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barricadebops · 3 years

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As I'm about 99.9% positive you would agree, I will never understand why people say that Enjolras isn't a good friend or wouldn't be a good boyfriend. Like I get that the revolution and his work was important to him (I personally believe that he would balance his friends and work to the best of his ability), but you cannot tell me that he wouldn't drop everything, including his work, at a moment's notice if a friend needed him. This is something that I believe wholeheartedly, and someone would have to pry this head canon/belief/whatever you want to call it out of my cold dead fingers.

Yes, I of course agree with this 100%. I really don't understand why people would say that either, it is just not him! The thing about Enjolras is that he cares so much, enough to the point where it was what got him killed. Some may argue that he cares more for his cause than for people, and I would say that is because they are viewing the cause and people as two different concepts, when, in reality, they are actually one and the same! Because Enjolras' cause is the people and that includes all people—the common man Feuilly, his (probably previously) wealthy friend Combeferre, and even the man who on several occasions has let him down, disappointed him, and given him all the reason not to trust him, Grantaire. If his cause is the people, how could he ever feel cold towards the people who matter most to him?

I think the idea a vast amount of people have that Enjolras doesn't love comes from the fact that canonically Enjolras does not experience romantic love, and frankly, this sort of thinking is rather dangerous, because it erases the fact that love comes in so many more forms than just romance. Enjolras is filled with an incredible amount of love—love for his friends, love for the people around him, and love for the future, and every one of those aspects links back to the love he feels for those who surround him. It is the love for the people he would encounter everyday while walking on the streets, it is the love for the people he would meet when he would go to buy his bread, it is the love for the friends who would look to him as their beloved friend and leader—it is his love for these people that he launches an entire rebellion— and subsequently dies for it, too. His ideals are defined by the motto of France—liberty, equality, and fraternity—but these ideals are driven by his greatest ideal of all, the one he hold key above others: love, and he makes his value of the ideal abundantly evident in his speech following the execution of Le Cabuc when he says:

"This is a bad moment to mention the word 'love.' I mention it anyway, and I glorify it. Love, the future belongs to you... In the future there will be no killing, the earth will be radiant, the human race will love." (5.12.8.)

From this, it is quite clear that Enjolras does not just experience love, but feels one of the highest and most greatest forms of it, so the characterization that he knows not of the feeling of love is quite unfounded.

He absolutely does love his friends to death. The one time we see him ready to forsake his ideals is when rather than keep the valuable spy Javert, who holds information about the rebels at the barricades, he is willing to hold an exchange so that they may bring back Jehan Prouvaire.

"'Yes,' replied Enjolras. 'But not as much as by Jean Prouvaire's life.'" (5.14.5)

He also sees so much good in his friends, he believes in them wholeheartedly, and for Enjolras, his belief is his expression of love.

"He composed, in his own mind, with Combeferre’s philosophical and penetrating eloquence, Feuilly’s cosmopolitan enthusiasm, Courfeyrac’s dash, Bahorel’s smile, Jean Prouvaire’s melancholy, Joly’s science, Bossuet’s sarcasms, a sort of electric spark which took fire nearly everywhere at once." (5.1.6.)

I've always loved this passage because it allows us to glimpse into Enjolras' mind and see how he truly thinks of his friends, and the way he sees them is incredibly sweet. He sees these people as his brothers who are capable of amazing feats, who are just as passionate as he is, and will be the ones to help him fight for the future. The love he holds for them is incredible, and though we get to see inside of Enjolras' head so little, this passage here is quite enough to inform the reader of just how much Enjolras draws joy from his friends.

In terms of the canonicity of the brick, I have always seen Enjolras' final moment as him realizing and accepting Grantaire's love for him (I would also argue that this moment is also when Grantaire himself, having not known exactly what it was he felt for Enjolras, also realized what exactly he felt for him), but dying with him only as a friend, but the fact that he smiles, and that it is him who extends his hand towards Grantaire says a lot about how strong his platonic love for his friends is. And of course, once again it is not just for his friends; far too many people see Enjolras as a man willing to sacrifice whoever and whatever in order to accomplish his goals, but his words once he discovers that Paris has abandoned their barricade say otherwise. When the rebels stubbornly insist that they all remain, no doubt fantasizing of dying "heroic martyr deaths," rather than encourage them, he instead essentially chides them by reminding them that:

"Vain-glory is wasteful[,]" (5.1.14)

so to paint him as merciless holds no merit. I feel as if this image comes from the quote:

"Enjolras was a charming young man capable of being terrible." (4.4.1.)

While yes, it is very capable for Enjolras to turn ruthless, the key word in that sentence is capable. The word that preceeds it, the one that follows after the definite word was, is the word charming, and the fact that charming is put before terrible holds great significance. Enjolras' first instinct, what comes to him naturally, is to do good, to be good, to be charming. He can be terrible, yes, but he must put his mind into doing so, whereas being a good person comes to him without thinking. Many tend to ignore the first part of the sentence in favour of the second, and they twist it to mean that his first instinct is to do bad instead of good, which really does not define his character at all.

Perhaps the biggest contributor to the misinterpretation of Enjolras' character is the way people have read his dynamic with Grantaire, and the way the lines between canon and fanon Grantaire have been so thoroughly blurred that it has ended up distorting Enjolras' image while erasing major parts of Grantaire's character that makes him the character and to a greater extent, metaphorical representation he is. I will not lie; I write fanfiction, and the version of Grantaire that I write into my stories is most definitely his fanon image; in other words, he is a vastly improved version. But it is incredibly important to acknowledge the way the two concepts deviate from each other, or you'll end up with a situation in which the character you have in mind isn't really the original character itself. It's okay for people to have different perceptions! Everyone understand literature differently, and that's the beauty of the arts! I think it's totally cool that everyone believes in characters in different ways! But for me, it really bothers me the way the fandom tends to paint Grantaire as a saint while portraying Enjolras as a character who always seems to know less than Grantaire, always is on a lower platform than Grantaire, and is always harsh and unjust towards Grantaire, because it simply is not true. A lot about Grantaire is ignored in terms of the canonicity of the brick. For example, it is true that Grantaire is, in fact, ugly, and he's described that way for a specific element of the narrative that Victor Hugo is writing in (@lilys-hazel-eyes is writing a great analysis on morality represented by beauty, which is exactly the point here—you should definitely go check it out!) In the brick, Victor Hugo describes Grantaire's cynicsm to be the "dry-rot of intellect" (4.4.1.) Hugo's stance on nihilism and cynicism is made quite evident in the way he portrays Grantaire, a character meant to represent the physical manifestation of cynicism (some say that he's the physical embodiment of Paris itself and I think that's a really neat reading on that!)

"A rover, a gambler, a libertine, often drunk... Grantaire, with insidious doubt creeping through him, loved to watch faith soar in Enjolras... his soft, yielding, disclocated, sickly, shapeless ideas..." (4.4.1.)

From these descriptions, it is quite clear what sort of opinion Victor Hugo holds of cynics, which is why Grantaire's characterization is so deliberate. He is trying to make a commentary here about the harm those who do not hold passion or belief can do, to both themselves and society. It is why Grantaire's redeeming moment is the one in which he finally comes to accept the hope of the revolution and proves through action his belief in Enjolras.

In terms of what is presented in the brick, Grantaire does not exactly have much to really defend him. Often drunk, he expends his energy into drunk rambles rather than meaningful meeting contributions, (though admittedly, he does say some rather valid and eloquent things within his rambles—the quote "Take away 'Cotton is King,' what remains of America?" [4.4.4] comes to mind) he deliberately pokes and bothers people as seen when he calls Enjolras "heartless," (5.1.6) and when given a task, does not hold up his end of the deal and ger it done despite having asked for it in the first place. Enjolras' doubt in him is actually entirely understandable; after all, what has Grantaire really done to prove himself trustworthy and reliable? When Enjolras asks if "[he is] good for anything" (5.1.6) the question is, likely in his eyes, genuine rather than insulting. And even when he has every reason not to, Enjolras still puts his faith into Grantaire to get something of extreme importance done for him, which I do think says a lot about Enjolras' willingness to believe in the best in people.

Victor Hugo ends the chapter right before we can see Enjolras' reaction to Grantaire's failure, and while this part, I will say, is up for interpretation, personally I have always extrapolated that the most emotion this would draw from him is disappointment—though it is disappointment that he definitely thinks he should have seen coming, rather than imagining him as getting insanely mad at Grantaire.

Their next interaction is during the rebellion itself, during which Enjolras is put under quite a bit of stress and Grantaire's behaviour really is not helping matters, so him snapping is actually very believable, if a little harsh.

The Enjolras seen in fanon, derived from these interactions, always seems so harsh, so rash when he speaks to Grantaire and therefore is characterized as rash and reckless in general, and generally seems to not understand emotion very well, which is very unlike him. Rather than harsh, I would say that with the exception of course of the rebellion at the barricade and the lead up to that time, Enjolras actually seems to be quite calm.

"All held their peace, and Enjolras bowed his head." (4.4.5.)

Rather than instantly explode at Marius for his rather awful beliefs of Napoleon, instead, Enjolras keeps calm and silent, which demonstrates what an incredible depth of patience he has. And as for Enjolras not understanding emotion, when it comes to fanworks, I'm generally tolerant of people holding different perceptions for different characters, but of all perceptions, this one is one I cannot begin to comprehend, and this is one that I will say that to say he knows not of emotion is to have wrongly read his character.

"And a tear trickled slowly down Enjolras' marble cheek." (5.1.8.)

I simply cannot allow myself to believe that the man who cried at the prospect of having to shoot the artillerman, who calls him his "brother," who is no doubt thinking that had circumstances been different, the action he would be taking would not be necessary—I do not believe this is a man who would not understand feelings and emotions.

The Grantaire in the book who has "the dry rot of intellect," (4.4.1) only ever makes unnecessary rants during meetings, and is very much untrustworthy, is a far outcry from the Grantaire who bases his cyncism on being what he would say is being "well informed," often makes valid points in meetings, and proves himself reliable. Similarly, the Enjolras that is thoughful, as he proves himself to be in his "Outlook from the Top of the Barricade" speech, still chooses to believe in the best in others despite being given every reason not to, and is actually quite patient, is very different from his rash and reckless, short tempered, seems-to-hate-Grantaire, fanon counterpart.

Of course, if you take characters who are shaped by their surroundings and circumstances in the nineteenth century and adapt them to fit the scene of the twenty-first century, it's obvious things are going to change! However, I think it's important to keep these key traits in mind when doing so, and more often than not, it is these key traits that end up getting mangled. When one sticks to these traits, it's easy to say Enjolras would be a wondeful friend/boyfriend (if you see him as having one.) Enjolras' whole deal is loving and caring immensely, and to put his absolute one hundred percent effort into everything he does, and that includes into his friendships and relationships.

Once again, I'm not bashing on the fandom here, I'm part of it. I'll repeat again, I too write with the fanon image of Grantaire in my head. Everyone takes away different things from literature, and that's fine! This is simply how I have interpreted it.

One more note on Enjolras.

Les Amis de l'ABC absolutely love Enjolras. The way Enjolras' character has been misinterpreted has ended up having an effect on the way the Amis are looked at as well. The Amis are all so passionate about the revolution, they attend meetings because they truly do believe in the change they can create in their world, so I'll never truly understand the characterization of the Amis as laughing at Enjolras' devotion to the cause, or finding his passion for it stupid or bothersome. Victor Hugo himself describes just how passionate of a group they are:

"All these young men who differed so greatly, and who, on the whole can only be discussed seriously, held the same religion: Progress... The most giddy of them became solemn when they pronounced that date: '89... the pure blood of principle ran in their veins. They attached themselves, without immediate shades, to incorruptible right and absolute duty." (4.4.1.)

Everyone here, with the exception of Grantaire, is here because they believe wholeheartedly in the revolution. This is not something Enjolras forced upon them, this is not something they groan when thinking about, it is something they all believe in so passionately. It is not something they make fun of him for.

"Affiliated and initiated, they sketched out the ideal underground." (4.4.1.)

They are all here by choice, by will, and by the values they hold close to their heart, and so to say Enjolras is someone who constantly whines about his cause and the others think he needs to lighten up is both an insult to him and the rest. Furthermore, the Amis really love Enjolras, and not just as their leader, but as a beloved friend, and as strongly as I believe Enjolras would drop all of his work to help any of the Amis when they are in need, I believe the Amis would do the same for him. The unity of Les Amis de l'ABC says a lot about the kind of charismatic leader Enjolras is, and his friends most definitely adore him.

So yeah, anon, I 100% agree, and rest assured, if they try and take this canon fact away, they'll have to pry it from both our sets of our cold dead fingers.

#les miserables #enjolras #les amis de l'abc #enjolras talk #character analysis #les miserables meta #woah this turned out to be long #I'm so sorry anon you just wanted to express your feelings and I just...went off #I couldn't help it I had been meaning to write up a defence on Enjolras for a while and the opportunity just presented itself #GRANTAIRE STANS BEFORE YOU COME FOR MY BLOOD PLEASE LISTEN TO ME I DON'T HATE GRANTAIRE #This is simply my interpretation of things if you don't agree feel free to ignore it #I fear the Grantaire stans #also I am by no means an expert I'm a teenager not a literature prof or anything so like this might not all be right #so like sorry if it's not completely accurate #this is my interpretation of it #please don't attack me I'm sensitive

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grigori77 · 3 years

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Movies of 2021 - My Pre-Summer Favourites (Part 2)

The Top Ten:

10. ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE – one of the undisputable highlights of the Winter-Spring period has to be the long-awaited, much vaunted redressing of a balance that’s been a particular thorn in the side of DC cinematic fans for over three years now – the completion and restoration of the true, unadulterated original director’s cut of the painfully abortive DCEU team-up movie that was absolutely butchered when Joss Whedon took over from original director Zack Snyder and then heavily rewrote and largely reshot the whole thing. It was a somewhat painful experience to view in cinemas back in 2017 – sure, there were bits that worked, but most of it didn’t and it wasn’t like the underrated Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, which improves immensely on subsequent viewings (especially in the three hour-long director’s cut). No, Whedon’s film was a MESS. Needless to say fans were up in arms, and once word got out that the finished film was not at all what Snyder originally intended, a vocal, forceful online campaign began to restore what quickly became known as the Snyder Cut. Thank the gods that Warner Bros listened to them, ultimately taking advantage of the intriguing alternative possibilities provided by their streaming service HBO Max to allow Snyder to present his fully reinstated creation in its entirety. The only remaining question, of course, is simply … is it actually any good? Well it’s certainly much more like BVS:DOG than Whedon’s film ever was, and there’s no denying that, much like the rest of Snyder’s oeuvre, this is a proper marmite movie – there are gonna people who hate it no matter what, but the faithful, the fans, or simply those who are willing to open their minds are going to find much to enjoy here. The damage has been thoroughly patched, most of the elements that didn’t work in the theatrical release having been swapped out or reworked so that now they pay off BEAUTIFULLY. This time the quest of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to bring the first iteration of the Justice League together – half-Atlantean superhuman Arthur Curry/the Aquaman (Jason Momoa), lightning-powered speedster Barry Allan/the Flash (Fantastic Beasts’ Ezra Miller) and cybernetically-rebuilt genius Victor Stone/Cyborg (relative newcomer Ray Fisher) – not only feels organic, but NECESSARY, as does their desperate scheme to use one of the three alien Mother Boxes (no longer just shiny McGuffins but now genuinely well-realised technological forces that threaten cataclysm as much as they provide opportunity for miracles) to bring Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill) back from the dead, especially given the far more compelling threat of this version’s collection of villains. Ciaran Hinds’ mocapped monstrosity Steppenwolf is a far more palpable and interesting big bad this time round, given a more intricate backstory that also ties in a far greater ultimate mega-villain that would have become the DCEU’s Thanos had Snyder had his way to begin with – Darkseid (Ray Porter), tyrannical ruler of Apokolips and one of the most powerful and hated beings in the Universe, who could have ushered the DCEU’s now aborted New Gods storyline to the big screen. The newer members of the League receive far more screen-time and vastly improved backstory too, Miller’s Flash getting a far more pro-active role in the storyline AND the action which also thankfully cuts away a lot of the clumsiness the character had in the Whedon version without sacrificing any of the nerdy sass that nonetheless made him such a joy, while the connective tissue that ties Momoa’s Aquaman into his own subsequent standalone movie feels much stronger here, and his connection with his fellow League members feels less perfunctory too, but it’s Fisher’s Cyborg who TRULY reaps the benefits here, regaining a whole new key subplot and storyline that ties into a genuinely powerful tragic origin story, as well as a far more complicated and ultimately rewarding relationship with his scientist father, Silas Stone (the great Joe Morton). It’s also really nice to see Superman handled with the kind of skill we’d expect from the same director who did such a great job (fight me if you disagree) of bringing the character to life in two previous big screen instalments, as well as erasing the memory of that godawful digital moustache removal … similarly, it’s nice to see the new and returning supporting cast get more to do this time, from Morton and the ever-excellent J.K. Simmonds as fan favourite Gotham PD Commissioner Jim Gordon to Connie Nielsen as Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta of Themyscira and another unapologetic scene-stealing turn from Jeremy Irons as Batman’s faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth. Sure, it’s not a perfect movie – the unusual visual ratio takes some getting used to, while there’s A LOT of story to unpack here, and at a gargantuan FOUR HOURS there are times when the pacing somewhat lags, not to mention an overabundance of drawn-out endings (including a flash-forward to a potential apocalyptic future that, while evocative, smacks somewhat of overeager fan-service) that would put Lord of the Rings’ The Return of the King to shame, but original writer Chris Terrio’s reconstituted script is rich enough that there’s plenty to reward the more committed viewer, and the storytelling and character development is a powerful thing, while the action sequences are robust and thrilling (even if Snyder does keep falling back on his over-reliance on slow motion that seems to alienate some viewers), and the new score from Tom Holkenborg (who co-composed on BVS:DOJ) feels a far more natural successor than Danny Elfman’s theatrical compositions. The end result is no more likely to win fresh converts than Man of Steel or Batman Vs Superman, but it certainly stands up far better to a critical eye this time round, and feels like a far more natural progression for the saga too. Ultimately it’s more of an interesting tangential adventure given that Warner Bros seem to be stubbornly sticking to their original plans for the ongoing DCEU, but I can’t help hoping that they might have a change of heart in the future given just how much better the final product is than any of us had any right to expect …

9. SYNCHRONIC – writer-director duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are something of a creative phenomenon in the science-fiction and fantasy indie cinema scene, crafting films that ensnare the senses and engage the brain like few others. Subtly insidious conspiracy horror debut Resolution is a sneaky little chiller, while deeply original body horror Spring (the film that first got me into them) is weird, unsettling and surprisingly touching, but it was breakthrough sleeper hit The Endless, a nightmarish time-looping cosmic horror that thoroughly screws with your head, that really put them on the map. Needless to say it’s led them to greater opportunities heading into the future, and this is their first film to really reap the benefits, particularly by snaring a couple of genuine stars for its lead roles. Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) are paramedics working the night shift in New Orleans, which puts them on the frontlines when a new drug hits the streets, a dangerous concoction known as Synchronic that causes its users to experience weird localised fractures in time that frequently lead to some pretty outlandish deaths in adults, while teenage users often disappear entirely. As the situation worsens, the pair’s professional and personal relationships become increasingly strained, compounded by the fact that Steve is concealing his recent diagnosis of terminal cancer, before things come to a head when Dennis’ teenage daughter Brianna (Into the Badlands’ Ally Ioannides) vanishes under suspicious circumstances, and it becomes clear to Steve that she’s become unstuck in time … this is as mind-bendingly off-the-wall and spectacularly inventive as we’ve come to expect from Benson and Moorhead, another fantastically original slice of weirdness that benefits enormously from their exquisitely obsessive attention to detail and characteristically unsettling atmosphere of building dread, while their character development is second to none, benefitting their top-notch cast no end. Mackie is typically excellent, bringing compelling vulnerability to the role that makes it easy to root for him as he gets further out of his depth in this twisted temporal labyrinth, while Dornan invests Dennis with a painfully human fallibility, and Ioannides does a lot with very little real screen time in her key role as ill-fated Brianna. The time-bending sequences are suitably disorienting and disturbing, utilising pleasingly subtle use of visual effects to further mess with your head, and the overall mechanics of the drug and its effects are fiendishly crafted, while the directors tighten the screw of slowburn tension throughout, building to a suitably offbeat ending that’s as devastating as anything we’ve seen from them so far. Altogether this is another winning slice of genre-busting weirdness from a filmmaking duo who deserve continued success in the future, and I for one will be watching eagerly.

