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firefly-in-darkness · 3 years

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Proud Popsicle

Pairing → Dad!Stucky x Daughter!Reader (platonic)

Characters → Marvel Characters

Summary → Y/N visits her Dads after her holiday with her partner

Word Count → 1.4k

SSB2021 Square Fill → Dad/Daughter Dance - @star-spangled-bingo

Warnings → Fluff.

Betas → @daydream3r-xo // all mistakes are my own.

A/N → I couldn’t help myself with this fluffy piece and Steve being such a mother hen and proud husband.

Firefly’s Masterlist // Star Spangled Bingo 2021

It was the first time you’d seen your parents after returning from your holiday and you were beyond excited to spend the weekend with them, telling them all about the adventure you and your partner went on and catching up on all theirs too.

You rushed out of the taxi and eagerly into the arms held open wide, burying your head into the chest of your Pops. He chuckled at the tight hold you had on his waist and pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“Hi, Pops.” You mumbled into his chest, then looked up to him. “What time will Bucky be back from work?”

You were sure that Steve’s blonde locks and beard were peppered with more greys since your last visit a month ago. But his blue eyes still shone as bright as the day that he brought you, a quite eight-year-old, home from the adoption centre with Bucky.

It was Bucky that had spotted you at the orphanage, shy and playing on your own with some old raggedy toys. He always comments at family gatherings that it was the wild yet stoic look about you that drew him nearby. You were like a feral child in your own little world, he’d tell his closest friends.

It was the moments that you weren’t with family or friends that were hardest for Bucky, you’d grown used to it and didn’t bat an eye when people stared at his prosthetic arm, and you’d always help him through a panic attack from the crowded spaces. You didn’t care that your Dad caused a scene - he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and he needed love and support around him. He had put aside his fears and given you the life of your dreams.

“He should be home in about half an hour, he took a half-day just to see our girl.” Steve beamed and picked up your suitcase. “Come on, I’ve got lunch ready and Auntie Nat is already here.”

You squealed and rushed through the front door and down the hallway to the kitchen. Your favourite aunt was perched on a stool at the breakfast bar with a beaming smile and waiting arms.

“Pops didn’t say you’d be here. When did you get back from Europe?” You threw your coat onto the dining table behind them.

“Last week. Clint and I completed the merger for the business earlier than we expected so we immediately jumped on the opportunity to come home.” Natasha explained. “It’s been a long eighteen months and I needed to see you guys properly. Not on a tiny cell screen.”

You were excited to hear everything about your aunt’s security firm’s expansion and what it was like to live on the other side of the world, but you were interrupted by a sandwich being placed in front of you by Steve. Stomach grumbling at the sight of your favourite filling.

“Steve was just showing me the wedding video,” Natasha smirked.

You groaned, “Not again. Are you seriously still showing that Pops? It’s been two years.”

“Nat hadn’t seen it,” he explained, to which you just raised your brow, knowing full well that she attended the ceremony and you’d sent a digital copy. Steve then added, “in person.”

You chuckled, “okay, what part you up to?”

“When Bucky joined us for the father, daughter dance.” Steve beamed; his chest puffed with pride.

You carried on eating your sandwich, “Well-”.

“Don’t eat with your mouth full.” Steve reprimanded as he started to walk out of the kitchen, “and hang your coat up when you’re done.”

You rolled your eyes and looked at your Auntie Nat for defence.

“Don’t look at me honey, you’re an adult and married now.” She put her hands up and followed Steve.

In a flash, you threw your coat on the hook in the hallway and took your sandwich into the lounge, sitting cross-legged on the couch between Steve and Nat. Both focused on the images playing out on the wall-mounted television.

The swing band, hired by your parents, began playing Moonlight Serenade, you hooked your arm through Steve’s as he guided you onto the dancefloor for the Father, Daughter dance. It was already planned that Bucky and Steve would walk you down the aisle together and then the dance was with Steve. Bucky wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle being up there and you accepted that because you wouldn’t put your Dad in a difficult position. Especially after everything he went through from serving for his country.

You made sure to hook the loop at the bottom of your dress before Steve brought you into his arms. It would be just your luck that you’d trip over the flowing skirts as he led you around the dancefloor. The pair of you swayed together, and both caught the adoring stare of Bucky as he watched them from the top table.

You cupped Steve’s cheek as tears glistened in his eyes, “What’s wrong, Popsicle?”

Steve chuckled at the nickname that Tony Stark had encouraged from the moment they met, “I’m just so proud of you sweetheart, you look beautiful.”

“Thank you, but please don’t cry. I’m not going anywhere.” You reassured.

“I know,” Steve sighed, a huge smile taking over his features. “I’m sorry that Bucky couldn’t join us.”

You shook your head, matching his smile, “He took me down the aisle with you, that’s what any girl would want of her Dad. Plus, we agreed, this was more your thing than his.”

Steve pulled you closer, and you tucked your head against his chest. Relishing in the magical moment, the love and fear of being separated by marriage had been weighing heavy on the three of them but it had only made their bond stronger.

You both must have closed your eyes and gotten lost in the music because the sudden tap on your shoulder had you both pulling away, startled at the presence of someone joining you.

Bucky smiled, holding out his hand, “Can I join you, doll?”

Excitement surged through you and you jumped into his arms, wrapping them around his neck and nuzzling his neck. You missed the looks between your parents, their silent conversation as they both pulled you into their hold and finished the dance as the family unit you would always remain.

“I love you Dad.” You rested your head on his shoulder.

“I love you too, honey,” Bucky responded with a kiss to your forehead.

You looked over to Steve at the sound of the sniffing but then you realised it was Natasha who was also crying on the other side, you chuckled at the sight of the pair of them. Former hired bodyguards and security detail, strong and independent people, sobbing at the wedding video.

The sound of the front door opening and closing stopped your internal laughter, and you jumped out of your seat, knowing that your dad was finally home from work. You waited for his call, the one he’d done every day, from the moment you were officially theirs, and he never intended to stop.

“Honey, I’m home. Where’s my Princess?”

You walked into the hallway then sprinted to him, “Dad!!”

Bucky staggered backwards then held you close, “careful sweetheart, I’m not as young as I used to be.”

You pulled away and looked at your Dad, eyes wide in shock, “you cut your hair.”

“Do you like it?” Bucky sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

“Yes, it looks great.” You hugged him again, “Pops is watching the video again. Used the excuse of Auntie Nat seeing it in person.”

“Ugh, the punk.” Bucky chuckled and wrapped an arm around your shoulder as you walked down the hallway.

“I heard that!” Steve yelled from the lounge, “I might be getting old but my hearing’s still intact.”

“What?” Bucky responded. All they could hear was Steve grumbling and Natasha’s laughter. “Now, what has my partner in crime been up to?”

You’d forever deny that you always watched that part of your wedding video, with tears in your eyes too, whenever you were apart for more than a few weeks. You were the luckiest daughter ever and you couldn’t be prouder to be theirs.

Everything Tag List: @kitkatd7 / @fandomfic-galore / @writerwrites / @thefridgeismybestie / @wedonttalkaboutitenough / @courtneychicken / @persephonesinfernos

Marvel Tag List: @natasha-danvers / @little-baby-vixen / @stuckonjbbarnes / @starlightcrystalline / @nekoannie-chan / @hailhydra920 / @vollzeitliebe / @fitzsimmons-is-forever / @ladyacrasia / @emmabarnes

#Stucky Fic #Stucky x Reader #Dad!Stucky #Daughter!Reader #Steve Rogers #Bucky Barnes #Steve Rogers Fic #Bucky Barnes Fic

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cybernaght · 3 years

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We have dubbed it at home as “the trauma drama”

Here’s my review of sorts of To Dear Myself/亲爱的自己

This one is a 2020 contemporary slice of life series about thirty-somethings living in Shanghai: struggling with money, trying to negotiate with their families, getting betrayed by their friends, getting their hearts broken by their lovers, failing in their professional ventures, encountering day to day hardships as they try to find themselves in the big city. It’s low-key anxiety inducing and not at all escapist, and I somehow got drawn into it still. Watching it was at times was a bit like pulling teeth: there is only so much pain you can take, only so many little drawbacks and injustices, only so many long shots of people breaking apart before you need to have a breather.

The story centres around three women. The protagonist, Li Siyu (Liu Shishi) is a career woman, daily taking high risks hoping for high rewards. She is also balancing her high intensity life with a relationship with her down on his luck boyfriend, who is wonderful in many ways but fails to understand how being self-sufficient is part of her identity, taking it as a personal affront. Watching their relationship was a little bit like watching a train speeding towards a cliff in slow motion. The most beautiful thing about it was that you can see both of their perspectives: in his eyes, she is impulsive, reckless, and needs to be stopped for her own good; in her eyes, he is envying her success and wants her to be a housewife. Both of them are wrong. Both of them are right.

Li Siyu’s half-sister Gu Xiaoling (Cheng Miqi) just wants to find a wealthy Mr Right to look after her, as she is constantly hiding her mischievous, vulnerable self behind a mask of superficiality. She sees her own beauty as her only asset. She likes pretty things, but she is also incredibly lonely. Her partner on screen is a man with a massive crush on her, whom she does absolutely not want to date: partly because he is not rich; partly because his sense of entitlement to a relationship with her is grating as all hell.

Their cousin Zhang Zhizhi (Hang Qingzi) is a married woman, working, raising a daughter, desperately trying to elevate her social status in the eyes of others, all while trying to breach the gaping void stretching between herself and her terrible husband. None of the men in this show are particularly endearing, but between claiming that he is his wife’s career and blaming her for his unfaithfulness and violence, he has to do a lot of work to deserve the viewer’s grace.

It’s just like this - the story of three women, and their romantic interests, living their lives. Nothing more, but also, nothing less. The script is written by a woman as well - and it shows. Admittedly, my cdrama watching experience so far mostly consisted of BL series and loud, dumb, action-y type things, but this is the first time I have seen a text which could be said to have an explicitly feminist reading. It tells you in no uncertain terms that no, you don’t need to get married, and no, you don’t need to have another child, and yes, you can actually just settle on living your own goddamn life.

To Dear Myself is well plotted for most of its 45 episode run, with a sense of push and pull between all the various little storylines. Ups and down of every characters’ lives are woven together in a way which resembles a dance, it’s harmonious and satisfying, and the pace of the show sits between leisurely and achingly tense. Unfortunately, in the last ten episodes the rhythm of the show falters somewhat: the plotting becomes contrived, and the narrative steamrolls ungracefully to a barely satisfying conclusion. It’s truly bizarre, how something that has been so soft and so meticulous for so long gracelessly falls on its back in the last couple of episodes.

Some of it has to do with the antagonist, such as there is. She is not a villain, but she is the originator of a lot of the misfortunes for the majority of the characters. You wait, and you wait, and you wait for her crimes to come out and for her to get her just deserts, but her last actual scene is the one of comfort. We are told in the narration that something bad happens to this person, we are neither witnessing it, nor the aftermath of it.

On one hand this tracks with the fact that this is a feminist text: said antagonist is just a woman whose agenda clashes with the characters we care about. On the other hand, she has been set-up to be a manipulative, cunning person for the entirety of this show. The audience has been told not to trust her in the way she is framed; the audience has been told that she is trouble in no uncertain terms. I don’t quite understand why the show would frame someone as a villain and then refuse to give them a resolution the villain would get. That’s just not satisfying.

As for Zhu Yilong - this is probably my favourite role of his so far.

After a pretty terrible year I have found myself connecting with his character, who spent the first half of the show show unemployed, lonely, and scraping to find some kind of dignity as he suffocates in the city which is sucking him dry. Watching his journey was a little bit frustrating - especially in the second half - because apparently one dysfunctional relationship was not enough for this man, but it was still exhilarating. Besides, after seeing this actor in a whole bunch of roles where his characters would do their absolute best to hide their hearts and use a selection of masks to keep people at arms length, it’s delightful to see his Chen Yiming wear his heart on his sleeve. It’s wonderful to witness him insecure, scared, giddy with joy, butterflies-in-the-stomach in love, achingly tender, utterly devastated. He is still a brilliant actor, and, once again, the camera does love him quite a lot.

The visual aspect of the show is great: it’s high budget and incredibly pretty. The costuming and makeup are wonderful. I have never been to Shanghai, but it’s framed so lovingly I want to go now.

So, is this one worth watching? I… honestly can’t tell. It is for the cast - and I’m not just talking about Zhu Yilong, all of the cast have done a tremendous job here, very impressive acting all around. It’s worth for genuinely well written story of self-discovery as a thirty-something struggling with a mass of pressures. But, not going to lie, it’s not an easy watch, and the final couple of episodes left me kind of feeling dead inside.

P.S. The narratively significant product placements were cracking me up lots. There were.. a lot of important thermoses is what I’m saying. Also, the amount of alcohol the cast consumed on set was quite alarming.

#to dear myself #亲爱的自己 #Zhu Yilong #review of sorts

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twstdreams · 4 years

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hello!!! i loved your sibling headcannons! could i plz request headcannons for big bros leona, malleus, kalim, rook, and ruggie and how they’d react to finding out their little sister is pregnant and how they’d be as uncles towards their new little niece/nephew? keep up the good work! thx for reading my ask!

Aww! I love sibling content, so I’m so glad to hear you like it too! This got pretty long so Ruggie and Rook are under the cut.

Malleus Draconia

Malleus is surprised. He never asked if she planned on having children, not wanting to pressure his little sister

A benign smile forms on his face. The twinkle in his little sister’s eyes is precious. Their family is going to grow and it’s heartwarming

He offers sincere congratulations and states that she’s going to be a lovely mother

His little sister says he’s going to be an amazing uncle and his eyes widen a bit. It’s an unexpected statement but he is touched by her trust and confidence in him.

The reveal is a quiet affair but his heart is full and the two siblings are determined to shower this child with love

Malleus is pretty protective of his little sister when she’s pregnant. He’s determined to ensure both his sibling’s and her child’s safety

He looks like a huge intimidating man, but if this child is affectionate to him, they practically have him wrapped around their finger

Playtime with uncle Malleus is the best

Flying? Grand illusions? Storybooks coming to life? Teleportation? Malleus can do it all. They’re not particularly hard and he’s happy the child is comfortable enough to want to play with him

This creates a cycle, Malleus indulging the child and happy to be included, and his nephew/niece having the time of their life with their all-powerful uncle

If his nephew or niece says Malleus is their favourite? Oh, the pride and smugness practically radiate off him

Leona Kingscholar

He’s more indifferent. This isn’t a first for him. Cheka gleaming eyes and subsequent squeals at the news are a reminder

Still, it’s not quite the same as before. With Cheka, it was just his brother’s wife who was pregnant. Now it’s you, his little sister that he loves more than he cares to admit

Leona spews some offhanded congratulations but he is really happy for her even if he doesn’t show it

He reminds his sister to take it easier now that she’s pregnant. Take a nap, let someone else not him though handle it, rest a bit, eat some more. After all, she’s taking care of two

One day though, his little sister breaks down crying. She is sobbing and Leona has to awkwardly coax her into admit what’s bothering her. There are awkward pats and a couple huffs, but he’s there.

