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chanandlersstuff · 1 year

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Game Night

Pairing: Dagger Squad x Bluebird (platonic)

Summary: Playing games with nine adults would seem as an easy and fun task, but it wasn't or it's dagger squad game night but it just ends up with everyone shouting over each other while Bob is trying to read the rule book out loud.

Word count: 2.009

Author’s note: It's insipire by @hangmanapologist post about game night, so thanks to her. Bluebird is the callsign for the character I created, I'm still developing her and her story. Sorry in advance for the misspellings English is my second lenguage.

Request are open, and you can ask me for more Bluebird x DaggerSquad. Thank you so much for reading, have a nice day.

Game night was a tradition that the Dagger squad tried to follow as much as Football game day. At first it started on the Hard Deck, playing pool and darts while betting money but after one day that Penny couldn't open the bar, they moved the game night to someone else's house. Each of them was in charge of bringing food, drinks and games. Whatever they wanted to consume that night. Extremely organized, just like the Navy taught them to be.

With each game night passing on the calendar, a new game was crossed from the list. First was Twister, because Payback sprained his ankle trying not to fall from the mix of tangled limbs and in the process he kicked Coyote’s hand and he sprained his pink; ring and middle finger. One would think that the best pilots the Navy could offer would have some kind of agility, like a cat, but no. So that game was off the list to prevent future injuries.

Second was Monopoly, Phoenix beat everyone assess and took all their fake money which ended in a two weeks roast from her part and the rest of the squad could not deal with a bragging Phoenix for far too long. Plus, the integrity of Banker Bob was compromised because Coyote was sure he and Phoenix were plotting or something like that. So it was taken out for the benefit of the group.

Third was Movie Charades, a game the squad could not play, which they had to learn the hard way, with Bluebird and Fanboy. The pair guessed all the movies before the two minutes that the game required were done, even when it wasn’t their turn. Then they tried to switch it to normal charades but it ended with Bluebird getting frustrated with Hangman, him laughing at her mad face and her accidentally throwing her pen at him. None of the squad let her live the pen accident down, to the point where they all docked down when she moved her hands frantically with a pen between her fingers.

Fourth was Life, it was a funny night full of drinks until it ended in absolute drama. Everything was laugh until the game ended with Mav retiring first with lots of money, three kids and a beautiful life while Bradley ended up alone, almost broke and made bad decision after bad decisions. Normally they would laugh but the problem was that Bradley was drunk, so he ended up ugly crying about it and the whole squad doing something like a therapy group. The drama continued because the whole group, who was beyond drunk at that point, ended up crying about how much they all like each other and how they became a beautiful, disfuncional, family. Mav, the only one sober, watched them all fall asleep in his living room and, as the responsabile father he is, he covered them with blankets and told them he loved all of them very much over a breakfast hangover proof he prepared. So yeah, Life was a game the squad was not mentally prepared to play in the near future.

Now it was a new game night day and the squad was all gathered in Bluebird’s house playing Uno, a game so chaotic it was a surprise it was still on the list. At first everything was funny, skipping here and there, changing colors, Phoenix taking care of Bluebird’s cards because she had to go peeing, Bob being the first one to win because he played in silence and patiently. A few rounds later Phoenix won and then Mav.

The tension started growing when Hangman kept skipping Rooster’s turn and giving Bluebird a free pass to win, plus the benefit of messing with Bradley. At some point the reverse card was thrown and now who couldn't play because someone kept skipping his turn was Jake thanks to Bradley. The blonde pilot was having a taste of his own medicine and he didn’t like it because the mustache man was rubbing it on his face. Slowly, after plenty of UNO shout at the ones who were nearly finishing, the rest of the group ended with no cards to the point the only ones playing were Rooster, Hangman and Bluebird, whose poor soul was so caught up with the idiocy of those two that she forgot her own game.

Every piece of sanity the pair had until that moment was thrown out the window the second Hangman laid a +4 with a winning face. “Draw four, Chicken.”

Rooster, who has only two cards, looked at him smugly and laughed. “No can do, Bagman.” And he laid a +2 with the rest of the cards.

Bluebird stretched her hand to take the six cards that she had to but a hand slapped hers away. “Aw, Jake.”

“Sorry, Birdy.” He smiled sweetly at her and then caressed her knuckles. "First of all, UNO!" Jake yelled. "You have to draw 6, Chicken, come on." He dropped Bluebird's hand and pushed the cards towards Bradley. "Second, stop cheating, Bradshaw, you know that that bulsshit you want to do is against the rules.”

“No it 's not.” Rooster turned to look at him. “You wanted me to draw four but I had a +2 so now Blue had to draw six, those are the rules. And the other two we can discuss it, but I was just going to say it before you yelled it like a mad man."

Hangman shook his head. “No, they are not. You have to draw four and your turn is skipped.” He grabbed two cards and handed them to him. "And you are going to draw those two, you didn't say UNO."

“Nah-ah.” Bradley shook his head.

“Yeah-ah.” Jake mimicked him, but he nodded instead of shaking his head.

“Guys, don’t worry I will draw six. Let’s forget this and keep playing.” Bluebird always trying to keep the peace between those two idiots.

Hangman stood up. “No way in hell, Birdy. I will not keep playing with a cheater.”

“Who are you calling a cheater, Seresin?” Rooster stood up too and they were face to face.

“No one, he was calling a cheater to no one.” Bluebird stood up between the two of them.

“You, Bradshaw. I was calling you a cheater.” The smirk on Jake’s lips was a clear example of how much he was enjoying messing with Bradley.

“Oh Crap.” Bluebird said under her breath. “GUYS, A LITTLE HELP HERE.”

The rest of the group walked back from the kitchen confused. But seeing the scene in front of them they all tried to cool down the situation. “Why don’t we play another game?” Payback looked at everyone with a smile on his face.

“Yeah, what about-”Coyote started saying when his friend from a long time cut him mid phare. “Hell no, not until Bradshaw here acknowledges he is a cheater.”

“No, I’m not!” Rooster said. “You are saying that because you want me to lose. Admit it.”

“I want to win-”

“Bullshit, you want Blue to win.” Rooster pointed at her and the rest of the group nodded discreetly.

Hangman chuckled, tilting his head back. “The idea it’s win fairly, not cheating like you.” Bluebird elbowed Jake in the ribs to stop, but he just laughed.

Phoenix shook her head at their antics. “Why don’t you tell us what happened and we decide who’s cheating-” Bradley opened his mouth but she held her finger high. “or not cheating.”

In a mix of words the pair tried to explain what was happening but they ended up listening to Bluebird’s part of the story. What seemed to be the end of the stupid fight was not it, not by a long shot. One by one they all started shouting what were the rules of Uno, what they can do and what they can not. Phoenix and Coyote sided with Jake. Payback and Fanboy sided with Rooster. Bob was reading the rules out loud on his phone, who no one was listening to, Bluebird was leaning against the wall eating because she was not going to take sides in something that silly and Mav was sitting; sharing food with Blue and laughing at all of them.

After what felt like hours, Bluebird’s head started to hurt. “I'm stopping this madness right now.”

Mav looked up to her and stretched his hand. “Be my guest, Blue.”

“PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE!” Her voice stopped the shouts but they all kept talking under their breaths. “WHO ARE YOU CALLING, HANGMAN?”

He had his phone near his ear, hand in his hip and his feet tapping against the floor. “Uno’s Customer Support Line.” Everyone looked at him surprised. “So, Chicken, here can hear how right I am and how he is a cheater at Uno.” He pointed at Rooster with his head, but he just huffed and shook his head.

Blue pinched the bridge of her nose. “Hang the phone, Seresin, it’s two in the morning. You are not calling anyone.”

“But-” “No buts, you would not like someone calling you at two a.m.” He pursed his lips. “I’m sure mamma Seresin taught you it’s rude to wake people at such an hour.” Cursing under his breath Jake listened to her.

Everyone looked at each other at how with very few words Bluebird handled Hangman and his antics. Maverick, who was watching everything unfold, had to put his hand on his mouth to suppress his laugh.

“This ends here.” Blue crossed her arms and put on a stern face. “We cross Uno from game night too.”

“At this point we can't play anything.” Fanboy said like a little kid that was being scolded by his mother.

“Not unless some of us learn how to act like human beings.” Coyote looked around the room.

“Tell that to Chicken here.” Jake looked at Rooster smugly.

Rooster’s nostrils flare. “I swear to God, Bagman-”

Bluebird took a deep breath. “Stop it, Jake.” Rooster smiled triumphantly. “You too, Bradley.” She looked at him. “You all are acting childish, it’s just a game. We were supposed to be having a good time, laughing, having drinks and food, with each other.” She looked around the room. “Decompress after all the hard work and stress up there, not shouting at each other over cards.” Clearly Bluebird was the one who had more common sense, at some things, off all them.

The Dagger Squad stayed silent for a couple of minutes, some looking at the floor and others looking at each other. “Come on guys, Blue is right. Let’s forget this and eat.” Phoenix patted one of them in the back and went to sat on the sofa.

It didn’t take them long to sit around the sofa, eat and have fun. After a few minutes, while everyone was laughing Bob spoke after quite some time. “Guys.” The group looked at him, the secret keeper who was considered the cutests from them all by his sweet smile and glasses. “The official page of Uno on Twitter says, ‘If someone puts down a +4 card, you must draw 4 and your turn is skipped. It’s not allowed to put a +2 to make the other person draw 6.’” Jake gave everyone a big smile and raised his arms.

“Heard that Chicken?” He looked at Bradley. “You know what that means? You are a che-AW” Jake’s comment was cut short by Bluebird, who pinched him in the arm. “Birdy, what’s that for?” He looked at his side, where she was sitting.

“You know why. Cut it out, Jake.” She said tilting his head to the side and he nodded.

