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cjsinkythoughts · 4 years ago

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In Need of a Breath

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Word Count: 4007

Warnings: !FATWS SPOILERS!, Cursing, Zemo, Feelings, Another PTSD Flashback

A/N: So…Part 4 is going to have a couple parts to it. Maybe even three. I didn’t even make it half way through the episode on this one, mainly because I really wanted to fit in the Reader’s backstory and I wanted her and Sam to have a heart-to-heart again. I’m suuuuper tired, so I probably won’t be posting the next part for another few hours (it’s 5 am right now and I haven’t slept), BUT it’s my day off work and I won’t be doing anything I planned because my grandmother had a stroke a couple days ago so plans have changed and I’m staying in to help her, meaning I’ll mostly be writing all day.

This Part is kind of a mix between off-screen and shot-by-shots, but it’s mostly off screen/what’s going on inside Reader’s head.

I’m really excited about future parts and the characters that are being introduced! I will say that after these parts, I will be doing one shots of previous MCU movies with the Reader, due to the information that is being given about the Reader now. You kind of see more of how she was affected/how she affected the previous MCU movies and what she was doing during that time.

Like always, this hasn’t been beta’d, again it’s SUPER early in the morning, and I’m really tired, so please excuse any mistakes! I hope you guys enjoy this part! Stay tuned for more to come later today!

FATWS MASTERLIST

cjsinkythoughts MASTERLIST

!SPOILERS UNDER CUT!

“You know…I’m really starting to regret saying yes to this.” You huffed out, craning your neck and squinting your eyes against the sun as you stare at the facility in front of you, hating the skin-crawling feeling of being back.

“Would you relax? Whenever you’re nervous, I get nervous, and I don’t wanna be nervous about this.” Sam shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“Do either of you have a better plan?” Bucky grumbled, crossing his arms.

Gnawing on your lips, you finally take the lead and breathe out, “alright. Let’s go then.” You could feel the hesitance from your - what were they? Partners? Coworkers? Teammates? - the fellas before they started after you.

There was a sick twist in your gut as you entered the building, going through the lobby and security.

You had been there.

You had been there when Zemo impersonated Bucky. You had been there when Zemo unleashed the Winter Soldier at the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre Building in Berlin. You had been there during the battle at the airport. You had been there when Zemo turned Tony and Steve against each other in Siberia. You had been there when Zemo tore the Avengers from the inside out. Your family. The only family you’d ever known.

But you’d always been good about pushing your personal feelings aside for the sake of the mission. It’s what you’d been born to do. All you ever knew.

“Hey. Doll. You hear me?”

“Hmm. What?” You looked up from the ground to look into those enchanting blue oceans Bucky had for eyes, staring worriedly down at you, eyebrows pinched and forehead creased.

“I’m going in alone.” You frowned, opening your mouth to argue, but he shook his head. “Sam already agreed-”

“I didn’t necessarily agree-”

“You’re an Avenger, sweetheart.” Bucky tilted his head, speaking softly, those eyes of his worried. Worried for you. It made your stomach flip. “And you were there in Siberia, and that almost makes it worse. Especially considering you went after him. Just…just let me do this, okay?”

You cracked your knuckles nervously as you thought. It was a terrible idea. But it was an idea. And it was all they had. “Okay.” You finally relented, shrugging as your hands hit your thighs and slid up to your hips. “But don’t do anything stupid.”

“Steve took all that with him.”

Knowing about their little inside joke, you scoffed. “Sure he did. Go before I change my mind.”

You watched him walk down the hallway, hands fidgeting with excess nerves. “I think you’re the only one he actually seeks approval from.”

“Good thing I’m so lenient then, huh?” You joked, turning to Sam with a strained smile. Your smile slipped at the curious expression on Sam’s face, his eyes darting to each of your features. “What?”

“Are you doing okay?”

You groaned, throwing your head back. You thought you got out of talking about your feelings back in Baltimore. “Oh my God, Sam-”

“I’m serious. You…you just don’t seem like yourself.”

You shook your head, looking down the hall to where Bucky disappeared before turning back to him. It was weird to have a self that people recognized. Your whole life you’d been searching for it and when you finally found it…everything went to shit. “Honestly, Sammy, the only time I’ve ever felt like myself was with the team. Zemo took that away from me and now we’re here, practically begging him for help.”

Sam hummed, leaning against the wall. “Have you thought of taking a break?”

“What?”

“A break.” At your bewildered look, he rolled his eyes. “Cher, this time last year most of us were dead. This time a few months ago you found out about Wanda. This time last week you were out looking for her. Maybe you should just stop and take a breather.”

Shoving your hands in your pocket and looking at the floor, you couldn’t help but snort at his advice. “I haven’t taken a breather since I was eighteen.”

He clicked his tongue. “That’s my point. FBI academy as soon as you graduated. SHIELD recruit by 21, undercover operations leader by 24? Slow down. You’re in your thirties. Next thing you know, you’re gonna be ninety something, lying on your deathbed, wishing you had stopped to smell the roses.”

“If I live to be ninety, shoot me.” He chuckled in amusement. “I’m so fucking serious, Sam. I will not be put in an old folks home to play Bingo and be pushed around in a wheelchair. It ain’t happening.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” There was that infectious smile, which you unconsciously grinned back at. “Y/N…I’m serious. You’ve been in and out of missions since you were a teenager. What’s the shortest undercover operation you’ve done?”

“I dunno.”

He gave you an unimpressed look. “Yeah you do.”

Licking your lips, you turned away and shrugged. “A couple months. Seven weeks and three days, to be precise. September to October in 2012.”

“And the longest?”

“August 2007 to May 2009. Twenty one months.”

Letting out a puff of air through his nose, Sam pushed himself off the wall and caught your chin between his fingers to make you look at him. “That’s nearly two years under cover. And I’m sure you went right back under after-”

“I was sitting at a desk for four months doing paperwork on it.” You defended yourself.

He shook his head, brows knitting together, lips drawn down. “You say that as if four months is enough time.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Sammy. I’m out. I’ve been out since Ultron and Sokovia. I haven’t been under in almost a decade-”

“A decade half the world was dead for half of-”

“I wasn’t!”

“I never said you were.” Sam sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. You were always amazed at his ability to keep his emotions in check. To stay cool under pressure. Sometimes you forgot how experienced he was with dealing with other people’s trauma. It was no wonder why Steve thought he’d be good for Bucky. “Listen. All I’m saying is once this is done…don’t go diving back into searching for Wanda. Don’t go running to the kid every time he calls - and I know you’ve been doing that-”

“It’s just been homework and stuff-”

“Y/N.” You stopped, biting your lip at the stern look he gave you. “Go home. Order take out. Binge watch TV. Go for a jog through the park. Actually meet your neighbors. Go grocery shopping. Just…live. If only for a couple weeks. Don’t worry about anyone else. Don’t pick up the phone, don’t drop everything because someone needs you. You need you.”

“I-I…” You shook your head, looking at him, sincerely apologetic. “I can’t. I wish I could. But I can’t. I’ve never had one normal day in my life. I’ve never had someone to care for, never had someone to care for me. I can’t let people I’ve come to…I can’t let them think I don’t care. I don’t even know where I’d go.”

“Whaddya mean?”

You winced, not thrilled for his reaction to your next statement. “I, uh, I sold my apartment in D.C.”

He gaped at you in complete disbelief. “You got it in December!”

“I know, I know. I liked it. I really did, but…I dunno. Nomadic life has always suited me better. It’s what I grew up with.”

He took a breath, making you cringe again. You don’t think you’ve ever legitimately gotten on his nerves like this before. “Have you ever thought that, instead of going with the flow and jumping place to place, putting down roots might actually help?” He cut you off before you could say anything, holding up a finger to stop you from talking. “I can’t imagine going from foster home to foster home like you did. I can’t imagine not having a home for as long as you can remember. Louisiana’s my home. Always has, always will be. But I understand your life has been anything but stable. And maybe, just maybe, that’s why you need some stability.”

You clenched your jaw, crossing your arms. “The Avengers were my stability. Steve was my stability.”

“Because you loved him.”

“I’m not doing this with you again.” You turned to walk down to the lobby to wait for Bucky there, but Sam caught your arm.

“You were in love with him! It’s okay! You two were super close! No one would blame you! Why won’t you just admit it? I’m trying to understand! Why won’t you-”

You tugged your arm away, finally snapping at him. “Because he could never be mine, Wilson! Is that what you wanna hear?!” Sam took a step back at your exclamation. You closed your eyes, swallowing the lump in your throat and pushing down the tears. “He could preach all he wanted about moving forwards, Sammy, but we all knew he was stuck in the past. He visited the museum every Thursday because her interview showed in his exhibit on Thursdays. He carried around that broken compass because her picture was in it.” You looked back up at him sadly, shrugging. “And I get it; it’s hard to move past your first love. I get it because…that’s what he was to me.”

There was a silence that blanketed the hallway, before he spoke up hesitantly. “What about Bucky?”

“I thought - I thought I was projecting my feelings for Steve onto him because I knew Steve couldn’t ever…”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “You thought? What do you think now?”

You cleared your throat. “I’m still figuring that one out.”

“If you ever need to talk, I’ll be here.”

You chuckled, nodding slightly towards him. “Back atcha. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you not being yourself lately, either.”

“It’s…a tough topic.”

You nodded in understanding. “Just know that I’ll support every decision you make as long as you think it’s the right one. Because I trust you. Steve trusted you. It’s all we can do to try to do what’s right. That’s what makes you a good man, Sammy. He gave you that shield for a reason, and if you think what you did was right…I’ll stand by it.”

The two of you stared at each other for a moment, calming down in each other’s presences and taking comfort knowing you’d be there for each other through thick and thin. “Thank you, cher.”

“Of course, Sammy. Now let’s go see what’s taking the old grump so long.”

He laughed at that, nodding in agreement, taking your offered hand and squeezing it as you made your way down the hall.

****************

“What?”

Bucky eyed you as you spluttered, coughing on the water you were drinking. “Please don’t choke, doll.”

“Break him out of jail?!” You repeated his words and blinked at him, absolutely baffled by his plan. “Oh my God.” You groaned as Bucky and Sam started arguing, moving your flashlight around the room. “Where the hell are we?” There was no response as they kept going back and forth.

“Zemo’s gonna mess with our minds! Especially yours! No offense.”

“Heelllloooo!” You tried again. “Where the hell are we?!”

Bucky turned on the lights, giving Sam a look. “Offense.” Glancing at you he quirked an eyebrow. “Stop worrying your pretty lil’ head, sweetheart. You trust me, dontcha?” Your breath hitched at his words. You quickly recovered, huffing and pouting - although you’d deny ever pouting - and crossing your arms. You stood between the guys like that, eyes darting to whoever was speaking, waiting for them to stop so you could actually think.

“Look. Let me just walk you through a hypothetical. Can I walk you through a hypothetical?”

You and Sam exchanged glances. “What did you do?”

“I…didn’t do…anything.” Bucky shrugged.

“How is it that you, one of the most deadliest assassins basically ever, are one of the worst liars I know.” You tilted your head at him, an eyebrow quirking up in confusion.

“Shush it you. Just, okay. The weakest point in any system isn’t the software, the hardware, it’s the meatware. The human element.”

The more you listened to Bucky’s “hypothetical”, the stronger the gut feeling telling you this was a terrible terrible idea got. You brought your hands up to your head, eyes wide as he spoke.

“I don’t like how casual you’re bein’ about this. This is unnatural.”

You couldn’t help but agree with Sam’s words, your head falling back and your eyes closing. “Sweet Jesus. Listen, God, I know we don’t talk much these days, but please, please don’t let this not be a hypothetical. I’m fucking begging you.”

A noise to your right made your head snap over. “Oh hell to the fucking no!” You shook your head as Zemo himself walked in, wearing a prison guards uniform. “Uh-uh! No way! Bucky, this was not part of the plan!”

“What did you do?!”

“We need him!”

“You’re going back to prison.”

“If I may-”

All three of you faced him, simultaneously shouting, “no!”

You held your face in your hands as your head dropped, shaking back and forth, your eyes squeezing shut, tuning them out for just a minute to think. Bucky had a point. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that, and the Avengers were technically disbanded, which was Zemo’s whole objective in the first place, but…God. You were good at compartmentalizing, but not that much. You were willing to put your feelings aside for the mission so Bucky could talk to him. Not for you to work with him. But he had connections, you knew he did, and he had information…

“Doll?” You looked up, Bucky anxiously licking his lips as he met your gaze. “I need you to say something.”

You looked to Sam, who shrugged, gesturing to Zemo. “What do you think?”

What did you think? What did you think?! You thought that it was the worst idea in the history of ideas and you should turn back and find another way! But…you knew this was the fastest, probably most reliable way to get information that you needed.

Dammit, since when were you the deciding factor?

You sucked in a breath, looking over Sam’s shoulder at Zemo, who lifted his hand in greeting. You raised your eyes to the ceiling, pointing your finger accusingly. “This is why we stopped talking.” Gaze dropping to the still waiting fellas, you gnawed on your lip, before hissing out, “ffffine…” Running a hand through your hair, you threw your hands up as you shrugged. “Fine. Okay. Fine.”

“Okay.” Sam nodded, taking charge again.

You couldn’t believe this was happening. Except, that was a lie. You could. You’d seen weirder. You’d experienced the impossible. Lived through the unbelievable. This…this was completely imaginable.

Which is why, with a lot of hesitation and very little confidence in this plan, you followed Zemo through the auto shop you were in until you reached a large room with a ton of different old cars.

Bucky’s hand found yours as Zemo explained what the plan was, rather vaguely, in your opinion, but at least he was explaining. Point for him. Not that it would make up for the level of distrust you held for him, but it was something.

You looked up at him, giving him a puzzling frown. He usually only grabbed your hand in front of other people when he was feeling anxious. Which, yeah, he had a right to be anxious right now, but it wasn’t the right kind. The type of anxiety caused by large crowds and loud noises, ones that startled him and threw him into a defensive mode.

But the look on his face made you squeeze his hand in reassurance. He was pouting, staring at you although he did something wrong - a puppy that tore up a pillow - and all you wanted to do was give him a hug.

“You’re mad at me.” He mumbled as the four of you headed out with Zemo in the lead.

“No I’m not.”

“Yeah you are.

“Bucky, I’m not mad.”

“Listen, if I had a better idea I wouldn’t-”

You brought your linked hands up to your lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his gloved knuckles. “I’m not mad.” You repeated more firmly. “It’s just…a lot for me, right now.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on, Buck, I-I just…” You thought about your and Sam’s earlier conversation and suddenly understood what he meant. “I need to breathe for a second.”

His features twisted into ones of uncertainty, eyes squinting as you stepped outside. “Do you…do you wanna leave?”

You shook your head, tugging his arm to stop him and grabbing the sunglasses on his collar, slipping them over his eyes. “No. I just need some time to think. Hopefully the plane ride to wherever the hell we’re going will give me that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, James. I’m sure.”

He lowered the glasses on his nose to scan you over the frames, before nodding and sliding them back up. “Okay. You ready for this, then?”

“No.” You breathed, turning back to where Zemo and Sam were still walking. “Let’s do this.”

*****************

Climbing onto the private jet, you raised an eyebrow at Sam, who shrugged, giving you a bemused expression. A Baron…huh…who knew? You feel like you should’ve, yet there you were.

You sat besides Bucky, across from Zemo, crossing your legs and leaning back while staring at him through narrowed eyes.

His butler seemed nice, which made you even more suspicious. You obviously didn’t know as much about Zemo as you wanted to. It was a habit you picked up after years of undercover work; once the mission was complete, that was that. There was no looking back on it. No sitting on it. It was over and you moved onto the next one. It was a bad habit in cases like this.

The moment you spotted the notebook over Zemo’s book you knew something was going to happen, yet you still flinched when Bucky lunged at him, grabbing his throat. You leaned back in your seat again, steadying your now racing heartbeat. You decided you were too tense, trying to relax your muscles as Bucky sat back down in his seat.

“I’ve seen that book. It was Steve’s when he came out of the ice. I told him about Trouble Man. He wrote it in that book.” Sam seemed so proud of himself that something he recommended was written in Steve’s little book and it made you smile.

You remembered that; Steve and you were supposed to meet up for coffee after his run, but Fury called him in so you rescheduled it for when he got back. He asked you about Marvin Gaye. For your opinion. You told him to check it out and make his own.

You remembered asking him about that little notebook of his, and he just shrugged you off telling you about his list. He would read items off to you, but he never let you read the book yourself. You never found out why, and you supposed you never would now. The thought made an ache behind your ribs that you’d come to familiarize yourself with appear.

You smiled a little more as Zemo and Sam told Bucky how awesome Marvin Gaye was. “C’mon, baby. Back me up.”

Chuckling, you looked at Bucky. “They’re not wrong. But,” you quickly added before Bucky could whine at you, facing Sam again. “Neither is Buck. I mean, c’mon. You can’t find music like the 40’s anymore. Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Fred Astaire. Ol’ Blue Eyes himself.”

“Thank you.” Bucky grinned at Sam, who rolled his eyes.

“Okay, okay. But, I mean, c’mon! Everybody loves Marvin Gaye.”

