#it can't be an easter egg someone was supposed to find either because there is no context in the entire game that would make this make sense

[mollysunder]

Silco, Amara, and the Blood Moon Cult in Zaun

It's more likely that Silco was sending his shipment of Shimmer to Ionia rather than Noxus. It's easy to conclude that Silco was expanding his market into Noxian war bands because it's Noxus, of course they'd want it. But why would Silco trust Noxian clients with such a sensitive weapon when Noxus is so close to Piltover? A good chunk of Piltover's upper crust, which includes Councilors, go out of their way to accommodate their Noxian clients, even if it means engaging in illegal trade. Despite their principles on "peace" Piltover is fine to host a Noxian war lord, and when the Hexgates temporarily closed the people they voice concern for are for no one else but their Noxian clientele.

If Silco supplied Noxians with Shimmer and he managed to successfully establish Zaun. There's nothing stopping disgruntled Piltovans to call upon their own allies in Noxus to crush his revolution using the same weapon he used to start it. Once he sends it to Noxus, Silco has no real control over which war band actually gets the Shimmer, and who they're loyal to. Plus trusting Noxians is a losing game, they're more likely to try to steal Shimmer factories then do business.

If anything, the show points toward Ionia interacting more commonly with Zaun than with Piltover. Sure there are some cool easter eggs that reference Ionian champs like Jhin, and skinlines like the Blood Moon, but there's an actual tangible presence not found in Piltover. And it starts with the two mysterious figures in the background of episode 1.

They stand out not just because they're height and clothes, but because they're wearing very specific masks. Both these monks are wearing masks with the Blood Moon on their forehead. Despite the fact it's just the Lunari symbol flipped upside down, the Blood Moon cult is Ionian in origin. Technically the cult only exists in an alternate universe skin line where they're characterized as members of a secret order that performs arcane rites to merge with demons and harness their power, in the canon line it's only supposed to be a holiday in Ionia, like the lunar new year. Then again, Arcane isn't beholden to canon and tends to do its own thing.

We never see them topside in Piltover, but we do see someone dressed in a similar fashion, it's Amara. The Blood Moon cultists cover themselves in purple cloth and wear two orange ornaments shaped into the blood moon sigil that hang on either side of the front of their hats, with a third purple sigil on the forehead of their masks. On the two different occasions we see Amara she largely wears purple. And up close we can see that her she wears orange-red earrings with a purple bindi at the center of her forehead. The only thing missing are the crescents that wrap around the blood moon.

At first, I would have called this coincidence, but then I took further notice of her appearance. She appears to dress like a typical wealthy merchant from Piltover, but if you look closer, you notice glaring inconsistencies. Her entire outfit is off, it's got the general cut of a Councilors outfit, but it's also purposefully uneven in length of cloth and adornments, almost like you'd find in Zaun. I've mentioned before that the rich in Piltover probably play around with Zaunite fashion at parties, but Amara's outfit is practically casual in its asymmetry compared to her peers.

Amara's outfit makes her look like an outlier compared to everyone else. We already know Amara is corrupt, she donates large sums of cash to Piltover Academy so that Piltover looks the other way when her charters don't make sense, which means she's a smuggler.

But what does any of this have to do with Silco and the Shimmer trade? It's because Amara was helping Silco facilitate it through her own ships.

Let's thinks about it. One, Silco may be an industrialist to the Council but he needs contacts on the inside to keep track of developments in Piltover, he can't just rely on Marcus. He needs more established cover when he has Shimmer shipped out. Two, his crew may have been on the ship, but that doesn't mean the ship belonged to Silco. Silco has money, but not THAT much money by Piltovan standards. A part of their arrangement could just be that Amara provides her name and a ship (not a nice one), but Silco needs to cover the bribe, and give Amara a percentage of the profit.

Silco's probably cultivated a litany strange bedfellows both within and outside Piltover's borders to ensure Zaun's rise. Amara's donations means she gets to be among the first to hear about new developments in Hextech before the market does. Amara might share the news with Ionia and Silco, because how else did Jinx know where to find the hexgem with time to spare for graffiti? How would Silco know that the gem was actually important when he saw it for the first time and not just a high quality rock? According to the Council Archives, this wouldn't even be the first time Silco has recruited a Piltovan, one of his chembarons, Chross of the Hush Company, is originally Piltovan but is now dedicated to Zaunite Independence.

But what does Amara get out of it? Easy, arms for Ionia, or at least her faction.

Ionia's situation is tricky to explain because Arcane doesn't really follow League of Legends canon. It gets the general idea, but then does other stuff. The First Invasion of Ionia by Noxus led to the slaughter of countless Ionians during Noxus's occupation, which included soldiers and civilians alike. The Ionian region was wildly unprepared for the war as the people of the region promoted a culture of peaceful resolution towards each other and nature, while the Emperor of Noxus wanted to kill as many Ionians as possible to steal anything that MIGHT grant him immortality. To drive out Noxus, they had to take arms and defend themselves to end the brutality. After barely winning, plenty of provinces within Ionia (there's no real centralized government) we're left to decide how to move forward both culturally and geopolitically. Some factions sought to return to their pacifist isolationism, other groups are building an ultranationalist movement to unify Ionia under one leader and to militarize Ionia's magic, it's a mixed bag.

