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keijislove · 3 years

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One sickle: Tom Riddle X Reader

“Professor?” you knocked on your headmaster’s door, “It’s Y/N.”

“Ah, miss L/N, come in.” the voice of Armando Dippet beckoned hazily, as if his mind was elsewhere, which it undoubtedly was.

“Er, yes sir.” You walked inside, taking a seat.

“Miss L/N...” he began, “I am so sorry I have to ask of you for this, I am aware that you haven’t done this before.”

“What exactly, professor?” you were confused.

“As you know that due to the unfortunate circumstances involving Myrtle Elizabeth Warren of your house, Ravenclaw tower shall be searched tonight by her family members and a few Ministry officials, and I, being the headmaster of the most prestigious wizarding school that there is... I must appoint two prefects each for the corridors of Hogwarts... I have appointed a Slytherin prefect alongside you for the forbidden corridor on the third floor.”

“But sir, why would that place require patrolling?” you asked in a bit of a panicky state. “The bathroom is off-limits, Warren just died there!”

“I am aware, Miss L/N.” he waved off, “And I am also aware that you are one of the most promising pupils I have the delight of teaching.”

You flushed.

“And do not worry, your companion is not less by any means,” he assured, “You may leave, your duty begins in an hour.”

“Thank you, sir.” You muttered, struggling to keep your voice even.

An hour passed in no time and soon, you were hurrying off towards the corridor on the third floor.

You caught sight of your companion already present there, his back to you, crisp uniform with hands behind his back and everything.

It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out who he was, even from behind. The mysterious, dangerous, frightening, irritatingly handsome prefect of Slytherin house – Tom freaking Riddle.

“Ah-hem.” You cleared your throat.

Dammit Y/N, you can’t even clear your throat without stuttering

His head swung around as if he knew you were there.

“Uhm, good evening.” You began at the lack of response from the dark-haired boy.

“Good evening.” He replied, surprised that you were willing to make conversation with him when most people just hurried past.

“Nasty business.” You remarked, “Warren, I mean.”

“Yes. Particularly nasty indeed.” His expression was not polite or welcoming. Instead, he stared at you with a calculating look.

You shrugged slightly, “Bit unexpected, that’s all. A murder at Hogwarts, I mean.”

“Yes, let’s hope Hagrid keeps his monstrous pets away from the school, then.” He rolled his eyes.

“He did strike me as odd.” You muttered, “I didn’t know it would be this bad. Still, it’s more concerning what the fate of Hogwarts will be than Warren’s death.”

“What do you mean?” Tom suddenly asked.

“All I’m saying is... deaths and accidents happen everyday.” You explained, “Warren was just an unlucky victim of one. I’m just.... worried. I hope they don’t close the school, I can’t go back to my adopted family.... it’s positively awful.”

“Is that so?” Tom was beginning to talk in a more relaxed manner.

“I’m afraid it is.” You shrugged, “Call me cold-blooded or whatever.”

“How are you not in Slytherin?” he demanded, “You would’ve done well.”

“The hat did consider it.” You explained, “But instead I’m in-”

“Ravenclaw.” He answered for you, “You’re in my Arithmancy class?”

“Oh.” You flushed, knowing he noticed, “Y-yeah, I am.”

“Alright miss Slytherclaw. We’re supposed to be on duty. We’ve been chatting here for ten minutes.” He said in a light teasing tone.

Now you really turned beetroot.

-----------

There were no more words exchanged between you as you stalked around the corridor, and you sank into your daydreaming.

And it had to be the stupidly attractive face of the prefect next to you.

“A sickle for your thoughts?” Tom asked, as politely as he could.

You smirked, “My thoughts cost a lot more than that, Riddle.”

“A sickle for an insight, then.” He insisted.

You sighed. “I’m thinking about... someone.”

“Who?”

“I don’t think you wanna know the answer to that.” You scoffed.

“You are really bad at hiding things.” He remarked.

“How so?”

“You just made it pretty bloody obvious whom you were thinking about.” He smirked. “Like what you see?”

“Hey look, I can’t help it, okay?” you said in exasperation, “I don’t even like you like that, I just appreciate that you’re... attractive a notch above normal.”

“That’s a compliment anyway.” He huffed, “It’s alright, you’ve got hormones. I get it. You don’t have to like someone to appreciate their looks.”

“Thank you.” You spoke.

You had begun to get more confident. You glanced at your watch.

“Argh, dammit. It’s past time.” You groaned, “Well, see you later.... Tom.”

“Goodnight, Y/N.” he spoke.

You turned to leave, but he called behind you, “By the way, we’ve got to patrol this month!”

--------------

Life was getting simply outrageous for you – you were failing Divination and History of Magic because you weren’t able to get your work done on time, having to stay up all night patrolling that stupid corridor.

Not that you didn’t enjoy Tom’s company, though. Two consecutive weeks of knowing each other and you were already talking as if you’d known each other for years. He just understood you in a very, very weird. It wasn’t al sunshine and rainbows though. You already didn’t have any friends and now you were labelled as the weirdo who hangs with Riddle.

Tom’s company was more than satisfactory however, and you were fine with having one friend who understood you than several who didn’t.

You were finishing up your Arithmancy project alongside your partner, Olive Hornby, when a certain Slytherin decided to approach you.

“A sickle for your time?” Tom asked, but it was not as jokingly as his statement a few weeks prior.

“I would say my time costed a lot more than that, but I can see this is serious.” You spoke. “Yeah?”

“I need to talk to you.” He explained.

“Privately.” He added, looking at Olive in disgust as she battered her eyelashes.

You scoffed, getting up and dragging him out the classroom with you.

When you reached a decently secluded spot, you spoke, “Yes?”

“I want you to answer this very truthfully.” He began.

“Can’t make no promises.”

He ignored your statement. “Are we friends?”

“Huh?” you asked in confusion, “Of course, why-”

“No, no, no.” he messed up his usually neat hair, “I meant... if you found out something about me.... would we still be friends?”

“Like what?” you questioned, wondering where this was from.

“Like... maybe if I’m dangerous?” he whispered quietly.

You snorted slightly, “Tom, that’s not how friendships work. Everybody has their secret to keep, and they’re 100% entitled to it. I wouldn’t ditch you just because of something you did.”

“Are you so sure you will stick to that when you find out what I’ve got to say?” he quietly asked.

“I- it can’t be that bad, I- I will.” You stuttered, slightly afraid.

“Okay.” He finally spoke, “Alright, fine. C’mon.”

He led you to the corridor where you’d been patrolling.

“What are we-” you began.

“SSH!” he hissed, dragging you inside the girls’ washroom.

“This place is of limits!” you hissed.

“I’m aware!” he hissed back.

You scoffed.

Tom led you to a worn-out and broken sink before crouching down.

“Please mean what you say from this point on.” He whispered.

“O-okay.” You said, genuinely frightened now.

“Open. I command you.” Tom hissed at the tap.

“Does it really open?” you asked, as Tom’s head snapped your way so fast, you thought you heard a crack.

Not speaking, looking at you with wide eyes, he pushed you in before climbing himself.

You let out a soft shriek as you fell into an entrance of sorts.

“Wh-wha-” you spoke.

“This.” Tom spoke. “Is the Chamber of Secrets.”

“What?” you shrieked, “No way. No way, no way, no way! Get me out of here! We’re going to die.”

“Relax, Y/N.” Tom rolled his eyes, “You’re going to be fine. Also, why didn’t you tell me you were a Parselmouth?”

You flushed, “I didn’t think it was of significance. Anyway, what are we doing here?”

“Be careful not to speak in Parseltongue.” Tom warned, “You’ll wake it.”

“Wake what?”

“The Basilisk.” He said simply.

“What- a basilisk?!” you sputtered, “Tom, what the heck? First the chamber and now a basilisk? This stuff is dangerous and-”

“I thought you said we all had a secret to hide.” He muttered.

“Oh well, yes, but I’m saying this because I care about you!” you explained, “I don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all-”

“Well then don’t!” he yelled, “Don’t care about me. Don’t attach yourself to me!”

“Why not?”

“BECAUSE I’M A MONSTER, ALRIGHT?” he yelled angrily, “IT WAS ME! I KILLED MYRTLE WARREN! I OPENED THE CHAMBER!”

“Wh-what?” you asked.

“BELIEVE IT OR NOT Y/N-”

“Tom.” You hoarsely whispered.

“WHAT?”

“Did you say, um, something about a basilisk?” you asked. “Because I think it’s awake.”

----------------

Both of you panted heavily, emerging from the Chamber and collapsing on the bathroom floor.