8. WITHOUT REMORSE – I’m a big fan of Tom Clancy, to me he was one of the ultimate escapist thriller writers, and whenever a new adaptation of one of his novels comes along I’m always front of the line to check it out. The Hunt For Red October is one of my favourite screen thrillers OF ALL TIME, while my very favourite Clancy adaptation EVER, the Jack Ryan TV series, is, in my opinion, one of the very best Original shows that Amazon have ever done. But up until now my VERY FAVOURITE Clancy creation, John Clark, has always remained in the background or simply absent entirely, putting in an appearance as a supporting character in only two of the movies, tantalising me with his presence but never more than a teaser. Well that’s all over now – after languishing in development hell since the mid-90s, the long-awaited adaptation of my favourite Clancy novel, the origin story of the top CIA black ops operative, has finally arrived, as well as a direct spin-off from distributor Amazon’s own Jack Ryan series. Michael B. Jordan plays John Kelly (basically Clark before he gained his more famous cover identity), a lethally efficient, highly decorated Navy SEAL whose life is turned upside down when a highly classified operation experiences deadly blowback as half of his team is assassinated in retaliation, while Kelly barely survives an attack in which his heavily pregnant wife is killed. With the higher-ups unwilling the muddy the waters while scrambling to control the damage, Kelly, driven by rage and grief, takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a violent personal crusade against the Russian operatives responsible, but as he digs deeper with the help of his former commanding officer, Lt. Commander Karen Greer (Queen & Slim’s Jodie Turner-Smith), and mid-level CIA hotshot Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell), it becomes clear that there’s a far more insidious conspiracy at work here … in the past the Clancy adaptations we’ve seen tend to be pretty tightly reined-in affairs, going for a PG-13 polish that maintains the intellectual fireworks but still tries to keep the violence clean and relatively family-friendly, but this was never going to be the case here – Clark has always been Jack Ryan’s dark shadow, Clancy’s righteous man without the moral restraint, and a PG-13 take never would have worked, so going for an unfettered R-rating is the right choice. Jordan’s Kelly/Clark is a blood-soaked force of nature, a feral dog let off the leash, bringing a brutal ferocity to the action that does the literary source proud, tempered by a wounded vulnerability that helps us to sympathise with the broken but still very human man behind the killer; Turner-Smith, meanwhile, regularly matches him in the physical stakes, jumping into the action with enthusiasm and looking damn fine doing it, but she also brings tight control and an air of pragmatic military professionalism that makes it easy to believe in her not only as an accomplished leader of fighting men but also as the daughter of Admiral Jim Greer, while Bell is arrogant and abrasive but ultimately still a good man as Ritter; Guy Pearce, meanwhile, brings his usual gravitas and quietly measured charisma to proceedings as US Secretary of Defence Thomas Clay, and Lauren London makes a suitably strong impression during her brief screen time to make her absence keenly felt as Kelly’s wife Pam. The action is intense, explosive and spectacularly executed, culminating in a particularly impressive drawn-out battle through a Russian apartment complex, while the labyrinthine plot is intricately crafted and unfolds with taut precision, but then the screenplay was co-written by Taylor Sheridan, who here reteams with Sicario 2 director Stefano Sollida, who’s also already proven to be a seasoned hand at this kind of thing, and the result is a tense, knuckle-whitening suspense thriller that pays magnificent tribute to the most compelling creation of one of the best authors in the genre. Amazon have signed up for more with already greenlit sequel Rainbow Six, and with this directly tied in with the Jack Ryan TV series too I can’t help holding out hope we just might get to see Jordan’s Clark backing John Krasinski’s Ryan up in the future …

7. RAYA & THE LAST DRAGON – with UK cinemas still closed I’ve had to live with seeing ALL the big stuff on my frustratingly small screen at home, but at least there’s been plenty of choice with so many of the big studios electing to either sell some of their languishing big projects to online vendors or simply release on their own streaming services. Thank the gods, then, for the House of Mouse following Warner Bros’ example and releasing their big stuff on Disney+ at the same time in those theatres that have reopened – this was one movie I was PARTICULARLY looking forward to, and if I’d had to wait and hope for the scheduled UK reopening to occur in mid-May I might have gone a little crazy watching everyone else lose it over something I still hadn’t seen. That said, it WOULD HAVE been worth the wait – coming across sort-of a bit like Disney’s long overdue response to Dreamworks’ AWESOME Kung Fu Panda franchise, this is a spellbinding adventure in a beautifully thought-out fantasy world heavily inspired by Southeast Asia and its rich, diverse cultures, bursting with red hot martial arts action and exotic Eastern mysticism and brought to life by a uniformly strong voice cast dominated by actors of Asian descent. It’s got a cracking premise, too – 500 years ago, the land of Kumandra was torn apart when a terrible supernatural force known as the Druun very nearly wiped out all life, only stopped by the sacrifice of the last dragons, who poured all their power and lifeforce into a mystical gem. But when the gem is broken and the pieces divided between the warring nations of Fang, Heart, Spine, Tail and Talon, the Druun return, prompting Raya (Star Wars’ Kelly Marie Tran), the fugitive princess of Heart, to embark on a quest to reunite the gem pieces and revive the legendary dragon Sisu in a desperate bid to vanquish the Druun once and for all. Moana director Don Hall teams up with Blindspotting helmer Carlos Lopez Estrada (making his debut in the big chair for Disney after helping develop Frozen), bringing to life a thoroughly inspired screenplay co-written by Crazy Rich Asians’ Adele Kim which is full to bursting with magnificent world-building, beautifully crafted characters and thrilling action, as well as the Disney prerequisites of playful humour and tons of heart and soul. Tran makes Raya an feisty and engaging heroine, tough, stubborn and a seriously kickass fighter, but with true warmth and compassion too, while Gemma Chan is icy cool but deep down ultimately kind of sweet as her bitter rival, Fang princess Namaari, and there’s strong support from Benedict Wong and Good Boys’ Izaac Wang as hard-but-soft Spine warrior Tong and youthful but charismatic Tail shrimp-boat captain Boun, two of the warm-hearted found family that Raya gathers on her travels. The true scene-stealer, however, is the always entertaining Awkwafina, bringing Sisu to life in wholly unexpected but thoroughly charming and utterly adorable fashion, a goofy, sassy and sweet-natured bundle of fun who grabs all the best laughs but also unswervingly champions the film’s core messages of peace, unity and acceptance in all things, something which Raya needs a lot of convincing to take to heart. Visually stunning, endlessly inventive, consistently thrilling and frequently laugh-out-loud funny, this is another solid gold winner once again proving that Disney can do this kind of stuff in their sleep, but it’s always most interesting when they really make the effort to create something truly special, and that’s just what they’ve done here. As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the studio’s finest animated features in a good long while, and thoroughly deserving of your praise and attention …

6. THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES – so what piece of animation, you might be asking, could POSSIBLY have won over Raya as my animated feature of the year so far? After all, it would have to be something TRULY special … but then, remember Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse? Back in 2018, that blew me away SO MUCH that it very nearly became my top animated feature of THE PAST DECADE (only JUST losing out, ultimately, to Dreamworks’ unstoppable How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). When I heard its creators, the irrepressible double act of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs), were going to be following that up with this anarchic screwball comedy adventure, I was VERY EXCITED INDEED, a fervour which was barely blunted when its release was, inevitably, indefinitely delayed thanks to the global pandemic, so when it finally released at the tail end of the Winter-Spring season I POUNCED. Thankfully my faith was thoroughly rewarded – this is an absolute riot from start to finish, a genuine cinematic gem I look forward to going back to for repeated viewings in the near future, just to soak up the awesomeness – it’s hilarious to a precision-crafted degree, brilliantly thought-out and SPECTACULARLY well-written by acclaimed Gravity Falls writer-director Mike Rianda (who also helms here), injecting the whole film with a gleefully unpredictable, irrepressibly irreverent streak of pure chaotic genius that makes it a affectionately endearing and utterly irresistible joyride from bonkers start to adorable finish. The central premise is pretty much as simple as the title suggests, the utterly dysfunctional family in question – father Rick (Danny McBride), born outdoorsman and utter technophobe, mother Linda (Maya Rudolph), much put-upon but unflappable even in the face of Armageddon, daughter Katie (Broad City co-creator Abbi Jacobson), tech-obsessed and growing increasingly estranged from her dad, and son Aaron (Rianda himself), a thoroughly ODD dinosaur nerd – become the world’s only hope after naïve tech mogul Mark Bowman (Eric Andre), founder of PAL Labs, inadvertently sets off a robot uprising. Cue a wild ride comedy of errors of EPIC proportions … this is just about the most fun I’ve had with a movie so far this year, an absolute riot throughout, but there’s far more to it than just a pile of big belly laughs, with the Mitchells all proving to be a lovable bunch of misfits who inspire just as much deep, heartfelt affection as they learn from their mistakes and finally overcome their differences, becoming a better, more loving family in the process, McBride and Jacobson particularly shining as they make our hearts swell and put a big lump in our throat even while they make us titter and guffaw, while the film has a fantastic larger than (virtual) life villain in PAL (Olivia Colman), the virtual assistant turned megalomaniacal machine intelligence spearheading this technological revolution. Much like its Spider-Man-shaped predecessor, this is also an absolutely STUNNING film, visually arresting and spectacularly inventive and bursting with neat ideas and some truly beautiful stylistic flair, frequently becoming a genuine work of cinematic art that’s as much a feast for the eyes as it is the intellect and, of course, the soul. Altogether then, this is definitely the year’s most downright GORGEOUS film so far, as well as UNDENIABLY its most FUN. Lord and Miller really have done it again.

5. P.G. PSYCHO GOREMAN – the year’s current undeniable top guilty pleasure has to be this fantastic weird, thoroughly over-the-top and completely OUT THERE black comedy cosmic horror that doesn’t so much riff on the works of HP Lovecraft as throw them in a blender, douse them with maple syrup and cayenne pepper and then hurl the sloppy results to the four winds. On paper it sounds like a family-friendly cutesy comedy take on Call of Cthulu et al, but trust me, this sure ain’t one for the kids – the latest indie horror offering from Steven Kostanski, co-creator of the likes of Manborg, Father’s Day and The Void, this is one of the weirdest movies I’ve seen in years, but it’s also one of the most gleefully funny, playing itself entirely for yucks (frequently LITERALLY). Mimi (Nita Josee-Hanna) and Luke (Owen Myre) are a two small-town Canadian kids who dig a big hole of their backyard, accidentally releasing the Arch-Duke of Nightmares (Matthew Ninaber and the voice of Steven Vlahos), an ancient, god-tier alien killing machine who’s been imprisoned for aeons in order to protect the universe from his brutal crusade of death and destruction. To their parents’ dismay, Mimi decides to keep him, renaming him Psycho Goreman (or “P.G.” for short) and attempting to curb his superpowered murderous impulses so she can have a new playmate. But the monster’s original captors, the Templars of the Planetary Alliance, have learned of his escape, sending their most powerful warrior, Pandora (Kristen McCulloch), to destroy him once and for all. Yup, this movie is just as loony tunes as it sounds – Kostanski injects the film with copious amounts of his own outlandish, OTT splatterpunk extremity, bringing us a riotous cavalcade of bizarrely twisted creatures and mutations (brought to life through some deliciously disgusting prosthetic effects work) and a series of wonderfully off-kilter (not to mention frequently off-COLOUR) darkly comic skits and escapades, while the sense of humour is pretty bonkers but also generously littered with nuggets of genuine sharply observed genius. The cast, although made up almost entirely of unknowns, is thoroughly game, and the kids particularly impress, especially Josee-Hanna, who plays Mimi like a flamboyant, mercurial miniature psychopath whose zinger-delivery is clipped, precise and downright hilarious throughout. There are messages of love conquering all and the power of family, both born and made, buried somewhere in there too, but ultimately this is just 90 minutes of wonderful weirdness that’s sure to melt your brain but still leave you with a big dumb green when it’s all over. Which is all we really want from a movie like this, right?

4. SPACE SWEEPERS – all throughout the pandemic and the interminable lockdowns, Netflix have been a consistent blessing to those of us who’ve been craving the kind of big budget blockbusters we have (largely) been unable to get at the cinema. Some of my top movies of 2020 were Netflix Originals, and they’ve continued the trend into 2021, having dropped some choice cuts on us over the past four months, with some REALLY impressive offerings still to come as we head into the summer season (roll on, Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead!). In the meantime, my current Netflix favourite of the year so far is this phenomenal milestone of Korean cinema, lauded as the country’s first space blockbuster, which certainly went big instead of going home. Writer-director Jo Sung-hee (A Werewolf Boy, Phantom Detective) delivers big budget thrills and spills with a bombastic science-fiction adventure cast in the classic Star Wars mould, where action, emotion and fun characters count for more than an admittedly simplistic but still admirably archetypical and evocative plot – it’s 2092, and the Earth has become a toxic wasteland ruined by overpopulation and pollution, leading the wealthy to move into palatial orbital habitats in preparation for the impending colonisation of Mars, while the poor and downtrodden are packed into rotting ghetto satellites facing an uncertain future left behind to fend for themselves, and the UTS Corporation jealously guard the borders between rich and poor, presided over by seemingly benevolent but ultimately cruel sociopathic genius CEO James Sullivan (Richard Armitage). Eking out a living in-between are the space sweepers, freelance spaceship crews who risk life and limb by cleaning up dangerous space debris to prevent it from damaging satellites and orbital structures. The film focuses on the crew of sweeper vessel Victory, a ragtag quartet clearly inspired by the “heroes” of Cowboy Bebop – Captain Jang (The Handmaiden’s Kim Tae-ri), a hard-drinking ex-pirate with a mean streak and a dark past, ace pilot Kim Tae-ho (The Battleship Island’s Song Joong-ki), a former child-soldier with a particularly tragic backstory, mechanic Tiger Park (The Outlaws’ Jin Seon-Kyu), a gangster from Earth living in exile in orbit, and Bubs (a genuinely flawless mocapped performance from A Taxi Driver’s Yoo Hae-jin), a surplus military robot slumming it as a harpooner so she can earn enough for gender confirmation. They’re a fascinating bunch, a mercenary band who never think past their next paycheque, but there’s enough good in them that when redemption comes knocking – in the form of Kang Kot-nim (newcomer Park Ye-rin), a revolutionary prototype android in the form of a little girl who may hold the key to bio-technological ecological salvation – they find themselves answering the call in spite of their misgivings. The four leads are exceptional (as is their young charge), while Armitage makes for a cracking villain, delivering subtle, restrained menace by the bucketload every time he’s onscreen, and there’s excellent support from a fascinating multinational cast who perform in a refreshingly broad variety of languages. Jo delivers spectacularly on the action front, wrangling a blistering series of adrenaline-fuelled and explosive set-pieces that rival anything George Lucas or JJ Abrams have sprung on us this century, while the visual effects are nothing short of astounding, bringing this colourful, eclectic and dangerous universe to vibrant, terrifying life; indeed, the world-building here is exceptional, creating an environment you’ll feel sorely tempted to live in despite the pitfalls. Best of all, though, there’s tons of heart and soul, the fantastic found family dynamic at the story’s heart winning us over at every turn. Ultimately, while you might come for the thrills and spectacle, you’ll stay for these wonderful, adorable characters and their compelling tale. An undeniable triumph.

3. JUDAS & THE BLACK MESSIAH – I’m a little fascinated by the Black Panther Party, I find them to be one of the most intriguing elements of Black History in America, but outside of documentaries I’ve never really seen a feature film that’s truly done the movement justice, at least until now. It’s become a major talking point of the Awards Season, and it’s easy to see why – director Shaka King is a protégé of Spike Lee, and together with up-and-coming co-screenwriter Wil Berson he’s captured the fire and fervour of the Party and their firebrand struggle for racial liberation through force of arms, as well as a compelling portrait of one of their most important figures, Fred Hampton, the Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the BPP and a powerful political activist who could have become the next Martin Luther King or Malcolm X. Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya is magnificent in the role, effortlessly holding your attention in every scene with his laconic ease and deceptively friendly manner, barely hinting at the zealous fire blazing beneath the surface, but the film’s true focus is the man who brought him down, William O’Neal, a fellow Panther and FBI informant placed in the Chapter to infiltrate the movement and find a way for the US Government to bring down what they believed to be one of the country’s greatest internal threats. Lakeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You, Knives Out) delivers a suitably complex performance as O’Neal, perfectly embodying a very clever but also very desperate man walking a constant tightrope to maintain his cover in some decidedly wary company, but there’s never any real sense that he’s playing the villain, Stanfield largely garnering sympathy from the viewer as we’re shamelessly made to root for him, especially once he starts falling for the very ideals he’s trying to subvert – it’s a true star-making performance, and he even holds his own playing opposite Kaluuya himself. The rest of the cast are equally impressive, Dominique Fishback (Project Power, The Deuce) particularly holding our attention as Hampton’s fiancée and fellow Panther Akua Njeri, as does Jesse Plemmons as O’Neal’s idealistic but sympathetic FBI handler Roy Mitchell, while Martin Sheen is the film’s nominal villain in a chillingly potent turn as J. Edgar Hoover. This is an intense and thrilling film, powered by a tense atmosphere of pregnant urgency and righteous fury, but while there are a few grittily realistic set pieces, the majority of the fireworks on display are performance based, the cast giving their all and King wrestling a potent and emotionally resonant, inescapably timely history lesson that informs without ever slipping into preachy exposition, leaving an unshakable impression long after the credits have rolled. This doesn’t just earn all the award-winning kudos it gained, it deserved A LOT MORE recognition that it got, and if this were a purely critical rundown list I’d have to put it in the top spot. As it is I’m monumentally enamoured of this film, and I can’t sing its praises enough …

2. RUN, HIDE, FIGHT – the biggest surprise hit for me so far this year was this wicked little indie suspense thriller from writer-director Kyle Rankin (Night of the Living Deb), which snuck in under the radar but is garnering an impressive reputation as a future cult sleeper hit. Critics have been less kind, but the subject matter is a pretty thorny issue, and if handled the wrong way it could have been in very poor taste indeed. Thankfully Rankin has crafted a corker here, initially taking time to set the scene and welcome the players before throwing us headfirst into an unbelievably tense but also unsettlingly believable situation – a small town American high school becomes the setting for a fraught siege when a quartet of disturbed students take several of their classmates hostage at gunpoint, creating a social media storm in the process as they encourage the capture of the crisis on phone cameras. While the local police gather outside, the shooters discover another threat from within the school throwing spanners in the works – Zoe Hull (Alexa & Katie’s Isabel May), a seemingly nondescript girl who happens to be the daughter of former marine scout sniper Todd (Thomas Jane). She’s wound pretty tight after the harrowing death of her mother to cancer, fuelled by grief and conditioned by her father’s training, so she’s determined to get her friends and classmates out of this nightmare, no matter what. Okay, so the premise reads like Die Hard in a school, but this is a very different beast, played for gritty realism and shot with unshowy cinema-verité simplicity, Rankin cranking up the tension beautifully but refusing to play to his audience any more than strictly necessary, drip-feeding the thrills to maximum effect but delivering some harrowing action nonetheless. The cast are top-notch too, Jane delivering a typically subtle, nuanced turn while Treat Williams is likeably stoic as world-weary but dependable local Sherriff Tarsey, Rhada Mitchell intrigues as the matter-of-fact phantom of Zoe’s mum, Jennifer, that she’s concocted to help her through her mourning, Olly Sholotan is sweetly geeky as her best friend Lewis, and Eli Brown raises genuine goosebumps as an all-too-real teen psychopath in the role of terrorist ringleader Tristan Voy. The real beating heart and driving force of the film, though, is May, intense, barely restrained and all but vibrating with wounded fury, perfectly believable as the diminutive high school John McClane who defies expectations to become a genuine force to be reckoned with, as far as I’m concerned one of this year’s TOP female protagonists. Altogether this is a cracking little thriller, a precision-crafted little action gem that nonetheless raises some troubling questions and treats its subject matter with utmost care and respect, a film that’s destined for major cult classic status, and I can’t recommend it enough.

1. NOBODY – do you love the John Wick movies but you just wish they took themselves a bit less seriously? Well fear not, because Derek Kolstad has delivered fantastically on that score, the JW screenwriter mashing his original idea up with the basic premise of the Taken movies (former government spook/assassin turned unassuming family man is forced out of retirement and shit gets seriously trashed as a result) and injecting a big dollop of gallows humour. This time he’s teamed up with Ilya Naishuller, the stone-cold lunatic who directed the deliriously insane but also thoroughly brilliant Hardcore Henry, and the results are absolutely unbeatable, a pitch perfect jet black action comedy bursting with neat ideas, wonderfully offbeat characters and ingenious plot twists. Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk is perfect casting as Hutch Mansell, the aforementioned ex-“Auditor”, a CIA hitman who grew weary of the lifestyle and quit to find some semblance of normality with his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), with whom he’s had two kids. Ultimately, he seems to have “overcompensated”, and his life has stagnated, Hutch following a autopiloted day-to-day routine that’s left him increasingly unfulfilled … then fate intervenes and a series of impulsive choices see him falling back on his old ways while defending a young woman from drunken thugs on a late night bus ride. Problem is, said lowlifes work for the Russian Mob, specifically Yulian Kuznetsov (Leviathan’s Aleksei Serebryakov), a Bratva boss charged with guarding the Obshak, who must exact brutal vengeance in order to save face. Cue much bloody violence and entertaining chaos … Kolstad can do this sort of thing in his sleep, but his writing married with Naishuller’s singularly BONKERS vision means that the anarchy is dialled right up to eleven, while the gleefully dark sense of humour shot through makes the occasional surreality and bitingly satirical observation on offer all the more exquisite. Odenkirk is a low-key joy throughout, initially emasculated and pathetic but becoming more comfortable in his skin as he reconnects with his old self, while Serebryakov hams things up spectacularly, chewing the scenery with aplomb; Nielsen, meanwhile, brings her characteristic restrained classiness to proceedings, Christopher Lloyd and the RZA are clearly having the time of their lives as, respectively, Hutch’s retired FBI agent father David and fellow ex-spook half-brother Harry, and there’s a wonderfully game cameo from the incomparable Colin Salmon as Hutch’s former handler, the Barber. Altogether then, this is the perfect marriage of two fantastic worlds – an action-packed thrill ride as explosively impressive as John Wick, but also a wickedly subversive laugh riot every bit as blissfully inventive as Hardcore Henry, and undeniably THE BEST MOVIE I’ve seen so far this year. Sure, there’s some pretty heavyweight stuff set to (FINALLY) come out later this year, but this really will take some beating …

#movies 2021 #zack snyder's justice league #synchronic #synchronic movie #without remorse #raya and the last dragon #the mitchells vs the machines #pg psycho goreman #psycho goreman #space sweepers #judas and the black messiah #run hide fight #nobody #nobody movie

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thecaffeinebookwarrior · 4 years

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The Dos and Don’ts of Writing Smart Characters

Since I started this blog, one of the most common questions I’ve received has to do with the portrayal of intelligent characters. This is also one of the most difficult to answer -- excluding questions about characters with specialized knowledge sets, which are fairly easy to answer with source compilations. Most of the questions have to do with: how do you portray a smart character believably? How do you make the audience relate to them? Can I still make them likable? How do I avoid the pitfalls of popular media?

Well, I’m finally here to answer, utilizing examples from some of my favorite (and occasionally, not-so-favorite) media. Let’s jump in to the dos and don’ts of smart characters!

