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chibivesicle · 1 year

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You just can’t win; how K.K. is a great example of a professional woman in the 21st century

This is the second in my character analysis for Kekkai Sensen, focusing on the senior female member of the team, K.K. I absolutely love her character; she is incredibly well written and I find her to be an excellent example of the situation that many working women find themselves in as their careers advance.

K. K.’s character design is obviously inspired/derived/variation of that of Vash the Stampede with a gender swap and the willingness to kill. I find her unique as she is a taller than normal female character, much like Milly Thompson from Trigun but with the tall and skinny versus tall and stocky (Klaus). She has a blonde bob haircut and striking blue eye while she wears an eye patch over her right eye at all times, even at home with her family. We don’t know when she lost/injured her eye but very much like Steven, she has a visible sign of her job as a fang hunter since they are both over thirty. I really appreciate that Nightow visibly shows us the toll that their job takes on their physical body as well as their minds.

K.K. was first introduced when Klaus went to go play prosfair against the Beyondian mob boss who absorbs the brains of his defeated opponents. We find her in a parking garage surrounded by a literal pile of foes defeated by her single handedly, and we also learn that her vehicle of choice is a motorcycle. Which makes her even more cool. Zapp has his moped, Leo has an e-bike/motorized bike, Zed a skateboard and Steven drives a standard sedan car for the most part.

Nightow makes is quite clear that according to Klaus, she is one of the strongest people he knows but of course he’ll defend her because she’s a lady. But at the same time, she’s the person he brought with him and Gilbert. Which in a way puts her on the same level as Steven one of the two senior Libra members whom he really does trust.

We learn that she smokes clove cigarettes when stressed out and is one of the more emotional though mature members of the team. What I mean is that she’ll make a statement or observation that is emotional, but she isn’t overreacting, she’s instead expressing her feelings on the usually sub-optimal setting.

Our next introduction to her is with the Libra social event, where we get her first observation on the workplace. She runs into Zapp on their way into the after work/after hours social gathering. It seems there is some sort of power dynamic between the two of them were K. K. has the advantage over Zapp. However, it is clear that she is in part reacting to the male dominated cabal.

By holding Zapp physically back, she is preventing him from joining the inner circle of Klaus and Steven. Her observation is 100% for many workplace environments where men will form groups, frequently not even aware of it and create smaller groups where key decisions are made and women are absent from them. A sort of backroom deal situation but without a backroom but maybe X activity at Y location.

Steven laughs it off (in the Darkhorse translation) calling her pugnacious which only annoys her more, but it is a losing battle. Of course, Steven laughing at her doesn’t make it work and she drops his common nickname of scarface and notes that he’s not just a scheming bastard - but the most scheming.

Interestingly, the entire time Steven seems nervous with little sweat drops and she states that she’s the bad guy today after noticing Chain’s crush on Steven. These entire two pages are so honest and realistic - even though this is a fictitious vampire hunter organization.

However, the party comes to an abrupt end when Leo confirms that he saw a Blood Breed and Lucky Abrams comes calling. Hilariously, since both of them avoid him, the end up together at the 23rd Street Station. Of course, K.K. voices her annoyance about being teamed up with ‘this’ schemer. The anime uses ‘black-hearted’ instead and I am too lazy to determine which is the more accurate translation. It is clear that K.K. has reservations about Steven and he is always replies with a level headed and logical reason to work together.

It is clear that K.K. has some sort of revenge/rationale waiting for the return of the Blood Breeds while Steven would rather not even have to do these sorts of things. However, each time you go back and read or listen to their dialogue the more and more it sounds like old friends bickering and not two people who hate or dislike each other. This is further emphasized, and will continue to be depicted this way where the two of them move completely naturally with each other as a team.

This is our first two page spread in all of Kekkai Sensen with them. Just - ah. So good.

Two professionals at work, completely serious. Notice how they went from their standard bickering to non-verbal actions. Time and time again, we will see this with the two of them. When the Blood Breed from the India Gate comes to HL, it is K. K. who first spots the possible vampire and Steven is the first one to the scene by car. K. K. saves the girl and her mother and Steven is able to freeze everything in the last second. He remarks he was cutting it too close while she snarks back he was looking to make a dramatic entrance. His reply that it wasn’t like her praise dripping with abuse. These two have a long history of working together.

She’s annoyed that they ended up together again (this has to be super common outside of the story on the pages) and we get the standard Steven line of “Now, now/ まあ, まあ” trying to deescalate/console someone. Yet, after their short bickering, they are down to business. Can we just state that this entire dynamic is just awesome? K.K. goes by the information Steven relayed to them via phone as they nervously decide how to proceed. And even though K.K. is incorrect in her assumption, Steven isn’t a jerk about it. They both pull out their mirrors without actually discussing it.

Teamwork. I like good teamwork.

What is interesting is the first time that K.K. doesn’t end up with Steven. When Leo and Chain are looking for the arms dealer who stole Zed’s special breathing apparatus, the rest of the team had to fight villains. In that instance, K.K. is teamed up with Zapp.

At first she is thrilled to be working with Zapp. He does an excellent job (but we all know that Zapp is 100% on the job when he’s on the job) and she praises him for a job well done and that she feels lucky to work with him.

Since this is a great way to transition to speak to him as a parent, she has concerned about his recklessness. She’s being very honest and contemplative about this positive interaction with Zapp, when Zapp totally bales on her! Zapp literally sprints off and thanks for taking charge and working with others to continue the clean up and she’s pissed!

What does this tell us? That despite all of her verbal complaints and bickering, there is no way Mr. Anal-retentive would leave. Instead, Steven would be there giving exact directions to them for the clean up while she could leisurely hang out of even take off to see her family. This short two page spread shows us that she likely appreciates working with Steven more than she’d verbally admit.

Since after this chapter, I can’t think of another time where K.K. was paired up with anyone besides Steven in fights. Though I can’t be 100% sure since I haven’t done a full re-read of the series yet. But all of the big scenes in the Calamity Auction arc, they are teamed up together. We don’t know what would have happened win the Noctova Smile arc b/c K.K. wasn’t present for the entire incident.

Another interesting short page that gives us more insight into her character is from the “Lunch” chapter where Leo, Zapp, and Zed struggle to decide where to eat. While they are bouncing around the city failing to agree on a place to eat, Steven and Klaus are in a back alley meeting up with Inspector Daniel Law.

Law makes a dumbass mistake (again going back to her workplace gender dynamics observations) of commenting on K.K.’s physical appearance and her age. He makes it clear that the HLPD is actively trying to snipe K.K. and he gives her a terrible misogynistic backhanded compliment that she’s got no boobs but a great shot. Which immediately causes K.K. to fire a warning shot next to Daniel’s head.

You can’t cover that up by stating it was a compliment as Steven simply smiles and that K.K. still was able to keep it to a warning shot. Funny how Steven is using her skills as a way to press their own advantage implying that K.K. could have simply shot him and there wouldn’t have been any recourse - since the HLPD can’t track her.

What this also shows us, is that K.K. is playing a critical support role for Klaus and Steven. Yes, they are very powerful together, but they didn’t go into that location alone and without backup. Since K.K. is providing it for them. The level of trust between these three characters is amazing. Klaus wouldn’t go to play prosfair without her nor would he meet up with the HLPD without her in a sniping position.

An important part of K.K.’s character is that she is slowly revealed to be a mother, but that it is not the key aspect of her as a character. When writing decides that a woman needs to be primarily framed as a mother it makes me cringe since that woman should not be defined by if she has children or not. She should be defined by her whole self and different aspects combine into this.

The first major instance of this is towards the end of volume four of the manga. The last one shot chapter is about K.K. trying to find a birthday card for one of her sons.

Leo has been roped into trying to help her find this super obscure and random card with a character who is very popular in the K.K. household but apparently no place else.

She adorably sings the theme song for the obscure series and Leo, the most ‘normal’ of the Libra crew has absolutely no idea what she is talking about. Even though this is a joke on her that her kid has weird taste, it also demonstrates that K.K. knows what her kids are into, showing that despite her taxing job, she gets them.

The convenience store instead becomes a set up for an awesome shoot out between K.K. and a bunch of nefarious gunmen while she smooshes Leo out of the way.

The two page spread of her flying through the air above the aisles is just great as she deadpan makes her marks. Looking to use the mirror to see where all her opponents are etc etc.

I just love K.K. We also have her getting emotional and even though Leo is trying to console her, again, he isn’t judging her as she expresses her frustration. She still needs to maintain that straight calm face but and is already concerned at how he’s growing up and wants to give her moments of childhood joy.

I really like how she regains her composure as she puts everything in context. She knows she’s missing part of his childhood and society already puts enough pressure on her to somehow be a mom and a fang hunter and DO ALL THE THINGS. Which, obviously, she can’t. This single chapter is laying the groundwork for the last chapter in volume 9, Bratatat Mom, where we get a slice of her life outside of Libra.