There were tears in your eyes, but you refused to let them fall, especially in front of him.

“There you go.” Tom angrily snapped, “I’m a complete monster. I already killed Warren, and I nearly killed you. Go on. Tell me how awful I am. Tell me you hate me.”

“I don’t.” you whispered, “I don’t hate you. I.... I’ll still stick with you. Look, I don’t know what happened to you, Tom, but I can tell you’re... hurting. I hope I can help with that.”

You saw his nostrils flare as if he was contemplating something.

Your lips were glistening from a mixture of water and tears, making you look gorgeous.

“A sickle for a kiss?” Tom shakily asked.

“My kiss costs a LOT more than that, Riddle.”

“Ten galleons then if you want.” Tom said before closing the gap between you.

#harry potter #harry potter x reader #imagine #tom riddle #tom riddle x you #tom riddle x reader #tom riddle x yn

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euphoria-svt · 5 years

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Right Here, Right Now

A/N: ngl this one hurt me a lot because I was having a HSM 3 karaoke session yesterday and I absolutely love this song with all my heart. And before that, Tori and I had a talk about Connor comforting you with a song after a fight and she decided this is THAT SONG. I don’t make the rules here.

This one is dedicated to my sweet bean, Tori @shawnpetermuffins and I hope you love this one!!

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Word count: 2.2k -ish

“Baby, don’t forget about tonight!” You call out to Connor as you picked up your handbag from the table “The event starts at 6:00pm okay!”

“Yes, babe, I know” Connor chuckled, looking up from his laptop to your direction “You’ve told me that like a million times already and I’ve already told my boss I was going to head out earlier today”

You walked up to him, where he sat on the couch and sat on the arm of the couch “I’m sorry, bubs. I’m just really excited for the opening!”

“And you should be” He smiled at you as he took your hand in his and pressed a soft kiss to the back of your hand “I’m proud of you, love. I really am”

“Aw, babe!” You blushed “I can’t wait for you to finally see the café! I’m going to record your reaction”

“I cannot believe you won’t even tell me the name of it” Connor shakes his head “I’m your husband, baby! You’re not supposed to keep any secrets from me, you know!”

“Well some surprises are just worth the wait, baby” You winked, preparing to get up from your seat “Alright, I have to head out already. I’ve got a lot of prepping to do for tonight”

“Hey, whoa, hold on a sec” He called, getting a hold of your wrist and pulled you back “Where do you think you’re going, hm? I didn’t even get my kisses”

You rolled your eyes playfully and leaned in to peak his lips. After pulling away, you shake your head “Sometimes I forget you’re like a giant baby”

“It’s because I’m your baby” He grinned “Good luck with the set-up, honey! I’ll see you later!”

“Thank you, bubs!” You called over your shoulder as you headed for the front door “Have a good day at work!”

xxx

Connor was officially fucked.

Just as he was about to leave the office, his boss calls everyone in the department for an emergency meeting. Apparently, their clients moved up the datelines and they wanted the submission to be handed in by Wednesday morning, which was in 2 days, and they were nowhere near done.

Just as he thought he was in luck today; the universe decides to make everything wrong. He felt so bad for having to do this to you because he knows how important this grand opening is to you (it’s the only thing you have been talking about, not that he minds it; Connor thinks it’s adorable how excited you always look whenever someone brings up the café to you) and he wants to be there with you for your big night. But this project was also important to him and there was no way he could back out of it.

He returns back to his desk and immediately calls you up; already dreading to hear the disappointment in your voice.

“Hey, honey!” Your happy tone on the other line snapped him back to reality “Are you on your way over? Your family just arrived and your mom’s asking where you are!”

“Baby,” Connor sighs heavily “I’m really, really sorry”

On the other end, your smile immediately drops “Why are you saying sorry, babe?” You asked anxiously.

“Some thing’s came up at work” He said hesitantly “And I don’t know if I’m going to make it for tonight”

That sentence alone made your heart drop to your stomach.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. You repeated to yourself as you took a deep breath. Your vision starts to get cloudy and you could not make a scene right now (even though you felt like you were going to explode); not when so many people are already present for the event.

“Oh,” You said softly. It felt like someone had burst your little bubble and the air flowing out of it was all your excitement and happiness.

You wanted to be mad at Connor. You had every right to. But you knew that his work is also important to him and it’s not entirely his fault his boss was a monster who wanted his employees to work until late night.

“That’s okay, Connor” You reassured him, in a tone that was fake enough for Connor to know you weren’t okay with his decisions.

And he knows you’re nowhere near okay. You called him Connor. Not baby or bubs or honey or even Con. Just plain old Connor. You only did that when you’re angry at him or just disappointed.

“Baby, I’m so, so sorry” Connor frowned, muttering softly “I promise I’ll make it up to you, okay? I feel so bad about this”

“Don’t be, Connor” You said flatly “Work is important to you and I get that. Good luck with all your paperwork. I’ll see you at home”

“Honey-,”

And Connor groaned to himself when you hung up on him before he could go any further with his sentence.

No goodbye, no I love you. You were extremely mad at him. And being silently mad at him instead of bursting at him was so much worse.

A few hours later, Connor was still furiously typing away the proposal on his laptop. His body might be present in the office but his mind was elsewhere; thinking of you and how he has let you down tonight.

He was angry at his work, the only thing that was stopping him from being by your side at your grand opening, like he promised you multiple times.

Lucas was passing by Connor’s desk to head to the printing room and was surprised to still see his friend in the office at this hour, especially since he knew that you were having a grand opening for your café tonight.

“Connor?” Lucas calls out to his friend.

Connor stops typing on his laptop and turns his chair around “Oh, hey Lucas” He greeted in a non-enthusiastic tone.

“Why are you still here?” Lucas asks confusingly “I thought you would be gone by now. Isn’t y/n’s grand opening tonight?”

“It is” Connor replied, letting out a frustrated sigh “But since our clients moved up the submissions date, I’ve got to stay back and work this shit out because I’m not even half way through”

“Aw, man I’m really sorry about that” Lucas frowns “And y/n is okay with you here?”

“Obviously not. She’s pissed at me”

“Then just ditch the work, man” He insisted “Look, your wife is more important, Connor. Just come in work earlier tomorrow and get everything sorted out. I’ll even help you draft everything out so you can finish it faster, okay?”

“You really would do that?” Connor asked hopefully.

“Yeah man, now go” He rolled his eyes playfully “Go see your wife and tell her how sorry you are”

“Lucas, you are a life saver” Connor sighs in relief as he saves the work he typed out in a document and shuts down his laptop “I owe you a drink, buddy!”

“Correction, you owe me a drink and a fancy dinner, Brashier!” Lucas calls out to him, laughing as he watches his friend grabbed the bouquet of roses Connor had already purchased earlier and ran towards the lift “Good luck, man!”

xxx

Connor pulls up his car right in front of the café not too long later. There weren’t many cars around so he had a feeling the event has been over for quite some time now.

He got out of the car, holding the bouquet of roses in one hand, and his breath hitched in his throat when he finally notices the giant sign above the entrance of the café, displaying the name that you kept as a secret from him.

The Expresso CDB.

CDB named after him.

The coffee shop had clear windows and from inside, everything was dark except for one light, which meant you were probably still in there (he knows that’s a fact because he saw your car parked across the street).

There was a sign board propped up by the entrance of the door and as he walked closer to it, he finally read the opening message written in cursive.

Welcome to the grand opening of The Expresso CDB!

Thank you for being a part of this special night and for being one of the reasons why I have decided to pursue my dreams of opening this café.

The name ‘The Expresso CDB’ is inspired by my husband himself, Connor David Brashier. We first met in a coffee shop about 5 years ago and it was the best accident that has ever happened to me.

This one is for you, bubs. All my love is yours always.

y/n

And he immediately felt worse than before.

Connor opens the front door and immediately hears the bell ring. He nervously steps into the café and was taken aback by the interior design of it. Everything was set-up so perfectly and it was obviously suited to your likings.

You walked out of the kitchen as you carried out a basket filled with clean glasses and cups “Sorry! We’re not open….” Your words trailed off when you looked up and noticed who was at the door “Yet”

You rolled your eyes and set it down on the counter as you walked at a fast pace to your office “Go home, Connor!”

“Baby, wait!” Connor called after you as he sets the flower down on one of the tables and ran after you. He was too late though because you were already in the office and slammed the door shut, locking it in the process “Baby, please, I’m so sorry!”

“One night, Connor!” You slide down against the door as you yelled out “I asked you to be free for one damn night! And you couldn’t even do that!”

