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jcmarchi · 6 months

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History from the ground up

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/history-from-the-ground-up/

History from the ground up

In many respects, minerals are a matter of money and power. Fortunes are won through resource extraction, while mining companies throw their weight around and environmental advocates try to stop them. It is a familiar scenario anywhere.

But sometimes this story contains surprising elements. MIT Associate Professor Megan Black has found a rich seam of them in her career. Black is an environmental historian who studies the politics of resource extraction, breaking new ground in detailing U.S. government involvement in mining.

Take the “Point Four” program, in which U.S. Department of the Interior officials fanned out across the globe in the 1950s to work with other countries on resource-extraction issues. On the surface, this might seem a curious task for a department preferring to be known for domestic land management, conservation, and national parks.

But as Black shows in her award-winning 2018 book, “The Global Interior: Mineral Frontiers and American Power,” published by Harvard University Press, the program was actually consistent with the outlook of a department that, after its 1849 founding, had expanded mining at America’s frontiers. By the 1950s, that meant enhancing American interests around the world.

“The Interior Department has had a very global reach,” Black says. “It’s a different story than one might expect about a department whose name declares a narrow portfolio. The department has been many places and helped project American power in different ways.”

Or, consider the satellite revolution and mining, two things not usually viewed in tandem. Originally, satellites were regarded in national security terms or as a tool to anticipate weather. But the Landsat program, once jointly run by NASA and the U.S. Department of the Interior, let other nations and private corporations purchase images that were particularly useful to minerals exploration in the 1970s. Before long, as Black details in a 2019 article, Chevron found oil in Sudan and was pumping out millions of barrels there — another case of the Interior Department’s reach.

“Minerals issues had always been a fulcrum of [Interior] departmental power, and remain a very powerful centerpiece of their actions,” Black says.

Today Black is gathering more historical materials, this time for a slightly different kind of book project, about a Colorado mining dispute that has influenced how people think about the local effects of global industries. For her research and teaching, Black was awarded tenure at MIT earlier this year.

Prospecting in the archives

Black grew up in Kearney, Nebraska, and recognizes that her surroundings likely had some influence on her eventual studies.

“The history of the Black Hills and gold extraction and settler colonialism looms very large in the part of the state where I’m from,” Black says.

As an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Black majored in English and film studies, with a minor in history. She then enrolled in the American Studies program at George Washington University and became increasingly focused on environmental history, earning her MA in 2011 and her PhD in 2016.

As a graduate student, Black began spending copious amounts of time at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, a major records respository.

“I love that feeling of sifting through so much information and trying to piece together how things changed over time,” Black says. “Historians have a broad [capacity] for listening to sources, taking them seriously, and putting them in context.”

One day as Black was prospecting around the archives, she came across the text of a 1952 speech by Assistant Secretary of the Interior Vernon Northrop, outlining a broad view of the department’s historical role. It cemented Black’s interest in the Interior Department’s expansive minerals interests.

“He observed that whether it was the undeveloped [U.S.] West of the 1850s or the undeveloped world of the 1950s, the Interior Department had the requisite skillset to open up new frontiers,” Black says. “Northrop was making an argument about the department’s historical trajectory and for the continuity of its purpose across a broad swath of time.”

Pursuing that idea — while not taking Northrop’s claims for granted — helped Black shape her dissertation, which became “The Global Interior.” The book garnered a remarkable set of awards: the George Perkins Marsh Prize from the American Society of Environmental History, the Stuart L. Bernath Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, the W. Turrentine-Jackson Prize from the Western History Association, and the British Association of American Studies Prize.

In the meantime, after earning her PhD, Black served as a lecturer at Harvard University for two years, then joined the faculty of the London School of Economics in 2017. She became an associate professor at MIT in 2020 and continued researching her next book.

The real meaning of “Think Globally, Act Locally”

That book project focuses on a 1970s political confrontation in the town of Crested Butte, Colorado, where the company AMAX wanted to mine molybendum, an element used in steel products. The 1872 General Mining Law in the U.S. makes public land available for acquisition and resource extraction, and AMAX was planning an operation on several thousand acres of mountain property.

However, the residents of Crested Butte, a town reorienting its economy to tourism, waged an energetic campaign to stop the development, aided by the group Friends of the Earth. Eventually, the local environmental advocates won, and AMAX (now Freeport McMoRan) abandoned the project. Black is analyzing these events, including the socioeconomic factors at play.

“I am interested in understanding the communities that have tried to say ‘No’ to mining,” Black explains. In Crested Butte, she notes, “Mostly white and educated elites were unimpressed by the thought that a multinational mining company would pursue an $8 billion investment there and tie up several thousand acres of public land.” And those well-off residents had the means and clout to win their local battle. However, Black adds, “Other communities were not in the same position to say ‘No’ to mining. Crested Butte had a rather singular ability to do that.”

Indeed, Black points out, the company simply shifted or intensified operations in other places, from British Columbia to Australia and New Zealand, and elsewhere in Colorado. Where one town wards off a mining development, it may become another town’s issue.

As it happens, the Crested Butte conflict may have helped popularize the slogan “Think Globally, Act Locally.” Which, in this case, can mean trying to lessen the global footprint of mining, so that local environmental action does not just transfer its location to somewhere else.

“There are different ways we can approach building the world that will accomodate an energy transition in ways that lessen the burden on communities,” Black says. That’s also a point she raises in the classroom with students.

“Teaching at MIT has been a dream,” Black says. As her intellectual journey continues, things like the Crested Butte conflict seem increasingly relevant to the concerns her students have today, especially about climate change in general.

“It’s not your older sibling’s climate catastrophe,” Black says. “There’s a necessity of making sure people understand the very existential reality of these changes. But it can be paralyzing to think about the extent of the problem, so examining how people have grappled with [environmental] issues opens up a set of possibilities.”

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shorkbrian · 4 years

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This Sero is a man after my heart, I love it. I feel like he’d just declare that you’re dating, after all you had sex right? Isn’t that special! He starts cornering you more and more at school and his room, and horrifyingly you get used to being fucked on ambush like he does. Part of me even wants Denki to walk in on you two fucking over a desk and he even makes dirty comments just cementing Sero’s words- this is all normal

Lol guys this is gonna be my last Sero post for a WHILE I think. He’s nice and all but I simp for Kiripima sorry.

This Drabble inspired Part 1, Part 2, and this filth you’re about to read.

I was literally just going to expand on my last post (you beat me to it u Fricker) to say that it only takes a few days before Sero is asking you to be his girlfriend in front of the whole cafeteria. Everyone’s cooing about how sweet he is - little bitch, probably proposes with some cheesy song that he sings while he plucks at the strings of a guitar (where’d he get a guitar?).

What else can you do? You agree, and everything almost feels normal. Keyword: Almost.

It’s less awkward to have sex when you’re dating, but you still feel nervous and slightly sick whenever Sero pulls you aside to whisper dirty things into your ear during the day. He assures that it’s perfectly normal - he felt nervous and was scared of messing things up in his first relationship.

And now you’re even more nervous, the thought of somehow messing things up hadn’t even crossed your mind (How could it? He was fucking you stupid every chance he got), and now it’s all you can think about. But Sero assures you he loves you, would never ever leave you, even if you do make mistakes.

Like the other day, when you yelped when he tried to finger you under your skirt during lunch. All your friends turned to look at you and Sero had to retract his fingers, a slight frown on his face.

And last week, sucking his dick and refusing to swallow his cum even after he asked you so sweetly.

But Sero knew you were trying your best, and he assured you that he loved you just the same. Yet, he really seemed to like pushing your boundaries.

Makes you uncomfortable by bringing his phone out while he’s fucking you, snapping pics or taking short, close up videos of your cunt greedily sucking in his slick length, squelching sounds drowned out by your moans.

He swears he doesn’t do anything with them! Just likes to look at them when you’re busy or can’t hangout in his room.

But one day you come up when he texts you and the dude has a whole-ass tripod set up, cheap camera pointed at the bed.

You try and put your foot down, draw a line and stick to it, but it’s impossible to do that with Sero. He pushes your boundaries again, just like he pushes you onto the bed. Grabs your shirt and rips it open, immediately groping and fondling and petting over your pussy and his lips are locked onto yours. It’s hard to remember that there’s a camera recording every second.

Asking him to delete the file results in frustration. Sero likes watching porn, especially if it’s your amateur film. Once again reassures you that he’s the only one that sees them.

Until one day, after a particularly filthy night, you try to relax and watch a movie with the rest of the bakusquad. Denki whoops the second you and Sero enter the room.

“Good to know he’s treating you RIGHT!”

You want to ask him what he means, but then Bakugou's throwing popcorn at your boyfriend, shouting about “if you wanna send that shit to Denki, knock yourself out. Keep it out the group chat - I only wanna see Kiri’s fat ass” and accentuates the statement with a quick slap to his boyfriend’s rear-end.

Kirishima is yelling, pretending to be in pain from Bakugou’s affectionate tap, Denki’s asking for more videos, and Mina’s cheering you on, telling you that you looked hot, how she wishes she could find a man to pound her that well.

It’s humiliating.

And terrifyingly normal.

#yandere thoughts #Sero Hanta #sero x reader #yandere sero #yandere imagines #yandere #yandere sero hanta #sero #mha sero #pervy Sero #I learned how to link stuff!!!#master list coming soon?#no jk lol #u know I'm too stupid for that #anyways #Sero's a lil manipulative bitch #keeps pushing and pushing #and you don't know how to tell him no

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 3 years

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Michael in the Mainstream: The Dark Knight Trilogy & Its Negative Impact on the Superhero Genre

Superhero movies have come a very long way in the past couple of decades, cementing themselves as a genre unto themselves rather than the odd action movie here or there. Almost every year a few new ones of varying quality pop up that incite equal parts excitement and derision. It’s definitely a genre people feel very strongly about, but even people who tend to not love superhero films will admit that Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is fantastic.

From 2005 until 2012, Nolan reinvisioned Batman in a way that grounded the character in reality. There’s no fantastical elements, there’s no insane science, there’s no superpowers… Everything in these films could happen in the real world. In a post-Batman & Robin world, this was seen as a breath of fresh air, and the critics loved it. In particular, The Dark Knight helped to usher in the modern age of superhero films, releasing the same year the MCU kicked off and widely being hailed as one of the greatest films of all time. That’s right, not even superhero films, films period. These films were impressive, groundbreaking, and… they fundamentally ruined superhero movies for quite a while.

Look, I don’t particularly hate these films. I think all of them are pretty good, in their own ways. But they have a lot of glaring issues that really hamper them a fair bit and yet, somehow, they became the blueprint that studios decided to look at for what they thought a successful superhero movie should be. Nolan’s films are serious, brooding, dark, and lack the whimsy and creative insanity that makes comics such a fun and engaging medium, and I think this right here is what has hurt comic book movies the most over the past decade. These are films that feel absolutely ashamed to be comic book movies, and they desperately want to seem like they’re “mature” and for “adults.” And, unfortunately for the rest of us, this shame translated over into a lot of other films, something we’re only just now recovering from.

Looking at the greatest strength of the trilogy shows this issue pretty well, that being the villains. Nolan’s films gave us truly iconic portrayals of characters like Bane, Joker, and Scarecrow, and you’re not gonna hear me say much bad about them. Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Aaron Eckhart, and Heath Ledger all do fantastic jobs as the insidious rogues of Batman. But the issue I have is that by grounding these characters in a realistic setting like this, it kind of misses the point. Joker isn’t using exploding cakes and laughing gas, Ra’s al Ghul isn’t an immortal warrior, Bane isn’t a drugged-up super soldier… They’re all just Guys. They’re Guys With Gimmicks, yes, but at the end of the day they aren’t what should be looked at as the be-all, end-all of the character’s portrayals.

And yet everyone acts like no one should ever play Joker again, because Heath Ledger’s Joker was just so good, guys! And he was good, but I don’t think Ledger’s Joker should be the absolute final Joker ever. Quite frankly, I prefer Phoenix’s Joker, because even if that version is also in a rather grounded film missing the overt weirdness of comics for the most part, he still dresses in a colorful costume, acts weird, tells jokes, and is in general more Jokery. Out of all of these villains, I think Bane and Scarecrow at least come within the ballpark of being close to how they should be, but Scarecrow is horribly underutilized and Bane is given a rather undignified sendoff.

Then there are the bigger issues. Batman himself is really downplayed throughout the trilogy, getting fairly little screentime compared to villains and side characters. This was a huge point of contention when The Dark Knight Rises came out, with most of the film featuring Bruce Wayne, and in hindsight it highlights how unwilling Nolan was to engage with the comic book trappings of what he was adapting. I like Christian Bale a lot, he’s a great actor, but I don’t think he really carries any of the films; in fact, it’s usually the villains carrying the movies. Bale is certainly not as bad as Val Kilmer in the role of Wayne/Batman, but he’s no Keaton, he’s no Clooney, he’s not even an Affleck. A lot of the time, he also just feels like… a Guy. And Batman should not ever, ever just be a Guy.

But perhaps the most egregious fault of the films is what it did to Gotham City itself. In Burton’s films, you really get a feel for the Gothic atmosphere of the city with how it’s designed, and this goes for Batman: The Animated Series too. And even the more cartoonish, colorful Gotham of Schumacher’s films pops and leaves an impact. But Nolan’s Gotham? It’s very much just a City. There is nothing distinct about Nolan’s Gotham, it’s literally just a generic city, and if you even have the faintest knowledge of Batman you will know that Gotham is not just a city. Gotham is pretty much a character itself, a dark, imposing landscape in which Batman does battle with his costumed foes. Every other adaptation I can think of knows to make Gotham feel unique and distinct, but this one just absolutely drops the ball. You might as well just have the city be New York if you’re going to put no effort into giving it personality.

And that all brings me to this: every reviled superhero movie of the past decade, from F4ntastic to The Amazing Spider-Man to Dawn of Justice, all have their genesis in Nolan’s trilogy. He laid the groundwork for these films to exist, and a large majority of the blame needs to be put on Nolan for sapping the fun out of comic book movies. Now, to be totally fair to Nolan, he’s not entirely responsible for what happened to the comic book film landscape; prior to him, the X-Men film series was giving all of the heroes dark costumes and being a bit more serious. But despite those films playing a bit of a part, there’s one major reason I don’t fault them nearly as much: The X-Men films never once felt ashamed to be comic book movies.

You have to understand, people loved grit and edginess in the 90s and had just violently rejected Batman & Robin a few years prior to the original X-Men film, so it’s hard to really fault it for wanting to avoid being too campy. But much like Blade, the films never tried to act like they weren’t still crazy comic book films. Scott still has eye lasers, Mystique is still blue, Nightcrawler looks like a demon, there are Sentinels and Apocalypse and even Dazzler shows up at one point! The X-Men franchise wasn’t always good, but it managed to balance between being silly and taking itself seriously pretty well for the most part. Magneto is still a Holocaust survivor, his relationship with Xavier still has impact, there are still emotional moments here and there, but then you also have Deadpool movies and the multiple comic book style retcons to the timeline that leave the continuity a mess, and something about that just feels right. And all that makes Logan less egregious despite being the sort of brooding, angsty superhero drama Nolan would make, because even if it is those things, it still centers around a dude with metal claws coming out of his hands trying to stop his best friend from wiping out everyone with psychic seizures. Nolan could never make this superhero film.

Nolan’s films, on the other hand, did. These films did not feel like they wanted to be comic book movies, they felt like they wanted to be serious crime films but Nolan was stuck with Batman so he just mashed the two together. And honestly, I’d probably be more forgiving if it weren’t for the hugely negative impact these films and their critical success had on the superhero genre even until this day. The first decade of superhero films as a major contender in cinema were colored by these films. People outright balked at silliness in superhero movies for quite some time, with a lot of criticism levied at the early phases of the MCU for being too goofy; in fact, at times it seemed as if the MCU was going a bit too far in the goofy direction without striking the proper balance, with films like Age of Ultron having most of its tension defused by constant wisecracks. And on the DC side, Nolan’s grounded approach lead to Zack Snyder’s flaccid filmmaking with dark coloration, moody atmosphere, and not a shred of joy to be found. Nolan is essentially the peak of dark, grounded superhero films, and Snyder is the nadir, but Snyder’s awful DC films wouldn’t exist if not for Nolan.