The chapter starts with a meeting of the in house SWAT/tactical team with Libra led by Steven. K.K. looks awkwardly nervous as she slowly admits that she can’t support the tactical team that day. Stating personal business to not get into the specifics.

The team is annoyed since it is clear that they rely upon her and highly value her skills. She comes clean admitting that it is for parents’ day at her younger son’s school and due to work, she’s never made it to any of their open houses! She’s upset about this and also afraid that it will impact her role in their family as being a mother. Think about this if it were a male character. There is no way he’d be under the this type of pressure - furthermore, there is the judgement of parents upon their peers at those who are involved in the PTA and who is too busy etc etc etc. The parent-school dynamics haven’t changed as much they should have; with the transition of women to the North American workplace in the 1970s. And it isn’t even that, it is also the fact that she’d like to do something for her children since they are her kids.

Steven then steps in to diffuse the situation as we’ve grown to expect from him by this point in the manga. He looks disappointed and admits that it isn’t ideal but she can go. She cheerfully turns to excuse herself from the meeting when Steven then turns his personal manipulation to the max and guilts her that the other men may not make it and not see their children as well. It is amazing that the most well known bachelor of Libra is able to achieve this so well.

It works and K.K. snaps threatening to kill Steven herself. This is his ‘black-hearted’ nature at its finest. Thus, K.K. comes up with a compromise - she pulls out all of the stops to coordinate with Patrick to get her all the weapons possible that she could remotely operate. We get a scene of K. K. with her loving and adorable husband who is comforting her when she told her son that she’d be at parents’ day. I love how this entire scene shows us that despite all that she does, he chose her, and also wanted to build a family with her. K.K. knows how to choose them! Win for healthy relationship!

He’s the best support spouse, and one of the best examples of a female led family/household. That man is the house husband doing support and it is little elements like this that I love how Nightow writes female characters and their close relationships. Despite the chaos of remotely supporting Steven and his tactical team, she gets to have hard hitting emotional moments watching her son with his classmates. He may not understand it at that time, but it means the world to her.

This also sets up another mission that is a K.K.and Steven partnership. Yes, she’s only doing remote support until she isn’t. She realizes that one of the other parents is a Blood Breed standing right next to her. Just like Steven does in Day In Day Out as he looks out into the night, K.K. berates herself for trying to enjoy herself in the moment. Living her life like a normal person. This shows that the two of them have much more in common than they don’t - both wanting normal lives, and not allowing themselves a break or the ability to forgive themselves for turning their fang hunter brains off for a second.

Yet, she returns to her senses and gets down to business. Her original motivation is to protect the children. She was able to inform Steven and his team of the Blood Breed at their location but then had to deal with the one she was chatting with . . . however, this is the only time that we’ve seen Steven fighting a Blood Breed solo and he’s getting his ass slowly handed to him. The man knows he’s at a disadvantage and so does his opponent. Steven is always either with Klaus or K.K.

And that is where the writing for this chapter is amazing as K.K. makes her move on the Blood Breed. She is confused when he refers to her as ‘also’ being a fang hunter giving us the clue that he’s currently fighting Steven at the moment. Right before he’s about to engage with her, his daughter finds him wanting to bring him down for lunch with her in the cafeteria. This lapse in his concentration gives Steven the advantage he needed to break the head off of his remote robot. There is a nice touch of the ice on his neck where it broke it as he collapses unable to fight back in front of the children.

Thus, even though they were not aware of it, the K.K.-Steven team succeeds in the most unlikely way possible! I really wished that the two of them would have later been shooting the shit, bickering about something, like Steven being to relaxed and K.K. ready to go and this pops up. And then the two of them realize it was their teamwork that allowed the mission to succeed.

I think it also goes to show how much Steven relies on/appreciates/needs K.K.’s talents for him to help complete Libra’s mission in HL. K.K. may complain about his requests but ultimately knows that he’s a solid organizer and makes good, well thought out plans for the entire team to execute. They also know how to both annoy and motivate each other which is another asset to them as partners in missions.

I already mentioned it in my previous post about Steven and the woes of running a secret organization, it is K.K. who gets him to stop his course of action with the escaped human-nonhuman fused being from the evil pot. No one else is able to make him pause as he lets the team argue it out until K.K. calls him out. That look on his face - he knows she’s right and K.K. is, I think, the only other member of Libra who can get Steven to change his mind. That speaks volumes for how much he actually respects her. This than comes back full circle to her shooting that warning shot at Daniel Law and Steven can only laugh at Law, rubbing salt in the wound since he’s one of the few people who understands her besides her amazing husband and Klaus.

So where does all of this leave us in regards to K.K.?

K.K. is a character who fills several different roles in the series but they do not define her or make her one dimensional.

K.K. as a fang hunter - she was first introduced as clearly powerful when she was chosen to be Klaus’ escort. One of the few members of the team who has long range strikes and therefore, support she fills a niche that no one else can do with her 954 Blood Bullet Arts. She frequently snipes able to disable enemies and does a great job as a distraction in Get the Lock Out! Though she did almost cause Steven to lose it when she was ready and willing to break into the main office.

With the birthday card in the convenience store shoot out, we see first hand that she’s incredibly talented.

I’ve also pointed out that other than acting as a support sniper, the rest of the time, she’s almost always working with Steven as her teammate and it again leverages the best of their abilities.

K.K. as a professional mother - much of the anxiety and drama around her has to do with her role as a professional and a mother. How she’s worried that she isn’t there enough for her family; that she can’t do the same things that other parents can do. The stress of likely being judged when she does meet other parents. Yet, we know that one of her major motivations to do her job is to protect her immediate family and the future and all other families. And that she has a husband who feels blessed that she chose him is top tier mature adult relationships and communication as a couple.

This even comes out when Leo thinks back to all the advice the team gave him if he were in danger and alone. She joked that she’d snipe a barista if he threatened Leo at the local coffee shop, meaning that she isn’t just a mother to her own children but that the younger team members could use a little maternal love in the absence of their own parents.

K.K. as a female professional - this is slightly different than her as a mother, though the two are intertwined. There are different aspects of the workplace that women have to navigate and they are never easy. If a woman is single than she pays the tax of “Oh, since you don’t have a family you can do overtime.” if she has a family than she gets the loss of skin in the game “Oh, since you have a family, you won’t be as committed to the organization’s success.” As you can tell there is no way to win, it is more dammed if you are or dammed if you aren’t. When she shows up for the work party, she immediately realizes that she’ll be cast as the bad guy, noting the boys club which Zapp immediately tries to join where Steven and Klaus already are. And as intelligent and gentlemanly as Klaus and Steven are, both are completely oblivious to this dynamic that leaves her on the outside. Thankfully, this isn’t a frequent issue within Libra itself and I will continue to state that the ability of K.K. and Steven to work as a pair only improves as the manga progresses. That speaks volumes as to their mutual respect of each other.

Interestingly, we don’t see a lot of her interactions with Chain - I think this is a reflections of both their age differences with Chain being in her early twenties and K.K. being in her thirties but also the fact that Chain has a female friend group in the Werewolf Bureau. In contrast, K.K. has her family outside of Libra. Additionally, both women have different ways of expressing their emotions as Chain likes to keep hers a bit more distant (or so she thinks) while K.K. is more likely to let them out. It may also feed into that bit of strong women workplace dynamics where it is sometimes best to leave each other a wide birth to avoid conflict.

Lastly, K.K. as an older female character who isn’t uwu-cute - Yep, there are no uwu-cutesie-waifu women in Kekkai Sensen. And I as a reader like it that way. She’s an honest character, living an interesting life, contributing to protecting the balance and has all these different unique aspects to her life. All of this comes together to make a very human character in a series where totally zany shit happens all the time.

