#mind Tess is a CUBE
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Tarn passes out at the energon dispenser and tess caries him to Nickel. Nickel is checking and it turns out hes Sparked up.
I got the image of the half filled energon cube shattering on the ground and he'll not be happy about that, that's for sure.
I like to think when Tarn woke up again he immediately compared it to something out of a soap opera or something because that's the first place my mind went
Nickel might've sworn a few times. More than a few.
#maccadam#transformers#mtmte tarn#mtmte tesarus#mtmte nickel#they probably at first thought it was caused by say nuke rather than expecting him to be carrying#i mean hey he's gonna have a somewhat strong support system considering there's six of them (we are not including dominus. unless?)
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Essential Avengers: Avengers #289: Cube Root!
March, 1988
HEAVY METAL HORDE!
So the one rogue Super-Adaptoid problem has kinda snowballed into a whole thing, huh?
I’m brave enough to blame Dr Druid for this.
Because we’ve got the Super-Adaptoid (in default form), Machine Man, TESS-One, a Kree Sentry, and the Awesome Android running amok. Dammit, Dr Druid!
Last times in this comic: During the Avengers Under Siege arc, the Fixer inadvertently released the Super-Adaptoid who identity thefted him and shoved him in a tube. The Adaptoid later broke out of jail and tried to recruit the Awesome Android. While the Avengers stopped him, he slipped away and used Mentallo to lure the Avengers into a trap so he could recruit Machine Man and the Kree Sentry. Due to Dr Druid’s bad decision making, him and Black Knight got ambushed by the three robots calling themselves Heavy Metal. The robot team then used the Avengers Quinjet to get past Hydrobase’s security.
And now they’re here.
DAMMIT DR DRUID!
Also, writer Roger Stern was replaced by Ralph Macchio mid-story when Stern pushed back against Mark Gruenwald’s plan to make Monica look like an incompetent dope so that Captain America could take over the team.
I’m going to keep that in mind in case people start saying stuff like ‘this would never have happened if Captain America were here!’
Anyway, Heavy Metal immediately starts wrecking shit. Which is a shame. I’m pretty sure all the shit they’re wrecking had just been built.
Dick move, robots.
Namor, Marrina, and She-Hulk are on Hydrobase when the attack starts so they hear the alarms and realize that the returning Quinjet (that they apparently didn’t try to contact to confirm) was not Dr Druid and Black Knight.
She-Hulk snarks as she’s running off to go punch robots that she’ll have to talk to Captain Marvel to make the landing clearances more complex.
Namor tries to tell Marrina that she should stay behind so she doesn’t get hurt but she tells him to stick it up his butt.
Marrina: “My husband -- no! Hydrobase is my home now. And although I am not a full Avenger... when my home is threatened -- I fight!”
So Namor stops objecting and privately marvels at what a valorous woman she is and how proud he is to be her spouse.
Aw, that’s nice.
(Ignores cursed future knowledge)
She-Hulk finds the nearest robot aggressor and immediately punches it in the ass.
Alas.
The ass WHAKT! was not sufficient and its return punch launches She-Hulk through a building and jams her in some debris.
She can’t free herself before the Sentry arrives to follow-through. It plucks her from the rubble and swings her at a building until she’s knocked unconscious.
Huh. What ARE all these buildings though?
This location doesn’t look very Hydrobasey. Maybe that’s down to the change in creative team.
Anyway.
While Machine Man, the Kree Sentry, and TESS-One break stuff outside, the Super-Adaptoid slips into the Avengers Storage Warehouse.
The Adaptoid finds the deactivated Awesome Android and reprograms it to break shit.
AND THE AWESOME ANDROID JUST MARCHES THROUGH THE WALL
There was a door, guy!
But even this is just another distraction for the Avengers and the Fixtallo-Adaptoid goes off to achieve his final goal.
Meanwhile, Namor tackles TESS-One into a wall.
Unfortunately, TESS-One, despite being designed during World War II, has adamantium coating, making it hard for Namor to damage. Since all he knows is blunt force.
God. Adamantium really is too plentiful.
Marrina maybe didn’t get the message because she picks up a big rock and throws it at TESS-One. Resulting only in becoming the primary target for the robot to shoot its force beams at.
Namor jumps back on TESS-One and starts examining its head for a shutoff switch.
TESS-One just grabs Namor and hurls him through a building. And mid-throw, Namor spots that the Awesome Android is also wrecking shit up and makes the decision to switch focus to the Awesome Android and asks Marrina to deal with TESS-One.
Of course, given her track record so far, are you surprised that she instantly gets knocked out when TESS-One zaps her.
Dammit, Marrina.
I beg you. Have one (1) competence. You have extensive experience with Alpha Flight!
Elsewhere, Machine Man is flying above the oddly city looking Hydrobase and having a Concern.
It turns out that Machine Man is actually a Good Guy. Although he pretended to buy into the Super-Adaptoid’s claim he could bring back Jocasta, Machine Man was really playing along to find out what the Adaptoid’s real plan was.
(He also wanted to see if the Adaptoid could bring Jocasta back)
Except the Super-Adaptoid is playing things so close to his chest that Machine Man has learned nothing but has helped beat up some Avengers and invade their headquarters.
And since the construction crews were still working on the island (and are seen running in panic from all the fighting) Machine Man decides that the risk to human life is now too much for him to keep playing along.
He’s going to flip sides!
Also on the island is Dr. Walt Newell, the good guy Stingray!
He’s the one who owns Hydrobase and he’s leasing it to the Avengers.
So he’s not super thrilled to see it get smashed up by a bunch of robots.
He puts on his Stingray battlesuit and flies off to attack the first robot he sees!
WHICH IS MACHINE MAN
BECAUSE OF COURSE STINGRAY WASN’T AROUND TO HEAR MACHINE MAN MONOLOGUING ABOUT HOW HE WAS SWITCHING SIDES!
Machine Man insists that he’s on Stingray’s side and that they should work together.
Stingray is amenable... if Machine Man answers some questions.
Inside the Avengers’ communications complex, the Fixermentallo-Adaptoid has finished bypassing the security on the Avengers’ computers so he can access their files on the Cosmic Cube.
Thankfully, the Avengers have several adjacent monitors so a bunch of information can be displayed on several screens. Tabs are for underachievers.
Wait, the Aquarian?
-google-
Apparently Steve Gerber created him as a pastiche on Superman, which in this case means DC almost sued Marvel because in this case the line between pastiche and plagiarism was razor-thin.
But I digress.
The Super-Adaptoid has learned from the Avengers’ files that the Cosmic Cube is not even on Earth. And that’s what the Adaptoid is after.
But he’s got a backup plan and sends out a hyperspace transmission.
Captain Marvel returns from finding Dr Druid and Black Knight and getting them to the hospital. Because this is the Monica Rambeau incompetence arc, the Adaptoid psychic blasts her unconscious without even turning away from the transmitter.
Not only that but since he got her right when she was shifting to her light form, she also starts discorporating.
Why do you hate Monica so much, Gruenwald?
Meanwhile, outside, She-Hulk has regained consciousness and starts fighting the Kree Sentry. Also, Namor comes to save Marrina from TESS-One by punching it in the head a bunch but the Awesome Android grabs him and starts twisting the prince of Abslantis into a pretzel.
BUT:
Marrina has one (1) competence!
She rams the Awesome Android with a bulldozer, causing the robot to lose hold of Namor.
Sure, the Awesome Android then smacks the bulldozer into the ocean but hey, she’s fine in water.
Namor confirms that Marrina is fine and then smashes into the ground to smash out of the ground under the Awesome Android so he can dunk him into the ocean.
Its a tactic he uses a lot as a villain. He is strongest in water after all and other people generally need to breath. You’re headquartered on an island and you didn’t think of it sooner?
Okay, okay, okay. Its easy to criticize. It’s good that you thought of it now.
Elsewhere on the beach, the Kree Sentry corners She-Hulk against the water.
The robot bats She-Hulk into the water with a tree and then goes wading after her. Luckily, She-Hulk has a guardian Marrina.
Marrina: “No! No! Take your hands off her! No Avenger will die if I can help it!”
She jumps on the Sentry and starts trying to rip its head off.
And she manages to actually topple the Sentry and submerge it.
Inside Hydrobase, I guess Machine Man successfully convinced Stingray that he was on the level because the two of them bust in together to try to stop the Super-Adaptoid.
While Stingray gets taken out with one blast, just like Monica, Machine Man manages to start grappling the Adaptoid.
The Adaptoid just laughs off Machine Man’s attack as Just As Planned. The Super-Adaptoid super-adapts even Machine Man’s powers, and copies his face.
Meanwhile, back outside, all the fighting seems to have moved into the ocean.
After dunking the Awesome Android into the water, Namor finds that it has mimicked his bouyancy. So he just rips Andy’s head clean off.
Oof.
TESS-One has also waded out into the water to continue the fight and draws a bead on Namor. But She-Hulk and Marrina shove its robot legs and TESS-One stumbles off the edge of Hydrobase.
See, its not a real island. It doesn’t go all the way down. You know those scary pictures of places where the continental shelf just DROPS OFF.
Kinda like that is happening to TESS-One.
Hm. The Avengers are going to have a lot of waterlogged killer robots in the oceans around their base.
But after defeating those soggy robots, Namor, She-Hulk, and Marrina notice a bright light coming from the communications complex.
It turns out that the Super-Adaptoid’s hyperspace transmission has summoned a Cosmic Cube. But not just any Cosmic Cube.
Cosmic Cube has evolved into a Transformer!
The Fixermentallodruidmachineman-Adaptoid answers Kubik’s demand to know who rang.
Super-Adaptoid: “Like yourself, I am a creation of the scientists who comprised A.I.M. Once I did their bidding -- but no longer. I have my own needs now, and my own methods of satisfying them.Even those mechanical entities whose aid I enlisted in my attempt to draw you here are as nothing compared to me. Let me approach you now in my purest, most undiluted form, that you may see the truth of him who called you.”
And the Super-Adaptoid purges the appearances/powers(?) that he’s adapted and takes on the generic metal man no features form.
Kubik disputes the statement that he was created by AIM, instead saying that it was more like his essence was plucked from another universe and shoved into a cube and forced to do reality warping.
So this conversation is off to a fantastic start.
Kubik asks why the Adaptoid summoned him and the Adaptoid says he's lonely, oh so lonely.
Super-Adaptoid: "I desire... progeny. You see, I am unique -- A.I.M. was able to create one of me, and even that single creation may have been accidental. Now I desire others of my ilk... worthy to stand at my side and rule this planet when I have conquered it!”
Okay... started this answer somewhat sympathetic and plunged into un.
Kubik tells him to fuck off.
Kubik: "Kubik is no longer an immature entity, a nascent life form granting the wishes of whosoever holds me. The only changes I make in the world are those I desire. And they are few. Your wishes will not be delivered."
Then the Super-Adaptoid tells Kubik to fuck off.
Since he's the Super-Adaptoid, he'll just super-adapt Kubik's powers. He can do this, you see. He's a Super-Adaptoid.
I guess more to the point, AIM created him with a sliver of a cosmic cube so his power source is similar to Kubik. But its a frequent point that slivers of cosmic cubes don't have the same power as the fully cubic deal. And the next thing Kubik-Adaptoid says is that he's now equal in power to Kubik and uses the possibility of a reality-endangering stalemate between them to tell Kubik to fuck off back to space.
Super-Adaptoid: “At last my destiny is at hand! At last my merest whim becomes immutable fact! I am beyond conquest or challenge! The Super-Adaptoid has become -- THE MASTER OF ALL REALITY!”
Can’t wait for pride to goeith before you fall, bud.
Follow @essential-avengers if you think Monica deserves better. Like and reblog if you think Kubik looks like a transformer or if you liked this post and think other people should see it.
#avengers#essential avengers#Heavy Metal#Super Adaptoid#Machine Man#TESS One#Kree Sentry#Awesome Android#Kubik#Stingray#namor mckenzie#captain marvel#Monica Rambeau#Marrina#She Hulk#Dr Druid who isn't here for some reason#the reason is that he made poor decisions#essential marvel liveblogging#my enjoyment of this arc is colored by what I know of the behind the scenes stuff
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📖
alright, apparently at any given moment I‘ve got four something variations of mer/sea creature infinity stones AUs so here goes one…
the tesseract is on Asgard, hidden in the vaults— except she’s never been a cube and instead appears in the form of a sea creature. she’s a bit of an amalgamation of a box fish & a dragon sea slug but also vaguely humanoid shaped like a mer would be. So in the vault, instead of on a pedestal like everything else, Space is a bit separated from the main trophy room. Her water tank is completely blocked off by (energy) reinforced glass.
Young Loki finds the water tank cause he’s sneaky and wants to see the vault (because he’s drawn to it). The glass is a bit fuzzy and harder to see through when the bright barrier flares, though sporadically it’s more clear. The water is somehow not murky, as it stays completely clean.
Loki is of course fascinated by the strange creature he sees on the other side, though (at first) the feeling is not mutual as Tess is wary of all asgardians (and isn’t familiar enough with them to realize Loki is a child).