1. Do let the audience follow the character’s thought process.

As demonstrated by: Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders

Albert Einstein allegedly once said, “If you can’t explain it to a five-year-old, you don’t truly understand it.” And the sentiment rings true: true genius doesn’t need to dazzle with big words and technobabble. Instead, it makes the complex appear simple.

The same rings true for brilliant characters. BBC’s Sherlock (more on that later) ceased to satisfy in its later seasons because it began to rely too heavily on visual glitz to avoid actually explaining its mysteries and how they were solved. Similarly, the biggest complaints with block buster franchises -- Star Wars, The Avengers, Game of Thrones -- is that they became obsessed with “subverting expectations” cleverly instead of leading the audiences to their most logical and satisfying conclusions.

Meanwhile, the smartest and most satisfying media dazzles not by staying over the audience’s head, but by illustrating how simplistic the solutions can be.

Let’s start with my boy Tommy Shelby, the charismatic, swaggering protagonist of the charismatic, swaggering crime drama Peaky Blinders. Using only his intelligence (and complete disregard for his own life/suicidal tendencies, but that’s not the point here), Tommy claws his way up from the near-bottom of the social ladder (an impoverished Romani in early 20th century Birmingham) to being a decorated war hero, to being the leader of a feared razor gang, to dominating the race track business, to becoming a business mogul, to becoming a member of parliament and trying to assassinate the leader of the fascist party. He’s also one of the paramount reasons why I’m bisexual.

So how can such a drastic social climb be conveyed believably? Because Tommy -- as the viewpoint character -- is placed in seemingly inescapable situations, and then proceeds to demonstrate that the solutions to those situations have been there the whole time. I recently watched a brilliant video on how this is done, which can be viewed here.

Early in season one, for example, he responds to aggressive new methods by the police by organizing a mass-burning of paintings of the king, and uses the press this garners to publicly shame the methods of the chief inspector who’s been antagonizing him. In the next season, he talks his way into a deal by bluffing that he planted a grenade in his rival’s distillery. My personal favorite is in season four, when he responds to being outgunned by a larger, American gang by contacting their rival -- none other than an Alphonse Capone.

All of Tommy’s victories are satisfying, because they don’t come out of nowhere -- we have access to the same information he does, each victory is carefully foreshadowed, and we are reminded at every turn that failure is a very real possibility (more on that later.) So when he wins, we’re cheering with him.

Other examples: Mark Watney from The Martian, who explains science in its most simplistic terms and with infectious enthusiasm. He would make every character on The Big Bang Theory cry.

Also, Miss Fisher from the AMAZING Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. The dazzling, 1920s, female Sherlock Holmes of your dreams. I cannot recommend it enough.

To apply this to your own writing: Remember you won’t dazzle anyone if you smack them in the face with a “brilliant” plot twist. They want to take a journey with your character, not be left in the dust.

Also, for everyone in my askbox concerned that they’re not smart enough to write intelligent characters, just remember how simple the problems confronting smart characters can be. Put them in a difficult situation, and provide them with a means of getting out. Then, just let them find it.

2. Don’t assume the audience is too stupid to keep up (or try to make them feel too stupid to keep up.)

As demonstrated by: Sherlock Holmes from BBC’s Sherlock.

Say what you will: there were reasons why everyone was so captivated by this show during its first two seasons. It felt fresh. People had yet to become frustrated with the inescapable thirst for Benedict Cumberbatch. The writing was sharp, and the editing clever. And it wove a tantalizing web of mysteries that demanded solution. The problem was, there weren’t any.

The most frustrating for many was how Sherlock faked his death at the end of season two, after which devoted fans spent two years creating intricate theories on how he might have pulled this off. The creators responded by mocking this dedication in the opening episode of season three, by showing a fan club spinning outlandish theories (one of which included Sherlock and Moriarty kissing.) This might have been laughed off -- at the time, many seemed to consider it quite funny -- if the creators had bothered to offer their own explanation of how Sherlock survived. They didn’t. And so began a seemingly endless loop of huge cliffhangers that promised -- and consistently failed to deliver -- satisfying answers.

The most egregious examples occur in season four, which provided answers to questions no one asked, and withheld answers for things everyone wanted to know. For example, did you know that the real reason Moriarty engaged Sherlock is because he was hypnotized by Sherlock’s secret evil sister? The same one who killed Sherlock’s best friend, whom Sherlock convinced himself was a dog? Yes, that was a real plot point, in the climax of the series. It’s an effort to befuddle the audience with brilliant and unexpected writing, but instead pulled them out of a story they were already invested in and made them far more critical of its pre-existing faults.

It’s pointed out in the brilliant (if bluntly named) Sherlock Is Garbage, And Here’s Why that Moffat can be a great writer, but is a consistently terrible show runner, because he’s more interested in dazzling the audience with cleverness than actually telling a satisfying story. The video also points out that the show often implied Sherlock’s brilliance, without ever letting the audience follow along with his actions or thought-process in a way that DEMONSTRATED his brilliance.

I highly recommend giving the aforementioned video a watch, because it is not only a great explanation of how Sherlock Holmes can be best utilized, but about how writing itself can be best utilized.

Other examples: The Big Bang Theory. As Wisecrack points out in their wonderful video on the subject, the punchline of every joke is “oh look, these characters are smart nerds!” which is repetitious at best and downright insulting at worst.

How to avoid this in your writing: Treat the audience as your equal. You’re not trying to bedazzle them, you’re trying to take them on a journey with you. Let them be delighted when you are. Don’t constantly try to mislead them or hold intelligence over their head, and they will love you for it. Also, cheap tricks do not yield a satisfying story: readers will know when you went into a narrative without a plan, and they won’t appreciate it.

3. Do remember that smart people can be kind and optimistic!

As demonstrated by: Shuri from Black Panther.

Yes, brilliant people can be unhappy and isolated by their intelligence, or rejected by society. But remember that intelligence isn’t synonymous with a cantankerous attitude, or an excuse to be a pugnacious ass to those around you!

Part of the reason why Shuri of 2018′s Black Panther was such a breath of fresh air was the fact that she subverted almost all preconceptions about how a genius looks, acts, and regards the world. And it’s not just the fact that she isn’t a sullen, middle-aged white man that makes her stand out: Shuri has an effervescent attitude, and genuinely loves contributing to her country and family. She referred to sound-proof boots as “sneakers” (and then explained the pun when her brother didn’t get it.) She’s fashionable. She teases her older brother, and cries when he is apparently killed. She’s up on meme culture. This makes her unlike pretty much every other genius portrayed in the MCU.

Except maybe the Hulk. He can dab now.

Shuri is also allowed to take pride in her genius, and can be a bit insufferable about it, which makes her more enjoyable and rounded. But she is an excellent example of how genius can be explored and portrayed in fiction, and I will forever be embittered that she was underutilized in Infinity War and Endgame.

Why, for example, are all geniuses portrayed as arrogant misanthropes? Albert Einstein battled depression, but he is also said to have enjoyed blowing bubbles and watching puppet shows. He was kind to those who knew him. Similarly, Alan Turing behaved little like his fictional counterpart, described as “shy but outgoing,” with a love of being outdoors. Nikola Tesla fell in love with a pigeon. Why do we have to portray these people so damn gravely?

Other examples: Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds. Also an excellent portrayal of an intelligent person on the autism spectrum, as he struggles to interface socially but cares profusely for his fellow human beings. He is brilliant, and completely precious.

Also, Sherlock Holmes -- the original version, and all faithful adaptations thereof. Anyone who thinks Sherlock is an austere, antisocial jerk isn’t familiar with the original canon. He blushed when Watson complimented his intelligence, for God’s sake.

Then there’s Elle Woods from Legally Blonde and Marge from Fargo. Brilliant, upbeat, optimistic geniuses.

To apply this to your own writing: If you have a smart character who hates everyone around them for no identifiable reason, ask yourself why this is necessary and what this adds to the plot. Are they angry about injustice, towards themselves or others? Are they frustrated with an inability to relate to people? Do they want to protect themselves or their family at all costs, including politeness? If not, question why your brilliant character can’t also be kind to those around them.

4. Don’t make your character perfect at everything they do.

As demonstrated by: Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Ah, Wesley. Some call him the original Mary Sue, and it’s one of the only times I’ve seen the term applied with some accuracy. He is somehow the most gifted and least qualified person on The Enterprise. He’s Hermione Granger without the charm, jumping in to answer questions before any of the trained officers in the room have the chance to, always in the right. His only obstacle? Why, the boorish adults he’s surrounded with simply don’t understand his brilliance!

As early as the series’ very second episode, Wesley -- inebriated by an alien illness -- forcibly takes over the ship from Captain Picard, only to later save it from a threat with a reverse tractor beam of his own design.

Wesley was obviously inserted as a means of attracting younger viewers, but failed egregiously, because he was too annoyingly perfect for kids to relate too, and not cool enough for them to be invested in. I binge-watched the various Star Trek series in my youth for Spock, Data, and my wife Seven of Nine, not to watch seasoned military and scientific officers get lectured by an adolescent. Even Wil Wheaton, who had the misfortune of portraying this character, expressed a dislike for him.

Precocious children are great, if you get them right. But get them wrong, and they can easily become your most annoying character, marring the face of otherwise great media. The most important thing you can do for a brilliant character is endow them with weaknesses and flaws -- even something as small as Shuri’s fondness for teasing her older brother made her enjoyable, as anyone with siblings could relate to their dynamic.

But, what if you want a supernaturally talented character who not only fails to be a ray of sunshine, but is something of an arrogant, antisocial jerk? Can they still work, especially if they also happen to be a child?

Yes, under one extremely important condition:

5. Do keep your characters out of their depth!

As demonstrated by: Number Five from Umbrella Academy.

Okay, he’s not exactly a child. He’s a fifty-eight-year-old trapped in a child’s body, who’s traveled back in time from a post-apocalyptic future to warn his siblings of an incoming Armageddon. In other news, Umbrella Academy is a weird show. Unlike the comics, however, the apes don’t engage in prostitution.

The effect, however, remains the same: a preternaturally talented child who talks down to everyone around him, including his (apparently) older siblings. So why does he work while Wesley fails so egregiously?

For one thing, it’s demonstrated early on that Five has the skills to back up his sanctimonious attitude, with the delightfully ultraviolent Istanbul (Not Constantinople) sequence. It also helps that he lacks Wesley’s squeaky-clean moral code, to the point at which he can get drunk in public or kill without remorse.

But: the element most vital to his success as a character is the fact that he’s kept completely, and consistently, out of his depth. He knows the world will end in eight days, but he doesn’t know how this will transpire or how to stop it. Ultimately, he fails again to stop the apocalypse, and must travel back in time with his siblings for another chance.

Most authors have the impulse to demonstrate a character’s brilliance by allowing them to succeed against insurmountable odds, but the Umbrella Academy writers show tremendous wisdom in allowing Five to fail. This allows the audience to empathize with him, and countermands the effects of his arrogant attitude.

This advice isn’t just true for pint-sized prodigies. Look back over this list, and take notes of how often the most successful characters are allowed to fail, to have flaws, and to ascend past their comfort zone.

Other examples: Virtually every successful example on this list.

Tommy Shelby, a character of limitless ambition, conducts a new, perilous climb outside of his social rank each season, which almost always puts him in positions of mortal danger. He faces threats both external (rival gangs, evil priests, and rising fascists) and internal (hello PTSD, suicidal tendencies, and crippling addiction) but either way, we understand that his fast-paced climb is not for the weak-willed or faint-hearted.

Mark Watney is a brilliant scientist who has been stranded in an utterly impossible situation for which absolutely no one could be adequately prepared (spoilers: it’s on Mars.) We are drawn in by his plight, and how he could possibly escape from it, and there we come to admire him for his courage, optimism, and humor.

Shuri, though not the main character of Black Panther, is allowed to show off both tremendous gifts and vulnerability, as she is powerless to stop the apparent death of her beloved older brother. She watches Wakanda’s takeover both as an innovator and a young woman, and a large reason for her success is that she is allowed to be both.

How to apply this to your writing: When portraying intelligent characters, take stock of how often they fail, their level of control over their surroundings, their vulnerability, and their flaws. We don’t want to read about flawless deities. We want to read about characters who embody and personify our humanity. So remember they need to fall down in order to pull themselves up.

Happy writing, everybody!

#long post for ts #writing tips #writing smart characters #peaky blinders #tommy shelby #mark watney #the martian #miss fisher's murder mysteries #shuri #black panther #spencer reid #criminal minds #legally blonde #fargo #number five #the umbrella academy #star trek #star trek: the next generation

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vangoghmusings · 4 years

Text

𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖍 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘

masterlist

pairing: vampire!hawks x gn!reader

genre: angst w/ nsfw themes

word count: 2.8k

warnings: swearing, mentions of dead animals, mentions of nudity, main character death

a/n: so~ im back from my break! i decided i’d only come back once i had content to post :) this one shot was originally going to be smut but angst fit better with the plotline so heres some sad shit for y’all :’) the song for this fic is ‘samson’ by regina spectre, linked here <3 i hope y’all like this cause angst isnt really my thing asfjkhld

✁ 𝖜𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖈𝖑𝖎𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖗 ✃

“We all have wings, but they have not been of any avail to us and if we could tear them off, we would do so.” Franz Kafka

It was a quote you knew by heart. After all, it was sitting neatly framed on your desk. It was a graduation gift, but you don’t remember from who. Years of schooling behind you, you were finally an expert in your field. Animal locomotion, volant insects- it was all the same to you. Creatures with wings were your life and passion. As you looked at the mounted glass boxes that held a variety of pinned butterflies that lined the walls of your office, you were brought out of your daze by a familiar ringing.

You sighed, picking up the telephone, wrapping the old cord around your finger as you awaited the greeting at the other end.

“Hello, is this Dr. L/N?”

“Midoriya?”

The familiar voice brought a smile to your face. Izuku Midoriya was you best friend, the both of you working towards doctorate in animal studies. You specialized in wings, he specialized in secrets. More specifically, mythical creatures, a secret that zoologists and the government held from the public as to keep chaos from ensuing.

“Ah Y/N! Yes, it's me! How are you?”

“Good, how-”

“I’m fine, thank you, I just- I need your help.”

“Oh? Is there a situation?”

“Well, yes and no... we’ve been told there’s been a spike in livestock and animals going missing, along with carcasses being found at an alarming rate. So, we’ve been conducting research and taking in recent sightings into consideration. We think there's a vampire in the Aokigahara forest.”

“A vampire? Midoriya you know that’s your expertise not mine. I know nothing about vampires, isn't there anyone else that can help you? I wouldn’t be of any use-”

“No no Y/N, you don’t understand. This vampire, it-it has wings.”

The line went silent, the ringing of the tone slowly becoming too much to bare.

“Are you sure-”

“We have photos, they're not great, but we’re certain its him.”

“Him?”

“It's a guess, but yes, a him.”

Another deafening pause.

“Do you have a plan?”

“Yes actually!”

The sudden confidence transmitted from Midoriya’s end of the phone made you chuckle.

“We’d like you to camp out in the woods, film what you can for us as well as observe anything you find or witness.”

“Midoriya, that sounds really dangerous, this is a vampire, right? I’m not baiting myself for science-”

“I promise it's not like that! You’d always have a walkie talkie running the entire time and have contact with me and the team. Nothing will happen to you, I promise.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. And besides, you’d get to keep his wings.”

That caught your attention. Like a puppy, your ears perked up at the magic w-word.

“Really?”

“Once we complete the research, we’d have to put him in captivity, and we’re not taking any chances on letting him escape, so we’ll extract them and give them to you.”

You bit your lip, imagining whatever possible large pair of wings could adorn your walls next.

“I’m in.”

“YOU’RE THE BEST!”

You laughed as Midoriya cheered on the other line. Research and new discoveries always made him bounce with glee, and despite not being able to physically see him, you knew he was bouncing around his office like a baby bunny learning to leap.

“When do we start?”

“Huh? Oh, do you think you could come to the northwest research building tomorrow? I’ll pay for your bus ticket and everything.”

“No no, it’s fine, I can make it over by noon.”

“Perfect! I’ll see you then!”

Before you could say goodbye, Midoriya hung up the phone, probably dashing around his office to prepare as much as he could for the upcoming events.

You chuckled and sighed, putting the phone down. You were going to be in the woods for God knows how long studying a vampire that could potentially kill you and suck you dry- all for a pair of wings.

You later received a text from Midoriya instructing you to pack a bag with at least a months' worth of clothing and your own personal items. He said that his team would bring all the other needs- food, water purifier, stationary and a walkie talkie. You would be set for the entire month to study the elusive winged vampire. All that was left now was go to Aokigahara. But nothing could have prepared you for what was to come in the next month.

As you trekked the hills of the Aokigahara forest that faithful day, all you could think of was the words Midoriya had said to you that morning.

“Our hope is that you actually meet him?”

“Meet him? The vampire? Midoriya you are trying to get me killed, aren’t you!”

“But the best research is done when you’re close to the primary source!”

You heaved a sigh and wiped the beads of sweat falling down your forehead with the back of your palm. You were entering the forest with the faux appearance an overwhelmed camper, seeking solace in the forest through self-reflection and meditation. Thus, everything had to look realistic, as to not make the vampire subject suspicious. The immense weight of the hiking backpack resting on your shoulders was unbearable, but you knew you still had to go further into the forest. You had to find the perfect spot. And finally, after several more exhausting hours, there it was.

The lake.

You beamed at the crystal-like water, ripping softly from the wind. Without hesitation, you dropped your backpack and began to set up camp. You had a fairly large tent, a cot and sleeping bag, and all your items, plus the ones promised by Midoriya’s team. Once you were happy with the setup of your tent, you deemed it was time to bathe. You were drenched in sweat and your muscles ached and you wanted nothing more than to engulf yourself in the lake’s cool waters.

Once you rid yourself of your sticky clothes, you stepped into the water, sighing happily. You soon submerged your whole body in the water, humming as you scrubbed the grime off your skin. The sky above was shifting from pink to orange, the sun quickly beginning to set. You could see the outline of the moon too.

“Pretty isn’t it?”

You jumped at the unexpected voice, quickly covering what you could of your naked body. You looked around anxiously, fearful of who or what had been watching you. You narrowed your eyes at a tree looming over the water, a figure seated on one of its branches. You clung to your chest tightly as the branch shook, the figure hopping off with ease.

Infront of you stood a blonde-haired man, incredibly fit, which was easy to see since he was shirtless. It seemed his only clothes appeared to be a pair of dirtied linen pants and a pair of poots. But that’s not what caught your attention- no, it was the enormous pair of bright crimson wings that stemmed from his back. They were breathtaking.

He chuckled lowly at your frozen stance.

“I meant the moon.”

You nodded slowly.

“O-oh,” was all you managed to say as it occurred to you that that man, creature, vampire, would be your subject of research for the next month.

His brows furrowed as he looked down at your toiletry bag that sat on the shore.

“Shit, is that soap?”

“Uh, yeah?”

What was happening? He was so normal? So calm? Were you not in his territory, invading his space? Or was he being kind, as to not scare off his next meal?

“I haven’t been able to use soap in a while. My parents visit me sometimes and bring me soap and shit, but they haven't in a while...can I use yours?”

Parents. He had a family. Did they have wings too? No, he was exiled, his wings made him an outlier. He was alone.

“Uh, yeah...” you mumbled, shyly gesturing to the toiletry bag with your chin. The man beamed and dug through your bag.

“Holy shit, you have hair soap too? Fancy,” he purred. Hair soap- did he mean shampoo?

You watched curiously as he tossed out item from your bag and set them on the shore. You found your cheeks burning with heat as you looked away while he undressed. You looked down at the water, ripples appearing as he stepped into the lake. You gulped and peered over your shoulder.

“What's your name?” You asked shyly.

“Keigo, you?”

You blinked at his unexpected friendliness.

“Y/N.”

He gave you a nodded before picking up one of the bottles he placed in the water that began to float away.

“So, which hair soap do I use first?”

“Uh, the one that says shampoo.”

Keigo looked down at the floating bottles before him.

“I can’t read,” He mumbled.

You gaped, he must’ve been exiled at a young age, with neither of his parents willing to take the time to educate him.

You stepped towards him carefully, we’ll aware of the danger he could pose. You picked up the shampoo bottle and handed it to him.

“Here, use this one first.”

He grinned, two large fangs appearing. It was obvious they caught you off guard, since he began to laugh.

“Scared of my fangs but not my wings? Interesting.”

You scoffed as he poured the shampoo in his palm.

“I’m not scared.”

“Right,” He chuckled, before putting the shampoo in his hair. Which he did a terrible job at, since it all began to drip down his face and into his eyes. “Ah fuck- this shit stings! Are you trying to poison me?”

You laughed and covered your mouth.

This was the dangerous vampire Midoriya had summoned you to research? He seemed helpless, and frankly a bit pathetic.

“Well it’s just for your hair, not your eyes.”

Keigo growled and plunged his face in the water, washing the shampoo out of his eyes. He flung his head back up and shook the water off, similarly to a dog. You winced at the water droplets that hit you.

“Do you- do you want help?”

Keigo raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Why are you here?”

You froze, not expecting the question.

“Uh well, I needed a break from work. Just time to be alone and meditate, you know?”

“No, I wouldn’t know,” He frowned. You bit your lip and looked down.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you-”

You were caught off by his laugh once more.

“You’re fine Y/N, it’ll take more than that to offend me. Besides,” He said, a sharp taloned hand wrapping around your neck and pulling you close, “I could kill you if you ever did.”

He smirked, feeling you gulp in fear against his palm. You stood still in his grasp as leaned close into your ear.

“So, you’ll help me with the hair soap?”

✁✁✁

In the following weeks, you developed an unexpected closeness to Keigo. He hung around your tent day and night, occasionally leaving when he got hungry. In those moments alone, you updated Midoriya and wrote in your journal. By the end of the second week, you found yourself realizing how close you had truly gotten to the vampire when he finally let you shave off his rugged beard.

“Look at you!” You beamed, holding his face in your hand. He rolled his eyes and swiftly scooped you up, walking you both out of the water.