It was a slow crawl getting to what superhero movies should be. Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man were films tossed out only when Marvel was certain they could take risks, because absurd concepts like those would just not have been able to survive if not for years of good will beforehand. That’s not even getting into some of the more bonkers elements of later films, such as Ego the Living Planet and basically everything about Doctor Strange. In fact, Doctor Strange, for all its issues, is still a massive step forward for a genre that outright rejected magic for a long time, instead for a time turning Thor and his costars into a cast of hyper-advanced aliens, with later films having to clarify that there is magic and zombies and so on. The recent WandaVision was able to further clarify this by making Wanda unambiguously magic and not an evil Nazi science experiment.

Superhero animation didn’t suffer quite so much, but that’s mostly because, much like comics, animation is still seen as “kid’s stuff” by way too many people. And even then, they didn’t escape the shadow of Nolan totally unscathed; one need only look into the infamous Bat Embargo, which limited Batman villains so there could only be one given incarnation of said character in media. For instance, the Scarecrow being in Batman Begins meant he could not appear in the animated series The Batman. This lead to such things as no Batman characters appearing in Justice League Unlimited. It was truly a stupidly frustrating time to be a Batman fan when some of his most iconic foes were relegated to only certain appearances because it “might confuse kids.”

Let me again clarify this: I mostly like the Nolan films. I usually like Nolan, though he has become unbearably, obnoxiously pretentious these days. I think a lot of elements of them are great, I feel like they mostly have strong villains, and I don’t disagree that The Dark Knight is a fantastic film. But the thing is these are only good as AU stories, as their own thing; they should not be the template every superhero movie should follow, or any superhero movie for that matter, because they lack the ability to engage with the things that make people love comics in the first place. People love wacky, off-the-wall concepts, superpowered aliens, magic, talking animals, evil living planets, alcoholic ducks, and all that fun stuff.

People desperately want the fun, camp, and wacky stuff back in comic book films, as the success of the goofier DC films like Aquaman, Shazam, and Birds of Prey as well as the success of shows like Doom Patrol in comparison to the critical and audience revulsion of Snyder’s films, with Shazam in particular giving us such bonkers concepts as an entire family of superpowered children and Mr. Mind, the evil alien caterpillar. Thor: Ragnarok and the Guardians of the Galaxy films have become some of the most beloved MCU movies despite being weird, wacky, and wholly embracing the joy of comics to the point the latter films feature Howard the Duck and the aforementioned Ego alongside bizarre characters like Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Taserface. And the thing with all of these films is that they’re able to balance the weirdness and wackiness of comics without losing sight of human emotion, moving storytelling, and drama. They’re both fun and deep, goofy and yet meaningful. This is what comics are, and what they should be, and anyone who thinks comics should be grim and gritty really needs to think about why they think an entire genre needs to be colored in with only the dullest colors.

I think what I’m trying to say here is this: Make a Detective Chimp movie, you cowards.

#Michael in the Mainstream #mitm #review #movie review #the dark knight trilog #the dark knight #batman begin #the dark knight rises #superhero movie #christopher nolan #DC

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tomeandflickcorner · 3 years

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Falcon and Winter Soldier Episode 3- My Thoughts

Can’t believe we’re already halfway through this show!

As was set up in the last episode, Bucky decides to head to a prison in Germany, where Zemo is being held for the crimes he committed during Civil War. Again, while I did understand why he was doing this, considering Zemo was the only real lead they had in determining how the Flag Smashers got their hands on the Super Serum, I still didn’t really like the idea. Because this was the guy who framed Bucky for the murder of King T’Chaka and then forced Bucky to undergo even more trauma by activating his Winter Solder programing. And my dislike for Zemo increased even more when the first thing he did upon seeing Bucky outside his cell was recite the Winter Soldier Activation Words. Ugh, this guy is such a scumbag! I am so confused why some people seem to be talking about how funny Zemo was in this episode. I just don’t get it!

Anyway, I guess Zemo said he’d only assist Bucky and Sam in solving the mystery if Bucky helped him escape from prison. And Bucky, out of desperation, agrees to this? Yeah, I was with Sam on this one, as he only finds out about this plan after the fact and understandably freaks out when he sees Zemo waltzing up disguised as a security guard. Because while the jail break sequence was interesting, I still don’t trust Zemo in the slightest. But I guess it’s too late now. So the three of them travel to this island called Madripoor, which I guess is like a haven for criminal masterminds, so they can infiltrate some nightclub in order to talk to a woman named Selby. Because Selby can apparently give them the information they need. And Zemo can arrange all of this because he turns out to be super rich. Yeah, okay.

From here on in, the episode is pretty much a spy film. Because Sam has to go into the Madripoor nightclub mascaraing as some other guy called Smiling Tiger. (Side note, I hope that snake that got sliced open to make that drink was already dead.) The trio eventually get an audience with this Selby person, but my skin is crawling over the way they did it. Because Zemo has Bucky pretend to be the brainwashed Winter Soldier again as an intimidation technique. And then offers to gift him to Selby, as if Bucky was simply a piece of property. And while Bucky does a passible job of pretending he’s still the Winter Soldier, it must have been torture for him to pretend to be Hydra’s brainwashed assassin again. Especially since we all know how guilty he feels for all of that. They even bring up his book filled with the names of people he’d wronged. Which turns out to be the exact same book Steve was using to keep track of everything he needed to adjust to being in a different time after being thawed from the ice. Which just hits you with even more feels. Still, I’m glad that at least Sam seems to be recognizing that, as he frequently takes the time to check on how Bucky’s holding up. It’s nice that the writers haven’t completly forgotten that Sam used to be a therapist himself. (Hey, maybe Sam can become Bucky’s new therapist instead of that crummy government-issued one. Or is it a violation of the code of ethics to offer therapy to someone you know personally?)

Unfortunately, just as Selby gives them the information they came for- that the mysterious Power Broker hired former Hydra scientist Dr. Nagel to recreated the Super Serum- their cover is blown because Sam got an ill-timed call from his sister, Sarah. (Seriously, Sam! You didn’t think to put your phone on mute? That’s the first rule of going undercover!) Out of nowhere, Selby is shot dead by an unseen assassin, and Bucky, Sam and Zemo have to make a run for it, particularly after a bounty is placed on their heads for Selby’s death. Still, they’re rescued by a surprise appearance of Sharon Carter. Who has been living there since the events of Civil War. Strangely enough, nobody remembered to help get her a government issued pardon. Which doesn’t make a lot of sense. But that revelation does lead to Sam feeling even more disillusioned. First it was him learning how Isaiah got the short end of the stick, and now this. Sam now is thinking maybe the Shield should simply be destroyed because of how much trouble its caused. Though I don’t think it’s possible to destroy the Shield. Wasn’t the Shield made of Vibranium or something equally as indestructible? Still, this might be a good thing. Because Sam is seeing how many people ended up getting tossed aside and overlooked. Which could be what inspires him to take back the mantle of Captain America, in order to help give a voice to those people.

Anyway, with Sharon’s help, Bucky, Sam and Zemo find Dr. Nagal’s lab, which is hidden in a shipyard somewhere. Upon interrogating Dr. Nagal, we learn that, after Hydra was eliminated, Dr. Nagal was hired by the CIA to continue his work in recreating the Super Serum. But then, Dr. Nagal got dusted in the Snap. When he came back, he picked up where he left off and managed to create 20 vials of Super Serum. Admittedly, I might be getting some of the details here wrong, but this episode had a lot of exposition to go through. But the important thing is that those vials got stolen by Karli. Which means there might be a whole mess of Super Soldiers out there right now. But before Dr. Nagal could reveal anything further, Zemo shoots him dead out of the blue. Why, I’m not entirely sure, but this is Zemo. Like I mentioned before, I don’t trust him in the slightest. And I wouldn’t be shocked if he ends up backstabbing Sam and Bucky in some way before the show is over. In any event, after Dr. Nagal gets killed off, there’s a sudden action sequence, with Sharon, Sam and Bucky trying to fend off a bunch of armed goons. Wasn’t very clear if they were with the people who had currently hired Dr. Nagal after the Reverse Snap or if they were bounty hunters looking for Selby’s killer. Eventually, Zemo manages to obtain a getaway car, and he drives off with Sam and Bucky. Sharon, on the other hand, chooses to stay behind, with Sam promising her that he’ll make sure she gets a full pardon for her actions in Civil War once they get back to the US. But after they drive off, Sharon meets up with some other unnamed woman. So I have no idea what Sharon is up to right now. Did she have anything to do with Selby’s death? Is she in league with this mysterious Power Broker? It’s not clear at the moment. Either way, I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of her.

The episode ends with Bucky, Sam and Zemo trying to figure out the next step. But Bucky steps away when he spots a few black beads affixed to the side of a building. He clearly recognizes these black beads as Kimoyo beads, because he calls out to someone once he’s alone. And seems unsurprised when a member of the Dora Milaje appears in front of him, stating that she’s there for Zemo. Apparently, that’s Ayo, Okoye’s second-in-command. So we’re getting the Wakandans involved now! That’ll be fun. Particularly since it’s doubtful they forgot that Zemo was responsible for the death of King T’Chaka. I’m wondering if we’ll get a cameo of Shuri. Or, on a more sobering note, get a hint about what the MCU will do in regards to T’Challa. In any event, I’m excited to see the Wakandans.

Meanwhile, we got John Walker going around, further cementing how unlikable he is. Because he ends up storming into some office building somewhere because the Flag Smashers were seen operating out of there. Or something to that effect. The main issue is they weren’t even in America at this point. Are the Accords still in effect? I don’t even know! But even if they aren’t, the fact that John Walker is pretty much throwing his weight around like this only further proves he’s not worthy to call himself Captain America. (Just saying, Steve would never shove some guy against a wall and demand respect just because of who he is.) Oh, and it gets better. When he gets word that Bucky and Sam might have been responsible for Zemo escaping from jail, his attitude seems to have sinister undertones of ‘if I can prove those two are criminals, the methods I used to get that proof doesn’t matter.’ Oh, where do I begin? That kind of attitude is extremely problematic, as it’s teetering dangerously close to ‘I can ignore people’s rights whenever it suits my needs’ territory. And it’s particularly uncomfortable when you remember people were clearly recording Bucky’s earlier actions on Madripoor on their phones, when he had to beat up this guy to sell his Winter Soldier act. Needless to say, I’m really scared for Bucky and Sam right now.

Then there’s the stuff with the Flag Smashers. I guess there was this organization called the Global Repatriation Council (GRC for short) that was set up after the people who got dusted returned with the Reverse Snap, which was designed to help those un-dusted people adjust to the new world and get back on their feet. But this is where things get a little sketchy. I think the implication is that they’re not distributing the supplies fairly, or that this organization is favoring the un-dusted people while ignoring the needs of the people who remained after the Snap? Because after who I think was supposed to be Karli’s mother dies from an illness(?), Karli leads the Flag Smashers in breaking into a GRC storage facility in Lithuania and making off with the supplies they were storing there. And then she blows up the building. With people still inside. Because her attitude seems to be this will be the only way to get the government’s attention or something along those lines. Yeah, this is where Karli started to lose my support. Because while I think I can understand what their motivation is, considering it seems to be implied that world governments are not being fair and equal in regards of helping everyone adjust to the Reverse Snap, once you start killing people, that’s where you make it easy for your enemies to villainize you in the eyes of the general public. At this point, I don’t know how I feel about Karli.

#falcon and winter soldier #falcon and winter solider series

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ryqoshay · 4 years

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So I just finished reading all of How to Handle a Nico and I absolutely fucking loved it, do you have any NicoMaki fanfic recommendations of your own?

I must offer my apologies for the delay in response. I did not forget you, Anon, despite answering two questions that came in after this one. However, I wanted to wait until I knew I had a good amount of time I could dedicate to making a proper list of recommendations worthy of my time in the LL/NicoMaki fandom, which is typically sometime during my weekend.

Also, please bear in mind that this list is not all-inclusive. NicoMaki has one of, if not the most extensive list of fanworks out of the various LL ships. If someone reading this list is a fan of, or the author of a given work not included, please do not take it personally, this is merely a sampling of my favorites. There are genres and tags that I tend to avoid for various reasons, and there are many perfectly good works with the NicoMaki ship tag that I haven’t read simply because they are not the primary focus. And due to current events, as well as those of last year, there is a sizable backlog of NicoMaki focused fics that I hope to get around to reading sometime soon.

And as I expect this to get long, I will put the list itself under a cut.

First and foremost, I must shamelessly shill an author whose first forays into NicoMaki fanfic are based on HtHaN. It’s been almost a year since the first one went up and I remain in awe that I was able to pay forward the inspiration given to me by other authors. For this list I will only be including said works based on HtHaN, though VNVdarkangel has written some other NicoMakis I haven’t read yet. - Always there - Nico wakes up in the middle of the night. Some post-canon fluffy angst. - On tracks to the heart - Takes place during the scene transition in Homecoming. - Meet ‘n’ greet - Nico has a meet ‘n’ greet event and Maki shows up - Part-time idol composer - Nico hires Riko to compose some idol music for Egao. Minor YohaRiko to keep up the casual connections between HtHaN and HL. - Next steps... - A long, multi-chapter work that takes place after the numbered chapters of HtHaN. This work tells the story of NicoMaki as they take advantage of the research mentioned way back in Telling Mama. Yay science babies! - Out of focus - Maki can’t focus on anything but Nico - The door to dreams - Riko finds the piano from How to Celebrate a Maki and Maki finds Riko. More minor YohaRiko from HL. - Idol trainer - A non-NicoMaki, RinPana honorable mention tied to HtHaN

Next, I must link a few things from jstonedd, whose works I can point to as being among those that helped cement NicoMaki as a my favorite ship. - Buy Your Love - By the gods, I’ve honestly lost track of how many times I’ve reread this fic. It is also responsible for my headcanon that Tsubasa teaches Honoka how to skate, which I thusly include in Nico on Ice. - Soldier Wars - If memory serves, this work earns its M rating less for lewd stuff and more for action movie depictions of violence, like an R rated Charlie’s Angels or something. - After School Troublemakers - Earns its tag of Fluff and Crack. - Babies Maybe - More Fluff and Crack I only skimmed the first few chapters of Otonokizaka Private Academy and it didn’t seem very NicoMaki focused or really much my cup of tea. But I’ve heard others like it, and it was finally completed a few years back, so there’s that.

One author with whom I’ve interacted moreso than any other - maybe not VNVdarkangel as of late, but... - is the creator of one of my favorite Fantasy AUs, which is often a genre I don’t read much as it so often leans on Harry Potter, of which I’m quite unfamiliar. Of course I say I often avoid Fantasy AUs despite now writing two... Anyway, we have a few differing headcanons and I must say it’s fun to have a civil discussion about them - as opposed to others that become heated and dissolve into ad hominum attacks like the one marked by Comment Deleted tombstones in the comments of HtHaN. Anyway, that train of thought derailed, so here are some of lonelypond’s works. Worth mentioning that most works take place in the U.S. instead of Japan, something that confused me for a few chapters when I first started reading, but have come to enjoy it, especially when places are mentioned that I know. - Casual Lunacy - The aforementioned Fantasy AU as well as my introduction to this wonderful writer. Pulls in a quirky character from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, an adorable anime I’ve been meaning to finish. Maki is a werewolf. And I really need to reread this one at some point. - PhotoJazz - Maki is a photographer and Nico is an actress. - AU Yeah August - A collection of short 1 Shots. I haven’t read all of them, e.g. the Harry Potter one, but those I have were adorable, e.g. Summer Camp, Fake Dating and FWB. - Christmas Confections - A collection of amazing Christmas themed works that rank among my favorite gifts each year since I first started reading them. I’d link them each individually, but they’re all amazing so just read them all; you won’t be disappointed. Maki and Christmas just go together and lonelypond writes them well. - Can’t Get Started - To quote the summary “Nishikino Maki is trying to make it in the piranha fishbowl of movies, music and Hollywood. Yazawa Nico already has. And they keep crashing into each other.” Literally. It’s quite amusing. I’ve heard good things from other readers about the 1Kiss series but have only skimmed a few; they are high on my To Read list. The Idol House series came out during my troubled 2019, so it also remains on my To Read list. The Moonlight series seems to focus on NozoEli, which is fine, but for better or worse lowers it position on my To Read list. It’s lonelypond, so I do intend to read it eventually, but there are more NicoMaki focused fics that I’d like to get to first.