“I like Marvin Gaye.”

“Steve adored Marvin Gaye.”

Your face fell as Zemo started talking about Steve and icons and Red Skull, your mind once again slipping away from reality.

“Kids love you.” You giggled as you finally made it out of his exhibit. You’d wanted to show it to him since he moved to D.C., and you’d finally got an opportunity after coming back from being undercover for ten weeks. “You’re their hero, you know.”

“Yeah, well, I’m just trying to do what’s right.”

You nudged him, scoffing at his answer. “You’re too humble. You’re a national icon, you know.”

Steve shrugged, looking around the museum at the planes surrounding them. “I never wanted to be.”

“Why not? Everyone loves you.”

“I’m sure not everyone loves me.” He rolled his eyes. “And…I just wanted to help. To fight. Protect my country and the people I cared about. I-I didn’t ask for…all that.” He waved behind his shoulder where his exhibit was getting smaller with each step they took away. “People were dying. Bullies were winning.”

You shook your head, spinning and walking backwards besides him to face him. “Sure, but you did that. And you became someone people could look up to in the process.”

He narrowed his eyes at you before asking, “why do you do what you do?”

“...because I’m good at it?”

“Honey.” He gave you a look. “Answer the question.”

You hummed in thought. “Because I couldn’t stand by, knowing there would be orphaned kids if I didn’t help any way I could.”

“Alright. Why do you do it in the dark?”

“Whaddya mean?”

He shrugged. “Why don’t you come out and take credit for all the lives you’ve saved?”

“Because that’s not why I do it. I don’t want that attention. I just want to know I’ve helped people. I’ve kept them safe.”

He gave you a soft smile. “I just wanted to beat the bully. I never wanted to be a dancing monkey, too.” You looked at him in a new light then, understanding where he was coming from. “Watch out, honey!” He grabbed you and pulled you aside before you could crash into a wall, arms wrapped firmly around your waist. He gave you that charming smile of his. “Wouldn’t want you hurting that pretty lil’ head of yours, now would we?”

“Y/N!”

You snapped back into the conversation, moving your eyes from the window to Bucky, who tilted his head, eyebrows pinched and eyes narrowed. “Sorry. So, Madripoor. That’s a fun place.”

You ignored the side eyed glances Bucky and Sam exchanged, Sam turning to you curiously. “You’ve been?”

“Once. Back in 2010 for a few months”

Zemo raised his eyebrows. “You’re lucky to have gotten out.”

You shrugged nonchalantly. “Lucky, maybe. Skills were a part of it, too, though.”

“Good.” Zemo nodded. “Because we’re going undercover…and if we blow it. We’re dead.”

You breathed out, shaking your memory away and getting your head back into the game. Because like the man you were severely wary of in front of you said, if you blew this, you were dead. And, sure, you didn’t want to live until ninety, but you weren’t even half way there yet. So dammit if you were going to die soon.

“Hey.” You looked over at Bucky’s murmur, his head tilting as he grabbed your hand and pulled you from your seat closer to him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. Are you okay? You know you’re going to have to be-”

“I know.” He nodded. You watched his Adam’s Apple bob as he swallowed thickly. “I’ll be fine. Just…tell me right now if you need to step out for this one.”

You gave him a smile that you knew he didn’t buy, just by the slight narrowing of his eye, his lips pressing together. “No. No, I’m good for this. If you think I’m gonna let you two idiots go into Madripoor with him - alone - oil that cyborg brain of yours, because there’s no way.”

He squeezed your hand, eyes still filled with uncertainty. “Are you sure?”

“If there’s even a slight possibility that I can protect you, then yeah. I’m sure, Buckaroo.”

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rwbyconversations · 4 years ago

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The Scarlet Letter: Let’s talk about RWBY’s male LGBT rep

I have been sitting on this post for nearly four weeks waiting until the 15th due to the Before the Dawn spoiler rules.

So let's start with a blunt statement: RWBY's male LGBT representation has not been good. If the series' handling of female LGBT rep is good (which... well there's worse shows) and the general standard for how you write LGBT characters in a show like this, its handling of male rep has been... how not to. And Before the Dawn kinda solidified the idea in my head that the show's handling of its male LGBT cast just isn't good enough, either by the standards of when RWBY began in 2013, or today in 2020 when compatively massive steps have been taken over the past decade to show a more diverse list of characters... or at least a more diverse list of female characters.

I don't wanna make this a pissing match over how over-or-under-represented male or female LGBT characters are, but I feel like it's safe to say that the majority of the trend-setters for modern romances, especially in western animation, have been between women. Korra and Asami from Korra, Chloe and Max from Life is Strange, Marceline and Bubblegum in Adventure Time, (insert the relevant Steven Universe characters here, never watched it), and more recently, Adora and Catra in She-Ra and Luz in Owl House.

Compatively, while studies have shown that in general male LGBT characters get more appearances on a purely numerical level, in general they're more one-off characters there to pad a roster, or played more for comedy (see Josh Gad in the Beauty and the Beast remake or the gay guy in Avengers Endgame that was more notable for how hard China and Russia snapped him out of existance). The only big male-LGBT focused media I can think of from the last decade would be Yuri On Ice, Moonlight, IDW's Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye (Chromedome/Rewind best pairing fuck you Roberts for issue 16) Love Simon, and the anime adaptation of Banana Fish.

So it's no surprise that RWBY basically follows these ideas. It's big romance is (unless the writers are very stupid) going to be between Blake and Yang, their first out character was Ilia, Coco got sent to the Book Dimension where she confirmed "I use my sunglasses to perv on women without their knowledge" which uh... yeah you can definitely tell RWBY is written by men... and Volume 6 had Saph and Terra being a good example of an LGBT couple without any real drama. In the last three years alone, the show has drastically increased its lesbian and bisexual characters, alongside even including its first out trans character in May Marigold (albeit only revealed on Twitter). In general, these depictions of sexuality have been pretty OK. Would have liked it if Ilia wasn't immediately written out of the show after Volume 5 as it made her feel a bit more disposable than intended but whatever, subject for another day.

RWBY's male rep though is a bit spottier. There's the plant bois in Volume 5's premiere, we nearly had Pilot Boi until some last-minute revisions, and... Scarlet.

Why Scarlet's a bad launchpad for male LGBT rep

I don't like Scarlet or how his sexuality has been handled. Scarlet's homosexuality wasn't revealed in the show, or by the writers, or even in anything that's actually canon. He's confirmed gay in his sole of dialogue in a non-canon fan anthology, where the manga's Twitter team had to say that Miles suggested the idea and approved of it.

In short, Scarlet is Dumbledore'd, where his sexuality is revealed in out-of-show material and in a way that doesn't make it supremely obvious (Miles himself never commented to confirm this so this news was limited in how far it could spread. I'm genuinely curious how many people still don't know Scarlet's gay), and Scarlet himself is a nothing character who was written out of the show after Volume 3 and only reappeared in Before The Dawn, half a decade after he vanished. Compared to Ilia, as this came out after Ilia's entire arc in Volume 5, it's not a great starting point for mlm rep. But things would have been forgiven if it had gotten better, if the show did have more male LGBT characters introduced, even just on the Saphron/Terra level of just being around for a few episodes before leaving. Then it would have been a misfire but then we could all say "Things got better."

It... didn't. Which is why when Before the Dawn released in 2020, a full two years after Scarlet was first confirmed gay, while the franchise had more than doubled its wlw rep, Scarlet remained the one male character in the entire franchise who had a name and liked men. I remember vividly a fake leak for After The Fall which claimed Yatsuhashi would come out to Velvet and admit to having a crush on Fox. And I remember as well how many people were disappointed when it was said to be false, because it would have been nice for Yatsuhashi's character, especially after the fleshing out he gets in the CFVY books. If Yatsu had come out as gay in the books I'd like his writing enough to say he's a good case for rep, albeit with the caveat of "This is all in side material." But in reality, the leak was fake and Coco was confirmed gay instead.

Unfortunately, Before the Dawn proceeded to ruin Scarlet and made me at times feel genuinely uncomfortable as a queer man! Let's talk about that.

Before The Dawn is crap and Scarlet's writing is borderline offensive

I hate Before the Dawn. It's... bad. I read it while on a vacation and the only solace I had about the entire thing was that I'd bought an M&M chocolate bar. The bar was finished before the book. That bummed me out. It's not a very well written book, the prose is very Early 2010s YA Writer, none of the characters are memorable and there's various Fun Incidents like "NGDO using children as bait for Grimm," and "Neptune's hydrophpobia being used as a threat to torture him and the scene is played for comedy."

Theo was cool. I can't wait to see him as written by good writers, he should be a highlight of the Vacuo arc.

I had two hopes for Before the Dawn- "Don't be bad," and "Let Scarlet and Sage be well written." I'd liked how After The Fall had handled some of its characters (barring, y'know, Coco perving on women), especially Fox and Yatsu who were surprising in how much I liked them. I was looking forward to seeing Myers give Sage and Scarlet similar treatment- two relatively nothing characters meant he'd have a blank slate to write them however he wanted, he could give them unique personalties and if nothing else it could be cool to see their Semblances.

And then I read the book. (Sage fans I am so sorry for you, you got baited harder than Johnlock fans)

Scarlet's a giant dickhead in the book. It's his sole character trait and his inner monologues go on, and on, and on about how much he hates Sun, how he revels in mocking him. Most of his dialogue is sarcastic put-downs about Sun and how lame he is, and Sun is never properly allowed to defend himself or point out how going with Blake meant he was able to help save Haven Academy.

(hey remember when Sun in Volume 6 expressly says to Blake "I was a bad leader for ditching Neptune and the others, and I need to work on that" only for Before the Dawn to have him staunchly refuse to accept that he let the team down? I don't think Myers did but I do)

Scarlet being a ratty bitch would be one thing if, again, the franchise had done more rep. He'd still be a badly written character, but it wouldn't sting as much. But because Scarlet is still the only expressly confirmed male LGBT character in canon (the book teases that Nolan is gay but there's never confirmation either way beyond him smiling at Scarlet), it means that he has to represent that entire ideal. So when the one gay man in Remnant is being an asshole and a snide loser, that means that by extension, this is how the franchise sees gay men. And that fucking sucks! I wanted to come out of Before The Dawn singing its praises, I wanted to like the book, but it was a massive letdown, especially coming off of the other big 2020 RWBY controversy involving gay characters.

Yeah. We're doing this.

Clover and Fair Game: Technically not queerbaiting. BUT:

Let's pre-empt this: Clover wasn't queerbaiting, and Fair Game, while cool and I dig it, kudos to them for becoming one of the top 5 RWBY pairings on AO3 in one year that's fucking impressive (I say with mild malice as an IronQrow main), never had a chance. The writing never seriously boosted it barring one interaction which was flirty (them talking in the lobby of the Schnee Manor), and everything else was out of show boosting through the social media teams and CRWBY hyping it themselves by saying they liked it. If you wanna blame people, blame the animators who went off-script with stuff like Kim Newman adding the wink as a deliberate nod to the Volume 4 waitress, or the social media team deliberately using the same policies for Fair Game as they do for Renora and Bumblebee.

It wasn't Eddy's fault that things escalated, and he himself has said that in retrospect, he should have warned people that this never had a shot.

But I can't blame the Fair Game fanbase. Because Fair Game took off like wildfire. It came right as the fanbase began seriously asking for more male rep, Qrow's pretty hot, and the Clover wink came right after the Great IronQrow Reawakening of November 9th, 2019. The rocket was primed, and they rode it to the moon. Finally, to these people, after seven years RWBY seemed to be doing something with mlm rep in show. People started getting into RWBY just for Clover and Qrow's interactions. And if heroes were boring, Watts and Tyrian also had a fantastic dynamic that made Nuts and Volts one of the more popular villain ships overnight. Things seemed to be turning around! RWBY was remembering that gay men existed! You could hear the choir sing!

... And for those people, that meant that episode 12 hit like Truck-Kun.

People got pissed. People were horrified. And it didn't help that some members of CRWBY had said in the build-up that episode 12 would have some shots that made them nauseous (probably the Tyrian thumb thing) Out of context, it looked to these fans like CRWBY were basically laughing at their suffering, like they were saying "Lol, you thought you had a chance, get fucked, I hope your vomit burns on the way up."

Yeah, Fair Game was never gonna be canon, and I think some people ran too far with it. But in the wider context of how desperate RWBY's mlm community had gotten for basic crumbs of content? I can see why they'd run with what they had. The writers aren't at fault for what happened, but CRWBY didn't help matters. And that desperate mix of what felt like official backing from the crew, jokes about how cute the ship was, and the hope that finally the show would have onscreen rep? I can see why people ran with it.

So why is the show more lackluster in depicting mlm characters?

Money. Let's be honest, most RWBY fans don't care if the show doesn't have good male rep. I'm willing to bet some of you reading this won't care and just dismiss it as not being that big a problem. I don't think the writers care if the show doesn't have good mlm rep because they're not poaching that market. They're after what they see as a bigger, more lucrative market, which in this case is female LGBT rep. That gets people buying games, watching shows, raising awareness and boosting awareness of your property, which means you make more money. In short: Two women kissing hits more markets and generates more attention than two men.

Am I saying that Miles, Monty and Kerry deliberately sat down seven years ago and said "We're not doing gay men because it won't generate enough ad revenue and traffic to be worth the loss in revenue from homophobes?" No, that's silly. But I'm saying that it's less important for them, and it shows in the things that are small and add up. Things like Miles not verifying Scarlet's sexuality or retweeting the manga account's confirmation to spread the message (compared to how he enthusiastically confirmed Ilia being a lesbian himself during the Reddit AMA). It shows in how Pilot Boi would have been the first mlm character only to die in his second full episode until M&K were told about the Bury Your Gays trope. It shows in how Shannon believes that Ozma is "megaqueer" and Miles jokingly laughs it off instead of confirming it, leaving it to just be Shannon's headcanon. It shows in how actor shipping is compared between the mlm and wlw ships, where Arryn and Barbara's frequent pushes for Bumblebee are seen as "official confirmation that it's endgame" while Michael and Kerry saying they enjoy Seamonkeys is treated as "well it would be cute if they did it, but they're never going to."

I'm not gonna say anything like "CRWBY are gonna have Qrow end up with a woman like Robyn out of spite against the bad apples of the Fair Game crowd." I'm not gonna say that I don't think CRWBY cares about male representation in the series. It is, however, definitely a low priority for them, and because that leads to gaffes like Scarlet's writing in Before The Dawn being offensive in his depiction, it only makes the contrast between the sexes all the more painfully apparent.

I'm kinda tired of waiting for Rooster Teeth to show that they do care about mlm. I'm kinda tired of RWBY's male rep being written like it came from a 1993 time capsule where I have to enhance the screen to see a guy holding a sign of Sun's abs or be content with the only onscreen rep still being the plant bois in Volume 5. I'm tired of how often the crew dances around answering basic questions about sexuality (and age, and birthdays, and heights, and so on) by treating it as a spoiler question, as if just wanting to know what way people swing would ever be a spoiler. I'm just... tired of all this. When the best mlm rep in Rooster Teeth's history remains the two dads in Camp Camp who show up in a few episodes, that should say something really bad about your company and your biases (To say nothing of the recent Red vs Blue seasons and their blatant queerbaiting for Grif and Simmons and the whole can of worms that is Donut).

I'd like to not feel like I'm borderline unwelcome because I'd like to see two men in this show kiss, and that the sole thing that represents people like me in this show is some British twat who complains about sand.

I'd just like to feel like my sexuality isn't a joke to Rooster Teeth (or at the very least, be like Donut and have it be a funny one). But at this point after the last few years? I feel like a very uncomfortable punchline to them. And it just sucks.

#rwby #rwde #fair game #queerbaiting #rwby before the dawn #mlm #lgbt #rwby analysis #Rooster Teeth #clover ebi #scarlet david

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issamhysa · 5 years ago

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Dating Dorcas would include...

A/N: A lot longer than I had planned, I’ll admit. Also, this is not proofread at all. Have fun!

WARNING! SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3

You know, you should probably stop letting your sister drag you into these messes

But then again, you’re having too much fun

Isn’t that right, Y/N Morningstar?

You’re Sabrina’s half-sister

Different mothers, same father

However, your mother and Diana Spellman were close friends

So when Sabrina gets sent to her aunties Zelda and Hilda, you get sent with her

You and Sabrina are raised together, practically joined at the hip

You learn your first spells together, with Ambrose as your teacher

You were both born on the same day, so you share a birthday

Which means Hilda gets to go crazy for birthday parties, despite Zelda’s complaints

Being half-mortal, you and Sabrina start Baxter High at the same time

You both have very different friend groups

But still, you hang out with them often

On the night of your sixteenth birthday, you and Sabrina prepare for your dark baptism

Sabrina refuses to sign the Book of the Beast, but you do so

Willingly

You want the power that comes with it, and you want to reach your full potential

Sabrina knows you’ve wanted this, so she doesn’t try to stop you

She has before, but to no avail

So you start at the Academy of Unseen Arts before Sabrina does

Hilda hugs you tight, telling you she’ll miss you

“Auntie Hilda, it’s not like we’ll never see each other again, but I love you. And I’ll miss you as well.”

