#Anya Shepard

[zeb-mod]

Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition | Citadel Locations

[msn-04iinightingale]

(Since our Star Colonel is busy, I thought we could for lack of better terms, kill some time and get to know folks who will soon be risking life and limb fighting zealots. Open to anyone who wants to get to know some of my people before the big drop)

Clustered around the docking berth to one of Barghest Company’s two dropships, but not in the way of the stream of crew, techs, and other personnel, Lt . Victoria Everheart watched the munitions and supply carts go by to be loaded not only into the Leopard Class dropship “Dando”, but also into her mech, an Axman dubbed “Queen of Hearts”. The 6 foot muscled Mechwarrior wouldn’t normally have stood out, we’re it not for the cat ears, tail and eyes she possessed, and tattoos on prominent display garbed as she was in tank top and compact pants and boots.

Around her sat or stood the two other members of her lance, as well as possibly the largest black German Shepard ever seen in the inner sphere.

Major Vance Strider, a gaunt, bald man sits on a crate beside her, seemingly mumbling or speaking at himself with closed eyes, in meditation or contemplation.

“This is gonna be one hell of a drop, huh?” Said Major Anya Corwin, a buxom woman on the shorter side with curly red hair. As if in response, the large dog she is petting and giving skritches to chuffs a bit.

Victoria snorts. “Thanks for the input, Loki.” She stretches, rolling well sculpted shoulders. “But yeah, looks that way…can’t say I’ve seen this many people in one place since well, the last war.”

“Hope it all goes well…or as well as can be expected…” Anya chips in.

“Yeah, same.” Victoria agrees.

As if in agreement once again, the dog Loki huffs again.

@starcommanderhannahlewis @the-clawtake @harwood-pmc-official @the-tired-merc @lt-chari @snords-sword @wolf-among-mechs @house-steiner-stays-winning @karriethemechtech @starcolonelkatrinamoon @is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not

[soapybutt17]

From Russia With Love Masterlist

Won't Go Home Without You [Vladimir Makarov x Price!Female Reader]

Summary: It was all supposed to be a mission. Blend in with his people in the underworld and get the much needed information that could potentially save lives in the process. Yet, here you were, finding yourself falling and bounding yourself to an enemy that was dangerous beyond belief. There was nothing good about getting involved with one Vladimir Makarov, but you were entangled in his web of lies and lust and you did not want to escape him whatever the consequence. Characters: Vladimir Makarov x Price!Female Reader. John Price. Simon "Ghost" Riley. Kyle "Gaz" Garrick. John "Soap" MacTavish. Kate Laswell. General Shepard. Nikolai. Warnings: Dubious Consent. Dark Elements. Dead Dove Do Not Eat.. Blood and Gore. Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence. Canon Typical Violence. Smut. Mention of Murder and Manslaughter. Mention of Alcohol and Drug Consumption. Inaccurate military slangs and details. Mention of Human Trafficking. Mention of Physical, Mental and Sexual Abuse. Major Character Death. Heavy Angst.

Part 0: Prologue

Part 1: Eye Spy

Part 2: Lingering Eyes

Part 3: Eye for An Eye

She Will Be Loved [Nikolai x Price!Female Reader]

Summary: Vladimir Makarov was dead. Thanks to you, thanks to your brother and thanks to the rest of the team that was dead set on making sure he was stopped whatever it takes. As the dust has come to settle it left you to linger in the aftermath of your betrayal in the form of your daughter that was a spitting image of the man you've once loved and the man you've helped stopped. Who would have ever thought that another handsome Russian would help you mend the pieces of your heart and your life back together. Characters: Nikolai x Price!Female Reader. John Price. Simon "Ghost" Riley. Kyle "Gaz" Garrick. John "Soap" MacTavish. Kate Laswell. General Shepard. Original Female Character (Anastasia "Anya" Price / Anastasia Makarova) Warnings: Blood and Gore. Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence. Canon Typical Violence. Smut. Mention of Murder and Manslaughter. Mention of Alcohol and Drug Consumption. Inaccurate military slangs and details. Mention of Human Trafficking. Mention of Physical, Mental and Sexual Abuse. Mention of Trauma and PTSD. Mention of Mental Issues (especially PPD & Depression).