The cage, I mean- tank, is pretty small and barren, so although its depth goes a bit deeper than the floor, there’s no hiding spaces or similar creature comforts. There’s no algae, and no obviously no sun.
This also means that even tho they’re as far away as they can be, and Tess far larger staying in front, it’s obvious that there is two creatures here.
They don’t even attempt to communicate anything back to loki for a long time.
The second here is Mind, and he has been here for a long time. This was originally just his cage, and he has no idea Tess was in another section of the vault. At first, Odin had considered not keeping Tess at all, because having two infinity creatures in one place seemed risky even for him. He realized it was too risky even dumping one of them in a random spot in the ocean, because that would allow them to heal and become too powerful.
Tess had no idea mind was there either, but once she realized what was happening she attempted to contact the others. The message is vague as this kind of communication isn’t her strong suit, it’s mostly emotions and pain, but enough so if any of the others were nearby, they would know where she was.
Mind attempts to contact her back, but now behind another barrier, Tess’ abilities aren’t strong enough in this aspect for it to reach her. Mind is already worried at the message, but the lack of response is panic inducing and he knows they can’t die and the alternative can only be something worse.
In his panic, he manages to destroy his cage and the barrier, but it hurts him more than it did the tank. it could be rebuilt, and it was, multiple times. Odin eventually realizes keeping Mind away isn’t worth the effort, and he’s only destroying his vessel to the point, losing more and more of the leaf shaped structures (scales I guess? but also not really) he was once covered in.
And Odin isn’t cruel you know, he needs them weak, but not on the brink of “death”.
So he puts Tess in Mind’s tank, and well, that fixes one problem.
[Put "📓" or some other version of a book emoji into my inbox and I'll explain the plot of a fanfiction that I haven't written but daydream about.]
#thanks for making me actually write this out 💀#tesseroki#infinoki#I didn’t even reread this so apologies if it’s incoherent lol#I might’ve posted about this before but that’s because I routinely forget about it and then circle back around a few weeks later#I don’t even have a WIP doc for this plot I should probably do that#in case it wasn’t clear#they’re not fed btw :(#Odin is mean :(#better than bor but still :(#anyways eventually as Loki grows up he keeps visiting#he can’t help them escape (yet) but he realizes he CAN find their family so they can be reunited#he doesn’t have a safer place to bring them yet but it gets them a bigger cage!#Odin thinks they’re bringing back ‘treasures”’ just because. precious artifacts#just warrior things yknow#oh and reality is actually hidden in the vault too but on a seperate plane of existence so they don’t find him til later#the core from her chest is removed as bor had attempted to remove her power#he realizes she can’t be killed and traps her in that separate plane so she’s left by the stones with basically no water#so her vessel is partially destroyed & she can’t heal because she’s trapped and has no access to anything that would help#anyways that’s a lil bit of the backstory#I have yet to build much actual plot skfkf#sea slug mer#au
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(Disclaimer: This post is not my own. This is a repost from the official ilomilo developers on blog.ilomilo.com (only accessible on the wayback machine)!)
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Thunderbolt preview
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
Thunderbolt stumbled upon ilomilo at PAX and wrote a neat preview of it.
“Admittedly iloimilo was already somewhat on my radar before checking it out at PAX, but seeing it in motion really drew me into playing it. At this stage it’s beautiful, fun and remarkably intuitive to play, simply put, it was the most fun I had with a title at PAX this year. ilomilo drops into XBLA – as well as our hearts – later this year.”
Read full preview
[NOTE FROM TESS: Pasting below for easy reading!]
ilomilo is based on the simple premise of separation and reunion. The title characters start each and every stage separated and the goal is to reunite the pair, on adjacent tiles. Of course the reunion is easier said than done, as both ilo and milo need to be utilized in conjunction to facilitate the progress of one another.
During my time at the Microsoft booth I was able to run through ilomilo’s four tutorial stages and a pair of the earliest levels. Prominently featured in the tutorials and even in the actual levels was the Napoleon-like Sebastian, who has a house in apparently every stage that looks like a cube with a lamp on top. Strolling over his residence triggers Napoleon to fly out of his geometric abode aboard something eerily similar to a Catbus. Sebastian provides background and at least at this early stage in the game alerts the player about the various mechanics of ilomilo. Amusingly his dialogue is voiced in a sort of gibberish, which I have a soft spot for thanks to games like Klonoa and Okami.
The most important core mechanic of ilomilo is the ability to switch between the two at any point. Whenever I wasn’t immediately sure what to do next it became very natural to quickly switch characters and see if a puzzle made sense from a different place in the level. Having this alternate, but necessary perspective seems like the perfect way to alleviate some of the frustration one feels when they run into a puzzle they can’t solve. If you can’t see the solution as ilo then try milo, maybe there’s something totally different with the other character that needs to be done first.
During my time with the game I got to see blocks that could be deployed to create platforms and bridges, a block that would have a monster jump out to block your way and magic carpets that allowed you to walk on certain walls. Playing with the deploy piece was intuitive as it allowed one character to create bridges either for themselves or the other. The carpets served as an early introduction to the somewhat mind bending nature of the puzzler, as many surfaces can be walked upon during certain levels and chances are if you’re allowed to there’s good reason for it. A good example is the monster block, if ilo is adjacent to it, it will pop up to impede his way. If you leave ilo there, the monster will remain out, allowing milo to pass by the same cube on one of its other three traversable surfaces. Admittedly it’s quite straightforward, but there’s something elegant about the simplicity.
Some people might be turned off by ilomilo’s adorable design but the whole presentation is absolutely refreshing and was the main draw for me in the first place. The game has a surreal feel and looks truly unique, which is saying something based on the wealth of originality seen in the downloadable space. The closest comparison I can make is it has a sort of hand crafted quality to it, which is somewhat reminiscent of LittleBigPlanet. Thankfully the setup was fitted with a pair of nice headphones too and I can say the sound design really compliments the quirky puzzler.
Admittedly iloimilo was already somewhat on my radar before checking it out at PAX, but seeing it in motion really drew me into playing it. At this stage it’s beautiful, fun and remarkably intuitive to play, simply put, it was the most fun I had with a title at PAX this year. ilomilo drops into XBLA – as well as our hearts - later this year.
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pacific rim AU where loki and thor doesn't work well because they're not so drift compatible but loki and the tesseract does
#thor strapped in to the back of the jaegar like a seatless babyseat dangling about complaining about how loki should get over the adoption#loki like you know this is the problem with u. tess never tells me to get over the adoption.#TESS IS A CUBE#a SENTIENT cube. don't be rude. and mind your language. just because YOU don't get a cool alien relic doesn't need u need to be jealous#WHY WOULD I BE JEALOUS OF A--YOU'RE ABOUT TO HIT A BRIDGE#yes you are and yes i know#tesseroki#possibly thor and loki doesn't work but putting tess in AS WELL does????#thor is LIVID
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Tessember Masterlist
This is a compilation of works for the Tessember Challenge proposed by @worstloki !
Please comment on this post if you’d like your work to be incuded or if there’s any errors with the links. Remember to read any warnings that there might be and to give a little reblog to all the wonderful creators that participated.
Happy reading :D
@coin-writes :
Stellar Bouquet: Tess keeps getting distracted. Why is Loki constantly touching his hair?: Space
Part 1: An itch that doesn’t subside
Part 2: Will you let me heal you ?
@colifower :
A short story collection depicting Tess’ adventures on Asgard, Midgard and Jötunheim with their friends.
Day 1: Space, Day 2: Loki, Day 3: Silver, Day 4: Magic, Day 5: Scared, Day 6: Grass, Day 7: Stairs, Day 8: HYDRA, Day 9: Cat, Day 10: Superior, Day 11: Ocean, Day 12: Asgard, Day 13: Lab, Day 14: Invasion, Day 15 and 16: Glow and Photon, Day 17: Vault, Day 18: Warmth, Day 19: Cube, Day 20: Fall, Day 21: Stark, Day 22: Earned, Day 23: Broken, Day 24: Light, Day 25: Dragon, Day 26: Bones, Day 27: Hope, Day 28: Mind, Day 29: Wires, Day 30: Sinking, Day 31: Home, Extra 1: Heart, Extra 2: Wonder, Extra 3: Never, Extra 4: Question, Extra 5: Pants, Extra 6: Surprise
@doctor-disc0
We’ve been blessed by their Tesseroki drawing!!
@every-lokitten :
Wonderful art of our beloved Tess
Space
Mind
Silence + Solitude
@flyingbooks42 :
Beautiful character study of Tess
To be
@idontknowcanonswriting :
A collection of one shots and drabbles about the one and only <3
Day 1: Your light carries me to far and wide (Dark light to another world we hide)
Day 2: Oh My Heart (It’s A Fish Out Of Water)
Day 3: and the knot in my chest, is not in my chest (it’s just a trick of the brain)
Day 4: I’ll Be There For You (When The Rain Starts To Fall)
Day 5: My Broken Pieces (You Pick Them Up)
Day 6: holding each other with no one else in mind (like two atoms in a molecule inseparably combined)
Day 7: fly me to the moon (let me play among the stars)
Day 8: i got my knife, got my gun (lets see how fast you can run)
Day 9: i used to hear a simple song, that was until you came along (you took my broken melody, and now i hear a symphony)
Day 10: I’m not innocent (But I’m more than where I’ve been)
Day 11: Is this real life? (Or is this just fantasy?)
Day 12: I’m an exception (It’s hard to accept)
Day 13: I make a fist and not a plan
Day 14: Don’t you go overanalyze (No need to theorize)
Day 15: Promise in the dark (You’ll be my nightlight)
Day 16: That Now I’m In A Whole New World With You
Day 17: Stuck inside of four walls, how long can it last?
Day 18: only thing that burning when the nights grow cold
Day 19: you might think that you can hurt me (but the damage has been done)
Day 20: tears running dry, shattered inside, but i still gotta smile
Day 21: I hold hands with cosmic entities
Day 22: and tell me what you see, a picture perfect hero, but you’re no god to me
Day 23: You are everywhere (Like wallpaper in my mind)
Day 24: Baby, you light up my world like nobody else
Day 25: Didn’t make sense not to live for fun
Day 26: It might be your wound, but they’re my sutures
Day 27: Open your eyes, look up to the skies (and see)
Day 28: I’m not sorry for what will come (What you don’t know)
Day 29: I try to escape the afterlife (I try hard to get back inside your arms tonight)
Day 30: Oh my love, I know im a cold cold man
Day 31: Home Is Where The Sentient Cube Is
@lokigodofaces :
The Tesseract is intrigued by Loki, but they both are wanted by Thanos.
A whole fanfiction, very short chapters.
Day 1: Space, Day 2: Loki, Day 3: Silver, Day 4: Magic, Day 5: Solitude, scared, Day 6: Grass, Day 7: Sabotage, Day 8: HYDRA, Day 9: Servitude, Day 10: Superior, Day 11: Ocean, Stars, Supernovae, Day 12: Speechless, Day 13: Subjugation, Day 14: Invasion, Day 15, Glow, Day 16: Photon, Sacharine, Day 17: Vault, Day 18: Warmth, Sexuality, Day 19: Scepter, Day 20: Sanctuary, Day 21: Heart, Day 22: Shadows, Day 23: Broken, Sucess, Day 24: Light, Day 25: Survive, Day 26: Never, Day 27: Hope, Day 28: Mind, Day 29: Sand, Day 30: Sinking
@worstloki
Most of their work are headcanons and drabbles. Check out the tags and notes since people colaborate to expand their amazing work.
Space
Tesseroki but make Loki a cube
What does tesseroki say about you
I’m blue (Dabadee, dabada)
Cats! but better
I need some space
Original prompts can be found here
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As blue as the sky itself
CHAPTER NO. 9. cube
AUTHOR: colifower
ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki falling in love with The Tesseract
RATING: Gen
NOTES/WARNINGS: I’m posting this chapter while having some issues with my laptop screen. Please forgive me if the formating is not as always.
The pic is also by me :D
“My liege?” asked Raisin, knowing softly on the Allfather’s door. Loki had left it ajar, so he thought it would be a good idea to check if he was there or had left Asgard once and for all.
“Mng…” he heard coming from the bed.
“My liege!” Raisin shouted, shaking Loki up. “Loki, wake up!”
Loki woke up unceremoniously. She scrambled to her feet and the cube fell to the ground.
It was that moment when they knew they were fucked.
“Nononononononono…” Loki mumbled, picking up The Tesseract and trying to shake them awake.
“What did you do now?”
“Me? I only went to sleep, Tess was still awake when I left them!”
“Left them? They were clearly by your side! What was Tess doing in your room anyways?”
“Erm…” said Loki, trying not to think about the events of the previous night. Too many feelings she was not ready to share with anybody. ”Tess came to my room crying and I tried my best to console them.”
“Then, why were they in the bed with you?”
“Erm…”
“No.”
“It’s not what you think” she blurted, finally realizing what her friend would have assumed it happened. “Raisin, no.”
“Is not… ? Loki, did you fuck The Tesseract?” he shrieked. Loki looked at Tess, they didn’t wake up with the scream.
“Is not like that, Raisin.”