He set you down gently and handed you your towel. He on the other hand, used his wings and flapped himself dry, fluffy feathers flying everywhere. You wrapped the towel around your body and smiled up at him, trying to cover up the sinking feeling in your chest. You were beginning to see Keigo as a person rather than a specimen. And when the month ended, he’d be transported to a facility and have his wings clipped and handed to you on a silver platter for decoration. You shook the thoughts away and flashed Keigo another smile.

“Its getting late.”

He nodded and slipped on his pants, which he now also allowed you to wash. You bit your lip.

“Where do you sleep Keigo?”

He adjusted his waistband and looked to you.

“A treehouse.”

Your eyes widened.

“Really? Why haven’t you told me?”

He chuckled and ruffled your hair with taloned hand.

“Didn’t think it mattered. Wanna check it out?”

You nodded eagerly and scrambled to put your clothes on.

Keigo rolled his eyes and extended his hand out to you, which you took once you were dressed. He picked you up and cradled you in his harms before taking to the skies, protecting you from the branches above with his wings. This moment was your paradise, seeing his wings in action. You looked at the trees below you, looking miniature as you glided through the air. The air was thin yet crisp, you couldn’t help but give Keigo a grin.

He soon swooped down and gently landed on the ground, helping you to your feet.

“Keigo that was so cool!” You beamed up at him, jumping up and giving him a thankful hug. He blushed and hugged back, not expecting the affectionate contact. You looked up at the large well-built tree house that sat in the tree. With ease, Keigo helped you climb up the tree and inside his home.

Your eyes widened at the sight. The home was scattered with crimson feathers, blankets, pillows, and old blood stains on the wood.

“So uh, this is where I sleep,” He said gesturing to the nest-like pile of plush. You nodded and looked up at him.

“This is really cool Keigo, thanks for showing me!”

He grinned proudly at his home, despite its emptiness, you understood the sense of coziness it held.

He looked down at you and seemed to contemplate his next words.

“Would you, uh, like to stay here with me tonight?”

You looked up at him curiously.

“Promise not to kill me?”

He chuckled and nodded.

“Yes, I promise.”

“Then yes.”

It was already nighttime and you and Keigo had already eaten. All that was left was to rest. Keigo turned on the lamp and stepped into his “nest”, you follow his lead. You step into the softness of his fluffy nest and sink into it. As if by instinct, Keigo wraps you in his arms and pulls you to his chest, your breath hitching when you feel the warmth emitting from it. His wings wrapped around the both of you tightly in a secure fashion. You looked up at the silent blonde.

“Keigo?”

He hummed in response.

“Why haven’t you killed me?”

Keigo scrunched up his face at the question.

“I’m not a killer Y/N, I don’t kill humans.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I just- you’re a- and you know,” you trailed off.

Keigo stayed silent, his large hands pressed against your back as he helped you. After what seemed like eternity he spoke.

“Y/N?”

“Hm?”

“What does love feel like?”

You smiled softly and looked up at him, his eyes peering down at you under his long eyelashes.

“Well, love is when you really care about someone, and would do anything for them and you always want to be around them and-”

“Then I love you.”

Your mouth gaped at the confession.

“Keigo-”

“Everything you said, I feel it for you.”

You gave him a weak smile and ran your fingers through his hair. A familiar story came to mind: Samson and Delilah. Samon loved Delilah so intensely he let her shave his head and take away his strength, leaving him weak. You found yourself in the same position, using Keigo’s love to let you clip his wings to give to the Philistines, well, in this case Midoriya.

“I love you too Keigo.”

His face broke out in a wide smile, but he had no clue what to do next. He had never been in this position before.

You chuckled softly and gently stroked his cheek, “Do you want to kiss me?”

He nodded, a shy blush creeping onto his cheeks. You giggled lightly before snuggling closer to him and pressing a soft kiss against his lips, feeling him melt at the touch.

You really did love him.

And you remembered it every day.

You remembered him every day.

You remembered the angry cusses he spewed at you when you watch him get captured by Midoriya’s team.

You remembered his screams of agony as you watched him wake up from his surgery, only to realize his wings were gone.

You remembered his sulking, deteriorating body when you visited him, only to learn he hadn’t eaten in days.

And you remembered your heart breaking when you woke up at 2am to a phone call from Midoriya to learn that Keigo had died.

As you stared at the crimson wings propped up on your office wall, you couldn’t help but curse yourself. Were a pair of wings worth learning that a vampire with wings had the capacity to love?

taglist: @oikawaplssteponme @kac-chowsballs @mixfi @melaninmedia @strawberry-ice @therainroguefanfiction @johariameil @katsushimaa @xizimagines @lunabby010 @ecao @bnhainthewoo @v-vpluto @iiminibattlehero @cellotonin @mythiccheroacademia (dm to be added or removed <3)

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self-proclaimed-chaotic-good · 3 years

Text

Science & Faith | Carlton Drake x Reader (3/?)

Sequel Series to Apples & Cinnamon

Words: 1142

A/N: Tags do be screwing with me when I needed them the most, huh? More of Carlton in this one. I'll probably label the universes as OG-U and AU-1. What do you guys think?

Warning: Switching between AUs in this chapter and future chapters as well, mentions death of AU versions of certain characters.

The Invisible River Part One

-Alternate Universe One-

Sometimes, these science conferences seemed like a waste of time to Carlton, but at least he wasn’t alone in that sentiment. He took some time away from Life Foundation to attend a conference back in New York. He wished he would be taking the trip with you, he knew how much you loved visiting New York and it was never the same without you. It took some convincing from Doctor Skirth and Tony Stark to have him attend and in the end, he conceded.

“Hey, bud, snagged a drink for you,” Tony said, holding up a glass of wine.

“How considerate,” Carlton muttered, immediately downing it.

“Well, who else is going to be judging these snotty people with me, huh?”

“True, not many people can tolerate you.” Carlton smirked.

Tony snorted. “As if you’re any better.”

Carlton looked down at his glass, switching out for a new one as a waiter passed. “I know.”

He felt Tony slap a hand on his back. “Hey, sorry, man. Look, there’s going to be people that are gonna hang your sins above your head and there are people that are gonna forget about it. When it comes to people like us, it’s unavoidable. Your intentions were good-”

“I was being too selfish, too greedy, too impatient. I should have listened to (Y/n), then none of this would have happened.”

“Hey, if I know anything about Doctor (Y/l/n), it’s that they’re a saint for tolerating you- “ This made Carlton scoff, but a small smile was returning to his face “- And they wouldn’t want you to be beating yourself up over this.”

“I hate to say that you’re right… but you’re right.”

Tony smirked. “Of course I’m right. Oh, and look who’s coming this way,” he muttered, sipping on his wine with a side eye to the stocky man approaching.

“Stark. Drake. Never thought I’d see a playboy and a recluse having a civil conversation,” the man laughed.

“Ah, Fisk,” Tony greeted with forced enthusiasm, “Finally crawled out of Hell’s Kitchen. How’s business?”

“Had a few setbacks, but I see a bright future ahead with my latest partnership with Doctor Olivia Octavius. There’s an… exciting project that I’d like to resume and Octavius is just the person I need,” Fisk said with a shrug.

“Well, congrats,” Carlton said, raising a glass to him before downing it. He didn’t really care that much about Wilson Fisk, but he was a valuable investor to many researchers and he knew it.

“Yeah, if those lawsuits count as setbacks, sure,” Tony muttered into his glass.

Fisk’s eyes narrowed. He was about to give a retort when the host began to tap the mic at the front of the room. Tony’s face brightened up, nudging Carlton over to his table where Pepper and Happy were already sitting and waiting. Pepper greeted Carlton and turned her attention to the front. From the corner of his eyes, Carlton could see Fisk glowering before retreating to the back of the room.

The conference went on with a few speeches and presentations here and there before they called for a break. Carlton stepped to the side to call Doctor Skirth to check on how things were back at the Life Foundation when a young woman waved at him. She held up a press badge and a notepad as she made her way over to him.

“Hello, Doctor Carlton Drake? Excuse me, I’m Cindy Moon, an intern at Fact Channel,” she said, “Would you mind if I ask you a few questions about your latest research project?”

“Sure, no problem,” he said, pocketing his phone. He looked down at her pencil and notepad and nodded over to it. “It’s rare to see a reporter carry that around, at least a young one. They’re usually holding up recorders or their phone or iPad.”

Cindy laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, that’s why my boss calls me Analog. He’s honestly a bit biased towards me because of it.”

“Why do you use it?”

She shrugged. “It’s not that I’m not good with technology, it’s just that… certain circumstances made me a bit behind in the use of the current Internet of Things. Now, where shall we conduct this interview?”

“The back should be fine.”

Carlton looked over to find an empty table, noting that Fisk was nowhere to be found, and so was Doctor Octavius.

-Original Universe-

Dora never thought that she would be cleaning up Carlton’s files and it was something that she had been putting off for quite a while. She sorted through them, tossing the files to destroy on one side and the ones to keep on the other.

“This one reminds me of Riot,” Scream said as Dora read through Carlton’s notes.

“How so?”

“They are both selfish and arrogant, always at the front, with greedy intentions disguised as for the good of their people. Because they were so alike, Riot would not hesitate to sacrifice him if given the chance. They would have destroyed each other no matter what for their own gain. Their demise is quite fitting.”

“Trapped in an exploding rocket?”

“Trapped in their own decisions that were destroying them.”

“Well, if you put it that way…”

Dora trailed off as she reached a blueprint that she never saw before. Carlton doesn’t run every project through her, but this machinery wasn’t something that she saw him venturing into. She flipped through the notes attached to it, noting that the majority of it were not in his writing. At the bottom of the notes and the blueprint had a signature. Doctor Octavius. How did Carlton get a hold of these? She wasn’t even aware that Carlton was acquainted with him. From what she remembered, Doctor Otto Octavius had died from an unspecified accident that destroyed his entire lab. Scanning through the notes again, he mentions a Kingpin, his biggest investor that commissioned this machine, but it doesn’t say whether it was ever completed before his passing.

“What is this?” Scream asked curiously, their head hovering near the documents.

“It’s… I think it’s some sort of machine that Doctor Octavius had been building to explore other realities. It’s complicated stuff. Why would this Kingpin want this and why would Carlton have it?”

Scream hummed. “Seems like something that a certain investigative journalist could look into.”

Dora immediately notified Eddie about her recent discoveries, but there was only so much he could do when the information was all the way in New York. He wouldn’t even be able to get through TSA.

“Besides,” Eddie said, “There’s a situation here that makes me feel uneasy. I don’t know if I should leave just yet. Hopefully whatever you found is not of immediate danger, but I’ll keep my ears open, alright? I know of Kingpin, so I’ll look into it when I can and ask around.”

“Thank you, Eddie.”

#carlton drake x reader #doctor carlton drake x reader #dr carlton drake x reader #carlton drake #venom movie #venom 2018 #marvel #marvel imagine #venom imagine

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baddyzarc · 4 years

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5/7 Ruins: Legend of the Cursed Royal Palace

1 2 3 4a 4b x 6 7

we like Vector. we’re not going to try to convince anyone that hes, like, a good person. Because he isn’t. But we do think he is a good character. Also we got the blog deleted while prepping this section so vector is cursed and we hate him

Vector is a spectacle. But he’s is a bit of an awkward character, at least for an Emperor. Unlike the rest of the Barian Emperors, who are morally gray at worst, Vector is pure evil for the sake of it. And generally, villains who are evil for no reason are considered weaker among the cast of villains. Yet he shines through in how yikes he is, and he does have one valid(ish) reason for his appalling behavior.

Vector’s story is one of the most fun out of the Emperors due to how unhinged he is. He is the only Emperor with a near-complete tale. But his story also mixes deeply into Nasch and Merag’s Legend, which creates some problems in how to organize this thing.

To begin, let’s go to his ruins.

Vector’s ruins are located in a dilapidated castle on his island.

Personally, I have nothing to say about this location since this post already did an in-depth analysis on it.

The advanced machinery and layout is interesting. It reminds of the Winchester Mystery House, but that's about it.

Vector’s story is divided into two categories. First is the story of the Legend of the Cursed Palace. This consists of only the text provided within the palace. The second is all the additional information we obtain through Vector’s memories, Nasch’s memories, and Abyss’ intervention. Because of this, Vector’s past is the most vast out of all the Emperors. But is is also the most confusing due to conflicting information.

The Legend of the Cursed Royal Palace is told to us by Rio, and it is rather simple.

Long ago, there lived a cruel prince in a palace. The prince was so cruel that everyone died. The end. Vector was a childish king who lacked faith in humanity. He executed anyone he doubted by beheading them as he watched. According to the legend, when he was “the last one standing” he took his own life by stabbing himself with his sword.

That’s all the information from the ruins. This legend gets complicated with the rest of the story, so I’m gonna recount it as briefly as possible without any additional analysis.

Starting all the way at the beginning, Vector was born as this little uggo peanut right here, and he was the herald of peace.

He came from two persons that are complete opposites of each other. One is a kindly mother who desires peace and the other is a ruthless warlord who wants war.

While sleeping in his crib, the Mythyrian Card “Number 65: Split-Decision Djinn - Judge Buster” fell onto him from the sky. Vector absorbed the Number into his body.

Years later, Vector’s father fell ill. Vector took over the kingdom, and he promised his mother and his citizens that he will bring peace to their kingdom. He did this by signing a peace treaty with the nations his father was warring against.

Angered by this, his father pulled out his sword and attempted to kill Vector with it. His mother shielded Vector with her body to protect him, resulting in her death. His father then collapsed from his illness and died on the spot.

Vector mourned for a brief moment before Don Thousand approached him. Don Thousand embedded the Over-Hundred Monster “Number 104: Masquerade Magician - Shining” in him to make him believe he killed his parents, thus saying the lovely line “You shall not be the prince of tragedy, but a prince of madness” and Vector followed suit, becoming cruel and sadistic.

An unspecified amount of time passed before Vector ran into Nasch, Merag, and Durbe.

Vector attacked Nasch’s kingdom with his fleet of ships and “Gorgonic Guardians”, which are Medusa-like monsters. Nasch counterattacks by using mirrors on them. As he was close to losing the battle, Vector performed a blood sacrifice to summon a god, which also happened to be Nasch’s Mythyrian Number “Number 73: Abyss Splash, the Roaring Waterfall Deity”. In order to purify Abyss, Merag sacrificed herself to summon another god, which is her Mythyrian Number “Number 94: Crystal Zero, the Princess of Polar Ice”.

Nasch gained control of both gods and used them to force Vector to retreat. Vector ran as Nasch and Durbe pursued him, destroying villages and kingdoms as he did so.

Eventually, Vector was cornered in a Labyrinth, where he tricked Nasch into sending his army to their death via a Shadow Game. Regardless, Nasch defeated Vector again.

Vector fled back to his kingdom this time. In a fit of rage, he murdered everyone in his kingdom. Nasch followed him to the palace and found Vector surrounded by the dead bodies of his people.

They had a final showdown; Vector lost once more. Upon losing and in Nasch’s words, “... those you murdered... dragged you into Hell”.

And that’s Vector’s story.

Now, the only thing that is up for debate is how Vector died. The Legend of the Cursed Royal Palace stated that he committed suicide while Nasch’s recount said that the souls of his victims killed him. This may be a plot hole, but in the prior episode, both sides of this story were mentioned. Vector had a nightmare where he was being chased by the restless souls and Astral mentioned that the mad prince took his own life. Vector originally denies Nasch’s recount of his death at first, but quickly the souls manifest (because they were dueling on the field where Vector held his executions) to prove that this scenario did happen. This means that the writers are semi-aware of the situation, but they don’t state which is the true fate.

Since it is unknown who scribed the legend onto the ruins, Nasch and Vector’s shared memories + the final scene in the Vector vs. Nasch Duel outweighs what is written in the palace.

If anything, it’s possible that the tormented souls drove Vector to the tipping point of his madness, resulting in Vector taking his own life to escape them. Although, that is just my interpretation.

But from here, we can finally discuss Vector because he is just full of it.

Firstly, I want to talk about genetics. Specifically these lines right here.

I find this extremely fun because there are two things at play here. First is that Zexal specifically states that his cruelty derives from his father—on the other hand, his kindness should derive from his mother—and second is that Don Thousand is able to kick this into overdrive. I doubt that the writers were thinking about any of this when they made this story, but this is a fun observation that I noticed (but if they were, kudos to them).

Forcing some real-life concepts onto yugioh again, let’s talk about heritability. Heritability measures the variation between a trait of a parent (such as hair length, body size, temperament, ect.) and the traits of an offspring within a population of individuals. High heritability means that the phenotypes (physical characteristics) of the parents correlates to the phenotypes of the offspring, and vice-versa with low heritability. In humans, personality is a heritable trait, and in our species, one of the most heritable personalities is neuroticism. High neuroticism attributes to emotional instability and plays into emotions such as jealousy, loneliness, anxiety, anger, ect.

There are four other major personalities, but for this, I’ll focus on neuroticism. Honestly, you could put any trait here since any of them loosely applies to this concept.

Okay. So does this mean that Vector was doomed to a life like his father. His genetics oughta leaned him that way. But NO, no because humans are far more complicated than that, and genetics is not the only thing that affects a person's behavior. But it does influence it some, and this is the basis of it’s influence.

What this says is that within a population, (genetics + environmental influence) = variation of a trait. Some phenotypes are heavily controlled by genetics while others are not. A simple example is if you have tall parents produce an offspring who have the genes for being tall (assume that it is moderately controlled by the environment). If the offspring grew up in a poor environment (less food or something) it will be short relative to the rest of the “tall” population. But if the offspring grew up in a good environment (more food), then it will be tall relative to the rest of the population.

For the five different personalities in humans, each of them varies in how much it is influenced by genetics and how much of it is influenced by the environment (this is stingy since studying the effects of environmental influences on humans is very difficult and hard to replicate). But neuroticism is one that may have significant interactions between genetics and the environment.

But enough science, let’s go back to Vector. Vector is really fun because his situation allows him to exist on all of the spectrums. He went from incredibly kind-hearted and peaceful to just not. This is possibly due to his inherited neuroticism and the environment he was exposed to.

It is likely that the “current” Vector’s neuroticism is rather high. Scoring high in neuroticism means that an individual tends to have low emotional stability, which attributes to frequent mood swings, high irritability, insecurity, and emotional volatility. This trait is more complex than that, but that’s the general gist of it. Most of this could be seen when it comes to how he treats others and how others treat him.

With Vector, he hates it when other people mock him or control him. This is why he despises Nasch for being better than him and why he betrays Don Thousand for toying with him. He is someone who needs to be in full control of the situation; this could be because of his insecurity (like, he got really pissed when Merag gained the upper hand and began to insult him during their duel). Vector is also described as being incredibly untrusting of other individuals, hence why he kills anyone he doubts. These traits are similar to that of his volatile father, whom he also shares a similar vocabulary with when describing people they hate, or anyone against war.

On the other hand, scoring low in neuroticism means that an individual can handle stress very well. Often, they are calm and composed. This could only be seen in Vector prior to Don Thousand’s interference; i.e. when he was handling the kingdom after his father got ill. He also maintained his calm composure while his father scolded him and pulled a sword to kill him.

His mother was kind and his father was not; Vector likely inherited some mix of neuroticism from them. Kindness and evilness was always inside Vector. And this allows him to exist as the kind “Rei Shingetsu” and the cruel “Vector” depending on the environment he was exposed to.

So what were the different environments? I think it was the Mythyrian and Over-Hundred Numbers.

Genetics played a role in shaping the core of Vector (“the same cruel blood as the king is running through you” and all) but it was the environmental influences added onto his core. Here’s a simple graphic.

Vector is a baby who inherited his father and mother’s neuroticism (perhaps he has an intermediate; I do not know the mode of inheritance of this). The Mythyrian Number card pushed him hard into the low neuroticism section. The Over-Hundred Number pushed him into the high neuroticism section, and this was where he stayed until his death by Don Thousand.

What I’m getting is that the “gentle prince” persona is not the actual Vector, but a Vector under the influence of a Number Monster (albeit a kind one). You could say the same with the “Prince of Madness” Vector, that he is also a false Vector influenced by an evil Number Monster, but there’s some glaring evidence that this evil Vector is closer to the actual Vector than the kind one. I’ll get to this later when I talk about his Guardian.

It’s highly possible that a “Vector” untouched by the Numbers would have existed somewhere in the middle since his mother and father would be the environmental influences in that case (or maybe they would’ve pushed him to one side too). The closest we get may be the one at the very end of the show, where Vector is “not evil” but still a trickster, mischievous type of guy.

Overall, Vector is a character who had great potential for kindness, as stated by Don Thousand, but he also had the greatest potential for darkness as well. Don Thousand took advantage of this and gave Vector the environmental influence he needed to become the cruel, lovable character we know today.

I just think it’s neat that Vector has a plausible reason why he went from baby to killer.

Alrighty. So about those dang Number cards.

Both of these cards and their respective Chaos upgrades represent the two sides of Vector. “Number 65: Split-Decision Djinn - Judge Buster” to “Chaos Number 65: Split-Decision Demon King - Judge Devil” and “Number 104: Masquerade Magician - Shining” to “Chaos Number 104: Masquerade Magician - Umbral”. There is one specific play with these two that makes me enjoy Vector so much.

But before I get to that, I need to talk about the influence of each monster on Vector and his Guardian.

As stated previously, these monsters altered Vector’s personality. “Masquerade Magician” is the more obvious of the monsters. It’s a masquerade; it hides under a mask and fools people. That’s just a normal Vector. A neat factoid is that the “Shining” to “Umbral” at the end of “Masquerade Magician” is related to the reveal of Shingetsu to Vector. Shining obviously means light (hence the light-attribute) while umbral means shadow (hence the dark-attribute). Number 104 and its Number c104 were first played when Vector revealed himself to Yuma during the Sargasso Arc. Light to Shadow, Shingetsu to Vector.

“Judge Buster” is more difficult due to its relationship as a Mythyrian Number. It is a monster who altered Vector to be as good as he can be. It is supposed to be a fair and truthful judge, the polar opposite of “Masquerade Magician”.