The Blood Moon cult, or whatever they call themselves in Arcane, is probably one answer some Ionians found as they dealt with Noxus's occupation. If you noticed the original iteration of the Blood Moon cult is bathed in red, but the cultists cover themselves in purple, Lunari purple. I've already talked at length about the possible Lunari diaspora in Zaun, but I didn't mention the one that canonically exists in Ionia!

To escape the ongoing pogroms organized the Solari, many Lunari either went into hiding or fled the Targonian region altogether. Some Lunari managed to flee all the way to Ionia. Imagine the utter devastation to know all the struggle to find safety meant nothing when Noxus invaded. It all just doubles over because in Arcane, we see Noxian war lords like Ambessa terrorize Targonian Lunari like the princess in Mel's flashback, likely with the aid of Solari allies. It never stopped for them. What's even worse is that NONE of the other regions aided them during the slaughter, the only real aid was the emperor's own incompetence.

After the war, I'm sure a good portion of Ionia's Lunari diaspora, and plenty of other Ionians never wanted to be that vulnerable again and are currently seeking ways to increase their military strength. Thematically, it goes hand in hand with Silco's own struggle to create an independent Zaun to escape Piltover's brutality, the willingness to do anything, no matter how dark to defeat a superior enemy. So, as problematic as Shimmer can be, it's an effective healer and strength enhancer in a vial for the desperate.

But how do we know that the First Invasion of Ionia even happened yet? Because Arcane has already hinted at Urgot appearing next season.

Urgot as a champion was a former executioner for Noxus. In Urgot's lore, Swain had to make sure Urgot was out of Noxus before he could execute his coup against the emperor after the failed Invasion of Ionia. So Swain had Urgot sent to Zaun on fake mission to have him subdued and subsequently imprisoned to never return to Noxus.

In this still of post time skip Zaun, we see that the central figure of the image is technically the tattoo that's supposed to reference the League of Legends band Pentakill. But to the left is the real hint, it's the tattoo artist. It's the same tattoo artist that appeared in Urgot's debut splash art in League. I'm sure Urgot's story won't be 1-to-1 with League lore, but it will fit enough to put him in Piltover because the Medarda family is in a bad spot against a man who clearly has more sway in Noxus than them.

I can't say whether or not the robed cultists work directly under Amara or not. Amara and them might be separate agents where the robed figures make deals and she provides cover. What I do know is that the cultists have shown up in Zaun since Silco was ready to distribute Shimmer from the very beginning and show up again after their largest shipment yet was destroyed. Does this make any of them friends? Probably not. Frankly, Amara probably wants to take control of the trade in my opinion. Why, because Amara is the name of a large fish species that acts as an ambush predator in river systems (it's just spelled Aimara). And Finn had said there's bigger fish than Silco (it's such a dumb pun, it has to be true). She might care about what Ionia suffered and can still feel like Shimmer should be under her control instead, but that's a post for another day.

There's a larger discussion to be had about the ways in which the moon(s) of Runeterra and Lunari have blended into Ionian culture in Arcane. Clearly the moon and Lunari imagery is more synonymous with Ionian culture in Arcane, and then it's juxtaposed against the Mel's Solari aesthetics mixed with Ambessa's Noxian violence. Then over the show Piltover is typically bathed in daylight and the shining sun while housing Noxians and their intrigue. It practically begs the final scene to mean more, that it isn't just Jinx striking back for herself, for Silco, or Zaun, but it's larger retribution against the existing order of power.

#arcane #zaun #ionia #arcane silco #arcane amara #if that pun really does mean amara was after silco's empire I'll scream #lunari #league of legends #aimara is also called a wolf fish #noxus #piltover #long post #arcane meta #arcane speculation #arcane season 2 speculation #targon #silco #ridiculously long post

[stimpiess]

Thank you so much for following me. What's your favorite and least favorite Ren and Stimpy episodes?

No problem! I really like your art and stories :)

My favorite Ren and Stimpy episodes... Gosh, there's so many, this question is hard to answer!

If I had to pick one, it would be My Shiny Friend.

Such a gloomy, nightmarish, yet very fun episode (great, fitting color palette BTW)!

I like the two sided nature of this episode. Neither Ren or Stimpy is really in the right. While Stimpy's addiction to the television is concerning, it's not like Ren has the moral high ground either... he restricts when he goes to the fucking bathroom like an abusive boss, and he locked poor Stimpy in the basement for a year with no contact with other lifeforms! Do you know what that kind of solitary isolation DOES to a person?! It breaks them... I think it's worse than the time he tried to murder Stimpy in Stimpy's Fan Club, because that would at least be quick and painless, and he wouldn't have to live with trauma.

Look at Ren, weeping at and comforting Stimpy, as though he's so concerned for him. He actually thinks he's HELPING by locking him away in the pits of the basement to waste away and suffer. It's so beautifully tragic.

"Love You Stimpy" Yeah, given what Ren DOES to Stimpy in this episode, that could not be further from the truth. Or maybe he does love him in a fucked up, unhealthy way. Either way, Stimpy is still someone to be pitied. (Also I love the background music in this scene)!

The suffering begins. Note the decrepit 5'o clock shadow on Stimpy. He has been rotting in this dirty ass basement for quite some time already.