“And I feel so terrible about it, honey!” Connor reasoned with you in a softer tone as he continues to knock on the door “Please, please, forgive me, honey. I really feel bad”

“Everyone was asking about you tonight, do you know that?” You sniffled softly as the tears you were holding in were finally falling form your eyes “They were asking why you weren’t here it and I felt like the biggest idiot standing in front of everyone without you there with me!”

“I know how important your work is to you, Connor, I really do” You said shakily as a soft sob escape from your lips “But just this one time, I wanted you to prioritize me over your work”

“Baby, I always prioritize you” Connor choked out and he felt his breathing getting heavier. His visions were cloudy from the tears in his eyes “You are always number 1 to me. Not my stupid work or my boss. It’s always you”

“No” You shake your head “Tonight you showed me that wasn’t true”

Connor gave up on banging on the door, there was no way you were going to budge. The tears couldn’t stop flowing from his eyes as he slides down the door, being in a similar position to you on the other side.

He could hear your soft sobs coming from inside the room and he wanted to hurt himself for being the cause of it. He absolutely hated to even see a single tear from your eyes and now to hear you sobbing; the guilt was eating him alive.

Connor lets his head fall back against the door as he lets out a shaky breath. He had to try the one thing that would always work whenever you two got into an argument. He didn’t know if it would make you give in this time, but it was your safe song.

“Right here, right now” Connor sang out softly. His voice came out shaky as his lips trembled. On the other side, your hands were over your mouth, trying to cover up the sound of the sobs escaping from your lips. And when you heard those words, your mind just froze.

Your safe song. The one he always sang to you whenever he was trying to comfort you after a fight.

“I'm looking at you and my heart loves the view” He continued “Cause you mean everything”

“Right here, I'll promise you somehow….” Connor continued to the next part, sniffling in between “That tomorrow can wait for some other day to be”

And he paused. Waiting to hear you end those lyrics because that’s how it always goes. You finishing the chorus as a way to tell him that “Yeah, I’m mad at you right now but I’ll forgive you soon if you give me sometime”

It was silent for a while and Connor’s heart was broken. He’s never going to hear you say them because this time, it was really bad. He messed up really bad. And in times like these, he had to give you some space.

Connor wiped the tears from his eyes and slowly got up from the floor. He was going to give you some space but he wasn’t going to leave this café, that’s for sure.

He was about 5 steps away from the door and when he hears the soft click of the door, his heart starts beating faster. Connor turns around slowly and finds the door half opened and you standing by it with crossed arms, tears in your eyes and make-up all ruined as you ended the chorus, giving him the reassurance that he needed.

“But right now, there’s you and me”

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Reblog, like or leave a comment; always appreciated! ❤️

x rina

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#connor brashier #connor brashier imagines #connor brashier x reader #connor brashier fic

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vedj-f-bekuesu · 4 years

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Arr, me mateys! I may have work to do in the day, but I consider myself a wee fast crewman! They even ran out of work to give me so I finished the day with long hours to spare. And since I got the time, ye bet I decided to use it to explore new depths of Ninjago with Skybound!

Okay, I won’t do that for the whole post. But honestly, I thought Skybound was...decent, but does have some drawbacks from how ambitious it was. Let’s just go through it.

-Jay...hmm. Two minds about him. His arc at the start of the season (lasting about halfway) was clearly intentional and setup for his later redemption, and his character after that point is the best kind of Jay. And the reason for said start of season funk does make sense (unlike Home). On the other hand, yeah, the first half is pretty much Jay at his worst with bits sprinkled in to remind you that they still remember his good side. It’s not like giving him that sort of flaw is bad, but it pretty much dominated his entire character for that duration so at some point you just want to punch the little git. Also his parent arc is a bit undercooked, but he’s got plenty elsewhere so that doesn’t really bother me, especially when Ed and Edna ultimately get to have the crucial pep talk. -Nya has a similar problem to be honest, although part of hers was also fabricated by Dareth being an absolute dick at the start (despite his moment in season 4). After that, it was fine for her up until she starts the whole fucking thing by being stubborn in such a perilous situation. And then halfway through they calm it down and make her realise she’s taken it somewhat overboard. Once that halfway point crosses it’s a lot easier to get behind the both of them, but mileage may vary on how much you can stand before then. I did like the lunchtime scene though. -Zane doesn’t get much this season, but I did like his sass, it was a good check. Otherwise, not much happening with him aside from one scene that people immortalise due to how out of character it was for him, but since that has zero consequences I just brush that off as a one time gag. Pixal had like two scenes but they were both great scenes for her. -Lloyd had more going for him this seasons than prior ones at least (even Possession), but he was still on the more bland side. I think every character got an attitude increase in this season though. Seriously, even the one-scene characters. But let me tell you; Lloyd Garmadon is no Rex Fury, that’s for sure. -Cole and Kai...I think were on some substance or other during this arc, at least at the start. -Kai has Project Arcturus’ issue of playing his vain side up to the point where it’s actively jeopardising the mission (and actually could be considered as much responsible for starting the whole thing as Nya), but at least this time they reign it in to turn it into something of a clever tactic. And of course this is all absent when he’s freed from the Sword of Souls because Kai typically gets characterised into two modes at this point in the show. -Cole has a similar thing. I mean, eating tools...what? It’s mostly comedic and not that detrimental to begin with (aside from him straight up ditching Jay at the theme park. Not out of spite or anything, just because the plot wanted an extra minute I guess). Then Kai gets trapped and suddenly his character is all about being Jay’s best friend, which in of itself is fine until it again gets way heavy-handed about it. I’m assuming that the writers just wanted any potential remnants of Cole and Nya as a pair to just die (hence why he has no reaction to Jay revealing things about the caves despite Jay’s worry over it, and why this is the season he starts really taking potshots at Nya), but surely Versus was enough on its own combined with Jay and Nya’s arc in this season? Plus the ghost thing is almost entirely wasted this season, only serving a point where his invisibility comes into play (oh, and I guess a threat when he walks the plank). -Despite the much bigger cast of characters, they don’t really get to do that much. The standouts are easily Soto (who’s just funny throughout), Dareth (who despite having a really bad start with being a misogynist for no reason, gets much better when he comes in second time) and Ronin (who I guess was still a writer darling at this point). Anyone else? You might get a moment for some of them (mainly Misako and Echo Zane), but eh. It’s a shame because Jay set up the ninja replacements like it would be this shining moment for them, but not really, and they just end up as fight fodder. And being a gag for hating Jay for being annoying despite him not doing anything to at least a couple of them. Also because of my other LEGO interests, every time I see Ronin whistle for the R.E.X, I expect the Rexcelsior to just come down and crush everything. That would have been a bad time for Kai and Nya. -One thing I didn't mention in Possession is how the villain and lackey dynamics are developing into something actually worth investing in (beyond the tension between Pythor and Skales), and Skybound takes it even further. This is the first season where the villains are just as investing as the heroes, and I like how its a slow burn from Nadakhan and his crew having comradery, to Flintlocke slowly realising that Jay was telling the truth, to him and Dogshanks playing key roles in the final confrontation. -Speaking of which, Nadakhan was an interesting villain. I don’t like him as much as Morro, but he’s still got plenty to him. What I find most interesting is how the Jay seasons like to play parallels with the villains, what with Nadakhan being a reflection of Jay’s romance thing and Jay using his abandonment to find a way to connect to Unagami. Also the fact that he doesn’t even seem to care that much about doing evil in Ninjago at first. He does evil stuff, and they’d certainly need to find a way to fix Wu and Misako’s situation, but it’s just as a means to get home. Once he finds out that home is just about to die? He loses the plot entirely, and that’s fun to see. -Ironically, the interactions I liked best this season were the more understated ones. For example Jay and Zane’s conversation early on (which doubles as foreshadowing to Zane’s demise) was really nice for characters who don’t usually get time to speak to each other one on one, and I wish more of the interaction in the season felt as natural as that in the first half. As a bonus, it wasn’t even wiped out at the end so that conversation still happened! -Yeah, plot. The story was interesting once we got to the Sky Pirates, not quite as engaging as Possession but it was clearly aiming at more individual dynamics than looking at the whole group and it definitely managed to balance that with the actual story and giving the villain perspective. The framing arc was less interesting, if only because even for this show everyone suddenly turning on the ninja without giving them more chance to defend themselves is laughable at this point. And as for the ending...eh, I’m ambivalent on it. Jay and Nya’s arcs remain no matter what so at least that stuff stuck around (by design). But you do lose the existence of the other Sky Pirates who made a good chunk of the good stuff. I guess the other biggest thing you lose is all the scenes where Cole reaffirms that he is Jay’s best friend, but he can do that in future seasons and not just drop it because they’ve settled the score on the love triangle...right? -Once again, it felt like a pretty dry season in terms of tone. I think this is a running theme. -At least the annoying slow-mo seems to finally giving way. It was used twice. One was random, the other was thematically appropriate.