But this is where things get very complicated. Despite being Vector’s “good” card, it is no different than the Over-Hundred that infected him. From the perspective of his father:

Vector is a “cursed” child because he lacked any of the ruthless characteristics of his father. The way the Numbers “65” flashed on the screen is also similar to when other characters use or get possessed by a Number Monster. Vector was cursed, or possessed, to be a kind and gentle prince. In this case, despite being a very positive force on Vector’s life, the curse of a Number is still a curse. Eventually Vector loses his initial curse to inherit Don Thousand’s curse.

But the story of “Judge Buster” doesn’t end there. It continues into the story of Vector’s Guardian and it’s ascent into a Chaos Monster.

The Guardian of the Cursed Royal Palace is a very interesting one. Vector is unique because his Guardian is completely unrelated to his Mythyrian Number, unlike Jinlon and Abyss for example. Vector’s Guardian does not speak and can only be described as a feral, bloodthirsty beast.

This guy is based off of another card called “Minotaurus” or (“Battle Ox” in the TCG). Despite not being related to the Mythyrian Number like the other Guardians, Minotaurus is completely related to Vector’s story. It’s flavor states “A cattle monster with tremendous power. It mows down anything with a single axe swing.”

Now, there are several things to note here. An obvious one is that the Guardian is a Minotaur. In real life, the Minotaur derives from Greek Mythology. It is a beast that commonly resides in Labyrinths waiting for sacrificial maidens. With this detail, there is a direct connection to Vector’s story in two ways.

First is that Vector describes his palace as a “Labyrinth of Screams” and second is that he lured Nasch into a Labyrinth to kill him. Two very prominent settings in the Vector’s story.

Minotaurus is a deliberate choice made by the writers to tie this theme together, but this is just a neat easter egg. It is the actions of Minotaurus is what counts.

The other thing is that Minotaurus’ weapon of choice, its axe, is located on the execution slab where Vector beheads his enemies.

Finally, and the one that I think is the most interesting and peculiar, is that the axe has Vector’s Mythyrian Number embedded in it.

This is highly significant because if we look at all the other low-grade Emperors, their Mythyrian Numbers were abandoned when Don Thousand infected them (and they died shortly afterwards while Vector lived a part of his life with his Over-Hundred inside of him). In the end, most of the Mythyrian Numbers we see are held on a pedestal, or given some type of reverence in the afterlife.

Vector’s card has an axe going through it, like he was trying to get rid of it.

There’s a lot of assumptions to be made here with the most basic argument being that this detail bears no significance to Vector. BUT my theory is that the spirit of the card manifested to him at some point after he became a ruthless warrior. “Judge Buster” may have been trying to help him, or it was trying to convince him that the Over-Hundred infected his mind. Since Vector is a character filled with doubt and trust-issues, he likely ordered his executioner (Minotaurus or someone else) to behead “Judge Buster”.

(Also, Vector said he noticed that Don Thousand altered his memories “a long time ago”? It was never stated how Vector found out. I think that he may have gotten this critical information when “Judge Buster” manifested in his past life. Perhaps it told him everything that happened. This means that Vector known the truth about his fate since his past life, and given his slick shrewdness and foresight, perhaps)

So you know when I said that “evil” Vector is probably closer to the “true” Vector than the kind one? It’s due to his relationship with his Mythyrian Number. From this possible encounter in their past life, the end result is that Vector actively rejected the Mythyrian Number’s blessing to accept his cruel heritage, which is thoroughly reinforced in this scene.

In his duel against Nasch, Vector used “XYZ Discharge” to give Nasch all of his monsters to feint surrender after he found out about his true past. Vector immediately turned around and used “Trick Buster” to blow them up and kill Nasch while his guard was down. This move tells us everything we need to know about Vector. Vector knows of his two lives as a “good” and “terrible” person, and he chose to actively ignore them. The card “Trick Buster” could be seen as a combination of his two curses and what Vector got out of it. “Trick” comes from the trickster nature of “Masquerade Magician” and “Buster” comes from “Judge Buster”. Like with his past encounter with “Judge Buster” (which should’ve been able to repel the curse of the Over-Hundred) Vector rejected and executed his Mythyrian Number as he did with this new, possible redemption.

He made that choice. He made both of these choices on his own free will. This is a major reason why Vector is described as “evil for evil’s sake”. When given a chance at redemption after he “found out” about his true past, instead of rejecting the life that Don Thousand gave him, Vector staight up said he doesnt give a fuck if he was supposed to be a good person. It’s kind of incredible and I think that’s just,,, wow i love him.

And to add onto this fact, we need to talk about the Mythyrian Chaos Numbers, which is an oxymoron in the Zexal universe. “Judge Buster” and “Abyss Splash” (Vector and Nasch’s Mythyrians respectively) are the only Mythyrians who become Chaos monsters as well as being the only Emperors who use their own Mythyrian Numbers (Gilag doesn’t count due to raccoon-related shenanigans). This holds some discussion between these two, but I can’t really talk about it until I talk about Nasch.

However, what I want to say is that Vector chooses to use his Mythyrian Number. Although he randomly summoned it with a card effect, Vector plays his Mythyrian Number. Likewise in my discussion with Alito’s ruins, the Mythyrian Numbers have a purifying effect on the Emperors. It reveals their true, unaltered personalities. By choosing to use a Mythyrian and subsequently revealing his true nature, the cruel person we see is just how Vector is. His usage of “Trick Buster” backs this up. I don’t think it's a coincidence that Vector and Nasch, arguably the strongest of the Emperors, are also the ones who accept their Mythyrian Numbers yet still end up in Barian World. They are also the only ones that were able to Chaosify their Mythyrians, with Nasch performing a proper Chaos summon while Vector pulled into “Chaos Number 65: Split-Decision Demon King - Judge Devil” by luck.

Because of his denial of the Mythyrian Number despite being aware of its existence, Vector is the only Emperor that isn’t described as heroic in his legend. By being an active participant in his descent into Barian World, Vector cannot have a heroic legend like the others. He is simply a vile person who likely deserved his spot in Barian World.

Now that we got that down, why did Vector end up in Barian World despite being his “true personality”? A simple answer is that Barian World represents Hell, and Vector deserved to go there. However, it’s repeatedly stated in the show that Chaotic persons end up in Barian World, not bad persons.

And Chaos is complex due to the range of characters it goes through.

Like, this is a massive list of personalities, and they are all canon Chaos creatures.

And if you haven't noticed, I haven’t discussed the Cursed Royal Palace’s duel yet. This is because it occurred between Black Mist and Astral, and it has little relevance to Vector himself. However, that battle ties into the complexities of Chaos that I will continue with Nasch and Merag’s Legend, as well as the rest of Vector’s story.

Bye.

#long post #tw long post #zexal #vector #barian biology #dyzarc diet #dyzarc writes #sory for the length #blog shouldve stayed deleted #this one went on a weird tangent

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orthodoxydaily · 3 years

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Siant&Reading: Tue., Mar, 30, 2021

Commemorated on March 17_by the new calendar

The Monk Alexis (411)

The Monk Alexis was born at Rome into the family of the pious and poverty-loving Eufimian and Aglaida. The spouses were for a long time childless and constantly prayed the Lord for granting them a child. And the Lord consoled the couple with the birth of their son Alexis. At six years of age the lad began to read and successfully studied the mundane sciences, but it was with particular diligence that he read Holy Scripture. Having grown into a young man, he began to imitate his parents: he fasted strictly, distributed alms and beneathe fine clothing he secretly wore an hair-shirt. Early on there burned within him the desire to leave the world and serve the One God. But his parents had prepared for Alexis to marry, and when he attained mature age, they found him a bride. After the betrothal, having been left alone of an evening with his betrothed, Alexis took a ring from his finger, gave it to her and said: "Keep this, and may the Lord be with us, by His grace providing us new life". And going himself secretly from his home, he got on a ship sailing for Mesopotamia. Having come to the city of Edessa, – where the Image of the Lord "Not-made-by-Hand" was preserved, Alexis sold everything that he had, distributed the money to the poor and began to live nearby the church of the MostHoly Mother of God under a portico and survived on alms. The monk ate only bread and water, and the alms that he received he distributed to the aged and infirm. Each Sunday he communed the Holy Mysteries.

The parents sought everywhere for the missing Alexis, but without success. The servants, sent by Eufimian upon the search, arrived also in Edessa, but they did not recognise in the beggar sitting at the portico, – their master. His body was withered by strict fasting, his comeliness vanished, his stature diminished. The saint recognised them and gave thanks to the Lord that he received alms from his servants. The unconsolable mother of Saint Alexis confined herself in her room, incessantly praying for her son. And his wife grieved together with her in-laws. The monk dwelt in Edessa for seventeen years. One time it was revealed about him to the sexton of the church, at which the monk asceticised: the Mother of God through Her holy icon commanded: "Lead into My church that man of God, worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven; his prayer doth ascend to God, like unto fragrant incense, and the Holy Spirit doth rest upon him". The sexton began to search for such a man, but for a long while was not able to find him. Then with prayer he turned to the Most Holy Mother of God, beseeching Her to clear up his confusion. And again there was a voice from the icon proclaiming, that the man of God was that beggar, who sat in the church portico. The sexton found Saint Alexis and took him into the church. Many recognized him and began to praise him. The saint, shunning fame, went secretly on a ship, journeying to Cilicia. But the Fore-Knowledge of God destined otherwise: a storm took the ship far off to the West and it arrived at the coast of Italy. The saint journeyed to Rome. Unrecognized, he humbly besought of his father permission to settle in some corner of his courtyard. Eufimian settled Alexis in a specially constructed lodging near the entrance of the house and gave orders to feed him from his table. Living at his parental home, the saint continued to fast and he spent day and night at prayer. He humbly endured the insults and jeering from the servants of his father. The room of Alexis was situated opposite the windows of his betrothed, and the ascetic suffered grievously, hearing her weeping. Only immeasurable love for God helped the saint endure this torment. Saint Alexis dwelt at the house of his parents for seventeen years and was informed by the Lord about the day of his death. Then the saint, taking parchment, wrote about his life, asking the forgiveness of his parents and betrothed. On the day of the death of saint Alexis, the Roman Pope Innocentius (402-417) was serving Liturgy in the presence of the emperor Honorius (395-423). During the time of services there was heard from the altar a miraculous Voice: "Come unto Me, all ye who labour and art heavy-burdened, and I wilt grant you respite" (Mt 11: 28). All those present fell to the ground in trembling. The Voice continued: "Find the man of God, departing unto life eternal, and have him pray for the city". They began to search through all of Rome, but they did not find the saint. From Thursday into Friday the Pope, making the all-night vigil, besought the Lord to point out the saint of God. After Liturgy again was heard the Voice in the temple: "Seek the man of God in the house of Eufimian". All hastened thither, but the saint was already dead. His face shown like the face of an Angel, and in his hand was clasped the parchment, which he did not let go of, nor were they able to take it. They placed the body of the saint on a cot, covered with costly coverings. The Pope and the emperor bent their knees and turned to the saint, as to one yet alive, asking to open up his hand. And the saint fulfilled their prayer. When the letter was read, the father and mother and betrothed of the righteous one tearfully venerated his holy remains. The body of the saint, from which began to be worked healings, was put amidst the square. The emperor and the Pope themselves carried the body of the saint into the church, where it was situated for a whole week, and then was placed in a marble crypt. From the holy relics there began to flow fragrant myrrh, bestowing healing unto the sick. The venerable remains of Saint Alexis, man of God, were buried in the church of Saint Boniface. In the year 1216 the relics were opened. The Life of the holy monk Alexis, man of God, was one always loved in Rus'.

Pre-Shiism Western SAint

st Gertrude of Nivelle_ Belgium (759)

The daughter of Pepin of Landen (580- 646), Mayor of the Palace under the Frankish kings of Austrasia*, and St. Itta (also Ida, Itte, or Iduberga; commemorated on May 8/21), St. Gertrude was born in Landen, in present-day Belgium, in 626. Her mother raised her in piety and nurtured her with love for the life in Christ.When St. Gertrude was ten years old, her father hosted a banquet, to which King Dagobert I was invited. At this feast, the King asked her if she would like to marry one of his advisors, the son of a Duke.The girl replied that she desired no other Bridegroom than our Lord Jesus Christ. The guests marveled at her steadfastness of soul and recognized that she was indeed one of God’s elect.After the death of Pepin** , his wife retired to their property in Nivelles (near present-day Brussels), taking St. Gertrude with her. At the exhortation of St. Amandus, Bishop of Maastricht (†February 6/19), she founded a double monastery*** for men and women.Many suitors had wanted to marry the noble young woman so as to gain wealth and power. As we read in the Life**** of St. Gertrude, to prevent “violent abductors from tearing her daughter away by force,” St. Itta cut her daughter’s hair herself. This tonsure marked her consecration to God.Having received the monastic veil at the hands of the holy Bishop, St. Gertrude was appointed Abbess by her mother. She was at the time only twenty years old.Adorned with steadfast faith and rare spiritual discernment, she inspired in the Sisters love for God and zeal for ascetic endeavors.Her Life states that “in temperance of character, the sobriety of her heart, and the moderation of her words she anticipated maturity.” She was “an intelligent young woman, scholarly and charitable, devoting herself to the sick, elderly, and poor.” She built churches and took care of orphans, widows, captives, and pilgrims. Her spiritual renown spread quickly.Two Irish monks, St. Foillan (†January 16/29) and his brother, St. Ultan (†May 2/15), whom the fearsome King Penda of Mercia had driven out of East Anglia, were welcomed by the Saint at her monastery. They were of great assistance in the organization of worship, and the holy books and Relics which they brought were invaluable treasures for the community.St Gertrude’s brother, Grimoald I, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia from 643-656, gave the monks land at Fosses-la-Ville, not far from Nivelles, where they founded a monastery.The monks remained, however, under the spiritual direction of St. Gertrude, who asked certain of them to teach Holy Scripture to the nuns, and sent others to preach the Gospel in neighboring regions.One day, as St. Foillan was returning to his monastery after the Divine Liturgy in Nivelles, he and his three companions fell into a trap set by bandits in the deep forest. They were slain and their bodies concealed. St. St. Gertrude ordered her monastics to fast and pray that God might reveal the location of St. Foillan’s remains. After seventy-seven days of prayer, she had a vision of a light that illuminated a certain spot in the forest. She sent some people to recover his body, which was reverently borne to his monastery.St. Foillan’s brother, St. Ultan, thereafter took over the direction of the men’s monastery (655).After living five years under the direction of her daughter, St. Itta reposed in the Lord (652).St. Gertrude, desiring to devote herself more completely to prayer, entrusted the external affairs of the monastery to monks and the direction of the monastics to competent nuns.Dedicated with fervent zeal to fasting, vigil, and prayer, she acquired such boldness before God that, when she was praying in Church, the sisters repeatedly saw a flaming sphere over her head, which illumined the surrounding area by its brightness.Her great abstinence, however, led to a serious decline in her health, and at the age of thirty, with the consent of her spiritual children, she appointed as Abbess her twenty-year-old niece, St. Wulfetrud, whom she had reared herself.Living thenceforth as a simple nun, St. Gertrude increased her prayers manyfold, despite her failing strength, and received wondrous revelations from God.Sensing that her end was approaching, she gathered the Sisters, exhorted them to remain faithful to their monastic vows, and instructed them to bury her by covering her body with her hair shirt and her face with an old veil. This hair shirt and veil were later venerated by pilgrims along with her Relics.She then sent a messenger to St. Ultan at the Monastery of Fosses to ask him what day she would repose.The Saint informed her that she would give up her soul to God the following day, during the Divine Liturgy, and told her not to fear, since St. Patrick and Holy Angels would be sent by God to receive her soul. Indeed, St. Gertrude gave back her soul to her Heavenly Bridegroom the next day, March 17, 659, after having communed of the Immaculate Mysteries. Immediately after her blessed repose, miracles began to take place at her tomb, and her veneration spread during the Middle Ages throughout all of Northern Europe, where she is honored as the Patron Saint of travelers andIndeed, St. Gertrude gave back her soul to her Heavenly Bridegroom the next day, March 17/30, 659, after having communed of the Immaculate Mysteries.Immediately after her blessed repose, miracles began to take place at her tomb, and her veneration spread during the Middle Ages throughout all of Northern Europe, where she is honored as the Patron Saint of travelers and gardeners.

Source: http://austroca.org/

Isaiah 9:9-10:4

9 All the people will know— Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:

10 “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”

11 Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on,

12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

13 For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.

14 Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day.

15 The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.

17 Therefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, And every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out stil

18 For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke.

19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts The land is burned up, And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother.

20 And he shall snatch on the right hand And be hungry; He shall devour on the left hand And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm.

21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

1 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed

2 To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless.

3 What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory?

4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain.” For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

Proverbs 8:32-9:11

32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.

34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

35 For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord;

36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”

1 Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;

2 She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table.

3 She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city,

4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

5 “Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed.

6 Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.

7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.

8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #originofchristianity spirituality sacredtexts oldtestament wisdom

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boog-shitposting-edition · 4 years

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So I been playing a ton of Kenshi and watched all of the Mandalorian in a single day shortly before and it’s got me thinking about what makes what I consider a good action hero, because there was definitely a time where I thought the phrase “good action hero” was an oxymoron.

I grew up around some angry, unstable dudes who had that bad habit of watching horror movies and opining that in the same situation they would simply shoot the monster with the gun the character was holding. I got some views on the model of masculinity that sees the male ideal as functionally a tool for performing violence, condescension and occasional reddit-approved banter with all other emotional responses pared away or suppressed. This seems like a good way to manufacture a product for performing labor rather than developing a whole functional human being. So I generally veer away from that sort of thing pretty hard.

So I’m resistant to the Mandalorian at first, right? All the ads are basically star wars apocryphica and a power armored fighty gun boy. The last star wars thing I’d seen was The Rise Of Skywalker and my faith in the franchise is low. But it’s been a hot minute, the hype dies down, and my girlfriend is a better and more patient fan than I’ll ever be so we give it a go. And the first thing that really nails it for me is what a DORK the mando is. I’m delighted, his life is violence interdispersed with being an absolute buttfumble disaster. He slips and falls over things he could never have predicted, he burns his life down for a baby he finds in the desert. Pedro Pascal references Boba Fetts stiff menace and plays it off as someone who has no social skills other than stiff menace and it’s FASCINATING. Him explaining to the village woman who is obviously into him that he hasn’t taken the armor off since he was thirteen isn’t a badass declaration of martial devotion, it is the single saddest and most awkward interaction I have ever seen filmed and it hits all the harder for the fact that this is a character I’ve mostly ever seen as an action figure with a spring loaded missile backpack. Instead of being a faceless emotionless action-cudgel, Pedro amps up the body language in his acting to really sell you this heavily psychologically damaged, desperate, viking-space-catholic mess with no life skills other than violence and a devotion to his people’s creed that borders on obsession. Rather than paring himself down making him a psychological fortress, the Mando is an incredibly obvious walking raw nerve (”I’m not sad-” “Yes you are.”) So, Kenshi.

I’ve heard about this game on and off a few years and finally got it a few days ago. It’s been in early access since 2012, appears to be mostly getting finished by its modding community, and glitches like absolute woah. There’s no core storyline, just a post-apocalyptic setting with some surprisingly detailed autogenerated NPC interactions with some options for starting conditions and the sole goal of surviving. It’s essentially a rapid sequence of story prompts hidden underneath a closely interlocked system of XP grinding, survival mechanics and dismemberment algorithms, and is appallingly my shit.

My first run at the game got pretty far, went from a lone confused desert wanderer to a 13 man village running a tidy copper-mining operation to trade with the ant people. In the early game, fight mechanics are basically a death sentence; my first character immediately got her leg torn off by a goat and I had to restart. All skills grow only by excersizing them; you have to fight to get better at fighting, you have to LOSE fights to gain toughness, and when you lose a fight the consequences can range from “these bandits are stealing all your food” to “this monster is eating your leg/heart/head” to “these slavers are taking your character away and your game experience is Different now.” And while I was proud of myself for finding a way to survive, grow and thrive with a low-combat squad, once I tried the basebuilding mechanics that basically just meant my town was a source of free food and money for local bandits while my squad starved to death, unable to abandon our locale. So I got fed up and restarted.

As mentioned the game gives you different start positions; wanderer gives you 1 character, some money and pants. Guy and his dog gives you a dog, which is fun. Exiled officer starts you with good skills and the hatred of your former commander, which complicates things. Cannibal Hunters starts you already in a fistfight with 30 cannibals. It’s exciting times. But I figure this time I’d like to start my squad a LITTLE more capable of defending themselves, so I look at the Holy Sword start; you’re a bandit who starts with a stolen holy weapon, minuses in most skills, no money and a 20,000 bounty on your head from both major factions.

So I proceed to character creation and notice I can pick whatever I want for player species/subspecies with this start. There’s robot people and warriors made of stone and baseline humans and all sorts of fun options, but you remember those ant people I mentioned before? In game they’re called the Hivers, you find ‘em in 3 recruitable varieties (prince, worker drone and soldier) and they have an interesting in-universe quirk; ones that grow up in the hive are pheramone-addicted, chemically wired into the needs and wants of all of their fellows, but if you’re away from your kin for over a fortnight this addiction dries out incredibly fast and cannot be reinstated. Hivers who ever spend any time away from the hive are declared “lost ones,” and are often taken advantage of in the outside world as they long for a new community.

In survival sims I dont often play dedicated fighters, I always feel like being a brutal fight-beast isn’t really in the spirit of finding a niche to exploit and growing from a fumbling plebian to a major power. But I was already starting this game with my ONLY advantage being a nice sword. And the soldier hivers gain a buff to experience gained for melee attack and toughness, and a debuff to literally all else.

Manual labor. Science. Engineering. Farming. Cooking. First aide. In a setting that heavily prioritized your ability to survive using multiple vital skill sets, my character would start with negatives in his skills for putting on band-aids and FEEDING himself. So I gave it a go.

Getting more wild here, it turns out the Holy Sword opening also takes place in a time in the setting with more recent warfare, so a bunch of the starting villages are destroyed and it appears that more of the nearby cities are controlled by the factions that have a bounty on me. So my character CAN’T rely on other people or meet anyone to recruit at first. He can run, he can scrounge and scavenge, and as mentioned above starting characters can take lethal damage from GOATS so he can’t even hunt for food; the only way I was getting a meal was if I robbed someone or ran into merchants on the road I could hawk my salvage to for a scrap of bread.