Rooster laughed. “Look at you, Bagman, wwh-psssh-AW” He too was cut short. “Goddammit, Bluebird.” Bradley rubbed the part of her arm where she pinched him too.

“You too cut it out.” She looked at him from the corner of her eye. “Both of you, keep eating and playing nice. Otherwise, I will smack you.” Both grown up man nodded and did as she said.

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eemcintyre · 7 months

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"Stretch" (2014) review

Aka ✨ why this movie is one of the most underrated ones I've ever seen and why it is some of Patrick Wilson's best work ✨

"If you like stories about chance and coincidence, here's one you've never heard" gives me the chills every time 😮‍💨

Patrick Wilson is one of the most underappreciated actors of his time, like, not only do his other projects demonstrate that he has drama, romance, instruments, and singing down ✨, but here he is finally given a chance to flaunt his impeccable comedic timing, vocalizations, and expressions

Idk maybe I just love movies with narration (ex., "Heathers," "Jerry Maguire," "Amelie," "Eloise at Christmastime," "Megamind," "American Made," "The Outsiders," etc.)

But jokes aside, I will defend Patrick Wilson's narration throughout the movie no matter whAT ANYONE SAYS YOU CAN PRY IT FROM MY COLD DEAD FINGIES; IT IS AT TURNS FUNNY AND RELATABLE AND PROFOUND AND WE GET TO KNOW THE MAIN CHARACTER BETTER 😤😤

It does start a bit slow, especially if you aren't as invested in Patrick Wilson as I am 🙃🫠 but if you stick with it and pay attention to the subtle comedic elements in the meantime 👌🏻

This movie is not afraid to be a bit irreverent, which is a modern and mainstream rarity

Stretch and Charlie are so cute together; I wish more of their interactions had been kept in the final cut because when I think of the quality content that we missed 😩💖

"Who gains weight in their neck?" "Sexy people." "Three months of Rosetta Stone- I HATE THE FUCKING FRENCH." "We was gettin' all romantic, watching Titan-tic..." and so, so many more

Honestly, Karl is an integral part of this film as well- he may seem overtly cartoonish to some, but again, we get to know the main character better through him, as his presence gives us a visual of Stretch's inner struggle; he contributes to the dark humor vibe, and Ed Helms was clearly having the time of his life (as was the entire cast)

Speaking of which, stellar casting all around, especially those who were cast against type; love when directors give that stuff a chance. Everyone was made for their role

Dark humor, satire of Hollywood, homage to 80s films

The Navstar scene. If you know you know

Same goes for the post-Candace club exit scene with the valet, the wannabe rapper, and the sex club exit scene (there's a man wearing only balloons. need I say more). I mean, the whole movie is basically the best part and I'm trying not to make this review me just naming every scene and going "yes. this is good" but these are some of the most standout parts

The soundtrack may be atrocious overall, but the exception is the song at the end (although I was disappointed when I read that it was originally supposed to be "Telephone Line" by ELO but they didn't have enough in the budget because that would have gone so hard) 😩💕

Speaking of the ending, why is it so incredibly pure and sweet to me that it would almost make me cry if I weren't medicated? 🥺 Something about the setting of the diner, exuding vintage charm and glowing in the sun the quiet morning after the previous night of chaos, and the serendipity of how Stretch and Charlie finally reveal how much they've obviously liked each other for a while, and after all of the danger and depravity, everything ends soft and gentle and alright 😊💖

This film is somehow so sleazy and wholesome at the same time- against the backdrop of drugs, sex clubs, threats of violence, and constant swearing, it's ultimately a story about overcoming cynicism and self-destruction, getting your "mojo" back, taking control of your life, and allowing for the possibility that things happen for a reason ✨ Honestly? 10/10

#patrick wilson #stretch 2014 #joe carnahan #chris pine #ed helms #jessica alba #brooklyn decker #action film #action movies #cult classic #cult film #cult movies #underrated movies #underrated #underappreciated

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inlocusmads · 5 days

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You've talked about Nora's favorite movies, but what the ones she has never understood the appeal of?

Thanks for the ask!! There are a few films that Nora doesn't understand the appeal behind; most of the stuff she sees she kind of gets it even if she knows isn't for her, but when Nora's a hater, she's a hardcore hater.

Starting off strong with Titanic (1997) She gets the film - it's a doomed love story, yada-yada-yada but it isn't for her. She couldn't really get behind the romance, she doesn't understand why it's regarded as a piece of iconic cinema and even with multiple viewings, she only has positive things to say about the acting and not really much of the movie. Nora's not a critic to point out any specifics, but if the movie just has the vibes of "ehhhh" she probably isn't going to elaborate further. Instead if she wants her 'doomed romance fix' she'd probably go watch La La Land or something.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Nora cannot understand the appeal of 'love fixes it' films, mostly because for half the story she was under the impression that the characters sharing this united motive will help them see the world a bit different, y'know not play into the "hey falling in love works!!! just trust me bruv!!". She doesn't get it, it's fine, she isn't the targeted audience, but she will be a hater simply because the story just went nowhere.

The John Wick franchise (2014-) Okay maybe Nora enjoys the first film, that doesn't really make her actually care for the rest of its sequels. Something about the course of the story going from "hey look at this guy who wants to avenge his wife & dog's passing" to "cool guy with gun, pencil pewpepwpew" makes her want to punch somebody. She couldn't care for the rest of the plot, she hates the gunfire - pomp and circumstance and if she wants to see a good revenge film she'd probably rewatch Oldboy or Inigo Montoya's scenes from the Princess Bride. She's a hardcore hater of the franchise.

American Psycho-esque films (2002): She gets it, c'mon who doesn't want a morally-grey protagonist led down paths of obsession, reinvention, etc etc - but eh, she can never really get into them. If Nora wants to see a film about someone getting obsessed with their craft, she'd switch genres and get into art - Whiplash, Amadeus, Black Swan etc. She gets the message, but yeah, you can never really have her sit through a viewing and have her be invested in it.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014): The colourful setting was the only thing that kept her watching. Nora kind of got bored, the humour was okay, she didn't really find herself following the plot, she liked the character relationships but besides that, it isn't part of her "you need to watch this film before you die" list and she didn't find it that compelling as the narration set out to be.

Here's the thing - Nora loves one-off films or films part of an anthology. You can't keep her engaged with sequels unless she feels compelled to watch it. She doesn't like it when a movie tries to be "layered with depth"- sometimes simple stories are tons more compelling than anything else. It's part of the reason why she enjoys the joy of a simple, short contemporary film.

Nora also doesn't really care for romance in stories (she doesn't hate it, c'mon P&P is like one of her favs) because the romance/family dynamics - the kind she saw in her parents, her uncle etc, was very practical. Nothing of the 'doomed/ oh no I'll die without you' which is why she just has a hard time trying to understand it (it's also why she loved and cherishes films like Past Lives, The Farewell, etc). And also when emotions and themes like 'revenge' is either sensationalized in a way to appeal to an audience (have them 'ooh and aah' at how cool and smexy a character is) or deeply villanized when she prefers to have it treated as an integral process in their journey.

So yeah, these are some of the films she doesn't get the appeal of. It's not like she has a list of 'movies I fucking hate' handy somewhere. If she doesn't think a film is for her, she stops watching midway and moves on but that doesn't exempt her from being an absolute hater online - leaving scathing Letterboxd reviews.

#thorne rose headcanons #nora rose #askboxed #thosehallowedhalls

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jgroffdaily · 1 year

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A great interview with Jonathan and Ben Aldridge at Them, including Jonathan talking about being in contract negotiations for Merrily We Roll Along during the Cabin shoot:

I love that despite how clearly in sync Eric and Andrew are with each other, they still feel distinct. It’s fascinating to watch how they differ in their responses to the situation at hand, especially because they always seem to find their way back to each other. How did you two establish that rapport between your characters?

JG: The dichotomy and differences were very clear in the writing. The uptight one and the more laidback one; the one that’s quicker to believe and the one that’s more of a critical thinker — that was all embedded in the book and in the script. But Night, during shooting, would often say, “I don’t want to ever see the two of you with the same expression on your face. I want to see your perspective and I want to see your perspective. You’re in the same scenario, but you both have two different points of view.”

The other thing that he kept saying to us, which he would yell from behind the camera sometimes before a take, would be, “Play the love! Don’t forget the love!” Obviously, because it’s a family and they’re on vacation, I assumed, I guess maybe subconsciously, that this was a loving marriage. And yet, it wasn’t until we were in the scenes actually doing it that I started understanding how important and integral and essential it was to play love throughout. Especially because the perspectives are so different.

Ben and I, from the day we met, had a very easy chemistry. There was a vibe happening between us that we used in the movie. Then, when we added Kristen [Cui], who plays Wen, into that mix, getting to take care of her on- and off-screen, we sort of became this family unit. We actually took her to see Wicked on Broadway last night. It was a combination of natural chemistry and the circumstances of the movie bringing us together. We didn’t even talk about, like, “How are we going to have chemistry?” It just sort of happened.

Again, you two spend much of the film tied up to a chair, which I imagine posed some unique acting difficulties since you primarily had to rely on your face to communicate any emotion. Especially considering what Jonathan said about Night’s insistence that you two always looked different, what was it like only acting through your upper body?

BA: [laughs as he rubs his own shoulders] I wanted to have the best shoulders I’ve ever had! So I was giving you shoulders in the gym.

JG: [also laughing] And it worked. It totally worked.

BA: I don’t have them anymore, but I did have them for that short period while filming. But for the serious part of your question, remind me again?

What was it like to only be able to act from the shoulders up?

JG: Well, that’s my favorite place. [uses his hands to form a portrait around his face] I mean, just put the camera here and let me go!

BA: She loves herself.