His little sister admits that she’s worried that the child won’t love her back or that they will come to resent her one day. There’s a tension lingering in the air and Leona knows exactly where her worries spring from

He ruffles her hair and tells her to snap out of it. The fact that she’s concerned to the point of tears means that she cares. “It’ll be fine,” he promises and he means it.

Leona is a lazy uncle through and through. He’s too lazy to ever offer to babysit but he’s also too lazy to give harsh lectures to other people’s kids, which ironically makes him the child’s favourite.

Farena is nice of course, but he’s king and much stricter. Farena’s gifts are more lavish, but there’s a weight that comes from being the main bloodline that is always present in his every action. There’s also a line in the sand that the child comes to learn they’re not allowed to cross, ever.

Leona on the other hand can’t be bothered to stop the child and simply indulges them. Children really are Leona’s weakness and he can’t bring himself to do something that would make a kid cry.

He indulges the child more if they’re a girl. He especially can’t make a little girl cry, even the thought brings him discomfort

He now has two brats that like to bug him, but it is what it is

Kalim Al-Asim

Oh my gosh, Kalim is buzzing with excitement the second he finds out

He embraces his little sister in a hearty hug but quickly lets go and asks if he hugged her too tight. Wouldn’t want to hurt the baby!

He is so thrilled that he’s practically bouncing off the walls

PARTY TIME! He throws an extremely lavish party and makes sure his little sister is front and centre

He nearly drags her to the dance floor and spins her around, but then remembers she’s pregnant and maybe intense dancing is not the best idea

“Oh wait! The baby!” is a common phrase from now on

He gets a million presents even before the baby is born. Cribs, toys, pacifiers, clothes, anything that comes to Kalim’s mind

He adores rubbing his sister’s baby bumps and always feels for kicks

He spoils the child rotten to the point that it’s a problem. His little sister has to make sure their child doesn’t go behind her back and asks uncle Kalim instead

There is now have a rule that Kalim has to always check in with his little sister beforehand

Him and the child are partners in crime and it’s not an unfamiliar scene for his little sister and Jamil to be lecturing both Kalim and the child

The child loves Kalim and they’re the best of friends. They even trade secrets with each other

Rook Hunt

C’est magnifique! He’s delighted by the news. His sweet little sister is going to have a baby!

He gently twirls his sister around and then embraces her in a hug

They talk about the baby together all the time. Plans for the future, the design of the room, predictions of what the baby will look like, the topics are never ending and the conversations go on for hours

Rook can get annoying at times. Remarks about eating the right things slip through every so often, or a pointed statement about how her appearance isn’t the best right now

He always offers to help and remedies whatever issue he points out though

He photographs the entire pregnancy, taking a photo at least once a month to document his glowing little sister and the progress as the baby bump grows

His nephew/niece has a good relationship with him, but at first, they don’t quite get him

Rook uses random similes and is quite a closed off person, by habit and design. He is more open with his family but he’s not an open book, so that acts as a bit of a barrier

The child comes to understand that they simply don’t understand Rook 100% and that’s okay

They have fun together and go on their own little adventures together. Rook is willing to teach them tricks of the trade and give out hunting advice if they’re interested

When the child grows up, they might throw in random and abstract similes too, something that has brushed off on them. Rook is delighted, the child’s classmates are confused, and Rook’s little sister just sighs

Ruggie Bucchi

What? Pregnant? With a baby?

Wow, oh wow. It’s just sinking in. What happened to his little sister that always waited for him at home? Where is the little girl that depended on him for meals?

He feels so old. Has this much time already passed? He congratulates his little sister but he’s in a daze

He immediately starts saving up money for the kid. Children are so expensive. A mouth to feed, a body to clothe, education fees, the works.

Ruggie even considers getting another part time job depending on how well off his sister is

Ruggie is both hyper aware a kid is coming but it also feels like some weird dream too. Yet the baby bump continues to grow and Ruggie is both anxious and excited

The day they’re born, Ruggie is amazed and a little grossed out. Vernix is hardly cute and silently he thinks of that saying about how only mothers get enamoured with their ugly and squishy baby.

Still, the child has his heart the moment its born, even if neither of them know it yet

He indulges the kid a bit, because he wants them to have more luxuries than he did. Ruggie hardly spoils them or anything, but he does give gifts and tries to make sure the kid isn’t left needing anything

Ruggie never wants them to know the taste of rotten food.

Ruggie is a nice uncle but he uses white lies when he thinks they’re beneficial

The two bond with each other through cooking! Little cute cooking sessions with knowledge and stories intertwined into the event. Sneaking one too many taste tests and sharing sneaky smiles that only they know what mean

#long post #pregnancy #malleus draconia #leona kingscholar #kalim al asim #rook hunt #ruggie bucchi #diasomnia #savanaclaw #scarabia #pomefiore #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland headcanon #twstdreams #twisted dreams

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mollymauk-teafleak · 4 years

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The Man That Came Back

Thanks so much to @minky-for-short and @spiky-lesbian, my wonderful betas

Please consider leaving a comment on Ao3, it’s free, easy and means so much!

---

For the next part of their plan, a heist needs to be pulled off in the fanciest bar on Saturn. And Buddy knows exactly how Juno can disguise himself, much to the delight of Nureyev

---

“Captain, all due respect and everything but that’s got to be the most ridiculous idea I ever heard.”

Buddy gave him a more than slightly exhausted look over the building plans she was studying on her comms screen, “You know, darling, it would be incredibly helpful if that wasn’t your response to every single plan I put in front of you…”

Juno gave her one of his scowls, the ones where he pouted a little and scrunched up his face, where he knew he was being unreasonable but was going to be stubborn all the same, “Well, let’s just say this one tops the whole damn lot! I don’t even...how...how do you even imagine I’d be any good at this?”

Buddy seemed to be tuning him out for the most part, eyes returning to her screen as the floorplan of the bar rotated slowly, exactly where their marks would enter, meet and most likely leave plotted out in glowing lines, “From the data I gathered on you, same way I know not to send you to any job that may, for some unknown reason, take place in a seafood restaurant owing to your allergy to shellfish. I like to know my crew, young lady, their likes, dislikes, the skills they boast about...and the skills they don’t. Keeps things smooth, interesting and us alive.”

Juno had very little reply to that, still choking on the embarrassment he was hiding behind annoyance, “But...what kind of database has that on file?”

“No database that I’ve ever heard of, darling, but you are aware that your high school yearbooks are also digitised and on file, easily accessible in the archives if one has no more information than your name?”

Juno stalled at that, turning somehow redder, “And that was relevant when hiring me to be a space pirate, was it?”

“As far as I’m concerned,” Buddy raised an eyebrow, tracing a new glowing line onto the screen with her finger, “When I am inviting someone new into my family, everything is relevant. Would you pick a sibling or cousin so carelessly, if you had the chance to do so?”

“But…” Juno screwed up his face even tighter, clearly recognising he was trapped in an unwinnable argument but unwilling to go down without a pointless fight, “Of all the jobs, why did it have to be this?”

With a flick of devastatingly manicured fingers, Buddy blew up the plan into a hologram between them and spoke as if to a small child, “The view offered by that position is unparalleled, you’ll be able to see every table as well as the entrances to the bathrooms and the kitchens, thereby covering every possible means of escape for our mark and you can provide a fitting distraction at a moment’s notice.”

“Yeah, yeah, I read the plans before I came in here,” Juno waved away her hands patiently pointing to what she was referencing on the miniature, translucent version of the Saturnian wine bar, The Albedo, “I get your point, doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“I grant you that,” Buddy allowed, “Look, Juno, I’m not asking for talent worthy of a Saturday night stream, you just have to be functional. Enough that we can pull off what should be this very simple and problem free job. Put away that scowl of yours and have fun with it, if you can.”

Juno groaned irritatedly and stared at the still revolving plan in front of him. A simple job. Place themselves within the bar, watch the exchange of the stolen goods between their marks then wait until they leave and re-steal it right from out their back pocket. Boom, details on where the last piece of their little puzzle was hiding, where the book was. Snatch it up before anyone else could find it and not have to pay the exorbitant price their mark probably did. Don’t rob the shadowy, organised crime seller of the information who had security coming out of their ears, rob the poor idiot who bought the thing.

Easy. But it sure as hell didn’t have to be fun.

“Just do me a favour,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Please put minimal crew members in earshot. And for the love of all that’s holy, not Vesper.”

“Brown butter old fashioned please. With a cherry, if you have one to hand.”

A good alias was like stepping into a different skin, Nureyev had always been taught. Everything you were became less than a memory and this new personality took over completely. If you didn’t believe it, then your mark never would. It had to be complete. It had to be total. You essentially needed to die, for as long as required.

Nureyev still held true to that belief. But sometimes, on a job as easy as this one, he didn’t think it beyond the realm of possibility that your new identity may just happen to have the same favourite drink as you did.

He leaned against the bar and waited for his drink, allowing his eyes a pass over the scene. The bar was comfortably full without being a press of warm bodies in evening wear, just a generous handful of couples and groups at tables or standing with him at the bar, showing why Saturn was considered to have the most eccentric style of the solar planets. The headdresses were towering, the frills were voluminuous, the skirts were miles in diameter. Nureyev was starting to feel a little overshadowed in his simple black suit with gold embellishments set into the silk. The drinks poured out billows of dry ice and came in every colour on the spectrum apart from the usual ones. The music was the only thing old school, classic, a simple piano played by a very talented individual on a small, circular centre platform. Nureyev smiled, it was funny how some things kept coming back into fashion. How old could seem new if it was just old enough.

And in amongst the noise, familiarity. Rita, dressed as a waitress, moving between the tables, chatting animatedly with everyone she brought drinks to so her rounds took about ten times longer than she needed to. Hopefully that slight, almost unnoticeable lump in the pocket of her trousers was the signal jammer, just in case their mark tried to call him some kind of backup or there was a tracker on the goods. Rita didn’t often come down on jobs like this, her place was usually back on the ship, but she’d been desperate to see the bar itself (it had apparently been the setting for one of the streams she liked so much) and besides, if the signal changed, the jammer would need to hunt it down to take it out and Rita was the only one Buddy trusted with that task.

Jet was posing as a patron, dressed in smart dark clothes with his hair pulled back rather neatly, looking like he was struggling with the drink that had been set down in front of him. Nureyev couldn’t blame him, the thing had glowing orbs in it that looked like alien eggs. Not that he’d be drinking much of it anyway, in his usual roll as the muscle, just in case things went south. Jet was always a strong, comforting presence when they went to task and Nureyev was really starting to appreciate it. Muscles were certainly something he’d lacked, if he could be said to lack anything aside humility. Speed and cunning he had but his wiry frame had earned him more than a few bruised ribs in the past when jobs had turned irritatingly sour and fists had come out. He’d learned how to avoid those sorts of outcomes fast.

Nureyev’s eyes continued along, taking in the electric blue lighting fixtures making them look like they were all underwater, sleek leather furnishings, glinting gold and jewels on necks and fingers and wrists. His fingers got that old itch in them but he stilled himself. After the prize was taken, perhaps, but certainly not a minute before.

But one thing unsettled him deeply about the whole situation. The one face he hadn’t seen. The one face he would know no matter what disguise or mask it wore, the one face he always looked for first. Juno Steel was nowhere his eyes could see.

Nureyev frowned. He knew Juno was supposed to be posing as an employee of the bar itself, Rita had worked hard forging them employment orders from the owners. He’d expected to see him behind the bar serving drinks and had gotten himself a little excited about flirting with him shamelessly. They’d had some fun experiences with that, playing around with their new personas when they were supposed to be strangers. Nureyev didn’t think that was breaking his golden rule either. He couldn’t imagine anyone not being attracted to Juno Steel.

But he wasn’t here and that was settling a heavy feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. Too many unknowns. Too many, all centred around a person he cared about. Recipe for panic sparking through his nerves and poor decisions being made.

He tried to catch Rita or Jet’s eyes, tried to calmly and subtly convey the extreme anxiety raging behind his easy, playful bar patron’s expression. But at that moment the lighting shifted, swimming and coalescing on that centre platform. There was an old fashioned mic stand there now, clearly a shift in the entertainment to welcome the actual start of the evening. Though some glitzed up aspiring starlet caterwauling their way through some old Earth classics was hardly what he needed right now, when his boyfriend was AWOL in the middle of a mission. He ignored the gathering interest around the platform and scanned the available exits, head full of potential scenarios with the seller being tipped off somehow, grabbing Juno while everyone else was occupied, leaving him bleeding in the alleyways outside the bar…

Nureyev was halfway out of his seat, drink forgotten in front of him when an artificially amplified voice echoed through the bar room and stopped him in his tracks. No introduction, no preamble,

Just a soft, shy voice buoyed by the sweet piano music, a voice he knew well.

“The night is bitter

The stars have lost their glitter…”

Nureyev whirled his attention to where the rest of the patrons were focused, on the individual in the long, sleek red dress standing behind the microphone, his outfit simple compared to the others on display but so striking for that.

“The winds grow colder

Suddenly you're older…”

Nureyev knew he was gaping at him but he didn’t care. His curls were spilling out over the nape of his neck and forehead, looking so soft under the blue lighting. He looked otherworldly, like something fae and unnatural, glitter dusted over his bare shoulders where it would catch the light just so, the material of the dress shifting and spilling when he swayed to the piano. And his voice.

“And all because of the man that got away.”

Since when did Juno Steel have a voice like that?

If Nureyev had been able to tear his eyes away, he would have seen Rita standing towards the back of the crowd, jaw on the floor, eyes wide, hand having gone limp so a thin stream of neon green wine was dribbling onto the carpet from the bottle she was holding. He would have seen Jet with an eyebrow raised bemusedly, tapping his foot under the table, attention then caught by a man walking in looking more nervous than anyone out for a good time had any right to.

But all he saw was Juno. He was clearly shy at first, voice soft and small, his movements a little stiff. But as the song continued and the reactions from the crowd were clearly appreciative, he began to sway his hips slightly, taking his hands away from holding onto the mic stand in a death grip, letting them float at his sides as he sang. And he started to smile, soft and soulful like his song, full of wry bitterness and loss and longing.