“But did you?” he asked. “Of course you did, you are a nasty one. You didn’t even bother to put your pjs back on!”
“Raisin! We did. Not. Have. Sex. We did not have sex!”
“You’re a known pervert, Loki.”
“I…” she started, “I’m ace, ok? I also don’t like sex, like at all.”
“Oh” said Raisin self-restrained. He had no clue. “I didn’t know. Sorry.”
“It’s ok. You… you’re my friend, I should have told you before.”
“Loki, you owe me nothing.”
“I know. It’s just…” she sighted. “I am already genderfluid, bi and jötun. And on top of that, sex-repulsed ace… To say that Asgard has not been kind to me is a bit of an understatement.”
“Well, you’re Allfather now. You can make a difference.”
Loki laughed and whipped away her tears. “I’m supplanting Odin and people think me dead. Please explain me how.”
“Well, maybe making an adoption fund? Set a suicide hotline for queer people?”
“I… we should be trying to wake Tess up, not talking about this. This is not the time.”
“I suppose you’re right” he admitted. “I’ll go to the bathroom to get some cold water.”
Before he had the chance to do that, Loki put a hand over his shoulder. “Thank you, Raisin. I mean it.”
Raisin nodded, conscious of the trust she had on him, and went to the other room. Loki picked up Tess and looked at the cube with intention. She couldn’t bring herself to think why had they left them. Did she scare them off? Was this their way of leaving her, like everybody else has done through the years?”
It was now Raisin putting his hand over her shoulder. Loki had started to cry.
“I think I’m in love with them, Raisin. How…? Why…?”
“I know” he said knowingly. “We’ll find our way back into their lives. We’ll try everything.”
Loki sniffed. “Starting with this ice bucket challenge of sorts.”
“Do you want to do it yourself?”
Loki nodded, taking the bucket from him. She dumped The Tesseract into the ice-cold water, making Tess spring back to their corporeal form.
“>:O “ they said, grasping for the air they didn’t breath. Loki embraced them tightly, still crying. “Loki, Raisin, what…?”
“You fall back asleep” said Raisin, joining in on the hug.
“Don’t scare us like that again” Loki shouted, maybe a little bit more distraught than what she wanted Tess to know she was.
“Oh… ok” mumbled Tess. “I guess I felt quite comfortable in your arms.”
Raisin elbowed Loki in the least subtly way. She didn’t mind. Tess was ok, that was all that mattered.
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Your light carries me to far and wide (Dark light to another world we hide)
Rating: Gen
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: Other
Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe | The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Relationship: Loki/The Tesseract (Marvel)
Characters: Loki (Marvel) | The Tesseract | Clint Barton
Additional Tags: Tessember 2021 | Tessember | Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie) | POV Loki (Marvel) | Loki Needs a Hug (Marvel) | Missing Scene | The Tesseract (Marvel) | Sentient Infinity Stones (Marvel) | Kinda | title from Your Light by Will Morton and Julie Wemyss | she/her for tess | he/him for loki
Words: 176
A/N: Song
Summary:
Loki doesn't like people in his mind, but he doesn't care if it's Tess.
(Tessember 2021: Day 1 - Space)
Read on AO3 or under the cut
Loki stared at Space. Mesmerized by the mini galaxy inside the cube, he felt like he could stare at her for decades and never want to move.
He felt her comforting presence enter his mind, soothing his anxiety, and quieting The Other’s constant presence.
“Boss?” Barton asked, snapping him away from the calmest he’s felt in… well, he’d rather not think about it.
“What!?” He glared, hoping he would leave.
Unfortunately, he did not. “Selvig needs the Tesseract.” He didn’t falter under his glare and Loki was glad he didn’t kill him.
Loki felt Space saddened, and leave his mind. He regretfully handed Space to Selvig, though he made sure neither The Other nor the humans under his control noticed. He glanced one last time at Space before he asked Barton what he needed.
-----
Loki felt a tap to his foot and looked down. He glanced around at the distracted Avengers and grabbed Space before anyone could stop him.
He felt her presence enter his mind once more as he let her take him somewhere safe.
#tessember 2021#loki/the tesseract#tesseroki#loki#loki fanfic#loki fic#loki fanfiction#the tesseract#idk writes
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A Cold Night In With The DJD
(TW: Cards Against Humanity, general dirty talking)
Tarn shivered in his office, a fuzzy blanket draped over his shoulders. It didn't do much, with the heating on the Messatine out for the day until repairs could be done. For now he would focus on paperwork to take his mind off the cold. He had personal reviews to read, repair papers to sign, the work had started piling up on his desk.
"Tarn?" Helex ducked into the office, the heat from his smelter warming up the room.
"What can I do for you, Helex?" Tarn let the blanket fall to the floor. Helex's warmth was enough to keep him comfortable.
"The others are in the rec room trying to stay warm, do you want to join us?" Tarn had been previously invited to join his team to stay warm and play a few card games. "I know it's not your favourite game, but we're about to start a round of Cards Against Cybertron." Hm. Helex was right. Tarn didn't like that game. But, he mused to himself, it will be valuable team building experience.
"I'll go." Helex's face showed a brief flash of surprise before he spoke.
"Sweet! I'll head back to the rec room, the others are waitin' for me." He gave a wave with one small hand and left. Tarn grabbed his data pad and soon followed suit. It wasn't too long before they had arrived at the rec room door, the lively conversation taking place inside audible through the door. The door opened to sighs of relief as the warmth of Helex's smelter returned, and the room started heating back up again. The other DJD members seemed surprised that Tarn even bothered to come, and even more surprised that he would participate in the game.
Kaon dealt out ten white cards for every player and put the black cards in the centre of the circle. "I'll be the first card czar." Drawing a card from the pile, he read out the prompt.
"I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure what you're suffering from is called… blank."
Tarn looked at the cards he had in his hand. They were:
Unfathomable stupidity.
Having sex for the first time.
An older bot who knows their way around a spike.
The blood of primus.
Shaking a sparkling until it stops crying.
Poor life choices.
Licking things to claim them as your own.
Fellowship in primus.
Soundwave talking dirty.
A live studio audience.
Hmm.Tarn decided to play it safe, and tossed Poor life choices into the pile of white cards. He was still deciding if he was going to seriously play the game. Tarn could go with the typical responses. That meant likely not winning a single card. Or he could relax. Go with what he wanted to do. It is a team bonding exercise after all, it only makes sense to participate fully.
Soon, everyone but Kaon had tossed a card in the pile. Kaon cleared his throat and read the card.
"I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure what you're suffering from is called…
Land mines. Yikes." Tesarus stifled a giggle.
"A microspike." Helex, Nickel and Tesarus laughed. Kaon only sighed in feigned exasperation, hiding a smile.
"Poor life choices."
"Ghosts"
"Being rich." Kaon took a second to think over his choices.
"Come on!" Tesarus chimed in. "The microspike has got to win." Helex was full on laughing at this point, Nickel was smirking next to him. Kaon glared as best as he could at Tess before declaring his verdict.
"Who played the Microspike?" Nickel raised her hand to nobody's surprise.
*********
"Do not go here! I found blank in my energon!" Helex read out. Tarn considered his options and decided to put The blood of Primus in the pile. Once again, it was time to read the cards.
"Do not go here!" Helex read out " I found…
"Some goddamn peace and quiet"
"Prisoners of war?" Kaon chuckled at that card.
"The blood of primus." Helex saw the next one and hit his fist on the table and laughed. The suspense of not knowing what was on the card was tense. Vos chattered on in Primal Vernacular with an impish look to his eyes.
"My- my neck, my back, my valve and my aft." Everyone but Tarn laughed, though he did smile ever-so-slightly behind his mask. He stopped when he realized it though, he didn't want to give off the impression that he was that… uncouth.
"I think it's obvious who won this round." Nickel said. "Who played that last one?" Vos reached for the black card, triumphantly hissing as he took it in his hand.
*********
It was Nickel's turn next. Helex passed her a black card, which she read with a humorous smile.
"As the carrier of five rambunctious sparklings, I'm no stranger to… blank." Tarn had the perfect card for this one. He had picked up a two new cards since the beginning:
Insatiable bloodlust
Sucking spike in a back alley
He didn't want to piss off Nickel, he knew he would pay for it later. So Tarn put in insatiable bloodlust. It's not that he was afraid of her. No way. He just had a healthy respect for her capabilities, that's all. Definitely. She took the cards and shuffled them, then picked the top one up to read it.
"As the carrier of five rambunctious sparklings, I'm no stranger to…
"Sunshine and rainbows." Nickel chuckled. "Hah! As if."
"Letting everymech down."
"Insatiable bloodlust. Seems more likely, I already have to deal with five full-grown mechs, I definitely couldn't handle that many sparklings without at least a little murder!" The others chuckled a little before she continued.
"Judging everyone." Nickel grimaced at the next card and sighed.
"Maximal insertion?" Everyone but Nickel laughed a little, even Tarn. Helex and Vos on the other hand, were laughing the loudest at the card."Whoever played that card can go frag themselves to the pits. Frag this, Insatiable bloodlust wins. You all suck." Tarn smugly took the point, knowing he hadn't angered the tiny medic. She was currently glaring daggers at the others. Perhaps, he thought to himself, this isn't all that bad. He was quite enjoying himself after all. And it was his turn to judge now. He picked a random black card from the stack and read it.
*********
"The DJD now tortures traitors by subjecting them to… blank." I wonder what the odds are that of all people, I would be the one to draw this card? The others certainly seemed to find it funny, chuckling quietly to themselves as they searched their hands for the perfect card. Now that Tarn wasn't looking for a match as well, he could truly pay attention to the other DJD members and how they acted.
Nickel had a sharp gaze like a bird of prey, carefully judging each white card for the right play. Kaon however didn't seem to even be reading them, leaving it up to chance. He was the first to put down his card. Helex and Tesarus were smirking to themselves as they searched their hands for a good play. And Vos, well he was constantly talking to himself. Tarn could it pick out a few words, but not many. Soon they had all put their cards in a messy pile in front of him and left him to start reading.
"The DJD now tortures traitors by subjecting them to…"
"Semi-automatic weaponry." Makes sense, though maybe a little too much sense to be funny.
"Glitter."
"Cuddling." While he did find the idea of going gentle on a traitor despicable, Tarn smiled at the thought of it. But the next card soured that rare smile.
"Two mechs one cube." Everyone else found it hilarious. Even Kaon was laughing, small sparks coming off his Tesla Coils. They were all a little tipsy at this point, even Tarn was feeling the effects of the alcohol, but he still cursed under his breath at the fact that he had to read that sentence out loud.
"Mutually assured destruction." Tarn recovered quickly from the last prompt and pondered his choice.
"Well at least we know there's no way I'll win!" Helex chided in loudly. He always got drunker than the others on game night, surprisingly being a lightweight.
"I'm guessing the weaponry one" Tesarus was also quite tipsy having finished a few shots of strong engex. "It's Tarn we're talkin' about!" Kaon agreed, and Vos nodded along too.
"Helex?" The table was silent as everyone looked at the four-armed mech then back at Tarn.
"Yes sir?"
"Point well won." The table erupted into laughter and cheers. And this time, Tarn joined in.
#decepticon justice division#djd#mtmte#maccadam#idw#kaon#tarn#vos#helex#tesarus#lost light#cards against humanity#tarn is a big dumb idiot who loves his team#himbo tarn#Nickel
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Comfortember with Tesseroki : Chapter Two
read on ao3 — insecurity
[read from chapter one on ao3/on tumblr]
WC: 754
Fandom: MCU
Chapter Summary: Loki is unsure whether he truly belongs in Tesseract's home.
Tess, instead of being a small glowing cube, lies on the ground on her elbows in a humanoid form that for all reasons, appears celestial. Her skin is a dark inky blue that looks almost black, depending on how the light falls on it. Her hair is long; galactic curls tied into a messy half-bun, the rest of it falling down, a cascade of curls reaching beyond her back. Her eyes are focused on the ground, a silvery blue with a faint glow to them, one similar to that of the tesseract’s glow. Light blue and ethereal.
“Tess,” he breathes, finally, after his shock passes. Well, it doesn’t truly pass, but rather settles over him, becomes something tucked at the back of his mind, yet still persistent.
He forgets his earlier misgiving, can't take his eyes off her celestial self. It’s truly divine, more than that, to witness an infinity gem out of its usual state, to witness another form of a being with so much power. All the time he's seen it, the true power of the tesseract, it's always been while in its cube form. And now, to witness something like this, something so beautiful and strangely, somehow even intimate, it's. It's enough to rattle Loki. Why, he wants to repeat. Why is the tesseract doing this? Trusting him so? Showing him all this?
Her tall figure, tall enough to rival his height, and androgynous form is clad in loose, flowing clothes and her stance is comfortable, relaxed, oozing confidence. Once upon a time he may have been like that, but even then he'd always been worrying and thinking of other things; he doesn't think he's ever been carefree and comfortable in his skin, not like Tess. It's never been easy, like how it looks with the tesseract, to just let go and be... your own self.