He eventually finds someone willing to join him on his travels in spite of being flat broke, a shek named Ruka running from a dishonerable loss on the battlefield, and comparing their skills he’s so useless for everything besides combat that I assign him to bodyguard her. And again, this game’s appeal is that the survival mechanics make good story prompts, so imagine that in character.

“Fine, I need a change. I’ll join you.” “Thank god. Lead the way boss.” “What?”

Things regarding my characters bounty are starting to heat up in town, so we head north into hiver territory. We get attacked by bandits and heavily injured, my soldier gets knocked out, so Ruka picks him up and carries him until we find a hive town. I saw these guys all the time in my last playthrough, I survived by selling to them, they’re super friendly, should be fine. Ruka walks into the local shop and before I can have her ask for directions and a medikit the shopkeeper is already shouting- “SKREEE! LOST ONE! GET OUT! LOST ONES BRING MADNESS”

Apparently, my protagonist being a hiveless hiver means there’s a THIRD faction that’s hostile to him; his own goddamn people. Ruka has to leave him under a tree not just outside but like 50 feet from the edge of town, and just has to hope none of the local wild megafauna eats him while she rushes back in to buy things from the now abruptly friendlier shopkeep.

I’m finally sitting there, having Ruka watch my soldier hiver sleep while she cooks scavanged meat and waits for him to finish healing, that I realize what the story being generated here is and it’s a good one; a Hive soldier whose only skills are violence, frantically scavenging and stealing to survive until he can find the one circumstance where he’s comfortable, sacrificing himself to protect others. He steals a sword that’s obviously important to two major governments, just because he knows it’s powerful and thinks that power will justify his continued existence as a hiveless soldier drone, essentially buying his way back into his people’s good graces by performing his function. Literally wandering the world until he found a single person who was willing to boss him around again and devoting himself to their defense to a state of pathological damage just to feel like he has a hive again. It’s sad. It’s badass. It’s deeply, unsettlingly pathetic.

But I also think it’s what makes a really really good gruff action hero!

Hypercompetence in violence is really interesting when you acknowledge the damage it can do to your humanity in the storytelling! The Mandalorian is unsuccessful in repressing his empathy response so he just tries to tough through the pain it causes him as best he can, until he meets The Child and it snaps. The Hiver is essentially playing pretend at being still valued as a product for committing violence, even in the face of being openly rejected for his previously esteemed role. This stuff is INTERESTING.

TL;DR version, a lot of these “supersoldier raised by the military/fight wizards/karate” characters are super boring and obnoxious when they’re put forward as power fantasies, and really interesting when you realize that being raised by Fight Wizards is why they’ve never had a girlfriend and called their handgun “mom” once.

#kenshi #star wars #mandalorian

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beyondthecosmicvoid · 4 years

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"What you're talking about is manifest destiny."

"You can call it whatever you want, Tom. The fact remains that if the human race needs to do something to survive and lower orders don't have the power to stop us, we will prevail. It is not right ir wrong, it is just the way things are. You've got to stop projecting human motives and es onto other organisms. Everything is merely what it is. A mongoose that tries to steal a cobra's egg isn't evil -- it is just trying to survive. But the cobra is trying to survive too. And if it catches the mongoose in its nest, there's going be a fight. Fortunately for the mongoose, it has faster reflexes and a more efficient metabolism. Whether that's fair or not isn't event part of the equation -- it's simply the way things are."

"Yeah? Try telling that to the cobra. But for the sake of argument, we'll ignore the question of ethics. Still, all you're saying, Scott, is that it's all right to do whatever we want. To exploit any ecosystem, any species -- as long as we don't run into anything big enough to kick our butts."

"If you want to phrase it that way. Yeah. That's the way nature works."

"Sure, on tutoring disks, but not in the real world. Every part of an ecosystem is dependent on every other part. It's that interdependence that makes interfering with existing systems so chancy. Even the smallest components are vitally important."

“Who could have guessed that millions of ‘killer bee’s could spring from a handful of escaped African bees? Or that a few Brazilian fire ants could make the Southeastern portion of the U.S. virtually uninhabitable in just over seventy years? And what about the ‘oil-eating’ bacterium the gene-splicers at the petroleum companies developed to clean up their spills? Remember how they thought they had it completely in their control?”

“Come on, Tom, the oil would’ve dried up sooner or later anyway, and I hear the new repro-inhibitors they’re using are making a substantial dent in the fire ant populations. Sure, we suffer setbacks, but we’ll always find ways around the problems that nature throw at us.”

“Will we Scott? I’m not so sure, mankind never seems to learn. We get our hands slapped on a regular basis, but we still can’t seem to keep them to ourselves. The tighter the grip we try to get on nature, the more nature pushes through the cracks in our technology. And with some of the things we’re encountering in the settlements, we have no idea what kind of trouble we may be letting ourselves in for by messing around.”

“Well, so far we’ve done okay. On all of the life-supporting planets we’ve come across. The worst thing we’ve ever encountered has been the ‘blood willies’ of epsilon INDI TWO. And I hear they’ve got a vaccine for that now. If I were you, I’d put my faith in science and stop worrying about the bogeyman. And I’d watch what I said around the corporate types, Tom. All any of them care about is their jobs, and you’ll make them nervous with talk about problems that don’t exist yet.”

“I don’t care. This is my last long haul. I’m getting out while the getting’s good. All of the monkeying around the corporations are doing out in the settlements may not bother you, Scott, but it does me. We’ve had a long run of good fortune –longer than we’ve deserved there’s a major league turd coming down the pike, mark my words--- and I don’t want to be around when it hits the fan. I’m telling you, we shouldn’t be messing with mother nature. She’s a real bitch. We have to learn to work with nature. This reliance on technology is getting to be too much for me, Scott. It’s no longer a means to an end. It’s become an end unto itself. We use it like a wall between ourselves and our surroundings … between ourselves and who we really are. We’ve come a long way in the past three thousands years but I can’t help feeling that we’ve lost as much as we’ve gained.”

“So what’s your solution Tom? Give up modern convenience and go back to stone knives and squatting in caves?”

“You’re reaching for extreme again, Scott, but that just might be what it takes to put us back on the right track. And I’m not talking about austerity or deprivation. I’m talking about the challenge of putting away the crutches of our technology and going back to relying on our own strength and cunning. These days we’re so insulated that we make heroes out of anyone who dares to face up to a challenge. But it wasn’t always like that. Life of death challenges used to be an every day thing and real men didn’t wait for adventure to come to them. They rushed out to meet it not like the generals and corporate heads these days who send out the little guys to do their dirty work. It used to be that a man’s standing as a leader was determined by how he handled himself in the face of danger.”

“Yeah, yeah – very nostalgic, Thom. Very macho. But it’s not very practical in this day and age. Can you see a bunch of corporate VPs duking it out for the right be CEO? Or maybe you and me going at each other with knives to see who gets a better pilot’s rating?”

“Hey, every culture observes its own rituals for establishing status. Look at the infighting and back-stabbing that goes on at every level of our society. And we’re still fighting over the same things: property, leadership, territorial rights. The only difference is our methods have become more subtle, less direct. Somehow the old ways seem more honest.”

“You’re an idealist, Tom. What happens when the wrong guy wins? Then you’ve got the neighborhood bully calling the shots: You’re back to pack mentality.”

“There are checks and balances in every system, Scott.”

“Yeah, but your way leaves them all up to individual initiative! Without some kind of sanctioned avenue for dissent. A guy would have to be a real hero or a real fool to butt heads with the chief.”

“So? Are things really so different for us? You’re the one that’s always telling me to watch what I say around the desk jockeys. Where’s my ‘sanctioned avenue for dissent’? At least if I bust a gay in the chops, he clearly understands that I don’t like what he’s doing.”

“There you go with your idealism again. You’re trying to romanticize this into two tigers brawling to determine dominance or rights to a favorite hunting area. In the same situation humans would just kill each other. We’ve ‘out-grown’ the instinct for species preservation that prevents that in the lower orders but we haven’t truly grown into the morality that you’re so fond of citing, Tom. The society we’ve built isn’t perfect. Granted. But it works, probably more because of our level of technology than in spite of it. How many guys wouldn’t want to trade their boring, earthside job for yours: a job made possible by technology? But if you want to get back to nature, there are ways to do it. Go on one of those ‘wilderness’ safaris to Alpha C. I understand the gene-splicers now have something that almost looks like an elephant. Or, if you want real adventure, sign on for a hitch as a ranch hand at our next stop; plenty of fresh air, hard work, and not much else. Maybe that’s your idea of fulfillment. Though I can’t imagine anyone envying you the job. Me, I can get enough adventure from the vids. God bless modern technology!”

(...)

“You’re awfully quiet, Tom. What’s the matter? YOu mad at me?”

“Huh? Uh, no Scott. I was just thinking.”

“Look, I know you said it as a joke. But maybe I should go on one of those safaris or sign on as a ranch hand. Maybe it’ll turn out that you’re right, and I wouldn’t like it. But I should at least give it a try. A change of scenery might be just what I need ... Get back to the land and living things ... Get some adventure and uncertainty back into my life. Did i ever tell you that I went hunting once? I had an uncle who was wealthy. He took me qual hunting when I turned fifteen -said it wuold make a man of me. But all I could think about was how big my shot gun was, and how small the birds were. I guess I oculd understand the potential for excitement in the hunt, but for me the thrill was missing. The contest seemed so lopsided. I wondered what it would be like to hunt something that was capable of hunting me. The challenge. The Danger. To put yourself on an equal footing with nature, that’s got to be the ultimate thrill! To risk everything on your own skill and strength ... I mean, look at what we do for a living - access the computer, punch a few buttons - all of the work is done for us. Anybody could do this job, with the right training. I guess that’s what I meant by m anti-technology tirade. It’s not that technology is evil in and of itself - but once in a while we have to put it aside and do something to remind ourselves that we’re alive - prove that we can accomplish something by relying solely on ourselves. I can’t help but think an experience like that would change a person. Maybe not in a way that other people would notice, but it would be something you’d carry with you for the rest of your life.”

“I know what you mean, Tom. Kinda like the first time you get laid, right? Did I ever tell you about that? I was at this party, see, and ...”

“Oh, brother ...”

~ Conversation between Tim & Scott from ALIEN VS PREDATOR #1

^It’s this type of existentialism that makes Dark Horse comics and other graphic novels set in the ALIENS/PREDATOR universe some of the best stuff in science fiction. It has a little bit of everything. Philosophy, cosmic horror, with occasional degrees of theological abstraction.If Disney wants to add more money to their pockets and wants to be true to their motto of inclusion and so on, keep this universe. Don’t erase it. Everything that it preaches, are in these comics. Not only that, but there is also a diversity of ideas where it subtly criticizes every school of thought via different characters and storylines. These are the types of stories that attract every fan, regardless of what their politics are. It’s entertainment, pure escapism (without preaching or self-serving, shaming BS) and world-building at its finest. And it remains respectful of ALL the ALIENS/PREDATORS films, while still offering something new.

Take Tom and Scott’s conversation here. These are two space truckers, blue collar workers like those from the first ALIEN movie, that are bringing up two very interesting points. They don’t fit into any neat box we assign a certain ideology. BOTH of these guys make good salient points. There is also a reason why the first issue of the AVP series starts with this conversation of technological dependence vs the old ways that Tom keeps going back to. While these two argue to disprove the other’s point and defend their own, we catch a brief glimpse into Yautja (Predator) society. It is a violent hierarchy where might becomes right. This is the type of meritocracy that Tom keeps defending. At the same time, it is also opportunistic and more technological advance to the point that they use their technology and survival instincts to hunt other species they deem worthy. This is done at the back of other species they consider inferior or worth risking for the ultimate hunt to prove their worth. Everything that Scott defends is part of the Yautja culture -with the obvious exception of divisions and over-dependence on technology and a corporate conglomerate controlling every aspect of daily life. Then there are the Xenomorphs (aliens). They are the other that is constantly being used as a coming-of-age rite for the predators, It’s an interest dynamic which hasn’t (yet) been explored in the films. This, among other things, makes this universe one of the most fascinating in the science fiction and horror genre.

#alien vs predator #graphic novels #comics #yautja #predator #alien xenomorph #one of the best openings in comic book history #science fiction #scifi horror

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icariahq · 3 years

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Thanks for applying Lauren! We look forward to seeing Noreen around the island. Make sure to send your blog in within the next 24 hours or reach out to us if you need an extension. Aimee Carrero is now taken.

BASE APP

( AIMEE CARRERO, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ) ⌇ have you seen NOREEN GOMEZ around icaria? they are the 26 year old child of ZEUS. they remind me of the sound of the human version of coffee, lightning on a misty night, multilingual insults, and late night talks around the neighborhood. They’ve been on the island for 8 YEARS.

OOC INFO:

NAME / PRONOUNS | AGE | TIMEZONE

It me. Lucifer / She/Her | 30 | EST

ROLEPLAYING EXPERIENCE

To damn long

IC INFO:

Please know that all of this is to help you get to know your own character better – and to allow for easier plotting with other members!

WHO ARE YOU BRINGING TO THE ISLE?

FACECLAIM: Aimee Carrero NAME: Noreen Gomez AGE: 26 BIRTHDAY: January 31, 1994 OCCUPATION: N/A for the moment HOMETOWN: Detroit, MI PETS: N/A… for now POWERS:

She can see and sense the electricity around her, from there she pull the electricity and turn it into small blasts of electricity she can throw at people.

BIOGRAPHY: TWs for: Prostitution, death, drugs, addiction, child neglect

Marita Gomez was not a woman you could call kind, but damn was she beautiful. She had floated through life using her looks to get what she wanted, and while that got her money and attention it didn’t always serve to put her in a good place or have her care about anyone beyond herself. By the time she was 18, she was one of the favorites who worked the street and pulled in money for her pimp. Sometimes she’d sleep with the clients, sometimes she’d lead them to those who could get them other black market items, she never really cared so long as she got her next hit and got her money in hand. But she was always the go-to if the cops showed up, petite little Marita could switch between looking as innocent as a lamb and as mouth-watering delicious as a stake to a starving man.

It was that beauty that caught the King of the Gods’ attention. He swooped down from the heavens and took on the form of a human. Marita didn’t care, didn’t want to even know his name, he was just another client. Another fuck to get the drugs she wanted and the money she desired for the clothes she needed. The two had one night of passionate lovemaking before Zeus fucked off back to Mount Olympus and left a now, unknowingly pregnant, Marita. It only took two months before she was showing, three before her clientele started to change to those with a fetish for pregnancy; and by the time she had had her baby? She had grown a following of – eclectic men.

Noreen Gomez was born addicted to coke and in a situation, no kid should be in. Until she was 5 Noreen barely had any contact with those outside of the “family” her mother had cultivated. People flitted in and out of their house, watching her grow while her mom was at work. Sometimes it was the teens from down the street who watched the baby for a small hit when Martia returned home, sometimes it was for a bit – handsier of an exchange. Other times it would be the other sex workers who would occasionally – coo and aww over the baby and other times – forget she existed until she cried for milk or a change. At 5 – well everyone assumed the child was old enough to take care of herself, they stopped caring as much. She was left home alone to make herself food, bathe and change herself and to try and keep the house – somewhat clean. That was something her mom started to expect of her when Noreen was able to walk and remember things.

As a young kid, she worried constantly about where her next meal would come from if they had water, power, all the things kids should never think about. So when the power was shut off one day and she was home alone – it was dark out and she was terrified. Little six-year-old Noreen let out a cry that – well, she wouldn’t know for years why it worked, but the power was suddenly back on, the lights and tv flicked back to life. She never questioned it, and neither did her mother when the electricity bill stopped coming but the power… somehow stayed on.

She started school not long after and while the teachers raised eyebrows and tossed worried looks her way – no one called CPS, no one ever came to check on the obviously neglected Noreen. She learned very early on that adults were trash, and the only people who really cared were the other kids. That was the one time she got any sort of good in her life – when she slept over at a friend’s house and could relax, and just … be a kid.

By 10 Noreen understood how the streets operated, she understood how to get and take without getting in trouble, without getting adults to look at you twice. She understood how to run a con, how to get a bit of extra cash. Her protection? Well, it seemed like she was always a bit electrified. A bit energetic and too quick. You touched her when she wasn’t expecting it? You’d get a nice little shock. No one really questioned it – static electricity but stronger. So she generally felt safe. Most of the time.

She had just scammed a man out of twice the amount of money the product she had was worth when she ran face-first into Jarvis. He had been shocked, both literally and physically, by a 10-year-old who seemed to have a giant wad of cash she was trying to stuff into her non-existent bra. There was a quick exchange of words and meeting of his “kids” before she understood that she could make more and not have to worry so much if she worked for him. It’s not like her mother would care – it’s not like her mother took care of her. So she agreed and was welcomed into the fold.

By 12 more children had joined Jarvis’ little crusade and Noreen had become known as Spark or Spitfire – mostly because of the static shocks or the words that came out of her mouth. A mixture of Spanish and English and 90% of it cursing your existence. But despite that she became a bit of a mother hen to the other kids, looking out for them and making sure they had food or a place to sleep. It’s not like her own mother cared; So Noreen took in the kids, and they slept on the pull-out couch. They were always out by 9 am (when her mother woke up and usually would start bitching), but came back each night to sleep or just have someone to talk to.

A school friend, one not involved in the life she lived on the streets, had invited her over for a slumber party… turns out it was a surprise birthday party. But the sudden kids jumping out and yelling surprise scared Noreen enough that every light in the house arced and blew out. Before they could finish the word the city block had lost power and it was spreading. Noreen knew it was her; she could feel the sparks arcing from her fingertips to the light switch mere inches from her hand, she could see the electricity in the air. No one else seemed to notice – most just screamed because the power went out but it quickly turned into laughter and lightning candles as they got cake and settled down. But Noreen… Noreen couldn’t stop looking around, it wasn’t just that some friends had decided to do something so nice for her, but the fact that she could register where all the electricity in the room was by sight and sound. She could hear it humming in the walls, she could see it connecting switches and lights.

This fascination carried over into school and when she was in science class doing experiments with her lab partner it all went just a bit sideways as she tried to manipulate the electricity in her experiment… and she somehow got electrocuted, except it was bad enough she ended up at the hospital. There she was alone, there the doctors looked her over, ran a battery of tests, and realized – this poor teen was on drugs, electrocuted and no one was coming to get her. They confined her to the hospital. They called every number they could and it wasn’t until the fifth call that a woman picked up the phone. She claimed to be Noreen’s mother, that Noreen had been living with her aunt for the past year while she was away on assignment in Greece. She had “no idea” about any of this and hadn’t heard from either in a month. She had “been trying to reach them and would be on the first flight out.”

Noreen told them she was lying, that her mother was not some weird jet setter that lived in another country but a bitch of a lady who lived in the slums. Still; they kept her they started to help her detox and get clean of all the drugs in her system. Two days in she was experiencing severe withdrawals and angry as hell. That was the day her “mother” showed up. She was a beautiful woman, sure, and they looked sort of alike, but not really. But somehow… she had all the paperwork, she knew too much to not be her mom. Noreen felt like her head was in a fog, nothing made sense anymore. She was required to stay another three days before her “mom” could take her.

But the minute she could the two were on a plane back to Greece. The plane ride was agony and they didn’t really talk. Noreen wasn’t sure what was happening or why or who this woman was but she – also couldn’t get the questions out. So when they finally landed in Greece and she was brought to a temple she was needless to say… very confused. The next five weeks were spent in Hera’s temple with the priestesses. They cared for her and helped her get clean, they taught her meditation and how to calm herself, they took her to the doctor and got her any help they could… and within three months of that faithful day back in Detroit, she was clean. She had cravings, sure, but she now knew ways to deal with it.

Noreen found out that the woman who had got her was in fact not her mother, but apparently her father’s wife. Hera. This was her temple. She was a Greek goddess and Noreen was the daughter of Zeus – making her a demi-god. She chalked up this weird story to withdrawal and tried to ignore it. But she realized very quickly there was no ignoring this. It made sense with the shocks her whole life, the fact she could see electricity running through the walls, see it everywhere. Hera told her she was welcome to stay so long as she helped around the temple.

So she did. She helped clean, she learned the ways and she started back up schooling. It didn’t take long for her to make friends. Scout and Lachlan. They became the three musketeers telling one another almost everything… though even to this day she’s still not told everyone her full past. It just hurts too much to think about. But those two – they know more than anyone else. It was this level of trust that started to make Noreen open to the idea of feelings. There was Scout… her best friend who was just so damn pretty. She would watch her when the other wasn’t paying attention and just sigh. Hoping that one day – they could be more.

But as time passed and the other never really showed much interest Noreen resigned herself to looking outside of their friend group for comfort and love. – well until the day that Scout decided she needed to have a conversation with her and – just kissed her. Needless to say, Noreen was on cloud nine and the two began dating. For years the two were happily in love, and Noreen was certain that they would one day get married.

Hell, she had a ring picked out and everything! She was ready to go. But she knew better than to propose before Scout finished law school. She would not distract her girlfriend from that endeavor with a wedding. But Scout got more and more absorbed and slowly started fading from the relationship. She stopped wanting to go out, stopped really – even paying attention to Noreen. And after years and years of being ignored by her mother to have Scout, the one person she loved more than anything she blew up. The two argued and shouted and – Noreen stormed out. She just needed some air. Needed a moment to refocus and figure it out… and she would get it.

Five years of thinking and air. For that night was the first kidnapping. The night that Nyx herself snatched her off the street and put her in the meadows. She was terrified, confused, and utterly unsure of what the fuck was happening. Nyx appeared with her son Weston, and they explained that they had a plan to get Zeus’s attention, that they were sorry they had to take her and she would be back once they got to talk to the man. Noreen tried to tell them that Zeus didn’t care about her, that she had only met him a couple of times, and that he was a trash god. They agreed on that part but they thought – he’d realize that one of his own was taken, that Hera was throwing a hissy fit at Noreen’s vanishment and would do something. But they underestimate the god’s willingness to care about anything other than the next lay he was going to get.