“Every trick of his you're on to

But, fools will be fools

And where's he gone to?”

And then suddenly his eye was on Nureyev, picking him out in the crowd, narrowing the space between them to nothing until they could have been alone in his room back on the ship, voices hushed, lips brushing. And Juno’s smile quirked slightly, enough pin Nureyev to the bar, his breath coming out in a long, quiet exhale. He would make his dear heart sing for him, once this was done.

“The road gets rougher

It's lonelier and tougher

With hope you burn up

Tomorrow he will turn up

There's just no letup the live-long night and day…”

Nureyev could have fallen to his knees in that moment, with how deep and sweet his voice became, drunk without a single sip of his drink. But then Juno’s eye caught his again and slid pointedly over to a table in the shadowier corners. Their mark and the seller. A thin brown envelope being passed under the table, barely visible.

Nureyev went scarlet. Not one of his more professional moments.

He refocused, taking his crystal glass in his hand and sauntering over, like he was just looking for a better view of the stage, an easy thing to feign now Juno’s hands were resting on his chest in a gentle pantomime of heartbreak that was so very distracting. The mark was just getting up, clearly eager to make a quick exit. It was amateurish in the extreme, a millionaire really should have some more self awareness.

It was the simplest thing. Bump into him, the drink cascading over them both. Apologetic pleasantries, outraged exclamations. Pat ineffectually with a nearby napkin. Slip the envelope from the inner pocket and replace with a blank to mimic the weight. Pretend to only just notice that you have just swilled one of the richest men on Saturn and bid a hasty, flustered exit. Child’s play, as smooth and silken as when he’d first mastered the maneuver at thirteen.

Nureyev allowed himself a self satisfied smile, once he was out of view. It was good to know that some things would never go to rust.

He headed back to the stage, stopping to gently tip the wine bottle in Rita’s hand the right way then claim it for himself, taking a seat directly in front of the stage before tipping it to his lips, eyes fixed on Juno, a self satisfied smirk on his lips.

“Ever since this world began

There is nothing sadder than

A one-man woman looking for

The man that got away

The man that got away.”

There were a lot of rules when it came to working jobs, false facing, slipping on alibis like a second skin.

But no one said you couldn’t have fun.

Later, much later, Juno’s voice was raw and breaking from a full night of singing and the noises Nureyev had been drawing from him for the last three hours.

Considering his work done for now and smiling smugly, Nureyev let him fall back against his bed, curling around him and pillowing his head on his broad chest. There was still glitter clinging to his skin that would likely end up on Nureyev and refuse to budge for days but he couldn’t make himself care about that right now.

“Oh my god…” Juno was still panting, chest heaving, heart hammering against Nureyev’s ear, “I mean...oh my god, Nureyev…”

Nureyev chuckled, pressing a kiss to the warm skin beneath his head, “I rather enjoyed it too, dear heart. And I did say you’d be fairly rewarded for your performance, didn’t I?”

“I thought you meant you were gonna buy me a drink or something,” Juno laughed breathlessly, hands coming up to stroke through Nureyev’s soft hair, sort out where it was matted at the back from their efforts, “Not that.”

“Well, I did say the reward would fit the quality of your performance...and that was pretty spectacular.”

He heard the blush in Juno’s voice rather than saw it, he was far too comfortable in his current position, “Ah...I mean, I was alright. Just something I used to do when I was younger.”

“Oh?” Nureyev’s interest was sparked but he hid that. Juno spoke about his past so infrequently, even with all of their lengthy conversations before they’d fallen back into bed with each other. It was clearly still a wound and Nureyev had no desire to poke it.

“Yeah,” Juno continued on, “My brother was always in the school productions, even though it was always kind of crappy and the sets were junk and most kids' parents wouldn’t even come, he still lit up when it came back around. And because it was better than sitting on the curb waiting for him for hours, I signed up too. He was the real talent, Ben could sing, dance, act...everything. I could carry enough of a tune to get shoved into some minor roles but...whenever I sang, even if it was just a few lines, he’d go crazy applauding for me and grinning a mile wide. Really, I was just doing it to see him smile. I knew it made him happy when I joined in.”

Nureyev smiled gently at that, hand reaching out to entwine his fingers with Juno’s, “I’m sure he’d have loved to see you sing tonight.”

“Oh, Ben would have laughed his ass off seeing me up there trying to be all femme fatale,” Juno hummed, holding Nureyev’s hand just as tightly, “But...yeah. It was hard not to think of him while I was up there.”

“And...what would he have made of the man drinking wine and watching you all gooey eyed, hm?”

“That asshole?” Juno cuddled Nureyev closer with his free arm, “Nah...he’d have liked you. He’d have realised you’re good for me.”

Nureyev buried his face in the crook of Juno’s neck, feeling a burst of delight in his chest at that, at the idea that he was good for someone.

And that someone was good for him.

#jupeter #tpp #peter nureyev #juno steel #juno can sing #juno poses as a lounge singer #Nureyev...enjoys it #the penumbra podcast #tpp fic

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eyebright-iris · 4 years

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Review: Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

“I’m the one they should be scared of. Not you, not Mr. J – me. ’Cause I’m Harley-fuckin’-Quinn.”

A triumphant riot of not just girl-power, but the true indomitable spirit of women who have been wronged their entire lives kicking back at the ones who have tried to ruin them.

Birds of Prey is truly one of the greatest movies I have seen in a long time, and this is after having seen some fantastic competition. Finally, a Harley movie that actually cares about her as a character, as a person, that shows off all the things that makes her great and somehow doesn’t have to make her the film’s sole lead to give her the space she needs to perform. She’s naïve, excitable, an emotional rollercoaster in a pair of rollerblades and the most delightful not-quite-villain to watch on screen. Harley has broken up with the Joker and set out on her own, but she never forgets the clown look she is so known and loved for. Where so many Joker depictions try to show of the madness of clowns, the scary side to make the Joker a formidable villain, Harley Quinn is joyous. She’s a jack-in-the-box with a rocket launcher, pigtails and smiley-face mallet and maniacal glee in every bit of mayhem she causes. Yeah, in her own words, she’s not a good person – but you want to be her best friend anyway because you can’t help but love her. Every outfit was sexy but not sexualised, all about Harley’s wild self-expression and not about how much of her ass could fit into each shot; you can feel that this was directed and produced by women; created by women, a project loved by the women behind it. There’s enough emotion to make you really feel for the characters despite the comedy, but manages to flip effortlessly between genuine emotion and humour without cheapening the authentic feelings like other films have done in the past (looking at you, Deadpool).

The film also makes brilliant use of its 15 rating with an explosion of foul language and violence – but none of it gratuitous. The fights are gritty, lively, and feature none of the signature lady-fighting technique synonymous with Black Widow that involves bringing a man down with her thighs around his face. The women in this movie punch, brass-knuckle or bare-knuckle; they swing bats and break limbs, they smash windows and noses and get punched back themselves because they aren’t reduced to something pretty for the time of the fight; the fights are fun, but never feel fake. There’s enough weight behind the combat scenes to carry each of them without losing the fun of watching them. The Booby-Trap fight scene is the obvious standout, the title scene of the movie where we finally have everything the movie promised us delivered on perfectly, but there are so many others – Harley’s raid on the police station with the shotgun is another personal favourite. And good news – rumours of Harley having an ex-girlfriend are in fact true! Bisexual badass Harley Quinn takes centre-stage.

But speaking of Harley, this isn’t just her movie: I couldn’t review this film without paying proper homage to the other characters. Renee Montoya, a detective overshadowed when her partner took credit for her career-making case, watching him be captain while she never gets the respect she deserves. For a movie with a cop as one of its leads I was surprised (very pleasantly) at the general tone the film takes towards the police (in colloquial terms, BoP said “fuck blue lives!” and I love it). Renee’s a force to be reckoned with, a good heart in a bad city and she knows it. The film openly makes fun of how she speaks like an 80s cop movie, but only for the cheese of it all, because the intention behind the cheese, the desire to do good despite the rules, is what this film is all about and while I won’t spoil Montoya’s ending, I was ecstatic for her. Oh, and did I mention she has an ex-girlfriend who appears multiple times in the movie? Dinah Lance, Black Canary, is an iconic heroine of DC. A crime lord’s club songbird with a bite, she clearly has a rough history with police and a lot of mistrust, but there’s a heart of gold beneath it all and she breaks all the rules she’s set for herself to save an innocent life. Dinah also gets to show off her powers in a fight and it does not disappoint. Lastly of the Birds, we have Huntress. A mystery for much of the movie, she’s a lot of motorcycling around and mysteriously killing people for reasons unknown. However, when she does join the gang and come into the light, she’s incredible. A ruthless assassin with not great people skills which make her formidable but adorably awkward as well, her character realistically reminds the audience that childhood trauma can indeed make superheroes – but that doesn’t magically undo the fact that it is, in fact, trauma. Her interactions with Cassandra Cain are touching and she’s a fascinating case of someone with no real stake in the affairs that all the other characters are caught up in but takes a stand regardless because it’s the right thing to do. Also, all these ladies are in fact very beautiful and powerful and kickass and I am very gay.

Cassandra makes the last of the protagonists and she doesn’t let her young age or small stature make her seem any smaller against her co-stars. Fabulously cast and brilliantly acted, Cassandra is a little shit that people can’t help but take a liking to, but also very much a child in a frightening world who has no idea what she’s gotten mixed up in. I can’t lie, it’s also very refreshing to see a kid being played and acted like a damn kid, not a thirty-year-old in a schoolgirl skirt. The Booby-Trap fight where the Birds and Harley are furiously fighting dozens of goons whilst working to protect Cassandra is a really powerful scene, not just for the technicolour girl-power but also because the sight of women working together to protect a young girl in ways they themselves could not be protected is…*chef’s kiss*.

I don’t want to spoil any more than I may already have done, but the villains are phenomenal. Ewan McGregor does an amazing job with Black Mask, terrifyingly unstable and violent, yet so entertaining at the same time. Also, queer-coded (or canon, if you take McGregor’s own words on the matter) villains are absolutely no issue with me when at least two of our main cast of incredible ladies are queer on screen in this movie (and yes, imo, the bad guys are gay your honour).

Conclusion:

A supernova of harlequin madness and an absolute resounding triumph. Birds of Prey is everything we needed when Suicide Squad’s own neon-painted violence failed to live up to its potential. The movie is vividly coloured and non-stop fun. It’s lurid, violent, and perfectly Harley.

10/10

#review #movie review #birds of prey #bop #bophq #dc #dc movies #harley quinn #harleen quinzel #dinah lance #renee montoya #helena bertinelli #black canary #huntress

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maryxglz · 5 years

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With the long-running original Marvel movie saga culminating with Avengers: Endgame, it seems like there is no time like the present to assess and pay tribute to one of the studio’s most noteworthy and influential villains: Loki.

The brother of Thor, played by Tom Hiddleston since Thor in 2011, has been central to the God of Thunder’s solo franchise and has even become a go-to name for Avengers movies, most notably playing the villain in the studio’s debut team-up The Avengers in 2012.

His entanglement with the centre-most characters of Marvel lore have made him one of the most recognisable and highly respected characters in the whole of superhero cinema. In this article, we’ll follow the development of this now iconic character from a brother to a man lacking a place to belong, to the meanest guy in the galaxy and right back around again

Thor (2011) – Loki’s Debut

We first see Loki in a flashback of Thor as a child, the two brothers joyfully playing and then listening to Odin talk about the future and the responsibilities of being a good king. Both kids are eager to be worthy of Odin’s expectations to defend Asgard, but Thor’s destiny is made clear from the beginning: he is to be the king of Asgard.

Child Loki is shown, importantly, to be more shy than his somewhat obnoxious sibling, planting seeds for his dastardly tactics later in life, but it’s quite clear that during his youth he did not hate his brother. It’s pointed out that most of what we are to see will be the result of the parenting of their King and Queen father and mother, that the circumstances which cause them to grow apart will not be the choice of the brothers themselves.

In the film’s present day, Loki arranges a break out of Frost Giants in Asgard during Thor’s coronation, something forcefully pushed home by the choices of director Kenneth Branagh behind the camera and actor Tom Hiddleston’s acting choices in front of it. It’s assumed Loki doesn’t believe his brother is wise enough to be a king, with the underlying nature of Loki’s self-assurance and ego coming to the fore when he reinforces Thor’s ambitions for revenge to his face and then lambasts the plans as “madness” in public – welcome, the God of Mischief.

Even here, Loki doesn’t hate Thor (telling his brother he loves him dearly), but resentment is soon set alight by the revelation that Loki is not Asgardian but instead an adopted Frost Giant bound to a life away from the throne he has sought all his life. Loki is quickly established as an outcast, the core to his relateable villain persona, with his actions from this point seeming more understandable even in the midst of his viciously resentful motivations. To Loki, it’s easier to start over than to adapt to his newly realised standing within his adopted family.

There’s a scene where Loki confronts Odin about his birth – an acting masterpiece by Hiddleston. With tears in his eyes, he yells at Odin that he was just another tool in his hands ready for when he would have needed him. Odin’s reaction is also very emotional, which we know is somewhat out of character, with him falling into the so-called “Odin’s sleep” out of the shock and distress caused by his son’s actions. If the two had been afforded the opportunity to finish their confrontation, perhaps things would have gone very differently, perhaps the events of Thor would not have occurred.

This event is in fact a turning point for Loki’s character, as from here he only cares about gaining more and more power, getting back at Thor in the process by taking away his throne and ‘his precious Earth’ (as he says in The Avengers – 2012). Loki was used to form an alliance, so why shouldn’t he be angry? His entire existence is a political convenience – this is understandable to us, sympathetic even. This cannot condone his actions or be an excuse for how nasty and evil he became, but it does accurately illustrate his internal turmoil and the reasons for him to become how he eventually is in The Avengers (2012).

Thor is filled with moments that showcase Loki’s unique and mischievous talents, the Prince convincing Thor that Odin is not in Odin’s sleep but is in fact dead, and that Thor is to blame. By the time Thor learns of the truth, Loki has unravelled to the point of utter viciousness and desperation, his self-harming behaviour pushing him further and further into darkness, the rage and lack of control Hiddleston presents in the scene being key to illustrating the desperation beneath the bad. Here, he surrenders to his anger and rage, effectively stamping his ticket to his own demise.