Next up is Lucia Hunter, a case where I must separate author from work. To this day I remain uncertain as to the details of the issues between this author and the denizens of Sukutomo, but the animosity exists nonetheless. Still, the listed works below were part of my gateway drugs into the wonderful world of NicoMaki fanfics. - The Diamond Princess’s Melancholy - How NicoMaki came together. - Love marginal - My favorite portrayal of KotoHonoUmi. NicoMaki is a side pairing here, and remain so through the rest of the works, but they’re still worth reading, imho. - Shiranai Love*Oshiete Love - RinPana focus but NicoMaki still plays their role. - Garden of Glass - de de deee de de deee Obviously NozoEli focused.

My first encounter with Rinforzando was a T rated cute and fluffy fic but they’ve done some pretty good NSFW works as well. - Ten Years - Always enjoy a good adult NicoMaki fic. - Limbo - NSFW FWB NicoMaki - Caprice - NSFW 2nd Person post-canon NicoMaki. I’m not typically a fan of 2nd Person perspective, but this one was worth it. - Cheers for Loving You - NicoMaki Secret Santa.

Hidekins is another author that has written a lot of NicoMaki I’ve enjoyed, but on a quick scan through the AO3 entries, few are jogging my memory with title and description alone. Perhaps I’ve read more here on tumblr? Perhaps I’ll come back and add more if I remember them better later. - NicoMakisses - A set of five cute short NicoMaki stories about kisses.

Saberin writes a lot of 3rd year stuff, and that’s fine, but the NicoMaki collection is worth checking out. - Prickly Love - As of writing this list, there are 10 chapters of cuteness

whoneedsapublisher writes a lot and I enjoy the style. Thus, when I see NicoMaki pop up on the account, I try to read. - Couples Therapy - One of my favorite Maki headcanons is included here. Not explicit but earns its M rating and thus is NSFW. - Subtle - Not particularly crazy about the Nico-taller-than-Maki, but that’s a minor complaint compared to the rest of this wonderful work. - At Least Six Confessions - Presequel to the above work. Poor Nico had her work cut out for her with a romantically dense Maki. - Keep Your Promises - Ten years later... - Happy New Year - Sometimes stalemates must be broken by someone. - Hidden Depth - Nico’s voice changes. And Maki likes it - Pretending to Pretend - Not explicit, but earns its M rating so NSFW. One of my favorite examples of the Fake Dating trope. - Merry Christmas Maki - I can’t think of a better present. - No Lies Allowed - Truth of Dare, NicoMaki style. - All Dressed Up - Based on a wonderful pic by noelclover - Santa’s Stand-in - Guess who still believes... - Switcheroo - Always love the idea of the girls trying to behave like the others. Makes me want to rewatch that episode. - Tick, Tock - Some introspective Maki - Insensitive - NicoMaki dating issues - Tomatoes - Maki’s favorite food I’ve heard good things about Dazzling Warrior Nightshade, so it’s on my To Read List, but I must admit I can be picky about my Magical Girls stuff. Madoka set an... interesting bar for the genre for me and in most cases I’d prefer to watch it as an anime or read it as a manga/doujin. Still, the idea of Nico being a magic girl amuses me greatly, thus why the fic remains on my radar.

And here are some other random works I’ve enjoyed over the years. - Smile, Nico Nico! - In which Nico drags Maki to the dentist - Billiards - NSFW 2nd Person. Yes, I know I just said I’m not typically a fan, but this one was also good. - Piano For Beginners - NSFW AU where Maki is assigned to teach Nico how to play the piano so as to be convincing for a film. - critical rules for not-dating - NSFW FWB AU that I need to finish reading someday but was happy enough with what I’ve read that I’d still recommend it. - 24 visits - Visits as in Nico the idol visiting Maki the doctor in the hospital. - 24 dates - A NSFW followup to 24 visits

So yeah, that’s a fairly decent list to get one started in their AO3 NicoMaki delving. As mentioned above, this is not all-inclusive and there are a ton of NicoMaki works out there. I haven’t visited FFN in years, so there may still be some authors that post there exclusively and have written some amazing stuff, but I cannot recommend what I haven’t read, or at least skimmed. I also have some tumblr works bookmarked... somewhere, so if I find them I might compare them to this list and maybe add those missed.

Here’s hoping something here piques your interest and makes you fall a little more for the wonderful NicoMaki.

#Ryqo's Q&A #NicoMaki #fanfic stuff

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camillemontespan · 5 years

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the boy who waited patiently [a lily fic]

@sirbeepsalot made me the above edit of Lily and her playgroup boyfriend, Milo, many years into the future. Here they are at their prom. Such a lovely birthday present!

I thought this was a good starting point for a fic. No idea if this is a one shot or if I will continue it. I guess it depends if anyone is interested in reading more of Lily, rather than Drake?

I need to make a Lily master list. She’s becoming a character in her own right.

@jovialyouthmusic @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore @pug-bitch @moonlightgem7 @emceesynonymroll @burnsoslow @emichelle @ibldw-main @katedrakeohd @be-still-my-aching-heart @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @gardeningourmet @iplaydrake @drakewalkerisreal @notoriouscs @dcbbw @stopforamoment @rainbowsinthestorm

******************************************************************************************

Drake stood in the doorway with his arms folded, nervousness etched on his face, as he watched his wife and daughter.

Camille was standing behind Lily, helping her to zip up her dress. Lily was waiting patiently, while scrutinising her reflection in the mirror.

'Mom, is my makeup okay?' she asked nervously.

Camille gave her a smile in the mirror. 'You look beautiful.'

Lily was 17 years old and tonight was her prom. It was the night Camille had been excited for for years, while it was one that Drake dreaded.

He didn't want to be the stereotypical father who gave his daughter rules and told her who she could and couldn't date (cough, no one, cough) but he couldn't help it. As soon as Lily was born and cradled in his arms, Drake knew he wouldn't breathe easy again. He wanted her to be safe and happy.

Tonight was important because Lily was going to prom with Milo.

She and Milo had known each other since they were four years old when they were in the same playgroup and exchanged leaves. Leaves to their class was like a huge declaration of love and Lily had been so excited when she received one.

Their romance had cooled off after a week which was basically a year in the playgroup world. They had taken part in a wedding in the playground to cement their love, until one day Lily decided boys had germs and she was going to be a nun FOREVER. She had been introduced to the Sound of Music film the night before, which explained her sudden decision, but Milo had been heartbroken.

They continued to grow up together and became good friends - Drake and Camille knew that Milo harboured actual feelings for their daughter but they had decided to let Lily work it out for herself.

It took her forever.

She dated Patrick. She dated Hayden. She dated Eli. For some reason, she seemed to like members of the swim team which Camille thought was amazing for Lily but a shame for Milo. Drake continued to set up his rifle, just in case.

While she dated swimmers, Milo waited patiently in the wings. He was imprisoned in the friend zone. Not even Lily's Uncle Leo could help with his advice. Milo looked like he would never catch a break.

Until one day, he blurted out his feelings to her while they were doing their homework. Lily had looked at him as he turned a faint shade of green, realising what he had just admitted to. She smiled softly.

'I'm such an idiot,' she murmured before leaning close. She kissed him gently and then went back to their English homework.

She had smelled of coconut. Milo's stomach flipped.

From then on, Lily was by his side. For the two of them, it had been six months of bliss.

Drake had been relieved that she was now dating a nice boy but his rifle was still on reserve because he was still a boy which meant he still had a dick.

'Dad, you look really nervous,' Lily teased, catching Drake's eye. Drake reddened and cleared his throat. 'I'm not.'

Lily smirked. The Walker smirk. 'Lies.'

Drake sighed. 'Just.. No funny business, okay? Like dance and be merry but nothing more!'

'Dad, I'm seventeen!' she cried. They all jumped when they heard her younger sister whisper through the door, 'I saw you kissing Milo in his car!'

'LUNA!' Lily yelled, whipping around. Luna smirked, the Walker smirk, and strolled into the bedroom. She flopped down on the bed and watched Camille spray her perfume onto Lily's wrists.

'Are you going to be k-i-s-s-i-n-g?' Luna teased. Lily shot her a stare that could kill. Aunt Olivia had taught her well. Luna stuck out her tongue and proceeded to examine her fingernails which were painted navy with tiny silver stars.

****************************************************************************************

Luna and Lily were like night and day. While Lily was smiley, flirty and girly, Luna was the opposite. She had inherited more than the smirk from her father. Sure, she looked exactly like Camille - both daughters did - but she had her Drake's black humour and she didn't get along with the noble kids at court. Not that she cared.

Both girls attended a 'normal' high school which meant court events were rare. But when they did have to venture to the palace, Luna looked at her counterparts with contempt. She knew the hell the nobles had put her father through and she didn't appreciate it one bit.

She did love her parents noble friends like Uncle Maxwell et al, but she didn't like the noble teenagers. They were stuck up and found it weird that Lily and Luna went to a regular school - not privately tutored like they all were. Plus, they were American.

Lily had always let their judgement go over her head. She was the daughter of Drake Walker and Camille Montespan; she didn’t need anyone’s approval but her parents. Fuck the rest of them.

Luna couldn't do that - she had been caught trying to beat up Timothy Domvalier after he called her a particularly cruel word and she would have managed to do real damage if Lily hadn't dragged her away - though her older sister did threaten to cut his testicles off where he stood if he made fun of Luna again.

That was the thing. The two sisters may have been different but they were still a team.

Drake sat down beside Luna who snuggled up beside him. 'Your heart is beating really quick,' she said. 'Mom, I think Dad's gonna have a heart attack because Lily is kissing boys!'

Drake pulled her into him, covering her mouth. 'Lies! All lies!'

Lily blushed and turned to show off her dress. 'How do I look?'

Camille backed away slowly with her hands up to her mouth. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. 'You look gorgeous! Oh god, must take a picture for the album!'

'Mom, everyone puts photos online now,' Luna said. 'Taking actual photos is so.. Old.'

Drake let out a laugh. 'Here that Camille? You're old!'

'I'm only forty four!' Camille protested. Lily and Luna exchanged a look.

'Old,' they both chorused, laughing at their teamwork. Camille pretended to be outraged. 'Well, your dad's older than me so..'

'Ha!' Drake scoffed. 'Only by a year!'

Camille pointed at him with her eyebrows raised. 'Big difference.'

Drake and Camille shared a long heated look that only they knew the secret code for.

You're so hot right now.

Wait until later when we're alone.

Camille had planned a date night so that Drake would be distracted. She didn't want him sat on the front steps of their Manor, rifle on his lap, as he stewed on hypothetical situations like Milo kissing Lily or God forbid, offering her some spiked punch.

Not that Milo would do that. He was a sensible kid.

Uncle Leo and Aunt Olivia were coming over to watch Luna. She was thirteen so she didn't need babysat, not really, but Drake and Camille felt happier knowing that she wasn't alone. Olivia and Leo had babysat the two girls in the past which had been.. eventful. But both girls adored them.

The doorbell rang. Lily let out a nervous squeal. 'Oh god, oh god..'

Camille squeezed her hand and guided her out of the room. Drake followed with Luna. His heart was beating very very fast.

'Dad, do you need a whiskey?' Lily joked as she carefully walked down the stairs.

'Don't push it kid,' Drake growled.

Luna giggled. 'Can I have one?'

Drake stared at her in horror until he saw her give him a smirk.

'Why am I surrounded by girls who like to gang up on me?’ he groaned. He still had a smile on his face though; his girls were his life. When they reached the front door, Lily didn’t want to open it due to her nerves. Luna took her hand and gave it a supportive squeeze. Underneath it all, she did care about her sister and wanted her to have fun. Camille adjusted Lily’s hair as Drake opened the door.

Milo had co-ordinated his suit to match Lily’s dress which had been her idea. Purple with silver sparkles, he was bound to get bullied as soon as he stepped into the prom venue. But he didn’t care. He would do anything for Lily.

He was tall and broad, having developed into his body quite late. At six foot two, he towered over Lily but she didn’t see this new grown man in front of her; she just saw Milo. Her friend. The boy she should have been with all along. The boy who was right in front of her. The boy who had waited patiently.

Milo looked terrified when he was confronted with Drake. ‘S-Sir Walker..’ he mumbled, bowing his head. He offered a small bottle of whiskey as a peace offering. Drake took the bottle, holding in laughter, and they all watched as Milo then brandished a bouquet of peonies to give to Camille. ‘For you, Duchess!’

Camille smiled and took them. ‘Milo, you know us. You can call us Drake and Camille like you usually do. These flowers are beautiful, how did you know?’

Milo blushed and Luna smirked, shaking her head at the awkwardness. Lily smiled and stepped forward to give him a hug. His eyes widened when he saw her.

‘Woah.. you look.. woah.’

‘How romantic!’ Luna gasped, pretending to swoon, collapsing against the stairs. ‘If only Shakespeare was here to write a sonnet!’

Lily looked over her shoulder at her sister with her brown eyes narrowed. ‘Can it, sis.’

Luna rolled her eyes and watched as Milo took out a little box. Camille nudged Drake and Luna, pulling them down the corridor to give Lily some privacy with her boyfriend.

Milo swallowed as he opened the box. Lily let out a breath and looked up at him with her eyes shining. ‘This is beautiful!’

It was a corsage with white and red flowers. Milo grinned and gently placed it around her wrist. Lily admired it then frowned when she examined the box. ‘What’s this..?’

She reached into the box and took out a leaf.

‘Oh my God, you got me a leaf!’ she shrieked, jumping up and down. ‘Milo!’

Milo laughed and for that moment, he saw the four year old Lily with the wide smile and dancing eyes.

‘Oh god, I didn’t get you a leaf..’ she whispered. ‘Oh no. Oh no.’

‘Lil, it’s okay,’ he chuckled. Lily shook her head. ‘No, this won’t do.’

Quickly, she strode out the front door. Milo followed and he watched as she took off her heels so she could walk barefoot around the grass, looking around her.

‘Lily, what are you doing?’

‘I’m finding you a leaf!’ she called. ‘I’m gonna find you the prettiest one!’

‘It was meant to be a joke-’

‘Shhhh, I’m searching!’ she scolded. Milo smiled and sat down on the steps, waiting for her to find a leaf. He jumped when he heard footsteps behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw it was Drake.

Milo stood up quickly but Drake gestured for him to remain seated. ‘Relax, man,’ he said. Milo nodded and sat down awkwardly. Drake sat down beside him.

He had the bottle of whiskey in his hand and two crystal cut glasses. Carefully, he poured a measure into both glasses and handed Milo a glass.

‘Uhh.. I’m not eighteen yet,’ Milo said. Drake rolled his eyes. ‘Milo, you go out with my daughter who I know has sneaked whiskey before. You know she helped herself to one of my most expensive bottles?’

Milo chuckled. ‘Sounds like Lily.’

‘Exactly,’ Drake said. ‘So, please, take the glass and have a drink with me.’

They sat together for a moment, watching Lily as she went further away from the manor to go to an oak tree.

‘How is she seventeen already?’ Drake murmured.

Milo smiled, not sure if he was meant to answer. Drake looked at him with a wry smile on his face. ‘I’m sorry I’m that dad who interrogates and makes boyfriends uneasy,’ he said. ‘I don’t mean it. It’s just... she’s my daughter. I’ll do the same to Luna when she gets a boyfriend or girlfriend. I know it’s annoying but I can’t help it. I just want her to be happy, you know?’

‘You are a bit scary..’ Milo whispered.

Drake let out a deep laugh. ‘Oh good, I’m glad! Ha, fantastic. You know I’m actually really nice, right?’

Milo nodded. ‘I know, Drake. You come from a good place.’

‘I can see her becoming independent and becoming a woman and I’ll be honest, it scares me,’ Drake confided. ‘I sometimes miss the times when she was my little girl. She was obsessed with me. I was her hero. But now, she’s forging her own path, she’s dating guys, she’s graduating soon.. soon, I’ll just be a side character in the story of her life. And I’m okay with that, I am. I want her to grow up, I want her to make mistakes and I want her to have the best time while doing it.’

