#(we see this all the time when mixed people are cast as fully black characters like Amandla in Rue in the Hunger Games)

[jaegeraether]

Sunsets and footballers (Part 54)

Lucy Bronze x Reader (48) & Alexia Putellas x Character (14)

Masterlist (other parts here)

((**5k. Split between YFN and Alexia's POV. Gentle reminder that Alexia refers to YFN as Blau (Blue in Catalan)**)

Seeing Lucy crying cut Alexia to her core. Brave, confident, happy Lucy. She watched from the other side of the room near Ridley’s own hospital bed. They’d tried to console her but they could only do so much. The rest would come when Blau woke.

The past day had been such a mix of emotions ranging from happiness when she and Lucy were up talking, to nerves when they’d gone to pick up Ridley, to complete and utter despair. Ridley was currently sitting in her hospital bed, still a little effected by the drugs after her surgery to realign the bones in her hand with screws and pins. She now wore a black cast though she didn’t seem too bothered over it as her attention was also on Lucy who was sitting in a chair beside Blau’s bed, holding her good hand, her forehead on it and her body shaking as she sobbed. She’d woken a few times but never for long, and never long enough that she’d remember it.

Alexia couldn’t leave if she wanted to. She couldn’t leave Lucy, not like that. Ridley must have sensed it because she didn’t usher her away or suggest she be somewhere else. One look and she knew why she needed to stay.

A nurse came in then and hesitated when she saw Lucy before she walked over to Ridley and Alexia.

“We just need one more signature from you, please,” she said softly in Catalan, holding a clipboard out for Ridley.

Alexia opened her mouth to answer but Ridley beat her to it. “Of course, thank you Paula.” She responded in surprisingly great Catalan as she took the pen with her left hand and signed the paper. Alexia couldn’t help but look. She was paying for all of the expenses for her and Blau.

“Again, if any other cost comes up for them, please come straight to me. Don’t involve them.”

Paula nodded with a sympathetic smile before she left. Ridley’s head leant back against her propped up bed as her attention turned to her friend, still waiting for her to properly wake.

“You speak Catalan?” Alexia asked in the language, genuinely impressed.

“Only a bit. It’s far from perfect,” she murmured, as if admitting a flaw. But it wasn’t. Alexia was always surprised by her. She didn’t compliment her Catalan, because Ridley didn’t need or want that. She knew how good she was. She turned her head towards Alexia, both looking for a distraction.

“Have you thought more on your favourite…favour?” Ah, there it was. Her limited vocabulary in Catalan. It was cute. Though, when she spoke, she only tended to speak what she was confident with which made her sound very fluent and natural. People would barely notice if it weren’t a long, complex discussion.

She thought on it. After Alexia had helped take her anger and calm her down, Ridley had felt in her debt. A favour owed, according to her. She always liked to be on the side of owning favours, not owing one, Alexia realised. Though she also knew she’d rarely ever take someone up on her charity.

“Not as of yet.”

“Ah, let me know when you do, please. Anything you want, just name it.” She said it without a care in the world, and Alexia truly did wonder just how rich she was.

“You’re going to stay by her side, aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

“So you’re going to London?”

“It appears so.”

Alexia wondered how long she’d be gone for this time. Jonatan and the Barca management had fully approved that Lucy had time off to look after her, and her plan had been to take her back to London and look after her there while she prepped for the Olympic qualifiers. “When?”

“Lucy plans to get her back to London as soon as she can as her family are there and a few of Blue’s new friends. I was planning on going over at a similar time.”

“Work won’t be affected?”

Ridley gave her a smirk. “Not in most ways.”

Alexia tilted her head, pondering what she’d meant.

“And you?” She looked down at her knee. “How long are you not play?”

Alexia smiled at the mistake and Ridley’s return smile was serotonin straight to her heart. She loved hearing her speak her first language. It moved something in her so deeply.

“My knee is still painful. I won’t be playing anytime soon.”

“The rest of the year?”

She shook her head, unable to stop her own look of disappointment. Ridley watched those expressions cross her face as she tried to control them. She didn’t know why she bothered, she knew she could see straight through all of them. Perhaps it was just habit of her to hide her feelings.

“Why not go to London?”

“I…” she looked over at Lucy and Blau. “I don’t really know anyone in London.”

Ridley shrugged as she grabbed a green jelly from the bedside table and opened it with her teeth.

“You know Lucy. You know Blue. You know me. That’s all you need.” She took a mouthful with her spoon in her left hand like it was her dominant hand. “Besides, I tend to worry you’re too… confined… to Catalonia.” She teased.

Alexia raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How so?”

“Everything you know is your home. Your family, friends, club, teammates, University, holidays.”

Something about Ridley knowing all of that stirred something in her. “I holiday in Ibiza.” She countered.

“Yes, which is a thirty-euro, one hour flight away.” She rolled her eyes as she finished her jelly, tossing it into the garbage can like a Basketball player. “You’re missing out on the world, la Reina.”

Alexia knew she was right, but she liked her comfort. She looked over at the couple again. That was one of the reasons why she respected Lucy so much, because she loved to live in the uncomfortable. She picked her life up and moved to the US, moved to Lyon, moved to Barcelona, learned the languages, made knew friends. She wondered how much she missed out on learning by sticking to the same type of play and same clubs.

“Maybe you’re right.”

“Oh, I am.” She said it more nonchalant, but her expression was the tiniest bit challenging. “I have an apartment in London that you could use, if you like. There may be another person there from time to time but it’s large enough.”

She was inviting her to stay in her apartment? “We don’t know each other; you said it yourself.”

“You care for others, and that’s all I need to know about you. How you make others feel about themselves says a lot about you, Alexia.”

Alexia felt herself staring at her mouth as those words rolled off her tongue in Catalan. There was no mistake there. Alexia looked up and her eyes met Ridley’s. They were deep, calming, intelligent; their little dancing gold flecks teasing, even. She felt naked but not undressed, just appreciated. And seen. Like she didn’t need to say what she was thinking. She’d never experienced that with someone before in her life. Ridley reached out and Alexia didn’t move, she trusted her and already agreed with whatever would happen. Keeping their eye contact, Ridley used the fingertips of her good hand to ever so softly trace where her hand had been around Alexia’s throat. She hadn’t left marks, of course she hadn’t. Alexia’s eyes fluttered as she enjoyed the touch.

“I’d never hurt you,” she murmured.

“I know you wouldn’t,” she murmured back and felt her fingers disappear, already missing their touch. She was so gentle. The duality of Ridley was so fascinating to her.

“How?”

“Because you’re… soft.”

Ridley tilted her head as she’d said that. Alexia had made sure to say the last word extra gently.

“I’ve never been described as that before except...” She looked over at Blau.

“Then I guess she’s the only person who really knows you.”

Ridley turned back at those words. “And now you, it seems.”

They studied each other for a little longer when Ridley opened her mouth to speak but not before the door opened and a red faced, teary-eyed Jordan Nobbs entered the room.

YFN heard a low conversation in English from the other side of the room but her brain failed to comprehend it. It was more focussed on the sobbing coming from near YFN’s right hand. She looked down to see Lucy with her cheek on the back on her palm as she held it.

“Luce?”

Lucy’s head whipped up at the sound of her nickname and she stood, wiping her cheeks with the back of her free hand.

“Hey little one.”

YFN wondered what the time was and looked around to see exactly where she was, a little confused.

“You’re okay. We're in the hospital.” Lucy explained as she leaned over her.

In the hospital? Ah, so that was what the pain and partial numbness was. She looked up as her view was completely taken by Lucy. God, she was pretty.

“Why are you crying, Luce?”

She shook head. “Because…” Lucy looked down her body, covered in a blanket though YFN understood. She could feel the pain. “Do you remember what happened?”

She did when she asked that. Kristie, the man, the kicking and the hitting and the yelling. Ridley almost killing him. She looked past Lucy to the other bed where Ridley was sitting and watching her, now silent. Alexia was behind her sitting next to Jordan who were also both watching, seeming relieved that she was awake. She looked back at Lucy.

“Is Narla okay?”

Lucy gave an unbelieving chuckle. “Out of all of the questions, that’s your first?”

She gave a little smile and Lucy shook her head again. “Yes, she’s fine. Just got a little scared. Keira has her at the moment.”

“Good… and you’re okay?” Although weak, she reached up with the arm not giving her pain and cupped her cheek, using her thumb to wipe the tears from under her glasses. Lucy leant into her palm.

“I am now, little one.”

“How long…?”

“Just over a day.”

She gasped and then winced at the pain in her ribs.

“Take it easy, love. What do you need?”

“Um… a shower and food and… something for the pain. A lot for the pain.”

She nodded. “Okay, we’ll get you that.” She paused and she leant down. “I’m just so glad you’re awake.”

She kissed her gently and YFN melted into her warmth before she made a little groan and pulled away.

“I need to brush my teeth,” she murmured, as if Lucy should have known.

Lucy chuckled and rolled her eyes. YFN enjoyed seeing her happy and squeezed her hand before she looked back at the trio who were giving them space. Lucy noticed and stepped aside as they made their way over. Ridley was there first.

“Hey baby.”

“Hey Riddles.”

Ridley bent down and gave her a soft hug with a kiss on the cheek. She leant back and YFN saw her black cast as she inspected her jaw closely between her fingertips.

“Broken?”

“No… no just displaced. It’s back in now but pretty bruised. It’ll be sore for a while.”

“Like the rest of me.” She touched her cast. “Did you have surgery?”

Ridley nodded. “Went well. A few pins and screws for alignment. Nothing too fancy.”

She heard Lucy scoff and knew she was downplaying it. Typical Ridley.

“I’m going to get the doctor so we can get you checked before you shower.”

She went to move away before she bent down again.

“Missed you, Blue.”

“I have that effect on people.”

Ridley smirked and rolled her eyes before she left.

Jordan was next, her doe eyes all teary. She looked around her body from her arm in the sling to her bruised face and bruised ribs, wondering where she could hug. YFN lifted her good arm and Jordan gently pressed herself against her.

“Welcome to Spain, Dory.”

“I wished it were under better circumstances,” she sobbed. “I was so scared.”

“I’m sorry… I’m okay.” YFN kissed her temple as they hugged. “Thanks for coming.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

The door opened then and Ridley entered with a doctor.

“I want to hear all about your date after my shower, okay?”

Jordan nodded and stepped back.

Although she and Alexia weren’t so close yet, the Spaniard stepped forward and placed a kiss on either cheek and gave her a soft hug also.

“It is good to see you awake.”

“I heard you…” YFN whispered and watched Alexia wonder and then realise almost all at once. “Thank you for caring…”

Only they both knew she wasn’t just talking about for her, but for Ridley also.

Alexia nodded and stood back as the doctor approached her.

He started by doing some testing on her and follow up checks before he listed all of the breaks and wounds, and went through the surgeries in great English. She was embarrassed when he had to remove the catheter, though the trio left the room so she could have her privacy for that. The doctor offered to take his time before she attempted to stand as she wouldn’t be walking anyways. Her left knee was in a black brace that took up a the majority of her thigh and calf because of her patella fracture, and she couldn’t use crutches because her left arm was in a sling due to her broken collarbone, her left forearm and wrist in a cast to protect her other fractures. Her only mode of transport for weeks would be a wheelchair, hopping, or Lucy carrying her which was also difficult with her broken ribs.

She sighed, frustrated but forced herself to stand and put weight on her one good leg. God, it felt good to stand. She didn’t realise she’d become one with the bed, but after a few minutes, she just wanted to sit straight back down again.

He explained to her the rehabilitation process and what it would entail.

“We’ll be in London,” Lucy said to him.

YFN looked up at her. “We will?”

“I was thinking as soon as you can leave, we’ll get straight on a plane to London so I can look after you there. And you’ll have Jords and Katie and Caitlin and Kyra. Plus you’ll be closer to work. Not that you’ll be going, but it’s better than being two hours away…”

“You have leave?”

She nodded. “Alexia talked to management. I have leave for a few weeks and can take more depending on if you need me. I’ll be with you as long as you need, whether it's a few weeks, or a few months.”

YFN couldn’t help the smile creeping across her face and getting larger. She saw Lucy’s eyes dart to her dimples as she grinned back. Finally, a silver lining. Now they had time to be together. Definitely not ideal, but she’d take it.

“I like the sound of that.”

They turned back to the doctor.

“We’ll be in London,” Lucy repeated.

The doctor nodded and gave recommendations for rehabilitation facilities and doctors. He and Lucy spoke aftercare and all things treatment while she and Jordan were convincing Ridley to let them sign her cast. She eventually agreed.

“Okay, okay but nothing inappropriate for work, please.”

“You’re going to work?” Jordan asked.

“Most of the administration I can do with one hand.” She held out a silver sharpie and YFN rolled her eyes.

“You bought this because you knew I’d insist.”

“You know me, baby. Always prepared.”

“We’re not exactly talking contraception here, Riddles,” she teased.

“You’re almost as funny as me. Keep trying, though.”

YFN groaned and signed her cast.

*Thanks for saving me again, Romeo. I love you. x *

Ridley couldn’t help but grin at what she wrote. Jordan was next. And then Ridley extended the sharpie to Alexia who took it hesitantly.

She wrote something in Spanish or… possibly Catalan that YFN couldn't read but she saw Ridley approving, slowly nodding and then they shared a smile just meant for them.

The doctor left and Lucy returned.

“So, London?” YFN asked.

“Yeah, I think it’s best, and my family want to see you too. They’ll be overwhelmingly trying to support you and offer you anything and everything though, just warning you.”

“Sounds perfect. Is Narla coming?”

She nodded. “Of course! Not going anywhere without my girl. And if I’m out at the shops or something, you’ll have a friend.”

Thoughtful Lucy, as always.

“Good thinking, Luce. You can’t miss the qualifiers… have you spoken to Sarina?”

“Yep, right after Alexia helped Barca give me leave. She’s happy for me to have the week and more off but I’ll need to be in for training. I really don’t like the idea of leaving you alone though.”

“I’ll have Dory.”

She looked at Jordan who nodded.

“You were not… called to play?” Alexia asked, surprised.

Jordan shook her head. “Nah, Sarina doesn’t like the way I play. It’s okay, though. I’ll take the break and it’s good, now I can look after this one.”

“What are you going to do, Alexia?” Lucy asked.

“You’re not playing?” It was Jordan’s turn to sound surprised.

“No, my knee is… giving me problem. I won’t play for few weeks.”

“Why don’t you come over to London with us?” YFN asked and felt Lucy’s thumb stroke her hand supportively. Of course she’d ask her to come, she was always thinking of other people.

Alexia looked at Ridley. “It was suggest to me…”

Ridley gave her a smile. “You should come.”

“You’re coming too?!” YFN asked.

“You kidding, baby? Of course I’m coming. I’ll just work from London. If you need me, I’ll be close. And I will be checking up on you.”

YFN looked at the women around her and felt supported. “Thanks Riddles.”

“Welcome. Now, the doctor said you can leave in a few days. I booked you all a flight on the 22nd in the morning. First class and they’re aware of your… disability.”

“Gee, thanks.”

A cheeky Ridley grin. “Anytime. Just give me your email addresses and I’ll email your flight details through.”

“What do we owe you?” Lucy asked.

Ridley looked offended and Lucy dropped the subject.

She took their email addresses down before turning to Alexia. “And yours?”

“You… book me a ticket?”

“Of course.”

Alexia gave her a look as if to say ‘cocky’ and gave her email address, then looking on her phone as it buzzed.

YFN looked around her and only saw other people’s phones before she looked up at Lucy.

“My phone… is it still in the alleyway?”

“No, love. I have it. It broke so I bought you a new one.”

She pulled the new phone from her pocket and gave it to her.

“Wow, you really are marriage material.”

Lucy looked proud of herself.

“Don’t give her a bigger head!” Jordan scoffed.

“You don’t have ticket?” Alexia asked Ridley. “You said you bought ‘us’ ticket.”

Ridley studied her face before she spoke. “No, I don’t have a ticket. But I will see you there.”

“When?”

“A similar time, perhaps. Depends on work. Don’t worry, the apartment is big enough that you may not even see me there.”

“Understatement of the century,” YFN murmured. “You’re staying with Ridley?”

“My place only has two rooms and Jordan will be staying…” Lucy said.

“I can sleep on the couch,” Jordan suggested.

“Or we can all stop bickering and accept that I have the room and availability. Discussion over. Go shower, Blue, I can smell you from here.”