Part 0: Prologue

Part 1: Dust on the Ground

Part 2: Papa

[swaps55]

Just wanted to say, regarding female characters - one of the strengths of Opus is the combination of Aslany and Pendergrass. One of my pet peeves is the rule of The Trio - almost exclusively, two guys and one girl. Han, Luke and Leia. Harry, Ron and Hermione. Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. Aang, Katara and Sokka. Ash, Misty and Brock. Every 3-man cell in Naruto. And so on. There's some overlap with love triangles - Bella, Edward and Jacob, for example - but the upshot is that the main character relationships can only explore how the guys get along with each other, and how they get along with the girl. How girls relate to each other is skipped over entirely because there's only one girl.

Then, the one girl is often relegated to being The Girl. Answerable for all womanhood. Like when Ron gets offside with his friends, it's because he's being a dick. But if Hermione does, it's because girls are weird. It perpetuates the two genders of Normal and Girl, and the reader is invited to sympathize with how hard it is for the Normals to relate to the feminine mystique of girls. But of course, girls are mysterious when they're never portrayed together, just existing. Normally.

Opus has two wonderful lead female characters who aren't so easily pigeonholed, and the story is as invested in how they play off each other as how any of the others interact. The thoughtfulness in what makes all the characters tick, and how they serve the story really comes through and makes it more engaging. And then there's Hannah, a powerhouse of a minor character in just a few scenes, you know she's my fave.

Fanfic is an adjustment after conventional fiction - it's more diverse, and the sheer novelty can provoke a kneejerk "why did they make that character [anything other than straight cis white]?" Not because there's anything wrong with it, but because it's new. But in sci fi especially, there's a verisimilitude to diversity.

This unexpectedly turned into a bit of novel, sorry! Aslany and Pendergrass are great!

Oh gosh, thank you!!!

Aslany and Pendergrass are so much fun and so very important to me, and it's absolutely incredible that they strike such a chord with others. I share your frustration on how often a solitary female character is expected to represent all women. "The Two Genders: Normal and Girl" is an amazing way to put it.

I've probably mentioned it before, but I have rules in Opus when it comes to supporting and background characters: they cannot be cis, white, male unless I have a good argument for why they should be, and to combat my biases when it comes to defaulting to male background characters (and BioWare's inability to conceive of female alien who aren't a sex fantasy), I try to start with female as default and then argue for why someone should be male.

And Opus, of course, is a story centered around a male/male relationship, which means I need to make a concerted effort to include women and their stories around that central through line. I wanted some of Sam's primary influences - good and bad - to be women. Hence Hannah Shepard, Guthra Tulak, and Anya Oseguera.

When it came to the 'Yang, I knew I already had two male lead characters, so I wanted to balance them out. Of the primary 'Yang OCs, only Clay Beaudoin is male, and he isn't white.

Okay, there's Wong, but because he's a plot device and effectively got fridged, I wanted him to be male. XD

Hannah Shepard is a lot of fun (I love how much you love her SO MUCH) because she takes so much blame for things most male characters don't. In many ways she's a parallel to Thane, who never takes much flak for being an absent father. Now, that's not something the reader should be blamed for: the ME2 narrative centers around Thane's perspective, which makes you sympathetic to him, while Opus very much looks at Hannah through Sam's lens, which makes her very unsympathetic. Which is why I so enjoy her occasional POVs when you realize that the world looks very different through her eyes, and maybe everything you're led to believe about her isn't the whole picture.

But Aslany and Pendergrass are really special, with their own motivations and complexities and strengths and flaws that, while sometimes making Opus more challenging to write, make it better. I'm really glad people have latched onto them, because it gives me more freedom to expand their role in the overall narrative.

[oh-god-its-this-thing]

y'all just KNOW the interest is special when I make a warrior cats version

Other notes under the cut.

*Daisuke doesn't have enough training to be a warrior, hence he's stayed as CricketPaw, even though he is well beyond apprentice age.