Overall, this season can be described as “heavy-handed”, moreso than any other story-heavy season so far. When it’s in this mode, it’s pretty annoying even if not terrible. But it still has elements to keep it going, and ends up in a pretty good place. Definitely comes down to individual taste on how much of said elements you can stomach, so I’m not surprised it has a marmite reputation. Out of the non-Possession story-heavy seasons I’ve seen so far this is the better one, but it’s still below S1 and S2 for me.

Next time, I will not be doing a season. The writers seems to want to end Cole’s ghost arc and that’s exactly what they’ll do in Day of the Departed.

#ninjago #ns6 #VEDJ-F talks #vedj-f reviews #for the record I've always like ninjas more than pirates #ns12 spoilers

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monotype-on-phantom · 7 years

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To wrap up the recurring girls at Casper High, here are a few who, as far as I know, are never given names. We know that there are students named Donna, Sasha, and Denise, but they’re only mentioned by name. We don’t know if they’re any of these girls. It’s a possibility worth keeping in mind, though.

Since they don’t have names, here are my nicknames for them: veggie burger (in reference to the one person who said she looks like a Tucker and Sam lovechild), curly, Dee Dee, kitty shirt, tall hair, Ember fan, and the cheerleaders. Hopefully that’s easy enough to follow.

Ironically, despite someone pointing her out in the past, veggie burger has actually shown up the least out of these unnamed girls (not counting the Ember fan or cheerleaders). At least up until The Ultimate Enemy, which is what I’m mostly covering. She definitely has more of a presence than, say, Sarah does, but it’s still hard to figure her out.

She mostly has a serious/calm face, and she gives off the impression that she’s pretty quiet (aside from in Fanning the Flames, where she’s a gushing Ember fan just like everyone else). Not that she’s unsociable. She just seems mind her own business. She’s normally only seen in assemblies and classes outside of Fanning the Flames, and not much outside of school or in the halls.

The one other time (pre-TUE) that I’ve caught her out and about was in Life Lessons. She’s sitting next to the “4″ jock at the Nasty Burger. It’s possible they were paired up for the health sciences project, but since we don’t see them with a flour sack, I can’t say for sure. I do know she wasn’t looking at or talking with him, though. It’s hard to believe such an active bully would be a friend of hers if she’s so quiet. It’s possible, though.

So far, the only class I’ve caught her in is Danny’s math class, and she was taking the CAT at the same time as him. She’s also in Doctor’s Disorders, where the ghost power she gained seems to be the ghost sense.

I haven’t picked up much else about her, but hopefully we’ll see more of her in the future.

I haven’t found many frames that actually focus on curly. If you’re looking for her, though, there are plenty of times you can spot her in the background. She’s at assemblies, in the halls, in classes, and even around town. For whatever reason, though, I never noticed her until I started looking for the background characters.

There’s not a lot of information about her personality, but she’s smiling most of the time, so she seems pretty chipper. I’ve also spotted her hanging out with Mia and Brittany, and she’s the last known member of the Decorations Committee. This gives me the impression that she’s at least somewhat creative and outgoing.

I haven’t spotted anyone that she consistently hangs out with, but she was paired off with the depressed jock in Life Lessons. She’s also been seen a couple of times with the character of indeterminate gender (once laughing at Danny in the Spirit Week baby suit, and once ditching Jazz when she was blabbering about college).

The only class I’ve seen her in is Danny’s math class, and as seen above, it looks like she got the ghost ray in Doctor’s Disorders.

Then there’s Dee Dee, who I call that because she sort of reminds me of Dexter’s sister from Dexter’s Laboratory. Like curly, it’s hard to say much about her because we don’t see her often.

She definitely doesn’t seem like a loner. Most of her posture shows attitude, and she’s been seen chatting on her cell phone in the halls. I haven’t picked out any of her friends, though she might be a bit of a party girl. She was one of the kids at the front of the surprise Ember show at Casper High, and she was at the party at Fentonworks in Pirate Radio. Both of these things could also indicate that she likes pop music in general, since she seems to show up where that’s playing.

There aren’t many other things I’ve noticed about her. She’s in the same health sciences class as Danny. It also looks like she traded partners with Rebecca, since she was originally paired off with her partner. As seen in the top screenshot, though, she ends up paired up with a different guy.

She was once seen running away from ghosts with the blond kid with an overbite who has a crush on Paulina (in Public Enemies). Given their similar face shapes and colors, they could be related. That’s only speculation, though.

I doubt it surprises anybody that I’ve been excited to talk about the cutie in the cat shirt. I’ve mentioned her a few times already, and I don’t know why, but I think she’s precious.

I’ve seen her eating lunch with Rebecca a few times, but more often than that I see her hanging out with cyclops. They’ve eaten lunch together quite a lot, they may have been paired up for the health sciences project in Life Lessons (judging by where they were standing in line), they were sitting next to each other for Jazz’s spirit week speech, and they’re pretty close together at the party in Pirate Radio.

Given her style and sweet face, she gives off the impression of a kind girl who likes cute things. She probably isn’t super outgoing, but she’s not exactly shy, either. She’s comfortable dancing at high school parties with everyone and going out to do fun things like visit the water park or chase an ice cream truck with her classmates.

Still, her and cyclops are an oddly cute combo. I love imagining that he thinks she’s totally rad and hardcore, even with her cute kitty shirt. In fact, the cute kitty shirt is totally punk rock. She is punk rock. They are both punk rock. She’s cool with that. Idk, I just think that’s a cute idea.

The classes I’ve seen her in are Danny’s literature and astrology classes. (I’m just not gonna bother with health sciences from this point on. I think that’s a given by now.)

I tried to come up with a better nickname for this girl than “tall hair,” but it’s her most defining feature. Plenty of girls wear headbands, and the color of her clothes is inconsistent. Plus...I don’t know the name of that hairstyle, and “tall hair” seemed kinder than “Frankenstein’s Bride” or something. Because she’s perfectly lovely, that’s just the only way I know to describe that hairstyle.

But anyway, ramblings aside, tall hair pops up even less than Dee Dee does in the foreground. She’s in the background quite a bit, but she’s rarely the focus. I haven’t spotted her in any classes, but she was taking the CAT at the same time as Danny. In fact, she was sitting on his right (with Star on his left).

Heights in DP are often inconsistent, but a few times she’s drawn to be rather tall in general. Enough that she’s significantly taller than Danny when she’s standing several feet behind him with her knees bent. She’s a bit of a wild dancer, and she was really shaking it up at the party at Fentonworks.

The only person I’ve seen her hanging out with, in a sense, is square. She was also paired up with D in Life Lessons.

I have only spotted this Ember fan in Fanning the Flames. I have no idea who she is. I considered Rebecca, but Rebecca is shown elsewhere in this episode with her usual bangs and tiny ponytail (dyed bright blue). I also thought she might be tall hair, but she’s also seen somewhere else in this crowd, and her face shape is different.

Basically, I do not believe I’ve seen this girl anywhere other than exactly three moments in Fanning the Flames. To make matters weirder, her hair starts off partially blue, then turns completely blue, but then the ponytail turns brown after Ember’s spell is broken.

Perhaps she’s simply an embodiment of Ember’s influence on teens~! I dunno. It’s all I’ve got.

The cheerleaders only ever show up as cheerleaders. I haven’t seen them in casual clothes, classes, or anywhere else. They’re always the same girls, though. The Black girl, the blonde with pigtails, the redhead with a ponytail, and the brunette with a headband.

The episodes I’ve spotted them in so far are Splitting Images (though pigtail girl wasn’t there), My Brother’s Keeper, and I nabbed a screenshot of them from Forever Phantom.

For whatever reason, while Paulina is sometimes spotted with them, Star never is. I don’t know how cheer squad works, but it could be that Star wasn’t actually accepted onto the squad. Bummer.

#danny phantom #background characters #cast

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sunlitroom · 7 years

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Gotham 3.20 How The Riddler Got His Name

As I watched it, and some random observations here and there.

Previously on Gotham.