Milo bit his lip and sipped his whiskey. Fuck, this was strong stuff. Jesus.

‘If it helps, I think you’re always going to be her favourite guy,’ Milo told him. ‘She honestly still looks at you like you’re Captain America or something. Sure, you can annoy her by being overprotective but when she thinks about it, she says she knows why you do it. She would rather have that than a dad who doesn’t care. With you, she knows you love her above everything. So I promise, you won’t be a side character.’

Drake was quiet for a minute, contemplating. ‘I think it’s time for me to let go a little. She is going travelling in the summer, maybe that will be a fresh start.’

Milo nodded. Lily was going to travel to Europe with him and a few of their friends before they started university. It was a freedom granted to her that many children of Dukes and Duchesses weren’t allowed to have.

Drake clapped Milo on the back. ‘Good talk,’ he said. ‘Curfew is 1am.’

Milo frowned. ‘I thought it was 11pm?’

‘Ha!’ Drake let out a dry laugh. ‘What kind of night out is that?’

Milo grinned, surprised at the sudden change of rules.

‘I have a leaf!’ Lily shouted, waving a leaf in the air. She ran towards Milo and Drake with a happy smile on her face and curtseyed to Milo, before handing him the leaf. ‘It’s the best leaf in the garden,’ she told him seriously.

Milo held it to his heart. ‘I will guard it with my life.’

Drake smiled and took the whiskey bottle and his glass. He left his daughter on the front steps of the manor with her boyfriend, who was looking at her like she was a work of art.

#trr fanfic #drake walker

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traincat · 5 years

Note

I've been ranting to my friends about Johnny being abused and raped recently and one of them said: Lyja has damaged and put an element of distrust into every relationship he may ever have. which is really fucking me up and I wanted to share in part bc I don't wanna be sad alone and also bc I think that's an interesting side effect of Lyja's time in his life that doesn't get talked about enough

Thank you for sharing this because the thing is I do think there is a very definite divide in how Johnny acts particularly in regards to relationships before and after his marriage to “Alicia.” I doubt this was entirely intentional on the parts of the writers who handled the book after, but I’ve said before that I think after a certain amount of time and with enough stories behind them characters tend to take on a life of their own, and even if the writers are hesitant to address it there’s no way an event like his relationship with Lyja couldn’t have deeply effected Johnny.

Simply put: I don’t think “playboy Johnny” exists before Lyja. I don’t buy into “playboy Johnny” much as a general phenomenon, because if you actually look at the canon there’s just not much to actually back it up, but he certainly has at periods played into this public (both in and out universe) perception of himself. What I mean is, pre-Lyja, there is absolutely no proof Johnny had ever engaged in casual sex. (There’s actually no proof he wasn’t a virgin when Lyja began working her way into his life while masquerading as Alicia; this panel from Fantastic Four #275 is the first time Johnny having sex is addressed:

That shirt is Johnny’s – you see him wearing it the issue leading up to this one. To be clear, there’s nothing in the issue that supports this being Johnny’s first time, either – it’s just that he doesn’t have any sex scenes prior. Either way, this is not the reaction of someone who had a good time.)

Pre-the Alilyja incident, Johnny had a grand total of three relationships: Dorrie Evans in high school, Crystal Amaquelin, Frankie Raye. He had a few dates with a girl named Lorrie Melton who called things off with him because he was more serious than she wanted to be, and shared a whole one kiss with a girl named Valeria from the Fifth Dimension (no relationship to his future niece). He also briefly pursued a girl named Julie Angel, who blatantly wasn’t interested in him. When Julie’s friend Sharon came onto him during this period, he reacted with discomfort:

(Fantastic Four #259)

So, playboy Johnny Storm, a womanizer who sleeps around – he doesn’t exist in canon at this point. (If anything, Johnny repeatedly reacts negatively to being kissed suddenly and without his permission leading up to and during the marriage.) Then you have the marriage, which happens fairly quickly – Johnny and Alicia’s relationship is “cemented” in FF #275, they get married in FF #300. I want to note that Johnny’s pretty young when he gets married, especially by modern standards – you have to do the Spider-Man math with this one, since Johnny’s age at this point in canon isn’t stated, but he and Peter both get married at roughly the same time. We know that they’re roughly the same age, Johnny being 16 when he got his powers and Peter being 15 and these things happening fairly closely together. Peter comments very shortly after he’s married that he’s been out of high school for five years, which would make both him and Johnny roughly 23 when they respectively tied the knot. Alicia is labeled during Byrne’s run as three years older than Johnny, but it should be noted that Byrne has a habit of making women younger and putting them in relationships with much older men – which would track if it’s his opinion Alicia first met Ben when she was 19. (It’s my personal belief that she should be older than that, but that’s neither here nor there.) We have no idea how old Lyja is in comparison to Johnny. So he’s young, and the relationship escalates very quickly, which, looking at it with the retcon in place, makes sense, because Lyja is on a mission to infiltrate the Fantastic Four. So it’s quick. The marriage, the Skrull reveal, and the ensuing melodrama lasts… a while after that.

Then the big reset button that was Heroes Reborn got hit after Fantastic Four #416 and Johnny and family were shunted off to a pocket universe for a little bit, sans Lyja. Fantastic Four v2 is the first look we get at a more playboy-ish Johnny Storm in line with, say, the Chris Evans version of the character – older when the accident hits instead of being a fresh-faced teen, a bit irresponsible, comes off a little bit like he might be a dog. But this reboot canon can’t really keep it up: it reunites Johnny and Crystal temporarily, and then everyone gets snatched out of their alternate reality bubble and planted back in their regular timeline anyway.

So let’s look at Johnny’s relationships after his marriage:

1) Alysande “Caledonia” Stuart: A young woman Johnny found and rescued in another dimension who lived with the Fantastic Four for a while. I’m including this even though it isn’t strictly a romantic relationship – Johnny appears to have feelings for Alsyande, but it’s unclear if they’re reciprocated or if she just feels a deep debt of loyalty to him for rescuing her. Either way, I really like how this relationship is handled; they’re both very respectful of each other in a way that’s missing from a lot of Johnny’s actual romantic relationships. They definitely didn’t have sex.

2) Namorita Prentiss: The first actual romantic relationship Johnny has post-Lyja. This one’s another weird one; Johnny and Namorita first get together after teasing the paparazzi and commiserating about being famous. They then proceed to spend next to no time together. Seriously, like, to the point where the books remarks on it:

(Fantastic Four v3 #55)

Johnny and Namorita do do things like attend celebrity functions together, so I label this as Johnny’s first “publicity” relationship – less about being in love, and more about him and the other party looking really good together for the public eye. (This is also something he never did before his marriage.) Anyway, they break up off panel, although Johnny did apparently ask Nita to move in with him at one point, which she refused.

Kourtney: A second and much more prominent “publicity” relationship. Kourtney is a supermodel who we’re first introduced to when she breaks up with Johnny when the Fantastic Four go broke and he falls out of public favor. They do get back together for the duration of Marvel Knights 4, and then they apparently break up again. Nothing to write home about in this relationship – she and Johnny don’t really appear to actually like each other all that much, especially on her end.

We enter a relationship deadzone for Johnny as we hit Waid’s run. He starts it off apparently shaking off a bad celebrity breakup, and while he goes a bit moony-eyed over a few pretty girls at the beginning, basically nothing happens. He at one point meets up with a girl from the internet who claims to be a fan of his and things seem like they might get romantic… except his body language really is screaming the opposite:

Fantastic Four #514 – I’m not saying how much of this was intentional or even what the intent was, but if there’s something a comic book artist should be good at conveying, it’s body language. Here Cole’s is aggressive – leaning in, touching his face – and Johnny’s is closed off – hands in his pockets, leaning away from her. It’s just interesting if we’re supposed to believe he’s hot for this girl.

Anyway, Cole turns out to be the Wizard’s daughter, catfishing Johnny to find a solution for her unwanted superpowers. So. That lasts two issues and nothing happens between them.

Psionics: And now we enter Millar’s run. Millar’s run is probably the biggest contributor to Playboy Johnny – not only does he have an ill-advised sexual affair with a superpowered bank robber named Psionics, he also gets walked in on – apparently – about to have a threesome with two girls cosplaying as Storm and the Scarlet Witch. I’ve had a problem with the cosplay scene for a while now, because it just doesn’t fit with Johnny’s 616 personality. Something about it has always felt very off. And while I could just go “well it’s Mark Millar,” it occurred to me on a recent reread what’s wrong with it: it feels staged. Johnny’s in the middle of filming a reality show; the camera crew is who walks in on him. If he was trying to cultivate this playboy image, well, one way to do it is to make sure you’re walked in on in a compromising situation. He and the girls are all still fully clothed, and he actually ditches the scene as soon as they’re discovered – to congratulate Ben on his engagement, but still – while the girls frankly seem more interested in each other. It’s a weird scene still, but there’s nothing in it either way to say he was or wasn’t setting it up to make it look like he was the kind of womanizing carefree celebrity party boy who has threesomes with hot cosplay girls while not actually doing that.

As for Psionics, the hot bank robber he sleeps with? Well, turns out her family from the future kidnaps him and uses him as a giant power battery in a machine that has a good chance of killing him. No bad feelings or anything, though.

Again with the awkward body language. He certainly just stands there while she kisses him. This is the exact opposite of smoldering passion. Also, next time he sees her she tries to kidnap his niece, kills his longtime family friend Alyssa Moy in front of him, and then gets murdered right before his eyes. So. That all happened.

He has one apparent would’ve-been one night stand in Hickman’s run after this, except she turns into a bunch of bug monsters and activates the Negative Zone portal. He also has a highly implied brief sexual relationship with Daken Akihiro at this point, who… uses that connection to make Johnny feel horribly guilty over Daken’s apparent death and then so Daken can steal a weapon from the Fantastic Four. There’s a weird pattern here.

Darla Deering: The last and most recent of Johnny’s publicity relationships – Johnny starts seeing Darla, a major pop star, sometime after his experiences in the Negative Zone. This is another “they’re in a relationship but they don’t spend any time together” fling, too – at the end of the relationship, when Darla’s gotten together with Scott Lang, Johnny actually admits that he liked dating Darla because of Darla’s celebrity lifestyle more than he liked her.

Here we hit Robinson’s run. Johnny does a lot of partying after he’s lost his powers, and while it’s not explicit, there’s something of an implication during this point that he is sleeping around. However, his most serious relationships in this run are with his family, Wyatt Wingfoot, and Peter Parker, and he has no consistent romantic partner.

Which brings us to his last serious relationship: Medusa. This one’s a weird one, too, and it’s one where I’m not hesitant to blame the writer’s lack of research at all when Medusa and Johnny were genuinely very close during her stint on the Fantastic Four team. It’s clearly a placeholder relationship – we know Black Bolt/Medusa were going to get back together. If anything, I think here Johnny’s holding onto a piece of his then-missing family the only way he knows how.

So, a couple of relationships post-marriage, but by in large, with the exception of Namorita where we see hardly any of their actual relationship on page and perhaps Medusa, nothing serious. Certainly nothing like his impassioned “head over heels” falls for Crystal and Frankie Raye. So there’s very definitely a change in Johnny after Lyja and in how he behaves in romantic relationships – the implication that he does have casual sex, the uptick in relationships that are clearly for the public eye, a lack of a previously held deep devotion to his partner. I think you could make a really good case for all this coming about as a result of lingering and unaddressed trauma from Lyja.

There’s also, and this isn’t explicitly romantic, the appearance of this little quizzing game:

(Fantastic Four: Secret Invasion) This actually is Lyja in her only appearance since FF #416, disguised as Sue and trying to convince Johnny that Ben is a Skrull for… well for nothing good, obviously, but the book never actually gets into why she’s attempting to separate Ben from Johnny, except that separating him from his family is exactly what she tried to do before she was discovered to a be a Skrull during their “marriage.” But it’s telling that when Johnny feels like something isn’t right, he immediately starts quizzing “Sue” about things she should know. Definitely seems like the kind of game someone who unwittingly married and was abused by a shapeshifter would invent to make sure that the people in his life are really who they’re supposed to be.

So I definitely think there’s a lot of lingering trauma there that, if a really good writer dug into it, could inform a lot about both the romantic relationships he had after that point and his romantic future, especially if it was paired with a story where he explores his romantic feelings for men. It’d be interesting to see it doubled up with doubts after his relationship with Daken in that regard, since Daken also used him to gain access to the Fantastic Four. I’d love to see it all really gotten into and actually, for the first time, addressed, especially if it was in the context of a romantic relationship with Wyatt Wingfoot, who was present during the early days of Lyja’s seduction of Johnny and is also who Johnny ran to after he discovered the truth about the monster Lyja told him was their child. A lot of history to get into there.

#johnny storm #marvel comics #long post/#traincat talks comics #*replies #Anonymous

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rivetgoth · 4 years

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OC #2 - Angel Steel

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I think a lot of people know Angel by now. He’s been through a lot and he’s been around for way too long but he just keeps fighting to be one of my most significant OCs. I can’t get rid of him. He began years and years ago as a Repo! OC exclusively, pretty much a self-insert and a weird coping device when I was pre-everything and closeted and hated myself and whatever. He eventually evolved into his own character entirely and cemented a place for himself in my own original OC canon. He’s also from the Fresno, California megalopolis from the 2080s and he’s stupid.

Angel’s basic information is that he’s a pre-everything bisexual trans guy in his early twenties. He was born in Chowchilla, California as an only child to a poor couple. Chowchilla, like most of the areas surrounding Fresno, have pretty much fallen into wasteland, and when Angel’s parents grew sick they moved to the city to try to get medical treatment, but they could only afford enough medicine to treat Angel alone and ended up dying and leaving Angel an orphan when he was still pretty young. So Angel grew up on the streets, and really quickly had to learn to adapt to survive. He quickly became involved in the very dangerous and highly illegal medicine transportation vehicle raid circuit. Basically, Himmel Medicine, the megacorp that pretty much owns the monopoly on the hospital and medicine industry, transports armored cars full of medicine and supplies throughout the city on a daily basis, and individuals with nothing to lose will risk their lives to raid the cars, take the supplies, and sell them for huge amounts of money on the street. Angel, who is naturally very small and not particularly muscular and was very young at the time, ended up becoming a frequent medical car raid “runner,” which meant that he would stay at the site of the attack, be given the supplies, and then make a run for it to avoid the Street Patrol from reclaiming the stolen property. However, Angel would often break certain rules and expectations of the medical car raiders, such as keep a handful of the items he was given for himself to sell at a higher cost as he would not have to split the proceeds with the group he was with. He valued survival over all else and felt this was a justified way to exist as it was every man for himself out on the streets.

Over the course of his time as a medical car raider Angel ended up seeing a great deal of people die, including many brutally killed right in front of him. The Street Patrol, policeman who had been bought out by Himmel Medicine and originally hired with the intent of protecting the armored cars, had always caused trouble during raids, but once Himmel had bought out the prison system as well they were promoted to street work, where they would do reverse-raids and attack places where the raiders were hiding out and brutally slaughter them. Angel’s life became even more at risk and he knew it was just a matter of time before he was caught. When he came home one day to the place he and a group of raiders had been squatting and, despite only being out for about an hour, found nothing but mutilated corpses left behind, it really struck him how seriously his life was at risk. In a panic he turned himself in, after learning that Himmel had just recently put out a call seeking volunteers for some medical experiments they were working on in exchange for a wiped record. Angel had just turned eighteen.

Angel’s story immediately caught attention at Himmel Medicine, and the tale of a reformed medicine runner who saw the truth and became a loyal follower of Himmel was one that the company was eager to capitalize on. He was eventually assigned to be the test subject of the Icarus Project, a series of cosmetic surgeries being developed by Doctor Giorgio Marcello, one of the leading plastic surgeons at Himmel. Giorgio is an important OC of mine, he’ll come up later as well. Giorgio was looking into the extent that surgical human body modification could go, pushing the limits of how much he could manipulate and add to the body in hopes of bringing about the future of body modification in which one could have full ownership of themselves in a way the human species never has had before. For the following year, Angel was in and out of consciousness, mostly out, as surgeons spent day in and day out tirelessly grafting giant, artificial angel wings to his back, fusing the artificial appendages at every level, his nervous system, muscular system, and everything else being conjoined with the wings.