#kekkai sensen #kekkai sensen manga #kekkai sensen meta #kkss #blood blockade battlefront #blood blockade battlefront meta #yasuhiro nightow #K.K.#leonardo watch #steven a starphase #Klaus Von Reinherz #Zapp Renfro #Character Study

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dreamgirledward · 2 years

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hey! if you're looking for a sign NOT to watch the rings of power, this can be it if you want 🥰 film-lover's psa incoming:

(this was originally a drop-down message on my the beauty of: lotr amv, which i deleted and copied here instead!)

lotr was created out of earnest love for the source material and the magic of filmmaking. the films took a total of 8 years to produce, including pick-up shots. they shot all three films continuously, well over a year, because peter jackson knew exactly what his vision would entail. the fellowship cast got matching tattoos after the experience because of how bonded they were by the end of production (john rhys-davies was the only one not to get one bc he said his stunt double, who does have a matching tattoo, did most of the hard work for him! ha!). the films put new zealand on the map and jackson opened the door for kiwi filmmakers of his generation and beyond in a way the world had never seen before. fun fact! the films also employed a huge number of Māori actors and you can actually hear and watch them doing the haka during specific battle scenes.

lotr is the perfect marriage of both 20th and 21st century filmmaking, expertly utilizing award winning practical and special effects mixed with cgi to create something wholly unique and almost timeless. compared to the two towers and return of the king being colour graded digitally, fellowship was still physically graded via colour timing (colourizing film in a lab, traditionally how all colour films were developed before the digital age), a prime example of just how new digital colour grading was in the industry. gollum was also a big first for the film industry: andy serkis shot his scenes in a motion capture suit (opposite elijah wood and sean astin), and the level of work weta digital put in to bring gollum to life resulting in such a sheer level realism was unprecedented. gollum still stands the test of time today and has aged incredibly well. the ai software, massive, was also developed for the first time for lotr to create large crowds and armies via visual effects, and changed the visual effects and 3d animation game forever. every single (computer generated) battle and crowd sequence you see in film & tv today is thanks to this software and lotr. the first time it was used was for the battle at helm's deep sequence during the two towers - and even then, that scene took over 100 days to film! the lord of the rings trilogy has been nominated 30 times and won 17 academy awards, honouring their revolutionary work in cinematography, score, visual effects, sound and picture editing, costume design, adapted screenplay, and more, and the return of the king was the first fantasy film ever to win best picture. the return of the king also accumulated eleven (!!) oscar wins, a record tied with titanic and ben-hur. aside from academy awards, the films, crew and cast have been nominated and awarded by countless guilds, boards and various awards ceremonies alike.

the rings of power however is a soulless cash grab that actively shits on tolkien's work, which is only loosely based on the novels at best. there are countless tolkien experts that can explain this much better than me, if you're interested in learning more i highly recommend reading up on it. the portrayal of galadriel alone is so severely out of character (just from the trailers!), i would argue these characters we know and love from the lotr books and films may as well be from an alternate reality of middle-earth. peter jackson and fran walsh are not affiliated with the rings of power. much like the house of the dragon, this is yet another attempt at attracting streams through the promise of nostalgia-bait, and it's riding the success of what came before it. and no, this is not because im a racist, woman-hating, anti-progressive, and elitist tolkienist, and the people who say this are performative and dont actually understand the underlying issue. the rings of power was funded because of jeff bezos personally involving himself in negotiations, and the series was created because he wanted it to be after obtaining the rights to develop a tv show. showrunners will label people like me criticizing and asking people not to support the series as anti-progressive until the cows come home because it makes them look good. if you still care about boycotting amazon, boycott this show. it's directly tied to bezos and his rotten money. if you must watch it purely for entertainment, fine, but this is a gentle reminder that pirating is easy and free <3

#this was a reply to my own post but linds pointed out most people would overlook a 'read more' so ty linds <3 #anyway copy + pasting my tags here:#guess i cant shut up about lotr! :)#please dont watch the rings of power for the love of GOD #before anyone comes for me about the show also being filmed in nz well guess what :) they're filming the next season in london :)#which means it will be shot almost entirely on blue/green screen #so do with that what you will !#lotr #lord of the rings #lotr trilogy #the lord of the rings #jrr tolkien #the rings of power #amazon #jeff bezos #sammy.txt

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because-its-eurovision · 1 year

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i actually would love sweden to win after they didn't last year when in my opinion they deserved too, tattoo is an amazing song and i love the staging she had for it at melofest.

Sure. It’s not that Tattoo isn’t a great song or that the staging isn’t impressive and of course you want your favorites to win. While I’m not a huge fan of the live performance, it does look like Eurovision winner. I really enjoy the studio version of Tattoo, it’s powerful and catchy and has nice lyrics, and currently Sweden is sitting on the sixth place in my personal ranking of this year’s entries.

I also get why some of the fans are very eager to see Sweden catch up on Ireland with their number of victories, make Loreen the first woman to win Eurovision twice and get Sweden to host exactly 50 years after their first victory. I'd want that too if I were Swedish.

What bothers me is that I’m just so tired of Sweden doing well year after year. Them being our neighbour and eternal rival only makes it worse. When Finland – with more last places than any country (11), qualification rate of 50%, three times kicked out of the final by juries, average placing of 43 out of 50, and only one placement in top-5 during 55 years – finally, finally seems to have risen from the ashes and actually might have a shot of even winning, of course Sweden is the one who is there in front of us.

Winning and hosting Eurovision is a great opportunity to showcase the host country’s history and culture to the world and giving a spotlight to the places around Europe that may not get much of it otherwise. It is a great way to grow tourism and interest in the host country at large, but also to strengthen the country’s brand, national identity and self-esteem.

Sweden doesn’t need any of that. They are already great, liked and well-known. They’ve hosted twice within the last decade and it’s not like many people weren’t familiar with Abba, Ikea, H&M and Swedish meatballs before that either. Not to mention the grip Sweden has on EBU too and how there have been recent changes in Eurovision that were modeled after Melodifestivalen, such as the new voting system, allowing pre-recorded backing vocals and producers deciding the running orders instead of it being random.

To use a school analogy, Sweden is the one student that constantly is one of the best in their class (most top-5 results of the 21st century) without seemingly putting much effort into it, but they are also the teacher’s (EBU’s) pet (always a great place in the running order) and from a rich family (can afford 1800 kg heavy led screens and other fancy technology). They get picked first to the sports teams in P.E. class (always qualifies to the final) and have a fawning court of other students (the juries) admiring anything they do.

Wouldn’t you start to dislike them at some point?

#sweden #eurovision #asks #eurovision song contest #esc #loreen

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mousegard · 4 months

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Aria of the Black Eagle - Season 1 Masterpost

For the better part of the past year, fifteen-year-old Tachibana Hibiki has been the one and only wielder of the magical armor Gungnir—until she crosses paths with an imperious young woman willing to make the entire world her enemy in the pursuit of justice... Adrestian emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg and her Black Eagle Strike Force!

Wait, that's not how Symphogear G went down...

With the Church of Seiros repelled from Garreg Mach by the Black Eagle Strike Force, Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg's war for the liberation of Fódlan reaches its turning point. But just as she begins to plan her next move to attack Arianrhod, she and several of her closest comrades find themselves whisked away by a mysterious force to a world like nothing they've seen before: mid-21st century Tokyo!

SYMPHOGEAR G''' Episode List:

Episode 1: Three Relics

Hibiki comes to the rescue of the Black Eagles when they inexplicably find themselves in the middle of Tokyo. Byleth wins a new job in an arm-wrestling competition.

Episode 2: Of Course You Have White Hair and Trauma

Byleth pits students against teachers in a relic-versus-relic mock battle. Chris gets roped into hosting an impromptu movie night. Edelgard finds a mentorship opportunity.

Episode 3: Singer, Sacrist, Sentinel, Spy

With an exciting development in Tsubasa's career drawing nearer, mystery swirls around her soon-to-be fellow performer, Maria Cadenzavna Eve. The Black Eagles assist in transporting a dangerous relic.

Episode 4: Parabellum

The world reels from Maria's shocking announcement while Tsubasa is held hostage onstage over her secret identity. Backstage, Bernadetta gets to know her captors.

Episode 5: The Second Coming of Finé

Maria's declaration of war leaves the Black Eagles and their new students shaken. Byleth decides to teach Hibiki a new subject. On her way to Tokyo, Petra flirts with the Illuminati's top brass.

Episode 6: Pride of the Crimson Flower

Those Who Slither in the Dark reveal themselves, putting Hibiki and Miku in grave danger. Bernadetta accidentally gets caught up in a fake gay marriage after her captors buy a house.

Episode 7: Crossbows in the Firelight

A third Gungnir wielder reveals herself in the Black Eagles' moment of need. While organizing an exchange with Maria and Doctor Ver, Vanessa must act as an impromptu bodyguard for her new neighbors.

Episode 8: Die Hand Die Verletzt

While she adjusts to her new life and identity, Heidrun begins Miku's dark magic training. When Doctor Ver pushes Maria past her moral breaking point, Dorothea offers her a shoulder to cry on.

Episode 9: Heart of Stone

After receiving devastating news from her boss, Vanessa vanishes. Doctor Ver exchanges his frail human collaborators for the cruel perfection of the Nephilim. Lysithea reunites Bernadetta with the Black Eagles.

Episode 10: A Long-Awaited Reunion

While the Black Eagle Strike Force reunites, Bernadetta gives Vanessa something new to live for. Lysithea and Edelgard discover a new scientific perspective on Crests. Kirika figures something terrifying about herself.

Episode 11: Where Silence Has Lease

Stinging from past defeats, Maria throws herself into her villainous role. Hibiki and Shirabe end up unlikely allies against Kronya and Shez. Hibiki's mother begins to worry about her daughter's mysterious extracurricular activities.