Ambrose is next, but he’s more excited

“Go out there, see the word, explore your potential.”

Sabrina is the last person you say goodbye to

“Are you sure I can’t make you change your mind?” She asks you

But you smile and hug your sister, kissing the side of her head

“I love you, Brina. But I can handle myself.”

On your first day at the Academy, you meet Nicholas Scratch

He’s handsome, charming

And a complete nightmare

The two of you are quick to become friends

You admire the nerve he has and his sense of humor

He admires your quick wit and your no-bullshit attitude

Through him, you meet the Weird Sisters

The three immediately try to scare you off by hexing you, but you easily counter their hexes and curses with spells of your own

Impressed by your attitude, they instantly take a liking to you

They take you in, and it’s almost like you’re a fourth Weird Sister

When Sabrina starts her three-day stay at the Academy, you’re super excited

You’ve been at the Academy for a week, but you’ve already learned so much

But the two of you have separate classes, so you talk and decide to meet up again during lunch

In Demonology, you sit with the sisters, who are planning on Harrowing a new student

You stay out of it, as you usually do

“Sabrina Spellman, Edward Spellman’s daughter-”

“No.”

The three turn to you with surprised expressions

“No?”

“You’re not Harrowing my sister.”

Eventually, the sisters back off reluctantly

You meet with Sabrina again during lunch and tell them all about your first week

You tell her about how you’ve been hanging out with the Weird Sisters, and how you’ve bonded

Especially, how you’ve bonded with Dorcas

Sabrina is quick to catch on, and you gently shove her as she teases you

“I mean, go for it. You really like her, right? You’re single, you’re pretty, and you’re a powerful witch. What’s not to like?”

“I agree.” A male voice says from behind the two of you

You introduce Nicholas to Sabrina and head out for your next class, which you have with Dorcas

“Are you going to the dance tonight?” You ask Dorcas

“Of course I am. Are you?” She asks in return, and you chuckle

“Yes. Do you have a date?”

“Are you asking me out?”

“Yes.”

And that’s how the two of you end up going to the dance together

Neither of you thinks too much of it, really

You both drink, dance, joke around and laugh

And at some point in the night, Agatha could’ve sworn she saw you two disappear into one of the closets

After that night, you two don’t necessarily make it official, but you start seeing each other outside your friend group more often

The other students can tell there’s something going on between you and Dorcas

But they all know what’s good for them

So they keep their mouths shut

Sabrina catches wind, and she’s strangely okay with this

“If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

You and Dorcas start going on little dates

Sometimes it’ll be a picnic in the woods after curfew

Other times you’ll both just sit in the rooms and play with each other’s hair while you study

It’s not long before Agatha and Prudence find out

They don’t really care

“As long as we’re invited, we’ll allow this to continue.”

You can never tell if Prudence is joking and when she’s being serious

When Father Blackwood summons the Crimson Avenger, you plan on leaving the Academy to help your family

But Dorcas doesn’t want to let you

“Y/N, please, stay with us here at the Academy. Father Blackwood will keep us safe-”

You silence her with a gentle kiss and pull away before she can respond

“I’ll see you soon.”

And with that, you leave

When you return, Dorcas pulls you in for a kiss in front of the entire coven, not caring who sees

You’re both official after that

A few months later, the Dark Lord comes to Greendale

He brings you and Sabrina to him and reveals your true heritage

He also reveals how he used Nicholas to get close to both you and Sabrina

Sabrina storms out after rejecting her duty to be queen, and you stand to follow after her

“Ah, ah, darling Y/N. If you follow your sister, you will be rejecting your duty to me as well. Tell me, my dear, is that something you really want to do?”

You fix him with a glare and leave to find Sabrina, leaving Lucifer dumbstruck

And enraged

While looking for Sabrina, you run into Prudence

She tells you Father Blackwood poisoned the coven, and you immediately rush over to the desecrated church to find the entire coven half dead

“Agatha! Dorcas!” You call, and you’re given a response in the form of a small groan

You and Prudence rush to the front, where you see the two sisters, barely clinging to life

You give Prudence no time to panic as you grab onto the three of them and teleport back home, where Hilda, Zelda and Ambrose help you heal them

After you help Sabrina trap Lucifer in Nick’s body, you head home to check on Dorcas

You find she’s still unconscious, but according to your auntie Hilda, she will recover

So you decide to stay until the entire coven recovers

When the pagans come, you’re very wary of them, as everyone is

You offer to go with Dorcas to deliver the moon pie after the snake incident, but she refuses and says she’ll go alone

Agatha follows her on Zelda’s orders

You don’t see Dorcas for a couple of days, and you’re super worried

However, the next time you see her, she’s turned to stone

Literally

You help Ambrose find a way to reverse whatever curse the pagans put on her, but you also help Prudence figure out what’s wrong with Agatha

Once the spell cast on Dorcas is reversed, she collapses against you

And she’s confused as hell

She tells you what she remembers before she has a tiny panic attack, which you hold her through

You two separate when you go help Roz, Harvey and Theo stop the pagans

But something feels off

You feel like something’s about to go wrong

Horribly wrong

You tell them to not move before rushing home, and the sight that greets you when you walk in breaks your heart

“Dorcas? Prudence?”

Both sisters lie on the ground, bleeding from several stab wounds

No, no no

You collapse onto your knees, taking both their hands with tears streaming down your face

As you rack your brain for any spells you can think of to heal the sisters, you fail to hear the third sister behind you

You feel a sharp pain erupt where your heart is before everything goes black

You see your memories dance before your eyes

Growing up, signing your name in the Book of the Beast, meeting Dorcas, making things official with her

And you wake up to see Sabrina hovering over you

#the chilling adventures of Sabrina #Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #tcaos #tcaos x reader #caos #caos x reader #dorcas night #dorcas x reader #chilling adventures of sabrina x reader #fanfic #writing

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Doom Patrol Season 2 Episode 7 Review: Dumb Patrol

https://ift.tt/3eT5rvb

This Doom Patrol review contains spoilers.

Doom Patrol Season 2 Episode 7

As its title suggests, Doom Patrol gets pretty dumb this week when the manor experiences an infestation of microscopic beings that feed off of bad ideas, but which reveals Miranda to be an effective primary. Meanwhile, Cliff rockets back to Earth, and vows endlessly to kill the Chief, who is seeking answers in the Yukon, and Rita decides to shadow the Cloverton beekeeper for her community theater role. And once again, Doom Patrol hits us with a silly episode that still manages to push character development forward – even for Willoughby Kipling — and unveils more of Chief’s plan for Dorothy.

“Dumb Patrol” introduces the pink-skinned microscopic beings the Scants which, as a 1950s health class PSA from the Knights Templar explains, implant very bad ideas into infected humans, who then produce “uma-jelly” upon which the creatures feed. Bad ideas as a weapon is incredibly effective, it turns out (and is quite tasty, if the Scant Queen played by Jhemma Ziegler is to be believed).

After some Scant mist inspire Larry, Vic, and Roni to open a crate from the Eismann Gallery marked “Do Not Open” on the front, the back, and the sides – all caps, underlined – we’re treated to great comedic moments where our typically dour characters can get goofy.

(As an aside, the Eismann Gallery “somewhere in Switzerland” is likely a reference to Horst Eismann from the Doom Patrol comics who collects bizarre objects, and who Kipling claimed in the first episode of the season to possess enough magic to return the team to normal size.)

Despite Miranda’s fairly sound advice that Captain Trainor should give his family space, he asks for her to ring up Flit from the Underground – where they both teleport into the hospital where Larry’s grandson was held. The normally morose Larry goes from Negative Man to Positive Man as he chipperly announces himself as “Doctor Trainor” with a lab coat, and almost gets captured by the Bureau of Normalcy.

Meanwhile, Vic and Roni’s relationship, already moving way too fast to be believed, shifts into a whole new gear with them agreeing Vic should just perform surgery on her to remove her tech (an idea Larry is more certain of than anything in his whole life; and he should know since he is already dressed as doctor). Oh, and Cyborg confesses his love to her, which leads to a sweet “booyah” between couples.

Since Vic and Larry are two of the more downer characters on Doom Patrol, this foolish optimism fueled by the Scants is a refreshing breather. This is especially true for Vic. Larry’s arc is often heart wrenching, but meaty, whereas Vic doesn’t typically have as much to do. I have to say, I am like Vic overall more this season.

Kipling also benefits from being a dum-dum. Already a likable smartass, it’s nice to see the drunk wizard taken down a peg. Even he isn’t too smart to avoid getting infected by the Scants, and the Scant Queen prods him about his secret love for Baphomet, the horse-head demon without a body. It makes one almost feel bad for Willoughby, who uses a first edition The Catcher in the Rye for some papercut blood magic to send a message to her.

Rather than the Scantoverse from the comics (created by artists Mike Allred and writer Gerard Way, musician and creator of The Umbrella Academy), the Scants are hanging out in the painting that had trapped Beardhunter and Mr. Nobody. Sporting some Beast Boy Teen Titans Go! undies, Beardhunter mentions Nobody skipped out of the painting for another gig, cheekily referenced in a meta onscreen promo for the animated Harley Quinn series where he plays Joker and Clayface. Along with the Scant Queen’s self-referential magazine, these kinds of jokes work on Doom Patrol because the show has set up the expectation of weirdness, and they allow the viewer to revisit characters like Beardhunter and Nobody (though, for now, in absentia).

But the show also plays with expectations by making Miranda a calming, rational persona as primary. Sure, she seems to be trying hard to be well liked and learn how things are done around Doom Manor because she’s the new kid. Indeed, making breakfast, fawning over Rita as her biggest fan, and offering help from the other alters – not to mention saving the day by killing the Scant Queen – go far in winning the team over. And she appears less chaotic than Jane.

However, Miranda appears to have her own agenda underway in the Underground, and it looks like Jane will be stuck down there investigating. Who will be the one topside to ask for Jane back? Probably Cliff.

That is, unless Cliff isn’t too absorbed with his newly arrived daughter.

In classic Chief fashion, he rocketed Robotman back to Earth (and right through a billboard for the autobiography from the dino-side of Animal-Vegetable-Man, which received accolades from Gerard Way, Doom Patrol writer Jeremy Lambert, and, of course, supervillain Kite Man).

Doom Patrol Season 2: Dorothy Spinner is Forever Young

By Rosie Knight

But it turns out he wasn’t trying to kill him, as it initially appeared at the end of last episode. Cliff has a literal journey walking back to the manor, vowing to kill Niles along the way, getting shat upon by a bird (who he also vows to kill), and subjecting himself to pathetic shout-outs as a talking statue in exchange for cellphone use. But Cliff literally wills himself forward and is eventually rewarded with Clara waiting for him – and holding the missing tape of Niles’ confession of what he did to Cliff. I had a suspicion the Chief was out to betray Cliff again, and it seemed confirmed last week, so this reveal was a welcome surprise. The Chief is no saint, but I want him to ultimately be a good guy, perhaps because I can’t help but love Timothy Dalton’s performance so much.

And it does appear that Dalton will have more to do as Chief coming up. His venture into the Yukon, searching for Slava, instead leads to a vision of Candlemaker who suggests he is a creation of Slava’s ancestors. I don’t know if I buy it; Candlemaker has already proven himself to be a manipulator. But the vision is enough for Niles to call upon Kipling, wherein the episode closes with the two appearing to discuss a plan to dispatch Dorothy because she is too powerful to be contained. It’s a dark episode finale for the remorseful Chief to be pondering killing his beloved daughter.

Finally, Rita had her own parental issues to work through this week. While shadowing the Cloverton beekeeper who she is portraying in the community theater show “Our Town” (but not the Thornton Wilder one), she seeks to find inspiration for her one line: “My Bees!” Rather, she ends up drunk with the beekeeper, talking about how parents are sometimes full of their own ideas in an attempt to protect their (potentially also dumb) kids. Rita may think she has found catharsis by talking to the bees, but something inside her might be fixed after all. She demonstrates control over her powers to thwart a mugging, and potentially becoming a real superhero: The Beekeeper? Does Cloverton have a new avenging angel buzzing about?

OK, a final petty thought that is driving me a little bonkers about a show I think is legitimately great, but Rita seems to have a disappearing parasol at the beginning of the ep when she walks up to the beekeeper’s porch. The sudden vanishing act had me wondering if Mr. Nobody was operating behind the scenes after all.

That said, an episode about our heroes having a lot of dumb ideas ended up being a smart story that allowed the actors to stretch a little and have some out-of-character fun in their roles.

The post Doom Patrol Season 2 Episode 7 Review: Dumb Patrol appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2WLhKDl

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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fanfictionquotess · 6 years ago

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Rec List: The Umbrella Academy

Part 1 Part 2 I’ve been hit hard by cupid’s arrow and fell in love with The Umbrella Academy. It’s all I’ve been reading this past week. So, I’ve decided to start compiling my rec list now. Everything listed in this rec list are gen fanfics. I most likely will only ever read gen fanfiction for this fandom (unless I see a particular Klaus x Dave or Agnes x Hazel fic that catches my interest). In addition, this list only includes completed works. I’m also going to include an all encompassing drug-content warning because Klaus Hargreeves.

Total Fics Recommended Thus Far: 26 This is my second Rec List, so feel free to let me know what you think of the formatting and whether or not I need to make adjustments (like splitting it up into two parts bc this is more than I expected).

As always, my inbox is open to rec list requests.

Is the sadness everlasting? (love, I think it is) by ArmedWithMyComputer

Words: 3161 Chapters: 2 Post-S1

Summary: A look into what Klaus' newly discovered ability could mean for the siblings.

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Things Aren’t Quite the Same by oscarwildechilde

Words: 6632 Chapters: 1 Pre-S1

Summary: Ben reads to Klaus when the dead get too loud for him to beat. He’s always there for him, and always will be.Ben and Klaus’ friendship and the start of Klaus’ problems.

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Simpler Times by bucketbarneslove

Words: 5181 Chapters: 1 Pre-S1

Summary: On one of the last nights that the Hargreeves siblings get to be anything close to normal, Klaus suggests they have some fun. His idea? Heading over to the 24/7 doughnut shop and getting absolutely trashed on sugar.

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Ghosts of You(th) by SilvertonguedClotpole

Words: 10,110 Chapters: 1 Post-S1, e10 au

Summary: It was a mausoleum, and right now it was probably the best chance they had at hiding from those chasing them. But of course, a mausoleum isn't just a mausoleum to Klaus. It was a hell. And his siblings were about to see a true glimpse of what it was like being Klaus Hargreeves.

When they're forced to hide in the cemetery, the siblings get more than they bargained for when they have to fight to remain hidden, and fight to keep their brother from toppling over the edge.

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For the Record by aye_of_newt

Words: 3645 Chapters: 1 Post-S1, e10 au

Part 1 of Vague AU

Summary: Diego finds Klaus' police record.

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I know That Everyone Gets Scared by MidnightRavenFromTheClock

Words: 2945 Chapters: 1

Summary: What if the Hargreeves siblings did a little better?

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Some have names but most do not (If you find one, please let me know what piece I've lost) by Brain_Brainson

Words: 3235 Chapters: 1 Post-S1

Part 1 of Real Names, Fake Names, Chosen Names

Summary: Five has only been around for a week but already Klaus won’t leave him alone.“You need a name,” he says, hanging upside down from the couch.

“I have a name,” Five says.

Comments: Did anyone say Non-binary!Five?

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I've been searching for my Father (I can not explain why he grows old) by Brain_Brainson

Words: 5481 Chapters: 1 Post-S1

Part 3 of Real Names, Fake Names, Chosen Names

Summary: Despite being the perfect fairytale villain, Five doesn't actually hate their Dad.

Comments: Somehow I missed p2 and need to rectify that immediately In all likelihood it’ll also be recommended.

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Secrets I have held in my heart (are harder to hide than I thought) by Brain_Brainson

Words: 7732 Chapters: 1 Post-S1

Part 4 of Real Names, Fake Names, Chosen Names

Summary: Your Family is caught up in some emotional bullshit and everyone is ignoring each other and it’s making you feel things you don’t wanna feel?Well, what the fuck do you do then?

Comments: I really love their portrayal of Luther.

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Something of a Success by magikfanfic

Words: 3130 Chapters: 1 Pre-S1

Summary: Klaus is the first to know.

Comments: CW for Major Character Death. In particular, our boy Ben.

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A Little Family Bonding by dirkygoodness

Words: 1954 Chapters: 1

Summary: Each and every one of them flaked on world-saving as soon as it was out of his mouth.So instead of getting up and being productive Five jumped down to the local liquor store and stole two bottles of whiskey for himself. If everyone else wasn’t going to give a shit, then maybe he’d give it a try too.

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Whatever It Takes by Galliumite

Words: 1033 Chapters: 1 e10 spoilers

Summary: A One-shot in which the probability map in episode 5 of the show gives a name that Five doesn't want to see. And that leads Five to responding to Luther's threats towards Dolores slightly differently.

Comments: An interesting AU idea.

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Ordinary by Fourfivesix

Words: 987 Chapters: 1 Pre-S1

Summary: Klaus wishes he was ordinary like Vanya.