*SwanSea is a valid warrior cats name. But also, despite being his begrudgingly accepting mentor, he somewhat sees CricketPaw like the son he never had.

*Daisuke is an american curl + Japanese bobtail mix, and he's cocky about it too. Due to his german shepard-esque markings that are shared with a cricket, he ended up being called Cricketpaw. His warrior name would have been CricketShine.

*Swansea is a general moggy sire, nobody knows what breed he is aside from cat. Some say turkish angora mix, others say ragdoll. Whatever he is, he's rather well-fed.

*Swansea had to kill Cricketpaw after the younger tom fell in a thing of rocks after trying to find [Anya].

[anderfels]

(okay. i'll make a pinned post.)

i go by jason (or jay/jace). 21+, he/him. if you are christopher cantwell, chip zdarksky, or dan slott, dni. especially you, christopher. you know what you did. /j

mostly dragon age for right now. this blog is not veilguard spoiler free. other favorites include mass effect, baldur's gate iii, resident evil, tomb raider, soulsbornekiroring (???), and assassin's creed.

yes, i liked veilguard.

other interests are comics (mostly from the big 2—yeah, i know :/), books, jojo's bizarre adventure, and star wars. also, sanrio. pompompurin >>>>>>>

check out #rook qotd for a question for your rook(s) everyday! check out #rook questions for miscellaneous questions for your rook(s)!

feel free to come talk to me about your rook(s)! or any of your ocs, really :)

ocs are under the cut.

baldur's gate iii:

iorwerth dawnpetal - tav, half wood elf, college of lore bard, urchin, neutral good / ♡'s gale brennan sunseeker - tav, lightfoot halfling, draconic ancestry (brass) sorcerer, noble, lawful neutral / ♡'s wyll eclaviira of house auvryrahel - durge, drow, cleric of lolth, haunted one, lawful evil / ♡'s lae'zel

dragon age: origins:

julien tabris - city elf, assassin/duelist rogue / ♡'s zevran lovisa aeducan - dwarf noble, berserker/reaver warrior / ♡'s leliana saoirse cousland - human noble, templar/champion warrior / ♡'s morrigan in my heart

dragon age ii:

garrett hawke - assassin/duelist rogue (yes, again), purple/red / ♡'s anders safiya hawke - spirit healer/force mage, blue / ♡'s merrill

dragon age: inqusition:

davhalla lavellan - dalish elf, tempest rogue / ♡'s tiny, frilly cakes meraad adaar - qunari, knight-enchanter mage / ♡'s blackwall

dragon age: the veilguard:

dante de riva - elf, crow, duelist rogue / ♡'s davrin arvid thorne - dwarf, grey warden, champion warrior / ♡'s emmrich eleni ingellvar - qunari, mourn watch, death caller mage / ♡'s bellara

they snuck up on me, but i also happen to ship dante x eleni as well. #rook4rook!!!

mass effect:

rafe shepard - colonist, war hero, vanguard, paragon, synthesis / ♡'s tali'zorah anya shepard - earthborn, sole survivor, infiltrator, renegade, control / ♡'s thane i'll add my ryders once i get over the pure cringe from thinking about them since i made them in my teenage years. LOL.

[elvves]

As an avid lady lover I've been tagged a dozen times but haven't done it! Here we are, fave ladies poll

[healingpuppys]

