and let it fall to the floor, kneeling between Dustin's spread legs as my small brown nipples hardened into firm nubs in arousal. I pulled back my long brown hair and tied it in a messy ponytail before bringing my face down to his firm, six inches between his legs.
I teased the length of his shaft with the tip of my tongue, feeling him twitch in expectation as I repeatedly, softly traced his length before circling his tip and heading back down the way I came. I grasped his base and swallowed half his length in one wet mouthful, a gasp of pleasure escaping his lips as my own pushed further towards his base, attempting to take his entire firm cock before the tip slipped down into my throat, triggering a slight gag reflex as I tightened around his shaft and I came up for air, a slight trail of drool connecting my lips to his tip. I stroked his now well lubed cock in a twisting motion as I asked him if his little private was doing well for him. A hand on the back of my head guiding me back to his shaft told me this wasn't too far for him. I swallowed him nearly to his base, grasping him with one hand as my free hand unbuttoned my jeans and slipped into the front of my now soaked panties, the arousal of the situation I found myself bringing me close to an edge myself.
I worked Dustin's shaft with a bobbing head, sucking lips and twisting hand that matched the rhythm I was working against my clit with the hand buried in my jeans. I increased my pace, with Dustin's hand making sure I still brought myself far enough down his length as my own pleasure came more and more to the forefront as my now soaked vagina craved more attention. I popped off his cock as I felt it begin to swell and told him to stand up as I scooted back from the couch, kneeling between his legs, looking up at him as one hand held my jeans open while the other furiously rubbed my clit as I came close to cumming myself. I moaned for Dustin to cum for me as I looked up at him, the inner walls of my vagina clenching in orgasm as the filthy phrase left my lips and I was greeted with thick streams of cum shooting over my head before falling on my uplooking face and bare breasts and Dustin climaxed after an apparently decent dry spell.
I knelt between his legs, cum covering my face and chest, my own arousal soaking my panties and in that moment I felt like the hottest woman on earth. I made a man forget his entire world and do this with me in a home that wasn't mine but his. I was addicted to the rush. Dustin reached down and offered me a hand to pull me up. He led me topless to the guest bathroom where I cleaned up, washing my face and chest before walking back to the livingroom and redressing. Neither of us made mention of the line we had just crossed together, but we sat on the couch, now cuddled like a couple with the ice broken and finished the football game that had been forgotten awhile ago.
After the game we both agreed that I should probably get going, but we agreed to see eachother again and made a date for a midweek hangout. I kissed Dustin goodnight and drove back to my barracks in my still wet panties that I hadn't changed out of. I sent Dustin a snap in them, a wet spot still visible in the front with a caption "the things you do to me(; "...needless to say he was proud of himself. I went to bed dreaming of what could come from this, and truly happy to feel wanted, even if it was from a man who wasn't all mine.
Thank you all for reading this far. Again, like I said before, any rude comments will just get you a block. If that's what you need to do to feel good about yourself, so be it. For those of you who enjoyed this, please let me know if you'd like to read more! I'm always open to constructive feedback and critiques to improve my writing! Have a great evening! <3 Hannah
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2024.05.21 04:03 AutumnFanatic 22 [M4F] #Online - Hi! Nerdy guy feeling lonely because I get zero social interaction and looking for an intimate connection
Why did the farmer drive his tractor to the pharmacy? He wanted to visit the farm-assist!
Hi and welcome to my post! Wanted to start off with a funny to me dad joke.
Nice to meet you, I'm Dylan! To put it simple, I am a single 22 year old man who has been pretty lonely in life and lacking human connection. And part of what comes with that is the desire to be intimate with a person. I am very mature for my age and will always be respectful of your boundaries and feelings, especially with anything sexual. Lately all I have is myself when it comes to sexual desires, so I would like to have someone to keep company with in that regard too.