JG: But really now. For me, at least at first, it felt like I was going to get a little claustrophobic not being able to move my body. I had to do some nose breathing [imitates meditative deep breaths] every time they would start to tie our feet and arms to the chairs. But at the same time, there is something freeing, funnily enough, about not having to move around and only expressing yourself from the shoulders up. You can just feel it. You don’t have to worry about what your hands are doing, or walking around, or anything.

I mean, it’s very evocative. You get tied to the chair and you’re immediately in the scenario: You can’t pick up that cute little girl. She has to grab you from behind. [Ben and I] can only look at each other and not touch each other, which also creates a great deal of tension. So the circumstances really added to the acting in a major way.

Jonathan, this was filmed last spring, which I’d imagine was right before you went into rehearsals for Merrily We Roll Along at the New York Theatre Workshop. How did it feel to go from a film as intense as this straight into musical-theater mode?

JG: Oh my god, Michael, first all, thank you for that question. A man after my own heart. Actually, on the first day of shooting Knock at the Cabin, I went down the elevator to the treadmill and listened to Merrily We Roll Along. I was in negotiations to do Merrily the entire time that we were filming in Philly, and that [contract] didn’t close until we were wrapped on Knock at the Cabin. There was one weekend, after we took Night’s wife’s Zumba class, where I was, like, driving to New York [from Philadelphia] to meet with Maria Friedman, the director. I was very passionate about doing Merrily.

It felt amazing. After being tied up to a chair for a month or so and giving you “movie” [forms a portrait around his face using his hands again], to then get to dance around and sing was great. I just wanted to put my pants back on at the end of every day and go back out on the stage and do it again.

#jonathan groff #ben aldridge #knock at the cabin #knock at the cabin promo #interview #merrily we roll along

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thatwitchrevan · 2 years

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One of the things about the MCU that continues to bug me more and more is the hype built around any crossover and the way character interaction happens in the movies and shows. There's room for literal essays and there probably have been some already on how artificial many of the character interactions and 'crossovers' are, but also just the fact that they're a thing that's hyped up and treated like it's special in the first place?

I loved the MCU in 2012, don't get me wrong. I still like those movies, and I remember being impressed to the moon and back that they managed to make the Avengers come to life and come together on screen and it WORKED and it was fun and explosive and awesome. It didn't really matter that Wolverine and Storm and Spider-Man weren't a part of it because I understand that as far as live action went, they were with different studios, and I could easily read fifty different comics with that lineup and more. (I was and always will be salty that Janet wasn't there.)

The Avengers movie was impressive because superhero movies had always been a mixed bag, and an ensemble was a struggle. Avengers made it feel cool to be into superhero teams.

But then Marvel just kept... Congratulating themselves every time they got a new character on screen.

Now I haven't read a lot of comics. But traditionally speaking the big players of Marvel and DC all essentially live in each other's backyard. If you have a problem with weird mystic stuff, you get on the bus and go see Stephen Strange. It's a Tuesday for them. So Marvel making this MASSIVE deal of Spider-Man joining the Avengers ... It's like, yeah, he's been in the Avengers before. They're not doing anything new. And it's exciting to see these characters in the movies! But as Disney has taken over they've latched onto that hype for the characters and driven it into the ground.

Which means we can never have a scene in an Avengers movie where Wolverine just casually shows up. We're not gonna have Carol Danvers and Jessica Jones sitting down at the bar together and talking shit. And I don't care about Charles Xavier appearing in a Scarlet Witch movie where he has nothing to do with anything, and Wanda is neither a mutant nor Jewish Romani, and she was never his enemy or student or had any relationship to him.

The MCU is trying to sell its movies and its characters on the hype and spectacle alone and has been doing it for a long time. It's not impressive that Daredevil cameos in She Hulk. It's a tiny fucking world.

Spectacle is not why I watch movies or shows or read comics, and it isn't enough to make me want to watch fifteen more movies about the same five avengers with special appearance from holy shit it's Reed Richards.

To be clear, I'm not trying to be a comics snob and I detest media snobbery in general. I love superhero movies and I also grew up on the shows and video games more than anything. I think superheroes should be multimedia, it's great. But you only have to read like five comics to realize that like. It doesn't have to be this way. Disney could either use the characters they have to tell good stories or integrate new characters they acquire in a meaningful way. It's not that hard.

#marvel

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rabbitcruiser · 1 year

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National Unicorn Day

Bake delicious, fanciful Unicorn cupcakes, watch a fantasy movie like The Chronicles of Narnia, or research the history of these elegant mythological creatures.

What mythological creature has been more beloved over the centuries than the delightful unicorn? As incredible symbols of purity and enchantment, unicorns are loved by both children and adults alike and are integral parts of many fairy tales and legends.

For all the roles they’ve played in literature, cinematography, and art as a whole, unicorns more than deserve their own day. And now is the time to learn more about National Unicorn Day.

How to Celebrate National Unicorn Day

The best way to celebrate this day would be to find a fun, fanciful activity to enjoy with family or friends. Get creative with art, music or other projects that can promote free-thinking and fantasy. Or try out some of these other ideas to celebrate National Unicorn Day.

Check out some ridiculous Unicorn-themed products

You can stop a unicorn from farting rainbows, but you can’t stop us from celebrating National Unicorn Day. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite unicorn-themed products. Here are some of the best ones we could find on the internet for this magical holiday.

Watch a Film that includes Unicorns

One activity that could be perfectly suited to this day would be sitting down to watch a good fantasy film, preferably one that includes unicorns, of course! It’s likely to have been a long time since having watched The Chronicles of Narnia. Try out one of these interesting films that include a unicorn or two:

Legend (1986). This less-than-well-known film actually features a fairly noteworthy cast, including Tom Cruise, Tim Curry and Mia Sara, where darkness (Tim Curry) seeks to eradicate unicorns from existence.

Stardust (2007). Starring Clare Danes, this fantasy movie shows how a fallen star (in the shape of a woman) is rescued with the help of a unicorn.

Blade Runner (1982). In this sci-fi film, the unicorn plays a symbolic role in a dream as well as in the form of a paper origami shape.

Fantasia 2000 (1999). This remake of the classic animated Disney film features Mickey Mouse and his incredible group of friends–including a brief scene with a unicorn who laughs at the other animals going to Noah’s ark.

Throw a Unicorn Themed Party

National Unicorn Day shouldn’t be kept a secret! So get the word out by inviting a few friends, family members, neighbors or co-workers to gather together while enjoying and celebrating everything pertaining to unicorns.

Invite guests to dress up as their favorite unicorn or fantasy character. Provide treats and snacks, like the rainbow themed cupcakes featured below. Decorate using rainbow balloons and streamers, as well as tinsel and glitter of all kinds. It’s like that cups, napkins and paper plates with unicorn designs can easily be sourced at a party store.

Read Books and Learn Some Unicorn History

The above information featuring the history of unicorns only scratches the surface of what can be learned about these fascinating, mythical creatures. Head on over to the library and check out some books that tell the many ways unicorns have played a part in literature over the centuries.

Learn about Unicorns in Scottish Culture

One fun aspect about National Unicorn Day that would be interesting to research (that most people don’t realize) is the fact that the unicorn is actually the national animal of Scotland. This fantastical creature is deeply beloved and has been on the Scottish Royal Coat of Arms at least since the mid-1500s.

History of National Unicorn Day

Unicorns have been mentioned in literature as far back as antiquity—ancient Greek writers believed they lived in the faraway and exotic country of India, which was then largely unknown to Europeans at the time. However, at the time the unicorn was thought to be a powerful, fierce animal that was not to be meddled with.

In the Middle Ages, the unicorn’s image was based greatly on Bible passages that were thought to speak of these animals, and unicorns slowly came to be seen as a symbol of strength, the purest kind of love, and the pets of virgin women.

In fact, there is even a sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding a unicorn on her lap and patting it in Warsaw’s National Museum located in the capital of Poland ! Thus, unicorns have been appearing in works of literature for thousands of years, although it is now thought by many scholars that this case of unicorns appearing in the bible may have been a translation error.

The most prominent more modern examples of unicorns that can be found in fantasy literature include Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. Not only that, but the whole immensely popular My Little Pony franchise is also based on unicorns, with the series beginning in the 1980s and being revived a few decades later.

National Unicorn Day was created to celebrate these majestic creatures and help adults remember how much more fun life can be when they let a little magic in sometimes. And this is a great beginning for the celebration of National Unicorn Day!

National Unicorn Day Timeline

2000 BC Unicorns are featured in carvings

The most common feature on soapstone stamps in the Bronze Age, this version of the unicorn has a body more like a cow.

400 BC Earliest description of unicorn in Greek Literature

Greek historian, Ctesias, describes this Indian animal as the size of a horse with a white body, purple head, blue eyes and a cubit-long horn on its forehead.

1980s Unicorn craze hits pop culture

Whether on stickers, t-shirts, or lunch boxes, the rainbow unicorn quickly becomes a symbol beloved by little girls, with the Lisa Frank company having a huge impact.

1997 Unicorns are mentioned in Harry Potter

In the magical world of Harry Potter, created by J.K. Rowling, the unicorn makes an appearance in a variety of ways throughout the series.

2017 Unicorn Frappuccino makes its debut

Starbucks can help but get in on the rainbow fun when it launches its Unicorn Frappuccino.

National Unicorn Day FAQs

Is National Unicorn Day real?

Sure! National Unicorn Day is a real day that is meant to celebrate everything to do with these amazing mythical creatures. It is acknowledged by individuals, organizations and even universities!

When is National Unicorn Day?

National Unicorn Day is celebrated each year on April 9.

What to do on National Unicorn Day?

National Unicorn Day is a great day to learn more about these mythical creatures, understand their role in literature or culture, or perhaps even throw a unicorn party!

Are unicorns real?

The idea of unicorns that look like white horses and can fly is based on fiction, but the World Wildlife Federation notes that the rhinoceros is similar and it is very real – and very in need.

Are unicorns in the bible?