YFN smacked her with her good hand.

Lucy helped her hop to the bathroom and remove her clothes. It was long and painful process that she did with such care. She found herself naked in Lucy’s arms, just enjoying the feel of her as she leant into her clothed body. She went to turn around to the mirror and Lucy didn’t let her.

“Luce… I want to see.”

“I don’t think you should, little one.”

She pressed a kiss to her neck. “I need to see.”

Lucy sighed and helped her to turn around and look at her naked body in the mirror. She gasped and then winced at the pain. She was only small and felt like most of her body was covered in bandages, from her knee brace to her sling and arm cast. Her ribs we not bandaged and sported dark purple splotches that looked aggressive and dangerous. She was surprised it wasn’t bandaged. One of Lucy’s hands moved from her hips and lightly traced over the area she was looking at.

“Compression bandages won’t help, it’ll hinder your breathing. They have a square bandage splint for it that they’ll put on after the shower…”

She nodded as Lucy kissed her cheek.

Her eyes roamed further over the bruising and grazes that sported her knees, elbows, forearms and face. Her jaw was a similar shade of purple in the places she’d been hit, but at least it wasn’t broken, just sore.

“Are you okay, love?” Lucy asked softly in her ear.

She nodded as she finished assessing herself. “At least I don’t have a black eye.”

“Your ability to see the positive in everything is one of the reasons why I adore you so much.”

YFN smiled as Lucy’s lips trailed soft kisses down her neck and across her good shoulder. She swayed on her foot and leant back into her. Lucy. She’d have Lucy for the next few weeks, all to herself. She gave a little, satisfied moan.

“No sex in the shower we share… unless the invite is open?!” Ridley yelled from the other side of the door.

They both laughed, YFN only stopping because of the pain in her ribs.

“Can we shower now, Luce? I feel like a flamingo.”

The shower wasn’t really a shower. She couldn’t get the brace or cast wet so it was more like Lucy wetting a flannel and cleaning her down. It was better than nothing, though. Lucy was thorough and gentle and made sure she felt fresh and clean. She sat her on the sink while Lucy herself showered and YFN brushed her teeth while she watched, enjoying the view and not shy about showing it as she looked her up and down. Lucy winked at her and purposely went sexy with the body wash, she swore. As she got out and dried herself, Lucy came closer and YFN couldn’t help but stroke her finger down her abs. They were standing out more than usual, which meant…

“Luce, when was the last time you ate?”

Lucy pouted. “Maybe a snack when Alexia and I were waiting to go pick you up from the airport…”

“Lucia!”

“I was upset… I still am.”

“Ridley!”

“Already on it!”

“Will you eat now?”

“Now that you’re awake and making jokes?” She leant forward, her hand going either side of YFN on the sink as her towel dropped to the floor. Her lips met YFN’s teasingly. She couldn’t nibble them, because her lip was split, but she teased the Australian with her tongue and by slowly brushing her lips over her own in such a tantalising way. “Starved.” She whispered against her lips and YFN knew she wasn’t just talking about food.

She kissed her, her tongue licking her lips and although YFN had to keep her movements small to avoid pain, somehow she managed and moaned into her mouth.

“Oh my god, the door is fucking hollow!” Ridley yelled and they heard Jordan laughing in the back. Lucy kissed her for a few more seconds before pulling away.

“Jealously doesn’t suit you, Ridley.”

“She’s a walking bruise, Bronze. Put your dick away. Food is almost here.”

Alexia was texting Alba when the pair re-joined the room in comfy clothes and settled into a freshly made bed which Blau made Lucy join her in. Somehow with the wincing and bruising, they managed the fit next to each other. Ridley showered somehow with her cast and re-joined her bed just in time for the food to arrive.

“Is this what I think it is?” Blau asked.

Ridley gave her a wink. “The pizza we didn’t have? Yeah, baby.”

At first Alexia thought she’d ordered too much and then realised just how hungry they all were, but mainly Lucy. She went through almost two pizzas herself.

It was Alexia’s first time meeting Jordan and apparently Ridley’s also, but as expected, Ridley won her over with ease. They all spoke for a bit longer while they enjoyed their pizza, talking about London and all things football. Jordan was the first to leave. Lucy handed over her house keys.

“I don’t like the idea of you being alone… ” Blau stressed.

“Keira’s coming over with Narla for the night to keep me company.”

“Oh! That’s cute.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve seen her so it’ll be a nice little catch up.”

With hugs and goodbyes, she left and Blau and Lucy settled down for sleeping, Lucy’s arm around her carefully.

“Don’t roll on me please.”

“I’ll be too nervous to. I don’t think I’ll get any sleep.”

“No funny business, you two.” Ridley warned the couple.

She saw Blau roll her eyes. “Yes, because we’re going to fuck in front of company and when I have more broken bones than not.”

Ridley chuckled as she turned to Alexia.

“Are you staying?” She asked in Spanish. Alexia wondered if she’d be overstepping if she did, even though most of her ached to stay.

“I need to see my family before I go…”

Ridley nodded with an unreadable expression as she handed her a black fob and card.

“I will be back tomorrow… ” she assured her.

“Regardless. Here’s the key to the London apartment. And the address and codes are on the card. You have a driver picking you up from the airport.”

Alexia was surprised at her forwardness. She’d never had someone handling all of her issues before. It was relaxing and took some stress away of going to an English speaking country.

“Thank you.”

Ridley leaned back into the bed and closed her eyes as if it were nothing. “You’re welcome.”

Alexia stopped by to see Blau’s progress over the next two days. Ridley had been discharged the next day, though paid for the bed so no one would be in the room with them. Only Alexia knew that, though, because she’d seen the paperwork. She’d walked in on Lucy and Blau on a few video calls with family and friends, though Lucy always gave her time while Blau was busy ensuring everyone she was okay and that Lucy was looking after her.

It was difficult to tie things up in Spain because Ridley was right, she’d never really left and beyond that, she didn’t know how long she’d be gone for.

She packed her suitcase, said goodbye to her family and as soon as they were discharged, they were all headed to the airport. She couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Blau blushing as she was wheeled around in a wheelchair, though she, Jordan and Lucy thought it was funny. She comforted her on the drive, still not sure how she’d been so mentally resistant to the event that had occurred.

Lucy checked in Narla and their bags and then they made their way through security with ease because they were with a wheelchair. That encouraged Blau to be even more embarrassed as Lucy wheeled her through hundreds of people.

“You should be wheeling me,” Lucy comforted. “I’m the old one.”

Also due to the wheelchair, they were boarded before anyone else. It was great, though the aircraft had already been delayed by thirty minutes. Aboard they settled into their seats. They took up most of the first class front row from Jordan at the window next to Alexia and then Blau and Lucy on the far side.

As they were still boarding, Alexia was scrolling through the movies on screen when it froze as the Captain made an announcement.

“Ladies and gentleman, thank you for joining us on our flight today. Apologies for the delay, there was a slight maintenance issue that is now resolved. We’re just waiting on a departure slot and a few signatures, and we’ll be underway. Again, apologies for the delay and thank you for flying with us.”

He repeated the message in Spanish.

Alexia turned to Blau. “Do you know when Ridley comes?”

“Last I heard, she picked up a last minute job and knowing Ridley, that could be anywhere.”

Alexia nodded and turned her attention back to the screen in front of her. She was looking forward to more time with Ridley but wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t see her at all. It was Ridley, after all.

“Nervous flyer?” Jordan asked.

“No, it’s okay. I just don’t go to London unless for play really. How about you?”

“I get a little nervous. And then there’s a maintenance issue…”

“Oh, they say that all the time, we are okay.” Alexia gave her a reassuring smile. She turned back to her tv which froze again as another message came from the flight deck.

“Ladies and gentleman, thank you for your patience. My name is Jon Lopez and I’ll be your Captain for the flight today. Joining me in the cockpit will be your first officer, Isabel Rivera and we are honoured to be joined by an incredible Chief Pilot, and former fighter jet pilot as they conduct a standard flight review, so I assure you that you are in very, very capable hands up here. We are now fully boarded with our required signatures, just waiting on our favourite Chief Pilot and our departure slot which we’ll get in the next ten minutes.”

Blau scoffed and Alexia looked at her. “What is it?”

“You’ll see.”

She was confused and blamed her lack of English. She did that often; pretended to understand and just nod when she didn’t.

The Captain repeated in Spanish and Alexia saw Jordan shaking at the announcement. “Now they’re doing a flight review?!”

Alexia extended her hand to the small, trembling woman who took it and gripped on.

Not five minutes later the Chief Pilot stepped on board and took their hat off. Being in the front row meant they had the perfect view.

Now she understood Blau.

She’d know that smirk anywhere.

It was Ridley.

#woso #womens football #woso community #woso fanfics #woso imagine #woso soccer #engwnt #jordan nobbs #lionesses #lucy bronze #woso x reader #lucy bronze imagine #lucy bronze x reader #alexia putellas #england lionesses #barca femeni #barcelona femeni #fc barcelona #barca #fc barça #fc barca #culers

[50calmadeuce]

Ch. 4: The Riding Ring

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

You spent the entire night restlessly turning from side to side. When you finally checked your phone, the time was 5 am. With a sigh, you threw back your comforter and sat upright. Clinging to the hope that it had all been a dream, you looked over, only to see the three bags Jake had left behind in the bedroom. Reality hit; it wasn't just a dream.

Rising from your bed, you made your way through the bathroom to your closet. There, you selected your gray riding breeches, a black turtleneck, a flannel in black and gray plaid, and your black English riding boots. After pulling your hair back into a low ponytail, you picked up your black equestrian helmet and exited your bedroom.

As you passed by the kitchen, Chuck was in the midst of starting the coffee.

"Doc," he began, "I noticed the Lieutenant took to the guest bedroom for the night," he disclosed.

You paused, stopping in front of the island, the early morning light casting a soft glow into the kitchen. Chuck's observation, though not unexpected, still felt like a gentle intrusion into the complex weave of emotions and decisions from the night before.

"Yeah," you replied, your voice carrying a mix of resignation and hope. "We have a lot to work through, Chuck. It's going to take some time."

Chuck nodded, understanding the weight of what was left unsaid. He poured two cups of coffee, one in a coffee cup and the other in your travel mug, handing the travel mug to you. "You know, Doc, sometimes it's the space in between that helps us see what's truly important. It ain't always about the distance, but what you do with it that counts."

You took the coffee, cradling the warm mug in your hands, finding comfort in its heat. "I know. It's just hard, you know? After everything that's happened, finding our way back to each other... it feels like navigating through a fog."

Chuck leaned against the counter, his gaze thoughtful. "Fog eventually lifts, Doc. Just takes the warmth of the sun to do so."

His words, simple yet profound, offered a perspective you hadn't fully considered. The quiet of the morning, the shared space of understanding between you and Chuck, it all contributed to a moment of clarity amid the chaos of emotions.

"Thanks, Chuck," you said, genuinely grateful for his insight. "I guess it's about finding our way through the fog together, at our own pace."

"Exactly," Chuck agreed, offering a supportive smile. "And remember, you're not alone. You've got people who care about you, ready to support you both through this. Just like this morning coffee, sometimes all you need is something warm and familiar to help you start the day right."

You couldn't help but smile back, the warmth from the coffee seeping into your bones, a metaphorical representation of the warmth and support from those around you. "I'll remember that, Chuck. And thanks for the coffee. I'll be out in the ring riding Loki."

You continued your walk through the living room, past the guest bedroom and out the back door of the mudroom.

Jake jerked upright in the unfamiliar bedroom, alarmed by the sound of the door. Moments later, he collapsed back onto the bed, draping an arm over his forehead. Extending one arm to glance at his watch, he used his other hand to illuminate the watch's face, checking the time. It was 5:30 am. With a heavy sigh, he let his arms fall back to his sides.

The early morning light was just beginning to seep through the edges of the curtains, casting a soft, diffused glow into the room. Jake lay there in the quiet, the events of the previous evening replaying in his mind like a movie he couldn't pause. The heartfelt conversations, the moments of closeness followed by the painful decision to sleep apart—it all swirled in his thoughts, leaving him restless despite the early hour.

He knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep now; his mind was too active, his emotions too stirred. With a resigned sigh, he pushed the covers off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. The floor was cool under his feet, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the bed he had just left. Jake stood up, stretching his arms above his head, his dog tags gently dangling between his muscular chest, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep and the heaviness that lingered in his heart.

Walking over to the window, he gently pulled the curtain aside to look out. The world outside was shrouded in the soft light of dawn, a new day.

Jake's expression deepened with curiosity as he watched you stride toward the stable. Curiosity piqued, he widened the curtains for a fuller view, marveling at the expanse of the stable and the ranch beyond. The sight of horses and fencing stretching into the horizon was striking.

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants and a U.S. Navy t-shirt, swiftly followed by socks and tennis shoes. He then pulled a gray U.S. Navy sweatshirt over his head.

Leaving the guest bedroom, Jake made his way to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Lieutenant,” Chuck welcomed him.

“Morning,” Jake replied. “Where’s Y/N going?”

“She’s headed to the training ring to ride Loki. It helps her clear her head,” Chuck explained.

“Loki?”

“Yeah, Loki's her Friesian stallion. She’s been with him for a couple of years now.”

A smile crossed Jake's face, recalling how she had always dreamt of owning a Friesian.

Chuck extended a travel mug towards him. “This should help wake you up as you watch your wife. Though, seeing what she can do with that horse might just do the trick on its own.”

Gratefully, Jake accepted the mug. “Thanks.”

“One more thing, Lieutenant?”

“Yes?”

“Be the sun.”

Puzzled by Chuck's parting words, Jake shook his head slightly and moved on towards the mudroom, heading out the back door.

You started Loki on the outside of the ring in a nice trot. On the inside of the ring, you had set up a few low jumps. You really needed to take your mind off of things.

You pat his neck. "Alright, boy. Mama needs to take her mind off of some things."

Loki made a sound as if he understood you.

Firmly pressing your legs against him to signal a gallop, you announced with determination, "Let's do this!" Then, you guided him towards the first jump, ready for the challenge ahead.

Jake arrived at the entrance of the ring and leaned against the gate, observing as you elegantly navigated the training jumps within the ring with grace and precision.

As Y/N continued her ride, a few of the ranch workers emerged to clear the jumps from the ring while she transitioned Loki into a trot along the perimeter. Coming to a halt at one end of the ring, Jake's attention remained fixed on you as you skillfully guided the Friesian through various dressage movements, demonstrating a range of controlled, elegant steps. Following roughly ten minutes of practice, Y/N guided the horse to the center of the ring, gracefully dismounted, and then skillfully prompted the horse to bow in the direction of the gate. Once the horse completed its bow, she affectionately kissed him on the nose and wrapped him in a hug. Then, taking hold of the reins, she began walking towards Jake.

Jake swung the gate open, allowing Y/N and the magnificent black Friesian to pass through, heading towards the area designated for unsaddling and brushing. After securing the gate behind you, Jake quickly caught up to walk beside you.

Despite your efforts to avoid staring at your husband, with his tousled hair and casual attire of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, you found it challenging to divert your gaze. Over the past four years, he had matured significantly, not just in age but in physical form as well. The defined biceps that strained against the fabric of his sleeves were a testament to his dedication to fitness. This observation led your curiosity to wander, pondering what other muscular details lay concealed beneath his sweatshirt.

"Good morning," you greeted him as he fell into step beside you.

"Morning. You do this often?" he inquired, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Only when I need to release some stress," you replied.

Upon arriving at the tie-down area, you secured Loki in place.

Loki then turned his gaze towards Jake, issuing a snort that seemed to convey approval.

"He likes you, which is a good sign. He's usually not this friendly with many of the men around here," you observed.

Jake extended his hand, allowing Loki to sniff it. After another snort, Loki pressed his nose into Jake's hand, signaling his desire for affection.

Your smile widened. "Wow. He really does like you!" With that, you began to unsaddle Loki and started organizing the gear in the tack room.

Meanwhile, Jake kept his attention on petting Loki's nose. "I see you finally got your dream horse."

Pausing in your tasks, you turned to him, a hint of surprise in your tone. "You remembered that?"

He looked at you as he continued to pet the horse. "Of course."

Jake's response brought a warm smile to your face, the realization that despite the years and distance, some details remained vivid in his memory.