Stimboards pt. 4

agere natsuki stimboard

agere steve harrington stim

3rd game springtrap stimboard

CG! harvey stardew valley stimboard

sam from stardew valley stimboard

caribou stimboard

CG! Hobie brown stimboard

CG! Falin Touden stimboard

agere mutsumi wakaba stimboard

diane nguyen stimboard

roger and max from max and ruby stimboard

agere mable pines stimboard

puppy regression stimboard

CG! cronus stimboard

anarchist theory stimboard

newfoundland puppy stimboard

woody woodpecker stimboard

wolf petre stimboard

agere pangolin stimboard

Laios from Dungeon Meshi stimboard

agere knuckles stimboard

CG! matt murdock stimboard

agere mera salamin stimboard

petre titanboa stimboard

China from Hetalia stimboard

agere 2D gorillaz stimboard

Vanellope von schweetz stimboard

CGs! leela and fry stimboard

petre german shepard stimboard

agere micheal afton stimboard

CG! preed from Titan A. E stimboard

ramshackle stimboard

agere roxy and june play date stimboard

CG! sniper TF2 stimboard

agere vox stimboard

chica from sprout stimboard

agere dismas stimboard with lizzard’s

CG! test tube and little cheesy stimboard

babyre jinx stimboard

how to train your dragon stimboard

agere Umi from port by the sea stimboard

fursuit paw stimboard

CG! marvus stimboard

dragonkin plush stimboard

seven red suns stimboard

agere luke nightingale stimboard

agere rin shirayuki stimboard

dave x john stimboard

farm kiddo stimboard

scratch and molly stimboard

helmsmen homestuck stimboard

disciple homestuck stimboard

signless homestuck stimboard

Dolorosa stimboard

shark pup stimboard

thalia grace stimboard

diona stimboard

CG! gallagher stimboard

camila noceda stimboard

scp-999 stimboard

gus from sweet tooth stimboard

petre spring fox stimboard

agere colt from brawl stars stimboard

90s carpet and squiglz stimboard

grubber stimboard

tamagotchi + pixel stimboard

snoopy stimboard

CG! professor venomous stimboard

batman stimboard

CG! astarion stimboard

stimboard with gears, toys, and coloring

cottonee stimboard

CG! karlach stimboard

agere toy bonnie with red stimboard

magnetic by ILLIT stimboard

anya from spy x family stimboard

dream agere room stimboard

agere Misumi uika stimboard

paci gifs pt. 9

pen and woody regression playdate stimboard

kankri x cronus stimboard

dolorosa x psiioniic stimboard

agere toy bonnie stimboard

reptile regressor caliborn stimboard

paci gif pt. 8

transfem eridan stimboard

agere karako pierot stimboard

worms reloaded stimboard

agere abigail hobbs stimboard

CG! doc scratch stimboard

fiver 2018 stimboard

trollsona stimboard

firepaw stimboard

agere john egbert stimboard

1x1x1x1 super paper stimboard

verfection and voixer stimboard

agere dave strider stimboard

agere purple bunny stimboard

silly dog fella OC stimboard

agere tavros stimboard

[adira-keepinganeye]

Adira Relationships Explained

These are going to be in great detail as I have many ideas

┕━»•» 🌺🍂 Adira and Daisuke «•«━━━━━┙

🌺🍂 The two are dating! They’re boyfriend and girlfriend but Daisuke had thoughts about marrying Adira when they get home (considering how canon events go out, what a shame he never will)

🌺🍂 Initially Adira thought that he was just silly and incompetent, but over time it turned into a tsundere like friendship for a lack of better words. Then it turned into genuine friendship, and then it turned into a relationship

🌺🍂 They’re very physically affectionate to each other, it’s the love language of both of them so it only makes sense that the two are touching (hand holding, resting on each other, etc) together

🌺🍂 The two talk to each other about their interests a lot, and Daisuke games while Adira draws on spare paper that she finds on the ship

🌺🍂 The two get vulnerable together admittedly, talking about their past issues and what they want to do to change it

🌺🍂 Adira does show her more spiritual side to Daisuke, which I think the two bond over as I consider him to be a spiritual person himself due to his upbringing

🌺🍂 Post crash, Daisuke wants Adira to make sure that she gets enough sleep. He knows that they’re on high alert now but he still tries to be the ray of sunshine that Adira needs.

🌺🍂 They can’t live without each other.