Technically, unicorns are mentioned in the King James Version of the bible from the 1600s, but this is now thought to be due to a mistranslation of a 2200 year old text.

Source

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salmankhanholics · 1 year

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★ Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan: Salman Khan's Eid release to be a monster hit, predicts trade expert!

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan: Salman Khan's Eid release to take the box office by storm as the superstar has a solid fan base feels trade expert

March 11, 2023

When we think of Bollywood, one name that immediately comes to mind is Salman Khan. He is not just an actor, but a phenomenon, and his fan following is a testament to his popularity. His cameo in Pathaan, His swagger style at the public events, his fandom and his next movie Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi ki Jaan becoming the most talked about and awaited film, shows the megastar’s era is right here!

Commanding the largest and a devoted number of fan following among all the actors in India, both online and offline, his social media pages have millions of followers, and his films consistently break box office records. What makes him even more special is the connection he always manages to build with the audiences. No fan of his has ever left the theatre without feeling a personal connection with him and his character, and his films are always eagerly awaited for with always increasing interest and anticipation.

Trade expert Taran Adarsh shares :" Salman Khan's film on Eid is a festival combination on its own! Basis on the kind of fan base and huge stardom the actor has, it’s evident that once in a generation somebody gets this kind of constant stardom and loyalty. It is Salman Khan's era. His cameo in Pathaan was overwhelmed, his next KBKJ is the most anticipated movie and Tiger 3 may break multiple BO records! Yes, there is a possibility.

Salman Khan and Eid are synonymous with each other. His film releases during Eid and the tradition that it has become over the years has made Salman-ia a festival in its own right. His films bring people together, permeating every demographic constraint, and it is not uncommon to see fans lining up outside theatres for hours to catch a glimpse of their favourite superstar on the big screen.

Apart from films, Salman Khan is also the face of the popular reality show Big Boss. The show has been running for over a decade now, and Salman Khan has been hosting it for the most part. No one can think of Bigg Boss without associating the face, persona, aura and character of Salman Khan with it. He brings his own unique style to the show, and his presence has become an integral part of it. Salman’s flamboyant clout extends beyond his own movies and overarches above and beyond.

His cameo in the movie Pathaan was the hottest topic of the time and audiences still cannot help raving about his exuberant presence and performance in the movie. His appearance in the movie was unexpected, and it added to the excitement surrounding the film. It is this ability to surprise his fans that has kept them loyal to him all these years.

In an attempt to conclude what can barely be concluded, Salman Khan is not just a superstar, but a phenomenon in Bollywood. His ability to connect with his fans, his films’ box office success, and his presence in popular reality shows have made him a household name in India and around the world. His recent cameo in Pathaan is just another reminder of his star power and how he continues to be relevant and loved by his fans even after more three decades in the industry.

His next movie Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is the most anticipated, most talked about and most awaited film of the season. Two songs released from the film and both have been chartbusters.

#salman khan #taran adarsh #tiger 3 #Kisi ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan #taran Adarsh on salman khan #its salman Khan e\ra

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milesonthenet · 1 year

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The FIVE reasons I love Transformers

I want you guys to sit here and visualize something for me. Imagine that you are a young child going to the movie theater in 2007. You see what you think is your favorite movie for the first time in your life. Giant computer-animated robots wage war on the giant screen.

This is House of MilesVerse, and today, I will take you on a journey. I will explain why I love Transformers as a franchise. More than that, I will explain what elements in particular I enjoy.

Reason Five: Timeless

The Transformers series first debuted in 1984. The series focused on the eponymous robotic lifeforms. They were split into two sides, the Autobots and the Decepticons.

What I find funny is that the TV series was more akin to a commercial. It was there to push children to buy the most popular transformers. New characters would also debut for the sake of marketing toys to children.

On its own merits, Transformers is a fairly simple series about robots. The setting has changed more than once across the franchise’s long history. However, the basic principles and concepts are still kept in the series.

Reason Four: The issue with war

Numerous stories have portrayed the Autobots and Decepticon’s war across space. Fittingly, the stories all portray the consequences and aftermath of their war. This paints a grim picture but also gives the Transformers an edge of realism that works for them.

For example, their war first destroyed their home planet, Cybertron. The constant conflict exhausted the planet’s resources. Because of this, most stories would depict them leaving their planet.

Reason Three: The series’ focus on Earth creates an interesting perspective.

Typically, after their exile, they would embark on a journey to Earth. The Autobots and Decepticons recognize the potential uses for Earth’s resources. From there, both sides would begin their war anew on an unfamiliar planet.

What I love about this is that it also puts them in a foreign land. The cybertronians have to acclimate to another planet. The Decepticons choose to attack the planet for its resources in creating Energon. The Autobots choose to protect it and eventually adopt it as their second home.

I also love how the Autobots are able to bond with the humans. They recognize them as a smaller species, which has also attacked them more than once. However, they still choose to protect them because it’s the right thing to do.

Reason Two: Nobody has to BE a Decepticon

The Decepticons in the original cartoons were typically portrayed as villains. They were your everyday morning cartoon thugs that followed the evil overlord’s commands. The Decepticons transformed into a variety of dangerous weapons, monsters, and even assault vehicles.

However, over time, alternate continuities have helped to give them more depth. IDW in particular paints the Decepticon movement as a social movement that devolved into your usual villains. Whatever credibility and integrity the movement had was drowned in the bloodshed of Megatron’s latest actions.

In addition, turncoats also existed in the franchise as Decepticons who abandoned their prior faction. Characters like Drift, Jetfire, and even Megatron himself show that some Decepticons can turn over a new life. Nothing is impossible, even redemption, so long as you believe in changing.

Reason One: Optimus Prime is one of the BEST superheroes!

Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots and one of the most iconic heroes. Everyone knows his famous truck transformation, and his disappearing trailer. Across the series, he has been portrayed as a gentle giant and a father to his men.

Part of why I like Optimus Prime is how pure hearted he is. His voice actor, Peter Cullen, crafted the voice by mimicking the mannerisms of his brother, Larry. Larry was a soldier in the United States who served in Vietnam. To think that his brother inspired him to become a real hero for multiple children is a beautiful message.

Despite coming from humble beginnings as a librarian, Prime is experienced in war. He’s been able to easily match Megatron and keep up with the Decepticon leader. Some versions of the story make Optimus and Megatron former friends who were on different sides of Cybertron’s conflicts. They both hold a degree of mutual respect as worthy opponents to each other.

Optimus Prime is similar to Superman in a lot of ways. They both are foreigners from outside of Earth. Despite that, they are heroic, honorable, and always keep their word. They risk their all to save people because it’s just in their nature.

And that is EXACTLY what it means to be a hero.

I hope you enjoyed this place.

#transformers #House of Milesverse #tf #fandom #robots

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kyle-reviews · 11 months

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Forrest Gump Review

Forrest Gump takes me way back in time. Lots of memories kept flushing back into my mind as I was rewatching the movie; meanwhile I try to stay as unbiased as possible. "Forrest Gump", a film immortalized in cinematic history, holds a special place in my heart. It's a tapestry of emotions from director Robert Zemeckis, woven with threads of humor, sadness, and the sweet simplicity of its central character, Forrest Gump. Throughout the film, Forrest's story is interspersed with historical events as a testament to the human spirit's resilience and perseverance.

The movie resonated with me on multiple levels. The character of Forrest Gump, despite his intellectual limitations, is a beacon of kindness, love, and unwavering loyalty. His love for Jenny, his childhood friend, is a testament to his steadfastness. I like how, despite being such a simple character, he ends up being lovable and relatable because of his personality traits and Tom Hanks' excellent acting. There are many reasons to love Forrest. Jenny's tumultuous life doesn't matter to Forrest, because he loves her unconditionally. A second reason is that the film's depiction of historical events from Forrest's perspective offers a unique perspective on American history. From the Vitnam War to the Watergate scandal, Forrest's involvement in these events adds an additional layer of depth to the story and of course his character. Its exploration of destiny and perseverance, encapsulated in the iconic line "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get," hooked me and took me back to the time when I had no idea what to expect from life when I was leaving my family and moving to a foreign country. As played by Gary Sinise, Lieutenant Dan Taylor is also a fascinating character, since it's a compelling exploration of a man grappling with the aftermath of war and his subsequent transformation.

The film techniques employed by Zemeckis significantly enhanced my viewing experience. The seamless integration of Forrest into vintage footage, complemented with the use of so many simple and not overdone visual effects, created a believable narrative that Forrest was indeed a part of these historical events. The film's soundtrack, featuring iconic songs from the respective eras, also helped immerse me into the story. Especially the recurring feather motif, symbolizing destiny and chance, added a layer of visual symbolism to the story and truly enhanced the narrative.

One thing to remember is that despite its unbelievably high IMDB rating, the movie is not without its flaws. The character of Jenny while integral to the narrative often felt like a tool used to advance the plot; Jenny's character arc served mostly as a catalyst and push for Forrest's growth. Her character, marred by trauma and self-destructive tendencies, deserved more nuanced exploration. Additionally, the film's portrayal of certain historical events, while engaging, often oversimplified complex issues, offering a somewhat sanitized version of history.

I would rate "Forrest Gump" a solid 8.5 out of 10. Aside from its weaknesses, the film's strengths, particularly the performances by Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise, the original and simplicity in the film techniques used, and the engaging narrative, make it a memorable cinematic experience and is enough to give you goosebumps when it ends. It's a story about hope and resilience in the face of adversity, just like the protaganist Forrest. One significant take from the movie would be: “Life, much like a box of chocolates, is full of surprises, and it is our response to these surprises that defines us.”