The Court of Owls plotline helpfully condensed in 5 seconds. Fake Bruce – and how can he save Gotham. He‘s apparently only part of the plan - with Jim the other part. Katherine asks if Frank knows what happens if Jim fails. Bruce and Selina seem pretty over due to Bruce not telling Selina about her mother’s plan. The pier. Ed doesn't love Oswald. He loved Isabella. Bang. Splash

As always, long post will be long - reaaally long. There are likely to be rambling digressions. Gobblepot may appear (although I welcome all shippers and non-shippers alike :)). There will be naked favouritism and naked not-favouritism. Broader comments at the end on plotlines and parallels and general direction.

We see a scientist enter a raised glass lab in which Ed is lurking with a gun

Greetings, professor

The professor wisely calls for help, but Ed assures him that no-one is coming.

Ed’s appearance is very clean and clinical – not a hair out of place. Sterile.

Who are you – asks the professor. Ed smiles.

Excellent question

Ed offers a riddle, but the professor gets it wrong. Ed is infuriated by this – control totally lost. He seems to catch how extreme his response is.

I apologise - I'm not myself these days

Ed ties him up and tries another riddle, which he again gets wrong. Ed is furious again, and says he expected more. I’m not really sure why he expects the head of chemistry to be good at wordplay – but whatever. Ed says that none of the others did well either. We see the penny drop for the professor that he might not make it out of this.

Others?

A writer, artist, philosopher. Intellectual and artistic stars

Ed killed them all, apparently. He continues.

My best friend recently said there was no me without him. I shot him and dumped him in the river.

The professor cringes – because if this man murdered his best friend, he knows there’s no hope for him. Ed goes on.

He was a sort of guide to me on my journey…..

(an aside – this is a theme for Ed in this episode. Oswald the person is reduced to only what is useful for Ed, in memory and in hallucination. In a way, it’s as much an assertion of control and ownership as painting a question mark over Oswald’s portrait, or holding on to trophies like Dougherty’s badge, or Kristin’s glasses.)

…I know who I am professor. It’s how to be him that is eluding me. Ed is visibly agitated and frustrated. He offers another riddle – which the professor can’t answer.

Too bad, says Ed. He opens gas canisters and leaves, blowing the building up behind him as he goes.

Ed really is a selfish asshole. Artists and academics all squandered because they couldn’t answer his riddles. It’s maybe interesting to consider whether Ed – whose role was perhaps not reflective of his intellect – is likely to have resented figures who were recognised for their abilities.

Bruce recounting night of his parents’ death - except it's not Bruce, it's fake Bruce, who's been well rehearsed. Katherine is pleased.

Excellent, my dear - you truly are Bruce Wayne.

She phones Uncle Frank, and says that they are ready, adding.

I hope your nephew is amenable. Should he refuse - you know the rules.

Frank reassures her. She tells Bruce they are to proceed, and fills a biiig syringe.

Ed is reading a newspaper - Oswald missing, worst feared – a report on the murder of the chemistry professor.

Ed rubs his temples (we can assume running the city single-handed and going on a killing spree is pretty tiring) and pops a pill. His eyes go weird, and he turns to the sofa to see a hallucination of Oswald in a sodden suit. He snarls at him

What did I tell you about dripping on the couch?

It’s Oswald’s house, Ed. So belt up.

Os needles Ed over his hypocrisy, asking him how long he’ll present the public face of grief, when he actually killed his best friend. Ed is rattled – which suggests that although Ed might be using the hallucination of Oswald to serve his own needs, we’re still seeing some of the same stuff we saw eack when it was BadEd in the mirror – needling, provoking, mocking.

Oswald walks into the room and asks Ed about his extra-curricular activities, looking at a noticeboard with pictures of Ed’s recent victims.

HallucinationOswald mirrors Ed’s gestures as they look, because he's essentially just a projection of Ed.

Oswald recommends that Ed ditch the riddles. Ed reacts strongly. This is not an option

A good riddle reveals the asker – so someone who can answer can help him

He wants to find a guide to help him – because knowing who he is and how to be that person are two different things. Halluc-Os sneers.

I made myself Penguin when I killed Fish

He claims he didn’t need anyone’s help – and had no teacher.

(An aside- This also flags up areas where Ed’s understanding or knowledge of Oswald is flawed or incomplete. Fish told Oswald she created him when they met again – and Oswald did not dispute that. Either Oswald did not share that information, or Ed didn’t listen. I’d go for (A), since Ed paid attention to everything that helped him to read and manipulate Oswald)

Ed clicks his fingers. Maybe it’s not a teacher that he needs – but an enemy. Villains are defined by the men who seek to stop them, and he knows the perfect man (Freudian slip there from Ed – as discussed elsewhere with insights from @rhavewellyarnbag and @millicentcordelia - Jim is indeed the golden boy in Ed’s eyes)

Halluc-Os snaps to attention and steps in front of Ed as if to stop him

Please - do not say Jim Gordon

Jim says Jim’s name at the same time – and smiles maliciously at Oswald’s pained expression. Again – discussed elsewhere with @millicentcordelia and @rhavewellyarnbag – Ed knows that Oswald cares about Jim and tries to protect him, and so his hallucination of Oswald behaves accordingly. Mentally tormenting a hallucination of Oswald after he’s already messed horribly with his head and shot him is…. something else. Ed really does enjoy hurting people.

At GCPD, Lucius is talking over the recent string of murders with Harvey, who still appears to be acting captain. Harvey is dismissive, but Lucius is insistent.

And professor of mine died in that lab fire

Harvey pulls a face.

Bored down in the lab, Lucius?

Lucius visibly reigns in his frustration

Yes – but that’s not why you should look at this

Harvey says they cannot allocate resources to this (6 murders, Harvey – really?)

Lucius wants to call Jim, but Harvey refuses and says Jim needs rest.

A singing telegram arrives downstairs for Jim with a murder riddle from Ed. It’s a chess strategy, from which Lucius deduces he is going to kill again. I get a depressing flashback to season 2 of Twin Peaks and Windom Earle’s shenanigans.

A competitive chess game. Ed watches from a balcony. He’s tired and headachey – slapping his face to stay awake. They should have left the scene explaining Ed's exhaustion and drug use to combat it in – I think. The idea that Ed was not enjoying running the city anymore and was suffering physically adds more fuel to his decision to find his own way. Oswald appears again when he pops his pill. What the hell is he taking? Ed thank Oswald for coming. Oswald is sour.

Like I had a choice

Ed promises that it will be electrifying.

Oswald eats popcorn while Ed obnoxiously interrupts games by yelling suggestions from the balcony. Oswald tires of this.

Can we discuss why you're doing this?

Ed doesn’t like being questioned. Oswald smiles.

The problem with talking to projections of your psyche – and you of all people should know this – is that they know everything you know. Gordon can't help you (a slip by Ed– I don’t think Os ever refers to Jim by surname only). No-one can. You need to face the truth. (Again, this is pretty much BadEd territory – undermining, insulting)

Ed is distracted by the arrival of GCPD.

No Jim Gordon? Well then, who?

He smiles when he sees who - Harvey and Lucius

Oh - how interesting.

Ed flips the first switch, shocking a player – and enjoys the chaos that ensues – the hallucination forgotten.

Country Cabin That Looks Suspiciously Like The Place Maroni took Oswald

Jim wants to know why he's here. Is Uncle Frank going to explain disappearing when he was a kid? Or what happened between him and his dad?

Frank asks for trust. Jim knocks back a drink before answering.

You’re family - of course I trust you.

Somewhere, Selina feels the urge to smack Jim on the side of his head and give him a talking-to.

Frank asks Jim if he’s ever done something he thought was right at time, but would give his life to do over. Jim internally reviews every life event to date, up to and including his breakfast choices this morning.

Frank says that was what happened with Jim’s father. He loved his brother and Jim is his son. He wants to make things right.

Wayne Manor, where knife throwing lessons are in progress.

Alfred deliberately annoys Bruce as he throws to test his concentration. He thinks Bruce has something on his mind.

Miss Kyle, perhaps

Apparently, Selina let a note for him – asking for a meeting. Bruce refuses - Selina's avoided him for weeks, and it’ll take more than a note to have him running. I suppose Bruce is a child – so his lack of understanding is plausible – but Selina did have her mother, who abandoned her, come back into her life and immediately cynically try to scam her. I think she’s allowed to have some problems right now.

GCPD, where Lucius reviews evidence. There’s numbers on bottom of the chess pieces. They call the number they give them, and reach Ed, trying out a new gravelly voice. He tells Lucius it’s bad manners to intercept other people’s mail. Lucius asks why he killed all those people

I had no choice - they failed my test

He invites Lucius to solve clue – the next target is in the belly of beast. If he can solve the clue, then he’s one step closer to finding him.