I'm just relaxing at work tonight as it's a slow day. Thinking about going home and burning a woodwick candle. I love candles! đŻď¸ Sometimes a campfire outside on a fall night or a crackling WoodWick candle is a relaxing constant among our busy and hectic world. It's nice to just disconnect, feel grounded and happy in your own little cozy space. Feeling calm and collected and at peace. Something that fewer people take the time to do these days.
I am seeking a woman around my age or older to build a close connection with that could possibly lead to a something intimate which includes the possibility of teasing/sharing pics etc. but only when we were comfortable. Figured I would be open in my Intentions as that's the best way to be.
You:
Kind, respectful, and easy going.
Comfortable with the idea of eventually sharing intimate things together.
Willing to eventually move off of Reddit.
Want something genuine and fun!
Are honest in your intentions and a good person to be around!
That's about it, we will get along great I know it.
I've been feeling a little bummed out lately. I always try and stay happy and see the best in things. But.. I've just been so alone. Most of my whole childhood and adult years have been spent feeling lonely. I grew up surrounded by cornfields which was peaceful but also has a lonely aspect to it. My family never really were close and never did anything as a family really. And part of it too is the fact that I never had any neighbors my age to interact with. But aside from that, my adult life has been very lonely. I'm just always by myself. I barely have any meaningful adult relationships or experiences, or even any friends.
I work a 3-11 job in building maintenance at my company world headquarters building which I love, but again it's very lonely. I work the off shift so the building is always empty. I don't get normal social interaction with people my age or a chance to build relationships. I only have 3 older men as co-workers and we are mostly in the basement away from any people on the floors from knowing our existence. I always walk the floors and see office people laughing and chatting with their coworkers and I just don't have that kind of experience. And just.. no one knows I exist really. Everyone probably assumes I have a lot of friends, but I'm struggling inside with being so alone and trying to meet people and get past the "hi how are you?" "I'm good thanks" stage. Most people don't seem to want to talk beyond that. And most women are already in relationships and thus it would seem weird to approach them in an office setting trying to get to know them deeper. But man those "hi how are yous" are the only real interactions I get during my day.. so thus I decided to come here lol. Rant over, sorry! I promise I'm not a downer. đ
Now for some things about me!
I am left handed which is pretty cool. I'm not much of a party person or a drinker, I much prefer a quiet night at home and maybe a beer or two on a weekend but that's about it. I am simple and stay out of drama and trouble and don't get much into politics or other things that cause drama with people. I much prefer a relaxing campfire and a night at home and to just let the world keep on turning haha. I consider myself pretty intelligent and mature, especially for my age which is why I'm open to older ladies.
Physically I'm 180 pounds, have brown hair, green eyes, and a typical build. There's a few pictures on my profile.
Some of my hobbies are:
⢠Photography
I have a Nikon D200 and D5500 that I love to shoot with. I love nature scenes, abstract, black and white/goth kinda photography, sunsets, etc. it's so fun to just let your mind explore. It's not about what camera you have, but those who are behind the camera!
⢠Cooking and baking
I loveeee to cook and bake! I enjoy making various meals but also love to just have a frozen pizza once in awhile or something like that. I recently made homemade chili which turned out great. I love to bake, especially in the fall! I love pies, cakes, pastries, cookies, etc. I restored a vintage KitchenAid mixer that needed tbe gearbox rebuilt. Eventually I would love to practice home canning my own food.
⢠Music
Oh my gosh, I like so much!! Alternative rock, punk, post punk, electronic, synth pop, psychedelic rock, hard rock, etc. I am very non judgemental and open when it comes to music. My three current favorite bands are Type O Negative, Joy Division, and the Cure.
⢠Nature walks and camping
I really enjoy camping, making fires, and relaxing by a campfire. I love to take walks outside and just enjoy the beauty and simplicity of nature. It's wonderful, especially in a world so focused on everything digital.