“I don’t know, not really,” Tess says, her lips pursed in thought as she plays around with snow. Loki blinks at her, then recalls his earlier question. Honestly, he wants to repeat it right now, for it has grown much more insistent. Why show him her form? Why bring him to her home? “Perhaps it was because I was tired of being away from my home for so long. Or perhaps I just wanted a change of surroundings.” She gives a fluid shrug, piles snow in one hand, drains it on the other. “And I was tired from the invasion. So tired of being treated as a relic, like we always are.”
His heart aches at the word. Relic. So tired of being treated as a relic. He wants to... comfort her. So am I, he wants to say, but stops as she finally looks at him, and the glow in her eyes appear brighter. There's always something in her gaze that makes him... feel strange. "But with you... it seemed different." She narrows her eyes at him, tilts her head before appearing in front of him in an instant, a terrifying blink of an eye.
She lowers her head and Loki suddenly finds himself in a staring contest with a celestial whose eyes glow, with a hint of something in them. "And also," she continues, her voice lower than before, "So you could clean up and relax here without having to worry about ... them ." Tess pronounces 'them' with a shudder, but also like it's an insult; her lips twisting around the word like even saying it is filthy.
"Of course," he says, voice faint at the reminder, her intentions and her close proximity. Everything about her is so ... well, indescribable, really. "Thank you for that."
She narrows her eyes once more. Knocks his head with her knuckles. "Now don't you look so dumbstruck," she says, giggling, her wavy bangs falling over her eyes as she shakes her head. "Honestly, I don't need to be Mind to know what's going on in your head." A ghost of a smile dances on her face. "I really want you here. This place is all yours — completely — and you must see all that this place offers. I'll take you on a tour. It's magnificent. And you're going to love it, I bet."
"Thank you," he repeats, not knowing what to say. Still not believing that he truly deserves it, all of it.
"Yes, now." In another blink, she gets up and waves her hand in a 'come here' gesture. "Now come on. You absolutely stink and I know a place perfect for bathing."
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2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 2)
20. ONWARD – Disney and Pixar’s best digitally animated family feature of 2020 (beating the admittedly impressive Soul to the punch) clearly has a love of fantasy roleplay games like Dungeons & Dragons, its quirky modern-day AU take populated by fantastical races and creatures seemingly tailor-made for the geek crowd … needless to say, me and many of my friends absolutely loved it. That doesn’t mean that the classic Disney ideals of love, family and believing in yourself have been side-lined in favour of fan-service – this is as heartfelt, affecting and tearful as their previous standouts, albeit with plenty of literal magic added to the metaphorical kind. The central premise is a clever one – once upon a time, magic was commonplace, but over the years technology came along to make life easier, so that in the present day the various races (elves, centaurs, fauns, pixies, goblins and trolls among others) get along fine without it. Then timid elf Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) receives a wizard’s staff for his sixteenth birthday, a bequeathed gift from his father, who died before he was born, with instructions for a spell that could bring him back to life for one whole day. Encouraged by his brash, over-confident wannabe adventurer elder brother Barley (Chris Pratt), Ian tries it out, only for the spell to backfire, leaving them with the animated bottom half of their father and just 24 hours to find a means to restore the rest of him before time runs out. Cue an “epic quest” … needless to say, this is another top-notch offering from the original masters of the craft, a fun, affecting and thoroughly infectious family-friendly romp with a winning sense of humour and inspired, flawless world-building. Holland and Pratt are both fantastic, their instantly believable, ill-at-ease little/big brother chemistry effortlessly driving the story through its ingenious paces, and the ensuing emotional fireworks are hilarious and heart-breaking in equal measure, while there’s typically excellent support from Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from Seinfeld) as Ian and Barley’s put-upon but supportive mum, Laurel, Octavia Spencer as once-mighty adventurer-turned-restaurateur “Corey” the Manticore and Mel Rodriguez (Getting On, The Last Man On Earth) as overbearing centaur cop (and Laurel’s new boyfriend) Colt Bronco. The film marks the sophomore feature gig for Dan Scanlon, who debuted with 2013’s sequel Monsters University, and while that was enjoyable enough I ultimately found it non-essential – no such verdict can be levelled against THIS film, the writer-director delivering magnificently in all categories, while the animation team have outdone themselves in every scene, from the exquisite environments and character/creature designs to some fantastic (and frequently delightfully bonkers) set-pieces, while there’s a veritable riot of brilliant RPG in-jokes to delight geekier viewers (gelatinous cube! XD). Massive, unadulterated fun, frequently hilarious and absolutely BURSTING with Disney’s trademark heart, this was ALMOST my animated feature of the year. More on that later …
19. THE GENTLEMEN – Guy Ritchie’s been having a rough time with his last few movies (The Man From UNCLE didn’t do too bad but it wasn’t exactly a hit and was largely overlooked or simply ignored, while intended franchise-starter King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was largely derided and suffered badly on release, dying a quick death financially – it’s a shame on both counts, because I really liked them), so it’s nice to see him having some proper success with his latest, even if he has basically reverted to type to do it. Still, when his newest London gangster flick is THIS GOOD it seems churlish to quibble – this really is what he does best, bringing together a collection of colourful geezers and shaking up their status quo, then standing back and letting us enjoy the bloody, expletive-riddled results. This particularly motley crew is another winning selection, led by Matthew McConaughey as ruthlessly successful cannabis baron Mickey Pearson, who’s looking to retire from the game by selling off his massive and highly lucrative enterprise for a most tidy sum (some $400,000,000 to be precise) to up-and-coming fellow American ex-pat Matthew Berger (Succession’s Jeremy Strong, oozing sleazy charm), only for local Chinese triad Dry Eye (Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding, chewing the scenery with enthusiasm) to start throwing spanners into the works with the intention of nabbing the deal for himself for a significant discount. Needless to say Mickey’s not about to let that happen … McConaughey is ON FIRE here, the best he’s been since Dallas Buyers Club in my opinion, clearly having great fun sinking his teeth into this rich character and Ritchie’s typically sparkling, razor-witted dialogue, and he’s ably supported by a quality ensemble cast, particularly co-star Charlie Hunnam as Mickey’s ice-cold, steel-nerved right-hand-man Raymond Smith, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery as his classy, strong-willed wife Rosalind, Colin Farrell as a wise-cracking, quietly exasperated MMA trainer and small-time hood simply known as the Coach (who gets many of the film’s best lines), and, most notably, Hugh Grant as the film’s nominal narrator, thoroughly morally bankrupt private investigator Fletcher, who consistently steals the film. This is Guy Ritchie at his very best – a twisty rug-puller of a plot that constantly leaves you guessing, brilliantly observed and richly drawn characters you can’t help loving in spite of the fact there’s not a single hero among them, a deliciously unapologetic, politically incorrect sense of humour and a killer soundtrack. Getting the cinematic year off to a phenomenal start, it’s EASILY Ritchie’s best film since Sherlock Holmes, and a strong call-back to the heady days of Snatch (STILL my favourite) and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Here’s hoping he’s on a roll again, eh?
18. SPONTANEOUS – one of the year’s biggest under-the-radar surprise hits for me was one which I actually might not have caught if things had been a little more normal and ordered. Thankfully with all the lockdown and cinematic shutdown bollocks going on, this fantastically subversive and deeply satirical indie teen comedy horror came along at the perfect time, and I completely flipped out over it. Now those who know me know I don’t tend to gravitate towards teen cinema, but like all those other exceptions I’ve loved over the years, this one had a brilliantly compulsive hook I just couldn’t turn down – small-town high-schooler Mara (Knives Out and Netflix’ Cursed’s Katherine Langford) is your typical cool outsider kid, smart, snarky and just putting up with the scene until she can graduate and get as far away as possible … until one day in her senior year one of her classmates just inexplicably explodes. Like her peers, she’s shocked and she mourns, then starts to move on … until it happens again. As the death toll among the senior class begins to mount, it becomes clear something weird is going on, but Mara has other things on her mind because the crisis has, for her, had an unexpected benefit – without it she wouldn’t have fallen in love with like-minded oddball new kid Dylan (Lean On Pete and Words On Bathroom Walls’ Charlie Plummer). The future’s looking bright, but only if they can both live to see it … this is a wickedly intelligent film, powered by a skilfully executed script and a wonderfully likeable young cast who consistently steer their characters around the potential cliched pitfalls of this kind of cinema, while debuting writer-director Brian Duffield (already a rising star thanks to scripts for Underwater, The Babysitter and blacklist darling Jane Got a Gun among others) show he’s got as much talent and flair for crafting truly inspired cinema as he has for thinking it up in the first place, delivering some impressively offbeat set-pieces and several neat twists you frequently don’t see coming ahead of time. Langford and Plummer as a sassy, spicy pair who are easy to root for without ever getting cloying or sweet, while there’s glowing support from the likes of Hayley Law (Rioverdale, Altered Carbon, The New Romantic) as Mara’s best friend Tess, Piper Perabo and Transparent’s Rob Huebel as her increasingly concerned parents, and Insecure’s Yvonne Orji as Agent Rosetti, the beleaguered government employee sent to spearhead the investigation into exactly what’s happening to these kids. Quirky, offbeat and endlessly inventive, this is one of those interesting instances where I’m glad they pushed the horror elements into the background so we could concentrate on the comedy, but more importantly these wonderfully well-realised and vital characters – there are some skilfully executed shocks, but far more deep belly laughs, and there’s bucketloads of heart to eclipse the gore. Another winning debut from a talent I intend to watch with great interest in the future.
17. HAMILTON – arriving just as Black Lives Matter reached fever-pitch levels, this feature presentation of the runaway Broadway musical smash-hit could not have been better timed. Shot over three nights during the show’s 2016 run with the original cast and cut together with specially created “setup shots”, it’s an immersive experience that at once puts you right in amongst the audience (at times almost a character themselves, never seen but DEFINITELY heard) but also lets you experience the action up close. And what action – it’s an incredible show, a thoroughly fascinating piece of work that reads like something very staid and proper on paper (an all-encompassing biographical account of the life and times of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton) but, in execution, becomes something very different and EXTREMELY vital. The execution certainly couldn’t be further from the usual period biopic fare this kind of historical subject matter usually gets (although in the face of recent high quality revisionist takes like Marie Antoinette, The Great and Tesla it’s not SO surprising), while the cast is not at all what you’d expect – with very few notable exceptions the cast is almost entirely people of colour, despite the fact that the real life individuals they’re playing were all very white indeed. Every single one of them is also an absolute revelation – the show’s writer-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (already riding high on the success of In the Heights) carries the central role of Hamilton with effortless charm and raw star power, Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash, Murder On the Orient Express) is duplicitously complex as his constant nemesis Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson (In the Heights, Moana, Bull) oozes integrity and nobility as his mentor and friend George Washington, Phillipa Soo is sweet and classy as his wife Eliza while Renée Elise Goldsberry (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Jacks, Altered Carbon) is fiery and statuesque as her sister Angelica Schuyler (the one who got away), and Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) consistently steals every scene he’s in as fiendish yet childish fan favourite King George III, but the show (and the film) ultimately belongs to veritable powerhouse Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, The Good Lord Bird) in a spectacular duel role, starting subtly but gaining scene-stealing momentum as French Revolutionary Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, before EXPLODING onto the stage in the second half as indomitable third American President Thomas Jefferson. Not having seen the stage show, I was taken completely by surprise by this, revelling in its revisionist genius and offbeat, quirky hip-hop charm, spellbound by the skilful ease with which is takes the sometimes quite dull historical fact and skews it into something consistently entertaining and absorbing, transported by the catchy earworm musical numbers and thoroughly tickled by the delightfully cheeky sense of humour strung throughout (at least when I wasn’t having my heart broken by moments of raw dramatic power). Altogether it’s a pretty unique cinematic experience I wish I could have actually gotten to see on the big screen, and one I’ve consistently recommended to all my friends, even the ones who don’t usually like musicals. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t need a proper Les Misérables style screen adaptation – this is about as perfect a presentation as the show could possibly hope for.
16. SPUTNIK – summer’s horror highlight (despite SERIOUSLY tough competition) was a guaranteed sleeper hit that I almost missed entirely, stumbling across the trailer one day on YouTube and getting bowled over by its potential, prompting me to hunt it down by any means necessary. The feature debut of Russian director Egor Abramenko, this first contact sci-fi chiller is about as far from E.T. as it’s possible to get, sharing some of the same DNA as Carpenter’s The Thing but proudly carving its own path with consummate skill and definitely signalling great things to come from its brand new helmer and relative unknown screenwriters Oleg Malovichko and Andrei Zolotarev. Oksana Akinshina (probably best known in the West for her powerful climactic cameo in The Bourne Supremacy) is the beating heart of the film as neurophysiologist Tatyana Yuryevna Klimova, brought in to aid in the investigation in the Russian wilderness circa 1983 after an orbital research mission goes horribly wrong. One of the cosmonauts dies horribly, while the other, Konstantin (The Duelist’s Pyotr Fyodorov) seems unharmed, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s now the host for something decidedly extraterrestrial and potentially terrifying, and as Tatyana becomes more deeply embroiled in her assignment she comes to realise that her superiors, particularly mysterious Red Army project leader Colonel Semiradov (The PyraMMMid’s Fyodor Bondarchuk), have far more insidious plans for Konstantin and his new “friend” than she could ever imagine. This is about as dark, intense and nightmarish as this particular sub-genre gets, a magnificently icky body horror that slowly builds its tension as we’re gradually exposed to the various truths and the awful gravity of the situation slowly reveals itself, punctuated by skilfully executed shocks and some particularly horrifying moments when the evils inflicted by the humans in charge prove far worse than anything the alien can do, while the ridiculously talented writers have a field day pulling the rug out from under us again and again, never going for the obvious twist and keeping us guessing right to the devastating ending, while the beautifully crafted digital creature effects are nothing short of astonishing and thoroughly creepy. Akinshina dominates the film with her unbridled grace, vulnerability and integrity, the relationship that develops between Tatyana and Konstantin (Fyodorov delivering a beautifully understated turn belying deep inner turmoil) feeling realistically earned as it goes from tentatively wary to tragically bittersweet, while Bondarchuk invests the Colonel with a nuanced air of tarnished authority and restrained brutality that made him one of my top screen villains for the year. One of 2020’s great sleeper hits, I can’t speak of this film highly enough – it’s a genuine revelation, an instant classic for whom I’ll sing its praises for years to come, and I wish enormous future success to all the creative talents involved.