The end result was imperfect. As the first major transplant of an artificial, non-human limb to a human body, the connection was not completely even and Angel had a permanent stiff awkwardness in the wings. He had a limited range of movement, and the circulation wasn’t great. Imagine if you had a pair of arms sewn to your back that were permanently a little asleep, that’s what Angel was stuck with. But Giorgio had no interest in furthering the experiment beyond cosmetic, and told Angel that if he wanted a secondary series of surgeries to correct the minor details he would have to pay for it out of pocket, which was money Angel certainly did not have. More fine details soon arose as well, primarily that Angel’s wings were property of Himmel Medicine, and he would have to pay for those as well if he wanted to leave. He couldn’t just remove them without not only extreme pain but a serious risk of bleeding out, and despite how much he wanted freedom, he couldn’t quite prioritize it over the pain and bring himself to try it. He was instead “hired” as a model for the company. There, he received the name “Himmel’s Angel,” which was where he got his name. Prior to that, he had been willingly nameless, due to a belief he held that without a name it would be significantly harder to catch him. “Angel” is really just a shorthand version of his advertising title. Angel would be dressed up in pretty outfits and photographed or filmed, frequently winding up on the front of magazines and television screens, working as a spokesperson for Himmel and telling his story of “redemption,” and working behind the scenes as a high class prostitute for Himmel’s especially wealthy and generous investors.

In his downtime, Angel was assigned a dorm-like living space with a fellow Himmel “employee” called Hollywood California (I already wrote about her earlier). She had been working for Himmel much longer than Angel had, and seemed to quickly attach to him. He was the first friend she had had since coming here. Angel didn’t particularly want to talk to her, preferring being alone at this point and not a particularly sociable being. But they were trapped together, and the fact that they were both the same age and both trans gave them something in common, although Angel didn’t really want to see it that way. He also felt that California had it easier than him, as she wasn’t expected to be a spokesperson in the same way - She was a wanted criminal, tried and ruled guilty for murder, and yet she still was undergoing surgeries that Angel felt were significantly easier than him, as they weren’t even physical. He also spent a great deal of time with Giorgio, who had grown quite attached to Angel over the course of the surgical process. Giorgio and Angel frequently had sex and Angel went along willingly, and maybe even started to fall in love with Giorgio in a stockholm syndrome kinda way, but throughout the process of their affair he also worked to get as much information out of Giorgio as possible in order to slowly plan an escape. Their relationship is complicated and far from healthy; Angel was left with a lot of uncertain feelings by the end of it that fucked with his certainty about escaping at all, but he never fully lost sight of his need to be free from Himmel’s grasp,

Just as he was ready to leave, Angel was caught by California, who had been seeking an escape plan of her own and had began to pick up on Angel’s frequent disappearances and shifty behavior. She interrogated him and threatened to report him to Himmel’s authorities if he didn’t allow her to accompany him. Angel agreed begrudgingly, though this only further removed any positive feelings he had for Cal prior, although he did rationalize within himself that having a second person on his side would be helpful. After all, he couldn’t easily cover his wings, but California had not received any physical alterations. But he still managed to keep control of the operation and didn’t quite reveal everything to Cal - With Giorgio, he had learned of where a great deal of money was hidden within Himmel’s headquarters, and before leaving with California he managed to steal a large chunk of it, which he kept entirely a secret from her. Together the two of them escaped to the Outskirts, the furthest that the buses will travel out of Fresno before turning back around. Aaaaand that’s where my novel starts off, so I don’t want to share more details about what happens exactly, but I will say that eventually Giovanni Marcello winds up staying with Angel in the outskirts and the two become love interests, but I won’t tell y’all how that works out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Angel’s key priority is always survival, at the cost of forming any genuine relationships with other people or really standing for anything. He doesn’t believe in anything but seeking comfort and safety and sort of desires a happiness that probably will never exist because it will take more effort on his end than he’s willing to give. He’s very jumpy and skittish but that can be flipped over into “sneaky” when necessary. He has a lot of trauma and a lot more wrong with him than he’s willing to face and a lot of it manifests in weird attachment or detachment issues that he doesn’t even really realize. He’s more superstitious than he wants to admit and gets caught up in worries about fate and the future and feels like he’s constantly trying to run from something he can’t quite name (aside from Himmel, who’ve put a hefty bounty on his head). Angel likes pinks and reds, pastries, strawberries and other cute fruit, and dislikes pretty much all animals. He’s not really a good person nor does he really prioritize goodness or kindness as a virtue at all, he doesn’t necessarily want to hurt people who he doesn’t think deserve it but he’s not going to worry much about kindness anyway.

I’ve had Angel for SO long and he’s gone through so much. I care about him way more than I wish I did. I’ve commissioned a lot of art of him and he still feels very closely connected to me since he began as a stupid way to cope with shit, although he’s since evolved a lot. There he is! Also a fun fact about Angel is that he named himself. When I was still developing him in the early stages, I had a nightmare where he worked for a group of people who were out to murder me and he told me his full name, which is fucked up. I hate him! :)

#daily OC talk

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desbianherstory · 5 years

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In a coffee shop in Mumbai I waited nervously to meet 'the community'. I had just moved back to the city after years abroad and begun the search for other lesbians. Already I had been warned by Sakshi, who had come to make contact with me and make sure that I was not a reporter, that levels of trust were low. This was not only because of the need for confidentiality but also because women from The Outside, she told me tactfully, tended to take up so much space; tended 'to assume that their priorities are ours'. We were sitting by the cash register. When the phone rang and the server asked for Sakshi, I was close enough to hear the voice on the other end, demanding: 'Well? Shall I come to meet her? Is she Us?'

When I first started working as a reporter at the Times of India, the breaches of trust I engaged in while trying to promote lesbian visibility were multiple and unthinking, unprepared as I was for the difficulties of being both Us and Not-Us. When the group in Mumbai began working towards the first nationwide retreat for 'women who love women' I helped organize it, participated in it and then wrote about it. It was a conflict on many levels: between organizing collectively and yet representing 'Us' as an individual; between what I knew readers needed to hear and what I didn't know that lesbians were unwilling to share.

I also had to think about Us and Not-Us on many levels when I began the work of compiling Facing the Mirror, a collection of writings by lesbians in India. As soon as word of the project spread, I started receiving letters from men, offering to write about lesbian fantasies, about threesomes, about wishing to be lesbians for a day, about their lesbian wives. I had never expected this.

Some Indian lesbians themselves objected to the Facing the Mirror project on political grounds. One told me that there was no purpose to putting the existence of Indian lesbians into words, since it would just cement and make public the divisions between lesbians and women at large - divisions which we should be working to erase.

'Militant lesbians aren't aware of the existing spaces,' she said. 'Think about the ladies' compartment of the trains, you see women together there all the time. They hold hands, and from their faces you know that it is bliss.'

I tried to persuade her to change her mind - after all, that very week there had been an article in a women's magazine talking about the scourge of lesbians in train compartments. Such single-sex spaces of safety were increasingly rare, increasingly threatened. But she merely shook her head, told me that both the verbalizing of same-sex desire and the violent reactions against that desire were marginal to the vast reality of an Indian tolerance.

'All this - it has nothing to do with India,' she said.

Us and Not-Us. these words took on a new valence for me after Deepa Mehta's film Fire came out in India, at the end of 1998, and was immediately attacked by the Hindu right for its depiction of lesbianism. Fire, a tale of two women married to two brothers, developing a relationship with each other in the congested streets of middle-class New Delhi, was not a film made for Indian audiences. The symbolism was pureed like baby food, the metaphors of fire (Sita's trial by fire from the Ramayana. the evil custom of bride-burning. home-fires and hearth-fires.) so deliberately labelled 'For Export Only'. The film had even less to offer Indian lesbians. In its portrayal of two married women falling painlessly in love, there was, as the lesbian writer VS pointed out, no attempt to take on the 'anarchic and threatening emotions that accompany sexual practices generally considered perverted, criminal and taboo'.

Nevertheless, lesbians watched with alarm as the attacks on the film gathered intensity. Even though the Censor Board had, to everyone's surprise, cleared the film without cuts, right-wing groups like the Shiv Sena and Rashtriya Seva Sangh were in no mood to accept that verdict. On 1 December, Pramod Navalkar, Minister of Culture for the state of Maharashtra and no stranger to controversy - he would often claim that he enjoyed driving around Mumbai wearing a long blonde wig 'just to see what kinds of men will try to chase a white woman' - told newspapers that lesbianism was 'a pseudo-feminist trend from the West and no part of Indian womanhood'. The next day movie theatres in Mumbai that were screening Fire were attacked by mobs of men and women from the Shiv Sena. Ticket windows were smashed, hoardings were torn down, and audiences beaten up. The day after that theatres in Delhi were targeted.

In the ensuing debate in the upper house of Parliament only detractors of the film could actually bring themselves to say the word 'lesbian'. 'Do we have lesbian culture in our families?' one Member of Parliament demanded, defending the attacks. 'The Mahabharat and the Ramayana don't contain any lesbianism,' agreed another. On the other hand, the MPs insisting that Fire should not have been attacked would do so only in the most general terms: it was as though lesbians were purely symbolic, unnamable markers of the director's right to creative freedom, of the audience's democratic rights to watch what it chose, or of the Shiv Sena mob's fascist intolerance.

So some lesbians in Delhi gathered on a tidal wave of despair, unable to believe that years of discreet organizing had culminated in such intense and unwelcome visibility. It was almost incredible that we should have come together at all for we were a dispersed, fragmented lot, rent by dissension over who 'we' were - a national lesbian conference had recently disintegrated over the issue of whether white women were welcome in a space designated Indian. Even more disturbingly, over the span of a very few years the community had divided itself neatly into lesbian archives, sexuality help-lines, education and outreach groups. The informal networks we had fostered in our homes splintered gradually by ideology, particularly disagreement over funding.

Some of us believed that funding would only help us, giving us the resources to reach beyond our largely middle-class, English-speaking circles. Others of us were apt to quote the staunch activist who maintained that a foreign donor supporting any radical effort was about as plausible as Oxfam nurturing the Quit India movement 50-odd years ago.

But, in spite of our histories of disagreement, lesbians in Delhi joined forces in the wake of the attacks on Fire. We worked with desperate energy to plan a protest rally, scheduled to take place within 48 hours of the Shiv Sena's violence, and reached out to all our old allies from secular groups and from the women's movement. To our dismay we encountered that same unwillingness to name the issue a lesbian one - again, it seemed, our concerns were to be subsumed in favour of the 'bigger picture'. The word 'lesbian' was not to be used in the press release, one women's group insisted. Instead, we needed to highlight our support for the film's theme of 'the hypocrisy and tyranny of the patriarchal family'. After all, we could not possibly expect groups at large to champion a 'narrow' concern like lesbianism.

We gave in and the protest went ahead. Hundreds of people showed up outside Regal Cinema - the theatre that had been ransacked by the mobs - holding candles, chanting, raising placards. But for the first time ever in India, lesbians were visible among the other groups marking the specific nature of their anger. In the sea of placards about human rights, secularism, women's autonomy, freedom of speech, was a sign painted in the colours of the national flag: 'Indian and Lesbian'. Who would have thought that staking that saucy claim to our share of national pride would result in such a furore? You are not Us, we were reminded at once, by a chorus of voices. The deputy editor of the national weekly magazine India Today expressed particular dismay that 'the militant gay movement, which has hitherto operated as website extensions of a disagreeable trend in the West, could now come out into the open and flaunt banners in Delhi suggesting that "lesbianism is part of our heritage".' He went on to announce: 'Thievery, deceit, murder and other... [criminal] offences have a long history. That doesn't elevate them to the level of heritage.'

But that same searing moment of visibility and defiance threw together a small group of activists - a varied lot, from trade unionists to professional blood donors, men and women, heterosexual, homosexual and other. What we had in common was a sense that we should take the energy of the protest forward in the form of a campaign for lesbian rights. Why the emphasis on lesbian rights? 'To articulate the troubled connections of lesbians in and with the women's movement,' we declared in our mandate. 'To talk about the social suppression of women's sexuality in general, and to address the aspects of lesbians' lives that make this struggle distinct from the gay men's movement.'

The Campaign for Lesbian Rights was a revelation for me. For the first time, lesbian issues were occupying public space - we met in the Indian Coffee House in the centre of Delhi, a hotbed of anti-establishment politics with a permanent Home Ministry spy, and we sipped six-rupee coffee and strategized aloud. We handed out thousands of leaflets on 'Myths and Realities about Lesbianism' in parts of Delhi that were commonly considered hostile to activists - industrial areas housing hundreds of factories, a Muslim university, outside the headquarters of Delhi Police. We attended public meetings organized by women's groups, human-rights groups, student groups. We wrote a street play, the familiar rhythms and gestures of that form inscribing the experiences of grassroots activists among us who had listened to women in villages all over rural North India talking about saheli-rishte - intimate bonds between women.

I relearned the lesson that a movement is accountable only to the people, and, to that end, that rejection is only the beginning of dialogue rather than the end. We fielded questions like 'What have lesbians done for society that we should support you?' and stood our ground and continued the conversation, our commitment spurred by the knowledge that, as a group opposed to external funding, our work depended on our ability to persuade fellow activists, fellow citizens, that they should contribute a rupee or two to our cause.

Progressive groups, who addressed all kinds of dispossession and oppression through the lens of human rights, would tell us that lesbian rights was no fit realm for them to enter because sexuality was about 'personal choice'. And so we walked a curious double line, saying: 'All choices involving consenting adults deserve respect, and in the face of compulsory heterosexuality, human rights means making that choice real', and 'Lesbianism is not necessarily a choice'. It's hard to describe what it meant to us, then, to receive a letter from the Human Rights Trust acknowledging our work as 'part and parcel of the broader human-rights movement'. It was the recognition that lesbians were part of a larger group of people, attacked and discriminated against in a panoply of ways, but with this in common - that we could give a name to the violations and to the rights we were seeking.

Most importantly, though, the Campaign reshaped what I thought of when I said 'we'. I have in front of me a citizens' report on the suicides of a lesbian couple in an Orissa village, brought out by aids Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan, one of the Campaign's constituent groups. Written by two heterosexual men, the report is titled, touchingly, For People Like Us.

—Ashwini Sukthankar is a Mumbai-based writer and activist. Her book Facing the Mirror: Lesbian writing from India was published in 1999 by Penguin India.

#Ashwini Sukthankar #fire #indian lesbians #history #writing #caleri

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that-shamrock-vibe · 4 years

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Movie Review: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker

Spoiler Warning: I am posting this review the day the movie formally drops in the U.K, so if you haven’t yet seen the movie don’t read on.

General Reaction:

This is singularly and categorically the most frustrating movie I have ever seen and I genuinely mean that!

I have walked away from this, I believe, two and a half hour movie and have had maybe 3 hours to digest what I have just seen and I still do not know whether or not I enjoyed what I saw or found it completely frustrating.

I know I've talked about my history with Star Wars with the last 4 movies that Disney has released, but I for these two reviews it is imperative to cement my relationship with this universe going in because it should help make my case for my opening statement.

To clarify, when it comes to the Star Wars universe, I only know the movies. I am not old enough to have grown up with the original saga before seeing The Phantom Menace but I did complete the original trilogy before seeing Revenge of the Sith and have watched those first six movies in chronological order numerous times because I am that sad.

When it comes to the Disney-era movies, as I mentioned I have seen all four that have come before Episode IX and again enjoyed all of them to different degrees.

I have not however seen any TV series, as in the animated Clone Wars and Rebels series nor The Mandalorian. I don't really have time to commit to TV shows, particularly the length of animated shows, and with regards to the recent Mandalorian I've had university work to keep me occupied.

I have also not read any Star Wars novel or comic, the main reason for both of these, aside from the time constraints, is because I don't enjoy homework and that's what both the TV and book series feel like.

I get the point of movies these days is to franchise with an expansive universe and, to it's credit, Star Wars was the first franchise to start this despite the MCU simply doing it better.

However, I am not as die hard a Star Wars fan that I want to find the time to fit all of this expansive universe viewing and reading in to get the most out of my enjoyment of the movies, let alone can. I enjoy the movies just fine, and have not yet found a situation in the movies to dig a little deeper into the Star Wars mythology...save for one particular scene in Solo: A Star Wars Movie which I’ll get into during my spoiler review.