We can see, in the background, that Ed has painted a question mark over Oswald's portrait

Out in the countryside, Jim and Uncle Frank are hunting. Jim misses. Frank commiserates – but Jim tells him it was deliberate, in order to test his gun. Frank makes disappointed noises, but Jim’s having none of it.

You tell me you’ve done terrible things, and then you bring me out here (Good instincts, Jim. Isolated cabins are murdery)

Franks asks if Jim’s heard old Gotham tales about the Court of Owls. Jim responds,

Pretend I haven't

Frank elaborates. They’re a secret society started by elite to maintain balance. (elites aren’t interested in balance, Frank – they’re interested in maintaining an unbalanced status-quo which perpetuates their power, but anyway).

However, time and power has corrupted the organisation, of which Jim’s father was, and Frank is, a member.

Jim handles his gun meaningfully.

Frank reassures him. The Court doesn't mean him harm. It has the highest regard for him, and wants him to become a member. Jim looks generally unhappy.

GCPD – where Lucius and Harvey interrogating a man. Harvey tells Lucius to rough him up, but Lucius doesn’t play that way – and says that ‘no-one is hitting anyone’.

Long story short – the man’s boss is called Mr Thirio – Greek for beast – so they can find the next clue.

Wayne Manor, in the kitchens.

Bruce asks Alfred what he’s making. It’s shepherd’s pie. Fuck – flee to the city, Bruce. Get in a fight. Get abducted. Visit Jeri. Visit Jerome. Shepherd’s pie tastes of precisely fuck all and never seems to come to an end.

Alfred tells how the recipe was given to him by an old ‘lady friend’ with whom he had a fling, but broke up over something silly. Bruce scoffs at the attempt to get his to see Selina. Alfred elaborates, though, and says that at least he and his ex got closure. Bruce should see Selina – if only for that. Bruce agrees, and Alfred says he’ll keep some pie warm. Even better. Dry shepherd’s pie.

GCPD.

Lucius tells Harvey that Thirio was not in his apartment. Harvey is not really listening, admiring himself in the mirror. He’s going to the academy graduations.

How do I look?

Is this what Gordon deals with?

Harvey thanks him, and then asks if he’s seen his badge

Oswald’s mansion, where Ed is being berated by his own psyche. Oswald rants at him. He showed him how to be Ed Nygma. He showed him how to run the underworld, hidden in plain sight.

(An aside. Ed fundamentally doesn't want that. He doesn’t want to be concealed in any way. He needs to be recognised – which is why his situation with Oswald was only ever temporary)

Oswald works on him some more. He says that Ed isn't sleeping, that he’s taking drugs and talking to his own hallucination. He’s screaming now, trying to undermine him.

You’re lost without me.

Ed tries to leave. However, his vision blurs and turns red, and suddenly hallucination Oswald is singing a torch song. This seems to enrage Ed. He doesn’t want a reminder of this aspect of Oswald. His hallucination is there to serve a specific purpose, and Ed – ultimately – had no use for this part of Oswald. Maybe – too – seeing a reminder of the fact that Oswald was an actual person with his own motivations and feelings kindles some guilt, because Ed hits the table and yells:

I admit that killing you killed part of me – but I will find a way forward and be reborn!

The hallucination yells after him, but is breaking down now, more obviously just a projection of Ed’s insecurities – talking about Oswald in the third person

Penguin saw you Ed - he made you. There’s no Ed Nygma without Penguin!

Maybe try taking just half of one of those pills, Ed?

GCPD – where Lee is examining the corpse. Lucius points out that Lee worked at Arkham, and asks for her insight – why would a killer do this? Lee replies that we all want answers to the same big questions. Who am I? Will anyone ever love me? Some people seek answers in a logical way….

While others stuff Harvey Bullock’s badge inside a dead body.

Lucius courteously thanks Lee before leaving, using her professional title.

At the academy, Harvey rehearses a bad speech. Ed sidles up to him. Harvey asks what the hell he’s doing there. Ed comments that – as GCPD seemingly can’t locate the mayor – he’s here to address the cadets on his behalf. Harvey bridles at the suggestion of Ed – a cop killer – addressing the cadets. Ed is irritated by this:

How is the view from the moral high ground, Harvey?

Harvey’s phone rings. It’s Lucius. Ed grins...

Must be about me

…and lurches forward to grab Harvey and – presumably – chloroform him.

Sitting on some stairs in the city, Bruce reads Selina’s note. He hears a fight and goes to see what’s happening.

I remember you - Bruce Wayne

It’s Sonny Gilzean, who asks if he has money, and makes to mug him.

Selina appears and tells him to back off

Bruce says he’s here to talk. Selina isn’t – she’s looking for Sonny – with whom she’s got business. Bruce proceeds to put his foot in it.

He’s a thief - you can't trust him.

Selina icily responds that she’s a thief too. Bruce tries to apologise.

Sorry – I should have told you I suspected your mother

Selina doesn’t want to hear it – but can’t quite manage to restrain a backhanded attempt to protect him.

Go home – you don't belong here

Bruce asks why she asked him here at all. Selina says she didn’t – and tells him not to come looking for her again.

Sonny says it’s too bad his girlfriend left.

I don't think she's my girlfriend

Me neither

Bruce takes more of a beating before rallying.

Graduation ceremony. Ed takes the stage and banters a little. Harvey’s all tied up. They all look dandy.

How do I look?

He riddles at them

Light as a feather- but no man can hold it long. What am I?

The audience of cadets mutters, and wonders if they can legally shoot him now or have to wait until after the ceremony.

Ed loses his temper and delivers the answer while rolling out gas canisters.

Your breath

He laughs, and leaves.

Meantime Lucius arrives and encounters another telegram. He talks to Ed on the phone

Foxy? How’d you know it was me?

Only one person refers to me as Foxy

(Oh dear – a special nickname. That sound in the distance is someone, somewhere, launching a ship. Ed helps the launch along by demanding Lucius’ undivided attention)

Come upstairs and play a game with me for the antidote. Come along, or Harvey and the cadets all die.

Lucius runs upstairs to find Harvey tied to a chair and perched on the banister. He asks if he’s OK. Ed removes Harvey’s gag to let him answer. Harvey tells him not to try to outsmart ‘this lunatic’ - cadets lives at stake.

Lucius ignores him.

Let’s begin.

Ed smiles widely.

Wonderful.

If Lucius can get just one, everyone lives. Lose – and they all die.

(To save my wrists, and because the riddles are giffed elsewhere – I’m not typing them all out in full)

Ed offers the first riddle. Lucius answers ‘love’ – but the answer was ‘loneliness’. Ed is enraged.

How do you not know that?

He cuts a rope. Harvey panics and pleads.

No – Nygma, no.

Another.

I’m a member of a group – but can never blend in

Lucius answers ‘snowflake’

Ed screams in rage

‘Individual’

Lucius remonstrates.

Snowflake is also a suitable answer.

Ed wants his answer – though. He becomes very agitated, and cuts another rope. Harvey is frightened, and pleads again.

I'm sorry - oh god

Ed is arguing with himself now. Oswald was right -he's was the only one. He wheels suddenly to point confront Lucius. No! It's just you - you aren’t a good enough enemy

Lucius stays calm, and listens to what Ed says – so when Ed starts his next riddle….

I feel your every move. I’m with you through birth, and I’ll see you rot

He’s able to interrupt, unsettling Ed. He keeps his tone controlled and soft. Curious, more than anything

What did you do Ed, what happened to Penguin?

Ed falters.

Did you kill him? You did, didn’t you?

Ed is repeating the riddle compulsively now – almost like it will calm him.

Lucius answers:

A reflection

Ed’s smile contains genuine joy

Correct

Ed walks away without enacting any of his revenge. He wants to be understood more than to kill

Unfortunately, the rope frays anyway – and Harvey is caught by Lucius before he can topple down the stairs.

Back in the city, Bruce's nose is bleeding. He stops at a convenient mirror in an alley – only to see his double appear behind him, which is still less scary than BOB.

You

Good to see you too

Bruce says his double sent the note – and notices that he’s dressed identically to him.

Yes - like looking into a mirror.

Bruce 2 lunges forward and plunges the syringe into Bruce’s neck

This is what I was made for - to be Bruce Wayne.

Back at the hunting lodge. Jim doesn’t want to believe what he’s hearing.

How could my father have been part of this?

Frank protests. At the time, they were proud to join - thought we were going to do good. He claims now, though, to be disenchanted. He despises them. Jim’s father saw through their lies earlier – but Frank didn’t listen until it was too late. The Court killed him.