This nightmare scene always gives me the chills to think about. Not just because a distorted, heavily slowed down version of the Muddy Mudskipper song is playing in the background (love the atmosphere in this episode, did I mention that?), and the fact that we literally see Stimpy getting BLOODY eaten by Muddy, but also because of what it implies.

Stimpy has no real peers outside of Ren, who physically and verbally abuses him 24/7. Really, the only people who he can seek comfort from are idols like Muddy Mudskipper. So imagine being in a vulnerable position after being severely abused. You need someone to lean on so you can feel safe... That someone, for Stimpy, is Muddy. Stimpy states in this very episode he "loves" Muddy. Imagine that person you love, the only person you can count on to find comfort in when times are tough, the one single solace in your life, suddenly turns their back on you and beats the shit out of you and insults you. After you already had to deal with enough of that already. Not you too, Muddy! You can't be like that! You were... supposed to be... the only one... I loved... you... I thought you were different... I guess no one will love me. I have no one. Nothing...

I love the way Stimpy gets into fetal position. He's so fragile and helpless. But look at that mattress- there's clearly red blood stains on it.

This implies that Ren has been BEATING Stimpy until he bleeds during his time in the basement. I love the subtle little way they implied that. These hidden easter eggs make these episodes so rewatchable, it's like I'm uncovering a new story!

Love the dystopian, sad colors here. It looks so oppressive and I'm here for it! Stimpy looks like a helpless little kitten who has no idea where he is... I wanna hold his hand

The way Stimpy breaks when he realizes his fate. Soft, silent weeping. No hope. No soul left. No joy. Just cynicism and sadness overtake him. Poor fucking guy.

I love this episode for the two-sided conflict, the gut-wrenching atmosphere, the ways it makes you feel for Stimpy, and all the dark little implications about the characters in their situation. Everything I like to see in a Ren and Stimpy episode bundled up into one package.

Episodes like Ren Needs Help, Stimpy's Fanclub, Double Header, It's a Dog's Life, and Life Sucks are also enjoyable to rewatch for similar reasons. Stimpy's Invention is also one of my favorites but it's been talked about to death so I won't talk about it here.

Now, as for my least favorite episodes: It's rare I have any episodes in this show I actually dislike, so I will just list them off:

Untamed World: So boring and slow. The joke is "look, all the animals on the island look like ren and stimpy!" Repeat for the entire episode.

Hard Times For Haggis: Character nobody cares about gets the spotlight and all the pity while Ren and Stimpy who are supposed to be the main characters get sidelined. Lame. They spend most of the bloody episode bound and gagged, they have no fucking agency! Who the hell even likes Haggis, he's just a guy who is also a Scottish stereotype, and he's ugly lol...

Sven Hoek: An absolute fan favorite... Why? I'll copy paste what I had to say about Sven Hoek (both the character AND episode) from a deviantART comment I made a while back because he doesn't deserve the extra effort.

"his voice is annoying, he's ugly, he and stimpy have no chemistry whatsoever and don't play off each other at all (anything sven likes, stimpy likes too, it's like watching a two-headed idiot talk to himself. i like stimpy and ren's dynamic more because it provides more contrast).

there is nothing to like about him. as dumb as stimpy is, at least there are other things to like about him, like his kindness, compassion, willingness to help others and talent as an inventor. he's not completely worthless as a person.

what the fuck does sven provide? the only thing he does is be stupid and derp around with stimpy for 22 minutes. he is a waste of space with not a single worthwhile thought or action to bring to the table. i wish ren really did rip his lips out and tear his arms out of the sockets and gouge his eyes out! xd"

This episode basically had no plot. Sven and Stimpy fuck around, that's it. The only entertaining part of this episode is the ending. I liked seeing Ren threaten and verbally assasinate Sven and Stimpy. The characters all going to hell after Ren whizzed on the electric fence was funny too.

Ren's Brain: This is a rare time where I am sympathetic to Ren. This entire episode is about Stimpy intellectually crippling Ren and taking advantage of that for his selfish benefit. I admire Stimpy's intellect in regards to his neuroscience and outsmarting Ren, but the way he treats him like a puppet is not fun to watch. It's cruel. Cruelty is not in Stimpy's character. Why did he do something like that?

Thanks for giving me an opportunity to dump my thoughts out onto the internet like that! I really enjoyed it and I hope to see more asks like this in the future!

#ren and stimpy #stimpy #ren hoek #sven hoek #sven #ren #abuse mention #my shiny friend #tv #the ren and stimpy show #muddy mudskipper #muddy #haggis #haggis mchaggis

[sadowlswriting]

I'm not sure if it's because I'm older now and I'm not really a kid anymore, but nothing has changed.

Holidays and events that come every year aren't fun anymore. I can't stand birthdays my own or someone else's, I'll celebrate someone's if their excited but I don't want to celebrate my own, i find it unnecessary and pointless when I don't see the fun in it anymore and my family fail to understand that.

Easter. My family aren't religious but we still buy chocolate Easter eggs and decorate boiled eggs when we were young, but now I see no point in that either. I remember doing it when I was young, I remember feeling happy and having fun while doing it but i just don't think it would be the same now.

