#especially since it had zachary levi in it

[thejacksmit]

First Take: Shazam!: Fury of the Gods - one in, all in

SYNOPSIS: Two years on from the events of the original film, Billy Batson and his band of foster kids turned superheroes take on a new enemy - the Sisters of Atlas - as only they know how

We all remember where we were on that weekend in 2019. You know the one. I was in a radio studio at UCLan reviewing the first Shazam film, and bigging up DC’s latest combobreaker at the time- a lot has happened since then, as we have waited for the sequel to arrive. After a lengthy delay, partly due to Covid, but mostly due to the restructure currently underway at DC’s film department (spearheaded by James Gunn), it is finally here. And sadly it just isn’t quite as playful as the first one was.

David F Sandberg returns to helm this sequel, and coming in at 2 hours 10 minutes, it packs a lot in to a relatively short runtime (for this kind of film), but like with a lot of DC’s output lately, it doesn’t know which kind of film it wants to be - sure, the light nature of the first one is still there, but the script from Henry Gayden and long-time Fast and Furious writer Chris Morgan takes the ‘Shazamily’ to darker places, ones which could be worthy of 15 certificates rather than 12s, but sadly the key problem it has is with the predictable plot. We have literally seen all of this story before- luckily it passes the 6 laugh test, which is all you can ask for with a movie of this nature. As for the other technical aspects, Gyula Pados’ cinematography is great, and taking over scoring duties is Christophe Beck - a man who knows how to score a film like this.

The cast are brilliant though, with Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody, Grace Caroline Currey, Ross Butler, Ian Chen, DJ Cotrona, Jovan Armand, Meagan Good and Faithe Herman all returning as the heroes and kids respectively, and joining them this time round is a real triple threat of Lucy Liu, Dame Helen Mirren, and last year’s breakout star (and hot off the heels of working with Spielberg) Rachel Zegler as the sisters of Atlas. It is mega obvious that they all had a lot of fun on set, especially when it comes to certain major plot points, but with the wider DC reset looming, just where will the Shazam franchise lie in Mr Gunn’s priorities? Only time will tell.

THE VERDICT

It feels like the sheer amount of delays have hit the momentum of this franchise - we’ve seen lots of these kinds of sequels, especially with some of the ‘connect the dot’ plot points we have in this film, but it’s ultimately gonna break even, which is all Warner are fussed about at the minute. Whether DC can return to the absolute height of their power (like last year’s The Batman did) all hinges on The Flash now.

RATING: 3/5

#first takes

[personinthepalace]

Just finished watching She Loves Me for a midterm, and I love it!!

I can’t believe it took me this long to finally watch it haha

#I remember promising someone that I would watch it #especially since it had zachary levi in it #but oh wow the music the acting the set everything is great #now to figure out why it’s a jewel box musical #if anybody wants to help me with this midterm essay please do haha #guess what i just watched #she loves me #rambles in the palace

[titan-fodder]

Pyroclastic (Mike Zacharias x Reader)

Summary: Some would argue that the park is dead, but you know better; it’s livelier than it has been in hundreds of thousands of years, a shuddering, breathing monster finally rising to its feet after an eternity of slumber. Soon, it will open its mouth in an earth-shattering scream, and then, everyone will see.

Not dead; just waking up.

Rating: E (explicit)

Word Count: ~19.5K

Warnings: slow burn, friends to lovers, Eruri, implied Mobuhan, spelling Miche ‘Mike’, swearing, fighting, lots of nerdy shit, explicit sexual content, breeding kink

A/N: This is my contribution to the Smut Pile’s Apocalypse collab. I urge everyone to check out all the pieces on the masterlist. A big thanks to @pleasantanathema​ and @whats-her-quirk​ for being about as excited about this as I was, to @shadowworks​ for always encouraging me when I take on projects too big for my own good, and to @mindninjax​ who volunteered her husband’s expertise on this. I’m pretty proud of this piece and had a blast writing and researching for it. This is by no means scientifically accurate, but I did my best to make it realistic (as in I watched Supervolcano again and spent a lot of time on the USGS website). Also, I have been to Yellowstone exactly one (1) time in my life and was terrified the entire time which is where my fixation with it comes from. 

Enjoy~

GLOSSARY

Caldera - large basin-shaped volcanic depression with a diameter many times larger than its included volcanic vents; commonly formed when magma is withdrawn or erupted from a shallow, underground magma reservoir.*

Pyroclastic flow - A hot (typically >800 °C), chaotic mixture of rock fragments, gas, and ash that travels rapidly (tens of meters per second) away from a volcanic vent or collapsing flow front.*

Tephra -  pieces of all fragments of rock ejected into the air by an erupting volcano.

VEI - The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a relative measure of the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions.*

*definitions taken from USGS website

4  Y E A R S  B E F O R E 

Levi looks pissed when he’s on screen. He looks pissed all the time, but he looks especially pissed when he’s made to stand in front of pointed cameras and outstretched microphones. 

You can’t blame him; it’s not actually his job to deal with the press, but some years ago, Erwin had twisted his arm this way and that and convinced Levi to take over conferences.

“They understand you better,” he’d said. “You enunciate better than me. We can’t have people misunderstanding me and panicking, can we?” The blond had purposely spoken with an accent thicker than usual, and Levi had called him every name under the sun, but in the end, he’d relented, and now…

“Dr. Ackermann! Dr. Ackermann! Is it true that this has been the largest earthquake in Yellowstone since Hebgen Lake?” 

Levi squints, actually cringes at the question, then waves one of his small, bony hands. “Hebgen Lake was a major quake—7.2 on the Richter scale. This was only a 5.3, and yeah, it’s been a while since the park has had a quake larger than a three, but that doesn’t mean—”

“So, should we be worried about a supereruption?” Another reporter asks, and you clamp a hand over your mouth to keep from laughing as the light leaves your colleague’s eyes. 

Levi’s jaw slides, and he pauses, no doubt to think about how to answer because this is a delicate question, one that the general public always reads extremely far into. He’s good at keeping his expression blank, at least, probably another reason Erwin requested he take over interviews. 

“Listen,” he starts off, slate eyes locking onto the largest camera in front of him. “Yellowstone is a hub of seismic energy. It wouldn’t be the park we know and love today if it wasn’t shaking and letting off steam like it usually does, right?” This gains a few relieved chuckles from the crowd of journalists. 

“Was this earthquake bigger than the ones we’re used to? Yes. Are we monitoring each and every tremor that we pick up? Also, yes. So, don’t make yourself sick worryin’ about sh—stuff you can’t control. We’ll let you know if it’s time to worry.” He sucks his teeth for a second, waiting for his advice to wash over everyone, then adds, “Keep a bug-out bag packed, though. Not because of the volcano or anything. Just because… The world is crazy and so are people, and it’s always good to be prepared.”

They take it as a joke, laugh a little louder as Levi steps down from the podium, but you’ve worked with him long enough to know he had made the comment with serious intent. It’s a lot easier to fly out of town at a moment’s notice when you already have the necessities packed, and though he won't tell them all the facts this early on, there’s a chance that they will eventually have to evacuate, yes. 

“I fucking hate that big, blond bastard,” is the first thing Levi tells you when he’s within earshot, much less well-spoken in casual situations than when his face is being broadcasted. “Voht iff they dunt understahnd me, Lebi?” He mimics your boss badly then pantomimes an uppercut with a dramatic grunt. 

“Why’d you make him sound Russian?”

“I was trying to make him sound stupid ‘cause that’s what he is.”

“I have four doctorates,” Erwin states as he falls into step with both of you, finally moving from his little hiding place behind one of the news trucks. “I’m not stupid. And, I do not sound like that.”

“That’s what you think,” Levi grumbles, doing his best to shrug away from the larger man when Erwin slings an arm around his shoulders. It doesn’t work, and Levi ends up stumbling to keep up with Erwin’s longer strides, which only serves to irritate him further. 

“You looked good up there. I mean, you sounded good. Sounded sure, comforting…” 

You shake your head at Erwin’s obvious struggle to just not be the big weirdo that he is, but it sure is painful to watch sometimes. 

Governor Zachary takes over the conference, leaving the three of you to make your way inside the lodge that the emergency broadcast was set up outside of. Levi and Erwin bicker through the lobby then through the back doors that lead you to the jeep that you all swing yourselves into. 

The sky is still a little dusty with shaken sediment, and some of the park rangers are setting up barricades at the mouths of a couple hiking trails leading to what is now a moderately large crevasse that’s opened up in the Biscuit Basin. 

Other than that, the park doesn’t feel much different as you ride through it on your way back to the lab. The Summer sun brings with it your favorite 70 degree days, and if it weren’t for Erwin’s questionable driving, you’d be tempted to hang half your body out the window just to feel the warmth better. The faint smell of sulfur in the air is soothing at this point—the smell of activity, the smell of science, the smell of home. Geysers are still shooting boiling water to the skies. The mud pots are still bubbling like ominous cauldrons. That earthquake couldn’t have shaken too much out of place if all the geothermal spots are still behaving as they normally do.

The tires kick up rocks and dust as Erwin brakes dramatically outside of the base, right behind another familiar jeep that makes Levi roll his eyes. 

“Great. The boy scout’s here.” 

“Oh, be nice, you little grump,” Erwin chastises him. “Mike’s been nothing but kind to us since he started working here.”

“Yeah, except for the time he misjudged the depth of that puddle and—”

“Splashed you with mud, yeah, yeah, we know, Levi,” you finish for him as you slide out of the vehicle. “You bring it up every time you see the guy. We know.”

“And, didn’t he apologize afterward?” Erwin prompts.

Levi doesn’t answer, but you respond for him: “Profusely. Drove him back to the lab, offered him his spare change of clothes—”

“Useless,” Levi hisses. “The dude’s a giant.”

“Not his fault he’s…” You try not to sound too giddy when you step through the door and see the man in question. “Enormous.” 

You don’t know Mike very well, one of the newer park rangers but with a background in geology which leads him to your neck of the woods very often. The few conversations you have had with him have all been pleasant. He’s soft-spoken but obviously intelligent with good instincts about both the park’s weather and wildlife. 

He’s also the only ranger you’ve seen actually pull off the dorky park uniform, but that could just be because the different shades of green look good against his tan skin and bring out his light eyes. Even taller than Erwin and a little broader too, M. Zacharias (as his little, metal name tag reads) is a slab of a man, and yet, when he grins, it’s almost boyish. 

“Hey, Mike, what’s up?” You greet.

He turns his head to look at you, flipping shaggy hair from his face, then offers one of the soft smiles you were hoping for. “Just came to drop off some samples for Hange.”

“Disgusting,” Levi mutters just for you to hear as he passes, and you shove him hard enough to make him stumble and flip you off. 

“How’d the press conference go?” Hange asks, tossing a small, corked flask of mud from hand to hand—what you assume to be the sample—while twirling in their computer chair. The last member of your team, Moblit Berner, glances away from the holographic model he’s studying to hear the answer. 

“I think it went well,” Erwin says. “Levi handled it like a champion, as always.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, old man,” the brunet bites out, joining Moblit next to the expensive projection table in the middle of the lab. “What’re we lookin’ at?”

“I’m just running the numbers from today’s quake. The possible effects it had underground.”

“And?”

Moblit is quiet for a beat too long.

“Mobs, what is it?” 

You, Erwin, and Hange make your way over to the table, staring at the laser-lit park model and the chamber underneath it. 

“Well, in most of the scenarios, it’s fine,” Moblit tries. “Nothing to worry about.”

“And, in the others?” 

He looks to Erwin, as everyone does in times of concern. Thick eyebrows pinched together, your boss motions to the hologram. “Show us.”

Moblit punches a few things in on the app he uses to control the model, then takes a deep breath and lets it play out for everyone to see, including Mike who slowly makes his way over, curiosity apparently getting the best of him. 

At first, nothing looks to change, just a living, breathing reenactment of what you were seeing today—every geyser, every fumarole, every little rumble, every minute rise and fall of the ground sped up to be detected with the human eye. 

And then, it stops. 

“Why did it…”

“Just watch,” Moblit shushes you. 

The outline of the ground fractures in several different places, statistics for different earthquakes blinking above. The known vents of the park—every geyser, mudpot, and fumarole—are rendered inactive, and under it all, that massive chamber everyone is always so worried about begins to bulge upward and outward, growing larger and larger until…

The map shorts out, flickering then disappearing entirely, leaving the six of you staring at the space where it was shining just seconds ago. 

“Was that…” 

Erwin inhales deeply through his nose before exhaling the word that will eventually bring the nation to its knees.

"Supereruption."

3  Y E A R S  B E F O R E

Even through the thick headset, the whir of the helicopter blades is loud, a rhythm pulsing through the air strong enough to be felt in your chest right alongside your beating heart. 

Thankfully, Mike’s deep voice is loud and clear when he speaks, nodding his head to the right, “Look down at about two o’clock.”

You follow his command, tilting your head and peering down at an empty field. 

“I don’t see anything,” you say.

The microphone hanging in front of his mouth picks up his chuckle, and the sound of it echoes in your ears, making you grin albeit a little confused. 

“Exactly. That’s a big spot for bison this time of year.”

“Then why aren’t they here?”

Mike lets the chopper hover for a while, both hands still on their respective control levers. 

“Ground’s been moving too much,” he says after a few seconds of silent staring. You’d known the answer already but hearing the wildlife expert confirm it fills you with a little more dread than you’d originally harbored. “They feel things we don’t, the tiny quakes, the tremors. Stuff you only think the seismograph picks up—they feel all of it.”

“They know what’s coming,” you say more to yourself than to him. 

Mike offers you one of those charming, close-lipped smiles. “When in doubt, trust the animals.” 

A line you’ve heard him say a few times now. Mike loves everything that lives in the park, from all the common lake trout and sand cranes to the endangered grizzly bears and gray wolves. 

Trust the animals, he says. Because he trusts them. Because he loves them. 

“You wanna fly over the Grand Prismatic?” Mike asks, pulling you from your thoughts, and when you look over, you find your reflection in his mirrored aviators as he stares at you. 

His mouth quirks up at the corners, causing yours to do the same, and you nod. “Yeah, always.”

It’s your favorite view in the park, the colorful spring from up above. Mike had learned that a few months ago, and now whenever you ride in the chopper with him, he makes sure to pass over the beautiful attraction just for you.

Nearly 200° Fahrenheit with a pH of 8.7, the pool, while still dangerous due to its temperature, is one of the more moderate dangers of the national park, tame in comparison to the Norris Geyser Basin with temperatures up to 459° (a thousand meters below the surface, anyway) and a pH of about two. It’s dissolved bones—human bones. And, would claim even more if given the chance. 

You suppose that’s expected for a basin that’s sitting over a chamber of 1,500° molten magma. 

The Grand Prismatic is just as stunning today as it is every other. Its outer orange and yellow rings darken to greens and blues the further inward you look, thick steam rising from all over but more condensed over the middle. 

It was one of the park's biggest attractions, tourists flocking to the spring with their cameras, too stricken by the vivid chromaticism to listen or read about the temperatures and microbials that are responsible for the colors in the first place. 

As you hover above now, just to the side of the steam, your heart aches. There are no ignorant tourists to take pictures of the pool, the boardwalks and trails to these hot spots now blocked off once it became apparent that the earthquake that took place last year was not the last of its kind. Your team as well as the park rangers went to the park board as a unit and suggested that tourists needed to be kept away from as many geothermal features as possible, all of you with the same fear in mind: someone (or many someones) falling in. 

It's always been a risk, but now, with weekly rumblings, that risk has multiplied exponentially. All it takes is someone losing their footing on the boardwalk over the Norris Geyser Basin for serene sightseeing to turn into tragedy, and that's on a good day. Throw a 5.7 earthquake into the mix, and the park could lose an entire tour group to the heat and acid. 

It's just not a risk any of you are willing to take anymore. 

Most of the park remains open. Old Faithful continues to draw people in by the thousands. They sit and watch boiling water shoot into the sky every hour or so, clapping happily at the sight, unaware of the way you and your team hold your breath in wait, hoping for the geyser to go off on its usual schedule. 

One day it will stop. One day they'll all stop. And, then… 

"I can't believe it's all gonna be gone one day," you muse, blinking down at the prismatic pool for as long as Mike will let you. 

"Nah," the man disagrees. "Not gone. Buried, yeah, but not gone."

You snort, turn back to him with a grin and roll your eyes. "Yeah, no big deal. Just miles of pyroclast and ash, probably snow when we get thrust into another ice age 'cause of the crazy climate swing..."

"Alright, alright, I get it. The sun dimeth and the land sinketh."

"Gusheth forth steam and gutting fire," you continue grimly.

Mike turns the helicopter back toward the landing zone, saying nothing else and leaving you to take in the sights below. You're grateful for the silence; it's good for processing, for preparation. 

And, you're grateful for Mike, one of your best friends at this point—soft and kind despite his intimidating stature, smart as a whip, and just as stunning, if not more so, than the Grand Prismatic. 

"Any idea what you'll do afterward?" He asks, holding a hand out to you to help you from your seat in the chopper. 

"Not really. Survive, I guess." 

You land just a little too close to him, your face nearly coming in direct contact with his broad chest, but Mike steps back just in time, making you extend your arm, still connected at the fingers, before he drops your hand. 

"A feat all on its own," he says flatly, but he perks up as you both begin walking to the park ranger base. "Maybe you'll find another team to work on."

"I don't want to find another team," you tell him honestly. "This is my team. This is my home."

Mike hums, an understanding little sound, body warm when he gently bumps into you on the gravel pathway to the lodge. "Yeah, I know."

A geophysics major at UCLA with a specific interest in volcanology, getting to intern with the Erwin Smith at the Yellowstone supervolcano had been a dream come true. You'd expected to gain knowledge and experience—nothing more and nothing less. You'd lived out here for one summer during your graduate program, clocking the field experience you needed to get your degree and taking in everything you could. 

Back then, it felt like all you did was ask questions and get in the way. By the end of that summer, you knew every variation of Levi Ackermann's irritated sighs, every different pitch of Hange Zoe's shouts and how they correlated with their experiments. Moblit had been the newest permanent addition and was even more nervous than he is now, trying and failing to keep up with Hange (which he's much better at doing these days). 

They were all fantastic, but it had been the lead researcher who'd reeled you in. You'd never met anyone as passionate as Dr. Erwin Smith, captivated by the monster underneath the park and thrilled to share his brain with anyone willing to hold their hands out for it. Hell, he'd even helped you with your Master's thesis—hydrothermally altered mineralized systems and their seismic reflections. 

When you graduated, the Yellowstone team was the first you reached out to and the first you heard back from. Erwin said you'd been a perfect fit even as a student (which you hadn't exactly believed but definitely blushed at anyway). Mobs, Hange, and even Levi seemed happy to have you back. It was like you were meant to be here. In this park. With all of them. 

Studying the volcano and all of its properties has always been like breathing to you—natural and necessary. You move when it moves, every shake and tremor a heartbeat in your own chest, every shooting geyser like blood in your veins. The mudpots are your bubbling emotions, the fumaroles, your sense of building pressure and release.

You feel at home in the park because you trust it. Because you love it. 

You don't have room for another team in your heart, but as you walk inside the lodge next to Mike, watching as he takes off his sunglasses and grins at one of the other rangers, you think you at least have room for one more person. 

2  Y E A R S  B E F O R E

The lab has two extra bodies in it—two extra unwelcome bodies who keep getting in your way and touching things as they ask questions that no one has the answers to yet.

“When did you say this was going to happen?” The rotund state governor, Dhalis Zachary, asks for the second time since arriving, picking up a sample test tube that Moblit immediately plucks from his hand with a nervous smile.

“As I said before, it’s difficult to place a concrete timeline on an event like this,” Erwin tells the white-haired man. “We don’t exactly have in depth records of the last three eruptions, so all we have to go off of is the earth itself and our simulations.”

At the edge of the projection table, Nile Dok, FEMA director, cautiously waves a hand through the holographic model displayed in front of him. He obviously doesn’t think anyone is watching him because the slender man jumps in surprise when you snort at your desk, and his angular cheekbones take on a pink tint of embarrassment from having been caught.

He clears his throat, straightens the knot that sits over it, then turns to face Erwin and prompts, “Three eruptions before. One was a lot bigger than the others, though, right?”

Erwin nods. “Huckleberry Ridge. Over two million years ago.”

“We’re hoping—if a supereruption is to occur—it’ll be closer to the size of Mesa Falls,” you pipe up.

“Which one was that?” Zachary asks.

“One-point-three million years ago, two-hundred-and-eighty cubic kilometers of erupted materials…” Levi lists off as he makes his way over to the table with a sanitary wipe in hand. He doesn’t like people in his space, doesn’t like strangers in the lab, even (especially) government officials (“They leave fingerprints, and they breathe on everything, and they waste our fucking time.”).

“Two-hundred-and-eighty cubic kilometers… That’s the best-case scenario?” Zachary looks to Erwin, eyebrows raised high over his wire glasses.

Erwin stares at him for a moment, contemplating the best and easiest way to explain this to someone who has no real experience in the field. Eventually, he settles on, “Moblit, can you run some simulations for me?”

“Of course, sir,” the mousy scientist agrees, phone in hand and pulling up the app before the boss can even finish speaking.

Everyone gathers around the table except for Levi who steps away from it, grumbling under his breath about coming back to clean it later. He at least hits the lights, making the model easier to see as Erwin starts listing off numbers and scenarios.

“The best case, actually, is only one vent opening, maybe two. It would be something comparable to Mount St. Helen’s, though probably a bit bigger, say point-five cubic kilometers of material. It would be necessary to evacuate the park and this region of the state at the very least.”

Zachary hums, “And, how likely is that?”

Erwin shrugs. “Hard to say right now. As the earthquakes increase, though, the likelihood of a small eruption like that, uh, dwindles.”

“Small,” Nile scoffs.

Zachary makes a similar noise, slightly louder, a little more offended, then rattles off, “Mount St. Helen’s killed almost sixty people. The blast, the ash, the lahars—” as if you don’t all already know.

