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satoru-is-the-way · 1 year

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The fact that I need more of Tenoch x Reader-

How about where there is a premiere where Tenoch is jealous to see Reader with OSCAR ISAAC?

A/n: OMG YESSSS YES YES YES YES AND YESSS FUCK YESSSSS COMING RIGHT UP ONG. Also this is more a bit of hints towards Hispnaic Latino reader x Tenoch/Oscar

TAGS: @shoxji @tian-monique @omgsuperstarg @angel-bi666 @sunfairyy @sunkissedebony97 @rkiversstuff @emma-frxst

{IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED IN FUTURE NAMOR/TENOCH FICS LET ME KNOW PLUS IF YOU DO OR DONT WANT TO BE TAGGED IN SMUT. MUST BE OVER 18+ FOR THOSE ANYWAYS.}

WARNINGS: NONE

Tenoch Huerta and you had been close since you began shooting Narcos: Mexico back in 2018. There was an instant connection that no one explained yet all could see. You two stayed in touch, meet up weekly, and spent a lot of time together. You landed the role of Namor's lover and queen of Talokan for Wakanda Forever. It was exciting to work alongside Tenoch once more. You had a major crush on the man yet kept it to yourself.

Oscar Isaac is another close friend, you both worked together in Star Wars: The Last Jedi where your character was his characters Poe Dameron's ex-lover yet second-best pilot the resistance had. You admit to the small crush developed for Oscar. By the end of the franchise in Rise Of Skywalker your characters have gotten back together in a long kissing scene.

So of course the fans had gone crazy for shipping you with Oscar and Tenoch. Wondering which an is going to be lucky enough to land you as their girlfriend.

Today was the premier of Black Panther Wakanda Forever. You were so excited about being in the Marvel franchise now. Including working with any great people. Right now you had arrives with Oscar Isaac. The press went nuts interviewing you both.

"Would your characters ever meet?" One of them shouted out.

"Love triangle even?!" Another added.

You and Oscar both laughed cheeks flushed.

"Oh, I hope so that would be a good romance." He winked before wrapping an arm around you. Tenoch had been with another tv station not too far away. How his blood boils noticing who you brought. Lupita and Winston both encouraged him to ask you out. Even as his date to the premiere. Yet Tenoch never had the confidence.

He matched his way over there just in time to hear the question and response by Oscar.

"I don't think that Namor would let that happen." Tenoch adds rather seriously. You smiled brightly and pulled Tenoch into a hug. "Hey you!"

"Hey. While admit the love triangle would be cool a king would never let his queen go."

Oscar rolled his eyes, he knew Tenoch liked you," You sure? Marc is pretty slick with the women. Much like myself." He adds just wanting to see Tenoch clench his jaw.

"Oh boys. Come on. Settle down. Let's hurry along and sign some autographs." You thanked the interviewers before leading the two boys, who currently are acting like man children, off to where the fans are waiting.

You watched the movie sitting between the two boys. Many emotions were shown during the screening especially how it felt seeing you and Tenoch as your characters together for the first time.

After the premiere you all headed for the restroom because it was a very long movie.

"You know I am surprised you and (Y/n) aren't together yet." Oscar comments washing his hands beside Tenoch.

"What do you mean? I thought she came with you as her date." He adds a jealous gaze in his brown eyes.

"No just as friends. But if you won't make a move then I will." Oscar turned the water off reaching for a towel.

"Don't waste your time, Oscar."

The men both walked out looking for you.

Winston and you were both laughing and making jokes. He specially was hammering you for the details of why Tenoch and Oscar were as the fans said 'Simping' over you. You explained your history with both men. And how wondering it was to have them so close together now. But in your heart, Tenoch was the one of you.

"So ready to go to the after party?" Oscar asked.

"But as my date." Tenoch glared over to Estrada's direction.

Winston smirked at (Y/n) who had to choose. "Well boys... I am flattered. Really am."

"Then go out with me." Tenoch whispered giving you his brown sugar eyes.

How could you say no?

#marvel #mcu namor #namor #namor imagine #namor x reader #namor x you #tenoch huerta #tenoch huerta x reader #oscar isaac #oscar isaac x reader #moon knight x reader #moon knight

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pencopanko · 6 months

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Backstage X Bar Boys Part 1: Rafael

Shortly after filming and promotions for "Coco" is completed, Héctor and Ernesto decide to visit a new bar in town. There they meet three men, two of which also work in the industry but to varying levels while the other one is the bartender/owner of the bar.

Let's talk about Rafael Herrera Meza first:

Rafael Herrera Meza is a triple threat in the industry, and is the second Latino entertainer ever who has won an EGOT (followed by Robert Lopez, another talented songwriter who co-wrote "Remember Me" with Héctor), while also working as a talent scout/music producer. His charisma stage presence is on-par with Ernesto's and Héctor's, and his baritone voice is second to none. However, off-stage he is a shy and anxious man with the driest humor known to mankind.

He used to act in telenovelas, movies, and musical theater during his prime as an actor before making music production his main thing.

If you think Imelda Rivera's social media life is private, Rafael's is even more private nearly to the point of nonexistence. Nobody knows anything of him outside of his career. His strong feelings towards the paparazzi, his age (he's around forty or so, and yet he already has a few streaks of white on his jet black hair), and his familial connections to the Herrera Oil Company also play a role in making him extremely private. He is also very rarely seen on interviews and social events, unless he has an obligation to attend.

Because of how private he is, whenever a project is revealed and Rafael is somehow involved it is considered as a major cultural event. The thing is, he also up in the most unexpected places. One minute you can see him as part of the cast for a Hispanic remake of Parks & Recreation as its equivalent to Ron Swanson, then the next time you see him he is on the cover of Vogue México along with his longtime friend/protégé Ronaldo, and then you see his name in the voice actor credits part of a video game or an animated series, then you see his name as the producer for México's greatest hit of the season, and if you are extremely lucky you can even see him sing with the local mariachi just for the fun of it.

He is very embarrassed to admit it, but he is more than aware of how women see him. Particularly younger women. Their reaction towards him is similar to how people see men like Pedro Pascal, Hugh Jackman, and Oscar Isaac. He did think of becoming a father before deciding on the life of an eternal bachelor, but being called "daddy" or "papí" in this context is not what he signed up for. He does appreciate the gifts from fans. After his trusted secretary Brenda sorts through them, of course.

He is just as shy and anxious as he is private, and this goes up by the tenfold when he is with a woman he is romantically interested in. And it just so happens that the woman he has been crushing on for a while is none other than the renowned opera singer/actress, Rosita Álvarez, who was also a supporting actress for "Coco" as Tía Rosita. Héctor and Ernesto, along with Miguel have been trying to set a date for the two of them.

Rafael met Rosita during a charity concert the both of them were a part of. Rafael was impressed with Rosita's soprano and wished to work with her. Well, that's what he would tell you. In reality, he was smitten the moment their eyes met when it was his turn to get on stage. Rafael noticed Rosita gazing at him from her seat, and before he knew it he winked at her as an attempt to flirt.

News of Rafael Herrera and Rosita Álvarez dating was well received by fans of both parties, with references to them being the cutest middle-aged couple. Their relationship is also just as private as Héctor and Imelda's, if not more due to Rafael's dislike of paparazzi and the fact that paparazzi don't go after opera singers that much either, much to Rosita's delight.

After around three years of dating, they got married at a church near Rafael's childhood home in Jalisco. The wedding was simple and was only attended by family and friends including the cast of "Coco", but due to Mamá Herrera's insistence on something more lavish for the two of them she gifted Rafael and Rosita tickets for a cruise all around the world. Photos of them on their honeymoon started circulating online and people loved their wholesome vibe, even long after their honeymoon.

#penco's content intermission #interludo #coco pixar #pixar coco #coco backstage au #coco au: the bar boys #coco oc: rafael herrera #yupyupyup #oc x canon #rafita #ernesto de la cruz #héctor rivera #miguel rivera #rosita rivera

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swannkings · 10 months

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pt 2 of gen x/millennial fashion trends

part one tying 00s fashion & style to the 60s and 70s

i wanted to go back a little further because a lot of the styles vivid in my memory from the 90s were very 50s and 60s influenced.

so counterculture styles of our childhoods often become the trends revisited 20-30 years later (or before did social media accelerated trend turnover from years to weeks).

the 60s and 70s pull from the 20s and 30s; the 80s pull from the 40s and 50s, the 90s pull from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. what happened in the 00s that reset that cycle? we'll get there.

in the 40s there were hepcats and hipsters, pachucos and pachucas -- Black and Latine counters to white American culture and expected patriotism of the 1940s. if you don't know about the zoot suit riots, in 1943 white servicemen attacked latino zoot suiters because there was a fabric ration and wearing zoot suits was seen as unpatriotic.

40 years later in the 1980s, similar looks were brought back in style, but this time they weren't counter to the culture, they were the culture. boomers (aged 20s/30s/40s) were creating style and using what they saw as children as inspiration.

these same bulky/oversized men's cuts were also present in women's fashion both in the 1940s and 1980s.

but what was the counterculture of the 1980s? what subcultures were popping up and being blamed for the rise of satan?

punk, goth, and hip hop.

#long post

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theliterateape · 1 year

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I Like to Watch | Barbarian (2022)

by Don Hall

Both Tarantino and Scorsese have bemoaned the lack of imagination throttling film these days. Their argument is that Hollywood behemoths like Marvel and the proliferation of tentpole green screen filmmaking, with the amount of money at stake even to get a project green lit, the risk taking required for innovation is squashed. I hear that and, despite my love for all things super-powered beings on screen, I'd further argue that a solid portion of the blame falls on the amazing democratization of filmmaking via streaming.

In the rush for more to watch (hastened by the pandemic), movies have become content and content requires less in terms of innovation and more in terms of, well, more. The result is a parade of half-baked star vehicles that look phenomenal but ask someone to tell you what it was they saw the night before on Netflix and most can't recount the story just the star power. What was the plot of The Grey Man? Or Red Notice? Or any of the Chris's movies about Navy Seals and CIA agents combatting a corrupt system? A benefit of more money shoved into streaming is that we get more film and television created and directed by and featuring Black, Asian, and Latino talent but with more comes the inevitable leveling stick that increased projects from these communities automatically equals more crap, too.

For every One Night in Miami, there's a Till, the first a highly imaginative take on historical fiction, the other a soap opera of long portrait shots of grief surrounded by a story we already knew. For every Parasite we are forced to sit through some other Netflix show from Korea that is mostly an ape of other, better shows but are seriously difficult to distinguish from four others pumped out of the content machine.

The one genre that finds some purchase in the territory of risk (because it simply costs less to make) is horror. Since before the 1980's, horror filmmakers have worked with less resource to create more memories than nearly any other. John Carpenter revolutionized things by cranking out genuinely scary, incredibly successful horror movies, on a shoestring budget. Plainly, horror is the genre where risk is rewarded time and time again.