Episode 12: Across the Curl Unmarked By Borders

Fearing she may not have much time before Finé seizes control of her body, Kirika hunts Ingrid down and challenges her to a rematch—to the death. Maria breaks down under the weight of her mounting losses.

Episode 13: G'''

Doctor Ver reveals his new partner in crime—and it will take more than the combined might of all three Gungnir wielders to put a stop to them.

Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3

#fanfiction #crossover #fire emblem three houses #symphogear

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stellaris-archivum · 4 months

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a vampire x vampire hunter au with my valorant oc because my brain is rotting over this idea for the longest time

notes:

self insert, original female character

hunter! oc x vampire! chamber

amihan is 32 years old, vincent (chamber) is about a century old

not beta read

a tentative idea, but it could be changed later on. it's 1am, im tired, but i really want to write this down because it has been CONSUMING ME

possible (very briefly mentioned) vampire hunter lore here that will be explored if i do write it down as a series

amihan can be y/n?????

"A pleasant surprise, good to see you made it in time, chèrie." An impish grin greeted her upon her arrival, his gelled, swept-back hair glistened in the moonlight. "I have been waiting for you."

There's the grin she always loathed, the smooth, suavely voice that she always grinded her gears. For the countless encounters they've had, it almost became a routine. For the hunter and solar sorcerer Amihan Mendoza to find one of the most powerful vampires in Quebec in this specific spot is no lucky chance—their connection was of uncanny circumstances. Fighting through patterns, through repetition, they just found themselves within the vicinity of one another; every other night without fail. Amihan stood within the trees, leaves, tree bark and stems underneath her feet. She scoffed, "You know I wouldn't miss the chance to finally killing you, Vincent."

"Vincent? Please, no need for such formalities." His sharp fangs poked out just enough for her to see as he grinned, standing tall atop a red maple tree. Amihan has always found it odd—no, weird to see the vampire in such a... convoluted type of clothing. It is the 21st century, people wore casual clothing and not, well, whatever Victorian era corpse he stole his outfit from. A lot of the vampires that she had hunted and killed lately were dressed within the century in order to blend in with the crowd but for some reason, Vincent the Vampire simply refused to get with the times. She couldn't really say if it was worse or not, but she absolutely disliked the fact that it actually suited him. Like actually looked good on him. For a vampire as old as he was, Amihan could never imagine anything else in his person other than expensive garments and frilly shirts. "Mon chou, it is rude to stare."

"I'll stare whenever I damn want and however long," she spat, folding her arms unamused. "And how do you want this to start, hm? I believe it's about time you make the first move."

"Dear god, mon chasseur," he snorted, "I am your prey! Do you truly expect that I will make the first move? I may be a savage, yes, but I am also a gentleman. Ladies' first."

"A gentleman or a coward?" Her sharp eyes stared up at him with the same old scowl. Was it growing deeper with the distaste she had for him? Maybe, but she was definitely curious to see if she could get him to move first. "I don't see why you shouldn't make the first move—this is a one-time offer, buddy. I reckon don't waste it."

"Is that a taunt? How cute."

"I'm just saying that if you don't move through your entire character then maybe you're not a true gentleman after all." The hunter shrugs rather dismissively. "Ladies' first, sure. But don't you think it's quite rude to have the woman do all the work? I believe for the 5 months I've hunted your elusive ass, I have done most of the initiating. It's about damn time you do so now, don't you think?" Amihan kept her dull, brown eyes on him. She wanted him to get annoyed, slighted. Out of all the vampires he had hunted, he seems to be the most elusive, most intelligent, and the most eerily humane. Upon observation during their past encounters, this vampire seems to be the only one who was thinking rationally. It wouldn't be too bad to try and take that away from him, right? Startle, confuse, overcome—that was the way to go. Would she win against him this time?

The vampire seemed to think about what she had said though, and he seemed to be a little conflicted. She definitely got him there where she wanted him. There was a stir in his mind, he couldn't care less who initiates and who doesn't; he was just trying to survive! Well, there were a lot of similar individuals in a similar situation as he, but they weren't as fortunate as he was (he did think they were imbeciles for being caught and killed like that and like before, that was not his problem). His only concern was to survive, nothing more, but for the past 5 months he did find the hunter's unrelenting resolve as something that was fascinating. As he was quite the annoying vampire to hunt and as well as the most rational, most hunters have died in the belief that he was like his feral brethren—moving solely to quench their thirst for life. Other hunters had escaped, other hunters found him difficult to contain and had given up trying.

But not Amihan.

Every other day without fail? It was only something Amihan could do. The way that she was the only one to have ever figured out his routine and had been continually meeting him here in this exact same spot, it had caught his attention and interest. His curiosity could only grow and eat him in sorry frustration as she would most likely kill him if he ever came close. What would her blood taste like, how would his skin glide to the shape of her nape? Just the mere thought of it made his mouth water but he was immediately dragged away by her voice, taunting, telling him to come closer...

"Come on," Amihan said in boredom, "Move."

For a second, his rationality slipped at the most crucial moment, finding himself right in front of her, nose touching, breaths mingling—the wind howled coldly through the trees and forests of Quebec as the space between them became occupied in a matter of seconds. His eyes were locked in one spot on her body. The nape—his mouth started to water again, his teeth felt itchy, painfully trying and wanting to sink into her flesh, slowly consumed by the thought of it.

Bite. Drink, drink, drink, drink, drink—

The hunter's victorious grin was such an eerie sight that was immediately forgotten by the sudden, overwhelming pain that flared up his body.

"Dimwit," she said, grinning from ear to ear. "I've finally caught you."

#i just need to get this out of my system good GOD this had me on a chokehold #stellaris snippet #valorant chamber #vincent fabron #chamber valorant #valorant x reader #valorant x oc #valorant x you #vampire #vampire au #fanfiction #valorant fanfiction

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filmsfromreel · 1 year

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7 Great Films Snubbed at the 95th Academy Awards

This year’s Academy Awards was a controversy-free celebration. Many of the awards handed out went to deserved winners, there were feel-good moments as Ke Huy Quan and Brendan Fraser accepted their awards after years away from the spotlight and there was no doubt that Everything Everywhere All At Once’s historic 7 wins were warranted. But, like all years at the Oscars, there are some omissions that deserved to be included. While we think this year’s winners were a wonderful collection of films, it would be remiss of us if we didn’t talk about some of the great films that were barely included.

1. Decision to Leave

Director: Park Chan-wook | Crime, Drama | Language: Korean

Arguably one of the best film’s from 2022, Chan-wook’s unique Crime Drama solidifies why he’s one of the most distinct Directors working today. The zippy pace and attention to detail are what hook you to Decision to Leave but the Director’s approach to storytelling is wholly unique – even when compared to the films nominated at this year’s Oscars.

Park Chan-wook’s storytelling is akin to that of Paul Thomas Anderson, while they are both dramatically different in style both filmmakers often tell their stories with an enigmatic quality that, although you’re not sure how or why, you are left completely in awe of the talent on show. Decision to Leave may not be as groundbreaking as Oldboy or as pitch-perfect as The Handmaiden, but it still stands head and shoulders above a lot of films released in the same year and while it’s been nominated numerous times over the award season, it feels like a shame not to see it honoured on the big night.

2. The Northman

Director: Robert Eggers | Action, Drama

The only logical reason that Robert Egger’s Viking epic could have been snubbed entirely for this year’s Academy Awards is that it was released so early in the year that it slipped everyone’s minds come voting season. Whether it was the striking score, beautifully constructed sets shot with stunning cinematography, captivating performances not only from the lead Alexander Skarsgard but Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe, to the bold and inventive directing, there’s so much worthy of high praise.

Arguably the only aspect lacking compared to Egger’s previous outings is a uniqueness that something like The Lighthouse held – but it’s no excuse for excluding one of the best films of the year from the Oscars, especially when there is so much across the film’s production to celebrate.

3. Nope

Director: Jordan Peele | Horror, Sci-Fi

It’s difficult to pinpoint where exactly Jordan Peele’s newest film fits into the Oscars, potentially for its enigmatic screenplay, wonderful creature design or even for the scene stealing performance by Keke Palmer. But, regardless of where it fits, it seems a shame not to honour such a unique film.

The natural response to seeing one of his films is to compare it to Get Out, the film that won Peele his Oscar and became one of the most important films of the 21st Century. While Nope doesn’t feel as instant in its quality there is good reason to believe that in a few years, audiences will relish Nope for its singularity and also for Peele’s aptitude for storytelling. This is a wonderfully complex, funny and incredibly tense film that despite being snubbed for a lot of awards, will hopefully gather an audience for years to come.

4. The Woman King

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood | Action, Drama, History | Languages: English, Portuguese

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical tale got two nominations at the BAFTAs, one for star Viola Davis’ powerhouse performance and also a nod for the Director herself, leaving to wonder just why it was left out at the Oscars. Davis’ performance, while commanding, was up against a number of fantastic Leading Actress performances this year. But, Bythewood’s lack of nomination seems to be a misstep from the Academy.