┕━»•» 🌑🍂 Adira and Anya «•«━━━━━┙

🌑🍂 A sister like friendship, these two are a duo together

🌑🍂 With Adira shadowing under Anya, the two have to be together a lot for this reason. But also the two just enjoy each other’s company

🌑🍂 The two talk about what they want to go into, with Adira being into psychology and Anya being into the medical field the two are very ambitious. Even talking about what positions or even places they hope to soon work at

🌑🍂 Adira is very protective over Anya, and sometimes glares at a certain man he walks by. Adira doesn’t want anybody laying hands on her

🌑🍂 The two draw flowers together, as I think Anya also loves gardening and she knows about all kinds of flowers and their meanings. Adira even talks about one of Indonesia’s most known flowers, the Corpse Lily

🌑🍂 They both talk about that one dead pixel in the night sky screen saver

🌑🍂 I think the two have cried together at least once. They bond over emotions admittedly

┕━»•» 🪓🍂 Adira and Swansea «•«━━━━┙

🪓🍂 At first the two didn’t really “talk” talk, they would talk to each other when needed but not for casual fun. But that changed one particular night

🪓🍂 It’s important to understand that I headcanon he has really bad heart palpitations sometimes, and Adira found this out one night and helped him with those palpitations. Adira knew what to do because her own grandpa also suffered with similar heart problems

🪓🍂 Since then the two became like a grandfather and his granddaughter

🪓🍂 Swansea talks about his life before he got on the Tulpar, at first talking about how wild he was in his youth but later on getting more somber about all the years he spent sober and how, admittedly, he wants to change some parts of the past

🪓🍂 The two have a mutual love for dogs, Adira wants to someday have a German Shepard while Swansea just wants to go back home to his old furry buddy waiting for him back at home

🪓🍂 Despite Swansea sometimes reading Adira for choosing Daisuke of all people to be her first boyfriend, he’s happy for them. He just doesn’t really know how to express it

🪓🍂 Swansea wanted to make sure that Adira also made it out of this trip alive and with their spirits high. I’m afraid fate had other plans though…

┕━»•» 🗯️🍂 Adira and Curly «•«━━━━━┙

🗯️🍂 This section is shorter, as the two never really talked to each other nor bonded together all too much

🗯️🍂 They respect each other, see the importance of their jobs. Though they never really “talked” to each other in a way that wasn’t related to their trip

🗯️🍂 Adira does make sure to be friendly, as she doesn’t want to come off as too much of a jerk

🗯️🍂 Post crash, Adira does feel sympathy for Curly. Sorry for his situation but sometimes too scared to stay in the medical room longer that necessary

┕━»•» Extra thoughts «•«━━━━━┙

Adira and Jimmy do not and will not ever get along. The two mutually hate each other

In one universe Adira would’ve tried to off Jimmy I’m being horribly honest

The two have thrown hands once

┕━»•» Final thoughts «•«━━━━━┙

That’s all of Adira’s relationships in detail! You can tell I don’t really like Curly or Jimmy based on this post I can’t even lie

Fee free to ask questions!

[the-teddy-bear-butch]

Woohoo I did a meet the artist thing, so new intro

My name is Lo, I go by they/she (preferably they) pronouns, and I am 21 years old!

I do art and write stuff sometimes. My AO3 is does_this_unit_have_a_soul but I haven’t updated anything in a while but D&D fic oops. Planning MekaMechanic fics atm, possible future Griddlehark and BG3 (Karheart?) as well. Also D&D lol.

Speaking of D&D, check out #memento mori campaign and see the SUPER COOL AND RAD little guys my friends are playing in our Wild West horror campaign!! (I DM 🫶) Or ask me about it! I love to ramble.

I also have a side blog where I ramble about music!! @its-just-a-spark-but-its-enough

OC/DMPC bullshit happens over @anya-eldermourne-apologist

Ask me about Cora Shepard and I’ll be your best friend. :3c

Also if you are participating in Art Fight 2024, find me at dyltgir over there!!

(Last Updated: 5/24)

[noitsbecky127]

I’ve decided I should keep my fic info in one place, so here we go!

My AO3 is here. Click the link and follow it and you will find all the fics. I will link the important ones below as well, though.

I have a number of fics that I don’t really plan on continuing anytime soon. Here’s the ones that do not fall under that!

we are all someone’s monster: In which I rewrite Throne of Glass and make it much better. Features lesbians, actual assassinating, and believable dialogue. Now with Worldbuilding™️!

somehow i know you mean everything (you can set me free): BG3 fic loosely based on my first playthrough, a Shadowheart origin romancing Karlach. Features found family, more hugs than in the game, and Shadowheart’s extensive religious trauma.