The crux of Loki’s story occurs in the film’s conclusion however, where even after abandoning himself to evil and rage he still reaches out for Odin’s approval, the King of Asgard’s refusal to accept Loki causing his son to cast himself into the abyss of the universe both physically and metaphorically. Loki’s decision to fall into the unknown of space ends Thor’s journey but he only becomes worthy at the cost of his closest ally, a theme that will replay itself in future movies. Loki, like Thor, must learn to accept his duty, albeit a different one to that he first saw for himself…

The Avengers (2012) – Evolution Into A Complete Villain

The Avengers was always going to be about the heroes at the centre of the concept, but the picture actually opens with its villain Loki. The God of Mischief, angry and fallen into madness from his last confrontation with Odin, has found a new purpose in avenging Thor, ironically the mirror image of the Avengers’ task. Most importantly, Loki’s choices in this film will lead to his death in Infinity War, The Avengers acting as something of a 2nd act for the character.

It’s established fairly early on that Loki’s pact with the Chitauri is one in which he does not have control, the group threatening to kill him if he does not succeed. Loki is determined to take Thor’s treasure of Earth, but he remains somewhat sympathetic in doing so because of this, endearing himself to us even in the midst of his apocalyptic anger.

The most emotional and meaningful scenes featuring Loki in The Avengers are, much like in his other films, his dialogue with Thor. Though fleeting, the exchange between Loki and Thor on Earth when Thor attempts to take Loki back to Asgard is based in brotherly love, Thor pleading with his brother even in spite of his recent actions. It’s clear that Thor still considers Loki to be his brother even if Loki can no longer see it, but Loki is lost to misplaced ambition or, more accurately, to his pursuit of belonging – he even says in the scene that he’ll prove himself as Odin’s son.

As the film progresses and Loki establishes the upper hand in his war with Earth, he has another important confrontation with his brother, Thor this time offering one last opportunity for redemption during the movie’s climactic battle.

“It’s too late”, Loki claims as Thor pleads with him to stop. It is through these three words that we’re given insight into his own perception of the universe he inhabits; one that is deeply unkind to him. This not only enforces his villainous status in this picture but also issues reminders of his previous arc in Thor, Loki still suffering the effects of losing his life purpose, family and sense of belonging.

In this confrontation, Loki almost hesitates, the Joss Whedon directed close-up showing him to be almost crying. This scene, which illustrates the struggle inside of Loki, helps us to link the wars he rages with the wars within himself, the God in a man’s world having otherworldly power to play out his inner turmoil on a planetary scale. Loki expresses that Thor can no longer appeal to sentiment, Loki’s position as outcast son and prince brought to the fore ahead of his decision to maintain his fight, to seek control.

Loki of course loses in his battle to control earth, owing to the unforeseen bravery of Tony Stark (Iron Man), and is whisked away to Asgard by Thor to face punishment for his crimes. By the end of The Avengers Loki is down and he’s lost everything, but he’s home. And home is where we find him in Thor: The Dark World.

Thor: The Dark World (2013) – Loki’s Path of Growth

In this film, we find Loki where we left him: in chains, brought to face Odin’s judgement for his crimes committed on Earth.

We don’t actually see him in action until about the 35 minute mark when we are immediately aligned with his point of view, the somewhat endearing villain (by this point a fan favourite) looking out from a cell towards other prisoners in one of Asgard’s jails.

The first contact Loki has is with his mother, this choice to quickly realign Loki with his central family group offering hints at fixing the broken relationship caused in the first Thor movie. He rejects her pleas, but his reestablished presence in their lives is brought to the fore, Loki reaching out for his mother’s hand as the hologram disappears.

The point that lights the match in The Dark World is the death of the Queen, Thor’s mother and Loki’s adoptive mother. This event, which sends Asgard into mourning, reunites the two brothers as Thor requires Loki’s assistance to leave Asgard through a secret path in search of revenge. The meeting between the two brothers here perhaps shines more of an insight into Loki than at any other point in the movies, his true sadness and grief masked to his brother via a more confident hologram, the real Loki trapped within his own image, the fulfilment of his wish to be truly excommunicated from his family feeling much more brutally horrific in reality than he had anticipated. When the hologram disappears, Thor bares witness to the rubble that remains of Loki’s life, the villain of two previous movies now the most sympathetic character in this second franchise entry.

Many quips, witty exchanges and sarcastic comments later, and it’s clear that the issue between Thor and Loki is that neither man can trust one another given their histories of keeping monumental secrets from one another.

Thor’s “I wish I could trust you again” is responded to with “trust my rage” by Loki in the midst of their reconciliation, the foundations of their life-long brotherhood holding strong even after such horrendous events. Thor can’t trust anything Loki says or does, but he can trust that he knows the parts that form the foundations of Loki’s character, and trusting Loki’s rage is something he can do.

Thor: The Dark World wasn’t as well received as a lot of other Marvel Cinematic Universe entries, but seeing Loki and Thor team together against the Dark Elves was very good fan service and perhaps the best example of Marvel pulling off a loveable anti-hero. It is because of this and the question of whether Loki was motivated by love and respect for his brother or his own selfish pursuit of freedom and the throne that the film’s conclusion, which sees Loki embody Odin’s likeness to finally take rule of Asgard, brings so much intrigue and joy.

We will also know soon what Loki did to Odin in Ragnarok…

Thor: Ragnarok (2017) & Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – A Path Towards Redemption

Thor: Ragnarok picks up where the last Thor instalment left off – Loki is on the throne of Asgard.

As ruler, he is careless about state matters and does not bother at all about the chaos of the nine realms; he just has fun impersonating Odin and painting himself as a benevolent ruler and the savior of Asgard – a hilarious addition to the Odin-son saga that sought to quickly erase much of the second film (which Thor actor Chris Hemsworth reportedly hated). Almost immediately Thor discovers that Loki is performing as Odin and the reset button is well and truly hit, comedic shenanigans set forth with Thor’s insistence upon Loki taking him to wherever he has deserted their father.

In the reuniting of the two sons with their father, Odin makes the point of calling both Loki and Thor “my two sons”, firmly bringing the Loki story-arc to a conclusion and affording the character the opportunity thereafter to find redemption with regards to Asgard and, most importantly, with regards to Thor. Unbeknownst to us, it would be the satisfying arc conclusion we didn’t see killing the character in the movie that followed… Infinity War.

Infinity War is the final stage of Loki’s character arc, Tom Hiddleston’s character already undergoing redemption in Ragnarok and needing that one last act of honourable defiance to solidify him as an ally to Thor once and for all.

At the beginning of the film, Loki chooses the life of his brother over that of the Tesseract knowing that he may plunge the universe into chaos by doing so and embracing his death in turn. Coloured with typical Loki trickery, the act of sacrificing himself to his former master Thanos in order to save Thor illustrates Loki’s overcoming of his darkness, the demons that plagued him quite literally exchanged for the light of the love given to him by his adoptive family. Here, Loki effectively tells Thor that above Earth, the Tesseract or indeed the universe, it is family (or more accurately his brother) that means the most to him, and that he’s willing to give his life to prove it.

Prove it he does, and Loki becomes one of the first casualties of Thanos’ reign of terror, the God of Mischief playing his final trick.

Or has he?

Perhaps the biggest question to come from the scene – other than “is he really dead this time?” – is “why did Loki take the Tesseract in the first place? Was he not redeemed in Ragnarok like we thought he was? Does he know something we don’t know?

Perhaps this is something to be theorised over in the future or, perhaps more realistically, this moment simply serves as the final reminder of Loki’s ongoing internal struggle, the taking of the Tesseract emblematic of a character eternally at odds with himself, the good overcoming the bad at the most testing of moments to prove that evil may have consumed him at different stages but that it never owned him.

“I assure you brother, the sun will shine on us again.”

#tom hiddleston #loki #thor #avengers #thor: the dark world #thor: ragnarok #infinity war #avengers: endgame #endgame #marvel #mcu #loki series #loki tv series

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immortalpain · 4 years

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CAIN EXTENDED BIO

Family backstory found here !!

saving the most painful for last !! (tw; death, murder, torture, experimentation, abuse, alcohol, drugging)

Cain was the more... troubled child growing up. His parents despised him, they definitely had their favourites and Cain was far from it.

His father was beyond cruel to him, but kept it hidden from the other siblings. Cain wasn’t sure they’d believe him, so he kept quiet. Hid the marks, and held his tongue despite his.... lack of impulse control. The only person that seemed to notice something wasn’t right was Winnie, but out of fear she’d end up the same; he forced himself to control his anger.

Cain always struggled with his anger, something he learned from his father. Winnie was usually the only one that could calm him down.

Cain never wanted to be immortal, and when it came to light what they had become -- Cain was terrified.

Cain’s hunger took over, and before he knew it - he’d been the first original to kill someone. He hid it, of course, fearing the other’s would disown him. Their parents already were concerned at their creations.

It wasn’t until Emrys killed someone, triggering his werewolf genes that their parents knew they’d created monsters. When the rest were trying to learn control - their parents tried to find a way to kill Cain. Locking him up, and quickly realising nothing worked. It was then they tried to craft a dagger, infused with the magic of their bloodline or some shit. Cain wasn’t paying attention to their mad ramblings.

Seeing they were both distracted, Cain killed them both. Their siblings didn’t know what their parents were trying to do, or what they had done but none of them really liked their parents. That wasn’t what made them turn their backs on him. He took the weapon they’d tried so hard to create and hid it.

After he killed them, Cain went into a frenzy, whatever magic they’d used on him made his hunger almost insatiable. One minute he was standing over his parents bodies, the next Caden’s boyfriend was lying limp in his arms from where Cain had drained him.

Cain was horrified and Caden was furious at him. He ran before he could stick around to hear what his brother had to say.

Cain despised himself, moping around, distracting himself with whatever distraction was readily available.

He got.... lonely. Until he met Odilia. A young woman, who was gorgeous, soft and believed he wasn’t a monster. At least. That’s who he thought she was.

Odilia convinced Cain she wanted to be by his side forever, so he turned her. It was then he realised Odilia was.... not the soft, sweet girl he fell for. She was harsh, cruel and blood thirsty.

She left before Cain could fix his mistake.

Odilia slaughtered village after village for at least a century, writing his name in blood at every crime scene. She left no survivors so everyone began to believe that Cain was the one behind these attacks. No one believed otherwise, he wasn’t entirely innocent before, after all.

He finally caught up with Odilia, and he despite the fact it killed him inside due to him having loved her, he killed her.

Cain was numb, and he let his guard down. He got blackout drunk at a bar.

When he woke up, he realised he was in some kind of lab. They’d kept him sedated, weak. He found out eventually they had been... scientists of sorts, humans who had found out about the supernatural and wanted to see how they worked.

For several years, Cain was starved, tortured and experimented on by these people. Drained of his blood. Cain could barely take the pain anymore. It was agonising.

So, he switched off his humanity. Something he wasn’t aware vampires could do until then. His body had become somewhat used to the sedative they’d been using - so, when he had his strength back enough -- he attacked.

The whole thing was a blur to Cain. One minute he was chained up, wishing it was over - the next, he was standing in the centre of the town, dripping with blood.

Out of rage and hunger, he’d killed the entire town, living up to his fake reputation, but he didn’t care.

Cain went for a few years with his humanity off, until Winnie found him and begged him to turn it on. He’s still not sure how she managed it, but she did.

He was overwhelmed with guilt. He tried to push it down, ignore it, but he’d become the very monster he’d tried so hard to convince everyone he wasn’t.

He travelled alone, ending up in salem during the witch trials, in which he made sure Emrys didn’t save the warlock he’d been in love with - fearing it was too late anyway and that Emrys would expose them. Especially knowing there was a way to kill them, not that Emrys believed such a method existed. Emrys said some pretty horrid things out of anger, and Cain left.

His guilt caught up with him, so he turned off his humanity again. it became a recurring thing. He’d turn it on, somehow Winnie would find him, convince him to turn it back on and he’d drown in his own guilty. Until slowly, the lines began to blur and he began to lose his old self by pushing down his guilt, ignoring it. The boy he used to be barely existed anymore.

Instead, Cain Abbott had the reputation of a monster, and he lived up to it. Most of the time he simply didn’t care about the consequences of his actions, humanity on or off.

Around a hundred years ago, Cain found Winnie after she’d killed the hunters, besides herself with grief and wanting to turn her humanity off. Cain convinced her not to. Winnie had always looked out for him, always had his best interests at heart, and he didn’t want her to end up like him.

At some point he turned his humanity off again, which ended up in him killing Beckett.

He ended up in Bellport very recently, Winnie convincing him to turn it back on. Not that it really matters whether his humanity is off or not anymore. He’s just... slightly less murderous when what little is left of his humanity is on.

i have so many regrets my poor son

#muse; cain abbott

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that-shamrock-vibe · 5 years

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2018 Round-Up: My Favourite Movies of 2018

Disclaimer: 2018 has been another feast for movie goers all year round, so with the new year just around the corner I have decided to disclose my favourite movies of the year. Careful for spoilers for movies that have recently come out as a couple are on this list.

#10. Love, Simon

As I mentioned in my review, I enjoyed this movie. I still think it accurately captures a teenage coming out story, not THE teenage coming out story because everyone has their own story and the endings aren’t always good but this one definitely showed the good without over-fantasizing it.

I mean okay, I still think this movie doesn’t do enough to show the dangers of emailing virtual strangers outside of the fact that you get your private information shared but again that balances out with the fact it is only a school-centric forum so I give the movie a pass on that. Also I do feel bad for saying there are “better” ways to come out because as I did follow immediately up with saying, everyone has their own story.

But overall I do really think this is a great movie and an underrated one at that. The characters are all likeable and relatable, Nick Robinson surprisingly proves himself as a leading man and Keiynan Lonsdale gives his best performance.

#9. Venom

I always had in mind that Venom would make my favourites list. Not only is Tom Hardy finally getting the chance to shine in a superhero role, but I finally get to see one of my favourite anti-heroes brought to life in the right way on the silver screen. I loved this movie, I thought this was a great spin-off in the Spider-Verse and a great start to Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters.

I know for a fact this movie has problems, Riot as a villain isn’t the most compelling, the movie does play like it’s set within the 90s Spider-Man Animated Series and that Carnage tease was a let down in the casting department. However, this movie gives us Venom and allows him to be Venom. Yes the comedy is slightly damp at times but Tom Hardy sells himself as an action hero, comedy star and stunt performer. I do hope this movie gets a sequel because I really want to see more.

#8. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

I am in the minority of people that enjoy this movie, but am in the majority of people that feel the end reveal was completely nonsensical. However I am giving J.K. and the team a pass on this movie and that is why it takes the #10 slot.