And that’s why it deserves 8.5/10 :)

#Forrest-Gump #IDC4U #Film-Reviews #Writing

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alienidentities-f22a · 1 year

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RNM Final Thoughts

I usually have a very hard time finding a show that can captivate me for multiple seasons. I often become bored of the reused plot lines and struggle to remain interested. However, to my surprise, RNM kept my attention throughout the entirety of the show. While I was skeptical of the science fiction aspect at first, I think that the show did great job of balancing the alien plot lines with the realistic drama and character development throughout the seasons. I love movies like the Hunger Games and Maze Runner, so I was interested in trying out watching science fiction in the form of a series. I like the fact that the show continued to expand on the amount of alien knowledge revealed to both the characters and the audience, without overdoing the implemented fiction. I also appreciated that the show integrated real world issues, such as LGBTQ+ rights and racial discrimination, while still keeping the story exciting and interesting.

My favorite part about RNM was the relationships that were developed throughout the show. Michael continued to be the best character in my opinion, so I enjoyed watching his own character development as well as his relationship with Alex. Not only was it a central relationship in the show with two LGBTQ+ characters, but this relationship brought a sense of reality and romance into an otherwise fictitious alien world. I think that Season 3 did the best job of developing each character and revealing the right amount of information about the alien conflicts. Each character was able to undergo their own personal journey, especially Michael and Isobel, but they also all played integral roles in working together to fight against the villains.

My only large complaints come from the last season. Although I loved the introduction of Dallas, who soon became one of my favorite characters, the addition of some of the other characters felt forced and often created a chaotic storyline. The overall plot just did not feel as cohesive as it did in the first three seasons. Additionally, I especially did not like how the show tried to force every single characters into a relationship at the end of Season 4. Maria and Dallas getting together was very random and I think that it would have been more beneficial and realistic to let them be on their own. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the show and would definitely recommend it to others!

#julia dill #final thoughts

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zachsgamejournal · 2 years

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COMPLETED: Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars The Force Awakens

Two games in one day. Helps that they're really short Disney Infinity Playsets I guess. I'm not a fan of the movie this is based on, but it's enjoyable. The game itself is pretty enjoyable, but suffers from some painful designs..

My son got a remote controlled BB8 for his birthday. So he wanted to watch a movie with lots of BB8. We put on Force Awakens and he was satisfied. I don't like JJ Abrams take on the franchise (he did make the worst Star Wars movie ever), but there is something fun about The Force Awakens--even if I consider it a missed cinematic opportunity. So after beating Twilight of the Republic, I felt compelled to try out Disney Infinity's Force Awakens.

It hit me as I was picking my starting character--no one really has a light saber in this game. Hmm...

I decided to go with Fin. I'm not sure why, but I felt he deserved some love. The game had some interesting linear level design before moving into a more open environment. At first I was having fun and then I ran into the game's first design blunder:

Salvaging.

I think their head was in the right place. Rey is scavenges for parts to survive. How do you turn that into a gameplay mechanic? Well you turn scavenged parts into resources. How do you make that resource useful beyond "buying" or just "collecting"? You make parts of the game broken unless they're fixed with parts. Suddenly scavenging parts is not just a gameplay mechanic, it's a meaningfully integrated part of the game.

But that suddenly makes the game 10 times longer.

Pipes that used to be climbable now all have to be repaired first. So getting around is super difficult without parts. The only way to get parts is to scavenge (time consuming and not fun) or doing side machines--which occasionally require you to have parts to succeed in the mission.

This wouldn't be so bad but the first story mission is to buy your way off the planet with 2000 scavenged parts. Just scavenging a pile of parts only nets 100-200 parts. It's an interesting way to encourage people to do side quests, but like I said--those would often require you to use parts to gain access to goals, or the goals would be repairing objects. So the net positive of doing the quests seemed to hardly be worth it.

Anyway--before I finished the first story mission I was already level 6--which was half of what I achieved with Ahsoka by the time I finished that game.

THEN when I tried to turn in the parts, some how I went negative by something like 1600 parts. So the next 1600 parts I collected didn't go to my inventory--they simply cut back on my debt. It made no fucking sense. I'm not sure if it was a glitch or a bad design choice--but either way it was a mistake.

When I got to the bar level, I was impressed that it was so large. The fact that it looked like a castle further played into the WoW vibe I get with this game. But I had to spend ALOT of time scavenging parts and being really careful about how I used them.

Afterwards, I started to develop a surplus of parts--but they stopped being useful at this point. But worry not, the game had another poor game design problem...

While in Star Killer base, you have to climb this tower using the ledges mechanic. They create some wacky ledges: ones that move, shrink, or spin. It's meant to throw you off and sometimes it does. I kept forgetting this game isn't Uncharted and it's not trying to help me. So I would end up falling to the bottom and having to restart the tower. This happened several times and was really frustrating.

The boss fight was ok. It was weird cause I don't have a lightsaber to challenge Kylo. Instead, I had to blow up bombs around him like it was Uncharted 2's final boss. And then Rey fought Ren in a cut scene.

Because the game doesn't follow the movie exactly, they had to re-write some cutscenes. I actually preferred them to the actual movie's scenes. Abrams just wants every character to be "energetic". It's like a cartoon--everything is loud and in motion. That obviously works for a lot of audiences, but to me it's just covering up a lack of depth.

Since I played as Fin, most of my gameplay was shooting. It wasn't too bad. It felt like a mix of Uncharted and Jak 2. Thought better shooting than Jak 2. I enjoyed that feeling and kind of wish there was a non-Force Awakesn game like this where you did missions for characters and jumped around interesting environments.

I'm less inclined to play this one again but it did do a better job with telling a story than Twilight of the Republic. Maybe I'll play through Rise Against again.

#Zach's Game Journal #COMPLETED #Disney Infinity 3.0 #Star Wars The Force Awakens #Video Games #Gaming #PC Gaming #Steam

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wavesmp3 · 3 years

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this is me encouraging you to make the om shanti om au

and this is me banging my head against a wall in the hopes that I don’t succumb to this encouragement LOL

#asks #let’s ignore the fact that it’s 4 am and I’m awake rn #but no anon it’s not that I wouldn’t love an om shanti om au because I would LOVE to see that #it’s literally one of my favorite movies of all time #but when I got that idea and made that text post I was rewatching the movie with the movie with my fam #and as the movie continued I kept thinking over how exactly a fic adaptation would work #and the farther we got in the movie the more impossible it felt #for a couple of reasons #one being bollywood is a just something else and a part of me feels like only bolllywood can do what bollywood does yknow?? idk #another part was like the story is so convoluted I think it’d be really difficult to tell it in a written format #cause it’d have to be told from oms pov but then how would I tell oms death #also writing shanti and oms death scene seems hard as well as those scenes where om remembers his past #and yknow how in bollywood movies the songs do propel the plot a bit... I feel like it’d be hard to turn the story told thru the songs into #a fic . especially that song where old life shanti and om are on that date but not date I can’t remember the name #also the climax song #I can’t remember either song name rn #AND THEN (yes there is one more reason) to make it a fic implies making reader inclusive and also making oms character an East Asian boy #which I feel like then I’d be forced to strip the Indian culture from the story in order to uphold the integrity of a reader inclusive fic #and stripping my culture from my favorite movie is not something I’m dying to do lol #as you can see I’ve really thought about the logistics of an om shanti om au wayyyyyy too much

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recycledmoviecostumes · 3 years

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Goodness do I have a treat for all of you today. Larry McQueen, owner of The Collection has sent me a lovely sighting filled with detailed information. Because the detail is frankly incredible, I decided not to edit it and present Larry’s notes in full below:

In 1936, Travis Banton, head designer at Paramount Studios, began work on the last film he would design for his favorite clotheshorse, Marlene Dietrich. The duo had worked closely together on all her films at Paramount and created the “Dietrich style”-- a look of lavish, smoldering, hard-edged sophistication that was instrumental in creating the Dietrich legend.

Dietrich had one final film to complete her contract at Paramount and was cast in a typical Dietrich vehicle Angel, a sophisticated Lubitsch melodrama with her in the role of an ignored wife of means who has an affair with her husband’s friend. Banton designed the most opulent dress he had ever created for the star for the under-five-minute opera sequence and preceding scenes in the film. The ensemble was to become known as the “Faberge” gown and consisted of a fitted long-sleeve bodice with peplum, a matching long skirt with train and a six foot stole bordered with sable. The fabric was solidly embroidered with gold beads, pearls, rhinestones, gold bullion, gold sequins and faux ruby and emerald stones in geometric designs. According to W. Robert Levine in his book “In A Glamorous Fashion,” the costume was cost-listed on the wardrobe records at $8,000.00, an exorbitant price in the post-depression era and a price that would be over $100,000.00 by today’s standards. The expense must have caused stirrings in Paramount’s upper management in a time when the government was asking the studios to scale back the unnecessary lavishness in costume design. Banton himself once said it was the most expensive gown he had ever designed.

The ensemble is given credit in many film costume books as the most spectacular gown ever created. Diana Vreeland, one-time curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art said of the costume in the book “Hollywood Costume– Glamour! Glitter! Romance!” “When I think of detail, I think of Travis Banton’s marvelous beaded dress for Marlene Dietrich in Angel—like a million grains of golden caviar. That is one of the most beautiful dresses ever…”. Margaret J. Bailey in her book Those Glorious Glamour Years describes the dress “It was simple in lines, of Persian design, and looked like a piece of woven jewelry…” and “… caused no little trauma on the set when producers refused to give it to Dietrich for her private wardrobe.”

Dietrich had loved the gown and asked the studio if she could keep it. It is said she was so angry of being refused by the company she help save, she stormed off the set. The incident no doubt added to her disharmonious departure from the studio. She left the studio and did not return until a decade later. Acquiring gowns and props from her films- by whatever means- was a general practice of Ms. Dietrich. After her death, The German Film Archive Foundation (die Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek) and The Berlin Film Museum acquired her estate in 1993, which consisted of five different storehouses in Europe and the USA. In the collection were thousands of items from her career including fifty of her most famous film gowns. Her daughter, Maria Riva, once told the curator of the Frankfurt Film Museum, her mother was always in constant fear the studios would someday try to take back her collection and had kept the fact of its existence well hidden.