The horse, seemingly enjoying the attention, nuzzled Jake's hand gently. You watched the interaction, a sense of contentment washing over you. It was these small, peaceful moments that you had missed the most during Jake's absence. The simplicity of connecting over shared memories and dreams felt like a balm to the wounds of the past.

"He's a good horse," you continued, stepping closer to Loki and Jake. "Been with me through a lot. I think he's happy you're here, too."

Jake's eyes moved from Loki to meet yours, his expression contemplative. "It seems like it," he acknowledged. "And it's clear to see you two are quite the team, especially with the jumping and dressage."

As you focused on brushing Loki, a ranch hand approached.

"Doc, Chuck has your breakfast ready. I'll take over here," he offered.

Gratefully, you passed the brush to him. "Thank you," you replied as you took your riding helmet off and started walking back to the house.

"So, we have a pretty big stable and a lot of horses," Jake observed as you made your way back.

"Only a few of the horses are actually ours. Some are here for healing. We've dedicated part of the stable for medical procedures. The concept came to me during a class I attended in Kentucky," you explained, sharing the inspiration behind the multifaceted operation of your stable.

"You really thought of everything," Jake remarked, admiration evident in his voice.

You glanced at him, a hint of pragmatism in your reply. "Horses and cows aren't exactly lightweight in the animal kingdom."

"True," he acknowledged, stepping aside to let you ascend the stairs first.

Entering through the mud room, where you left your riding helmet, the two of you continued into the kitchen. There, Chuck had prepared breakfast, with omelets and fruit neatly plated and waiting on the island.

"How was your ride, Doc?" Chuck inquired, looking up from his task.

"Relaxing, thank you for asking," you answered, taking a seat at the kitchen island, ready to enjoy the meal Chuck had prepared.

"I'll let you two be and go check on the ranchers," Chuck announced, making his way towards the mud room to carry on with his day's work.

Jake sampled his omelet and couldn't help but moan in appreciation. "This is delicious!" he exclaimed, quickly taking another bite. "Just as good as the chili last night. You really lucked out with him."

"I did," you agreed, enjoying your own portion of the breakfast.

"So, what are your plans for today?" Jake inquired, curious about how you intended to spend your day.

"I actually have the day off. I was planning to check on the finances and then see where the day takes me. How about you?" you responded, turning the question back towards him.

Jake shrugged, a bit unsure. "Not sure, really. I guess I'll take the opportunity to learn more about the house and get familiar with everything around here."

"Well, I can help you with that if you'd like," you offered, sensing an opportunity to spend some quality time together and perhaps bridge any distance that had grown between you.

His eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Yes. I'd like that," Jake responded eagerly, welcoming the chance to not only explore the house but also to reconnect with you in the process.

You stood up and placed your empty plate in the dishwasher. "I'm going to go and take a quick shower. I'll meet you in the living room later."

Jake nodded as he watched you walk away.

Tags:

@buckysteveloki-me @bellyliveslife @tgmreader @callsign-barbell @86laura11 @dizzybee03 @kmc1989 @guacam011y @nerdgirljen @hookslove1592 @dempy @djs8891

#jake hangman seresin #jake seresin fanfiction #jake seresin x you #glen powell #hangman top gun #hangman #top gun maverick hangman #top gun fanfic #hangman fanfic #top gun maverick #hangman x reader #hangman fanfiction #top gun fic #hangman imagine #top gun hangman #jake seresin smut

[sukehiroselei]

BLACK CLOVER SPOILERS

Been a while since I've fully written out my thoughts on the recent BC chapters. (I think May was the last time I did?) Anywho, these are my opinions—and I stress, MY OPINIONS!—on the recent chapters. I have to admit that my feelings about them are mixed, and I'll get into why. (Probably gonna get cancelled over this but yolo I guess loool)

First, I'd like to address the difference between Tumblr & Twitter discourse regarding Black Clover. From my personal experience, I find that Twitter discourse is more focused on the fights & power-ranking system—which, of course, is absolutely essential to the genre. Power-ups are a tangible way of measuring character growth, after all.

On the other hand, Tumblr discourse is more focused on the relationships between the characters & the overarching narrative of the work. Now, I'm not saying that one is better than the other, because all of these elements are important. I had to talk about the distinction because my criticisms of the recent chapters might be better explained with this context in mind.

As someone who enjoys BC specifically because of the relationships between the characters and the world-building, I've found that the story post-Elf arc has been really... flat. I know Twitter folks will say that BC's pacing has always been quick, but I've been missing some moments where the characters just have room to breathe, you know? Like when Spade Raid ended, we had half a chapter of fun before immediately jumping into the next arc, and I feel like it would have been nice to get a little more exposition on how Spade changed character dynamics. Like, they could have given us a little Greyche moment so their current state in the manga would hit that much harder. Or more bonding time between Nacht and the Bulls, so we appreciate their determination to find Asta together a little more? Does this make any sense? Lmao

Adding to that, I think the quick pacing is detrimental to BC's strengths. A lot of people like the story because there are so many characters with very interesting backstories and motivations, but the nature of the storytelling doesn't leave a lot of room to explore the depths of these characters. Tbh, the Black Bulls' stories are just as important to tell as Asta's journey to becoming WK. Side characters enrich the world, so I'm not a huge fan of glossing over what could have been really impactful moments for characters other than Asta/Yuno/Yami to shine.

For example, someone brought up a great point that the BB fight against Damnatio was symbolic of the uprooting of Clover's caste system. You have this group of outcasts, some who were personally victimized by the corruption of the kingdom as represented by Damnatio, fighting to save the people who shunned them. It would have been nice to get flashbacks of the way that the kingdom has affronted them: Zora grappling with his dad's death and what it meant to be a Magic Knight, Gauche's history of being a convict and being separated from his only family, etc.

I'm glad that we at least had that moment with Nero, and we got to see how Asta specifically changed the trajectory of her life; how she sees Lumiere's vision of the world in Asta's ideal vision when he becomes WK. But I wish they had done the same for the other Bulls or even non-Bulls too, especially since Lucius mentioned that this whole timeline was affected by Asta. That's why I'm sort of disappointed that Asta came back right away to end things. I feel like it would have been more significant if Damnatio had been heavily injured and Asta were to deal the last blow than an unharmed Damnatio and Asta landing a fatal blow only once.

I'm still holding out hope that we'll get more of the Bulls in this arc, though there are currently a lot of loose ends and Asta's already back in the picture. I hope we get followups on Noelle/Acier, YamiChar/Morgen, and Mereo/Morris before Asta ends the battle, but idk what I'm talking about as usual 🤷🏻‍♀️

#e rants about bc #black clover spoilers #it's 1am and i'm sitting on the toilet microblogging about a fictional story #shit takes on the shitter? i'm making this a thing

[no-no-no-ahhhh]

Are we not gonna talk about how the new monster high team favorites other minorities over other minorities for profit?

Clawdeen was a dark skinned black girl ( darker black people where put down on American plantation compared to lighter/mixed blacks) but they changed her to a mixed black girl because mixed girls have more white features and they know that's popular. I mean look at Disney poc they are usually mixed.

Draculaura was a Eastern European who wasn't ashamed of her culture and never really assimilated into Americana culture, she kept her accent and never hid the fact that she was from Transylvania and had to be a refugee (historically eastern Europeans have always had to hide the fact they where from the "old land" because elitist did not favor them and they would be given poorer jobs) but they change her to Asian because currently America is kinda having an obsession with Asian culture I mean look at all the girls Asian fishing and k-pop

I know Draculaura is not a poc but as someone who spoke with an accent and got bullied by American kids i always appreciated the fact she was not trying to hide who she was

Lagoona is a forigner in America but not necessarily a minority that has faced historical discrimination, she fits in pretty easy in our modern Anglo world where all forced to live in, but none the less it just seems shitty to replace her for Latina representation when her new character is white passing, it's colorism all over again. It just seems like MH is doing tokenism Latina representation because they couldn't even make the Latina character her own individual character they used lagoona. It seems pretty sus out of all the races to change her with they choose one of the largest minorty demographic in America. (Not that they dont deserve representation but do you see how capitalism is like a driving force here and how they might not actually care about actual poc) Kinda like they are doing this for profit and forced diversity.

Also notice how MH has only race swapped foreigners (not Americans) ...... literally Frankie who was born less then 5 days ago can honestly be race swapped no problem. Like it wouldn't be hard to color code their character. 😐

The MH team is replacing minorities with currently more "popular" (for lack of a better word) minorities and I'm not saying that means they shouldn't add other minorities to the main cast or that these minorites dont face discrimination but I'm saying it seems wrong to replace and change a character after kids from all around the world have resonated with them already

These characters related to the real world like actual geographic locations and to just change it all the sudden is fucked up. One of the things that I liked about monster high is that these characters didn't fully assimilate into popular American culture, but now monster high is picking and choosing what diversity they want to show just for profit

The new mh diversity is so fake and clearly favors modern beauty standards

But im definitely not saying the old mh is perfect I mean I made a whole post about it

Anyways you people defending the gen 3 better listen to older Black,Latina, and Indigenous people cuase I can speak for the majority when I say that we think the new mh is slacking. We've literally been pushed to the side since we where kids called ugly for our features and experienced colorism and know that what the new monster high is trying to pull off as diversity is less then before. It's literally not a nostalgic lense we are seeing through but we are people with actual experience of being poc for like a long time. We aren't 12 year olds that are grasping for any little thing that corporations will try to tell us is adequate representation anymore.

Also just because a character is not apart of the initial main cast doesn't mean they have to make less dolls of that character or less content.

I mean look at Abby she was able to sneak her way into the main cast even tho she wasn't wave one. I mean somehow this girl is on merchandise with the main cast ?

Bratz which is honestly a reboot done right compared to MH makes NEW( not reproductions)dolls of their LGBTQA and POC characters even tho they aren't the main 4

If the mh team don't fit their og poc characters in merch that's on them

#monster high #mh #clawdeen #Draculaura #lagoona #colorism #minorities #race swap #rant #sorry for no pictures but half are leaks or teasers and i just feel werid using them #look im literally one of the minorities that got favored but i can tell you this shit aint right #americanism

[darkfrost-star]

Dang, I didn't even know people were doing that. I probably had the highest amount of frustrations and grievances regarding the Green / not / Leaf debate. All of that is entirely tied into my childhood coping mechanism to promised self-indulgence fic that grew up with me. And the uncanny valley of their similar design had me tearing my hair out, metaphorically. I've opt to settle this the way Pokemon generally tends to run "same character, different people" in the way they make cross-canon counterparts. But the issue arises in how while yes, LGPE is an entirely different timeline, making that idea viable; unlike any of the protagonist duos, excluding Kris, Leaf NEVER exists as an NPC if you choose the other avatar. And that's just what player characters are: avatars. Pokemas breaks away from that and gives them starter mons and personalities that I personally feel aren't the "end all" for their canon. As there's so many universes and alt timelines and simply the fact the developers do want players to interpret it however we like or simply don't because it would break our brains. [According to some interview: but really it's the sacred creed of video games anyways.] It goes against a lot to establish a canon for characters intentionally kept and made to be vague: hence, the constant Pidgey in the face when animating game-verse and lack of speaking lines. Look at Pokemas!May and the one from Evolutions. Or the way some treat Ethan and Gold differently when it comes to personality. Or even the black-haired!Red from LGPE based on Gen 1 and the Gen 3 brown-haired spikey flare Red we see continue into Alola. They are the same character despite it all. Just different in the hands of who made them, and those people are not the final authority. Pokemon has no canon to me. It's like Marvel and it's many retellings of Superhero stories. So many agencies get their hands on this story, it's more of a genre now. Did you know there's a manga out there for ORAS where Brendan is split into two twin brothers for Omega and Alpha? This stuff just happens. For all intents and purposes, Green is the third Pallet trainer. Her and Leaf fulfill the same role in the trio. She will never exist as a fourth girl beside them. Her design is to me, what it would have been had she been included in Gen 1, as Red and Blue's designs also reflect Gen 1 not Gen 3. Her different personality is because she is an NPC playing as a rival character for the first time ever in a canon game-verse appearance (even if an AU timeline) (also why we were blessed to have speaking lines for her in Evolution) while Pokemas does whatever the heck it wants with their own personality canonizations. For main characters in Pokemas are always going to get on someone's nerves because they have to commit to certain playthrough routes for the characters, the hero or the friend, etc, and surface level personalities while NPCs like Gym Leaders or supporting cast feel more accurate; because there's an actual canon to pull from. For what it may count for though, there is official merch out there showing Leaf with Squirtle, Gengar, and Clefable. Sound familiar eh? I suppose the best compromise at this point is to stick with our own preferences and not invalidate others. This goes fully for the anti-Green = Leaf crowd because their stance makes up the majority of Leaf posts and arguments. Generally YouTube LMAO I started staying away from there. Meanwhile, ig Pokemon will continue to mix and match what they want treating their characters like jpeg dolls and driving us up the wall with uncanny valley. See: Akari and Dawn, Lucas and Rei. Implications galore everywhere, multiverse is real and apparently it can hurt us haha. Sorry for the info dump.

Yeah Ikr! I guess it comes to show that people will make up anything to defend their stance on an argument. This is exactly why I have a problem with the idea of making them another Kris and Lyra 2.0 situation, it just feels way too forced because of their strong design similarities and how they’re obviously derived from another. At least Lyra was made from scratch as wasn’t derived from Kris and it shows, as the only significant design similarity they have is the gravity defying ponytails. Green and Leaf on the other hand? They just look like the same person wearing somewhat different outfits! They have the same hair color and hair style, the exact same shirt/collar pattern, and even the same yellow bag! And tbh, I think they are strong together than they are separate, as if they’re split into two different entities, then that means that Green never got the chance to be a playable character, and likewise Leaf never got the chance to appear as an NPC in any of the mainline games, and that is just unfair to me. 

And yes I definitely agree with you on the idea that Green and Leaf are AU versions of the same character, I mean it should be very obvious. Also yeah, even if pokemas exists people are still allowed to have their own interpretations of the characters, even my headcanons for them aren’t one to one with how they portray the protags!

And that’s not even mentioning pokespe, with all of its wild interpretations of the protag’s personalities that totally seem to come out of left field! They literally made Lucas (Diamond) a pokemon trainer version of Chowder for example! And oh wow, I had no idea that there was manga out there that made the two versions of Brendan twin brothers, kinda reminds me of that one manga that makes Classic! Red and Remake! Red two different people as well…  Also tbh I never even felt like LGPE! Green was all that different personality wise from PMEX! Leaf in the first place, as they both have that cheerful and feisty pokemon enthusiast/fanatic characterization going on. The only real difference is that Green is a bit more competitive and mischievous, whereas Leaf is more wholesome. But again, that probably comes from the fact that she plays the role of the rival in LGPE, as you said. It really does come to show that the TPC will always experiment with different personalities for all the different variants of their protag characters. Also EXACTLY, Leaf is literally associated with half of Green’s team in official merchandise man! That’s another reason why I can’t bring myself into thinking they’re somehow completely different… 

#asks #answers #pokemon #fandom discourse

[drearymiddle]

To boldly go where many blogs have gone before: A Star Trek series analysis (Part 1)

Originally written by Mr_Turnabout on 20 February 2020 over on the old Dreary Middle website. This was the only article we ever published so we thought it would be nice to preserve it as a reminder of what once was, so enjoy!

I have seen many Sci-Fi shows, but there is something special about Star Trek that makes it stand out among the rest.

Yes, Star Trek is quite the franchise. Spanning currently 7 different series, 13 movies and hundreds of episodes, you can't complain about lack of content. I feel recently Star Trek has had a weirdly negative wrap to it. I know that sounds weird defending one of the most profitable franchises in the history of Television and one of the Father's of Sci-Fi, but hear me out.

I think that people have forgotten how great Star Trek truly is, there is this misconception that it's just a silly Sci-Fi show for nerds and....while yes that may be true it is also so much more than that. Star Trek is an incredibly well written franchise, containing some of the best episodes of a series I have ever seen, even managing to hold up against the best shows that we have today. Writing wise a lot of Star Trek has aged like a fine wine, managing to still be relevant despite some series being decades old.

Now is Star Trek perfect? No, at the worst of times you question how some episodes can even be from the same show from how awful and flat out stupid some of the episodes are. The next generation has an episode where a character has sex with a ghost. Deep Space Nine had an episode where the crew get sucked into a game board, while one of the main cast has to play the game that has them trapped. Enterprise famously has a finale that is considered one of the worst episodes in the franchise. It's stuff like this that makes me black out for 45 minutes and makes me wonder if what I was watching was even real, that being said this is the minority of the franchise and is in no way a representation of the franchise.