I'd heard the rumblings about Zach Cregger's directorial debut Barbarian. I saw the trailer with Georgina Campbell and Bill Skarsgård dancing around the Fincheresque premise of two people accidentally being booked in the same AirBnB at night in the rain. I didn't read much about it but the buzz was there and, from my vantage, no one was revealing much except that Justin Long was in there somewhere and the third act was fucking nuts. I put it on my list (but first I needed to watch Andor, The Peripheral, Tulsa King, something amazing with Gerard Butler and his missing wife, and another Netflix show about a true crime.

I did find time for Ty West's X and found it to be a great ride, smartly imitating the grind house movies of the 1970's and an unusual villain boiled down to an old horny lady who murders the young cast of porn stars because they make her feel undesired as if my third ex-wife was 90-years old demanding orgasms from an decreasingly interested pool of clients until killing them is just better than a dildo. Mia Goth surprised me as both the starry-eyed porn ingenue and the homicidal Pearl but I knew going in that it was the old broad doing the murders. It was still incredibly creative and used the now cookie cut tropes of modern horror with a spin and a dip that made it fresh, gross, funny, and unlike many other content available.

According to interviews, Cregger was inspired by the idea that women should trust their intuition when it comes to red flags in their everyday interactions with men. He wrote one scene that used as many of those red flags as possible, settling on the premise of a young woman in Detroit for a job interview who finds herself sharing a rental with a complete stranger. Again, a premise Fincher would run with but Cregger hit a wall. Where to go with this slice of potential toxic maleness that wasn't obvious? He then changed it up and decided that the first act would Fincher and the third act would be Raimi. The result is a movie that comes off as one-third thriller, one-third set up, and one-third monster movie.

In a recent I Like to Watch Podcast, co-host Donnie Smith and I talk at length about one of my favorite scary movies, Victor Salva's 2001 Jeepers Creepers. The first half feels like a standard slasher film, following cliches of that specific narrative but then makes a left turn into straight up monster movie and the switch makes it truly fun. Also starring Justin Long, it remains an annual viewing for me.

Barbarian leaves me with a similar WHAT THE FUCK, DUDE? feeling that I love. Like X, the monster revealed is an old woman but she is preverbal and instead of wanting to get busy with her victims and kills those who deny her this, she wants her victims to be her children and, when they reject her maternal instincts by refusing to be breastfed by a grotesque teet, well, the kid has to die, right? Adding to the second act is Long as a sitcom star recently accused of raping a co-star (and, unambiguously was definitively guilty of the crime) who owns the AirBnB. Cregger thus presents us with a heroine who discovers the horror followed by an idiot who then rediscovers the same horror, the first we're routing for, the second we want to see some comeuppance.

This is a truly imaginative, risky film. The script is great, the performances (especially Campbell) are stellar, and nothing about this smart, idea-driven monster movie is anything but outside the box. I finished it and, instead of then moving on to another movie or streaming show, I just wanted to sit with it, stewing on the concepts, reliving the moments I didn't expect (one of my favorite scenes involves Campbell, having escaped and calling the Detroit police only to have the cops look at her as if she were on crack or nuts rather than rush into the breach like movie cops usually do—her shock at their disbelief feels like reality which is always a solid surprise in a story of fantastical twists), and wishing I could rewatch it for the first time.

Tarantino and Scorsese have a point but it isn't that there is no more imagination happening. With the glut of content, like Nick Cage's pig in the brilliant (and unexpected) Pig, you have to dig in the mud to find those truffles, gang.

#Barbarian 2022

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cl34rb3ll · 2 years

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the 2022 fic ship stats have been announced and going to be real with you they just made me kind of sad.

“Of the 205 names on the list, 25 are women, 1 is non-binary, and 6 are characters of ambiguous gender, up from 18 and 2 in the 2021 list. In total there are 121 white characters, 63 Asian characters, 5 Latino characters, 3 Black characters, and 1 Indigenous character, as well as 13 racially ambiguous characters. There are 71 total Characters of Colour, which is twenty fewer than the number listed in 2021.” (AO3 Ship Stats 2022)

even in fandom space representation is a huge issue. 121 white characters. twenty fewer characters of color than last year.

173 of the characters on this list are men. one character is non binary. also the ambiguous gender characters ARE NOT non binary. they’re traveler and x reader (also maybe an mcyt character? i know nothing about mcyt but that fandom seems to be the only one that could fill out the ambiguous gender category).

“There are 56 M/M relationships on the list, 11 F/M, 6 F/F, 20 Gen, 1 Poly and 6 Other. (Please note that on AO3, ‘Name & Name’ indicates platonic or familial ‘Gen’ relationships, while ‘Name/Name’ is used for romantic and sexual pairings.)”

SIX FEMSLASH. out of ONE HUNDRED. thats insane. the highest a femslash ship got was 28th. half the femslash ships are below the half point.

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janeindamembrane · 1 month

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Race and Representation Music Video Analysis

For my panel discussion I will be analyzing Christina Aguilera’s “Can’t Hold Us Down” music video which ignores the power of the images within its video and the power that Aguilera has in relation to the cultures she is adopting and representing. I will also be analyzing Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby”, which I believe attempts to provide an alternate look at stereotypes, not through a commitment to “actuality” or “positive images”, but through the experimental heightening of contrasting stereotypes about the black gay man that reveal their contradictory and arbitrary nature.

youtube

Christina Aguilera’s “Can’t Hold Us Down” music video was produced as part of her Stripped album, which was centered around a more provocative image. The song is focused on feminism with the echoing lyrics of “this is for my girls all around the world”, yet by focusing just on feminism, it markets the experiences of all women as the same, when race and other factors affect experiences. Christina Aguilera, a white passing Latina woman, fails to acknowledge the difference in her experience as a women from all the “girls around the world” while the representation within her music video, particularly her own image which is constructed from ghetto stereotypes of black or Latino womanhood.

(from Left to Right) at 00:20 establishing shot shows men in front of mural mentioning crack. Grocery cart filled with trashbags (implied homelessness or poverty) are in foreground. The foreground and background of this shot simplifies and established the nature of these characters- ecliped by their identity of poverty with the possibility of illegal activity always hanging over them.

At 00:06, Christina Aguilera is introduced on the steps of the dirty curb (objects are literally being thrown down) while surrounded by Latina and Black women. Aguilera is passing herself off as one of the community, but as the star of the video and a pop star she holds all the power in the following representation of these women.

The music video starts out with establishing scenes of the urban setting filled with graffiti, dilapidated buildings, and people lounging/playing around ever corner. The assumption the audience is supposed to reach plays upon stereotypes and ideas already implemented by hegemonic culture [1]. This is a portrayal of the ghetto or the gritty and unkempt. This setting allows the later behavior we see, particularly that of the men, which is supposed to represent a particular uninhibited nature, that one may not expect to see as unmasked in a suburban (read white) area.

Aguilera is using these stereotypes, of the unruly and over sexualized black man in the ghetto, and her own hyper-sexualized image of herself residing in the ghetto to give herself and the overall music video a sense of grittiness or provocativeness. Its supposed to come as a jarring departure from her previous work, as if stepping closer to Black pop-culture allows her to claim an edge which she can (and did) leave behind when the image is no longer as monetarily valuable.

Compared to her earlier works, one can see that she adopts the stereotypes and culture of Black and Latina women to appease a certain "spectatorial fascination" audiences may have [2]. There is- as seen in many films, TV shows, and also the attitudes of certain people online- a fascination with the ghetto- a place that is the intersection between minority races and lower class (as in economic) status. There is a power in watching the ghetto while allowing the distant image of the ghetto to be relegated to perversion and unseemliness.

The way that pop culture portrays the ghetto can be compared to Edward Said's example of the studies and portrayals of the Orient or Ella Shohat's and Robert Stam's many elaborations on films about the Third World. The assumptions about the ghetto have eclipsed the social reality of it, and it is paradoxically admonished and then revered (out of fascination for what has been admonished). Stuart Hall defines this as the "modernist construction of primitivism, the fetishistic recognition and the disavowal of the primitive difference" [3]. There is the fascination with a supposed primitive or simpler nature, but the underlying admission that it is inferior or unpractical. Aguilera's power in terms of identity politics places her in a position that allows her to benefit from fascination from the scene she is portraying while always letting the audience know that this isn't who she is; she never faces the admonishment. Meanwhile, opinions of the other background characters in the video may be generalized and due to the weight that minority representations have, contribute further to negative images of certain groups.

Question:

While it is clear that Aguilera's urban setting is a selective appropriation of culture and stereotypes, it can't be denied that it is somewhat connected to a social reality, one that is steeped in imposed social, political, and economic difference. If "positive images" potentially ignore realities and obstacles to the black experience, how is meaningful representation created? In your opinion, how much meaning is their in 'truthful' representation and to what extent is that possible?

One of the groups that suffers immensely from this video is that of Black men. The video is centered around feminism and the sexual harassment that women face. It is, however, hard to separate this message from the identity politics and racial power that Aguilera has over nearly everyone in the video. The person who gropes her in the beginning is a black man, thus perpetuating unseemly stereotypes that come from the caricature of the sexually and racially intimidating "buck" [4]. It is the unruly and extremely sexualized Black man who assaults the white women and who must be admonished.

The particular choice of who is the assaulter and the assaulted plays into already created social schemas due to the (American) audience living in the inescapable context of the dominant cultural hegemony- which continues to refract itself. Through the groping it is suggested that the man is dominating the woman, but through the larger meta lense of this video, Aguilera is dominating the representation of the Black man.

Question:

What is the responsibility of Aguilera and the creators of this music video when acknowledging the harmful stereotypes it perpetrates from Black men? How could the intersectionality of identity politics have been better addressed while still maintaining its message about the sexualized or inferior role imposed upon women?

In regards to the Latina and Black women that Aguilera is supposedly upholding, they are for the most part relegated to the background. There is a power balance that is communicated through this [5]. Through this diminishing of their importance and the centrality of Aguilera (who is then hyped up by other women), Aguilera becomes this mediating presence who is meant as a stand-in (immediate representation) for the audience but also as the confronter of the power dynamic the men have over the (other) women [6].

At 1:50: When other women are put in the foreground, facial expressions or seeming characteristics (sassiness, sexuality, or being a good dancer) are highlighted. This plays into racialized stereotypes of the sassy hyper sexualized Black women (something that Aguilera is trying to portray herself as) or the passionate Latina dancer [7].

There is the particularly troubling scene with Lil Kim (who I noticed is not credited in the video title as featuring unlike the video in the queue that credits Redman). While Aguilera is adopting blackness and the characterized sexiness, tanned skin, and style of it, Lil' Kim. After being front and center, Aguilera essentially gives up some space to Lil' Kim- a sign of reverence. Lil' Kim's outfit stands out as more sexualized than the rest with more skin showing. She is portrayed as the epitome of stereotyped ghetto blackness- sexually confident (perhaps aggressive) in skimpy clothing. Unlike Aguilera, who is protected by her whiteness so that the audience distinguishes her character in the video from reality, Lil' Kim's representation becomes not only who she is, but who all urban Black woman are.