The reason I won’t go into why I felt a small urge in Solo of all Star Wars movies is because the element in question from that movie I would have used during this movie but they don’t. In fact, The Rise of Skywalker should really be called The Fandom Menace because, despite the fact this movie promises a lot and delivers some good stuff, it does not deliver on what the Star Wars fandom has either theorised or to a degree been promised, again save for two aspects of fan service that go absolutely nowhere.

In fact “The Rise of Skywalker” as a title is the biggest tease and letdown of the movie. It’s the movie’s biggest promise and equally its greatest obstacle particularly after you’ve seen it once and discover why it is such a letdown.

I will also say, because of how shaky this “sequel trilogy” has been in the development of the characters, they seem to be wanting to wrap everything up, promising this as the “End of the Skywalker saga” which seems to also be a false promise when your title is “The Rise of Skywalker” which in itself is a complete and utter cheat and I will definitely talk about that in the spoiler review, but what the to-do list is really is to both wrap up the original trilogy because they included the original characters and borrowed from the actual original movies HEAVILY, but also wrapping up this new trilogy because I do believe that Disney have heard the backlash this trilogy have been getting and so are trying to not have us go back to this trilogy in future as was the biggest mistake for this trilogy.

But what actually happens is not only do the “wrap ups” seem either rushed, forced and/or sloppy as hell, but then you have new things cropping up or still unanswered questions which either prod or demand exploration in a sequel. I know Star Wars is getting the Disney+ spin-off series treatment but I don’t think LucasFilm are as bold as Kevin Feige, or as successful, and therefore won’t bombard the Disney+ schedule with shows.

It is a shame this trilogy has somewhat fizzled out the way it has because there are new characters and concepts introduced during the trilogy that I would enjoy seeing continue, because I’ve either liked them from the start or have been rooting for them and they finally had their pay-off moment here.

But if Star Wars ever wants to stand a chance at reclaiming its former glory not only as one of the most beloved universes in film but also, even with the prequel trilogy, one of the most successful cinematic universes, then I believe this extended hiatus is a blessing since Benioff & Weiss dropped out of a future trilogy for everyone in-house from Bob Iger and Kathleen Kennedy to even the actors involved such as the newer main cast to revise what the last four years have amounted to for the franchise and what the takeaways can be from it.

Cast:

All this being said, there are still good and impressive points to this movie, largely in the cast of the movie. It is just a shame that for the large part they will be affiliated with such a shambles of a movie.

The sequel trilogy’s new trinity of characters finally all come into their own in this movie with not only the three of them actually sharing a reasonable amount of screen time together but also the three of them falling into their respective roles that particularly made the likes of Han, Leia and Luke so loved.

However, while Daisy Ridley finally comes into her own as a Jedi and the bromance between Poe and Finn is reignited, the writing and pacing of the movie does very much fall back into that rushed wrapping up I touched on earlier because they haven’t really been that way for the entirety of The Last Jedi.

I really don’t understand the fascination with either Kylo Ren or Adam Driver personally. While I do think they’ve played on the two sides of the same coin angle not just with Rey and Kylo but also Kyle and Ben rather well and Driver does play both quite well, Kylo Ren is no Darth Vader yet that’s the road they’ve been trying to take the character down.

It’s also a very sad and somewhat distracting aspect for this to be Carrie Fisher’s final outing as Leia, Distracting because of course Carrie Fisher’s tragic passing almost three years ago to the day casts a looming shadow over this movie, but sad because as great as digital reconstruction can be, and Star Wars can definitely say they are early pioneers of it, doesn’t change the fact that there Leia’s scenes are being scrutinised to see which lines are archive footage, where there’s a body double and ultimately how the character and actress will be honoured in their final scenes...unfortunately as a whole they do not pay off.

But speaking of old favourites, three aspects of this franchise that will never get old for me are the Droids, Chewie and Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian. As much as Donald Glover tried during Solo, no one does Lando like Billy Dee.

Chewie I became surprisingly emotionally invested in during this movie.

Meanwhile, R2-D2, BB-8, C-3PO and even new droid D-O are essentially the house fixtures, you could not imagine a Star Wars movie without them.

The rest of the cast are serviceable, despite their roles either being minimal or laughable. Not only do the returning minor characters continue to either be minor or practically invisible, but the new characters they introduce simply take away extra screen time to further develop our main cast.

Recommendation:

I can’t not advise people to see this movie, particularly if you have followed the Skywalker saga (all nine-movies or even just this trilogy). I do not believe a virgin to this universe seeing this movie would get any enjoyment out of it aside from the occasional laugh either with it or at it.

It’s definitely not a great movie, I can’t even say it’s commercially a good movie but I think it’s a movie that needs to be seen for the pure and simple reason of closure for the trilogy. I for one as an Aspergic OCD individual cannot leave things unfinished. If I start something I have to finish it and I do believe for the foreseeable this is finished.

What I will say in the movie’s defence is if you do find something in this movie you like, defend and support the movie for it because I feel it is going to need all the help it can get.

So that’s my non-spoiler review of Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, what did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Movie Reviews as well as other reviews and posts.

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fracturedmirrorpower · 5 years

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Typed Radio Show Episode 1

A. Sorry - Ciara

B. Can We Talk - Tevin Cambell

Music: The Kanye West Album was ehh.. ok I guess but I want more.

This past Friday October 25th came the delyed release of Jesus Is King(formally Yandi) the new Kanye West Album with an accompanied IMAX film. I have not seen the film the ticket availability was wide open for every showing near me. Just paying close to $17 for an extended 31min music video type didn’t seem worth it to me, rather just wait for an online release of that. The Album it’s self was not my type of new Kanye but it’s safe to say if you don’t want a disappointment in him musically just wait it out till the next album. It use to take years till his new music was released, the space between the past couple projects have gotten shorter and shorter. Although some may argue it’s like that for all artists these days in a stream ADD world. His albums take long to work out concepts and change directions all together. This new album seems like they took an inspiration and muse of church and chopped it up real quick. If more time was spent on this it would’ve maybe clicked with me more. Given that Jesus is in the name of the album he name drops Jesus way more than any of his past work. It definitely feels like a hip hop church album. He finally put the Jesus on the Drums like he set out to do with his debut and it’s in full force now. Can’t say I love it a lot and I can’t say I hate it. Just doesn’t have the sawg I wanted that has me doing repeats on the thing. Probably like two songs maybe just one song that you can add to your BBQ playlist but just know if you add it, you’ve invited Jesus to the party so no bikinis I guess... Excited to see where my favorite opinions think of this album. If you ask me Kanye needs to go back to making devil music with the illuminati.

C. TV Party - Black Flag

D. Teenage Lobotomy - Ramons

Movie/TV: Bojack’s End Part 1 is here and clear.

The first part of the last season of Bojack the Horseman on Netflix is out. I watched all of it in one day like it was a really long movie, kinda felt like it. Usually with a show like Bojack where I watch a lot of it in a short time frame I’ll forget what happened the last season. With this time the highlight recap really helped and the cliff hanger was a little polarizing compared the past season cliff hangers. To review and not spoil. Bojack gets sober, and pretty much stays sober so far. Actually the character growth is refreshingly real and consistent. Being so use to animated comedies that will use a character to contain a lesson but then turns around to throw jokes at it and the change in development doesn’t stick. In this first of the final installment growth has stuck harder than before and consequences are a bit more grounded. Excited to see Part 2. Sad to see this show go all things must come to an end. This series end comes to a morality complex for Netflix as they are pulling their content out of overseas production. Work environments being demanding and inhuman in animations studios out of the country is far from new but is news that isn’t mainstream. Most animated content from a major studio uses them as cheap labor and animation isn’t cheap so that’s where the corners get cut. Corners such as fair labor wages, equality among genders and poor work environments. There is one throwaway plot point joke the writers made about this subject, not so much as a throwaway more like a tip of the hat to the workers enduing the poor conditions. That considered I’m happy to see the end of this show.

E. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You - Led Zepplin

F. Cum On Feel The Noize - Slade

Sports: Diaz on full throttle, physically and personal brand wise.

Nate Diaz was hit with a negative drug test from the USADA due to “tainted supplements” His initial reaction was withdrawing himself from the fight, this is so that he can keep a clear and clean legacy. Diaz is well known for a plant based diet and tributes that in his defense. The content of his response seems to come out of somebody trying to keep him quiet, someone in the UFC entertainment division. Put on your sports entertainment tin foil hats, I smell conspiracies muddied in this situation. They’re no stranger to painting Diaz in a less than state and now that he has proving him self as a comparable player and the star power cemented. Hits are cheap and dirty and Nate is not here to play around with that given his social media response was so brash. Trash talking surely is involved but contrived bad test results with the press is not tolerated it’s a matter of a clear legacy. He seems to be quick to not that run his career he’s got the voice to change that and pave the way. Happy that Diaz is consistent with sticking up for himself. Exciting to see where this situation takes the athlete and entertainment dynamic in the future but even more excited to see where it takes the fight this coming Saturday.

G. With You - Jessica Simpson

H. The Greatest Story Ever Told - Ice Nine Kills

HALLOWEEN IS UPON US! I’ve done very poorly this year with halloween celebration festive behavior usually doesn’t hit me till the day before through till the day after. There’s a gigantic inflatable ghost across from my work in my window view, that has been quite nice to look at. Watched a little Scooby-Doo to get in the spoopy feels particularly the ‘Pup Named’ series. So far the celebrity costumes have been less than thriller, seeing my favorite starts in costumes is my favorite but so far few days to go I’m not impressed. I’ll probably give an update to my festivities but don’t expect me partying holidays equal amateur night and an easy way to get into trouble you don’t want to be involved in. Probably staying home and getting spoopy on my own. My costume will be a bunny. Always so that next year I’ll go all out but I got nowhere to go to be impressive so I won’t try.

I. Good Cry - Noah Cyrus

J. Different - Tink

If you made it this far thank you for listening to me ramble on about different topics and things that get me excited or opinionated. Hoping for this to act as a blueprint for when I start my own radio show in podcast form, there’s some over head production that’s needed before it can get off the ground but this written form is for me to get practice in developing the subjects of content. Please check out the music listed, or at least some or one of them, it’s my goal to be a radio dj personality type and introduce dope music that I think is dope.

More to come, this is just the beginning. Part of a larger package.

K. The Carpel Tunnel of Love - Fall Out Boy

L. E.S.T.(Trip To The Moon) - Alien Sex Fiend

M. Weak - SWV

-DJ YEEDOGGY*

*Name pending. Draft DJ Name.

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slasherkisss · 5 years

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Cabin Fever - Jason Voorhees x Reader [Chapter 2]

Summary In an effort to remove yourself from your previous life in the big city, you move to Crystal Lake. The cabin you had inherited from your father makes the perfect place for a fresh start, however, there is a secret in these woods (and within yourself) that you must come to accept…and to love.

A/N A second chapter up now! The reader meets Jason for the first time on a snowy walk and, well, things go...less than expected for either of them.

Autumn faded to winter, which came and went before you could register its mere existence. You had contented yourself with tidying up for the first few weeks, clearing away snow from your yard and unpacking the majority of your knick knacks to organize vagrantly around your home. You had stocked up on firewood to keep yourself warm throughout the snowy days, lived off of canned vegetables and you made a silent promise to yourself that, when the snow calmed itself down and the roads were deemed drivable yet again, you would head to town and procure some fresh meats and fruits when you had the chance. While the idea of removing yourself from the isolation of the forest was anxiety inducing above all other emotions, you knew that it was necessary. Just until you were capable of rebuilding the home you were slowly chewing through to its original, self-sustained glory of gardens and animals meandering about your legs. All good things took time, you had remembered your father’s words echoing in your heart, and hard work. They would be worth it, though.

Your eyes traced the droplets of snow that fell, the beginning of a second bought of storms slowly making their way through the Crystal Lake area. Snow had fallen early this year, you noted, starting in the middle of November just after your move and continuing on without reprieve until the middle of December.

Your body ached with the need to stretch. To stand and walk and enjoy the peace so close to you in the form of frosted forest trees and nipping wind. The bite of the cold helped to remind you that you were alive and well, constantly needing to move and shift in order to be kept warm and free of the hypothermia that dared nip close to your heels. It was because of this aching need that constantly sung its cravings in the peripheral of your mind that you found yourself slowly sliding on your snow boots and parka, fingers wiggling into gloves while you made sure the layers of shirts along with the long scarf you wore underneath remained in position. You had scarcely recalled getting dressed for the cold until you found yourself standing outside of your home, eyes fixated on the endless forest before you.

With one last fleeting look to your home, you gave a nod to yourself before pushing forward into the misted woods.

Each step crunched as your weight pushed against the snow, most of it fresh and having never been stepped on before. There was a sense of pride in being the one to christen it with your heavy set boot, finding yourself walking as carefully as you could. If the snow was alive somehow, as you felt all things were in one way or another, you didn’t want to hurt it. Perhaps it was a silly thought to most people but here, now, who was there to judge you for it? The freedom to think so openly about life caused a sense of prideful delight to fill your stomach as you walked carefully against the forest path, weaving between ice stripped trees and avoiding stepping on any rocks and roots that just stuck up against the inches of snow piling up around you. Your breath decorated your front like a pixie, helping you to push forward and constantly singing to you to follow it. Your mind could just hear the voice in your ears, jingling like wind chimes as it whistled to you.

This way...this way! The forest is beautiful this way…

Your pace picked up. You found yourself nearly skipping through the woods, a laugh bubbling on the tip of your tongue and spilling forward as you broke soon into a run, the cold air burning your lungs as you wove between the trees. You spun to doge some. You twirled to dodge others. You shifted to avoid rocks and ducked to avoid fallen logs. The snow seemed to pick up with your excitement, twirling and dancing around you as if it were indulging in your laughter with you. As if it was playing with you as well. You paid no attention to where you ran or how fast you went, simply having the urge to move forward and focus on the path ahead of you, not daring to look back or follow the traces of what was.

Faster, you urged yourself, and faster and faster and faster and-

You skidded to a stop, your lungs aching and begging you to let them catch themselves a breath. Each inhale felt like a stab to your throat as you panted, open mouthed, trying to gather up as much oxygen as possible in the moments you froze. Leaning over, your gloved hands found your bent knees and you took a few seconds to compose yourself, eyes closed so that you could feel nothing but the droplets of snow landing on your heated skin and melting away within mere seconds of touch. You took in the air, the snow below you, and the feeling of cold nipping at your nose for a few moments for heaving yourself upwards to stare at where you had ended up.

The sight of Crystal Lake greeted you in return, the entirety of its top frozen over and sparkling like glitter in the sunlight. The tree line on the other side was spattered with greens and whites and some reds from the remains of stubborn leaves still clinging to certain trees. The untouched snow on the docks and the lake was something out of a painting or fairy tale booklet. It looked so untouched. So undiscovered. It made sense, considering that Crystal Lake was mostly popular in the summer along with no one wanting to particularly visit it when such murders and legends hung around it like a cloud of morbid fog at a constant rate. It was sad to think that no one had ever enjoyed this view as much as you had, but, also it was exciting to know that you were the only one who ever did. That you were the only one here, now, to enjoy this secret nature had offered you.

At least, you had thought you were the only one.

You turned away after casting a lingering look at the frozen lake, deciding it best to find your way back to your cabin before night fell and it had gotten any colder. As you did so, your eyes met with a sight that made you still in your movements, feet cementing themselves to the ground while your heartbeat hammered loudly in your chest, stomach curdling like spoiled milk as the sweat on your brow grew more from surprise than from your previous marathon.

He stood-no- towered before you with a frame well touching the 7 feet mark. A height beyond any human you’ve ever met. His frame was broad, taking the length of a whole tree (maybe two) as it heaved with an apparent effort of breathing. As if his lungs did not have enough capacity to fully fuel the oxygen intake he needed. What was most striking about him, however, was his face. It was the face you had seen not weeks earlier in your first week in the area. A mask, white but cracked in several spots, covered a face that was dull gray in coloration. The straps held onto the head like a parasite, almost growing into the flesh where bits of hair attempted to grow but made it only a certain length before tapering away to nothingness. Bits of ice had formed on both his clothes and mask, a likely result from the cold surrounding you both, but he didn’t seem to shiver at it.