Spellbound: My take on the Wynncraft storyline. Features me trying to make first-person POV work, a dash of worldbuilding, and Trauma™️!

they call me damaged: A retelling of my Mass Effect playthrough, centering around Anya Shepard, the space-born sole survivor of the Akuze massacre. Features angst, making the story slightly more coherent, and Tali being the bicon she deserves to be.

when you are young, they assume you know nothing: A series of Veilguard oneshots following Violetta de Riva as she does her best to save a world that’s never done shit for her. Features amendments to the plot, more romance, and a properly defined worldstate.

Fics are subject to change or rotate, hopefully, but for now, enjoy!

[virgsym]

anya shepard, garrus, infiltrator

i havent ever seen a post like this so

reblog this and tag what your named your Commander Shepard, what love interest you chose, and what class you chose in your favorite playthrough

[fullanimebyfunny]

Marvel Heroes Cast

Peter Parker/Spider Man as Mega Man X

Mary Jane Watson as Alia

Harry Osborn as Zero

Gwen Stacy as Nana

Miles Morales/Spider Man as Axl

Felicia Sara Hardy/Black Cat as Marino

Gwen Stacy/Ghost Spider as Cinnamon

Anya Corazon/Spider Girl as Pallette

Miguel O'Hara/Spider Man 2099 as Zero (Mega Man Zero)

Peni Parker as Tron Bonne

Bruce Banner/Hulk as Kong

Tony Stark/Iron Man as Master Chief

Thor Odinson as Kratos

Steve Rogers/Captain America as Commander Shepard

Clint Barton/Hawkeye as Connor Kenway

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow as Lara Croft

James Howlett/Wolverine as Jak

Scott Summers/Cyclops as Ratchet

Ororo Munroe/Storm as Carmelita Fox

Anna Marie/Rogue as Twilight Sparkle

Remy Etienne LeBeau/Gambit as Flash Sentry

Bobby Drake/Iceman as Sackboy

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler as Daxter

Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic as Rayman

Susan Storm/The Invisible Woman as Ly

Johnny Storm/The Human Torch as Splosion Man

Benjamin Grimm/The Thing as Knuckles the Echidna

Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk as Cammy

Greer Grant Nelson/Tigra as Aisha Clanclan

Johnathan Blaze/Ghost Rider as Shadow the Hedgehog

Matt Murdock/Daredevil as Leonardo (TMNT 2003)

T'Challa/Black Panther as Sly Cooper

James Rhodes/War Machine as Ironhide

Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch as Kat (Gravity Rush)

Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver as Speedrunner

Jonas/The Vision as Starscream (Transformers Armada)

Scott Lang/Ant Man as Puss in Boots

Janet van Dyne/The Wasp as Kitty Softpaws

Marc Spector/Moon Knight as Spawn

[twincitiesgeek]

Just published on TwinCitiesGeek.com: True West’s Small Cast Packs a Punch at Theatre in the Round April is historically a very busy time for me, so seeing a show at all is quite a treat. Seeing a show directed by Duck Washington is even more a treat. So seeing Sam Shepard’s True West at Theatre in the Round, which is playing now through May 14, was... Continue Reading at TwinCitiesGeek.com Photo by Anya Magnuson https://instagr.am/p/CrmUc1XreLK/

[fpere2023]

Critical Project: Empowerment in Horror

Introduction

“…the majority audience, perhaps even more than the audience for horror in general, was largely young and largely male-conspicuously groups of boys who cheer the killer on as he assaults his victims, then reverse their sympathies to cheer the survivor on as she assaults the killer. Young males are also, I shall suggest, the slasher film's implied audience, the object of its address.” (Corrigan 514)

“Between 1974 and 1986, however, the formula evolved and flourished in ways of some interest to observers of popular cul-ture, above all those concerned with the representation of women in film.” (Corrigan 516)

Due to an increased awareness/acknowledgment of female horror fans, the portrayal of female characters has developed into one that is more respectful and empowering. 