It is a great movie visually, it has all the traditional sceneries and locales that you would expect from a Wizarding World movie, the world building of exploring not just the British but also the French Ministries of Magic was a fun addition, Grindelwald shrouding Paris as a way of summoning his followers was visually appealing and of course seeing Hogwarts again brings back all the nostalgic feels a Potter fan could ask for.

I will continue to defend Johnny Depp in the role of Grindelwald as I feel he is very well suited to the role and that he was one of the better things about this movie. Like I said in my reviews he kind of book-ended this movie with two great scenes first when he escaped captivity and then when he addressed his followers, both were well acted, well shot and largely counted of Depp’s performance which he mastered.

My biggest complaint with the movie is that I did expect more of a mythos built movie than the focus being on characters we already said goodbye to in the first one, but that’s not to say what I did get was bad it was just not how I would have taken the story going forward.

Eddie Redmeyne and the cast from the first movie are all still charming and have more character development to carry them through to the next movie, while Jude Law and Zoe Kravitz are both really great additions.

I will wait and see what the third installment in this franchise has in store before deciding my final opinion on the movies as a whole but I do think J.K. has some work to do to keep people on board.

#7. Christopher Robin

This was a complete nostalgia trip for me, I really had a good time watching this movie. Not only did it really hit at the emotional core of anyone who grew up with Winnie the Pooh but it was just so charming, so quaint and made me feel like a kid again.

Ewan McGregor as an adult Christopher Robin was very well cast, not only did he go through the arc that apparently every working adult goes through in losing his child-like wonder only to be reminded of it and realizing what is truly important in life, but Ewan is an actor who can do it with such charm that a tired old story like this seems fresh.

Also this story is made fresh by the fact that it does centre on the characters of Winnie the Pooh. The visual effects used to bring these characters to life are so well done. I loved the behind the scenes knowledge of knowing that they created toy replicas of these characters and then digitally animated them throughout the movie. It just adds a sense of realism to the movie and makes it more enjoyable.

Mary Poppins Returns did a similar story arc with Michael as they did with Christopher but in my opinion this story is told a lot more organically. I’m happy with the movie and glad I now own it.

#6. Incredibles 2

14 years in the making and still worth the wait. I had a blast watching this movie. Not only was it a direct follow-up to the first one but I felt the story managed to progress our favourite characters in an organic way that still kept in theme with this being a superhero family franchise.

I thought the focus being on Elastigirl being the focal superhero as opposed to Mr. Incredible this time around was a fun change of pace and didn’t feel like a cry for feminism as other movies and TV shows do.

Meanwhile having Mr. Incredible being the stay-at-home dad learning to cope with his teenage daughter’s drama and super-baby discovering his powers was a lot of fun and led to some very comedic moments.

Also the hilarious moments in the first movie were still here in this one from Frozone and his wife to Edna Mode. The whole movie just felt that, even though it had been over a decade since the first movie, it just felt like coming home it was so inviting.

The main problem is the reveal of the villain because anyone with half a brain would be able to tell that while they tried the red herring of Win Deavor being the evil Screenslaver, the fact it was Evelyn Deavor wasn’t a shock. Evelyn Deavor...Evil Endeavor...it was obvious.

But overall a really enjoyable movie and hopefully we won’t have to wait another 14 years for the threequel.

#5. Avengers: Infinity War

The movie event of the year but that doesn’t mean it was the movie of the year. This was such a spectacle and celebration of 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that I could not get enough of it.

Everything worked well in this movie, all the characters we’ve seen throughout the last ten years working together was such a treat and a promise that only Kevin Feige’s MCU could deliver on.

There are so many things right about this movie, I thought the plot for the movie really brought a genuine threat and splender to the MCU that managed to almost fix the MCU’s villain problem, Thanos was a genuine threat despite the fact that he had not been shown as formidable in any of the previous movies, then there’s the Black Order who present both a brilliant and fun henchmen group.

The heroes all coming together for the first time isn’t as big of a deal as made out because aside from the Guardians teaming up with Iron Man, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, everyone else who teams up has teamed up before aside from a brief interaction between Shuri and Bruce Banner.

Regardless, this was such a fun movie, a slight complete deviation from the comics event as the key characters aren’t in play for the MCU just yet. However, this was very much the movie of the summer and definitely an event everyone was talking about. I loved it and roll on Avengers: Endgame.

#4. Bohemian Rhapsody

I love Queen, I love everything about the band and more to the point I love Freddie Mercury. I love everything that he stands for and everything that makes him an icon for the LGBT community. Throw in Rami Malik and you have everything I am looking for in a movie like this.

A Star Is Born did not make my list and in fact almost falls into my Least Favourite Movies list because I just didn’t really like it as a movie and the two movies are often compared. But while A Star Is Born had okay songs and an okay story, Bohemian Rhapsody had fantastic songs and a fantastic story because they all came from a raw and talented source.

I get there is some controversy with the movie as the remaining members of Queen tried to make it more of a Queen origin story than a Freddie Mercury biopic but the best thing about this movie is it is a perfect blend of both stories because you can’t have one without the other.

Also, the movie recreated Live Aid in such a mirrored way that it was almost like a straight-up recording with the actors in place of the actual people. This movie should definitely garner praise and accolades for that alone.

It’s just such a fantastic movie and provides such a potent love-note to all Freddie fans, I can’t say enough good things about it.

#3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best Spider-Man movie ever! This is a statement I found myself saying throughout this movie and a couple of days after seeing it I still think it, this is the best Spider-Man movie ever created. I’m not including Venom in that because it’s from the same material but is more of a spin-off from the mainstream Spidey movies than what has come featuring the red and blue webslinger.

But yes, I had reservations about this movie. Not only do I not know Miles Morales that well but I genuinely thought they were going to go down the Spider-Man origin route again and to be honest I don’t think I can sit through another retelling of that. Now this movie has one trope that goes in line with the traditional Spider-Man story which doesn’t exactly damage the movie but doesn’t seem necessary for the movie.

Also this is an all-age animated movie, that is very hard to do without pandering more to one age demographic and traditionally if they go down the adult animation route it’s often offensive and vulgar whereas this had none of that. Instead it dealt with several mature themes, mixed with some brilliant action sequences and quite hardcore violence. I mean it, Kingpin goes all out here.

In terms of the overall movie, there is a disclaimer right at the start before the opening credits that is specific to this movie saying “Do not copyright”...In the first 4 minutes you understand why. This movie is choc-full of twists, spoilers and treats for any Spidey fan and I personally guarantee there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Furthermore, because it is an animated movie, the entire story plays out like a comic-book practically like a live motion comic partially because of the use of captions used just they are in comics. The movement of the characters and the artistic scenery adds to what makes this movie so unique and so special.

Voice talent wise, Chris Pine makes a surprising vocal appearance as the Peter Parker of Miles’ Earth who dies towards the start, but then you have Jake Johnson, Nicholas Cage, Liev Schreiber, Hailee Steinfeld and Mahershala Ali all providing great support to Shameik Moore who himself is brilliant.

All in all, as everyone has said, this is the best Spider-Man movie to be released, I am very much looking forward to seeing where this movie takes the universe in the future.

#2. Aquaman

This movie came so close to being my #1 because I genuinely believe it is the best movie of the year, however #1 is my favourite and that’s what this list is about.

If someone had told me Aquaman would be DC’s best movie since The Dark Knight I would have laughed in their face. I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this movie. Visually stunning, there is not a lot more I can say about how gorgeous this movie is that everyone else has not said.

Jason Momoa takes to this role like Gal Gadot takes to Wonder Woman and Hugh Jackman took to Wolverine. He has so much joy in this movie and you can tell he, Amber Heard and the other cast members love being part of this world.

I will reiterate what I said in my non-spoiler review, this movie essentially showed us the scenary of a live-action Little Mermaid complete with Ariel in Amber Heard’s Mera and yet we are still looking forward to Disney’s live-action version of the movie. I guarantee you there will be a lot of comparisons between these movies, even if Zendaya gets cast because she will be compared to both Mera and Aquaman as both the lead and lead female.

This movie does what Wonder Woman could not and that is nail the final act and the climactic battle sequence. Oh my god it was like watching Lord of the Rings underwater it was so magnificent.

What they set up for a hopeful sequel is very juicy, you have Nicole Kidman as Aquaman’s mother still alive, you have Aquaman and Mera finally together, you have Orm still alive so there’s potential for either redemption like Loki or a return to form in a future movie. Also Black Manta will hopefully become more formidable in a future movie considering he was essentially a side-villain in this movie.

I want a sequel, I want a sequel for Aquaman more than I want any other DC Movie coming out. I cannot wait.

#1. Black Panther

Without question this movie outshines most movies in any genre. I still think Aquaman is the best movie because it is solidly brilliant from beginning to end, but Black Panther is miraculous in terms of visuals, music and the representation of African culture.

It is in some ways an origin movie because it’s how T’Challa adapted to becoming king of Wakanda, however because we already met T’Challa during Civil War, much like Spider-Man it wasn’t a question of needing to know their origins it was more about exploring them as individuals and what makes them superheroes.

However, surprisingly, Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther was not the most compelling part of this movie. Don’t get me wrong he’s still a brilliant actor and an integral part of the movie, but the way Ryan Coogler accurately portrays African culture, from the tribal combat tradition of earning the mantle of king, to the styling of each tribe to make them distinct, even with what the inclusion of the superhero angle brings with Wakanda being a technologically advanced nation and the visuals that they bring.

Just like Aquaman, this movie had a great main villain but a somewhat weak side-villain. Both Orm and Killmonger were brilliant but Killmonger outshines Orm because what he stands for divided audiences and even created a social media storm with the hashtag #Killmongerwasright. Yes Ocean Master also had a sense of righteousness because of what he stood for with believing the surface world to be the sea inhabitants enemies which sparks an environmental debate but Killmonger struck a core with African history. His final line of “Bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew death was better than bondage.” is still probably the best line in any superhero movie for the power of the message it gets across.

Also T’Challa has been often critiqued for being outshined by his female supporting characters Shuri, Okoye, Nakia and Ramonda. I personally agree with this critique but again it’s not to the detroment of T’Challa or the movie because if anything it makes the movie that much better for having strong female characters who aren’t just “the love interest” or “the family” because yes that is what they essentially are but they’re celebrated for that.

Also, Letitia Wright is the breakout star of this movie, I would say Danai Gurira but she has The Walking Dead under her belt. Shuri is not the stereotypical princess character as not only is she 18 and head of the science and technology division of Wakanda but she has the personality and drive to easily take over the Black Panther mantle as she did in the comics.

Overall, this is not quite a perfect movie but it is definitely one of the best movies of the year, century and MCU in total. Not only is it a cultural milestone in terms of movie representation but also it is a movie that has earned numerous award nods and deserves to win all of them.

So that’s my list of my favourite movies of 2018, as I said it was a truly brilliant year for movies and I cannot wait to see what the new year has in store for us. In the mean time you can check out more Movie Reviews and other posts.

Happy New Year to all!

#2018 #2019 #black panther #aquaman #spider-man: into the spider-verse #love simon #bohemian rhapsody #avengers: infinity war #incredibles 2 #christopher robin #venom #fantastic beasts: the crimes of grindelwald #the crimes of grindelwald

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lbulldesigns · 6 years

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Catspaw theory. INNITIATED.

(Hold on tight. This is a long ride)

So I was looking through Google Images at Game of Thrones jewellery (don't ask me why) and I came across something interesting, I found this picture of a promo (season one I think) shot of Cersei Lannister sitting on the Iron Throne holding a dagger.

Here's a closer look, does this look familiar to anyone else?

That's right. This is none other then the dagger of Game of Thrones fate, The Catspaw Dagger.

The same dagger used to try and assassinate this sweet little gem.

While he was in a coma after witnessing this toxic opt.

Petyr "brother/uncle-zoned" Baelish states to Ned and Cat *cough* bitch *cough* (apologies to Catelyn fans, I just don't like her) that the dagger belonged to him until Tyrion "Sass Master" Lannister won of him during a Tourney, this of course leads to Cat *internal screaming* arresting” Tyrion on "suspicions” (she doesn't even suspect just outright accuses without proof) which then sparks of Tywin who goes on a rampage through the Riverlands to protect his pride (as in his reputation) which leads to countless rapes, tortures and murders at the hands of his army upon the smallfolk (non of noble birth were subjected to such extreme brutality mind you, unless you count the Red Wedding). But the thing about this whole situation is that we don't actually get any confirmation that Tyrion in fact owned the blade, Cat *screams* foolishly leaves the one piece of evidence with Littlefinger because she quotes I've known Petyr since I was a girl. He wouldn't betray me"...

So when Tyrion asks to see the blade and she says she doesn't have it when can see that the "arrest" is losing it's basis as being an act of legitimate justice because there is no evidence just accusations thrown left, right and centre. And so, after a pointless death in the form of a Trial by Combat, we see our favourite Lannister practically strut out of the Eyrie...

After Cat *SCREAMS* makes her and her husband, who gave her strict orders (in the book anyway) to NOT do anything rash and to go straight back to Winterfell to prepare for a possible war which is now a definite possibility because Cat "EXPLOSION" couldn't keep her emotions and impulses in check (I can understand the distraught mother excuse, but this act was just stupid), look bad in front of everyone.

But then everything escalates and the whole dagger situation is pretty much forgotten in favour of more imminent issues.

Now the theory has, somewhat, at least in the books, always been that Joeffery (don't care if I spelt the twats name wrong) was the one to send the assassin after Bran because of this epic scene.

One theory is that he stole his uncles dagger and equipped the assassin with it to kill Bran because he got slapped for not paying his respects to Lord and Lady Stark for their sons accident, he felt so humiliated by the slap down that he decided to kill a comatose child and pin the crime on his "slap master” (that sounds dirty) uncle which sounds like something Prince Twat would do.

But looking at the promo picture with Cersei holding the dagger I think that the whole assassination attempt should be taken into consideration again, the morning after Bran's accident when it's revealed to Cersei that Bran still lives she says that Bran dying from his injuries would be a mercy. Now that line is important to remember because the assassin says to Lady Stark that killing him is a mercy.

It could be that Prince Twat Face heard his mother say this and went I'll make mummy proud” and decided to take the initiative to give Bran "mercy", or Cersei organised the assassination and told Littlefinger to point the blame at Tyrion so that he would get executed for the crime (which we know is something she is capable of).

But the photo at the start of this post brings me to another theory, not to do with the assassination because I think I've covered that, about Cersei's fate in season 8.

I don't think it's coincidence that the producers decided to do a promo shot of both Cersei and Arya...

Having this dagger on their person, I think that the dagger symbolises Cersei's demise at the hands of Arya just like it did with Littlefinger.