⢠Repairing things
I'm a maintenance guy and one of my hobbies is electronics repair so I am good with my hands and just all around good at troubleshooting and fixing all sorts of things around the house. Last week I helped my elderly neighbor get his tractor started, it needed a new component in the starting circuit. So I'm pretty handy which... Comes in handy! đ
⢠Autumn đ
This isn't a hobby per say, but man do I love the fall!!! It's my absolute favorite time of the year. Oh my gosh. The beautiful colors, crisp cool air, misty and foggy days, rain, lack of bugs, being cuddled up with a candle or by the fire drinking a tea, etc. I love it! There's only two seasons for me. Fall, and waiting for fall! Haha.
⢠Scented Candles and incense
Going along with my love for fall, I absolutely love candles! I have like 30 something lol. đ Currently my favorite are WoodWick, which are owned by Yankee candle. They have such a soothing crackle and the scents are great! I also love to burn incense from time to time as well. I have cottagecore hippie vibes.
⢠Old houses and architecture
I love old houses! Especially 1900s and Victorian era homes. Old homes have so much character to them and are just so beautiful from a time when people took pride in their craft. I strongly dislike the modern cookie cutter cheap construction of homes today. I would love to live in an old home one day. I also love their architecture and uniqueness, as well as architecture of old cathedrals and other buildings.
⢠Relaxing
Basic I know, but sometimes on the weekend I just love to get cozy in bed and relax and put on a YouTube video or an album! đ
That's about it for me, I'm a pretty laid back and simple person. My ideal person is someone who is respectful and honest! I am very straightforward and open minded and would hope that you are as well.
If I seem interesting to you at all I would love to hear from you!
Thank you so much for reading.
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2024.05.21 01:09 Majestic-Peace-3037 I feel as though I'm finally "living" as a woman; a rant
I spent my years as a little girl trying so hard to be anything else OTHER than "just a little girl" because I was raised in a heavily religious and Latino household where being born a girl basically determined that you'd be forgotten and ignored. Any accomplishments you put in the effort to complete in the hopes of maybe some sort of parental attention was almost always steamrolled over to make room for other sub-par things your brother, uncles, or nephews did.
So I became this little angry girl who studied hard. Up until puberty at 11 quickly beat my spirit to pieces with a wave of depression that wouldn't ever fully go away or recede far enough into the horizon enough for me to get comfortable ever again in my skin without fear of drowning in my own emotions that at that time I simply labeled "useless and stupid."
I was 5 years old when I remember my Dad ripping and cutting these little heart shaped dangly charms off of the hem of a pastel printed dress I really liked. He didn't like that they skimmed my little kid ankles. He called the outfit "whore practice" clothing and made sure I knew only girls "asking for bad attention" wore "outfits like that." I quickly stopped wearing my earrings too as he once yelled at my mom so hard about the size of these tiny hoop earrings she had once put on me. He accused my mom of buying me "adult" earrings so after that she never got me another pair. To make matters worse he abused my mother, oftentimes ruining her dresses and outfits too because he claimed she was "dressing to get another man" so she could leave.
I had to be the strong one, at 7 years old. I would sometimes watch Cardcaptor Sakura (when it aired in English in the U.S., late 90s/early 00's) or Sailor Moon and I would draw pictures of what I imagined I would look like if I had a cool magical dress. These girls got to fight crime while being pretty. Pam Grier could fight crime and look gorgeous, but I had to watch her in secret on my own time. Tarantino really hit me hard with how strong he makes his female leads too. I mean sure yeah weirdo foot stuff, but Uma Thurman is depicted as this angel faced beautiful charming woman but who is dedicated and deadly and can kill if her life is at stake or anyone tries to get in her way. The women in Death Proof totally kicked ass while being pretty at the same time. I had a girl crush on She-Ra and also on Star Fire and Lady Death from the horror comics my uncle would borrow and I'd find, not even realizing how raunchy the art was. The women were strong. The women were fiercely beautiful. They could fight.