In the scenes where Christina uses the hose on the men, it is a symbolic power move where the hose plays the role of the penis. It should be noted, however, that Aguilera continues to be the one to take action against the men, as afforded by her stardom but also her role within the racial hierarchy. Someone else gets the hose only when she finally steps away. The video is ending and she gets to leave the ghetto, but the representations of Latino/a and Black women/men does not get to leave.

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In contrast, Lil Nas X's "INDUSTRY BABY" provides an opportunity to focus less on images than that of discourse. Simply by Lil Nas X existing and making this video there is the relaying of a unique voice and perspective that is typically sidelined. Additionally, Lil Nas X's intersection of identity is never forgotten since it is intrinsically tied together that he is black and gay.

What makes this important representation (not a 'positive image') isn't that what is displays is some kind of authenticity, but rather the prompting of discourse it provides [8]. It fights stereotypes through subversion or even nodding to them, causing the audience to reckon with the naturalization of the original stereotypes. This can be seen by setting the video in prison. Clearly, what is shown in the video is not the reality of prison (such as the costumes), but it takes what is the reality combined with assumption to create subversion.

Lil Nas X takes what is expected to be a very masculine place and is able to portray it as a queer place of joy and camadarie. Usually, when there is queerness in prison it is assumed to be an act of violence that enforces heteronormativity. The isolation of the prison as well as the criminality of prisoners supposedly drives them to homosexuality. Meanwhile, there is also the obvious visual fact that Lil Nas X and many of his companions in the video are Black. The violence (particularly sexual) that is characteristic of Black caricatures comes to forefront in the prison. If the Black men were bad in the ghetto they will be terrible in prison.

There is the complex intersectionality of multiple caricatures- the violent man in prison who resorts to homosexuality, the violent black man in prison who resorts to homosexuality, and the gay black man- who is supposedly feminine and meant (in a prison setting like this) to be dominated.

Stuart Hall talks about the potential trap of black pop culture, which often packages commodified stereotypes as "the arena where [they] find who [they] really are" since "it is only through the way in which [they] represent and imagine [themselves] that [they] come to know how they are constituted and who [they] are" [9]. It is difficult for a black man to overcome pop culture's image of him by over-attributing lived experience as a homogenous representation [10].

Yet Lil Nas X has always had to face his own personal rupture of the masculine identity of the black man because of the feminine identity of the gay man. It is this rupture that makes him a unique voice to listen to as he is not as trapped by the constraints of the dominant hegemonic view because of how it particularly carved out the identity (and exclusion) of the black gay man. He does not have to be made aware of the positionalities because he has always resided within a precarious intersection.

The prison can be seen as a metaphor for the very masculine world of hip hop that Lil Nas X inhibits- which matches the lyrics of his song which condemn those who sun him or believe that he can't make it in the industry because of his identity (adding the queerness on top of the hip-hop accepted blackness).

From 0:36; This scene takes a particular setting that refers to the sexual violence of prison and turns it into a performative stage of dance, a use of the body which Hall says is "the only cultural capital we had".

While many of the background dancers in scenes are black, they are not put into the background because of Lil Nas X's own identity as a black queer man. There is no inherent power dynamic besides that of Lil Nas X being the singer. The racial positionally and dominance of Aguilera's video is not present here [11].

There is perhaps the question of the misrepresentation of women because of the lack of women except for one scene where Jack Harlow seduces a warden. Shohat and Stam mention how Do the Right Thing runs into a similar representational issue with its absence of a feminist voice [12]. Hall notes the importance of diverse voice because of the impossibility of the homogenity or universality to any discourse. Since the video is such a analysis of masculinity, women have no place except to establish Jack Harlow's (assumed) powerful positon of a white heterosexual male. This is then subverted when it is Lil Nas X who electrocutes Harlow on the chair, as, in reality, the amount of black men sentenced to death is larger than others.

Question:

What does the video say about performative gender? Is there an intersection between performative gender and performative racial stereotypes? Or is there more of a social economic basis for the latter?

At 1:52; The sequence where a security guard is watching Lil Nas X's "Montero" video (which he is sent to this jail in this video for) right before Lil Nas X knocks him out plays with the idea of media consumption and commodification of the black rapper. It is very important this guard is white, because his dominant positon (as a white male and as the prison guard) allows him to look down upon Lil Nas X while also using him for enjoyment. To this guard (and to many audiences) the black (gay) man is a source of entertainment or a threat.

Overall, the "INDUSTRY BABY" does a better job with representation, not because it conforms to positive images that are palatable to mainstream moral conscious, but because of Lil Nas X's identity and how the video stays true to the intersection of his identity rather than trying to commodify certain stereotypes (especially ones that aren't true to him).

QUESTION:

What is the responsibility creators from dominant cultural positions of power have when promoting or working with people within marginalized groups?

Citations

[1] Edward Said, "Knowing the Oriental", in Orientalism (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1978), 34.

[2] Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, "Stereotype, Realism and the Struggle Over Representation", in Unthinking Eurocentrism (London: Routledge, 1994), 188.

[3] Stuart Hall, "What is this 'black' in black popular culture?", in Critical Dialogues in Cultural Studies (London: Routledge, 1996), 470.

[4] Shohat and Stam, 195.

[5] Shohat and Stam, 208.

[6] Shohat and Stam, 189.

[7] Shohat and Stam, 196.

[8] Shohat and Stam, 214, 215.

[9] Hall, 476, 477.

[10] ibid.

[11] Hall, 471.

[12] Shohat and Stam, 214.

#oxyvisualanalysis #discussionleader #@theuncannyprofessoro #Youtube

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butch-bakugo · 1 year

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See here's the thing. Republicans will do anything to stay in power, anything. Even if it's unconstitutional, even if it goes against their white christian view of God, even if it's objectively morally wrong, even if it includes pedophiles that fit their demographic, even if it's illegal. Republicans. Will. Do. Anything.

If only white cis men in this country voted, republicans would win every single race they ever ran. Every single one. Because their policies and their ideals only benefit white cis men. If only white cis women in this country voted, democrats would win every time. Every single race. If only black cis men voted, it'd be up in the air but democrats would win the majority. If only black cis women voted, democrats would win every time. Ask any other race based cis demographic of men vs woman, democrats would win. Asian, Latino, native, all of it. Every non-white race votes overwhelmingly democrat. Women vote overwhelmingly democrat.

Why do you think republicans don't want women and poc to vote? It's not just the racism or the misogyny. It's because they know that our voices are the thing keeping them from their dictatorial fascist theocracy. We are the ones keeping the democracy/representative republic of America alive. Why do you think there was groups of Republicans talking about raising the voting age to 21? Because all the 18-20 yr old are why the republican party is dieing. We, the gen z and the millinials are one of the first generations in American history to not turn conservative once we get older. Gen x, gen y and baby boomers all became conservative the older they got but not millianials and definitely not gen z. Conservatives are losing their minds because their ideology is dieing the long it exists because as many "born during the wrong time 😡" gen z conservatives wanna push some shit, they are nothing compared to the rest of us.

18-26 is the largest voter bracket and the most likely to vote. They are overwhelmingly liberal. 50-70 is the most conservative and also the smallest and least likely to vote. Ik I hate those "don't like the issue? Go vote!" Hollow ass statements cause voting won't change much but it is a consistent and repetitive act of protest that you won't sit quietly and your willing to do what you need to drown out the bigots. It's a number to show that you are there and that number scares the shit, piss and organs out of conservatives. Keep voteing. Do not go quiet. Do not rest. Keep voteing.

#levi speaks

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datecw145 · 2 years

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planettnibiruu · 2 years

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Dia x Black!Mc.. cute cultural exchange and hair fluff 👀

Okay so he thinks it's so interesting. He's already open and excited about general human world things, but when you tell him about your heritage he can't stop asking questions.

He loves hearing about the fashion and the history of your hair styles. He thinks all the bright colours and patterns are beautiful, he even encourages you to wear them when he throws balls at his castle.

And don't get him started on your hair. He never touches it without consent but you can tell whenever you're around he's constantly admiring you.

If you feel too lazy on wash day or get tired, dia is your knight in shining armor. He's done all his own research, he'll wash your hair and leave it perfectly mostirised and detangled. He always uses the perfect amount of product and the massage he gives your scalp when he applies oil is just- *muah*.

Hell ask if you can do any braids on his hair, and while box braids or cornrows will cause it all to fall out, plats are perfect for him. Any plats you tie in his hair will be there forever or atleast until barb forces him to take them out.

He! Wants! To! Try! All! The! Food! From modern and more African-American foods to traditional food he wants it all. Tell him the history from it, teach him how to make it! This is your grams recipe? How wonderful, she's an excellent cook! He doesn't care what it's made of, he has no prejudice of bias, food is food, and lord the food you make is good.

Once you tell him about black history month, he loses his mind. Now every year there's a huge ball at the start of the month. It's a fund-raiser, and he asks your help in choosing a charity you think will help the most people. The ball includes all your favourite cultural food and drinks, your favorite music and dia even takes the time to set up a little info booth too.

Following the last hc, during black history month he makes a point that more black people are being featured in the public eye. Magazines and billboards are plastered with black singers and actors. Book shops and library's display book all written by black men and women, and the radio plays music all by black artists.

A/n I'm from australia, and a very white part if it, and while I am latino/aboriginal I'm not black. So if I got anything wrong or said anything offensive please let me know!! Thanks!!

#obey me shall we date #obey me x reader #diavolo x reader #obey me diavolo

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phoenixlionme · 3 years

Text

DC/Marvel Biracial Heroes

1. Kyle Rayner aka Green Lantern - half Irish and half Mexican

2. Keli Quintela aka Teen Lantern - Afro-Indigenous Bolivian

3. Ya’Wara - Indigenous Brazilian Tapirape

4. Arthur Curry aka Aquamn - in the DCEU and some recent adaptations; half White and half Polynesian

5. Koryak - eldest son and child of Aquaman; in original he was half white and half Inuit, but with the recent racebend of Arthur, Koryak would now be of white, Polynesian, and Inuit heritage

6. Yara Flor aka Wonder Woman - Afro-Indigenous Brazilian

7. Selina Kyle aka Catwoman - Afro Cuban; given her mother has been played by both black and white women and she states of being Cuban in the comics, I see her as Afro Cuban

8. Helena Wayne aka Robin VI aka Batwoman II - daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. Half White and half Afro Cuban

9. Damian Wayne aka Robin - half White and half Arabian Chinese

10. Rose Wilson aka Ravager - half Hmong and half White

11. Connor Hawke aka Green Arrow II - he is of mixed Black, Cambodian and White heritage

12. Lian Nguyen-Harper aka Red Riding Hood - half Vietnamese and half White

13. Jade Crock aka Cheshire - I like the idea of her reforming, she was my personal fav anti-villain in the animated YJ series; half Vietnamese and half White

14. Artemis Crock aka Huntress - half Vietnamese and half White

15. Emiko Queen aka Red Arrow II - half Japanese and half White

16. Cassandra Cain aka Batgirl - half Chinese (although her Asian heritage is often debated), and half White

17. Irey West aka Impulse - half Korean and half White

18. Jai West - half Korean and half White

19. Jenni Ognats aka XS - half Black and half White

20. Maya Ducard aka Nobody II - Afro Latina

21. Hero Cruz - Afro Latino

22. Marisol Rios De La Luz aka La Borinqueña - Afro Puerto Rican

23. Julia Pennyworth - she is biracial but it’s unknown what the race of her mother is. In a previous post, I stated I saw her as half Black but now I see her as half Afro Latina and half White.