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The Boy At The End Of The World by Devilbaby

Words: 2093 Chapters: 1

Summary: There's no crying in the apocalypse; water is too valuable a commodity to be wasted on tears and sorrow. The world didn't care about his suffering, so neither did he.

A character study about Five, why he is who he is and why he does what he does.

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Your Father Isn’t Here by GiuGiu

Words: 2388 Chapters: 1 Pre-S1

Part 2 of TUA Kid Fics

Summary: “We wanted to be bird feeders.” Number Four grinned, leaning over to pick a chia seed off of Number Six’s ear.

“Like the one we made during crafts.” Number Six elaborated, pushing his brother’s hand away from his face. Grace had used last week’s recreation time to make peanut butter bird feeders with her children. She had carefully written the report asking for permission, justifying her choice with data about gross motor skills and basics of biology instruction.

This had not been in her contingency report. She would need to be more thorough next time.Or, raising seven four-year-olds while having limited free will isn't easy.

Comments: Grace-centric and beautifully written.

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Just In Case by starsandsupernovae

Words: 1171 Chapters: 1

Summary: Vanya and Five are kids and it's cute and happy and then it's not

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Blood Like Lemonade by Ford_Ye_Fiji

Words: 2860 Chapters: 1

Summary: Hunting high and low to seek revenge, Brand new moral code, got made reluctant renegade. Leaving empty souls when he avenged, Evil spirits flowed he drank the blood like lemonade.

-Five's sordid past comes to light in, quite possibly, the most unpleasant way

Comments: Really cool idea to explore, personally.

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breathe in, exhale (the blood flood) by doc_boredom

Words: 852 Chapters: 1

Summary: Diego Hargreeves held his breath and counted to five. Not second by second like a normal person would, but minute by minute, until his lungs threatened to explode.

-Also known as Diego Hargreeves carved my heart from my chest and I let him do so willingly.

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show me how to struggle gracefully by Karturtle (karturtle)

Words: 3197 Chapters: 1 Post-S1

Part 1 of you ask me where i've been(like i ask you where you are)

Summary: Ben watches his family as it heals, and starts to do a little healing himself.

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love you without any strings attached by Karturtle (karturtle)

Words: 4739 Chapters: 1 Post-S1

Part 2 of you ask me where i've been(like i ask you where you are)

Summary: Ben and Klaus have been a pair ever since Klaus was old enough to drag his brother into mischief.

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I’ll never dance again by The Séance (TheHavok)

Words: 322 Chapters: 1

Summary: ONE SHOT, Klaus Hargreeves badly dealing with losing his lover.

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bright by classyfanperson

Words: 1133 Chapters: 1 Pre-S1

Summary: There's no reason Klaus can't have pretty things, even if he has to steal them.

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Every Mountain You Climb Takes Me Further Away by siriuslyrose

Words: 3061 Chapters: 1 Pre-S1

Summary: In 1989, Sir Reginald Hargreeves adopts seven babies from around the world. By 2007 only one remained.

They all left for slightly different reasons. But for all six of them it was The Monocle that forced them out the door. Ironically, he was also the reason his Number One never follow them.

This is the story of how the Umbrella Academy went from Six (Seven) members to One.

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Elide by Willowcatkin

Words: 484 Chapters: 1

Summary: And even when her home crumbles to nothing around her, no one will hear it. Debris born from grudge that stems deep into its foundation falls. Rocks and ash drift like stardust, muffling and soft like sound through water. The walls that used to block out the notes, amplifying them and distorting their intricately crafted meanings, collapse and fold like the delicate flutter of a butterfly’s wings.

Comments: One of my personal favorites. I always love characters studies written with such nicely flowing prose.

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And Then There Were None by friedlieb_ferdinand_runge

Words: 1005 Chapters: 1

Summary: They were all broken in the end.

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if you must mourn (don’t do it alone) by AndreaLyn

Words: 2120 Chapters: 1

Summary: They're putting the grief in Hargreeves.

or “How the Hargreeves family moved on (except for the one who refused)"

#the umbrella academy #umbrella academy #fanfiction #rec list #fanfic rec list #gen fic #hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #diego hargreeves #number 5 #five hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #ben hargreeves #allison hargreeves #luther hargreeves #ao3

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introvertguide · 5 years ago

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Tootsie (1982); AFI #69

The film under review is the 1982 comedy Tootsie, directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Dustin Hoffman. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and was also inducted into the National Film Archives by the Library of Congress in 1998. I read over my notes about this film from when I watched it in 2014 and I didn’t think much of the film at the time, but I read Roger Ebert’s review and saw that it has very good Rotten Tomato and Metacritic scores so I figured I was just missing something. I watched it twice over the last couple of days and I think I feel the same as I did before. Bored. Here is a quick plot summary before we get to the breakdown:

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is a respected actor, but nobody in New York wants to hire him because he is a perfectionist and difficult to work with. After many months without a job, Michael hears of an opening on the popular daytime soap opera Southwest General from his friend and acting student Sandy Lester (Terri Garr), who tries out for the role of hospital administrator Emily Kimberly. In desperation for work, Michael impersonates a woman and, auditioning under the name "Dorothy Michaels", gets the part. Michael takes the job as a way to raise $8,000 to produce a play, written by his roommate Jeff Slater (Bill Murray), which will star himself and Sandy. Michael plays his character as a feisty feminist, which is not how the part is written, and quickly becomes a national sensation.

Michael gets into his part a little too much and he finds himself trying on clothes at Sandy’s house. She catches him and he covers up by claiming he wants to have sex with her. Exacerbating matters further, he is attracted to one of his co-stars, Julie Nichols (played by Jessica Lange), a single mother in an unhealthy relationship with the show's amoral, sexist director, Ron Carlisle. At a party, when Michael (as himself) approaches Julie with a pick-up line that she had previously told Dorothy she would be receptive to, she throws a drink in his face.

Michael becomes close with Julie when he is dressed up as Dorothy and he is invited to a weekend at her father’s house. Michael starts to really fall for Julie, but it is Julie’s father Les (Charles Durning) that falls for Dorothy and even tries to propose. Michael freaks out and goes to his agent George Fields (played by Director Sydney Pollack) to try and get him off of the show. George refuses because he has assisted Michael in getting the part and worries there will be blow back over the deceit.

Sandy visits Michael, asking why he hasn't answered her calls. Michael admits he's in love with another woman, and Sandy screams and breaks up with him. The tipping point comes when, due to Dorothy's popularity, the show's producers want to extend her contract for another year. Michael finds a clever way to extricate himself: when the cast is forced by a technical problem to perform an episode live, he improvises a grand speech on camera, pulls off his wig and reveals that he is actually Edward, the character's twin brother who took her place to avenge her.

The revelation allows everybody a more-or-less graceful way out. Julie, however, is so outraged that she punches him in the stomach once the cameras have stopped rolling, before storming off. Some weeks later, Michael is moving forward with producing Jeff's play. He also gives Les back his ring, and Les tells Michael: "The only reason you're still living is because I never kissed you." Michael later waits for Julie outside the studio. She is reluctant to talk to him, but finally admits she misses Dorothy. Michael tells her, "I was a better man with you as a woman than I ever was with a woman as a man." She forgives him and they walk down the street. The end.

This might seem abrupt, but that is really the ending. There are so many plot lines that were left unexplored, but realistically they weren’t going anywhere so maybe the sudden ending was a benefit. But what happened to Sandy? She was screwed over by Michael for the whole movie and then her fate is left pretty much unresolved. What about the agent? I guess he was disgraced and kicked out of the business? The dad was really OK with being fooled into proposing by a guy who was trying to trick his daughter? The movie is very incomplete.

A strange almost irony is how bad the score is in this film (very generic 80s busy music) and that the story has recently become a stage play. On the other hand, taking a good premise and stripping it down to just the characters and then adapting it to the stage has worked well with Broadway.

One virtue of the film is the different approach to portraying gender roles. I was raised in the 80s but I have long since forgotten the idea that a relationship was considered a joke if the people involved were of the same gender. Gay relationships of the 80s were portrayed on the big and small screen as comical, with the men being flaming and effeminate and the women being butch and mean. This film does not do that. There are some scenes of gay panic, but that is because the characters are being caught up in their lies. The message is to be who you really are and I don’t feel like there is judgment against a particular lifestyle beyond when it is false to the character’s true nature.

I personally find the premise of this movie much more interesting than the actual film itself. I can imagine that “an actor who crosses gender to earn a part and learns a powerful lesson about gender roles” sounds good and there are a lot of jokes about a man learning the difficulty of being a woman. I also think there is a dangerously close tread towards implying that a man could do a better job being a woman than a woman can. However, it turns out to be more along the lines of women can be incredibly strong if they had the privilege and entitlements that men have. It was very progressive for the time.

All of the actual female characters are played so weak and it is funny that this is the only place in which the movie actually won an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Lange). Terri Garr is especially weak and neurotic with her character being screwed over throughout the movie. It is really the only character that I have ever seen the actress play, so I don’t know if there was anything else that could have come from her. Jessica Lange finally gains enough confidence to step away from a comfortable but bad relationship, but she ends the film in a strange relationship with a guy that has been lying to her consistently the whole time she has known him.

I have found as I have researched this film and actually rewatched it a couple of times that I really don’t like this movie beyond the premise and how novel it was for the time. The ending was awkward and the premise gag ran out of steam halfway through the film. So would I recommend it? Not really. The awkward gender bending was done better before in Some Like It Hot (1959) and after in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), the challenge of switching gender roles was much better in Mr. Mom (1983), and the music was finally made tolerable in Tootsie the Musical. I would not recommend this film since it doesn’t hold up. Should it be on the AFI top 100? No. With movies like Dr. Zhivago dropped off the list, I don’t see why this one stayed on. It is a decent movie but the premise has been done better over and over again so it really does not stand up. At best, it was a reflection of how female roles were changing in society, but at worst it was a slightly funny single joke that ran for 2 hours. Really not something that deserves to be in the ranks of the greatest American movies.

#tootsie #afi films #introvert #introverts #film critique #movie review #dustin hoffman #Jessica lange #80s #comedies #80s movies #gender roles

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amandajoyce118 · 6 years ago

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Runaways Season 2 Easter Eggs And Comic Book References

No Friday Five this week. Instead, have this!

It took me a bit longer than I would have liked to get through season two of Runaways, but I’ve finally got an Easter egg list for you. This time of year was very busy at both my day job and in the writing world, so to have Aquaman, Runaways, and Bumblebee (do you guys want an Easter egg list for this? I haven’t started typing that up.) release at the same time made things a little difficult for me to get them up in a timely fashion.

As usual, if you haven’t yet watched Runaways, there are spoilers below, but I tried to go episode by episode without spoiling things for future episodes. There are times where I watched a few hours at a time before writing up the details, so I’m sorry if you’re reading as you go along and there are minor spoilers. Enjoy!

If I missed something, tell me what you found!

S2E01 “Gimme Shelter”

The Episode Title

Not only was the title of this episode a movie starring Vanessa Hudgens a few years ago, but it was also the title of a Rolling Stones song. The stories for both feature Runaways, so I think the title was more than just an on-the-nose reference to them needing a house. The movie features a pregnant teen who runs away from home and makes a family for herself at the shelter where she stays. The music video for the song featured two teen boys running away from an abusive home as well, though the song is from an album known for tackling issues related to the Vietnam War.

Detective Flores

If you didn’t obsessively research characters you weren’t familiar with in season one, you might not know that Flores is from the comics. He’s actually the detective in PRIDE’s pocket there as well. In fact, he’s probably the closest to their comic book character.

Their Clothes

This season begins with the kids in the same clothes they ended the first season in. Not only does this tell us it’s taking place pretty soon after, but also how hard up they are since they haven’t been able to find/buy/steal anything else. (Also, yes, these outfits are recreations of some of their iconic comic book looks.)

“You think I’m a mole?”

Ah, Alex. Of course we think you’re a mole. But because we think that, you won’t be. In the comics, Alex was the mole. He spied on his friends and reported back to his parents so that PRIDE was always right behind their kids.

WHiH

This is the biggest news network in the MCU. It’s appeared in just about every MCU property lately. This time around, it’s even more significant, because the reporter for WHiH that appears in this episode also appeared as a news reporter for another network on Agents of SHIELD. Looks like she got a new gig.

Kirk Skadden

This name appears in an obituary next to Graciela’s. (I would have checked all the names, but that’s the only one I can make out on my TV, and I can’t even make out the actually obit.) Agents of SHIELD fans might (or might not, it’s pretty obscure) remember this name from the pilot episode. He’s the agent Maria Hill hands off Ward’s piece of alien tech too. Now, further research tells me this isn’t a comic book character, but instead, the name of a graphic designer who works for Studio Graphics, who does VFX work for Agents of SHIELD. It’s likely a nod to the actual guy doing work behind the scenes, and not meant to be a crossover, but it’s still fun to think about.

Odyssey Diner

At first I thought this was a comic book location, but it’s not. Instead, I like to think that it’s a nod to the Greek epic. You know, the story of Odysseus as he tries to get home after the fall of Troy, but he finds so many obstacles in his way that his journey takes forever? Victor Stein just wants to get home and back to life, and things don’t go as planned.

The House

In the comics, the kids do eventually find themselves an abandoned house to squat in. While it doesn’t look the same on the outside here, it’s definitely pretty much exactly the same on the inside. The props/set dressers did an excellent job.

S2E02 “Radio On”

The Last Supper

The image of the five kids sitting at the table and eating reminds me of the painting The Last Supper. It’s not an exact recreation of it, but I can’t help but feel the imagery is intentional. Someone tell me who corresponds to whom as my religious imagery recollection is a litter rusty.

Molly And Her “Mask”

I love that Molly folds her hat down to create a makeshift superhero mask. She’s also (if I remember right) the only character who actually grew up in a future timeline to become an Avenger, so it feels like a nice nod.

S2E03 “Double Zeros”

The Episode Title

Not only is “doublezero” a particular strain of marijuana, but it’s also a math term. I’m sure the math term is what’s actually being referenced here considering we get a lot of calculations from Janet uncoding the Abstract.

The Abstract

In the comics, the Abstract is actually a copy of the book the Gibborim (who are not the subject of the church, but instead, the giant race that gives PRIDE their power) gives to all of the couples. Each of the couples who go on to have a Runaway has a copy of the book. It contains magic spells rather than the secrets of an alien races technology. The show adapts the idea pretty well for their version of the story.

The Staff Doesn’t Work

Noting that the staff didn’t work after the same “spell” was tried more than once has become a thing. Eventually, the gang will have to figure out that it’s called the Staff of One in the comics for a reason. It can only use each “spell” once while the same person owns it. Eventually, Nico will run out of synonyms for the same actions.

Chun Li

Okay, yeah, Nico playing this character in a video game is a nod to her getting to be a superhero and being an Asian woman, sure. But, I can’t help but think that it’s also a shoutout to another Asian-American in the MCU. Ming-Na Wen, who plays May on Agents of SHIELD, played Chun Li in a Street Fighter movie back in the day. (And yes, she was great.)

Topher

Topher is a comic book character, or at least inspired by one. He joins up with the Runaways in the comics, though it turns out he’s not everything he says he is. I’ll hold that story until we know more about him.

S2E04 “Old School”

Cone of Silence

You know where the idea of Cone of Silence came from? These days, it’s just an everyday phrase, but once upon a time, it was a pretty cool trick on the tv series Get Smart.

Topher’s Rock Dust

So it’s clear that Topher doesn’t come by his powers naturally (as in, they aren’t just embedded in him), like Molly. Instead, it’s coming to him, along with a high, from special rock dust. This kind of reminds me of how Wakanda gets all of its energy/derives its tech/creates its medicine from their place on top of a Vibranium mine, which came from outer space. Apparently, rocks from outerspace contain a whole lot of supernatural power.

This also reminds me of a comic book storyline that saw people harvesting mutants for the “mutant growth hormone” their bodies produced. It was like a chemical produced as a result of them being a mutant. Scientists created drugs from it that junkies had a field day with. It was an arc in the Jessica Jones stories, and I think the Spider-Woman stories, if I remember right.

“Our Uninvited Guest”

Okay, so this little dig at Topher means I can tell you that, in the comics, he was a vampire. The MCU hasn’t gone as far as revealing that vampires exist just yet, so I’m pretty sure that’s not part of his story here. But I like the nod to the idea that vampires have to be invited in.

Atlas Academy

In case you forgot about the school the kids originally attended, it pops back up again. Atlas Academy gets its name from Atlas Comics, the precursor to Marvel Comics. The early days of Marvel also saw writers naming fictional companies Atlas “Insert Business Here” as a nod to the change in publisher name.

S2E05 “Rock Bottom”

Topher Doesn’t Age

So, he didn’t get Molly’s super strength full time, but he did get the ability to siphon energy from the rock dust and not age? Sounds like a new age vampire to me.

S2E06 “Bury Another”

The Episode Title

This might be a coincidence, but I think this is referencing the Rilo Kiley song “Bury, Bury, Bury Another.” It’s about looking back on the way things used to be.