It's like when you get older a switch gets flipped and instead of seeing the world as this magical, colourful and vibrant place, all the colours of the world become dull like they've all been mixed with a light grey, the colours are still there but there saturation has been turned down.

When I was a child I would look at people and be able to find something to love in each and everyone of them, whether it was something in the way they looked or in how they did something it was easy too but having experienced that you can not love all people and have all people love you back, I now find it hard to find something to love in everyone, I've learnt that what people show in public isn't who they always are.

In the eyes of other people older than me, to them, I am still a kid and I should be doing kid things or at least things people my age do, like posting videos online that I think are funny that when I look back at in a few years I'll cringe at but deep down I'll still smile at the memory of how fun it was, that I should be going out with friends and do what people with friends do, I should be planning out my future and what I want to do, who I want to be, if I want children, if i want to marry and what kind of house I'll live in.

But they don't understand that I've forced my self to be more mature than the age I am, because I was scared of everything, I never had anything happen to me but I forced myself to see what everyone said I'm too young to understand. I was a child with curiosity bigger than I could handle.

I get life is supposed to be one big experience that at the end, you can tell stories to the people who care for you, or if you have grandchildren or you can give advice to someone whose younger and teach them not to make the same mistakes you did, and not get to the end of your life rethinking all the things that you should've done or that you regret.

And I know this getting long and it's a lot to read and not many people are probably going to take the time to read this, and that's okay. Really, it is. Nobody has to read everything they come across and I don't expect them too.

This world is better in terms of science, medicine is more advanced and people are able to live longer, and better quality lives yet there is still a lot more that needs time spent in researching. But even though we've progressed and evolved to make our chances of survival in this word better and easier this world is still going downhill, people are trying to help but its not working, wars are still happening and people are dying and suffering everyday, human rights are being taken away from the innocent when they've done nothing wrong, people are still looked down upon because of their race, gender, sexuality and disability. Instead of going forward were going backwards and I can't help but wonder why? What is happening? Is there any hope left? And should I even have any?

It is not hard to learn from the mistakes of the past, and I'm glad we're taught history so we can see what not to do, so we have sympathy for those that have been wronged and not let us to do the same but why are we failing so hard?

Are we not supposed to make this world better than we found it? Yet here we are destroying what is left of it. We're supposed to make life easier for the next generation, were supposed to make them feel safe not scared and not terrified that their life can be taken away from them within a millisecond.

I know its not my fault but I cant help but feel like I have to apologise, to all the people who have faced discrimation, who have watched war and murder happen in front of their very own eyes, who have had they're parents, children, friends or any other people they've loved taken away from them. This world is not fair and I'm sorry. I am so sorry.

-Owl.

#poetry #writing

[fictionalrambles]

Shadowhunters Fandom Story - Part Fifteen

Submitted by jwrites_

Five Favourite Fics:

1. What's It Gonna Be by @lemonoclefox

Why I love this fic: I'm a sucker for Pride & Prejudice. San was able to take that dynamic and put it all in a modern day telling of it. I can't count how many times I've read this. Sometimes I read it all the way through, other times I go and find my favorite parts just to get that rush of emotions it never fails to give. The enemies to lovers is done perfectly, the dialogue is great and flows seamlessly, the way she tied in the storyline between Simon, Isabelle, Valentine, and Alec together was genius. I truly love every word of this story.

Favorite scene: Awkward - love - confession - in -  the -  rain

Favorite quote(s):

(Yes. Love confessions are great but have you ever overheard someone say something rude about you and then have the opportunity later that same night to be able to casually call that person out for their comment?)

"Her friend is..." He trails off, as though searching for the word, and Magnus can imagine him gesturing in the meantime. "Interesting," Jace eventually settles on, pointedly.

"Who, that Bane guy?" Alec says, and as he does, Magnus is hit with a wave of intrigued surprise. Does Alec like men? Interesting. The assumption could be wrong, of course, but Jace's tone implies that that's why he's mentioning it. "He's a bit over the top, don't you think?"

He sounds almost disdainful as he says it, as though Jace's mere suggestion is laughable, and Magnus's intrigue immediately shifts to offended annoyance. He straightens a little where he stands, reluctantly affected by it.

--

"I mean, love songs are great," Magnus admits lightly. "But stringing a few pretty words together does seem a bit unoriginal when everyone does it."

Simon shoves him lightly in offense, and Magnus can't help but laugh.

"Then what do you suggest?" Magnus is taken completely by surprise when he realizes that it's Alec who's speaking, and he turns to him. The guy's expression is neutral, but seems genuinely curious.

"Oh, I don't know," Magnus says, swirling his drink around in his glass. He shrugs. "I suppose I'm more a fan of showing and not telling. I'd much prefer someone showing interest in what I like and who I am, than comparing my eyes to the night sky, and whatnot." He gestures airily, then hesitates. He suddenly can't seem to stop himself, the memory of the Lightwoods' overheard conversation bubbling to the surface. "I think most people can appreciate that. Even if some of us are a bit over the top."

--Okay...I'm gonna go ahead and throw in a love confession~

"Look, I don't expect anything from you," he says, as though the words are hard to say. "You've made your feelings pretty clear, and I respect that. But I heard you talked to my mom, and with the stuff you said to her... I guess it just kind of made me a bit hopeful, or something. A bit." He clears his throat, while Magnus just listens. He turns to watch Alec's profile as the young man struggles to find the words, eyes on the view in front of him. "Either way, I'll admit that how I feel hasn't really changed. Maybe it should have, but..."