24. Alinta aka Bolt - from Teen Titans Academy; she appears to be Black and it’s confirmed she is from Australia, so I see her as a Australian Aboriginal

25. Anita Fite aka Empress - Afro Haitian

26. Uno aka Aztek I - Nahua Mexican

27. Nayeli Constant aka Aztek II - Nahua Mexican

28. Val Armorr aka Karate Kid - half Japanese and half White

29. Wallace West aka Kid Flash II - half Black and half White

30. Keshena Carpentier aka Timber - half Menominee but I’m not sure of the other half

31. Tesla Strong - half Black and half White

32. Tiana Toomes aka Starlin - half Black and half White

33. Traci Thirteen aka Traci 13 - Her Asian nationality is unknown and often debated. In my opinion, I make her half Filipina and half Thai. Since there aren’t a lot of Southeast Asian superheroes

34. Olive Silverlock - from Gotham Academy; her ethnicity is unknown but she is POC given her dark skin. She might also be albino. For me, I think she is a POC albino, most likely of Arabian descent. She may also be biracial.

35. Renee Montoya aka The Question II - Afro Puerto Rican

MARVEL

1. Danielle Cage aka Captain America - half white and half black

2. America Chavez aka Miss America - Afro Puerto Rican Caribbean

3. Miles Morales aka Spider Man - half black and half Puerto Rican

4. Sam Alexander aka Nova - half Mexican and half white

5. Daken Akihiro aka Wolverine - half Japanese and half white

6. Laura Kinney aka X-23 aka Wolverine - following from her original appearance where she had notable dark skin in X-Men Evolutions. It was never confirmed but I believe her “mother” was Afro Latina. So, Laura would be half Afro Latina and half white

7. Maya Lopez aka Echo - half Hispanic and half Native Cheyenne

8. Eden Fesi aka Manifold - Black Australian Aboriginal

9. Lucas Bishop - Black Australian Aboriginal

10. Gloria Dolores Muñoz aka Risque - half Seminole and half Cuban

11. Maria De Guadalupe “Lupe” Santiago aka Silverclaw - Hispanic nationality unknown but lives in a fictional Hispanic island or country and is an Indigenous member

12. Aliyah Bishop - Black Australian Aboriginal

13. Narya aka Snowbird - half Inuit and possibly half White

14. Lucy Rand - daughter of Danny Rand and Misty Knight; half Black and half White; since I would racebend Danny as Tibetan American, that would make her half Tibetan and half Black

12. Silhouette Chord aka Silhouette - half Black and half Cambodian

13. Kei Kawade aka Kid Kaiju - half Japanese and half white

14. Jeannine Sauvage aka Guillotine - Afro Arabian, from my personal opinion and the info about character

15. Daisy Johnson aka Quake - half Chinese and half white American

16. Katy Chen - from the MCU; I’m following the same heritage as her actress; half Chinese and half Korean

17. Colleen Wing - half Chinese and half Japanese

18. Victor Alvarez aka Power Man - Afro Dominican

19. Cecilia Reyes - Afro Puerto Rican

20. Roberto da Costa aka Sunspot - Afro Brazilian

21. Nezhno Abidemi aka Gentle - half Black (Wakandan) and half White (Russian)

22. Thunderstorm - daughter of Thor and Ororo Munroe/Storm; half White and half Black (Kenyan)

23. Neena Thurman aka Domino - half Black and half White

24. Kiyoshi Morales aka Captain America - half Japanese and half Hispanic

25. Nathaniel Carver aka Hindsight - half Korean and half White

26. Peni Parker aka SP//DR - half Japanese and half White

27. Selah Burke aka Sun Girl - half Black and half White

28. Anya Corazon aka Arana - half Mexican and half Puerto Rican

29. Angel Salvadore aka Tempest - Afro-Latina

30. Nina the Conjuror - Brazilian, given her dark skintone, she might be Afro-Brazilian

31. Ellie Camacho - half white and half Hispanic

Please list any more if you don’t see any on the list. Be respectful with the comments.

#dc #marvel #lists #biracial supers #poc supers #my posts #super info #biracialexcellence

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dykevillanelle · 2 years

Text

savannah "dykevillanelle"'s 2021 reading list

books read: 86 pages read: 26,910

top 5: 1 (best). Gideon the Ninth / Harrow the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir) 2. Lolita in the Afterlife (edited by Jenny Minton Quiqley) 3. Carceral Capitalism (Jackie Wang) 4. Detransition, Baby (Torrey Peters) 5. Plain Bad Heroines (Emily M. Danforth)

bottom 5: 1. The Other Woman (Sandie Jones) 2. Meddling Kids (Edgar Cantero) 3. Haunted (Chuck Palahniuk) 4. Come With Me (Helen Schulman) 5 (worst). The Mask of Sanity (Hervey M. Cleckley)

full list and my ratings under the cut:

Plain Bad Heroines (Emily M. Danforth) ★★★★★

The Honey Month (Amal El-Mohtar) ★★★★★

Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (Ibram X. Kendi) ★★★★

Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity (C. Riley Snorton) ★★★★★

The Milk Lady of Bangalore: Adventures With My Milk Lady (Shoba Narayan) ★★★

Mules and Men (Zora Neale Hurston) ★★★

Ring Shout (P. Djèlí Clark) ★★★★★

The Friend (Sigrid Nunez) ★★★★★

The Body is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love (Sonya Renee Taylor) ★★★★

Meddling Kids (Edgar Cantero) ★★

Fade Into You (Nikki Darling) ★★

Queer Brown Voices: Personal Narratives of LGBT Latino/a Activism (edited by Salvador Vidal-Ortiz, Uriel Quesada, & Letitia Gomez) ★★★

The Fifth Season (N.K. Jemisin) ★★★★★

Her Body and Other Parties (Carmen Maria Machado) ★★★★★

Clock Dance (Anne Tyler) ★★★

The Other Woman (Sandie Jones) ★★

The Obelisk Gate (N.K. Jemisin) ★★★★

The Windfall (Diksha Basu) ★★★

The Freezer Door (Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore) ★★★★

Carceral Capitalism (Jackie Wang) ★★★★★

Watchmen (Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons) ★★★★

Lolita in the Afterlife (edited by Jenny Minton Quiqley) ★★★★★

The Stone Sky (N.K. Jemisin) ★★★★

The Mask of Sanity (Hervey M. Cleckley) ★

Grand Union (Zadie Smith) ★★★

In West Mills (De'shawn Charles Winslow) ★★★

The Farm (Joanne Ramos) ★★★★★

Jane: A Murder (Maggie Nelson) ★★★★

Inside This Place, Not Of It: Narratives from Women’s Prisons (edited by Ayelet Waldman & Robin Levi) ★★★★

Live Through This: On Creativity and Self-Destruction (edited by Sabrina Chap) ★★★★

Other Voices, Other Rooms (Truman Capote) ★★★★★

Moses, Man of the Mountain (Zora Neale Hurston) ★★★

The Weight of Ink (Rachel Kadish) ★★★★★

Two or Three Things I Know For Sure (Dorothy Allison) ★★★★

Clean and White: A History of Environmental Racism in the United States (Carl A. Zimring) ★★★★

The Grass Harp and Other Stories (Truman Capote) ★★★★

Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case (Debbie Nathan) ★★★★

Without a Net: The Female Experience Growing Up Working Class (Michelle Tea) ★★★★

The Devil Finds Work (James Baldwin) ★★★★

Seed Sovereignty, Food Security: Women in the Vanguard of the Fight Against GMOs and Corporate Agriculture (edited by Vandana Shiva) ★★★

Women, Race, & Class (Angela Y. Davis) ★★★★★

Mermaid in Chelsea Creek (Michelle Tea) ★★★★★

Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present (Harriet A. Washington) ★★★★★

Freshwater (Akwaeke Emezi) ★★★★★

Summer Crossing (Truman Capote) ★★★

The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom (Carey Pietsch, Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy) ★★★★★

Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” (Zora Neale Hurston) ★★★

Women, Culture & Politics (Angela Y. Davis) ★★★★

Superior: The Return of Race Science (Angela Saini) ★★★★★

In Cold Blood (Truman Capote) ★★★

The Keeper of Lost Things (Ruth Hogan) ★★★★

The Chosen and the Beautiful (Nghi Vo) ★★★★★

Mexican Gothic (Silvia Moreno-Garcia) ★★★★

On the Come Up (Angie Thomas) ★★★

Capitalism: A Ghost Story (Arundhati Roy) ★★★★

Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday (Angela Y. Davis) ★★★★

The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Pictures (Noelle Stevenson) ★★★★

The Travelers (Regina Porter) ★★

Mister Impossible (Maggie Stiefvater) ★★

Honey Girl (Morgan Rogers) ★★★★

The Daylight Gate (Jeanette Winterson) ★★

Women in the Qur'an: An Emancipatory Reading (Asma Lamrabet) ★★★

Music for Chameleons (Truman Capote) ★★★★

Abolition Democracy: Beyond Empire, Prisons, and Torture (Angela Y. Davis) ★★★★★

Trans Love: An Anthology of Transgender and Non-Binary Voices (edited by Freiya Benson) ★★★★

The Left Hand of Darkness (Ursula K. Le Guin) ★★★★

Black Women and Popular Culture: The Conversation Continues (edited by Adria Y. Goldman et. al.) ★★★

The Meaning of Freedom: And Other Difficult Dialogues (Angela Y. Davis) ★★★★

Inside the Cell: The Dark Side of Forensic DNA (Erin E. Murphy) ★★★★

Detransition, Baby (Torrey Peters) ★★★★★

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me (Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O'Connell) ★★★★★

The Magicians (Lev Grossman) ★★★

decolonizing trans/gender 101 (b. binoahan) ★★★★★

Gideon the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir) ★★★★★

Harrow the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir) ★★★★★

Come With Me (Helen Schulman) ★★

Geek Love (Katherine Dunn) ★★★

The House That Race Built: Original Essay by Toni Morrison, Angela Y. Davis, Cornel West, and Others on Black Americans and Politics in America Today (edited by Wahneema Lubiano)

The Only Good Indians (Stephen Graham Jones) ★★★

Too Brief a Treat: The Letters of Truman Capote (Truman Capote, Gerald Clark) ★★★★

The Call (Peadar O'Guilín) ★★★★★

An Untamed State (Roxane Gay) ★★★★

Haunted (Chuck Palahniuk) ★★

Anger is a Gift (Mark Oshiro) ★★

Ayiti (Roxane Gay) ★★★★★

Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive (Kristen J. Sollee) ★★

#bookblr #books #angel.txt

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mrsalwayswrite · 4 years

Text

This Night (40s!Bucky Barnes x Hispanic!OFC)

Summary: When she saved a scrawny blond in a back alley, she would never have anticipated the ripple effects it would have. Nor how meeting someone with a pair of baby blue eyes and cocky smirk would draw her in, encouraging her that for one night, to taste revelry like she never had before.