It could also foreshadow Arya being the young and beautiful queen to cast Cersei down and take away everything she holds dear, A.K.A her power. Which makes me think that Arya will be the Queen of Westeros alongside Gendry (Gendrya intensifies) but that fate for Arya might be a bit of a long shot, unless Dany goes back to Essos to rule over Meereen where the people would need her more after The Long Night.

Anyway, long story short. I have waaaaaaay too much time on my hands and should be careful what I come across on Google Images in regards to Game of Thrones :D lol

Thanks for reading :)

#Arya Stark #Cersie Lannister #jamie lannister #Tyrion Lannister #tyrion lannister rules #Starks #Lannisters #Gendry Waters #Gendry Baratheon #Gendrya #Littlefinger #petyr baelish #game of thrones #got theories #catelyn stark #Sorry to Catelyn Stark fans #anti Catelyn Stark

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a-tiny-speck-in-belfast · 6 years

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I want to make a sanders side au with lots of character and plot but I don’t know how far I can take it alone so I’m just going to write some ideas here, nothings set in stone (part one)

Fostering au aka all of Thomas characters live in an adoption centre run by three people who are qualified in child services but not very good at being humans.

Update Ive decided on a name. So without further ado the characters of the

Agency AU

It’s run by Thomas, Joan and Talyn!

Thomas says he’s married to his work but sometimes goes on dates and somehow there all funny enough for the kids to make jokes about it until the next one.

Joan and Talyn are in a queer platonic relationship.

When they say they don’t have Favourites, they really don’t.

All of the kids are broken off into their own groups of three or four. But in this we’ll focus on the main five

Declan (aka deceit) is a loner

He’s 17 and has zero (0) job prospects.

Got the name deceit from the younger ones because he always lies about we’re he came from and why is at the Agency.

The real reason is cause his parents died in a fire when he was 7. It was there house.

He has a burn scar on the left side of his face from it. He makes up increasing dramatic stories about that as well.

He doesn’t lie about it to be mean or anything. He just figures that If no one knows he can forget about it.

Deeply afraid of fire.

He’s actually a snarky and dramatic piece of shit who does theatre in school.

Patton’s gang is Missy (misleading compliments) and Peter (Pranks). They all are really sweet and comedic and love being with the young ones.

Patton is 16 nearly 17 and actually the second oldest to Declan.

He’s also the tallest. (Declan is a close second again)

He’s here because his parents where really young when he was born and could take care of him. But they still visit when they can and Patton has days out at least once a week with them. He has a really good relationship with them and he understands that they couldn’t take care of him then and don’t want to take him away from the life he’s built now, as they live in the city over.

He bottled his emotions a lot as a kid before he had a nervous breakdown.

They doctors recommend he try to let it out more so Talyn helped him start getting into art.

He loves it and is now working towards being an animator and getting into an art school.

Roman is friends with Valire and Nate (Crime fighting dude) cause there all extra and protective and for the greater good types.

Romana mom raised him alone and was a drug addict so self esteem issues. Not fun. Cos took when he was 10

He’s in his like mid 16teens

He’s also middle y’all boy. So like average height.

He is always the lead the school productions and knows every one in theatre

Him and his friends hang out at the theatre all the time

Did I mention dot and Larry run the theatre department. They love the three of them.

Roman is good at Spanish and is really well read on Shakespeare.

Next is our favourite nerd Logan.

He is friends with Emile Picani

His mum died at childbirth and his other mum died in a car crush 5 years later on her way to pick him up at school.

He knows they lived him, so to honor their legacy he wants to achieve great things

Unfortunately he doesn’t seem to grasp the idea that he can’t do that if he died from over working himself.

Emile normally can see when this is going to happen and pulls him out of his work and to the library.

Logan has just turn 16 and is not that much shorter than roman.

He’s studying to become a Crime Scene investigator.

He lives Crime and mystery novels.

Or at least he says it’s he’s favourite. He won’t say it and Emile won’t tell anyone but he always ends up reading poetry at the library.

Virgil is last but not least.

He arrived at age 11 after living in a really abusive household for his entire life (we’ll not go to in depth here but it was bad)

Hes 15 and a month off 16 now and the shortest of the bunch.

His only friend is remy, they work well together. Virgil stays with him at night to help with Remys insomnia and nightmares. And remy helps with Virgil’s panic attack and generally anxiety.

Remys also 15 and just two weeks older than virgil. And did I mention that he’s Nate’s twin. He and Nate were runaways. Though the governor had to take them in cause they would say and no one else could figure out who their parents are.

Dinner times are always really hectic and tend to get too much so they hang out and eat dinner almost daily at Enrique’s Exquisite Eatery

They always tip him.

But they come so often that he stops charging them and kinda looks at them like little brothers. And so what if Virgil and Remy think he’s Actually s cool guy and develop and mentor mentee relationship with him.

Thats most of the characters. And I’ll go more in depth about characters i glossed over another time. Plus the plot will be in a different thing before I get the the challenge of actually writing things in this universe. So yeah

#sanders sides #deceit sanders #thomas sanders #alternate universe #patton sanders #missy sanders #pranks sanders #Agency Au #virgil sanders #remy sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders

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yasbxxgie · 6 years

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'Gil Scott-Heron saved my life': After a traumatic childhood Abdul Malik Al Nasir seemed to be heading for jail or an early death. Then, at the age of 18, he met the famous poet and musician – with remarkable consequences

My brother Reynold introduced me to the music of Gil Scott-Heron. Little did I realise how it, and more importantly Gil, would go on to shape my life.

I was 18, had just come out of a childhood in care, was traumatised, illiterate and had no prospects. Reynold, who was older, showed me an album called Moving Target, which had a picture of Gil running through the streets of Washington seen through the telescopic lens of a gun. Reynold was politicised and well-read – unlike me. I didn't take life too seriously, partly because I couldn't face up to what had happened to me. He made me sit down and listen to the song Washington DC and the lyrics summed up so much of my life: "The symbols of democracy pinned up against the coast, the outhouse of bureaucracy surrounded by a moat./ Citizens of poverty are barely out of sight/ The overlords escape in the evenings, brothers on the night."

Gil was talking about the White House surrounded by the urban ghettos, the bits the tourists don't see – the reality of the city's ghetto life. My brother explained what the song meant. He drew a parallel between what Gil was talking about in Washington DC and what we, as black people, were facing in Toxteth, Liverpool, in the run up to the riots of 1981.

Reynold was trying to wake me up to consciousness. I had already got in with the wrong crowd, and he was concerned that if I didn't dissociate myself from them it would only be a matter of time before I was incarcerated again – and this time not in a care home.

Why had I been put in care in the first place? My name back then was Mark Trevor Watson, and when I was eight years old my father had a stroke. Dad was black from Guyana, my mum white Welsh. All the family (there were four kids, and mum and dad) were the butt of racist abuse. Dad, a former merchant seaman, was a real worker. Nothing could stop him. He even volunteered to work on Christmas Day 1974 for the Netherley Property Guards, who patrolled the warehouses on the Liverpool docks. It was a horribly cold winter. He left the house at 5am to wait for the bus to take him to work. It never came. Dad waited till 10am and eventually trudged home defeated. That was the only time I saw this big strong seaman cry. He didn't open his Christmas presents, he just went straight to bed. He had a stroke in his sleep and when he woke up he was a quadriplegic, paralysed from the neck down. He stayed like that for the rest of his life, in and out of the geriatric ward until he died four years later.

Mum, who worked in the Meccano factory, continued to struggle with the four of us. But she couldn't really cope. I was a handful – dyslexic and dyspraxic, but undiagnosed. I hated school. We were virtually the only black kids there, and the pupils used to be brought into school assembly to the sound of the headmaster's favourite recording – Black Sambo: "Black Sambo, black Sambo, living in the jungle alone, except for Big black Mumbo and Big black Jumbo." No one considered it a problem. After that everyone would turn to me and my sisters and call us black sambo. There were fights, and everyone called us troublemakers. At nine I was expelled from that school, which resulted in me being taken into local authority care in 1975.

I was "sentenced" to nine years under a care order having committed no crime. They didn't see it like that, of course. They labelled me maladjusted and told all of us that we were menaces to society; that society needed protecting from us. On the night they took me into care, they put me in an admission unit where they locked me in a room with bars on the window for 14 days and 14 nights. This practice later came to be outlawed following the infamous pin-down scandal in Staffordshire, but in the 70s it was common. It was the most traumatic experience of my life, for which I would later seek justice in the courts.

Just before Christmas 1975 I was taken to a place called Woolton Vale assessment centre, otherwise known as Menlove. It was a large, Victorian prison with bars on every window, locks on every door and an isolation cell inside. It had previously operated as a remand home for prisoners. In 1974 it had been converted to an assessment centre for kids, but still operated illegally under the old rules. Confinement might not have been permitted, but it didn't stop them. Meanwhile, the local remand centre, Risley, was full, so Menlove became an overspill for prisoners. This meant they were mixing children from broken homes with hardened criminals – and locking them up. Another matter over which I would later sue.

From there I was moved to several different community homes where I suffered varying degrees of physical and racial abuse over the years until I was 18 and my care order ceased. I was visited by my social worker who gave me £100, made me sign a form to say I would never come back for more money, and within a few months I was living in a hostel for homeless black youths.

That was when Gil changed my life. He was playing at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre, and the gig was sold out. It was 1985, Gil had a record in the charts, and was at the peak of his fame. A friend of mine, the late photographer Penny Potter, got me in – she had a backstage pass and told his team that I was her assistant. I watched the show and was mesmerised. It was hard to describe what he did exactly – he rapped, he played jazz, he was a poet, he educated – he was just singing a song, but it was as if he was part of a collective soul that existed in the room.

After the show I went backstage with Penny. Gil was standing there with a bunch of people around him – photographers snapping away, reporters stuffing mics under his nose, promoters with bags of money, and the band members trying to get paid. Everybody seemed to want something from him. I shook his hand, thanked him for the performance and turned round to leave. He said: "Hold on a minute brother, what's going on round here? I heard you had some riots". I told him about Toxteth and how the black communities had rioted across the country in the long hot summer of 1981. He said: "Yeah we had some of them back in DC". He wanted to know about the people of Toxteth so I offered to take him to the scenes of the riots. The next day we toured the area and I gave him a running commentary of what had happened in each place, all the places that had been burned down and what had happened as a result.

Now if there's one thing they taught us in care it was how to cook, and I offered to feed Gil and the band. The trouble was I didn't have a place to live. So I asked my friend Dobbo if I could borrow his flat, cashed my giro cheque, and spent my two weeks' money on food. Gil bought his whole 17-strong entourage back to the flat and I fed them all. Entrees, starters, mango juice, the works. He tried to pay me £100, which was a lot of money then. I wouldn't accept it; he tried again and I refused again. When he realised there was no point in trying to pay me, he said to his promoter: "We'll be back in England in a few weeks. Give the brother the details of the hotel where we'll be." Then he said: "I'd like for you to join us on the tour." To do what, I asked? "Whatever the fuck you wanna do, carry some drums, whatever you want," was his response. And that's what I did.

Gil took it on himself to spend whatever time he could in the evening mentoring me, giving me encouragement and trying to foster in me a sense of self-worth. I had been indoctrinated by the care system to believe that I was maladjusted and useless from the age of nine, but Gil refused to accept it. He saw something in me that I did not see in myself – my potential.

I had told Gil everything about my life. Except for one thing – I could hardly read. I was just so ashamed. It was 1988 and I'd been on the road with him for four years. This time we were touring America with Richie Havens and Gil passed me a book and asked me to read a page back to him. I felt like my heart was going to stop. I'd always had the attitude that if Gil asked me to do anything I'd do it, and for the first time he'd asked me to do something I couldn't do. I'd always made myself useful by doing anything, from the band's laundry to flogging Gil's books at gigs, to helping the roadies, to navigating for the driver. I was always conscious of not trying to be a burden because I was aware he was paying for my flights and hotel rooms, and when he asked me to read and I couldn't I felt cold, and fumbled and fumbled, to the point when he said "What's the problem? Are you not fluent in reading?" That was the first time I ever knew a person could be fluent at reading. Being a child of the streets, fluency was something I'd always associated with talking; talking was my survival mechanism. Gil made me take stock of the fact that illiteracy was something not to be ashamed of, but something to address. I told him I'd never been taught – that was the first time I'd admitted it even to myself. In the care system education or literacy weren't encouraged, and most people came out of it like me.

Not many people know that Gil was a teacher – he had a Masters degree in English from Lincoln university. Despite not having a first degree he was accepted on to the Masters programme on the strength of two books he had written as a teen; The Vulture, a murder mystery, and The Nigger Factory, which was about life on black college campuses. I'd been running with the wrong crowd and he took it as a personal challenge to turn me around; to take me away from a life of hustling and make me productive. If I'd ended up like most of my peers in care I'd be dead or in jail by now. Gil's intervention saved my life.

He used to introduce me to people as his son, despite the fact that he has his own children. It was so touching. At the age of 12 I lost my father, and when I met Gil at 18 he took on that role and took it on seriously.

Back then, I had so many problems; my mind was like a spaghetti junction. There were so many narratives going on in my head that I couldn't unravel them, and Gil would listen to them all. At the end he'd invariably say one or two sentences that would sum up what it had taken me so long to say, and also direct me to what I should do about it.

In 1987 we were on tour and Gil suggested it was time for me to get a job. For two years I went to sea, working as a steward on a ferry, then on oil tankers, scrubbing decks, cleaning toilets, serving food. Every night from 6pm to midnight I taught myself to read and write. I started experimenting with language by writing poetry and songs. When I got to port I'd write to Gil, and enclose poems or songs for his appraisal. In between stints at sea, I would go on tour with Gil and he would appraise my work. By 1990, at the end of a period at sea, I had a considerable body of work; poetry, prose and songs. But I just put them in a box in a cupboard in my mum's house and left them for years

Gil then encouraged me to go to college and university and educate myself. The problem was, I didn't have any qualifications. So in 1990 I took a job with Littlewoods on a positive-action training scheme where they took on four black kids a year and trained them in management, and through that they sponsored me to go to college to study business and finance. I got a degree in sociology and geography, which seemed appropriate for a seaman with my background, followed by a postgraduate diploma in social research and a Masters degree in media production.

I continued to tour with Gil when I could. He was so proud of me. My degree was the culmination of everything he had invested in me and I'd invested in myself. What Gil gave me was a reason to live. At the age of 18 I couldn't see anything to live for.