Jim can’t hear this. He denies it - adamant. He was there. It was an accident. A drink driver.

I was in the wreck. I watched him die.

Oh Jim.

Frank says staging a crash is simple business for the Court.

Why now, Jim wants to know – 20 years later? Where have you been? Where were you when my mom and I needed you?

Franks said the Court sent him abroad to prove loyalty. Jim asks why he would prove loyalty to group that murdered his brother? Frank says he chose to live. Now, though - they want Jim to join. He wants Jim to help him succeed where others have failed. He wants to bring the Court down and return the rule of democracy and law to Gotham. Jim asks why he should believe him.

You have to believe in something

Wayne Manor kitchens. Alfred listens to a radio report of Ed’s exploits which tells people to look out for a man in a green suit. Should probably also mention cheekbones. Look out for a guy wearing a green suit, with cheekbones that could cut glass, probably having a conversation with himself.

Bruce 2 enters. Alfred asks how Selina was. Bruce 2 smarmily responds.

Selina Selina

Alfred smiles, and offers shepherd’s pie. Bruce says that sounds delicious. Alfred looks momentarily suspicious – because shepherd’s pie plainly isn’t delicious – and claiming it is means you’re definitely an evil doppelganger.

He masks his uncertainty quickly

Jolly good - won't be a mo.

A swat team invades Van Dahl mansion. Ed’s gone, though. We see the portrait again.

In the street. Lucius gets into his car. Ed pops up from the back seat.

Hello Foxy

Lucius seems unruffled. So - the antidote turned out to be grape juice, and the deadly toxin was knock-out gas.

Ed says the whole point was to play a game, not kill people. Lucius points out,

But you killed Penguin and Prof Dyson.

Ed frowns.

Have you always been Foxy?

Lucius says he’s not sure what he means. Ed elaborates.

All my life - I felt like someone was inside of me. Someone stronger and smarter, that people would fear. No one else saw that.

Lucius interrupts,

Except Penguin

Ed agrees – a moment of sadness on his face

Except Oswald.

But he killed Oswald because Oswald killed the woman he loved

Lucius asks if that’s what Ed thinks he’ll do now Oswald’s gone - fill that role - to be a reflection (‘a friend is, as it were, a second self’). Ed says no – though.

I know who I am. I know how to be him.

He smiles as he puts a gun to Lucius’ head – and thanks him for the part he played in that.

Lucius points out how reckless Ed’s actions are. He’s honestly worried and pitying, and tells Ed that any part of him that isn’t insane needs to listen to him.

You need help. Turn yourself in.

Ed’s smile fades.

My actions seem mad to you

Lucius nods.

To anyone

Ed swallows.

I - I killed the best friend I’ve ever had. My search for a teacher or enemy…that was just me trying to hold on to him for a little bit longer. (Interesting that Ed is able to reflect honestly when confronted with genuine, calm concern)

But now I know who am without him

So who are you now?

Come on, Foxy. I’m The Riddler.

He wallops Lucius on the head with his gun, and then leans back, laughing to himself.

Ed is at the pier with Oswald. Ed tells the hallucination that his friendship meant something to him. He cared about Oswald, and he misses him.

Oswald is sour

Gee. That almost makes up for being dead.

(An aside - Ed’s admission isn’t exactly surprising. I've said before that while Ed was extremely manipulative, and fostered dependency from Oswald - I honestly think that Ed - being utterly convinced of his own judgment above anyone else's - felt that this was fine, because he was acting in Oswald's own best interests. Oswald is the only friend Ed ever had, and that was meaningful to him.

As Oswald points out though - while it's nice that Ed gets his emotional closure, it doesn't make Oswald any less shot. In the same way, Ed’s retconning of Kristin's death into his 'becoming' doesn't make her any less strangled. In a way, it serves to make Ed more frightening. He can feel genuine love or friendship for someone, but he equally has the capacity to knowingly hurt that person, to frighten them, and to take their life from them. That he can then package it neatly into something that suits him psychologically just feels like one last violation, someone's personhood taken away, and their life considered only in terms of how it served Ed's needs.)

The hallucination points out that all GCPD is hunting him, and no one is going to be afraid of The Riddler.

Ed smiles. They will be. Kneeling at the edge, he tips the pills into the water. Looking round, he sees he is alone, and smiles. He bids Oswald goodbye before donning a bowler hat and striding away.

Ivy is misting lots of pot plants in a room which also contains a bed, which also contains one Oswald Cobblepot. Oswald is waking up

Well - looks who's alive.

Oswald asks who she is.

Ivy Pepper, stupid.

Confused, Oswald asks if they know each other. Ivy tells him she pulled him out of the river – and has been nursing him for weeks. It’s pretty boring – he sleeps a lot. She then frowns, noticing that Oswald looks strange. Like he’s going to puke. She asks if he’s OK. Oswald’s possibly confused at being rescued and nursed out of simple altruism for once, as opposed to being shot full of drugs and relentlessly manipulated.

Oswald smiles, and his jangly signature music kicks in.

I just remembered – there’s someone I need to kill

You go, sweetie.

At the miserable cabin. Jim brings back wood for the fire. He calls for his uncle, but he’s gone, leaving a family photograph with a message written on the back:

Help me honour his memory.

At the Court, Katherine is enquiring how things went. Frank says Jim’s interest is piqued, but convincing him will take time. Katherine says they don’t have time, and that the clone is in place. Bruce Wayne is waking up as they speak.

And he is. Bruce sees bright lights and wakes up in a cell, in weird woollen pyjamas. Going to the window, he looks out to an arctic looking landscape.

I apologise - I’m not myself these days.

This has always been the problem for Ed, who has struggled for as long as we’ve known him to have a coherent sense of self. Shot through with self-hatred, parts of his psyche splinter off and manifest as other people – usually berating him, mocking him for his failure to be a better self – this other, buried person he feels he’s supposed to be – that he sometimes glimpses in other people, like Lucius, or Jim.

Unsure of how to embody this better self – Ed looked for a guide. He thought that was Oswald, but Oswald failed him, and was mercilessly discarded. He thinks defining himself against an enemy might help – and who better than Jim Gordon? But Jim, hilariously, manages to thwart Ed simply by being absent.

So Ed’s left with Lucius – which is fortunate for him – because Jim’s approach would have involved much less in the way of warm, calm compassion, and more in the way of punching. Lucius is perhaps the first person to express genuine, disinterested concern for Ed. He listens, and doesn’t mock. Ed, in turn, credits Lucius with helping him see who he is. As we leave him this episode, he has a renewed purpose and sense of who he is.

Jim’s dead father has always loomed large, and many of Jim’s interactions with authority figures are informed by that relationship – with Jim seeking out father figures, but then almost immediately being disappointed by them, and acting out in response. I wonder whether – on some level – Jim had an inkling of something being not quite right?

Whether he did or not, the revelations about his father will shake Jim’s sense of identity, and force him to question himself and his ideas. Already there’s a fundamental shift. He’s no longer the boy who witnessed his father’s accidental death. He’s now the boy who saw him murdered.

Bruce isn’t himself right now because he’s at odds with Selina – who acts as a counterbalance to him in many ways. Whether he can retain his sense of self in the face of whatever training he seems to have been forcibly sent on remains to be seen.

Bruce 2, meanwhile, is exultant. A lifetime of experimentation and prodding, and he finally gets to ‘be’ Bruce.

Oswald wasn’t Oswald for much of the episode, because what we saw was a fake – a projection of Ed’s insecurities, conjured up to help him cope with sadness at the loss of a friend. However, the Oswald we saw at the end – grinning and out for revenge – seems to have regained a more firm grip on his sense of self.

General Observations

All-round enjoyable episode, I thought. Lucius is warm, thoughtful, curious, respectful, and intelligent – and great to watch. His interactions with Harvey and Lee offer something a little different. His scenes with Ed, though, were really the highlight. There’s a genuine connection there that will hopefully be developed more.

Butch, Barbara and Tabitha were conspicuous by their absence. All we can take from this is that Barbara has not made good on her promise to kill Ed – despite some weeks having passed – and that this is likely having an effect on that relationship.

Jim’s in a pretty vulnerable place right now. Still smarting – we assume – from the aftermath of the triangle of tedium, he’s now on very treacherous ground, being either guided or manipulated by an Uncle whom he resents for abandoning him after his father’s death.

Also dealing with parental abandonment twice over is Selina. She seems hard and uncaring right now – trying to go back to her old life like Bruce never existed – trying to protect herself.