There is an argument that structurally The Woman King isn’t much different from a number of action films we’ve seen but what’s more important is the representation and celebration it’s giving to it’s story. In recent years the world has been imploring Hollywood to create more diverse and dynamic roles instead of changing old ones and The Woman King does exactly that. It’s just a shame the Academy wouldn’t celebrate the film as much as we did.

5. Broker

Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda | Comedy, Drama, Crime | Languages: Korean

Many people have compared Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest film to his 2018 drama Shoplifters. In some ways it’s a spiritual successor (Kore-eda himself calling it a companion piece), skirting some of the same themes of class structure and social standings, as well as the functionalities of family and what makes a ‘traditional’ family. Broker manages to talk about these same issues as well as infusing discussions of parental responsibility whilst keeping the mood light and fun – no easy feat.

Alongside this, Kore-eda somehow manages to make you sympathise with human traffickers – not the most malicious or intelligent, but pursued by the police for their crimes nonetheless. It might not be the home run Shoplifters was, but Broker still manages to inject some incredibly human and joyous moments in a strange tale of selling a child, all in his non-native language of Korean, not missing a step in cultural references either. Whether it was for Best International Film, Original Screenplay, or even an argument can be made for Best Director, the Academy missed a gem of a film this year.

6. Aftersun

Director: Charlotte Wells | Drama

Charlotte Wells’ nostalgic drama is less of a snub due to Paul Mescal’s touching performance getting a nomination, but the film’s quality lies in much more than its performances. At the BAFTAs the director accepted the award for Outstanding Debut and described the film as a eulogy to her Father – something that she achieves with a visceral and subtle reflection of watching someone you love suffer in silence.

As a distinctly British product it’s understandable that this film didn’t shake the Academy voters as much as the BAFTAs, but the film’s gorgeously told story is one of the best of the year. Many films that tell a ‘personal’ story rarely achieve the emotional connection that Aftersun achieves, and while it was a shame not to see more limelight shed on the film as a whole, there is no doubt that everyone will be eagerly awaiting what Wells does next.

7. Bones and All

Director: Luca Guadagino | Drama, Horror, Romance

The most obvious reason for not including Luca Guadagino’s latest film could be the fact it’s a love story road trip about cannibals – but it’s for that same reason it seems like a missed opportunity to open up the wonderfully weird story to the mainstream. With films like Everything, Everywhere All at Once making waves it seems like the Academy are changing their tone to quirky independent cinema, branching into the originality out there.

Whilst it might not have won many awards the performances from Timothee Chalamet, and more notably Taylor Russell and Mark Rylance, are enticing and exciting, bringing a grounded and relatable edge to a story that could have easily been disconnected and unrelatable. Guadagnino balances David Kajganich’s script with ease and a certain aesthetic beauty that many people first noticed in Call Me by Your Name – despite being in an unusual narrative, comes together in an intoxicating (and sometimes terrifying) coming of age tale.

#decision to leave #the northman #nope #the woman king #broker #aftersun #bones and all #jordan peele #robert eggers #charlotte wells #film review #film list #movie review #movie list #oscars 2023 #oscars #academy awards #oscar snubs #filmsfromreel

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therine-watches · 1 year

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a Recommendation - 19 Top Films to Watch on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day isn’t always about a box of chocolate or couple photos bombarding your feed all day; sometimes, it’s about snuggling under the covers with either your loved ones or love one, watching a comfort movie that makes you feel giddy both in the inside and outside.

Here is a (very long) list, categorized from cliche to not-really-romance-but-romance, of the best rom-com films you could watch on Valentine’s Day:

Well-Known But Not Overrated: from the 00s to the 20s - here are all the romcoms you may or may not have heard.

1. Set It Up (2018) Starring Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell, alongside Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs, Set It Up is a fun New York-based romantic comedy on the spiral of two overworked assistants setting up their bosses.

2. Definitely, Maybe (2008) Nothing weirder than hearing about your parents having a life before you: Definitely, Maybe is a tale of three romantic stories and one mother mystery.

3. Love, Rosie (2014) Starring two rom-com sweethearts Lily Collins and Sam Claflin, Love Rosie is the original formulaic film of the ultimate childhood best friends to lovers + right person, wrong time trope.

4. Emma (2019) With the perfect combination of wit, set, cast, and story, Emma is the perfect love letter to Jane Austen and fans of Regency Romance.

5. The Half of It (2019) Small town and big romance: The Half of It is a quiet yet impactful film on coming-of-age, friendships, and high school crushes.

6. Miss Congeniality (2000) A perfect mixture of comedy and romance, Miss Congeniality will win your heart with the classic undercover cop story.

7. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) Carrying the charm and chemistry of a teenage rom-com, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before takes an overused trope of fake relationships and makes it its own, with an unforgettable classic high school love tale.

8. The Vow (2012) Changing the entire course of two people’s lives in one accident, The Vow, based on a true story, is a heartbreaking film on love and grief.

A Bit More Than Boy Meets Girl not so much of romance as connecting with friends or yourself; these movies are perfect for movie nights with friends or if simply you’re not in the mood for a classic rom-com:

9. Laggies (2014) Starring Kiera Knightly, Sam Rockwell, and Chloe Grace Moretz, Laggies is a tale not only of unexpected love but the reality of feeling like lagged in your 20s.

10. The Other Woman (2014) The Other Woman is about the other woman, starring the golden comedy trio Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, and Kate Upton, as they set up for the perfect revenge.

11. Paper Towns (2015) In the classic John Green tale of small-town high school and daydreaming for the manic pixie girl, Paper Towns is a tale of friendship and growing up, with a bittersweet ending that feels more real than the classic Disney happily ever after.

12. The Way Way Back (2013) With a ridiculously talented cast, The Way Way Back is a classic comedic and bittersweet summer beach film of love, parenthood, and friendships, all while coming of age in a world that doesn’t always go your way.

13. The Edge of Seventeen (2016) Hilarious but uncomfortably too true to every teenager at one point, is a perfect film for both depth and comedy, dealing in the themes of betrayal, love, friendship, teenage angst, and loss.

Classics to Re-Binge - or Finally Get Around To Watching It from the 90s to the 10s, created in the classic formula of wit, charm, iconic-ness, and of course: romance and comedy

14. How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) Perhaps one of the most famous rom-com of the 21st century, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is exactly as the title suggests; even in the two decades since its release, the film remains fresh, original, and hilariously sharp in the rom-com film department.

15. The Proposal (2009) In the ultimate fake relationship trope, The Proposal is a classic New York-to-small-town romance, unforgettably delivered by Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

16. 13 Going on 30 (2004) 13 Going on 30 achieves every 13-year-old girl’s dream; the film centralizes around the youthful and comedic 13-year-old-stuck-in-30-year-old body tale with just the perfect amount of true romance.

17. Crazy Rich Asians (2018) Heartwarming and a feast to the eyes of cinematography, costumes, and score, Crazy Rich Asians is the story of Rachel Chu entering the world of crazy rich Asians, and her fight for her true love.

18. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) In the perfect combination of romance and comedy, 10 Things I Hate About You is a classic in fake-relationship-turned-true-love, starring both the brilliant Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger.

and of course: 19. Valentine’s Day (2010) Starring the biggest names of rom-com from Julia Roberts to Anne Hatheway to Jennifer Garner, Valentine’s Day is a film of multiple love stories all interconnected, set in no other date but Valentine’s Day.

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walker-extended-universe · 9 months

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A Wayfaring Stranger- Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Summary: Hoyt meets Abigail Walker and Calian

Written for @yeehawgust- Week 1 Prompt 1: Gather the Posse

Written for AU-gust- Day 15: Time Travel

-----

Hoyt missed a lot of things about the 21st century. Hot showers. Electric lights. The internet. Fast cars. Decent mail service. Geri. The Walkers.

But one thing he loved about the 1870s: it was so much easier to rob banks.

Hoyt sat by the crackling fire, counting the money from his latest heist. After it got split between his partners, he still had a decent amount. He could get a room at Hagan's for a few nights, meet back up with the Geri- or, rather, Lucia.

He sighed, looking up at the stars. Lucia was a nice girl. Sweet, charming, had a voice like nothing else he’d ever heard. The only problem was, she was in love with him. And he just didn’t know how to handle that. It had been months but he was still reeling with everything from Geri and Cordell….

Lucia could probably do better than him anyway. Maybe he should tell her that next time he’s in Independence. He’d seen her starry eyed look in Geri’s eyes once upon a time; maybe he could spare Lucia that fate.

He sighed and unrolled his bedroll. He was too tired and far too sober to be thinking about all that.

He rode into Independence the next day and got a room at Hagan’s for the next week. He counted himself lucky that he didn’t run into Lucia on his way to the Side Step Saloon. Winning/cheating at poker wasn’t any easier in the 1870s, which was unfortunate since people were a lot more willing to pull a gun or a knife on him if he was caught. Good thing he was still a fast runner.