So she’s been in purgatory for five years. Honestly? She hasn’t really noticed the passage of time. It’s like she’s told people, “Time has no meaning here, 1 minute here could be an hour back on earth, 1 day a year. Or it could be 1 minute is 5 years. There are days where I felt like I’ve been here for centuries and days where it felt like five seconds. In the end, I’m here and I like it.” Instead, Noreen dedicated herself to learning how to do all manner of things, she can happily say she’s a much more well-rounded person than she had been in her teens or the last time she saw and felt the earth beneath her feet.

Being back on earth, away from the meadows is going to be a huge transition for her. But she’s ready to see what the fuck life has in store – and to kick her father’s ass.

ANYTHING ELSE:

CHAOS.

#icaria: accepted #submission

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icariamusing · 3 years

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CHARACTER BASICS

FACECLAIM: Liz Gillies

NAME: Noreen Gomez

AGE: 26

BIRTHDAY: January 31, 1994

OCCUPATION: N/A for the moment

HOMETOWN: Detroit, MI

PETS: N/A… for now

POWERS

She can see and sense the electricity around her, from there she pull the electricity and turn it into small blasts of electricity she can throw at people.

BIOGRAPHY

TWs for: Prostitution, death, drugs, addiction, child neglect

This fascination carried over into school, she was 14, and when she was in science class doing experiments with her lab partner it all went just a bit sideways as she tried to manipulate the electricity in her experiment… and she somehow got electrocuted, except it was bad enough she ended up at the hospital. There she was alone, there the doctors looked her over, ran a battery of tests, and realized – this poor teen was on drugs, electrocuted and no one was coming to get her. They confined her to the hospital. They called every number they could and it wasn’t until the fifth call that a woman picked up the phone. She claimed to be Noreen’s mother, that Noreen had been living with her aunt for the past year while she was away on assignment in Greece. She had “no idea” about any of this and hadn’t heard from either in a month. She had “been trying to reach them and would be on the first flight out.”

Being back on earth, away from the meadows is going to be a huge transition for her. But she’s ready to see what the fuck life has in store – and to kick her father’s ass.

LAUREN | SHE/HER | 30 | EST

#zeus

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eldunea · 4 years

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why the sorting hat found slytherin to be such an obvious choice for lotor that it sorted him there the moment it touched his head.

i mean……most of us would put him instantly in slytherin, so this hardly has to be a meta. but i can feel a long one welling up because one question has been nagging at me: one other option could have been a hatstall between slytherin and ravenclaw. alternately, since ravenclaw is the house of wit and intelligence, why didn’t the hat instantly put him in there? no, the answer isn’t “because he’s a manipulative bastard.” it all comes down to the fact that regardless of anyone’s morality, lotor exemplifies all of slytherin house’s core values in a way that sets him apart from ravenclaws. let me break it down for you.

AMBITION.

i don’t have to do much explaining on this--water is wet, lotor is ambitious. instead, i want to talk specifically about how this trait puts him in slytherin rather than ravenclaw.

lotor is smart. both ravenclaw and slytherin value intelligence. however, the two houses differ in the type of intelligence that they value. ravenclaw is content with intelligence and knowledge for its own sake, whereas slytherin wants to use those same properties for a purpose. and i always saw the core of mainverse lotor’s character as putting every bit of his knowledge to use as a leader of the alteans and the galra empire. in mainverse, he has plenty of time where he indulges in knowledge for knowledge’s sake--he does, after all, enjoy philosophy and math. but he is also intensely focused on how he can use what he knows to shape society around him.

i should note that this isn’t necessarily tied to a lust for power--in fact, mainverse lotor wants less power because of his whole thing with decolonization. but whereas most people associate ambition with wanting power, the dictionary definition is “a strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work; desire and determination to achieve success.” therefore, desiring greatly to better society counts as an ambition……especially since lotor very much enjoys all the asspats he gets from being acknowledged as a savior.

harry potter AU lotor is very much the same. he is a massive nerd, with an extensive knowledge of alchemy, history and muggle science--but he’s not simply content with sitting at his desk and studying. he has the grand and sweeping visions for society of a slytherin: he wants wizards and muggles to be able to coexist. he wants a renaissance among magic folk in which they finally stop being so complacent with their technological progress and get up and invent at the same pace as muggles. he wants to put motherfucking wizards in space--and he wants to be known all around the world as the GREAT VISIONARY who created a new era for wizardkind. these are all the hallmarks of a slytherin. a ravenclaw, on the other hand, might just be happy with tinkering at their desk.

TRADITION.

this one might have thrown you off, because slytherin house is all about the traditions of self-proclaimed pure-blooded white europeans, and lotor is as brown as you can get. but tradition is important to him in its own way. he was raised to be fiercely proud of his heritage, to proudly speak his parents’ endangered languages and to carry on indigenous magical customs. one of his ideas as he becomes older is to decolonize POC societies around the globe who had the international statute of secrecy forced on them by european wizards--a return to the traditional way of living in which magical and mundane existed side by side. so yes. even though sometimes he acts in ways that go against religious and moral precepts, tradition absolutely is one of his core values……just not in the sense of pureblood (and most likely white) supremacy that was so prized by old salazar.

side note: this also fits with who lotor is in mainverse--mainverse lotor tirelessly worked to save altean (especially moon elf altean) traditions, immersing himself in the customs and beliefs of his own people and helping to preserve them for the next generation.

CUNNING AND RESOURCEFULNESS.

like………do i even have to explain this? he’s as much of a master strategist and just as silver-tongued in harry potter verse as he is in all of his other verses. he has an intellect as hard to grasp as a fish in a stream, and a tongue that can talk its way out of almost any situation. some of his methods may be outside those of conventional morality, but one can’t deny that they’re efficient and effective. once again, the reason why these traits put him in slytherin is because though both slytherin and ravenclaw value intelligence, it’s all about the type of intelligence valued by the two houses.

LEADERSHIP AND PERSUASION.

slytherins, much like gryffindors, are known for craving leadership--and let me tell you, lotor was just made for it. this is yet another one that’s like “no duh” given what he is in canon--he’s charismatic, he’s highly competent, and oh boy can he get the people going. it’s the ravenclaw in lotor that started designing the world’s first wizarding space vessel. but it’s the slytherin in him that gave him the ability to publicize it and make it popular, and the slytherin in him that swayed the masses to his side when just a few years prior the whole wizarding community was calling him crazy. he has the skill and the drive to shape history as it’s being made, and he has what it takes to lead the next generation of wizardkind to the great beyond. as bigoted as salazar slytherin is, i’ll bet it would make him very proud.

FRATERNITY.

slytherin often has a reputation for being the house that will stab you in the back, but word of god aka jk rowling’s slytherin welcome greeting on pottermore says that to the right people, slytherins are extremely loyal. canonically, lotor is capable of being ride or die with his friends the generals--i interpret narti’s death not as lotor consciously betraying her but as him reacting to her betrayal, which just goes to show how much he values faithfulness to those he loves.

deep and abiding loyalty to loved ones is a common trait among all lotors. he will not abandon his (close) friends, his spouses, his family, his children--he is with them until death, with very few things so morally objectionable that he would find that a reason to cut someone off. he may be standoffish around strangers, and a wily sonofabitch around those he doesn’t know well. and like many slytherins, he’s selective about who he gets close to so this sort of loyalty from him is very hard-won. but once you have earned his trust and his devotion, you have earned it for life.

#headcanon. || HARRY POTTER AU #alma te anul; the history of self. || HEADCANON

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fal-carrington · 5 years

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Just The Two Of Us Pt.2

Pairing: Kamilah x Mc x Adrian

(Part1)

Disclaimer: The characters are NOT mine

Prompt: After the last night fighting against Gaius, before his fall, he puts his plan into execution, changing the lives of Adrian, Kamilah and Mia forever. Friendships may end, a heart may be broken and a new love may arise. In the end who will win the girl's heart?

Tag list: @loveshamelessly @scarlet-letter-a0114 @thecleveridiot09 @galaxyside-0 @desiree-0816

6 months later

"Oh, damn it!" Mia screamed as she landed on the other side of the Raines Corp basement, her back hitting an airbed tightly, needless to say that was useless. One more attempt, another failed attempt to try to be disconnected from Kamilah. Lily ran to help her friend get up, Kamilah leaned her back against the cold stone wall a few feet away from Mia in the basement, her back also sore from the impact. Gaius was not joking when he said that the girl's pain would be her pain from now on. The queen frowned with that inconvenient pain, adjusting her posture and rearranging her suit. "No, no!" Adrian shouted through the thirteenth-century book in the middle of the basement, desperately searching for answers as he saw no result of his new experience. That was all he'd been working on for months, trying to find a way to disconnect both. First he had appealed to science, hired the best scientists money could provide, believing their blood to be the main source connecting them, but finding that the blood that bound them now was only one, and that Mia's blood had adapted to Kamilah's, once again found himself frustrated in all his attempts by using science to be flaws. So he called for the only possible alternative. The supernatural. Jameson was dead, Gaius dead. The only ones with the answer were dead. Kamilah sighed approaching her friend. "Adrian." She tried to call him. "Do not even try, Kamilah." He refused to look at her. Kamilah, unlike Adrian, knew how to recognize a lost cause when she saw one. She no longer had any hope of disconnecting herself from Mia. After several failed attempts and no positive response, there was not much to do. She was cynical and responsible enough to warn him that the situation could not go on for long. "We both know very well that of all the things Gaius has put together for us both, they all had permanent effects. I can not believe this time there's a way out.” Kamilah said quietly. "No, this one. I will not give up,” he said convulsively. "Look at her." Kamilah pointed at Mia, leaning against Lily's arms. "If you continue with these failed assaults, she will end up dead. Is that what you want? You'll kill her!” Adrian turned his face for the first time, there was a somber expression on his face, but his face lit up at the sight of Mia, but then that thought came into his mind that he could never have Mia, since she belonged to Kamilah, and Kamilah did not even tolerate her. "Kamilah, you do not know what's best for her!" He turned to her. "Lately I know what's best for her more than you!" "What are you insinuating, Kamilah ?!" Adrian's deep voice increased. "Enough!" Mia's voice echoed through the room, drawing their attention. She tried to stand, unsuccessfully, causing Lily to hold her again. "This is exactly what Gaius wanted, to get you two to fight, do not you see?” She approached the two tall vampires with Lily at her side. She turned to Adrian, her eyes softening. "Adrian... I understand that you are frustrated with this, believe me, I am too. But this time, I am with Kamilah on this one, you are giving every day more of yourself pursuing a goal that we may never reach. We tried everything, and nothing works. And I feel... That part of me dies every day more in seeing you like this. Maybe there's nothing else we can do.” She touched Adrian's face with an obvious sadness on his face. Her brief touch, until she moved her hand away and went to the stairs with Lily, leaving them alone. Adrian touched his cheek watching her walk away.

"Adrian. We have been in this situation for months, I did not want to be living this as much as you, I know perfectly well that the three of us are going through the same pain—" Kamilah started to speak, but was interrupted by him. "Are we, Kamilah?" His tone suddenly hostile. "As far as I'm aware, Mia and I are in love with each other, and we can not be together because of the circumstances, and you know that and still, you married her." Kamilah opened her mouth in disbelief. "Excuse me, I just did it to protect you! Gaius would have killed you!" "He would have killed me anyway!" "If it were me, you would have done the same!" Kamilah said. "Do you think it was in my plans to marry a mortal in her twenties, knowing that my closest friend is in love with her ?!" Kamilah touched her own chest, Adrian rolled his eyes with his arms crossed. "She promised before everyone to be faithful to you! She will be bonded and married to you until her death! How do you think I feel about this? Have to see my best friend have everything I wanted, everything that was meant to be mine? And you do not even like her!" "I did all this for you, I gave up my freedom, I married a mortal, I saved your life and her life, and yet, do you think I'm selfish? I'm well aware of your feelings for the girl, I would never do any of this if your life was not at risk! Mia saw the situation with the same eyes and did the same for you! " "Do not put Mia in the middle of it!" He shouted angrily. "But, she's in the middle of it. She's part of that. Do you really think she'd be happy to see you dead? How do you think I'd stay with you dead? Never in my entire life have I even considered the idea of marriage, and she is only twenty-two years old, she is too young. You know perfectly well that there's no way I'm going to have feelings for her!" "Do not make promises you can not keep, Kamilah." Adrian sighed, running a hand over his face, tired. His eyes on the floor throughout that conversation, when he looked at Kamilah, there was a look of resignation on his face. A sad look, mixed with anger. Kamilah opened her mouth to argue, but then fell silent. "I... I'll stop trying. For now. For her,” he said decisively, Kamilah nodded.

"We still have an issue to address. The Ferals.” Kamilah said, reminding him that there were still hordes of ferals, created by Jameson and scattered throughout the city. "We have to deal with the rest, they are a threat. To the city and to us.” "I agree. I can deal with them,” Adrian said. Kamilah took a deep breath for what she was going to say, whether or not that had to be said, she had to discuss it with Adrian. "What is it?" He asked, noting the uncertainty on Kamilah's face. "I believe it's better, and safer... As long as we're dealing with the ferals, Mia stays with me at my house," she said, waiting perfectly for Adrian's confused and angry reply. "Absolutely not!" He said shaking his head. "Adrian, think about it. She's connected to me, I can protect her. If she's in my line of sight, I can keep her safe and prevent any harm from happening to her, that pursuit can last for months, maybe even years.” Kamilah said rationally, she knew that although Adrian denied it, he knew she was right. "No. Never. She can stay with me there. I can also keep her safe." "We both know this did not work out very well last time." Kamilah crossed her arms. Adrian bit his lips, running his hand through his hair, the frustration in his face evident. "You know nothing's gonna happen between us." "You two in the same bed?! Let's not discuss this, Mia will stay with me. I can take care of her.” He pointed to himself, angry. "I'm trying to talk to you civilly, but it seems like you do not understand, I have more voting power than you do. We're talking about my wife, after all." Adrian opened his mouth in disbelief, the apparent anger on his face. "The same girl you consider irresponsible and a bad influence. The wife that you do not nurture any kind of feelings. So do not try to pretend you care about her.” He said bitterly. "I swore I would take care of her, that I would be faithful, in joy and sorrow, until death do us part. You know me well enough, I take my promises very seriously. She is my wife, and she will be my wife until we find a way to undo what that monster did, which seems impossible.”

"What are you two arguing about now?" Mia appeared on the staircase, the weariness evident on her pale face, they both turned to her. "We were arguing about where you're staying," Kamilah said patiently. Mia walked downstairs, looking at both of them uncertainly. "I have a house, guys." She pointed as if it were obvious. Kamilah sighed with her hands on her waist, Adrian's face softened. "With the situation of the ferals, with our... Situation. Kamilah and I thought it might be safer for you to be a place where we can take care of you and protect you.” Adrian approached her, gently touching Mia's hand. "But, Lily..." "Lily, it's not an option for you," Kamilah said coldly. "And... what are the options?" Mia bit her lip, looking uncertainly at both of them. "You're more than welcome to come and live with me in my penthouse." Adrian smiled, passing security and comfort to her with that look. "You know... You know I'll always be there to take care of you." "Or... You can come live with me," Kamilah said quietly. Mia's eyes widened in surprise at the queen's. "With you?" She asked in surprise. Kamilah sighed. "Mia, listen. You and I... We're married now.” Kamilah said choosing her words carefully, noting that Adrian flinched at that. Mia looked at her shyly with interest and surprise in her face. "And we're connected, until we find a way to undo that, if we can do that, you're my responsibility. You're my wife, I have to protect you.” Mia noticed the rare vulnerability in Kamilah's voice. "I do not want to be a burden on you." "You will not be. I promise.” Kamilah shook her head.

Mia swallowed hard looking at the two vampires who looked at her expectantly, waiting for her answer. She turned to Adrian after a long moment, touching his hand. "You know how I feel about you, do not you?" She asked softly, Adrian nodded. "I loved every second that we both spent together, you'll always have a place in my heart Adrian. You know how I love you.” Kamilah looked away as she heard this, avoiding looking at that scene. "But... Kamilah, are my wife now." The sadness on Adrian's face was apparent. "We did what we had to do, and I do not regret doing what I did, you're alive after all." Mia gave a weak smile. "You do not love, Kamilah," Adrian said in anguish. "But that was a real marriage... That we both can not undo. And I promised, I promised I would be faithful to her. And right now, the right thing to do... It would be if we both lived together. Please, don’t make me choose between you and her.” Mia said with tears in her eyes. Adrian sighed.

“Why? Cause you’d choose her?” He asked almost crying with his eyes wet. "Yeah. I’d choose her.” Mia said unexpectedly, causing Kamilah to look at her intrigued. The girl was choosing her. Something she would never expected to hear from Mia.

“I understand. I think our relationship just ended.” He said sadly. "I'll give you both privacy," Kamilah said after a while as she watched the scene of exchanged glances between the two, she had to get away from that environment fast. The only thing that crossed her mind was to go to the balcony of Raines Corp, take a breath or feel the cool breeze of the night beating her face, it always relieved the eminent tension in her mood. She did not think she would find Lily, eating a sandwich in Adrian's private restaurant. "Heya." Lily smiled as she approached the counter. Kamilah immediately picked up a bottle of whiskey, filling her glass. "Whoa, geez... Things are worse than I thought." Lily commented watching her drink the glass in one turn.

“I have 2063 years old and I went through a lot of lovers, how many you can imagine.” Kamilah laughed bitterly. “They all died with the time and I went on, but in any moment of my life I would imagine that I would be married.” She said looking at her wedding band at her finger. “If we were back in my time at Egypt’s, I can swear things would be different.”

“Come on, Mia is not so bad, you know that. She’s brave, she cares a lot about people. If you give her a chance to meet her for real, you gonna see that.” Lily tried. "Mia hates me. Adrian hates me. I ruined the happiness of the happy couple. They just broke up downstairs, Adrian basically gave her a ultimatum and she choose me over him.” Kamilah filled her glass with whiskey again. "And all I was trying to do was save both of their lives."

“Oh, god. I can’t believe this is actually happening," Lily pointed out. "But... You and Mia are a couple now. You had to save the life of your best friend, and you ended up with a wife. And, admitting it, Mia is kind of hot and fucking smart, you know that.”

“I’m not interested in my best friend’s ex. Adrian would never forgive me if I fell for her. Which we both know there’s absolutely no chance of happening” Kamilah said angrily. “I’m the only one rational and responsible here, can not they both see that we have no other choice?" She filled her glass again with whiskey. "They're in love, usually people like that do not see the voice of reason," Lily said quietly. "So, what are you going to do?" "I believe... I believe the right thing to do would be to live as a couple. I mean, there's no other way to get rid of it, with her, I can make things right, I can make my home her home, take care of her, give a health plan. A good life for her, we both know she deserves it. She's young, I do not mean to arrest her, she can go out with anyone she wants, sleep with whomever she wants, but in the eyes of society, we can just... Pretend.” Kamilah shrugged and sipped her glass of whiskey. "You know, for someone who does not care about her, you really are willing to do that," Lily said with a smile. "How... how has she been going these last few months?" Kamilah asked. "She's kind cries sometimes," Lily admitted. "She's pretty stubborn to admit she's not satisfied with the situation, but she's not unhappy about her choice to save Adrian's life, she does not regret it, but just between us... About the situation being this way, I'm glad she has you to take care of her. I know you will not disappoint her. And, maybe you end up feeling something for her that you did not expect."

Kamilah looked at her with those words. What did Lily mean? "When can we go?" Mia's voice made them both look at her, standing between the doors of the restaurant, next to Adrian.

Mia and Lily’s apartment "Do not forget your sweaters!" Lily came out of Mia's closet carrying three sweaters in her hands as she helped the girl pack her bags. Kamilah waited patiently in the living room, reading her e-mails on her cell phone. "I do not know if all my clothes will fit in two suitcases," Mia said looking at her luggage on her bed. "I guess I'll have to come get the rest of my things later," she said contempltively. “I'll miss my bed though.” She touched the sheets.

“Kamilah’s house will make you forget this place really quickly, I’m telling you her place is huge and amazing as fuck, but I’m going to miss my best friend.” Lily said smiling.

“Own, Lils.” Mia opened her arms, hugging Lily tight. Lily wiped the tears from Mia’s face.

“Kamilah will take care of you. She may seems cold and difficult, but she’s nice, you know that.” Lily said. “I can’t believe you are actually married.” Lily laughed.

“I know, I know.” Mia wiped the rest of the tears with her sweater sleeve. “Neither do I. It’s so strange.” Mia shrugged. “Anyways, help me pack the rest, she will not be happy if we make this any longer.”

When the two finished packing Mia's things, they ran into Kamilah in the living room, who stood up gracefully, putting her cell phone in the pocket of her jacket, and elegantly placed between them.

"Is that all?" She asked, furrowing her face towards the suitcases.

"W-Well, there's still some things, but I can pick them up later," Mia said looking at that tall, beautiful woman in front of her. She had to stop stuttering every time Kamilah put those cold, brown eyes on her.

"Okay, then." Kamilah came over to retrieve the suitcases.

"Careful, it's heavy—" Mia tried to stop her, but Kamilah took both of them with ease and turned to the front door without saying another word. Mia and Lily exchanged glances.

"That was scary and sexy," Lily observed. Mia rolled her eyes. The two followed the vampire queen to the entrance of the apartment, Kamilah packed the suitcases with agility in the trunk of her Mercedes, and got into the car without another word. "If you need anything. Call me,” Lily said hugging her best friend again.

"I will." Mia smiled before getting into the car, intimidated to be in Kamilah's car. Lily put her head in the window.

"Drive safely, childrens," she said with a smile, Kamilah rolled her eyes, leaving Lily waving back. A few blocks ahead, Kamilah drove in silence, Mia curled up in the car seat, hugging herself, staring at the vehicle around her. She had never been in a car so elegant and big. Kamilah’s perfume was all over the place.

"Are you cold?" Kamilah asked looking at her of the corner of her eye.