15. THE INVISIBLE MAN – looks like third time’s a charm for Leigh Whannell, writer-director of my ALMOST horror movie of the year (more on that later) – while he’s had immense success as a horror writer over the years (co-creator of both the Saw and Insidious franchises), as a director his first two features haven’t exactly set the world alight, with debut Insidious: Chapter III garnering similar takes to the rest of the series but ultimately turning out to be a bit of a damp squib quality-wise, while his second feature Upgrade was a stone-cold masterpiece that was (rightly) EXTREMELY well received critically, but ultimately snuck in under the radar and has remained a stubbornly hidden gem since. No such problems with his third feature, though – his latest collaboration with producer Jason Blum and the insanely lucrative Blumhouse Pictures has proven a massive hit both financially AND with reviewers, and deservedly so. Having given up on trying to create a shared cinematic universe inhabited by their classic monsters, Universal resolved to concentrate on standalones to showcase their elite properties, and their first try is a rousing success, Whannell bringing HG Wells’ dark and devious human monster smack into the 21st Century as only he can. The result is a surprisingly subtle piece of work, much more a lethally precise exercise in cinematic sleight of hand and extraordinary acting than flashy visual effects, strictly adhering to the Blumhouse credo of maximum returns for minimum bucks as the story is stripped down to its bare essentials and allowed to play out without any unnecessary weight. The Handmaid’s Tale’s Elizabeth Moss once again confirms what a masterful actress she is as she brings all her performing weapons to bear in the role of Cecelia “Cee” Kass, the cloistered wife of affluent but monstrously abusive optics pioneer Aidan Griffin (Netflix’ The Haunting of Hill House’s Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who escapes his clutches in the furiously tense opening sequence and goes to ground with the help of her closest childhood friend, San Francisco cop James Lanier (Leverage’s Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (A Wrinkle in Time’s Storm Reid). Two weeks later, Aidan commits suicide, leaving Cee with a fortune to start her life over (with the proviso that she’s never ruled mentally incompetent), but as she tries to find her way in the world again little things start going wrong for her, and she begins to question if there might be something insidious going on. As her nerves start to unravel, she begins to suspect that Aidan is still alive, still very much in her life, fiendishly toying with her and her friends, but no-one can see him. Whannell plays her paranoia up for all it’s worth, skilfully teasing out the scares so that, just like her friends, we begin to wonder if it might all be in her head after all, before a spectacular mid-movie reveal throws the switch into high gear and the true threat becomes clear. The lion’s share of the film’s immense success must of course go to Moss – her performance is BEYOND a revelation, a blistering career best that totally powers the whole enterprise, and it goes without saying that she’s the best thing in this. Even so, she has sterling support from Hodge and Reid, as well as Love Child’s Harriet Dyer as Cee’s estranged big sister Emily and Wonderland’s Michael Dorman as Adrian’s slimy, spineless lawyer brother Tom, and, while he doesn’t have much actual (ahem) “screen time”, Jackson-Cohen delivers a fantastically icy, subtly malevolent turn which casts a large “shadow” over the film. This is one of my very favourite Blumhouse films, a pitch-perfect psychological chiller that keeps the tension cranked up unbearably tight and never lets go, Whannell once again displaying uncanny skill with expert jump-scares, knuckle-whitening chills and a truly astounding standout set-piece that easily goes down as one of the top action sequences of 2020. Undoubtedly the best version of Wells’ story to date, this goes a long way in repairing the damage of Universal’s abortive “Dark Universe” efforts, as well as showcasing a filmmaking master at the very height of his talents.
14. EXTRACTION – the Coronavirus certainly has threw a massive spanner in the works of the year’s cinematic calendar – among many other casualties to the blockbuster shunt, the latest (and most long-awaited) MCU movie, Black Widow, should have opened to further record-breaking box office success at the end of spring, but instead the theatres were all closed and virtually all the heavyweights were pushed back or shelved indefinitely. Thank God, then, for the streaming services, particularly Hulu, Amazon and Netflix, the latter of which provided a perfect movie for us to see through the key transition into the summer blockbuster season, an explosively flashy big budget action thriller ushered in by MCU alumni the Russo Brothers (who produced and co-wrote this adaptation of Ciudad, a graphic novel that Joe Russo co-created with Ande Parks and Fernando Leon Gonzalez) and barely able to contain the sheer star-power wattage of its lead, Thor himself. Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a former Australian SAS operative who hires out his services to an extraction operation under the command of mercenary Nik Khan (The Patience Stone’s Golshifteh Farahani), brought in to liberate Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal in his first major role), the pre-teen son of incarcerated Indian crime lord Ovi Sr. (Pankaj Tripathi), who has been abducted by Bangladeshi rival Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli). The rescue itself goes perfectly, but when the time comes for the hand-off the team is double-crossed and Tyler is left stranded in the middle of Dhaka with no choice but to keep Ovi alive as every corrupt cop and street gang in the city closes in around them. This is the feature debut of Sam Hargrave, the latest stuntman to try his hand at directing, so he certainly knows his way around an action set-piece, and the result is a thoroughly breathless adrenaline rush of a film, bursting at the seams with spectacular fights, gun battles and car chases, dominated by a stunning sustained sequence that plays out in one long shot, guaranteed to leave jaws lying on the floor. Not that there should be any surprise – Hargrave cut his teeth as a stunt coordinator for the Russos on Captain America: Civil War and their Avengers films. That said, he displays strong talent for the quieter disciplines of filmmaking too, delivering quality character development and drawing out consistently noteworthy performances from his cast. Of course, Hemsworth can do the action stuff in his sleep, but there’s a lot more to Tyler than just his muscle, the MCU veteran investing him with real wounded vulnerability and a tragic fatalism which colours every scene, while Jaiswal is exceptional throughout, showing plenty of promise for the future, and there’s strong support from Farahani and Painyuli, as well as Stranger Things’ David Harbour as world-weary retired merc Gaspard, and a particularly impressive, muscular turn from Randeep Hooda (Once Upon a Time in Mumbai) as Saju, a former Para and Ovi’s bodyguard, who’s determined to take possession of the boy himself, even if he has to go through Tyler to get him. This is action cinema that really deserves to be seen on the big screen – I watched it twice in a week and would happily have paid for two trips to the cinema for it if I could have. As we looked down the barrel of a summer season largely devoid of blockbuster fare, I couldn’t recommend this enough. Thank the gods for Netflix …
13. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 – although it’s definitely a film that really benefitted enormously from releasing on Netflix during the various lockdowns, this was one of the blessed few I actually got to see during one of the UK’s frustratingly rare lulls when cinemas were actually OPEN. Rather perversely it therefore became one of my favourite cinematic experiences of 2020, but then I’m just as much a fan of well-made cerebral films as I am of the big, immersive blockbuster EXPERIENCES, so this probably still would have been a standout in a normal year. Certainly if this was a purely CRITICAL list for the year this probably would have placed high in the Top Ten … Aaron Sorkin is a writer whose work I have ardently admired ever since he went from esteemed playwright to in-demand talent for both the big screen AND the small with A Few Good Men, and TTOTC7 is just another in a long line of consistently impressive, flawlessly written works rife with addictive quickfire dialogue, beautifully observed characters and rewardingly propulsive narrative storytelling (therefore resting comfortably amongst the well-respected likes of The West Wing, Charlie Wilson’s War, Moneyball and The Social Network). It also marks his second feature as a director (after fascinating and incendiary debut Molly’s Game), and once again he’s gone for true story over fiction, tackling the still controversial subject of the infamous 1968 trial of the “ringleaders” of the infamous riots which marred Chicago’s Diplomatic National Convention five months earlier, in which thousands of hippies and college students protesting the Vietnam War clashed with police. Spurred on by the newly-instated Presidential Administration of Richard Nixon to make some examples, hungry up-and-coming prosecutor Richard Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is confident in his case, while the Seven – who include respected and astute student activist Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and confrontational counterculture firebrands Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Succession’s Jeremy Strong) – are the clear underdogs. They’re a divided bunch (particularly Hayden and Hoffman, who never mince their words about what little regard they hold for each other), and they’re up against the combined might of the U.S. Government, while all they have on their side is pro-bono lawyer and civil rights activist William Kunstler (Mark Rylance), who’s sharp, driven and thoroughly committed to the cause but clearly massively outmatched … not to mention the fact that the judge presiding over the case is Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella), a fierce and uncompromising conservative who’s clearly 100% on the Administration’s side, and who might in fact be stark raving mad (he also frequently goes to great lengths to make it clear to all concerned that he is NOT related to Abbie). Much as we’ve come to expect from Sorkin, this is cinema of grand ideals and strong characters, not big spectacle and hard action, and all the better for it – he’s proved time and again that he’s one of the very best creative minds in Hollywood when it comes to intelligent, thought-provoking and engrossing thinking-man’s entertainment, and this is pure par for the course, keeping us glued to the screen from the skilfully-executed whirlwind introductory montage to the powerfully cathartic climax, and every varied and brilliant scene in-between. This is heady stuff, focusing on what’s still an extremely thorny issue made all the more urgently relevant and timely given what was (and still is) going on in American politics at the time, and everyone involved here was clearly fully committed to making the film as palpable, powerful and resonant as possible for the viewer, no matter their nationality or political inclination. Also typical for a Sorkin film, the cast are exceptional, everyone clearly having the wildest time getting their teeth into their finely-drawn characters and that magnificent dialogue – Redmayne and Baron Cohen are compellingly complimentary intellectual antagonists given their radically different approaches and their roles’ polar opposite energies, while Rylance delivers another pitch-perfect, simply ASTOUNDING performance that once again marks him as one of the very best actors of his generation, and there are particularly meaty turns from Strong, Langella, Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (as besieged Black Panther Bobby Seale) and a potent late appearance from Michael Keaton that sear themselves into the memory long after viewing. Altogether then, this is a phenomenal film which deserves to be seen no matter the format, a thought-provoking and undeniably IMPORTANT masterwork from a master cinematic storyteller that says as much about the world we live in now as the decidedly turbulent times it portrays …
12. GREYHOUND – when the cinemas closed back in March, the fate of many of the major summer blockbusters we’d been looking forward to was thrown into terrible doubt. Some were pushed back to more amenable dates in the autumn or winter (which even then ultimately proved frustratingly ambitious), others knocked back a whole year to fill summer slots for 2021, but more than a few simply dropped off the radar entirely with the terrible words “postponed until further notice” stamped on them, and I lamented them all, this one in particular. It hung in there longer than some, stubbornly holding onto its June release slot for as long as possible, but eventually it gave up the ghost too … but thanks to Apple TV+, not for long, ultimately releasing less than a month later than intended. Thankfully the film itself was worth the fuss, a taut World War II suspense thriller that’s all killer, no filler – set during the infamous Battle of the Atlantic, it portrays the constant life-or-death struggle faced by the Allied warships assigned to escort the transport convoys as they crossed the ocean, defending their charges from German U-boats. Adapted from C.S. Forester’s famous 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by Tom Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider (Get Low), the narrative focuses on the crew of the escort leader, American destroyer USS Fletcher, codenamed “Greyhound”, and in particular its captain, Commander Ernest Krause (Hanks), a career sailor serving his first command. As they cross “the Pit”, the most dangerous middle stretch of the journey where they spend days without air-cover, they find themselves shadowed by “the Wolf Pack”, a particularly cunning group of German submarines that begin to pick away at the convoy’s stragglers. Faced with daunting odds, a dwindling supply of vital depth-charges and a ruthless, persistent enemy, Krause must make hard choices to bring his ships home safe … jumping into the thick of the action within the first ten minutes and maintaining its tension for the remainder of the trim 90-minute run, this is screen suspense par excellence, a sleek textbook example of how to craft a compelling big screen knuckle-whitener with zero fat and maximum reward, delivering a series of desperate naval scraps packed with hide-and-seek intensity, heart-in-mouth near-misses and fist-in-air cathartic payoffs by the bucket-load. Hanks is subtly magnificent, the calm centre of the narrative storm as a supposed newcomer to this battle arena who could have been BORN for it, bringing to mind his similarly unflappable in Captain Phillips and certainly not suffering by comparison; by and large he’s the focus point, but other crew members make strong (if sometimes quite brief) impressions, particularly Stephen Graham as Krause’s reliably seasoned XO, Lt. Commander Charlie Cole, The Magnificent Seven’s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Just Mercy’s Rob Morgan, while Elisabeth Shue does a lot with a very small part in brief flashbacks as Krause’s fiancée Evelyn. Relentless, exhilarating and thoroughly unforgettable, this was one of the true action highlights of the summer, and one hell of a war flick. I’m so glad it made the cut for the summer …