This is my submission for @allaboardthereadingrailroad Marvel Diversity Challenge! My prompt was “a little danger never hurt”.

I am going to admit, I’m super nervous to post this. I’ve never written a person of color before and would be horrified to accidently offend someone. That being said, I also had so much fun writing this piece. I adore 40s Bucky and Steve, so I was excited to finally have the inspiration to write them.

Few notes:

-All translations are via google and what I can remember from university (if any of my Spanish is wrong, please please please someone tell me and i’ll correct it!)

-I threw in some 40s slang for fun, so that will be in italics.

-In the little research I did (again, someone please correct me if I am wrong), in the 40s there were not many Hispanic or Latino people living in NYC yet. So for my OFC and her family, they would very much stand out.

Warnings: a few swear words, some angst, sexual tension, topic of racial discrimination and inequality

Words: 8k (the story kept growing, i’m so sorry)

She clutched the parcel to her chest, trying to avoid the muddy puddles on the sidewalk. Mr. Hendricks would be furious with her if she got any mud on the packaging of the parcel. He always said it reflected his reputation.

Weaving through those walking down the busy Brooklyn sidewalk, she could feel the few glares and inaudible comments following in her wake. She tried to ignore it, knowing was not the first nor last time others judged her for her different skin tone. Though she doubted she would ever get used to it. One of her older brothers would try and cheer her up saying the white folks were jealous since they burned when in the sun too long while Spaniards became more beautiful. Without fail, she would smack him but end up laughing along.

Peeking at the address scrawled in precise handwriting, she surveyed the street names around. A sinking feeling in her gut confirmed her fear- she had somehow gotten lost.

“Mierda.” She hissed, turning around in a circle. Not just to try and relocate her whereabouts but on the off chance her mother happened to be behind her to whack her over the head for swearing.

Not wanting to be run over by a fellow pedestrian, she stepped off the sidewalk into an alley nearby while she tried to get her bearings. She brushed down the front of her workwear, dark blue, princess style dress with its Peter Pan collar, double pockets and pleated skirt. A glance at her tights showed a couple spots of mud she somehow managed to still get on her even though her kitten heels were still mostly clean. A miracle really.

It was only mid-afternoon but Mr. Hendricks hated when she returned late from delivering parcels. He was the best tailor in Brooklyn and practically thrived off that title. He employed her to help keep things organized, the shop looking nice and delivering parcels to their patrons. It was mindless work but that did not bother her. It was a job...and she was lucky to have one. Being from one of the few Hispanic families in the area was not a perk when trying to find work. She knew the only reason she even got this job was she willingly took half the pay he would have given to anyone else, she could sew well, and she was pretty.

A crash at the end of the alley drew her attention behind her. There was some hushed talking followed by another sound of something hitting the ground. Hard.

Logically, she knew she should walk away. She was already lost. Her mother frequently reminded her to not involve herself in other people's business, it would only get her in trouble. The problem was her curiosity was a near palpable thing, driving her forward, along with her independent streak the size of the Upper Bay. So when she heard what sounded like a smack and another crash, her feet started moving without a second thought.

She darted around a half brick wall to find herself at an "L" intersection. And at the end of both alleys, stood a tall man with a face like a bulldog and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, fists at his side. Below him lay a much smaller, blond man who was sprawled out on the dirty ground. The smaller man groaned, rubbing a hand on his jaw. He rolled onto his side, then slowly and painfully rose back onto his feet, his own fists in front of him in a poor imitation of a boxer.

"You think you somethin' special, huh?" The larger man jeered, a nasty smirk on his face. He leaned on his back foot, preparing to throw another punch.

The smaller man raised his fists but made no other move, prepared to take the hit and most likely go back down.

So, she decided to do something stupid.

"BILL!!" She cried out, her voice echoing off the brick walls of the alleys.

Both men froze, turning to look at her.

Tucking the parcel under her arm, she jogged over to the smaller man, uncaring now of the muddy puddles. "There you are, Bill. I've been so worried. You promised to show me where Mrs. Wilcox lives. I tried to find her myself but I got so lost." Ignoring the quizzical look from the blond man, she stood between the two men, meeting the eyes of the larger one. She twirled a strand of her long, black hair around her finger, nerves getting to her but she pressed on. "I'm so sorry for whatever trouble he has caused you. He won't bother you again. We have to go now; our boss will dock our wages if we aren't back soon."

The man trailed his eyes over her as if looking for a lie tattooed on her skin or dress. Finding nothing of interest, he stared hard at his victim for a long moment. She found herself holding her breath, silently praying her ruse worked.

Finally, he rolled his shoulders and unclenched his fists, his thick jowls still tense. "Keep ‘im away from me or next time his ass will end up in the hospital."

Slowly, she released her breath as she watched the bulldog of a man turn on his heel and stomp away, back down the alley and onto the main sidewalk.

"Are you hurt?" She asked, looking over the smaller man. As he dusted off his brown trousers and tan jacket, she was surprised to realize he stood about her height, and probably about her age, in the young twenties. If her guessing was any good.

He rubbed his jaw again and winced where an impressive bruise was already growing. "I've had worse."

She could not help but smile at his nonchalance. His bright blue eyes met her own honey brown. A timid smile echoed hers, his face so open and expressive. Something about the man she found endearing already. Maybe defending him was not such a stupid action.

"All that stuff you said, about lookin' for me and gettin' lost…"

She huffed a laugh. "I am actually lost. I'm trying to find this address here." She showed him the scrap of paper with the address scribbled on it.

It took only a glance before he handed the paper back with a smile. "You're not too far. Only three streets away….I... I can take you there if you like."

"Oh, I'd hate to impose on you."

"No, it's really fine. Seems you saved me from...well…" He shrugged, sticking his hands in the pockets of his tan jacket.

"And... you...don't mind, you know, being seen with me?"

"No, why?" Eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed slightly, he stared at her like that was the strangest question.

It was in that moment she knew, whoever this scrawny man was- he was a good man. The difference in their ethnicity made no difference to him. He was a rarity in her experience with most New Yorkers.

Even though it was 1940 and this was supposed to be a land of equal opportunity.

It was not.

With a shrug and momentarily, awkward silence as they both thought about their own answers to his question, they fell into step with one another as they headed back out of the alley.

"So, what's your name? Or is it actually Bill?" She spoke up once they hit the sidewalk.

"Do I look like a Bill?"

She squinted her eyes then shook her head giggling. "No, you don't."

"It's Steve…. Steve Rogers."

"It's nice to meet you, Steve."

He directed them down another street. Their shoulders brushed occasionally as they walked, due more to their need to maneuver around puddles and other pedestrians than any sense of intimacy. "You gonna tell me your name or do I have to make one up for you?"

"Oh! Sorry. It's Elana Morales-Díaz. So, what caused the fight?"

The tips of his ears and cheeks turned pink as he ducked his head. "He, um, we...we had a disagreement."

"Obviously. I would hate to know you're friends and beat each other up for fun."

"My best friend is a boxer. He's tryin’ to teach me some moves…. does that count as beating each other up?"

She pretended to think about it. "I may let that one slide but it sounds like you might need some new friends."

"Yeah," he chuckled and peeked over at her. "Know of any openings?"

"I just might."

They stood at an intersection waiting to cross the street when they heard a shout from further down the road. Neither paid much attention initially until the shout repeated itself.

"STEVE!"

The blond looked down the road, a smile on his lips. He waved and tugged on Elana to move away from the curb. She followed along, surprised since he told her they needed to cross.

A man glided through the pedestrians easily, a few lingering looks thrown his way by some of the women. When he noticed her standing next to Steve, his eyes widened for a brief moment before a lazy smirk appeared on his face and his strut became more pronounced. With boxing gloves dangling over his shoulder, his white shirt and black trousers, he looked like he just walked out of a gym. Especially with the way his dark brown hair ruffled in the breeze, a few strands sticking up like he had run his hands through it a few times.

"I leave you for one afternoon and I come back to find you with the prettiest gal in all of New York."

Steve rolled his eyes. "You're always at the gym now."

The man put Steve in a teasing headlock. Only after a flirtatious wink at her, he released the smaller man. "So, you gonna introduce me to this wolfess, Steve?"

"Ah, right. Elana, this is my best friend, Bucky Barnes. Buck, this is Elana."

"Nice to meet you." She said, a small smile at their interactions. It reminded her of her brothers.

The man -Bucky- reached over and took her hand but instead of shaking it, pressed a kiss to her knuckles, maintaining eye contact the whole time. "Pleasure is mine."

Oh, he was a charmer. The kind her mother warned her about. Then again, her father had the same devilish charisma and Elana liked to remind her mother of that. To which her mother would laugh and say that's why she warned her daughter of those men, she knew from experience. With just a wink and kiss, she would fall madly in love, leave her home and give him five babies before she even knew it. It was always after this statement often said loudly and with feigned annoyance that Elana's father would wrap his arms around his wife, lovingly kiss her temple and remind her how long he had to chase her before she even agreed to go on a date with him.

"So how do you guys know each other?" Bucky asked, those blue eyes bouncing between the two of them.

Steve coughed, rubbing the back of his neck. It was then Bucky finally seemed to notice the slowly darkening bruise on Steve's jaw.

"Steve!" He grabbed his friend's face and glanced over him, concern etched in his movements and expression. "What happened this time, punk?"

"Nothin'...just a disagreement. I had 'im on the ropes."

He dropped his hand, running it through his brunet hair. "You gotta stop pickin’ fights, one of these days…" The implications hung heavily in the air.

"Ah, Steve…" When he looked over at her, she nodded toward the parcel still in her arms.

"Oh right! Sorry. Buck, I gotta take her to drop somethin' off."

Bucky shrugged. "Lead the way, punk."

"Jerk."

The three of them quickly crossed the street. Steve, and soon Bucky when he understood what was going on, pointed out markers for her in case she got lost again. In a short time, they arrived at the house, one of the nicer ones in Brooklyn. The boys waited on the sidewalk as Elana walked up to the front door and handed the parcel over with the man's tailored suit.

"Where you off to now, doll?" Bucky asked when she approached them.