Alec shakes his head, and Magnus feels his throat go dry. He wants to interrupt Alec, wants to say and show everything that's bursting out of his chest, but he waits. Alec takes a deep breath then, turns to him. He looks determined.

"If you want me to," he says steadily, "I'll go. I'll leave you alone, I promise. You won't hear from me again." He pauses, licks his lips. "But if you don't want me to, if something has changed since last time, somehow... I'd really like to know. Because that would be pretty great."

2. 42 North 71 West by @lecrit​

Why I love this fic: I was blessed with the opportunity to witness Lu working on this fic from its conception to its end. I was there and still I am blown away at the way she was able to work the time jumps. I remember thinking with every chapter I read, 'Wow. The way she is telling this story is amazing. She is amazing.' Lu has a way of presenting so much honesty in her characters. She writes them in a way that feels so real, that you can't help but understand their fears and hesitations even though it hurts. The story is a back and forth told through scenes set in the past and present. You get to see what they were and where they are. The story is beautifully heartbreaking. And she was able to make me enjoy a story that dealt with politics? What? Sorcery, I tell you. -- also, the bench.

Favorite scene: This was almost impossible to choose and I took way too long trying to pinpoint just one. But I'm going to go with one that I hold very dear. When Magnus goes to visit Alec on his birthday and he finds Alec playing the song he only plays when he's sad. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to spoil~

Favorite quote(s):

“Magnus,” Alec breathes out.

The name feels almost foreign, as if he hadn’t uttered it in too long and now his mind is troubling to catch up with his mouth. Still, it manages to make Alec’s heart stutter.

--

“We should’ve stayed on that bench in Boston,” he murmurs.

--

The good thing is, he knows where to go to find his way back. It is inked on his body, engraved into his soul, sealed into his heart.

3. Lead The Way by Clockworkswan

Why I love this fic: Because it takes the wonderful adventure of Doctor Who and packs it in with Malec. This is the ultimate fun and feel good but you will also cry at one point fic. I always go back to it if I want a wonderfully written Doctor Magnus and his adorable companion Alec. Seriously, even if you're not into Doctor Who, give this fic a shot. It's written in a way that you will get so caught up in the adventure that you won't even realize it's based on something else. And if you're a Doctor Who fan, you're in luck with all the little Easter Eggs Heather left throughout.

Favorite scene: I really don't want to spoil anything. The planet of Ablorix. This will mean nothing if you don't read the fic (so you should ;])

Favorite quote(s):

Magnus extends a hand. It’s just like before, when they were in the hallway a couple of weeks ago. It’s just as inviting as it was the first time.

“How about it, pretty boy? Name a star. Any one will do. Or a date,” Magnus says. The double meaning is evident when he winks. He pauses then, and his expression shifts, growing solemn.

A clear shift in his demeanour happens. Magnus turns from playful to sincere in the blink of an eye. Although, there was also a serious tone to it. Magnus looks at him, and understanding eyes meet Alec’s hesitant ones. “Alexander, you seem like a man in need of a break, and I am very much a man in need of a friend. Adventures are always a quick way in figuring out what you want. What do you say?”

What does he say?

He says yes.

Of course Alec does.

--

Before Magnus can think of a good retort, he tries to ignore the clenching ache his stomach gives at the sight of a confident, smirking Alec Lightwood watching him so openly. He settles for pointing in a random direction. “I have to go and see a dog about a man. Meet back here in five?”

“Uh, isn’t the expression, ‘see a man about a dog’?”

“Not when the dog ran off with the man’s wife. A rather big scandal, it seems. The president wants me to try and step in. Smooth things over, so to speak.”

At that, Alec just stares blankly.

Magnus holds up a finger. “Yes, this is normal for me. No, you may not come along. Go.”

4. Love & Other Drugs prequel of Our Love Is A Harsh Chord in the Semi-charmed Kind Life series by @la-muerta​

Why I love this fic: I'm kind of cheating here by listing two fics but they're a package deal. Love & Other Drugs was a smutty one-shot that left me wanting

more...

backstory. Let me tell you the pining and 'unrequited' love between those two demanded a story to be written. Which is why when la_muerta ran a poll on whether or not she should start it or another series first, I campaigned for this one like it was my job (I lost but I still got the series eventually so did I really lose?) The writing in this and with all of la_muerta's fics will hook you. The sadness over the back and forth between them is done so well. It's angst that will grip you and hold onto you until you eventually finish. Just go on the twitter hashtag of #OLIAHCfic and see my screaming.

Favorite scene: Probably the LSD scene.

Favorite quote(s):

Alec was still here, in bed with him.

How many times had Magnus wished that he could wake up with Alec in his arms? He didn't dare to move, wanting the dream to last a little longer, but Alec was already stirring.

--

he'll wonder if life would be a little easier if he wasn't hopelessly in love with Magnus, but it is a fact of who he is now: Alec Lightwood is 6'3, has dark hair, is gay, and is in love with Magnus Bane.