Gravitational Wave Space Drive

On the one hand, this series of words just sounds like scientific nonsense put together to sound like something that might power a ship. On the other hand… it sounds an awful lot like the same idea for converting the quinjet into a spaceship on Agents of SHIELD. Making it run with the help of gravitonium can’t be too far off.

S2E07 “Last Rites”

The Magic Memorabilia

Okay, so it might seem like the rooms at the house are just themed for some cool old Hollywood fun, but I think it’s more purposeful. The room where Alex holds his dad captive has a lot of magic show memorabilia in the background. There are signs and pieces from old school magic tricks lying around. This seems like a nod to Alex’s role in the comics.

When he’s initially introduced, he’s just a really smart human. Alex betrays his friends to PRIDE, ends up dead, and sits in Hell, trying to find a way out. He eventually makes a deal to not only “guide” Nico on a magical journey, but also to become the host of a demon. It’s then that he learns how to use all kinds of magic - more than just pulling rabbits out of hats.

Xavin

This name belongs to a comic book character, and it’s interesting that this person appears to be trapped on Jonah’s spaceship with the rest of Karolina’s family. Why? Because this person wasn’t the same race as Karolina’s family in the comics. Instead, Xavin was a Skrull prince. Raised to become a “Super Skrull,” a marriage was brokered between Xavin and Karolina by their parents as a way to put an end to the war between their species. Though Karolina’s alien species appears to be the Gibborim in the show and not the Majesdanians, the story idea might play out similarly? We’ll see.

Marine Vivarium

This particular comic book location didn’t appear in the show, but its likeness did. You now when the spaceship starts to rise from the ground and there are slight cracks in the surface, its got a dome, all that? That imagery looks a lot like the Marine Vivarium sitting on the bottom of a sea bed in the comics that provides a meeting place for PRIDE.

S2E08 “Past Life”

1957

Not a whole lot in this episode in the way of Easter eggs. I mean, Julian McMahon gets to use his real accent and you find out the body he inhabits was from Australia. Curious that “Jonah” decided not to keep the accent. I can tell you that in 1957 Atlas Comics (later Marvel) cancelled a ton of their Western comics. Westerns were on the way out. A lot of their anthology comics that year featured, instead, aliens and flying saucers. Seems appropriate for a reference in this show.

S2E09 “Big Shot”

Roxxon

A banner on the outside of the big hotel advertises Roxxon. You’ll remember this energy company from just about every other MCU property that takes place on Earth: Iron Man, Agent Carter, Agents of SHIELD, Cloak and Dagger, etc. It plays its biggest role in Cloak And Dagger these days.

Wakanda

Do I have to explain Wakanada? Probably not. Unless you completely tuned out from pop culture last year, you know that’s where Black Panther, and the big Infinity War battle, takes place. It does provide us with a bit of a timeline though. We know this likely takes place after the events of Black Panther in the MCU. Maybe even after Shuri already started work on the outreach center in California? It’s likely still set before the events of Infinity War though.

S2E10 “Hostile Takeover”

Nico’s Eyes

When Nico pops back up from her exhaustion and uses the staff, screaming “get out” at the corrupt cops in the house, her eyes do something a little crazy. The get this black, pebbled, gradient around them. Now, if you’ve seen Doctor Strange, you’ve seen that before from Kaecilius and his followers. In the movie, Tina Minoru, though she’s never named and is played by a different actress, appears wielding the staff. (I’m not going to lie, it makes me wonder if Tina got sucked into the power at one point and left her family for a few days to answer the magical call or something.) Presumably, the markings indicate giving over to the pull of the “dark magic” in the staff.

Nico’s Power

Considering Nico manages to make so many people disappear, I feel like it’s important to make a note about just where Nico’s power is coming from. In the comics, she accidentally banishes people (and Old Lace) to another dimension because the staff can access then. Specifically, it has ties to the Dark Dimension. If that sounds familiar, you’ve likely read up on your Agents of SHIELD or Cloak and Dagger Easter eggs, because it’s been referenced there. Ghost Rider has access to the Dark Dimension. Darkforce, an ability we’ve seen manipulated and used on Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter, originates in the Dark Dimension. When Cloak of Cloak and Dagger teleports, he actually moves through the Dark Dimension to do it in the comics. The show hasn’t clarified if it’s the same there. Suffice to say the Dark Dimension provides a lot of power in many different forms.

S2E11 “The Last Waltz”

The Episode Title

Yes, this title is literal since Chase waltzes with Molly, but the term is best known now as a farewell concert by The Band in San Francisco in 1978.

The President

When the Yorkes interrogate Chase, they ask him if he knows who the President is. Though Chase says he does, he never says who it is. I think that’s purposeful to keep the timeline ambiguous. Is it Ellis? Has someone else got the job? We don’t know.

Staff Of One

Nico’s Wiccan ceremony here might be the first time the Staff of One is acknowledged by its comic book name. It’s what she writers on the slip of paper she burns. You can imagine that her trying to cut ties with the staff isn’t going to work out well. At least her “tie” to it isn’t the same as in the comics. On the page, she had to release her own blood every time she wanted to use the staff as it sealed itself away inside her body until she needed it every time. (This is likely the reason we get the “it’s clawing at my skin” line in an earlier episode.)

Molly Hayes Hernandez

We get to hear Molly’s full name, or at least what Gert knows her full name to be. It’s significant because Molly in the comics is Molly Hayes. In an effort to bring even more diversity into the group, the producers decided to cast Molly as any ethnicity, and ended up making her Latina. Molly Hayes Hernandez is a nod to the original comic book character.

S2E12 “Earth Angel”

The Episode Title

Aside from Karolina being literally called an angel at one point, this title is a reference to the (very old) classic song. Originally recorded by the Penguins in the 50s, it’s been covered by a ton of doo-wop, pop, and R&B groups over the years. It was a surprise hit, much like Karolina taking back the church for her grandmother. The song was the B side of their first record, and what was released was the demo version instead of a more polished sound. People loved it, even without any kind of “classier” instrumentation.

“We’re not Cylons from Alex’s Doctor Who show.”

A for effort, Molly. I don’t usually call out random pop culture references, but I like that Alex is both a Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who fan, and that Molly at least attempted to speak his language.

The Hostel

Is this the first time the house is called this? Or did I miss it earlier in the season? Either way, the Hostel is what the group calls their house in the comics as well, so it’s a nice nod.

“...your darkness is you…”

Maybe I should have waited to explain Nico’s power coming from the Dark Dimension? Again, this is another nod to where her power might come from.

Chase Becoming Part of PRIDE

This isn’t something Chase does in the comics. Instead, it’s Alex (though these days, Alex is a full on villain). In the comics, it’s Alex who actually knows about PRIDE’s activities a full year before his “friends.” He purposely leads them to discover what’s going on when he realizes that the Deans and the Hayes plan on killing the human members of the group so that their families can become the full six members of the inner circle. Alex’s whole thing in the comics is about protecting his parents (and Nico). There, his parents are crime bosses, and he eventually becomes one as well after he gets out of Hell. The point is, he turns his back on his friends to become part of PRIDE, but it goes badly for him. Here, it’s Chase who has that role. Because the show did it with Gert calling for help and Karolina hanging out with Jonah as well. They want to show that Alex isn’t the only one who can betray the group for selfish reasons.

S2E13 “Split Up”

Xartan

While Xavin is a Skrull in the comics, that looks like it’s not the case here. It’s possible the show wasn’t allowed to introduce a Skrull with Captain Marvel looming on the horizon, so they went with Xartans. Named for their home planet, the Xartans actually existed in two groups: the base and the deviations. The deviations were those who had been experimented on and granted abilities (oh, hey, sounds like Inhumans on Earth, no?), and they essentially eliminated the “base” Xartans. They also once attempted to invade Earth in ancient times. They didn’t succeed because Thor, of all people, stopped them. The ones that stayed on Earth actually shapeshifted into trees, becoming one with the environment. Somehow, I don’t think that’s where Xavin’s arc is headed.

The Exiled Royals

The story Xavin projects into Karolina’s head about the exiled royal family (first of all, reminds me of the way the Deathly Hallows were presented in the Harry Potter films, so nice visual, and) is pretty much the story of the Majesdanians in the comics. The two that become the Deans (both actors in the comics) make a home on Earth after being exiled. Maybe the writers thought Gibborum was an easier word for fans to learn? Also, can we point out that Majesdanians sounds very much like majestic, or magistrate, so there is still another nod in how the alien race is presented in the show?

Leapfrog

When Chase and Janet talk outside the house, Chase is busy sketching out a design. That design is for the Leapfrog. In the comics, Victor and his wife actually create the vehicle. It’s submersible, so they use it to travel to and from the underwater base where PRIDE meets. I imagine the VFX needed for something like that is why PRIDE performs their sacrifices in the Wilder’s basement in the first season. When Chase and company discover what their parents are up to, they steal the Leapfrog and use it to escape. They also use it to fight crime, live in, and travel through time. Considering Victor has the video from the future already, something tells me Chase might just invent a time machine if the show gets more seasons.

The Minoru Fight

I have to point out that I’m fairly certain all of the Minoru family does their own stunts in that big family confrontation. Also, if you think it’s a stereotype for this Asian family to know martial arts, in this case, not so much. Instead, it’s playing to the strength of the actors. All three of them are experienced martial artists. They all have black belts, according to Lyrica Okano, though I’m not sure specifically which fighting form their belts are in since several award belts as you master different skills. Lyrica is also a trained gymnast. So, yeah, that fight scene probably could have gone on for a whole episode if they writers wanted it to.

“I’ve seen this before.”

When Nico’s eyes change during the fight and Robert gets a little concerned, Tina says this line. So, I’d wager (again) that we can say that was this Tina during the events of Doctor Strange and not just someone who had the same weapon, and though she doesn’t understand all of the advantages and limitations of the staff just yet, she does know those markings mean dark magic.

Some General Talk

Things that pop up across multiple episodes I thought I’d just throw down here. That way I’m not repeating myself in every episode.

Rainbows

Karolina is a lesbian basically made of rainbows, but this season, the costume department decide to reflect that as well. Nearly every piece of clothing she wears has some sort of rainbow imagery or color pattern going on. Her wardrobe is also very in tune with the 60s and 70s when the sexual revolution was in full swing, which seems pretty apt for a recently out Karolina. The only time she’s not in colorful clothing is when the Church of Gibborum storyline comes back into play for her at the end of the season. Even before she changes into the muted clothes to rescue her mom she’s in pastels.

The Church

The Church of Gibborum is not a thing in the comics, but it does have a real world counterpart. Much of what’s done with the church this season - the focus on an actor playing the part of a church leader, the reconditioning, the cutting people off from their families and their names at secret facilities, the strict rules and cult-like behavior - seems to be inspired by a “church” that’s prevalent in Hollywood. You can read Leah Remini’s book or watch her show for more details.

Gert’s Health

There’s a huge focus, at least on Gert’s part, on Gert’s mental health. It’s not until she’s physically ill that anyone else starts paying attention to her. While I get the feeling this is a bit of social commentary, it’s also a nice nod to the comics. Gert actually died so that her friends could live. We almost get to that point, but the show saves her, and that’s something of a relief because killing Gert off was a huge mistake. The newer series brought her back to life with good reason.

Leaving And Returning

I found the repeated references to people leaving the group interesting. The comic group definitely starts with the members we see on the show, but over the years, a lot of people join up or leave. It’s actually surprising that two seasons in the group is mainly in tact. Topher and Livvie didn’t stick it out, and yeah, they’re separated at the end of the season, but the core group is alive and working toward a common goal. I’m curious to see if other iconic characters get added if the show continues for a while. For example, Cloak and Dagger joined up for a while, the group brought Kara Plast back to the present with them from the past, a cyborg joined them, and Xavin lives with them until they have to leave the planet. I’d like to see someone new introduced and shake up the dynamic a bit.

The Feminism

It’s refreshing that this team of superpowered people is mostly teenage girls. I know, for the most part, this is the original line up from the comics, but there have been a few more additions to the group over the years to up the male quotient. I love that Chase going home means that Alex is outnumbered by Karolina, Nico, Molly, Gert, and later, Leslie Dean. There’s also Xavin, but I’m not sure how we’re supposed to view Xavin. A lot of comics fans classify the character as nonbinary because they originally present as a male Skrull before deciding to become a woman because Karolina is a lesbian. They seem to default to female forms more often than not, but also become large males in a fight to be more intimidating, so there’s that. Regardless, I like the focus on the women getting things done. Neither Chase nor Alex are members of the group with superpowers, though they are super smart. The members of the group with raw power are Nico (magic), Karolina (alien-light), Gert (dinosaur telepathy), and Molly (super strength), and I just love that lineup.

That’s it! That’s all I’ve got this time around. I couldn’t catch every street sign, newspaper article, or building plaque, so it’s entirely possible that there are other fun Easter eggs in the show that I missed this season.

#runaways #runaways season 2 #runaways easter eggs #runaways spoilers #marvel comics

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deehellcat · 6 years ago

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92nd Academy Awards, Sunday, February 9, 2020

So, as per my post earlier today, this is what happened last night when I crawled into bed and drifted off to sleep thinking how nice it would be for Robert Downey Jr to get that Oscar nomination for Endgame. AS I said, I rarely remember my dreams, but when I do, they are usually incredibly detailed and pretty epic. (hey @hedgehog-goulash7, didn’t you have a dream awhile back along these same lines?)

No significant movie spoilers in here; one minor one, a line which if you are part of the fandom you have heard at least three thousand times in the past week, I suspect. (ahem.)

It was the big night in LA. Fans from all over the world tuned in to watch the Oscars be handed out, and hoped their hero, Iron Man, Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr, would finally get that trophy he had deserved for so long. The excitement in the Dolby Theater was obvious even to TV viewers. When the nominations were read, fans probably couldn’t have told you who the other men in the running were. I certainly couldn’t have, especially not when the reading of RDJ’s name was accompanied by exactly the clip from Endgame I hoped for, an incredibly intense scene near the beginning of the record-breaking film.

After the clip, the cameras cut to the audience. Robert looked sensational, as always, in his tux, with his wife Susan smiling at him and holding his hand. She was wearing a sparkly black dress, if I recall. More heartwarming yet, sitting around him were the other five original Avengers, dressed to the nines and with their plus ones in tow, supporting their teammate and friend. It hadn’t been reported they would be in attendance, and seeing them all together again was such a thrill.

The presenter was a tall blonde actress in a champagne-colored gown. She finished reading the nominees and said the words everyone was waiting for: “And the Oscar goes to…” She opened the envelope, and gave an audible “oh!” Her eyes widened and her free hand went to her heart. For an instant, I thought mine stopped. Then a big smile spread across her face, and she said in a deceptively calm voice, “Robert Downey Jr for Avengers Endgame.”

The place blew up like a dynamited moonshine still. Everybody in the theater leaped to their feet, including all the Avengers…well, except for one. Robert sat there looking dumbfounded for all of a second, before Susan tugged at his hand and said something to him. His eyes bugged out, and he started to stand up, slowly, like he was half in shock. As it happened, he really didn’t have to stand up; Chris Evans looked more than happy to haul him out of his seat and into a bear hug, which devolved rapidly into an Avengers dogpile of love, as they all had to get their hugs.

Somehow, he made it to the stage. Not sure how: I think dream-me was probably swearing loudly with joy and tweeting, and missed that part. The presenter still looked happy; she smiled and hugged him, and then handed him the golden bald guy. He stared down at it for a second, still looking totally taken aback; then he leaned into the mic and hollered, “I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT TO SAY HERE.” Okay, fucking got bleeped, but whatever. We been knew. The cameras cut to the audience again and Evans was howling.

“Wow,” he continued. “This—I had no expectation this would happen. It’s unbelievable. Thank you to the Academy. Um, everybody at Disney and Marvel, Kevin Feige, the Russos, Joss Whedon—Jon Favreau. My God, thank you brother. You pushed and pushed and wouldn’t take no for an answer, and took a chance on a guy who had screwed himself so thoroughly he had a bolt up his ass.” An audience shot showed all the OGs were still standing. Jeremy Renner and ScarJo had their faces buried in each other’s shoulders laughing. ScarJo was in tears.

“Mrs. Downey, my electric screwdriver set on reverse…” The cameras cut to Susan, who was crying and laughing as well. “You saved me, my family saved me. To my kids, I love you 3000.” If the theater hadn’t been roaring before, it certainly was then! “And you guys,’ he pointed with Oscar to the OGs. His voice finally broke, and the tears were starting to rise with the excitement. Robert pressed his lips together for a moment, then went on. “The best people I could have dreamed of going on this crazy decade-plus journey with. If part of the journey is the end, what a way to end!” In the audience, Chris Hemsworth gave him a thumbs-up and Mark Ruffalo’s face was all open-mouthed joy. “Oh! And the fans! My gosh, the fans—”

The orchestra started to play, cueing him his time was about up, but he was not having it. “No, stop that. I’m almost done, don’t rush me, I’ve been waiting too damn long for this.” The audience cheered loudly in approval, and he continued, talking more quickly. “The fans, they took out ads, thanking me for Tony Stark, coming up and telling me stories about how this character affected their lives. I—I am humbled by that opportunity and by your love. Thank you! Okay, now I’m done, bandmeister. Which way do I go? Oh—” He started laughing as he was escorted off stage. One more time, cameras cut to the floor of the theater, where the OGs were hugging each other and Susan, and finally sitting down.