"Oh, I need to get back to the shop. Mr. Hendricks will most likely be upset with how late I am anyway."

"The tailorin’ shop near Prospect Park?"

"Yeah." She played with a strand of her hair, trying to hide her nerves.

"What a coincidence. We were headed that way ourselves, right, Steve?"

"What?" Steve looked at Bucky, head tilted in confusion. Bucky cuffed him in the back of the head. "Oh, yeah. Yeah. Um, gonna take a nice walk in the park."

Elana could not help but giggle at the two. With Bucky looking skyward like he was silently praying for patience to deal with his best friend; meanwhile Steve rubbed the back of his head and glared at his best friend. Although she just met them and hardly knew them, she found herself enjoying their presence. Friends were not something she had in great supply...or any supply really.

Plus, if she was being honest with herself, she found her gaze drifting to the tall, charming brunet more times than she cared to admit. The butterflies in her stomach did not help the situation. She knew it was foolish. He was attractive and knew it. But when he turned those baby blues on her and winked, she could not help but be drawn to him, like a moth to the flame.

"How come we ain't seen you round before? I know I'd remember a dame as beautiful as you round Brooklyn." Bucky said on her left side while Steve walked on her right. Neither one crowded her space. Sometimes one would touch a hand to her back to direct her steps or hold her elbow when she jumped a puddle. It was sweet instead of condescending.

She shrugged. "I recently got the job at the tailor shop and I live in Queens."

They both winced making her laugh. She would never understand this animosity the boroughs had with each other.

"Well that explains a lot." Steve muttered.

"Hey!" She nudged the blond with her shoulder as she muttered. "Me gusta Queens. Ustedes dos están celosos."

"What language is that?" Steve asked, curiosity evident.

"Spanish."

"Is that why you have an accent?"

She nodded, unable to meet their gazes as she answered. "My family moved here from Spain when I was six." Although she had grown up here in New York City, gone to school just like the other kids, she still maintained a slight accent to her words, different from the stereotypical New Yorker's accent.

"Say somethin’ else." Bucky smiled down at her.

She laughed. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Anythin’."

"El cielo es azul. Me duelen los pies con estos tacones. Me he reído más con ustedes dos que en semanas".

Bucky had almost a dazed look on his face. "That's beautiful."

"You have no idea what I said."

"Doesn't matter." The brunet stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Steve can talk in Irish."

"Buck…"

"What?"

"I mean, a little." He rubbed the back of his neck. "My ma came from Ireland."

Bucky snorted. "You wrote a poem for a girl in the second grade in Irish and read it to her on the playground. I'd say that's more than a little."

Steve's face was red and jaw dropped as he stared at his friend. "How...how...how do you know that?" He sputtered. "We weren't even friends yet."

Bucky winked at Elana as he answered. "Gotta be friends with the right people."

The three of them walked back, talking and laughing. Well it was mostly the boys talking and teasing one another but she enjoyed just listening to their banter. Occasionally they would direct a question to her or she would throw out a remark that had them laughing.

She guided them to the back alley of the street front shops. Mr. Hendricks disliked her walking through the front unless she had her work apron on and clean shoes.

"Well thank you for helping me and walking me back."

"It's not a big deal." Steve said.

"We'll see you round, yeah? I'd hate to just meet a gorgeous dame like you then never see her again." Bucky threw a wink at her, adjusting the boxing gloves still over his shoulder.

She opened her mouth to tease them then stopped. She truly hoped this was not the last time she saw these two. In a spur of the moment decision, she stepped closer to say goodbye. She pressed her cheeks to Steve's first, giving the traditional cheek kiss. She did the same to Bucky, though she had to rise on her toes to reach his face, and she suspected he bent over slightly.

"Hasta luego, mis amigos."

"What was that, doll?"

She looked from Bucky's smirk to Steve's red face and back. "A traditional goodbye."

"Mmm…I could get used to that." The boxer teased, nudging his friend who refused to meet her eyes now.

She smiled and started to open the back door when Bucky's hand grabbed her forearm, stalling her movements.

"Hey, wait." Those baby blue eyes met her honey brown ones. "It's Friday night. We usually go to the Stork Club for drinks and dancin’. Come with us."

"Oh, I don't know…"

"Come on. It'll be great. If it helps, we'll pick you up from your house."

She could not help the laugh that slipped out at the thought. "You'd come to Queens... to get me?"

"It might break my heart to leave my beloved Brooklyn but I'd do it for you, doll."

"Honestly it'd be dangerous for you to come to my house."

"A little danger never hurt." He brushed some of her hair behind her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

He was trouble, complete trouble for her...and she knew it. But the longer he stared at her with those pleading eyes and hand now at the nape of her neck, she could feel her resolve crumbling. "I have three brothers and a protective father."

"They can't be that bad… Come on, please? Steve, help me out!"

Steve just laughed, raising his hands in surrender.

She bit the inside of her cheek thinking about it. Her brother Mateo owed her for when she covered for him when he almost got caught smoking cigarettes behind the apartment building. Tonight, her parents were supposed to visit her eldest brother and his new wife in the Bronx.

"Ok…" She whispered.

"Yeah?" A beaming grin spread over his face.

"Ok...I'll meet you there though."

"Yes!" Bucky bent over and kissed her cheek loudly. "You won't regret it! Nine o'clock!"

"Nueve. Estaré allí."

"I still don't know what you said, doll, but I love it."

She laughed, pushing him away from her. "Go! Before I'm even more late."

Before they were three steps away, she ducked inside the back of the shop. Hopefully she was able to slip in unnoticed. The shop should be closing soon so Mr. Hendricks would be in his little office room.

She leaned against the back door, hands pressed against her cheeks to will away the warmth in them. Thankfully with her brown skin, the blush would be harder to notice. As she stood there, the realization of what she just agreed to finally hit her. An icy fist landed in her gut, drowning the blush away. She had never been to a club before. She had no idea what to wear...or how to act. How was she even going to get there?

Underneath the fear though was a determination to go. Why couldn't she have fun for one night, like other young women she regularly saw and envied. Both of those Brooklyn boys seemed nice. Thinking about them brought the flush back to her skin, especially when she thought of the kiss on the cheek from Bucky. He was trouble and fun and charming and devilish and… and she wanted to spend more time with him. And Steve, the sweet, kind, funny guy that he was. She liked them both. But when thinking about those baby blue eyes, insufferable smirk and broad shoulders...her heartbeat sped up and butterflies erupted in her belly.

"Oh Dios, ¿qué voy a hacer?" She whispered to herself.

*****

Just after nine o'clock, Elana climbed out of the taxi. She stared up at the sign that brightly screamed ‘Stork Club’. So many people milled about, either walking into the club or chatting, waiting for others in their group. A couple people already looked like they had been hitting the bottles for some time, if the rambunctious yelling and obnoxious laughter said anything. The atmosphere was loud and vibrant with an air of debauchery...and she had not even stepped foot in the door.

"Oh Dios, ¿por qué estoy aquí? Estúpido. Tan estúpido. Debería irme. Ni siquiera se darán cuenta." She murmured to herself, her hands wringing the strap on her clutch. Actually, it was not even hers. She "borrowed" it from her mother's closet and prayed that she could return it before her mother noticed.

"Elana!"

At the call of her name, she turned around to see Bucky and Steve crossing the street, dodging a car that decided they were taking too long.

"You made it!" Bucky exclaimed, bubbling with excitement. He scanned her over, giving a low whistle. "Damn, doll, you look beautiful."

"Gracias." She smoothed down her floral-patterned tea dress that reached mid-calf, her kitten heels still on from earlier. Her raven hair hung loosely down her back, unstyled in the typical curls that most women wore. There had been no time to try one of those hair styles and not bring attention to herself before she snuck out. Just to make her even more self-conscious, the cherry red lipstick she wore felt heavy on her lips. Something she only wore on rare occasions. "You fellas clean up nicely."

Checking over them, they each wore nice suits. Though Steve's looked a size or two too large and the prominent bruise on his cheek ruined the look a bit. Bucky was practically sinful in his suit, showing off his broad shoulders and strong legs, his hair slicked back. Improper thoughts flooded her mind and a heat warmed her cheeks. She had a feeling she would need to go to confession tomorrow. That was tomorrow’s worry though, tonight was about fun.

"Ready to have the time of your life?" Bucky asked, excitement practically bubbled under his skin.

"That's a high standard."

"Guess I better not disappoint. C'mon!" He grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the crowded, open door. In her sudden fear, she reached back and snagged Steve's hand, dragging him along. She would never admit it but having both of them on either side of her made her feel better.

There were several different calls for Bucky, vying for his attention. He just waved or yelled something back but kept her hand in his, pulling them through. She noticed more than one disappointed female face when Bucky passed them. It churned something in her stomach which she tried to ignore.

When they finally entered the dance hall, she froze. It was nothing like she imagined and so much better. At the far end was a stage with a large band playing an upbeat song that made her bounce on her toes without realizing it. A large bar area was set up, packed with people already looking for something to wet their throats. Booths and tables lined the walls. Already the hardwood, dance floor looked packed with couples jiving. Mirrors and photographs hung on the walls making the place feel bigger even when it was so crowded. The air smelled of alcohol, sweat and a youthful zeal she had never experienced.

It was intoxicating and nerve-wracking. She could not wait to join in.

The next thing she noticed when she glanced at all the people...she was the only non-white person there.

"Let's get a table." Bucky tugged them along towards an open booth on the right side of the dance floor.

She slid in on one side while Steve scooted in on the other. Bucky stood at the end, grinning ear to ear as he seemed to quickly survey the place.

"Right." He tossed his suit jacket on the seat next to her then clapped his hands, the sound muffled by the volume from the band nearby. "What kinda drink would you like?"

"Ah, vino?"

He nodded and waltzed towards the bar, throwing an arm around the shoulder of one of the men standing there waiting.

She turned back to the blond. "You're not drinking?"

"Nah, too many health issues to make it worth it."

She hummed and took note of Steve's fidgeting. "Is this your first time too?"

He chuckled. "No. I just don't...well, this isn't where I'd prefer to be on a Friday night...but don't tell Bucky... though he probably knows."

"What would you rather be doing?"

"Drawin’ or paintin’, maybe playin’ cards but I'm terrible at them."

"You're an artist?" The realization warmed her heart. This scrawny man with a heart too big for his body and kindness an invisible cloak around him. It made sense somehow. He could look past the ugly and see beauty and somehow capture it.

"I don't know if I'd say that...I just enjoy it. It's usually what I end up doin’ when I come here. Doodlin’ on a napkin while Buck dances with every girl he can."

Her stomach dropped while hearing that, which was stupid. So stupid. She swallowed thickly, hoping Steve did not notice, before she spoke again to distract herself. "Well if you doodle something tonight, can I see it after?"

"If you like."

Bucky appeared a minute later with a foamy glass of beer and a glass of red wine. Carefully, he placed them both on the table. "Ready to cut a rug?" He asked, looking at her expectedly.