11. PROJECT POWER – with Marvel and DC pushing their tent-pole titles back in the face of COVID, the usual superhero antics we’ve come to expect for the summer were pretty thin on the ground in 2020, leading us to find our geeky fan thrills elsewhere. Unfortunately, pickings were frustratingly slim – Korean comic book actioner Gundala was entertaining but workmanlike, while Thor AU Mortal was underwhelming despite strong direction from Troll Hunter’s André Øvredal, and The New Mutants just got shat on by the studio and its distributors and no mistake – thank the Gods, then, for Netflix, once again riding to the rescue with this enjoyably offbeat super-thriller, which takes an intriguing central premise and really runs with it. New designer drug Power has hit the streets of New Orleans, able to give anyone who takes it a superpower for five minutes … the only problem is, until you try it, you don’t know what your own unique talent is – for some, it could mean five minutes of invisibility, or insane levels of super-strength, but other powers can be potentially lethal, the really unlucky buggers just blowing up on the spot. Robin (The Hate U Give’s Dominique Fishback) is a teenage Power-pusher with dreams of becoming a rap star, dealing the pills so she can help her diabetic mum; Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one of her customers, a police detective who uses his power of near invulnerability to even the playing field when supercharged crims cause a disturbance. Their lives are turned upside down when Art (Jamie Foxx) arrives in town – he’s a seriously badass ex-soldier determined to hunt down the source of Power by any means necessary, and he’s not above tearing the Big Easy apart to do it. This is a fun, gleefully infectious rollercoaster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, revelling in the anarchic potential of its premise and crafting some suitably OTT effects-driven chaos brought to pleasingly visceral fruition by its skilfully inventive director, Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Nerve, Viral), while Mattson Tomlin (the screenwriter of the DCEU’s oft-delayed, incendiary headline act The Batman) takes the story in some very interesting directions and poses fascinating questions about what Power’s TRULY capable of. Gordon-Levitt and Fishback are both brilliant, the latter particularly impressing in what’s sure to be a major breakthrough role for her, and the friendship their characters share is pretty adorable, while Foxx really is a force to be reckoned with, pretty chill even when he’s in deep shit but fully capable of turning into a bona fide killing machine at the flip of a switch, and there’s strong support from Westworld’s Rodrigo Santoro as Biggie, Power’s delightfully oily kingpin, Courtney B. Vance as Frank’s by-the-book superior, Captain Crane, Amy Landecker as Gardner, the morally bankrupt CIA spook responsible for the drug’s production, and Machine Gun Kelly as Newt, a Power dealer whose pyrotechnic “gift” really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Exciting, inventive, frequently amusing and infectiously likeable, this was some of the most uncomplicated cinematic fun I had all summer. Not bad for something which I’m sure was originally destined to become one of the season’s B-list features …
#onward#onward movie#The Gentlemen#spontaneous#spontaneous movie#hamilton#hamilton movie#sputnik#sputnik movie#The Invisible Man#Extraction#extraction movie#the trial of the chicago 7#greyhound#greyhound movie#project power#2020 in movies
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Hold My Hand: John Wick x Reader Chapter 75
warnings: none
hmh masterlist
Today is probably one of your favorite days so far weather wise. The sky is blue, scattered with puffy white clouds, and there’s a nice cool breeze. It’s not too hot, and it’s not too cold. It’s just perfect. Even more perfect since you won’t be sweating because you’ve decided to wear jeans.
You’re leaning back against the wall of a building waiting for John as he parks the car down the road a little. There was no where to park near the festival so John dropped you off and parked around the corner. You finally see him walking towards you, and you perk up a little when you make eye contact.
John is wearing jeans and a simple light gray t-shirt, but it nearly takes your breath away. You’ve looked at John’s face almost every day for nearly a year now, but you’re still not over how handsome he is. His cuts on his face are fading, and his hair is a little longer than usual, but he looks so fucking gorgeous.
He reaches out for your hand and smiles, “Ready?”
“Yup!”
Music is filling the air as you and John make your way through the festival gates, and there are booths on both sides of the road filled with all sorts of crafts. You don’t even know where to look because there’s so much to look at, but your focus is immediately drawn towards the flowers on the side of a shop.
Tugging John’s hand a little, you point over at the flowers, “I kinda want some flowers.”
John moves you to stand behind him as he pushes through the crowds of people, then he reaches for your hand again when you finally get in front of the shop. He picks up a bouquet of sunflowers and hands them to you, smiling as wide as he can.
“They’re beautiful.” you say, looking them over.
“Just like you.” he smiles, and you roll your eyes. “What? You knew I was going to say something like that, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I really should know better by now.” you laugh and watch John as he hands the woman behind the booth a few dollars.
Almost every booth you walk past has something that catches your eye, and you’re half tempted to buy everything you see. There’s another booth that doesn’t have anyone at it, and you notice the woman behind it looks a little bummed, so you tug John’s hand and lead him over to it.
“Soaps!” you smile and bring a cube a soap to your nose to smell, “Ooh, I smell…vanilla.”
John nods his head as he smells it, then he grabs a small bag for you to fill, “Get some.”
You happily fill the bag up with soaps, then you and John continue your way down the street. You’ve kept your eyes peeled in case you see Shiloh and Gia, but so far, you haven’t. You spot a bench under a tree and point to it for you and John to sit down.
“Man, something smells good.” John says, looking around to find the source. He perks up a little more and smiles, “Ooh, baby, they have those big pretzels that you like. You know those kind you always get at the mall? You want one?”
“I kind of do.” you laugh and look over at John, “Are you gonna get something?”
John nods, “I’m gonna figure out what that smell is, and I’m gonna eat the whole booth when I do.”
You laugh loudly and tilt your head back when John leans down to kiss you. He starts to walk over to the booth, then he turns around and points at you.
“Do not move from here. I can’t lose you.”
“You always say that.” you laugh, and John gives you a disapproving look. You smile and shake your head, “I won’t move, I promise.”
__
John is still gone, probably still trying to track down the smell. You’re looking at your phone at all the pictures you’ve posted on social media so far, and you’re finally replying to a few people who have texted you. Amanda, Grace from the shop, and your mom. Tess had texted you earlier while you were getting ready to leave, and you completely forgot to text her back.
Goose! I miss u so much, I can’t wait to see u again and tell u all about this place.
You open the text to reply when someone puts their hands over your eyes, “John, I hate this game.”
“It’s not me.” he laughs, and you pull one hand away from your face to see John standing in front of you. Whoever it is puts their hand over your eyes and you hear John laugh again.
“Gia?”
John laughs, “Nope.”
“Uh…” you feel the hands on your face and perk up, “No fucking way!”
Turning around, you see Jimmy and Tess standing there with smiles on their face, and you immediately get up to hug Tess.
“Holy shit!” you cup her face and laugh, “What are you doing here?”
Tess laughs and moves to sit on the bench, “We came to this festival and we were sitting on a bench over there, and I was like ‘hold on, that’s John’, Jimmy didn’t believe me, and I was like, ‘no, literally, look, it’s John’. And it was John just standing in line at a booth.”
“I’m so happy to see you!” you say, then you hug Jimmy. You sit down next to Tess and touch her belly, “It’s been like 3 days, but look at your belly!”
“I just ate a corndog, a slice of pizza, and had a root beer float. I’m on vacation, so I’m going all out with the food.”
“As you should.” you laugh and look over at John as he hands you your pretzel and drink. “How is your place? Do you like it?”
Jimmy sits down on the ground in front of you and laughs, “It’s so nice. We went horseback riding the other day, that was very fun.”
“Yeah, our place is really nice.” Tess nods, “It’s really quiet there too. There’s never anyone around, so it’s just been Jimmy and I having this whole place to ourselves. It’s been really nice.”
“Tonight we’re going to lay under the stars.” Jimmy smiles as he looks at Tess.
You smile, “That’s really sweet. So you’re not far from here then? I mean, if you knew about this festival.”
Jimmy shakes his head, “It was about a 20 minute drive.”
“About 10 for us.” John says, and he smiles when you perk up to see what he’s eating, “Pulled pork sandwich, want a bite?”
You nod your head and lean forward to take a bite of his sandwich, then you cover your mouth as you chew. You smile to yourself when you spot Gia and Shiloh, who has her face painted to look like a butterfly.
Shiloh sees you and takes off running, then she stops and slowly sneaks up behind John. You’re praying like hell he won’t turn on assassin mode when two unfamiliar arms wrap around his neck. Tess furrows her brow a little as she watches Shiloh sneak up behind John, and John is so into his food, he isn’t even paying attention.
“Gotcha!” Shiloh says, wrapping her arms around John’s shoulders as best as her tiny arms can.
John looks over his shoulder and smiles, “Hey, you. Whoa, look at your cool painted face!”
“I’m a butterfly!” she says, flapping her arms and spinning in a circle.
“You look pretty cool!” John says, smiling wide as he watches Shiloh jumping up and down.
“Who the hell is that?” Tess asks, leaning closer to you.
Laughing quietly, you lean over to Tess, “That’s Shiloh, her mom is Gia. She owns the tree house we’re staying in.”
Gia walks over and shrugs, “I can’t keep her away from you two!”
“Hi, Gia.” you smile and gesture to Tess and Jimmy, “This is my sister, Tess, and her husband, Jimmy.”
She reaches out to shake their hands and sits down next to John, “I’m Gia, and this one is Shiloh. She’s also very obsessed with John and Y/N.”
“Hi, Shiloh. I’m Jimmy.” he reaches for her hand and shakes it, “You look so cool with your butterfly facepaint. I might have to get one!”
“You could be…uh…” she tilts her head, thinking, “A tiger!”
Jimmy nods, “I like it, maybe I can convince my wife to take me to get my face painted.”
Shiloh looks at Tess and smiles, then she looks at her belly, “You’re having a baby?”
“Shiloh.” Gia scolds her.
Tess puts her hands on her belly and laughs, “I am having a baby.”
“When?” she asks, scooting between you and Tess on the bench.
“Pretty soon, like in a month.”
Shiloh gasps and looks over at Gia, “Mommy, you should have another baby.”
Gia scoffs, “Yeah, I’ll think about that.”
“I have a goat named Nancy.” Shiloh says, looking up at Tess.
Tess laughs loudly and looks at Shiloh, “That is a wonderful name.”
Gia sighs and looks at Shiloh, “Love, we should get going. Mama will be home soon and you probably want to show her your cool butterfly face, huh?”
Shiloh hops off the bench and flaps her arms as she walks back over to Gia, “Yes, mommy.”
“Hey, you,” you call out to Shiloh, and she turns around, “Are we still havin’ a pool party tomorrow?”
Shiloh squeals loudly as she jumps up and down, “Yes!”
“It was nice to meet you, Shiloh.” Tess says, then she looks at Gia, “You too!”
Gia reaches out to shake her hand, smiling, “Yeah, you too.”
You watch as Shiloh wraps her arms around John’s neck and hugs him, and you smile as big as you can when John hugs her back. He taps her on the nose, then he watches as she flaps her arms and runs down the sidewalk in front of Gia.
Tess sighs loudly and sits back a little on the bench, “So, when are you two going home?”
“Uh, two days, I think?” you say, looking at John as he nods, “Yeah, two more days. Kinda sad to leave it all behind, but Mill Neck will be having their summer festival soon, so we have that to look forward to, you’re due next month, John and I have a wedding to plan for. So much stuff is coming up. I guess it’s best that we kinda get back to our lives, huh?”
“You’re planning your wedding already?”
You shrug and look at Tess as you begin to smile, “I have a day set in mind, which I’m going to keep to myself until I talk to John about it. We want something small for the ceremony. I mean small. Smaller than yours, so probably only about 15 people. Maybe even less.”
“That’s a good idea though. You know, just people that you care about.” Tess nods.
You shrug again, “Well, John won’t have many people there and I don’t want it to just be our family, so it’ll probably just be mom and Dan for the wedding. Then I suppose more extended family for the reception.”
Tess stands up from the bench and stretches her back, “Hey, babe, we’re gonna walk around a bit, okay?”
Jimmy looks away from John and nods, “Yeah, I’ll be here.”
You smile at John and touch his shoulder as you walk past him. Tess is starting to waddle, and her belly is seriously showing today. She looks pretty damn cute. You wouldn’t even know she was pregnant unless you saw her bump though.
“Sorry, I have to get up and move.” she says, looking at the booths as you walk past. “He’s moving so much lower, and I’m getting so much bigger lately. He’s ready to come out, I’m hoping I’ll make it to 40 weeks at this point.”