#last night i dreamt #from my brain cells to god's ears #Oscars 2020 #rdj #robert downey jr #tony stark #mcu #avengers endgame

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encmoments · 5 years ago

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The Week 12 Football Breakdown

If you would like to donate to ENC Moments, you can send your contribution to PayPal (paypal.me/theflourishpost), Cash App ($FlourishSeason) or Venmo (@JuniousSmithIII).

Week 12 will provide numerous emotions for the teams playing football.

For three of our local teams, Friday will be a way to jockey for playoff position next week. In the cases of two teams, they will look to relish in the ability of doing something few have the luxury of in 2019 — ending the season with a victory. Then, there’s Arendell Parrott Academy, playing Saturday for a chance at its third state championship since 2015.

All games are set to kick off at 7 p.m.

South Lenoir (2-7, 0-5) at North Lenoir (7-3, 2-3)

Last game: Hawks fell to Kinston 19-6 Nov. 1, Blue Devils fell to Washington 42-8 Nov. 1

Last matchup: South Lenoir won 46-14 Oct. 29, 2018

When it comes to rivalry games records can be thrown out the window, but North Lenoir is 4-0 at home this season while South Lenoir is winless in its four attempts on the road. The Hawks suffered a historic loss to the Blue Devils last year — it was South Lenoir’s largest point total and margin of victory in the 56-year history of the rivalry — and will try to get revenge while also jockeying for a home playoff game. South Lenoir would love to ruin the possibility.

Kinston (6-4, 3-2) at Ayden-Grifton (7-2, 3-2)

Last game: Vikings defeated North Lenoir 19-6 Nov. 1, Chargers defeated Greene Central 21-0 Nov. 1

Last matchup: Kinston won 13-7 (OT) Nov. 16, 2018

A defensive battle can be expected between these teams, as they’re two of the four in the Eastern Carolina Conference allowing fewer than 16 points per game. Ayden-Grifton will be motivated on Senior Night, outscoring its last three opponents by a combined 109-8 with two shutouts and trying to avenge two losses to Kinston last year. Meanwhile, the Vikings have also been playing their best football late while gearing up for another playoff run. This battle for third in the EC2A should be a great one.

Greene Central (4-6, 1-4) at Washington (7-3, 4-1)

Last game: Rams fell to Ayden-Grifton 21-0 Nov. 1, Pam Pack fell to West Craven 20-14 Nov. 1

Last matchup: Greene Central won 28-0 Sept. 21, 2018

Since making their way to the EC2A, the Pam Pack have beaten every team in the conference with the exception of the Rams. Greene Central’s six-year playoff run may be over, but the team could very well play spoiler for a Washington team needing this win to clinch a share of the EC2A. The offense has to get on track for Greene Central, as the Rams have been shut out in three consecutive games heading into Washington.

Grace Christian (7-3) at Arendell Parrott (8-2) (NCISAA 2A championship)

Last game: Patriots defeated Faith Christian 73-60 Nov. 1, Eagles defeated St. David’s 38-34 Nov. 1

Last matchup: APA won 51-36 Oct. 4, 2019

History says APA will win its third state championship in five years. The Patriots have never lost to the Eagles in school history, winning all five matchups by 15 points or more. Trey McLawhorn won’t be able to suit up this time around due to an injury, and his 243 yards in last month’s meeting will be missed, but Wilkes Thomas went 11 of 15 for 216 yards and has grown each game. The Eagles threw for 316 yards in the first meeting and will look to use their speed to garner an advantage.

#kinston #northlenoir #southlenoir #arendellparrott #greenecentral #aydengrifton #football #northcarolina

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britesparc · 6 years ago

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Weekend Top Ten #375

Top Ten Games That Could be Films

Well. Sonic. That’s a thing, yeah? The last couple of weeks, when not consumed with Avengers-related news and emotions, have seen people on t’net talking about Sonic, and his weird human legs and nice set of teeth. It’s certainly an odd design, although I sympathise with the creatives involved, even the executives who (I’m presuming) were the driving force behind Sonic’s movie look, okaying what the artists and animators were producing and steering them towards something that, I’m sure, they thought would sell. It’s a tough business and, to paraphrase William Goldman, nobody really knows that much when you think about it.

Among the many think-pieces that have sprung up, however, there is one point I disagree with: that it’s pointless to adapt a game into a movie at all. Certainly there should be no attempt to “legitimise” a gaming property with a film adaptation; games are great and will always be great, as games. But there are games with an iconography, storyline, or set of characters that could translate into movies. As it happens, Sonic the Hedgehog is one such game. He’s instantly familiar both to old farts like myself who remember the nineties, and also to the young folk who will be the film’s target audience. As it happens, I think the rough plot of the film – Sonic and Robotnik enter the “real world” – is probably the best storyline to tell, rather than adapting the game’s plot; it gives us a recognisable world, allows for some A-list casting (Jim Carrey as Robotnik, James Marsden as Sonic’s human pal), and following on from the likes of Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Smurfs, Christopher Robin, et al, the notion of CGI characters interacting with humans is a familiar movie trope, so much so that it’s practically a sub-genre of kids’ films (and can end up getting lampooned in adult-oriented films such as Paul or Ted).

No, I think a much worse decision is to try to adapt a game’s plot; to straight-up cart it across from console to movie screen (or, if you’re watching it on DVD, from, er, Xbox to Xbox, I guess). The first generation of game adaptations were especially guilty of this, often trying to graft a more realistic plotline, with character motivations and whatnot, onto games where “story” should really be read as “objective”: Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Super Mario Bros, Doom, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Whilst some of those films still retain a goofy charm (I will go to bat for Street Fighter being an absolute camp delight), they’re not good, not really. Far better, in my opinion, to take an existing world, one with deep and familiar iconography, and tell stories within it: sort of what the Sonic movie is doing, which we can almost assume is in continuity with the previous games. The best example of this, I think, is Halo; there have been a number of shorts and TV series based on the Halo games, set in the same world, often serving as prequels to the games themselves. And whilst they rarely go beyond a spot of pulpy fun, they do feel of a part with the games themselves. What they don’t do is re-tell the story of the games, and in that, they succeed where other game adaptations have fallen down.

There are examples of games with strong storylines that could be adapted, I think, but they would need care and attention, and should avoid being straight-up ports of the games. Use the storylines, if strong enough, but feel free to chop and change to make it work on film.

Another thing that some games have going for them, that makes them difficult to translate into movies, is that they’re really just film adaptations anyway. I think this is why the Doom and Tomb Raider movies have been less successful than perhaps you’d think; Doom is a sci-fi horror film, not too far away from Aliens (and especially quite close, even though it pre-dated it, to Event Horizon); Tomb Raider is basically Indiana Jones with a woman. The same is true for Red Dead Redemption, which I’m sure has Hollywood types arranging meetings as we speak; it’s a blockbuster, a game with instant name-recognition, a built-in audience, and strong iconography. The problem is that iconography is adapted from dozens of Westerns from The Searchers to Unforgiven to Deadwood to Bone Tomahawk. Quite frankly, we’ve seen that before.

Anyway: here are ten games (or game franchises, I suppose) that I think could stand to be adapted. Some of them are strong stories, some of them are great worlds. Hollywood, feel free to get in touch.

The Secret of Monkey Island (1990): despite banging on about adapting worlds not stories, Monkey Island has a story worth adapting. Sure, it needs adapting, but it has characters, a beginning, middle, and end, and a world that could be seen on the big screen. Pirates of the Caribbean probably stole a bit of its thunder, but that franchise looks like it’s sinking at the moment (no pun intended), so doing a much wackier, almost ZAZ-style take on the pirate movie could be really good fun. My advice would be to put Guybrush and Elaine together for much of the narrative and give them some screwball dialogue.

Command and Conquer (1995): hear me out… the C&C games have a seam of mythology richer than a source of Tiberium, and could lend themselves to a sci-fi war epic. There are characters in there worth adapting – well, Kane, at least – and whilst the risk of it turning into a GI JOE movie is great, if they keep their tongue slightly in their cheek it could be a really good, fun action movie that harks back to ‘80s genre classics. I mean, the C&C cut-scenes are famously hammy, and whilst I don’t think they should quite dial it up to eleven, maybe keeping it a good seven or eight would be good fun. Also: Red Alert, which arguably is funnier (and funner, if that’s a word), but at the moment “comedy Russian bad guys” isn’t quite so benign a concept.

The Legend of Zelda (1986): either as an animation or live-action, I could definitely see a Zelda movie working. For a start, every game is sort of a reboot, a brand new story but still set in the same world as tropes, characters, and events repeat themselves. That means you could tell a story right from the start, drawing on the best plot elements and pieces of iconography from across multiple Zelda games, but it could still be in-continuity with the game series itself. A sprawling fantasy epic but skewing younger than the likes of Lord of the Rings, it could be an absolute winner. Like Monkey Island, I’d keep Link and Zelda together for much of the narrative, however.

Mass Effect (2007): this one might be cheating a bit, because I think there actually is a film in the works (I mean, there’s probably a film in the works for half of these games…). Also it might be cheating a bit because in this case, I don’t think you’d adapt it into a film, but rather a TV series. I’d adapt the story, roughly, but give it a direct narrative thrust. I think if it was a film you’d have to cut too much; it’d feel too propulsive, and risk becoming just another sci-fi action movie. But a series – maybe a 12-episode Netflix affair or something, with a big budget – could allow room to linger, to have the odd episode go off on a tangent to explore the Geth or Rachni or whatever. I’d also look at both men and women for the lead, and cast whoever was best, in a nod to the gender choices of the game itself.

Fable (2004): this is one where I think it’s the world rather than the plot that’s worth adapting: a fun, almost Python-esque version of a fictional fairy-tale Britain. A new recruit to the Hero Academy who is trying to prove themselves whilst also battling Jack of Blades. I’d keep the humour and the bawdy tone, and add in characters from across the Fable series, making it much more of an ensemble. Arguably it’s the gameplay and the emergent storytelling that’s part of Fable’s charm, but I do really think there’s enough there to hang an adult comedy fantasy film on.

Duke Nukem 3D (1996): this is one that could go very badly, but I still think there’s potential. Duke Nukem as a character is a boor, an oaf, a misogynistic pig, a relic of a bygone age worth forgetting. Whilst I think exploring this character in a contemporary setting would be more interesting in a game (especially as you could explore the twenty-year-old gameplay differences, too), you could use Duke as an avatar of the ‘80s, almost, to critique action cinema of years gone by. A washed-up sexist dinosaur who has to be pulled out of retirement, I’d cast an older actor with some comedy chops but also a solid physical pedigree: maybe even Arnie?! You’d have to be careful that if you had a redemption arc for him you didn’t end up justifying the crassness of the original game, however.

Another World (1991): this is one where it’s the world and the style that’s the key, although there’s a vague enough story there to adapt. A scientist is transported to, literally, another world, and has to survive, ending up joining a slave rebellion. The game is all funky graphics and cool gameplay (by 1991 standards, at least), but with the right director you could transfer that brilliantly to the screen, and it allows enough room to explore the psychological effects on Lester Chaykin. One of the things I really like about the game, is that unlike other human-transported-to-alien-world storylines, Lester is way out of his depth; he’s not a superhero, not a revolutionary. He is battered by the elements, hunted by animals, imprisoned, beaten, and ultimately (spoiler alert) saved by one of the aliens. You’d have to keep this element of the game to avoid it feeling like too much of a cliché.

BioShock (2007): this one might be a bit more conventional, and risk being another Doom-style adaptation of a game, trying to follow a story that’s more about gameplay than literary flourish. But there is something there, I think; for one, there’s the steampunk aesthetic of a decaying underwater 1940s utopia, all art-deco and brass, the outside world rushing in and laying waste to such finery. There’s the philosophical discussion at the heart of BioShock, giving filmmakers something interesting to hang it all on. There’s the horror element: the creepy Little Sisters, the shock-horror Splicers, the terrifying Big Daddies. Finally, there’s the twist, which – I’m gonna be honest here – would not work anywhere near as well in a film, but all the same, it’s a twist. It is, perhaps, the most vanilla of the options I’ve laid out here, but I’d still like to see it.

Jet Set Willy (1984): there are quite a few relatively obscure (compared to, say, God of War) 1980s games that could make good films. The first Maniac Miner; Skool Daze; Dizzy. But I’ve plumped for the surrealism of Jet Set Willy. Picture it: cast someone who broke through in the ‘80s – Pierce Brosnan, Richard E. Grant, Adrian Edmondson – and get someone like Danny Boyle or Edgar Wright to direct. The tale of a drunken gone-to-seed former celebrity who starts out trying to clean himself up after one party too many – possibly in some vain attempt at a comeback – only for the film to just get crazier and crazier as he ventures deeper into his bizarre stately home, discovering hidden treasures, secret rooms, occult shenanigans, and much more. Is it “real”? Is he losing his mind? A freakish, twisty, deeply surreal black comedy ensues. It’d probably make no money but be a cult classic!

Worms (1995): most of these I’ve imagined as being live-action, often big-budget affairs; Hollywood blockbusters. But who’s to say we can’t adapt a game into a cartoon? Certainly, it’s been done before, and with degrees of success: obviously on TV, but there’s also the Angry Birds movie, which I’ve not seen and which doesn’t strike me as being overly impressive, but which was clearly a big enough deal to warrant a sequel. There’s an animated Mario movie in the works, animated Pokémon has been a staple for twenty years, and there are those who’d argue that animation was a better route for Sonic, too. So why not apply that logic to Worms, a great British success story? There could be different clans of Worms warring over a piece of land (perhaps a garden that, from their view, is an epic battlefield); that would allow the different Worm voices to come into play. But something means they have to unite for a common cause. Inject it with a dose of British humour, a splash of surrealism, and a some satirical social commentary, and you’re onto a winner.

There you are. Seemingly-obvious suggestions like Metal Gear, Gears of War, or Half-Life I have quietly shifted to one side, and other adventure games with good stories (Grim Fandango, Thimbleweed Park, Life is Strange) I sort of feel had their box ticked by Monkey Island. But somewhere in this list I’m convinced there’s at least one great, great film. In the meantime, I’m off to see Detective Pikachu. Who knows? Perhaps that will be the film that breaks videogaming’s cinematic duck (or at least Psyduck).

#top ten #movies #games #sonic #detective pikachu #game adaptations #videogame movies #fillums

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collectorscorner · 4 years ago

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bevioletskies · 7 years ago

Text

20 questions [17/20]

characters: peter/gamora, guardians-centric

fandom: avengers academy/marvel cinematic universe

summary: wasp has a new competition in store for the students of avengers academy, and there’s money involved. so obviously, peter and gamora have to pretend to be a couple in order to win. wait, what?

chapter preview: peter and gamora's "six-month anniversary" date goes about as well as expected.

word count: 7811 | total word count: 118k

a/n: i think this chapter wins for most angst-ridden inner monologues.

ao3 | previously | next | masterpost

The moment Gamora woke up on Saturday morning, she could tell something was wrong. As in, that she had slept so perfectly, so peacefully, that there had to be some sort of catch. Blinking slowly, she found herself mere inches away from Peter’s face, though thankfully his eyes were closed, breathing even, indicating he was still asleep. She chuckled slightly at the way his hair was completely flattened on one side, exposing the burnt parts of his hair. Upon closer inspection, she also noticed the slightest patch of raw skin along the top of his ear. For someone who enjoyed his theatrics, Peter undersold his injuries more than she’d like.

Gamora sat up, stretching and letting out a shivering yawn, before rummaging around in his cabinets for scissors. Peter woke a few minutes later, blinking at her sleepily. “Morning,” he mumbled, his voice deeper than usual, a pleasant sound for her to hear. “You cutting my hair now?”

She hummed in affirmation, twirling her finger to indicate for him to sit up and turn his back to her. He obeyed, moving sluggishly into a seated position and shuffling forwards so she had room to join him on the bed. Once she found what she was looking for, Gamora kneeled behind him and began running her fingers through his hair again so she could get the undamaged strands out of the way. “Are you going to tell me anything about tonight? Or am I completely in the dark on this one?”

“No spoilers,” Peter replied, tipping his head back so he could smile at her. “Just meet me at the quad at 7:30.”

“Can I at least get a dress code? Is this a ‘fancy dinner’ kind of situation, or a ‘dancing at Club Galaxy’ situation?” She made her first definitive cut, catching the hair in her free hand, smiling privately to herself. It was a miracle Peter didn’t burn his hair more often, given the amount of explosions, fires, and general chaos that he let himself get too close to.

“It’s a ‘come as you are’ situation.” He fell silent as she made a few more snips before turning to look at her. “Gamora,” he said gently. “I listened to you last night, you know. Small things, not big gestures, right?”

“Good to know you’re paying attention,” she said evenly, though her heart skipped rather anxiously. “I guess I’ve also been wondering what we’re gonna do once we finally finish our game of 20 Questions.”