An Ivy/Oswald friendship would be great. They’re both – as discussed elsewhere – perceived as odd outsiders, both (for different reasons) childlike adults. Oswald never forgets slights, but he never forgets a good turn either – and Ivy selflessly cared for him for weeks.

First confirmed non-sighting of Victor. I’m watching you, show.

Thoughts?

#Gotham commentary #how the riddler got his name #gotham 3:20

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christopherrichardpoir-blog · 6 years

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Transformer Man: The Time Neil Young Got Sued for Not Sounding Like Himself

“They put me down for fuckin' around with things that I didn't understand - for getting involved in something that I shouldn't have been involved in. Well, fuck them.” -Neil Young, Shakey: Neil Young's Biography (2003)

“Sometimes in a bar, you will hear someone try to defend Neil Young's '80s albums. This is technically known as a 'desperate cry for help.'” -Rob Sheffield, The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004)

A process server arrived at Neil Young's door in early November 1983. It was several days shy of the artist's birthday, and he was visiting on behalf of Geffen Records, but he wasn't there to deliver royalties. That's not how royalties are delivered, and that's not what process servers do. He was there to serve Neil Young with a $3.3 million lawsuit, and in that moment, Neil Young became the first artist ever to be sued for not sounding enough like himself.

Filed by Geffen, which had signed Young less than two years prior, the lawsuit accused the artist of having produced albums deemed “not 'commercial' and … musically uncharacteristic of Young's previous recordings.” His most recent flop had been Everybody's Rockin', a goofy-eyed 25-minute jaunt through the rockabilly '50s. But the conflict really stemmed from a series of misadventures set in motion by Trans, the artist's intensely bewildering excursion into Vocoder-voiced electronica, which then proved to be his most alienating release to date - literally. By that, I mean it sounded to most listeners as if Young had replaced himself and his backing band with a small army of Martians, beaming his tunes down to Earth by way of some cosmic transmitter he had probably concocted on his California ranch, knowing him. Certainly that was what the campy, sci-fi album cover seemed to suggest.

No one at Geffen - or elsewhere, for that matter - could have known that Trans, in all its neon-tinted, spacey fancy, was an intensely heartfelt project for Young, one that he would later describe as “an expression of something deeply personal.”

How could they have? In the first of many strategic miscalculations, Young kept it all a secret.

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Here's how I discovered Trans: I couldn't find it.

Thumbing through my father's sizable collection of Neil Young vinyl as a teenager, I somehow noticed that Trans was missing. Pretty much everything else up to and including 1987's Life was there and accounted for, as I recalled in a 2011 essay, even the forgotten Time Fades Away LP and the Journey Through the Past soundtrack, out-of-print rarities that have never been issued on CD and are more likely to be spotted in Graham Nash's attic than at Amoeba Records. So, why not Trans? If not for my Musichound Essential Album Guide book, I probably wouldn't have even known that Neil Young had released anything in 1982.

But he did, and as soon as I read some review or another referring to it, dismissively enough, as “Neil Young's techno album,” I knew I'd end up tracking it down.

So, I hunted it down. I found it used on Amazon, a dog-eared vinyl copy shipped from God knows where, and I was immediately charmed by the album's geeky song titles, which read like Prince-speak poisoned by some digital totalitarian nightmare, as well as its eerie, synthetic veneer, which is never quite thick enough to obscure Young's trademark melodicism. I was confused, probably, by the presence of three tracks that didn't trade in Kraftwerk rhythms and bleepy textures, but maybe I didn't mind the respite from the Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201 that otherwise swallowed up Young's vocals whole.

I didn't, at any rate, know about the son who had been unable to communicate verbally with Young because he had been born with cerebral palsy and quadriplegia, and so I didn't know about the 15 hours a day Young and his wife Pegi spent in therapy programs, grueling work that would first channel into the pounding, repetitive crunch of 1981's Re-ac-tor. I didn't know that the synclavier and vocoder that subsume the record were meant to signify Ben Young's inability to vocalize in ways comprehensible to those surrounding him 24 hours a day, and I didn't read between the lines of songs like “Transformer Man”, in which alien-voiced Young bemoans that there are “so many things still left to do/ But we haven't made it yet.” Nor did I know about the music video Young envisioned for the record, which, in Young's words, would depict “a lot of scientists and doctors trying to unlock the secrets of a little being who had so much to say and no way to say it.” That video was never made.

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I didn't, in other words, realize that Trans was a concept album about messages lost in translation whose message had been lost in translation.

Not that its themes were entirely without precedent. Like so much of Shakey's best songwriting, it concerns itself with a break in communication - but this time not with a love interest (“Will to Love”) or a dead junkie friend (“The Needle and the Damage Done”, “Tired Eyes”) or a shallow, posturing celebrity culture (“On the Beach”). It's a failure to communicate, in the most literal of ways, with one's young son, which somehow makes it all the more personal and all the more devastating. “That's why, on that record, you know I'm saying something, but you can't understand what it is,” Young would later explain to Mojo. “Well, that's the exact same feeling I was getting from my son.”

Except, of course, that the message was lost on pretty much everyone who heard it in 1982. That's probably because the record was drowned by its own obsessions, an LP about miscommunication that happened to be garbled and choked on the way to its audience. Young used every instrumental tool at his disposal to channel disconnection to his listeners, and in 1982, those instrumental tools had become all too heady for a popular audience that had been weaned on the pastoral tones of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and the even-footed country-folk of Harvest, an audience that thought Kraftwerk was a type of salami, not a musical outfit of any consequence. Too heady, too much, too soon.

That the artist responded to calls for a rock 'n' roll record in the most caustic and sneering possible manner - by throwing together a jokey '50s-rock outing - did little to improve the glass wall that had emerged between Young, his audience, and his increasingly impatient record label.

But it made for a thrilling contrast. Everybody's Rockin', for all its grinning, old-timey spirit, turned out to sound a hell of a lot colder than the LP that was designed to sound like a bubble bath with robots. Trans, by comparison, was a disarmingly honest, if excessively weird, statement. Ignored by thousands and despised by many others, it contains some of the most unusual, inventive, and even catchy material of Young's career.

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So, here's the thing. Neil Young was sued - made a “Prisoner of Rock 'n' Roll”, as he would joke on 1987's Life LP - for making music deemed “not commercial and … musically uncharacteristic of Young's previous recordings.” But it wasn't. Well, sure, it was uncommercial. Of course it was. Synthpop hadn't yet broken through to the mainstream, and even if it had, Young hadn't the foggiest idea what it was supposed to sound like, a fact that gives Trans its distant, alien edge. But it wasn't unrepresentative of the impulsive, follow-every-rabbit-hole spirit that had characterized the artist's tireless and careening muse since well before 1980. Consider the ditch trilogy (Time Fades Away, On the Beach, Tonight's the Night) or the odd country excursion (Comes a Time).

All of which is to say, Trans wasn't “musically uncharacteristic of Young's previous recordings,” not really, not unless you focus only on the bewildering sonic properties that overwhelm the songs, which is a preposterous distinction to make because of course you are going to focus on the bewildering sonic properties that overwhelm the songs; that was all anyone focused on in 1983, how could it not be, who the hell am I to suggest otherwise?

Look: Imagine you are the process server guy made to serve papers to Neil Young in 1983, the hapless nobody tasked with rapping on a Real Live Rock Star's door and meekly informing him that he is in trouble - label trouble and maybe also legal trouble - because his records are getting too freaky. Imagine being that guy. He must have known who he was speaking to, what sort of bewildering message he was delivering. How do you do that? Did he prepare for this meeting, rehearsing his lines in front of a mirror? Did he take a mental inventory of the look on Neil Young's face, the artist slack-jawed, waving a joint, let's imagine, smoke curling in circles around his flannel shirt, and did he carry it with him for three decades so that someday he might relate it to his grandchildren? “I was the one,” he might boast, “who put Neil Young under arrest” - come on, you have to exaggerate when you are talking to children - “for not sounding enough like Neil Young.”

Now imagine that the case wasn't settled and here we are in court and I am the defense attorney. I am the one who goes before the judge and endeavors to defend Trans - not Everybody's Rockin', only Trans - against charges of uncommercial villainy and treason or whatever. I don't have to prove that it is perfect, because of course it's flawed; it's a messy and confusing record, but that never was the impetus for the lawsuit. I just have to prove that it isn't altogether uncharacteristic of Young's career, that beneath the alien-voiced specter lies genuine melodicism and heart, that some of its songs might even contain traces of what might modestly be called commercial potential.

Anyway, that's sort of what this essay is. So, here we are. The defense rests his case.

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