Now with me gushing over this franchise you would think that I grew up with it or something right? Well that's where you'd be wrong as it turns out, I myself avoided Star Trek for so long because of its representation, I thought it was the typical Sci-Fi show that didn't age all that well, quite like classic Doctor Who....or modern Doctor Who, anyway I didn't truly give Star Trek series a chance till I was 19 and even by then I was reluctant to try it out, but when I started with The next Generation, I was hooked. This post will be talking about what I like about each individual series as well as the order I watched them in, now I will like to preface that I have not seen all of Star Trek, heck many hardcore fans would say I'm not very far at all. I have finished The next generation (twice), 5 seasons of Deep Space Nine, 4 seasons of Voyager, 8 out of 10 of the original Star Trek movies, the 3 Kelvin timeline movies, the first and last episodes of Enterprise, about 2 episodes of the original series, 4 episodes of Picard and none of discovery, so this post is definitely subject to change and may require a follow up. Regardless I have at least seen enough to tell you why it is great and that you should see it if you haven't.

The Star Trek movies are a mixed bag, but when they're good they're really good.

My first real exposure to Star Trek as a whole was from a little underground YouTuber called 'The Nostalgia Critic' (irony fully intended), he was doing a marathon of the "bad" Star Trek films and my little 14 year old self, laughed and slapped his thighs together at this funny man making comments about how silly these movies were, but it had the unintentional effect of actually getting me interested in the films. My friend in secondary school was a big Trekkie (or is it Trekker?) and I asked him if I could borrow some of those films on DVD, before streaming services were the norm we had to watch our films in physical form kids. So I marathoned those films and at the time I thought some were great and some were really bad, so let's go over the quality of each one real quick.

I. The Motion Picture: Beautiful looking movie, but really boring. Great at introducing you to the main cast of the original series, especially for someone like me who has never seen it. Decent start 6/10.

II. The Wrath of Khan: One of the best Sci-Fi movies ever, tells an excellent story about one of Kirk's old enemies coming back for revenge and a very powerful ending. 9/10.

III. The search for Spock: Not a bad effort here, but it suffers from being in between two of the best movies in the franchise. Kind of undoes the ending of Wrath of Khan in quite a strange way but overall still pretty fun. 6/10.

IV. The Voyage Home: Excellent time travel story that's one of the more fun entries in the series, it's just great to see these characters go back to the past (to play those s* games that suck ass) and interact with people from the 80's. 8/10.

V. The Final Frontier: What does God need with a starship? 3/10.

VI. The Undiscovered Country: Great sendoff for the original cast, great villain introduced in this one too. 8/10.

VII. Generations: The proceeding movies goes on to ruin said great sendoff and instead shows Picard looking at an old photo album and having a little cry. 4/10.

VIII. First Contact: Very fun Sci-Fi movie, weird characterisation for Picard in this one but overall I like the horror atmosphere of this one and that soundtrack is fantastic. 7/10.

If you want my ranking personally I would rank them II > IV> VI > VIII > I > III > VII > V

And what about those characters? Well I'll go into the next generation cast later but the Original series cast are all very fun to watch and have great chemistry. It's no wonder that Captain Kirk and Spock became cultural icons, they are always great on screen together and characters like Bones is one of the funniest characters in the series for his more down to earth characterisation compared to the rest of the cast, these characters aren't particularly deep or anything but they are well written and I would recommend the movies for someone's first exposure to the series, it worked for me.

So what about those Kelvin timeline films?

Shortly after checking out those original movies, I went on to watch the Kelvin timeline movies as at the time into Darkness was on it's way out in 2013, so I thought I may as well check out the 2009 one. Here's the thing I don't think these movies are bad, in fact I find them rather enjoyable, not so much with into Darkness, but the other two are pretty good summer action movies. The characters are, again quite likable, being a reboot of the original series they captured elements of the original characters well, while putting a little twist on them. Captain Kirk was known for being a ladies man in the OG series so now we get to see him actually have THE sex I've heard so much about on the big screen, when I first saw this my eyes bugged out of my head in a cartoon like style, that's for sure.

Into darkness unfortunately has the issue with remaking an all time classic so it was going to suffer as a result, I don't think Cumberbatch captured the more spite filled performance of Ricardo Montalbán's take on the character of Khan and it reeked of "You know this right? Remember this?" That being said the other two films I do enjoy, they are more action packed than your average Star Trek and are filled with Lens flare for some reason, but I would check them out if I were you, they're enjoyable romps, but if you don't like them you didn't hear it from me.

The Next Generation is as good as your mother says it is.

When I said the Kelvin Timeline movies were my next introduction to the series, I meant it. I didn't touch a Star Trek series at all until the year of 2016, after I had saw Beyond in cinema. I felt like it was time to check it out, if I enjoyed the movies, surely, I could enjoy the series that they spawned from, right? Well to say that the Next Generation is a good series would be understatement of the century. The next generation really is something special, its characters are fantastic, the episodes tell some of the best stories you will ever see on the silver screen and it has some of the best writing I have had the pleasure of seeing.

The characters are so diverse and are more interesting than the OG series, which I already enjoyed from the movies. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (played excellently by Patrick Stewart) is the best captain in the series, not only do most the best episodes revolve around him, but it's his ideals that make him one of the more interesting characters in the series. Picard tends to follow orders from Star Fleet and for the most part even if it may seem like a bad thing to do at the time, Picard will follow orders, quite unlike a Kirk, that broke the rules all the time. It's this element of Picard that makes him really fascinating to watch, a by the books captain was the best way to go for a series like this, most the time Picard will not resort to violence and will choose to talk his way out of a situation instead. He's stern but also fair and seeing his interests in the performing arts and literature just adds more to this already interesting character.

The rest of the supporting cast are great too. Data, an android with no emotions but wishes to understand them is another great character rivalling Picard in popularity, watching him be put in situation that revolve around his lack of emotions and if he counts as a lifeform makes for some of the best stories in the next generation. First officer Riker, is also another great character to watch, he's everything you want from a first officer, he's more fair than Picard most the time but he can be quite stern too when he needs to be and a lot of great episodes revolve around what he decides to do when Picard isn't there to give him orders. The final character in this series I want to touch on is Worf, the security officer who is also a Klingon who was raised by humans. This added an element of an outsider on the crew to the series, there are many episodes where he has to deal with his culture as a Klingon vs his place on Star Fleet, this really was progressive writing for the time it came out.

I will go over some of the episodes in the show that really show off how fantastic this series really is.

The Measure of a Man (season 2): One of the, if not the most famous episode of the show. Data's identity as a lifeform comes into question when a scientist wants to take him apart. A hearing is ordered, with Picard defending that Data is indeed a lifeform. This is the episode that won me over on the series and showed me that The Next Generation was truly something special.

Yesterday's Enterprise (season 3): A fantastic episode, where the Enterprise gets caught in a different timeline where they are at constant war with the Klingons. Shows that Star Trek could tell these alternate reality stories extremely well.

The Best of Both Worlds and Family (season 3 and 4): The Borg show off how deadly they are by taking Picard and turning him into one. One of the greatest cliff-hangers is the history of television, please watch this. Family shows the aftermath of the situation and shows an emotionally weakened Picard.

Clues (season 4): A fun episode where the crew of the Enterprise wake up after blacking out for what they think is a small period but actually turns out to be longer than expected, this turns into a mystery to find out what's going on as one of the crew might be holding back some information from the others.

The Drumhead (season 4): One of the best episodes in the series for how it, for lack of a better term tackles racism. Picard has to defend a member of his crew who is Romulan, which is an enemy of the Federation. "Have we become so… fearful, have we become so cowardly… that we must extinguish a man? Because he carries the blood of a current enemy?"

I Borg (season 5): A Borg is taken aboard the enterprise with the intention of infecting the rest of the collective, but the longer the Borg stays on the enterprise, the more of its humanity it gets back. Picard has to decide whether it's right to kill this Borg or if it has the right to live like everyone else.

The Inner Light (season 5): Picard lives out an entire lifetime of someone he does not recognise, he grows close to the family of the person he is living out the life of and it becomes a rather emotional and sad tale. Don't miss this one.

Chain of Command (season 6): Patrick Stewart shows off some of his best acting, when he is taken away and tortured. This shows the psychological torture Picard has to endure and the final few minutes of the episodes are as chilling as they are brilliant.

Tapestry (season 6): Picard has a chance to redo his life after his artificial heart gives out and Q offers him to go back in time so that he never needed an artificial heart at all. Great episode that shows us not to regret our actions but instead learn from them and better ourselves.

All Good Things… (season 7): A fantastic finale that brings the series full circle with the very first episode in the series, where we get to see 3 different versions of these characters from different time periods. Excellent finale.

To wrap up what I have to say on The Next Generation, it really is a fantastic series and they don't make them like this anymore. Sci-Fi has lost a lot of the intelligent writing that went along with it, nowadays the genre needs to have action and explosions in it to appeal to a mainstream audience. No one wants to see an episode that questions what we consider a lifeform or an intelligent discussion on if we should follow orders all the time even if it's not always the right thing to do. Why watch that when we can see starships blowing up. Hahaha, I love space pew pew pew shoot the lasers KA-BOOM HAHA IS THIS SCI-FI YET? IS THIS THE GENRE YOU ALL LOVE SO MUCH? IS THIS SCI-FI YET?

Originally written by Mr_Turnabout on 20 February 2020 over on the old Dreary Middle website

This was the only article we ever published so we thought it would be nice to preserve it as a reminder of what once was, so enjoy!

#star trek #the next generation #tng #jean luc picard #jim kirk #Youtube

[youremyonlyhope]

I should have known that after finding out that Jesper is mixed the same way I am (Zemeni aka Black mother and Kaelish aka Irish father) that anything about his backstory would hit me very hard.

Did not think I’d cry over it though. Yet here I am.

#six of crows #crooked kingdom #jesper fahey #insert that Rosa gif of 'if anything happened to him i'd kill everyone in this room and then myself' #i already felt that way after watching the show but reading the books... #ahhh my heart someone help i didn't think i'd cry but i kinda felt it coming on so i took a break for a second #put some stuff away then picked up the book again and cried a little anyway #ahhhhh #also and maybe i'll go more into this when i make another 5000+ word review of this series like i did shadow and bone #as a mixed person i know we have a lot of privilege in film and tv so reading the books and seeing that Jesper is described as dark #i was like 'i love Kit but maybe this role should have gone to a black person who isn't mixed or at least not as light skinned' #Kit's not light skinned he's medium skinned but he's not dark like jesper was initially described in the books #(we see this all the time when mixed people are cast as fully black characters like Amandla in Rue in the Hunger Games) #(were they a perfect Rue? yes. were they half picked because of colorism and they're not dark? also yes.) #then i found out his father is Kaelish and i was like OOOOHHH he was cast as a mixed actor on PURPOSE! YESSSSSSSSSS #so i'm glad him being mixed is an actual part of his character and not just another example of colorism in hollywood #and that also means i can fiercely identify with Jesper and cry over his mom and dad's beautiful relationship #and on that note if something bad happens to jesper i am now going to riot. i am already spoiled about something horrible #(and a stupid youtube comment even told me the chapter it happens in so thanks for that) but i've heard no spoilers of jesper #I just realized I misgendered Amandla in my earlier tags. they use they/them #I’ll edit those tags once I get home since on my phone it will be too hard #ok that’s been fixed

[drabsyo]

I was wondering...I was always confused about Narcissa’s hair. It’s been a while since I read the books. Did she color it blonde to show her now belonging to House Malfoys. Or was it naturally blonde? Movies confused me a bit I guess.

Yes, this had me confused too! I've agonized and toiled over it, more than I probably should, about how I should draw her hair because people have generally different views, which is totally understandable! 💕

And I've always wanted to discuss it, so now that I've been given a reason to... Well.

If you take a look at some of my Narcissa fanart, you'll notice the different ways I'd color her hair. I was so confused. Is she a light blonde? Dark blonde? A mix of raven hair and blonde hair? If she has blonde hair then why does her family have (mostly) dark hair? And WHY does she have blue eyes?! This woman is absolutely confusing! (Which is kind of, you know, fitting because Narcissa always loves to be a mystery to literally anyone lol)

So I did my homework, asked around, and scoured every bit of information, canon or otherwise, that I could find about her. It led me to this:

In canon, this is what the Black sisters look like. You can find the page here. Narcissa is a child here, and already has blonde hair. So we can go ahead and safely assume that she was born with natural blonde hair. But in the films, Narcissa has black and blonde hair. I don't actually know why they gave her that hair color, maybe so that the audiences wouldn't question her blood relations with the Blacks--I don't know. I really don't. But now we have a book version Narcissa, one who has full blonde hair. And a movie version Narcissa, one who has raven and blonde hair. At least, that's how the different hair colors started: a movie version, and a book version.

So... here's where it gets confusing.

To my knowledge, it isn't actually explained why her hair color is the way it is in both the movies and the books. Having blonde hair does raise many questions, how is she the "only" blonde in a family of dark hair and dark eyes? To top it all off, it gets even more confusing, because fanon writes and draws her either as a full blonde or a mix of raven and blonde hair. We just have this large pile to sift through of her having either hair color. No one actually explains anything. She's just... infuriatingly there. She's either blonde or raven haired and blonde. BUT fanfiction writers, as I've observed, give their own reasons why Narcissa's hair color is the way it is in their respective stories. And it's actually pretty creative and interesting! It adds even greater depth to her character, and it fits the narrative of the story even better. Remember, the character we're dealing with is Narcissa Black. One of her main traits is "she won't do anything unless there is a clear purpose behind it." This character is deliberate, meticulous, and she makes sure to plan ahead at all times. And so, some fanfiction writers decide to play on that.

You can skip this part if you want to avoid spoilers but I've compiled a small list of instances in (Cissamione) fanfiction where Narcissa's hair is mentioned.

🔹 In Extinction by rubikanon in Chapter 10: Build and Break, Hermione asks Narcissa about it. Here, Narcissa has black and blonde hair. She explains that she only decided to dye it blonde to "fit in with the Malfoys." We can gather two things from that alone, which resonates with her character perfectly: 1.) Narcissa is loyal and 2.) Narcissa purposefully wants to show the rest of the world how loyal she is by committing to having blonde hair. The woman has some serious commitment, and it shows. But now, the way that it's slowly growing back into her natural black hair color, hints that perhaps Narcissa no longer wishes to fit in with the Malfoys. However, if we take an even closer look, we can safely assume that Narcissa isn't the kind of person to just leave her hair color "unattended" like that. Remember, she's meticulous. And this is a big deal for her, the fact that she's just kind of letting it grow back instead of either fully dyeing it back to black, or dyeing it back to blonde. It suggests that perhaps she's a little unsure this time, perhaps it is her uncertainty that is the reason why it's now a mix of both. Another grey area? Or maybe it's actually something more deliberate? Maybe now, she likes that it's a mix of both. That other half now being solely for Draco, and not to fit in (completely) with the Malfoys any longer. Who knows why Narcissa does things the way she does? We can speculate to the ends of the earth, or be as smart as Hermione Granger (or with the case of Extinction, see Hermione's thoughts), but something tells me we'd still be a good step behind.

"Which one is your natural hair color?" I wondered aloud.

(Narcissa) She glanced up at the unexpected question. I was relieved she hadn't sensed my attention yet. It's not like I meant anything by it, I told myself. She was so beautiful, one couldn't help but notice. And feel physically drawn to her. And want to see her two-toned hair fanned across her back, slipping over the bare skin, silky beneath my fingers...

"Why do you ask?" Her query brought me back to reality, and I hurriedly corrected my imagination to include a pretty dress covering the rest of her.

"I don't know." I chewed the inside of my cheek, suppressing my other thoughts. "I'm just curious."

Her gaze returned to the fire. "You've seen enough of my relatives to guess which color is genetic. The blond is something I added to fit in with the Malfoys, after Draco was born." She was quiet for a moment. "He looks so much like his father. I suppose I wanted to share some resemblance."