“I’ll still answer you,” Peter said almost too quickly, mentally kicking himself for being too eager. “If they’re not too personal.”

“We’ve asked each other a lot of personal things,” Gamora countered. “Is there really anything off the table at this point?”

“Yes.” His immediate response surprised her - what could he possibly have to hide at this point?

“Fair enough.” She made her last cut before moving to deposit the hair into his trash can, then moved back towards him so she could ruffle his hair once more, this time for stray bits, unusually gentle. Peter thought back to Gamora’s comment about romantic gestures, about signs of love. Was it stupid of him to hope that this was one of them, this quiet morning they were sharing? “You want help with your bandages, too?”

“You’re feeling generous today,” he teased. “That’d be great, thanks.” She eyed him expectantly, and he was unsure of what she was waiting for, until he realized she wanted him to take off his shirt. Letting out a shaky exhale, he pulled off his rumpled, ratty T-shirt and threw it in the general direction of his wardrobe. Despite her being the one to check on his injuries and test his physical capabilities, the sleepy, lackadaisical mood of the room was making it feel more intimate. “You sure this wasn’t just a ploy to get my shirt off?”

“You really need to stop thinking everyone wants to sleep with you, Quill,” she shot back, pulling out his med kit from underneath his mattress.

Peter chuckled, causing the rawness of the skin on his torso to flare up a little. He clutched at his side with a groan, leaning forward to rest his head onto her shoulder. “G’mora-a-a, it hurts.”

“Fearless leader, huh?” She patted him on the bare shoulder before slowly hoisting him back up. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he fixated on her face.

“Fearless leader’s you,” he said quietly. “It’s what we’re both here for, right? It’s like you told Natasha - balance.”

She nodded, moving to peel off his old bandages instead of answering. Gamora continued to work in silence, though she could feel Peter’s gaze - soft, warm, inviting. She wanted to lean into the touch, the way his hands came to rest on her hips to keep her steady despite her having perfect balance. His head was still tilted in her direction, as if he wanted to lean on her shoulder again. Deciding to test this theory, she shuffled a little closer, her knees nearly in his lap, as she cleaned his skin. It had almost been three weeks since the building had collapsed on them, but only now had the open wounds on his body closed up, his skin starting to heal over anew, slightly pink and delicate to the touch. She couldn’t help but remember that he would have healed much faster before they had killed Ego. Her own injuries were long gone, as if they had never happened.

“You’re thinkin’ pretty hard about something,” Peter commented after they’d been quiet for ten minutes. His chin was on her shoulder again, though his head was cocked sideways so he could continue watching her.

“Thinking you might need to ask Stark for a suit of armour at this point,” she replied easily, ripping off long strips of medical tape. “Then again, you’d probably hate to be seen in anything but those red leather jackets of yours.”

“Got that right.” Gamora could feel his laughter rumble through his entire body, causing her own shoulder to shake slightly in response. She had him hold the new bandages against his torso as she taped them down, running her fingers along his abdomen so she could check for air bubbles.

Satisfied, she leaned away from him. “All done.” She began packing away the kit, head down as she concentrated on her task, when she felt Peter’s lips brush against her face, kissing her right on the cheek, ever so gently.

“Thanks, Gamora.” He stood, stretching and cracking his knuckles as if nothing had happened, though she could feel her own heart hammering wildly in her chest, even as he left the room to begin his day.

______

Despite looking forward to their “date”, Gamora still felt the heavy sensation of impending demise settling deep into her bones, something, be it knowledge or instinct, that told her that Thanos wasn’t just inevitable, he was almost here. She had messaged Yondu in the middle of the night after Peter had fallen asleep, hoping that he hadn’t done anything stupid, like take off the way Nebula had done, or drowned himself in shitty beer. Thankfully, Rocket had apparently decided to distract him with some work, claiming that he had ways of improving Yondu’s headfin, though she knew Rocket had told her long ago there wasn’t much more he could do.

To Gamora’s surprise, Nebula seemed calmer than she was about the Black Order’s presence. For someone who had been so desperate to fight them not too long ago, her sister appeared to have matured, accepting that they couldn’t go in, swords and guns ablaze, and expect results. Maybe, as terrible as it sounded, finding out that the Ravagers had been taken out so easily by just one of them had made Nebula realize the gravity of the situation. She stepped more carefully, snapped a little less.

The two of them spent the morning with Mantis at the gym, teaching her how to fall. Her instincts were very good, for the most part, but she still had moments where she second-guessed herself and ended up tumbling to the ground in a heap. At the very least, she needed to learn how to fall with minimal injury.

“Again,” Nebula snapped as Mantis landed on her shoulder for the third time that morning. “A fall like that from an immense height, and you will shatter your entire arm. Does that sound fun to you?” The other girl shook her head, somewhat terrified.

In a way, this was Nebula’s way of showing that she cared. If she didn’t like Mantis, she wouldn’t be putting this much effort into her training, probably would have never agreed to help in the first place. The anger in her eyes wasn’t out of dislike for Mantis, it was out of frustration that she couldn’t get what she wanted out of her so that she would be stronger. Still, it was difficult for Gamora to watch it happen. Mantis, like every other Academy student, had never grown up in the constant presence of the Mad Titan himself, could never dream of what he was capable of, or what he would be like should he get his hands on the completed Infinity Gauntlet. Maybe Nebula had been onto something when she had taken off from the school, though not for the right reasons.

As Mantis landed on her elbow and let out a cry of pain, it suddenly became clear to Gamora. It wasn’t about taking on Thanos alone. It was about taking the fight away from the school, away from all these people who didn’t deserve to be hurt. The Ravagers hadn’t even seen Yondu since he joined the Guardians, and yet they’d been punished, merely for being an associate of an associate. Men (of admittedly loose morals and questionable honour) had been killed, just to prove that Thanos would, and could, do it. What was to become of everyone else? The students that had never signed up for this war, the faculty that tried their damnedest to protect them. And then, the rest of the planet.

Suddenly, the thought of being “stronger together” sounded quite ominous. It threatened the very nature of this school, of this life that they lived. She and Nebula needed to find associates who could handle Thanos, not good-hearted, strong, but ultimately underpowered people like...well, like Peter. He was a surprisingly good tactician, incredible with his quad blasters, and quick on his feet, but Thanos would swat him like a fly.

Gamora hadn’t told him, but a new nightmare had become a part of her consistent rotation, one in which Thanos had arrived to Earth, ready for battle, and crushed the Guardians, one by one, under his feet before her very eyes. He would always save Peter for last. “Terrans,” he would sneer in her face. “Gamora, you disappoint me. Falling for a Terran. A primitive race, wouldn’t you say? Weak.”

“PETER!” she would scream, every single time, arms outstretched, but it was too late. She couldn’t reach him. Peter would be crumpled on the ground, oddly bloodless (the only thing that signified she was still dreaming), though there would be a smear of it across his face, the same dark red as his beloved jacket. When she finally managed to get to him, taking his rapidly-cooling hand in hers, all she would be able to sense was Thanos’s mocking laughter from above.

“Useless,” he would say. “Absolutely useless. Not just the boy, but you. You were my favourite daughter, Gamora, but no longer. You think yourself above being a weapon? You want to live the life of a stupid Terran? I made you. I built you, every system in your body, every bit of metal that you feel, holding you together. And now, I’m taking you apart, piece by piece.”

It scared her every time, how realistic it felt. How plausible it was for Thanos to arrive and do such a thing. Gamora knew now that she would do anything to prevent it from happening, not just to the Guardians, but to everyone else at this school, everyone else on this planet.

Even if it meant leaving it behind.

______

Peter, meanwhile, had decided to spend most of his day with Yondu. It had been quite awhile since they had some quality “bro time”, as Peter enthusiastically called it, like their old Ravager days, when it had just been the two of them against the galaxy. He always thought fondly of the times they pulled pranks while living on the Eclector together, sneaking sleeping pills (or if they were feeling especially terrible, laxatives) into the food of the commanders that picked on them, or hiding razor blades in the captain’s seat cushions (Stakar was unfortunately too clever to fall for it, considering he had pulled similar practical jokes when he was younger).

Unfortunately for Yondu, it wasn’t a day for pranks, but rather, a day for homework. Peter was relatively caught up, thanks to Gamora’s insistence (as in, she told him she wouldn’t watch Return of the Jedi until he had finished everything), but Yondu, ever the slacker, was astonishingly behind.

“You tryna torture me or somethin’?” Yondu grumbled, reaching for his eraser. “I got better things to do, Quill.”

“Like what?” Peter snorted. He was half-distracted by his tablet, having become rather obsessed with checking in on articles about the Guardians. As cute as Groot was, Peter wanted to talk to Pepper about taking legal action against people who published photos of the little one without his knowledge. Photo of Groot splashing in a birdbath? Adorable. Photo of Groot getting stuck under a pile of rubble and crying for help? Deplorable. “All you ever do around here is nap and chase girls.”

“Wha’d’ya mean, like what?” Yondu got to his feet, throwing his pencil down. From where Peter was sitting, he could tell Yondu hadn’t written a single word or number since they had sat down at the table thirty minutes ago. “Your girlfriend ain’t tell you what’s happened?”

Peter frowned in confusion. He hadn’t really seen Yondu since he and the girls had gone to talk to Director Fury, but he had chalked it up to Yondu wanting to avoid everyone else, as he often did. “I’m gonna let that comment slide - what did Fury say?”

Yondu laughed, though it was cold, cruel, mocking, even. “Thought you two shared everything. How about that? Quill, a bunch of our boys got killed. All ‘cause of Gamora’s daddy sending one of his minions after ‘em. That’s what.”

Peter felt every muscle in his body seize up at the mere thought of Thanos. The Ravagers, as awful as they could be, didn’t deserve to die, especially not in whatever ruthless, cold-hearted manner that had befallen them. “Yondu, I...I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not blaming your girl,” he sighed, sitting back down. There was an exhaustion to him that Peter had never seen before, a stark contrast to his usual devil-may-care attitude, not a salacious smirk or lecherous grin in sight. “She ain’t the one forcin’ me to be a Guardian.”

“So you’re saying this is my fault.”

“Don’t be stupid, boy,” Yondu snapped. “I didn’t have to follow ya here, did I? I made my own choice, and now my boys have paid the price when they aren’t the ones buying. And now, I’m wonderin’ whether this was all worth it, and I’ll bet you Gamora’s thinkin’ the same thing. After all, she’s on the straight and narrow now, but she’s getting people killed just by being on this here planet. How much longer you think she can take that kind of guilt?”

In lieu of answering, Peter carried on instead. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

“Probably to protect you or some shit,” Yondu said, rolling his eyes. “Me? I think you need to know, Quill, ‘cause you’re the one that’s gonna figure out how to get us outta this mess. What’re you gonna do about it, huh?”

Honestly, Peter didn’t want to think about it, what it could mean if Thanos was getting that much closer. As Mantis had said to him, Gamora was the rational one - she probably had a million tactical plans dancing about in her brain, but all he could think about was how much it would ruin everything that everyone had worked so hard for. The entire planet, decimated. It would make Ronan and Ego look like child’s play. “Kraglin - did he make it?”

“Krag’s okay. He’s a tough one,” Yondu said, cracking the slightest of smiles at the thought of his second-in-command. “I told him, he should be captain while I’m away. Didn’t listen to me. Now, he’s probably considerin’.”

“He’d be great at it,” Peter said gently. He folded his hands in his lap, unsure of what else to say that wasn’t already implied. All those faces he’d forgotten, men he hadn’t seen in at least two years. Though he had never been as close to Kraglin as both of them were to Yondu, he had also been something of a brother, another scrappy kid who enjoyed mischief and mayhem. Kraglin had enjoyed listening to Peter’s music, becoming particularly fond of a few songs, so much so that Peter would hear him humming under his breath while he worked. On days where Yondu had been too cranky, or as they got older, too busy to spend time with them, he and Kraglin would do their chores together, while Peter left his music running, turning up the volume as high as he could without annoying the other Ravagers.

Those men? Now dead and gone, or as Gamora had put it at the funeral so many weeks ago, “only one person who knew them at all”. Yondu, who had chosen to follow Peter here instead of remain back with them. He had picked one guy, someone who wasn’t even supposed to become a Ravager, was intended to be delivered to his father until Yondu had begged Stakar to let Peter stay, over the hundreds that he had led for a good five years in Stakar’s absence. Peter wondered how many of the remaining Ravagers would resent Peter for the rest of their lives.

______

Nebula, for all her feigned ignorance and apathy, could immediately tell when something was wrong with Gamora. They had spent years learning how to conceal emotions, and yet there would still be slips, a little twitch of her eye or a quirk of her mouth, that would reveal her true feelings. The moment Mantis had hit the mat wrong and Gamora had nearly jumped at the impact, Nebula knew it wasn’t just about the fall.

After Mantis left the gym to pick up lunch for the three of them, Nebula pulled Gamora aside, away from the barre where she was stretching. “What is it?”

“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Gamora said evenly, rubbing at her forearm where Nebula had grabbed her.

“Don’t play dumb, sister, it doesn’t suit you,” Nebula hissed. “You had a pretty strong reaction to Mantis’s fall, but it wasn’t the thought of injury that scared you. So, don’t make me ask again.”

Gamora’s eyes flickered sideways, almost guilty, before she answered. “Our classmates, our friends. They aren’t ready for the kind of pain that Thanos will cause. You were right, Nebula. We shouldn’t be here. But not because we need to take on Thanos, but because we need to protect them from Thanos. Those Ravagers were killed because of us, not Yondu. And here we are, at a school full of Earth’s mightiest heroes, ripe for the taking. All it would take is one single ambush, and everyone here is gone. Dead. Then this planet falls, because no one will be left to protect them.” She let out a long sigh, throwing herself down onto the mat and flinging out her arms in front of her, unusually childlike in her movements. “I thought we had more time than this, Nebula. But we don’t.”

Nebula’s dark gaze fixated on her sister’s face. She looked shaken in a way she never had before. Gamora had been frightened a handful of times when they were under Thanos’s thumb - spooked at the first dead body she had laid eyes on, conflicted over her own power when she had been presented with the Godslayer, terrified when Thanos had first torn her apart. But now, there was more at stake than just her own life, and it left her paralyzed with fear.

“You want to leave.” It wasn’t a question. “After all your lectures about being better with other people by your side, about teamwork, you wish to abandon them.”

“I want to save them,” Gamora said fiercely. “We need to stop Thanos before he gets to Terra. We know him better than anyone, we grew up alongside his children, the Black Order. We can’t get the upper hand if we remain here, with too many people to worry about.”

“But it’s too late for you,” Nebula said mockingly, leaning over her sister and prodding her finger aggressively into Gamora’s chest. “You can’t detach yourself from these people, Gamora, you love them. You’ve always been softer than me, always thinking about the innocent lives you’ve taken in the name of order.”

“Is that what you call Thanos’s treachery? Order?”

“I answered to Ronan, not Thanos, and look what became of him. Because of you and your precious Guardians!” Nebula shouted. Other students were starting to stare, wondering if they should get Ares and have him break up the inevitable fight before it began. “All because you were so concerned - ”

“Billions of people were going to die, Nebula! Does that not matter to you? And it’s going to happen again, and again, unless we make this stop.” Tears threatened to leak from Gamora’s eyes, her voice cracking on her last words. She ducked into her elbow to hide her face, though she knew Nebula had already caught a glimpse of her expression. “And yes. Maybe I have become too attached to this planet, these people, to ever truly be objective,” she continued, trembling. “And that’s why we should at least consider the possibility of leaving to finish the job.”

Nebula exhaled slowly, her breath shaky. Though she would deny it to her grave, and it seemed as if that possibility were closer than ever, she was worried as well. “You are telling me what I said to you a month ago. Don’t have to ask me twice.” She finally settled onto the mat beside her sister, casting an almost shy glance down at the floor. “Please make up your mind at some point, will you? It’s exhausting to put up with your indecision.” Gamora let out a watery chuckle, reaching over to squeeze Nebula’s arm.

______

Peter arrived at the quad at 7:30 PM sharp, feeling a bit idiotic standing around alone. Gamora had messaged him two minutes ago that she would be late, as Groot apparently needed something from her, but part of him worried that she wasn’t going to show. It felt like it was a real date, but instead of a six-month anniversary, as they were calling it, there was a sense of it being the first date.

After all, it wasn’t like their weekend trip into the city, or their movie nights, or even all the times they had fallen asleep together. They were meeting up instead of arriving together, and Peter had planned out something special, despite the fact they could have very easily just told Janet and the others any sort of lie and have them accept it as gospel. Peter wasn’t sure who he and Gamora were trying to fool at this point.

“Hey.” He turned to see Gamora standing there, who seemed to have taken the suggestion of “come as you are” quite seriously. She was in the clothes she had left the Milano in this morning, her “uniform” of a tank top and leggings, along with her red leather duster coat, possibly his favourite piece of clothing that she owned. He liked to think it was her subconscious decision to match him, to present a united front as leaders of the Guardians, or perhaps more intimately, her equivalent of couples’ matching T-shirts. “I managed to convince Groot that Mantis could help him. I don’t really know what he wanted, but it didn’t seem too urgent. So, what are we doing tonight?”