My mom would then marry another idiot when I was 10. A conservative raised little mommy's boy shit stain of a man who took joy in picking on literal children for things they could not control. Total narcissist. His mom was a 1950's housewife who had passed away but her control over how he dressed and acted eventually spilled onto me. Why am I in a dress today? which boy am I trying to impress? Nevermind that it's 96 degrees Fahrenheit in a middle school with no A/C, I MUST be wearing a knee length skirt at 12 because OBVIOUSLY a boy told me to wear it so he could touch me.....there was no rational thinking. I was taught that being even a little feminine or expressing femininity was a definite horrendous declaration of "omgeee please touch me, I'm stupid and want 100 babies!!!" By 14 years old I didn't own a single other skirt or dress except for some black dresses meant for funerals and one white skirt I buried in the back of the closet.
I ate my feelings. I ate and ate and ate and ate because I felt so empty. I was limited from 14 to 17 to only big flared oversized jeans and boys tshirts. My stepfather was a big believer in clearing your plate plus he just loved food. He was over 400 lbs himself, and while my siblings and I didn't go to regular doctors exams we simply just gained weight recklessly as we would be punished for leaving anything behind on our plates while our stepfather would make weekly $300 purchases on more and more and more just food food food. So then, at 14, I just had no idea I would never see 225lbs again until over a decade later. By 16 I was nearing 300 lbs and wanted to die. I was watching other more normal healthy weighted girls grow into beautiful women all around me. Filling out dresses, wearing cute tops, actually being able to purchase clothing they liked with no worries. I'll never forget shopping for the dress I wore for my Senior Yearbook photos. My mom planned a "girls day out" for us to go and find a dress at a mall. I was ecstatic. I asked my mother maybe 15 times if she was SURE and CERTAIN we were going to get me a dress. The literal DAY OF the trip my stepfather had a "change of heart" and insisted the entire family go to the mall together. I found a dress. Bright Teal/Blue. Checker patterned. It had a wide rounded scoop neck, a very flowy skater-type skirt, and the Mannequin at the store had the dress paired with red flats and these beautiful blue-bird earrings. I put the dress on and in that instant I just felt so pretty that I almost forgot who I was and out loud asked "are you FUCKING serious?!" when I stepped out of the fitting room with it on and my stepdad just kept loudly snorting and laughing at me. He made me put that beautiful dress back and honestly my heart was so broken that even 7 years ago when I was 25 I was still actively looking for it on Mercari and at other Plus Size secondhand clothing sites. I ended up wearing this absolutely hideous brown and beige old woman slip style wrap dress with this ugly tacky red border. I looked like someone's secretary job having mom and the dress just further highlighted my lack of actual breasts and lack of a waist. So when Prom rolled around and my stepfather even TRIED suggesting this big shiny pretty pearlescent pink ballgown for me I bit back and DEMANDED all black. I was pissed. I had no date. I let my mom buy the Prom dress out of spite and even afterwards I cut it to pieces just for shits and giggles because I was so angry.
Then one day I actually followed through with my threats and ran away from home. I was free for the first time at 17! I could wear what I wanted!