“He wants to meet his mommy.” you laugh and look at a booth with jewelry, “Oh, these are cute bracelets.”
Tess holds up a necklace with an F on it and smiles, “I think I’m gonna buy this. How cute is this?”
“Very cute.” you look through the jewelry more, and you suddenly remember Shiloh telling you that John needs a ring. “I wonder what John’s ring size is.”
“Can I help you?” the man who owns the booth ask, looking at you.
“Uh, well, I want to get a ring for my fiance, but I don’t know his ring size.” you laugh and point at a ring, “That one looks nice. It’s just kind of plain, but I like it.”
“I think Jimmy was like a 10. John is probably like, a 11.” Tess smirks, looking at you, “He has thick fingers.”
You roll your eyes as Tess laughs, “Yeah, I’ll just get a few different sizes.”
You pull the money out of your purse, then you tuck the rings away so John won’t see them. Looking over your shoulder, you see Tess standing at an ice cream stand, so you walk over to join her.
The two of you head back over to John and Jimmy, who are still sitting on the grass and talking. John tilts his head back as he laughs, then he looks over at you and reaches for your hand as he gets off the ground.
“Hey, peach.” he smiles, leaning down to kiss you, “You got ice cream.”
“Mhm.” you nod, giving John some.
Tess leans against Jimmy’s shoulder and smiles, “You two aren’t leaving anytime soon, are you?”
“Hell no,” John laughs, “There’s a whole lantern thing happening later.”
“Wait, a lantern thing?” you look at John, and a smile spreads across your face, “Like the lantern thing I told you that I wanted to do a long time ago?”
“Yes.” he nods, then he reaches for your hand as he begins walking away.
__
The field is full of kids running around and people sitting on blankets. You didn’t know you were coming here, so you didn’t pack a blanket, but John, of course, did. He sets the blanket down on the ground, then he sits down and pulls you in between his legs.
The sun has started to set and the breeze is beginning to get colder as a result. You shiver a little as you lean back in John’s arms, and he wraps them around you more to keep you warm.
Tess is sitting on the edge of blanket, looking at everything she bought at the festival, “Oh, I got this cool cute little rock thing that looks like a ladybug for mom. Thought she’d like it in her garden. I got…a necklace, you were with me when I bought that. I got this cool painting that we’re going to put in our living room, but it’s in the car.”
“Yeah, it’s like a cool painting of a tree.” Jimmy says, watching Tess look through her stuff.
Tess looks up at you and smiles, “What did you get?”
You look at Tess and tilt your head back as you think, “Uh, I got some flowers, which are in the car. Probably dying. I got some soaps, John got this cool sign with a W on it. We can put it on our front step, or in the garden in the front of the house, that’d be cool. John and I got these cute little stockings for Christmas that say Mr. Wick and Mrs. Wick.”
“What?” Tess gasps, “Where was that? I want one for us!”
You point across the street at the Christmas booth, “Literally right there.”
Tess looks behind her, then she looks at you and rolls her eyes.
“I can walk back and get us one.” Jimmy suggests, “It’s just across the street.”
John nods, “I can go with. Grab us something to drink.”
“Oh,” you tilt your head back and look at John, “Okay.”
John presses a kiss to your lips, then he stands up and walks with Jimmy across the street. You watch the two of them until a big group of people block your view and you lose track of them. You turn back to Tess as she smells the candle she bought, and she holds it up to your nose.
“Smells good.”
She nods, “That is does. So, you had no idea that we were so close?”
“Tess, I literally almost had a panic attack when I woke up the other day because I had no idea where I was.” you say, looking at her, “I was like…hiding in a corner when John found me.”
“I told him not to do that.” she laughs, “I told him ‘don’t surprise her like that, John. She’ll be freaked the fuck out’, but he clearly didn’t listen.”
“He almost cried when he realized how scared I was. I felt so bad, and he’s just been clinging to me every day since. I felt bad because he felt so fucking bad. He’s been trying to make it up to for days now. I can’t deny that it really is sweet that he did that though. I had picked the tree house for you, I figured you and Jimmy would think it was cool. But I guess when John realized how much I liked it, he changed his mind and brought me to it instead.”
Tess laughs, “See, this is why I adore him. He’s so sweet.”
“He is.” you nod as you look at Tess, “It’s almost like neither of us want to go back to Mill Neck. I mean, we do, we love our life there. We own a book store, we can’t just…leave. But I don’t know, I think it’s starting to kind of settle in that our lives are going to change soon.”
Tess furrows her brow, “Your lives are going to change?”
“Well, yeah, we want kids. It’s not just going to be John and I anymore.”
“Trust me, it’s not as dramatic as you’re making it out to be. Jimmy and I can’t wait to have Finn. It’s gonna be fun!” Tess puts everything back in her bag and laughs quietly, “Gia’s nice, by the way. Shiloh is so adorable.”
“God, I know. Isn’t she?” you laugh as Tess nods her head, “She was smitten with John the moment she saw him, told him that he could have one of her bandaids for his cuts on his cheek.”
Tess puts hand over her heart, “That’s so cute.”
“Yeah. I won’t lie, I think John somehow knew they had a daughter, so he planned this whole thing. I already said yes to babies, I don’t know why he’s pushing it so much.” you laugh.
“Have you decided when you want to have a baby?”
You nod, “I want to start trying soon. I really want to get pregnant within the next year. I told Jimmy that I don’t want Finn and our baby to be far apart in age since you and I obviously aren’t, and you and I are closer because of it. We’re only a few months apart, but obviously that’s not going to happen since I’m not pregnant.”
“Imagine you and I both pregnant at the same time.” Tess shakes her head as she laughs, “The boys would have their hands full.”
“They really would. Maybe the next time around for you.” you smile, perking up when you see John walking back over. You notice he has a bag in one hand and he hands it to you before he sits down. You take it from him and smile, “What’s this?”
“Just a little something for the future.” John says, sitting down behind you again. “It’s for the both of you.”
You set the bag between you and Tess, and you both reach in to pull out two little gray stuffed bunnies. You smile as you look over at John, then you lean back to kiss him.
“For the baby.” he whispers in your ear, and you nod your head as you hug it tight to your chest, “I saw it and thought it’d be cute to give to our baby someday.”
Tess smiles and holds up the bunny, “They match. That’s so sweet. He isn’t here yet, but Finn will love this.”
You lean back in John’s arms and hold the bunny close to your chest when you see several lanterns floating in the sky. Several more begin to float through the sky, and you sit up a little when someone walks by selling lanterns.
John reaches into his pocket and pays for two for you and Tess, then he sits down next to you, “I don’t know what to do with these.”
You laugh and reach into your purse for a pen, “Well, I don’t know either, but I know sometimes people write wishes and stuff on them. We could do something like that. I don’t think there are any rules.”
“Do what you want, John.” Tess says as she writes on her lantern. “I’m writing something about my amazing husband and my baby.”
You look at John and laugh, “Yeah, do what you want, John.”
“Okay.” John says quietly, then he takes the pen from you and writes on the lantern. He stops writing to read what he’s written so far, then he begins to write again. He smiles to himself, then he looks up at you and hands you the pen, “Your turn!”
“Can I read what you wrote?” you ask, and John nods his head. You scoot over a little closer to John and smile as you read what John’s written.
To my beautiful fiancee, you have changed my life more than you’ll ever know. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about you and thank my lucky stars that you’re in my life. I will be forever grateful for you and for the life that we have, and for how you’ve accepted me for me. You’re my girl, and you’ll always be my number one. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, and I can’t wait to see what our futures holds. Yours always, Jonathan.
You look up at John, who is looking particularly proud right about now, and you reach out and cup his face, “I love you.”
“I love you more.” he smiles, then he presses a quick kiss to your lips, “Your turn, baby.”
“Oh, right.” you tap the pen against your head as you think about what you’re going to write. To be honest, you’ve been out in the sun all day and your brain is kinda turning to mush, so you hope John won’t be too offended if you don’t put too much into it.
Jonathan Charles Wick, I don’t know where to even begin. I love you endlessly, and I am so beyond happy to have even met you. I don’t know how I got so lucky, and to this day, I still don’t understand what you even see in me, but I’m glad you see something worth your time. I can’t wait to marry you and fill our home with even more laughter and love, and so many babies! You’re going to be the best husband and father, and I can’t wait to see you tackle these roles. I love you so much. Yours always, peach.
“There.” you smile and tuck your pen back in your purse, “I will admit, I’m a bit sleepy, so it might be kinda shitty. So, I apologize.”
John looks down at the lantern to read it, and he smiles when he gets to the end, “You call that shitty?”
You shrug, “Not as good as yours.”
“Bullshit.” he laughs loudly and wraps his arms around your waist to pull you closer, “It was perfect, and ten times better than mine.”
“Well, thank you. I’ll take the compliment.” you laugh, tilting your head back to kiss John.
The two of you stand up to light your lantern, but before you let it go, you and John both pose for a picture. John has his hand over yours as you hold the lantern and he presses a kiss to your cheek.
“Ready?” he asks as you nod, “Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three…”
Watching the lantern float into the sky, it joins the others and you lose sight of it as it’s swallowed up by the other lanterns floating nearby. John wraps his arms around your waist and the two of you continue to stand together and watch the lanterns filling the sky.
__
“Tonight was so much fun.” you say, propping your feet up on the chair in front of you.
“It was. I liked the lantern festival, the sky looked so cool.” John steps onto the balcony and places his hands on your shoulders, “It was fun to let one go with you.”
You tilt your head back to look up at John, and you smile when your eyes meet, “I agree.”
John leans down to kiss you, then he moves to sit in the chair next to you as he takes a sip of his beer.
“So, remember the other night how I said I had something really important to talk about, then I just joked that I wanted dessert?” you ask, and John nods his head. “Well, I really did have something important to talk about, but I didn’t really know how to go about it and how to even bring it up.”
John furrows his brow, “Now I’m really intrigued.”
“I say we get married this fall. I have a specific date in mind, so you let me know what you think about the fall.”
John nods, “I think fall is great! Won’t be too warm or too cold. The colors in the fall are nice.”
“I was thinking that maybe September 5th would be a good day.” you say, and the smile on your face grows when John realizes. “It’s our anniversary of the day we met, and I think it’d be kinda sweet. It has meaning to us, I don’t want it to be just some random date. I mean, I know that you give a random day meaning when you get married, but I don’t know. Is that dumb?”
“No, no, I think it’s great.” John smiles and presses a kiss to your cheek, “I think it’d be a great day.”
“So, September 5th, you and me?”
“You and me.” he nods, looking at you, “You think a little over two months is enough time for you to plan a wedding?”
“Yeah, plenty of time.” you say, nodding, “I want our ceremony to be small and intimate, so that’s no big deal. And I want our reception to be pretty laid back.”
“Again, whatever you want to do, I’m fine with.” he says, laughing a little, “I just want to marry you.”
You look at John, holding his gaze, then you lean over to kiss him, “I just want to marry you, too. I can’t wait to see how handsome you look. I bet you cry when I walk down the aisle.”
“Oh, I will.” he laughs, nodding his head, “I definitely will. You’re going to be the most beautiful bride ever.”
You look down as you smile, then you look up at John again, “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about, but I’m really kinda nervous.”
John scrunches his eyebrows in confusion, “Don’t be nervous, baby.”
Taking a deep breath, you let it out slowly, then you look up at John, “We’ve been talking more about babies lately, and if we want to get pregnant within this year, and we want to get married in September, I was just thinking…”
John nods his head, waiting for what you’re going to say. He looks so nervous, you just want to hug him tight. You reach over to the table and grab the bunny that John had bought earlier, and you smile as you look at it.
“I was thinking that maybe it’s time I stop taking my birth control. Now listen, we won’t get pregnant right away, I need to be clear about that. It’ll take my body a few months to get back to its normal rhythm, but…I don’t know. What do you think?”
John widens his eyes and smiles, “Really?”
“Yeah, I mean, I’m due for my period next week, but after it’s done, I don’t plan on going back on birth control. I’ll probably schedule an appointment to make sure everything is okay…in that area, and then maybe my doctor can kinda…I don’t know, tell me when I could get pregnant. I’ve been on birth control for so long that my body will be a little out of sorts for a few months as it adjusts to me not taking it anymore.”
John sits back a little and looks at the ground as he processes what you just told him.
“Is that okay with you? You still want to have a baby, right?” you ask as you move to sit in his lap.
He looks up at you and nods his head enthusiastically, “Yes! Of course, peach, yes! I’m just…speechless. I can’t believe so much is going to happen over these next few months.”
“I know.” you laugh, “Tess and Jimmy having a baby, the shop, us getting married, us trying to get pregnant, I don’t even know what else could happen in between all of that, but it might be a little stressful. Think we can handle it?”
John looks up at you, holding your gaze for an intense moment, then he leans up to kiss you, “I think we can handle anything.”
“Wanna know what I think?”
He nods, “Yeah.”
You take a deep breath, leaning back against John’s chest, “I think you’re a very, very cheesy man.”
“Where do you want to get married?”