“No one’s discounting the damage of the eruption,” Levi cuts him off. “But, if you’re sweatin’ at those numbers, all due respect, Governor, I don’t know if you’re ready to stomach the rest of this little light show.”

The older man cuts his eyes at Levi who squints right back at him, only turn and shuffle over to his desk when Erwin waves him further away, a silent way of saying ‘keep your smart mouth away from the authority figures’.

“Moving on,” you cough, twirling a finger to get both Erwin and Mobs to continue.

“Yes,” Erwin nods. “So, any eruption is dependent on how much magma in the chamber is eruptible magma. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean it will come out.”

Moblit punches in a few numbers to show what a small-scale eruption would look like, first with one vent then with two.

“With just that amount, even with two vents, it isn’t enough to completely destabilize the chamber.”

“And, destabilizing it would be… bad…” Nile states more than asks, brown eyes lit up by the model in front of him.

“No shit,” everyone hears Levi grumble from his desk, and Erwin huffs and looks at you, expression a little exasperated as he jerks a thumb back toward the grumpy man in yet another one of his silent motions— a plea in this case—'go take care of him’ which you do.

Levi is slumped in his computer chair, arms crossed over his chest as he peers over his desktop at the four men gathered around the hologram.

“Should’a just gone with Hange and the boy scout to collect samples when I had the chance,” he mutters.

“You hate collecting samples, especially sulfur samples. Which is what they’re getting now.”

“Yeah, well I hate these guys even more.” He says it quietly enough so that they won’t be able to hear, and even if they could, both Governor Zachary and Nile are too invested in the information that the scientists are giving them to pay attention to anything else.

“What’d they ever do to you?” You push, curious now because sure, Levi has always been the surliest of the team, but it’s rare that he’s surly and loud about it.

“Nothing. They have done nothing because they don’t belong here. They have no idea—no fucking idea—what’s about to happen.” You can hear his frustration even through his whispers. “Best case scenarios? Why are we even going over those? We know damn well that we’re not looking at one or two vents. And, we’re not lookin’ at Mesa Falls either.”

Letting out a long breath, you lean against Levi’s desk, ignoring the way he grunts in protest.

“I know. I’m sure Erwin and Moblit will prep them for the worst case.”

“There’s no prepping for it,” Levi hisses, gray eyes flashing. “We’re talking about—"

“…A nationwide cataclysmic event.” Both of you register Erwin’s voice at the same time and glance at the other group to find them staring at the lit-up simulation of the Huckleberry Ridge eruption.

“Which would pretty quickly turn into a worldwide problem,” Moblit adds quietly.

“Worldwide?” You hear Nile question in a low but very alarmed tone. “Because of the ash?”

“Well, yes, but, it’s not just ash,” Erwin clarifies, diving into his explanation of tephra and how dangerous it is. He reminds the men how far it traveled after the Mount St. Helen’s eruption since they’ve apparently latched onto that one, then challenges, “Now imagine an eruption about… six hundred times that size.”

“Six…” Nile swallows, turning his entire, slender frame toward Erwin and repeating, “Six hundred times bigger? That’s what we’re expecting?”

In his little rolling chair, Levi’s chest puffs a bit, finally satisfied that the gravity of the situation is beginning to set in. “Maybe they aren’t as dumb as they look.”

Erwin is about to say something, right hand lifted with his index finger extended in a very matter-of-fact way, but before he can manage to get anything out, the door to the lab swings open and Hange walks in, Mike just behind them carrying all the collected samples in what almost looks like a lunchbox.

“We’re back—” Hange stops, taking in their surroundings, the lack of lights, the bright projection, the grim energy, then shouts, “Hey, get some Pink Floyd playing! Like a planetarium in here! Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me…”

“Dr. Zoe,” Moblit clears his throat. “We were just going over the utter devastation a supereruption could wreak on the country.”

“Oh, were you?” Hange pauses, brow rising, lips puckering into a sour expression. “My bad.”

Raising a hand to your forehead, you laugh to yourself for a few seconds before shaking the untimely amusement off and making your way over to Mike to take the sample kit from him.

“Careful,” he warns jokingly as he passes it off. “Got some very fragile gas and mud in there.”

“Yeah?” You tease. “So, I shouldn’t, like, shake it or anything?”

“Definitely should not shake it. Here, here, just—” He takes it back, grinning broadly as he tells you, “I think it’s best if you let a professional handle such dangerous compounds.”

All the doom-and-gloom you had been feeling mere seconds ago evaporates entirely, and you let out a frankly embarrassing giggle as you watch Mike very carefully set the samples down on Hange’s lab table, making a show of securing them and whispering a final, “Stay,” so that you clamp a hand over your mouth.

Levi groans in disgust, and, at the same time, Erwin mutters an apology to Zachary and Nile for, “… employing a team of children.”

Your face heats in embarrassment, but it doesn’t keep you from smiling at Mike when he saunters back over, looking rather sheepish himself.

“Lunchtime soon, right?”

“Yeah, in a bit—”

“Please go now, for the love of God,” Erwin sighs. “And, take Levi and Hange with you.”

None of you need telling twice, quickly grabbing wallets and home-packed meals before rushing from the lab before your boss decides to murder one or all of you.

Levi steers Hange toward his car, leaving you alone with Mike which you don’t mind in the slightest. You take most of your lunches with him anyway, some of your breakfasts and dinners too, so this is simply part of your daily routine.

“I’ve got some sandwiches packed already. Wanna hit Mount Haynes?” He suggests, sliding into the driver’s seat of his jeep.

You point a fingergun at him and nod. “I like the way you think, sir.”

He takes a very specific route, avoiding any damaged areas, having to veer off of the actual road at a certain point to take a safer path he and other rangers have made. You watch the mountains of the park grow closer and closer, what you know to be the ridge of Yellowstone’s caldera looming nearer.

Mike parks at the base of your intended destination then reaches into the backseat to grab the aforementioned lunch. You have no intentions of actually hiking to the top of the mountain—don’t have the time or the will, honestly—but as soon as the two of you have worked up a sweat and are at a decent enough elevation to look out on the park underneath, you drop to the dusty ground and take it all in.

Even from this distance, you can see some of the gases and steam in the air. That’s the only movement there is, though, save for the occasional ranger vehicle zipping along. The land seems almost barren at this point. The grass is still green. The sun is still bright as it is every Summer.

But, there are no animals, no tourists, no real life. Instead, it’s been replaced with cracks and crevasses, with barricades and warning signs.

Trail Closed

Road Closed

Danger: Keep Out

It’s been almost six months since the park decided to shut down to the public, and if you’re being honest, it should have closed its doors long before. It took people dying to bring the board to their senses, an earthquake that shook the ground for minutes, the crust of the earth splitting right under the historical lodge that so many loved.

Fourteen casualties. Twenty-nine injured.

That’s what it took.

You barely recognize the park now, feel like the last endangered species left within its boundaries. It’s just the research team, some of the rangers, and the occasional outside visitor (board members, government officials, or press that gets waved away).

Some would argue that the park is dead, but you know better; it’s livelier than it has been in hundreds of thousands of years, a shuddering, breathing monster finally rising to its feet after an eternity of slumber. Soon, it will open its mouth in an earth-shattering scream, and then, everyone will see.

Not dead; just waking up.

“You look tired.” Mike’s voice may as well be carried by the breeze, light and low, refreshing as it passes over you, and you flash him a smile while nodding.

“Exhausted.”

He grabs a sandwich from the lunchbox, and you fish hand sanitizer from one of the many pockets on your pants, squirting it into your hand first then holding it out to the man beside you.

“Seems like you spend more time here than at your apartment.”

“Oh, most definitely.” You unwrap what looks to be turkey and pepper-jack and try to ignore the way your stomach flips at the fact that it’s your favorite simple-sandwich-combo and that Mike remembered. “Lot to do in the lab. Obviously.” You take a bite—no mustard, only mayo—and feel some of the tension between your shoulder blades begin to unwind.

“Figure you wouldn’t want it any other way, though,” Mike comments before chomping into his own sandwich.

“Right you are. I mean, end of the world, potentially. Scary stuff, but also…” You swallow, lick your lips and stare out at the landscape in front of you as you grapple with words. “It’s like… I’m terrified, but I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be. Like…”

This is how I’m supposed to go out, you almost say, but you’re smart to keep it to yourself. That’s a thought for you and you alone, one you haven’t shared with anyone because nobody else would understand except maybe Erwin.

“This is what you’re meant to do,” Mike supplies, and you look over at him. “This is what you love. I get that.”

And, he’s right. But, the park and volcanology—those aren’t the only things you love.

Mike sits there, legs crossed like an overgrown kindergartener, shaggy hair blowing in the wind, light green eyes so, incredibly warm and bright, and it feels like you can’t breathe anymore, like your lungs and throat are already full of ash that hasn’t fallen yet, tight with dying declarations you can’t bring yourself to make.

“Have you ever heard of Katia and Maurice Krafft?” You ask, and yes, your voice does feel somewhat strangled, the space behind your eyes burning just a little hotter than usual.

Mike shakes his head, takes another bite, and gives you his undivided attention.

“They were these French volcanologists who got really famous for the pictures and footage they took of erupting volcanoes. The recordings they got for the community were—I mean, they were pioneers. They changed the game. There’s photos and videos of them just—” you gesture nebulously with both your hands, nearly flinging your sandwich off the side of the mountain and making Mike reach out and catch your wrist before you can.

“Please, no feeding the park’s wildlife, ma’am,” he jokes easily, and you have to shove the sandwich into your mouth to keep from giggling like a schoolgirl. Mike shows the smallest of satisfied smiles, completely unaware of his own charm, and it’s maddening and intoxicating, and it’s all you can do to keep talking about the brave scientists.

“Anyway,” you continue. “Katia would get, like, within feet of lava flows. Just walkin’ right beside ‘em in her special heat suit. And, they’d wear protective helmets because of, you know—”

“Explosions. Falling rocks.”

 “Yeah, exactly. They were just there, documenting it all happening, nerves of fucking steel. Katia was usually the one gathering samples and stuff while Maurice recorded, but he was right in the thick of it too. This badass couple learning and adventuring together.”

Mike eventually questions, “What happened to them?” but you’re sure he knows the answer when you deflate a bit.

“Mount Unzen eruption—got caught in the pyroclastic flow. Died instantly.”

“At least they were doing what they loved,” he says, and you nod.

You’re silent for a while, neither of you eating but both of you staring. You think about the Kraffts often, especially now with Yellowstone’s imminent eruption. Doing what they loved… They died for their research, and though you never got the chance to meet them or even speak with anyone who has met them, you have a feeling they wouldn’t have wanted it to happen any other way.

“Just so you know,” Mike gets your attention, and when you look over at him, your heart swells.

The sun is reflected in his eyes, making light green glow with more than just warmth and sincerity, and god, you’re so in love with him, you can feel it in your bone marrow. You ache for him, you pine for him, and you want to live for him, but how…

“I’d film you walking next to a lava flow,” he tells you. Despite the little smile playing at his lips, you know he isn’t kidding.

Tears prick the corners of your eyes, and you have to look away before any actually fall, but your sniffle definitely gives you away. You swear internally, berating yourself for getting emotional in front of Mike, though you can’t say you’re too surprised. Your stress levels have been through the roof, working non-stop for months now, the government breathing down your neck. People have died and the park is literally fracturing before your eyes, and you’re not ready to see it end—to see everything as you know it come to an end.

“Pretty dusty up here,” Mike comments while nudging you. You find him holding out a handkerchief, letting you take it then turning his gaze forward again to allow you a little privacy to dab at your eyes.

Mike has senses beyond the normal human spectrum. He has a sense for weather unlike anyone you’ve ever seen before, from thunderstorms and tornadoes to record snowfall and, on a few occasions, earthquakes. You can still vividly remember being in the lab the day of the fatal quake that damaged the hotel, seeing Mike suddenly look at the seismogram seconds before it started picking up the first tremors. Levi had called it “freakish”, but you had called him “incredible”.

It’s not just the weather, though. Mike has a way with people and animals too, like he can gauge their emotions and act appropriately. It’s how he knows what days he can push Levi’s buttons and get away with it, how he knows when Hange is too busy and overwhelmed to gather samples themself, so he gathers some for them.

And, it’s how he knows exactly when he needs to pull you into a hug, like when the team realized the chances of a small to moderate eruption were next to nothing, like when he had told you how many of those hotel guests had gotten hurt and died and you’d stared at him with wide, watery eyes, and like right now, as you think about Katia and Maurice Krafft, the fate they met and how yours might not be any different.

Will you die doing what you love? Will you be able to welcome it as bravely as they did?

You rest your head on Mike’s shoulder, letting yourself melt into his side, his arm sturdy and grounding where it wraps around you, and as you look out over the sunlit grounds, one last question plagues your mind:

Does a pyroclastic flow burn as hot as the molten feelings inside of you?

You can’t imagine anything does.

1  Y E A R  B E F O R E

The message is broadcasted straight from the state capitol, Levi's expression grim as he reads off the paper hidden on the podium. 

"I know all of this sounds apocalyptic—the ash and blackouts and probable climate change, and it is scary, but we still have some time, so there's no reason to panic. We just urge that if you haven't already started preparing, now's the time. Please."

A couple steps behind him and a little to the right is Erwin, standing tall and nodding at everything Levi says as if he's providing some kind of credibility. 

"Considering we're looking at a VEI eight, the team of volcanologists at Yellowstone have recommended that all of Wyoming and its neighboring states evacuate, but I'll let Homeland Security go over all that."

As he turns to step back, the crowd of reporters and journalists begin shouting out questions, and Levi grimaces as he moves to stand next to Erwin who places a hand in his shoulder. 

You can't hear everything being asked from where you're watching at the lab, but you can't imagine it's anything good judging by the way Levi's frown just keeps growing. 

Fortunately, the vaguely familiar secretary of Homeland Security, Dot Pixis, takes the stand quickly, holding up wrinkled hands in an attempt to calm the crowd. 

"We have some more very important information to cover in this address, so if you'll allow me…" He clears his throat and straightens a stack of papers on the podium, no doubt a huge list of protocols that the public will only half listen to. 

You swivel back and forth in your chair as you watch the thin man on screen, his voice scratchy but strangely soothing as he outlines rationing, supply storage, and evacuation routes. 

"We're also negotiating with our neighboring countries about opening borders. Now, anyone seeking refuge would still be required to fill out an application for a temporary visa, but—"

"God, you know they gotta love that," you mumble to yourself. 

Hange, tinkering somewhere behind you, laughs and agrees, "Yeah, after decades of treating immigrants like trash, and now we're just knocking on their doors, asking for help. Ridiculous."

"Embarrassing, is what it is." 

It was for whichever government official had to make that call, anyway. You're positive that had been a hard pill to swallow. 

As far as you've heard, the foreign affairs part of this mess is actually going quite well. You'd accompanied Erwin to the big meeting with Canadian officials and watched him and Pixis plead a case for America, emphasizing just how bad the eruption will be "at home", then switched tactics at whiplash speed to go into how countries needed to work together since this wouldn't just be the US's problem in the long run. 

It turned into a rather inspiring speech, if you're being honest, prompted you to text Levi a short, how is E so damn charming all the time? to which he'd responded, Believe me, you're asking the wrong fuckin guy. 

With multiple government agencies now backing the states and setting plans in motion, the impending eruption seems even more real. You thought your stress levels were high before, that your sleep pattern left little to be desired, but oh, you had been wrong. 

Case in point being Mike walking into the lab with a brown paper bag and slightly unpleasant expression as he asks, "Have you eaten today?" 

Your glare has no real meaning as you grumble, "Had a granola bar this morning."

"It's nearly six," he groans, pushing you, chair and all, up to your desk and setting the bag in front of you. "Please eat something before you pass out."

"Okay, okay, Christ. You're more attentive than my mother."

"I met your mom last year, and you and I both know she would be hysterical if she knew how you've been treating yourself lately."

He has a point. In fact, you're glad Mike is naturally quiet and didn't bond too strongly with her, otherwise you have a feeling he would have called her by now to complain. 

The chicken salad sandwich you bite into must be imbued with some kind of magic, because you let out an honest to god moan when you swallow the first bite. 

"Oh my god, what did you put in this?" You ask as you blink up at your best friend. 

Mike snorts and rolls his eyes. "Uh, actual nutrients maybe? Weird how your body needs those."

Hands too busy shoving more food into your mouth, you headbutt him right at the hip, just hard enough to make him grunt and sway. He steadies himself, glances down at you like he's annoyed but ends up breaking into a grin when he catches what you assume to be a piece of chicken salad dotting the corner of your mouth. 

"What am I gonna do with you," he mumbles, wiping it with a gentle thumb. 

Your body warms with both embarrassment and affection, but you can't quite find a response even as your head clears for the first time in about two days. You really do need to start taking better care of yourself. 

The undeniable feeling of being watched makes your neck prickle, and you break Mike's gaze to find Hange staring at both of you, a not-so-subtle smile making their mouth curl mischievously. You have a pretty good idea of what they're thinking, and you're heart starts beating a little faster at the thought of them possibly speaking it out loud, but before they get a chance, Mike's phone rings. 

You catch a glimpse of the name displayed before he picks it up—Gelgar—recognize it and tease, "One of the doomsday preppers, right?" 

Because no matter how much Mike denies it, just like he does now— "They're not doomsday preppers—" you know that his friends are a little odd. Extremely well prepared, but odd. 

"Hey man, what's up?" He answers, stepping away from you. "Isn't it almost two there?" 

You don't try to listen in, just look back to Hange and shake your head when their smile grows. 

"Stop."

"What?" They giggle. "I'm not even doing anything!" 

"You're thinking things, though."

"Well yeah, I'm always thinking things. How else would I have gotten this smart?" They flip their ponytail for emphasis and toss a wink your way, but Hange's voice gets oddly sincere when they tell you, "Seriously, though. You guys should get while the getting's good. I don't know why you haven't jumped each other's bones yet."

You splutter, look around frantically to make sure Mike isn't within earshot, and thank god, he's in the next room over. 

"Hange!" 

"I'm just saying! It's like watching Erwin and Levi from a few years ago. God, that was a nightmare."

"How dare you. I am nothing like—"

"Yeah, yeah. When do they get back in anyway?" 

You both look to the TV that's still playing the live address, easily spotting your missing team members behind Secretary Pixis. 

"Probably not 'til later tonight. Levi's gonna try to talk Erwin into getting a hotel, I bet, but he's gonna wanna come back to the lab and check everything before he goes to bed."

"How do you know he wants to come back?" 

You show a sheepish grin, fishing the chips out of the paper sack Mike brought, then answer, "'Cause that’s what I’d wanna do."

*

It's late. Far too late to be at work, but being at home never feels right these days. It's too quiet, too still, too not the lab. The only time you genuinely enjoy being there is when friends are over for a movie or meal over the weekend. Other than that, you're not at all attached. 

Not the way you are here.

Almost midnight, you move from table to table, working, organizing, just keeping busy. You're very awake, still jittery from the quake that shook the park at around three that day. It lasted for almost three minutes, splitting the ground dangerously close to Old Faithful, and the geyser hasn't gone off since which is troubling. If too many of the geothermal spots stop releasing pressure, the eruption will take place sooner than anticipated. 

It's why you're here so late, pouring over the data, studying the numbers and possible effects. 

You're not alone, though. Erwin is also shuffling around the lab, but he's focused on something else, a project of sorts. 

"Can you come take a look at this?" He calls from the projection table, and you drop what you're doing to join him. 

The model isn't lit up as a hologram, surprisingly. Instead, Erwin has paper blueprints laid, curling at the edges from being rolled up. It takes you a second to realize what you're looking at, but when it comes together, you inhale sharply. 

It's a simple design, a square floorplan with a couple entrances. The only exit looks to lead upward, though, and it's easy to tell that means Erwin wants this to be underground. There are notes scribbled in the blank spaces, 4 meters down, bomb proof top, ventilation, generators, gasoline?, rations < 5yrs, medicine, vitamins, guns. The list goes on, handwriting sloppier and sloppier the more thoughts Erwin had at the time. 

"You think this would be ready in a year?"

Erwin shrugs. "With the right construction team, yes. That one bunker designer…" Erwin snaps, trying to think of the name, but it doesn't come to him. "Whoever—He built ten shelters in two years." 

You stick your hands in your back pockets as you lean over to look closer. It could just be your overworked brain, but it looks like a good design, something someone actually has a chance of surviving in. 

Hearing your name makes you look up again. Erwin has you pinned with one of his serious blue gazes. "No one else will understand, so please keep this plan to yourself."

You nod but venture to ask, "You haven't told Levi?" 

"No," he answers, mouth pulling downward. "It's… Going to be a fight."

"Understandably so. You're basically married to the volcano, though, Erwin."

"So are you."

His eyes are shining as your lips twist into a grimace. He's gotten to know you well over the years. You've always shared a certain bond over Yellowstone, one the other team members just don't have. To them, it's just a job, just science. 

To you and Erwin, though, it's a religion. You're in love with the park, all its secrets and eccentricities. It's your home; it's where you belong. 

"Assuming this does get built," Erwin starts, lifting a thick eyebrow in curiosity. "You would want to stay, right?" 

"You mean, ride out a supereruption? Be the first to see the zone-one damage?" 

Erwin doesn't answer, but he does smile, excitement dancing just below the surface of his stare. 

You feel it too, the urge to throw caution to the wind, to take a chance that could very possibly get you both killed. The Kraffts flash through your mind again, their failed attempt at escape.

A breathless, "Fuck yeah," tumbles from your mouth before you can dwell on the consequences for too long. 

It's time to either live it up or go down in ash and flames. 

6  M O N T H S  B E F O R E 

Yellowstone is unrecognizable. The ground is mostly made up of large crevasses and smaller cracks, debris from fallen buildings left in piles with no one to clean them up. 

The geysers are all inactive at this point, but steam is still rising from the springs, and the mudpots are still bubbling. It's the only thing that's keeping the volcano from erupting. 