How Annihilation Subverts the tropes of the Final Girl:

“…the victim is eternally and prototypically the damsel.” (Corrigan 516)

In Annihilation the crew that embarks on the journey is made up of specialist and veteran women who desire to learn more about the phenomena. They are not damsels in distress but scientists who hunger for answers. (Garland, Annihilation, 21:05-24:08)

Dr. Ventress - psychologist (team leader)

Cassie Shepard - Geomorphologist

Josie Radek - Physicist

Anya Thorensen - paramedic

Lena Double - Biologist

“…a blatantly phallic murderer, even gurgling orgasmically as she dies.” (Corrigan 516)

The deaths in Annihilation (focusing on the female team) occur both on and off screen. The first death occurs off screen. Cass Sheppard is found in the forest by Lena Double where her body is mutilated but not in a sexual manner. Her throat is bit open exposing gore that makes the viewer turn away in disgust. However, Sheppard is left closed with eyes staring wide at the sky above. The second death is brutal and quick as Anya Thorensen is mauled by the bear-human hybrid. Her face is torn in half leaving gore and the character once again staring wide eyed at the ceiling. The third death occurs off screen but is not as violent or as shocking as the others. Josie Radek accepts the metamorphosis she is undergoing within the shimmer and becomes one of the humanoid plants sprawled across the village. The fourth and final death of the female scientist occurs within the center part of the creature controlling the shimmer. The lead scientist, Dr. Ventress accepts her death and is evaporated by the light being expelled from her body. Non- of the deaths should arouse desire or satisfaction form viewers. They can either be brutal or beautiful but they are not sexual. 

(Garland, Annihilation, 1:02:03-1:02:3) [Shepard]

(Garland, Annihilation, 1:16:20-1:16:50) [Thorensen]

(Garland, Annihilation, 1:18:40-1:21:39) [Radek]

(Garland, Annihilation, 1:30:26 - 1:33:30) [Ventress]

“As E. Ann Kaplan sums it up, "within the film text itself, men gaze at women, who become objects of the gaze; the spectator, in turn, is made to identify with this male gaze, and to objectify the woman on the screen; and the camera's original 'gaze' comes into play in the very act of filming." (Corrigan 517)

Because the main character is female the story is told from her perspective allowing the gaze to be her own. During one of the flashbacks (affair scene) Portman's character is shot from behind around eye level. Her back and face are shown in two separate shots showing her dominance in the bedroom and within the affair. She is in control. Her character is not sexualized as other female leads are in other horror movies (full body shots, breast exposed, loud orgasmic screaming) she is quietly pleasing herself while also dealing with the inner turmoil her actions have caused her. (Garland, Annihilation, 29:05 - 29:25)

“She is introduced at the beginning and is the only character to be developed in any psychological detail. We understand immediately from the attention paid it that hers is the main story line.” (Corrigan 518)

The other characters (Kane, other female leads) receive development as the story progresses allowing the audience to empathize and mourn each. 

“When De Palma says that female frailty is a predicate of the suspense genre, he proposes, in effect, that the lack of the phallus, for Lacan the privileged signifier of the symbolic order, is itself simply horrifying, at least in the mind of the male observer.” (Corrigan 521)

Although it is brought to attention the limited strength of the female characters (gun pickup scene). The characters are proven to be capable of protecting themselves when the situation calls for it. (Portman scenes shooting the alligator at eye level). (35:40) (Garland, Annihilation, 36:08-36:38)

“The cinematic gaze, we are told, is male, and just as that gaze "knows" how to fetishize the female form in pornography (in a way that it does not "know" how to fetishize the male form) so it "knows," in horror, how to track a woman ascending a staircase in a scary house and how to study her face from an angle above as she first hears the killer's footfall.” (Corrigan 521)

The characters are not hypersexualized in the film. They are allowed to have messy buns and wear baggy clothes because they are meant to survive. (Garland, Annihilation, 27:38 - 28:57)

“…boyish: because they are transformed males.” (Corrigan 522)

Although they do take the place of the ale team they are not reflections of them. The women have their own reasons for entering the shimmer and are able to progress to the end (two of them)

“…victim-hero…” (Corrigan 526)

None of the women are victims because they chose to enter the shimmer and continued forward knowing the danger. 