"Um, I don't...I've never danced like this before." She hesitantly admitted. Steve gave her a sympathetic smile like he understood.

"Don't matter. I bet you're a swell dancer." He held out his hand for her. When she did not immediately accept his hand, he wiggled his fingers. "C'mon, ain't that hard. I'll teach you."

With a sigh, she took his hand, his smile beaming as he tugged her out of the booth. She could not help but smile back at his sheer enthusiasm. It was contagious.

He led her off to the side of the dance floor. Putting one hand on her lower back and taking the other in his hand, he began demonstrating the steps. Her eyes stayed glued to his feet while he moved, willing her brain to understand and not make a fool of her.

"You got this, doll. Told you, you're a natural. Just follow my movement, let me lead."

So she did and before she knew it, they were flying around the dance floor.

Bucky was an amazing dancer and it showed in how he effortlessly led her. A couple times she stumbled or stepped on his toes but he would just grin and encourage her to keep going. The faces of those around them blurred. The music seemed to sink into her blood and with every beat of the drum or clap of the hands from the band, her heartbeat echoed it. It was intoxicating and she had not even had a sip of alcohol. Now she understood why people flocked to these dance halls. There was something freeing in them, losing yourself to the music and movements. For a short time, you could ignore the outside world and all its trials. Here, you could be free.

Eventually she begged a break, practically panting from the several songs they danced through. The brightness in her eyes and smile though showed how much fun she was having. Still holding hands, they weaved through the crowd back to their booth where Steve sat with a napkin in front of him, pencil in hand and eyes focused downward. She slid into the booth first, Bucky right behind her.

"Have fun?" Steve asked, eyes bouncing between the two before him.

"I can't breathe." She giggled out, hand pressed to her chest. Her lungs struggled to fill up properly but instead of installing fear into her, it only made her laugh.

Bucky took a long sip of his beer and slung his arm behind Elana, on the back of the booth. "Told you, you'd have fun. You're a great dancer."

"Only cause I had a great teacher." Taking a sip of her wine, she focused on the quiet artist. "Did you draw something, Steve?"

"Yeah, just a little sketch."

"Can I see it?"

He slid the napkin over to her, nerves obvious. Giving him a small, reassuring smile, she flipped the napkin over and felt her heart stop and jaw drop. The pencil sketch was of Bucky and her dancing. His mouth was next to her ear, whispering instructions or flirtatious comments, his hand on her lower back. Her gaze was on his chest but the brilliant smile on her lips gave her away. The sketch was so realistic, it was astounding. It completely captured Bucky's confidence and her nervousness but somehow the opposite emotions only added to the image, bringing a sense of balance and trust between the two dancing partners.

"Steve, esto es…. hermoso…. increíble." She breathed out, never taking her eyes off the napkin. When she finally looked up to see him blushing and fiddling with the pencil, she smiled.

Bucky had been leaning against her so he could see the sketch also. "That might be your best one yet, pal."

"Thanks, guys. S'nothing."

"May I keep it?" She softly asked, eyes tracing the delicate lines and shading.

The embarrassed blond flapped a hand at her. "Course. It was for you if you wanted it anyway."

Silently, she reached across and squeezed Steve's hand, unable to convey all the emotions she was feeling. "There's one thing you got wrong."

"What's that?"

"I'm not that pretty."

Both Steve and Bucky chuckled.

"Elana," Bucky started, gazing down at her. "He drew you like-"

"Bucky!" A silky voice interrupted. A young woman stood at the end of their booth. Her blonde hair in perfect curls, bright red lipstick matched the equally bright red dress she wore. Her eyes zeroed in on the handsome brunet at the table, ignoring the other two patrons like they were just wallpaper. "Wanna dance?"

The sun-kissed woman could feel Bucky's hesitation. Nudging him gently in the ribs, she nodded towards the interloper. "Go. Have fun. I still need to catch my breath."

With a nod, he slipped out of the booth and followed the beautiful woman onto the dance floor. The two easily fell into step like they had done this a million times, each movement flawless and smiles on both of their faces.

She turned back to Steve, ignoring the churning in her gut. "What's your favorite thing to draw?"

They talked for a few minutes about art classes he had taken and the few commissioned pieces he had done for local businesses. The passion he spoke with about art, hands flapping and eyes alight, it was impossible not to join in his enthusiasm.

The presence of someone standing at the end of the table drew their attention away from the quick sketch of a monkey Steve had drawn on another napkin. This young woman had a haughty expression on her otherwise pretty face, glaring down her nose at Elana.

"You shouldn't be here." She stated, venom lacing every word. Hands on her curvy hips, the gold stitching in her emerald dress catching the light from above.

"Ruby, we-"

"No one is talkin’ to you, Steve." She barked then continued glaring at Elana. "I bet you're a real floozy, comin’ in here lookin’ like that. Well news flash, no one wants you or your kind here."

Tears stung in Elana’s eyes, threatening to fall. She knew this would happen. It always happened. There was always someone to remind her she was not one of them, even if her own eyes could see it. She had hoped tonight would be different. That for once, she could fit in.

"I want her here. She's my date."

The lady -Ruby- spun on her heel so quick, her dress flared out. "Bucky," she crooned, her voice sugary-sweet, so different than a moment ago. "You're lookin' like a real Fred Astaire out there tonight. Let's go-"

Bucky did not even look her way as he slid back onto the bench, eyes focused on Elana. "You alright there, doll?"

She nodded numbly, staring at the table. Twirling a strand of hair absent-mindedly around her finger, she tried to force the tears from falling. It was not even the worst insult she had heard hurled at her, but it still cut her to the quick. Every time.

"Why don't we head out, yeah? Steve there looks like he's gettin' a little warm and the music ain't so good tonight." Bucky said gently.

She nodded again, not trusting herself to speak.

"Bucky, stay…" Ruby tried one last time but he leveled a glare at her that made her take a step back.

"Take a powder, Ruby, I ain't interested."

Bucky wrapped his hand around Elana's, entwining their fingers as he slid out of the booth with her right behind him. Without even a backwards glance, he led the three of them out of the dance hall. Elana kept her head down the whole time, unable to meet anyone's eyes for fear of what she would see.

The night air was blissfully cool after the heat of the dance hall. It kissed her skin as if trying to help calm her down. At this point, the street was not as busy, everyone mostly inside now. Only a few pedestrians and cars interrupted the quiet scene.

"Elana, I'm so sorry."

"Debería irme. No debería haber venido. Soy tan estúpida." She muttered to herself, not even hearing Bucky's statement. It was a foolish idea to come out. For so long she had tried to fit in, especially as a child. Her mother always told her to be herself and embrace her difference. That was easier said than done. Tonight felt like a taste of it when she was on the dance floor. What things could have been like if everyone was accepted. If where she was from did not matter. She had been so happy dancing with Bucky, this handsome devil who treated her like she was special, holding her hand in front of everyone. Sure, Steve said he danced with a lot of girls but for tonight, she was someone while on his arm. She was someone special.

And oh, did she love the feeling of his hand wrapped around hers. Him holding her close as they danced, his warm breath hitting her neck just right. He was trouble, through and through. Her mother would call him a Casanova and tell her to run the other way. Yet she did not want to. He drew something out of her. An almost recklessness. A desire for more. More in life. To experience life with a passion. Both this new feeling and Bucky’s presence were addicting...and she found herself unable to turn away. At least not for tonight. She wanted to revel in it tonight.

It was not until a hand cupped her cheek and tilted her head up to meet a pair of worried baby blue eyes that she was jolted from her internal spiral.

"Hey, hey. I have no idea what you're sayin' but it don't sound good. Why don't we walk for a bit, mmm? The night's still young."

Wordlessly, she followed. It was then she noticed Bucky was still holding her hand, palms flat against one another's. That realization drew a small smile on her lips. On her other side walked Steve, hands in his pockets but a genuine smile on his face when he caught her eye. Even after all this, these two Brooklyn boys wanted to be with her. With that in mind, she shoved her despair and pain away. Let tomorrow bring what worries that came with it. Tonight she wanted to be reckless without fear of the consequences. Tonight was supposed to be fun.

"Can't believe Ruby would say that. Always thought she was a nice dame." The brunet mused, slipping his suit jacket back on before taking Elana's hand once again.

"She only showed what she wanted you to see, Buck."

"Dance with a girl a couple times and she thinks you owe her or somethin'."

The blond quirked an eyebrow at his friend. "Was it only dancin'?"

"What you gettin' at, Rogers?"

"You ditched some other girl for her once before."

His head swiveled to stare at the smaller man in shock. "I did?"

Elana spoke up. "Sounds like you have quite the selection of dance partners to choose from."

Steve snorted. "Guy has been doll-dizzy since he was twelve."

"What can I say? I appreciate fine art." Bucky said with a self-satisfied grin.

"Don't usually lock lips with paintings or statues…"

"You know what, Rogers!"

Elana laughed as Bucky let go of her hand to race around her and put Steve in a headlock. The two pretended to box for a couple minutes, grins on both their faces. When finished, the champion boxer slid up to her, a rakish smile teasing his lips as he claimed her hand back.

"Well if those gals are fine art, you sweetheart, are a masterpiece." He twirled her around once, making her dress flare out around her legs. "Have I told you yet how beautiful you look tonight?"

"Yes, Bucky."

"Good, I'd hate for you to forget." He winked and the trio started walking again.

"Oh, here." Steve suddenly said, fishing something out of his pocket. He held out his hand almost shyly.

She took the offered item to see it was the napkin with the sketch on it. "Oh, Steve. Muchas gracias." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, leaving a red stain behind. "Oops."

"Here." Bucky tossed over a handkerchief to Steve.

She glanced at the napkin one more time before reverently placing it in her clutch. She already knew where she was going to put this in her room so she would always remember this night.

"Oh drat." Steve said after glancing at his watch. "It's almost eleven. I have class early tomorrow."

"Go on, punk. I'll look after her."

Elana hugged Steve and was thrilled when he squeezed her back just as tightly. "I'm so happy to have met you."

"This isn't goodbye, right?"

"I hope not. You have more artwork to show me."

He blushed yet nodded before giving Bucky a quick hug.

"Night, Steve."

"Night, jerk."

Together, they watched Steve walk down the sidewalk, wave back at them then disappear down the next street.

"Wanna keep walkin'?"

She nodded. She knew she should go home. It was getting late and she still had to get back to Queens. Yet walking side by side with this man whom she had only met several hours ago, she found the idea abhorrent. Glancing up at the night sky, only a couple of the stars were visible through the smoke, clouds and street lamps. They were lovely though, a reminder that there were greater things out there, one just had to look for them. At least, that is what her father always said.

"Hey," Bucky's voice pulled her attention back, "I never got to say it earlier but thanks...for havin’ Steve's back earlier today. Punk doesn't know when to quit."

"I'm glad he got in that fight...is that odd? If he didn't, I wouldn’t have met either one of you."