The ground shakes multiple times a day, the lab seismographs constantly picking up activity. The little ones don't faze you anymore. You and Mike secure the glass samples to make sure they don't break while Erwin and Levi basically hug their computers. Yours was damaged in the quake that prompted Hange and Moblit to leave—a 6.7 that caused Hange to fall into their desk, breaking their collarbone in the process. After getting Hange pain meds and a sling, the two of them were on a plane to D.C. that same night. 

Every day is another risk taken. Now, it's just you, Erwin, Levi, and Mike. 

The latter two spend most of their days dropping hints about leaving soon as well. Mike has already made plans to fly to Norway and join his not-doomsday prepper friends and brings it up often.

"You should come. See the tulip fields while they're still around."

"Gel and Nana have done a great job setting up the ranch. They wanna let as many people stay as they can." 

"You'd really like them. They bicker like an old married couple, but they're good people."

Levi takes a different approach with Erwin, appeals to the other man's desire to help and protect. 

"We really should head to the homeland security office. They don't know what they're dealing with."

"Dok is an idiot. They need a bigger brain over there for guidance or whatever."

"Your long-term plan will be better than anything those government fucks will come up with anyway."

Every time, you and Erwin gently wave them off with promises of "soon" and "just a little longer." Neither of you breathe a word about staying. Despite the fact that construction on the bunker has not started and you're running out of time, both of you are dead set on the plan: go down with the park. 

You're found out before it can come to fruition, however. 

The remaining team is sitting in the lab, busy with their own little projects, when Mike looks up suddenly, takes a deep breath, then says, "Earthquake," just as the seismogram starts going wild. 

He pulls you from your chair quickly, dropping to the ground and bringing you with him to crawl under your desk. On your knees, your body curls in on itself and you lock your hands over the back of your neck as the floor beneath you starts to rumble violently. 

You can hear Levi cursing from somewhere as the sound of glass shattering rings throughout the lab. You think another computer falls, models and books flying from shelves. 

Mike huddles over you, one hand gripping the leg of the desk while the other protects your ribs. You want to tell him to shield himself, but you know there's no use. Besides, the weight and warmth is comforting even in the face of danger—his chest hot against your back, the epitome of a knight in shining armor. 

It lasts for several minutes. The power cuts off, windows crack, doors swing open only to slam shut again. You know the lab is going to be an absolute wreck when it's over. 

When the shaking finally settles, everyone crawls out of their hiding places. Levi warns, "Be ready for aftershocks," as if you don't know, and Erwin fumbles in his desk until he finds a flashlight. 

The ray of light illuminates the damage. Just as you suspected, the place looks like a tornado blew through. Glass litters the floor along with the far-flung books and park models. Both Levi and Erwin's computers fell and disconnected, and your stomach drops as you think about all the potentially lost information. 

"You okay?" Mike asks, pulling you up to your knees so he can look at your face. 

"I'm fine," you tell him, his hands on your cheeks making you flush, so you distract yourself. "E, Levi, you guys okay?" 

"Yes," Erwin answers first. 

Levi shows his face, a deep frown making his brow furrow, as he looks at his desktop. "I'm pissed but uninjured."

The four of you spend the next couple of hours cleaning up what you can, pausing and taking cover when the aftershocks hit, then starting over as the lab sustains more and more damage. 

Mike sweeps up the glass. Erwin focuses on getting the computers back on the desks safely then goes and checks the projection table. You and Levi collect the bigger items, setting books back on shelves. 

You don't think about the mistake before it's too late, when Levi is already pulling out the blueprints that were hidden behind the stack of encyclopedias. 

As he stills completely, you turn to look at him and find him staring down at the large, uncurled papers. Your instinct is to snatch them from his hands, but it's no use. He's already seen enough. 

"What the fuck is this?" His voice comes out like poison as he immediately looks at Erwin. 

The larger man glances at Levi, eyes trailing to what he's holding, then pales. 

"Levi..."

"Is this a god damn bunker? Are you planning on staying in this hellscape?" 

Erwin strides over to him and reaches for the prints, but Levi tugs them out of reach. 

"Answer me," he spits. "Is that your plan?"

"I—" Erwin swallows thickly before answering, "Yes."

It's silent for a long time, and the more it drags on, the tighter Levi's lips get, gray eyes shiny with quiet rage. 

This is what Erwin was trying to avoid, why he insisted on keeping the bunker a secret. 

But while Levi is glaring at Erwin, you feel another gaze on you. Skin crawling, you chance a glance up at Mike, stomach churning when he looks away quickly and bites his lips. He knows. Somehow without anyone saying anything, Mike knows you’re planning to stay too.

Heavy breathing and the distant sound of rumbling earth is all that can be heard, followed by backup generators roaring to life and restoring the overhead lights. 

"You too?" Mike finally speaks. “You wanna stay too?”

You chew on the inside of your cheek, unable to answer. He sounds so disappointed—defeated—and it makes you feel sick. 

"Do you guys know," Levi growls, "How fucking insane that is? This is the dumbest, most reckless, selfish fucking thing you could do! And, I know it's all your thinking!" He drops the blueprints in favor of shoving Erwin roughly, making him stumble back. 

"Hey," you step toward him, but the small man just turns to you and accuses, "And, you egged him on, yeah? Did you even think of us? How we would feel? Staying here is suicide!"

"I have a plan, Levi," Erwin says, raising both hands to his head and effectively disheveling his own hair. "If you just look at the plans. I know what we need to survive. I've done the math, I've studied the—"

"Jesus Christ, we're talking about an eight hundred degree pyroclastic flow! Tephra that will suffocate you. You really think being a few meters down during the eruption will be enough?" Levi is screaming now, his voice cracking, and you think you see tears at his waterline. 

It makes the spaces behind your eyes burn, but it’s only partly out of guilt. The other emotion that’s welling up in you is anger, a betrayal you can barely wrap your head around, but it comes tumbling out anyway.

“Do you even know us? You think we can actually leave the park behind?” Your voice rises to match Levi’s, gains his acidic attention once again. “I don’t even understand how you can run away, after everything you’ve put into this place! How can you just—” You let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a cry as you raise your hands to your face and shove your palms to your eyes. “I get Mike because he doesn’t have anything fucking left here. He’s just been helping out—”

“You think I don’t have anything left here?” He asks quietly from beside you, and when you look at him with a watery stare, you find him wounded. His jaw slides forward as he sucks on his teeth, and fuck, his eyes are getting glossy too. 

“See, this is exactly what I mean,” Levi gestures wildly at the two of you. “Mike and I have stayed because you guys won’t fucking leave, and now it comes out that you were never planning to. When were you gonna tell us? Would you have even given us enough time to get out?”

“Of course!” Erwin takes him by the shoulders, and Levi snarls up at him. “I was working up to it. I wasn’t ready to—to deal with this.”

“I can’t believe this. You really think a whole team of workers is gonna come out here to help build this? You wanna put their lives in jeopardy too?”

“We—”

“You haven’t even thought this through all the way! When did you come up with this? When you hadn’t slept or eaten in forty-eight hours? When your brain wasn’t fucking functioning at full capacity?”

Erwin stays quiet, and so do you because Levi has a point. Taking care of yourselves physically has not been high on either of your lists of priorities, and you’re sure your mental state has suffered for it. All the nights spent at the projection table, mapping out ideas, growing giddy over the idea of staying for the eruption. Was that just two people high off passion, becoming more and more unhinged with each passing day?

Quite possibly. 

You expect the fury to be enough to push Levi away, that he’ll simply give up, drag Mike out with him, and leave you and Erwin to hunker down like you’d planned.

But, that is not the case. 

Instead, he shoves a thin finger into Erwin’s chest, gritting out, “Pack your fucking bags so we can go to D.C. where they need you.”

Erwin takes a breath then slumps in defeat. Now, when faced with the obstacle that is his boyfriend, you figure he’s weighed the pros and cons and made a decision. Between his love for the park and his love for Levi, he’d rather salvage the latter. 

Mike shifts next to you, grumbles out a low, “You too,” that makes the tears finally fall from your eyes. “I’ll take you on one last ride to the springs, but then we’re leaving.”

He stays true to his word, and you cry the entire time you’re in the chopper, headset smushed against one ear as you rest your head on the window and look down at the Grand Prismatic, the steam rising from it. It’s beginning to grow discolored with all the activity, but it’s more stunning now than it’s ever been. 

Soon, it’ll be completely covered. All of it will. And, you could have been too, stuck underground for a couple of years only to be the first to step out into the pure destruction. 

That’s not an option anymore, though, not with Mike looking as grave as he does, not with the way he shadows you in your apartment as you gather the necessities, like he thinks you’re going to bolt and run back to the lab, not when the two of you meet back up with a still-fuming Levi and a despondent Erwin to head to the airport.

The tickets are outrageously priced at such short notice, but that doesn’t stop Levi and Mike from passing their credit cards over.

“Two for Washington D.C.”

“And, two for Bergen, Norway.”

Boarding passes in hand, the four of you walk through the bustling airport together for as long as you can before you have to inevitably split up. Levi glares at you but still pulls you into a tight hug, grunts into your ear, “You’re so stupid,” before letting go and turning to Mike. “Keep her safe, boy scout. I’m trusting you.”

Mike nods, and both of them clasp hands as you turn to look at Erwin. Tears and pathetic sniffles return when you walk into his open arms, clinging to him and mumbling, “‘M sorry, ‘m sorry. I would’ve followed you.”

“I know.” He rubs your back and heaves a sigh. “I know you would have.”

He eventually disentangles you to hold you at arm’s length, wipes the moisture from your face with his thumbs, then shows a sad smile. “See you in a few years, yes?”

“Yeah.”

One more squeeze, and everyone turns away to walk to their respective gate. Mike’s hand splays across your back, warm, guiding you in the right direction, keeping you steady. He’s always kept your feet planted firmly on the ground. You figure, if there’s one person you’d like to experience the downfall of society with—above ground—it’s him. 

S I X  W E E K S  B E F O R E

Norway is kind of incredible. It has a natural beauty that takes your breath away just like Yellowstone used to, but it’s vastly different. Everything is green, including the lights in the sky at night. You’re surrounded by rolling hills and mountains, and you just know it’ll be beautiful under thick layers of snow. 

The once rustic ranch, now restored, is made up of several small houses and a farm full of cows and goats. It’s sad to think about the fate they will eventually meet (slaughter then stomachs), but you know it’s necessary to prepare for the coming years.

And, the owners have definitely prepared. 

Gelgar and Nanaba are everything Mike described and more. Between taking care of the farm and setting up energy sources, they do their best to make you and the other arrivals feel at home. They’ve designed the ranch to house up to about thirty people, a commune of sorts (minus any cult-like vibes). Naturally, everyone pitches in and helps around the place. You find yourself cleaning a lot, but you don’t mind. It’s a nice, mindless task that keeps you from thinking too hard about everything you’ve left behind. 

You also like to join Nana outside, help with the animals and enjoy the sunshine while you still can. Of course, this subjects you to endless teasing especially today when she catches you staring into the distance at Mike who's helping Gelgar fix a solar panel. 

His shirt is starting to stick to his back from sweating, muscles straining under the damp cloth, and good lord, when did he get that broad? Sure, he's always been tall and fit, but working on the homestead has definitely made him more built. That along with the fact that his hair has gotten long enough to tie up in a bun has your mouth going a little dry. 

"Like what you see?" Nanaba asks, accent thick, voice full of amusement. 

You shoot her a look, face all scrunched up when you mumble, "Don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh?" She sticks her tongue out. "Don't be coy. I see the way you both look at each other."

"Tch." 

"And, how both of you volunteer to cook with the other when it's your turn to. You move around each other like you know exactly where the other is. Two halves of a whole."

You roll your eyes. "We've just worked together for a while. We make a good team."

She's not wrong, though. Since coming to Norway, you and Mike have grown even closer. There was a period of time when you could hardly look at him, too guilty for trying to stay at the park, guilty for hurting him, but eventually the two of you fell back into your normal dynamic—joking, laughing, touching just a little too much, smiling when you think no one's looking. You even spent an afternoon together in a nearby field of flowers, just like he'd promised. With a picnic basket full of food, and a blanket to lay on, you'd admired the clouds overhead while enjoying the rustling grass surrounding you. 

It's been your favorite day since coming here, had reminded you of the lunches you used to share on the mountain. 

You're not brave enough to make any sort of move, though. Mike is just so good. There's a chance his affections are simply based in friendship, and that's something you're scared to ruin. He means too much to you. 

"How long did you work together?"

"Like, four years, give or take a few months."

"And, you're still acting like nothing is there?" Nanaba tsks. "Ridiculous."

"How long did it take you and Gel to get together?" You ask, then quickly backtrack, "Not that that's what I want with Mike necessarily."

"Mhm," she smirks. "Gel and I did it backwards. Got pissed at a bar and fell into bed together. Then we started to get to know each other and found out we just worked."

Sounds about right, you think. The couple has an interesting back-and-forth, half bickering, half innuendo. You can always, always see the love in their eyes, though. That's what you want in life. That’s what you want with Mike. Even if you won't admit it out loud. 

You turn your gaze back to the roof he and Gelgar are on just in time to see him making his way down the ladder. Once on the ground, he and the other man start striding over to you. Mike's face is red, sweat beading at his hairline, and Gelgar's pompadour is beginning to fall. 

"Think we got it fixed up," Mike announces, lifting the bottom hem of his shirt to wipe his forehead. 

You stare at his toned stomach for just a little too long, the lines of his hip bones leading into the waistband of his jeans. 

Nanaba's words ring in your head again—fell into bed, fell into bed, fell into bed—and you fixate on the idea of you and Mike doing the same. To have him hovering over you, or maybe you over him, thighs on either side of those hips as his hands trail up your body—

You shake the thought from your head, letting your glazed eyes refocus on the men in front of you. 

"Alright, I'm gonna grab a shower before dinner. Who's cooking tonight?"

“I believe it's Lynne and Henning," Nana answers. 

Mike nods then heads toward the little house he's been living in, right next to yours, of course. He reaches out to let his hand brush yours as he passes, and it takes conscious effort not to grip onto one or two of his large fingers and follow him. 

"God, that's painful to watch," Gelgar snorts. 

Nana laughs and agrees, "I was just telling her the same thing."

"Oh, shut up. Ya' couple of meddlers."

*

A line forms every evening outside of the main house, the one Gelgar and Nanaba share. You and Mike stand together at the back, watching everyone in front of you. Some are families, some are couples, some are here alone. You figure, no matter their status, the ranch is a nice place to be—peaceful, home-y despite its size. So far, everyone gets along. 

Only the kids complain about chores, about seven of them constantly running around together, but that’s to be expected, and honestly, you don’t mind picking up their slack. Life is about to get very difficult for them. They should get to be children for a little while longer. 

Potato soup is poured into your bowl with a ladle, topped with shredded beef and green onions, then you and Mike retire back to your little cottage home to eat and watch TV. It stays on the same channel, world news, and there’s always a long segment that covers Yellowstone and what it’s doing. 

It is not uncommon at all to look up from your food and see Erwin or Levi’s face on screen, speaking with experts, sometimes in interview-like settings.

Tonight, they’re covering a problem that’s been going on for some time, but everyone figured would resolve itself: some people will not leave the most dangerous zones, and it’s because they simply do not believe an eruption will take place. 

Even with the evidence, the science backing it—even with actual federal authorities knocking on their doors and telling them to leave—there are many people who just want to stay put. It’s insane to you, makes your blood boil. Children have been taken from their homes to be placed in safer areas, which only causes the disbelievers to get angrier. They want to say “I told you so”, but that’s not going to happen. 

What’s going to happen is getting burned alive in the flow that pours from the volcano. They will die a painful death, get buried under meters of fallout, ash, snow. There’ll be nothing to recover except for petrified, charred corpses. 

Of course, the irony is not lost on you; you and Erwin were both willing to chance similar fates, but you still think the two of you would have been more prepared than these regular-Joes who think their front door is enough to stop a volcanic eruption. 

“In the end, there’s no reasoning with people like this,” Erwin says on camera, a soft, sad smile playing at his lips. “When a person is so, uh… Dead set on staying, it will take an unstoppable force to move them.”

In your case, that unstoppable force had been Levi screaming at you while holding back tears. 

“Unfortunately for them, this force is the eruption, and they won’t be able to leave when that occurs.”

“Because they’ll be dead,” the reporter states more than asks.

Erwin nods and answers with a grim, “Yes. Yes, they will be.”

They’re not trying to be subtle, obviously hoping that this will get through to the stubborn masses, but you doubt it will. They’re living on borrowed time at this point. Any day could be their last.

Mike is quieter than usual as he eats, barely even looking at the television screen, and you have a feeling he’s thinking about how close you were to staying alongside those stupid assholes. It’s still a touchy subject, one both of you do your best to avoid. You’re mostly happy to be in Europe, spending your days with Mike and his friends and everyone else running around here. 

But, there’s also a part of you, deep down inside, that aches, that misses the park, that still wants to be right in the middle of the destruction. Watching it blow from so far away is going to hurt. This massive monster you’ve fallen in love with over the years will never be the same, and your last good look at it was that tearful helicopter ride. 

You’re not resentful toward Mike or Levi for dragging you out of the lab that day, but you are grieving in a sense. 

The program ends with Erwin giving one last warning— “If you insist on staying, I’d advise bomb-proofing your home, stocking up on several years-worth of rations, and installing one hell of a ventilation system. Good luck.”

Mike clears his throat and stands, grabbing his empty bowl as well as yours, then heads into the kitchen to rinse them off. 

Sighing, you follow him, lean against the counter a couple feet away as you think of something to say that won’t sound too forced.

“Hey,” you start.

Mike gives a low, “Hm?” as he holds the dishes under hot water, finally glancing over when you gently nudge him in the side.

“Thanks for…” You take a deep breath, pinned by light green eyes, then try again. “Thanks for bringing me here.” He blinks but doesn’t say anything, so you continue. “It’s really nice. And, I’ve bonded or whatever with Nana.”

“But, you miss the park,” he says.

You shrug. “I mean, yeah. That park was my life, but… Probably dying in it was not one of my brighter ideas.”

He snorts, shuts off the water, then turns to you. Craning your neck, you take in his face—really take it in—the few strands of hair that hang freely past his jawline, the way his beard, no longer stubble but not exactly thick, forms around his mouth and connects with his sideburns, his strong, slightly curved nose, how his Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows. He’s so painfully handsome, especially all shaggy and rugged, and it makes your heart beat too hard and too fast in your chest. 

Mike dries his hands on a dish towel, looking down at them when he tells you, “I’m glad we were able to get you out of there. It’s not something I’ll ever feel bad about. Even if you hate me for it.”

“I don’t hate you,” you scoff. “Never could. You’re my best friend, Mike.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you smile, then think of Nanaba earlier that day and laugh quietly. 

“What?”

You wave a hand, shake your head. “Nothing, nothing, just… Nana has… Ideas, or something.”

There’s no need to elaborate. Mike understands what you’re trying to say. He inhales then breathes out it out in a chuckle as he posts up against the counter next to you. “Yeah, Gelgar does too.”

“Guess they don’t know us very well.”

A silence hangs between the two of you, one that would normally be comfortable but is now a little thick given the subject matter of your conversation.

You and Mike. Just earlier that day you had been thinking about how scared you are to ruin the friendship, but the more you imagine, the more you get lost in the fantasy…

“Or maybe…” You glance over to see Mike nibbling on his bottom lip, eyes fixed on the ground as he continues, “Maybe they know us better than we know ourselves.”

He raises his head, gaze locking with yours, and you stop breathing. Because that stare is so hesitant, searching for something inside of you as if you have the answer, but you’re just as scared and confused as he is. Over four years of friendship—of good, meaningful friendship—is that worth risking just because you’re both curious? 

Or has it all been leading to this since the start? Since those first, short conversations, since the meals shared with one another, the affectionate gestures. Mike has always kept your head on straight, looked after you with even more care than he had with the park’s wildlife. 

You thought it’d all been one-sided pining, that he was just glad to have someone who understood him a little better than everyone else because you do. You understand his passion for the planet, you understand all his little fixations. You appreciate every eccentricity like he appreciates all your neuroses. 

“Maybe so…” 

Two very large hands are on your face, tilting upward, and your lungs begin to burn as Mike strokes just under your eyes with the pads of his thumbs. He has to lean down quite a bit, pauses just over your lips to let out a tiny huff of surprise, disbelief, awe maybe, then closes the rest of the miniscule distance. 

He is very warm and very firm against you—feels good, all the comfort of someone familiar but still so new. Your lips fit together perfectly, and at last, you’re able to breathe again, mouths moving in an experimental back and forth, feeling each other out until he runs the tip of his tongue along the seam of your lips. Gripping strong shoulders, you let the kiss deepen, opening your mouth for him, and Mike groans when he’s finally able to taste you. 

Hands fall from your face, moving down, down, down, brushing your ribs, settling at your hips, but his fingers are long enough to curl and dig into the meat of your ass, making you gasp and press harder against him.

Rolling his pelvis into yours, you very quickly find yourself pinned between Mike’s body and the counter. Your grasp travels to the back of his neck, pulling him closer—you just need him closer—and he must feel it too because he hoists you up and sets you on the countertop, making room for himself between your legs.

You feel too hot and too desperate, but it’s good, a release that’s needed to happen for far too long. All manner of geothermal metaphors swim through your mind, spurting geysers and boiling mudpots, and it makes you giggle against him, biting down on his bottom lip and smiling around the flesh as he lets out another one of those rumbling, satisfied noises. 

“What’re you laughin’ at?” Mike mumbles, and for some reason, it’s strange to hear his voice so close, so quiet, as you’re pressed together, breathing each other’s air. It’s intimate and different, but it’s right. 

“I’m just…” Another little laugh, “Thinking about the volcano.”

“When are you not thinking about the volcano?” You have a feeling he’s rolling his eyes, but he still grins and kisses you again.