In 1992 I met the Last Poets, a band that had been Gil's mentors and who are often credited as being the first rappers. Gil's famous song The Revolution Will Not Be Televised was inspired by the Last Poets' Niggers Are Scared of Revolution. There was a yearning in my soul for spirituality. I had lots of questions about religion, but Gil was more spiritual than religious. Jalal and Suliman from the Last Poets spoke to me about Islam, it struck a cord and in 1992 I became a Muslim and changed my name from Mark Trevor Watson to Abdul Malik Al Nasir and started managing The Last Poets' leader Jalal. I later started my own record company and worked with the likes of Public Enemy, Run DMC, Wyclef Jean, Sly Dunbar, the Wailers and Steel Pulse.

Over the years things took a toll on Gil. For many years he had preached against the evil of drugs, but he became an abuser himself, and in 2001 he was sent to jail in New York State for possession of cocaine. When he got into trouble, it reminded me how much he'd helped me. So I flew to New York and visited him in jail – he'd been pumping iron, eating three square meals a day, which he rarely got when we were on the road, and looked more relaxed and fit than I'd seen him in years. I went through all the security checks, and they told me to take a seat in the visiting room while they got the prisoner. He didn't know who was coming, and when he saw me he had a huge smile on his face. The guard called him over and said: "Ah, the famous Gil Scot Heron . . . tuck your shirt in." It was just an attempt to humiliate him. I bit my tongue.

By 2004, I had received substantial compensation for what I suffered in care. I dug out my old poems from that box in my mother's house, and showed them to my wife Sarah. She said I should do something with them, so I set up my own publishing company, Fore-Word Press, and published my first book, Ordinary Guy, in my original name Mark T Watson. Gil was elated when I sent him a copy. Not simply because it was dedicated to him but also because he knew without his mentoring, I wouldn't have been able to read or write.

In 2008, I was producing an album at Wyclef Jean's studio in New York and there was a huge commemoration concert at Radio City Music Hall for Martin Luther King Day. Wyclef was performing, and he introduced me to Stevie Wonder. Now Stevie and Gil had been integral in fighting for a national holiday to celebrate Martin Luther King, and I told him about my relationship with Gil. "Is Gil out of prison?" he asked. Yes, I said. "Well, bring him here now." So I phoned Gil, and brought him to the show. When we arrived at Stevie's dressing room and I announced Gil to Stevie, Stevie Wonder stood up, and said: 'Gil Scott Heron y'all', and the whole dressing room burst into rapturous applause.

Last year Gil made a comeback album, I'm New Here, which got great reviews. I joined him on what would be his final tour of Europe.

It's three weeks since Gil died, and I'm still in shock. I'm 45, married with five children, and Gil has been the most important person to me throughout my adult life. His funeral in Harlem was a sombre affair. What touched me most was all the love in the room. After the band played a beautiful tribute and Gil's ex-wife Brenda delivered a eulogy, the rapper Kanye West took to the pulpit and sang Lost in the World, a song that contains a sample from Gil's poem Comment #1. It was a beautiful tribute.

After the service, I told Kanye my story and asked if he would take part in a tribute concert for Gil in Liverpool, the place where we met all those years ago and he took me under his wing. This is my way of saying: "Thank you Gil. You saved my life."

#gil scott-heron #gil scott heron #abdul malik al nasir #the guardian

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deborahdeshoftim5779 · 7 years

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The Marvel of Trelsi (Part VII)

I’m back for more Trelsi mania. Today, I want to expand on the disadvantages for the High School Musical franchise that Troy and Kelsi received so few scenes together throughout. We know why their friendship is so damn good, and so the natural question arises as to why they didn’t capitalize on this when showing the protagonist, Troy Bolton, headed on his journey to finding himself.

Already, I’ve answered the following questions from my Introduction:

1- Who IS Troy Bolton?

2- Who IS Kelsi Nielsen?

3- What makes the Trelsi friendship and dynamic so friggin’ special? Why does it make me want to weep and write poetry? (Part IV, Part V, Part VI)

After some consideration, I’ve added this question before I get to exploring the potential of their relationship:

Question- Why are there so few Trelsi scenes? What is the effect of this? Where could we have seen more Trelsi?

It’s necessary to recap the main value of Trelsi throughout the canonical franchise:

1- Movie Message: Be true to yourself. Troy learns that performing is a part of his identity and embraces this. Kelsi learns that she has a talent worth appreciating and shouldn’t allow people to change her music as though they know better than her.

2- Character Development: Without taking the crime committed against Troy’s character development into account, the effect of hearing Kelsi’s words and lyrics spurs him to explore his new-found interest and apparent talent in performing. Once Troy shows Kelsi her worth, she becomes more confident, more assertive with her compositions and embraces the spotlight.

3- Plot: Troy gets his chance to prove himself as a performer after hearing Kelsi’s music; Kelsi in turn gains the acumen to write for more musicals and eventually pursue a scholarship opportunity with Juilliard. Troy’s accumulated profile in the Performing Arts thanks to Kelsi’s songs inform his decision to pursue Theatre after graduating from high school.

4- Character Balance: There is a notable and enjoyable contrast between Troy and Kelsi as people. Even though they have complex shades of their individual characters, there are still some key differences. Troy is more outgoing than Kelsi, more willing to put himself forward. He’s the guy who’ll be joking with his buds at lunchtimes, whilst Kelsi is huddled over her manuscript paper, scribbling away. This is even after she becomes more popular. Kelsi appears more of a disciplinarian when it comes to composing, as you often see her frowning and crossing out notes when dissatisfied. Troy’s performing style appears more spontaneous; I tend to think that he would be the one suggesting ideas to develop his interpretation of Kelsi’s songs. This is evidenced by his practicing style in HSM I (running round the practice room whilst singing the chorus to “Breaking Free) and his routine during HSM III for “I Just Wanna Be With You”.** Kelsi is talkative and Troy is, interestingly, not talkative. Indeed, he gets alarmed when Kelsi babbles on and on about her ideas. When Kelsi becomes more confident, she can steam ahead with her beloved “ideas”, whereas Troy is more hesitant. Kelsi is more spur of the moment, whereas Troy is more analytical (although he clearly does give in to creative impulses). There are some overlaps here, particularly when considering Troy as a basketball player; neither Troy nor Kelsi are clear-cut. But they are distinct in some key areas.

5- True Friendship: Troy and Kelsi rely upon each other as an unfailing source of support and never abandon each other when things get tough. They are completely loyal to each other. Remember, East High has a Drama Club. Kelsi is certainly not the only composer in the entirety of East High, and Troy has his pick of many other talented people who might write songs just as good as Kelsi’s or even better. Instead he sticks with Kelsi’s music even when initially unwilling to do another musical or show. When the future of each show is put into jeopardy thanks to Gabriella, Troy does everything he can to ensure the show will proceed after all because he cares about Kelsi’s hard work and understands the satisfaction she gets from creating music. It would be far easier for Troy to let Gabriella go her own way (as she tells us in HSM II); after all, he owes more to his girlfriend than to his friend. Insisting upon Gabriella’s performing in HSM III was significantly motivated by his loyalty and respect for Kelsi; hence the speech about how important his new-found friendships with less popular students in East High (and I’m sure he wasn’t just talking about Kelsi and Ryan, but probably other people he had befriended as well, whose names we don’t know). The respect is clear, as is comfort, unspoken understanding and affection. Thanks to the lack of concern shown to Troy’s other friends outside of Gabriella, no indication is given of whether Troy will remain in contact with Kelsi after graduating; obviously I think he would, but we can’t say for sure.

So why don’t we get to see more of them? I’ve thought about this at considerable length, and although it’s far too easy to blame the screenwriters for not seeing the value of Trelsi right under their noses, I think there is probably a less biased explanation.

Simply put; we don’t know very much about Kelsi Nielsen. Compare how much we know about her to Troy’s other important relationships: his “romance” with Gabriella and his friendship with Chad Danforth. We hear about Gabriella and Chad’s parents, their childhoods, their aspirations, their interests outside of their primary fields (science and basketball respectively), we know their flaws, we get to see day-to-day banter between these two and Troy on a regular basis. We know about their parents: Gabriella most probably lost her father, her mother has struggled between pursuing the demands of her job and giving her daughter a sense of stability. Mrs. Montez clearly earns a lot of money, and is an excellent cook. Mrs. Danforth loves Broadway, crushes on handsome actors and probably reads too many diet magazines. ([Chad] “One of her crazy diet ideas-- I don’t attempt to understand the female mind, Troy!”) Even other characters like Taylor get more depth even though she isn’t as close with Troy; we know about her older sister, her philosophy on life, her aspirations and interests outside of science. For example, it is notable that despite being scientifically-minded (Chem Club President), Taylor wishes to pursue a degree in Political Science. This is also the same for Gabriella, who wishes to study Law, although she is shown to excel in maths and science (particularly chemistry).

Consider by contrast how much we DON’T know about Kelsi Nielsen. Who are her parents? Does she have any siblings? What is her wealth status? (She mentions having a piano at her house, so can we assume middle-class?) Given that she was the composer of the show, why didn’t we get to see her parents or other relatives in the audience? With regards to the plot, how did she become interested in music; I have theorized that her deep commitment to the art stems from a pathological shyness that probably lasted for most of her formative years. What does she like doing in her spare time, or what are her other interests outside of music? We know in HSM III that she is more than a competent dancer and may have taken ballet lessons as a child. But this seems contradictory when considering her clear clumsiness in HSM I. By HSM III, she is incredibly graceful. Did she take lessons at some point? What other creative interests does she have? We do know she likes classical literature, as her favourite book is the (extremely boring) “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte. (Credit to BoltonEvans). Her obsession with romance says a LOT about her-- where did this come from? I’m fairly sure that Jason was Kelsi’s first boyfriend, but did she have any other crushes beforehand? We don’t know things about Kelsi that go beyond the surface, like her fears and her lifelong ambitions. Sure, we can assume she might want to be a composer, but it’s VERY difficult to get well-paid, consistent work in the Performance industry, and no amount of talent can change that. Hence why I discussed her single-mindedness to her career and the disadvantages thereof.

Don’t get me wrong; we can infer a significant amount of things about Kelsi, as you can see from my hyperlink above. But so much remains unknown. Hence, Kelsi was simply not intended to be a very prominent or influential feature in Troy’s life. This is why Troy and Kelsi are never shown hanging out on a casual, day-to-day basis; almost all of their interaction is centred upon the titular musicals/shows and even though Kelsi eventually sits with the Cool Girls (Taylor, Gabriella and Martha) and the Cool Boys (Chad and Jason, with whom she eats breakfast during HSM II), she is never shown doing the same with Troy. In fact, this gulf between them when not near a piano or stage is so great that we don’t even get a final Trelsi scene after high school graduation, despite the fact that elements of Troy’s speech fit his friendship with Kelsi far better than his friendship with Zeke, Martha or his “relationship” with Gabriella. We get no indication as to whether they will keep in touch after graduation, and have to assume not from the canonical headline. It makes me weep and turn to drink, but my bias and wishful thinking only extend so far. In light of all this, it is simply astonishing that the film’s creators would go to all the trouble of 1)- linking Kelsi to the central character, Troy, 2)- creating a close and unique friendship between them, 3)- giving Kelsi roles and characteristics that should have been given to Gabriella, 4)- inserting Kelsi into the plot and character arcs to push things forward. They managed to be sloppy, careless and yet attentive at the same time. And though I lampoon them on a regular basis, I absolutely give them the credit for creating Trelsi. But their lack of concern for both characters is astounding, particularly since so many HSM fans love both Troy and Kelsi.

As a result of this, the film suffers from the following disadvantages:

1- Little comfort for Troy: Although there are standout moments where Kelsi comforts Troy, the paucity of Trelsi scenes means that for most of each film, Troy is either left floundering in a sea of self-doubt, self-criticism and denial, or unsuccessfully seeking understanding, loyalty and support from the wrong people. Had he spent more time with Kelsi, he would have gained a steady source of support throughout. It would not have reduced the conflict, because Troy would still face obstacles caused by Gabriella and his friends as well as by himself. It would, however, have built up his character in a realistic and consistent fashion. This was supposed to be Gabriella’s role, and as I will discuss later, she fails abysmally.

2- Promotion of unhealthy relationships: The less we see of the exemplary friendship between Troy and Kelsi, the more we see of the less exemplary friendships between Troy and the Wildcats, and the unhealthy relationship between Troy and Gabriella. Because Kelsi was not intended to have a significant influence in Troy’s life, there is plenty for room for Gabriella and the Wildcats to influence him in ways that inhibit his character growth and lead to a real decline in his ability to think autonomously. Kelsi reflects the complete antithesis of this, and thus her increased presence would provide an exemplary contrast to the drubbing Troy endures from those supposed to support him.

3- Stunts character development: The dynamic between Troy and Kelsi is thoroughly egalitarian. They raise each other up both literally and emotionally, and they have a largely unspoken way of doing so. Without this source of support, Troy has to look elsewhere, most often to Gabriella. Troy’s sense of self diminishes at an alarming rate as a result of her influence, which will be discussed in later instalments. Performing onstage and seeing Kelsi there as a source of encouragement increases his confidence and sense of self. Furthermore, potential scenes between Troy and Kelsi that weren’t related to the musicals would help Troy learn more about himself, as they clearly share much in common, a passion for the Performing Arts being one of the main commonalities.

4- Diminishes Kelsi’s value to plot: This is what annoys me the most. Even though Kelsi is the one who:

1- Composes ALL the music for said HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL,

2- Puts in HOURS getting the very best out of Troy and Gabriella,

3- Shows absolute devotion to her craft,

4- Can work with any type of performer, even difficult ones like Sharpay, who trusts her enough to keep performing her songs,

5- Arranged rehearsal times for everyone with recognition to their schedules in EVERY movie, which required excellent organizing skills,

6- Managed the entire school orchestra by herself, writing orchestrations and fixing charts, writing arrangements for different instruments,

7- Assessed the musical capabilities of characters who considered themselves non-musical or even uninterested in music so that she could include them in the musicals: (HSM II- ”...maybe Chad and Zeke can do backup and everyone can dance!”),

8- Took the generic and predictable Lava Springs Talent Show at an exclusive country club and turned it into a show-stopper (HSM II- “Kelsi’s got some great new ideas to SPICE UP the Talent Show!”)