And, he thought to himself as he stepped out of the bar to let the tensions settle before the next round, I still know how to spot a mark. He smirked as he saw a wide-eyed woman walking down the street by herself. He could tell by her dress and the way she carried herself that she came from money. She probably had some pricey jewelry on her.

“Morning, miss,” he called stepping down from the bar. “Lovely day out, isn’t it?”

The woman turned her head quickly, glaring at him. “I- Yes, I suppose it is. Excuse me, I’m just trying to get to the sheriff’s office….” She stepped around him, her stride sure even as her voice wavered.

Sheriff’s office? I haven’t even robbed her yet. “What for?”

“That’s none of your business,” she snapped.

Too bad for her; he was invested now. “Have a nice day!” he called, waiting until she was an appropriate distance away before following her.

He came up on the side of the sheriff’s office and eavesdropped on her talk with Augusus. He heard her start to say something about the new sheriff, only for her to be interrupted by his introduction. What the….

Hoyt peeked around the corner. Even from here, he could tell she was terrified of Sheriff Davidson. Had they met before? It clearly hadn’t gone well based on how quickly she was trying to get away from him.

He waited until she was headed back his way before “accidentally” bumping into her. “Excuse me, didn’t see you there, miss…..?”

She glared at him, huffing as she readjusted her shawl. “Are you really that drunk, Mr…..?”

Fair play. “Rawlins. Hoyt Rawlins.” He held out his hand to her. “And you are?”

“My name is….” She got a faraway look in her eyes for a few moments, then met his eyes, determination shining in hers. “My name is Abigail. Abigail Walker.”

If he didn’t have such a good poker face, his jaw would be on the ground. There was no way…. Unless? “Nice to meet you, Miss Walker. How’d it go at the sheriff’s office?”

“Fine.” Her eyes flitted to his gun. “Interestingly enough, I think I saw your face on one of the Wanted posters hanging on the sign there. Perhaps I should go back and let the sheriff know there’s a criminal in town.” Her grip on his hand tightened. “It would make an excellent impression on the town for him to make an arrest on his first day.”

Oh, you’re a feisty one. “I’m sure you can imagine why I wouldn’t want you to do that,” he said, making sure to keep his voice low. “But I can also imagine you already have terms for me to agree to to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Abigail hummed and dropped his hand. “You’re smarter than you look. Is there a place we can talk privately?”

Hoyt nodded. “I’ve got a room at the hotel; no one will bother us there.”

“Good. Lead the way.”

—--------

Hoyt paced from the door to the window. “So, let me get this straight: your husband was supposed to be the new sheriff in Independence, but on your way out here, he was murdered. And you’re certain that the person who killed him is Sheriff Davidson. And you want me to help you kill him?”

“Yes. I haven’t got any money but I’ll be happy to turn you in if you don’t help me.” Abigail’s eyes followed him as he moved. That all-too familiar fire of determination still shone brightly in her eyes.

Abigail Walker….. He didn’t know much of the Walker family history but he’d heard Bonham mention a few times that the family had been in Texas since the 1800s. And he knew the feud with the Davidsons was rumored to have started in the 1870s. Was it possible this was the beginning of everything?

Always knew those Davidsons were trouble. “Alright, I’ll help you. But-” he held his hand up before she could say anything else- “I’m not killing anybody until we know for sure it’s the sheriff. I know I’m an outlaw but murder ain’t exactly my cup of tea. If I’m killing a murder, I wanna make sure I get the right guy. At least then if I hang, I know I’m going for a good cause.”

“An outlaw with a moral code. You must be a rare breed.”

“Maybe not as rare as you think, Miss Walker.” Hoyt glanced out the window, wincing when he saw Lucia. “I know a few people in town that won’t turn me in. I can ask around, see if anyone knows anything about Tom and what he’s doing out here. Nobody kills anyone without some kind of motive. I also want to take a look at where it happened if that’s not too much trouble. Maybe something there will point to Tom.” It was a long shot, given how old the crime scene was, but it was worth a try.

Abigail smirked. “Talking like that, you almost sound like a lawman.”

Hoyt shrugged. “I used to be friends with one; suppose I just picked up the tricks of the trade.”

She nodded. “I suppose your…differing career choices caused you to part ways.”

“If only it were that simple,” he muttered.

—-------

The scene looked worse than Hoyt was expecting. The burnt remains of the covered wagon were almost as devastating to look at as Liam’s decaying body. The lack of evidence wasn’t helpful either, not that he was expecting much on that front.

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “Why kill Liam here? Why not dispose of the body? Why not make sure the only witness is dead?” It was a sloppy job, if Hoyt was being honest.

“Does it have to make sense?” Abigail asked. “It was cold-blooded murder; what about that makes sense?”

“That’s awfully idealistic of you.” Hoyt opened up one of the intact trunks. “In my experience, even cold-blooded killings happen for a reason.” He never had the chance to take part in those killings but he’d seen it. Payments not made on time, rebellious traitors being put in their place, keeping witnesses quiet…. There were a lot of reasons someone could be killed. “Can you think of anyone that would want Liam dead? For any reason?”

She quietly stared at her husband’s corpse. “We left Boston for a reason,” she said quietly.

So that’s a “Yes”. Hoyt didn’t have much time to comment before he heard a rustling in the bushes. He went for his gun and rushed to put Abigail behind him. “I know you’re out there. Show yourself!”

“Jzon de zee, tell your friend not to shoot.” A man stepped out of the bushes- an Apache.

Abigail stepped in front of Hoyt then. “It’s okay. He- He’s a friend.”

Hoyt reluctantly put his gun away. “Name’s Hoyt.”

“I’m Calian.”

And then there were three…. “Guess we’re gonna be working together.” He smirked. “Let’s catch us a killer.”

—-------

Hoyt let Abigail have his room to rest up for the night. He needed the time to think and fresh air would help with that. He took Cordell out to the ridge above town, keeping an eye on the sheriff’s office. He heard a horse come up next to him and saw Calian out of the corner of his eye. “Nice night, isn’t it?” he said.

“It is.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, the only noises coming from the horses and the nature around them. But Hoyt got a weird feeling about why Calian had approached him tonight. “You got something you wanna say to me?” Hoyt glared at Calian out of the corner of his eye. He had nothing against the guy but if he got one more weird look then he was going to snap.

“It’s nothing,” Calian said, still staring out into the horizon. “I’m just…curious.”

“About what?”

“Why you’re helping Abby. You just don’t seem like the type. I thought you’d need more convincing.”

Hoyt huffed. Did no one think he was capable of goodness? “Well, why are you helping her? Seems like you’re really putting yourself out fpr a woman you just met.”

Calian went quiet for a moment. “I believe I found her for a reason,” he said carefully. “I feel….responsible for helping her.” He finally turned to look at Hoyt. “What about you? Why are you helping her?”

Hoyt sighed. “I guess…. She just reminds me of someone I used to know.” More than one someone, really. He knew that classic Walker stubbornness. He saw it in Cordell’s eyes every time he got stuck on a case. He saw it in Abeline back when she was trying to talk him into relaxing around them. He saw it in Stella when she got a little too close to losing a game. Thinking on it, he may not know Abigail that well yet but he saw a little of her in all the Walkers he knew. “I guess I feel responsible too. Like… If someone I cared about was in her shoes, I’d do anything to help.”

Calian nodded. “I understand what you mean.”

“Good.” Hoyt brushed Cordell’s mane. “I just hope she knows what she’s doing. Going up against a man like Tom…. It’s asking for trouble.”

“You’re still helping her though.”

“Of course I am.”

Calian grinned. “Then I guess she doesn’t have that much to worry about.”

#walker #walker: independence #walker: independence fic #walker: independence fanfic #walker fic #walker fanfic #my fic #my writing #updated fic

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runesylvesterdyatlov · 1 year

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The Great Gatsby is an Alternate Timeline Where Jack Survived Titanic

I’m sorry, but I think we have to discuss the elephant in the room here.

While Baz Luhrmann’s movie adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby looks gorgeous, and probably brings the novel to life in a wonderfully larger-than-life manner, at no point have I seen anyone discussing how Leonardo DiCaprio’s Gatsby is obviously Jack from Titanic. And how the movie is obviously an alternate timeline where he survived the sinking of the ship and went on to build a life for himself in America in an attempt to reunite with Rose.

Not only that, but no one is discussing how this is the sixth Leonardo DiCaprio movie depicting an alternate timeline where Jack survived.

The clues are all there. The sinking of the Titanic was a crucial turning point in history and the character of Jack is right at the center of it. He’s a chaotic figure. A man who was not supposed to be on the boat, who affects change in the lives of many others in a short period of time, and who lives on only in the memory of one woman after his death. He exists as a catalyst in the purest sense.