“It’s all dirty things if that helps.”

Mike nods slowly, lips trailing from your mouth toward your neck. “Helps some.”

You tilt your head to give him better access and let out a little whine when you feel him bite down on a patch of skin just beneath the notch of your jaw, wrap your legs around his waist and do your best to rock into him because good god, you want him. 

Fingers tangling under his loosening bun, you tug him back to your mouth, slotting your lips against his and sliding your tongue between his teeth. He presses you closer with a hand on the small of your back, squeezing the air from your lungs so all you can breathe is him. 

“Mm, Mike, Mike,” you pant, barely breaking away only for him to chase after. You laugh, push his chest at the same time you gently tug at his hair, and he backs away just enough for you to get a good look at his half-lidded eyes and spit-slicked lips. 

Honestly, staring at him now, you can’t believe you made so long without ever making a pass at him. He’s gorgeous, built like a roman statue only larger, with sun-kissed skin and a startlingly light gaze that threatens to leave you boneless. 

“D’you wanna, maybe…” You swallow and blink up at him, too many questions suddenly invading your mind—is it too early for sex? Will he think you’re easy? What if it doesn’t actually work out? But, you bite the bullet anyway and finish, “Go to the bedroom?” 

Mike is silent for a few beats, leaving you to second guess yourself and brace for disappointment and embarrassment, but then he clicks his tongue and answers, “Uh, yeah. Yes, let’s do that,” in a voice a little higher than usual, and scoops you from the counter.

Every little house on the ranch is laid out the same, so it does not take him long to find your room. He sets you down at the threshold, and from there, it’s a flurry of discarded clothing and stumbling to the bed.

“How have we never done this before?” He huffs, crawling over you, leaving wet kisses in his wake. 

You’ve still got an arm covering your bare chest, but Mike doesn’t seem self-conscious in the slightest which comes as a surprise considering how reserved he typically is. Not that he has anything worth hiding—not the thin layer of hair that dances over his barrel chest, not the ridiculously cut abdominals or sharp ‘V’ of his hips, and definitely not the thick cock bobbing against his stomach as he moves. You would be intimidated if you didn’t know him as well as you do, but you’re sure that he’ll be gentle with you. Mike may be many things, but careless is not one of them.

He reaches your mouth, kisses you so deeply it makes you dizzy, and as he does, he very slowly pulls your arm from your chest, leaving you vulnerable—free for the taking. 

His touch is soft enough to tickle as he brushes over one of your nipples, making you exhale against him and arch your back like a silent plea for more. He traces around the bud, makes it pebble before carefully rolling it between two fingers.

Warmth spills into your gut, makes you squirm on the bed, and a moan makes its way from your throat as Mike gently tugs at the sensitive flesh. He lowers his head again, lavishing the same kind of attention on your other nipple with his mouth. He nibbles and licks and sucks, and you wriggle and whimper beneath him, one hand trailing down his body until you’re able to close your fingers around the head of his cock. 

Mike grunts, thrusts into your hand a couple times, enough to make precum drool from his tip, but before he can get too carried away, he says just above a whisper, “Let me get you ready,” then moves to lay between your spread legs.

Sliding his arms under your thighs, he locks them into place, and you release a shaky breath, feeling his eyes taking you in for several seconds before licking up your slit once then pushing deeper.

“Oh, fu—”

Both your hands shoot downward, one gripping the messy bun at the back of his head as you shudder at the sensation of his beard against your pussy. You’re wet in seconds, core pulsing as Mike uses his tongue to slowly open you up, then pulls back to flick over your clit. 

“Mike—Mike—”

He hums into you, shaking his head slowly back and forth, no doubt making a mess of his face and you. You don’t have anything to say, just feel your throat tightening like there are unspoken words that need to come out, but you can’t think straight, not when he’s doing what he’s doing, not when you feel the tips of his fingers reaching out to spread your lips. 

He is thorough bordering on methodical, makes sure you’re at the point of full body shakes before he gives you a break, and then, when your breathing returns to a normal rate, he starts all over again. There is a tightness in your gut that builds and builds then dissipates every time he stops, and he must know because when you whine in frustration, Mike just grins and kisses the inside of your thighs. 

The same pattern is repeated with his fingers, just one at first, massaging your walls perfectly, then a second that makes your eyes roll into the back of your head. He rubs over the swelling tissue inside of you, seems to enjoy every little gasp and noise you make, including the unsatisfied one you let out when he pulls his fingers from you. 

You can feel how damp the bedspread is underneath you, can see the evidence of your arousal on Mike’s face, and it makes you flush but doesn’t stop you from tugging him down for another messy kiss. 

“You ready?” He asks, sounding just as breathless as you feel, and you nod furiously, bending your knees and planting your feet on the mattress so that you can lift your hips to his. 

Mike chuckles, reaches down between the two of you to take hold of his length and taps your clit with his cockhead a couple times—simultaneously the most infuriating and most erotic thing you’ve ever experienced. Slowly, he lines himself up, just barely pushing forward, and when you bite your lip and squeeze your eyes shut, Mike tells you to, “Breathe, baby, open up for me.”

He already sounds wrecked, like he’s fighting the urge to just sheathe himself entirely, but he waits, giving you one inch at a time with periods of adjustment in between. You always sort of figured he was big, but this burning stretch is something you hadn’t imagined even in your lewdest of fantasies. You’re incredibly full, feel him in your gut and throat and everywhere, but it isn’t bad; it’s just a lot. 

“Okay,” you stroke the forearm next to your head and nod. “Okay, you can start moving more.”

Mike’s brow creases. “You’re sure?”

“About as sure as I can be with a monster cock inside m-me—” Your laugh turns to a moan as Mike begins to pull out, eyes trained on your face for any sign of real discomfort, but your mouth just drops open, your own eyebrows raising at the feeling of his length hitting every one of your most sensitive spots. 

“Holy…”

He pushes back in quickly, still mindful of what your body can take, and when all you do is cry his name and scratch down his back, Mike starts up a steady rhythm that has you seeing god. 

That tightness is back, hotter than before, threatening to burn you up entirely as your cunt flutters and spasms and leaks around Mike’s length. 

The sound of a hoarse groan makes you open your eyes, and you follow Mike’s line of vision to where you’re connected, see his cock sliding in and out of you, dripping slick and ringed in white cream toward the base. The sight makes you clench around him, and Mike swears under his breath then leans forward to gather you in his arms. Your head lolls back as he lifts you, sitting on his knees for just a second before falling onto his back and letting you drop onto him. 

You choke, and Mike pants, but his hands are tight at your hips, moving you up and down his length like a sleeve. His pupils are blown wide when you look down at him, hair nearly entirely out of its tie, bottom row of teeth exposed as his jaw slides almost primally. 

He looks completely lost in you, possessed as he fucks up into your pussy rougher than before. You bounce in his lap, whimpering his name with every thrust, growing in volume when you feel a finger press against your clit. 

“You gonna come for me?” Mike grits out, rubbing a circle over the swollen bundle as his eyes flick from your chest to your face. 

You nod, ignoring the burning in your thighs in favor of the sensation between your hips. “Yeah, I—I—Fuck, Mike—”

“Come on, baby, come on—wanted to see this for years, come all over my cock…”

You snap, legs shaking as your climax crashes through you. Your cunt pulses around Mike, coating him in more of your juices and making him groan and fuck you through it. You whine at the stimulation, swollen walls so sensitive yet taking everything he has to give you.

Every thrust to your g-spot makes you gush a little more, come a little longer, until all you can do is fall onto his chest and let him use you as he needs to. You leave marks on his pecs, bites and scratches, and Mike grunts at every one of them until he sits up and flips you once again.

“Where do you want me?”

“Anywhere, I don’t care, I don’t care,” you babble.

Mike inhales sharply then lets out a long groan as he pulls out and shoots his load onto your stomach. It’s warm and thick, some pooling in your belly button as Mike makes a trail down to your clit where he smears the last few drops. You twitch at the contact, hole clenching around nothing now, but you can already feel soreness settling into your muscles. 

Mike gives you two little pecks on the mouth, then one last, longer kiss before rolling to lay on the mattress beside you, chest rising and falling with deep breaths.

This silence doesn’t bother you. It gives you time to come back to your senses, to reflect, to remember everything that was said which leads you to ask, “You meant that—about wanting this for years?”

Mike turns his head and smiles so sincerely it almost brings tears to your eyes. 

“Well, yeah. Been in love with you pretty much since I started at the park.”

He says it so casually, like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and maybe it is, but it still makes your breath catch. 

“Seriously?” You turn to lay on your side, and Mike mimics the action, propping his head up with one hand while he lets the other settle on your waist. 

He lifts an eyebrow and questions, “Is that so hard to believe?” 

“No, I just… Thought it was one-sided on my end, I guess. Like, we were too good of friends.” Mike leans forward to gently headbutt you, and you snort to yourself, “Guess I was wrong.”

“We were both being stupid,” he mumbles. “But, we were also focused on other things, married to the job or whatever.”

Lifting your face makes him lift his, and you smile into another kiss, feeling happier and more balanced than you have in a very long time. 

Without much more discussion, you and Mike get up to rinse off, sharing more soft touches under the spray of the shower before crawling into bed together. Falling asleep feels like coming home.

You don’t even mind the smug grin on Nanaba’s face when she sees you and Mike leave your house together in the morning, nor the teasing jabs Gelgar throws your way over lunch. You don’t know if anything is capable of knocking you out of your perfect, peaceful little world on this perfect, peaceful little homestead.

Except maybe a supereruption, of course. 

E - D A Y 

It happens right in the middle of the morning news. You and Mike are sipping on coffee, expecting the same report you’ve gotten every day— “Nothing yet, closely monitoring, blah blah”—but as the English news anchor tries to introduce the meteorologist, he stops, holds a hand to the speaker in his ear, then looks at the camera with wide yes. 

“I’m—I’m getting news that the Yellowstone supervolcano has just begun to erupt, we’re cutting to the US address at Washington D.C. now—”

And just like that, Levi’s face is suddenly on screen, picking him up mid-sentence. 

“... One vent open at the present time, but more will open shortly. Stay indoors, ration your food. This is what we’ve been preparing for.” He looks tired, and when you do the math, you understand why: seven AM in Norway is one AM in D.C., meaning Levi was probably woken up to make the announcement. 

As always, you can make out Erwin’s figure behind him, hands clasped tight and shaking, and it isn’t until Mike puts a hand on your shoulder that you realize you are trembling right along with your old boss.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” he reassures you. “We’re gonna be okay here.”

You nod and let him pull you closer to him as both of you look back to the screen and listen to what your old colleagues have to say.

The news stays on for the rest of the day. At around ten, the second vent opens up. Then another. Then another. Levi keeps track, expression never betraying the fear he must be feeling, even when he delivers the message that a full ring around the caldera has opened up. 

“Obviously, we can’t get in close enough to look, but we estimate at least two thousand four hundred and fifty cubic kilometers of eruptible magma will pour from the volcano. That’s the size of the eruption from around two million years ago, but it could be worse with the current number of vents…”

The journalists on site, usually so ready to ask questions and challenge Levi, are silent today, and you imagine they’re staring with eyes the size of saucers, not quite believing what they’re hearing because it’s happening. It’s finally happening. 

You eat a quiet, solemn lunch at Nanaba and Gelgar’s, no one knowing what to say. You feel nauseous, stunned, not unlike losing a loved one. You’re able to forget the absolute destruction taking place in the states for a few minutes at a time, but it always comes back to you, punching you in the gut with the same, brute force every time.

The park. The lab. The forests. The towns. Cities, states, homes, lives, all wiped off the map. 

Erwin takes Levi’s place as public speaker close to five, probably to let the other man get some sleep, and reports that the portable seismogram, still linked to the remaining seismographs located around the park, show that there are near continuous earthquakes taking place, “Which could either help should enough earth shift to block the magma chamber, or make things worse by disrupting it further.”

“E is not very good at keeping people’s hopes up,” you mutter, and Mike chuckles.

“Yeah, I see why he makes Levi do all the talking now.”

You both receive texts from the rest of the team, Levi’s coming at an appropriate time but the others reaching you at odd hours of the night when you’re nestled in Mike’s arms.

Neither of you sleep as reality sets in the rest of the way. That was it. The beginning of the end of everything you know. Everything is about to change.

You sniff, try to be as quiet as possible as the tears you’ve been holding back all day finally begin to fall, but Mike knows, feels your body stiffen as you curl into yourself. 

He hugs you close to him but doesn’t say anything, just rests his cheek against yours and holds your hand. 

There’s nothing anyone can say to make this better, no amount of optimism or determination that will make this any easier. Your home is covered in miles of pyroclastic flow, and as it hasn’t stopped yet, you know this is just the start. Soon, anything left alive will be suffocated by the tephra, people, animals, and vegetation alike. Though you won’t die where you are, everyone at the ranch will be feeling the effects soon enough.

Your mother calls from France where her and your dad decided to “vacation” for the next several years. She’s worked up about not being able to get through to you for almost an entire day, and even as you reassure her that you’re mostly fine, she hears the way your voice cracks and offers to fly to Norway.

“Mom, the airports are shut down by now,” you sigh. “We already talked about this. We can’t see each other for a while, but we’ll FaceTime until we can’t anymore.” Until the cell towers are knocked out, you don’t say.

“I just know my baby girl is hurting right now. I know how much you loved—”

“I know,” you cut her off, scared that hearing it from her mouth will just make you lose it again. “I know, but I’m okay here with Mike and everyone else.”

“You’re sure?” She sniffles, sounding a lot like you. “Cause your father and I will find a way to get to you if you need us.”

“I’m sure, Mom,” you tell her with a sad smile she can’t see. “Get some rest, okay?”

You share many calls like that, many ill-timed text messages until the eruption finally comes to an end six days later. The damage it’s done is incalculable—the entirety of the United states now covered in a cloud of ash that blocks out the sun. 

It doesn’t reach you for a few days, but every time you go outside, Mike sniffs the air and mumbles something like, “Smells like sulfur,” or “It’s getting closer”, but after another week, the entire globe is covered. 

1  M O N T H  A F T E R

Everything is an estimation. Everyone knows that a massive amount of magma erupted, but they don’t know how much. Everyone knows that a large number of people have died, but they don’t know how many. There are too many mysteries, and it’s nowhere near safe enough to send search crews out. 

Despite all the warnings, people are still trying to go outside—to see the ash, to review the damage, but even with cloth or medical grade masks, they’re breathing in the dangerous particles floating in the air, tiny minerals that turn to a cement-like substance in their lungs, and because of that, the death count is only rising. 

News reports cut in and out, as do phone calls. Some texts never get sent or received, so all you truly have is your little home and Mike. 

And, you cry, and you mourn, and you miss your friends and family—fuck, you don’t even know how you’ll survive so long without them—but you also revel in the fact that you’re safe. Not everyone can say that. The fact that you had almost willingly stayed in the most dangerous zone of the explosion is laughable now. There’s no way you and Erwin would have survived that, something he agrees with you on when you share a short phone call with him just to check how he and Levi are doing. 

They’ll be staying at the Homeland Security compound for the forseeable future, but he assures you they’re well-prepared to brave the years-long gray storm. 

Without any livestock to take care of, or mouths to feed other than yours and Mike’s, you find yourself with an abundance of free time. You still have power thanks to the solar panels and the couple of windmills set up around the ranch, but you don’t know how long that will last. 

You both read a lot, do puzzles together, fall into bed both out of desire and just because there’s not much better to do.

And, that part of your apocalyptic life is kind of great. Mike is great. He takes care of you both in and out of the bedroom, is gentle with you until you tell him not to be, and then he’s more than happy to succumb to your needs. He’d invested in a frankly absurd amount of condoms before the eruption so he wouldn’t have to worry about pulling out every time, but every once in a while you want him like you had him the first time—desperate and passionate and completely raw. 

That��s the feeling you’re experiencing tonight, staring at Mike from your place on the couch rather than at the book in your hands.

You see him smile before he actually looks at you, but when he does, he has a glint in his eyes you’ve gotten very familiar with over the last month. 

“Need something, baby?”

You bite your lip to keep from grinning too bashfully and glance back down at the open pages on your lap. “Nuh uh.”

“You sure?”

“Mhm,” you nod. 

“Really?” Mike puts down the wildlife magazine he’s perusing and leans closer to you. “’Cause it looks like you might want something.”

You cross your legs, flip a page you haven’t even read, and shake your head. 

It’s a dumb game you’ve both started to play, who can hold out the longest. Of course, the longest record is one you both hold—four years and some odd months—but other than that, you usually make it two or three days at most.

But it’s hard with him walking around looking like he does, and for someone so quiet, Mike is mischievous and handsy, knowing just how to rile you up only to walk away and leave you to whatever you were doing before. He whispers in your ear, he grabs your ass, sometimes he’ll just stand right behind you in the kitchen and inhale, trace his nose up your neck so that you shiver and break out in goosebumps, then mumble a shameless, “You smell nice.”

He’s troublingly good at driving you crazy, and you realize this is why it took you so long to actually get together. You can’t imagine being this wound up and wanton in the lab with everyone there to see. 

“You know,” Mike speaks again. You look at him from the corner of your eyes as he leans back against the cushions and nonchalantly kicks an ankle over his thigh. “A lot of people are dying. Like, thousands. Millions.”

Frowning, you nod. “Uh, yeah. Worldwide disaster taking place.”

“Yeah, it’s a shame,” he adds. His lips twitch upward for a second before he purses them, waiting for another couple seconds then stating, “Should probably start thinking about… Efforts to repopulate.”

Eyes widening, you tilt your head to the side in disbelief, a short, incredulous laugh bubbling from your throat.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, Mike Zacharias!” 

Reaching behind you, you grab a throw pillow and launch it at him. Mike shields himself easily, choking and chuckling as he tries to defend himself, “I’m just—saying! It’s something to keep in mind!”

“Trying to guilt me into sex—” You smack his forearms with the pillow again, “As if I’m not already easy for you—" smack, smack, “—by bringing up all the people dying out there. What is the matter with you?”

He gets a hold of the pillow and rips it from your hands then hugs it to his chest and stares at you with that uncharacteristically devious look. “Is it working?”

You scoff at him, gently kick at his thigh in one last act of defiance before responding, “I mean, kinda.”

And, that’s all he needs to hear before he’s throwing himself at you, pinning you to the couch even as you giggle and squirm, ridding you of the comfortable clothes you have on so that he can kiss and lick every part of you he can reach. He acts like he’s hungry for you, and you have to use all your strength to shove him off of you just so that you can work his pants off and return the favor. 

Mike is all grunts and curses as you work him over with your tongue, a hand on the back of your head heavy but not pressuring. He trembles as you take him deeper, his tip hitting the back of your throat and sliding just a little further. 

It always hurts your jaw, leaves it sore for a full twenty-four hours at least, but the way his jaw drops and his hands ball into fists make it worth it. 

You use one hand to stroke what your mouth can’t reach, the other settling between your own thighs to get you to where you need to be, and only when Mike is panting and you’re dripping slick into your curled palm do you pull off of him.

He helps you into his lap, lets you take your time sliding down his length, because even after as much practice as you’ve had, it hasn’t exactly gotten easier. He’s still massive, and you still have to will yourself to relax around him, but once your muscles have loosened enough, you begin to rock your hips. 

Mike lets you use him like that for a few minutes, knows he’s at the perfect angle to rub over your g-spot, so he just watches and leans forward to place teasing kisses around your open mouth. 

“Feel good, baby?” His voice drips like honey as he grips onto you to aid in your movement. 

Nodding, you dig your nails into his shoulders, then shift to start moving up and down his length. Mike takes it as his cue to take over completely, strong enough to lift and drop you as he pleases, and you both fall into a frenzy of motion, desperate to get off, to get each other off, to share that euphoria. 

“Do you actually want to?” You ask in a daze.

Mike cracks his eyes open to ask, “What?” and slows down enough to give you enough breathing room to speak. “Do I wanna what?”

Making lazy air quotes with your fingers, you mimic his deep voice, “Repopulate,” then elaborate, “Have kids. Do you want that?” 

Everything stops. Your hips still, as do Mike’s, and he stares at you, the lusty haze of his gaze clearing as he processes what you’re asking. 

Feeling completely exposed, you try to rationalize, “I know, I know, we’ve only been doing this for, like, a month, and it’s kind of a terrible time to actually bring new life into the world, but if I’m gonna do it with anyone—”

Mike fists both hands in the hair at the back of your head, pulls you to him to smash your lips together. When he starts bouncing you again, your muffled moan is still loud in the small living room, and Mike’s voice comes out somewhere between desperate and destroyed when he tells you, “Yeah, I want kids. Want you to have my kids.”

“Okay,” you breathe, matching his rhythm, then again, “Okay.”

A switch seems to flip in Mike’s head. You watch and experience him devolve into someone—something—primal. He fucks you like he never has before, long hair hanging in his face, lip caught between his teeth as he groans around it, pistoning into you quick and rough.

“You want it?” He growls, pausing to suck a mark at the swell of your breast. “You want me to come in this pussy?”

Your heart stutters, jaw dropping slightly because Mike isn’t a vulgar man, never has been, but now, the way he’s looking up at you with wild eyes, you know all he needs is the right push, and he’ll lose it completely. 

“Yeah, fuck, want you to fill me up, please,” you whine.

Your world tilts as he tosses you long ways on the couch, sliding back into you with ease and demanding, “Touch yourself.”

You grin slyly, “What, don’t have the focus?”

“Not really,” he admits, flicking sweaty hair from his eyes. 

Two of your fingers find your clit, massaging it the way you always do when you’re desperate for an orgasm. It makes you clamp tighter around Mike, and you tell him again—beg for him— “Please, baby, want you so bad.”

He comes quicker than usual, shooting line after line deep inside of you until it starts dripping out around his cock. 

He can’t stay inside you for long, unable to take the way you keep clenching and twitching from your own ministrations, so Mike pulls out and shimmies down your body so that his face is just above your cunt. At first, he just stares (like always), admiring your swollen folds and how messy you are, but soon he pushes a finger into you, attaching his mouth to your clit shortly after.