Paramount, however, retained the piece and began to put it to use. Re-using costumes was a common practice by studios to maintain an opulent look to secondary and background characters without the expense of making new ones. It is unknown exactly how many films the Dietrich gown was used in, but from photos found, it is obvious it was put to work and went through many transformations in the process. Mary Astor wore it, without the stole on the set of Midnight, 1939. The front was reworked and worn by Rose Hobart in the film A Night at Earl Carrolls, 1940. It was used in publicity photos as in that of Loraine Day circa 1944. With the sleeves removed, the stole without the fur was added to the front of the bodice as draping, it was worn by Felicia Atkins in The Errand Boy, 1961. The stole was cut in half to be used as a turban and worn with a sleeveless altered bodice by a model in A New Kind of Love, 1963. In 1974, the bodice was put back together and used by Diana Vreeland in the MET exhibition of films fashion and in 1985, the gown and stole was returned to its original configuration and worn by Barbara Hershey in the TV movie My Wicked Wicked Ways.

With all the different uses, the pieces took a beating. Many of the “re-workings” were fast and crude and some of the attempts to repair the gown involved covering damaged areas with large gold sequins. One previous ‘restoration’ involved applying glue to areas and pushing the beads back together and letting it harden. The fine chiffon backing was weak and starting to split and the patterns were separating. The costume was so fragile, it could never be worn again, but it is amazing the pieces stayed together.

In December of 1990, Paramount put the gown up for auction at Christies New York as part a larger collection of ‘star wardrobe.’ Larry McQueen and his late business partner, Bill Thomas, who were respected experts in the field of film costumes and had compiled one of the finest collections of the medium under the name “The Collection,” were retained to help inventory, authenticate and price the collection and were overwhelmed to see, what they believed to be, the most exquisite film costume ever created. They were successful in purchasing it for a total cost of approximately $23,000.00, one of the highest prices at the auction. As excited as they were to own the gown, the reality of its condition soon set in. Due to the age of the garment, poor storage and multiple alterations, it could never be dressed on a mannequin because it would not support its own extreme weight.

In 1999, four years after Bill Thomas died, Larry McQueen began the process of restoring the costume. Museum experts in preservation and restoration were consulted and much debate occurred as to whether the integrity of the gown- however poor that integrity was- should be tampered with. It was finally decided by Mr. McQueen that instead of leaving it as it was- a box of un-showable beads- the ensemble should be restored. Getson/Eastern Embroidery, who was then owned by Annie Dernderian, was approached with working on the gown. The firm had worked on the original costume and luckily had many of the beads, sequins and stones used on the original construction.

But, restoration of the garment proved far more difficult than planned. Even though the gown had only taken weeks to create, it would take years to restore. Every inch of the beadwork would have to be attached to new chiffon backing and the patterns pulled into shape and lightly tacked. Then the patterns had to be permanently hand stitched, replacing any missing stones or beads. Previous poor repairs would have to be removed. Missing areas or areas that had been glued would have to be replaced. Many of the original silk threads that attached the beads were breaking and would have to be reinforced with new silk thread. The stole, which had been cut in half and then stacked on top of its self and re-sewn, had to be taken apart, attached to a new backing and the beading attached and corrected. Photographs of Dietrich wearing the costume were enlarged to determine what was an original pattern and what had been changed. Luckily, the patterns did repeat themselves, so where a pattern was missing, a template of an existing pattern was made to re-create the missing one. The task would involve going inch by inch and would involve thousands of hours and great expense. But, determined to see the gown restored, Larry McQueen had the work begun.

The gown could not be taken apart and beaded flat as it was originally constructed, so a special frame with a sling had to be constructed to allow access to the inside of the garment to work from the front and the back of the fabric. Beads and sequins that had to be removed were sorted and reattached in to same location if possible. Only a four-inch area could be worked on at one time and each area was photographed before and after to document the work done. The project was daunting.

The entire fabric of the costume is composed of repeating geometric shapes somewhat like a paisley pattern. Each shape is outlined with small pearls or faceted rhinestones. Beads, pearls or sequins in different combinations fill the center portions of the design. Throughout, are patterns that contain a small grid work of bullion threading and each square filled with small pearls, sequins or a combination of sequins and gold beads. The background is of solid gold rocaille beads and the gown is sporadically studded with emerald and red glass beads. Literally millions of beads were used to create the fabric of the ensemble.

After one year, only the bodice was approaching completion, most of the work done by Annie Denderian. But the expense was mounting and it was becoming impossible to find qualified people who had the patience and time to spend on the garment. Mr. McQueen decided that if the costume was to be completed, he would have to take over the bulk of the hands-on restoration. Having the background and more importantly the motivation to see the gown completed, he was mentored by Ms. Denderian, learning and perfecting the techniques to painstakingly re-attach the patterns and began work on the dress. Almost one year to the date of beginning the work- working faithfully five to eight hours a day- the skirt and the stole were completed. To add strength, bias tape reinforcing and a new silk chiffon lining was added by the costume house of John David Ridge and the stole was re-bordered by using existing sable by Judith Moss at LA Fur Center.

McQueen stated that he probably would have reconsidered restoring the gown had he know the time, patience and expense it was going to take, but then quickly adds that he would have done it anyway. It was just too important. In working that closely with the piece, McQueen was amazed how in touch you get with the people who originally created the garment (a process difficult to understand unless you have restored someone else’s creation). You could tell when someone was having a bad day and cutting corners. You could tell when someone was struck with genius. You could see the differences in workmanship and technique between the various beaders. You could see the time spent on details in areas that no one would ever see. You become very close to the garment and understand it.

The gown is truly a testament to the artistry of early Hollywood. Mr. McQueen is confident the care, attention and over 3000 hours spent in its restoration would make its original creators proud. He hopes that if he leaves any legacy to the field of film costumes, one of his main accomplishments will be the “Faberge gown” survives in the splendor it was originally created and will be shown and appreciated for generations to come.

Costume Credit: Photos, copy and all the above incredible info provided by The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design: Larry McQueen

E-mail Submissions: [email protected]

Follow: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Note: If you’ve not checked out Larry McQueen’s The Collection, I highly suggest you do so. It’s incredible!

#Marlene Dietrich #travis banton #mary astor #larry mcqueen #the collection #costume drama #costumes #period drama #fallen angel #midnight #a new kind of love #the errand boy #my wicked wicked ways

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thimbil · 3 years

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Having some thoughts about the references and inspirations used for the Bad Batch’s designs.

So Boba Fett is my absolute favorite character and Temeura Morrison was perfect casting. I went to see the 2008 TCW movie in theaters because I was so excited to see him again, even if he was animated. You can imagine my disappointment. Whoever was on screen was not Temeura Morrison. You could sort of see a resemblance if you squinted and didn’t think too hard about it. They replaced Temeura with Racially Ambiguous G.I. Joe. If I didn’t know better and someone told me the animated clones are space Italians from the moon of New Jersey I would buy it. One Million Brothers Pizzeria and Italian Bistro. Not that there’s something wrong with being space Italian, I just don’t think it’s the right choice for the Fetts. The design got slightly improved by season 7 but it still bugs the hell out of me.

I did eventually get into the show later and (of course) got invested in the clones. Unfortunately, they were largely sidelined by the Jedi storylines. Out of the two new main characters created for TCW, Ahsoka definitely got more development and focus than Rex. When they announced The Bad Batch, I was excited to see a show specifically devoted to the clones… at least that’s what it said on the tin. We have all seen what lurks beneath those stylish helmets.

Jango Fett, you are NOT the father.

So who is?

Based on interviews with Filoni, it sounds like the Bad Batch was a George Lucas idea. And like all his ideas, it’s super derivative. The original trilogy directly lifted elements from sci fi serials, westerns, and samurai movies, more specifically Kurosawa films like The Hidden Fortress. For The Bad Batch character designs, the influence is obviously American action and adventure movies.

Now let’s get specific. Bad Batch, who’s your daddy?

Hunter

Sylvester Stallone as Rambo in First Blood 1982. That bandana has become an integral part of the iconic action hero look. You see a character wearing one and it’s a visual shorthand for either “this character is a tough guy” like Billy played by Sonny Landham in Predator 1987, or “this character thinks he is/wants to be a tough guy” like Brand played by Josh Brolin in The Goonies 1985 or Edward Frog played by Corey Feldman in The Lost Boys 1987.

Hunter’s model is closest to the original clone base. If you look closely you will see the eyebrows are straighter with a much lower angle to the arch. His nose is also not the same shape as a standard clone like Rex, including a narrower bridge. It’s certainly not Temeura Morrison’s nose. Remember what I said about space Italians? It didn’t take much to push the existing clone design to resemble an specific Italian man instead of a specific Māori man. The 23&Me came back, and Hunter inherited more than the bandana from Sylvester.

Crosshair

The long narrow nose, the sharp cheekbones, the scowl. That’s no clone, that’s just animated Clint Eastwood. Not even Young and Hot Clint Eastwood from Rawhide 1959-1965. With that hair, I’m talking Gran Torino 2008. The man of few words schtick and family friendly toothpick in lieu of cigar are pure Eastwood as The Man With No Name from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns A Fist Full of Dollars 1964, For a Few Dollars More 1965, and The Good the Bad and the Ugly 1966.

In a way, this is full circle because the actor Jeremy Bulloch took inspiration from Clint Eastwood for his performance as Boba Fett in ESB.

Wrecker

In an interview Filoni lists the Hulk as an (obvious) inspiration for Wrecker. Ever seen the old Hulk tv show from 1978? Well take a look at the actor who played him, Lou Ferrigno. Would you look at that. Even has his papa’s nose.