🔹 In Killing Me Softly by Looktotheedges in Chapter 4: Nagging, Hermione suggests that perhaps Narcissa is part Veela because of her blonde hair and very attractive features, like Fleur. Which is this whole other theory/plot that's very interesting, but won't be discussed in this post. Narcissa tells Hermione that Sirius has always been blonde, and that it isn't out of the question for her to be blonde either. Sirius Black. A blonde. I know! Maybe it's there because it's funny that Sirius is actually blonde like Narcissa. Prissy, haughty, lady-like Narcissa. Arguably the 'girliest' cousin that he has. No, no, no. He doesn't want to be anything like Narcissa. Anyway, if that's the reason, I think that's hilarious and cute.

Narcissa turns away. 'I am aware my appearance is frightfully drab. Work has been…'

Hermione holds back a disbelieving scoff. 'Narcissa. You always look beautiful. And you’re talking to the witch with grass in her hair who practically lives in her office all week.'

Narcissa just leans further over the crib. 'A blonde little boy. It has been so long since… I can almost imagine…'

Hermione stands next to her. Looks down at the peacefully sleeping Louis. He does look remarkably like Draco. 'Are you sure there’s no Veela blood in you? You weren’t secretly switched at birth?'

'Like a changeling?'

'It would explain your blonde hair.'

'Sirius was also blonde, it is not completely out of the question for us Blacks.'

What?!

(...) 'I know. But it is the truth. He was blond until he was about seven… then it began to darken. Mousy. Dull. He wanted to look cool and brooding instead, so he got his hands on some kind of charm right before he set off for Hogwarts. A new, edgy Sirius. It was around then he forbade us from calling him Siri. Said it sounded too girly.'

🔹 In Fixed in Time by TheWorldsaBeastofBurden in Chapter 9: Sisters and Saviors, it's also tackled a little humorously. Andromeda let's a little comment slip while they're in the middle of trying to heal Hermione. Something funny, something that suggests Andromeda and Bella, when they were children, have always wondered why Narcissa is blonde unlike them.

The first words spoken occurred after they’d risen and attempted their casting. Andromeda’s preparedness to take on their task had been clear in her mind so Narcissa rose with her sister, wrapped an arm around her waist and held her near as the woman raised her wand to draw up the rest of the injury she’d dropped, half a slash across Hermione’s hip bone…

That remained half, as Andromeda growled out, “...it isn’t working.” she looked to Narcissa, “Why aren’t you powering me?”

What nonsense? “I am!” she insisted. She was! Or “I- I am trying to!” Her magic was active and alive, pulsing to rise from her skin and transfer into Andromeda’s but it- it wasn’t working! “Could...could it be that you were disowned?”

“Disowning doesn’t take away the fact that we share blood, our magic is directly related. Ugh, Bella always said you were adopted!”

“Oh ha- oh.”

“...oh?” Andromeda returned.

“...it’s not an issue of power. It is what I intend to aid in casting,” Narcissa slowly worked out. Oh, it was most blessed Mister Goyle could be brought to assist the present Hermione. If her present self had been brought to aid Andromeda? “...I cannot harm Hermione.”

Andromeda sighed with some frustration. “I understand you are so tenderly in love-”

“It isn’t- I’m avowed! I- when we arrived from the future we had to escape Malfoy Manor, I couldn’t bring Hermione through the wards without...I couldn’t add her directly, that would be visible. I had to...attach her permission to mine.”

🔹 In Glass Silence by Zarrene Moss (Menzosarres), which probably gives one of the most interesting backstories for Narcissa's hair, for why it's blonde. I can't put a clip of the scene here without hogging up a huge chunk of space on your dash, so I'll try to explain it as best I can instead.

Understand that these come with serious 🛑spoilers🛑 so please do read it at your own risk.

In Glass Silence, Narcissa's hair and eye color was black at birth. But after an accident with raw magic, something Bellatrix wasn't able to control when they were children, Narcissa almost dies. Bellatrix, using even more raw magic, tries desperately to pull Narcissa's "life force" back, but at the cost of losing the eumelanin that made Narcissa's eyes and hair black. Narcissa survived, but now has very little eumelanin left, which is why she's so pale, blonde, and has blue eyes. Every time Narcissa looks at a mirror, her reflection is a reminder of the day she almost died. Bella, on the other hand, is reminded of that day every single time she looks at Narcissa.

So! These are only a few fanfictions I could think of at the top of my head that tackles the issue of Narcissa's hair. In the books, to my knowledge, she is described as having blonde hair and very pale skin.

But let's take another deep dive, if you're up for it.

These are mostly theories, which are largely unconfirmed, but I think they're interesting to think about.

There's this description in the wiki:

"Narcissa Malfoy is described as tall, slim, "nice looking", and very pale, with blue eyes, long blonde hair, and a clear, cold voice. Her hair colouring thus differs from most of the House of Black, who generally have dark hair, though Narcissa does possess the arrogant good looks characteristic of her family."

There's also this pinterest photo of the Black sisters being compared to each other side by side, descriptively and physically. I'm so sorry, I don't know who drew it, but here's a link to the post on pinterest.

"Narcissa threw back her hood. She was so pale she seemed to shine in the darkness... long blonde hair streaming down her back."

Which is interesting because this hints that she's... different. It's a bit literal in this sense--she comes from a pureblood family, arguably the most influential and notorious one, the Blacks, who mostly have dark hair and eyes, and yet her physical appearance directly contrast that. There's also the matter of her namesake. She's the only Black to be named after a flower instead of a galaxy or a star. We aren't really given any explanation why she's the only one who's different. Even Sirius, who fought and died for the side of the Light, is named after the brightest star in the sky. Even Andromeda. It's been said that this is actually meant to be a parallel of some sort to Lily Evans. Narcissa and Lily are both named after flowers, even Petunia (Lily's sister). And I know there's this thing where it's a tie up to how Harry was ultimately saved by a mother's love: Harry lived at the beginning because of his mother's love, and Harry lives once again at the end of the books because Narcissa, a mother who wanted to save her own son, saved him.

If you read that scene in the books where Harry is saved by Narcissa, the whole scene is actually... pretty soft? There's that sort of disarming softness about Narcissa in that moment, where Harry expected to be callously dragged and prodded for a heartbeat. Instead, he gets a surprisingly gentle touch, a curtain of long blonde hair shielding him from the darkness, and the kind of tenderness he wouldn't expect from his enemies, "Is Draco alive?"

It's almost like Narcissa's appearance is something of a "tell". With Andromeda, she's described to have kind eyes, open, unguarded. She inherited her family's dark eyes and dark hair, and she even looks like Bellatrix's twin. I suppose we could say, Andromeda wants to fight that in any way she can by being openly kind. Narcissa is quite literally the opposite--guarded eyes, stoic expressions, cool and calculated emotions. We're veering into this fine line between fanon and canon in terms of their characterization (but only due to lack of canon materials) but personally, I think Narcissa having blonde hair and blue eyes is somewhat more fitting for her character. Again, this line:

"Narcissa threw back her hood. She was so pale she seemed to shine in the darkness... long blonde hair streaming down her back."

It's like that one glaringly obvious hint that everyone overlooks simply because... because it's the most obvious one. "Me! I'm different! I'm the last person you'd expect, but it really is me!"

Anyway. I've rambled on long enough. Hope this clears up some of that confusion, anon. Hoping it didn't ADD even more confusion... 😂 At the end of the day, this is just me speculating, gushing, and being One Big Fool™. So.

But either way, blonde hair, dark hair, mix of both, I adore her. Pretty much.

#narcissa black #narcissa malfoy #cissamione #anon #HAIR TALK #drabstuff #stupid ramblings

[theregoesmylurkerstatus]

SPOILERS AND ASSUMPTIONS FOR CAMPAIGN 1!

OKAY, let me start by categorising what spoilers I know as best I can, going (mostly) in chronological order AFAIK:

Clarota betrays them (VERY sad, when I first watched those first 10-ish episodes I was fully behind Keyleth’s ‘trust him’ train)

Vax loses a foot to lava and also his snake belt rip

Kima and Allura are the cool, trustworthy PCs, as is everyone’s favourite, Gilmore, a shopkeep with a black belt in karate

The dragonborn guy’s homeland gets dunked on and then later he dies offscreen

Percy’s sister is alive and betrays them but only kind of? I think? She was held captive by the Briarwoods for years and Percy thought she was dead, but she was blackmailed/brainwashed/tortured?

Vax gets cornered by the Briarwoods alone by accident (classic)

There’s a chick called Ripley who makes guns A Thing for the wider world

Something about a sun tree? It’s a creepy tree? They hallucinate their own corpses on it? Or something?

They probably kill one of the hottie vampires at the end of Percy’s arc, I think the male one? Because the lady vampire shows up later?

Percy dies in his arc and it’s the second res ritual they do, after Pike’s one pre-stream

“Take off the mask, darling.” I still don’t care about romance but I feel obligated to mention that I know that famous line

I also know the equally famous “I thought he’d never leave” bubble bath bit, ah Laura

There’s a CHROMA CONCLAVE attack right at the end of Percy’s arc, somewhere

Rashian is a dragon or something, everyone laughs at Liam for not knowing this. I know nothing else about who the Chroma conclave is (3-5 chromatic dragons??? One of each colour????) or what they want, except Vax levels up in the middle of fighting one and Keyleth yells at one

There are communication earrings. There is also a weird black powder man. Victor?

They actually have a permanent home/keep unlike the Mighty Nein?

Vex dies because Percy didn’t check for traps, this is the start of some deal of Vax’s with the Raven Queen which means he multiclasses into paladin?

Vax can fly, he can fly, he can fly!

Uhhhh there’s a couple cursed swords or something in there lol

Percy sells his soul briefly? Genius move Smart Guy lmao

Feywild??? Somehow????? They meet Artagan and make a deal with him for a doorway, and they spend an episode as cows somewhere in here?

Keyleth has Mom Trauma, I don’t know how much this will feature in the campaign

Vax and Vex’s dad suxxx or something, mother is dead

Scanlan hits on his surprise daughter and everyone screams

They have some kind of year long adventuring group break for some reason?

Keyleth makes a storm on an airship (???) and this is cool. Also she turns into a fire elemental a lot and this is also cool.

There’s a kraken fight? It goes really badly, like LEGENDARILY badly, and ngl I’m kind of looking forward to it

Scanlan #LOSESIT and has his legendary ‘what’s my mother’s name?’ rant, after which he leaves for an undetermined number of episodes and is replaced by Tary

This leads to Grog spelling C-A-T for some reason and this???? Makes people cry???????? Truly something you had to be there for

Pike tries to commission drawings of VM for Tary (who calls Vex “little elf girl” and braces for impact when Laura’s nostrils flare) and this goes Very Wrong in a funny way

Tary’s dad sucks

He writes a book

Some NPC reads said book in campaign 2, hence why I know about it

Grog has an arc to do with the other Goliaths who beat him up for defending Pike’s dad?

When Scanlan comes back he tries to sneak in, Vex chases him and he panics and casts modify memory on Vex, it fails several times, an angsty moment becomes comedic very fast

He is received with Mixed Emotions lmao

Keyleth turns into a goldfish and kills herself, this is both apparently extremely painful and extremely funny

Vax gets disintegrated and dies in a beholder fight (rip)

Gilmore is not a dragon but everyone was fully convinced he was. He also gets bodysnatched or something at some point to freak out VM, but they figure out very quickly it’s not him

Scanlan is Ioun’s chosen? Whatever that means, something to help fight Vecna I think

“It was an honour knowing you” sad! Sad! Sad line! Gilmore doesn’t understand, cheekily responds, and leaves!!!! Liam looks on the verge of tears!!!!!! SAD!!!!!

There are so many true love nat 20s. I don’t know what any of them are except that Pike has one and Ashley looks like she’s about to cry

They win the Vecna fight and Keyleth gets the HDYWDT, Scanlan wanted to save a Wish spell for Vax but couldn’t, so he stays dead

Everyone cries here but at least the rest of the party is okay

Keyleth is the last woman standing and everyone cries at this too

And then Grog uses the deck of many things, spawning two oneshots to clean up his mess

Also somewhere in here Vex steals a broom from a guest (lol)

Assumptions!!!!!

More tears than campaign 2 I think, since there are at least two resurrection rituals we see on screen that I know of

The fights might be more stressful since they’re higher level?

Scanlan is going to be the most sexual and lewd character because he is played by Sam

Vex is going to be the second most sexual and lewd character because she is played by Laura

Vax will still instigate most of the one-on-ones so Liam can have as many heavy conversations as his theatre kid’s heart desires

Keyleth will try and fail to make the group more moral

Pike will not try to be moral at all despite being four feet of blessed armour and adorable hair

I think other characters try to make Percy feel remorse for Murder Reasons, but I suspect he’s not going to feel that guilty (I will likely support him in murderous endeavours unless they are FAR more messed up than I currently believe)

From what I understand Grog is Loveable but not hugely layered or complex, and I know Travis was proud he didn’t cry this campaign. I suspect I may be surprised at the character depth Travis gives him, however.

Keyleth also thinks the gods are overrated and I AGREE

Percy is three feral and eldritch raccoons in a trench coat, held together only by sheer force of will and the fragile shell of a posh accent. No one notices because it’s a really cool accent.

There will be a lot more money/shopping/drinking elements than in campaign 2, since I know Vex is a haggler, Percy is a Lord, and Keyleth is a day-drinker? As are Grog and Scanlan

It will be funny for me to see Taliesin play a smart character and Travis a dumb one, though I know that the whiplash went the other way for most people lmao

Vox Machina will be less team-heavy than the Mighty Nein? I gather they’re more of an ‘individual hero’ makeup than an ‘everyone has support abilities’ makeup

It will be more fast-paced than campaign 2? It seems like a lot of the arcs lead directly into each other, with only the occasional shopping episode break

It feels like it might be less friendship heavy than the Mighty Nein? Like they seem more like ‘we’d die for each other’ pals who otherwise spend all their time trying to draw dicks on each other’s faces

They have a more clear “party leader” than the Mighty Nein, who might be Percy and/or Keyleth

I think most PCs and NPCs are more morally clear cut than in campaign 2, like most towns and people in positions of power are either “cool guy who can pitch in” or “get rid of this abomination immediately” territory

I think my favourite character will be Vex, Percy or Keyleth. I just feel it in my bones. 

I think I may also get an extreme soft spot for Grog and Pike, however

My main sources of surprise will be, I think, how things fit together? Like I have no idea WHY they’re in the Feywild, or most other places really, or what any villains’ motivations and backstories and personality traits are, and how they end up fighting any of them in any particular place for any particular reason. I don’t even really know characters’ abilities or literally anything done in any of the fights, aside from “they win/nearly die” and “Scanlan uses Wish and Bigby’s Hand against Vecna”

I assume most plot threads all lead into each other fairly solidly and that they don’t actually seek most of their stuff out?

This assumption will either be fairly right or hilariously wrong, but -- I assume that I already know almost everything important or shocking? I tried really hard to avoid it but being active in campaign 2 meant that over time I got exposed to more and more of campaign 1, and I genuinely believe that I have almost everything down, if not details or order. I don’t think I’ve missed any big moment or impactful arc

Let’s see if I’m right

#critical role #campaign 1 #ramblings #Vox Machina #campaign 1 spoilers #c1e01 #c2e114 #c1e115 #will start rewatch (just first episode) either today or tomorrow

[bewitching-elizabeth-olsen]

Press/Gallery: How Elizabeth Olsen Brought Marvel From Mainstream to Prestige

“The thing I love about being an actor is to fully work with someone and try so hard to be at every level with them, chasing whatever it is you need or want from them.”

  GALLERY LINKS

Studio Photoshoots > 2021 > Session 008 Magazine Scans > 2021 > Backstage (August 19)

Backstage: Elizabeth Olsen grins widely over video chat when recalling many such moments on set with her co-stars. Yet, she can’t bring herself to divorce such a lofty vision of film acting from the technical multitasking it requires. The camera sees all.

“But then you move your hair, and you’re in your brain, like: OK, remember that! Because I don’t want to edit myself out of a shot. I know some actors are like, ‘Continuity, shmontinuity!’ But the good thing about continuity is, if you remember it, you’re actually providing yourself with more options for the edit.”

That need to balance being both inside the scene and outside of it, fully living it and yet constantly visualizing it on a screen, feels particularly apt in light of Olsen’s most recent project, “WandaVision.”