It doesn’t take you long. The thought of him fingerfucking his cum further into you paired with the actual sensation of it sends you over the edge within a few minutes, and the two of you are left sweaty and panting, too drunk off each other to really think about the gravity of what you’ve just done but enjoying it all the same. 

The feeling eventually returns to your legs, some of the fog in your brain dissipating as you run your hand through Mike’s hair, and when you find that you can, you voice, “Can we even handle a kid? Or like… Can a kid handle the world as it is?”

“Kids are weirdly resilient,” Mike speaks, face pressed against your stomach so that you can feel the vibrations. “And, maybe there’ll eventually be a race of super babies or something—have enhanced lungs to deal with ash. Darkvision and shit.”

You snort and shake your head. “Dummy.”

He retaliates by blowing a raspberry just above your belly-button, grins lopsidedly when you squeal. 

“But really, our kids’ll be fine. Volcanologist for a mom and an Eagle Scout for a dad? Doesn’t get much better than that.”

“Oh my god, you were actually in Boy Scouts? Does Levi know?”

Mike makes a little ‘pft’ sound and shoots you an unimpressed look. “Of course not. Like, I’d ever let that tiny, tiny man be right about anything.”

Your laugh is so deep and genuine, it makes your whole body shake. Mike raises his head to keep it from bouncing so much, but you can feel him staring for the duration of your giggle fit. Even through squinted, teary eyes, you can see his gaze is full of adoration, and you figure having two parents who love each other as much as the two of you do will at least make the hard life ahead of you a little easier for a child. 

4  Y E A R S  A F T E R

Heavy snow falls outside, adding to the thick layers on the ground and clouding the window you’re staring out of. The carrier is nicely heated, ensuring you and its other two occupants stay toasty as you keep eye out for incoming headlights. 

“Think that’s them,” Mike says, and you swivel to look out his driver’s side window to see two dull beams of light growing brighter and brighter. 

“Don’t know who else it would be,” you joke. “No one else is dumb enough to come back to this place.”

The only sign of your husband raising his eyebrows is the way his hat shifts slightly. “You’re right about that.”

Cinching fur-lined hoods tighter, you both slide out of the tram, boots crunching on ice and snow when you land on the ground. Mike circles to your side, opens the back door, then unbuckles and collects what looks to be a bundle of jackets in his arms. Two light eyes peer out between a beanie and a face mask, gloved hands reaching out and grabbing for you. 

“You want Mama?” Mike coos before passing your son to you.

You settle him on your hip, rub his shielded nose with yours, hoping your body heat will help keep him warm out here.

It’s been winter for… Years, now, the ash from the eruption having behaved exactly as you thought it would, blocking out the sun, and sending the planet hurtling into another ice age. It was something not everyone was prepared for—the intense cold, the food and water shortage, the isolation, but you were lucky. You had everything you needed.

The other snow vehicle stops a ways off, lights left on as two figures jump out, recognizable even when completely covered up. One is nearly as tall as Mike, the other considerably smaller even up close. 

Pulling his mask down, Erwin shows a brilliant smile as he stops in front of you and Mike, and Levi immediately protests— “Oi, cover your mouth, old man! You need it for more than just talking shit.”

Mike laughs, but still reprimands the other man with a pointed, “Levi,” and a nod toward the little boy you’re holding. 

“Fuck—I mean…” Levi takes in a deep breath then apologizes over the whistling wind and falling snow, “Sorry, Huck.”

Bouncing him on your hip, you peer at your son and prompt, “Huckleberry, you remember Levi and Erwin from the computer?” 

Though your team has seen him many times on Zoom and FaceTime, this is first time Huck is meeting any of them in the flesh.

Your son looks between them for a while, quiet as he sizes up both of the men, then he reaches out for Levi the same way he had for you just moments before. Levi makes a dissatisfied noise but still takes him from you, and once Huck is passed off, you shuffle to Erwin and wrap your arms around him, breathing into his chest and warming your face. 

Your boss squeezes you tightly, mutters a low, “I know, I missed you too.”

It isn’t enough to drown out Levi’s sing-song baby voice, and both you and Erwin glance over to find him with his forehead pressed to Huck’s as he teases, “Can’t believe your parents named you after a volcanic eruption. That was pretty dumb, right?”

Mike glides over, places one hand on Huck’s head and the other on Levi’s, then sighs. “Please don’t criticize my wife’s terrible taste in nam—”

“Hey! You agreed to it,” you shout, taking the little boy back from Levi and glaring at both the smiling men. “Better shut up before you give him a complex. He can understand things, you know. He’s three.”

“Huckleberry Pine Zacharias,” Levi scoffs. “I cannot stand you guys.”

“I think it’s a great name,” Erwin interjects, lightly tapping Huck’s nose under his mask. 

“Well, you have shit taste, too.”

“Obviously, if I married a little gremlin like you,” Erwin drawls easily, leaning into the punch that Levi throws into his arm.

“Anyway, we’re here for a reason, right? Other than freezing our asses off?”

“Yeah,” Mike nods, kicking at the snow on the ground like it’ll make a difference. 

All of you know that buried beneath all the white is dried pyroclast, but under that… 

Is what remains of Yellowstone.

“How do we even go about rebuilding?” Mike is the first to ask.

Erwin stares at his own feet, face scrunched up in thought for a while before looking back up and stating, “From the bottom. Everything starts with a good foundation.”

Levi just scoffs, but you and Mike lock eyes and share a hidden grin. 

You take Huck back from Levi, leaning in for a side hug as you do, then suggest to everyone, “Well, then, now that we’ve seen a little of what we’re working with, we should head back to the shelter and start making a plan.”

“Yeah,” Levi agrees. “Gotta start getting ready for the next eruption due in seven hundred thousand years, right?”

“Right.”

After splitting back up into the two separate carriers, Mike follows closely behind the other in order to make it to their newly built bunker without getting lost. It’s perpetually dark from the never ending snow and cloud coverage, hazardous even with the vehicle’s tracks, but you can’t find it in yourself to be scared. Not now, not when life finally feels to be returning to something close to normal. 

#aot x reader #aot fanfic #attack on titan fanfic #mike zacharias x reader #snk fanfic #the smut pile collab

[writingfromkitchenator]

Merry ~ Moving Mountains

1,500 Followers Challenge!

Masterlist

Requested by Anon

Based on I See the Light ~ Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi (Tangled)

Words: 1,046

Warnings: Neutral Reader, smidge angst, fluff

Merry and Pippin walked out from the hall, laughing together. The weight of what they’d been through was still on their shoulders, but with the darkness behind them, everyone rested and recovered, they could put it aside for now and just take a breath.

Sam and Frodo had already called it a night, but Merry and Pippin had decided that a few more drinks were in order, so it was well into the night when they started making their way back.  One of their company had been noticeably absent, but they didn’t question your absence, they all knew that you each needed rest in your own time.

You were brought back to Merry’s mind though as his step faltered, his gaze moving out to the wide expanse of space before the two of them, a lone figure standing close to the end.

“Merry?”  Pippin asked, several steps away, looking back at him.

“Yeah?”  Merry said, a little absently, his gaze not leaving you.

“Are you coming?”  Pippin said, following his gaze for a moment before looking back at him.

“Um,” Merry frowned to himself, then shook his head.  “Go on ahead, I’ll catch up.”

Pippin hesitated, but then nodded and left, leaving Merry still looking at you.  He waited a moment longer before approaching, watching the moonlight make your hair glow, and he couldn’t help but feel a curl of nerves in his stomach.

“Y/N?”  He asked quietly.

You started and faced him, quickly casting him a smile. “Merry…sorry, I was a little in my own world.”

“I can see,” he said, leaning against the wall next to you. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” You nodded, giving a small laugh.  “I was just enjoying the view.  We don’t exactly get this back at home.”

“No, we don’t.” He chuckled lightly, following your gaze out.

It was a clear night, the stars shining brightly above, the moon lighting the city beneath you, and it was a breath of fresh air from what you’d witnessed before it all came to a head.

“It feels strange to consider going back,” You said quietly. “Especially after all we’ve been through.  There was a few times there where I didn’t think we were going to make it, but I have to say, I’m glad we did.”

Merry nodded and he found himself looking back at you, a little lost on what to say next.

You glanced at him and gave a shy smile.  “You don’t need to worry about me, Merry, I just felt like my own company tonight.  I…I’ve been thinking about a lot of things, and up here, despite not being a fan of heights, I’ve just found it a peaceful spot to think.”

“I get it,” he said, smiling a little.  “But, well, I guess…it’s been a long journey together, Y/N, and when I saw you and I thought back to everything that we’d been through together, I couldn’t help but realise that we…we…”

Why was he hesitating?  Why could he not gather his words around you?

Your hand rested over his, and he sighed.  “I’m sorry Y/N, I’ll let you think.”

But you don’t let his hand go.  “Please, stay.  I want you to.  It’s been a long time since we’ve just spent some time together.”

Merry nodded, and gave a small smile.  “Sorry, guess I had a bit more to drink than I thought.  It’s made me a little…little…”

“It’s kept you as yourself, Merry,” You chuckled, patting his hand.  “And I would never ask for any more than that.”

He stared at you for a long moment and it slowly dawned on him just what he was doing here with you.  It was the same thing the two of you had been dancing around for a long time.

“What are we doing, Y/N?”  He asked.  “Why have we never done anything about this?”

You smiled and looked back out over the city.  “Some might call that being young and naïve.”

“Perhaps,” he said.  “But I feel like there’s more to it than that.  We’ve been through a lot to get here, we’ve changed.”

“We have,” You agreed.  “But for all the bad that happened, I think it’s been in a good way. Certainly something worth remembering.”

Merry took your hands properly in his and kissed your knuckles. “I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering.  If-if you want to of course.  I’m not trying to pressure you into anything.”

You smiled.  “We’ve brought down mountains together, Merry. There’s nothing that I wouldn’t want to face with you.  I’m glad that we can both finally see that after all this time.”

The two of you rested your foreheads together, just taking a breath, taking in the moment.  Then Merry dipped his head, pressing his lips softly to yours, and you let out a soft sigh, even as you felt your cheeks heat up.

“That wasn’t too much, was it?”  He asked quietly, and you could make out the pink flushing his own cheeks in the dark.

You beamed, and shook your head.  “Not at all, I’m glad you did.  It certainly makes today worth remembering.”

He chuckled softly, and the two of you stand hand in hand, looking back out at the world together. “I’m glad I have shared this journey with you, Y/N, and that the darkness has finally passed.”

“I stood here, you know? Before the battle, watching the dark clouds surround us,” You let out a slow breath, the memory none too pleasant. “It was so suffocating, but now I think that I can breathe easier than what I have done all my life.”

Merry gave your hand a squeeze.  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here with you.”

You squeezed in hand in return.  “I’m just glad that you were alright.  It was a hard time for a lot of us.”

He nodded and smiled. “When we get home, when things have settled from our shock reappearance-”

Laughing, you kiss his cheek.  “That’s very true.”

Merry’s smile widened. “Then I’m going to marry you, and we’ll start a proper life together, just the way it should’ve been before we left.”

You rested your head on his shoulder, smiling and sighing contently.  “I’d like that Merry, I’d like that a lot.”

#1500 followers challenge #the lord of the rings #merry #merry x reader #merry x neutral reader

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Know Nothings, conspiratorialism and Pastel Q

As the Qanon prophecies fail and the cult-members struggle to resolve their cognitive dissonance, it's a good time to revisit the history of paranoid, conspiratorial political movements in American history - the "paranoid style" that has dominated since the Revolution.

After all, the very first skirmishes of the US war of independence were based on a conspiracy theory: that the levy on tea was a prelude to a sellout of the colonists to transnational mercantalist interests. US politics have always been conspiratorial.

I found Zachary Karabell's Politico history of the Know Nothing party especially useful, as it tells the story of what happens when surging, paranoid, fractious political movements implode.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/01/30/heres-what-happens-to-a-conspiracy-driven-party-463944

The American Party was a secret 19th century organization founded on a conspiracy theory: that Irish immigrants were secretly planning a takeover of the US on behalf of the Pope.

The American Party believed that the Irish were coming for their jobs, and for the very culture that defined America. They circulated rumors about nuns engaging in ritual infanticide and sex-trafficking teen girls. The Qanon parallels are strong.

The American Party (later the Native American Party) started off in the shadows. If anyone asked a member about the organization, they'd say "I know nothing," which is how they came to be called the "Know Nothing Party."

The Know Nothings became a political force thanks to the vacuum left behind by the implosion of the Whig party. The KNs promulgated anti-immigrant laws that promised preferential access to jobs for native-born Americans.

But the KNs were unhinged, riven by infighting, and, after a decade and a half, they basically vanished from the American political landscape, mostly absorbed into the new Republican party.

Their legacy is mixed - on the one hand, the simmering xenophobia expressed as concern for jobs and culture on the right; on the other, the roots of the trade union movement.

For Karabell, the Qanon colonization of the Republican Party is an echo of the rise - and fall - of the Know Nothings, as a mix of conspiratorialism, legitimate anti-corruption grievance, and xenophobia triggers a collapse.

Dismissals of conspiratorial movements - for example, stories that blame Big Tech's "algorithmic radicalization" mind-control rays for conspiracism - treat conspiracies as being rooted in ideas, rather than the material world.

That's a mistake - and it's one that gives conspiracists far too much credit. Conspiracies don't take hold because Alex Jones or Marjorie Taylor Greene are so good at explaining them that they cloud their victims' minds and bypass their critical faculties.

After all, Jones and Greene are fucking idiots, not super-geniuses.

What they tap into - what predicts the rise of conspiracy - is experiencing real conspiracies that hurt you and the people that you love (another word for "real conspiracy" is "corruption").

A really striking essay about this is Snowden Stieber's "This Secret Message Could Change Your Life!" - about evangelical Christianity, wellness culture, conspiratorialism and "pastel Q" (the Instagram-spread, female-coded Qanon flavor).

https://wisetendersnob.medium.com/this-secret-message-could-change-your-life-wellness-culture-jesus-and-qanon-cd576e53c9c8

I was especially struck by the connection between "alt-nutrition" philosophies and conspiratorialism. The thing is, our food advice really has been corrupt: as Gary Tabues wrote about in his 2002 New York Times essay, "What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?"

https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html

Taubes describes how the familiar "food pyramid" that advised eating lots and lots of carbohydrates while eliminating fats had been bought-and-paid-for by Big Ag, and how that advice had triggered an obesity epidemic.

Taubes's essay hit me square in the gut. I was a fat kid, with fat grandparents, and a mom who'd fought her weight all her life. As I hit my thirties, I was assiduously eating pasta and bread (with margarine) and other low-fat, high-carb food, and getting fatter and fatter.

After reading Taubes, I switched to eating high-fat, high-protein, near-zero-carb. After a couple weeks, all my cravings disappeared. A year later, I was 100lbs lighter - without any additional exercise, on a diet of steak, cheese, and cream lattes.

I've gained about 50lbs of that back in the intervening years, 20+ of it in the past year. It's a source of real anxiety for me. I've got serious body issues, weight-gain-triggered depression that I manage, even as I exercise daily and count calories.

I couldn't keep up my all-steak diet - too much worry about my ageing body and the roasting planet - but its lesson stuck with me: corporations bought off the science of nutrition and made me miserable for decades and decades.

As Steiber writes, the people who fall into Pastel Q have had similar experiences: switching from the food and lifestyle choices that corporations and governments promote, and experiencing life-changing benefits.

The wellness movement isn't just a way for huxters to sell you supplements: it's also a response to corruption in dietary advice, driven by the commercial priorities of the increasingly monopolized packaged food, fast food, and ag industries.

Likewise, the Q conspiracy about rampant, elite, unaccountable child abuse is rooted in the real child abuse rings inside of "the Roman Catholic Church, Southern Baptists, Independent Baptists, Kundalini Yoga-centered 3HO, Shambhala Buddhism, Boy Scouts of America, college football programs, USA Gymnastics, high school sports, police departments, and US federal agencies."

Q may implode like the Know Nothings, but the corruption that gives conspiracy theories explanatory power will continue to spur new conspiratorial movements.

#pluralistic

[booksonablog]

Zachary Levi Imagine - Being Best friends - Turned Lovers Would Include

Being best friends - turned lovers with Zachary Levi would include:

- The two of you being early childhood best friends

- Since elementary school, you always called him “Z”

- As kids, you guys mainly only had each other as far as friends go, the two of you did everything together, from creating forts to making up imaginary worlds in the backyard

- He would occasionally come over to make a fort with you and watch cartoons in your living room while your mom made you guys cookies

- Sometimes you would go over to his house where his dad taught the two of you how to play baseball

- The two of you actually joined a little league team and he was your biggest fan, always jumping and hollering every time you made a good hit

- Both parents adoring how close you little rugrats were

- One time, when you guys were little, the two of you were bike riding when he fell off his bike after running over a rock, causing two neighborhood kids to point and laugh at him while he remained on the ground, so you grabbed the rock and chucked it at their heads. Which you later got in trouble for, but while you were sent to your room, he would be outside your window creating a skit to make you laugh

- As teenagers, you guys were chill yet adventurous, always exploring if you weren’t watching movies

- Some nights you’d be hanging out in one of your guys’ rooms and watch movies all night till you had to go home

- other days,  he would insist that you’d follow him to a new place he discovered, which would sometimes be an arcade, a record shop, a comic store, a cool place in the woods or a lake

- Sometimes you guys would go into this hidden lake he found, and swing off a rope where you could dive into the lake, but eventually stopped going because soon other people found the lake and it lost its hidden coolness

- The two of you went to different schools, sometimes he would get out early, so you would see him waiting for you, biking or walking around, sometimes a basketball in hand or a bag of candy

- You guys would spend most of the day together and he would always walk you home

- The two of you were goofy together and always very affectionate

- He would give you piggyback rides, sometimes for fun and sometimes when you just didn’t want to walk anymore, you were always hugging him or playfully hitting him, he, on the other hand, was very playful and annoying, poking you and running away after telling him to quit so many times, mushing food on your face and running off, throwing pillows at you to start a war or holding your nose so you had no choice but to talk in a funny voice - sometimes you'd come home just to find him on your bed, laying there, or in your kitchen eating your food, "your mom let me in." Sometimes you'd walk in and find a note beside a nerf gun loaded with foam bullets and the two of you would break into war - on hot days you guys would have your own water balloon fight - neither of you had a pool, so to beat the heat, you guys would try and sneak into a private community pool - rarely you guys would go to the beach, there were too many students you guys didn't care for so if you went you guys would stay under the pier, barely going in the water if at all and then get ice cream and walk around the local shops - on rare occasions, the two of you would sneak onto his roof and sit there, watching the stars and the environment below, talking about life, joking around and occasionally enjoying the comfortable silence as you rest your head on his shoulder - as the two of you got older you started to date other people, each of you coincidentally not being too fond of the others' partner, needless to say, boyfriends and girlfriends came and went - you can recall a time when he dated this two-faced psychotic girl who would be nice and sweet while he was there but once he left, she was incredibly nasty to you  - for example, the time when the three of you went to a diner, this is the first time meeting her and she seemed okay, nice, but as soon as he went to go to the bathroom she whipped her head at you and told you bluntly to stay out of their relationship. You were confused, you didn't even nudge your head towards their relationship, but before you could defend yourself he came back.   - another time, she had already shown her true colors to you but you bit your tongue, not wanting to butt into their relationship, the three of you were leaving the theater when he left to get her jacket she "forgot," she threatened you that night to leave him alone, that the two of you couldn't be friends anymore, she didn't like that you guys had inside jokes, that when something funny happened he would look at you first, that you guys would laugh at the same stupid things in a movie, or even say the same thing simultaneously. This time, you told her politely that the two of you had been best friends for a very long time and it would remain that way and that you were again, no threat. She, however, protested and said that he agrees with her, to which you laughed and said he would never say that and that she wouldn't dare ask him, being the clever person you are. She yells in your face, "watch me," as she marches towards him, he was just walking out with her jacket in his hand, watching her yell at you. After she repeats her words he grew upset, but remained calm when telling her that you were his best friend that posed no threat and you wouldn't be going anywhere. In a fit, she threw her soda at you, you were cold, embarrassed and angry, but before you had a shot at her he took her jacket, dabbed off all the soda and handed it back to her before the two of you walked away laughing. - once he got his first car, the two of you drove everywhere, from a chill late-night car ride with the windows down and melancholy tunes playing loud to exciting mini adventures - the first time he scratched his car he told you   - "we've got a problem." "Lemme guess, you caused it." "no! I mean...barely, doesn't matter! Dad's gonna kill me if he sees this so you gotta help!" - it was soon after he started driving, that he realized he had deeper feelings for you   - one of the first realizations was when you had called him crying, when he answered the phone he could hear your sniffles followed by a "can you please come and get me?" He had sped all the way to you, where you waited inside a diner, soaking wet and alone. He gave you his hoodie to change into. He offered to buy you something hot but you insisted on him taking you home. On the drive home he listened to what had happened, your then-boyfriend was supposed to take you out for a nice date and everything went okay till he decided you weren't good enough for him. You cried, understandably so, he was ignorant and you were strong and more than good enough but it was just disappointing to you. In the driveway, one of the things Zachary told you was, "you deserve someone who values you." The two of you had stood staring at each other, till a light came on from your front porch and you had to thank him before hurriedly going inside - as you guys started to become young adults, he could recall your first long term boyfriend and him getting into a huge argument when he had gotten upset about you going out, especially with him.  - the two of them were arguing in the kitchen while you were gone, "Z" was arguing at the fact that you had your own life and could hang out with whomever you wanted, that he shouldn't be demanding and jealous and couldn't steal her away from everyone else. What's funny is he actually liked the guy but was starting to notice some red flags. The guy retorted, saying how that you guys were boyfriend and girlfriend and he wanted time alone with you, to which Zach said: "We need to spend time together too!" To which the guy ended it with, "She's not yours!" This had shut Zach up, an odd realization that the narcissist was right. He knew the guy was wrong about a lot, but he was right about that, you weren't his. He began to wonder if he was jealous, but he never mentioned it to you. The guy soon became your ex after realizing a few red flags yourself - boyfriends and girlfriends, though they came and went, had created quite the stir between you and "Z." Some painful things said from different occasions include:   - "All he ever did was use you, why can't you see that?!" - Zach   - "It was a mistake coming here!" - Zach   - "you said you'd always be there for me...so how did this happen...why weren't you there? - you   - "you were ready to abandon me for her!" - you   - "fuck you!" Both of you, on different occasions - As you grew into adulthood, the two of you guys had spent significantly less time with each other as that was life - However, you managed to talk every day, phone call, text, a rare facetime, and even scheduled days to see each other - one time, you guys had finally met up and had brunch together, catching up on adult things and he had said with a smile, "I miss this." It left a familiar butterfly flutter in your tummy, it reminded you of the secret crush you had also developed for him a long time ago - the two of you made an effort to start seeing each other more, eventually seeing each other every other day at the least - one day you went straight to his house from a terrible day at work. As soon as he opened the door you immediately started crying, he brought you to his chest, "shh, it's okay, come inside." He made you tea as he listened to you ramble on about your terrible day, afterward, he drew you a bath. When you got out he told you that you could spend the night at his place since it was already late, and so you did. You fell asleep in his arms that night. - soon, the two of you were on and off again as you each started dating other people, never dating at the same time and being equally unhappy deep down. You can recall many accounts where you would sob at night, you were in love with him, but it seemed it wasn't meant to be, little did you know he would have similar nights - as you eventually made your peace, or attempted to do so, he decided he'd put his foot down and lay his cards out   - one rainy night alone, you got up to make yourself tea before bed when you heard a knock on your door, making you jump. You checked the peephole, shocked to see your best friend. You opened the door, "Z-" "I'm in love with you." He panted, interrupting you and putting you in a state of shock. " I've been in love with you since we were kids and I didn't realize this till high school, I know I should have told you sooner, and I'm sorry if this is terrible timing but I have to tell you Y/N because I'm afraid I might die if I don't. I can't live without you, without thinking about you, hearing from you and seeing you - you're everything to me and I am so deeply in love with you." He left you stunned, watching as he panted, leaning in your doorway, hair dripping with rain. "Please, say something." You shook your head out of shock, his heart sinking to his stomach. You could barely form words, and somehow "I'm in love with you too" just wouldn't cut it, so you grabbed his face, pulled him down and towards you and kissed him with all the passion you had hidden away for years. He leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around you tightly, only breaking the kiss for air and a grin before happily confessing how long he'd been waiting to do that ♡

Writer’s Note: I had so much fun writing this! I hope you guys enjoyed it just as much ♡

Tags: @booklover2929​ 

#zachary levi imagine #shazam imagine #zachary levi #dc imagine #shazam #dc #celebrity imagine #zachary levi fanfiction #would include

[misplacedxeggos]

Matchmaker - Jack Dylan Grazer

words: 683

———————————

Y/n Levi

It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Yeah well, Jack thought that Y/n Grazer sounded better.