You could make the argument that Wrecker was influenced by The Rock, an appropriately buff ‘n bald Polynesian (Samoan, not Maori) man. But look at him next his Fast and Furious costar Vin Diesel and tell me which one resembles Wrecker’s character model more.

Tech

Tech is a little trickier for me to place. If he has a more direct inspiration it must be something I haven’t seen. That said, his hairline is very Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard 1988. His quippiness and large glasses remind me of Shane Black as Hawkins from Predator 1987. In terms of his face, he looks a but like the result of McClane and Hawkins deciding to settle down and start a family. Although, Tech’s biggest contributors are probably just everyone on TV Trope’s list for Smart People Wear Glasses.

And finally,

Echo

Oh Echo. Considering he wasn’t created for the Bad Batch, he probably wasn’t based on a particular character or movie. But if I had to guess, his situation and appearance remind me a lot of Alex Murphy played by Peter Weller in Robocop 1987. However, Robocop explored the Man or Machine Identity Crisis with more nuance, depth, and dignity. Yikes.

The exact tropes and references used in The Bad Batch have been done successfully with characters who aren’t even human. Gizmo from Gremlins 2: The New Batch 1990 had a brief stint with the Rambo bandana. I could have picked any number of characters for Defining Feature Is Glasses but here is the most cursed version of Simon of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Suffer as I have. Marc Antony with his beloved Pussyfoot from Looney Tunes has the same tough guy with a soft center vibe as Wrecker and his Lula (also a kind of cat). Hell, in the same show we have Cad Bane sharing Cowboy Clint Eastwood with Crosshair. I actually think Bane makes a better Eastwood which is wild considering Crosshair has Eastwood’s entire face and Bane is blue.

So we’ve established you don’t need your characters to look exactly like their inspirations to match their vibe. So why go through the trouble and cost of creating completely new character designs instead of recycling and altering assets they already had on hand? Just slap on a bandana, toothpick, goggles, and make Wrecker bigger than the others while he does a Hulk pose and you’re done. Based on the general reaction to Howzer it would have been a low effort slam dunk crowd pleaser.

But they didn’t do that.

So here’s the thing. I like the tropes used in The Bad Batch. I am a fan of action adventure movies from the 80s-90s, the sillier the better. I am part of the Bad Batch’s target audience. Considering what I know about Disney and Lucasfilm, I went in with low expectations. I genuinely don’t hate the idea of seeing references to these actors and media in The Bad Batch. I don’t think basing these characters on tropes was a bad idea. If anything it’s a solid starting point for building the characters.

The trouble is nothing got built on the foundation. The plot is directionless, the pacing is wacky, and the characters have nearly no emotional depth or defining character arcs. They just sort of exist without reacting much while the story happens around them. But I can excuse all of that. You don’t stay a fan of Star Wars as long as I have not being able to cherrypick and fill in the gaps. This show has a deeper issue that shouldn’t be ignored.

Why do the animated clones bear at best only a passing resemblance to their live action actor? In interviews, Filoni wouldn’t shut up but the technological advancements in the animation for season 7. So if they are updating things, why not try to make the clones a closer match to their source material? Why did they have to look like completely different people in The Bad Batch to be “unique”? Looking like Temeura Morrison would have no bearing on their special abilities and TCW proved you can have identical looking characters and still have them be distinct. In fact, that’s a powerful theme and the source of tragedy for the clones’ narrative overall.

Here’s Filoni’s early concept art of Crosshair, Wrecker, Tech, and Hunter. (Interesting but irrelevant: Wrecker seems to have a cog tattoo similar to Jesse’s instead of a scar. Wouldn’t it have been funny if they kept that so when they met in season 7 one if them could say something like “Hey we’re twins!” That’s a little clone humor. Just for you guys 😘)

None of these drawings look like the clones in TCW, much less Temeura Morrison. Let’s be generous. Maybe Filoni struggles with drawing a real person’s likeness, as many people do. But he had to hand this off to other artists down the line whose job specifically involves making a stylized character resemble their actor. Yet the final designs missed the mark almost as much as this initial concept. Starting to seem as if the clones looking more like Temeura Morrison was never even on the table. It wasn’t a lack of creativity, skill or technical limitations on the part of the creative team. I don’t think there is an innocent explanation. They went out of their way to make the final product exactly how we got it.

This goes beyond homage. They could have made the same pop culture references and character tropes without completely stripping Temeura Morrison from the role he originated. It was a very purposeful choice to replace him with more immediately familiar actors from established franchises and films. It wouldn’t shock me if Filoni, Lucas, and anyone else calling the shots didn’t even think hard or care enough about the decision to immediately recognize a problem. And I don’t think they believed anyone else would either. At least no one whose opinion they cared about. Those faces are comfortingly familiar and proven bankable. They are what we’re all used to seeing after all. They’re white.

Lack of imagination, bad intentions, or simple ignorance doesn’t really matter in the end. The result is the same. Call it what it is. They replaced a man of color with a bunch of white guys. That’s by the book garden variety run of the mill whitewashing. There’s no debate worth having about it. For a fanbase that loves to nitpick things like whether or not it’s in character for Han to shoot first or Jeans Guy in the Mandalorian, we sure are quick to find excuses for clones who look nothing like their template. Why is that? If you don’t see the problem, congratulations. Your ass is showing. Pull your jeans up.

#star wars #the bad batch #unwhitewashtbb #wrecker #crosshair #tech #hunter #echo

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mygodyouredivine · 3 years

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Something About You

Summary: After you joined the Avengers, you had quickly bonded with all the team members and accepted even Loki. Loki finds himself drawn to you and develops a begrudging fondness for you. He doesn't realize just how deep that affection was rooted until you are injured on a mission.

Characters: Loki Laufeyson/(f)Reader

Warnings: mostly none, minor injury (nothing graphic), minor angst

Word Count: 2965

Notes: Hi! This is my first ever fanfiction and the first time I’m posting on tumblr! I’ve read many (many, many, many) Loki/Reader fics and I wanted to give it a try to see if I could write a short interaction between Loki and the reader. Please forgive me for any spelling/grammar mistakes, and if you enjoyed, any feedback/comments would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Loki despised the Avengers. It was impossible to miss the distrustful looks thrown his way, the way the air shifted uncomfortably when he entered a room, or the thinly veiled jabs at his loyalty despite him living in the compound for well over a year. However, their treatment of him wasn’t the source of his contempt. It was you, and for all the Norns he couldn’t determine why.

You had moved into the compound a few weeks after he had and every single occupant of the tower had been immediately infatuated with your charm. Not that Loki could blame them. You maintained a sense of innocence he could hardly believe, especially due to your history. He didn’t know much about you, but you had been rescued - and then recruited - into the Avengers after all. A tragic backstory was practically a prerequisite. You were also contradictory; for though you exuded innocence, there was also a complexity and rage that simmered underneath your skin. During missions, you were a force not to be underestimated - you stuck down enemies with a certainty and ease that even Loki respected. But in the safety and comfort of the tower, you were, for lack of a more eloquent term, adorable . Walking around in oversized Midgardian articles of clothing and fuzzy socks that often sported cartoonish designs of various animals, you almost appeared soft. Paired with your bright, but not blinding, personality, it only made sense that the others warmed to you so quickly.

Stark was the first to fall under your spell, pampering you with his latest inventions before showing anyone else. Loki supposed it had to do with your genuine enthusiasm when Stark talked, and the team had quickly learned that besides Pepper, you were one of the only people who could persuade Stark to venture from his lab to get the rest that all mortals needed. Rogers had been next. It wasn’t hard to see why the Captain had taken such a quick liking to you. Loki personally believed Rogers only saw the innocence and not the complexity, but that innocence had apparently activated his protective mode, for the Captain was oh-so-careful whenever he reluctantly sent you on any missions. Next, it had been Banner. You and the shy doctor had bonded over your shared love of quiet relaxed conversation and he could often find you in Banner’s labs, assisting him with various mundane tasks. You had even swayed the ever-suspicious Widow. How you did so, Loki had no idea. Even now, months later, the Widow only gazed upon him with open hostility. Finally, his oaf of a brother Thor. Thor had loved you from the first time he met you, but that was no surprise. What was surprising was how you tolerated his boisterous brother’s extroverted and often over-enthusiastic nature with a never ending well of patience. He could see how you flinched when Thor would sometimes talk too loudly, but you were always quick to cover it up with a smile and a hug for the oaf.

Loki noticed that like many Midgardians, you seemed to crave touch. Even among the highly suspicious Avengers, they all seemed to trust you intimately. Stark, who, putting it lightly, was not a hugger, seemed to enjoy the occasional brush of your fingers across his arm. Rogers loved to ruffle your hair whenever he saw you, his large hand continuously running through your soft locks during meetings. Loki wondered briefly what it would be like to feel your silky strands of hair between his fingers, to have you sigh contentedly and close your eyes while he wove intricate braids into your hair. He didn’t know. The only one besides Rogers who touched your hair was the Widow, and you could both often be found brushing and braiding each other’s hair. With Banner, you seemed to be fond of side hugs, quickly smooshing the entire side of your body against his, and with Thor, well, you seemed to be the most comfortable with his brother. Your customary greeting was a hug, and it often annoyed him when his brother would abandon whatever interaction he was having with Loki to embrace you and spin you around while you giggled with a childlike glee. During the weekly movie nights, you could usually be found next to Thor, curled next to him with one of his arms thrown haphazardly behind your shoulders. Loki hated it.

When you had first moved into the compound, you had been cautious around all of your new companions. Slowly, that careful apprehension had faded away, and you had become an integral part of their family, while Loki had remained an outsider. He had tried to hate you, and for a time, he was successful. He looked down upon your openness, your softness, and categorized it as a weakness. Over time, he began to see your courage and ability to trust as a strength and as a sign that you were truly comfortable with all the occupants of the tower, and he admired it, rather against his will.