--

They are lying next to each other now, turned on their sides and face to face. The world is no longer warped and weird, but glowing and perfect. Magnus is tracing a path of lightning down Alec's body with his fingertips, and in a moment of clarity Alec understands that in Magnus' eyes he is as beautiful as he thinks Magnus is (it is the first thing Alec forgets when he wakes up sober later).

--

Words aren't enough to express how he feels, but they've always understood each other better when clumsy words don't get in the way.

5. The Lonely Hearts Hotline by @unrestrainedlyexcessive​

Why I love this fic: It's funny, it's endearing, it's heart wrenching, it's sexy, etc. The way Alec is written in this fic is one of my favorite characterizations. The way his situation can resonate with so many young adults today. That feeling when you're an adult and you feel like you should know what to do with your life and who you should be but the truth is, you're still just as lost as always. Being an adult sucks tbh and even when you're an adult, sometimes life doesn't quite feel like it. Alec's character and growth in this fic is beautiful. (I also really loved Jace in this fic)

Favorite scene: A tough choice. Probably the office party and follow up scene in Magnus' office.

Favorite quote(s):

The problem with being a new grad, in general, is that the world and job force demands you have experience, but you have to live a certain number of productive years on the planet to gain that experience.

Early adulthood is no man's land. You don’t have the experience to matter and no one wants to pay you to gain it, hence how he ended up in the precarious situation he’s in: dodgy sex work by night, an even dodgier roommate, and desperately hoping an internship eventually turns into an actual paying job.

--

Magnus runs his tongue down the knobs of Alec's spine. "You're so beautiful," he says, pausing.

"I'm really not," Alec insists, eyes fluttering closed.

"Why are you so kind to everyone except yourself?"

"I'm a work in progress."

"Aren't we all?"

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfiction blog

[dukereviewsmovies]

Duke Reviews: The Incredible Hulk

Hi, Everyone I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome To Duke Reviews Where Today We're Continuing Our Look At The Marvel Cinematic Universe...

By Looking At The Film That Introduced That Big Green Monster Of Might, The Hulk To The MCU, The Incredible Hulk...

This Film Sees Bruce Banner (Played In This By Edward Norton, Before He Transformed Into Mark Ruffalo) As An Unwitting Pawn Of The U.S. Military, Led By General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Played By William Hurt) Who Are Trying To Restart The Super Solider Program Which Led To The Creation Of Captain America But Without Erskiene's Formula It Leads To Hulky Results For Bruce Which Forces Him To Go On The Run From The Military Until He Can A Way To Cure Himself Of The Raging Spirit That Dwells Within Him...

But When Bruce Is Captured By Ross, His Worst Fears Are Realized When A Power Hungry Solider Named Emil Blonsky (Played By Tim Roth) Turns Into A Similar More Bestial Creature Named Abomination And Causes A Panic Throughout Harlem, Can Bruce Stop Blonsky With The Hulk?

Let's Find Out As We Watch The Incredible Hulk...

The Movie Starts With A Flashback That Shows Everything I Just Mentioned Including How Banner Became The Hulk (Which Looks Reminiscent Of The Bill Bixby Tv Series), And How Banner Went On The Run After Nearly Hurting His Love Interest, Betty Ross (Played By Liv Tyler) Who Is Daughter Of General Ross...

Years Later In Rio...

Seriously, How Banner Doesn't Run Into Dominic Toretto And His Crew There Is A Mystery To Me...

Bruce Holds Down A Job As Both Worked And...

In A Soda Factory While Also Trying To Find A Way To Control The Hulk By Taking A Medatation Class?...

Let's Hope Bruce Doesn't Become The Hulk There, Because The Last Superhero Who Was There? Well...Let's Just Say It Didn't End So Well...

While Also Working A Mystery Guy Named "Mr. Blue" On Ways To Cure Himself Of The Hulk At The Same Time, But When Some Of Bruce's Blood Ends Up In One Of The Soda Bottles At The Factory And Poisons An Old Man...

Stan Lee Cameo!

It Catches Ross's Attention And Soon Him, And His Men, Led By Emil Blonsky Are On Their Way To Rio To Find Bruce...

Getting A Message From Mr. Blue, He Says He Has Something That Might Cure Bruce But He Needs More Data (Which Bruce Doesn't Have) Otherwise He Can't Help Him...

Hearing Some Noise, Bruce Makes A Run For It As Blonsky And His Men Burst Into His Apartment But They Eventually Spot Bruce As He Runs From Street To Street And Rooftop To Rooftop...

Eventually Losing Both Blonsky And Ross. Bruce Ends Up Running Into Some Guy Who Was Hitting On A Friend Of His At The Soda Factory And Him And His Guys End Up Following Banner To The Soda Factory Where They Start Beating Up Banner Which Leads To Bruce Becoming The Hulk...

With Blonsky And His Boys Soon Arriving After The Hulk Beats Up Those Guys And Thrashes Everyone Except Blonsky...

Regrouping At Bruce's Apartment, They Find Bruce's Laptop Along With A Picture Of Betty, Which Eventually Leads To A Talk Between Blonsky And Ross, As Blonsky Feels That They Had Banner But When The Hulk Showed Up Everything Went South...