The only problem was he had never spoken to them.

Kind of a big problem if you ask me.

Months had gone by where Zachary would bring Y/n to the set of Shazam and they would sit and draw.

Months went by where Jack would walk past them staring and they would look up and wave at him.

Y/n knew exactly who he was they were just too shy to say anything.

Jack was normally a kid that was out there and always hyper especially when it came to shooting. But, this time he felt nervous and his heart kept beating no matter what.

It really didn't help when Zachary caught Jack staring at Y/n, but let's see how that went down.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

It was nearing the middle of their filming journey and the whole cast decided on having breakfast together.

Zachary brought his daughter/son too since they had been on set before and had bonded with Faithe and Jovan.

After getting food Y/n sat down next to Fatihe talking about anything and everything. Zachary had sat next to Asher and Jack striking up a conversation.

He had asked Jack a question but he hadn't replied yet. Zachary looked where he was gazing and found his eyes landing on Y/n.

Y/n turned to look at Jack and once they found him already looking at her/him she/he immediately started blushing.

Later in the day Zachary kept thinking about the interaction and laughing. He gave his assistant the day off and thought of ways to get the two together.

"Hey Y/n can you go to the little café down the street and get me a coffee since we'll be here a while?"

"Yeah, of course, I'll be back soon."

He suggested to Jack to get food from there a minute later for him and Asher while he was on break.

After Y/n had ordered Zachary's coffee she/he sat down to wait for the name to be called.

Jack ordered some food and turned around noticing Y/n sitting at a table near the counter.

He waved at them and walked over pulling out a chair.

"Is anyone sitting here?"

"No, go ahead."

She/he smiled at Jack and looked down at the table.

"So, how long have you been acting?"

"Uh, about four years. But I've got to ask, why do you come to set with your dad?"

"Well, I think that movie productions are really interesting and it's a great time killer I guess."

"Y/n! Jack!" The barista called.

Neither of the teens heard as they were too busy taking in the others facial features.

The two kept making small talk. While making small hand gestures Y/n placed her hand on the table.

Jack took notice and slowly put his hand on top of hers/his giving it a squeeze and a small smile.

Ruining the moment Y/n's phone started ringing with their dad's face showing up.

"Hey kiddo where's the coffee?"

"Ah geez, sorry dad I got distracted. I'll be right there."

They hung up while standing to walk over to the counter.

"I've got to get back to set. My dad has been waiting for his coffee for a while."

"I'll walk you back. I have Asher's food to bring him."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"Wow, you sure did take your sweet time didn't ya, " Zachary mocked them.

"Yeah, sorry I just lost track of time."

"Mmhmm many distracting things at a café. Like a boy maybe?"

"Maybe"

Zach watched his daughter/son blush at the mention of this idea and smirked slightly knowing what happened.

Bringing the coffee to his lips he chocked on it.

"It's cold."

"You didn't say iced coffee?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Huh, interesting."

Y/n walked away from their father catching up with Jack to continue their conversation and hopefully know more about his life, specifically whether or not he was single.

#jack dylan grazer #jack dylan grazer imagine #it chapter one #it chapter 1 imagine #it 2017

[pinkykitten]

Ⓐⓣⓣⓐⓒⓚ ⓞⓝ Ⓣⓘⓣⓐⓝ

this is a fan cast for the anime attack on titan or shingeki no kyojin. you guys know i love doing fancasts especially with fandoms i’m so strong about and love so much this is one of them. i love attack on titan so much and tbh i get a lil crazy for it...oops. but with some i do agree on in fancasts i thought why not make my own and show you guys what i think. this would be my dream cast and like (i know this never will) but if they did makes this real i prob would cry so hard my boogies would come out. now you don’t have to agree on me with this this is just what i think. hopefully you guys likes and maybe agree...if you do i love you!

eren yeager or jeager idk : rob raco (i’ve read that eren’s character is supposed to be tan or tanner skin so i thought rob would be perfect. i know him from riverdale and he’s just perfect with the skin color and eye color and he has that capability of long hair for future eren JUST SAYIN. eren is one of my fav characters in aot/snk) 

aredn cho : mikasa ackerman (such a beauty and strong character. i loved arden in teen wolf and think she is so cute and beautiful. funny thing i say mikasa kinda hispanic because mi casa su casa you know so i say it wrong but i’m gonna try to say it right.) 

hart denton : armin artlert (arm out hahah im srry i hate myself) (i know this is another dude from riverdale its so funny bc i swear i dont even watch or really care about the show. i guess i think whelp i need young actors so either go to riverdale or 13 reasons why. but he is so beautiful and adorable and that jawline.) 

gregg sulkin : jean kirschtein / kirstein (okokok i had a hugeeeee crush on this actor when i was young and i think he’s pretty bomb on runaways the marvel show and he’s really cute and that chin is like jean and to me this is perfect!) 

charlie rowe : connie springer (i mean c’mon guys they look basically like twins although i do like dylan for connie i feel charlie looks more like connie) 

historia reiss / krista / christa lenz : kiernan shipka 

isabella gomez : sasha blouse (i love sasha so much she is very mood and i just love my precious bean and who better than to get someone that is super funny i mean c’mon)

anthony ramos : marco bodt (i’m john laurens in the place to be two pints of sam adams but im workin on threeeeee. i love anthony especially his singing hes so frickin cute just like my bby rip marco. freckles 4 dayz)

oona chaplin : ymir 

saoirse ronana : annie leonhart

alexander ludwig : reiner braun (reiner is my favorite character in aot/snk. his past and life makes me feel sad and just in a way kinda feel bad for him even tho i don’t want to. i love him and yes read many fanfics of him and many other characters of aot/snk.)

chuku modu : bertholdt hoover (first off chuku’s voice is like butter and it makes me feel some type of way and second the man is 6′4 ladies just like mr. hoover. its just glorious!!!)

dane dehaan : levi ackerman (you knew, you knew, you knew why you actin all surprised. i mean this man will forever be real levi.) 

sonam kapoor : hange / hanji zoe (both beauties!)

chris evans : erwin smith (again you knew! i feel like chris + anything to do with military soldier stuff = captain america OR ERWIN SMITH LIKE BRUH PLS DO NOT FIGHT ME ON THIS IT IS FATE AND TRUTH NOT OPINION FAM)

johnny simmons : moblit berner 

karen gillian : petra ral 

hunter parrish : oluo bozado

marco ilso : eld jin / jinn / gin (marco is a snack yallllll)

martin sensmeier : gunther schultz 

alexander skarsgard : mike zacharias (yes lord!)

carey mulligan : nanaba 

evan peters : marlowe freudenberg (dang what a last name srry) 

camren bicondova : hitch dreyse 

patrick stewart with a mustache : dot pixis (wait i forgot his first name was dot)

jeff bridges : dhalis zachary

will smith : keith shadis (idk why i really like this one but keith’s story is sad like he wanted to be a hero and remebered and just praised for one thing in his life but don’t worry keith *cries* I SEE U!)

rashida jones : carla yeager / jeager 

ALEXANDER HAMILTON i mean lin-manuel miranda : grisha yeaher / jeager (yes i did it...i made grisha alexander hamilton...its funny when i was watching the episodes with my sister i said grisha looks a lot like alexander hamilton so i felt it needed to be done and they look basically alike so i can rest knowing i did my deed)

charlie hunnam : zeke yeager / jeager (i know pply are pretty iffy about this one but i for one love it i think they look identical and i dont care what anyone says. we are all entitled to our opinion and shouldnt get mad at each other. also i love charlie and have such a crush on him its not even funny)

jeffrey dean morgan : kenny ackerman (woo hot diggity dang jeffrey is a fineee species, he is super *cough* daddy and makes me wonder do i want a way older dude????)

jenny slate : pieck (i love jenny she is so funny i cannot but the pic of pieck is fan art so it is not mine but i really liked how it looks a lot like the anime so well job to the creator) 

ben hardy : porco galliard (i fell in love w ben when i watched bohemian rhapsody if you havent watched that like what are you doing w your life! also porco’s pic is fan art as well since i wanted color to match with the rest of the pics and not manga no color) 

akira akbar : gabi braun (gabi is i think manga but colored idk if it is fanart but its not mine)

jacob tremblay : falco grice (the pic of falco is not mine! i do not own!)

#anime fancast #fancast #snk #aot #attack on titan fancast #attack on titan #eren yeager #rob raco #mikasa ackerman #arden cho #armin arlert #hart denton #jean kirschstein #gregg sulkin #ymir #oona chaplin #connie springer #charlie rowe #historia reiss #kiernan shipka #annie leonhardt #saoirse ronan #sasha braus #isabella gomez #reiner braun #alex pettyfer #bertholdt hoover #chuku modu #levi ackerman #dane dehaan

[miyamellyn]

happy birthday crossfire!

Today is the birthday of my favorite fanfiction of all time, crossfire by kittebasu!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10693503/chapters/23683296

Here's a playlist of songs that remind of crossfire, either lyrically or musically. It's my small love letter to this story and to kitten's writing. This story made me feel a lot of things I haven't felt that strongly pretty much ever, and I'm really thankful that I found it in the point in my life that I did.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4gRHNv9twmae4HxIKLguG1

I've described my reasons for picking each song here, but please don't look if you don't want spoilers, since plot events will be referenced!

BEGINNING (PINING AND FIRST LOVE)

Mostly sappy love songs with a bit of sadness to them.

I Never Planned on You/Don't Come a-Knocking - Jeremy Jordan (Newsies Original Broadway Cast)

Cynical boy gives in to all of his sappy feelings!! I'm here for this in general, and especially for Miyuki

So Close - Jon McLaughlin

Absolutely one of my favorite songs of all time. Terribly tender and terribly sad.

You Are In Love - Travis Atreo (Taylor Swift cover)

One of my favorite parts of crossfire is watching Miyuki slowly, slowly admit his feelings to himself!

Helpless - Phillipa Soo (Hamilton Original Broadway Cast)

Fallin' in love wheeeeeee

So This Is Love - Ilene Woods and Mike Douglas (Cinderella)

Can't Help Falling in Love  - Ingrid Michaelson

I also like the twentyonepilots version and of course the original :)

MIDDLE (SEPARATION)

Bite the Hand - boygenius

"I can't love you how you want me to"

Not This Day - Stick and Poke

Oh boy this song used to make me cry buckets after my first breakup. It revolves around a breakup that is terribly difficult, but is seen as the right thing to do.

Rivers and Roads - The Head and the Heart

Our Apartment - Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties

Sweater Song - Hedley

I Won't Give Up - Washington University Stereotypes (a cappella cover of Jason Mraz)

Warm warm warm voices!

Your Old Coat - Paperwork

The first song I ever saved to Spotify! In particular, the lines "such big plans we had," "so this is all I that have left, your old clothes and your old desk," and "this house is far too cold to be a home, there's a certain kind of silence that these walls have never known" really lined up with my experience of the period where Miyuki's alone in San Francisco

Dear Jamie…Sincerely Me - Hellogoodbye

Following the trend, one of my oldest and most treasured songs. All about trying to send someone your feelings over a long distance, like the boys do with their plants.

END (LOVE)

I See the Light - Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi (from Tangled)

The thing I love most about their relationship is how warm it is, and warm is my favorite word to describe this song. It's also, y'know, about someone/something you never thought you could or would have, and how it changes your life.

Finding Something to Do - Hellogoodbye

"as long as there's something to see, I'll see it with you"

SAWAMURA

Make You Feel My Love - Adele

Crossfire!Sawamura would do, and does do, absolutely anything to make Miyuki feel loved, and it's so lovely.

Hanshin Tigers no Uta - Yuuji Koseki and Meisterbrass Quartet

I couldn't find Rokko Oroshi in cheer-song format on Spotify, but I thought Sawamura might like this version too.

MIYUKI

I Don't Like Love Songs, But I Like You - Stick and Poke

Miyuki's not good at saying "I love you" in a normal way, and that's one of the things I love most about crossfire. You really get to feel his love and care, even through his insults and his poking and his prodding! I often get annoyed with Miyuki's personality when it feels like he's going to far, but crossfire!miyuki is like? Annoying and obnoxious in a really lovely way which I don't know how to describe

I Wanna Get Better - Bleachers

Sawamura is a catalyst for Miyuki to "get better" and make positive changes in so many areas of his life

BONUS

Here are all the songs that don't really fit in musically, but the lyrics relate in some way that I found amusing!

Legally Blonde - Legally Blonde OST

Feeling forced to leave because of a situation out of your control. Also, just Emmett singing "cuz you know that I'm so much in love" .

October - Eric Whitacre

To me, this song has always been about the changing of the seasons, both good and bad. Warm, beautiful, a little overwhelming.

Stronger than You - Estelle (from Steven Universe)

Miyuki! And! Eijun! Are stronger ! Together !

I hope you enjoy this playlist! crossfire means a lot to me, and I think that snuck its way into the fact that a lot of my favorite songs now remind me of crossfire, or vice versa.

#crossfire #mel makes #daiya no ace #misawa #kittebasu

[starbrightscribbles]

That’s IT I’ve decided that Shazam is my favorite movie of all time and here’s a list of random reasons:

- I’ve loved superhero movies since I was 3 and saw the first spiderman movie back in like 2002 and this movie made me feel nostalgic for when I was little watching superhero movies and ahh it’s just too much

-Zachary Levi is near the top of the list of my favorite humans I’ve never met but I know would be awesome and I’ve loved him ever since I watched Chuck and he is the PERFECT Shazam.

- I would die for every one of the kids in this movie, especially Darla, she has my entire heart.

- Mark strong is in it so you KNOW it’s gonna be good.

-This movie achieves so many firsts for superhero movies it’s crazy. Including so much diversity with it being about a foster family and having so much diversity in the foster kids.

-Alsooo it has a disabled main character that gets to make a speech that will make you cry sooo hard seriously friends bring tissues

-It has the little boy who played Eddie in It playing a character named Freddy (which I find funny cause they rhyme lol) and he’s so good in both these movies and makes me cry what a good young actor!

-Lastly, it’s just the ultimate feel good movie. Seriously, I’ve watched this movie at least 20 times and I have no regrets because it’s basically free serotonin every time, so if you’re feeling sad literally just watch this movie cause it will make you smile so hard :D

Sorry for the long post, I’ve had waaayyy to much coffee today loll

#shazam #shazam! #shazam movie #dceu #dc #billy batson #darla dudley #freddy freeman #zachary levi #superheroes #movies #chuck

[ladyfawkes]

New Dream/Angelic Dream - New Dream Appreciation Week - Day 4 | Hurt/Comfort

While I don’t have a specific Eugene/Rapunzel New Dream story, this one is still very New Dream-centric in its own way. Some may have seen it before but most have not. It’s very personal and dear to me and I kind of considered it appropriate, considering we’re coming upon a certain anniversary in just three days.....

“When Eugene called Rapunzel Sunshine, I felt that…”

Confession: I feel this each and every time Eugene says this. Especially since Sunshine is an actual nickname of mine. My heart skips a beat because….it’s what my fiancé used to call me. And I say “used to” because he passed away before we could get married. It’s high time I explained to everybody the reason why I glommed onto Tangled the Series for dear life…since I’ve been putting it off for the past 4 months. Got less than a week left til the series finale….. and this series came along right when I needed it.

When I began getting deeper into Tangled fandom, it wasn’t until around later October 2019. I was feeling a real hankering for more of Eugene Fitzherbert’s singing voice. Confession 2: Until Autumn 2019, I had NO IDEA that Zachary Levi had voiced Flynn Rider, both speaking AND singing!! At the time, the main thing that drew me to Flynn was his singing voice. I never forgot that. Like so many others, I fell in love with Tangled’s soundtrack and specially with “I See the Light” and “I’ve Got a Dream”, etc.

Confession 3: I’ve had a crush on Zachary Levi ever since the first episode of Chuck. Even though Chuck’s social and emotional insecurities are a rather enormously huge humorous part of the plot, the way Zac portrayed that anxiety and other types of raw emotions were real. He possesses a markedly rare ability to elicit laughter and tears within the same scene, and sometimes within the very same moment of a scene. While it’s an exceptional gift to exhibit that ability, it nearly always means that underneath it all, the reason why you can perceive this type of emotion so plainly from any given actor is because they’ve experienced those feelings on a personal level in their private lives. Nobody ever told me this, it’s something I learned through observation. It’s true of writers too…and composers. The best way to telegraph emotion through a given medium to someone else is often by having initially having experienced those emotions for yourself. It wouldn’t be until years after Chuck began that Zac would feel comfortable enough to share his mental health history with his fans…and we’d begin to learn just how deep he truly is.

With all of this in mind, I was perusing YouTube with the intent of finding more of “Flynn Rider’s singing voice” and imagine my shock & delight when a whole bunch of Tangled the Series and Tangled Before Ever After songs showed up in my search!!! Then I Looked up the fan wikia only to discover that it was none other than our dear Zachary Levi who had voiced Eugene Fitzherbert!!! I got positively thrilled and was already on Cloud Nine before I’d even begun watching it. Despite Disney’s, uh, thorny history with spinoffs, I couldn’t help but be excited as I learned most of the original cast had returned as well!!

I queued up Tangled Before Ever After and was instantly transported, instantly fell in love. I truly did not expect to be as drawn to Eugene as I was….in the film version, I wasn’t so sure about him….but I gravitated toward him immediately in the series. At first, I really didn’t know why. The feeling seemed familiar somehow and again….I didn’t know why. I couldn’t figure it out.

As I watched the first few episodes, I was constantly live-gushing (that’s akin to live-tweeting, only over Messenger instead) about the show with my friend Samara as I watched; Sammeh is also a Tangled superfan. I was continually talking about how it was the Disney’s best spinoff I had ever seen, how I was shocked that they cast SO MANY original cast members, original songwriters, etc. I can unequivocally state I haven’t loved an animated series this much in my life, even as a child. Then I was describing how much I could not get over the healthy, loving relationship portrayed between Eugene and Rapunzel. As I sat describing it, I suddenly said, “Oh my gosh. Sammeh…..”  And it caused me to freeze. Even though Sam had known my former fiancé just as long as we’d known each other, I didn’t know if Sam would think I was nuts for suggesting that certain aspects of Eugene’s personality reminded me of Anthony. After a long pause, I typed as much to her, “I don’t know if I should say this to you…..” yet I needn’t have worried, because Sam completed my thought for me: “You’re gonna say he’s like Anthony.” I was so surprised I said, “YES!!! How did you know I was gonna say that?!”

”Easy. Because I’ve seen it too.”

In spite of myself, I wept after she said that. So I wasn’t just imaging it. I’m getting teary-eyed now just thinking about it.