The mysteries at the heart of the show grow with every episode, each fast-forwarding to a different decade: Could this 1950s, black-and-white, “filmed in front of a studio audience” newlyweds bit be a grief-stricken dream? Might this ’70s spoof be a powerful spell gone awry? Could this meta take on mockumentary comedies be proof that the multiverse is finally coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

The series’ structure, which branches out to include government agents intent on finding out why Westview has seemingly disappeared, calls for the entire cast to play with a mix of genres, balancing a shape-shifting tone that culminates in an epic, MCU-style conclusion. What’s key—and why the show struck a chord with audiences during its nine-episode run—is the miniseries’ commitment to grounding its initial kooky setups and its later special effects-driven spectacle in heartbreaking emotional truths. It’s no small feat, though it’s one that can often be taken for granted.

“I was thinking how hard it would have been to have shot the first ‘Lord of the Rings,’ ” Olsen muses. “Like, you’re putting all these actors [into the frame] later and at all these different levels. All the eyelines are completely unnatural. And yet the performances are fantastic! And technically, they are so hard. People forget sometimes that these things are really technically hard to shoot. And if you are moved by their performance, that took a lot of multitasking.”

As someone who has learned plenty about harnesses, wirework, fight choreography, and green screens (she’s starred in four Marvel movies, including the box office megahit “Avengers: Endgame,” after all), Olsen knows how hard it can be to wrap one’s brain around the work needed to pull off those big, splashy scenes.

“​​If you think about it, it’s, like, the biggest stakes in the entire world—every time. And that feels silly to act over and over again, especially when people are in silly costumes and the love of your life is purple and sparkly, and every time you kiss them, you have to worry about getting it on your hands. Those things are ridiculous. You feel ridiculous. So there is a part of your brain that has to shovel that away and just look into someone’s eyeballs—and sometimes, they don’t even have eyeballs!”

The ability to spend so much time with Wanda, albeit in the guise of sitcom parodies, was a welcome opportunity for Olsen. Not only did it allow the actor to really wrestle with the traumatic backstory that has long defined the character in the MCU, but having the chance to calibrate a performance that functions on so many different levels was a thrilling challenge.

“It was such an amazing work experience,” she says. “Kathryn [Hahn] uses the word ‘profound’—which is so sweet, because it is Marvel, and people, you know, don’t think of those experiences as profound when they watch them. But it really was such a special crew that [director] Matt Shakman and [creator] Jac Schaeffer created. It was a really healthy working environment.”

Related‘WandaVision’ Star Kathryn Hahn’s Secret to Building a Scene-Stealing Performance ‘WandaVision’ Star Kathryn Hahn’s Secret to Building a Scene-Stealing Performance Considering that the miniseries spans several sitcom iterations, various layers of televisual reality, and a number of character reveals that needed to feel truthful and impactful in equal measure, Shakman’s decision to work closely with his actors ahead of shooting was key.

“We truly had a gorgeous amount of time together before we started filming,” Olsen remembers. “Our goal was—which is controversial in TV land—that if you wanted to change [anything], like dialogue in a scene, you had to give those notes a week before we even got there. Because sometimes you get to set, and someone had a brilliant idea while they were sleeping, and you’re like, ‘We don’t have an hour to talk about this. We have seven pages to shoot.’ And so, we were all on the same page with one another, knowing what we were shooting ahead of time.

“Matt just treated us like a troupe of actors who were about to do some regional theater shit,” she adds with a smile.

That spirit of camaraderie was, not coincidentally, at the heart of Olsen’s breakout project, Sean Durkin’s 2011 indie sensation “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” As an introduction to the process of filmmaking to a young stage-trained actor, Durkin’s quietly devastating drama was a dream—and an invaluable learning opportunity.

“It was truly just a bunch of people who loved the script, who just were doing the work. I didn’t understand lenses, so I just did the same thing all the time. I never knew if the camera would be on me or not. There was just so much purity in that experience, and you only have that once.”

The film announced Olsen as a talent to watch: a keen-eyed performer capable of deploying a stilted physicality and clipped delivery, which she used to conjure up a wounded girl learning how to shake off her time spent in a cult in upstate New York. But Olsen admits that it took her a while to figure out how to navigate her career choices afterward. In the years following “Martha,” she felt compelled to try on everything: a horror flick here, a high-profile remake there, a period piece here, an action movie there. It wasn’t until she starred in neo-Western thriller “Wind River” (alongside fellow Marvel regular Jeremy Renner) and the dark comedy “Ingrid Goes West” (opposite a deliciously deranged Aubrey Plaza) that Olsen found her groove.

“It was at that point, when I was five years into working, where I was like, Ah, I know how I want it. I know what I need from these people—from who’s involved, from producers, from directors, from the character, from the script—in order to trust that it’s going to be a fruitful experience.”

As Olsen looks back on her first decade as a working actor, she points out how far removed she is from that young girl who broke out in “Martha Marcy May Marlene.”

“I feel like a totally different person. I don’t know if everyone who’s in their early 30s feels like their early 20s self is a totally different human. But when I think about that version of myself, it feels like a long time ago; there’s a lot learned in a decade.”

Those early years were marked by a self-effacing humility that often led Olsen to defer to others when it came to key decisions about the characters she was playing. But she now feels emboldened to not only stand up for herself and her choices but for others on her sets as well.

“[Facebook Watch series] ‘Sorry for Your Loss’ I got to produce, and I really found my voice in a collaborative leadership way. And with ‘WandaVision,’ Paul [Bettany] and I really took on that feeling, as well—especially since we were introducing new characters to Marvel and wanted [those actors] to feel protected and helped,” she says. “They could ask questions and make sure they felt like they had all the things they needed because sometimes you don’t even know what you need to ask.”

It’s a lesson she learned working with filmmaker Marc Abraham on the Hank Williams biopic “I Saw the Light,” and she’s carried it with her ever since. “I really want it to feel like we’re all in this together, as a team,” Olsen says. “That was part of ‘Sorry for Your Loss’ and it was part of ‘WandaVision,’ and I hope to continue that kind of energy because those have been some of the healthiest work experiences I’ve had.”

If Olsen sounds particularly zealous about the importance of a comfortable, working set, it is because she’s well aware that therein lies an integral part of the work and the process. As an actor, she wants to feel protected and nurtured by those around her, whether she’s reacting to a telling, quiet line of dialogue about grief or donning her iconic Scarlet Witch outfit during a magic-filled mid-air action sequence.

“Sometimes you’re going to be foolish, you know? And [you need to] feel brave to be foolish. Sometimes people feel embarrassed on set and snap. But if you’re in a place where people feel like they’re allowed to be an idiot,” she says, “you’re going to feel better about being an idiot.”

This story originally appeared in the Aug. 19 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.

Press/Gallery: How Elizabeth Olsen Brought Marvel From Mainstream to Prestige was originally published on Elizabeth Olsen Source • Your source for everything Elizabeth Olsen

#Elizabeth Olsen #WandaVision #Avengers #Scarlet Witch #Wanda Maximoff #Sorry For Your Loss #Avengers Infinity War #Avengers Age of Ultron #Captain America Civil War #Ingrid Goes West #Godzilla #Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness #Marvel #MCU #Candy Montgomery #Love and Death #Avengers Endgame

[jellyfishyishy]

I am tired of Asians being treated as interchangeable.

Chinese people are not Korean people. Japanese people aren't Korean people. Vietnamese people aren't Korean people. Fillipino people are not Vietnamese people. And vice versa. This list could go on for miles.

There are some things I understand. In the case of regions, it makes the most sense to have Chinese or Japanese actors play Korean characters and the opposite if you don't have accessibility to the correct ethnicity. Ultimately, I still really hate this. Kim's Convenience is a wonderful testament to this. There is great representation. Many of the Korean roles are filled by Korean actors. However, in the cases of Kimchi and Jung, the actors aren't Korean, and it really is a detriment to their (WONDERFUL) performances when you can tell they butcher pronunciations or are overcompensating for the fact that they're trying to explain cultural elements that they don't understand or just aren't familiar with. In that particular case, what makes me really upset is the fact that Kimchi's character doesn't even need to be Korean. So far, nothing about that has been important to the show. I wish they would realize that there's more to Asia than just The East. Though I don't know his ethnicity, they could've created really great representation through Kimchi's actor. It would've been really refreshing. I'll also mention Randall Park as the dad in Fresh Off the Boat. I am not Chinese, so I can't speak to any inaccuracies, but like just because an actor looks Chinese "enough" doesn't make them Chiness???

Do you know what boils my blood? What makes me so so SO angry? Practically all of Lana Condor's roles.

Now, I can't possibly be angry with her. God knows in this market it is next to impossible to find roles for Asians much less for South East Asians, a department in which the representation is particularly lacking. Plus, she is talented. It just makes me so angry that she gets to play roles like Jubilee and Lara Jean- characters from a COMPLETELY different region of Asia. Lana Condor is Vietnamese. Jubilee is Chinese. Vietnam is in Southeast Asia. These are completely different areas on the map. Don't even get me STARTED about Lara Jean. Lara Jean isn't even supposed to be fully asian. She's BIRACIAL. Her sisters are CLEARLY half, and then she waltzes in here trying to look like something she isn't. I think casting like this is a HUGE contributor in the reason why white people mix up Asians so much. Like I said, Lana Condor is not the one to be angry with here. The author had to fight Netflix to even get Asian actors for the Covey family. Representation should not be this difficult. I'm sure Lana Condor is just as tired of this as the rest of us are. She deserves to play a role that she can identify with not just personally, but also culturally. (Obviously this excludes characters written without an ethnicity or race in mind.) I know Lara Jean's racial identity isn't SUPER important in the story, but as long as they're going to bother to write it in and show the effects it has on her character, I think they have to own up to that task.

This extends to the musical theatre industry as well. While some of my favorite actresses: Lianah Santa Ana, Eva Noblezada, Emily Bautista and Lea Salonga, may have never been big if not for Miss Saigon, I think it's high time we saw a wave of Vietnamese actresses play Kim. If this show is going to be as racist as it is, the least it could do is have ethnically correct casting. I'm not even going to talk about The King and I. This is even more on the fault of casting directors.

Now, it's time to address the elephant in the room. This would seriously limit jobs for actors of underrepresented cultures. That is honestly just a fact that only has one solution. Diversity. Write more characters for Southwest Asians, Southeast Asians, South Asians, Blacks, South Americans, Latinx, African Americans, Jewish Americans, and all of the things I've just listed even as NOT Americans! Because obviously the world doesn't revolve around America lol. It just seemed the most relevant to me. Write more characters that don't need a specific race, and then blind cast them. Be thoughtful even in situations with blind casting. Us POC will go wild if we see our culture being represented even in the smallest ways. Keep making lighthearted characters that involve POC that aren't necessarily SJWs and stuff (LIKE LARA JEAN! CASUAL ASIAN REP IS SO GREAT), but sneak in little references through what their homes look like (do they wear shoes at home? decor? food?), how they speak to their parents, what their childhood was like, etc. These are things that can be easily written in after casting! The best thing you can do with blind casting is let someone's cultural identity become a part of their character. It allows for an authentic product that will honestly enhance the world, the actor's performance, and the character itself.

I mainly wrote this because of the long time talks of a Silk show. I want to see a Korean American woman play Cindy Moon. I am tired of seeing non-Korean Asian girls being fancasted as her. I'm even tired of seeing KOREAN Korean girls being fancasted as her, but that's a whole other thing I'm not really willing to get into right now. I am tired of seeing people feeling like they don't have hope in seeing their own culture represented and feel like they need to make people pretend to be a culture they aren't. I'm not here to fight with anyone. I'm here to vent out my frustrations with hopes that someone in the industry will see this one day and understand. This is no one's fault but the industry that created the problem.

And if you're wondering, my personal fancasts for Cindy Moon are Arden Cho and Jamie Chung.

#AAPI #asian #asian american #cindy moon #silk marvel #marvel #kim's convenience #lara jean #tatbilb #to all the boys i've loved before #lana condor #jubilee #x men #hollywood #movie industry #musical theatre #miss saigon #lea salonga #lianah sta ana #eva noblezada #emily bautista #jung kim #kimchee #poc #poc representation #mine #rant #fresh off the boat #randall park #stop asian hate

[yamujiburo]

Thank u sm for your answer about racebending, I understand it a lot better now!! There's still something I'm uncertain how to feel about though; what are your thoughts on "blackwashing" asian characters? Particularly east asian, and I know this can be a whooole sep discussion (whether or not east asians are poc, privilege bc of (generally) being more light skinned, whether or not anime characters are "raceless", etc), but as an e asian w light skin (in the US) I just don't know how to feel!

This is a good discussion to have and I do feel like it requires more little nuance than when it comes to racebending white characters. I go back and forth on it as a half black half Japanese person and I’m not sure I fully know the answer.

I’ve mentioned this before but there’s a lot of colorism and antiblackness in east Asian countries and communities. I’ve experienced it first hand being that I grew up in primarily Asian spaces. And Asian beauty standards also often align with the practice of skin lightening which is definitely harmful to dark skinned people so yeah it’s not great. Light skin privilege definitely exists across pretty much all ethnicities and a lot of east Asian people do get to benefit from that. 

We see a lot of this antiblackness and colorism in anime. A majority of black men being portrayed as brutes, black women portrayed as much more masculine than their light skinned counterparts (nothing wrong with masculine women but these tropes are good to be aware of), characters with dark skin often being portrayed as demons or animal-like or sometimes they’re just drawn like straight up caricatures. We’re seeing a lot more cool black characters in anime being handled respectfully but,,, still not where we need to be.

All that said, it doesn’t bother me when people racebend anime characters (and anime characters specifically) to have darker skin. Black folks have been done so dirty by anime a lot of the time that I think it’s fair to racebend some of their faves. If being Asian, doesn’t inform who the character is then it’s alright, especially if the anime isn’t really grounded in reality and has a more fantastical approach. I can’t see a situation where I would go after a person of color for giving an anime character darker skin or curly hair. I should probably mention that I don’t actually racebend much and I’m pretty sure my recent drawings are my first LOL and if I were to racebend an anime character, I’d probably make them mixed Asian, especially if they have Asian names, but that’s just me. I find that when I’m drawing anime character in a non-anime style, I just tend to give them more Asian features as opposed to the “raceless” look some anime has (because as someone who lives in the US I do feel like Asian rep is important here)

Speaking of which, I’ve been talking about media from Asian countries, anime in particular. In the US Asian people are absolutely discriminated against, fetishized and and underrepresented in media. When they are represented it’s still very common for them to fall into stereotypes. So when there is good Asian representation here in cartoons or movies I do feel like that should be respected. Like,,, I personally would feel wrong for racebending Jake Long or Juniper Lee or Hiro Hamada or the Avatar cast y’know? Maybe it’s just because western cartoons are typically more grounded in reality and the characters have noticeably Asian traits/features? But again, dark skinned Asians exist, blasians exist and seeing those takes on these characters could be cool~ 

Das my thoughts as a Black and Asian person haha. But I don’t have all the answers! Like I said, this one requires a bit more nuance.

[cybernaght]

The Rebel/叛逆者: A Review of Sorts

After being only semi-invested in the Rebel, I ended up getting so into it in the final weeks of its release, I’ve shelled out on IQIYI premium just to get the final couple of episodes a few days earlier.

That’s right kids, it’s a Review of Sorts. Unfortunately, I could not find a translation of the novella the drama is based on, so will be looking at it as a separate entity. 

Most of this post is spoiler-free, however I have dedicated a few paragraphs at the end of it to discussing the final episode, as there are a few specific things about it I wanted to mention. There is a clear spoiler warning before that part.

If you don’t want to risk it, TL;DR version of this review goes something like this: Rebel is very decent, and positively one of the best things that I have seen to come out of China since I’ve jumped into that particular rabbit hole. It’s pretty well written, it’s very beautifully dressed and shot, and the cast is killing it. I thought it dropped the ball a little in post production, and I did not always love the pacing. Other than that, it’s incredibly decent, and well worth watching, unless communist propaganda really irks you, in which case stay very well away. 

I have been having many conversations with @supernovasimplicity​ all the way through watching this drama, so there are likely to be some thoughts here that are influenced by those. 

The story centers around Lin Nansheng, a struggling servicemen in the Guomingdang party. He has a great analytical mind, and absolutely no emotional capacity for his job. He has trouble handling violence, he is impulsive, he cannot speak to his superiors without bursting into tears, and has nothing even remotely resembling a poker face. And that is what makes this drama as enjoyable as it is. 