Except I couldn't because I proceeded to pursue toxic relationships with controlling narcissistic men because of the way I was raised. The first guy insisted that me wearing a dress meant he could just have me be "free use" which I hated back then, I didn't know anything much about sex at all as I was sheltered and constantly grounded for minor shit. I totally just was not ready to be cutting potatoes for breakfast in a nightgown at 5 a.m. just to find myself mid-sex with potato skins still stuck on my hand while I'm trying to get the person to just STOP for like ONE SECOND so I can get on with wtf I was doing. FFs. The second guy decided that me wanting to wear a lot of bright colors meant he could belittle me for "listening to goth music but dressing like a total narc fed", except he would hit me. Like we were once just walking. Literally JUST walking. I was wearing just plain old brown flipflops and ran out of clothes so I threw on my old white skirt. I forgot it had little sequins sewn onto the hems. It started raining so I asked for his jacket so I could cover the skirt so it wouldn't get wet and become see through and he proceeded to slap and punch me "for making stupid decisions" and then belittled the sequins and shit as "little girly" details and decorations that I apparently should have known better than to dare to throw on just to walk to the corner store at 6 in the evening on a summer day. The skirt was ankle length, long as shit. Then I met the third guy who decided that any time I so much as wore anything that wasn't pants, it meant I was cheating. I stuck around in THAT relationship for 6 long grueling years. We didn't sleep in the same bed anymore after the second year as he would belittle me for my weight and lack of femininity, but then anytime I wore a dress it would turn into a fist fight. He would say that me wearing a dress in the house was me feeling guilty for cheating and trying to "look cuter than I normally am" so he wouldn't hurt me. He really messed my brain up. Around that time I was so desperately alone and withdrawn from everyone and everything that I would often spend weeks and weeks with no positive human interaction other than cashiering at my job I hated. I would lie and say I was working just to actually take the bus freely all over the city and I would buy cheap nightgowns from secondhand stores to wear in my room at night while I did college homework. I wasn't allowed to wear makeup with him, I wasn't allowed to wear dresses or anything pretty. Like a sad little child I would time when I knew he had to get online to play his video games and I would use that time to put on a whole face of makeup, shave my legs and wear the nightgowns just to "pretend" I was a very feminine and pretty woman in her own apartment enjoying life. It always made me cry to have to shower afterwards and take the makeup off.
I was 31 and had just been fired from one job while working my first day at a new one. I'm not sure what happened in that instant or maybe if I just had an "oh shit" moment but I just had a strong urge at that moment to just wear a dress again. I had a long week of nonstop dreaming and thinking about my 20s. How sad is it that society tries as hard as it can to make us think that our 20s are supposed to be this MAGICAL time you can NEVER get back? My 20s were so bad I'd literally probably actually toss myself off a bridge if I woke up and realized this was a dream and I'm actually still 22, homeless, dating a total shitbag who hits me, and being too traumatized to just stand up and DO SOMETHING. I also feel like there needs to be more of an understanding that not everyone's 20s are going to be awesome. My mother is a jealous asshole and didn't like that I dated three men in my 20s. She straight up believed it should be one and done since she hated herself for divorcing my Dad but SHE needed to understand that not everyone is just hunky dory OKAY with settling for the first smarmy toad that lands in their pond. I'll never forget her little shit eating grin and face when I brought #4 home and she said "oh sweetie I just hope you one day find someone who can just get your toes to curl." She thought all the break ups were strictly sex related. I asked her and she just steamrolled over it with "well you cant just dump everyone the second they turn you down for sex or ask for more, sometimes you need to be patient!" Like excuse me? Ah yes because as a woman in her 20s it was *impossible* for anyone to think that most of my break ups were about my money being stolen, people not keeping a job, apartments always having "surprise new roommates" that never clean their messes, or straight up abuse. Nope. Both of my parents and most of my relatives apparently assumed any break up between 20-somethings is just "lol, the sex is bad." As if we don't have any sort of character depth to us.
So I guess the point of this is that I am beyond grateful that 31 and 32 coming soon here are bringing me these sudden realizations that I probably should've had in my 20s. Its liberating to wear a damned dress to work and not WORRY about 1478349237498743987 scenarios that can go wrong. Its so much fun to finally fully dive into makeup and what different things do and what they're for. I feel like when I dress up and feel good about myself its truly just for me and it brings me joy. Not even 6 years ago I would have been absolutely panicking about the dresses in my closet I've collected but today I finally wore one outside. Its a skater dress and very flowy and I feel pretty and unafraid. I feel like I can do anything even dressed this way. I feel like this is what being in your 30s is supposed to be. Finally not giving a shit what other people think and accepting that different people feel pretty doing different things. Wearing a dress or dressing up shouldnt make you feel powerless
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