Though Loki refused to admit it to himself, his fascination with you had nothing to do with how the others saw you; Loki couldn’t care less about the opinions of Midgardians. Except you. There was something about you that drew Loki to you, for when he noticed you were relaxed with all of your roommates, he was startled to see that it included him. Not to say he was your favorite by any chance, or that you paid special attention to him, but he was excruciatingly aware of your perfectly average treatment of him. The way your eyes met his without flinching and how your body refused to tense when he entered a room and the way you didn’t hesitate before contentedly dropping into a seat next to him made him feel accepted. Though his pride prevented him from acknowledging it, acceptance was one thing Loki strived for but could never reach, regardless of his Silvertongue or magic, charm or tricks. But with you, Loki didn’t have to strive for acceptance, he simply was. As uncomfortable as it made him, Loki begrudgingly began to develop a fondness for you.

Not only did your laid-back treatment of Loki prompt him to lower his defenses around you, your complete and inherent trust in him pleased him immensely. He wasn’t talking about you sharing all your deepest and darkest secrets with him, but rather the way you trusted he wouldn’t hurt you or betray the Avengers. Occasionally Loki would unintentionally hear snippets of conversation between ‘Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ making jabs regarding his ability to be trusted and simply at his expense, but you were never a part of the unpleasant discussions. In fact, Loki would often see you frowning disapprovingly at whomever had made the disparaging comment, and while the others’ opinion of Loki did not matter to him whatsoever, seeing your discontent had him appreciating you even more. More than how you acted when Loki wasn’t present, Loki still mostly enjoyed the interactions you did have with him. Loki typically hated movie nights as he was forced to suffer through the combined presence of all the people who disliked him crammed into a single room. He constantly craved to distance himself from everyone, including you, until he had experienced your closeness for himself. Though it was unbearably harder to see you interacting so affectionately with Thor after he knew just how intoxicating you were, the times you would touch him always kept his negative feelings at bay. On the rare occasions when you weren’t glued to Thor’s side during movie nights, you opted to sit next to him. More often than not, you ended up falling asleep, either right next to him, or on him, though that seldom ever happened. The few times it did, Loki found himself paying even less attention to whatever repetitive and predictable Midgardian film was playing and focusing on you. The steady rise and fall of your breaths against his skin, the warmth your body radiated, contrasting deliciously with his own icy interior, and the unpredictable actions you took in your sleep, such as the occasional tightening of your fingers on his chest or the charming way you enticingly nuzzled your cheek into him. Whenever you feel asleep on him, Loki would take extreme care to keep his breaths as even as possible to not disturb you. He once mustered up the courage to drape his arm across your slumbering form, and you had sighed ever so softly and only burrowed deeper into his side. When you woke up, you always looked mortified and apologized profusely, as if Loki could ever be displeased by your actions. Unbeknownst to you, the moments you spend curled up next to him warmed him during the days you were absent or off on missions.

He doubted you knew how much you mattered to him, and he himself didn’t understand just how deep he cared for you, until he almost lost you. You were on a mission with Thor and the Widow and were supposed to be back a week ago. Various complications had arisen, and while worry grew within Loki, he pushed it deep within himself as missions rarely did go completely smoothly. However, his sleep quality, while usually less restful when you were not within the compound, deteriorated at a rapid pace, and he found himself in the kitchen making tea when the Quinjet returned, announcing your return. Loki immediately knew something was off, for he did not hear any quiet chatter or soft laughter that usually accompanied you, Thor, and the Widow. Convincing himself that he had nothing better to do, Loki had gone up to the roof with the intent of offering his brother tea as a guise to check on you. The sight Loki was met with had his fingers tightening on the mug and his teeth being grinded so hard he could almost hear it. For there Thor was, leaving the Quinjet with you held in his arms and the Widow prancing along behind. A concoction of emotions began boiling within Loki: confusion, hurt, anger, disgust. As Loki continued to watch from the shadow of the roof, his revulsion only increased as Thor lowered his face to yours in a disgustingly sweet manner and whispered in your ear. However, as Thor and the Widow drew closer to where Loki was standing, he began to pick up on the oddity of the situation. Why would Thor be carrying you in his arms? The Widow was not prancing, she was running. Why was she running? Why were you still limp? Was that blood? Loki quickly emerged from his corner and walked forward towards you. The sight he was met with had the tea in his hands dropping to the floor and shattering with a crash that Loki couldn’t hear. In fact, he couldn’t hear anything but a distant buzzing surrounding him, for you were there, lying in Thor’s arms with your eyes closed, skin sickly pale but shining with sweat, hair matted, and coated in blood that seemed to ooze from your body. Without a word, Loki had teleported all of you into the doctor’s lab.

As Thor positioned you gently down onto the bed and the Widow ran to summon the healers, Loki could only focus on you. Your breaths, so solid against his side a few days ago, were erratic and thin, your chest barely rising at all. Your fingers twitched, not in the peaceful way they had against his chest, but painfully. Your brows furrowed and you whimpered pathetically. Loki’s heart shattered. Under any other circumstance, he would have immediately demanded what had happened, but he could not tear his eyes from you. Oh, you precious little mortal. Loki had forgotten how frail Midgardians were and how easily you could break, how utterly short your existences were. He reached towards your fragile form, carefully brushing your tangled hair away from your face. He poured his seidr into you, praying to all the Norns - Hel, even to Odin - that you would survive this ordeal, all the while cursing himself for not going with you, for allowing you to become injured to such an extent, and for not practicing healing magic when he had a change. His desperate attempt to heal you and self loathing was cut short by the arrival of doctors, nurses, and the other Avengers, all wildy alert after receiving news of your injury. Loki allowed himself to be jostled away while medical personnel surrounded you as the others began questioning Thor and the Widow on how you had arrived in this condition.

Now, Loki sat by your bedside, where he had resided ever since they had stabilized your condition. He refused to budge, plainly ignoring anyone who tried to take his place and brushing off Thor’s half-hearted attempts to get him to eat. No, Loki spent all his time here, watching you for any sign of recovery and ensuring that your breaths kept coming. Your clothes had been changed. You were no longer wearing your bloodied uniform, but a set of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt taken out of your bedroom. Your body had been cleaned and hair had been brushed. You looked so peaceful, just laying there on the crisp white sheets. Your eyelids fluttering randomly and the occasional wince and groan were the only signs of life you exhibited. Your body convulses, and your face tenses as sweat begins to bead across your forehead. Loki recognized these symptoms all too well. You were having a nightmare.

“Darling? Darling do you think you could wake up? I know you can. Come on, you can do it.”

Loki whispered encouragement into your unconscious body, hoping he could rouse you from whatever torment your subconscious decided to inflict upon you. Surprisingly, you do awake, though it was not with the grace he typically saw from you. Instead, your eyes jolted open with a start and you immediately attempted to sit up, falling back down onto your back as your injury took over you. Your eyes were clouded as a result of the medication the doctors had pumped you with and your lips were chapped. Your hair framed your face haphazardly as a result of your incessant twitching from the nightmare. Your eyebags were prominent and half of your body and face still swollen. Norns, Loki thought he had never seen anything so beautiful.

Seeing him, your half alert face breaks into a genuine smile and Loki hands you a glass of water, prompting you to greedily gulp all the liquid down.

“Loki?” , you croak. “I'm cold.”

Loki’s relief at your awakening is palpable, and he immediately shrugs off his hoodie and bundles you up in the dark green (and insanely soft) fabric. His heart seems infinitely lighter as you look up at him wearing his ridiculously large hoodie and softens when you lay back down and burrow yourself into the fabric. You looked so small there in the hospital bed, your body still recovering and drowning in dark green cotton, and Loki has a sudden desire to brush his lips against the top of your head. Justifying his actions of simply that of a concerned friend, Loki gives into his want. The instant his lips come into contact with your skin, Loki never wants to let you go. The warmness of you seeps into him and fills a void within himself he didn’t even know he had. But Loki lets go, and you sigh happily. Looking down at your now sleeping figure, Loki decides to alert the others. As much as the Avengers dislike him, he does not take joy in witnessing their restlessness as they wallow in guilt. Moving away from you, Loki is stopped by your voice.

“Don’t go.” , your sleepy voice whispers, “Please don’t go. Don’t leave me.”

Though he wasn’t sure of the exact details of your past or what experiences prompted you to ask him to stay, but in that moment Loki vowed to completely annihilate not only those who put you in your current state, but also any being who had ever dared to harm you in any way, even if he had to track down the man who had cut in front of you when you were in line getting coffee for the team a few weeks ago. Your eyes look at him with sadness and pleading within that whatever miniscule amount of conviction within Loki dissipates. He quickly returns to your bedside, dragging the chair closer to you. Selfishly, Loki wants to touch you again, so he reaches out a hand to close your eyelids.

“Shh. It’s okay love. I’m not going anywhere. I won’t leave you. I promise. Try to get some rest. I’ll be right here.”

“Thank you. You’re the best you know. You’re my favorite,” you mutter almost incoherently as you doze off again. As he moves his hand away from your face, you grimace and grab his hand before he can pull back entirely. Your fingers intertwine with his as you bring it back to you. Turning onto your side, you pull your connected hands back up to your face and cuddle with it. You. Cuddling. With him. “Thought you said you weren’t going to leave,” you mutter as you frown, “Lokiii” you drawl. You smile then, and truly drift off.

Something inside Loki cracks. He had been suppressing and denying it for weeks, months now even, but he could no longer run from the realization that his heart belonged to you. Looking at your sleeping form, willingly grasping onto him even though you knew his history and all that he had done, Loki finally let himself believe he might not need to run anymore.

#loki #loki laufeyson #loki x reader #reader insert #soft loki #feelings realization #protective loki #jealous loki #loki x you #loki fic #marvel

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