I don’t think Lin Nansheng’s journey would have been nearly as exciting had he started it from a place of competence. He botches up everything he touches because his big brain switches off the moment his emotions kick in. And so, when you see him grow in confidence, learn to control himself, learn to fake his smiles and compliments, you can’t help but feel a strange sense of pride. It also makes Lin Nansheng very likeable as a character for reasons other than Zhu Yilong’s ability to look like a bush baby.

It did take me a while to feel fully engaged with his performance - not because there is anything lacking in it, but just because it’s hard to be truly surprised by his choices after the exposure I have given myself to his work. That said, at about a half-way point I got charmed by him anyway, and there were quite a few scenes that were truly mesmerising. There were scenes where he broke out of the familiar mould of big unguarded eyes and fluttering wet eyelashes, and tried something that was not pretty: every time to a great success. I am hoping to see more of that in his future work. 

I really wanted to like the female lead, Zhu Yizhen, but unfortunately both the way she was written and the way she was performed by Tong Yao left me somewhat cold. It did not help of course that the screenplay ended up sidelining her at every turn, leaving her with very little personal agency. She was set up so interestingly, but in the end her sole purpose became being someone for Lin Nansheng to pine over. It is particularly curious from a perspective of meta storytelling: seeing how this is all centered around superiority of communism, which as a whole was, arguably, ahead of its time in the matters of binary gender equality.

The ensemble cast of the drama is stunning. Wang Yang came very close to  stealing the show at several points as Chen Moqun, somehow managing to make his rather unlikeable character interesting. I can say the same thing about Zhu Zhu who absolutely shined as Lin Xinjie, showing an incredible range and imagination in her performance.

The overarching story of the show is engaging, with some incredibly suspenseful elements; every narrative arc including a nice progression through it. As spy thrillers go, it was fairly well plotted. You could if you go looking for a few things that did not pay off in a satisfying way (notably, the Chekhov’s cyanide capsule), but you overall the story really was well told for the most of it. 

I did, however, feel like the pacing started to fall apart in the last quarter of the drama. Last episode in particular really did feel rushed, not just due to its pace, but also in a way it failed to pay off the final mission in any visible way. There will be more on that in the spoiler section of this post.

Important to note that The Rebel is a show made in Communist China in the year 2021. It does not ideologically side-step from the path that was laid out for it by that fact. Which is to say, it is, undeniably, filled with propaganda. Communists are the good guys, and if you think a good guy (or gal) is not a communist, they probably secretly are. With one exception of a friendly character who is not a communist, and whose fate we actually never find out. Curious, that. 

The Rebel is not a kind of a show where censorship-appeasing scenes are shoehorned in. It’s a kind of a show in which the main theme is Sacrifice For the Party.

Aside from the being the moral vector of the show, Mao’s gentle teachings explicitly help get Ling Nansheng out of prolonged depression following his injury, and almost annoyingly, this sat incredibly well with the character, as he was written. Lin Nansheng is conceived as this naive idealist who wants to be on the front line, who needs validation and support of others. His - and I can’t believe I’m saying this - his being disillusioned in his beliefs and choosing to join a party which includes people whom he likes and trusts makes sense. Him finding this one thing that gives him hope and letting it propel him into gaining confidence and competence makes sense. 

In many ways, the Rebel is a story of Lin Nansheng’s failure to become an antagonist within the world of the drama.

I have honestly spent this past couple of weeks pondering whether being well written makes political propaganda better or worse, whether the subtlety of it makes it more or less palatable, whether it’s enough, as a viewer, to be aware of it to shrug it off. Ultimately, this is not something I could or should make moral judgements on, but I do believe that it’s possible to acknowledge the fact that propaganda exists in the drama, and still appreciate it for a good piece of television that it is. 

That said, I am very well aware that me being kind of okay with it stems entirely from my own removal from the culture this is made in, and I am, perhaps, lucky to even have a choice as to whether I want to engage with a product which is, undoubtably, here to dress political ideology in fancy clothes.

I have, on the other hand, also seen many things in Russian media of the “Annexation of Crimea is Good Actually” variety and those make me feel very unwell, so feeling somewhat at ease with blatant political propaganda in Chinese media makes me the biggest hypocrite.

But, I digress.

Before we go into some specific plot-related things, I would like to mention that the Rebel has this weird dichotomy in which the production is sublime, and the post-production… not so much. The show very well shot. Every element of it sits perfectly together, not a single prop out of place, not a single extra underdressed, not a page of script not put to good use. It’s lit to perfection. It’s scored beautifully. So much of this show is just stunning.

And then… there is post-production. 

This is not even about bad CGI (and the CGI is, indeed, bad), it’s just that most of post-production as a whole feels rushed.

Starting with surprisingly imperfect editing, which at times just fails to make the scene flow together. The final line of dialogue would be spoken within a scene, and it would fade to black instantly without a single breath to indicate a full stop. A montage sequence would be created, but every shot within it condensed to a second, making it feel incredibly fast-paced when the effect should be the opposite. There would be a cut away from a speaking character and to the same speaking character from a slightly different angle, making it dynamic without any reason to do so. There are a couple of truly startling jump-cuts.

I did not speed this gif up. This is part of a romantic montage, edited like it’s a goddamn action sequence.

And of course dear old friend slowing down footage shot at 24FPS. Please don’t do this. You think no one notices - but we do.

There are other tell-tale signs of production rushing to the finish line: occasional, but very noticeable ADR glitches, very sloppy job done at sound mixing, which contribute to parts of the show feeling ever so slightly off.

It’s not unforgivable, but it does make me wish the same amount of care and efforts that went into shooting this drama would also go into it after it was all in the can. 

Oh, and just because if you know me you know I have a professional fixation on fights, and I am happy to say most action scenes are toe-curlingly delightful. Hot damn those fights are good. I am absolutely in love with the shot below, for example. Placing an actor behind a piece of set so he can exchange places with the stunt double during a one shot is such an old trick, but the execution, timing and camerawork are just... flawless. This is what perfection looks like.

Now we got all that out of the way...

SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES FINALE BELOW

Here’s the thing. I wanted to love the ending and I found that I could not.

The final mission was presented as important, and honestly the scene in which Zhu Yizhen is sending the vital message out as Lin Nansheng holds his ground in hand to hand fight is incredibly dynamic. Party, this is due to the fight itself being incredibly well choreographed, yes, but it’s also where it sits within the narrative, how high the stakes are for everything surrounding it. 

But then, the tension all but bleeds out. The Important Message is sent, the fight is won, and we are treated to ten minutes of a very slow car chase, problem of which is not even its speed as much as its placing within the story. As in, by this point both of those operatives have lost their cover, and completed their Very Important Mission. It would be very sad if they died, but their survival does not technically contribute to their cause. Moreover, Zhu Yizhen getting mortally injured in order to protect Lin Nansheng as part of her mission read a little empty when the mission is technically over. 

While I personally found Lin Nansheng slow recuperation and his low key ending enjoyable, I think I would have preferred to have seen a more tangible pay-off to all the sacrifices made in the name of “bright communist future”, just a little more justification for every moment of death and despair we witnessed. I would have certainly at the very least preferred to see Wang Shi’an’s death on screen. Considering how many likeable characters martyred themselves on screen, denying us the death of the one antagonist just seemed cruel. 

I really did love the ambiguity of the final few scenes however, if we consider the children choir at the end a fantasy. The idea that Lin Nansheng will live out his life in this hope that Zhu Yizhen is still alive, imagining her just outside of his field of vision, his only joy being in this fantasy of her… now, that is incredibly strong. I equally like the idea of rest being promised to him at the end of his journey, and said rest being painful, and slow and unwelcome.

But it felt like as they chose not to to lean into the “sweet” part of the bitter-sweet tone of the ending and we’re unable not commit to the “bitter” part either, so it lands with a splat which is somewhat lacklustre. 

---

This concludes my thoughts on the Rebel. 

I am more or less out of Zhu Yilong’s filmography to watch, which is probably a good thing at this point. I have just emerged out of several back to back work projects - literally today - and will hopefully once more have time for things I grew to enjoy doing during the lockdown. 

Those things, if you have not guessed, include watching Chinese television and writing things about Chinese television. 

#the rebel #叛逆者 #Zhu Yilong #review of sorts #now with gifs #chinese drama

[neoptolemid]

Neoptolemus super doc ? ??

ARE WE ABSOLUTELY SURE,, , ,, ,

uh okay, I pull together my super document of Pyrrhus, have pardon cause it's a bit old and i'm gonna spread it through like 3 or 4 posts probably , , so uh enjoy and I'm sorry for all grammatical errors

Skyros

Pyrrhus was born by the name Pyrrhus and this was based either on his red hair or due to Achilles name of Skyros being Pyrrha.

When it comes to appearances I generally describe him as a good mix of both Deidamia and Achilles’ traits, having inherited Deidamia’s red hair and Achilles Blue/teal eyes. He is around the middle of both of his parent’s height as I make Achilles 6’0 and Deidamia 5’3 when full grown, Pyrhhus rounds out to be 5’6. He also has a number of beauty marks which are similar to Achilles’.

It is unknown how long Achilles stayed on Skyros or when Pyrrhus was born. Either way Achilles did know about his son, we know this from the fact Achilles makes references to his son within the Iliad and Odyssey.

I like to believe that part of Pyrrhus growing up with his mother and aunts is that he has a lot of appreciation for women’s crafts and what they do. That he as a younger child would simply sit and be by his mother and/or aunts as they worked enjoying their company.

He would try his best growing up to join into their songs and dances, and at least once dressed himself in girls clothes to show his mother and aunts which got a good laugh out of them.

From Quintus ‘Fall of Troy’ we are informed that learning to fight and it was Odysseus and Diomedes who came with their black sails to ask him to join the war cause. He was promised to marry Menelaus’s daughter Hermione, he was also promised to have Achilles’ armor and gold, riches, and glory for coming with them.

While work will generally age him to being a young man or simply portray him to be very well spoken, if you follow along with the time line it is very possible that Pyrrhus is only 11 or 12 when he leaves Skyros, I tend to write him as being 13 for my own comfort.

Another thing to note form Quintus’s piece on Pyrrhus is they depict this being especially sad for Deidamia, she is written as having weeped and weeped. She doesn’t want him to leave because she doesn’t want him going to war and leaving her. She doesn’t want him hurt and she doesn’t want another person she loves leaving her again.

Deidamia Pyrrhus’s mother is written as loving him and I interpret bits of this story as Pyrrhus is the only tie to Achilles she has. Generally I prefer the idea that Deidamia did care for Achilles and so it did break her heart that he left and she had hoped that he would return eventually to her and their son.

Over the years she understood more and more that he would not return, so all she had was her son, and then eventually they come and take him from her as well.

Mattering on the version of the story, it is fully possible that Deidamia may have never seen her son again once he left the island.

Dawn climbed the wide-arched heaven, straightway they rose from their beds. Then Deidameia knew; and on her son's broad breast she cast herself, and bitterly wailed: her cry thrilled through the air, as when a cow loud-lowing mid the hills seeks through the glens her calf, and all around Echo long ridges of the mountain-steep; so on all sides from dim recesses rang the hall; and in her misery she cried: "Child, wherefore is thy soul now on the wing to follow strangers unto Ilium the fount of tears, where perish many in fight, yea, cunning men in war and battle grim? And thou art but a youth, and hast not learnt the ways of war, which save men in the day of peril. Hearken thou to me, abide here in thine home, lest evil tidings come from Troy unto my ears, that thou in fight hast perished; for mine heart saith, never thou hitherward shalt from battle-toil return. Not even thy sire escaped the doom of death -- he, mightier than thou, mightier than all heroes on earth, yea, and a Goddess' son -- but was in battle slain, all through the wiles and crafty counsels of these very men who now to woeful war be kindling thee. Therefore mine heart is full of shuddering fear lest, son, my lot should be to live bereaved of thee, and to endure dishonour and pain, for never heavier blow on woman falls than when her lord hath perished, and her sons die also, and her house is left to her desolate. Straightway evil men remove her landmarks, yea, and rob her of her all, setting the right at naught. There is no lot more woeful and more helpless than is hers who is left a widow in a desolate home."

Lemnos

Pyrrhus agrees to go with them and on the way they stop by the island of Lemnos to get Philoctetes. Odysseus makes Neoptolemus lie to Philoctetes because he knows that he hates Odysseus because he is the man who abandoned him on Lemnos and he knows that Philoctetes doesn’t want to go to Troy but back to Greece and to his home.

This causes a Pyrrhus strife because he has been taught to be noble up until now, in the play Philoctetes by Sophocles we are shown multiple times how this causes him strife because he is having to lie. Philoctetes also considers Pyrrhus to be a friend because Pyrrhus lies and says that he wants to go back home to Skyros because of the way he is treated by the other Greeks even though he hasn’t met any of them yet to our knowledge.

Good lines from this play that I personally characterize him are

‘It would have been better if i had never left scyros. Everything around me oppresses me ..’

‘He’ll (odysseus) claim i’m too soft-hearted’

‘I can’t. It is right and in our interest to listen to those in authority’

Some of the best development to see from this is how he was raised to be noble and how he doesn’t want to trick people or lie, he wants to be honest.

Another thing I find interesting to read from specifically this play is how Pyrrhus is very rarely called by his own name, he is almost always referred to ‘son of achilles’ and also in this play he is often referred to as ‘child’ or ‘boy’.

While none of these things are brought up as an issue in the play I do think it is a detail you can play with, like how it might weigh on an individual to be always referred to by your famous father or how people don’t recognize you by your name but by your father’s.

I think these are things that would weigh on Pyrrhus he wants to live up to his father but it also oppresses him to be referred in such a way. He wants to be like his father but he is still his own individual which he doesn’t feel recognized by as people continually anything but his own name.

To the idea of playing into the fact he is also often called ‘boy’ or ‘child’ These could be names that eventually upset and anger him. He is being dragged into this war like he is old enough to fight, which he is not and yet he is not recognized as such by those around him.

It is a case of a child feeling indignatinge by being called terms which denote being naive, though I like to think there is some justification for his anger because this isn’t just a small thing but he is being taken into a man's world.

In Philoctetes he is referred to by the name Neoptolemus, he was given this name by Phoenix, a man also considered to be a father by Achilles. Phoenix is one of the oldest men in the Trojan war and he is either involved with Pyrrhus coming from the island to Skyros to the war or some time later down the road. He gave him this name because it means ‘new war/warrior’ it is meant to reflect how Achilles himself was a young man when he entered the war.

It is honestly more common to see Pyrrhus referred to as Neoptolemus by the Greeks and Pyrrhus by Roman sources to my knowledge. (i’ll be using Pyrrhus just for simplicity)

Troy

There are a lot of various stories that have to do with the fall of Troy, we have records again from Quintus “Fall of Troy” and the “Aeneid” by Vergil. There are also a number of plays by the three tragedians of Ancient Greece(Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus) that have to do with the end of the war and various stories of the aftermath.

While Pyrrhus doesn’t appear in these very often they still help to give more insight to his possible character.

Pyrrhus makes a minor appearance within the play of ‘hecuba’ and is in the background of ‘andromache’, he makes no appearance within this story but he is directly related to things happening in the play.

Back onto the subject of the fall of Troy, he is regarded as the killer of both Astyanax and Priam. These are generally agreed upon details and sometimes Odysseus fills the role of Pyrrhus when the story decides they don’t want to introduce more characters.

He is generally described as being ‘battle-eager’ ‘Fierce-hearted’ and a few other epithets relating to fighting. In general he is not described as being worse than anyone else. The fall of Troy is a greek work and all the Greeks within this work are killing and fighting people. He is by all means a competent fighter within the text.

In the Odyssey when Odysseus goes into the underworld and speaks with the dead, and when Achilles comes to speak he asks about his son.

Odysseus describes him as

‘but I can tell you all about your son Neoptolemus, for I took him in my own ship from Scyros with the Achaeans. In our councils of war before Troy he was always first to speak, and his judgement was unerring. Nestor and I were the only two who could surpass him; and when it came to fighting on the plain of Troy, he would never remain with the body of his men, but would dash on far in front, foremost of them all in valour. Many a man did he kill in battle- I cannot name every single one of those whom he slew while fighting on the side of the Argives, but will only say how he killed that valiant hero Eurypylus son of Telephus, who was the handsomest man I ever saw except Memnon; many others also of the Ceteians fell around him by reason of a woman's bribes. Moreover, when all the bravest of the Argives went inside the horse that Epeus had made, and it was left to me to settle when we should either open the door of our ambuscade, or close it, though all the other leaders and chief men among the Danaans were drying their eyes and quaking in every limb, I never once saw him turn pale nor wipe a tear from his cheek; he was all the time urging me to break out from the horse- grasping the handle of his sword and his bronze-shod spear, and breathing fury against the foe. Yet when we had sacked the city of Priam he got his handsome share of the prize money and went on board (such is the fortune of war) without a wound upon him, neither from a thrown spear nor in close combat, for the rage of Mars is a matter of great chance.'