"Just a little," she replied timidly. She saw Kamilah turn on the car heater. Seconds before she came sneezing.

"Are you feeling well? We can drop by the pharmacy,” Kamilah suggested.

"I'm... It's just that with all these experiments we've been through, I end up with low resistance. I caught the flu."

"And you let Adrian almost kill you today with that craziness ?! Very responsible of you, Mia.” Kamilah scolded her.

"What did you want me to do? Adrian was so excited that he had finally figured out a way to free both of us. I had to.”

"And now you're sick," Kamilah said.

"I'm fine." Mia rolled her eyes.

Despite Mia's complaints, Kamilah drove to the pharmacy to buy drugs and painkillers for her.

Kamilah’s penthouse

"Here we are." Kamilah said as the doors to her penthouse opened, she stepped in front of Mia, carrying her suitcases. Mia followed just behind, looking around that gigantic place. The young girl swallowed hard, discredited with that place, it was like being between modernity and antiquity, everything around her was so sophisticated, elegantly decorated and full of old and historical things. Mia took a few steps hesitantly, Kamilah left her keys on her key chain. It was all so open and black, she could see the buildings of New York through the glass walls, the view was beautiful, but it was impossible not to look at the decorative items of Kamilah's house. She watched the Egyptian objects on a glass table leaning against the wall, beneath an Italian painting of a Renaissance artist, which Mia remembered in her history lessons. She took another few steps, spotting a large leather couch near a black piano. Certainly there was much more of it, much more to see and explore, she knew it.

"... Mia?" Kamilah called out. Just then, she realized that Kamilah was talking to her and she was not paying attention.

"Uh?" She asked disoriented.

"I asked if you were hungry," Kamilah said as she pulled off her jacket.

"Oh no. I'm good.” Mia said quietly, her arms crossed, still looking around her shyly. “Thank you.”

"I think maybe I'm with low stockpile of human food at the moment, I was not ready for your arrival, but we can sort this out in the morning, I can ask Maria to go to the market and get what you want,” Kamilah said. She was always so practical... With everything. She take it as if everything could be solved with only a point of order.

"Who... Who is Maria?" Mia asked curiously.

"My maid," Kamilah said.

"And, she knows about... you?" Mia asked.

"Yes, but she is trustworthy. She's been with me for almost fifteen years. She comes two days a week to clean the place, so do not be surprised if you see her around here often,” Kamilah said. "Well, I'll introduce you to the house." Kamilah said walking ahead, Mia hurried to follow her. "It's your home now, which means you can do whatever you want, go wherever you want, eat whatever you want, any time you want, without the need to ask me." Kamilah went down a long corridor, soon her office appeared where—according to her, it was the place where she spent most of her time in the house, the library, the gym, the guest rooms... And finally the last room. Her bedroom. "This is my room. Our room.” She introduced. "Our?" Mia stepped inside, staring at the black-walled room, it was huge, in the center of the room was a king size bed with white sheets, a large rug, a closet on the right, and the other side of room was the bathroom. "Like... We're going to sleep... Together... In the same bed?" Mia pointed to the bed. Kamilah looked at her as if questioning her sanity. "Do not worry. I do not bite.” Kamilah said approaching her. “You can decorate as you please, but leave the bed. I like, it’s comfortable.” "That's not what I'm worried about." Mia swallowed hard looking at her. "I barely stay at home, so the bed will be practically yours. You can have the left side of the closet, I do not care.” Kamilah left Mia's suitcases on the bed. "So, what do you think?" She looked at the girl who was expressionless. "You have a hell of a home," Mia commented, taking an unexpected smile from Kamilah. "I'll take it as a compliment. I think you can handle yourself from now on.” Kamilah said.

“...Do you mind if I take a shower?" Mia asked, Kamilah turned to her with frowning brows and a grimace. "Uh... Right, this is my house now too." She said, Kamilah nodded.

“I need a drink.” She said leaving Mia alone in that huge room.

“Home sweet home, I guess.” Mia said quietly to herself with her hands on her waist.

After a long bath in Kamilah's bathtub, Mia finally finished packing, putting on a set of pajamas, a pair of shorts and a tank top, she wiped her blond hair and left the bathroom hesitantly. Everything in Kamilah's house was large, dazzling and charming. She was not accustomed to all this, and she doubted she would ever get used to it. This was her life now, living in a penthouse, living a life of luxury next to Kamilah, the vampire queen, CEO and best friend of Mia's ex-boyfriend. This could not be stranger and uncomfortable. She sighed, taking a deep breath before leaving the bathroom, at least the bath had helped to get that bad feeling out of her body, she took her medicine, and when she reached the living room, she came across Kamilah.

She was quiet and calm, playing on her piano a beautiful and sad melody. A glass of whiskey lay on top of the piano. Mia stopped to look at her, was anything that woman could not do without perfection? Kamilah's brown eyes rose from the keys and found hers, she felt her cheeks burn with Kamilah's warm gaze.

"You... You are really good at that," Mia complimented. The shadow of a smile appeared on Kamilah's face, Mia approached her, Kamilah's eyes never left her, Kamilah could not help, but notice the curves of the girl's body in those intimate clothes, the almost transparent shorts, the blouse with the cleavage marking her breasts. Her blond hair fell over her shoulders, messed up. She was really beautiful and attractive, there was no way to denying it.

The damn thought of throwing the girl in her bed and having her all night long disturbed her. She wondered what Mia's taste would be, her lips, what it would be like to kiss and bite that whole neck. To stare into those green eyes as she made the girl scream her name. At that moment, the queen cursed herself for that sudden desire to invade her conscious, Mia was the love of Adrian's life. And Adrian was her best friend, she could not have her.

"Thank you." She said taking her eyes off Mia, and focusing on the keys. "What is it?" Kamilah asked as she noticed the girl's uncomfortable behavior. "I know that look, you're thinking of something."

The blonde bit her rosy lips uneasily, putting a blonde wig behind her ear.

"... I have some conditions, for this between us to work." Mia forced herself to look into Kamilah's mesmerizing brown eyes. The vampire raised a perfect eyebrow in response, the curiosity killing her from within.

"Conditions?" Mia bit her lower lip.

"Requests," she corrected herself.

"Go ahead." Kamilah nodded. Mia took a deep breath before continuing.

"I need a job. I do not want to stand here doing nothing alI day. I can not work for Raines Corp after all that's happened.” Mia sighed. "... And I also do not want the men’s of your Clan following me around the city. I'm not used to it, I do not like it."

"I can think of the first suggestion, but the second is non-negotiable. They're protecting you."

"Kamilah ..." Mia shook her head. It was almost impossible to argue with Kamilah, her word was always final.

"Absolutely not." Kamilah stood, Mia drew back a few steps, startled by the sudden movement of the beautiful woman in front of her, where Kamilah approached her until she was inches from the girl's face. Those brown eyes studied her coolly, her face impassive, perfect.

"I'll try to clear things up for you." Kamilah began to speak in a quiet voice. "I did what I did to protect Adrian, not for you. For him. I could not care less about the life of another mortal. And it cost me a lot, including my friendship with him. You and I are married and connected, whether you like it or not, that is, we have roles to fulfill with each other in the eyes of society, you can think as an act. Adrian does not seem to understand, so I hope you understand, I'm not expecting your love, your affection, or anything like that, so do not wait back from me. You do not have to like me, much less I of you, if you fulfill your part of the agreement, that is to be my fake wife, you can have everything you could possibly want. I will fulfill with mine, and both we are satisfied. I’m a woman of word, Mia”

“This... This is a wedding, a relationship, not one of your contracts!” Mia argued, red faced.

“Yes, it is. It's just business, now you’re my associate, so don’t think about fail with me. Understood?” Kamilah said those final words like a hangman about to kill her new victim, she passed Mia silently and entered her office. A solitary tear trickled down the girl's face as she watched her life turn upside down.

#choices you play #bloodbound #kamilah sayeed #bb #kamilah x mc

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truthbeetoldmedia · 4 years

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Mayans MC 2x09 “Itzam-Ye” Review

Leading us into the finale, Episode 9 deals us some heartbreaking blows. Some truths are discovered, some remain hidden, and we say goodbye to a character who has been with us since the first episode. I knew it was only a matter of time, seeing as how this season hasn’t dealt us any blows quite like this yet. It was still pretty rough to see.

Let’s get into it!

Uncovered Truths

Felipe Reyes finally has a sit-down with his boys and tells them about his former life as Ignacio and the life he led before meeting their mother. He informed EZ and Angel about the affair he had with Dita Galindo and how when he met their mother and she got pregnant with Angel, they fled to America and they became the Reyes family. Ignacio grew up in the same town as Jose Galindo and the cartel. When he became Dita’s protector, she grew feelings for him and he didn’t discourage them. He made sure to mention that he ended things as soon as he met their mother. This whole time I thought he was cheating on Mrs. Reyes and I got so mad, but Felipe’s back on my good side with this one...kind of.

There were still some questions that needed answering, but they had to get Emily away from Miguel’s watchful eye in order for this to happen. Felipe had called in a favor with Dita to get Emily away for a “girls day” at the spa. From there, Felipe picked Emily up in the back alley and brought her to meet up with EZ and Angel at Felipe’s house. Once there, she was able to show them all what she had found in the Galindo financials. The Reyes men and Emily saw that Dita had written and signed the checks, but were suspicious of Jose and then Miguel himself. The timing just didn’t add up to Emily because Jose was gone before they even knew the Reyes’ were in Santo Padre. The checks were written only 10 years before the episode takes place. That makes Miguel the suspect in EZ and Angel’s eyes. Emily’s convinced he had nothing to do with it. He wouldn’t kill anyone (on the northern side of the border, anyways). She pleads with EZ not to harm her husband.

When EZ drops Emily back off at the spa, he gets a glance of Dita. Before that day, he mentions how he wouldn’t even know what Dita Galindo looks like if he had crossed paths with her on the street. He gets a good look and he gets a feeling that only EZ gets on this show because of his photographic memory. He rushes back to Casa de Reyes and looks through Felipe’s lock box of his previous life for a picture to confirm his theory about Dita Galindo. Turns out, Dita knew Felipe and Marisol were in Santo Padre 10 years ago. Dita had wanted Ignacio for herself. Dita orchestrated the hit that killed EZ and Angel’s mother and that had meant to kill Felipe as well.

It was exactly as I predicted! Dita can get down and dirty just like the rest of the Galindo family. She’s always had that kind of darkness in her; that ability to harm others.

Hidden Truths

Meanwhile, Miguel has known for weeks at this point that Emily has been hiding something from him. He knows the death of the city clerk has something to do with it and he knows the Reyes family is involved. Miguel has no idea what exactly Emily is hiding and just how deep those secrets run. He can have Nestor and Marcus follow Emily all he wants, but he’s not getting much closer to finding out the truth.

As a sign of good faith between them and their marriage, Miguel apologizes for having lied to her about his plans to deal with Potter. He tells her what he found; that he had a relationship with someone he was meant to protect while on the job in Mexico and they had a child together. He also tells her that he intends to use this information to help Adelita, but he has no plans to harm the woman or the child. Emily sees through this farce though. While she appreciates being kept in the loop, she knows he’s trying to get her to spill whatever it is she’s hiding from him and that’s just not something she’s ready to do just yet.

There is another truth that is being kept hidden though. Felipe and Dita haven’t told anyone else that Miguel may be his son. I say “may” because she never got a paternity test done and I believe science over a gut instinct on this one. I’m really looking forward to the day this secret comes out though. It’ll cause an explosion, no doubt.

To Fight or Not To Fight? That Is The Question.

Last episode we saw Coco and Riz get hurt. Coco had been by the bikes when they got blown up and his eyesight was damaged. When the episode this week begins, we see Coco being discharged with the doctors saying he may or may not get his eyesight back. He will need to see a specialist, but is that something he can even afford? If he can’t see, he can’t ride. What will his place in the club be like after all this? Understandably, the man is pissed and is hell-bent on retribution.

As for Riz, he was shot several times in the ambush throughout his body and he’s shown on life support. He’s got a tube down his throat helping him breathe and he’s unconscious. We don’t know if he has any family around, except for the club, as they were the ones the doctors spoke to, apparently, regarding Riz’s situation.

The question now is whether or not the club is going to seek revenge against Vatos Malditos, the club from Tijuana. SAMCRO and the other Mayan charters will understand if that’s what they decide to do, but the amount of money they’d lose from the Irish guns if they go for retribution is just far too great. Vatos Malditos is the only MC to the closest port on the southern side of the border. The Mayans and Sons both need this deal to work out.

It is ultimately Bishop’s decision, as he is club president, so this is the dilemma he deals with throughout the episode. The club is rallying around their fallen members. Coco may never see again so that puts him on Team War and Angel and Gilly tend to vote along with Coco, especially under these circumstances. One of the other club officers (I honestly forget the name. There’s too many club members and not enough time to devote to having each one stand out) has voted that the money is far too good, so they need the deal for the betterment of the club. The rest of the club officers decide to go with whatever Bishop decides, so that’s NO help AT ALL.

Bishop’s torn, but ultimately decides to go with the money and the deal. Coco’s vision and Riz’s health could very well improve! The money would even help them with whatever they need to help heal them along the way. The vote is made and they go with the money. The plan is to follow through on that until a wrench gets thrown in. Riz dies. His lungs give out.

What nobody else knows is that Taza, the club VP, messed with his life support. He killed Riz because he lied to Bishop. He does want war with the Vatos Malditos and that’s what he’s about to get. You see, when Taza was young and impressionable, he was a member of Vatos Malditos. We don’t know when or why exactly he left, just that there’s no love lost there. Perhaps we shall get some answers in the finale?

The penultimate episode was a rollercoaster of emotions and just what we needed going into the Season 2 finale. I’m hoping to get a “Miguel, I am your father” confession from Felipe, but I honestly don’t know if there will be time! War is coming and it’s inevitable.

Some thoughts on the episode:

Coco was discharged awfully fast. I definitely expected the news of his vision to be delivered in a more devastating way.

I really like how they showed Leti fawning a bit over her father. This is the first time she’s seen him be hurt from club-related…activities.

It just hit me that Felipe is the only one that knows everything now. I feel like he’s the one in the most danger now because of that.

EZ and Gabby sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! I ship it!

EZ and Angel are just so done with Potter. I feel like all those scenes of the brothers just blatantly ignoring texts from Potter were kind of put in as after-thoughts almost? Kind of like, “Oh hey. Remember Potter? He’s still here.”

I’m really feeling Adelita’s absence right now and I just hope she’s okay and she returns to us soon, in whatever capacity.

If this show doesn’t get renewed soon, I’m going to be PISSED.

Sarah’s episode rating: 🐝🐝🐝🐝

Mayans MC airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on FX

#Mayans MC #Itzam-Ye

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weerd1 · 5 years

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Star Trek DS9 Rewatch Log, Stardate 1909.22: Missions Reviewed, “Afterimage,” “Take Me Out to the Holosuite,” and “Chrysalis.”

(Review notes: While watching these three episodes yesterday, I saw the news that Aron Eisenberg, Nog, passed away unexpectedly. Nog has been in integral part of this story, and I know he has some very deep and dark episodes coming up in this rewatch. The heart that shows through Nog though is certainly the product of Aron Eisenberg’s performance. He was actively involved with fandom, even liking a couple of my tweets in the past. By all accounts he was quite a person, and this is certainly a hard loss for the community of Niners, and Star Trek fans in general. Condolences to his family and friends.)

“Afterimage” shows Ezri Dax having a hard time adapting to life on the station, and planning instead to resume Ezri Tigen (pre-joined Ezri’s) duties on the USS Destiny. Sisko wants her to stay, Quark considers this to be the chance he lost out on with Jadzia, and slowly convinces Bashir of the same. Worf meanwhile refuses to even be in the same room with her. When Worf sees her spending time with Bashir however, he threatens the Doctor, saying that accepting Ezri dishonors the memory of Jadzia. Garak, who has been codebreaking the Cardassians for Starfleet Intelligence starts having claustrophobic attacks even in spacious areas, and Sisko asks Ezri, a counselor, to talk to him.

She ties his claustrophobia to the fact his father would lock him in a closet for a punishment and moves on, but his attacks get worse, causing them to have to let him spend time in a holosuite. When she tries to treat him again, he becomes belligerent, and convinces her she should leave Starfleet. Sisko seems to support that. O’Brien goes to Worf, and talks to him about the fact that this is a tough situation, but would Jadzia want him to treat Ezri this way? Ezri is preparing to leave the station, and yet goes to say goodbye to Garak, mentioning his successes codebreaking. When he gets uncomfortable, she pushes, and Garak breaks down, and the two of them realize he is punishing himself as a traitor to Cardassia, knowing the Dominion must be stopped, but knowing also that his people will likely be destroyed in the process. He accepts treatment, and Ezri decides she will stay if Worf can handle it. Worf mentions it will still be hard for him, but knows he cannot punish Ezri for what has happened. As she accepts the DS9 position and a promotion, knowing Sisko pushed her buttons earlier to motivate her, she moves through the crowd more comfortable. Worf does not speak to her, but toasts her from across the room.

It is fascinating to watch these writers who now have more than six years working together under their belts get to develop a new character, when there is so much great material sitting around to call on. Garak’s feelings on Cardassia are a great moment for his character too, but I think the thing that I find most compelling here is the Sisko/Dax relationship. We know Curzon Dax was Benjamin’s mentor, then Jadzia his friend and peer. Here we see Benjamin get to step into the mentor role, and that’s a really lovely piece of character development only a Science Fiction setting can give you. Worf’s confusion over all of this is very heartfelt, as who wouldn’t want to bring their love back in some form…but particularly since he just allowed Jadzia soul to enter Sto-Vo-Kor, how does a Klingon deal with her being in this new, timid and unsure person? All of this is well-played.

A Vulcan starship the T’Kumbra docks at DS9 and an old rival of Sisko challenges him to a baseball game in “Take Me Out to the Holosuite.” Since an Academy quarrel, Captain Solok has taken every opportunity to show his Vulcan superiority to Sisko, including citing Sisko’s Academy behavior in about a dozen papers. Now, he has trained members of his crew in baseball, and is ready to show Sisko he is superior there as well.

Sisko assembles his staff and starts training them to play, and asks Odo to be umpire. The crew is eager, but also untalented. Sisko begins to take this all very seriously and kicks Rom off the team for being so bad at it. The rest threaten to quit, but Rom asks them all to stay. When the game day arrives, the Vulcans are pulling way ahead, and tensions are high. When Odo calls a strike on Worf and Sisko protests, tapping Odo on the chest, Odo ejects him. Sisko, now in the stands watches O’Brien take over as coach and sees his crew together as a team, losing or not. He grabs Rom (who has been in the stands watching) and suits him up. O’Brien puts him on the plate with Nog on third at the top of the ninth. They signal for Rom to bunt, and when he leans in to try and figure out what they are talking about, the ball hits his bat. Nog makes it to home and the Niners score their first run. The team goes out praising Rom and celebrating, carrying him off the field. Solok complains to the umpire that the game isn’t finished and when Odo turns, the Vulcan grabs his shoulder to pull him back. Odo smiles and says, “YOU’RE GONE!”

Later at Quark’s, the Niners are celebrating their non-shut out with Jake beating himself up over giving up 12 runs. Ben reminds him Vulcans are at least three times stronger and faster than humans, and in the circumstances they all did great. Solok comes in to gloat, but finds himself heckled when he sees they Niners enjoying themselves, and they begin to point out how emotional he seems to be over that fact. The Logisticians have more points, but the Niners enjoyed the game, and the team all sign a baseball to go on Sisko’s desk.

Given the serious nature of the show, having a break like this one where you can catch your breath and enjoy some fish-out-of-water moments is pretty welcome. (Worf’s version of “hey-batter-batter” is actually “Death to the Opposition!) I had more of a problem with this episode 20 years ago feeling the Vulcans were mis-portrayed, and indeed, I think THIS is where we first see the Vulcans of “Star Trek: Enterprise” with their superiority complex. Having reconciled that watching ENT this worked much better for me. Perhaps an analysis of the Vulcans in canon and fanon should be the subject of another essay…oh lord, do I need to rewatch and review Enterprise? Interestingly, Rom is shown here batting left handed because Max Grodénchik was an accomplished player, having actually played semi-pro. They couldn’t get him to otherwise appear unskilled enough.

In “Chrysalis,” Bashir is feeling a bit lonely but has the Jack Pack, the group of genetically enhanced humans who are institutionalized, come to the station because they know he is working on something to help Serina (the non-verbal woman among them) control her sensory stimuli and normalize.

After Sisko smooths over the fact that three of them impersonated Starfleet Officers to get there, Bashir tries to design the machine he needs to work on Serina’s brain, but O’Brien tells him it can’t be done. The Jack Pack take on the issue and manage a fine substitute. Bashir performs the operation and indeed Serina seems fine, yet she has the benefits of her genetic engineering as well. She seems unable to integrate back into the group of her friends though, and starts spending more time with Bashir and his friends. He develops feelings for her, asking if she wants to stay on the station. He is quite happy to have someone who can think and act as well as he can with his augmentations.

She seems to suffer a setback however and becomes cataleptic again. They come to realize it is only a defense mechanism as she does not want to hurt Bashir, but is not ready to make a decision to be with him either; Bashir derides himself for smothering her. Jack, Patrick, and Lauren go back to their hospital, while Bashir finds Serina a research position where she can sort out her new life. As she leaves, he promises to never forget her, and standing alone, he watches her ship leave.

I have to wonder if intentionally or not, this episode puts Bashir’s insufferable horndog days from the early seasons into context. He is indeed separated from everyone around him by his abilities, and though he does love his friends, he is seeking some form of deeper connection on par with his level of thinking. There’s not a lot of time left for the show to revisit Serina, and we won’t see her again before the show ends, but it would be neat if some future show could give us a hint of where a second genetically enhanced human whom it seems the Federation is going to allow out in the world, ends up.

NEXT VOYAGE: Star Trek gives me one of my dearest beliefs about the inner workings of the universe in “Treachery, Faith, and The Great River.”

#star trek #Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #DS9 rewatch

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