9- Had a great understanding of each performer as an individual and could tailor her writing to suit their strengths, which is why she wrote differently for Sharpay as compared to Troy and Gabriella,

10- Made Chad forgive Troy in HSM II,

11- Provided constant loyalty and support to Troy throughout,

...she is considered a MINOR character by most accounts. This is inconceivable, unjust and patently ridiculous. Kelsi is the HEART AND SOUL of the movies. She brings everyone together***, and she is largely responsible for Troy’s magnificent transition on stage into a natural and engaging performer. To give her less scenes with Troy means that less attention goes to her and her incredible achievements and more attention to characters who have not even achieved one fifth of the above list by comparison. It sidelines a character in blatant contradiction to the whole aim of Kelsi’s character development, which was to give a shy and introverted character a VOICE. Recognition. What was the point in Troy reaching out to her in the first place if the script was just going to shove her back offstage despite everything she had done for Troy, Gabriella and the Wildcats? What was the point of Troy calling her and RECOGNIZING her as a Playmaker if she gets no credit for this either from the scriptwriters, Gabriella, the Wildcats or even Troy in his abysmal graduation speech? I reiterate: it was a crime for Troy to mention Zeke’s crême brûlée and Martha’s cheerleading, none of which had ANY effect on his character development whatsoever, but not make ONE mention of Kelsi’s music which propelled him to where he stood that day. Inexcusable. Since Kelsi was the ONLY other person described as a Playmaker, she should have received more attention. Thanks to the chronic inconsistency of both the screenwriters and Troy (too busy giving credit to Gabriella that she doesn’t deserve), the second Playmaker is routinely ignored where she should be getting the spotlight.

Sorry folks, but this makes me mad.

What kind of scenes could we have had between Troy and Kelsi that would add value to the franchise and lessen my inveterate anger?

1- Troy confiding his worries-- Although Troy and Gabriella’s first time on the rooftop is a better example of Gabriella being receptive to Troy’s concerns (”I’m sure it’s tricky being the coach’s son.../”Then they don’t know enough about you, Troy”), there’s no consistency in Gabriella’s concern. Throughout HSM II and HSM III, it almost vanishes on the spot. A scene where Troy confided his worries in Kelsi would result in Kelsi taking those worries seriously and providing solid, useful advice to help him progress.

2- Kelsi confiding her worries-- I refuse to believe that the process of creating a musical or show went off without a hitch. Despite Kelsi’s claims that everything would be fine, she must have had worries about this, and I can only see her being comfortable enough to share these with Troy, who believes in her and calls her Playmaker. That would get her back on track. But what about Kelsi’s worries outside of music? We could have had some very interesting discussions here.

3- Troy and Kelsi learning more about each other’s backgrounds-- When Troy shares some parts of his childhood with Gabriella, she just laughs in a condescending fashion and makes him feel like an awkward three year old. She doesn’t understand his dorkiness/nerdiness. Given that Kelsi shares a lot of Troy’s awkwardness, I can’t see her making fun of Troy for having a toy robot or a Batman cloak. In fact, in my headcanon, she’d quite like his treehouse. Why? Because Kelsi clearly values solitude to think and compose her songs. Troy values solitude to think as well, hence his love of trees. I can see Kelsi fitting in far better here as a companion in the treehouse. I think Kelsi probably valued her solitude as a child, and even though Troy mostly played with Chad when they were both boys, he clearly does use trees for thinking on his own. Also, because Troy always takes an interest in other people’s lives, and because he connects so well to Kelsi’s music, he would naturally want to know more about her background in this regard. (Assuming they got such a scene... *angry face*)

4- Troy and Kelsi banter-- Both Troy and Kelsi have a far more compatible sense of humour than Troy and Gabriella. Indeed, Gabriella is often incapable of taking a joke. Troy and Chad have a compatible sense of humour, but I don’t get the impression that Chad, who is more straight-forward and direct, would appreciate the value of Troy’s sarcasm, dry and self-deprecating wit. Kelsi definitely would, since she can poke fun of sensitive issues like her height: (HSM II, in response to Martha on what her summer plans are) “Grow, write music, grow.” Kelsi is quite good at making light of a serious situation with a comic understatement, as is Troy. There are some slight differences; it is Kelsi who is more prone to poking fun of others. With the exception of the hazing scene in HSM III, Troy rarely makes fun of anyone-- not even Sharpay. And we have already a little evidence that they find each other funny. Given that Troy becomes increasingly miserable in HSM III, he could have done with some of Kelsi’s light-hearted banter. So say I. :D

5- Deep conversations-- Kelsi’s songwriting reveals a maturity beyond her years. Troy already demonstrates himself as mature beyond his years, often bearing a lot on his shoulders. Gabriella, by contrast, is extremely immature despite her strong academic capabilities. Chad is too involved in either his own future, or trying to impose that upon Troy. He sees the world in black and white, with no nuanced shades of grey. Hence why Troy’s attempts to have serious conversations with Gabriella end with her pretending to listen/understand and then pulling the focus back to herself, and his serious conversations with Chad end in either mockery, sweeping generalizations and Chad once again insisting his views are correct. Therefore, it would be far more enlightening to see Troy having serious conversations with Kelsi. For example, they might discuss their futures; Kelsi is very ambitious, hence why she applied to Juilliard. What with her philosophy of pre-destination (it’s music all the way), and Troy’s philosophy of free will, they would have very mature conversations, discover more about each other and even learn from each other’s viewpoints. There’s a complementary contrast there, as both Troy and Kelsi showcase some of each philosophy in their future: Troy accepts pre-destination when he decides to keep basketball in his life, despite saying in HSM III, “Maybe I don’t see my life as a ball game anymore, man.” It would have been nice to see Kelsi being a little spontaneous when it came to her future too, given that it seems she was dead keen on attending Juilliard: “What? They got my letter?” Once again, we see Kelsi’s unmissable and scandalously underappreciated initiative.

On that note, I’ll be looking into the potential of Trelsi’s relationship next, in particular the line between friendship and romance.

TO BE CONTINUED

(*FOOTNOTE-- How tragic it is, that by the end of the film franchise, Kelsi is more confident, whereas Troy’s own confidence has withered to provide that truly horrendous ending we saw in HSM III. Read my fury about it here. Had Troy and Kelsi spent more time together she might have helped alleviate the effects of Gabriella’s negative influence upon him, and had she been Troy’s love interest, he definitely would have developed in a more linear fashion).

(**FOOTNOTE-- Of course, Troy is a disciplinarian when it comes to basketball, which underpins his skill in this area. Say what you want about Coach Bolton, he really knows how to get the best out of his son, and instils in Troy a laser-like focus on his goals. Now this does not suit Troy when he discovers his interest in the Performing Arts right on the cusp of an important game, but it does give the implication that Troy is a hard worker and is generally successful when pursuing his goals. Or, when he fails, he can pick himself back up again and try harder).

(***FOOTNOTE-- Once again, we see Troy’s astounding, though unintentional, blindness towards Kelsi and her achievements. How can he seriously claim that Gabriella is the one who “changed” East High, when it was KELSI who brought people to appreciate the beauty of music and performing through her excellent compositions?! Kelsi is the one he calls “Playmaker”-- “the one who makes everyone else look good”-- and not Gabriella, who simply has not achieved anything similar. All Gabriella did throughout the ENTIRE film series was simply be in the right place at the right time. She rarely ever took initiative, except to audition in HSM I, and to apply for Stanford’s Freshman Honors Program (which, whilst being commendable, has nothing to do with Theatre). Kelsi is the one who spent her time composing a song for Troy and Gabriella to sing in HSM II, most likely after she received her summer job from Sharpay. That’s real initiative. We will look at this in more detail later).

#Trelsi #OTP #Playmakers #TroyBolton #KelsiNielsen #LiterallyTroyandKelsiForever #AppreciateKelsiNielsenPeople #SheisSOImportant #Don'tSpeakToMeIfYouThinkTroyellaWasMoreImportantThanTrelsi #You'reFrickingKIddingYourself #ToBeContinued #IFrickingLoveThisShit

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pandoraimperatrix · 4 years

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Four Names for Love

Gotham | BatCat | BabyFic | Multi-chapter | Read on AO3

Summary: When Bruce parted ways with Gotham he was leaving behind more than he thought. Meanwhile Selina is trying to find a way to herself after being abandoned again and on top of that she finds out she was left with a lot more than a heartbreak.

——————————————————————————

Philia part V

‘Lena? That movie you wanted to watch is on the catalogue now. Have you finished your homework?’

No answer. Holly frowned.

Sighing, Holly grabbed her phone from the coffee table, Helena must have be listening to music with her headphones again.

Lena? The Cat Returns is on Netflix. Wanna watch with me? I’ll make us some popcorn :)

Sorry, too tired. (sleepy emoji)

R u sure? It’s only 10.

No answer.

Even though Holly believed in miracles, that one was a tiny bit hard to believe. When Helena was five and she moved in with Selina, the girl never went to bed early. I was actually a routine fight between mother and daughter until one day Selina gave up and said she could sleep as late as she wanted as long as she was ready to school in time every morning.

So Holly decided to check it out. She knocked on Helena’s door, no answer, she pushed the door a little, the lights were out the Helena lied asleep in her She-ra pyjamas. Well, maybe she had a busy day at school. Holly sighed and went back to the kitchenette thinking about stealing a bit of Selina’s nice martini when she found a handmade chocolate truffle wrapped on yellow cellophane with a post it on the top of It, ‘For Holly’ written on Helena’s curly handwrite.

‘Awwwn, cute!’

She took the candy and a glass of martini and went back to the sofa, there was another thing she have been wanting to watch but it was not appropriate for a nine years old and it didn’t involve enchanted cat royalty.

ooo

Helena sneaked out of her room, her mom was still out and she knew she wouldn’t be coming at least until 3. She tiptoed silently to where Holly lied asleep, her plan was working. It wasn’t hard to take one of her mother’s prescription sleeping pills, crush it and put it on Holly’s favourite coconut cream filled chocolate truffles. Alfred taught her to make them, and they were very good. Helena turned off the TV, some weird vampire drama with a lot of blood was on. They needed to talk about Holly’s taste on fiction. She grabbed the throw blanket from the chair and coved Holly, she didn’t even stir. That stuff her mother was taking was strong. Maybe they should talk about that too. When her mom and Holly stopped being mad at her that is. Helena felt a pang of guilty, but it didn’t last.

ooo

That was being a very, very demanding job. She had to go in three terrible dates with Brad Ritchie, the most absurdly dull person she even known in her entire life to get information for that heist. He was a new money guy, with no idea what to do with his millions so, she thought, he had spun a wheel of rich people’s hobbies and picked art. Most of the things he would buy were pure overpriced pretentious crap, but he recently bought a genuine piece of Mughal art that was in her client’s wish list for a very long time.

And also Brad was the kind of the guy that made her job feel less than a crime and more like a public service. Of course only herself and her client were being serviced, but so what? They were part of the public too.

The actual heist was no trouble at all, the penthouse apartment was easy to break in, she hacked the security system in just a few seconds and the lock in the vault was from a model she had already done before, the actual harder part was to find the small black velvet box among all the crap he collected. It was a stunning piece, a dagger, it’s handle was sculpted jade with gold, rubies and emeralds embellishments. If her client wasn’t paying an obscene amount of money she would have kept it for herself. A girl can enjoy nice things.

She was about to leave the scene, already thinking about the sinking in her bathtub with her new honeysuckle bath salts when he appeared with his ridiculous flying rat costume.

‘Put it back.’

She just rolled her eyes. What gave him the strange idea that dress like a weirdo gave him permission to give her orders?

‘Selina, put it back.’ He said again grabbing her arm.

‘How did you even know I’d be here?’ Selina asked perplexed.

‘I know about you little business, Catwoman. You got famous. I knew exactly what you were doing with Brad Ritchie.’

‘Yeah? And what was that exactly?’ Was he calling her an opportunistic slut? Well, she could admit that she was opportunistic and being a sexually available single mom made you slut according to Brenda, that bitch head of Helena’s school PTA.

‘Seducing him to steal from him.’

‘So what if I was? It’s nothing of your business. Unhandled me!’ She said pulling her arm back, but he didn’t let go.

‘Put it back.’ He said one more time, one too many.

Selina used the arm he was holding to elbow him in the stomach, Batman took the hit, but didn’t seen out of breath like she expected and instead tried to grab her again, but it was too late, Selina had already started to flew. He chased her through the rooftops.

‘I see that you have been training’ she shouted between jumps. ‘You might be all big and strong now, but I’m still faster.’

He didn’t answer to her provocations just kept pursuing her, and as she jumped each time higher and faster Selina felt adrenaline coursing through her body like she hadn’t felt in a very long time. She found after a while that the reason for the face to be starting to hurt wasn’t caused by the cold wind at all, but because she haven’t been able to stop smiling during the whole chase. And to give Batman a little of credit he had almost touched her a few times, each fleeting contact even through their full covered bodies sending electric straight to her centre.

But the fun ended when the sirens started to wail coming from the city. Batman stopped and Selina, from safety, observed him, it was like he was hearing some sort of comm, then he left following the sirens. He didn’t look back at her. But he didn’t before either.

ooo

Bruce is tired, if running after Selina wasn’t hard enough, he had already stopped three muggins before getting to her, and there was a robbery at a department store downtown with a hostage situation, fortunately nobody died but two cops and a victim were shot. Police and people didn’t trust Batman yet to complicate matters, and he wasn’t exactly trying to be friendly either. But what really got to him that night was Selina. Why was she still leading a life of crime? Haven’t she changed at all? Or had she changed indeed, but not improved? He knew she was a good person, so why did she continue doing bad things? He couldn’t wrap the reason around his mind.

He was going to stop at the study to get his laptop for his report when he had such a weird flashback that he thought his tired mind was playing tricks on him.

Selina was coming down from the window, the wind coming from outside blowing her curls and the curtains. But that Selina was even younger than the one he remembered from their first days, she also wore a pair of neon purple sneakers what child Selina wouldn’t never be caught dead wearing. Her wide smile was missing a tooth.

‘Hi! Have you seen my Alfie?’

——————————————————————————

Yay! We had classic BatCat dynamics in this one and you had a peak on Miss Helena. And she is a piece of work as expected to a kid raised by Selina and spoiled by Alfred and Barbara as her pseudo-grandparents (but Barbara will personally gut anyone who points that to her, her own daughter is after all just a few months older than Helena). Bruce also has to let his lovesick memory Selina go and face the real thing, meanwhile Selina’s anger don’t stop her feeling other things for Bruce. Hmmmm.

There is A LOT of story to happen still, guys. I hope to be able to keep you with me until the end.

Keep taking care of yourselves and your loved ones. I’ll be back soon.

#batcat #baby batcat #gotham #selina kyle #bruce wayne #catwoman #batman #my fic #Four Names for Love

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frethorentden-blog · 5 years

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