Jack, if that was even his real name, seemed fated to die on Titanic. But what if he hadn’t? When you look at Leonardo DiCaprio’s 21st century film career, it seems like he’s constantly trying to answer that question. Another movie, a new timeline, and still it seems that Jack never achieves his goal of reuniting with Rose and living happily ever after.

Don’t let go, things are about to get a little creepy. So, what I think is...

What if Jack Dawson and Jay Gatsby were the same person? Both were poor and were played by the same actor.

Gatsby claimed he was an Oxford man, which wouldn't have been that far from Southampton where he boarded the Titanic. ........... Jack Dawson, a penniless artist who wins a ticket onto Titanic in 1912, attends a first class dinner, develops a taste for the finer things in life, pockets the Heart of the Ocean.

Maybe Jack didn't die in the water when the Titanic sank. Maybe he was rescued by someone and worked on the ship like Gatsby did, as Gatsby was a yachtsmen for ten years before he became rich. He pawns the diamond, spends the following ten years building his wealth, he buys a house in West Egg and in 1922 moves there as Jay Gatsby, a millionaire with a shady past and fear of swimming pools.

He also fell for Daisy, whom coincidentally was also named after a flower like Rose, was an upper class woman, and was involved in anabusive relationship.

The romance between the two of them is meant to be brief. They were not truly meant for each other past that point. But perhaps that was the point of the main timeline. Jack as J. Gatsby certainly heeds that advice.

Except then he drowns anyway.

The multiverse is cruel. Weird and cruel.

#leonardo dicaprio #titanic #the great gatsby #jack dawson #jay gatsby #multiverse #nick carraway #rose #daisy #mindfuck #fan theory

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percervall · 2 months

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for the fic title ask game!! any of these (or all three!)

- just between us did the love affair maim you too?

- not your homeland anymore

- gives you hell

just between us did the love affair maim you too?

You knew from the get-go that this would only end in tears, but how could you resist those ocean eyes and that French accent? It was a whirlwind of a romance, those three weeks in August, and after the dust has settled from the fallout, you're left wondering whether you are the only one to face any repercussions of your actions.

not your homeland anymore

The two of you used to be inseparable, a package deal. And then Carlos decided to choose Ferrari over you. Now four years later, you're thriving in your career, have rebuilt your social circle, while his world is crumbling. In the past you were always there to help him pick up the pieces, but Carlos realises you are no longer his port in the storm -and the only one to blame for that is himself.

gives you hell

Being a female footballer was hard enough, despite the women's team winning more trophies in the 21st century than the men's. But becoming the first female coach in the men's league? Any sexism you had experienced in the past would be nothing compared to the onslaught headed your way. What better way to get revenge than to show the entire league what happens when you piss off a woman. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

thanks ives! 🥰

send me a fic title idea and I'll give you an outline

#ask #ivy asks #fic title ask

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ts1989fanatic · 1 year

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It’s not an overstatement to say Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” is already one of the biggest albums of the 21st century. The album broke sales and streaming records, netting 1.57 million total album units in its first week based on its combined album sales, track sales, and online streams. That was actually Swift’s career-best first week despite being her 10th album. With that success, paired with the critical acclaim Swift’s been enjoying lately, it’s no wonder that the album is currently poised for some Grammy recognition, leading the odds right now on Gold Derby for Album of the Year, and being a heavy contender for other categories as well. And just like how the album broke sales records for Swift, it could break some Grammy records for her as well.

As of right now, “Midnights” is the obvious favorite to win Best Pop Vocal Album, especially considering its biggest competition right now are albums with weaker sales and acclaim, as well as fewer hit songs, like Miley Cyrus’s “Endless Summer Vacation” and Sam Smith’s “Gloria.” If she does prevail, she’ll join Adele and Kelly Clarkson as the only artists to win Best Pop Vocal Album twice; she previously won for her blockbuster 2014 release “1989.” But even if she doesn’t win, just a nomination for Swift would be significant. She would tie Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, and Justin Timberlake as the artists with the most nominations in the category, with five each. Then again, as Clarkson is looking at another nomination this year with “Chemistry,” it could be that Swift ties for second instead. In the big leagues, “Midnights” could also net Swift a very important record. If she wins Album of the Year, she’ll become the first artist ever to win it four times, breaking her tie with Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Simon. Swift would also become the first woman and only fourth person in any field to win Album of the Year four times, joining engineers Tom Coyne, Serban Ghenea, and John Hanes. Additionally, Swift would become the first artist to win the award twice this decade. Even if she doesn’t win, though, a nomination for “Midnights” would still make Swift the most nominated female artist in the category, tied with the great Barbra Streisand.

Swift’s hit single could also be record breaking. “Anti-Hero,” an eight-week number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, is pretty much assured Record and Song of the Year nominations. If it gets nominated for Song of the Year, Swift will become the person with the most nominations ever in that category with seven, breaking her tie with Lionel Richie and Paul McCartney. And a Record of the Year nomination would be Swift’s fifth in that category, marking her first there since “Blank Space.”Most importantly, “Anti-Hero” could very well become Swift’s first song to win either category, which is definitely an overdue feat; if she doesn’t win Song of the Year, she’ll continue her streak as the songwriter with the most nominations without a win, as McCartney won in 1967 for “Michelle” and Richie won in 1986 for “We Are the World.” Last but not least, “Anti-Hero” could win for Best Music Video. If it does, Swift would become the first artist to win the award three times, having previously claimed the prize for “Bad Blood” and “All Too Well.” Swift would also tie director and past collaborator Mark Romanek as the only individuals to win the award three times.

Clearly “Midnights” has a long way to go, and we won’t be sure of anything until the envelopes are opened in 2024. Still, it’s likely Swift breaks at least one or two of the above records, further showing what a once-in-a-generation star she is. And listen, even if she doesn’t, she’ll undoubtedly be fine: Swift was already the first woman to win Album of the Year twice and thrice, so the rest may just be icing on the cake.

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sincerely-minah · 6 months

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Gender Inequality in South Korea

Gender inequality prevails all throughout South Korea and with the current President Yoon Suk Yeol, many Korean feminists believe that society is regressing rather than progressing. The two articles similarly spotlight the dangers of President Yoon’s advocacy for dismantling the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family for the sole sake of gathering votes from young male voters (Kang). Yoon worked extremely hard to win the appeal of men, and in return, many females are now at risk for their own safety. In South Korea, it is the norm for women to abandon their college degrees and occupations to be the typical housewife: “Korean women are often pressured to give up their careers after childbirth and those who work outside the home still carry out the lion’s share of household chores and childcare duties” (Jung). Not to mention the alarming normality of sexual assaults toward women in public and private environments. Also fertility rates are declining in South Korea because women do not want to be restricted from the lives that they worked hard to curate, which affects the population of South Korea as well.

Growing up, my home life was labeled with various titles: living in a Korean household, living with a single mom, and living with my grandparents, uncle, and aunt all in one tiny apartment. These so-called titles all partake in who I am today and as I reflect on my past, and even on the present, there are many rigid standards within the Korean community. One of them being divorce. My mom single-handedly raised me in a foreign country and despite that being challenging enough, she also had to face the battle of how the Korean community viewed her. They judged her ability to raise a daughter, to make a living here, and to be a woman without a man beside her. I take note of how my grandmother, my mom’s mom, treats my uncle versus my mom. There is a huge difference: my mom is the one who takes my grandmother to all of her hospital visits and translates doctor appointments, and my mom is the one who eats a cold meal– mainly consisting of leftovers. Whereas my uncle, does not spend a dime on my grandmother, does not face the difficulties of having to rearrange his schedule to make time for the weekly doctor visits, and does not ever have to eat a meal that is not warm. Sometimes I wonder if my grandmother even knows what my mother’s favorite dish is because the only meal we often eat when the family is all together is the food my uncle likes most. For me, I find this appalling, but for my mother, this is something she has dealt with all her life. In Korean culture, the men of the family are often most prized– typically the eldest and the youngest son. This is an embedded social gender hierarchy that creeps at the moment a child is born, and it is something I have noticed my mother first-handily deal with. There is a favorable gender and the latter, women, are considered to work endlessly at creating a fruitful family.

Several Asian countries prioritize males and despite living in the 21st century, most times females are expected to serve men and to be submissive to them. As this continuous, toxic expected cycle progresses in South Korea, and in other Asian countries as well, it affects children from the moment they are born because there is a gender-based standard that is transcendent throughout society. And with this, as children grow older, they are likely to exhibit in a manner that they believe is the best representation of themselves as well as the gender they identify with. For example, males may act more dominant in the working field and females inherently begin to act submissive, which further institutes these gender norms. Also, children are extremely impressionable at such a young age, and the biggest factor of how and when they discover gender stereotypes primarily derives from their living status. Questions like “How does the father treat the mother?”, “who primarily cares for the house chores?” creates an open floor to see how we can envision the imbalance of genders through a child’s mind.