The silence was thick between the both of you, forming a film of discomfort that sat like a raw yolk atop a warm beverage, obscuring the reality of what was underneath it in favor of moderate unease. You felt your breaths come in short, attentive sort of gasps. As if your mind didn’t quite want you to breathe too deep or too heavy, least it attract a negative attitude from the man you almost immediately knew the identity of as you shared eye contact with one another.

The boy who had drowned in the lake over sixty years ago was still here, now, in the visage of a man who smells faintly of ice water and moss. Who matched the forest in stillness and unknown hostility as he towered unmoving before you. The legends and various murder cases you had heard take place throughout the area had all clicked into place for you now, your mind understanding the links with this single meeting yet...for some reason...you did not feel completely scared. Startled? Perhaps, but, who wouldn’t be if you turned to see someone so large so suddenly sneaking up on them? The teenagers he had killed in the past were fooling around, undoubtedly, in the quiet of the abandoned camp they were sure they were alone in. If a group of horny strangers fucked on your front steps, you’d certainly raise a fuss about it yourself.

You had shown no signs of debauchery to him yet, and that was the only reason you were still alive at this point you were sure. He was staring at you, hollowed eyes boring into your soul. Your stomach swelled with something...something you couldn’t put a finger on. It crawled like a parasite up your esophagus and died on the tip of your tongue as you watched him take one large, careful step towards you. The words you spoke next were unplanned as you blurted them as fast as you possibly could:

“You look cold!”

He stopped in his movements, as if the force of your words had startled him. His head tilted, a sign of disbelieving curiosity that you could feel emanating from his personage. A blush of embarrassment heated up the already rosy areas of your cheeks as you cleared your throat, gesturing to him with unsure gloved hands as you dared to continue in a mumbling sort of voice.

“Uh-Well! I j-just mean...that...you’re not exactly dressed for this weather! I don’t-um-well-I think wearing something warmer would feel nicer, right? If you catch a cold, that would be bad...Colds aren’t fun. Have you had one before?”

Silence echoed in return, his head fixing itself upright but he still did not move. Did not talk. Could he talk? You weren’t sure. You also weren’t sure why your hands were going up to your neck, slowly unraveling the scarf from around it. You slid the band of fabric off from your body, shuddering slightly at the chill of exposure brought up to your neck, and folded it neatly between your fingers. Once it was in a straight band of fabric you guessed would fit around his neck, you did what most would assume would be the stupidest movement of your life.

You dared to take a step forward, shaky hands offering out the being before you. An offering to the god of the forest, in a way. A gift of peace you hoped would convey your meaningfulness in the kindest way possible. A signal that you were swearing not to be like those who had come before you because, truly, you were not like them. He would most likely choose not to believe you, however, and you were okay with that. There was a sort of peace in your situation that most would call you morbid for accepting the moment you had laid eyes on him. The acceptance of death was much more sure than the possibility of staring paranoid at the forest for the rest of your time here. You prefer its reassurance over the thrum of dissociation you would have experienced otherwise. It was one thing you appreciated about the concept. You had known your father’s boss would die. You had known it was only a matter of time before your father’s disease took him. Now, like them, you would experience your assured death here and now. A sign of a curse long enveloping the bloodline you carried against your veins. You could only wonder if he’d make you suffer, or, perhaps spare you and snap your neck easily.

As you wondered what kind of sound your bones would make in the echo of the quiet forest landscape, Jason lumbered forward. You watched him, doe eyes wide as you wondered what he might do to you.

Instead of snapping your neck or reaching for a weapon to run you through like you had well assumed he was going to do, however, he simply reached out with a slow hand and gripped the scarf.

He didn’t pull it from your grip, instead just holding it along with you. His head tilted again to the side, a silent inquiry as to what to do next. The smile on your lips was unintentional as you tried to bite down the laughter that threatened to appear. You focused instead on giving him an encouraging nod.

“You can take it...if you want. Um...do you...know how to wrap it around your neck?”

He gave another nod, this time fully taking the scarf from you and, more or less, throwing the fabric around his neck. He made no show of tucking it in like you might have or readjusting it so that it wouldn’t fall flimsily around his shoulders and cling to his existing coat. You couldn’t blame him, however, and seeing him with at least a new layer of warmth on gave you some sense of motherly relief you didn’t expect yourself to have for the massive forest dweller. Silence overtook the both of you again as you simply stared at one another. You dared to make the first move again, hands fiddling with the edges of your coat as you stared back out at the lake.

“It’s really beautiful this time of year, I think...Is it as peaceful as it looks all the time?”

A long silence. You looked up at him to see if he would make a nod or gesture to show you. Instead he was quiet, simply staring at you. From this angle you could see his eyes, or, one of them rather. It bore into your flesh, glinting with a silent curiosity. A hesitant sort of watch. A sign that, should you do anything he didn’t like, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill you. You looked back over the lake, deciding that you’d at least like a view before you died...A sad sort of smile touched at your lips now as you remembered the origin of his story...the thought of him being alone here all this time…

“I visited here a lot as a kid,” You stated, “Always during the winter...My father and I really loved waking walks around the forest in the winter. When we came home we’d make hot chocolate and help one another keep up the garden we had. Though, nothing much grew during winter...I didn’t mind, though, it was always peaceful. Though, I bet you’re pretty used to it…”

You held his gaze again, watching him as he watched you. Half of you craved asking if he was going to kill you. If he was, then when? The other half of you would rather keep it a surprise...if he did at all. Instead, you found yourself asking the single inquiry you had longed for since you had gotten to the edge of the lake. Tilting your head towards the pathways lining the sparkling structure of water, you called out, “I’m Y/N, also...Your name is Jason Voorhees, isn’t it?”

He gave a nod.

“I see...It must’ve been really cold around here all these years...I’m sorry you’ve had to put up with it. With the people that have been around.”

You gazed out again before turning back to the forest, your tongue clicking against your teeth as you gave a nod of affirmation to yourself.

“Would you...like to walk with me back to my house?”

Another series of silence echoed between the both of you. He didn’t respond. Slowly, ever so slowly, you reversed your steps and gave him a curious look. As you meandered back to your home, you eventually turned to face the way you were walking, figuring that if he had truly wanted to kill you, then, he would have done it already. There was a sense of surprise, and moderate anxiety, as you heard footsteps fall in the snow behind you. As heavy boots echoed against the snow, without a doubt overshadowing your smaller footprints in his own. Still, you continued to walk.

The two of you strolled through the forest, you occasionally commenting about things you saw and him saying nothing in return, only giving you nods or adjusting the scarf you had offered him around his neck carefully. The walk had changed something in the dynamic of the air. It had gone from heavy, filled with the threat of blood and death, to something akin to two strangers...simply walking together. To a person leading and a dog following. Not to say Jason was a dog, of course, he was his own person...was that what made it so interesting?

You mulled these concepts over and over again in your mind, touching at trees as you passed and soon continuing the walk you two shared in silence. You wondered why he walked behind you, his strides long enough to easily overtake yours at any moment. Maybe he had decided you weren’t a threat, since you hadn’t shown any signs of debauchery or interest in such things in your time there. Perhaps it was because you had offered a gift instead of screaming, appeasing him into curiosity of what else you might have had for him...Perhaps, perhaps. The word echoed like a rapid drill in your head. It slid from your lips once or twice, testing its pronunciation on your tongue before dying away with ease.

Eventually you stopped, the view of your home slowly sinking into your line of sight.

“Oh,” You blinked, “We’re here.”

Jason was at your side now as you stopped, sharing in your gaze of the snow covered cabin. You looked up at him, watching him as he stared straight ahead. He had nuzzled himself in your light lilac scarf now and you could not help but admire the stark contrast of the purple against his otherwise darkly colored palette. You’d almost dare say that he looked...handsome.

“Well,” You hummed, “I better get going inside. It’s cold, after all.”

You walked a few steps forward, stopped, and thought about your options. If he was truly allowing you to get away with this for a moment, perhaps you should count yourself lucky and continue forward, never to speak of it again. But...what if this could be something more? What if this could be the chance for something else...a friend...a confidant...someone only you could see and speak to in the deep quiet of the woods? There was a greediness that overcame your stomach. A wanton need to create more reason to stay. More reason to cling. To grab and to suffocate and to cherish...to cherish…

You turned despite yourself.

“Did you want….” You trailed off, licking your chapped lips before continuing, “Did you want to come in, Jason? You could warm up yourself before going...um...wherever it is you needed to go.”

There was a hesitance in him you hadn’t seen before, as if he didn’t know what to do in this situation. He took a step forward, then back, as if rethinking the offer. You waited, patiently, as he seemed to pull into himself with the effort of vexing over the situation. Feeling slight guilt on your part for presenting the issue in the first place, you waved your hand forward to get his attention with an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry, I was too excited. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to...but um...if you ever do decide to visit, I’ll be open okay? I don’t have a lot of work to do around here until spring anyways, so…”

The offer faded into silence.

Slowly, Jason’s hands reached up to undo the scarf around his neck, slowly sliding it off in an effort to offer it back to you. With wide eyes, your hands shot up with a laugh.

“Oh, no, it’s okay! I have more than one scarf. You should keep it, to make sure you stay warm for the rest of the winter okay? Consider it a thanks for walking me home…”

And not killing me, you added the last part in your mind. He stood up straighter, as if surprised by the fact you had offered him a gift. Had anyone offered him a gift before in his life? Your heart ached to imagine it. He pulled his hands back, examining the scarf, before extending it again curiously. As if double checking. As if ASKING. Were you really sure about this?

“I’m sure, don’t worry,” You smiled, “Please, keep it...I’ll um...See you around then?”

He didn’t say anything. He only gave a slow, ghost of a nod against his mask. You took that s a sign the transaction was over. A signal that it was time to go in. Your nose was near numb with the nip of the winter air, the snow making its way through your boots and into your socks. You uttered one last goodbye to the man before you while you shut your cabin door. You didn’t lock it, though...For whatever reason, it didn’t seem appropriate to do in the situation. He could get in if he really wanted to, anyways. What was the point?

You slid down on the back of your door, your spine catching on the old and splintered wood while you bit your lip to stop a yelp of successful relief echoing from between your lips. Well. You had survived an encounter with an esteemed ghost killer. No applause or victory music followed this revelation. Instead there was...a sense of melancholy pity, almost. To say that the view of the entire situation was warped beyond its realities within the landscape of your mind was an understatement. Then again, you had never viewed things the same as other people anyway.

Your mind had found beauty in the grotesque. Home in the quiet. Warmth in cold….A handsome face under a normally terrifying visage.

Half of you doubted he would return. You realized this as you made yourself stand and went to the kitchen to prepare a warm batch of hot chocolate for yourself with deep and even breaths. He would probably leave and never come back, focusing on the hooligans running around his lake instead. If he did come back, maybe it would be to kill you? You tried not to dwell on it, but, your mind constantly bombarded you with thoughts and considerations. On questions you would have loved to ask Jason Voorhees should you have maintained easier conversation with him. Not that he would answer...you didn’t think he could.

You wished you could have told him your opinion on the lake itself. Your thoughts of the woods. You wanted to tell him your favorite color and how you liked the feeling of wind on your skin because it reminded you that you were flesh and bone.

You wish you could have told him you were sorry for how counselor’s treated him before he drowned…

Lost in your thoughts, you didn't bother to stare out the window of your kitchen. If you did, you would have seen him amongst the trees again, hiding behind some while patiently observing you through the dark eyes of his mask. You would have also caught the fluttering ends of the lilac scarf he had re-wrapped around his neck, tucking it close into his flesh to keep the cold at bay while tilting his head to watch every movement you made within your walls.

You would have seen curiosity.

But you didn’t.

#jason voorhees #friday the 13th #jason voorhees x reader #jason voorhees imagine #slasher imagine #slasher imagines #slasher #cabin fever series #second chapter woohooooo!

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secret-diary-of-an-fa · 4 years

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Secret-Diary Recommends Some Music

I’m not exactly a ‘music person’, in that I don’t know a lot about the mechanics that underpin it: I couldn’t look at sheet music and tell you what the tune is or describe the change in chords in a classical piece. I’m not even 100% sure what the difference between a Ukulele and a Banjo is, aside from the fact that one is played by coquettish islanders while I get shit-faced on Pina Colladas in the background and the other is played by Louisiana bootleggers from the 1920s with comedy accents. All that being said, I know enough to know that the overwhelming preponderance of music produced today is total crap. Every time I’m foolish enough to tune a radio to a musical station, there’s a new barely-pubescent twatwipe peeping about their feelings in a tupperware voice that strongly suggests they don’t actually have any. Either that or its some nominally grown-ass man or woman singing something that they imagine is sassy and empowering but actually just makes them sound like Gary from World’s End- only less charming, because immature, quasi-literate manbabies are infinitely more annoying when they’re real. The point is, it’s a fucking wasteland out there. Trying to find a band (from now or the past) who you’d actually want to listen to can be a chore. That’s why, as your gracious patron and benefactor, I’ve decided to share the fruits of my musical explorations with you and hit you with some recommendations. I’ve tried to be as eclectic as possible, since I want everyone who reads this to find something they’ll like, no matter how radically divergent their individual tastes are. Some of the entries on this list are famous, some are obscure and some were famous but have been made obscure by the passage of time. I’ve tried to limit myself to people whose music you might not be fully aware of, even if you’ve heard of them to some extent, but I’m not plugged into what is and isn’t popular with peeps nowadays, so don’t read too much into my choices if they seem either too obvious or too bizarre. Here goes.

1. The Orion Experience An ultra-camp synthesis of New Romantic music, bubble-gum pop and modern vocal stylings, The Orion Experience are unlike anything else you’ll have heard recently. They seem to borrow as much from the original Decadent tradition in art and literature as from later musical iterations, meaning that their lyrics are complex and sophisticated without being especially deep. They’re primarily concerned with building aesthetically-interesting and richly-evocative language-constructs rather than performing an emotion that no-one in the band is actually feeling. The deliberate artifice is deeply refreshing in a musical landscape of faked sincerity and forced emoting. I recommend starting with the songs The Cult of Dionysus and Sugar. If you like those, the rest of their stuff may also interest you.

2. Trace Adkins During an attempt to write a wild west/sci-fi fusion novel, I went on a musical odyssey, looking for apposite songs that would gel well with the world I was building (knowing a world’s soundtrack can help cement that world in your imagination- try it, if you’re a writer yourself). Anyway, I stumbled across Trace Adkins- a country singer with a palpable sense of humour about being a country singer and a knack for delivering a silly-but-well-turned phrase. Also, without getting technical, his tunes just flat-out rock. I have no idea how well known he in the Country and Western World, but since his existence came as news to me, I’m sticking him on this list. Start with the surprisingly sexy Honky Tonk Badonkadonk and graduate to Hot Momma and Whoop a Man’s Ass. You’ll know if it’s your sort of thing from the first minute of any of those songs.

3. Caravan Palace Have ye heard of a thing called Electric Swing? If you’re reading a blog post about music, you probably have, but just in case you haven’t, let me tell you it’s a fantastic genre. Imagine if The Great Gatsby owned a synth and took a fuckload of mind-squanching hallucinogens. Well, that’s Electric Swing. Few do it better than Caravan Palace, who also seem to borrow heavily from club music and other genres, adding these to their unique blend. For some pure Electric Swing, start with Susie. For something a little more modern, start with Lone Digger.

4. 11 Acorn Lane Speaking of Electric Swing, I can also recommend 11 Acorn Lane, whose lyrics can be a little more playful than those of Caravan Palace. They also have a somewhat more classic sound. Start with Let’s Face it I’m Cute for a great sample of their work.

5. The Fratellis Now, my UK readers have almost certainly heard of The Fratellis, since they actually got some traction on mainstream radio over here. I’m less sure about those of you reading along in America, so allow me to make an introduction. Their music is joyously and unapologetically grimy and proletarian, paring an unrivaled sense of fun and energy with a sly, low-key feeling of cynicism and detachment. The tunes and melodies evoke Rock, punk and New-Wave (think The Ramones by way of The Proclaimers) without wholly relying on any of them. Check out Chelsea Dagger or Henrietta to hear them at their most gleefully up-tempo-yet-jaded, or try Vince the Lovable Stoner for a more chill, tongue-in-cheek song.