"Alright, this ONE time I'm glad he got in a fight. Though, we probably would have ran into each other eventually."

They walked in comfortable silence for a couple minutes. Two cars passed them separately and only a handful of people walked their way. Otherwise it almost felt like they were alone. It was peaceful, still holding hands and wandering the streets of Brooklyn.

"Y'know, I was kinda hopin' we'd get at least one slow song at the dance hall."

"Me too." She confessed.

"Well, we should!" An idea sparked in his eyes. "Wait here." He moved over to one of the parked cars near them. He tried to open it but it was locked so he moved to the next one. This one opened without hesitation and he slid in. The whole time Elana switched between watching Bucky and scanning the streets for someone to yell at them. What was he thinking? Suddenly music came on, drifting from the radio through the open passenger door.

Bucky stood there, leaning against the car with the biggest grin on his smug face. "Who needs a dance hall?"

She laughed, understanding what he had done. "We’re going to get in trouble."

"No, we ain't. C'mon."

"Oh, Dios mío, yes we are!"

"Dance with me." He cooed, standing before her looking like an Adonis.

With that lazy smirk and enthralling blue eyes staring down at her, refusal was not an option. The words died on her tongue as she stared up at him. The music was slow, a singer crooning about his love. The moment felt like something from a fairytale story her mother would tell her as a little girl. She knew she should go home. Stop this heat that seared through her when she found herself caught in his eyes. Stop the butterflies in her stomach when around him. Stop the way she melted under his touch, his hands always so gentle.

But she wanted this. Right now. To pretend this was her reality. To dance with her prince under the stars. That love did not care about the differences in their skin tones. For when the sun rose and this dream faded, reality would seep back in. Plus, he was a charmer. Doll-dizzy. She would not keep his attention past this night.

For now though, she could pretend. Enjoy the night in a way she never had before.

He placed her hands behind his neck and his on her hips. Standing there under the streetlight and distant starlight, they danced, swaying back and forth. Her head landed on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath it. So steady and soothing. The world faded away around them, the only things that mattered was their dancing and the music. It wrapped around them like a warm, thick blanket. Enveloping them in a sense of security and vitality. One of his hands slowly traced her spine leaving a trail of fire behind. His cheek pressed against the top of her head. She felt safe...and wanted. A heady feeling that she could sense herself beginning to crave even more. Her hand tangled in the hair, her fingers lightly scraping the back of his neck.

"Say something in Spanish." He whispered, his lips against her scalp.

"Gracias por esto ... todo esto. Ha sido la mejor noche de mi vida".

She looked back up at him, hoping to convey without words what she said. As she lifted her head up, their eyes locked. Tension filled the empty space around them, pulling them closer. For a split second, his eyes drifted to her lips and back up. Her heartbeat began racing anew. Slowly, as if waiting for her to turn away, his head tilted towards hers, his hands gripping her just a little tighter. His breath fanned across her face, warming her inside and out. She swore her heart was going to beat out of her chest. His nose brushed hers, an almost timid action that drew a smile from her. He chuckled silently then somehow pulled her even closer. She closed her eyes, a gasp escaping her when she felt the faintest touch of his lips on the corner of her mouth.

"Hey! Hey, you kids! What ya doin’ with my car?!"

All the tension evaporated like rain drops under the scorching sun.

"Shit...c'mon!" He grabbed her hand and started running away. Holding on tight, she ran next to him, as well as she could while wearing heels. The yells of the car's owner soon a distant sound behind them.

Finally, they stopped two streets later. He let go of her hand, running his hands through his hair and pacing. She leaned against the brick wall, hand over her mouth, giggles spilling forth between gasps of air. Never in her life had she done anything like this. She closed her eyes as the giggles turned into full-body laughter. One hand covered her mouth and the other wrapped around her own waist to try and contain the sound. This night was nothing like she expected but it only seemed to get better and better. This newfound revelry of youthful zeal, this silly recklessness...she wanted more and more of it.

When the laughter dissolved into small chuckles, she wiped her eyes as she opened them, hoping her make-up had not smudged too much. Not that she particularly cared in the moment.

What she saw standing before her killed the laughter on her tongue.

Bucky stood just at arm's length, staring at her like she was the stars in the heavens.

In a single step, he crowded her against the brick wall. "Elana…" he growled, voice low, and it might have been the most exhilarating sound she had ever heard. One of his hands cupped the back of her head, as he lowered his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, their lips just pressed together. A soft pressure that made her melt into his arms.

He leaned back to press his forehead against hers. His breath just as shaky as hers, both still breathing hard from their run.

"That was my first kiss." She blurted out, immediately regretting the words once they escaped.

He leaned back to look her in the eye. "Really?"

She shrugged nervously. "Not many fellas lining up to kiss a girl like me."

"Their loss, doll face." He smirked, running a thumb over her bottom lip. "May I have the honor of your second kiss ever?"

She giggled and nodded.

This time when their lips touched, it felt like more. The first was like licking the spoon used after mixing cookie dough. A taste of what was to come. The second kiss was eating warm cookies right out of the oven and practically ascending to heaven.

His lips slanted over hers perfectly, as if they were formed just for her. Their mouths moved in tandem, picking up speed. No longer were the kisses sweet and gentle. His tongue traced her bottom lip and she willingly opened her mouth to receive it like a present. These kisses were all-consuming and fiery. It was as if his touch seared into her soul, leaving an imprint there for all eternity.

She knew right away when she met Bucky Barnes, he was trouble. He was the kind of man her mother warned her about. The kind to sweep her off her feet and make her forget the world around her. He was kind, charming and so full of life. Yet she knew even as she was wrapped in his arms, lips pressed against his, that there was one truth that would haunt her. Even if she ignored it for now. That truth would never leave. So she overlooked it, sinking deeper and deeper into his kisses and embrace. Drowning herself in him. With her back pressed against the wall, her hands tangled in his hair and mouths devouring one another, she had never felt more alive.

Tonight, she would choose the fire he poured into her. Tonight, she wanted to enjoy life without fear. Tonight, she wanted to pretend that this night would never end. To thrive in this feeling of passion and life, that nothing could go wrong.

For the truth was one day, he was bound to break her heart.

#marveldiversitychallenge #marvel #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #Bucky Barnes #James Buchanan Bucky Barnes #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes x ofc #bucky/ofc #bucky fic #Steve Rogers #Hispanic!ofc #POC character #40s!steve #40s!bucky #40s!#1940s #mzwrites

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ryanmeft · 2 years

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Movie Review: The 355

There is a kind of person that likes to say “Go woke, go broke.” This reflects a delusional belief on their part that , the media produced by and about women, LGBT people and non-whites will fail. These persons are, we can all agree, ignorant, bigoted and, to look at the sales charts in various mediums, factually incorrect. There is another school of thought that says inserting women, LGBT people and non-whites into something will make it automatically better. Standing as proof against that is the action-spy film The 355.

I felt some smug satisfaction going into the movie, because I knew that the title referenced George Washington’s spy ring, which contained a female spy. I’d like to say I’ve done my research, but I really just read Y: The Last Man. It didn’t matter, though, because the movie has nothing to do with any of that. The plot involves a chip that can decode any encryption in the world, which smacks of that one time in Die Hard where the bad guys hacked all of the internets. After a bloody shootout, it is taken by a Colombian agent (Edgar Ramirez), who intends to sell it for less than it is worth just to get rid of it and shake the heat. The CIA assigns Jessica Chastain and fiance Sebastian Stan to go buy it, while the Germans send Diane Kruger to not buy it but get it anyway. Stan is killed off camera so you totally know he’s really dead wink wink nudge nudge, the Maguffin Chip ends up in the wind, and Lupita Nyong’o and Penelope Cruz are brought in to diversify the cast.

These characters have names and nationalities, but I don’t mention them because not once do they matter. The stock characters pulled from the backstage toy box are: tough-as-nails agent who hides her feelings because she has to, professional assassin who is distrustful and always doing the Standard Screenplay Approved-unexpected, the agent who left the field and doesn’t want back in but is in five minutes after being asked anyway, and the nerdy one who doesn’t know how to do any of this until the one crucial scene where she suddenly knows how to do all of it. If I shuffled these characters and their cultures around---if, for instance, I made the nerdy doctor a black British woman and the nailtough superagent vaguely Latino---you wouldn’t know the difference. The cast is international only to ensure as many boxes as possible are checked.

The main box the movie wants to check is to make the core cast of action heroes is all women, and even if we were watching the movie with a blindfold on, we would know it accomplishes this because it reminds us about every fifteen minutes. A few years ago I was sitting in front of an AMC in a boring shopping mall, complaining to someone or other about the lack of complex heroines in action movies. I knew it would not happen for a while. First, we had to get through the phase where we simply swap boring, one-note male action leads out for boring, one-note female ones, and The 355 is heroically offering to do that job for us, so that hopefully we may get it over with and get on with the task of making better female-led movies. There is a scene where Chastain’s boyfriend complains about her being too devoted to her job and one in which the assassin-ish character’s handler reminds her she is trying to atone for a father’s sins. We are treated to the data analyst breathlessly tapping random computer keys to do something or other to some program before it is too late. We get the scene where the hardened agent informs the nerd that she cannot go back to her family because they are in danger. There’s even a heist in an expensive auction. Everything’s out of action 101.

Despite the talent on display and the fact all these people are very easy to look at, the movie doesn’t even handle these cliches in a visually interesting way, with every scene sterile, and I have a hard time imagining how that could be. Director Simon Kinberg is a studio hand through-and-through, working as a writer or producer on numerous X-Men films, but he’s also been involved in the Cinderella remake, Murder on the Orient Express and the first Sherlock Holmes. Surely on those movies he learned much about how to frame a pretty action shot. Chastain has been fairly eager to stake the story idea as hers in interviews, yet it is hard to say how much control she exerted as a first-credited producer. Please note I’m not saying she or the other actors should have paraded around in revealing outfits, or that the movie needed such cheap tricks as more jump cuts or slow-motion. I’m not talking about that kind of visual allure. I’m saying it takes special dedication to ordinaryness to make a heist at a rich person’s auction look dull.

I’m not going to say my time with the movie offered me absolutely nothing worthwhile. By about the second half, I was in fact thinking at length about how good a movie of Washington’s actual spy ring could be, and by the credits I believe I had a few decently workable ideas, if anyone with a half million bucks laying about is interested in a screenplay. I gave some more thought to how perfect Sebastian Stan would be as Reese in a remake of The Terminator, and a little to how remarkable Jessica Chastain’s face bones are. I bet she could headbutt like crazy.

Verdict: Not Recommended

Note: I don’t use stars, but here are my possible verdicts.

Must-See

Highly Recommended

Recommended

Average

Not Recommended

Avoid like the Plague

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#jessica chastain #lupita nyong'o #diane kruger #penelope cruz #fan bingbing #edgar ramirez #sebastain stan #simon kinberg #movies #the 355 #x men #sherlock holmes