Peter smiled, reaching out for her hand. “You trust me?”

“Somehow, yes,” she said teasingly, sliding their palms together, tangling her fingers with his. They walked in silence for a couple minutes, occasionally gazing up at the night sky or glancing around them, before she spoke again. “Strange, isn’t it? How it all came down to this?”

“What do you mean?”

“You asked me if I had any regrets, doing this,” Gamora replied, squeezing his hand. “And thinking back, maybe I have just one. Not getting you know you better beforehand.”

“Imagine how much smoother missions would’ve gone if we knew how to talk to each other,” Peter chuckled.

“We’re never going to fully agree on tactics, Quill,” she said, though she was smiling and nodding as she said it. “I just mean...all the time we spent apart, never being curious beyond ‘how are you today’, never asking the right questions. When you almost died on Ego’s planet, I had nothing to say to you. How did I let that happen?”

“You weren’t in the business of heart-to-hearts, Gamora, that’s not a bad thing. It wouldn’t have been genuine if you had poked around any more than you did.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong again.” He turned to look at her, noting the melancholy in her eyes. “I think...I’ve always cared about you and the others, ever since we became a team. It was a matter of me not understanding how to show it.”

“Makes sense,” Peter nodded, swallowing. “Thanos...he taught you loyalty, not sentiment. Right?”

“His teachings have shaped me into who I am today,” Gamora said wistfully, her eyelids flickering, the sunset bathing her in orange light that left shadows dancing across her cheeks. She fell silent again, though Peter was half-hoping she would bring up the Ravagers, what Thanos had done to them. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t, though he had a feeling it was the cause of the crease in her brow.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a completely vacant grove. It was an area of the campus that was undeveloped, where students - couples, mostly - went to for privacy. It wasn’t particularly special, aside from being relatively quiet and far away from the heavily populated areas of the school, so Gamora couldn’t help but gasp a little at the transformation. One particular area had a perfect semi-circular formation of trees, with branches that hung low enough to provide some shade during the day, and at night, created curtains of moonlight. Peter had borrowed the string lights Janet had used for the fundraiser festival and hung them along the tree trunks. He had an old gingham blanket laid out on the grass, one of its edges right up against the treeline, and on top of it, a wicker picnic basket and a box of -

Gamora laughed at the sight, letting go of Peter’s hand so she could cover her mouth. “Pizza.”

“I don’t know what your favourite food is, but I know you like pizza,” Peter admitted. He opened the basket and pulled out some drink cans and his holo-tab. “Classic date night - dinner and a movie?”

“In complete privacy,” she said, glancing around. There were some students spending their evening studying outside, but they were far enough that they wouldn’t be able to hear anything, and, once she and Peter were tucked away underneath the trees, wouldn’t be able to see them, either.

“We’ll take another selfie for Janet.”

“That’s not what I was thinking about.” She took his hand again and walked them over, once again, seemingly finishing her train of thought in her own head. Peter figured it would be best not to pry, half-hoping that this “date” (and he hated that he had to use mental quotation marks) would finally provide him some answers. To what, he couldn’t be sure yet.

They sat cross-legged as they began eating their dinner, knees brushing as Peter found himself fidgeting a little more than usual. Gamora had steered the conversation towards Guardians talk, as she often did, and how they needed to review the budget again as soon as the prize money would be presented to them in about three week’s time.

“We’ve got at least ten thousand units in the bag, hey?” Peter said, smiling at her.

“Plus another fifty for Best Team,” she added, holding out her soda can for him to knock his against. He complied, grinning wider.

After they had finished eating and chatting, Peter pulled up Return of the Jedi, projecting it onto the thick canopy of branches above them. As they laid down, he was surprised to find Gamora instinctively curling up against him, despite not being in his cramped bed back on the Milano, her hair fanning out slightly onto his shoulder. She was otherwise quite silent as they watched, as she often was, enraptured in the stories of the space heroes. “You still think we’re like Han and Leia?” Peter whispered as they watched her free him from the carbonite.

Gamora didn’t reply until after Leia had finished kissing Han. “I wouldn’t mind it,” she said softly. If anything, her response left Peter with more questions than answers, but maybe he wasn’t as far off as he had originally thought. After the movie was over, she asked about other movies he had in mind for her, though he could only give her half-hearted answers, as it felt like his head was up among the stars. “Peter, are you okay?”

He was startled at the sound of his first name, though he tried his best not to show it. “I was just...thinking. There was this story I always wanted to tell you, but I never really thought you would care to hear it, but, y’know, now, you probably wouldn’t mind. It’s about my mom.”

Her hand came to rest on his bicep, her face partially buried in his shoulder. “Go on.”

“So, uh, when I was a kid, my mom and I, we had this tradition. She came from a somewhat religious family, and even though she wasn’t super religious herself, we went to church on Sunday mornings like she had done when she was a kid. And I didn’t really like going because I just wanted to play outside instead of sitting still for hours at a time. But she promised that we could do something fun on Sunday night if I went with her. Sometimes it’d be going to the playground, or Dairy Queen to get Dilly Bars, but my favourite thing to do was watch the stars. My mom drove this old rust bucket of a pickup truck, and it’s not the kind of car people expected someone like her to drive, but she loved it. We’d go out to the open field about ten minutes from our house, and put out this blanket on the truck bed, turn on the Walkman, and watch the sky until midnight. Wasn’t the greatest idea for a kid my age on a school night, and I’d always be tired all Monday, but it was one of the best memories I had with her.”

“This very blanket?” Gamora asked, patting the gingham beneath them. It was definitely worn through, with a couple of mismatched patches where there had been holes, and what looked like a stubborn mustard stain somewhere near her hip. It was a blanket that had very clearly been well loved, and well taken care of.

“It was one of the things I had in my backpack when I - well. I took a lot of stuff from the house and put ‘em in there so I could bring it to the hospital. I thought that there had to be something that could help her get better.” Peter inhaled sharply. “Good thing I did, since it was the only thing I had on me when the Ravagers abducted me. Meant I could carry memories of her with me, take her out to space. She would’ve loved it.” He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, clearing his throat hastily as he resumed his story. “I remember, one night, I asked my mom where my nickname came from. I mean, now I kinda know it came from her sort of knowing who my dad really was, and I don’t like that part of it, but at the time, I had no idea. I said, ‘which star am I, Mom? Out of all the stars in the night sky, which one am I?’. And she told me, ‘baby, whichever one you want to be’.”

Gamora could feel tears burning in her eyes as well, turning her face to fully bury herself into Peter’s shoulder so he wouldn’t see. Out of all the things she had learned about him, one of the first she had ever known, long before they began their little game born of boredom, was his everlasting love and admiration of his mother. It was, in fact, one of the very first questions she had asked him, back on Knowhere - the significance of his Walkman, why he valued it so much. It also made her a little furious, thinking of Ego and his careless, blasé attitude towards Meredith and by extension, Peter himself. “Question,” she said, though she wondered if she was going to regret asking. “Do you still think of your father sometimes, even after what he did to you? To her?”

“A little bit less every day,” he answered, turning onto his side so they were face-to-face. “Though...a part of me wishes I had learned more about him. Like what he did to the other kids, or how he treated Mantis. She won’t tell me anything, and the fact that she won’t answer makes me worry that there’s more to it than just apathy. Or...how he managed to kill my mother despite knowing he was falling in love with her.” He swallowed loudly. “I can’t imagine having it in me to intentionally hurt someone that I loved.”

“But what if knowing made you more sympathetic? What if it changed your mind about killing him?”

“Nothing could change my mind about that. He killed her, and he almost killed all of you.” There was a ferocity in his expression that told her he would have never given it a second thought. “Um, question.” He cleared his throat. “What’s the happiest you’ve ever been?”

It felt like a sudden mood whiplash. Was that really what Peter wanted to know, right in this moment? Their faces were so close that Gamora could count his eyelashes, see the hints of teardrops glossing them over. She wanted to wipe the dampness on his cheeks away. “There’s no specific thing I can think of. Anytime I’m with you and the others, I suppose. Even when we fight.”

He cracked a weak smile, reaching for his Walkman as he spoke. “I’m glad that we can be that for you. I mean, we’re all like that for each other, right? I mean, we’re a pretty freaking weird group of people, but we somehow managed to make a pretty good team. The ‘Best Team’, even!”

Peter got to his feet, holding out his hand for Gamora to take, pulling her up to join him. With her nod of permission, he slid the headphones neatly over her ears and pressed play, watching her face carefully. The music started off slow, almost melancholy, as he took her hands up once again and began turning them in slow, even paces. They hadn’t danced since the hotel room, two whole months ago, before Nebula had disappeared, before their botched mission, before all the understandings and misunderstandings in between. He leaned in closer, his mouth ghosting over her ear, singing softly. “Stop...the world...tonight...oh, let me stay...in your arms...forever...” Tentatively, Gamora let her head rest against his chest, a motion that would have felt so foreign before, now a comfort, his steady heartbeat drumming beneath her cheek. “And where...all my dreams...start to spin...love...oh, love...begins...” He trailed off, pulling away from her so he could look at her face. There was a different sort of sadness on his face this time, like a resignation to something she couldn’t recognize.

“Peter?”

“When were you planning on telling me about the Ravagers?”

“Peter,” she said again, forlornly. “I...that wasn’t mine to tell. It was Yondu’s men.”

“Killed by Thanos’s employees.” Though she expected him to sound angry, or at the very least, frustrated, he sounded just about as emotionally drained as he looked. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you? Leave the school, permanently.”

“I don’t want to, but maybe I don’t have a choice,” Gamora frowned. “You said once that I came out of my upbringing wanting to help people, and this is how I can help. Taking the fight elsewhere, so Thanos can face Nebula and I directly.”

“That’s not a fight, that’s a suicide mission,” he said fiercely. “Gamora, you’re going against what you’ve been telling Nebula this whole time. You’ve made it pretty clear that you agree with me - we aren’t friends, we’re family. We’re capable of more when we’re with each other. All you’re going to accomplish by going against Thanos alone is get yourself killed faster, and maybe delay him a little bit longer before he gets here.”

“I never said I liked the idea of leaving,” Gamora protested. “But maybe it has to be done. And I’m not asking you to come with me, because let’s be real here, Peter, you won’t be able to help at all.”

“Right, because I’m the weak one.”

“Because you didn’t train like Nebula and I have!” she yelled, fully yanking herself away from him, taking off the headphones and shoving them into his chest. “Stop thinking that I see you as an inferior being, Peter. It’s a matter of different skill sets, and - ”

“ - no, you see, I got it all wrong! Back on Ego, I thought you wanted me to keep being Terran so you’d be the stronger one, but you asking me if I regret killing him - you want me to have my Celestial powers back, don’t you? Otherwise you think I’m useless!”

“Stop putting words in my mouth,” she hissed. “And stop talking yourself down so I’ll talk you back up. I’m not here to make you feel better about yourself.”

“Then what are you here for, huh?” Peter looked triumphant as Gamora had finally fallen silent, arms folded across her chest in defiance. “What were all those words you threw at me? Despicable, dishonourable, faithless, insufferable? Is that what you look for in a friend? What happened to all that when we started this, this fake relationship of ours?”

“I don’t have to listen to this. And I don’t have to answer to you,” she said, her voice dangerously low. “If you insist on acting like a child, it’ll make it that much easier for me to leave.”

For the first time in ages, Gamora felt like she wanted to run away from him. This had never been a good idea from the start, had it? This relationship ruse, all just a prolonged extension of how she had become too comfortable on this planet, with these people. Holding his hand, chatting for hours, sharing his bed, tentatively flirting with him in the hopes he would understand her intentions. Teaching Mantis how to fight, training with Drax, combating her worst fears with Rocket, looking after Groot - every single moment she had spent with the others was another moment in which she hesitated about leaving to finish the job. She loved them too much.

Loved him too much.

“Gamora,” Peter sighed, reaching for her. “That was...I shouldn’t have said it. But can you really blame a guy for wanting to know?”

“You’re asking me what I have to gain out of your friendship? As if this is just some transaction?” She laughed hollowly, sending shivers down his spine. “Then let me turn this around on you. I barely remember our first meeting, but I remember how insistent you were on tailing me ever since. You made it pretty clear that you saw me as another potential notch on your bedpost. Are you sure that’s not still the case?”

He pulled away again, rage burning in his usually sweet, gentle eyes. Gamora stepped back, somewhat fearful. “Is that what you’ve been thinking this whole time? That I’ve been doing all this with the endgame of sleeping with you? Are we really having this argument?”

She let out a long, unsteady breath, her arms falling to her side, limp. “All we ever seem to do is fight,” Gamora said resignedly, echoing the words Nebula had said to her on Ego’s planet. “Maybe this doesn’t make us family after all. Maybe we’re just a group of people who have spent too long holding on to each other, and we can’t figure out how to let go.”

“If that’s what you need to tell yourself to feel better about leaving.” Peter sat back down, leaning forward to wrap his arms around his bent knees. She had always thought of him as being tall, broad, somewhat physically imposing (until Drax came around), but now, she had never seen him look so small. “Gamora...if you want to leave, I’m not going to stop you. I’ll want to try, but it’s your life, your choice, not mine. But to be honest? I don’t really know what I’m gonna do without you. And if you leave, we’ll probably never see each other again. You know that, right?”

His head came to rest on his knees, giving her the option of walking away without him watching her go. He could feel his breath coming in shallow, as if he couldn’t get enough air in his lungs to go on. To his surprise, he felt Gamora kneeling next to him, her arms wrapping around his entire body, her hair flung haphazardly across his back, her face buried against his. She smelled like her shampoo - nothing floral or fruity, but something more woodsy, musky. Warm. And her arms, strong as ever, holding him almost too tight, yet just enough to keep him together. Because yeah, maybe he was starting to fall apart.

His legs went slack against the ground, and, feeling brave, Peter slowly pulled Gamora onto his lap, her knees braced on either side of his hips. She pressed her face into his neck, and his went to her shoulders, his arms around her waist, inhaling slowly. “Hey. Do...do you have any idea how much I care about you?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied softly. “But I think we’re both too afraid to know the answer.”

“Especially if you leave,” he said, lifting his head so he could look at her. “Maybe it’s better we don’t know.”

“Or maybe,” she said slowly, “we’ll just...know, and choose not to believe it.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he laughed weakly.

“Peter...I’ll tell you when I make my decision. But it’s going to have to be soon. I can’t let it happen again.”

He wisely didn’t tell her that Thanos could very well be killing hundreds of thousands of people right now, and they would never know. All he wanted to feel was her hands interlaced against his back, her full weight resting against his chest, trusting that he would keep her steady. It was stupid, but he felt as if the moment he let go, she would leave and never come back.

They stayed intertwined for what felt like forever and not enough. After all of this, Peter felt like he had failed. All his improvised speeches, his insistence on teamwork, all the missions and jobs in the world, none of which would convince her to stay when it came down to the endgame, the biggest endeavour of her life. And he’d failed in another way, too - being too cowardly to tell her how he felt. They were close, so close, to saying it out loud, that he was certain if he kissed her now, she would respond in kind, but what good would that do if she were leaving anyways? It was like he had said to Yondu so long ago - he wasn’t in the business of getting hurt. Besides, it would be selfish of him to think that her feelings for him alone would convince her not to go. He was important to her, that much he knew, but he also knew that in a way, Gamora felt as if defeating Thanos had become her true purpose in life, after everything she had done under his rule. As the stupid saying goes, Peter thought as he slowly dropped his arms away from her waist. If you love something, set it free. And I do. I do love her.

Gamora got to her feet, though not before kissing Peter on the cheek so quickly that he wasn’t sure he hadn’t just imagined it. She wiped at her eyes despite them looking relatively dry, smiling at him tentatively. “We should head back now, it’s almost midnight. Director’s not gonna be happy.”

“Right,” he said, clearing his throat for what felt like the fiftieth time that night. He quickly packed everything up and stood, allowing Gamora to take his hand and walk them back to the dorms.

“So, what’s the happiest you’ve ever been?” she asked.

“Probably when we first became a team.” This surprised her - she had been expecting another memory of his mother. “It was like everything falling into place. Like I didn’t realize how much I needed other people until we all came together.”

“We were a disaster back then,” Gamora chuckled. “But...I know what you mean. Like we were biding our time until we found each other.”

Once they stopped outside of Gamora’s door, Peter turned to face her, taking both her hands in his. “So. When you look back at this, this, fake relationship of ours. What we’re like now, what we were like before. How much of it are you gonna take with you?”

Her eyes cast downwards to their joined hands, wondering how many more chances she would get to hold them. Looking back up, she opened her mouth to answer.

a/n: well, they sort of confessed, didn't they? here is the song they danced to until it all went kind of sideways.

next chapter is a bit of fun - it's going to be entirely flashbacks (aka gamora's answer to peter's question), detailing how they met and became the team we know and love in this mash-up universe of mine. i hope you guys will like it, since it sort of reimagines the events of both movies.

#starmora #peter quill #gamora #guardians of the galaxy #avengers academy #myfic #myfic: 20q #marvel #uhh sorry for the angst?#next chapter is honestly kind of cute tho #y'all get to see how their first meeting went in this verse

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