5. Dionne Warwick You’ve probably heard of her in connection with There’s Always Something There to Remind Me, especially since it featured heavily in that one fantastic episode of Black Mirror. However, you might not have realised just how much she’s contributed to musical history: her soft-yet-powerful voice and classic Rock rhythms and tunes combine to create something archetypal yet unique. Leap right in with Do You Know the Way to San Jose and discover a fucking legend.

6. Rufus Rex Ever wanted to hear a freakishly talented man singing songs based on horror films and books (particularly the works of H.P. Lovecraft) in a style that evokes Goth music but defies genre on closer inspection? Then get your arse over to Rufus Rex and start plumbing the nightmarish depths of horror-music with the song World’s In Between.

7. Studio Killers Contemporary electronic music with surprisingly inventive and weird lyrics. That about sums up Studio Killers, really. Look, not everything on this list can be genre-transcendent or epoch-defining: some things are just very good examples of the type of music they belong to. If you haven’t heard of them, start with the song Eros and Apollo then check out Ode to the Bouncer, then compare and contrast: those two songs represent the two opposite edges of the musical spectrum they cover, so if you like either one, at least some of their songs will be for you. Also, treat yourself to the music videos on Youtube: they’re surreal and awsesome.

8. Fishbone A punky ska band from back in the day, Fishbone are on this list for one reason and one reason only: Party at Ground Zero. Party at Ground Zero is an upbeat, gloriously energetic song about nuclear war. It’s a total jam and you absolutely have to experience it for yourself.

9. Tomska Tomska... isn’t technically a professional musician. He’s a Youtube comedian, short-film maker and collaborative animator who became internet-famous for his ‘ASDF movies’. On the off-chance that you haven’t seen them, they’re short collections of animated skits and jokes rendered in a simple but immediately-compelling and recognisable style. Anyway, Tomska decided to create fast-paced, catchy songs about some of the recurring characters in his ASDF movies, and those songs turned out to be fucking amazing- being both laugh-out-loud funny and actually really musically ambitious and well put together. Check them out on his channel. I’m particularly fond of Mine Turtles, but you do you.

10. Paul Anka Big band and jazz musician Paul Anka once set out on a quest to create 1920s-sounding versions of famous rock ‘n’ roll songs and the results can only be described as ‘eargasmically epic’. His versions of Jump and Eye of the Tiger are, frankly, better than the originals.

Right, that’s everything I can thing of for now. I’m going to go make myself a big sandwich. By the time your read this, I’ll be settling down with two-slices of bread, some cheese and an unreasonably large amount of cranberry sauce. All the songs and bands in today’s entry are on Youtube, so go have a nosy. Until next time, peace out and fuck off!

#Secret Diary of a Fat Admirer #music #music recommendations #electro-swing #punk #big band #rock and roll #electronic #ska #songs #song recommendation

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moon-rivcr-s · 5 years

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&&. —(charlotte calhoun)? yes, (she) does look a lot like (eliza scanlen), but (she) is just a (25) year old (witch) and last i heard, they were (the chief of staff to the mayor) . around east end, people say (she) is known to be quite (calculating), but can also be (charming). maybe that’s why (charlotte)’s theme song is (candy store - heathers the musical)?

Hi all its gracie here is my baby brat Charlotte!

Judge & Mrs. Calhoun were childless, though not from lack of trying. They’d given up, though, grown older and focused on careers and the Charleston high society, when the knock came in the night. It was too early in the season for a hurricane, but the rain and wind pounded the historic house on the battery regardless. It was a miracle, they would later say, that they could hear the knock at all else the baby left on the porch might not have made it through the night. Using their considerable assets and influence to speed up the adoption process and gloss over the less than orthodox method with which she came into their life, Charlotte Elisabeth Calhoun came into being.

WIth a father on the US Court and an adoring, if not a bit overbearing, mother, Charlotte grew up with everything a girl could want. The golden princess, miracle child, a gift from the angels-- stuff like this could go to a girl’s head. But she was polite and charming, all blonde curls and colorful bows, meticulously dressed in pastels, the darling of the country club set. She was smart (something the Calhouns privately worried over, not knowing her lineage) if not a bit obsessive and idealistic, but they’d long ago accepted a child of unknown origins would have some quirks.

She was a generally pleasant child, if you don’t count the outbursts and strange occurrences that tended to happen when she did not get her way. All of the windows of the downstairs burst at once when a ten year old Charlotte was not permitted to stay the night out. The maid was utterly perplexed by the shards of mirror stuck into the ceiling in a perfect circle, but it was more than the job was worth to question. Her nose always bled before a hurricane hit, and all of the flowers in the yard died overnight when Charlotte battled a particularly rough bout of flu. People had a tendency to do as she asked, and whether that was due to natural charm, a talent for manipulation, or perhaps something supernatural, she did not know. And no one mentions that time in ninth grade when they decided to play with the ouija board. Really they should have known better, living in the middle of one of the most haunted cities in the south, but Charlotte’s friends always regarded her with a bit more fear after that.

She skated through high school- prom queen, queen bee, and less than a tenth of a GPA point from valedictorian. Then surprised everyone by choosing Columbia over a variety of much closer schools. Maybe she wanted to get away from her overbearing mother, or maybe something about New York called to the part of her she’d never been able to explain, but she went gladly and quickly. The City was a dream and she adored the way other students viewed her as something new and exciting. Charming with the soft southern drawl making her sound like she was in a film from the 1950s, Charlotte soaked in the attention and the way people seemed to underestimate her. Being away from her mother brought out a subtle sort of cruelty shown through sharp glances and cutting remarks delivered with a poisonous smile. The manipulation and charm got her what she wanted, and the mean streak kept her at the top. Still, it was easy, so it must be natural. She never guessed there might be another reason behind this, and comfortably clung to rose colored glasses and her idealism.

Four years and two terms as president of her sorority later, she graduated from the journalism school with a concentration in politics. Charlotte found a job in communications for a congressional race, but the candidate was so bland she didn't entirely care if they won or not. Next cycle, she pledged herself, she’d find someone worthwhile. She interviewed a couple of places, and found nothing. Until she felt the pull to some no name mayoral race in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Charlotte couldn’t explain it - this urgent need to get in her car and drive to this no name town. He was young and inspired, she felt an instant connection and in her interview he looked at her as if he could explain all of her secrets. Jameson Leroy was running an insurgent campaign for mayor, and Charlotte was his campaign manager.

There was something off though. Donations seemed to come in from nowhere and the polling numbers never quite added up. But they were playing in a race thought to be a lock, and she was a natural so she never questioned it. They were preparing for the first debate, and he’d sent the rest of the team home at midnight. Perhaps it was a heady combination of adderall, caffeine, and exhaustion or maybe she was hallucinating, but something seemed to spark between them. Charlotte had long ago decided she would not be a monica, would not throw away any chance and slip to her knees at the will of a handsome face. Face slightly flushed, she had nearly made her exit when the door slammed in front of her seemingly of its own accord.

The lights flickered, and she turned slowly to face her boss. Now she had to be hallucinating, the desk couldn't possibly be in flames, he couldn’t possibly be looking at her like this was normal. You're just like me, he said, you know you are. You can stop it, Charlie, you know how. Just let yourself feel it. She shook her head violently, panic seizing in her chest. No, it wasn’t happening, she would wake up and everything would be fine. The fire edged closer and her feet seemed almost cemented to the floor. He kept pushing, his voice steady and seductive, the fire moved faster, she could feel the heat oppressively close, too close. And then all the glass in the office shattered at once, the fire was gone and Jameson was smiling at her.

And just like that, Charlotte had an answer for every strange occurrence of her childhood that her parents painfully overlooked, the reason she seemed always to get her way, and it felt like she was breathing freely for the first time. He took her under his wing, teaching and sculpting, filling Charlotte’s idealistic mind with whispers of all they could achieve with this power. She was instantly hooked. Dark Magic, he told her, is not inherently bad just far more powerful, and clearly it was what her talents were suited towards. They won the race, and even though she knew exactly what he’d done to do so, it did nothing to cloud her idealism.

TLDR: TL/DR: charlotte is basically heather chandler plus cj cregg/amy brookheimer and stockard channing in practical magic. a mean girl, but also a proper lady who wouldn’t be caught dead without lipstick. runs the mayors office, low key in love with her boss, high key new too magic

#eastend.intro #( charlotte / a mythic bitch )

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fantasticalendeavors-blog · 6 years

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Venom

Finally got to go see Venom, and I decided to write a little review in an informal way. Spoilers ahead. Seriously thou.

Reasons I like and Dislike the Movie

1. I love Venom

So the voice is awesome, but the character behind the voice is even better. He is basically just a puppy. he is hungry and wants to be fed. He finds a person. he attaches himself to his person. he loves his person.

I want to make a quick note that Venom is supposed to be this big mean and viscious character. In the movie (2018) he is by no means mean and/or vicious. I know this is going to upset people, because it strays away from the comic, but honestly I like him more for it. Sure he eats people, particularly their heads, but he isn’t maliscious about it. He’s just hungry. So from the very beginning you can root for him!

I can’t enphasis this enough. You can tell that he cares for Eddy. That he cares for Anne. And that he even likes the earth. He shows honest real emotions, and isn’t caught up in himself. So he’s not a villian, and this isn’t a redemption story, at least not for him.

2. Eddy

I also like Eddie. He is a fun character, and I immediatly liked him. He is honest, and open, and seriously no bullshit. He fucks up when he steals from his fiance, and ultimatly loses everything because of it. But despite this he can still be a good guy. he gives the poor woman $20 for a free newspaper. He is kind to the woman at the convience store, even when she says that he “looks like shit.” He doesn’t get aggressive, or mean to the guy next door, even though that guy is a jerk, turns the music up to loud when everyone is trying to sleep, and keeps him up all night. He is honestly a good guy, he has just made a couple mistakes that he has to suffer for. And he actually suffers. (seriously they spent too much of the movie dewelling on how different his life was after he went from all to not)

But he tries to be a good person. He isn’t perfect, and he doesn’t pretend that he is. He just tries to be a good person. How relatable is that. I mean, we all want to bite someone’s head off at some point. But he is like, “okay, no! well, maybe sometimes... Just the bad ones.”

3. We Are Venom

Okay, Riot immediatly says “There are more of us. They will follow me whereever I go.” notice the “I”. Venom never does that. Riot is thinking only about himself, but from the very beginning, Venom is like “We” and “Us”.

Whatever type of relationship you want to ship them as, it doesn’t really matter. They can be friends, or more than friend, or brothers, or whatever. But you cannot deny the fact that they have a serious bond, that bond makes them stronger, and that Venom is a wonderful little sweetroll.

They both are “losers”, but together they are strong. Strong enough to defeat Riot, even if it means letting him trap himself in a rocket, and then blowing up the rocket. But they beat him! it still counts!

Venom even accepts his own death at the end, as he protects and says goodbye to Eddy. “We are Venom” are some real relationship goals. It means, we can do this, if we do this together. It means “We are a team.”

4. It was hilarious

When I sat in the theater, everyone was breaking out laughing at different parts. And some of it was the most mundane and ridiculous Sh*t.

I love the scene where Eddie puts his arms up (like he is surrendering) and Venom’s response is “You are making us look bad.” And he has Eddie put his arms down. And the two are fighting between each other, arms up, arms down, arms up, arms down. it’s so simple, but It is just a wonderful scene. (I couldn’t find a decent video to show.) And I want to point out that Riot just took control of his host and had them do what he wanted. But from the very beginning Venom is like “I’m going to do some shit, but you have an opinion in this.” So I’m back to the “We are Venom” thing.

And then there is this scene! I memorized the entire quote and ran around my house telling everyone about it. This movie knows that it’s dark, but it is having a lot of fun! (take notes DC, Batman can be fun. Or any of your characters!!!! Aquaman is already fun. BUT HE’S THE ONLY ONE!!!!!!!)

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5. It asked some big questions

So this movie is hilarious. It’s dark. It’s gritty. It’s enjoyable. And it asks some big questions. Who gets to decide good and evil? How far are we willing to go to save the world? to better ourselves? to better humanity? How far should we go, and how far is too far? a lot of fars in these sentences. What makes a good person? When should you interviene with something that you know is wrong? Who’s lives matter?

And the movie doesn’t answer these questions. i mean, it kinda answers them, but it really doesn’t. It comes down to us. We need to make these dicisions. We need to try and be good people. We need to try to do what’s right, even if it means losing everything. We need to think about more than just ourselves. We need to try. And remember that our decisions don’t just affect us.

Now things I don’t like about the Movie.... I’m sorry.

1. WHAT THE FRICKING FRACK!

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(I’m sorry about the poor quality of the video, it was the best I could find.)

SERIOUSLY WHY DOES VENOM HAVE BOOBS! This scene is a bit cringeworthy, but due to the humorous/gritty style it doesn’t bother me that it’s in there. The thing I have is the horrible BS design of Venom/Anne. Seriously, is this the best we can do. “Let’s give venom breast, that will show his host is a woman!” WTF! So venom goes into a female body, and his form changes to have boobs? Why doesn’t Eddie’s Penis show? WHERE IS THE DONG?

I want to see Venom as the dog. Like does his outsides turn into a wolf? I get it, they are trying to ship the Eddie/Anne, but I’m so annoyed that he turns into this skinny frail looking, Breasted Venom.

And while this is technically another reason, I’m just going to say it. Why is Anne wearing an school girl skirt at the middle/end of the film? Why? I thought she was a lawyer. What is she playing school girl with the judge so she can win a case?

2. Plot holes?

i put the question mark in because this is just my opinion, and it isn’t necessary to the film, or necessary to enjoy the film.

Why does Eddie hate Riz Ahmed, and his company? like I know that Ahmed is an extremist who doesn’t actual care about human life, is a bit self absorbed, manipulative, and powerful. But it seems that Eddie hates Riz before he has even met the guy. It feels like there is some personal connection, and we just never find out. Once again, not necessary for the film, but I really want to know.

Riz Ahmed wanted to cement his name in history. He wanted to be remembered for saving everyone and every thing. he was egotistical, and selfish, and didn’t care about anyone. Then he meets Riot, and Riot is just as bad as he is, but worse! And Ahmed, rather than being like “this bi*ch is about to take my spotlight, and wipe my name, and lexacy off the face of the planet” he’s like “Cool, I get to help!” How does that make sense? What is in it for him? He has to know that Riot plans to kill everyone and destroy the planet, right?

3. Scene distribution

The beginning of the film was a little slow. The car chase was way too long. The car chase was way too long. THE CAR CHASE WAS WAY TOO LONG!!!! And some of the end felt rushed, probably because they took to much time on the CAR CHASE!

I want to see more of Venom seeing the world. He has one scene where he is like “Wow, your world is actually pretty.” I want more bonding with Eddie. “You changed my mind” (about distroying everything and everyone, so I want to stay here with you.) Seriously, like one scene before Eddie had abandoned Venom, leaving him for dead!!! Then he comes back, saves Eddie! Venom is just a puppy, following his owner around!

Venom kind of went from “I’m hungry” to “I’m going to be a hero,” and I just want to see his views change a bit more visually. Venom had this connection with Eddie, that allowed him to know what Eddie is knows or thinks. This is a very internal process, that is mentioned, but I would kinda like a little more visual bonding. Show it, don’t say it. And a lot less car chase. Again, not necessary to make the film good, but it would have been appreciated.

I really enjoyed the Film! I like the characters! I like the story! I like how relatable they are, even if it isn’t relatable, if that make sense. It was funny, and gritty, and it didn’t do the All-to-Popular “Superhero” or “redemed Villian” movie. Yeah, he had super powers, but it felt kind of mundane. This story is about screwing up, but still fighting for what’s right, even after you’ve lost everything. No one is perfect, but you should still try! At the end Eddie says that Venom can only eat the bad people. Who should decide who is good and bad? That’s a question that is not answered in the film. It’s not supposed to. The question is, “Are you trying?”

It’s a motivational movie!

Personal Review 4 stars out of 5. Would recommend!

#Venom #Venom Movie #Review #Eddie #Tom Hardy #2018 #Venom 2018 #Movie #Movie Review #Just my opinion #Why it's good #I really enjoyed this film #Sony

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