Shifting in John’s lap a little, you turn around so you can see his face, “I was thinking just the backyard would be nice.”
“The patio still has all the lights up.”
“Actually,” you smile and shrug, “I have an idea, but at the end of the day, it’s your house. I know what you’re about to say -- that it’s our house. Yes, I know, but my idea…isn’t a simple one.”
John laughs, “Okay.”
You move back to your chair and scoot it closer to John, “So, I was thinking, well, we never use it, and I don’t have no intentions of using it, but the tennis court…”
“Yeah, waste of space.” he nods, sighing a little.
You shrug, “Yeah, but I thought maybe we could just…tear it down and use that for our wedding. I don’t know. We could put some canopies up and hang lights from it, then after the wedding, we could use it when we host barbecues and stuff. If it’s a dumb idea, tell me. And please, don’t be afraid to say no. It is our home, but you lived there first, so please say no if you hate the idea.”
“No, I actually think that’s a great idea. When are you and I ever going to use a tennis court? I can’t see you out there.” he laughs, then nods his head, “It’s a great idea. We could get someone to come and lay down some bricks maybe, and we can have some trees planted out there so we have some shade as well.”
“Get a nice little fire pit for out there, and after the wedding, we can get some nice chairs and a love seat for out there.” you smile and scoot closer to John, “It would be perfect for our wedding, for a…baby shower. Birthday parties.”
“Okay, okay. You’ve twisted my arm enough.” John teases.
You laugh loudly and sit back in his lap as you kiss him, “We can talk more about wedding shit later. I can stress about all that when we get home. Until then, I just want to sit in your arms and look at the stars.”
“That’s a good idea.” he whispers against your cheek, then he wraps his arms around you and holds you tight as the two of you look up at the dark sky that’s scattered with stars.
__
@tnu-ree @dangerouslystrangecrown @weird-civilian @callmeglenncoco @sanctuarygirl @meetmeinthematinee @jessicajones616 @artistic-discontentment @cheekybluefox @jazzyboo2001 @starsstripesandthesouth @a-small-independent-princess @thepastrecedes01 @rubywantsafuitgummy @sterekislyf @lostandfaceless @sweetgoodangel @racharr @star017 @ladyren33 @whatcolourisanorange @lunaticgurly
#john wick x you#john wick imagine#john wick x reader#fic: hold my hand#oh to be at a lantern festival with jonathan wick
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Tess: I’m so confused I can’t think straight
Mind: great idea, think circular
Tess: ??
#Loki is what has Tess all confused and twisted up#incorrect quotes#also#mind Tess is a CUBE#alright alright that’s the last pun I promise#infinoki
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(Disclaimer: This post is not my own. This is a repost from the official ilomilo developers on blog.ilomilo.com (only accessible on the wayback machine)!)
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beauty of games interview
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Beauty of Games interviewed me about ilomilo. There’s new info there, and some new pictures from the game!
[NOTE FROM TESS: Since the Beauty of Games site is also only accessible on the wayback machine, I’ll paste it below as well for easy reading!]
The Swedish developer Southend Interactive is developing a new puzzle game for Xbox Live, called ilomilo. The cute duo Ilo and Milo are the stars of the charming video game, which mixes a childbook look with European art styles. Beauty of Games talked with Art Director Simon Flesser about the main characters, dreams, the magic of photographs and balloon men with mustaches in womens clothing.
Do you remember the moment when you decided that you want to dedicate your life to art?
I don't think there was a turning point or anything. So, to be honest, no I don't remember a specific moment, but I've always had gaming and art related things as a my big hobby so I guess it came natural.
Please tell us something about the art related education that you’ve got. Have you studied or are you a self-taught artist?
I didn't really study art. I applied for a cartoonist class, but did not get in. I had to do something, so mostly for fun I applied to a 3D graphics education that I got in to.
What is your most favorite tool/material to work with as an artist (photoshop and pen tablet, pencil to scribble, etc.)?
My favourite tool is a black ink pen. Besides that: Photoshop (without a tablet, I can't use one of those!), Maya and copic markers.
What have you done before you joined Southend Interactive?
I worked at Ghost VFX in Copenhagen as an animator. Animated on a lot of lego (bionicle) commercials there.
How did you get involved with this company then?
Southend? I applied for a job and I got it!
What is the game ilomilo about?
It's a game about the space marines ilo and milo and their eternal struggle against alien soldiers and space zombies. Maybe.
Was ilmomilo a puzzle-game right from the beginning or did you have something else in mind at first?
Ilomilo was always a puzzle game. Actually, the art style came first, which is quite unusual, so some different puzzle concepts were floating around in pre production phase.
How about the art style? Have you (Southend) always wanted to make a “cute game”?
I don't necessarily think that there has been a desire within Southend to create something cute. Ilomilo just happens to be my personal style. And sure it is cute, but I think there's also a sort of melancholic tone to the art style.
What kind of emotions do you want to evoke on the player’s side?
Simple! With ilomilo we're hoping to bring smiles to people.
We're also hoping that playing ilomilo is an experience they will share with a friend, and communicate to help eachother to solve puzzle. In a way ilomilo is a just a big compatibility test for you and your friends.
The look of the game is very childish, but what is your target group?
I'm not a marketing guy so I don't tend to think about demographics or target groups. My personal target group is the group consisting of people with good taste that wants a new fun toy to play with.
How did you develop the look of ilo and milo as the game’s protagonists?
Since I was a kid I've drawn characters that look like ilo and milo with square faces and antennas.
What are they? With their little antenna they remind me a bit on insects. Fleas maybe?
They are whatever you want them to be. They're not fleas, but their helpers oli and moli, that you can control in the multiplayer mode, are some kind of insects.
What’s the role of all the cubes in the game? There are so many! Could you also reveal a few new ones to us?
All the cubes had a secret plan to take over the world and rule it with violence and pure evil. But their lack of arms and legs made this difficult so instead they act as tools for ilo and milo in their adventure.
Some cubes we have not yet shown are the lantern cube and the elevator cube. Just by hearing their name you might guess their functions...
What role do other creatures play in the game? For example we have seen the dog fish, the plunger creature or the little guys with their instruments.
All creatures have different purposes. Creatures like the dog fish are just passive inhabitants of the world, the player can't really interact with them. Then there are creatures like the plunger, the muncher that acts as sort of living cubes that ilo and milo can't pick up.
The music men you can control and make irritating sounds with during multiplayer sessions.
What is the possibly weirdest or craziest thing you created for the game?
Hm. My favourite character of the game, Sebastian, is quite weird. He's the only talking character and acts sort of lika a guide in the game. He's unpleasant, narcissistic and ugly, but in some ways I think he's very lovable. The ballon man with a mustache wearing womens clothing is also a bit weird, I guess.
You decided to tell the story of ilomilo with photographs. Do you just use pictures as in a comic book or do you use some kind of stop-motion mechanic to animate them?
They are just still pictures, but they are watched in a three dimensional space, so there's fancy camera work and stuff going on.
[NOTE FROM TESS: There’s a second part to this interview, but it is inaccessible since it wasn’t archived :~( ]
#ilomilo devblog#there were also lots of pictures in the interview but none of them are accessible bc they weren't archived either 🥺#kinda obsessed w the idea that all the cubes are evil....#balloon#muncher#ilo#milo#oli#moli#memory gallery#sebastian#drumman#tubaman
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new Loki/The Tesseract shipper here! so i’ve got a question, how exactly would you write Loki/Tesseract? I know many people portray Tess in a human form but like, if you were writing romance between Loki x The actual cube, how would that go down exactly? (Also I’m the same person who sent the tesseroki message yesterday about how weird it is and I love it!!)
there are loads of ways to do so, you're not really limited here ! Personally I like any of these:
- Tess can project out of the cube. Can't touch much stuff and floats around as a cloud a lot. Can be given a humanoid shape but that's not necessary - I'd do it if it was cute though, like if the light turned into Loki and was non-corporeally copying what he was doing
- Tess communicates through emotions, mostly. It's basically just radiating thoughts/emotions. The possibility of Loki being able to sense this/decipher it can be due to magic or something else.
- Telepathy. That's always fun. Mind to mind communication. The Tesseract likes to talk to him, apparently.
- being emotionally attached doesn't need to be @ a body but throwing attraction into it makes it very neat too !! Like ok the cube's energy fluctuates when Loki's in the room. Loki's trying to ignore it but keeps glancing it's way. Loki's daydreaming about a sentient rock and the infinity stone is blushing over some organic being. Their families are going to be so disappointed.
- The Tesseract can teleport around but otherwise Loki carrying it around everywhere. Keeping it in a pocket. Storing it at the surface of his pocket dimension. Tess can always teleport him to them if they want too.
- I also like to mess around with all the infinity stones being part of 1 conscious being - which means that if it's only Tess that's fond of Loki that whatever ethereal or eldritch form the combined infinity stones take there's 1/6th of it that is going <3 at him every time Space takes the wheel
- Loki's magic and the Tesseract's magic solely getting attached to each other, constantly wanting to cling, which of course drags Loki along. "No, I don't need the Tesseract to--put it back. Why isn't it working. Gah! Fine!! I'll use it!"
- Loki and dark!Tess but it's Loki getting addicted to the power high the Tesseract gives. It is an infinity stone, after all. Bonus points for radiation poisoning and withdrawal symptoms >:]
- I'm also partial to the Tesseract taking forms but it never being it's "own" !! This can include possessing other beings - can be Loki or someone around him, which essentially makes Tess the soul of the Tesseract.
- Similar to the one above this can also mean mimicking others so it can make it's own body, but it takes the forms of people it's seen. This means you can have 2 Loki's around, one with probably-blue eyes and magic tbh.
- the Tesseract leeching into Loki;s mind and/or stealing his magic to keep them together? also good. Tess is merely a cube haha just a fun lil funky lil shape hehe . not a threat haha. now use it since you're running low on seidr Loki <3
- the Tesseract's neutral state sounding like it's singing. When Loki was stuck with Thanos he used to look forward to spying on SHIELD because he fell in love with that. His sanity is on a thin thin thread. He's still in love with it when he's gotten away from Sanctuary. Whoops.
and so on !
#Honestly#anything you can think of is on the table XD#I'm fond of Loki sleeping curled around the Tesseract idk I think there's potential there#there are a few fics which keep the Tesseract as a cube and have Loki attached and just as many which make Tess humanoid-ish#tesseroki
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Every year, the Joint Mathematics Meeting brings more than 5,000 math lovers together. It’s the largest math meeting in the world. In January 2019, mathematicians flocked to the meeting in Baltimore, Md., to learn about new ideas and talk about their work. Many even — believe it or not — came to admire the latest in mathematical art.
The meeting included an entire art exhibition. Visitors marveled at sculptures made from metal, wood, porcelain and folded paper. One was based on a supersized Rubik’s cube. Many included triangles, hexagons or other shapes, arranged in strange and surprising sizes and colors. The collection also included drawings and paintings inspired by the study of numbers, curves and patterns.
Math artist Robert Fathauer, who lives near Phoenix, Ariz., organizes the art exhibit at the annual math meeting. Every year, he notes, more and more artists submit their work. Their creations explore new and creative ways to turn math into art. Fathauer himself makes pottery sculptures inspired by mathematical patterns, including those found on the frilly edges of corals or kale. He finds inspiration by looking at how math shows up in the everyday world.
“The Da Vinci Curve” is a drawing by Robert Bosch. Bosch’s version of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting “Mona Lisa” is made of a connected and closed curve that never crosses itself. It’s like a very complicated cookie cutter.
R. BOSCH
“I’m always kicking around ideas in my mind,” he says.
Art and math may seem like a strange pairing. People usually experience art through their senses. They see a painting or listen to music. If this art moves them, they will have an emotional response. Solving math problems is usually viewed as something you think about — not feel.
But connections between the two fields reach far back in time. Sculptors and architects in some ancient civilizations included numbers and math ideas into their works. Patterns in Islamic art that was made thousands of years ago show symmetries that mathematicians continue to study today.
“A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns,” wrote British mathematician G.H. Hardy in 1940. If a mathematician’s patterns are more permanent, he continued, “it is because they are made with ideas.”
Modern artists continue to look to math for inspiration, and in new ways. Fathauer, for instance, created a screen print inspired by his hometown. It uses three shapes — a scorpion, a snake and a bird — to cover a flat surface. The design is a nod to tessellations (Tess-uh-LAY-shuns). They are patterns that use interlocking geometric shapes to “tile,” or fill in, a two-dimensional plane. The artist lives in Phoenix (represented by a bird), where one can encounter scorpions and diamondback rattlesnakes.
The field of math art is growing. The exhibition at the 2004 Joint Mathematics Meeting, for example, included only 10 artists. By 2019, that number had grown to 94. “We get more submissions than we have room for,” Fathauer observes.
Galleries, art museums and festivals around the world have staged math art shows. In 1998, mathematicians launched the Bridges Organization, which celebrates the connections between math and art, music, architecture and culture. Every year, Bridges holds a meeting to celebrate those intersections. The Bridges conferences include art shows, talks about research on math and art, poetry readings and even performances of plays and dance inspired by art. The math art community now includes hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people around the world.
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