To summarize, South Korea has an extremely rigid and judgemental society that affects the way gender is defined. With the new President as well, South Korea does not seem to be progressing in an advantageous way but rather is regressing in a manner where children cannot learn nor understand the dynamics and powers of gender.

Sources:

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tilbageidanmark · 1 year

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Movies I watched this Week #118 (Year 3/Week 14):

My 3rd re-watch of Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean’s magnificent, all-male epic and the movie that Steven Spielberg had seen more than any other film. It’s so grand that the nearly 4 hours spectacle opens with 4+ minutes of orchestral music prelude on a dark screen and includes an ‘intermission’.

It got me to realize that most all movies (maybe because of the economics of movie-financing) always show deference to authority; The influences they represent, whether government, military, religion, civil powers, or simply ‘the big man’, the rulers are always accepted as masters.

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The Garden of Words, my second anime ever, and coincidentally also my second by Makoto Shinkai (After ‘Your name’). A melancholy and poetic story about a 15-year-old aspiring shoe-maker student who keeps meeting a woman skipping work on a park bench at the beautiful Shinjuku Gyo-en gardens during the raining season. Gorgeous visuals of nature and rain.

The Wikipedia page for this film is nearly as long as the one for Obama!

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3 more terrific debut films by young female directors:

🍿 For some unclear reasons, I’ve seen a large number of Parisian high school dramas recently. Spring blossom is one of the best. A gentle drama of a shy 16 year old girl who falls in love with a 35 man she sees outside a local theater.

And like Quinn Shephard’s ‘Blame’, it’s twice as impressive, because it was written by the talented Suzanne Lindon when she was only 15, and she directed it and starred in it before she was 20. Je l'adore! 8/10.

🍿 The Hive, my first film from Kosovo. Another on my growing list of “Debut films directed by female filmmakers”. The “first film in Sundance Festival history to win all three main awards – the Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award and the Directing Award – in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition”. Based on a true story, it tells simply but touchingly about a war widow who started a small business, making homemade Ajvar and empowering the women in her village. Highly recommended. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And of course, reminiscent of the Macedonian documentary ‘Honeyland’. 8/10.

🍿 Rye Lane, a cute new rom-com about two young black South London strangers who meet at random and spend the day getting to know each other. Fresh and original.

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My 7th by Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki. Every time I watch another of his movies, I get elated. There is nobody who make movies like him, he’s one of a kind. The man without a past, the second of his “Losers” trilogy, opens with a cinematic gut pinch and doesn’t let go until the end. My favorite of all his films so far?...

The trailer. 9/10.

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The Hollywood Reporter Critics put out a new list of their ‘50 best films of the first 21 years of the 21st century’, and I decided to go through the ones I haven’t seen yet.

First was Far from Heaven, my 4th tragedy by Todd Haynes. A precursor to his masterful ‘Carol’, this is another Douglas Sirk-inspired melodrama of oppression and unrequited desire in middle class America of the mid 50′s. Drenched in luminous colors over all (except of the scenes of illicit dangers, in the gay bar and black cafe), and accompanied by another expansive score, it’s a devastating tale of the price of conformity. The husband who can’t control his homosexual urges, and the wife who falls for a black gardener are doomed, and their lives will be shattered. The poor players had simply nowhere to go. 8/10.

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‘Today I learned’ about ‘Elite Panic’ describing the “behavior of members of the elite during disaster events, typically characterized by a fear of civil disorder” and the shifting of focus away from disaster relief towards implementing measures of "command and control".

New order, my third memorable film by Mexican auteur Michel Franco (after the terrific ‘Sundown’ and the disturbing ‘April’s daughter’) describes a society collapsing, the exact moment when the shit finally hits the fan, when the riots on the TV screen cross over and knock on your door. It’s a brutal and unforgiving story, ugly, violent and without any sentimental sympathy. Shocking anarchy escalates quickly when the pressure gets too much.

When the revolution comes down, it will bring some serious bloodshed. No wonder the greatest boogieman the ruling class warns us all about is “Class Warfare”. The most distressing film of the week - 9/10!

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To catch a thief, Hitchock’s romantic thriller. The Good: Grace Kelly on the French Riviera, the ultimate glamour of the lifestyles of the rich and famous at Cannes and Nice, Hitchcock’s first (?) use of helicopter shots and modern car chases. The Bad: The genre roles & sexual politics of the husband-seeking unmarried young woman would not fly today.

I watched it solely because of this clip.

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2 with Brigitte Fossey (of ‘Jeux interdits��):

🍿 “...The square is mine!...”

I forgot that she played the grown-up Elena in Cinema Paradiso, one of Ennio Morricone’s most popular movies. And yes, without his magnificent score, the 3-hour long nostalgic trip to the heart of cinema, would not be half as enjoyable.

The question that was not well-answered was: Why did he not bother to visit his mother for 30 year? (Re-watch).

🍿 The happy road, a mediocre 1957 children comedy about 10 year old American boy and French girl, who escape from a Swiss boarding school, and hitchhike to Paris. Directed by and starring Gene Kelly, falling for the girl’s mother. 3/10.

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Inside, the new Willem Defoe survival thriller. He’s an art thief who breaks into a hi-end NYC penthouse of a wealthy art collector, intending to steal 3 paintings by Egon Schiele. But the security system traps him inside, and he’s unable to escape for many months. Captivating hi-concept and one-trick film, but a bit too long. 6/10.

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...”Never forget how much he loved you, Kubo”...

After being seriously obsessed with everything ‘Coraline’ all of last year, Adora moved on to Laika Studio’s next stop-motion animated story Kubo and the two strings. A Japanese-inspired action story about a one-eyed Samurai son who creates magical origami figures from his 3-stringed shamisen. But it was as if all the pretty parts were combined by an AI-engine. 4/10.

I will introduce her next to ‘The Iron Giant’, and ‘Isle of dogs’.

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First watch: The green room, one of the last few François Truffaut films I haven’t seen yet. In it, he plays a somber 1920′s journalist obsessed with death who builds a shrine to everybody he had lost. I love his human directing style, but this was a confusing mess. 2/10

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RIP, Ryuichi Sakamoto X 2:

🍿 In remembrance of his passing I started re-watching Bertolucci’s ‘The Last Emperor’, but to be honest, I got bored after 30 minutes; I blame the less than HD version of my pirated copy. So maybe I’ll try it another time.

Instead, I went back to my of favorite ‘Black Mirror' episodes, and the only one he composed the score for, Smithereens. It was directed by the same man who did my other cherished story ‘Hated in the nation’, and was also about online media frenzy that spirals out of control. This ‘Tyranny of the Screens’ parable received mixed reviews, because it wasn’t futuristic enough, but for my money it is a tense thriller on par with the best of them. 10/10.

Sakamoto’s dark score is subtle and minimal. You have to strain to notice it. Perfect!

...”This is my last day!”...

🍿 Psychedelic Afternoon, a 2013 animated short, featuring David Byrne, and released to raise money for children who survived the 2011 tsunami.

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‘Mad men’ is one of the few TV-shows I've seen, and I’ve seen it 3 or 4 times (including once last year). “Hazel” of YouTube ‘Dream Dimension Productions’ analyzes one “Perfect Scene” from Season 3 finale “Shut the door, have a seat”.

A terrific breakdown, which got me to watch it again, together with a few more.

Extra: Her ‘Netflix has a content problem’, which I also agree with, as I was attempting to avoid 90% of all their content.

🍿 Talk to her, my 3rd unsatisfying film by Pedro Almodóvar (after ‘All about my mother’ and ‘The human voice’). A twisted story about two unappealing men who befriend each other at a clinic where they both care for comatose women. His editing choices and scattered direction, constantly focusing on unrelated detail in every scene turned me off. Some artistic perversions (like a silent film clip of a tiny man entering a giant vagina) notwithstanding. I guess I’m not a fan. 4/10.

🍿 2 more by Noah Baumbach (both with Adam Driver):

🍿 The last film I saw this week was also the best one:

I started watching the new Adam Driver dinosaur fantasy ‘65′. but it felt so stupid the moment Adam Driver opened his mouth, that I had to switch it off within 5 minutes. Instead, I turn to Marriage Story again. An absolute masterpiece, so painful and so true, for all divorced couples and parents of children of divorce. (That 10 minutes long scene at the apartment was raw! - Screenshot Above). 10/10 deservedly and without any reservations.

(And now I must see ‘Two for the road’!)

🍿 (Actually, I ended up with his uneven While we’re young, which didn’t measure up to that. The milieu of hipster millennial poseurs and Brooklyn wannabe documentary filmmakers was uninteresting, and I also can’t stand Ben Stiller.)

Still I will look for the rest of his movies I had missed.

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(My complete movie list is here)

#movies

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