The love between Eugene and Rapunzel reminds me of the love I had with my Anthony. Anthony was not intimidated by my inner strength, we took turns rescuing each other, he was willing to listen to me talk for hours and hours and hours and I did the same with him, we took turns forever teasing one another, we couldn’t ever stay angry with each other, we always talked things out. He was forever encouraging my talents and dreams. We hung out with an unlikely, rag-tag group of friends. And especially the way Eugene caresses Rapunzel’s face, kisses her forehead….and spontaneously says _the most heart-melting romantic things….._that was just like my Anthony. And of course, he called me “The light in my life….My Sunshine.”

Now….while Anthony didn’t die while rescuing me from an enemy, his was a sacrifice of a different kind….for shortly before he passed, he was experiencing far too much mental strife….never once did he self-disclose this, though….and unfortunately, we didn’t learn until after the fact. It became apparent he felt his only way out was to take his own life.

Needless to say, I crawled into a very dark place after he died. I tried very hard not to….but over the prior 18 months I’d already lost so very much. I’d lost a job, loss of place to live, for months, I was being literally starved by my abusive-prior-ex-boyfriend ….I just shriveled up inside due to self-doubt, self-hatred, and I couldn’t speak about anything.

Even from 1800 miles away at the time, Anthony managed to be the one person to draw it all out of me. (I was estranged from most family at the time – with good reason) and I told him everything….and he listened to all of it, never interrupting, never judging, never being anything but his amazing self. Somehow, after two years of friendship and listening to one another, Anthony had fallen in love with me….even though all of the garbage I told him. To this day, I do not know what he saw in me. But something inside knew that if I could just strive to put good things surrounding that fateful date, its anniversary would lose its sting and I could heal and live the way Anthony would’ve wanted me to live. Although I’d described some of the lowlights, I’ve definitely had moments in my life that have filled me with much love and light.

I’ve been so very scared to type all of this out, put it all out there, for fear of being…..judged. Ridiculed. You know how the internet can be……naturally there’s a lot more to this story that I would like to share with you yet this has already become prohibitively lengthy.

The whole point is to say that it’s been nearly 14 long years since I last heard Anthony’s light sweet southern drawl. And through the magical medium of Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, this show effectively allowed me the heartwarming and bittersweet chance to feel a small part of his love within my life again. I don’t know quite how it happened….but happen it did….right when I needed it. Anthony and I were very flirty and silly and ridiculous as a couple, just the way you would expect two twitter-pated people to be….the way Eugene calls Rapunzel “Sunshine” and caresses her cheek….the way he looks at her ….with his heart is full of so much love that it touches his warm brown eyes….those things remind me most of Anthony. Hopefully you can see why it’s been so difficult to, ah, self-disclose this information about myself.

So…..thank you for that from the bottom of my heart, Disney, Chris Sonnenburg, Shane Prigmore, Tara Nicole Whitaker, Tom Caulfield, Stephen Sandoval, Zachary Levi, Mandy Moore, Eden Espinoza, James Iglehart, Jeremy Jordan, Kevin Kleisch, Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, Anna Lencioni, and anybody else whom I’ve missed…..

#New Dream appreciation week #new dream week #hurt / comfort #personal story #personal anecdotes

[sapienveneficus]

Elsie Fest 2019: A Broadway Music Festival Sans Broadway

Another year, another Elsie Fest. This year marks the Broadway festival's fifth anniversary, and it also happens to be the fourth Elsie Fest I've been able to attend. Coming off a the high of 2018's festival, this year's event had some mighty big shoes to fill. Did it succeed? In a word? No. I had fun last night, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't help but be disappointed by several aspects of the event. Let me break it down for you.

For those who haven't been to Elsie Fest, there's a rhythm to whole thing that's important to explain right at the top. The seating at the venue is, for the most part, general admission so people line up well before the gates open to secure the best spots near the stage. I joined the line about 2 hours before opening and, therefore, managed to snag a pretty good spot. I laid out my blanket, sat down, and took part in the hour-long showtunes sing-a-long lead, once again, by our favorite dynamic duo from Marie's Crisis. This hour of fun was a highlight for me; it always is. But this year especially it proved to be one of the few celebrations of Broadway to be found at this Broadway music festival. More on that later.

As the hour came to a close, and the guys from Marie's Crisis were wrapping things up on stage, I took a look around the venue. I couldn't help but notice that it wasn't as full as it had been the year before (or the year before that). That observation got me thinking, why was attendance down this year? After a bit of brainstorming, I came up with a few potential causes.

First up, timing. Elsie Fest has always been on a Sunday. Since the show moved to Central Park back in 2017, it has specifically been the Sunday smack dab in the middle of Columbus Day Weekend. For any international readers, Columbus Day is a federal holiday (like a bank holiday) here in the US that falls on the second Monday in October. So, for the past two years, Elsie Fest was been held in the middle of a 3 day weekend. Which meant it was generally easy for folks in the tri state area to make the trip into the city. Also, falling on a Sunday evening meant it was easy to get Broadway folks (even those currently in shows) to stop by since most shows only run a matinee on Sundays and typically have Mondays off. By choosing a Saturday this year, the organizers made it harder for some regular attendees to come out (people tend to have things to do on Saturdays plus, for some, it's the Sabbath), and they cut down on their talent pool significantly because they wouldn't be able to get anyone currently working on or off Broadway.

This segues nicely into the second reason for the potential dip in ticket sales, namely the featured performers. There weren't really any big names this year. Last year, for example, we had Sutton Foster, Joshua Henry, Grant Gustin, Matthew Morrison, Alex Newell, Nick Jonas, Zachary Levi, Casey Cott, Rufus Wainwright, Jodi Benson, and performances from Be More Chill and The Prom. This year, up until about a week before, the only big-ish name attached to the show was Gavin Creel. I say a week before because last week they announced Cynthia Erivo. I'm guessing she was added last minute in a desperate attempt to sell tickets. Which sort of worked, the venue wasn't empty, but kinda proves my point. By having this on a Saturday they weren't able to bring in the talent that they had in years past and, without those big names, they weren't able to bring in as many attendees.

Finally, the third reason for the lackluster ticket sales was New York Comic Con. This doesn't require much in the way of explanation. This weekend was New York Comic Con. Lots of the big panels, sales, and cosplay events fall on Saturday, and it's not a stretch to assume that NYCC and Elsie Fest are drawing from similar, if not the same, pools of people. So that probably hurt sales a bit as well. Though I suspect the two other reasons were larger contributing factors.

Okay, back to the show itself. After the sing-a-long, we were shown a quick trailer for High School Musical: The Musical – The Series. (You are not misreading what I wrote, that's the show's actual title) After the trailer, two of the kids came out to sing Breaking Free. Their performance was super cute, and I was reminded of the fact that HSM debuted in early 2006. Which means that all the tweens and teens who grew up with this film series are now fully-fledged adults. And they were out in the audience, in full force, singing along. It was a sweet moment to witness. And, not going to lie, I was singing along as well. I have a soft spot for the series myself. It'll always remind me of my first year of teaching. My students were obsessed HSM, and I was right there with them.

Next, Dyllon Burnside came out and performed an RnB version of Luck Be a Lady from Guys and Dolls. This number was okay. Dyllon's got a great voice and the woman who came up with him to dance as Luck was talented. But the performance had a rocky start because there wasn't an introduction. Someone just said into a mic, here's Dyllon Burnside, and then it started. I remember standing there thinking to myself, “Who's Dyllon Burnside?” I googled him today and found out he's on that Ryan Murphy show, Pose. It might have been a good idea to give that info up front. Anyhow, like I said, his performance was okay. RnB is not my cup of tea, but he had a good voice and a commanding stage presence so I could put up with that style for a single song.

After Dyllon, the composer of The Lightning Thief, Rob Rokicki, took the stage with a few backup singers. He performed Good Kid, The Lightning Thief's opening number. This performance was an example of how the timing of this year's festival hurt its lineup. Rob's a composer with a passable voice, not performer. And this song needs a cast of performers to be done properly. Unfortunately, Rob’s talented cast couldn't be there because it was Saturday night, and they had an evening show to do over at the Longacre. So we, the audience, were stuck with Rob. No offense to Rob, he seemed like a sweet guy, but he's not a performer. He should have been there to introduce his cast, not perform in their place.

After Rob, came the first set of the evening, a series of songs performed by Anais Mitchell, the composer/creator of Hadestown. I should probably begin this paragraph by explaining that I have not drunk the Hadestown kool aid. I have seen show, I did not like the show, but that is a matter for another post. Going into this set, I figured Anais would do a song from Hadestown and then take a few other Broadway tunes and put her folksy spin on them. That is not what happened. She sang 4 songs from Hadestown, and then a medley of songs from her newest album. To put it bluntly, her set was bad. Even if I liked Hadestown, which I do not, I would still have to be honest and say that she really missed the point of the festival. She was there to celebrate Broadway in general, not her show in particular. It'd be like Lin Manuel Miranda showing up and performing a whole bunch of songs from Hamilton. I mean, that'd be AMAZING, but I would have to be honest and admit that he would also have missed the point. What she should have done was a song from Hadestown, probably at the beginning, and then pick other Broadway songs. She could have told stories about showtunes that evoked special memories for her or demonstrated how certain showtunes might have folk elements hidden within them. What we didn't need was an ad for Hadestown/her latest album, but that was what we got. It was a real shame.

After Anais, Ariana DeBose took the stage. Thankfully, they gave her an introduction this time. Ariana's not a name yet, but that may change after Spielberg's West Side Story opens next year. (She's playing Anita) She kicked off her set with an RnB version of Shall We Dance from The King and I. Ariana is one of the artists who's been working on the R&H Goes Pop project on YouTube. Again, RnB is not my genre, but it was a good way to raise the energy there in the venue (as it at plummeted during the previous set) and to showcase her talent. Ariana has great tone, an impressive range, and real stage presence. So while I didn't enjoy the song itself, I was impressed with her performance overall. The next song she did was Invisible by Jason Robert Brown. It's a song off his latest album that he wrote for the Ronald McDonald House. This song was also done in an RnB style and, at this point, I started to worry that her whole set would be like this. Her next number was a medley of pop songs that dealt with cheating. It was fun, high energy, but again, it wasn’t Broadway. She could easily have used this to transition into Cell Block Tango or any other showtune about cheating (there are quite a few), but, alas, that wasn't the case. Instead, she covered Cold Play's Fix You. It was a great cover, don't get me wrong, but still not a Broadway song. At this point, I'd gone from starting to worry to full on worrying. Where were the showtunes? This is Elsie Fest, it's the one music festival for Broadway fans where their music is celebrated. That's why I love it so much and keep coming back year after year. So when her next number started off with All That Jazz from Chicago, I thought, “Finally!” but then she mashed it up with a few other Broadway/pop songs all sung by various “Divas” and my excitement diminished. Despite all of that, I held out hope that she'd close out her set with a song from West Side Story. It only made sense to get the crowd excited for next year's remake, right? Nope! Instead, she mashed up Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby with Beyonce's Naughty Girl and I think an third song I didn't recognize, who knows? At that point, I was just glad to see her leave the stage; what a disappointment.

Gavin Creel was up next. He began his set with a mashup of hits from all the shows he's been a part of. I heard Put on Your Sunday Clothes, What Do I Need With Love, Ilona, Bad Idea, You and Me (But Mostly Me), and a moment of I've Got Life. This was a great way to kick things off; a reminder of all he's accomplished on Broadway thus far. Next, after a joke about always finding your light onstage, he performed Moving Too Fast from The Last Five Years, a personal favorite of mine. Then he did a song he wrote for a showcase he'll be putting on sometime next year. After that, he sat down at the piano to do Something Wonderful from the King and I. He ended his set with The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In. Now, I knew he'd do something from Hair. I'd been hoping it'd be either Going Down (if you really want to hear someone gush about his version of that song, check out Seth Rudetsky's review on YouTube, it's delightful) or Where Do I Go?, but he chose the closing number instead. Not a bad decision, but it's not a song that can be performed solo. So, as it came time for the female lead's part in the song, I figured Cynthia or Ariana would come out to join him. That's the sort of thing that happens a lot at Elsie Fest. People will pop into each others sets to help out. Last year, famously, Will Roland, Grant Gustin, and Darren Criss teamed up to do Sincerely, Me during Grant's short set. And who could forget Aaron Tveit popping up during Leslie Odom Jr.'s set to duet with him on What You Own? But, for some unknown reason, Gavin tried to do the whole song by himself which just didn't work. So his strong set ended on kind of a sour note. I will say, Gavin's approach to crafting his setlist was perfect. He chose a good variety showtunes (old and new) and gave us a taste of what might be coming next for him. People working on set lists for next year ought to take notes. My only critique would be the lack of a female voice during his last number. Other than that, flawless.

Next, the cast of the upcoming show, Jagged Little Pill, took the stage. I had been looking forward to their performance as the show's been generating quite a bit of buzz since its out of town tryout last summer in Boston. At last year's Elsie Fest, both The Prom and Be More Chill performed two numbers a piece. So, with that blueprint in mind, I figured Jagged Little Pill would do maybe a lesser known Alanis song first and then end with a big hit. They started their set with Forgiven. It was a lesser known song that utilized the entire cast so it made for a strong opening number. I figured they'd end with something more well know like, You Learn or You Oughta Know. So I was genuinely shocked when they left the stage after only performing one song. What happened to their second song? Did they run out of time? Or, if for some reason they were only allowed one number this year, why did they choose such an obscure song? This was their chance to get the audience fired up for their new show, and by only performing Forgiven, they failed to do that. It was such a bizarre choice.

Cynthia Erivo, the lady of the hour, was up next. I'd missed her set at Elsie Fest 2016 so I was all the more eager to see which songs she'd choose to perform this time around. I figured she'd have to do one from The Color Purple, but the rest was anyone's guess. Would she go modern? Classic? A mix of both? There was no way of know, but I was excited to find out. She came out on stage, full of poise and grace, wearing these adorable cat-eye glasses and greeted the audience in such a sweet way. She seemed genuinely thrilled to see us all. She kicked off her set with Elvis's Can't Help Falling in Love. She sang it beautifully, but it was an odd choice. Then she sang Ain't No Way by Aretha Franklin. Again, she sang it flawlessly; this is Cynthia Erivo we're talking about. Everything she sings could be recorded and used as part of a master class in vocal performance. But where were the the showtunes? We were 0 for 2, and I was starting to get that worried feeling again. Then Darren came onstage with his guitar and accompanied her on Miss Celie's Blues by Quincy Jones. Also not a Broadway song, but it was featured in the film version of The Color Purple so it was a sort of nod to Broadway, I suppose. Then she did One Night Only. Finally, a showtune! Not one that I happen to like, but that point, I was desperate for something, anything. Next, she did a slowed down version of I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston, and I sighed internally. It's not that I don't like the song, I do, but it was yet another pop song. Clearly, no one had given the night's performers any sort of guidance so they were just singing, whatever. Cynthia followed up the Whitney Houston number with Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. If you're thinking to yourself, that's not a showtune either, you would be correct. The Lauper tune was how she ended her set. Again, like everything she performed, she sang it beautifully. My issue with her set was the overall lack of Broadway. This is Elsie Fest, a celebration of Broadway music. As a Broadway fan, that's what I want to hear. If I wanted to hear nothing but oldies, I'd go to an oldies music festival, if I wanted to hear all rock and roll, I'd go to one of those festivals, and so on and so on. I come to Elsie Fest for the showtunes, both old and new.

The last set before Darren's was Michael Feinstein's. Right off the bat, saving Michael's set for so late in the night was a very bad idea. He should have gone first or very nearly first when the audience was fresh and more forgiving. Michael is a very wealthly older gentleman. I don't know how he made his millions, but he was able to buy and open the cabaret club 54 Below so he's clearly got a few pennies tucked away. Maybe he flashed a few of those pennies to get such a prime timeslot, but that was a mistake. The audience was bored to tears by his set. Standing there while he performed I started to feel like the whole night up to that point had been a bit of a lousy dichotomy. Either listen to pop and RnB sung beautifully when all you want to hear are showtunes, or listen to showtunes sung poorly. I was standing there thinking, “Isn't there an option C? Didn't I pay to attend option C?” Yeah, Michael probably had a lovely voice back in the day, but that day has long since passed. He started his set with A Lot of Living to Do and then gave the audience a lecture on why Bye Bye Birdie is so important to the history of musical theater. Next, he did I Only Have Eyes for You from 42nd Street. He'd lost the crowd at that point. People were BORED. Then, after another lecture, he did the St. Louis Blues, badly. Then he put together I Don't Want to be Lonely Tonight with One Less Bell to Answer. The next song he did cannot, apparently, be googled so it will have to remain a mystery. Finally, at long last, he closed out his set with a Frank Sinatra medley. Darren came out to join him, which woke the audience up (some had literally laid down and gone to sleep). Looking back over his set, all 6 songs (5 too many if you ask me), I can't help but draw the conclusion that he gave the organizers of Elsie Fest an inordinate amount of money for a chance to perform. I hope they spend it wisely next year.

At long last, it was time for Darren's set. He had to go on 20 minutes late so we'll never know which songs he was forced to cut from the lineup. All I do know is that the 7 songs he chose were all winners. He kicked things off with a Glee song, Everybody Wants to Rule the World. It was excellent, pop at its finest. Next, he did Waving Through a Window and the crowd lost their minds. Fear not, I was right there with them; cheering and grinning like an idiot. If the crowed seemed keyed up during the Dear Evan Hansen number, they found a new stratosphere of joy to reach when he next performed Wait for It from Hamilton. It felt like suffering through all the bad sets that night had been worth it, almost. Next he pulled out his guitar and started to perform Wig in a Box and, I kid you not, I almost started crying. It had been a long night, full of disappointments, and Darren's set was pure perfection. He then paused, midway through the song, to bring out Lena Hall. What a treat! She sang her verse powerfully and then, Darren paused again to introduce John Cameron Mitchell, and the three of them brought the song home. I felt so euphoric at that point that I lack the words to properly describe it. What a historic moment! How do you follow something like that up? By taking things back to Hogwarts! First Jamie Lyn Beatty joined Darren on stage to perform Harry from AVPM. Next, Joey Richter and Lauren Lopez performed Granger Danger to riotous applause. Then, for the final number of Elsie Fest 2019, the entire Star Kid crew came out do do Goin' Back to Hogwarts. It was such a special moment; being in that crowd of fans singing along 10 years after the musical blew up online. After team Star Kid took their final bows, Darren thanked us and said he hoped to see us back next year.

Final thoughts, I hope to see him back next year too. But I also hope the organizers of Elsie Fest take a good hard look at how things went this year, and make some changes. First off, the festival needs to be held on a Sunday. To put on a festival, you need attendees and performers, and you're not going to get enough of either on a Saturday, you're just not. Second, they need to start booking talent now. They need names to bring people in. Because, even if fans are available, they're sure as heck not making the trip to see Michael Feinstein, someone who will be in a Spielberg film next year, and a kid from Pose. I'll even leave a few suggestions here: Ben Platt, Jonathan Groff, Lin Manuel Miranda, Jessie Mueller, Alex Brightman, Ethan Slater, Renee Elise Golsberry, Telly Leung, Eva Noblezada, George Salazar, Jenn Colella, etc. Third and finally, they need to have a good long think about what they want Elsie Fest to be. If they want it to remain a celebration of Broadway, then they need to book performers who are committed to that vision. If they want to change the vision, they need to let the audience know ahead of time so they can make an informed decision when buying tickets. To be perfectly honest, I felt a bit duped this year. I had paid for one thing but had gotten something else instead. So, there you are, Elsie Fest organizers. Do those three things between now and next October, and you'll have a successful festival in 2020.

#elsie fest #Darren Criss #HSM #anais mitchell #hadestown #ariana debose #gavin creel #jagged little pill #cynthia erivo #avpm #star kid #broadway #2019 #the lightning thief

[yearofthetwink]

V’s RANDOM QUESTION BOMB TIME [ie, VRQBT for our new viewers]. Today’s question: what’s your favorite GMM/GMMore episode and why? [and if you feel like it: what’s one thing you’re grateful for right now? Mine is having the ability to play monopoly with friends while social distancing through the internet!]

Hello V!! This is a tough one. Im very indecisive and I love almost anything these boys put out. But I have 2 i'll mention. First, the vasectomy episode. It's so weird, awkward, and VERY funny. And it's very on brand for them. Second, the superhero mask episode with Zachary Levi. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Zachary Levi with all my heart. I've loved him since Chuck, which came out when I was 7. I literally screamed when R&L moved apart to reveal him for him to say "Let's talk about that". I could gush about everything in that episode but I'll stop now 😂 My fav gmmore is the one where they test out spray on makeup. I end up laughing my ass off every time 😂

Something I'm grateful for is my mom. We've had some big disagreements, but ever since I've moved back in we've been closer. Especially now when i'm distancing myself from friends who aren't very good to me, she's always been there to let me complain to.