“Abject terror, in short, is gendered feminine…” (Corrigan 522)

Most of the women are stoic throughout the film or show some moments of weakness but they are not screaming and sobbing throughout the film. They work to survive. (Garland, Annihilation, 44:35-47:08)

(Garland, Annihilation, 1:10:56 - 1:14:30) Madness scene

How annihilation fulfills the trope of the final girl described by Clover:

“Brian De Palma elaborates:…you fear more for her than you would for a husky man."(Corrigan 516)

Hitchcock…'Torture the women!' The trouble today is that we don't torture women enough.” (Corrigan 516)

The team of women in Annihilation suffer both grotesque physical and psychological changes due to their time in the shimmer. The audience is disturbed by their suffering and sympathizes with their struggles. However, the horror is not solely experienced by them. As the film progresses the viewer learns about the fate of the Male team which acts as a catalyst to the true horror of the shimmer. 

“The killer is often unseen or barely glimpsed, during the first part of the film, and what we do see, when we finally get a good look, hardly invites immediate or conscious empathy.” (Corrigan 518)

Because it is not humanoid, the entity controlling the shimmer creates no connection with the viewer. Only confusion and fear. 

“No male character of any stature lives to tell the tale.” (Corrigan 518)

None of the male team survives to explain their experience in the shimmer. All that remains is the footage they recorded. (Garland, Annihilation, 47:28-48:55)

“-we see through his eyes and (on the soundtrack) hear his breathing and heartbeat.” (Corrigan 518)

Beginning shot of Kane's clone returning home. But it is brief and Pormans characters perspective is the one we focus on. (Garland, Annihilation, 6:27-7:30)

“The last point is the crucial one: the same female body does for both. The Final Girl (1) undergoes agonizing trials, and (2) virtually or actually destroys the antagonist and saves herself.” (Corrigan 524)

The body shifts due to shimmer, the psychological torment Portman's character faces due to her guilt and experience in the shimmer as well as her battle against her clone in the heart of shimmer qualifies her for 1. The destruction of the shimmer through the clone is 2.

“At the moment that the Final Girl becomes her own savior, she becomes a hero; and the moment that she becomes a hero is the moment that the male viewer gives up the last pretense of male identification.” (Corrigan 524)

By burning the shimmer, Portmans character is able to do the thing her husband, Kane, could do, essentially making her the final girl. However she is ultimately changed forever. 

Sources

“Annihilation.” Box Office Mojo, https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1057129985/.

Clover, Carol J. Her Body, Himself Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. 1992.  Princeton University Press.  In Critical Vision in Film Theory (2011).  Corrigan, et al.  Bedford/St.Martins, p. 511-530 

“The Most Surprising Horror Movie Statistics and Trends in 2023 • Gitnux.” GITNUX, 13 Mar. 2023, https://blog.gitnux.com/horror-movie-statistics/.

Published by Statista Research Department, and Jan 5. “U.S.: Horror Films' Popularity by Gender 2022.” Statista, 5 Jan. 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1342707/horror-movies-theater-viewing-gender-united-states/#:~:text=As%20of%20October%202022%2C%20approximately,added%20up%20to%2021%20percent.

Annihilation. Directed by Alex Garland. Performance by Natalie Portman Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, and Oscar Isaac. Paramount Pictures. 2018. Film

[incorrectly-quoted-queers]

Joker: I'm going to have to burn out my eyes, that's it, that's my only option anymore

Shepard: Joker, I told you not to go through my movie collection-

Joker: Yeah, and I thought it was because you were a film snob, not because you were-

Shepard: Shhhh!

Shepard, pinching nose, exasperated: Why would you go through my stuff like that?

Joker: Well sorry! Why did you hide a sex tape under a Fleet and Flotilla file?

Shepard, simultaneously embarrassed and snorting with laughter: ... Because EDI wouldn't let me name the file "Fleet and Fornax"

Joker: ...

Joker: Okay, so burning my ears off, too