In general from the greek sources he is described as nobly.

He is noted for killing quite a few people during the fall of Troy but his most notable kills are Priam, who he kills within the throne room (to my knowledge) and Astyanax who is killed after Troy has fallen.

In the Aeneid by Vergil he is described in ways that frame him a more villainous or evil way

‘The fatal work inhuman Pyrrhus plies,’

During when Pyrrhus is about to kill Priam there is a line that I believe characterizes him as more of a tragic character than anything else. Before killing Priam, Priam berates him about how Pyrrhus is about to treat Priam because of how Achilles showed him humanity and how Achilles gives Priam his son’s body back. This is partly brung up because Pyrrhus getting into the throne room kills one of Priam’s sons in front of his face.

The line basically translates out to be Pyrrhus telling Priam that when he dies and sees his father to tell him of the terrible deed of his son, of how terrible his son is.

In the translation that I read they use the line ‘Tell him of degenerate Neoptolemus’

When in the context of the Philoctetes I think this paints Pyrrhus as being a rather tragic and sad character, because prior to going to the island of Lemnos Pyrrhus tried to act most noble, he wants to be noble like his father. When on Lemnos he has his morals questioned and is forced to go against his morales at the hand of Odysseus.

I interpret this as him vocalizing how he might be upset with himself as he is forced to look at the reality of war which isn’t noble or glorious at all. He wants to live up to the noble idea of his father and everything he is forced to do makes him feel terrible.

I personally think that Pyrrhus probably doesn’t know a lot about the terrible things that Achilles has done or he tries to ignore them. When fighting in the war he might realize his idea of his father might not truly be acturte, he was raised on stories from his mother telling him of his outstanding father.

In terms of justifying his actions during the war because going off my own headcanon he probably wouldn’t be so interested in killing so many people, I imagine he kinda just turns off his head and acts purely on his emotions and just acts like that of a soldier. (Is this PTSD?)

He follows the orders given to him and acts without questioning and lets all his emotions out. I personally don’t assign Pyrrhus that much pride but I like to think he inherited some of his fathers famous anger. All of his anger at what he is being forced to do comes out when he is forced to fight.

That is where the brutality of his portrayal within the Aeneid comes from.

#super doc sorry #my thoughts #my terrible terrible thoughts of my boy #I am sorry some of these thoughts are kinda old and need to get updated lol #neoptolemus #pyrrhus #the iliad #(I guess) #my super doc of all things

[goldenkamuyhunting]

Do you have an issue with Noda's way of depicting Wilk's moral as gray like the fandom? Espacially with the reveal of the land deed that may ensure a future for Asirpa and the Ainu but wasn't part of his original plan

Hum...

I don't really know what the fandom is thinking in regard to Wilk so I can't really comment on it.

It's also worth to remember that Wilk discovered about the existance of the land deed only a short time before Tsurumi caused an argument between him and the other Ainu rebels that ended up with them killing each other.

Prior to that moment Wilk had no idea the land deed existed and therefore he couldn't include it in his original plan.

It's also worth to ponder if that land deed could be included in Wilk's plan after Wilk learnt of its existance. I mean, at first the land deed is presented as a cool thing.

That land deed exists by 50 years. The Russian warship Kalevala incident whcih signed the end of the tractatives with the Russians is dated 1867.

Hijikata says the deed was signed while he was in the battle of Futamataguchi which took place on the fourth week of May 1869. The Republic of Ezo is disestablished on the 27th of June, 1869 and Enomoto has then the Meiji government accepted the contract.

We know the Ainu gave them half of the gold and retrieved the contract but now we should ask ourselves an important question: why no Ainu used the land deed to claim the land?

When Kimuspu shows it to Wilk we're in 1902, it means that the land deed remained hidden for 33 years despite Kimuspu being still alive and knowing of his existance.

If the problem was the gold, they could have said they spended it all on the land deed and use it. Yet they hid it along with the gold.

Kimuspu says everyone was killed by the Wen Kamuy.

Notice Kimuspu's expression when Wilk and the others see the land deed. It's creepy. We tend to consider the gold as the Wen Kamuy but the land deed was bought with the Wen Kamuy so it can be that it too is a Wen Kamuy.

The land deed is inconvenient for the Meiji government. In order not to honour it, they might have secretly killed Kimuspu's companions and forced him to live in hiding. So Kimuspu didn't try to use it or to have other Ainu use it and that's also why Wilk and the other Ainu didn't grab it and immediately tried to put it to use.

It's possible Ogata himself was sent there to retrieve the land deed as discreetly as possible or make sure no one were to find it, which is why he was fine with killing Wilk.

Of course things might change if Asirpa manages to put together a force that can oppose to the Meiji government. I mean, if Hijikata conqueers Hokkaido, the land deed can be negotiated with him and not with the Meiji government... or Hijikata can use it to give his claims of Hokkaido some legal ground.

in short the land deed couldn't figure in Wilk's previous plans because he had no idea it existed... but he could have ended up figuring in his final scheme as he might have hoped Asirpa, joining forces with Hijikata, would manage to put the land deed to good use.

But land deed put aside, I've no problems with Wilk having a gray morality, this makes him the same as everyone else in the cast, as well as human.

Humans tend to have a grey morality, pure white knights or pure black knights are more a thing of fairy tales.

It's narratively good that Wilk is a character with grey morality, it makes him real.

Of course the downside is that Wilk is no more a perfect idealistic hero.... or a cruel terrorist... but I think most of the fandom knew this already.

Wilk is mostly a man of his time and culture, with a vein of idealism mixed with a machiavellian and utilitaristic approach.

His idea that wolf culture is beautiful because he believes the wolves had killed a wolf because he had no place in their pack as he was sick, and that being a logical creature who cut away any excess kindness and has a functional efficency clearly tell us Wilk is not someone who's defending minorities because he believes everyone has a right to live and be protected.

Wilk's mindsetting is no better than the one of Japan and Russia who would decide minorities have no place in their country and sacrifice them.

He sets on protecting minorities not for some noble feeling but because he BELONGS to a minority and doesn't want to be judged the dischargeable spare.

In fact, when he decides to switch to Hokkaido he easily discharges the minorities on Karafuto even if he knew demanding from them to transfer in Hokkaido might be harmful for them.

In his group of three Wilk is the lest idealistic and the more prone to sacrifice others for his own goal.

Even Tsurumi realized with is the more cold blooded of the group, comparing him to Okubo.

HTo Wilk's credit there's to say Wilk is also willing to sacrifice himself for his goal, we saw it when he took a personal risk to deliver the bomb when attempting the emperor's murder or when he skinned himself to hide.

Wilk is not the sort of man who solely sacrifices others for his goal, he also has no problems sacrificing himself.

But Wilk lacked Kiro's flexibility (Kiro originally was all for prioritizing the Karafuto minorities and, after trying to make a family in Hokkaido he decided to raise all the minorities to equal level) or Sofia's compassion (she has nothing on Hokkaido except the families and the dreams of Wilk and Kiro and to honour them she's willing to fight for Hokkaido as well).

I think a good part of Wilk's mistakes/problems steems exactly from his lack of flexibility from his determination in carrying on his idea, believing his idea is the best.

He's intelligent and probably this caused others to rely on him a lot and helped him to accomplish many things, giving him the feeling he isn't prone to be wrong, but this ended up on coming back to bite him.

He makes an enemy out of Kiroranke, when he could have tried to face him, reason things with him and smooth them over.

He thinks he can keep the Hokkaido Ainu partisans unite and working under him while not being fully honest with them (he doesn't tell them he's a Russian partisan who originally came there to get the Hokkaido Ainu gold for the Russian minorities) only because now he has wholeheartedly embraced their cause, with the result only a couple of words from Tsurumi cause the whole group to explode and people to start killing each other.

He assumes Asirpa will just blindly embrace his goals and methods and become the Ainu leader... and the Ainu will accept her, without realizing Asirpa is her own person and might not be interested in all this (though this was a mistake typical of his time period) and that for Hokkaido Ainu it was really difficult to accept a woman as a leader, never mention one so young.

And so on.

Wilk makes mistakes in good faith, he means well for the people he loves but ends up hurting them, he's human like each of us.

He lives in a world where his rights are stepped over and people often has no other way to be heard than taking up in arms because he doesn't have the options we have nowadays and can't vote for a new president or pacifically protest to have his right acknowledged so most of his choices wouldn't be right for our time period so of course we aren't meant to take his same choices but we should still look at him as a man of his world and time.

A man who wasn't perfect, but a man like us anyway, and that's this what makes Noda a great storyteller, that all his grey characters are ultimately like us, humans.

At least those are my two cents about this.

Thank you for your ask!

#Wilk #Asirpa #Kiroranke #Sofia #Ask #Mesira #Sukuta #Irenka #Ratci #Oskeporo #Enomoto Takeaki #Okubo Toshimichi #Kido Takayoshi #Saigou Takamori

[lunawings]

Joji’s Birthday PriZoom (9/15/21)

Translation of the bonus content is in a seperate post again.

So yeah I never actually fell asleep after the showing haha. Was just lying in bed playing Love Live when I thought well... I got a good 4-5 hours of sleep in before the showing (better than literally nothing like last time)... If I’m gonna be awake I might as well start this while my emotions are raw so I rolled out of bed and wrote most of the below rambly mess.

And then I went to work. Which was kind of surreal. Because for a few hours my brain really was back in Japan again. There was something just a little magic about this showing I think. A lot of things came together (starting with how talkative people actually were during Pride the Hero! Ahh!) etc. 

B... ut.....

I guess I’ll get this out of the way first. I was super heartbroken at the low turnout for this one. Only 65-85 people in the cheering room... But it was a weekday, sooo... I’m just going to hope that a lot of people bought the archive tickets to check it out later.... Yes... I have decided that is the case.............

The people who did, however, missed out on the cheering room and thus missed out the latest incident to enter my personal list of all-time favorite moments in this fandom. After Joji’s episode in SSS Part 2 we had some “technical difficulties”... (I put that in quotes because I somewhat doubt it was technical difficulties. I mean, the stream cut out cleanly RIGHT at the end of Joji’s episode. So I wonder if maybe someone just forgot about Minato’s episode and shut it off early hahaha...) and while we were waiting for them to restart the movie there was a long period of silence and a black screen. But us in the cheering room could all still hear each other. .....And someone started singing Brilliant Oath.

It was PERFECT. These are the moments I live for! This is why I’ve been to like over 100 cheering shows and I still KEEP GOING! I love this fandom! It may not have made the archive since the cheering wasn’t recorded for that but it will live on in our hearts.

Anyway...

I guess one bonus to having less people this time was that I actually managed to keep on the soundboard hell... the ENTIRE... TIME!! Although at a low volume. And honestly... I more or less completely stopped hearing it at one point I think haha. So... that kinda defeats the purpose I suppose. Actually no, even if it was just static background noise it was still nice to have on in SSS, which would have been pretty quiet without it. And it was worth it just for the one person who was like SHISHOOOO during one scene in Pride the Hero when Jin was going crazy hahaha (AH! When was it? I don’t remember now...). I also tuned in for a bit in episode 6 and loved when Minato’s sister says her age incorrectly everyone was like EIIIGHT (...that’s not correct either hahah....)

Since I knew this was going to be archived I tried bring my cheering A game to Pride the Hero with moderate success. Kinda mad at myself for missing stupid small things probably no one would care/look for I mean my camera is shit anyway (BUT I--). I’m just lucky it wasn’t way worse because Pride the Hero I can mostly run on autopilot. Out of all King of Prism media, it’s probably the one I’ve cheered the most (I mean it was all we had in theaters for literally like two years), and it was fresh in my mind from Minato’s showing too. So even with how exhausted I was, I made it through! (Then proceeded to take micro power naps on the floor during episodes 4 and 6.......) I also kinda wish I’d changed my background earlier. The show started before I got around to changing it and I was like I’ll change it during a break (........Pride the Hero has no breaks........) haha but yeah. I had Okayama station up from the Prism King Cup onward and the Momotaro mailbox up during SSS. The real background MVP though is the person who appeared to have up the bench in rural Okayama where Joji made his promise to Miyo!? I mean it looked kinda different because it wasn’t on a bridge but that HAD to be it, right!? (!!!??)

Also cosplay at this showing was amazing! We had like 3-4 Miyos, 2 Aces, KOKORO!? (and Taiga. Because who are we kidding there’s always a Taiga)

Also shoutout to the girl who cosplayed as... the PIECE OF CLOTH Joji sewed for Miyo!? (I think she was at both showings but I didn’t fully realize what she was supposed to be until the Playback Allstars at the very end hahah...) 

And shoutout to the Ace cosplayer “singing” during all of Joji’s performances haha!!

And the person spinning in an office chair whenever any character was twirling around...

But BIGGEST shoutout to our own @takadanobaba who was somehow THE ONLY Joji cosplayer in the cheering room!? (The only overall for the first show, but another joined in the text-only room for the second show.)

I was SO HAPPY when Tatsuyuki Kobayashi noticed you!! RIGHT!?!? He was like “Oh and there’s someone dressed as Joji!” and you were the only one!!! He didn’t even say anything about the people dressed as Ace!!?! Haha! I wasn’t trying to do anything to get his attention (I wouldn’t know what to do anyway, and besides he’s not the kind of person who works the crowd like Masashi Igarashi does so I wasn’t expecting much) so having him notice you was a huge surprise and honestly just about as good!! AHHH!!! 

But the concept of this showing was a little awkward ‘cause it’s like, as a fan, do you appeal for Joji or Ace? Tatsuyuki Kobayashi was maybe a little conflicted about how to act too. First he said he was coming as himself, but then he backpedaled and slipped into Ace being tsun when pulling the birthday crackers for Joji heheh. 

But yeah, we’ve got to give him a break, he’s just so happy to have his own character finally. I’m happy about how happy he is to be Ace! But like honestly... Not like I’m necessarily complaining but... This showing ended up being almost exactly the same as the Ace one pfffthahah!!! I mean he mostly just talked about being Ace and went over a lot of the same things. Like being the surprise guest at the MRS concert, etc. I think he may have said this before too, but when he originally recorded Love Mix, Ace didn’t exist yet so he didn’t really know who he was supposed to be singing as and just tried to sound like a sparkly idol. And I’ve always felt that! Like I think his voice changed or evolved between Love Mix and Joker Kiss into being less generic idol/Joji and a lot more Ace. 

OH!! I don’t think he said this at the other one (but for some reason it sounds vaguely familiar?). He was talking about how he knew of King of Prism and actually went to shows before he was cast in Pride the Hero. And after he was going to a Pride the Hero show and Sugita (Joji’s actual voice actor) was on the escalator behind him. HAHAH. 

I LOVE stories like this because... okay like, when you go to a theatrical cheering show there is always this introduction video where they talk about cheering manners. And they warn you not to say anything mean because “you never know, a star might be sitting next to you.” And to know THAT’S ACTUALLY TRUE SOMETIMES.... JFLSJDLJG. I mean, I’ve only seen King of Prism in Tokyo a handful of times so it’s probably never happened to me. Actually I guess... technically... this show and the last one DO count because Masashi Igarashi and Tatsuyuki Kobayashi were watching with us before and/or after their segments and probably listening in!!! (Still, I guess the point is it’s nice to know the voice actors actually do go in their private time, too.)

Oh, one more shoutout I forgot about to the person I think had a big red car with Joji and... a bunch of Jin mochikoros in the back!!? They rolled it by the screen so fast why hahah.  

And it was great to see Joji’s 2019 birthday video again and confirm it wasn’t a fever dream. Hopefully I can grab that from @takadanobaba when the archive goes up in a couple days (it will be a quick and easy translation!).

Okay that’s it.....

DO THE PRIZOOMS

Or at least buy the archive tickets and watch later

(but they are expensive and it’s not the same)

#king of prism #joji takadanobaba #ace ikebukuro #tatsuyuki kobayashi