Interested In The Hulk, Blonsky Swears To Find Banner And Get Him To Tell Him Where To Find It, But Ross Simply Tells Him That That Thing Was Banner And Walks Off As He Tells Blonsky To Pack Up So They Can Go Home...

The Next Day In Guatemala, Bruce Wakes Up By A River As He Gets A Ride From Someone Heading Into Town, Asking Where Bruce Is Headed, Bruce Tells The Man In His Native Language That He's Headed Home...

Back In The States, Blonsky Talks With Ross As Tells Him That He's Not Stepping Away From This And Whatever He's Involved In, He Wants In...

Back In Guatemala...

Okay, What Is This? Why Are They Playing The Lonely Man Theme From The Incredible Hulk Tv Series? Not That I'm Not Happy To Hear It, But This Is A Movie Based On The Comic Book, Not A Movie Based On TV Series...

If I Wanted To See A Movie Based On The Tv Series I'd Watch One Of The Tv Movies That Have Daredevil And Thor In It (And Yes, This Is True) Either Way, It May Be A Good Easter Egg But It's Done For The Wrong Reasons, If Anything They Should Be Playing This Since Bruce Is Going Home...

Telling Blonsky We Already Saw In The Flashback At The Beginning Of The Movie (Only Thing We Really Learn Is That Bruce Thought That He Was Working On Radiation Resistance And Ross Never Told Him What The Real Experiment Was) And Says As Far As He's Concerned Bruce's Body Belongs To The U.S Government...

(Start At 0:45, End At 0:51)

Arriving At His University In Virginia, Bruce Spied On Betty Who Has Found A New Boyfriend In Phil Dunphy...

I'm Sorry, I Know That He's Supposed To Be Leonard Samson, But Ty Burrell Is Phil Dunphy And That's All I'll Ever See Him As...

Visiting A Pizza Place Called Stanley's, Bruce Catches Up With The Owner, Played By Hermey The Elf...

Seriously, The Guy Who Plays Stanley, Played Hermey The Elf In Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Which In Turn Makes Me Wonder If Stanley Has A Side Job As A Dentist...

He Offers Him The Room He Has Upstairs And He Asks To Borrow A Pizza Boy Delievry Outfit So He Can Keep The Guard (Played By Lou Ferigno) Distracted With A Free Pizza While He Tries To Get The Data He's Looking For Only To Discover That It's Not There...

Telling Mr. Blue This, He Says That Without It, He Can't Help...

But As He Prepares To Leave, Betty And Phil Stop By Stanley's Only For Betty To Catch A Glimpse Of Bruce...

Asking Stanley To Tell Her The Truth, He Tells Betty That Bruce Is Back, Which Leads Her To Confront Bruce On The Bridge Which Leads To A Tearful Reunion For The Former Lovers...

Taking Bruce To Her House, She Gives Bruce A Drive Which Contains All Their Data And Info That The Military Erased, But Wondering Why They Can't Just Talk With Her Father And That's Because He Told Bruce That He Wants To Make The Hulk Into A Weapon...

Taking Blonsky To A Lab, Ross Injects Blonsky With The Same Stuff Banner Injected Himself With But Warns Him That At The First Sign Of Any Side Effects, He's Off The Team Until He Straightens Out...

The Next Day Betty Takes Bruce To The Campus To Say Goodbye But Turns Out Phil Dunphy Was Like...

(Start At 0:44, End At 0:55)

And Called Betty's Father To Come Get Bruce...

Going Through A Building To Get Away From Ross's Forces, They Eventually Lock Bruce Into An Overpass As They Fire Tear Gas Inside...

(Start At 0:36)

Ross Thanks Phil For Calling Him, But Phil Is Not So Sure Now As The Hulk Protected Her And Ross Almost Killed Her But Either Way Bruce Would Get His Revenge On Phil Later When He Autotuned Him On YouTube And It Went Viral...

(Start At 0:06)

Taking Betty To A Cave, The Hulk Is Hurt By A Thunderbolt (Possibly By Thor) Which Forces Betty Calm Him Down As He Thinks He's Under Attack...

Eventually Getting The Hulk To Calm Down, They Get Some Sleep...

Checking On Blonsky In The Hospital, It Appears That The Hulk But As The Saying Goes, He May Be Down, But He's Not Out As Blonsky Appears To Be Healing Rapidly...

The Next Day, The Hulk Has Turned Back Into Bruce And Bruce And Betty Go To A Motel Where They Stay For Now...

With Bruce Taking A Shower, Betty Soon Arrives With Provisions Including A New Heart Rate Watch And Purple Pants...

Giving Bruce A Haircut, It Eventually Leads To The Two About To Have Sex But Turns Out Because Of The Hulk Bruce Can't Get Too Excited...

When Someone Comes In About Blonsky, Ross Goes To See Him Only To Discover That Blonsky Is Completely Healed On All The Injuries The Hulk Gave Him...

Dumping Betty's Phone And Credit Cards As They Can Track That, Betty Sells A Necklace That Probably Belonged To Her Mother In Order To Get Some Cash, While Bruce Sends The Data To Mr. Blue, However, S.H.I.E.L.D. Copies The E-mail And Sends It Ross's Way Along With The Identity Of Mr. Blue, Which Happens To Be A Doctor Samuel Sterns...