#cj asks

[imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky]

You dont understand how much i love this man. i have since i was a little kid. and i mean little.  like 4 or 5. my parents are older. i grew up watching what they watched and often times it was stuff they had watched on tv years before i was born. Happy Days was one of those shows i fell in love with instantly. i loved richie and potsy and ralph malph and mrs. c and mr cunningham and joanie and eventually chachi. But there was one character I pretty much sold my heart to the moment he came onscreen and that was fonzie. Henry Winkler was perfect i loved him wholeheartedly and i still do to this day. Never had I seen an actor who could make me laugh and cry and fall in love as much and as quickly as Henry. Fast forward to me in third grade desperately wanting to read where my reading level was but not being allowed by the teachers. I read above grade level my whole life and I was so upset. My parents bought me books that were above my grade level and at the time the Hank Zipster books were above my grade level. So my mom saw one, saw the author, bought it and gave it to me. I loved those books with all my heart. Never did I put two and two together that the Henry Winkler writing my books was the same man i had fallen in love with years before. I watched movies like the waterboy and click growing up and I loved them especially because of henry. Years later I put two and two together that its the same guy writing those books and making me laugh on screen. Im a senior in high school when Better Late Than Never comes out and even though my parents and I have been watching different things for years, I crawl onto their bed to sit and watch my favorite man on tv with them just like i had so many years ago. The second season comes around and I have to watch it on my laptop on campus at college and text my mom to make my little comments but its always during commercial because u cant interrupt me and henry. The next year one of my dreams comes true. I go to a convention. Henry is supposed to be there. Weeks before, he pulls out. Its one of the few times I cry over an actor. A year later, i go to the same con. Henry is going to be there. I buy the tickets but dont get my hopes up. I think about who will be the backup just in case. The day for the con finally rolls around and im waiting in line for henry to show up. he does and i cant believe it. Im looking at my mom, ready to break down in tears. I honestly cant believe hes right in front of me. He comes up to me and takes my hand and im biting my lip trying not to cry and make a fool of myself. I cant stop smiling. My mom takes a gazillion pictures hoping one will turn out perfect. I dont tell him thank you for being there my whole life. I cant. My mom says thank you for being something that has brought the two of us together my whole life because no matter what was said or done, we could be screaming at the top of our lungs at each other, if the alarm goes off for better late than never, we stop and watch. He hugs me and I nearly lose it, muttering a quick and quiet thank you for everything. I look at my autograph and see what he wrote and start to cry as we leave. I decide on the last day of the con and the last day of sanity that i am going to tell him what he means to me damn it if i cry i dont care he has to know. my mom and i wait in line again and im checking the time because as much as i love henry i still need to go to a panel to see my newer favorite actor. Henry shows up and im nervous as all hell but im going through with this. He remembers me and holds my hands that are shaking like crazy as i tell him ive been watching him since i can remember and that no matter what, hes always been there when I need it. From happy days to hank zipster to waterboy to better late than never, i always turn to him and i always feel better. I couldnt thank him enough for everything he had done for me without even knowing it. I started to cry and had to force out the final thank you before he hugged me and told me he was glad he made such an impact. As i left i couldnt believe i had just done that. if you had told me years ago that I would be crying as I told Henry Winkler that he is the reason I can get through almost anything i would have told u to get lost and call you crazy. But i did it and it was one of the proudest moments of my life. I love him even more now if thats at all possible. I kind of joke with my friends that we all have that one actor that follows us throughout our lives and mine is henry without a doubt but its true. He has followed me my entire life. its a little like i cant get rid of him. But i wouldnt have it any other way. Henry is the sweetest, nicest, most amazing person i have ever met and I love him so much. I swear hes still going to find a way to follow me long after hes died and I cry over him. And i can guarantee no celebrity death will be harder for me to handle and get over than henry’s. It wasnt until after the con that i found the perfect picture my mom had taken and i swear it sums up my life as a whole. and i wouldnt have it any other way.

My mom went to his panel and i was so sad i couldnt go to his and zachary levi’s but u take the chance u have to see levi because u had just seen henry the night before and send someone in your place (yes i did apologize for it and thankfully he understood and agreed with me that you do what u have to even if it pains you). I asked her to ask a question, not thinking shed actually do it but she did. and what happened was a moment of pure me dying while watching it days later and having to record her recording on my phone.

#henry winkler #wizard world chicago 2019 #wizard world #Wizard World Chicago #fonzie #the fonz

[waywardnerd67]

Fangirl Dreams: Coming Home

Summary: Finally, Zac comes home but seems a little distant. With Jensen away for a convention, (Y/N) spends some quality time with him.   Characters: Jensen Ackles, Zac Levi, Reader Pairing: Jensen x Reader x Zac Warnings: Fluff/Smut Word Count: 2959 A/N: As always this is unbeta so all mistakes are mine. Likes, comments and reblogs are splendid and I will love you doubly for them! Enjoy!

Check out: Fangirl Dreams Masterlist

(Y/N) walked into the main house on their property the silence deafening to her. Jensen had just took off heading to his one overseas convention. Looking down at her phone calendar, she saw Zac was due home any day now but until then she was left all alone. Walking outside onto the back patio, she sat down enjoying the warm rays of sunlight hitting her skin. Texas summers were miserable, but the day was turning out to be a beautiful day.

After lounging around for a while, she decided to keep herself busy cleaning the house. Jensen, Zac and her all lived on a large private property in Austin. The main house was where Jensen and she called home. Anyone who came into their house would never suspect that there was a third person within their relationship. About a mile down a long pathway sat another smaller house, that Zac had built for himself. To the world, they were just neighbors, but the three of them owned all the land together.

When Jensen and (Y/N) decided to get married he wanted to live somewhere away from all the hustle of Los Angeles. For the longest time, Zac had stayed in California traveling back and forth. Almost a year earlier he bought the land that was next to theirs and built his house. (Y/N) honestly spent more time in his house than her and Jensen’s but lately they all had been traveling so much that both houses were being neglected.

Flopping down onto the couch, (Y/N) pulled out her phone looking down at her text messages. Jensen was still flying across the Atlantic so there was nothing from him. Seeing Zac’s name, she read the last message she had received from him.

“Sorry for the radio silence. A lot on my mind. Can’t wait to see you. Love you gorgeous.” Was all it said, and it had been on her mind heavily since he sent it.

She had not heard from him since which was worrisome, and she decided to call him. “Hey this is Zac leave a message at the beep.” She sighed getting his voicemail once again.

“Hey handsome, I’m starting to get worried that I haven’t heard from you. Send me a text or something so I know everything is okay. I love you, bye.” She said leaving yet another message.

The sun was starting to set deciding she needed to clear her head some, (Y/N) started walking toward Zac’s house. As she approached it she could see that there were lights on inside. Looking towards the garage, she could see his car parked outside of it. The worry that had been heavy on her chest dissipated with a moment of relief before turning into anger.

She stopped for at the end of the path seeing him sitting outside on his porch with a bottle of whiskey resting in his hand. He looked upset and a surge of protectiveness coursed through her. His eyes were closed as she walked up and watched him bring the bottle to his lips. (Y/N) could not help biting her lip to keep back the moan wanting to escape.

Zac was slouched on a chair wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts. She watched as his adam’s apple bobbed up and down as the amber liquor slipped down his throat. As much as she wanted to straddle him to get him all worked up she knew what he needed right now was someone to just be there for him.

“Hey handsome.” She said softly as his hazel eyes locked onto hers.

Zac sat up setting the bottle on the ground next to him, “Hi gorgeous.” His voice raspy as if he had not spoken in days.

(Y/N) sat down on the opposite side of the swing of him giving him the space she knew he needed, “How long have you been home?”

He would not look to her as he answered the guilt laced heavily through his tone, “A few days. I knew you and Jensen would want to spend some time together before he left. I was,” he paused clearing his throat, “I am in a weird head space. Figured best I was alone.”

“How’s that going for you?” she asked swinging her legs slightly.

Finally, he looked up at her with a hint of a smile on his lips, “Not very well. Honestly, I don’t know what the hell is going on with me. I just didn’t want to burden you guys with my shit.”

(Y/N) immediately scooted next to him slipping her hand into his large one and hugging his arm to her, “Zachary Levi, you know that you never burden us with anything. We love you and care about you. So, what happened during your last trip that has you tail spinning?”

His hand slipped from hers resting on her knee as he shrugged, “Nothing really. The press tour was a great success. The boys were awesome as they always are for hanging out with a large man child.”

(Y/N) chuckled as he brought her legs up across his lap. His fingers trailing up and down over them as he continued, “I’ve done press like this before but never as the star I guess.” He hesitate as if going to say something else but stopped.

“Alright so you’re a little worn down and in need of a recharge. I totally get that, but you don’t usually isolated yourself from us and you never drink alone anymore. What else is going on that you don’t want to say.” He looked over to her before leaning back chuckling.

“You always could see right through my bullshit and call me out on it.” He said running one of his hands through his salt and pepper dark brown hair.

(Y/N) rested her head on her arm smiling, “It’s a gift.”

Zac scoffed then took a deep breath, “I’m lonely. You and Jensen can go out publicly any time you want. You can travel with him wherever he goes, and I guess it just really hit me how much I want that. Someone to travel with and show off.”

Her heart clenched tightly making her chest ache. Letting out a shaky breath she said, “O-Oh… yeah I can understand that. You definitely should have all those things with s-someone.”

She could hardly get the sentence out of her mouth from the sob in her throat choking her. (Y/N) averted her eyes as he looked over to her. It was taking everything in her to keep herself from showing the panic and terror consuming her from thinking of Zac being with someone else. She felt his fingers under her chin turning her face towards him and tears started slipping down her cheeks.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he said pulling her onto his lap wrapping his arms around her, “I was saying I want to do all of that with someone else. I was saying that I want that with you specifically.”

(Y/N) let out a long breath, “Oh. I thought… I mean…”

He smiled briefly, “I guess I’m jealous which I know is ridiculous since I know we all love one another. I just want to be able to go out with you and not be scared that all of our careers will implode if they found out about us.”

(Y/N) relaxed against him knowing exactly how he felt. “I can relate to that especially now. I want to be by your side for all these amazing moments you’re having and going to have. You’ve always been a hard worker pushing yourself to the limit with projects. Now this movie is giving you the recognition you deserve.”

She wove her fingers through his hair smiling as he nuzzled his head against her palm, “Zac I’m so proud of everything you have and are accomplishing. You are such an amazing person and I want nothing more than to shout from the rooftops what I feel for you.”

“But?” he asked his eyes shining.

“But, we all knew going into this what it meant. Jensen’s and mine careers are set the way they are. This is as good as it gets, and we are okay with that. You, on the other hand, are just beginning to soar and neither of us want to ruin that. Even though, it would be amazing to be on the red carpet with both you openly.” She explained as he sighed.

A comfortable silence fell between them as the stars started shining above them. (Y/N) rested her forehead against his temple as her fingers ran down his large bicep. Zac pulled back slightly to press his lips against hers. His hands gripping her hip and legs as he deepen the kiss. When they parted both were breathless.

“W-What was that for?” she asked opening her eyes to see him smiling genuinely for the first time.

“Because I love you even if your logic annoys me. I love you for always bringing me back whenever I fall too deep inside my own head.” He leaned in kissing her again this time scooping her up and carrying her into the house.

(Y/N) peeked her eyes open the next morning as the sun filtered through the blinds in their room. Glancing to his clock she read seven in the morning sighing as her body was now waking up. She felt Zac roll away from her and she turned to see him laying on his back. One arm draped over his toned stomach and the other stretched out under her pillow.

Her eyes drifted down his body starting with his unruly hair and speckled beard getting thicker by the minute along his jawline. She brushed her fingers down his chest and over his abs that he worked hard on getting for his movie role. That is when he eyes landed on the thin bed sheet rising up from his hard cock. Instantly her mouth watered, and her fingers trembled from desire flooding her.

They had spent the better part of the night making love, but it did not matter. She could never get enough of him and she gently pulled the sheet down revealing the wonder that was his cock. He was thick and long always stretching her in ways no one ever could including Jensen. The two men were a lot alike in many ways but in bed they could be polar opposites.

(Y/N) was about to run her hand over him when he suddenly grasp her wrist surprising her. She looked up seeing his dark eyes staring at her. “Can I help you?” he asked his voice husky from waking up.

She smiled hearing a hint of playfulness, “I could think of some ways.” She said raising an eyebrow towards him.

Zac quickly rolled her back against the mattress his hips pinning her down while he hovered over her. Her hands running down his arms feeling every muscle flexing beneath her touch. (Y/N) let out a breathy sigh as he grinded his hips against her aching core.

“I really thought you would have had enough last night.” He whispered as his lips began a journey down her body.

She could tell he had only one mission as he breezed over her breasts continuing down her stomach. “What can I say I just can’t get enough of you, but if you can’t keep up old man…”

She looked down to his head between her legs as he looked up at her slacked jawed, “Old man?”

(Y/N) nodded trying to keep the giggle buried in her chest. His eyes narrowed on her and he flipped her over onto her stomach. She let out a surprise yelp as his hands pushed over her ass cheeks spreading them slightly. “I can’t help it that I’m six years younger than y-you.”

She stammered feeling his long index fingers running against her folds. They both knew she was baiting him to react and he did not disappoint. Grasping her hips pulling her up on her knees he pushed his cock inside her in one fluid motion. She cried out as he snapped his hips against her burying himself deeper with each thrust.

“Oh gorgeous… I. Will. Show. You. Old. Man.” With each word he would thrusted into her hard making her moan loudly into the mattress.

He leaned back pulling out until the tip of his cock was resting just inside of her. “Come on baby, I wanna see you fucking me. My cock sinking deep in you.”

(Y/N) slowly pushed herself back onto him getting on all fours now. Finding a steady pace, she felt the coil deep in her being pulled tighter and tighter. “Oh shit…” she called out feeling his meet her thrust.

“Fuck gorgeous, you feel so good on my cock.” He grunted his hand gripping her hips tightly.

Neither of them were going to last much longer and she groaned feeling him pulling out of her completely, “Zac! Shit, I was so close…”

“I know.” He said spreading her legs wider and she watched as his head slipped underneath her. Her eyes widen knowing what he was wanting for her. “You know what to do baby.”

One thing about Zac was he never shy away from anything that would get her to come. When she asked him if she could ride his face he had immediately laid down letting her grinded against his face. She pressed her slick lips against his face moaning as his long tongue slipped between them. Leaning forward she gripped the headboard as his tongue pushed in her and his nose brushing against her throbbing clit.

“Zac. Fuck just like that. Oh god I’m so close.” (Y/N) was grinding against his face chasing after the release she desperately needed.

His tongue flicked repeatedly over her clit as he sucked it between his lips and instantly her body was shaking coming hard, “FUCK!” she cried out.

As she slid down his body she felt his hard length against her ass and she pulled on his shoulder to roll over with her. His beard was glistening with her juices as she ran her hand over his chin pulling his lips to hers. “Zac, please… I need to you inside me.” She whimpered against his lips.

He slowly sank into her both of them groaning and before he could move his phone started ringing. “Shit.” He mumbled looking to see who it was.

The shit eating smile on his face told her that it was Jensen as he swiped to answer the call. “Hey Jay.” He grunted slightly rolling his hips against her.

“Hey, are you home yet? I’ve been trying to call (Y/N) but she’s not answering and I’m getting worried.” Jensen’s deep voice sent chills down her body.

Zac looked at her nodding towards the phone, “Hi pretty BOY!” she called out as Zac slammed into her.

There was silence on the other end until they could hear a door shutting in the background, “You’re buried deep inside her, aren’t you?” he asked his voice dropping to a raspy whisper.

“Oh yeah.” Zac said slowly thrusting into her steadily.

Hearing Jensen groan gave her goosebumps then he said, “I wanna hear come, Zac. Make her cry out and come hard until her legs are trembling.”

“Fuck. Me.” She moaned as both men chuckled lowly.

Zac leaned down whispering, “As you wish.”

He started picking up his pace thrusting into her steadily. The phone was right by her ear and she could hear Jensen panting slightly the image of his hand jerking over his thick cock bringing her closer to her own release.

“Oh god… I’m going to…” she could not finish her body wound so tight.

“Let me hear you pretty girl. I’m so close… fuck I wish it was your mouth on me rather than my hand. Pushing my cock so deep until I hit the back of your throat. Shit, shit, shit.” Jensen was grunting hard knowing he was coming.

Zac was mercilessly pounding into her now with his head buried in the crook of her neck, “Fuck, fuck, I’m c-coming!” His cock jerked deep inside of her and hearing both of them grunting her name had her body trembling as she came.

“Oh god… fuck Zac! Jensen!” she cried out breathlessly clinging to Zac as her body would not stop shaking.

She could hear Jensen still panting slightly as he asked, “Zac is she trembling?”

(Y/N) felt Zac smiling against her before lifting his head to answer, “Feels like a mini earthquake beneath me.” They both started chuckling.

“You two will be the death of me one day. Holy shit.” She said her body going limp against the mattress.

Jensen laughter brought a wide smile on her face, “As much as I would love to stay on here with you two I have to get cleaned up. Maybe next time we can do this through Facetime.”

“Oh Jesus…” she groaned as Jensen said goodbye.

Zac slipped out of her scooting down to rest his head on her chest, “It’s moments like this that make all the loneliness and jealousy go away. I remember why this relationship is special and why I wouldn’t want anything besides this.”

He looked up at her as she smiled, “Me too handsome. Now, lets get cleaned up, eat some breakfast and I’m going to kick your ass in Call of Duty.”

Zac smiled brightly up at her before crawling up to her kissing her, “I love your pillow talk. Sexiest, nerdiest girlfriend ever.”

“Damn right and don’t you forget it!” she said as they both got up getting their day started by showering together leading them another round of love making before breakfast.

If you enjoyed this story then check out my Masterlist!

My Nerd Herd: @waywardbaby @ladywinchester1967 @akshi8278 @ericaprice2008 @deans-baby-momma @spnbaby-67 @dean-winchesters-bacon @-lovepeacenhope- @destiel745 @carribear31 @srsllydunnodoncare @whimsicalrobots @thisismysecrethappyplace @starstruckzonkoperatorbat @adoptdontshoppets @mrswhozeewhatsis @bella-ca @drakelover78 @imascio08 @pisces-cutie @dwgrl1903 @mannls @the-salty-asian @winchesterprincessbride @xostephanie @superromijn @witch-of-letters @time-travel-bouqet @screechingartisancashbailiff @myinconnelly1 @sister-winchesters99 @thekatherinewinchester @babykalika2001 @maddiepants @tumbler-tidbits @sandlee44 @destielhoneybee @carryonmywaywardcaptain

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[the-desolated-quill]

Shazam! - Quill’s Quickies (No Spoilers)

If you had asked me which DC movie I was most looking forward to last year, I would never have said Shazam. It just seemed like one of those D list superheroes Warner Bros pulled out of their arses in the hopes of keeping up with Marvel (other movies that were announced at the time were a Black Adam solo movie, Booster Gold, Lobo, Deadshot, Justice League Dark and The Sandman. Surprise, surprise, after the disaster that was Justice League, these films aren’t being made anymore). Also I was wary of DC trying to change tact in order to win back audience approval. In the case of Justice League, ‘changing tact’ resulted in a shallow, dull and pointless movie. Not that I’m saying DC needs to be dark. I’m open to lighter movies. I just didn’t want it to come at the cost of DC’s other strengths, which is its willingness to ask pointed and intelligent questions about superhero mythology (or at least attempt to, in the case of Batman V Superman).

Then the first Comic Con trailer came out and I was very pleasantly surprised. It had a great hook (a child becoming an adult superhero) and it was genuinely funny. In fact it quickly became my most anticipated movie this year.

So what did I think of Shazam?

Short answer: I LOVED it!

I’d even go as far to say that this is probably my favourite DC movie so far.

First off the cast is fantastic. Asher Angel and Zachary Levi are both amazing as Billy Batson. At no point do you ever doubt the authenticity of their performances. I one hundred percent believed they were the same character. Also I really appreciated that Levi didn’t hog the spotlight. Both he and Angel have roughly the same amount of screentime and director David F. Sandberg actually gets very creative with how he utilises the transformations in the film.

Oh yes. Lets quickly talk about the direction. Sandberg is better known for directing horror movies and, without giving too much away, there were some moments that really played up that horror vibe. But for the most part, the film is pretty much a straightforward comedy and Sandberg’s direction is flawless, embracing the strange and goofy material and really having fun with the concept.

Another character I really liked was the villain Dr. Sivana, played by Mark Strong. Not a very complex villain, but it works incredibly well. I especially love how the film completely throws itself into the melodrama of it all. I mean just look at him.

He looks like a Bond villain. They’re not trying to be remotely subtle about his villainy at all., And to be fair, with a name like Thaddeus Sivana, how could he?

The character is well written with a great motivation, I enjoyed the parallels the film makes between him and Billy, and Mark Strong milks it for all its worth with a delightfully hammy performance.

Other cast members I liked were Djimon Hounsou as the wizard Shazam who gives Billy his powers and Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, who gets some of the best lines in the film. In fact the entire foster family is brilliant and the kids do a great job in their roles. It could have been so easy for them to have been little more than caricatures, but they’re all really well developed and they all have a role to play in the story, particularly toward the end of the film, which I won’t spoil, but it’s got to be said that this film has one of the most satisfying third acts I’ve seen in a long time. The amount of payoffs was staggering. I had the biggest smile on my face throughout.

Something I quickly want to talk about is how the film writes and portrays kids. One of the things I absolutely hated about Spider-Man: Homecoming was how childish everyone was. It felt painfully like adults trying to write kid dialogue and in the process Peter Parker, who was supposed to be 15 years old in that movie, came across like a 7 year old. Shazam doesn’t have that problem and that’s largely because the film treats the kids like actual people rather than just walking punchlines or cuteness magnets. Even Zachary Levi, mercifully, doesn’t overdo it. When adults are asked to act like kids, what we normally end up with is a stupid adult acting childishly. Levi manages to pitch it at just the right level so it never becomes annoying or grating. The same can be said of the humour. Unlike recent MCU films, the comedy in Shazam never felt forced or awkward. It fitted perfectly with the tone of the movie and jokes hit bullseyes every time. I was laughing and laughing hard throughout. Yet despite the comedy, it still felt like a DC movie. It wasn’t like Justice League where they were trying desperately to be like Marvel. Like Wonder Woman, Shazam clearly takes place in the same world as Snyder’s movies, but brings its own ideas and style to the table, complimenting and building off of what came before.

As well as being a very funny movie, it’s also arguably the most wholesome movie to come out of DC since... well... ever. There’s a strong focus on heartwarming themes such as family and outcasts finding their place in the world and finding love and support with each other. There’s no cynicism or dark pretence to it. It feels genuine and authentic and has an extremely positive message behind it. Billy’s arc is genuinely touching and I was emotionally engaged throughout. I really liked Billy and I really liked this family.

Shazam is funny, emotional and intelligent, and you should definitely check it out if you haven’t already. DC have put their best foot forward with this movie and I really hope we get to see more from Shazam really soon.

#shazam! #shazam #dc extended universe #quill's quickies #review #no spoilers