If The Name Sounds Familiar, That's Because That's The Leader (Apparently Before He Became The Leader)

Eventually Arriving In New York, Bruce And Betty Soon Find Themselves In Crazy Taxi...

(Crazy Taxi Announcer) Hey!!! You Got 5 CRAZY Minutes To Get Your Passenger To His Destination Before He Turns Into The Hulk And Kills You For Being So CRAZY!!!!!

Before They Arrive At The University, Where Sterns Works And He Finally Meets Bruce...

Talking With Sterns, He Tells Bruce And Betty That Even Everything Goes Perfectly And They Induce A Hulk Out And And Get The Exact Dosage Right, They Don't Know If It'll Be A Lasting Cure, Just An Antidote To Suppress That Particular Hulk Out Or Worse, Kill Bruce. But Willing To Take The Risk, Sterns Gets Ready...

Back At Ross's Base, Blonsky Starts Noticing Changes In His Bone Structure But Doesn't Tells Ross About Because He Feels Like A Monster...

Tying Bruce Down On A Table, Sterns Shocks Bruce Full Of Electricity And Causes A Hulk Out But With Help From Betty In Calming Him Down, The "Cure" Is Injected And Bruce Goes Back To Normal...

Not Believing What He Just Saw, Sterns Tells Bruce And Betty That The Gamma Pulse Came From The Amygdala And Betty's Primer Let Bruce's Cells Absorb The Energy And Then Abated It (Which Is Basically How Bruce Didn't Die Of Radiation Poisoning Years Ago) Maybe They've Neutralized The Cells Permanently Or Maybe They Just Suppressed That Event But Either Way It's Hard To Tell As None Of Sterns' Test Subjects Survived...

Not Liking That Sterns Said That, Sterns Shows Bruce To A Room With Bags Of Blood That's Bruce's As Bruce Didn't Give Sterns Much To Work With So He Had To Replicate It. Seeing Limitless Possibilities With It, Bruce Tells Sterns That He Doesn't Understand And They Need To Destroy The Blood...

But As Sterns And Bruce Bicker About This, A Sniper On The Rooftop Across The Way, Shoots Bruce With A Tranquilizer As Blonsky Bursts In And Punches Bruce In An Effort To Bring Out The Hulk But Bruce Is Tranqed And It's Pointless...

Carrying Bruce On A Stretcher, Betty Tells Her Father That She Will Never Forgive Her Father For What He's Made Bruce Into And To Never Speak Her As His Daughter Again...

Knocking Out The Soliders Questioning Sterns, Blonsky Tells Sterns To Inject Him With Bruce's Blood But Realizing That Blonsky Is On Something Sterns Warns Him That If He Injects Banner's Blood Into Him Without Knowing What He's Already On It Could Turn Him Into An Abomination...

Ooh, Foreshadowing....

Not Giving Sterns Much Of An Option, He Injects Blonsky With Bruce's Blood And It Transforms Him Into The Abomination...

Tossing Sterns On The Ground, Some Of Bruce's Blood Ends Up Inside Of Sterns And Starts To Transform Him Into The Leader For A Possible Sequel That'll Never Happen At This Point...

Causing Destruction To Try To Get The Hulk's Attention, Seeing Everything That's Happening On The Ground On From The Plane, Ross Knows That Abomination Is Blonsky And That They Have To Go Back To Help The Remaining Soliders On The Ground...

This Leads Bruce To Suggest To Let Him Fight Blonsky Despite Him Having No Control Over The Hulk...

(Imitating Bill Murray In Ghostbusters) If I'm Wrong, I'll Go To Whatever Government Jail Cell You Have Waiting For Me, Peacefully, Quietly, I'll Enjoy It, But If I'm Right, Thunderbolt, You Will Have Saved The Lives Of Everyone In This City...

Lowering The Ramp For Bruce, Betty Tries To Stop Him As She Doesn't Know If He'll Even Change, But Either Way He Has To Try As Bruce Gives Betty A Kiss Before He Goes...

A Few Weeks Later In British Columbia, We See Bruce Back Living A Life Of Solitude In A Cabin As He Has Given Up His Search For A Cure And Instead Seeks To Control Him As Our Movie Ends...

In A Pre-Credits Scene, We See General Ross Having A Few Drinks When He's Confronted By Tony Stark (Played Again By Robert Downey Jr.) Who Tells Ross That He's Putting A Team Together...

However, In A Marvel One Shot Called The Consultant, It's Revealed That Stark Was Only Sent In To Piss Off Ross So Much To The Point That He Wouldn't Give S.H.I.E.L.D. Blonsky So He Could Join The Avenger Initiative Which Both Fury And Coulson Did Not Want To Happen Despite The World Security Council Wanting Blonsky Because Of His Decorated War Hero Status And Saying That The Harlem Incident Was Bruce's Fault...

This Movie Is Okay...

It's Not Bad It's A Good Movie, I Like The Characters, The Story Is Nice And The Action Scenes When They Happen Are Awesome But Sometimes The Talking And Science Babble Goes On Forever And It Sometimes Gets Boring But I Still Say See It...

Till Next Time, This Is Duke, Signing Off...

#Marvel #marvel cinematic universe #The Hulk #the incrediable hulk #edward norton #liv tyler #William Hurt #tim roth #ty burrell #robert downey jr